The guests were all gone, and the small group, along with the DJ of the party, had cleaned and tided up the huge house with a certain efficiency. Twilight had taken the helm, and thanks to her sense of organization and to Rarity’s meticulous attention, the whole matter had been over in a dynamic way.
Each of the girls were going to sleep in the many bedrooms of the place, but for now they were all gathered in Rainbow Dash’s, in order to finish the night slumber party style.
Sunset Shimmer had just gone out of the bathroom where she had worn her clothes for the night, and when she arrived in the room where everything was happening, she saw Rarity busy bedaubing Twilight and Fluttershy’s faces with a mudpack, while Pinkie Pie was harassing Rainbow Dash to massage her feet, under the amused yet tired eyes of Applejack – for she had ran after the Crusaders for half of the party.
“Stop it! I hate when my feet are being tinkered with! A.J, help me.”
“’Tis yar problem, Dash. Ah had to fight against Apple Bloom all night long. Stuff happens.”
“Traitor.”
“Sunset Shimmer, do you want a mudpack treat as well?”, Rarity asked her while putting the last touches on Fluttershy’s face.
“Oh, it’s really pleasant in reality”, the latter said.
“It’s nice of you, but no thanks. I have just taken off my makeup…”
“So what? That’s exactly the right situation for a beauty mask.”
“Let me think about it…”
Sunset Shimmer sat on a cushion in front of Rainbow Dash’s bed, where Pinkie Pie and Applejack both were settled.
“Do you guys know what’s the best about the end of a day?”, Rainbow Dash questioned. “Taking off your bra!”
They all nodded in agreement. If there was a statement to win unanimous support, it was this one.
“And yet, Dashie, you got small breasts, that’s lucky.”
“Oh yeah? In what is this lucky? Not that I really care about this, but…”
“It’s lucky because, first, men look into your eyes”, Rarity replied.
“And your back doesn’t ache”, Pinkie Pie outbid.
“What’s the connection with bras?”
“The connection, my dear Applejack, that’s a difference of comfort. Or should I say of discomfort.”
“It’s true comfort is really important”, Twilight added. “This is why I only wear cotton undergarments.”
“Hey, so do I”, Rainbow Dash claimed. “I hate stuffs with underwirings and push-ups.”
She stretched her hand toward her friend, who needed a few seconds before understanding by slapping the palm in front of her. Even after all these years, Twilight was true to herself… a hopeless intellectual.
Fluttershy didn’t say anything and only listened. She never had this kind of conversations and was scared her opinion about the main topic to sound ridiculous. Especially as the discussion took a turn she wasn’t expecting.
“I personally really like these lovely little things”, Rarity said patting her silky purple babydoll smooth. “I’m feeling more feminine, and men do like them as well.”
“So you attract men with push-ups and frilly panties, uh? How do they see them?”
“Rainbow Dash, you’re adorably naïve.”
“Anyway, some would be happy to hear this conversation”, Sunset Shimmer said. “Guys are always imagining girls to do forbidden things during slumber parties.”
In view of the glances by her fellows, the teenage girl understood she had just declared something that was foreign to them. Coming from most of them, it wasn’t quite a surprise, yet she’d always thought Rarity and Pinkie Pie aware of masculine’s habits.
“What? You guys really don’t know? Some believe that we’re like, smooching with each other, or fondling with each other.”
“I think what you’re talking about is scaring me a little”, Fluttershy finally dared speaking.
“Goodness, this is ridiculous…”
“Yes, slumber parties precisely are a moment when we’re not objectified.”
“We can even look ugly with mudpack”, Pinkie Pie chuckled.
“And hairy legs. Am fond of my winter hairs, they keepin’ me warm.”
This new declaration made in Applejack made all the girls burst out laughing, even the shiest, hidden in a corner. She could always be counted on to be natural and not to bother herself with window dressings.
After this, Rainbow Dash lifted the bottom of her best friend’s pants and indeed, there was a throng of hairs around her ankles.
“Do you know it’s Spring now?”
“Ah’ll shave on summer. As long as Ah can wear pantyhose, Ah spare mahself from this one chore.”
“How lucky! We just can’t do this, with Pinkie. You’re forced to be shaved when you’re practicing sports, or you’ll seriously reeks.”
“Yes”, she answered, nodding. “Especially as even without hairs, locker rooms don’t always smell like cupcakes.”
“The more this conversation goes on; the more I like it”, Sunset Shimmer declared with a smile.
“Not me. It’s disgusting.”
“Oh please, stop bein’ such a wimp, Rarity! Tell her hairs are natural, Twilight.”
“Indeed, hairs exist for a very precise reason. Some even are a shelter against germs.”
“Germs? Ugh! It’s getting worse. I personally wax everywhere as often as possible.”
“Wow, yar really the kind to split hairs ‘bout details.”
“I’m not splitting hairs, Applejack. I’m being hygienic.”
“Yes and no, Rarity. There’s also a strong social factor behind this shame of hairs. However, I get rid of my own hairiness once a week, depending on new growth.”
“I never shave nor wax. Because I’ve had a definitive hair removal by laser. So, I don’t even need to worry.”
