Ponies Discover /CO/

by SlyWit

Act II

“Alright everyone, listen up!” Widening her stance, Twilight had a skill of commanding attention when she projected her voice. Some lessons from watching the queen were invaluable to her. “Ponyville needs our help. The fae side of the forest is, at the least, an overnight march up the river.”

The ponies began, one by one, to turn their attention to Twilight. Applejack had shifted her hat back to see, even if she hadn’t gotten up. Rainbow and Pinkie had merely to turn. Rarity, who had recovered consciousness some time ago, if not footing, rolled to her hooves and shook herself.

“Pack pro—” A shuffling of Fluttershy’s cardboard box interrupted her. Clearing her throat, Twilight began again. “Pack prov—”

The box rustled and bumped, again. Twilight’s shoulders slumped as she watched the box continue to bump and slide, inch by slow inch, until the handhold lined up for a view and Fluttershy’s eyes peeked out see.

“Pack provisions, please. I’ll need all my friends for this.”

A procession of ponies filed for the door, Rainbow Dash swooping under the low door frame, followed by Applejack’s determined trot. Four yellow legs sprouted from the bottom of the box and Fluttershy toddled for the door.

“Am I going to find out what happened in the room back there?” Spike, while young, had developed sensitivity to Twilight’s moods through experience. As they walked back to the library, he couldn’t help seeing her slumped shoulders. Not to mention, he’d have asked anyways, from sheer curiosity after seeing half the ponies on the floor.

“I’m afraid not, Spike. I’ve got a lot on my mind right now, and I can’t even begin to think how I would explain things to an adult dragon, let alone a baby one.”

“We all do embarrassing things at Pinkie parties, it’s alright.” He lifted a scaled hand to pat her mane.

“What?” Twilight looked back in confusion. “Oh, never mind. I’m going to need a few things, Spike. My letter to Celestia is already two weeks late, and I can’t let this trip delay it. Pack the ink and paper carefully; I should have something to send when I get back.”

“Sure thing,” Spike pulled out his the packing checklist and made notes.

Twilight stood at the town’s edge, packed and ready. Her clipboard and pin hovered in front of her with magical energy. The act of organizing for the trip had calmed her nerve. From making lists, compiling supplies, and seeing every box with a beautiful check, nothing better than organization to remove stress. Perhaps a little camping trip would be what everyone needed.

The sound of a steady hoof beat caught her ear and she peaked over her clipboard. Applejack approached with two full saddlebags. Checking over the list, she ticked off one box. AJ, early as expected.

“Good afternoon,” Twilight shifted the hovering board to the side and smiled to her friend.

“Howdy,” A few more paces and Applejack delivered a hug to her friend, utilizing her neck and one hoof.

“Umm, happy to see you?” Twilight raised an eyebrow in a mixture of surprise and curiosity.

“You too, sugarcube.”

“Having to go hiking now isn’t going to bother you, is it? I know the planting is not done.”

“It’s not a problem. Big Mac said he’s going to show AppleBloom a thing or two about plantin’ while I’m away.”

“Okay, but what’s with the face?”

“W-what face?” Applejack’s eyes darted to the side. “I ain’t makin’ no face.”

“That’s kind of the point. You look kind of . . . blank. It’s starting to appear a little creepy.”

“Oh, h-how do I make it less jeepers peepers?”

“Maybe a . . . smile?”

“Woo, woo!” Pinkie’s loud, never ceasing voice called out and Twilight made a quick check to her clipboard. Never could tell when she’d arrive, so her name was dead center on the list.

“Hey, guys!” She bounced until she was close and then merely bounced in place. “Ohmigosh, I’m so excited to go on this trip! A camping party, what could be more fun? We’ll have smores and clear water and sing marching songs and—” Pinkie caught sight of Applejack’s grinning, staring blank-face. “Ahhh!” Her bounce sent her backwards to her rump before she began to giggle uncontrollably. “Got me, AJ! Ha, ha, hee, hee! That was a good one!”

Catching a glimpse of Applejack, Twilight grimaced. “Actually, go back. Smiling makes it look far worse.”

With a nervous bite of her lip, she resumed a more serious, expressionless mask.

