Sonic Boom - Summer Camp (one-shot FEATURING: STRELNIKOV)

>Be a month or two before Sonic Boom gets her cutie mark
>You and Rainbow both saw something interesting in the mail
>Summer camp
>You both agreed it would be good for Sonic Boom to get out of Ponyville and visit other places
>The three of you got onto a train, and left for the campgrounds
>The train ride took a few hours, but there was plenty of activity on the way there
>”But I don’t wanna go!” Sonic Boom complains at you, looking at her suitcase packed full of stuff
“Why not? It’ll be a lot of fun; I remember my first summer camp when I was younger.”
>She pouts, sitting on the ground with her forehooves folded across her chest
>This continues more or less in the same fashion for the entire train ride
>Eventually the three of you make it to the camp, and the train doors open
>You’re greeted by a very similar situation from your own summer camp years
>Log cabin, fields of grass, a forest on the far side, and a rather large lake on the side with a dock jutting out into the water
>All around, ponies played and ran as you walked toward the biggest cabin, with Sonic Boom dragging her suitcase behind her in her teeth
>You open the door, and you see a large, red stallion with dark-leather hat and a red star on the front
>”HELLO, MY NAME STRELNIKOV, AND WELCOME TO CAMP LOCK,” the pony grins, holding out a hoof
>Whoa, didn’t see that coming
“I’m Anon; I’m here to drop off my daughter, Sonic Boom.”
>You smile and bump his hoof
>”IS GOOD TO SEE NEWCOMERS. AM FROM STALLIONGRAD, MANY PONY DON’T LIKE COMING OUT HERE. BUT I PROVE THEM WRONG; I MAKE CAMP HERE NEARLY FIVE YEARS AGO. NOW MANY PONIES COME AND I TEACH THEM HOW TO SURVIVE IN WILD.”
>You smile and nod; he seems to know what he’s doing, even if you do feel he’s a bit… eccentric
“Well, it’s good to know she’ll be in good hands.”
>She looks up at the stallion
>She turns to Rainbow. “Mom, I’m scared…”
>Strelnikov smiles and walks over to her. “THIS MUST BE THE ‘SONIC BOOM’ I HAVE HEARD OF. IS GOOD TO MEET YOU, I HAVE FEELING YOU AND I GET ALONG JUST FINE.”
>She looks up nervously, then slowly holds up a hoof to him
>He smiles and bumps the hoof. “AH, IS GOOD TO SEE THAT SONIC BOOM FAMILIAR WITH STALLIONGRAD GREETING AS WELL, WE GET ALONG GOOD,” he says, grinning proudly
>You look around while he’s distracted with Sonic Boom
>You see various bottles around the room
>…Vodka. Vodka everywhere
>You assume they’ve just accumulated over the years, and he’s kept the bottles as some kind of memorabilia
>You turn back to Strelnikov, and smile
“Well, I assume you’ll be able to take everything from here, then?”
>”YES, STRELNIKOV WILL TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING NOW, YOU AND BLUE PEGASUS CAN GO BACK TO TRAIN NOW,” he smiles. “DON’T WORRY, SONIC BOOM SAFE HERE, STRELNIKOV LOOKS AFTER HER.”
>He pats a hoof on her head, before smiling up at you. “MANY FILLIES HERE, NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. I DO THIS FOR YEARS, WE HAVE NO PROBLEMS.”
>You smile and nod
>“Alright then. Well, Sonic Boom, you ready to go?” Rainbow smiles at her, stepping to her
>”Don’t make me stay here, Mom! I wanna go back to Ponyville!” she pouts, clinging to her mother’s leg
“Come on, Sonic Boom; Strelnikov here says you’ll be having lots of fun!”
>She looks up at you
>"But dad, a whole month? What will I do out here?"
>You smile and nod
"Just have fun Sonic Boom...”
>You turn around, walking a few steps back
“…But remember...BEWARE THE BLEHBLEHBLEGH!"
>You quickly turn around and grin evilly, extending your arms into spider-like movements
>She yelps and falls backwards over her suitcase
>Both you and Strelnikov laugh, before the two of you perform the Stalliongrad brohoof
>Rainbow sighs, but smiles up at you. “C’mon Anon, let’s go; before the train leaves, you know.”
>Your eyes widen
“That’s right!”
>You turn to Sonic Boom, and smile
“Well, I hope you have fun at summer camp; if you ever have any trouble, ask Strelnikov. He’ll take care of you, trust me.”
>She quickly latches to you in a hug
>You smile and return the hug, before letting her go
>Strelnikov smiles. “IS GOOD TO SEE TOUCHING FAMILY MOMENT. MAKE ME HAVE GREAT FEELS, AND REMINDS ME OF OLD FAMILY BEFORE EXPLOSION, KILLED ALL AND LEFT ME WITH HALF OF VOCAL CORDS. IS WHY I CAN ONLY SPEAK LIKE THIS,” he says
>Well, that explains it
>Seems rather sad, actually
>You look at him and smile
“I can trust you with her, then? She shouldn’t be too much trouble, I hope.”
>He grins. “SHE NO PROBLEM FOR STRELNIKOV, I TAKE CARE OF ALL PONIES HERE. WHEN COME BACK, SHE TELL YOU GREAT STORIES OF TIME AT SUMMER CAMP.”
>You stand up and nod
“Alright, we’ll be off then.”
>You smile down at Sonic Boom, before giving her a small kiss on the crown of her head
“You take care of yourself now, alright?”
>She nods, a bit hesitantly at first
>You turn around, and you head out of the cabin with Rainbow Dash, back to the train station
>”ALRIGHT, I TAKE YOU ON TOUR OF CAMP NOW,” you hear Strelnikov belt out after the two of you leave the cabin
>Hopefully she’ll have a good time

