Aria’s POV
These past days were hard. Not because of the training, I did fairly good here, but because I had to refrain myself from calling Twilight. I’ve been so busy getting ready to work at the camp, which left me too tired to ask Twilight out before I had to work. I couldn’t call her either in case she asked what I was doing. I wanted so hard to surprise her, see her expression when she first saw me here and realized that I’m Gloriosa Daisy’s assistant at Camp Everfree.
Speaking of her reaction, I glanced at my girlfriend to see if it was worth the struggle. She was covering her mouth with both of her hands, but I still knew that she was embarrassed because her entire face was red. I followed her gaze and I noticed that she wasn’t looking at my face. She was looking lower… oh. I blushed. Of course, my legs! I smirked, remembering when Adagio made a few suggestions to me about what to wear.
When I gave Adagio full control of my camp outfit, at first I regretted it instantly, especially when she got the idea of what I’m wearing now. Now that I saw Twilight’s reaction… it was all worth dealing with my sister’s insufferable fashion habits.
I forced myself to look away from Twilight to look at the rest of the campers. The Rainbooms were surprised as expected, but the rest of their classmates were uneasy. Scared. Some of them were glancing at Twilight and her friends. Well, this brings back memories.
“Okay, Aria.” My boss called for my attention, so I turned to her. “Just give away the cards when Tree Hugger decides to show up. Remember, concentrate on your responsibilities.” Gloriosa said with seriousness.
I told her about my relationship with Twilight, and since then, she has asked me to be professional. “Just to be sure, you can give the girls their cards as long as you don’t talk with your friends for too long, but you’ll show the tents to the boys and my cousin to the girls.”
I crossed my arms and nodded. Of course, this annoyed me, but she’s my boss and I can’t talk back to her. I especially can’t do so now since she’s not in the mood to argue after suffering terrible loss. I should know, sometimes feeling powerless can have detrimental effects on a person. “You can trust me, ma’am.”
“Good.” My boss was about to say something else, but Filthy Rich called her.
“I’m a busy man, Gloriosa Daisy. We need to talk, now!”
Gloriosa groaned. “I’m coming!” She said before turning around and approaching him. “The answer’s still no, Rich. I’m not interested!” The two adults walked away, leaving me alone with the campers… for now.
I turned around and was about to address them, but a purple and green ball came running towards me, barking. I knelt just in time to catch Spike as he leapt into my arms. “Hey, there little pup!” I said as I petted his head.
Spike happily licked my face, making me chuckle. “Yes, I missed you too!” I glanced towards Twilight and her friends. They were smiling at the scene, but their classmates were now more confused than scared. “I would like to catch up as well, but later. I’m busy at the moment, yes?” Spike nodded and I scratched his chin before I set him back down on the ground. I waved as he ran back to Twilight to hide in her backpack. When Spike returned with his owner, I focused on the rest of the campers, who still didn’t know how to react. I cleared my throat before addressing them.
“I know some of you are confused and scared to see me here, so let me start with an introduction, I’m Aria Blaze assistant to Gloriosa Daisy.” I put my hands on my back, trying to look more commanding. “My only goal here is to gain experience. I’m not holding a grudge against any of you, so-”
“We’re here! Sorry for taking so long!” I was interrupted by Tree Hugger. I turned my head around and saw her running towards me. Behind her, Adagio and Sonata were walking towards me as well.
“She was meditating by a tree.” Adagio said.
“It looked fun!” Sonata commented. “But Adagio didn’t let me join in.”
“Because we’re supposed to be with the rest of the campers.” My older sister said before smiling at me. “Do you have everything under control?” She said before glancing at the campers.
“I did, until you showed up and reminded me that you should be with them.” I said, frowning, turning back to the campers. “We’re about to hand over the cards. Try to find someone to pair up with, unless you and Sonata want to have the same tent.”
“Well, Sonata wants to make more friends.” Adagio said while Sonata nodded excitedly. “She wants to see if she finds a partner.”
I shrugged and stepped aside, allowing my sisters to walk past me and join the uneasy campers. I saw Sonata waving at everyone. Except our friends, the few people who waved back did so cautiously. Almost as if they expected my sister to eat them or hypnotize them again.
