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Life was unfair. At age thirteen, Applejack was already well aware of that. It was a harsh truth of the world, but she figured the sooner she acknowledged it, the sooner she could move on from it.

Her parents, however, did not seem to share the sentiment. Whenever Applejack acknowledged the unfairness of her situation, they would sigh wearily and change the subject. That, too, was unfair.

“All I’m saying is that I would be more helpful on the farm,” Applejack tried again. It seemed likely to be her final protest on the matter, as the camp was in sight. “You know this is how old Big Mac was when he stopped goin’.”

“That was a special case, little Apple,” Apple Spice said in his softly booming voice. Applejack knew that was true; Big Mac had been desperately needed on the farm, whereas with his help, Applejack still wasn’t.

“But you know, with Ma not able to—”

“Your Ma will be fine, she’s gettin’ lots of rest.” He smiled wryly and bent down to face her. “Tell me, is that what all this is all about? You’re just awaitin’ on your little brother or sister, so you don’t wanna go to camp this year?”

Applejack kicked a rock as she walked.

Apple Spice chuckled. He had a nice laugh, it was low and deep, and made Applejack think of mountains laughing. And although it had never failed to get a smile out of his daughter in the past, this time Applejack found she wasn’t in the mood for smiling.

“Come on, why don’tcha ride the rest of the way on my shoulders?”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “I’m too big for back rides, Pa.”

“It’s only right over there, I think I can manage.”

Applejack pointedly ignored the offer and kept walking. It didn’t seem to matter, because Apple Spice stopped in his tracks. When Applejack looked back, he said, “I ain’t takin’ one more step until you accept my offer.”

“Good, then we can go back!” Applejack began walking back in the other direction, but she was stopped when her dad put out his foreleg.

“Nope.”

“Pa!”

“Eyup?”

Seeing there was no way out of it, Applejack obliged her dad by climbing onto his back with a sigh. She really was too old for it, and every time, she hoped it would be the last he insisted on carrying her around.

But then, Applejack was too old for a lot of things. She was too old to go to Camp Friendship when the farm needed work. She was too old for her flank to be as blank as it was. She was too old for bedtime stories, and for doing dumb zapapple jam rituals, and for not getting to stay and help Granny take care of her mom while she gave birth to the newest member of the Apple family.

But no one seemed to agree with that either, so life kept on being unfair. Applejack was old enough to be treated like an adult, she wanted to be treated like an adult, but all that anyone saw when they looked at her was a little filly.

That was what Applejack thought as her dad carried her on his shoulders to the camp. He was telling her about all the friends she’d make there, but it didn’t matter to her. She didn’t want camp friends, she wanted to be home with her family. She especially wanted to welcome the newest little one.

But she didn’t get that. Instead, she got lowered down in front of the camp gate. At least her dad didn’t carry her inside where all the other fillies and colts might see.

Apple Spice sighed deep and bent over to address Applejack. “AJ, look… if you really don’t want to go, I ain’t gonna make ya.”

“Really?” Applejack smiled for the first time all day.

“But I need to tell ya that there’s a good reason we wanted you here this year. The truth is your mom, she needs to rest, sugarcube. The doctor said it’s been a complicated pregnancy, and, well…”

Apple Spice took a deep breath. “The truth of it is that what your mom needs is fewer hooves running around the place. If I could do all the farm work myself, Big Mac woulda come with you this year, make no mistake about that. Fact is, I can’t, and even with Big Mac and some friends coming by, it’ll be tough.”

“Then –”

“And despite that,” Apple Spice continued, cutting off Applejack’s protests, “we still think it’s best for your mom if you’re not home. Granny is gonna be takin’ care of her ‘round the clock, and me and Big Mac are both sleepin’ downstairs so as to not cause no problems if we can help it. If you come back with me, you’re gonna be doin’ the same. Yeah, you’ll be there when your little sibling is born, that’s true. But the rest of the time, ya ain’t gonna be helpin’ nopony.”

Applejack bowed her head as she thought about that for a moment. She didn’t like to hear that the best thing she could do was stay away. Made her feel unneeded, unwanted.

Apple Spice lifted her head with a gentle hoof. “Now, I ain’t tellin’ ya all this to make ya feel bad. You’d be a big help ‘round the farm, make no mistake. Ya always are. But the thing is, your Ma worries ‘bout you working like that. Always says you’re too young, you know how she is. And she’d worry a whole heap less if she knew you were here at camp havin’ fun and makin’ friends.”

