A group of ponies head out on a camping trip....and end up in a nightmare.
It's the beginning of Summer break after another successful year at the school of friendship, and to celebrate, the CMC and a few friends decide to head out on a camping trip to a place called the Red Forest. What started out as a simple camping trip would end in a nightmare, trapped in a place they can't escape.
Takes place sometime after "The Last Problem", so the CMC are young adults in this story.
Whenever I feel it, a chill goes up my back, my teeth begin to chatter and my fur stands on end. No matter how many times it happens, or who it is this time, whenever I feel the heartbeat, my blood runs cold and my anxiety begins to set in.
I glance around the immediate area from the generator I was working on, this time I managed to wake up right next to one, starting this "game" in a good spot. It is surrounded on all sides by old crumbling brick walls, like another building stood in place of this one at some point, but had been abandoned and destroyed over time. The greater area surrounding me is covered in patches of long dark grass and dotted with twisted and deformed trees that all look like they would fit in the Everfree forest back home.
Ba-Bump...
Ba-Bump...
Ba-Bump...
The heartbeat gets faster and I begin breath faster, almost to hyperventilating levels, still unable to tell whether or not the heartbeat I hear is my own....or somehow....theirs.
They change every "game", sometimes it's that same one, sometimes it is a different one that I've faced before, and rarely, it is one that I've never seen before. But no matter how many times I've faced them, they always do the same thing....hunt me and the other ponies trapped in here.
I know it isn't the bunny mask wearing mare, as her humming would be heard by now, but other than that, I don't know who it is, all I know, is that they're getting closer....
Ba-Bump... Ba-Bump... Ba-Bump... Ba-Bump...
I regain my composure, knowing that I have but seconds until they're on me. I quickly turn the corner and luckily, a red locker is nearby. I swiftly reach it and carefully, without making any noise, I get inside.
I hold my breath as the heartbeat is at its fastest now, and I can hear the hoofsteps of the killer moving around the generator I was just at. I hate those damned generators. They are the only way to escape the game through the gates, or even the hatch, and they make so much noise that if you ain't careful, you'll attract them right to you.
I continue to hide in the locker as the heartbeats begin to fade. I also realize that I have yet run into any of my teammates. Though, it is always random, sometimes we all start together, sometimes we all start apart.
I've run into my fair share of ponies in here, all of them strangers. Except for one.....the one I was brought here with, my beloved...
When we were first brought here, we thought we had been taken to Tartarus. As it would turn out, we were in a worse place than Tartarus and we had to take on our first "game" together at least. After that, we were separated, forced to survive in this place of living nightmares for.......I can't even tell how long its been since we were brought here, I don't even now if time exists here.
I've seen him occasionally though, in a few other places since then, and always we are happy to be together again, but the time always runs out, and we are forced apart again.
My love, wherever you are, I hope that you are safe. And I pray every damn day to Celestia that nopony I knew before coming here ends up here too, because I couldn't take seeing another pony that I love getting tortured like we are.
"AAAAHHHH!"
I'm brought out of my thoughts by a scream, I look through the tiny slits in the locker and see a pony crawling on the ground, most likely the killers recent victim, and the emitter of the scream. I see another shape pick them up, most likely the killer, but there's to much fog to see clearly who it is.
After the killer picks up the pony, a few seconds later I hear yet another scream emanate from them, and It sounds very close, to close for comfort.
After they are hooked, the heartbeat doesn't go away, but luckily, I hear the sound of two generators being completed, and I smile to myself, looks like I was in with some experienced ponies. Sometimes I'm put into "games" with new ponies, and it doesn't usually end well.
The heartbeat begins to die down, and I realize that I have a chance at altruism. I get out of my locker and begin to move over to where the hook is, passing by more pieces of debris, ruins, and old trees with contorted branches. The hook is in the middle of a large open area with several walls and bits of debris that give us some cover. I begin to run towards the hook and finally see one of the other three poor souls I got stuck with this time.
The pony on the hook is an unicorn mare, brown coat, dark red mane, and a notepad and pencil for a cutie mark. If I had to guess, probably a journalist. I begin to approach the hook and she sees me. As I get close, she suddenly moves and waves her hooves, wincing in pain as she does it, clearly signaling me to not come closer. I give her a confused look and she points a hoof to the ground around her. I look, and my eyes widen, and my heart begins to beat.
