Chapter 1: Kicking off the Summer
Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock
The sounds of the clock on the wall were driving Scootaloo mad with anticipation. She knew it wouldn’t be much longer now. Only a few more minutes until she heard the sound that would signal her freedom. She glanced up at the clock, which read 3:27.
Come on, come on!, thought Scootaloo. Is it just me or is this clock going slower?!
She glanced to her right to see her friends. A yellow earth pony named Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, a white unicorn filly, both of whom were in a similar state of excitement. Despite trying to maintain a calm demeanor, Scootaloo could see Apple Bloom quietly tapping her hind hoof on the floor just under her desk. Behind her, Sweetie Belle had resorted to twirling a pencil in the air with her magic just to keep herself occupied. A glance across the entire room revealed that everypony in the room was trying their best to contain their excitement.
3:28. Frustrated by the pace of the clock, Scootaloo tried to calm herself down. She took a couple of deep breaths, closed her eyes, and counted to ten. She even checked her saddle bag to make sure everything was there. But alas, the anticipation would always come back by twofold.
She glanced up to see her teacher, Miss. Cheerilee, smiling back to the class. The magenta earth pony knew how excited the students would get around this time of the day. But today in particular was something everypony, herself included, looked forward too.
3:29. Almost there, just a few more seconds!
Everypony’s eyes were glued to the clock. A few were leaning over their desks. Their smiles slowly grew wider as anticipation grew. As the second hand reached the fifty mark, Scootaloo’s wings began to buzz in excitement.
Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick…
Time seemed to slow to a crawl. What felt like a whole minute was, in reality, nothing more than a second as everypony watched with bated breath.
...Tock, Drrrrriiinnnngggg!
Everypony in the room cheered and rushed towards the door at the sound of the final bell. Finally, summer vacation was here! No more early mornings, no more homework, no more dirty looks from Ms. Cheerilee because somepony put a fake spider in her desk drawer. Just three months worth of warm weather, picnics, relaxation, and quality time with friends. Scootaloo's mind was racing with the possibilities of what she and her friends could do as she galloped towards the school gate.
“Finally!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. “I thought that bell would never ring."
“I know right!?” Scootaloo replied. “I swear, I was about ready to jump right out the window and make a break for it if the stupid thing didn’t go off when it did! I wouldn't have bothered to open it either, just bust right through it and go."
“Somehow I doubt you would actually break through the glass.” Apple Bloom said skeptically. “I’m pretty sure Ms. Cheerilee had somepony reinforce the rest of the windows after that tetherball incident a few weeks back." Before the playground equipment was replaced, Snips and Snails were facing each other in a close game of tetherball. The last round almost shattered the record for the longest round in school. Instead though, something else was shattered.
“Oh yeah. I don’t think that escape would end well.” Sweetie Belle said. She and Apple Bloom giggled at the mental image of Scootaloo attempting to break out through a window, only to bounce right off of it.
“Hey, come on! You all have seen me with my scooter. If there’s anything I know for sure, it’s how to crash through something.” Scootaloo said matter-of-factly. Indeed, all three of them were well aware of her exploits and mishaps with her scooter. As adept as she was in clearing a ramp or grinding across a rail, she was also good at colliding into hay bales, carts, and Applejack’s market stall. After taking a moment to reflect on that, all three of them burst out laughing.
After taking a moment to catch their breath, Sweetie Belle asked the question that was on everypony’s mind. “So, what do you girls wanna do now?"
Before anyone could put forth any suggestions, they heard somepony say, “How about the lake?”
They all turned to find the source of the voice, Diamond Tiara, heading towards them with her best friend Silver Spoon next to her. “We were gonna head over there and have a little end of the school year celebration. You wanna come?"
It was pretty nice out, not a cloud in the sky and a gentle breeze blowing. It was the perfect day to go for a swim or just simply relax in the nice weather. The three of them looked at each other, nodding in agreement. “Alright, sounds like fun.” said Apple Bloom. “Just let me get a few things from my place, and I’ll meet ya’ll there." And with that, everypony ran back to their homes to get whatever they needed for a fun day at the lake.
The water at the lake was crystal clear. Thanks to the afternoon sunlight, one could almost see the entirety of the lake from underwater. With these conditions in mind, Scootaloo thought that this would be a great opportunity to look for anything valuable at the bottom of the lake. Lots of ponies came here all the time, surely they would accidentally lose some stuff every so often. Unfortunately, her search seemed more and more like a fool’s errand.
She swore that she’d searched the entire lake at least three times already, and found nothing worth keeping. Currently, Scootaloo was floating just under the surface, breathing through a snorkel, and scanning the bottom of the lake through her mask. After a quick look around, she determined that she covered everything she could. Reluctantly admitting defeat, Scootaloo returned to the surface, spat out her snorkel, and looked at the sizable gathering of ponies around the lake.
