Disclaimer- I do not own Trolls to Trollstopia in any way or form. Melody Song, Mal Shredder, Stereo, Twilight Tidepool, McJagger, and Buckaroo are my O.C.s and belong to me. Aggie belongs to I.M. Rally. I also do not own the song and lyrics that I use for this chapter today. Now, let's get to it!

Poppy and Branch: You can do it solo!

Aggie and Trollex: But then you'd be all by yourself.

Stereo and Synth: (Synth: Yo!) So, it'd be more fun to share this one with someone else! (Tiny Diamond: Hit it, daddy!)

Rhythm, Blues, Quincy, Essence: Together, we will soar across the sky and beyond! (Prince D: To the great beyond!)

Holly Darling, Buckaroo, Delta Dawn: So, tune-up your voice!

Val Thundershock, Barb, and Melody Song: Stand up and sing along!

All: All different voices (Tiny Diamond: Everybody now!), our melodies ringing. We're living in harmony! Yeah, we're living in harmony! Our song is much stronger will every troll singing. We're living in harmony!

Dante Roughs It

Dante was busy sitting on a rock while busy writing his latest symphony, humming a tune while he did so, before saying, "Oh yes, this little eight-note will comply perfectly with this rest! And here, I shall add a-," before suddenly, a loud CRASH startled Dante, making him fly up while hugging his sheet music, asking, "What in the name of Trolls was that"?

He looked around before he saw Twilight Tidepool fiddling with what looked like a set of tent poles, muttering to herself, "Come on ya gnarly things; ya worked before, why don't ya work again? These rusty things always drive me nuts."

Dante saw this and flew over to the elder Techno Troll, asking, "Um, Ms. Tidepool, may I ponder and question what you are doing"?

Twilight looked up and replied, "Oh, g'day, Dante. I'm just trying ta see if I'm able to put up this old tent. I haven't used it in a long time, only a few times while I was out exploring."

Twilight placed together a set of poles before she placed them into the tent fabric, smiling while saying, "Yes, finally! At least it's able to stand up."

Dante then said, "Why would you need a tent? Is it used to hold something"?

Twilight answered, "A tent's used to sleep inside of it of course. I mean, a lot of the time, they're used for camping."

Dante was surprised to hear about camping, prompting him to ask, "Camping? Pray tell, what's camping"?

Twilight chuckled and answered, "Camping's the best, mate! It's when you go out into nature, away from your home for a while, and you explore the wilderness around you, and sleep under the stars."

Dante gasped in shock, saying, "Really? Sleeping outside? Under the stars? On the ground"?

Twilight nodded, saying, "Yep, it's the best! I love to camp, especially hiking to some of the greatest camping spots in the world. It's a nice way t relax and get back to basics, gain some adventurous experience, get to rough it for a while."

Dante then asked, "Rough it? What does that mean"?

Twilight answered, "Roughing it means doing things for yourself, getting down and dirty, doing a lot of physical activities."

Dante cringed a bit from the sound of getting down and dirty, prompting him to nervously smile and reply, "Oh, joy. That, uh...sounds like fun."

Twilight chuckled and stated while tipping her fedora, "It sure is! Hey, you know, I'm planning a camping trip with my kelpcake and McJagger, why don't you come with us"?

Dante gasped in shock, dropping his sheet music while stammering, saying, "M-Me? Camping? In the woods? Um, well, as much as I would love to, I, uh, never been camping before, so uh, I wouldn't know what to do."

Twilight started to deconstruct the tent while commenting, "That's ok, mate; I can show you the ropes of roughing it out in the wilderness. It'll be a blast; you might even end up loving it"!

Dante gave it some thought before he answered, "Well, I guess...hmmmmm, it would be the Trolly thing to do, giving something brand new a try. Ok, I'll take your offer about joining your camping trip."

Twilight smiled, saying, "Make sure you pack up well and be ready ta head out with us at noon tomorrow. Feel free ta invite anyone else you want to come."

Dante nodded while chuckling nervously, still feeling great hesitation about the camping trip.

Later on, he was having tea at Branch's bunker with Branch, Aggie, Holly, and Trollex, telling them about his plight, mentioning, "I have no idea how to do anything camping related, nor do I know how to "rough it" like she is able to."

Branch sipped on his cup of tea before he replied, "I'm sure it won't be so bad, Dante. Camping can be a lot of fun," as Holly added while she picked up a cookie from a cookie plate, "Yeah, y'all. Ay've been campin' ayy bunch ov taames, ayn' it's always ayy lot ov fun! Roughin' it out there, doin' ever'thing faw yourself, getting ta build up ayy sense ov independence that allows one ta draave fawawd inta the next phases ov their laaves."

Trollex sipped on his cup of tea as he mentioned, "Yeah. Back when Aggie and I both got lost together, before she got her True Colors, we had to camp outside for a bit as we tried to find our way back to Troll Kingdom."

Aggie added, "Plus, you can make a lot of fun memories on a camping trip, especially with the fun things you can do: go on a nature walk, roast marshmallows, tell stories, and so much more."

Dante sighed and commented, "Yes, but it's all so "outdoorsy" and physical and sweat-inducing. I'm not one who commonly goes out for wild adventures like that, even with something like "camping". I prefer the comforts of home, staying dignified and doing fancy, elite-class activities."

Trollex then said, "You know, Dante, if you're worried about this camping trip, why don't we come with you and give you some support"?

Holly added, "Yeah, sugar. It'd be fun, plus, we'll help ya with doin' some ov the campin' activities ayn' show ya all the fun things that y'all ken do"!

Dante thought about it before saying, "Well, Ms. Tidepool did say I could invite anyone else I want to come with me, and I can surely use any help from any camping experience you guys have." Aggie patted Dante on the back while saying, "Don't worry, Dante; we got your back."

Dante smiled, saying, "Ok, then I'm willing to give it a shot. i just hope nothing dangerous attacks us while we are out of Trollstopia "Camping."

