It's Just Anatomy!

Chapters

It's Just Studying!
It's Just a Blanket!
It's Just Friends and Family!
It's Just Anatomy!

It's Just Studying!

The bell rang out through the school and into the classroom, signaling the end of the period. To the students, however, it signaled a far greater event: school’s out for the day.

“Finally!” one particular Rainbow-haired girl hollered as she bolt up and out of her seat, drawing a wave of agreeing smirks from her classmates. In contrast, the teacher raised her eyebrow in a look that could only say, “Is that really necessary?” Rainbow Dash only snickered in return.

Nonetheless, the teacher drew up a smile of her own as she felt the mix of relief and excitement flowing from her students. “Alright,” she said, using her louder-than-a-crowd teaching voice to gain everyone’s attention. “I believe that wraps up our review of the graphs of trigonometry’s inverse ratios…”

Yada yada yada, Rainbow thought as she rolled her eyes. Just the usual reminder to study because your future depends on it. Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, she strode without a care in the world toward the door. Five… four… three…

“Rainbow Dash, I did not dismiss you yet.”

Early today, the girl thought as she spun around with a grin plastered across her face. “Yes, Miss Cheerilee,” she chimed all too sweetly.

The teacher only rolled her eyes, not bothering to recite the mantra of “The bell does not dismiss you. The teacher does.” Reapplying her mask of professionalism, Cheerilee spoke again. “As you all should know, the first half of the final begins this Thursday. Isn’t that exciting?”

A groaning mix of yes’s and ugh’s answered her. Rainbow happened to be on the latter half.

Flashing a knowing smile, she continued, “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: don’t forget to study. And no, memorizing notes at eleven the night before does not count as studying. Sorry, Pinkie.”

“But it always works!”

“Anywho, class is…” She took a moment to watch the dears’ anxious faces. “…dismissed!”

The sound of a scooting chairs, zipping backpacks, and general cheers erupted in the room, shortly followed by a swarm of eager high schoolers being drained out the door. With a high five to Pinkie as she passed by, swept away in the mob, Rainbow moved to follow as she reached into jacket pocket for her phone. Nothing like a bit of good old-fashioned rock n’ roll to celebrate surviving another day at the grind. She fumbled with the knot formerly known as her headphones, but she was frozen as the sound of her teacher’s voice spoke up

“Rainbow? Do you have a moment?”

“Heh…” After watching the last of the students shuffle out, the girl turned her head back to the front of the classroom, wearing what she considered a thoroughly innocent grin. “Yes, Miss Cheerilee?” she replied as she approached the teacher’s desk.

Rainbow’s jovialness, however, dissipated as Cheerilee didn’t respond with her usual dime of playful banter, displaying a rather downtrodden frown across her lips instead. Uh-oh, serious time, Rainbow thought.

“Do you know why I asked you to stay behind?” Cheerilee asked, drawing an unseen cringe out of the girl. Ugh, why do adults always ask that? Rainbow thought as exactly thirteen different possible answers flashed through her mind.

“Um… Stop trying to leave class early? If you don’t like that, I can just not come in the first place,” she joked, giving a small chuckle.

Cheerilee cracked a smirk, but it evaporated just as quick. “No, not that. Rainbow? I called you back to discuss your grade.”

Possibility number seven, then… “Yeah?” she asked, no longer smiling.

“…I know you like things direct, so I’ll just tell you right out. You’re at serious risk of failing the class this semester.”

“…Yeah.”

Cheerilee nodded after a moment. “I assume you know what you have to do to pass?”

Rainbow didn’t have to think about the question this time. “Yeah.”

“That’s right. The final. Considering how much of the final grade it is worth, it will either make or break you. Now, I know I’m not supposed to say this, but you’re one of my favorite students. You liven up every class, something I can’t thank you enough for after five hours’ worth of teaching and grading every day, and I’d hate to have to fail you.”

“Yeah…” she said for the fourth time in a row. Shaking herself into focus, she asked, “So… what? Just hope I score high enough to not fail?”

“You could,” she answered, “Or you could shoot for a higher grade. I’ll admit its impossible to get above a flat C at this point, but every little bit helps. I cannot recommend studying this time anymore.”

“Hey, I study,” she responded, slightly miffed, “Pinkie and I study for every test together.”

She received a blank stare.

“…It works for her.”

Cheerilee shook her head. “Sorry for accusing of not studying… however ineffective your method is… but why don’t you try a more traditional approach this time?”

“That’s what everyone does.”

“Not everyone. Why don’t you ask your friend Twilight to help? The last time she received any less than an “A” was two years ago.”

Rainbow shrugged, saying, “Sure, I guess.”

Finding her lost smile, Cheerilee said, “I wouldn’t pass up the chance. I believe you can pass Rainbow, honest.”

“Thanks, Miss Cheerilee,” she replied a bit distantly, her mind elsewhere in her thoughts.

“Alright, that’s all I had to say. You’re free to go.”

The girl nodded, readjusting her bag as she turned to leave. “See ya later,” she called.

“Goodbye Rainbow… Oh, and be careful if you’re out and about this evening. There’s a major downpour forecasted.”

“Will do,” she answered, “Bye.”

Trudging out of the classroom, Rainbow heaved a disappointed sigh. She’d known this was coming at some point, but that didn’t make the ordeal any more bearable. Ugh, why did she have to be so bad at triga-whats its? What really ate at her, however, was the knowledge that she could and probably would get kicked off of her sports teams if she couldn’t pass.

With a whip of her hair, she put a new swing into her step, accented by her trademarked grin of confidence. But why should that get her down? She was Rainbow Dash, and a little test wasn’t going to knock her out of the game.

“Hey, Dashie! What was the hold up?”

Rainbow glanced to her friend, seeing her spring to her side. “Eh, just some grade stuff. Final stuff.”

Throwing her arm around Rainbow, the pink haired girl said, “Yeah? I guess we got another study session heading our way, huh?” She nudged at her friend’s shoulder.

“Uh, yeah… That sounds fun, but I think I’m going to try studying with Twilight first. We can still do that, but...”

Pinkie nodded in understanding. “Aw, don’t worry about me, Dashie. You do whatever you need.”

“Heh, thanks,” she replied, shooting her a smile, “Now I just need to get in touch with Twilight.” Thinking for a moment, she added, “Say, do you know where she lives? I just realized I’ve never actually been to her house.”

Putting on her “thinking face” with her hand at her chin, she said, “Huh, same here. I mean, I’ve been outside it whenever I pick her up so we can all go out, but not inside.”

“Maybe she’s hiding her darkest secrets,” Rainbow laughed, “Like that test she got less than an ‘A’ on. Ha! Oh, but anyway, could you text me her address and save me the trouble of getting it later?”

“Okie-dokie-lokie!” she said, pulling out her phone. A few taps on the screen later, Rainbow’s own phone chimed as the message was received.

“Thanks, Pinkie.”

A while later, Rainbow bid farewell to her energetic friend, promising to meet up some other time. “Now then,” she thought aloud as she pulled out her phone, “Let’s see if Twilight’s up for studying… Heh, trick question. She’s always up for studying.”

Rainbow was cursing herself as she ran through the rain, splashing water with each hurried step. Note to self: you can’t outrun a storm. One hand held her sports jacket over her head, ineffective in keeping the downpour off of her, and the other hand held her phone. Wiping the droplets of water off the screen for the umpteenth time, she took a moment to reread the address on her phone.

“Should be… there.” She zeroed in on a one-story house coming up on her right. Matching the three numbers displayed on the front door, she veered up the cement path and bounded onto the porch, taking all three steps in a single stride. With a triumphant grin at being under a roof once again, she reached for the doorbell, but not before catching a glimpse of her soaking wet form. More specifically, her soaking wet t-shirt.

“Heh…” she said, setting down her book bag and putting on her jacket, making a point to zip it up. No more distractions, she rang the doorbell.

In a few moments, Rainbow heard the sound of shuffling coming from the other side, soon followed by the door opening a smidge to reveal one lavender skinned girl.

“…Oh! Hey Rainbow,” Twilight said as she recognized her friend.

“Hey Twi. Other than a hurricane, what’s up?”

The girl stepped onto the porch, closing the door behind her before saying, “Nothing much, really. I was just watching T.V.”

“Cool. Just get out of the shower or something?”

“Uh, no?” she replied, cocking her head, “What makes you say that?”

Rainbow limply pointed her finger at her. “The bathrobe.”

Twilight glanced down at her frilly, purple and pink robe before looking back up, letting out a completely honest laugh. “Ha, right… In any case, what brings you around? Not that I’m unhappy to see you, of course.”

“Huh? Didn’t you get my text?”

“I don’t recall.”

Pulling out her phone, Rainbow scrolled to her messages, only for her palm to meet her face at the words “Not delivered.” She grumbled, “Stupid storm messing up my signal… I was going to ask if it was cool if I came over to study for the Trig final.” Knowing her friend’s unhealthy eagerness at learning, she’d figured she’d head over anyway while waiting for a reply. Only now was she regretting the decision.

Twilight was quiet for a moment before she nodded her head. “I’d love to help you. In fact, I was already planning to do a bit of my own studying in an hour or so, but there’s no time like the present.” Giving a shrug of her shoulders, she continued, “I’ll just need a moment, alright?”

“Sure thing, Twi. And thanks for agreeing on such short notice.”

Grinning, she said, “You’re very welcome. It’s just what friends are for.” Turning on her heels, she grasped for the door knob, but looked over her shoulder at Rainbow. “Could you maybe… stay out here for a moment?”

Rainbow stopped in surprise, but her face shifted into one that was not of amusement. “In the cold rain?” she deadpanned.

“You have a jacket, and there’s a roof…” she defended, though lacking any real strength in her words, “…It’ll just be a minute.”

“Fine,” she said, waving her hand in a dismissive fashion.

“Thanks.” She cracked open the door and slipped through posthaste.

As she crossed her arms, Rainbow’s eyes meandered about her surroundings. It was a nice house, she had to admit. Strange how she and Twilight had been friends for a few years, yet this was the first time she’d actually seen it. As her vision wandered around, it came to focus on the door, noticing for the first time it had been left open by the smallest of amounts. Twilight probably expected it to swing shut as she closed it, Rainbow figured. …Wonder why she wanted me to stay out here…

The athlete kept a stare at the less-than-an-inch opening until curiosity got the better of her. “Eh, just a peek won’t do any harm. What could possibly happen?” Leaning in, she pressed her face against the door frame to look through one eye. “...Just looks like her living room,” she muttered as her vision came into focus, “T.V.’s on… Oh, there’s Twi. Looks like she’s talking to…”’

She gasped before she pushed herself away from the door as if it had suddenly caught fire. Shaking herself out of her shock, Rainbow had to take a long pause to register the fact that she’d just seen Twilight talking to a boy…

…A naked boy…

…A very naked boy.