“Rainbow Dash… Do you know that’s one of my dreams?”
“Seriously? Can’t you have cooler dreams, like… I don’t know, cooler dreams!”
“Well, now it seems clear we’re no longer in a field which would make guys fantasize”, Sunset Shimmer said.
“Let them not fantasize. It’s not our problem.”
“Well said, Dash.”
This time, between Applejack and Rainbow Dash, the message was received immediately, and they both slapped each other hands.
As far as Fluttershy was concerned, still intimidated by the confessions her friends had just uttered, she couldn’t help but wonder whether the moment was right or not for her to tell them someone had ignited a flame in her heart. Some of them weren’t that experienced, but she knew Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash had already been dated boys, and probably no longer were virgins… And she also knew Rarity knew a lot about men.
“If we were in a movie, we’d failed the Bechdel Test by talking about boys all the time…”
“We’re not in a movie, Rainbow Dash. And what’s dat Bechdel sumethin’?”
“It’s a test to check how well or not are represented female characters in works of fictions, Applejack”, Sunset Shimmer answered.
“We’re not talking about boys all the time”, Twilight break them up. “It’s Sunset Shimmer who can’t help bringing the subject up. I’d rather talk about something else. It’s not my main preoccupation.”
“Neither is it mine… But I do like talking about them from time to time. I say, I’m at sea, girls. From what you say, it seems you don’t really care at all.”
“I don’t care, actually”, Rainbow Dash responded, lifting up her hand.
“Said the girl who has a boyfriend now.”
“It has nothing to do with it”, she shot back by sticking her tongue out at Twilight.
Fluttershy felt it was now or never if she wanted to confess her friends the warm feelings she’d developed for Applejack’s brother. She opened her mouth… but was interrupted by Pinkie Pie before uttering a single word. The latter wrapped an arm around Rainbow Dash’s neck and stuck her head against her own shoulder like a mother willing to comfort her child.
“Stop bothering Dashie. It’s not her fault.”
“Pinkie, just let me go!”
“If you really want to know, Sunset Shimmer, I do care about the subject. I often have dates”, Rarity said with a smile.
“We know”, they all stated together.
“What? This isn’t a crime… I’ve been very serious when I was your age.”
“I hope so, you were dating my brother.”
“Rarity and Twilie could’ve been sisters-in-law.”
“Wow, that would’ve been great”, Sunset Shimmer claimed. “What happened?”
“We had issues about our schedules. Both had a different dream and had given everything to make it come true. Even today, if he wasn’t engaged, I’m not sure it would have worked.”
“In fact, you see… We, like Rarity, all have aspirations taking a whole lot of our time and energy. This is what we’re focusing on for now.”
“Alright, I got it. I want to have good grades and to go in a good university, but I don’t have a precise idea about my future. Maybe this is why I’m more preoccupied by boys than you do.”
“Neither do I have a precise idea. But it doesn’t preoccupy me.”
“This is because you’re exceptional, Rainbow Dash”, Pinkie Pie told her, this time crushing her both hands against her cheeks.
“Could you stop mistreating my face?”
“Oh, girls, you know what? I have the funniest of ideas… What if we were watching some gay porn movie? I came across one, once, by accident. I swear I’ve never laughed so hard of all my life.”
“How did ya come ‘cross such a thing?”
“You know, you’re on the Web, and a link leads to something else…”
“I don’t think I really feel like seeing this kind of thing”, Fluttershy said.
“Me neither”, Rainbow Dash added.
“Come on, be sweet. I swear it’s hilarious! Nothing in common with those insulting heterosexual movies full of degrading words.”
“If that’s funny, it’s good for me”, Pinkie Pie said. “I’m going to get the popcorn.”
“I suppose… this could be regarded as some sort of scientific researches…”
“If even Twilight agrees…”
“Do as you’re please”, Rainbow Dash confessed with the greatest of indifference.
“I’m not sure.”
“Let’s just try, and if you’re too shocked, Fluttershy, we’ll stop.”
“Well, alright, then. Thank you, Sunset Shimmer.”
“Perfect!” Rarity claimed, clapping her hands. “Rainbow Dash, give me your computer.”
“No way”, she said protecting the machine with her arms. “My screen is pure and virgin, you’re going to traumatize it. Might be porn channels on the cable…”
Rarity rolled her eyes, and grabbed the TV remote on the small piece of furniture where her TV set was. She didn’t know where the channels of this kind were on her friend’s incredibly varied package, and spent some time before finding what she wanted under the watchful eyes of each of the girls, now all settled on the bed.
Fortunately, they came across the type of movies they were looking for, in the middle of action. While Pinkie Pie and the oldest of the girls were laughing out loud, the others wavered between embarrassment and complete indifference. Sunset Shimmer didn’t really understand what was funnier than the heterosexual movies of the genre, and Rainbow Dash was checking on the messages on her phone. Each time she took her eyes off of her screen to look at the television one, the images had her shrugging.
