//------------------------------//
// Mastering the Stairs and Rocking Out 
// Story: When Did This Happen 
// by Natedogg2006 
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Every school has it's rumors, some more extraordinary, some mundane. Canterlot High itself had no less then seven different stories about various hauntings caused by some student or some teacher supposedly going crazy some unknown number of years ago for constantly changing reasons. 
On the more mundane side there were always stories floating around about various things. What teachers talked about in the teachers lounge. Which teachers were secretly dating each other. Exactly what were the sloppy joes really made of. But of them all there was one that everyone figured was true, but no one had ever really taken the time to check out for sure. 
That rumor was that the school had once, many years ago, been an elementary school. There were various reasons why the students thought this might be true, and right now Rainbow Dash was experiencing the most annoying of them. 
The stairs in the school were frustratingly short. Rainbow herself could take them three or four at once and still not feel like she was making any progress. This led to there being way too many flights of stairs for a school that was only three stories tall. And of course Rainbow had to be going all the way up them. The place she was going just had to be all the way up and all the way on the opposite side of the school. 
'This is stupid Rainbow Dash, why are you even doing this. You know whats really going on, you know she was wrong. '
And yet she kept going. Taking step after step, going higher and higher. 
'Stop that. That doesn't mean anything either.'
She came to the last sets of stairs before she reached her desired floor. She stopped and realized how hard she was breathing. Even for an athlete like her those stairs could be draining, especially right after practice. She wiped a little moisture from her forehead and cringed. She then cringed harder at the fact that she had cringed.
For the first time ever she questioned if she was going soft. She didn't usually care what other people thought of her. There were very few people who could get her to change anything about herself and even they had a hard time of it. And yet here she was, fanning herself and trying to make sure she wasn't too sweaty. 
She still had stairs to get up and a long hall to run, and yet she was more concerned with the state of how she got there then just getting there as quickly as possible right now. The most horrible thing about that was that that didn't sound horrible to her. She could slow down a little to do this right.
She growled to herself before deciding to continue. She started taking the stairs just two at a time, and only at a mild jogging pace. It was slow going, and for some reason that was ok. 
So she kept going. Step after step. Higher and higher.


***



Rainbow Dash was absentmindedly strumming away at the strings of her guitar. No sounds came from it as instead of an amplifier the instrument was plugged into a small device that was giving her a readout of what notes she was playing. She tweaked and tightened each cord in turn with little interest. This process was interrupted when the door to the band room swung open. 
Rainbow began looking up in irritation. "Finally!" She exclaimed, ready to start complaining to her friends about how late they were. However when she looked up she found only one figure standing in the door. Rarity stood there with the case containing her keytar slung over her shoulder. This was Friday, Rainbows favorite day of the school week. Not just because it was the last school day of the week, but also because it was band practice day. And she'd been looking forward to it since she'd missed out on it the previous week due to prom preparations. And yet it seemed like she was going to be denied it anyway if Rarity was the only other band mate present. 
She raised her hands in an exaggerated show of frustration. "Where the heck is everyone else?"
"Sorry to say Rainbow dear, but it seems you'll have to take part in the most difficult task imaginable to you." Rainbow quirked an eyebrow at her in question as Rarity closed the door behind her and proceeded over to where her keytar setup was. "Your going to have to wait."
"Wait!? I've already been waiting. What the heck am I waiting on?"
"For the hazmat teams to give the all clear."
Rainbows expression suddenly went to a confusing mixture of understanding and shock. "Oh no, it finally happened?"
"Yes, it would seem that nobody heeded the advice that putting Pinkie Pie and Derpy in the same chemistry class was a very bad idea. That entire section of the school was closed off. I had to go up a floor to get here and you know what that's like."
"Yeah, dang baby stairs. So I'm assuming because AJ, Shy, and Sunset were also in that class that they're gonna be late too?"
"Unfortunately that appears to be the case darling," Rarity said nonchalantly as she unzipped her case and began pulling her instrument out.
"For how long?"
"They were setting up chemical showers when I happened across the scene."
Rainbow suddenly found herself wishing she played the keyboard, if only because it would give her something to slam her head against that would add poignancy to the action. As it stood she could only hang her head in as aggressive a manner as she could while letting out a groan that made Rarity tisk at her.
