One afternoon after school ended, Twilight looked at her pocket watch as she sighed while waiting for the photographer, “I've been planning this retreat for weeks, and we're already ten minutes behind! Where is that photographer?!”
“Suddenly, a voice came, and a photographer unicorn mare named Crackle Cosette appeared rushing through the door, “...No-no-no-no-no-no-no!” She slammed the doors open. “I'm so sorry! Can you forgive me? I don't expect you to forgive me... Forgive me?” Crackle made a starry eyed face, as Twilight groaned until Thomas hid underneath Fluttershy and hugged her leg.
“Of course. I'll help you set up your—” Starlight said, until Crackle Cosette cut her off, and stood in front of Twilight.
“Princess Twilight, thanks so much for this! The Canterlot Historical Society is thrilled to document the friendship work your teachers do! Let me just pretty you all up!” She said, as the photographer pricked six strands of hair from the Mane 6’s manes. “Ow! Hey!” Rainbow Dash said, after Crackled Cosette pricked a hair from her rainbow colored tail. “Don't want a single hair out of place, do we?” Crackled Cosette giggled. “This is for the history books! Now...” She then took six pictures of the Mane 6, and got photos of them. “Well, that's that! Bye!”
“Waaaait! You forgot Starlight and Sunset! They needs pictures, too!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, as she pointed at Starlight and Sunset as they made smiles on their faces. “'Kay,” she said looking unamused, and then took their pictures one at a time, but then thought something about Sunset before leaving. “Now I'll get out of your manes. I know how busy you are,” Crackled Cosette said, as she left, but took a picture of Thomas with his aunts, Spike and mother all together after asking for permission, and then left again.
When she was outside, Crackled Cosette looked at her photos and the hair strands, until she made a mischievous grin, “Now I have everything I need.”
Suddenly, as she was walking, a green flash appeared, as she was actually no other then the evil Queen Chrysalis. “Yes, I know! We have been planning this for quite some time,” she said before laughing evilly, and setting up her pictures and the hair samples on six trees. “Oh, thank you, Applejack. My spell can create a copy of anypony I desire. All I need is an image and a piece of the pony.” She sniffed the hair, “Oh, and this.” She made a wood burning of her cutie mark.
“Why copies, Rarity? Because Princess Twilight and her friends control the Elements of Harmony, the most powerful weapon in all Equestria,” she said, as a wood burning of her cutie mark was made, and then trotted over to Pinkie’s tree like a prancing happy horse, “Which means you - will - be - able - to - use - them - too!” She then wood burned her cutie mark.
“And serve me!” She wood burned Fluttershy’s butterfly cutie mark. “Together, we will destroy Twilight Sparkle and her meddlesome friends!” She then wood burned Rainbow Dash’s cutie mark, and then looked at Twilight’s image.
“Of course I haven't forgotten Starlight Glimmer! She stole my hive. Turned my subjects against me! So I'll take her friends away while she watches! And then, I'll destroy her, along with that little brat, Thomas Mercer! He’ll pay for escaping me when I had entirely enough food for my servants and myself, almost but nearly ready to launch a counter strike against Celestia and her ponies! And I have no idea who that other pony was. Sunset, I presume? But I might as well destroy her as well since she’s friends with them and Starlight, and their nephew!” She then wood burned Twilight’s cutie mark, and stood in the center, “With the Elements under my control, I'll build a new hive of Earth ponies, unicorns, and Pegasi, and I will rule as Queen once again!”
She then lit up her horn, and then started her spell, before the trees with the hairs and pictures cracked magically, and created copies of the Mane 6, but they looked pure evil.
The next couple minutes later, the Mane 8, Spike and Thomas were on their way to their camp out while Thomas rode on Fluttershy’s back. “Hmm. At least our retreat isn't too far behind schedule. Get ready for fun!” Twilight said.
“Are we talking fun fun, or learning pretending to be fun?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Both! We've all been so busy teaching, we've hardly had a chance to hang out with each other. And I may have scheduled some friendship activities as well!” Twilight replied.
“Count me in! We can do friendship trust falls and pony pyramids! Oh! And hide and seek! Quick! Find me!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she zoomed away to hide.
