Pinkie Pie: So, uhh…what's next?

Karsap:: What do you mean "what's next?"

Pinkie: "You obviously going to do the next episode!"

Karsap: Oh right.

Disclaimer: I own only the following: Charles, and anything that doesn't happen in the show proper.

Pinkie: But you haven't told me what episode you'll be doing.

Karsap: It's the slumber party one.

Pinkie: Oh!

Chapter 8: Look Before You Sleep

It was a sunny day in Ponyville–but today wasn't the day for that. According to the weather management team, there was supposed to be some light rain last week, but they accidentally forgot about that. To make up for it, it was decided that a downpour would be made today.

Charles was walked about, he watched the ponies do their work; pushing in clouds for the oncoming storm, picking up fallen branches, pruning loose ones, the latter of which he pitched in with his "magic horn blade". While slicing down one bough, something caught his eye. Something that clearly wasn't helping in the town effort.

As he bypassed Applejack, who was pulling down a tree limb with her lasso, he saw Rarity levitating a broken bough upward and reattaching it at the point where it came loose. As she eyed it with great concentration, she gave a short grunt, then lightened up with an idea. Her horn glowed sapphire blue and the bough's leaves instantly styled themselves into a pair of rearing-filly topiaries.

"Perfect!", she said.

"Indeed.", agreed Charles as he came over. "If there wasn't a storm coming our way." His statement was followed by a lasso snagging the end and snapping the whole thing loose again. It landed in front of the two unicorns, who aim their gaze–Rarity's disbelieving–at Applejack, who then spit out the rope end, and was obviously not in good spirits.

"Just take the broken limbs down, Rarity.", Applejack said. "Don't y'all care about nothin' other than prettifyin'?"

"Somepony has to. You are making an absolute mess of the town square, Applejack."

"Yeah, well, the storm's gonna make an even bigger mess if we don't prune all these loose branches so they don't tumble down on anypony."

Rarity looked up at the sky as pegasi moved more clouds in to plug the holes and block the last of the sun. "I simply cannot imagine why the pegasus ponies would schedule a dreadful downpour this evening and ruin what could have been a glorious sunny day."

"Please, let's be practical here.", said Charles as Applejack bucked a tree to shake down a couple more loose branches. "According to the weather management, there was supposed to be a sprinkle last week. But they skipped it by accident, so to compensate they decided on making this downpour." Just then, as if on cue, the rain began to fall.

"Oh, no!", Rarity began to complain. "My wonderfully styled mane shall be ruined!"

"You shoulda hurried up and finished the job already.", Applejack said as the prissy unicorn cried out and tried to duck every raindrop that came her way.

"It's coming down too fast! …Help me!"

Applejack looked to each side for shelter, locating only a picnic table. "Uh, there! Hunker down to your heart's content whilst I finish things.

Rarity galloped across the square, but suddenly skid to a stop by the table, which had a sizable puddle underneath. "Ooh! No, no, no!"

"What now?", Applejack asked as she and Charles joined her.

"I'd prefer not to get my hooves muddy."

"Suit yourself.", said Charles as he got under the table. "You can always clean up later." While he didn't mind getting wet, he wasn't about to let himself catch a cold. However, a barrier spell just to keep out the rain would be too much of a waste for him, and he had forgotten about umbrellas until seeing a particular pegasus pony with three of them as her cutie mark. She had a light yellow coat, orchidish gray hair, orange eyes, and her name was Parasol.

Applejack grunted disgustedly. "There is just no pleasin' you, is there? Everything's gotta be just so."

"Well, and how does muddying my hooves serve any useful purpose?", Rarity countered.

"Y'all wouldn't know useful if it came up and bit you."

Rarity gave a laugh. "That doesn't even make any sense."

"Does so."

"Does not."

"Does so!"

"Does not."

"Does so!"

"Does not."

"Does so, infinity! Hah!"

"Does not, infinity plus one."

Charles almost smacked himself in the face with his hoof before remembering it was muddied. He looked at the two ponies as they began to glare daggers at each other for a long, tense moment.

Rarity was the first to break the silence. "What say we go our separate ways before one of us says something she will regret?"

"I reckon y'all are gonna say something you'll regret first!"

"On the contrary, I believe it shall most certainly be you who says something you will regret first."

"I'm not sayin' anythin'!"

"Nor am I!"

"Y'all just be on your way, then!"

"After you!"

