Chapter 1

It had been a while since all the girls has gotten together on a lazy Saturday night just to hang out. The weather had been a bit stormy all day due to the worrisome possibility of drought. The weather crews all over Equestria were busy the past week with dividing up the rain clouds for the fertile lands. Since most ponies were spending the week indoors, Twilight had suggested that all the girls gather together for a fun little night of doing absolutely nothing productive. Of course, doing absolutely nothing productive had been Rainbow Dash's suggestion. It seemed only fitting to everyone else, and Twilight finally agreed. On that night, with Spike asleep in another part of the house to keep away from the noise, they all found themselves inside Twilight's home.

"Are ya'll sure bout this, Twi?' AppleJack asked, standing next to a small bubbling beaker full of something dark brown while giving her friend a very skeptical look. Her hat was pulled down over her face a bit to shield herself just in case. "Ah mean, ah did say ah wanted uh little pick-me-up fer tonight, but…"

Twilight waved her hoof in the air as if this was an everyday occurrence. "Trust me, AppleJack. This little potion of mine will be sure to remedy all of your fatigue."

With her nose sticking out as far as possible, Rainbow Dash took a small sniff. Once the putrid smell entered her nostrils, she stuck out her tongue and made a gagging face. "Oh geez Twilight!" She complained, "It smells almost as bad as the backside of AppleJack's barn!" That rude observation produced a very angry glance from the blonde.

A very weary white pony sat on her haunches, leaning away as far as possible from the strange concoction on the table. "I'm afraid I must agree with Rainbow Dash." Rarity said, waving her hoof in front of her face, trying not to be overtly impolite. "I am not entirely certain myself."

With hungry eyes, licking her lips and inching closer and closer to the beaker with her hooves waving menacingly above her head, Pinkie Pie reached out and tried to snatch up the beaker. Her efforts were fruitless as she fell to the ground on her face, the beaker hovering over the table while encased in glittering purple. "Sorry, Pinkie Pie. I think you've already had way too much." Twilight said in a matter of fact tone.

"Aw!" Pinkie Pie cried out, rubbing her nose, still staring at the beaker. Her body seemed to shake from the near overload levels of jittery energy.

There was a sudden loud pop from a rather large bubble, and a high pitched squeak was heard from under the table. Fluttershy covered her head with her hooves and trembled in fear, doing her very best to shield herself. The bubble had caused a large amount of foam to cover the table, and a bit splashed up into everypony's face. When Fluttershy mustered the courage to come out and look at her friends, she squealed yet again and hid back under the table.

"I know it doesn't smell so good," Twilight reasoned, wiping the foam off her face, "but it's perfectly safe. It's just a herbal tonic made from leaves Zecora gave me."

Rainbow Dash shook out her mane and covered her nose. "Twilighth, thith stuff is groth! It stinkth and it smellth worth than skunk!"

With a big sigh, AppleJack took her hat off and whipped the foam off the brim, putting it back on her head. "Ah'm uh might sorry, Twi. Ah know ya'll tried yer hardest tah help, but ah'd be lyin if ah said ah'd try that."

"Darling," Rarity put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but maybe potion making isn't your forte. Magic? Absolutely. Potions? Well…at least not this particular potion."

Fluttershy eventually made her way up from under the table, keeping her eyes on the beaker while making a nauseated expression. "I'm so sorry…but…um…I think…um…I'm going to be sick…" He lamentation was almost inaudible due to her quiet voice.

"More for me!" Pinkie picked up the beaker with incredible speed and gulped down what was left, her pupils dilating as she slammed the beaker down on the table.

"Ugh…"Twilight put a hoof over her face and sighed. "I guess if Pinkie is the only one that likes it, than that's already a bad sign."

Using a hoof to wipe her face, Rainbow Dash accidentally touched her tongue. Upon suddenly tasting the horrible flavor, she coughed hard, sticking her tongue out. "Blech!" With both hooves, she wipes down the length of her tongue repeatedly.

"Ya'll don't need tah add yer mellowdrama, Rainbow." AppleJack furrowed her eyebrows and stared at her angrily. "Twilight worked really hard on that there potion." When she looked up to see Pinkie Pie standing on her head and kicking her haunches up and down like a frog, she groaned.

