For the most part, Rarity's sleepover scheme went without a hitch. The only ponies in the know remained the same, everypony enjoyed Pinkie Pie's delicious treats, and Rainbow Dash only gave a total of five eye rolls during that time.
However, the chance had finally come for the schemers to hatch the next phase of their plan: truth or dare.
Rarity, Pinkie and Fluttershy knew for a fact that Rainbow Dash detested truth or dare. Sure, she enjoyed performing dares more than most things, but she couldn't abide Rarity and Fluttershy's "do you like anypony?" truths.
She adored them both for individual reasons, but they were far too girlie and gossipy when it came to telling truths and dishing out dares.
Giving a sly nod to her pink and yellow companions, Rarity cleared her throat and announced "Come now, darlings. Gather round".
The four other ponies quickly complied and joined Rarity in the front room. Without being prompted, they all sat in a perfect circle so everypony could be in view. Muscle memory from too many castle meetings, perhaps? Whatever the reason, there were more pressing matters at hoof.
"It was mighty kind of you to let us stay, Rarity", Applejack began as she took a seat next to her eldest friend.
"And those cupcakes were tastier than a candy apple on an Appleloosan carnival day, Pinkie".
Rainbow Dash couldn't help but smile at Applejack's countryisms. Although she didn't understand a lot of what the country girl said sometimes, it's what made her special.
To have even the slightest taste of Applejack's southern accent was enough to get Dash through the day, which she hated to admit. It just sounded safe; like coming home to something she didn't know was missing.
As Applejack and Pinkie continued to converse about the evening's menu, the farm pony let out a small chuckle. Applejack's freckled nose scrunched up as she smiled, causing her to emit an abrupt snort.
Without realising, Rainbow Dash proceeded to examine the orange earth pony's every move. She found her utterly fascinating.
The amount of time she'd wasted on one-upping Applejack made Rainbow Dash want to scream.
"Of course AJ's better than me", Rainbow thought.
"Why did I ever feel the need to prove her wrong?"
"I mean, the whole flying thing goes without saying".
"Pegasus. Earth Pony".
"But the rest of it?"
"All the dumb contests we've made Pinkie Pie sit through".
"The constant battle to be better than the other".
"Sure, we're just as competitive and stubborn as each other, that's a given. But why have I always felt the need to prove my worth to just one pony?"
Rainbow didn't appreciate where her mind was taking her, but she didn't know how to make it change course.
"You alright over there, Sugarcube?" the earth pony asked, concerned.
Upon hearing Applejack's voice, Rainbow, at last, returned to reality.
"Huh? What? Y-yeah. Never better, AJ", the Wonderbolt replied unconvincingly.
"We were just saying how awesometastic it would be to play truth or dare, Dashie!" the pink party pony proclaimed, raising her hooves above her head as she did so.
Rainbow's stomach churned as the words "truth" and "dare" escaped Pinkie's lips. Her worst nightmare was about to unfold around her. She knew she had to play; she couldn't leave after making such a song and dance about sleepovers the day before. She was in a bind; trapped.
Taking a deep breath to steady her words, Dash spoke up.
"Sure, Pinkie. Sounds awesome".
The words left a bitter taste in Rainbow's mouth.
"No turning back now", she thought.
"Marvellous" Rarity exclaimed as she clapped her hooves together in delight.
"I'll start".
Rarity was keen to start with Applejack or Rainbow Dash, but she didn't want to risk her plan falling through by acting too rashly. Instead, she took a long look around the circle with her hoof placed under her chin.
"Ah. Fluttershy, darling", the unicorn uttered as her eyes locked onto the yellow Pegasus.
Rainbow Dash's eyes widened, her teeth gritted together angrily, and she cursed herself internally.
"Of course she'd start with Fluttershy!" Rainbow groaned to herself.
"Next thing we know, they'll be swapping mushy love stories and wearing face masks!"
Fluttershy had learnt to control her anxiety massively over the years, but she had a funny feeling it would be making an appearance that evening. She didn't want to ruin Rarity's fabulous plan, not that the fashionista would let it happen, but she felt the pressure building all the same.
"Truth or dare, my dear?" Rarity asked the worried Pegasus.
Fluttershy gave her friend a troubled look, to which Rarity returned a warm smile and a nod.
Smiling back, Fluttershy replied "um. Truth."
"Here we go", Rainbow thought as she shuffled slightly on the floor.
But, to her surprise, Rarity asked Fluttershy a question Rainbow wasn't expecting.