“Um… uh…” she uttered, her mouth floundering for words that could possibly describe what had just happened. Then the train of realization smashed into her.

Slowly but surely, a Cheshire grin dawned began to grow upon her face. Wasting not a moment more, she crammed her head back to the crack on the door, just in time for it to swing open as Twilight came marching out, slamming it behind her.

“Whoa!” Rainbow said, jumping back and nearly stumbling off of the porch. Regaining her balance, she couldn’t help but feel the glare being sent her way.

“I heard you gasp,” Twilight accused, her arms crossed in the same way a jury member would when judging a guilty case.

Rainbow was left dumbfounded for a few seconds before she regained her composure, gaining a knowing look. “So… Twilight…” she started, trying and failing to sound casual.

Twilight narrowed her eyes.

Rainbow stared back with her ever widening grin. “I couldn’t help but notice someone else in there…”

“It’s not what it looks like,” she retorted.

The athlete rolled her eyes at the obvious denial. Rainbow would bet everything short of the Wonderbolts that Twilight wasn’t wearing a thing under her robe. “So… who’s the guy?”

Scowling at her for a moment longer, she deadpanned, “My brother.”

Rainbow froze stock-still at the answer as her mind faltered in connecting the answer to the picture. Suddenly, she looked at Twilight with surprise slapped across her face. “Whoa now, Twilight,” she said, her grin still in place, “I have to admit, that’s pretty hot.”

If Twilight’s reaction could be summarized in one word, it would be mortified. “Ew, Rainbow!” she shrieked, “How could you suggest… That’s disgusting!”

Rainbow’s brow furrowed in confusion as she said, “Wait… you mean you aren’t…”

“No, you pervert! How could you even suggest…” She paused to look at Rainbow. “You’re an only child aren’t you?” she monotoned.

“…Maybe?”

Twilight groaned. “Just forget it.”

Shrugging, Rainbow let it go; though, she couldn’t help the disappointment she felt. Whatever, there would be time for her street gutter of a mind to fantasize later. “So…” she started, “Any reason you were ogling your brother’s dick?”

“Ah! Rainbow! Just…” She forced herself to take a deep breath, counting to ten in her head. “I was not… ogling... him in any manner.”

Rainbow cocked her head. “So what? You two just walk around naked with each other and you’re cool with that?”

“Yes.”

Her head jerked back in surprise. “Come again?”

Twilight sighed. She glanced both ways as if looking for an eavesdropper before saying, “Yes, that’s what we do.”

“…I still think that’s kind of hot…”

“Er, will you stop?! Ugh… Listen, I’ll explain everything if you stop making incest jokes, deal?”

Deciding not to comment that those weren’t jokes, Rainbow nodded.

“Good. Now then…” Clearing her throat, she said, “We, my family and I, have partaken in a lifestyle that many, such as yourself, would probably find unusual, but…”

A blank expression fell over Rainbow’s features.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Ah, to heck with it. We’re a nudist family.”

She blinked. “You mean all of you...”

“Yes.”

“Your brother?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Your parents?”

“Yes, Rainbow.”

“Your dog?”

Twilight raised an eyebrow.

“Okay, okay,” the girl said, waving her hands out in front of her, “Just joking. But really, that’s pretty—”

“Don’t say it.”

“—Unexpected,” she finished, “I can’t say I’ve ever met someone into that kind of thing.”

“Yeah,” was all Twilight replied. “…Could you not, you know, tell anyone? Especially at school?”

Rainbow nodded. “No problem,” she said, flashing a grin, “Your secret’s safe with me. Pinkie promise.”

“Thanks, Rainbow. It’s not exactly something I’d like to flaunt to the boys at school.” Perking back up, she said, “Well, you still up for studying? I’m ready if you are.”

“Uh, sure,” she said, having completely forgot the reason she’d come, “But is your brother going to be...? I’m happy either way, but—”

“No, Rainbow. He’ll be covered up,” she answered with a flash of annoyance in her eyes, “We all have something to wear when we have to the answer the door.”

“Like that robe?”

“Yes, like this—” Her eyes widened. Ignoring the cackling from her friend, she turned away. “Just come in,” she said in exasperation.

Rainbow had no qualms as she followed behind, grinning like a jailbird who’d just broken free.

It's Just a Blanket!

“Oh, come on!” Rainbow cried as a hand was planted over her eyes. Even without her vision, she could feel Twilight glaring into her soul.

The lavender haired girl only let out a sigh before saying, “Shiny? Please head to your room.”

“Sure mom,” a boyish voice said, dripping playful sarcasm.

At hearing the sound of the couch creaking as Shining was presumably getting up, Rainbow dared to sneak a peek. With a smirk, she slowly drifted her head toward the side, only for the blinder of a hand to snap to position.

“Rainbow…” Twilight warned.

“I don’t care if she sees me, you know,” Shining commented, his footsteps getting fainter as he walked away.

“Heh! See Twi? You’re only making this awkward for all of us,” Rainbow laughed.

“Oh, I’m not the one making this awkward,” she shot back, “But it’s not for your sake, Shiny. It’s for hers.”

“…Am I really that handsome?” he teased.

“Haha—ow! Twi! Don’t flick me!”

Twilight let out a sigh. “Don’t you join in with this sports-head, Shiny. You know what I meant.”

“Mmhm,” he agreed, shifting into a more serious tone.

In a few moments, Twilight’s hand removed itself from Rainbow’s eyes, causing her to blink a few times as her vision came back into focus. With a tinge of evil giggling, she found her friend’s brother already out of sight. Glancing at Twilight, it jumped into full laughter.

Twilight facepalmed. “Ugh. That could have gone so much smoother, Rainbow.”

“Hey now,” the girl replied, slapping Twilight on the back, “As your brother said. I’m cool with it. He’s cool with it.”

“The reason you’re cool with it is not nearly as modest,” she deadpanned.

Rainbow shrugged in a not-so-innocent way. “Well, Twi, there’s no need to be…” Her faced scrunched up as she tried to hold back her laughter. “…Em-bare-assed about it.”

Twilight took one long look at her before shaking her head. “I am this close to kicking you out.”

The sound of laughter kicking into overdrive echoed throughout the house.

“Alright. I’m done,” Rainbow said, stepping back inside the house as the remnants of her unbridled cackling finally died down. She paused for a moment as she noticed Twilight nowhere in sight, but shrugged it off. Probably in her room or something, the girl figured.

Glancing around the living room, she saw it was about as modest as Fluttershy in front of a crowd. Although decorated, it preached function over fashion. However, Rainbow didn’t mind. She couldn’t say her space was any better.

As she walked across the room, not really sure if she should seek out her friend or not, she paused as she passed by a bookshelf holding a number of picture frames. She cocked her head as she picked one up, a family photograph, for closer inspection. “Huh…”

“Oh, there you are.”

Rainbow glanced to her right as Twilight came down the hall, still in her robe and a few books tucked under her arm. Her face morphed into confusion as she saw Rainbow holding a picture. “Something up?”

“Uh, no. Just surprised.”

“Oh? Why’s that?” she replied, walking to Rainbow’s side to see the picture she held.

“You and your family’s all dressed in this picture.”

Twilight’s brow furrowed for a moment before it hit her. “You’re wondering why that is when we’re usually disrobed?” she questioned.

Rainbow nodded as she handed the photo off to Twilight.

“Well, we can’t just have those kind of photos lying around all willy-nilly in case someone decides to drop by. Like you for instance,” she said, setting the photo back in its place, “It would be a pain to have to rush and take them all down.”

“That makes sense…” the athlete replied, thinking for a moment. “Hey, I just realized something. Where are your parents?”

“Oh, they’re out to the grocery store right now. I tried to warn them about the storm but…” She rolled her eyes. “So yes, they’re not here.”

“Whew,” she said, wiping her brow.

Twilight opened her mouth to reply but promptly shut it. “So… trigonometry?”

Rainbow stared at her blankly for a moment. “…Oh! Oh, right! That’s why I came here. Yeah, I’ll get my bag.”

“Sounds splendid. I’ve already got everything set up in my room.”

In a minute, the duo entered Twilight’s room, study material in tow. Like the rest of the house, it was simple yet effective, though with a splash of egghead purple everywhere. Taking a seat on the floor near the door, Rainbow couldn’t help but gawk at the towers of papers and books closing in on her. Twilight had to have had more material than Miss Cheerilee!

“Alright Rainbow,” the egghead herself said, sitting down on the other side of a shorter pile of text books, “Shall we begin?”

Rainbow’s thoughts, however, were elsewhere. “You’re going to stay in your robe?”

Twilight glanced down at her covered form before replying, “I was planning to. Would you rather have me be nude?”

The athlete smirked. “I’d be cool with that.”

“Allow me to reiterate,” Twilight said, shaking her head. Leaning closer to Rainbow and fingering the hem of her robe, she put on a smug tone as she said, “Do you really want to have me be nude? I’m perfectly comfortable getting more comfortable.”

Rainbow clammed herself up before her mouth could run again. A bitter battle raged in her mind on what to say next. On one hand, she wanted to call her friend’s bluff; on the other hand, she may end up seeing her friend in the buff.

“Uh, I’m fine, thanks,” Rainbow said, trying to laugh it off, “You really got me.”

“Wasn’t a joke,” Twilight commented, “But let’s get back to business. Can I see your notes?”

“…Sure,” she replied, her mind reeling as she handed her backpack over.

“Thanks. I think—” Twilight paused. Taking her hand off the bag’s handle, she glanced at Rainbow.

“Something up?”

Twilight nodded. “Your bag is dripping wet… You’re dripping wet!”

“…I would make a sex joke, but that was way too easy.”

Ignoring her comment, Twilight pushed herself onto her feet. “Where are my manners? You must be freezing under those clothes.”

What she was getting at finally dawning on Rainbow, she just shrugged. “Eh, I’m fine. It’s nice and toasty in here.”

Twilight shook her head. “Don’t try to tell me you aren’t the least bit uncomfortable. You take that jacket off, and I’ll get you a blanket.”

