//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Camp Equestria // by mojomcm //------------------------------// Pinkemena “Pinkie” Pie was officially the craziest girl that Twilight had ever met, though that wasn’t really saying much. She hadn't really met anyone who was very crazy before. Twilight frowned as she saw where the pink-haired girl was taking her. “Why do you have a city hall in the middle of camp?” Pinkie stared at Twilight before she giggled, “Duh! In case of a city hall emergency! I’d really hate to be around during one of those without a city hall.” Twilight decided not to ask, partially because it would lead nowhere, and partially because her pet iguana, Spike spoke up. “Can’t you let me sleep ten more minutes, Sparkle?” This would have been an entirely normal occurrence, were it not that iguanas could not talk. However, Spike was no ordinary iguana, nor was he even an iguana at all! Tiny, leathery wings were held tight against his sides and thin trails of smoke puffed out of his nostrils when he spoke. This made it very clear that Spike was a dragon, not an iguana. However, Twilight Sparkle did not know all this as she jumped at his voice and flung poor Spike from her shoulder where he was sitting. “Whoa! What gives, Twilight?!” Spike yelped, struggling to flap his wings to keep himself at the girl’s eyelevel. “’What gives’? ‘What gives’?!” Twilight was almost shouting. “You! You talk?! And you can fly! Since when could you fly?” Spike scratched his head while his scales shimmered before turning purple as the last of the illusion spells failed. “Always? You just never knew? At least, I think that’s what happened. I remember meeting your brother during his first year at camp. Shining had to promise not to let anyone know that I was a dragon, so he put several very elaborate disguise spells on me. I think. They weren’t very good; otherwise they wouldn’t have shattered when we got here. Shining was never really good at those. Shield spells were his forte.” Twilight gaped open-mouthed at Spike, although she had already done so far too many times. “So all this time…YOU COULD TALK?!” The force of her outburst was so strong that it shoved both Spike and Pinkie Pie, who had the unfortunate luck to be standing behind the dragon, back a few feet. “Yes!” Spike dared not chuckle at the violet-haired girl. He sighed as he landed back on Twilight’s shoulder, the latter not moving in shock. “Now can we please stop yelling at me? I need my beauty sleep.” Twilight nodded mutely before Pinkie giggled and grabbed her wrist and ran into the city hall. Inside, there were only two people; a graying woman who could only be the “mayor” of Ponyville (at least, in Pinkie’s mind), and a beautiful pale girl with curly purple hair. The second drew Spike’s attention almost instantly, causing him to forget all about his lack of sleep. Pinkie walked up to the pair, “Hiya, Rarity, hiya Mayor Mare! Guess who I brought! Guess, guess, guess! It’s Twilight Sparkle, and she’s a new camper! Don't you think that's great? I certainly do! Know why? Because I get to throw her a ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party! Cool, huh? Problem is, Twi—can I call you ‘Twi’?—doesn’t have a cabin yet, so can you help us, hmmm?” Mayor Mare nodded slowly as she processed all Pinkie Pie had said, “Yes, yes, I think I can help.” “Great!” “I just need to see your cutie mark to know where to put you,” the mayor finished. "'Cutie mark'?" Pinkie frowned, “Hey, you’re right! What is your cutie mark, Twi?” Twilight frowned as the three others looked at her expectantly. “I…uh…I don’t know what a ‘cutie mark’ is.” Rarity gasped, “You don’t even know what a cutie mark is? That has got to be the. Worst. Possible. Thing!” With that, she pretended to faint back onto an expertly placed fainting couch. Pinkie giggled, “Rarity, you’re such a drama queen!” “Why, thank you, my dear! I certainly try.” Mayor Mare sighed at the girls’ antics. “One’s cutie mark is a symbol of their destiny. It appears when that person realizes who they are and what they are meant to do.” She held out her hand, which had the image of a tied up scroll on the back. “My cutie mark symbolizes my destiny as a mayor in Ponyville.” Pinkie grinned and showed Twilight her cutie mark of three balloons. “Mine tells me that I like to party!” Rarity sat up on her couch as she showed off her cutie mark of three diamonds, “I’m a fashonista dressmaker because that’s what my cutie mark means.” Twilight nodded, “Okay, but I still don’t have a cutie mark.” Mayor Mare smiled. “I can give you a list of the cabins that have room in them, and you can stay in whichever you fit in best.” Pinkie giggled excitedly, “Ohmygoshomigoshomegosh! I can help you move in!” “Really?” Twilight smiled at the energetic girl. “You know you don’t have to.” “But of course, darling!” Rarity said. “You’re our friend, so we’ve got to help you. Besides, I cannot possibly allow you to wear such atrocious clothing—if you can even call it that.” “Huh? It’s just a tee-shirt and jeans!” “My point exactly.” Twilight rolled her eyes as Mayor Mare handed her a scroll—Really? This isn't the sixteenth century!—that had a list of the cabins that had at least one empty bed in them. Carousel Boutique Sugarcube Corner Sweet Apple Acres Quills and Sofas The Day Spa The Everfree Cottage The Schoolhouse The Crusader Clubhouse Golden Oak Library Twilight thought one thing as she studied the list. Boy, do these cabins have some strange names.