Timber drove his car into the entrance of the Everfree Forest with Gloriosa and Twilight.
Twilight was impressed, to say the least. Unlike the dark, foreboding, evil forest she knew back home, this Everfree Forest seemed warm, welcoming, and almost fun.
“You know, I didn’t say this back at the beach, but: thanks for taking time off your lifeguard duties to take me here,” Twilight said.
“Well, we all need to get some time off from work. Also, I just really wanted to show this to you,” Timber said.
“You’re really going to love Camp Everfree. It’s a really special place to me and my brother,” Gloriosa said.
“Really? Because, where I come from the Everfree Forest is a really scary place. It’s usually avoided, since it’s basically a nest of monsters,” Twilight said.
“Well, you won’t have to worry about anything like that here. Camp Everfree is nothing but good times and sunshine from the get go.”
They passed through the front gate. And what a welcoming front gate it was, with its floral decorations, and tree branches carved into the posts.
When the car arrived, Twilight was taken in by the sights around her. There was a sparkling lake with fish happily swimming about in it, and a dock with a boat anchored to its post. Tents lined up in neat little rows dotted the grass nearby, open and welcoming occupants inside.
Timber parked his car, and Twilight wasted no time getting out to inhale deeply. Even the air in this place was better than the Everfree Forest she knew. Looking up, she saw a flock of birds flying across the cloudless sky.
“It’s amazing here,” Twilight commented.
“Tell me about it.” Gloriosa wrap her arm around Twilight’s shoulder. “Just wait until you see the Crystal Cave.”
“The Crystal Cave?” Twilight asked.
“It’s breathtaking! Trust me,” Gloriosa said. “But, that’s going to be for later. Right now, let’s head to the cafeteria and get some snacks. Then, we hit the lake.”
“More water? I’m glad I brought my swimsuit with me.”
Timber didn’t stray far from the car when they departed. He hadn’t had all the much time to talk with Twilight at the beach, but hoped to have time to talk with her now.
Gloriosa guided Timber and Twilight to the cafeteria, and went to the refrigerator to get something.
To Twilight, the cafeteria didn’t quite fit the rest of the aesthetic of the camp. However, it was just as welcoming and friendly as the rest of it.
“So, how are you liking the place so far,” Timber asked, as he and Twilight took a seat at a table.
“It’s fantastic. Everything here’s already better than my home,” Twilight answered, “So you’re telling me you work hard on the money you earned to save this camp?”
“Oh yeah. Those friends of yours. The Rainbooms. They were amazing! They took this place from financial ruin, and shot it right to the number one summer hangout,” Timber said.
“It’s because of them that more schools started attending here,” Gloriosa said, as she returned with a plate of s’mores.
“You two must really have your hands full running this place as the only two counselors,” Twilight said, as she helped herself to one of the s’mores.
“You’re right. It’s not always easy being the only two counselors. But, it’s always loads of fun.”
“So, what do you guys do around here when you’re not having fun with the campers?”
“Well, I don’t know if this counts as fun: but, me and Timber like to hang out in the forest a lot. Usually to inspect the hiking trails and gather firewood for the bonfires,” Gloriosa answered.
“I like to think of it as a bonding experience,” Timber said.
“Well, you two certainly seem close. But, what do you do when you’re not here at camp?” Twilight asked.
“The mall,” Timber said. “That’s where we spend all of our time when we’re not here. It’s the perfect place to unwind, and find something really cool to buy.”
“Lately, we’ve been spending a lot of time with the Rainbooms. I guess it’s our way of thanking them for helping to save our camp,” Gloriosa added.
Twilight smiled slightly. Even though she only knew them for a brief time, her friends in this world had come so far from when they first met.
“What about you?” Timber asked. “You’ve been learning so much about us, but we want to know more about you. The royalty from another world.”
It was a question that Twilight expected, but hadn’t actually thought that much about answering. Now, she was caught completely unprepared, but answered as simply and basically as she could.
“Well, as a princess it’s my job to oversee the welfare of the land,” Twilight began. The intrigued faces of her company let her know that it was not nearly enough to satisfy them. “My duties involve making sure friendships stay...well, friendly. And, I also spend a lot of time traveling to make sure that relations between kingdoms stay friendly. Sometimes, things break down, and I have to step in and avert a major crisis…”
Twilight was getting exhausted just thinking about what enormous responsibilities she had. And it was not unseen by her friends.
“Wow. That’s way bigger than running a camp,” Gloriosa said.
“Tell me about it. I’m glad we’re just the counselors, and not king and queen,” Timber added. They all shared a short giggle at the quip. Timber, however, decided that he thought to help his new friend unwind some. “How about we go on the boats?” he suggested.
“Great idea. This is going to be great,” Gloriosa hugged both Timber and Twilight.
“Is she always like this?” Twilight asked.
“Always,” Timber said.
They finished the plate of s’mores, and returned to outside. Twilight looked at the small boat that was meant to carry them down the river.
“This boat is safe, isn’t it?” Twilight asked, nothing the flimsy-looking design.
“Sure it is. Well, most of the time. These boats are made for two people, but three shouldn’t be too hard to manage,” Timber said.
That wasn’t exactly comforting as the siblings took their seats on either end of the boat, leaving Twilight to sit in the middle.
“I feel safer already…” Twilight said.
“If you want, you can sit by me,” Timber said, scooting over.