Rainbow smirked. “Whoa Twi, trying to strip me down already?”

The lavender girl rolled her eyes, maneuvering her way through the jungle of paper and opening her closet door.

Rainbow’s smile, however, dropped within moments. “No really, Twi. I’m fine.”

“Nonsense,” came the reply as she ruffled through folds of sheets stacked on top of each other.

She opened her mouth to respond but was cut off as Twilight pulled out a brown, cottony blanket. Smiling in success, she turned toward her friend expectantly.

“Uh… no?”

Twilight let out a breath of air. “I’m not going to force you, but I don’t see why you’re so resistant. You could catch a cold!”

Rainbow was silent for a moment as she stared back at Twilight. Ugh… she thought, Not getting out of this without looking weird… not that I don’t already. An unhelpful blush appearing on her cheeks, she forced a grin. “My shirt underneath the jacket is also soaked.”

Twilight cocked her head. “All the more reason to bundle up.”

The athlete shook her head. “My shirt… is soaked. Think about it.”

“…Oh, I see,” she said after a pause. Darning a simple smile, she said, “Well, it’s not like you aren’t wearing a bra, right?”

“…”

“…My goddesses, Rainbow! Can you ever act like a girl?” She only got a few weak chuckles in return. Twilight shook her head. “In any case, it’s not a big deal to me. We’re both girls… unless there’s anything else you aren’t wanting to show me.”

“Heh, no...” she replied, “But doesn’t both of us being girls make it worse?”

“I… I don’t know. I guess that depends…” She shrugged. “Anyway, you can just wrap yourself up. I won’t look.”

“Yeah but… I’m going to be writing and going through books and just moving around… What if it slips?”

“Then…” Twilight trailed off, a sudden look of realization appearing across her features. It was not a happy face. Bending down on her knees to get on Rainbow’s eye level, she said, “You’re telling me… that after all those lewd jokes, language, and awkwardness… that you get this embarrassed and flustered at the smallest chance of exposing yourself?”

Rainbow gulped as she put on a weak grin. “Aheh…Maybe?”

Twilight sighed, shaking her head. “Congratulations Rainbow. You’ve left me speechless…”

“Uh, cool?”

“Here, why don’t I give you a blanket with sleeves? That will stay in place.”

Sensing a chance to shift the conversation, Rainbow jumped at it. “Wait, wait, wait,” she said, holding her hands out in front of her, “You have a blanket with sleeves?”

“Yes?”

“Wow, Twilight. Just wow.”

“What’s wrong with that?” she defended, holding her arms out in a “seriously?” kind of fashion. “I find it quite convenient.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Ugh, just give it here.”

Heading back into the closet, Twilight exchanged the woolen blanket for a sleeved one and tossed it to Rainbow, who glanced at the fabric for a moment before looking back up at her friend again. Rolling her eyes, Twilight turned away.

With her privacy restored and her disgust at the blanket cast aside, Rainbow glanced down at herself, hesitating, before grasping the zipper and pulling it down. Her shirt was still drenched, as being under an even more drenched jacket would cause, but she expected as much. Hastily stripping off her jacket, she pulled at the bottom of her shirt to straighten out a few spots that had ridden up. She reached for the blanket, but hesitated again as a thought occurred to her.

My skirt’s no better than my jacket… she thought. A part of her wanted to shut down the train of thought, but it spoke too softly. It’s not like there’s not another layer underneath, she continued, thinking of the shorts she was wearing.

…

“They’re black anyway,” she muttered with a sudden burst of confidence, pulling the purple and white fabric over her hips and down her legs.

“What was that?” Twilight piped up, still looking away.

“Nothing.”

A hint of a blush on her cheeks, Rainbow slipped the skirt around her bare feet and clumped it into a wrinkled ball with the jacket. Exhaling, she reached for the sleeved blanket and—

“Hey Twily, just wanna let you know—oh!” a familiar boyish suddenly said from the doorway.

If Rainbow’s eyes could have shot wider, they’d have fallen out. “Hey!” she cried in a mixture of shock and embarrassment, desperately throwing the blanket over herself. With a full, unadulterated blush blazing across her face, she threw a helpless glare at Twilight’s brother; though, a hint of surprise blended in at seeing him averting his gaze.

“Sorry about that,” Shining said, “I wasn’t expecting you to be…” He shook his head.

“What? What’s going on?” Twilight exclaimed, whipping around. “…Bad timing, Shining. Bad timing.”

“Yeah, I know. Again, sorry. In any case, I was going to tell you that Cadence is coming over soon. We just got done texting.”

Twilight let a grin pass by. “Great. Thanks for letting me know.”

“Mmhm,” he said before walking away and down the hall.

“…Sorry about that, Rainbow,” Twilight said after a moment.

Rainbow, who’d been watching in wide eyed trepidation, heaved out a breath she’d been holding. “Ergh… It’s alright…” she replied, still sounding distant.

Twilight nodded. “At least he was wearing pants, right? Though, knowing you, you’d probably be disappointed,” she joked. At getting no committal response other than a shrug, she added, “You okay? I didn’t realize it was that traumatizing.”

The rainbow haired girl shook her head. “I’m fine,” she said, though lacking her usual bravado, “Just… I’ve never let anyone see me like this before, even by accident. Never.”

“Oh… well… I’m sorry to say I can’t relate.”

“Don’t worry about it. But I guess I’m just kind of surprised.”

“Oh?”

Rainbow nodded, looking up at Twilight. “Like, this actually just happened. But what’s really getting at me is that he was so casual about it. He was already looking away before I could look at him.”

“Um, true?” Twilight responded unsurely, “He’s been raised that way so…”

She shook her head once more. “Nevermind.” Adjusting her blanket with sleeves and tossing her damp clothes aside, she gestured to her bag. “Let’s say we finally get started on studying, eh?”

Twilight cocked her head, shooting her an odd glance, but she dismissed it soon enough. If Rainbow was alright, then why shouldn’t she be?

“Sure thing,” she agreed.

It's Just Friends and Family!

To say Rainbow was dying of boredom would be incorrect. No, she’d died long ago. Now she was in purgatory.

The athelete’s eyes blinked to attention as the sight of her friend’s hand snapping in her face. “Come on, Rainbow,” Twilight said, “We can take a break in a few minutes. We’re almost done with this chapter’s material.”

Math purgatory, she thought, Worst. Existence. Ever. With a sigh, Rainbow grasped her pencil again as she looked over the problem written out in front of her. It was another “solve for the angle” problem, so she went through the steps that had been drilled into her brain, finally ending up with an answer after a page’s worth of equation manipulation. “…Seven pi over sixteen radians?” she drawled.

Twilight nodded as a triumphant grin whipped across her face. “Correct. I think you’ve finally gotten this.”

“I think we decided that six questions ago.”

“You can never be too sure,” she chimed in a sing-song voice.

“Yeah, yeah. Can I break now?”

“Answer me this first: is the inverse of cosine secant or cosecant?”

Rainbow groaned, pulling the blanket with sleeves she wore over her face. Ugh, she knew this. “…Cosecant?”

Twilight shook her head. “Secant. Don’t be fooled by cosine and cosecant both starting with ‘co.’”

“Cool. Break now?”

Rolling her eyes, she made a “shoo-shoo” gesture with her hand. “Fine. I’ll give you five minutes.”

Rainbow leaned forward on her knees and ran a smirk across her lips. “I’ll give you ten.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes. “Seven.”

“Eleven.”

“You… you just went higher.”

“And I’ll keep going higher. Take it or leave it.”

“…Eight,” she relented, shaking her head.

“Heh, awesome.” Satisfied in her glorious victory, Rainbow plopped onto her back, her head resting on her hands underneath. She let out a sigh, glad for the moment to get the endless amount of rules and identities out of her head even if just for a moment.

“Yeah, I guess I could use a break too,” she heard Twilight admit, causing her to chuckle.

“The queen egghead needs a break? How… un-egg-spected.”

“Dear goddesses, Rainbow.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll admit that was bad. Heh.” Rainbow let a few contained laughs fly by before shooting Twilight a glance. “Uh, hey? Where’s the bathroom.”

“Oh, it’s down the hall and around the corner.”

“Thanks,” she replied, pushing herself to her feet. Taking a moment to straighten out her makeshift robe, she took a few high steps over stacks of books, all of which she’d had the privilege of being forced through.

Rainbow glanced around the still empty house for a moment but quickly set off deeper down the hall. As she walked, she let out a grunt of annoyance as she felt her damp clothes riding shotgun. Being a blanket rather than a true robe, she simply reached behind her to straighten the fabric out. Still, she knew they’d get on her nerves again at some point or another, but… it’s not like she could just ditch them, right? She’d have to make due for now. Turning the corner, the girl locked onto the sight of the door and, with a quick shove, had no hesitation in charging through.

And the first thing she noticed was that she was not in a bathroom.

A TV playing some drama show in the corner, posters displaying bands hanging across the walls, and a dresser or two here and there told Rainbow everything she needed to know. She was in a bedroom. What caught her attention, however, was the bed planted in the center of the room, the form of Twilight’s brother laying across it. The naked form.

The very naked form.

A mix of a gasp and a squeal escaped Rainbow’s lips as her eyes instantly locked onto the one place she knew she shouldn’t be looking.

Shining shifted uncomfortably a few times as he noticed Rainbow’s sudden entry, visibly uncertain as to how he should react. “Uh… Need something?”

Rainbow’s mouth floundered a few times like a fish gasping for air, the fact that Shining was making no real attempt to cover himself not helping her in the slightest. “Uh… I, uh…” Letting out huff of breath, she forced her eyes shut before reopening them, pointedly meeting the boy’s face. “Bathroom?” she managed, not enough fight in her to be annoyed by her voice’s cracking.

“Other door. Across from this one.”

“Yes, thank you,” she squeaked. She was gone in a second, the door having been slammed shut before anything else could be said… or seen.

“Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!” Rainbow cried, stumbling into the bathroom, “That just happened! I-I thought I would be…” Planting her hands on the sink’s sides, she caught a glimpse of her face. If she didn’t know better, she would’ve said her skin was naturally a rosy red instead of cyan. “I guess we’re even now. Not that he cares. Ugh…” she said, shaking her head with an exhale.

“…Más grande.”

In a few minutes, Rainbow was washing her hands, having taken care of her business and hopefully her indecent thoughts as well. She knew it was too much to ask for the images in her head to go with her. Those would be burned into her skull for the rest of her life. She had no doubt that they would come back to her during her final moments alive just to spite her.

