Camp Naturally

by Enclave2277

Hikes In The Morning, Sentries Take Warning

Chapter 2

Administrator’s Cabin, Camp Everfree

Gloriosa slowly clambered out of bed and stretched like a cat while she went through her early morning wake-up routine. She glanced over at the digital clock sitting on the nightstand and noticed that it was still only five thirty; plenty of time to grab a quick bite to eat and prepare herself for Flash Sentry’s arrival. Since she was going to be physically active and outdoors for most of the day, Gloriosa didn’t see much point in taking a shower beforehand.

Instead, she went into the bathroom and wiped her body down with a warm washcloth. Once she allowed her skin to dry off a bit, the young woman applied a few dabs of her favorite gardenia-scented perfume. A little bit underneath her armpits, behind her knees, along her neck, and most importantly, a liberal sprinkling around her privates. She figured it wouldn’t do any harm to make the areas where her pheromones and sweat were bound to be most concentrated smell as pleasant as possible.

Satisfied that she was sufficiently prepared for the next phase of her plan, Gloriosa grabbed a packet of dry oatmeal from the cupboard and pumped two shots of hot water from the thermos into a bowl. When the oatmeal was nice and smooth, she tossed in a few berries and some brown sugar for flavor. It wasn’t exactly a glamorous breakfast by any means, but it was filling and nutritious enough to last her until lunchtime.

As she nursed a cup of coffee, Gloriosa’s thoughts drifted back to Flash Sentry. She hadn’t done anything about it at the time, but he’d definitely managed to spark her interest during the same week the Rainbooms visited the camp. Obviously, with all of the chaos and confusion going on, there hadn’t been much opportunity to mingle with individual guests. Let alone ask any of them out on a potential date.

Based on his reaction earlier in the dining hall, Gloriosa was pretty confident that there was a significant amount of mutual attraction shared between the two of them. Although what she planned to do later this morning would be somewhat embarrassing, she felt that there was no need to hide anything about herself from Flash. In terms of both body and mind. Dishonesty was not a very good foundation for building a healthy relationship, after all.

Gloriosa absentmindedly kicked her feet while she played with the spoon in her bowl. It had been ages since she’d put herself out on the market. Running an entire resort made finding the free time for romantic activities difficult to say the least. Convenience and the precious opportunity to interact with Flash on a daily basis were two of the main reasons why she’d hired him so quickly in the first place. Not that she felt he wouldn’t make an excellent councilor in due time, but who she decided to hire was her business and no one else’s (maybe except for Tim). Regardless if the decision was based on her own personal motives.

With her breakfast finished, Gloriosa padded over to the closet and retrieved a stylized purple yoga mat that she kept stored in the corner. It was the most expensive (and ridiculously comfortable) brand money could buy, but she used it quite often. In her own humble opinion, that made the purchase worth every single bit and then some. She slung it over her shoulder like a rucksack and approached the vanity mirror over by her bed. Gloriosa took in a deep breath and let it out slowly to steel her nerves. The clock said six forty-five, only fifteen minutes remained until Flash arrived. She checked herself over and clapped her hands together.

“You’ve got this, Glory! It’s not like he hasn’t seen you naked before.”

The sun had just barely begun the rise over the horizon, making the air outside slightly chilly and the grass damp with dew. Gloriosa shivered while she laid her yoga mat on the ground. She looked down at her chest and let out an annoyed huff. Her nipples had already become erect. Under any other circumstances, having your nipples poke through your tank top was pretty embarrassing. Since she was completely nude, it didn’t really make much difference. Flash would see just about every nook and cranny of her body by the time she was finished anyway.

Gloriosa started off with the lotus position. It was relatively easy to maintain and had the added bonus of getting her muscles properly stretched out for the more difficult poses she would assume later. As the sun warmed her bare skin, she felt the heartbeat of the forest echo within her mind. She’d noticed that the sensation had been occurring more and more often ever since her cleansing. Gloriosa believed, without a shred of doubt, that it was Gaia Everfree’s doing.

Breath in. Breath out. Feel the wind’s gentle caress. Listen to the choir of birdsong, the staccato chirp of the crickets and cicadas. There is peace. There is calm. Gloriosa hopped onto her feet and assumed the Mālāsana position, relishing the simple pleasure of the open air as it tickled the space in-between her legs. She rose slowly to assume the Natarajasana pose. This one was a bit trickier to maintain because it required you to focus on keeping your center of balance, since it placed all of your body weight onto one foot.

