Gloriosa's Overgrowthby MaranChaptersForever Debt FreeLying Like a RugDroning OnRoot of the ProblemSuper EffectiveForever Debt FreeTimber Spruce set down his electrical conductivity tester on the supply cart and stared at the well that provided Camp Everfree's drinking water. Not for the first time, he wished he could live in the city where he wouldn't have to worry about constantly checking the water quality to make sure he could drink it without getting sick. Suddenly, a green light appeared and dispersed over the water before sinking below the surface. “What on earth is that?” he asked no one. But someone answered. “It's all right, Timber. I got this.” Timber turned and stared. “Gloriosa?” His sister glided through the opening in the tent that protected the well water from stray debris. He took a step back, his heart hammering in his chest. “How are you floating? You're not a flier!” Gloriosa spread out her hands in front of her, and her thickened, level-ended fingertips showed through the brown gloves she wore. “Nope. Still an earth aspect. Actually, I'm probably more of an earth person than anyone else on, well, Earth. It's just that I have so much magic that my bonds to the material world are a lot looser. Neat, huh?” She rose a meter higher over the concrete floor surrounding the well. “I think I just made all the contaminates settle to the bottom. The water at the top should be safe to drink, as long as I can stop stirring up the ground. I'm still trying to figure this new magic out.” Timber shook his head in disbelief. “You caused that earthquake? How? I still don't know much about magic myself, but I didn't think earth people could do all the things you just did. And what happened to your eyes and hair and skin?” “Oh, that? It's a side effect from gaining a new power. Magic seems to change hair the most, based on what I read on the internet. But to answer your first question, it all started last night. I thought that if we were going to lose our home, I might as well explore that old quarry while I still had a chance.” “You went to the quarry alone?” Timber's eyes widened. “GD, that's dangerous!” GD was Timber's nickname for his sister ever since he'd learned that her initials were an abbreviation for a profanity. At the moment he was using both meanings at the same time. “Mom and Dad told us not to go down there for a good reason,” he added. “Mom and Dad weren't alive when we got our super strength and all.” Her voice grew thick with emotion. “I'm sure if they were still here they'd be okay with it.” Timber looked away. “That's a good point. But you should've told me. We could've gone together.” “Honestly? I was upset at the time and I wanted to be alone. I found a cave at the bottom of the quarry – you can't see it from the top because the boulders are hiding it, but once I hiked to the bottom, the cave was in plain sight. There's this strange rock formation inside, almost like a petrified tree stump. The top had these different colored geodes embedded in it.” She held her hand under the bundle of crystals that hung around her neck. “As soon as I touched them, they just came loose. I was so surprised that I fell back, and then these vines came up out of the ground and caught me.” Gloriosa raised her other hand as if lifting an invisible orb, and her arm emitted a green glow. Thick vines slid through the tent flap. “It was sorta like that,” she continued. “So I grabbed all the geodes because really, why wouldn't I? They give me a special connection to plants that lets me control them. I seem to have control over soil and rock, too, but not as strong.” She touched the unusually deep purple quartz in the bundle at her neck. The vines loosened enough for her to pull it out, and she held it toward Timber. “You're the geology expert,” she said. “You might know more about these geodes than I do.” Timber reached out and took it from her. It vibrated gently and gave off a faint light. “It feels powerful.” He hesitated before adding, “It almost feels alive.” “I know right?” she said loudly. “It's like it wants someone to use its power.” She held out her hand and opened and closed her fingers. “Now give it back. You've had it long enough.” Timber moved his hands farther away from her. “Wow, are you going to start calling it your Precious?” Gloriosa's mouth fell open, and she flew half a meter backward. “Oh, crap, I did go a little Jewelry Master just there, didn't I?” “Yeah, you really did.” She sank to the ground and stood like an earth person, although her hair was still teal and the centers of her eyes still glowed. “I'm sorry, Timber. It's just that ever since we lost Mom and Dad, I've felt so powerless.” “Even after we got magic?” asked Timber. “That was great at first. At least it made maintenance easier and faster.” Timber nodded. “I can lift a whole cord of firewood over my head now if it's tied tightly enough. And you saw how fast I remodeled the tents.” “It's nice to have super strength, but it's not enough to pay off our debt.” “And these geodes are?” asked Timber, holding up the crystal. Gloriosa's hand shot forward and snatched it out of his grip. “I've been thinking about it for two hours straight, and I realized something.” She returned the gem to the cluster around her neck. “Since I'm no longer bound to the material world, I'm not bound by its rules.” Her hair blew in an intangible wind as she floated higher above the floor. “Why should I have to pay back Filthy Rich? Mom and Dad were the ones who borrowed a hundred large from him. It's not fair that we should have to pay it off. And Filthy Rich is such an uncaring jerk about it, coming here in person just because we stopped answering his calls!” “Wait, Gloriosa, I don't know if that's a sound line of reasoning.” “Oh, really? What's wrong with it?” Gloriosa crossed her arms. “What isn't wrong with it? To start with, just because Filthy Rich is a jerk doesn't mean he's wrong. He loaned that money expecting to get a return with interest.” Smiling and shaking her head, Gloriosa said, “I'm not saying he's wrong, per se. I just decided that his problem is not my problem.” “You . . .” Timber stopped and drew a deep, calming breath. “You can't decide to inherit our family's land and not the debt. That's not how it works.” His sister loomed over him, her green eyes shining like embers. “You don't get to tell me what I get to do, Timber! I've worked all my life to preserve our camp and keep it as nature intended, and I'm not going to stop now just because Filthy Rich won't give us more time to pay him back. In fact, I'd love for him to try to take possession of this land.” She held her arms high, and they crackled with emerald static. The vines grew denser and taller in response. “I'll be ready for him.” Author's Note Jewelry Master is the EG version of Lord of the Rings, in case the “Precious” line wasn't obvious enough. I'd like to give a shout-out to Malandy for helping with the title and summary. Update: This was tagged complete, but I changed it to incomplete after writing another chapter and a half on my laptop. Stay tuned. Lying Like a RugTimber Spruce made sure his tie was straight before walking into the Rich Corp. office building. It was essential that he put his best foot forward and make a positive impression. This was his last chance before the excrement hit the fan. He didn't really think Gloriosa would seriously injure Filthy Rich, but she'd become extremely unstable lately, so he wasn't quite sure what she was capable of doing if she snapped. It may have been a mistake to invite a few families to the camp that weekend, but they had been big contributors to the ComeFundThis page Timber had created, and they'd wanted to come show their support in person. He felt like he couldn't refuse them, especially since they had been friends with his parents. Fortunately, the families wanted to do their own thing and wouldn't require supervision, so Gloriosa and Timber would have minimal interaction with them – at least in theory. As a precaution, Timber had told the patrons that his sister was a rare “forest aspect,” hoping that would explain away any weirdness. Because they'd seen more extraordinary aspects like that Discord guy, no one questioned it too much. As for Gloriosa herself, she agreed to go along with the ruse for Timber's sake even though she didn't care much about hiding her new powers. She didn't seem to care how much money the ComeFundThis account earned, but she was glad to see that people still loved Camp Everfree. But Timber could worry about handling the campers later. At that moment, he had to try to deal with Filthy Rich. The door to the front lobby swung all the way open at Timber's slightest touch, as was typical after acquiring magic. It was a nice little perk, but it was just too bad that “opens the Hades out of doors” didn't sound especially impressive. He strode toward the receptionist's desk, read the name plate, and put on what he considered his most charming smile. “Hello, Copperworth, I'm Timber Spruce. It's a pleasure to finally meet you.” The young woman was caught off guard. She craned her neck over her computer monitor. “Oh, of course, Timber Spruce. I'll let Mr. Rich know you're here.” She pressed a button on the intercom. “Sir, Timber Spruce is here to see you.” “Oh, good,” Filthy Rich drawled through the speaker. “Send him on up.” “Okay.” Copperworth released the button and looked up at Timber. “You heard the man. Oh, and by the way, you just read my name plate, didn't you?” she added with a twinkle in her eyes. “Yeah. But it still really is nice to finally meet you, Copperworth,” he replied, his smile never leaving his face. In the back of his mind, he realized that he should save most of his smooth talk for Mr. Rich, but he couldn't help sliding into his default mode for meeting new people. “Likewise, Timber Spruce. Just take the elevator up to the fourth floor and look for the door with his name on it at the end of the hallway. You can't miss it.” Timber thanked her and followed her directions. The swift elevator ride made his stomach lurch. Elevators and escalators always made him nervous and queasy. He figured he would have to get used to it if he ever ended up moving to the city, though. When the elevator doors opened, Timber drew a fortifying breath and found the executive's office door. He raised his hand to knock, but before his hand touched the door, Mr. Rich called, “Come on in, Timber Spruce.” It was then that Timber noticed the security camera overhead. That made sense. Filthy Rich stood when Timber entered the office, and they politely shook hands. The businessman was well dressed in a dark blue blazer and slacks, as usual. “Almost didn't recognize you without your beanie,” said Mr. Rich as he sat down behind his polished, uncluttered desk. Timber laughed ingratiatingly. “Calm down, son, it's not that funny.” Timber stopped. “So, where's Gloriosa Daisy?” asked the older man. “She's not feeling well,” answered Timber as he sat in the chair in front of the desk. “I'm awful sorry to hear that.” Filthy Rich did seem concerned as his default smirk turned into a frown, but Timber wasn't buying it. “What's the matter?” “She collapsed yesterday. She's been working so hard and getting so little sleep that she drove herself to exhaustion.” Since Mr. Rich had already seen Gloriosa as after she became earth aspect, the “forest aspect” lie would have raised too many questions. More importantly, fatigue was a better excuse for her absence. The real explanation was that she didn't know Timber was meeting Filthy Rich. “Oh, shoot, that's too bad. How long do you expect it'll be till she's back on her feet again?” “The doctor said she needs rest and quiet for at least a week. That means no visitors. We do have some patrons coming to visit this weekend, but I've asked them to come to me if they need anything,” said Timber. “All right.” Mr. Rich narrowed his hard blue eyes. “It's surprisin' that an earth aspect woman in her prime would collapse from exhaustion, don't you think?” Timber spread his hands in a disarming gesture. “Hey, we may be magically enhanced, but we're still human. We still have limitations.” It was easier for Timber to lie when he wanted it to be the truth. And he wanted this lie to be true more than anything in the world, except to have the ability to go back in time and stop his parents from riding that four-wheeler that flipped over and crushed them. Filthy Rich didn't look convinced, but he didn't press Timber any further on the topic. “I suppose. Now, Timber Spruce, I have a feelin' you didn't come to my office just to talk about your sister's health. Let's talk business, shall we?” He leaned back and folded his hands. Timber nodded. “First of all, I want you to know that my sister and I are committed to paying off the debt we owe you.” He desperately wanted this to be real, too. “We started a ComeFundThis page to raise money.” Timber slid a printout across the desk toward the businessman. “I know it's not enough to get caught up on our payments, but we raised that much in just two days. There are a lot of people who care about Camp Everfree and