11. Camping!
Soarin was a tough stallion to nail down sometimes. His work schedule had him running all over the place during the day. It was usually easier to catch him after hours because he would be at the gym.
I was too excited to wait, though. The Royal Navy had an office building on the east side of Canterlot near the airship docks. That is where he worked. Usually, anyway.
It was a busy place but I had no idea what they did. There weren’t any ships in Canterlot for obvious reasons and it wasn’t like airships came and went all the time, yet the Navy ponies were scrambling around constantly.
I went to the front desk where a green earth mare sat. She was in a simple brown uniform.
“Hi!” I said.
“Hello, how may I help you?” she asked, her tone all professional.
“I’d like to see Lieutenant Soarin, please.”
She turned, opened a small box, and started flipping through cards. “Alright, is he expecting you?”
“Nope! It is a total surprise!”
Her hooves stopped and she looked over at me. “So you don’t have an appointment?”
My ears fell a little but I grinned wide. “If I had an appointment it wouldn’t be a surprise!” I wiggled my forehooves. “Surprise!”
She didn’t even smile. Not a little. “I see. Usually ponies have appointments.” She went back to the cards and finally found one. “Does he know you?”
Did he know me? Oh yeah, he knew me intimately. Every bit of me! She probably would say that ponies needed an appointment for that, too. Hmm, snarky probably wouldn’t work here. So… “Yes, ma’am! We’re close friends,” I chimed.
“I see. Well, why don’t you have a seat and I’ll send a sailor to go get him.”
There were no seats. We were in a foyer with nothing but her desk. “Oh… alright.” I looked around, shrugged, and sat down in front of her desk. Then I rested my chin on it and stared at her.
She rolled her eyes, stood up, and stuck her head into the door behind her. After a brief conversation with somepony that was out of sight, she sat back down.
I guess I’d just wait, then.
☼
Soarin was an extremely respectable pony when he was at work. He wore a cute little white uniform, sat in a chair, and gave orders to other ponies. It was adorable.
He even had a secretary! Can you imagine that? Some sailor pony that had to do what he said.
That wasn’t the Soarin I knew. In bed, he was more of an equal and sometimes he let me take over. And by let, I mean I pushed him over and took charge!
Today he was busy, though. Stamp this, sign that, talk to this pony, talk to that pony. He’d been surprised to see me! Surprise!
“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting that long, Sunny. What’s up?” he asked as he shooed the last pony out of his office and closed the door.
“My friends and I are going on a big camping trip. I thought you’d like to come along. You and I could share a tent and scare the animals away.”
Soarin laughed softly, his face turning bright red. It really contrasted his uniform. He waved a hoof. “Shhh. I’d love to. When?”
“This weekend! Surprise!”
His ears fell. “This weekend? I’m not going to be in town this weekend. I have to fly to Cloudsdale for a Wonderbolts course. Honestly, I’d skip it if I could but this is a big deal for me. Some of the retired officers work with hopefuls. It is pretty exclusive.”
I waved a hoof at him. “Don’t worry about it! You should totally do that. We can go camping again sometime. Or we could do something else. Like not camping. I just thought I’d ask.”
“I appreciate that. Next time, then?”
“Next time!” I replied and then whispered. “So… ever fool around at work?”
Soarin sputtered, “What? No! That would get me in trouble.” He set a hoof on my forehead. “You’re a bad influence.”
“Yeah I am! I’ll see you when I get back. Take care. And good luck!”
“Thanks. You, too,” he replied.
Oh well, no adult happy fun times while camping. Unless Strong Wing… no… right? Maybe!
☼
The break room was a chorus of laughing mares. They were all laughing at me too.
Dolly was in tears actually and had settled back on her rump.
“What?” I asked.
Pink Pearls peered at me. “Do you understand what camping is, sweetie?”
“Yeah… go out into the woods, sleep in a tent. The end.”
Emerald motioned to me. “And you need all of this, for that?”
“Maybe?” For our camping trip I’d gone to the Equestrian Army surplus store to be sure I had the right gear. I mean, who knows camping better than soldier ponies? I’d gotten a rugged saddlebag, a hatchet, a pick axe, a parka, a bedroll, a sleeping bag, a first aid kit, boots, a flannel bandana, and a helmet. Hey, branches fall!
Plus I’d gotten something the guy at the counter called web gear to attach everything to me for easy access.
Dolly sucked in a breath before fanning her face. It looked like she was going to calm down. “She’s just…” She snerked. “Filly scout!”
The others laughed again.
“Hello?” That was Melody’s voice from the main bar. I knew she’d appreciate my outfit.
Emerald looked to the door. “Break room, come on back!”
Melody came through the door. “I was wondering where everypon—woah!”