They slowly backed away from each other in opposite directions, neither taking their eyes off the other the whole time. There came a sudden crack of lightning, and they were back where they started with a cry of fear, hugging each other tightly and shaking, but still not sheltering underneath the picnic table.

"Perhaps we should stick together for now and find some shelter.", suggested Rarity.

"Uh-huh.", agreed Applejack as the storm continued to intensify. "Perhaps we should. And fast!"

Immediately, Applejack took shelter underneath the table, although she was a bit too close to Charles, and he did not find it comforting.

"Nice and dry under here…", the farmpony said. "…sorta.", she then added as she eyed her muddy hooves.

"Ugh!", protested Rarity as she decided to continue struggling against the wind. "Unacceptable!"

"There's not enough space for the three of us anyway, Applejack.", Charles said. "Although I should probably–"

He was cut off when he heard Twilight Sparkle calling out their names. "CHARLES! APPLEJACK! RARITY!" All of them turned to the direction of the voice. "CHARLES! APPLEJACK! RARITY!"

As it turns out, the library, with Twilight standing at the open door and all the lights on, was just close by.

"Twilight?", the mares cried out.

"Now why didn't I see this earlier?", the stallion asked himself.

"Come inside, quick!", his charge called out to them.

The three sodden ponies sprinted across the open stretch of land. Rarity and Charles followed Twilight inside, but Applejack stopped at the doorstep.

"Whoa, nelly.", she said. "Is inside a tree really the best place to be in a lightnin' storm?"

"It is if you have a magical lightning rod protecting your home, like I do.", the bookish pony replied. "Come on in!"

Rarity gave a happy sigh. "We are most grateful for your invitation." She then looked worriedly over her shoulder as Applejack stepped in, muddy hooves and all.

"Thank you kindly for your hospitality.", she said before being stopped by Rarity, who then pointed down to the four spattered appendages.

"Uh, do be a polite house guest and go wash up, please, won't you?"

Applejack snarled to herself. "If I gotta spend one more second with that fussbudget Rarity today, I can't be held responsible for what I'm gonna do!"

"Just do it, please.", said Charles. "Even a non-prissy pony would complain like her if you walk in like that. Besides, it's improper to walk inside a house with dirty hooves. Even you should understand that, right?"

Applejack sighed as she conceded and stepped out. Meanwhile, Twilight was in quite a perky mood. "Some storm, huh?", she said. "The pegasus ponies sure have outdone themselves this time. I hope you and Applejack don't have any trouble getting home."

"It may indeed be a problem.", Rarity answered.

"Well, you're welcome to stay if need be. Spike is away in Canterlot on royal business. I'm home all alone tonight. Well, alone with Charles, that is." Suddenly, she gave a happy gasp. "You and Applejack should totally sleep over!" Twilight clapped her hooves at this. "We'll have a slumber party! I've always wanted one of those."

The suggestion caught Rarity flat-hoofed for a second before she started trying to put together something resembling a coherent response. "Oh!...goodness, uh, I do believe I have another engagement scheduled for this evening that completely slipped my mind until just now." She gave a fake chuckle. "Oh, silly me, I can't possibly stay here all night." She then added under her breath, "With Applejack."

Taking a quick look over the bookshelves, Twilight levitated one of the uppermost volumes from its resting place and down to her before 'passing' it on to Rarity. The cover showed a couple of pillows.

"Slumber 101: All You've Ever Wanted to Know About Slumber Parties, But Were Afraid to Ask.", Rarity read the title.

"My own personal copy.", said a proud and happy Twilight. "It's a fantastic reference guide. You should see the table of contents. I've been waiting for a chance to use it, and today's the day! This is gonna be so great!

"Yes, uh…great." She managed the best polite laugh she can, then turned her gaze to a window, through which Applejack can be seen wrestling with a garden hose; she eventually gets the water going, only to have it spray her in the face and knock her hat off. "But about Charles…is it okay to have a…"

"I know what you're thinking; that the activities are probably too girly for me. Don't worry. I know how to handle myself in slumber parties, having been in a few myself. Besides, I'll have to admit I like these kinds of parties too." This proved to be a surprise for the two unicorns and their faces showed it.

A while later…

Applejack has cleaned up her hooves, retrieved her hat, and was entering the second-story room in the library. However, she was now tracking water across the floor instead of mud. A nearby mop was covered in a blue aura and it came to life and started to clean up after Applejack. Just as she looked ahead, she pulled in a sharp gasp, her eyes going wide and her tail briefly standing up of its own accord.