"Rainbow dear, that is very unbecoming of a lady."
"Would you quit trying to lady me up."
"I really don't think educating you about basic health and hygienic practices can really be called making you a true lady." She gave a slightly wicked smile at her friend. "At least not yet."
Rainbow shot her a scowl back. Rarity had been teasing at Rainbow Dash like this for days now. Tuesday morning Rainbow had seen Rarity pulling her car around to the far side of the school where she had found her new secret spot the day before. She had decided to cut around the back of the school rather then go through the front when she noticed her doing so. It didn't add much to her run, but what it did add was the chance to take credit for introducing Rarity to this method.
This had however led to a minor argument between the two, one Rainbow was proud to say she won. She managed to convince Rarity that she didn't need to take a shower after every athletic activity she did, such as jogging to school. Rainbows argument was mostly that she didn't have that much time in the day to be showering. After all, she was a serious athlete and she spent a lot of her time getting sweaty. Rarity had also said something about that many showers actually being bad for her skin too, somehow, Rainbow hadn't really paid attention, she had mostly just been stoked about winning the argument. 
That argument ended up not mattering in the long run, and Dash was glad that she decided to take the alternate entrance to meet up with Rarity before the rest of their friends again the next day. This was because when she showed up to the gym parking lot she found Rarity already there and seemingly waiting for her while leaning against her car.
When Rainbow Dash approached she found herself catching what she initially thought was a pack of baby wipes. Upon further inspection they were actually some kind of hygienic wipes for women. 'When there's no time for a shower', the label had read, along with way too many fancy terms for her to wrap her head around. 
Rainbow had just given Rarity a look with as much ,'yeah right', in it as she could before lobbing the pack into the open car window next to Rarity. She was then hit in the face with a second pack which she only just managed to catch. This time she had actually vocalized a "really???" As she gave her a look. She stopped as she went to lob the second one into the window as Rarity was already leveling a third at her. "You really don't like taking no for an answer do you?"
"Even less then you darling," was her response, flashing Rainbow a teasing look as she decided to toss the pack to her anyway.
Rainbow grumbled as she shrugged her backpack off to slip them in. "You realize of course you can't make me use them."
"Well I suppose I'll just have to start  policing any offensive odors I encounter from now on. A few sprits of my very girly, very French, very designer perfume should do the trick." Rainbow had some ideas that if she were a guy at that moment then the teasing look Rarity was giving her would probably have left her catatonic. Rainbow had never seen bedroom eyes before, but she figured she had been looking at a good set of them at that moment.
Rainbow sent back a glare that seemed to have all the affect of attempting to break down a fortress wall with hand fulls of sand. "You wouldn't." 
The teasing eyes only grew more intense as Rarity leaned forward and in a sultry tone responded, "you know perfectly well that I would." She then extended her arm and dropped yet another pack of the wipes into Rainbows bag next to the others. 
Rainbow could only groan. "How many of these did you actually buy?"
"Enough," was the only reply as Rarity got into her car to get her own bag and lock it up. "Shall we darling." Rainbow remembered doing her best to hold a groan as long as possible as they entered the school. 
Rainbow had been remembering this with a huff as Rarity approached her after having set her keytar down. She jumped up, placing her guitar between them protectively. "Hey, back off fancy fumes."
"Calm yourself Rainbow dear. I wouldn't waste my perfume unnecessarily," Rarity said dismissively. Then a playful smile came to her face. "How did your algebra class go yesterday by the way?"
Rainbow glared. "That was totally uncalled for. I did not stink that bad yesterday." Rarity did not respond, only leaning forward as if to state her question again. "Ugh. Freaking Soarin told me I smelled nice," Rainbow exclaimed as she set her guitar down so she could throw her hands up in exasperation. 
"Oh, is that so?" Rarity responded, the look she was giving seemed like she was showing more interest then Rainbow thought was necessary. "Did he say anything else perchance?" 
Rainbow screwed her face up, both in disgust and trying to remember. "He also asked something about if I was doing something new with my hair. I don't know, things got drowned out when I punched him in the gut."
