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// Chapter 5 
// Story: A Camping We Will Go 
// by Trinary 
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A/N: Looks like I managed to squeeze out another short chapter before my trip tomorrow. I look forward to coming back to read your reviews! See ya!
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Given how tired the six little ponies were and Rainbow Dash’s propensity for napping, it didn’t surprise Big Macintosh much that he was the first one awake: right at the crack of dawn. He knew he could go back to bed and get another hour or two of sleep, but decided instead that he’d get started on breakfast.
Big Mac had just finished heating a pot of water to a boil and adding this morning’s breakfast when he heard the rustle of a tent flap being pulled back.
Snails poked his head out, blinking once. He yawned. “Ooh, is that oatmeal ay?” he sniffed when he was finished. 
“Eeyup. Have a seat. Should be ready soon.”
“Yum!” Snails joined Big Macintosh by the campfire. He stared blankly at the pot for a few minutes in silence before he turned his head. “Uh, Mr. Macintosh?”
“Y’all can just call me Big Mac.” He gave the small colt a small smile. “What’s up pardner?”
“…Do you think I’m dumb?” Snails piped up suddenly.
Macintosh blinked, his sprig of wheat almost falling out of his mouth. “Now what in tarnation made you ask a thing like that?”
The colt sighed morosely as he looked down. “I dunno…lots of ponies think I talk funny…that I don’t always make sense.”
“Snails, that ain’t got nothing to do with anything.” Big Mac said, inadvertedly proving his case right there. “Ponies talk the way they talk. Nothing wrong with sounding different. Applejack’s friend Pinkie Pie talks like a squirrel that got into the coffee, spouting all kinds of stuff that don’t make even a lick of sense. She’s not dumb, she’s just…Pinkie. Miss Twilight loves using alliterations and big words that nopony understands and you know she shore ain’t dumb.” He nudged Snails. “And yer friend Twist got herself a lisp and Miss Fluttershy, she’s quieter than a mouse. And Dinky’s mom Ditzy’s got her own peculiar kind of speech. Shoot, lotsa ponies think ah can’t say a thing beyond ‘eeyup’ and ‘eenope’ because I’m quiet and tend to talk kinda sloooooow.” He drew out the last word and was rewarded when Snails grinned. “That’s just the way of it. No, ah don’t think yer dumb. In fact, I know you’re not. A right bit silly sometimes,” he said with a kind smile. “But that’s all right. Everypony act’s silly at some point or other.” Carefully, aware of his large powerful hooves, he gently mussed Snails’ mane and gave him a noogie.
“Heh heh, heeeeey!” Snails wiggled away, looking much happier. “Thanks Big Mac!”
“Anytime little pardner.” Macintosh looked around and started to see the other campers starting to stir themselves. They would get up, yawn, and rubbing their eyes, stumble blurrily out of their tents. A certain cyan pegasus however, was notable in her absence. “Snails, would you mind waking Miss Dash up?”
Snails saluted. “Sure thing boss!” He knocked at the flap of Rainbow’s tent and waited. Then, after he noticed that knocking on a tent flap really didn’t produce any noise, he stuck his head in. “Hellooo?” Inside was a blue sleeping bag being occupied by one prismatic-maned pegasus who was soaring the skies of slumberland. Her only response to snails was to snuggle her head closer to her pillow and sigh.
Unable to help himself, Snails crept in and watched her sleep. The colt felt a little tremor run up his hooves as he gave a delighted little hop. He was watching Rainbow Dash sleep! His hero, the most awesomely super cool pegasus ever! Snails walked around to where Rainbow’s head rested on her pillow. He looked down. She was so beautiful.
Rainbow Dash stirred. “You’re…SNRK…awfully cute too.” She mumbled. Snails blushed. He didn’t realize he’d said that last part aloud!
Frozen, Snails was still staring at her when Rainbow Dash cracked one tired eye up and saw an upside down, close view of Snails’ face as her first sight in the morning. “AAaah!” Rainbow flailed as she suddenly awoke. “SNAILS!”
“Um, good morning Rainbow Dash!” He gave what he imagined was his most charming grin. “Breakfast is ready?” He shrugged sheepishly.