want to keep the camp tradition. I'm sure we could raise enough money to get current in a day or two, and in a few weeks we could reach our goal of paying off the entire loan,” he finished with a winning smile. Filthy Rich studied the printout. “I appreciate that you're beggin' other folks for money to pay down your loan.” Timber fought back his annoyance, and he was pretty sure he didn't let it show. “I'll be frank with you, Timber Spruce,” Mr. Rich went on, “I have my heart set on buildin' my spa in that location. I'd rather have Camp Everfree than the money, and per our agreement, I own the land if you all fall more than six months behind on your payments, which you have.” Timber's gut twisted. Sure, he wouldn't mind leaving Camp Everfree, but he was worried about Gloriosa. She cared about the camp more than anything. And after their parents' deaths, Timber didn't think his sister could handle another loss in her fragile emotional state. “But,” said Filthy Rich, after a long pause, “if so many folks want to keep the camp the way it is, then maybe it doesn't make sense to build a spa there after all. I consider myself a fair-minded and practical man. So, I'll make you an offer. You said you think you can get enough money to pay off the entire amount in a few weeks? Then I'll hold you to that. I'll give you until the end of next month to pay off the whole loan. If you can do that, the land is yours again. If not, I'll take full possession of it and start buildin' my spa there. Do we have a deal?” “I can't ask for much better than that. You've got yourself a deal, Filthy Rich.” Timber reached forward and shook his hand with more enthusiasm than the first time. “But if you don't mind, I'd like more than just your word and a handshake.” The older man nodded. “Understood. I'll have the extra paperwork written up for you write away.” He pressed the button on his intercom. “Copperworth? Pull up the Everfree account and write an addendum.” Timber left the office building with an extra printout and a spring in his step. He felt good about being able to raise enough funds by the new deadline. And if the patrons enjoyed their stay at Camp Everfree, they'd tell their friends, and more people would come. All he had to do was ride out the weekend and hope Gloriosa didn't cause any trouble. He had this in the bag. Author's Note There should be about two more chapters after this. How do I keep letting side stories take over my writing? Droning OnFour families were registered to stay in a total of six tents for the weekend (two of the families needed more than one tent to sleep in). Timber and Gloriosa greeted each group as they drove up to the camp grounds on Friday afternoon. They recognized every face from past stays. “Welcome back, Mr. Gordon and Gabby!” Gloriosa waved at them, floating just a few centimeters above the grass. Gabby was a fourteen year-old girl with steel gray hair that was pulled back into a short ponytail, revealing her neck feathers. “Gloriosa? Wow, you look so different!” “Don't we all?” asked Timber with his trusty lopsided smile. “I mean, you two could've flown here.” “Yeah,” agreed Mr. Gordon, “but I needed a place to put all our stuff.” He jerked his thumb at his covered pickup truck. “Ah, good point. Wouldn't be much of a camping trip without camping gear.” Timber handed him a waxy piece of paper. “Here's your tag to park in front of Ruby Tent.” Gabby extended a cape of silvery light from her shoulders, flying up to Gloriosa's eye level. “So, what's it like to be forest aspect?” “It's totally rad!” said Gloriosa with a manic grin. “I may look like a freak, but I can control plants!” She raised both hands, and up sprang a fat, barrel-shaped cactus in the middle of common grounds. “I just made a cactus grow in a temperate rain forest for gods' sakes!” “That is so cool!” Mr. Gordon leaned toward Timber. “I'm gonna level with you,” he said in an undertone. “I don't even know if I'm alive right now. I may have died several months ago and this is the afterlife.” This gave Timber pause. “Interesting theory, but wouldn't Sunset Shimmer have told us if we were all dead?” “She made everyone believe magic was normal for a few months. I think she'd let us believe we were alive if she thought it gave us peace of mind.” Timber had forgotten how weird Mr. Gordon was – and that was saying something, coming from the brother of a half-crazed magic user who looked like a wannabe comic book villain. Before magic appeared, Timber had considered himself agnostic, for the most part. He had gone to the temple to receive his icon, but that was his only spiritual experience. But when a young woman introduced the world to magic – quite personally, in fact – many people believed she was divine. There were a few alternative theories about the Harmonious One, though, such as the theory that she was a member of an advanced alien civilization. It made about as much sense as anything else Timber had heard. It was also rumored that if someone said her name three times in a row, she would be summoned like a benevolent Bloody Merry. Timber told himself he didn't believe that, but he'd seen stranger things just in the last week, so he didn't want to chance invoking her name any more than necessary. If an actual deus ex machina swooped down and fixed his problems, he'd feel like he'd failed somehow. Still, he might have to resort to trying to get the religious figure's attention if Gloriosa ever snapped. “Timber? Are you okay?” Timber shook his head, realizing that he had zoned out for a moment. Gloriosa and Gabby had started carrying gear toward the Ruby Tent. By the look of it, Gloriosa was hauling most of the supplies in one trip. Putting on his customer service smile, Timber answered, “Of course. Don't I look okay?” “Look, that was just a bad joke. I wasn't thinking about what happened to your mom and dad when I said that.” “What?” Timber's smile fell only a little as he blinked at Mr. Gordon. The older man's light brown face was lined with concern. “It's fine, Mr. Gordon,” said Timber. “I know you didn't mean it that way. I was just worrying about my sister. I think she's using magic as a distraction from her grief and she hasn't processed it in a healthy way.” Timber and Mr. Gordon both gazed at Gloriosa chatting with Gabby. The younger girl said something, but Timber was too far away to hear her. He did, however, observe his sister jerk her hand toward her geode necklace. “Grief is a life-long journey, and everyone has to find their own path,” said Mr. Gordon. “Gloriosa will find hers eventually. Has she had any grief counseling, if you don't mind me asking?” Timber snorted softly. “I tried to talk her into going. Guess what she said.” “I've got this.” “I've got this,” echoed Timber. “You know, I wouldn't be surprised if those were my mom's last words.” His mind headed toward a dark place as his heart sank. Gloriosa was the only family he had left. If he couldn't help her . . . He couldn't finish that thought as he saw an SUV rolling along the road toward them. “It looks like the Tree family is here. I'd better go give them their tag.” Once all the families had halfway settled into their tents and dusk had fallen, Timber built a fire in the main fire pit. He earned laughs from the five kids with his “fire good” caveman impression. Gloriosa formed wicker-like chairs out of living vines. Her control had improved a great deal in the last few days. Since these were experienced campers, they went beyond the typical s'mores and wienie roasts and heated up stuffed pitas and apples by wrapping them in foil and resting them on top of the hot embers. While they cooked and ate, they told stories and sang songs. Gabby managed to get everyone to sing the “Campfire Song Song” four times before they got tired of it. Then Gloriosa rose, glowing toxic green as she hovered over the grass. “Thank you, Gabster, that was awesome! Now I have a camp song I'd like to sing.” She took a deep breath and sang, “I have waited for the day to send this greedy wolf away . . .” “Um, is anyone else getting a Whinny villain vibe?” asked Mr. Gordon out of the side of his mouth. Gloriosa felt like her song went over well, even though no one picked up on the melody or lyrics. And to think Timber had suggested that she stay in the main lodge. Nonsense. She was in her element. Besides, what was the point of running the camp if she couldn't run the camp? The next morning, the fliers stretched their light-bows and light-capes, while those incapable of flight fished, hiked, or simply sat around the fire drinking coffee. At the moment, two earth kids, a brother and sister, were fishing from the dilapidated dock. Gloriosa and Timber had been meaning to renovate it, but the tents took priority, and it hadn't deteriorated any worse since the emergence of magic, so they kept putting it off. Gloriosa floated toward them. “Hey campers, how's it hanging?” The siblings shared a look, and then the brother answered, “We haven't caught anything, but it's only been twenty minutes.” “I'm already getting bored, though,” said the sister. “Gloriosa, do you have a disc golf course?” “No but that's a super idea!” replied Gloriosa. “Hey, look what I caught!” That voice came not from the two earth children, but from Gabby flying overhead. “It's a drone!” “Cool!” The earth girl beamed up at her. “Sometimes I wish I was a griffon aspect.” “It's great, but it has its downsides too. Do you know how many T-shirts and sweaters I've accidentally torn with these?” Gabby held out her hand and extended small, sharp claws that shone the same silver as her energy cape. “I do love my sweaters.” Gloriosa peered up at the unmanned quadcopter in Gabby's clutches. The front bore the words “Rich Corp.” A red haze filled Gloriosa's vision. “Gabby, sweetie, can I have the drone for a minute?” Gabby glanced at the rotor blades that were vainly spinning; then she stared at Gloriosa. “Okay. Um, just don't tell my dad. He doesn't like it when I catch drones.” “Of course Gabster!” She levitated higher so she could pat the teen's head. Then she accepted the quadcopter from Gabby, lifted it in both hands, and flung it to the ground as hard as she could. The kids gasped, Gabby loudest of all. But there was not a scratch or crack in the drone's surface, and two seconds later it lifted off again. “Oh no you don't!” Gloriosa pulled energy from the geodes and pushed them through her arms and into the runner roots on the ground. The roots responded, shooting up tendrils that grabbed the drone in midair. “What are you doing?” asked the boy, gazing at her with wide eyes. Gloriosa turned her head and grinned at him, which for some reason made him and his sister step back. “You see, Filthy Rich thinks he owns Camp Everfree just because he has some pieces of paper. But I am Camp Everfree's true master.” She sent a bit more magic into the tendrils, and they forced the drone toward the ground and secured it there. “But that drone's not yours!” said Gabby, putting her hands over her cheeks. “It's in my space, I own it.” Then, in a softer tone, she added, “But thank you for getting it for me, Gabby.” Then she raised her foot and stomped on it. The blades spun defiantly. “Curse you earth aspect technology!” She kicked it. “Gloriosa!” yelled Timber. “What?” Gloriosa clenched her fists, not glancing up from the drone. Her brother ran toward her. “What's going on? I heard you yell 'curse you' and I thought that was a bad sign.” “Look at that!” Gloriosa pointed to the tied-down quadcopter. “Filthy Rich has been spying on us!” Timber's pupils shrank. “I was right, that's bad.” “I'm gonna march down to his office and teach him a lesson!” Gloriosa slammed her fist into her open palm. Timber held up his fingers. “Two things: it's hard to march when you're levitating, and it's two hours just to drive there one way. And you can't levitate as fast as the truck.” “Oh, yeah? We'll just see about that!” She leaned forward and floated at a relatively high speed, but was still only as fast as earth aspect woman can sprint. Fast, but slower than a car or truck. Gabby zipped ahead of her in the air. “Gloriosa, you know, maybe Filthy Rich wasn't spying on you. Maybe his drone was just passing through on the way to someplace else.” She tapped her fingers together. “It's good of you to give him the benefit of the doubt, but I know how he is. He's been invested in this land for a long time. He was probably trying to see how many guests were here and get an estimate of how much money we brought in. And I'm gonna have to take the truck because you're literally flying circles around me,” finished Gloriosa. “Or,” said Timber, who had stayed a few paces behind her, “I could call Filthy Rich and ask him not to fly his drone over us again.” “Call all you want.” Gloriosa put her hands on her hips. “I'm still going to show him once and for all who really owns Camp Everfree.” “You have nothing to gain from that!” “I'll gain the satisfaction of wiping that smug look off his face!” She spun around and swept toward their parked truck. Timber darted in front of her and spread his arms. “Wait! I know you think you're above