Madmare Island

Chapters

Friday Night
Saturday
Saturday Night
Sunday
Epilogue

Friday Night

Madmare Island

By Alaborn

Standard disclaimer: This is a not for profit fan work. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is copyright Hasbro, Inc. I make no claim to any copyrighted material mentioned herein.

Chapter 1: Friday Night

May 13, 1482 AC

The little boat pitched and tossed in the rain-swollen waters of the river. The wind drove sheets of rain into the windows protecting the cabin. Lightning flashed, and the ponies briefly illuminated by its light braced for the thunder that would soon follow. The thunder resounded just as the boat pitched again.

“This isn’t going to take much longer, is it? The river isn’t that big, right?” somepony whined.

One of the ponies stood up and turned to face them, steadying herself by resting a forehoof on the bench. “It’s just a little rain, ponies. We’re going camping, and you all knew this place was in the shadow of the Everfree Forest. Random weather will happen here, but we’re not going to let that ruin our class trip!

“That’s right, Scootaloo!” Rumble called.

“I’m sure our esteemed class president made that abundantly clear, right?” Scootaloo turned to face the corner where the aforementioned class president was huddled, hooves desperately trying to hold herself in place as the boat tossed in the storm. As she felt the eyes of eight other ponies on her, she straightened up, adjusting her violet and white mane.

“That’s right,” she agreed defiantly, only a hint of uncertainty in her voice. “This class trip will be a success, or my name isn’t Diamond Tiara.”

A few of the boat’s passengers yelped as they felt a bump. “Relax, it’s just the boat docking,” Archer said.

The door to the cabin flew open; caught by the wind, it banged hard against the cabin wall. A grizzled old unicorn, covered muzzle to tail in a raincoat, rushed in and pulled the door closed, lessening the howling wind to a dull roar. “We’re here,” he announced. “Camp’s gonna be straight ahead. Get your gear and hurry off. I’ve got to get back to the village, and with this storm, don’t expect anypony to come by until tomorrow, at the earliest.”

“Acknowledged, Captain,” Scootaloo said. “I knew you could get us here.”

“Anytime, Scootaloo,” the captain replied. “But to be honest, if I’d have known the wind would pick up like this, I would have told you to spend the night in the village. As it is, I only agreed to this because you’re Open Hearth’s cousin.”

Unhappy with everypony listening to their conversation instead of gathering their things, the captain barked at them again. “Get moving!” he ordered.

All around the cabin, ponies bumped into each other as they moved around the cramped cabin, gathering their gear. Rumble was the first to be ready, as he had packed light. He opened the door, steeling himself against the storm. His thundercloud cutie mark identified his talent at working with nasty weather, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed weather like this. Holding the door open, he raised his wings to offer his Ponyville High School classmates some protection against the wind.

Scootaloo followed Rumble out of the boat. While she could fly and do stunts at high speeds, she could recognize when the weather was telling her to keep to the ground.

Archer bounded out of the boat next, the captain of the school’s archery team as energetic as ever. The nasty weather didn’t faze her. The same couldn’t be said for the mismatched pair of unicorns who emerged next. Snips and Snails took one look around and dashed off the dock.

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon followed, their magically-treated raincoats protecting them from most of the rain’s ill effects. Diamond Tiara watched impatiently as she waited for the boat’s last two occupants to step onto the dock.

Finally, Sweetie Belle emerged, attempting to balance a half dozen trunks on her thin form. The young singer struggled under the weight. Fortunately, her handymare friend Apple Bloom took four of her trunks, adding them to her own two. The solidly built earth pony didn’t even flinch under the weight of the extra bags.

“Alright everypony, let’s move! Camp is this way!” Scootaloo shouted over the storm. The light of the full moon, obscured by gray clouds, was still enough to navigate to the camp.

Scootaloo led her fellow students to the largest building in the camp, a communal structure. The ponies didn’t pay much attention to the details, only caring that it was dry. Once everypony was inside, Scootaloo slammed the door shut.

The faint light coming through the windows was enough for Apple Bloom to find a lantern. Once it was lit, the assembled group’s first priority was shucking their wet raingear. Coats and boots fell to the ground.

“Gross,” Diamond Tiara complained as she was caught by Snips shaking water off of himself.

“Sorry, D.T.,” he replied.

“I thought I told you never to call me that.”

“I mean, sorry, Class President D.T.”

Diamond Tiara harrumphed and turned to address her classmates. “Now that we’re all here, I’d like to....”

“Now hold on one minute,” Scootaloo said. “I’m the one in charge here.”

“But I’m the one who organized this class trip,” Diamond Tiara said. “Of course, I acknowledge that it started with your excellent idea.”

Scootaloo scowled at her. “We wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for my family. My cousin... cousin-in-law... it’s my father’s cousin....”

“First cousin once removed,” Sweetie Belle interjected.

“Right. This is my cousin once removed’s campground, and it doesn’t open for the season for another two weeks. He was nice enough to let us come here, and cleaned it up and even stocked this place with food and firewood. If he stops by, I want each of us to thank him. In the meantime, as the most experienced camper here, let’s get prepared for the night. This building is the common cabin. It’s the only one with a big enough fireplace for cooking for all of us. There’s also more than enough seating for our group. We’ll be here for breakfast and dinner.

“Around this cabin are four rows of smaller cabins. This is where we’ll sleep. Each of the cabins has bunk beds, so two ponies to a cabin.

“At the edge of camp is an outhouse with three stalls and a bathhouse. That’s also where the water pump is.”

“You mean there’s no running water?” Diamond Tiara asked incredulously.

“Of course not, we’re camping! At least you don’t have to get water from the river or lake!”

“I think we can just put a bucket outside and get all the water we want tonight,” Snips said.

“Yeah,” Snails agreed.

“I’ve worked out sleeping arrangements,” Diamond Tiara said. “Even though we’re not being chaperoned, I won’t let anything unbecoming happen on my class trip.” She stole a glance at Rumble. “Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Apple Bloom and Archer. Snips and Snails. Rumble and... I guess you’re in a cabin by yourself now. And of course I’ll be sharing a cabin with Silver Spoon.”

Scootaloo glowered, but really had no rationale to object to Diamond Tiara’s plan. She put aside her irritation and addressed her classmates again. “I think we’ll all feel a little better once we get this fire going and a meal cooking. So let’s go!”

Firewood and kindling was stacked in the hearth, and a quick burst from Snails’s horn was enough to get the fire started. Meanwhile, when it came to cooking dinner, Apple Bloom and Rumble were volunteered. There was tacit agreement among the ponies to keep a certain few dangerous ponies away from the food.

“Hmmm. Dried hay, potatoes, onions, carrots, canned pears, canned green beans, and some of the scrawniest apples I’ve ever seen,” Apple Bloom said critically.

“Well, what do you expect? This place wasn’t supposed to open for another two weeks, so of course all they have is winter stores,” Scootaloo explained.

“We’ll make do,” Rumble said. “At least we don’t have to eat that horrible dehydrated camp food.”

“Hey, Scootaloo, are you worried?” asked Snails.

“About the weather?” she replied. “No, it’s probably going to....”

“No, about that spooky warning!” Snips said hurriedly.

The village of Waypost made Ponyville look like Manehattan. Perhaps twenty buildings in total, this village didn’t have one single noteworthy structure. That the train even stopped here was a miracle.

The train station was deserted. The few ponies outside just shuffled back and forth, as if trapped in a dream. The group of ponies that departed from the train hurried to the river and the docks.

Suddenly, an ancient mare, wearing a black cowl, appeared in front of them. She stared, one eye squinting, the other looking like it was ready to explode out of her head. “Turn back before it’s too late! That island has a death curse. The madmare will get you all!”

“Come on, Snips! You’re not afraid of some old mare’s warning, are you? This isn’t the story of the Olden Pony!” Scootaloo shivered as she realized just how similar that old gray mare was to the image of the Olden Pony that once haunted her nightmares.

“Yes, she was probably just confused. You know how old ponies can get. Their minds just aren’t all there. It’s a sad consequence of growing older,” Diamond Tiara said, stealing a glance at Apple Bloom. She glowered back at her.

“Forget the Olden, I mean old pony,” Scootaloo said. “Just, I don’t know, set the table or something.” The two young stallions jumped into action, the gangly Snails stumbling over his plump companion.

Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle, miffed at being excluded from the kitchen, had unpacked one of her bags. She withdrew a large black box with crystals lining its back and a partial keyboard on top.

“What is that?” Archer asked.

“It’s a magic piano. You can program in a song, and it will play automatically,” Sweetie Belle explained.

“Why did you bring that?”

“The big musical opens next week, and I really need to practice!”

“I know what you’re talking about. I have my own competition coming up.” Archer patted one of her trunks.

The ponies in the cabin heard two of their number stumble. Turning, they found Snips and Snails face first on the dirt floor, wooden plates scattered all around them. It looked like they had engaged each other in some little competition, something everypony there knew frequently ended in the two of them sprawled on the ground.

“Sorry,” Snails muttered.

Archer jumped as Sweetie Belle’s magic piano sounded, a humorous melody briefly playing in the aftermath of the unicorn duo’s folly. “What was that?” she asked.

“My magic piano has my sister’s gems, uses a design by Vinyl Scratch, and is charged by Twilight Sparkle’s magic. I think it has a mind of its own.”

“So it’s like, um... the piano player when the theater shows those really old movies?”

“I guess so,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Cool! It’s like our own soundtrack!” Archer said.

“Are you going to do anything with that?” Silver Spoon said.

“I’m trying to find a song that would be good at covering this rain!” Sweetie Belle responded. She fiddled with the machine’s buttons and dials. She knew exactly how to call up the songs she needed to practice singing, but trying to remember all of the DJ pony’s instructions was taxing her mind.

Sweetie Belle pressed a few buttons, and the magic piano started playing a sinister tune. She pressed a few more buttons, and then attempted some percussive maintenance with her hoof. Still, the piano played.

“Um, we really don’t need that creepy music,” Apple Bloom said.

“I know, I’m trying to fix it. Look, just ignore it for now,” Sweetie Belle said. “It’s not like it’s a precursor to something bad happ....”

A shrill scream filled the cabin.

Everypony turned to look at who screamed. It was Diamond Tiara, who was now looking out the window, an expression of terror on her face.

“What is it?”

“Do you see something?”

“A monster?”

“Discord?”

“The Olden Pony?”

“Nightmare Moon?”

“No, it’s worse!” Diamond Tiara shouted. “I lost my diamond earring!”

“What?” Apple Bloom replied flatly.

“That’s it?” Archer said.

“Who brings jewelry camping?” Sweetie Belle said.

“Well, I had to wear something to show I was in charge,” Diamond Tiara said.

“You’re not in charge!” Scootaloo countered.

“That earring is worth more than this entire camp. We have to go find it.”

“No!” came the nearly unanimous response.

“There’s nothing but mud out there. But if it’s that important to you, don’t let us stop you,” Apple Bloom said.

“Fine. Tomorrow, then.”

“Are you ever going to get that thing turned off?” Archer asked Sweetie Belle.

Sweetie Belle used her magic to pull out one of the gems, and the piano shut down. Holding her breath, she stuck the gem back in, and it didn’t start again. That just made the thunder that much louder.

“This storm is awfully loud,” Sweetie Belle said.

Archer nodded. “Hey, Rumble, is the weather getting worse?”

Rumble looked up from the fireplace and concentrated. “It’s about as strong as before,” he said. Lightning flashed, and thunder followed almost immediately. “But it’s really close.”

“I’m sure there’s nothing to be worried about,” Diamond Tiara said confidently.

Suddenly, an explosion rocked the cabin. Stone and brick collapsed. The wind and rain extinguished the fire and blew out the lantern. Everything was dark.

A globe of green-tinted light collected around Sweetie Belle’s horn. Two other, dimmer lights followed. The wind, the rain, and the words of confused ponies formed a cacophony of sounds. “Is everypony alright?” Scootaloo yelled over the noise. Everypony started shouting over each other.

“Quiet! One at a time!” Diamond Tiara yelled. “Silver Spoon?”

“Here.”

“Apple Bloom?”

“I’m fine.”

“Sweetie Belle?”

“Over here,” she replied, hurriedly repacking her bags.

“Snips? Snails?”

“Yeah,” both said, nodding.

“Rumble?”

“I feel like I got run over by my brother, but I don’t think I’m hurt.”

“Archer?”

“Fine. What happened?”

“I think the cabin’s chimney was hit by lightning,” Rumble said.

“Our dinner!” Snails said.

“Forget about dinner,” Scootaloo interrupted. “Is this place still safe? Apple Bloom? What do you think?”