As it turns out, lots of other ponies were taking advantage of the great weather as well. The Cutie Mark Crusaders, Silver Spoon, and Diamond Tiara managed to claim a spot under a shady tree with a good view of the lake before a majority of the crowd showed up. They spotted quite a few of their classmates playing by the water, swimming in the lake, or just relaxing with friends and family. They also spotted, unsurprisingly, Pinkie Pie herself organizing games and giving out gift bags to the school ponies. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon were enjoying some fresh apple juice, courtesy of Apple Bloom.
Silver Spoon glanced towards the water to see Scootaloo wading her way towards the group. “Ahh, at long last, the treasure hunter returns!” Silver Spoon said, raising her apple juice towards her. “Any luck?"
“Nope,” said Scootaloo with a slight smile, which grew a bit more when Apple Bloom offered her a bottle of apple juice.
“No dice, huh?” said Apple Bloom.
“Actually, I did find some dice down there.” replied Scootaloo. “But they were pretty old and covered with algae, so I didn’t keep them." The group shared a slight chuckle hearing that.
“So, Apple Bloom. You wanted to talk to us about something?” asked Sweetie Belle.
Apple Bloom paused mid-sip of her drink. “Yeah, I did. Do ya’ll have any plans for the next couple of weeks?"
Everypony else looked at each other and shrugged. It was apparent that the general consensus was “not really". Apple Bloom smiled as she reached into her saddlebag and said, “Well how would you feel about going to a summer camp together for a week? Applejack said that Camp Friendship is having their summer opening the week after next.” She continued as she hoofed out pamphlets to everypony, “From what I’ve heard, it seems like a great place to spend the week. Plus, Applejack said that she has some great memories from when she went there."
As Apple Bloom continued her pitch, everypony else was looking through the pamphlet. It showed fillies and colts doing activities such as rock climbing, swimming, having a bonfire, or talking with friends over a meal. It did look like fun. “So, what do you think?”
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked at the pamphlets, lost in their own thoughts. It didn’t take long for them to reach their decisions. “Sounds like a pretty awesome way to kick off the summer. I’m game!” said Scootaloo.
Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement. “Sure, it’s been awhile since we’ve gone camping together."
Apple Bloom looked over at Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, a hopeful look in her eyes. Both fillies looked at the pamphlets with a conflicted look in their eyes. The very concept of spending a week outdoors seemed foreign to the fillies. They were used to summers spent at home, in a pool, or at a luxurious hotel. At the same time though, they both wanted to spend some time getting to know their new friends.
Diamond Tiara was the first to speak, “Well, it sounds like a decent place.” she said with some hesitation in her voice. “It’s just that, uh...well I’ve never actually been camping before. Not even for a day."
“Well, there's a first time for everything.” Sweetie Belle chimed in.
“Well, there's also...um—” Diamond began.
“Your mother?” Silver Spoon finished. Diamond Tiara slowly nodded.
Everypony grimaced at the mention of Diamond Tiara’s mother, Spoiled Rich. After Pipsqueak was elected the school’s Student Pony President, the Cutie Mark Crusaders discovered that the main reason behind Diamond’s bullying nature was because her mother instilled that mentality in her. Diamond Tiara could only imagine her mother’s reaction if she proposed wanting to go to a summer camp crawling with “low-lifes".
“Part of me wants to go, really,” Diamond Tiara told them with a slight smile. “But I doubt my mother would even look at the permission slip."
Silver Spoon put a hoof to her chin. “Hmm, what if you told her that I was going too?” she suggested. Diamond looked at Silver Spoon with a raised eyebrow. “Think about it. Your mother approves of me being your friend because my family is also wealthy. If she heard that I was also going, that may sway her thoughts on letting you go."
Diamond Tiara looked down, a look of concentration on her face. She did raise a valid point. Being the daughter of a wealthy family, for the longest time Silver Spoon really was her only friend because she was the only one her mother liked. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to pack some extra ammo in case that wasn’t enough to have her mother dance to her tune. Wait a minute, she thought. Tune…? “Apple Bloom, didn’t your sister say that she met Countess Coloratura at Camp Friendship?"
“Uh, yeah,” Apple Bloom confirmed. “They were around the same age when they went…wait." Apple Bloom’s eyes widened once she realized what Diamond was going on. She smiled and said, “If Silver Spoon going isn’t enough…"
“Then maybe the fact that one of Equestria’s most famous singers went there as a filly will help!” Diamond Tiara finished. It was a decent argument to pitch to somepony who prided themselves on how close they got to the rich and famous. High hoofs were exchanged between Apple Bloom, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.
“Welp, I guess that settles that.” Apple Bloom said with a smile. “Just get the permission slips signed and mailed in by next Wednesday. Then, we leave on the following Monday!” Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were excited for the upcoming trip, but Apple Bloom could tell that Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were still a bit nervous. “Hey, don’t worry you two. Remember, you’re not going alone. And who knows; you might actually enjoy it."
“Maybe,” Diamond Tiara said, staring at her bottle of apple juice. “It's just… I’ve never done something like this before. Never even considered that I’d do it."
“Ditto,” said Silver Spoon.