>You are Sonic Boom
>This guy talks really loud
>He also smells like Dad and Mom after they get back home late after going out together
“Um… mister… Strel-nee-cove?”
>The stallion turns to look at you. “MY NAME STRELNIKOV. IS NOT VERY HARD TO PRONOUNCE, I THINK. STREL-NI-KOV. STRELNIKOV. SAY WITH ME,” he says slowly
“Strel…ni…kov?”
>”YES, IS GOOD. NOW SAY AGAIN, LIKE YOUNG MARE FROM STALLIONGRAD,” he says. “STRELNIKOV.”
“Strelnikov.”
>”IT SOUNDS LIKE NEWBORN FILLY. SAY LOUDER!”
“Strelnikov!”
>”THAT MUCH BETTER, SOUNDS LIKE HAVE FIRE IN HEART. IS GOOD WHEN AT CAMP, SHOWS GREAT TASTE FOR ACTION.”
>You smile
>Maybe this won’t be so bad after all
>The two of you walk around the camp, and he shows you the different cabins and takes you into the mess hall
>It brings back memories of flight school
>You feel all nostalgic
>…
>You’re feeling a bit homesick; wonder what the others are doing right now?
>”AND THIS WHERE YOU WILL SLEEP,” Strelnikov says as you two walk into a cabin, snapping you back to reality
“O-oh! Okay, it looks… nice.”
>Hah, wow, nice. Yeah. Right.
>It’s survivable; you’ll put it that way
>Not aloud, of course
>”AND OVER HERE, IS WHERE BIG CAMPFIRE WILL BE TONIGHT. ALL FILLIES AND COLTS WILL SIT AND TELL STORIES,” he says, the two of you walking out to a ring of stones near the middle of the camp, with smoldering cinders in the center of the ring. “IS VERY FUN, SHOULD THINK OF STORY AND SHARE WITH OTHERS.”
>Your eyes widen
“Um… well, I’m not all that good at telling stories…”
>”NONSENSE, IS TRADITION TO TELL STORIES BY CAMPFIRE! YOU SEE, ONCE YOU GET INTO STATE OF MIND, YOU COME UP WITH ONE JUST FINE,” he says, smiling and walking off
>You follow him
“So, what else is there to do around here?”
>”IS SUMMER CAMP, SO PLENTY TO DO! SWIMMING, RACING, YOUR FATHER SAID YOU VERY GOOD AT ATHLETICS, SO I MAKE SURE HAVE PLENTY TO DO HERE,” he smiles before turning to face you. “HAVE THINGS TO TAKE CARE OF NOW, FIXING UP COURSE FOR RACE TOMORROW. WILL HAVE COMPETITION AND WINNER RECEIVE GREAT PRIZE!”
>He nods before heading back to the cabin office, leaving you to your own
>You look around, setting your bag down on the ground
>”Hey, you’re that girl that just came in, aren’t ya?” you hear a voice come from nearby
>You quickly turn to face it
“Yeah? What about it?”
>A group of three colts walks over to you
>They remind you of the stereotypical 1980s campers that Dad always talked about
>The nerd, the jock, and the one that acts too cool to be there, but always has some sort of softer side under all of his hard exterior
>The nerd and jock ponies are both pegasi, and the cool one is a unicorn
>”We heard that someone new was coming today. Your parents sign you up without you wanting to go too?” the nerdy one asks
“Yeah. I told them I didn’t want to go, but they took me anyway.”
>The cooler-looking one sighs. “Looks like you’re in the same boat as us. Not that it matters, anyway; we’ve got a whole month stuck here, whether we like it or not.”
>”Aw c’mon, don’t be like that; I’m actually excited!” the jock pony exclaims. “There’s plenty of racers here for me to beat,” he grins
>Looks like you’ve found your competition
“You a racer?”
>”Aw yeah, looks like she’s one too! What’s your name?”
“My name’s Sonic Boom. I’m from P0nyville.”
>His eyes widen a bit. “Wait… wait a minute, why does that sound familiar?”
>The nerdy one grins at him. “That’s because she’s not just any normal racer, dude. Y’know that flight school they have over in Cloudsdale? She’s the one that scored some of the highest marks about a year ago.”
>”Whoa, you serious?” the jock pony turns to look at the nerd. “You better be joking, man…”
>”Heh, and not only that; her mom’s Rainbow Dash. Y’know, the number-one flyer over in P0nyville? The only one who could ever pull off a Sonic Rainboom?”
>His eyes widen and he turns to look at you. “No way… so you’re, like, the real deal huh?”
>You grin and let out a giggle
“As real as it gets. The one and only Sonic Boom.”
>You flex out your wings
>”Oh man, I’m way outta my league here!” he laughs. “I’ll catch you guys later; I’m headin’ to the mess hall for some food,” he says, before speeding off towards a longhouse-like cabin
>”Well, it looks like things are about to get interesting around here,” the nerdy one grins, before turning to look at you. “It was good meeting you today, Sonic Boom.”
>He nods his head at you, before heading towards the dock on the lake. “Catch you guys later!”
>The cool one scoffs a bit, before holding up a hoof to you. “Welcome to Camp Lock, one month of the weirdest stuff you’ll ever see,” he says
>You laugh, bumping his hoof with yours
“C’mon, it can’t be that bad, can it?”
>”You tell me. Just wait until Mr. Strelnikov gets a few vodkas in him tonight during campfire stories, you’ll understand what I mean then.”
>You ponder this for a moment
“Well, I guess we’ll see tonight.”
>You smile up at the unicorn
“By the way, I don’t think you told me your name yet. In fact, none of you did…”
>”Does it matter?” he grins. “It’s just gonna be for a month, why not keep it anonymous? Wouldn’t that be more fun?”
>You shrug
“Whatever floats your boat, dude.”
>He shrugs back, turning to the lake. “Anyway, I should get going to make sure dunder muffin over there doesn’t drown himself; he still can’t swim, y’know.”
>You can barely stifle a giggle
“Well, I should get going too; still gotta unpack my stuff.”
>He nods. “Nice meeting you, Sonic Boom.”
 “You too.”
>You smile and nod back, before picking up your suitcase in your teeth and flying back to the fillies’ cabin, dropping your stuff onto the bed assigned to you
>This might not be as bad as you thought it would be

>”AND NOW I TELL YOU ALL TALE OF THE NIN-JEW,” Strelnikov laughed happily, taking another swig of the bottle of vodka
>That unicorn was right; this is getting a bit weird
>”SO THERE I WAS AT SUMMER CAMP, JUST LIKE YOU FILLIES AND COLTS. I MEET THIS COOK FOR THE WORST CATERING CREW I EVER COME ACROSS,” Strelnikov says, making sure everyp0ny was listening
>Hard -not- to hear him
>”SO THIS CREW WAS KIND OF CREW THAT MAKE JUICE IN GARBAGE CAN AND BAKE FLIES IN PIZZAS. ANYWAY, THIS GUY GO DOWN IN LEGEND AS NINJEW, BECAUSE ALWAYS WOULD SHOW UP WHEN LEAST EXPECTED, AND WOULD BUG YOU ABOUT ANYTHING,” he snickers, before taking another swig of vodka
>“NOW, ONE DAY CAMP LEADERS TAKE HIS NAME AND TURN HIM INTO VILLAIN FOR CAMPERS, AND THAT GO ON FOR FEW SUMMERS. FAST FORWARD TO TWO SUMMERS AGO, BUDDY OF MINE ASK IF I WANT COME IN AND SCARE KIDS DURING SWIM TIME,” he grins. “I SAY ‘HELL YEAH’ AND HE SETS UP BLACK TARP NEAR FENCE OVER THERE SO I CAN JUMP AND MAKE ESCAPE INTO WOODS.”
>This sounds like it’s gonna be good
>”I WAIT UNTIL RIGHT MOMENT, RUSH IN AND DUEL FUTURE BROTHER-IN-LAW AND KICK HIM INTO LAKE, THEN MAKE EPIC JUMP OVER FENCE. UNFORTUNATELY, BLACK SUIT THAT I WORE FOR DISGUISE TOO BIG FOR ME, SO I SLIP AT TOP, DID FLIP, SILENTLY SCREAMED ‘OH BUCK ME’ AND LANDED SQUARE ON NECK.”
>Everyp0ny gasps at hearing this
>”I RUN 100 METRES BARELY CONSCIOUS AND COLLAPSE BEHIND TREE IN FOREST. APPARENTLY, ALL LIFEGUARDS FREAKED OUT, BECAUSE SAW THREE OFF-DUTY ONES RUN OUT TOWARDS STRELNIKOV. ALL IN ALL, SUCCESSFUL SUMMER CAMP,” he grins proudly as everyp0ny claps their hooves together at his story
>”AH, NOW THEN,” he says, taking another swig of vodka, “WHO TELL STORY NEXT?”
>He looks around the campfire, before pointing at the jock pony from earlier that day. “YOU, TELL STORY NOW.”
>The pony immediately straightens his posture, before looking around. “I, um…” he mutters, “Let’s see…”
>Strelnikov taps his hoof on the ground. “I WAITING WITH BAITED BREATH, COME ON WITH TELLING OF STORY!”
>”Well, um… one time, we were going camping, see, and so as a prank we hoisted up one colt’s tent into a tree while he was asleep in it. So, when he woke up, he was in the middle of the woods on a small wooden plank,” he says, chuckling awkwardly
>There’s silence for a moment, and then Strelnikov starts cracking up out of nowhere
>”AH, IS GOOD PRANK. BET HE NO SLEEP HEAVY ANYMORE, HUH?” he laughs, before taking another swig of vodka, nearing the end of the bottle. “UH OH, AM ALMOST OUT OF DRINK. YOU!” he points to a random filly, “NEW STORY, GO!”
>”A filly was walkin2 skewl wif her bbbff n they were crossin da rode she said ‘wil u b my big bro best friend 4ever’ he said ‘NO…’ da filly cryed N ran across da rode b4 da green pone came on da sine bro was cryin n went to pic up her body. she was ded. he whispered 2 her coprse “I ment 2 say I will be ur big bro best friend FIVE-EVER…” (dat mean he was her big bro best friend moar dan 4evr...) LIEK IF U CRAY ALWAYZ….” She mutters, tearing up at the end
>Strelnikov is silent, his mouth open as she told the story
>When she finished, it took him a second or two to react, at first by blinking, and then turning to face the rest of the campers
>”…I THINK IS TIME FOR OTHER STORY, MORE FUNNY! YOU, SONIC BOOM, STORY GO!” He points at you
>You grin
>You took the time to think of a story
“Alright, get ready you guys.”
>You stand up
“So back where my Dad used to live, there was this thing called plastic wrap. You wrap it around food and it lasts longer.”
>Strelnikov raises an eyebrow. “AND POINT?”
“Well, the best part of this stuff is that, it’s invisible to the eyes if it’s spread out evenly.”
>You grin
“And that’s where our story begins.”