Rarity had already begun cleaning the table off in a delicate magical fashion, taking great care not to touch anything physically. Once everything had been stacked neatly together, she opened a window. "There. Now at least we can all breathe comfortably."

"Sorry about this, girls." Twilight said, wiping down the table. "Next time, I will try something from the beginners section instead of the expert's section of my potion's mastery book."

Pinkie Pie laughed and giggled more as she did a very uncomfortably looking worm crawl across the floor, but suddenly bounced straight up and ran with neck breaking speed into the bathroom. Fluttershy covered her head and shut her eyes tight as she felt the sudden gust of wind push her mane to the side.

"Now ah'm really glad ah didn't try it…" AppleJack shivered.

"Um…excuse me…Twilight?" Fluttershy gently pressed her hoof against Twilight's shoulder. "I'm really sorry…but…I think you're mane is…um, well…it's a little burnt."

With a glance up to her bangs, Twilight let out a sharp cry. "Ah!" She licked her hoof and pressed down on the still smoldering strands of hair.

Rainbow Dash started to laugh, hovering over the ground as she chuckled. Rarity ran passed her and put her hoof on Twilight's head. "This is not funny, Rainbow Dash!" She gasped. "This is an emergency!"

"Rarity, it's not that big of a deal." Twilight said. "Honestly. I'm not really bothered by it. It's just a few strands."

"Just a few strands!?" She exclaimed as AppleJack groaned, covering her face with a hoof. "It starts with a few strands! Then before you know it a whole lock of your mane is uneven!"

"Oh give me a break…"Rainbow sighed. "This is Twilight we're talking about. An egghead like her doesn't care about her mane."

Twilight smirked. "Oh Rainbow Dash, I had no idea you kept up with the latest fashions. How very polished of you." she said teasingly.

"What! No come on! I don't care about that kind of stuff!" She stopped hovering over the ground and turned away.

"But what about last week in Cloudsdale when you had your mane done to cheer on the Wonderbolts against the Cloudkickers?" Fluttershy asked with innocent curiosity.

"That's different, Fluttershy." She said. "I wasn't dolling myself up like Rarity. That was a sporting event. You're supposed to look silly."

"Oh…"

"Um, pardon me, dear Rainbow, but I do not doll myself up." Rarity said, pointing her nose up at the ceiling with poise, "I merely take care of my appearance to be presentable."

"Yeah, if by that you mean you spend half a day at the salon each week, then-"

"Now hold yer horses, girls." AppleJack interjected, cutting her off. "There ain't no need for nopony tah say something that might hurt somepony else's feelins."

Fluttershy agreed with a small nod and said, "Yes."

"How about we fix your mane, Twilight." Rarity suggested. "I just cannot in good conscious allow your mane to suffer through such an ordeal unattended."

"That sounds good with me." Twilight said. "I don't mind. It'll be like a makeover!"

Rainbow Dash was about to sigh heavily with disappointment, but a seemingly brilliant idea had planted its roots in her mind. "Oh good idea." she said. "Hey AJ, let me do your mane."

"Nice try, Rainbow." AppleJack replied with a chuckle. "With that little smirk ya'll got on yer face, ah can't say ah trust ya completely."

"Aw, come on AJ." she sighed, trying desperately to keep her giggle under wraps. "I promise I won't do anything weird to your mane."

She sighed, and slowly took her hat off. "Ya'll better not try nothing."

Rainbow Dash quickly sat behind AJ and smirked mischievously at Twilight and Rarity. As Twilight's mane slowly went Rarity's hooves, they both looked at each other with apprehension, but thought to themselves that it would be more interesting to see if Rainbow actually would try something. Fluttershy just sat in between both groups, looking back and forth nervously.

"Are you girls playing a game?" Said a shouting voice from the bathroom.

The rest of the girls giggled and looked towards the bathroom. Rainbow Dash smirked and yelled back, "Yeah Pinkie! You're missing all the awesome fun were having!"

The sounds of frantic panic could be heard from the bathroom as Pinkie shouted back, "No fair! Wait for me!" They all laughed again.

Rarity eyed Twilights mane with a ponderous look. "Hm…" she muttered. "Say Twilight, I've often wondered. Do you by chance happen to highlight your mane?"

"No not really." she replied. "It's always been like that. Even when I was a filly."

"I see." Rarity said. "It is quite lovely. Fits your complexion quite well."