Scootaloo looked at the two uncertain fillies with a smile and said, “You know, Rainbow Dash told me something one time when we were hanging out. She said ‘Scoots, if you never go out of your comfort zone, if you never dare to try something new, then you’ll never really grow’."
She remembered that Rainbow told her when they went out for ice cream after Scootaloo got a high score on a math test. That particular quote came out when Rainbow Dash encouraged Scootaloo to try putting some nuts on her chocolate ice cream. She smiled at the memory. Then she noticed how quiet the conversation had gotten and noticed everypony staring at her, mouths agape. “What?” she asked.
“Rainbow Dash… actually said that?” Sweetie Belle asked, eyebrow raised.
“Um….yes? Why, what’s the matter?” Scootaloo replied.
“Nothin’,” said Apple Bloom. “I just never expected Rainbow Dash, of all ponies, to say something so…deep.” The others murmured in agreement.
“Hehe” Scootaloo chuckled with a slight blush. “Yeah well, you know Rainbow. She’s all kinds of awesome."
Apple Bloom chuckled while rolling her eyes. She then grabbed her bottle of apple juice and raised it. “Well then, here's to the start of an awesome summer with our new friends. Cheers!” Everypony raised their apple juice and clinked their bottles in agreement.
“She actually said she wanted to go?” Applejack asked. It was the Sunday night before Apple Bloom and her friends left for Camp Friendship. Apple Bloom had spent the majority of the afternoon getting her things together. She double checked her list, and made sure that it all could fit in her bag. At the moment, she was eating some of Applejack’s famous apple pie while sitting with her on the front porch. She was telling her how Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon would be joining her friends at camp this week. Needless to say, she was surprised.
“Yeah, she was a bit unsure at first,” Apple Bloom replied. “But I think she really wants to make up for all the trouble she put us through.”
That was one way to see it. But Applejack saw a slightly bigger picture. Rainbow Dash and Rarity met up with Applejack shortly after their sisters finally earned their Cutie Marks. She learned how they helped one of the biggest bullies in Ponyville Elementary realize how she could be a better pony. To Applejack, this was more than an attempt to make up for past mistakes. It was a way of saying “thank you".
“Well, I know ya’ll will have a good time,” Applejack said with a smile as she ruffled her little sister’s mane. “Just make sure that you look out for one another. I know I probably don’t need to tell you that, but still."
Apple Bloom returned a smile to her, sometimes overprotective, sister and finished her slice of pie in silence. After the dishes were washed and put away, she bid goodnight to Applejack and went upstairs to get ready for bed, passing by her older brother Big Mac along the way.
Once Apple Bloom’s bedroom door was shut, Big Mac went into the kitchen to help Applejack clean up. “So, did ya tell her?” Big Mac asked.
Applejack looked at Big Mac, then glanced upstairs and smiled. “No, I want it to be a surprise."
The next day, Apple Bloom found herself on the train with her friends. Before they left, everypony had said goodbye to their families. Apple Bloom had assured Applejack, for the fifth time that day, that she was sure she had everything. Sweetie Belle was in a similar situation, trying to convince her sister Rarity that she didn’t need another hat or second rain poncho. Scootaloo was already at the station with her Aunt Holiday, who had brought a bag of fresh baked cookies for everypony. Diamond Tiara had hugged her father goodbye before boarding the train along with Silver Spoon. It was a bit sad waving goodbye to their loved ones from the train window, but they knew it would only be a week before they would see them again.
“I just can’t believe your mother actually let you come,” Scootaloo said to Diamond Tiara.
“Well, she was still pretty reluctant when she signed the slip. But I think my argument really wore down her first opinion. Especially when I brought up Countess Coloratura,” replied Diamond Tiara.
“Hey, if anypony would know how to convince your mother to do something, it would be you,” said Silver Spoon.
“True, but it was still difficult. Once that pony sets her opinion on something, it’s nearly impossible to convince her otherwise. You might as well be trying to ask Pinkie Pie to go a full day without eating sweets,” said Diamond Tiara.
Apple Bloom leaned her head back on the back rest of the train seat. “Well, I’m just glad that it all worked out. From here on out, it’s nothing but smooth sai—”. A movement from the baggage compartment caught her attention. “HEADS UP!” she yelled, her eyes going wide. Everypony looked up and just managed to avoid the duffel bag that Scootaloo had stowed away earlier.
After making sure everypony was alright, Sweetie Belle turned to Scootaloo. “I told you your bag was too close to the edge! But did you listen to me? Nope, you just tossed it up there and hoped for the best.”
“Ugh, alright alright! I’m sorry. Now could you help me put it back up there? Maybe you can use your magic to make sure it’s secure.” Scootaloo shot back. She then shot a glare at the duffel bag. “Stupid bag,” Scootaloo muttered.
“I can’t, I was barely able to lift my bag up there. I doubt I’ll be able to make it halfway up before I drop it,” Sweetie Belle replied. While she had made some small progress with using her magic, Sweetie Belle found it difficult to lift anything bigger than a broom.
“Hmm, maybe we could try tossing it back up there while you guide it with your magic. It’ll already be in the air, you just have to make sure it lands on the rack just right,” suggested Apple Bloom.
