It was a bright sunny day and ponies were out working. Including Applejack and Rarity.
Rarity was currently using her magic to reattach some branches that had broken off a tree. But she wasn't satisfied so she used her magic to make the leaves look like ponies.
"Hah! Perfect." She said. Suddenly Applejack lassoed down the branches.
"Just take the broken limbs down Rarity." She said. "Don't y'all care about nothin' other than prettifying?"
"Somepony has to." Said Rarity. "You were making an absolute mess of the town square Applejack."
"Yeah well, the storm's gonna make an even bigger mess if we don't prune all these loose branches so they don't tumble down on anypony." AJ told her.
"I simply cannot imagine why the Pegasus ponies would schedule a dreadful downpour this evening and ruin what could have been a glorious sunny day." Said Rarity while the Pegasi set up some storm clouds.
Applejack let out a sigh. "Think more practical-like, will ya? They accidentally skipped a scheduled sprinkle last week." She explained. "So we need a doozy of a downpour to make up for it is all."
Suddenly it began drizzling.
"Oh no!" Screamed Rarity. "My wonderfully styled mane shall be ruined."
"You shoulda hurried up and finished the job already." Applejack told her.
"Ah, oh no!" Said Rarity. "It's coming down too fast! Help me!"
Applejack then looked around and saw a nearby picnic table. "Ah, there. Hunker down to yer heart's content whilst I finish things."
Rarity went over to the picnic table but saw it had mud underneath it. "Oh no no no no."
"What now?" Asked AJ.
"I prefer not to get my hooves muddy." Rarity told her.
"There is just no pleasin' you, is there?" Said Applejack. "Everything's got to be just so."
Rarity just scoffed. "Well and how does muddying my hooves serve any useful purpose?"
"Y'all wouldn't know useful if it came up and bit you." Said AJ.
"That doesn't even make any sense." Said Rarity.
"Does so." Said Applejack.
"Does not." Said Rarity.
"Does so."
"Does not."
"Does so."
"Does not."
"Does so infinity." Said Applejack. "Hah!"
"Does so infinity plus one." Said Rarity. "Heh. Luna told me all about a duel story where an infinity attack monster was destroyed by an infinity plus one attack monster."
The White Unicorn and Orange Earth Pony just stared at each other.
"What say we go our separate ways before one of us says something she will regret?" Rarity suggested.
"I reckon y'all are gonna say something you'll regret first." Said Applejack.
"On the contrary." Said Rarity. "I believe it shall most certainly be you who says something you will regret first."
"I'm not sayin' anything." Said AJ.
"Nor am I." Said Rarity.
"Y'all just be on you way then." Said Applejack.
"After you." Said Rarity.
The two went in seperate directions but then lightning struck and the two huddled together in fear.
"Perhaps we should stick together for now and find some shelter." Rarity told her.
"Uh-huh." Applejack agreed. "Perhaps we should, and fast."
They hugged as the storm continued to rage on.
Applejack hid under the bench. "Heh, nice and dry under here." She said before acknowledging the mud. "Sorta."
Rarrity was still in the rain refusing to go under the muddy bench. "Oh unacceptable."
Suddenly they heard a voice call to them. "Applejack, Rarity!" They looked to see it was Twilight.
"Applejack, Rarity!" She called.
"Twilight?!" They said in unison.
"Come inside girls, quick." Twilight told them.
Rarity went in but AJ paused. " Whoa, nelly." She said. "Is inside a tree really the best place to be in a lightning storm?"
"It is if you have a magical lightning rod protecting your home like I do." Twilight told her. "Come on in!"
"Yeah nice to have you both over." Said Luna walking into the room.
"We are most grateful for your invitation." Said Rarity.
"Thank ya kindly for yer hospitality." Said Applejack.
"Now you know how I felt when Twilight offered to let me stay here with her when I was brought to Equestria." Luna told them.
Applejack was about to walk in but Rarity stopped her. She then pointed to her muddy hooves. "Uh, do be a polite house guest and go wash up please. Won't you?" She said Smuggly.
AJ just grumbled. "If I gotta spend one more second with that fussbudget Rarity today, I can't be held responsible for what I'm gonna do."
"What was that?" Asked Luna.
"Nothing." She said nervously before going out to wash up.