“Well, I love the idea of some quiet time with my best friends, along with my sweet baby boy,” Fluttershy said, as she nuzzled her cheek on his and he wrapped his arms underneath hand around her neck for a hug. Pinkie Pie screamed, as Fluttershy jumped, “You found me!” Thomas then hid underneath Fluttershy’s mane and shook. “Oops, my bad,” Pinkie Pie said, before zooming over to give her nephew a kiss on the forehead, and then he reappeared while wiping the tears off his eyes.
Rainbow Dash hovered next to Applejack and Rarity, as they had a wagon full of camping gear. “Rarity, why is Applejack carrying all your stuff?” she asked.
“Oh, that's not mine. Yes, I used to overpack a tad, but now it's just the essentials for me. I'm a simple filly,” Rarity said. “Normally I wouldn't lug so much gear, but did y'all know this is Starlight and Sunset's first time campin'?” Applejack asked, as they saw Sunset with a smile, but Starlight with an unamused type of look. “I just never really felt the need to... "hang out" in nature,” Starlight said, as she waved her hoof to shoo the bugs away. “Home has books, tea, fewer bugs, a roof...”
“That attitude right there is why I brought the whole kit and caboodle. I'm givin' Starlight and Sunset the full Apple family campin' experience!” Applejack said, as Sunset shook her head while rolling her eyes.
“Um, where are we camping?” Thomas asked. “Right next to the Elements that brought us all together in the first place – the Tree of Harmony!” Twilight replied, then they continued their journey.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the other side of the forest, the Mean Six were unamused about their surroundings. “Listen to your queen! We must retrieve the Elements of Harmony at once!” Queen Chrysalis commanded. “Hunting down some lame Elements? This is the worst day ever!” Mean Pinkie Pie said, until Mean Fluttershy splatted some mud into Mean Pinkie Pie’s face. “No. Now it's the worst day ever!” Mean Fluttershy started laughing cruelly. “Those Elements are mine! Along with this rock! Oh, and that twig!” Mean Rarity greedily said. “I got all kinds o' Elements right here under my hat. I'll let you see 'em for five bits,” Mean Applejack lied.
Mean Rainbow Dash scoffed while laying on a tree branch like she didn’t care, “Losers.”
“Why didn't you just attack them?” Mean Twilight asked. “Excuse me?” Queen Chrysalis asked. “You were close enough to pull hairs from their manes. Why not just take your revenge then?” Mean Twilight asked. Queen Chrysalis then replied, “They've defeated my army. I know better than to strike alone. I need—”
“Friends?”
“Servants! And the power of the Elements!”
Mean Twilight wasn’t amused, “Right. So where are these Elements of Harmony?”
“The location of the most powerful weapon in Equestria isn't something made known to just anypony. I learned they were hidden somewhere in this forest,” Queen Chrysalis explained. “Mean Twilight then started walking, “Yeah, well, it is a big forest.” Queen Chrysalis then growled in frustration.
Along the way, the Mane 8, with Soike on Twilight’s back, and Thomas on Fluttershy’s back passed through Rose bushes. “Everypony, stop! And smell these roses!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, while sniffing the flowers. “Ahhh! Oh, yeah!” Thomas smelled them too, and loved the scent, then chose to pick some out for himself and his mother, making her blush.
Twilight nervous giggle, “Right. Roses. Fun. Now, let’s try and stay on schedule.”
“Come on, Twilight. This is all part of nature,” Spike said. “I knew that, Spike,” Twilight said. Rarity looked at some strands of her mane sticking out, “Applejack, darling, anything in that wagon for mane maintenance?”
Applejack took off the strap from her wagon and then looked through her wagon. “Uh, let's see here. Uh... all right. I got a bandana!” Applejack suggested, as she held it in her hoof. “Ugh, an entire wagon and no anti-frizz? Darling, you're not even prepared,” Rarity said. “I am! For campin'?” Applejack said, then looked at other mares catching up. “How ya and Sunset doin', Starlight?”
Starlight had her travel bags, and so did Sunset, “Whoa! Ugh. Great,” she replied flatly. “It’s not the end of the world,” Sunset said.
Thomas saw a baby bird tweeting, “Momma, look!” Fluttershy looked and saw the baby bird, “Oh, no! You and your sister fell out of your nest and got separated? That's terrible!” She then laid out her wing to let the bid climb on, “Here. I'm sure your home isn't too far away.” She then thought about her son, “Rarity? Could you please do me a favor and watch Thomas for me?”
