//------------------------------// // A Nice Early Morning // Story: TimberTwi Tales: First Impressions // by CapNTilfy //------------------------------// Timber Spruce's alarm went off earlier than normal. He woke up and muttered under his breath as he turned it off. With a sigh, he got out of bed, then got dressed and headed over to Gloriosa's room. Upon reaching Gloriosa's room, Timber immediately noticed her door was wide open. "Hey, Glory," he said as he approached the entrance. "You in here?" He glanced down at her bed and saw a note. "Wha..." Hey bro, decided to get up extra early to take a "walk". I'll catch up with you on the nature trail! - Glory Timber gently bit his thumb. Whenever Gloriosa put quotation marks around the word 'walk', it only meant one thing... he shrugged with a sigh, hoping that she wouldn't get caught naked. That'd be the absolute last thing they'd need on top of everything else that had happened. He slowly shook his head as he left his sister's room to head on outside. Twilight Sparkle stirred in her sleep, then opened her eyes to a blurry world. With a yawn and a stretch, she turned over to see a blurry humanoid figure making Sunset's bed. Twilight grabbed her glasses, then put them on. "Morning, Sunset," she said sluggishly as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Sunset turned around with a smile. "'Morning, Twi. Sleep well?" Twilight nodded. "Best sleep I've had in ages!" "Great! I'll get out so you can change," Sunset said as she left the tent. Twilight got dressed, then gently nudged Spike. "Spike," she said softly. "Nature walk!" Spike's ears perked up, and he stretched with a yawn. "Sweet. Squirrel chasing time!" Twilight giggled, then walked out of the tent with Spike, joining Sunset. Both Sunset and Twilight's phones buzzed, and the two exchanged glances with one another. Twilight took her phone out and checked her messages. Just a heads-up, y'all. Vinyl told me Fluttershy left a note on her bed saying she went on ahead to the forest to practice on her magic. She'll meet up with us shortly. - Applejack Twilight blinked, then sent a message of her own. Thanks for telling us, Applejack. - Twilight No prob, Sugarcube. - Applejack Twilight pocketed her phone as Sunset read the message on her own phone. Sunset smiled, then sent a text. "That's not such a bad idea, now that I think about it," she said as she put her phone away. "What," Twilight asked. "We should take some time to master our new magic now that we've all embraced it. Who knows if... or when we'll need to use it again?" "Without overtaxing ourselves." Sunset nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me." A rainbow blur hurried past Sunset and Twilight, causing wind to blow in their hair. Twilight readjusted her glasses. "I'm going to have to get used to that happening, aren't I?" "Yup," Applejack said as she walked past Twilight and Sunset. Sunset giggled, and they all headed to the forest. Gloriosa and Fluttershy left the forest together, smiling at each other over their shared time. "Do you see yourself doing that again," Gloriosa asked. "Maybe... in the comfort of my own home. But even then, I'd still be worried about being seen naked." "Understandable. I get that way too sometimes." "Oh... before everyone else gets here," Fluttershy took Gloriosa's hands, then clasped them in her own. "Thank you. For getting me to try something new." Gloriosa smiled warmly. "Of course." The pair broke the hug as Timber approached. "Fluttershy," Timber said in surprise. "What are you doing out here this early?" Fluttershy ran a hand through her hair. "Oh, just talking to the animals." Timber folded his arms. "...Right." A sudden gust of wind blew by, causing Timber, Gloriosa, and Fluttershy to shield their faces. When they lifted their heads, Rainbow Dash stood before them. "'Sup?" Fluttershy giggled, and the rest of her friends arrived shortly after. "O-Oh! H-hey, Timber!" Heat swiftly rose to Twilight's face, much to the amusement of those around her. Timber smiled awkwardly as his heart skipped a beat. "Hi." "You guys wanna take a picture," Pinkie asked as she took her phone out of her pocket. She was answered with a chorus of yeses. With a wide grin, she handed her phone to Timber, who flinched. She giggled, then snorted. "It's not gonna explode, silly! My powers only work on sugary things!" Timber blinked, then reluctantly took Pinkie's phone from her. "See?" Timber shrugged. "All right, everybody get into position!" Twilight smiled as Fluttershy sat on the