"Oh ho. I figured this would happen, but I didn't expect it this quickly."
"Expect what? What are you up to now miss super priss?" Rainbow launched the question at her like throwing knives. It didn't seem to affect Rarity at all. 
"Oh I love the new pet names you keep coming up with for me Rainbow darling. And I am not up to anything in particular, I simply allowed your natural feminine charms to come out. I knew it would start to get you noticed eventually."
"What are you talking about? I'm Rainbow Dash, I get noticed all the time."
"Oh not like that darling." Rarity was fluttering her eyelashes in a very suggestive way as Rainbow watched her.
"....., Are you saying he was flirting with me?" Rainbow remembered the smile Rarity gave her just then filling her with an inexplicable urge to punch her pretty face. She resisted and instead directed that urge elsewhere. "Jeeze, now I wish I punched him really hard," she said while clenching the fist she planned on using. 
"Oh don't be like that Rainbow dear. I find it cute that gentleman is finally making a move. I dare say I've assumed he had an eye on you for some time."
"No freaking body has their eye on me Rarity. That's just crazy."
"It's not crazy darling."
"Yes it is."
"And what would you do if it weren't? What would you do if Soarin were to approach you tomorrow? Perhaps with a large bouquet of white roses?" Once again Rainbow remembered thinking that Rarity seemed way more interested in her answer then Rainbow thought she should.
"You know, not everybody is as obsessed with lovey dovey junk as you. If he did that I'd probably just laugh at him." Rainbow was beginning to get tired of this conversation. She retook her seat and began strumming silently on her guitar once again. 
"That's so cruel Rainbow Dash. You would just disregard his feelings so completely? Whatever reason would you have to not acknowledge his affections?"
Rainbow leveled a guitar pick at the girl who seemed to be going into dramatic lecture mode. "Hey. First of all, you are making a huge jump there. I seriously doubt guys are just gonna start throwing themselves at me just because I smell all frufru. Second of all, he's not my type."
Rarity straightened up in her usual haughty manner to respond. "First of all, it's not just smelling more pleasant then you use to. Just a few days of proper self care and you glow like you never have before. It doesn't take much to realize how much appeal you've been hiding away from the world. Second of all," she suddenly got a smug look as she leaned forward again. "Just what would your type be might I ask?"
"Don't have one." Rainbow said this while looking back down to her tuner and strumming another note. 
"Oh come now Rainbow. You must have thought about it at some point." Rainbow remembered being somewhat impressed by just how quickly Rarity could change gears. She was suddenly pouting, Rainbow presumed to try to annoy some kind of answer out of her. Rainbow was suddenly amused by the fact that Rarity annoyed her much less then she use to. 
"Not really. Not something I really think about."
"Then what is it you think about in place of romance?"
"Being awesome." Rainbow stood up, unplugging her tuner and plugging her guitar into the amp she had been sitting on. "Put it this way. Since no one is as awesome as me, I'm not interested in anyone. Until that changes I'm focusing on other stuff."
"Like what?"
"Like getting some practice in." She switched the amp on and struck a loud power cord. "You ready, because I'm done with this mushy stuff."
Rainbow remembered it seeming like Rarity wanted to protest, but she ended up just rolling her eyes and picking up her keytar. "What are we playing? Until the other girls get here we are somewhat limited."
"Let's just play." She flashed a cocky smile, "try to keep up."
With that Rainbow endeavored to leave the conversation as far behind as possible. What followed was a not so structured series of power cords played rapidly and without much rhyme or reason. She let one linger much longer then necessary, letting it die slowly giving the other girl a chance to join in. 
In defiance of the aggressive rift given to her, Rarity seemed to decide to challenge it with a smooth and gentle melody. As she seemed to be getting into the tune she was making up on the spot she looked up to flash a smug look of defiance to Rainbow. 
Rainbow countered it by cutting in with her much heavier style. Rarity sent Rainbow a glare which she just met with an extended tongue. Rainbow kept playing as she watched the other girl turn the volume up on her instrument. What she played next was much more forceful then her previous attempt, but still nowhere near what Rainbow was hammering out. 
Once again Rainbow tried to drown her out. She was aware her own volume was already dangerously close to breaking school policy, so she just decided to play much faster, not leaving any place for Rarity to jump in.