“I’m done aligning my chakras. Now I’m ready to help our guests to connect with mother nature!” Tree Hugger said after standing next to me. She waved at the students and some waved back. I nodded at Tree hugger before clearing my throat and glancing at the campers again.
“Alright, form a line in pairs and come to pick your card.” I said as I took the bag. The first pairs approached with caution, but eventually, they started to calm down.
“Pick a card!” Gloriosa’s cousin said as another duo picked a card. “Wonderful! You picked the Peridot card! It’s one of the smallest tents but it’s very cozy.”
The next duo was Applejack and Rainbow Dash. They approached me to get their cards.
“Nice speech you gave there.” Applejack said. “Or tried to.”
“Yeah, I guess that the folks being confused is better than having to deal with their angry glares.” Rainbow Dash commented.
“I have been practicing.” I said. “No, seriously, I had it all written down on paper.” I sighed. “All that practice for nothing. I wrote ten pages and I barely said anything.”
“Ten pages?” Rainbow Dash said while Applejack whistled, seemingly impressed. “Do I have to start calling you, Egghead two?”
I chuckled and smirked, giving an evil grin to Rainbow. “Go ahead, I dare you.”
“Uhh… maybe not.” The athletic girl said, reeling back scared.
I smiled a little and playfully punched her arm. Ever since the Hatchday party, I have been working to improve my relationship with Twilight’s friends. We still have a long way to go, but I’m comfortable enough with them to joke around.
“I’m just kidding.” I said before hearing Tree Hugger clearing her throat. I glanced at her and saw her smiling, pointing with her head to the rest of the campers. Oh, right! I’ve got a job to do. I’m already getting distracted and it hasn’t been Twilight’s turn yet. I offered the bag to Applejack and Rainbow Dash so they could pick a card. “Okay, sorry, but I’m not supposed to be talking with you while I’m working. Pick a card to get the line moving.”
“Oh, sorry ‘bout that.” Applejack said before stepping forward and taking a card. “It’s… a blue stone.” The farmer girl before showing the card to me.
“That’s a lapis lazuli.” I said, smiling.
“It’s a good tent.” Tree Hugger said. “You’ll love it!”
“Cool.” Rainbow Dash said before saluting me. “See you around, Blaze.” I nodded at her as they left. She calls me by my second name all the time and I allowed it because it makes me sound kind of awesome. Like a fierce wolf who burns anyone too foolish to challenge her.
The line moved. Next, Fluttershy approached with Trixie. The magician was the one to greet me first.
“So, you work here, huh?” Trixie said before crossing her arms and smiling a little. “What a nice surprise.”
“Sarcasm?” I asked, smirking.
Trixie chuckled before replying. “Not this time.”
I smiled before glancing at Fluttershy. “Hello there.” I smiled at her as sweetly as I could. I knew she was timid, so I was careful on what I said and how I behaved. “You know, I saw a couple of squirrels who don’t mind having people close. I can tell you where to find them afterwards if you want. It’s close to the girls’ side of the camp.”
Fluttershy smiled brightly, which, to be honest, warmed my heart. I thought only Twilight could do that. “Oh, I would love that! Are we allowed to feed them?”
“I’m afraid not. Sorry.”
“Oh...” Fluttershy lost her smile but quickly recovered it. “That’s okay, I’m happy with just watching them.” She said before picking a card. “Oh! I got a cute one!” The timid girl said before showing me the card.
“Yup! Amethyst. Purple is the best color.” I commented, making Fluttershy giggle.
“I can’t disagree. Amethyst is a fine color.” Trixie commented. They then turned around and waved at me.
“Be seeing you, Aria!” Fluttershy said as she walked away.
“Don’t worry, we will.” I said as I waved back. Looks like I used the right words.
The next duo were my sister Sonata and Pinkie Pie. Oh, please! Have mercy I can already see the chaos these two will cause. Had I not had time to adjust to Pinkie’s insanity I might have lost my own seeing the two of them together, but they were two peas in a pod and I’m sure they’ll keep each other preoccupied.
“I can’t say I’m surprised about the partner you chose, Sonata.” I commented to her.