“Yoohoo!” Rarity’s controlled voice came from not a great distance away as she approached the two friends in a graceful trot. “I do apologize for this fashionable lateness, I had a great deal more to pack than I anticipated and lost all track of time.”

“It’s alright, Rarity.” Pinkie said, still giggling. “You still beat out Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.”

“Actually,” A hushed voice came from behind the pink pony. “I’ve been here awhile.”

Twilight peeked over Pinkie and found a small, brown box that looked oddly familiar. Her pen and checklist clattered on the ground. “Oh . . . great.”

“Oh, Fluttershy.” Pinkie stood back on her hooves. “You are the best at Hide and Seek. Can I go next?”

“Umm, I’m not playing Hide and Seek, Pinkie . . . But I am hiding.”

Twilight approached the box after making a quick tick and a note for all the ponies present. “Fluttershy, you can’t stay in that box forever.”

“Oh, of course not, Twilight, I know that. After this trip, I’ll get a new box.”

Twilight nearly bruised herself with how hard she facehoof’d. “At least tell me you can walk.”

In response, the box raised on four meek, yellow legs.

“For this trip, I suppose it’ll do.” She collected her clipboard and checked over her list. Only Rainbow Dash left. At least, that was as expected.

After only a few minutes, Pinkie had already convinced someone to play tic-tac-toe, despite the fact that Pinkie’s skill was impossible to beat. Fluttershy had accepted and somehow manipulated a stick out the handle-hole to mark down X’s.

“Rainbow Dash is later than normal.” Rarity chimed in. As poised and elegant as she was, she could still be prone to getting antsy.

“Speak of the devil,” Applejack said. “Or next best thing to ‘em. Howdy, Rainbow Dash.”

Curving in a slow arc down, Rainbow Dash banked casually and brought herself up to the group before landing. “Everyone ready to go?”

Twilight only just marked off the last check and set the clipboard in her bag when she had a strange feeling about the pegasus. She leaned in slightly and studied Dash from hoof to head. “Is something different about you today?”

“W-why’d you say that?” Rainbow leaned back, raising one forelimb in agitation.

“Oh, Celestia!” Rarity’s pupils dilated from shock. “You’ve brushed your mane!”

“Yes,” Dash pounced on answering before thinking it through. “No! . . . Maybe?”

“Why’d ya brush your hair before a camp out?” Applejack stepped forward with her blank, staring face.

Rainbow Dash backed off both fore limbs and on to her haunches, staring at Applejack in startled confusion.

“You look great, Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie sprang up to her feet, bouncing in anticipation.

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. Pinkie’s interference would at least save her the trouble of asking or explaining between the two tom-boys. “That’s enough for surprises today.”

“Aww . . .”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Except yours, I at least expect Pinkie surprises.”

“Yay!”

“Rarity,” A purple glow hovered a map in the white pony’s direction. “I’ll need you to pick a camping spot to pitch tents. You’re attention to detail is what we need. As for the rest,” She turned toward the river and shook out her mane, a smile gracing her lips. “We’re off. Hopefully, by this time tomorrow, we’ll have a deal struck with the Fae.”

Twilight took the lead, setting a steady pace for the troop, and each one began to file behind her. Applejack followed next and Rainbow Dash hovered lazily back and forth, occasionally flying up high for a better view. Rarity followed behind Applejack, and a short little box on four legs took up the rear. Pinkie Pie sporadically moved up and back in short bursts as she paused between ideas.

“Do you think this makes us a party like those people that go on huge adventures to fight ancient evils? I mean we already did that once when we went to see Black Snooty but I didn’t think about how we were a party. It’s important because I never threw a party party before and I’m not sure what those are like--That means I get to make it up . . .” And so on and on she went. Twilight found that as long as she nodded on occasion, she didn’t have to distract herself from navigating without the map. Not that it was hard to follow a river.

A few moments in, Applejack pulled out her rope, which she turned into lasso with a practiced speed. “What’d ya think I can hit, missy?” She asked Pinkie.

“Ooh,” Pinkie pranced up and took Applejack’s hat in her mouth. With a flick of her neck, she tossed it high in the air. “Get that!”

Just before the cap hit the ground, the lasso snatched it out of the air and landed it perfectly back on Applejack’s head. “Easy as pie.”