>…
“And so he goes to walk into the house, but when he did, he smacked his face against it! Took him at least three times to figure out it was the plastic wrap all along!”
>Strelnikov cracks up laughing, falling backwards onto the ground. “AHAHAA! OH, THAT GOOD STORY, THAT VERY GOOD!” he laughs, sitting back up and taking a final swig of his vodka, finishing up the bottle. “OOH, LOOKS LIKE IS ALL OUT OF DRINK NOW, SO SLEEP TIME NOW,” he says, looking around the campfire. “WE GET UP EARLY, SO BE READY! COMPETITION IS TOMORROW!”
>Everyp0ny cheers, before scattering from the campfire and to the cabins
>Strelnikov looks at you and nods. “THAT VERY GOOD STORY. YOU GOOD AT TELLING STORIES,” he says, smiling and holding up a hoof
>You grin and bump yours against his
“It took a while for me to remember one, but Dad’s got a ton he’s told me from back where he’s from. All it takes is for me to remember it, they’re all hilarious.”
>”WELL, IS GOOD TO SEE YOUR DAD HAS MANY EXPERIENCES, IS GOOD QUALITY OF FATHER,” he smiles, before turning around and walking towards his cabin. “WE GET UP EARLY TOMORROW, SO GET GOOD SLEEP.”
“Yessir!”
>You leap up and swerve around, heading to the fillies’ cabin
>Everyp0ny is preparing their beds for sleep
>You walk over to yours, and go through your stuff
>Most of it is just stuff to fix yourself up nice, in case of a formal party/dance
>But, there are a few special objects that you brought that are precious to you
>The Wonderbolts dolls you’ve had since you were a newborn foal
>You smile at them, hiding them under your bed sheets before slipping the bag under the bed and crawling in
>It’s a bit more stiff than the bed you had set up in Mom and Dad’s room, but it’s good enough for you
>You smile, closing your eyes and hugging the two Wonderbolts dolls tightly to you as you slowly fall asleep
>You’re excited for tomorrow to show everyp0ny just how good you really are, and not have to ride off of your Mom’s coat-tails of her reputation

>Be the next—
>”WAKE UP EVERYP0NY, IS TIME FOR GET UP!”
>Ugh, your ears
>Mr. Strelnikov comes charging in with pots and pans tied around his legs, clanking against his hooves and feet as he runs around the room
>”I WANT SEE ALL OF YOU IN FRONT OF CAMPFIRE IN TEN MINUTES, OR YOU GET NICE LITTLE MORNING SWIM,” he shouts, before running back out towards the colts’ cabin
>You slowly get out of bed, shaking your head quickly and hiding the Wonderbolts dolls back in your bag, making sure none of the other fillies saw
>You stand up, looking at yourself through a small mirror on the table next to your bed
>You rub your eyes, and run a hoof through your hair
>Yep. You’re ready for the day
>You grin, stretching your legs for a bit before heading out of the cabin
>Looks like you’re one of the first ones out
>Good; making an impression the first day is always smart
>Strelnikov walks over after a few minutes, taking off the pots and pans
>”ALRIGHT, YOU ALL OUT ALREADY, IS GOOD. VERY NICE TO SEE SPEEDY CAMPERS,” he says. “NOW, I GIVE YOU ALL INFORMATION ON COMPETITION.”
>He points towards the far side of the lake
>”YOU SEE CAMP OVER THERE?”
>You squint your eyes, and you can just barely make out a small group of cabins on the far side of the lake
>”THAT ‘CAMP THUNDER’. THEY HUGE CAMP FROM MOUNTAINS, COME DOWN EVERY YEAR FOR CAMP,” he says. “EVERY YEAR THEY COME HAVE COMPETITION AGAINST CAMP LOCK, AND EVERY YEAR THEY BEAT BECAUSE THEY CHEAT!”
>He grits his teeth. “AND CAMP LEADER… CAMP LEADER MAKE STRELNIKOV’S BLOOD BOIL LIKE TURF WARS IN STALLIONGRAD. BUT NOT THIS YEAR, WE SHOW THEM WHO BOSS IS!”
>Everyp0ny cheers
>You cheer along with them, before grinning up at Strelnikov
“When do we start?”
>He laughs. “IS GOOD COMPETITIVE SPIRIT YOU HAVE, BUT FIRST IS TIME FOR EATING. GIVE CHANCE TO GATHER STRENGTH AND FILL BELLY BEFORE ONSLAUGHT OF OTHER CAMP.”
>Almost on cue, your stomach makes the loudest rumbling you’ve heard it make in a while
>He laughs even louder. “IT SEEMS BELLY OF SONIC BOOM AGREES! COME ON AND WE EAT GOOD FOOD, GIVE LOTS OF ENERGY FOR COMPETITION!” he shouts, before he and the others head off to the cafeteria
>You give one last look to the camp across the lake, before heading off towards the cafeteria
>You can’t seem to shake the feeling that something’s going to happen