Apple Bloom looked up and examined the walls. “It looks like the ceiling’s support beams are intact, and the blast didn’t destroy any load-bearing walls. And I don’t think any fire is going to catch in this rain. We’re not in immediate danger, but we should probably get our things and head to our cabins now.”

The ponies mumbled in agreement and got moving. Now that the initial shock had passed, they could assess their condition. They suffered a few bumps and bruises, with Apple Bloom and Rumble worst off, and they were pretty much all wet and muddy. The fireplace, and their dinner, was a complete loss.

Scootaloo pulled on her jacket and held the door open. “Let’s get going!” she urged.

The campers skirted the rubble at the edge of the cabin and headed to their individual cabins. With no other visitors to the camp, they took the first available cabins.

“Ew. This place smells all musty. And is that mattress covered in rubber?” Diamond Tiara complained. “This camp owner is going to get a stern letter.”

“I take it you didn’t learn anything about this camp before proposing this trip?” Silver Spoon said.

“I had more important things to do, like making sure as many ponies came along as possible. I’m still miffed that Truffle Shuffle bailed at the last minute.” Diamond Tiara started unpacking. “Help me get the sheets on the bed.”

“No. I’m going to take a bath first. I’m filthy,” Silver Spoon said.

Diamond Tiara frowned. “I’m not asking for much of your time here.”

“Fine. If you want your imported sheets to be covered in mud, then I’ll help.”

Diamond Tiara took another look at Silver Spoon. A fair amount of mud had splashed on her as a result of the accident. “Fine. I guess I’ll just do everything,” she stated.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon,” Silver Spoon said.

“Seriously, Sweetie Belle, you’re becoming more like your sister every day. And that’s not a compliment!” Scootaloo said. Since they were sharing a cabin, she was helping her friend carry her excessive baggage.

“Looking good and staying stylish is an important part of the image I need to maintain as a singer,” Sweetie Belle replied.

“But there’s nopony here but us! And we’re camping. Part of the attraction is getting a little dirty!”

“Be that as it may, I’m still feeling a little shaken from that disaster. And I’m dirty. A nice soothing bath will treat both of those problems and make me feel a lot better.”

“Fine,” Scootaloo said grudgingly. “I really don’t see the point in a bath when you’re just going to get soaked by the storm, but go ahead. I’ll get the cabin ready.

Snips and Snails sat in front of the meager fire in their cabin, rubbing their forehooves together, trying to get warm.

“So what do you want to do?” Snips asked.

“I don’t know,” Snails replied. “What do you want to do?”

Both young stallions’ stomachs rumbled.

“I’m hungry,” Snips said.

“Me too.”

“Did you bring anything?”

“No, did you bring anything?”

They sighed, and were interrupted by their stomachs growling again.

“I can’t believe the lightning did that to our poor dinner,” Snails said.

“Yeah, what did it ever do to the lightning?” Snips said.

“Do you think there’s more food?”

“I think Scootaloo said something about more food there.”

“Then we’d have to cook it.”

“I don’t care. I’m hungry!”

The two unicorns got out, donned their raincoats, and headed out into the rain.

Rumble sighed. The cabin was chilly. He could sense there was a small hole somewhere in the building’s walls, as his wings picked up airflow that shouldn’t be felt in a room with a shut door and closed windows. It was a minor issue, and soon the fire would chase away the cold.

The bigger problem was being alone. When Scootaloo has proposed the idea of a camping trip, Rumble had pictured the two of them, enjoying nature, relaxing, and having fun. But then that nosy Diamond Tiara had heard about her plan, and turned their idea into a big Ponyville High School class trip. And he hated the smug look on her face whenever she talked about it around the two of them.

Rumble wasn’t particularly friendly with Truffle Shuffle, the last pony who had signed up for the trip. The plump young stallion was Pinkie Pie’s apprentice, both in cooking and in pranking. But talking to him was far preferable to being left with his own thoughts. He could feel the seriousness of the storm outside, which made it hard for him to think about anything else. But he was tired, so he lay on the bed, covered with a light blanket, and closed his eyes.

Then he heard a terrifying cry. It was the last thing he wanted to hear.

“Want some apple pie?” Apple Bloom asked. “I have tons.”

Archer shook her head. “No, thanks. Since our real meal was ruined, I’ll stick to my energy bars.

The two earth ponies sat by the fire. Apple Bloom pushed the box closer to Archer. “It’s really good pie. It’s my sister’s recipe!”

“Sorry, I need to eat healthy, Apple Bloom. I don’t have room in my diet for junk food.”

“Junk food?” Apple Bloom sputtered.

“Sorry, sorry, I’m not saying it’s bad, but I want to eat foods packed with vitamins and protein.” She took another bite of her energy bar.

“That there bar is oats and honey and it’s covered in chocolate! That sure looks like junk food to me!”

“But it’s healthy and all-natural! That’s what the label says!” Archer said.

Apple Bloom shrugged. “Well, I offered. And if all we have to worry about is us arguing over food, this is going to be a fine night.”

Sweetie Belle trudged through the mud to the bathhouse, levitating a large umbrella over her body. As she neared, she heard a scream. She dropped the umbrella and galloped toward the sound of the trouble.

What the unicorn found was Silver Spoon, staring at... a water pump? “What in Celestia’s name are you screaming about? Afraid a little physical labor is going to hurt you?”

“I think there’s... there’s blood coming from the pump!” Silver Spoon said.

Sweetie Belle looked at her skeptically. But there was a reddish tint visible in the water in the half-filled bucket. She tried the pump, and saw the same red color. “I think it just needs to be flushed,” she concluded. “It probably hasn’t been used for months. Maybe that’s rust?” She continued to pump water, and it soon cleared.

“Thanks, I guess. I should have figured you don’t have running water in the hovel where you live,” Silver Spoon said.

“It’s not a hovel, it’s a mature neighborhood,” Sweetie Belle countered. “Now, I don’t know about you, but I want to spend as little time as possible caked in mud. So if you’re still afraid of the water, get out of the way.”

“No, I was here first,” Silver Spoon said. “But, uh, I could use your help in preparing the bath.”

“Fine,” Sweetie Belle replied.

After filling two buckets, the two ponies brought them inside. Neither looked too pleased with the accommodations. There was a simple wooden tub, but no faucets. The water had to be carried in by hoof. A large cauldron stood over a fireplace, ready to heat the water.

“This is going to take forever,” Silver Spoon commented.

“You probably should have stoked the fire first,” Sweetie Belle said. Starting a fire was a simple spell, but she would have preferred to just heat the water directly. Maybe Twilight Sparkle knew a spell like that, but she wasn’t here.

After some hard work, all the two students could do was wait. Once the water was warm enough, Silver Spoon pulled a handle to tip the cauldron. The warm water poured into a trough, where gravity carried it into the tub. Silver Spoon pulled a thin fabric curtain across the room, giving her some privacy.

Sweetie Belle decided she didn’t want to bathe in Silver Spoon’s dirty bath water, so she set about refilling the cauldron. While fetching her fourth bucket, Sweetie Belle heard Silver Spoon scream again. Her first instinct was to ignore her; Silver Spoon had been acting like a drama queen, a subject on which Sweetie Belle was intimately familiar. But there was hints of fear in that scream.

Sweetie Belle rushed into the bath house and threw aside the curtain. “What’s wrong?” she said.

“The madmare! The madmare had a knife!”

Sweetie Belle followed Silver Spoon’s hoof to the window. It was covered with a similar thin curtain. Lightning flashed, and both ponies saw it. It did look like a knife blade, but what kind of creature would be holding it like that was unknown. Sweetie Belle fired up her horn, focusing on a simple shield spell.

They waited, scarcely breathing. Lightning flashed again, and they saw it again. But Sweetie Belle noticed the image was almost unchanged. She pushed aside a corner of the curtain covering the window. Nopony was outside.

“I’m going to get to the bottom of this,” Sweetie Belle said. She left the bath house and crept around to the other side of the building. Once she was confident nopony was waiting for her, she lit her horn to illuminate the scene. There. In the tree.

Sweetie Belle chuckled.

Triumphantly, she returned to Silver Spoon. “There’s your madmare,” she said, tossing a multicolored triangle of cloth onto the floor. All you were seeing was a dangerous kite-eating tree.”

Silver Spoon flushed in embarrassment and took a few deep breaths. “Thanks for investigating, Sweetie Belle.”

Snips and Snails searched the large cabin, the only sound their hooves squelching in the mud. They focused light from their horns into narrow beams, and looked through the mess. They spotted a couple of wooden bins.

“There! I think that one had the potatoes!” Snips said.

“And that one had the apples!” Snails said.

They opened their prizes, only to find them empty.

“Wait, there’s a note inside,” Snips said.

“‘More potatoes can be found in the cellar,’” Snails read. “‘Camp Sapphire Lake. We thought of everything.’”

“Yeah, everything except a lightning rod!” Snips quipped.

“So, uh, the cellar then?”

“The... creepy cellar?”

Thunder cracked outside, and the two young stallions found themselves wrapped in each others’ forelegs, quivering like frightened foals.

They quickly disentangled themselves. “Yes. To the cellar!” Snails said.

Slowly, they descended to the cellars. The wooden staircase creaked with each footstep. Their tails brushed aside dust and cobwebs. They heard something dripping.

Something wet landed on Snails’s muzzle. He focused his eyes, almost crossing them, as he saw the dark red color. Another drop landed.

“Blood!” he screamed.

Snails turned and pushed his way up the stairs. Snips didn’t need any more convincing.

Apple Bloom was telling Archer about how things were going at Sweet Apple Acres when there was a knock at the door. She hopped to her hooves and opened the door. “Rumble?”

“Hey, Apple Bloom. I, uh, was getting a little bored by myself,” he said.

Apple Bloom was sure that wasn’t the only reason. “You know, I thought you would have gone to a different cabin,” she said.

“Well, I don’t want to give some nosy pony the wrong idea,” Rumble replied. “Hey, is that apple pie?”

“Sure, want some? And I was thinking about playing some cards,” Apple Bloom said.

“Yes, please. And cards sounds like fun.”

After polishing off a slice of pie and finishing three games, the door to the cabin burst open. “Snips? Snails? What are you two doing here?

“The cellar....”

“Dark....”

“Scary....”

“BLOOD!” they screamed.

Apple Bloom looked at them crossly and sniffed. “That vampony must have been really scary, right?”

“VAMPONY?” they screamed, again huddling together.

“Wait a minute. Vampony?” Snips said.

“Yeah, you know how vamponies hate garlic? Well, I think there’s some garlic in that blood. And I bet there’s onion and oregano in there too,” Apple Bloom said. “I think your blood is tomato sauce.”

“Oh,” the two unicorns said.

“That would make more sense,” Snails added.

“Do you think we could, you know, stay with you?” Snips asked. “You know, to protect you?”

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. “Fine.”

“Is that... apple pie?” Snails asked.

“Something feels wrong,” Silver Spoon told Diamond Tiara. “I mean, the knife turned out to be just some fabric in the tree, but it still feels like something sinister is going on.”

“Are you still seeing ghosts everywhere? I thought we worked through that when you were still a filly,” Diamond Tiara said.

“Look. All I’m saying is I’d feel a little better if we were, you know, closer to the others tonight.”

Diamond Tiara scoffed. “Look, if you’re afraid, then fine, go, but I’m not going to worry about ghosts or madmares on my class trip.”

“Thanks. You’re the best friend!” Silver Spoon said. She grabbed one of her bags in her mouth and ran out the door.

Sweetie Belle sighed as she relaxed in the warm water. The water had that feeling of the mineral baths at the spa. She closed her eyes and pictured the pool at the twins’ spa. Just a few perfumed oils, and she could pretend she was spending the day with her sister.

She felt a prickling sensation at the base of her horn. Sweetie Belle’s eyes snapped open. It was that sixth sense, a creepy feeling that told her she was being watched. But nopony was there.

Lightning flashed again, followed by thunder. The lag between lightning and thunder was increasing, suggesting the worst of the storm was moving away. It was a comforting thought, but then a very uncomfortable thought sent chills down her spine.

The lightning had illuminated a very different silhouette on the curtain covering the window.

Quietly, Sweetie Belle concentrated on her magic, sending out a tendril of force to the curtain. She ripped it aside.

There, standing there, was a pony. Most features were obscured, but what was very obvious was the mask covering most of the pony’s face, and the very large knife clenched in its teeth.

“MADMARE!”

Sweetie Belle burst into her cabin, finding a perturbed Scootaloo.

“There you are,” the pegasus chastised her. First your magic piano was making sounds like somepony was torturing a violin, and now you’re screaming about a madmare?”

