Chapter 13
Infirmary, Camp Everfree
Chrysalis rolled over onto her side and clenched the plain, cotton bed sheets closer to her chest. They were far from what any sane being would consider comfortable, but she begrudgingly accepted the fact that it made sense for an infirmary to have utilitarian furnishings. The décor of the room seemed to follow a similar line of logic. It made little difference to her. She’d struggled getting even a single wink of sleep the night prior despite her best efforts. The situation she currently found herself in, on this isolated world gnawed at her psyche.
After letting out a tired sigh, she stared at the digital clock sitting over by the coffee table. Its greenish-blue neon numerals (her comprehension of basic human knowledge came courtesy of Fluttershy) read 4:30 am. No diurnal sapient race, such as humans, should be awake at such an early hour of the morning. Unless, for a specific purpose. The only creatures up and about were birds and other woodland fauna. Chrysalis blinked slowly and felt the specter of anxiety grip her chest like a vice.
The night prior, she’d waited until Fluttershy left so that she could sneak off into the forest and investigate what remained of the escape pod without any interruptions. Finding the craft had been simple enough; she merely followed the magic pulse signal it emitted that was only detectable by her race. When Chrysalis finally got the chance to boot up the pod’s information systems, she’d nearly fainted on the spot from the shock of what she’d learned.
Much to her dismay, the chronometer told her that she’d been adrift in the cold vacuum of space for well over eighteen hundred cycles. After a quick bit of math in her head, she deduced that it was, more or less, equivalent to nearly two thousand years’ worth of Earth time. Cicadians were a fairly long-lived race; the average female lifespan was typically around twelve hundred cycles. However, given the fact that she’d been missing for a few hundred cycles beyond that, Chrysalis doubted anyone who cared enough to look for her in the first place was still alive at this point.
She double checked the orbital charts logged in the pod’s database just to confirm the distance she’d traveled as well. It never hurt to make sure that something was accurate with another set of data. The numbers she saw confirmed what the chronometer had already told her. Princess Chrysalis was far from home, stuck on a primitive planet, with no hope of returning any time soon. To add insult to injury, everyone she’d ever known and loved was likely dead too.
Chrysalis wasn’t sure exactly how long she’d curled up into a ball beside the pod and wept. By the time she’d gathered sufficient motivation to return to the human camp, her muscles felt stiff and her eyes were green and bloodshot. Yet, the sun still had not risen over the horizon of trees. It was a small blessing that she’d managed to evade the notice of the humans. The only thing she’d brought along with her from the pod was a collapsible, solar-powered plasma rifle.
It was military grade, of course. Light, durable, and made of the highest quality organo-tech available. Much like the escape pod she’d arrived in. Chrysalis made sure that she hid the rifle in a secure spot. She was uncertain how the humans would react to technology that was thousands of cycles beyond their ability to produce or understand. The weapons could also serve as a means to… end her existence should it come to that. Depression and hopelessness plagued her mind but she hadn’t quite gotten to the point where she felt that suicide was an inevitable conclusion.
Tears welled in her eyes and pattered softly onto the pillow beneath her head. Exhausted as she was, Princess Chrysalis simply did not have the strength to cry anymore. In a matter of moments, she drifted to sleep and found a brief respite to her woes in blissful arms of unconsciousness.
Chrysalis awoke with a start when she heard someone knock on the door to the infirmary. She stole a glance over at the clock and found that the time was currently 6:05 am. Barely an hour and a half had passed since she fell asleep. She wondered if this was even considered a reasonable time for humans to start their days. Somehow, she doubted it. Even though Chrysalis knew that she must have looked terrible, she sat up and tried to appear alert and composed.
The prickly woman from before stood in the doorway. After a brief reading of her emotional aura, Chrysalis came to the conclusion that her mood had changed very little since they first met but it was slightly less hostile than before. She took it as a good sign. The woman padded across the tile floor and sat on the edge of the cot. Chrysalis caught a faint whiff of sweat mixed with what she assumed was the woman’s natural scent. It was not entirely unpleasant.
Adagio rubbed her hands together and sighed. “Good morning, Chrysalis. I hope that I—uh—didn’t disturb your sleep or whatever. I figured that since I was already out for my morning jog, it would be a good idea to… check in you. Erm—how’s it going?”
