Chapter 3: New Friends, New Job Training
An hour later, my alarm clock went off. I woke up, feeling more rested than I had before, and then I jumped in the shower, and quickly cleaned myself up better, dried myself off, and then went to pick out an outfit to wear. I decided to go with a red short-sleeve shirt, blue jeans, socks, and a pair of hiking boots. I tucked my tail into my pants again, and used a cap to hide my ears. Once I was done, I picked up my laundry basket, and went to go retrieve my clean clothes from the laundry room. Once I was back in my room, I put them all away, hung up/put away all (or at least most) of my clothes in my closet and dresser, and then I went to rejoin the other employees. I decided to try and see the rest of the main lodge, but when I got to one of the doors that led there, it was locked, and the glass panels on it were covered in paper and tape on the inside, and a sign on the door read,
"Ah, ah, ah! No peeking until Saturday! ;)"
"Hmm. I guess they really want to keep things a secret, even to their own employees. I wonder why. Maybe they're doing some kind of livestream reveal." I then shrugged, and after walking back through the Back Wing, I reached the door I entered through, and soon found myself back outside.
The picnic was just beginning to start, with tables for food being set up, and food being brought out and set on them. I was able to see things like burgers, hot dogs, fried chicken, chips of all kinds, mac n' cheese, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, plenty of watermelon, and that's just what I could see from where I was standing. However, just then, I heard the sound of a microphone turn on, and then someone began to speak.
"Attention everyone, could I have your attention please?"
The huge crowd of creatures went quiet, and we all turned to look towards who was speaking, and I could just barely see that it was Mr Strauss, standing on the huge front deck of the main lodge building.
"Thank you. Now then, I'm sure that most of you know who I am, but if not, I'll introduce myself. My name is Edward Strauss, and I'm the owner of this Great Wolf Lodge Resort. And it is my absolute privilege and honor to have all of you out here working for me. Are you all excited to be here?"
The whole crowd started cheering.
"Excellent! Well, my wife Gertrude and I are very happy to have you all here, as are the investors who helped to fund this ambitious endeavor. You're now all a part of the Great Wolf Lodge Family, and are about to embark on the journey of a lifetime! Now then, I know that you're all getting pretty hungry, so I assure you that this won't take long, but I just wanted to get a few things out of the way. First of all, I'm sure that many of you have seen that the resort's doors, save for those leading in and out of the employee dorm wing, are all locked up tight, and all windows are covered in paper and tape. Why is this you ask? Well, tomorrow morning at 11am, we're going to be hosting a livestream event for all of Equestria, and those interested back on Earth, where we'll be giving a full tour of the resort to them, and to all of you, and we wanted absolutely ZERO spoilers beforehand. But I'm sure some of you must be thinking, 'Oh, but, Mr Strauss, I've seen what a Great Wolf Lodge looks like inside before'. Perhaps you have, and this one will bear some similarities, but it'll also be quite different and unique. I know all of you will be stunned when you see it.
And lastly, when I'm finished here, please form a nice and orderly line to get your food, and then feel free to sit wherever you want, but I must ask you all to please be courteous to each other, and to the environment. Clean up all of your trash when you're done, and let's keep this place looking nice. Alright?"
"Yes, Mr Strauss!" Many in the crowd called.
"Excellent! Enjoy your food everyone, everypony, and every-creature!"
The crowd then began to move towards the food tables.
As I was moving towards them as well, I wasn't paying attention, and I accidentally bumped into someone.
"Oh shoot! I'm so sorry!"
The creature I bumped into turned around, and I saw that he was a wolf about my age, with brownish fur, brown eyes, and wearing a red hoodie with a black pawprint on it, and blue jeans, very similar to me.
"Oh, it's fine, but you stole my outfit!" He said with a grin.
"What? No, I didn't! You stole mine, and slapped a pawprint on it!" I replied laughing a bit.
"Heh, maybe I did. I'm Wiley Wolf. And you are?"
"I'm Thomas. Thomas Ballard."
"Nice to meet you, Thomas. So what's your new role at the Great Wolf Lodge?" He asked as we got in line.
"Oh, I'm going to be the resort's Assistant-Chief Engineer."
"Ooh, nice. That means you'll be working directly under Aloysius Otter as his right-pawed man, since he's the Chief Engineer. I've met him, and he's a great guy. A li'l eccentric at times, but you'll love working with him."
"I look forward to getting to meet him. And what about you, Wiley? What's your role here?"
"Oh, my role is twofold. I'm gonna work at the resort's waterpark, but I'm also the face of the Lodge, as its primary mascot."
"Wow, far out, Man, that's so cool! Or at least, I think it is."
"Yeah, I think so too." Wiley agreed.
We chatted a bit more about the resort, and I learned that Wiley lived in Spirit Water Forest his whole life, and also got to watch the lodge's renovation. He even told me about its predecessor, the Clearwater Resort, which he and his Family had visited a handful of times over the years.
"It was a really nice place, though it was a bit slow-paced, as it was made for relaxation. The hot springs were amazing though. And they had all this cool stuff on display too. My favorites were models of warships and aircraft, many of which were custom-made by local craftsmen and model building groups. I just hope that they put those models back on display somewhere in the new resort."
"Yeah, I hope to too, Wiley. And I was wondering, how'd you become the main mascot anyway?"
He shrugged a bit. "Honestly, I'm not really sure, but it was thanks to Mr Strauss. He said he saw something in me, and after giving me a trial run, he chose me. It's going to be a big responsibility, but I feel confident I can handle it."
"Hmm, that sounds a lot like my experience. I got my job here thanks to Mr Strauss as well. He looked at my job history, and I guess thought I'd be a good fit for Assistant-Chief Engineer. He's a great man, Mr Strauss. He's been a friend of my Parents for a long time, and my Dad used to work for him for many years, until he left to start his own flooring company."
"Wow, really? That's really cool, Thomas. I guess it really is a small world."
"Yeah, it sure seems to be."
After a bit, Wiley and I were finally able to get our food, and then we were looking for a place to sit. Just then though, I saw someone waving, and I turned a bit, as did Wiley, and he smiled.
"Oh, looks like my Sis and our friends got us a table! Come on, you can sit with us, and our friends."
"Sure."
I then followed him over to the large wooden picnic table. When we arrived, I saw that it was occupied by a female wolf with gray fur, light purple eyes, and wearing a purple turtleneck sweater, light purple skirt, and black leggings, as well as a male raccoon with amber eyes, wearing a green short-sleeve shirt, and brown cargo shorts, a female squirrel with light-colored fur, blue eyes, and wearing a yellow shirt, blue jean shorts, and a yellow bandanna, and a male bear with brown fur, brown eyes, wearing an orange shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and blue jean shorts. They also all looked to be around the same age as Wiley and I, give or take a few years. They all looked up at Wiley and I when we walked over, and smiled.
"Who's your friend, Wiley?" The Squirrel asked in a chipper voice.
"Oh, I'm Thomas." I said as I sat down.
"Nice to meet ya, Thomas! I'm Sammy Squirrel."
"I'm Oliver Raccoon."
"I'm....I'm Brinley Bear." The Bear said shyly.