“Easy as me?” Pinkie giggled. “Ooh!” Her eyes lit up and she picked another target.

Rainbow Dash hovered back down to earth after soaring restlessly, and gave her legs something to do. She had only just started walking when she noticed Rarity looking over her shoulder at her.

“Darling, would you mind walking in front of me?”

Dash paused her step just as a box bumped into her.

“Sorry.” The box waddled on around.

“What do you mean, walk in front of you?”

“It’s just a simple request.” Rarity nonchalantly tossed back her mane

“And why are you requesting it?” Dash’s eyes narrowed.

“It’s just awkward, is all.”

Dash narrowed her eyes further.

“Back there . . . watching . . . It just makes me a little uncomfortable, surely you can respect that?”

“Just what are you trying to imply?”

Twilight felt a tap on her flank and turned to see Applejack had poked her by tossing the lasso.

“What is it?”

Applejack gestured with her neck.

“Your . . . neck hurts?”

Applejack gestured harder with a snort of frustration.

“I really don’t understand what you’re trying to get at with that,” She gestured with a hoof. “Lack of expression.”

Applejack sighed, letting the mask slip only just. “Rarity and Dash are falling behind.”

“Oh!” She turned the troop around to find Rainbow Dash sitting and leveling a gaze at Rarity who laughed nervously. “What’s this about?”

“Oh, it’s nothing, it really is. Just a misunderstanding is all.”

“She,” Rainbow Dash pointed an accusatory hoof. “is afraid to let me walk behind her.”

Twilight looked between the two. “I don’t understand.”

“I’ll let you walk behind me the whole way, Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie sprang up excited.

Dash’s brow rose with worry lines. “Not when you say it like that, Pinkie.”

Twilight looked back and forth, not comprehending.

Applejack tapped Twilight on the shoulder with her nose. “We shouldn’t make a big barn for a little hay. Celestia ain’t keeping up the sun forever.”

Twilight nodded and turned back to the path. “Just put it on hold, you two.” She said, trotting away. “Can’t delay for this.”

For a long moment, it appeared Dash’s stubbornness would win out, but at the last instant, she got up and trotted in front of Rarity, tail and nose high in contempt. Rarity breathed out in relief. From out of her bag, she pulled out a roll of paper and a pin. With a smile of excitement she began to write as she walked, using the magic of her horn.

“Uh oh,” Cresting a hill, Twilight halted her progress. Behind her, she heard the thud of a cardboard box, yelp of Rarity, and another apology from Fluttershy. But in front she found a problem. The founders of Ponyville had cut through a hill to guide the river, many years ago. Since then, the hill partially collapsed. While the river’s current kept the water clear, the path on either side was obstructed by a steep dirt mound, speckled dangerously with rocks. “Hmm, this was not on the map.”

Applejack brought the lasso to her side. “Musta been that doozy of a downpour. Made a mudslide over the old path.”

Rainbow Dash took to her wings. “We can still make it over.”

Before Twilight could point out how the rest might have a pair of reasons to not fare as well in that as Dash, Applejack spoke again. “I actually agree, this time. I think if I make it up there, I can use the rope to help the rest of y’all.”

“I could fly it!” Just as Rainbow Dash grabbed the rope to zoom away, Applejack snatched the rainbow tail with her mouth and stopped Dash cold. “This is somethin’ for me, sugarcube.” She managed to get out with closed teeth only to realize her eyes followed Dash’s tail right up to—Applejack spit out the tail.

“Ahh!” The sudden loss of tension sent Dash out of control and she crashed right into the dirt. She pulled her head out and screamed in horror. “My mane!”

“S-sorry about that!”

Dash zoomed off and out of sight, leaving every pony staring at her wake puzzled. After a minute, Twilight turned back to Applejack. “It is probably safest to let Dash take up the rope first.”

“No, sir-ee.” Applejack shook her head. “I got this one.” She took up her lasso and bundled it in her mouth while tying one end to her tail. “Just bring up the bag with ya.” She said while shrugging off her packs.