“Fret not, Adagio Dazzle. You have disturbed nothing of consequence. I was unable to get much sleep last night anyway. Pardon my bluntness, but I was under the impression that you disliked me and distrusted my intentions. Why are you here? What changed your mind so suddenly?”
Adagio’s cheeks flushed slightly while she looked down at her feet. “I gave some thought to what Gloriosa said yesterday afternoon. And—well—after talking it over with Tree Hugger, I decided that I may have jumped the gun a wee bit. With you! Meeting you, I mean. Ugh! Damnit I really suck at apologies. I guess what I’m saying is: sorry. We got off on the wrong foot.”
Touched by the woman’s sincerity, Chrysalis managed a fanged smile. “Ah~ So that’s how it is. Well, I appreciate that you took the time to come see me this morning. This has been a trying time for me and I feel as though having someone here to talk to would help… ease my mind.”
“Yeah, I figured you might. AHEM. How’d you like to get out of here? It can’t possibly be fun hanging around the infirmary all day. Besides, I think a nice, hot shower would do you a world of good right now. I need to take one anyway, so you can come with me if you want…”
Chrysalis tentatively sniffed herself and nodded. “Indeed. Personal hygiene is a habit that I hold in high regard. My apologies, Adagio Dazzle but… might I borrow some of your cleansing products? I am bereft of my own and any custom to purchase them with.”
Adagio let out an awkward, snorting laugh. “You sound like one of those Renaissance Faire geeks. Don’t sweat it your highness, I’ve got plenty to go around.”
“Much obliged. Aren’t you worried that the other humans will take offence to my presence? I don’t wish to cause any undue panic and scare everyone. I would morph to disguise myself as a human female, but alas, my energy is severely depleted at the moment.”
Damn. This version of everyone’s favorite parasitic party-crasher must not realize just how freakin’ hot she is. With a big ole’ pair of fun bags, legs for days, and all of that junk in the trunk? Sweet Oceans! Talk about shakin’ what yo’ momma gave ya! I wouldn’t be surprised if she had half the camp slobbering over her within a day, even if she is an alien. But… I digress.
“You don’t look… terribly different from the other human females running around the camp. Erm—I mean, that is to say: your body is fine the way it appears. If anyone gives you gaff, I’ll just tell ‘em that you’re into hardcore cosplaying. C’mon! Let’s get going already! I worked up a pretty good sweat from my jog earlier and it’s making me feel all clammy and nasty.”
Chrysalis had no idea what ‘cosplaying’ was but she agreed wholeheartedly that bathing was an excellent idea. “Very well then. I take it you are familiar with how to get there?”
Adagio offered her hand to the princess hesitantly. “I do. But no funny business! Like mind control or any of that other weird emotion-reading shit you guys are so fond of. If you do ANYTHING like that while I’m holding your hand, I will not hesitate to kick your alien ass into next week. Do we have an understanding?”
Chrysalis placed her hand on her heart. “You have my solemn oath as a Princess that I shall not infringe upon the sanctity of your free will, Adagio Dazzle.”
The siren helped Chrysalis to her feet and blushed at how serious the alien was. “Umm… ok. That’s good enough for me. I believe you! Since it’s still so early in the morning, the showers should be pretty light on foot traffic right now. Afterwards, we can head on over to the canteen and get ourselves a hearty breakfast. My treat!”
As it turns out, Princess Chrysalis wasn’t very good at washing herself. Or… at least, she was unfamiliar with the concept of shampoo, body wash, and soap. Her people had developed some kind of weird goo chamber that did all of that for them automatically. Adagio thought it would have been more of a pain in the ass to help the alien woman bathe, but it was actually kind of fun. They both enjoyed a relaxing, hot shower and got to chat about a few things.
Chrysalis had somehow gleaned a lot of basic information regarding humanity from her brief interaction with Fluttershy the day prior, but she still asked plenty of questions regarding social customs and proper etiquette. Adagio didn’t feel like she was even remotely qualified to be the princess’s tutor when it came to such things. Yet, she did the best she could, given the circumstances. It was a hell of a lot better to find out about those sorts of things from someone else rather than by trial and error. Adagio had learned that particular lesson the hard way.
Once they the two women were fresh and clean, they made their way over to the nearly deserted canteen. It was still only about six forty-five in the morning. Most guests, being on vacation, weren’t typically inclined to eat breakfast at such an early hour. That suited Adagio just fine. She didn’t feel like answering a ton of awkward, prying questions regarding Camp Everfree’s newest resident. After bringing over a tray of water and coffee to their table, Wallflower eyed the two women curiously but did her best to appear professional.
