“So, how are you getting along over there, Applejack?”
“Just fine, Rarity.”
Dusk watched as Rarity, who recently added curls in her mane and tail, putting the finishing touches to Applejack’s maker. However, the farm pony wasn’t very amused of having curls in her own mane and tail.
“This is so awesome!” Twilight giggled as she also has curls in her mane and tail. “Makeovers, check.”
With her magic, she made all the curls in her mane and tail to vanish, which in turn restored her usual hairstyle. The same applied to both Applejack and Rarity; the former getting her cowboy hat back on her head.
Scanning through her slumber party book, she found the next activity to her first sleepover.
“Ooh, it says here we have to tell ghost stories. Who wants to go first?”
“Uh...”
Dusk know that he isn’t much of a storyteller or know any scary stories to tell the mares. It was then Applejack raised her hoof up.
“Me! I'd like to tell y'all the terrifying tale of the prissy ghost who drove everypony crazy with her unnecessary neatness.” She told everypony. “Oo-oo!”
“Ay yi yi...” Dusk could easily tell that was a jab directed at Rarity.
“I'm sure y'all are familiar with that one?” Applejack asked the so-called prissy unicorn.
“Never heard of it, but I have a much better one.” Rairty stated. “It's the horrifying story of the messy, inconsiderate ghost who irritated everypony within a hundred miles! Oo-oo!”
This time, Applejack who was jabbed for being called messy and inconsiderate.
“That's not a real story. You made it up.”
“It is a ghost story, they're all made up.”
“Will you two...” Dusk found himself interrupted again when the sound of thunder echo outside. Eerily, the lights in the library went off at the same time, which was usually since none of the buildings in Ponyville run on electricity.
Nevertheless, everypony was startled for the interior of the library was pitch black. Thankfully, Twilight turned on a lantern to provide some lighting.
“I've got one! This story is called The Legend of The Headless Horse.” Twilight then begun her story. “It was a dark and stormy night, just like this one. And three ponies were having a slumber party, just like this one...”
“Really Twilight...” The stallion muttered at the premise of the story and the fact she was using her slumber party as the setting.
Nevertheless, Dusk listened to how the story would play out.
“...and just when the last pony thought she was safe, there, standing right behind her, just inches away was... The Headless Horse!”
With that Twilight finished her ghost story as she quickly grabbed on of the sheet and placed it over her head just as lightning bolt from outside flashes through the window.
Pretending to be the Headless Horse, Rarity and Applejack clung to each other in fright as they screamed.
When it was Dusk’s turn, Twilight pouted when he explained that he doesn’t have any good scary stories to tell. Rarity and Applejack however made a sigh of relief though since they were scared enough for one night.
Still, the unicorn went to the book to check off ghost stories and at the same time, the lighting in the library suddenly turn back on.
“Ghost story, check.” By that time, Rarity and Applejack realized what they were doing and quickly let go of each other.
Twilight once again suddenly appeared between them and placed her hooves over their shoulders.
“Now, who wants s'mores?”
“I’m definitely up for it.”
Dusk can’t help but lick his lips of eating such treats. It been a while since he ever had s’mores back on Earth and the ones in Equestria shouldn’t be any different.
While he and Applejack were roasting a few marshmallows by the fireplace, Rarity was showing Twilight on how to make a s’more in the most presentable way possible.
“Then you place one marshmallow on the top of the chocolate and be sure it's centered -- that's critical -- and then carefully put another perfectly square graham cracker on the top. And done. Ta-da!”
“Ooo!” Dusk rolled his eyes on Twilight’s awe at the s’more, which was nothing more than an ordinary yet tasty treat.
“Nah, ya just eat 'em.” Applejack quickly grabbed the s’more and munched on it while Rarity looked on. “Mmm-mmm!”
After finishing the s’more, Applejack then made a burp which the stallion can’t help but snicker to. Rarity however was not assumed due to her well-mannered sensibility.
“You could at least say excuse me.” She sighed.
“Aw, I was just about to, but you interrupted me.” Applejack said back. “Pardon.”
Dusk shook his head as he saw that both ponies are still bickering with each other. He fears that that Twilight’s first slumber party may end up being her worst one at this rate.
