It's just Baldness

Chapters

Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight (edited)
Nine
Nine (revised)
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty One
Twenty Two
Twenty Three
Twenty Four
One
Two
Fourteen

Three

With dinner concluded, and the dishes for the evening done up and put away, everypony had retired to the palace's parlor to relax. Applejack let out a contented sigh as she leaned back against the couch, letting her eyes shut in the process. Dinner had been really good, and she was glad she'd accepted the invitation to come over.

A rustling off to the side brought her attention back to her surroundings, leading her to open her eyes again, and see Twilight in the process of settling down on the couch Rarity was currently perched on with an emery board, making herself comfortable with a book to read.

Twilight settling down to read didn't surprise her one bit. She doubted that it would really surprise anypony that knew what Twilight was like. The part that really stuck out to Applejack was the fact that she did all of this while still nude, and she did it in a way that just made her movements seem natural and relaxed. She'd noted earlier on that it was surreal, and that observation still applied even now. It had actually been like that all through dessert and such.

"So... wha' happens now?" she finally asked.

"Hm?" Twilight asked as she looked up from her book. "What do you mean?"

"Well was that it? Don' get me wrong, Ah enjoyed dinner an' all. Ah jus' thought that... maybe there was somethin' else ta be done?" Applejack asked, not really sure where things went from here. It just felt kind of abrupt for an ending, if that's truly what this was.

"Huh," Spike mumbled as he sat up on his pillow and set down his comic book. "That's a good question. I don't think we talked about that."

"I'm afraid not," Rarity added as she looked up from her hoof maintenance. "We spent most of our time thinking about other things than after-dinner plans," she admitted.

"Do you have anymore questions, Applejack? Anything else you'd like to know about all this?" Twilight asked. If nothing else, answering more questions would at least give them something to do.

"Huh. Lemme think fer a minute," Applejack replied as she rubbed her chin, going over everything. "Well... Ah guess Ah'd ask abou' that illusion ya were usin' earlier. If yer a nudist, how come ya jus' don' use it all the time?"

"What? You mean like for going around town?" Twilight asked. Applejack nodded, causing her to shake her head in response at the notion. "Well there's a lot of reasons. There's the risk of getting a sunburn because there's nothing to protect the skin. There's also the risk of the spell potentially failing at an inconvenient time since it has to be maintained, meaning there's the potential for a lot of embarrassment. I can't fly, since I don't have any feathers, and as I said earlier, the illusion has to be maintained, so I can't use my magic for anything else," she explained, listing off the reasons they'd discovered as to why the suggestion simply wouldn't work.

"So more trouble than it's worth then," Applejack elaborated, earning a nod in response from Twilight. "Glad Ah found that out. Ah thought it was jus' as simple as keepin' yer feathers in case ya went flying with Rainbow Dash."

Twilight shook her head again. "We actually discussed that being a possibility once. But as it turns out, without my fur to act as an insulator, my skin is really sensitive to outside stimulation. I had to keep my wings out the entire time, because my feathers kept tickling me whenever I moved them even a little," she explained.

Applejack chuckled in response to hearing that. She could certainly understand how that might be a problem with the idea.

"So how long does it take fer yer fur an' feathers ta grow back in once they fall out?" she asked.

"Not long. Just a few minutes. The roots remain intact, so it's just a matter of triggering and accelerating their growth. The only problem is that it itches like nopony's business during the initial breaching of the surface. Spike's claws have really been indispensable with that unfortunate detail," she explained.

"Well what can I say? When you've got it, you've got it," Spike stated proudly as he flexed his fingers.

"Well Ah sure don' mean ta be rude er nothin'," Applejack stated as she climbed down off the couch, "but if it's all the same, Ah'm gonna be headin' on home now. Thanks fer dinner an' all."

"Is it something we said?" Twilight asked.

"Nah, nothin' like that, Twi', don' be worryin' yer perdy little head. Ah jus' have stuff ta do back on the farm before tomorrow," Applejack explained, not wanting her friend to think it was because of her that she was heading out for the night.

"I fear it's time for me to depart as well. This has certainly been a wonderful evening and all, but duties and responsibilities call," Rarity added as she stepped down on the floor. "Have a good evening, darling, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Oh. Alright. Goodnight you two," Twilight replied. If they had work to do, who was she to stop them from leaving when they had to?

"Much as Ah appreciate the company, sugarcube, ya don' exactly have ta walk me home," Applejack said as she made her way back to Sweet Apple Acres. "Ah'm a big mare, Ah can take care o' mahself."

"I'm aware of that, darling," Rarity replied as she walked alongside Applejack, making no effort to stop. "I just wanted to thank you for all you did tonight."

"Ah really didn' do anything, Rarity, Ah jus' showed up fer dinner," Applejack pointed out.

"And that meant a lot to Twilight. I know that you said you'd be there, but you know how she can be," Rarity pointed out. In simple terms, she'd been a ball of nerves the entire time. "Perhaps now things will be going smoother, as more ponies become in the know."

"Yeah. Ah know," Applejack replied and nodded. That mare could get herself worked into a frazzle over anything if she put her mind to it. Granted she could understand the worry with this particular matter, seeing as it could strike some as controversial. But at least it had worked out.

For a while the two walked along in a relatively comfortable silence.

"Rares?"

"Yes, Applejack?"

"Yer perdy smart about stuff an' all..."

Rarity quirked an eyebrow, not so much at Applejack's statement, but rater the tone of voice that was used. It didn't convey the general laid back confidence that the farmer had about her.

"Hypothetically would it... be kinda weird if tha' whole thing made me a bit curious? Maybe made me think about tryin' it out fer mahself? Jus' fer a little bit ta see wha' it was like?" Applejack asked.

For a moment, Rarity didn't say anything in response. And the longer that silence stretched on, the more uneasy Applejack got with the prospect, wondering if she should've kept her hypotheticals to herself.

"Let me ask you something, darling," Rarity began as she turned to face her, "was it at all "weird" when I asked you to teach me how to square dance?"

"Uh, not really," Applejack replied, caught off guard by her question being answered with a question. "Ah mean it was mighty unexpected an' all, ya bein' the high society type an' all. But who'm Ah ta say no ta somethin' like that?"

"Then why should this be any different? Applejack, it's not at all "weird" to seek to broaden your horizons with new interests. Perhaps it's a little unorthodox, but there's nothing wrong with that," Rarity pointed out.

"Ah guess ya got a point there," Applejack replied and nodded slowly, before she started walking along again. "If ya don' mind mah askin', wha' made ya so supportive of Twilight being a nudist?"

"Well to be honest, at first I really wasn't. But Twilight was very patient with me in her explanation, and I came to realize something very important; Twilight's interests weren't all that different from my own when I decided to become a fashionista. Granted, clothing vs baldness aren't exactly comparable, but I didn't exactly get a warm reception when I started out either. With so little of Equestria wearing clothing beyond special occasions, I knew that I was tackling a fringe market from the get go. It took a fair bit of tenacity on my part, to make it to where I am today," Rarity explained as she walked along, remembering some of the difficulties she'd experienced along the way. "Perhaps I'm just projecting. I just see some of what I had to weather on my own, being what Twilight may experience at some point down the road. It's best if she knows she has friends to turn to, should things get difficult."

Applejack listened silently as Rarity explained the reasoning behind her actions. There was definitely a lot of sense in the unicorn's words. She figured that Twilight probably already knew that they'd have her back if something came up. But a reminder of that fact never hurt anypony.

"Just a word of advice, though, Applejack," Rarity spoke up, breaking her out of her thoughts. "Going by what Twilight has told me about all of this, it might take more than just a few minutes to truly understand what it's like. As complicated a subject as it is, it might take several hours for it to seem normalized, and stop feeling so scandalous to experience," she explained.

"Huh. Ah'll be sure ta remember that if Ah decide to go fer it. Uh, jus' don' tell Twilight in case Ah change mah mind, a'right?" Applejack asked.

"I wouldn't think of it. It'll be between you and her, darling, I'm just here for moral support," Rarity assured her. Applejack could keep Twilight's secret, so she could certainly keep Applejack's secret until such time that she was ready to make it known herself.

Two down, three more to go. And if Applejack saw nothing wrong with what Twilight was doing, then the others should be foal's play to bring around. It was just a matter of who, and when.

Four

Applejack hummed pleasantly to herself as she trotting along through Ponyville. Today, much like most other days this summer, was a really hot and unpleasant one to experience, but she was doing her best to not let it get her into a sour mood any. She knew from experience that there was no telling who might be a potential customer, or when, and it was always best not to get future meetings off on a bad hoof.

That said, the combination of bright sun, and sweltering humidity, was making it a real chore to stay in a pleasant mood. And her nerves really weren't helping with that any.

Over the past week, ever since the last time she visited Twilight's palace, and learned about her little secret, she'd been giving the matter a lot of thought. Not that she'd been thinking about her friend nude or anything like that.

Well actually she had, just not in a way that would be considered perverted. Mostly her thoughts on the subject had been in how naturally Twilight carried herself while in such a state; how she walked around like it was no big deal, and how casually she did it all. It was kind of hard for her to not give it all at least some thought now and then.

That was sort of why she was on her way to the palace right now. Ever since last week, with all the time and thought she'd given the matter, she'd eventually reached a conclusion about a particular course of action; she was going to ask Twilight about using the same spell on her, that she'd been using to go nude.

In all of her thinking about what she wanted to do, she kept coming back to a single, specific conclusion that she couldn't argue otherwise; she wasn't going to know for certain if she was alright with it or not, without actually doing it for herself, and see just what it was like to not only be furless, but be seen like that by other ponies. That second part was easy enough to take care of, the only ones who were going to be seeing her were Twilight and Spike, and they were pretty much the experts on this subject.

The first part was going to be the more difficult aspect. Rarity's words of advice, about needing time to get settled in, certainly hadn't been forgotten. She really didn't have a lot of hours to just lounge around and get comfortable, and was going to have to settle with a brief exposure to see if it was worth doing anymore than that. A half hour might not be enough, but it would have to do for now.

"Well, here goes nothin'," she said to herself as she stopped in front of the palace, and knocked at the door.

About a minute or two later the door was opened by Spike, who was currently wearing a wet towel draped over his neck and shoulders. "Hey, Applejack, how's it going?"

"Oh it's goin'. Hotter than Tartarus out, as usual," Applejack replied, knowing that he could relate. "Is Twilight here? Ah got a few things ta talk over wit' 'er."

"Yeah, she's in the library," Spike replied as he opened the door wider to let her in.

"Is she, er..."

"Yeah," Spike replied and nodded, knowing what she was getting at. "She thinks we should start referring to it as "jaybirding" so we're the only ones who know what's being discussed."

Applejack laughed at hearing that.

"Ah'll be sure ta keep that in mind fer later," she told him as she stepped inside the palace.

It wasn't a particularly long way from the front doors to the palace library. But as she made her way there, Applejack couldn't help but think that it was way too long, and simultaneously way too short. Too long in that it was allowing her nerves to get worked up about what she had to say, and too short as she didn't have enough time to consider just what she was going to say, or how she wanted to say it.

Most of the time, she wasn't a mare of many words, and preferred to communicate simply. But something along the lines of "Hey there, Twilight, ya mind castin' that nudist spell on me so I can get a feelin' fer it mahself?" just wasn't something she was comfortable with blurting out. She wanted to exercise some measure of eloquence and delicacy on this matter. If for no other reason, than to let Twilight know that she was taking everything as seriously as it deserved to be taken.

What she wouldn't give for another hallway's worth of time for thinking purposes. But sadly that wasn't in the cards, as the room came into view all too soon. She knew that she could just not mention anything, but where would that get her? It'd buy her some more time, but she still wouldn't be any closer to an answer. This was just something she needed to do.

Besides all that, she was no dirty coward who hid when things got tough.

"Hey there, Twilight," she said as confidently as she could as she stepped into the room. "How's it goin' wit'..."

The sight of Twilight being nude didn't really do anything to shock Applejack at this point.

The sight of Twilight in the company of another pony being in the same state, however, did very much shock her due to how unexpected it was, causing the question to die in her throat.

"Wha' in the hay!?"

"Geez, AJ, a little louder next time? I don't think the Crystal Empire heard you..."

"R... Rainbow Dash? Is tha' really you?" Applejack asked, not really believing what she was either seeing or hearing.

"As if I'd ever wanna be anyone else," Rainbow Dash replied.

Applejack blinked, before turning her attention over to Twilight, who was grinning sheepishly at this point.

"I guess I should explain," Twilight stated simply.

"Ah'd appreciate if if ya did," Applejack replied and nodded, before making her way over to them and plopping herself down on the floor. "How long has RD known 'bout all this?" she asked.

"Well I'd say... maybe an hour?" Twilight replied.

"Seriously? One hour an' she's already goin' nude too?" Applejack asked in disbelief. She knew that Rainbow Dash was quick to judgement on some things, but this seemed like a record even for her. "How'd this all happen?"

"Well I was out flying around earlier, and I sort of wound up crashing into Twilight; literally in this case," Rainbow Dash stated.

Twilight chuckled, before giving a more in depth explanation of what had happened; Rainbow Dash, like most others, had been looking for some way to alleviate the heat, and had been flying around in an effort to find a cool air pocket somewhere to occupy. But the combination of temperature, humidity, and altitude had caused a period of disorientation to be experienced, which in turn led to her flying through one of the open palace windows, which led to the two of them literally bumping into each other in the hallway.

Applejack just shook her head at Rainbow Dash's antics. "So how'd that lead ya ta goin' nude so fast?" she asked.

"Well when I stopped being dizzy and realized what was going on, I thought I crashed into Twilight so hard I literally knocked her fur right off of her. I've done that with a few trees on my less than graceful landings," Rainbow Dash stated and chuckled. In hindsight it was kind of funny to think that. "Anyway, Twilight explained what she was doing, and how it was a good way to cool off, and I just figured why not," she said and shrugged her withers.

"Huh. One hour's all it took ta convince ya ta give it a try?" Applejack asked. Should she be impressed by those sorts of results?

"Sort of. When Twilight told me about how this was a good way to cool off, I was like "sign me up" at that point. And I gotta say, it really is," Rainbow Dash stated.

It was only then that Applejack took stock of her surroundings, and realized that a circulating fan was blowing gently between the two of them, each of them wearing a damp towel on their neck much like Spike was, with a spray bottle of what she assumed was water sitting off to the side. All in all, it looked like a pretty decent setup for cooling down.

"Makes sense Ah guess," she replied and shrugged, "so yer a nudist now too?"

"Eh... I wouldn't go that far. I really hate the part about being grounded, so that's a big detractor" Rainbow Dash replied and flexed her wings to emphasize her point. "Twilight did a pretty good job of explaining everything so I'd know what it's about and all. But... well it's sorta like Manehattan. It's a nice place to go and visit, but I wouldn't like to live there, you know?" she asked.

"Ah know," Applejack replied. She'd done both in her time, and of the two, visiting was the better option to engage in.

"Did I hear somepony mention Manehattan?"

All eyes turned to see Rarity stepping in through the library doors, Spike following close behind with several shopping bags in his hands. When she caught sight of everyone present, however, she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Rainbow Dash?" Rarity asked.

"What's up?" Rainbow Dash asked in greeting.

"Goodness. This is turning into a regular convention," Rarity commented as she looked all around her, but unable to not look at the two bald ponies before her.

Besides the obvious visible differences between the two of her friends, such as hoof and eye color, there were more subtle differences to observe, such as the degree of mottling each of them possessed. There was also the difference of mass, which really wasn't all that much. She had expected Rainbow Dash to actually be skinnier, due to her being a pegasus, but apparently that wasn't the case here.

"Like what you see?"

Rainbow Dash's question snapped Rarity out of her thoughts, and immediately drew a choked reaction of surprise.

"Rainbow Dash! That's hardly an appropriate question to ask," Twilight replied, not amused by her friend's attempt at humor.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry," Rainbow Dash replied sheepishly, "I'm still learning here. Cut me some slack."

"Oh it's alright, darling, I know how Rainbow Dash can be at times," Rarity replied and waved her hoof dismissively. "I was just caught off guard by all this. I know it's not my place, Twilight, but I would have appreciated a little head's up that you were planning to bring Rainbow Dash into the know on this. Or that she would be participating," she commented.

"Well I wasn't planning it at all, it just sort of happened; and quickly too," Twilight replied in her own defense. "Spike, didn't you tell them what was going on when they got here?"

"They only asked about you, Twilight, I didn't think to tell them about Rainbow Dash," Spike replied defensively. They'd asked a question, and he'd answered it. It was as simple as that. "And besides, by the time I did think to tell Applejack, I was sort of busy with helping Rarity bring her packages in. She showed up almost immediately after."

The library fell silent after Spike's explanation, the only audible sound being that of the fan doing its best to circulate the all too hot air in the room. He really did have a point about how things had gone.

"Looks like we all screwed up a bit," Applejack commented.

"It looks that way," Twilight agreed and nodded, "regardless, though, I think everything turned out alright."

"I suppose so," Rarity replied and nodded, before turning her attention back to Rainbow Dash. She was going to try and make the best of the situation at hoof. "So now we have two nudists in our midst, do we?"

"Well... not yet," Twilight stated.

Rainbow Dash nodded. "I'm just trying this out since it's so hot out. If Twilight likes doing it, that's fine I'm okay with that, more power to her. But I can't really see myself doing this long term. Maybe occasionally, but that would probably be it," she explained.

"Oh," Rarity replied, "well if you're shy, darling-"

"Eh, that's not it," Rainbow Dash replied and shrugged dismissively. "When you're a pegasus, you learn pretty early on not to be self conscious about stuff like that. When you're flying about overhead, other ponies are going to be seeing you. You either get used to it, or live on the ground like other ponies. What I don't like is not being able to fly. It just plain feels wrong, not being able to take off at will. It's..."

"A feeling of vulnerability from not being able to fly?" Twilight asked. "Something that you can feel, but can't put into words to explain it?"

"... Yeah," Rainbow Dash replied and nodded slowly, "pretty much. It's like my seasonal molts."

"Huh. I didn't think you ever molted," Spike spoke up as he scratched his head. "You've always got your feathers whenever we see you."

"Well I sort of do, but not really," Rainbow Dash replied and shrugged again as she sat up.

"Ah thought ya didn' wanna talk 'bout that," Applejack stated in confusion.

"Eh. At this point, what's it matter? There really isn't much left to hide," Rainbow Dash pointed out. When nopony else said anything, she started again. "Every year I go through a total molt, and it takes two weeks for my feathers to totally regrow, which means I can't fly anywhere for those two weeks. During these periods Applejack's let me stay at Sweet Apple Acres before you ever came to Ponyville. Rarity even made me some wing sleeves out of my old feathers so I don't have to go around looking plucked. Still, it's a long two weeks to put up with."

"Wow," Twilight replied, not certain of what to think. She looked away from Rainbow Dash, and over to Applejack and Rarity. She never considered just how much these three might be friends with one another before she actually got involved. It was amazing actually. "You know, if you wanted to give it another try sometime, I could limit the spell to leave your wings unaffected," she offered.

"Wait, you can seriously do that?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Twilight nodded. "You'd be limited to flying in the palace, but at least you'd be able to fly."

"Cool!" Rainbow Dash stated as she stood up. She was liking the sound of that option quite a bit. "So, wait. That doesn't conflict with the whole nudist thing a little?"

"No, I don't think so. In the mirror world, I learned that nudists who tend to outdoor activities use footwear to avoid hurting their feet, since they lack the durability of hooves. I don't see there being much difference since it's all about practicality and utility," Twilight explained. It had taken her a bit of time to reconcile the differences herself, her mind operating on strict standards and such, before learning that the standards weren't absolutes that couldn't be blended. Instead of being like oil and water, it was more like... chocolate and peanut butter.

"Well now. You learn something new every day," Rarity commented, finding the very notion interesting. This might require further evaluation.

"So, Rar', wha' brings ya by?" Applejack asked, feeling that a change of subject was appropriate.

"Oh! Well I just came to see how Twilight was doing, and to drop off a few things that I thought she might appreciate," Rarity replied, at which point Spike set the bags down on the floor. She reached into one of the bags with her magic, and pulled out two particular items to present to Twilight for consideration. "I believe you said something about needing these?"

Back scratchers. Rarity had actually gone out, and bought her back scratchers. She had mentioned them only once some weeks back, and had always meant to get them herself, but had simply never gotten around to it yet. Twilight chuckled and shook her head, noting that she had a wealth of good friends.

"Thanks, I may be needing the both of them, the way it itches when my fur grows back in," she replied as she took them.

"Well. Looks like I'm out of a job again," Spike said to himself, doubting that Twilight would need his magic fingers now.

"Oh hush," Twilight giggled and set the back scratchers on the couch for later, before going over and rubbing Spike's head. "Nothing could replace you."

Spike beamed with a sense of pride at hearing that. Not that he ever thought Twilight would really be done with him, but it was still nice to hear regardless.

The others all chuckled at that. But as the others continued, Rarity stopped first to reach into the other bag, as there was another item to unveil.

"Before I forget, darling, there's also this," she said as she held the item out to Twilight.

"Um... wow," Twilight replied, not sure what else to say about the fact that Rarity was presenting her with a necklace. It looked like someone had tried to replicate one of their Elements of Harmony, but in a more subtle, minimalist approach with a drastic reduction in the amount of metal used for holding a single clear gem in the front. Overall it was quite subtle compared to some pieces of jewelry she'd seen before, and she could appreciate that. But she still had no idea what to say in response.

"Not to your liking?" Rarity asked.

"It's not that," Twilight replied as she tilted her head while examining the necklace. "I just... don't know what to say is all. Nopony's ever given me jewelry before. I-I don't know what the occasion is," she explained, hoping Rarity didn't take offense at her lack of knowledge.

"Ah'm lost too," Applejack chimed in.

"Third," Rainbow Dash added.

"Well it's not so much for an occasion, as it is a solution to a question that's been in need of address for over a month," Rarity stated, a sense of pride in her words. "With this, darling, you won't have to worry about unexpected guests just dropping in and catching you. Nor will you have to tie up your magic with making yourself appear presentable for surprise company. With this you can finally just relax, and enjoy yourself."

Rarity honestly hadn't expected Twilight to pull her into a hug in response. But she wasn't about to resist the gesture. Despite the alicorn's state, she didn't hesitate before returning the hug. She had worried that Twilight might misunderstand, and think she was actually suggesting a way of going about in public while in such a state. But thankfully that wasn't the case; if it had been, she highly doubted that she would've been getting hugged like she was right now.

"I'm so lucky to have friends like you," Twilight stated, before finally breaking the embrace. "I only mentioned this idea once offhoof as a possibility. I never thought you'd actually go out and get something like this."

"So how's that necklace supposed to help out with that?" Rainbow Dash asked, really not getting what they were getting at. Maybe it was a unicorn/alicorn thing?

"It's actually quite simple," Twilight said as she pulled away from Rarity to face her. "Once I bind the appropriate spells to the necklace, I'll look like my normal self whenever I wear it. Not only that, but I won't even need to actively use my magic to maintain it, since I should be able to set it up it to absorb the necessary magical energy from my body through direct contact. I wouldn't even need to cast the spell to make it work, once everything is set up and in place. I can just slip it on, and slip it back off at my own leisure," she explained, grinning excitedly at the idea.

"Huh. That'd be pretty cool for a change," Spike stated, seeing the viability in such an approach. It would certainly cut down on a lot of Twilight's stress over being a nudist if it worked out. Which in turn would make things for him, Rarity, and even Applejack, easier to deal with when they came up.

"Yeah that does sound pretty cool and all. I've just one question. Are you gonna be using that outside too?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Oh sweet Tartarus no!" Twilight stated quickly as the suggestion.

"Too much risk o' sunburns," Applejack stated quickly, figuring it would get the point across to Rainbow Dash far better than letting Twilight go on about morals and such.

"Oh. Yeah I could see that being a possibility," Rainbow Dash replied and nodded. "That'd probably make for an embarrassing visit to Zecora for some ointment."

"Ugh. Can we please not discuss something like that? Please?" Twilight asked, wanting desperately to drop this entire train of thought right now.

"But of course, darling," Rarity replied. She'd have a talk with Rainbow Dash later on about what was and wasn't appropriate.

But before she could do that, there was another matter to see about addressing. Primarily Applejack's presence. She'd been so caught up in finding Rainbow Dash nude like Twilight, she hadn't even given the farmer a second thought.

"If you don't mind my asking, Applejack, what brings you by?"

It took a moment for Rarity's question to actually register in Applejack's mind, and another moment for her to actually recall why she was here in the first place. Rainbow Dash's presence and participation had caught her completely off guard, and thrown everything right out the window. And then her focus had been kicked even further down the road by Rarity showing up, and just going completely off course from there.

Now that her mind was back on track, however, the change of circumstances was leaving her ill at ease with the idea. She'd spent most of the walk over here working up enough nerve to actually speak to Twilight in the first place. But now with Rarity and Rainbow Dash here, the whole matter has just grown more complicated. With them here as well, she didn't know if she could actually go through with this whole thing.

"Well Ah, er..." she mumbled, trying to think of what to do. Should she say what she had come here for, and trust Twilight to make things go smoothly? Or should she bide her time until the next available opportunity when she'd be alone?

She knew already that the question was stupid. They were all friends here. They trusted one another. And if she did chicken out now, there'd never be another opportune time to try this, as her nerves would just get to her. She needed to stallion up, and just go for it!

"Well... Ah was wonderin' about... er, seein' wha' it's like fer mahself," she admitted, although not nearly as confidently as she would've liked. There was no way she was going to be playing this off as casually as she would've liked.

Twilight blinked at hearing this. "Wait, really?"

Applejack nodded uneasily. "Fer a bit anyway. Ah'd like ta get somethin' of an idea 'bout what it's like, before Ah decide one way er another," she explained.

"Really?" Spike asked, not exactly sure whether to believe it or not. Not that he would ever be calling Applejack a liar, it just caught him really off guard to be hearing this.

"Well Ah don' reckon it'd hurt. Not like Ah'm paradin' all through Ponyville er nothin'. Besides, if a Princess, an' a Wonderbolt reserve are doin' it, at least Ah'll be in good company," Applejack explained.

"Alright, if you're sure you want to. Follow me, I'll show you to the shower so we can get started," Twilight replied.

"Uh... come again?" Applejack asked.

"So the resulting mess from your fur can be contained without hassle," Twilight clarified, "don't worry, I can cast the spell from outside the room."

"Ah. A'right then," Applejack replied and nodded. That was one worry down at least.

Rarity watched as Applejack trotted off behind Twilight to get things set up for her own experience with this new trend. She couldn't even begin to speculate as to what her friend was hoping to find in this endeavor, but she certainly wished her luck in her efforts. When they came back, she would certainly be as supportive to Applejack, as she had been to Twilight.

And that support was going to start now, in the form of having a few words with Rainbow Dash, to ensure the cocky pegasus knew where the line was on comments that were appropriate, and those that weren't.

Five

Twilight tried to preoccupy her mind so as to not worry about Applejack, but that was hard to do right now.

She'd been waiting outside of the bathroom, patiently, doing her best not to pace along the hall, -knowing that the sound of her hooves would travel, which Applejack might not appreciate hearing since it could be construed as impatience- and maintain silence. The shower had been shut off some time ago, indicating that her friend was at least done with that part of the process. But drying off, and doing whatever else, didn't transmit the same levels of noise as water rushing through the plumbing to its destination. Quite literally anything could be going on in there right now.

"Applejack? Are you okay in there?" Twilight asked as she gently tapped at the door.

"Ah'm feelin' all sorts o' wrong in here," Applejack replied through the closed door. "Ah feel weird without mah fur, Ah look like one of our pigs back on the farm, yer towels feel funny on mah skin... how in the hay do ya make this looked so danged easy ta do!?"

Twilight didn't want to giggle at Applejack's frustration over encountering new experiences for the first time. But that frustration just sounded so funny right now.

"Well I do have about a month's experience on you right now," she pointed out. "Applejack, what you're going through is perfectly normal. I experienced the same thing the first time around. When I first saw myself in the mirror after losing my fur, I nearly dove right back into it."

"... Yeah? So... wha' stopped ya?" Applejack asked.

"Well partly because, as a scientist, I know that unfamiliar experiences need to be met head on, rather than being shied away from," Twilight explained. After a slight pause, she continued. "And partly because the experience actually reminded me of the time a certain teacher gave me a certain assignment that forced me outside of my comfort zone, and made me come to grips with the fact that I didn't know nearly as much as I thought that I knew."

"An' what sort o' assignment was that?" Applejack asked.

"Go to Ponyville and make some friends."

Twilight could practically feel Applejack opening her mouth to respond, but nothing came other than a return to silence. Silence and waiting.

Lots and lots of waiting actually. Maybe she'd tried too hard? Or maybe not hard enough? Or perhaps she put too much emphasis on the wrong part?

"Twi'... Ah think Ah've got a problem in here..."

That snapped Twilight out of her thoughts. "Is it too much? Do I need to cast the counter-spell?"

"It ain' that. Mah hat keeps fallin' down over mah eyes. Either it grew, or mah head shrank..."

That made Twilight give a relieved chuckle. She was thankful that the "problem" as Applejack called it, had actually been something so mild. At least she was keeping her sense of humor about her through all this.

"A'right, Ah'm comin' on out. Ah'm not gonna find what Ah'm looking fer in here..." Applejack announce slowly.

Twilight stepped away from the door to give Applejack some space as the door slowly creaked open. Much as she had done with Rainbow Dash, she kept her attention on her friend's face, rather than anywhere else, as she wanted her to feel as comfortable as possible under these uncomfortable circumstances. And considering the fact that she was doing a marvelous impersonation of a ripe tomato, there was a lot of discomfort left to overcome.

"So how're you holding up?" she asked.

"Ah'll admit, without mah fur Ah can get dry in 'bout no time flat. But it ain' jus' yer skin that's sensitive. Mine was hurtin' when Ah was dryin' off. Don' know if Ah was doin' it too hard er what," Applejack replied.

Twilight nodded. "When you go your whole life covered in fur, your skin isn't accustomed to being front and center for various stimuli, so the nerves are tender. But with repeated exposure to said stimuli, that sensitivity can be reduced over time," she explained, remembering some of the trouble she'd had early on. She wouldn't really categorize her first experiences with a towel as painful, just really intense.

"Ah'll be sure ta keep that in mind if Ah keep doin' this. Fer now, though, Ah'm just testin' things out fer a bit," Applejack replied.

"That's fair," Twilight replied, "do you want to come back to the library? Maybe sit down with a wet compress in front of the fan?" she asked.

"Well... Ah'm already perdy cooled off as is. Ya seriously weren't kiddin'," Applejack replied slowly as she gave herself a cursory looking over. "But Ah think Ah could do that. Besides, the others are waitin' ta see me."

"Applejack," Twilight stated as she gently touched her friend's cheek, "If you're not comfortable, don't force it. You really don't have to do anything if you don't want to. Just because this is relaxing for me doesn't mean that it's for everyone."

"Ah know, Sugarcube, but Ah'll be a'right. So far so good," Applejack replied. "C'mon, before Ah wind up chickenin' out fer some dumb reason."

Rainbow Dash tried not to groan, or roll her eyes as Rarity lectured her, knowing that it would only make things worse for her. Glancing over at where Spike stood, she could tell that he wasn't faring much better than she was.

"And another thing, Rainbow Dash-"

"I get it, Rarity, seriously," Rainbow Dash stated, highly annoyed with how things had been going. "I'm sorry, alright? You don't have to beat the point into the ground like it's a tent stake. Whadda you want from me?" she asked.

"It's not me, Rainbow Dash, I'm well accustomed to your whole uncouth attitude. What I'm concerned about, is you doing something that may make Applejack uncomfortable. I don't know what your own experiences were, but not everypony is as comfortable with the idea of nudity as you apparently are," Rarity stated.

"Ugh. Rarity," Rainbow Dash groaned as she face hooved, dragging it slowly down her face in the process, "relax already. I'm not going to do anything. I've already seen Twilight bare and all, and that went fine. How much different can this really be?"

"I... I don't know, really," Rarity replied, her hostility forgotten in the face of the question. Now it was her turn to groan. "I really wish you hadn't asked that, now you have me curious," she admitted.

Rainbow Dash chuckled at that. "Now, Rarity, what I'm concerned about, is you doing something that may make Applejack uncomfortable."

"Oh dry up," Rarity replied as she pulled Rainbow Dash's towel over her face.

Rainbow Dash just chuckled as she pulled the towel down and placed it back around her neck. Off to the side Spike was snickering as well. A break in the tension was what they all needed right now.

"So we good now?" she asked Rarity.

"I suppose so," Rarity replied and nodded. She could always hash this matter out later on if need be. But that would come later, after the matter with Applejack had been resolved.

Until such time that Applejack was actually present, however, there was another matter she could actually tend to.

"So, if I may ask... what exactly is it like, in your case?" she asked.

"Me? Well... it's not something I'd wanna do long term, since I can't fly like this and all. I mean, there's not really anything wrong with it other than that. It's just... I don't know, I'm new to all this," Rainbow Dash replied, idly regarding her wings in this case. It was weird to look at them, all bare and useless and all, without being contrasted against her cyan fur.

"Isn't anypony gonna ask me what it's like for me?" Spike asked. He'd been present the entire time Rarity was berating Rainbow Dash, holding his tongue and all. Beyond all that, however, he'd been the one helping Twilight out the most, simply due to proximity.

"Alright, little guy, how've things been for you?" Rainbow Dash asked him.

"Well it was kind of weird at first, seeing Twilight without her fur and all. But after a while it quit being so strange. Anymore it's just kinda routine to see her walking around bare. After a while you don't even notice the difference between when she's bare, and when she's got her fur on," he stated.

Rarity was about to comment on Spike's statement about not noticing the difference, as it made little sense to her. But the sound of hoofsteps coming down the hall indicated that there wasn't going to be time for a question and answer round in this discussion. She shot Rainbow Dash a silent but stern look, reminding her to be on her best behavior.

Rainbow Dash shot back an annoyed look to convey that she didn't need to be treated like she was a foal. She'd behave herself. She'd-

"Holy!"

-Shout like an idiot as the two walked back through the doorway, her bald wings going stiff at the sight.

Rarity facehooved. She was going to strangle the pegasus with her own tongue.

"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight shouted in response. "That's not polite!"

Applejack's face went red at the outburst, feeling an instinctive need to pull her hat back down over her face and just hide.

"What? Look at her, she is built!" Rainbow Dash stated as she gestured over to where Applejack stood in an attempt to defend her reaction. "Seriously. Check out those muscles, and tell me you wouldn't react the same if you were in my position."

As much as Rarity disliked Rainbow Dash's casual disregard for whatever discomfort Applejack must've been going through at suddenly being thrust into the spotlight, after making a difficult decision to partake in something so controversial, there was a fact that she simply couldn't deny. She, too, was curious as to what Applejack looked like under her fur. And Rainbow Dash's assessment did nothing to quell that curiosity. As much as she didn't want to come off as gawking, she simply had to look.

"Oh my..."

Rainbow Dash's assessment wasn't far from the truth, but it certainly didn't do the facts on the matter any real justice.

Applejack, compared to Twilight and Rainbow Dash, was certainly muscular, the absence of her fur allowing for an unobstructed view of earth pony musculature that had been toned and built up over the years through a combination of hard work, and good diet. She certainly wasn't a hulking brute of a pony like Bulk Biceps, but there was no denying that she simply exuded strength. It was a subtle strength that she commanded, the type that accompanied a "speak softly" approach to life, rather than a boisterous bruiser who felt the need to flaunt their strength through pointless displayed that wowed spectators, and sold gym memberships to those who were eager to experience the same fanfare.

The fact that she was bashful rather than proud at the moment simply magnified that fact.

Lacking a more appropriate term to describe everything, "adorable" sprang immediately to mind.

"She does have a fair point, darling," she ultimately admitted. "If I may say, your physique has a certain quality to it, that hearkens back to classic athletes of days gone by, who were immortalized for their victories in statues of expertly chiseled marble."

She wouldn't lie, not to herself anyway. There was some small part of her that, right now, wanted to simply disregard what was proper behavior, and move in to huggle the farmpony right where she stood.

"Aw c'mon now, yer pullin' mah leg," Applejack replied dismissively, not buying the praise they were heaping on her.

"I don't know, Applejack," Twilight mumbled as she too gave her flustered friend a cursory glance. "I think they have a fair point. The delivery could've gone better," she said as she glanced at Rainbow Dash trying to make her wings fold back up, "but I don't think it decreases their validity any."

"... Yeah? Ya think so?" Applejack asked as she finally looked back up, and saw Twilight nodding with a warm smile.

Spike just stood there, scratching his head while wearing a confused look on his face.

"I thought you said nudity and sex weren't the same thing," he stated.

"They aren't," Twilight replied quickly, "it's just that not everypony knows to make that distinction. And when they don't... misunderstandings happen..."

"I said I was sorry already, like twice," Rainbow Dash stated firmly, "I'm new to all this, remember? Gimme a break, I'm trying!"

"Rainbow Dash-"

"Aw let 'er go, Twi'," Applejack interrupted, "ain' no use gettin' all upset 'bout it. No use spoilin' a friendship over actin' immature."

"You're right," Twilight replied with a nod and a sigh, "you're right."

"Now then, Ah remember somethin' 'bout bein' offered a cool compress?" Applejack asked, hoping to get things moving again, and smoothed over.

"Oh. Right," Twilight replied, "Spike, another wet towel, please?"

"I know that I'm terribly overdressed for the occasion, but would any of you mind if I stayed as well?" Rarity asked them.

"No, not at all. The more the merrier," Twilight stated with a smile. This was going better than she thought.