“Good morning. What would you guys like to eat?”
Adagio wasn’t sure if Chrysalis could even read the menu, so she took the liberty of ordering on the princess’s behalf. “Sup? We’ll take two of the Hangover Specials.”
Wallflower rubbed her arm. “Are you absolutely sure that’s what you two want to eat? The Hangover Special is meant for people who—uh—have a hangover. Are you sure you don’t want something lighter? Might I suggest: maple brown sugar oatmeal with apples and—”
Adagio crossed her legs and gave Wallflower a deadpan stare. “Did I stutter, sweetie? Why don’t you move along and get your cute, freckled behind back to the kitchen? I assure you that we are both hungry enough to clean our places. Capiche?”
Wallflower blushed furiously at Adagio’s backhanded compliment, but scampered off to place their order as she was instructed. With that out of the way, the siren grabbed her coffee mug and took a big gulp of the caffeinated elixir contained within. She smiled and sighed contentedly.
“Now, that’s one damn fine cup of Ethiopian Arabica. Just a hint of cream and nothing else! I’ve got to hand to Gloriosa, she certainly knows her coffee. Go on, Chrysalis. Don’t be afraid to take a swig of it. I’m sure you could use a pick me up right now.”
Chrysalis took a dainty sip from her own mug and crinkled her lips. She much preferred sweeter beverages like fruit juice, but the brown liquid Adagio referred to as ‘coffee’ did have the benefit of delivering a powerful stimulant straight to her nervous system. “Hmm. I suppose this does function as advertised. Although, I’m not sure I enjoy the bitter taste.”
“That’s because you didn’t put anything in it. Coffee tastes way better with cream and sugar.”
Chrysalis looked down at her cup with a confused expression. “Then, pray tell, what is the point of imbibing this foul beverage? Is it designed merely for stimulation? I can think of at least a dozen better ways to energize one’s self in the morning than this.”
Adagio groaned and shook her head. “Fine. You don’t have to drink it. I’ll just order you some apple juice or whatever. Does that suit your pallet, most revered princess of the Bug-People?”
Before Chrysalis could respond to Adagio’s sarcastic barb, Wallflower came pattering over to the table and dropped off their respective meals. Both plates were piled high with pancakes, hash browns, bacon, and toast slathered in a substance that Adagio referred to as ‘Saw Mill Gravy’. Chrysalis took a tentative sniff of the food and found that it smelled rich and meaty, despite its appearance to the contrary. She noticed that Adagio had already begun devouring her portion with the same dignity and grace of a ravenous burrowing worm.
With her mouth still full of food, Adagio waived her fork at Wallflower and asked her to fetch some apple juice for Chrysalis. The waitress nodded politely and went back to the kitchen without so much as a complaint. When the poofy-haired woman finally managed to swallow what she was eating, she let out a loud belch and wiped her mouth with a napkin. Chrysalis had only eaten a small portion of her own meal.
“What’s wrong? Is breakfast not to your liking?”
Chrysalis slowly chewed on a strip of bacon and shrugged. “No, the meal is quite appetizing. I know that I need the energy but for some reason, my appetite isn’t as robust as it normally is. Perhaps, the events of last night are affecting me more than I realized…”
Adagio felt her stomach begin to churn. And it wasn’t just because she’d eaten an entire, butter-soaked pancake in three bites. She bit her lip and looked around the room for anyone else who might be able to give Chrysalis a much-needed pep talk. Adagio winced when she realized that they were the only two souls inhabiting the canteen at the moment. The siren closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, and slowly got out of her seat. She then walked behind Chrysalis and placed her hands on the princess’s shoulders, rubbing them gently in the process.
“Look, I know what it’s like to feel scared and alone in a world that isn’t your own. A long time ago, I was banished to this place from Equestria. A different, but parallel reality that shares some similarities to this one. There is a way to get back there but I wouldn’t exactly be welcomed back with open hooves. I did a lot of… terrible things there, you could say.”
Chrysalis nodded in understanding. “I knew I sensed something different about you. The emotional aura you exude is much more restrained than everyone else I have encountered thus far. A defense mechanism against empaths, if I’ve ever seen one.”