the law, but you're not! Just like you have to obey at least some of the laws of physics, apparently.” “Stop telling me what to do, little brother.” “I'm just trying to look out for you, and this camp!” “By standing in my way?” She swooped over his head and placed her hand on the truck door. “By keeping you from doing something you'll regret. Look, GD, before you confront Filthy Rich, there's something you need to know. Two days ago, when I went to the hardware store in the city and told you I got stuck in traffic because someone else had an accident . . . Well, that part wasn't true. The reason it took so long was that I visited Rich Corp.” Gloriosa slowly swiveled her head to face him. “What?” she asked through clenched teeth. “I showed him our ComeFundThis page and how many people love Camp Everfree, and he agreed to give us another month to pay off the entire loan! And I really think we can do it with the community's support. Then we'll own the land again, fair and square. But if you go to him now, like this, it could ruin all that.” “You lied to me? No,” she corrected herself, realizing she'd emphasized the wrong word. “You lied to me? I trusted you Timber. I thought we were a team!” “Seriously?” Timber threw his hands in the air. “Do you even listen to yourself? You never let anyone help you, not even me! It was like pulling teeth just to get you to tolerate the ComeFundThis account! I didn't tell you because you would've told me not to do it! You would've just said that you've got this! Well you don't got this, and I'm eighteen now and I can do whatever I want!” “By going behind my back?” “Yes! I'm sorry I lied to you, but I was just trying to do what I thought was best for you.” “Well, you don't know what's best for me. I can handle this my way, by myself.” Gloriosa opened the driver door. “Yeah, just you and your Precious.” “That's right! I don't need you!” She inserted her key into the ignition and headed along the driveway. When she was about half a kilometer from the main camping area, she decelerated so she could concentrate on her magic. She took one hand off the steering wheel and drew on the geode's power. Verdant sparks danced along her arm, and the earth responded with tremendous enthusiasm. A wall of woody vines sprang into each other and rose as high as the main lodge. The vegetation extended into the woods on either side of the road. It wouldn't trap anyone, but since it blocked the only way to the highway, it would impede Timber long enough to keep him from interfering. Then she floored it, heading for the freeway toward Canterlot. Root of the ProblemIt was a long drive to Canterlot. Gloriosa guessed that Filthy Rich wouldn't be at his office on a Saturday morning, so her best bet was to try his house. Since she had visited it once before with her parents, she knew the way there. She parked the truck when she was about a kilometer away from Rich Mansion, to make a dramatic entrance. After levitating out of the cab, she stretched her muscles. She glided up the street and looked around at the grand mansions with their pristine lawns and arborvitaes pruned into hideous shapes. Rock walls and wrought iron gates enclosed the yards, seemingly for the purpose of keeping out the riffraff. Every home had a garage that could hold at least three cars. The lavish excess bothered Gloriosa. But she was beyond such things as money and material possessions, so why should she care what these people did with theirs? Still, if Filthy Rich thought that the affluent would want to retreat to the woodlands to relax in a luxury spa, maybe she would simply bring the forest to them and save them all some time. She grinned at her spur-of-the-moment decision. Yes, that was exactly what she would do. She waited until she was just outside Rich's holly hedge before drawing energy from the geodes. Lime-colored static crackled out of the crystals and sparked over her arms and legs. Thick brown and green vines rose up out of Rich's yard and encased her lower body up to her waist. She spread her palms, and the small landscaping trees reacted. Spruces, maples, hollies, poplars, oaks, elms, beeches, and Neightalian cypresses all reached their tallest natural height, the larger species towering over the mansions. And of course, the arborvitaes grew wild spindly branches out of their geometric and animal forms, like strands of hair sticking out of a bun, before finally filling out into rounded cones. The ground shuddered as the all the tree and shrub roots within a 400 meter radius quickly displaced soil and rock. At this point, people started coming out of their residences, staring at their enlarged trees and at Gloriosa. Some of them clutched each other, but others held up their phones, either to make calls or catch Gloriosa on video. She just laughed and waved her arms in a wide circle. The trees and shrubs shook their branches, spreading their seeds in their various forms and methods. Maple helicopter seeds flew far and wide, while berries, nuts, and pine cones rolled away. Gloriosa sent a pulse of energy into the seeds, and they sprouted tap roots into the dirt and even forced their way into rock, concrete, and asphalt. Trunks expanded upward and divided into branches full of vibrant leaves or needles. They shoved aside cars and even cracked walls as they grew up against these obstacles. Before long, the mansions were mostly hidden inside a forest of beautiful trees and shrubs that their owners had carefully chosen – or in some cases, let their landscaper choose. The people simply stood as if they too were rooted to the ground, gaping up at her. Gloriosa beamed at them. “Don't be afraid. Nature is our friend!” “Stop!” She rotated in place toward the sound. The vegetation hid the speaker, but she knew who he was. “I don't know who you think you are, but you can't just come here and vandalize our property with your magic!” Filthy Rich stepped out from behind a spruce and marched toward her. “You call this vandalizing? I'm providing a free landscaping service and gorgeous trees that would cost thousands of dollars! Not that I care about money anymore. Besides, I thought you just loved the woods!” She rose higher and loomed over him, the vines still stretching from her waist to the ground. “That's why you wanted my land so much.” She flicked one finger and, with slyness that surprised even her, made tree roots grow up and wrap around Filthy Rich's leather shoes. The business owner didn't seem to notice. “Your land?” he repeated, blinking up at her. “Gloriosa Daisy?” “Come now, Filthy. I know my chromelanin changed but you should've recognized my voice by now.” “I thought you sounded familiar, but I wasn't sure.” He tried to take a step, but the roots had ensnared his ankles by that point, and his feet stuck fast. “Hey, let me go! Why are you doin' this?” “I'm doing this to show you that I don't owe you anything. I have all the power over the land that has been in my family for generations, and I don't need any pieces of paper to tell me that.” “So you didn't collapse from exhaustion then?” Filthy asked faintly. “What? Where did you get an idea like that?” Gloriosa tilted her head. “That's what your brother told me. I had my doubts about whether he was tellin' the truth, but I never imagined anything like this!” “Oh, so he lied to you too. Is that why you sent your drone to spy on us, so you could find out if he was lying? One of my campers brought the drone to me. I'll be hanging onto that. Any ball that ends up in my yard is mine. And if you or your little drones ever go near Camp Everfree again, there will be consequences!” she finished, making a fist. “Look, Gloriosa Daisy, don't you think you're takin' this a little too far? Maybe sendin' my drone over Camp Everfree was over the line, even though I'd like to point out that there's no law against it, but I just wanted to find out how your brother could manage the entire camp by himself. Besides, what you're doin' is a lot worse! Comin' into my neighborhood, damagin' property, and holdin' me against my will? That's just not right!” “Stop telling me what to do!” roared Gloriosa. “Hold it right there!” yelled another voice. It carried the air of a woman who was used to being obeyed. “I've got a drone armed with a modified pistol aimed at your center mass. Let my husband go and stand down, or I'll shoot.” Gloriosa's eyes widened as she looked up, and indeed, hovering ten meters above her was a quadcopter with a barrel fixed to the underside. “You're bluffing.” She whipped her head around wildly, and saw several random rich people, but she failed to spot Mrs. Rich. “Show yourself, you coward!” “I'm not a coward, you brute! I'm just smart, and I'm not bluffing.” “She's really not,” added Filthy Rich. Gloriosa gazed at the drone, her sense of self-preservation beginning to override her anger. What if the gold-digger wasn't bluffing? “Okay. I'm releasing him.” She held her hands in the direction of the roots holding Filthy's ankles. Then she drained the energy out of them, returning that power to the geodes, and the roots crumbled into compost. The businessman lifted his feet and sighed with relief. “Good,” said Spoiled Rich. “Now put your hands on your head and stay put until the police arrive.” As long as the uppity woman kept talking, Gloriosa had a better chance of pinpointing her location. “All right,” she said, raising her hands at a snail's pace. Then her arms quickly spread apart, making the trees in her line of sight topple over. And there stood the pink skinned earth aspect woman. Gloriosa channeled her magic into the tree roots behind Mrs. Rich. They sprang up at an angle and shoved the rich woman to the ground, and they pinned her there, winding around her arms especially. “You thought you could get the best of me? I still have a few surprises,” said Gloriosa, directing the geodes' energy into the tree roots near the residences. They broke into the mansions' foundations, cracking them into unstable fractions. The homes were shaken to their cores: still technically standing, but unfit to live in. The stones and wood groaned as they resettled. Filthy Rich ran toward his wife, but Gloriosa sent up a root to trip him. Then an orange glow lit the new forest. Gloriosa wondered if it could possibly be a fire before she stared up in front of her and saw a young woman – hardly more than a girl, really – floating gently down on flaming wings. “We need to talk,” the woman said plainly. Gloriosa tensed. “What are you doing here?” “I could ask you the same question. I heard a dozen people whisper my name in this area in the last few minutes, and I thought I'd better check it out. Those crystals.” The Lady of Harmony pointed, and Gloriosa put both hands over them. “Where did you get them?” “I found them on my family's land. They're mine! I was meant to have them.” “They're not of this world. They're Equestrian. I can feel it.” Sunset Shimmer shook her head. “I wonder how I didn't feel it earlier, but I'm not really omniscient even though most people think I am.” Gloriosa positioned her body sideways from Sunset, ready to defend herself. “Well, if they're from that horse world, how did they end up in a cave in the bottom of my quarry?” “I have no idea. But I want to find out. Let me help you.” “Help me with what? I don't need any help. I got this!” “Any time someone has that much magic, they need someone else to keep them in check. Trust me, I know this from personal experience. Come with me.” The divine woman reached her hand toward Gloriosa. “No! You just want to take my geodes!” Gloriosa threw up her hands and literally lashed out at Sunset, sending vines toward her. At the same time, she weaved away from her through the trees. Sunset, however, merely teleported away from the vines and reappeared in front of Gloriosa, blocking her path. “I don't want to take them, but I have to if you can't use them responsibly.” Sunset's hands glowed crimson as they stretched toward the geodes. Other than that, nothing happened. The supreme being frowned and glanced from her hands to the crystals. “Huh.” Gloriosa smirked. “What was that supposed to do?” Quicker than ever, she made vines shoot up in a dome to enclose Sunset, but the Magic Bringer merely teleported out of them. “It seems we're at an impasse. Good thing I have backup,” said Sunset. She closed her eyes, and her lips began to move silently. Gloriosa seized this opportunity to glide toward her truck. Maybe, just maybe she could make a clean getaway. Just as she saw the truck through the trees, Sunset reappeared in front of her, along with six other girls. Even though not all of them had light wings, they were all floating like Gloriosa. Sunset held her arms toward the geodes once more, and this time they loosened from the vine tying them together. “No! Stop!” Gloriosa gasped. But there was no stopping it. The geodes separated and flew toward each of the girls. Gloriosa didn't see what happened next. She blacked out. Author's Note Sunset's magic is red here because she's using her harmony magic as opposed to her unicorn-aspect magic. Super Effective“Gloriosa!” Gloriosa's sense of hearing