Traps.....
Bear Traps.....
Now I know who it is and my blood runs cold again. I've run into him a few times, in fact, he was the first killer I had to face, with my husband. As memories began to flood back to me I heard the sound of another generator being completed. I realized that this was my chance.
I get low to the ground and move over to the trap. I sit down and carefully lower my hoof towards the trap on the ground. I touch the center and quickly retract my hoof and it snaps shut. I sigh in relief and look back at the mare with a smile and a nod.
I reach up and with my strength, I hoist her off the hook and we run away from the site as fast as we can. I look behind me and sure enough, she is keeping up with me, still injured and bleeding, but still following. Unfortunately, though she is a unicorn, there is little she can do to help me, with me being an earth pony. In this place, everypony may as well be an earth pony. Unicorns can only use their magic to hold things, work on generators, and hoist other ponies off the hooks. They have to use their hooves for everything else. Same thing with Pegasi, they can't fly here, and I've seen one try desperately to do it.
After running for about a minute, we stop to catch out breath, and in the meantime, I tend to the pony's wounds. Though I was once an amateur, now i can at least patch up injuries, though it takes longer than if I had a medkit.
After successfully healing, we walk over to the nearby building and head inside. Inside is another generator, and stairs leading down into the basement.
I know about the basement, it's a place where the hooks regenerate, even if somepony has already been.....sacrificed with them. Everywhere else, once the hook is used, it's destroyed. But in the basement, they can be reused. I hear the other mare begin to work on the generator and I begin to head into the basement, because if I remember correctly, the basement also has a chest, one that hopefully obtains an item that can help me here, or in the future if I make it out with it.
I walk all the way down the stairs, my hooves clopping on the the stone floor as I move past the bloody hooks, the churning and groaning noises emanating from them making my skin curl beneath my coat and making my curly main stand on end.
I finally find the chest in the back of the basement, and quickly open it, I rummage through the chest for a few seconds before finally pulling out....a flashlight.
It's not much, and I would have preferred a tool box or a med kit, but I'll take it. I turn back from the chest and head out of the basement, just in time for my friend to complete the generator, and at the same time she completes it, another generator is completed, and the horn is alerted, and we see where the exit gates are located.
The mare gives me a hopeful look and I shoot her a grin right back before leaving the building and heading for the nearest gate.
Luckily, we both reach it without much happening. And as soon as I reach the gate, I pull down on the handle to open the gate, unfortunately, it is PAINFULLY slow and makes loud scraping sounds as it unlocks.
After about the halfway point....the heartbeat returns.
I look at her, and she too has a terrified expression on her face, giving me a look to "hurry up", but she knows as well as I do that I can't.
As the third lock unlocks, we see another pony approaching, this one is a stallion, he has a brown coat and a blonde mane, but I can't see his cutie mark. He's still about 30 feet from the gate when I hear the sound of a trap being set off and the stallion stops in his tracks and lurches over.
"AAAAHHHHH!" The stallions screams in pain as he struggles to get his hind leg out of the bear trap he stepped in. The mare I'm with quickly leaves my side and runs over to assist the stallion, but as she reaches him and starts to assist him, the heartbeat returns, and another pony appears from the fog....
The monster......
The Killer......
The Trapper.
He's a large stallion, taller than any other Stallion I've seen, though that's the case with all of the killers here. He's wearing rubber overalls and a white deformed mask of a foal, where his piercing glowing eyes shine out. There are pieces of metal sticking out from his body. His coat is smeared with blood, and he wields a large cleaver, also smeared with blood.
He runs straight for the mare and the stallion, and as he attacks them, the door opens behind me, and I make a decision...
I Run....
I turn and quickly move out of the opening door. Behind me I can hear the swing of the cleaver, the slicing of skin, and the cry of pain emitted by the Unicorn mare. I run as fast as I can until I am through the barrier that the killer cannot cross and run into the open field beyond the arena.
