//------------------------------// // Sleepover 101 // Story: Just Another Average Tuesday // by Flamesinger599 //------------------------------// A/N: Just wanted to give a shout-out to a few people. CORPORAL-CLEGG, DeadLight63, American-agent12, The Red Blade, Apollyon602, TV addict, Nevin Slate, munomana, VortexTalon, Radical Prescott, Violet Droplet, Magical Trevor, and all the other dedicated readers on FanFiction and FIMFiction! Thank you ALL, you have been a big help! Now on with the story! For once, I wasn't woken up by either the sun or Manty. I got a good hard night's sleep, and woke up only when I was fully recharged. Which happened to be at around eleven-thirty. Okay... fourteen hours of sleep... time to get up... I opened my eyes, blinking as they adjusted to the light. My vision was slightly bleary, but I could still make out the general area, as well as what seemed to be a random pink blob that was moving up and down in the center of the clearing. Strange. Maybe I should check that out later. “Wakey-wakey sleepyhead!” Mystery solved. I rolled over. “Gimme a second Pinkie, I just need a few more... Wait. “Pinkie Pie!?!” I immediately sat up and rubbed my eyes, sharpening everything around me into clear focus. Sure enough, the pink blob materialized into none other then Pinkie Pie, doing her trademark bounce and wearing that malicious grin of hers. “Wha... how... when... who...” One of my eyes twitched. “How did you get here!?!” “Silly, I just followed the way you went when we saw Manty! Did I ever tell you I have a supersupersuper good memory?” She paused and put a hoof to her chin. “At least, I think I do. I dunno! I haven't really tested it! What I DO know is that I was able to follow the path you led us through yesterday, so that must mean I have some kind of psychic powers! Maybe, path-a-way-nosis?” She looked at me seriously. “What do you think?” “I... um... sure?” “Great! Oh, I just remembered, Twilight wanted to talk to you! Something about another idea she's had! I don't know what it is, I just heard her talking about it and I thought *GASP* I should totally lend a helping hoof and tell you!” “Oh... well... uh...okay, excuse me for a moment.” I did a quick one-eighty and quickly organized my thoughts, shoving all the ones labeled 'WTF!?!' into the trash can and instead pulling up all the ones labeled 'Social Skills' and opening them for immediate use. I turned around again. “There, that's better. So, Twilight wants to see me?” She nodded enthusiastically. “Yep!” “Cool. Don't know how you remembered the whole way here, but y'know, as long as I don't get ponies knocking on my imaginary door five times a day, whateeeeeeveeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrr...” I had just realized something. Something very, very, very, important. I wasn't standing on four legs. My disguise wasn't active. I did a quick check to make sure I was right. Yeah, blue scales, bipedal, fingers and claws. No doubt about it, I was a dragon. I looked up at Pinkie Pie. “I can explain?” She cocked her head. “Explain what?” “Well...” I gestured at myself in general. “... all of this.” “You just gestured at yourself.” “No, I mean the fact that I'm a dragon.” “Oh! I already know that!” “Yeah.” I rubbed my forehead. “Yeah, that's kinda the point.” “So what's the problem?” “First of all, I'm hungry.” I reached for my bag, pulled out a few gems and munched on them. “There, that's better. Now second of all, why aren't you scared? Where's all the screaming, the hollering, 'get away from my friends', 'you're a monster', y'know, all that good stuff that Rarity and Rainbow did when they found out I was a dragon?” Now she looked even more confused. “You're comparing me to Rarity? Are you loco in the coco or something?” “No, its just...” I sighed. “... you're handling this very calmly. And I'm cool with that and all, but... why?” “Weeellll... Dashie told me about how you fixed things up between Rarity and Spike, not to mention you both loved my party and have been nice to everypony since you got here! Twilight, Dashie, Rarity, Applejack, even Fluttershy all like you, so so do I! You're not a bad dragon, why should I be afraid?” “No reason, just... y'know, forget it. I don't feel like questioning reality right now.” I got up and stretched. “Manty, you up?” Pinkie giggled. “He left hours ago. You really are a late sleeper!” “Just because I get up three hours after everybody else, people call me that. I don't know why.” She looked serious for a moment. “One of the great mysteries of the universe.” Then she broke into more giggles and started bouncing out of the clearing. “See ya later Flamey! I gotta get back to Sugar Cube Corner! My lunch break's almost over!” I watched her leave. As she disappeared into the trees, I