Sweetie Belle traveled home with her sister that fine Spring afternoon. The sun shone in the sky, meaning it was warm, but not unpleasantly warm. The shadows were cascading back onto the ground, making a most pleasant scene.
"Do you think mom will sign it?” Sweetie Belle asked her sister.
"I’m certain she will, darling,” Rarity reassured her. "Mother is a most reasonable person, and understands that it is important for siblings to spend time together.
As they arrived at the door, Rarity knocked upon it, and waited for a few moments in order for the answer to arrive.
At last she got it. Cookie Crumbles opened the door with a smile. "Hello girls!” she said. "It’s not often you travel home together!”
"The circumstances were most certainly beneficial in that regard,” Rarity noted, in her typical convoluted gobbledegook manner. "We certainly had a fair and fine morrow, with the sun most pleasing to the firmament.”
Cookie laughed. "You sound like a character out of one of those costume dramas!”
Sweetie Belle saw this as a fine opportunity to speak up. "What Rarity means is that we had a good day and it was sunny.”
"How can't thou possibly speak without using spun-out and esoteric altercation?” Rarity asked. "Aforementioned abide rushed over climactic lexicon.”
Cookie Crumbles looked confused. "What?” she asked.
"That means, ‘this sentence was run through the thesaurus,” Sweetie Belle explained.
"How did you figure that out?” Rarity asked.
"Err, lucky guess?” Sweetie Belle asked.
A moment passed before Rarity spoke again. "Mother, we have an important matter to discuss.”
"And that is?”
"Sweetie Belle would like to come to Camp Everfree with me and my friends. Wouldst thou permit such a thing?”
There was a deafening silence.
Then Cookie spoke. "No.”
Rarity began to speak again. "I knew that you would-what?”
"I said no, she cannot go.” Cookie was very firm.
"What’s going on?” Hondo Flanks asked, emerging from his layout room.
"Mom won’t let me go to Camp Everfree!” Sweetie Belle protested.
"Well, I have to say I agree with her.”
"But why?” Rarity asked. "Sweetie Belle has been but the model of decorum this last magnitude!”
"By that does she mean the last year?” Hondo asked, confused.
"Yes.” Cookie Crumbles was quick to enter the conversation. "And she cannot go for a very simple reason: she’s too young.”
"She’s hardly a juvenile, she can take care of herself.” Rarity was trying to be reasonable. "She even walks to school by herself some days when I cannot take her.”
"Besides, you let Rarity go to Roaring Trees when she was my age!” Sweetie Belle protested. "And that is much further away!”
"It’s not a matter of how far away it is, I’m just scared you’ll get hurt and... there are so many beasts out there!” said Cookie.
"It’s a perfectly safe environment,” Rarity insisted. "The entire area is a former gravel pit and slate quarry, so wildlife is not a concern.”
"A quarry?” Hondo exclaimed. "I must model one onto the layout!” His face then fell serious. "But I agree with your mother still. All those industrial remains could be extremely dangerous.” He winced. "I had a nasty fall exploring Penrhyn Quarry once. Left me in stitches for weeks. And it was not funny!” he snapped.
Sweetie Belle had one last trick left up her sleeve. She walked up to her mother and went on tiptoe, making her face as adorable as possible. "Can I go to Camp Everfree?”
"I just said no, so stop-”
"PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-”
"Oh dear.”
"-EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-” Sweetie Belle’s lungs ran out of air, and she breathed in again, before resuming.
"-EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-”
Hondo blew a fuse. "Sweetie Belle, shut up!” he roared. Upon hearing silence fall, he continued. "Our decision is final. You are NOT going to Camp Everfree.”
"At this rate, we may re-christen you Repeaty Belle,” Cookie suggested.
"How unreasonable,” Rarity interrupted.
"Now, both of you, go to your rooms and stay there until dinner,” Cookie snapped.
Sweetie Belle ran up the stairs, but not before shouting, "Why do you do this? I’m sick of being treated like a baby!”
Rarity shrugged her shoulders. "Frankly, I don’t blame you.”
Sweetie Belle was cross. She sat on her bed, fuming: the smoke coming out of her ears could be confused for a Duchess in full flight. She couldn’t believe her parents would do this. Not after how well behaved she’d been all year!