Morbidly naked last thoughts aside, the girl paused before reaching for her blanket that she’d hung on an empty towel rack. Glancing at her clothes, she only needed a moment to think before she stripped them off—after checking that she’d remembered to lock the bathroom, that is. Barebacked save for her thankfully dry briefs, she wrung out her shirt and shorts over the sink then flapped each a bit to at least get some of the dampness out. Figuring they were as dry as they were going to get (not saying very much), she moved to pull her shorts back on, but not before catching sight of herself in the mirror.

You know what would be awkward to think about while you’re naked? her mind asked.

“…Dang it, brain!” she yelped as her cheeks were painted red once again. Grumbling, she hurriedly dressed herself.

“Oh good, you’re—something wrong? You look a little shaken.”

Rainbow took one glance at Twilight before looking away, shaking her head. “No. Everything’s fine. Let’s begin.”

Twilight shot a sidelong glance, but she didn’t pursue. “Uh… sure. Take a seat.”

No qualms to the order, Rainbow dropped to the floor. Just need to focus, she said to herself, Don’t let anything remind you of… Don’t even think it.

Pushing a book toward the other, Twilight pointed out a new set of problems. “Remember these types of equations from a few weeks back?”

“I need a refresher.”

“Sure thing. Well, you may remember how much everyone hated them. The process to solving them is way longer.”

“…Longer?”

“Mmhm. Doesn’t help that they’re also quite harder.”

“…Harder?”

“Yeah, I recall really having to work them. No offense, but I kind of noticed how much you were sucking at them. I offered to lend a hand, having gotten the hang of handling the entire package myself, but you insisted on finishing them off for yourself.”

Rainbow’s eye twitched. “Curse my dirty mind!” she cried, throwing her hands into the air before falling back onto the carpet.

“Um… what?” Twilight said, blinking a few times.

“Just forget it,” Rainbow said, defeated by her own head, “Just teach me your trigonometric ways, wise one.”

“So many identities… why are there so many identities?!” Rainbow cried, cringing down the list, “I need to know all of these?”

“Yes.”

“It’s not worth my sanity. I’m quite happy having a D.”

“Don’t think so negatively. Just look for patterns between them and you’ll have them down in no time.”

Rainbow only huffed, her eyes half lidded in boredom as they scrambled through the pages spread out across the floor. As torturous as this was, she had to admit she was feeling more confident about all these fancy math stuffs. “Uh-huh. What’s next?”

“Well…” Twilight said, putting her hand to her chin in thought, “I have my own strategies to remember…” She trailed off, perking her head toward the door as if sensing something. Before Rainbow could ask, she heard someone approaching.

“…Ugh, need to get out of these. They’re soaked… Hey, Twily!” a woman’s voice called out, soon followed by her appearing the in the doorway. Rainbow couldn’t say she recognized her, but she couldn’t help but get a sense of familiarity at her face. Then it hit her. With one glance to check the resemblance, the athlete realized she was looking at her friend’s mom.

The top two buttons of her damp blouse were already undone, her hand fiddling for a third, but she stopped as she made out the sight of Rainbow. “Oh! Who’s your friend, Twily?”

“Hey, mom,” she replied, “This is Rainbow Dash. I think I’ve told you about her.”

“I’d say so.” Putting on her patented time-to-embarrass-my-kid smile, she said to Rainbow, “Why, when she came home from school one day saying she’d made a friend, that was all she could talk about for a week straight.”

“Mom!”

“I always told her that having friends were fun, but did she ever listen to me until then? Nope.”

“Heh.” Rainbow shot her friend a look somewhere between “You’re not hearing the end of this” and “I know I’m that awesome.” Twilight, on the other hand, buried her face in her palms.

Twilight’s mom giggled a few times, but a knowing glint appeared in her eye as she glanced at her daughter. “Does she…?”

Twilight nodded. “I already told her.”

“Oh good. That just makes things easier. And less awkward,” she added with a laugh, “I imagine you would’ve been wondering why I was unbuttoning out here otherwise.” She gestured toward her blouse.

Rainbow, however, wasn’t quite comfortable seeing it for herself.

“Trust me, we’ve already been through enough awkward moments,” Twilight said, pointedly looking her friend’s way, “But everything’s cool now.”

That’s what you think, Rainbow thought. “Yeah, we’re cool, Miss…”

“Just call me Velvet. And don’t bother with the ‘Miss’ thing. Any friend of my daughter is a friend of mine.”

“Mom…” Twilight groaned.

Rainbow propped herself onto her knees to hold out her hand. “Cool. Nice to meet you.”

“Pleasure’s all mine,” Velvet replied as she shook her hand. Clearing her throat, she said, “Now dear, I have to ask you something a tad more serious. Would you want us to stay clothed? I know it can be uncomfortable if you’re not used to it.”

Rainbow blinked. “Erm, I don’t want to impose…”

“But…?” Velvet prompted, nodding along.

“Could you?” she finished, “I mean, I don’t want to make you guys do anything you don’t wanna.”

She waved her off. “Don’t worry about it, dear. It’s not a big deal to us. Hehe, Cadence was just like that at first: awkwardly polite… Speaking of the girl, did you know she’s coming over, Twily?”

“Mmhm.”

“Your father and I actually ran into her on the way home. She was so polite as to not only share her umbrella when we were getting soaked but even to help carry the groceries. See Twilight, why can’t you get a boyfriend as good as that?”

“Mom!”

“Just saying that Shining’s one step closer to giving me grandchildren than you are.”

“I-I’m still in high school!”

“I don’t want them now, but it’s nice to plan ahead. Remember, whoever supplies me grandchildren first is my favorite.”

“Tch—I don’t—Get out of my room!”

Velvet held up her hands defensively in front of her, saying “Okay, okay, I’ll stop. Anyway, back on topic. Cadence is here now. I expect she’s helping your father put away groceries.”

“Okay, thanks. Now get out.”

“Anytime!” she called back, disappearing out of sight.

Twilight lasted all of two seconds before letting out a moan. “Uuuuugh. She does this on purpose. Rainbow—”

“Bwahahaha!” she replied, wiping a tear from her eye, “Oh man. I’ve been holding that in ever since she started.”

“Gee thanks.”

“Haha…” she said, her laughter sputtering down. “Woo… So that was your mom, huh?”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Unfortunately, yes. My dad’s no better. He just encourages her.”

“Sounds fun.” Rainbow hesitated a moment. “So… you all really are casual with being naked with each other.”

Twilight raised her eyebrow. “As I said earlier, yes, we’re quite comfortable seeing each other unclothed. Are you still on that?”

“Well,” she said, biting her lip, “I just can’t imagine having that kind of relationship with my folks. It’s just so… eugh. No offense.”

“None taken. I know nudism can seem bizarre to people who don’t practice it.”

“Yeah, I know…” Rainbow shrugged. “Do you ever…”

“Yes?”

Letting out a nervous chuckle, Rainbow said, “Do you ever look at her crotch and think, ‘I came out of that?’”

Twilight blinked. “Uh… I’m aware of that?”

“Wait, you actually think that?” Rainbow reacted.

“Well, I don’t think about it. I just know I did. It’s the truth,” she defended.

“Eheh… ha?” She cleared her throat. “So who’s Cadence?”

Brow unfurrowing, Twilight answered with a newfound normalcy. “Oh, she’s my brother’s girlfriend and my old babysitter. I think you’ll like her… Oh, there she is now,” she said, pointing out through the door.

Rainbow turned to look just in time for a pink skinned girl to poke her head in. “Hey, Twily. Hey, Rainbow.”

“Hey. Have we met before?” Rainbow asked, wondering how she knew her name.

She shook her head. “You see, there was this one week where Twily wouldn’t stop talking about—”

“Okay!” Twilight interrupted, “Good to see you, Cadence. Yes, this is Rainbow Dash. Rainbow, this is Cadence.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Cadence said.

“Right back at ya.”

Her eyes glancing at the papers giving the room a new carpet made of graphs and formulas, she asked, “What are you girls doing?”

“Trig final.”

“Ah.”

“What brings you over?” Twilight piped in, “Not that I’m not happy to see you.”

“Just came over to hang out with Shining.”

Oh, he’s doing a lot of hanging out, Rainbow thought. Shaking the images from her mind, she put on a curious expression. “You’re going to spend time with him?”

“Yes?”

“Like, right now?”

Cadence’s mouth curled into a frown. “I was planning to. Is something wrong?”

“No,no, but… You sure you’re going to see him now?”

“Rainbow, what are you talking about?” Twilight asked.

“Nothing.”

Cadence, however, slowly drew a smirk as a glint appeared in her eyes. “Oh, Twilight?” she said, “Could you go see your dad? I think there was something he wanted to talk to you about.”

“Uh, sure. Thanks for letting me know.” With a shrug, the lavender skinned girl pushed herself to her feet and walked out. In a few moments, Cadence turned toward Rainbow, the same smirk plastered across her face.

I… don’t like the look of that. Rainbow glanced both ways before speaking. “So… What’s up?”

Cadence stepped in and shut the door behind. Kneeling down, she said, “Rainbow? I know exactly what’s going through your head right now.”

“Why did you lock yourself in here with me?”

She laughed. “Okay, other than that. No, I’m talking about being the only person in the house with the urge to wear clothes.”

“Oh, that,” Rainbow replied, dismissively waving her hand, “Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

Cadence rolled her eyes. “Believe me, I went through the exact thing you’re going through already.”

Rainbow considered brushing off her words again (She was fine! Right? Maybe?), but she clammed herself up before any words could spill out. Actually, a talk with the one person here who could relate to her might not be such a bad thing. “Alright,” she said, “I’m listening. I was joking earlier and stuff, but things have just gotten...”

“Awkward?”

Rainbow nodded.

“Yeah, I remember that. They would wear clothes, but you would feel like you’re forcing them to?”

“Yeah, exactly!”

Cadence hummed in agreement. “Well, I just want you to know that you shouldn’t have to feel weird about that. Or any of this, really. It took me a long time to adjust, but I learned that all this awkward tension is just in your head.”

“What? You’re saying it’s only weird because I’m making myself feel that way?”

“That’s right!” she chimed.

“…Uh-huh,” was all she replied with. Her brow furrowed. “It took a long time to adjust? If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were getting naked with them.”

Cadence stared at her for a moment, a guilty smile slowly spreading across her face.

“You did?!”

“Yes I did,” she affirmed, “Or do.”