Sweetie Belle thought about that for a moment. That would put a bit less of a strain on her. “Alright, let’s give it a shot."
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo grabbed the duffel bag from both sides while Sweetie Belle sat where she had a good view of the rack. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon stood out of the way, not wanting to be in the way of the shot. Once everypony was ready, Apple Bloom counted down, “Ok, ready? One, two, aaannnddd three!"
As soon as the bag was in the air, Sweetie Belle saw that it was going to just miss the luggage rack. She enveloped the bag in a light green aura and guided it so that it would land right on top of Apple Bloom’s duffel at the front of the load. A few small nudges here and there, and the bag was in a much more secure position than before.
“And she scores!” Scootaloo cried out, exchanging a hoof bump with Apple Bloom. “Thanks for the help Sweetie Belle,” she said, giving her a pat on the back.
“Hehe, nice shot. Never seen somepony put a bag away like that before,” said a familiar voice.
Apple Bloom turned around, ears perked slightly. First her eyes widened in shock, then her smile followed suit. The voice belonged to a filly with a bright brown coat and a bright pink mane cut sharply on the right side of her head. It was none other than Babs Seed, Apple Bloom’s cousin from Manehattan. “Babs!” Apple Bloom said as she ran up to her cousin.
“Wassup cuz’?” Babs replied, embracing her in a hug. “It’s been a long time, how’ve ya been?"
“I’ve been great, yourself?"
“Oh, just swell."
The other Crusaders ran up to greet her. “Oh my gosh, it’s so good to see you again!” Sweetie Belle said, a massive smile etched across her face. Scootaloo nodded in agreement.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to Apple Bloom. “Wait, if you’re here, does that mean you’re going to Camp Friendship with us?” she asked. Babs Seed smiled and nodded her head, causing all three of them to start jumping up and down.
The celebration was cut short however, when Babs’ smile suddenly turned to a scowl. Apple Bloom followed her gaze behind her to see Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, both giving shy waves to her. “What are those chumps doin’ here? I’m pretty sure this train doesn’t stop at Canterlot,” said Babs Seed, causing the former bullies to slump back in their seats.
“Um, yeah, about that...” Apple Bloom started. “We’re kinda helping them to turn over a new leaf." Babs gave her a quizzical look, glancing from her to them. Apple Bloom looked back at them with a smile and said, “Come on and have a seat, we’ll tell ya about it. Oh, did you have any bags you wanted to bring over?"
“Nah, they're back in the other car, I just wanted to stretch my legs a bit,” said Babs. She trotted over to where everypony was sitting and found a seat next to Apple Bloom and across from Diamond Tiara.
Apple Bloom recounted the story of how they helped Pipsqueak become class president, how Diamond’s mother took the news that her daughter lost to them, how they helped Diamond Tiara better understand her talents and how she used said talents to secure the funds to rebuild the school playground. And finally, she told about how Apple Bloom and her friends earned their Cutie Marks in the process.
“Aw geez, I nearly forgot!” Babs Seed exclaimed with a face-hoof. “You girls finally earned your Cutie Marks!"
“Eeyup,” said Apple Bloom, emulating her older brother. “It was worth the wait, wasn’t it Crusaders?” she said, turning to show Babs her new Cutie Mark. The others nodded in agreement, also showing their Marks.
“Congrats girls!” Babs Seed said with a smile. “I’m so happy for all of you. I can’t get over that you all actually got them at the same time," She then looked over to Diamond Tiara, her tone shifting to be slightly more serious. “As for you—” Diamond Tiara looked a little worried. “-you really feel bad about all the crud you’ve given to these three? You actually serious on being a better pony?"
Diamond Tiara gulped, then looked Babs straight in the eye and said, “Yes, I feel awful about the way I’ve treated them and the things I said. I want to be a better pony than the one my mother wanted me to become. That’s why I’m going with them to camp, so that I can actually get to know them for who they are."
Babs continued to look at Diamond for a moment, then she looked down in thought. She was silent for the better part of a minute before she blew her hair out of her eyes. Returning her gaze to the former bullies, she smiled. “Well, alright then. If my cousin is willing to give you a chance, then I guess I can too."
Diamond Tiara breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you."
About twenty five minutes later, the train was finally slowing to a stop; they had finally arrived. While most of the other ponies were heading into the nearby town, a couple of Camp Friendship counselors directed the campers towards a few wagons parked around the side. After everypony’s bags were loaded, the campers took a seat on one of the remaining empty wagons. From there, it was just a short trip to the actual campgrounds. Everypony was greeted with the sight of several cabins along a small lake, surrounded by forest with mountains on the horizon. It looked like something out of a postcard.
Everypony was instructed to get into groups of six. Each group would share a cabin, fillies and colts would of course be in separate cabins. The Cutie Mark Crusaders, Babs Seed, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon all looked to each other in silent agreement. After dividing into groups, the counselors told everypony to put their stuff in their cabins and get set up. The campers were not constrained to a schedule for today, though their would be various activities being hosted throughout the camp. Today is meant to give the campers a chance to settle in.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders and company found their cabin easily, Cabin 3. It was a pretty simple setup: six beds, three on each side of the cabin, a few windows and two doors. The cabin itself was actually pretty clean, cleaner than Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon thought it would be.
