Sunset was following Timber as he walked in the woods alone. Then, he went down another path which made her lose him. She then heard footsteps approaching as she looked around for the source. She then felt a hand touch her shoulder. She then grabbed it and quickly turned around to punch the person in the nose with her eyes closed. She opened her eyes to see that it turned out to be Charming Thunder she accidentally punched. “Ow,” Charming Thunder said. “I guess I deserve that for last night anyways, huh?” He then fixed his nose.
“Oh my gosh!” Sunset said. “I am so sorry! You shouldn’t sneak up on me like that, you know?”
“It’s fine. I’ve learned my lesson.” Charming Thunder then shook his head to get rid of the pain. “I have a feeling that you kinda declined Flash’s offer. Any idea why?”
“I didn’t. I was just in a hurry searching for someone.”
“Someone ran off again?”
“No. Just investigating. Why are you so concerned?”
“Are you losing trust in me already? I am trying to help.”
“Well tell me something, what has been going on with you since the day we got here? You sat alone on the bus ride and you feel like everyone is rejecting you.”
“Just had a lot on my mind since I was cured. I know you said to let my past die, but I just can’t.” Sunset approached Charming Thunder as she listened. “I also feel like Twilight has moved on and found someone else.” She then shook her head and then decided to grab his wrist to access his memories. Her eyes then began to glow.
Charming Thunder was shown looking at Twilight talking to Timber before he looked away with a huff.
The next image showed Charming Thunder killing his own mother even though he didn’t have control over himself.
Charming Thunder was then shown getting angry at Radiant for calling him weak in his dream. “AVENGE ME!” she demanded.
“NO!” Charming Thunder shouted before throwing a rock at Radiant causing the image of her to shatter to pieces.
The final image showed Charming Thunder talking to Peter in the tent alone. “Your uncle....he died, huh?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Peter replied as Charming Thunder placed his hands on his shoulders.
“I just wished that he was alive for you just as I wished for my mother.”
“Your mother loved you. That’s the main thing you should know.”
Sunset released Charming Thunder as he backed away. “I wish that you didn’t do that, Sunset!” he shouted. “Now, my shame is complete.”
“How can you say that?!” Sunset asked. “You are you now. Your mother never wanted this to happen to you. She miscalculated with that formula. Don’t blame yourself!” She then approached Charming Thunder and wiped off his tears with her thumb.
“Why are you even out here?”
“I have a suspicion about Timber trying to force his sister to give up the camp. And I intend to find out why.”
“Then let me help. I know I don’t deserve a second chance, but I can prove myself to everyone that I have changed.” Sunset then thought for a moment and then nodded.
“Follow me.” Charming Thunder followed Sunset as they heard rumbling as they came across a cave with something glowing inside. “Ah, shoot! He's definitely up to something!” Sunset then took out her phone as Charming Thunder got concerned.
“Who are you texting?”
“Twilight.” Charming Thunder nodded and then observed the cave for anything unusual.
Twilight was reading when she heard her phone going off and grabbed it to look at what it was. “It’s Sunset,” Twilight said as she looked at the message. “She says to meet her and Charming by the rock quarry.”
“I thought we weren't supposed to hike out that far,” Spike said.
“She says it's important!!” Twilight got up, along with Spike, and were heading to the forest, her direction towards the rock quarry. That is when Twilight noticed a glow of lavender in the sky nearby. “What is that?” She ran into a web and shrieked, but was cut off when Sunset covered her mouth and Charming Thunder removed the web. Sunset removed her hand and grabbed Twilight's hand and all three went behind trees and saw a lavender light emitting from behind two giant boulders. “What's going on down there?”
“I think it's Gaia Everfree,” Sunset explained. “Or rather, someone who wants us to think she's back. C'mon!” Sunset, Charming, Twilight, and Spike got up and went into the cave, but when they got inside, they saw all sorts of crystals and more. It was a very beautiful sight.
“This is a peaceful place.”
“There's Equestrian magic here. I can....I can feel it.”
“Why Sunset, since when did you become a Jedi like my counterpart?” Charming Thunder asked.