Adagio’s expression grew dark. “Yeah, well… let’s just say that your doppelgänger from my world was far more cruel, manipulative, and evil than you are. She would ruthlessly exploit any weakness she could find, regardless of her opponent. It’s why I’ve been so cautious and distrusting of you. Nothing personal. Old habits die hard, I guess…”
“How unfortunate. I can’t imagine what circumstances led her to become that way.”
Adagio looked down at her feet. “I don’t know either. Maybe her parents didn’t hug her.”
“Far be it for me to judge another race’s parenting techniques. Speaking of: I know that you are now, more or less, a human. What species were you prior to your banishment?”
A lump caught in Adagio’s throat. “How did you… figure that out?”
“Intuition mostly. And a little bit of personal experience too. My people are able to take on the form of any living creature we so desire. In a sense, you could say that I am accustomed to placing myself in the skin of others. Quite literally. I won’t morph now, of course. It would attract too much unwanted attention. The way you speak, your mannerisms, your affinity for meat. It all suggests that you were an alpha predator. Am I incorrect in assuming so?”
Adagio clenched her toes. “No. That’s exactly what I was before. As I’m sure you can tell: I’m far from perfect. But I am trying to be a better person. Better than I was before. With all the bridges I’ve burned over the years, I’m surprised that anyone is willing to give me a chance.”
Chrysalis grasped Adagio’s hand. “Yes, you are rather crude and have a short temper from what I can tell. However, I also sense an underlying layer of sincerity behind the façade you present. Even those who lack our empathic abilities can clearly see the effort you are putting into bettering yourself. That, Adagio Dazzle, is why they give you the benefit of the doubt.”
Adagio plopped down in her chair and let out an annoyed huff. “Figures. I try to be nice for a change and give someone a pep-talk, and I wind up getting one myself.”
“There’s no need to sell yourself short,” Chrysalis giggled, “I’ve very much appreciated your company this morning. Talking to you has… taken my mind off of darker thoughts.”
Wallflower chose that very moment to quietly announce her presence and drop off Chrysalis’s juice box. She felt a little uncomfortable because it was clear that the two of them were having a moment of self-reflection (she’d overheard their entire conversation thanks to her innate ability to remain unnoticed). Despite the gnawing sense of guilt she harbored for essentially eavesdropping on the pair, it gave Wallflower unprecedented insight into why they behaved (and looked in Chrysalis’s case) so differently from the other guests.
Neither Adagio or this Chrysalis character were natural-born humans it seemed. The answer was obvious when Wallflower had a chance to think on the matter further. As a semi-pro connoisseur of cosplay, she suspected that Chrysalis’s ears, eyes, and fangs were way too realistic-looking to be prosthetics. That meant she was an honest to goodness alien from another planet!
After geeking out for a moment, Wallflower realized that she needed to tell Gloriosa about her new, extra-terrestrial guest as soon as possible. The woman didn’t appear to be doing anything nefarious, but she didn’t want to take any chances. Maybe the alien was simply putting on an act and had already hypnotized Adagio into doing her evil bidding.
Wallflower gave the pair the best polite smile she could muster. It was terribly fake and forced but all Adagio did was raise her eyebrow. “There you go! A freshly chilled box of apple juice like you requested! Please, enjoy it and don’t hesitate to ask if you need anything else.”
Chrysalis continued to eat the remainder of her breakfast in comfortable silence while Adagio nursed another cup of coffee. She took a sip from her juice box and hummed with pleasure at the sweet, fruity taste. It was strange. The freckled girl that had just served them seemed a bit apprehensive. Almost as if she was frightened of something or someone. Chrysalis wanted to dismiss their waitress’s behavior as a one-time thing, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that the way she’d acted went deeper than mere coincidence.
The alien princess cleared her throat. “Should we be concerned about the waitress?”
“Who? Wallflower? I have to admit that she can socially awkward at times, but I don’t think she acted much different than she normally does. Why do you ask?”
Chrysalis rubbed her chin in thought. “Her aura suggested otherwise. Fear. Apprehension. Neurosis. All lurking just beneath her façade of professionalism. Perhaps I am simply overthinking what I sensed. Forgive me.”
“Hmm. It’s possible that she overheard us talking earlier. On the other hand, what exactly would she have to gain by telling anyone what we are? Tell you what: I’ll have Lucifer trail her and make sure she doesn’t do anything rash. Does that help put your mind at ease, Princess?”