Trollex chuckled and said, "Considering Twilight is leading this camping trip, I'm pretty sure the wild animals are more scared of her than we are of them."

The next day, by the edge of town, Twilight, who had a large backpack filled with camping gear on her back, was waiting with Laguna, who was also wearing her fedora from her adventure to the Lost Game room, and a backpack also filled with camping gear, and McJagger, who was wearing his first responder's cap on his head and had two bags with him: his medical bag, and a knapsack full of supplies and gear.

The trio was wondering where Dante was, with Laguna asking, "Are you sure Dante's gonna be coming with us, mom"?

Twilight nodded, saying, "I'm sure, kelpcake, but if he decides to change his mind, it's perfectly alright too. Let's just wait a little longer to see if he'll show up."

McJagger then commented to Twilight, "Thank you again for inviting me to come along with you on this camping trip, Mrs. T."

Twilight swung her arm around him and said, "No worries, mate; any close friend of Laguna is allowed to come, I mean, you're practically family already since you two are dating." McJagger sheepishly smiled and blushed while Laguna, who was also blushing, tipped her fedora down to cover her eyes in embarrassment while saying, "Mom," as Twilight chuckled from seeing their reactions. Then, she heard voices, prompting everyone to look up and see where the voices were coming from.

It turned out to be Aggie, (who was wearing her blue backpack, full of camping gear and supplies, and had a light green bandanna tied around her neck), Branch (who was wearing sunglasses on his eyes and was wearing a brown backpack, also full of camping gear, on his back), Holly (who was wearing a blue visor on her head and wore a red backpack, full of camping gear, on her back), and Trollex (who had on a dark green fishing hat on his head and a seaweed backpack, full of camping gear, on his back).

Aggie was the first to speak, saying, "Hey guys! We made it," as Trollex added, "Dante invited us to come with him on the trip with you guys."

Holly added, "Woo-hoo, this is gonna be mawe fun than ayy barrel ov Cuddlepuppies," while Branch added, "Yeah, it'll be good to have some time to get back to basics. It's nice to be cushy sometimes, but I find that it's always good to sharpen your survival instincts, and camping is the best way to do it."

Twilight chuckled, saying, "Well, we are all very happy you guys wanted to join in; y'all are more than welcome to come camping with us."

Then, Laguna asked, "Speaking of joining, do any of you guys know where Dante is"?

Holly replied, "Ay was passin' Classical Crest on my way here, ayn' ay heard from Minuet that he should be here in just ayy bit." Suddenly, everyone heard the sound of grunting and groaning, making Trollex ask, "Who's making that sound"?

McJagger looked up and saw where the sound was coming from, making him say, "I think I know," while pointing.

Everyone turned around and saw Dante, who was wearing a light tan explorer's hat with a green stripe around the middle, a light tan explorer's shirt with white buttons, and a red bandanna tied around his neck. He was struggling to remain in the air as he had a very large backpack full of all kinds of equipment and camping gear on his back, as he shouted, "I am here"!

Everyone was so curious about Dante's new outfit and a large backpack, especially with Aggie asking, "Dante? Are you ok"?

Dante struggled to remain hovering as he answered, "Yes, Master Aggie; I've never been better-AHH," before he ended up falling onto the ground, with his backpack pinning him.

Branch came over and took the heavy backpack on his back while Aggie helped him up, with Laguna asking, "Dante, if I may ask, what may be the reason behind your new apparel and the extremely heavy backpack"?

Dante replied, "Well, I figured since your mother has much experience in the art of "roughing it" that perhaps if I sport similar apparel, it shall also aid me as well. And I just packed things in my bag that seemed essential for a camping trip, though I fear I may have overpacked."

Branch opened the backpack and pulled out a large cello, with Trollex pulling out a harpsichord, commenting, "Maybe a little bit. You don't need to pack instruments up for a camping trip."

Dante then asked, "But what if I want to play some music while we are out in the forest"?

Twilight chuckled and said, "No worries mate, there's more than one way to make music out in the wild. and you can bring an instrument if you want, but make it a small one so it can fit in your bag easier."

Dante looked in his pack and pulled out a sheet music stand while saying, "I guess I can leave these things behind, and take my baton and violin. But everything else I packed is all the camping equipment, gear, and other essential needed that I found out about in this camping book I picked up in the library," while pulling out a red book that said "Camping 101" on the cover in gold letters.

Dante then said, "I am prepared to attempt my first time "roughing it" in the wild with you. Shall we head off"? Twilight tipped her fedora while saying, "Well, if all of you guys are ready, then mates, let's head out"! Twilight lead the march as the gang all followed her, heading into the forest.

As they kept trekking towards the campsite, Dante was growing weary of flying with a heavy backpack on his back, especially over a long distance.

He envied Holly, who was walking while holding a large stick, using it to help her walk forward.

Aggie saw Dante looking exhausted as she flew next to him, saying, "You doing ok, Dante"?

Dante was breathing pretty fast as he replied, "Yes...I'm...doing ok, Master Aggie. I'm just "roughing it" as they say. Mrs. Tidepool, how much farther shall we be hiking to our campsite"?

Twilight replied, "A little farther mates, but no worries; we can make our hike there a game! How about a round of "I Spy"?

Holly replied, "Hot dang, I love that game, y'all," while Trollex added, "Yeah, I'm down for it."

Laguna then stated, "Note: It's a perfect idea, mom. I'll start. Let's see...I spy with my little eye...something...red."

Everyone looked around to spy something that was red, as Branch guessed, "Those red flavor berries," while pointing to a bush full of flavor berries.

Laguna shook her head no, with McJagger asking, "Is it me"? Laguna blushed while saying, "Nope, but you are cute in red though."

McJagger blushed as Aggie then saw a red flyer bug fly by, making her guess, "A red flyer bug"!

Laguna nodded, commenting, "Correct," as Aggie cheered in success, stating, "Yes! Ok, my turn! I spy with my little eye...something...blue."

Trollex guessed, "Is it me," as Aggie smiled, saying, "No, but you are adorable in blue," and gave Trollex a kiss on the cheek, making the Techno King smile and blush.