There was no point in arguing with Applejack once she dedicated herself to a task. “The sooner, the better.” Twilight muttered and the group watched as the cowpony approached the foot of the hill. The masked expression she had been wearing changed for a look of determination. Gaining speed with a gallop, she went full tilt up the loose dirt. Using rocks for sure ground, she bounded from foothold to foothold.

“Go Applejack! Whoooooo!” Pinkie cheered a popcorn tin mysteriously in her hooves. Twilight gave that fact a fleeting thought before she heard a pile of dirt begin to slide.

“Whoa!” A rock fell loose under AJ’s weight and the dirt offered no safe haven for her footing. In an instant, Twilight’s horn glowed purple, channeling magical energies. But Applejack avoided the tumble. A flick of her tail and her lasso whirled, another flick and it shot out, catching an intact tree. Pinching the rope tight in her mouth, she used the momentum of galloping downhill to swing herself and run up the side until her arc reached the top.

Pinkie gasped in delight. “That was apple-nificant, apple-some, apple-mazing, apple . . . great?”

Trotting up to the summit, she threw the rope down to the bottom and strutted in a pose. “HA! Who’s the silly pony, now?”

Pinkie laughed and began to sing. “You is, Applejack!”

“Hmm,” Twilight’s eyes narrowed. Gathering the saddlebag with magic, she attempted to lift it only to find it stayed roughly on the ground. “Hmm,” She said louder and began to unpack the bag. “Spare lasso, harmonica,” Each item floated into the air via her telekinesis. “Helmet, jump ropes, belay, mountain climbing horseshoes, harness, WEIGHTS?! APPLEJACK!”

“What?”

“What’s this?”

The response came weakly and she casually kicked at the dirt. “Training . . . stuff.”

“AJ! You were supposed to pack food!”

“No I weren’t! I just normally pack food ‘cause I bake better than most. No pony ever said I had to!”

“But I was counting on it!” Twilight’s belly began to rumble with the thought of missing those sweet applefritters.

“And I’m countin’ on Pinkie to have packed food. She always does, too.”

“That’s right!” When Pinkie moved, something unexplainable happened. One moment she was next to Rarity, the next step and she stood next to Twilight. “I brought lots of s’mores supplies! Grahams, chocolates and MARSHMALLOWS!” Scooping both hooves into her pack, she threw up a volley of white puffs that bounced across every ponies in a fluffy rainstorm. “Marshmallows everywhere!” She picked up her tin. “Oh, and popcorn. But I had only enough for one show.”

“O-o-oh,” Twilight groaned with hunger pains. Concentrating to control her anger, she sent up AJ’s pack, one item at the time.

Using the rope and a little magical push from Twilight, every pony made their way up the top and down the other side. Dash returned just in time to scoop up Fluttershy’s box (which squeaked in surprise and kicked helplessly in the air).

As Dash set Fluttershy down, Twilight gave her a glare from head to hoof, chewing slowly on a marshmallow.

“W-what?” Dash’s cheeks grew rosy.

“Don’t mind Twilight, her grumpy face just matches her grumpy belly!” Pinkie came bouncing forward. “You cleaned up and,” She gasped in excitement. “I love that pink hair clip!”

“Rainbow Dash,” Rarity cantered forwards and gave her a measuring look. “Wearing a hairclip of her own choice? Stars and moon, has the world come to an end?”

“Y-you don’t have to make such a big deal of it.” The pegasus’ wings curled close to her body and she turned away from Rarity.

“I-I think it looks nice, Rainbow Dash.” Fluttershy’s voice came from down below.

Dash stood unconvinced. “I’m over here.”

The box turned and reoriented itself. “I think it looks nice, Rainbow Dash.”

“Ugh! Can’t a pony just clean up a little and not be made into a side show.” Her wings prepped for launch.

“Wait, darling, wait.” Rarity’s horn glowed blue and the hairclip adjusted its angle. “You look simply lovely, dear.”

Slowly, Rainbow Dash’s wings returned to rest. Without looking her in the eyes, Dash mutter. “Thanks, Rarity.”

“Welp, folks,” Applejack pulled her jump rope from her pack and began to adjust the leads in her mouth. “Sun’ll be settin’ soon. Better get to a campsite.”

Silently, Twilight swallowed her marshmallow and left at full trot.