was encased once again in the black smokey cocoon of chaos magic that was my species' changing room. “Lunch break... huh...” I spread my small pegasus wings and launched into the sky to do some exercises. “... maybe I do sleep too late...” wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww “Twilight, are you sure this is a good idea?” “For the hundredth time, yes! Not only is this the perfect opportunity for the rest of the girls to really get to know Flame before they find out what he is, it also lets the rest of my friends experience what you and Applejack already have!” “Yes... and we know how well that turned out...” Twilight, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash were all gathered in the reading room of the library, sipping some mid-day coffee and discussing Twilight's latest idea. Or at least, Rarity and Twilight were. Rainbow Dash was more there for the free coffee. Twilight gave Rarity a stern look. “I'm trusting you and Applejack not to argue this time. I think you've worked out your differences by now.” “No no, we have. I'm just wondering how the whole thing will proceed with our dear Flamesinger there.” “Okay, for those of us that may have been preoccupied with their coffee up until this point, what are we talking about?” Twilight sighed. She really needed to work on Dash's attention span. “We're discussing the idea of a slumber party with all six of us and Flame.” “Count me in, sounds awesome.” She finished off the last of her coffee. “Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta go to work.” “It's Saturday.” “Is it?” She glanced at the calendar. “Oh. Nice. In that case, I gotta go take a nap.” In a multicolored flash, she was out the door before either of the other ponies could say a word. Now it was Rarity's turn to sigh. “ Well, I can see she's open to it.” “Rainbow was never one for planning, and we know that. The only reason I told her to come here in the first place was because she is the only one, besides Spike and us, who knows who Flame really is. I didn't actually expect her to DO anything. Now where's Pinkie Pie? I need her to hand out invitations if we're really going to-” “Hey Twilight!” “GAH!!!” Twilight jerked her head backward and dropped her coffee, spilling it all over the floor. Rarity just calmly sat there, sipping her mug and raising an eyebrow at the purple unicorn. “Twilight, you really must do something about those nerves of yours. They aren't good for you.” “Pinkie Pie!?! How did you get in?!” “Silly, I used the door!” The party pony pointed towards the only way of entrance in the room, which was clearly open. “What else?” “I... I just... oh, never mind. Pinkie, how would you feel about a slumber party with all six of us and Flame?” Pinkie's eyes widened. “Oh, that would be GREAT! I'll bring balloons and games and cupcakes and cookies and-” Twi silenced her. “Relax Pinkie, you don’t have to do anything. I'll set it all up, you just need to get the word out to Applejack and Fluttershy.” “Okey-dokey-lokie!” “But who's going to inform dear Flamesinger of our plans?” “Don't worry about that! He should be arriving at the library soon!” Twilight would have been surprised, except this was Pinkie Pie we were talking about. End of story. “How can you be sure, Pinkie?” “I told him to!” She started back towards the door, then suddenly remembered something and zoomed back. “Oh, and I am officially claiming him as one of the BEST dragons I've ever met!” Everypony sat in shocked silence as Pinkie happily left the building, completely unaware of the brain damage her last sentence had just caused. Twilight shook her head slowly. That had surprised her. She looked forlornly at the empty mug lying on the floor, right next to a big brown stain where the coffee had spilled. “Spike!” “Yeah?” he called from the kitchen. “I think I'm gonna need more coffee...” wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww After my short exercise period (i.e. fly about randomly for ten seconds. 'Kay, I'm good), I headed out towards the library. I was more awake this time around, so instead of flying slow, I decided to see just how fast these pegasi wings could go. Apparently not that fast. Flying at max speed, it took me about, meh, ten minutes to get from the edge of the Everfree to the library. It wouldn't have taken that long, except that the world seemed intent on putting obstacles in my way (I don't remember that house being there), and it was slightly cold out (What? It makes a difference). Well at least there's no one throwing their alarm clock out the window today- OW!!! Dammit man, WATCH WHERE YOU'RE CHUCKIN' THOSE THINGS!!! I gave the alarm-clock-throwing-guy a severe telling-off (How does the fact that it's Saturday have anything to do with this?!), after