Despite the initial awkwardness that had been experienced, the situation had managed to settle down considerably. Rarity observed as everyone more or less settled into something of a routine. Twilight tinkered and fiddled with her new necklace, working to bind the necessary spell to it. Rainbow Dash preoccupied herself with reading one of the "Daring Do" books the library had to offer. And Applejack was currently busy experiencing the new sensations she was subjected to every time the fan would turn and blow over her, causing goosebumps to pop up on her skin. But as best she could tell, the earth pony wasn't uncomfortable with it; she looked too content to suggest actual discomfort. Spike finished out the quartet, occasionally misting each of them with the spray bottle, to let the evaporation process assist in cooling them off.

She herself was content to simply sit and watch the four, from a detached, and clinical perspective of sorts. The three of them being without their fur was certainly not the most common of sights available in Equestria. But none of them were going out of their way to appear flirty; not even Rainbow Dash as she lounged casually, in a position that some might call into question under different circumstances.

The shuddering that came from Applejack as the fan rotated in her direction and blew over her body, served enough to bring Rarity's focus away from the group itself, and back to the newest participant. "Are you alright, darling?"

"Ya probably ain' gonna believe this, but Ah'm actually chilly here," Applejack stated as she laid stretched out with her entire body pressed against the crystal flooring. "Ah like it," she chuckled.

Rainbow Dash looked up from her book and nodded. "Yeah. It does feel pretty awesome to not be sweating buckets when it's the same temperature out as the surface of the sun."

Twilight chose to ignore Rainbow Dash's hyperbole, opting to be supportive to her friends right now. The fact that they'd both decided to try this, had meant a lot to her, and she was in no mood to ruin it with petty bickering over little details. Especially not when she was so close to finishing up on binding her illusion spell to the necklace Rarity had gotten her. Just a little more calibration of the field, and...

"Bingo!"

Rarity looked up at the excited announcement. "What is it, Twilight? Are you finished with the spell?"

"I should be, if everything went right. I'm not really sure, since I've never had reason to do this before. But we're about to find out," Twilight replied as she stood up and slipped the necklace into place. As she did the gem contained within the band started glowing, and as it did bare skin was replaced with fur and feathers, leaving her looking like nothing was out of the ordinary.

"Cool!" Rainbow Dash stated, impressed by what she'd just seen.

Twilight smiled as she looked over herself, extending one of her wings and flapping it to observe how the illusion held up under the movement. From what she could see, it was doing just fine, meaning it was a seamless application.

"I can't thank you enough for this, Rarity, this is going to make things so much easier now," she stated, barely able to contain her excitement at the prospect.

"Think nothing of it, Twilight, I'm just glad that I could actually lend a hoof," Rarity replied, happy to see that Twilight was so happy with how things were going.

Spike was content to simply lean back in light of this information. Like Twilight, he knew that this was going to make things simpler on all of them; especially for him, since he wouldn't have to be the one answering the door now when Twilight was doing her thing.

"Ah take it yer gonna be walkin' around nude more often now?" Applejack asked as she looked up, shivering as the fan hit her exposed neck in the process.

"Well..." Twilight paused in thought, "it's possible, but only when I'm going to be inside. I know that it's highly unlikely the illusion would ever fail, but it's still something that I don't want to leave to chance if I went outside. It's... it's just not what being a nudist is about."

Applejack simply nodded in response. She hadn't tried to suggest anything otherwise, so that pretty much came out of nowhere. Unless of course Twilight was clarifying for the sake of the others who might not see the point in her decision to keep it to herself. Going by Rainbow Dash's reaction, she might need a bit of a refresher course on the subject.

"So will that necklace work fer anypony?" she asked, deciding to change the subject of discussion before anything else could develop.

"Well yes and no. It's not specifically coded to me, so it'll activate for anypony that wears it, but the illusion it generates is specific to myself, and only myself. If somepony else tried wearing it, they'd look like me rather than themselves," Twilight explained.

"So what you're saying is, it'd look like there's two of you?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Pretty much," Twilight replied and nodded.

"Cool," Rainbow Dash said as she set her book aside and stood back up. "Could I give it a try?" she asked.

Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash, and then over at Rarity as if she had an answer, Rarity simply shrugged in response.

"I don't see why not," she replied as she pulled the necklace off, the illusion cancelling out in the process and leaving her exposed again as she passed it over to Rainbow Dash where she stood.

Rainbow Dash looked over the necklace, fiddling with it a bit before finally slipping it into place. Much as Twilight had been, she too was cloaked in an illusion of lavender.

"Oh. Now that's interesting," Rarity commented as she looked over Rainbow Dash's new appearance, as the pegasus examined herself. Despite the variations in their body types, and the differences in their various measurements the illusion seemed to fit her regardless.

"Yeah, interesting," Rainbow Dash repeated, her voice undisguised by the illusion, and doing nothing to hide the confusion she was currently feeling. "Why's my skin tingling right now? Is that supposed to happen?"

"Don't worry, it's normal," Twilight reassured her, "that's the illusion field interacting with your bare skin. If you were wearing it over your fur, you'd never even notice it, because you'd be insulated. It's more annoying than anything else, but I like to think of it as a safeguard, as it serves as a reminder that your fur really isn't there. Otherwise you risk getting complacent in the fact that you look normal, and forgetting that you're still nude," she explained.

"Ya speakin' from experience?" Applejack asked.

"More like from a conscious effort to not be speaking from experience," Spike replied, remembering how cautious Twilight had been in her approach to everything, even after he and Rarity had been made aware of what she was doing, and were able to help her out. "Not that there's anything wrong with that."

"No, of course not," Rarity stated in agreement.

"Ya know, I just thought of something," Rainbow Dash spoke up, "these things would be pretty cool for Nightmare Night. Think about it, you could look like the Headless Horse, or a timberwolf, or a lot of other things you just couldn't be in a costume," she stated.

Twilight would admit that she hadn't considered such a possibility. But now that it was put out there for consideration, it was hard to not think about the possibility of such. There was no denying that an illusion spell could do a lot more than any physical costume could; like making a limb invisible so the pony in question could look like a decaying zombie, or even being filled with holes like a changeling. Rainbow Dash might've stumbled upon a very interesting idea.

Her thoughts on the matter, however, were interrupted by a startled sound that was somewhere between a yip and a squeak. Turning back around she saw Applejack's face was seriously flushed right now.

"Are you alright, darling?" Rarity asked her.

"Ah'm fine. Ah jus' wasn' expectin' the fan ta catch me where the wind don' usually blow," Applejack stated and sat back down again. But as good as the crystal flooring had felt on her bare belly, it hadn't felt so good against her butt, and it made her jump back onto her hooves again.

"Been there," Rainbow Dash muttered knowingly.

"It definitely takes some getting used to," Twilight replied and nodded. "If it's too much I can get you a sheet," she offered.

"Thanks, but Ah think it's about time ta call an' end ta this an' get mah fur back on," Applejack replied. "Don' get me wrong. It's been nice, an Ah learned a few things. But Ah don' have all day ta jus' lounge around an' cool off. Ah've gotta get back ta Sweet Apple Acres an' get back ta work," she explained.

"Yeah. I should probably get going too. I wanna get my feathers back," Rainbow Dash stated in agreement and nodded, before taking the necklace off and canceling out the illusion.

Twilight could do little more than nod in understanding. She'd been elated that her friends had not only been understanding and supportive of her interests, but had even gone so far as to try it out for themselves. But she understood that whether or not they partook, that didn't change the fact that she was still the only true nudist in Ponyville. There was the natural urge to ask them what they thought of their experience, but she really didn't want to press the issue, as it might make them uncomfortable. If they liked it, they'd be back. She'd just have to wait and see.

"Alright. Just keep in mind that you might want to grab something to eat afterward; the regrowing process can take a lot out of you," she explained, before her horn glowed as she powered up the spell.

Almost immediately after it was cast, the two of them came to understand just what Twilight meant when she said it was an unpleasant experience.

"Ah dang that itches somethin' fierce!" Applejack stated as she immediately took to scratching herself much like Winona would.

Rainbow Dash had nothing to say in response, opting instead to drop back to a sitting position, and work at biting her back where a particularly vicious itch had chosen to manifest.

Rarity could do little more than watch as the two went about trying to soothe their misery, with Spike opting to assist as best he could by scratching at Applejack's back, causing her to wriggle under his claws. This was too much like the first time she'd encountered Twilight experiencing that particular problem.

And then one of the backscratchers she'd brought over levitated in front of her face, wrapping in Twilight's aura. Looking over she saw that her friend was holding the both of them.

"You take one, I'll take the other?" she suggested.

"Yes, I believe that would work," Rarity replied and nodded in agreement. Being a helpful friend entailed many different things, depending on the circumstances one found themselves in. Sometimes it was lending moral support to one dealing with a complicated issue they didn't know how to resolve on their own. And sometimes it was as simple as being there to scratch at an itch they simply couldn't reach on their own.

And seeing as she was partially responsible for all of this, it was the least she could do for them. With that fact in mind, she joined Spike in tending to Applejack, as Twilight focused her attention on Rainbow Dash.

Six

Being a nudist, it turned out, had the ability to bring about unforeseen complications that Twilight never could've imagined being a possibility in need of contending with before; like whether she should hum, grin, or giggle as she dried herself off after a refreshing morning shower.

Granted it wasn't a major problem in need of addressing, but it was still annoying to not know what to do, as she imagined just how much time the lack of fur saved her every morning in getting ready for the day. There was no need for shampoos or conditioners to get cleaned, just simple soap and water. Even drying herself off took much less time than ever before. It was that prospect of saved time, and increased efficiency, that just about made her giddy over the possibilities it presented. It was making her drastically rethink her daily schedule, and look for other areas in which time could be saved.

But that could wait until after breakfast; she was just about starving right now!

"Morning, Twilight," Spike called as she stepped into the kitchen, finding him hard at work fixing their breakfast.

"Morning Spike," Twilight replied, before noticing that it wasn't pancakes being made today. Instead it was waffles! Spike almost never made waffles because of all the extra work that went into them! "What's the special occasion?"

"It's Saturday," Spike said and shrugged, before returning his attention to the waffle iron.

Twilight mulled over the answer given. Saturday was never a reason Spike considered valid for making waffles before. So what made this so special? She wanted to ask... but then again, maybe it was better if she didn't. Maybe Pinkie was planning something special for later on, and Spike needed to keep her preoccupied? It wouldn't be the first time she'd done something like that. With a shrug, she decided to just go with it, and see what happened.

"So what's on the docket for today?" Spike asked as, in a flurry, he went about preparing two plates of waffles topped with powdered sugar and fresh berries, the sight of which was practically making Twilight's mouth water with anticipation.

"Research," Twilight stated simply, "remember what Rainbow Dash said last week? About Rarity's necklace being useful for Nightmare Night?"

"Yeah," Spike replied, curious at what she was getting at.

"Well she might've been onto something. And not having anything important today, I'm going to go over a few old books, and see just what sort of medium an illusion spell can be bound to," she explained.

"Um... okay?" Spike replied, not really understanding what she was saying. "Why though?"

"Affordability. The necklace that Rarity got me is way too expensive to be relegated to a piece of literal costume jewelry. So I'm going to try and see if the illusion can be adequately bound to materials that are far more cost efficient," Twilight explained.

"Okay, cool," Spike replied and nodded, now understanding what she was saying. This sounded like something that would have a lot of potential. And unlike most experiments that got Twilight excited, even he could see the excitement factor that was present. "Sounds like a big day then. Better eat while it's still hot."

With nothing else to say on the matter the two took their place at the table, and proceeded to dive wholeheartedly into their breakfast.

And as one might expect from such gusto being utilized when eating, Twilight's face was a mess when she was done, the area around her mouth marked by bits of fruit and colored juices, which the traces of powdered sugar clung to. Spike couldn't help but laugh.

"Looks like you're gonna need another shower," he pointed out.

"Not necessarily," Twilight replied as she magically picked up a washcloth from the sink, working in a mix of soap and water from the tap, before bringing it over to wipe her face down, leaving herself clean as a whistle again. "It's so much easier this way."

"Yeah, no doubt," Spike replied, chuckling to himself at how Twilight could clean her face as easily as he could clean a plate. "Hey. Are you gonna need me today?"

"Not that I'm aware of. Why?" Twilight asked as she levitated the dishes over to the sink to soak them.

"Sweetie Belle's been trying to learn Rarity's gem locating spell herself, because she and the others have the idea that they can get treasure hunting cutie marks. Rarity wanted to know if I could keep an eye on them, just in case," Spike explained.

"Oh. No, go on ahead. I've got Rarity's necklace in case anypony comes by, I should be fine while you're out," Twilight replied. She'd much rather he kept an eye on Sweetie Belle and the other Crusaders, than feeling like he needed to spend his time around the palace looking after her. She could look after herself just fine, especially now, but the Crusaders... not so much.

"Besides that, it's an opportunity for free gemstones," Spike added.

Twilight just chuckled and shook her head. That sounded a lot like Spike.

Twilight took stock of her surroundings.

Library? Check.

Big cozy cushion to act as an insulator against the stout coolness of the crystal flooring? Check.

Bowl of snacks to munch on? Check.

Drink? Check.

Stack of books pertaining to magical theory? Check.

Rarity's necklace in case she had to hide her bald self? Double check.

Everything was good to go for a morning of fine studying. With a smile she climbed on her pillow, made herself comfortable, and picked up a book to dive into her research.

"What the?"

Or at least that was her intent. Unfortunately it wasn't an option, as what was written in the books made no sense. Not because it was too difficult a theory to wrap her head around, but because the contents made no sense from a basic language perspective. It was nothing but nonsensical scribbling, like a foal had tried to write something while having no comprehension of how the alphabet even worked.

As she flipped her way through the book, she realized that all the pages were the same way. There wasn't a single coherent word to be found anywhere!

"What's going on here?" she finally asked.

"It is common knowledge that written words are not coherent in a dream."

Twilight instantly recognized that voice. Turning around she saw Princess Luna sitting comfortably on the library's sofa.

"Oh. Hello, Princess," Twilight replied in greeting, "what brings you by?"

"Business, as per usual," Luna replied as she stepped off the sofa, "although it is unusual that I recognize that a dream has become a nightmare, before the one afflicted does," she continued.

"I..." Twilight paused, "I don't understand?"

"Twilight Sparkle," Luna spoke, "you are bald."

"I know," Twilight replied and nodded casually, "I still don't understand though. What unrealized nightmare are you talking about?"

Luna blinked, confused by this. "You... are bald," she repeated slowly.

Twilight was about to reply, when what Luna was saying dawned on her. She was left not knowing whether to giggle, or to sigh in response. Either way, this was probably going to be awkward.

"Well actually, Princess, this really isn't that much of a nightmare," she stated.

"Perhaps it may not seem like much, as there are no indecipherable horrors leaping out all around you; no piles of burning books. But not all nightmares are so over the top. Some of them are far more subtle to contend with," Luna explained as she stepped closer. "Perhaps you have never experienced it firsthoof, Twilight Sparkle, but to be rendered bald is not what most ponies would regard as a pleasurable experience. How you came to dream about it in the first place, I do not know. But fear not, it will soon be over."

Twilight sighed to herself, concluding that this was going to be and awkward conversation; more so than the conversation she'd had with Rarity. But awkward or not, it was something that was going to have to be done. And if Luna was going to regard her baldness as a nightmare, she might be seeing her far more often, and that might lead to some undesired questions.

"Actually, Princess, I don't consider this a nightmare; other than the fact that I can't read anything. The truth is," she paused and took a breath, "I'm a nudist."

Luna blinked in response, confused by the statement, and what relevance it had. "What is a nudist?"

"Well... as best I can explain it, in a society where the norm is everyone wearing clothing while going about their daily lives, a nudist is an individual who opts instead to go about their lives just like everyone else, only sans clothing," Twilight explained.

"Do you mean like most Ponyvillians compared to Canterlotian ponies?" Luna asked.

Twilight would admit, she hadn't thought of that comparison before. She knew that a lot of the ponies in Canterlot liked to wear clothing to show off their status, but she'd never seen the practicality in doing that. That was probably why she hadn't considered the absence of superfluous clothing all that unusual when she'd moved to Ponyville.

"Well it's something like that, but not quite. Socially there's nothing wrong with going without clothing. But on the other side of the mirror, where Sunset Shimmer is, it's a completely different story. Over there it's socially expected for everyone to wear clothing, especially in a public setting. Different moral values of different societies and all," Twilight explained, to which Luna nodded in understanding. "With ponies it's a different story. There's nothing wrong with us not wearing clothing, so the closest proper comparison that could be made is a pony opting to go without their fur while going about their daily routine."

"You do not say," Luna mumbled in response. "The fact that you possess such knowledge is not a surprise to me; you have always been a studious pony. What I do not understand, however, is how you came to the decision to participate in this... behavior. What motivated you?" she asked, really not able to understand it.

"Well..." Twilight paused and thought, "if I had to narrow it down to something specific, I'd say it was finding out that I could actually do it. I found some spells pertaining to fur growth in an old medical book, one thing sort of led to another, and I wound up discovering that I... actually liked it," she admitted uneasily.

"You... liked it?" Luna asked curiously, not really getting it. Twilight's nod did nothing to help on the matter. "There used to be a time when a pony being rendered bald was punishment for committing certain legal transgressions, intended to shame them for their actions, and motivate them to not do so again. How exactly did a form of punishment shift to become regarded as pleasurable?"

"Well technically it hasn't. Being bald isn't something noted for being popular, or socially acceptable. If anything it's regarded even less favorably than it used to be," Twilight explained, muttering the last part in the process.

"I do not understand. If it is not something socially acceptable, then what is it that you like about it so much, that you willingly participate in such?" Luna asked, not understanding anything about what she was hearing.

"The fact that it's comfortable," Twilight stated simply as she straightened herself up more. "I just don't know of any other way to explain it that would make sense, I'm afraid that's the best I can do. It just feels good when your fur's not there, trapping in the summer heat anymore, or absorbing the stink from you marinating in your own sweat. If I feel like I'm getting overheated, I can just stick my head under the faucet, or drape a wet towel around my neck, rather than having to suffer through it. It makes these hot summer days almost bearable, and if what Rainbow Dash said is right, there's not going to be a shortage of hot days for a long while."

"I see. That certainly makes at least a little sense," Luna commented, unsure of what else to say. "Then being a nudist is a defense against excessive heat?"

Twilight shook her head. "No, it's not quite that simple. Although that's definitely an added bonus. It's... it's like I said earlier, being a nudist is simply about not bothering with clothes when going about your daily life. Granted it loses something in the translation from one species to another, but... I just like it. That's all I can really say. It's not one of those things that can be explained, it has to be experienced to truly understand it," she admitted.

She'd been lucky until now that her friends had been understanding enough of what details she could offer up to them. After the matter with Rarity, she thought she'd already faced her toughest critic. But now she wasn't entirely sure.

For a while Luna said nothing as she simply sat there, her expression unreadable. That part made Twilight feel nervous about this whole interaction.

"Princess?"

"I am... merely trying to wrap my head around all of this. It is a most unusual concept to consider," Luna replied. "You say that being a nudist is simply being without clothing or fur while going about your daily routine. Does that mean you run errands, sans fur?" she asked.

Twilight shook her head in response. "I'm not at that point yet. It's just something I do around the house when I'm not needed for anything," she clarified. "To be honest I don't think that I'd ever be comfortable with strolling nude through the Ponyville marketplace. Being a nudist isn't about flaunting yourself, even if everything is being seen regardless."

"This is all quite complicated," Luna stated in response and rubbed her head, feeling one of her sister's trademark headaches coming on.

Twilight nodded. "It took a long time to get everything as straight as I have. And even then, it's just my understanding of the concept. There could be aspects I'm missing out on," she explained, certain that Luna would understand what that could be like. "It gets even more complicated when your studies start making you question everything around you," she continued.

"How do you mean?" Luna asked.

Twilight paused to think over the question, and how to explain her situation and experiences in an understandable manner. "Well... in the other world, everyone goes around clothed, because it's wrong to be nude in public. But in our world, it's considered acceptable for everypony to be nude in public, but not if they're bald. And I'm really starting to question why that is. Why is it alright for ponies to walk around without a stitch of clothing on, when our private bits are just one errant tail flick away from being seen by anypony in the area, but it's not alright for them to walk around bald in the same setting? What's the real difference between the two?"

It wasn't something she'd devoted an excessive amount of time pondering over, but it was certainly something that had been given thought; more so after Rainbow Dash's explanation to Applejack about not being self conscious with being seen nude. Ever since then, it'd been hard to not give the matter at least some thought.

"I..." Luna started to say, only to stop and pause, rubbing her chin as she tried to think. "I will admit, I do not know the answer to that. But now that you have presented the question for consideration, I cannot help questioning it myself."

Twilight nodded in agreement. It was certainly an interesting question to contemplate, but it was utterly infuriating when she had no one to realistically bounce it off of, and get their opinion. Here it had just sort of slipped into the conversation on its own, partly due to Luna's curiosity. But she highly doubted the same could come from a conversation with Rarity; as supportive as her friend had been lately, she really didn't want to push her generosity, by possibly making her anymore uncomfortable than she already was.

"Have you considered speaking with my sister? Perhaps she may hold the answer that you seek?" Luna suggested.

"No!" Twilight stated quickly. Far too quickly. Thinking better of it, she cleared her throat before speaking again, calmer and slower. "What I mean is, no I haven't. I haven't even approached all of my friends about this yet. A few of them know, but that's about the extent of it. This isn't exactly the sort of thing that comes up in polite conversation. I-I don't even know how I'd go about bringing this up to Princess Celestia of all ponies. She might take it the wrong way if I even tried. She might want to know what brought the question up, and I'd have to tell her, and who knows what might happen then."

Luna listened as Twilight explained the situation as best she could. The dedication she had to keeping Celestia happy with her positive performance in all duties she was assigned was commendable, but she sincerely doubted that her own sister would react as negatively as Twilight feared would be the case. Celestia was many things, but she was certainly not unreasonable. That knowledge, combined with the degree of hero worship that her friend apparently possessed, made her want to wrap her forelegs around the younger mare, and pull her into a comforting hug, and assure her that everything would be alright. The only thing that stopped her from doing that, was the uncertainty of whether or not Twilight might consider such a touch inappropriate under the given circumstances.

"You... you don't have to tell her about this... do you?"

That question made Luna snap out of her thoughts, and bring her back to their current situation.

"Fear not, Twilight Sparkle. As guardian of the dream realm, I am duty bound to respect the sanctity of a pony's dreams. I would be remiss in my duties, if I violated their privacy through common gossip. If you do not wish for Celestia to know of your... interests... then I shall respect those wishes," she stated.

"Thank you," Twilight replied and slouched as she relaxed. "That means a lot to me. I don't know if I'd ever be ready to bring something like that up in conversation."

"That said," Luna spoke up, causing Twilight to freeze in place, "I could approach Celestia, and present the question, and the notion, as if it were my own. It would most certainly not be the first time I have spoken with her about a strange or unusual concept that has arisen during my reintegration into the modern world. It would hardly strike her as all that surprising if it were to come from me."

Twilight moved to say something, but stopped and shut her mouth as Luna's words registered in her mind. She honestly couldn't believe that such an offer was being made so freely. Even Rarity wouldn't offer something like that, nor could she blame her if she didn't.

"You... you'd actually do that for me, Princess?" she asked.

"If you would like me to do such," Luna replied with a nod. "Beyond being a fellow princess, you are also a friend, Twilight Sparkle. I cannot say that I properly understand what being a nudist is about, but it is apparently important to you, and that is enough for me, for the time being," she explained.

Twilight smiled, touched by Luna's offer of assistance. "I appreciate that, Princess, I really do. It's just... could we hold off on that for a while? I'm still in the process of letting my friends know about all of this as the opportunity presents itself. I know you said that you'd present the idea as your own, I just..." she paused, not sure of what to say.

"It is alright, Twilight Sparkle, I understand what you are trying to say. I shall wait until you are ready to proceed," Luna stated.

"Thank you," Twilight repeated again and moved to hug Luna to show her appreciation. However she stopped when she realized just what she was about to do. "Uh..."

Luna shook her head in response and smiled. "You need not seek out permission, my friend. Most certainly not from me," she explained as she sat up and opened held out her forelegs.

Twilight didn't need to be told twice. With just a small pause in order to nod in understanding, she moved in and threw her forelegs around Luna, thankful to be able to return the hug. Her fur felt so soft, and silky, and even warm in a comfortable fashion, serving as motivation to simply settle in against her, much as she would with a good friend.

"Oh my," Luna stated, "is your skin this soft in the real world as well?" she asked.

"More or less," Twilight replied, having an inkling of what was going to develop, based on previous experience with her friends. The fact that she could feel Luna's fur brushing against her only gave credence to that inkling.

"Most fascinating," Luna mumbled to herself, shifting slightly in the process. "By chance could you tell me more about all of this?" she asked.

Twilight suspected that Luna's sudden interest in learning more about nudity had less to do with her own curiosity, and was more about having some diversionary tactics that would allow her to continue feeling how soft her skin was. She couldn't prove it as being the case, but there was really no reason to suspect it as not being a possibility.

If that really was the case, she didn't mind. To each their own. She more or less already had Luna's support in this entire ordeal. The least she could do in response was play along.

"Do we have enough time?" she asked.

"Much like other matters pertaining to dreams, time is all relative, Twilight Sparkle. There is ample opportunity to discuss this matter to whatever extent you are comfortable with," Luna pointed out. "And if I am to broach my sister on the subject, it would be best if I knew as much about it as possible," she added.

Twilight nodded, knowing that Luna was right. If she truly wanted to be her proxy, then she deserved to know just what she might be getting herself into.

"Alright then. Lesson number one..."

Seven

"A'right," Applejack nodded, "Ah'm impressed."

When Rarity and Twilight had approached her that morning, engaging her in conversation regarding iced tea, a roof for the market stall, their mirror-world counterparts, all for the purpose of approaching the topic of Twilight's dabbling with nudism, she had thought it was all just idle chatter. She had never expected anything concrete to actually come about from it all.

So naturally she was surprised when Rarity of all ponies actually showed up on this hot morning about the prospect of actually going through with putting a roof on the stand to help keep the bright sun, and the heat of the day at bay for both her, and her apples.

It had taken some cooperation, a few of the right kind of tools, and a little less than polite language being tossed about, but the end result was really had to argue with. While more of a really big awning than an actual roof, made from a tan canvas that she was told would help block the sun while resisting either rotting or tearing -with a little tucked white and green horizontal striped overhang in the front for artistic flare- and mounting on a simple wooden frame, it would certainly fulfill it's intended purpose of shielding her from the summer sun. It would even fold down along with the rest of the stand for easy transport, without adding any excess bulk to wrestle with.

"So can I assume that it meets with your approval, darling?" Rarity asked as she stood next to the farmer, also admiring the culmination of their work.

"Oh hay yes," Applejack replied and nodded again. "What Ah don' get though, is where ya learned how ta do carpentry fer buildin' the frame parts fer hangin' the roof," she stated.

"Well in all honesty, Applejack, I really didn't," Rarity replied. "It's just that building a physical construct has a lot of similarities to making a fine dress. One must know how the pieces go together for best results. Some skills just... translate well from one medium to another, if one is simply willing to stop and actually listen," she explained.

Applejack just scratched the back of her head and shrugged her withers in response. "Ah'll take yer word fer it, Sugarcube. Ah might be able ta rebuild a fence, but Ah don' think Ah'd be able ta sew a fancy dress ta save my life."

Rarity did her best not to giggle, remembering Applejack's efforts at sewing when their cutie marks were switched. Her friend had certainly tried her best at maneuvering an unfamiliar skill set, but even though her heart was in it... well the heart could only carry one so far.

"Well if you'd ever like to try again at learning the ins and outs of sewing, I'd be happy to show you," she offered.

Applejack chuckled in response. "Ah appreciate the offer, but Ah think Ah'm gonna hold off on that. Ah've already got enough new things on mah mind ta consider tryin' out fer mahself," she explained.

"Oh really? Well if you say so, darling, but the offer is still good should you ever change your mind," Rarity replied. She wouldn't force the issue, but she could certainly approach it little by little, and gauge whether or not there was any further interest. "If you'll excuse me, I should really get back to my own work now. There's still a fair bit to do, and I promised Twilight I'd meet with her later this afternoon."

"Yeah?" Applejack asked at the change of subject. "Ah haven' really been able ta speak wit' 'er much lately. Ya think she's got anypony else jaybirdin' by now?"

"Hm, I suppose it's possible, but I really haven't asked her about it," Rarity replied and shrugged. "It's not really my place to be asking such. Even if it were, I don't want to come off like I'm treating the subject as if it's a hobby where one collects things; we're talking about ponies here, not little pottery figurines that one puts on a bookshelf," she explained.

Applejack chuckled at that. "A'right, fair point," she replied and nodded. She knew she certainly didn't want to be thought of as a thing rather than a pony. "Hey, Rares, do ya mind swingin' by before ya go an' see Twi'? Ah... well Ah'd like ta ask 'er 'bout givin' it another try," she admitted somewhat hesitantly.

"Oh really now?" Rarity asked. Applejack nodded in response. "Well, darling, there's certainly nothing wrong with that if it's what you want to do," she replied.

"Well at the moment Ah'm jus' gonna be askin' a few questions. Ah'm thinkin' about tryin' fer Saturday night, an' Ah wanna know if she's free," Applejack asked.

"Oh," Rarity replied, "I know it's not any of my business, but do you mind if I ask why?"

Applejack shook her head in response. "Something ya said earlier, 'bout needin' more than a few minutes ta get an accurate picture. Ah figure, if Twilight doesn' mind me spending the night, it'd give me a perfect opportunity ta go about gettin' that picture. Ah don' have ta get up early the next mornin' since mah family doesn' work Sundays, so Ah wouldn' need ta go gallopin' back home. Ah could actually take mah time with it," she explained.

Rarity nodded as she listened to Applejack explain, noting that it made a great deal of sense. She sincerely doubted that Twilight would object to the prospect having a friend over for the night, even if the friend wasn't expressing an interest in the subject at hoof. She wouldn't be at all surprised if Twilight welcomed Applejack to come for dinner as well.

"Well then, I guess I'll see you again at closing time," she replied. As much as she was glad to see that somepony else was taking a healthy interest in Twilight's interests, that did nothing to change the fact that she still had orders to finish up before the day was done, lest she have to burn the midnight oil. "Have a good day, Applejack."

"It'll be a lot better now wit' a roof ta stand under," Applejack commented, thankful for the intervention.

"Do either of you have any idea what "jaybirding" is?"

On a normal day the Cutie Mark Crusaders would congregate at the clubhouse on Sweet Apple Acres for the purpose of discussing what new endeavor they'd be attempting for earning their cutie marks.

But on a day that was this hot, their meeting had been moved to the farm's swimming hole, and the reprieve of nice, cool water to lounge in. That was just fine by Scootaloo, as she enjoyed swimming just fine.

"What?" Apple Bloom asked as she looked over at her, before trying to blow a clump of wet mane out of her face.

"It's something I heard Rarity and Applejack talking about earlier, but I don't know what it means," Scootaloo replied and shrugged. "Is that something you'd know about?"

"Ah know what a jaybird is. Maybe they were talkin' 'bout doin' some bird watchin' later?" Apple Bloom suggested.

"Bird watching? At night?" Scootaloo asked.

"At night?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Yeah. Applejack was talking about doing it Saturday night when she's got time to get a picture. Or something like that," Scootaloo explained.

"Weird," Sweetie Belle replied, unsure of what else to say. "And she was talking to Rarity about this?"

"Yeah. They said they'd talk to Twilight about it later and see if it was alright," Scootaloo stated.

"Hmm," Apple Bloom muttered to herself. "Well then. Why don' we go ask Twilight 'erself if she knows wha' they were talkin' about?" she suggested.

"It would make more sense than trying to figure it out for ourselves," Sweetie Belle replied. "Who knows. Maybe it's something we can get our cutie marks in."

"A bird watching cutie mark? Isn't that kind of lame?" Scootaloo asked.

"First, that's assuming jaybirding is the same thing as bird watching. Second, we're starting to scrape the bottom of the barrel in our search for cutie marks, aren't we? Even if it is bird watching, it can't be anymore lame than a juggling cutie mark, could it?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"... Point taken," Scootaloo replied and finally shrugged, "let's get going then."

Twilight let out a cross between a groan and a whimper, cringing as she squeezed her eyes shut tight. The headache she currently had was a doozy that was borderline migraine territory, and she was really hoping that there wouldn't be any border crossing going on right now. Today really wasn't shaping up to be all that good of a day with everything that had been going on. Right now all she could do was bury her head under one of the pillows on the library's sofa to shut out the light, and pray the pain would go away.

Spike entered the room, doing his best to be silent in his approach. But his best was none too good this time around.

"Spike, please, don't walk so loud," she groaned, voice muffled by the pillow that covered her head.

"Sorry, Twilight," Spike apologized, before continuing his approach in order to set a glass of water, and several aspirin down on the coffee table. Along with an ice pack wrapped in a towel. "I brought you the usual, but I made it a triple this time," he stated.

"Nnngh," Twilight grunted, internally wrestling with whether or not to put in the effort necessary to get her reward. Finally she decided to go for it, and lifted her head up. "I love you so much," she stated weakly as she eagerly swallowed the aspirin, and eased the cold compress onto her head.

"You're not so bad yourself," Spike replied and chuckled. "I don't get it. You don't get headaches that bad for no reason. What brought this on?" he asked.

"I don't know, Spike," Twilight replied, before easing her head back down under the pillow. "Although if I had to make an uneducated guess, I'd say I might've applied the illusion spell incorrectly. Rainbow Dash was complaining about how her skin felt when she was wearing the necklace. And my headache only came on after I wore it for an extended period of time without a break. It's possible that something got applied incorrectly, or there are complications from long-term use. Whatever it is, though, I'll figure it out when my head is no longer throbbing like it wants to split open," she stated and groaned again, regretting that she'd talked so much.

"Alright," Spike replied and nodded, "If anyone stops by today, I'll let 'em know you're not up for visitors."

"Thanks, Spike, I'd be lost without you," Twilight replied.

"Tell me about it," Spike thought to himself as he stepped outside of the library. Twilight needed peace and quiet, so he was gonna do what he needed to do to get her that, and he knew just how to start.

Lock the palace doors, and put out the sign stating that they were closed. It was a simple strategy, but it could prove to be an effective strategy. At least Spike hoped that it'd be an effective strategy for keeping visitors out. Right now it was all that he had coming to mind.

He still remembered how Twilight had said the sign was entirely unnecessary, and how it wouldn't do for the Princess of Friendship to appear so standoffish by declaring her palace closed to the public. But he'd bought the sign anyway without her knowing about it, because he was certain that situations would arise where it would be demanded; like anytime a friendship problem arose, and he was left watching over the castle.

"Just gotta hang this out front and lock the door," he said to himself as he pulled the door open...

... and promptly felt a hoof landing against his skull. "Ow!"

"Oops. Sorry 'bout that, Spike."

Spike rubbed his head and looked out to see the Cutie Mark Crusaders present.

"Sorry, girls, I can't play with you today. Twilight's down with a bad headache so I've gotta keep visitors away and look after her," he stated.

"She is? Well there goes that idea. We needed to ask her a question about something we can't figure out," Sweetie Belle stated.

"Yeah? Well maybe you could ask me, and I can ask her when she's feeling better, and I can tell you what she said the next time I see you," he suggested.

The three looked at one another, before nodding in agreement, finding that to be acceptable.

"That'd work," Apple Bloom agreed, "does she know wha' "jaybirdin'" is?"

Had Spike been eating at the moment, he would've choked at hearing the question. "Um... what?" he asked.

"Jaybirding," Sweetie Belle repeated, "what is it?"

So much for the hope that he'd heard them wrong. Where had they heard that term? There were only three others that knew about the use of that code term, so who had been blabbing?

This wasn't going to end well, he was very sure about it.

"Uh..." he replied uneasily, "well I don't know, but when Twilight gets back in, I'll be sure to let her know that you stopped by. Thanks for asking," he said quickly in an effort to shut the palace door and lock it tight.

"Wait. Ah thought ya said Twilight had a headache. Now she's not here?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Uh..." Spike paused again, now starting to panic, "she's... at the doctor?" he offered up in an effort to explain the inconsistency in his cover story.

"Something's going on here. And you know what it's about, don't you?" Scootaloo accused as she frowned, really not liking being lied to.

"Well I-" Spike started.

"And if you know what's going on, Twilight no doubt knows what's going on," Sweetie Belle stated.

"Well, yeah, but-" Spike continued.

"She's here right now, isn't she?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Well, yes, but-"

"C'mon, girls, let's see what's going on here!" Scootaloo yelled.

The next thing Spike knew, the three fillies had managed to run past him into the palace like he wasn't even there, and were quickly making their way down the hall.

"Where would she be?" Sweetie Belle asked as they galloped away.

"Knowin' Twilight she'd be in the library," Apple Bloom stated.

"Crud, not good!" Spike stated as he forcefully slammed the door, sign forgotten as he hurried down the hall in an effort to head off whatever was going to happen. "Twilight! Incoming!" he yelled as he ran, hoping to give her enough notice to avoid being caught.

He ran with a fierce determination to reach the library first. But determination alone wasn't enough to overcome his short stride, and actually let him catch up with the three fillies. Much to his horror, the sounds of varying screams could be heard as he closed in on his target location. First he heard the Crusaders scream, then he heard Twilight scream. Then the Crusaders screamed again, then Twilight screamed again.

By the time he finally reached the library's doorway, and nearly crashed into the frame from coming to a sudden stop, the damage had already been done. Twilight looked like she'd woken up from a bad nightmare without realizing it, on top of looking quite embarrassed, and the Crusaders looked like they'd just seen some indescribable monster.

Right now Twilight was trying desperately to hide behind the pillow she'd had on her head just a little bit ago. Not that it was going to actually do anything to hide the truth.

"Spike-" Twilight started.