returned first. She risked opening her eyes and saw her brother leaning over her. “Timber? How did you get here so fast?” Her brother breathed a sigh of relief. “Good to see you're back to your old self!” He helped her sit and hugged her. “As for how I got here, I used the chainsaw to cut a hole big enough to drive the Jeep through. Didn't take more than fifteen minutes.” “Oh.” Gloriosa felt completely tapped out. She glanced down at her arms and legs, which had returned to the pale rose hue they'd been since birth. And instead of the green dress and thigh-high stockings, she was wearing shorts, her favorite yellow shirt, and tan wedge shoes. Bewildered, she took in her surroundings. Leaf-colored sparks drifted down toward her like fading fireworks. Some of them landed on her, feeling soothing on her skin. Gloriosa remembered sprouting the thick, tall trees to fill the well-to-do neighborhood. Now most of the trees and shrubs were gone. In fact, Gloriosa was fairly certain that only the original trees remained, although they were still much larger than they'd been before she used her magic on them. All of the mansions appeared sound and undisturbed, and the wrought iron fences were straight and orderly. The rich denizens stood in a loose group, watching her. The seven girls were still present, but their outfits had changed from regular teen clothes to some sort of military glam motif. Each wore a necklace the same color as one of the geodes. A pang of loss and longing struck Gloriosa. Those were her geodes that she'd discovered and learned how to use on her own. And yet it was clear that they weren't hers anymore. They had changed to a disc shape with each girl's icon on them. They'd chosen new bearers. Ones they found more worthy, perhaps. Ones who didn't react with thoughtless violence. Gloriosa looked into Sunset's eyes before dropping her gaze to the grass. “I'm truly sorry I tried to fight you, and I'm sorry for causing all this trouble. I let the power get to my head and I lashed out in anger. It was wrong.” Sunset took Gloriosa's hands and lifted her to her feet. “Hey, I've been where you are. I think the geodes you found came from the Tree of Harmony in Equestria. They seem to have an affinity for the Elements of Harmony here.” She touched the scarlet pendant at her throat. “It seems like whenever someone uses an Element when they're not aligned to it, it corrupts their mind. It amplifies their desires and suppresses their awareness of the consequences of their actions. I can only base this on my personal experience and what I saw in you, but it would make sense.” The Hallowed One glanced over her shoulder at the purple girl, who nodded. “You're right. That's how I felt when I was wearing them. I had more power than I could have ever hoped for and I abused it. Now I wish I'd never found them.” Tears pricked Gloriosa's eyes. “Maybe I deserve to lose Camp Everfree.” She gazed around and found Filthy Rich and his wife standing at a distance. “I'm so sorry for what I did to your home, Mr. Rich.” Spoiled Rich moved in front of her husband. “Don't forget how you wrapped us up in your vines. Are you sorry for that too?” “I am. I'm sorry for all of it. You're right, Filthy Rich: what I did to you was worse than what you did to me.” A tear slipped down her cheek. “You can build your s-spa there.” Filthy stepped around Spoiled, moving closer to Gloriosa. “Well now, Sunset Shimmer and her associates seem to have put everything back in order, more or less,” he said, eyeing a towering beech tree. “We'll still have to examine our home to see if there's any damage, but as long as there's no harm done, I'll honor the deal I made with Timber Spruce.” Gloriosa brushed the tears from her eyes. “Really?” “That's if you can earn the money,” said Spoiled Rich, folding her arms. “Not many will want to do business with a freak who terrorized innocent people and almost destroyed their houses.” “Hey, that's not fair,” said the girl with sky-blue skin and rainbow hair. “Sunset turned everyone at our school into mind-controlled zombies and tried to take over another world, and now she's treated like a goddess! If she deserves a second chance, so does Gloriosa.” “Rainbow's right, Gloriosa,” said the yellow-skinned girl. “As long as they know you're sorry, they'll forgive you.” “Absolutely. And you needn't worry about raising money for Camp Everfree,” said the pale girl with deep violet hair. “I'm sure we can help with that.” “Yeah!” said Rainbow with a grin. “How about we travel around giving concerts to raise money like in that old movie, Soul Siblings?” Timber rubbed the back of his head. “I appreciate the offer, really, but we already have a ComeFundThis account for Camp Everfree that's doing pretty well. If you could just tell your friends about it, that would be great.” “Oh, well, that works too.” At that moment, a man who looked to be in his seventies walked up to Mr. and Mrs. Rich. “Sir, madam, the house appears to be in order. The floors are all perfectly level and not one glass is cracked.” “Thank you Randolph.” Rich peered at his mansion before nodding. “Very efficient as always. That's why I hired you.” “Very good sir.” “Hmph. I'd rather have a professional home appraiser look at it for my own peace of mind,” said Spoiled. Filthy put his hand on her arm. “We will, honey. I'm sure everything will be fine.” “Well,” said Timber, “we should probably head back to camp now. I kind of left our guests to fend for themselves. Most of them are adults, so I'm sure they're okay. It's just that it's bad practice not to have staff there.” “Timber, I owe you an apology,” said Gloriosa, placing her hand on her brother's shoulder. “You had a good plan to save the camp and I wouldn't listen. I thought I was above the material world even though I was still so attached to the land, so I thought I could do anything I felt like without any regard for what you wanted.” “Hearing you admit that you were wrong and I was right is all the apology I need,” said Timber with a playful grin. “And I know it won't happen again because your Precious is with people who can handle them better.” “What are we s'posed to do with these anyhow?” asked the peach-skinned girl, holding up her citrine pendant in her thumb and pointer finger. “Sorta feels like we were handed somethin' we didn't earn.” “Come on, Applejack,” said Rainbow. “We already saved the day a few times. Maybe this is like a late reward.” “I do think we're supposed to have them, if these are pieces of the Elements of Harmony. As for what we should do with them, it's hard to say.” Sunset knitted her brow. “Princess Twilight is still learning about what the Elements can do in Equestria, so there's no telling what they can do here. I certainly wouldn't have guessed that they would enhance a specialized form of earth magic.” “I think it would help if we went to the source, where Gloriosa found the geodes,” the lavender-skinned girl spoke up. “Great idea Twilight. What do you say Gloriosa?” asked Sunset. Gloriosa nodded. “If you have time tomorrow afternoon, you can come after the campers leave.” “I'll clear a spot in my schedule. This is important,” said Sunset, turning to her friends. “Can you girls be there tomorrow?” “Shoot, I've been wantin' to visit the camp this year anyway. And if y'all are understaffed, we could help out with whatever work ya need done while we're there,” added Applejack, smiling at Gloriosa and Timber. “I like how you just volunteered us all to work there,” said Rainbow, rolling her eyes. “Me too!” said the pink girl with poofy curls. There wasn't a trace of irony in her tone. “Maybe we could learn more about these Elements and work at the camp at the same time! Need any baking done, Gloriosa? That's kinda my thang.” Gloriosa gave her a hesitant smile. “Thank you, but-” “Don't say it!” said Timber. She frowned at her brother. “I was going to say that we don't need help with baking, but if they'd like to volunteer at Camp Everfree, the kitchen is due for a thorough cleaning, and the dock needs some repairs if we have enough building materials.” “Oh. That's good.” Timber shifted his weight. “Sorry I jumped on you.” “That's okay. We really should get going now. I'm sure Gabby and the others are wondering what we're doing and when we're coming back.” “Are you okay to drive?” Timber creased his brow in concern. “I think I'm more okay now than I was on the way here. Oh, and Filthy Rich?” she turned toward the business owner. “You can just call me Rich.” “All right, Rich, I'll make sure you get your drone back.” Rich nodded. “I'll hold you to that.” Gloriosa's gaze traveled to Sunset and her companions. “By the way, I didn't catch all of your names.” The palest girl waved her hand dismissively. “We can worry about introductions tomorrow. Why don't you go home and, um, get some rest.” Around 3:30 that afternoon, Gloriosa and Timber arrived at the camp grounds. Gloriosa parked the truck just outside the vine wall and peered up at it, hating the sight. There was a gaping, jagged hole that Timber had sawed to drive through. She got out of her vehicle and stood facing the mass of woody stems. Timber stopped his Jeep and jogged over to her. “You okay?” Gloriosa sighed heavily. “Stop worrying about me, Timber.” “I can't help it, after everything you've been through, and, well, done lately.” “Look, I just want to see if I still have any control over plants.” She stretched out her arms toward the barrier and pulled at the energy stored within, intending to whither the vines. They resisted her, but the grass and flowers in front of them drooped, and their colors faded. Gloriosa felt a small amount of energy enter her body, as if she had just eaten a handful of trail mix after a long hike. And she sensed the vines holding out on her, so she took that as a good sign that her special connection to them was still there even though her command over them was nowhere near what it was when she'd had the geodes. Perhaps with time and effort she could regain some of what she'd lost. Just then, Gabby flew through the opening in the wall. “Gloriosa? What happened to you?” She circled Gloriosa to view her from all sides. Gloriosa smiled ruefully. “I lost my forest aspect magic. Or most of it, anyway.” “Wait, are you sure that's what happened?” asked Mr. Gordon, flapping over to join his daughter. “I don't pretend to understand how magic works, but I didn't think you could just lose your aspect magic like a middle-aged man loses his hair.” “You're right, Mr. Gordon. That's not exactly what happened.” Timber peered at Gloriosa, who nodded her silent permission to tell the truth. “You see, my sister and I haven't been completely honest with you.” Timber searched Mr. Gordon's sharp blue eyes and saw his mind putting the pieces together. “So you're not really a forest aspect, Gloriosa?” She hung her head. “No. It's kind of a long story.” “Well, maybe you can tell me about it after we get back to the campsite. You guys locked the kitchen and some of us would really like to get some ice.” “Oh, uh, sorry about that,” said Timber, fidgeting with his keys. “We're working on getting people to volunteer to help look after all the buildings and stuff. In fact, we have some people coming to visit tomorrow who are interested in helping us.” “That's great!” said Gabby. “I hope you didn't lie to them about being forest aspect,” said Mr. Gordon, landing on the ground next to Gloriosa. “No, they know everything,” said Gloriosa, shaking her head. “You two can ride in my truck to the kitchen and I'll tell you the whole story.” Author's Note Since the Harmony Seven already have magical abilities, not all of their superpowers from Legend of Everfree would make sense for them in the Oversaturated world. Pinkie Pie's ability to touch objects and make them explode is different enough from her natural “only when it's funny” powers that I think they could be held over for this continuity. Rainbow Dash's super speed would also carry over since she can “only” fly in this fic-verse. With Sunset Shimmer, it's harder to determine what powers she already has. I don't think she can read people's memories per se, but she definitely has some form of ESP that is attuned to issues in the world (or multiverse) that need to be resolved in order to preserve harmony. Memory-vision would be underwhelming compared to the powers she already has – but so would just about any ability I could think of for her. Sunset would probably be better suited in a Princess Celestia role where she delegates tasks and missions to the other six. Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, and Twilight are all given powers in Legend of Everfree that are the same as their magic in the Oversaturated world. It's possible that Rarity can't generate magic constructs in Oversaturated, but we know for sure that SciTwi can, and I want Rarity to have her own unique power. So here's what I envision for each of them: Fluttershy could turn into any animal, limited to chordates (so no insects). Applejack could create localized earthquakes. Rarity could make her skin as hard as diamond while staying flexible. SciTwi could open portals to anywhere in the world (but not other worlds).