Gloriosa lowered her other foot onto the mat with a squishy thump and took the Prasarita Padottanasana position. If anyone happened to be standing behind her, they’d get an eyeful of her backside that would leave absolutely nothing to the imagination. This was the pose that she was most hesitant to assume. But assume it she did, with as much grace and confidence as she could muster. With her set completed, Gloriosa let out a satisfied grunt and turned around to retrieve her water bottle.

Flash was standing a few feet away, his hands partially cupped over his privates. From what Gloriosa could tell, he didn’t appear to have an erection but it was quite obvious that he was very flustered. Probably just a nervous reaction or him still getting used to being outside in the nude. After taking a few swigs of water, Gloriosa wondered just how long he’d been standing there.

“Good morning, Flash. How are you doing today?”

“On the hole I’m doing pretty girl. Err—I mean, doing pretty good! Yeah, that’s it. Good.” Flash blurted out; his face twisted in an expression of uncertainty.

Ah, so you were watching me. But for how long? “I’m glad to hear you’re doing well. We have quite a rigorous hike ahead of us today, so you’re going to need as much energy as possible to keep up. Out of curiosity, how long have you been here? I hope I didn’t make you wait too long.”

“Oh, I showed up right as you were putting down your mat. You looked pretty focused on what you were doing, so I didn’t want to interrupt…”

Despite everything going exactly as she had planned, Gloriosa felt her body flush with the heat of embarrassment, and perhaps just a little bit of excitement. She hoped that Flash would interpret her reaction as mere exertion from the yoga. “Then I assume you must’ve seen me perform my entire set? From beginning to end?”

“Yeah, you could say that.” Flash replied as he shuffled his bare feet in the grass.

“What did you think? That was the first time I’ve ever performed my yoga exercises while completely nude before. And in front of a live audience, no less! Is it something that you’d like to try out sometime?”

“Honestly, I thought you looked very… graceful and at peace. I can tell that you really enjoy doing yoga. As for trying it out for myself: I dunno. Maybe? I might not be flexible enough.”

Gloriosa felt a few butterflies flutter around in her stomach at his compliment. “Flexibility comes with practice, Flash. We can always start with the easier poses first and work our way up the ladder. But that’s for another day. We’ve got to head over to the main pavilion to gather up the guests. C’mon, let’s get to it!”

Flash was surprised to feel Gloriosa take hold of his hand. Her skin was soft, smooth, and wonderfully warm. Everything he’d expected from a woman who obviously took great care of her body. While they walked towards the pavilion, Flash kept getting faint whiffs of flowery perfume mixed with a just hint of her sweat. It was intoxicating to say the least. The more perverted part of Flash’s brain wanted nothing more than to bury his face in-between her legs and savor Gloriosa’s heavenly scent all day long.

Flash glanced down at his waist and, much to his dismay, noticed that his penis was already well on its way to becoming semi-turgid. Damn it Flash Drive™! Now is NOT a good time for that! There’s no way in hell I want to embarrass myself in front of all those guests by showing up with a massive hard-on. It’s downright unprofessional! And not to mention, it might get me accused of sexual harassment.

Arrrghh! But I just can’t stop thinking about Gloriosa! Especially, after everything I saw when she was doing her little yoga routine. And I mean EVERYTHING. Gods, I could clearly see her butthole for a while there. Can’t imagine how embarrassed I’d be if someone saw mine all exposed like that.

Hmm. Then again, I suppose it comes with the territory when you’re walking around in your birthday suit all day long. Just one more thing I’ll have to get used to while working here over the summer. At least she had a cute little pucker. And it was immaculately clean too. I wonder how she keeps it so—gah! What am I saying?! I need to calm down and focus on my job now. Timber and Gloriosa are counting on me to make a good first impression with the guests.

Flash was relieved to find out that the hike didn’t actually start for another forty-five minutes or so. It gave him a little bit more time to calm down and fetch a pair of boots suitable for the terrain. Not that he minded walking around the camp barefoot, it actually felt pretty nice. Stepping on rocks, twigs, and who knows what kind of creepy crawlers, completely unprotected, was simply not an experience Flash wished to endure.

Gloriosa stood with her hands on her hips, greeting the arriving guests with a warm, welcoming smile. Not for the first time, Flash thought that she looked like she was in her element. Her confidence and cheerful demeanor were infectious, and Flash found himself smiling too despite being a little bit nervous on the first day of the job.