>”TO GOOD COMPETITION!” Strelnikov shouts, holding up his tray of food. “WE KICK THE FLANKS OF ALL THOSE DIRTY CAMPERS ACROSS THE LAKE, AND AFTERWARDS WE SMEAR IN FACE OF CAMP LEADER!” he laughs
>Everyp0ny pumps their hooves into the air, shouting cheers
>You quickly dig into your food, making sure to eat as fast as you can to get out so you can stretch and prepare for the competition
>It seems everyp0ny else has the same idea
>”So, you ready for this competition?” you hear a familiar voice come from across the table
>The nerdy pony from the day before sits down across from you
“Yeah; already getting ready for it.”
>He grins. “Well, I think you’ll find it interesting exactly why Mr. Strelnikov hates Camp Thunder so much,” he says
>You raise an eyebrow, swallowing the food in your mouth
“…Why?”
>”Well, turns out a long time ago when they were both still young, he and the other camp leader were good friends,” he says. “But, the two of them would only see each other during summer camp when they were younger, so eventually they drifted apart.”
>You nod
>”Fast forward a few years later, and the two of them are both the leaders of their own camps. They decided that as a friendly gesture, the two camps would compete against each other every year in the spirit of friendship,” he sighs. “Well, year after year it became less about friendly competition, and more about winning. Finally the two of them decided that the only way to settle their bout was a drinking contest.”
>Your eyes widen
“So what happened?”
>”A tie; they both drank each other under the table. Apparently it lasted at least three hours of straight drinking of some of the strongest vodka from Stalliongrad.”
>You nearly spew out your food at this
“Someone tied with HIM?!”
>You point at Strelnikov, who luckily is turned around and out of hearing distance
>The nerd pony nods, and grins. “He’s not put down the bottle ever since; he vowed one day to make sure he beat that other camp leader at the one thing they were equal at.”
>You nod understandably
>”I think this will be the year, too; he looks like he’s fully prepared for a drinking contest,” he says
>You are silent for a moment, before taking another bite of food, turning to look at Strelnikov
>You grin and nod
“Definitely. He’ll win for sure.”
>You finish your tray of food, before getting up and putting it away, walking out of the cafeteria
>You walk out to the center of the camp, stretching
>Chances are your competition will involve a race, so best to get ready
>You fly up high into the air, using the clouds as a race course
>You set a time for yourself for 60 seconds, with each new cloud you went through adding 5 more seconds
>You manage to go through 34 clouds before time runs out
>You grin; still able to pull off a decent amount even after eating
>You slowly land on the ground, walking up to the lake’s edge
>You dive into the water, letting it wash over you before you take to the air above the lake
>The air whipping past you quickly dries your fur and mane, and you land on the ground slowly, your mane a crazy frizz
>You giggle, running a hoof through it
>Strelnikov walks out of the cafeteria, coming up to you. “IS SONIC BOOM READY?” he asks
>You nod, smiling
“Ready as I’ll ever be!”
>He smiles back at you. “IS GOOD TO SEE YOU HAVE STRONG FIGHTING SPIRIT. REMIND ME OF OLD FRIEND FROM DAYS IN STALLIONGRAD,” he says, ruffling your mane with his hoof. “BEFORE HUGE EXPLOSION ANNIHILATE HIM AND SEND ENTRAILS THROUGH AIR.”
>Your smile quickly turns into a cringe
>The sound of a deep, bass horn fills the air
>”IS TIME, CAMP THUNDER ARRIVING. MAKE SURE READY FOR REPRESENT CAMP LOCK,” he says, walking towards the sound
>You follow him and look to the horizon
>You see on a hill a silhouette of…
>…Gryphons?
>They swoop down the hill, closing in quickly on your location
>They land with a tremor under them, and a gryphon with red streaks on his head walks forward, his eyes fiercely set on Strelnikov
>At his side…
>…No, it can’t be…
>”Well well, if it isn’t Skidmark. How’s that leg of yours?”
“I-Ingirun!”
>The gryphon scowls at you. “Yeah, it’s me. Who else?”
>You growl angrily, and then immediately try charging the gryphon
>You’re stopped, dead in your tracks, by the large, red-headed gryphon standing next to her
>”Oy! What th’ ‘ell d’ye think yer doin’?!” the red gryphon growls angrily at you, blocking your way
>Strelnikov stamps his hoof down on the ground. “IS WONDERFUL, SPIRIT OF COMPETITION IN BOTH OF THEM!”
>The gryphon turns to look at him. “An’ is this suppose’ ta be yer camper?”
>He shoos you back
>He’s got a weird accent, like… the Apple family, but it’s different
>He also wears a weird hat with a feather in it
>”THIS SONIC BOOM, SHE FASTEST IN ENTIRE CAMP! YOU SEE WHEN SHE PLANT HOOF FIRMLY INTO GRYPHON’S FEATHERY ASS,” Strelnikov grins at the red-headed gryphon
>He scowls, walking past and shooting you an angry look
>”See you in the competition, Skidmark,” Ingirun smirks, before following after him, along with the rest of the gryphons that arrived with them
>Strelnikov walks over to you, smiling. “DON’T WORRY, WE SHOW THEM WHO BOSS IS!”
>He pats your head with his hoof
“But what if I can’t? It’s been so long since I’ve raced against Ingirun, and last time it didn’t go so well…”
>Strelnikov spits on the ground. “THAT IN PAST, NO REASON FOR DWELLING ON IT. IS NO REASON FOR SONIC BOOM BE NERVOUS TO RACE,” he says
>“HERE, I TELL YOU SECRET,” he grins, leaning in close. “WHEN HE AND I YOUNGER… HIS NICKNAME ‘SKIPPY’,” he snickers
>You can’t help stifling a giggle at that
“Skippy?”
>He snickers and nods. “YAH, WAS HUGE LAUGHING STOCK OF WHOLE CAMP WHEN YOUR AGE,” he says
>You grin up at him
“Well, are you going to compete against him too?”
>His eyes widen and he looks back. “ERM, I… I DON’T KNOW. HAVEN’T COMPETED IN LONG TIME, MIGHT BE… HOW YOU SAY, ‘RUSTY’?”
“No way, Mr. Strelnikov! You gotta compete, c’mon!”
>He chuckles, “MAYBE ANOTHER YEAR, NOT QUITE READY TO COMPETE IN RACE,” he says
“Well, what about something else?”
>He raises an eyebrow. “WHAT SONIC BOOM MEAN?”
“Well, there’re a lot of other things you can compete against ponies at besides racing, y’know. Pie-eating, stone-skipping across the lake…”
>His eyes widen and he grins. “SONIC BOOM… COULD DRINKING VODKA BE COMPETITION TOO?”
>You mock-think for a moment, and nod
“I guess it could too! After all, what’s stopping you?”
>You see the biggest grin curl across his face since you arrived here
>”I RETURN LATER, MUCH PREPARING TO DO,” he says, galloping off
>You giggle, before flying off to the gathering area where the gryphons and ponies are mingling

