One dark and stormy night- No wait, wrong genre… Still accurate though… Hmmm.
“Girls! Wait up!”
Oh this works.
“C’mon Fluttershy! Hurry up,” Pinkie Pie called frantically, her hooves beating out a frantic skipping step as she scurried backwards towards Twilight’s library… A sight that was of endless amusement to the pale blue pegasus mare that was lounging in the window watching her friends progress across the street.
“We’re going to be late!”
“Pinkie’s right, Fluttershy. If you keep this up you’re gonna have to figure out how to dodge raindrops. And although I think Pinkie could probably manage that particular feat, you’ll probably end up looking like a drowned rat!”
“Rainbow!”
Rarity’s accosting only earned her an uncaring eye roll from Rainbow Dash, who returned to watching the sky darken. Twilight smiled at her friends playful joshing from her seat at the computer. On the desk was the case from Rainbow’s new game along with a cooling pot of tea. She had made it unusually strong by accident, but as Spike had been quick to point out, it had turned out for the better, as he could easily make iced tea with it- Which would be far safer to drink while playing a game that tends to make one jump.
A crack of lightning split the blackening sky, a silver bolt that lit the world around the quiet tree in a haunting hue. The rumbling peal of thunder that followed was promptly echoed by the front door slamming open as Fluttershy shot in as a yellow blur. Pinkie followed her in a minute later, giggling a little at the storm. Everything seemed to strike that girl funny.
Twilight carefully swung around in her chair to look at the pile of cushions which Fluttershy was currently hiding under.
“You know Fluttershy, if the storm is going to bother you, we can reschedule.”
Rainbow Dash’s head snapped around to look at Twilight in a mixture of pleading disappointment and affronted horror. Before she could utter an audible protest to the suggestion, Rarity gently whopped the cyan pegasus in the ribs in a silent disapproving scold. While the two glared at each other, Fluttershy emerged from her hiding spot.
“O-oh, n-no, it’s quite alright… I still want us to have our usual game night… I just don’t like storms much.”
“Are you sure, Fluttershy? I mean, I don’t think there’s any reason why we couldn’t postpone it until tomorrow night… The storm will be long over by then.”
Fluttershy shook her head at Twilight’s gentle offer.
“Oh no, it’s fine really. In fact, I’d feel much better here playing with everypony than I would sitting at home.”
“YES!” Fluttershy giggled slightly as Rainbow did a victorious loop-de-loop in the air before landing with a flop beside her.
“You’re the best Fluttershy!” RD hugged her fellow pegasus tightly before rocketing back to her place at the window. “Now we just need AJ.”
“I do believe that Applejack had some errands to tend to before coming,” Rarity called lightly as she made her way to the kitchen. “Do you mind if I make some popcorn, Twilight?”
“Go right ahead, Rarity. I think Spike’s in the kitchen, but as long as you mind his tail, he won’t care.”
Pinkie skipped her way over to sit beside Twilight to look up at the computer screen with a hint of amused confusion.
‘Is it working Twilight? I know you couldn’t get that last one to work… You know, that Jackie one.”
“Justine, Pinkie. And I think this one should work, everything seems fine so far… But we won’t know until I actually get it running.”
“It better work,” Rainbow groused from her position at the window. “I’m really looking forward to this one.”
“Well, cross your feathers then!” Pinkie giggled, before almost visibly lighting up as something occurred to her. “OH! We should totally have some Jack-O-lanterns!”
“Jack-O-lanterns?” Rainbow deadpanned.
“Yeah! It’s almost Nightmare Night after all!” Pinkie’s face split into an angelic grin, and Rainbow resisted the urge to facehoof.
“Pinkie. Where in Equestria are you going to get Jack-O-lanterns at this time of night? And we’re going to start playing as soon as Applejack gets here and Twilight’s done setting it up! So you don’t really have time to make them…”
“Oh ye of little faith.” Pinkie sighed dramatically before turning to grin at the purple unicorn beside her. “Twilight, you have some jars and orange tissue paper right?”
“Huh? Uh, sure, there’s a bunch of old jars in the cupboard over there, and I think there’s some tissue paper downstairs.”
“Thanks!”
A pink blur shot by, and at a speed which surely only Pinkie Pie can reach, the coffee table was soon covered in old glass jars, tissue paper, black construction paper, and glue.
“Hey, Fluttershy, come help me with this!”
“Um, alright…”
Rainbow just gaped at them with uttermost bemusement, as Pinkie showed Fluttershy what to do.
“You see, you rip up the paper like this, and then you put a bit of glue on the jar, and then you just stick on the paper like this! Then when it’s all~ covered, you just cut out a little face with the black paper, and stick that on too! Then you have your very own Jack-o-lantern jar!”
Twilight grinned to herself as Rainbow walked over to join the two in investigation, which quickly turned in to her helping them make the small decorations. The rain began to come down in a gentle muttering as she finished installing the game in relative peace. (Relative due to the conversation that occasionally drifted up… “Fluttershy! You’re not supposed to make them cute!” )
“What are those three doin’?”
Twilight turned around in her seat with a hint of surprise. She had been so enraptured in setting the game up for them, that she hadn’t heard the door open to let in a slightly drenched Applejack.
“Not getting in my hair,” Twilight replied lightly, magicking over a towel for her friend to dry off with. “Nice to see you could make it Applejack.”
The earth pony chuckled slightly as she dried herself off. “Ah’m glad Ah could make it too.”
“Hey AJ!” Rainbow hastily put down the finished jar she was messing with to gently punch her friend in the shoulder. “Ready to get your hat scared off?”
“We’ll see about that Rainbow, now won’t we?”
Rarity rolled her eyes as she strode into the room with a bowl of popcorn perfectly balanced on her back, and the freshly poured tea in her grasp. “Now don’t you two start your little challenges already.”
“Oh alright. Hey, Twi, is the game ready yet?”
Twilight sighed with a hint of exasperation before turning to smile at her friends. “Yes Rainbow, the game is ready. You just need to tell me which difficulty to set it to.”
“Put it on Hard! I ain’t afraid of no challenge!”
“Perhaps Rainbow Dash, but some of us are beginners at this. I think putting it on Easy would be a much better idea, personally.”
“Awh, come on Rarity-”
“You know what? I’m just going to put it on Medium. That way everypony’s happy.”
The mouse click was audible across the room, and brought a palpable excitement to the air. As the screen darkened to load the game, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash shot in opposite directions to turn out the lights and set up the newly created lanterns. Blue and magenta magic lit to quickly pull cushions about to make seats, the bowl of popcorn and drink pitcher were positioned in easy reach. With a last spark of magic, the lantern’s candles were lit, leaving the room bathed in a soft gold light that was both cozy and slightly ominous as thunder rolled in the background.
“So. Who’s playing first?”