“It’s not like that, Charming.”
“Wait, I thought Timber was just faking there was a magical nature creature,” Spike said. “Are you saying it’s real?”
“Timber?” Twilight asked. “What does he have to do with any of this?”
“I don’t know,” Sunset said. “But Charming?” Charming Thunder looked at Sunset after admiring a crystal formation. “Do me a favor and keep yourself restrained even if it is Timber, okay?”
“No promises,” Charming Thunder said.
“He did nothing,” a voice said as the four turned to see Gloriosa step out of the shadows with a grin and one of her eyes twitching madly. “It’s all me.”
“Goriosa?” Sunset said. “But... Timber. I was sure he was the one trying to make it seem like Gaia Everfree was back. It was you who was trying to scare everyone away?”
“I would never try to scare anyone away from Camp Everfree.” Sunset grabbed Gloriossa and entered her mind. After a minute, she released her.
“Timber wasn't talking about letting go of the camp,” Sunset said. “He was talking about you letting go of the magical geodes! 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! Timber was....covering for you!”
“How do you know what I was doing with the geodes? How do you know about the magic?”
“I can see things. Feel things. Because I have magic, too. And so does she. And so do our friends.”
“Gloriosa, Timber wasn't wrong,” Twilight added. “Maybe you should stop using magic. Too much of it can be dangerous if you can't control it.”
“Oh, I got this,” Gloriosa reassured with a maniacal look. “And I'm going to use it to save my camp. I just need more power!”
“No, you don’t,” Charming Thunder said. Gloriosa stopped before grabbing the last three geodes on the pedestal.
“Excuse me?”
“I said no.”
“And what will you do to stop me? Use your powers as well?”
“I may not have powers, but I have capable skills I have learned from a friend of mine who turned out to be a hero.” Gloriosa laughed.
“You seriously think that you can defeat me? You know, I happen to know the trouble you are going through during your time here.” Charming Thunder’s eyes widened. “Yes. I know your little secret that you were once the Green Goblin a long time ago. It was Twilight who cured you, yes? You think that you are weak and vulnerable since you lost your abilities.” Charming Thunder clenched his fists.
“Charming,” Sunset said. “Don’t let her get to you!”
“No,” Charming Thunder said as he slowly approached Gloriosa. “She made her point. Now, it’s time to make mine.” He then stomped on her foot and then grabbed her and threw her aside to stand in front of the geodes. “You’ll have to go through me to get to these!”
“I’ve had no other way, boy.” Gloriosa then charged towards Charming Thunder to shove him aside to get the geodes. She aimed her hand at Twilight and Sunset as vines came from the ground and grabbed the two along with Spike. She then began to transform into a new form. She was floating in the air and wore a green dress with some leaves and flowers on her. Her hair was dark green and her whiteness was black while her pupil color was pure green. She was surrounded by a green glow. “Sorry, everyone. I know what I need to do. But I feel like we're not on the same page. So....” A rock hits Gloriosa in the back and quickly turns to see that Charming Thunder was the one who threw it.
“We’re not done yet!” Charming Thunder jumps high in the air to tackle Gloriosa to the ground. He eyed the geodes on her neck and was about to rip them off until Gloriosa punched him in the face then kicked him off of her. She got up as Charming Thunder felt his jaw.
“How did you like that, Gobbie?!” The two circled each other as Charming Thunder laughed.
“I had Spider-Man hit harder than that! Come on!” Charming Thunder taunted with his hands before Gloriosa dashed towards him with a strike. He blocked the strike and threw her through a crystal formation. Her lip got scarred, but her magic healed her scar up like it was not there. “Didn’t it sting?”
“I’ve had the worst cuts before and now I am going to make you regret that!”
“Oh, I’m so scared.” Gloriosa summoned vines as Charming Thunder avoided them. When he was about to get close enough, a vine suddenly threw a large rock at him out of nowhere causing him to impact on the stone wall. He struggled to get up as she floated towards him. “You gonna finish me off like a villain you are?”