>”So then I told him, ‘That’s not a new gloss she put on your fur,’…” you overhear a nearby gryphon talking to a few ponies
>You chuckle a bit; you’re glad that not all gryphons are complete jerks like Ingirun
>You walk over to listen to him
>He has a similar coat to that of Ingirun’s, however his fur is a bit darker and his head-feathers have a few streaks of black through them
>”And then he turns to look at his back, and it turns out it was clear jelly!” he laughs, and the ponies join in
>You laugh as well
>He smiles, wiping a tear from his eye after recovering. “Ahaha, so then he starts freaking out, right? So I immediately go looking for some way of getting it off him,” he says. “I go back to the container she used to see how to get it off, and it clearly says ‘Don’t submerge in water’, and that it can come off after a few hours. So I go back, and what do you think he went and did?” he grins
>You giggle, almost expecting what’s coming next
>”The guy had his body completely submerged in the lake. Next thing I know, he’s caked from neck to hoof in jelly, and I have no idea how to get him out,” he laughs. “So I do the best possible thing I could think of. I suggest he try eating as much of it as he could off while I went to get help,” he says
>”What happened after that?” one of the ponies asks
>”Well, for one thing, he never wanted anything to do with jelly ever again,” he snickers. “But he was able to get help and they were able to get it off of him.”
>”How?”
>”By shaving all of his fur and feathers off,” he laughs. “You should’ve seen him; he looked like a winged rat with a beak!”
>All of them laugh, including you
>That picture in your head is pretty freaking funny
>He smiles, and then turns to look at you. “Well, hi there, I’m Orfeo,” he says, holding out a talon to you
>You smile back and return the gesture with your hoof
“Sonic Boom, I’m from P0nyville!”
>”P0nyville, huh? That small town over on the outskirts of Equestrian territory?” he asks
>You nod
>He smiles, “It’s nice to meet ya. I’ve heard a few stories float around about you. Heard you’re a pretty fast flyer.”
>You grin
“Fastest in my class.”
>”Oh, that right?” he grins back at you. “Well, you’ll have the chance to prove that.”
>You eye him for a moment
“…What’re you saying?”
>”I’m saying that the main competition, the one that everyp0ny is excited to see, is the flying race between pegasi and gryphons,” he says. “It’s interesting, seeing the pie-eating competition or the six-legged race, or anything else.”
“Oh? Well, um… who’s the fastest gryphon in the camp?”
>He grins. “That… would be Ingirun,” he says. “But, she’s not much faster than I am, so it really fluctuates between her and I which one is the fastest.”
>Your eyes widen
“Um, and… you said your name was…?”
>”Orfeo,” he smiles, nodding his head. “Looking forward to seeing you in the competition,” he winks, before flying off
>You grin and nod back
“You too.”
>You turn and begin to step, running right into…
>Ingirun.
>”Watch where you walk, Skidmark!” she growls angrily, glaring at you
>Your eyes widen
“S…sorry…”
>You fly off
>The memories are too much for you to handle right now
>It’s been a few years, but the memories of falling to near-death still traumatize you
>”SONIC BOOM, IS TIME FOR COMPETITION BEGIN!” Strelnikov yells up at you
>You look down at him
>You slowly float down to the ground, next to him
>” 'ah! Yer tink she's gonna club us?” Skippy grins at Strelnikov, another gryphon walking up next to him
>This gryphon is a bit different from the rest, his coat is tattered and he looks a lot fiercer than the others
>“Haffren! Show 'er who's 'eadbombadare!”
>The gryphon growls, getting up to the starting line
>You close your eyes and breathe in deep, sighing before walking up to the starting line
>”ON MARK! GET SET!”
>”GO!” both of the camp leaders yell, and the two of you shoot off into the sky
>Oh damn, he’s fast
>You quickly make sure to speed ahead of him, heading toward the first checkpoint
>He shoots off past you, taking the opportunity to hit you in the side with his talon, throwing you off
>Damn, they’re all the same
>You growl angrily, and fire off after him
>You whiz past him, and leave him to eat your jet lag
>The ponies and gryphons all gasp at the sight as you shoot for the finish line
>You pass it, and the gryphon falls short
>…by about 11 seconds.
>You feel like a total boss right now.
>Skippy scowls. “Beginner’s luck.”
>Strelnikov grins. “WHAT, IS SKIPPY MAD THAT STAR GRYPHON LOSE TO SONIC BOOM?” he asks, turning to the red-headed gryphon
>He growls angrily. “I tart oi towl yer not ter CALL ME DAT!”
>”WHAT YOU DO ABOUT IT?”
>”YER. ME. WAN ‘OUR,” Skippy glares fiercely at the pony. “Den I’ll show yer waaat 'appens whaen yer 'ames wi' an cheesed aff gryphon.!”
>Strelnikov grins. “I HAVE BETTER IDEA,” he says. “WHY FIGHT, WHEN CAN HAVE MORE FUN WITH IT?”
>The red-headed gryphon turns towards him, raising an eyebrow. “What’re yer sayin’?”
>”YOU. ME. THE CAFETERIA,” he says. “I GET STASH OF DRINK, WE HAVE CONTEST. FIRST TO COLLAPSE ADMITS ETERNAL LOSS,” Strelnikov grins proudly at the gryphon
>Skippy thinks for a moment, and then grins back. “Oi tart you’d never grow de barguckers ter challenge me again. Gran' so, we’ll chucker it; but first…”
>Ingirun steps up next to Skippy
>”Yisser star camper, against mine,” he says. “Waaat chucker yer say?”
>Your eyes widen a bit
>”SONIC BOOM KICK GRYPHON’S SORRY FLANK AGAIN, AND THEN I KICK YOUR FLANK IN DRINKING CONTEST,” Strelnikov laughs
>You turn to look at the pony, swallowing the lump in your throat
>Ingirun grins. “What’s the matter, Skidmark? Scared you’ll lose?”
>You turn to the female gryphon, and growl angrily
“You know I never back down!”
>Ingirun laughs. “What was that back there before the race, then? Should’ve just stayed in P0nyville with your alien dad where you belong, half-breed.”
>Your eyes widen, and the rage overtakes you
“RAAAH!!”
>Ingirun eyes you in surprise
>You stamp your forehooves into the ground, glaring fiercely at the gryphon
“You want to say that again, feather-brain?!”
>Ingirun grunts, before sinking her talons into the ground. “Half. Breed. Alien,” she makes sure to punctuate each word
>You roar out in anger, before charging the gryphon, slamming your hooves into her chest, knocking her back
>”WHOA, SAVE ENERGY FOR RACE!” Strelnikov exclaims, running after you
>You turn and glare at him, pointing a hoof at Ingirun
“She’s tormented me for years! She deserves every hoof I throw!”
>Strelnikov pulls you off the gryphon, who very visibly has a bruise under her fur. “IS GOOD TO HAVE FIGHTING SPIRIT, SONIC BOOM. BUT IS IMPORTANT TO CONTROL, OR SOMEP0NY GET HURT,” he says, looking down at you
>You struggle in his grip for a bit, but eventually stop
>Ingirun gets up onto her paws and claws, scowling angrily at you
>”Keep that freak off of me! Next time I’m going to fight back and she’ll not escape without a broken bone,” she growls
>Skippy walks over to Ingirun, scowling at both you and Strelnikov. “We’ll settle dis lay-ra. Roi nigh, let’s git de race over wi'.”
>Strelnikov nods, leading you to the starting line once again
>Both you and Ingirun scowl at each other as you walk over to the line
>”I DON’T WANT SEE ANY DIRTY RACING DURING COMPETITION, THAT GOES FOR BOTH PONY AND GRYPHON,” Strelnikov belts out above you
>” Yer 'ear dat? yer roughhouse, yer git kicked oyt av de race for gran',” Skippy yells out to the gryphons
>They all stand at attention and nod
>”ON MARKS!”
>”Git set…”
>”GO!”
>Both you and Ingirun speed off from the starting line, both of you staying neck-and-neck with each other
>Just like flight school
>The two of you are flying at unparallel speeds comparatively, though
>You remember the two camp leaders telling the two of you to not roughhouse during the fight
>Fuck that, this bitch is getting what she deserves
>When you make the first turn, you kick her in the side with your hind leg while in the cover of the cloud, before shooting off in the moment of pain she goes through
>She doesn’t let you get away with it, though; she quickly catches up and does the same to you at the next turn
>Both of you are fucking each other up as much as you possibly can get away with
>She finally speeds off ahead after “unknowingly” kicking you in the jaw with her hind leg
>Graah, she’s ALWAYS done this to you!
>She’s not getting away with it this time!
>You feel the anger building within you, before letting out a loud yell, shooting off toward her
>You’re seeing nothing but red as a vector cone slowly begins to form around you
>All of the ponies and gryphons are watching you with wide eyes
>Strelnikov drops his jaw and his bottle of vodka as he watches
>You go faster, faster…
>FASTER!
>You bolt past Ingirun, knocking her back with your intense speed
>…Or it could be because you just broke the sound barrier.
>Considering there’s a huge blue ring that just exploded out behind you
>…You just…
>No, it’s not a Sonic Rainboom, there’s not enough color
>Damn impressive, though
>You grin, before shooting through the remaining checkpoints almost effortlessly, swerving around to the finish line
>Everyp0ny and gryphon immediately bolts out of the way as you come rushing through the finish line, a blue trail following closely after you
>You take the opportunity to swerve back around, considering trying to slow down to a safe-enough speed to land
>…Nah; you’re having way too much fun feeling the wind flowing through your mane and across your fur coat
>You manage to catch a glance at Ingirun’s expression as you laugh excitedly, shooting off through the sky
>It’s one of both shock and anger
>You can understand; you’d be angry too if your opponent just kicked some major flank at your expense
>After around 10 minutes, you decide to slow to a safe enough pace
>You dive down into the water, creating a gigantic splash in the process, soaking the onlookers that were closest to the lake at that time
>You come up and grin proudly, everyp0ny is cheering
>Even some of the gryphons manage to sneak their excitement past Skippy
>You swim up to the shore, and Strelnikov grins proudly at you
>”YOU DID IT, SONIC BOOM, YOU BRING GREAT GLORY TO CAMP LOCK!” he exclaims, picking you up and placing you on his back, parading you around
>”Three cheers for Sonic Boom!” one of the campers shouts
>”Sonic Boom! Sonic Boom! Sonic Boom!” the ponies exclaim in unison, pumping their hooves into the air
>You see Ingirun land on the edge of the lake, and Skippy scowl angrily at her, before walking away
>She turns to look at you with the ugliest scowl on her face
>Your smile fades a bit as the two of you lock eyes
>The sparks fly for a few seconds, before she scoffs, and walks off with Skippy
>Some of the gryphons come to join the ponies in their jubilation, and you manage to spot Orfeo in the group
>The two of you brohoof/talon, and grin at each other
>”That was awesome!” Orfeo exclaims as Strelnikov sets you down
“Really? What happened?”
>”Well, I couldn’t make out all of it, but from what I could see, it looked like Ingirun was going to win, but then you came out of nowhere, and next thing I know, you’re shooting ahead faster than I’ve ever seen anything fly before!” he grins happily
“Was… was there a ring in the air when I did?”
>”Hm… now that I think about it, yeah! There was, it was a huge blue one! And then after it, you had this long blue streak of color flying behind you!” he says, using his talons to demonstrate
>You’re practically beaming
>You did it! You lived up to your name
>You jump at Orfeo in an excited hug, nearly crushing him in the process
>Both of you are laughing
>”NOW, TO CAFETERIA!” Strelnikov exclaims, pointing his hoof to the large cabin. “SONIC BOOM BEAT LITTLE GIRLY GRYPHON, NOW IS TIME FOR ME TO SHOW JUST HOW MUCH OF GIRL SKIPPY IS IN CONTEST OF OWN!”
>The gryphon growls angrily, turning to look at the pony. “Oi tart we’d been over this… don’t call me dat!” he yells, before he and a few of the gryphon campers take to the skies, flying off towards the cafeteria
>”IS TIME GO! TIME SHOW CAMP LOCK WHAT LEADER IS MADE OF!” he shouts, galloping off with a few other campers
>The rest of you follow in a large congregated group of gryphons and ponies conversing with each other
>”So, you ready to watch this?” Orfeo smiles at you as all of you enter the cafeteria
>Whoa, they have an entire setup and everything
>The nerdy pony from earlier seems to be MCing the whole thing
>”Alright, ponies and gryphons! Are you ready for an epic battle of the ages?!”
>Everyp0ny and gryphon cheers and shouts on their respective sides of the cafeteria
>Strelnikov and Skippy are both set up in a two-person table in the center, with all of the tables set up in a coliseum-like arrangement around them
>All of the campers from both sides are intermingled with each other
>You see Ingirun sitting behind Skippy, glaring at the two leaders
>You and Orfeo sit at a table, in a clear view of Skippy’s and Strelnikov’s soon-to-occur duel
>”Each contestant will start out with five drinks of vodka each!” the nerd pony exclaims. “The contestant must finish the entire set of five, before getting another set of five!”
>He points at a chalkboard, with two columns on it reading “Pony” and “Gryphon”
>”After each group of five completed, I will add one tally to the contestant’s score! You MUST finish all five in order to get the tally! You can’t stop half-way!” he exclaims
>”I NOT STOP UNTIL FEATHERWEIGHT IS ON GROUND IN DRUNK COMA,” Strelnikov laughs, grinning at the pony. “BEGIN CONTEST!”
>”Alright, looks like Mr. Strelnikov is ready! What about Mr. Skippy?” he turns to the red-headed gryphon
>Skippy growls. “I’ll make sure ter wipe dat sorry grin aff yisser bake.”
>He slams his talon on the table
>”Alright, looks like our challengers are all riled up! What about the crowd?!” the nerdy pony turns to the spectators
>Everyp0ny and gryphon cheers wildly
>” Jist git on wi' it!” Skippy shouts at him
>”Haha, sure. On your marks!” he shouts
>”Get set!”
>”…GO!”
>The two immediately go at their vodka like nop0ny’s business

