//------------------------------// // Chapter Forty Three // Story: Save The World, Duh! // by TheKing2001 //------------------------------// Derpy I watched as Sour picked up a bow and notched an arrow. She closed her eyes and inhaled before exhaling, letting the arrow go. My eyes slightly widened as it joined the trio of arrows in the center. “That was cool,” I muttered to myself as I hesitantly approached the bows and picked one up with some arrows. I had already broken a few arrows. Thank the lord for Gloriosa. “Hi!” “Gah!” Sour yelped as she let her newly notched arrow go and watched it stick into the dirt. “Derpy! Don’t scare me like that!” “Sorry,” I mumbled and rubbed the back of my head. Sour sighed and rolled her eyes. “It’s fine. Just don’t do it again,” Sour grumbled as I shakily notched an arrow, letting go as it impaled the dirt. As did all the ones that followed. “I suck,” I grumbled and wiped my eye. “You’re not focusing,” Sour answered quietly as she watched me. “You’re just letting them go.” She set her arrow down and stood behind me. “Notch an arrow,” she ordered and I nodded. She extended an arm and placed my hand on the string. “Pull the arrow back.” “Okay,” I said and quietly complied. “Good. Close your eyes,” Sour instructed as I complied. “Picture the arrow hitting the target. Breath in and out, smell the nature around us. It’s calming. Let the arrow go now.” I complied and let go. “Open your eyes.” “Okay?” I said uncertainty as I opened my eyes and stared at the arrow in the bullseye. “I did it?” “Damn right,” Sour nodded with a smug grin. “Good work. Look around you to make sure there’s no own shooting arrows before you go retrieve yours. Safety first.” “Okay!” I said as I jogged up to my target and pulled the arrow out. I grabbed Sour as she yelped and I pulled my phone out. “Say arrow!” “I’m going to die from lack of oxygen,” Sour grunted as I sheepishly loosened my grip. “Do we have to? Sunny makes me take enough selfies with her as is.” “Yes!” Sour rolled her eyes and grinned along with me. “Arrow!” “Okay we’re good!” I quickly saved the picture before sending it to Mom and Dad. “Gotta go, bye! Thanks for the help!”l I took off running as Sour waved with a confused expression. “You know, you guys didn’t have to scare Timber into apologizing,” I said to Sunset as we sat around a picnic table with the rest of our friends. Rainbow and Lightning were both loudly encouraging Pinkie to eat as many cupcakes as she could. Sunset stabbed a piece of cantaloupe with her fork and rolled her eyes. “Yes we did,” Sunset said firmly. “He was being rude, shoving you like that. I don’t know what Twilight sees in him.” “Who knows,” I shrugged as we both glanced at Twilight sitting alone. “Why is Twilight sitting by herself?” “Not sure,” Sunset frowned slightly as she squeezed my thigh and I turned slightly red. She dropped her voice to a whisper as she looked at our table mates. “Ever since we decided not to investigate the, you know, the m word, she’s been acting distant and won’t open up. Think you can talk to her?” “I’ll try,” I whispered back as Timber sat next to Twilight with a lantern. “Thanks love,” Sunset kissed my cheek as I turned a even brighter shade of red as we went back to our lanterns. “What is this?” Sea Swirl asked curiously as she held up a cheeseburger Sonata had brought her. “Oh that’s a cheeseburger!” Rainbow explained as she looked over. “So it’s made of cheese and hay?” Sea Swirl asked as she took a bite. “No, it’s made of meat.” Sea Swirls eyes widened slightly as she turned green and spit it out. “Ew!” “Oh that’s gross love!” “Think I’m gonna faint,” Rarity groaned as she fanned herself. Sunset shoved a trash can over to Sea Swirl as the girl threw up and we all looked away in disgust. “Ponies don’t eat meat,” Sunset answered as she covered her mouth with a hand and looked away. “Is she done yet?” “Yeah I’m done,” Sea Swirl grumbled as she wiped her mouth. I quickly turned back to my lantern and placed a another flower sticker on it. “It smells so bad,” Lightning muttered as she sprayed Febreze around us she had held in her jacket. “That should help.” “Did you really just use Febreze outside?” Fuchsia asked in disbelief. “Yes, yes I did. And I don’t give a shit.” We all gave Pinkie a look as she gave a weird laugh as Rarity frowned. “Pinkie Pie, what are you doing?” Rarity asked suspiciously and I snorted a laugh. “Putting marshmallows in my lantern!” Pinkie chirped as she dropped another marshmallow on her lantern. “So when we light them, it’ll be gorgeous and delicious!” A silence fell over the table as we all silently processed her words. People call me dumb sometimes but even I could see how that wasn’t going to work. “Yeah not even gonna start to question that,” Lightning muttered under her breath as she drew a lightning bolt on her lantern. I wasn’t going to either, probably for the best in all honesty. One of the things we all learned when we came to CHS was don’t question Pinkie Pie. “Alright campers, to the docks!” Gloriosa exclaimed as she pointed to the newly rebuilt dock. I stood up and followed the rest of my school to the docks and watched as my lantern floated next to Sunset’s and Octavia’s. “What exactly was your lantern designed to be?” I asked Sunset curiously as we all gave Pinkie startled looks as her lantern fell back on the dock. “Oh well now I get to eat it!” Pinkie exclaimed as she put a few marshmallows in her mouth. “Yep, gorgeous and delicious.” “Why do I have such weird friends?” Sunset muttered under her breath with a smirk. “You love us and you know it!” Pinkie growled as she stared at Sunset intensely. “Wanna go for a late night nature hike?” Sunset whispered quietly in my ear. “It’s against the rules but who cares? It’ll make up for me missing the morning one.” I looked around to make sure no one was listening before nodding. “Yeah sure.” Sunset smirked as we snuck out down the trail as she walked ahead of me. “And maybe if you’re lucky, we can do something else out here that we can’t when Twilight is in the tent,” Sunset winked as I blushed. She disappeared around a corner and with a bright red face, I quickly followed her.