"Okay, darling. What's the first thing you would do if you woke up as a stallion?"
The whole room went silent, that is until Rainbow Dash fell onto her back in hysterics.
"Now, that's what I'm talking about!" she screamed as she continued to guffaw, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
As time progressed, the five friends continued to enjoy each other's company. Many truths had been answered, and many dares had been completed.
Pinkie Pie asked Rarity what her most embarrassing public moment was.
Rarity dared Rainbow Dash to do a headstand for ten minutes.
Rainbow Dash asked Pinkie Pie if she'd ever forgotten to plan somepony's party.
And Fluttershy dared Applejack to take only one bite of an apple and leave the rest.
They were all having a wonderful time. Laughing, joking, learning. However, Rarity knew her plan was far from complete. She gave an almost unnoticeable wink to Pinkie and Fluttershy, who attempted to act as casually as possible.
"Ahem. Rainbow Dash, dear. Truth or dare?" Rarity asked confidently.
Upon hearing the sound of her own name, Rainbow Dash unfurled her wings and shot into the air.
"Duh! Dare me, Rares!" the cyan Pegasus responded as she crossed her forelegs assuredly.
"Aw. Come on, Dashie!" Pinkie Pie called out.
"You always always always pick dare!"
"Pinkie's right, Rainbow Dash", Fluttershy interjected.
"I mean, we all know you're daring already. Why not answer a simple question for a change?"
Rainbow Dash remained aloft as her friends called her out, trying to keep up a fearless persona.
"Pfffft. Are you kidding? Truths are just lazy, you guys!" the Wonderbolt lectured.
"And I, Rainbow Dash, am anything but lazy!"
The four friends rolled their eyes collectively as Rainbow muttered on.
Spying an opportunity, Rarity seized it by the horns.
"Okay then, Daring Dash. I dare you to answer a truth question", the unicorn offered with a deceitful grin.
Alarm bells rang in Rainbow's head.
"Oh! Come on, Rarity! That's not fair!" Dash shouted as her voice broke slightly.
"Of course it's fair, darling. We all know the legendary Rainbow Dash would never turn down a dare. Goodness knows what the Wonderbolts would think if anything like that happened", the unicorn teased.
Now hovering just above the floor, Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow at her purple maned friend.
"Touché, Rares. Touché" she responded, somewhat impressed.
Finally settling her hooves onto the ground, Dash accepted defeat and grimaced through her words.
"Fine. Ask away, I guess".
Smiling and raising excited eyebrows at each other, Pinkie, Rarity and Fluttershy tried to hide their enthusiasm as best they could.
"Ooh! Magnificent, darling! Now, what to ask you?" Rarity asked rhetorically.
She had many, many questions she wanted to ask her flighty friend, but she had to stick to the plan.
"Ah! I know!" she announced, sounding slightly frenzied as she did so.
"Ahem. What do you think the most attractive features are of everypony present, Rainbow Dash?"
Suddenly terrified, Dash's wings rallied against her as they shot out to the sides.
"No! Oh no!" she shrieked mentally.
"Urgh! I knew something like this was going to happen!"
"Darn Rarity and her gossipy mind!"
"Wait. D-do they know?"
"No. Impossible".
"I haven't told anypony. I mean, I've barely told myself!"
As Rainbow continued to monologue inwardly, the anticipation started to build amongst the group.
"Well, RD. Make with the compliments", said Applejack from across the circle.
AJ didn't want to admit it, but she felt uneasy letting Rainbow Dash list her most attractive features.
Thoughts began to enter her mind.
"What if she can't find anything she likes about me?"
"What if she says Ah'm not attractive?"
"Heck, no pony else has told me Ah am. Why would she be any different?"
“Alright, alright!" Rainbow replied in an unintentionally sharp tone.
She shuffled under her tail as she tried to think of appropriate answers for everypony. One pony was particularly easy to answer for, but Dash didn't want to admit those feelings out loud.
She could write sonnets, sing songs, or recite poetry about her feelings for Applejack, but that would mean admitting everything to herself and everypony else.
"Uh, Fluttershy. I guess you have a nice mane?" Rainbow eventually answered, scrunching her face as she thought harder.
Fluttershy was like an older sister to Rainbow Dash, so it felt a little odd itemizing her most attractive features.
"And you're super kind, which is an obvious one I guess".
Fluttershy blushed slightly as her mane spilt out across her face. She wasn't good at receiving compliments.
"Rarity. You-um. Have nice hooves?" Dash continued as she shrugged slightly.
