Author's Note

”So we’re fine. As long as nobody starts teleportin’ bread.”

XXVII - Only Slightly Screwed

"I honestly can't believe we're spending our end of the year trip... fixing a dock."

"Yeah. We could be rock climbing right now. Or, uh, roasting marshmallows. Or... What do people even do on camping trips, Jain?"

"I have no fucking clue, Dash."

The last day of the Everfree camping trip was underway, and the dock still hadn't been finished. Throughout most of the morning to the middle of the day, the students of CHS had been working hard. Though Noah was still missing, and students outside the crew had begun to notice.

Rainbow Dash and Jain Benefactor carried stacks of wooden boards onto the dock to deliver to Applejack, whom had been hammering all day long. Rejecting breakfast, and would probably reject lunch as well.

Rainbow Dash dropped her stack from over her shoulder and sighed from exhaustion. Jain noticed, "You alright?"

She shrugged, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"I thought you were the athletic one of the group."

"Athletic doesn't mean I'm a weightlifter, stupid. Besides," Rainbow Dash raised her voice obnoxiously. "It'd be a lot easier if someone would get off their blank as paper, white, butt, and help!"

Rarity, sitting to their side knitting a piece of clothing, rolled her eyes. "Christ, Rainbow. It's almost as if I'm in the middle of creating a bunch of designs for the upcoming camp fashion show."

"Seriously?"

"Quite," Rarity leaned forward and smiled smugly, "But don't you worry, darling. I'll make sure to get right on it."

Rainbow Dash mumbled, "Uh, Good God above..."

Jain chuckled, "You guys do know you're using the same words that you don't understand, right?"

Rainbow Dash scoffed, "We're Equestrian, Jain. We're easily influenced to the point where it's a damn joke."

Rarity turned her attention to her side, her ears perking at the sound of keys clacking on a phone. She smiled as she saw who had been making the noise. CJ, phone in hand, sat at the edge of the dock texting someone on a site unknown to her.

She spoke, "Color me impressed, Cejal. You've friends outside of us!"

CJ rolled his eyes, "Rarity, I know you're designing a lot of clothes and that I'm not doing much-"

"Darling, you're not doing shit."

CJ dropped his phone on the dock, annoyed. "Fuck do you want, Rares?"

Rarity crossed her legs, "I'm glad you asked. I seem to have misplaced or forgotten my favorite scissors back at my tent. Would you be a doll and go get them for me?"

"There's literally scissors at your feet, I- Hell, Rarity, there's four of them! What's so special about these scissors that I have to run to your tent which could probably get me neck-deep in bullshit?"

Rarity pursed her lips, "Ce–jel. Ple—ase?"

"Rarity, I've seen you work your magic on every boy in the school. How the hell do you expect me, of all people, to fall for that crap?"

Rarity poked at her chin, pondering. "Uh... Because I asked nicely and gorgeously and we're best friends?"

"Hah! No."

Rarity groaned as she reached into her back pocket and revealed her pristine wallet of the highest fashion. CJ's eyes widened like a dog feasting his eyes on a new bone.

She pulled out two twenties, "Go get my scissors, you dick."

CJ shot up to his feet and snatched the twenties out of her hand. "Your wish is my command, my beautiful queen."

"Oh, screw off," Rarity replied, annoyed, and CJ promptly did so. In search of the pair of scissors only fit for such a beautiful, strong-willed, yet a rather whiney diva, such as Rarity.

"If you're done watchin' those two doofuses go back and forth, Ah’ll gladly take that wood now, thank you very much."

Applejack, still hammering what little wood she had left for the dock, called out to both Rainbow Dash and Jain. Who had gotten sidetracked watching Rarity and CJ's little quarrel.

Rainbow Dash turned about, "Yeah, yeah, we're coming. C'mon Jain. The faster we get this done, the faster we can... Uh... Do stuff."

Jain raised an eyebrow, "Stuff?"

"Y-Yeah, stuff."

"..."

"Look, just give AJ the wood so she'll shut up."

Jain shrugged his shoulders as the two approached Applejack with the stacks of wood boards over their shoulders or carried in their arms. They laid the stacks down on either side of Applejack, then Rainbow Dash decided to have a seat on one of them whilst Jain folded his arms.

She sighed, "Y’know you guys, I-I don't think we'll be able to even finish this dock in time. Let alone for Rarity's dumb show."

Applejack lifted a board from Jain's pile and laid it down, "The dock is our gift to the camp, and it's gonna get finished or so help me. No magical sailboats or stupid weak planks is gonna change that."

"What if one of you accidentally destroys the dock?" Jain questioned. ”You know, now that you're all this world's versions of the Avengers."

Applejack dropped the hammer, "Oh, don't even get me started. Ah’ve been so careful all day, tryin' to make sure Ah don't destroy the entire dock... Again..."

"Eh, you'll be fine." Jain sighed, "I'm gonna go get more wood. You guys keep doing what you're doing, and Dash, rest your arms. Since you're basically built like a twig, God knows how long until your arms fall off."

Rainbow Dash flipped Jain off and he chuckled. Not replying, he turned about and stepped off the dock. Heading into the forest. Leaving the Rainbooms to themselves on the dock.

Applejack picked up her hammer preparing to return to work when she noticed something. "Aw, damn- er, dang. Ah ran outta nails. Does anybody-"

"Oh!" Pinkie Pie began, from the end of the dock. "I've got some!"

"W-Wait, Pinkie!"

Pinkie Pie, before she could be stopped, reared her hand back and threw the box of nails over to her southern friend. Remembering what happened the last time Pinkie Pie threw something small as such, the air exploded. The nails collided with the ground, and Applejack jumped for cover faster than ever!

Only, nothing happened.

Applejack poked her head out from under her arms and raised an eyebrow. She then sighed, relieved, as she sat upwards correctly. The image before her was rather odd. Rarity had thrown up some sort of barrier composed of her diamond formation powers, while Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash hid pointlessly behind a pole.

Applejack turned about to face Pinkie Pie, whose face promptly flipped from confusion to realization to nervous guilt, then to playfulness. She shrugged, "Wha—t? Oh! You guys thought the nails would explode if I threw 'em, didn't cha? Wow! Glad that didn't happen, huh?"

Applejack facepalmed, "Pinkie, how 'bout you just stick to handin' things to use instead of throwin' 'em. Alrighty?"

As Rarity's shield lowered, she promptly approached Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Helping them up from the post. She exhaled, "So sorry, girls! I-I couldn't think straight, and the shield just showed up out of nowhere!"

Rainbow Dash stretched her arm, "Don't worry, Rarity. We're fine. Right, Flutters?"

Fluttershy stood oddly on one leg, "My leg hurts."

"Yeah, we're fine."

"Is everything alright, girls?" A voice called.

Stepping onto the dock and addressing the five was Sunset Shimmer. Applejack stepped forward herself and replied, "Not at all, Sunny. We just can't work with these powers, they're throwin' us off hilariously. A-Ah mean, Rarity nearly shoved both Fluttershy and Rainbow into the lake!

"How are we supposed to finish this dock without destroyin’ it? Again."

Sunset folded her arms as she came closer, "Well, at least you guys aren't the only ones."

Rarity tilted her head, "What are you talking about?"

"Last night, I found out that even I had powers too. Whenever I touch someone, it lets me take a glimpse into their memories. Felt like I was drunk or something though, so that could prove to be an issue."

Pinkie Pie rushed forward, "Oh! Try me! Try me—e!"

"Pinkie, I'm pretty sure your head is full to bursting with cotton candy and rainbows. Anyone with eyes could see that."

Pinkie Pie pouted, "Ple—ase?"

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, "Forget it, Pinkie. We have more important things that need figuring out. Like this stupid dock below our feet that hopefully doesn't crumble... Again."

Sunset stepped past the girls, "You guys, we can't just stand around and neglect the gifts we've been given. You've gotta stop looking at these powers as something bad. Maybe if you tried looking at them as something good, we could finish this dock."

Fluttershy laid a hand flat, "How so?"

"Well, hm. How should I explain this... I know how." Sunset cleared her throat delicately, "So you have magic-"

"Wait! Wait! Before you start singing like a bunch of failed artists, we have a question!"

The girls turned about to find the speaker and found the majority of the Black Five rushing onto the dock as if they were gonna miss their boat. Manex being the one in particular to shout.

Sunset groaned and pinched her nose bridge whilst resting her elbow in the palm of her other hand. The girls began giggling, and Jain was the first to reach Sunset.

As they caught their breath, CJ pulled out the scissors Rarity had asked her, approached her, and placed them in her palms gentlemen-like. Rarity stuttered, but didn't speak.

"Sunset," Jain began, standing straight. "We... Fall saw you and Twilight running into... the forest, then... You came back with... Timber and a... God, give me strength..."

Sunset let go of her nose, "What, did you run all the way from your side of the camp to here?"

"Yeah," Jain answered, wheezing. "Seemed like... Such a good idea... At the time... It wasn't... At all..."

"I can see that."

"What... What the hell were you guys... Were you guys coming from the forest?"

"Please tell us," CJ added, "My black-ass can't breathe for shit, right now..."

Sunset looked over at the girls. They shrugged, perplexed, but decided to just let Sunset handle it as they got back to work. She sighed, slightly annoyed, and answered.

"Last night, I awoke because Rarity's lantern she recommended fell on my forehead and woke me up. I found that Twilight was missing from her bed, so I wrapped on my robe and peeked out the tent's... doors? Uh... Flaps? Ugh, whatever those things are called.

"But anyway, I spotted Twilight and Spike with all of their stuff running into the forest. I followed them for a while and eventually caught them. Twilight explained why she had run, and we basically had a talk in the woods."

"About what?"

"Uh... She would rather me not say."

Manex rolled his eyes, "Oh great, more secrets that could potentially fuck us over like ants."

Sunset shook her head and continued, "But after that, we heard rustling in the bushes, and it turned out that it was Timber. He claimed he was chopping down firewood for Gloriosa, but I had my doubts. So I asked him something."

"What?"

"I asked him if he had seen Noah, and he said he was in a tunnel of some sort."

Fall's eyes bulged, "What?!"

"Yeah, but then he tried to cover it up and say that he was probably helping Gloriosa. So then comes this morning and I ask her, and she denies anything. But I swear on my life, a drop of sweat fell from her forehead when I finished asking questions."

CJ threw us arms up, "Great. That means those two asshats are up to something. But why the hell do they have Noah?"

Jain shrugged, "Who cares why? We have to go save that dumbass before he gets killed."

Sunset halted them, "Wait! Why are you guys just now asking me this?"

"Because Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna started questioning us as if we were the cause, and... Other stuff.”

“Other stuff?”

“The entire office was practically bursting with balloons, and we spotted you entering the school with several bags of blow-ups!” Principal Celestia explained, hands upon her hips.

”How was that not you?!”

CJ shrugged, ”Uh... Coincidence?”

”Oh, bullshit.”

"Oh... Well, can't you guys just hold on for a moment and help with the dock?"

Manex stammered, "The dock? We, you- Nigga, fuck the dock! Our friend could be killed by a bunch of camp cultists or some shit!"

"I know, I know, but I need you guys to stay with the girls for now while I go find him."

Jain crossed his arms, "Not to be an ass Sunset, but aren't the girls more or less your responsibility? As all six of you are responsible for each other?"

"Jain, look. During our first night here, I might've said some things to Noah like a... A bitch. I have to be the one to find him so I can make it up to him. Please. Just give me this one thing, and I won't ask for anything ever again."

Jain squinted, "Anything?"

"...Anything."

Jain stared at the boys, and the boys looked at him. He sighed, "Fine, but bring the dipshit back in one piece, okay? We don't love him or any weird crap like you and your friends, but we'd rather him alive than dead."

Sunset nodded, "You can count on me. I swear upon it. And if I bring him back with even a scrape, you can go back to calling me Sunwhore."

CJ crossed his arms, "Or, we could just rape you."

"What?"

The Black Four erupted with laughter while Sunset stared, petrified. Manex leaned on Sunset's shoulder, "Relax, Sunset. We're just making a little joke."

"That's a joke to you!?"

"Of course! ...Unless we just have serious issues."

Sunset walked around the four, "I think the second one's correct. I'll be back, don't do anything stupid!" Sunset called as she gained distance away from the four.

Jain replied, "Oi! Us? Who the hell do you think you're talking to?!"

Sunset chuckled as she stepped off the dock. "A bunch of wannabe heroes of my best friend... Nothing wrong with that though..."