"It does look nice." Fluttershy agreed, smiling up at the both of them.

"Ow!" AppleJack grumbled as she turned around to face the grinning blue pony behind her. "Rainbow, what did ya'll do?!" All the girls in the room had been expecting to see a monstrosity in AppleJack's mane, but instead, two braided locks of her mane had been twisted loosely together behind her head. The two braids hung gently across her neck and held her mane back away from her face. It was, to everypony's surprise, quite a lovely new contrast with the golden blonde.

At that moment, Pinkie came bouncing in the room. It took a second for her to notice everyone's unwavering gaze at AppleJack, and she gasped with surprise. "Ooooh. AppleJack, your mane looks super duper cute!"

With anger turning into confusion, Applejack got up and looked at her reflection in a window. She turned from side to side with a surprised expression. "Rainbow…" she said, stuttering. "How 'n poppy seeds did ya manage tah do this?"

Rarity couldn't help but gawk. "It is simply fabulous!" she nearly squealed.

"Yeah." Twilight nodded. "It actually looks really pretty good."

Rainbow Dash shrugged her shoulders and crossed her arms, trying to play off the fact that she was inwardly embarrassed. "I'm not completely brainless when it comes to looks."

"Ah guess ya ain't." AppleJack said. "It's…nice." Everypony nodded in near unison.

"Rainbow Dash…" Twilight spoke up, putting a hoof on Dash's shoulder. "You didn't do this just because I teased you earlier, did you?"

"What?" Dash said, sounded just a tiny bit defensive. "No of course not. I just always had this thought that AJ might look cute with a couple braids."

AppleJack blushed a bit and felt a slight burning in her ears. "Uh…ya think ah'd be cute…" she said nervously, "…if ah had uh couple braids?"

It was Dash's turn to blush. Unlike Applejack, she did not carry herself as gracefully through her embarrassment. She flailed her hooves in the air and said, "No! Don't be ridiculous, AJ."

"But that's what ya'll just said." AppleJack pointed out, now feeling a bit confused.

"Yep Yep!" Pinkie nodded her head rapidly and pointed to Dash. "That's what you said alright! I heard it too!"

"Well…yeah ok that's what I said," Dash now sounded much more defensive. "But not like all weird anything. I just kinda sorta thought that maybe AJ might look…cute…if she maybe sorta had a couple braids."

Thankfully, Fluttershy rescued the poor embarrassed Rainbow Dash by adding her innocent opinion to the mix. "It does look very pretty." she said with a big smile. "I think it was a very good idea." Everypony nodded again in unison.

"Heh…" Dash stuttered a bit while waving her hoof in the air. "It was nothing."

AppleJack tossed her mane ever so gently around and smiled. "Thanks, Rainbow." she chuckled. "Ah just might keep it this way."

"Sure, whatever." Dash shrugged, trying as hard as possible to conceal her inner feeling of success.

"Don't act so embarrassed, silly." Pinkie pat Dash's back and giggled.

"Ugh…" Dash slouched forward. "Can we talk about something else?"

Pinkie clap her hooves together. "A game!" she shouted, making Fluttershy cringe from the sudden loud outburst. "Lets play a game!"

"I think that's a good idea." Twilight agreed. "What game should we play?"

"Something cool." Dash said.

"Something fun!" Pinkie said, nearly shouting again.

"Something challenging." AppleJack said.

"Something relaxing…" A little voice mumbled.

"Something we all can play." Rarity noted.

"Ok…" Twilight sighed, trying to think of something that fit all of those requirements. "How about twenty questions? It's something we all can play, not stressful, a bit challenging, fun, and hopefully cool enough."

"Yeah, it's cool enough," Dash said, still acting a bit indifferent from earlier. She was just happy the conversation was not still painfully centered around her remark from earlier.

"Great!" Twilight said with a smile. "Who would like to go first?" It was no surprise that Pinkie raised her hoof almost immediately. "Pinkie. Of course. Go ahead."

"Yes!" Pinkie squealed. "I'm thinking of something sweet." All the girls gave each other a knowing giggle at such a predictable subject for their parlor game. Although, knowing Pinkie, it would be a somewhat challenging test.

Fluttershy hesitantly raised her hoof to get everypony's attention. "Um…If I may…can I ask the first question?" They all nodded at her. "Is it a pastry?"