“No, I saw a madmare! I’m sure of it! We need to get to safety!”

Scootaloo wanted to tell Sweetie Belle that there was no way there would be a madmare staying in her cousin’s campground. But her oldest friend was scared, and making her feel better was more important.

“Okay. Let’s find the others.”

“Now what?” Archer said.

She opened the cabin door, finding Silver Spoon there. “Could I stay in here for a while?”

Archer rolled her eyes. “Is everypony afraid of her own shadow today?”

“I’m not afraid!” Rumble protested.

“Well, I’m not afraid either,” Archer stated.

The door opened again, and Sweetie Belle rushed in, trailed by Scootaloo. Archer facehoofed.

“Yes, you can all stay in here,” Apple Bloom said. “And yes, you can have a slice of pie.”

“What is with everypony today?” Archer asked.

“I saw the madmare!” Sweetie Belle said. “She was wearing a mask and had a huge knife!”

“Let’s assume for a minute that there really, truly is a madmare,” Archer said. “There are nine of us, and one of her. Why, pray tell, are you worried?”

“She has a knife!” Sweetie Belle said.

Archer opened up one of her trunks and pulled out something curved and long. “And I have a bow. Actually, I have four of them.”

“You brought four bows?” Scootaloo said.

Archer shrugged. “Different bows for different archery events. And I was hoping I could teach you a few things at the archery range tomorrow. But if you’re really worried....” Archer pulled out a bowstring and got to work, the strong muscles in her neck straining as she strung her bow.

“Isn’t that a little overkill?” Sweetie Belle said.

“The only thing I’m actually worried about is some monster from the Everfree,” Archer said. “But for now, let’s get some rest. Nothing’s going to happen when we’re all together like this.”

“Wait a minute. Where’s Diamond Tiara?” Snips asked.

Diamond Tiara relished the quiet. Silver Spoon could run to the others, but Diamond Tiara would stay in the obvious safety of her cabin. Besides, she had managed to get her herbal tea to just the right temperature, and she wasn’t going to waste that.

After a few cups of tea, Diamond Tiara was feeling good, and feeling... something else. The call of nature. And not that metaphysical horseapples that leads ponies to go camping in the first place. No, she would have to face her greatest fear.

The outhouse.

It might be in a larger building, but its purpose was clear. The smells alone made it obvious. But when the only alternative was using the woods like some wild animal... well, some sacrifices had to be made for this trip.

Diamond Tiara pretended she was at the Apple family farm, and that she was being wrongly punished by her father again. With that in mind, this building was preferable to the barn, with all the pigs living in their own filth.

She finished and stood up. She heard a creak.

Diamond Tiara held her breath and listened. She didn’t hear any hoofsteps. But there was that creak again.

“Is somepony there?” she said quietly. No, she could do better than that. “If somepony’s in here, you’d better talk!” she ordered.

Creeeeeeak.

Diamond Tiara left her stall and tiphoofed over to the second stall. She pushed the door in.

Nothing.

She tiphoofed over to the third stall. She pushed the door in.

Diamond Tiara stared into the twisted visage of a mad pony, eyes bulging, a torn noose wrapped around her neck

She also saw the wall through the image.

“GHOST!”

Now, at some point, Pinkie Pie had taught every foal in Ponyville what to do when you see a ghost. But that lesson was forgotten at just the time she needed it. So she defaulted to a different lesson.

Run.

For the eight students in a cabin designed for two ponies, trying to get comfortable was a lost cause. While being this close satisfied some primitive herd instinct, the reality was that there was not a lot of room to stretch out, and the combined body heat was making the building uncomfortable.

And that, of course, was exactly when the final camper showed up.

“What happened to wanting to stay by yourself?” Silver Spoon said. “You’re not scared, are you?”

“Scared? Of course not!” she lied. “I’m just worried about how it would make me look if something happened to you because I wasn’t there.”

“Uh-huh,” said Archer. “Go find a patch of floor. I’ll stay up for a couple of hours and keep watch.”

“This class trip of yours has turned into a fine mess,” Diamond Tiara said to Scootaloo.

“Wait a minute,” Scootaloo said. “Now it’s my class trip?”

As the storm continued to rage outside, the nine campers at Camp Sapphire Lake huddled together, wondering if they would see the morning.

Author's Note

As I commented in another story, the astute reader will have noted the tags, making the answer to this question obvious.

For this story, I'm doing something different, and adapting something I wrote a long time ago, ponifying it. I'm already abusing Hasbro's intellectual property, so why not? All similarities in names are intentional.

This story will either have two (Saturday/Sunday) or three (Saturday/Saturday Night/Sunday) more chapters.

Speculation is welcome!

Saturday

Madmare Island

By Alaborn

Standard disclaimer: This is a not for profit fan work. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is copyright Hasbro, Inc. I make no claim to any copyrighted material mentioned herein.

Chapter 2: Saturday

As dawn broke, a pile of ponies, curled up on the floor of a single cabin of Camp Sapphire Lake, began to stir. More than a few of them complained about stiffness from their uncomfortable sleeping arrangement.

Diamond Tiara frowned as she noticed an unoccupied bed. “I should have been there!” she told Apple Bloom.

“Well, sorry, miss Class President. Maybe if you had volunteered for night watch, you could have taken the bed after I got up,” Apple Bloom replied. “It’s sunup. The rain’s finally passed, and everything looks quiet.”

“Things don’t look spooky anymore,” Snails said.

“Of course not. It’s only spooky at night,” Snips commented.

“So what are we going to do?” Silver Spoon asked.

“I’m not going to let the weather or a little scare stop me from getting out there and having fun!” Archer said.

“I agree,” Apple Bloom said. Around the room, the ponies nodded.

“Well, if we’re going to salvage Scootaloo’s class trip, then we need to get organized,” Diamond Tiara said.

“I’m on it!” Sweetie Belle said. She got up and trotted out the door.

“Wait!” Scootaloo said, flying after her.

“What?” Sweetie Belle said.

“You shouldn’t go out alone. What if there is a madmare?”

Sweetie Belle laughed. “I was so sure I saw something last night, but after sleeping on it, I realized I must have been seeing things. You know that feeling you get when you’re almost asleep and dreams and reality kind of get mixed up? I’m sure that was it.”

“Okay, but still, we should stick together. Now what is it you wanted to get?”

“It’s in our cabin,” Sweetie Belle said. Scootaloo followed her into their cabin, which appeared unchanged from when they left. Sweetie Belle retrieved one of her bags and headed back to the group.

Once they returned, Sweetie Belle opened the bag and pulled out a paper scroll and quill. “First step to getting organized: Make a list.” She scratched an entry on the scroll, and made a check mark.

“Seriously? That’s what you went to get?” Diamond Tiara said.

“If my time being tutored by Twilight Sparkle taught me anything, it’s that a list is the first step to getting organized,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Very well, I’ll name you Acting Class Secretary,” Diamond Tiara said. “So let’s hear some ideas.”

“Breakfast!” Snips shouted.

“What? We have more important things to....”

“He’s right, Diamond Tiara. We do need to eat, and cooking with these little fireplaces is going to take a long time,” Apple Bloom said. “Plus, we need to see if there’s enough food left in the cellar. I’d ask somepony if there was, but they didn’t make it into the cellar.” She looked meaningfully at a pair of unicorns.

“Sorry, Apple Bloom,” Snails said.

“We should report the damage to the camp,” Rumble suggested.

“Don’t you remember? The boat’s probably not coming back today,” Diamond Tiara said.

Rumble flapped his wings. “The weather’s fine for flying now.”

“Oh, yeah. Well, don’t run away on us!”

“We should check out all the weird things that happened last night. And look to see if somepony else is on the island,” Archer said.

“Yeah. But we should send somepony different this time,” Diamond Tiara said.

Scootaloo smirked. “What’s the matter? You chicken?”

Diamond Tiara fumed at having her familiar taunt hurled back at her. Things were so much better in elementary school. The blank flanks were blank flanks, and the chicken was a chicken. She quickly recovered, though. “I’m being prudent.”

“I can’t say I disagree with her this time,” Apple Bloom said.

“Anything else?”

“Archery, swimming, rowing, hiking. You know, the reasons we went camping in the first place,” Archer said.

“I agree,” Scootaloo said. “But first let’s get these things done.”

“So here’s a plan,” Sweetie Belle said, referring to her list. “We check on the food stores, get some pans, and get breakfast going, probably using two cabins. We should also get some more firewood in the cabins. After breakfast, Scootaloo and Rumble fly back to the village, and if necessary go shopping. Our class president will supply the funds. Then we clean up, and make a careful check of every building in the camp. Finally, we’ll do activities.”

“Sounds good,” Diamond Tiara said. “Wait, what was that part in the middle?”

“Let’s get moving, everypony!” Scootaloo said.

“Not a lot left here to work with,” Apple Bloom said, mumbling around the lantern in her mouth. Bins of potatoes, onions, and apples were almost empty, perhaps providing enough food for two small meals.

“Let’s bring up what’s left,” Archer said.

The two earth ponies loaded what was left of the food into one of the bins, and Apple Bloom hefted it onto her back. Archer grabbed two bales of unappetizing plain hay and followed her up the stairs.

“A shame for all those jars,” Archer said.

Wooden shelves lined one wall of the staircase in the communal cabin, but about half the jars on the shelf had fallen over, and many were now cracked. A pool of tomato sauce on one step marked where Snips and Snails had found their “blood”.

“I guess it’s potatoes and fried hay for breakfast,” Apple Bloom said.

With pans borrowed from the communal cabin, Apple Bloom and Rumble cooked breakfast in their respective cabins. Once the food was ready, everypony crowded into Rumble’s cabin to eat.

“So let’s plan some activities for later today,” Archer said. She traced her hoof over a map of the island. “The archery range is over here, and that’s my first goal.”

“I’d like to visit the lake,” Silver Spoon said.

“Let’s split into two groups, then,” Diamond Tiara suggested.

“I’d suggest taking the hiking trail to the lake, and the forest trail to the archery range,” Apple Bloom said. “We want to keep an eye out for somepony else on the island, and so we should cross as much of the island as possible.”

“We need to check up on each other during the day,” Scootaloo said. “When Rumble and I get back, we’ll meet you all at the lake. Then we’ll split up again. Sound good?”

The group of ponies nodded in agreement.

After breakfast, Scootaloo and Rumble were the first to depart. They took to the air, ready to make the short flight to the village across the river.

Midway through their flight, Scootaloo stopped. Rumble turned and flew back to Scootaloo. They hovered as Scootaloo spoke. “Mind telling me what really happened in your cabin last night?”

“What do you mean?” Rumble asked.

“Look, I may not be Apple Bloom, but I think I know when my coltfriend is hiding something. The way you said you weren’t scared? Tell me what it was.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Rumble said.

Scootaloo crossed her forelegs and stared at him. “I’m not leaving until you tell me.”

Rumble sighed. “Fine. It was....” He mumbled the end of that statement.

“Louder!”

“Okay! There was a cat in my cabin.”

“A cat? That’s it?” Scootaloo responded incredulously.

“Look, I just don’t like cats! I had a bad experience with a really nasty cat when I was younger.”

“Opalescence,” Scootaloo stated.

“Yeah,” Rumble admitted. “Can we go now?”

“Sure. It’s nice to know that one less weird thing happened last night.”

Scootaloo and Rumble resumed their flight, and soon the village came into view. “There’s my cousin’s house,” Scootaloo said.

They circled and landed on the front lawn. “It doesn’t look like anypony’s home,” Rumble mentioned.

“Oh, ponyfeathers. He’s probably on vacation. Since my cousin has to spend every day from a month before the Summer Sun Festival until the beginning of fall here, he travels with his family around now,” Scootaloo explained. Sure enough, her knock on the door went unanswered.

“Normally I’d forget about it, but that was a pretty bad accident at camp,” Rumble said. “Do you know how to reach him?”

“No, but it’s a small town. Maybe somepony here knows.”

Scootaloo did find somepony who knew. “Yeah, he normally goes to Mihaymi Beach,” said the middle-aged earth pony stallion who was the only pony working at the post office.

“Can we send him a letter?” Scootaloo asked.

“There was an accident at the camp,” Rumble said.

“Nopony was hurt, but the main building was damaged, and I thought he’d want to know before camp opens,” Scootaloo said.

“I think he’s staying at the Hayatt, but if you want to reach him quickly, a telegram would be faster than a letter,” he said, motioning to the key at the edge of the counter.

“Sure. You know how to use that?” Scootaloo asked.

“Sure do. I’m the postmaster, telegrapher, town manager, and grow flowers on the side. We have to wear a lot of hats in Waypost,” the stallion said.

