Chapter 16: A Swing and a Misty
At a waterfall in the woods, things were going normally before Misty's voice spoke up. "Oh, no! Is that a…" Misty called out as she, Zipp, Pipp, Queen Haven, Cloupuff and Alphabittle came over the waterfall from their rafts.
"WATERFALL!" They all screamed as they went over the waterfall as Misty saw her camera and quickly levitated it in her magic before they all hit the water.
Misty resurfaced from the water with a blank expression as she swam to the surface while the others resurfaced as well as they coughed some water off with Haven on a log which Cloudpuff was pushing as they all, except for Misty, laughed as they swam out of the water.
"Oh, well, you wanted an unforgettable family trip, Misty." Pipp said with a smile, but saw that Misty wasn't with them.
"With Sunny, Hitch and Sparky are visiting Granny Figg while Twilight and Sunset are visiting Spike and Izzy is spending time with Discord in the dragon lands, this seems to be more fun compared to theirs." Zipp said while shaking the water off herself.
While Pipp was looking for Misty, Zipp looked down and saw a flying fish, that literally flies, came out of her life vest as Zipp gave a startled yelp as they watched it fly away before turning to see Misty walking up to a tent with the camera.
"Ugh. I wish I could forget it." Misty said sadly as she entered her tent.
They all look at Misty as Alphabittle gives a concerned look before Pipp and Zipp come up to him. "Don't worry. We'll take care of this." Pipp assured with a smile as Zipp nodded in agreement as they went to Misty's tent as Alphabittle gave a concerned look before Haven placed a hoof on his shoulder with an assuring smile as Alphabittle returned it as he held her hoof next.
In Misty's tent, she connected her camera to her laptop as she set it up and put in her password with a frown. "All I wanted was some perfect family memories." She said as she saw some pictures their time in camping, but one of them is when the royal family trying to lift Alphabittle from from a cliff, the next was Haven sniffing some flowers, but got caught in a flower trap next, the next photo is Zipp flying away from some bees, and Pipp is taking a selfie with herself, but the ground started moving to reveal a piece of land she's on was on top of a giant caterpillar. "But today has just been one disaster after another... ugh... after another." She said as she flopped her face in front of her laptop in sadness.
Zipp and Pipp came to her in concern. "What do you mean?" Pipp asked Misty. "Has it been perfect? No. No way. Not even close! It's, like, so far—" She tried to say before her sister nudged her.
"Ahem!" Zipp said to her sister as the two sisters gave nervous smiles as Pipp realizes what she said.
"Um, I mean, but at least it's been memorable, you know?" Pipp asked with a small smile.
But Misty still frowned as she gestured to her laptop. "Look at this. I couldn't even do a campfire right." She said as she then played a video of their campfire time.
"Pegasi fly ever so hi-i-igh~." Pipp sang while playing a banjo while Misty was recording the moment with her camera before she brought out some marshmallows on sticks as she passed to each one of them.
"Everypony's having a great time." Zipp said as Misty sat next to her father as the two smiled warmly.
"Wait for it." Misty said with a dull look as the two sisters watched as Misty and Alphabittle hugged closely while they all placed their marshmallows by the campfire, but then the sticks started fizzing from the tips like fireworks, which shocked the group.
"Um, Misty, where'd you say you got these sticks?" Alphabittle asked his daughter in worry.
"That sparkly tree over there." Misty answered as she pointed the sparkling tree with orange leaves on as it gave a sparkling glow. "Why?"
Alphabittle then gave a nervous smile as he got a panic expression. "Um, that's a cracklewood tree." He said as he dropped his stick as the all gave worried looks. "Everypony, run!" He cried as he ran off.
The mares all dropped their sticks and ran off with screams right before the sticks made fireworks as Zipp went into the the trees, Pipp hid in the tents, Queen Haven, Cloudpuff, and Misty ran towards Alphabittle in the bushes as they all watches the fireworks from the sticks go off while Pipp, Zipp, and Misty have buckets in their heads as she sighed sadly as the video stopped.
"Oh." Pipp said with a cringe.
"That." Zipp added with the same feeling after watching the video.
"Oh, no. Not just that." Misty said as she then showed another video, which Pipp gasped with a smile.
"Oh! This is where we saw those teeny tiny croaking critters!" Pipp said as they watched the video with the family looking around in the woods with Misty taking the lead while recording on her camera while using her binoculars.
Then a frog came out from the river with a croak as Misty smiled widely with sparkles in her eyes as she waved to the others to her as they rushed up and saw more frogs coming out with different colors as a rainbow formed over them as they gave a croak
Cloudpuff went to them and sniffed them in curiosity before they gave another croak, which made Cloudpuff flinch and ran behind Queen Haven, as she gave a giggle from her dog while Alphabittle took a good look at the rainbow frogs.
"I've always wanted to see these, but I never did because—" Alphabittle said as Pipp gave a selfie before he heard a growl, which made Alphabittle give a pale expression. "Oh, no." He muttered.
