Branch was safely instructing the other fairies, including CJ Suki and Priscilla about safety when Poppy butts in.
"Branch, they get it." She said blandly. "Skip to the demonstration."
"Right." Branch replied as he skipped to it. When he was about to show Keith in safety gear, it was revealed that he was gone. He is right beside the girls.
"Hey, what's up?" Keith said.
"Keith, why did you take off the safety gear?" Branch asked.
"It was getting all protect-ty!" He complained.
"The color scheme is too rudimentary." Priscilla said.
"Yeah, if I wear that thing, how can I get my dance on?" CJ asked.
"Guys, for the last time, this isn't about getting your dance on." Branch reprimanded. "You know, the cushy lifestyle of yours is really softening you guys and.…."
"Okay, let's hear it for Branch's fun and safety seminar!" Poppy ended it. "Now, how about we pass this moment by having a chat and eating snacks."
CJ Suki picked up one of the berries and she was engrossed. "Ewww, this berry is too squishy."
"And too round, gross!" Keith said with disgust.
"Is this organic?" Priscilla asked.
"Yup, just picked them from the bush." Poppy answered.
"Was the bush organic?" She asked again.
"How can a bush be not organic?" Poppy replied.
"I'll pass, thanks." Priscilla refused the snacks.
"Okay, I don't understand why they're so uninterested in organic food." Rose sighed. "My younger cousins love those."
"See, soft." Branch said. "And they need to be toughened up and I know just how to do it."
"What?" Rose asked.
The next day, Branch showed up in a short sleeved button up shirt with a vest and khaki pants. He is also wearing hiking boots and he brought in some items.
"We're going camping!" He announced, handing backpacks and walking sticks to the kids.
"Awwww!" The kids groaned.
"Guys, camping will be great, I'll invite Guy, he makes everything fun." Poppy said. She is wearing a knitted jumpsuit with shorts, hiking boots, a flower crown on her head, and matching leg warmers.
"Yeah, I remember when we camped in Dragon Mountains before." Rose said, wearing a pink, wide sleeved, off shoulder blouse with paisleys, mini shorts, and hiking boots with hoop earrings and a necklace. "And learn how to embrace the great outdoors, plus we get to dress in these groovy outfits."
"Yay, Guy!" The kids cheered.
"Whoa, Guy?" Branch remembered how Guy always gets everybody's attention from him. "How about we keep it simple, just you, me, Rose, and the kids?"
They went to the campsite in Dragon Mountains as Branch drove the van with their camper to their destination. Branch opened the van and let everybody out.
"Alright, this looks like the greatest spot to get back to the basics." Branch said.
The kids came out uninterested, wearing bohemian and geometric outfits, and they had their backpacks on.
"Aww please, we've been driving for fifteen minutes." Branch groaned.
"I'm hot!" CJ complained.
"I'm cold?" Priscilla cried.
"It isn't right." Keith added.
"Cmon guys, it's not that bad." Poppy nodded.
"It's alright, I had a hard time like this too but you'll get used to it." Rose said, handing the kids bottled water.
"Thanks Rose." The kids squealed.
"We're gonna roughen up a bit but Branch will show us how to make do without the comforts of home." Poppy said.
They start by hiking through the woods. Rose taught them about identifying between the edible plants and mushrooms and the poisonous ones. Branch showed them how to set up a tent, whittle or carve things out of wood, or lighting a fire. That night, everybody had s'mores and Rose brought out a bag with her.
"What is that?" CJ Suki asked her.
"Trail mix, they're a mix of granola, dried fruit, nuts, and yogurt chips." Rose answered as she took out some dried peaches and ate them before passing them to Poppy.
"I made them at the cafe for each of you." Poppy added.
"Look y'all, tomorrow I'll deny it but now, camping is dope." CJ Suki said.
While the kids are relaxed by the campfire, they also had a share of trail mix from Rose.