As far as she was concerned, it was irrelevant. Whether it was men with men, girls with girls or girls with men didn’t change a thing. All this nudity, these saucy words and those audacious situations didn’t start anything special inside of her, not even disgust or embarrassment like Fluttershy and Twilight. She thought it was the greatest of all bore… Irrelevant, that definitely was the word. The bodies weren’t even agreeable to watch, and the light was distasteful.
“I’m going to brush my teeth”, she said to her friends not really paying attention to her.
She got up and left the room in order to climb to the bathroom upstairs. It was longer and less convenient then going to the closest one, but she just couldn’t be resolute to go there. The emptiness on the door where the mirror was before kept on bringing her back to this infamous night…
The teenage girl hadn’t noticed she’d been followed by Sunset Shimmer. Her presence only leaped out at her once she was done spitting her toothpaste, and she saw the young woman’s reflection in the mirror above the washbasin.
“I say… That’s a long way to go only to wash your teeth. Isn’t there another bathroom on your floor?”
“Yes, there’s one. Too full of bad memories.”
“I see.”
Sunset Shimmer didn’t ask herself more questions. There still were a lot of grey area about Rainbow Dash’s past, and she felt it would take time before she’d told about some of those things, probably because they were too painful and private. What she knew was the fact her mother had died in a plane crash she’d been a witness of, and her father was constantly away.
And it wasn’t the reason why she’d followed her here. What she wanted to know was connected to a very recent discovery.
“I was wondering… How someone notices being demisexual? If you’re okay with talking about it, of course.”
“I’m okay with it. I have no problem with my sexuality. It’s a rare one, it’s true, but I like to think it’s a part of what makes me so cool.”
“I’m certainly not the first to ask you this question…”
“In fact, you are. When I’ve realized, the girls had accepted it very easily. They knew sexual orientations can’t be chosen. Twilight have made a lot of researches, of course, because that’s the way she is, but that’s all. No one asks heterosexual girls or even boys how they know they are heterosexual… They know it, that’s all.”
“So, it happened just like this?”
“No really”, she said while sitting on the edge of her bathtub. “I could see many other girls around me intrigued by sex, fantasizing about hot actors, hot singers. Not me. Girls, boys, same thing. I wasn’t able to go behind saying “this person looks good”, and I couldn’t feel anything special when seeing this person naked or in an erotic pause. So I’ve made my own researches and at first, I thought I was asexual.”
“These are people with no sexual attraction whatsoever, right?”
“Roughly speaking, yes. I had boyfriends, but out of kisses and holding hands, I didn’t like the rest at all. Each time, I’ve accepted a sexual intercourse to make my boyfriend of the moment happy, and although sometimes it felt good, I didn’t really want to do it again. It was some kind of a domestic chore, for me…”
“Something might have happened, for you to realize you weren’t fully asexual, no?”
“Yeah. Because even with demisexual, sexual attraction isn’t mandatory. I don’t want to have sex with everyone I have a deep emotional relationship with, or else, I would’ve tried to f*ck with all of my friends, and it’s NOT AT ALL the case”, she said burst out laughing. “That would feel like doing nasty things with a sister, ugh!”
It was rather rational, in a sense. As a heterosexual girl, she knew she wasn’t sexually attracted to all the good-looking boys she could meet. It depended on different factors.
“What happened, then?”
“There was a party. Like tonight, except not for my birthday. I didn’t want to meet boys, because I know what they’re looking for when they come to parties… That’s even how I lost my virginity. Seeing I took no part in the party, Big Mac visited my room to chat. I’m not too sure how it happened to be, but…”
“No! You and Big Mac? Really? What did Applejack say about it?”
“That we could do whatever we wanted as long as we wouldn’t break each other hearts. We weren’t in love, never been and never will be, but back then I used to spend a lot of time at Applejack’s, and we were getting along fine with Big Mac… It only happened one time, and it will never happen again, but that’s the night I’ve discovered I wasn’t asexual, but demisexual.”
“And with Soarin?”
“Soarin? Oh, you mean earlier tonight, right? We haven’t done anything nasty, if that’s what you want to know. I’ve explained him everything and it went down well. We’re going to move step by step, and we’ll see.”
One minute later, both young women were back to the floor below. In Rainbow Dash’s room, the gay porn movie had given way to one of those dancing musicals she thought were silly and filled with bad actors.
“Did you guys stopped your thingamajig?”, she asked Rarity who was busy doing Fluttershy a manicure.
“Yes. Pinkie and I were the only ones laughing, and Applejack said it was…”
“As silly as a pig in a stable”, she replied.
“Great repartee, right, Dashie?”
“I’m going to take my sleeping pill if you guys don’t mind”, she said as her only answer.
Everyone went about their own business. In all honesty, Sunset Shimmer would have bet Rarity’s idea to watch a gay porn movie wouldn’t be a success. Twilight was curious about everything, but she guessed she liked real scientific studies better, and Fluttershy was way too innocent and impressionable. Applejack had seemed as indifferent as Rainbow Dash.
She did exactly when she’d said to her friends, in the most complete of casualness from them. As if they were used to see her taking a pill in order to fall asleep.
For sure, Sunset Shimmer still had things to learn about the hostess of tonight, as well as about the rest of the group.