Forever Debt FreeTimber Spruce set down his electrical conductivity tester on the supply cart and stared at the well that provided Camp Everfree's drinking water. Not for the first time, he wished he could live in the city where he wouldn't have to worry about constantly checking the water quality to make sure he could drink it without getting sick. Suddenly, a green light appeared and dispersed over the water before sinking below the surface. “What on earth is that?” he asked no one. But someone answered. “It's all right, Timber. I got this.” Timber turned and stared. “Gloriosa?” His sister glided through the opening in the tent that protected the well water from stray debris. He took a step back, his heart hammering in his chest. “How are you floating? You're not a flier!” Gloriosa spread out her hands in front of her, and her thickened, level-ended fingertips showed through the brown gloves she wore. “Nope. Still an earth aspect. Actually, I'm probably more of an earth person than anyone else on, well, Earth. It's just that I have so much magic that my bonds to the material world are a lot looser. Neat, huh?” She rose a meter higher over the concrete floor surrounding the well. “I think I just made all the contaminates settle to the bottom. The water at the top should be safe to drink, as long as I can stop stirring up the ground. I'm still trying to figure this new magic out.” Timber shook his head in disbelief. “You caused that earthquake? How? I still don't know much about magic myself, but I didn't think earth people could do all the things you just did. And what happened to your eyes and hair and skin?” “Oh, that? It's a side effect from gaining a new power. Magic seems to change hair the most, based on what I read on the internet. But to answer your first question, it all started last night. I thought that if we were going to lose our home, I might as well explore that old quarry while I still had a chance.” “You went to the quarry alone?” Timber's eyes widened. “GD, that's dangerous!” GD was Timber's nickname for his sister ever since he'd learned that her initials were an abbreviation for a profanity. At the moment he was using both meanings at the same time. “Mom and Dad told us not to go down there for a good reason,” he added. “Mom and Dad weren't alive when we got our super strength and all.” Her voice grew thick with emotion. “I'm sure if they were still here they'd be okay with it.” Timber looked away. “That's a good point. But you should've told me. We could've gone together.” “Honestly? I was upset at the time and I wanted to be alone. I found a cave at the bottom of the quarry – you can't see it from the top because the boulders are hiding it, but once I hiked to the bottom, the cave was in plain sight. There's this strange rock formation inside, almost like a petrified tree stump. The top had these different colored geodes embedded in it.” She held her hand under the bundle of crystals that hung around her neck. “As soon as I touched them, they just came loose. I was so surprised that I fell back, and then these vines came up out of the ground and caught me.” Gloriosa raised her other hand as if lifting an invisible orb, and her arm emitted a green glow. Thick vines slid through the tent flap. “It was sorta like that,” she continued. “So I grabbed all the geodes because really, why wouldn't I? They give me a special connection to plants that lets me control them. I seem to have control over soil and rock, too, but not as strong.” She touched the unusually deep purple quartz in the bundle at her neck. The vines loosened enough for her to pull it out, and she held it toward Timber. “You're the geology expert,” she said. “You might know more about these geodes than I do.” Timber reached out and took it from her. It vibrated gently and gave off a faint light. “It feels powerful.” He hesitated before adding, “It almost feels alive.” “I know right?” she said loudly. “It's like it wants someone to use its power.” She held out her hand and opened and closed her fingers. “Now give it back. You've had it long enough.” Timber moved his hands farther away from her. “Wow, are you going to start calling it your Precious?” Gloriosa's mouth fell open, and she flew half a meter backward. “Oh, crap, I did go a little Jewelry Master just there, didn't I?” “Yeah, you really did.” She sank to the ground and stood like an earth person, although her hair was still teal and the centers of her eyes still glowed. “I'm sorry, Timber. It's just that ever since we lost Mom and Dad, I've felt so powerless.” “Even after we got magic?” asked Timber. “That was great at first. At least it made maintenance easier and faster.” Timber nodded. “I can lift a whole cord of firewood over my head now if it's tied tightly enough. And you saw how fast I remodeled the tents.” “It's nice to have super strength, but it's not enough to pay off our debt.” “And these geodes are?” asked Timber, holding up the crystal. Gloriosa's hand shot forward and snatched it out of his grip. “I've been thinking about it for two hours straight, and I realized something.” She returned the gem to the cluster around her neck. “Since I'm no longer bound to the material world, I'm not bound by its rules.” Her hair blew in an intangible wind as she floated higher above the floor. “Why should I have to pay back Filthy Rich? Mom and Dad were the ones who borrowed a hundred large from him. It's not fair that we should have to pay it off. And Filthy Rich is such an uncaring jerk about it, coming here in person just because we stopped answering his calls!” “Wait, Gloriosa, I don't know if that's a sound line of reasoning.” “Oh, really? What's wrong with it?” Gloriosa crossed her arms. “What isn't wrong with it? To start with, just because Filthy Rich is a jerk doesn't mean he's wrong. He loaned that money expecting to get a return with interest.” Smiling and shaking her head, Gloriosa said, “I'm not saying he's wrong, per se. I just decided that his problem is not my problem.” “You . . .” Timber stopped and drew a deep, calming breath. “You can't decide to inherit our family's land and not the debt. That's not how it works.” His sister loomed over him, her green eyes shining like embers. “You don't get to tell me what I get to do, Timber! I've worked all my life to preserve our camp and keep it as nature intended, and I'm not going to stop now just because Filthy Rich won't give us more time to pay him back. In fact, I'd love for him to try to take possession of this land.” She held her arms high, and they crackled with emerald static. The vines grew denser and taller in response. “I'll be ready for him.” Author's Note Jewelry Master is the EG version of Lord of the Rings, in case the “Precious” line wasn't obvious enough. I'd like to give a shout-out to Malandy for helping with the title and summary. Update: This was tagged complete, but I changed it to incomplete after writing another chapter and a half on my laptop. Stay tuned.
Lying Like a RugTimber Spruce made sure his tie was straight before walking into the Rich Corp. office building. It was essential that he put his best foot forward and make a positive impression. This was his last chance before the excrement hit the fan. He didn't really think Gloriosa would seriously injure Filthy Rich, but she'd become extremely unstable lately, so he wasn't quite sure what she was capable of doing if she snapped. It may have been a mistake to invite a few families to the camp that weekend, but they had been big contributors to the ComeFundThis page Timber had created, and they'd wanted to come show their support in person. He felt like he couldn't refuse them, especially since they had been friends with his parents. Fortunately, the families wanted to do their own thing and wouldn't require supervision, so Gloriosa and Timber would have minimal interaction with them – at least in theory. As a precaution, Timber had told the patrons that his sister was a rare “forest aspect,” hoping that would explain away any weirdness. Because they'd seen more extraordinary aspects like that Discord guy, no one questioned it too much. As for Gloriosa herself, she agreed to go along with the ruse for Timber's sake even though she didn't care much about hiding her new powers. She didn't seem to care how much money the ComeFundThis account earned, but she was glad to see that people still loved Camp Everfree. But Timber could worry about handling the campers later. At that moment, he had to try to deal with Filthy Rich. The door to the front lobby swung all the way open at Timber's slightest touch, as was typical after acquiring magic. It was a nice little perk, but it was just too bad that “opens the Hades out of doors” didn't sound especially impressive. He strode toward the receptionist's desk, read the name plate, and put on what he considered his most charming smile. “Hello, Copperworth, I'm Timber Spruce. It's a pleasure to finally meet you.” The young woman was caught off guard. She craned her neck over her computer monitor. “Oh, of course, Timber Spruce. I'll let Mr. Rich know you're here.” She pressed a button on the intercom. “Sir, Timber Spruce is here to see you.” “Oh, good,” Filthy Rich drawled through the speaker. “Send him on up.” “Okay.” Copperworth released the button and looked up at Timber. “You heard the man. Oh, and by the way, you just read my name plate, didn't you?” she added with a twinkle in her eyes. “Yeah. But it still really is nice to finally meet you, Copperworth,” he replied, his smile never leaving his face. In the back of his mind, he realized that he should save most of his smooth talk for Mr. Rich, but he couldn't help sliding into his default mode for meeting new people. “Likewise, Timber Spruce. Just take the elevator up to the fourth floor and look for the door with his name on it at the end of the hallway. You can't miss it.” Timber thanked her and followed her directions. The swift elevator ride made his stomach lurch. Elevators and escalators always made him nervous and queasy. He figured he would have to get used to it if he ever ended up moving to the city, though. When the elevator doors opened, Timber drew a fortifying breath and found the executive's office door. He raised his hand to knock, but before his hand touched the door, Mr. Rich called, “Come on in, Timber Spruce.” It was then that Timber noticed the security camera overhead. That made sense. Filthy Rich stood when Timber entered the office, and they politely shook hands. The businessman was well dressed in a dark blue blazer and slacks, as usual. “Almost didn't recognize you without your beanie,” said Mr. Rich as he sat down behind his polished, uncluttered desk. Timber laughed ingratiatingly. “Calm down, son, it's not that funny.” Timber stopped. “So, where's Gloriosa Daisy?” asked the older man. “She's not feeling well,” answered Timber as he sat in the chair in front of the desk. “I'm awful sorry to hear that.” Filthy Rich did seem concerned as his default smirk turned into a frown, but Timber wasn't buying it. “What's the matter?” “She collapsed yesterday. She's been working so hard and getting so little sleep that she drove herself to exhaustion.” Since Mr. Rich had already seen Gloriosa as after she became earth aspect, the “forest aspect” lie would have raised too many questions. More importantly, fatigue was a better excuse for her absence. The real explanation was that she didn't know Timber was meeting Filthy Rich. “Oh, shoot, that's too bad. How long do you expect it'll be till she's back on her feet again?” “The doctor said she needs rest and quiet for at least a week. That means no visitors. We do have some patrons coming to visit this weekend, but I've asked them to come to me if they need anything,” said Timber. “All right.” Mr. Rich narrowed his hard blue eyes. “It's surprisin' that an earth aspect woman in her prime would collapse from exhaustion, don't you think?” Timber spread his hands in a disarming gesture. “Hey, we may be magically enhanced, but we're still human. We still have limitations.” It was easier for Timber to lie when he wanted it to be the truth. And he wanted this lie to be true more than anything in the world, except to have the ability to go back in time and stop his parents from riding that four-wheeler that flipped over and crushed them. Filthy Rich didn't look convinced, but he didn't press Timber any further on the topic. “I suppose. Now, Timber Spruce, I have a feelin' you didn't come to my office just to talk about your sister's health. Let's talk business, shall we?” He leaned back and folded his hands. Timber nodded. “First of all, I want you to know that my sister and I are committed to paying off the debt we owe you.” He desperately wanted this to be real, too. “We started a ComeFundThis page to raise money.” Timber slid a printout across the desk toward the businessman. “I know it's not enough to get caught up on our payments, but we raised that much in just two days. There are a lot of people who care about Camp Everfree and want to keep the camp tradition. I'm sure we could raise