//------------------------------// // Welcome, Campers! // Story: Cutie Mark Camp Blues // by Moonbeam Thought Writes //------------------------------// Incident Response: 032A To: Everfree Cutie Mark Camp Director Citric Quartzite Re: Site 001: Everfree Director Quartzite. I sincerely hope this is all one big prank from Scootaloo. You have one chance to tell me this is a prank from Scootaloo. I spoke to your Hiring Manager, Seer Songbird, and damn if that mare isn’t paid enough for all the horse crap trouble you put her through. As she told me, you usually don’t override her in the hiring process, but this time you did. I understand that the order for more diversity in your hiring process was required, I, after all, gave that order, but taking on two employees without any background research, history checks, prior knowledge beyond their special talents and unique statuses? There was no vetting whatsoever! And your attitude towards the darker denizens of Equestria is atrocious! For Celestia’s sake, stallion! Your worries should never have been towards what your employees are, but towards their actions around others! Yes, I agree that those employees should be brought into court for their actions, but I must disagree concerning the level of court, as instead of The Supreme Court Of Harmony, I suggest The Major Court Of Harmonious Action. The Supreme Court Of Harmony is, after all, reserved for world-threatening villains. Your absolute bullcrappery is beyond a waste of my time, Quartzite, so watch your Celestia-damned mouth. If I hear about one more farce from you, I am promoting Seer Songbird to Director, and demoting YOU to paper pusher for Seer! Celestia knows she deserves it! Reply soon, Applebloom Apple Three weeks before Peeeeeep peeeeeep The train whistled loudly as it bustled into the station, right on time. Much to my annoyance, it had not come early, and I had had to endure inane niceties from my brother and Mum. Suppressing a smile, I turned to Mum, who had a small frown on her face. “Well, this is my stop. Figuratively, I mean. And that means I’ll be gone for two weeks. I hope you have fun at the Winter Moon festival.” I leaned in to give her an obligatory hug. “I love you, see you in a fortnight.” I told her, trying my best to keep the excitement out of my voice. I turned to Neb, leaning in to give him a hug too. As soon as I was close enough to whisper without Mum hearing, I did so. “If you set so much as a hoof-tip over the threshold to my room, there’ll be Tartarus to pay.” leaning back out of the embrace, I said my ‘sad’ goodbyes for Mum’s benefit. I didn’t think I could heave both suitcases to the train, so it was fortunate that Mum volunteered her magic to bring the heavy luggage onto the train. Nebulous rolled his eyes and told her he was staying on the platform. Mum and I stepped onto the train, levitating suitcases in tow. It was like stepping into another world. The Cutie Mark Express is a specialised variety of train that serves to transport the fillies and colts of Equestria to the various Cutie Mark Camps around the continent. Day camps for the little ones, longer overnight ones for the tweens and teens. Cutie Mark Counselling Camps for those with marks they didn’t like. I was heading to one of the overnight ones, but the train was decorated with the younger ones in mind. The first thing I noticed was that there was no sharp corners. Everything was smooth to prevent injury. Then it was the lower-to the ground seats as we passed roomette after roomette. Every time we passed one, Mum would look at me like ‘do you want to go in that one?’ And I would look back at her and shake my head. All the roomettes we had passed thus far either had ponies in them, or were broken in some way. The next thing I really noticed was how the lights were just bright enough to see, but weren’t too bright to blind anypony. This, paired with the washed-out pastels of our every surrounding, made the whole train feel like some demented wonderland. The next roomette didn’t have many other ponies. In fact, it contained just one. A white earth pony with a golden-blonde mane sat as close to the window as possible, staring out at the station. Mum looked at me questioningly. The pony looked to be around my age, and lonely. I decided to take a leap of faith, albeit a small one. I nodded, and pulled open the sliding door with one hoof. “Uh, hi. Is this room taken or can I…” I started “Yeah sure, you can sit in here if you like. I don’t mind.” “Thanks. I’m Moonbeam Thought. You?” The earth pony turned to face me. “Sauvignon Glamour.” Sauvignon grimaced. “Yes, I know it’s unusual, and no, I don’t drink. Is that your Mother?” I turned to look at Mum, who was standing in the doorway, still holding the bags in her magic. I motioned for her to bring the suitcases in, before turning back to Sauvignon. “Yep. No, I’m not adopted, my Dad’s a pony, and I just skipped out on the Kirin genes.” I replied. I gave Mum one last wave, before she set the suitcases down in the roomette and made off. “Hey, Sauvignon, do you have any siblings?” I asked. “Ugh, please just call me Vig, or Glam. I’m not a fan of my name, and no, I’m an only child.” I smiled. “Lucky. I got a brother.” With a jolt, the train started into motion again. The station outside the window looked as if it began to stretch and pull away, like one of those new-fangled