Chrysalis leaned back in her chair, put her hands behind her head, and sighed. “Who is this Lucifer you speak of? I haven’t seen you interact with any male humans… yet.”
Adagio coughed and nearly choked on her own spit. “Lucifer’s not some clandestine lover that I’m having a secret tryst with, you know! He’s a… beloved companion who’s seen me through thick and thin. If I send a strong enough emotional signal, he’ll know what to do.”
“Something akin to a familiar? You shall have to introduce me to him at some point. Have your… companion do so for the time being, I suppose. Call me overly sentimental, but it doesn’t feel right for us to be spying on the waitress. Yet, my instincts have rarely ever been wrong. Tell me, Adagio: does that make me a terrible person? For being cautious, I mean.”
“I’m the wrong person to ask. Morality has never been my strong suit.” Adagio admitted.
“Fair enough. I would still like to try and become friends with her if possible. Would you not agree that is the best method to earn everyone’s trust and acceptance around the camp?”
Adagio let out a snorting laugh and smacked her fist against the table. “By the oceans! I know that you’re obviously different from the Vampire Bitch Queen I once knew, but it amazes me how similar you two are in your train of thought. Not that I’m criticizing you or anything. There’s no such thing as being too careful when it comes to humans.”
Chrysalis’s cheeks flushed with a sickly green hue. “You’re making it sound as though I’m being duplicitous on purpose! I assure you that is not the case! I’m simply concerned that the humans will find it difficult to accept my alien physique while—"
“Relax, Princess. Your heart’s in the right place. It may not seem like it, but you couldn’t have picked a better place to land your escape pod. You’ll find that the people here are all quite accepting and tend not to judge anyone’s physical appearance. That’s kind of the whole point of a naturist camp. Or at least that’s what I was led to believe. Besides, you can always apologize later if the need arises. That’s what I usually do whenever I fuck things up.”
Cheeks still flushed, Chrysalis cleared her throat and tired to relax. “Very well, then. You’ve made your point, Adagio Dazzle. I shall have to play everything by ear, as the expression goes. In the meantime, I will try my best not to jump to conclusions with these humans.”
One alien princess thus mollified; Adagio went back to sipping her coffee in peace. Loathe as she was to admit it, she too was under the impression that Wallflower Blush seemed just a wee bit more paranoid and awkward than normal. In fact, Adagio was entirely serious in her commitment to sending Lucifer to spy on the dorky girl. Not for the first time, she was glad that her darling vulture was such an unassuming creature. Adagio smiled as she savored the last swig. The former villain felt proud that she was finally doing something good for a change.
Wallflower ran as fast as her feet could carry her (which wasn’t very fast considering that she currently had no shoes on nor was she a professional runner by any stretch of the imagination). It was more like an awkward, spindling gait across the camp which contained about the same amount of athletic grace as a goose trying to traverse a frozen lake. On several occasions, she nearly tripped over her own feet and faceplanted into the grass. But at least she got to Gloriosa’s cabin in a timely matter. That’s what counted in her book.
She was so anxious that she hadn’t even remembered to knock on the camp owner’s door. Nor did she take into consideration what Gloriosa might be doing at eight o’clock in the morning. Thankfully, the older woman was merely going through her yoga routine with Rufus close by. The situation could have potentially been so much more embarrassing had Wallflower barged in on Flash and Gloriosa sharing an… intimate moment together. It took the disheveled Otaku a few moments of huffing and puffing before she gained enough composure to speak.
Gloriosa wiped her face with a towel and placed her hand on Wallflower’s shoulder. “Are you alright? How’s come you’re all out of breath? And more importantly, what are you doing here?”
“Sorry,” Wallflower wheezed, “there wasn’t any time. I had to… get here as soon as possible.”
“I take it you don’t really run that often, do you?”
Wallflower put her hands on her hips and glared at Gloriosa. “Gee, whatever gave you that idea? OF COURSE NOT! I like anime and books, not track and field! Ugh… I feel like I’m going to throw up. Is that… normal after exercising?”
Gloriosa padded over to her fridge and handed Wallflower a bottle of water. “Eh—not really but I suppose it can’t be helped in your case. Here. Drink this. Just make sure you don’t drink it too fast though. Or you actually will throw up.”
“Thanks. Oh man! That’s some tasty water. Is it that expensive stuff that comes from a volcanic spring or whatever? Rarity seems to always have it on hand whenever I visit her house.”