"And I'm Violet Wolf. I'm Wiley's Sister."
"Nice to meet all of you. And I assume that you all have jobs here at the resort too?"
They all nodded, and then happily told me what their jobs were going to be. Violet was going to work in the new Scoop's Spa, Oliver was going to help with troubleshooting IT/computer stuff, while also working at the resort's gem-panning attraction on the side, Sammy was going to be working at the Bear Essentials Swim Shop (one of the resort's stores), and helping out with arts and crafts, while Brinley told me that he was going to be helping with bookkeeping, filing, and other office work.
"Oh, nice. And it sounds like you're going to be part of the Maintenance Team, Oliver?"
He nodded. "Yeah, but not as much the hands-on labor type, more of the computer-related stuff. Computers were always my forte."
"Ah, gotcha. Though this means that you'll be working under me, as I'm the resort's Assistant-Chief Engineer."
"Oh, so you're the guy they got to fill that role. Cool!" Violet told me. "That means you'll get to work with Aloysius Otter."
"Yeah. And I keep hearing about Aloysius Otter. I'm hoping I'll get to meet him here before too long. I've kept my eyes open since I got here, but its hard to find anyone in these crowds."
"Yeah, no kidding." Brinley agreed. "It'll get a lot easier once they sort us out into our various Departments. Then we'll be able to find everyone much easier."
"Yeah."
I then asked everyone how old they were. Sammy said that she was 19, Brinely was 20, Oliver was 21, Wiley was 22, and Violet was 24. Imagine their surprise when I told them that I was 23.
"Wow. So we were all born one year after the one younger than us. What a coincidence."
"Yeah, no kidding, Thomas." Wiley agreed.
I then moved my hat a bit to push my hair back a bit, and for the first time, Wiley and Co. saw my wolf ears.
"Wait, are those.....wolf ears?" Oliver asked.
I immediately realized what I did, and pulled my hat back down. "W-what? No...." I lied.
Wiley cocked his head a bit. "You sure? They looked like black wolf ears to me."
"Oh, you're one of them, aren't you? One of those 'Lycans'?" Brinley asked quietly.
I looked at him in surprise. "How......how do you know about the Lycans?"
"Well.....I like to read a lot, and that was....one of the topics I read about. I thought it was really interesting that Humans could have wolf features, and abilities like that. Why do you hide them?"
I sighed. "It's because I used to get bullied a lot back on Earth because of it. So even when I moved to Equestria for work, I covered my ears with a hat, and my tail I either tucked into my pants, or hid with a jacket/coat." I knew that it was pointless to keep them hidden anymore, so I then took off my hat and pulled my tail out of my pants, and showed them to Wiley and the others.
"Wow, they look really cool!" Sammy piped up.
"Yeah, I agree. The black contrasts really nice against the gray of my fur, and the brownish color of Wiley's fur." Violet added.
"You....you guys really don't care that I'm a Lycan?" I asked.
"Why would we care? There's creatures of all shapes, sizes, colors and creeds here in Spirit Water Forest, and working at the resort." Oliver pointed out.
"Plus, Lycans are kind of rare here in Equestria, especially ones that have the visible wolf features like you do Thomas."
"Well, you're right about that, Brinley." I agreed.
"Plus, we want you to be our friend. Why would we make fun of your being a Lycan if we wanted you to be our friend?"
I look at all of them in surprise. "You.......you guys want to be my friends?"
"Yeah, we do. You seem like a really great guy, and we're all so close in age." Wiley told me. "Why's that so surprising to you?"
"Well......it's just.....I've never had very many friends after......" I paused. I wasn't about to reveal my past to them. ".....After arriving in Equestria, and having to move around a lot for work."
"Oh, I see. Well, now you have all of us as your friends, as long as you're a good friend to us in return of course."
"Yeah! We're not friends with meanies!" Sammy giggled.
I froze a bit, flashes of my past life as Thomas Bollard the meth-addict flashed before my eyes when she said that. I quickly tried to squash these memories as I'd done so many times before, and luckily I was able to do so before anyone noticed.
"Well, rest assured, Sammy, I'm not a meanie." ("Or at least, I'm not one anymore." I thought to myself).
Sammy giggled at my comment, and the 6 of us continued to chat while we ate, and I learned a lot more about them, and I told them (a sanitized version) about me.
The rest of the picnic passed easily enough, though after everyone and every-creature had eaten, many were starting up various games, or exploring the resort grounds, and Wiley, Violet, Sammy, Oliver, Brinley and I had a blast playing with a Frisbee. We all went to our rooms for the night when it got dark, and all of us found it hard to sleep, knowing that tomorrow was going to be the day that not only was the interior of the Great Wolf Lodge revealed to the world, but it would also be our Employee Orientation, and mark the beginning of our 2 weeks of on-the-job training before the resort opened to the public.
The next morning, after we were all up, showered, dressed, and had eaten breakfast in the employee dining hall on the ground floor of the Back Wing, we were all gathered in several large groups near the front doors of the main lodge. Mr and Mrs Strauss were there, as were Slipstream, Gia, Vincent, and an older male otter with brown fur, a thick cream-colored mustache, blue eyes, and was dressed in a mechanic's overalls, a tool-belt, and had goggles on his head. Also all around were various news crews, and the camera crew responsible for the upcoming livestream. Wiley and I were also invited to the front, since we too had a high-rank in the Great Wolf Lodge Hierarchy. I then realized that the otter was Aloyisus Otter, and I went over to him.
"So, we finally meet, Mr. Otter." I said warmly, reaching out to shake his hand.
"Yes, indeed we do, Young One." He replied, shaking my hand. "But no 'Mr. Otter'. You can just call me 'Wishes'. Everyone does."
"Ok, then. It's nice to finally be able to meet you, Wishes. I've heard so many great things about you, and it's an honor to have been chosen to be your Assistant-Chief Engineer."
"Likewise about you, Young One. Mr Strauss told me many great things about you too, and I look forward to teaching you, and the other young whipper-snappers everything I know!"
I chuckled a bit. "And I for one am ready to soak all of that experience up like a sponge!"
"Good to hear!"
Just then though, there was a bit of a buzz among the reporters, as someone pointed out that it was 10:58am, and it was time for all of us to get to our places, as we were going live in less than 2 minutes. Mr Strauss stepped up to a podium that was set up in front of the resort's front doors, Mrs Strauss and Wiley stood by his side, and behind them, and slightly off to the sides were Gia, Slipstream, Wishes, myself, Vince, and a male Hippogriff named Sea Glass, who was in charge of Guest Relations. All of us stood straight and tall, and began to smile happily.
"Ok every-creature, 10 seconds.....
9.....
8.....
7.....
6....
5.....
4.....
3.....
2....
1....
....And we're live!" Red lights on many of the cameras went on, meaning that they were rolling, and the livestream had begun.
Mr Strauss cleared his throat. "Good morning everyone, everypony, and every-creature, from wherever you're hailing from. My name is Edward Strauss, and I would like to welcome you all to the Smokey Mountains for the long-awaited grand reveal of the interior of the brand-new Equestrian Flagship Great Wolf Lodge Resort!"