Rainbow stared wide-eyed at her, her mind buzzing in surprise. “B-but what? How did?”

Cadence laughed a few times, a rosy tint appearing on her cheeks before she said, “Well, the details are between me and Shining, but let’s just say I didn’t bother getting dressed again.”

“Uh, yeah,” Rainbow said, a hint of a blush on her own cheeks, “And Twilight and everyone was fine with that?”

“Why wouldn’t they be?”

To that, Rainbow had no answer. “I dunno. Anyway, thanks for the talk, I guess.”

Whipping up a warm smile, Cadence nodded. “No problem, girl. Anything to help you out in this awkward mess you’re in. Of course, you don’t have to go as far as me to feel comfortable… unless you want to,” she added with a mischievous grin.

“Haha, thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” Giving Rainbow a slap on the back, she left, heading down the hall toward what Rainbow had no doubt was Shining’s room. ...Yeah, no way I’m getting naked in front of them. Not in a million years, she thought, letting out a few less-than-confident giggles.

Alone for the first time, Rainbow had nothing to do but wait as she let her mind wander aimlessly. Reaching into her blanket, she straightened out her clothes for the millionth time, annoyed at finding them in the wrinkly limbo where it’s not dry but not wet either. What she needed was a new set of clothes and preferably a shower. Maybe Twilight could help with that… With the clothes part, not the shower part! Ugh, now she had a whole new set of images burned into her head.

Rainbow’s attention turned upward as the door was pushed open again, this time with Twilight reentering, a tray balanced in her arm. Seeing her cheery smile, Rainbow couldn’t help but wonder what it would turn into should she know what fantasy she’d just been a part of.

“I don’t know what Cadence was talking about, but I decided to whip us up some food while I was in there,” Twilight said, setting down her tray where a pair of sandwiches, chips, and other snack foods were waiting to be eaten. “We’ve been at this longer than I realized. It’s dinner time.”

Eyebrows shooting up, Rainbow glanced around for a clock that wasn’t in the room. “Really? Huh, time flies when you’re not looking.”

“Indeed. Hey, Rainbow? I was thinking.”

“As usual?”

She rolled her eyes. “Considering that it’s still raining cats and dogs outside, why don’t you stay the night? We can even get more studying done.”

“Sounds fine to me,” Rainbow replied, shrugging, “I’ll just have to text my folks. Hopefully the message actually gets through, but hey, they know where I am.”

“Great! Oh, this is going to be fun!”

“Whatever you say,” Rainbow said, picking up her phone in one hand and a sandwich in the other as she took a bite. “Whatefer you sah…”

It's Just Anatomy!

Rainbow thought that after all the awkward horrors she’d been put through in the Sparkle household, it couldn’t get any worse.

She was wrong.

Her eyes strayed up from the safety of her dinner plate, bringing the sight of the four members of the Sparkle family into her vision. Every one of them were dressed in nothing but a bathrobe. When Rainbow had asked Velvet to stay clothed… loose-fitting, thin, and breezy pieces of cloth was not what she had in mind. And they all match, too! Like, is this some kind of club?

“Is the food alright, dear?” Velvet asked, snapping Rainbow out of her thoughts.

“Uh, yeah! It’s great. I love…” She glanced at the squishy, moist chunk of goddesses-know-what on her plate. “…Meat.”

“That’s good to hear. You just looked a bit distant there.”

“Uh-huh.” Rainbow knew exactly why that was, but her lips were sealed. She was just glad she could pull a “not that hungry” excuse since she and Twilight had already snacked earlier. Agreeing to dinner with everyone was more out of politeness.

At a nudge from her side, Rainbow turned to see Cadence offering a sympathetic smile. “Relax,” she mouthed.

The athlete only nodded in reply. If it was any comfort, at least one other person at the dinner table was fully clothed… not that Rainbow herself had much on. Damp clothes under a blanket with sleeves… Ugh, I might as well be in the bathrobe club. No one said anything about wearing a blanket to dinner, but she had caught a few knowing glances from Twilight’s brother that never failed to paint her cheeks red.

“Anything new happening with any of you? School’s alright?” Twilight’s father, Night Light, asked.

A chorus of mumbled yes’s and yup’s answered him.

“Actually,” Shining said, “I started looking into another college.”

“Yes? Which one?”

“Crystal University. It’s about a two days’ drive from here.”

“Mmhm,” he replied, stuffing a dripping mash of mystery meat into his mouth. “What’s got you interested over there?”

Cadence winked at Shining before she answered, “I told him I was looking into it.”

“Aw, isn’t that sweet?” Velvet cooed, “Reminds me of us, right, honey?”

“Just without the rock ‘n roll and a few other things.”

Velvet rolled her eyes. Glancing around at the younger members of the dinner table, she whispered, “Don’t listen to him. Especially you, Twilight.”

“Mom,” she moaned, burying her head in her hands.

All that was missing from Velvet’s innocent smile was a halo above her head.

Rainbow stared in silence as she watched the friendly banter being thrown across the table. They were laughing and playing with each other just as casually as any other family, she saw. …Everyone’s half naked and no one’s said a word about it.

The sound of conversation died down as every set of eyes turned toward Rainbow, each of them boring into her with a blend of surprise. It only took the girl a second to realize what had happened.

Her mouth went dry.

Her pupils dilated to pinpricks.

Her words failed her, coming out as a helpless squeak.

I said that out loud! she shrieked inwardly, Oh my gosh, I said that out loud! With unadulterated horror etched across her features, her eyes darted through the faces that were watching her. Other than taken aback, she couldn’t read their expressions, but that didn’t send her any relief; she had no idea how they’d react. Cadence was no help as she kept glancing between Rainbow and the Sparkles.

Well, it was nice knowing them while it lasted. I’ve made a complete idiot of myself and made things super awk—

“I prefer the term ‘half clothed,’” Night Light chuckled, drawing a groan from both of his children.

“Please pardon my husband’s attempt at humor,” Velvet said, “But yes, no one’s said anything. We’re usually wearing less than this, after all.”

Rainbow blinked. “You… you’re not upset? Or mad? Or awkward? Or… anything?! None of you?”

“Why would we be?” she said with a shrug, “That’s just the truth. Though, maybe it’s just a little awkward.” A giggle escaped her lips at the last word.

Part of Rainbow wanted to jump up and prance in relief at realizing she hadn’t screwed herself over in front of everyone, but another part of her shot words from her mouth first. “But… but I…” She shook her head. “I just don’t get it!”

“Get what, dear?”

“How are you all so casual being naked with each other? How is it not awkward? I keep hearing how you’re all okay with it, but I just don’t get it.”

All eyes turned toward Rainbow once again, but this time they shown with comprehension rather than surprise. Twilight spoke up first, saying, “Well, we were brought up that way. It’s never been a problem.”

“Yeah, you’ve said that…”

“Rainbow?” Cadence said, planting her hand on the other girl’s shoulder, “I understand where you’re coming from. As I said, I went through those exact emotions you’re feeling. Though, I wasn’t as… blunt about it. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m guessing you’ve got your mind set that nudity is meant to be a purely private thing.”

“Uh, yeah?”

“Well, that’s just because of how you were brought up, unlike them. Things that seem wrong to one person is perfectly normal to another.”

“Like grades, for instance,” Twilight piped in, “I consider no less than an A acceptable, but a lot of students seem content to just pass at all.”

Like me? Rainbow almost said aloud. Pushing the jab at herself aside, she said, “Yeah, but… how did you actually get to that point?” Looking at Twilight and Shining, she continued, “I know you two were brought up with it, but is everything really that simple? I know I’d feel mortified to be naked with my folks.”

“Why don’t you ask them yourself?” Cadence said, gesturing around the table. At the suggestion, the members of the family all nodded in agreement.

“Uh, you’re all okay with that?” Rainbow asked.

“Of course!” Velvet said, “Anything to make you feel comfortable.”

Rainbow took a moment to peer at each of their faces, seeing nothing but an eagerness to please. “Well okay. Um… why? Can I ask why you’re nudists?”

As Twilight and Shining looked to their parents, Velvet spoke up first. “I can answer that.” Clapping her hands together, she said, “Story time. Neither Night nor I were brought up as nudists, but we were introduced to the lifestyle about a year after we married when we went to a resort. Little did we realize that it was actually clothing optional! It was awkward for us too, but at one point, we got into a conversation with another guest who straightened everything out.”

“He was nice about it,” Night Light added, “Think his name was Sidcord or something…”

Brow furrowing, Rainbow glanced to Twilight who was wearing an equally befuddled expression. She mouthed, “Isn’t our school janitor named Discord?” Twilight only shrugged in reply.

“After that,” Velvet said, “We were still reluctant to try it ourselves, but hey, we’re married. We’ve already—” She cleared her throat, “Er, we’ve already married. Yes, that’s it. In any case, we tried it and found it… interesting? Refreshing? Exciting? Take your pick. I think I found appeal in how freeing it is.”

“So you became nudists after that?” Rainbow asked.

She shook her head. “Not right away. But I remembered the feeling and proposed trying it at home to Night Light sometime later.”

“I thought it was a great idea,” he said.

“Mmhm. Well, we tried it, and the rest is history.”

Rainbow nodded slowly after a moment. “Okay… that makes sense.”

“Anything else you’d like to know? I’d be happy to oblige.”

After thinking for a moment, a weasly smile found its way onto the girl’s lips. “Actually, I was thinking about something you said earlier.”

“What would that be?”

“You said you all have dinner in the nude, right?”

Velvet nodded.

Twiddling her thumbs, she said, “Well, what happens if you… ya know… spill food? Like if it’s a scalding bowl of soup?”

Instantly, both of the males at the table burst into laughter. Through his cackling, Shining managed to say, “You better hope that bowl don’t land on your bowels!”

Their wave of laughter only needed a moment to wash over the rest of the table as everyone else joined in. Rainbow even found herself letting out some hearty chuckles. “Okay, okay,” she said once the noise receded, “I should’ve figured that, but can I ask something else?”

“Of course.”

Rainbow nodded, taking a moment to think. “Okay, what if…?”

It was about an hour after dinner when Rainbow found herself lying across the couch, a recent question and answer session still running through her head. She had to admit, she was feeling noticeably less awkward than earlier. “Just glad everything’s been laid bare,” she said with a completely straight face.

“Arf!”

Rainbow glanced to her side at the sudden sound, coming face to nose with the canine of the household. “Oh hey, Spike. Where have you been all evening?”

