“You’re joking, right?” Phoenix asked incredulously.
“No, Ah ain’t! Fluttershy flew up to that dragon and told it off like it was her own kid!” Applejack said excitedly as she continued to rip down long branches from the nearby trees.
“I wish I could have seen that. I’m sorry that I couldn’t go with you to face the dragon.” Phoenix said.
“Now, don’t be that way, sugarcube. You had to make sure that the kids would be okay... Thank you for lookin’ after Apple Bloom.” Applejack said with a smile. Phoenix looked away from the tree he was working on and smiled back. Applejack then looked towards Rarity, only to discover what she was doing, causing her to march towards her. Phoenix remained and continued to tear the branches down. After a few minutes, Phoenix’s concentration was broken by an earth-shattering boom of thunder. Phoenix looked and saw that he was on his own and the storm that the pegasi had scheduled had started. Phoenix sighed as he turned, only to see Applejack sheltering herself from the rain and Rarity complaining about it.
Phoenix walked over to them as the rain and wind was starting to pick up speed.
“Girls! We need to find some shelter!” Phoenix spoke over the winds.
“I wholeheartedly agree, Phoenix!” Rarity replied. Applejack emerged from under the table just as another voice drifted through the air.
“Applejack! Rarity! Phoenix!” Twilight yelled from the library.
“Twilight?” The three ponies in question said.
“Come inside, quickly!” Twilight instructed. The three galloped towards the library.
“Whoa, nelly. Is inside a tree really the best place to be in a lightning storm?” Applejack asked, to which Phoenix nodded in agreement of the question.
“It is if you have a magical lightning rod protecting your home like I do. Come on in!” Twilight replied, much to Applejack and Phoenix’s relief.
“Hah! We are most grateful for your invitation.” Rarity said gratefully.
“Thank you so much, Twilight.” Phoenix said in a similar manner.
“Thank ya kindly for your hospitality.” Applejack said in the same fashion as well, only to be stopped by Rarity.
“Uh, do be a polite house guest and go wash up, won’t you?” Rarity asked snootily. Applejack was about to reply, but Phoenix beat her to it.
“How do you expect her to do that?” Phoenix asked.
“I saw a hose outside. That should suffice.” Rarity explained.
“How am Ah gonna use that with mah hooves an’ mah mouth?” Applejack asked.
“You’re a big mare, Applejack, I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” Rarity rudely replied. Applejack looked ready to explode, while Twilight was further in the library; out of earshot. Phoenix put his hoof on Applejack’s shoulder.
“I’ll give you a hoof. Come on.” Phoenix walked outside with her. He insisted that she remain still while he aimed the hose with his magic. He aimed it away from her at first in order to get the power to what he wanted it to be. At the suitable setting, he aimed it at Applejack’s hooves. The mud was quickly removed, but a thought then came to Phoenix.
As did a devilish smirk.
Phoenix then aimed the hose higher and splashed Applejack with water. Her face became one of shock as she watched Phoenix laugh heartily. Her look of shock became a smirk as she leapt for the hose and forcefully made it face Phoenix, effectively drenching him. He looked at her levelly until the smirk came back to his face as he began to use his magic gather the rain into large orbs of water and made them circle around him. Applejack still remained confident as she grabbed the hose with her mouth.
A few minutes of splashing, laughing and quite a bit of cursing later, Phoenix and Applejack were completely drenched and still giggling. They walked into the library as Phoenix use a minor fire spell to dry them off, but not burn them. The sight that befell them was Rarity and Twilight with some kind of muddy substance all over their faces.
“What in tarnation... Now, wait just a goll-darn minute! Ya make me wash the mud off mah hooves, but it’s okay for y’all to have mud all over your faces? What’s up with that?” Applejack directed her last question at Phoenix who simply shrugged.
“Mares. Stallions aren’t designed to understand them.” Phoenix replied.
“Silly! This is called a mud mask. It’s to refresh and rejuvenate your complexion.” Rarity explained.
“We’re giving each other makeovers! Eee-hee!! We have to do it, it says so in the book.” Twilight said as she displayed the book for Phoenix and Applejack to read.
“’Slumber 101: Everything You...’ Oh hey, would you look at the time. Ah gotta skidaddle on home quick. Ah’m powerful late for, uh, for somethin’. Uh, g’night.” Applejack nervously explained as she went for the door, but a loud roar of thunder and a large lightning strike made her return to her original spot.
“Or maybe Ah’ll sit here for a spell.” Applejack said fearfully.
“Hurray slumber party!” Twilight announced.
