//------------------------------// // Training (at) Camp // Story: TimberTwi Tales: First Impressions // by CapNTilfy //------------------------------// Twilight walked alongside her friends on their way to an open space. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Sunset slow down, then stop completely as she folded her arms and furrowed her brow in thought. "Is something wrong, Sunset," Twilight asked. "How am I supposed to train my powers? All I have to do is just grab someone by the hand, and that's it!" Twilight cupped her chin in thought for a moment. "What about trying to read two people at once?" "That's worth a shot, I guess," Sunset said with a shrug. "Come to think of it," Applejack said as she approached the two. "How're the rest of us gonna train?" Heat rose to Twilight's face as she smiled sheepishly. "Don't worry, Twi," Sunset said as she wrapped an arm around her. "We'll figure this all out together." She gently punched Twilight on her arm. "That's what being part of a team's all about!" By the time they found a spot to train, the Rainbooms had planned everything out. They gave themselves a time limit to ensure they'd have enough energy to help out with the wrap-up party. "All right, girls," Twilight said as they all stopped. "Let's get to it!" "Right," They all chorused. Pinkie walked up to Twilight, then stood next to her. Sunset closed her eyes, then took a deep breath. There was no telling what could happen to her. Would she experience some sort of feedback? Get a splitting headache? With an exhale, she told herself she was about to find out the hard way. She reached out, then took Pinkie and Twilight by their arms. Sunset felt like she was in two places at the same time. Memories and feelings merged, overlapped, and danced around her mind. Visions of her Big Brother Best Friend Forever and her three beloved sisters, visions of stress and fun and happiness and loneliness and beakers and balloons Sunset forced herself to let go of Twilight and Pinkie, then toppled to the ground as she put her hands to her head and panted. "Are you okay," Twilight asked worriedly as she offered Sunset a hand. "I... I-I think so," Sunset said shakily. She took another deep breath, then exhaled. "Yeah... never gonna do that again." She took Twilight's hand, then stood up. "What'd you see," Pinkie Pie asked excitedly. "So much that I was starting to get overwhelmed." "Fascinating," Twilight said with an intrigued tone as she adjusted her glasses. "If you can, tell me all that you saw and experienced while we get on with the next part of our training." She turned her head to Rainbow Dash, then nodded. Rainbow ponied up and took to the sky as Twilight channeled her geode, lifting a couple of boulders with barely any visible strain. "I think this is a mite dangerous," Applejack said as she watched. "It was either this or Pinkie's sugar bombs," Rainbow shouted from above. "Eh... no offense, Pinkie." Pinkie tossed sprinkles into the air, which then exploded and created a message. None taken, Dashie! =) Rainbow smiled and rolled her eyes, then turned her attention back to Twilight's makeshift aerial obstacle course. She paused for a moment and raised an eyebrow as she watched the boulders sway back and forth at a speed even her pet tortoise could dodge. "Umm, Twi? Can you maybe, I don't know... make them move faster," she asked, gesturing to the 'obstacles'. Twilight closed her eyes, then concentrated. The boulders moved faster and faster as sweat began to form on her forehead. She strained, then nearly collapsed as the two boulders went flying in opposite directions, with one of them heading straight for Fluttershy. For Twilight, time suddenly stopped. All she could do was watch in horror, completely paralyzed by shock. "Shit!" Rainbow hurried to Fluttershy's side, and Applejack jumped and punched the boulder as Rarity quickly formed a barrier around her friends to protect them from the falling debris. The other boulder landed with a resounding thud, embedding itself in the ground a few feet away from the forest. "Is everyone okay," Sunset asked as she and Pinkie ran over to the group. Applejack heaved a sigh of relief. "That was close!" Fluttershy remained frozen where she stood. "Fluttershy? Darling?" Rarity gently touched her shoulder. "I... I-I th-think I n-need to s-sit down n-now." Fluttershy's eyes rolled back, and she fell to the ground in a heap. Rainbow slowly and carefully positioned Fluttershy on her back, into a laying position. "Stay back, she's going to need some air here!" Sunset decided to leave Fluttershy in Rainbow's care, and she turned her attention in Twilight's direction. Twilight was motionless, her eyes wide with fear. She had covered her mouth with her hands. "Twilight?" Sunset sat down next to her. "Oh, god," Twilight whispered shakily. "I... I-I could've..." Sunset slowly wrapped her arms around Twilight. "But you didn't," she whispered. "Fluttershy's going to be okay, Twilight. Rainbow knows what she's doing." "B...But what if-" "No, Twilight," Sunset said sternly. "Don't 'what if'. That sort of thinking is self-destructive." She sighed. "I should know..." Tears began to form in Twilight's eyes as she took a shuddering breath. "I understand why you're scared, Twilight, but this is exactly why we need to hone these new powers... to prevent things like that from happening again," Sunset said as she gestured in Fluttershy's direction. "We don't have to continue right now if you don't want to, but we'll have to do this again if we want to keep people safe from whatever else Equestrian magic will corrupt." Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she brought her arm to her chest, then exhaled slowly as her arm extended outward. She felt calmer, but not happier. She opened her eyes to see Sunset giving her a warm smile. "Feel better, Twi?" "A little," Twilight said as she broke Sunset's hug. She wiped away the tears in her eyes as she stood up. "I think we should call off the training, though." "Completely understandable. I'll tell the rest of the girls," Sunset said as she walked over to Pinkie. "Hey... training's off." "Aww, I wanted to do more explodey stuff," Pinkie exclaimed, then looked over to Twilight. "Looks like she's still in the dumpy-dumps," she said with a slight frown. "Why don't you go and cheer her up," Sunset asked. "You're good at that." She lightly punched Pinkie in the arm, which earned her a giggle and a snort. Pinkie Pie cracked her knuckles, then her neck. "I've haven't met a case of the gloomies that I couldn't crack! Pinkamena Diane Pie, to the rescue!" She skipped on over to Twilight with a purpose... to defeat the forces of sadness!