//------------------------------// // Slumber Party And Stories // Story: Multiversal Voyage // by King Ice //------------------------------// Universe 31870 “Excuse me, what do you want to do again?” Twilight as she closed the door behind her after Rarity got in. “A slumber party,” The diva answered, making Twilight arch an eyebrow as if she had just been told a joke. The first order of business for Twilight and Rarity (along with the others) in their primary universe had always been to save Equestria from world-ending threats. In the present circumstances, however, no such dire peril loomed, and the two of them alone couldn't achieve such a feat. The white unicorn doubted they could defeat someone like Nightmare Moon as they were now. However, among the first activities they had was Twilight’s first slumber party. Obviously, this version of her also never had one, so the first step to teaching her the magic of friendship was to show her what friendship was in the first place! “We are not having a… slumber party. As Princess Luna’s student, I cannot allow myself to let myself go and waste time. I have very important studies. Besides, lunch and the city tour were enough entertainment for today,” The lavender unicorn furrowed her brows while Rarity bit her inner cheek.  Breaking this Twilight out of her shell sounded like it would be much harder to pull off than it was with her universe’s Twilight. What was so different between the two of them? Maybe it was their victory over Nightmare Moon, but that alone wouldn’t have changed Twilight’s personality that much, would it? “Those aren’t really things I would consider entertainment, Twilight. Although, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of Canterlot’s ponies think otherwise,” Rarity replied as she thought back to some of the ponies she met at the various Grand Galloping Galas. She knew she wanted to suck up to them at some point, but she quickly realized they were… stuck up. She would use more uncouth language, but she wasn’t as vulgar as Rainbow Dash. “I care little about what other ponies think,” Twilight rolled her eyes as she lit her horn and levitated a book over. “Slumber parties are a good way to bring friends closer or make new ones, you know,” Rarity argued hopefully, which made Twilight scoff. "I feel like I've repeated the same thing a thousand times already; we are not friends, and hosting a slumber party won't change that," Twilight groaned in annoyance, lying down and immersing herself in her book. Rarity scratched her head in frustration. This clearly wasn’t going as planned and if it continued, she would have to stay stuck in this room, keeping quiet because Twilight would be too absorbed by her book! “You know, darling… There can be other advantages to having a slumber party…” Rarity began hesitantly as Twilight looked back at her, curious but doubtful. “If you become a princess, I suppose that speaking the royal way isn’t the only thing you should learn, right? You have to know how to interact with regular ponies, don’t you?” “I am quite familiar with dealing with ponies. I had to lead Princess Luna’s troops multiple times,” Twilight argued proudly. “Well sure, you can lead troops, but you wouldn’t know how to approach somepony in a casual manner,” The white unicorn countered, making Twilight raise a doubtful eyebrow. “Even if you would rarely do it, as a Princess, you should already have the skillset for it, shouldn’t you?” “Hmm,” Twilight stared at her, appraising her from horn to hoof. “I’m sure that Princess Luna would appreciate the initiative! Besides, you could learn more about it. It would be mighty useful if I’m actually a spy…” Rarity continued to attempt to convince her. Admittedly, suggesting to someone eager to resort to violence for answers that she might be a spy wasn't the most brilliant plan. However, if it led to convincing her to partake in a slumber party, Rarity deemed it a victory worth the risk! A brief silence fell between them, which Twilight eventually broke with a groan of frustration. “Fine. Let’s do that slumber party. You had me when you mentioned Princess Luna. I can’t deny that this would be something she would appreciate,” The lavender pony conceded. “Perfect! Then, we shall start with a mud mask!” Rarity shouted excitedly as Twilight jerked her head back. “A mud mask? I’m sorry but I am not the kind of pony who desperately tries to make their skin as perfect as they can,” She pointed at herself. “I’m surprised your skin even is that good, darling. But! It would be so much better with a nice mud mask! Makeovers are something very important in slumber parties,” Rarity tried to convince the other mare. Twilight stared at the white unicorn with annoyance, appraising her again as she thought about her words. She was going to regret this, wasn’t she? At least, maybe Rarity would leave her alone if she did that. “Alright, Rarity, I'll give it a try," Twilight said, sighing as she closed her book and levitated it back on one of the shelves. The lavender unicorn lit her horn and summoned various objects that could be of use. “This should be all we need for mud masks, I think,” She stated as Rarity walked around the products she summoned. Rarity's eyes lit up with delight. "Wonderful! This is perfect!” She declared. As the two ponies began their impromptu slumber party preparations, Rarity explained all the steps involved in a makeover, from