"What in tarnation?", she gasped as she saw Twilight and Rarity with a beauty treatment smeared on their faces, and the latter was slathering on some more. They and Charles were sitting close to one another on pillows, and Applejack stood facing them. "Now wait just a goldarn minute. You make me wash the mud off my hooves, but it's okay for y'all to have mud all over your faces?"

"This mud is nothing like the one you washed off, you know.", said Charles.

"Yeah, silly.", agreed Rarity. "this is called a mud mask. It's to refresh and rejuvenate your complexion."

"We're giving each other makeovers!", Twilight added giddily as she levitated the book past herself and towards Applejack. "We have to do it. It says so in the book."

The open tome reached Applejack and she read through it "Slumber 101: Everything You—" She cut herself off with a sudden grimace as Twilight was about to slather some mud mask on her bodyguard.

"On second thought, I'll just take the cucumbers.", he said. As two cucumber slices were 'put over' his eyes, Applejack recovered her composure.

"Oh, hey, heh. Would you look at the time? I gotta skedaddle on home quick, I'm powerful late for, uh, for somethin' …uh…good night!" She began to gallop off, but yelped and beat a hasty retreat when a fresh bolt of lightning cracked the sky. Her saucer-eyed fear then gave way to a shaky smile after a moment. "Or maybe I'll set here for a spell."

Twilight clapped in glee. "Hooray, slumber party!"

The earth pony's unease as interrupted when a hoof-load of mud mask was thrown onto her face and Rarity rubbed it in. "Blecch!" She then got a cucumber slice slapped onto each eye. "What in the world is this for?"

Rarity gave a weary sigh. "To reduce the puffiness around one's eyes, of course."

"Yeah.", agreed Charles. "That's partly why I like these in the first place. My eyes have been so stressed today I could really use them."

"Puffiness, schmuffiness!", Applejack scoffed as she pulled them into her mouth with her tongue and gulped them down. "That's good eatin'!"

Rarity just aimed a vexed stare her way as Charles resisted the urge to give a yawn.

Meanwhile, Twilight continued to read from the guide, now having propped it to a stand as she giggled. "Isn't this exciting? We'll do everything by the book, and that will make my slumber party officially fun!"

"Did you hear that, Applejack?", Rarity said to the farmpony as the latter tried to scrape her face clean. "You certainly would not want to do anything that would ruin Twilight's very first slumber party, would you?"

"Of course not. And you wouldn't either, I reckon."

"So do we have an agreement?"

"You betcha." Applejack then spit on one front hoof and offered it to shake. As expected, Rarity was horrified at this.

"Oh, gross! You know, there's messy, and there's just plain rude."

"You know, there's fussy, and there's just plain gettin' on my nerves!"

"Fortunately, I can get along with anypony, no matter how difficult she may be."

"Oh, yeah? Well, I'm the get-alongin'est pony you're ever gonna meet!"

"That's not even a word."

Suddenly, Twilight popped up between them and hugged them both. "This is gonna be the bestest slumber party ever! Yay!"

Her two friends gave a wooden, "Yay." in response as they gave each other dirty looks from the corners of their eyes.

Meanwhile, Charles gave a dejected sigh. "This'll be a slumber party to remember for sure."

Evening…

Outside, the storm hasn't let up one bit. Inside, everypony was now in the kitchen, had their faces cleaned up, and the mares now had their manes and tails up in curlers. The lone stallion in the party was excluded as not only did he not prefer to participate, though his hair was long, it's not something a boy like him can enjoy anyways.

"Sooo…how are you getting along over there, Applejack?", Rarity asked.

"Just fine, Rarity.", the farmpony replied wearily.

"This is so awesome!", Twilight said with a giggle as she levitated the book and a quill over to herself. "Makeovers, check." In a flash, all the curlers disappeared in a flash, leaving the two guests to trade a thin smile. "Ooh! It says here we have to tell ghost stories! Who wants to go first?"

"Me!" Applejack then spoke in a hushed tone. "I'd like to tell y'all the terrifyin' tale of the Prissy Ghost, who drove everypony crazy with her unnecessary neatness!" She aimed a few of these words at Rarity, then waved her front hooves about while making ghostly moaning sounds for effect. "I'm sure y'all are familiar with that one?"

"I can't say I'm impressed in the slightest.", Charles yawned.

"Never heard of it.", said Rarity. "But I have a much better one." She then spoke in an ominous manner. "It's the horrifying story of the Messy Inconsiderate Ghost, who irritated everypony within a hundred miles!" It was obvious that this was aimed at Applejack as she added her own sound effects.

