Gloriosa looked through the store. Her eyes scanned through the beautiful aisles of the most stunning gems and crystals she has ever seen. She didn't feel worthy to step foot onto the establishment. She felt like a criminal who was caught before an intent was ever curated. She felt like she was judged by all the sophisticated clients and shop owners nearby.
She wanted seven crystals. She wanted one that represented each geode that she cherished— each one that she lost. Gloriosa had changed. Ever since the incident involving the girls from Canterlot High, she never touched any kind of otherworldly magic ever since. Timber had paid special attention to her like she was a returned psych award patient. He followed her around and for the first time, Gloriosa felt like she had an overbearing parent over her shoulder.
The Camp of Everfree was liberated from being a golf resort for the sole purpose to line Filthy Rich's already privileged pockets with more prosperity. However, problems continued to arise. The campers would find themselves in complicated situations which would only result in Gloriosa being overly stressed and scared to lose it all. After all, it doesn't take one greedy, wealthy man to be able to ruin your entire livelihood.
Hours earlier...
"You never listen to me! I have fought again and again for this camp for us and you never care!"
"Of course I care about it! This is our grandparents' legacy. I just think it's making you worse of a person. This camp isn't doing you well."
"Well you clearly cared about it when you were so eager to sell it to Filthy Rich just months ago!"
"Yeah because it would help us! Financially, we're like two social classes underneath Filthy Rich. Back then I didn't know that the camp could be saved, because unless a miracle was going to happen, the camp would undoubtedly be sold."
"Since when do you help us financially, Timber? Since I was ten, I was the one who took care of you. I was the one who made all your meals for you. I was the one who helped you study and apply for college you never went to. I paid for all your expenses despite having none left for me. I set up your bank accounts and worked multiple jobs so that we could survive the mess that our parents left. Grandma and grandpa were too invested to this camp that I had to raise you basically all by myself. I lost my childhood because of our family! This camp is the one time where I could be a child again, and not your pretend-mother. This camp is the only thing that makes me feel the most happy. So, I'm sorry that I became a monster or worse of a person because of it."
"Gloriosa— I'm sorry. I am grateful for you and everything you've done for me and the camp. Maybe Twilight and her friends-"
"No. They've helped enough. Tell your girlfriend I thank her, but I won't accept more charity work."
"Then at least let me help, Gloriosa," Timber said softly.
"Why do you think you're here?! The entire reason you're here is to run the camp with me! Isn't that why you dropped out of college before even starting? But the only thing you've done is flirted with girls and tell campfire stories of how dangerous your sister is. If you hate the camp so much, then help by getting a job! Stop being so useless and do something that'll actually help us!"
Gloriosa yelled before storming out of the building. She needed a break from Timber. She wanted to be as away from him as possible for the next few hours. So, she took a bus to the city.
She loved Timber- deep down, she knew that. If she didn't, she wouldn't have fought so hard for his success in life. The success that he constantly shuts down. He was selfish. Gloriosa thought to herself. She did everything to make sure he could go to college and be able to support her like she did for him for the past decade. Clearly, she was too hopeful to think that.
Wandering around the city, she found herself at the gem store. She wanted geode replacements. Even if they didn't have magical capabilities, maybe if she pretended to have them, she could help the camp the same way. If she could believe hard enough, then maybe the gems could be some sort of charms that will give her the safety net no one else will give to her. Because at the end of the day, all Gloriosa really wants is something that will give her support and love to persevere her other projects.
It was hard not to hear the news. The seven girls were the talk of the city with their geodes and their special gifts. It made Gloriosa's eyes sparkle in envy. Why were the geodes that she found and that she powered into existence be the destiny of those seven girls? She was the reason they even had the geodes.
She was forever in debt to the girls. Not only did they save Everfree from Gloriosa herself, they saved the camp from Filthy Rich and have set up multiple foundations for the camp's cause. But, that still wasn't enough to free her from the desperation to be as lucky as them.
The door swung open and made a harsh impact with the wall. Gloriosa's head turned swiftly around to see the girl entering the store. There was something about her that immediately caught Gloriosa's attention. The girl had striking purple hair, with teal streaks highlighted. Her hair was tighted into a set of pigtails with curtain bangs hanging in front. Her clothes matched all of her best features and skintone. She looked like a rockstar.
She must have stared at her for too long because the girl caught her. A small smirk appeared on her face. Gloriosa cursed at herself and ripped her eyes off of the girl and onto the gems. The was a rainbow collection, but the colors looked so artificial and candy-like. She wanted something that resembled as closely to the geodes. The ones that she found were rich in colour and natural.
"I liked it better when you were staring at me," Gloriosa turned around and there she was. The girl's eyes were on a metallic coin that she was fidgeting with. Her violet eyes glanced up and enchanted Gloriosa's emerald irises. "What's a pretty girl like you doing here?"
"I-I'm just looking through the store."
"Starstuck, I see. So I assume you already know who I am?"
Gloriosa shook her head slightly. "I'm sorry if you're an adored celebrity, but I'm a camp director, so not much social media and internet for me. I also don't go out to urban areas that often."