“I tried to ask someone else to make more friends, but everyone kept avoiding me.” Sonata said with a pout. I actually felt a bit bad now. I know my sister is a sweet thing but everyone is still terrified of us because of what we did during the Battle of the Bands.
“Don’t worry, Nata, I’ll help you to make more friends!” Pinkie Pie excitedly said before putting an arm around Sonata’s shoulder. “Just wait and see!”
My sister smiled. “Thanks, Pinkie.”
“You’re welcome!” The party girl said with a grin. Knowing my sister and her friend, I think I better make them pick a card before they draw me into their nonsensical conversations.
“I’m sure you’ll make tons of friends.” I said with a smile before offering the bag to them. “Pick a card.”
“Oh! Is this one of Trixie’s magic tricks?” Pinkie Pie excitedly said as she put her hand in the bag. When she picked a card, she didn’t show it to me. “Okay! Which one did I pick?!”
“Pinkie Pie, show me so I can tell which tent you got.” I said, speaking between my teeth but straining to smile. I could already feel a headache coming and I was not prepared for this.
“Nu-huh! That’s cheating! You need to practice on your magician skills.” Pinkie Pie said. I was really trying not to lose my patience. Fortunately, Sonata came to my rescue.
“Pinkie... ” My sister said as she placed a hand on Pinkie Pie’s shoulder. “Aria isn’t practicing magic tricks. Show her the card.”
“Oopsies! Sorry!” Pinkie Pie giggled before showing me the card.
“Oh, you got the Rose Quartz. Good.” I smiled at them and nodded at my sister to thank her for coming to my rescue. I looked back at the card and noticed a smiley face in pink crayon on it. I growled glaring back at Pinkie who just gave me her dumb innocent smile like nothing was wrong.
“Yay! I can’t wait to see that tent!” Pinkie Pie cheered before turning around and running back to her friends. “Until later, Aria!” She exclaimed.
“Yeah, see you.” I waved back at her. I then glanced at Sonata, who hugged me.
“Don’t overdo yourself, kay, sis?”
“I won’t, I promise.” I said, genuinely smiling and patting her head. My sister broke the hug, grinned at me, and then she returned to Pinkie Pie’s side.
The next pair in line were Adagio and Rarity.
“You’re doing well, my dear sister.” Adagio was the first to speak. “Truly remarkable.”
“I agree.” Rarity said, smiling. “I was convinced everyone was going to run away, but you didn’t give them a reason to.”
“Thank you… I guess.” I said, frowning. “You have a weird way to compliment people, fancy lady.”
“She means it, Aria.” Adagio said. “We’re truly impressed.”
“Again, thank you. I also mean it.” I said, smiling and offering the bag to them. “Make your pick.”
“Go ahead, Rarity. Pick one.” Adagio said.
“By all means, you pick.” Rarity said.
“No, you do.” Adagio spoke again.
“No, you.”
“No, you.”
“No, you.”
“Stop! Both of you!” I exclaimed. Both fashionistas were shocked and stared at me, in silence. I took a deep breath to speak in a calm manner. “You’re stalling the line, so if neither of you will pick a card, I will.” I said before taking a random card from the bag. “Hmm, you got the Onyx tent. Congratulations.” I gave my sister the card. She simply looked at it while Rarity groaned.
“Onyx? I was hoping for a beautiful gem!” Twilight’s friend whined.
“I’m sorry, but it is what it is.” I said, shrugging and waving my hand at them. “Now, move along. There’s still people who need their tents.”
“Fine.” Adagio said before smirking. “Enjoy bossing us around while it lasts, Aria. As soon as we’re back home, I’ll be in charge again.”
I crossed my arms and returned the smirk. “Oh, I’ll enjoy it, alright. Don’t you worry about it.” With that, Rarity and Adagio joined the campers who had already picked a card. More people picked their cards, until…
Finally, it was Twilight’s turn.
She approached alongside Sunset Shimmer, both with their bags in hand. Our eyes locked. It was difficult to concentrate, especially the closer she came. Her smile… that damn smile… as much as I love it, I need to focus right now. I have no idea how, but I managed to look away from her. I glanced at Sunset and spoke to her.