"Well, I'd be mad if I didn't", Rarity responded as she admired her reflection in her hooves.
"The amount of bits I've spent on hooficures over the years is nothing to sneeze at".
"And Pinkie. Well, you're just Pinkie", Rainbow said with a smile.
"Nothing short of amazing".
"Aw, shucks. You flatter me, Dashie" Pinkie replied as she waved her hoof dismissively at her pranking buddy.
Coming to an abrupt stop, Rainbow began to fidget on the spot to avoid Applejack's gaze. She had so many things to confess about her friend, but she ran the risk of losing said friendship if those feelings revealed themselves.
"And-um. A-Applejack. You-er" Rainbow struggled.
Pinkie, Fluttershy and Rarity waited with bated breath, leaning into the circle slightly with anticipation. Pinkie Pie pulled out a bag of popcorn from nowhere in particular and began munching.
"I-I really like your... Your voice?"
The three mares sat back on their haunches with dissatisfied faces.
"M-mah voice?" Applejack questioned as she became acutely aware of what she sounded like.
"I-I mean your accent. Like, it's nice", the Pegasus admitted as she averted her gaze once again.
"Why thank you, Dash. That's mighty kind of you", Applejack responded with a tip of her hat.
"And those little countryisms you say are super cool too! Not that I understand most of ‘em. But they're cool, nonetheless" Rainbow continued a little too eagerly.
The farm pony couldn't help but smile at her friend's compliment. It sent a shiver down her spine knowing somepony else thought that countryisms were cool, especially since that other pony was Rainbow Dash.
"Gee. That's real nice, Rainbow Dash", Applejack responded with sincerity.
She too started to avoid eye contact with her friend, and she began pawing at the ground with her hoof to distract herself.
Noticing the immediate change, the three schemers became invested in the conversation yet again.
"Eh. I-it's nothing", Rainbow said shakily.
Suddenly, the two mare's eyes finally met across the friendship circle. A mixture of anxiety and adoration churned in their stomachs. They wanted to look away, but they were somehow fixated.
"Your eyes are nice too".
Shocked, Dash immediately brought a hoof to her mouth to stop herself from spilling the rest of her guts on Rarity's imported carpet.
The three side ponies almost gave a synchronized gasp, and Pinkie Pie was close to choking on a popcorn kernel.
"W-what was that?" Applejack questioned as she leaned further into the circle towards Rainbow.
With her hoof still over her mouth, Rainbow's eye began to twitch nervously.
"What was what? I-I didn't say anything".
"Oh, darling. That's such a lovely compliment", Rarity began as she lifted a hoof to her chest.
"Praytell, what is it about them that you find so appealing?"
Pinkie and Fluttershy watched on in agony, feeding popcorn to each other as their mouths became wider with excitement.
Now watching Rainbow Dash's every move, Applejack cocked her head as she waited for a response. A response that would most likely dismiss everything that was already said.
Dash didn't have a clue how to play this one. The ball was in her court but was she supposed to defend or attack? She did not know.
"I-I dunno. They're green, I guess", she finally answered.
"No guessing about it, Dashie!" the party pony interrupted.
She grabbed Applejack's cheeks and brought her face towards her own. "Those eyes are definitely green!"
Shaking her head and letting out a small giggle, Applejack gently pushed her enthusiastic friend away.
"Anyway, they're nice, 'kay?" Rainbow continued, now hovering in the air to stretch her wings.
There was so much more to be said about those eyes. Not just their colour, but their shape, wisdom and strength too.
Applejack hid her girlish smile by hanging her head low, but that didn't hide the fact that she'd started twirling her mane between her hooves nervously.
Rarity noticed everything when it came to matters of the heart.
She knew when two ponies were crazy about each other, and she saw it right there in front of her.
Applejack and Rainbow Dash had it pretty bad, but what could she do?
Staying her temptation to squeal their secrets out loud, she took a step back and nodded at Dash's response.
"True enough, dear. Well done on completing your tru- Ahem. Your dare", the white unicorn stated.
"Dearest Fluttershy and Pinkie, might you lend me a hoof in the kitchen?" she continued as she stood up from the circle.
"Nah, I'm good here!" the party pony responded quickly, resulting in a hoof to the shoulder from Fluttershy.
Raising her brows at her oblivious friend, Fluttershy tried to get through to Pinkie Pie.
Finally realising, Pinkie gave a very unsubtle "ooh, gotcha" as she followed her friends into Rarity's kitchen.
"Oh, I don't think our plan's working", the yellow Pegasus said in an almost whisper.