“I’d love to, darling,” Rarity said, as she wrapped her foreleg over his shoulder. “You be good for your Auntie Rarity and I’ll be back later, okay, sweetie?” Thomas nodded, and then hugged Fluttershy’s hoof as she went to return the baby bird to its sister and find the nest. “Would you like to ride on my back, precious?” Rarity asked, leaning down on her forelegs. Thomas nodded, and then he climbed onto her back and held onto her neck and her mane.
Twilight yelped after seeing Pinkie Pie swinging on a vine, “Pinkie! If we keep stopping to have fun, we're never gonna get to the fun things I'vegot planned!” Pinkie Pie gasped, “Good point! Last one to the Tree of Harmony is a parasprite! Whoo-hoo!” Twilight sighed, and then Sunset walked up to her, “Same old Pinkie Pie, huh?” Twilight nodded, until Spike replied, “You have no idea.”
Meanwhile, the Mean Six and Queen Chrysalis were wandering around the forest for their quest for the Elements of Harmony, as Mean Pinkie Pie laid on the ground, “I'm sooooo bored. Are we there yet?”
“Where yet? We don't even know where we're going!” Mean Twilight said. “The quicker we search the forest, the quicker we find the Elements,” Queen Chrysalis replied. “I know where the Elements are. This, uh, here boulder just told me. I swear,” Mean Applejack lied.
Suddenly, another baby bird tweeted beneath Mean Fluttershy. “You tried to fly out of the nest, but you fell and got lost?” Mean Fluttershy said. The baby bird nodded while tweeting. Mean Fluttershy laughed cruelly, “Hope you like walking!” She laughed cruelly again while following the baby bird. Mean Rainbow Dash yawned, “Come get me when I should care.” She then flew away.
Queen Chrysalis looked and saw Mean Fluttershy and Mean Rainbow Dash were missing, “Where... are... the others?!”
“Uh... A, uh, a bugbear in... plaid socks flew down and, uh, g-grabbed them! Then disappeared! Huh. Craziest thing I ever did see!” Mean Applejack lied again. “Turn around. We're going back,” Queen Chrysalis said. “No. Keep searching. I'll find the others. We can accomplish more if we split our resources,” Mean Twilight said. Queen Chrysalis sighed, “Very well. You have my permission.”
Mean Twilight then flew, “"Permission"? You need us way more than we need you, your Majesty! The others are fools. But with me to lead them, there's no reason we can't find the Elements and keep the power for ourselves!” She then landed on the ground, before seeing the bushes rustling, and Pinkie Pie jumped onto her, “You're it! Hey, how'd you get ahead of me? You're fast.”
Mean Twilight grunted, “Ugh! I'm looking for Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.”
“Aren't they back there?” Pinkie Pie asked. “They are?” Mean Twilight asked. “Sure! Unless they're already at the Tree of Harmony,” Pinkie Pie said. “What is the Tree of Harmony?” Mean Twilight asked. “Oh-ho-ho. This is one of your "activities", right? Like a friendship quiz? It's the crystal tree that holds the Elements of Harmony. Boom!” Pinkie Pie replied. Mean Twilight gasped, “Where is it?”
Pinkie Pie imitated a buzzer, “It's at the bottom of the stairs in the ravine by the Castle of the Two Sisters. Double boom!”
“How do you know? You've seen it?” Mean Twilight asked. Pinkie Pie nodded in reply, “Mm-hmm. Honestly, Twilight, these questions are super easy.” Mean Twilight add a sinister grin while rubbing her wings together.
Fluttershy arrived at the nest and placed the brother baby bird on it, “Right where you belong.” The brother baby bird tweeted as a thank you while Fluttershy went to get some food. Fluttershy then realized she was lost, “Oh, dear. This isn't where I belong.” She then saw Mean Rainbow Dash as she thought was her Rainbow Dash, “Oh, Rainbow Dash! I'm so glad you're here. I was lost.”
“Bummer. Later,” Mean Rainbow Dash said, flying away. Fluttershy was confused, “What just happened?”
Applejack, Rarity, Sunset, Rainbow Dash, and Starlight called out together or one at a time, “Fluttershy!”
“Momma! Where are you?!” Thomas called out, until he began to feel worried while hugging his Snuggle Bear teddy closer towards him, but felt tears sting his eyes, until Starlight comforted, “Don’t worry, honey. We’ll find her.”