“Do we really have to wear these uniforms?” Silver Spoon asked, looking at the standard Camp Friendship uniform with apprehension. The green hat and shirt, as well as the red neckerchief, was given to everypony upon arriving at camp.
“Only during dinner and certain events,” replied Apple Bloom, who was unrolling her sleeping bag on one of the beds. “They’re not so bad, at least we don’t need to wear em all day.”
“So, what do you girls wanna do?” asked Sweetie Belle. “I kinda want to explore the camp a bit, find out where everything is."
Scootaloo jumped from her laying position on her sleeping bag and said, “Sure, beats sitting here. Last one out of the cabin is a soggy sandwich!” And with that she dashed to the door, leaped out of the cabin, and landed on somepony passing by.
“Wow, graceful,” Apple Bloom said, deadpan.
Before she could come up with a witty retort, Scootaloo looked down at the colt that she crashed into. He was a pegasus pony with a light gray coat and dark gray mane. It was Rumble, one of her classmates and Thunderlane’s younger brother. “Rumble, is that you? You okay?” she asked.
Rumble looked up, still somewhat dazed. “Uh, yeah I’m fine."
Scootaloo helped him up and said, “Yeah, sorry about that. Didn’t know you were right outside the door."
“It’s okay, I didn’t know you would come flying out of nowhere. Heck, I didn’t even know you were here at Camp Friendship to begin with."
“I could say the same thing about you,” said Scootaloo. Truth be told, she didn’t really know much about Rumble to begin with. He tended to be a quiet colt who sat in the back of the classroom and kept to himself. “You’ve been here before?"
“Yeah, this is my second time here,” he replied.
“Great, then maybe you can show us around,” said Babs Seed.
Scootaloo didn’t even realize that the others were behind her.
“Sure, I don’t see why not...uhh,” Rumble started. “Forgive me but, I don’t think I’ve seen you before."
“Oh, I’m Babs Seed,” she said offering a hoof bump. “I’m Apple Bloom’s cousin."
“Nice to meet you Babs, I’m Rumble,” he replied, accepting it. “Truth is I’ve been looking for a buddy to go with me to this spot with a great view of the camp. I tried getting my cabin-mates to come with me, but they all wanted to go swimming instead. You girls can come with me if you want, it’s a bit of hike though."
Apple Bloom stepped forward and said, “Sure, we were thinking of exploring the place anyway. Lead the way Rumble!" After locating a camp counselor and letting her know where they were heading, the group set off on one of the trails leading into the woods. About ten minutes later, the group arrived at a hilltop with a beautiful view of the forest. They could easily see every building in the campsite from the cabins, to the mess hall, the first aid station, and the arts and crafts building.
“Wow, what a view!” Sweetie Belle said, her eyes sweeping across the landscape. “Rumble, how did you know about this place?"
“Oh, the last time I was here one of the counselors led a hike up the trials here. He had us stop here so he could show us the view,” Rumble replied. “Me and a few of my cabin-mates came up here early the next morning to watch the sunrise. It was awesome."
“Wait, the counselors let you do that?” Silver Spoon asked.
“Um, no actually,” said Rumble, rubbing the back of his head. “We thought if we got up early enough, we could catch the sunrise and be back before anypony knew we were gone. We ended up bumping into one of the counselors while he was getting coffee. We wound up on dishwashing duty that morning. Let me tell you, maple syrup is a pain to scrub off of plates."
Everypony shared a laugh. Most of the group could relate to Rumble as far as doing something that’s against the rules, and then paying for it later. “Sounds like you had a good time here, was it always that good?” asked Scootaloo.
“Well, it had its share of ups and downs. The first couple of days were a bit hard, being away from home for so long, barely knowing anypony here. I got a bit homesick,” said Rumble. “But I kept an open mind, made some new friends, and in the end I wanted to come back again."
The group was so focused on Rumble’s stories that they didn’t notice the sky getting darker. Diamond Tiara was the first to notice the stormclouds rolling in, blocking the sunlight. “Um, guys,” she said, taking a few steps back. “We might want to consider heading back, I don’t like the look of those clouds."
The others looked up after hearing the sound of thunder. The clouds in question were indeed menacing. Large, dark and grey, they moved across the sky like a curtain being drawn. “Yeah, I agree with Diamond here,” said Apple Bloom. She then felt a raindrop hit her, then another, then three more. “We should probably get a move on, like, right now!"
With that, everypony turned to head back down the trail to camp just as the rain started to fall. They thought that if they hurried, they could get back to camp before the weather got worse. But what started as a light shower quickly became a torrential downpour. The rain was coming down in sheets, making it difficult for everypony to see in front of them. They had been running down the trail for barely a few minutes when Rumble suddenly stopped.
“What is it? Why are we stopping?” Silver Spoon asked.