Pinkie nodded and began to lick her lips as she started to picture the tasty treat in her mind. Rainbow Dash shot her hoof up. "Ooh! I got one. Is it something you make at Sugarcube Corner?"

Pinkie shook her head, but then looked up with a thoughtful expression. "Hm…Well, sometimes."

All the girls turned to each other and mumbled. Pinkie just continued to space out and drool at the thought of the delicious images dancing around in her head. Twilight whispered to the group, "If it's not something you find at Sugarcube Corner on a regular basis, then it can't be cake, muffins, or anything like that."

"Ah think ah might know." AppleJack whispered. She turned to Pinkie and asked, "Is it something' mah family can make?" Pinkie shook her head again, and AppleJack turned back to the group. "So it can't be no pies, fritters, turnovers, er anything' like that."

"This actually narrows it down quite a bit." Rarity replied. She turned to Pinkie and asked, "Is it perhaps a seasonal delicacy?"

Pinkie again shook her head, and Twilight raised her hoof. "If it's not seasonal, then is it has to be from a different town, right?"

Pinkie clapped her hooves together and nodded her head. "Yeppy duppy!"

"Is it from Canterlot?" Dash asked. "Las Pegasus? Manehatten?"

"No, No, and yes!" Pinkie said.

Rarity laughed a bit and collected herself into a poised composure. "Oh now it's quite clear." she said with a smile.

"What do you think it is?" Fluttershy asked.

"It's a cannoli, of course."

Pinkie clapped her hooves together one last time and started bouncing up at down while making a ringing bell sound. "That's it!"

"Wow, Rarity." Twilight remarked with a pleased smile. "I'm impressed. I would have never thought of that. I was thinking it might be a cream puff."

"Ooh! Those all sound good!" Pinkie said.

Rainbow Dash interjected. "Hang on a sec. What's a cannoli?"

"I think it's like flaky dough filled with cream cheese or something." Twilight said.

"Ah can't say ah ever heard uh that." AppleJack rubbed her chin with the bottom of her hoof. "Sounds right tasty."

Fluttershy giggled a bit and quietly spoke up. "That does sound pretty good right now."

Pinkie gasped and popped her head up from the middle of everypony, nearly scaring the living daylights out of Fluttershy again. "You know what I could go for right now?" Pinkie asked.

"Let me guess." Dash sighed. "A cannoli?"

"Nope! Some water! I am really really thirsty!" She ran into the kitchen and turned the faucet on, sticking her face under the water. All the girls couldn't help but giggle at her antics.

The next hour was spent playing the same game. The subject matter was predictable for each girl. Rainbow Dash was thinking about her favorite type of cloud, and since Twilight could deduct with near certainty what cloud was the most fluffy and comfortable, she won. Fortunately, that was the only somewhat challenging object posed for the entire game. Only Fluttershy's mystery object happened to be truly baffling. She had thought of a small animal, which was predictable, but since so many small animals congregate all over Ponyville, Fluttershy found great pleasure in being bombarded with question after question. For once, she found herself enjoying being the center of undivided attention. When it was revealed that the animal was a prairie dog, the girls all said, "Ohhhh" in unison as if on cue.

Afterward, they all sat and gathered in a circle with only a few candles flickering in the middle of the library. The dim light and stormy weather made the perfect environment for a ghoulish time, and everypony had secretly been looking forward to the tradition of telling scary stories. All except for the very nervous yellow mare who involuntarily tucked her long pink tail up against her side with her hooves tucked under her body. Rarity had taken a position between Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, with Rainbow Dash sitting between AppleJack and Twilight. They all exchanged nervous but anxious glances.

"It is often said," Twilight began, "That mirrors are the windows to that which is unseen." The all nodded in agreement. At some point, they all had heard such a myth. "Many ponies believe that mirrors are the gateway to the soul." Twilight took a candle and brought it below her face. "But not the soul of those who gaze upon the glass." She muttered in a near whisper. "It reveals only that which the mirror wants you to see."