the mud mask to facials and hooficures. Unsurprisingly, Twilight was complaining a lot and didn’t seem to be enjoying it one bit. That was what Rarity thought at first; however, the lavender unicorn became incredibly calm at some point. During the makeover, they chatted about various topics, and Rarity gently nudged Twilight to open up about herself and her interests. The white unicorn was hoping Twilight wouldn’t just say she studied magic and leave it at that. Rarity also attempted to ask her indirectly about her family. The lavender unicorn didn’t show any sign that she noticed the fashionista prying into her personal life. However, there was no way she didn’t notice it. Unsurprisingly, Luna’s student dodged these questions and never mentioned her brother or her parents once. Rarity did try talking about her own sister, Sweetie Belle so that Twilight would hopefully open up, but it didn’t exactly work out. The bearer of the element of generosity talked a lot about her job and her boutique, which seemed to mildly interest Twilight. It was obvious the other unicorn didn’t care about dresses, clothes, or fashion in general. Nevertheless, Twilight still frequently asked her questions about the boutique. Even if it wasn’t her field, the lavender unicorn respected Rarity enough to take an interest in her passions. Twilight also wasn’t simply interested in magic and studies, apparently. Since she was training to eventually become an alicorn and a princess, she needed to learn to lead troops and make diplomatic decisions. There was also the fact that she was learning the royal speech, and even showed Rarity a small demonstration. Needless to say, Rarity didn’t want to hear Twilight speaking in the third person ever again. Once they started doing makeovers and mud masks, Twilight relaxed a bit more, which was why she talked more. She wasn’t behaving like a friend would, by any means, but it seemed she trusted Rarity much more than when she arrived. The white unicorn was also now aware that talking to her about friends was pointless. Twilight didn’t hear any of it, and she was still stuck on the idea that they were a waste of time. Instead of asking her to become her friend, Rarity would let this play out naturally and this meant that she would show Twilight how great friendship was by her actions! Telling her about how friendship saved her Equestria many times would serve nothing unless she did the same things in this universe. Thanks to these makeovers, Rarity also noticed some things about this Twilight. Obviously, she already figured she was different in personality compared to the Twilight from her universe. However, there were also differences physically. Surprisingly, this one was more athletic. Her legs were obviously stronger, and quite similar to Rainbow Dash’s or even Applejack’s. That was likely due to the fact that, unlike the Twilight from her universe, this one not only studied and trained in magic but also combat. Most of their group knew how to fight, sure, but they didn’t train for martial arts or any advanced combat training, just enough to fight off hordes of changelings. This universe’s Twilight’s horn also seemed longer and sharper (compared to how her Twilight’s used to look when she was a unicorn). That didn’t seem to be a trait only she had since Luna’s horn also looked like her horn was longer and sharper. Granted, she didn’t really look at the original Princess Luna that much. She was also the exact same height as her universe’s Twilight from the looks of it, which was strange because Twilight was an alicorn and was supposed to be taller than regular unicorns. After the makeovers were done, Twilight lit her horn and turned them back to normal, saying something along the lines of “What is the next step, now?”. It reminded Rarity a bit of how her slumber party with Applejack and the original Twilight went. Except, this time, she would actually tell a scary story as opposed to trying to annoy or criticize Applejack. The main issue was that she wasn’t a great storyteller, but also lacked the imagination to craft stories. She hoped the original Twilight would forgive her for this, but she decided to borrow her ghost story and attempt to scare her new friend with it. “And just when the last pony thought she was safe… There, standing right behind her, just inches away was… The Headless Horse!” Rarity shouted as she finished telling the story. She did use her horn to try and imitate lightning, but it was a laughable attempt. Moreover, she couldn’t teleport herself or other objects, she had to swiftly levitate the bed sheet to her head. As expected, she hadn’t been scary at all. Twilight was staring at her with an eyebrow raised, clearly unimpressed. “That ghost story was supposed to be scary?” She inquired as Rarity sheepishly dropped the sheet on the floor and blushed in embarrassment. “Whoever thought of it certainly had bad tastes,” She criticized it, making the other unicorn huff. “Well, why don’t you tell a ghost story?” Rarity challenged her with confidence. “If telling ghost stories is a part of slumber parties, then I suppose I will…” Twilight mumbled before casting a spell that bathed them in complete darkness. Rarity let out a weak surprised squeal before a small light emanated from the tip of Twilight’s horn, allowing them only to see each other’s faces. “You certainly know how to set the mood, darling,” Rarity whispered quietly