ground with Spike in her arms. Rainbow and Sunset stood on opposite sides of her, and Rarity and Applejack stood next to Sunset and Rainbow respectively. "Pinkie," Everyone called out. "Oh! Right!" She ran over to the group, then jumped and slid on her bottom. "Wheeeee!" She stopped just below Sunset and Rarity, flashing a peace sign. Timber took the picture, then gave Pinkie her phone back. Pinkie carefully examined the picture for a moment, then gave a satisfied nod. "Yep! That's a good one!" "Gloriosa, darling," Rarity said as she approached her. "After this little walk, would you be so kind to remind me that I have something for you in case I forget?" Gloriosa blinked. "Ummm... sure." "Wonderful," Rarity said as she clasped her hands, then proceeded to walk into the forest. "Woohoo!" Pinkie ran past Rarity, leaning forward with her arms stretched out behind her. "Slice of liiiiiiiiife!" "Oh for heaven's sake," Rarity muttered as she put the palm of her hand to her face. Timber stared forward, clearly confused for a moment, then shrugged and entered the forest. Once everyone was inside the forest, Fluttershy twirled with a giggle as a pair of birds flew to her. She smiled. "Good morning, Ava! Good morning, Humphrey!" Rainbow raised an eyebrow, then leaned over to Applejack. "They actually have names?!" "Of course they do, Dashie," Fluttershy said. "If nobody had a name, it would be hard to communicate!" Rainbow's eyes widened. "You... you heard that?" Fluttershy nodded. "Animal hearing." A grin slowly formed on Rainbow's face. She leaned into Applejack, then whispered. "Bunnies are overrated." Fluttershy rushed over to Rainbow with a fire in her eyes. "Bunnies are cute, bunnies are fluffy, and if I ever hear you say that again from even a mile away, so help me Rainbow Dash..." Droplets of sweat fell from Rainbow's forehead as her eyes went wide in surprise. "O-Okay, okay," she said as she held out her arms. "I get it. I take it back." "That's what I thought," Fluttershy said, then turned around and walked off in a huff. Applejack chuckled softly as Rainbow stared on in awe. Twilight giggled, having seen the whole thing from a few feet away. Timber stopped next to Twilight, and his heart did the same. "I've never told that to anyone... you must be special." Heat rose to Timber's face, and it was at that moment he knew... he had to ask Twilight Sparkle out on a date. He decided that now was not the time, however. The ball, Timber thought to himself. The atmosphere would be perfect for it. He smiled, the clapped his hands. "All right, ladies! Cross that bridge with me, and we'll take the trail on the left." Spike began to squirm in Fluttershy's grip. "Can you let go of me, please? I hear smell sooo many squirrels!" Fluttershy giggled. "After we cross the bridge." Rarity cupped her chin as she looked at the bridge, then her eyes lit up. "Ideeeeaaaa", she trilled excitedly. "Girls, get on the bridge! It looks perfect for a picture!" The girls all exchanged glances, shrugged, then got on the bridge as Rarity took her phone out. "Ready? Three... two... one..." Rarity took the picture, then smiled. "Simply exquisite." Everyone crossed the bridge, and Fluttershy let go of Spike. "CHARRRRGE!" Spike barreled through some nearby bushes, rustling through the leaves on the ground as his hunt began. Twilight shuddered. "What's the matter, darling," Rarity asked as she approached Twilight. "I'm just remembering the last time Spike actually caught a squirrel." "He only does it because he wants to provide for you," Fluttershy said. Twilight sighed. "I know... and I just can't say no to that adorable face of his sometimes..." Gloriosa walked across the bridge and up to Timber. "Nobody else came, so I just came over to you guys." She glanced over his shoulder. "Just them, huh?" Timber nodded. "Better than nothing, though." He turned his attention back to the girls. "All right everyone, get ready for a scenic tour of the Everfree Forest!" Roughly two hours later, everyone had looped through the trail. "Oh, thank heavens," Rarity said as she took a handkerchief out of her pocket and dabbed it on her forehead. "My feet are positively killing me, and I'm sweating!" Twilight wiped some sweat from her forehead. "That did take a bit out of me." Applejack took her hat off and fanned herself with it. "Nothin' like a light workout to start off the day." Her stomach growled, and she blushed. "Y'all wanna get some breakfast?" "Sounds like a plan to me," Sunset said. Everybody left the forest, eager to eat.