The crowd gathered around began to cheer, and this continued for a bit before Mr Strauss motioned for silence again.
"This endeavor has been a handful of years in the making, and in just 2 week's time, it'll be my honor to welcome the first guests to the resort, but in the meantime, let's get to the moment you've all been waiting for, what the interior of the lodge looks like. Drumroll please!"
As a drumroll sound effect began to play, Mr Strauss looked at Wiley. "Wiley, as the mascot of Great Wolf Lodge, would you care to do the honors?" He pointed to the front doors.
Wiley nodded. "Yes, Sir!" He then walked over to the doors, and with a dramatic heave, he threw both doors open, before stepping to the side to allow Mr Strauss, and the camera on wheels that was being used for the livesteam to come inside, while the rest of us who were with Mr Strauss watched from the doorway, and the crowd outside watched on large screens that were set up outside for the occasion. When I first laid eyes on the lobby of the Great Wolf Lodge, I could only stare in awe.
"Whoa. This lobby's huge!"
And indeed it was. There was a huge fireplace against the left side, with the front desk to the right, and the whole right wall having the facade of a log cabin. Huge chandeliers made from deer antlers hung overhead, while various taxidermied animals, animal heads, and hides hung on the walls, and straight ahead, near the staircases to the upper floors, I could see that this Great Wolf Lodge also had the famous Clocktower Show.
By this point, Mr and Mrs Strauss and the camera crews had moved on further back into the main lobby, and Wiley came over to join me.
"This place is incredible!"
"Yeah, no kidding!" Wiley agreed. "I can barely even recognize it now, as the lobby of the Clearwater Resort wasn't nearly this big, nor as well-decorated."
"I know that the guests are going to love it though, that's for sure."
"I think so too, Thomas."
Then as other staff began to file into the building, Wiley and I waited for Violet, Oliver, Sammy, and Brinley to find us, and then we began to look through the building on a tour of our own.
We decided to save the waterpark for last, and decided to explore the building floor by floor. On the ground floor were a number of guest rooms, as well as the Northern Lights Arcade, the Howl in One Mini-Golf Course, an indoor archery range, and the resort's 3 large meeting rooms; Fallen Timbers, Northwest Territories, and Timberview Conference Room. We also found the Bear Essentials Swim Shop where Sammy was going to be working, and the lodge's Build-a-Bear Workshop.
"They've got so much stuff in here, and we've only just begun to scratch the surface!" Brinley exclaimed.
"Yeah, no kidding! The Bear Essentials Swim Shop looks so cool! I'm gonna love working here!" Sammy agreed.
"I can't wait to try out that mini-golf course. That looked fun." Oliver added.
"Yeah, I second that, Oliver. And the Northern Lights arcade too!" Wiley agreed.
I nodded. "I third that, and raise you the archery range too. I'm great with guns, but I'd like to hone my skills with the great bow too. And what about you, Violet?"
She looked up. "Hmm? Oh. Yeah, I think so too. Sorry if I seemed a bit distracted, I was just looking to see if this was where the Scoop's Spa was, but I guess not."
Brinley was looking at a map of the resort. "Oh, the Scoop's Spa is up on Level 2, Violet, which is where we're headed next."
Once we were done looking around Level One, we moved up to Level 2. Level 2 was where most of the resort's restaurants, stores, and the spa were located. In addition to these, and more guest rooms, there was the Scoop's Spa, Oliver's Mining Co. (this was the gem-panning attraction Oliver would help man when not doing his computer-related job), the Laser Trail Laser-Tag Arena, Hungry as a Wolf (a restaurant that served pizza, pasta, and other Italian food), The Bear Paw Sweets and Eats Bakery, the Camp Critter Bar and Grill, the Buckhorn Exchange Gift Shop, and the Great Wolf Candy Company.
Oliver was eagerly looking over his gem-panning attraction, while Violet was engrossed in exploring the Scoop's Spa, Wiley was looking at the laser-tag arena, Sammy was checking out the bakery, and Brinley and I were looking at the Camp Critter Bar and Grill.
"Hmm."
"Something wrong, Thomas?"
"I'm not sure. I feel like something's missing here, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Since this is the resort's main restaurant, shouldn't there be an ambassador for it?"
Brinley frowned, and then sighed. "Alas, poor Rachel. This was going to be her restaurant."
"Who's Rachel?"
"Rachel Raccoon. She was one of the staff-members of the original Clearwater Resort, and was well-loved for her cooking. She was all slated to be in charge of the Camp Critter Bar and Grill, but alas, it was not to be. During the renovation, she was diagnosed with Stage 3 liver cancer, and left Spirit Water Forest for treatment. She's still alive, as far as I know, but in her memory, they dedicated this restaurant to her, and she'll be its ambassador if she ever returns."
"Oh, that's so sad, Brinley. Cancer is no joke, and it can strike anyone. I hope Rachel's able to beat her liver cancer."
"Me too."
"Hey, why the sad faces, guys?" Wiley asked as he walked over to see what we were doing.
"We were just talking about Rachel Raccoon."
Now Wiley frowned. "Oh, I see. Yeah, that makes sense. I didn't know Rachel very well, but she seemed very sweet. It was so sad when she had to retire."
Brinley and I agreed, and we then decided to move on up to Level 3.
Compared to the previous levels, while Level 3 was the same size as the previous levels, aside from the guest rooms, it was pretty spartan when it came to attractions. There were some bay windows to allow you to see down into the waterpark area, as well as a small lounge alcove with board games and puzzles, and a few of what we guessed were birthday party rooms, and there were also some pictures and displays showing the history of Spirit Water Forest, the Clearwater Resort, and the conversion into the Great Wolf Lodge it was today.
"This is where they used to display those models I was telling you about, Thomas."
"Oh, really?"
Wiley nodded. "Yeah. But it would seem like they got rid of them, or the groups who built them took them back. I'm not sure."
"Yeah, me neither."
We also went up to Level 4, which was the lodge's top floor, not counting the attic. This floor was where the Bridal/Honeymoon Suite, Presidential Suite, and other suites for the big-wigs that cost hundreds, or even thousands of dollars a night to stay in were located. All of the rooms were locked, and Mr Strauss and the livestream camera were nowhere in sight, so we weren't able to see inside. Instead, we all regrouped on the main level again, and decided to check out the waterpark.
"Huh, so it's called 'Wiley's Waterpark?" I asked.
Wiley nodded, grinning a bit. "Yeah. When I said that being a mascot had its perks, this was one of the things I meant. I got the Waterpark named after me!"
"Maybe so, but you also work here. As in, you help keep it clean, and the guests safe." Violet reminded him.
"Yeah, yeah, I know, Sis. You don't gotta be a killjoy." Wiley groaned.
We all then opened the doors to the waterpark, and were immediately hit with the familiar smell of chlorine, and when we stepped inside, we were in awe of what we were seeing. 
"Whoa! This place is huge!" We all said in near-unison, save for Wiley, who for some reason felt the need to say "Whoa! This place is f@#king huge!", causing the rest of us to either glare at him, or look at him in shock.
"Eh.....whoops. Sorry." He quickly mumbled.
"You're lucky the livestream camera crew weren't around to hear that." I said quietly.