In the meantime, he found the s’mores to be as good as the ones back on Earth.
As for the unicorn, she remains obvious to her friends’ distain for each other as she checks off her book again.
“S'mores, check. Now the next item of fun we have to do is Truth or Dare.”
“Truth and Dare...” Dusk muttered as he looked at Applejack and Rarity carefully.
“Well, I dare Applejack to do something carefully and neatly for a change.”
“Oh yeah? Well I dare Rarity ta lighten up and stop obsessin' over every last little detail, for a change.”
The stallion gulped as he saw that the two ponies were now using the game to again jab at each other like they did before. With how these two were acting, this game will not end well for either of them.
“I think the truth of the matter is that somepony could stand to pay a little more attention to details.
“And I think the truth is somepony oughta quit with her fussin' so the rest of us can get things done.
As Applejack and Rarity started to bicker again, Twilight was disturbed on how they were acting and looked through her slumber party book again.
“Um, I don't think this is how the game's supposed to work. You have to give an honest answer to any question or do whatever anypony dares you to do.”
“If that so...” Applejack then gave Rarity her dare. “Then I dare you to step outside and let your precious, tidy mane get ruined again.”
As Rarity gasp in the shock of Applejack’s dare, Dusk facehoofed at how everything was turning out.
‘Can I even mediate these two?’ With the two mares showing how much they dislike each other, the stallion wasn’t sure he has what it takes to reconcile them without getting hurt himself. ‘I wish Half Coin was here...’
“You can’t be serious?!” Rarity exasperated.
“You have to. It's the rule.” Twilight stated.
“Hah!” Applejack cheered.
“Fine...” Reluctantly agreeing to the dare, Rarity made her way out the library and everypony heard her cries from outside.
Upon going back inside, Rarity was shivering for she was completely soaked from the rain. While Applejack was laughing at the sight of the unicorn’s state, Dusk did not find it amusing.
“I’ll go get a towel.”
The stallion went upstairs and grabbed one of the many towels in the library’s bathroom. At times, he wondered why it was here in the first place, but today wasn’t the time to do so.
By the time he got back downstairs, he was surprised to see Applejack wearing a ridiculous princess outfit while Rarity was smirking in amusement.
“Let me guess?” Dusk asked Twilight. “Rarity dare Applejack to wear that?”
“Yeah.” Twilight with a hint of uneasiness in her voice. “Um, do I ever get a turn?”
She asked Rarity and Applejack, but the two were more focused on each other than their friend.
“I dare ya 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 ya to not comb your mane a hundred times before bed!”
“And I dare you to comb yours just once!”
“Twilight, I think we should this game... Right now.” Dusk was worried that they may come to blows at a matter of time.
Nevertheless, he slowly approached Rarity to give her the towel, which she briefly thanked before focusing her gaze on Applejack.
“That sounds like a good idea.” Twilight replied uneasily. Lets, uh, check off Truth or Dare and move on.”
“Let's see what our next fun-fun-fun thing is, shall we?” She looks through the book in hopes of finding an activity to ease the situation. “Hmm, what does this mean? Pillow fight? Any clue what it is Dusk?”
“What? You don’t know?” The stallion asked, which the unicorn shook her head. “Isn’t it obvious, you and friends just grab pillows and hit each ot...”
Dusk explained before abruptly stopping midsentence. “Oh oh...”
“Oh, please. I am not at all interested in participating in something so crude.” Before Rarity knew it, Applejack threw a pillow and hit her straight in the face.
“Oh! It! Is! On!” She retaliated by throwing the pillow back at her aggressor’s face in force.
Before long, Rarity and Applejack embroiled in an all-out pillow war. While the farm pony made use of her applebucking and lasso skills to throw pillows, the fashion unicorn countered with her use of magic.
While Dusk wasn’t sure how both mares manage to have their own supply of pillows, it was clear to him that they intend to throw everything they got at each other.
“Oh, I get it! Pillow, fight! Fun!” Twilight tried to ease the fighting between her friends, but was about to get caught in the crossfire if not for Dusk.