“Do you know about the camp? Is it haunted? Is there a madmare?” Rumble asked.

“Yes, no, wait... what?” the stallion replied. “No, there’s nothing strange about the camp,” he said. “Whatever gave you that idea?”

“In addition to the bad storm, there were a few strange things that happened, and one of my friends swears she saw a masked madpony,” Scootaloo said.

“And some creepy old mare warned us about a madmare before we went there!” Rumble added

“The old mare is probably Old Hatter. She’s not all there anymore, and she’s sort of stuck repeating things she’s heard,” he explained. “But I’ve never heard anything like that about the camp before. It’s the only attraction in the area, and everypony in town loves it.”

“Then where did Old Hatter hear it?” Scootaloo asked, the tone of her voice indicating suspicion.

“I... really don’t know,” he said. “Anyway, let’s get that telegram out.”

Scootaloo dictated her message, and the stallion condensed it to the minimum number of words. An annoying staccato buzz sounded as he sent the telegram.

“Uh, do I owe you something?” Scootaloo said.

“No, no charge for a message that important,” the stallion replied.

“Well, uh, thanks,” Scootaloo said. “Let’s get going,” she told Rumble.

Once they were outside, Rumble leaned close to Scootaloo. “Do you think we can trust him?” he whispered.

“I wish I knew,” Scootaloo said. “I think I’ll send him a letter just to be safe, but that will have to wait until we get home.”

“Well, let’s get some food and return to the island.”

The selection of food available for sale in town was small, but the two pegasi bought as much as they could carry. They picked up fresh bread, vegetables, pears, and a single beautiful watermelon. They asked a few questions about the camp while shopping; the villagers had only good things to say.

Scootaloo and Rumble had a lot to think about as they flew back to camp.

“So you two were afraid of a little tomato sauce?” Archer said.

The earth pony led the mismatched pair of unicorns through a pleasant forest trail. The unicorns stumbled frequently, as they kept looking all around them, distracted by noises.

“Yeah, it was just tomato sauce, but what if it wasn’t?” Snails said.

“It was,” Archer said.

“But we were right to be worried. It was a dark and stormy night, and you know nothing good happens on a dark and stormy night,” Snips said.

“And the others saw things, too,” Snails said.

“Well, I’m not scared. In fact, I’m willing to go out tonight and face all of your fears,” Archer said confidently. “The only question is, is there somepony brave enough to join me?”

Snips and Snails shook their heads in fervent denial.

Archer harrumphed and picked up her pace. They left the woods, the trail now following a path cut through tall grasses. She thought she spotted the archery range ahead, but before she could get there, her companions yelped.

“What is it this time?” Archer said.

“Graveyard!” Snails screamed. He pointed to a bunch of old stones that were unmistakably grave markers.

“So?” Archer said.

“So? So this camp was built over a graveyard! No wonder why the spirits of the dead are seeking revenge!” Snips said.

“Where in the wide wide world of Equestria did you get that idea?” Archer said.

“Don’t you ever watch movies?” Snails said.

“You mean scary movies? Please.” Archer raised her foreleg and pointed to the distance. “Listen. Just stop your worrying and listen.”

“Yeah?” Snips said.

“Hear that? That’s the river. And on the other side of the river is the Everfree Forest. The Everfree Forest. Home of manticores, sea serpents, timber wolves, and worse. We’re not that far from where Nightmare Moon was defeated. And you’re worried about a graveyard?”

Snips and Snails bowed their heads and shuffled their hooves.

“Look, you two,” Archer said. “Let me demonstrate my archery, and you’ll see why I’m not worried about any ghosts or monsters.”

The trio got to the archery range without further delay. Snips and Snails rummaged through a wooden shed, returning with three bows and arrows with rounded tips.

Archer looked up from stringing her fourth bow. “Forget those bows. Now watch this!” She set her bow into a notch on the ground, and pressed her left foreleg onto the crossbar to stabilize it. With her other foreleg, she notched an arrow and pulled back. She squinted, focusing on the distant target. She strained as her muscles begged for relief, but she waited until the bow was steady and she was calm.

Fwoosh. The arrow left the bow, striking the target dead center.

“Nice shot,” Snips said.

“Nothing to it,” Archer replied.

Snips and Snails nodded and picked up bows in with their magic. “Stop right there,” Archer ordered.

“What?” Snails said.

“Use your hooves. I know the first instinct of unicorns is to use their magic, and pegasi try to fire while flying. Trust me, that does not work well. How do you expect to know how much magic to use pulling back the string when you’ve never felt the bowstring?”

Snips and Snails looked at each other. “I guess we can try it your way,” Snails said.

Each of the unicorns took one of Archer’s bows and notched an arrow. They pulled back. Or, rather, they tried to. Their legs shook as they strained. Neither had the strength to match the earth pony.

“Okay, maybe you need to use the camp’s bows,” Archer admitted.

With a little practice, Snips and Snails were able to hit the target most of the time. More importantly, they were enjoying themselves, thoughts of the previous night’s frights passed. After another friendly competition, they noticed how much time had elapsed.

“It’s time to head to the lake,” Archer said.

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom poked around another cabin. “See anything?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Nothing. Just an empty cabin.”

The two friends finished their half of the morning chores. They restocked the firewood in each cabin, and looked for anything unusual.

Leaving, they met up with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. “Did you find anything?” Apple Bloom at all.

“Dust. Cobwebs. Dirt. Filth. And mud everywhere,” Diamond Tiara said.

“It’s a campground,” Apple Bloom deadpanned.

“We checked the bathhouse and bathroom, too. There’s nothing there either,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Of course you wouldn’t see anything,” Diamond Tiara said.

“No tracks either?” Silver Spoon asked.

“None, but that’s what you’d expect, after that rain,” Apple Bloom said.

“Let’s face it. We checked every building except for the locked office. There’s nothing strange going on right now,” Silver Spoon said. “I think it’s time we went to the lake.”

The four ponies all agreed. They headed down a grassy hiking trail. Despite the calm morning, everypony was glancing nervously about.

“Ahh!” Sweetie Belle screamed. “It’s got me!”

“What is it?” Apple Bloom said, rushing to her friend’s side. She found the unicorn struggling, one foreleg wrapped in the long grass. Apple Bloom kicked at the ground, dislodging the grass.

“Ew ew ew, gross!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed, focusing her magic to unwrap the remaining grass from her fetlock.

Silver Spoon scoffed. “It’s just common Equestrian marsh grass. Marex damara. It’s well known for growing like a weed in wet environments and getting stuck in ponies’ fetlocks.”

“What are you, a biology textbook?” Apple Bloom retorted.

“No, I just study. It’s only appropriate that the school’s future valedictorian be well-read,” Silver Spoon said.

“No way. I’m going to be the valedictorian!” Sweetie Belle claimed.

“We’ll have to see about that,” Silver Spoon said. She flicked her mane dismissively and started walking.

“Ugh. How can the two of you talk about school on a Saturday?” Diamond Tiara said, exasperated.

“For once, I agree with you,” Apple Bloom said.

The ponies returned to their walk, soon arriving at the lake. Judging from the water level against the dock, the recent rain had raised the level of the lake. But the water was still, and the morning sun warm and inviting.

“Let’s swim!” Apple Bloom suggested. Sweetie Belle bounded after her.

Diamond Tiara scoffed as Silver Spoon followed them. She wasn’t going to waste a vacation doing work, and this was the first nice day since last fall. She stretched out on the wooden dock, letting the rays of Celestia’s sun warm her through her coat. She smiled and closed her eyes.

Diamond Tiara awoke to the unpleasant sensation of rain. Worse, when she opened her eyes, she found out it wasn’t rain. A dripping Apple Bloom was shaking off.

“Stop that, you freak!” Diamond Tiara demanded.

“It’s not my fault you’re sleeping right here,” Apple Bloom said, smiling. “It’s the only safe place to climb out of the lake. You could be sunbathing anywhere else.”

“Where else? There’s no chaise lounge, and all the grass is still wet.”

“It’s a camp,” Apple Bloom said. “It’s not some five star resort.”

“All I’m asking is for some basic comfort,” Diamond Tiara said.

“And all I’m saying is if you want to stay dry, you better get off the dock.” Apple Bloom motioned behind her, where Sweetie Belle and Silver Spoon were climbing up the ladder.

“It’s time to regroup,” Sweetie Belle said. “Scootaloo and Rumble are coming back.”

It took another ten minutes for Archer, Snips, and Snails to return. Once everypony was together, they huddled together.

“Anypony learn anything?” Scootaloo asked.

“The camp is built on ancient burial grounds!” Snips said.

“No, it’s not,” Archer said.

“We found nothing in the camp,” Apple Bloom said.

“It’s like nothing we saw last night was real,” Silver Spoon said.

“We got plenty of food,” Rumble said.

“But my cousin is out of town,” Scootaloo said. “We sent a telegram to his hotel, but that will only work if that pony is honest.”

“What do you mean?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Nothing makes sense,” she replied. “Like that old mare. The pony we talked to said the old mare isn’t all there, but nopony knows why she would suddenly talk about a curse on the island.”

“Yeah, it doesn’t make sense,” Sweetie Belle said.

For a few moments, everypony thought about what happened. Then Diamond Tiara stomped her hoof. “Truffle Shuffle!” she yelled.

“What?” Apple Bloom said.

“Think about it. He knows we’re here, and isn’t it convenient how he canceled at the last minute? I bet this is all a prank.”

Sweetie Belle shook her head. “That’s not really a Pinkie Pie kind of prank.”

“Do you have a better idea?”

“I have a better idea,” Archer said. “We spend less time worrying, and more time having fun!”

“Hear, hear!” Rumble added.

“I think we should have a big campfire and spend the evening under the stars,” Sweetie Belle said. “We can cook over the fire, and for dessert, I have marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate.”

“Ooh, s’mores!” Snips said.

“I think that’s a great idea,” Scootaloo said.

“So do I,” Diamond Tiara said. The two ponies then stared at each other.

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s have fun!” Archer said.

Later that afternoon, Archer led Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom to the archery grounds. “I’m glad you’re interested in archery,” Archer said.

“It’s not something I’ve ever done before,” Apple Bloom said. “But there’s something else I’m interested in. Can you show us that graveyard first?”

“Yeah. We were talking, and it doesn’t make much sense,” Sweetie Belle said.

“What do you mean?” Archer asked.

“You can’t bury somepony at water level. You’d have to build mausoleums,” Apple Bloom said.

“And why would there be graves when nopony lives here year round?” Scootaloo added. “The village is across the river!”

“Sure, I’ll take you there,” Archer said. “I’m not a scaredy pony.”

They took a detour and headed to the graveyard. The four ponies stayed silent as they walked around the headstones. What would have been a frightening sight in the dark of night was now absolutely tranquil. Apple Bloom bowed her head in respect. Sweetie Belle knelt and traced one of the stones with her hoof.

“You’re right, Apple Bloom. This isn’t a graveyard,” Sweetie Belle said. “These stones are ancient. Like, before the Lunar Rebellion ancient.”

“But this village has only been here a century or so,” Archer said. “Right, Scootaloo?”

“I think so,” Scootaloo said. “They must have come from somewhere. Like the Everfree Forest!”

“Oh, it’s Freetown!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. The others looked perplexed. “That’s the name of the town that surrounded the old Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. It was destroyed in the war and abandoned to the growing forest, but there are streams that drain from the ruins into this river!”

“And after hundreds of years, these stones washed up on the island,” Apple Bloom said. She inspected one stone. “They do look sort of worn down by the stream.”

“Wow, my cousin never told me about this,” Scootaloo said. “He never talked about preserving history.”

“That’s pretty neat,” Archer said. “And here I thought this was just a camp! And speaking of camp, let’s get to the archery range!”

The afternoon continued as the ponies hung around the lake, enjoying the amenities of the campground. They took turns rowing, swimming, and hiking. They set up a net and enjoyed several games of volleyball. But as evening approached, they gathered for some additional preparations.

“Okay, we have dinner and a campfire by the lake,” Diamond Tiara said. “So we need food, water, pans, utensils. We need to get the fire built. There’s a lot to do.” She caught herself looking to Sweetie Belle.

“Okay, let’s make a checklist for everything,” Sweetie Belle said. She summoned a scroll and quill from her saddlebags. “First, the fire. Build the fire pit. Collect firewood. Start the fire. Keep a couple of buckets nearby, just in case.”

With the start of a plan, Diamond Tiara shifted to giving orders. “Firewood. Apple Bloom, Archer, can you get that?” The two strong earth ponies nodded.

“Snips. Snails. You two build the fire pit,” Diamond Tiara ordered. The two unicorns appeared relieved at having not been asked to do something harder.