The sun continued its low descent, casting long shadows over the trees and hills on their journey. As half of Celestia’s orb crested the horizon, Twilight’s thoughts turned to their provisions. The trot worked out her nerves, even if her stomach continued to rumble with hunger. “Rarity, how far until the campsite?”

Her eyes widened in fear. “Oh dear, the campsite!” Telekinetically, she snatched out the map and poured over it as she walked.

Twilight slowed her pace. Looking over her shoulder, she made room for Rarity to move beside her, the pale pony’s eyes on the map. “Rarity, have you picked one?”

“I’m afraid not, dear.”

“What were you doing earlier today with that pin and paper?”

“Writing a guide.” Rarity said absentmindedly.

“A guide?” Twilight raised a single brow. “A guide for what?”

Rarity folded the map to think, and then put it away and brought forth a rolled up piece of paper. Unfastening the band, she unrolled it. And kept unrolling it. And unrolling it. “Do you remember that promising, but flawed artwork that Pinkie showed us? All those errors on it, just the thought of more work like that coming out has preoccupied my mind for some time. Therefore, I am making this guide for all their future art if they wish to depict me. With Pinkie’s help, maybe I can get this in their conversations.”

Twilight leaned over and scanned through a few rules. She skipped over the bulletin points on how to depict her hair with excruciating accuracy, and settled on the fashion section. “No winter fashion after Winter Wrap Up?”

“By that time, winter fashion has grown stale. They should concentrate on spring colors.”

“No green under any circumstance?”

“Clashes with my tail and mane.”

“Saddles only if the setting is clearly a ball or gala?”

“I certainly do not want to appear so gosh as to over dress for a simple occasion.” She laughed politely.

“Rarity, how many rules are in this ‘guide?’”

“So far, six hundred and twenty four.”

“Six hundred and twenty four?!” Twilight skidded to a stop.

“So far.” Rarity corrected.

“Tarm-a-shum!” Applejack stopped and spit out the jump rope from her mouth. “Now I lost count. I was tryin’ to get to a thousand before we camped. Now, it’ll be too late before the sun goes down.” She took up the ropes again and started hopping forward as the group walked.

“Ahh, yes, the campsite.” Rarity lifted the map out of her pack and rolled up the scroll.

“Let me guess.” Twilight’s voice lost its humor. “You’ve been working on this guide the whole trip and are just now picking one out.”

Rarity folded up the sheet up, eyes wide in surprise. “How did you know?”

“I think there is a pattern emerging around here.” She glanced over her shoulder and saw Applejack grunting with exertion at each hop with the heavy pack. Pinkie Pie had somehow squeezed unobtrusively into the rope’s rotation and her natural bouncing-skip seemed perfectly in tune to dodge the rope each time. “Whoo! Whoo!”

Twilight groaned. “We’ll just camp at the foot of the next hill. We’ll run out of daylight if we go any farther. Please just tell me someone packed a tent?”

Applejack skidded to a stop and Pinkie Pie hopped on her back with a crash and a squeak of some toy. Thinking about the question, Applejack shook her head to Twilight. Pinkie added a cheerful, “Nope!” Dash sadly mimicked AJ’s answer and Fluttershy’s box remained quiet.

Twilight’s head drooped and she looked down at the dirt in front of her. “At least we’ll have Rarity’s winter clothes to sleep in.”

The fashionista laughed nervously.

“Oh, no!” She shot straight and pressed uncomfortably close to Rarity. “Not that, too! What did you pack, Rarity, what did you pack!?”

“Well, ha, ha . . .” Rarity avoided Twilight’s eyes. “I know the plight of the artist all too well, being one myself. I simply could not leave all my admirers with a simple guide and nothing else.” Unbuttoning her bag, she telekinetically pulled a long sheet of fabric. In rustle and quick blur, the fabric fastened around her, forming into a long flowing dress, complimented by ribbons and a tasteful hat. “So I brought with me inspiration!” Lifting a forelimb and rearhoof, she struck an elegant pose and held for several heartbeats.

Twilight stared with a mild look of insanity. Rarity cowered and began to fold the dress back into her bag.

Dash swooped down and slowly nudged Twilight. “I-I-I think it’s time to keep moving and settle for a camp.”