which he promised to watch where he was tossing his bedside tormenter in the future. To make a point, I picked up the offending machine (Vintage 1989 Clock Radio. Nice.) and brutally smashed it against a nearby tree. Though honestly, I think that just made him happier. That, and creep out everyone around me. Rubbing the bump on my head (Fricking OUCH.) I knocked on the library door, which was opened by a significantly more awake looking Spike. “Hey Spike. You look better.” “I feel better.” “Cool. Where's Twi? Pinkie said she wanted to talk to me.” “In the reading room with Rarity. You want some coffee?” “Nah, can't stand the stuff.” “Neither can I.” I entered the reading room to find Rarity, looking extremely proper as always, delicately sipping her coffee, and Twilight, looking the opposite and gulping down her coffee like there was no tomorrow. I approached. “Listen, Twi, I enjoy caffeine as much as the next male, but seriously? It's like, noon.” No, I did not just contradict myself. I said caffeine, not coffee. Those are two different things. “Hey Flame. I just had a little run-in with Pinkie Pie today.” She set down her mug and composed herself. “So is it true she knows you're a dragon now?” “Yep. And I must say, I think the two of you could take some pointers from her. Hint hint and all that.” She sighed. “Yes, I suppose we could. But that's not why I wanted to talk to you. I was wondering if you would like to come to a slumber party with me and me friends tonight.” “A slumber party? Hmmmm...” I pretended to think. “Here, at the library?” “Yep.” “With the six of you girls?” “Uh-huh.” Yeah, that doesn't sound extremely creepy or anything. “Will Spike be there?” “Of course. We wouldn't want you to be bored now would we?” “Hmmm...” I looked at them suspiciously. “You girls aren't planning to jump me or anything, are you?” “What!?!” They both blushed. “No! W-We... No!” “Just checking. 'Kay, I'll be there. What time?” “Seven.” “Got it.” When I left, they were both still blushing furiously. Huh. Maybe I should have told them I wasn't serious... wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I would tell you about the rest of my afternoon, except that absolutely NOTHING happened. Just kidding. Actually, I finally got around to teleporting. That is to say, attempting to teleport. Manty served as my assistant guy-who-sits-there-and-laughs-at-you, though he did much better at the second job then the first one. Teleporting was... harder... then I expected. The trick was you had to stay focused on the point you wanted to appear at. And I mean really focused. Like you couldn't think of anything else until the spell is over, otherwise you ended up in some pretty random places. Now, knowing me, this was a bit difficult. I get distracted at the drop of a hat and trying to clear my mind almost never works. This led to many instances of me appearing in places I didn't want to be, such as, oh, I dunno, 5000 feet up in the air. I had been focusing (trying to anyway) and Rainbow Dash suddenly popped into my mind right when I released my magic. Maybe the chaos magic associated her with flying, whatever. All I know is after the usual dark flash, I was way higher above the Everfree then I was supposed to be. I'm just glad I had wings, otherwise I would be lacking a face right now. Manty, of course, did what was expected and laughed his ass off. Some other places I ended up in: a tree (DID not feel good), some random cave in the middle of nowhere (reminds me of when I play Minecraft), and the Ponyville library (Hi Twi. Bye Twi). On all three instances, I was able to either teleport back immediately or enlist my friends' help (yeah Tienn, I apologize for the big hole in your precious tree that's shaped like me), so none of them were life-threatening. Though Tienn did threaten me with death-by-heavy-stick if I ruined another one of her trees. “You're the spirit of the forest and all that! It can't be that hard to fix!” -No, it really isn't. I just feel like hitting something.- “Then hit Manty.” -Manty isn't as annoying as you.