Fluttershy did her very best to conceal a slight shiver running up her spine. The only visible giveaway was the very tip of her tail shaking. Rarity just smiled and nodded her head, very much intrigued and eager to hear what might be next. AppleJack wiggled her nose a bit and tilted her head, obviously confused and hoping that clarity would follow. Rainbow Dash glanced around the room in search of a mirror that might be there. After concluding that the coast was clear, she returned her gaze to the girls and sheepishly tried to hide the fact she was actually a bit scared. She absolutely loved scary stories, but she would take with her the fact that she can be scared to the grave before anypony found out. The only one who knew was Scootaloo, and that was a very special circumstance. The only pony there who didn't seem at all fazed by the story's thesis was Pinkie Pie. Her face was nothing but a chipper smile.

Twilight cleared her throat and continued. "A young caretaker who was studying very hard to become a nurse had recently gotten a job tending to the needs of a very nice elderly mare on the outskirts of Manehatten. The home was an older brownstone design in the middle of Oldtown, and in the house was very nice old furniture. The inside of the house was very clean and organized except for a large mirror on the wall over the fireplace. The young caretaker was very happy spending time with her new friend, and they enjoyed each others company. They cooked and ate together everyday, and spent many hours exchanging stories with many shared laughs. Despite the perfect job she had, there was one small rule the elderly mare insisted she follow."

Rainbow Dash blurted out, "Don't touch the mirror?" The answer to the question seemed kind of obvious.

"Precisely." Twilight said. "The mirror was under no circumstances to ever be touched. It was an old mirror, very dusty and out of place for such a lovely home. The young caretaker had asked one day why she wouldn't just get rid of it, but the answer was simple. She just couldn't even when she tried."

"Pardon me," Rarity interjected as politely as she could. "Whatever do you mean when you say that she couldn't even if she tried?"

"Like, if she wanted tah move it, but it had like uh spell on her 'er somethin' right?" AppleJack asked.

"Exactly." Twilight nodded. "Everytime the elderly mare approached the mirror to move it, she suddenly found herself doing something else."

"Whoa…That happens to me all the time…" Pinkie said, her mouth hanging open a bit. Fluttershy had started to fidget nervously and found herself sitting considerably closer to Rarity. When Twilight covered the open flame with her hoof for dramatic appeal, the weary yellow mare put her hoof over Rarity's, pressing herself against the warm white coat of her friend before letting out a small squeal. No pony had even noticed her move. Not even Rarity turned to face her.

"It was late at night, and everypony had gone to bed. For some reason that she could not explain, the caretaker found herself walking down the stairs and into the living room towards the mirror as if being called out to in her sleep. She stared into the mirror with curiosity and skepticism, hoping to understand the mystery surrounding the strange object." Everypony had leaning forward toward Twilight, most eager to catch every little word. Was something going to pop out? Was a scary little filly going to be standing behind her? Questions raced through the minds of the audience, and even Fluttershy felt a burning desire to hear the conclusion. "It was at that moment that she saw a lamp turned on next to a bookcase. When she turned around to turn the light off, the lamp had in fact been off the whole time. When she turned back toward the mirror, the lamp looked like it was still on."

"A lamp?" Dash asked, sounded a bit disappointed. "That's it? A lamp?"

"Hold yer horses, Rainbow." AppleJack said. "Twi ain't finished yet."

Dash sighed and Twilight continued. "It wasn't just the lamp. The drawer to the desk was open in the reflection, but closed when she looked back. The rug in the center of the room had been turned around only in the reflection, and curtains in the window had been pulled back when they should have been closed." Twilight took another candle and placed it next to the one she already had in front of her. She began to move them in a small circle slowly as she continued her story. "She franticly started moving around the room, trying to fix everything that seemed off. She turned the lamp on, pulled the drawer out, kicked the rug into a ball, and opened the curtains." She paused, putting the candles back down, and leaned forward the whisper, "But when she looked into the mirror again, the light was off, the carpet was flat, the drawer was closed, and the curtains were open."

Everypony gasped quietly, their gazes never once moving away from Twilight. However, the only girl who only appeared to be a bit bored was Rainbow Dash. "And?" she asked, trying to sound indifferent but secretly intrigued.

Twilight started moving the candles around in a circle in the opposite direction. "So she started messing with everything in the room. She turned the lamp on and off over and over, opening the curtains again and again, spinning the rug on the floor, and opening and closing all the drawers in the desk until she became so dizzy and tired that she collapsed on the floor." With the very climax on the verge of her tongue, everypony leaned forward as far as they could. "As she laid on the floor, she forgot what was real and what was just a reflection. Her mind fell into a state of collapse. It wasn't until the next morning that she was found on the floor staring up at the ceiling."

