Dusk trotted down the stairs of the Ponyville library.
“Hey Twi, what you writing?”
Twilight looked up in surprise she hadn’t heard him come down the stairs.
“Hm? Oh, just fixing up my calendar, Pinkie said she and Berry want to ask us something. They should be here in a minute.” She continued writing. Dusk watched her, the way her horn glowed softly in the morning light, he couldn’t look away from her.
“So Twi, do you think they’re on the wa-.” He was cut off and only then did he look away from Twilight. He jumped as two pink party ponies jumped out from behind a plant, both giggling away.
“See Berry! I told you!” The smaller of the two laughed.
“You were right Pinkie!” He smiled
“As always” They said at the same time.
“Jinx! Double jinx!” They continued, until finally Pinkie Pie won.
“Ha! You owe me a cupcake!” She giggled as Berry took one out from behind her ear.
“Guys? Can you be quite? I’m trying to write here?” Twilight had stopped writing and put down her quill.
“Oopsies! Sorry Twi.” Berry laughed
“Now, what did you want to ask us?” Dusk had finally realised what was going on and turned to face Pinkie and Berry.
“Oh right, me and Bubble are going....CAMPING!!!!” She yelled making the library shake. From upstairs two voices could be heard moaning.
“Twi? Dusk? What’s going on?” Spike walked down the stairs with Barbra right behind him.
“Never mind,” Barb rubbed her eyes, seeing that Pinkie and Berry had started dancing.
“So do you guys want to come or not?” Berry continued dancing in circles.
Dusk looked over at Twilight. He suddenly got an idea.
If we go camping I might get a chance to tell Twilight how I feel. Oh.. But what if she doesn’t feel the same way? Come on Dusk! How could she say no to you!? You the man... Or Pony...
“I’ll go, I read all about camping in one of my books” Twilight pulled a book of one of the shelves. She began flicking through pages. “I was hoping to be able to see what it was like.”
Dusk smiled, “I’ll go too. It sounds like fun”
“YAY! We’re going camping! We’re going camping! Ohmygoshohmygosh! It’s going to be so much fun! We’ll tell stories and light a fire and go swimming in the lake and make s’ mores! Oh, I love love LOVE s’ mores! We’re going to have the...” Pinkie rambled on jumping around the library. Berry smiled.
“Who else is going?” Twilight ask putting her book away,
“Everyone! We (Me and Pinkie) already picking out where we’re all going!” He went right up to Dusk getting as close to his face as possible. The room went dark except for Berry’s face when he said: “The Everfree Fooorrresst!”
Dusk gasped! “B-b-but, what about all the animals? And everything spooky that goes on in the there?”
Twilight laughed, “You’re not really scared are you Dusk? We’ll have Fluttershy and Butterscotch with us. Hold on, what happened with the light a second ago?" She looked over at Pinkie who was standing innocently beside the light switch “Pinkie...”
“Sorry! It was for dramatic affect” She bounced over to Berry and whispered something in his ear. They both looked up and over at Dusk, then Twilight and back to Dusk again. They looked at each other and nodded.
“You were right it is obvious! I never noticed it before.” Dusk looked confused.
“Excuse me, but what are you two loveponies talking about now?” They just giggled in reply.
“Well got to go! See you tomorrow... You know because that’s when we leave” They bounced out the door and Dusk closed it behind them.
“Those ponies are weird...”
“But Elusive.....” Rarity groaned as she picked her saddle bag up off the ground, “It’s heavy! And my hooves will be dirty an-an-and I’m tired!”
Elusive walked over to her and gave her a quick kiss, “I know my love, but it will be all worth it when we share our tent together tonight...” He winked at Rarity. She blushed.
“Oh, Elusive! Stop it! You’re making me blush” She giggled.
“My darling Rarity, I would carry you a thousand miles just to have this one night with you. I promise you, it will be worth it in the end. Trust me. Now I must go talk to Silver, Sweetie Belle is in the kitchen, why don’t you go talk to her.” He smiled as her turned away and walked out of the room.
Rarity sighed and walked into the kitchen, “Now Sweetie, me and Elusive and going camping with the others, So when we leave you will be going over to the library, Spike and Barbra will make sure you’re ok. Then tonight Bonbon will be over and she will take you over to her house for the week. Make sure you do all your homework, behave and don’t go annoying Bonbon, ok?” She paused, looking at Sweetie, “Come here,” She pulled Sweetie into a hug, “I’ll miss you Sweetie” She whispered.
“I’ll miss you too, Rarity,” Sweetie Belle whispered.
Elusive stood in the doorway looking at Rarity. He smiled, watching her when she was around Sweetie was nice. She was more relaxed around her, Rarity was relaxed around him too, but she was her little sister, and she meant the world to her.
Rarity turned around, she spotted Elusive.
“Ready to go?” She nodded.
The four of them, (Sweetie, Silver, Rarity and Elusive) began walking over to the library. From outside voices could be heard,
“’Ah don’t care what y’all say, ‘Ah still think sumthin’ bad is gona’ happen’” Applejack‘s voice called
“Relax Applejack! We’ll be fine!” Rainbow Blitz replied.