Most of the people who showed up for the hike were complete strangers. Or, at least they were to Flash. And, much to his surprise, relatively young. Of the dozen currently gathered, around half were close to his age… and predominantly female for some reason. Based on the research he’d done last night, he was under the impression that naturism appealed more to the older generations, but such was not the case here. It boded well for Gloriosa’s vision of the camp.

Just as Flash was starting to feel at ease, he spotted an older teenage girl near the edge of the group that he definitely recognized. She had a slender build, modestly sized breasts with inverted nipples, long, silky-pink hair that flowed down past her shoulders, and a wispy tuft of equally pink pubic hair nestled in-between her legs. Her buttery yellow skin was unblemished and smooth; it practically glowed in the early morning sunlight. As Flash walked over to say hello, her eyes widened in surprise when she recognized him and a furious blush colored her cheeks.

“Good morning, Fluttershy. It’s been a while.”

“Good morning, Flash. I didn’t expect to see you here.” Fluttershy mumbled while she dug the toe of her boot in the grass.

“Yeah, I just arrived yesterday. I’m one of the camp counselors. Isn’t that great?!”

Fluttershy twirled a strand of her hair. “Oh…umm… yes, that’s great. I decided to spend a week vacationing here with my friend, Tree Hugger. I’ve never actually been to a naturist resort before, but since I was familiar with Camp Everfree already, I figured that it was at least worth a try. She assured me that no one would judge us for what we looked like and that it’d be… refreshing to, as she put it, ‘feel the breeze between your knees’. I’m not really sure what to think of it yet.”

“Where is she? I don’t see anyone else standing over here with you.”

Fluttershy giggled. “Tree Hugger’s not… exactly a morning person. She’s probably still fast asleep in the cabin. I’m going on the nature hike all by myself today. Is that a problem?”

“No! Not at all! I just wasn’t sure if you needed—”

Fluttershy put her hands on her hips and let out an adorable angry huff. “A big, strong man to protect my innocence?! Take a look at the shy, naked virgin standing over there all by herself! Everyone will immediately start taking advantage of her because she seems weak. Well, let me tell you something buster! I’m more than capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much!

“Oh, my goodness! I didn’t mean to snap at you, Flash. It’s just that people are always assuming that I’m some helpless damsel in distress. Ooooh it makes me so… peeved when I hear them say stuff like that! I’m sorry that I lost my temper. I’ll just be quiet now… if you don’t mind.”

Flash rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled. “Hey, it’s cool. No harm done, Shy. I know how frustrating it can be sometimes when people jump to conclusions. But seriously, are you ok? Even if it wasn’t part of my job as a camp counselor, I still want to make sure.”

“Mhmm. I’m ok. Thank you for asking.”

Flash crossed his arms over his chest. “What about the rest of the Rainbooms? Did any of them seem interested in visiting the camp?”

“Well, not really. I didn’t want there to be any unfortunate misunderstandings, so I explained exactly what the camp was all about now that it caters to naturists. Most of the girls seemed pretty uncomfortable with the idea of exposing themselves in front of strangers. That’s ok. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

“I was kind of hoping that Sunset would want to come along. She’s quite an avid nudist, you know. I think it’s because her people don’t typically wear clothes in their world. Even after I showed her the pamphlet, she declined. Believe me, Flash. I tried to get a more specific answer as to why, but she all said was that it would be awkward.”

Flash frowned at the news. Having dated Sunset for just over two years, he was well aware of her idiosyncrasies and personal habits. Knowing what he knew now, it all made perfect sense. Her blasé attitude regarding nudity, and her strict adherence to a vegetarian diet. Although she hadn’t been the most touchy-feely girlfriend around, the sex had always been intensely satisfying and she enjoyed showering him with affection after they finished.

Flash found himself yearning for those days at times, even though their relationship wasn’t what many would have considered ideal. However, he knew that Sunset merely saw him as friend after her subsequent reformation and their inevitable break up shortly thereafter. She’d told him that he was too good for her and that he should find himself a girl who’d actually treat him like he deserved. Flash desperately wanted to believe that Sunset merely needed some time to sort things out. Unfortunately, his failed attempt to rekindle their relationship during the class trip had made it quite obvious that Sunset intended to keep things platonic between them.