"Some storm, huh?" Asked Twilight. "The Pegasus ponies sure have outdone themselves this time." She said. "I hope you and Applejack don't have any trouble getting home."
"It may indeed be a problem." Said Rarity.
"Well, you're welcome to stay if need be." Said Twilight. "Spike is away in Canterlot on royal business. It's just me and Luna tonight." Twilight then gasped and got herself an idea. "You and Applejack should totally sleep over! We'll have a slumber party! I've always wanted one of those."
"That sounds fun!" Luna cheered.
Rarity didn't look so sure, mainly because she knew it would mean being near Applejack. "Oh! Uh, goodness. Uh, I do believe I have another engagement scheduled for this evening that completely slipped my mind until just now." She laughed nervously. "Silly me. I can't possibly stay here all night." She told them. "With Applejack." She quietly told herself.
Twilight then used her magic to pull out a book and showed it to Rarity. "Slumber 101: All You've Ever Wanted to Know About Slumber Parties But Were Afraid to Ask." She read.
"My own personal copy." Said Twilight. "It's a fantastic reference guide. You should see the table of contents. I've been waiting for a chance to use it, and today is the day!"
"Twilight do you have a guidebook for everything?" Luna asked.
"Actually, yes." Twilight answered. "This is gonna be so great!" Said Twilight.
"Yes uh great." Said Rarity nervously, before looking at AJ who was having trouble washing and caused the hose to splash her with water. This made Rarity even more nervous.
AJ soon walked back inside with sparkly clean hooves, but gasped when she that Rarity, Twilight, and Luna had green mud masks on their faces.
"What in tarnation?" She said. "Now wait just a goll darn minute." She told them. "Ya make me wash the mud off my hooves, but it's okay for y'all to have mud all over yer faces?"
Rarity just smiled. "Silly, this is called a mud mask." She explained. "It's to refresh and rejuvenate your complexion."
"You should try it some time." Said Luna.
"We're giving each other makeovers." Said Twilight with giddy." "Eee hee! We have to do it. It says so in the book."
She then showed Applejack the book. "Slumber 101: Everything you need-" AJ stopped when she realized what this meant. "Oh hey, would ya look at the time." She said. "I gotta skidaddle on home quick. I'm powerful late for something. Good night." She ran out but ran back inside when lightning and thunder struck. "Or maybe I'll sit here for a spell."
"Hurray slumber party!" Twilight cheered.
Rarity then put a mud mask on Applejack's face and then put some cucumbers on her eyes. "What in the world is this for?"
Rarity sighed. "To reduce puffiness around one's eyes of course."
"Puffiness schmuffiness." Said AJ before using her tounge to eat the cucumbers. "That's good eatin'." She chewed very loudly much to Rarity's annoyance.
"Isn't this exciting?!" Asked Twilight.
"Sure is." Said Luna.
"We'll do everything by the book, and that will make my slumber party officially fun."
"Did you hear that, Applejack?" Rartiy rhetorically asked. "You certainly would not want to do anything that would ruin Twilight's very first slumber party. Would you?"
"Of course not." Said AJ. "And you wouldn't either, I reckon."
"So do we have an agreement?" Asked Rarity.
"You betcha." Said AJ before spitting on her hoof and holding it for Rarity to shake.
Rarity however was disgusted. "Oh, Gross!" She yelled. "You know, there's messy and there's just plain rude."
"You know, there's fussy and there's just plain gettin' on my nerves." Applejack retorted.
"Fortunately, I can get along with anypony no matter how difficult she may be." Said Rarity.
"Oh yeah, well I'm the getalongiest pony you're ever gonna meet." Said AJ.
"That's not even a word." Said Rarity.
Twilight and Luna then appeared and pulled them in a group hug.
"This is going to be the bestest slumber party ever!" Twilight claimed.
"Yay!" She and Luna cheered in delight.
"Yay." Said Rarity and Applejack less excitedly, before glaring at each other.
Later the four girls were wearing curlers. Much to Applejack's annoyance.
"So how are you getting along over there Applejack?" Asked Rarity.
"Just fine Rarity." Said AJ annoyed.
"This is so awesome." Said Twilight. "Makeovers check." She then cast a spell to get rid of the curlers.
"Oh, it says here we have to tell ghost stories." She said. "Who wants to go first?"