“Next, the food. Scootaloo, where’s the food you bought today?” Diamond Tiara asked.

“Over by those benches,” she answered.

“Sweetie Belle, you mentioned you brought some food?”

“Yes, for dessert. Does anypony else have something to share?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“I have a bag of spring apples,” Apple Bloom said.

“Excellent. Anything else? No?”

“Let’s have the rest of us collect food, pans, utensils, and the like,” Diamond Tiara said.

“No way. You forgot about cleaning up here,” Scootaloo said. “Rumble, you come with me. Let’s get the net and equipment put away, and then secure the boats.”

“Okay, fine. Sweetie Belle, Silver Spoon, you’re with me then.”

Archer and Apple Bloom worked together, stacking firewood on their backs. The chopped and split firewood was protected from the elements by a simple wooden overhang, and both ponies were glad not to have to deal with soggy firewood. Neither pony had a problem carrying the weight of the wood, but they needed to be mindful of stacking too much, lest the whole load fall off their backs.

“I sure am glad we don’t have to chop this wood,” Archer said. “I never liked swinging an axe.”

“It’s not too hard once you get some practice,” Apple Bloom replied. “I’m sure I could have handled that little axe.” She nodded to Archer, and they departed.

After a short walk, Apple Bloom stopped. “What’s wrong?” Archer asked.

“That axe.”

“What?”

“That axe wasn’t there this morning,” Apple Bloom stated.

“You sure?”

“Uh-huh,” Apple Bloom said, nodding vigorously. She turned and headed back to the lake, walking just a little bit faster. Archer spared one last look at the woodpile, and hurried after her.

“How come you’re not ready yet?” Diamond Tiara asked.

“That’s right. We collected everything we needed to get,” Silver Spoon added.

Sweetie Belle poked her head out of the cabin. “Look. I’m still looking for the chocolate,” she said. “If you’re so impatient, then why don’t you leave?”

Diamond Tiara checked the sky. “It’s almost dark,” she said. “After what happened last night, I’m not going to leave anypony alone. Not even you.”

“Gee, thanks for making a mare feel appreciated,” Sweetie Belle deadpanned. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have one more bag to check.”

As Sweetie Belle rummaged through her sixth trunk, finally finding the chocolate, she heard something. She jumped, knocking her head on the trunk’s lid. Rubbing the sore spot on her head, she investigated. Her magic piano had turned on again, playing a low tune replicating the sound of strings, heavy on the cello and bass. It sounded almost sinister. Outside the window, Sweetie Belle could see the stars begin to paint the evening sky.

Sweetie Belle grabbed the chocolate and the rest of her supplies, and ran out of the cabin.

“Really? We needed to inspect the lake?” Rumble said suspiciously.

“Well, we do need to put the boats away, but there’s still time for this. It’s something I’ve wanted to do all weekend,” Scootaloo said.

“What, get me alone?”

His marefriend smiled. “Exactly.”

“We’re not really alone, you know.” Rumble nodded back towards the shore, where Snips and Snails were working on building the fire pit. The two unicorns strained to lift heavy rocks with their magic and form a circle of stones.

“They look pretty busy,” Scootaloo said. “Besides, I really only care about being away from her for a while.”

“What is up with Diamond Tiara anyway? She’s normally not this bad.”

“Yeah, she matured a little, but she’s still a terror when there’s something she wants, doesn’t have, and can’t buy,” Scootaloo explained. “Something like an awesome coltfriend.”

Rumble shuddered. “She likes me?”

“I don’t think so,” Scootaloo said. “It’s more that I have a coltfriend, and she doesn’t. And she hates it.”

“I’m not going to let her bother me.” Rumble watched the shore, where Archer and Apple Bloom had returned. “Besides, we’ll miss these days when they’re gone.”

“Miss Diamond Tiara? Really?”

“We have one more year of school,” Rumble said. “After that, what’s left? Work? Most of us won’t see each other much, and even if Diamond Tiara was trying to ruin this trip for us, it’s still a chance to spend time with friends and not-so-much-friends.”

Scootaloo leaned back and gazed at the sky as night began to fall. “When did you become so wise?”

Rumble laughed. “I’m training to deal with storm clouds and get zapped by lightning all the time. It’s obvious I don’t need wisdom for my job, so that leaves more for times like this.”

Off in the distance, the two pegasi noticed the rest of their friends returning. “I guess our time’s up,” Rumble said.

The wind picked up, making it feel like the temperature had dropped another several degrees. A heavy fog began to collect over the lake, and the two boaters began to lose sight of the others.

Scootaloo smiled and leaned in close. “Looks like we have some privacy now. And it sure would be nice to have somepony to help keep me warm....”

Rumble blushed, but pushed Scootaloo away. “I appreciate the sentiment. Really, I do. But this feels wrong. We need to get back to shore now!”

In the distance, a timber wolf howled. Night had returned to Madmare Island.

Author's Note

I decided to split Saturday into the peaceful daytime and the dangerous night. There will now be three more chapters: Saturday night, Sunday, and an epilogue.

Obviously, it's canon that bows exist in Equestria, given Archer's cutie mark, but it's incredibly awkward to picture how ponies would use them.

Saturday Night

Madmare Island

By Alaborn

Standard disclaimer: This is a not for profit fan work. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is copyright Hasbro, Inc. I make no claim to any copyrighted material mentioned herein.

Chapter 3: Saturday Night

Scootaloo wasn’t sure why Rumble was on edge, but he rowed their little boat with great fervor. As the shore approached, the light of the fire could be made out in the fog. Their boat bumped against the shore, and Rumble jumped out. “Is everypony all right?” he called.

Everypony was there, but staying close to the fire. They both saw Archer clutching one of her bows.

“We’re safe,” Sweetie Belle said.

“But for how long?” Diamond Tiara said nervously.

“Don’t worry. Those timber wolves don’t like crossing running water. Makes them all soggy,” Apple Bloom said.

“But the fog! I can barely see my hoof in front of my face!” Diamond Tiara said.

“Don’t worry. The fog’s not real,” Rumble asserted.

“What do you mean, not real?” Diamond Tiara replied angrily.

Rumble flapped his wings. “I know what fog feels like. There’s, like, a flavor to the air, the slightest sensation of cloud. And that’s not here. Scootaloo?”

Scootaloo spread her own wings. She stared into the fog, the tip of her tongue sticking out between her lips as she thought. “I don’t know, Rumble. But I’m not very good at weather magic.”

“Well, if this isn’t fog, then what is it?” Diamond Tiara asked.

Most of the ponies stood around, confused. But two of them looked to each other and nodded. Snips and Snails concentrated, their horns glowing. There was no visible effect to their magic, but they looked happy when they ended their spell.

“Illusionary terrain spell, right?” Snips said.

“Exactly,” said Snails confidently.

They turned to find seven ponies gaping at them, none more shocked than Diamond Tiara. “What?” was all she could sputter.

“It’s a low power, large area illusion spell,” Snips explained. “It can’t change much or offer a lot of detail, but for something like creating fog? It’s perfect.”

“Since when do you know anything about magic?” Silver Spoon asked.

“Uh, we’ve been studying illusion magic for years, Silver Spoon,” Snails said.

“Yeah! Someday, the Great and Powerful Trixie will want apprentices, and we want to be ready!” Snips said.

Diamond Tiara scoffed.

“Let’s get rid of this,” Snails said. He and Snips concentrated again, and wide beams of light shined from their horns into the fog. Where the light met the fog, the fog dissipated. The fog continued to disappear over a large area, but not entirely. Part of the lake was now clear, but fog persisted in the distance.

“There must be more than one spell,” Snails said.

“That would make it easier to do,” Snips added.

“Wait, wait. Does that mean there’s a unicorn somewhere on the island?” Scootaloo asked. “Other than you two and Sweetie Belle?”

“Maybe?” Snails said.

“Or it’s a stored spell,” Snips said.

“I’m sure it’s a stored spell,” Sweetie Belle said. “The impact of the fog arriving would be stronger if it happened the moment the sun set. It’s basic theatrics.”

“Hey, Scootaloo,” Silver Spoon called. “When does the campground open for the season?”

“In two weeks’ time,” Scootaloo replied.

Silver Spoon pondered for a moment. “I think this display of fog would have corresponded with the sunset two weeks from now,” she observed.

“I agree,” Apple Bloom said.

“In other words, nopony was supposed to see this until then?” Archer said.

“Exactly,” Silver Spoon said.

“So how does this spell get stored?” Scootaloo asked.

“Normally, a crystal or gem,” Snips replied.

“Then I can find it!” Sweetie Belle said. “At least, if I can get that spell Rarity taught me to work....”

“You can do it,” Apple Bloom said encouragingly.

“Okay, here it goes,” Sweetie Belle said. She closed her eyes, calling on the magic within her. Her horn glowed, and almost immediately, she felt her herself yanked in one direction.

“Ow,” Diamond Tiara said after Sweetie Belle ran into her. “Do you mind?”

“Sorry,” Sweetie Belle said. “Your remaining earring is the closest jewel.”

“Well, maybe you need to look for jewels that aren’t flawless,” Diamond Tiara said.

“That’s... actually, that’s a good idea,” Sweetie Belle said. She concentrated, and instead found herself pulled away from the lake. “Follow me, everypony!” she shouted.

The other ponies followed as Sweetie Belle’s horn pulled them into a copse of trees. When she finally stopped, she pointed to the ground. “There,” she said.

Apple Bloom kicked her hooves into the ground, dislodging dirt and grass. She stopped when she saw a glint from the moonlight reflected in something.

Snips concentrated and lifted the uncovered gem. Snails’s horn illuminated. “It’s definitely a spell storage gem,” he said.

“Can you, like, disenchant it or something?” Diamond Tiara said.

Snails rubbed his forehoof on the ground. “I... I think I need some help,” he said.

“Let me handle it,” Sweetie Belle said. She recalled one of her magic lessons, the way Princess Twilight Sparkle taught her to unravel the bindings of a magic spell until the world’s underlying harmony finished the task of returning the magic into the very earth. A few seconds later, she opened her eyes. “Done,” she said.

“So what does that mean?” Diamond Tiara asked.

“If the spell is set to cast every night, then it won’t cast again,” Snips said.

“Are there more spells?” Silver Spoon asked.

Rumble pointed to the distant fog. “I’m guessing yes.”

“I agree,” Snails said.

“So, the things you saw last night, do you think they were all illusions?” Scootaloo said.

“I bet they were,” Diamond Tiara said, angry.

Archer waved her bow. “So who’s up for a little nighttime hike and ghost dispelling?”

“Ponyville High School ghost hunters, yay!” Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom shouted.

Diamond Tiara facehoofed. “I thought they outgrew that,” she told Silver Spoon quietly.

Archer led the group back to the campground. She kept her bow ready as she looked left and right. “The coast is clear,” she said.

“Now what?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I think we have to repeat our check of the cabins from this morning,” Silver Spoon said. “We saw nothing unusual during the day, so if there’s anything funny happening in camp, I suspect it would also happen during the night.”

“Okay, let’s check out the cabins. Two at a time, adjacent cabins only!” Diamond Tiara ordered. Finding her direction reasonable, they followed their plan.

“You afraid?” Scootaloo asked Rumble as they entered one cabin. He recognized the bag inside; it was his cabin from the previous night.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll protect you from the fiercest feral felines.”

Scootaloo chuckled and headed into the cabin. She stomped her hooves on the wooden floor loudly. Soon, she heard a hideous yowl. A small shape darted into the shadows.

“Snips, can we get some light in here?” Scootaloo asked.

“Sure thing,” he replied. The hefty young stallion bounded into the cabin, pale light from his horn illuminating it.

“Look! “There’s a hole!” Rumble said.

“Yep, just big enough for a cat to squeeze through,” Scootaloo said. “I guess I’ll have to tell my cousin some of the cabins need repairs.”

The group spent the next hour checking out the rest of their cabins. Nopony noticed anything disturbed in the cabins they were staying in.”

“That leaves the basement,” Snips said cautiously.

“And the bathroom,” Sweetie Belle said. “Right, Diamond Tiara?”

“Right,” she replied quickly. “But let’s check out the basement first.”

The ponies approached the ruined communal cabin. “Does everything still look safe, Apple Bloom?” Scootaloo asked.

Apple Bloom gave the building a quick check. “It’s no worse than this morning,” she said.

“That’s good. Snips, Snails, get to it,” Diamond Tiara ordered.

“What? Us?” Snails said.

“Of course,” Diamond Tiara replied. “After all, you’re the ponies who know about illusion magic.”

“I’m not afraid,” Silver Spoon said. “I’ll protect you from the tomato sauce,” she said, snickering.