panoramic photos. “So… you from around here?” Vig said absentmindedly. She was looking out at the world outside again, watching it move past quick enough to almost blur. “Yeah. You don’t seem like you’re from Seaward Shoals.” “Ha. No, I’m from Manehatten” she spat the word out like it was bitter. “All the big lights and loud sounds. I just love Manehatten.” She rolled her eyes, which were a vibrant plum colour. I nodded. Most of the creatures I had spoken to about Manehatten before all agreed that it was spectacular in some way, shape, or form. It was honestly refreshing to meet somepony with a different view of things. Foggy Bramble tried her best to sort the things scattered around the staff bedroom in the Birch Cabin. It wasn’t her fault unpacking was hard for her! It was obviously the fault of the stuff she packed! If it wasn’t meant to be strewn around the room like this, then why was it so easy to do so? The Birch Cabin was, by far, not the Cabin Foggy would’ve picked, given the choice. It’s proximity to the Mahogany Cabin, for one, and the Mahogany Cabin’s uncanny ability to host Crimson Thorn nine times out of ten. And it was much too far from the forest for her liking. That being said, at least it wasn’t as far from the edge of the woods as the Palm Cabin. Foggy had ended up in that cabin for two weeks in the summer. Oh how that had ended badly. Sorting the various winter coats, boots and hats into the small chest of drawers next to the bed (both of which made out of birch wood, of course), she mused on the inhabitant of the next cabin over. If that mare pulled anything while the Winter Moon Festival was ongoing… Ohhhh would she pay. It was hard enough having a week with the full moon rising high every night, but while a camp was ongoing, and with no group leaders to substitute in? Oof. It would be a Twilight-blessed, full-on miracle if nothing happened. Foggy still remembered that court case where she had first met Crimson. It had been years and years ago now, but she still remembered the stuffy court room, with no fans or air-conditioning to cool down. It had been in the middle of a boiling summer season, too. Crimson had been her court-appointed lawyer, as Foggy hadn’t been able to afford one at the time, and it was almost like Crimson had disliked her from the start. Foggy had been in court due to allegations of arson, even though the evidence was flimsy, the witness statements were odd at best, and the judge was obviously bored with the proceedings. And Crimson Thorn? She had been completely and utterly useless. She hadn’t any plea bargains for Foggy, agreed with the witness statements, and GENERALLY HALF-ASSED THE WHOLE THING! Sweet Twilight, just thinking about it made her mad. Foggy sighed and slipped her necklace off. It was made of little weird-smelling round beads and iron links, rusted from all the use they saw. The beads were interesting, to say the least, and the reason she wore the necklace at all. It wasn’t exactly pretty, and far from what she would consider ornamental. But as long as Crimson wore that stupid charm bracelet, Foggy wore the necklace. It was simple. You wear something that keeps me at least five hooves away from you, I do it back. Glancing through the window, she caught sight of two red eyes glaring at her through the curtains of the Mahogany Cabin. The eyes caught sight of her, and the curtains snapped shut again. Foggy rolled her eyes and shut her own curtains in an effort to avoid those horrid eyes. Anything to forget Crimson’s existence. Letting out a deep breath through her nose, Foggy returned to the heavy task of tidying the room. Bright Stream stood on the raised wooden platform, awaiting the train. The platform had been constructed specially for the arrival of the train, and built in such a way that it could be easily deconstructed and the wooden planks packed away for the next time the train was set to come. There was a few embellishments, like the near-bare-bones steps on the back of the platform, and the lines drawn in chalk signifying where was a safe enough distance from the train tracks. He wasn’t alone on the platform, Gybh was sitting next to him, fiddling with her claws and wearing a crown woven out of daisies. Crimson Thorn and Foggy Bramble stood at opposite ends of the platform, eyeing each other warily. Crimson’s charm bracelet was excusable, but he had had high hopes that Foggy would take off that terrible necklace of hers, for once. It tended to upset some of the more… delicate kids. Peeeeeep peeeeeep A loud whistle made Bright’s attention snap back to what was happening in front of him. The train had finally arrived! He put his best ‘I’m a charming, brilliant, awesome, handsome stallion’ smile, and nudged Gybh with his back hoof. It. Was. Showtime! The sound of hooves clacking on wood alerted Bright to the fact more ponies had come up behind him. Good, good. The group leaders for the younger fillies and foals had arrived. Bright, Gybh, Crimson and Foggy would take the thirteen-to-seventeen year-olds, and the other group leaders would take the (usually smaller group of) eight-to-twelve year olds, who would be across the lake, and coming for a week only. The train slowed to a stop, and after a minute, the doors slid slowly open. A loud, chattering horde of children spilled out, like a tipped bucket of molasses. Bright Stream looked quickly over at Crimson, silently begging ‘do your thing!’