As I run, I begin to berate myself. This isn't the first time I've been selfish like this in one of the "games". I've left ponies behind before, sometimes out of fear like just now, sometimes out of circumstance, and sometimes because the pony is a rotten apple that has fallen VERY far from the tree.
I continue to run, hoping that this time it will be different, and that this time I will be free, or at the very least, this time I will go someplace else, to be free of this horrible world that makes Tartarus look like a nice Hearth's Warming Eve in front of a fire place while sipping hot cider.
After running for what feels like forever, the fog in front of me lifts, and.....I see the campfire.
"Dammit!" I shout aloud. It's happened again, like it does every single time. After every game, no matter if your sacrificed, or if you escape I always end up here. Death is not an escape, escaping isn't even an escape, so what's the damn point!
Angry, I trudge up to the fire and sit on the log laying next to it to rest. I know it still isn't over. I don't know when I will be placed in my next "game", but I know it'll happen, hopefully not so soon.
I look down at the flashlight in my hooves, at least I got away with something useful, even if it is situational.
I look over and see an unexpected sight. A guitar is resting against the log I'm sitting on. It isn't mine, and I don't see anypony else around. I scoff.
"You want another show?!" I ask into the open air. The mist marking off the edge of the fire's light doesn't change, and I get no answer, like usual.
"Okay." I say as I take the guitar and cradle it in my hooves. I place my hooves in the correct positions, and begin to play.
Luna's moon shined high above Equestria as ponies all around began to turn in for the night. Lights began to go out all over the town of Ponyville, nestled in the large stretch of land between the Everfree Forest and Canterlot, all except for one little building on the towns largest farm, Sweet Apple Acres.
This little building, hoof built by the ponies who lived there, contained three mares, laughing and talking all about events happening that week, like they were little fillies again.
The mares inside, one earth pony, one Pegasus, and one Unicorn, were laying on the floor, on top of sleeping bags, looking at a large list that the Earth Pony had made to prepare for their little celebration to mark the end of the latest school year at the School of Friendship.
Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were gathered at the clubhouse they had spent much of their time in as fillies to plan out the camping trip they usual embarked on after a year of teaching. They had been teaching at the School of Friendship for many years, initially starting as tutors, but eventually climbing the ladder to reach the positions of teachers.
Every year they took a camping trip during the first week of summer, and in the beginning their sisters went with them, but as time went on and they grew older, they began to camp alone, but this year would be different, as they were inviting some other ponies with.
"Did you remember to write down sunblock?" Sweetie Belle asked. Apple Bloom looked back at the list and shook her head, quickly writing in what Sweetie had said. "Oh! And let's not forget Bug Spray! Button's allergic to some bugs!" Sweetie then added. Scootaloo snickered.
"What kind of bugs?" Scootaloo asked. Sweetie rolled her eyes.
"Too many to count." Sweetie Belle said before turning back to Apple Bloom.
"Ah think that's everythin, unless we think of anything else before tomorrow morning." Apple Bloom said, rolling up the list and stuffing it into her bag. Scootaloo wiggled restlessly in excitement.
"Oh, this is gonna be so awesome! Having the guys come camping with us will be the best!" Scootaloo said.
"Are you sure our sisters are okay with us doing this, they probably don't trust them." Sweetie then said with a hint of doubt. Apple Bloom shook her head.
"I already talked with Applejack about this earlier. She thinks that we are responsible enough to make our own decisions. She trusts that I trust Tender Taps, and hopefully, your sisters trust you as well." Apple Bloom said in hopes of calming the other two down.
This camping trip would be an interesting one, since they were bringing along their coltfriends, plus two others. Apple Bloom had been dating Tender Taps for a few months now, though she had known him since they helped him get his cutie mark when they were younger. Tender had recently become the School of Friendship's dance instructor.
Sweetie suddenly let out a giggle. "I remember when Button met Rarity and my parents for the first time as my Coltfriend. He was shaking so much my dad thought there was an earthquake." Sweetie Belle said, smiling at the funny memory.
Sweetie Belle had been dating Button Mash for over a year now, with them being childhood sweethearts, and it was always a very amusing, and somewhat baffling, sight for ponies who didn't know them very well. Seeing the pretty and beautifully voiced Sweetie Belle with the socially awkward gamer Button Mash was certainly odd, but they didn't care in the slightest what anypony else thought, they were in love, and nothing could change that.