We all then tried to brush this little incident aside, and started looking around the waterpark. While everything was turned on, and there were some staff members milling about, looking around, and taking pictures, all of the slides, pools, and other water attractions were currently roped off at the moment, with signs saying that they were strictly off-limits until the Employee Party tonight, following our Orientation, and that any intentional violation of this rule would lead to immediate employment termination. I snapped a picture of this sign, and we all kept looking around.
There was so much to see. We walked past several pools, the lazy-river, a bunch of water-slides, the large climbing structure in the middle with the dump-bucket on top, a wave-pool, and the hot tubs, which a sign nearby informed guests that they were kept full via one of the natural hot-springs that was once used by the Clearwater Resort. The waterpark even extended outside, with an outdoor splash area, and a larger pool, though I assumed that this outdoor area was seasonal. There were also 3 restaurants out in the waterpark area; Grizzly Jack's Bar and Grill, Grizzly Rob's Poolside-bar, and Buckets, which served burgers, sandwiches, and the like.
"This place looks really nice, and I know it is, but gosh. This is gonna be a bitch-and-a-half to maintain." I muttered to myself.
"Yeah, but at least we all get in free. Heck, any amenities inside or outside of the resort, we employees either get to use for free, or at a heavily discounted rate."
Violet wasn't so sure. "Eh, I think that that only applies to full-time, year-round staff, not the seasonal workers."
"Yeah, you're right, Sis, but aren't we all full-timers?"
Violet, Sammy, Oliver, and Brinley quickly confirmed that they were, though I hesitated for a moment.
"Yeah....I am too. For once in my life, I'm a full-time year-round employee."
"What do you mean? You do a lot of part-time work?" Oliver asked.
"Eh, more seasonal work. Full-time, oftentimes quite grueling, but only for one season or so. But that's another story for another time. So after seeing the place, what do you guys think? You gonna enjoy working here?"
Sammy nodded eagerly. "Totally!"
"Heck yeah!" Violet and Wiley said together.
"Oh yeah!" Oliver added.
"I think so too." Brinley agreed.
"And I agree with all of you. I think this is gonna be fun. Hard work, and definitely with challenges, but fun nevertheless."
The others all agreed, and we also explored a little bit of the resort's grounds, and outdoor amenities, though we didn't stray too far, as we knew that soon after the livestream ended, it was going to be time for our Orientation.
And indeed, I was correct. After the livestream ended, Mr and Mrs Strauss attended a series of meetings with various investors, contractors, food and beverage companies, and more, while the rest of us were being divided up into groups, depending on what our jobs were, and were all being shuffled off to various parts of the resort for our Orientation. Oliver and I, as well as all of the other maintenance personnel, were led by Wishes to the resort's basement to an open area with a lot of folding chairs set up, and once we were joined by a Great Wolf Lodge Orientation Specialist, our Orientation began.
For the most part, it was pretty standard. We watched various videos on the history of Great Wolf Lodge, the history of the Clearwater Resort, an overview of all of the resort's amenities, and then it all switched gears into what was expected of employees of Great Wolf Lodge. From the simple things, like how we were expected to keep our rooms in the Back Wing neat and tidy, to how we could eat most of our meals in the Back Wing's dining hall, or we could cook for ourselves in the room, or from one of the resort's restaurants (which would come out of our paychecks), to how we must always be on our best behavior around the guests, as we must set a good example, and show a high-standard, to very important things like how there was a zero-drug policy (an exception was made for marijuana, but only in designated outdoor smoking areas, and only while off-duty), drinking was allowed, (but only off-duty, and absolutely ZERO being drunk around guests!) to how those of us who owned firearms were expected to treat them, and properly store them when not in use, and even what to do in various natural disasters, such as a thunderstorm, flash flood, wildfire, blizzard, and even a tornado (though those were pretty rare in the Smokey Mountains), and so much more. We were encouraged to take notes, and we were all given a very thick Employee Handbook to read, which covered all of this information in detail, just in case we forgot anything.
At the end of it all, we were given some more paperwork to sign, and after that, we were handed bundles of clothes. These were going to be our new uniforms, and we would wear them depending on where in/on the resort we were working that day. We were given a pair of maintenance coveralls, dark blue maintenance pants and shirts, red T-shirts with the Great Wolf Lodge logo, and a black pawprint on the sleeves, Great Wolf Lodge hats, as well as hard hats, gloves, safety goggles, and hearing protection. I was also given a short-sleeve button-up khaki cargo shirt, a pair of khaki cargo-shorts, a brown belt with a green buckle, and a white pawprint on it, an orange neckerchief, green socks, and a Smokey the Bear-style ranger hat.
"Eh? What's all this for?" I asked, wondering if this was part of an elaborate prank.
"Oh, that's just one of the perks of being a high-ranking staff member. All of you are gifted with a Great Wolf Lodge Ranger Uniform to be worn for outdoor activities, if you so choose." The Orientation Specialist told me.
"Oh, I see. I guess I'll be the judge of whether or not I wear this once I see how it looks on me."
"Yeah. It's completely optional, as some like it, and some don't."
I nodded, before going to talk with Wishes, Oliver, and some of the other maintenance guys some more. By now, all of them knew that I was the new Assistant-Chief Engineer, and that very soon, they would be taking orders from me, and I'd be working alongside them to keep the resort in tip-top shape.
"And that day'll be starting Monday." I thought to myself as I walked back to my room with my bundle of uniforms to put away. I was still very nervous about this whole thing, but I hoped that with my upcoming on-the-job training, I'd be much better prepared for it.
A few hours later, the Employee party to celebrate us officially becoming a part of the Great Wolf Lodge Family began. There was food and drink, live music, and of course, we were finally free to use the resort's amenities. Some were out near Great Wolf Lake, either fishing, swimming, or boating, while others were hiking, tearing up the offroad trails on their offroad bikes, ATV's, or other vehicles, playing basketball, tennis, or some other ball game, climbing or repelling on the rock walls, or challenging their friends to races on the obstacle courses. Some were out at the shooting ranges, showing off their skills with their guns, while many more were inside the resort, either playing mini-golf, doing rounds of laser-tag, hitting bullseye's at the archery range, playing in the arcade, and of course, playing in the waterpark, among other activities.
And where was I? I was standing at the railing of one of the docks on Great Wolf Lake, taking some pictures of the scenery, including the sunset as it set behind the trees near the lake.
"It's like a postcard." I said to no one in particular. I planned to print out the photos I took, and then mail them to my Family back in Arkansas, since I used my actual camera, rather than my phone. "I would have just used my phone, so I could send them the pictures right away, but the camera's better with my actual camera." I muttered.
However, just then, I heard a small splash nearby. I turned to look, wondering if it was a fish, or some other small creature, but at first, I didn't see anything.
"Hmm. Must have just been a little fish."