Snips and Snails cautiously crept down the stairs, Silver Spoon following. The two unicorns kept a cautious watch on the walls and ceiling. But it was Silver Spoon who jumped when they heard a loud thumping upstairs.

“Guys? Anypony?” she shouted.

A creaking sound echoed through the basement.

“Did you say something?” Apple Bloom shouted down the stairs.

“We’re hearing noises down here. Is everything okay?” Silver Spoon replied.

“Yeah, nothing’s going on,” Apple Bloom said.

Snips concentrated, his horn glowing slightly. “It’s just an auditory illusion.”

“It would be better on Nightmare Night,” Snails added.

“Well, can you get rid of it?” Silver Spoon said. “I’d rather not be hearing fake creaking in a damaged building.”

“Let’s find the gem and take it out of here,” Snips said. Not knowing a gem-finding spell, Snips instead concentrated on the flow of magic. It took some time, but eventually he felt the magical energy’s origin, a spot on one of the shelves. “There!” he said, pointing.

Snails pushed aside jars and boxes with his telekinesis, revealing another small gem. Smiling, he levitated the gem in front of him and trotted up the stairs.

A thump came from upstairs. Snails yelped and lost his hold on the gem.

“Sorry about that,” Apple Bloom called. “It’s just that SOMEPONY is clumsy,”

“You mean SOMEPONY is in the way,” Diamond Tiara retorted.

The three ponies hurried up the stairs, in time to see Diamond Tiara pick herself up off the ground. “You okay, DT?” Silver Spoon said.

“Fine,” she replied, glaring at Apple Bloom.

“Did you find another gem?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Yep!” Snips replied. He looked to his friend. “Snails? Where’s the gem?”

A muted creaking sounded from inside Snails. “Uh, I think I swallowed it.”

Once Sweetie Belle dealt with the swallowed gem, the group approached the bathhouse. Diamond Tiara pointed to the doors leading to the toilets. “That’s where I saw something last night. I’m glad it was just an illusion.”

“You sure it was an illusion?” Scootaloo asked.

“Of course it was! Everything else here has had a legitimate, magical explanation. Right?”

“Well, let’s get this started,” Archer said. She tensed, and then kicked the door open.

“Nothing so far,” Archer observed.

“Check the stalls,” Diamond Tiara said.

Archer opened the stalls, one at a time. No ghost appeared.

“Well, that’s strange,” Diamond Tiara said.

Snips and Snails looked nervous. “So it really was a ghost?” Snips said.

“I doubt it,” Sweetie Belle said. “Think about a ghost story. How often does the ghost appear?”

“Whenever it would be most frightening!” Scootaloo said.

“Exactly. Which means if Diamond Tiara’s ghost were always present, it would be pretty obvious that it wasn’t a ghost.”

“Say you’re right. Then what triggered it?” Diamond Tiara asked.

“I don’t know. At this point, all I care about is making it go away,” Sweetie Belle said. Her horn glowed green, and she soon pulled a small gem out of one of the stalls.

“Another mystery solved,” Archer said.

“You know where there’s probably another scary sight? The graveyard,” Scootaloo said.

“But we’ve established it’s not a graveyard,” Sweetie Belle corrected.

“Yeah, but how many ponies would know that?” Apple Bloom said.

“Ew. Creepy,” Silver Spoon whispered.

The ponies gazed on a macabre sight. It was a pony, or once was a pony. Its flesh was rotted, fallen completely off the bone in some places. Two legs were skeletal, the tibia and fibula clearly visible, and half a dozen ribs could be seen through a hole in the monster’s barrel. Half the creature’s lower jaw was missing, as incomprehensible moans issued from its mouth. Occasionally, it scraped the ground with one hoof, as if it were desperately trying to reach its kin.

The zombie pony didn’t notice them. Under normal circumstances, the teenagers wouldn’t have stuck around to see if it did. Instead, they remained hidden. Snips and Snails had raised a hoof to keep the group from advancing, and they studied the zombie intently.

“It’s kicking that grave a second time, right?” Snips said quietly.

“Yep, it’s a repeat,” Snails said.

“Are you two going to do something about it?” Diamond Tiara hissed.

“We just needed to find out what kind of illusion it was first,” Snips said.

“And?” Diamond Tiara replied.

“It’s a major image, a powerful but limited range illusion with audio, visual, and olfactory components,” Snips said.

Scootaloo held a hoof to her muzzle. “In other words, it smells bad.”

“It could be a programmed illusion,” Snails observed.

“So what’s the difference?” Diamond Tiara asked.

“The programmed illusion will react to your presence,” Snails explained.

“So, like this?” Archer said. She jumped out of cover and ran in the direction of the zombie. It lifted its head, a bloodcurdling scream coming out of its decayed mouth.

Snips’s and Snails’s eyes widened. Their horns flared as they hastily sent magic towards the zombie. It took a few attempts for their spell to hit, and the zombie image winked out of existence.

“What did you do that for?” Snips yelled.

“You wanted to know what kind of illusion it was. And now you know,” Archer replied.

“But... but....” Snails started.

“It was getting boring just sitting there,” Archer continued. “And since we knew it wasn’t real, there wasn’t any risk.”

“But what if it was real?” Snips said.

“Wait a minute. You didn’t use your magic to identify this. Don’t tell me you made us sit in this itchy grass just because you’re scared of zombies,” Silver Spoon said.

“No!” both unicorns replied, shaking their heads furiously.

Apple Bloom just shook her head. “If you’re done being scared, I think it’s time we got back to our bonfire.

The ponies returned to the lake without further incident. Their bonfire had been reduced to low flames. Everything else appeared as they had left it. Apple Bloom added some more logs to the fire as the rest of the ponies checked on their belongings.

Sweetie Belle pulled out the marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate from her saddlebags. “All right, everypony, I think it’s time for s’mores!”

Everypony searched the tree line for fallen branches, looking for one with the perfect length for roasting a marshmallow. In time, they lined up in front of Sweetie Belle, and she levitated marshmallows onto the points of the fallen branches, or two if the branch was forked.

Sweetie Belle looked up at the next pony. “Seriously, Snips?”

The pudgy unicorn smiled as he held out a branch in his telekinetic aura. This branch had multiple forks and six prongs on it.

“I really like s’mores,” he said.

Sweetie Belle sighed and stuck six marshmallows onto the branch’s points. It wasn’t like she didn’t have more than enough.

The ponies gathered around the fire and began to roast their marshmallows. Inevitably, one of the marshmallows caught fire, triggering the mandatory “Statue of Harmony pose” from the offender.

Once everypony got enough of the sugary treats, it was time to relax. Archer was the first to feel the need to slow down, following an active day and an evening of ghost chasing. She lay on her back, looking up at Luna’s sky. Some haze drifting over from the Everfree Forest marred the view, but still allowed the light of the full moon to be seen. The others thought this was a great idea, and soon they were resting, basking in the warmth of the fire and enjoying the company of friends.

“So, one more year of school, huh?” Rumble observed.

“I can’t wait for it to be over!” Snips said.

“Me too. But that’s because I have more important things to do after graduation,” Diamond Tiara said.

“Did you find a university that likes you and your daddy’s money?” Scootaloo said.

“Scootaloo, could we just have one night without that?” Rumble said. “Someday, we’re going to look back and reminisce about our school days. We just don’t get together like this a lot. And since we’re here, I want to take this chance to hear what we’re all going to do after school.

“That’s easy, I’ll be doing exactly what I’m doing now,” Apple Bloom said. “I’m already spending my weekends on my handymare business. There are lots of things that need fixing in Ponyville, especially after Princess Twilight Sparkle gets together with Applejack and their friends. The only reason I’m still in school is because Applejack would tan my hide if I didn’t graduate.”

“I’ll be looking for my big break,” Sweetie Belle said. “Manehattan, or maybe Canterlot. It’s funny. I spent so much time looking for my special talent, and it’s terrifying to know that I still might never succeed at it.”

“I worry about the same thing,” Diamond Tiara admitted. Several ponies murmured in protest. “No, really. I know why you reacted like that. It’s obvious I will be a successful business leader. It’s as clear as the tiara on my flank.” Now the others were groaning. “But what you are forgetting is I’ll be following the most successful businesspony in history. Those are big horseshoes to fill. Something that’s objectively a success may still look like failure in comparison.

“Oh, and I WILL be studying business at some top university. What I learn will complement the already extensive business knowledge I learned from my father.”

“Silver Spoon?” You’ve been quiet,” Rumble observed.

“Yes, I know,” she replied. “I’ll be going to college as well, but it’s because my parents want me to. All I want to do is craft with silver.”

“What about you two?” Rumble asked Snips and Snails.

“We’re going to be...” Snails started.

“Other than the assistants to the Great and Powerful Trixie,” Rumble interrupted.

The two young stallions visibly deflated. “Well, uh, I’ve been talking to Close Shave, you know? And he’s thinking of retiring soon,” Snips said. “I’ve known for longer than anypony here what my special talent was, and if I can’t be a performing magician who’s also good at styling manes, it wouldn’t be bad to be a barber who knows enough magic to entertain foals on the side.”

“I’m planning on college,” Snails said. “If I’m not performing, then I’ll be studying all those wonderful creepy crawly creatures.”

“I’m going to enlist in the Guard,” Archer said. “After that, I’m not sure. Here at school, there’s a place for my talent. But in the peaceful adult world, I’m not sure what I could do. Maybe the military will help me figure that out.”

“And of course we know what you’re going to do, Scootaloo. You tell us every day,” Diamond Tiara said.

“Hey, Rainbow Dash had the right idea. Weather work and training, and then more training. If the Wonderbolts don’t want me, then maybe there will be a new team less focused on precision flying and more focused on stunts,” Scootaloo said.

“Well, I’d be happy to work alongside you, Scootaloo,” Rumble said. “And with the weather factory in Cloudsdale and the rogue weather over the Everfree Forest, Ponyville is the place for me. Did I ever tell you about the time I got zapped by a Category 5 thunderhead?”

Scootaloo groaned. “Yes,” she stated.

“That’s right, I took a direct hit from a lightning bolt. It didn’t singe a single hair.”

While innate pegasus magic protects them from lightning to some extent, a direct hit still hurts most of them. Patches of missing hair exposing burnt skin, singed feathers, and muscle cramps will knock a pegasus out of commission for a few days. Scootaloo learned that first-hoof after one particularly ill-advised stunt. Still, she had to scoff at her coltfriend. “That story is a lot less impressive the eightieth time you tell it.”

“Hey, what can I say? I’ll take my awesome where I can find it,” Rumble said.

“You know what would be really awesome? Some watermelon!” Scootaloo said. She flew up and grabbed the watermelon from where it was resting.

That suggestion was met with an enthusiastic response. The ponies got up and surrounded the beautiful melon.

“Anypony think to bring a knife?” Snails said.

The formerly enthusiastic ponies then started shuffling around awkwardly. Then Archer’s expression brightened. She dashed to the forest’s edge and returned with a heavy branch.

“So I read about this,” Archer said. “You tie up the melon and suspend it from a tree branch. Then everypony takes a turn whacking it, and when it breaks, you all get to enjoy the sweet fruit.”

“That sounds fun!” Snails said. “Now, did anypony bring rope?”

“There should be some in the boathouse.” Scootaloo said.

“No, wait, let me,” Sweetie Belle said. “I don’t really want to get watermelon juice on me, so why don’t I just suspend it for you?” The young mare concentrated, and green light illuminated her horn and lofted the melon into the air.”

“I’ve always wanted to try this!” Archer said. She took a few practice swings with her club.

“Oh, there’s a knife!” Snips said, pointing.

All eyes fell on the lake’s newest arrival, slowly approaching them. It was a pony, body obscured by a dark cloak, face obscured by a white mask. The pony clenched a very long knife in her mouth.

Sweetie Belle’s eyes widened in recognition. She lost concentration on the watermelon; it fell and hit the ground with a dull thud, pinkish juice and black seeds landing on everypony.

She screamed. “MADMARE!”

What happened after that was a blur. They ran. That much was clear due to their pounding hearts and their shortness of breath. Sweetie Belle vaguely remembered putting out the campfire with the bucket of water as she left, although whether that was an attempt to provide cover for their escape, or acting on some ingrained list of what to do when running from a campground, she didn’t know.

She looked at Archer. She must have picked up her bows as she ran, because she was standing by the door, ready.

The door. Of the cabin that belonged to her and Apple Bloom. The same cabin where they all hid the previous night. And just like last night, nine ponies squeezed uncomfortably into this cabin for two.

Apple Bloom peeked out the cabin’s window. “I don’t see anypony. We’re safe for now,” she said.