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“Remember Pinkie Pie’s oatmeal story?” Sweetie Belle asked Dinky as they ate their breakfast. The two fillies giggled.
“There was so much oatmeal that mommy had oatmeal muffins for a week!” Dinky remembered, grinning.
Sweetie Belle looked around. “I wonder what we’re going to do today. Bird watching?”
“Maybe we’ll go foraging for berries and stuff.”
“Or maybe we’ll go hiking up a mountain.” Sweetie suggested, getting excited at the possibilities.
“Or rafting down the river!” Dinky exclaimed.
“Bungee jumping off a cliff!”
“Exploring caves!”
“What about—” Sweetie started to suggest another idea but all that came out was a sudden “UuuuuuurAAAP!” She clapped a hoof to her mouth. “Oops!” She flushed.
Chuckles ran around the campfire. “Nice one Sweetie!” Rainbow Dash beamed proudly. “Not as a good as me, but for a little pony like you that was pretty good! Heh, I guess you really can belt them out.”
“Um, thanks?” Sweetie Belle squeaked, embarrassed but oddly buoyed by the praise.
Rainbow tapped the side of her head with her hoof in thought. “In fact…” Her eyes lit up. “You’ve just given me an *awesome* idea! Burping contest! Now!”
Big Macintosh looked at her cock-eyed. “Really, ah don’t think—”
“Aah, stop being such a stick in the mud.” Rainbow waved his incipient objection aside. “Winner gets a special prize and gets to be one of the two team captains for today’s activity!”
A clamor of excited questions bombarded her.  “What activity?” “What’s the prize?” “What are we doing?” “Do you have pudding?”
Rainbow Dash held up her hooves and extended her wings, smirking. “Now now. It’s a surprise!” She winked. “Sweetie already went, so let’s hear the rest of you give it your best! Who wants to go next?”
The little ponies gave a cheer as they lined up to compete. Well, most of them. Rainbow listened to the little ponies give it their best, giving only a short comment here or there after each effort. “Awesome.” “Not awesome.” “Could be more awesome.” “Oh yeah, totally awesome!”
Rainbow took notes and kept score on a camper’s checklist she only took because Twilight insisted. Sweetie Belle’s score was impressive. Dash thought it had something to do with all the practicing she did with her lungs. If she never got a singing cutie mark then perhaps a belching one could be in her future. Dinky and Archer gave a commendable effort but Pipsqueak’s was pretty pathetic. Rainbow had to dock major points. His was at Fluttershy-level volumes. Snails did pretty well, she had to admit. He seemed really pleased at her praise. She liked his spunk, if not his method of saying good morning.
That just left…“Silver Spoon, you’re up!” The rich filly looked down.
“Ugh, that’s just gross!” She wiggled her snout. “I’ll pass thanks.”
Rainbow Dash shook her head. “No way, sport. Performance is mandatory. Come on, let’s hear it.”
Silver kept her eyes on her hooves. “But…”
“You can do it Silver Spoon!” Archer encouraged.
“Yeah, just do your best! Sweetie hopped. Silver Spoon bit her lip. She looked around at the encouraging looks on the other campers’ faces and sighed.
“Fine…” Silver gave a martyred sigh and took a deep breath. The others kept up their encouragement as her stomach rumbled. And then she let out with a mighty, “BRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAWWWP!”
Dead silence reigned for a moment. Rainbow Dash’s jaw dropped. Big Macintosh dropped his wheat sprig. A coppery blush spread across Silver’s cheeks. “Um, excuse me?” She said meekly.
Another beat. Then wild whoops and cheers broke out.
“You did it Spoony!” Archer beamed.
“That was amazing!” Sweetie exclaimed.
Rainbow shook her head in amazement. “Who’d thought the little snob had it in her?!” She thought to herself. Clearing her throat she hastily added, “Okay, wasn’t half bad. I mean, I’ve done better but still—”
“Ooh, can you do one?” Snails asked eagerly. Rainbow gave a sudden snort and said. “Er, well, this was a contest for campers and it totally wouldn’t be fair for me to join in at the end and totally upstage everypony. Yeah. Anyway, that was preetty cool. I guess we know who our winner is!”