“Um, I’m not sure this is the right way,” Rumble stuttered. “I... I think we may have taken a wrong turn somewhere."
“You mean, we’re lost?"
“Don’t blame me! This rain is so thick, I can barely see anything!"
“Enough, both of you!” Apple Bloom shouted over the storm. “Look, we need to find someplace where we can get out of this rain for a while."
Babs Seed was looking off to her right, squinting to try to see through the rain when she saw something just off the trail. “Hey, I think I see an old cabin or shack."
“I’ll take it, anything beats sitting out here!” shouted Diamond Tiara.
“This way!” yelled Babs, motioning everypony to follow her. They all galloped towards the structure in question.
When they got there, everypony took a minute to catch their breath and shake themselves dry. Fortunately, the roof was relatively intact save for a few leaks. The shack itself was pretty empty. There were some crates scattered around, but not much else.
“Ok, we can just sit tight here till’ the storm lets up,” said Apple Bloom.
“Why did nopony tell us that their was a colossal rainstorm scheduled for the middle of the afternoon?” asked Sweetie Belle.
“Their might not have been one scheduled,” said Rumble. “The nearest weather station is actually quite a ways away, so some rogue weather floats by here every now and again. Normally the local weather ponies get it under control, but I’ve never seen this big of a storm before.” Rumble set himself down on the floor, looking out through the open doorway. “We might as well make ourselves comfortable; we’re probably going to be here awhile.”
“Well, it could be worse,” Scootaloo said. “At least we found somewhere we can stay dry.” Since she had nothing better to do, she decided to look around the abandoned shack. She checked the crates to see if they had anything inside but found only dust and mold. “Who built this place anyway? And, why out here? I mean, there doesn’t seem to be much he—” Her thoughts were interrupted when she stepped on a loose plank, which sent her stumbling into an open crate.
Apple Bloom held a hoof over her mouth, trying to stifle a giggle. “You okay Scoots? That’s the second time today. Maybe ya shoulda packed your helmet."
“Hahaha, you're such a comedian,” Scootaloo replied, crawling out of the crate while rubbing her head. She looked to where she tripped, searching for the object that made a mockery of her dignity. She found the groove in the floor where she tripped and was about to move a crate on it so that nopony else would make a fool of themselves. Before she could do that however, she noticed that several planks seemed to be slightly unaligned with the rest of the floor. I swear, if I ever meet the loser who built this place, I'm gonna..., she thought. Wait, is that a hinge?
Upon closer inspection, there was indeed a rusted hinge in the floor. That’s when she realized that the planks were misaligned for a reason. It was a hatch! After feeling around for the edge of it, she lifted the hatch open to reveal a staircase leading underground. “Hey guys, check this out."
Everypony gathered to see the secret passage Scootaloo had discovered. “Huh,” said Babs. “There's something you don't see everyday. What do you think’s down there?"
“Only one way to find out,” said Scootaloo, who started down the dark stairway.
“Wait!” said Sweetie Belle. “We don’t know what’s down there. Do you really think this is a good idea?"
“Okay, first of all, did we not just cover that?” Scootaloo asked. “Second of all, knowing our track record, no this probably isn’t a good idea. But do we have anything better to do?"
Sweetie Belle tried to come up with a response, but given the circumstances of the situation they were in now, she realized that Scootaloo did have a bit of a point. With a sigh and a shake of her head, she followed Scootaloo down the steps. The others soon followed suit. The stairs took them down to a short tunnel, which led them to a steel door. Scootaloo tried to push open the door, but only succeeded in getting it open slightly, getting a glimpse of the dark room beyond it. The hinges were rusty and made it difficult for the door to move. “Hey Apple Bloom, Babs, can you give me a hoof here?” asked Scootaloo.
The two earth ponies moved to the door and took a position next to Scootaloo. “Okay, on three!” Scootaloo said. Apple Bloom and Babs Seed nodded in confirmation. “One, two, three!” she said, pushing with a grunt. A few moments was all it took for the three fillies to push open the screeching door just enough for them to fit through. Sweetie Belle lit her horn to give the room a bit more light. The room was a mess of papers, books, and strange machines. In the dim light of Sweetie’s horn, Babs spotted a machine she did recognize: a generator.
Babs trotted over to the generator, hoping that this place would have some lights. She grabbed the start cord with her teeth and gave it a couple of strong yanks. The generator sputtered to life, and a few lights flickered on to reveal the room in its entirety. A few of the small rectangular machines lit up with several small blinking lights. These boxes had cables connecting them to a large computer at one end of the room, which began displaying lines of code. She also noticed that there was some sort of projector or camera above the computer.
To Sweetie Belle, the place reminded her of Twilight’s old basement at the Golden Oaks Library. There were a few book shelves, some machines that were probably used to conduct research, and there were papers scattered around the place. Some looked like they contained research notes of some kind. But a few were sketches of weird creatures. She picked one up that looked like some kind of dinosaur. Kinda reminds me of the concept art to some of Button Mash’s games, she thought.