Dante, despite being very tired, guessed, "Is it my nose," as Aggie shook her head no. Dante looked up, saying, "Uh...is it the sky"? Aggie nodded, saying, "Yes! Great job, Dante"!

Dante smiled weakly before saying, "My turn. I spy...with my little eye-AHHHHH," before he fell and landed on McJagger's back, with McJagger say, "Right now, I spy that I caught a falling Troll, who looks tired."

Dante sat upright, letting out a breath of exhaustion, as he said, "Perhaps I could use a little rest. Flying with a heavy backpack is exhausting."

Twilight then said, "You still want to have a turn at "I Spy" Dante"? Dante nodded, saying, "I spy with my little eye something...," before he heard the bushes rustle and screamed, "Something dangerous"!

Everyone turned around and saw the bushes rustling before out of the blue, a white bunny came out and looked at the group cutely before it hopped away.

Holly smiled, saying, "Awwww, it's so cute," while Laguna added, "Bunnies are a natural form of forest wildlife."

Dante sighed in relief before saying, "This "roughing it" thing is harder than I thought; I can't even bear to stay calm with possibly anything being out here! I'm exhausted, sweat is dripping off my forehead, and we haven't even arrived yet"!

Twilight reassured the Classical ambassador by saying, "You know, mate, it would help if you view camping more of an adventure. It's a lot of fun to go to new places and get to learn how to do new skills. It's a journey for the mind, body, and heart"!

Dante groaned tiredly before Twilight got an idea, saying, "You know what'll help ya, Dante? You need to eat."

Dante, confused, asked, "What? But I'm not hungry," as Twilight chuckled, answering, "Not literally. I mean you need your mind and soul to eat up the excitement and curiosity around you, and only then will you be able to enjoy getting to camp and rough it out here. And luckily, mate, I know the recipe for adventure"!

Twilight then picked up a hollow log and tied it with a vine before giving it to Branch, saying, "Here. Wear this, and start hitting it like a pair of bongos."

Branch curiously replied, "Uh...sure, Mrs. Tidepool," and slowly started to hit the log with one hand at a time, like bongo drums, as it produced a steady beat.

Feeling more comfortable, Branch started to speed up his playing a bit, commenting, "wow, it sounds like I'm playing bongos on the log," as Twilight stated, "Yep, that's nature's music at it's work"!

Trollex then got an idea and pulled out two clamshells from his hair, holding one in each hand, and started to press each of them carefully along with the beat of the drum, commenting, "How about some seashell clappers to add to this catchy tune"?

Everyone seemed to be really impressed, as Aggie commented, "Wow, we're making music out in nature," and pulled out her keytar, playing the keys along to the beat of the song, while Holly did the same with her acoustic guitar.

McJagger pulled out a rusty old jar that was originally gonna be used for recycling, and scooped up some dirt with pebbles in it, before closing the jar and giving it a shake, making it sound like maracas.

Twilight was bopping her head to the beat, saying, "There we go, just like that, mates! Now, get a listen to this," as she started to sing and dance around the gang, with Dante listening curiously to the song.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A Recipe of Adventure by Bonnie Hunt & Ariel Winter~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twilight: If you find yourself in trouble, and you don't know what to do. Don't pull your hair out in despair before my song is through!

See I got a little recipe to take away your woes! And all of the ingredients are right behind your nose!

You just need two cups of courage and a little pinch of pluck! A quarter-pound of cleverness, a dash of plain old luck!

Then you mix them up all together into one tremendous stew! It's a recipe for adventure cooking up inside of you!

Dante then found himself asking, "So, you are saying as long as I follow this "recipe" then I can be able to adventure out and "rough it" on this camping trip the same as everyone else? But what about dignity and etiquette"? Twilight then said, "You still have that, but not in the same way, mate. Out here, you develop a dignity to be independent and get the essentials you need through hard work and labor, and the ettiquetes come to those who show resilience and determination. Just give the recipe a try, and you'll see what I mean, Dante"!

Twilight: You gotta put on your thinking helmet like adventurers must do! And when in doubt, try to figure out a unique idea or two!

When camping or exploring, you gotta give new things a try! Take a chance to watch the pot boil and soon, you're set to fly!

Twilight then added, "So, yeah, it's not like what you're used to doing, and you'll most likely get down and dirty a lot, especially with new experiences such as this, but as I like to say "You'll never truly understand something if you don't give it a try" and giving this a try is worth all the risks." Dante gave it some thought as Laguna said, "Note: Dante, my mom makes a good point. You've had many new experiences living in Trollstopia, so, this should be no different," while Trollex added, "Yeah! Think of it like this"!

Trollex: Just pour in two cups of courage!

Laguna: Add a little pinch of pluck!

Aggie: A quarter-pound of cleverness!

Holly: A dash of plain old luck!

Branch: Then, you mix it up all together into one big fricassee!

McJagger: It's a recipe for adventure!

Dante: *gasps* And it's cooking inside of me!

Twilight then said, "Come on, lads and lassies, we're almost there at the campsite! Let's get going, in style," as everyone continued to walk down the forest path, hopping across rocks and ducking under trees while singing and making music, and even Dante was now joining in, flying again as he waved his baton around, conducting the group's music as they sang in harmony.

Twilight: We just need two cups of courage (McJagger and Laguna: Two cups of courage!)!

And a little pinch of pluck (Aggie and Trollex: A little pinch of pluck!)!

Branch and Holly: A quarter-pound of cleverness!

Dante: A dash of plain old luck!

All: Then, you mix it up all together into one tremendous stew (Twilight: Yum!)!

Dante: It's a recipe (All (girls): A recipe!)! For adventure (All (boys): For adventure!)!

All: And it's cooking up in me! And you!

Soon, the gang had finally arrived at a clearing, as Twilight announced, "We're here, mates," as everyone looked around in awe at where they were. It was a beautiful field, with trees nearby, a large pond that seemed to sparkle like glitter, with a medium-sized waterfall by a ledge near the camping site, and a nearby picnic table to sit at.

