Belissima arrived in the healing center breathless. “What happened?”

“One of our guards found her injured in the forest,” the queen said. “She had a bag with her like she was collecting things.”

“She was collapsed in a small ravine,” the guard said, holding a cloth over a cut on his arm. “But she hasn’t woken since I found her.”

“Do you have any idea what she was doing?” the king asked.

“None at all,” Belissima said.

“I’m afraid I’m not familiar with human ailments,” said Phina, the academy healer. “If she were a pony, I’d have all kind of potions to try.”

“Let me see her bag, please,” Belissima said.

The queen handed the small silk satchel to Belissima. She dumped it out on a nearby table. There was a fern leaf and moss. A shiny rock sparkled on the table. And then she spotted a familiar green mushroom. The same color as the spots on her coat.

“These are some of the ingredients in the magic recipe that left these green spots on my coat,” Belissima explained. “But why would she be collecting them?”

Belissima walked over to the princess, who lay limp on top of a table. “Hi, princess,” she said softly. “We’re all terribly worried about you. I’m very sorry you heard those awful things I said. I didn’t mean them. And I know the truth. Your mother explained everything. I’m so sorry I judged you without knowing you. You have to tell me what happened. How did you get hurt?”

The princess’s eyes slowly opened. “Belissima,” she whispered, sitting up. “I was trying … to show …” She coughed, and the queen rushed over with a glass of water.

Princess Zenia took a few sips and lay back down. “I thought if I had green spots, too … you’d know … I don’t care how you look. Or how I look. I picked you … because you seemed like fun. All those funny tricks you played.”

A huge lump formed in Belissima’s throat. “Princess, that was so kind of you to consider becoming spotty, too. But I don’t understand what happened. Why are you sick?”

“I didn’t have …” She reached for Belissima, her hands covered in cuts. “I didn’t have time to make the recipe, so I thought if I ate the ingredients it might work.”

Phina looked over the ingredients spread out on the table. “But none of these should have made you sick, deary.”

Princess Zenia opened her mouth but no words came out. Her eyes closed and her breaths were shallow. She fell back onto the table.

The king and queen hurried to her side.

What should I do? Belissima tried to remember all the lessons from her healing classes, but they’d never dealt with anything like this.

“Wait a minute,” Belissima said. She returned to the table of items the princess had collected and took another look at the mushroom. “That’s not a sour mushroom. It’s a swamp mushroom. Look, it has a few orange spots on the underside. I didn’t notice them before.”

“But those are poisonous!” Phina said.

“What’s the cure?” the king demanded.

“There is no cure,” Phina said quietly.

Belissima went back to Zenia, stomping her hooves on the ground. She may not have been in the healing study group, but she had taken a few introductory classes, like all the ponies at the academy. There had to be something she could do.

“This sick girl needs a cure, find the perfect one for sure.” She chanted the rhyme again and again.

“It’s not working,” the queen cried.

She tried another spell. “Make this girl heal, bring back her health and zeal.”

The princess didn’t stir.

“Oh, this is awful. Just awful,” Phina said.

“Get the headmaster and headmistress,” Belissima shouted. “There must be something they can do.”

Phina hurried out of the room as Belissima’s mom entered the great hall. “Are you okay?”

“No,” Belissima said, her voice thick. “I didn’t listen to you. I wasn’t thankful for my gifts. I ruined everything.”

“Honey, it’s not your fault,” her mother said, but Belissima didn’t believe her.

Headmaster Elegius and Headmistress Valinica charged in and went over to the girl.

“Is she going to die?” the king asked through his tears.

“Thankfully, the swamp mushroom isn’t deadly,” Headmaster Elegius said, “but it can leave its victims in a permanent sleep.”