"That's not a real story.", the farmpony replied. "You made it up!"

"It is a ghost story. They're all made up!"

"And both your stories aren't even remotely scary.", Charles said. Just then, a lightning strike took out all the lights, leaving everything black and eliciting gasps of fright, one of them as high as a filly's. A moment later, a firefly lantern was produced, illuminating everypony as they hunched around it.

"I've got one.", said Twilight. "This story is called…The Legend of the Headless Horse." More lightning tore through the night at the end of this. "It was a dark and stormy night, just like this one. And four ponies were having a slumber party…just like this one."

a Few minutes Later…

Twilight's ghost story was drawing to a close. Rarity was visibly unnerved, evidently Twilight's story has gone to work on her. Applejack was doing no better. Charles however seemed to be able to maintain a calm face, although he was shaking on the inside.

"And just when the last pony thought she was safe…", Twilight said. "…there, standing right behind her, just inches away, was… THE HEADLESS HORSE!"

There came a lightning strike, and she–in all of a sudden–reared up before her guests and bodyguard with a blanket covering her head. Applejack and Rarity screamed in terror and clutch at a visibly paralyzed Charles as he resisted the urge to scream like a filly. Everypony fell quiet as Twilight then peeked out with a 'gotcha' smile. As Charles 'turned on' the library lights, his charge tossed the cover away and galloped over to a stand where her slumber party guide sat open along with her quill.

"Ghost story, check." Now that the danger was past, Rarity and Applejack draw apart from Charles with suspicious glances at each other. Twilight then popped up between them and behind her bodyguard, still completely unaware of any enmity. "Now, who wants s'mores?"

Everyone was at the kitchen. Applejack was at the fireplace, toasting four marshmallows at once. While holding the sticks holding them with her hooves.

"Then you place one marshmallow on the top of the chocolate—", Rarity was explaining to him and his charge. Plates of graham crackers and chocolate squares were laid out. Rarity hds a nearly-completed s'more on a saucer before her, missing only its top cracker and she was levitating both that piece and all the parts for a second. "—and be sure it's centered, that's critical, and then carefully put another perfectly square graham cracker on the top." With that, she floated the second cracker down and squished it gently into place. "And…done! Ta-da!"

"Ooooh!", said Twilight as the fashionista gave a soft laugh.

"Looks great.", commented Charles.

Applejack, however, was less than enthused at Rarity's meticulous explanation. "Nah, you just eat 'em!" And she does so, scarfing the whole thing in one cheek-bulging mouthful and chewing noisily with her mouth open. Rarity reacted to this display of bad table manners and the loud burp that followed it with a disgusted groan. Charles shared the same feelings.

"You could at least say, 'Excuse me'.", said the fashionista.

"I was just about to, but you interrupted me.", Applejack countered. "Pardon." The fastidious unicorn wasn't exactly thrilled by this.

"Are everypony in your farm this uncouth while eating?", Charles asked. "Because even middle-class citizens won't tolerate your manners, not just the high-class aspiring Rarity here." He quickly received hard stares from both of them.

Meanwhile, Twilight was marking off in her book. "S'mores, check. Now the next item of fun we have to do is…truth or dare!"

"I dare Applejack to do something carefully and neatly for a change.", Rarity said.

"Oh, yeah? Well, I dare Rarity to lighten up and stop obsessin' over every last little detail, for a change.", Applejack countered.

"I think the truth of the matter is that somepony could stand to pay a little more attention to detail." Twilight watched with mild shock at this while her bodyguard almost looked like he was about to smack himself in the face.

"And I think the truth is, somepony oughta quit with her fussin' so the rest of us can get things done!"

The slightly bewildered slumber party host then turned back to her guide and flips pages quickly with her magic.

"Um, I don't think this is how the game's supposed to work.", she said.

"You two are basically sniping at each other rather than playing the game.", her bodyguard added.

"You have to give an honest answer to any question, or do whatever anypony dares you to do."

Applejack then told Rarity, "I dares you to step outside and let your precious tidy mane get ruined again." The owner of said mane shuddered in fright.

"You have to.", said Twilight. "It's the rule."

"Ha!"

"Fine!", Rarity conceded as she skulked out, Applejack grinning wickedly after her.

As there were sounds of the door opening, rain pouring down, and Rarity yelping in barely contained panic, while Applejack put a hoof to her mouth to stifle a guffaw, Charles turned to his charge and said, "Isn't there supposed to be a part where someone asks 'Truth or Dare?', then the asked chooses?"