“I don’t need to convince you to join me.” Charming Thunder looked down on the ground in defeat. “Aww. Look at little Goblin Jr. Gonna cry to mom?” He got up full of rage, but was punched back down to the ground by Gloriosa. She began to leave the cave while Charming Thunder secretly took out one of his pumpkin bombs out of his pouch.
“Saved this in case of an emergency. Looks like it is one.”
“No, Charming!” Sunset said.
“Wait!” Twilight added. Charming Thunder pressed the button on his bomb and then threw it at a great distance towards Gloriosa. A vine appeared to catch it and tossed it back at the right moment for it to explode. Gloriosa grinned and used her vines to block the entrance but not enough to block their air supply.
“Did you really think that you could stop me, Charming?” Gloriosa asked. “I’ll have my pet eat you both up.”
A few minutes later, Spike broke free earlier and used his teeth to break both Twilight and Sunset free from the vines. “Nice work, Spike,” Sunset said before patting Spike on the head. She rushed over to the boulders blocking the cave entrance. “Wait, Gloriosa said something about her pet. What did she mean by--” A loud bark was heard along with a hiss. Footsteps were then heard as the four looked around. Charming Thunder looked at the dark area of the cave and saw something approaching.
“Uh, girls!” Charming Thunder said, which made them look in his direction. Yellow eyes glowed as it came closer and closer. When it stood into the light, it was revealed to be a blue patterned reptilian creature that both Twilight and Charming Thunder recognized.
“A velociraptor!” Twilight and Charming Thunder said in unison. The raptor then roared as it got into a pouncing stance.
“Get back!” Charming Thunder said to the others. “If only Fluttershy were here for this one!” He then began to encircle along with it. The raptor then pounces in the air and lands on Charming Thunder in an attempt to bite him. He struggled to keep its teeth away from his flesh. He then took the advantage to kick it off of him and quickly got up. He then hid from it as the raptor got up to recover. It shook its head and sniffed for its prey. It then barked as it turned to look at Twilight, Sunset, and Spike. It slowly approached them until a rock was thrown at its face by Charming Thunder. He then had his hand out in an attempt to tame it. It hissed as he slowly approached it. “Down, girl.” It roared as he stood back a little before continuing to make his approach.
“What is he doing?!” Sunset asked. “Is he trying to get himself killed?!”
“Wait, I have seen this in a movie!” Twilight said in realization. “He’s trying to calm it down.” Charming Thunder then went for something in his pouch carefully while looking at the raptor. He then slowly took out a raw piece of bacon and shook it. The raptor tilted its head as it sniffed. He then tossed the bacon to it and it quickly caught it with its mouth to eat it.
“Was that what you wanted?” Charming Thunder asked. He then shuts his eyes as he gets close enough to allow the raptor to pet it. The raptor purred to the feeling while Twilight and the others sighed with relief. “She was just hungry, girls. Nothing to worry about.”
“Did you just manage to tame a velociraptor?!”
“Incredible!” Spike said, amazed. The raptor then turned its head to the other three and barked a hello.
“You are fine, girl,” Charming Thunder said. “Would you like to join us?” The raptor then looked at the three and then at Charming Thunder with its head tilted. “I’ll probably take that as a yes then.” Sunset then continued to struggle to push the boulder.
“Twilight, you have to use your magic!” Sunset suggested.
“I don’t think I can lift something that big!” Twilight said.
“It's our only chance of getting out of here and helping our friends!”
“I’ll be right here if anything goes wrong,” Charming Thunder reassured. Twilight then aimed her hands at the boulder and it began to glow. The two boulders blocking the cave moved. Twilight released them and was about to collapse until Charming Thunder caught her. “You three go. I have to come up with a plan of attack on my own.”
“What do you want us to do?” Twilight asked.
“Make an opening in case of any barriers or walls.” The three nodded as they made their way back to the camp. “I think that it is time to test some new equipment.” He then took out a pad and pressed a button on it to call for something. The raptor then stood next to him and hissed. “You will be part of the plan too, girl. Don’t worry.”
At the garage in Cadence’s house where Charming Thunder was staying, a snowboard like device was plugged in on some wire until it began to glow green as it began to make noise.