Scootaloo was looking at the large computer screen, trying to read the codes being displayed. After staring at it for a couple of minutes, she determined that it was gibberish and moved on. She saw a display case off to the right, not far from the computer. She trotted up to it and blew the dust off. Inside, she saw some weird looking devices. Each one was about the size of her hoof. They were square-shaped, but the corners were rounded in. They all had a small screen surrounded by a circle of symbols that she didn’t recognize. They also had three buttons, two on the right side of the screen and one on the left. All seven of the devices were different colors.
“Hey guys, check these things out,” Scootaloo said. The others looked to where Scootaloo was and trotted over. They all peered inside the dusty display case, looking at the weird gadgets. “What do you think these are, some kind of watch?"
“I’ve never seen watches like these before. Maybe these are prototypes,” offered Silver Spoon.
“Who would design watches in the middle of the forest? And in a secret lab under a shack?” asked Apple Bloom.
“That also doesn’t explain the sketches I’ve found around here,” said Sweetie Belle. “They look like creatures out of a video game or something.”
“Well, maybe one of the engineers had a hobby,” suggested Silver Spoon.
“But this place looks like it hasn’t been used in years,” said Babs Seed. “If these are some prototypes to a new watch or something, why would they leave them here?”
Scootaloo began to open the top of the display case.
“Hey! What are you doing?” said Rumble.
Scootaloo looked back at Rumble, “I just wanna take a closer look, I’ll be careful.” Scootaloo unlatched the top panel of the case, which also allowed the front to open. For something that had been sitting there for Celestia knows how long, those things were in pretty good shape. She reached to grab the one that was crimson with black buttons. Just as she was about to pick it up, the device suddenly lit up and started floating. Scootaloo quickly pulled her hoof back, eyes wide. She began to back away from the device as a black strap seemed to materialize from its side. Before she got too far however, it shot towards her, and strapped itself to her left foreleg. “AHH, WHAT THE HECK?” Scootaloo screamed.
Before anypony could make sure that Scootaloo was okay, they saw the rest of the devices levitate out of the display case and fly towards them. Everypony watched with wide eyes as the devices strapped themselves to their left forelegs. “Aiieee!” Sweetie Belle screamed, waving her foreleg as if the device were a bug. “Get it off, get it off, get it off, GET IT OFF!” Before she could continue her freakout, a yellow hoof found its way in her mouth.
“Sweetie Belle!” Apple Bloom shouted. “Calm down, okay? Just take a few deep breaths.” Sweetie Belle followed her friend’s advice and took a moment to collect herself. “You good?”
“Mmhmm” Sweetie Belle mumbled through Apple Bloom’s hoof. After ensuring her friend was done, Apple Bloom removed her hoof from Sweetie’s mouth.
“Is anypony hurt?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Yes,” Diamond Tiara replied. “My ears, my poor ears.” She looked around to see everypony else also recovering from Sweetie Belle’s weapon-grade shrieks. “Other than that, I’m fine.” She looked back to the display case to see a small crack on the surface. Was that there before? she thought to herself. She remembered that the display case was empty and that, for whatever reason, the contents had flown out and attached themselves onto her and her friends. She checked her left foreleg to find one of the devices, this one red with white buttons.
“Yeah, it just startled me a bit,” Scootaloo replied. “But seriously, what the heck was that about?"
“I don’t know, but I don’t think we should touch anything else! Got it Scoots?” said Babs Seed.
Before Sweetie Belle could offer any input, she saw something out of the corner of her eye that made her a bit concerned. “Uh, guys?"
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Scootaloo asked Babs. “I hardly touched the darn thing! Besides, I wasn't exactly expecting it to fly right out and strap itself to me,” she said, shaking her left foreleg for emphasis.
Rumble saw Sweetie Belle and was about to ask if she was okay. That’s when he saw the cause of concern. “Um, guys?"
“Alright look,” Apple Bloom said, getting between Babs Seed and Scootaloo. “I think that we can agree that although MAYBE, she shouldn't have made to grab these things, Scootaloo didn’t intend for this to happen."
Now Silver Spoon had joined Rumble and Sweetie Belle in staring at the concerning phenomenon. “Guys?” she said, raising her voice a little.
“I was kidding!” said Babs Seed, oblivious to Silver Spoon. “I don’t think any of us saw that coming.”
Scootaloo replied with a simple eye roll.
“Look, girls,” Diamond Tiara butted in. “I think we’re getting a bit off track. How about we get out of here first before something else happens?"
“GUYS!” Silver Spoon, Sweetie Belle, and Rumble yelled.
“WHAT?” Diamond Tiara, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Babs yelled back.
“The machine’s acting weird,” Sweetie Belle said, her voice quivering.
Diamond Tiara glanced down at the device on her foreleg, then looked up and said, “Define weird."
Everypony looked at the computer to see it displaying line after line of obscure code at a faster rate. As the computer kept displaying more and more code, the devices began pulsing in reaction to it. “Oh...yeah that’s pretty weird," Diamond Tiara said.
