Apple Bloom trudged through the field, a rolled mattress and sleeping bag balanced on her back. She’d camped out a few too many times in the past few months at the clubhouse; this time she would be comfortable.
She’d had second thoughts about coming to the campout; once she had gotten away from Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, her excitement for the evening had died down. Apple Bloom loved her friends dearly, but they could be a hooffull at times, and she still wasn’t sure if she’d be up for it.
At least Berry would be there… that filly seemed to have a slight handle on the other two.
She was worried about seeing Dinky, too. Sure… they had played in the park after Apple Bloom and the others had finished lunch, but Apple Bloom wasn’t sure if Miss Doo had said anything to Dinky about what had happened earlier that day.
Apple Bloom hadn’t had the heart to tell her friends about it. Applejack, Big Mac and Granny Smith had all talked about it… though Apple Bloom had kept quiet through most of the conversation. There had been a lot of shouting, and a lot of rude words said by Granny Smith before the filly was sent to bed.
“I don’t think this is safe,” Berry Pinch called, wavering at the top of a hastily constructed halfpipe. “S-Shouldn’t we wait for Apple Bloom?”
“Do you want your cutie mark or not?” Scootaloo yelled next to her. Apple Bloom was well aware of Scootaloo’s method of ‘pep-talk’. “Or are you chicken?”
“Scoot-scoot-a-loo!” Sweetie Belle called out from the door of the clubhouse.
“I’m not a chicken!” the pegasus called out, stamping her hoof hard onto the ramp.
Apple Bloom thought back to a time when Twilight babysat her. Well, Twilight had read all night, but Spike and Apple Bloom had shared nachos, and played old board games. They had played one particular game called Mouse Trap. It wasn’t a particularly fun game, but it had the most convoluted mechanical contraption as the central part of the game. They had stopped playing the board game after a few scant minutes, and amused themselves with the silly little trap, watching the ball with anticipation as it rolled through the mechanisms and approached the unsuspecting wooden mouse.
Of course, nine times out of ten, the cage would get stuck halfway down, needing them to reset the entire thing… but Spike had told her that was half the fun.
It was thinking of the carefully interwoven mechanisms of this game that Apple Bloom recognised what was going to happen.
As soon as Scootaloo’s hoof slammed down, the supports on her side of the halfpipe gave way, and the barely balanced Berry Pinch rocked forward, screaming as she… and the scooter she was on… launched down the side of the ramp with considerable speed. From there, she shot up the other side of the ramp, and not stopping there, launched into the air, hurtling straight towards the door of the clubhouse.
Apple Bloom sighed, then slipped the rolled mattress off of her back and pulled on the string. The mattress unrolled with a loud fwumph.
A high-pitched scream emanated from the clubhouse as Berry flew through the door. A flash of light, and two unicorns, one earth pony, and one scooter appeared in the air above the ramp, on the platform directly opposite of Scootaloo.
As three screaming fillies (and one scooter) fell, landing with a hard smack on the opposite side of the halfpipe, the already shaky supports on their side broke. As somewhat cylindrical objects are wont to do, the halfpipe rocked forward, launching the pegasus filly into the air.
A screaming pegasus filly came closer to flight than she had in years, as she was hurled through the air, before reaching the peak of her arc and began plummeting towards the ground.
Apple Bloom casually stood aside as Scootaloo landed hard on the mattress she had laid on the ground.
Apple Bloom helped Scootaloo back to her hooves, steadying the shaking filly.
“Is everypony okay?” Scootaloo called out. She was answered with a chorus of weak ‘yes’s.
“Okay, so everypony is okay,” Scootaloo said. “Next question… did anypony get a cutie mark from that?”
Apple Bloom chuckled as she heard the expectant silence, then the pained groans from her friends.
Ya know, when yer not in the middle of it, it’s really easy t’ see this stuff comin’.
After many more disastrous attempts at getting their cutie marks (though none quite as spectacular as their first attempt of the day), Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Dinky and Berry settled down in the clubhouse.
Applejack and Big Mac had come by already, having provided the girls with a healthy dinner, which the fillies were currently ruining with shared sweets.
“Mmmm,” Sweetie Belle groaned as she popped the last of the turkish delight in her mouth. “Fo wah we gomma do neft?”
Dinky carefully cleaned her hooves before digging into her saddlebag. “I brought Pin the Tail, if you want?”
Everypony (except for Scootaloo) voiced their excitement for the game.
Apple Bloom helped Berry Pinch hang the poster on the wall, after Dinky had vehemently advised them against hanging it on the back of the clubhouse door.