“Oh, fantastic. First Pinkie races ahead of us, and now Fluttershy's lost somewhere behind us. My retreat is off to a great start!” Twilight said. “It's not like Fluttershy to disappear like this,” Rarity said. “Yeah. Where could she be?” Spike asked.
Applejack then came up with an idea, “We'll split up and search for her. We can all meet back at the Tree. Starlight, take the navigation gear and—”
Starlight replied quickly, “Go with Rarity and Sunset? Great! Rainbow Dash, you can go with Applejack!” She nervously chuckled.
“Spike and I will find Pinkie Pie,” Twilight said, and then they split up and looked for the others while Thomas stayed with his Aunties Rarity, Sunset, and Starlight.
The Mean 3 and Queen Chrysalis continued their journey while Mean Pinkie Pie started complaining, “Bored. Bored. Bored.” Queen Chrysalis had enough of their behavior, “This is ridiculous! Where are my other minions?!”
“Probably plotting to steal my things!” Mean Rarity growled. “They're at a secret party up in that there tree. Run by a... squirrel named, uh, Jerome. But, uh, y-you need a password to get in,” Mean Applejack lied. Queen Chrysalis growled while lifted three of her clones in her aura, “Enough!”
The three clones landed on the ground on their back while Queen Chrysalis slammed her hoof, making them look afraid, “You will go out there and find the others, you will bring them back here, and we will steal the Elements of Harmony so I can destroy Starlight's life like she destroyed mine! Understand?”
Mean Rarity, Mean Applejack, and Mean Pinkie Pie nodded nervously, “Uh-huh!” Mean Applejack then whispered a lie, “The party password is "rutabaga".” Queen Chrysalis’s eye twitched, then growled with frustration.
Mean Fluttershy started teasing the sister baby bird mockingly, “Why don't you fly up to your nest? Oh, that's right. You can't!” She laughed cruelly.
The brother baby bird tweeted in confusion, until Mean Fluttershy spoke up, “Oh. Nopony asked you. I hope you all freeze this winter!” Mean Fluttershy laughed cruelly while stomping on the flowers, and then flew away.
The real Fluttershy came back with some berries and fresh earthworms for the baby birds, “Hello again, little friend. I think I may be walking in circles.”
The brother baby bird tweeted angrily, but got confused. Fluttershy gasped, “Oh, my! Where did you learn that kind of language?” She then asked the animals for a conference, “Um, excuse me?” The animals growling and chittering angrily, until Fluttershy whimpered while crying.
Mean Rarity suddenly came over to the real Applejack and Rainbow Dash, mistaking Rainbow Dash for the Mean Rainbow Dash, “Finally, you found her!”
“Me? We're looking for Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash said. “Where’re Starlight and Sunset? And wasn’t the little feller with you?” Applejack asked, not seeing Thomas on Mean Rarity’s back.
“Well, if I knew that—” Mean Rarity cut herself off by taking and hoarding Applejack’s camping gear for herself. Rainbow Dash grunted as Mean Rarity took some of the gear from her, “Hey!”
Mean Rarity got greedy, “This is mine! And this as well! Oh, and this is absolutely mine!” Applejack was confused, “Rarity, what in the hay are you gonna do with a fishin' rod?”
“I don't know. But I wants it!” Mean Rarity snorted.
Thomas was still worried about his momma while riding on Rarity’s back, until she looked at Starlight, “Starlight, darling, you're a gloriously bad camper. And coming from me, that is saying a lot.”
“I know. Want to break it to Applejack for me?” Starlight asked nervously. “Don’t look at me. I’ve experienced camping when I was a human,” Sunset said. Mean Applejack suddenly appeared, “Who's breakin' what now?” She then looked at Starlight and Sunset in confusion, like she never saw them before, “Who are you?”
“Very funny, Applejack,” Sunset said. “Yep. Still me under all this gear. Starlight, and next to me, Sunset,” Starlight said. “Starlight? Sunset? How 'bout that? Y'all better come with me. It's, uh, dangerous out here,” Mean Applejack lied. “Applejack, darling, are you all right? You look a little peaky. And where's your wagon?” Rarity asked, until Mean Applejack came up with another lie, “Uh... stolen! Uh, I barely got away! Follow me, and I'll tell ya all about it.” They then followed Mean Applejack to where she was leading them.