Before any of them could say anything else, there was a knock on the door. It slightly startled them, but they calmed down when the voice spoke.
"Girls, you in there?" Applejack's voice spoke from the other side. Apple Bloom stood up and opened the door, letting her older sister in. Balancing on Applejack's back was a small tray, consisting of apples, as well as a pie and some fritters.
"I brought you some snacks." Applejack said as she took the tray and placed it on the floor in the center of where they had placed their sleeping bags.
"Thanks Applejack!" the three said in unison. Applejack smiled as the three dug in and ate the apples.
"Ya sure ya don't want to sleep back at the house? We've got plenty of room." Applejack asked, looking at how cramped it really was with fully grown mares in it. It worked perfectly well when they were fillies, but now they were a bit bigger.
"No thanks Applejack, we always spend the first night of summer break in here, it's a yearly tradition." Apple Bloom said before taking another bite of an apple. Applejack nodded and went back out the door with her lantern.
"Well then, don't stay up too late, you got a long trek ahead of ya tomorrow, if you three really wanna do this alone this year." Applejack said as she turned back to the door.
"We will Applejack. Goodnight!" Applebloom said as she and her friends began to dig into the snacks.
"I'll see ya in the mornin!" Applejack said with a wave. The other three waved goodnight as Applejack closed the door and walked away towards the farmhouse.
From outside, somepony watched as the orange farm mare walked away and quickly scurried up to the treehouse. They looked around, making sure that there was nopony else around before knocking on the door and diving into the nearby bushes. The door opened and the three mares inside poked their heads out.
"Applejack?" Apple Bloom called out in confusion. The three looked around a bit longer as the hidden pony smiled at their mischievous deed. The door closed and they quickly rushed up and did it again. The door opened again and this time, the three stepped out onto the ramp leading up to the house.
"Hello? Whose there?" Apple Bloom called out as she walked down the ramp and onto the grass. Scootaloo followed with Sweetie Belle staying on the ramp.
"Maybe it's your nephew playing pranks again." Scootaloo said in annoyance.
"Sweet Mac? If that's you, I'm gonna have to tell your parents that your out of bed again!" Applebloom threatened, hoping it would be enough to draw out her young nephew.
Suddenly, a grey blur rushed out of a nearby bush and tackled Scootaloo. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle both let out startled screams before looking at what just attacked Scootaloo.
On top of Scootaloo, kissing her, was her colt friend Rumble. He finished kissing her and gave her a smug look.
"Evening babe." He said with a grin. Scootaloo quickly shoved him off of her and gave him a pout.
"Not funny Rumble." Scootaloo said angrily as she went back to the clubhouse.
"Aw come on! It was just a joke, to get us in the spirit of things! Schools out for the summer!" Rumble tried to convince her as they all entered the clubhouse. Scootaloo sat down on her sleeping bag again and Rumble sat next to her, she still had an angry look. Rumble sighed.
"Ok, I'm sorry." Rumble said. Scootaloo smiled and patted his black mane with a hoof.
"Good colt." Scootaloo said while petting him.
Rumble was known for quite a few things at the school. He was one of the sports coaches there, mainly teaching Pegasus sports like the aerial relay. He was also a cook, and a very good one at that, so good that his cutie mark was a whisk and a spoon crossing under a chef's hat. Though his special talent was cooking, he was no lazy colt, and was still incredibly athletic. With his older brother a Wonderbolt, he hoped to one day get there as well.
"Did you submit your application to the Academy yet?" Scootaloo asked him. Rumble nodded.
"Yeah, now I just gotta wait. I hope I don't get rejected again." Rumble said. He had tried once in the past to get into the Wonderbolt Academy, but failed the first entrance exam.
"I'm sure you'll get in this time." Scootaloo said while resting her head on his shoulder. Rumble placed his chin on her head and rested it, happy to have a supportive filly friend like Scoots. He always felt guilty, going on and on about the Wonderbolts, always having to remind himself that Scootaloo.....couldn't fly, so she would likely never get a chance, and Rumble felt so lucky that she was sticking by him through this process.