"Whoopsie. Can't believe I skipped that part."

Just then, they heard the door close again, and there stood a very soggy Rarity, her mane and tail having lost all semblance of their usual elegant curl. Applejack had a laugh as Rarity squished back into the room, but clammed up and started backing away before the latter's steady advance. "Okay. I dare Applejack to play dress-up, in a frou-frou, glittery, lacy outfit!"

Now Applejack was the one to react badly, sucking in a sharp gasp. She threw Rarity a dirty look and walked off. A quick rustle of clothing later, she returned to the kitchen. Her light blue outfit was that of a typical fairy-tale princess, complete with earrings and necklace, pink ribbons on her hooves, a tall pointed hat, and a full-length gown with a pink saddle trimmed in yellow and white. Her mane had been curled and flowers were put into it. Needless to say, she wasn't the slightest bit pleased at having to do this. "Happy?"

"Very." Rarity gave a chuckle.

"Um…do I ever get a turn?", Twilight asked, but was cut off by Applejack.

"I dare you to enter the next rodeo when it comes to town!"

"I dare you not to enter the next rodeo that comes to town!"

"I dare you to not comb your mane a hundred times before bed!"

"And I dare you to comb yours just once!"

"Wait a second…", Charles turned to his charge as the two continued to bicker. "Truth or Dare?"

"Wha…uhh…Truth."

"Tell me. Is that dress Applejack's wearing right now yours?"

"Umm…" Twilight blushed at this, then gave a sigh. "Yes. It's for me to wear in social events back in Canterlot."

"Sounds plausible, being Princess Celestia's star pupil and all."

"Okay. My turn. Truth or Dare?"

Charles put a hoof to his chin. "I'll have to go for…Dare."

"Great! I dare you to put on my dress Applejack's wearing."

"…Done." Twilight seemed surprised at his easy acceptance as he then turned to Applejack. "Applejack, I need you to come with me."

And the two were gone for a while. A few seconds later, Applejack was back with her usual stetson and hairstyle, looking really flustered, and Charles followed wearing the frilly dress, surprisingly keeping a straight face.

Rarity looked shocked at this. "Oh my stars, Charles! Are you…you…a cross–"

"I'm not gonna warrant an answer.", he said. "But My teacher Aramis also likes to cross-dress. That's all you need to know."(1)

Twilight gave a nervous smile as she levitated the book. "I think we can check off 'truth or dare' and move on. Let's see what our next fun-fun-fun thing is, shall we?" She eyed the pages for a long moment in a puzzled manner as Charles took off the dress-up outfit. "Hmmm, what does this mean? 'Pillow fight'?"

Rarity, by now properly dried and styled, said, "Oh, please. I am not at all interested in participating in something so crude." She promptly caught a flying pillow with her face and spat out a few loose feathers, changing her attitude in a heartbeat. "Ooh! It is on!"

One quick nip and head snap sends the pillow flying across the room and into Applejack's face. Shaking the feathers away, the latter bucked three from a pile in front of her that Twilight 'summoned'. It was a triple bulls-eye; now the fashionista kicked the pillows back across the room, missing with each one. The farmpony countered by cinching several of them in a lasso and twirling them overhead. She then whipped them loose—a salvo of three—but Rarity used her magic to bring them to a hovering rest on either side of her. Another spell then hurled them back across the room.

As pillows went flying in both directions, Twilight stood up with a look of sudden understanding. "Ohhh, I get it! Pillow…fight! Fun!"

After the two pillows slam into the side of her head, Charles had her to duck.

"We better get out of the crossfire.", he said as he 'caught' a few of the pillows that shot across them and started 'constructing' fortifications. He then addressed his friends as Twilight stood confused. "Girls, please take this down a notch."

"I will if she will!", Applejack said as she threw and dodged pillows.

"She started it!", said Rarity, doing likewise.

"If that's how you want it, fine!", Charles said as he completed the 'fort' and 'caught' several of the pillows that sailed across the room. "Twilight, take cover!" His charge did so as he joined in the battle. He was so fierce in his pillow-throwing that Applejack and Rarity ended up teaming up against him, although it couldn't be helped as he was in between them and thus in their way. Eventually, he decided enough was enough, started defending from Rarity, then started on knocking out Applejack. After 'throwing' one as fast as Rainbow Dash could fly right into the farmpony's face, leaving her dazed, he then barraged Rarity in the same manner, using more pillows as she has telekinesis and could stop a few. Once both of them were down for the count, Charles relaxed.