“Get down!” The stallion pulled the unicorn down just as a barrage of pillows was about to hit her. “Girls! Ceasefire, ceasefire!”
“I will if she will!”
“She started it!”
Despite his plea, two ponies refuse to back down from their little war; both continuing to throw pillows at each other while dodging what is thrown at them.
Dusk and Twilight were not as fortunate for even down on the ground, they were still hit in the crossfire. In a few moments, the two were buried within a large pile of pillows as they manage to stick their heads out.
“Uh, maybe we should just call it a night and get some sleep?” Twilight suggested after spitting a feather out of her mouth.
“I was just thinking the same thing...” Dusk agreed as he watched his two friends continue to wage their aggressive pillow war.
After the two ponies manage to convince their friends to end their little conflict, everypony finally went to bed. However, Dusk had trouble going to sleep due to the hostility between Applejack and Rarity.
As of now, the two mares were sleeping in Twilight’s room where the unicorn used her magic to conjure another bed for them to use. Being the same room was one thing, but having to share the bed was another matter.
Dusk was worried that the Applejack and Rarity are likely to continue their bickering rather get a good night sleep. He imagined the two mares fighting for control cover the blanket and kicking each other in their sleep.
‘I hope they don’t cause too much trouble for Twilight...’ He thought with his eyes closed as he tried to get to sleep as he heard the sounds of lightning from outside.
Just as he was about to doze off however, he heard a loud crash from within the library. It startled him to the point he abruptly rolled off his bed and onto the ground.
From where the noise originated, Dusk quickly realized where it came from.
“Oh you got to be kidding me?!”
He cried out as he rushed out of his room and went to see if Applejack and Rarity were at it again. Now at the breaking point, he is going to get the tow reconcile even if he gets hurt in the process.
“Girls! What is going on...”
Upon reaching Twilight’s room and opening the door, he was speechless to see the top of a tree sticking through the window. He then notices Applejack dangling in the air as she bit on a rope that was lassoed to that same tree.
“What did you do Applejack?!” Dusk exclaimed just as the farm pony let go of the rope and landed on the floor.
“Well... I was uh.... making sure this tree branch doesn’t fall on anypony outside...” She nervously answered as the stallion quickly went up to check on Rarity and Twilight.
“You are okay?” He first asked Rarity, who was using a book as a meager shade from the rain and wind that was coming through the window.
“I’m alright, thank you.” Rarity replied before turning her attention to the pony responsible for the mess.
“I tried to tell you it would come crashing down in here.”
“Well, you shoulda tried harder.”
Applejack talked back as she climbed up the broken tree. Moments later, Twilight popped her head out of the portion of the tree that covered her bed.
“Twilight, are you alright?” Dusk asked as he checked on the disorientated unicorn and was relieved to see that she has were no injuries whatsoever.
“Yeah. I guess so.”
“I'm mighty sorry, Twilight.”
Applejack apologized for what she done, but it didn’t make the unicorn feel any better by the slightest.
“It's... Well, it's not okay. There's a giant tree branch in the middle of my bedroom, and the book doesn't say anything about having a giant tree branch at your slumber party. Or at least I haven't found that entry yet.”
‘You got to be kidding me.’
Dusk facehoofed on the fact that Twilight would rather look for the solution in her book for than use her magic to move the tree out of the library.
“What in tarnation are y'all doin' over there?”
Applejack called out to Rarity, who was still cleaning up the mess on the floor.
“Cleaning up this mess somepony made. Who was that again? Oh, right, that's you.”
“Twilight, now is not the time to read that. Use your magic!” Dusk tried to get the unicorn to help, but she remains focused on finding an entry regrading a tree branches in a slumber party book.
“Baking... BFFs... Brothers... There's nothing in here about branches.”
Dusk was beginning to feel frustrated at how things were going this night; from Applejack and Rarity fighting with each other to a tree lodged through the window.
“Dusk, help me out here!” Applejack called for his help as she struggled in vain to move the tree out of the library.
Even though he knew how daunting such as task would be, the stallion nevertheless did what he can to help
As he feared however, he and Applejack made no progress in getting the tree out of Twilights’ room. No matter how much they shove, kick and even jump on the tree it didn’t budge one bit.