“I reckon I agree.” Applejack shrugged Pinkie Pie off her back (who fell into a Pinkie pile) and repacked her jump rope. “I think I can manage somethin’, Twilight.”

The purple pony stumbled into a walk from Dash’s nudging. “What do you mean, AJ?”

Applejack allowed herself a cocky smile. “Just leave it t’me.”

At the foot of the hill, Twilight focused on the map, replanning and organizing how to finish the trip, due to their limited supplies. Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy focused on composing a campfire. That was, until Fluttershy’s box caught a few sparks and she went running and shrieking in circles. Rainbow Dash pinned her and Rarity levitated a pale of water over the lapping flames. Shivering and smoke-scarred, Fluttershy refused to get out and rested by the fire until the heat dried the wilted cardboard.

Twilight only sighed. The clatter of Applejack to her back, she approached the fire to take one of Pinkie Pie’s s’mores.

“Pinkie,” Dash sat by the fire with a poker and marshmallow of her own, but looked off at the object Pinkie crafted. “the chocolate is on the outside. That’s not even a s’more anym—”

Pinkie opened her mouth and snatched the treat with her tongue. A treat which consisted of five full graham crackers, twelve chocolate squares and 32 marshmallows, only half melted in the fire, all shaped to resemble some geometrical anomaly. “What?” She said between smacking lips.

Rainbow Dash just laughed, rolling to her side.

“She does that,” Twilight sat down close by. “Do you mind passing me a s’more?”

With a free hoof, Pinkie handed over another concoction: two layers of chocolate and marshmallow under one pair of grahams. Twilight might have said something about the odd shape, but her hungry eyes just dazzled at the sight of food and she began to gobble the unique take on the camp favorite.

“And done!” Applejack trotted proudly to the fire. The party of ponies all turned their heads to the handiwork. Using supplies of Rarity and her own, Applejack used ropes and mountain climbing gear to stake down a frame, and Rarity’s fabric to construct a patchwork canvas. The end results were two pitched tents.

“That looks . . . awful.” Rainbow Dash hovered a few feet in the air and crossed her forelimbs. “Like a clothing store threw up on a sporting goods section.”

Rarity bit her lips and squeaked trying to contain the outburst from seeing all her fabrics brushing against the dirt.

“I ain’t makin’em pretty, Dash. I’m makin’ it so we don’t sleep under the stars next to the Everfree forest.”

“They’ll do.” Twilight swallowed her s’more.

Applejack joined the rest, greedily eating marshmallow after marshmallow. A powerful hunger gripped her after carrying a sack of weights, lassoing, running up a hill, and jump roping consecutively to near one thousand. After she ate to her satisfaction, she pulled out her harmonica. What initially started as a comfortable backdrop of music turned into something unholy as marshmallow gunked up the insides and Applejack tried progressively more complicated “harmonica solos.”

“I think we should call it a night.” Twilight stared at the fire. The steady diet of s’more started do strange things to her blood sugar, despite feeling still a bit hungry. To her great relief, the soloing stopped.

“Alright, sugarcube.” Applejack let out a big yawn. “I could use a couple extra winks anyhow.”

Rainbow Dash, ears now uncovered, darted to one of the tents and swooped inside. “I call this one!”

The rest went up the hill at their own pace. “Alright,” Twilight announced. “Two in the small tent with Dash, four in the big tent sounds best. Rarity, if you could go with Rainbow Dash."

“Oh, no!”

“Excuse me?” Twilight raised an eyebrow.

“I’m afraid that simply won’t do. All night, in a tent alone with Rainbow Dash? I certainly don’t want to give the darling such a temptation.”

“What?” Twilight’s voice turned sour.

“Ah,” Rarity exhaled and spoke softly. “Aren’t you just the least bit afraid of her . . . you know?”

She stared silently before moving on. “AJ, sounds like you’ll be with Dash.”

“I-I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“Don’t tell me for the same reason.”

“Well . . . yes.” Applejack moved to Twilight’s side and whispered in her ear. “If I go in that tent, I’ll just end up thinkin’ bout my nethers all night.”

Twilight recoiled as if slapped in the face. “First off, that’s more than I ever want to know about your nethers, second—”

“I’ll sleep with Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie bounced high in the air to announce, back legs sending her near end over end.