while Twilight narrowed her eyes. “Before we begin, you must know that this is based on a true story,” Twilight warned the white unicorn (who shivered in fright) before clearing her throat. “Our story starts with a small little filly. A unicorn who was, in the past, loved by all. She was always kind to all around her, but she was naive and easily put trust in others. The filly saw the positive in everything and everypony. Unfortunately, her life wasn’t easy. She was an orphan and lost her family early in her life,” She began telling as Rarity listened patiently. For now, it didn’t sound like a ghost or scary story much, but she was curious where Twilight was going with this. “One day, she got lucky. A generous old mare found her on the streets and offered her a new home. The old mare was apparently quite wealthy since she lived in a grand mansion. She was also a talented unicorn. The little filly wasted no time in trusting her as the old mare was kinder to her than anypony else she had met until today. The old mare told her this…” “You can go anywhere you want in this mansion and you can ask for anything you ever want. Everything you desire, I will give you from now on. However, there is one rule you must never break. The one rule if you wish to live here. Never go to the basement. No matter what happens, what you hear, or what ponies tell you… Never go to the basement. Is that clear?” The old mare instructed as the little filly nodded eagerly and happily. That night, the small filly slept soundly in her new room until she was woken up by strange sounds. Bam. Bam. Bam. It sounded like somepony was punching a door repeatedly. The little filly was filled with fear, which mercilessly grasped her heart and kept her from falling asleep again. Hesitantly, she got out of bed, and then out of her room. The hallways of the mansion were cold and dark, and calling for the old mare’s name proved to be worthless. It was as if she wasn’t even home. Bam. Bam. Bam. The pounding only intensified, now even louder and more persistent. With each step closer to the basement, the noise grew more overwhelming. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the little filly stood before the door leading to the basement. It appeared like any other door in the house, yet an eerie and ominous sensation enveloped her body as she drew nearer to it. Bam. Bam. Bam. Something or somepony was pounding on the door. That much was clear to the little filly. The way the door shook with every hit. The way every hit sounded. It didn’t sound like somepony was calling for help or trying to escape. It was almost… calling for her… But she remembered the old mare’s words… And stepped back. She went back to bed and tried to sleep as the pounding went on until it chased her even in her dreams. The pounding stopped in the morning. Every day, the little filly lived a dream life. Everything she wished for, the old mare gave her. And every night, the pounding came back. And it didn’t stop until morning. Night after night, she lay awake in her bed while holding her ears. Sometimes, it was like the basement was right beside her. One night, her curiosity got the better of her. Her heart stricken with fear, kept her from closing her eyes until she knew what was behind that door! She was back there again. She gulped as a single drop of sweat rolled down her forehead as the door trembled with every slam. Carefully, she finally opened the door. It wasn’t even locked. Behind it was… Nothing. Pitch black. Pure darkness and emptiness. “YOU WERE WARNED!” A thousand screams echoed in her head as something unseen grasped her little body and dragged her down. The basement’s door was closed again, and the little filly was never seen again. The room’s lights were back again as Twilight turned off her spell. Rarity was lying down and hiding under her hooves while shaking. She was trembling with fear ever since the basement was mentioned. But she nearly screamed her heart out when Twilight suddenly turned off the only light and shouted at her that she was warned. “So? How was it?” Twilight asked while Rarity was breathing in and out, clearly shaken up by it. “F-Far scarier than mine, that’s for sure! But the jumpscare at the end was a little cheating…” The white unicorn muttered in response while Twilight stared at her in silence. “There is a moral to this story, you know? There is something to learn from it. Do you know what the lesson is?” She finally spoke up, making Rarity hum in thought. “I would say not to trust strangers no matter how kind they seem, I suppose,” She replied as Twilight grimaced and looked away disappointedly. “No. That’s not the lesson at all,” She shook her head and sighed. “Then… What is, darling?” Rarity cocked an eyebrow. “There’s no point in me telling you the lesson if you don’t understand it yourself. Forget it; what is the next step to that slumber party?” Twilight responded as Rarity put a hoof on her chin. The story Twilight told her wasn’t simply scary, it was also strange. Mostly because of Twilight’s questioning at the end. There were no morals in ghost stories usually since their purpose was mainly to scare ponies. What could the lesson be? If it wasn’t to distrust strangers, then maybe it was supposed to teach foals that they shouldn't be disobedient? It didn’t feel like the answer either… She wouldn’t figure it out, so it was better to avoid wasting time on something