Rainbow was impressed when Rarity did managed to force her way into the jam. All it took was Rainbow momentarily readjusting her grip and Rarity was in again. Do to how quickly she had had to cut in her pace had picked up considerably, but she was still stubbornly sticking to the melody she had originally started. She didn't stop playing when Rainbow tried playing over her this time.
Rainbows tune was considerably more chaotic, so much so that she didn't notice right away when her beat started matching up with Rarities more and more. Whatever it was turning into at that point was something that sounded good enough that she didn't mind. 
Rainbow noticed her foot start to tap to the beat they were making. She let herself start moving to it more and more as Rarity seemed to be noticing the harmony they had some how managed as well, her melody finally starting to change here and there in a pleasing way to Rainbows ear. 
Rainbow hadn't been sure how long they'd been playing, but despite how much she found herself enjoying it they both seemed to be finding a natural end to the tune. Both girls hit one last note, holding it and letting it die slowly. The room finally became silent. 
"WOOOOOOOO!!!!!"
Rainbow Dash remembered that she definitely did not jump out of surprise. However even if she had it would have been reasonable. That had not come from either of the girls that were previously in the room. That had definitely been a Pinkie Pie brand 'woo'. 
Both girls turned to see their other four friends standing in the door. Rainbow was the first to react. "About dang time. Can we get started with practice for real now?" 
Apple Jack spoke up first. "Yeah, I don't see that happenin' sugarcube." She spread her hands to indicate what she was wearing. Rainbow remembered Rarity suddenly becoming very concerned at that moment. Apple Jack and the rest of them were all wearing the same thing, a sterile white suit just a few steps up from a hospital gown. 
"What in the world did they do to you all?" Rarity proceeded to pull Fluttershy, the closest of the girls to her, in close and turn her in various directions. She did not seem pleased. 
Sunset responded as Fluttershy blushed at the attention. "Whatever it was that Derpy and Pinky made, it at least didn't seem to have any negative affects on human anatomy. It did, however, seem to cling to any and all fabric material in a way that current science doesn't understand. Everyone's clothes were taken as samples and to see if they can find a way to decontaminate them."
Some how Rainbow seemed to predict what happened next. She stepped forward as she noticed Rarity break away from examining the stand-in clothes on Fluttershy and managed to just barely catch the neck of the blouse she was wearing as the fashionista suddenly lunged for the party planner.
"Pinkie how could you!!!" Rainbow figured the thin fabric was not enough to hold her back if what she'd been learning about Rarity was correct, but it seemed she didn't seem to want to cause more clothes related carnage. "This is absolutely the biggest crime against fashion since they made Apple Jack make a dress in home ec."
"Hey," the response came from both Pinkie and Apple Jack, but it was Pinkie that continued. "I was just trying to create ubersugar. Derpy was the one who made it explode."
"Yeah, the first time. Y'all did the other two," Apple Jack replied dryly.
Pinkie's smile was so big it made a squeak. "Oh yeah, that was fun. Wouldn't it be cool if I could make sugar explode any time I wanted?"
"No!!!!!" The response came from all the other girls, especially Rarity who took one more flailing lunge at the obliviously smiling girl.
Rainbow gave the fabric a good tug to yank Rarity back next to her. She grabbed her around her shoulder to hold her in place. "So you're saying you guys aren't going to practice today?"
Sunset answered. "Not a chance. This stuff hangs like sandpaper and in case you were wondering they did take our undies too." Rainbow cringed and tightened her grip as Rarity shot Pinkie a blazing glare. "You two are gonna practice though."
Both girls looked to each other in confusion then back at Sunset. "What ever do you mean darling?"
"That song you two were just doing. I wanna hear you develop it. I think it's our next big hit."
The pair once again looked to each other in confusion. This time Rainbow realized her arm was still around Rarity's shoulder. She dropped it as she replied. "That wasn't really a song, we were just jamming out. I don't even think we could redo it if we tried." She looked over to Rarity who shrugged her shoulders. 