Dante seemed very relieved to have arrived as he sat down at the picnic table, placing his backpack down and sighing in content, saying, "Ahhhhh, we have finally made it," while McJagger commented, "Wow, it's really peaceful out here."

Twilight smiled, saying, "Welcome to Glitter Falls, mates. Crikey, it's a real beauty out here, ain't it? You got the beautiful waterfall, a nice peaceful scenery, and the best part: it's ideal to set up a campsite here."

Twilight then said, "Alright, mates: it's time to set up camp! everyone, pull out your tents so you can set them up, and let me know if you need any help."

With that, the group all gathered around by the field and began to unpack their backpacks to pull out their tents so they could put them up.

Aggie was putting the pole for her tent when she saw Trollex having a bit of trouble with his tent and flew over to give him a hand with putting the metal rods together.

Branch and Holly had it easy with putting their tents up, having their own camping experience and were both hammering the nails to the ropes so their tents wouldn't fold in and collapse.

However, McJagger seemed to have some trouble with setting up his tent, but was more than determined to set it up all by himself, even when Laguna, who had finished setting up her tent, asked, "Do you need some help"?

McJagger replied, "No no, I'm good, boo; I can set this up with-," but while he was picking up a pole to attach to another piece, he tripped on the fabric and fell, getting himself entangled in the tent fabric, which was now tied up around his body and feet. The red Funk Troll struggled to free himself as he blushed in embarrassment and sheepishly chuckled, asking, "Uh, can I still take up on that offer for help, boo"?

Laguna and her mom both broke into laughter as Twilight replied, "We got ya, mate," and helped place the poles together while Laguna untied her boyfriend from the fabric.

Meanwhile, Dante didn't even know what to do with his tent set, and that wasn't the only issue he was having.

Dante was also very uncomfortable with sleeping on the ground, even if it was inside a tent since he was so used to sleeping up in a high place, like a tree.

With that, he approached Twilight and said, "Um, Mrs. Tidepool, I do not feel entirely ok with sleeping on the ground tonight. Would it be possible to set my tent up on a tree branch or somewhere up high"?

Twilight thought about it before she answered, "Well, Dante, you can't really set up a tent up a tree, but if you want, I can show you how to build a shelter."

Dante, confused, asked, "Uh, a shelter," as Laguna replied, "A shelter is similar to a house and a tent, except it's made out of things in nature, usually wood or branches, and leaves can also be used as well."

Dante felt very unsure about it, saying, "Um, I don't know," while Twilight stated, "It's quite easy. Let me show you," and led Dante into the woods to collect the materials to build him a shelter, while explaining, "First, we need to collect the materials so we can use them to construct the shelter you want. Have you already figured out how you want to make your shelter"?

Dante thought about it before he heard the sound of chirping and looked up, spotting a bird's nest where a family of songbirds was nestled together.

Seeing them together in that nest reminded him of Classical Crest since it too was up in a tree, and that made him develop a peculiar, but surprisingly suitable idea, saying, "Yes, actually. As strange as it may seem, I think I may want my "shelter" to resemble those birds nests since they are up high in a tree, something I am used to."

Twilight chuckled and replied, "Dinkum? Sure thing then, we can make it work! Let's gather some twigs and leaves," and together, she and Dante began to collect twigs and leaves that were on the ground.

Once enough supplies were collected, they brought everything back to the campsite before Twilight started to show Dante how to weave the sticks together, saying, "Now, to make a nest, you first want to weave a circle that you will use as a base of your nest. The size can vary depending on how big you want to make it, but since you want to make one as your shelter, you might want to make it as big as a hula hoop."

Dante nodded and attempted to weave the sticks together, but every time, he tried, the sticks didn't want to stay together, and with each failed attempt,

Dante grew more frustrated, exclaiming, "Gazooks, this is merely impossible"! Branch came over to help, saying, "It's not that hard, but if you want some help, try this trick: think of it like twisting two sticks together, like yarn."

Dante followed Branch's advice and gave it a try, successfully weaving two sticks together, making him smile, and commented, "Huzzah! I did it," and continued to do it with a few other sticks until he successfully made a full circle.

Once that was completed, Twilight then said, "Now, you just got to keep repeating the weaving process as you make more, wider circles around your base."

Dante nodded in understanding and continued to weave the pile of sticks he had together until after about 10 minutes, he had finished weaving a beautiful nest that was big enough for him to sleep in. Twilight then placed a huge leaf on the base of the nest, weaving it into the nest so it would stay put while Dante then placed a large stick in the middle of the nest and tied three large leaves on top of it, making it fall over the top of the nest like curtains.

Finally, he, Twilight, Aggie, and McJagger worked together to place the nest on two tree branches on a nearby tree that was beside the tent group so Dante could still be near his friends, and at the same time, the nest could stay in place without falling over or losing balance.

Once it was put into place, Dante flew into the nest, giving it a try to see how he felt, before he smiled, saying, "It may not be the most preferred sleeping spot, but I feel quite comfortable with this."

Twilight then said, "Well done, mate, and ya know the best part? Ya made that yourself, Dante! Great job roughing it"!

Dante was surprised about what he had accomplished, asking, "Really? This is part of "roughing it"? Holly nodded, saying, "Yeah, sugar; often out in the waald, sometaames, ya gotta build ayy shelter out ov everythin' y'all ken faand around ya. Makin' ayy sheltuurr laake that is ayy great way ov roughin' it"!

Dante looked back at the nest shelter he made and smiled, saying, "Huh, I guess roughing it is easier than I thought." Twilight then said, "Ok, mates, who want to help gather the firewood and rocks so I can build a campfire for later"?

Trollex and McJagger raised their hands, with Trollex adding, "I'll help find you some rocks, Mrs. T," while McJagger added, "I'll gather the firewood." Together, both boys walked into the woods to gather what they needed.