I posed for her. The laughter bubbled over again. Dolly lost it. Melody didn’t laugh, though.
“Well, Sunny, I see you’re more than ready to go,” she said.
I glared triumphantly at all of my coworkers. “I am!”
“Great, well, let’s get going. See you all later!”
Dolly waved a hoof. She couldn’t talk.
Pearls winked. “Good luck!”
When we got outside, Melody peered over at me. “You look like a misfit mountain pony.”
My ears drooped a bit under my helmet. “This isn’t right?”
“Most of it is. Why the helmet?”
“Falling branches?”
“Good thinking. Come on, let’s go meet Strong and we’ll head out.”
☼
Oh sweet Celestia, how far away were we going? We took the train down Alicorn Spire and then started hiking north. Hiking! Me, hiking, with all of this gear. We must have gone a hundred kilometers.
Strong Wing looked around and smiled. “That should be about far enough, don’t you think Melody?”
“Sixteen klicks? Yeah. That is far enough from the train station to really put it all behind us,” Melody replied.
Only sixteen?! No. No way. I galloped ten kilometers at least three times a week to keep in shape! Of course, I did that on a treadmill, inside, without gear.
It was very forest-y, though. Canterlot was pretty far away since it was so high up on the mountain and we were at the base. It really did feel like wilderness.
“Alright, then. That glen up ahead looks like a decent spot to make camp. What do you think, Sunny?” Strong asked me.
What’s a glen? How far up ahead? Why wasn’t this spot of dirt just as good? “Uh… not really an expert. A glen sounds fine?”
Melody giggled a bit and nodded. “Yup, the glen.”
Thankfully, it wasn’t too much further. Once we were there, Strong found a nice spot and started setting out the tents. While he did that, I trotted over to Melody and leaned close. “I have to use the fillies’ room. Where is the fillies’ room?”
Melody’s ears stood up and she laughed softly. With an exaggerated wave of her hoof she replied, “Anywhere you like that is two hundred meters from the camp. Find a bush, get comfortable.”
I blinked. “What? No. Aren’t there like… little outhouses?”
The mare’s lips twitched as she tried not to grin. “Sunny… no. Nopony has gone out into the wilderness to build little outhouses. We’re not at one of those fancy tourist campsites. This is a real experience!”
Oh… this experience was about to get real. My nose wrinkled and I nodded. “Okay… um, see you shortly!” I replied before trotting off towards a bunch of bushes. Camping was probably not going to be my thing.
☼
Melody and Strong Wing had done a really good job of setting up the camp. They’d brought one large tent that had a living area and three small sleeping bays. Each bay stuck off the main area and was big enough for one pony to sleep comfortably or two to be really friendly.
I didn’t mind the idea of really friendly at all. Plus I wouldn’t even have to go outside to sneak into one of their bays.
We also had a fire pit out front and some logs to sit on. At least once it got dark. For now, we’d left so early, it was still afternoon.
“So… what do we do?” I asked, looking around.
Strong’s head tilted. “What do you mean?”
“We did all the chores. Now we have free time. What do we do?”
“We admire nature. Enjoy the fact there aren’t any sounds from the city,” Melody explained.
“You’re saying we just sit here?”
“Not exactly,” Strong replied. “Listen to the wind in the trees. Feel the breeze on your coat. Smell the fresh air.”
I should have brought some magazines. I settled back on my log and closed my eyes. The air was pretty fresh. The breeze was also pretty nice. My ears perked as I listened to the wind.
The wind was weird. The trees creaked with the the motion and the leaves rustled. That wasn’t all, though. All together it kind of sounded like somepony yelling out in surprise.
“AHHH!”
“What the—” Melody gasped, looking up.
A yellow blur shot over the camp, crashed through several branches, and disappeared into the canopy of trees.
Strong Wing leaped up and took to the sky, following along behind. “Southwest, Melody,” he called down before shooting off in that direction.
“Okay!” Melody yelled and headed off in pursuit. I followed along behind her. I was curious and, honestly, didn’t want to be left alone in the woods. I had no idea which way Canterlot was.
We fought our way through the brush until we found where Strong was sitting at the base of a tree with an older colt. A yellow-coated, orange-maned pegasus colt. He looked a little shaken up.
“Is everything okay?” Melody asked.
Strong nodded. “Yup, our flyer here was just trying to be a bit more… creative than he should have been.”
“I was trying to do a rainboom,” the colt said.
“What is a rainboom?” I asked.
Strong waved a hoof. “It’s a trick. Mostly a myth. I’ve only heard of one pony ever doing it and I’m not even sure if that’s true.”
“It is true! Her name is Rainbow Dash and she did it when she was a filly. If she can do it, I can do it,” the colt exclaimed.