"I tried to stop them, but they ran right past me before I could shut the door," Spike stated in response. He already knew that he was at fault for this, he didn't need it pointed out to him right now.

"What... what's going on here?" Sweetie Belle finally asked, her voice squeaky as she did. "Why... why..."

"Why're you BALD!?" Scootaloo shrieked.

"It's a long story," Twilight replied and sighed, her headache increasing from the knowledge that she was going to have a very long, very awkward conversation ahead of her. "Spike, could you bring me my bathrobe? Please?"

She was really not looking forward to this; either the explanation, or the potential fallout that was all but absolutely guaranteed to come in the aftermath. She was fairly certain that there was a 99.5 percent chance of things going badly in all of this.

And she really didn't have the kind of luck that would actually let her experience that 0.5 percent chance of things not horribly exploding in her face.

"Better make yourselves comfortable, girls..."

Eight (edited)

It wasn't exactly quitting time per say, Applejack noted as she looked around her, but even she wasn't blind to obvious facts. There was still some time left in the day that could be worked before it was time to close up shop and take everything back to the farm. And as dedicated as she was, she could spend that last bit of time trying to sell a few more apples; if nothing else it would be the principle of the thing, sticking it out until the day was officially done.

But the facts were plain enough to see that the marketplace really wasn't busy enough to justify staying open for the next 20 or so minutes left in the day, on the off chance of a late arrival customer needing to pick up a few apples for a supper dish.

On the other hoof, there was still 20 minutes left in the day. And Rarity had said she'd swing by at the end of the day before they both went over to Twilight's together. If she closed up now, that would still leave her a while to just stand around after putting everything away.

But on the other hoof, if she started putting things away now, she wouldn't have to do it later, and keep Rarity waiting. And not keeping her waiting would mean a better day for everyone involved. With that fact in mind she set out to deconstruct the stand to make it ready for transport back to the farm, along with the unsold wares.

The process was a little more complicated with the inclusion of the canvas roof, but the system for holding it was pretty ad-hoc and jury-rigged with some hardware from Barnyard Bargains so it wouldn't be permanent; something she was pretty sure Qatgyver would be proud of. With a little fiddling, and holding her mouth just right, the framework eventually came down and folded up well enough to be stowed away for transport. After that it was just a matter of loading everything up onto the hauling wagon, and waiting for Rarity to show up.

It was a wait that turned out to be shorter than she'd anticipated, as she could already see Rarity approaching with her saddlebags in tow. Apparently getting everything down and loaded had taken longer than she'd thought it would.

"Ready to go, darling?" Rarity asked as she stepped closer.

"Just about," Applejack replied as she slipped herself into the harness attached to the wagon so she could pull it behind her. "A'right."

Rarity nodded wordlessly and the two set off on their shared journey, making their way towards Twilight's palace, each with their own purposes in mind. But while the journey started out silently, it didn't stay that way for long.

"So wha's in the bags?" Applejack asked as they trotted along.

"Just some fabric swatches. Twilight expressed an interest in possibly having some clothes made, so I figured I'd let her pick through what materials she'd like them made out of," Rarity explained.

Applejack chuckled to herself. The idea of Twilight developing an interest in clothing after finding out about being a nudist still struck her as a funny turn of events. Prior to it all, Twilight's view on clothing was pretty much like that of most others in Ponyville; nice but mostly unnecessary. Now here she was looking at them with a newfound interest. Rarity had to be beside herself with this whole setup.

"So's she got any preferences wit' that?" she asked.

"Primarily cotton. But it's such a plain fabric. I'm hoping to broaden her horizons a bit with a few other choice samples she might find equally satisfying," Rarity explained.

Applejack simply nodded and continued walking, not really sure what else she could really add to the conversation at that point. Cotton was fine as far as she was concerned in her own experience; it made for fine sheets, so it should make for fine clothing.

Closed until further notice.

That was what the sign laying on the ground in front of the palace said. And it was enough to leave both Rarity and Applejack confused as they read it.

"Oh dear," Rarity mumbled, "do you suppose they had to leave for Canterlot on short notice?" she asked.

"Ah reckon if they did, the sign would be hung up properly. Ya know how Twi' is 'bout those things," Applejack pointed out as she unhooked herself from the harness. "We'll find out here real quick," she said as she approached and firmly knocked on the doors.

A minute later the doors were opened to reveal Spike standing there.

"Oh. good. It's just you two," he replied.

Rarity opted to ignore the perceived rudeness of Spike's greeting to them, as something told her that there was good reason to it. Something about how he'd said "it's just you two" suggested relief at seeing some familiar faces.

"Something wrong, little guy?" Applejack asked, beating Rarity to the punch of asking the obvious question.

"You could say that," Spike groaned in response. "Look, if you're coming in, just... don't yell, and don't freak out, alright? Please? Twilight's got a bad headache, I've got a bad headache, we..." he paused and sighed. "Just see for yourselves."

Applejack and Rarity shared a concerned glance, before stepping into the palace. Whatever was going on was obviously enough to leave Spike feeling disturbed, and looking quite frazzled. This had to go beyond Twilight simply being a hoofful right now.

The two followed Spike as he led them towards the library, each wondering -and worrying- about whatever it was that had him so on edge. Although once they crossed the threshold into the room, they found out just what it was.

Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle were all present and sitting on the couch, not all that unlike students sitting at attention while at school. Standing not far off from them was Twilight, bald and draped in a tied shut blue terrycloth bathrobe, looking almost as haggard right now as Spike had.

"Wha' in tarnation?" Applejack asked in surprise.

"Oh. Good. You're here," Twilight said as she turned to regard them. "Just park yourselves, I'll be with you shortly," she stated.

"Twilight-" Rarity started, but didn't get the chance to say anything else.

"Park," Twilight practically barked at them.

Again, Applejack and Rarity looked at each other, before finding a spot to sit down as they'd been told.

"I'm sorry. It's just been a really hectic day," Twilight replied and rubbed her head with her hoof. "I just wasn't expecting three uninvited guests popping in on me like they did, and catching me completely off guard."

"What?" Applejack asked as she looked at her sister and her friends, who looked like they'd just been caught with their hooves in the cookie jar.

"I'm sorry, darling, I never thought that Sweetie Belle and her friends would actually be so rude as to just barge in uninvited," Rarity apologized, feeling embarrassed about this whole mess, and the lack of manners on her sister's part.

"They'll be gettin' quite the talkin' to when we get 'em home," Applejack assured her.

"Applejack," Apple Bloom whined, knowing that tone in her big sister's voice wasn't good.

"Don' start. Ya jus' head on home already," Applejack instructed.

"You too, Sweetie Belle, I'll deal with you later," Rarity added.

"Oh no you don't," Twilight stated firmly as she looked at them, catching them off guard. "They might've barged in without invitation, but from what I understand, you two are the ones that set things into motion that motivated their actions in the first place."

"Say wha' now?" Applejack asked, surprised by that.

Twilight nodded in confirmation. "Apparently Apple Bloom and her friends overheard you two talking about "jaybirding" while out in the marketplace, and came to me to figure out what you two were talking about. When they talked to Spike at the door, he freaked that they knew the term, one thing led to another, and they wound up finding out about far more than they were expecting to," she explained.

Behind her the three fillies were nodding silently in agreement with her assessment of what had transpired.

"I'm not saying they're entirely without fault, because they're not. But as a former filly with overwhelming curiosity, and my own track record of behavior I'm not exactly proud of in pursuit of satiating that curiosity, I'm not going to blame them for what they did," she added.

Now it was Applejack and Rarity's turn to feel uncomfortable at Twilight's words, feeling like they were in school, and being scolded by a displeased principal.

"That said, I'm not going to blame you two either," Twilight stated, causing them to look up in surprise.

"Say what?" Scootaloo asked from where she sat. "Why not? You said they're responsible. Shouldn't they be in trouble or something?"

"That's true, I did say that they were responsible," Twilight replied and nodded, "but I still stand by my decision. I'm not going to blame them for what happened, just as I'm not going to blame you; because that would involve blaming myself as well since I started all of this. This whole episode can, and should, be written off as a screw up on all of our parts, and left at that," she explained. She considered joking about requiring each of them to submit a 500 word essay on the importance of proper manners, and being careful of what was said where prying ears might hear, but she opted to drop it instead.

"So we're not in trouble?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Not with me," Twilight replied and shook her head. Although she couldn't speak for their sisters after they left.

"So yer not cancelin' "Twilight Time" fer us fer bargin' in on ya?" Apple Bloom asked.

Twilight shook her head again in response. "The first time around was bad enough, I'm not about to do that again, just because you fillies made a mistake," she explained. As hard as it had been on them, it was even harder on her, because she regarded it as a significant failure on her part as an educator. She'd rather not go through all of that again if it could be at all avoided. "Now then. Can we all agree to just forgive and forget about this whole mess?" she asked.

All around a chorus of nods and muttered agreement were had. She smiled in response to that, thankful that they were willing to move on.

"At this point forgivin' might be a little easier than forgettin'," Apple Bloom pointed out.

"Yeah," Scootaloo replied and nodded in agreement. "I don't think I can forget what I saw..."

"Yeah. Eww," Sweetie Belle stated, "no offense," she added quickly in an effort to avoid hurting Twilight's feelings, as well as avoid any further lectures by Rarity later on about impoliteness.

"None taken," Twilight assured them. "Let's face it. Walking in on a pony without their fur isn't exactly an everyday occurrence. Of course it's going to seem strange."

"Hey now, wait jus' a second," Applejack spoke up, "Ah had that conversation with Rarity a couple o' hours ago. If ya overheard us havin' it, wouldn' that mean ya've been here the..."

Twilight nodded in answer to the unasked question Applejack was trying to get out. "The whole time. I've spent nearly the last two hours explaining everything to them as best I can."

"Oh my," Rarity replied, finding the very idea to be anything but pleasant to consider. "So they know everything about what's going on?"

Again, Twilight nodded in response. "Everything that I could tell them about it. Lying wasn't exactly a viable option here; it would've been easy, but it wouldn't be right."

"No. No I suppose that it wouldn't," Rarity agreed. From the very beginning, Twilight had been honest with each of them about her endeavors, so she could hardly expect her to do otherwise just because Sweetie Belle had unwittingly gotten involved with this whole mess. So much for controlling the flow of information. Now the cat was really going to be out of the bag.

She was starting to feel Twilight's headache coming on herself.

"So now there's seven of us that know 'bout this," Applejack commented.

"I fear it's going to be far more than the seven of us before the day is over," Rarity replied and pinched the bridge of her muzzle. "The news is bound to get out into the public now."

"Hey!" Scootaloo yelled as she jumped up on the couch. "You don't have to be mean about all this."

Apple Bloom nodded. "Twilight told us how important it is tha' we don' go talkin' wit' others about all this. It ain' like we can't keep a secret."

"We know how to be discrete when it's important," Sweetie Belle added.

Applejack looked back at Rarity, who looked back at her. They knew there really wasn't all that much they could do in response to this development occurring; the proverbial bell had already been rung, and damage control was the best they could hope for now.

They looked back at Twilight, who nodded to them, indicating -as best they could assume- that she felt they could be trusted with her secret. And if she felt she could trust them, then it was only appropriate that they extended them the same courtesy.

"A'right then," Applejack replied and nodded to them.

"Darling," Rarity spoke up, "I know it's none of my business, but if you don't mind my asking. why exactly are you wearing a bathrobe right now? Why aren't you wearing your necklace? It was your idea to use it for situations like... well this," she pointed out.

"I know. But I started getting this really bad headache earlier today, and the longer I wore it, the worse it got. Finally it got bad enough that I wanted to throw up so I just had to take it off. I think I might've gotten the spell mechanics wrong somewhere, so I'm going to need to examine it later on. So when company came I had to improvise with this, although the damage was already long done by that point," she explained, the three fillies uncomfortably nodding in agreement as she spoke.

"So why'd ya leave it on if they already saw ya bald an' such?" Applejack asked curiously. "It ain' really like ya can un-ring the bell an' whatnot."

"While that's true, it was a matter of basic politeness mainly. They expressed no interest in seeing me nude after the fact, and I had no desire to make them anymore uncomfortable than they already were," Twilight explained. "That said, I would've chosen something lighter to wear if I'd known I'd be wearing it for the next two hours. Right now I'm hot, I'm sweating, and if nopony has any objections I'd really like to take a shower and freshen up."

At hearing this, the Crusaders became visibly uncomfortable.

"We'll just show ourselves out then," Sweetie Belle stated.

"Yeah. Have a good one," Scootaloo added as they got up from the couch, eager to leave.

"Alright," Twilight agreed, "if you have anymore questions, don't be afraid to come back and ask."

The Crusaders offered up no response as they quickly excused themselves and left the library, making their way for the front door of the palace, eager to put some distance between it and themselves.

Once they were no longer within estimated earshot, Twilight let out a sigh and slumped, utterly exhausted by it all.

"I love those girls, I really do. But sometimes they're just so tiring to deal with," she stated as she sat down on her haunches.

"I'm so sorry about them, darling," Rarity said as she moved over to Twilight to massage her withers. "I know that Sweetie Belle can be impulsive at times, but I didn't think she would be so rude as to simply barge in without being invited first."

"The same goes fer Apple Bloom. We raised 'er better than that," Applejack added. "Ah know wha' ya said, Sugarcube, but we can still give 'em a good talkin' to fer wha' they done."

"That's really not necessary. I think they learned their lesson about asking permission and such," Twilight replied as she rolled her withers under Rarity's hooves. "Would either of you mind if I..."

"Not at all, darling," Rarity replied, stepping back as Twilight undid her bathrobe and slid out of it.

"Thanks. That feels much better," she replied, thankful to be free of the heavy garment once again. "Like I said, though, I think they learned their lesson already. Scolding them isn't going to change what happened. And I really don't want to make them feel like they need to stay away from me."

"If you insist, Twilight," Rarity replied as she levitated the robe off the ground and began folding it up neatly. She'd still talk with Sweetie Belle later, she'd just adjust what it was that they were going to talk about.

"So how'd the talk go anyway?" Applejack asked, deciding to change the subject since Twilight didn't seem interested in discussing it further.

"Eh. A lot like it has for everypony else so far," Spike replied and shrugged. He'd been there for the whole thing, just as he had been when Applejack and Rainbow Dash had been brought in on it. As far as experience went, he was practically a veteran on the matter of the nudist talk. "They pretty much had all the same questions. What's nudity, how she found out about it, why does she do it, what's it like... it's like everyone's reading from the same script."

Twilight giggled at Spike's summation of the afternoon's events, which were largely correct, but still glossed over a lot of the more awkward moments that had been present.

"Well that's mostly accurate. Except for when Apple Bloom realized something interesting about all the facts," she stated, causing Spike to groan as she did. But she paid him no mind as she continued. "When she realized that a nudist is somepony that goes without fur, she asked if Spike qualified as a nudist as well since all he had were his scales to wear."

Spike grumbled and folded his arms over his chest in indignation at Twilight presenting that piece of information, made all the worse as Applejack started chuckling at his expense. "I could've gone without that bit of trivia coming up. Now I can't quit thinking about it. It feels weird..."

Applejack didn't really mean to, but she couldn't resist chuckling at Spike's disposition. "Well at least yer in good company, Spike," she said as she tried to make the best of the situation.

"Actually he might not be," Twilight spoke up, "it's an interesting question, but we don't really have a definitive answer. There's about three different cultures in play right now, so it's sort of complicated."

"Oh? How so?" Rarity asked, finding herself curious about what observations Twilight had made.

"Well the basic concept of nudity is a wholly human concept and deals with going without clothing when society requires clothing. Here in Equestria where we don't normally wear clothing to begin with, so the closest comparison that can accurately be made is baldness, so it could be argued that Spike is a nudist since he has scales rather than fur. But dragons, to the best of our knowledge anyway, have no cultural norms of their own with regard to wearing clothing. This, combined with lacking outer covering layers that can be removed one way or another, would suggest that dragons can't really be considered nudists," Twilight explained. "Based on what we know currently, the wearing of clothing might be considered a breaking of dragon societal norms, rather than the opposite."

"Huh," Applejack replied and scratched her head. "That does seem a might confusin'. Ah can see why ya wouldn' have an answer one way er another."

"It still feels weird though," Spike replied, still not happy with it all. He was perfectly fine with his own ignorance on the entire matter. "Now it's worse because I don't even know what I am in all this."

"It's alright, Spike, we'll figure it out," Twilight assured him, before wrapping a foreleg around him to pull him into a friendly hug.

Spike tried to remain annoyed, but eventually submitted to Twilight's hug, knowing that she -and likely the others- didn't mean to find his misery entertaining. "Well if I am a nudist by default, at least I don't have to go through any shedding to participate."

"Yer right as rain there, Sugarcube," Applejack stated.

"That's true, there is that at least," Rarity replied as she tried to help lift Spike's mood. Ever since the first time this topic had been approached by Twilight, she'd been very careful to avoid making any such comparisons for fear of making him uncomfortable about himself. And now here it had been done regardless, while simultaneously denying him a straight answer on just how he'd be classified.

"I guess so," Spike replied, starting to feel a bit better about everything. There were certainly worse situations he could've found himself in.

"Oh! Before I wind up forgetting, darling, I brought you some more swatches to choose from," Rarity stated as she levitated her saddlebags off. "I recently got in some new materials that might be to your liking."

"Oh, thanks," Twilight replied as she took the saddlebags in her own magic and set them down on the couch, before pulling away from Spike to look over what was being presented for consideration.

Applejack watched as Twilight carefully dug through the saddlebags, with all the excitement of a foal opening their gifts on Hearth's Warming morning, pulling out various material samples to sort through them like she was searching for buried treasure.

A gentle nudging to her ribs broke her focus, and made her aware that it was Rarity, most likely using her magic for such. She was giving her that particular sort of look, and that subtle motioning of her head, that usually communicated the unspoken prompt of wanting somepony to step forward for a particular task. She'd done the same thing herself a time or two, usually when it came to Apple Bloom, so she knew what it meant. Although it took her a few seconds to actually figure out what it was about in relation to this.

"Hey, Twilight," she started to bring the alicorn's attention back to them. "Would it be a'right wit' ya if Ah came over fer Saturday night? Maybe after dinner?"

"Of course," Twilight replied, not even needing to think before responding. But then she did think, which interrupted her testing one particular swatch against her cheek. "Do you mean just you?" she asked. Applejack nodded. "In that case, why don't you come over before dinner?"

"Well Ah didn't wanna impose," Applejack replied.

"You're not," Twilight stated. If Applejack wanted it to be just her coming over, then she had an idea of what was going on. And if that idea was close to the truth, then she was going to do everything in her power to make things go as smoothly as possible. "I insist."

"Well so long as yer insistin' on it," Applejack chuckled, "a'right, Ah'll be there."

"Oh dear. I just thought of something that might prove to be a complication," Rarity spoke up, bringing their attention over to her. "Apple Bloom knows about what's going on now. What... what if the dear expresses an interest in coming along with you this Saturday? She's going to likely suspect something of being up when you say you're spending the night at Twilight's."

Applejack didn't know what to say in response to that. She hadn't even considered it a possibility. She turned to look at Twilight in hopes of finding out what she might have to say.

"Well... if that happens, then we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. But I really don't think it's going to be something likely to occur for a while," Twilight replied. As uncomfortable as they'd all been during their visit/lesson, she didn't foresee any of them being particularly eager to come rushing back for more. Not that she was happy about them possibly being uncomfortable around her, but there was only so much she could do at one time.

"Ah guess we'll jus' have ta wait an' see then," Applejack replied and shrugged. And if that was all there was to it, she could let Twilight get back to her swatches, get her own stuff home, have a little talk with Apple Bloom, and get ready for a good dinner tonight.

"Darling," Rarity spoke up as she addressed Twilight, "while we're on the subject of those three, I feel the need to ask. How can you be so certain that they won't talk about... well whatever went on here? I mean, after all, they're only foals. And foals don't always think things through before they act. They have a tendency to act first and think later," she pointed out.

"I know. But I don't want them to think that I don't trust them. I explained how important it was that this not get out to the public, and they seemed to understand," Twilight explained, idly running a particular swatch against her skin to determine whether or not she liked it. "I also, sort of, had them Pinkie Promise that they wouldn't talk about it to anyone else," she added sheepishly, not exactly proud of utilizing the tactic in such a manner.

Spike nodded in agreement. "They understand what's at stake here, they don't wanna hurt Twilight. Plus they understand that losing a friend's trust is the fastest way to lose a friend."

"FOREVER!"

Everypony jumped at the sudden yell, despite recognizing just who the voice belonged to.

One by one they each turned to the library's doorway and saw Pinkie standing there, a look of surprise and disbelief on her face at just what she was seeing.

"And then there were nine," Twilight mumbled to herself, before forcing herself to appear more positive. "Hi there, Pinkie."

Before any of them could say anything, Pinkie had disappeared from view in a proverbial cloud of dust, a loud, piercing shriek sounding and slowly dying off, leaving no trace of her behind, and leaving the four of them standing in stunned silence.

That definitely wasn't the kind of shriek they associated with Pinkie determining that something was a party emergency. This was one that was far different, and that just served to make the whole thing far more disturbing.

"Now wha' in tarnation was that all about?" Applejack asked.

"I don't know. But I've got a bad feeling about this," Twilight stated as she shook her head. "Could you three see if you can find her while I get dressed? I don't want to leave her unattended for too long; there's no telling what she might do."

"Ya can count on me, Sugarcube, Ah'll get 'er tracked down quicker than a hog lookin' fer a truffle," Applejack stated and quickly took off running. The cart would have to wait, as this was far more serious.

"Don't worry, darling, we'll find her," Rarity added as she followed, with Spike following close behind.

"I so didn't need this right now..." Twilight groaned. Who would've ever thought that they would have to solve friendship problems amongst themselves?

Author's Note

I'm not exactly pleased with this chapter. Something about it feels both off, and wrong. But I don't know what it is, or where the problem lays.

Nine

Despite having a significant head start on the others, Rarity and Spike managed to catch up with Applejack as she was opening the main doors of the palace to gallop outside. That at least made it easy for all of them to be on the same page, even if it didn't make it any easier for them to actually find Pinkie.

"I don't get it. What is up with Pinkie anyway? I've never seen her act like that before," Spike stated as he ran along, doing his best to keep pace with Rarity and Applejack.

"I haven't the faintest idea," Rarity stated as she levitated Spike up and onto her back, allowing her to more easily keep pace with Applejack, without risking him falling behind with his shorter stride. "This was the sort of response I would've expected from Fluttershy being read in on the situation, but not Pinkie; never Pinkie."

"Tell me 'bout it," Applejack said as she galloped, her mind racing with thoughts. She had thought that when it came to bringing Pinkie up to speed, they'd have to hold her down to keep her from organizing a party for Twilight's benefit, as they explained just why this shouldn't come out in the public. But this had thrown her for a loop. If she was being honest with herself, it had actually left her feeling a bit scared over not knowing what to expect.

"So where do we start looking for her?" Spike asked.

"Ah don' really know. Tha' mare could literally be anywhere by now," Applejack stated, the thought conjuring up memories of how Pinkie had a habit of popping up in the strangest of locations at the strangest of times. There were times she honestly wondered if the pink pony was in fact a fragment of Discord's essence, which would certainly answer a few questions, but at the same time raise dozens more. As she saw it, best not to get into it at this point in time.

"Should we try and find Rainbow Dash, ask her if she has any idea where we might find Pinkie?" Spike asked.

"She is good friends with Pinkie, those two are always engaging in pranks together. She might have some useful insight on this," Rarity added as she nodded.

"Sounds like a plan. Ah'll try an' find RD, ya two keep lookin' and see if ya can figure out where Pinkie went until then," Applejack stated, already having a few ideas of where Rainbow Dash might be; especially if that pegasus just happened to be napping.

"Right then," Rarity replied as they split into two parties, each one set out on a different mission, but connected by a specific purpose; helping out a friend in need.

But whether the friend in need turned out to be Pinkie or Twilight, she didn't know just yet. She'd ask questions later on, all the while hoping Twilight didn't worry herself into a fit over this during their absence. The last thing they needed -right after Pinkie letting the cat out of the bag- was Twilight having a nervous breakdown.

Cup Cake hummed to herself, an icing bag held firmly in her front hooves as she went about providing the decorative details to a cake that had been ordered by a customer earlier in the week. It was for an engagement party for some lucky mare, meaning it required a certain mature touch that only somepony like her would possess. She dearly loved the work Pinkie did, and the heart she put into her word, but the dear mare simply didn't understand that not all parties had to be as festive to the same degree; an older couple didn't need the same wham bang approach of festivities that a foal did on their birthday. That was why she was working on this cake herself, and had no intention of leaving it without her attention to such important details.

However things didn't work out quite as she was expecting.

It was the sound of the chime above the door that prompted Cup Cake to come out of the kitchen, and see Twilight coming through the doors of Sugarcube Corner, looking as if she'd run all the way here from wherever she'd been at the time.

"Mrs. Cake," she panted as she stood more upright now, "by any chance have you seen Pinkie?"

Cup paused for a moment before responding. "Not exactly. I heard her come back a while ago, but she raced up the stairs before I could get a word out, and shut herself in her room," she explained. "Do you know what might be going on?"

Twilight shook her head in response. "Not really, I'm just as confused as you are about all of this. But I intend to get to the bottom of what's going on."

It wasn't precisely a lie; she really didn't know what it was about her baldness that had caused Pinkie to freak out and go running off like she had. But one way or another, she was going to get some answers to the mounting questions.

"Alright then," Cup replied and nodded, "I'll leave the matter in your capable hooves. You know her about as well as anypony can know Pinkie."

While it was a technically true statement, it did little to change the fact that Twilight was just as lost as anypony else would be right now. Despite how well she thought she knew Pinkie, there were still a great many things that simply couldn't be figured out; not even when Pinkie actually tried to explain them.

Nevertheless, she was intent on getting to the bottom of this mystery. With a polite nod to Mrs. Cake, she made her way to the living portion of Sugarcube Corner upstairs, and to Pinkie's room specifically; being friends with the pink party pony, locating it was a trivial matter.

"Pinkie?" she asked as she stood in front of the closed door. She expected some sort of response, but was only met with silence. "Pinkie, I know you're in there. Mrs. Cake said so," she stated.

"I'm not here!" Pinkie called through the door.

"Pinkie, I just heard you," Twilight replied, one eyebrow quirked as she did, much as Applejack would in a similar situation.

"This is a recording!" Pinkie stated in response.

"Pinkie," Twilight replied calmly, but also firmly, as she wanted her point to get across. "I can easily unlock this door and march in there if I want to. But I don't want to do that; not to a friend. Now, would you please open this door, and tell me face-to-face what's going on?" she asked as kindly as she could.

The response she was met with was one of silence. At first. The telltale sound of a bolt being pulled back could clearly be heard from behind the door, before it was slowly opened, just wide enough for a single blue eye to look out. Twilight simply smiled, taking this as a sign of Pinkie being willing to discuss whatever had upset her.

"Twilight?"

"Pinkie?"

The door opened wider, and then wider still until it was completely open. Pinkie stood there, a smile and, a look of utter relief sweeping over her face in the process. Twilight's smile increased, going from friendly, to relieved as well, now that she could see her friend was alright.

"Oh, Twilight, you're not going to believe what happened, I just had the worst nightmare!" Pinkie stated as she quickly latched onto Twilight and pulled her into the room in a tight hug. "I didn't even know I was asleep, so it was a really, really bad nightmare! Like 'it's your birthday and nopony knew or even cared about it' bad!"

"Pinkie-" Twilight wheezed, caught off guard by the sudden enthusiasm in her friend's embrace. But at least Pinkie didn't seem any worse for wear now. Maybe this whole mess hadn't been as serious as she'd initially thought it was.

"Twilight? Why does your coat feel so funny?" Pinkie asked as her forelegs started to shift against her, her voice suddenly growing uneasy as she did.

And then again, maybe this whole mess really had been as serious as she'd initially thought.

"Pinkie-" Twilight started uneasily.

"Twilight? A-are you-" Pinkie started to ask, but was quickly silenced as Twilight put a hoof against her mouth.

"Pinkie, listen to me, this is very important. I need you to Pinkie Promise me that you're not going to react like you did back at the palace. Can you do that? Please?" Twilight asked her. Pinkie managed to give a shaky nod, prompting her to remove her hoof and let her speak again. "Do you promise to be calm? No screaming and panicking?"

"I... I promise," Pinkie replied and nodded, although it was evident that this was going to be a promise she had to actually work at keeping. "But under protest. This isn't the proper use of a Pinkie Promise," she added.

"Noted," Twilight replied and nodded as she prepared to explain herself. "Alright then. The truth is, this is just an illusion that you're seeing. It takes five minutes for my fur and such to fully regrow. Normally this is just a minor inconvenience so long as I plan ahead, but considering the state you were in when you left the palace, I was really worried about you, and didn't feel like standing around uselessly and just wait, not knowing what might be going through your head. In a time like that, five minutes can feel like an eternity. So I had to make a decision about what was more important to me."

"Really?" Pinkie asked. Twilight nodded. "So underneath that you're really... bald?"

"As a bowling ball," Twilight admitted sheepishly. She had hoped the comparison would at least earn a giggle from Pinkie, but sadly it didn't get even that. She looked far too curious to show any signs of amusement. That meant it was time to get serious again, and continue with her explanation. "I decided that you were more important, than my own personal embarrassment over the fact that I was running nude through town, in full view of everypony, with nothing more than an illusion to keep me decent; all the while knowing that if it were to fail, everypony would be seeing everything there is to me," she stated, her cheeks burning even if the redness wasn't showing through.

"Wow," Pinkie replied in astonishment, "you actually did that because you were worried about me?"

"I did," Twilight nodded, "and although it's a small price to pay for my friends, I hope it's something I won't ever have to do again. Streaking really isn't my thing," she said as she shuddered.

"Streaking?" Pinkie asked quizzically as she tilted her head to the side.

"I'll explain later. Much later," Twilight replied, not wanting to open that can of worms just yet. "Right now I'm just glad you're alright. You had us worried when you ran off like that. What was that about anyway?"

"I... I-I don't wanna say," Pinkie said as she stepped back uneasily and looked down at the floor.

Twilight frowned at that as she took a step forward. "Pinkie, I don't presume to believe that I'm entitled to any sort of explanation if you're honestly not up to it. But I ran here all the way across town, wearing absolutely nothing but an illusion, and a smile to try and avoid raising suspicion, because I was worried about you. Doesn't that earn me at least a little consideration?" she asked.

Pinkie wanted to say no. But try as she might, she simply couldn't deny that Twilight had gone to a lot of trouble just to make sure that she was alright. It was a really, really friendly thing to do; especially when she was under no obligation to actually do what she did. And it was also the sort of thing that left her feeling like something needed to be done in return.

"I-I guess so," she replied slowly and nodded.

Twilight smiled at Pinkie's willingness to fill her in on whatever details were missing from this matter. The more she knew, the more good she could do as a result. As her friend made herself comfortable on the bed in preparation, she sat down on her haunches to listen.

"Alright," Pinkie sighed and took a breath to steady herself. "The truth is... our parents... they used to... to shave us..."

Twilight blinked at hearing Pinkie's statement. "They shaved you?" she asked.

Pinkie nodded. "They shaved us. All of us. Me, my sisters, everyone. Any time the weather would get warmer and lice, or fleas, or ticks would find their way to the rock farm. Out came the razors, and off came the fur..."

"It was horrible! We had to sit still for so long while Mom and Dad would shave us nose to tail, and everything in between. Everything. It always took forever, and it always itched so bad afterward; razor burn is seriously not fun to have," she stated and shuddered again. "And if that wasn't bad enough, Mom and Dad always used the old fashioned straight razors for shaving us, so you had to sit really still, because if you moved while they were shaving you, you'd get cut too, and it always hurt so bad!"

Twilight couldn't help but be horrified by the recounting of events. "Oh, Pinkie, I'm so sorry. I had no idea you had to go through something like that."

Pinkie nodded in response. "They shaved themselves too. Sometimes before us, sometimes after, but either way it was still horrible. And after they were done shaving us, we still had work to do on the farm, where anypony could see us if they came up. It was super embarrassing and humiliating to experience! I've never wanted to crawl in a dark hole, and totally be left alone by anypony, than during those times without my fur!"

Twilight responded without thinking when she saw the tears starting to form in Pinkie's eyes. She closed the distance between them and pulled the distraught earth pony into a firm hug, which was immediately reciprocated.

"It's okay, Pinkie, it's okay," she said as she rubbed her friend's back in an effort to soothe her.

Pinkie, in response to the gesture, stiffened up. "Twilight... d-do you think you could let me go? Please?" she asked.

It was only after that Twilight realized the mistake she'd made. Being that Pinkie had bad experiences with baldness in the past, thrusting herself upon her as she had probably wouldn't make her feel better. Immediately she pulled away and released her, her cheeks burning underneath the illusion. "I'm sorry."

"N-no, it's alright, you didn't know," Pinkie replied and shook her head.

"Still, that must've been a traumatizing thing to experience," Twilight stated, before quickly thinking otherwise. "Er, I mean the shaving, not the hug."

"I knew what you meant. And you're right, it was. It was horrible..." Pinkie groaned as she shut her eyes. "To this day I still get nervous when the weather gets warm, because I just know that when summer comes around, my coat's going to be coming off. Even today I still think like that, and it's been years since I was last shaved!"

Twilight didn't know how to respond. Part of her mind wanted to ask if Maud was the same way, and that was why she wore a dress while the rest of her family felt no such need to. But she didn't actually think to go that route; not this time anyway.

"Um... I don't know if it's of any interest, Pinkie, but if it makes any difference, I don't actually shave..." she stated slowly. This caused Pinkie to actually look at her in confusion, as if something so far off the wall had been said that even she couldn't follow train of logic that was involved.

"But... b-but I saw you... bald... how'd you end up like that without shaving?" Pinkie asked.

"With a medical spell I found. It has the same overall results, but it happens a lot quicker, and without the risk and discomfort involved with using a razor," Twilight explained, hoping that differentiating the act of being bald from the act of shaving -and being shaved- would help put her friend at ease. But from the look on Pinkie's face, and how she was uneasily shifting, she felt it was safe to assume that the difference wasn't making her feel any better. "This really upsets you, doesn't it?" she asked.

Pinkie nodded uncomfortably. "More than I can put into words," she admitted, "that's never happened to me before. I've always got words to put things into."

Twilight just sighed and shook her head. "I guess seeing me bald like that brought up a lot of uncomfortable thoughts and feelings for you, right?"

"Yeah..." Pinkie replied and nodded again.

Twilight sighed again, feeling quite low now. "I'm sorry, Pinkie, I never stopped to consider that others might be less receptive to what I was doing, due to their own experiences. I guess I got too wrapped up in what I was doing to think about it," she explained.

"Why... why would you do something like that? Why would you wanna be bald in the first place?" Pinkie asked quizzically.

"Well..." Twilight paused as she tried to figure out what to say in response. Should she justify it based on the benefits it presented? Should she explain her experiences in the other world and what led her to this course of action? At least with her other friends, she'd been able to introduce them to it slowly, and in a controlled manner. But with Pinkie it was all damage control. "You're probably going to think it's stupid when you hear it," she admitted.

"What is it?" Pinkie asked.

Straight to the point. Twilight didn't know what to make of that when it came from Pinkie. She decided to proceed cautiously.

"Well I've never had any experience with baldness before, so I was naturally curious about the spell. Then one day I had the palace all to myself, I was in the privacy of my own home, and I... just tried it out to see for myself. It was... it was interesting," she explained, giving a glossed over account of her initial experiences with nudism. "But... it's not so interesting anymore if it just causes others discomfort to be around."

Ever since the beginning when Rarity had caught her in the act, even before then, she knew that being a nudist was a sensitive subject. But she didn't know just how sensitive a subject it could be for some until now. She remembered Luna saying that being rendered bald used to be used as a punishment for certain crimes, but Pinkie's issues went well beyond that. Suddenly all the advantages to being in just her skin were losing their appeal in light of all this.

For an uncomfortably long time, neither pony spoke up, leaving nothing but silence between them. Twilight wanted to break that silence, but she didn't know what would be the best way of doing it. Right now she was just waiting for Pinkie to speak up and say something; anything really, she didn't care much at this point, so long as her friend showed some sign of communication.

Finally she cracked first. "Should I leave?"

"I..." Pinkie started to say, but stopped. She tried several more times to speak, before settling on simply nodding her head. "I don't wanna be rude, Twilight, I know you were worried about me, and I really appreciate it. But right now I just wanna be alone."

"Alright. If that's what you want," Twilight replied and stood back up. She'd respect her friend's wishes, it being the least she could do right now. "I'll just let Mrs. Cake know that you're... you're... what should I tell her? She was worried about how you ran upstairs."

"Number 66," Pinkie replied.

"What now?" Twilight asked.

"It's... it'd take a while to explain. Just tell her 'number 66' and she'll know what it means," Pinkie explained.

"Um, alright then," Twilight replied, hopelessly lost on just what that all meant. But she decided not to press the issue. "I guess I'll see you later, after my fur grows back in?" she asked.

"Yeah," Pinkie mumbled and gave a noncommittal nod in response. "Later..."

Twilight really didn't like the idea of leaving under these circumstances; not with how Pinkie currently was. It didn't feel like the right thing to do. But she did have to respect Pinkie's wishes, even if she didn't like it. All she could really do was give her friend some time to sort out whatever she was going through, and approach her at a later date once she'd had the chance to calm down. Maybe once that occurred, they could get somewhere. But until then it was just a matter of waiting, and giving her friend whatever room she needed to work through what she was experiencing.

"Okay," she nodded and quietly left the room, closing the door behind her until it clicked shut.

Author's Note

Sorry about the long wait, but this was a really difficult chapter to write. It might not look like it, but there was a lot of issues to go through, a lot of ways things could've turned out, with some being better than others.

