I had two options: the first was that I could tell Pinkie Pie what had happened, and for both our sakes switch tents with Zecora so this wouldn't happen again. This was the most honest choice, and to a point seemed the best answer. But I couldn't bear to tell Pinkie Pie that I had failed. Not after she had placed immeasurable trust in me. My other option was to not tell her, and take no countermeasure. This idea was MUCH easier. However, if I were to take that course I would run the risk of something else happening, and she might find out anyway.

A compromise soon presented itself to me. Upon arrival at Canterlot Castle, Luna would most likely provide lodging for us. We would all have our own rooms regardless, so I would be able to avoid spending another night with Pinkie. A small part of me was disappointed at that thought, but I suppressed it to the best of my ability.

With the guarantee of individual rooms in mind, the only issue was to make sure we didn't spend another night camping out. We needed to get to Canterlot Castle by the next evening at the very latest. I decided to take action while everyone was still asleep.

I stepped outside the tent and took a look around. It was the dead of night, some time between three and four in the morning. We were in a clearing, but about a hundred feet to the left was a tall cliff. I recognized it; it was one of two, identical cliffs, the second of which was within about ten miles of Canterlot Castle, a reasonable walking distance.

It only took me a split second to form a plan in my head. I set to work.

Back inside the tent, I began to hear a gentle pitter-patter of raindrops telling me my plan was set in motion.

"KYAAAAA!" Right on cue Rarity's piercing scream came from the next tent over. I ran outside pretending to wonder what the issue was.

"Rain...inside the tent...my mane...help!"

The small hole I tore in the top of the tent was serving it's purpose perfectly.

With everypony now up from the screaming, I suggested that we move beneath the cliff to stay sheltered from the rain. Fortunately, nopony was awake enough to cognate that I could just fix the ripped part of the tent.

Once we were all set up underneath the cliff, and I was sure everyone was fast asleep, I stayed outside for a moment and teleported myself to the other, identical cliff. Nothing there. It looked exactly like the one we had just moved to. I teleported back.

Focusing on our entire group, I channeled our collective existence into my magic and teleported the entirety of our camp to the second cliff.

You couldn't tell the difference, and they wouldn't be able to, either. I breathed a sigh of relief; I had spared Pinkie Pie, and myself, a horrible devastation at the hands of my lack of self-control. Instead of returning to the tent, I spent the rest of the night next to Spike, who had chosen to sleep outside.

Morning broke, and our journey continued as though nothing had happened.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Dear god, did I really write that? This chapter is quite a nightmare, I apologize to all the readers. I felt like I was on a roll from chapter 3, so I didn't even question what I was writing. I am sincerely sorry you had to read this. That said, I don't take this chapter back. I handled it poorly, but the events of this chapter are necessary for what is yet to come in the story.