Melody said softly, “Sure. I believe that. Why don’t you let us take you back to camp for a bit? You can get some water and food and then fly back up to wherever you came down from.”
He shook his head. “No, thank you. I’m fine. I don’t want to be a burden.” He then stood up, wobbled, and fell over against Strong.
The stallion scooped the colt up, set him on his back, and started heading towards camp. “We’re royal guards. Consider it an order.”
“Yup! Say, do you have a name?” Melody added.
“Obsidian Sunrider. And thank you,” he replied, looking around at the three of us.
Our trip to camp was far less eventful other than when I walked through a spider's web and freaked out. The spider was pretty freaked out, too. She threw a fit!
“Maybe you shouldn’t build your web at eye level!” I shouted back at her as we went on.
Melody snickered. “She can’t understand you.”
“Oh, yes she can! Did you see that gesture she made with her legs? That was rude! It was lewd!”
Strong cleared his throat and looked back at Sunrider.
“Anyway… stickers, bubblegum, cake, and balloons!” I said.
Melody gave me a light shove and I grinned.
When we got to the camp, Strong settled Sunrider on a log and went to get him some water.
“Are you a royal guard?” the colt asked me.
I shook my head. “Nope, I just hang out with them. They’re awesome ponies.”
Strong set a canteen and a snack in front of Sunrider and started checking him over. “You should eat that. You look fine, but you shouldn’t push it.”
Sunrider nodded. “Thank you. Lucky you were all around, right? I hear there are timberwolves and smugglers in this forest.”
Timberwolves? Smugglers? What?! My eyes got big.
Melody’s brow arched and she hid a grin. “Oh yeah? Where did you hear that?”
“From this filly at school. She said it was in all of the newspapers.”
Strong chuckled and replied, “Well, if there are any we can handle them. Melody is quite the expert when it comes to magic and I’m really good with a staff.”
Seriously, were there really timberwolves?
Melody seemed to see my trepidation and looped her hoof around me. “Anyway, we’ll be fine. You’ll be fine, too. If Strong says you’re in good shape, you’ll be able to fly right out of here once you have some energy. Although maybe you shouldn’t try anymore acrobatics today?”
Strong nodded in agreement.
“Yes, ma’am. I think you’re right. Perhaps a day to rest or so!”
“Maybe a little longer and some more practice before going straight to a rainboom, alright?” Strong put in.
Sunrider smirked but nodded. “Alright.”
☼
Melody stood at the center of camp, softly humming. Currents of magic energy tingled along my coat as they were drawn towards her horn. They built there slowly, imperceptible to anypony but those in tune with them.
A circle appeared beneath her hooves and slowly began to spread out along the ground. Arcane symbols swirled around the perimeter, growing larger with each passing second.
The soft, soothing tune that Melody hummed continued until the entire campsite was contained. Then it all stopped. She looked over at me and winked, “There you go. If any timberwolves cross into the circle, assuming they even have the guts to, I’ll know immediately.”
“But I won’t! I’ll be asleep,” I replied.
Strong Wing chuckled at that and continued to softly stoke the campfire.
Melody sighed and shook her head. “Would you feel better if you slept with me tonight?”
“Yes! Yes, I would.”
“Okay, we’ll share my bay. That way you’ll be the second to know if timberwolves cross the perimeter.”
My eyes got bigger. She was kidding. She was kidding, right? Her ward would keep them out. Timberwolves feared magic or something like that.
Melody and Strong just laughed.
“Not funny! Timberwolves are real and they’re scary,” I said before nestling close to Melody.
Strong Wing nodded. “That is true. Although, to be honest, I’ve run into them before. They’re pretty easy to take apart if you keep your wits about you. Don’t worry, Sunny, we’ll keep you safe.”
“Easy for you two. I want my flank ungobbled, thank you very much.”
Strong chuckled and said, “I’ll keep your flank ungobbled, I swear. Now cheer up, you’ll be fine. Don’t let Sunrider’s little friend scare you.”
I snorted. “Sunrider got to fly out of here. I’d have to run and I don’t know which way to run.”
Strong got up and went to his pack. He rummaged in it and then pulled something out. It looked like a pendant.
“Here you go,” he said as he slipped it over my head. “This is a compass. Just head directly south and you’ll be fine. Keep going in the same direction.”
My magic illuminated the compass and brought it up to where I could see. I turned it this way and that but it always pointed north. Now I could get out of here if I had to. I smiled up at him. “Thank you! This is the best piece of jewelry I’ve ever received.”
He winked at me. “It isn’t a marriage proposal. Now, if we can just get back to—” His ear wiggled. “Hmm.”
“Hmm what?” I frowned. “What hmm!”
