"...and just as the last one thought she was safe, hot breath on her shoulder made her freeze on the spot. There she was, whimpering to herself in those cold, dark woods, all alone. She slowly turned her head, her whole body shaking and there...just inches away was..."
"The Hydra of Horror!" Almost on cue, a bright bolt of lightning struck outside, making all the ponies in the treehouse jump in fright. Rainbow resisted the urge to laugh at the sight of her friends tumbling around clumsily in front of her. Maintaining her cool, she took the opportunity to relax against the wall, breathing out contentedly.
"Wow, Rainbow!" Twilight was the first to respond, grinning like a filly. "That was a great ghost story! Alright, who's next?"
Rainbow smiled from ear to ear, her tired gaze falling upon Applejack. She let herself get lost in the deep, green pools of her eyes, her heart fluttering in her chest. Rainbow's mind began to wonder and she barely realised that Twilight had begun to weave her own ghostly tale. All she cared about was Applejack. She shut her eyes, thinking about their recent talks. We really ought to tell the others about us A voice inside her head told her. It keeps getting tougher to hide the truth. Even that night, Rainbow had almost kissed Applejack in front of everyone. It was only when Applejack quickly moved away that Rainbow had remembered; nopony knew about them. As nervous as she got at the thought of telling them, she couldn't help but groan at the thought of hiding it all forever. She twisted and turned slightly, resting her head comfortably against the wood behind her.
"Rainbow?"
A small voice woke Rainbow up abruptly, a yellow pegasus staring at her nervously. "Sorry, wha?" She scratched her mane with a hoof, slightly ashamed of nodding off as she had.
"I think Rainbow has the right idea, girls." Twilight perked up. "It's getting quite late and I think it's time we all got some shut-eye!" Despite the groans in protest, they all drifted off to their beds.
"Wait a sec, Twi." Applejack said, confused. "There are only FIVE beds..."
Twilight gasped, mentally counting each bed. "What?!" She exclaimed, surprising the other mare's. "I triple-checked the list! Triple-checked!" She stuck out her bottom lip, sulking.
"Honestly, Darling." Rarity's voice could be heard from the bed in the corner of the room. "I'm sure Applejack and Rainbow wouldn't mind sharing a bed for the night...I mean, we're all friends here!" With a yawn, she nestled into the bed, sighing.
"Well uh-" Rainbow stammered.
"Y'know that's uh-" Applejack stuttered.
"That sounds great but-"
"I'm sure that somethin' else could be arranged-"
"I could just sleep on the floor!"
"I could bunk with Rarity!"
Both mares gave fake smiles, trying their best to act normal. And failing. Twilight wasn't amused. "Come on, girls! It's just for the night." Twilight rolled her eyes, trotting over to her own mattress. "What's the problem?"
Applejack and Rainbow froze. "No problem. No problem at all." Applejack said through gritted teeth. She gave Rainbow a sharp nudge in the ribs. "Right, Rainbow?"
"R-right." Rainbow replied shakily, laughing nervously.
Satisfied, Twilight blew out the candle beside her. "Well, goodnight everypony!"
The Earth Pony and the Pegasus shifted uncomfortably into bed, unsure of how to handle the situation. Keeping their distance was getting harder and Rainbow was forcing the issue too much for Applejack's liking. In under five minutes, Applejack groaned a bit at the feeling of fuzzy blue hooves around her. "Rainbow, quit it." Applejack urged in a hushed tone. She put little effort into trying to shrug off the mare.
"C'mon, AJ." Rainbow said, tightening her grip. "You know you're too cuddly to resist!"
Despite her earlier attempts to shake her off, Applejack couldn't help but giggle, turning back to the cyan mare. "Oh really? Well you're just as bad." She returned the embrace and they both giggled as they jostled in the small bed. Disrupted by the noise, Rarity stirred a little causing Rainbow and Applejack to quickly separate. Rainbow instantly shoved her head into her pillow, snoring loudly while Applejack did the same on her side of the bed. Rarity gradually settled again and the room was silent once again, moonlight seeping in through the window.
"You know...you're fake snoring is absolutely adorable." Rainbow whispered in Applejack's ear, making the apple farmer blush a deep crimson.
"Did ya really just plan to spend the whole night teasin' me?"
"...maybe." Rainbow smirked, a devilish twinkle in her eye. They continued to talk quietly together throughout the night.
"Uh, Applejack?"
The orange mare's mane was frazzled, strands of it flying off in all directions. She opened one eye, searching her surroundings. She could just make out the blurry figures of a bubbly, pink pony and an elegant, white one. She struggled to get a better look, shifting uncomfortably underneath the fuzzy, cyan mass on top of her.
Oh no.
Shooting both eyes open and nervously laughing, Applejack pushed Rainbow off the top of her. Rainbow barely shifted as she fell to the floor, still snoring peacefully. The orange mare quickly run a hoof through her mane, smiling stupidly. Pinkie and Rarity stood frowning, waiting expectantly for any sort of reply.
"Well, uh...heh." Applejack's heart was racing, sweat trickling down her forehead. "You see..."
"Wait a second!" Pinkie spoke up, catching Applejack off-guard. "I know what's going on here!" She gave a knowing smile, winking at Applejack. Applejack could have sworn her heart skipped a beat, her mind screaming at her.
"...you and Rainbow have been hoof-wrestling again, haven't you?"
Applejack allowed herself to breathe again. "Eeyup, that's it! Rainbow and I got a little competitive last night. That's it!" She smiled, hoping to convince them.
Pinkie broke into tears. "Why, Applejack?! Why?!" She wailed.
"Uh, Pinkie?"
"You know I love to referee!" She exclaimed, slumping on the floor. "How could you not tell me about this?"
Applejack chuckled softly. "Sorry, Pinkie. Guess I forgot last night." She comforted the pink mare. "Next time though. You can referee next time. Pinkie Promise." Pinkie wiped away her tears, smiling with joy.
"Just tell me when and I'll be there!" She said, her normal, positive personality returning. She stuck a hoof in her mane, bringing out a small whistle. She blew it, the high-pitched noise waking up Twilight, Rainbow and Fluttershy with a start. She zipped down the stairs, her pink form disappearing into the kitchen.
Rarity coughed loudly. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I shall join Pinkie downstairs and make us some breakfast. After all, we all know what happened last time we left Pinkie to make the food."
Applejack laughed. "I still can't look at cupcakes the same today!"
They laughed, Applejack relieved nopony pressed further about her and Rainbow's awkward position. Rainbow on the other hand, was still in a tired daze, rubbing her eyes over and over again. "What did I miss?" She asked quietly, coming up beside Applejack.
"Oh, you know, this and that." Applejack grinned, beginning to trot down the stairs. "Let's just say I saved our flanks from having to make some pretty, awkward confessions." Applejack left Rainbow alone, the pegasus still confused at her words. It took her a few moments to remember last night and she grinned.
That's what she was talking about.