>”Heh, what do you think of this whole thing?” Orfeo asks, turning to look at you
“Eh, it’s… entertaining, at least.”
>Both of you chuckle lightly, your sounds drowned out to others by the sounds of their cheering
>Orfeo nods. “Well, it’s been years in the making, so it’s understandable that they have this much enthusiasm.”
>”AHAHA! MINE IS FIRST DONE!” you hear Strelnikov laugh heartily
>Damn, that was fast
>Nerdy pony strikes a first tally along the chalkboard
>Skippy growls angrily, before returning to his drinks, downing one of them in one go
“Yeah, I can see that…”
>You notice that Orfeo attempts to steal looks at you when you’re not looking
>You’re looking every fucking time, and it’s bugging the hell out of him
>It’s hilarious
>You smile, looking up at him
“So, why -are- you staring at me like that?”
>You grin
>His eyes widen in surprise, and his cheeks turn a bit red
>”Um-I… uh…” he stutters, before looking back at the competition
>One tally each, Strelnikov’s on his fourth vodka, Skippy’s on his second
>Neither looks as if they’re going to be slowing down
>Strelnikov seems to especially be filled with enough gusto to keep going
>”Because… I was wondering what made you so fast,” Orfeo mutters, turning to look at you
“Didn’t you say it was because of my Mom?”
>”Well, genes can only go so far,” he chuckles. “You proved this earlier today between the two races.”
“Oh?”
>You grin slyly at him
“What do you mean by that?”
>”Well, um… usually, pegasi aren’t quite as fast as gryphons. We usually have the stronger physique for flying,” he says, flexing out his wings a bit. “But what happened back there… that was unreal; it was like you were a completely different pony!”
>You grin
“So, what do you mean, ‘A completely different pony’?”
>He looks to you, and then back to the competition. “Well, um… you were y’know, faster and stuff!”
>You raise an eyebrow
“Ohhh? I don’t think that makes me a ‘completely different pony’, Orfeo. I’ve always been fast.”
>You’re getting to him now, you can tell
>And damn it, it’s hilarious
>”IS THREE TALLIES FOR ME NOW!” you hear Strelnikov shout out
>”But you haven’t even finished the second tally yet,” the nerdy pony looks at him with a confused expression
>”HAHA! YOU SILLY BOY, I SHOW YOU!” he laughs, before downing the last drink for the tally, and then taking all five drinks for the next tally and downing them each one by one, before swallowing all of the vodka
>…Holy fuck, this guy is a monster.
>”NOW ADD NEXT TALLY!” he points at the pony, laughing
>The nerdy pony chuckles, before adding another one
>Skippy’s eyes widen and his jaw drops a bit, but he does not relent
>He finishes up the last of the second tally, and starts on the drinks for the third
>He quickly manages to catch up to Strelnikov, and the two are both neck and neck by the fourth tally
>The effects of the vodka are slowly showing on both of them, but neither relents
>Each one fueled by their hate for the other
>”Hey, this is getting a bit repetitive,” Orfeo sighs, turning to look at you, “Want to head out before the two of them go too far and we’re caught in the crossfire?”
>You turn to look at him
“What do you mean?”
>”I BEAT YOU WITHIN INCH OF LIFE WHEN THIS OVER!” you hear Strelnikov cackle before downing another vodka
“…Nevermind. Let’s go.”