Twilight and Spike suddenly saw Mean Pinkie Pie in a swamp, “Pinkie! There you are! What are you doing?” Mean Pinkie Pie pointed at a huge bubble popping from the pond.
“You call that a pop?! Ugh!” Mean Pinkie Pie said. “I thought you were racing to the retreat,” Twilight said, as Spike nodded. “Please. Why would I waste my time on a boring, lame, no-fun retreat?” Mean Pinkie Pie asked, and walked away. “What just happened?” Spike asked, until she saw Mean Rainbow Dash flying passed her. “Rainbow Dash! I think something's wrong with Pinkie!”
“Not my problem,” Mean Rainbow Dash said, flying away, until Twilight and Spike fell into the swamp water.
Mean Twilight was being annoyed by the real Pinkie Pie’s stories, “And then we all grew super-long manes with all kinds of colors, and your castle grew out of the ground, and everypony was like, "Whoa!" And then we sang this song about rainbows, and—” Pinkie Pie gasped at Fluttershy crying. “Fluttershy! What's wrong?”
Fluttershy looked up at Pinkie Pie as the pink pony comforted her, “Everycreature is mad at me!” She then continued to cry. Pinkie Pie gasped, “What?! That can't be right!”
Fluttershy kept crying while sniffling, until Mean Twilight landed in front of them both. Mean Twilight groaned, “Can we hurry this up? We're on a schedule here!”
“Twilight, your schedule can wait! Fluttershy's upset,” Pinkie Pie said, while comforting Fluttershy. “Well, tell her to get over it! I'll go get the others. Stay here!” Mean Twilight said, as she went to go find the others. Fluttershy kept crying and sniffling, until the real Twilight, along with Spike came back, “Oh, great. You upset Fluttershy, too?” Pinkie Pie got angry, “You know what, Twilight? Maybe if you weren't so worried about schedules, you'd realize you'rethe one ruining the retreat for your friends!”
Twilight gasped, and shed tears, “Well, if my friends don't care about the retreat I planned for them... maybe they should've stayed home!”
“Why are we angry?!” Spike asked. “What am I yelling?!”
“Can't we all just get along?!” Fluttershy asked, until she continued to cry, as Spike went over to comfort her.
Mean Twilight then wandered off thinking to herself, “Keep it together. You can do this. You need those imbeciles if your plan is gonna come together.”
Queen Chrysalis suddenly appeared, “Your plan?” Mean Twilight gasped, and then lied, “Uh, the plan. I'm just trying to do your bidding, your Majesty.”
“Grub-sitting you six is nothing like controlling my hive!” Queen Chrysalis said. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just destroy you all and start over!”
“Because I know where the Elements of Harmony are. You need me,” Mean Twilight said. Queen Chrysalis then made a maniacal laughter.
“Mine. Mine! All mine!” Mean Rarity said with crazed laughter. Rainbow Dash looked at Applejack, “I'm guessing some kind of curse? Maybe poison joke?”
“Well, somethin' sure ain't right,” Applejack said. “What are you plotting back there? I can hear you, you know! Don't think you're going to steal my things!” Mean Rarity growled, as she ran with the camping gear, but got stuck in the vines. “Hang on. I got a shovel we can use to whack those vines out of the way,” Applejack said, as she looked through her wagon for her shovel, but it was stuck on one of the vines at Rainbow Dash tried to grab it.
Mean Rarity grunted, as she saw Rainbow Dash trying to take the shovel, “I knew it! I knew you wanted it all for yourselves! You can't have it!” She then landed on the ground and hoarded all the equipment. “It's mine, you hear me?! All mi-hi-hi-hi-hi-hi-hine!” She then let out a crazed laughter while crawling backwards. “Yeah... Sorry, Rarity! But that’s not gonna cut it!” Applejack said as Rainbow Dash took back their gear and went off to find the others. “Hey! Come back here!” Mean Rarity screamed, until she grabbed a rock. “Ooh! That ones mine!”
Mean Applejack kept telling a fake story while she journeyed with Rarity, who had Thomas on her back, Starlight and Sunset with their camping bags, “...So there I was. Just me and, uh, a bucket of honey. Yeah, yeah, that's the ticket. Uh, b-but I-I survived all by myself in this here forest for, uh, a hundred and... twenty-seven hours!”