“Yeah, that’s a shame…”

Timber had shown him the pamphlets they’d intended to distribute for the grand reopening, as well as the revamped website yesterday evening. Since money wasn’t an issue, the siblings hadn’t spared any expenses on advertising. Everything looked highly professional, and no doubt attracted greater interest in the camp as a result. However, he quite clearly remembered his name being listed as one of the counselors. That was most likely the reason why Sunset had declined to come along with Fluttershy.

Fluttershy noticed Flash’s sad expression and placed her hand on his shoulder. “Are you ok? If there’s something bothering you, we can talk about it. I don’t mind.”

“Thanks for the offer, but I’ll be ok. I think Sunset made the right choice staying behind. Her being here would have… dredged up old memories and made things weird in a hurry.”

Fluttershy gently rubbed his shoulder. “You still have feelings for her, don’t you?”

“Maybe? It’s impossible to forget a girl like Sunset Shimmer. After everything that happened between us and then Twilight getting added into the mix shortly after our breakup, let’s just say that I’m not feeling very confident about my prospects of finding the right girl to have a stable, loving relationship with.”

Fluttershy smiled. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re a very kind and caring person, Flash. I’m sure you’ll find your special someone soon. Just give it time.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right. I’m sorry you had to hear all that, Shy. I didn’t mean get all mopey and make myself sound like some pathetic loser. Let’s… focus on the hike instead, shall we?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Lead the way, Mr. Camp Counselor.”

---

The hike began in earnest not but a minute later. Gloriosa lead the group since she was the most familiar with all the trails that led into the forest. Flash lingered behind to make sure that no one got lost and to keep everyone from wandering off on their own. He expected there to be a fair amount of idle conversation, but the group seemed to be content with comfortable silence for the most part. Or more aptly, they preferred to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature without any further human interruption.

Flash chuckled to himself when he saw how many animals were attracted to Fluttershy, despite the other people hanging around. She, of course, basked in the attention and politely chatted with or cuddled a plethora of woodland creatures along the way. Fuzzy, feathered, scaled, and insectoid. Creatures both big and small. It made little difference to her. Flash knew it had something to do with the magic geode necklace she wore around her neck, but it was still quite an amazing sight to behold.

Out of the corner of his eye, Flash spotted a black and white blur whiz through the underbrush and jump right out in front of Fluttershy. She gasped in surprise, but otherwise kept her cool as the animal made its presence known. By the looks of it, the creature appeared to be a female Honey Badger. A four-legged predator that was infamous for its ill-temper and aggressive behavior. Instead of being intimidated by the beast, Fluttershy crouched down on her knees and stroked the badger’s fur while she chittered something that no one else could understand.

“Oh, my goodness! That’s terrible! Don’t you worry, Ms. Penelope. We’ll help rescue your baby from the tree. I promise! Umm… but would you be so kind as to lead us to where he is?”

Thankfully, the spot wasn’t too far away from where the group was currently walking. Sure enough, a massive oak tree that was probably hundreds of years old, stood firmly amongst the rest of the forest. Atop one of its branches was an adorable little baby badger, who mewled for his mother and looked absolutely terrified of the ground below. Flash honestly couldn’t blame the little guy. Given his size, a fall at that height would surely be fatal.

Gloriosa waved her hands and motioned for everyone to stay back. “Since I’ve got the most climbing experience out of all of us, I’ll go up there and rescue him. Fluttershy, please tell the little guy that I mean him no harm. I know he’s scared, but I’d really don’t want my back to get all scratched up.”

Fluttershy did as she was told. In an attempt to calm Penelope’s frazzled nerves, she cradled the mother badger in her arms like a cat and ran her fingers along the creature’s coat. The grateful mother nuzzled Fluttershy’s breast affectionately. This caused her to squeak in surprise at first (the badger inadvertently rubbed up against her nipple too), but as Fluttershy got used to the tickling sensation, she let out a happy giggle.

Gloriosa used to climb trees all the time when she was a child. Particularly around the camp when the opportunity presented itself. She was well aware of the inherent risks of doing so without any clothes on. Getting your bare skin all scuffed up by tree bark was no laughing matter. She’d learned that lesson the hard way one summer when she was just seven years old. With the dexterity and speed of a forest-dwelling monkey, Gloriosa reached the branch where the baby badger was sitting in no time at all.