Melody shushed me and tilted her head. I did, too.
There was the faintest sound of hoofsteps in the woods. At least I assumed it was hoofsteps. It didn’t sound like timberwolf steps. Although I had no idea what those sounded like.
“It’s a little late to be hiking but, to each their own I guess,” Strong said.
Melody nodded but then looked off in the direction of the steps. “What if they’re lost? Or what if it is Sunrider again?”
“Yeah… you want to go investigate, don’t you?” he replied.
“I do want to make detective sooner or later. Come on, it will be an adventure. Like a snipe hunt!”
I looked from stallion to mare and then shivered. “You want to go off in the dark? Away from the tent and the fire and the ward and other things?”
Melody peered at me. “Yes? You can stay here, though. You’ll be perfectly safe. I promise.”
Stay here? Alone? Was she kidding?! “Nope! I’m coming with you. Let me get my helmet.”
Strong snorted and laughed, but I was serious. If I was wandering around in the dark, I was wearing a helmet. Especially with that angry spider out there. She was probably still cross with me.
If you are enjoying this story, please consider taking a look at Crystal and my's website QuillnBlade.com for extra content such as mini stories, an Ask Us form to submit questions, responses to said questions, and special rewards for the awesome folks who support our Patreon.
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Yay update!
Them spiders are foul mouthed creatures
Spider confirmed for new main character of Anzel's stories
Nice entrance.
Thy flank is whole and ungobbled! For now.
Generally speaking, I highly approve of this response to being told to sit when there's no seating in the room.
Also, Sunny's coworkers are a bunch of philistines, she sounds reasonably well prepared to me.
So yeah, pretty much just sitting there. I think camping may not be for me, either.
Pegasi, always just a little bit unpredictable. Definitely would make camping different if you never know when someone might drop in like that.
I'm suspicious about these rumored timberwolves!
And here I would have thought Sunny would be entirely in favor of the right sort of flank gobbling.
I'm really suspicious about those footsteps in the night.
Camping trips are not your thing Sunny, spiders will complain, now go burn Perennial.
Camping! Yay! They're going to run into smugglers, aren't they?
Yep, Sunny is the most ridiculous mare ever, and that's why we love her.
...Okay, maybe not the most ridiculous (Lovey Dovey exists after all), but she is pretty crazy.
Also, the law of conservation of detail says Sunny will need all of this equipment before the trip is done. On the other hand, though, it could just be for comedy. At this point, I'm not sure which I should expect from you...
Silly Melody, the whole point of camping is that you get to burn things. Now go make a fire and start shoving random shit in it to see what happens.
Oh, that imagery, Anzel, that imagery!
I cracked up for endless minutes and made my friends wonder about my sanity. Sunny... I love it!
P.S. You should have had another pony witness that and crack up too.
6916946
"And this thing-"
"What is that?!"
"We've never been able to figure that out. But it burns the prettiest shade of purple!"
Yay update. and lol Of course sunny would go all out and go complete Greardo. And of course being the only one who would get into a fight with a spider. Which is hilarious by the way. Im curious as to who would be sneaking up on them. A sneaksbe i bet. Anyway cant wait for the next chapter-
6918191
Haha! Reminds me of when my granddad had me and my cousin convinced he was a wizard, because he put a chunk of copper screen in the fireplace and it all burned green!
I love sunny shenanigans. These ponies are so much fun.
I'll admit that references to canon sort of throw me for a loop
Here I am, reading about sunny, and suddenly a wild rainbow dash reference appears!
Not complaining, mind you. Just pointing out because I want to
6918191 Hm, I'm not sure I ever managed to make anything burn purple, but I remember making green flames on most of my trips.
6915591 Yes indeed ^_^ I try to offer two a week!
6915618 Oh totally, you should have heard what this one said.
6915679 Spider, the mini-fiction.
Spider: Dear diary, you'll never believe what happened today. This evil pony walked through my web! She yelled at me! I shook my legs at her in anger.
6915795 Agreed on both accounts. Had to throw that little nod in there ;)
6915825
Me too. Plus it seemed exactly like something Sunny would do.
I'm not much of a fan. The years of boyscouts didn't stick.
Well the RIGHT sort, sure, sure.
6915946 Clearly not her thing.
6916335 Giant spiders actually!
6916586 You never know what I'm going to do. *flails*
6916946 That was actually my camping experience too. Burn things and make "spears."
6918191 Yeah... I was a little proud of that too. Honestly.
6918214 Sunny doesn't go half way! She is "all the way Day" after all!
6918766 +5 internet points! (Half to your granddad who is clearly awesome)
6918910 Ah yes, some facts remain unchanged ;) some facts... a few... like three.