Applejack looked up at the aged camp sign, her forced home for the next week. Not that this was the worst thing that could have happened to her. It was just that she’d much rather be back on the farm, working, than at some summer camp her family use to go to when they were foals.
Okay, so she could understand a ‘little’ but why she was here. Yet, she would have thought sending her away would be the last thing her granny would do after she left the first time. Maybe this was some way to get her over the shell-shock of all the changes her life had gone through in just a few months.
She sighed, and straightened her backpack as she made her way through all the giggling foals, some older, most younger than herself she noticed. Though she caught one or two who seemed to be her age. Such as this one grey filly who was standing by herself, looking towards the lake—
Applejack yelled, as her hoof caught on a rock. To her shame, it was able to trip her over. She stumbled forward, till she feel onto her face. She heard a few who saw the scene laugh at her misfortune. Gritting her teeth, she took a breath, and started to pick herself up. However, as she started to get up, a hoof reach out to her.
“Need a hand?” the owner asked.
Applejack looked up, to see a grey filly, meekly smiling back at her. She bit her lips, till she remembered what granny had told her, and the whole reason she was at this stupid summer camp to begin with.
“Thanks.”
“No problem,” the filly giggled. “First year here too?”
Applejack dusted herself off. “Eh, yeah. Grandma’s idea. Said she use to come here as a filly.”
“Really?” her companion turned her head. “I heard this camp has been here for awhile, just wouldn’t have thought that long.”
Applejack let out a chuckle. “Well, I use to be pushed by my… Well, nice to meet yeah, names Applejack.”
“Coloratura.” She shook back.
“Colura..la... ra, ra?…
“Ra, ra, raw!” they heard some stallions mock at them. “Well, looks like fish-pony has meet farm pony.”
As if to respond cleverly, another colt, in a mock country ascent, responded, “Hey, ya! I like um apple and such.”
Coloratura looked down, while Applejack, pausing as her mind questioned the fish pony comment, turned to the colts. “Takes a country bumpkin to know one I suppose.”
The colts gasped.
“Hey look,” one of the taller ones said, “we made the little runt angry.”
As Applejack's face grew brighter red, causing the bullies to laugh harder.
“Watch it!,” one whispered to another, “you may cause applesauce here to exploded.”
Applejack was about to respond, when she felt a yank on her tail. “just ignore them. ” Coloratura asked quietly. “Please?”
Dispute it all, as much as she wanted to lash out at these jerks, she had told herself she would at least try to be on her best behavior. It was only for a week, then she could head back to the farm.
“Fine,” Applejack said, adjusting her hat, head held high, “come on, miss Coloratura,” she spoke in her Manehatten city ascent she still knew how to speak. “We mustn't let some ruffians with nothing better to do make fools of themselves just because they don’t know any better way to make friends.”
The bullies, O’ed, at the comment, and when Applejack's new friend smiled brightly, AJ felt better than she had since being ‘recommended’ to take some time off from the farm.
They started to walk away, when one of the colts couldn’t stop himself from getting a last word in by saying, “Oh yeah, country girl, why don’t you go crying to your mommy!”
Applejack's eyes flew open, her pupils narrowed. With a mighty cry she rushed forward to the colt who said that and tackled him to the ground, punching at his face. Before she could do any damage, one of his friends picked her up and tossed her aside.
“Looks like we got a one with some spu—” before he could finish, Applejack leapt onto him. Soon, the whole gang was either throwing some blows at her, or trying to keep the young filly off of them. At some point, while Applejack was bucking one in the stomach, another had raised on his hind legs and brought in front hoof in to attack, only to have it knocked to the side by Coloratura.
“I don’t need help!” AJ protested, as another one got a swipe at her face.
Coloratura didn’t care, as she kept fending the bullies off as best she could until all of them were lifted into the air by a green aura. Once suspended, they were all meet with a disapproving glare from one of the camp counselor.
Sometime later, found both mares sitting in the mess hall, facing a wall.