- “See there? I have the Everfree spirit on my side. That means I win.” “Shut it Manty.” Long story short, I suck at teleporting. Joy. As it neared seven o'clock, I began to prepare for my night of fun, games, and more than likely embarrassment. And by that, I mean I talked with Manty because I was bored. “So, got any good advice for this slumber party thing?” “Incapacitate everyone, and take their money.” “No, I meant advice that I can actually use without becoming a wanted thief.” “Oh. In that case, I got nothin'.” “Your advice sucks.” “Says the guy who just jumps into everything without a plan.” “I do that because it works.” “My advice works. You just choose not to follow it.” “Yeah, because I'm actually concerned about little things like life.” “Life is overrated.” “Tell me about it.” At quarter to seven, I set out for the library. After a quick ten minute flight, I was knocking on the door and let inside. What I met can only be described as a mad Twilight. “Hey Twi.” “May I ask WHAT you were doing flashing in and out of the room like that!?!” “I tried teleporting, didn't really work. Chill, okay? It won't happen again.” “It better not, and I mean it.” “Yeah yeah yeah, I got ya. I'll just wait for the rest of the gang then.” Come seven o'clock, and we were joined by Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash. Twilight spread out some pillows for us all to sit on, and once everyone had gathered, she addressed the crowd. “Now, I would personally like to welcome everypony to my very first all-friends slumber party! I've already had one with Applejack and Rarity, but since that one didn't go so well, I decided to do another one! And we'll be doing it all according to this!” She pulled out a book and showed it to me, Pinks, Flutters, and Dashie. Spike peeked over my shoulder and read the title aloud. “Slumber Party 101: Everything you've ever wanted to know about slumber parties but were afraid to ask.” “A how-to guide? For slumber parties?” I looked at Applejack and Rarity. “...is she serious?” They both nodded. I face-hoofed and shook my head. “Twi Twi Twi Twi Twi...” She didn't seem to hear me. “It's a fantastic reference guide, you should see the table of contents! I used it with Applejack and Rarity and it worked great!” I turned to Spike. “Really?” “What can I say? She loves her books.” “Yeah. Yeah, I can see that.” “Just try and roll with it, okay?” “No no, it's cool. Just... fricking weird.” Twi was already flipping through the book. “We'll run the same thing we did last time, that one worked well! And that means the first item on the list is...” It better not be makeovers. “… makeovers!” “I am outta here.” “Nononowait!” She looked slightly embarrassed. “Maybe we can... skip that one?” She was using her eyes to send me a constant message: Pleasedon'tleavepleasedon'tleavepleasedon'tleave! I sighed. “Nah, you girls go ahead. Yo Spike, you gotta deck of cards around here?” “Yeah, why?” “I am going to show you how to play poker.” Twilight looked a little put off by this (U mad bro?), but she let it go. So while the girls were putting mud masks on each other and having curls in their hair (beats me how they enjoy that stuff, but whatever), I was in the corner trying to explain the concept of poker to Spike (which was kind of like someone trying to explain to me the concept of Scrabble. Lots of blank stares). As we started our first game, Rainbow came over. “Hey guys, can I play too? Or is this a 'guys only' thing?” I looked up. “Did I hear right? Does the great Rainbow Dash wish to join our little game? What, afraid of getting a little mud on your face?” She plopped herself down. “If that's a different way of saying 'I hate makeovers', yeah.” “Good enough, I'll deal you in.” Dashie was a big help, as she actually knew how to play poker and was able to give Spike a few pointers. It pretty much devolved into a Dash-and-Spike vs. me, which resulted in me losing. A lot. The rest of the girls finally finished with their makeovers, which promptly disappeared in a flash of Twilight's magic. Me, Dash and Spike came over just as Twi was about to announce the next event. “Sooooooo... you guys give each other makeovers... which take about thirty minutes... you then take them away... leaving absolutely no discernible difference in your features?” Twi gave me a weird look. “What's your point?” “Nothin'. So what's next?” “Well, as I was about to say, next up is...” She double-checked the book. “... ghost stories!” “Now this one I understand.” I took a seat on one of the pillows. “Gimme your best shot.” Of all ponies, Rarity was the one who volunteered to go first. She dimmed the lights (cliché), gathered all of us in the center of the room where we couldn't see anything but each other (amateur), then started speaking in this low, creepy voice (HOLY SHIT!!!). She began to tell the ultra-terrifying story of 'The Wolf-Pony', which, to those of you that have been living under a rock for the past fifty years, was basically a ponyized version of the wolf-man. No offense to Rarity or anything, but the story honestly was not that scary. Or maybe I'm just tough. Nah, it really wasn't that scary. However, it should be noted that I was the only one of this mindset. Translation? Everyone else, including Rainbow, was scared. Fricking. Shit-less. Now, you know how at all-girl slumber parties, if the girls are scared, they'll usually cling to someone? Like one of their best friends or something? Well if there's one guy (ONE guy) in the room, all of the girls will cling to him. Especially if he's the only one that isn't scared. Don't ask me why. Is it sexist? Yes it is. Also rather annoying as hell. Don't tell Spike that though. So let's do a recap, shall we? I'm sitting there, with five terrified girls clinging to me, and Rarity telling this not-so-scary story in a creepy voice with the lights turned off. Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwkwaaaaaaaaaaard. Spike was scared too. But one, he wasn't clinging to me and two, he was still sane enough to notice my position (Me, being hugged by five girls, with a huge grin on my face). He leaned over and whispered to me. “You think you're so cool.” “I do, actually.” For extra effect, I put my forelegs around the two closest ponies, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, and whispered: “Don't worry, it'll be alright.” They both clung to me even tighter. After a few more minutes, Rarity had finished. She then noticed how all the girls were clinging to me looking terrified, and I was happily sitting there hugging two of them. “You can keep on going y'know. I'm fine.” She rolled her eyes. “I can tell.” With a flash from her horn, the lights came back on, which immediately snapped the rest of the girls out of their trance. They all blushed and quickly retreated back to their own respective pillows. Fluttershy looked as though she were about to curl up and die. I decided to break the mood. “Well, that was fun! What's next?” Smooth, Flame. Real smooth. Twilight's blush deepened and she quickly focused on the book. “W-Well, the next item on the list is s'mores.” “S'mores?” Wait, what? “Don't you need a fire to do that?” “Yes, but I have a fireplace we can use.” “A fireplace? Inside a tree? Y'know Twi, the last time I checked, trees were made out of wood. Now I may not be the smartest guy in the world, but doesn't wood burn? I remember reading that somewhere.” She laughed, which was enough to bring her out of her embarrassed state. “It isn't a problem when you have a magically protected fireproof house like I do.” “Ah yes, magic. Shoulda figured.” Fun fact: S'mores (or any other kind of concentrated sugar) are a great way to break the ice among your pals. Twi led us to an adjacent room, which did indeed have a fireplace with a roaring fire going in it (Who just leaves a fire going!?!). Spike, being the assistant (as in the guy who knows where shit is), broke out the sticks and marshmallows, and soon everyone was happily chatting away while roasting them. There was, however, some difference in opinion over how the roasting should commence. “See, you have to carefully turn the marshmallow so that each side receives an equal amount of heat, no too much and not too little.” Rarity was educating Fluttershy in the art of marshmallowing. “...Leave it there... turn it... turn it... and... done! There we have it. Perfect!” I decided to add in my two cents. “Meh, I just do it like this.” I thrust my marshmallow into the fire, where it promptly burst into flames. I pulled it out and let it burn for a few more seconds, then blew it out. What was left only vaguely resembled a marshmallow. More like a chunk of coal. “Eww!” Rarity backed away. “You're not really going to eat that, are you?” “Now I know it doesn't look the best, but it's good! Trust me!” I pulled it off the stick, stuck it in my mouth and chewed it. “...okay, maybe not that good, but still. It's not bad.” “Yeah.” Spike chuckled. “Sure.” “I'm serious. Try one!” “No.” “Suit yourself.” As soon as their backs were turned, I spat the marshmallow into the garbage and smacked my lips, trying to get the taste out of my mouth. Y'know, I remember those tasting a lot better. Damn you pony taste-buds! So yeah, s'mores were fun. Mostly because when you didn't burn them, they tasted great. All sugary and chocolatey and stuff. The next event though, I was... less enthusiastic about. “So Twi, what's next?” Rainbow asked, finishing off her last s'more. Pinkie, who had somehow managed to cram one hundred and thirty-seven s'mores into her mouth, swallowed them all whole and looked to Twilight as well. Note to self: do not mess with Pinkie Pie. “Well...” Twi skimmed the book. “... next on the list is Truth or Dare!” Aw crap. “Yeah!” Apparently Dash (as well as everyone else in the room) was in whole-hearted agreement of this idea. “Finally!” I stepped forward. “Now, no offense meant to you Twilight, or anypony else in this room, which includes Spike, but to this I'm gonna have to say... HELL. FRICKING. NO” Everyone was silent. “Sorry and all that, but there is NO way I'm playing that game. Shit always happens.” “Awwwww.” Pinkie Pie started giving me puppy dog eyes. “Please play!?!” “Yeah, c'mon Flame!” Now Rainbow was