"So Rumble, are you excited for this week?" Apple Bloom asked. Rumble nodded.
"You bet, who else is coming?" Rumble asked.
"Tender Taps, Button Mash, Chip Cutter, and Dinky." Apple Bloom explained. Rumble nodded.
Chip Cutter was the School of Friendship's sculpting teacher, partially responsible for the epic carving of the Elements of Harmony found in the Canterlot Gardens. He was an impressive artist, one that found his potential thanks to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. His filly friend, Dinky was also joining them. She was a magic instructor in the school. Her mother was Derpy Hooves, the towns mail mare. Both were a little clumsy and didn't always understand things, but were so sweet and caring that it was impossible to dislike them.
"And uh, where are we going? The Everfree forest again? Winsome Falls?" Rumble asked. Apple Bloom shot him a grin and reached into her bag and pulled out a map. She unrolled it and pointed to a spot that had been circled in red ink to the West of Ponyville.
"This place. It's called the Red Forest. It's just on the other side of the Everfree, and we sometimes pass by it on the way to Winsome Falls. But we've never stayed in there until now." Apple Bloom explained before rolling the map back up.
"We'll leave tomorrow morning as soon as everypony else gets here, so for now, let's get some shuteye." Apple Bloom said as she moved her bag over and got into her sleeping bag. She reached for the lantern and turned it off, covering the clubhouse in darkness. "Goodnight Guys." Apple Blooms said.
"Goodnight." The others responded. Then there was silence for about 20 seconds, and some shuffling was heard.
"Don't even think about it Rumble!" Scootaloo said sternly.
"Yes Ma'am." Rumble quickly said and the shuffling stopped.
Applejack looked over the medium sized wagon sitting just outside the Sweet Apple Acres barn. It was filled with all the necessary camping supplies for her sister and her friends to have a good week of camping, and it was all tied down tight like she wanted it, but Applejack knew you could never be too careful with stuff like this.
She took camping very seriously, because when you're out there in the Wilderness, filled with potentially dangerous creatures, it's good to be prepared, to always be prepared.
"Wheew, that's the last of it." Applejack said as she finished tying down the last of the rope, securing the whole cart together. She stared at the prepared cart for a while, thinking about how the kids were going to do out there for the weekend without anypony else.
Sure, they weren't foals anymore, but Applejack still had that pang of uneasiness and worry whenever Applebloom and her friends were going to do something alone for the first time. But, they already had this conversation earlier, and Applebloom made it QUITE clear to Applejack that she could handle this, especially with her friends.
So, Applejack once again had to deal with the terrifying reality, her little sister was all grown up.
She suddenly heard laughing and looked over towards the orchard, and emerging from the trees was Sweetie Bell, Scootaloo, and Rumble, with Applebloom strangely absent, though Applejack had an idea of where she was this morning.
"Well, y'all look ready to go!" Applejack called to the three, who all waved to her as they approached. Applejack narrowed her eyes at Rumble, she didn't remember seeing him the night before.
"When did you get here Mr. Trouble?" Applejack asked, teasing the colt. Rumble and Scootaloo exchanged glances, and blushed lightly, making Sweetie giggle.
"You two are Adorable!" Sweetie said before turning to Applejack, "Rumble surprised us, or should I say, Surprised Scootaloo, last night, he slept with us in the clubhouse." Sweetie stated Matter-of-factly. Applejack's eyes widened into saucepans for a second before glaring at Rumble, who immediately panicked and hid behind Scootaloo.
"Phrasing Sweetie! I just spent the night there okay! I didn't do anything!" Rumble said desperately. Scootaloo rolled her eyes as her "brave" coltfriend cowered behind her. Applejack immediately lightened her expression and laughed.
"I'm just teasin ya Rumble. I ain't yer mom, nor Scootaloo's, so I can't get mad at ya fer bein two ponies on love." Applejack reassured him. Rumble sighed in relief, but then Scootaloo smirked.
"But my Aunts can get mad at you for it." Scootaloo said smugly. Rumble looked at his fillyfriend and scoffed.