enough money to get current in a day or two, and in a few weeks we could reach our goal of paying off the entire loan,” he finished with a winning smile. Filthy Rich studied the printout. “I appreciate that you're beggin' other folks for money to pay down your loan.” Timber fought back his annoyance, and he was pretty sure he didn't let it show. “I'll be frank with you, Timber Spruce,” Mr. Rich went on, “I have my heart set on buildin' my spa in that location. I'd rather have Camp Everfree than the money, and per our agreement, I own the land if you all fall more than six months behind on your payments, which you have.” Timber's gut twisted. Sure, he wouldn't mind leaving Camp Everfree, but he was worried about Gloriosa. She cared about the camp more than anything. And after their parents' deaths, Timber didn't think his sister could handle another loss in her fragile emotional state. “But,” said Filthy Rich, after a long pause, “if so many folks want to keep the camp the way it is, then maybe it doesn't make sense to build a spa there after all. I consider myself a fair-minded and practical man. So, I'll make you an offer. You said you think you can get enough money to pay off the entire amount in a few weeks? Then I'll hold you to that. I'll give you until the end of next month to pay off the whole loan. If you can do that, the land is yours again. If not, I'll take full possession of it and start buildin' my spa there. Do we have a deal?” “I can't ask for much better than that. You've got yourself a deal, Filthy Rich.” Timber reached forward and shook his hand with more enthusiasm than the first time. “But if you don't mind, I'd like more than just your word and a handshake.” The older man nodded. “Understood. I'll have the extra paperwork written up for you write away.” He pressed the button on his intercom. “Copperworth? Pull up the Everfree account and write an addendum.” Timber left the office building with an extra printout and a spring in his step. He felt good about being able to raise enough funds by the new deadline. And if the patrons enjoyed their stay at Camp Everfree, they'd tell their friends, and more people would come. All he had to do was ride out the weekend and hope Gloriosa didn't cause any trouble. He had this in the bag. Author's Note There should be about two more chapters after this. How do I keep letting side stories take over my writing?
Droning OnFour families were registered to stay in a total of six tents for the weekend (two of the families needed more than one tent to sleep in). Timber and Gloriosa greeted each group as they drove up to the camp grounds on Friday afternoon. They recognized every face from past stays. “Welcome back, Mr. Gordon and Gabby!” Gloriosa waved at them, floating just a few centimeters above the grass. Gabby was a fourteen year-old girl with steel gray hair that was pulled back into a short ponytail, revealing her neck feathers. “Gloriosa? Wow, you look so different!” “Don't we all?” asked Timber with his trusty lopsided smile. “I mean, you two could've flown here.” “Yeah,” agreed Mr. Gordon, “but I needed a place to put all our stuff.” He jerked his thumb at his covered pickup truck. “Ah, good point. Wouldn't be much of a camping trip without camping gear.” Timber handed him a waxy piece of paper. “Here's your tag to park in front of Ruby Tent.” Gabby extended a cape of silvery light from her shoulders, flying up to Gloriosa's eye level. “So, what's it like to be forest aspect?” “It's totally rad!” said Gloriosa with a manic grin. “I may look like a freak, but I can control plants!” She raised both hands, and up sprang a fat, barrel-shaped cactus in the middle of common grounds. “I just made a cactus grow in a temperate rain forest for gods' sakes!” “That is so cool!” Mr. Gordon leaned toward Timber. “I'm gonna level with you,” he said in an undertone. “I don't even know if I'm alive right now. I may have died several months ago and this is the afterlife.” This gave Timber pause. “Interesting theory, but wouldn't Sunset Shimmer have told us if we were all dead?” “She made everyone believe magic was normal for a few months. I think she'd let us believe we were alive if she thought it gave us peace of mind.” Timber had forgotten how weird Mr. Gordon was – and that was saying something, coming from the brother of a half-crazed magic user who looked like a wannabe comic book villain. Before magic appeared, Timber had considered himself agnostic, for the most part. He had gone to the temple to receive his icon, but that was his only spiritual experience. But when a young woman introduced the world to magic – quite personally, in fact – many people believed she was divine. There were a few alternative theories about the Harmonious One, though, such as the theory that she was a member of an advanced alien civilization. It made about as much sense as anything else Timber had heard. It was also rumored that if someone said her name three times in a row, she would be summoned like a benevolent Bloody Merry. Timber told himself he didn't believe that, but he'd seen stranger things just in the last week, so he didn't want to chance invoking her name any more than necessary. If an actual deus ex machina swooped down and fixed his problems, he'd feel like he'd failed somehow. Still, he might have to resort to trying to get the religious figure's attention if Gloriosa ever snapped. “Timber? Are you okay?” Timber shook his head, realizing that he had zoned out for a moment. Gloriosa and Gabby had started carrying gear toward the Ruby Tent. By the look of it, Gloriosa was hauling most of the supplies in one trip. Putting on his customer service smile, Timber answered, “Of course. Don't I look okay?” “Look, that was just a bad joke. I wasn't thinking about what happened to your mom and dad when I said that.” “What?” Timber's smile fell only a little as he blinked at Mr. Gordon. The older man's light brown face was lined with concern. “It's fine, Mr. Gordon,” said Timber. “I know you didn't mean it that way. I was just worrying about my sister. I think she's using magic as a distraction from her grief and she hasn't processed it in a healthy way.” Timber and Mr. Gordon both gazed at Gloriosa chatting with Gabby. The younger girl said something, but Timber was too far away to hear her. He did, however, observe his sister jerk her hand toward her geode necklace. “Grief is a life-long journey, and everyone has to find their own path,” said Mr. Gordon. “Gloriosa will find hers eventually. Has she had any grief counseling, if you don't mind me asking?” Timber snorted softly. “I tried to talk her into going. Guess what she said.” “I've got this.” “I've got this,” echoed Timber. “You know, I wouldn't be surprised if those were my mom's last words.” His mind headed toward a dark place as his heart sank. Gloriosa was the only family he had left. If he couldn't help her . . . He couldn't finish that thought as he saw an SUV rolling along the road toward them. “It looks like the Tree family is here. I'd better go give them their tag.” Once all the families had halfway settled into their tents and dusk had fallen, Timber built a fire in the main fire pit. He earned laughs from the five kids with his “fire good” caveman impression. Gloriosa formed wicker-like chairs out of living vines. Her control had improved a great deal in the last few days. Since these were experienced campers, they went beyond the typical s'mores and wienie roasts and heated up stuffed pitas and apples by wrapping them in foil and resting them on top of the hot embers. While they cooked and ate, they told stories and sang songs. Gabby managed to get everyone to sing the “Campfire Song Song” four times before they got tired of it. Then Gloriosa rose, glowing toxic green as she hovered over the grass. “Thank you, Gabster, that was awesome! Now I have a camp song I'd like to sing.” She took a deep breath and sang, “I have waited for the day to send this greedy wolf away . . .” “Um, is anyone else getting a Whinny villain vibe?” asked Mr. Gordon out of the side of his mouth. Gloriosa felt like her song went over well, even though no one picked up on the melody or lyrics. And to think Timber had suggested that she stay in the main lodge. Nonsense. She was in her element. Besides, what was the point of running the camp if she couldn't run the camp? The next morning, the fliers stretched their light-bows and light-capes, while those incapable of flight fished, hiked, or simply sat around the fire drinking coffee. At the moment, two earth kids, a brother and sister, were fishing from the dilapidated dock. Gloriosa and Timber had been meaning to renovate it, but the tents took priority, and it hadn't deteriorated any worse since the emergence of magic, so they kept putting it off. Gloriosa floated toward them. “Hey campers, how's it hanging?” The siblings shared a look, and then the brother answered, “We haven't caught anything, but it's only been twenty minutes.” “I'm already getting bored, though,” said the sister. “Gloriosa, do you have a disc golf course?” “No but that's a super idea!” replied Gloriosa. “Hey, look what I caught!” That voice came not from the two earth children, but from Gabby flying overhead. “It's a drone!” “Cool!” The earth girl beamed up at her. “Sometimes I wish I was a griffon aspect.” “It's great, but it has its downsides too. Do you know how many T-shirts and sweaters I've accidentally torn with these?” Gabby held out her hand and extended small, sharp claws that shone the same silver as her energy cape. “I do love my sweaters.” Gloriosa peered up at the unmanned quadcopter in Gabby's clutches. The front bore the words “Rich Corp.” A red haze filled Gloriosa's vision. “Gabby, sweetie, can I have the drone for a minute?” Gabby glanced at the rotor blades that were vainly spinning; then she stared at Gloriosa. “Okay. Um, just don't tell my dad. He doesn't like it when I catch drones.” “Of course Gabster!” She levitated higher so she could pat the teen's head. Then she accepted the quadcopter from Gabby, lifted it in both hands, and flung it to the ground as hard as she could. The kids gasped, Gabby loudest of all. But there was not a scratch or crack in the drone's surface, and two seconds later it lifted off again. “Oh no you don't!” Gloriosa pulled energy from the geodes and pushed them through her arms and into the runner roots on the ground. The roots responded, shooting up tendrils that grabbed the drone in midair. “What are you doing?” asked the boy, gazing at her with wide eyes. Gloriosa turned her head and grinned at him, which for some reason made him and his sister step back. “You see, Filthy Rich thinks he owns Camp Everfree just because he has some pieces of paper. But I am Camp Everfree's true master.” She sent a bit more magic into the tendrils, and they forced the drone toward the ground and secured it there. “But that drone's not yours!” said Gabby, putting her hands over her cheeks. “It's in my space, I own it.” Then, in a softer tone, she added, “But thank you for getting it for me, Gabby.” Then she raised her foot and stomped on it. The blades spun defiantly. “Curse you earth aspect technology!” She kicked it. “Gloriosa!” yelled Timber. “What?” Gloriosa clenched her fists, not glancing up from the drone. Her brother ran toward her. “What's going on? I heard you yell 'curse you' and I thought that was a bad sign.” “Look at that!” Gloriosa pointed to the tied-down quadcopter. “Filthy Rich has been spying on us!” Timber's pupils shrank. “I was right, that's bad.” “I'm gonna march down to his office and teach him a lesson!” Gloriosa slammed her fist into her open palm. Timber held up his fingers. “Two things: it's hard to march when you're levitating, and it's two hours just to drive there one way. And you can't levitate as fast as the truck.” “Oh, yeah? We'll just see about that!” She leaned forward and floated at a relatively high speed, but was still only as fast as earth aspect woman can sprint. Fast, but slower than a car or truck. Gabby zipped ahead of her in the air. “Gloriosa, you know, maybe Filthy Rich wasn't spying on you. Maybe his drone was just passing through on the way to someplace else.” She tapped her fingers together. “It's good of you to give him the benefit of the doubt, but I know how he is. He's been invested in this land for a long time. He was probably trying to see how many guests were here and get an estimate of how much money we brought in. And I'm gonna have to take the truck because you're literally flying circles around me,” finished Gloriosa. “Or,” said Timber, who had stayed a few paces behind her, “I could call Filthy Rich and ask him not to fly his drone over us again.” “Call all you want.” Gloriosa put her hands on her hips. “I'm still going to show him once and for all who really owns Camp Everfree.” “You have nothing to gain from that!” “I'll gain the satisfaction of wiping that smug look off his face!” She spun around and swept toward their parked truck. Timber darted in front of her and spread his arms. “Wait! I know you think you're above the law, but you're not! Just like you have to obey at