I then looked down at the water, and I saw my own reflection, but then I noticed that I wasn't alone. In the reflection of the lake, I saw that standing next to me on my right was a man, but he looked horrible. He was gangly, extremely skinny, his clothes were torn and tattered, his hair was disgusting, and had chunks of it missing. His eyes were wild, and extremely bloodshot, and his face, arms, and hands were bleeding, and covered in horrible, oozing sores. In one of his hands, I saw he was clutching a meth-pipe. I looked up in fright, but there was no one standing next to me; I could only see their reflection in the lake. I immediately recognized him. He was me, while I was still hooked on meth, and dying from it, and venereal diseases.
"No.....no. You can't be here."
The figure chuckled hoarsely. "Oh, but I am. You can't get away from me, Thomas."
"You're dead! You died on an operating table in Chicago, and were cremated. You made your bad choices, and you payed for them!"
"Oh, but I'll always be alive, in your mind, you fool. I am you. I'll always be here, lurking just out of sight. You're one high away from bringing me back." He laughed menacingly, while lighting up his meth-pipe, and inhaling its contents.
"Which will NEVER happen! I've spent 4 years clean, without even once being tempted to return to that life. You're a demon, but you have ZERO power over me!"
"Is that why you keep running away, Thomas? To keep me away from you? To keep people from finding out about me? From finding out about your past? Well you can run, but you can't hide. Nice new digs you got here." The Demon remarked, looking around. "Bet you we can find a lot of new little clients here to sell to, 'specially those new 'friends' of yours."
By this point, I was gripping the wooden railing in front of me so hard that my knuckles were white, my fingertips were bleeding, and the wood itself was starting to crack.
"Go. Away. You have ZERO power here, and ZERO power over me! You can't follow me anymore, and you will NEVER hurt my friends! I won't let you!" I yelled at the Demon.
He just chuckled darkly, taking another hit from his meth-pipe. "Oh, but we have no intention of leaving you, Thomas."
"We?" I asked.
I then heard a gurgling/bubbling sound from the lake, just off to my left. I looked down, and saw what appeared to be a dark puddle on the lake's surface. It was pitch-black, looking almost like oil, but then, 2 glowing yellow eyes appeared from it, followed by a mouth.
"Hello Thomas. It's me, your 'friendly' neighborhood Shadow Demon!" It laughed.
I recognized him immediately. While the first Demon, who I called my "Meth Demon" looked like me, this other Demon, who I called my "Violence Demon", took a shadowy form. This was the demon who encouraged me to hurt others in any way I could, so as to fuel my meth addiction.
"You have no power here either, Puddle! It's been 4 years since I last had any trouble with the law, and it'll stay that way! Both of you are wasting your time here. I have no need for drugs, and I won't use violence....unless the lives of the innocent are threatened."
"Oh, you mean like how those 2 thugs in Des Moines threatened you?" The Shadow Demon laughed. "You shot them dead in that alley, and then stole from them. How'd that make you feel, hmm?"
"ENOUGH!!!!" I roared, yanking my hands away from the railing, taking a chunk of it with me. "I don't have to stay here and listen to this! Neither of you are even real, you're both just in my head! I'm the only one who can see or hear you! And like I said, you have ZERO power or control over me!!! Thomas Bollard is dead! He's gone forever. I'll NEVER be him again! I'm Thomas Ballard, and I'm gone!"
I then began to storm away from the dock, not caring if anyone saw me arguing with what seemed to be no one. I had to get away from that dock, away from them. It was all I could do, as I wasn't strong enough to make them to leave on my own, and they knew it.
"You can't keep running away from us forever, Thomas!" The Meth-Demon called after me. "We'll always be right here waiting for you, and one day, you won't be able to resist us anymore!"
Both Demons continued to laugh cruelly as I sprinted away from the lake as fast as I could, and back towards the main lodge.
I went inside the lodge again, and sat in front of the main fireplace. It was burning at the time, and I just stared into the flames, still deeply shaken and disturbed by my encounter at the lake.
"Why won't they leave me alone? Why do they persist in following me? They dogged my every move while I was a meth-addict, they taunted me from the shadows when I returned to Arkansas, they followed me across Equestria, and now they're even here, at the Great Wolf Lodge. I move around to get away, but they always find me."
My mind whirred at a million miles an hour, and then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I jumped a bit, but then I looked up into the face of Wiley.
"Oh....oh it's you."
"Sorry, Thomas, I didn't mean to scare you. The others were looking for you. You said you'd come to the waterpark after you took some pictures, but you seemingly disappeared." He then looked closer at me. "Hey, are you alright? You look pretty pale."
"Yeah.....I'm fine, Wiley, it's just......some bad memories resurfaced. I'd rather not discuss it now. That's why I took so long at the lake. But I'll be fine." I smiled weakly.
"Ok, well, I won't pry then. I'm just glad you're ok."
I nodded, and after a quick stop in my room to change into my swimsuit, Wiley and I headed to the waterpark. It was quite packed, with so many staff members splashing around, going down the slides, relaxing in the lazy river, grabbing a bite to eat, and just all around having a blast. Oliver and Sammy were just coming off the Howling Wolf Slide, Brinley was floating around in the lazy river on an inner-tube, and I looked around, but didn't see Violet anywhere.
I asked the gang, but Wiley wasn't sure, Oliver and Sammy saw her earlier near the wave-pool, but weren't sure where she was now, though Brinley pointed towards the hot tubs, and said that she was up there.
"Oh, thanks Brinley!"
"You're welcome Thomas."
Wiley then joined Brinley in the lazy river, while I went to go find Violet. Sure enough, after climbing a small flight of stairs, I reached an upper area where the hot tubs were. There were multiple ones up here, some for kids and families, but some were adult-only. This didn't matter at the moment, as there were only adults here, but it would when the resort opened. I found Violet sitting alone in one of them, seemingly quite relaxed, and she invited me to join her when she saw me approach. She stood up briefly, and I saw that she was wearing a purple bikini that fit her frame perfectly, showing off her curves, and her breasts, which seemed to be quite large.
"Heh, enjoying the view?" She asked with a smirk, having caught me staring.
"Yeah, I did." I admitted, seeing no point in lying. "Sorry."
"Heh, don't be. I know I'm quite the stunning bitch, and I don't mind flaunting it a bit."
I cocked my head slightly, as I wasn't sure if she meant "bitch" as in she was a baddie, "bitch" as in female dog, or both.
She smirked again. "Oh, I know what you're thinking, and the answer is 'yes'." She said with a laugh.
I rolled my eyes a bit, and after entering the hot tub, we soon fell to talking, and after a while had past, we were sitting side by side, chatting like a regular couple. Eventually, Violet leaned her head against my shoulder, and I wrapped an arm around her back. It was so peaceful, but alas, it was not to last.
"Smile!" A female voice suddenly called.
Before I could process that, a sudden flash of a camera jolted me fully back to reality.
"Huh?" I looked up, and saw Wiley and Sammy peeking over the top of a fake rock wall near the hot tubs to give the illusion that it was a mountain pool.
"Hey love-birds!" Sammy called, holding a camera, which I soon realized was MY camera.
"Thomas and Violet, sittin' in a hot tub. K-I-S-S-I-NG!!!" Wiley said in a sing-song voice.
"Hey, uncalled for, you perverts!" Violet glared daggers that them, but her Brother in particular. "We weren't kissing!"
"Do you want to?" Sammy asked with a wink.