like this. “S’mores! Now we make smores,” Rarity exclaimed happily as Twilight looked surprised. “S’mores? Is it that exciting?” She inquired in confusion, only for Rarity to nod in response. “It is during slumber parties! We’ll need crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate! Can you be a dear and summon some, please?” Rarity replied while Twilight rolled her eyes. “Because you asked nicely,” She retorted before lighting her horn and teleporting the ingredients to her. “Wonderful! Then let’s get to it!” Rarity smiled before realizing something. “Oh, but we’ll need a fireplace,” “No, we won’t,” Twilight replied while pointing at her horn. Right. She could probably heat them up herself. Rarity was pleasantly surprised to see that Twilight didn’t complain much this time, unlike with the makeovers. She didn’t seem happy or overjoyed by any means, but if she didn’t have anything negative to say, then maybe she didn’t think it was that bad. After putting chocolate on a cracker, Twilight heated a marshmallow up until it melted and carried it in her magical grab before putting it over the chocolate. “You are doing great, dear! Now, carefully place the second cracker over the marshmallow,” Rarity instructed as Twilight followed the few steps there were to make a s’more. “Good! It looks perfect! Now, you can eat it,” “Mmm, it’s not bad,” Twilight commented while chewing on it. “What do you say we make more?” Rarity asked as the other unicorn nodded in approval. Twilight and she made several other s’mores, which they ate without a waste. Again, Twilight seemed a bit more relaxed, and Rarity was getting hopeful again about the whole ordeal. She wasn’t expecting a great friendship to bloom after that single slumber party, but it was certainly a good start. The next activity was truth or dare, and Rarity had absolutely no idea how this would play out. She hoped there would be more truths than dares because she wasn’t sure what she would dare Twilight to do. She didn’t want to make fun of her either in case she took it the wrong way and literally blew up her face. “Truth or dare? How do we play it?” Twilight asked. "We can ask any question to the other, and they must answer truthfully. Alternatively, we can dare each other to do something, and we'll have to carry out the dare," Rarity explained, prompting Twilight to raise an eyebrow. "We must? What compels us to follow through, precisely? Is there some kind of spell involved?" Twilight questioned, her confusion evident, causing Rarity to roll her eyes and chuckle. “No, it’s just the rules of the game. If there is anything you are too uncomfortable to do or answer, then you can say it and I’ll change the question,” Rarity replied while Twilight nodded along, in understanding. “Alright, I get it,” “Wonderful! Then I’ll start! Let’s get to the juicy questions first! Were you…” Rarity stopped herself right before she could finish her sentence. She was about to ask Twilight if she was ever interested in somepony, but knowing that mare, the most likely answer was no. So she changed it a little. “Has anypony ever flirted with you?” She finally asked. “Really? That is the question you want to ask?” Twilight recoiled in surprise and disappointment. “Yes, it is,” Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes before humming in thought. “There was one pony, but he was more interested in my status. It was Prince Blueblood. A descendant of Daybreaker,” Twilight replied, making Rarity gasp. “This muttonhead?! Oh, I’m sorry you had to deal with him, Twilight! He is handsome on the outside, but quite ugly on the inside,” Rarity put a hoof over her chest. “Well, I personally think he’s ugly in and out,” Twilight muttered while running a hoof through her mane. “I suppose it’s my turn now? Mmm… I know! Are you a spy?” She asked while pointing at the white unicorn, who rolled her eyes and snickered. “No, I am not a spy,” She answered. “Let’s try another question before doing any dares… Let’s see… What do you think of Princess Luna?” She asked, which served only to help her learn more about Twilight rather than be embarrassing. "What do I think of her?" Twilight furrowed her brows, deeply contemplating her response. "No simple words can do her justice. There is no pony more intelligent, stronger, or more beautiful than her. Everything that unfolds is but a part of her intricate plans, allowing her to make the most efficient and swift decisions. She is a figure of awe and admiration, an inspiration to all, and particularly to me. Her profound wisdom is surpassed only by her brilliance. Of course, she isn't merely a prodigy; she was born great, I believe, but also worked diligently to surpass any expectations placed upon her. Her breathtaking night sky is a reflection of her true self. All I can do is observe it while silently aspiring to reach it one day. For now, it remains a goal I can only gaze upon with admiration and respect, understanding that nothing in this world can compare to it. As her student, I am eternally grateful that she took me under her wing and made me her apprentice," Twilight spoke with heartfelt gratitude and reverence. “That… I don’t know what to say,” Rarity retorted, shocked by Twilight’s statements. The diva never asked the original Twilight what she thought about Princess Celestia, but she couldn’t help but wonder if she did see her that way. From the way this Twilight spoke, it