The monitor shifted to a display of the group’s worried faces staring back at them. “Uhh...maybe we should go,” said Babs. The computer suddenly began targeting the strange devices on the group. Babs looked up and saw the weird projector light up. Everypony slowly started to back up.
Apple Bloom glanced at the now pulsing device on her foreleg, then back to the screen. “Get. To the door. Now!” she whispered out of the corner of her mouth. And with that everypony made a dash for the exit. They had barely made it a few feet before the projector shined a blue light that encompassed the whole room, and froze everypony in place. “What’s goin on? I can't move!” The only part of her body that she was able to move was her head. It was thanks to this that she was able to confirm that everypony was in the same boat.
“Guys, I feel funny!” Silver Spoon shouted from behind. Apple Bloom looked back and saw something that made her eyes go wide with horror. Silver Spoon was disappearing! It looked like the projector was quickly turning her into small blue squares, which quickly got sucked into the projector. It took only a few moments for Silver Spoon to completely vanish.
“Silver Spoon!” yelled Diamond Tiara. Soon, she felt the effect take hold on her. She struggled to escape the invisible grip she found herself in, but it was in vain. All she could do was look at the group with pleading eyes before she vanished.
Rumble soon followed suit, then Babs Seed.
Apple Bloom tried harder than ever to get out, but she couldn't move an inch. “Apple Bloom!” she heard behind her. She looked back to see Scootaloo slowly disappearing. Despite this, she kept a brave face on. “Listen to me! We're going to be okay, do you understand?"
“How do you know?” Sweetie Belle asked, tears in her eyes. “How do you know the others are still—"
“I just know!” shouted Scootaloo. “Just trust me!" The others could only nod. Scootaloo smiled and gave one last nod before disappearing. She had put on a brave face, but Apple Bloom could see how scared she was.
Apple Bloom turned to Sweetie Belle, who was trying her best not to break down into tears. She looked her in the eye and smiled. “Well, ya heard her. We're gonna be okay, okay?"
Sweetie Belle gave a light chuckle, and returned the smile. Before she completely disappeared, she said, “Cutie Mark Crusaders Forever!"
And with that, Apple Bloom was alone in the room. She didn't need to look back to know that whatever took her friends was working its magic on her. She felt a prickly sensation in her tail, and it was slowly spreading up her body. She took deep breaths, trying to reassure herself. Scootaloo’s right. The others are fine, they’ve gotta be! Let's face it, we’ve gotten into some sticky situations before and we’ve always come out with just some pine needles and tree sap. This one won't be any different... She felt the prickly sensation had reached her neck. I hope. A few seconds later, everything went black.
As Scootaloo drifted back into consciousness, the first thing she heard was the sound of waves. The sound of waves gently lapping against the shore, the smell of sea water and the feeling of warm sand beneath her. All of these sensations tempted her to stay where she was for just a few more minutes, then the realization hit her. How did I end up at a beach? Scootaloo slowly managed to open her eyes to confirm what the rest of her senses told her, she was at a beach. The rest of her body ached, as if she just woke up from running a couple of miles.
As she managed to sit up, she heard a voice say “Oh hey, you're awake!"
“Huh?” Scootaloo’s ears perked, trying to locate the source of the voice. It sounded like it belonged to a young colt, but it didn't quite sound like Rumble. “H-Hello? Who's there?"
“I’m right here,” the voice said. Scootaloo looked down to her left to see a small red creature with a small, black-tipped tail, a white belly, orange eyes, four stubby legs and what looked like small wings on its back. “Are you okay? You don't look so good."
Scootaloo stared at the creature for a few moments before she responded. “AAAAAAHHHH!” she screamed.
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My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
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I love this story's first chapter and I cant wait for more and there's no need to change anything I'll b waiting my friend
So far, so good. Keep it up.
Digimon is my all time favorite anime. Glad to see it in the ponyverse. Like how you worked a Tron gimmic into it so far. Can I guess who Scoots' is?
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Glad you like it so far. As for your question, not sure what your guess is based off of....but go ahead.
7780689 coloring mostly... be cool if it were Guilmon...
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. As to when that will be, hopefully soon.
Ohhhh, you were talking about her partner. As to your guess....well, you'll just have to wait until Chapter 2 comes out
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I 'm pretty sure it's a Gigimon which is Guilmon's in-training form.
This sounds really good. I can't wait to read more. Keep up the good work.
Scoots nows how I think, except my scream was one of nostalgia.
Button Mash isn't part of the group? That's kinda shocking.
You ponies have to stop jinxing yourselves.
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Which sadly we get to see at the end of Digimon Trainers when everyone loses their Digimon partners.
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I've only seen Tron legacy, but I know what you are talking about.
I thought this would just be a reskin of Adventure, but I like how you characterised everyone before the story begins.
Okay, I loved this. The kids have great chemistry, and I like how you went for them ending up in the Digital World differently. Rather than going for something like what happened in the OG Digimon Adventure, you went the Tron route. I'm VERY curious to see where this goes, and who everyone gets, since I'm just gonna assume Scootaloo gets Guilmon instead of Agumon.