“You picked Twilight, huh? I thought you were going to pick Trixie.” From the corner of my eyes, I could see the disappointment in Twilight for not talking to her. I’m so sorry, Sparks, but Gloriosa was clear about it...
“I-I...” Sunset blushed deeply. She cleared her throat to calm down. “I love her, but I think it’s too soon to sleep in a tent just the two of us. It’s different from a sleepover. I’ll wait until after graduation to try that.”
“I get you.” I said, crossing my arms. “Really, I can see your point. I feel the same way. I move a lot while I sleep, besides other embarrassing things, so I would rather wait.”
Sunset smiled and my eyes found Twilight. She was looking away sadly, but it seems like she noticed that I was looking at her because she met my eyes. I had to suppress a gasp. Her eyes were still bad. I think they were even worse than before. I could see how red they were without having to be up close. It can’t be good. I was very worried about her health. Plus, she’s sad because I have been ignoring her. I can’t do this to her.
I opened my mouth to say something to her, but Tree Hugger glanced at me, giving me that weird smile of hers. I’m sure that if I talk to Twilight, she’ll tell Gloriosa. I sighed, defeated.
As much as I wanted to talk to her, I couldn’t risk it. I forced myself to look away from my girlfriend and offered the bag to Sunset. “Pick a card. You’ll have to build the tent before the first planned activity and there’s not much time.”
“Alright.” Sunset said, looking worriedly between Twilight and me. She picked a card and showed it to me. “Oh, we got sapphire!”
“How lucky! That’s our best tent!” Tree Hugger said.
“Really? Cool!” Sunset grinned from Tree Hugger to Twilight. My girlfriend managed to give her a small smile, but she lost it as soon as Sunset glanced back at me. “We’ll see you later, Aria. Good luck with your work!” The pony said as she walked away with Twilight, waving at me.
“See you, and thanks.” I said as I waved back. Twilight didn’t meet my eyes again. After giving away all the cards, I have to think of a way to talk to Twilight in private. My responsibilities force me to stay at Gloriosa’s side all the time, but I will come up with something. For my cub.
After giving away all the gemstone cards, I took the male campers to the area where they had to build their tents. I supervised but they mostly built the tents on their own. I suppose that it was because of their manly pride. They usually feel like they have to do things on their own and don’t ask for help, especially from a girl. That was rather stupid to say the least, but what could I do? At least not all of them were too prideful, so I could still show off my newly learnt skills.
Once all the tents were up, I asked the boys to follow me to the stage where Gloriosa was going to make an announcement. Once we arrived, I walked to Gloriosa’s side, while her cousin stood on the other. Canterlot High’s principals were also on the stage with us. I spotted Filthy Rich watching us not far from where we were standing. That guy sure is annoying and that was saying something. I’m glad Twilight nor her family are like him.
My boss cleared her throat before speaking. “Campers. First of all, thank you all for choosing Camp Everfree. I assure you, you won’t regret your stay here. Camp Everfree has a long established and rich history! But I won’t bore you with all the details, we have a lot of activities lined up for you to have a great time here!”
The students cheered and Gloriosa glanced at me. I decided to step in here. “Yeah, like rock climbing, fishing, archery, arts and crafts, river rafting, and nature walks just to name a few.” I could see everyone getting excited, especially Fluttershy when I mentioned the nature walks. I glanced at Gloriosa, who nodded approvingly.
“That’s correct.” My boss continued. “There’s also a long time tradition in this camp. Every group of visitors must make a gift for the camp, so the next campers can enjoy it.”
When Gloriosa paused, I noticed Celestia puffing her chest proudly and her sister rolling her eyes and shaking her head. I was confused at this, but it wasn’t important. Plus, I couldn’t ask what was going on. “And that’s all! Some of these activities have a specific schedule. If you’re curious, please approach Tree Hugger. Lunch will be served in an hour and a half. In the meantime, go have fun!” The campers cheered excitedly. Some spread out while others approached Gloriosa’s cousin. I spotted a couple of Twilight’s friends walking towards her, but my view was blocked by my boss. She stood in front of me, no longer faking a smile.
“Is there something to do?” I asked, ready to comply.