She arched her back slightly, and shimmied forward on her hands & feet in order to stabilize herself. It may have looked a little bit silly to the casual observer, but it prevented the more sensitive parts of her skin from contacting the bark directly. Gloriosa tried her best to seem as unthreatening as possible to the baby badger. She even reached out her hand and allowed him to sniff it. Thus, satisfied that he wasn’t in any danger, the baby badger willingly climbed onto Gloriosa’s shoulder and patiently waited for her to descend back down to the ground.

A buzzing sound caught Gloriosa’s attention. She looked up and realized why the badger had gotten stuck so high up in the tree in the first place. Dozens of bees hovered around a large hive located on a branch just above where she was currently crouching. Golden globs of sweet honey oozed from all sides and slowly dripped onto the grass below. It was no wonder the baby badger had been so eager to get up to the top. Gloriosa knew she needed to get out of the tree as quickly as possible, but the passenger who currently occupied her shoulder would make the climb back down to the ground much more difficult.

Before she could even start moving, a flock of robins flew by, agitating the bees. Even though she hadn’t been the source of the disturbance, the angry insects focused their wrath on the first living creature that happened to be near their hive. Thinking fast, Gloriosa grabbed the branch and jumped down to the ground below, narrowly avoiding the cloud of bees. With nothing to attack, the bees simply floated around for a few moments and went about their business. Although she had avoided being stung hundreds of times, Gloriosa landed awkwardly in her haste to save herself and the badger.

Gloriosa hissed in pain and clutched her right ankle. “Damn it!”

Many of the guests began murmuring amongst themselves worriedly. A few even stepped up to the tree to try and help their fallen guide. However, Flash assured all of them that she needed professional medical attention and that he was certified to render first aid. Thus mollified, several of the guests returned back to the group and began chatting with each other once more.

Flash crouched by her side and surveyed the damage. “I’m not gonna lie, Gloriosa. Your ankle looks like it’s in pretty bad shape. I can tell that it’s sprained at the very least. Before you try and get up: don’t bother. Putting weight on it is not a very good idea right now.”

“Then… what… exactly do you… suggest, Flash?”

“I’ll carry you back to the camp. Then you’re going straight to the infirmary.”

Gloriosa gestured towards the guests. “But… what about them? I have to—”

“I’m sure they’ll understand. Right now, we need to make sure that you recover properly.”

Fluttershy walked over to where they were sitting with Penelope following close behind. The baby badger was huddled up close to his mother with a worried expression on his little snout. She chittered a bit with Fluttershy and made her way over to the assembled group of guests.

“Penelope told me that she knows the way back to camp. She offered to guide everyone else back so long as you’re ok with it. Personally, I think it’s a good idea for you to take it easy for the rest of the day. Penelope seemed to think so too.”

Gloriosa sighed. “Alright. You win. I don’t suppose I have much of a choice at this point. Flash, are you ok with carrying me to the infirmary?”

“Yeah, I can do that. We’ll have to do it piggyback style though.”

Flash knelt on one knee while Gloriosa looped her legs through his arms. After she wrapped her arms around his neck and made sure that she wasn’t going to fall off, she gave to go ahead to start moving. While they walked down the forest path alone, Flash began to notice a few things. With each step, he could feel Gloriosa’s breasts bounce ever so slightly as they pressed up against his back. They were every bit as soft and supple as he imagined.

Every so often, her nipples would poke his shoulder blades. Flash bit his lip and tired his best to ignore the sensation. It was quite obvious to him that they were harder than cut diamonds. He knew it was just a natural reaction from all the friction created by their skin to skin contact, but it didn’t make the situation any less awkward. He couldn’t even begin to imagine how embarrassing and uncomfortable it was for Gloriosa.

“Mmm. You’re so warm and you have such a strong back.” Gloriosa muttered softly.

“Oh… uh—thanks.”

“How do you like my boobs? Be honest with me, Flash. I know damn well that you can feel them squishing up against you. It’s impossible not to since you’re giving me a nude piggyback ride. C’mon, don’t be shy! I wanna know what you think of ‘em.”

Flash blushed furiously. “I—um—think they’re great. Exactly how I imagined they’d be.”

“You really know how to flatter a girl, doncha?”

“Well, you asked me to be honest…”

Gloriosa rested her head against his shoulder and sighed. “Oh, I know. And I’m not complaining, mind you. Since we’re being honest with each other, I think you have an awesome cock. It’s got a healthy curve to it, you keep your pubes well-groomed, and it’s nice and thick around the base. All in all: I’d give it a solid nine on the dickter scale.”