"NO!!!" Violet and I said at the same time.
"Aww, but you look so cute together, Sis!" Wiley joked while making kissy-faces at up.
Violet then climbed out of the hot tub, and with a yell, she began to chase her brother in exaggerated slow-motion, while he also ran away in exaggerated slow-motion, as there was no running allowed in the waterpark. I then began to chase after Sammy in the same way, trying to get my camera back from her. During the "chase", I saw Oliver and Brinley going down various slides, so I guessed that they weren't a part of this. It was just Wiley and Sammy, and Sammy had used my camera, which I'd set down on a table near the hot tubs, and I guessed the cheeky squirrel grabbed it when I wasn't looking.
After finally catching them, Sammy gave me back my camera, and both she and Wiley apologized for their little stunt, and Violet and I forgave them. Then we all took some group pictures together, as well as various individual ones, using my camera, and the cameras on Wiley's and Oliver's phones. We then created a group chat, where they sent all of the pictures to our phones, and I promised to send them the pictures from my camera once I'd uploaded them to my old laptop with Oliver's help. The pictures all turned out pretty good, and we talked about it as we headed off to our rooms that night. We would have one day of rest that Sunday, and then starting Monday, our 2 weeks of training would begin.
For the entirety of those 2 weeks, all of us staff members felt like we were in military boot camp. It was strict, regimented, we worked for very long hours, and our roles were drilled into us. For some, such as those who worked in the stores and restaurants, and had past skills in doing so, it was pretty easy for them. But for others in harder positions, even if we had the skills required, it was quite strenuous. And yes, this included the maintenance team.
I had done industrial maintenance before when I worked for companies like Towline Industries in Manehattan, or Dauntless Enterprises in Canterlot, but I'd never done this level of maintenance required to keep a resort up to snuff, nor in such a high-ranking position. The Great Wolf Lodge trainers who trained us were exceptionally hard on us, and demanded perfection, and while it was grueling, I knew exactly why they were doing it. Good maintenance at a resort like this with so many people, Ponies, and other creatures being around was absolutely paramount, because if something went wrong, someone could get hurt, we could get sued, or worst-case, someone lost their life, and now we were facing a wrongful death suit, and had to now live with the guilt that our mistakes just cost someone their life.
"Which is why you must take the utmost care to keep this resort clean, and well-maintained, because a happy guest is a paying guest, and happy, paying guests leads to a resort being prosperous, which leads to job security, room for promotion, and of course, room for the resort to expand further." One of our trainers told us.
I was genuinely surprised by how much those behind Great Wolf Lodge seemed to care, not only about the guest experience, but also about how much they cared about their employees. They wanted them to succeed, and treated them like family, which was a far cry for many companies I'd worked for previously, who treated you like wage-slaves, or couldn't understand how your personal life could be more important than your $8 an hour job. But this? This was something I'd never seen before, but I loved it as a business model.
"I guess this is why so many creatures from all across Equestria, and beyond wanted to work here." I thought."
Over those important 2 weeks, I and the rest of the maintenance team learned the ins and outs of the entire resort, all of its amenities, and of course, how to diagnose, fix, repair, or replace any problem we might be confronted with, how to use those big industrial floor-cleaners, how to break the news to guests that their favorite attraction was temporarily closed, either for routine maintenance, or to fix a problem, how all of the resort's machinery worked, and how to maintain it, how to operate heavy machinery (this was to be used in the maintenance of the resort's grounds, and all of the trails), how to ensure that the resort's campground amenities were all in good-working order, how to fix and maintain all of the appliances for the restaurants, how to keep the waterpark in good working order, and so much more. I was honestly surprised that we were able to get through it all in just 2 weeks, but I guess miracles can happen. (I was also surprised to learn that the resort had a campground, as I'd never heard anyone talk about it before, but we were shown it during one of our training days, and I realized that it made sense to have a space for those who would come to a wilderness resort to camp out on the massive property, and I made a mental note to try it sometime in the future).
During this time, I saw Oliver a lot, and Wiley occasionally (usually when I was working in the waterpark), but I barely saw Sammy, Violet, or Brinley, save for during breaks, or in the employee dining hall. All 3 of them seemed to be very happy with their new jobs, as did Wiley, though Oliver said that while he enjoyed his job, the trouble came when he was working around those who claimed to know a lot about computers, but their "knowledge" stopped at plugging in a game console. I also told them about my training to be the Assistant Chief-Engineer, and how I'd seen just about every single amenity in and around the resort, inside and out, and knew how to fix, maintain, clean, and test them.
"Everything?" Wiley asked.
"Well, in a few more days when my training is complete, yes. I'm almost there. Though even when the training ends, I'll still be under Wish's tutelage, and learning more from him as he continues my training. But at least it's all pretty straightforward, even if there is a TON to remember. I'm just glad that there's a repair/maintenance/troubleshooting manual for every amenity the resort has, so I'll always have a checklist of things to run down. Quite handy when diagnosing a problem, and as time goes on, you begin to memorize the books more and more."
"Yeah, but look at your hands, Thomas. They're all calloused, rugged, and the skin's peeling off in places."
I looked at my hands, and then back at Wiley. "This is what a Working Man's hands look like, Wiley. It's nothing to be ashamed of, it just shows you know what a hard day's work is like. Plus, I can always just book an appointment at the Scoop's Spa, and I'm sure Violet, or one of the other gals'll be able to fix my hands right up. Right, Violet?"
She nodded. "Of course! We'll have your hands back to mint-condition in no time!"
"I'm glad."
At that moment though, an electronic beep came over the intercom, meaning that the employee breaks were over, and it was time to get back to work. We all said goodbye for now, and raced back to our areas.
Eventually, after the 2 weeks were up, all of us were declared to be official members of the Great Wolf Lodge Family, and were fully-certified in our respective jobs at the resort, and we were ready to give the guests a Great Wolf Experience that they were never going to forget.
On that Saturday, huge crowds had gathered outside of the main lodge building. Creatures from all across Equestria, and beyond had come to the opening weekend, and the entire lodge and campground were booked-solid. Mr and Mrs Strauss, their whole family, and the Resort's investors, and their families were there, as were Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and the Elements of Harmony, among other VIP's. News crews also were there to capture the historic day, and the event was also being livestreamed. I knew that my Family was watching the livestream, and I told them that I was wearing my so-called "Great Wolf Lodge Ranger Uniform", and described what it looked like so that they might be able to spot me in the crowd.
"Ok, when you first told my about the Great Wolf Lodge Ranger Uniform, I thought it was gonna look bad, but actually, you look pretty good, Thomas."
I smiled. "Thanks, Violet. I think I'm going to enjoy wearing this outside during the warm months."