“There’s always something to do.” Gloriosa said, sighing and massaging her forehead. “There’s some benches that need repairing and cleaning in the picnic area. The damage isn’t severe, so I believe you’ll be able to fix them by lunchtime.”
“Yes, ma’am, I’ll get to it right away.”
“Good.” My boss said before groaning. “If you need me, I’ll be at the infirmary. Having to deal with Filthy Rich gives me a headache all the time.”
I nodded and Gloriosa walked away. Once she left, I looked around. Most campers were gone, but I did spot Twilight watching me from afar. I tried waving at her and gave her a smile, but she turned on her heels and left. My heart sank. She didn’t look happy at all… damn it! My instinct told me to go after her, but I had to fix those benches before it was too late. With no one around, I could growl in rage and punch a tree, which made birds fly away, scared, and some nuts fell on my head. Damn it, damn it! I don’t have time for this! Rubbing my head, I headed to the picnic area. I need to check how bad the damage was to see the materials I would need.
It turns out that the damage wasn’t too bad, just like my boss said. I just needed to replace a piece of wood from one of the tables and just do some cleaning and a touch of paint and I was done within minutes. Birds sure love this spot a lot. I hope no one receives a surprise from the sky while eating here.
I finished my task with an hour to spare. I smirked proudly, admiring my work, before turning around. Maybe I can find Twilight and-
“LOOK OUT!”
“Wha-?! Ouch!” Despite the warning, a ball hit me in the face, throwing me towards one of the picnic tables. My instinct made me throw my hands ahead to cushion my fall. The problem now, however, is that my siren strength caused the table to break. I got some cuts and bruises, but those were the least of my concerns. The table…
I groaned and stood up to yell at whoever was responsible, but they were gone. Cowards! Angry, I kicked the ball that hit me, when I heard a familiar voice approaching.
“Whoa nelly!” I turned around to find Applejack running towards me. “What just happened?”
“Some idiots hit me with a ball and made me break the table I was just done cleaning!” I said, breathing heavily. I was trying so hard not to release my full anger. “If I don’t fix it in an hour, Gloriosa Daisy will surely have my hide!” I placed my hands on my head, ready to pull out my hair. “I’ll never fix it before lunch!”
“Whoa there, sugarcube. Take deep breaths.” Applejack said as she placed her hands on my shoulders. I glared at her, but I did as she said. I started to feel my anger fade away. “Feelin’ better?”
I nodded. “Yeah, but I still have an hour to fix this table. What am I going to do?”
“Ah’ll tell you what.” Applejack said as she smirked and picked up my hammer. “Ah’ll help you, Between the two of us, we’ll make it.”
“Help me?” I frowned. “Are you sure? Shouldn’t you be enjoying your vacation?”
“Ah don’t mind.” The farmer girl said as she waved a hand around. “Ah do things like this all the time at home, it will be a breeze.” Applejack smiled, but she lost it for a moment. “If only Apple Bloom was allowed to come. She’s better with tools than I am...” The cowgirl said before sighing. “Don’t worry, ah’m still good. Ah have built tables in less time before.”
“Really?” I asked.
Applejack nodded. “Eeyup! Ah promise, we’ll be done in half an hour.”
I crossed my arms and looked away. “I’m sure that I shouldn’t be accepting your help...” I said before looking at Applejack again. “But the consequences of not having the table fixed before lunch will be worse.” I took a deep breath and clasped my hands. “Okay, let’s do it. I’ll bring the materials.”
“That’s the spirit!” The farmer girl said, nodding.
I gave her a small smile and headed to the storage. When I was about to open the door, I spotted my boss from the corner of my eye. I quickly hid before carefully peeking. She was far from where I was. She also had her back turned to me looking at the lake. I followed her gaze and noticed that she was staring at a small sail boat which was idle in the middle of the lake, while a muscular boy and a girl camper were riding it. Hmm, there’s probably not much wind. The girl was trying to make the boat move by blowing into the sail. It was completely ineffective, of course, but at least she was trying. Will Gloriosa help them into land? But if so, why is she just standing there?