>The two of you manage to sneak out successfully, heading out to the lake
>”That was some really awesome racing earlier, Sonic Boom,” Orfeo says, turning to look at you. “Think you can pull it off a second time?”
>You eye him for a moment, and then grin
“One way to find out.”

>”On your marks!” Orfeo calls out, both of you at the starting line
“Get set!”
>”GO!”
>Both of you shoot off into the sky, neck and neck
>Oh man, he’s fast…
>He slowly inches ahead of you, and you’re unable to catch up to him
>”Come on! Push the limit!” he calls out at you, pushing even further ahead
>You grit your teeth, and quicken your pace to where it almost hurts, but you work through the pain
>You slowly begin catching up to him, and he smiles
>”That’s it! Keep it up!” he shouts, doing his best to stay ahead of you
>You continue pushing, until you’ve reached and slowly begun passing him
>He grins, and as both of you near the finish line, he uses a final burst of energy to propel himself forward, passing you and reaching the finish line before you
>You gasp in surprise; how did he have so much energy leftover?
“Whoa, that was awesome! How’d you do it?”
>He grins as the two of you slow down to a stop. “I’m trained for endurance in flight; at the last stretch, that’s when you have to give it your all.”
>He holds out his talons in the air. “Most of the time, other racers use all of their energy and spread it out through the entire race,” he says, drawing his finger along the space between them. “I, on the other hand, use the energy I have leftover at the end…”
>He draws his finger over the last few inches a few times, “And shoot myself off towards the finish line. That’s how I win,” he says, grinning
“Heh. Guess what I did earlier was something similar to that, then.”
>”Yeah, but that was, like, a hundred times faster than anything I could ever pull off!” he laughs. “But I think the only reason it happened was because Ingirun and you seem to have some history, am I right?”
>You scowl and look away
“Yeah. We go pretty far back.”
>”Wanna talk about it?”
>You sigh
“Alright, guess the least you should know is the story behind it.”
>The two of you walk over to the lake, and sit at the edge of it as you recall the humiliating stories of flight school, the lunch room incidents, the lies…
>…And the crash.
“It was because of her that Typhoon lost his wing…”
>You scowl, slamming your hoof into the ground
“All because he wanted to save me!”
>Orfeo sighs, placing a hand on the back of your neck. “He’s a good friend, Sonic Boom. He seems like the kind of guy that would stand by you no matter what. Don’t blame yourself for his loss.”
>You turn to look at him
“Ingirun isn’t to be trusted. She’s vile, and twisted, and-”
>He holds up a talon, cutting you off. “I know. She’s been at our summer camp three years in a row now. I’ve had my share of…‘experience’, with her.”
>You sigh and nod
“…Sorry. But it’s true, she can’t be trusted!”
>”She’s the peak performer; our camp leader could care less about her integrity. He has a tendency to care more about competition and winning, than camp itself.”
“Why is that?”
>”Why do you think? Because he hates your camp leader, of course. Hopefully, this little competition they’re having will finally put everything to rest.”
>You smile at him
“Hey, Orfeo?”
>”Yeah?” he asks, turning to look at you
>You scoot over and nuzzle under his head
“Thanks for being an ear to listen to me.”
>You swear his face is nearly as red as Skippy’s
>”Uh… yeah, heh. You’re welcome…” he says nervously, his voice quivering a bit
>The two of you sit there in silence for a moment, listening to the ripples of the waves

>”…You want to tell me what you’re doing, Orfeo?” a gruff female’s voice comes from behind you two
>Orfeo’s eyes widen, and he cranes his head to look at…
>”Ingirun? What’re you doing out here?!” he asks, turning his entire body around
>You turn as well, scowling at the female gryphon for ruining the moment
>”Those two are making damn fools of themselves,” she growls, walking over to the two of you. “And it seems you are, as well.”
>She grips him by the head-feathers in her talon, glaring into his eyes. “What did I tell you about interacting with the ponies in this camp?! Even worse, Skidmark here!”
“Hey! What’s the big idea?!”
>She turns to look at you and scowls, releasing Orfeo from her talon. “I’ll tell you what the big idea is, Skidmark,” she growls, pushing him out of the way as she walks up to you. “Stay away from Orfeo,” she says, making sure to point right at him, “Or I’ll make sure you never leave this camp alive.”
>Your eyes widen, but you do not falter
>”C’mon. Let’s go,” she says, gripping him by the neck this time and dragging him over to the cafeteria once again
>...What was that about?