McJagger was sniffing some of the wood on the ground to see which pieces were best to use for a campfire and picked up the best pieces, carrying them under one of his front legs. Meanwhile, Trollex was picking up some rocks with his arms and hair that could be used to make the circle for the wood the rest on. However, it was pretty heavy for the Techno Troll to carry, and he struggled to keep holding them up. McJagger saw this and asked, "Need a hand there, your majesty"?

Trollex replied, "I'm good, thanks, McJagger. I- WOAH," but when he stepped back, he tripped on something that caused Trollex to fall backward, dropping the rocks he had in his arms.

McJagger placed down the pile of wood and ran to him, saying while checking on the Techno king, "Trollex! You ok? Are you hurt? Is there any pain? dizziness"?

Trollex sat up, saying, "I think I'm ok. Nothing hurts, but what the heck did I just trip on"? McJagger took a look and gasped, saying, "Woah! it's a giant footprint," as Trollex got up and gasped when he saw the footprint he was sitting in.

McJagger measured the footprint while saying, "What kind of footprint is this? I've never seen a creature that could make a footprint that big before." Trollex replied, "I don't know, but you don't think it could be anything scary, is it"?

McJagger replied, "I doubt it considering that unless it's some extraordinary circumstances, but I think we'll be fine. The only things we'll find out here are the usual forest wildlife. Songbirds, bunnies, the occasional Grossum-," before suddenly, they both heard a low grumbling sound.

Both Trolls gulped nervously as McJagger then fiddled with his front toes while saying, "On the other hand, anything can appear in the wilderness, especially with an environment this fruitful. so...maybe we should quickly grab the stuff and head back to camp."

Trollex nervously nodded and added, "Yeah, let's go before something comes to eat us," and they quickly gathered the firewood and rocks and ran off quickly, a bit frightened by what could possibly be out there.

Once they had returned to the campsite, Twilight used the rocks to make a fire circle so she could stand up the firewood in it once it was done.

Meanwhile, everyone else has decided to spend their time doing a fun activity: swimming in the river of Glitter Falls. Branch, who had changed into his swimwear (his white tank top and red swimming shorts), swung from a vine that was hanging on a tree near the river, shouted, "Wahoo," before he dove into the water with a splash, swimming back up while floating on his back.

In the water already was McJagger, who was snorkeling underwater by the waterfall, and Trollex and Aggie, who were swimming around together and splashing each other playfully, while Holly, who had changed into her swimwear, which was a tan-yellowish two-piece bathing suit, and was also wearing a blue visor and sunglasses, was sitting in a lawn chair while soaking up the sun.

Dante, who was also in swim gear, wearing blue swim shorts that had a white stripe on each side, and sunglasses with a lighter lens tone, who was standing on the tree branch, holding the vine, while feeling nervous, asking, "Are you sure this is ok"?

Aggie nodded and said, "Yeah, Dante! Come on in; the water's fine"!

Dante gulped in nervousness but decided to go for it, screaming in fear as he swung on the vine before he let go and dove into the water, curled up like a ball, and making a huge splash, which doused Holly, making her exclaim while she took her sunglasses off to wipe the water off of the lens, "Hey! which one of y'all soaked me"?!

Dante swam back up to the surface, shocked at first before he found himself...smiling, and laughing, as he commented, "That was marvelous! I felt a rush of adrenaline I've never felt before! It was exhilarating"!

Suddenly, everyone heard what sounded like someone doing a Tarzan-like shout, making everyone look up and saw that four trees away from the river, Laguna was standing on the tree branch of a different tree, clutching on a different vine, before she swung on the vine, moving from branch to branch with ease, quickly grabbing a branch to swing herself up, before she grabbed the last vine and swung up high, shouting, "Woo-hoo," and dove into the water, making a huge splash, which doused Holly again, who exclaimed, "Aww, come on," while squeezing the water out of her hair.

Laguna swam back up to the surface, commenting, "Note: that is how you do a proper dive into the water."

Aggie smirked and asked playfully, "We swing like Ape Critters and scream like Tarz-Troll," which prompted everyone to break into hard laughter, as Dante floated on his back while saying, "This is most fun! I have no idea why I was so worried about camping earlier."

Then, everyone saw a long, black, thin, noodle-like thing floating around in the water, which prompted Dante to feel startled and scream while jumping into Branch's arms, making the Pop king stumble and fall into the water while holding Dante, as Trollex asked, "What is that"?

Soon, the figure came out and it turned out to be McJagger, who was wearing a black snorkeling mask and breathing tube. He took the mouthpiece off, pushing it aside, while using, "Hey guys, what'd I miss"?

When Branch and Dante re-emerged from the water and saw that it was only McJagger, everyone once again broke into laughter, enjoying a fun swim together.

After they went swimming, they decided to go on a nature hike and see if they could spot any animals. They went down a path that was still nearby the camp so that Twilight could come and find them if they stay on the trail for longer than intended. Aggie had her camera out to take pictures while Laguna had an animal book in her hand to read about the animals they found, reading it as she rode on McJagger's back, as he had a notepad to take notes down. Trollex had binoculars around his neck at the ready to use to see things that were far away, and Branch was riding on Holly's back, with the Country ambassador holding a telescope.

Dante was flying beside McJagger and Holly, looking around at the things around him, commenting, "Well, this is quite peaceful."

Branch took a deep breath in and out, saying, "Ah, nothing beats the smell of fresh air in the great outdoors."

Holly added, "Except the smell ov flowuurrs in ayy fresh field ov daisies."

Trollex then saw something and said, "Look guys," while pointing to a family of bunnies, with a white mother bunny playing with her three white babies. One of the babies did a small hop, but fell to the ground, as the mother gently nuzzled her baby and helped it up to its feet. Everyone said, "Awwww," with glimmered eyes in unison, while Aggie took a picture and said, "It's so cute"!

McJagger then saw a green hummingbird fly around him, landing on his head, making him chuckle while saying, "Hahaha, hi there."

Laguna looked in her book while saying, "It says here that hummingbirds tend to be very docile, but can be quite friendly."