Nine (revised)

"I don't get it. What is up with Pinkie anyway? I've never seen her act like that before," Spike stated as he ran along, doing his best to keep pace with Rarity and Applejack.

"So where do we start looking for her?" Spike asked.

There were times she honestly wondered if the pink pony was in fact a fragment of Discord's essence, which would certainly answer a few questions, but at the same time raise dozens more. As she saw it, best not to get into it at this point in time. Or perhaps not ever.

"Should we try and find Rainbow Dash, ask her if she has any idea where we might find Pinkie?" Spike asked.

"She is good friends with Pinkie, those two are always engaging in pranks together. She might have some useful insight on this," Rarity added as she nodded.

"Right then," Rarity replied as they split into two parties, each one set out on a different mission, but connected by a specific purpose; helping out a friend in need.

Cup Cake hummed to herself, an icing bag held firmly in her front hooves as she went about providing the decorative details to a cake that had been ordered by a customer earlier in the week. It was for an engagement party for some lucky mare, meaning it required a certain mature touch that only somepony like her would possess. She dearly loved the work Pinkie did, and the heart she put into all of her work, but the dear mare simply didn't understand that not all parties had to be as festive to the same degree; an older couple didn't need the same wham bang approach of festivities that a foal did on their birthday. That was why she was working on this cake herself, and had no intention of leaving it without her attention to such important details.

However things didn't work out quite as she was expecting.

"Mrs. Cake," she panted as she stood more upright now, "by any chance have you seen Pinkie?"

Cup paused for a moment before responding. "Not exactly. I heard her come back a while ago, but she raced up the stairs before I could get a word out, and shut herself in her room. That's very unusual for her," she explained. "Do you know what might be going on?"

Twilight shook her head in response. "Not really, I'm just as confused as you are about all of this. But I intend to get to the bottom of what's going on."

"Alright then," Cup replied and nodded, "I'll leave the matter in your capable hooves. You know her about as well as anypony can know Pinkie."

"Pinkie?" she asked as she stood in front of the closed door. She expected some sort of response, but was only met with silence. "Pinkie, I know you're in there. Mrs. Cake said so," she stated.

"I'm not here!" Pinkie called through the door.

"Pinkie, I just heard you," Twilight replied, one eyebrow quirked as she did, much as Applejack would in a similar situation.

"This is a recording!" Pinkie stated in response.

"Pinkie," Twilight replied calmly, but also firmly, as she wanted her point to get across. "You know that I could easily unlock this door, and march right in there if I want to, right?" she asked.

"... Yes..." Pinkie replied slowly.

"I very well could do that with ease. I'm tempted to do just that, because you're my friend, and I'm really worried about you," she reiterated to make the point quite clear. "I could, but I don't want to do that; not to a friend, and not unless it's absolutely necessary. Now, from one friend to another, would you please open this door, and tell me face-to-face what's going on?" she asked as kindly as she could.

"Twilight?"

"Pinkie?"

"Twilight? Why does your coat feel so funny?" Pinkie asked as her forelegs started to shift against her, her voice suddenly growing uneasy as she did.

And then again, maybe this whole mess really had been as serious as she'd initially thought, if not worse.

"Pinkie-" Twilight started uneasily.

"Twilight? A-are you-" Pinkie started to ask, but was quickly silenced as Twilight put a hoof against her mouth.

"Pinkie, listen to me, this is very important. I need you to Pinkie Promise me that you're not going to react like you did back at the palace. Can you do that? Please?" Twilight asked her as she magically shut the door behind them. Pinkie managed to give a shaky nod, prompting her to remove her hoof and let her speak again. "Do you promise to be calm? No screaming and panicking?"

"Really?" Pinkie asked. Twilight nodded. "So underneath that you're really... bald?"

"As a bowling ball," Twilight admitted sheepishly. She had hoped the comparison would at least earn a giggle from Pinkie, but sadly it didn't get even that. She looked far too curious to show any signs of amusement. That meant it was time to get serious again, and continue with her explanation. "I decided that you were a lot more important, than my own personal embarrassment over the fact that I was running nude through town, in full view of everypony, with nothing more than an illusion to keep me decent; all the while knowing that if it were to fail, everypony would be seeing everything there is to me," she stated, her cheeks burning even if the redness wasn't showing through.

"Wow," Pinkie replied in astonishment, "you actually did that because you were worried about me?"

"I did," Twilight nodded, "and although it's a small price to pay for my friends, I hope it's something I won't ever have to do again. Streaking really isn't my thing," she said as she shuddered.

"Streaking?" Pinkie asked quizzically as she tilted her head to the side.

"I... I-I don't wanna say," Pinkie said as she let go of Twilight and stepped back uneasily and looked down at the floor.

Twilight frowned at that as she took a step forward. "Pinkie, I don't presume to believe that I'm entitled to any sort of explanation if you're honestly not up to it. It's a private matter, as a friend I should respect that fact," she admitted. "But I ran here all the way across town, wearing absolutely nothing but an illusion, and a forced smile to try and avoid raising suspicion from anypony I encountered along the way, because I was worried about you. Doesn't that earn me at least a little consideration in all of this?" she asked.

"I-I guess so," she replied slowly and nodded.

"Alright," Pinkie sighed and took a breath to steady herself. "The truth is... our parents... they used to... to shave us..."

Twilight blinked at hearing Pinkie's statement. "They shaved you?" she asked.

Pinkie shuddered as she stopped talking, uncomfortable with the memories that were bought up by her tale. She really didn't want to talk about this for that reason. But Twilight had cared enough to come looking for her, so telling her was the least she could do. The rules of equivalent exchange dictated that one discomfort had to be traded for another, and Twilight had set the bar pretty high without knowing it.

"It was horrible! We had to sit still for so long while Mom and Dad would shave us nose to tail, and everything else in between. And I do mean everything. It always took forever, and it always itched so bad afterward; razor burn is seriously not fun to have," she stated and shuddered again, more violently this time than previously. "And if that wasn't bad enough, Mom and Dad always used the old fashioned straight razors for shaving us, so you had to sit really still, because if you moved even just a little bit while they were shaving you, you'd get cut too, and it always hurt so bad!"

"It's okay, Pinkie, it's okay," she said as she rubbed her friend's back in an effort to soothe her.

Pinkie, in response to the gesture, stiffened up. "Twilight... d-do you think you could let me go? Please?" she asked.

"N-no, it's alright, you didn't know," Pinkie replied and shook her head.

"Still, that must've been a traumatizing thing to experience," Twilight stated, before quickly thinking otherwise. "Er, I mean the shaving, not the hug."

"But... b-but I saw you... bald... how'd you end up like that without shaving?" Pinkie asked.

Pinkie nodded uncomfortably. "More than I can put into words," she admitted, "that's never happened to me before. I've always got words to put things into."

Twilight just sighed and shook her head. "I guess seeing me bald like that brought up a lot of uncomfortable thoughts and feelings for you, right?"

"Yeah..." Pinkie replied and nodded again.

"Why... why would you do something like that? Why would you wanna be bald in the first place?" Pinkie asked quizzically.

"What is it?" Pinkie asked.

Straight to the point. Twilight didn't know what to make of that when it came from Pinkie. She decided to proceed cautiously.

"Well I've never had any experience with baldness before, so I was naturally curious about the spell. Then one day I had the palace all to myself, I was in the privacy of my own home, and I... just tried it out to see for myself. It was... it was interesting," she explained, giving a glossed over account of her initial experiences with nudism. But in light of all this, it didn't feel quite so interesting anymore if it caused others discomfort to be around.

Ultimately she proved to be the first one to crack, and break the stifling silence. "Do you want to come back to the palace so we can talk this over? I've got ice cream."

"Ice cream?" Pinkie asked as she looked up at her.

Twilight nodded at seeing she had Pinkie's attention. "Ice cream imported all the way from up in Canterlot. It's really high quality stuff," she explained, hoping the promise of sugary goodness would help ease the discomfort her friend was currently experiencing. And then she decided that under these circumstances, she needed to sweeten the deal, so to speak. "I think I've even got confetti candy sprinkles to go along with it."

She could practically see the metaphorical gears in Pinkie's mind turning at the mention of said sugary goodness, contemplating the offer. It was her sincere hope that the prospect of good ice cream and candy sprinkles would be enough of an incentive to bring the party pony out of her current state of discomfort, and slowly ease her into a more comfortable state for a conversation; a very long conversation, based on what she'd seen so far.

"I'm sorry, Twilight, but this is way too big for even ice cream," Pinkie stated and sighed as she looked back down.

Twilight was nearly floored by what she just heard. Pinkie was actually turning down ice cream? This must've been really bad from her perspective.

"Really?" she asked. Pinkie nodded in confirmation. As far as she could see, she had to pull out the big guns... whatever that meant. "Even smothered with hot fudge sauce?"

"Even smothered with hot fudge sauce," Pinkie confirmed.

Twilight whistled in response to hearing that. To think that Pinkie could so easily turn down ice cream and hot fudge. She considered offering the biggest banana split sundae combo she could imagine, but right now she was starting to doubt even that would do any good. She was honestly coming up empty on what to do to help out.

Could she even help out at this point, after everything she'd done that had made things go wrong?

"Should... should I leave?" she finally asked.

"Number 66," Pinkie replied.

"What now?" Twilight asked.

"It's... it'd take a while to explain. Just tell her 'number 66' and she'll know what it means," Pinkie explained.

"Um, alright then," Twilight replied, hopelessly lost on just what that all meant. But she decided not to press the issue. "I guess I'll see you later, after my fur grows back in?" she asked.

"Yeah," Pinkie mumbled and gave a noncommittal nod in response. "Later..."

Twilight really didn't like the idea of leaving under these circumstances; not with how Pinkie currently was. It didn't feel like the right thing to do. But she did have to respect Pinkie's wishes, even if she didn't like how those wishes meant being left alone under these circumstances. All she could really do, was give her friend some time to sort out whatever she was going through, and approach her at a later date once she'd had the chance to calm down. Maybe once that occurred, they could get somewhere. But until then it was just a matter of waiting, and giving her friend whatever room she needed to work through what she was experiencing at her own pace.

This was, apparently, one of those situations where her intervention simply wouldn't be of any assistance. Much as she hated it, she was going to have to sit this one out.

"Okay," she nodded and quietly left the room, closing the door behind her until it clicked shut.

Author's Note

I really wasn't happy with the previous version of the chapter. But rather than take it down and replace it with the new version, I decided to let the readers decide on what they preferred.

Ten

Applejack let out a sigh as she set herself down in front of the vanity in her bedroom, looking at her own tired reflection looking back at her.

"Shoot, Sugarcube, ya look as tired as Ah feel," she commented, giving a brief chuckle as she did.

With another sigh she placed her stetson on the hat rack, placed the ribbons that kept her mane and tail tied up on the vanity top, and picked up her mane brush to comb out whatever tangles she might've accumulated over the course of the day.

Under most circumstances, the end of the day was getting to be her favorite part of the day. The chores were done, she was back home where she could relax, and the sun was setting, bringing a respite from at least some of the summer heat they found themselves subjected to. Right now, however, she was far too tired to really care about what time of the day it was. The whole mess with Pinkie had proven to be quite the hassle to deal with.

She'd found Rainbow Dash napping in the park, hidden away in a nice big tree with an equally nice big canopy for plenty of shade, and wasted no time in making a ruckus to wake her up, and brief her on how Twilight's secret was in jeopardy of being spread all over Ponyville, thanks to Pinkie making her discovery. Rainbow Dash had naturally freaked out about this information, and hadn't hesitated to assist in the search, trying to think of anywhere Pinkie might run to under such circumstances.

That list turned out to be quite short, since none of them had ever seen Pinkie react like that before.

Naturally it went without saying that it was a gigantic relief when Twilight had managed to find all of them, and report that the situation was all under control. Unfortunately it was also a mystery, as Twilight hadn't elaborated on just what had set Pinkie off. All she would say on the matter, was that it was a personal issue of Pinkie's, and she didn't feel right telling them all about it without her permission beforehoof.

The mystery was more annoying than a burr underneath a saddlebag. But according to Twilight, Pinkie had no interest in spreading the word of her jaybirding habits, so at least there was that bit of good news. She could put up with a little annoyance in the form of a mystery, if it meant keeping things under control and under wraps...

She chuckled to herself at that. Nudity, under wraps. She sighed again, figuring she was more tired than she thought if she found that as humorous as she did.

Oh well. Back to brushing out her mane before turning in for the night. Tomorrow was another day, and was bound to be just as hot as today. At least that way she'd be able to test out the canvas roof the market stall now had to it, thanks to Rarity's ingenuity, and her followup to how she and Twilight had gotten her to the boutique on that one day.

"Applejack?"

At hearing her sister's voice in the doorway, Applejack turned around and saw Apple Bloom standing there, looking back at her.

"Hey there, Apple Bloom," she said as she turned around to better look at her sister. "Wha's the matter? Can't ya sleep?"

Apple Bloom shook her head slowly, before stepping into the room. "It's too hot. Ah feel like a pie bakin' in the oven," she explained.

Applejack nodded in understanding, having experienced that same sensation more than a few times herself. During the day when there was work to be done, it wasn't quite as bad as it was at night when you were trying in vain to sleep, and getting nowhere but frustrated.

"Well get yerself a cold glass o' water ta sip, that'll help," she replied.

"Ah reckon bein' completely bald would do the same..." Apple Bloom muttered.

That made Applejack stop brushing out her mane, and look at her little sister in the mirror.

"Shook ya up, huh?" she asked.

"Ya could say that," Apple Bloom replied and nodded.

Applejack nodded in turn, before setting the brush back down, and trotting over to shut the door. "Should Ah ask where ya wanna start?"

Apple Bloom mulled over the question, and the available answers she could give in response. Finally she settled on one in particular that just seemed proper. "Ya didn' react like we did when ya came in an' saw wha' was goin' on. How long have ya known 'bout wha' Twilight's doin'?"

"A bit over a week Ah guess. Long enough ta know 'bout wha's goin' on," Applejack replied and gave a shrug, seeing no reason to deny it.

"Does it make sense to ya?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Uh... how do ya mean?" Applejack asked, not really understanding the question.

At this, Apple Bloom let out a frustrated sigh and hung her head. "Ah dunno. Twilight tried explainin' it ta us, but Ah jus' don' get any of it. Why would somepony wanna be completely bald anyway? Especially when it's so much work?"

Try as she might, as much as she searched for something that would serve as an answer, Applejack simply couldn't come up with anything that seemed appropriate. There were a lot of things she could try and say, but she really wasn't confident enough in her knowledge to be trying to explain things. Twilight and Rarity were the knowledgeable ones, they simply approached her because of how levelheaded she was, and the support she could lend if things got difficult when they were leading. Her role in all of this was basically saying "Yeah, Ah know 'bout it, an' Ah don' see anythin' wrong wit' it" in case one of their friends by chance did.

Wait. Maybe that was the course to go.

"Ah'm sorry, Apple Bloom, Ah don' really know how ta answer ya. Shoot, Ah think the only reason they told me 'bout it, was so that they could say Ah was a'right with it if anypony asked," she explained. Not that she minded if that was really the case; everypony needed support at one point or another. And if she could do that by being referenced, that was fine by her.

"And are ya a'right with it?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Is there any particular reason that Ah shouldn' be a'right with Twilight goin' around bald in 'er own home?" Applejack asked. When she saw that Apple Bloom was trying, really trying at finding a response to give, she continued. "Granted it's a might bit strange, but that doesn' make it wrong. But Ah reckon if ya look at anypony close enough, ya might find somethin' that strikes ya as strange," she explained.

"Ah guess so," Apple Bloom replied and sighed, figuring that Applejack had a point. After all, some of the stuff they'd done to try and get a cutie mark was downright weird, even to her, and some of them had been her ideas! "Although it's still mighty weird ta see a pony walkin' around completely bald an' such. Or nude, or whatever it's called."

Applejack chuckled and nodded. "Eeyup, Ah'll give ya that one, it takes some gettin' used ta. But once ya get past the nudeness, ya come ta realize that Twilight's the same as she's always been, she's jus' trying' somethin' different that caught 'er interest."

Apple Bloom really couldn't argue otherwise on that one. Despite looking different, it was definitely the same Twilight she'd come to know so well; nopony else could talk about complicated science and other stuff like she could. Sure, she looked kinda strange being bald and such, but looking back she was still the same warm, caring pony that she'd met on the day before the Summer Sun celebration.

"Ah guess," she admitted in defeat. "But it still doesn' change the fact that seeing a pony walkin' around without their fur on is jus' plain weird."

"Ah never said it wasn't," Applejack pointed out. "Ah'll admit, it sure took me by surprise the first time Ah saw 'er without 'er fur on. Takes some time gettin' used to," she admitted.

"Yeah?" Apple Bloom asked curiously. "So how long did it take fer it ta stop bein' weird fer ya?"

"Huh," Applejack mumbled as she tried to think of how to answer that question. "Well... not all that long Ah guess. Twi' told me about it before Ah ever saw it fer mahself, so Ah had time ta get an idea of what ta expect. Although knowin' 'bout it an' actually seein' it are two different things. Ah'd say the second time around it seemed more normal," she explained.

"So if we're around her often enough, it'll stop seemin' strange ta see 'er walkin' aroun' bald?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Ah reckon so. Although she'd be able ta tell ya better than Ah could. Spike an' Rarity say they don' even notice 'er bein' nude anymore, so Ah'm guessin' tha's how it works," Applejack stated.

For a while Apple Bloom didn't say anything in response. Although she wore the look she often did when she was contemplating something; a look Applejack was familiar with from all the times she'd seen it for herself. Maybe she was just trying to sort things out on her own.

"Is Rarity a nudist too?"

The unexpected question nearly floored Applejack, both from not expecting Apple Bloom to just speak up like that, and also because the question itself had come out of nowhere. Rarity, a nudist? She would've laughed if it weren't for the look on her sister's face, letting her know that she was serious about it.

"Now why would ya ask somethin' like that?" she asked.

"Well Twilight told us that jaybirdin' is a code word fer wha's been goin' on, and Scootaloo overheard you an' Rarity talkin' 'bout jaybirdin' in the marketplace. An' if it ain' Rarity..." Apple Bloom paused as she looked at her sister, letting the logical conclusion of the question sink in and go unasked.

Applejack gave an uneasy chuckle in response before responding. "Naw. Naw, Ah ain' a nudist like Twilight is," she explained. "But Ah will admit that Ah did try it out fer mahself once, jus' ta get an idea on what it's like."

"Really?" Apple Bloom asked, surprised to hear that. "Wha' was it like?"

"Well..." Applejack paused as she tried to figure out how to explain her own experiences. "It's kinda freaky at first, watchin' yer fur wash off like ya got covered head ta tail in colored mud. Yer skin is real sensitive too, so ya gotta be careful when dryin' off so it don' hurt. It's actually kinda chilly without yer fur gettin' in the way. But really it ain' all that bad."

Of course the real reason that it hadn't been all that bad to experience, was that she was in the company of three others who did their best to make her feel comfortable. Truth be told, all of them together like they were, it was kind of fun.

"So ya liked doin' it?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Enough ta be willin' ta consider doin' it again, ta get a better idea on what it's like," Applejack admitted, not seeing any point in denying it.

"An' if ya do like doin' it? What then?" Apple Bloom asked.

"If Ah do..." Applejack paused, trying to figure out what sort of answer to give. She really hadn't considered that possibility all that well. Now she was wishing that she had. What if she did like the whole nudist thing like Twilight did? How was that going to work out for her since she didn't have the luxury of her own private palace to lounge around in?

"Then we'll jus' cross that bridge when we come to it," she said and shrugged. "But don' be worryin' none, it ain' somethin' that's gonna need figurin' overnight."

"Oh," Apple Bloom replied. "A'right then..."

Silence. Applejack considered the matter being resolved, and contemplated returning to brushing out her mane and tail before turning in. But there was just something nagging at her, telling her that something still wasn't right. Perhaps it was big sibling instinct, or perhaps it was just years of experience with raising Apple Bloom. But whatever it was, she was getting the feeling that they weren't done quite yet. If it was then she probably would've gone back to her room, rather than continuing to hang around.

"Somethin' else buggin' ya, Apple Bloom?" she asked.

Apple Bloom mulled over the question as she chewed at her bottom lip, visibly uncomfortable as she sorted for the right words.

Finally she looked back and Applejack and replied. "Twilight explained that it can be a lot of work fer a pony ta be a nudist like she is. Do ya think it's worth all she's gotta do jus' ta be one?"

"Ah reckon she figures it is. Especially now that she doesn' have ta do it all on 'er own when she can be by 'erself," Applejack replied and shrugged, not really able to offer much more than that. She couldn't give insight into Twilight's mind worked, nor was she entirely certain that she actually wanted to try and do that. "Ah can't say fer mahself, though, since Ah can't do it like she does. Only time'll tell."

"Makes sense Ah guess," Apple Bloom replied.

"So. Ya got any other questions?" Applejack asked.

Apple Bloom shook her head. "Naw, Ah think Ah'm good fer now. Thanks fer explainin' things."

"A'right then," Applejack replied, "Ah know it's hot, but why don' ya head on back an' try ta get some sleep now?"

"Okay, Ah'll try," Apple Bloom replied, "g'night then."

"G'night, Sugarcube."

With the matter resolved, and Apple Bloom on her way back to bed, Applejack returned to brushing out her mane and tail. Although now she had a lot more of her own questions to deal with, and nopony to ask them to.

She'd have to see about talking with Rarity tomorrow, in hopes of the socialite being able to help her make sense of them.

Little did she know what was going on elsewhere...

"Sweetie Belle?"

The door to Sweetie Belle's room gave a soft squeak as it was nudged open, allowing Rarity just enough room to poke her head in and glance around without touching either it or the door frame. As she did she saw her sister laying on her bed in the dim light provided by the lamp on her nightstand, simply staring at the ceiling as a table fan blew on her, doing its best to keep her cool in the wretched heat.

"Are you alright, dear? You didn't touch your dinner at all," she said as she softly stepped into the room and approached the bed.

"I don't feel so good," Sweetie Belle mumbled.

Rarity frowned at hearing this. She stepped closer and pressed her chin against Sweetie Belle's forehead.

"You don't feel warm," she said, before opting to go forehead-to-forehead and double check. She did feel a bit warm, but that seemed more likely a result of the summer heat than anything else. "You don't seem to have a fever. What's wrong?"

"My stomach feels gross," Sweetie Belle replied, an uncomfortable and disgusted look on her face as she spoke.

"Oh dear," Rarity sighed, knowing that this would likely end poorly for her little sister. "Do you want me to get you some crackers and ginger ale... perhaps a bucket?" she asked.

Sweetie Belle shook her head. "I don't wanna think about eating anything right now. I don't wanna think about anything right now," she replied and grimaced, her muzzle scrunching in the process.

"Oh? So it's something you're thinking about that's making you feel ill?" Rarity asked. Sweetie Belle nodded in confirmation. "Might I ask what that something is?"

Sweetie Belle shook her head. "I don't wanna say it."

"Sweetie Belle, simply because you don't say it, doesn't mean you'll be able to stop thinking about it," Rarity pointed out. "Talking about whatever's bothering you might help, because then you don't have to carry it all by yourself," she explained. She was going to go further and tell her sister but it was better to simply get it out, but she doubted the symbolism would be all that appreciated right now.

Sweetie Belle mulled over her sister's advice, trying to figure out what she wanted to do. She could talk, or she could say nothing except she wanted to be alone. But whatever she did, she was pretty sure that she was going to remain miserable for a while regardless.

"I can't stop thinking about what Twilight looked like bald," she finally said as she grimaced again. "It was so gross seeing her like that. And every time I think about seeing her like that, it makes my tummy feel like I'm gonna be sick. But I don't have anything to actually come up, regardless of what it thinks to the contrary, and I don't wanna give my stomach anything that could be used against me; either in or out of a court of law..."

The urge Rarity felt to giggle at the last bit of Sweetie Belle's explanation was tempered by the rest of what she'd had to say. She knew that Twilight's baldness could be quite jarring to experience the first time around, but she certainly never thought that this would be the case.

"Yes, it certainly can take some getting used to; especially if you suddenly happen upon it with no warning," she stated.

"It's still really gross," Sweetie Belle replied with disgust.

"That's not exactly a nice thing to say about one of your friends," Rarity pointed out.

"Neither was seeing that," Sweetie Belle mumbled in response. "How come you're alright with all this?"

"Is there a reason that I shouldn't be alright with it?" Rarity asked.

Sweetie Belle did a double take at Rarity's question, caught off guard by what she'd just heard.

"Rarity. Twilight was bald! How could you be alright with her doing something like that?" she asked.

"Because it's really none of my business what she does in the privacy of her own home. They're her own affairs, not my own," Rarity replied. Which was technically the truth on the matter. "Do you think Twilight should need my permission before doing something that interests her?"

"Well... well no, but-" Sweetie Belle started to respond.

"The last time I checked, Twilight was royalty now. She's able to make her own decisions as she sees fit," Rarity pointed out.

"But it's so gross!" Sweetie Belle protested, her voice squeaking as she did.

Rarity tried not to huff in response to Sweetie Belle's statement, or rather the lack thereof. She would apparently need to try a different approach in addressing her sister about this subject.

"Sweetie Belle, simply because we don't understand something, doesn't mean that it's gross," she pointed out.

Sweetie Belle gave Rarity a skeptical look in response. "Rarity, she's bald! As in no hair anywhere, and I do mean anywhere! You're the one always going on about society and what's acceptable! How can you like what she's doing!?"

"Whoever said that I did?"

Immediately Sweetie Belle was at a loss for words, Rarity's question catching her completely off guard. She felt winded like the air had been knocked out of her lungs by an unplanned fall, and the metaphorical gears in her head had seized up and ground to an immediate grinding halt. It was as if she'd just witnessed a long-held belief of the world around her, suddenly being disproven and shattered.

"You... you don't like what Twilight is doing?" she asked in disbelief.

Rarity shook her head. "In truth I really don't care for what she's doing. If she'd asked me for my opinion before actually proceeding, I could've given her more than a dozen good reasons for why she shouldn't attempt such. But she didn't ask me what I thought on the matter. And it wasn't my place to object to what she was doing," she explained.

"But... but... if you don't like it, then how come you're so supportive of what she'd doing?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Because Twilight's my friend and I'm supportive of her, not necessarily what she's doing. You don't necessarily have to like what somepony is doing to support their endeavors," Rarity clarified. "It's like you and your friends, trying to earn your cutie marks. You've told me that you don't always like what Apple Bloom and Scootaloo come up with for attempts, yet you stick by them regardless of that fact."

"But this is different from that," Sweetie Belle replied, trying to mount a defense against what Rarity had just pointed out, and failing miserably at it. She'd never stopped to think about it like that before.

"Is it really? Are you telling me that you were willing to go along with Scootaloo's idea of trying for a hang gliding cutie mark, not because she's your friend, but because that's what you wanted to be known for?" Rarity asked.

Once again, Sweetie Belle found herself without a response to give. Maybe Rarity really was right about this? Maybe what Twilight was doing, wasn't any worse than some of the things Scootaloo and Apple Bloom had thought up for getting their cutie marks?

"It's perfectly alright to not like what somepony's doing, even if that somepony is a friend. But not liking it doesn't mean you don't support them when they need it. The only time it's really appropriate to object, is when they're doing something that could potentially harm themselves or others," Rarity explained as she stroked Sweetie Belle's mane with her hoof. "However Twilight has taken a number of steps to ensure that doesn't happen. She's being as responsible with her endeavors as she can while still doing them. Nopony is being harmed by what she does."

"But... why do you have to be supportive here? Couldn't you just, I don't know, not have anything to do with it?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"I suppose that I could choose to refrain from lending support if I wanted to. But in truth I really don't wish to do such," Rarity replied. Seeing the perplexity on her sister's face, she continued with her tale. "Despite the stark differences, what Twilight is doing reminds me a fair bit of my own experiences when I was working to open the Carousel Boutique. Marketing clothing designed to be worn for special occasions is one thing, but clothing for the everyday is something else entirely. You're far too young to remember it, Sweetie Belle, but my start was anything but easy. I didn't have friends who could come to my aid when I needed them; certainly not like I do now. It's no exaggeration to say that I had to fight my way to where I am now."

Sweetie Belle nodded, remembering Rarity tell her about how she'd had to work long and hard to establish herself, and work up a sizable clientele to make her business a success.

"So what's that got to do with what Twilight's doing? She's not making a career out of baldness... is she?" she asked.

"Doubtful. But that matter aside, I remember how hard it was to try something new while alone. Twilight is still sorting everything out for herself, we don't even know if this is permanent or just temporary. She'll have a much easier time figuring out what she's going to do, if she has friends willing to support her during this," Rarity explained.

"And if she wants to go bald permanently?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Well I doubt that it'll come to that. But if it does... then we'll deal with whatever arises, just as we have with every other situation we've faced," she stated, mumbling to herself about how Twilight's tenure as royalty would be far more interesting to witness if that were to come to pass.

Sweetie Belle just groaned in response. That wasn't the sort of answer she'd been hoping to get.

"I don't know if I can be supportive when just looking at her makes me feel sick."

At this, Rarity just sighed, and stroked Sweetie Belle's mane again. "If nothing else, just try not to be rude to her. She's having a hard enough time as it is."

"I'll try," Sweetie Belle replied.

"That's good then," Rarity said, before kissing her sister's forehead. "Now then, are you sure you're not hungry?"

"Yeah. I'm sure," Sweetie Belle said as she nodded, still not wanting to consider the prospect of eating everything right now.

"Alright then. If there's nothing else, I'll just leave you to rest. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

With the departure of Rarity, Sweetie Belle was left to her own devices, her mind filled with new and unconsidered questions. She now had a better idea of why Rarity was doing what she was doing, but that didn't make it any easier to understand what all was going on. If anything it actually make the matter more difficult, as she was reminded of how she'd met Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, and became friends with them. They'd all been united in support of a goal in opposition to Diamond Tiara's bullying. They stood by one another, even when other ponies didn't understand them, or even agree with what they were doing.

What if that wasn't so different than this? Was she being too judgemental about something, simply because she didn't understand it, and had closed her mind off to it? Perhaps that was certainly the case. But even if it was, there was still one undeniable truth about it that needed to be acknowledged.

"It's still gross," she mumbled in conclusion as she rolled over.

Author's Note

So interesting story time. Originally I didn't even intend to do this chapter. The only reason I thought this up, was because I couldn't just move on from the events in chapters seven and eight as if they didn't exist. It was unplanned, but it was ultimately necessary.

Before there are any questions on why Scootaloo wasn't in the story. I honestly couldn't think of what reaction I wanted her to have in light of Twilight's actions. I considered including her at the end in a funny moment showing that while Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are still awake, she's snoring away without a care in the world because she doesn't give a damn.

Eleven

Rarity pushed her glasses back up onto her muzzle, trying not to get distracted from her current bit of work, which was proving to be a lot easier said than actually done right now.

As with any occupation, one needed a wide range of skills to be competent at what they did for their career. Just as Applejack needed to know how to properly grow crops and not just harvest them, she herself needed to be proficient with the initial steps of giving an order form, before actually bringing it to life. And with such processes, that usually meant sitting down and drafting out a design that reflected the notes taken.

But drafting only went so far when it came to bringing a creation to life. While it provided a visual confirmation for the notes currently tacked onto a propped up bulletin board beside her, and better helped her understand what was being asked of her services, it didn't change the fact that it was still a simple, two-dimensional representation of an idea, that would need to be translated into a three-dimensional creation. She was an artist, but an artist in fabrics rather than pencil and paper. Bringing a drawing to life like she could a dress simply wasn't a skill that she possessed. But then again being a graphic designer simply wasn't her passion.

She mumbled, adjusting her glasses again, as she regarded what laid before her. The client who wanted this had been... particular about their wishes. Very particular. And while she was looking at quite a bit of funding for all her hard work, it still didn't change the fact that she felt like drafting it all out was going to take more time than she had to actually get the final project completed.

"Perhaps I should've just gone with the prototype approach instead," she said to herself, not satisfied with the flow the curve of the flow in the skirt and how it just didn't look right on the flank. Granted there was a lot to keep track of on this one, but she was still more confident in her mastery over fabric than paper. She could levitate far more parts and components into place, than she could ever adequately draw out.

The sound of the bell above the front door going off served to break what little concentration she'd managed to hold onto for this part of the project. And depending on what the current customer wanted, getting it back might prove to be an exercise in futility.

"No rest for the wicked I suppose," she muttered as she levitated her glasses off, before making her way to the front of the boutique to greet whoever had set hoof into her shop.

However she stopped from presenting her standard greeting of customers when she saw that it wasn't somepony browsing her wares, but rather Apple Bloom instead. No rest for the wicked was shaping up to be an accurate observation in this case, it appeared.

"Oh, hello Apple Bloom," she greeted, going with the more casual and friendly approach, rather than the professional greeting used to grab new customers and hold their attention firmly. "Are you looking for Sweetie Belle?"

"Actually, Rarity, Ah was hopin' Ah could talk wit' you instead," Apple Bloom replied. "Are ya busy right now?"

In truth, Rarity really was busy with her current order, and the work necessary in fulfilling it. But there was something in the way that Apple Bloom spoke, that had her refraining from confirming this fact to the young filly.

"What's this about?" she asked, deciding to feel out the situation more, before committing herself one way or another.

"Er..." Apple Bloom paused uneasily, "about wha' happened at Twilight's the other day," she admitted.

That had sealed the deal. That was the clincher for her. There was no way that she could, in good conscience, send Apple Bloom away under these circumstances, stating that she was simply too busy to speak with her about whatever was on her mind.

Without a single word, Rarity had gone over to the front door, and hung up the sign letting others know that she was out to lunch. With that done so they wouldn't be disturbed, she signaled for Apple Bloom to follow her back to her inspiration room, so they could talk privately without being disturbed.

"Now then, Apple Bloom, what seems to be on your mind?" she asked.

"Well Ah was jus' wonderin'... are ya a nudist too? Like Twilight is?" Apple Bloom asked.

Rarity was caught off guard by the question, not expecting Apple Bloom to ask that of all things. But off guard or not, she composed herself, before shaking her head in response. "No, sorry. Twilight's the only true nudist in our group of friends."

"Oh..." Apple Bloom replied slowly, a hint of disappointment clearly evident in her voice. "Well darn. Ah was hopin' ya could answer a question Ah'm jus' not gettin' on mah own."

"Well perhaps I still can, darling. Simply because I don't dabble in discarding my fur, doesn't mean that I'm entirely ignorant on the subject. I might not participate, but I've made an effort to learn more about the matter since it's important to Twilight," Rarity explained.

Apple Bloom contemplated the thought a bit, mulling over what she wanted to do. But after said mulling, she realized that pretty much the only thing she could do was ask Rarity, and see what sort of answer she got. If nothing else she wouldn't be any worse for wear if that answer didn't help her out any.

"Ah'm tryin' ta figure out what Twilight likes 'bout bein' a nudist. wha' does she get out of it, tha' makes it worth all the work she's gotta do fer it?" she asked.

Now it was Rarity's turn to pause, uncertain of just how to proceed, and left with little choice but to mull over the matter in thought, in search of an answer to the question.

"I'm sorry, Apple Bloom, but I'm afraid that's a question I simply can't answer. I can't speak for Twilight on this matter," she eventually replied and shook her head. Although her inability to answer wasn't due to it being improper, but rather a lack of understanding on her own part. She'd presented this question herself back when she'd discovered Twilight's latest interest, but try as she might, she was still without an understanding of what exactly it was that Twilight enjoyed so much about nudism, that she willingly tolerated all of the difficulties involved with it. "But then again that's not necessarily a bad thing..."

"Huh? Say wha' now?" Apple Bloom asked, confused by that last bit.

"Think about it for a moment, Apple Bloom. You don't need to go into details, but aren't there some activities that you enjoy doing by yourself? Even if your friends don't care for them, or perhaps don't understand what you enjoy about them?" Rarity asked.

"Well o' course," Apple Bloom replied quickly. But not quite quick enough to keep Rarity from continuing.

"And do you ever feel the need to justify these activities to your friends, because they need to believe it's worthwhile to warrant your interest in what you enjoy doing?"

"Um... n-no?" Apple Bloom replied uncertainly, not entirely certain she was following what Rarity was saying at this point. It was all starting to sound a little confusing to her.

Rarity nodded. "It's the same premise for Twilight in this case. For whatever reason, she enjoys going without her fur in the privacy of her own home, and it's not necessary for us to understand her reasons in order for her to enjoy it. It would be nice to understand, of course, but it's not necessary. As Twilight's friend, there's only two things I really need to know about this; is she happy? And is she safe? So long as she's enjoying herself, she's not hurting herself, and nopony else is being hurt in the process, then that's all that truly matters. Anything else is just... window dressing I suppose; desirable but not entirely necessary."

Apple Bloom contemplated Rarity's words of explanation. She had to admit that a lot of what had been said sort of made a lot of sense. There were still parts that she didn't get, but it did make things a lot easier to find out that she didn't have to understand why somepony liked doing what they did in order to support them doing it.

However...

"That still doesn' answer mah question though," she pointed out. Rarity's advice might've helped, but she was still left with the same question she faced earlier; what was it about nudism that Twilight liked so much?

"Hmm, perhaps not. But it was the best I could do on such short notice," Rarity admitted and gave a shrug. "If you want to know more, I'm afraid you'll just have to ask Twilight herself. Just approach the subject cautiously, however, as it's quite rude to make demands of somepony to justify why they like something you might not understand," she advised.

Apple Bloom nodded, knowing that Rarity's use of "you" didn't specifically mean her. But that was neither here nor there, as she understood what Rarity was getting at; what one liked doing didn't have to be justified to others, because their opinions didn't invalidate the enjoyment achieved. Or something like that.

But before she could thank Rarity and take her leave, another thought popped into her head. And this one was practically demanding to be addressed in a prompt manner.

