Pinkie Pie adjusted her surprise cannon, checking the ratio of black powder to candy over and over again.

Alright…it seems fine…

She laughed in giddy excitement, looking up at the hammock, and then back at her Pinkie Watch.

Oh…It’s almost time…they’re halfway to being a couple…this is so EXCITING!

She tinkered with the surprise cannon a bit more, and then back to her watch, hearing Rarity and Fluttershy talk in excited, albeit hushed, tones.

“This is so wonderful! I’m so happy that Rainbow Dash found that special somepony!”

“Yes, so am I…you have no idea how close a wing hug is, Rarity…this is one of the most amazing things in Pegasus history…”

“Oh, no doubt!”

Pinkie Pie looked back to her watch. It was 12:00:51”10.

Almost time…

12:01:00”00

In a split second, she donned a camouflage hat, and initiated the tactical partying.

“FIRE!”

The cannon exploded in a cloud of wrappers, the black powder not escaping the cannon due to her special treatment: having Twilight magically block it.

She bounced excitedly as everypony woke up, including Peter and Rainbow Dash.

“Whoa!”

The two of them sat up, not breaking the embrace they were in.

“Good morning, love birds!”

They turned to see Pinkie Pie, bouncing about eight feet straight up in the air, a huge grin spreading over her face. Peter and Rainbow Dash blushed, but smiled as well, pulling each other closer in the embrace, Rainbow Dash rubbing up against him, eyes closed.

“The ‘congratulations on almost being a new couple party’ has officially begun! Come on down for the paaaaarrrrtay!”

Peter chuckled, eyebrow raised as he watched Pinkie Pie bounce around them, upside down, sideways, and diagonally.

“We’ll be right down, okay? And may I add, this is the best surprise party ever.”

Pinkie Pie smiled, and stopped bouncing, eagerly awaiting their presence at the table.

“Why is it the best surprise party ever, Peter?”

Peter kissed her on the forehead, giddiness coursing through him, the wing hug making him feel warm and happy.

“Because it’s my first party with you, Rainbow Dash.”

She giggled lightly, and kissed Peter on the cheek, the both of them blushing madly.

After a few more moments of simply enjoying each other’s presence, Rainbow Dash helped Peter down, and sat down at the table, beckoning for Peter to sit next to her. Smiling, he obliged, immediately putting an arm around her and pulling her tight. At the same time, her wing returned to its spot around his waist, pulling him tight as well.

“Well, I think it’s time that you two send a letter to the Princess!”

Peter and Rainbow Dash exchanged a glance, and happily accepted the quills that were presented to them, eager to write down their feelings.

Twilight magically placed a piece of paper in front of them, and they wrote down their own parts of the letter, Peter’s handwriting a thick, solid lettering, Rainbow Dash’s lettering a thin scrawl. When they finished writing the letter, they read it over, smiling and blushing as they read each other’s sentences. It went like this:

Dear Princess Celestia,

Even though I’ve only been here for less than a week, Rainbow Dash and I are now in a relationship! I’ve never been so happy in my life, and I want her to be as happy as can be. It’s exciting, but scary at the same time, as it happened in such a short time. But, more than anything, it’s amazing, and I’m loving every second of it!

Even though Peter’s been here for less than a week, I’ve gone heads over hooves for him. He’s always there for me, and I feel at home with him. We’ve just completed the first day of the wing hug ritual, and the both of us can’t wait for it to end, but at the same time, neither of us wants it to ever end. It’s an amazing feeling, to finally be in a relationship with somepony. And it’s scary, but not scary enough to keep me away from Peter.

Sincerely,

Peter and Rainbow Dash

They looked into each other’s eyes, the both of them smiling and blushing. At that exact moment, a flash filled their fields of view, and they smiled even wider, waiting for the polaroid to finish developing.

They looked up to see everypony smiling at them, and Pinkie Pie furiously shaking a photograph, the camera sitting next to her on a shelf.

“Come on, come on…!”

Just then, the image must have finished developing, as Pinkie Pie bounced onto the table and shoved it in their faces. Peter and Rainbow Dash blushed, seeing how they held each other, and how they looked into each other’s eyes. Peter kissed Rainbow Dash on the forehead again, a huge grin parting his lips.

“I’ll send this to Celestia so that she can see how happy you two are! Don’t worry, she’ll send it back. She’s nice like that!”

Peter and Rainbow Dash nodded, watching Pinkie Pie place the picture in the parchment, and then bring it over to Spike, who was crossing his arms.

“This is so sappy, you guys…and Rainbow Dash, since when were you ever so sappy?”

She rubbed up against Peter, ushering a small groan from Spike.

“Ever since last night, Spike.”

Peter smiled, and kissed Rainbow Dash on the forehead once again, barely containing his emotions as they sat in front of everypony.