Aggie took another picture as Holly then saw something and squealed, saying, "EEEEEEEEEEEE! Look, y'all," and pointed to a family of squirrels that were burying nuts in the ground, prompting Dante to ask, "What are those little creatures doing"?

Branch explained, "Those squirrels are burying their nuts. Often, they keep their nuts stored underground so that if they get hungry later, they can just dig it back up."

McJagger added, "And you know what? Sometimes, they forget to dig up their nuts and they tend to grow into brand new trees, expanding the forest."

Dante seemed really impressed about this, commenting, "Wow, such fascinating little creature," and was flying backwards until he accidentally bumped into something that shook behind him, making Dante turn around to see what it was and screamed in fright, shouting, "What is this"?!

Everyone looked at what was a silver cocoon with purple dots on it, as Aggie explained, "Oh, that's just a cocoon, where caterpillars rest in and change into butterflies."

Suddenly, everyone saw the cocoon shake around, prompting Laguna to say, "Note: I think it must be starting to break through"!

The cocoon shook and rocked back and forth before suddenly, the critter inside finally broke through with a crack, slowly coming out from the bottom of the cocoon and climbing up it to stretch out its new wings. The butterfly was light blue and it had blue-and-purple wings with pink heart designs.

Aggie took a picture of the butterfly while McJagger wrote about the butterfly in his notepad, with everyone else saying, "Ooh," in unison.

Dante seemed to be the most impressed about seeing the butterfly emerge from the cocoon, amazed to see all the beauties of nature around him, things that he never truly got to see before. Suddenly, he heard the sound of something rumbling, making him look around and ask, "What was that"?

The rumbling sound continued, prompting the ground to look around, feeling a bit concerned that there might be something out in the woods that could possibly be growling at them in defense.

Then, Holly felt a rumble in her stomach and saw that the sound was coming from her, prompting her to say, "Oops, sorry, y'all. Guess ay'm feelin' ayy bit hungry."

Soon, a symphony of grumbling stomachs played, with everyone feeling hungry, as Trollex commented, "Guess we're all feeling hungry, though it's still a bit early for dinner."

McJagger then said, "Good thing nature is also not only a wonderful sight for the eyes but a go-to kitchen. We can find ourselves a snack or make it with the things around us. Out here, Mother Nature provides for all. You just got to use all of your senses to find the edible parts of nature."

McJagger then pulled out a yellow book with a cover that had grass, berries, and leaves on it, out of his hair, as he added, "And this nature guide will help us make sure that no one accidentally picks up anything poisonous by accident."

Holly sifted through the bush and picked some pink flavor berries, saying, "Found some flavor berries, y'all," while plopping one into her mouth and chewing while sharing some with Branch and Laguna.

Aggie noticed some apples up in a tree and flew up, giving the tree a good shake, which knocked two apples that were hanging on the same branch together down, and Trollex used his hair to catch them, tossing one up to Aggie. Aggie caught it with her Classical hand while smiling at her boyfriend, saying, "Nice catch," with Trollex replying, "Nice shake."

Meanwhile, McJagger picked some colorful flowers and wrapped them up in medium-sized leaves, saying as he placed them on a flat rock tray, "Flower spring rolls anyone"? Dante picked up one of the flowery spring rolls, saying, "I can't believe you make something edible like this out of things in nature,"

Branch then commented, "Well, like McJagger said: you can find a lot of ways to get food and other survival things out in the wild. You just got to look."

Dante flew around before he found a bush with a bunch of green leaves and picked two of them, sniffing the leaves before he rubbed them on his cheeks to see if that did anything.

He didn't seem too alarmed, saying, "Oh my, this appears to be exfoliating my skin. It's kind of tingly, per se," and found himself chuckling as the leaves made his cheeks green.

Laguna saw what Dante was doing and gasped in shock when she saw the leaves, exclaiming, "Dante, stop! Those are diablo leaves; they're really poisonous"!

The minute he heard the word "poisonous," Dante's eyes widened in shock as he dropped the leaves while Laguna explained, "They cause a myraid of symptoms, such as fevers." Dante then felt himself grow sweaty, and said, "I suddenly feel very hot," before Laguna added, "Fatigue," which made Dante yawn and add, "And super tired." Laguna then looked at her nature book and said, "There was one other symptom, but what"?

Dante then saw something that Laguna couldn't see and screamed, shouting, "A fire-breathing dragon," and flew off in a hurry, passing the others, much to their confusion, making Laguna snap her fingers and say, "Oh yeah, delusions," before she joined everyone else as they chased after Dante, trying to find him.

A little while later, after they had returned to the campsite and informed Twilight on what had happened as the elder Techno Troll volunteered to find Dante and bring him back, everyone was waiting to see if her search was successful. Soon, they saw Twilight coming back as she said, "Well, mates, I was able to find him but...he's gone."

Everyone gasped in concern as Aggie shouted, "He's dead," whole Holly shouted as she felt tears build-up, "Ay didn't even get ayy chance ta say goodbye," and broke into a hard sob.

Twilight, seeing this, quickly rose her hands up and said, "What no, mates, he ain't dead; I meant he just flew off into the woods."

That made the group sigh in relief with Trollex saying, "Thank goodness," while Branch added, "Next time, maybe add that before we go thinking someone has died."

Twilight then said, "No worries, mate, I'm sure by now, he'll be back to normal. The effects of diablo leaves aren't permanent and usually die down after a while."

Suddenly, everyone heard someone shouting "Whoosh," and they saw Dante, who was flying around in crazy loop-de-loops, while mimicking he was riding something, commenting, "Look at me, I'm riding a dragon"!

That made everyone in the group uncomfortable, with McJagger saying, "Or not," as they watched Dante "climb" off his imaginary dragon and say to it, "Whoa, boy! Whoa," and patted the air, as if his delusional dragon was real, and stated, "Who's my fire-breathing buddy? Who lays waste to entire villages? You do! yes, you do! Yes, you do"!