“Hey, Twilight, what’s next on the list? I’d like to know what to expect.” Phoenix asked.
“Yeah, Ah don’t really wanna do what y’all are doin’ right now.” Applejack stated.
“Well, after makeovers is ghost stories, but we can’t do those without doing makeovers first. We have to do everything by the book to make my first slumber party officially fun!” Twilight announced excitedly. Phoenix nodded in agreement, but turned to Twilight.
“Twilight, I’m all for this and I promise to do my best to help make tonight as fun as I can, but guys aren’t really into makeovers. It will destroy what little ego I have left.” Phoenix explained casually.
“Oh. Okay, Phoenix. Oh! I just thought of something! When we’re done with the makeovers, you can judge how we look! That way, we’ll get a stallion’s point of view!” Twilight explained, her enthusiasm not waning once.
“Yeah, I can do that.” Phoenix agreed and watched as the makeovers went underway on Twilight, Rarity and Applejack, despite her earlier protests. When they were complete, they removed the mud masks and rollers from the faces and manes respectively as Twilight looked at Phoenix with a giddy smile.
“Well, Phoenix? How do we look?” Twilight asked in a way that reminded Phoenix of Pinkie slightly.
“Well, you three don’t look any different than you usually do. So, basically, you all look gorgeous.” Phoenix said casually, causing all three of them to blush profusely. To quickly change the subject, Twilight opened the book again.
“Makeovers, check. Now it’s time for ghost stories. Who wants to go first?” Twilight asked.
“Me! Ah’d like to tell y’all the terrifyin’ tale of the prissy ghost who drove everypony crazy with her unnecessary neatness. Oo-oo! Ah’m sure y’all are familiar with that one?” Applejack said.
“Never heard of it, but I have a much better one. It’s the horrifying story of the messy, inconsiderate ghost who irritated every pony within a hundred miles! Oo-oo!” Rarity retorted. They looked ready to argue again, but a voice interrupted them.
“Well, those sucked hayballs. I think I’ve got a better one.” Phoenix said and then proceeded to tell the story. A few minutes in and the three girls were both sweating and shaking. The scariness of the story and Phoenix’s deep, theatrical voice combined to create the chills down the girls’ spines.
“He entered his brother’s room to see him sleeping in his bed, completely unaware that his loving brother had just murdered their parents. Liu only began to wake up as his brother climbed on top of him and began to raise the blood-covered knife with his magic, ready to stab him. He then felt the tip of a hoof on his lips and a soft voice reach his ears.” Phoenix began to lean forward and signalled the girls to do the same. When they did so, he prepared his magic for the finale.
“The voice said: ‘Shh... Go to sleep...’.” Phoenix whispered and used his magic like a hoof to trace along the girls’ spines, causing them to turn around and scream at the top of their lungs.
And Phoenix to chuckle at their reactions.
They eventually died down when they saw nopony there and Phoenix’s chuckling caused them to look back at him and glare before starting to chuckle themselves, albeit nervously.
“I-I think t-that’s enough from ghost stories. Wh-who wants s’mores?” Twilight said as she checked it off of the list. As the girls stopped shaking and looking over their shoulders every few minutes, Rarity began to educate everypony on how to properly make a s’more, to which Applejack’s normal simple ways ignored and drove her to eat a marshmallow as it was.
“S’mores, check. Now, the next item of fun we have to do is: Truth or Dare.” Twilight announced.
“I dare Applejack to do something carefully and neatly for a change.” Rarity said.
“Oh, yeah? Well, Ah dare Rarity to lighten up and stop obsessin’ over every last little detail for a change.” Applejack replied.
“I think the truth of the matter is that somepony could stand to pay a little more attention to details.” Rarity said, a little more agitated.
“And Ah think to truth is somepony oughta quit with her fussin’ so the rest of us can get things done.” Applejack replied, equally agitated. Suddenly, a black aura surrounded both Rarity’s and Applejack’s ears, causing them to repeat the word ‘ow’ and remain practically motionless.
“Ladies, ladies. You’re both pretty, can we stop this now? Twilight, why don’t you tell us the rules and you start us off in the game?” Phoenix said before releasing Applejack and Rarity.
“Okay. ‘You have to give an honest answer to any question or do whatever anypony dares you to do.' Okay... Phoenix, truth or dare?” Twilight asked.
“Truth.”
“...Who was your first kiss?” Twilight asked, clearly trying to think of a good personal question.
“Well, I’ve never had one.” Phoenix replied, causing the mares in the room to look at him in disbelief.
“Really? I would have thought you would have. Nevermind. Your turn.” Twilight said and pointed to Phoenix.
