//------------------------------// // Gloriosa's Memories // Story: Legend of Everfree: Another Story // by ArcanaMaverick7 //------------------------------// After grabbing onto Gloriosa's arm, Sunset Shimmer's magic kicked in and allowed her to look into the counselor's memories to see why she seemed to be causing chaos around Camp Everfree. The first relevant memory that she witnessed took place in Gloriosa's office, where she and Filthy Rich were talking about the camp property. "My, oh, my. You fell behind on your payments, Gloriosa. I own the land now," the businessman stated. "Please. My great grandparents founded this place. It's been in our family for generations! You have to let the camp stay," Gloriosa begged as she felt defeated. "Instead of turning it into a spa resort that will line my pockets with more money than this camp ever could," Filthy Rich rhetorically asked with a chuckle as he patted the jacket pockets of his suit. "I don't think so. It would be a wasted chance for a good and honest business venture if I did that." Gloriosa was becoming desperate as she continued to pleade. "Please! I-I-I-I just need a little more time! I can get you the money I owe you for everything! Just let me work things out." "Fine. I'll give you 'til the end of the month," Filthy Rich agreed. "If you don't give me the payments you owe, this property will be mine and I'll do whatever I see fit with the land," he stated as he left. When he did, Gloriosa broke down in sorrow and started to cry. As tears fell down her face as she sat at her office desk, the scene soon changed to her doing the same thing at the waterfall grotto. Sitting on a log as she looked at the water, Gloriosa Daisy was despondent about the situation. "What'll I do? Even if we get more campers coming with that class from Canterlot High, there still won't be enough. Especially if they don't enjoy their time here," Gloriosa moaned as she started to cry again and her tears dripped into the water. Soon, she saw a strange glittering trail in the reflection of the water. Looking up to see the unusual wisp in the sky, Gloriosa followed after it until it stopped at the cave in the rock quarry. Squeezing through the cave entrance and stumbling into the area, the counselor was in complete awe at the sight of the crystals covering the cave. Seeing the geode spires, Gloriosa approached them and saw seven colorful crystals on a flat part of the spires. Placing her hand on them, she soon felt it get stuck and pulled herself free, grabbing five of crystals as she fell backward. She would've hit the hard ground, but a bed of vines immediately sprouted from the ground and caught her. Gloriosa looked at the vines before opening her hand to see the five crystals she grabbed began to float in her palm. "Maybe these can help me," Gloriosa mused to herself as the vines moved to help her stand up. As she walked out of the cave and began to test her new powers, she thought that she saw a strange black portal and burning eyes appear in the woods near the quarry, but dismissed it as part of her imagination. Soon, the memories changed to Gloriosa's office again as Timber Spruce confronted her about the geodes she had. "You don't know what those things are," Timber said to his sister as he expressed concern for the magical crystals that now hung from Gloriosa's neck. "But I know what they can do! I've been practicing," Gloriosa exclaimed as she placed a hand on the geodes and raised her other hand to make a potted plant in her office extend itself. "I can control their power now!" Timber watched the plants move around at his sister's command and was suspicious about them, even worried about what they might do since Gloriosa found them in a cave at the rock quarry. "You don't know that for sure! They could make you sick or something," Timber stated, but Gloriosa glared at him for not trusting her. Turning around and dismissing his sibling, Timber tried to leave until Gloriosa grabbed his arm. "This is our camp, and it's being taken away! If this has to be our last week here, I'm going to use whatever it takes to make it count," Gloriosa stated as she had a fiery look in her eyes. The next important memories shown were when the strange instances occurred around camp. Derpy and Sandalwood were sailing, but the wind died and they were stuck in the water until Gloriosa used her magic to have some vines sprout from the water and give them a push. Unfortunately, the force was too strong and the boat was sent toward the dock, causing Ventus Gaia to save them before they got hurt. Gloriosa realized her mistake and fled from the scene, not noticing a portal and a bear-like creature growling as it looked at the ruined dock. The next memory showed Trixie, Micro Chips, and Lapis all going fishing at a nearby river, but it was dried up because boulders were blocking the current. Gloriosa saw this and used her vines to dislodge the rocks, causing a rockslide that shook the campgrounds while the river began to flow again. As Gloriosa left to go check on the others, nobody noticed a swarm of mantis-like monsters begin heading for the camp. Soon, Timber and Gloriosa began to argue in the lakehouse after everything that had been happening. "You were using magic all over the place! I had to tell them something to cover for you," Timber told his sister as he explained why the campers were freaking out over 'Gaea Everfree'. "What did you want me to do?!" "I just wish you didn't tell them that ridiculous story," Gloriosa shouted at her brother. "Ah, this is all too much for you! You have to let it go," Timber stated as he referred to the crystals that gave Gloriosa her powers. Before they could argue anymore, Gloriosa stormed out the room and head off for the cave where she first found the geodes. After seeing all the important memories, Sunset released Gloriosa's hand and the latter pulled her arm away. Sunset held her head as she processed everything she saw. "Timber wasn't talking about letting go of the camp. He was talking about you letting go of the magical geodes! Azalea was right earlier," Sunset stated and had Gloriosa look at her in shock. "All those things you were doing to make this week the best week ever. Every time you used magic to do them, you caused another problem somewhere else and Grimm showed up when you left because of these things appearing," Sunset stated as she confronted Gloriosa, causing the latter to back herself into the spires. "Timber was... covering for you," Sunset realized as she looked at Twilight and found out that she was wrong about the boy being the culprit. "How do you know what I was doing with the geodes? How do you know about the magic," Gloriosa questioned as she glared at Sunset Shimmer. "I can see things. Feel things. Because I have magic, too," Sunset explained. "And so does she. And so do our friends," she added as she gestured to Twilight and the Rainbooms. "Gloriosa, Timber wasn't wrong," Twilight said. "Maybe you should stop using magic. Too much of it can be dangerous if you can't control it," she stated as attempted to reason with Gloriosa, mentioning her own experiences. "Oh, I got this," Gloriosa dismissed with a wave of her hand and a look of sinister confidence on her face. "And I'm going to use it to save my camp. I just need more power," she declared as she started to reach for the last two crystals on the spire. "NO," Sunset and Twilight shouted as Gloriosa's hand inched closer to the magic geode crystals. But before Gloriosa could grab them, she felt a blow to her stomach and grunted in pain as she was knocked back. Using her vines to catch her again, Gloriosa saw that something was blocking her from reaching the crystals. Coming into view, Azalea glared at Gloriosa as the former pulled out her Multi-Action Bust Baton, Gladion. "You aren't getting these crystals, Gloriosa," Azalea told the woman as she adjusted her stance to get ready for a fight. "Oh, I AM," Gloriosa shouted as she used her magic to make several vines appear from the ground to battle the young Huntress.