"Wha'd ya mean when ya said Twilight was the only true nudist? Are there fake nudists er somethin'?" she asked.

"Well..." Rarity paused, not quite sure how to proceed since Applejack had never discussed this particular scenario with her. Not knowing the level of information Apple Bloom possessed, she decided to proceed cautiously. "Well it's not so much a matter of being a fake as... well... to be honest I really don't know what the point of distinction is when one is embracing the culture, as opposed to simply trying it out for themselves. It's... it's rather complicated," she explained as best she could.

"Ya got that right," Apple Bloom replied and nodded. Complicated was pretty much an understatement when it came to all this.

Before she could ask anymore questions, they both heard the sound of the boutique's front door being roughly forced open, and the sound of feet quickly running across the flooring. Curiosity and concern had them looking at one another, before both going to investigate together, only to find Spike looking about frantically as he tried to catch his breath.

"Spike?" Rarity asked, bringing his attention to them, and a look of relief washing over his face in the process.

"Rarity," he panted, "I think we've got a problem with Twilight."

"Oh no," Rarity replied, trying not to be overcome with worry over the statement. "What's wrong? Is she hurt?"

Spike frantically shook his head, before forcing himself to suck down a deep, sizable breath to explain the situation to them.

+++

Another day in Ponyville, another day in sweltering humidity.

Being a dragon, Spike could take the heat that the summer brought with it. But even that didn't make him resilient to the moisture in the air that just magnified the misery exponentially. It was days like this that made him prefer Princess Luna's nights all the more; it was still unpleasant, but at least the sun wasn't beating down on them. But that was still a good 12 hours or so away from coming to pass, leaving him to suffer during the interim.

"Hot," he groaned to anyone that would listen to him, but ultimately not having the strength to care whether or not he was heard as he laid all splayed out on the library's floor. "It's too early for it to be this bad..."

"I know, Spike, I know," Twilight replied from where she rested, sounding just as miserable as she spoke.

Spike, who was currently laying flat on his back on the crystal floor of the library, glanced over in Twilight's direction. He couldn't tell if she was more or less miserable than he was, considering the differences in their respective species. Plus the illusion charm was probably obscuring some of the more subtle cues to her condition. But at least she'd managed to get it working to the point where it no longer gave her a horrible headache.

"Although in truth the only reason we're noticing the heat so much, is because of how much humidity is in the air at the moment, serving to intensify it. Few ponies realize it, but there are easily several gallons worth of moisture in the air in any given home," she went on to explain.

"That much? Wow," Spike replied, surprised to hear that. He was tempted to make a fish joke, but knew that Twilight would feel the need to correct him about the physical impracticalities and impossibilities present in his statement, and ultimately decided against it. "So can't you just, I don't know, take it out of the air?" he asked.

Twilight rubbed her chin in thought as she considered Spike's question.

"Well there are certain spells that can achieve such, but to use them we'd have to close up the palace. Otherwise the humidity outside would just come inside, and we'd lose considerable ground. But if we did that, we'd lose whatever breeze we're currently getting from the outside as well," she explained.

"So it's a no win situation either way," Spike elaborated, seeing how this was going to play out.

"More or less," Twilight admitted and nodded.

Spike just sighed, idly wondering which option was the lesser of two evils to deal with as he flopped back down on the library's floor.

He tilted his head back, and observed Twilight laying on what had affectionately come to be referred to as her nest. It was a mess of cotton sheets, pillows, and foam padding that supposedly didn't retain body heat, and provided more comfort than simply laying on the crystal flooring. He didn't really understand how it worked, just that it did. But then again he didn't care much if he laid on the bare floor or not; something about dragon instinct or something like that.

"Cold shower?" he asked, figuring it was as good as any suggestion when it came to cooling off, even temporarily.

"Oh yes please!" Twilight stated eagerly and stood up, not even hesitating in closing the book she'd been reading just a moment before.

The last time the two of them had shared a shower, the water had been a simple 20 degrees lower than the ambient temperature. It had been comfortable and relaxing to experience, without being too extreme.

This time around the water was set considerably lower, and as such was considerably more brisk to experience. Brisk like jumping into a recently filled swimming pool. It was positively cold and induced a desire to squeal loudly and get right out of the way. But the sensation was brief as they settled in, and allowed their bodies to get acclimated to the temperature, to the point that it was no longer unpleasant to experience.

"Oh yes, that's much better," Twilight said with a contented sigh as she leaned back against the tub, letting the water just beat against her.

"Totally," Spike agreed, finding the cold water to be both relaxing and exhilarating at the same time. "Hey, Twilight, could we get a wading pool?"

"A wading pool? What for, Spike?" Twilight asked as she sat up to look at him.

"Well if we had one in the palace, we wouldn't have to run the shower anytime we got hot. We could just fill it up and leave it, and just take a dip whenever we felt like it," he explained.

"Hm. That's actually not a bad idea. It would certainly save water in the long run," Twilight noted as she began running over what would be involved with doing such. "It might be worth looking into."

"Yeah," Spike agreed and nodded as he stepped back closer to the edge of the tub. "And besides that, it'd be easier to do this!" he said as he swept his hands along the bottom of the tub, catching as much water as he could and flinging it in Twilight's direction.

Twilight flinched and shielded herself with her forelegs as best she could against the impromptu assault, acting on instinct rather than conscious thought. Growing up she and Spike had been involved in these water wars a lot when bathing, although never in a shower before. With a smirk, she returned the favor as best she could, flinging what scant water she could gather back at him.

The scene quickly devolved into a wet mess, the two of them laughing as they carried out, all thoughts on the heat of the day being abandoned in the name of good old fun being had.

"I surrender, I surrender!" Twilight giggled, recognizing that Spike had the clear tactical advantage over her, what with being perched near the drain where all the water would naturally flow. "That was a lot of fun, Spike. Thanks."

"Hey, no problem," Spike replied. He didn't know where the silly thought of a water war had come from, but it had certainly been enjoyable enough. But right now all he wanted to do was sit down like Twilight was, and just let the steady stream of water wash over him. So with that thought in mind he crawled over to where Twilight rested, and leaned up against her so they could both enjoy the stream, much as had been done when she first informed him about her secret.

"What the?"

But before he could actually relax, he noticed that something behind him felt... off. Something that had to do with Twilight. Pushing himself back up he faced her, and started running his hands along her stomach, and noticing the strange texture it had about it.

It was fur. Wet fur to be precise. Twilight wasn't bald anymore.

"Spike, stop that, it tickles," Twilight protested and squirmed. "What's this about?"

"You've got your fur on!" he noted, feeling the wet, coarse hairs brushing against his scaly fingers as he ran them along her skin. "Are we going somewhere today?" he asked.

Twilight shook her head in response. "We don't have any scheduled trips today if that's what you're asking."

"Well... then why've you got your fur on in this heat, if we're not going anywhere? Isn't that the only time you really let it grow back out?" Spike asked.

"Normally that's the case. But I've decided to stop doing that," Twilight replied.

"What?" Spike squawked in disbelief. "You decided to stop being a nudist? Just like that? But you said you liked the feeling of not having your fur on! What gives?"

"Nothing "gives," Spike, I simply decided to stop, that's all," Twilight replied simply.

Spike frowned in response. "Don't lie to me, Twilight. You don't make snap decisions without weighing over everything first. If you decided to stop being a nudist, then you must have had a good reason for it," he pointed out. "And don't try and tell me that I shouldn't worry because it doesn't affect me. Because there's still that undecided matter of whether or not I qualify as a nudist too, so it certainly does affect me. Now what gives?"

For a moment, Twilight was silent, but the look on her face spoke volumes. She knew that she'd been cornered, and couldn't wiggle her way free. That left her with no choice but to respond.

"Pinkie... had some bad experiences with baldness while growing up on the rock farm. That's why she freaked out and ran like she did. Apparently seeing me standing there nude just conjured them up and reminded her of her own unpleasant experiences," she finally explained.

Spike was momentarily at a loss for words at hearing Twilight's explanation. He hadn't expected that.

"Oh..." he finally found himself saying in response. To which Twilight nodded. He'd never stopped to consider that what they'd been doing this whole time was harmful, or even traumatizing; why would he even have reason to think or even believe something like that? "Poor Pinkie."

Twilight nodded in agreement, no words being offered up in turn.

"So is she coming over today, and you want her to be comfortable, or something?" he asked.

Twilight shook her head. "No, nothing like that. I simply decided that what enjoyment I got out of being a nudist, wasn't worth the loss of the friendship that I have with Pinkie. I'd rather give it up than lose a friend because of it," she explained. "Part of being a nudist, is being considerate of others; if they're uncomfortable with you not wearing anything, then you have the decency to cover up for their sake. Even if it's in your own home."

"So you talked this over with Pinkie? Did she ask you to stop doing what you like, because she doesn't like it?" Spike asked.

"No, Spike, Pinkie didn't ask me to do anything. I didn't want to put her in the position of having to ask since the subject matter makes her uncomfortable. So rather than waiting for her to broach the subject, I decided the best course of action would be to simply take the initiative myself," Twilight explained. "It's no big loss, really. It's not like I had a long term plan in mind. It's just... one of those things."

+++

"... and that's pretty much what happened," Spike said as he concluded his recounting of events to Rarity. The only part he really regretted, was that by the time all the smart sounding rebuttals to Twilight's plan had come to mind, it was already way too late to offer them up. "I waited a couple of hours before coming to find you, to make sure Twilight didn't get suspicious about my leaving," he added.

Rarity, silently and patiently, listened as Spike explained the situation to her, all the while trying to keep a neutral expression as he did. Although that was much easier said than done in this situation. It was only once he had finished, did she finally speak up.

"I'm sorry, Spike, but it sounds like Twilight has come to a conclusion on what she wishes to do. I don't really think it's our place to question her," she pointed out.

"But she didn't make it herself, she let what she thinks Pinkie wants of her, make the decision for her! I mean, she didn't ask Pinkie first to check, she just assumed that it was the best thing to do!" Spike protested. He'd expected Rarity to immediately jump on this, but instead he was being met with dismissal; like she didn't even want to get involved. He couldn't accept that being the case; not after everything they'd been through. "I mean, even if that was what Pinkie wanted in the first place, shouldn't she still have to be considerate to Twilight, and think about what she wants to do with herself?"

Rarity wouldn't deny that Spike had a number of good points to make. If Twilight was acting of of some misguided sense of loyalty, then an intervention was certainly warranted.

The two of them had been working hard together at assisting Twilight in enjoying her newfound interest. Whether it was emotional support, running interference, or something else to be helpful, they were there and providing it as best they could.

They'd known since the beginning of their introduction that Twilight didn't have a definitive game plan in mind for what she wanted to do in the long term, and was mostly playing it by ear. They knew that she could simply choose to stop at any given time, and that would simply be the end of it.

But if such a decision were made on Twilight's part, she was expecting something different in the way of confirmation. A conversation about what she was planning or something. This... this just pulled the rug out from under her hooves, leaving her stunned and largely uncertain. She very much wanted to respect Twilight's wishes on the matter... but she also desperately wanted to meddle, and make sure that the decision was being made for the right reasons. Friendship was fine, guilt was not.

"Well then, it sounds like the cutie map is behind schedule," she muttered to herself. One of their friends was in need of help, and she'd be remiss if she simply stood by. "It looks like we have work to do."

"Can Ah help?"

Both Rarity and Spike turned to look at Apple Bloom, who'd been standing off to the side the entire time, more or less forgotten about until now.

"Can she?" Spike asked as he looked at Rarity again.

"I'm not certain," Rarity replied, trying to think of what -if anything- the young filly would be able to do. And just like that, a thought came to her. "Tell me, Apple Bloom, is your sister working the market today?"

"She sure is," Apple Bloom replied and nodded quickly. "Do ya wan' me ta go an' get 'er?"

"Yes, that would work. But please be discrete when you do, alright? Can you do that?" Rarity asked her.

"Ah can try. But wha' should Ah tell 'er so she'll know wha's goin' on?" Apple Bloom asked.

Rarity paused only a moment before responding. "Tell her that she's needed at the boutique, and we have a situation with a lavender jaybird. She should understand what that means."

"On it," Apple Bloom replied, offering up a quick salute before heading back out the front door.

"So what's the game plan?" Spike asked once they were alone.

"I don't know yet, Spike. We'll have to play it by ear," was all Rarity had to say.

When Apple Bloom had found her in the market, and brought news of what was up, Applejack realized that she had little choice but to put her little sister in charge of the stall, and make her way to Rarity's boutique to get the full rundown on just what was up.

The explanation she got wasn't anything close to what she was expecting to hear. And by the time Rarity and Spike had finished explaining the situation to her, she couldn't help but feel like she had more questions than answers. When they'd approached her about assisting with whatever problems might arise from Twilight revealing to the others that she was a nudist, she'd envisioned a few scenarios that she might be dealing with. But this wasn't among them.

"Wow. Jus'... jus' wow!" was all she had to say in response to it all. "Ah honestly wasn' expectin' that."

"None of us were," Rarity confirmed.

"A'right then," Applejack replied after a moment to try and gather her thought. "So that happened. Question is wha' do we do now?"

"To be perfectly honest, I'm really not certain myself," Rarity admitted. Of all the scenarios she'd envisioned being an issue, this simply wasn't one of them. "But I believe we should start by trying to talk with Pinkie on the matter, and figure out where she stands. It's entirely possible that what she wants isn't what Twilight believes she wants, and we can resolve the situation with ease," she suggested.

"And what if this is what Pinkie wants?" Spike asked.

"Then we sit down with Pinkie and discuss the matter like rational adults until we arrive at an acceptable conclusion. We explain it to her, we listen to what she has to say, and we hope that her desire to make others happy, is stronger than her discomfort. But what we absolutely don't do, is try and force her to accept what Twilight is doing. There will be no yelling, no bullying, no coercion of any sort. We talk to her rationally, and try to help walk her through this if she's willing to listen," Rarity stated. She was willing to do a lot to help Twilight, but not if it meant hurting others.

Not that she actually suspected anypony would try and hurt Pinkie. She just wanted to clarify the matter, that was all.

"And if that doesn' work?" Applejack asked.

Rarity sighed, wishing that the two of them would just stop asking for contingencies. She understood that they might wish to have some idea of how to proceed, but she'd only thought this out so far.

"Well then we talk to Twilight instead, and try to convince her that she doesn't have to stop what she likes doing, simply because Pinkie doesn't like it. It's her life to live, and sometimes she simply needs to put her hoof down and stop worrying about what others want," she stated.

Before either one of them had the chance to ask what they were going to do if that failed, which she was certain they would, she was already talking again.

"If that doesn't work, we sit them both down and talk to them at the same time, and hope that something works out. And if all else fails, I'm going to seriously contemplate grabbing the both of them by their ears, and locking them in a room together until they can sort out their differences together, and come to a decision on just what they're going to do..."

Twelve

Cup Cake stood by in the front of Sugarcube Corner, watching as Pinkie went about her own manner of displaying the baked good currently under the counter's glass. She knew the pink mare had her own methodology of doing things, and often she didn't understand that methodology, but it was hard to argue with the results they often yielded. Unfortunately that lack of understanding pertaining to just how Pinkie went about achieving her results, left the older mare with little option but to simply stand back and watch at things unfolded.

Case in point, Pinkie was currently perched on her hind legs, leaning against the display case as she used a drafting compass to measure the distance between the various cupcakes, and make small -often minute- shifts in their respective positions. And all the while this was done as she frowned in thought, while having the tip of her tongue poking out of the right corner of her mouth.

It would be adorable to watch her work sometimes, if it just weren't so darn perplexing!

"And..." Pinkie breathed as she slowly rotated a cupcake with strawberry icing to the right, "perfecto! Optimal visual appeal of confectionery delights has been achieved!" she announced excitedly as she stashed the compass away in her mane.

Cup Cake just shook her head and gave a weak smile, knowing from experience that it was often better to not get into the nitty gritty details of Pinkie's work. Even asking her how she was so certain of what she knew was often a gamble, and right now she wasn't in the mood for anything that would potentially involve charts and spreadsheets being presented to her for review.

Before it could actually come to that being a possibility, however, the chime above the front door sounded, giving Cup reason to feel relieved. With a quiet sigh she turned to see which pony had unknowingly come to her aid.

As it turned out, the pony in question was none other than Applejack, visiting their establishment.

"Howdy Pinkie, howdy Mrs. Cake," she greeted them as she approached.

"Oh, hello, Applejack," Cup Cake greeted in return before Pinkie had the opportunity to speak up first. "How're you doing today?"

"'bout as well as anypony can be doin', workin' outside an' such in this heat," Applejack replied and shrugged. "Is Pinkie busy? Rarity said something 'bout needin' 'er fer somethin' er other."

Cup Cake looked at Applejack, and then back at Pinkie. She couldn't really think of anything she needed Pinkie for at the moment.

"I don't see why not," she agreed and nodded. And if she let Pinkie attend whatever Rarity needed her for, that would spare her the possibility of discussion pertaining to the proper placement of confectionery works to make them most desirable.

Truth be told, she'd much rather leave such matters to Pinkie, and manage the baking herself.

"Thank ya kindly, Mrs. Cake," Applejack replied and smiled warmly, before turning her attention to Pinkie. Except as she did, she realized that Pinkie was no longer there.

"Wha' the?" she asked in surprise and confusion.

"What the what?"

Hearing Pinkie's voice, Applejack turned and spotted the pink mare standing by the front doors to Sugarcube Corner now, rather than where she had been. She wanted to question how she'd done that so quickly, but past experience with such occurrences had taught her that it was simply better to leave some questions unasked.

"A'right then," she replied and decided to let the matter drop, rather than get involved in that particular can of worms.

So far, so good. That was Applejack's take on the matter as she and Pinkie made their way to the Carousel Boutique. Procurement had been taken care of, now it was time for the delivery.

"So did Rarity say what she needed me for?" Pinkie asked as she trotted alongside Applejack.

"Well she said somethin', but Ah couldn' really go about repeatin' it in a way that'd make sense," Applejack replied. And for the most part it was a statement of truth.

Knowing her horrible skill for lying -at least outside of a poker game- Rarity had been selectively scant on precisely what was going to go down once they got there. That way she could be honest when she informed Pinkie that she didn't know what she was needed for, because she really didn't.

"We'll be there soon enough," she stated, hoping to keep the pink party pony from pressing for any further details; details that might cause her to break, and ruin the whole plan.

Without a word, she increased the pace of her walking to try and avoid that happening.

Fortunately, for whatever reasons that were in play, Pinkie didn't ask any further questions on the journey to Rarity's. That allowed them to arrive at the Carousel Boutique without issue, and without incident.

Now it was time for the hard part of all this.

Steeling her nerves, she pushed open the door to the boutique, causing the bell above the door to ring in the process as she stepped inside, before allowing Pinkie to trot in behind her so she could shut the door once again. "We're here, sugarcube!" she called out.

"In the parlor!" she heard Rarity call back.

"A'right then," Applejack stated softly before making her way to the boutique's parlor, Pinkie following close behind her.

What she found as they stepped in, was a rather comfortable looking setting, perfect for afternoon tea as Spike assisted in setting out the refreshments for just that purpose.

Although in this case it was a pitcher of iced tea, rather than the fancy type Rarity liked serving in her equally fancy teapot.

"I'm so glad you could actually make it, Pinkie, I was worried you'd be far too busy at work to get away," Rarity stated upon seeing them walking through the parted curtains hanging in the doorway.

"Don't be silly, Rarity, I'm never too busy to help out a friend," Pinkie stated and waved a hoof dismissively at the very notion.

"That's good to know then," Rarity replied in a low mumble, more to herself than anypony else in the room. "Please, have a seat, darling," she said in a more normal tone as gestured to one of the present chairs in the room.

Pinkie wordlessly complied, bouncing her way over to the unoccupied chair and plopping herself down, her poofy mane swaying as the oscillating fan moved in her direction as it performed its assigned task.

"Comfy?" Rarity asked as a nudged a plate of cookies in Pinkie's direction.

"Yeppers!" Pinkie replied as she instantly snagged one of the cookies and popped it in her mouth with gusto. "So what'd you need my help with? Do you have a new design you need modeled? Do you need streamers for integrating into a festive-themed hat? Ooh! Did Sweetie Belle do something that warrants a surprise party!?"

Rarity, calmly and quietly, shook her head in response to each of Pinkie's excited questions. "No, nothing like that, Pinkie. I'm afraid I wasn't quite clear enough when I asked Applejack to find you. I just needed to talk with you about something, that's all," she clarified.

"Oh? Really?" Pinkie asked. The other three nodded in response. "Oh, alright then, sure. What do you want to talk about?" she asked as she popped another cookie into her mouth.

Rarity waited until Pinkie had actually swallowed, before she continued speaking once again. "Well I was hoping to talk to you about Twilight. Or more specifically, what happened at Twilight's the other day."

Had Rarity not actually waited before asking the question, she was certain Pinkie would've choked on her cookie in response, considering the sudden shift in her demeanor at the statement.

"Twilight?" Pinkie asked, before proceeding to shake her head. "No. Nonono, I don't wanna talk about that," she stated quickly.

Once again, Rarity remained silent in response, opting to instead study Pinkie's demeanor, and gauge her friends' reaction in order to get an idea of what to expect. And what she was currently seeing, certainly suggested a significant level of discomfort. Spike really hadn't been exaggerating when he'd told them that Pinkie's experience with baldness had been unpleasant.

Fortunately the others had agreed to let her take point on this particular matter, and were remaining silent as well. Despite their numbers being a three-to-one ratio, this interaction was still as much a dance as any organized social interaction would be. There was certainly the need to lead, but leading also meant knowing when it was appropriate to move. One needed to know when to advance, and when to hold back.

"Might I ask why?" she asked as she eased herself off of her seat and stepped closer.

"I... I-I don't wanna talk about that either," Pinkie stated as her breathing began to visibly increase.

Rarity could do little more than simply sigh as she observed Pinkie's demeanor. It was obvious that whatever had happened, it wasn't a simple misunderstanding. This was obviously something far more... significant. Something that they hadn't anticipated being the case.

Fortunately, a number of things had been anticipated, meaning they weren't completely without options in this matter. With a subtle tilt and sweep of the head as her cue, Applejack made her way over to where Pinkie sat in order to hug the distraught party pony, to offer her a measure of physical comfort in all this mess.

Applejack had originally been approached for the purpose of being supportive if push came to shove as Twilight opened up to their friends. And while this wasn't exactly what they'd had in mind at the time of seeking her out, that certainly didn't mean it wouldn't work. they just needed to adjust things a little, in accordance with how the situation moved.

"It's a'right, sugarcube, it's a'right," Applejack assured her, "deep breaths. We don't need ya hyperventilatin' on us."

Fortunately Pinkie had enough focus to actually heed Applejack's advice, and -with some effort- began taking deeper, slower breaths.

Spike had been watching in silence the entire time, eager to see how Rarity's plan would play out. But this was a curve ball he hadn't seen coming at all, and that left him uncertain of anything. Twilight's explanation of Pinkie having bad experiences with baldness, had done nothing to prepare him for just what extent of badness they might be dealing with. He was starting to feel like they'd walked into an ambush.

And worst of all, this ambush was his fault. If he'd simply stopped, and heeded Twilight's words, they might not be in this situation they were right now.

"Better?" Applejack asked once Pinkie's breathing seemed under control once again.

"A little," Pinkie replied and nodded. "Just... just... please don't ask me anymore, alright?"

"As much as we may like to simply let the matter rest, Pinkie, I'm afraid that we have no choice, but to ask," Rarity stated as she stepped closer. "It's obvious that this isn't a simple misunderstanding; one simply doesn't react like that to one. Something obviously must've happened, but the question is what?"

"I don't wanna talk about it," Pinkie mumbled again as she shook her head. "Please don't make me talk about it," she pleaded weakly.

Rarity could do little more than quietly sigh in response. This was definitely not the Pinkie they'd all come to know so well.

"I promise we won't, Pinkie. But we can't help you, if we don't know what the problem is," she explained.

At hearing this, Pinkie looked up towards Rarity. "H... help me?" she asked.

Rarity nodded. "Of course. I don't know exactly what transpired between you and Twilight, but it's obvious that you could use a friend in all of this that's understanding," she explained.

One could easily see Pinkie mulling over the statement, contemplating the statement that had been made, and weighing over the desire to refrain from speaking about what was bugging her, and opening up to someone that wanted to hear what was bothering her, and who actually wanted to help.

"Do I have to say?" she asked.

"Not if you don't want to. We certainly can't make you talk, nor would we even try to," Rarity assured her. "It's your decision to make on whether or not you want to tell us about what's going on."

Finally, after much internal debate, Pinkie gave a soft sigh of defeat and nodded.

At seeing that Pinkie was no longer panicking, Applejack slowly untangled herself, and stepped back over to where Rarity currently stood.

"Alright," she said as she breathed, trying to steel her nerves for sharing her story with them. "Alright," she repeated as she continued breathing, willing herself to open up to her friends about what was troubling her.

But despite willing herself to actually speak, she found her mouth simply unwilling to actually move in the way she wanted it to. She tried to speak, but no words would come out. It was as if her body simply refused to do as it was told, like it wasn't even her own.

"Oh! This is so hard!" she yelled as she held her head in frustration. "I don't know how to do this..." she moaned.

Rarity tried to be sympathetic to whatever Pinkie's plight was. But it certainly wasn't easy. She honestly couldn't remember ever seeing Pinkie this tight-lipped before, and it left her uncertain with just how to proceed properly.

"Would you feel better if one of us were to pick a starting point, and all you had to do was respond?" she asked.

Pinkie could only give a noncommittal shrug in response. "Maybe? I don't know really..."

"I suppose there's only one way to actually find out," Rarity replied as she weighed just how to proceed. She needed to approach from the proper angle if success was to be had, otherwise they risked frightening Pinkie further, and making her shut down even more. "Alright then, Pinkie, can you please tell us what it was about seeing Twilight bald the other day, that scared you so badly? Honestly, darling, I've never seen you act like that before. It was... actually a little frightening to witness."

Pinkie tried not to let a whimper escape in response to the question being presented to her. Rarity, Applejack, and Spike were all offering to help her like any true friends would. But that help came at the cost of opening up to them about something she desperately didn't want to be opened yet again. She'd been perfectly happy before this entire mess had unfolded, and she was certain she'd be happy again once enough time had passed, and she was able to bury this entire incident, and not have to remember it.

She was reasonably certain that she could opt out of this. Just tell her friends that she didn't want to do it, and walk right out the front door; Rarity had already told her that it was her decision to make, so surely she didn't have to do any of this.

But did she really want to do that?

Strange as it might sound, that was the question she was currently asking herself about all this. Rarity -and by extension the others- were offering to help her with what was troubling her, so long as she knew what the problem was. It was a simple enough offer that anyone could make at seeing a friend in need, but it was the circumstances in which the offer of help had been made, that had made it stick out to her. For so long, she'd been on her own in all of this, unable to talk to anyone, and trying so hard to simply not remember what had happened. Now she was being offered the opportunity of bringing that to an end, if she would just open up to them. If she shared with them, she'd finally have somepony to talk to, that might understand it all.

"Alright," she said once more as she took a deep, steadying breath to steel her nerves in anticipation. And this time around it was going to be industrial grade, skyscraper frame, I-beam type steel. "Growing up on the farm, me and my sisters, there used to be a lot of infestations of pests. Fleas, lice, ticks, etc. And rather than invest in insecticides and pest repellents that were expensive, whenever it got warm out, our parents used to shave us instead. Completely bald, nose to tail and everything in between, all the way down to the skin. They didn't stop until there wasn't a trace of fur left on any of us..."

"Wait, seriously?" Applejack asked. Pinkie simply nodded in response as she looked down at the floor. "Wow..." she replied, stunned by what she'd just heard. That had seriously come out of left field.

"My word," Rarity stated in agreement. "Am I correct in assuming, based on your reaction the other day, that these... sessions... were less than pleasant to experience?" she asked. She could guess and say that such was likely the case, but not wasn't really the time for guesswork. They needed confirmation in order to know what to do.

"They were horrible," Pinkie stated, unwilling to make eye contact with any of them at this point. "I hated it! And I hated it every single time they did it! We didn't even get a say in it, they just went and did it, even if we didn't want to! It always hurt, and itched so bad, and you had to sit perfectly still for like forever until they were done!" she shrieked angrily.

Spike tried to speak, tried to say something in response, but found that he had no words to offer up. Between Pinkie's explanation, and the anger she'd just expressed -far more anger than he could ever really remember seeing from her- he had no idea just what to do.

"It was horrible," Pinkie moaned as she hung her head again, no more anger being carried in her voice as she spoke, but rather pain. "It was so embarrassing..." she whimpered.

Rarity found herself at a loss in the wake of Pinkie's explanation. She'd been hoping that the whole matter had been something far simpler to address, but such simply wasn't the case. This went far deeper than she'd suspected, and that left her uncertain of just how to go about responding to this revelation. Being a mediator for two ponies who were experiencing a misunderstanding was one thing, but addressing a traumatic past incident was well out of her skill set.

In all of her plotting and planning, in all of her efforts at formulating how to best go about helping Twilight, never once had she considered the possibility that one of their friends would have such a traumatizing past experience with baldness, that it would present such a challenge to overcome. Now here they were, caught with their formulations down, as they tried to figure out what to do next.

All the while, she had to acknowledge that she was partially responsible for Pinkie's current state. If she hadn't been so supportive of Twilight in an effort to make up for her past behavior, this key aspect of Pinkie's past would've likely remained undiscovered for a very long time, and would've never become an issue.

"Wait, wait, I'm confused."

It was Spike who made the statement, bringing everypony's attention to him in the process.

"You said it was embarrassing when your parents shaved you?" he asked Pinkie, wanting to make sure he'd heard her right. "How? Why? I mean, if it's something they did regularly to you and your sisters... what was embarrassing about it? Wouldn't it be, I don't know, just one of those things?"

"Y'know, that's a mighty good question right there," Applejack spoke up and turned back to look at Pinkie. "Ah get that ya didn' like being shaved an' all, Pinkie, fer good reason an' all. But wha' made it embarrassin' to ya?"

Try as she might, Rarity couldn't deny that the question had suddenly piqued her own curiosity as well. But as much as she wanted to actually ask, Spike and Applejack had both gone ahead and asked, the duty to refrain from such had fallen upon her, lest Pinkie feel like she was being ganged up on in it all.

Pinkie sighed, uncertain where to look as she spoke up. "Because unlike my sisters, I was always getting cut by Dad's razor because I could never sit still for long enough. I mean I always tried, because I knew it was going to hurt if I moved, but it took forever and I could never do it! I got nicked so many times, but Limestone and the others never did. They didn't have any scars to wear in the summer, but I sure did," she stated.

"Oh..." Spike replied slowly. He could certainly understand all that.

Pinkie nodded in response. "Then after I left the rock farm and learned that other ponies didn't shave, what happened was even more embarrassing to remember after the fact. It... it took a long time to get over that. Or at least I thought I'd gotten over it..."

This time Rarity sighed as she initiated the hug. "I'm so sorry, darling," she offered up as best she could, having little more than mere condolences to provide to her. "I had no idea that was the case."

"Yeah..." Pinkie replied slowly, not knowing what else to say. Other than that, all she had to offer up was a nod, rubbing her chin against Rarity's back in the process.

For a while, nopony spoke up, because none of them knew just what to say about what they'd heard. All any of them could do was just sit in silence, occasionally looking at one another in hopes of someone having some idea of how to proceed from this point on.

"I just don't get it," Pinkie mumbled, "why would Twilight wanna be bald like she was? Why would she do that to herself?" she asked.

"That's something I simply can't answer, Pinkie. For whatever reason, it's simply something that's she developed an interest in, and enjoys doing," Rarity replied as best she could. "Although at this time I believe that may be a moot point.

"What?" Pinkie asked as she sat up and looked at Rarity.

"After what happened at the library, Twilight decided to stop going bald. She just totally stopped after she came back home," Spike explained. Rarity nodded in agreement.

"She did? But... but why would she do that if it's something she liked doing?" Pinkie asked.

"From what Ah gathered, Twi' decided ta stop because o' how upset it made ya. Said somethin' about ya being her friend, bein' more important ta her than walkin' aroun' all bald an' such," Applejack explained.

Again, Rarity nodded. "It seems Twilight felt it was necessary for her to put a stop to her activities because it was upsetting you more than she could accept. She didn't even ask if she should, she didn't consult with us about what she thought, she just stopped because she thought that was what you wanted her to do."

Pinkie looked floored by the revelation, her eyes going wide in surprise, and her jaw practically hanging limp.

"B-but I didn't even ask to even do that!" she stated quickly. "I mean don't get me wrong, I appreciate that she stopped going bald because she thought I wanted her to; that's just what a true friend would do for another friend. But it's something that she enjoyed doing, she could've at least checked with me first to see if I wanted her to go that far. But then again ponies aren't supposed to be going around bald anyway, so it's probably for the best that she stopped. But then again ponies do tend to do a lot of things that aren't necessarily good for them, so it's not all that different. But still... b-but still..."

In the middle of Pinkie's constant, back and forth rambling and sputtering of indecision, she stopped and groaned as she held the sides of her head in her fore hooves and shut her eyes. "I don't feel so good. My brain hurts."

Rarity reached up and rubbed Pinkie's back in response. "It's alright, darling, we'll sort this out. Somehow," she assured her.

Spike had nothing that he could say in response. If he'd known that things were this bad, he would've kept his mouth shut about it, and not gotten Rarity and Applejack involved like he had. But the toothpaste was already squeezed out of the tube, and there was no way of putting it back in.

"So much fer our plan," Applejack stated as she sat down on her haunches, waiting to see how they proceeded from here.

"Plan?" Pinkie asked as she looked up at Applejack. "What plan?"

Rarity looked back at Applejack, who looked back at her uneasily. She gave a simple nod, before looking back at Pinkie.

"Well you see, Pinkie, it's like this. When we thought this was just a simple misunderstanding, we planned on talking with you, and later Twilight, to sort it all out, and come to some sort of an understanding. But that's not the case anymore. I'd say that you have a very legitimate reason to be opposed to Twilight's baldness," she explained. "To be honest, I'm really not sure where we go from here."

"Same here," Applejack agreed and nodded.

"Tell me about it," Spike added. "I still don't get it, though. I mean, sure, you've got a legitimate reason for freaking out at seeing a pony bald, Pinkie. But this is Twilight that we're talking about here, she's our friend. You know she wouldn't make you do something you really didn't want to, right?"

The look on Pinkie's face was enough to suggest that what he'd just said, was something she honestly hadn't given consideration to until just now.

"I-I guess so. I mean, I know Twilight wouldn't knowingly force others to do things they don't wanna do. It's just, I just... just..." she stammered, "oh I don't know what to do! I'm so confused!" she moaned and hung her head once more.

Again, Rarity stepped in to provide some measure of comfort to Pinkie as she rubbed at her back.

"I believe the best place to start, Pinkie, is deciding just what you want to do, before attempting to figure out what you feel you should do in all of this. What's going to make you happy?" she asked.

"I... I don't know. Nopony's really asked me that before. I've always been worrying about making other ponies happy, not the other way around," Pinkie admitted, finding it to be a new concept to consider.

"Well then. It sounds like we've figured out just where to start in all of this," Rarity stated.

This certainly wasn't where she'd envisioned all of this going when she'd formulated her plan for addressing the issue. But whether or not she'd taken such a turn of events into consideration, that didn't necessarily mean it was a bad thing that all of this come about. Perhaps they actually could help out both of their friends, and still come to an understanding. She and the others had known that they'd be playing it all by ear and seeing where their journey took them; this was just another unexpected development that they would need to address. And if they could genuinely help Pinkie with her problem, then all the better.

"I need time to think. About all of this," Pinkie stated, "can I do that? Can I think on this for a while?"

"Of course, darling, there's no rush to this," Rarity assured her. As traumatic as her experiences had been, they weren't about to try and hurry her along. "But whatever you decide, do be sure to talk to Twilight about your decision. I believe she deserves to know."

"Right. I'll... I'll talk to her. Eventually. I just need to get things figured out myself first," Pinkie mumbled as she nodded, trying to contemplate the matter. "I'm just... gonna go now. I need some time alone."

"Alright," Rarity agreed, knowing that they couldn't force Pinkie to stay. Nor would they even try. "But if you need someone to talk to, do come back around."

The three of them had gone as far as they could to try and help, tried to resolve the situation as best the could. But now all they could do was wait and see how things developed from here on out.

Thirteen

Today was a special day in Ponyville. For today was a much-welcomed respite from the overwhelming, unyielding heat of the season. Heat that promised to only get worse before eventually getting better.

Granted the respite came in the form of a scheduled rainstorm, and it was currently pouring outside. That was undoubtedly going to make it more miserable once the rain stopped, as the humidity was going to get worse, but there was nothing to be done about that. But regardless of that unavoidable fact, it was still a temporary break from everypony being baked like they were a bunch of potatoes in an oven. Beggars couldn't be choosers, and they had to take what they were given, and just try to make the best of it.

Some ponies -particularly foals- were doing just that by spending time outside, jumping in rain puddles without a care in the world as they splashed about, laughing and giggling, and simply enjoying the fact that they weren't soaking in sweat.

As for Twilight, she was taking the opportunity to do some much-needed studying and research in the library, letting the constant sound of rain beating against the crystalline windows serve as background noise, occasionally intermixed with the low rumble of thunder sounding somewhere in the distance.

The sound of rain against the crystal palace was far different from what it had been against the Golden Oaks Library, and had taken time to get accustomed to when in these situations. But she has persevered through it all, and it had simply become just one more of those things. Now it was hardly even noticed, amounting to just white noise as she read along, and occasionally sipping at a nice cool drink.