in on it too. “It'll be no fun without you!” “I'll bet.” They both blushed, but continued begging. Rarity looked quite affronted by my use of language (Seriously? Get a life already), Spike was nodding like he understood, Twi was leafing though the book ('How to get Guys to Play Truth or Dare with You: Ten Easy Tips'), Fluttershy wasn't saying anything, and Applejack- Crap. Now Applejack was begging too. Must... look... away... from those eyes... “Well...” Twi said eventually, looking up from the book. “...we shouldn't really make him play if he doesn't want too...” Yeah, tell that to the three mares giving my puppy dog eyes. Ugggghh... okay, y'know what? Screw it. SCREW IT! Fine, I'll play! “No...” I sighed and turned around. “No... I'll play... if I don't, Rainbow'll kill me...” “Yaayyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!” Rainbow suddenly shut her mouth and looked around to see everyone staring at her. “I mean, uh, yeah! You bet I will!” “Are you sure?” Twi asked me. “No, but let's do it anyway. This is a party, right? Personal safety goes out the window.” I settled down on my pillow and stretched my forelegs. “'Kay, I'm good. Let's do this.” The pillows were gathered into a circle, and the game of Truth or Dare commenced. This is going to go badly. “So who wants to go first?” “Me!” Applejack was the first to raise her hoof. She then pointed it at me. “Flame, truth or dare?” I'm screwed. “Truth.” “Okay then” She grinned. Uh-oh. “Name y'all of us you've got ah crush on.” Oh, starting with the good stuff, are we? Very well then, challenge accepted. “Okay.” I surveyed the room. “Everypony here except Spike.” They looked taken aback. “All of us?!” “Yep. You girls have got to be the cutest bunch of mares I've ever seen” PLEASE let 'cute' be a compliment... It was, as every female in the room blushed and tried to hide her face behind something. I grinned. “Now then, since I've successfully diverted the embarrassment from me to you, I do believe it is my turn. Applejack! Truth or dare?” She had some difficulty regaining her voice. “T-Truth.” “Excellent! Do you, or do you not have a sexual fantasy involving moi?” Now she looked about ready to die. “D-d Ah h-have ta answer that one?” “Yeah. Plus, I want to know too.” Dash chimed in. Damn, Dash, you are evil. She cringed, then said in a small voice. “...y-yep...” “Knew it! Called it! 'Kay, it's your turn now.” Dash was on the receiving end of the next one. She choose truth (copycat), which proved to be a big mistake. “Are yah a filly-fooler?” At least, I think it was a mistake. What's a filly-fooler? Judging by Dash's expression, it was bad. Very, very bad. “Ahem, could somepony enlighten me as to what that is?” “A mare that likes other mares.” explained Twilight. “Also known as a lesbian.” “Oh.” I looked around. “... is that a bad thing here?” “No, it's just embarrassing to admit.” “Ah.” I joined the rest of them in staring at Dash, who had began to sweat. “W-Well... n-not really...” “Not really? Is that even possible?” “N-No... it's j-just...” God, this game turns everyone into Fluttershy! “... C-C-Can I pass?” “Nope. I want to know too.” She glared at everyone gathered. “I really don't feel comfortable talking about this.” Fluttershy immediately wilted. “Well if you don't want to answer, that's okay...” “Hey, whoa whoa whoa, didn't we just confirm that being a lesbian isn't a bad thing?” There were murmurs of agreement all around. “Good, that's settled. Now Dashie, I promise nopony will laugh at you if you admit you're a lesbian, which you kind of already have.” “Have not!” “Hey hey, calm down sugarcube.” Applejack soothed. “We just wanna know the truth.” “Well you're not getting it!” “Will bribes work?” She looked at me, confused. “What?” “Y'know, bribes. Money, power, stuff like that-” “NO! I WON'T TELL ANY OF YOU!!!” She flew about five feet above us to accent her point. I cringed. “Okay okay, fine. You don't have to tell us.” Again, her attention was drawn to me. I could see her eyes were slightly wet.“... Really?” “If you feel that strongly about it, no.” The rest of the six silently agreed. When Dash looked at them, they made sure to put on a guilty-looking face. “AGH!” She flew even higher, her wet eyes turning into tears. “FINE! I'm a filly-fooler! I go both ways! I have my whole life! HAPPY!?!” There was silence for the second time that night. “... no...” Fluttershy murmured quietly. “Everypony!” Pinkie announced. “Rainbow needs a hug!” This prompted Twilight to use her magic to pull Rainbow to the ground, who was then beset by a huge group hug from everyone present. “W-What? So... none of you have a problem with me being a filly-fooler?” “Silly filly, you're our friend! Of course we don't care!” “Yeah, what Pinks said.” “Ah'm awfully