McJagger approached the delirious Dante while saying, "Dante, there is no dragon."

Dante turned around and when he saw McJagger, he screamed and said, "Snake," and did something no one expected: he punched McJagger in the nose! Hard!

The impact made the red Funk Troll scream in pain and step back, holding his nose as everyone, especially Laguna, gasp in shock/concern, while McJagger exclaimed, "Holy funk riffs, that hurts"!

Trollex shouted, "What the kelp; I can't believe he punched McJagger," while Holly added, "Ay ken't believe he ken pack that much ov ayy hit"!

Aggie approached the delirious Dante while saying, "Dante, what was that for," and when Dante saw her, he shouted again and said, "Forest nymph," before saying with a yawn, "So tired," and fell to the ground, falling asleep.

Everyone gathered around the sleeping Classical Troll, with Branch saying, "That was odd," while Laguna added, "Note: very odd, indeed." Twilight mentioned, "He thought I was a Cuddlepup and kept saying, "Sit," at me."

McJagger used his left front paw to hold his nose while saying, "Well, with Dante down, at least I can now administer medicine to reverse the effects of the diablo leaves."

Twilight then said, "Good on ya, mate, and maybe check yourself out while you're at it. Ya took a pretty nasty blow."

McJagger sheepishly chuckled before he winced in pain, saying, "Noted: I'll take your word for it. I'll need to make a soft spot to lay Dante on while I administer the medicine. Could some of you guys go get me some big leaves"?

Laguna and Aggie raised their hands, saying together, "We're on it," and went to go find some big leaves. Aggie was pulling two huge leaves off a tree and dropping them while Laguna caught them, shouting, "Ok, Master Aggie; I think we have enough."

Aggie flew down and said, "Good, now, let's get these back to the campsite so McJagger can-," before she suddenly saw that Laguna had tripped over something and fell, landing face-first into the ground while still holding onto the leaves.

Aggie flew to her and helped Laguna up, saying, "Are you ok"? Laguna adjusted her fedora and picked up the leaves, saying, "I'm ok, but what did I trip on"?

Suddenly, both girls looked down and saw that they both were standing in the giant footprint Trollex and McJagger saw earlier, as both girls were surprised, with Aggie asking, "Woah, what kind of animal made this footprint"?

Laguna looked at it before saying, "Well, judging by the length of the toes and the length of the toe bean imprints, I would say it's...the footprint of a Kitty Critter. And it seems to be a big one."

Suddenly, both girls heard a sound of low grumbling, one that was not the sound of a rumbling stomach, and they both hugged each other nervously, as Aggie commented, "You don't think one is around here, is it"?

Laguna gulped and answered, "I-I don't think so." Suddenly, Aggie felt a vision coming and suddenly, in her mind, her vision played a clip of a Kitty Critter that was looking right at them, meowing furiously.

When the vision ended, all the MMT could do was scream, prompting Laguna to scream too, without questioning what the vision was, as they ran back to camp with the leaves.

Later on, as the sun was starting to set, making the sky become a purplish-orange, and on the leaf mat, with a wet rag on his forehead, Dante slowly woke up, getting a sense of his surroundings before asking, "W-What happened"?

Everyone saw that Dante had awoken, with McJagger approaching him as he said, "Thank goodness. you've been out for a few hours, Dante."

Dante sat up, removing the rag off his head while asking, "I don't seem to remember what have happened. Could someone catch me up on everything"?

Trollex answered, "Well, man, you were rubbing diablo leaves on your cheeks and they turned out to be poisonous, and they made you tired and act a bit off."

McJagger then answered, "But luckily, I gave you a booster vaccine to help reverse the effects and help you recover."

Dante looked at the band-aid on his right arm before he heard Twilight say, "Glad you're feeling better, mate, and just in time too."

He looked up and saw that Twilight was stirring something in a large metal pot that was heating up over the campfire, as she said, "Dinner's just about ready! Come and get it, mates"!

Twilight picked up some bowls and began to serve what was in the pot: sweet, savory, and succulent stew. Once a bowl was set, she placed a spoon in the bowl and gave it to Holly, who was first in line, followed by Aggie, Branch, Laguna, Trollex, Dante, and finally, herself, as they all got to sit and eat the stew.

However, Dante didn't seem to have an appetite, barely poking at his stew. Aggie saw that Dante wasn't eating and asked, "Dante, are you ok"?

Dante replied, "I don't think I have an appetite for this stew."

Twilight then stated, "Does it taste ok? I added some spices to give it flavor, but-," before Dante answered, "No, it's not that, it's just that...I'm not a good camper. I can barely hike without getting exhaustion, weave a shelter without help, and I can't even forage for food without picking anything poisonous and almost making myself sick! I can't rough it like you guys can."

Branch reassured him by saying, "Dante, it's ok; no one ever "roughs it" perfectly. The point of roughing it is to gain independence and learn to do things for yourself, and even if you don't get it right at first, it can be a lot of fun to try. And you've had fun today, right"?

Holly then said, "What about when ya went swimming'," while Laguna added, "And when we went on our nature hike"?

Dante thought about it before saying, "Well...I do admit that it has been fun. The trip was enjoyable, especially the song we sang, and swimming in the river was most enjoyable. Never once did I ever think I'd swing from a vine, and it was quite exhilerating in fact! And seeing all of those amazing animals along the trail was quite fascinating, especially witnessing the emergence of a butterfly from its cocoon."

Aggie then added, "Plus, think of what you've learned as well. You got to weave a nest and build a shelter," while Trollex added, "You got to learn about the behaviors of different animals around us," and Laguna stated, "Plus, now you also know what diablo leaves look like and what they do when they come into contact with Trolls."

Dante, realizing this, smiled and said, "Yeah, I have learned about these things, including how to set up a tent, and even how to find food out in nature, including making flowery spring rolls."

Everyone broke into laughter while Dante started to eat the stew happily.