“Really? I can't believe you've never told us that story before,” Rarity said. “She's making a point,” Sunset said, until Starlight spoke back. “We get it. You're the greatest camper in the history of Equestria.”
“Well, I’m glad you agree,” Mean Applejack said. Rarity looked back at Thomas, who was fidgeting his hands and fingers while holding his bear, “Are you feeling alright, darling?”
“I want my Momma,” Thomas said, as Rarity nuzzled with him. “Maybe... she’s gone and never come back,” Mean Applejack lied. “No, she said she’ll come back for me soon,” Thomas said. Mean Applejack chuckled, “Just look in a mirror. Guess I should've told y’all about that ugly creature before, huh?” She chuckled again.
Starlight, Sunset and Rarity gasped, until Thomas’s eyes started tearing up, and took off his camping bag and tossed it on the ground after getting off Rarity’s back. “Guess I’ll just find somewhere else to camp for now on!” Thomas then started running crying in heartbreak, leaving Sunset, Starlight and Rarity not happy with the not real Applejack.
Sunset looked at her with a stern look, “We’re gonna go comfort Thomas after you hurt his feelings!”
“Agreed, darling. And when we have calmed him down, we’re gonna have a serious talk about how cruel you were to your own nephew!” Rarity said, as the three mares went off to find Thomas and try to comfort him.
Queen Chrysalis and the other Mean 5 appeared from behind, “Finally! There. That's all of you. Nopony leaves without my say-so.”
Mean Applejack was confused, “Now, wait a second. Weren't you just—?” Queen Chrysalis zapped her magic laser at a tree, disintegrating Mean Applejack’s hat, as she gulped.
“The time for my revenge on Starlight Glimmer has come! Let's see if you're telling the truth about this Tree,” Queen Chrysalis said, as she let out a maniacal laughter.
Somewhere in the forest, Thomas sat down with his knees against himself and hugged with his arms crying and sniffing about how cruel Mean Applejack was. “Why would she say that?” Thomas asked himself, as he continued to cry. Meanwhile, Fluttershy kept crying as Pinkie Pie and Twilight were arguing while Spike comforted Fluttershy.
“Of course I care about Fluttershy!”
“Then you've got a super weird way of showing it!”
“Don’t you even listen to yourselves?!” Spike asked.
“W-What in Equestria's going on here?” Rarity asked, as she, Starlight and Sunset appeared. “Twilight is so into her retreat that she doesn't even care if her friends are upset! She just wants us to "stay on schedule"!” Pinkie Pie replied.
“Well, I'm sorry, Pinkie! If I knew you thought this was a "boring, lame, no-fun retreat", I wouldn't have invited you in the first place!” Twilight said.
“I never said that!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, until they heard somepony crying. Twilight walked over to the source, and after rustling her hoof into the bush, she moved it, and saw Thomas sitting there. “Thomas? Hey, what’s wrong?” she asked, after lifting him up in her aura and gently holding him in her right hoof. Thomas then continued to cry as he buried himself underneath her chest fur and hugged her neck with his head underneath it. “Shhhhhh shhhhhh... We’re right here, sweetheart. We’re right here.”
Applejack and Rainbow Dash suddenly appeared with the wagon, “Sorry, y'all. We would've been here sooner, but we had to take the long way after we stopped Rarity before she nearly ran off with all my stuff.”
“Wha—?! I most certainly did not!” Rarity exclaimed, until Thomas whimpered underneath Twilight’s mane and fur. “What?! You know I ain't no liar!” Applejack said, until she saw Thomas without his camping bag. “Where's all your gear?”
“Why? So you can laugh at him some more, since you think he’s an ugly creature?!” Starlight asked. “Which was totally unacceptable!” Sunset said. “You did not!” Twilight said. “She did!” Rarity said. “Hey, hey, we're all friends here!” Rainbow Dash said. “Yeah, let’s just calm down and try to take this nice and slow,” Spike said. “Friends?! You left me alone in the woods!” Fluttershy said while crying.
The Mane 5 minus Twilight kept arguing, until her face went from angry to a frustratingly steamed expression, “Everypony, quiet!” They all stopped arguing, as Twilight began to speak, “Listen. We know each other really well — the great stuff and how to get on each other's nerves, too. I wanted a fun trip with my friends. But instead, I got carried away with plans and ruined everything. If you want to forget it all and head home, I won't be offended. I just want us to stop fighting.”