Applejack nodded slowly. She didn’t want her mom to worry.

“Me? I ain’t worried ‘bout nothin’ ‘cept your Ma right now. I know you’d be fine, but well, the thing is that your Ma…”

“She’d worry,” Applejack said. She knew it was true.

“So understand, sugarcube, that I ain’t askin’ you to go to camp ‘cause you’re too little. I’m askin’ you ‘cause you’re old enough to make this call. What do you think would be best?”

Again, Applejack was forced to think. She really did want to be there for her mom, but she could see that the best way to do that was to be somewhere else. And yeah, she wanted to welcome her new sibling along with the rest of the family, but not if it made things any harder than they needed to be. “Will you write to me as soon as Apple Bloom is born?”

Apple Spice grinned. “Now who said we decided to call your sibling Apple Bloom?”

Applejack smiled a little. The name was her idea, and she’d been trying to get her parents on board with it for months. “Aww, you know it sounds real cute.”

“It does,” Apple Spice said with a nod. “We’ll think it over, promise.”

Applejack grinned on that, but stopped when something fell over her eyes. She lifted it up and realized it was her dad’s hat.

“Hold onto that for me, will ya?”

It was strange. Applejack rarely saw her dad without his hat, and the idea of him asking her to hold onto it… “You sure, Pa?”

“Sure as you are sweet, sugarcube. But just until you’re back home, so you be careful with that.”

Applejack nodded solemnly. “I can do that.”

“I know ya can. Now, let’s go speak with your camp counselors.”

They finally made their way through the gates, and it didn’t take long at all for them to figure out where at least one of the camp counselors was—an earth pony mare was standing right by the gate, holding onto a checklist. She was bright yellow and mottled with tan, and had an auburn mane. Applejack smiled immediately when seeing her.

“Afternoon, Sundance,” Apple Spice said.

Sundance inhaled as if in shock and said, “Is that little Applejack? Wow, you’re so much bigger than I remember!”

Applejack smiled in spite of herself. She was too old for this routine, but still, she didn’t mind too much. “Afternoon, Miss Sundance. Is Candy Apples here yet?”

“Not yet, I’m afraid,” Sundance said. “Her parents wrote ahead, said she’d come at the end of the weekend.”

“Oh.” Applejack was momentarily disappointed, but then she corrected herself. She didn’t want to make her dad think she would spend the whole time sad, so she just smiled. “Well, that’s okay.”

“I think this might be AJ’s last trip to Camp Friendship.” Apple Spice placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Somepony thinks she’s gettin’ a mite too old for it.”

“Aww, that’s just not true, AJ,” Sundance protested. “But everypony’s gotta grow up sometime. If this is the last time at camp, we’ll just have to make sure it’s one to remember.”

“I’m sure it will be,” Apple Spice said, then turned to address his daughter. “I better get back so I can catch my train. You be good at camp, sugarcube.”

“Of course, Pa,” Applejack reached her forelegs as far around her father as they would go, while he easily enveloped her in one foreleg. When they pulled apart, he tried to tip his hat towards Sundance, causing Applejack to giggle as he realized he wasn’t wearing it. He smiled at them, then walked off toward the station.

Sundance waved him off, then turned toward Applejack. “Let’s go meet the other foals, hmm?”

Applejack nodded. “Alright, Miss Sundance.”

She followed the camp counselor, making her way to where all the foals were sitting together working on an arts and craft project. But before finding her a spot to sit, Sundance walked them up to a stallion, who smiled.

He was a tan earth pony with a minty-green mane that was a little messy, and he had a nice smile for them as they walked up. Applejack didn’t recognize him, but she knew he had to be the new co-counselor as the previous stallion counselor had been getting a little too old to want to run around after all the rowdy colts.

Sundance put a hoof on Applejack’s shoulders as she made introductions. “This is Applejack, she’s been coming to Camp Friendship for years. And AJ, this is Cedar Wood, who’s going to be helping me look after the colts this year.”

Applejack nodded, mimicking her dad’s actions whenever he tipped his hat to somepony. “Nice to meetcha, Mr. Cedar Wood.”

He nodded as well, even though he wasn’t wearing a hat to tip. “Always a pleasure to meet with a long-term camper! I’m sure we’re going to get along great.”

“We still have a few campers coming, so I’ll head back,” Sundance said. “Applejack, be mindful of Cedar Wood.”

“Of course, Miss.”

“Such a darling,” Sundance said to herself as she left.

Cedar Wood led Applejack towards an empty seat, so she followed. “Right, so with Hearts and Hooves Day around the corner, we decided to make some decorations for the camp!”