With no pressing duties to be tended to, and the weather pretty much confirming that she wasn't going to be disturbed by anypony dropping by for one reason or another, right now presented the perfect opportunity to get some work done, rather than putting it off for some point later in the future.

The necklace Rarity had procured for her disguise hadn't seen use in a while now; certainly not after she'd learned about what Pinkie had gone through. But that didn't change the fact that there were still mysteries attached to it that needed to be addressed. And to address those mysteries, Twilight had needed to go back to the basics, and cross reference the spell books that had detailed how to attach an enchantment to an item, just to see if she'd missed anything.

She doubted that she'd ever be using the illusion spell again, at least in its current form. But she hadn't forgotten about Rainbow Dash's idea of using it for the purpose of Nightmare Night. If she could figure out where the problems of its use stemmed from, figure out if the migraines were linked to its long-term usage, then she could move onto seeing about expanding its usage. Once she figured out if there were complications from its use, she could then move onto seeing what other items an illusion could be bound to. And once she could do that... well Nightmare Night was certainly going to be a lot more interesting this time around. Looking like a griffon could certainly be fun! Or maybe even one of those weird looking creatures from the movies on the other side of the mirror! She'd just have to pick which one, and get the right references for it.

"Hmm," she mumbled to herself as she paused from her reading to suck at the straw currently occupying her drink, and also to note how much longer it would be before she'd need to refresh it.

But more than that, she'd paused to consider what she'd been reading about the proper application of the field, and how it compared to her own work. Turning her attention back to that, she began scanning the necklace that sat in front of her, to try and detect how her work might not have lined up with what was being laid out in the old tome.

The quality of the item the enchantment was bound to, at least according to the passage in the book, wasn't a determining factor in the adherence, meaning it should have no effect on the results that were had. That meant, at least in theory, even costume jewelry should work for putting Rainbow Dash's idea into motion.

Not that the necklace that Rarity had gotten her could be counted as costume jewelry; far from it actually. Based on what she'd gathered, it would more appropriately be called entry level jewelry. It was the real deal in terms of materials used, but it was a lower tier than what other, more expensive pieces would use. In short it was absolutely perfect for what it was intended for, and she loved the fact that Rarity had gotten it for her, all for the purpose of being put to use for something she enjoyed doing.

That was another reason she wanted to get this all figured out. Rarity had spent good money in her efforts at helping her. And while she hadn't put herself in debt in acquiring this particular piece, that didn't change anything.

"Hmm," she mumbled again, looking at the readings on the necklace, before turning back to the book again to reread a paragraph of the current passage, and double check what she was seeing. That didn't look right to her, but she could be wrong. "Maybe..."

Before she could get too far along in possibly tracking down an irregularity, her efforts were interrupted by a chime sounding throughout the room. That meant somepony was at the front door of the palace. Which in turn meant that somepony had actually gotten out in the rainstorm to come here.

"Now who could that be?" she asked herself, although it was an entirely rhetorical question as this point.

With a flick of her magic, she conjured a magical viewing screen to let her see who was currently standing at the palace door.

"What the?"

She was seeing it, but she honestly wasn't believing it. Either her eyes were playing tricks on her, or it was Pinkie standing there.

Wasting no time in trying to make sense of everything, she immediately disregarded everything else, teleported her way to the castle's foyer, and all but yanked the doors off their hinges as she swung them open. Sure enough it was Pinkie standing there, currently looking soaked as she stood beneath the crystal awning.

"Pinkie?"

"H-hi, Twilight," Pinkie replied, her voice shaky as she spoke. "Can I... can I come in?"

"Of course," Twilight replied quickly and stepped aside to usher her friend inside, before shutting the doors behind them, and igniting her horn as she summoned a number of towels to her. "What're you doing out in this weather?" she asked as she immediately draped one of them over her friend's back.

"Getting rained on," Pinkie replied matter-of-factly as she found herself now being bombarded by numerous towels being vigorously worked against her body, as Twilight went about trying to dry her off. "Or at least I was up until I reached the awning."

"I can see that. The question is, why though? Why were you out there, getting rained on like that?" Twilight asked as she started swapping out drenched towels for fresh ones as she went about her efforts at getting Pinkie dry again. She knew that simply being out in the rain couldn't actually make somepony get sick with a cold, but that was beside the point right now. "And please, don't say anything relating to not having an umbrella," she added quickly.

"Oh," Pinkie replied, faltered a bit at hearing the last part. But she simply shrugged against the towel being worked over her withers before continuing. "I needed to talk to you. But I don't know how to do that about this, so I guess I just wasn't paying attention to what was going on."

Twilight frowned at hearing this, but ultimately said nothing about Pinkie's reasoning for being caught out in the rain. She'd leave that matter for another time. Right now she was just glad that Pinkie was up to talking with her, which was a stark difference from how she'd been the last time they'd talked almost a week ago.

"So what's "this" that has you out wandering around in the rain like you were?" she asked, mentally taking stock of how many more towels she'd need to get her friend dried to an adequate level.

Pinkie chewed at her bottom lip, mulling over what to say in response.

"Did... did you really stop going bald because of me?" she finally asked, her body tense as she spoke.

That made Twilight pause what she was doing, wondering if she'd been hearing right, or if her efforts at drying Pinkie off had managed to blur her words enough to make it sound like what she'd heard.

"Did Spike tell you that?" she finally asked. If he had, that would certainly explain where he'd disappeared to three days ago like he had. It would also explain why he'd been acting so... off... the past few days; like he was waiting for something to happen.

Pinkie shook her head in response. "No. Rarity and Applejack did."

Twilight frowned again at hearing this. The only way they could've known about that, was if Spike had talked to them, and then they talked to Pinkie in turn. But why would he do that? Why would they do that? Were they conspiring? And if so, to what end?

"Is it true?" Pinkie asked again. "Did you really stop? Because of me?"

"It's true. But it's not exactly like that," Twilight stated as she started working one of the towels over Pinkie's back at a slower, less frantic pace now. "I couldn't, in good conscience at least, continue on with my furless activities after learning about what experiences you've had with baldness in the past. It's something that I enjoyed doing, because I liked the way it felt, but after learning what I did, I couldn't enjoy it anymore; not when I knew what I did. It's not right for friends to do something that they know upsets others. So I just stopped. Given the choice, I'd much rather have my friends, than do something just because I enjoy it. You and the other girls are important to me, and I'd hate to lose any of you over something so trivial," she explained.

When this mess had all started, she knew there were a number of steps that could be taken in response. But out of them, she was not going to lay blame at anyone's hooves. Nor would she expect others to blame themselves. The only one really at fault here was herself, and...

Well maybe Pinkie's parents were also to blame, but that was beside the point right now! Right now the main point she was trying so hard to make, was that Pinkie shouldn't have to feel guilty over what was beyond her control.

"But you like doing it," Pinkie protested.

"I like having my friends better," Twilight replied. "Pinkie, you and the other girls are very important to me, and I wouldn't trade any of you for anything. I'd sooner give up every book in the library, than ever lose one of you."

Despite the subject matter that was being discussed, Pinkie couldn't help but smile warmly at Twilight's words, finding comfort in such a notion. She remembered how Twilight had surrendered her alicorn magic to Tirek in order to gain their safety. But to hear about how she'd go so far, simply for the sake of their comfort, just touched her deeply.

"Thank you," she replied and leaned in to hug Twilight.

Twilight simply smiled and returned the hug, not caring that Pinkie's fur was still damp.

"But that makes what I've got to say next really super hard to actually say," Pinkie continued.

Curious, Twilight pulled back to look at Pinkie.

"I've been giving this a lot of thought for three whole days, and I've come to a conclusion. But it's still not easy for me to say," Pinkie admitted.

"What is it?" Twilight asked, her curiosity growing at what had Pinkie acting so... unlike herself.

"Well I've been thinking on it and I... I don't want you to stop doing what you like doing; not on my account," Pinkie stated, sounding a lot like she was trying to quickly move through what she was saying. "If you wanted to stop on your own it'd be one thing, but it's not. Don't get me wrong, I really, really appreciate that you were willing to do that for me, but that's not what I want you to do. I'd be a really terrible friend if I asked another friend to stop doing what they liked doing just because it made me uncomfortable. Friendship is a two-way street, and you've gotta look both ways before crossing or you might get run over!"

Twilight blinked, her mind trying to process what she'd heard Pinkie say, and make sense of it all.

"Um, Pinkie? You didn't have to ask me to stop doing anything," she pointed out.

"I know that. But I'm still going to feel like I did ask you to do it, if I didn't speak up about it," Pinkie stated in turn. "Like I said, Twilight, I really appreciate you doing that for me. But I don't wanna feel like I made you stop doing something you like. I... I-I need to be the one that's considerate in all of this, not you. You... you shouldn't have to stop doing what you like, just because I can't deal with it! I-"

Pinkie quickly found herself silenced by Twilight's hoof being pressed up against her mouth.

"Alright," Twilight sighed as she used her free hoof to rub her head. "I think this situation requires ice cream. Does ice cream sound good?"

Pinkie nodded in response, mumbling around Twilight's hoof, although the gist of it was still understood; ice cream sounded very good right now.

"Mmm..."

With Pinkie dried, the mess cleaned up, and provisions procured, the two friends had reconvened in the library to pick up where they'd left off.

Or at least they would, as soon as Pinkie was done savoring the creamy goodness of ice cream imported from Canterlot; a sight that Twilight couldn't help but smile at.

"This is so good!" Pinkie stated as she eagerly dove into another spoonful.

"I'm glad you like it," Twilight replied, happy to see Pinkie's spirits brightened up, even if just temporarily. "This is actually the ice cream I was offering the other day after the... incident," she explained.

"Oh..." Pinkie replied uneasily, before getting another spoonful of ice cream and opting to focus on it as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world right now.

Twilight observed all this and just sighed to herself, nudging her own bowl away from her at realizing what she'd done. Suddenly she didn't feel like it anymore at making Pinkie uncomfortable again.

"Pinkie, I know you don't want to talk about this. But can I ask what Rarity and Applejack told you the other day? Did they... did they say something that made you feel uncomfortable about all of this? Maybe make you feel like you needed to do something as a result?"

Pinkie mumbled as she slowly shook her head, spoon still firmly held in her mouth as she did so.

"We talked about a lot of things, but nothing like that; not really anyway."

Twilight's brow furrowed, trying to make sense of what Pinkie was saying. "So what did you talk about?"

"Lots of things really. You. Me. How you like going bald. How you stopped doing it for my sake. What is it that I wanted out of all of this," Pinkie replied as she idly began to stir at what remained of her own ice cream. "Nopony's ever asked me that before. That's a lot of what I've been thinking about the past three days," she explained.

Now Twilight was intrigued. "Really? Well that's a very good place to be starting in all of this, Pinkie. What is it that you'd like? What do you want out of all this?"

"Honestly?" Pinkie asked, to which Twilight nodded. "I... I want my friends to be happy. Because if my friends are happy, that makes me happy. B-but in this case, it's not that simple. It all feels backwards and jumbled up and stuff. You're my friend, but if you do what makes you happy, it makes me unhappy. But if you know it makes me unhappy, it doesn't make you happy, so I don't know what I really want..."

Twilight listened thoughtfully as Pinkie did her best to explain the matter to her, opting to simply let her talk things through until they reached their natural conclusion. Although as it was being presented, she couldn't deny that it sounded quite jumbled.

"It certainly sounds like a classic literary dilemma that we find ourselves in," she said as she rubbed the sides of her head.

"A what now?" Pinkie asked.

"A premise in writing that holds somepony has to become unhappy for the purpose of making somepony else happy, or somepony has to remain unhappy to make somepony else happy as a result. I've read a number of stories where it was used to present a point of conflict in need of resolution," Twilight explained. "Although in most cases this is a false argument, used to make readers believe that the answer is either one or the other, when it's actually not. There are other, more viable solutions available, one simply has to try and find them, by looking beyond what they're presented."

"So you mean there's a third option to take?" Pinkie asked, a hint of hope present in her voice as she spoke.

"I don't really see why there wouldn't be. Not everything is an and/or situation," Twilight replied, before letting out a sigh. "The only thing is, whatever other options might be available, I'm not seeing them; not yet anyway. I'm sure they exist, but whatever they are, it's going to take time to find them."

"Oh..." Pinkie replied slowly, her optimism fading in light of Twilight's statement.

"I'm sorry, Pinkie," Twilight replied, hoping she hadn't gotten her friend's hope up for nothing. "I thought we were onto something for a second."

Pinkie shook her head at hearing this. "Don't be, Twilight, it's not your fault."

"I know. I just wish I knew what to do," Twilight stated and sighed again. She'd been willing to forgo her own nude state for the sake of Pinkie's comfort and well being. But from the sounds of things, even doing that might not be sufficient. There was no telling if Pinkie might conclude, consciously or otherwise, that she was doing it through an act of coercion rather than her own free will.

That might be a stretch, but with Pinkie being Pinkie, anything was possible.

"Couldn't you, I don't know, make it so that I didn't have to remember what happened while growing up? Isn't there some sort of spell for that?" Pinkie asked, figuring that if such was the case, they could resolve the matter easily.

Twilight quickly shook her head at the question. "Tampering with memories is never a good idea. There's too much potential for more harm to be done than good. There are also legal consequences for undertaking such a process," she explained.

"Oh..." Pinkie replied, knowing that such would never do.

For a while the two simply sat there in the library, neither party really knowing what to say, the silence between them only being broken by the subdued sound of rain and the occasional rumble of thunder in the distance.

Finally it was Pinkie who spoke up first.

"Twilight? Am I being silly about all this? Am I... am I making a big deal out of nothing about you... being bald?" she asked uneasily.

Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but closed it again in thought. It was a question she hadn't stopped to consider before, mainly because she'd never thought to consider such a possibility. Pinkie was certainly a silly pony; in fact it was one of her endearing qualities. But silly or not, she certainly wasn't stupid.

"I don't think you're being silly at all, Pinkie. What happened to you was a traumatic experience that occurred over a period of years, even if other ponies might not see it that way," she replied. She was certainly no psychologist, but based on what she knew, Pinkie's reaction had been perfectly normal. "I wish I'd known about this before I decided to go bald. We could've avoided this entire mess."

"I know. But you didn't, and we can't," Pinkie replied, sighing as she looked down at the floor. "Maybe I can just... I don't know, not be bothered by it? I mean, it's you and you're my friend, Twilight. Couldn't I just stop being upset if I tried hard enough?" she asked, her voice almost desperate as she spoke.

Twilight nearly told Pinkie that it didn't work that way. That traumatic experiences didn't have an on/off switch that could be flicked at will, and that they weren't something that somepony simply got over. But she stopped short of actually saying such. Instead she decided to go with an alternative, less depressing approach to answering the question, to avoid giving the idea that there was no hope to be had.

"To be perfectly honest, Pinkie, I really don't know. I don't know enough about post-traumatic stress disorder, to be able to give a definitive answer one way or another," she explained.

"Post what?" Pinkie asked.

"Post-traumatic stress disorder," Twilight repeated, "it's a condition that causes ponies to flash back to a traumatic event they experienced, and they relive the trauma like it's happening to them all over again," she explained. Although in truth that was largely an oversimplification of what the condition really was.

Maybe a trip through the mirror was in order sometime. From what she'd seen, the subject was known about over there, whereas here it wasn't. If there were any answers to be found, it would be there. But for now, she'd have to manage on her own.

"So what's that mean for us?" Pinkie asked.

"What it means is that I probably shouldn't have started all of this. Maybe baldness is an equestrian taboo for good reason," Twilight replied and let out a sigh of annoyance, more at her own feeling of uselessness than anything else. "Stopping entirely would probably be a very good idea at this point."

"What if I don't want you to stop?"

That question made Twilight stop what she was doing, and look at Pinkie in confusion at what she was saying. That confusion might've been painfully evident, as Pinkie was already speaking again before she could even open her mouth to ask what she meant.

"One friend shouldn't be asking another to stop what they're doing, simply because they're uncomfortable with it. That's not how friendships work. I really appreciate that you were willing to stop for me, but I should be the one thinking about how I can help you out. We should be thinking about how to help each other out!" Pinkie stated, practically bouncing off of the couch she'd claimed as her own as she spoke.

Twilight found herself caught off guard by Pinkie's words, and the tone behind them. There was a certain passion in them as she spoke, and it left her feeling that it would be best to be quiet and listen to what her friend had to say.

"You're my friend, Twilight. This is important to you, so it's important to me too. That should be enough, shouldn't it? It being important to me, because it's important to you, should be enough to let me get past this, right?" she asked.

At this, Twilight was at a loss for words. She knew that when Pinkie set her mind to something, there was little use in trying to sway her from her goal, especially when that goal involved helping a friend. But so help her, she honestly didn't know if that resolve was enough to sustain her in this particular case. Was it even possible to forcefully suppress a traumatic reaction through force of will alone? She knew Pinkie had a knack for the impossible, but could the same be done here?

"I suppose it's possible. But the only way to really find out, is for me to go bald, and see if you can look at me without hyperventilating," she pointed out. After letting that fact sink in for a moment, she continued. "Do you really feel up to doing that?"

Pinkie chewed on her bottom lip uncertainly at the question being presented to her. Did she really feel up to doing this? Could she change her mind, and simply walk away?

"I..." she started uneasily. But then she stopped, and her gaze hardened into a look of determination. "You know what? Yes! My Grammy Pie always told me I had to face my fears, so let's do this!" she stated, her voice firm with conviction as she spoke.

"Well... alright then," Twilight replied uncertainly, wondering if this was indeed the best course of action available to them, or if trying to postpone the matter would cause more harm than good.

But as she stepped off the sofa she'd been sitting on, a thought came to her.

"You know, Pinkie, I think that I might have an idea..."

"I'm doing this for Twilight. I'm doing this for Twilight. I'm doing this for Twilight."

That was the mantra currently running through Pinkie's head as Twilight led her through the halls of the palace towards their destination. And right now it was the only thing currently allowing her to stand her ground, and not call it quits while she had the opportunity.

Twilight's idea had been to show her what the process of shedding her fur involved, reasoning that if she knew more about it, it would allow her to better evaluate how she felt about it all. It made sense during the explanation phase, and she'd agreed to it because of that fact, but now as they made their way towards a bathroom with an included shower, she couldn't help but wonder if this wasn't such a good idea after all.

She was vaguely aware of the fact that Twilight was talking to her as they walked along, but for the life of her she wasn't able to tell what was being said. Her efforts at staying focused on the task at hoof was more or less rendering everything else as background noise fit to be tuned out. Right now the only thing she was really hearing was her mantra, and the various noises her body was making.

"Alright. Here we are."

The sound of Twilight's announcement had been soft spoken, but had cut through the fog of her mind like a knife through a moist piece of cake, snapping her out of her own thoughts, and bringing her back to her present surroundings.

"S-so what does all of this involve again?" she asked as she followed Twilight into the bathroom.

"In simple terms, application of a basic medical spell, generally used for treating lice infestations and other related maladies," Twilight explained as she walked over towards the shower to get ready. "It works by breaking down the molecular bonds of fur and feathers all the way back to the skin, allowing everything to be washed away. Afterwards the counter-spell can be used to grow it all back, generally in the span of just a few minutes."

"Oh," Pinkie replied as she nodded to show that she was listening. "S-so it's not dangerous or anything? It doesn't melt your skin if you use it wrong?"

Twilight quickly shook her head as she turned back to look at Pinkie. "Skin is far too dense for the spell to work on. Believe me, Pinkie, I wouldn't have even experimented with the spell if I'd thought something like that could happen. Nor would it be in the "Neigh England Journal of Medicine" if it could cause such harm to some unfortunate pony," she explained.

"O-oh," Pinkie replied again at having another one of her points of protests so easily disassembled. "Alright then..."

She was expecting Twilight to just hop into the shower, and work whatever magic she was going to work. But that didn't exactly happen. Instead Twilight walked over to where she currently stood, and proceeded to hug her. Now she was more confused than she had been. Not that she wasn't liking the hug or anything like that, but she was still confused.

"I know this isn't easy for you, Pinkie. That's why I really appreciate everything you're doing," Twilight explained.

"W-well that's just what friends do for each other," Pinkie offered up as best she could, uncertain of what else to really say in this situation.

"I know. But I still appreciate it all the same," Twilight replied. "So are you ready?"

"As ready as I'm ever going to be," Pinkie said and sighed. She knew that she still had the option of calling this all off and just leaving if she really, really wanted to. And she did want to. But she wanted Twilight happy more.

Right now she really just wanted to get this over with, like pulling off a bandage.

"Alright then. If you say so," Twilight replied as she disengaged from the hug.

With nothing else to say, Pinkie watched as Twilight walked back over to the shower and climbed in, her horn flaring to life as the shower came on, and proceeded to drench her. At first nothing was happening other than Twilight's fur being drenched under the steady pulse of the shower head. But that was only temporary, as soon it started to look like she was completely melting away; like she was washing paint right off of herself, and leaving nothing behind but a blank canvas.

It had all happened so fast, Pinkie wasn't entirely certain that she'd seen what she had. It actually took her a moment for her brain to catch up, and put it all together. Twilight had just completely washed all of her fur and feathers right off as if it was all nothing at all, leaving her totally bald from head to tail, with only her horn and hooves left to show what color she had been originally.

There had been no straight razor, no shaving cream, no sitting perfectly still for what felt like hours, and absolutely no shaving nicks involved whatsoever. Instead it'd involved magic, running water, and what must've been a minute and a half of time and effort. It literally took longer to explain what would be involved with the process, than it had to actually carry out the process.

The results had been the exact same, but the process involved in actually getting there had been as different as night and day. It didn't look like there was any hassle involved at all. The fact that Twilight was currently bald wasn't lost on her, but the way in which she'd gotten there... she was simultaneously uncomfortable and amazed. It was all way, way unlike anything she'd been expecting to actually happen, leaving her uncertain of just what to think once everything was said and done.

"And that's more or less it," Twilight concluded as the shower was shut off.

Pinkie was instantly snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of Twilight speaking, leaving her aware of the fact that her friend was currently dripping wet, before levitating the two towels off the rack, and was now patting herself dry where she stood.

"Wow..." she replied almost breathlessly, uncertain of what else she could really say right now.

"Are you okay? Is it all too much?" Twilight asked her.

"I... I don't know," Pinkie replied and shook her head. This whole thing had really thrown her, and now even she didn't know where she stood. She'd gone from being horrified, to being uncomfortable and confused. Confused to the point that numerous thoughts were repeating themselves without rhyme or reason, almost like a record player was skipping as the record went around. "Maybe?"

"Do I need to put my fur back on?" Twilight asked as her horn began glowing again in anticipation.

Pinkie shook her head in response, trying to find the words that would adequately explain the matter, but ultimately she found nothing that would do that. "I'll be okay," she mumbled.

"Alright. If you say so," Twilight replied as her horn dimmed, before she stepped out of the shower and into full view.

Pinkie could feel her heart beating faster, and her muscles starting to tense up as Twilight stepped out of the shower. Everything was starting to get so very real now. Realer than real. And here she was, caught in the middle of it. One of her best friends was standing in front of her, bald as a bowling ball in her own words, which was one of the things she feared most of all.

But the process that had rendered her bald, was as far removed from her own bad memories while growing up as physically possible. Compared to what she'd gone through while growing up, what Twilight had just done was like washing off a mess of body paint. Or something like that.

"I'll be okay," she repeated, "I just... need some time to get used to all this."

"Of course," Twilight replied and nodded eagerly. "That's perfectly understandable. Going without my fur certainly wasn't a concept that I got behind overnight."

"Wait, it wasn't?" Pinkie asked, honestly surprised to hear that.

Twilight shook her head. "It was something that required a lot of thought on my part, to determine if it was really something that I wanted to do, and if it was worth all the work that was involved. This was in addition to the fact that I didn't have Spike and Rarity helping me at the time, so I was pretty much on my own when I was first getting started out," she explained.

"Oh wow," Pinkie replied, finding that she was even more surprised now than than she had been before. Her mind was now swimming with all of this new information, and she couldn't help but wonder if she was going to need an inner tube at some point in all of this. "I didn't know that."

"Well it's not generally a topic that's discussed openly; not under most circumstances anyway," Twilight admitted and shrugged. "To be honest, if Rarity hadn't accidentally discovered everything that was going on, I don't know where I'd be right now in all-"

And then Twilight stopped talking. She just stood there, bald and with a peculiar look crossing her face. Pinkie had seen that look before, and knew it was generally associated with a particular thought crossing Twilight's mind. Although what that thought might be, she really didn't know - reading other pony's thoughts without their consent was a very impolite thing to do.

"You know what? I just thought of something. Be honest with me, Pinkie, you're not comfortable looking at me like this, are you?" Twilight asked her.

Pinkie wanted to immediately deny the question, but she couldn't do that. Twilight had asked her to be honest with her, and it would be wrong to lie under such circumstances, even if it was to be nice. That was something she simply couldn't bring herself to do.

"Honestly? No, I'm not," she replied and shook her head as her ears drooped. She wasn't terrified like she had been the first time around, but that didn't mean she was at ease with what was going on. If Twilight had excused her, she wouldn't have thought twice about leaving just like that.

"I didn't think so. That's more or less to be expected under circumstances like these. What you went through was a traumatic experience, and trauma doesn't simply go away just because somepony wants it to. But I do have an idea that might help at least a little bit," Twilight stated. "You didn't get a say in what went on when you were being shaved while you were growing up, so let's change that. When you're around while I'm bald, we'll do whatever you want to do. How's that sound?"

Pinkie blinked at hearing this. "What I want to do?"

Twilight nodded eagerly in confirmation. "So long as it's something that can actually be done inside the palace. That way you have an actual say in what's going on."

Pinkie needed to stop and think about what she was being presented. The implications of what Twilight was suggesting were... numerous. A pony less trustworthy than herself might take advantage of such an open-ended presentation, and seriously push the envelope of what would be considered appropriate under the guise of what was being offered. Twilight was figuratively placing herself in her hooves right now.

But then again, maybe Twilight was actually aware of what she was offering, but had done so regardless, because she knew she could trust her to not take advantage of the situation if given the opportunity. That... that actually said a lot right there, about how far Twilight was willing to go to make things better for her.

"And you think this will work?" she asked.

"To be perfectly honest? I really don't know," Twilight admitted. "But it's the only thing that's really coming to mind right now, that I can think of. It might work, or it might not. But I'm really not seeing what might be lost from trying such an approach. If it doesn't work out, we can always figure something else out later on."

Once again, Pinkie remained silent in thought as she contemplated what was being suggested. Twilight was the smarter one of them, even if she wouldn't say such to the rest of them. She suggested this, so obviously she must've believed that some good could come from it. They could sit around and discuss this all week if they wanted, but ultimately the only way they were really going to figure anything out, was if they actually tried it, and saw what happened as a result. And to do that, she needed to take the first step.

"Alright then," she finally replied. She was willing to give Twilight's idea a try, and see what came of it. If her having a say in things really made a difference in it all, then she was all for that. Especially if it was something that could both her and Twilight happy. That was what was really important in all of this. "Let's do this."

Author's Note

So there you have it. After so long, the next chapter is up.

I'm not happy with the finished product though. This went on for far too long, it should've been up weeks ago, but it's just so hard to write for Pinkie in this particular setting. Pinkie and unhappiness just don't blend together. You wouldn't believe how many revisions this story went through, because I wanted to do justice to someone who's experienced trauma, but has to face that trauma for the sake of helping someone else. I don't know if I did that or not, or if I missed something that should've been addressed, or if the execution would've been better, or what.

Fifteen

Fifteen

The situation Applejack found herself presently in was one of vague familiarity; nursing a much-needed iced tea with a contended sigh, and enjoying the comfort and hospitality the Carousel Boutique had to offer.

On a day like today, such wasn't simply welcomed, but was rather quite needed. Yesterday had brought a temporary abatement to the sweltering heat of the season in the form of a rainstorm. But the new day had brought the sweltering temperatures back with a vengeance, and with the added bonus of even more suffering from the ridiculous levels of humidity! There was so much moisture in the air a fish could just about go for a walk on dry land and be fine.

And considering just some of the wildlife that called the Everfree Forest home, she wouldn't be surprised if that was happening right now.

The new awning/roof the family market stand currently wore did wonders for keeping the unforgiving sun off of her back and head when she'd drawn market duty, and provided a nice spot of shade to seek sanctuary in, but that still only went so far in weather like this.

At the moment, however, that was neither here nor there. The work day -and the unpleasantness that accompanied it- had finally ended, and she was currently sitting back in a much more welcoming environment, in reasonable comfort with a good drink and an equally good friend.

"Ah needed that mighty bad," she stated, before taking another long sip of her drink.

"After a day as beastly as today has been, I dare say you need far more than just a glass of tea, darling," Rarity commented idly. She's been within the relative safety and comfort of the boutique most of the day, and it'd been positively horrendous; she honestly had no idea how Applejack had done done it, just standing outside for so long where everything was all the worse to experience.

"Oh, don' be worryin' yerself about me, sugarcube, Ah'll be a'right once Ah get back home an' inta a nice cool bath," Applejack replied.

In truth, Rarity didn't particularly believe Applejack's casual dismissal, but ultimately chose not to press the matter. She was certainly no earth pony, so she couldn't say for certain whether or not her evaluation was correct. Right now she didn't particularly feel like getting into an argument, and so long as Applejack didn't wind up collapsing from heatstroke, it didn't particularly matter either.

"If you say so," she said and opted to let the matter rest. Right now she was far too hot and too tired to bother with getting into a disagreement, and would much rather focus on other matters

This required a change of subject. She just... needed to think of what that change of subject should be. What could they go about discussing instead of the current weather?

"Rares?"

Her silent indecisiveness must've stretched out far longer than she'd actually intended it to.

"Yes, Applejack?"

Now it seemed to be Applejack's turn to pause, hesitant to go on now that she'd spoken up. However her hesitancy only lasted a moment before she found whatever courage she needed to speak up again.

"Was Ah wrong ta ask Twi' about the sleepover?"

With the ball back in her court, it was now Rarity's turn to pause, her mind trying to process the question and formulate an adequate response.

The day had been one of significant unpleasantness and discomfort to experience due to the weather conditions, the only good thing to it all being its otherwise calm and uneventful nature that kept anything harrowing from happening. The only exception to that initial assessment had been Twilight and Spike coming by to inform them about the most recent development with Pinkie.

It'd been a bright spot in an otherwise forgettable day, with the four of them gathered around in the boutique's foyer, both to be brought up to speed on the present situation, and to be thanked for all of their help and involvement.

Despite her best efforts at pretending it was just a small, unimportant matter, one would be hard pressed not to pick up on the hitch of barely-contained excitement in Twilight's voice as they spoke. The poor dear was just giddy with happiness that threatened to spill over if she didn't keep herself under control. More than once during their discussion, she was certain at least one of them was going to be on the receiving end of an enthusiastic hug before all was said and done.

And then in the midst of it all had been a simple question presented on Applejack's part; were they still good for the sleepover on Saturday night?

A simple question, but it'd been a very significant question nonetheless. In all of the excitement following Pinkie's unintended discovery of everything, and the resulting fallout that'd developed as a result, they'd all wound up forgetting about the plans Applejack and Twilight had made just minutes previously.

But even if they hadn't actually forgotten in the ensuing chaos, it was doubtful the sleepover would've happened as planned, considering what was going on at the time. All things considered, it was probably for the best that the plans had been forgotten, as there was no telling what might've happened otherwise.

"Not at all, darling," she replied with a shake of the head. "Twilight certainly didn't think there was anything wrong with it."

She still remembered the look of horror on Twilight's face at the realization she'd actually forgotten about plans made with a friend. To see her reaction, one would think she'd done something horrible, bordering on unforgivable.

In one regard, her penchant for worrying over little things that others wouldn't give a second thought was annoying. In another it was adorable.

"If ya say so, Ah guess," Applejack replied, before downing the rest of her drink.

So help her, Rarity couldn't figure out the reason for Applejack's lack of conviction on the matter. Something was bugging her, that much was certain. But until she felt like opening up, there was little that she actually could do to be of any further assistance, outside of simply being available if needed.

That reminded her, they'd likely need to check on Pinkie later, see how she was holding up in all of this, and offer whatever assistance they could to her as well.

The more she thought on the matter, the more she realized just how complicated their little network system was becoming, even when they had each other to rely on for help. She dreaded thinking of just difficult it must've been for Twilight to try and manage everything all by herself previously to their getting involved.

All in all, where they currently stood was quite possibly the best case scenario they could be in.

"Rarity?"

"Yes?"

"Are... are we right in what we're doin'?"

Uncharacteristically, Rarity found herself tilting her head to the side in confusion at this new question. "How do you mean, Applejack?"

Once again, Applejack paused before answering, subtly chewing at her bottom lip. But as much as her curiosity was piqued, Rarity understood it wasn't a good idea to try and rush her friend to elaborate if she wasn't ready. If she had second thoughts and wished to drop the matter entirely, she'd reciprocate and let the matter rest here and now, without further discussion as to what she originally meant. So long as it was her decision.

"Well..." Applejack finally spoke up, only to pause momentarily before continuing. "Ya know how ponies don't normally wear clothes, an' there's nothin' wrong with that. But what Twilight's doin', an' what we're doin' in helpin' 'er with this whole goin' bald thing... Ponies have coats of fur fer a good reason, right? Maybe... maybe Pinkie bein' upset like she was, was fer a real good reason?"

As she listened to Applejack's efforts at speaking her concerns, Rarity opted to simply maintain her silence, doing her best to maintain a neutral expression. She wanted to see just where her friend was going with all of this, and didn't want to influence that direction with her input prematurely. It was true, she'd been asked a question and would need to give an answer eventually, but right now it was Applejack's turn to speak, and lay out the matters she felt were worth addressing.

Unfortunately, waiting for Applejack to lay out the matter didn't really give her much to go on. She was basically being asked for her opinion on all of this, and to make a judgement call based on what she knew. Why she was being asked, she wasn't entirely sure, although she could possibly hazard a few guesses if it was necessary.

"I'm sorry, Applejack, I'm afraid I can't answer that," she eventually replied and gently shook her head. "As much as I'd like to, that's a question I'm simply not qualified to answer. Honestly I don't believe anypony is qualified enough; not even Princess Celestia herself. We could all be in the wrong here, but we could just as easily all be in the right. There's simply no way of knowing for certain, either one way or another," she explained.

While Twilight's appreciation for being reduced to a bald state was certainly something that could be objected to, that didn't mean it was wrong.

Granted, even a few short weeks ago she would've believed otherwise on this matter.

Had Twilight approached her, and presented the notion of going bald prior to getting involved, she could have presented a good dozen or so reasons why it was a bad idea to even contemplate. But she hadn't been asked prior to the decision being made. Nor had she been asked what she thought on it after the fact.

Nor was it really her place to object in this matter.

"O-oh..."

It was small, but the reply on Applejack's part had served to break her out of her own thoughts, and make her aware of how her friend looked as if she was being weighed down by thoughts and doubts of her own.

"Let me ask you something, Applejack. Would you like out of this arrangement with Twilight? To wash your hooves of this entire matter, and simply walk away from it all?"

Applejack shook her head in response. "Naw, Ah don' want that. An' even if Ah did, Ah'd tell Twi' direct myself, rather than expectin' ya ta tell 'er for me like Ah'm ashamed or somethin'," she explained, before sighing and shrugging. "Ah don' know what it is. On the one hoof Ah'm glad everything is workin' out. On the other... well the jury's still out on that hoof. Ah wanna help Twilight an' all, but we've been known ta back the wrong play before."

"And you think this is the wrong play?" Rarity asked.

"That's just it, Ah can't tell if it is or not. An' not knowin' that is-"

"Applejack," Rarity spoke up, "do you mind if I share my evaluation on the matter?"

"Please," Applejack replied, her voice bordering on anxious as she spoke.

Rarity nodded before continuing. "Whether or not this is right or wrong, that's not important right now. It's not something we need to concern ourselves with. Twilight will do the worrying about such matters on her own. All that we really need to do is be there for her if we're needed."

"Ya think so?" Applejack asked.

Again, Rarity nodded. "I do. However we might feel about what she enjoys, that's not relevant to the matter since she hasn't asked us such. So long as she's not hurting anypony, we just need to respect her decisions."

"Even though Ah'm plannin' on gettin' down to mah bare skin with 'er over the weekend?" Applejack asked further.

"Is it just for the weekend?" Rarity asked in turn.

"As far as Ah know," Applejack replied.

"Then it's not something you need to worry about," Rarity stated as she stepped closer. "Applejack, I'll admit that I don't know just what you'll take away from this Saturday night, but I do know this. If you worry about what might be, you won't be able to enjoy what will be. Beyond that you'll just make yourself into a bundle of anxious nerves. Whatever may come about, it won't be anything we can't sort out later on."

"... That does make a lot o' sense," Applejack admitted and chuckled weakly. "Look at me. Ah'm bein' silly an' makin' plans fer a cart Ah ain' even seen yet."

Rarity just shrugged dismissively. "It's certainly nothing to be ashamed of, it happens to all of us at times."

"Ah suppose so," Applejack replied before let out a relieved sigh and allowing herself to slouch some as she visibly relaxed. "Thanks."

"No trouble at all."

A stretch of silence settled in over the boutique. But it felt like a comfortable silence to Rarity, as if everything that had needed to be said, had been said. If such was indeed the case then it was all well and good. And if it wasn't, at least Applejack had gotten in a few more minutes to cool down and relax before making her way back to Sweet Apple Acres for the day. So either way it would constitute a win regardless.

"Hey, Rarity? Are ya gonna be at the sleepover too?"

Then again...

"I'm sorry, Applejack, I'm afraid that simply won't be a possibility this time around," she replied, it now being her turn to sigh.

As much as she would like to be there for her friends, she had responsibilities and appointments up at the boutique in Canterlot that she simply had to keep; appointments that had been made months ago before all of this started, and for which rescheduling simply wouldn't be a realistic possibility at this point in time.