Glorisa shook her head. “Actually, I made it myself. Came straight from the lake.”
“You remembered to… sterilize it first, didn’t you? I don’t want to get Ebola!”
Gloriosa sighed. “It’s perfectly safe to drink, Wallflower. Can we please focus on why you suddenly barged into my cabin at eight o’clock in the morning instead?”
“Err—right. Sorry, again. I overheard Adagio and some new girl talking in the canteen over breakfast. Normally, I wouldn’t make a big deal out of what people gossip about but… I swear I heard them mention aliens. Did you see what the new girl looks like? She’s got pointy ears, fangs, black skin, and slitted pupils. Trust me; I’ve seen tons of cosplay and everything looked way too realistic to be makeup or props. She’s gotta be the real deal!”
Gloriosa pinched the bridge of her nose. “So, let me get this straight: just because this new guest looks different, you immediately jump to the forgone conclusion that she’s an extra-terrestrial? Wallflower, are you sure you’re not just having some mini-anxiety attack? If so, I think you should lie down for a while and rest. I’ll tell Smokey that you won’t be coming back—”
Wallflower’s face flushed and she stomped her foot on the floor. “I’m being serious, Gloriosa! C’mon. Don’t treat me like I’m stupid or crazy. You know there’s already magic in the world. Firsthand, I might add! Why would aliens living among us be any less strange? Please, just consider looking into it. If she turns out to be normal, then it won’t be a big deal.”
“Ok. I promise that I’ll talk to her as soon as I get the chance. But don’t do anything rash on your own. The last thing Timber or I need is to have Camp Everfree put into the media spotlight over a possible harassment lawsuit. Now, that being said: do you need the rest of the day off?”
Wallflower rubbed her arm. “No, I think I’ll be ok.”
“Why don’t you go ahead and take a paid day off anyway. Boss’s orders. I’ll just have Gilda or Flash help out in the kitchen today since the activity schedule is light. I’m sure that Fluttershy will be happy to spend some quality time with her girlfriend. Sound good?”
Wallflower opened her mouth but closed it just as quickly for fear of digging herself into a hole she wouldn’t be able to bail herself out of. Instead, she simply nodded. While Gloriosa watched her employee walk back towards the guest cabins, she heaved a heavy sigh and sat down next to Rufus. She reached over and began running her fingers through his fur while she pondered what to do about the Chrysalis situation.
“What the hell am I going to do about her? I can’t very well kick her out of the camp. Chrysalis literally has nowhere else to go and no money to support herself. I guess… I could always hire her as a third counselor or something like that. What do you think, Rufus?”
The Honey Badger silently contemplated what his favorite human said. Either that or he was simply too busy enjoying all the affection she was showering him with to care. He purred and rubbed his fur alongside her leg. When she didn’t react immediately, he began licking her toes, which made Gloriosa giggle aloud. Little did anyone know; she was actually quite ticklish.
Gloriosa picked Rufus up by his belly and nuzzled his snout. “You’ve always been a clever little guy. But I honestly can’t expect to you give me advice on how to run my own camp, can I?”
Just then, Gloriosa heard a tapping sound on her window. She put Rufus down and walked over to the windowsill to investigate what had caused the noise. Gloriosa was a bit surprised to see Lucifer sitting in the grass outside, busy preening his feathers. When she finally got around to opening the window, he looked up at her and cocked his bald head.
“Permission to enter your abode, Ma’am?”
Gloriosa blinked owlishly. “Uh—sure. Come on in, Lucifer. What can I help you with?”
“Pardon my frankness, but I believe that I might be able to render assistance to you instead. You see: I couldn’t help but overhear your quandary earlier whilst I was searching for breakfast. Unfortunately, I find myself lacking in said morning victuals.”
“How did you even manage to hear my conversation with Rufus?”
Lucifer paused for a moment and clicked his beak. “Magically augmented eardrums, my dear.”
A loud gurgling noise soon followed. Bizarre as it may have seemed, Gloriosa swore she that saw the turkey vulture actually blush. Not wanting to seem rude to Adagio’s… pet, she opened up the fridge again and looked around for any kind of raw meat that might have been laying around. Gloriosa typically didn’t keep much food around the cabin. Mostly because there was a perfectly good canteen nearby to get three square meals from every day. Unable to find anything suitable in the fridge, she offered Lucifer a chocolate peanut butter breakfast bar. Much to her surprise, he accepted the bar without complaint and devoured it in just a few bites.