Twilight then got up and spat out some feathers that came from the pillows. "Maybe we should just call it a night and get some sleep?"

Much later…

Everypony was in bed. After some…uncomfortable implications…Charles relinquished his bed to Applejack and Rarity while he slept beside his charge. Miraculously, he managed not to feel aroused in spite of sleeping next to…well, a girl that wasn't a blood relative. Usually, he'd be out like a light and would not wake up until late morning, but for some reason sleep kept eluding him as he heard voices on his bed.

"Keep your muddy hooves on your side of the bed!", Rarity whispered to Applejack.

"My hooves ain't muddy!"

"They were. There might still be a little on them."

"There ain't! See?"

"Ewww!" Rarity gripped the blanket with her teeth and yanked all of it to her side.

"Now who's bein' inconsiderate? " Applejack yanked the blanket off Rarity, who glared over her shoulder and then got out of bed.

"I have to make the bed again so the blanket will be right!" She then butted Applejack off. "Get up!"

"Hey!"

Rarity 'tucked' the blanket's corners neatly over the mattress and smoothed out all the folds, leaving a perfectly made bed that didn't placate Applejack in the slightest. The latter angled her head down to get her teeth on the edge, but Rarity waved her back. "Ah-ah-ah! You'll ruin it. You have to do it like this." From a haunch-sitting position on her pillow, she eased her hindquarters under the blanket without turning it down, and eventually wound up lying on her back. "Ahhh…"

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen." Applejack then jumped up, with full intent on pouncing on the bed. "GERONIMO!" She landed on the bed with enough force to throw both Rarity and her pillow out as the suddenly vacant half of the blanket settled over the farmpony.

"Hey!" She the got up from her being thrown off. "You did that on purpose."

"Um…yeah."

"Get up so I can fix it again!"

"Can't hear you. I'm asleep." Applejack then gave a few loud fake snores as Rarity fumed quietly for a moment, after which the irate unicorn whipped the blanket off the bed with her teeth. "I ain't budgin'."

"You will if you want any blanket!", Rarity said through her teeth. The blanket was swiftly yanked away by Applejack, leading to a tug-of war.

"Give it back!"

"I will not!"

"Yes, you will!"

"Won't!"

"Will!"

"Won't!"

"Will!"

"Won't!"

"Will!

"ENOUGH!" They were cut off by Twilight, who had gotten up due to all the racket. Charles was up too, unable to get any sleep.

"Damn you, girls!", said the only male in the room. "You managed to wake me up from my sleep! And let me tell you that once I'm asleep, I'm difficult to wake!" He then added with sarcasm. "Congratulations!"

The two 'combatants' slackened their pull on the blanket as the book, open, was levitated up for them to read.

"It says right here that the number-one thing you're supposed to do at a slumber party is have fun.", Twilight said as she then 'slammed' the book shut and 'dropped' it. "And thanks to you two, I can't check that off!"

Applejack dropped her end. "I've been tryin' my darnedest to get along!"

Rarity dropped hers. "No, it is I who have been trying my best."

"No, it was me."

"No, it was I."

"Me!"

"I!"

As the now tried to bulldoze each other away, Charles cut them off as his charge brought them up short. "No! Neither of you were doing your best! You were busy sniping at each other and either Twilight was very oblivious, or was being patient."

"I hope you're happy…", she said. "…both of you! You've ruined my very first slumber party! The makeover, the s'mores, truth or dare, the pillow fight—I mean, is there anything else that could possibly go wrong?!"

"Dammit, you shouldn't say that!", Charles then scolded. There came a lightning strike from outside. Twilight's friends turned to see that a nearby tree has been hit, weakening the trunk so that its upper section began to lean precariously toward the house next door. Twilight huddled down under her blanket, leaving only her forelegs, eyes, and bangs visible.

"Sorry I asked."

"See?!"

The lights have been turned on as everypony gathered near the window. They all gasped in unison, seeing the tree's upper section start to topple over.

"You see?", Applejack scolded a chastened Rarity. "That's why we needed to take down all those loose branches in town, not spiffy 'em up!"

"But I—"

"Out of my way, missy!" Applejack dashed to the window. "Time's a-wastin'!" She pushed it open with one hoof and her lasso began to spin.

"Wait! Stop! Don't!"

"No waitin', no stoppin', doin'!" And with that, she let the rope fly and caught the loose section at its top. She then let go of the rope from her teeth to say, "And that, my friends, is what we call 'gettin' 'er done.'"

