A Harmless Game
On a rare evening when the Mane Six had nothing to do, Twilight Sparkle hosted her first planned slumber party at Golden Oak Library. Ever since Applejack and Rarity slept over at her home, she knew Princess Celestia would appreciate hearing about their interactions with Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. When all was said and done, Twilight could have her dragon assistant Spike deliver another friendship lesson to her mentor after enjoying a nice and easy night with the other Elements of Harmony.
All of her friends arrived at the library and rolled their sleeping bags across the floor before Luna raised the moon. Spike was excited about the get-together until his love interest, the fair unicorn Rarity, suggested giving him a makeover as their first activity. The other five unanimously supported her cause and before he could even think about escaping, Rainbow Dash was there to hold him down. Rarity squeezed the poor dragon into a dress she made specifically for the occasion, Applejack tied ribbons around his spikes, Fluttershy painted his nails and Pinkie Pie applied eyeliner before powdering his face. After Twilight took a snapshot, Spike retreated upstairs to his master's bedroom and took refuge underneath her bed.
"Spikey-wikey looks c'est magnifique thanks to us," Rarity tittered as she looked over the picture.
"Who woulda thought?" Applejack shared a hearty laugh with her.
"Okay, girls," Twilight chuckled. "What should we do now?"
"Let's play Blind Mare's Bluff!" Rainbow Dash beamed.
"Blind Mare's Bluff?" Twilight questioned, turning to the sky blue pegasus. "I've never heard of it."
"What do you mean you haven't heard of Blind Mare's Bluff?" Rainbow threw her forelegs in the air. "It's only the coolest most awesome game I ever played growing up. Fluttershy and I used to play the game all the time when we were fillies. Of course, I won almost every time."
"I could never catch her," Fluttershy admitted with a sheepish giggle. "It's a lot more difficult when you're airborne."
"C'mon, Flutters," Rainbow scoffed. "You won maybe once or twice. I let you, but still."
"How do you play?" Twilight wanted to know.
"We take this blindfold," Pinkie Pie said, producing a blindfold out of thin air. "And we tie it around whoever's 'It'. It's just like tag except you can't see where you're going. You can't tell if you're tagging somepony or a wall or a tree or a tree-wall or a wall-tree. I can't tell which is which in this library but we're going to have so much fun, fun, fun!"
"It does sound a bit brutal." Rarity raised her brow as Pinkie Pie bounced tirelessly on the floor.
"Come on, Rarity," Applejack scolded her. "You gotta learn to have a little once in a while."
"Applejack's right," Twilight agreed. "I'm willing to try this game out and we all should, too. What harm could it do?"
"I guarantee nopony's gonna be able to catch me," Rainbow Dash boasted.
"Now, promise you won't cheat, Rainbow?" Applejack nudged her.
"I promise." Rainbow scoffed as she closed her eyes and saluted with her forehoof.
"Then uncross your wings this instant," Rarity snapped.
"Slippery little devils," Rainbow muttered as she folded her wings.
"Who's going first?" Twilight asked.
"Why not you, Twilight?" Pinkie Pie zipped behind her and tied the blindfold around her head.
"Argh! Pinkie! What the hay?" Twilight shouted.
"Let's spin her around!" Rainbow exclaimed. She and Pinkie Pie brought Twilight up to her hind hooves and spiraled her until she pirouetted on the library floor. Twilight found herself regretting the two hayburgers she ate for lunch as Rainbow and Pinkie finally brought her down and darted off. They cantered over to two different corners of the library while Fluttershy, Applejack and Rarity spread out across different walls.
"Okay, Twilight, come find us!" Rainbow challenged her. Underneath her blindfold, Twilight could only see a few dark green spots of dizziness against pitch black as she walked around in circles and snake-like patterns. Varying laughter from all five her friends echoed throughout the library as she tried her hardest to follow whoever seemed closest. With every step she took, she felt even more lost in her own home until one of the mares broke from her giggle fit.
"Darling!" Rarity warned her. "Look out for the stump!"
"What stump?" Twilight found her voice as she stumbled around.
BONK!
The impact of the librarian's face making contact with the stump knocked the wind out of her as she tumbled to the floor. "Owww," she groaned before hoisting herself back on all fours. Her head pounded from the crash and Rainbow Dash's laughter as she stumbled across the library in search of her friends.
"Watch Spike's basket!" Fluttershy shouted.
"Too late!" Applejack gasped as Twilight tripped over his assistant's bed, sending her on her back this time. She wobbled up to her legs again and darted her head around, taking a moment to realize it was not doing her any good with the blindfold. She followed her friends' breathing and walked across the library, stepping over their sleeping bags. Even Rainbow Dash gasped at the clumsy librarian's antics.
"Be careful!" Rainbow shouted. "That's my super-cool sleeping bag!"
Hearing her friend's call but not heeding it, Twilight caught her front hooves in Rainbow's bag. Her hind legs buckled, sending her to the floor a third time in a feeble attempt to free herself. She rolled around until the bag swallowed her whole, immobilizing her extremities. Her muffled voice seeped through the bag. "Help!"
"I reckon we best be stoppin' this game," Applejack warned everypony. "Twilight's lookin' like a chicken with its head chopped off."
"Aww, all right," Rainbow groaned. She and Fluttershy unraveled Twilight from the sleeping bag. Then, Pinkie Pie removed the blindfold with her teeth. Twilight's pupils rolled around her dazed eyes as the figures of her five friends returned to her sight. She held her head, moaning as Rarity walked to her side.
"Twilight, darling?" she spoke to her. "Are you hurt? You gave us quite a fright."
"You girls," Twilight said. "We can't stop playing! I was having the time of my life!"