“Rarity, for pony's sake, stop sweatin' the small stuff and help us get rid of this thing!”
Applejack exclaimed to Rarity to get her attention, but the latter remained focused on cleaning the debris around her.
“I said hussle over here and help...!”
“Alright, that is enough!” Dusk yelled, which easily caught the attention of both Applejack and Rarity. “I don’t what happen between you two today, but this has to stop now. The two of you are better than this.”
“But...” The two mares tried to speak, but the stallion refuse to back down.
“No! You are going to hear me out.” Dusk took a deep breath before he continued on.
“I know you have your differences, but you two are friends. One of the greatest challenges of being friends to accept and even appreciate those differences, no matter how troublesome they may be. If you are going to continue bickering with each other, then we will never get this tree out of the room.”
Applejack and Rarity didn’t say a word as they took in everything that Dusk said. For stallion however, he kept his gaze on the two mares and hope they make the right choice in the end.
His hopes were realized when Applejack finally spoke.
“Rarity, I'm sorry, all right?”
“What was that?”
Rarity was taken back to hear such words as the farm pony continued on.
“I said I'm sorry! I shoulda listened to you when you noticed where this here branch would end up.” Applejack apologized sincerely. “Your annoyin' attention to detail would'a saved us from this whole mess. But right now, you need to stop bein' so dang fussy pickin' up all the little things and help us move the one big thing in here that actually matters! Please!”
“Uh...” Rarity looked upon the leaves and the puddle of rainwater around her. “Uh, but I'll get all icky...”
“Rarity, listen to me!” Dusk said. “Moving a tree like this is hard work and it is natural to get dirty in the process. Sometimes, you must make such compromises to achieve your goals.”
“He is right.” Applejack agreed. “Not only that, me and Dusk can’t fix this mess ourselves, which I made. We... No, I need your help.”
“Oh...” This time, Rarity was really taken back by Applejack’s plea. Before long, she took off the book on her head and made a determined face.
She too has taken in Dusk’s words.
“Let's do this.”
“Well, the book does have a section about backyard slumber parties.” Twilight however wasn’t paying attention to what Dusk manage to accomplish. “Is that what we're doing right now? Does this count as camping?”
“Oh, come on Twilight.” Dusk muttered to himself as watched both Applejack and Rarity working together to get rid of the broken tree.
The latter with some difficulty, used her magic to convert the majority of the tree into multiple smaller sculptures. The only thing remaining was a part of the trunk, which the former chose to grab it with her mouth and gently toss it out the window.
As Applejack closed the window, Rarity looked at her self and saw how muddy she was.
“Ugh. Oh, I look awful.”
The farm pony was thoughtful for a few moments before an idea appeared in her head. She approached the unicorn and placed cucumbers over her eyes.
“Better?” Applejack asked.
“Hmph, thanks.” Rarity appreciated the gesture and soon, the two mares gave each other a hug.
After all what happened between them tonight, they were able to set aside their differences and their friendship returned back to normal.
Very soon, the two thanked Dusk for his effort in reconciling them, which the stallion only rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish smile.
“Oh, pretty! Where did these come from?” Twilight inspected the small sculptures that Rarity made before looking at her book again. “They're not in the book either.”
Dusk merely sighed at Twilight, but with a smile. Seeing Applejack and Rarity reconciling relieved him of his frustrations from watching their prior antics.
After cleaning the room, the three mares decided to restart their slumber party. This time, Applejack and Rarity were enthusiastic in having fun than fighting with each other. Even Dusk showed some enthusiasm in joining in the party.
To start out with, they played a guessing game, which Dusk, Applejack and Rarity had a lot of trouble since they used 19 out of their 20 questions in trying to guess what Twilight was thinking.
When Applejack and Rarity combined their respective questions into one, Twilight was so happy to seeing her friends get along that she let the two win the game.
“I declare my first slumber party a success!” Twilight cheered and was quickly joined in by the other two mares.
Dusk only a happy smile at seeing everything returning to the way it is.
If there is a bonus to his happy occasion, it is that a Number didn’t appear in the library and caused trouble.