Despite her supposed reluctance, Scootaloo was first up for her attempt, and managed to pin the tail directly over the pony’s blank flank.
“What are you doing giving another pony her cutie mark?” Sweetie Belle chuckled. “I thought you’d want to save that one for yourself.”
The other fillies laughed as Scootaloo pulled off the blindfold, a tinge of red colouring her cheeks.
For her sass, Sweetie Belle was up next. She managed to do far worse than Scootaloo, giving the pony a very lopsided moustache.
They continued playing until Berry Pinch won the game.
After a short snack break, they continued playing. Berry Punch, having been the winner, got to choose the next game.
Apple Bloom sighed.
She was having fun, she had to admit, but it was still a little much for her. For most of the night, she had sat on the sidelines, only joining in when it was her turn.
“Rainbow Dash!” shouted Berry, Dinky and Sweetie Belle at the same time.
“That’s not fair!” Scootaloo groused. “You’re supposed to wait until I’ve started before you guess.”
“But Scootaloo,” Sweetie Belle responded, “you always do Rainbow Dash. In charades, guess who, twenty questions…”
Berry and Dinky nodded.
Apple Bloom sighed, silently moving towards the door as the four others descended into an argument about fair play and the spirit of the rules.
The filly trotted through the quiet night. The cool air was nice on her coat, and the breeze held the faintest scent of apple. The moon shone bright above her, filtering through the leaves of the orchard.
She settled down, lying on a small patch of grass, just out of earshot of the clubhouse.
Apple Bloom loved nighttime in the orchard. When she was a little filly, she would sneak out of bed and sit at her window, staring out into the cool night. Applejack and Big Mac were always the early to rise, early to bed type. Apple Bloom was very similar (not that she was given a choice), but at times she would steal away a few hours, just enjoying the farm at night. The way the apple trees reflected the silver moonlight gave it an almost magical quality.
Sitting under the stars, amongst the beauty herself, brought a little calm to her.
Ah guess Ah don’t really have it that bad, she thought.
“Can I join you?”
Apple Bloom jumped with a start.
“Sorry,” Dinky apologised. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“Uhh… s’all good. Ah jus’ wasn’t expectin’ ya t’… uhh, be there.” Apple Bloom facehoofed. Worst recovery ever!
She looked around; there was nopony there other than Dinky and herself. “S’ why ain’tcha playin’ with th’ others?”
“I…” Dinky scuffed her hooves on the grass. “I was wondering where you were going.”
“Jus’ layin’ out here, thinkin’,” Apple Bloom replied, as she settled back down on the grass.
“Okay…” Dinky trailed off.
Apple Bloom waited for Dinky to say something, but the filly just stood there, letting the silence drag on into awkwardness.
“Was there somethin’ ya wanted?” she asked, a little more curtly than she’d intended.
“I—” Dinky stopped herself. “Sorry, you probably want to be alone. I’ll— I’ll leave you alone.”
Apple Bloom sighed; she could hear the pain in her friend’s voice. She cursed herself— she had made a promise, even if only to herself, that she wouldn’t shut out her friends.
“Naw…” Apple Bloom said, before the filly could walk away. “Sorry, Ah’m jus’ not all with it lately.”
Dinky crossed the gap between them and laid down next to Apple Bloom, keeping a comfortable distance.
“It’s really pretty here,” Dinky said, breaking the silence.
“Eeyup,” Apple Bloom responded, following the other filly’s gaze to the sky.
“The stars are brighter here. We’re not that far from town, but…”
Apple Bloom smiled; Dinky was right.
The silence dragged on, though this time it was a companionable silence, rather than an awkward one. So Apple Bloom was surprised when Dinky broke it.
“Are you— are you thinking about your… uhh… Miss Applejack?” she asked awkwardly.
Truth be told, she hadn’t been.
“No…” Apple Bloom answered, furrowing her brow. “Not really.”
“Oh…” Dinky pawed at the grass. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s— it’s alright,” Apple Bloom said. “Ah shouldn’t keep it all bottled up. At least… that’s what Miss Cheerilee says.”
“My mommy—” Dinky started, before stopping herself.
“Yer momma?”
Dinky shook her head. “Umm, nevermind.”
Apple Bloom sighed. “She told ya, huh?”
“Umm… maybe…” Dinky trailed off. “I’m sorry.”
Apple Bloom chuckled. “Nothin’ fer ya t’ be sorry about. Ya ain’t responsible fer what Miss Carrot Top said.”