"Golly…" AppleJack gasped, "Was she alright?"

Twilight shook her head. "To this day, she still just stares with empty eyes in front of her, and never moves or speaks."

Pinkie Pie smiled and clapped her hooves together as AppleJack tipped her hat. Dash shrugged her shoulders and sighed. "Not bad, not bad." she said. "I've heard better."

Fluttershy wasn't sure she wanted to hear anything that could be considered better than that. She shivered uncontrollably and hid her face in Rarity's side. It was only then that Rarity noticed the poor little mare's shaking, and she put a hoof around her shoulder. "Oh it's alright, darling," she said, gently petting her back, "I'm quite sure it was not a true story."

"Wait, was it a true story?" Pinkie asked.

Twilight shook her head and giggled. "Of course not. At least, I don't think so."

Dash gulped. "What do you mean, you don't think so?"

"Cadence told me this story when I was a filly." she explained. "I never asked her if it was actually true or not." Fluttershy cowered further into Rarity's side, and Dash couldn't help but think how weird a babysitter Cadence must have been.

"Ooh!" Pinkie put her hoof up in the air. "The old lady was really a goblin!"

Everypony laughed, and that really lightened up the atmosphere. "No, silly." Twilight giggled. "She wasn't a goblin."

"Hmmm…" Pinkie rubbed her chin with her hoof. "I was so sure she was a goblin."

"Where in the world did you think of a goblin?" Dash asked.

"I dunno! Just had this hunch."

"Um…n-no goblins, right?" Fluttershy asked in a very quiet voice.

"I promise." Twilight said. "There were no goblins in that story."

"Thank goodness…" Fluttershy sighed. She retracted her hoof away from Rarity and looked up at her. "Oh…um…sorry, Rarity. I didn't mean to get so close."

Rarity giggled and nuzzled her cheek against the now very shocked face of her friend. "Don't worry yourself, darling. It's quite alright." Fluttershy sat very still, looking down with red cheeks and wide eyes at the floor while trying to conceal her slow, methodical breathing.

AppleJack offered to tell a story about a rather unfortunate two sisters who got lost in a corn field. Predictably, the scarecrow came to life and attacked them, but that didn't make the story any less frightening. Dash enthusiastically told a story about a city in the sky that ended up falling to the ground from the evil doings of witch, and Pinkie told a very frightening tail about a young colt wandering the lonely roads of an abandoned town. The colt would look for signs on the sides of buildings, trying to piece together what could have possibly happened to such a nice place. Before he could figure anything out, a strange tall creature with long legs and no face would sneak up to him from behind. At that moment, a very bright bolt of lightning cracked visibly through the window, and the girls all jumped in surprise when they heard the following loud cracking boom that echoed through the library.

"Maybe we should…turn the lights on…" Dash suggested, trying hard not to sound like it had got to her.

Everypony started to get up and stretch their legs as Twilight circled the library to tend to the lighting. Much to the girl's surprise, Pinkie had actually let out a yawn. She started to blink with heavy eyelids, and Twlight approached her. "Pinkie, are you ok?"

She nodded in response and yawned again. "I think I'm having a sugar crash." she said as she swayed back and forth. "A really really big one."

"Probably from whatever she drank earlier." Dash said.

AppleJack chuckled. "Maybe Twi ain't so bad at potion makin' after all."

Pinkie leaned forward and closed her eyes right before falling on her face. The girls rushed up to her, and Dash nudged her onto her side with her nose. "Oh goodness!" Fluttershy exclaimed quietly. "Are you alright?"

"I think perhaps she's asleep." Rarity said, surprised at such Pinkie's out of character behavior. She gingerly picked her up with some well practiced delicate magical precision and carried her upstairs. "Twilight, is it alright if I lay her down in your bed?"

She nodded, feeling a yawn of her own coming on. "I'm getting kind of tired too."

Dash felt her wings becoming heavier on her back, and she yawned very loud and obnoxiously up at the ceiling before smacking her lips. When she looked around, she noticed the other girls staring at her. "What? Is there something in my mane?"

AppleJack chuckled a bit and nudged her shoulder with her hoof. "Sugarcube, ah ain't never seen no pony yawn like that before."

"Uh, thanks?" Dash looked at her with a perplexed expression.