"Me!." Said AJ. "I'd like to tell y'all the terrifying tale of the prissy ghost who drove everypony crazy with her unnecessary " She then turned to Rarity. "I'm sure y'all are familiar with that one?"
"Never heard of it." Said Rarity. "But I have a much better one. It's the horrifying story of the messy, inconsiderate ghost who irritated everypony within a hundred miles! Ooohoo."
"That's not a real story." Said Applejack. "You made it up."
"It's a ghost story." Said Rarity. "They're all made up."
"You sure about that?" Asked Luna trying to scare her.
"Absolutely."
Suddenly the lights went out and Twilight approached them with a flashlight.
"I've got one! This story is called The Legend of The Headless Horse."
"Don't you mean the Legend of The Headless Horseman? Asked Luna.
"No but you're version is good too."
"Anyway, it was a dark and stormy night, just like this one." Twilight began telling the story. "And three ponies and one human child were having a slumber party, just like this one."
Twilight continued telling the story as Rarity and Applejack kept looking scared.
"And just when the last pony and human child thought they were safe, there, standing right behind them, just inches away was... the Headless Horse!"
Then Rarity and AJ saw what appeared to be the Headless Horse and screamed. But it was only Twilight wearing a blanket trying to scare them. She and Luna just laughed.
"Ghost story, check." Said Twilight crossing it off her list. "Now who wants s'mores?"
"I do." Said Luna.
Applejack was roasting marshmallows by the fireplace while Rarity demonstrated how to make smores.
"Then you place one marshmallow on the top of the chocolate and be sure it's centered, that's critical, and then carefully put another perfectly square graham cracker on the top. And done. Ta-da!" She said.
AJ wasn't impressed. "Nah you just eat them." She said before gobbling the smore up and burping.
"You could at least say excuse me." Said Rarity.
"Oh I was just about to but you interrupted me." She claimed. "Pardon."
"S'mores, check." Said Twilight checking it off. "Now the next item of fun we have to do is Truth or Dare."
"I dare Applejack to do something carefully and neatly for a change." Said Rarity.
"Oh yeah?" Said Applejack. "Well I dare Rarity ta lighten up and stop obsessin' over every last little detail for a change."
Luna and Twilight didn't look so sure about this.
"I think the truth of the matter is that somepony could stand to pay a little more attention to details." Said Rarity.
"And I think the truth is somepony oughta quit with her fussin' so the rest of us can get things done." AJ retorted.
"Um, I don't think this is how the game's supposed to work." Said Twilight. "You have to give an honest answer to any question or do whatever anypony dares you to do."
"I dares you to step outside and let your precious, tidy mane get ruined again." Applejack told Rarity to which she gasped.
"You have to." Said Twilight. "It's the rule."
"Hah!"
"Fine." Rarity told her as she went into the rain. AJ laughed as the drenched Rarity came back inside but stopped when she apporached her.
"Okay, I dare Applejack to play dress-up in a frou-frou, glittery, lacey outfit."
AJ gasped but went and put on a fancy outfit but she was mad.
"Happy?"
"Very."
"Uh do we ever get a turn?" Luna asked but they didn't listen as they kept throwing dares at each other.
"I dare ya to enter the next rodeo when it comes to town."
"I dare you not to enter the next rodeo that comes to town."
"I dare ya to not comb your mane a hundred times before bed."
"And I dare you to comb yours just once."
" I, uh, I think we should check off Truth or Dare and move on." Said Twilight.
"Good idea." Said Luna.
"Hmm what does this mean?" Twilight asked while reading. "Pillow fight?"
"It's when we fight each other using pillows." Said Luna.
"Oh I get it." Said Twilight. "Pillow fight."
"Oh, please. I am not at all interested in participating in something so crude. Said Rarity. But her attitude changed when Applejack threw a pillow at her face. "Oh! It! Is! On!"
Applejack and Rarity then had an all out pillow war, launching pillows back and forth. AJ used her lasso to launch pillows but Rarity used her magic to throw them back.
This all was causing Luna and Twilight to be piled up in pillows. "Uh girls maybe we should take it down a notch."
"Yeah, you're getting carried away." Luna told them.
"I will if she will." Said AJ.
"She started it." Rarity reminded.
Luna and Twilight got out from underneath a pile of pillows. Twilight spit out some feathers. "Maybe we should just call it a night and get some sleep?"