They looked up as Spike sent the letter, watching the wisp of smoke leave the train altogether, going off to Canterlot.

Peter and Rainbow Dash smiled, and Rainbow Dash rested her head on Peter’s shoulder, tired from the early wake up call.

“You two can’t go back to sleep yet! We have the cake to eat!”

Peter raised his eyebrows, and Rainbow Dash hers.

“Uh, Pinkie? Isn’t it a bit…early, to be eating cake?”

“Nope! I eat cake at this time every day!”

Peter chuckled lightly.

“Well, that explains it.”

Rainbow Dash chuckled as well, resting her head on Peter's shoulder.

"Hey, Pinkie Pie...can we have the cake after the complete ritual?"

Pinkie Pie looked up in confusion.

"Why?"

"Because, even though we're acting like a couple...and we basically are a couple..."

She rubbed up against Peter as she spoke, and Peter rubbed up against her.

"We're not...officially, a couple...y'know, in Pegasus culture..."

Pinkie Pie let out a healthy grunt.

"Fine. But can we at least have a small party now?"

Peter looked at Rainbow Dash, knowing just how tired she was.

"Well? What do you say, Rainbow Dash? We can go back to sleep, if you want..."

The cyan Pegasus smiled, and kissed Peter on the cheek.

"I would like that."

Peter smiled as well, kissing Rainbow Dash on the forehead, butterflies beating at the walls of his stomach.

"Wait! At least let us give you congratulations!"

Peter and Rainbow Dash looked over to Twilight, and back to each other. They both nodded.

"Okay, fine."

Twilight walked up to them, a large smile stretching her lips.

"Congratulations, you two! I hope that you both have a wonderful relationship!"

Peter and Rainbow Dash replied with their own 'thank you's, and Twilight walked over to Spike, watching the dragon intently.

Next, Rarity walked over with a small box.

"Congratulations, Peter, Rainbow Dash! I think that you two are simply adorable together! Here. I made something for the both of you."

Peter and Rainbow Dash gratefully accepted the present, and opened it, to reveal two pieces of magnificent clothing: one, a dress for Rainbow Dash, the other, a new, cyan suit for Peter.

"Thanks, Rarity! This is amazing!"

The elegant unicorn smiled, and walked off to her section of the train, letting Applejack walk forth, a small jug in hoof.

"Ah want to congratulate the both of you. Ah think you two will work out mighty fine. And here, Ah was savin' this for Manehattan, but Ah want y'all to have it. It's one of the best jugs of cider we made this year."

Peter and Rainbow Dash both said 'thank you', and Applejack was about to walk off, when she came back and hugged Rainbow Dash.

"Congrats, 'Dash."

Next, Fluttershy walked up, a timid smile playing across her features.

"Peter...Rainbow Dash...I think…no, I know that the two of you will be the greatest couple ever. The both of you just…bring out the best in each other.”

The both of them thanked Fluttershy, and looked at each other, knowing all too well that what the yellow Pegasus said was totally correct.

Lastly, Pinkie Pie walked up to the couple, bouncing on her hooves.

“You two are just so cute together! It’s adorable! I just want to eat you all up! Om nom nom nom nom!”

Peter and Rainbow Dash chuckled lightly, the pink pony’s eyes sparkling.

“Dashie, I bet you’re the happiest Pegasus ever, huh!”

She nodded.

“Happiest ever.”

She rubbed up against Peter, closing her eyes, wanting nothing more than to feel Peter’s loving embrace once more…

“Come on, ‘Dash.”

She gladly helped him up into the hammock, and immediately wrapped him in her wings, smiling as he whispered into her ear.

“G’night, Dashie.”

She giggled lightly, the pet name that normally annoyed her so much giving her a warm, fuzzy feeling.

“You know…I hate when Pinkie Pie calls me that…but I never had the heart to tell her…but when you call me Dashie…it feels…right.”

Peter smiled, and kissed her on the forehead.

“Well, then…sweet dreams, Dashie.”

She giggled, and nuzzled his shoulder, enjoying the feeling of his arms wrapped around her more than anything else in the whole world, her wings giving her a charge of emotional pleasure as they pulled Peter tighter in the feathery embrace.

As soon as Rainbow Dash was asleep, Peter kissed her on the forehead, and rested his chin on her shoulder. He quickly fell asleep as well, having no idea what was in store for him that day.

Hi! I just felt obliged to write this chapter, in all honesty. I mean, I would’ve left a loose end if I didn’t include the whole party at a minute after midnight thing! And I hate doing that!
By the way, if you see a shitload of update notifications from my story today, it’s probably not new chapters left and right. I’m having a grammar overthrow today, in which I actually proofread my damn chapters.