"Please, your Aunts love me! They'd never get mad at me for that!" Rumble said confidently before whispering in Scoot's ear. "Right?"
"Aunt Holiday won't, but Auntie Lofty?" Scootaloo said with an unsure tone, making Rumble gulp quietly.
"Oh boy." He said to himself. Applejack then got the three's attention again.
"Well, now we just need to wait for everyone else, and you guys can get goin." Applejack began as she walked over to the cart and took out a plate of fritters. "In the meantime, eat some breakfast, fresh from the oven." Applejack offered. The three were quick to each grab a fritter and scarf it down their throats. As they ate, Applejack saw four figures approaching from the main gate of the farm, three stallions and a mare.
"Well, looks like the rest is here!" Applejack said as she waved to the approaching ponies...
Tender Taps, an orange colored earth pony with a purple mane, which made him look kinda like Scootaloo, walked in front, with a big hiking pack in his back.
Behind him, were the other three. Button Mash, a brown colored Earth Pony with an orange/brown mane and a propeller beanie, was walking beside Chip Cutter, a grey colored pegasus with a grey/silver mohawk of a mane, an wearing a scarf. The last pony was on the other side of Chip, walking while leaning against him, was Dinky, a light purple Unicorn Mare with a blonde mane, and blue colored eyes that were a bit, "off center".
"Wow, you're actually on time this morning Button!" Rumble joked as the 4 reached the wagon. Button was preoccupied, holding a Joyboy in his front hoof, and using his mouth to control it. Sweetie quickly walked over to him and levitated the Joyboy out of his grasp. Button quickly tried to get it back.
"Sweetie! I was so close to beating my high score!" Button cried out in melodramatic anguish.
"I told you Button, no games this week, just us, our friends, and the wilderness. Okay?" Sweetie said in a stern voice. Button sighed and nodded.
"Okay." Button said, defeated by his marefriend. Sweetie smiled and lifted his chin before planting a kiss on his lips.
"Good Colt." Sweetie said as Button smiled goofily.
"Geez you two, get a room." Rumble commented from off to the side. Everyone else instantly glared at him.
"You have no right to say that, not after last night!" Sweetie fired back. Everyone had a good laugh at Rumble's expense as the new arrivals began to make their final checks before heading out.
"Oh, my mom made us Muffins for the trip today!" Dinky suddenly perked up, levitating the basket up and showing everyone. Applejack looked and smiled, her friend Derpy was a real culinary expert when it came to muffins.
"Those look delicious Dinky, your mom did a great job." Applejack said. Dinky smiled and blushed slightly.
"Thank you Miss Applejack!" Dinky said as she moved back next to Chip Cutter. The group began making idle conversations about the impending trip into the woods, with Chip Cutter comforting Dinky about how spooky the woods were, and Rumble continuing to tease Button about his less-than-social tendencies. Applejack looked over them, happy that her little sister had such a nice group of friends. She then looked up as Tender Taps approached her.
"Good morning Tender, you look ready to go." Applejack said. Tender nodded eagerly.
"Yep, I am now fully prepared for a week in the woods. Where's Applebloom?" Tender asked. Applejack smiled and pointed towards the Western Orchard.
"Out at the edge of the property, at the you-know-what." Applejack said. Tender nodded and turned to start heading that way.
"I better go get her, tell her everypony's here." Tender said as he trotted away. Applejack let him go, before turning to the others as she heard Button yelp.
"C'mon Button, fight back!" Rumble yelled as he held Button in a headlock and gave him a rough noogie. "You gotta be ready in case a bug bear attacks!" Rumble said as Button flailed.
"Get off of him Rumble!" Sweetie shouted as she started she tried to pull Button free. Applejack rolled her eyes as she stepped in to break them up.
As everypony else hanged back at the barn with the wagon, Tender made his way through the orchard to the edge of it, following a path that had been created to lead to this specific spot.
Tender knew what Applebloom was doing, he was her coltfriend, so he knew all about her usual morning routines, including the ones she held onto like her life depended on it.
Eventually, Tender reached his destination, and he smiled as he saw Applebloom. She was sitting in the middle of a clearing, in front of her, two trees with trunk intertwined.
An apple tree, and a pear tree.