Thomas sniffed, and then hugged his aunt’s leg, “Aww... and probably cheer up this little one.” She then nuzzled her head with his, until Thomas went to Fluttershy for a hug.
Applejack turned to Starlight and Sunset, “Hey, sorry if I got carried away with all that campin' stuff.” Starlight and Sunset smiled, as Starlight spoke up, “I'm sorry, too. I should've just told you I'll never like camping. Also, I'll never like camping.”
“Well, I kinda enjoy camping,” Sunset said. “Well, if we're all being honest, I can't survive with just this tiny yet fashionable little saddlebag! I miss my things!” Rarity said. Pinkie Pie went to Twilight, “I'm sorry that you thought that I thought your plan was lame. Your plans are the most un-lamest!”
“And I always have fun when we're all together. Even if it's learning pretending to be fun,” Rainbow Dash said. “So... does that mean you still want to have the retreat?” Twilight asked, as they all said, “Yes!”
“I know what you think my Momma said to you was true, but I promise she said nothing like that. She cares for animals. Now, do we know better than to accuse others for who they are?” Thomas asked, as they all listened, and the critters nodded. “Then I guess you’re all forgiven.”
Fluttershy smiled warmly, and hugged her son, before placing him on her back. “Let's get to that Tree. I have the whole campsite set up and ready,” Twilight said, as they started making their way to the Tree of Harmony.
Queen Chrysalis and the Mean Six arrived at the entrance to the Tree of Harmony, until Mean Pinkie Pie groaned at the campsite, “What's this garbage?” Mean Applejack made up a quick lie, “Badger installation art! Ya see—”
Queen Chrysalis cut her off, “Just! Retrieve! The Elements!” The Mean Six went over to the campsite, but Mean Twilight stopped them before they would do something, “Leave it as it is! Now stay focused. Once we get the power of the Elements, no creature – not even her Majesty – can tell us what to do. Just follow my lead. Got it?” The Mean 5 nodded while laughing evilly, leaving Queen Chrysalis confused. The Mean Six then saw the Tree of Harmony as they entered the cave. “Ooh! That one's mine!” Mean Rarity said, as the Generosity Element pulsed in a blackish purple color.
Mean Rarity let out a crazed laughter, until Mean Fluttershy tripped her over on purpose. “Oops. I'd say sorry, but I'm not!” Mean Fluttershy said, as she and Mean Rarity tumbled while fighting and grunting at the same time.
“Stop it, fools!” Mean Twilight said, as the Kindness Element pulsed. The Mean Six started goofing off around the Tree of Harmony. “We need the Elements to take out Chrysalis!” Mean Twilight gasped at Chrysalis behind her. “How dare you! I created you!” Queen Chrysalis then shot her magic laser at Mean Twilight, who created a force field around her, and Mean Applejack bucked the tree as her original’s element pulsed. Mean Pinkie Pie laughed while trying to shove the tree as her original’s element pulsed.
Mean Twilight kept up the force field, and then as the Loyalty Element pulsed, she smirked and zapped her magic laser at Chrysalis until the Element of Magic pulsed, and send an alert to the other elements, and outmcame white cleansing tendrils and grabbed the evil copies, as it started to make them melt. Mean Twilight spoke up her last words, “Imbeciles! You ruined everythiiiiiiiing!” When a huge flash of light appeared, the Mean Six were now colorful logs of wood. Queen Chrysalis then learned her lesson, “Servants always fail you in the end! Just wait, Starlight. I will have my revenge!”
The Mane 8, along with Spike and Thomas arrived at the campsite. “It’s still here! Just as I left it!” Twilight said. “Why don’t we set up a fire and have a nice calm night together?” Starlight suggested. “Spoken like a true camper,” Applejack said. “Eh, don't push it,” Starlight said, as she and Applejack chuckled together.
Later on, they had a nice fire and roasted some marshmallows for some s’mores, while Thomas had his as he sat on Fluttershy’s lap.
“You know, if we can survive a day or night like this, I think our friendship is strong enough to handle anything the world can throw at us,” Twilight said, as they all agreed with nods, and then laughed as they didn’t notice Queen Chrysalis flying away, so they can enjoy their camp out together.