Flash nearly choked on his own spit. “WHAT?!”

“Hey, I’m just callin’ it like I see it. And I like what I see~”

Flash slowly glanced downward and realized what she’d meant. With no way to cover up his erection, he endured its bobbling motion in stoic silence as they continued their piggyback hike through the forest. A tiny sliver of Flash’s ego felt a certain amount of manly pride knowing that Gloriosa actually found that particular part of his anatomy appealing. With some reluctance, he admitted that it was only fair. He got a good, long look at Gloriosa’s privates during her little yoga session.

“Just a friendly word of advice,” Gloriosa added, “You might want to wait till that guy calms down a bit before we arrive at the camp proper. Unless, you enjoy walking around with a boner. I’m sure some people wouldn’t mind, but… I can’t exactly condone such behavior.”

“It’s not like I want to either.” Flash huffed.

“You could always go sneak off into the bushes and rub one—”

Flash felt his face heat up again. “Absolutely not!”

Gloriosa giggled. “I was just kidding. Well, mostly…”

Since he was starting to get tired anyway, Gloriosa suggested that they take a breather before encroaching onto the main part of the camp where most of the guests would be milling about. This gave Flash time to collect his thoughts and let his “not so little problem” settle down. Surprisingly enough, once they started talking about other things, Flash nearly forgot that they were both naked in the first place.

He didn’t waste any time getting Gloriosa settled in one of the infirmary’s beds. For the sake of her comfort, he immediately removed her footwear, and elevated her injured ankle on a pillow. Thankfully, there didn’t seem to be any open wounds but the area where she’d twisted the muscle was sore and swollen. Flash gently applied an anti-inflammatory ointment to the affected area and wrapped it in special gauze. Gloriosa looked down at her leg and whistled.

“Where’d you learn how to do all that?”

Flash blinked owlishly. “Hmm? Oh, I’m a Stallion Scout. Gold Class. Learned it in one of the first aid and survival courses a couple of years ago. I’m glad it came in handy today.”

Gloriosa couldn’t help but snicker. “That’s so… you! I can totally see you in one of those silly uniforms with a whole bunch of badges pinned on the front.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? And they’re not silly! Khaki is cool…”

Gloriosa placed her hand on his thigh and rubbed it tenderly. “Sorry, I meant that it suits your personality to the T. Trust me, Flash. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Some girls like a man in uniform. Although, I don’t think that quite applies to you right now.”

Flash found himself chuckling despite Gloriosa’s quip. “Yeah, that’s certainly true.”

A knock on the infirmary door interrupted their conversation. Fluttershy stood in the doorway, now barefoot, and cradling the baby badger in the crook of her arm. Gloriosa could somehow tell, in a way that she could scarcely begin to explain, that the little guy was worried about her. He held what appeared to be a honeycomb in his mouth. Fluttershy padded over to the edge of the bed and let him down gently.

“Hello, Gloriosa. Flash. Umm… I just wanted to let the two of you know that we made it back to the camp safely and without incident. Thanks to Penelope. Little Rufus here wanted to check in on you and make sure you were doing ok.”

Rufus climbed atop Gloriosa’s lap and deposited the honeycomb with a soft plop. He looked up at her expectantly in a way that only adorable baby animals could. Gloriosa wasn’t sure she wanted to touch something that had been in an animal’s mouth but she didn’t want to upset him. So, she tried to swipe her finger along the edge of the honeycomb that hadn’t been in his mouth. Much to her surprise, the honey was smooth and delicious.

“Thanks, Rufus. The honey’s really good.”

The baby badger let out two cheerful barks and affectionately nuzzled her stomach. Gloriosa laughed aloud, mostly because his fuzzy fur tickled and she was happy that he was safe. Fluttershy cooed as she watched the heartwarming scene, knowing full-well just how much of an honor it was to receive honey from a Honey Badger. It was a precious food source they seldom shared and only with those who’d earned their trust.

“Alright, little one. It’s time to head back to your mommy.” Gloriosa whispered.

Rufus shook his head ever so slightly, as if he understood exactly what Gloriosa had said. He replied with a chittering mewl that sounded an awful lot like he wanted to stay by her side and keep snuggling. It was strange, yet fascinating at the same time. Gloriosa had never experienced such a deep level of empathy like it before with any other animals. There was no other logical explanation. This had to be the work of Gaia Everfree’s influence. It made Gloriosa wonder what other strange abilities she might possess. Aside from the one’s she’d displayed during her transformation.