As if to answer my question, my boss closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and then she closed her hand into a fist. Immediately afterwards, she opened her eyes, which were now green. What?! Next, I saw plants growing larger and flapping into water near the campers who were adrift. The wind and waves it created did move the sail boat, but it also threw the girl into the water. When she saw this, Gloriosa gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. She and the plants returned to normal. Immediately afterwards, I saw Tree Hugger approach her cousin.
“Gloriosa, you promised to be more careful with that!” Tree Hugger said. For the first time I didn’t see her smiling.
“I’m sorry! I just wanted them to have fun. I didn’t mean it!” Gloriosa said, slowly stepping back. Then, Tree Hugger jumped into the lake to get to the camper girl, who had difficulties to get back in the boat, despite having a life jacket. I saw my boss turn around and run away as Tree Hugger caught the camper girl. Since it seems like she has everything under control, I didn’t intervene.
No way… that was magic! But… I thought that magic didn't exist in this world. How can my boss use it? Should I tell somebody? My sisters must know, of course. And the Rainbooms… Twilight told me that no one wanted to do anything with magic, but I'm sure Sunset still does. Maybe I should tell her? Speaking of the Rainbooms, Applejack is waiting for me.
I opened the storage, grabbed the materials I needed and started my way back to Applejack. Thank goodness for my strength, which allows me to bring everything in one trip.
When Applejack saw me, she whistled, impressed.
"Woah! Ah envy you, Aria. That strength you have can be very useful." The cowgirl commented.
I smirked proudly. "Perks of being a mighty siren." I said pridefully as I put everything down. Applejack took some of the wood, nails and a hammer to start working on the table. I got to work as well.
While we fixed the table, Applejack didn't waste the chance to talk. "So.. ah'm sorry if you don't want to talk about it, but ah have to ask. Is everything okay between you and Twilight?"
One of my eyes twitched, but I did raise my head to answer. I'm no longer cautious with the Rainbooms, after all. I'm beginning to trust them. "No, nothing happened." I sighed. "The thing is that I'm trying to stay professional, but I realized my mistake when I completely ignored Twilight."
I set a nail on the wood and started to hit it with the hammer to set it and hit it once more harder taking care not to break the wood this time. Once it was properly nailed, I continued with what I was saying. "I was planning to try to meet her in private by now, but… this happened." I said the last while looking at the table we were fixing.
"Oh, ah'm sorry to hear that, Aria." Applejack said, sadly. "Maybe you'll catch her after we're done here."
"I hope so…" I said before sighing. "I just hate what I did and how heartbroken she looked. I should at least have said hi."
"We all make mistakes, sugarcube." Applejack said while offering me a small smile. "You can fix it."
"You don't think she'll avoid me?" I asked, a little worried.
The farmer girl shook her head before before smirking. "Ah have seen the way she looks at you. The way she hugs you and how she lights up when yer around. It will take more than that to make her ignore ya. She won't do that before givin' you a chance to say sorry."
I sighed, in relief this time, and smiled. "Thank you, Applejack. I needed to hear that."
"Yer welcome!" The cowgirl smiled proudly and we continued fixing the table. Applejack is right, Twilight really loves me. While she can get upset, she will want to hear an explanation, and an explanation she'll get, alongside my deepest apologies.
Applejack wasn't kidding. We finished fixing the table sooner than I could have anticipated. In twenty minutes to be exact. I huffed and cleaned the sweat from my forehead as I proudly admired our work.
"We did it!" I smiled, shaking her hand. "Applejack, thank you. Thank you so much! You just saved my skin!"
"Aww, shucks! It was nothin'" The cowgirl smiled proudly. "Maybe you should ask everyone not to play 'round this area so it doesn't happen again."
"Good idea. I'll suggest it to Gloriosa after talking to Twilight." I said as I gathered the materials we didn't use.
"Will she take your ideas?" Applejack asked as she gave me her hamner.
I nodded. "She will. I was the one who suggested that the campers should pick their tent partner, after all. Gloriosa used to assign them at random."
"Ah agree with you." The farmer girl said. "Not bein' able to choose your partner could make you end up with someone you don't like."
I nodded. "Exactly. I would really hate that since there's very few people I'm willing to share a tent with. I thought there could be more people who felt the same way I do, so I suggested a change."
