Dear Princess Celestia,
I'm writing to tell you about the latest lesson I learned of the Magic of Friendship. It started three days ago when my friends and I took a camping trip to Lake Ness...
"Look where you're goin', Pinkie Pie!" hollered Applejack. "I know yer excited but knockin' our campin' supplies into the water would cut our trip really short."
"Sorry about that, Applejack, but this is the first time I've been to the lake this year and the first time to be at the lake with my newest best friend!" she finished leaning up against Twilight Sparkle. "It's going to be so much fun! I even brought my tent cannon so we'll be set up in no time at all."
"That's great, Pinkie Pie," Twilight said, levitating her own saddle off her back and the supplies out of it. "If you'll get the tents set up, I'll get everything in them set up and put away."
"I don't know about that," Applejack said, "I thought you said you wanted to know what campin' was really like. You'd just be doing like you always do. How about you come an' help me an' Fluttershy collect firewood and some local grub?"
"You mean you want me to help you go foraging?" Twilight asked, "I mean, I know what a lot of stuff looks like but that's from books only and I've noticed that a lot of flora looks quite different from the pictures."
"Well, then, this'll be a good experience for ya!" Applejack said, pushing Twilight towards some bushes on a nearby hillside.
"Well, if you're sure...," Twilight said.
Fluttershy nodded. "The local bunnies said that there are some delicious berries on those bushes and there are probably more over the hill." She flushed a little, "But they wouldn't tell me until I promised them some of the berries. They can't reach them."
Twilight Sparkle followed her two friends towards the hill as Rainbow Dash flew in. Rainbow Dash yelled at them as she flew past, "Don't worry about the weather! I've cleared it and got permission for four rainless days over our campsite. Told you there was nothing to worry about."
"Thanks!" Twilight yelled back, though Rainbow Dash was too far away to hear her reply.
"I told you that there was nothing to worry about," Fluttershy said. "This time of the year is usually dry, so the need and chance of rain is small."
"That's a weight off my back," Twilight said. "Now, tell me more about zippleback berries..."
Rainbow Dash landed at the campsite just as Pinkie Pie pulled the string on her tent cannon again, setting up the final tent. "Just like I told you, we'll have fine weather for the trip," Rainbow Dash said, dropping her own camping supplies to the ground.
"Awww," Pinkie Pie said, " I was hoping for one raining night so we could all huddle in one tent, because we were scared from the ghost stories the night before."
Rainbow Dash snorted, "I would be snoring away in my own tent. Nothin' scares me! Now which tent is mine?"
"Really?"Pinkie Pie asked, "What about that camping trip two summers ago and the story of the cupca-"
Rainbow Dash quickly cut her off, looking distinctly pale, "You promised you'd never mention that again!"
"Oops! Sorry about that," Pinkie Pie said, sounding a less happy. "I didn't like it either."
Silence crept into the camp. "Sooooo... which tent is mine?" Rainbow Dash asked again, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
Pinkie Pie immediately perked up, "Whichever one you want! And if you don't like where one is, we can move it."
Rainbow Dash proceeded to circle and fly over every tent and then poke her head in each one. Finally, she settled on one.
"Okay! My turn!" said Pinkie Pie as she made a beeline right for the tent nearest the campfire pit.
An hour later (and one nap later for Rainbow Dash), Rarity scrambled into camp. "I'm so sorry!" she said, "My latest project ran even later than I feared. But I brought some fresh food for tonight and some very fine quality chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers for s'mores."
"Ooooo, I knew we forgot something!" Pinkie Pie said, helping take the food from Rarity. "It's not a camping trip without s'mores."
Twilight looked up from her berry filled basket made of woven grasses (nothing nowhere near as fine as what Rarity could make but more than satisfactory for holding berries), "You forgot s'mores?" she asked, pure shock dripping from her voice. "You?"
"Happens every year," Applejack said as she tended the fire. "It's a tradition of sorts. but Rarity always remembers."
"Interesting," Twilight said. "But I think I can do without the shock no s'mores. I've always wanted to try cooking them over a real campfire."
"City pony," Applejack teased.
"Can't argue with that," Twilight Sparkle replied. "But hopefully less so by the time we return to Ponyville." She looked around the campsite. "Can I pick out a tent now?"
"Sure!" said Pinkie Pie, "Mine is over there and Rainbow Dash's is over there," she pointed to their tents, "But the rest are up to you!"
"If no one has a problem, I'd like one close to the campfire," Twilight Sparkle said, levitating her pack.
"So long as you aren't goin' to spend the night reading by campfire light," Applejack said knowingly, causing Twilight Sparkle to blush.
"Maybe just a little..."
"Go on ahead," Rainbow Dash said with a cackle, "You'll need the light to sleep after the ghost stories."
"Bring it," Twilight Sparkle said, grinning.
"Oh, I will, I will. Just after supper, during s'mores," Rainbow Dash promised.
"Oo! Oo! It's time for ghost stories!" Pinkie Pie bounced, putting the last of the dishes away.
"I reckon it is," Applejack said. "Let's say we round everyone else up. I'm ready for a scarin'."
Pinkie Pie quickly rounded up the rest of the herd and made sure they were seated around the campfire, each with enough supplies to make themselves sick on s'mores.
Rainbow Dash took her place in the storyteller's spot. "I hope you're prepared. Tonight's story isn't about someplace far away or long ago. It's about this very lake and a group of friends kind of like us."
"This is the Tale of the Lake Ness Monster."
Author notes: National Novel Writing Month starts tomorrow (in just a few hours) and I won't have much time to work on this story. But I will work on it. I expect it to be 3-4 chapters.