Later the four friends were in bed. But Rarity and Applejack were forced to share a bed and weren't too happy about it.
"Keep your muddy hooves on your side of the bed." Rarity demanded.
"My hooves ain't muddy." AJ retorted.
"They were." Rarity reminded her. "There might still be a little on them."
"There ain't." Said AJ before showing Rarity her hoof. "See."
"Eww." Rarity said despite the fact that it was clean before taking the blanket for herself.
"Now who's bein' inconsiderate?" Said AJ before taking back the blanket.
Rarity got out of bed. "I have to make the bed again so the blanket will be right." She said before pushing Applejack off. "Get up."
"Hey!"
Rarity then used her magic to make the bed again. AJ was about to get back in bed but Rarity stopped her. "Ah ah ah! You'll ruin it. You have to do it like this." She then got into a bed a very sophisticated way.
"Yeah, that's not gonna happen." Said Applejack before jumping on the bed and knocking Rarity off. "GERONIMO!"
"Hey!"
"You did that in purpose." Said Rarity.
"Um, yeah."
"Get up so I can fix it." Rarity ordered but Applejack just ignored her.
"Can't hear you, I'm asleep." AJ said before snoring.
Rarity then pulled the blanket off her.
"I ain't budging." Said AJ.
"You will if you want this blanket." Rarity said in a muffled tone as she spoke with the blanket still in her mouth. Applejack pulled on the blanket and Rarity did the same and before you knew it they were in a game of Tug of War speaking in muffled tones.
"Give it back!"
"I will not!"
"Yes you will!"
"Won't!"
"Will!"
"Won't!"
"Will!"
"Won't!"
"Will!"
All the comotion caused Luna and Twilight to wake up.
"ENOUGH!" They shouted.
"It says right here that the number one thing you're supposed to do at a slumber party is have fun." Twilight told them. "And thanks to you two I can't check that off!"
"You guys are ruining this for us." Said Luna.
"I've been trying my darndest to get along." Said Applejack.
"No, it is I who have been trying my best." Rarity argued.
"No it was me!" Said AJ.
"No it was I!" Said Rarity.
"Me!"
"I!"
"I hope you're happy, both of you." Twilight said angrily. "You've ruined my very first slumber party. The makeover, the s'mores, Truth or Dare, the pillow fight." She said. "I mean, is there anything else that could possibly go wrong?"
But as soon as Twilight said that a huge bolt of lightning struck a nearby tree. "Sorry I asked." She said nervously hiding beneath the covers.
They looked out to see that the tree it strcuk was about to fall down.
"Ya see? That's why we needed to take down all those loose branches in town, not spiffy 'em up." AJ told Rarity.
"But I-" Rarity spoke but AJ cut her off.
"Outta my way, missy!" She said. "Time's a-wastin'." Applejack took her lasso and was about to lasso the tree.
"Wait!" Said Rarity. "Stop, don't!"
But AJ wouldn't listen.
"No waitin'! No stoppin'! Doin'!" AJ said in a muffled voice before lassoing the tree and pulling it back. "And that, my friends, is what we call gettin' 'er done." She said before pulling again.
The others screamed at this. The entire tree fell in the library.
"I tried to tell you it would come crashing down in here." Said Rarity.
"Well you shoulda tried harder." Said AJ before turning to Luna and Twilight. "I'm mighty sorry you two."
"It's, Well, it's not okay." Twilight told her.
"There's a giant tree branch in the middle of our bedroom." Said Luna.
"Yeah and the book doesn't say anything about having a giant tree branch at your slumber party." Said Twilight. "Or at least I haven't found that entry yet." She said ruffling through the pages.
AJ then saw Rarity picking stuff up. "What in tarnation are y'all doin' over there?"
"Cleaning up this mess somepony made." Said Rarity. "Who was that again?" She asked rhetorically. "Oh, right, that's you."
"Twilight we've gotta do something." Said Luna.
"Baking, BFFs, Brothers." Said Twilight reading through the book. "There's nothing in here about branches."
Applejack tried to do something about the tree but it was all in vain. She then saw Rarity still cleaning up the mess. "Rarity, for pony's sake, stop sweatin' the small stuff and help me get rid of this thing!" But Rarity didn't listen. "I said hussle over here and help me!" But Rarity still didn't listen.