"I beg to differ, darling", Rarity said, raising a hoof.
"They're exactly where we need them to be".
"Where? The living room?" Pinkie replied all too cheerfully.
Exasperated, Rarity shook her head and sighed.
"No, Miss Pie. I mean, all they need is a push in the right direction".
"Not a big push, I hope", the worried Pegasus responded.
"Not at all, dear. Follow my lead, the pair of you. Trust me", Rarity uttered as she exited the kitchen.
Fluttershy and Pinkie followed suit as instructed.
"I don't know about the rest of you", Rarity began with a fake yawn.
"But I require some beauty sleep".
The time was just a little past midnight, a lot later than anypony had thought.
Looking at the clock in the corner of Rarity's living room, Applejack's eyes widened.
"Holy mother of Equestria! Ah've been awake for over nineteen hours!" she said in shock.
"Five more and that'll be a full darn day".
Trying to copy Rarity's tactics, Fluttershy brought a hoof to her mouth and yawned.
"You know, Rarity? Now that you mention it, I am pretty sleepy", the Pegasus said quietly.
"Well, I feel super duper!" Pinkie Pie responded with a signature bounce.
"You know Pinkie Pie. Never ever ever ever slee-"
Being interrupted by a flick of Fluttershy's tail, Pinkie ceased her excited tone.
"I-I mean YAWN!" she continued flimsily.
"I actually am kinda snoozy".
Still hovering, Rainbow Dash stretched out her limbs and let out a yawn.
"Y'know what? I'm pretty beat too", she began.
"It's been a weird couple of days, huh?"
Everypony nodded in agreement, suddenly realising that two very prominent figures weren't around their little circle.
"Sure has, sugarcube. But like Ah told you, we'll get through this just fine as long as we're together", Applejack responded with a wink in Dash's direction.
Unable to hide her oncoming blush, Rainbow Dash flew slightly higher to avoid any unwanted questions from nosey ponies.
"Wonderful, darlings", the white unicorn began as she trotted around slightly.
"But oh dear! It would seem I have no sleeping bags or blankets for us to sleep on out here", she continued in a falsely distressed tone.
Pinkie and Fluttershy looked on in understanding. The final phase of their plan was about to launch.
"Well, um. C-can't we stay in your room, Rarity?" Fluttershy asked gingerly while also following the unwritten script.
This was their plan all along. It was in full swing.
"Far too small for all five of us, my dear", Rarity put forth.
"We'll simply have to split between the two bedrooms; mine and Sweetie Belle's".
No sooner had Rarity's words left her mouth when Pinkie Pie ran, Sonic style, into the unicorn's bedroom.
"I CALL DIBS ON RARITY'S ROOM!" she shrieked as she ran.
The four remaining ponies stood still, perplexed.
"Well, I hate to be that pony, but I would rather stay in my own room if that's alright, my dears?" Rarity admitted as she slowly slid away to her bedroom, leaving Fluttershy to fend for herself.
Rainbow Dash gave Fluttershy a hopeful look, thinking her longest friend would have her flank by sharing the room with her. They'd shared rooms multiple times as foals, even as grown mares. They were close, no question about it.
"Oh. What's that, Rarity? Poor Opal isn't feeling too well?" the yellow Pegasus replied to no pony in particular.
"I'll be right there".
And with that, Fluttershy sprinted away to Rarity's room, squealing to herself internally.
Rainbow Dash had a good mind to kick their sorry flanks; leaving her in a lurch with Applejack like that.
"Why I oughta" she whispered under her breath.
Dash rubbed her neck nervously, and she let out a chuckle that complimented her timidness perfectly.
"Looks like it's you and me, Dash", said Applejack, cutting through the silence like a knife.
Her tone sounded confident on the surface, but through the layers, there were hints of dread.
The two ponies had shared rooms before, yes, but never on their own. Or in the same bed, no less.
Still emitting nervous laughter, Dash managed to let out a simple "Yup".
Mortified, Rainbow flew into the bathroom to wash up. She gave herself a few motivational speeches in Rarity's mirror, told herself not to screw up, subconsciously tidied her mane and checked her breath.
Realising what she was doing, Dash smacked herself in the face.
"Pull it together, loser!"
"This is not the right time!"
"There never will be a right time!"
A few deep breaths later, Rainbow made her way to Sweetie Belle's room.
The room was large enough for the most part, but there was only one double bed adjacent to the window. A bed she would be sharing with a certain orange earth pony.