Then coming out of the river was a giant rainbow frog with horns, rainbow streak in the middle, and purple outlines with a nose ring as it gave a snort while the mini frogs hopped behind it as the group gave nervous expressions.
"Everypony—" Alphabittle started nervously.
"Yeah, yeah, we know." Zipp cut him off with a nod. "RUN!" She screamed as they all screamed as they ran off with the giant frog chasing them as they ran as fast as they could before they all jump into a mud puddle as the frogs hopped past them as Misty resurfaced with a look as a frog landed on her as it gave a croak.
The others, san Misty, all laughed from the experience as the two sisters were surprised by this. "So maybe I could've done without the bog mud in my hair." Pipp said as her mane gave off a fowl stink from the mud. "Ugh." She said in disgust as Zipp came to her.
"Everypony loved rafting, though." Zipp said with a smile as Misty sadly pressed on another video from just a few minutes ago as it showed them on a river while on rafts as Misty's group bumped into a crock, causing them to yelp and bump into each other as they went up to the edge of the waterfall as their eyes widened.
"Oh, no! Is that a...?" Misty starts before they go over.
"WATERFALL!" They all screamed at what just happened as Zipp and Pipp gave cringed expressions as they watched themselves splashed into the water while Misty still looked down.
"Okay... I see your point, Misty. Heh." Zipp said with a sheepish smile.
"At least it's only one more night." Misty naturally said as she stood up and walked off. "Then we can all go home and pretend this never happened." She added as she walked out of the tent while the two sisters gave concerned looks.
(I Choose You Song:)
(Misty)
Searchin' high, searchin' low
Lookin' for a place I belong
Pipp picked up Misty's camera as the two sisters looked at it before looking at each other with smirks as they had an idea.
A bit later near sundown, Queen Haven and Alphabittle are sitting close by the fire together with Cloudpuff sleeping beside them as Pipp sets up a screen blanket on the trees while Misty looks at her reflection in the lake with a sad look.
(Zipp)
Searchin' wide, tryin' to find
Something to make you feel less alone
In the tent, Zipp was going through the pillows before she found the projector as she flew out. "Movie time, ponies!" She called as she placed the projector on the pillow in front of the blanket sheet Pipp set up. "Misty made an amazing video of our trip!" She added as Misty turned to them in surprise.
"But Zipp and I made a few edits so that we all focus on what really matters." Pipp said as they turned on the projector of when the projector turned on and showed Misty and Alphabittle together as they sat down.
(Misty)
When you carry it in your heart
(Misty, Pipp, and Zipp)
And now I see
I've got you, you know you've got me too
When we're together, there's nothin' that we cannot do
They all watched as it showed the fireworks incident as Misty saw something that she didn't notice as Alphabittle and Queen Haven smiled with sparkle in their eyes. "I've never seen fireworks like this!" Haven complimented.
(Misty, Pipp, and Zipp)
And if your family can be the one you choose
I choose you, yeah, I choose you
Alphabittle turned his head to his daughter as he tapped on the spot next to him, gesturing Misty to come over as Misty smiled softly with sparkles in her eyes as she walked up and sat between her father and Zipp as they watched the video.
Pipp was having a selfie while seeing Misty and Alphabittle leaning close to the rainbow frogs. "Awwww!" She said as Misty petted the green frog, which caused the father and daughter leaned close to each other from that .
Then at the mud incident after escaping the giant frog, Misty swam out of the mud with the frog on her head while the group laughed and threw mud at each other. "Come on, Misty! We might be sisters someday!" Zipp called out.
"So we've gotta look out for each other!" Pipp added as Misty was surprised by their words as she turned to the two sisters, who were giving Misty a soft smile as Misty smiled with a tearful look in her eyes.
"I might seem a little quiet, but my strength is very real…" Misty started slowly with a smile while looking at the projection as it showed the aftermath of the waterfall.
"This is one trip our family will never forget—" Zipp started before the flying fish came out as she yelped.
"When my cutie mark comes to life, my heart helps me feel!" Misty finished as her Cutie Mark glowed and it's butterfly projection came out as it flew around as she smiled with sparkles in her eyes as she hugged her father as the royal family huddled in for a group hug as all their Cutie Marks glowed and floated up with Misty's as they circled around.
(Misty, Pipp, and Zipp)
I've got you, you know you've got me too
When we're together, there's nothin' that we cannot do
The Cutie Marks glowed and formed together before releasing a firework magic of a heart with a butterfly in it, and a house with a butterfly in it, and three projections of Misty, Zipp, and Pipp's Cutie Mark in the air.
And if your family can be the one you choose
I choose you, yeah, I choose you
"See, Misty?" Pipp asked with a smile. "It was never about memories where everything is perfect." She started.
"It's about making memories together." Zipp finished as she gave Misty a side hug,
"Thanks, ponies." Misty said with a soft smile.
"Like Pipp said, we gotta look out for each other. We're family." Zipp said as it turns out to be another recording that Misty put in on her laptop as she gave a warm smile and closed it.
The family camping trip may have been not all perfect, but it was one that the family will never forget.
End of Chapter 16.