“Was it another illusion?” Silver Spoon asked.

Snips and Snails shook their heads vehemently. “That was no illusion!” they shouted.

Diamond Tiara scowled from the bed she had commandeered. “This is another disaster for your class trip,” she told Scootaloo.

And the nine ponies stayed close, hoping to survive a second night on Madmare Island.

Author's Note

If you're in a horror movie, you should never feel confident that you have it all figured out.

It's definitely fun to show Snips and Snails as being the most competent in a particular situation. It pretty much never happens. But I think there's a good reason for them to study illusion magic, so it works here.

Sunday

Madmare Island

By Alaborn

Standard disclaimer: This is a not for profit fan work. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is copyright Hasbro, Inc. I make no claim to any copyrighted material mentioned herein.

Chapter 4: Sunday

The nine campers awoke groggy and grouchy. Worries about the knife-wielding madmare made sleep fitful even for those who didn’t take a watch.

“At least the sky’s clear,” Archer said. “I want one more trip to the lake before we leave.”

“I agree. Plus, I left my saddlebags there,” Silver Spoon added.

“The boat comes at noon,” Scootaloo reminded everypony. “That said, a little fun this morning sounds like a good idea.”

“Now hold on,” Diamond Tiara said. “There’s something we should do first. I’ve been thinking....”

“That’s always dangerous,” Scootaloo interjected.

“Quiet. Look, I learned all about scams and setups from my father, and it’s clear this is some big trick,” Diamond Tiara continued.

“Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me,” Apple Bloom said.

“Apple Bloom, this isn’t the time for this,” Diamond Tiara said. She closed her eyes, wincing like she was in pain, and exhaled slowly before continuing. “If I had your family’s talent for knowing when a pony was being honest, my job would be a lot simpler. But I don’t, and so my father has taught me all the ways ponies have tried cheating him in the past. And this haunting smells like sabotage at the hoof of a rival or a disgruntled employee.”

“So what exactly do you propose we do?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“There’s one building we haven’t checked. The office.” Diamond Tiara looked at her unicorn companions. “Can one of you teleport? Or can you manipulate locks?”

“No, that’s way too hard,” Snips said. Snails nodded in agreement.

“Maybe some of the fine manipulation spells Rarity taught me could be adapted,” Sweetie Belle said. “But I don’t know how the lock works. All I remember is our attempt to be Cutie Mark Crusaders locksmiths was a disaster.”

“If it comes down to it, I could buck the door off its hinges,” Apple Bloom said.

“Guys, stop it,” Scootaloo said. “I have a key.”

Everypony stared at her. “Why didn’t you say something?” Diamond Tiara said.

“I tried, but you all kept talking over me,” Scootaloo replied.

“Then let’s get going,” Diamond Tiara said.

Scootaloo unlocked the door and opened it. The hinges creaked with disuse. A faint musty smell assaulted the ponies’ nostrils.

“There’s a telegraph inside, and it’s the only way to contact Waypost in the event of an emergency,” Scootaloo explained.

“And I don’t suppose you know how to use it?” Diamond Tiara said.

“Sending out an SOS shouldn’t be that hard, right?” Scootaloo observed. “Anyway, I thought Open Hearth was being ridiculously cautious when he gave me the key. But now I’m glad I have it.”

The ponies crowded into the small office, opening the shutters to let in light and fresh air. The light revealed a cluttered office. The old desk was covered with stacks of papers, and brown accordion folders stuffed with even more papers covered every surface.

“So what are we supposed to do?” Snails asked.

“We want to find out about the employees,” Diamond Tiara stated. “So look for something like a payroll. I’m particularly interested in any unicorns who worked here over the last year.”

Together, the classmates searched out everything made of paper. The cabin was quiet, save for the sound of shuffling paper and the whispers of some ponies who tended to read aloud.

“I found something,” Scootaloo said, breaking the silence. “Except it’s from December.”

Diamond Tiara looked over the document. “Two employees. Based on the names, it’s probably an earth pony and a pegasus. This looks like a lump sum payment for the off-season. Based on the numbers, I’d guess the pegasus is being paid for full-time work, and the earth pony for part-time labor.”

“So not them?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Keep looking for something from summer,” Diamond Tiara said. “I expect to see seasonal workers, kind of like the ponies Barnyard Bargains hires before Hearth’s Warming. Our perpetrator is probably one of them.”

Scootaloo dug deeper into the drawer she had opened, finding more payroll documents. Diamond Tiara took over at that point, cross-referencing payroll and personnel documents with a practiced eye. Unlike most such situations, the others welcomed her taking charge; it was rare to find Diamond Tiara’s ability matching her own assessment of her ability.

“So, anything?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“No!” Diamond Tiara replied tersely. “According to the payroll, everypony who started in May was still working in September, and the ponies who worked less were obviously students.” She pointed to the personnel records, which listed name, age, sex, and type. “We have a couple of unicorns, but they’re either students or retirees. Nopony appears to have quit or been fired.”

“So this is another dead end?” Silver Spoon commented.

“No. Keep looking! Find some older records. We’ll find who’s responsible for this flimflam,” Diamond Tiara said.

“Did you say Flim-Flam?” Archer asked. “Because I saw that in one of these letters.”

“What?” Apple Bloom shouted. She pushed through the others to bring herself next to Archer. “Where?”

“Somewhere in there,” Archer said, pointing to the top of a cabinet. A device consisting of large wire rings in parallel held what appeared to be correspondence. She grabbed one stack, eventually finding the letter she remembered seeing.

Apple Bloom grabbed the letter from Archer and quickly read it over. She scowled and slammed the letter onto the cabinet, the crack of her hoof hitting wood resounding through the cabin.

“What’s wrong, Apple Bloom?” Snails asked.

“It’s the Flim-Flam brothers. Scootaloo, those dirty little thieves are after your cousin,” she replied.

Diamond Tiara read the letter. “This letter is from late last year. It’s their ‘final offer’ to buy this island. I’m not familiar with land prices here, but I’d wager this offer is at least forty percent below market value.” She turned to Apple Bloom. “But why are you so upset?”

“Those two tried to swindle Sweet Apple Acres from my family. They’re the unicorns you’re looking for, I just know it!”

Diamond Tiara looked confused. “When did that happen?”

“Cider season, six years ago?” Apple Bloom offered. “There was a big competition? The whole town was there?”

“Well, I wasn’t,” she replied. “After all, I have more refined tastes.”

“You’ve never had Sweet Apple Acres cider?” Silver Spoon said, slowly shaking her head. Everypony else was reacting similarly, leaving Diamond Tiara in the unfamiliar position of being the outcast.

“Let’s see what else we can find,” Scootaloo said.

There turned out to be several pieces of correspondence from the Flim-Flam brothers. Their plan was to build an amusement park on the island. Open Hearth didn’t keep copies of the letters he sent in response, but he added mouthwritten comments to the letters indicating when and how he responded. Unsurprisingly, he didn’t share the brothers’ vision.

“Well, they didn’t specifically say they were going to be competitors, but that’s probably their plan,” Apple Bloom said, remembering her own family’s encounter with the brothers.

“Actually, I don’t think so,” Diamond Tiara said. “I think they have their eyes on this land, first and foremost.”

“Why do you say that?” Snips asked.

“I’m thinking about the likely result of what we’ve seen here. Unhappy campers leave early, tell their friends, and ruin the place for the season.”

“I’d be more worried about the fake fog,” Rumble said. “Somepony could get hurt or die if they need rescuing and nopony can find them!”

“If something like that happened, the investigation would shut this place down,” Silver Spoon said. “That’s why Father is adamant about enforcing the safety standards of his silver mines.”

“This is bad, really bad,” Scootaloo said. “Open Hearth runs this camp because he loves making campers happy. He can’t afford something like that happening!”

“Well, now that we know their plan, he’ll be able to fight it,” Diamond Tiara said. “All we can do now is check for more of these tricks.”

“The only ones we know of are around the lake,” Rumble said.

“Well, that settles it,” Scootaloo said. “Let’s go back to the lake!”

Scootaloo flew across the lake, marked a large X near the shore, and zipped back. “So here’s the plan. We form two teams. Sweetie Belle, you’re on one team, and Snips and Snails, you’re on the other. We circle around the lake looking for more gems. Then we meet up at the X, and see who found the most gems.”

“How many gems are we looking for?” Archer asked.

“I’m not sure,” she replied. “About the only thing we have to go on is how much fog disappeared when one spell was dispelled.”

“I’ll make an educated guess that there are seven more,” Silver Spoon said. “There may be more, but that fog wouldn’t affect the lake.”

“Now, let’s get going,” Scootaloo said.

The ponies wordlessly split into two teams. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo followed their longtime friend, and Rumble joined them. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were surprisingly eager to join Snips and Snails. Archer picked up her bow and chose to join the latter group.

“Go!” Scootaloo called.

“So, piece of cake, right?” Scootaloo said to Sweetie Belle. “You’ll just use the gem-finding spell, right?”

“Yes, but I told you I’m not that good at it. I’m sure Rarity could find all of the planted spell gems, plus an undiscovered cache of sapphires, with one spell, but I can’t,” Sweetie Belle said.

“So what do we do?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I guess we walk a little bit, and then I’ll use the spell,” Sweetie Belle replied.

The four ponies walked far enough that they couldn’t see their starting point, and could no longer hear the others. Sweetie Belle stopped, raising a foreleg. Once the others stopped, and it was quiet, Sweetie Belle let the magic flow through her horn. Sweat formed on her brow. “There!” she finally called, pointing off to the distance. “Follow me!”

Sweetie Belle’s spell was good enough to give her an idea of the general location, and after a brief manual search by all four ponies, they found their first gem, stashed in the hollow of a tree.

“To be honest, Diamond Tiara, I thought you would go with Sweetie Belle,” Snips said.

“I’m here because if this is a competition, I want to be on the winning team,” she replied.

“Really? You think we’re going to win?” Snails said.

“Let’s go down the reasons,” Diamond Tiara said. “Most importantly, there’s two of you. Second, you’ll be using a spell you’re good at, whereas Sweetie Belle will be using one she’s uncomfortable using. And most importantly, you have my leadership and Silver Spoon’s smarts helping you.”

“What about me?” Archer said.

“Your keen eye will help once we know where to look,” Diamond Tiara replied.

“What’s your plan?” Silver Spoon asked.

“If I remember what I learned in magic class, a stored spell emits a low level version of its magical signature,” Diamond Tiara stated.

“That’s correct,” Silver Spoon said. “It’s detectable above the level of ambient magic, as long as you’re not in a magically active locale.”

“Oh, I get it. We detect for illusion magic?” Snails said.

Diamond Tiara nodded. “Since there are two of you, you can both detect the closest source of illusion magic. Do it from about ten pony lengths apart. When your horns are pointed in different directions, then we triangulate.”

“It shouldn’t be hard to calculate a distance at that point,” Silver Spoon said. “It’s not like the math is difficult.”

“Let’s do it, Snips!” Snails said. A brief pulse from each of their horns sent them into the woods. After a short walk, they tried again, being pulled in slightly different directions.

“About eighty feet that way,” Silver Spoon said.

Once they reached the right area, it took only a few minutes to find the gem, resting next to a boulder.

Diamond Tiara’s plan worked well as the group found two more gems. They left the woods, entering a clear area, with grasses gradually thinning out as they neared the mud of the lake shore. The fourth hit for the two unicorns pointed them to the shore.

They heard voices in the distance. They saw the others, with Sweetie Belle pointing to the shore. Scootaloo and Rumble were flying just above them, searching for the gem.

“Run!” Diamond Tiara ordered. They headed for the shore. Their competition was similarly motivated, and rushed as well.

Archer caught a glint of sunlight off something green in the mud. “There!” she called, running ahead.

“There!” Rumble shouted as well. He dived for the shore.

Their target was actually in the X Scootaloo had marked on the shore. Archer ran and jumped, her desperate dive hoping to beat the determined Rumble. The two ponies both landed in the mud as they reached out with a hoof.

The others trotted up to see who won. The green gem was stuck between the hooves of Rumble and Archer.

“I guess that’s a tie,” Scootaloo said.

“I agree,” Diamond Tiara replied. “We found three gems. How about you?”

“We got three, too,” Apple Bloom said.

“Well, which is it? Did you get three, or two?” Diamond Tiara said.

“Very funny,” Apple Bloom replied.

Archer stood up and jumped, trying to knock dirt and mud off her coat. “Well, I think I need to clean up. Who’s up for a swim across the lake?”

Diamond Tiara looked across the lake. It was probably properly classified as a pond or something else, but it was still a heck of a lot bigger than the pool at Ponyville High School. “You’re crazy,” she said.