"Interesting. I'm Aria. Which camp do you run?"
"Camp Everfree." She saw how Aria froze the second the words left her throat.
"Guess it's my turn to be starstruck. You're the one different Twilight and her friends saved, right?"
"Different Twilight?"
"You don't need to know. But the group that consists of Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash... and I forgot the rest." Gloriosa heard the hint of detest while she listed the girls.
"You know them?"
"You could say that. You're Gloriosa— i remember your name from the articles."
"That's me."
"Yeah the news was everywhere. But no where did it say the camp director looked this cute."
Aria knew what she was doing. She knew she could easily fluster the people around her and the way people squirm whenever she embellishes them with compliments to be cute and entertaining at times. For Gloriosa, she was blessed with the hue of her skin because when she blushed, it would melt into her rounded cheeks. Otherwise, she would look like a child two hours after snow sledding and the blood would look painted on her face.
"How do you know the girls?"
"Oh, you know... there's a singing talent show at their school, then my friends and I changed it into a singing battle. Twilight and her friends sang this stupid song and destroyed our gem necklaces that contained magic."
"That sounds very familiar." They both let out a small laugh. "What did your gem necklace look like?"
"Mine was red pendant gemstone attached to like a choker."
"I had seven geodes, but I only really used like three at a time. They all had different colours. They were like my coping mechanisms for my camp. "
"Why do you bother with the camp? Isn't it a lot of work?"
"I've never told this to anyone, and I don't know why I'm even saying this to a stranger but, our parents abandoned my brother and I when I was ten. That left me to be responsible for both of us and it deprived me of my childhood since. Camp Everfree is the one thing that makes me feel happy and a child again. When my grandparents eventually gave me the camp, I swore to myself to preserve this one thing I have for myself. I love the camp, but man it's stressful." Gloriosa then realized that she was still standing at an aisle of a jewelry store. "I'm so sorry for suddenly putting all of that onto you."
"Hey, it's cool. It's also cool that you work so hard for that camp. I think you need a break."
"Thank you. I actually wanted to use them to have a better control of my camp but I ended up making more of a mess."
"What about you? Was your gem necklace important to you?"
"Yeah. Until Twilight and her friends shattered it into hundreds of pieces."
"I'm so sorry to hear that."
"Those Canterlot girls. Always so lucky. The magic that belonged to us and that we held onto, were the ones that those girls just happened to be destined to meet."
"Maybe we can find something that looks similar to the one that you had."
"No. My gem was from my homeland. It was the only thing that I had left of my home since I was exiled. For a long time I was attached to it and it powered me. I don't think there's anything that could match the value of the gem."
"Of course, but maybe we can have new value for a new necklace. What did you like about your home?"
"I was free and beautiful. I could roam around without being contained. Back then, I was a breathtaking sight and now I'm hideous and I'm stuck in this form for the rest of my miserable life."
Gloriosa found a red pendant that was similar to the one Aria described. Delicately, Gloriosa put it around her neck, leaning in so close that she felt Aria's breath against her lips. Her fingers brushed her neck- hooking the clasp, sending shivers to race down Aria's spine.
"You're still beautiful and breathtaking. I doubt you ever stopped." She stated. "And if you ever feel contained, then you should visit my camp. There is nothing more liberating than screaming your heart out at the end of a hike trail for no one to hear." Gloriosa placed her hands on Aria's hips and turned her around so that she faced a small mirror. "Do you like this necklace?"
"I- um," Aria stuttered. She never stuttered. "I don't like the shape."
"Oh, alright." Gloriosa put on a weird cheery voice and took the necklace off. "Don't worry, I could help you find something that will maybe fit you better."
Aria could only assume that this was the voice Gloriosa used while playing the role of camp director. She didn't like it. It sounded so inauthentic and she could tell Gloriosa's voice was strained from it.
Finally, the store owner came after talking to a client that took ten minutes of his time. "Is there anything you two are particularly looking for?"
"Actually, I'm expected to be somewhere right about now." Aria spoke as she headed towards the door. She turned around to say, "see you," and left. She didn't know until a block later that Gloriosa had followed her.
"Y-you dropped your coin." The coin that Aria fiddled with earlier. Maybe she dropped it on purpose for her- she wanted Gloriosa to eventually remember and try to find her. She didn't expect her to do it as soon as she left.
"Is that really the only reason you're out here?" The sky was golden. The sun caressed Aria's cheek and made Gloriosa's hair glow. They looked heavenly while standing in sunshine. It was the exact moment that the sun's gold spread across the world, moments before nightfall accompanied by stars.
"I wanted to make sure you had it in case..." She struggled to make an excuse. "In case you needed it later. It's important to keep all the resources you gain in the situations where you need it." There was the camp director voice again.
She had Gloriosa leaned against a lamp pole and had her own hand pressed against it as well. Aria leaned in so close she could hear the other girl's heart beat pound viciously and she was at ease when she breathed in her scent. She smelled like a pine forest surrounded by rosemary gardens. She was never so comforted by a scent before.