Applebloom was facing away from him at the trees, sitting there, like she was in deep thought. Tender then got a fun little idea. He walked on the tips of his hooves, sneaking his way behind Applebloom, being extra careful not to alert her. Of course, his skills as a dancer helped him.
Once behind her, he quickly covered her eyes, making her let out a surprised yelp. Tender chuckled before he spoke.
"Guess who." Tender said, imitating a country accent like her older brother. Applebloom giggled and tapped her chin.
"Is that you Rumble? You do a terrible country accent." Applebloom said sarcastically. Tender's expression flattened.
"Really AB?" He said in a flat tone and uncovered her eyes. She turned and gave him a hug, which he happily returned.
"I'm just messin with ya, though your accent is just as bad as Rumble's" Applebloom said before turning back to the trees. Tender moved to sit down beside her, and she rested her head on his shoulder.
"Everyone else is waiting at the barn, we're ready to head out." Tender told her as he wrapped an arm around her. Applebloom sighed happily and nuzzled into Tender's shoulder.
"Just a little bit longer." Applebloom said as she stared at the trees, the ones her parents planted on their wedding night.
"You still thinking of them?" Tender asked, already knowing the story of her parents' love. Applebloom nodded.
"I've never stopped thinking of them." Applebloom said. Tender gave her a squeeze with his arm and smiled.
"I wish I could've met them. You think they'd like me?" Tender asked. Applebloom looked up at his face as he looked down at hers, the two looking onto each others eyes.
"I bet they would've loved ya." Applebloom said with a smile before leaning up and kissing Tender on the cheek. "C'mon, let's get goin." She said as she stood up from Tender's embrace, with him following shortly after.
"Are you excited for this week?" Tender asked.
"I'm very excited. A whole week with you and my friends, what could be better?" Applebloom asked rhetorically. Tender smiled and laughed as they made their way back to the wagon.
"Ah! Scoots! Too Tight!" Rumble choked out as Scootaloo strapped the wagon harness onto him.
"Hey, stop complaining, or I'll tie it tighter." Scootaloo said before looking around and leaning into his ear. "An you ain't getting any tonight." Scootaloo said suggestively with an eyebrow bounce. Rumble's eyes widened.
"I'm good, let's get going!" Rumble shouted enthusiastically. The others giving him confused looks as he did so.
The group knew they would need a wagon to transport some of the items they would need, so they decided to do a rotation of who pulled the wagon every few hours, and since Rumble was the strongest, he was pulling it first. As Scootaloo helped Rumble, Applejack and Applebloom did one last check of the wagon and everyone's bags to make sure they had everything.
"Everything's good here!" Applebloom called after looking at Chip's and Dinky's bags. Applejack was looking through the wagon and nodded. Sweetie suddenly perked up.
"Did you remember the bug spray?" Sweetie asked. Applejack held up a can of it and flashed it to Sweetie, who then turned to Button.
"We got enough bug spray for you Button, so you don't have to worry about any nasty little bugs messing with you." Sweetie said as she patted his head.
"Thanks Sweetie." Button said sheepishly.
Applejack stepped back from the wagon after fastening everything safely onboard and turned to the group.
"Well, everything looks ready to go." Applejack announced. The others cheered and started moving away from the barn towards the forest. Applebloom and Tender Taps were both stopped briefly by Applejack. Applebloom hugged her sister tightly, before separating at arms length.
"You stay safe now, ya hear." Applejack said sternly. Applebloom nodded.
"I promise Applejack." She said. Applejack then turned to Tender and looked into his eyes, almost fiercely.
"Look after her, please." Applejack again said sternly. Tender felt intimidated as Applejack looked at him with a gaze that said "you better protect my sister, or else.", but Tender knew that Applejack just wanted him to be the best for Applebloom, especially for this trip, and Tender was more than ready.
"I will." Tender responded. Applejack's expression lightened and she quickly hugged him. Tender returned it before Applejack pulled away.
"You be safe now. I'll see ya in a week." Applejack said. Applebloom and Tender both nodded as they began moving away to catch up with the others.
They all waved goodbye, ready for a fun week in the Wilderness, all unaware of what they were really in for...