Dash’s head poked out of the covers of her tent, looking down her nose at the group in disbelief of what she just heard.

“I don’t mind!” She sprang again.

“No way.” Dash shook her head. “Pinkie talks and rolls around in her sleep.” She paused. “And it’d just be awkward after what she said.” Dash disappeared back into the tent

Pinkie continued to bounce with cheer, Dash’s response not bothering her in the slightest.

“What about Fluttershy?” Rarity looked over her shoulder at the flame kissed, wilted box.

Twilight shook her head. “I need the light to write a letter to Celestia, and Fluttershy will need the light to sleep.”

The box rustled with an affirmative.

“So . . . it looks like we’re all sharing one tent.” Twilight looked back at everyone: at the box, at bouncing Pinkie Pie, and at Rarity and Applejack. Her head drooped nearly to the floor.

Pinkie crashed hard. Almost as soon as she curled up, she started a soft, sighing sleep. The box filed to her side and the other three ponies bumped into each other for lack of room.

“Ow, hold still girls,” Twilight attempted to balance the lamp telekinetically.

“Sorry, Twilight,” Applejack did her best to hold still, but a gust of wind blew through the tent and a loose sleeve smacked her in the face. “Goshdarnit!” She shifted one leg and tripped Rarity as she tried to go around. Rarity cried out in distress and she stumbled toward Fluttershy. A sudden purple burst of energy stopped the white pony from crushing the box and turning the sensitive pony into a crying mess.

“Just . . . lay down. Please.”

To her surprise, Applejack and Rarity stretched out lengthwise in the tiny space left to them. Rarity made a horrible face to smell the sweat and dirt Applejack worked up through the day, but appeared to tolerate it for the time being.

“This might work out after all.” Twilight said aloud with a smile and hung the lantern up high.

Pulling her pen, ink, and blank letter from her saddlebag outside the tent, Twilight stared at the empty, daunting piece of paper.

Dear Tyr-

She blinked at what she wrote the full word coming like a whisper at the back of her mind. She scratched it out and began again.

Dear Princess Celestia,

When among friends, there comes times to make key decisions. I’ve found a democratic style of lea—

The pin stopped. The image of Celestia drowning Luna came floating back to her mind. She imagined herself in that place, chains holding down as she caught the last sight of the magnificent and terrible princess. She scratched out the letter and began again.

Friends rely on certain republican prin—

Twilight scratched out the paper in a panic.

Dictators—

“GAH!” She groaned out loud and threw the pin, ink, and letter back into her bag before throwing herself back and on to the make-shift bed of fancy fabric.

“Ow!” She banged into Applejack who kicked out with surprise. The kick shoved Rarity back into Pinkie, who remained asleep but rolled over the other direction, her hooves catching a rope. The rope jiggled and knocked loose the lamp. As the lamp began to fall, Applejack leaped out of bed and dove to catch the lantern and save the entire tent from a pile of broken glass. In the dive, she caught a loose sleeve and dragged the canvas with her. The ropes and stakes collapsed under her weight and the tent’s canvas, sticks and all folded in on itself.

Rarity gibbered in fright, Applejack rustled and thrashed to disentangle herself. Pinkie Pie started to mention oatmeal in a sleepy daze while Fluttershy contented to stay in her box. Twilight poked her head out of the rumples and glanced around. With a great groan she flopped to the ground, belly rumbling again, not satisfied on s’mores alone. “Everyone . . . just go to sleep. Tomorrow, we need to go into the Everfree Forest.”

Comments

[SlyWit]

326
Ahh yes. Sorry about that. I went ahead and expanded the description to hopefully give people a heads up about the references. Written for /co/, I certainly couldn't avoid addressing rule 34 in some way, and I hoped I handled it well, utilizing it for the humor more than the shock.

I just put up Act II, so, I hope the next part reads a bit easier now that you know what you're in for. I hope the fic will still be redeemable despite that taste in your mouth.

[Brony Tom]

341

It's cool, and I would still rate it a 5-star. I love the story, I just don't understand how people can like rule 34 ponies. *sigh*

Oh well, I'm off to read act II.