Rainbow shuddered at the thought. Not only was this her worst nightmare, but it was also a dream come true. It was complicated. It didn't need to be, but it was for Dash. Emotions weren't exactly her forte.
To her surprise, Applejack was already in the bedroom, setting down glasses of water for the two of them.
Even when she wasn't in her own home, she still felt the need to be hospitable. Rainbow loved that about her.
"Thought you might want a drink after all that food Pinkie made", the farm pony said, gesturing to the glasses.
Still in the doorway, Dash decided to float her way into the room.
After taking a sip from the glass, she turned to the bed with apprehension.
"So, how do you wanna do this?" questioned Applejack.
With the wrong thought entering her mind, Rainbow Dash jolted back into the nightstand.
"What?! Do what?!" she asked in a frenzy.
"Sleep. Ah mean, which side of the bed do you wanna sleep on? How many pillows do you want? That kinda thing", the earth pony replied as she removed her signature hat.
"Everythin' alright, sugarcube? You're actin’ jumpier than a rattlesnake in a pickle barrel this evenin'!"
Realising she was still on the floor of Sweetie Belle's room, Dash began to hover in the air almost immediately.
"Me? Jumpy? Nah!" she replied with false assurance, knocking over a plant pot in the process.
"A-anyway, I'll sleep closest to the window if that's cool?" Rainbow continued as she made the window ajar.
"I sort of need the air to not throw up".
"Beg pardon?" the earth pony asked with concern.
"You're not feelin' sick, are ya?"
"Well, not right now, I'm not. But I might feel nauseous when I lie down. No biggie", the Pegasus replied as she carefully tucked herself into the sheets.
Applejack placed Tallulah on a hook by the door, scratching her head in confusion.
"So, lemme get this straight. Ya feel fine right now but could get sick from lyin' down? Ya haven't been takin' secret helpings of cider behind mah back have ya, Dash?" Applejack teased questionably.
Dash cackled at her friend's remark. She did love Applejack's cider, but that was far from being the case.
"Nah. I just get ground sick, is all" Rainbow replied through chuckles.
"If I stay on the ground for too long, my body decides to shut down a little. It's a sort of awesome defense mechanism, now that I think about it".
Still confused, Applejack peeled back the bed sheets and clambered in next to Dash.
"Why's that then? What's so plumb-crazy about the ground?" she asked in a somewhat offended tone of voice.
"Pegasus, remember? I grew up in Cloudsdale, live in a cloud house, spend most of my time around clouds? You get the picture", Dash rambled.
Narrowing her eyes, Applejack continued her interrogation.
"Well, what about Fluttershy? Never heard of no ground sickness from her".
"That's because she's practically part earth pony, AJ!" Dash countered.
"A Pegasus who's scared of heights and lives in a woodland cottage? Man, I was convinced her wings were made out of cardboard for moons!"
The two fell into a fit of laughter atop the bed, causing the ponies next door to stir.
"Oh. Do move over, Pinkie Pie! I can't hear a thing!" Rarity muffled as she attempted to move her magenta friend out of the way.
"Come on, Rarity! It was just getting good!" the party pony responded in a huff.
"Sounds to me like they were only talking about Fluttershy", Rarity queried.
"Exactly!" Pinkie almost shouted as she pressed her ear against the wall once again.
Fluttershy's mane covered half of her face, hiding her blush slightly.
After a long while of talking nonsense, Rainbow and Applejack finally decided to get some sleep. Dash wanted nothing more than to stay up and talk to her friend all night long, but her eyes had become heavier than Bulk Bicep's dumbbells.
Dash felt like a character from a mushy romance novel Fluttershy would read. One where the protagonist spends an intimate evening with their beloved, watching them sleep, learning new things about them. The usual yucky stuff.
As much as she despised plotlines such as those, Dash couldn't help but notice Applejack's scent, how she breathed, how her freckles spread across other parts of her body beside her face.
She smiled to herself, finding herself feeling genuinely happy for the longest time.
All of a sudden, Rainbow noticed Applejack's demeanour change.
She no longer looked content in her sleep. She looked frightened.
Without thinking, Rainbow Dash began to stroke Applejack's straw-coloured mane to give her some comfort, but it wasn't working.
The earth pony started to twitch and mumble to herself, becoming more and more distressed as she did so.
Panicking slightly, Dash resulted in calling out Applejack's name in hopes of waking her up.
She was just about to try shaking her friend awake when Applejack shot up in a flash, causing Dash to fly back in shock.
"MOM!" Applejack shouted in a traumatised tone.