Lucifer blushed again and shuffled his claws. “Do you happen to have anything else in your pantry? I’m rather famished it would seem. Apologies, Miss Daisy. I don’t mean to impose.”
Not wanting to let his feathered friend go hungry, Rufus scampered off to retrieve some food from his secret stash (which also happened to be at the cabin). A few moments later, he returned with a bag of pepper beef jerky and plopped directly it in front of Lucifer’s claws. The vulture didn’t waste any time ripping the package open and gobbling up the dried meat inside.
Gloriosa looked down at Rufus expectantly. “Do I even want to know how you managed to get your paws on a bag of beef jerky? You better not have stolen it…”
Rufus barked twice and shook his head.
“I’m fairly certain young Master Rufus obtained said jerky from Mr. Smokey Bones earlier. Eh—hold on a moment. Ah, yes. That is indeed the case. Although, I’m not sure why our esteemed cook would think to give him some. It was quite good though! Thank you.”
Gloriosa sighed. “I’ll have to pull Smokey aside and discuss a proper diet plan for Rufus. I don’t want him to get sick or unhealthy from eating too much human food. Especially, since he’s not really supposed to be a domesticated animal. Try telling him that though…”
“You are, of course, correct on all counts. But I’m certain that his mother taught him how to hunt and forage for food out in the wild properly. Isn’t that right, Rufus?”
The badger barked once and wagged his tail.
“You see? He’s perfectly capable of surviving on his own in the forest, Miss Daisy. Now, onto the matter I referred to earlier. Miss Chrysalis appears to be quite intelligent. At least, that’s what my Mistress has conveyed to me. Would it not be prudent to test her skills with an aptitude test?
“I imagine the camp could use someone skilled in the use of technology. Both in terms of implementation and repairs. She could stay in one of the cabins and eat at the canteen as part of her employment package. It would kill two birds with one stone! Erm—so to speak.”
Gloriosa took a sip from her water bottle. “Yeah, I guess that could work. It’s settled then! I’ll call Chrysalis into my office and see exactly what she’s capable of. Thanks for the advice, Lucifer. Uh… I don’t mean to be rude but I have a lot of things I need to do this morning.”
“No worries! I completely understand. I’ll just let myself out. Enjoy the remainder of your day, Miss Daisy, Rufus. And thanks again for the victuals. Ta-Ta for now~”
Lucifer made sure to fly far enough away so that he would be completely out of sight from Gloriosa’s field of vision. As his mistress had instructed, he perched on a tree branch near the Rec Center and waited for her to arrive. It didn’t take her long to show up. Only about ten minutes or so. She’d even brought a long a freshly caught batch of Rainbow Trout. After eating his share of the catch, Lucifer bowed to his mistress.
“It would seem that Miss Daisy is intent on harboring Miss Chrysalis here at the camp. From what I was led to believe, Miss Daisy will also provide her with gainful employment and food as well. All based on a forthcoming aptitude test, of course.
“As for Miss Wallflower: she seemed upset at the prospect of Miss Chrysalis being an extra-terrestrial, but Miss Daisy dissuaded her from overreacting by offering to look into the matter herself. I’m not sure if we need to worry about her, Mistress. She could potentially be a liability to Miss Chrysalis fitting in around here. What would you have me do?”
Adagio ruffled Lucifer’s chest feathers affectionately. “That all depends on what she says and who she talks to. If Gloriosa said she’d look into the problem, then that may have been enough to assuage Wallflower’s concerns. But honestly: who knows for sure with that girl? Half the time, she’s just one stressful conversation away from having another anxiety attack. Poor thing.”
“Indeed. However, she does have Miss Fluttershy and Mr. Bones around to help her out when things turn sour. That truly is a blessing for someone with her condition. Shall I fly over to her cabin and see what she’d doing? Just in case she does decide to make a rash decision.”
Adagio took a big bite out of a trout and spat out a few bones. “Nah. Let her alone for now. I’ve got my own plans for the rest of the day. Tree Hugger said she wanted to practice some yoga sets in the woods. She called it her patented: ‘Groovy Nature Session’. Figure I’d bring along some more fish to fry up for a picnic lunch afterwards. Just a causal bit of fun between friends. What about you, Lucy? Got any big plans?”