Given the unpredictable and destructive nature of those abilities, she hadn’t dared try them out since the Rainbooms purified her of the spirit’s malevolence. What if she couldn’t control them? What if she wound up hurting people? Gloriosa already had enough on her plate trying to run a resort; she didn’t want to be burdened with mystical powers she could scarcely comprehend. But her own curiosity and the gentle voice along the fringes of her mind, beckoned her to find out.

A single daisy sat in a pot atop the windowsill. While she was petting Rufus, Gloriosa reached her hand out and tried to connect with it as she had before. She gasped quietly when the flower instantly responded to her call. She could feel its lifeforce, the energy of the sun as its warm rays touched the petals and drove forward the process of photosynthesis. She quickly disconnected and rested her hand upon the edge of the bed once more. The feeling of Flash’s hand on her arm, broke Gloriosa out of her reverie.

“Are you ok? Your face is all pale. Do you need a drink of water or something?”

Gloriosa nodded slowly. “Oh… yes, I think that’s probably a good idea. Sorry, the pain must be getting to me.”

Rufus prodded his snout against Gloriosa’s hip, as if to ask if she needed any more help. Gloriosa brushed her thumb against his head and assured him that she would be ok. He barked softly and licked the palm of her hand, acknowledging that he would continue to check in on her periodically. With a wag of his tail, he hopped off the bed and skittered out the door to find his mother.

Fluttershy smiled as she watched him go. “I think you’ve made a friend today, Gloriosa.”

“You really think so? All I did was get him out of a tree.”

“That may be true, but Rufus believes you saved his life. You see, Honey Badgers rarely show that much affection and trust towards humans. And as far as I’m concerned, there was a very real possibility that he could have died had you not gotten him out of that tree. Animals respect bravery and kindness.”

Gloriosa blushed as she took a sip of water. “I’m no hero. I just did the right thing.”

“Well, I respectfully disagree. In any case, I hope you recover quickly. I know Flash is around to help you, but if there’s anything else you need, don’t hesitate to ask.”

Gloriosa simply nodded and waved goodbye as Fluttershy walked out the door. As soon as the door shut, Flash walked over to the edge of her bed and found a comfortable spot to sit down on. Even with all the craziness that happened in such a short span of time, Gloriosa’s mind was clear about one thing: she wanted to show Flash, in no uncertain terms, that she was grateful for his help. And so, without preamble, Gloriosa leaned over and planted a soft kiss on his cheek.

“Thank you, Flash. For everything you did for me this morning.”

Flash grinned like a kid in a candy store. “Aww it was nothing.”

Comments

[Massager 32]

OK a gloriosa and flash ship is established and I approve of it

[EternalIllusion]

Flash deserves more love and happiness in my opinion. Love this ship.

[Mystic Mind]

Small nitpick: Honey Badgers aren't native to America at all. They're primarily found in Central Africa and India, so unless this is a wildlife reserve specifically known for their population of Honey Badgers, they shouldn't be there!

[Mystic Mind]

Were you intending to write echii? Because you wrote echii. It's not quite porn, but there's so much sexual suggestiveness, especially with Gloriosa's flirting. Makes the fic feel more like a nude-exploitation story than genuinely naturist. Nothing wrong with echii, if that's what was intended all along, I just find it a little misleading to have something naturist themed, but then put so much emphasis on sexual attraction and pubic hair.

Otherwise, this chapter was decent. Don't know why you made the animal a honey badger when a cat would've filled the same role, AND be accurate to both location and behaviour. But that's of lesser importance. I hope the coming chapters give a little bit more than just sexual tension between Flash and Gloriosa, which the plot has so far bent over backwards to provide.

[MaresFilliesWriter]

Fluttershy put her hands on her hips and let out an adorable angry huff. “A big, strong man to protect my innocence?! Take a look at the shy, naked virgin standing over there all by herself! Everyone will immediately start taking advantage of her because she seems weak. Well, let me tell you something buster! I’m more than capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much!

“Oh, my goodness! I didn’t mean to snap at you, Flash. It’s just that people are always assuming that I’m some helpless damsel in distress. Ooooh it makes me so… peeved when I hear them say stuff like that! I’m sorry that I lost my temper. I’ll just be quiet now… if you don’t mind.”

I love this dialogue so much. <3 So FS.