"Look, I'm sorry, all right?" Applejack apoligized.
This caught Rarity's attention. "What was that?"
"I said I'm sorry! I shoulda listened to you when you noticed where this here branch would end up." Applejack admitted. "Your annoyin' attention to detail would'a saved us from this whole mess." She said. "But right now, ya need to stop bein' so dang fussy pickin' up all the little things and help me move the one big thing in here that actually matters!" Applejack told her. "Please!"
Rarity didn't look sure at first. "But I'll get all icky."
"Darnit! What the, eh, you, I mean, yes, ickiness is often a side effect of hard work." Said Applejack. "But y'all need to get over it, on account I just can't fix this mess I made myself." She said. "I need your help."
"Rarity then got a determined look on her face. "Let's do this."
"They do have a section about backyard slumber parties." Said Twilight. "Is that what we're doing right now? Does this count as camping?"
"I don't think so." Luna admitted.
Rarity then used her magic to turn part of the tree into tiny trees with the leaves shaped like ponies and other things.
Applejack was about to buck the log out but stopped when Rarity glared at her. Applejack then grabbed the log with her mouth and tossed it out.
Rarity smiled but then saw how filthy she was. "Oh I look awful."
Applejack then got an idea and put cucumbers on her eyes. "Better?"
"Thanks." Said Rarity before they hugged.
Luna and Twilight then saw Rarity's tiny pony trees. "Ooh pretty." Said Twilight.
"Where'd they come from?" Asked Luna.
"I don't know but they're not in the book either."
Later the girls were together laughing and playing 20 Questions.
"Is it bigger than a barn?" Asked AJ.
Twilight laughed. "Nope."
"Is it smaller in a saddle." Asked Rarity.
"No."
"Is it something in Canterlot?" Asked Luna.
"Nope, only two of your twenty questions left." Said Twilight.
"We're never gonna guess what you're thinkin' of, it could be anythin'." Said AJ.
"Are we getting warmer?" Asked Rarity.
"Why?" Asked Twilight. "Is it too cold in here for you? I can turn up the heat."
"She means are we gettin' any closer with our guesses?" AJ explained.
"Oh no." Said Twilight. "And that technically counted as a question so only one more left."
"Is it..." AJ started. "A six-legged pony with a purple polka-dotted mane and shootin' stars comin' out of his eyes?"
"Who flies through the air all over the world to hide magic, sparkly eggs?" Asked Rarity.
Twilight just smiled sheepishly. "That's it!"
"It is?" They asked.
"No." Twilight admitted. "It's that." She pointed at a telescope. "But it was just so nice to see you two finally getting along, I wanted you to be able to win together."
They all laughed.
"See, we could have been having fun like this all along." Said Luna.
"If only somepony hadn't been so persnickety." Said AJ.
"Well, maybe she wouldn't have been if somepony else hadn't been so sloppy." Said Rarity.
"Sorry for being such a pain in the patootie." Applejack apologized.
"Oh no." Said Rarity. "I'm sure I was much worse."
"That's kind of ya to say, but I'm the one who's sorry." Said Applejack.
"Ugh are not." Said AJ.
"Are too." Said Rarity.
"Are not!"
"Are too!"
"Are not!"
"Are too!"
"Ehem." Said Luna with a smile.
They all just laughed.
"I declare my first slumber party a success!" Said Twilight. They all cheered. "Have fun, check."
Later Rarity and Applejack were playing a trust game where AJ had cucumbers on her eyes and Rarity was leading her with her voice.
"Now take two steps to your left." Said Rarity. "Uh, no, my left."
"Which is it?"Asked AJ befor running into a stack of books and caused them to pile. "That mess is your fault, not mine."
"Sorry."
They both laughed.
Meanwhile Twilight wrote a letter to Princess Celestia.
"Dear Princess Celestia, It's hard to believe that two ponies who seem to have so little in common could ever get along. But I found out that if you embrace each other's differences, you just might be surprised to discover a way to be friends after all."
"So, who's up for another slumber party tomorrow night?" Asked Twilight. The others just threw pillows at her and laughed. "How about a week from Thursday?" Twilight suggested. "Oh, how about two weeks from Saturday? A month from now?"
They all laughed while outside the clouds cleared and the sun came ou
THE END