least some of the laws of physics, apparently.” “Stop telling me what to do, little brother.” “I'm just trying to look out for you, and this camp!” “By standing in my way?” She swooped over his head and placed her hand on the truck door. “By keeping you from doing something you'll regret. Look, GD, before you confront Filthy Rich, there's something you need to know. Two days ago, when I went to the hardware store in the city and told you I got stuck in traffic because someone else had an accident . . . Well, that part wasn't true. The reason it took so long was that I visited Rich Corp.” Gloriosa slowly swiveled her head to face him. “What?” she asked through clenched teeth. “I showed him our ComeFundThis page and how many people love Camp Everfree, and he agreed to give us another month to pay off the entire loan! And I really think we can do it with the community's support. Then we'll own the land again, fair and square. But if you go to him now, like this, it could ruin all that.” “You lied to me? No,” she corrected herself, realizing she'd emphasized the wrong word. “You lied to me? I trusted you Timber. I thought we were a team!” “Seriously?” Timber threw his hands in the air. “Do you even listen to yourself? You never let anyone help you, not even me! It was like pulling teeth just to get you to tolerate the ComeFundThis account! I didn't tell you because you would've told me not to do it! You would've just said that you've got this! Well you don't got this, and I'm eighteen now and I can do whatever I want!” “By going behind my back?” “Yes! I'm sorry I lied to you, but I was just trying to do what I thought was best for you.” “Well, you don't know what's best for me. I can handle this my way, by myself.” Gloriosa opened the driver door. “Yeah, just you and your Precious.” “That's right! I don't need you!” She inserted her key into the ignition and headed along the driveway. When she was about half a kilometer from the main camping area, she decelerated so she could concentrate on her magic. She took one hand off the steering wheel and drew on the geode's power. Verdant sparks danced along her arm, and the earth responded with tremendous enthusiasm. A wall of woody vines sprang into each other and rose as high as the main lodge. The vegetation extended into the woods on either side of the road. It wouldn't trap anyone, but since it blocked the only way to the highway, it would impede Timber long enough to keep him from interfering. Then she floored it, heading for the freeway toward Canterlot.
Root of the ProblemIt was a long drive to Canterlot. Gloriosa guessed that Filthy Rich wouldn't be at his office on a Saturday morning, so her best bet was to try his house. Since she had visited it once before with her parents, she knew the way there. She parked the truck when she was about a kilometer away from Rich Mansion, to make a dramatic entrance. After levitating out of the cab, she stretched her muscles. She glided up the street and looked around at the grand mansions with their pristine lawns and arborvitaes pruned into hideous shapes. Rock walls and wrought iron gates enclosed the yards, seemingly for the purpose of keeping out the riffraff. Every home had a garage that could hold at least three cars. The lavish excess bothered Gloriosa. But she was beyond such things as money and material possessions, so why should she care what these people did with theirs? Still, if Filthy Rich thought that the affluent would want to retreat to the woodlands to relax in a luxury spa, maybe she would simply bring the forest to them and save them all some time. She grinned at her spur-of-the-moment decision. Yes, that was exactly what she would do. She waited until she was just outside Rich's holly hedge before drawing energy from the geodes. Lime-colored static crackled out of the crystals and sparked over her arms and legs. Thick brown and green vines rose up out of Rich's yard and encased her lower body up to her waist. She spread her palms, and the small landscaping trees reacted. Spruces, maples, hollies, poplars, oaks, elms, beeches, and Neightalian cypresses all reached their tallest natural height, the larger species towering over the mansions. And of course, the arborvitaes grew wild spindly branches out of their geometric and animal forms, like strands of hair sticking out of a bun, before finally filling out into rounded cones. The ground shuddered as the all the tree and shrub roots within a 400 meter radius quickly displaced soil and rock. At this point, people started coming out of their residences, staring at their enlarged trees and at Gloriosa. Some of them clutched each other, but others held up their phones, either to make calls or catch Gloriosa on video. She just laughed and waved her arms in a wide circle. The trees and shrubs shook their branches, spreading their seeds in their various forms and methods. Maple helicopter seeds flew far and wide, while berries, nuts, and pine cones rolled away. Gloriosa sent a pulse of energy into the seeds, and they sprouted tap roots into the dirt and even forced their way into rock, concrete, and asphalt. Trunks expanded upward and divided into branches full of vibrant leaves or needles. They shoved aside cars and even cracked walls as they grew up against these obstacles. Before long, the mansions were mostly hidden inside a forest of beautiful trees and shrubs that their owners had carefully chosen – or in some cases, let their landscaper choose. The people simply stood as if they too were rooted to the ground, gaping up at her. Gloriosa beamed at them. “Don't be afraid. Nature is our friend!” “Stop!” She rotated in place toward the sound. The vegetation hid the speaker, but she knew who he was. “I don't know who you think you are, but you can't just come here and vandalize our property with your magic!” Filthy Rich stepped out from behind a spruce and marched toward her. “You call this vandalizing? I'm providing a free landscaping service and gorgeous trees that would cost thousands of dollars! Not that I care about money anymore. Besides, I thought you just loved the woods!” She rose higher and loomed over him, the vines still stretching from her waist to the ground. “That's why you wanted my land so much.” She flicked one finger and, with slyness that surprised even her, made tree roots grow up and wrap around Filthy Rich's leather shoes. The business owner didn't seem to notice. “Your land?” he repeated, blinking up at her. “Gloriosa Daisy?” “Come now, Filthy. I know my chromelanin changed but you should've recognized my voice by now.” “I thought you sounded familiar, but I wasn't sure.” He tried to take a step, but the roots had ensnared his ankles by that point, and his feet stuck fast. “Hey, let me go! Why are you doin' this?” “I'm doing this to show you that I don't owe you anything. I have all the power over the land that has been in my family for generations, and I don't need any pieces of paper to tell me that.” “So you didn't collapse from exhaustion then?” Filthy asked faintly. “What? Where did you get an idea like that?” Gloriosa tilted her head. “That's what your brother told me. I had my doubts about whether he was tellin' the truth, but I never imagined anything like this!” “Oh, so he lied to you too. Is that why you sent your drone to spy on us, so you could find out if he was lying? One of my campers brought the drone to me. I'll be hanging onto that. Any ball that ends up in my yard is mine. And if you or your little drones ever go near Camp Everfree again, there will be consequences!” she finished, making a fist. “Look, Gloriosa Daisy, don't you think you're takin' this a little too far? Maybe sendin' my drone over Camp Everfree was over the line, even though I'd like to point out that there's no law against it, but I just wanted to find out how your brother could manage the entire camp by himself. Besides, what you're doin' is a lot worse! Comin' into my neighborhood, damagin' property, and holdin' me against my will? That's just not right!” “Stop telling me what to do!” roared Gloriosa. “Hold it right there!” yelled another voice. It carried the air of a woman who was used to being obeyed. “I've got a drone armed with a modified pistol aimed at your center mass. Let my husband go and stand down, or I'll shoot.” Gloriosa's eyes widened as she looked up, and indeed, hovering ten meters above her was a quadcopter with a barrel fixed to the underside. “You're bluffing.” She whipped her head around wildly, and saw several random rich people, but she failed to spot Mrs. Rich. “Show yourself, you coward!” “I'm not a coward, you brute! I'm just smart, and I'm not bluffing.” “She's really not,” added Filthy Rich. Gloriosa gazed at the drone, her sense of self-preservation beginning to override her anger. What if the gold-digger wasn't bluffing? “Okay. I'm releasing him.” She held her hands in the direction of the roots holding Filthy's ankles. Then she drained the energy out of them, returning that power to the geodes, and the roots crumbled into compost. The businessman lifted his feet and sighed with relief. “Good,” said Spoiled Rich. “Now put your hands on your head and stay put until the police arrive.” As long as the uppity woman kept talking, Gloriosa had a better chance of pinpointing her location. “All right,” she said, raising her hands at a snail's pace. Then her arms quickly spread apart, making the trees in her line of sight topple over. And there stood the pink skinned earth aspect woman. Gloriosa channeled her magic into the tree roots behind Mrs. Rich. They sprang up at an angle and shoved the rich woman to the ground, and they pinned her there, winding around her arms especially. “You thought you could get the best of me? I still have a few surprises,” said Gloriosa, directing the geodes' energy into the tree roots near the residences. They broke into the mansions' foundations, cracking them into unstable fractions. The homes were shaken to their cores: still technically standing, but unfit to live in. The stones and wood groaned as they resettled. Filthy Rich ran toward his wife, but Gloriosa sent up a root to trip him. Then an orange glow lit the new forest. Gloriosa wondered if it could possibly be a fire before she stared up in front of her and saw a young woman – hardly more than a girl, really – floating gently down on flaming wings. “We need to talk,” the woman said plainly. Gloriosa tensed. “What are you doing here?” “I could ask you the same question. I heard a dozen people whisper my name in this area in the last few minutes, and I thought I'd better check it out. Those crystals.” The Lady of Harmony pointed, and Gloriosa put both hands over them. “Where did you get them?” “I found them on my family's land. They're mine! I was meant to have them.” “They're not of this world. They're Equestrian. I can feel it.” Sunset Shimmer shook her head. “I wonder how I didn't feel it earlier, but I'm not really omniscient even though most people think I am.” Gloriosa positioned her body sideways from Sunset, ready to defend herself. “Well, if they're from that horse world, how did they end up in a cave in the bottom of my quarry?” “I have no idea. But I want to find out. Let me help you.” “Help me with what? I don't need any help. I got this!” “Any time someone has that much magic, they need someone else to keep them in check. Trust me, I know this from personal experience. Come with me.” The divine woman reached her hand toward Gloriosa. “No! You just want to take my geodes!” Gloriosa threw up her hands and literally lashed out at Sunset, sending vines toward her. At the same time, she weaved away from her through the trees. Sunset, however, merely teleported away from the vines and reappeared in front of Gloriosa, blocking her path. “I don't want to take them, but I have to if you can't use them responsibly.” Sunset's hands glowed crimson as they stretched toward the geodes. Other than that, nothing happened. The supreme being frowned and glanced from her hands to the crystals. “Huh.” Gloriosa smirked. “What was that supposed to do?” Quicker than ever, she made vines shoot up in a dome to enclose Sunset, but the Magic Bringer merely teleported out of them. “It seems we're at an impasse. Good thing I have backup,” said Sunset. She closed her eyes, and her lips began to move silently. Gloriosa seized this opportunity to glide toward her truck. Maybe, just maybe she could make a clean getaway. Just as she saw the truck through the trees, Sunset reappeared in front of her, along with six other girls. Even though not all of them had light wings, they were all floating like Gloriosa. Sunset held her arms toward the geodes once more, and this time they loosened from the vine tying them together. “No! Stop!” Gloriosa gasped. But there was no stopping it. The geodes separated and flew toward each of the girls. Gloriosa didn't see what happened next. She blacked out. Author's Note Sunset's magic is red here because she's using her harmony magic as opposed to her unicorn-aspect magic.