“Arf!”

“Good to hear.” She glanced away for a moment, intending to board her train of thoughts once again, but she couldn’t help but feel the pleading stare on her. “…Ugh alright,” she said, bending down to lift the pooch onto her lap.

“Arf!”

“Uh-huh, what else is new?” she replied, stroking the soft hair behind his ears. “You know what, Spike? Your family’s crazy. But in a good way.”

“Arf!”

“I don’t think I’ll be pulling a Cadence, but I think I’m starting to see things their way. Heh, did you have to go through what I did when they adopted you?”

“Arf!”

“Figures you wouldn’t. You’ve always been too laid back for your own good.”

“Having a conversation with the dog?” a voice asked from behind Rainbow.

“Arf!”

Craning her neck to see Cadence, Rainbow grinned. “What can I say? He’s a great conversationalist.”

“Don’t worry about it. We all talk to him,” Cadence chuckled, “If I didn’t know better, I’d say that he was meant to be human, but some silly person went and turned him into a dog instead.” She shrugged. “In any case, I just wanted to say bye before I head out. You’re staying the night?”

“Yup.”

“Cool. That should be fun.”

“Heh, maybe. After all this trigo-torture Twilight’s put me through, I might just head to bed soon. It’s getting late anyway.”

“Uh-huh. Well, good meeting you, Rainbow.”

“You too, Cadence. See ya.”

“Goodbye!” The older girl readjusted her raincoat as she grabbed her umbrella beside the doorway. As she grasped the door handle, she looked over her shoulder at Rainbow. “Oh, and Rainbow? Glad we all had that discussion. Not just for you, but I found it interesting as well. Bye!”

“Bye,” she replied, watching Cadence disappear out the door. …I like her. She’s nice.

“Arf!”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll pet you now. Geez, no need to get fussy.”

Falling into a rhythm, Rainbow was able to let her mind wander again.

…At least until Twilight interrupted her a few minutes later.

“Sorry to disappoint you, Rainbow,” she said, “But I’m not up for anymore studying tonight. I’m kind of tired.”

Making an exaggerated gasp, she replied, “Oh, Twi! I was looking forward to it oh-so much too! Whatever will I do?”

“Why don’t you fall asleep with a textbook on your face? Maybe then you’ll have dreams of trig problems to do.”

“Pssh. I dream of awesome stuff! Like… what if humans had batteries? That way we could plug into an outlet instead of needing to sleep.”

Twilight’s eyebrow shot up at a speed just shy of the speed of sound.

“Speaking of sleep,” Rainbow said, “I was thinking of turning in soon, myself. Sorry we didn’t get to do anything fun.”

“You say it as if math isn’t fun. But don’t worry about it.”

“Mmhm. Hey, would it be cool if I took a shower first?”

She nodded. “Go right on ahead. You can use the one you used earlier.”

“Yup, I know exactly where that one is. Thanks,” she said, pushing herself up and causing Spike to jump off her lap. “I’ll take care of it now, if it’s no hassle.”

“Not at all. Oh, but before you go, let me get you a towel.” Returning in a moment, she tossed the fabric to Rainbow.

“Thanks, Twi.” She turned to go, but Twilight cut her off.

“Oh, wait. Want to borrow some pajamas? I doubt you’d want to stay in those as you sleep, especially after taking a shower.”

Rainbow stared at her for a long moment, silent from her words to the unreadable expression across her face. “...Yeah. I’d like that.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow, but she continued. “I’ll get them for you. You go to the bathroom, and I’ll drop them off.”

“Sounds good.”

A minute of waiting later, Rainbow was in the bathroom after taking a somewhat lengthy moment to decide which door to go in. After thanking Twilight for the t-shirt and pajama bottoms she brought, the athlete heaved out a sigh as she hung the balled up clothing on the towel rack along with the towel she already had.

The girl wasted no time in stripping off her blanket with sleeves and the wrinkled garments underneath. Tossing them aside, she stepped into the bathtub as she turned on the water, setting it to “hot”—just as she liked it. “…Ah,” she sighed, “That’s nice…”

Rainbow would’ve been content to simply stand there and let the soothing droplets run down her skin, but there was bound to be at least one of the Sparkle siblings waiting for their turn, so she grabbed for the hair wash and ran the soapy mess through her—

“Agh! Darn soap!” she hissed as her eyes slammed shut, trying to prevent any more of the stinging solution from attacking. She shot the traitorous bottle a truly horrendous glare (through closed eyes, no less) before reaching her hand past the shower curtain to grab for her towel. “Stupid…” she muttered as she rubbed the irritation out of her eyes, only to freeze as something registered.

It was not a good something.

Blinking her eyes into focus, she gaped at the sight of the damp and soaked clothes in her hands. “…I grabbed the clothes,” she monotoned, “I just grabbed the clothes.”

Now, Rainbow considered herself a levelheaded girl. Sure, she had her occasional temper flare, or she would let her pride get the better of her, but she believed she was sensible. In this moment, however, the girl had only one thing to say in response to her predicament.

“…Fothermucker.”

She wrapped up the rest of her thankfully uneventful shower in an anxious daze. Water turned off, Rainbow knew she couldn’t put off deciding what to do any longer. Eyes glued to the soaked clothes, she couldn’t help but wonder if all her clothes were cursed to end up as damp, useless messes. I could… ask Twilight for new ones, she thought, Ugh, but then I’d have to tell her how badly I messed up. She didn’t even consider using her old clothes, and she couldn’t just prance about in her towel either.

Just as she was about to suck it up and call for her friend, the sight of her ever-loyal sleeved blanket caught her eye. As she stared at it, an idea formed in her head. What if I… just wore that?

“Yeah, go for it!” a tiny voice said from her shoulder, belonging to a miniature ghostly version of Rainbow that so happened to be buck nude.

“Wha—”

“Don’t listen to her! Ask for new clothes!” the same voice said, this time from the other shoulder. This version of Rainbow was dressed head to toe in jackets and snow pants, leaving only her face visible.

The full sized Rainbow glanced between them as they continued to bicker at each other. “Wait a minute,” she said, “Aren’t you two supposed to be good and evil?”

Both girls looked in surprise to her, but the nude one whipped up a smirk as she said, “Yeah! And I’m the good one!”

“What?! No, I’m the good one!” the clothed one yelled back.

“Nuh-uh!”

“Yeah-huh!”

“Loser!”

“Ugly!”

“Ugly?! We look the—”

“Enough!” the real Rainbow scolded, “Both of you, go away. I can handle my own decisions.”

As if practiced, both apparitions gave a “hmph” before crossing their arms and disappearing in a show of rainbow sparkles.

“…It’s official. This house and everyone in it have driven me insane.” Shaking her head, she took one last look at her trusty blanket before yanking it toward her and putting her arms through the sleeves. I’ll keep it wrapped tight, she thought, And besides, they don’t care… Huh.

She couldn’t pin down the feeling that sent butterflies through her system.

“Finally out?” Twilight said, watching her friend reenter the living room.

“Oh, were you waiting on me? Heh, sorry about that,” Rainbow said as her hands clutched the folds of her blanket, not daring to slip. By some twist, her friend was also wrapped up in a blanket but without sleeves. Was she wearing anything underneath? Rainbow had a feeling she knew the answer, much to her uneasiness.

She shook her head. “No, I just took one in the other bathroom. I was just saying that since you went in first and came out last.”

“Oh, okay,” she replied, breaking into a yawn at the last word. She stifled a laugh as she saw it caused her friend to yawn as well. “Hey, uh, what do you want me to do with all my wet clothes? Got somewhere to hang them?”

“Don’t worry about it. Just get them all together and you can give them a quick wash tomorrow morning. Worst case scenario, you can just borrow some of my clothes for school.”

“Radical,” she replied, leaving for a minute to throw her’s—and Twilight’s—into a clump in her friend’s room. She’d already wringed out Twilight’s the best she could, so she wasn’t too concerned about them dripping.

As Rainbow returned to the living room and plopped herself down onto the couch, she felt herself freeze up as her friend spoke up.

“You sure do love that blanket, huh? Funny after all that you gave me about it.”

Rainbow forced out a few giggles, saying, “Heh… yeah. Hey, would it be cool if I head to bed now? I’m pretty tired.”

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” Twilight chuckled, “Sure thing. You can sleep in my bed. I’ve already set it up for you.”

Of all the things that could’ve gone through Rainbow’s mind, She sleeps naked in those sheets, and she’s expecting me to use them was the very first. “Uh, I don’t want to push you out of your own bed. I’ll just take the couch or something.”

“Nonsense. As your host, I insist that you have the bed. I’m perfectly fine on the couch.”

“And as your guest with a right to refuse, I insist you have the bed.”

Twilight raised her eyebrow. “Really Rainbow, it’s no problem.”

Oh, it is, Twi, it is. With a smirk, Rainbow threw her legs across the length of the couch, forcing Twilight to scoot back lest she get pushed back. Doing her trademarked Rarity impression, she said, “I would, Twi. However, I’m already in such a comfortable position, and I’m far too tired to be asked to move. I’m sure you understand.”

For her efforts, Rainbow was rewarded with a long, hard stare. Suddenly, Twilight’s lips curled into a smirk of her own, causing the athlete’s confidence to falter with surprise. “Fine, Rainbow. Two of us can play at that game.”

Before she could come up with a comeback, Twilight laid herself down across the couch, pushing a surprised Rainbow into the back cushions. Their faces mere inches apart, Twilight flashed a sinister smile. “Since neither of us will move, I guess we’ll just have to share. Unless, of course, someone happens to change their mind.”

Perhaps for the better, perhaps for the worst, Rainbow’s competitive side took control. “Not happening,” she declared.

“Fine,” Twilight answered as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

“Fine.”

Rainbow glared at her for a moment longer before shifting so she faced toward the ceiling. Twilight seemed content to stay in her position.

Hmph! Rainbow thought, As if that’s going to stop me. It’s going to take a lot more than being forced to share a bed with my friend… my naked best friend… when I’m naked too… and we’re being pushed awfully close to each other by the small couch…

“Oh, dear goddesses.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

With a shudder, Rainbow shut her eyes, trying to fall into the welcome embrace of slumber.

Rainbow walked with a stride as she approached Canterlot High School. Although the final wasn’t actually today, she felt more confident than a sharpshooter at a laser tag competition.

Her confidence was borne of two parts: the hours of studying yesterday and the fact that she’d survived a night at the house of the nude. She had no doubt that her sheer awesomeness had pulled through.