“Okay, Twilight. Truth or dare?” Phoenix asked.
“Truth, please.” Twilight replied.
“When we first met, you were very stutter-y and very red. Could you explain?” Phoenix asked with a smirk as Twilight’s cheeks went red.
“Well... Okay. I was always focused on my studies and nearly never left my room when I was growing up. So, I never talked to other mares, let alone stallions. So, when I saw you... I... I just wasn’t used to seeing stallions that handsome! It took me by surprise!” Twilight explained, her face completely red.
“Aww. I feel all fuzzy now. But, that does explain why you didn’t act the same way the second time you saw me.” Phoenix said with a kind smile.
“Yeah. Whose turn is it next?” Twilight asked, her blush beginning to recede.
“Ah’ll go.” Applejack said. Her gaze began alternating between Rarity and Phoenix, clearly wanting to do two different ideas but could only choose one.
“Phoenix, truth or dare?” Applejack asked after a moment.
“...Truth again.” Phoenix said.
“Tell us one of your secrets.” Applejack asked with a grin. Phoenix seemed to be unfazed as he thought.
“Well... I own a pair of knee-high black socks that I wear when I want to feel particularly comfortable when I sleep.” Phoenix explained without his expression changing. The girls looked at him in shock.
“W-what?! Why would you wear such a... kinky thing like that?!” Rarity asked in shock.
“I like the way it feels on my body. I do it when I have trouble sleeping and it gets me back into the dream realm as it were.” Phoenix explained calmly.
“But, they’re designed for... other things, darling. Simply owning them is...” Rarity shuddered.
“Well, how do you know what they’re designed for, Rarity?” Phoenix asked with a smirk, causing Rarity to blush.
“I... may have made a pair or two for customers... But, never for myself before you insinuate anything!” Rarity said defensively.
“I didn’t say anything.” Phoenix said with his unwavering smirk. Twilight leaned closer to Phoenix.
“Do you really do that? And for those reasons?” Twilight asked.
“Yeah. Why?” Phoenix asked.
“I do too! For those reasons!” Twilight said excitedly, glad that she’d found somepony to relate to in that aspect.
“No way! What kind of socks do you have?” Phoenix asked. Twilight’s blush emerged on her face again.
“They’re... pink and purple striped socks that cover the whole of my legs.” Twilight said timidly. Phoenix didn’t answer for a few seconds as he looked at her legs before looking back at her face.
“Hot.” Phoenix said simply. Twilight blushed and giggled. They both looked at Applejack and Rarity who were back to arguing causing Twilight to sigh.
“Maybe we can skip the pillow fight and just call it a night?” Phoenix offered to which Twilight agreed.
“I have spare pyjamas for everypony to use.” Twilight said as she began to walk upstairs.
“Sometimes, I wish our natural magic was subconscious, so we could use it in our sleep.” Phoenix said with an annoyed sigh as he followed her.
“I know what you mean. That way, we could hide our genitalia all of the time except for when we need them, right?” Twilight said.
“Exactly. Say, you know something about practically everything, do you think it’s possible?” Phoenix asked.
“Well, I don’t think I’m that smart, but... no, I don’t think it’s possible.” Twilight blushed slightly as she retrieved three pairs of lavender coloured bottoms and one pair of lavender coloured shorts.
“Are you sure you’re okay with me wearing your pyjamas, Twilight?” Phoenix asked with concern.
“Well, I’d rather you wear them for one night and I wash them than you not wearing them and the risk that any of us see more than we should.” Twilight said.
“...Fair enough. Thank you.” Phoenix said gratefully as he took a pair of bottoms and donned them as Twilight donned another pair, leaving one pair of bottoms and one pair of shorts left.
“Who do you think will be stuck with the shorts? I don’t wear them, myself.” Twilight asked.
“I can’t say. I’m just going to enjoy the view.” Phoenix replied. Twilight playfully smacked his foreleg with her own as they both broke into laughter. They saw that Applejack and Rarity had engaged in a pillow fight during their absence, but it was more like a pillow war. Pillows were flying like bullets until Phoenix repeated his action of pinching their ears with his magic. As they both got back into the habit of repeating the word ’ow’, Phoenix dragged them both towards him.
“Enough, you two. You are going to march in there, put your pyjamas on and go to bed.” Phoenix instructed. Applejack and Rarity responded with a glare.
“I’m going to count to three. One... Two...” With each count, Phoenix tightened his grip on their ears, causing them to flinch more in pain.
“Ah give! Ah give!” Applejack yelled.
“As do I! Please, let go!” Rarity agreed.