"Take it as uh compliment." AppleJack said. "It's uh skill not many folks have."

Rarity came back downstairs and looked around the room. "Oh it seems I missed something. What was it?"

"Show her, Rainbow." AppleJack said.

Dash shook her head. "No."

"Aw come on."

"No. just let it go, AJ. It's just a yawn. Besides, you can't just yawn on command."

Fluttershy inhaled quietly and opened her mouth. As she closed her eyes, she exhaled slowly, making a quiet squeaking noise as her tail twitched. Everypony turned to face her instead. When she opened her eyes, she looked up and found herself in the same predicament. "Oh, I'm sorry." she said. "I should really cover my mouth next time."

"Darling…" Rarity giggled and smiled at her. "That was simply adorable!" With much more grace than Dash, Fluttershy looked away and blushed a bit, hiding herself behind her mane.

"Maybe we should call it a night." Twilight said, looking out the window. The rain was coming down harder than before, and not a ray of moonlight or starlight could be seen through the menacing black clouds. The girls agreed, and one by one they slowly trudged up to the stairs to the two beds. Pinkie was already out like a light, snoring away without even a corner of the blankets on her. It was truly a strange sight to behold. Rarity and Twilight plopped themselves on the bed next to Pinkie, leaving Dash and AppleJack fighting over who was going to sleep in the middle. Fluttershy had already offered that spot to one of them, but since neither could decide, Twilight had them flip a bit. With AppleJack grinning over her victory and Dash scowling over her loss, the sleeping arrangements had been finally settled.

The first two girls to drift off into slumber were Dash and AppleJack, followed very quickly by Twilight. Knowing she wouldn't sleep well after the story she had heard, Fluttershy lay on her side away from the others with heavy eyelids. She wanted desperately to fall asleep, but a part of her would not allow her to close her eyes completely. It came as a shock to hear another voice in the room, and she nearly jumped.

"Fluttershy, dear?" Rarity asked in a low whisper.

She sat up to see Rarity still awake. "Um…yes?"

"I'm ever so sorry to trouble you." she said. "I…Well I just had the most startling thought."

Not quite sure if she could handle any more scares, Fluttershy very hesitantly asked, "Y-Yes?…What…is it?"

"It just occurred to me…" Rarity sat up. "I have quite a number of mirrors in my collection. I know this is dreadfully silly of me, but…what if…what if there are strange, um, differences in my home as well?" Fluttershy really didn't want to think anymore about this, and she couldn't think of anything to say back. Rarity, however, kept right on going. "I must sound quite ridiculous. I apologize, dear. Please don't let me keep you up any longer."

With near desperate overtones in her voice, she replied, "No it's ok…You're not keeping me up. I don't mind."

"You truly are the kindest friend anypony could have. I just feel absolutely awful for bothering you after how tired you were." Rarity smiled at her through the dim light of a single candle by her bed. "The last thing you would want to hear about right now is more frightful things." The was no argument there. However true this statement was, Flutttershy was just very happy to know someone else was still awake. What Rarity asked next nearly startled her as much as the story. "Darling, if it's not too much trouble," Rarity trailed off, but composed herself enough to finish her sentence. "Would it perhaps be alright with you to…" Rarity cleared her throat nervously. "…have…someone to cuddle with?"

"..w-well…" The red burning of her ears and cheeks couldn't possibly be visible in such a dim light, could it? "I don't mind…not at all."

Rarity took a big sigh of relief, completely oblivious of her friend's reaction to what seemed like such an innocent request. "Oh thank heavens, dear." she said. "I honestly do not know why I am so disheveled right now." she got up very slowly, doing her best not to stir the others, and sat down on the floor between the beds. After doing the same, Fluttershy very gingerly sat down next to her on the floor, keeping a couple inches between them. Rarity closed the distance and snuggled up next to her. They both could feel a warmth against each other, and as Rarity sighed happily, Fluttershy held her breath nervously. "Thank you ever so much, darling." All Fluttershy could do was simply nod her head and keep her gaze down at the floor. When Rarity suddenly nuzzled her cheek against the side of her head, Fluttershy bit her lip and sharply inhaled. "Well, goodnight." said Rarity before closing her eyes and resting her chin on her hooves.

Now more awake than ever, all Fluttershy could do was reply, "G-Goodnight" and continue to stare at the floor.