"That shows initiative, sugarcube." Applejack said before playfully punching my arm. "Well done!"
I smirked. "Thanks." I said before checking the time with my phone. "I better get going. I don't want to make Twilight worry any longer."
"Ah understand." Applejack said, giving me a thumb up. "Ah think she was with Sunset. Good luck!"
"Thanks! Bye!" I waved at my friend and took the excess of material before heading to the storage. I had to put everything in place before anything. After leaving the storage and closing the door, I turned around and almost crashed into my boss.
"Oh, Aria, there you are." Gloriosa said.
"You were looking for me, ma'am?" It was hard to keep my face straight. After seeing her doing magic, I see her in a whole different way.
“Yes.” My boss said, trying to smile a little. “If you’re done with the tables, go to the kitchen. Check if we have enough supplies for the next two days.”
“Sure. I’ll get on it right now.” I said, nodding but felt my heart sink a bit.
“You’re doing a good job so far. I’m glad to see Cadence wasn’t wrong.” Gloriosa said, smiling more genuinely this time.
“Thanks. I do my best.” I said, smiling as well. With her good mood, Gloriosa walked away. When I was sure that she was gone, I groaned. Great! Twilight will have to wait… again.
But I didn’t have a choice. I headed to the kitchen. I heard noises of someone using it as I approached, which is normal given the time. But when I got in, I saw Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and my sister baking something in a bowl.
My sister was the first one to raise her head and see me. “Oh, hi, Aria!” As soon as she greeted me, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie looked at me as well.
“Hi!” Pinkie Pie said, grinning. “What’s up?!”
“I work here. I’m here to check if the supplies are in order.” I said as I walked towards them. I crossed my arms after standing next to them. “What are you girls doing here?”
“I wanted to bake something for everyone!” The party girl said as she stirred the dough in the bowl.
“And Fluttershy and I are helping!” Sonata said, smiling. “Filling someone’s stomach is a good way to make friends! It worked with Pinkie Pie!”
“Yuppers!” Pinkie Pie nodded. “‘Nata and I had been super duper good friends since the first time I ate at the Burger Princess she works at!”
"Uh-huh." I grinned a little. "And what are you baking?"
"Cookies!" Both Sonata and Pinkie Pie exclaimed in unison.
My eyes widened and I smiled widely for a moment, but I quickly hid my smile by clearing my throat. "That's… umm… not a bad idea.”
"They haven't failed me yet!" The party girl said excitedly before tasting the dough. "It needs more chocolate chips."
"On it!" My sister said as she looked for the chocolate chips. When she found them, she brought them to Pinkie Pie.
"Thank you, 'Nata!" The party girl said as she took some of the chocolate chips and ate them. "You'll be making new friends in no time. You'll see!" Right after finishing speaking, she threw the rest of the chocolate chips on the dough. Immediately afterwards, a pink light appeared surrounding the dough.
"What the-?" It's as far as I got since the light covered the entire kitchen, followed by a loud explosion. I felt parts of the dough hitting me before I got to cover myself properly. I removed the dough blocking my eyes and saw my sister and friends in a similar situation. Sonata and Fluttershy were still standing, but Pinkie Pie was sitting on the floor, looking very shocked.
"Everyone okay?" I asked as I walked towards Pinkie Pie. I had to do it carefully to not slip with the remains of the dough on the floor.
"I-I think so…" Fluttershy answered.
"What just happened?" Sonata asked, confused, before kneeling and grabbing Pinkie Pie from one of her arms. I grabbed the other.
"I-I don't know…" The Party girl replied as we helped her stand. She was as confused as the rest of us.
"At least lunch was prepared hours ago and is safe in the fridges." I said as I looked around. The room was a complete mess. "I have some serious cleaning to do, though."
"What was that noise?!" I recognized Sunset's voice as she rushed into the kitchen. Twilight was with her, but she was more focused on the surroundings than on me. Sparks…
"I have no idea!" Pinkie Pie said, raising her arms. This caused more dough to fly towards us. "We were baking cookies, and then when I added chocolate chips to the dough it exploded. Boom!" The Party Girl jumped when saying the last, but that caused her to slip and fall again.