In truth she was thankful the situation with Pinkie had been resolved as well as it had, as she would've had to travel out of town even if it hadn't been. At least now she could do it without worrying so much about what would've been happening with her friends back home.

"Oh," Applejack replied glumly, "Ah don' really know what ta think o' that. The four of us have been through so much already, you not bein' there is gonna make this weird. It feels kinda like we're breakin' up the set or somethin', ya know?"

Rarity couldn't help but smile warmly at the evaluation.

"I'm sure you'll all be fine without me for one night, darling. Twilight and Spike know what they're doing," she assured Applejack. "But if you really want me to be there, I'm fairly certain it can be arranged next weekend when I'm back in Ponyville."

"But the sleepover is this weekend," Applejack pointed out.

Rarity shook her head. "This sleepover is this weekend."

"Oh..." Applejack replied slowly as the realization of Rarity's words set in, a look of understanding settling in comfortably on her face. "Ah'm still bein' silly."

"Could you use a hug, darling?"

Perhaps it was an out of the blue sort of question to be presenting, considering the previous subject matter they'd been discussing. But for Rarity, she had an inkling that it was a necessary question to be asking right now. With all of the doubts and questions Applejack had been needing to carry on her withers lately, even she needed some form of comfort and support.

That, and hopefully its unexpected nature would serve to distract Applejack from her current -unnecessary- thoughts.

"Would ya mind?"

Had the question been "Do you need a hug?" instead, then it would've likely been met with a far different response entirely, as it could've easily been misinterpreted. Rarity knew that fact, and as such had selected the structure very carefully to avoid such. With the phrasing being as it had been, Applejack wouldn't have to try and wrestle with herself on whether a hug was what she actually needed at the moment, or if it was simply something she wanted.

"Not at all," she replied.

They all had enough pressing, real-world concerns to keep themselves busy with, without the need of paying heed to unrealized hypotheticals. Whatever might come would do so regardless of whether they were ready for it or not, so there was no sense worrying about what couldn't be changed. They all needed to realize that, not just her.

"Promise me three things?" she asked as she felt Applejack's weight settle against her frame.

"Like what?" Applejack asked as she felt Rarity's forelegs wrap around her back.

"First, don't worry. Simply have fun and enjoy yourself this Saturday night."

"Ah reckon Ah can do that easy enough," Applejack replied.

"Good. Secondly, whatever decisions you might find yourself coming to, share them with me first, please?"

"A'right. Ah guess that's fair an' all," Applejack replied and nodded, even if the gesture wouldn't be seen. "So wha's the third?"

"Details, darling! I want to know everything of what happens while I'm away! I simply must know!"

That one served to catch Applejack off guard and leave her chuckling in amusement.

"That Ah can do, sugarcube. That Ah can do."

Coming out here had been a bad idea. Twilight was certain of that fact now. She was certain when the idea had first entered her mind for consideration, and she was convinced of such as she observed Zecora currently collapsed in a fit of laughter on the floor of her hut.

Today had started out to be so promising. They'd had a good dinner, a good night sleep, and the situation with Pinkie was looking cautiously promising.

The day looked even more promising when they went to talk with Rarity and Applejack, bringing them up to speed about the situation with Pinkie, and thanking them profusely for their involvement. And when Applejack had reminded her of the sleepover, that promising outlook had increased even further!

In hindsight, that promising outlook had potentially inspired a false sense of security, and provoked an unfounded sense of newfound confidence in them.

That was the only logical explanation she could come up, that would explain their decision to approach Zecora upon seeing her in the Ponyville marketplace, for the purpose of seeking out her help with a natural solvent for removing permanent ink.

It was also the only logical explanation for why she'd so willingly dissolve her coat upon their returning to Zecora's home, so her friend could evaluate the full scope of the damage she'd have to contend with.

Now here they stood, back in the privacy of Zecora's hut where they could converse uninterrupted, with her standing there as bald as a bowling ball and still decked out in Pinkie's graffiti from yesterday. While Zecora was floored and laughing at her mercilessly.

All she could do in response was stand there with her ears folded in annoyance/embarrassment, and deeply regret this entire decision she'd made

This had obviously been a mistake on her part. This was a stupid idea! Why hadn't Spike talked her out of such a stupid idea? All she could do was look at him, as he looked back at her, obviously in a similar position of not knowing what to do.

To borrow a phrase from Sunset's side of the portal to describe the situation: find her in the alps.

"I should just go now," she sighed and shook her head. "This was obviously a huge mistake on my part. I'm sorry."

That seemed to be sufficient to snap Zecora out of her amusement, and bring her back to the present. She quickly waved her hoof, doing her best to put an end to her mirth, while simultaneously getting back up onto her hooves.

"My friend, I truly did not intend to laugh at your predicament, I was merely taken by surprise. Please understand I meant you no ill will, and how I am sincere when I say that I apologize."

Twilight sighed, but nodded regardless. She knew Zecora far too well to know that she wouldn't be mean to somepony else. She was simply far too good-natured to do anything like that. But a nervous response upon being surprised by an unforeseen development, that was something else entirely.

"It's alright, I understand," she replied.

"This situation is..." Zecora paused as she glanced at Twilight, before doing her best to try and politely look elsewhere. "Honestly I do not know just what to think. This is not the sort of predicament that came to mind when you mentioned permanent ink."

"Yeah, I can understand that. This isn't exactly an everyday type of occurrence," Twilight replied, idly scuffing her hoof against the floor. "Is there anything you can do for me? I know that it's minor overall, and nothing that I should be concerned with, but I really don't exactly want to look like this if I don't have to."

Zecora rubbed her chin in thought for a moment before responding. "Brewing an ink remover would hardly be a difficult task to perform, it can be completed before tomorrow. But how it will react to your bare skin, I do not know. Most of my wares are tailored to work on those who possess a coat of fur, so I cannot advise you of what side-effects might occur."

"Oh," Twilight replied, "I hadn't thought of that being a possibility."

Zecora shook her head in response. "Do not concern yourself my friend, for you I shall do my very best. I will even look into something to help regrowing your fur, so there is no need to be distressed."

"Actually, Zecora, you don't have to worry about that second one. I actually have a remedy for that," Twilight replied. "I've sort of needed to utilize it a few times lately..."

She knew that this could easily turn into one giant mess. But they were already too far in to avoid that possibility now. And with that being the case, she might as well go all in, hope for the best, and try to tend to damage control if necessary.

Although that would be easier to do if Zecora wasn't looking at her in the way she currently was.

"My friend, might I request an explanation? I believe I am missing relevant details pertaining to this situation. If you are suffering from mange or some other related condition, I promise there is no shame in making such an admission."

Twilight shook her head in response. "No, it's nothing that bad, honest. It's just... I sort of found out that I like going without my fur in the privacy of my own home."

Zecora's expression at hearing this, as far as Twilight would tell, was positively unreadable. It was that unreadable nature that made her so uneasy, and uncertain of just where this was going to go.

Even though she knew time was flowing at its normal pace around them, it certainly felt like it was moving incredibly slowly, as she waited just what sort of response she would be facing. Curiosity? Disbelief? Disgust? Anger?

Finally, Zecora gave her response to the announcement, and it was a response Twilight wasn't prepared for.

She simply shrugged her withers dismissively. "Unusual, but certainly not the strangest news that has ever come my way. On this particular matter, that is all I really have to say."

Twilight hadn't even realized she'd been holding her breath until after she'd heard Zecora's response. The casual acceptance of it all hadn't been what she'd expected, and now in the aftermath she found herself slouching as she relaxed, all of the tension seeming to ebb its way right out of her body.

"Now then, I will make sure the ingredients I have on hoof for an ink remover are correct. If by chance you would like to elaborate more on your newfound interest, I would certainly not object," Zecora continued.

The casual inquiry turned out to be even more unexpected to Twilight than the casual acceptance had been, and left her in a stunned silence as she tried to process this sudden turn of events. If her bald state wasn't enough to make Zecora bat an eyelash in surprise, even when she was looking right at it, she wondered if there was anything that actually could produce such a reaction.

This development was unexpected, but certainly not unwanted. If Zecora was alright with her baldness, and wanted to learn more about it, she was more than willing to indulge her.

"Well, Zecora, it's like this..."

Sixteen

Sixteen

Under most normal circumstances, Twilight's palace was one of the most fun places in all of Ponyville that Pinkie could think of being when it involved spending time with her best friends.

Right now, though, wasn't one of those normal circumstances. Normal circumstances didn't involve disturbing revelations that quaked foundations. Well, maybe they did sometimes, seeing as this was Ponyville and all, but not like this right now!

Ever since the discovery of Twilight being a nudist, the palace had lost some of that friendly and welcoming allure that Pinkie enjoyed so much. That wasn't to say the palace was feared or anything like that, it just... she was aware of a lot more things now than she had been just a few days ago. And that awareness of new things had forced her to regard things in a different light now.

She wasn't afraid of Twilight. She wasn't afraid of Twilight's palace. But right now she'd rather be almost anywhere else but standing at the front entrance to the palace.

She also hated the fact that she felt that way about all of this. She didn't have any right to be feeling that way right now. Twilight had been willing to give up something she enjoyed for her sake, and had even gone ahead and done such without so much as a second thought, or even being asked to do such. And if that hadn't enough by itself, Twilight had gone far beyond stopping her own enjoyed activities, she'd promised whatever assistance she could provide to help her come to terms with her fears and discomforts; going so far as to put herself in her hooves, by letting her choose what they'd go about doing to achieve such.

Just the fact that Twilight was entrusting her with that great a degree of trust... the very least she could do in return was try and help Twilight, as she tried to help her. To do that she just needed to step closer and knock at the doors to the palace first. It was literally as simple as that.

As simple as that task was, though, she'd been spending the last fifteen minutes trying to perform it. She knew it was silly, but her body refused to listen and let her walk forward. It was like it knew something she didn't, and was trying to protect her.

'I could just walk away...'

She hadn't promised Twilight that she'd be here today. They hadn't even discussed it yet, so Twilight wouldn't be waiting for her. She could just turn around right now, go back to Sugarcube Corner, and nopony would ever be the wiser. She could just walk away and forget all about this.

So why wasn't she doing that either? Why wasn't she taking the easy way out?

'Because you know why. That's just not you. Besides that, you know this is as important to you as it is to Twilight. And as scared as you've been, you've never turned your back on your friends. If you left now, you'd never forgive yourself, ever!'

No. No, she wouldn't turn her back on her friends. Not now, not ever! Now she wasn't scared, as she was too busy being mad at herself over how she'd nearly considered doing otherwise.

'You can do this, you've got this. You just have to go for it. You have to put one hoof in front of the other. Put your other hoof down, down, down!'

She had this situation under control, and she knew it. So, humming the beat to herself, she proceeded to do just that and put one hoof forward in front of the other, before repeating the same step again, and again, and again. Nodding along to the tune in her head, she made her way to the doors of the palace with a bounce in her step, and knocked to announce her presence. Now she just had to wait, all the while trying to maintain her positive energy/optimistic high and not second guess herself before the door was answered.

That, and make use of the brief respite from the intensity of the sun that was being offered by the palace awning.

The wait for a response was mercifully -or maybe unmercifully- short, as the door soon opened to reveal Spike standing on the other side to greet her. That in itself was a big relief, as she'd feared Twilight would be the one to open the door and greet her in all her bald glory. If that'd happened... well she was just glad it hadn't happened.

"Hi, Pinkie," he greeted.

"Hi, Spike," she replied simply, unable to muster her usual enthusiasm at the moment. She at least tried to, but her efforts fell short even by her own standards.

What was worse was the fact Spike apparently picked up on this, despite her efforts.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I..." she started, only to shut her mouth before getting a full word out, and shook her head. "Not really."

The fact that Spike was aware of Twilight's... unique interests, made things a little easier to talk about when said things related to this, but not by a great deal. It was still a difficult subject to address openly, and right now wasn't doing anything to make it any easier. The urge to turn around and just leave was starting to get stronger, and more difficult to resist.

"Are you here to see Twilight?" he asked.

"Um, something like that, I guess," Pinkie replied as best she could.

"Well, come on in. She's in the pool."

Opening the door wider, Spike ushered her inside, and was mildly surprised as she walked in quite calmly. But he brushed off the surprise and shut the door behind her.

As the door clicked shut, there was little Pinkie could do but accept the fact there was no turning back now. Well, actually there was, as she could just excuse herself and leave. She knew Twilight wasn't going to keep her against her will. But just the auditory confirmation of that "click" sounding behind her as the door shut, really served to solidify the fact that this was actually happening. She'd come this far without chickening out, it'd be a crying shame to lose that courage and...

"Wait, you have a pool?"

In fact, Twilight's palace did have a pool, set up in one of the rooms adjacent to the main library.

Granted it was a small pool that really wasn't all that good for swimming, but it was still large enough for several ponies to sit and soak in without crowding each other for room. And from what she could see from the hallway, it was occupied as there was a snorkel currently breaching the surface.

This was starting to get weird, even by her standards. But at the same time her curiosity was overtaking her apprehension and discomfort, as she stepped closer to examine the matter closely.

But at the same time, in-house pool party was actually a thing, and she hadn't even needed to figure out how to pull it off. Even in her state, the possibilities this presented were already trying to formulate or percolate in the back of her mind, just to the left of the pie recipes.

She watched as Spike trotted over to the pool and proceeded to tug on the snorkel like he was ringing a bell with a pull rope, likely in order to announce their presence.

Two seconds later, the surface of the pool was breached as a very bald Twilight stood up, water cascading down and off her smooth and exposed skin like it was plastic or rubber.

The whole display was nearly enough to send her scrambling for the front door. But she clenched her legs stiff, locked her joints, and refused to budge from her spot. She wasn't leaving, even if she had to force herself to stay still. Running away wouldn't be fair to Twilight, and it wouldn't be fair to herself either. So if she was scared and wanted to be somewhere else, well then she just had to suck it up and stay put! She'd faced down numerous threats over the years, something as minor as this should've been a cake walk in comparison.

Mmm... cake...

She shook her head, trying to dislodge the distracting thoughts so she could focus on the here and now. This was still the same Twilight she'd been friends with for years. She was just... less furry, that was all. It wasn't like she was a completely different pony, or some inequine monster out to snatch everypony bald; that would just be plain ridiculous. That would never make a good story.

"Hi, Pinkie," Twilight greeted warmly, not bothering with removing her goggles as she spoke. "What brings you by today?"

"Therapy," Pinkie replied bluntly without even thinking about it. In her mind it was better to come right out and say it rather than hesitating out of fear; much like bungee jumping, or pulling off a bandaid, or eating broccoli that wasn't deep fried in chocolate sauce. "That is if now's a good time."

The look on Twilight's face was enough to say it was taking a moment for her brain to process what she'd just heard; likely not expecting her to be so direct on the subject at hoof.

"Of course," she immediately replied and put on a friendly smile, "anytime."

Now there really was no backing out. She'd committed herself to this, and had little choice to see it through. Especially now that Twilight agreed to go with it. She wished her friend had been too busy for her, as she really didn't want to do this. But she knew deep down, that if they didn't do this, she'd likely never get any better. And she honestly wanted to get better, and stop being freaked out by what her friend enjoyed doing.

At this, Spike spoke up. "Do you need me for this, Twilight? I promised Rarity earlier that I'd help her with her dress work."

"I really don't know, Spike, it's going to depend on what Pinkie has in mind for today since she's in charge," Twilight explained, before stepping out of the pool and onto a towel on the floor.

Both sets of eyes were now on her as they waited for a response. That was an unfortunate downside of being nominated as the one being in charge, and left with the responsibility of delegating things. For organizing parties it was all fine and dandy, but she honestly hadn't given much thought to what they were going to do. She'd expected Twilight to have some sort of organized itinerary in mind, rather than simply defaulting to her.

In hindsight, she should've thought this out better. But now it was too late to worry about it, and she needed to figure out something. Twilight trusted her enough to put her in charge of things, so she'd better not disappoint. She also needed to think of something they could do without needing Spike to be present since he'd already promised Rarity he'd help her, and she didn't want to make him break a promise just for her.

"You go on ahead and help out Rarity like you promised, Spike, we'll be alright on our own," she told him, reasoning that it was the best option available right now.

"Alright then. You know where to find me if you need me," Spike replied and took his leave, leaving the two of them alone. Alone and with nothing to serve as a distraction between her and Twilight's own bald state...

"So," Twilight spoke up as soon as she was dried off. "What's the plan for today? What would you like to do?"

"Baking," Pinkie replied with a degree of bluntness that surprised even her. "We're going to do baking today; cupcakes specifically. It's low impact, high yield, and it requires a lot of concentration if you want it done right. That way I can focus on what I'm doing and not on... you..."

That had sounded far harsher to her own ears than what she'd meant to say. And now that she'd heard the words for herself, she couldn't actually bring herself to finish her own sentence. It was just hanging out there.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

"No, no, it's alright, I understand," Twilight replied, the tone of her voice and the look on her face suggesting she hadn't taken what'd been said the wrong way. "Honestly, since we're playing this by ear, it's a very good idea for how to proceed until we figure out what works best."

That wasn't what she'd been expecting, but Twilight's acceptance of what she'd been saying was another load off her mind, helping her relax a little more. If this was any indicator of how things were going to go, then maybe this idea would actually work out.

"Alright then, let's do it. Those cupcakes aren't going to back themselves. I mean, I've tried to teach them how, but they just don't seem motivated to actually get up and do it."

Twilight giggled in response. "Somehow, that doesn't really surprise me."

Well organized and well stocked. That was how the palace kitchen could be best described. Pinkie knew this fact very well, as she'd used these facilities multiple times for various confectionery purposes when the kitchen at Sugarcube Corner wasn't available. In fact she knew it as well as she knew her own kitchen. Not that she actually had a kitchen of her own to use for her own purposes, but if she did it would be just as well organized and stocked at Twilight's was, so it wasn't that much different. Granted, her own kitchen would likely have to be scaled back due to size constraints, but that was beside the point! They were here to bake, and baking was what would be done, come Tartarus or a bunny stampede!

The walk from the library to the kitchen had gone smoothly enough, mainly because she'd been able to walk side-by-side with Twilight, and not come face-to-face with her bare backside. She'd seen enough of that with her own family growing up to last a lifetime, and was in no mood to confront it once again. Even though she knew, eventually, it would have to come up. Twilight liked going bald, and she wasn't going to take that from her just because it made her uncomfortable. That wasn't what friends did.

"Alright," she said, determined to push such matters aside for the time being. "The name of the game today is cupcakes. Specifically white cupcakes so we don't have the mess of cocoa powder to deal with on top of everything else. So we're going to need sugar, milk, egg whites, flower, vanilla, powdered sugar, shortening, butter and- pffft!"

Her mental list suddenly slammed into a brick wall, taking her mouth right along with it when she turned around to face Twilight, who had donned a chef's hat and apron while she'd been talking.

The combination of proper cooking garb, Twilight's own hairless state, and all topped off with that adorkable smile she wore so well had effortlessly wrecked everything, including her own unease, and sent her spiraling into a fit of hysterics as she succumbed to laughter on the floor.

"What're you doing!?" she managed to squeeze out in between bouts of giggles and laughter.

"You said we're baking cupcakes, right?" Twilight asked, her expression conveying she was oblivious to what she was doing right now.

Pinkie could only bite her lip as she tried to nod in response, fearful that if she opened her mouth to respond she'd lose what little composure she had and start laughing all over again.

"So what's so funny?"

"You look ridiculous!" she squeaked as she futilely tried not to laugh. "I'm sorry! It's just-" she tried to apologize, but just honestly couldn't suppress her own amusement at the situation. She'd been prepared for an afternoon of confronting unease, but not this. This had taken her by surprise and left her helpless, but not exactly in a bad way.

"Oh..." Twilight replied as the realization slowly set in. "Should I get undressed then?"

Pinkie could only nod as she held her mouth shut, trying to breathe deep enough to calm herself down again. Twilight's bald body being on display was uncomfortable to observe, but between it and how silly she looked in her getup, it was the easier one to deal with right now. She could muscle her way through her own discomfort, but there was no way she'd be able to focus on their baking endeavor and not laugh whenever she caught sight of her friend.

She watched as Twilight slipped right out of the garb, back to her furless/naked state again, as the aftershocks of her laughing slowly died down, enabling her to stand back up again.

"I'm sorry I said you looked ridiculous, that was mean," she said as she wiped her eyes.

"No, no, it's alright. I probably did look quite ridiculous like that. The first time I looked at myself without my fur on, I thought the exact same thing. It almost made me stop right then and there."

That was even more of a surprise to Pinkie than what'd happened just a moment ago. But instead of amusement, all she was met with was confusion.

"Really?" she asked, to which Twilight nodded. "So what changed your mind? What convinced you to keep going after that?"

"The experiences I've had with you and the other girls. Back when I first thought friendship was nothing but a waste of time, you showed me that wasn't the case, and there was more to life just than books; more that I would've missed out on if I shut myself off to new possibilities, simply because they didn't seem worthwhile at the start."

Pinkie honestly didn't know what to make of Twilight's statement. The notion that she might've inadvertently, indirectly caused this development to actually occur, and get herself into this position, was something she didn't know how to process. That was going to take some time.

And then Twilight shrugged her withers. "It's probably for the best anyway. There's really not much point in wearing a hat while cooking when you don't have to worry about hairs falling into the cake batter."

"Y-yeah, I guess there is that," Pinkie replied as she tried to look at the positives of the situation she was currently in. No fur did mean there would be no loose hairs to account for, so maybe it wasn't all that bad. But she didn't want to think too deeply on the matter, and cleared her throat before speaking again. "Alright, so, baking. Let's do this."

"Right behind you. You lead, I'll follow."

Pinkie nodded as she turned her attention back to the task at hoof. She could contemplate everything later, right now she just wanted to focus on this, and see if their idea of therapy paid off or not. If it did, all well and good. If not, then they'd have to figure something else out. But at least she knew she wouldn't have to go through it all by herself.

But that was for later. For now it was baking. Where there was baking, there was peace - or something philosophical-sounding like that.

Twilight was torn between wanting to hum and wanting to frown right now. She had been assigned the dubious honor of making the frosting as Pinkie whipped up the cake batter. It was simple in concept, consisting of only shortening, powdered sugar, water and food coloring, but in execution it was proving to be anything but simple.

The consistency of frosting was more art than science, and a great deal of guesswork at what the proper proportions of each ingredient was, as even small variations were proving to be complicating. Too much water and it was too runny. Too much powdered sugar and it was too stiff. Too much shortening and it wouldn't blend properly.

She would get it figured out, eventually, but by the time that happened they might have frosting for days. They'd either have to do way more baking to use it all up, or just plain eat it right out of the bowl. Which wouldn't be bad in small doses, but she knew from experience that too much would curl your mane in all the wrong directions.

"Alright. We've got enough cake batter mixed up for two dozen cupcakes," Pinkie announced from over where she was presently working.

"Well you'd better get some more whipped up. We're going to need ten times that amount by the time I get the frosting right," she replied and let out an annoyed sigh. "How is something that consists of only three ingredients, four if you count the coloring, so difficult to get right? What sort of dark magical arts do you demand of me!?" she shouted down in the direction of the bowl.

Granted, the latter half of her statement was hammy and way over the top. But the fact Pinkie was giggling in response meant the delivery had served its intended purpose.

"I'm all for baking plenty of cupcakes to make sure we have enough. But all the same, best let me take a look and see what the problem is."

Twilight nodded and stepped aside to let Pinkie take over on the frosting preparation. And as she watched, she couldn't understand what Pinkie did differently from her in terms of technique or approach, but somehow she just knew how to get the frosting to the right sort of consistency that was desired. Somehow, in all of her chaotic randomness, she had made it sit up just right.

"Taste!" Pinkie practically barked with all the precision of a drill sergeant, as the mixing spatula was thrust right in front of her face.

Twilight timidly did as she was ordered, and proceeded to lick off a small portion of the concoction to sample and evaluate its quality.

"Just right," she nodded, satisfied with the end results. "But I promise you, one day I will learn your secrets of how you did that."

"You can try," Pinkie replied dismissively and took her own -larger- taste of the concoction, letting out a contended moan of approval. "Perfecto!"

"Alright, we- hold on. You've got some frosting on your nose, Pinkie."

In response to this, Pinkie crossed her eyes to see for herself.

"You're right, I do," she agreed, before booping her on the nose with the end of the spatula. "There. Now you do too."

"So it seems," Twilight replied slowly as she gently took hold of the spatula in her magic, and proceeded to return the favor by applying a slightly bigger dollop of frosting on the end of Pinkie's nose. "But it looks like you have more than me."

"Well that's not really fair. If I have more than you, I should share my good fortune," Pinkie replied.

Twilight could only blink as Pinkie effortlessly took back control of the spatula and moved in a rapid manner, leaving her feeling the rubbery edge dancing over her face.

She didn't know for certain, but she strongly suspected Pinkie had once again gone with giving her a goatee, mustache and monocle.

And the fact that she was grinning happily while basically admiring her work. Well then...

"Of course you know, this means war..."

Author's Note

I am so sorry it took so long to get this out here. There's just no excuse for it.

Seventeen

Seventeen

"What in Celestia's mane happened in here!?"

Spike stood in a state of shock and disbelief as he surveyed the kitchen before him and took in its current state. Everywhere he looked there was a mess to be found, with various assorted food stuffs covering just about every surface. It looked like a bomb had gone off inside.

And right at the epicenter of the bomb blast were Pinkie and Twilight, both of them equally messy and looking quite surprised at his sudden yell.

"I go over to Rarity's for a while to help her out with her work, I come back here, and the kitchen is in shambles! What went on in here while I was gone!?"

Pinkie and Twilight looked at each other in response, as if they were silently trying to sort out exactly what they were going to say. All the while sitting there covered in icing, cake batter, food coloring, and what he could only pray to Faust was shortening.

"W-well, Spike" Twilight started, "it all started with a dollop of frosting, and things just sort of got out of hoof."

Spike skeptically quirked an eyebrow in response to Twilight's efforts at an explanation, which seemed to deflate her on the spot.

"You see, Spike, Pinkie wanted to bake cupcakes as part of her therapy session today. And in the process of doing that, we got a bit silly. And the next thing we knew we had a food fight on our hooves..."

"A... food fight..." Spike repeated slowly as he once again surveyed the scene before him. That would certainly explain the food coloring stains, as well as what looked like cake batter currently stuck to the ceiling. "You two decided to have a food fight, and you didn't invite me so I could at least be involved with the fun half of making a mess?"

His tone was heavy with disapproval as he spoke, and he could see they understood that, before he shook his head and sighed, and turned to leave the room. He knew what he had to do.

"That was... unexpected," Twilight said as she watched Spike leave the kitchen.

"Yeah, it kinda was," Pinkie agreed. "I must be really out of it today, my Pinkie Sense didn't kick in at all!"

"It's been a weird day," Twilight said in justification of such, as it made about as much sense as anything right now. Pinkie was way out of her element in terms of her own level of comfort, trying something new she obviously wasn't crazy about. It would make sense -to her anyway- if she felt off and not on top of her game as a result.

"I guess you're right," Pinkie replied and shrugged. Right now it was as good an explanation of anything that might be offered up.

Without argument, it'd certainly been a weird day. But at the same time it'd actually been a -surprisingly- pretty fun day. The baking endeavor they'd set out on had been an absolute disaster, as the kitchen could easily attest. But what'd followed could largely be considered a success.

True, there was a huge mess to clean up now. But the resulting food fight had actually let her forget that Twilight had been bald the entire time, up until Spike walked in and started yelling in surprise. There had been so much laughter, and silliness, and focus on matters other than baldness, it'd just completely slipped her mind without her even realizing it'd happened. It was even more fun than when Twilight had let her play connect the dots on her skin.

It was... it was nice, actually, to be able to just get lost and not think about the unpleasant stuff that was staring her right in the face. It was almost like laughing away Nightmare Moon's efforts at scaring them out of the Everfree Forest, only without a musical number attached to it all.

A musical number. Hmm...

Before she could contemplate what sort of medley would best fit the situation, they were greeted by a sound that could best be described as squeaky wheels coming down the hallway.

The sound of the squeaky wheels turned out to be a trolley cart being pushed by Spike, loaded down with multiple cleaning implements and other various supplies into the kitchen.

"You two went and had a food fight, making a huge mess of the kitchen in the process, and you didn't even have the courtesy of inviting me for all the fun. So you two can clean up this mess the same way; without me!"

With that he promptly walked right back out of the room, leaving two stunned mares behind to process what'd just happened.

"Well... that was... also unexpected," Twilight finally managed to get out.

"Yeah," Pinkie replied and nodded absently. "He does have a point, though. We made this mess, he really shouldn't have to do all the dirty work of cleaning up again."

"I guess you're right," Twilight sighed and moved over to the cart to pick through the various supplies available. "I'll take high, you take low?"

"That sounds fair. We can meet in the middle," Pinkie replied and went to pick out the necessary supplies for wiping down the countertop first. That way she wouldn't have to worry about getting hoofprints on the ceiling during her cleaning efforts. And she wouldn't have to explain to Twilight how she went about doing it.

An hour and a half in, and the task at hoof was finally done, with the kitchen once again clean and presentable. Every affected surface had just about been sterilized as far as the level of cleaning went, leaving no mess behind except for the two of them.

"New rule," Twilight sighed as she resisted the urge to slump. "The next time we have a food fight, we do it somewhere that we don't have to clean up afterwards."

The cleanup should've been a simple task, but it hadn't been that at all. She had a newfound level of respect for Spike and the amount of work he did around the palace, after experiencing it for herself.

Nearly faceplanting on the ground after a failed attempt at flight with wings that lacked feathers had been only the first hindrance to be faced. But thankfully it was all over, save for cleaning up their cleaning equipment.

"Seconded. All those opposed?" Pinkie asked, only to be met by the silence of the newly cleaned kitchen. "Motion carried unanimously."

"As it should be," Twilight replied. "Ugh, I'm so going to need a shower after this. I'm all sticky and sweaty..."

She honestly didn't care what Pinkie might have to say to the contrary, wearing icing wasn't any fun. Nor was it very hygienic. And she honestly didn't want to think about the difficulties that might be involved with getting the food coloring stains off of her skin. Maybe Zecora's ink solution would work?

"Yeah, I'm probably gonna need a bath when I get back home, too. I've got shortening in my coat and it's going to be a pain to get back out again.

"Oh?" Twilight asked. Suddenly she could feel an idea taking form. "That blue liquid dish soap we use is pretty good at cutting grease when we make hay fries. Maybe it would work on shortening as well. If you'd like we could share a shower and you could get cleaned up here," she offered.

"Really? You wouldn't mind?" Pinkie asked. "I'd like that. It's been a really long time since I last bathed with anypony close to my own age, even if you count the spa. Let's do it."

"Alright then," Twilight replied, feeling significantly more upbeat than she had been a short while ago. "We'll do it as soon as we're done here."

"Twilight?"

The mess in the kitchen, and the resulting cleanup, had finally dealt with, leaving them as the only mess in need of being addressed now. So with dish soap in tow, they made their way to the first available bathroom to tend to the final task of getting washed up.

"Yes?" Twilight asked, her hoof pausing just before reaching the doorknob as she turned back to look back at Pinkie.

"I... I can keep my fur on for this, right?"

Had she been paying more attention in the time leading up to now, she might've noticed Pinkie's discomfort, which was now starting to become more readily apparent as they stood there in the resulting silence. But she hadn't, and now they were here, with such a question in need of being addressed.

Had she actually done something to make Pinkie think that she...

"I don't see any reason why you couldn't. Honestly, it'd be pretty silly of us to bring the dish soap along if we're not going to use it as intended," she stated, doing her best to be humorous on the matter in an effort to put Pinkie at ease about it.

"Intended by us, or the manufacturers?" Pinkie asked.

"Um... yes?" Twilight replied uncertainly, caught off guard by the question.

Fortunately it seemed enough to earn an amused giggle from Pinkie, suggesting it'd had the desired effect.

"Alright, I just wanted to make sure. Not that I don't trust you or anything, I just... you know," Pinkie replied before making her way over to the shower to get the water running. "Do you want it hot to cold?"

"Whatever you're comfortable with should work just fine," Twilight replied, although her thought process was elsewhere at the moment.

What Pinkie had asked, it really hadn't hurt to hear her friend asking such a question - she understood it. But the current train of thought it'd kicked off just might hurt. Before the question had been asked, she never would've given the matter a second thought. But now that it had been asked, her mind had switched gears against her own desires, and led her to contemplating possibilities. Possibilities that might yield significant rewards, but carried a significant risk as well.

She shook her head to try and clear the rogue thoughts. They wouldn't work out anyway.

"What wouldn't work out?" Pinkie asked.

Twilight flinched in surprise as she realized Pinkie was talking to her. Had she wound up saying that last part out loud? Or was Pinkie simply being Pinkie again? Maybe it was best not to think too hard about it.

"You really wanna know?" Twilight asked. Pinkie nodded. "Alright. Just... let me get it all out before you do anything in response, okay?"

Again, Pinkie nodded, although the look on her face was one of curiosity/concern. Somehow that just made it worse.

"Alright. There's a localized version of the spells I use for removing and regrowing my fur. I'm not saying it's going to happen, but if you were comfortable with the idea, I could dissolve the portion of fur that currently has shortening caked in it, and we could have the mess washed away and new fur grown back in, all in about five minutes."

To her credit, Pinkie hadn't gone running out of the room in fear at what she'd heard. She just... sort of sat there with a difficult to read expression on her face, as if her mind was trying to comprehend what she'd just heard, occasionally biting her lower lip uncomfortably.

She should've just kept her mouth shut and forgotten about the idea, rather than sharing it. Now she likely had even more fallout to deal with than before. She could just kick herself!

"Are you sure you can do that? Limit it to just the part with the shortening? Nothing else?"

The question served to break Twilight out of her own self-loathing, as she honestly hadn't expected Pinkie to ask such a thing. She'd anticipated outright refusal, not... well whatever this was.

"Give or take a few inches. But for the most part, yes," she clarified. "Again, I'm just saying that it's a possibility; not something that we're actually going to do."

Another -seemingly- long stretch of silence passed in response, during which time Pinkie wore a look that Twilight simply couldn't get a reading on. It was downright unnerving to experience, even when taking everything else she knew about Pinkie into consideration. After all they'd been through, she liked to think she at least had some understanding of how her friend operated. But situations like this showed her she really didn't.

"I'm not saying yes," Pinkie began once she started talking again, "but if I did want to give it a try, could you do it without looking? I don't want anypony to see what's under my fur, and I don't wanna see it either," she explained.

"I-" Twilight started but paused, "huh. I don't know. Maybe? That's something I might have to practice later and find out. Who knows, maybe I can even figure out how to cut shapes and patterns."

Pinkie snorted in response, finding the very thought too funny to ignore.

"Alright, so it's pretty much settled we're going to try and wash the shortening out. Now get in the shower and let's see what we can do about getting cleaned up. I'm hot, I'm all sticky, I feel gross, and I really want to get all this splooge off of me."

"PFFT!"

Twilight could only blink in confusion as Pinkie was overcome by a laughing fit and fell to the floor. This one looked even worse than the one she'd experienced in the kitchen. "What? What's so funny?"

"What you said!" Pinkie squeaked out, but just barely.

"I don't understand, how's that funny?" Twilight asked, honestly as lost as... well as lost as she normally was when trying to figure out Pinkie.

Through no small effort on her part, Pinkie managed to calm herself down enough to get back up onto her feet, before looking around as if she expected somepony to pop out, and then moved over to Twilight's right ear to whisper the explanation to her.

Twilight's reaction was immediately to go wide-eyed, unable to gasp in surprise due only to how tightly her lips were presently pursed, as everything above her neck proceeded to turn red like a tomato.

"That's not what I meant!" she shrieked in embarrassment, which only served to get Pinkie laughing again. "It's a technical term! Honest!"

"Oh? You mean like brain weasels?" Pinkie asked as she made at least some effort of controlling her own amusement.

"Yes, like that," Twilight replied, not even questioning the term. "It's something Shining Armor came up with when we were foals. It describes any semi-liquid matrix of low-to-medium viscosity with statistically significant potential of resulting in a mess if great care isn't exercised in its usage; just like the icing I was getting thrown at me by the spatula-ful," she clarified.

"Oh," Pinkie replied, "so does that mean you got "splooged" by your brother a lot growing up?"

Pinkie honestly didn't know it was actually possible for anypony to get even redder. But Twilight had somehow managed it.

"Pinkie!" Twilight whined, "don't say stuff like that! It's very embarrassing..."

It'd all been meant in good fun, on Pinkie's part, but apparently it hadn't been received in that manner on Twilight's part. Now Pinkie couldn't help but feel bad for her friend, seeing her uncomfortable state in the wake of the revelation about what she'd said. She'd been mean and hadn't even meant to be, and that was possibly the worst kind of meanness one could engage in.

"Huh," she mentally mumbled to herself. Was this how Twilight had wound up feeling in the aftermath of discovering her history with baldness? And if that was the case, then she felt really bad now for inflicting that kind of pain on a friend.

"You're right, I'm sorry," she apologized, "now, get in the shower. I'll get you nice and clean in no time."

Twilight nodded as she found Pinkie effortlessly taking point on the cleanup, leaving her to climb into the shower right under a relaxing stream of warm water beating down on her. Already this was starting to feel so good compared to just a little bit ago, and they hadn't even gotten to the soap yet.

Her mind idly registered the sounds of Pinkie climbing in behind her and closing the curtain around them, but it was all just background noise up until she felt the sensation of a wet, sudsy rag being rubbed against her side in a circular motion, provoking an unconscious response on her part to lean into it.

"Oh, that feels very nice," she sighed contentedly, all the while grinning as she leaned. "You're very gentle at this."

"Well you don't spend twelve summers reduced to your bare skin without learning a few things; like the proper amount of force to apply with a terrycloth rag while getting cleaned up," Pinkie pointed out.