Later on, everyone was in their tents, fast asleep, having many dreams fill their heads. However, Dante was having trouble sleeping up in his shelter nest. No, he wasn't uncomfortable since he had a pillow and blanket to sleep with, and he wasn't scared...at least not scared entirely.

However, Dante found himself unable to sleep, muttering, "It's too quiet out here. I'm so used to the sounds of cricket chirping and the nightingales singing their sweet songs. Out here in the wild, the only things I can hear are the leaves rustling and the wind blowing around."

Dante flew out of his shelter, saying, "Perhaps some fresh air will do me some good." Dante decided to go for a fly around the woods, thinking it might help him gather his senses and relax his mind so he can get some sleep.

As he gently weaved around the trees, the nighttime breeze and the starry sky seemed to make Dante feel peaceful and calm.

Suddenly, a sudden rustle of the bushes caught his attention, making Dante turn around and ask nervously, "Hello? Anyone...there"?

He nervously flew behind a tree and hid as he watched to see what, or who, would come out of the bushes, hoping whatever, or whoever, it was, would hopefully not be dangerous.

However, it ended up being the exact opposite that he hoped: a huge Kitty Critter that was wandering through the woods, and it appeared to be hurt because it was limping while trying to keep its left front paw up, but Dante didn't seem to notice the limp because he was too frightened by the appearance of the Kitty Critter.

He gulped and prayed that it didn't notice him, but then, the Kitty Critter heard the gulping sound and turned its head, seeing Dante, who nervously smiled and waved at it, before the Kitty Critter let out a menacing hiss.

At a loss for words, Dante just screamed in a panic and flew off, while the Kitty Critter chased after it, thinking Dante was something worth catching.

Dante's screams were heard back at the campsite, with everyone waking up and wondering what the sound was.

Trollex was the first to come out of his tent, looking around while asking, "What was that," ad Branch then came out, saying, "Did anyone hear that"?

Twilight soon came out of her tent, saying, "Sounds like someone's in trouble," with Holly asking as Aggie and Laguna came out of their tents too, "But who"?

Suddenly, everyone saw Dante fly towards them quickly, shouting, "Friends, we must flee here at once"!

When Aggie asked, "Dante, what's going on," everyone heard the low growling noise, and the moment Dante turned around to face whatever made that noise with them, the Kitty Critter came limping out of the bushes and saw them, meowing furiously, as Aggie whispered in a low voice, "My vision"!

Holly shouted, "What the hey," while Laguna exclaimed, "Kitty Critter"! Branch then said, "Everyone, be careful! It looks like it wants to attack," as everyone readied to run.

Then, Dante seemed to notice something about the Kitty Critter and how it was moving, noticing its limp, and narrowed his eyes so he could get a closer look at its paw.

He then gasped about what he saw: on the Kitty Critter's left front paw was a large thorn, and it was stuck.

He muttered quietly, "Oh my, it appears to be agitated because it's in pain from that thorn. Thorns are pretty nasty to have, especially when they are stuck somewhere you don't want them in. I got to get that thorn out, but how"?

He looked up at the tree the Kitty Critter was standing under, spotting some vines on a tree branch that was near his shelter, and got an idea, saying, "It's time for Dante to get crafty"!

He flew to the branch, dodging a swipe from the Kitty Critter first, as he picked up the vine, took one of the big leaves off of his shelter, and then picked up a large stick, with Branch asking, "Dante, what are you doing"?

Dante smiled and stated, "I am solving this problem by roughing it, and making something that'll save us," before he then picked up what he had made: a leafy cat toy.

He then flew towards the Kitty Critter and began to wave the toy around, saying, "Here kitty, kitty, kitty," as the Kitty Critter suddenly seemed to calm down and took interest in the toy.

It meowed and purred cutely and laid on its back, using its right front paw to bat at the toy, while Dante said to his friends, "There's a thorn on its left front paw that's causing it pain; it needs to be removed."

Twilight tipped her fedora and climbed up onto the kitty critter's stomach, looking up and spotting the thorn that was stuck in the Kitty Critter's paw as she launched her hair and grabbed it, saying, "Brace yourselves, mates, because this thorn's about to come out"!

She pulled with all of her might and with ease, the thorn came out, which made the Kitty Critter stop playing and yelp in pain before it saw that its paw was all better.

Twilight jumped off the Kitty Critter and everyone watched it roll back up to its feet, shake itself a bit, and place its paw on the ground a few times to see if he was truly all better, smiling and meowing contently.

Dante then approached it, asking, "Feeling better now," as the Kitty Critter nodded before it ran off into the woods, with everyone cheering for Dante, who bowed and smiled.

Trollex then commented, "Dante, that was so cool," while Holly asked, "How did ya know ta make ayy cat toy ta distract it"?

Dante replied, "Well, I guess you could say my survival "instincts" took over and I used my skills to help save us. You were right, Mrs. Tidepool, this camping trip really has taught me a lot about getting down to basics and honing on new skills I never thought I'd ever learn. I hold a brand new respect, and love, for the art of camping, 'tis very enjoyable, hardworking, and loads of fun."

Everyone smiled and gathered into a group hug, hugging each other, including Dante, despite hugging not being a part of the Classical Troll lifestyle/customs/traditions.

Once they separated, Dante then added, "And there's one other thing this camping trip has shown me too," which made Aggie ask, "What is it, Dante"?

Dante then pulled out his baton and said, "Inspiration for my next symphony, which shall be called "Ode to Nature." In fact, allow me to show you a little "sneak peek," as they say," and began to wave his baton around, though, no one heard music at first.

Then, the group took a closer listen and heard the way the trees were shaking gently in the nighttime breeze, the sound of crickets chirping on beat, and the sound of night birds chirping along; it sounded just like music was playing.

Everyone closed their eyes and listened to the natural music of the night, as Branch commented, "Now this is a beat I can listen to," while Trollex added, "Yeah, it's peaceful, and catchy."

Dante smiled in content as he closed his eyes and continued to wave his baton while everyone smiled and continued to listen to the music of the night underneath the starry sky that shined so bright, like diamonds.