The wonder that is Whitetail Woods. There was not a single pony in Equestria that could deny the beauty of this enchanted forest. One hundred acres of majestic trees, winsome flowers, and babbling brooks; a land untouched by pony civilization. What better place to set up camp?

Twilight cantered across the now bustling field, gazing across the crowd of ponies that had formed at the edge of the tree line. After months of research and preparation all the pieces were finally set in place, and Twilight's summer camp was about to begin. She made her way to the gathering ponies, a shiver of excitement shooting down her spine. Never before had she been given the chance to teach Ponyville's children about the wonder of the natural world; she was certain that after this adventure, everypony would be yearning to learn more.

“Spike, is this everypony?”  Twilight asked, addressing the dragon beside her. Her eager eyes never leaving the tree line as families gave their goodbyes to their favorite little campers.

“Sure is!” said Spike, his trusty checklist in hand, he went down the list of campers, “We got Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, and Junior-”

Twilight’s ears perked at the unfamiliar name “Which one is Junior?” she asked.

“That would be Bulk Biceps’ son.” he said, pointing towards the father and son, who were currently flexing their muscles and giving each other their strongest “YEAH!”

“Other than that we’ve got the Crusaders, Button Mash, Pipsqueak, and Twist!” Spike said, reaching the end of his list, “We’re only waiting on Rainbow Dash now.”

Twilight couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Of course we are.”

Rainbow Dash had been the only pony to volunteer to be a camp chaperone with Twilight, and while she hadn’t exactly been the best role model at times the kids all seemed to look up to her. Which is why she was perfect for the job. Rainbow Dash’s captivating nature coupled with Twilight’s organizational skill was all the groundwork they needed to form an unstoppable team. That was assuming that Rainbow Dash would even show up.

“Howdy Twilight!” Applejack waved from one end of the field, accompanied by Applebloom and Scootaloo. Twilight eagerly made her way towards them, Spike trailing close behind her.

“Hey Applejack!” Twilight said, turning her attention to the fillies beside her. “Are you girls ready for a great three days of camping?”

The fillies nodded vigorously “Heck yeah we are!” Scootaloo exclaimed.

“Great!” Twilight said now noticing the trio’s missing member, “Where’s Sweetie Belle?”

“She’s having a fight with Rarity.” Applebloom answered.

“Applebloom! They are not havin’ a fight!” Applejack interjected, “Rarity is just… concerned is all!”

Spike could hear the faint traces of Rarity’s voice echoing across the trees. He could barely make out the sentence “At least take the hair curlers!” He resisted the urge to facepalm.

“Why don’t you girls go play,” Applejack offered, “Ah’m sure Sweetie Belle will be back soon.”

Applebloom and Scootaloo exchanged a glance before darting off into the field, eager to begin their next adventure. Applejack shouted after them, adding "And remember to watch out for bears!" before they could get out of earshot. She smiled as she watched them gallop off into the field.

“Ah can’t thank ya enough for doin’ this, Twilight.” Applejack said, looking back at Twilight. Twilight smiled warmly.

“My pleasure, I’ve been reading this new book on outdoor activities and I’ve been itching to test what I’ve learned! We’ll get started as soon as Rainbow Dash shows up.” Twilight turned her attention to her trusty assistant beside her. “Until then, I think we’ve got everything under control. Why don’t you take a break? Say hello to some of the other campers.”

Spike saluted dutifully, “With pleasure!” he replied, happily accepting the command, he strolled off into the field. He was there as Twilight’s assistant, her number one assistant he mentally added, which simply meant that he was there to do whatever she wanted him to do. But even with his added responsibility he was still more or less an average camper. So if he wanted to have any fun this trip he would have to make new friends just like everypony else.

At the moment, that was something that was easier said than done. The Crusaders had disappeared somewhere deeper into the forest, and the rest of the campers appeared to still be parting with their families. Spike certainly wasn’t going to say hello to the campers if there were none of them to say hello to. Fortunately Spike did notice one filly who didn’t appear to be doing anything; he made his way to her.

“Hey Twist!” He called. The filly had been sitting idly on a fallen tree, mumbling inaudible words to herself. She jumped at the sound of her own name, she hadn’t been expecting the company.

“Oh! Hey Spike!” she said, forcing a smile.

“Mind if I join you?” he asked, noting the strange overacted smile. She nodded before promptly scooting down the tree, making room for Spike.  “So are you excited to get started?"

"You bet!” She said, her braces sparkling in the light. "I absolutely love camping!"

"Glad to hear it." Spike replied, flinching away from the light reflecting off her teeth. Twist closed her mouth quickly.

"Sorry," she said, avoiding eye contact with Spike. "That happens a lot with my stupid braces."

"Aw don't worry about it." Spike said reassuringly. He looked up to see a rainbow passing over the trees and descending towards the camp site. Spike looked back at Twist, who immediately reformed a halfhearted smile. "Looks like Rainbow Dash is here! I guess we better head over!" He stood up from the tree, a grin dawning on his face. He turned to Twist giving her an energetic "This is going to be great!" before racing off to rejoin Twilight.

With Spike gone, Twist's smile slowly faded, bringing forth a face heavy with melancholy. A sad feeling began to flow through her, weighing her down as she struggled to leave her seat. Her hooves finally touched the ground and slowly she made her way towards the group. A heavy sigh left her lips.

"I hope so."

Next Chapter: Territories Estimated time remaining: 24 Minutes