Violet also told me that her and Wiley's Parents were somewhere in the crowd, and I was hoping to finally get to meet them, as well as the Parents of my other friends, but before I could say anything else, a member of Mr Strauss's staff tapped me on the shoulder, and told me that Mr Strauss wanted me to join him up at the front of the crowd, just in front of the resort's front doors. I quickly made my way through the crowd, and soon found myself up near a podium near the resort's front doors, which were covered by a red ribbon. The Strauss Family was up there, as were Gia, Slipstream, Wishes, Wiley, Sea Glass, and Vincent, and close by were the Princesses, the Elements, the resort's investors, their families, and other VIP's. This was a pretty major event, and I definitely stood out wearing my Ranger Uniform, but no one was really bothered by it, as it was considered an official uniform for high-ranking staff. However, at High-Noon, the crowds began to quiet down, the cameras started rolling, the livestream began, and Mr Strauss once again stepped up to the podium.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Mares and Stallions, Friends, Family, and Creatures of all kinds, it's my absolute privilege and honor to invite you all here today to witness a historic event; the grand opening of the flagship location of Great Wolf Lodge in Equestria!"
The crowd began to go wild, and those of us near Mr Strauss also clapped our hands.
"This has been a tremendous undertaking, several years in the making. It all began with a simple dream, and slowly, thanks to the efforts of those involved with the renovation process, this dream of mine came to life! However! It wouldn't be possible to present this finished dream to you without myself, my Family, and others extending a great big thanks to the hardworking construction and renovation crews who brought the Equestrian Flagship Great Wolf Lodge to life, but also the hardworking, and extremely dedicated employees who will serve this establishment, and its many guests well."
Mr Strauss then went around shaking the hands of all those gathered near him, while the crowds all cheered out in thanks for all of us. All of us saw the look of gratitude on the face of the man who had given us all this incredible opportunity, and who most of us saw as an almost grandfather-like figure. Mr Strauss then talked for a little bit longer, but then it came time to cut the ceremonial ribbon. The Mayor of Spirit Water Forest, a huge moose named Nolan Greengrass brought a large pair of golden ceremonial scissors up to the front, and it was decided that Mr Strauss, Wiley, Gia, and Slipstream would all cut the ribbon, though the rest of us on stage there would be standing around them.
Just before the ribbon was cut though, Mr Strauss asked if anyone wanted to say a few words. A few did, including myself. I told everyone gathered there how thankful I was to Mr Strauss for giving me this job, how great of an opportunity it was, and how much I was going to love working at the Great Wolf Lodge, though how I ended my brief speech was a bit humorous.
"....And before I leave the podium, I would also like to thank Happy Storage World, located outside of Ponyville. They're the greatest storage company in all of Equestria, and they have all the space you need to store whatever you need, and they're the absolute GOAT when it comes to long-term vehicle storage. So if you ever find yourself in need of storing something, and need a place to do it, head on down to Happy Storage World. It's the best storage experience you'll ever have, or your money back, guaranteed!" I then left the podium after hearing a few chuckles from the crowd.
A few more people said a few quick words, and then Mr Strauss, Wiley, Slipstream and Gia all held the ceremonial scissors,
"I now pronounce the Equestrian Flagship Great Wolf Lodge, officially open!" Mr. Strauss called joyously as the ribbon was cut.
The crowds all then began to cheer, and while the VIP's all shook hands, the guests all began to file into the resort, or explore the resort grounds. I then met up with Wiley, Violet, Sammy. Brinley, and Oliver again, and well all hugged, congratulating each other on a successful opening day.
"And just think, Guys. Today is only the beginning. It'll only get better from here!"
They all agreed, and while still holding each other in a group hug, we snapped a few pictures to capture the moment. The Great Wolf Lodge was already off to a roaring start, and I began to wonder what kind of adventures we were going to have next.
THE END.......for now!
Also LikedSimilarAuthor
- TheWolfSpartanBrony · 9.5k words · 96 6 · 2.9k views
- ShadowStar_IMHP · 87k words · 364 29 · 6.2k views
- Kronos11111 · 11k words · 145 16 · 4.4k views
- Dorath · 42k words · 419 10 · 5.9k views
- Allegrano_Melody · 21k words · 68 5 · 2.3k views
- Khanathara · 17k words · 526 30 · 10k views
- The Phantom Joker · 12k words · 248 28 · 5.1k views
- Crisis Novastar · 39k words · 64 8 · 2.8k views
Stats
Page generated in 0.085 seconds
Total duration
1,028 users online
1,939,805 hits today, 2,167,270 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Despite this story being Equestria centric, it did direct my attention towards The Great Wolf Pack: Call to Adventure, and it's subsequent series. Having never done much with Great Wolf Entertainment in the past (nor visited the lodges). In spite of this, I gave it a watch, and rather liked it with its interesting premise, well rounded storyline and morals, and intriguing/interesting characters. Yes, I know that its overall demographic is based more towards a younger audience (and it shows sometimes), yet there is something about; a deeper undertone that is rich with so much more potential for use and stories. On top of this, Wiley, Violet, Sammy, Oliver, and Brinley, are legitimately cool characters that the audience can easily pull for. All having genuine, unique personalities that, like their stories, hold so much more potential for development. With perhaps just some tweaking and plot expansion, could produce a more YA, mature storyline that still holds to its original premise.
Even though this is just a short three-parter, it does provide a nice AU of the series and how it would be if Spirit Water Forest was actually in Equestria, which, ironically, makes so much sense. The way you handled the main bunch as being more older and mature worked well and is something I'd like to see more of. Plus, it holds one of my more favorite tropes; an OC human joining up with a canon cast. It does kind of surprise me that the fandom hasn't taken off much, as there are no other fics elsewhere around it, though I imagine that might change once the series gains more traction.
Heh, I know I spoke more of the pack rather than this, but it was indeed a nice read.
11813246
Hello Owen OHenry,
And I actually only found out about "The Great Wolf Pack: A Call to Adventure", and its subsequent series by accident while doing preliminary research for this story, since I knew very little about the lore of Great Wolf Lodge. I went to one as a kid, and loved the experience, but never went back for some reason. I want to now though, which is a good thing as there's a GWL in Kansas City, close to where I live. And I quite liked the movie and show as well. And your thoughts on this series very much mirror my own. I really enjoyed them, and was really glad that I found them, as it really began to accelerate my plans for this story, and the ones that come afterwards. And was it just me, or did Sammy really remind you of Pinkie Pie, while Oliver reminded you of Twilight, Wiley remind you of Rainbow Dash, and Brinley remind you of Fluttershy?
And I'm glad that you liked how I placed Spirit Water Forest in Equestria. It really did seem like something that would be there, and I could easily imagine the Mane 6 visiting on one of their adventures, and meeting Wiley, and other other members of the Great Wolf Pack. And I'm glad that you think so. The genre of having an OC interact with the main cast of another series has been pretty hit or miss; some people love it, others hate it. I kept this in mind when I wrote the story, and hoped for the best. I think it came out really well with the other Great Wolf Pack members (though they aren't called this yet in the story), and Thomas. And yeah, it also surprised me a bit that "The Great Wolf" pack hasn't caught on here yet, but then again, it is kind of obscure, as you'd have to first know about Great Wolf Lodge, and then look into Great Wolf Entertainments to know about it. If these were out on a streaming service, I think more people would know about them. (I found them on YouTube)
And I'm glad you enjoyed reading it. And don't worry, this won't be the last time you'll hear from Thomas, and the Great Wolf Pack (though they're not called this just yet). I have more stories planned for this series, and Thomas and Co will have many unique and crazy adventures in and around the Great Wolf Lodge, some amazing, and some......bad. (These mostly relate to Thomas's past trauma, and his Demons, as well as a sub-plot involving a greedy landowner who hates Mr Strauss, and the Great Wolf Lodge, and wants to have it shut down). And yes, a future story will explain how the group comes to be called the "Great Wolf Pack", this time with Thomas being its 6th member
11813390
You know, I never thought about comparing the pack to the Mane 6, but, now that you mention it, it totally makes sense. You are right that the characters do align together, though I'd add in that Violet holds Fluttershy's warmth and compassion while Brinley is her timid nature.