This was hardly Applejack’s favorite part of camp, but that was okay. She knew that more fun activities would be coming once everyone was settled in, so she didn’t complain as she was seated near the other fillies.

“Applejack, this is Briar Rose,” Cedar Wood said about the filly she was sitting next to. Before he could say more, however, he interrupted himself to reprimand some of the colts. “Hey, Oak Heart, no rough housing! Briar, can you help Applejack get set up while I take care of this?”

“Of course!” Briar said warmly as Cedar Wood ran off. “Hi, Applejack. I think we met last year?”

“Sure did,” Applejack said, although she couldn’t really place Briar Rose aside from somepony she recognized. She was a dark green filly with a curly bright red mane. She wore glasses and had freckles like Applejack. Like most of the ponies around, she was an earth pony.

They probably hadn’t been close when they met the year before since Applejack didn’t remember being friends with her, but that was okay. Applejack was always happy to make new friends.

Briar explained what she was doing, which was basically cutting out different sizes and colors of hearts and gluing them together so they were rainbow hearts. Although that wasn’t too interesting, Applejack mimicked her.

Little by little, ponies arrived at the camp. Some of them were foals Applejack knew, some of them were new to her. In the past she’d mostly spent time with her family, both Big Mac and Candy Apples. But Big Mac was needed on the farm, while Candy wouldn’t be there for a few days, so it seemed that she was going to need to make a new friend or two in the meantime.

Although… looking around, none of the fillies seemed to be making friends too well. Oh sure, they were all getting along, but mostly they were quietly working on their own projects. Even Briar Rose was already back to minding her own work.

And that was fine, but when Applejack looked across the table to the colts, they were all talking and seemed more interested in playing little games with each other than with creating cutesy Hearts and Hooves decorations.

Applejack smiled as she watched them. They seemed to be having a lot more fun. She decided to try breaking the ice on the filly’s side herself.

“So where you from, Briar?” Applejack asked. “I haven’t seen you around Ponyville.”

“I’m from Hollow Shades,” she said.

Applejack mentally patted herself on the back for getting a conversation going. “Oh yeah? Are your folks farmers too?”

“Sort of,” she answered. “They’re florists, but not the kind that sell flowers in a shop. They grow lots of flowers and sell them to shops, both for food and decoration.”

“Oh, that’s neat.” Applejack pointed at her small stack of crafts. “Guess that explains why you’re so good at making decorations yourself.”

“I guess.” Briar tongue peeked out from her mouth in concentration as she moved her scissors slowly and carefully as she rounded the corner of her paper heart.

Applejack waited a moment, then when Briar Rose didn’t ask, she offered her own story. “My folks are apple farmers from Ponyville. We live with my Granny and older brother, and soon—”

“Ah!” Briar Rose accidentally cut into the heart where she had clearly not meant to. She frowned at it for a moment, then turned with a sheepish grin to Applejack. “Uhm, I think I need to concentrate on this part, if that’s okay.”

“Oh, of course.” Applejack didn’t see what the issue was, exactly. It was a little knick in the paper, and the rest of it was cut so perfectly. She doubted anyone would even notice.

A glance across from her showed that most of the colts were less careful with theirs. There was glue everywhere, weird angles on cuts, colors outside of lines, and laughter coming from that whole side of the table. Looking back down the filly side, it was full of quiet girls making their crafts in silence or talking just above a whisper sporadically.

Applejack looked down at her half-cut heart, and she knew which side she’d rather be on. Then she smiled to herself and got up, said a quick ‘nice to meet you’ to Briar Rose, then walked around the table.

Although Cedar Wood noticed her, he didn’t say anything since it was clear she knew what she was doing. It wasn’t like Camp Friendship kept fillies and colts separated, at least not aside from which cabins they slept in. So that meant there was no reason for anypony to care if Applejack sat with the colts instead of the fillies, least of all Applejack.

Since most of the colts were clustered together and Applejack wasn’t in a hurry to jump into the middle of an active friend group right away, she instead sat next to a light aquamarine earth pony colt who was by himself. His light fur was almost more of an off-white than anything, and it contrasted heavily with his dark indigo mane.

He had a shy smile, which Applejack returned with a warm one. The other colts nearby took note of her and frowned, but they mostly seemed content to keep to themselves.

“Howdy,” Applejack said. “My name’s Applejack. Hope ya don’t mind if I sit here?”