“SILVER SPOON! SILVER SPOON!” Sweetie Belle hopped up and down, giving her impressive vocal chords a work out. “Hooray!” It wasn’t along until the other campers where cheering too, save for Dinky who looked a little confused at why everypony was suddenly being so nice to one of the school bullies.
Rainbow Dash took a step forward. “All right everypony, listen up!” The all turned their attention to her. “Now, you guys are going to divide into two teams of three. Then, you’ll compete against each other in a totally awesome, fierce battle to the death competition to establish which on you have it what it takes to be winners!” She panted, out of breath. How did Pinkie Pie DO it?
Big Macintosh cleared his throat. “But the main thing is t’have fun and learn how to work as a team. RIGHT?” He gave Rainbow a sidewise glance, remembering her competitiveness against his sister in the Running of the Leaves. For a wonder, Rainbow Dash had the grace to look abashed.
“Er, right. Yeah.” She scuffed her hoof then started again. “One of the big reasons for this whole camping trip is for you all to learn about teamwork and getting along. Now, I can tell you this—loyalty is the most important part of any relationship.” Big Mac rolled his eyes as Rainbow went on. “If you can’t trust the ponies you’re with, then nothing can get accomplished. Without trust, without loyalty, then you’re on your own. And everypony needs help now and again.”
Macintosh felt obliged to ask, “What about being honest?”
Rainbow Dash locked her gaze with his dead on. “Honesty and loyalty are…they’re like two sides of the same coin. If you’re not honest, then ponies can’t trust you. If you’re loyal to somepony, then you really can’t be dishonest with them.” They both broke their glance at the same time. Rainbow shrugged as if nothing had happened. “Anyway, the point my little ponies is that each of you needs to learn how to be confident, strong ponies while learning how to get along with others. And I can’t think of a better team-building exercise than a competition!”
“What’re we gonna do?” Snails asked excitedly.
“Everything you can think of!” Rainbow Dash grinned fiercely. “Tug of war, relay races, swimming, the works!” She strolled around the six foals. “Silver Spoon is going to be the captain of one team. And…” She looked around. “Dinky, you’re going to be the other.”
“Really?” Dinky squeaked. “Wow!”
Rainbow smiled. “Okay, Dinky, Silver Spoon. Time to pick your teams. Dinky, you go first.”
“Pip!” Dinky squeaked without hesitation, her cheeks tinged pink. “I mean, I choose Pipsqueak!”
Dash looked to Silver. “That means Snails is on your team.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Fairness.” The older pegasus said evenly. “I want each team to be two fillies and one colt. If Dinky’s team has Pip, then yours has to have Snails.”
Silver Spoon bit her lip. “Oh all right…” She said reluctantly. Snails flattened his ears. Big Mac patted his withers, shooting an annoyed glance at Rainbow Dash, wishing she’d let them pick their teammates in private where no pony’s feelings would get hurt.
Dinky, shuffled awkwardly. “Is it my turn? Um, I pick…Sweetie Belle!”
“I pick Archer!” Silver Spoon called, as if there was anypony else left to pick. The two teams gathered on opposite sides of the campfire. Rainbow Dash stepped forward.
“All right squirts. Big Mac and I will be referees. But Big Macintosh will be on hoof if Team Silver Spoon has any questions or needs some advice, and I’ll do the same for Team Dinky Doo.”
“Ah want to see both teams play clean and fair.” Mac looked at both teams evenly. “This isn’t about winning and losing. It’s about teamwork and having fun. At the end of th’ day, when the competition’s over, ah’d like to see y’all as friends. So just do your best.”
“And may the best team win!” Rainbow pumped her leg in the air. “Remember, there is no I in team!” She paused. “There is a ‘me’ though, if you jumble it up. But that’s beside the point! Now, our first event is going to be…” There was a smirk on her face as all six little ponies leaned in with excitement. “Pause for dramatic effect…” She stretched out the pause, savoring the anticipation. “…a water relay race across the river! The first team to get their team across the river without getting wet wins!”
Rainbow Dash watched the little ponies quiver with excitement. “Now! Race to the river! Ready? Set. GO!”
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