They sat again in silence. It wasn’t right that Dinky should feel bad— it wasn’t her fault. A sniffle to her side brought Apple Bloom’s attention back to the other filly.
“Dinky?” Apple Bloom asked cautiously, seeing her friend crying. Dinky laid next to her, sniffling, rubbing her fetlocks across her eyes. “What’s th’ matter?”
“M-Mom told me that s-s-somepony said something nasty…” the filly sobbed. “S-S-She didn’t say it was Auntie Carrot.”
“Oh… oh,” Apple Bloom whispered. “Ah’m sorry, Ah shouldn’ta said any—”
“No!” Dinky shouted, the sound echoing through the deserted orchard. While she could barely see in the dim light, Apple Bloom was certain she could make out a dim blush dusting Dinky’s cheeks.
“S-Sorry,” the filly apologised. “No… it was Auntie Carrot who shouldn’t have said anything.”
Nopony spoke for a few minutes. Apple Bloom wasn’t sure what to say; sure, Carrot Top’s words had hurt her, but she wasn’t the only one hurt here. Dinky felt bad, and if her mother stayed true to her word, the filly was probably not going to be allowed to see her auntie for a while.
“Yer pretty lucky, ya know,” Apple Bloom said, breaking the silence.
“Hmm?”
“Ah said, yer pretty lucky.”
“H-how come?”
“When yer… uhh… when Miss Carrot Top was… sayin’ things…” Apple Bloom noticed Dinky flinch. “Well, yer momma really stood up fer me, before she even knew Ah was there.
“Was pretty impressive, th’ way she stood up fer… me.” Apple Bloom paused, uncertain if Miss Doo had mentioned that Carrot Top’s words could have been directed towards Dinky as well.
“Ah always wished… Ah dunno.” Apple Bloom pawed at the ground. “Ah always imagined mah momma— or, Ah guess grand-momma now— Ah always imagined she’d’ve been like that if she was still around. Granny Smith always said she was a firecracker.”
Apple Bloom looked to the sky, taking a deep breath and filling her lungs with the cool night air. “Yer really lucky, ya know. Ya got a great momma…”
“Y-You do, too, Apple Bloom. Your momma is pretty great, too.”
Apple Bloom directed her gaze back to the ground.
“Ah dunno if Ah’d say Ah got a great momma. Ah mean, Ah guess Ah can’t argue that Applejack is my… well, ya know… but she’s always been a sister t’ me. Ah guess… Ah guess Ah wonder what mighta been, if she’d raised me as her daughter. An’ Ah guess that’s why Ah’m a little jealous of ya.”
Dinky laughed, then blushed as Apple Bloom leveled a hardened gaze towards her.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t… I wasn’t laughing because…” Dinky took a breath. “I wasn’t laughing at you, I promise. It’s just… not many ponies would be jealous of me. Mommy and I… we’re alone a lot of the time. And she works really hard, but sometimes… sometimes we have to go without things that other ponies take for granted.
“But you’re lucky! You have such a big family, and a great home. You’re lucky, too.”
“Ah understand.” Apple Bloom nodded. She knew precisely what Dinky was talking about. “Things ain’t always great fer us, neither. There’s a bit Ah have t’ go without, too. Sometimes it’s a little embarrasin’, when Ah have t’ get new school books fer th’ year, and they’re second-hoof. Or when Sweetie Belle an’ Scootaloo get somethin’ big fer Hearth’s Warming, an’ Ah get a new ribbon, or something.
“An’ farmin’ ain’t all that great. This wouldn’t be th’ first school holidays Ah’ve had t’ help out on th’ farm rather than go an’ play.”
“I guess mommy was right.”
“Huh?” Apple Bloom asked. “Right about what?”
“The muffins are always greener on the other side,” the filly chuckled in reply. “Mommy says it’s an expression.”
“Well, Ah guess she’s right,” Apple Bloom laughed.
Behind them, Apple Bloom could hear an argument between Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. Things were obviously escalating.
“Y’all ain’t in a hurry t’ get back in there, are ya?”
“N-N-No.”
Apple Bloom wondered what would have had the filly nervous now… she’d been hanging out with the crusaders long enough to know they fought sometimes, but it was never anything serious. Looking to her friend, Apple Bloom noticed the filly shivering.
She closed the gap between them, sharing her warmth with her friend, whose shivering lessened. They lapsed once more into a companionable silence, enjoying the night air and the sounds of the nocturnal wildlife.
“Wait… who’d want green muffins?”