Super Effective“Gloriosa!” Gloriosa's sense of hearing returned first. She risked opening her eyes and saw her brother leaning over her. “Timber? How did you get here so fast?” Her brother breathed a sigh of relief. “Good to see you're back to your old self!” He helped her sit and hugged her. “As for how I got here, I used the chainsaw to cut a hole big enough to drive the Jeep through. Didn't take more than fifteen minutes.” “Oh.” Gloriosa felt completely tapped out. She glanced down at her arms and legs, which had returned to the pale rose hue they'd been since birth. And instead of the green dress and thigh-high stockings, she was wearing shorts, her favorite yellow shirt, and tan wedge shoes. Bewildered, she took in her surroundings. Leaf-colored sparks drifted down toward her like fading fireworks. Some of them landed on her, feeling soothing on her skin. Gloriosa remembered sprouting the thick, tall trees to fill the well-to-do neighborhood. Now most of the trees and shrubs were gone. In fact, Gloriosa was fairly certain that only the original trees remained, although they were still much larger than they'd been before she used her magic on them. All of the mansions appeared sound and undisturbed, and the wrought iron fences were straight and orderly. The rich denizens stood in a loose group, watching her. The seven girls were still present, but their outfits had changed from regular teen clothes to some sort of military glam motif. Each wore a necklace the same color as one of the geodes. A pang of loss and longing struck Gloriosa. Those were her geodes that she'd discovered and learned how to use on her own. And yet it was clear that they weren't hers anymore. They had changed to a disc shape with each girl's icon on them. They'd chosen new bearers. Ones they found more worthy, perhaps. Ones who didn't react with thoughtless violence. Gloriosa looked into Sunset's eyes before dropping her gaze to the grass. “I'm truly sorry I tried to fight you, and I'm sorry for causing all this trouble. I let the power get to my head and I lashed out in anger. It was wrong.” Sunset took Gloriosa's hands and lifted her to her feet. “Hey, I've been where you are. I think the geodes you found came from the Tree of Harmony in Equestria. They seem to have an affinity for the Elements of Harmony here.” She touched the scarlet pendant at her throat. “It seems like whenever someone uses an Element when they're not aligned to it, it corrupts their mind. It amplifies their desires and suppresses their awareness of the consequences of their actions. I can only base this on my personal experience and what I saw in you, but it would make sense.” The Hallowed One glanced over her shoulder at the purple girl, who nodded. “You're right. That's how I felt when I was wearing them. I had more power than I could have ever hoped for and I abused it. Now I wish I'd never found them.” Tears pricked Gloriosa's eyes. “Maybe I deserve to lose Camp Everfree.” She gazed around and found Filthy Rich and his wife standing at a distance. “I'm so sorry for what I did to your home, Mr. Rich.” Spoiled Rich moved in front of her husband. “Don't forget how you wrapped us up in your vines. Are you sorry for that too?” “I am. I'm sorry for all of it. You're right, Filthy Rich: what I did to you was worse than what you did to me.” A tear slipped down her cheek. “You can build your s-spa there.” Filthy stepped around Spoiled, moving closer to Gloriosa. “Well now, Sunset Shimmer and her associates seem to have put everything back in order, more or less,” he said, eyeing a towering beech tree. “We'll still have to examine our home to see if there's any damage, but as long as there's no harm done, I'll honor the deal I made with Timber Spruce.” Gloriosa brushed the tears from her eyes. “Really?” “That's if you can earn the money,” said Spoiled Rich, folding her arms. “Not many will want to do business with a freak who terrorized innocent people and almost destroyed their houses.” “Hey, that's not fair,” said the girl with sky-blue skin and rainbow hair. “Sunset turned everyone at our school into mind-controlled zombies and tried to take over another world, and now she's treated like a goddess! If she deserves a second chance, so does Gloriosa.” “Rainbow's right, Gloriosa,” said the yellow-skinned girl. “As long as they know you're sorry, they'll forgive you.” “Absolutely. And you needn't worry about raising money for Camp Everfree,” said the pale girl with deep violet hair. “I'm sure we can help with that.” “Yeah!” said Rainbow with a grin. “How about we travel around giving concerts to raise money like in that old movie, Soul Siblings?” Timber rubbed the back of his head. “I appreciate the offer, really, but we already have a ComeFundThis account for Camp Everfree that's doing pretty well. If you could just tell your friends about it, that would be great.” “Oh, well, that works too.” At that moment, a man who looked to be in his seventies walked up to Mr. and Mrs. Rich. “Sir, madam, the house appears to be in order. The floors are all perfectly level and not one glass is cracked.” “Thank you Randolph.” Rich peered at his mansion before nodding. “Very efficient as always. That's why I hired you.” “Very good sir.” “Hmph. I'd rather have a professional home appraiser look at it for my own peace of mind,” said Spoiled. Filthy put his hand on her arm. “We will, honey. I'm sure everything will be fine.” “Well,” said Timber, “we should probably head back to camp now. I kind of left our guests to fend for themselves. Most of them are adults, so I'm sure they're okay. It's just that it's bad practice not to have staff there.” “Timber, I owe you an apology,” said Gloriosa, placing her hand on her brother's shoulder. “You had a good plan to save the camp and I wouldn't listen. I thought I was above the material world even though I was still so attached to the land, so I thought I could do anything I felt like without any regard for what you wanted.” “Hearing you admit that you were wrong and I was right is all the apology I need,” said Timber with a playful grin. “And I know it won't happen again because your Precious is with people who can handle them better.” “What are we s'posed to do with these anyhow?” asked the peach-skinned girl, holding up her citrine pendant in her thumb and pointer finger. “Sorta feels like we were handed somethin' we didn't earn.” “Come on, Applejack,” said Rainbow. “We already saved the day a few times. Maybe this is like a late reward.” “I do think we're supposed to have them, if these are pieces of the Elements of Harmony. As for what we should do with them, it's hard to say.” Sunset knitted her brow. “Princess Twilight is still learning about what the Elements can do in Equestria, so there's no telling what they can do here. I certainly wouldn't have guessed that they would enhance a specialized form of earth magic.” “I think it would help if we went to the source, where Gloriosa found the geodes,” the lavender-skinned girl spoke up. “Great idea Twilight. What do you say Gloriosa?” asked Sunset. Gloriosa nodded. “If you have time tomorrow afternoon, you can come after the campers leave.” “I'll clear a spot in my schedule. This is important,” said Sunset, turning to her friends. “Can you girls be there tomorrow?” “Shoot, I've been wantin' to visit the camp this year anyway. And if y'all are understaffed, we could help out with whatever work ya need done while we're there,” added Applejack, smiling at Gloriosa and Timber. “I like how you just volunteered us all to work there,” said Rainbow, rolling her eyes. “Me too!” said the pink girl with poofy curls. There wasn't a trace of irony in her tone. “Maybe we could learn more about these Elements and work at the camp at the same time! Need any baking done, Gloriosa? That's kinda my thang.” Gloriosa gave her a hesitant smile. “Thank you, but-” “Don't say it!” said Timber. She frowned at her brother. “I was going to say that we don't need help with baking, but if they'd like to volunteer at Camp Everfree, the kitchen is due for a thorough cleaning, and the dock needs some repairs if we have enough building materials.” “Oh. That's good.” Timber shifted his weight. “Sorry I jumped on you.” “That's okay. We really should get going now. I'm sure Gabby and the others are wondering what we're doing and when we're coming back.” “Are you okay to drive?” Timber creased his brow in concern. “I think I'm more okay now than I was on the way here. Oh, and Filthy Rich?” she turned toward the business owner. “You can just call me Rich.” “All right, Rich, I'll make sure you get your drone back.” Rich nodded. “I'll hold you to that.” Gloriosa's gaze traveled to Sunset and her companions. “By the way, I didn't catch all of your names.” The palest girl waved her hand dismissively. “We can worry about introductions tomorrow. Why don't you go home and, um, get some rest.” Around 3:30 that afternoon, Gloriosa and Timber arrived at the camp grounds. Gloriosa parked the truck just outside the vine wall and peered up at it, hating the sight. There was a gaping, jagged hole that Timber had sawed to drive through. She got out of her vehicle and stood facing the mass of woody stems. Timber stopped his Jeep and jogged over to her. “You okay?” Gloriosa sighed heavily. “Stop worrying about me, Timber.” “I can't help it, after everything you've been through, and, well, done lately.” “Look, I just want to see if I still have any control over plants.” She stretched out her arms toward the barrier and pulled at the energy stored within, intending to whither the vines. They resisted her, but the grass and flowers in front of them drooped, and their colors faded. Gloriosa felt a small amount of energy enter her body, as if she had just eaten a handful of trail mix after a long hike. And she sensed the vines holding out on her, so she took that as a good sign that her special connection to them was still there even though her command over them was nowhere near what it was when she'd had the geodes. Perhaps with time and effort she could regain some of what she'd lost. Just then, Gabby flew through the opening in the wall. “Gloriosa? What happened to you?” She circled Gloriosa to view her from all sides. Gloriosa smiled ruefully. “I lost my forest aspect magic. Or most of it, anyway.” “Wait, are you sure that's what happened?” asked Mr. Gordon, flapping over to join his daughter. “I don't pretend to understand how magic works, but I didn't think you could just lose your aspect magic like a middle-aged man loses his hair.” “You're right, Mr. Gordon. That's not exactly what happened.” Timber peered at Gloriosa, who nodded her silent permission to tell the truth. “You see, my sister and I haven't been completely honest with you.” Timber searched Mr. Gordon's sharp blue eyes and saw his mind putting the pieces together. “So you're not really a forest aspect, Gloriosa?” She hung her head. “No. It's kind of a long story.” “Well, maybe you can tell me about it after we get back to the campsite. You guys locked the kitchen and some of us would really like to get some ice.” “Oh, uh, sorry about that,” said Timber, fidgeting with his keys. “We're working on getting people to volunteer to help look after all the buildings and stuff. In fact, we have some people coming to visit tomorrow who are interested in helping us.” “That's great!” said Gabby. “I hope you didn't lie to them about being forest aspect,” said Mr. Gordon, landing on the ground next to Gloriosa. “No, they know everything,” said Gloriosa, shaking her head. “You two can ride in my truck to the kitchen and I'll tell you the whole story.” Author's Note Since the Harmony Seven already have magical abilities, not all of their superpowers from Legend of Everfree would make sense for them in the Oversaturated world. Pinkie Pie's ability to touch objects and make them explode is different enough from her natural “only when it's funny” powers that I think they could be held over for this continuity. Rainbow Dash's super speed would also carry over since she can “only” fly in this fic-verse. With Sunset Shimmer, it's harder to determine what powers she already has. I don't think she can read people's memories per se, but she definitely has some form of ESP that is attuned to issues in the world (or multiverse) that need to be resolved in order to preserve harmony. Memory-vision would be underwhelming compared to the powers she already has – but so would just about any ability I could think of for her. Sunset would probably be better suited in a Princess Celestia role where she delegates tasks and missions to the other six. Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, and Twilight are all given powers in Legend of Everfree that are the same as their magic in the Oversaturated world. It's possible that Rarity can't generate magic constructs in Oversaturated, but we know for sure that SciTwi can, and I want Rarity to have her own unique power. So here's what I envision for each of them: Fluttershy could turn into any animal, limited to chordates (so no insects). Applejack could create localized earthquakes. Rarity could make her skin as hard as diamond while staying flexible. SciTwi could open portals to anywhere in the world (but not other worlds).
