//------------------------------// // Arts, Crafts, and Struggles // Story: TimberTwi Tales: First Impressions // by CapNTilfy //------------------------------// It had been a couple of hours since Twilight had her talk with Applejack. The sun had begun to set, and she sat with Spike at a bench as she made her floating paper lantern. Midnight Sparkle had been relentless in her taunting ever since Twilight sat down. Soon, I will be free! You can't keep me away forever! All your friends and family are doomed! And yet, for all of her taunting, Twilight had began to wonder why Midnight hadn't said anything about the girls' new magic... how curious. "Hey, Twilight," Spike said, snapping Twilight out of her thoughts. "Why aren't you with everyone else?" "Sunset said something at camp is causing the other girls to get new magic." She leaned over to Spike and whispered. "I think it's Midnight Sparkle. She's still a part of me... I can feel it, and I think her magic is infecting my friends!" "What are we gonna do?" "I don't know what I can do!" Timber sat at his own table, making his floating paper lantern. Well, he had been. He finished a few minutes ago. Now he was simply watching Twilight, smiling warmly as he rested his chin in his hands. You don't know enough about her. She was smart... cute... She doesn't really like you. It's just teenage hormones. Timber sighed and put a hand to his forehead. He doubted it was just teenage hormones. Twilight's mind could change, you know. Timber clenched his hand into a fist. Why did these thoughts persist? You'd be all alone again. Timber picked up his lantern, and looked at the drawing of his face in a genuine smile. A tear fell from his cheek as he hoped he would see more of that when he looked in a mirror. On the outside, Gloriosa was chipper. Upbeat. Excited. On the inside, however... she was livid. Goddamn opportunistic parasite vulture son of a bitch! Filthy Rich had returned earlier, so Gloriosa had enlisted Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna's help to oversee the lantern making while she spoke with him. Gloriosa sighed. "Thank you both for the assistance on such short notice," she said to Celestia and Luna. "It's why we're here," Celestia said with a smile. "It looked like that Filthy Rich person was giving you a hard time," Luna said as she cupped her chin with her hand. "Is there anything we can do to help you," she asked, gesturing to herself and Celestia. Gloriosa smiled. "I appreciate the offer, but this is a personal matter." "Understood. If you ever change your mind, however..." Gloriosa nodded. "Noted." She turned to face the campers. "Okay, everyone," she called out. "It's time to watch your lanterns fly!" Twilight walked over to the dock, only to be stopped by Timber. "Hey, cool lantern," Timber said. Twilight looked away, feeling a little insecure due to Midnight Sparkle. "Mine's my face!" Timber showed Twilight his lantern. Twilight laughed awkwardly, then sighed and walked past Timber. Timber blinked in surprise, then walked over to Twilight. "Are you okay?" "Uh-huh." "You... don't seem like yourself tonight." How do you know that this isn't how she normally acts? "I appreciate it, Timber... but I'm fine." Twilight smiled. Timber sighed, then followed Twilight to the dock where Luna and Celestia lit their lanterns. Twilight looked into her lantern, then decided to do a most unscientific thing... she made a wish. A wish to be free from Midnight Sparkle. Feeling a semblance of hope, she smiled. "Ready... set... go!" On Gloriosa's cue, all the campers let go of their lanterns, and they all began to float into the sky. Timber and Twilight watched their lanterns fly off, then bump into each other. The two glanced at each other, and they blushed, then looked away. Gloriosa sighed as the lanterns continued their ascent. It was such a beautiful sight... it only served to strengthen her resolve in thwarting Filthy Rich's plans. She grasped her geodes and grit her teeth. Tomorrow. Twilight, Sunset and Spike walked back to their tent. You will never be free of me, Twilight Sparkle! Twilight winced and yelped. Sunset turned around. "You okay, Twilight?" Twilight laughed awkwardly. "Yeah! I just... ran into a spider web, that's all." "We aren't even near any trees," Sunset said flatly, gesturing to the open area before herself. Twilight blushed out of embarrassment and began pulling at her hair. "Is there something you're not telling me, Twilight?" Twilight took a deep breath, then exhaled. "I'm tired. Can we talk about this tomorrow?" Sunset raised an eyebrow and folded her arms as she eyed Twilight with uncertainty for a moment. "If that's what you want..." "It is." Sunset slowly turned back around, and Twilight wiped some sweat off of her brow. She didn't want to talk about it. Not at all... Later that night, while Sunset slept, Twilight slowly got out of bed, still in her camping clothes. She nudged Spike awake. "Huhwha?" Spike blinked, then stretched with a yawn. "Are you sure you want to do this, Twilight? I don't like the idea of running away." "I don't either, but if I want to keep our friends safe, I'll go through with it." "If you say so." Twilight and Spike left the tent and hurried away from the campsite. They reached the forest and neared the exit, when... "Twilight?" Twilight stopped dead in her tracks upon hearing Sunset's voice. She turned around nervously. "What are you doing out here," Sunset asked. "We're..." Twilight paused, racking her brains to think of a lie, only to fess up. She couldn't lie to Sunset anymore. "We're meeting a cab to take us home." Sunset raised an eyebrow, then looked down at Spike. "She thought you'd talk her out of it." "Because I would." Sunset said, then looked back at Twilight. "Twilight, you can't leave," she said as she took her by the hand. Suddenly, her eyes glowed for a moment, then went back to normal. "Twilight," Sunset said sympathetically. "There's no Midnight Sparkle. There's only you." Twilight pulled away. "How did you know what I was thinking?!" "When I touched your hand, I could see things. I could understand why you were leaving." Sunset paused as realization dawned on her. "My new magic... this is my new magic! This is incredible," she said excitedly with a big smile. "No, it's not. I'm infecting you now!" "Twilight, you have to stop looking at this as a bad thing." "Easy for you to say. Magic turned you into something beautiful! The last time I tried to use it, it turned me into a monster." Twilight sighed heavily. "I... I'm just so afraid it's going to happen again." "Yes," Sunset admitted. "Last time, I turned into something amazing, but I've let magic turn me into a monster, too." Twilight's eyes widened. "So if anyone understands what you're going through, it's me. And the rest of our friends can be there for you too... but not if you run away." Twilight sighed. "I'll stay, but I still don't think it's a good idea for me to be near the rest of our friends right now. Not until we know why this is happening." "Understood." Sunset nodded with a warm smile. A sudden rustling noise interrupted the moment, and both Sunset and Twilight looked around for the source of the noise. "What was that," Sunset asked worriedly. A few feet away, seemingly out of nowhere, an ax pierced through the darkness. Twilight and Sunset screamed in terror.