As she then bit down on her end, Charles warned. "Hold it! Don't pull that way!" But it was already done. The unicorns cried out in panic as the entire leafy expanse of the snapped-off piece tumbled squarely through the window. The foliage was expansive enough to nearly fill the loft, and Applejack wound up hanging over the balcony by the rope still in her teeth.

As Rarity was crying out from the wind-blown mess at the bookshelves, which have been reduced to a scramble of open volumes, torn-out pages, and broken junk. She was holding an open book over her head to shelter herself in spite of the fact that no wind was blowing inside anymore.

"I tried to tell you it would come crashing down in here!", the fashionista warned as Applejack climbed up the steps.

"Well, you shoulda tried harder!" Applejack's eyes then popped upon seeing that Rarity was trying to gather up the bits of furniture. At the other end of the fallen timber, Twilight poked her head up dizzily and shook it clear. "I'm mighty sorry, Twilight. "

"It's…well…it's not okay! There's a giant tree branch in the middle of my bedroom!" Twilight then 'pulled out' the book. "And the book doesn't say anything about having a giant tree branch at your slumber party!" She then 'flipped' the pages. "Or at least I haven't found that answer yet!"

"It's not.", Charles said. "I looked it up in my spare time! It's an intrusion, and intruders must be kicked out."

"Really? Let me look it up."

The sole stallion groaned at his charge's skewed priorities. That tree must've hit her hard. He then turned to Rarity, who was putting books back on the shelves, and saw that her priorities were also skewed.

"What in tarnation are y'all doin' over there?", Applejack asked her, seeing it too.

"Cleaning up this mess somepony made! Who was that again? Oh, right, that's you!"

Applejack grimaced for a moment, pulled her head into the leaves, and put it up behind Twilight. "We gotta do somethin'!"

Twilight was still reading, "Baking, BFF's, brothers…there's nothing in here about branches!"

"I told you it's an intrusion!", Charles yelled back. "Look up 'I'."

Applejack used her rope to pull on one section, then bucked at it and stomped before diving back in. A moment later, she looked out across the room. "Rarity, for pony's sake! Stop sweatin' the small stuff and help me get rid of this thing!" Rarity ignored her as she continued shelving. "I said, hustle over here and help me!"

"Come on, Rarity. We can fix up the books later."

Again, there was no response. At this moment, Applejack strained against the trunk's weight and/or her own attitude. When she spoke next, her voice has lost some of its angry edge. ""Look. I'm sorry, all right?"

"What was that?", Rarity asked.

"I said, I'm sorry! I shoulda listened to you when you noticed where this here branch would end up. Your annoyin' attention to detail woulda saved us from this whole mess. But right now, you need to stop bein' so dang fussy pickin' up all those little things and help me move the one big thing in here that actually matters!" There was no immediate response. "Please!"

The last word got Rarity's attention, but she eyed her hooves with a couple of worried little grunts.

"But I'll get all icky!"

"Consarn it—! What the…you…I mean, yes. Ickiness is often a side effect of hard work. But y'all need to get over it, on account of I just can't fix this mess I made myself. I need your help." She then turned to Charles. "I could use your help too."

Taking a long moment to think, Rarity tossed her head to get the book off it and moaned uncertainly—before a determined smile came over her face. "Let's do this!" As the two of them then went to Charles and the three discussed strategy, Twilight continued consulting her slumber party guide.

"Well, they do have a section about backyard slumber parties.", she asked herself. "Is that what we're doing right now? Does this count as camping?"

"Darn it, Twilight!", Charles yelled, interrupting the plan-making. "Just—oh, forget it!"

A few seconds later, they put their plan into action. Rarity was now back at the bookshelves and she concentrates deeply, and unleashing a scintillating burst from her horn. In two swift flashes, the leafy limbs became topiaries similar to the ones she made prior to the storm, but with a wider assortment of shapes. They floated before her and settled gently into the suddenly cleared floor space.

At the window, one stub of trunk still hung on the sill. Applejack—having finally put her hat back on—was set to buck it out, but a stern look from Rarity changed her mind. Both ponies are now filthy with twigs and tree sap. Instead of using leg-power, Applejack caught a small side branch in her teeth gently heaved the wood over the side. Rarity smiled approvingly as Charles then pulled the window shut, then got a full look at the splatters that have ruined her own impeccable grooming. "Oh…I look awful."