“Beyond sunning myself at the beach and taking a nap? No. Don’t worry, Mistress; with young Master Rufus around, I’m certain there shall be plenty of excitement to be had.”
Adagio hoisted the nylon bag full of fish and threw it over her shoulder. “Suit yourself. If you should need me for any reason, don’t hesitate to let me know over the link. Have fun, Lucy.”
Meanwhile at Fluttershy’s Cabin…
Wallflower sighed contentedly and placed a gentle kiss along her girlfriend’s neck while she laid alongside her in bed. Cliché as it may have sounded, making love had a way of helping you forget all of life’s troubles. She’d surprised Fluttershy by showing up to her cabin after taking care of a few minor errands back at her own cabin. Wallflower then promptly announced that she had the rest of day off to do whatever they wanted.
Much to her delight, Fluttershy ran into her arms, kissed her, and—well—that’s when their passionate make out session began in earnest. Wallflower wasn’t sure what had prompted it (she suspected it was mainly due to Tree Hugger’s apparent absence) but she certainly wasn’t complaining. It was only the second time they’d had sex together since the evening after the cosplay event. The first time had been special, of course, but this time was much more fun.
The freckled teen glanced over at the clock on the wall and noted that it was only 10:15 am. It seemed like they’d been at it for such a long time, but in reality, it had only been a little over an hour. Not that it really mattered. She would have been perfectly fine spending the rest of the day cuddled up next to Fluttershy, enjoying the softness and warmth of her body. But like all good things, even this had to come to an end at some point. After the fog of post-coital bliss lifted from Wallflower’s mind, she thought back to the discussion she’d had with her boss.
“Hey, Shy. Do you mind if I ask you a question?”
Fluttershy rolled over and hugged Wallflower closer to her. “Mhmm. Go ahead. I’m listening.”
“Well, you see… there’s this new guest I saw at the canteen today. She was eating breakfast with Adagio. Kind of weird, huh?”
“That’s good. It seems like she’s staring to make some new friends.” Fluttershy murmured.
“I guess so. But she was different, see. Like, as in, not-human different. Do you catch my drift? She was tall, had black skin, fangs, pointy ears, and slitted pupils. Kind of like a dark elf but more… evil looking? I dunno how else to describe it.”
Fluttershy yawned and nuzzled her girlfriend’s chest. “You really shouldn’t judge people simply because they look different from what you’d expect. That’s not how a proper naturist should act. I have to say: I’m a bit disappointed with you right now, Wallflower.”
“I know that! Believe me, I do! But this woman’s different, Shy. And I don’t mean that just because her skin’s a different color or she has bigger breasts than anyone else or whatever. I overheard her talking with Adagio at breakfast. I’m pretty sure that she’s an actual alien!”
Fluttershy’s eyes suddenly widened in horror when she realized that Wallflower had interacted directly with Chrysalis and Adagio. “Oh—um—goodness, that’s a rather serious accusation. What made you think that? Other than their conversation.”
“Her features looked way too realistic to be makeup or prosthetics. Look, I’m not saying that she’s here to suck out our brains and take us back to the mothership. But I do think that we should at least keep a close on here to see what her intentions are. I know I sound a little paranoid but it’s a perfectly reasonable idea! What if she’s bad news, Shy? I don’t want anyone here at camp to get hurt just because I decided to ignore my instincts. Especially, not you…”
Fluttershy pressed her lips against Wallflower’s and gently stroked her hair. “Shh. It’s ok. I don’t think that you’re paranoid. Sometimes, it can be difficult to accept new people into your life when they’re very different from what you’re used to seeing. Did you talk to Gloriosa about it?”
“Yeah, but she seemed to think that I was overreacting. All she said to me was that she’d look into the matter further when she had time. I’m sure she will, but I texted Sunset and told her all about the new girl just in case. If there’s anyone who understands weird magical stuff, it’s her.”
Fluttershy felt her blood run cold. “I see. What did Sunset have to say about it?”
“That’s the best part! She said she booked an extended reservation at Camp Everfree. Isn’t that great? We’ll get to see her again and do stuff together. I mean, we’ll also be keeping an eye on the alien, but still! From I understand, she’s set to arrive tomorrow afternoon.”
Fluttershy laughed nervously. “Yeah. That’s—um—really great, Wallflower.”