"Branch, it's working." Poppy whispered. "You got them to like camping."
"Yeah, you might be right….." Branch stammered until they were interrupted by Guy's arrival. He drove into the campsite with his own camping van and parked beside Branch's tent.
"Hey there, Party Campers!" Guy cried as he arrived, wearing a paisley tunic shirt, bell bottom pants, and hiking boots with a scarf.
"Great, Guy!" He growled.
"Tell the boys, it's time to accessorize." Guy said as he made the patio of his van appear. The kids were amazed.
"This isn't camping, this is glamour camping or glamping!" Branch complained.
"Ooooh! What a delicious term for it!" Guy squealed as the kids followed him.
Branch was always overshadowed by Guy Diamond as he tries to make camping more fun while Branch tries to show the kids how to go back to the basics. This infuriated Branch overtime. At the campfire, he played music from his boombox and had some fun with the kids rapping and singing loudly. Branch whittled two flutes from the leftover pieces of wood to ignore him but he had enough.
"Ugh, again?!" He complained. "Guy always butts in and glitters his pixie dust on anything serious that I am trying to demonstrate or tell everybody about."
"Okay, I get that." Poppy reasoned. "Guy may be a little high strung but he doesn't mean any harm, just talk to him about it. Who knows, maybe he'll open up to roughing it."
"I just wanted the kids to appreciate what they have without all the comforts of the city." He groaned. "And it was working till he messed it all up."
"No, it's okay." Guy said, flying up to him. "As a glitter sprite, I'm all about living the high life but I need to grow, to embrace weird and different things, and there's nothing more weird and different than you."
"Huh?" Branch was confused.
"That is why I'm trying so hard to impress you." Guy smiled.
"Impress me? Is this what it's all about?" Branch asked him. "Guess I jumped to the wrong conclusion here."
All the sprites smiled and had a group hug in reconciliation but Rose butts in.
"I hate to break it up but guys…." Rose gasped
"Not now, Rose!" Guy retorted.
"Guys!" She shouted again.
"What is it?" Branch asked
"BASILISK!" She screamed.
Suddenly, a wild basilisk appeared out of nowhere. Everybody flew out of the campsite as it started chasing everybody. Rose scooped up CJ Suki, Poppy grabbed Priscilla and Branch lifted Keith with him as they flew to the sky while the basilisk chased them.
"Guy, I think your noise disturbed the basilisk." Rose said while carrying CJ Suki with her in her arms.
"Do you have any basilisk problems in your hometown?" Branch asked.
"My family's neighbor, who is a tikbalang in a balete tree, once told us that he encountered a bakunawa that attacked him and his sister because they disturbed the monster with their videoke." Rose said.
"So, how did your neighbor calm it down?" Poppy asked.
"He just calms it down, I don't know how he does it but there are different ways to calm ferocious beasts down." Rose answered. "But I'll need Guy and Branch's help."
Rose leads them all back to the campsite, then, she turns to Guy Diamond and Branch.
"I need your help to calm down this basilisk." She said, turning to them.
"Rose, what do you need?" Branch asked.
"Okay, I would need one of those flutes you carved, Guy, can you lend one of your beds for me?" Rose asked.
"Okay, what is your plan for it?" Guy asked.
Without a minute, Rose was handed a flute and Guy and Branch pushed one of the beds away from the campsite. They waited for the basilisk to arrive, which did. Rose played a melody with the flute and the basilisk fell asleep to the sweet sound. It flopped into the bed and Poppy and the kids covered it with a blanket. After Rose finished playing, they all looked at the sleeping basilisk with a smile.
"Well, looks like he's got nothing to complain about now." Guy said. "Thanks to you."
"And you." Branch added.
"We all did." Rose whispered. "In a different way."
"Alright, that's settled." Poppy smiled. "We can resume our camping."
"Yup!" They all chorused as they went back to camp and have fun while the basilisk was happily asleep somewhere else.