Applejack thought hard for a moment before getting a brainstorm. She then took up some cucumber slices and put them on Rarity's eyes. "Better?"

Rarity smiled and laughed softly. "Thanks." She reached forward blindly with a hoof, trying to touch Applejack's cheek. The latter leaned forward to put herself in the right place, and the two share a standing hug—nuzzling each other's cheek while draping a foreleg around the neck.

Charles smiled at this. While he could've done all this by himself, he had a feeling that this was needed to bring the two different friends together. He then turned to Twilight, who was still reading, then she finally took note of the topiaries.

"Ooh, pretty! Where did these come from?" Twilight then checked the pages. "They're not in the book either."

Charles smacked himself in the face, forgetting it was muddied, then regretted it. "Why do I seem to be the only sane pony among my friends?"

Hours later…

After Applejack and Rarity finished asking Twilight about Charles they all began to play the next game in the book's list: Twenty Questions. They were sitting on the floor and laughing and the unicorn mares had their curlers in.

"Is it bigger than a barn?", asked Applejack.

"Nope.", said Twilight and Charles.

"Is it smaller than a saddle?"

Twilight giggled again. "No. Only three of your twenty questions left."

Applejack sighed. "We're never gonna guess what you're thinkin' of! It could be anything!"

"Are we getting warmer?", asked Rarity.

"Why? Is it too cold in here for you?", asked Twilight. "I can turn up the heat."

"What a horrible pun.", grumbled her bodyguard.

"She means, are we gettin' any closer with our guesses?", Applejack clarified.

"Oh!...No. And that technically counted as a question, so only two more left.", said Twilight.

Both guessers began to think very hard. "

"Is it…", Applejack said, then in rapid fire, "…a six-legged pony with a purple polka-dotted mane and shootin' stars comin' out of his eyes…"

"…who flies through the air all over the world to hide magic sparkly eggs?", finished Rarity in the same manner.

"That's it!", said Twilight.

"It is?", both guessers asked.

"No.", Charles simply stated. "Way too specific and way too ridiculous." He and Twilight then pointed to the telescope at the bedroom window. "It's that.", said Twilight "Really, girls. Those were worse guesses than in the last time I played Twenty Questions", Charles said.

"But it was just so nice to see you two finally getting along, I wanted you to be able to win together.", Twilight said, and the two guessers laughed, proving her point. "See? We could've been having fun like this all along."

"If only somepony hadn't been so persnickety.", said Applejack.

"Well, maybe she wouldn't have been if somepony else hadn't been so sloppy.", said Rarity.

They traded sidelong, riled-up glances for a moment, then smiled again. "Sorry for bein' such a pain in the patootie."

"Oh, no, I'm sure I was much worse."

"That's kind of you to say, but I'm the one who's sorry."

"Oh, I'm much more sorry than you are."

"Are not."

"Are too."

"Are not."

"Are too."

"Are not."

"Are too."

Both of them began to laugh, and Twilight popped up between them, the curlers gone from her mane. "I declare my first slumber party a success!"

The three of them "high-fived" and gave out a "Yeah!" before laughing again.

Twilight then levitated her book. "Have fun, check!" There was another round of laughter as it was closed.

Early morning…

At the main room, the table was set aside as stacks of books and pillows–as well as the topiaries–filled the floor.

"Now take two steps to your left." Rarity–curlers off her head–instructed Applejack as she walked into the 'obstacle course', her motions hampered by the cucumber slices on her eyes. "Uh, no, my left."

Applejack tried to correct herself in her walk. "Well, which is it?" She then stumbled into the books, toppling them over. "Whoa!" When she stood up from the collapse, she had lost the slices but gained a pillow on her head. She gave a smile as Rarity walked to her. "That mess is your fault, not mine." Both of them began to laugh.

"Sorry."

Meanwhile, Twilight was composing a report at a worktable, her bodyguard standing right next to her.

"Dear Princess Celestia,", she began. "It's hard to believe that two ponies who seem to have so little in common could ever get along. But I found out that if you embrace each other's differences, you just might be surprised to discover a way to be friends after all." She then floated the quill away from the scroll and addressed herself across the room. "So, who's up for another slumber party tomorrow night?" She was answered with a pair of pillows being flung into her grinning face. "How about a week from Thursday?" A few more pillows were thrown. "Oh! How about two weeks from Saturday?" There was laughter from her guests. "A month from now?"

Notes:

(1) I made up that Aramis likes to cross-dress but Charles d'Artagnan did read page, and search d'Aragnan.

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