>You sit there for a moment, watching the two of them go into the cafeteria, back into the chaos that was now the drinking contest
>You quickly fly to the window, and peer inside
>Strelnikov had collected a total of eight tallies, and was working diligently on the ninth, while Skippy was still on his seventh, and the effects of the vodka were definitely showing on both of them
>Strelnikov, however, seemed to have a better hold on himself, using the intoxication to his advantage, drinking even more
>Ingirun drags Orfeo back to the seat behind Skippy, sitting him down and sitting next to him
>What you see next will be ingrained into your mind for the rest of eternity
>She turns his head to face her, leans up…
>…And kisses him.
>You gasp, hiding against the wall under the window
“Orfeo and… and Ingirun?!”

>You couldn’t believe it; Orfeo and Ingirun?
>The two of them… you never would have guessed
>You shudder at the thought of them… kissing…
>You decide you’ll sneak back inside, unnoticed
>You open the door, and…
>”VICTORY FOR CAMP LOCK!” you hear Strelnikov laugh, downing the last few shots on the table, adding an eleventh tally to the chalkboard
>Skippy looks over to the score; he’s at nine
>He sighs, before falling backward, collapsing onto the floor in a drunken heap
>The ponies cheer and Strelnikov holds up the last, empty glass of vodka
>”THIS DAY GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS DAY CAMP LOCK EMERGE VICTORIOUS OVER PUNY GRYPHON CAMP!” he yells, laughing hysterically as they pick him up above them
>You quickly slip into the crowd as they carry him around the lunch room, while Ingirun, Orfeo, and the other gryphons move to help Skippy up
>”Bah! Dat wus tripe, I’ll club 'im wan day…” he scowls, looking away, defeated
>You turn away from them, following the crowd as they leave the lunchroom, still carrying Strelnikov around above them, his drunken laughter only seeming to energize them
>”WE GO TO LAKE! CELEBRATE GREAT VICTORY!” he shouts as they carry him out of the cafeteria
>The ponies all gather at the center of the camp, setting him down
>”AH, THIS IS LIFE!” he laughs, falling onto his back and staring up to the sky. “HAVE WAITED LONG TIME FOR THIS DAY, AND NOW IS FINALLY HERE. WE CELEBRATE THIS DAY!” he says, standing back up and charging toward the lake, along with the rest of the ponies following him
>Everyp0ny is partying, laughing, swimming… all of the activities that you would expect of a summer camp.
>The gryphons walk out of the cafeteria, humiliated and their heads hanging dejectedly
>You see this, and you frown a bit, before walking over
>Skippy sees you, and he looks over at you with fierce eyes. “What do you want?”
>You hesitate for a moment, before smiling up at him
“Um… would you like to join the party, Mister…?”
>He scowls for a moment, before sighing. “Damaso. M’ real name’s Damaso,” he says, looking down at you. “An' naw, oi wud prefer not ter join de party. Dat damn drunken stallion is more than enoof call.”
“But… you would get to—”
>”He already said ‘no’, featherbrain, don’t you get it?!” Ingirun scowls at you. “You should go too, before I get even angrier,” she says
>Orfeo walks up next to you, however. “I think I’ll join you,” he says, smiling
>Ingirun’s eyes widen in shock, before her scowl shifts to him. “Orfeo, what do you think you’re doing?”
>He turns to look at her. “I’m doing what we all should have done a long time ago,” he says, turning to smile down at you. “Just because we’re gryphons, doesn’t mean we have to go around hating ponies! Why do you think we come here every year? I doubt it’s to compete with another race that you hate, right?”
>Skippy is speechless, and looks down at Ingirun
>She’s trembling a bit in anger
>”I think Orfeo’s right!” one of the gryphons calls out
>”Me too!” another one replies, the two of them flying over to stand next to you and Orfeo
>Slowly, the gryphons begin trickling down onto your side, each one adding to the group standing behind you
>Finally, all that remains are Skippy, Ingirun, and a handful of others
>Orfeo steps forward. “Well, now that you know of where we stand, where will you stand?” he asks, looking up at Skippy
>The large gryphon sighs. “As much as oi 'ate ter admit it, an' trust me; oi really 'ate ter admit it… Oi chucker believe dat joinin' de party is for de bettah,” he says, walking over to you
>All of the gryphons cheer, except for Ingirun, and the three gryphons that stayed with her
>”C’mon, guys. We’ve got better things to do than hang out with these dweebs,” Ingirun scowls and looks to the three, before they fly off towards the gryphon camp
>You sigh, watching the four of them fly off
>Orfeo turns and smiles at you, before all of you join in the celebrations
>Strelnikov and Skippy, in their drunken states, finally manage to resolve their conflict after all this time
>Today was a party day, and it was freaking awesome!

>The rest of camp is more or less uneventful
>You spend the days swimming and learning about different things
>All while under the watchful eye of Strelnikov, the most awesome camp leader in all of Equestria!
>The evenings consisted of sharing stories around the bonfire; there wasn’t one story at all that was repeated ever
>You slept soundly on the last night of camp
>…Or, you would have, if it hadn’t been for a knocking on your window.

>”Sonic Boom? You awake?” you hear a muttering from outside
>You drowsily get up, and push the window open
>It’s Orfeo
“What’s up?”
>You make sure to keep your voice in a low whisper to not wake any of the other campers
>”Hey, it’s your last day, right?” he asks, leaping up and leaning onto the windowsill
“Yeah, what about it?”
>”I was wondering if you wanted to go on one last flight before you had to head out. Y’know, since we won’t be seeing each other for a while,” he says
>You smile and nod, slipping out of the window
>The two of you sneak off to the lake; the moon is full tonight and hanging just above it
>The water reflecting the moonlight and the stars… it’s quite a beautiful sight
>The two of you grin at each other before taking off, the night air feeling good as the two of you soar through the air
>He seems so in control of his body…
>…What’re you talking about, Sonic Boom? You can’t be thinking about that kind of stuff, he’s a gryphon!
>Besides, you like Typhoon Wind…
>But… he glides through the air like it’s nothing…
>No! No no no, you can’t be thinking about that stuff! You’re too young, what would your Mom or Dad think?
>The two of you fly around for around thirty minutes, before the fatigue finally starts catching up to the both of you and you land on the edge of the lake, staring up at the sky and breathing softly
>”Hey… Sonic Boom…” he turns to look at you. “I’m glad I met ya here. You really showed me just how awesome pegasi can be,” he says, smiling
>You nod, holding up a hoof to him
“Bros?”
>He grins, bumping it with his talon
>”Bros for life.”
>You are Anon
>A month has passed, and you are at the train station waiting for Sonic Boom to arrive
>Rainbow, unfortunately, got called out with the weather team, so she was unable to make it to Sonic Boom’s homecoming from camp
>You hope she didn’t get too bored there
>”Dad! Dad, that was awesome!” she exclaims when she runs off the train and sees you, dragging her bag in her forehooves as she flies over
>She slams into you, knocking the wind out of you but holding tight as you fall backwards, laughing
“Well, glad to see you liked camp. You meet any good friends there? How was Mr. Strelnikov?”
>She grins up at you. “I’ll tell ya when we get home. Right now, I’m starving! Didja save some spaghetti for me?”
>You laugh and smile down at your daughter, ruffling her mane
“Don’t worry, Sonic Boom; there’ll be plenty of it to go around.”
>And with that, you and your daughter begin the walk through Ponyville to your home
>Today was a good day.