“I’m just surprised Rarity and Elusive agreed to come, I thought they would hate the idea..”
The door to the library opened and in came Rarity and Elusive.
“And why on earth, would I hate the idea Dash? Is it because I am a lady? Unlike some people” She looked over at Rainbow Dash.
“Well..Um..No.. That’s not what I meant...”
Author's Note
Ok, So yes, it's a short first chapter. But oh well...
“I’m just surprised Rarity and Elusive agreed to come, I thought they would hate the idea…”
The door to the library opened and in came Rarity and Elusive.
“And why on earth, would I hate the idea Dash? Is it because I am a lady? Unlike some people” She looked over at Rainbow Dash.
“Well...Um...No... That’s not what I meant...”
“So then, Miss Dash, what did you mean?” Rarity walked over to Rainbow Dash.
“I- I- I” She started, stuttering like Butterscotch and Fluttershy, “I meant you like
things nice and clean right? Well, you’re bound to get dirty on the walk up to the campsite...” She trailed off.
Rarity smiled, “My dear Dashie, just because I am ladylike, does NOT mean that I am incapable of doing ‘earthly’ things. I have gotten my hooves dirty before.”
Rainbow Blitz smirked, “Oh yeah? Like when?”
Rarity giggled “The other day, in the park…” She looked over at Elusive who was blushing.
“Y’all didn’t!?” A.J was shocked. His green eyes widened.
“Come on guys, can we get going?” Pinkie who had remained quite was now getting bored.
“Yeah we want to get there before it gets dark” Dusk had picked up his saddle bag and had begun talking to Spike and Barbra. They would be minding all of their pets and watching over the Cutie Mark Crusaders until later when they would be going to others (Lyra, Bonbon, Aloe, Candy Mane, Octavia and Sunset Bliss) to stay for the week.
They walked along the streets of Ponyville, Even though it was midday the closer they got to the Everfree Forest the darker it got.
“The Forest works kind of like a storm, The closer you get to the center the worse it gets, but then in the very middle it just…” He hesitated, thinking of the right work to say, “well… As Pinkie and Berry would say: Poof. The storm just stops.” Dusk explained to a very scared looking Fluttershy. She walked right next to Butterscotch, occasionally nuzzling him. They were both scared.
Eventually they came to a large clearing and a small lake.
“Um…Guys…” Butterscotch whispered, “Can we set up camp here for tonight? It’s getting dark”
“But we’ve only been walking for like an hour…” Twilight looked around realizing how dark it was.
“I’s ‘cause the Everfree Forest don’t work the same way as Ponyville…” Applejack sat down on the ground and began rubbing her hooves.
“Ok, Blitz and A.J you two can set up the tents. Berry, go get some firewood, Elusive you and Twilight can go refill the water bottles. I’ll start getting out the food.” Dusk began sorting through his saddlebags for a pan and then he took out some apples and set off to work.
Within an hour the fire was roaring, the tents were set up next to the lake, they all had something to eat and they were now roasting marshmallows. Rarity and Elusive giggled away, Twilight was reading beside Dusk who didn’t realise he was staring at her, Butterscotch was talking with a little bird he had met. Rainbow Dash was napping in a tree while Blitz, Berry and Pinkie swam in the lake. Fluttershy had gone on a walk, she said she had needed to ‘think about things’
“Why hello little birdy” Fluttershy sat down on a log, a small bird had landed next to her and she had begun petting it. It nipped at her hoof.
“Ow… It’s ok, I forgive you.” She whispered.
Suddenly the bird began to grow and change. Within seconds it had grown to twice her size. It began to squawk at her. It’s beady red eyes staring at her.
“Umm… Nice bird…?” She was terrified. The creature took a step closer to her.
“BUTTERSCOTCH!!!!” She screamed. She turned and ran as fast as she could the way she had come.
Back over at the lake Fluttershy's scream could be heard. Butterscotch, hearing his name, sat straight up. He jumped to his feet and ran off as fast as he could in the direction Fluttershy had gone. The others followed behind him. They began yelling her name and searching everywhere for her.
“Fluttershy?! Fluttershy where are you!?” Butterscotch turned around hearing his name for the second time. She burst through a group of bushes. She spotted Butterscotch and ran over to him. Locked in each others arms Fluttershy began sobbing.
“He… He was huge! And- and- Butterscotch! It’s all my fault! I-I- I shouldn’t have gone alone! I’m so sorry” She sobbed
“Fluttershy… It’s not your fault, you had no… idea what would have happened” Silent tears streaming down his face. “It doesn’t matter anymore. You’re safe now. I promise.” She looked up at him, staring into his eyes. She pressed her lips against his. They stayed like this until the others found them. They all walked back to the camp site.
None of them knew that this would be their last night all together. Just the twelve of them.
Author's Note
Short second chapter. Had to be done really quick. Oh well...