Kicking the front door open, she bounded down the hall without a care in the world. She felt great. Powerful. Unstoppable! Nothing could bring her down. All around, students fell into a whispered hush as she walked by, humbled by her presence. She only smirked at them. “I know, I know.”

At picking out the cotton candy hair of her friend in the crowd, Rainbow called out as she jogged over. “Hey, Pinkie!”

“Oh! Hey, Dash—”

She froze, her eyes widened in shock. To Rainbow, however, it was just another person amazed by her awesomeness. “Heh, might want to close your mouth before a fly comes by.”

Pinkie shook her head. “Dashie! You’re naked!”

Rainbow’s brow furrowed. “Come again?”

Pushing Rainbow’s head down, she said, “Look! You aren’t wearing anything!”

“What are you… Ack!” In a rush of shock and embarrassment, Rainbow saw not her clothes, but her naked form on display for everyone in school to gawk at. Panic exploding inside of her, she quickly slapped her hands across her privates as her back slammed against the wall. “Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!” What the hay is going on?! How did I not notice I was nude?!

“Whoa, calm down,” Pinkie said, placing her hands on Rainbow’s shoulders, “It’s alright.”

“What?! How can this possibly alright?!”

Pinkie actually giggled, much to Rainbow’s nervous shock. “’Cause, silly, everyone else is naked too!”

“What are you… talking… about…?” Rainbow’s words trailed off as she stared in awe around her. Although she could swear that everyone was clothed mere moments ago, literally everyone was nude. Girls, boys. Teachers, students. Even Pinkie had joined the fray! Rainbow was silent, her mouth hanging agape.

“Um… Is something wrong, Rainbow?” came a familiar soft voice.

Glancing to her left, Rainbow gasped at the sight of not only Fluttershy, but Applejack and Rarity all missing their usual attire. “I… I… What’s happening?” she mumbled, her voice a mere squeak.

“Girl, we should be askin’ ya that,” Applejack said, “You’re the only person in the whole school who would wear clothes.”

Rarity nodded. “Yes, I believe we are all wondering what caused the sudden change of heart.”

Rainbow glanced between her friends (trying to keep her eyes pointed at their faces) before shaking her head in a daze. “I am so confused…” Everyone’s naked, and now I’m naked, but no one cares about that. They’re just curious as to why. She sighed. “I…”

“That’s right, Rainbow! Tell us why!”

The athlete nearly jumped at the voice that spoke up on the other side of her. She knew that voice… “Janitor Discord.”

“The one and only,” he replied, his voice dripping with mischievousness.

Her hands clenched in fists of anxiety, Rainbow made the mistake of turning toward him.

Then she saw him. Legs spread, hands at his hips, and his old wrinkly, sweaty, dangly di—

Rainbow’s scream echoed through the halls. Legend says it can still be heard to this day.

The athlete’s eyes fluttered open, darting around in a frantic daze as they came into focus. “Ung..?” she muttered, still groggy from her sudden awakening, “Uh… bad dream? Something about… something… ugh.”

In her half-rational state-of-mind, the memory of whatever she was dreaming about eluded her, save for some random tidbits. Like seeing her friends naked, for instance. That was definitely the part she wanted to remember.

Rainbow tried rolling onto her side to get to a more comfortable position, but she frowned when something held her in place. Glancing left, she saw the familiar face of her friend asleep next to her. Funnily enough, she was snuggled against Rainbow, her arm even pulling them together into an embrace.

“Heh…” Rainbow muttered, “Silly Twi…”

Feeling a wave of drowsiness pull down on her eyelids, Rainbow had no qualms to the idea of going back to the warmth of sleep. With a content smile, she shut her eyes once again.

Hope I didn’t wake up Twi… She looks comfortable, heh…

…

“Twilight!” Rainbow shrieked, her eyes rocketing open. What the hay is she doing?!

The lavender girl let out a shriek of her own as she was yanked out of her slumber. Instinctively, her body pushed itself away from Rainbow, sending her and the blankets sprawling onto the floor. Through a flail of limbs, Twilight managed to right herself as she got onto her knees.

The girls’ eyes locked with each other. For a second, there was silence, only interrupted by the sound of each of them taking quick, heavy breaths. Then the silence was slaughtered.

“You’re naked!” they both cried, jabbing their pointer fingers at each other. Both pairs of eyes darted down to look at themselves, but only one of the girls made any attempt to cover themselves.

“Ah! Twi, don’t look at me!”

“I-I what?”

“Don’t look!”

“Uh, right!” she said, throwing her forearm across her face.

Rainbow winced as a fiery blush flared across her cheek, looking away even though she knew Twilight didn’t care. Rainbow let out the breath that had caught in her throat, coming out as a squeak rather than an exhale. “Oh, goddesses…” she moaned, “I can’t believe this just happened.”

“Rainbow…?” Twilight said, a cautiousness standing up her words.

“I-I’m so embarrassed…”

“Rainbow.”

“I…”

“Rainbow Dash.”

The girl’s eyes widened at the shift in tone from her friend. All hesitation was replaced with a simple sternness. “Yeah… Twi?”

Twilight moved her hand away, but she still kept her eyes closed. “Rainbow, look at me.”

“That’s the problem!”

She facepalmed. “Okay, poor choice of words. But I want you to listen to me, alright?”

“…Okay.”

Twilight took in a deep breath before saying, “It’s alright.”

“What?”

“It’s alright,” she repeated, “You don’t need to stress yourself about this. Or anything that’s happened, really.”

“But—”

“Exactly. A butt is not a big deal.”

Despite her whirlwind of emotion, Rainbow found it in herself to groan. “You all have been saying that this whole time.”

“I know… What I should’ve done is sit down and talk to you. I didn’t realize it was actually this big of a deal to you. Since I’ve been like this my whole life, I never assumed it could be so hard for someone else. So… sorry. I’m sorry you’ve had to go through this wild ride.”

Rainbow blinked. She’s apologizing? But… it’s not… “No,” Rainbow said, “Don’t apologize. This is just who you are, and I can’t blame you for it…” Heaving a sigh, she continued, “I… probably overacted, anyway. When you say it’s not a big deal, it really isn’t, huh?”

“I—”

“No, really,” she said, cutting Twilight off, “I’ve been acting so mortified whenever it comes up… and comes off… but I haven’t even given this a chance.”

“Give it a chance? If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were planning on joining us,” Twilight commented.

Rainbow didn’t share in the laughter.

The lavender girl’s eyebrows shot up. “Wait, are you actually considering it?”

“…Ya know, I had a lot of time to think over all that I heard at dinner and from Cadence. Then I had these visions of me in the bathroom, and I think I had some weird dream about school.” Whipping up a hesitant smile, she said, “As they say, ‘Don’t knock it ‘till you try it.’”

“Oh, uh… okay. Sorry, but I have to say I’m quite surprised.”

“Uh-huh. Eh, that’s not a problem, is it?”

She shook her head. “Shouldn’t be. We’re already used to Cadence jumping in randomly, so you should be fine.”

“Cool.”

A hush fell over the room, neither girl having anything to say for a few seconds. Finally, Twilight spoke up, “Can I… open my eyes now?”

Rainbow’s immediate reaction would’ve been to say no, but she held her tongue. No going back now. Gulping back her anxiety, she answered. “Sure.”

Her friend’s eyes blinked open before focusing on her. To her credit, they never strayed away from Rainbow’s blushing face. “Okay. You can look too if you want.”

Without a word, the athlete did so. Although her own eyes twitched down her friend’s nude form a few times, she forced herself to maintain eye contact. “Heh,” she chuckled, “Is this what it’s like to be a kid playing doctor?”

Twilight roller her eyes. “I wouldn’t know. However, I’d prefer if we didn’t get that intimate.”

“Haha, yeah.” Her smile drooped. “Wait a minute… intimate… That was why I yelled! Twilight, why were you cuddling me?!”

“What? What are you talking about?”

Glaring daggers, she shot back, “You totally were. Your arm was wrapped around me and you were all leaning against me—practically on me.”

“No way. I went to sleep minding each other’s personal space. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Rainbow narrowed her eyes. She could recognize when someone was being too stubborn to listen. Being friends with a farmer would do that. “Fine,” she said, “Deny it all you like, but I know what happened. You’re sleeping in the bed for the rest of the night.”

Twilight sent her a “really?” stare, but she pushed herself to her feet. “Fine, but I… Oh wait, look at that.”

“Huh?”

Pointing toward the rays of light streaming in from cracks in the window’s drapes, she said, “It’s morning.”

“Huh.”

She glanced at the clock on the wall. “Mm… it’s about twenty minutes earlier than I usually get up, but that’s close enough. Early bird gets the worm.” Taking a moment to kick the blankets off of her feet, she said, “Want breakfast?”

“Sounds great,” Rainbow replied, prompting her friend to set off toward the kitchen. Straightening herself into a proper sitting position, the girl couldn’t help but glance down at herself. “Aaaand… yup. I really am naked. I’m actually doing this… I just wish I had time to shave,” she muttered, her ever-present blush in full force.

“Hey, Rainbow,” Twilight called, “What do you want? I can whip up some French toast or pancakes or hotcakes…”

“What’s the difference between those last two?”

“Temperature.”

“Oh, shut up!” Rainbow laughed, “You set me up for that.”

“Maybe, maybe not.”

“Ah, whatever,” she said, getting up and heading for the kitchen, “Let’s see what ya got.”

Stop staring… Stop Staring… Stop—Why can’t I stop staring?! With a grimace, Rainbow stuffed another clump of pancake into her mouth, but she paid little attention to it. The sight of her friend cooking up more for herself proved to be a tad bit distracting.

Humming a merry tune to herself, Twilight slid her spatula under another sizzling mass of pancake batter before flipping it over. “All in the wrist,” she said, smirking at the perfection, “You watching, Rainbow?”

“How could I not?”

She glanced at her friend. “Heh, you must really… Are you staring at me or the food?”

Rainbow’s face took on a blank expression. “Uh… I can tell you that I’m definitely staring at a pair of hotcakes.” She received a suspicious glare in return that Rainbow promptly looked away from. “Aheh, sorry. But this is just so surreal. It’s like watching a car accident.”

Twilight smirked, her eyes going half-lidded. Putting a hand on her hip, she asked, “Do I really look that bad?”

Rainbow stared at her for a long moment until a giggle escaped her lips. “Between your cuddling and this, I’d say you’re trying to seduce me.”