“I’ll do it,” Apple Bloom said.

“Excellent!” Archer replied. “Mind carrying my bow back as the rest of you take the long way back?”

“Fine,” Diamond Tiara replied.

Even with the impromptu gem hunt, the group still had a couple of hours to just have fun. The boats and rafts were brought out again, and everypony spent some time on the water. Or in the water, such as in the case when Snips and Snails’s raft tipped over.

They hurried back to the campground, where they finished packing. Afterward, it was a short walk to the dock, where they awaited the return of the boat.

“Well, that was an interesting weekend,” Silver Spoon said.

“Not exactly what I had in mind,” Diamond Tiara said.

“Me neither,” Scootaloo added, with a glare at Diamond Tiara.

“You know, that was kind of fun,” Snails said. “All the scary stuff, now that we know it wasn’t real.”

“Yeah, it was! If we had known we were walking into that, it would have been a ton of fun!” Archer said.

“Sure, but it would have been better closer to Nightmare Night,” Sweetie Belle said.

The conversation was interrupted by the sound of music coming from one of Sweetie Belle’s trunks. Several ponies jumped at the sinister strains issuing from her magic piano. The rest jumped when a figure stepped out from behind a building. The same mask, the same dark cloak... it was the madmare!

Somepony screamed. Several backed away. Others stood closer to their friends as a show of protection. The madmare had not approached any closer.

Apple Bloom looked closer at the figure. Now that it was light, more details about the madmare were finally visible. She was clearly a mare, and the shape of folded wings underneath the cloak indicated she was a pegasus. The cloak and mask covered much of her, but her pale blue coat and golden mane and tail could be noticed. The cloak didn’t cover her cutie mark, which showed a blue jay with the sun in the background.

The madmare did have her long knife, but it wasn’t in her mouth this time. Rather, it was in a sheath attached to her foreleg. And that foreleg was fidgeting, the hoof scuffing small circles in the ground. That gesture, and the position of her head, was very familiar to Apple Bloom. She had seen those behaviors many times in her longtime family friend and now sister-in-law, Fluttershy.

Emboldened, Apple Bloom walked slowly up to the madmare and raised her foreleg. “I’m sorry we scared you so much,” she said.

“What? WE scared HER?” Diamond Tiara shouted. Silver Spoon placed her hoof over her friend’s mouth, forestalling any further interruption.

Apple Bloom took another step forward. “I’m Apple Bloom. What’s your name?”

“I’m... I’m Jay Sun,” she replied quietly. “But my friends call me Sunny.”

“Well, I’m always happy to make another friend, Sunny,” Apple Bloom said.

“I apologize. I should have realized my appearance would be frightening,” Sunny said.

A few of the others bravely approached. Archer, Rumble, and Scootaloo stood up front with Apple Bloom, with Snips and Snails behind them.

“So, uh, why the... you know?” Apple Bloom asked, motioning to Sunny’s mask.

“Oh, um, I kind of got struck by lightning two days ago. I need the mask and cloak to protect my exposed skin until it heals,” she replied. She lifted her mask slightly, revealing the singe marks and raw skin that both Scootaloo and Rumble recognized as the consequence of a lightning strike on a pegasus, at least one without Rumble’s freakish lightning resistance.

“You got struck by lightning, and you were on your hooves the same day? That’s pretty radical,” Scootaloo said.

“I didn’t want to disappoint your group,” she replied.

“That’s some honest dedication,” Apple Bloom said.

Finally, everypony had gotten comfortable with the situation. The remaining ponies approached so they could hear what was going on.

“Do you work here?” Archer asked.

“Yes, I live on the island year-round,” Sunny replied. “I keep the firewood and supplies stocked at camp, and keep the vines and madmare grass under control. I like it. It’s very quiet.”

“Wait, madmare grass?” Scootaloo asked.

“You know, that long grass that wraps around your legs? I have to cut it,” she replied, lifting her foreleg with the machete strapped to it. “How do you think the island got its name?”

“Oh. M. damara,” Silver Spoon said. “I bet that’s where the name came from.”

“Does that mean you’re the pony who rescued those old tombstones?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Yes. I’ve been finding them at the river’s edge for a few years. It didn’t feel right to just treat them like some forgotten rubble,” she said.

“Well, I think that’s a noble task,” Sweetie Belle said. “This camp’s lucky to have you.” All around, ponies nodded and expressed their agreement.

“It sure is,” another voice said.

Again, several ponies jumped. Scootaloo flew to the earth pony stallion and gave him a quick hug. “Cuz! I thought you were on vacation!”

“Hey, Scootaloo. I got your telegram, and took the first train home,” he replied. “I was wondering why all your bags were left by the dock. I see you’ve met Sunny.”

“Did we ever,” Scootaloo said. “We have some not so good news, but let’s talk on the boat.”

“See you, Sunny!” Sweetie Belle called as the group started heading towards the dock.

Again, the quiet mare was standing nervously. Apple Bloom turned back and addressed her. “Sunny, were you trying to tell us something earlier?”

“Oh, yes,” Sunny replied. She pulled something from under her cloak and held it up. “I found this the night you arrived. Is it one of yours?”

The others turned to look. Diamond Tiara saw it, her eyes opening wide. “My earring!” she shouted excitedly. She rushed over to Sunny. “Oh, thank you! I thought it was lost forever.”

“Well, I’m glad I could help,” she said.

On the boat, Open Hearth shook his head slowly after hearing the high school students describe the events of the weekend. “This isn’t good. I don’t think the camp can survive if I have to pay to protect against somepony trying to drive me out of business. I’m already in a hole because I had to come home.”

“What do you mean?” Scootaloo asked.

“My trip to Mihaymi Beach? It’s not a vacation. I work at an old friend’s resort. I need that work, since my camp is only open for the summer.”

“I’d be happy to tell you all I know about Flim and Flam,” Apple Bloom said. “You tell the town that those two cheaters shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near your island.”

“I’ll do that,” Open Hearth replied. “But... it’s just not going to be enough.”

Scootaloo smiled. “Actually, cousin, I think I know just what to do to save your camp.”

Author's Note

Want to know Scootaloo's plan? Wait for the epilogue!

Epilogue

Madmare Island

By Alaborn

Standard disclaimer: This is a not for profit fan work. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is copyright Hasbro, Inc. I make no claim to any copyrighted material mentioned herein.

Epilogue

October 14, 1482 AC

Scootaloo and Rumble hopped off the boat onto the dock. Low clouds clung to the little island. Lanterns glowing an eerie purple hung from poles, lighting a path to Camp Sapphire Lake through the haze. A chorus of crickets welcomed the two young pegasi to the island. Balancing their bags on their backs, they headed on.

“So, ready to study for the practical cloudbusting exam?” Scootaloo asked Rumble.

“Yes, just like we said all week, anytime Diamond Tiara was in earshot, we’re going to practice dealing with Everfree weather,” Rumble replied. He shucked his bags and flew into the air, kicking a rogue cloud until it dissipated. “Your turn.”

Scootaloo flew up and handled another cloud. “And now we can truthfully say we did.”

The two pegasi chuckled and picked up their bags, keeping close as they walked. Suddenly, the crickets stopped chirping, and a pony jumped from the shadows, a black cape fluttering behind him. His mane was dyed black and slicked back, and his face powdered white. Sharp fangs, their tips tinged red, completed the classic vampony look.

“Greetings, visitors,” he intoned in a deep voice. “Welcome to your final destination. I am Open Grave. Shall I escort you to your coffins?”

“Hey, cuz,” Scootaloo said, smiling.

The vampony-costumed Open Hearth shrugged. “I knew I couldn’t fool you, Scootaloo. Acting’s definitely not my special talent, but I have gotten a few screams. It’s fun.”

“Are ponies enjoying the Nightmare Night theme?” Scootaloo asked.

“Well, I only have last weekend to judge by, but so far the visitors have enjoyed it. And it gives them a reason to come to my camp when it’s not really camping weather,” Open Hearth said.

“I thought it would be fun,” Rumble said. “I can’t wait to see what you’ve cooked up!”

Open Hearth looked ready to comment, but Scootaloo held up a foreleg. “Not a word! I want to be surprised!” she said. She knew Snips and Snails were responsible for creating the illusions for the camp’s Nightmare Night attraction, and Sweetie Belle was involved in making it “suitably dramatic”. But since Scootaloo planned on visiting the camp, she asked everypony involved to keep mum.

“Okay, I promise to let you be surprised. Just like I was surprised to see this island be named a national monument,” Open Hearth said. “You promised to tell me about that when you got here, so spill it!”

Scootaloo shrugged. “I just wrote a letter to Princess Luna, where I mentioned that Sunny had recovered artifacts from the ruins of Freetown. As Princess Twilight Sparkle explained to me, Princess Luna regrets how her descent into nightmare led to the destruction of Freetown, not to mention a lot of other suffering, and a museum here on this island is a good way to preserve these memories for future generations of ponies.”

“Still, you just wrote a letter to Princess Luna?”

“You should try it,” Scootaloo said. “She’s more approachable than you might think. Of course, it helps that we have a stronger connection; she helped me get over my nightmares when I was younger. Oh, and no pressure or anything, but I heard Princess Luna may be visiting your camp this month.”

Open Hearth shuddered. “Sure. No pressure.”

“So what does that national monument thing mean?” Rumble asked.

“Not much, as I understand it. It means it will be hard to make any big changes on the island,” Open Hearth said. “In other words, there’s no longer any value to this land, in the eyes of those deceitful unicorns. So there’s that. But I’m more interested in the archaeological dig for next year.”

“Cool!” Scootaloo said. “It’ll all be like Daring Do!”

“I hope not!” Open Hearth said. “Anything involving going into the Everfree Forest is dangerous, of course, but I don’t think Nightmare Moon put death traps in the ruins. It’ll just be archeologists and guards working during the day, and sleeping here at night.”

“That’s great! You can use the camp for more months out of the year!” Scootaloo said.

Open Hearth nodded. “There was your idea of Nightmare Night festivities, and the archeologists staying next spring, and later, I’m thinking of students visiting the museum during the winter. It’s not going to be as profitable as the summers, but this additional revenue will help me keep the camp in business.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that,” Scootaloo said.

“Thank you again for all your help, Scootaloo.” Open Hearth waved to a cabin, with a flourish of his cape. “Your coffin, my lovely guests,” he said, returning to his vampony accent. “And as you requested, I’ll let the surprises find you. Now, I must slake my thirst with the blood of the living!” With a sinister laugh, he departed.

Scootaloo and Rumble examined the cabin. A rather large fake spider was perched just above the door frame, and fake spiderwebs blocked part of the doorway. As she put her hoof on the step leading up to the door, an ominous creak sounded.

“Let me go first,” Rumble said chivalrously.

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Oh, my hero.” Then she smirked. “Well, what are you waiting for?”

Rumble entered the cabin, followed shortly by Scootaloo. More fake spiderwebs hung from the ceilings. A skeletal foreleg poked out from under the bunk bed. An eerie blue light briefly flared in the fireplace. All the while, the creaking sound persisted.

“See?” Rumble said. “Nothing to worry about....”

MRRRROOOOWWWW!

Rumble jumped into the air. Scootaloo flew up and caught him in her forelegs.

“Nothing to worry about? Really?” Scootaloo said, beaming.

“C-c-c-cat!” Rumble said.

“Okay. You come here now, Fluffy,” said a voice from behind them.

Scootaloo turned to see Sunny standing in the door frame. The cat ran past them and started rubbing affectionately against the older pegasus’ forelegs.

“Hey, Sunny! Thanks for bringing your cat to our cabin,” Scootaloo said.

Rumble pried himself out of Scootaloo’s forelegs and flew to the ground, giving her a dirty look. He brushed a hoof through his mane and adopted one of his “cool” poses, as if to counteract his less than glorious earlier display. “You’re looking healthy, Sunny,” he said.

“Thank you. No lightning mishaps this time,” she replied.

“Was that cat always your pet?” Rumble continued.

“No,” Sunny said. “He was a stray back when you visited last time. Mr. Open Hearth told me that you found a stray cat, so I went looking for him, and when I found him I gave him a nice home.”

“That’s nice,” Rumble said.

“So, will the madmare be making another appearance tonight?” Scootaloo asked Sunny.

The groundskeeper pegasus smiled. “Now that would be telling, wouldn’t it?” She went to leave, but turned her head and looked at the guests first. “Enjoy your evening. It may be your last!”

As if on cue, thunder rattled the cabin. It was hard to tell whether the thunder was real or illusionary, but the two campers didn’t care. “Well, I can think of no finer company for my last night on Equestria,” Rumble said as he closed the door.