Looking back to the other girls they saw Pinkie already holding out her phone while a video of them started playing. How they hadn't noticed she had her phone or where she was keeping it was a question they both silently decided to never ask. Watching the video together though Rainbow found something out. Rainbow hadn't realized she had closed her eyes half way through the jam session. Apparently Rarity had too. They had both been getting into the music, and both had started moving to it as they played. Rainbow was curious to realize that they had ended up facing each other, just a foot or two apart before the video ended. 
She was also curious to realize that while viewing the video they had both moved in close. Glancing to the side she realized they were almost cheek to cheek. She pulled away with a groan. "So I'm stuck with just Rares today then. Ugh, fine. I just want to play."
"Good." Sunset took Pinkie's phone and began clicking through menus. "But not here. They're closing the school to make sure nothing got in the ventilation system." She made one more click, and a few moments later Rainbow felt her phone buzz the same moment she heard Rarity's play a random pop song. 
"So where the heck are we supposed to go?"


***


"Oh for the love of... Would you stop doing that Rares?"
Although Rainbow Dash's parents were very supportive, her neighbors were not. After dealing with the active girls antics for years it had become extremely easy to get complaints in and around that neighborhood. Thus did Rainbow sit in the only square foot of Rarity's crafts room that the meticulous girl would permit at the time. Granted, this had come about because the first thing Rainbow had done upon entering the room was to plop down on what she thought was a bean bag chair. She was then shouted at for ten minutes about putting Rarity back a week on her crinoline petticoat. Rainbow still wasn't sure what it was, but she'd never forget the name with how high a shreek Rarity had made when she'd heard the crunch. 
Maybe that was why Rarity was being so unreasonable, at least in Rainbows opinion. The fashionista was glaring at her in an obvious gesture that she was giving up no ground at that moment. "I don't see what the problem is Rainbow. It is a genre that is currently under served in our current play list."
"Yeah, there's a very good reason for that though," Rainbow said as she threw down the page of lyrics she'd been examining. "Love songs are soooooooo lame." She stood up and took a step towards the girl to match her glare. "And this is coming out as a duet. There is no way I'm doing a love song with you."
"Oh would you get over yourself. It would be the two of us singing about love, not a love song between us. It's not weird."
"A love song duet, between two straight girls. That alone is weird. But even if it wasn't there's still the fact that love songs are lame."
Rarity turned away with a huff. "Ugh, you are so impossible Rainbow Dash. If something isn't 'cool' as you see it you just can't be open to anything about it."
"What about you? If something isn't 'fancy', or 'chic', you don't want to hear about it either," Rainbow responded using the voice she used to mock Rarity.
"Oh would you quit using that voice. I am very open to new ideas, much more then you. But I am not going to participate in a thinly vailed reskin of Awesome As I Wanna Be just because you want the heavier hand in the lyrics. If you would step out of your comfort zone for two seconds and really listen to the music you would notice it does have some similarities to a love ballad. A very sped up love ballad perhaps, but it's in there."
"Yeah maybe to you", Rainbow said with a growl as she too turned away and went back to her spot. She picked up the lyrics and examined them again, shaking her head. "Seriously, I figured you'd be over all this lovey dovey stuff after what happened with that Hoity-Toity prick."
"Oh please don't bring him up." The tone coming from Rarity was not what Rainbow had anticipated. It sounded almost bored, as opposed to either irritation or anger that she had figured. "I am more then over that whole fiasco."
"Yeah, well these lyrics say something else." She gave Rarity a sly look. "Prove it."
Rarity gave a look that said she very much didn't care for the challenge Rainbow was attempting to start. She nonetheless gave a flick of her hair and began speaking in a very casual tone. "Well, as you know I was recently fortunate enough to have some of my work featured in the gallery of a very influential figure in the fashion world."
"You mean that Fancy Pants guy you wouldn't shut up about a few months back?"
"Quite", Rarity said with a roll of her eyes. "Anyway, I reached out to him a few days ago. I sent him an image of the designs for dear Hoity's tuxedo and asked what a fair asking price for such an ensemble might be in his gallery... After explaining the circumstances of it's creation."
"Ooooooohhhhhhh!"
"Yes, I thought you might be impressed by that." Rainbow was now laughing into her hand and didn't notice the other girl taking out her phone. "You should have seen the look on his face when I presented him with the bill. Infact..."