There was barely enough room for Twilight to sit there, but it was better than the unsecured middle. Quickly she took her seat next to Timber, and found another surprise.
One of his hands was holding an oar across both their laps. The other hand was placed around her shoulders.
“Comfortable?” he asked.
“Uh…”
“Alright. Let’s paddle.”
Twilight took hold of the oar with Timber, and started rowing with him. They rowed down the river and into the middle of the nearby lake.
Twilight took in the mountains and the treeline along the shore. This really was the better of the two forests she knew.
“I wish the Equestrian Everfree was like this. I’d spend more time there otherwise,” Twilight said.
They traveled down the river, then circled around to go back to the dock. It was a satisfying trip for Twilight who hugged both her new friends
“Thanks, you guys. The boat tour was great,” Twilight said.
Timber’s face tinted red. Sure, this wasn’t his Twilight, but she was just as nice. He kept his arms wrapped around her, long after Twilight released him.
“Timber, you can let go of me now.”
“Oh sorry!” Timber said, as he broke the hug. “So ummm, what are we going to do next?”
“Well, since we brought our swimsuits, I thought we could take a swim in the lake.”
“Alright. Let’s get changed,” Gloriosa said.
They quickly changed into their swimsuits, and stood on the edge of the dock.
“Okay, are we ready?” Gloriosa said, taking Twilight’s hand.
Twilight was taken by surprise when Timber took her other hand.
“Ready? Jump!” Timber said.
Taking the cue, Twilight jumped in with the others. There was an incredible splash. The three of them came up, and Twilight even managed a small laugh.
“This is already better than surfing,” Twilight said.
“Now, don’t put that down so fast. After all, everything’s more fun with people you love,” Gloriosa said.
Those words made Timber’s memories go back to his Twilight. His Twilight, who he wished was the one swimming in the lake with her hair down.
“Twilight I know we have so much time but I really think we should go to the Crystal Cave now,” Timber said.
“Good idea,” Gloriosa said, getting herself out of the pond. “Since it’s the only thing we have left for her tour here.”
The three of them all left the water, and dried themselves off. Timber took the extra time to gawk at Twilight, as she dried herself off, before she left to change back into her clothes.
They made it to the entrance of the cave with the boulder in front of it.
“Alright. Close your eyes before you go in,” Timber said.
“I think I’d rather go in with them open,” Twilight said, having noticed Timber staring.
“Oh no. This is best experienced as a surprise,” Gloriosa said.
She cupped her hands over Twilight’s eyes, and guided her in from behind. Timber took the opportunity to reach for Twilight’s hand, only to have it promptly swatted back to his side by his sister.
“Alright. Here we are. Open your eyes.”
Gloriosa took her hands from Twilight’s eyes, and presented a sight that left the visiting princess breathless.
Geodes sparkled brightly all around them in a spectrum of color the visiting princess never thought could exist.
“Timber. Gloriosa. I don’t know what to say about this cave,” Twilight said, as her smile itself seemed to light up the cave. “I never saw anything like this in my world...while besides Everfree Forest but this is...wow!”
“Of course it’s indescribable,” Daisy said. The memories of the time she almost ruined things like this for everyone. “Twilight,” she unsurely began, “Do you know if magic from your home has much of an effect on people here?”
“Actually, it does. I saw it myself a few times when I was visiting here before. I don’t know if it’s the people who contact the magic, or if it’s the magic itself, but whenever someone from here touches Equestrian magic: bad things happen,” Twilight answered.
“So, it’s not just me,” Gloriosa thought to herself. She was almost tempted ask more about it, but didn’t want to damper their visitor’s good spirits with her own horrendous experiences. “How much do you know about magic?”
“Almost everything. That’s how I got my start at becoming a princess. By learning everything to control the right amount of magic.”
“Wow. You’re really something,” Timber said.
Twilight noticed the way he was looking at her, which sent a pang of discomfort through her mind.
“Uh, Timber. Something I’ve kind of been wondering about: why do you keep staring at me? I don’t want to be rude or anything, but it’s kind of strange,” Twilight said.
“Oh, that’s right. You don’t know what’s between my brother and our Twilight,” Gloriosa said.
“What is it?”
“Nothing really,” Timber answered. “It’s just that we’re...kind of involved.”
“Involved? Like, you’re her boyfriend?”
“No. I mean, we’ve gone out a few times. Held hands a lot. Learned we have almost everything in common, and had a few bonding moments here at this very campsite. But...Well, we’ve never said it, but: yeah. I’m her boyfriend. I think…”
“Don’t think too much about it. I actually know just how you feel,” Twilight said. “The first time I came here from Equestria, I met a boy named Flash Sentry. When I had to go home, I met someone just like him. Except, he didn’t feel much anything toward me. It hurt a little, but I got past it.”
“Really? Did you find someone else after him?” Gloriosa asked.
“No…”
So much for not dampening their guest’s spirits. Twilight looked suddenly despondent in the cave. Timber and Gloriosa both felt like they should say something, but didn’t know what. Until Twilight started smiling again.
“But, let’s not focus on these things. Thanks for the tour. It really was special,” Twilight said.
“No problem. But, we should really get back to the beach now. If I’m not back on duty, I might lose my job,” Timber said.
“Oh boy. More surfing melodramatics,” Twilight said.
“What surfing melodramatics?” Gloriosa wondered.
“I’d rather not say,” Timber answered.
The three of them exited the cave, and headed back to the car to go back to the beach.