“Not at all,” he said in a strangely well-spoken voice. It wasn’t really that his voice was strange, but that it didn’t really fit in with all the country ponies at camp. “My name’s Chiaroscuro.”

Applejack snerked at the silly name, then immediately felt guilty. “Sorry, didn’t meant to laugh.”

Chiaroscuro laughed a little too. “No, it’s okay. I know it’s a dumb name.”

“So where you from, Chiaroscuro?” Applejack hoped she’d pronounced the weird name right, but since he didn’t protest, she assumed she did.

“Manehattan. This is my first time coming to Camp Friendship.”

“Manehattan?” Applejack raised her eyebrows, but it more or less only confirmed a suspicion. “So I’m guessing you ain’t a farm pony.”

“No. Why?”

“Oh, nothing. It’s just that most ponies here are. Foals that are too young to help on their family’s farm come here to make friends.” Applejack smiled and rolled her eyes. “But mostly I think it’s just to get them out of everypony’s mane for a bit.”

“Oh, that makes sense.” Chiaroscuro smiled a little as he looked around. “I hadn’t thought of that, though I was wondering why it’s mostly earth ponies.”

“Eyup.” Although Chiaroscuro was an earth pony, looking further showed that he was very unlike the farmers. He was scrawny, both in that he was small in stature and that he didn’t have any muscles from doing yard work. Then there was his polite and soft spoken voice, and even that blue streak in his mane that almost looked like it was dyed in. “So what brings you to Camp then?”

Chiaroscuro shrugged. “I just wanted to come. We got a pamphlet saying there was still room at camp for more fillies and colts, and that it was a good way for city ponies to experience nature. Plus my parents thought it might be good to explore nature landscape painting as a possible way to get my cutiemark.”

It was kind of nice that neither of them had their cutiemarks. Chiaroscuro seemed to be on the older side, like Applejack was, even if he was smaller than her. It made her feel a little less weird about being a blank flank.

“So is farming what your parents do too?” Chiaroscuro asked.

“That’s right!” Applejack swelled with pride at getting to explain her family’s livelihood. “I live at Sweet Apple Acres in Ponyville, which is the biggest apple supplier in all of Equestria!”

“Wow, that’s so cool!” Chiaroscuro looked down at his art project as he spoke, which was more complicated than most of the foals’ projects were. He had glued popsicle sticks together, and was using that as a canvas for a painting. He seemed perfectly adept at talking while he worked. “My parents are artists, and I will be too, when I’m bigger and have my cutiemark. Just have to find the right kind of art for me.”

Applejack nodded toward his painting. “I believe it. That’s a real nice painting there.”

He blushed at the praise. “It’s nothing much. My parents are really good though!”

Since it was still nearby, Applejack pulled the box of popsicle sticks and tub of glue closer. “That looks fun, can I try to do it too?”

“Sure, I’m happy to help!”

Applejack smiled broadly, right up until she heard one of the colts snidely proclaim that Chiaroscuro was finally able to talk now that it was to a girl. Applejack narrowed her eyes and prepared to say something, but she stopped when she saw Chiaroscuro wince. A quick look towards Cedar Wood showed he was busy and hadn’t noticed.

“Jerk…” Applejack muttered.

“It’s fine,” Chiaroscuro said. “I don’t mind, and uhm, you’re nicer than those dumb colts anyway.”

Although Applejack’s frown didn’t go away, she did take her eyes off the colts. It burned her up that they were picking on her new friend for something like that.

But she decided rather than focus on them, she should turn her attention to Chiaroscuro. She smiled at him. “Aww, you seem nice too.” She dropped her voice as she added, “And more fun than the fillies I was sittin’ with before.”

He smiled back, then nodded toward the popsicle sticks. “Want some help with that?”

Applejack shook the thought of the rude colt from her mind and turned back to the crafts. “Nah, I’ll just glue it like you did for a start.”

“Okay.” Chiaroscuro turned his over for a moment so that she could see that he had used two sticks going the other direction on the back to brace the canvas. “They stick together best if you do something like this.”

“Oh, good thinking!”

Chiaroscuro smiled, and Applejack did the same as she got to work.

So maybe Applejack’s last trip to camp wasn’t off to much of a start. She wasn’t surrounded by friends, and she was sitting with just one colt. But they were talking as they worked on their dumb Hearts and Hooves Day projects, and that was good enough.

Talking and laughing together, Applejack almost forgot that she had been in a bad mood before. Soon she found that despite her reservations, she couldn’t help but have a little hope for what the rest of the spring camp was going to be like.