Rainbow suddenly felt her phone vibrate. She pulled it from her pocket and noticed a message from Rarity. Opening it she saw an image of Hoity Toity, his face frozen in shock and fear. Her laughter was renewed ten fold as she fell from her spot and began rolling on the floor. 
"Yes, I thought you might like that."
"Like it? Rarity I freaking love you right now," Rainbow got out as she managed to sit up, still shaking in mirth. "Oh I am so posting this everywhere!"
"Feel free. It was your victory as much as my own."
"Really? How so?"
"You really don't know how much of an affect you had on me at the prom. I thought about what you said and did the whole weekend. And I think taking part in your little game with dear Apple Jack was the final push I needed." 
"Ah, so the student has become the master." She decided to add to her ninja master voice by randomly flapping her lips a few extra seconds after she finished speaking.
"All your character voices are just terrible Rainbow dear." Rainbow Dash suddenly slapped her hand over her chest as if she was shot. She made a dramatic gagging noise and fell to the ground, playing dead complete with a tongue lulling from her mouth. "And people claim I'm dramatic."
"Can't hear you. I'm dead. You killed me."
Rarity proceeded over to where Rainbow was splayed out. She could remember seeing a sly smirk come to her face while she attempted to keep her act convincing by not focusing on anything. She then saw her turn on her heel and flopped down, right on Rainbows chest. 
Rainbow remembered letting out a deep grunt as the girls weight impacted her ribs. "Ugh, get off."
"Oh I'm sorry dear. I was under the impression you were dead and wouldn't mind." She flashed a challenging smile down to Rainbow. "You may not exactly be Fluttershy, but this is quite a comfy seat," she said while shaking her rear on the athletes meager chest. 
"Oh you are so dead." With how much roughhousing she usually did with Apple Jack it took little effort for her to take control of the situation. Rainbow noticed Rarity make an almost Fluttershy like, very cute squeak as Rainbow slipped out from under her and flipped her over. In seconds Rainbow was twisting Rarity all over the floor.
"Uncle! Uncle! Uncle!!!" Rarity was screaming it almost as soon as Rainbow took control. It still wasn't quick enough to avoid ending in the situation she found herself in. Rainbow had managed to get herself on top of Rarity, legs on either side of her chest, hands pinned above her head. 
Rainbow leaned her face down, bringing it within inches of the already panting girls nose. "What? You wanna dish it out but you can't take it?"
Though she was not in a very dignified position Rarity still tried to seem dignified. "Rainbow, I am a proper lady. A proper lady does not take part in such things."
Rainbow pulled away just a little, but not enough to give Rarity any chance to escape. In a dismissive tone she responded. "Oh, well if you don't feel like wrestling, then I guess we should get back to work on the song." Rainbow began to get off of Rarity, but not in such a way that would allow her to escape. She then shifted herself around, and plopped herself down on Rarity's chest. "Guess we should start watching the video again."
Rather then constantly reviewing the video on their phone, they had taken the time upon getting there to transfer the video to Rarity's laptop. The same laptop that happened to sit on the desk they had ended up right next to. Without letting Rarity up, Rainbow managed to reach up and hit play on the video still paused on the screen.
Rarity squirmed. Then she squirmed some more. Rainbow noticed out of the corner of her eye that she was trying to see if she could see the screen from where she lay. She apparently could not. "Rainbow dear, are you going to let me up?"
"Nah. Your almost as nice a seat as Shy probably is." She wiggled her own rear around on Rarity's more sizable chest causing her some discomfort. 
Rarity didn't show it as challenge flashed in her eyes. "Oh it is on." Rainbow hardly paid attention as she felt limbs flail around her and heard Rarity make a number of very unladylike noises.
"Shhhh, I can't hear the video." Rainbow looked down, betraying no emotion at the plight of the girl below her. What she saw was Rarity now with her arms splayed out wide and struggling to breathe deeply against the weight on her chest.
"Why... Can't... I... Move... You???"
Rainbow let the video keep playing, but turned her attention elsewhere. Maintaining pressure, she turned herself around. She placed a socked foot on either side of Rarity's head and leaned in with a smug smile. "You may be a lot tougher then I always figured you were, but you still need a little technique if you wanna hang with me."