“There we go. Now, do as I instructed, please.” Phoenix said softly as released them. Applejack and Rarity looked at the two pairs of pyjamas that Twilight brought in. Applejack reached for the bottoms, but Rarity gripped them with her magic and slipped them on quickly, leave Applejack with the shorts. She sighed and put them on.
“So, what are the sleeping arrangements, Twilight?” Rarity asked.
“Well, I have an extra bed in my room that could hold a couple of ponies. Two of you will have to share and one of you will sleep on the couch.” Twilight explained. Immediately, both Applejack and Rarity linked hooves with Phoenix.
“Ah’ll share with Phoenix.” Applejack said quickly.
“No, I insist that I share with Phoenix.” Rarity quickly replied, causing the two mares to glare at each other. Phoenix, however pulled his forelegs out of the mares’ grips.
“I will take the sofa. Thank you for doing this, Twilight.” Phoenix said gratefully.
“You’re welcome, Phoenix. I’ll get you a pillow and blanket.” Twilight said pleasantly as Applejack and Rarity continued to glare at each other. Twilight opened her wardrobe a removed a spare quilt and pillow from it, but her eyes were drawn to an item of clothing that was tucked at the back of the wardrobe.
Her socks.
She questioned whether she should wear them or not, but eventually used her magic to slide them gracefully up her legs. They clung tightly to her legs, yet comfortably. She walked back to the living room with the quilt and pillow in her magic. Everypony in the room immediately noticed the socks. Applejack’s and Rarity’s eyes widened as they both blushed. Phoenix’s cheeks grew slightly pink, yet he just smirked as she walked over.
“Feels relieving, doesn’t it?” Phoenix said with his smirk to which Twilight nodded.
“Twilight! Why are you wearing those... things?!” Rarity screamed. Twilight sighed.
“I thought we were over this.” Twilight said with annoyance.
“What Ah wanna know is why you like ‘em in the first place.” Applejack said a little more calmly.
“I can help her answer that.” Phoenix said.
In every heart there lies a place, all across the pony race.
Beneath a veil of fear and pride, guilty pleasures lie inside.
Things that make our heart take wing, sometimes they're embarrassing.
Against their sway we have no powers,
And these wool socks are one of ours.
Guilty pleasures!
Everypony has a few!
Guilty pleasures!
You and me and even you!
Guilty pleasures!
Contradict your sense of taste!
Guilty pleasures!
They can only be embraced!
The firecolt who loves ballet.
The model who loves anime.
We all have a stupid song that always makes us sing along!
So reconcile inside your mind, our love for these wool socks are blind.
Yes, they're dumb
Yes, they're gay
But we love them anyway!
Guilty pleasures!
Everypony has a few!
Guilty pleasures!
You and me and even you!
Guilty pleasures!
Surely even you have some!
Guilty pleasures!
Love them even though they're dumb!
Guilty pleasures!
They're the best at any time!
Guilty pleasures!
You have yours and I have mine!
Guilty pleasures!
These wool socks are just the shit,
Guilty pleasures!
And we won't stop loving it!
Silence fell as the music and singing stopped, disturbed only by the heavy breathing of Twilight and Phoenix.
“Whew! After that, I really need to get some rest.” Twilight said as she began to walk up to her room.
“I’m with you on that one.” Phoenix replied as he prepared the sofa to act as his bed. Rarity and Applejack finally snapped out of their daze to see that Phoenix and Twilight had gone to bed, so they followed suit. Phoenix managed to drift into a steady sleep as the minutes passed. Until, he heard yelling coming from the upstairs bedroom. He awoke and looked up towards the room and listened. The yelling was muffled by the distance of the rooms and by the storm. Suddenly, a giant tree filled Phoenix’s vision and landed on top of him. The trunk managed to miss Phoenix; therefore he wasn’t crushed, but a large branch coming from the side of the trunk was heavy enough to pin him down by his neck. A few minutes of struggling later, the tree began to glow with a light sapphire magical hue and the entire tree changed into little ornaments made of the bark and foliage.
Phoenix walked up to Twilight’s room to see it in complete disarray, and the girls in a group hug. Twilight explained that the lightning rod failed and the nearest highest point (namely, the tree) was struck. Rarity then explained that the wind caused the tree to fall into the window. Phoenix knew she was lying, but the grateful look that Applejack gave her told Phoenix that he shouldn’t pry. After the mess was cleared up, Phoenix went back to sleep as the girls went back to the sleepover. Phoenix could immediately tell that Rarity and Applejack were much more at ease with each other when he saw them after the tree incident.
Things can change so much... someday in the rain.