"Pinkie!" My sister exclaimed as she and I helped Pinkie Pie to stand up again.
With the party girl standing, I tried once again to make eye contact with my girlfriend. Our gaze met for a moment, but Twilight quickly looked away. I could see her sadness, which broke my heart.
"Twilight…" I tried calling her, but just then, a group of different types of birds flew into the kitchen and headed towards Fluttershy. They landed on the timid girl's arms and shoulders and tweeted.
"Oh, nice to meet you too." Fluttershy happily said… to the birds?
"Did you just… talk to the birds? Sunset asked, shocked.
"Umm… yes?" Realizing what just happened, Fluttershy screamed, alarmed, and the birds fled.
"Alright, let us all take a second." I called before things got out of hand. As I spoke, Twilight rushed towards Fluttershy to help her calm down. I turned to Sunset and frowned. "Have you seen anything unusual since you got here?"
Sunset shook her head. "Before now, no. And you?"
I nodded. "Yeah, but I think you will all want to be present for this. It's huge. Tonight, at the campfire, we'll talk after everyone else has gone to sleep."
"Okay." Sunset frowned with seriousness. "I'll tell the girls."
"Good." I said before looking around and sighed. "Now I have to clean this mess..."
"We can help you." Fluttershy said, smiling.
"Oh, don't worry, you don't have to." I said. "I'm the one who works here."
"But I was the one who turned the kitchen into a pudding!" Pinkie Pie spoke next. "I can't let you clean my mess. I have to help with the cleaning!"
"We will all help." Sunset said as she placed a hand on my shoulder.
"I-I can’t… I have something to do." Twilight said before abruptly turning around and leaving the kitchen.
“Twilight!” Sunset called for her best friend.
“Just let her leave.” I said, looking away sadly. “Things will be awkward until I find a way to talk to her in private.” I groaned. If only Gloriosa didn’t keep me so busy all the time, not to mention the incidents which keep happening.
“Okay...” The fiery girl said with concern “Let’s get to work.”
We started to clean the kitchen. Thankfully, no one talked about me and Twilight. They’re thoughtful. I like that. I’m glad I was finally able to let my pride aside and befriend them. I glanced back at the girls, specifically Pinkie Pie. “And maybe next time don’t use the kitchen unless you get permission first, kay?” I winked at her and she winked back as we cleaned.
When night arrived, all the campers, Gloriosa, Tree Hugger and I gathered by a campfire to tell stories. They were nothing special, but everyone had a good time. I even saw Sonata talking with other people besides Adagio, me and our friends, which made me happy. I also noticed that no one was as uneasy as they were at noon. I even spotted some campers checking Adagio out. Ha! I wish them all luck. My older sister won't date anyone, not with how picky she is.
But my focus was on someone else. My cub. She's still avoiding looking at me, but at least she was happily talking with our friends. She barely managed to keep her eyes opened, though. She yawned more than once.
"Aria." My boss called me aside. She was with her cousin. "Tree Hugger and I are going to our cabin to rest. Will you make the last rounds? Make sure everyone goes to their tents."
"Sure thing." I said, nodding.
"Thank you." Gloriosa and her cousin smiled.
"You got this!" Tree Hugger said as she gave me a thumb up. I watched them walk away going back to the campfire.
"Wow, you play the cello?!" Sonata excitedly asked a girl with black hair. "That's amazing! I would love to hear you play sometime!"
"Attention everyone!" I called for the campers attention by clapping my hands. "It's time to go to your tents." I heard some campers whine and complain. "I know that the night is beautiful, but we'll start with the night activities tomorrow. So, for now please return to your tents and be ready bright and early for tomorrow!" I say as cheerfully as I can.
Some of the campers moaned unhappily at that, but everyone obeyed. I followed the campers with my eyes and saw that they were going in the right direction. I'll make sure they're all in their tents later. Now, there's more important things to do.
I returned to the campfire where my friends and sisters were waiting. They were all looking serious now. Time to get down to business.
"So…" Sunset spoke once I returned. "What did you want to tell us?"
I sighed before sitting with them. Here it goes. "There's no easy way to say this so I'll just be blunt. My boss, Gloriosa, can do magic."