“Haha.” After taking a second to check on the pancakes, she added, “I still don’t see why you keep saying that. I specifically remember falling asleep in my own space.”

“Whatever you say, Twi.”

“Really!”

Rainbow rolled her eyes, but her grin dropped as the sound of approaching footsteps suddenly registered. Her hands made a few erratic gestures, caught somewhere between covering herself and not, but she planted them onto the table. I can do this, she thought, I’m Rainbow Dash! Something as silly as this isn’t going stop me!

The sound of the steps reaching their climax, Shining appeared from around the corner, the robe from last night wrapped around him. Instantly, his eyes widened as they locked onto Rainbow.

Oh goddesses, this is going to stop me! she cried as she leaned back in her chair, trying to sink into it.

Just a second shy of traversing into levels of awkward never before reached, Shining shrugged and turned toward Twilight. “Too tired for this. Don’t care… Pancakes?”

Watching him as he began to chat with his sister, Rainbow heaved out the breath she’d been holding in. A relieved laugh almost escaped her throat as she grasped for her fork again. Flip-flopping back into her “invincible Rainbow Dash” mindset, the girl couldn’t help the smirk that dawned across her lips. Just so long as nothing crazy happens—

“Hey, Rainbow?” Shining said, tossing a glance toward her, “Would it be cool if I drop the robe since you’ve dropped the blanket?”

The smirk that dawned across her lips died within a second. Me and my big mouth… She would be lying if she said she hadn’t been expecting this moment to arrive, but that didn’t make it any less… cringey? Awkward? All of the above? With a gulp, Rainbow responded with a slow nod.

“Thanks,” he said, reaching for the hem of the robe.

Wait, he’s not going to just strip in the kitchen, is he?

He pulled at the knot holding the bathrobe in place, causing the entire thing to sag.

Oh goddesses, he is! Rainbow’s heart skipped a beat as Shining threw off his only coverage and hung it off his chair. Plate of pancakes in hand, he thanked his sister before sitting down. “Mmf… Good stuff… So what you two doing up early?”

Since Rainbow’s only reply was an incomprehensible squeak, Twilight answered. “Rainbow woke up because of a dream she had. Her loud mouth woke me up.”

“At least you two got a full night’s sleep.” Swallowing another bite, he said, “Can I ask you a few things, Rainbow?”

“Uh-huh?” she replied, suddenly finding her breakfast quite interesting.

“Can I ask why you decided to forgo clothes? Even Cadence wasn’t that quick.”

“Um… After last night’s dinner and talking to Cadence, I had time to think? Then some weird stuff happened, I had a moment with Twilight, and my clothes were gone.”

Shining nodded as his eyes shone with complete incomprehension. “Okay then. So how long have you been dating my sister?”

Two sets of eyes shot open followed by their owners sharing a mortified stare. “We’re not dating!” they both rushed out.

Shining chuckled at the display. “Oh, come on. It’s so obvious! Yesterday, you were stripping down in front of Twilight when I walked in, then you two slept together, and now it seems she’s convinced you to join us. Don’t tell me that none of that meant anything.”

“But-but it didn’t!” Rainbow defended.

Twilight nodded with enough vigor to transform her hair into tangled mop. “We’re just friends. Always have been and still are.”

He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “Mmhm.”

“Ugh! Just don’t go blabbing off to Mom. I don’t need her breathing down my neck about getting into a relationship. Remember when you told her about Cadence?”

Shining shuddered.

“Exactly.”

“Don’t go blabbing about what?” Velvet asked, poking her head around the corner.

“Nothing!” they all chimed except for Shining, who said it a second too late.

Velvet shot each of them a suspicious look, but her eyes went wide as she spotted Rainbow. Unlike Shining, she didn’t question; instead, she just flashed a knowing smile.

“Want some pancakes?” Twilight asked.

“Oh, no thank you. I’ll just be getting my usual before heading off to work.”

“Suit yourself.”

As Velvet fully came around the corner, a blanket wrapped loosely around her (and doing nothing to cover her), Twilight loaded a plate with her own batch of pancakes before taking a seat. She wasted no time in digging into the stack. In a few moments, her mother took her own seat with a simple breakfast bagel in hand.

“How are you feeling about the test?” Twilight asked, snapping Rainbow to attention.

“Uh, a lot better than I was yesterday.”

Getting up from the table as he headed for the coffee maker, Shining asked, “What test are you studying for?”

“Trigonometry.”

“Oh goddesses, I remember that class too much. Miss Cheerilee?” At her nod, he added, “At least she’s a fun teacher. Want some coffee? Anyone?”

“Sure, thanks,” Rainbow replied along with everyone else.

“Anyway,” Twilight said, “Do you feel ready for it? We still have a few days before the test, so we have more time to study beforehand. Hay, you might want to study more just to be safe.”

Rainbow shrugged. “I’m feeling more confident, but we’ll see how I do on whatever review we’re going to be put through today.”

“Mmhm. Well if you want to study more, I’d be glad to help.”

“Thanks, Twi,” she answered before a thought occurred to her. “I think I promised Pinkie we’d study sometime, though… Mm, maybe we could all study together.”

“Looking to get her involved too?”

“Sure, why not—” Rainbow’s eyes shot open, but they promptly turned into a glare at Twilight’s giggling face. “Oh, haha,” she said, dripping with sarcasm.

A mug of coffee was set down in front of her, but she didn’t pay it much attention; she absentmindedly grasped it in her hand as her thoughts—and eyes— were elsewhere.

Rainbow blinked. I think I’ve already said this, but wow. This is happening. As she let the sight of the nude Sparkle family sink in, she found herself surprised by the emotions coursing through her. Small sparks of mortification aside, she felt… disappointed. But in a good way, if that made any sense. The girl had been downright terrified of exposing herself, but was this all there was to it?

“How’s the coffee?” Shining asked.

“…It’s alright,” she said, sipping her coffee, “Not bad at all.”

With a nod, the boy sat back down as he broke into some conversation with his sister. Rainbow didn’t pay much attention, content to watch from the sidelines. Yep, she thought, Not bad at all. Bringing the mug to her lips for another sip, she—

“Good morning, everyone!” Night Light called as he marched into the kitchen.

“Mmph!” Rainbow nearly choked on her drink as she saw him in his shameless glory.

Night Light’s eyes went wide as he saw the girl. Taking a hesitant step back, he said, “Oh, sorry! I forgot you were… here?” Velvet nudged her husband, sending him a look that said not to question it. He just shrugged after a moment.

Twilight looked back at her friend. “Hey Rainbow, I… what’s wrong?” she asked, seeing the lip-biting wince that plagued her friend’s face. Within seconds, the athlete was the center of attention.

A helpless squeak being forced from her throat, the only response Rainbow could muster was holding up her noticeably emptier mug for all to see.

It took only a second for the four family members to glance from Rainbow, to the mug, then back to Rainbow. Instantly, their hands shot to their mouths as each tried to hold back a snicker.

“Oh… forget you all,” Rainbow hissed through clenched teeth. Snatching up all the napkins within reach, she wasted no time in attacking the coffee scorching across her lap.

“Sorry, Rainbow,” Twilight said, “But we’ve all gone through that. It’s practically tradition.”

Rainbow tried glaring at each of their four smiling faces, but she was helpless to stop the grin that graced her lips. Letting out a sigh that jumped into a few chuckles, she shook her head.

“Everyone in this house is crazy.”

The next Monday…

Rainbow tapped her fingers in anxiousness as she watched Cheerilee go from desk to desk passing out papers. For this girl, however, she it was more than just another test. Pass or fail, the verdict was. Having spent the rest of the week reviewing with Twilight, she was sure she did well enough, but doubt kept her in a sort of grade-induced limbo.

Her eyes were almost reluctant to look as Cheerilee set down her test, but she forced herself to push onward. She zeroed in on the circled number written in red.

“…Yes!”

Twilight let out an “eep!” as Rainbow threw her arm around her, laughing in giddiness. “Rainbow?!”

“Twi! I passed!” she cheered.

She gasped. “Oh, that’s wonderful! You got an A?”

“Hay no! I got a B- and it was all thanks to you!” she said with a grin that would put Pinkie to shame.

Twilight’s eye twitched. “Uh… Congratulations.”

Rainbow belted out a few more eager cackles. “Really, thanks a lot. I actually managed a passing grade for the semester. You know what we should do? We should celebrate, my treat.”

“Oh?”

“Uh-huh. Here, I’ll text everyone. Tonight, there will be no sleeping.”

“It’s a school night, Rainbow.”

She rolled her eyes. “Hasn’t stopped me before.” After fiddling with her phone for a few minutes, she looked back up at her lavender friend. With a sheepish smile, she said, “Actually, it was great hanging out with you this past week. Studying aside, it was pretty fun.”

Twilight stared back, surprise shining in her eyes, but she returned the smile after a moment. “Oh…” she said, letting out a few small laughs, “I had fun too. It was a pleasure having you around.”

“Haha. I’ll admit that it was… awkward at first, but… yeah, it was cool.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

Rubbing the back of her head, she said, “Hey, do you think we could maybe…”

“Yes?” Twilight asked, her eyes widening.

“You know… study again sometime?”

Twilight nodded. “I’d like that.”

The two girls were silent for a pause, each of them gazing into each other’s eyes, cerise meeting lavender. “Twilight…?”

“Yes, Rainbow?”

Rainbow smirked. “You’re a great friend. The best that anyone could ask for.”

She laughed. “Aw, right back at you! Don’t tell the others this, but you’re my best friend. Always have been. Always will be.”

“Heh, I like the sound of that.” Glancing around for a moment, she said, “Well, I guess I’ll see you later?”

Twilight shrugged. “See you later… unless…”

“Huh?”

Twiddling her thumbs, she said, “Unless you would happen to have anything else you need to study for.”

Rainbow smirked. “Well… I might have a physics final this Friday.”

“Oh! Well, we’ll just have to take care of that, won’t we?”

“Haha!” Nudging her friend, she said, “Race you there?”

“What? Hey, wait up! Where are we even going?”

Glancing back over her shoulder, Rainbow grinned.

“Who knows? Let’s just see where we end up!”

Author's Note

They're just good friends! Take off your shipping goggles! :flutterrage:

I kind of went insane when writing this last chapter. Ah well, that was fun. Thanks for reading!

Hm, what should I write next...? Who's next to star in a nudist story? *looks at list of names* Well, I'm open for suggestions. :rainbowlaugh: