Twilight woke up and stretched herself out with a yawn. She groggily walked over to her mirror and began brushing her frizzled mane until it looked presentable.
She was really looking forward to today; heck she was looking forward to the week, as events had transpired so that she had no work to do for a while. The only thing that would keep her from relaxing for a while week was an emergency from Princess Celestia herself. Aside from that, it was somepony else's problem.
She sleepily walked downstairs to her kitchen to get some breakfast ready. Something simple today to reflect the lazy mood she was in. Just a plain bowl of cereal should be fine.
She used her magic to move a bowl onto her table before walking over to the pantry to get her cereal. Ah, there was only one box of Daffodil Flakes left. It wouldn't be too long before she had to buy more though. Still, as long as there was cereal in the box, she could eat for today and not have to worry about that for a while.
She sat down at the table and tilted the box over and poured her cereal. To her utter dismay, only a dozen or so flakes came out of the box. She groaned and peered inside. Sure enough, the box was completely empty. It seemed that it was time to buy more cereal. She gave a groan of irritation that echoed the irritated feeling that her empty stomach had right now and she tilted the meager contents of the bowl into her mouth to tide her over until she could come back with more food.
She put the bowl in the sink and levitated her saddlebags onto her back. Before she left she called out to her sleeping assistant. "Spike! I'm going out to get more cereal. I'll be back soon!" she said.
"Mphfrhgml," came the sleepy reply from her scaly assistant. Twilight smiled to herself and walked out the door.
It was a sunny day in Ponyville and it seemed all of Ponyville was out enjoying the sunshine. The feeling of the warm rays of sunlight washing over her coat completely woke up Twilight and she found herself in a good mood despite the hunger that she felt as she walked over to the Ponyville market.
The street was bustling with ponies who were shopping at individual stands as well as ponies that were going into buildings to do their shopping.
Twilight turned in the direction of Applejack's apple cart and saw to her dismay that the cart was not in its usual spot. That apple that she had wanted to tide herself over while she shopped was not available. She groaned once more. Why was this day of relaxation turning out like this!?
She walked into a general store and went to the breakfast foods section. She was about to turn into the cereal aisle when she heard a string a familiar voices coming from the isle behind her.
"I reckon that oatmeal raisin hay bars should suit our needs just fine, don't ya think?" asked a certain farmer pony.
"Sounds good to me," said the voice of a rainbow Pegasus. "But can we get two oatmeal raisin and make the other three Apple-Cinnamon?"
"Ooh! Can we do one chocolate chip one!?" asked the unmistakable voice of Pinkie Pie.
Curious, Twilight parked her cart and looked down the aisle. She saw Fluttershy examining the contents of a large cart while Rarity scanned a large list of items that she had with her. Rainbow and Pinkie Pie were debating the pros and cons of chocolate chip hay bars while an amused Applejack looked on. Twilight walked down the aisle to greet her friends.
"Hello everypony!" she said with a smile. "What's going on here?" The five friends returned her smile when they saw her walk up the aisle.
"Well howdy doo Twilight, me and the others here were just gettin' ready for our annual campin' trip!" said Applejack excitedly.
"Camping? You're all going camping!?" said a shocked Twilight.
"Heck yeah we are!" said Rainbow Dash excitedly. "We've gone every year together for the past eight years now."
"Even you Rarity?" asked Twilight who couldn't see the immaculate unicorn tolerating the woods. Rarity seemed rather offended by the statement.
"I beg your pardon Twilight, but this camping trip is one of the highlights of my year! I love going camping with these four!" Rainbow smirked at her.
"Yeah, only because you stay in the cabins as opposed to the tents like the rest of us," said Rainbow.
"Well, can a girl help it if she wants the bathroom and showers close to her at all times?" she asked crossly.
"Yeah, she can do without six showers a day for a week. You need to toughen up!" said Rainbow.
"Yeah about that sugar cube," said Applejack, addressing Rarity. "You can only take ONE shower a day this time otherwise they're gonna charge us extra for bein' in the campgrounds." Rarity seemed irked by this but kept her mouth shut.
"I didn't know that you five went camping together every year," said Twilight.
"Each and every! We all make super-duper sure to have our schedules free for this one week out of the year! Nopony here would miss it!" said Pinkie Pie as she happily bounced up and down. The other four ponies nodded and gave grunts of agreement. The isle was silent for a moment as Twilight looked at her five smiling friends, not quite sure of what to say next. Rainbow broke the silence.
"So."
"So what?" said Twilight.
"So do you want to come or not sugar cube?" finished Applejack. Twilight's eyes widened. Indeed the prospect of camping did sound exciting to Twilight, especially with her friends.
"It’s a whole week?" said Twilight? "As in seven days?"
"And six nights, I know!" said Rarity happily, using her magic to levitate two boxes of oatmeal raisin hay bars and three boxes of Apple-Cinnamon into the cart.
"Well...if I wouldn't be imposing then I'd love to come!" said Twilight with a grin.
"Oh you wouldn't be imposing at all!" said Fluttershy. "In fact, the Cutie Mark Crusaders are coming this year too so you certainly wouldn't be unwelcome." Twilight broke out into a wide grin at hearing this.
"You really mean it?" she asked excitedly.
"Why of course darling, we would be honored if you would join us," said Rarity. Twilight gave a happy whoop and jumped up into the air. She regained her composure after a few seconds.
"I'm totally in! What do you want me to bring?" she asked.
"Well, we got the food here and most of the rest should be there already. A sleeping bag and a toothbrush is all I can think of," said Rainbow.
"I can do that!" said Twilight. "When do we leave?"
"Meet us at Sweet Apple Acres in an hour and we'll be on our way," said Applejack. "Is Spike comin'?"
"I'm sure he'd love to!" said Twilight.
"It's settled then," said Rarity. "You get yourself ready and we'll finish up here. See you and Spikey-Wikey in an hour or so." Twilight eagerly nodded and said goodbye to her friends. She bought a fresh box of cereal and went back to her house with a new spring in her step.
She burst through the door excitedly and placed the cereal on a nearby counter.
"Spike, Spike! I have some wonderful news!" said Twilight. She heard a tired grumble from upstairs. Was Spike still asleep!? She trotted upstairs and sure enough, Twilight saw Spike still curled up in his basket with his blanket over his head. Twilight frowned and used her magic to pull the blanket off of him. Spike gave an irritated moan and opened his eyes to stare sleepily at Twilight.
"Whatizzit?" he mumbled sleepily. "Can't it wait until morning?"
"Spike, it's already 11:30. You should have been up an hour ago," said Twilight with a frown. Spike rubbed his eyes and gave a loud yawn.
"But this is a break week for us. Can't I sleep in a little?"
"Spike, you get to sleep in three hours later than normal this week. There is a time to be awake even now," she said with a slight grin. Spike mumbled something before standing up and stretching.
"So, what is this oh so wonderful news you have?" he asked. Twilight's grin widened.
"We're going camping!" she said with a squeal of delight. All sleepiness left Spike at that moment and he gave Twilight a confused look.
"Camping? We're going camping?" he said. Twilight vigorously nodded. "When?"
"We have to be at Sweet Apple acres in 20 minutes so we had better hurry!" said Twilight. She ran down the stairs to a storage closet and used her magic to pull out a large, squishy, purple sleeping bag. Spike followed her down and continued his questioning.
"How did this come about?" he asked as he pulled his own sleeping bag out of the closet.
"Well, I saw the girls at the store today and they were buying supplies for the trip. Apparently, they do this every year! Since I ran into them they invited the two of us along and I told them that we would be delighted to come!" said Twilight happily. She used her magic to shrink the sleeping bags down a little before stuffing them into her saddlebag. She packed their toothbrushes as well and put her saddlebag on. "Alright Spike, that's enough exposition, let's get going!" she said happily.
Spike managed a smile of his own at the prospect of camping out with the girls. It meant a while week of being around Rarity and an opportunity like that was one that he could never pass up!
The two walked quickly to Sweet Apple Acres where they saw Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom all talking excitedly amongst themselves. Fluttershy was the first to notice the duo appear and she pointed them out to the others who trotted over to greet them.
"Twilight, Spike, so glad the two of you could make it," said Rarity happily.
"The pleasure is all ours," said Twilight with a grin. Spike had already gone into 'ohmygoshit'sraritywhatdoidowhatdoisayilovehersomuchican'tbelivei'mthisclosetoher' mode and as such, was lost in the sight of Rarity.
"You ready to go sugar cube?" asked Applejack, motioning to a chariot. "The campgrounds are about five hours away so it's best if we get goin' ASAP." Twilight nodded.
"Ready when you are doc!" she said excitedly. Applejack raised an eyebrow at the statement but shrugged it off all the same.
"You and Fluttershy drivin' first RD?" asked the farmer pony to her cyan companion.
"You know it!" said Rainbow eagerly. Rainbow and Fluttershy hitched themselves to the front of the chariot. As the other eight climbed aboard, Twilight took a look at how many beings were on the chariot as opposed to the power of the Pegasi pulling it.
"Say AJ, how are Fluttershy and Rainbow supposed to take off and pull this chariot? It's so large and there are so many of us!" said Twilight. Applejack gave a wry smile.
"Sometimes things work because they need to Twilight," said Applejack simply, as she adjusted her saddlebags under her seat. Twilight opened her mouth to speak before closing it again. she shrugged and laid the issue to rest.
"Ready to go?" asked Rainbow Dash. Applejack looked around and received nods from the rest of the group before calling back to Rainbow.
"Ready when you are Rainbow!" she said. Rainbow nodded and the two Pegasus drivers began moving forward and flapping their wings. Within a few seconds, the chariot was airborne and headed in the direction of the campgrounds. Twilight laughed happily. The feeling of being up in the air as well as the thought that she would spend the next week just hanging out with her friends brought out the best feelings in Twilight. The others joined in with Twilight's laughter. The whole chariot was electrified with the feelings of happiness and excitement that this trip would soon bring.
Twilight leaned back in her seat and struck up a conversation with Applejack. She just knew that this would be a good week. In the corner of her eye, she saw Pinkie's whole body shiver for a brief second. She pushed it aside. It was probably just the cool air around them or something. It didn't really matter anyway. She was going camping with her best friends!
Nothing could possibly go wrong.
"We're heeere!" said Applejack. The group cheered as the chariot landed in the middle of the clearing in the Crystal Lake Forest. Immediately, the ponies jumped out of the chariot and the two Pegasus ponies unhitched themselves. Twilight smiled and took a deep breath. She stretched and jumped up and down a little. She had to loosen her joints after sitting in that chariot for five hours.
"Oh Applejack, this forest is absolutely beautiful!" said Twilight in awe. Applejack grinned.
"That's why we come every year. The scenery is amazing, the lake is wonderful and the air is the cleanest in all of Equestria. It is almost impossible for a pony to not relax here," said Applejack.
"Oh I can totally understand that," said Spike. "It's awesome to get away from the library for a change." Twilight nodded in agreement.
"We couldn't have picked a better place to spend our week off, Spike," said Twilight. She turned to Applejack. "So, where do we set up camp?" she asked.
"The campsite is about five miles in that direction. It's about a three hour hike so we'll certainly get there before dark unless somethin' goes wrong," said Applejack. Twilight nodded and placed her saddlebags on her back. The other campers did the same and after a few minutes to secure the chariot, they were off.
The woods were even more beautiful and peaceful as the walk continued. The group chattered away excitedly and gave a noise of awe every time they saw an animal lounging around in the woods.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders were running around the group happily and jumping up on each large boulder that the group came across afterwards they would strike an epic pose and mention something about 'Cutie Mark Crusader Campers' or something to that effect.
In addition to her saddlebags, Rarity had an umbrella placed on her back that she was using to shield herself from the sun's rays, something that irritated Rainbow Dash to no end. Every once in a while, Rainbow would quietly fly up over Rarity before swooping down in one swift motion and grabbing the umbrella from her back before taking off with a laugh. Rarity would yell at her a little bit but not out of too much anger. She was good-natured about it to a point and Rainbow usually returned the umbrella after a minute or so.
Somehow, Pinkie Pie spent every second of the hike bouncing up and down. Twilight was used to seeing Pinkie Pie use bouncing as her primary form of movement but to see her do it for hours on end was something that was impressive to her.
What was even more impressive was that she managed to converse with Fluttershy the whole way through about various things (often parties and Pinkieesque things of that nature) and the two seemed happy just talking to each other.
After a few hours, Applejack maneuvered herself next to Twilight. "We're almost there. You excited, Twilight?"
"Am I ever!" she said with a grin. "What will this week look like?"
"Oh we got plenty of stuff to do. We can hike around the woods, swim in the lake, there are a few paddleboats to rent, there's a simple miniature golf course in the area, a zip line, everything a good camp needs."
"All that out here in the woods?"
"Well there's the outdoor camping area where you can set up tents and such to sleep outside and then there's the main camp area, you know with the cabins and the mess hall, shower, bathrooms, stuff like that," said Applejack.
"That's where I'll be staying," said Rarity. Applejack gave Rarity an annoyed look that Rarity merely brushed off.
"I still think it's cheatin', staying in the cabins while the rest of us are out here," she said.
"Well, you can't expect me to sleep on the ground! My mane and coat will be ruined!"
"We're all sleeping on the ground and we'll be just fine," said Rainbow as she swooped in to join the conversation. Rarity rolled her eyes.
"Just fine for you maybe, but I have standards of beauty!" she said with her nose in the air. "I've brought all of the latest hair and coat beautifiers so I will look my best this whole week!"
At this, Applejack gave a mischievous grin which prompted a quizzical look from Twilight. However, she didn't question Applejack on it and she continued walking.
After another quarter of an hour, Applejack pointed out a small clearing that was coming closer to them by the second. "That's it! Twilight Sparkle, welcome to Camp Arawak!" she said happily.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders gave a squeal of delight and bolted towards the clearing, followed closely by Spike, much to the amusement of the rest of the group. They caught up with the four youngest members of their group after a minute or so and immediately got to work setting up camp.
Twilight used her magic to pull her tent out of Fluttershy's saddlebags and she was about to use her magic to set it up, but Applejack cut that idea short.
"No magic here Twilight. You're livin' this week Earth Pony style," said the farmer pony. Rainbow trotted up and gave a nod of agreement.
"She's right Twilight. Fluttershy and I aren't even allowed to fly unless we have to, or if it'll make something even more fun!" she said.
"Oh," said a surprised Twilight. "I guess I'll need help setting up the tent then."
"Well, I'm here to give you that help Twilight. I've become adept at settin' these things up over the years," said Applejack.
The two unfolded the canvas and put the support rods where they were supposed to go before spreading it out. The tent turned out to be medium-sized, only large enough to house a pair of ponies comfortably.
Applejack had to help Twilight do her half of the work but soon Twilight got the hang of it. Spike helped her position the spikes that would anchor the tent to the ground and Twilight grabbed the mallet in her mouth and hammered them into the ground.
The two ponies stepped back and admired their work.
"Not bad for a first-time tent raiser," she said with an impressed nod.
"Thanks! Although, I had a lot of help from you," said Twilight.
"I had a lot of help my first time too. It just takes practice."
"Well hopefully I'll get a lot more opportunities to practice...that is, if you guys want me to come every year."
"Are you kidding?" said Rainbow. "We might have to go camping more than once this year to get you caught up on all the years you weren't here." Twilight smiled.
"I'd like that," she said.
She turned to see where the other ponies were in setting up and saw Fluttershy unpacking a tent to set up. Applejack and Rainbow looked at the meek Pegasus as she unfolded the tent with an eager glint in their eye. Applejack nudged Twilight.
"I'd pay attention if I were you, this is impressive," she said. Twilight looked at Fluttershy quizzically. Fluttershy seemed to be organizing the tent parts in a way that would have made Rarity proud. She looked over the unmade tent to make sure that she had everything and seeing that she did, she gave a nod and began working.
Within seconds, the support rods were in the tent and Fluttershy had raised it up so that it looked like a tent. She worked like she was being held at knife point, the speed in which she set up the tent seemed impossible for Rainbow Dash to achieve, let alone Fluttershy.
The yellow Pegasus jammed the stakes in the ground and within seconds, she circled the tent with a mallet in her mouth and with one swing apiece, she hammered the stakes into the ground.
When the last stake was in, Fluttershy stepped back to admire her work. Rainbow, Applejack and Twilight walked up to her.
"Eighteen seconds Fluttershy, you put that up in eighteen seconds," said Applejack with a grin. To Twilight's surprise, Fluttershy looked slightly crestfallen.
"Oh...that means that I'm getting slower," she said sadly.
"HUH!?" said Twilight. "That was amazing! What’s wrong with eighteen seconds!?"
"Well, she got sixteen last year and twelve the year before that so she is getting slower," said Rainbow.
"But, I mean, HOW!?" said Twilight. Applejack shrugged.
"Dunno," she said. "Imagine our surprise the first year she came along. It was all we talked about for the entire week."
"it's not really that impressive...it just takes practice is all," said Fluttershy.
Before Twilight could question her on it further, Rarity joined in the conversation.
"Oh Twilight, please allow me to show you the main camp! I'm quite sure that you'll be impressed with it and I need to unpack in my cabin anyway," said Rarity.
"Sounds good to me," said Twilight.
'I'll come with ya," said Applejack. "I gotta talk to the camp head anyway."
"Uh, yeah, I'm coming too," said Rainbow with a sly grin that Applejack copied. Twilight once again looked at them quizzically. What were they up to?
Rarity nodded in agreement at this plan and after telling Fluttershy and Pinkie where they were going, the four of them trotted off towards the main camp.
"How far is it from where we're sleeping?" asked Twilight.
"Just over the hill," said Applejack. "We're only about five minutes away."
"Oh, I can't wait to get unpacked," said Rarity. "I need to fix my mane up a bit before bed." Twilight examined Rarity's mane and tail to find that they seemed to be as perfect as ever.
Within a few minutes, the four of them found themselves in the main camp.
The camp seemed to be set up in a circular clearing with buildings along the edges. Applejack began pointing out the buildings to Twilight.
"That there's the cafeteria," she said, pointing to a large wooden building in front of them. "Now right next to that is what we call the R&R room. It's got all kinds of games in there like air hockey, a couple of hoofballs to toss around, and even a decent stack of board games to name a few. Right next to that is a sort of gift shop. It actually does fairly well when there are large groups of campers 'round here."
"Will there be any large groups this week?" asked Twilight. Applejack shook her head.
"Not this week, but next week when summer starts there will be a decent number 'round here." She continued pointing out buildings like the medical station, the head counselor's office and the small miniature golf course.
"Where are the cabins?" asked Twilight.
"They're about a hundred feet behind the cafeteria," said Rarity. "We'll be there in just a moment."
Twilight nodded and rarity was soon proved right. They arrived at Cabin Nightshade and went inside.
The first thing that Twilight noticed was how nice the cabin looked. The floors were spotless carpet and the walls were made of solid oak. A trio of fans was running which did a lot to cool off the main room. Twilight saw a sink and small kitchen in one corner of the room.
Rarity led them through a door which led to the actual rooms themselves.
Rarity opened up the door to Cabin One and the four ponies stepped inside.
The room was a little small to hold four ponies but not so small that they couldn't maneuver their way around. There were a pair of bunk beds in the room and Rarity tossed her saddlebags onto the bottom bunk of the one to their left.
"Ah, home, sweet home for the next week," she said. "I hope you don't mind it if I freshen up a bit right now. I just need to touch up my hair and unpack a bit."
"Oh go right ahead," said Applejack "Don't mind us." Rarity nodded and opened her saddlebags.
She began using her magic to move the contents of her bags to the top bunk, something that removed the smile from Applejack's face.
"Rarity, you know the--"
"Yes I know," said Rarity, cutting her off. "I just need it to unpack and then I'll...hmm, where's my hairspray?"
She began digging through the contents of her bag uneasily. "Uh, uh, uh, please don't tell me I forgot it! Wait, where's my coconut-kiwi shampoo? And my special conditioner!? WHERE ARE THEY!?"
She wheeled around to face the rest of the group. "Please tell me where they are!" she said desperately.
"I know where they are," said Applejack calmly. Twilight could see a grin creep up on her face.
"Where? Where are they!?" said Rarity.
"As far as I know, they're right where I left them: In my room back at Sweet Apple Acres."
Rarity's left eye twitched as she registered this new development. "Back at...you...I...they're..." she said before turning back to her saddlebags, hoping that they were simply at the bottom. Finding nothing, she turned back to Applejack with a horrified expression on her face.
"Why?" she said with a horrified whisper.
"Because you aren't gonna cheat this year," said Applejack. "We've done this trip for a while now and you always insist that you cart around these beauty products and the like. You live pretty much the same way you do back at home only in a cabin. Well, not this year. This year you're gonna sleep outside, you're gonna use the basic soap that the camp provides and gosh darn it, you are gonna feel more relaxed and laid back then you ever have on this trip, I promise."
"Trust us Rarity," said Rainbow. "It's really not that bad."
Rarity's eye twitched once more.
"B...b...but...I..."
"No buts about it," said Applejack. "It's gonna happen whether you want it to or not."
To Twilight's utter surprise, Rarity packed her things back into her saddlebags and followed Rainbow out of the cabin.
As they walked back to their campsite, Twilight walked a little bit behind Rarity and Rainbow Dash to talk to Applejack.
"Don't you think that was a little harsh?" asked Twilight. "I mean look at her, she's devastated." Applejack gave a depressed sigh.
"I know," she said. "And to be honest it broke my heart to do it like that, but if I had just asked nicely she wouldn't have done it. I meant what I said when I told her that she would feel better just roughin' it without those beauty products. She'll thank me when all is said and done. She can do whatever she wants to herself when we get back home." Twilight nodded.
"I hope you're right," said Twilight. At this, Applejack managed a grin.
"Hey, I'm the Element of Honesty, remember? I wouldn't have said it if I didn't believe that it was true."
At this, Twilight managed a grin too. "You know what? I'll bet you're right. She's going to have an awesome week."
"We all are Twilight, we all are."
* * * *
A few hours later, the group had finished eating a bunch of s'mores that Pinkie Pie had made for them all. They were all staring at the fire contentedly, each of them looking forward to the fun times that the week had in store for them.
The group was silent for a few moments before Applejack spoke up. "Well y'all, I'd say that it's time for bed. We've got a lot of awesome stuff to do tomorrow and the sooner we fall asleep, the sooner we can do that."
The rest of the group nodded in agreement and they dispersed to their respective tents.
Twilight grabbed a bucket of water and put out the fire before walking towards the tent that her and Applejack had set up earlier that day. She would be rooming with Pinkie Pie for the week and she was shocked to peek into the tent to see that Pinkie Pie was already fast asleep. Twilight had stopped questioning Pinkie's behavior a long time ago, as amazing as it was sometimes. Only she could immediately fall asleep after eating a dozen s'mores.
Twilight was about to climb into the tent next to Pinkie Pie when she suddenly was struck with a powerful feeling of unease, almost as if somepony was watching them.
She looked into the pitch-black forest that surrounded their campsite and to her surprise, the feeling only increased when she looked into the forest.
She shook her head. She was merely being foolish. Nothing was out there to get them; the ponies who built this camp surely wouldn't be foolish enough to put it in any area where there was even a chance of danger.
Twilight smiled to herself and climbed into the tent. She zipped up the tent flap and crawled into her sleeping bag.
The feeling of dread had gone away and it was replaced with a feeling that this might just be one of the best weeks of her life.
Twilight awoke to the sound of a fire going and hushed conversations, something that she thought was rather strange. What were they talking about that they didn't feel the need to include her in.
She scooted out of her sleeping bag and unzipped her tent. She walked out of her tent and to her utter surprise, she didn't see anypony there. In fact, she couldn't see much of anything. She looked around to see where the muted discussion was coming from.
"Applejack? Rainbow Dash? Pinkie Pie? Where are you guys?" Twilight called out.
"Over here Twilight," said Applejack's voice. The second Twilight heard it, a shiver ran down her spine. It was Applejack's voice to be sure, but there was something off about it, almost a demonic quality to it that was superimposed over her real voice. She shook her head to wake herself up. She was just imagining things. Yeah, that was it! She was just imagining it. "Well, are you comin' or not?" asked Applejack. Twilight shivered once more. If she was hearing things, then her mind was playing some very real tricks on her.
She looked around once more and she was glad to see a small light in the distance. It must be the source of the fire and Twilight trotted over to it. Although, that still raised the question of why her tent was so far away from the main campground all of a sudden.
Approaching the fire, she was surprised to see that everypony seemed to be wearing clothes! Of course, clothes weren't completely unusual (otherwise Rarity would be out of a job) but Twilight didn't seem to recall any of them packing clothes!
As she came closer, her friends (as well as the Cutie Mark Crusaders who were there as well) all looked up at her and gave her a smile. Twilight froze in her tracks and actually took a step backwards. The smile wasn't the usual friendly smile that she always received from her friends. No, these were smiles of...evil? There was no life in their eyes as they smiled; there was no joy in it. It's as if they were mere shells of the ponies that she knew and whatever was left was cruelly curving their mouths upwards.
"What's the matter sugar cube?" asked Applejack. "We don't bite ya know."
At Applejack's joke, the entire crowd of ponies burst out into laughter that turned out to be even more unsettling than their smiles. It wasn't innocent laughter; it was a cruel laugh, one that schoolyard bullies would give when they pushed a victim into the mud. Twilight gave a small whimper and took another step back.
The laughter instantly stopped once Twilight backed up and they resumed merely smiling at her. Applejack patted an open spot next to her on the log that she was sitting on. Twilight gulped but tried to assure herself that she was either dreaming or that this was some kind of cruel prank. If it was the latter, she considered going home and not speaking to them for a while. This was not funny, this was sickening.
She slowly walked over to the log and sat down next to Applejack. She looked around the campfire and finally got a good look at her companions.
Applejack was wearing a plaid button-up shirt that was tucked into a pair of worn-down jeans. Instead of her usual cowpony hat, she was wearing one in the same style as Crocodile Dundee. Strapped to her side was a gigantic knife which only served to make the ensemble more terrifying.
"Uh AJ, what's with the knife? Is it to...uh, cut up branches for firewood or something?" asked Twilight nervously.
The group laughed once more and once more it was the cruel laugh that Twilight was beginning to fear.
"No Twi, it's not for cuttin' firewood or anythin' like that. It's the knife that I use when I play 'head on a stick'," said Applejack with a grin.
"'Head on a stick'?" whispered Twilight. Applejack nodded vigorously before leaning in to whisper into Twilight's ear.
"Because once your spinal cord is severed, all you really are is a head on a stick," she said. Twilight jumped back and scooted away from Applejack.
"Applejack, this isn't funny!" said Twilight.
"Who's laughing?" asked Rainbow sternly.
Twilight turned to look at her and she also looked different. She was wearing a white polo shirt and matching white shorts. She was wearing tennis shoes on her hind hooves and white gloves on her front hooves. She was idly twirling a golf club.
"Huh?" asked Twilight confusedly. Rainbow frowned at her.
"I said, who's laughing? Do you think this is some kind of a funny game or something?" said Rainbow.
"I...I don't even know what's going on," said Twilight who really just wanted to run back to her tent and shut her eyes, hoping that this really was just a dream.
"Well I love laughing!" said Pinkie Pie. "Even if the situation doesn't call for it in the end."
Twilight looked at Pinkie Pie and let out a horrified shriek. She was wearing black pants and a garish green and red striped sweater with a worn, dirty fedora on her head, but that wasn't the issue. No, the thing that scared Twilight is how her face looked like somepony had lit it on fire, something that only perverted her grin even more.
"Pinkie, what happened to you!?" asked a horrified Twilight. Pinkie Pie merely giggled.
"Some ponies just don't like it when ponies like me have...slashy fun with foals. Oh sure it gets messy, but it's really fun Twilight!"
"I...what do you mean?" asked Twilight.
"You'll see," said Pinkie Pie happily before her face lit up even more. "Hey Twilight, watch this!"
Pinkie Pie lifted up her right leg and Twilight saw that it had a glove on it from which four razor sharp knives protruded. She lifted up her other hoof and before Twilight could do anything, Pinkie Pie slashed her left hoof with the glove, cutting it clean off and causing green fluid to squirt from the wound.
Twilight screamed in terror and the other ponies cheered her on and applauded.
"Pinkie, what have you done!?" asked Twilight. Pinkie continued giggling and she held up her left hoof once more which had magically healed.
"Can somepony please tell me what's going on!?" asked Twilight who had moved past 'unnerved' straight on to 'terrified' in an instant.
"It's like Pinkie Pie said," said Rarity. "You'll see."
Twilight looked at Rarity who was wearing an orange T-shirt and black shorts. Her mane had been cut to above her ears and dyed bright red. She was also stroking a tiny puppy dog.
"Why are you all dressed like this? When did you do this? Is this some kind of sick tradition that the five of you have!?"
Fluttershy shook her head silently. She was wearing the most tattered clothes that Twilight had ever seen and a hockey mask to complete the ensemble.
"This is a new thing for us," said Applejack. "I don't think we'll be doin' it again though."
"Which is too bad, because this is going to be awesome!" said Scootaloo who was wearing all black clothes. Her mane had been cut shorter and dyed jet black.
"Scootaloo, not you too! Why would you dye your mane like that!?" asked Twilight. Pinkie giggled and ruffled her mane.
"It just brings out the little devil in her, wouldn't you say Twilight?"
"But I'm the demon!" chimed in Apple Bloom who was curiously facing away from the group and wearing a tattered nightgown. Twilight didn't even want her to turn around and she didn't. At least, most of her didn't. Her head was a completely different story and with a series of sickening cracking sounds, Apple Bloom's head rotated 180 degrees to stare directly at Twilight.
Twilight screamed once more both from the shock of seeing Apple Bloom do that but also because Apple Bloom looked like somepony had taken a razor to her face a few weeks ago as most of the scars had healed somewhat.
"Please stop this, guys!" she said hysterically.
"No," said Sweetie Belle smugly. Twilight didn't want to look at her but her curiosity overcame her horror and she looked at Sweetie Belle.
She was wearing a bright red raincoat with the hood up over her head. She looked almost 80 years old, but still the same size as the Sweetie Belle that she knew. She was twirling a large knife in her hooves.
"Why are you doing this!?" asked Twilight. "Why do you all look like this!?"
"Because we've been waitin' for you Twilight," said Applejack.
"I...huh!?"
"Yes," said Rarity. "We couldn't complete this without you but now that you're here, we can finally begin!"
"Begin what!?" asked Twilight.
"We're all gonna die!" said the group all at once and they immediately burst out into rambunctious laughter once more. It was still the same evil, soulless laugh from before and Twilight covered her ears, hoping desperately that it would drown out the noise.
"Stop laughing!" yelled Twilight. "Stop!"
Naturally the group only continued laughing and if anything, the laughter became louder. Twilight grabbed Applejack and shook her.
"Stop laughing!" she said hysterically. "Why are you laughing!?"
The group continued laughing and Twilight jumped up to bolt back towards her tent but when she turned around, she saw that it was gone.
"Oh no," she whispered. Seeing that Twilight noticed that the tent was nowhere to be seen, the group laughed harder than ever. Tears began streaming down Twilight's face as the horror of her situation sunk in. She was almost positive that this wasn't a dream now but there was still that possibility. Even if it was a dream though, they wouldn't stop laughing at her! Why wouldn't they stop laughing at her!?
With anger and fear boiling up inside of her, Twilight turned around and yelled at them.
"SHUT UP!" she screeched.
To her surprise, she heard Spike's voice from behind her.
"Maybe you'd better wake up now Twilight," he said irritatedly.
"Huh?" said Twilight.
"I said, WAKE UP!"
Twilight's eyes shot open. She was still in her sleeping bag in her tent but she immediately saw that it was morning outside. The birds were chirping happily to welcome the day and instead of the hushed conversation over the fire that her friends had been having in her dream, they chatted away happily, as if they didn't have a care in the world.
Twilight scooted out of her sleeping bag which was drenched in a cold sweat as was Twilight herself. She looked to her left to see that Spike was looking at her worriedly. She gave him a nervous grin.
"Uh, hi Spike. Did you sleep well last night?" she asked.
"No I didn't," said Spike irritatedly. "You were mumbling in your sleep half the night!" Twilight flattened her ears and became very interested in her sleeping bag at the moment.
"Oh...what was I saying?" she asked. Spike sighed and straightened out his sleeping bag.
"Something about 'campfire' and 'laughing'," he said. "You were actually screaming a few minutes before you woke up. You were telling somepony to stop laughing. It was really kind of irritating Twilight." Twilight blushed a bit in embarrassment.
"Oh...sorry," she said before clearing her throat. "I...I'm gonna go see what the rest are up to. They all sound like they're already awake."
She unzipped the tent flap and stepped out into the sunlight.
She saw her five friends sitting around a campfire with a large kettle over it. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were chasing each other around the woods and saying something about 'Cutie Mark Crusaders campfire lighters'. When her friends saw Twilight come out of her tent, they stopped talking and smiled at her.
"Well, look who just woke up," said Applejack with a grin. "Didja sleep well Twilight?" Twilight shook her head.
"No not really," she said. "Or at least, it was a restless sleep."
"Why was that?" asked Rainbow.
"I think she had a potentially foreshadowing nightmare," said Pinkie with a knowing grin. The other five ignored her and Twilight sat down next to Applejack on a log near the fire.
"Is that coffee?" she asked. The group nodded and Twilight poured herself a cup and immediately drained it. The heat of the coffee as well as the caffeine rush helped her wake up slightly and she poured herself another cup before putting the kettle back over the fire.
"Soooo..." said Rarity eagerly. Twilight looked at her quizzically.
"So what?" asked Twilight.
"So what was your nightmare about?" asked Rainbow. Twilight took another gulp of coffee before continuing.
"Well, it was a lot like this only at night," she began. "I woke up and heard you all talking and I went to investigate and saw you all and the fillies sitting around a campfire."
'We were all sittin' around a campfire and talkin'?" asked Applejack. Twilight nodded. "What were we talkin' about?" Twilight shrugged.
"I don't know, I didn't hear anything that you guys were saying until I came close and you noticed me. I sat down and you were all...different somehow. You were wearing strange clothes and acting really creepy," said Twilight. Fluttershy cocked her head.
"Creepy like how?" she asked.
"Well, your smiles were almost demonic and when you laughed it was more...sadistic then joyous," said Twilight who drained her cup and refilled it. She was beginning to wake up more now.
"You say that we were all wearing strange clothes Twilight," said Rarity. "How were they strange?"
"Well, for example, Pinkie Pie was wearing tattered and worn black pants and a green and red sweater," said Twilight. Rarity gasped.
"Oh my, this was a very bad dream then wasn't it?" she said in shock. "Please tell me I was wearing something fashionable!"
"You were wearing an orange shirt and brown shorts," said Twilight. Rarity's mouth dropped open and her eye twitched for a brief moment.
"Oh..." she said shakily. "You...you don't say." She took a gulp of coffee.
"Oh, and you had cut your mane very short and dyed it bright orange," said Twilight. Rarity's eyes widened and she spit out the coffee she had been drinking.
"I did WHAT with my mane!?" she said. Applejack rolled her eyes.
"Rarity for goodness sakes, this was a dream that Twilight had," said the farmer pony. "it wasn't reality, it was a dream!" Rarity gave an unnerved smile and took another sip of coffee.
"Oh...yes well, you're quite right ha ha, do continue Twilight," she said shakily. Twilight copied the amused grins of Rainbow and Applejack before continuing.
"Well, you all said that you had been waiting for me to show up and that...we were all going to die," said Twilight.
The group was silent for a moment when they heard this and the only sounds that could be heard were the Cutie Mark Crusaders running around and the crackle of the fire.
"Well...uh, that sounds...vivid Twilight," said Rainbow. "Good thing it was just a dream then!"
"Yeah Twilight, it's like I said when we met: giggle at the ghosties!" said Pinkie happily. Twilight managed a small grin which made her feel better.
"Yeah, you’re right girls, it was just a dream," she said.
"And that means it can't hurt you at all!" said Pinkie before she lit up. "Hey Twilight, I was out in the woods this morning and I found this really cool hat! You wanna see it?"
"Uh, sure," said Twilight. Pinkie grinned before reaching behind her and pulling out...a tattered, dirty fedora. She placed it on her head and giggled.
"Isn't it cool?" she asked.
Rarity and Twilight both gave yelps of shock.
"Pinkie, take that filthy thing off of your head this instant!" commanded Rarity.
"Rarity, calm down!' said Applejack before she turned to Twilight. "What's the matter Twi?"
"That's the exact hat that Pinkie was wearing in my dream!" she said. Rainbow cocked her head.
"Are you sure Twilight?" she asked.
"Yes I'm sure, why wouldn't it be!?" she asked.
"Because it has the camp logo on the side," said Rainbow, taking the hat off of Pinkie Pie's head and showing the logo to Twilight. Twilight opened her mouth to say something but all that came out was a relieved laugh.
"Oh, that makes sense actually," she said. Rainbow smirked.
"Yeah, as far as I can tell, Pinkie just found a discarded hat that has been lost for a while. They sell these things at the gift shop in the main camp," said Rainbow. "Having said that though, I can definitely see how that would be creepy."
"Yessiree," said Applejack who stood up and stretched. "Well, this has been really interestin' y'all, but I think it's time to start the day proper, don't ya think?" The group smiled and nodded eagerly just as they were joined by Spike.
"So, what are we going to do today?" asked Twilight.
"Well," said Applejack thoughtfully. "Since the day is really nice and we have the whole campgrounds to ourselves, I think...last one into the lake has to keep Equestria clean for a year!"
Instantly Rainbow Dash and Applejack zoomed off towards the lake, followed closely by a leisurely bouncing Pinkie Pie and a slowly walking Fluttershy. Rarity stayed behind and cleared up the campsite a bit before grabbing her saddlebag and heading in the direction of the lake as well.
Twilight trotted alongside her, hoping for a talk.
"How are you doing?" she asked.
"Just fine thank you," said Rarity happily. "I'm rather looking forward to a few hours of sunbathing!"
"Well, I meant with sleeping outside and not being allowed in the cabins period. How are you doing with that?" said Twilight. Rarity tensed up a bit.
"Ah, yes, that," she said. "Well...it was actually kind of nice to be honest. Yes, I had a horrid tree root digging into my back the whole time and it was torture not having a mud mask to wear when I sleep but the air was so clean and the night was the most peaceful one I have experienced in years. Don't tell Applejack or Rainbow though, I would be mortified if they found out!" Twilight cocked her head.
"Why?" she asked.
"Well, I have an image to maintain don't I?" she said. Twilight rolled her eyes a bit. Who was here to see her except for her best friends?
"Although that brings up another question, why did you go so willingly? They just told you to go sleep out here and you did without a fuss," said Twilight. Rarity sighed.
"Well, there are two reasons for that. One, I have to admit that I've always been sort of curious to experience what it was like to just sleep out under the stars or in a tent in a sleeping bag. I'd never done it and the others just seem to like it so much that I've always wondered what the appeal was," said Rarity. Twilight nodded.
"I guess that makes sense. What's the second reason?"
"Well, I didn't want to ruin the week, or even the day by making a big fuss about it. If I had argued the point with Applejack and Rainbow Dash then we would likely have spent the whole week angry at each other and I certainly don't want to do that!" said Rarity Twilight smiled at her. Even if Rarity could be a bit greedy and manipulative sometimes, she still saw sparks in her that really made it obvious why she was the Element of Generosity. She sacrificed her image for the happiness and lack of conflict of the group and Twilight really appreciated that.
As the duo approached the lake, they saw that Applejack and Pinkie Pie were cheering on Rainbow Dash who was hovering 30 feet in the air.
"Alright RD," said Applejack excitedly. "Let's see ya beat Pinkie's splash!" Rainbow Dash scoffed.
"I could beat that in my sleep!" she said. Pinkie gasped.
"Oh no! Why would you do that Rainbow Dash? If you beat it in your sleep then you would be asleep under-water and nopony but Fluttershy can breathe underwater or can she just talk underwater I can't remember which and now that I think about it if Fluttershy can talk underwater then can other ponies do it as well should I see if I can talk underwater but what if I--" her monologue was cut off when a mini-tidal wave hit her full force and all three ponies in the lake disappeared as the water hit them.
The lake was completely silent for a moment before three laughing pony heads popped out of the water. Rarity and Twilight joined in too.
"That was mighty respectable Rainbow Dash," said Applejack. "But Pinkie still won by a mile."
"What!?" said Rainbow Dash. "I created a tidal wave! How can she have beaten me?"
"Well, if you remember, Fluttershy was still on the dock about to get in the water and the splash completely soaked her to the bone, aint that right Fluttershy?" said Applejack. Twilight turned to see a soaking wet Fluttershy standing on the edge of a nearby dock.
"Oh, yeah," she said.
Rarity pulled a beach towel out of her saddlebag and placed it on the sand before lying down on it. Twilight realized that she was in her own world now and she trotted over to Fluttershy.
"Hey Fluttershy," she said. "Pinkie's splash really did a number on you, huh?" Fluttershy nodded.
"It was pretty fun through and I'm just about to get back in the water," said Fluttershy.
"I didn't know you could swim," said Twilight interestedly. Fluttershy smiled and nodded.
"I learned once I really began talking care of the creatures around Ponyville. Some of those animals do love to swim and I learned to swim so that I could be around them in case anything went wrong!"
"Do you like it?" asked Twilight. Fluttershy nodded again.
"Can you swim?" she asked. Twilight giggled a bit.
"Yeah, but I haven't in a while," she said.
"Why not?" asked Fluttershy.
"Well, let's just say that when unicorn foals that are as powerful as I am have random bursts of magic in the Public Canterlot Pool around a bunch of snobby ponies...well, the results are interesting," said Twilight.
"So you haven't gone swimming in a while?" asked Fluttershy. Twilight shook her head. "Oh," said Fluttershy and before Twilight could do anything, Fluttershy shoved her off the dock.
Twilight entered the water with a splash. Her body immediately registered how cold the water was and it was a moment before it could get over the initial shock of that so that she could actually focus on swimming to the surface. She flailed around a bit as her brain tried to remind her of how to swim properly and within a few moments, Twilight swam back up to the surface.
When she surfaced, she looked up at Fluttershy who was hiding in her mane and looking mortified while Pinkie, Applejack, and Rainbow cheered her action.
"Oh I'm so sorry Twilight," she said as Twilight teleported back onto the dock. "Please don't hate me, I just know that Rainbow and Applejack think that that is a fun thing to do and I wanted to try it. Don't be mad at me!" Twilight held up a hoof.
"I'm not mad at you Fluttershy!" she said with a grin. "Although I do have one question: was it fun?" Fluttershy giggled a bit.
"Yeah, yeah it kind of was," she said. Twilight gave her a mischievous look.
"In that case..."
Fluttershy noted the look and took one small step backwards but Twilight had other plans. She fired up her horn and instantly teleported the two of them to about 20 feet above the lake. Twilight grinned at a shocked Fluttershy before she plummeted into the water once more.
She resurfaced to see Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie floating beside her and laughing.
"That was so totally awesome!" said Rainbow Dash excitedly. "That might have been one of the coolest things that anypony has ever done at this lake!"
"Well I would agree except for one small detail," said Applejack who promptly pointed up. The group looked to where she was pointing to see Fluttershy levitating in the air exactly where Twilight had teleported her.
"Aw come on Fluttershy!" said Twilight. "You were supposed to go in the water!"
"Oh I know, I guess it's just habit," she said before she folded her wings at her side and dropped into the water next to her four friends. She resurfaced after a few seconds and the five of them began laughing at what had just happened.
Before the others could react, Twilight fired up her horn once more and all five of them were teleported to 30 feet above the lake. They all gave a cheer before they splashed into the water once more.
"Okay," said Rainbow as they resurfaced. "That was totally AWESOME!"
"It was even more fun to do than it was to see!" said Applejack.
"Yeah, I mean what's more fun than teleporting above a lake and dropping into it with all of your bestest friends?" said Pinkie Pie happily. Twilight gave a mischievous grin once more.
"Not all of your friends," she said before pointing to a certain sunbathing unicorn on the beach. The other four ponies giggled and they slowly began swimming towards Rarity.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders and Spike had come to the lake now and they were playing in the shallow end of the lake, but the five of them paid them on heed. They only had eyes for Rarity right now.
As they got closer, Rarity noticed them coming and she sat up and smiled at them.
"Have you tired yourselves out already?" she asked. "Why, we were here for almost five hours last time."
"Yep," said Rainbow. "And I know a certain unicorn that didn't go in the lake that entire time!" Rarity's eyes widened and she stood up and began backing away.
"You wouldn't dare," she whispered.
"Oh, um well, actually, we would," said Fluttershy who then turned to Twilight and nodded. Twilight fired up her horn and before Rarity could think up a counter-spell, the six of them were teleported above the lake once more and they all landed in the water.
The six surfaced once more and all but Rarity began laughing and high-hooving each other. Twilight turned to Rarity who had a very annoyed look on her face.
"Oh come on Rarity, it's just a bit of water," said Twilight.
"Well not really Twilight, it's an entire lake thank you very much," said Rarity.
"But doesn't the water feel relaxing?" asked Rainbow who began doing a backstroke with the help of her wings.
"Well maybe a little," mumbled Rarity.
Before anypony could respond, they group heard somepony calling out to them from the dock. They turned in the direction of the dock to see a familiar brown stallion with an hourglass cutie mark calling out to them. The friends immediately swam back to the dock and climbed up.
"Howdy there Doc," said Applejack.
"Hello there Applejack," said Dr. Whooves. "I take it that you six are enjoying yourselves?"
"Oh yeah!" said Rainbow happily. "We're having a blast!"
"I'm thrilled to hear that," said Dr. Whooves. "But I'm afraid that I must ask you for a huge favor."
"Sure Doc, what do you need?" asked Applejack.
"Well, we have a large shipment of food coming in in a few minutes and I was wondering if you six could help me unload it and put it where it needs to go."
"Oh," said Twilight. "Do you work here?" Dr. Whooves smiled at her.
"I'm the head counselor here actually. It's my job to make sure that everything runs smoothly," he said proudly. "I'm here with Lyra and Bon Bon right now and we're setting up the camp for the campers next week."
"Lyra and Bon Bon work here too?" said Twilight.
"Yep. They arrived a few days ago along with two other ponies named Marty, Kenny, and Angela...although I'll be honest, I'm not too sure how much longer they'll be around. Those kids sure do like to party." Dr. Whooves frowned but he cleared his throat and lightened up again. "So, can you six help us out for a bit?"
"You betcha Doc!" said Applejack.
"Excellent, let's head out then!"
Applejack held the group up for a few seconds to tell the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Spike where they were headed before the seven ponies made the ten minute walk to camp.
As they walked, the sun overhead effectively dried them off and so by the time they got back to camp, they were almost completely dry and ready to work. They saw Lyra and Bon Bon standing around a large wagon with three other teenage ponies that the six didn't recognize. The five were chatting idly but they stopped when they saw the group approach the wagon. Lyra and Bon Bon smiled at them.
"Hey you guys!" said Lyra happily. "How has your week been?"
"It just started and already it is awesome!" said Twilight.
"Sweet," said Bon Bon before motioning to the other two ponies. "This is Marty, Kenny and Angela, the other three camp counselors for the summer." The three waved at the group.
Marty was a nerdy looking grey Earth Pony with a short brown mane and thick glasses on his face. His cutie mark was a javelin. Angela, on the other hoof, was an energetic looking light blue unicorn pony with a hatchet for a cutie mark. Kenny was a bright orange Earth Pony with a bright green question mark for a cutie mark.
"Hi there," they all said in unison, something that caused them to giggle wildly. Dr Whooves rolled his eyes and opened up the back of the wagon to reveal several large crates of food for the upcoming week. Twilight turned to Applejack.
"Are we still doing this Earth Pony style?" she asked.
"Oh you'd better believe it Twilight. We're gonna show you n' Rarity what real manual labor looks like!" said Applejack excitedly.
"I already know what manual labor is like," she mumbled but Applejack didn't hear her. Instead, she beckoned the group over to the wagon and, under the direction of The Doctor, they began unloading the wagon.
It was a slow process to start out with; everypony was asking where things went, who had to carry what, and even when lunch was. The Doctor directed them towards several large storage sheds behind the cafeteria and they began organizing the food in there.
To Twilight's surprise, Rarity, while she tried to avoid any dirt wherever possible, was actually working hard with the rest of them. It was not uncommon to see her with a large crate easily balanced on her back. Twilight was genuinely surprised to see that she was kind of strong.
After four hours of unloading, Dr. Whooves shut the wagon and all twelve of them entered the cafeteria and practically collapsed onto the chairs.
"Well that was a hard day’s work, make no mistake about that," said Applejack as she used her hat to fan herself off a bit.
"Yeah, it was kinda hard but I still feel ready to go and do fun stuff today!" said Rainbow Dash.
"Woo hoo!" said Pinkie Pie who had seemingly not lost a shred of energy the entire time. "Let's party!"
"Uh, give us a minute to relax first Pinkie, it is 1:30 and I'm starving," said Twilight.
"Oh yeah," said Marty. "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse!" The other ten ponies looked at him quizzically. He flattened his ears and laughed uneasily. "Just an expression," he said.
"Not one I've ever heard," mumbled Applejack. Dr. Whooves stood up.
"It is lunchtime isn't it?" he said. "Marty, would you go get Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders? It's time for lunch."
"Can do boss," said Marty with a salute and he got up and walked out the door.
"Well," said Applejack. "I don't know about y'all, but I gotta wash up a bit before lunch so I'll be right back."
"Yeah," said Rainbow. “I think that I should go clear up some clouds outside so it doesn't rain if that's alright with you doc."
Dr. Whooves nodded.
"I was actually just about to ask," he said.
"I have to collect my things from the beach before lunch so I'll see you back here shortly," said Rarity.
"I'll go help Marty with the kids," said Angela. "He still hasn't quite gotten the hang of dealing with foals."
"Same here," mumbled Kenny.
"Ooh, ooh, ooh," said Pinkie Pie happily. "I'm gonna go get some ingredients for cupcakes so we can have dessert after lunch!"
"I think I'll go check on the campsite to make sure everything is in order there," said Fluttershy. Dr. Whooves nodded.
"Alrighty then, it seems like you all have something to do for the next few minutes. Be quick about it and I'll see you all back here in twenty minutes for lunch, sound good? Lyra, Bon Bon, you're with me." The group nodded and each went on their way.
* * * *
Marty mumbled angrily as he walked through the forest towards the lake.
"Why do I have to be the one to get the foals? I hate kids! I only took this stupid job to get money for the summer." Marty continued to mumble angrily as he stomped towards the lake. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a snapping tree-branch behind him. He froze in his tracks and turned around.
Nothing was there.
He looked around uneasily.
"Uh...hello? Who's there?" he said. He heard nothing so he turned around and continued his walk towards the lake. "That was weird," he said.
However, after a few more seconds he heard another tree branch snap behind him. He wheeled around once more.
"Okay guys, this isn't funny!" he said angrily. "I'm in no mood for pranks right now!"
He once again saw nopony there and her groaned and turned around once more and he jumped back in shock when he saw that somepony was standing behind him. He regained his composure after a second and gave a weak laugh.
"Oh, it's just you," he said. "What are you doing out here?"
The other pony said nothing, they just stood there. Marty raised a confused eyebrow.
"Uh, hello? Is anypony in there? Equestria to--" at that moment, the pony pulled out a large knife and advanced towards Marty. "What are you doing!?" he asked. "This isn't funny at all!"
The other pony clearly didn't think so and as such, the pony began laughing as Marty backed away.
"Stay away from me, dude!" he said wildly, looking behind him to see if there was a clear path back to camp in the vicinity. The second he turned his head, the pony lunged towards him with a knife and drove it into his neck. Marty gurgled as the knife was pulled out and he clutched at the gaping hole in his neck, trying to stop the flow of blood. The pony merely raised the knife once more and stabbed him in the head, driving it through his skull and into his brain.
Marty gave a violent twitch but within seconds he fell to the ground, dead and gone. The pony sheathed the knife and picked up Marty's back hooves and began dragging him away.