She had calmed down sufficiently by the time dinner came around to formulate a plan. The resentment still bubbled inside her heart, however, and she remained completely silent whilst eating. Rarity did the same as an act of solidarity. Hondo Flanks and Cookie Crumbles attempted to stimulate conversation, but the attempts failed to produce any noticeable effect.
That evening, Rarity came into Sweetie Belle’s room, to find her vacantly staring at a wall.
"I can tell something is wrong, so I won’t bother asking if you are OK,” she said.
"Why?” Sweetie Belle said, her voice full of annoyance. "I’ve been good all year: why don’t they listen to us?”
"It is utterly petty, you know,” Rarity sighed. She took out her phone and texted to Applejack.
My parents refuse to let Sweetie Belle go to Camp Everfree. Ridiculous, she’s been a good girl all year!
Sweetie Belle put her hands on her cheeks. "Well, looks like I’ll have to stay at home whilst you have fun.”
Suddenly, Rarity’s phone beeped. "Ah, I've got one from Applejack. Applejack: I have a plan to get the Crusaders to Camp Everfree. Pack Sweetie Belle’s bag and get to the bus first thing.”
Sweetie Belle smiled and jumped off her bed, grabbing her bag as she did so and putting it on her bed.
"OK, so we need several changes of clothes, waterproofs, a few books in case of wet weather, a swimsuit or two, and plenty of sunblock. I don’t want you getting sunburnt!”
"Got it Rarity!” Sweetie Belle said, getting some out of her wardrobe. "I’ll also need my phone charger.”
It took them all evening, but their bags were packed by that night. Sweetie Belle got changed into her pajamas ready to go to bed, and Rarity quickly checked on her.
"Ready for tomorrow?” she asked quietly.
"Yeah!” Sweetie Belle replied, as quietly as she could.
"Rarity, get to bed!” shouted Hondo.
"I’m going there, father!” Rarity replied. "See you in the morning!” she whispered.
Sweetie Belle gave her a thumbs up, and then flopped on her bed.
The next morning, they got up nice and early, and set off down the road to the school, dragging their bags with them. And in Rarity’s case, it was many, many, MANY bags. She had at least 11 bags trailing behind her, compared to Sweetie Belle’s one.
"Why did you need to bring so many bags?” the younger girl complained.
"A lady never goes anywhere without being properly supplied,” Rarity informed her. "I imagine you’ll get used to this fact one day.”
"I’d never want to be an aristocrat!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. "They’re days must be SO boring, endlessly meeting diplomats or rich people!”
"Wouldn’t it be the life?” said Rarity dreamily.
They arrived at the bus to find Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo already there.
"Yer late!” Applejack said.
"Sorry, Rarity had to bring half the Ritz with her,” Sweetie Belle exclaimed.
"Only half?” Scootaloo joked. “That’s at least three-quarters!”
"And why is she bringin’ that many crackers with her?” Apple Bloom asked confused.
"It’s a hotel in London!” Rarity protested. "Oh, never mind, let get these bags loaded.”
They put the Crusader’s bags in first, followed by the older girls. They then shuffled the Crusaders into the back seat of the bus, whilst they waited outside.
Sweetie Belle took the opportunity to observe what her friends were wearing. Both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were mostly wearing their normal outfits, but had swapped their shirt and hoodie respectively for a dark green collared shirt. Sweetie Belle herself was wearing purple shorts and a pink sleeveless top.
The other students filed onboard, and the bus set off on its long journey to Camp Everfree. It seemed as if the plan was working, but unfortunately, they hit a rather major hurdle.
A lorry suddenly surged across the road, forcing the driver, Discord, to brake hard. The girls went flying forwards, and Sweetie Belle hit her nose on the seat in front. "Owww, my nose,” she moaned.
Discord looked around. "Who said that?” he asked.
"Sweetie Belle, keep it down!” Scootaloo said.
But Discord knew where they were. He walked back through the bus and stared angrily at the three girls.
"We’ll deal with you three later,” he said, sounding displeased. He then turned around and walked back to the front of the bus. The bus accelerated away and eventually stopped in a layby nearby.
Principal Celestia looked surprised, but otherwise had no reaction. Discord killed the engine, and motioned to the three middle-schoolers. They stepped forward with awkward looks on their faces.
Applejack motioned to Rarity and Rainbow Dash, and they stepped out after their sisters onto the tarmac.