sorry, Rainbow. Ah didn't know ya felt that strongly about it.” “My dear Rainbow Dash, I should think you would know me well enough by now to know that I don't judge ponies for how they live.” Rarity smiled. “I judge them on how they look!” “Oh Dash, please don't cry... it's okay...” Yeah, that was Fluttershy. I think I liked Twi's statement best though. “I could never hate you Dash. Not now, not ever.” Dash looked at all of us. She had stopped crying. “T-Thanks you guys. That... means a lot.” … Okay, this emotional stuff is getting boring. “So Twi, what’s next?” “Next is...” She checked the book and grinned. “... pillow fight!” “Sweet!” I grabbed my pillow, yelled “FREE-FOR-ALL!!!” and unceremoniously smacked Spike’s head. The next ten minutes can only be described as pure awesomeness. Everyone went nuts. Spike immediately snatched up his own pillow and engaged me in a one-one duel. Dash began to get her revenge against Applejack for that truth or dare thing, Fluttershy hid (no surprise there), Twilight was being utterly destroyed by Pinkie Pie, and Rarity tried to distance herself as much as she could from the fighting. I managed to beat Spike enough that he surrendered. “HA! YOU PUNY FOOLS ARE NO MATCH FOR THE KING OF PILLOW FIGH-“ I received two pillows to the face by Applejack and Rainbow. “Rainbow, Ah think this colt’s getting’ a little too cocky. What do ya say?” “I say we put him in his place!” I backed up very fast. “Hey girls… how’s it goin…?” “GET ‘EM!” I soon found myself the subject of a pillow beat-down. “Y’know, can we call a truce or something?” “Shut up and take it like a stallion!” “Spike? Little help here?” Spike came to my rescue, giving Dash a full blow to the face and distracting Applejack from her intended target (me). Even though he was little, that dude was hell a fast. Once I was up, me and him dispatched Applejack, who backed up to where Dash had recovered and called to the rest of the girls. “Hey y’all! How do ya feel about a little gang-up? Mares versus stallions!” The girls stopped fighting/hiding/staying out of the way and surrounded us rather quickly. “Aw c’mon. That’s just not fair.” Dash winked. “Who said anything about being fair?” “Woo-hoo!” Pinkie was jumping up and down. “We get to beat down on colts!” “Twilight…” Spike tried playing the sad face game. “… you wouldn’t really turn against your number one assistant, would you?” “Normally no, but tonight I have absolutely no problem with it!” “I’m not really one for fighting, I’m more into fashion, but I believe I can allow myself this bit of fun.” “Go Spike!” I stepped forward. “I’ll hold them off!” “Really? Okay!” He happily back away, leaving me alone.”I can do that.” Shit. That probably wasn’t the best idea. Maybe I- “CHARGE!!!” Now, being beat down by two mares is one thing, but SIX is another thing entirely. I managed to hit Twi once in the face before I went down. Actually, they were really soft pillows, so it didn’t really feel uncomfortable. More like a massage. And it went on for about five minutes. When they were done, they just left the pillows on me and collapsed, laughing. Spike walked up and tapped the side of my little pillow enclosure. “Hey Flame, you okay in there?” “Yeah, I’m fine. Y’know, it’s actually kind of nice in here. All soft and everything.” “Sorry mister.” Twi used her magic to lift all the pillows off me at once. “But it’s bedtime now.” “Oh really? What time is it?” She checked the clock. “Eleven-thirty.” “Oh. Didn't realize it was that late. Okay, so where am I sleeping?” “I've got sleeping bags.” “Cool. Where are they?” Twilight got out eight sleeping bags and handed them out. As soon as I got mine, I flew to the top of one of the bookshelves and laid it out. “I'm calling up here!” Spike laughed. “You're about nine feet off the ground. You sure you want to be up there?” “Yep. I see all and know all up here.” “Fine. Well I'm taking the ground.” “And you can have fun with that.” I turned back to my bag to see that Dash had set hers up right next to mine. I raised an eyebrow at her. “...Any particular reason you're sleeping right next to me when you could have any one of the other colt-free bookshelves that are left?” “Yep, I want to. Deal with it.” “M'kay.” As we all settled in, Twi used her magic to turn off the lights. “Goodnight everypony!” There was a chorus of “Goodnight Twilight!”. Once everything was pitch black, I heard Dash snuggle up to me from the side. I looked at her again, but she waved me off. Whatever. I wasn't going to complain. I fell asleep to the sound of six ponies and a dragon breathing. -End of Chapter 11- A/N: So, should I have a Dash/Flame ship? I can do it easily, or I could just let it go. You're choice. I 'm fine with either. Leave your answer in the comments below. :)