appeared that she was much more in awe of Luna than her Twilight was of Celestia. Rarity found herself perplexed by Twilight's counterpart. Initially, she had assumed the alternate Twilight would be similar to their original version before they met their friends. Yet the way she spoke, her actions, and her demeanor were markedly different. Once more, she found her thoughts drifting back to the ghost story she had recounted, pondering the lesson it supposedly taught. That wasn’t something she made up on the fly, but a story she was obviously told. Was that something known in this universe? Did it have anything to do with her family? Who was she? The white unicorn could only wonder because she knew that at the end of the day, Twilight wouldn’t answer her questions. After her little speech about Princess Luna, their truth or dare felt like a blur that passed in an instant. She didn’t remember much, but she didn’t ask Twilight anything worth noting. Her dares were silly and easy to do, but it seemed the lavender unicorn enjoyed some of them. Or maybe that was a trick of the eye, and Rarity never actually saw a smile on the other unicorn’s lips. Twilight’s questions and dares were even less eventful and made it obvious she was new to this game. Never even once did she think of embarrassing Rarity. Seeing her struggle to understand such a simple game was… Cute in a way. Amusing, too. She thought about doing the pillow fight but swiftly changed her mind after some consideration. Telling Twilight’s counterpart that she wanted to fight probably wasn’t a good idea. Rarity also had no doubt that she would quickly have a mouth full of feathers if they started a pillow fight. So all that was left was to sleep. “Unfortunately, I don’t have a second bed, so…” Twilight teleported a pillow and a blanket and dropped them on the floor before looking back at Rarity. “I hope you don’t mind sleeping on the ground,” Rarity grimaced, not looking forward to it at all. “Are you sure there isn’t a little more room on your bed, Twilight? It’s not that I don’t appreciate your hospitality, but the floor will hurt my back, probably…” Rarity looked at the other unicorn with pleading eyes, hoping Twilight had any empathy for her. “And that story will make it even harder for me to sleep,” The night’s student stared at her in silence, judging her and thinking about her request. She was no doubt hesitant, and if they hadn’t had this slumber party, Rarity could guarantee that Twilight wouldn’t have thought twice about it before making her sleep on the floor. Finally, after several agonizing seconds of silence, Twilight sighed. “Very well. I am in a good mood, so I guess I can let you sleep with me, but you better not do anything weird,” She conceded. “Oh, thank you, darling! Wait… What do you mean?” Rarity jerked back at her statement. “No offense, but I don’t trust you fully,” Twilight retorted before lighting her horn and making her body shine multiple times in different colors. “I cast a few protection spells on me. I hope you don’t kick while you sleep because you risk losing a leg,” She warned her before yawning. She didn’t wait for Rarity’s response and just climbed into her bed. The white unicorn stared at her while Twilight slid under the covers and closed her eyes. She lit her horn one last time, and the lights were off. Rarity finally got out of her stupor once she was submerged in darkness, and joined the other unicorn in bed. At least, her bed was comfortable. Even more so than the one in the library or the castle. Did she use spells to make it that way? Twilight’s counterpart seemed even more obsessed with magic than the original one! But she guessed it wasn’t such a bad thing. She slipped under the covers, which were large enough for the two of them, as her bed was, and closed her eyes. Both ponies faced the opposite direction, lying back to back. It didn’t take the fashionista very long before falling asleep, but she had to admit this was an agitated night. Bam. Bam. Bam. Was she dreaming? Was she sleeping? Was the sound she was hearing happening in real life or was she having a nightmare? She wasn’t sure, but the basement door didn’t stop its pounding. Bam. Bam. Bam. She was scared, but she couldn’t wake up. She wasn’t even sure that it was a dream! However, opening her eyes did nothing to change her surroundings. She was in a dark, cold, and empty place. She couldn’t even see her own body. She couldn’t even hear anything besides the pounding on that door. Bam. Bam. Bam. That story wasn’t that scary, so why did it affect her so much? Why did it terrify her so much? Why was she dreaming of that sound so vividly?! She began stirring in her sleep, moaning in fear as she seemingly tried to escape her own body in an attempt to cease this nightmare! Talking in her sleep, she only managed to let out a small fearful “no” before loudly breathing out. Suddenly, when all hope seemed lost for a peaceful sleep… A faint glow surrounded her. It was warm and reassuring as if someone she loved was comforting her. All the fear instantly vanished as did the sound of the basement door. The glow around her body lingered for a moment longer before fading away, leaving Rarity to have a calm and pleasant sleep. She didn’t know what in the world allowed this miracle to happen and save her, but she had only two simple words to say as her dreamscape suddenly turned into her boutique. “Thank you,”