I've been thinking about where Spirit Water Forest would exist canonically, as, what sort of universe would it exist in? Would it be in a separate universe of its own, or would it be some kind of hidden realm located in the normal world? The reason I mention this is because I'd like to see a story someday about where a human OC joins the canon (perhaps older) pack, whether that be through a full on universal transport, or just being lost in the wilderness in the right area.
The use of water being connected to both the science and magic of the forest could be used as to how said human arrives there. Perhaps being around a Boy Scout who becomes swept away while on a canoeing trip and winds up in Spirit Water Forest. Or maybe around a Civil Air Patrol cadet who winds up there while on a crash rescue exercise in the wilderness, which both would make him intuitive to work with the pack on helping others. Your concept of a wider threat affecting the entire region seems to be on par as a villain the pack would fight, so I'll be on the lookout to see that.
11813791
Yeah, you're right. I thought that Violet was a bit of an anomaly, since her personality didn't quite seem to match up with the Mane 6, but you're right. She has fluttershy's warmth, and Applejack's eagerness to help others
Hmm, that is a good question. Considering how well-grounded in reality the show is, I could see it being a real place, hidden somewhere within the real world, but it can only be accessed via a certain place, and by certain people. And that would be interesting to see. And those are both good suggestions, but allow me to raise you a wilderness firefighter. Say he or she was helping to fight a wildfire, and once it was out, they were checking around to ensure that the fire was fully out, and by chance, they stumble into the entrance to Spirit Water Forest. The Great Wolf Pack then meet this person, and he or she helps them on their quests before they help them get home again
And I think so too. I don't want to spoil too much yet, but this villain, a greedy, mean old man (who was heavily inspired by Henry Potter from the classic film "It's a Wonderful Life), owns a lot of land in the Smokey Mountains, and he wanted to buy up the land around the old Clearwater Resort when it closed, but Mr Strauss beat him to it, and the old man lost his shit over it, and vowed to make Mr Strauss pay for "stealing what was rightfully his", and this triggers the sub-plot that happens throughout various stories in the series as the Old Man and his hired goons try to ruin the Great Wolf Lodge by any means necessary, and Thomas and the Great Wolf Pack have to stop them.
11814227
Huh, you're right. I didn't think that Violet also held traits of Applejack as well.
I hear what you're saying about the wild land firefighter idea. Heck, they could even be a Smoke Jumper for the Forest Service, who literally jumps into Spirit Water Forest. However, the reason I mentioned the previous ones is that it would provide a reason that a teenaged youth winds up in the forest. Thus allowing someone of their age to join up with the pack, which feels like it would line up better. Maybe, to add even more depth to this, said human could be an orphan who is seen as a lone wolf "by circumstance rather than choice," who not only finds a place with the pack, but could also be taken in by Walter and Janice Wolf. Allowing him to find both friends and family amongst the Anthro community. Having also just recently watched the Legend of Luna show presented by the Lodge, perhaps elements of that can be added in as well, with its tie to folklore and mythology. Even then, the lore around the great wolf spirit itself is also chock full of potential for stuff like that as well.
Oohh, I like that idea. Mr. Potter was certainly a devious villain, and to make one inspired by him looking to destroy the lodge and the forest sounds ripe with potential. Honestly, the show itself might introduce a villain like that at some point.
11814497
Yeah. And this might have included Rachel Raccoon too, as she was also helpful, but as it says in the story, she had to retire due to cancer. (This is in reference to GWL retiring her character as a walkaround costume for some reason back in 2019, save for the one in Niagara Falls, Canada)
Yeah, that's a good idea too. And that could be really interesting. I could see this being the plot of a sequel to the "Great Wolf Pack" Movie, with said Human becoming the pack's 6th member. And "Legend of Luna"? Hmm, I haven't heard of that yet, I'll have to go check it out. And funny you should mention the Great Wolf Spirit. I had plans for him(it?) in my stories as well, though instead of Brinley, he selects Thomas, though he doesn't get a cool wristband. I won't spoil what happens yet, but remember Thomas's strange dream where he encountered that winged wolf in his dream. That becomes important later.
And yeah, he really was. And a really realistic one too, since we see plenty of Mr Potters irl all the time. And that's just it. Yes, he wants to destroy the lodge, but not the forest around it. He simply wants to buy the land, and keep it for himself, and turn the resort's main lodge into another private home for himself. He wants to buy up as much land in Western Equestria, especially in the Smokey Mountains, and in and around Spirit Water Forest as he can, and kick everyone, everypony, and every-creature else out. (Why does he want this? He's driven by greed, though I'm still figuring out his exact motives. But it's nothing wholesome, that's for sure)
11814824
Huh, considering I don't have a history with the Great Wolf Lodge, I'm not all that versed with her character. I've heard others mention her name in other areas, but don't know anything about her character. Perhaps she could be re-introduced as Oliver's mother in the show.
And yes, I highly suggest you check out Legend of Luna, which is a nighttime CGI show done by the Lodge in their main lobby, presented in the format as being a story told by the fireside. It does tell a very good story with nice animation and effects. It could also be considered canon, as its being told by Violet's grandmother to her, also being the narrater. There are some amateur recordings of it on YouTube, so I highly suggest you check it out.
Okay, I can see that. Considering you've built an AU of the series from the ground up, it would pay in for your OC to build up the pack's core. The only downside out of this is that I would have preferred that Thomas be a full human, rather than a half wolf/half human hybrid. I understand that this is integral to his character, but considering he's already in a world of Anthros, the contrast would have been better.
Btw, where did you find that artwork of the pack? Its really cool and takes their designs to a whole new level!
11816686
I only learned about her while I was doing research on the GWL for the story. In the lore, she's Oliver's younger sister, though that's not the case in my story. And as for the Legend of Luna, I watched a video of it on YouTube last night, and it was pretty cool. I might have to see if I can work that into the story somehow, maybe as a story told by Violet to Thomas
Yeah, which is why Thomas is the 6th member of the GWP (or at least he will be shortly), and he'll be the one chosen by the Great Wolf Spirit. I won't spoil anything yet, but how he's chosen, and the aftermath will be quite interesting. And I guess I can see your point, but the reason I had Thomas be a Human with wolf features (aka a Lycan), is actually a nod to another story I was working on with a friend, but haven't finished where the MC there was a Human who got attacked by a werewolf, and became a Lycan/werewolf himself, and started a new life for himself in Equestria
And I found it online when I was looking for art of the Great Wolf Pack to get a look at them for their descriptions for the story. I saw it on Deviantart, though I'm not sure if it was originally posted there or not