“Sorry for getting you into trouble,” Applejack mumbled.
Coloratura smiled. “Hey, I wanted to help.” She nervously chuckled. “Besides, those jerks were getting on my nerves.”
AJ allowed herself a small smile. “Yeah, though no one talks to me like that!”
There was silence, before Coloratura asked, “So something happen to her?”
“Huh?”
“You’re mom.” Coloratura's face reddened. “I mean!... I’m only assuming because that’s what set you off back there.”
Applejack continued to look at the wall.
Coloratura bit her lip. “Sorry.”
“Nah,” Applejack said, “guess I’ve already had to ‘talk’ to a lot of ponies bout it. What’s one more? Ma and pa died a few months ago. Rather not say how!” she stopped Coloratura's question. “Now everypony thinks I needed to take a break. So, here I am, at camp, to ‘take it easy.’” She chuckled. “Yeah, pity the poor orphan girl.” She waved a hoof into the air. “Whoop-de-do!”
“No. I actually know how you feel.”
Applejack blinked. “Oh, eh…” she hesitated to say sorry to that.
“Boating accident. Dad didn’t take it well and… Well you can say I’m here for the same reason.”
Applejack snorted. “Well least ya still have a dad.”
Coloratura looked down. “Doesn’t feel like it anymore.”
Applejack mentally slapped herself. “I’m sorry! That was uncalled for of me!” She look to the side at her. “Look, Color… Colur...ra… Re—”
“You can just call me Rara if it helps.” Coloratura giggled.
AJ smiled. “Alright, Rara, I mean… I guess we are both here to get away from some messed up stuff, huh?” She looked over at Rara. “How bout this; we don’t feel sorry for each others, and we can try to be friends? A start over if you would”
Rara’s face reddened. “You… You’d want to?”
“Sure!” applejack rubbed her neck. “I mean, better to have more friends than enemies. Not that I…” She shook her head. “Friends?” Applejack held out her hoof.
Rara bumped it back with her own. “Friends.”
A moment later, the camp consular came back in to dismiss them. “Alright, I say that ought to be enough punishiment for you two.” She gave them a stern look. “ I’ll let the worse stuff slide because it’s the first day, and for both of your circumstances.”
Applejack and Rara gritted their teeth, but looking to each other, realized it may not have been a bad idea to take advantage of it for their first day.
“Yes, madam,” they both replied.
“Good.” The consular put on a smile, before throwing in, “Just don’t let me hear about you two getting into anymore fights, or it will be bathroom duties for the rest of the camp. At best. Am I clear?
"Yes, ma'am!” they both answered quickly.
“Now,” the consular pointed outside, “ go have some fun.”
Both girls raced outside. Once they made it outside and away from the mess hall where they had served their sentence, Applejack recalled something from the fight. “Although, one more thing!” Applejack asked Rara. “What was with that fish pony comment them jerks gave ya?”
Rara tensed, before letting out what Aj felt like was suppose to be a cheeky laugh, but just came off more as nervous. “Oh, that? Um,” she gave her head a quick shake, “it’s just because I like to swim a lot. One of my favorite activities.”
Applejack smiled. “So, how about a swim first, then grub, pal?”
Rara smirked. “Alright.” She stopped to turn and face Applejack. “just one thing.”
Applejack stared. “Yeah?”
Rara lifted a hoof, and flipped Applejack's camp hat into her eyes. “First one to the lake gets the top bunks!”
Once Applejack pulled her hat up, Rara already had a good head start. “Oh it is on!” she cried. As both fillies raced to the lake. They couldn’t quite figure out who one, so they had a splash fight over who one. Most of which consisted of them giggling with each other, rather than who would sleep on the top bunk.
Author's Note
Something I wrote awhile ago. I kind of felt bad I wasn’t able to reach my goal for National Writting Month, so I figured I work up the nerve to publish this. May not be perfect, and might touch it up a bit, but I figured it’s what all you new fans deserve from me at the very least.
Thanks for everyone who supported me in a small way.