Rarity was managing to maintain an indignant glare as she responded. "I was just wondering, how long exactly did you practice dance?"
Rainbow tilted her head in question. "Why?"
"Because it takes a fairly talented ballerina to contort themselves quite that much." She flashed a smile that Rainbow might have felt like punching if the girl was not so helplessly pinned beneath her.
"Well I guess you really like being down there don't you." She spun herself back around to face the computer. She made a show of leaning back slightly and folding her arms behind her head in a relaxed manner. She snickered lightly as she heard and felt Rarity struggle below her more.
It suddenly stopped and Rainbow heard the girls usual posh voice. "Oh Rainbow darling. What if I were to tell you that our dear friend Fluttershy let slip a certain secret of just where you might be ticklish."
On reflex Rainbows arms clenched to her sides and she slid down to the floor, now leaning against Rarity. "I'd say Shy just earned herself a few crab claws the next time I see her."
Rarity was now snickering. "Actually she said nothing of the sort. But now I know at least one exists." Rarity now sat herself up and scooted up next to Rainbow where she could watch the video from the floor as well. The smile from before was back, but for some reason still didn't seem as punchable as Rainbow felt it should. She felt like it made her want to do something to Rarity, she just wasn't sure what. 
Whatever it was, it seemed to make the process of watching the video of them again a little more tolerable. It was set to keep playing unless they actually stopped it, so they had heard it quite a few times already. On this playthrough she happened to notice Rarity tapping her foot along to it. This was probably because do to the limited space they had for viewing Rarity was now shoulder to shoulder with her. The tapping seemed to be making the music that much more infectious as she noticed her own foot start to tap along as well. 
'Dangit'. Rainbow groaned as she fell back on the floor. She blindly grabbed at the area behind her looking for the previously discarded notebook. Finding it she turned it back to one of Rarity's attempts at creating lyrics for the song. Her foot continued to tap as she read the lyrics along with the music. 
"Ok fine." Rarity looked back in question, apparently just realizing Rainbow was no longer beside her. "Your lyrics do fit better." She allowed the arm that held the notebook above her head as she lay on the carpet to flop to the side limply. "But I still say it's not a love song."
"Well, I suppose we could alter them a little." She too decided to lay back on the carpet, trapping Rainbows arm under her head in the process. "It shouldn't take too much effort to make lyrics about love into friendship. Not that we don't have plenty of songs about that already," she added with fake snark in her voice. 
"You know I was using that arm right?" Rainbow responded, gently tugging at the trapped appendage. 
"Well now I'm using it," Rarity replied as she reached around and took the notebook from the immobilized hand. "Let's see what we can do here."
Rainbow watched with some boredom as Rarity pulled her mechanical pencil from the books spiral and started rewriting some of the lyrics. She had been wanting to do band stuff all week, but she preferred playing. This part could be kind of a drag to her. She was honestly surprised she hadn't called it a day long before. 
Rainbow remembered that they lay there like that for quite some time, music in the background as Rarity's painted nails danced intricate patterns before her. The affect was almost hypnotizing. The lyrics went through several tweaks as they argued them back and forth. She wasn't sure if it was because she was actually happy with the lyrics or if she was just tired of thinking about them, but she remembered when they finally finished. 
"So we'll take things... Step by step." Rarity sing-songed vaguely in the right key.
"As we keep reaching... Higher and higher," Rainbow responded, sounding bored even to her own ears. The words still sounded a little too... flirty to her, but they sounded good. 
"And then we just repeat that part as the music fades."
"I hate fade outs. Just end it there with some kind of musical flourish."
Rainbow could tell Rarity was thinking about it by the way she now tapped the pencil on her chin. "Perhaps. We'll have to work on it when we actually play it."
"You'll have to work on it maybe. Right now I'm about to put absolutely anything else on that computer."
Rainbow didn't even have to look over to know Rarity was giving her an exaggerated pouty face. "And here I thought you really wanted to practice today."
"Yeah, but we've basically been listening to the same song for over five hours."