. Thankfully, she nodded, and illuminated her horn. He knew what was coming, and clapped his hooves over his ears. Foggy, Gybh, and the other group leaders mirrored his action, and Crimson just grinned. “Welcome, Campers! We are pleased to receive you here at The Everfree Cutie Mark Camp! If you are here for the one-week stay, please find your way to the orange mare with the blue mane, or the green stallion with the pink mane. Let me repeat myself: if you are here for the one-week stay, please find your way to the orange mare with the blue mane, or the green stallion with the pink mane.” Crimson’s voice rang out loudly, startling most of the crowd of kids, and eliciting a few small shrieks. “Can the Campers here for the two week stay please find your way to me, the blue stallion with the green mane, the griffin, or the brown mare with the white mane. Let me say it again: if you are here for the two week stay, please find your way to me, the blue stallion with the green mane, the griffin, or the brown mare with the white mane.” The herd of fillies and foals slowly moved to their respective group leaders, levitating, dragging and pushing all manner of luggage along with them. Bright Stream gazed over the veritable sea of young ponies and halflings, a bit terrified, to be completely honest. This was a big group. He kept his smile on though. There was no excuse for not looking as good as he did. This was sure to be a great camp! I stepped off the train, dragging my suitcases behind me. Vig was just in front of me, carrying a comically large backpack, as well as a smaller one secured to the top of the larger one with rope. A loud voice boomed out, carrying over the crowd. There was definitely some startled ponies, and somepony shrieked, resulting in a few low giggles. I strained to hear above the idle chatter of the others, and the only thing I could catch was a snippet saying: “-griffin, or the brown mare with the white ma-“ I nudged Vig from behind, who looked just as confused as I felt. “What are we supposed to do?” She asked, her voice struggling to rise above the cacophony of others. “I think we’ve got to find a brown mare with a white mane.” I nearly shouted back. Vig craned her neck, searching for the mare. Finally she turned back to me and smiled, before setting off, wading through an endless sea of other ponies. “C’mon. She’s at the edge of the platform.” I nodded, and tried to follow her as best I could. The wooden planks beneath us must have had a thin layer of frost, because there was now a sheen of icy sludge covering the platform. I wished I had thought to wear my boots. There was more than one moment when somepony accidentally bumped or nudged me, and my hooves actually slid a few centimetres across the floor. It was a struggle to follow after Vig, but eventually the crowd thinned out and we were standing in a group of ponies (and those who were presumably half-ponies at least) around our age, and a bit older. In the middle of the group was a reddish-brown earth pony with a puffy, cloud-like white mane, and a cutie mark of a full moon rising over a wooded ridge. A tall tangerine-coloured mare with an electric blue mane began moving to the back of the platform, and down the steps there. A small-but-but-not-tiny group of younger children followed her. A washed-out-green coloured stallion with vibrant pink braids also led a group of fillies and foals, albeit a slightly larger one. Finally, with the two age groups separated, the gatherings of ponies around the adults broke apart, and a bright, shockingly turquoise-coated pegasus stallion with a darker, grey-green spiked mane stepped out to the back of the platform. He flared his wings, and slapped them loudly against his side to get our attention. He winced a little with each flap, but finally everyone was quiet and looking his way. “I, Bright Stream of the Everfree Cutie Mark Camp would like to officially welcome you to our humble campsite. So, Welcome Campers! I hope this is a fruitful and exciting camp for you all!” He declared. A few hesitant claps came from his audience, but for the most part everyone was silent. “Well. You aren’t the most talkative bunch! Let’s get to cabin arrangements. All of you have been assigned a cabin, and a group leader who will reside in the cabin with you. If you have any problems, talk to your group leader. Found a snake? Group leader. Wall fall off? Group leader. Having an emotional breakdown? We have a camp counsellor for that, but it’s always best to find your group leader first.” He chuckled a little. Still silence. Somepony coughed. “Aaaaand let me just introduce your group leaders! The brown earth pony mare is Foggy Bramble, she’s taking all of you in the Birch Cabin! The light pink unicorn over there with the black-and-red hair is Crimson Thorn! She’ll be with all of you in the Mahogany Cabin! The Griffin is Gybh, and I assure you, she is perfectly capable of helping you in the pursuit of a cutie mark, despite not possessing one herself! She’s the group leader for the Palm Cabin! And last, but certainly not least, is ME! I am Bright Stream, and all of you in the Oak Cabin will be in my glorious presence for the next two weeks!” Twilight help us, we were going to be stuck with this narcissist all camp. At least I didn’t think I was in the Oak Cabin. Tartarus if I knew.