Discord berated the three girls. "What are you doing here? You’re not on the student list!”
"We wanted to come,” Scootaloo protested.
"But why sneak onto the bus? It's dangerous if students are unaccounted for! What possessed you three to do this?”
"Er, we’re partly responsible fer that,” said Applejack, raising her voice. Rainbow Dash and Rarity also had awkward expressions on their faces, as if they’d been caught doing something they shouldn’t.
"Who wants to go first?” Discord asked.
Apple Bloom raised her hand, and began to explain what had happened. When she was finished, Discord had an intense look of annoyance on his face.
"Well, it’s too late to take you three back now. But your parents will be informed the moment we get there. Understand?”
"We’ll be the ones doing that,” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “Our parents deserve ta know.”
Discord sighed. "Brilliant. Well, we might as well get going again.”
They arrived after a few hours, a briefing, and a singalong. Stepping off into the warm air of Camp Everfree, Rarity dialed her mother.
"Hello Rarity!” she said. "Did you and the luggage get their safely?”
"Yes mother, they did,” she replied. “But we packed an item by mistake.”
"Which one was that?”
“Sweetie Belle.”
There was a pause. And then a loud roaring came from the other end. Rarity had to hold the phone at least 12 inches away from her face.
"YOU SMUGGLED HER INTO THE CAMP? YOU ARE BOTH IN A LOT OF TROUBLE FOR THIS!”
Rarity flicked the phone onto speaker so Sweetie Belle could hear.
"Sweetie Belle is here, so you can tell her.”
"We’ll be grounding both of you for a week. We’ll also shut off your internet for that week.”
Rarity spluttered. "Wha-what?”
"On the bright side, that’ll give you plenty of time to use Sweetie Belle as a model for your outfits, won’t it?”
The look on Sweetie Belle’s face was priceless.
"Yes mother, I’m certain she’ll enjoy that greatly,” said Rarity flatly. "Well, goodbye.” She hit red before Cookie could reply.
"You won’t do that, will you?” Sweetie Belle asked.
"I suppose I could rush through them as fast as I could,” Rarity sighed. "But I think you’ll like the summer dresses I’ve designed.”
Once the conversation had concluded, Sweetie Belle went over to Scootaloo, who was being shouted at by one of her aunts. Rainbow Dash was being berated by her own parents at the same time, resulting in a horrific cacophony of scolding.
Eventually the noise stopped. Rainbow Dash kicked a rock in frustration. "Typical!” she shouted. "I get punished for doing the right thing!”
Scootaloo looked equally cross. "Well, there goes my scooter for a week...again.”
"I’ve got to try outfits,” Sweetie Belle mentioned. "But at least Rarity promises each will be fairly quick.”
"I suppose we are allowed to talk to one another,” Scootaloo reflected.
They both became aware of Apple Bloom running over to them. "It go well for ya?”
"So grounded,” Scootaloo informed her.
"Rarity’s already planning the outfits she’ll be modeling on me,” Sweetie Belle repeated for Apple Bloom’s convenience.
"At least they ought ta look good on ya,” Apple Bloom noted.
"I know it’ll take her at least three hours on each,” Sweetie Belle continued. "And I won’t be permitted internet access except for homework.”
"At least it’s only for a week,” Scootaloo said hopefully.
"And we can speak ta each other, so it won’t be too bad.”
Just then, the intercom went, a loud, noisy system no longer fit for purpose.
"Hey, everyone! If you could start heading to the courtyard, that would be rad! It's time to start the best week of camp ever!”
Gloriosa Daisy greeted the campers in the courtyard. "Hi, everyone! Welcome to Camp Everfree! I'm Gloriosa Daisy, your camp director! Think of me as your friendly camp and nature guide. And this is my brother, Timber Spruce!”
She indicated to the man standing next to her. "Think of me as that awesome guy... who should always be invited to fun things.” He juggled a microphone.
"We aim to please,” Gloriosa continued, "so before we hand out our tent assignments, we'd like to hear from all of you. You're free to do whatever you like here!”
"Uh, except hike near the rock quarry,” Timber added. "That's off-limits.”
It was all rather boring, and Sweetie Belle found herself drifting off. That was, until Scootaloo and Apple Bloom headed off into the forest.
"Wait, what?” she said, before following them into the forest.