Rarity gave a start, then Rainbow felt her shift around as she got her phone from her pocket. "Goodness, I had no idea it was so late already." Rarity finally began standing up, shutting off the music and placing the notebook on the computers keyboard in the process. "Dear me, I'm sorry Rainbow. I've been a most ungracious host."
"Don't worry about it Rares, it's not a big deal." She got the words out about half a second before a rumble in her stomach echoed through the room. Rarity smirked, Rainbow groaned.
"I shall return. Feel free to get comfortable wherever you like."
Rainbow sighed. "Here's fine." Rarity gave her a questioning look. "This spots nice and warm now, your carpet is pretty comfortable," she nodded towards Rarity's previous pillow. "And I wanna see if the feeling is ever gonna come back."
Rainbow thought she noticed a little color come to Rarity's cheeks as she began leaving the room. "Back in a minute darling."
Despite her initial resistance, Rainbow did actually find herself rising from the floor. She obviously needed a trip to the bathroom after being stuck in the same place for so long. She was just settling back into her spot when Rarity returned with two plates of food. 
"Mother and father did not wish to disturb us, but they did set aside some dinner for when we were ready." She set the plates on the floor in front of Rainbow before leaving the room again. She returned moments later with a pile of extra pillows. She propped a few behind Rainbows back to help her sit up, set up a few of her own, then went over to the computer. 
Rainbow was suddenly very aware of how short the skirt on Rarity's current outfit was. Bent over the computer fiddling with something she was treating Rainbow to a show of... Cats. Apparently Rarity did not make her own underwear, because what Rainbow was seeing was very generic, very cutesy, cat print underwear. Not exactly high class.
Rainbow involuntarily let a snort of laughter escape her. Rarity turned around but Rainbow was sure all she saw was her disinterestedly looking at a mannequin beside her. "What?" Rainbow heard her ask. 
Rainbow turned back as if just barely hearing her. "What?"
Rarity just shrugged and went back to what she was doing. Rainbow had to sneak one last peek. She couldn't figure how, but she found it very amusing. 
"There we are," Rarity said as she turned back around and began sitting next to Rainbow on the floor. Apparently she had been starting a streaming app. Rainbow noticed familiar opening credits start playing.
"Shogun Assassination Murder Monk 12???!!!"
"Yes, I think I remember you saying it was your favorite movie once a long time ago."
"Totally, but I haven't seen it in forever." Rainbow was leaning forward and not paying attention to much, until she smelled something delicious. Looking down Rarity was holding a plate of food below her nose. "Oh you are the best Rares."
Half an hour later, Rainbows belly was full and she was comfortably lulled out on a decent nest of pillows. With as much enthusiasm as she could muster in this state she was trying to explain the back story of the movie to Rarity.
".....,....., I'm afraid I still don't understand."
Rainbow gave a light chuckle. "SAMM can be kind of an acquired taste. Maybe one of these days I'll have to bring over my collection and we can binge em'."
Rarity laughed lightly. "That sounds lovely." If Rainbow was more awake she might have been able to hear the sarcasm she was sure must have been there. However the long day, good mood, and full belly were conspiring against her.
She let out a yawn and a groan. "Ugh. I still have to walk home after this. I am way too comfortable for that to sound like any fun."
"Don't worry about it. When I got you food I also called your parents. If you feel like it you have permission to stay the night. You just need to be back early enough for them to get you to practice."
Rainbow raised her arms above her head slowly and she let out a tired "wooo. Slumber party." She noticed Rarity daintily laughing into her hand. Rainbow stuck her tongue out at her in response. She then pointed her finger back to the screen. "Oh, remember when I told you about Murder Monks murdered master. Check this part out."
They continued to watch the movie for some time. There were a few things about the night she still didn't remember. She wasn't sure at what point in the movie she had succumbed and finally passed out. She wasn't sure when Rarity had done the same or why she didn't go to her own bed before she did. She didn't know why or when Rarity had apparently rolled over in her sleep and ended up with her arm draped over Rainbows chest. 
What she did remember was that when she randomly woke up in the middle of the night to find this out, she decided it was pretty comfortable. So she remembered deciding to reclose her eyes and go back to sleep. Maybe pressing herself a little closer, for warmth.