Taking in her surroundings, she realised she was, in fact, still at Rarity's. She wasn't where her mind had taken her, thank Celestia.
Her breath was shaky, shakier than Rainbow had ever heard.
Beads of sweat dotted her freckled face, and tears began to form in her emerald eyes.
"Whoa whoa whoa, Applejack! What happened?" Rainbow asked as she gently floated down onto the bed.
Wiping away her tears, Applejack sniffed.
"Nothin'. Don't be worryin' about it, ya hear?"
Rainbow couldn't take it. She couldn't bear to see Applejack cry. She was the bravest and toughest pony Rainbow had ever met, so when she cried, there was always a valid reason.
"Element of honesty, my flank", Rainbow responded as she took hold of Applejack's hooves.
"You're shaking like a leaf, AJ", Rainbow acknowledged.
"What's got you so spooked?"
"Never you mind!" Applejack snapped, though she was unable to remove her hooves from Rainbow's.
Attempting to hide her tears, the farm pony drew her gaze to the floor.
Rainbow was having none of it. She gently placed a hoof under her friend's chin, lifted her head, and brushed away the matted bangs from her eyes.
"You don’t have to be so stoic, y’know? It’s me, Sugarcube", Rainbow Dash said with a comforting smile.
A smile formed on Applejack's face upon hearing her own words of wisdom come out of another pony's mouth.
Quick as a flash, Rainbow brought her friend a cold flannel, a fresh glass of water, and an apple from the kitchen.
"There", she said proudly.
"No need to talk, just try to calm down, 'kay?"
Nodding through her tears, Applejack took a shaky sip of water.
Rainbow Dash ringed the flannel out slightly in her hooves, brought it up to Applejack's forehead and gently dabbed her with it.
"Thanks, Dash. What must ya think of me?" the farmer managed to muster through sniffles.
"Anything for a friend", the Wonderbolt replied as she continued to wipe the sweat from AJ's fur.
“And I think you’re awesome so less of that, thank you”.
The corners of Applejack's mouth curled up at the passing compliment.
Although Rainbow knew her friend was in an emotional bind, she couldn't help but notice how close they'd become. She suddenly became aware of her own breathing, how often she blinked, and how she smelt.
In any other situation, Dash might've closed the gap between them then and there. Alas, it was not the right time.
"What am I talking about?" the Pegasus thought to herself.
"There's never gonna be a right time!"
Giving Applejack's forehead a final check with the flannel, Rainbow flashed her friend a crooked smile.
"There, AJ", she began.
"Feeling okay to lay down?"
Applejack took a deep breath and nodded. It was always horrible coming out of that nightmare, but she was glad to have a friend with her this time around.
Rainbow hovered over Applejack's side of the bed to fluff up her pillows, then gave her friend the all-clear to lie down.
With herself and Applejack tucked in once again, Rainbow turned towards her traumatised friend.
"D-do you need anything else, Applejack?" she asked cautiously.
"A hot cocoa? Another blanket? Or a-"
Rainbow Dash was cut off as she felt two, strong forelegs wrap around her waist.
"Or-Or that?" the Pegasus replied, flimsily.
Poor Rainbow was in shock for a moment before she allowed herself to relax into Applejack's embrace.
She gently placed a hoof on top of the cowgirl's head, stroking through her mane as she did so.
"Thanks, Dashie" Applejack whispered under her warm breath.
Dashie.
There it was again.
That darn nickname.
Why did it mean so much coming from Applejack?
"No problem", Rainbow replied.
It was too late to wallow in one's feelings, so Rainbow allowed her eyes to close naturally. She was soon fast asleep in the embrace of the mare she loved. In a way, she'd never felt more comfortable.
The next morning came easily to Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy until they discovered no pony was keeping an eye on Sweetie Belle's room; they'd all fallen asleep by the wall, rendering Rarity's bed utterly useless.
The three friends scrambled out into the hallway, each trying to be the first to peek inside Sweetie's room.
As they peered through the slightly opened door, their hearts melted into a gooey fondue.
The two mares were fast asleep after their early morning exploits, and they were still snuggling into each other despite Applejack's panic being over.
"Now what do we do?” Fluttershy queried as they continued to examine their friends.
"Simple" Pinkie Pie stated confidently.
"Make breakfast! I don't know about you two, but I'm starving!"
Pinkie sang to herself as she bounced into the kitchen while Fluttershy followed eagerly.
Rarity gave a final smile to her sleeping friends.
"We wait", she whispered, closing the door behind her.