"You don't need to keep up the sweet act with me. I like girls don't pretend. Tell me what you really want."
"I-I wanted to ask if there was a way I could see you again."
Aria let out a smirk, "If you care about that sort of stuff, you could see me tonight. My band and I are performing at the speakeasy three blocks from here. It starts in an hour, but I have to go setup and practice."
"I'll be there."
Gloriosa watched the performance. From start to finish, she watched in awe the talent performed on stage. This was the first time she has ever been in this type of environment. She could never afford concert tickets or be able to attend music festivals. The closest thing was a bunch of ten year olds singing lullabys at a campfire.
In their previous forms of the Dazzlings, those red gems were engraved into their siren scales in place of their heart. They were a part of them. Millenias ago, from the bottom of their hearts, they sang to spread discourse and feed off of their hatred of one and another. Now their heart has shattered in the body of a red fragile pendant.
That night when the pendant shattered, their magic broke as well. But magic can't just disappear or disintegrate. It has to be in some form of the closest object embedded with magical properties. Unlike Equestria, there aren't a lot of objects that have those properties. That's why the three girls snuck back to the stage and picked up each and every shard of their lost pendants. Living off the hope that they could somehow merge all the pieces back together and rebuild their heart, they continued to sing.
They were sirens in their past life, which meant that they were natural singers— it took months to a full-year of vocal training, but eventually they got their voice back to a melodious tone. What was missing now was the Equestrian magic to control and manipulate the minds of people and transform into their true forms. They missed home. More than anything, they want to return to Equestria and live freely in the forms they were born in.
But for perhaps permanently, the Dazzlings live amongst the humans, and so they need to make a living. So when the speakeasy wanted a band to play for nights, the three girls jumped on the opportunity. The girls bounce back and forth every singing gig they can get their hands on, and that mostly covers their living costs.
Aria wasn't interested in the crowd. It was the same drunk old men who practically lived at the speakeasy every night. She didn't expect much else until she noticed the strawberry haired camp leader in the crowd, and she smiled. She didn't think she'd actually come. She figured that she had scared her off by now. All of them did before.
When she finished performing, she slipped out of the conversation between Adagio and Sonata to meet with Gloriosa.
"You were amazing!" She said, placing a delicate kiss on the singer's cheek. It was an impulsive move on Gloriosa's part. It was a move that led blood to rush into the cheeks of Aria, flushing the skin into a crimson colour that couldn't be seen beneath dimmed LED lights.
"Thanks. I didn't think you'd actually come."
"I said I would."
"Did you really think we were good?"
"Yeah, of course. You are all very talented. You especially." Gloriosa had a childlike grin that could be seen at their own birthday. Of course, for Gloriosa, she's experiencing all of these stupid smiles and excitements long after she had the chance to be a child.
"Why do you look so happy?"
"This is my first concert or something similar. Things like this excite me."
"Do you want an autograph? It'll be a special one for you."
"Of course! Here let me get my pen and paper-"
"I don't need any of those."
"Then how-" Aria leaned in and closed the gap between them. She felt the surprised girl melt into the kiss, tasting a sweet bitter taste. Gloriosa felt like she was floating and was only on the ground by Aria's gravitational pull her closer into the kiss.
When their lips separated, they admired each other's smile and drank the love off of the other one's lips.
Months easily flew by. Between the gigs that Aria has to run and the camp that Gloriosa has to manage, time slipped through their hands and they only managed to pause when they caught each other's grasp.
A knock was heard on Gloriosa's door to her office. "Come in," Her eyes gleamed when she saw who it was. "Oh, I didn't know you were coming."
She said as she went up be pulled into a warm embrace. "I wanted to surprise you." Aria whispered, "happy birthday love,"
"How'd you know?"
"Your brother told me. He's coming later by the way. He's just held back at his job." She said as she pulled out a box. "I got you something."
"You didn't have to." Gloriosa opened her present to find two necklaces. Gem necklaces. They were a matching set. "They're beautiful."
"One for me, one for you. I was thinking I could wear the one that's your eye colour and you could wear the purple one, as it's my eye colour."
"Awe, that's so sweet." Gloriosa wrapped her arms around Aria's neck and brought her close to her lips. "Thank you. But I thought you wanted to get a necklace that reminded you of your home."
Aria smiled, "You are my home now. You're what makes me want to stay." She said as she brought them close for more loving kisses. "Here, I'll help you put on the necklace."
Gloriosa turned around and lifted her hair. Gently, Aria clipped the necklace and once she did, she wrapped her arms around Gloriosa's waist. She dug her face into the crook of her neck and melted into the ethereal, forestry scent.
"I don't think I ever want to leave now."
"You better not. You're like my only break away from the camp and everything else." Whenever she was stressed, Gloriosa could easily turn to Aria to be a source of comfort and break away from the stress in her life.
"As another birthday present, I convinced Adagio and Sonata to sing here at the camp."
"What?! That's amazing! I love you."
"I love you too."