"Oh..." Twilight replied slowly as Pinkie's words sunk in. "Is this making you uncomfortable? Do you want to stop?"

"Yes to the first, no to the second," Pinkie replied as she moved onto Twilight's back, never missing a stroke. "If I'm not uncomfortable in this, then it means either I'm not trying, or the therapy is working. And since we haven't unlocked the latter's achievement yet, we just have to keep at it until then. Now hold still, I know how much this hurts if it's done too roughly."

Twilight found herself unable to do much but comply with Pinkie's instructions, letting her go to work on cleaning her up with a degree of touch that was all too soothing and relaxing to protest.

"Today was pretty fun."

Twilight honestly hadn't expected to hear that sentence being uttered by Pinkie; not just yet anyway. It'd come out of nowhere and snapped her out of the haze that'd been clouding her mind just a little while ago.

"It was?" she asked as she turned to look over her withers at her.

Pinkie nodded. "Maybe not all of it, but a lot of it. Once we actually got started, things started getting easier. When we were getting ready to bake I was too busy to think about you being bald, and when the food fight started I was having too much fun to think or even care."

"Huh. That's something, I guess," Twilight replied, "Well I'm glad you had fun. Maybe we're finally making some headway."

"Maybe," Pinkie agreed as her hoof trailed along Twilight's backbone with the washcloth. "Would... would tomorrow be good for trying something else? Maybe around mid-morning?"

"Mid-morning? I don't see why not," Twilight agreed, all the while trying not to let on just how excited she was to hear Pinkie actually proposing they continue. "What'd you have in mind?"

"I don't know. We'll just have to see how things go tomorrow, and go from there," Pinkie replied.

"It's a date then."

Eighteen

Despite how much effort Twilight was putting in to keep herself calm and maintain her composure, Spike knew better as to just how excited she currently was. One simply didn't live with the mare for years serving as her number one assistant, and not pick up on the subtle -and not-so subtle- cues she gave off as a result.

Just beneath that paper-thin veneer, he knew Twilight was positively borderline giddy right now, and just barely able to keep the majority of her excitement contained. She was well-past the point of trying not to grin, and well on the verge of trotting in place with enough nervous/excited energy power at least one light bulb.

Not that he could blame her for being excited, though, as she had very good reason. After a particularly long and rough week, it was finally Saturday; Saturday evening to be precise. Which meant Applejack was due to arrive at any time for the slumber party.

In truth, Twilight probably needed this slumber party to happen more than even she realized. Possibly more than either of them realized. The majority of the last two weeks had been... well they'd been a mix of chaos and misery that'd make Discord proud and/or ashamed. The discovery of Pinkie's past trauma had really served to derail everything, leaving a lot of damage control and support that had to be done in its wake. And unfortunately it fell upon Twilight to do just that.

He'd helped where he could, when he could, and how he could, as he wouldn't simply leave her in the lurch like that. But for the most part it was Twilight who was tasked with performing the lion's share the of work that went into everything. Not simply with helping Pinkie, but making said help seem fun at the same time.

That was possibly the hardest part in all of this; figuring out how to make Pinkie's therapy fun for her. Granted, it was just doing stuff that Pinkie wanted to do while Twilight was bald around her, but it was still a lot of work, even if it didn't seem like that much to an outsider looking in.

To her credit, Pinkie helped clean up whatever mess they wound up making during her therapy sessions, so that made things a little easier for them to deal with, but there was still so much that only Twilight could do, and she was the one who had to do it. With her being the host, she had to put out the most positive energy for Pinkie's benefit, and that wasn't an easy task to maintain indefinitely. Sooner or later, something had to give.

So, yeah, Twilight needed this slumber party, and she needed it badly. She needed the downtime to just hang out with a friend and do absolutely nothing but relax. And the sooner Applejack got here, the sooner she could do just that.

Maybe they should've scheduled an approximate time for meeting up, rather than the ambiguous "before dinner" they'd agreed on when plans had been made. Not that the lack of a specific time had done anything to stop Twilight from periodically glancing up at the clock in an anxious manner.

"She's coming, Twilight," he assured her, "she said she'd be here for dinner, so she'll be here."

"I know Spike," Twilight replied, "I know she'll be here. It's just... I'm really excited about this."

"You don't have to explain it to me, Twilight, I get it. This is your first nude sleepover, it's a big step for you."

"It kind of is, isn't it?" Twilight agreed. "There's just so much that could happen tonight."

"Yeah, like you and Applejack actually having a great time tonight."

"You're right, Spike. that could definitely happen," Twilight agreed, before letting out a sigh. "Or we could-"

"No," Spike interrupted.

"But I-" Twilight tried again.

"No," Spike interrupted again. "Nothing is going to go wrong tonight, so you're not allowed to worry about what could go wrong tonight. So you just tell that part of your brain to shut up and take the night off; it's been working overtime with Pinkie anyway, so it deserves a break as much as you do."

"Spike-" Twilight tried to protest.

"Twilight," Spike all but growled, "either you stop worrying, right now, or you start running, right now. Your choice," he warned and made a deliberate demonstration of flexing his claws.

Twilight narrowed her eyes and glared firmly at Spike in response to his threat. "You. Wouldn't. Dare..."

Spike responded by taking a deliberate -bordering on menacing- step closer to where Twilight currently stood.

"Alright, alright, you win! Nothing bad is going to happen tonight!" she stated quickly in defeat. "You know, one of these days my skin isn't going to be so sensitive to outside stimuli like it is right now. You won't be able to threaten me with tickling forever."

"We'll see," Spike replied dismissively as he shrugged and folded his arms over his chest.

It could've proven to be a tense moment, if not for Twilight snorting shortly after.

"I think I needed that," she admitted.

"You totally did," Spike agreed. "Face it, Twilight, the hard part is already done. Applejack knows about you being a nudist, the only outcome that can be had is a good time tonight. We've got this situation in the bag."

"I guess it's just so easy to forget that at time," Twilight sighed, excitement momentarily forgotten as she slumped. "I'm so used to something always going wrong. It's just weird when things actually go right, or according to plan."

"You'll get used to it," Spike replied as he stepped close enough to pat her on the back.

Twilight, in turn, wrapped her foreleg around Spike to pull him into a hug, thankful to have him at her side in all this. Even just having someone else to talk to about this, someone who actually knew what was going on, helped make things so much less intimidating to contemplate.

And then the sound of the door chime was heard.

Twilight pulled back at the sound, and allowed for an unrestrained moment of excitement as she squealed with glee and proceeded to trot in place, leaving Spike to simply watch as she did so.

She finally composed herself once again, and with a quick flicking of her magic, was wearing a magical construct over her head that would look far more suitable for Vinyl Scratch than herself. It was composed of a set of purple energy headphones resting on her ears, with a visor that ran over her eyes, and what looked like a microphone extending down to her mouth.

Spike honestly didn't know it was possible for Twilight to smile harder than she was, but apparently it was possible.

"We're in the library, Applejack, come on in!" she called before allowing the construct to fade away, and proceeded to squeal and trot in place once again. "She's here! She's here! This is finally happening!"

Spike tried not to grin too hard, amused by Twilight's excitement, but he could only do so much. But in his case it was a smile based largely on a sense of relief, as it meant he didn't have to maintain the positive outlook all by himself for Twilight's benefit now. Now it could be self-sustaining or whatever, now that the ball had gotten rolling and set into motion.

Now that Applejack was here, things would be a lot easier. Now they could just relax and let things flow in whatever direction they went. Once Twilight managed to burn off all that excess energy, of course.

Hmm...

"Maybe we should go meet up with Applejack, rather than waiting for her to find us? That way things can get started sooner," he suggested, hoping the walk/trot/gallop to the palace foyer would prove sufficient to alleviate some of that aforementioned excess energy. "That way if she wants to go bald right away she won't have to walk all the way here, just to go back to the nearest available bathroom," he suggested further.

"You know what, Spike? That's a very good idea," Twilight replied with a wide grin.

Spike opted to leave the "naturally" unspoken as he quickly climbed atop Twilight's back and settled in for the ride to the foyer, thankful that he didn't have to suggest traveling there on hoof rather than teleportation to get the point across. If they had teleported there it wouldn't do any good, and they might actually wind up overshooting their target and winding up behind Applejack of all places.

But it was neither here nor there. Twilight was trotting out the door and down the hall at a reasonable pace, putting all that energy to good, physical use in her hurry to meet up with Applejack and get things started. They could meet, exchange small talk, and he could finally get started on dinner. He was optimistic about it.

Although that optimism failed as Twilight skidded to a halt, nearly colliding face-first with Applejack as she rounded the bend in the hallway. And that was just the start of their problems.

"H-hi, Twilight..."

It was more a matter of instinct and reflex, rather than conscious thought, that resulted in the amulet teleporting around Twilight's neck, cloaking her in the illusion of fur and feathers upon the realization that while Applejack was indeed present, she wasn't alone. Apple Bloom was also present, and looking quite uncomfortable with what she'd just seen.

It went without saying that her new spell obviously needed some work/modification.

The look on Applejack's face was of an almost apologetic quality as she looked back at Twilight in response.

"Sorry, Sugarcube, we sorta had an unexpected change o' plans happen on us."

"So I can see," Twilight replied, opting to keep her less than kind retorts to herself for the time being. "So what happened? Do we need to reschedule for next week?"

"Not if ya don' want to. Nothin' really happened, just.." Applejack replied and proceeded to give Apple Bloom a slight nudge forward.

"Applejack told me 'bout how ya were havin' a sleepover, an' what might be goin' on," Apple Bloom stated. "Ah was wonderin' if Ah could be here too, maybe get a better idea 'bout everythin'. She said Ah had ta ask ya if it was a'right."

Applejack nodded in agreement. "Yer call, Sugarcube. If ya don' want Apple Bloom here she can go back home, no problem. It's whatever yer comfortable with doin'."

Twilight sighed in response, unable to be mad with either of them, but still wishing this development could've come about earlier in the day, rather than being dropped on them like it had been. That wouldn't be asking too much, was it?

"I think that all depends on Apple Bloom herself," she replied as she turned her attention to the filly in question. "You understand I'm going to be walking around completely naked tonight, right? Are you going to be alright with that?"

"Ah dunno," Apple Bloom admitted uneasily, "but Ah'm here ta learn. So Ah can try ta be a'right wit' it, like Applejack an' Rarity did fer ya."

And there it was, the "L" word. At hearing this, Twilight could do little more than offer a friendly smile in response, despite the effort needed to do just that. She really couldn't ask Apple Bloom to do anything else. Nor would she try. She couldn't even see this as an interruption to their plans for tonight. It was just... a slight hiccup that could easily be overcome.

"Then I don't see why you can't stay for the sleepover and see how things go," she replied as the smile continued. "Just one question. Do you plan on keeping your fur on tonight while you observe and learn?" she asked.

Apple Bloom nodded quickly in response.

"Alright, that's no problem. But I'm going to be dropping this illusion now, just so you know."

Apple Bloom simply nodded in response but ultimately said nothing, not even as the illusion gave out with the amulet being removed. To her credit she did her best to be polite about it all, but was stuck somewhere between trying not to look at her, trying to look away, and perhaps even a bit of trying to look at her but in an indirect manner. It was all quite reminiscent of Spike's own reaction the first time he saw her in such a state.

"Alright," Twilight repeated and rolled her withers, before turning her attention back to Applejack. "Are you ready to get started?"

"As ready as Ah'm ever gonna be," Applejack replied.

"Right then. Apple Bloom, if you'd like to go with Spike and get set up in the library, I'll help Applejack get ready for tonight."

"So is Applejack goin' without 'er fur now?" Apple Bloom asked.

Twilight looked at Applejack, who nodded in response, before giving a reply. "She will be shortly."

"Oh," Apple Bloom replied. "Could Ah watch?"

The question had come entirely out of left field, leaving Twilight uncertain of how exactly to respond. From the look on Applejack's face, she felt the same way.

"W-well, Apple Bloom, that's not exactly a polite thing to be-"

"It's a'right, Twi'," Applejack interrupted and gave a dismissive shrug. "Apple Bloom's gonna be seein' all o' me perdy soon anyhow. She might as well see wha's involved wit' it."

At this point, Spike climbed down from Twilight's back and hopped down to the floor.

"Alright, you three go and have your fun. I'm gonna get things set up and then started working on dinner since we've got another guest to account for," he announced and proceeded to make his way to the kitchen, leaving the three of them to sort things out for themselves.

"Well then, I guess we'll get this party started," Twilight replied, "if you'll both follow me, we can begin."

The walk to the bathroom was as quiet as it was short, before the three filed inside in preparation for what was about to happen.

Apple Bloom more or less just stood to the side and watched as Applejack went over to the shower, turned it on, adjusted it to her liking, and then climbed under the spray after setting her hat aside. She was more focused on what was going on rather than what was being said, so she didn't really hear just what was said prior to the sound of Twilight's magic activating, followed shortly by the sight of Applejack's coat washing away as easily as one would wash mud right off of a shovel.

She really didn't know what to think, as it all just seemed to happen so fast; faster than she could properly process what she was seeing as it happened. The only thought going through her mind at the moment was how Applejack kinda looked like one of their pigs back on the farm, what with her mottled, pinkish skin fully visible now. Not that she'd ever actually say that sort of thing out loud, but the thought was still there.

"So that's all there is to it?" she finally asked as the shower was turned off.

"That's all there is to it," Twilight confirmed as Applejack vigorously shook herself much like Winona would after a bath, before grabbing one of the present towels.

"Wow," was the only thing that came to Apple Bloom's mind for a response. Actually seeing it done was a whole lot different from simply hearing Twilight's explanation, and mentally getting lost somewhere along the course of it. This was... well it was something else.

"Are you good, Applejack?" Twilight asked.

"Ah will be," Applejack confirmed as the gently patted herself dry. "Still feels a might strange bein' like this again, all furless an' such. But tha's how ya experience new things an' figure 'em out."

"So..." Apple Bloom spoke up slowly and turned her attention over to Twilight. "Do ya have ta be here ta cast the spell? An' if ya do does that mean ponies basically need ta ask yer permission ta go bald?"

"Hmm, that's actually a very good question," Twilight replied as she rubbed her chin in thought. "I hadn't considered that before, but now that you mention it, I guess I could see that sort of implication in it all. Of course that's not exactly what I want in the case. If ponies want to come in and shed their fur for a couple of hours to cool off from the heat the day, they shouldn't feel like they need my permission to do it. That sort of perspective might actually serve to detract the others from trying it for themselves if they wanted. I might have to look into that, and see if there's anything I can actually do about that; something that would let ponies do it for themselves if they wanted. that could, in turn, serve to help others as well. Thank you, Apple Bloom!"

Apple Bloom could do nothing to suppress the proud smile she had in response. Even if the subject was related to something she didn't entirely understand, the fact that she'd still wound up managing to help was hard to play off as being nothing.

"A'right, Ah'm good ta go," Applejack spoke up as she hung up the towel she was using. "Let's get this started. It's been hotter than the boiler room o' Tartarus all day long an' Ah just wanna cool off before supper."

"Well then, if everypony will follow me to the library, you're in for a treat. We have everything prepared for a nice, cool, relaxing evening. Spray bottles, cold compresses, the softest cotton sheets we could find, oscillating fans, and something brand new that shows a whole lot of promise," Twilight stated as she turned to lead the way out of the room.

Had she been paying closer attention, she would've realized the others hadn't yet followed her, and had more or less been left behind.

Apple Bloom could only look on as Applejack stepped out of the shower and into full, unobstructed view as she donned her stetson hat once more, leaving her uncertain of just where to look right at the moment. She knew she shouldn't stare, but the sight of her sister standing so casually without her fur on was just...

She knew she shouldn't stare, and she didn't want to. But at the same time she didn't want to look away either.

"Ya a'right, Apple Bloom?" Applejack asked as she stepped closer.

"This is all jus' so weird, seein' you an' Twilight walkin' aroun' all bald an' such like it's no big deal," Apple Bloom stated. "Ya look like, er..."

"Like a freshly sheered lamb?" Applejack suggested.

"Er, Ah was gonna say one o' the pigs, but that sounds a whole lot better," Apple Bloom replied.

Applejack chuckled in response. "Ah thought the same thing when Ah first saw Twilight. Although when Rarity first saw 'er, she said a plucked chicken because of 'er wings."

Despite herself, Apple Bloom laughed at that. The idea that Rarity might've actually said something like that was just too hysterical.

"A'right, let's get goin', Ah wanna park mahself in front of a fan an' get a damp towel on mah neck. The heat out was too much today," Applejack stated.

Apple Bloom simply nodded, already feeling less apprehensive about tonight than she had just minutes previously. Maybe tonight wouldn't be so weird after all.

With everyone reconvening together in the library, the first thing Applejack did was step over to Twilight's current position as she was in the process of telekineticly wringing out a soaking wet towel over a plastic tote filled with water and other towels in a similar state. She didn't even bother to ask, instead just lowering her head to allow for it to be placed on the back of her neck. Slightly chilled but not shockingly so, much to her delight.

"Wet towel, Apple Bloom?" Twilight asked as another was plucked out of the tote and wrung out of any excess water it still had.

"It sure looks like one," Apple Bloom replied. Laughter followed from the others in the room, before she realized her mistake. "Oh. Ah mean sure."

Even through her fur, the coolness of the rag could still be felt against the back of her neck as it was slipped under her mane, which was a welcome sensation right now.

Twilight then proceeded to ring out a third towel, and drape it over her own neck as well. "Much better."

"Ah'll say," Applejack readily agreed. This was nice in itself already, but she was still looking forward to more. "So what've ya got planned fer tonight, Twilight?"

"Well if there are no objections, I thought we'd start with dinner, hayburgers and fries, then maybe move onto dessert, and then whatever we might feel like doing to pass the time until we turn in. Reading, board games, lounging in the coolness, we can do pretty much whatever we want. There's no way this follows the standard slumber party structure, so we're more or less winging it, scary as that might sound."

"Ah reckon we can make do wit' that. It worked well enough the first time around," Applejack replied and shrugged, not seeing any point in changing a formula they already knew worked.

"Ah could kinda go fer a drink right now. Can Ah grab one from the cooler?" Apple Bloom asked and gestured over to where said item sat in the library.

"Oh! About that, there are no drinks in there. That's for the new thing I promised for tonight," Twilight stated. "If you'll be so kind as to follow me and turn your attention to the box fan."

The Apple sisters looked at each other in confusion, before following Twilight to see just what she was up to. She then proceeded to open the cooler, and started pulling a number of half-liter, frozen water bottles out, and proceeded to hang them on the fan.

"In simplest terms, what we have here is an air conditioner. The frozen water bottles are hung on the front of the fan with a stainless steel S-hooks and some rot-resistant nylon cord from Barnyard Bargains. The fan blade draws air in from the back, and pushes it out over the front, over the surface of the water bottles at accelerated speeds, serving to reduce the temperature of the air in the process as it passes over them," she explained.

"And that works?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Quite well actually. The air coming out is almost chilly in comparison," Twilight replied as she finished hanging the last of the bottles on the front. "See for yourselves."

The effect wasn't instantaneous as the fan was switched on. But the air coming out of the front end was undoubtedly cooler, and it wasn't long before it started producing goosebumps to appear on Applejack and Twilight's exposed skin.

"Well paint me yellow and call me a stick o' butter," Applejack chuckled, despite the involuntary shiver she gave from the cold air blowing across her. "Twi', Ah might have ta borrow this from ya fer Sweet Apple Acres sometime. This'd make sleepin' a lot easier some nights."

"Well it's still a work in progress, barely more than a concept at this point. But I certainly wouldn't object to you and your family using it if you'd like. Although... the coverage area isn't all that great," Twilight reluctantly admitted. "You might need five or even six of them to account for individual bedrooms, the parlor, and the kitchen. This design is really only good for one room at best."

"Any port in a storm, Sugarcube," Applejack replied and shrugged dismissively. Even if they only covered a single room, it would still do a lot more good than what they had right now.

"Alright," Twilight nodded, "I'll see what I can do. But for the time being I think I'll go and see if I can help Spike get dinner ready. You two sit down, cool off, and relax."

"If ya say so, Twilight," Applejack replied and gave another dismissive shrug, seeing no reason to argue with their most generous host.

Once again, the two sisters found themselves alone in the room.

"So, Apple Bloom, whadda ya think so far?"

"Well..." Apple Bloom paused as she tried to think of how to respond. Right now her thoughts were far too much of a mix of confusion. "Ah really like the air conditioner, it feels really good. An' Twilight's bein' real friendly an' all, so... Ah guess Ah'm enjoying myself so far?"

Applejack stepped closer and tussled Apple Bloom's mane with her hoof.

"Don' try an' force it, Sugarcube, it'll come to ya in time. Jus' give it a chance an' relax."

Apple Bloom nodded in response, more out of reflex to show she was listening, rather than fully comprehending the advice. She honestly hoped she could do that, but right now she wasn't so sure.

At the moment all she could do was hope Applejack was right, and that she'd get the answers she was looking for. Answers that hadn't come from Twilight's explanation, her conversation with Applejack, or her conversation with Rarity. If those answers actually existed, this was probably the best place to go about finding them.

Nineteen

"These don' really look like hay fries ta me..." Apple Bloom commented as she looked at the plate before her suspiciously.

The interim period between when they'd arrived at the palace and dinner being ready had been... well it'd been weird, that was the only way she could describe it. There had been a surreal sort of aspect to seeing Applejack sitting in front of the air conditioner, all the while completely bald, and treating it all like it was no big deal.

If asked, she wouldn't know which aspect was the weirder to witness; the baldness, or just how casually it was being presented. Or maybe it was the fact it was Applejack that made it all seem weird. She'd had the time to come to grips with Twilight enjoying her own baldness, but her own sister? That one she wasn't too sure about; not yet anyway.

Fortunately the timely arrival of dinner provided a welcomed distraction from the subject at hoof before it could become anymore awkward. But now she had even more questions, as the food was... different than what she'd expected.

"That's because they're not hay fries. They're something new called "french fries" made from thinly cut potatoes deep fried in grease," Twilight explained from where she sat at the dining room table. "Supposedly the name comes from them being french cut, whatever that means. They're more work to prepare than hay fries, but they're oh so very good," she concluded before popping several into her mouth and munching happily on them.

Apple Bloom looked at Twilight enjoying her food, before turning back to her own plate and reached out to sample it. To her delight Twilight wasn't exaggerating. The fries were crispy without being hard, still warm, and covered with enough salt to make the flavor just short of exquisite to her young taste buds. She might've moaned a bit as she chewed, but she didn't know for certain.

"Ah don' even want the hayburger now, Ah'll take a plate full o' these!"

Twilight wasn't certain she wanted to smile or giggle at the moment. So she did both instead.

"I can certainly agree with that sentiment. But I didn't know if everypony would actually like them, so I only made a couple of potatoes worth. I'm afraid that's all there is for tonight."

"Oh," Apple Bloom replied and frowned. So much for that idea. "Well dang."

"Yeah, they are pretty good," Spike agreed, "although I prefer potato chips myself."

Twilight let out a laugh/moan/shudder combination that, in any other context, would probably come off as downright obscene or perverted. Had it not been for the fact that she was surrounded by others who had at least some understanding of how she was.

"We're so making those the next time," she stated and grinned.

"One o' ya wanna clue me in here?" Applejack asked, idly feeling like she was missing out on some sort of in-joke or something.

Spike looked over at Twilight, who looked back at him before nodding, and looking back at Applejack.

"In simple terms, potato chips are very similar to french fries. They're parchment-thin slices of potatoes that've been fried up until they're crispy, but they're a whole lot lighter. The same amount of potatoes that went into making these french fries, when turned into chips, would yield a presentation four or five times that of the fries because of how they stack up. They're more work but they're extremely delicious, without being all that filling," she explained. "The only downside is, once you start eating them, you don't want to stop because of just how good they are. So you wind up tempted to make way more of them to account for such."

Applejack couldn't help but be amused by Twilight's enthusiasm. Or maybe it was excitement. Whatever it was, it was kinda cute to watch. Plus the fries really were good, so it was hard to imagine just how much better the chips might be. But she'd probably find out for herself soon enough.

"Ya keep goin' on like that and yer gonna wind up gainin' some weight yet," she pointed out, before stopping to take a bite of her dinner while it was still hot. "No offense er nothin', Twi', but yer butt's even bonier without yer fur coverin' it."

Spike nearly choked on a fry as he erupted into laughter at Applejack's comment, caught completely off guard by hearing it and unable to do anything but laugh in response.

Which in turn resulted in Apple Bloom losing her composure, and her focus on dinner, as she too succumbed to laughter.

"Ah can't believe ya jus' said that!" she -barely- managed to get out.

"Well she's not exactly wrong," Twilight admitted as she did her best to turn her upper body in a way that would let her more easily glance back at her rump. "When I became an alicorn, everything on me was shifted around; both muscle and fat. Rarity had to get all new measurements for me because nothing fit right anymore. We actually had to modify one of her ponnequins to account for such."

"Huh. Ah didn' know that," Applejack replied and scratched the side of her head, before wincing at the amount of pressure she'd wound up using without realizing it. She decided then to pull her hoof back and reevaluate her approach. This whole furless thing was going to take some getting used to.

Twilight nodded. "Add to that, my metabolism seems to be higher as an alicorn than when I was still a unicorn. I'd estimate an approximate seven percent increase in the rate it works. Although I admit that I don't have any hard scientific data to say for certain, since I didn't think to gather any before my ascension. It doesn't sound like that big of a deal, but my stomach hasn't grown enough to comfortably accommodate an appropriate amount of food yet, so I'm essentially burning through my meals faster than I used to. So I need to eat more throughout the day just to keep pace. Even just gaining weight can be a challenge right now."

"An' Ah'm guessin' havin' ta regrow yer fur from scratch all the time doesn' really help matters either," Apple Bloom surmised.

Twilight shook her head. "It really doesn't. But it's the price I choose to pay for doing something that I enjoy as much as I do. Nothing in life is free, no matter what it might be. So... I guess I'm just stuck with having a bony butt."

That last one had earned a round of snorting and amused chuckles from everyone present at the table, even from Twilight.

"Alright, enough on that subject, let's talk about something else," she announced.

"Less talking, more eating. Dinner's gonna get cold. We can talk about stuff later," Spike called, before immediately returning focus to the food in front of him.

"Ah can go along wit' that," Apple Bloom replied, before taking Spike's lead and diving back into her fries.

"Yeah, okay, that works," Twilight agreed. They had the whole night to themselves, so they weren't exactly pressed for time to get anything done. They had nearly six hours before they even needed to consider turning in for the night.

Dinner first, dessert second, talking third. Hopefully.

As much as Applejack liked the air conditioner, the combination of it, the wet towel, and a bowl of ice cream was just a bit too much chill for her own comfort. So with dinner concluded, and dessert now up in the comfort of the library, she was sitting just off to the side at the edge of the chilled air, letting Spike, Apple Bloom, and Twilight lounge in the direct current. Her skin was just a bit too sensitive for it all simultaneously.

Honestly, she kind of wanted to cover up for a bit with one of the sheets draped on the couch.

Although her thoughts were interrupted by an excited squawk from Twilight when a bit of ice cream fell off her spoon and landed right on her exposed belly. That had earned at least a couple of giggles, before Twilight recomposed herself and used her towel to wipe away the offending blob.

And then Spike went and demonstrated he was king of bad table manners by slurping the melted remnants of his ice cream down, in truly atrocious fashion.

"You're such a little pig!" Twilight stated, doing her best to sound annoyed, while simultaneously trying to suppress the urge to laugh at the crude display.

"Oink, oink," Spike replied dismissively, which just served to make Twilight's plight even worse, and weaken her resolve further.

Apple Bloom, however, laughed without so much as a second thought.

"Apple Bloom," Twilight managed to squeak out, "don't encourage him, please! It just motivates him to be worse!" she rushed to say before losing the battle and finally succumbing to her own laughter.

Applejack just smirked and shook her head at the display. Her friends could be such children at times. But that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"Alright," Twilight finally breathed, before downing her last bit of ice cream. "If everypony's done with dessert, we can move onto the next part of the evening."

"Which is?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Well, as chaotic and disorganized as it might sound, pretty much whatever we want to do. Games, reading, lounging in the cool air, pillow fights, pretty much anything," Twilight explained.

"Ah reckon Ah can go along wit' that," Applejack replied and nodded.

"Alright then," Twilight agreed, before procuring the empty bowls and spoons. "I'll tend to the dishes. Spike, you go and raid the game closet."

"Aye, aye," Spike replied with a mock salute, before hopping off his spot on the couch to go and do his assigned duty.

Leaving Applejack and Apple Bloom in a -slightly- less awkward silence than the last time.

"So..." Apple Bloom spoke up as she tried to do something -anything- to broach that silence. "How 'bout this weather we're havin'?"

"Apple Bloom..."

Quietly, Apple bloom looked back towards her sister at hearing her name spoken.

"Ah get this is all kinda awkward an' such. It kinda is fer me too," Applejack admitted.

"It is?" Apple Bloom asked. Applejack nodded, but otherwise didn't offer up any sort of explanation. "So then... wha' do we do about it?"

"Ah don' rightly know. This ain' exactly a natural pony concept," Applejack replied and shrugged. "Ah reckon we jus' try an' make the best of it an' such."

"Oh..."

More silence. More awkward silence as they waited for the others to get back.

"Applejack?"

"Yeah, Sugarcube?"

Apple Bloom bit at her lip uneasily, before she continued speaking. "Could Ah see wha' yer skin feels like?"

The request struck Applejack as being a might bit weird. But then again she was sitting around in a very un-ponylike manner right now, with nothing covering her but her stetson hat. At this point weird was in the eye of the beholder.

"Ah don' reckon it'd hurt anypony," she replied and shrugged.

Apple Bloom's approach as she climbed up on the couch was slow, cautious, almost like she was approaching a snoozing manticore. She reached out carefully, gently placing her hoof against her older sister's foreleg, pressing the underside up against the exposed skin.

"That feels weird," she stated bluntly, but nonetheless kept going, slowly trailing up and down Applejack's foreleg, letting her hoof brush against the contours of her muscles just below the surface. It was weird, but that didn't necessarily mean she wanted to stop.

Applejack doing her best not to squirm at being touched was also weird. But she wasn't objecting, so that was good at least.

Before things had the chance to become anymore awkward than they already were, she could hear the sound of squeaking wheels approaching down the hallway. Never -or at least rarely- in her life had Apple Bloom ever been so thankful for an interruption to occur in such a timely manner.

An interruption that came in the form of Spike hauling in a wagon that was loaded with board games. It looked like he'd taken Twilight's instructions of raiding the game closet quite literally.

"Good night," Applejack mumbled as she sat up straighter on the couch. "How many games ya got there, Spike?"

"Yes," Spike replied.

She nearly pointed out the question wasn't the yes or no type, but decided to let the matter rest, and instead see what they had to choose from. Something that Apple Bloom was already on top of as she had hopped off the couch to better scan the titles.

As she did, her eyes lit up with joy.

"No way! They've got "Hazard: The Game o' World Conquest" too!" she stated with all the excitement one would usually reserve for happening upon rare treasure.

"Huh. How 'bout that," Applejack remarked as Apple Bloom eagerly pulled the box out of the pile to look over it.

"Wait, wait, You play Hazard?" Spike asked.

Apple Bloom nodded. "We play with Big Mac a lot at home, but we can never beat 'im at it. But, if we can get in some practice..." she let her sentence trail off, leading to her best attempt at an evil grin to let it convey what she was thinking.

"Then we might be able ta whomp 'im next time," Applejack concluded, to which Apple Bloom eagerly nodded. "Well, we'll wait an' see wha' Twilight wants ta play, but Ah could go fer a game o' Hazard wit' some new faces."

Hearing this, Spike mimicked Apple Bloom's grin at the prospect of what was to come.

Playing Hazard with Twilight was, officially, the worst idea Apple Bloom could ever remember having in recent history. At least as far as this week went.

It'd all started out looking like it might be promising for them. But that had quickly turned out to be a false hope as Twilight demonstrated she knew what she was doing very, very well as she played.

She and Applejack were no slouches when it came to playing, but there was no denying that they were nothing in comparison. As far as she was concerned, she'd easily give Big Mac a run for his money at this game.

She had tried her best to achieve some small measure of victory, something she could be proud of. But as the night dragged on, the more apparent it became that there would be no such victories to be had. The best she could hope for at this point was to hang out long enough to make Twilight's victory the pyrrhic kind, where the resource cost of winning was simply far too high to justify.

Perhaps what made it worse was just how casual Twilight was about it. She did absolutely nothing to rub her victories in their faces, all the while carrying on as if it was good old-fashioned fun they were experiencing. But after so many hours of focus and effort, it was hard to be having fun at this point.

All she could really do at this point was let out a yawn, and prop her head up on her foreleg to try and stay focused. Or at least somewhat conscious. At this point it was hard to tell what the true difference between the two even was.

"Ya look beat, Apple Bloom," she heard Applejack comment, but made no move to visually acknowledge being addressed.

"She hasn' beaten me yet," she mumbled, doing her best not to yawn too loudly. "Bring yer A-game, Princess, Ah'm only gettin' warmed up..."

"I think what she means, Apple Bloom, is you look exhausted. Which you really do right now," Twilight pointed out from over where she sat at the table.

"Ah'm fine," Apple Bloom muttered and stubbornly pushed herself back into a properly upright position. She was not forfeiting, or giving up, or losing this battle due to exhaustion.

"C'mon, Surgarcube, ain' no use in fightin' it," Applejack told her.

"Ah've not yet begun ta fight," Apple Bloom replied defiantly. "First Ah'm gonna whomp Twilight, and then you're next fer not supporting mah campaign ta conquer New Fetlock."

"Uh, Apple Bloom," Spike spoke up, "you started out with New Fetlock when Twilight let you pick. You can't exactly conquer your own country."

Apple Bloom blinked slowly, and looked down as she tried to focus her eyes on what pieces and notes she currently had. Sure enough, there at the top of her tally list was New Fetlock.

"Ah guess Ah am tired..." she admitted reluctantly.

"Maybe it's best if we call it a night," Twilight suggested as she rotated her withers, before glancing over at the clock. When she saw it she found it necessary to do a double-take. Had they really been playing that long? Now the idea of turning in sounded really appealing. "Spike, I'll show Applejack to her room, why don't you show Apple Bloom to hers?"

"Yeah, that works for me," Spike replied as he stretched and stood up from his seat. "C'mon, Apple Bloom, I'll show you the way."

Apple Bloom nodded wordlessly as she got up and followed Spike out of the room, her posture slouching and eyelids as she did.

As the two youngest members of the party left, Applejack could see the look on Twilight's face slowly shifting from upbeat to sad. Or at least that's what it looked like to her.

"I should probably apologize for how this evening went, Applejack."

"Whadda ya mean by that, Twi'?"

"I don't think I did a very good job of being a host for this sleepover. I didn't keep things on track, and instead allowed the night to be consumed with a game of Hazard despite knowing it could take hours to complete a campaign," Twilight explained, before sighing tiredly. "I'm sorry about that, Applejack. Whatever tonight could've been, it was ruined."

"Twi'," Applejack spoke up, "pardon mah Prench an' all, but tha's a load o' bullcrap."

Twilight blinked in surprise, honestly not expecting to hear that.

"Sugarcube, we usually play a game o' Hazard once or twice a week back home. This was perdy much jus' like a night with family for me."

"Really?" Twilight asked. Applejack nodded. "Well that's good, I guess. But I thought you wanted to have this sleepover so you could get a better understanding on what being a nudist is like."

"Ah did," Applejack replied and nodded again as she smiled. "An' Ah did. Ya gave me plenty ta think on an' figure out when we sat down with Rarity. Ah knew then that Ah'd support ya in all this. This here was jus' so Ah could see what it's like goin' without mah fur on fer mahself."

"Oh," Twilight replied, finding herself equal parts happy and curious from Applejack's statement. "So... what do you think?"

"Ah'll share that with ya tomorrow, Sugarcube, when Ah'm not so plum tuckered out. Right now Ah'd like ta jus' get some shuteye if ya don' mind. That game kinda wore me out," Applejack replied.

"Oh! Right. Of course. Silly me," Twilight replied with an awkward giggle. "If you'll just follow me..."

"Ah was more tired before Ah got here," Apple Bloom commented as she stepped into what was assigned as her room for the evening. "Ah don' know if Ah'll be able ta get ta sleep now."

"Yeah, I know that feeling," Spike replied. "You wanna come back to my room and read comic books?" he asked, gesturing behind himself and out the door.

"Ah'm down," Apple Bloom agreed.

The pair quickly relocated, setting up and making themselves comfortable on the bed while Spike withdrew a cardboard box filled with comics from underneath. And with reading material secured, they settled into a companionable silence side by side, slowly becoming absorbed into their own respective worlds.

"Is it weird bein' around Twilight without 'er fur on?"

Or at least one of them did, as the other failed to get anywhere.

"Sometimes," Spike admitted, before turning the page. "But then again there are times it's weird to be around Twilight even with her fur on. Ya know?"

Apple Bloom snorted and nodded in response. There were definitely times that was the case.

"Honestly Ah don' know wha's weirder fer me right now. That both are sisters are completely bald, how casual they're bein' 'bout it, or the fact it's startin' ta seem like it's not all that weird."

Spike could do little more than shrug in response. "It's a new experience. You get used to it."

"Ah guess," Apple Bloom replied, before eventually returning to the pages of her comic book.

Something had disturbed Twilight's sleep. Although in her tired haze it was hard to figure out if she was truly awake or simply still dreaming at the moment. Had she even been asleep?

In the darkness of her room, something sounded and broke the silence. Something that sounded like a tapping at the bedroom door.

She yawned and awkwardly climbed out of bed, before casting a basic illumination spell, bathing the immediately area in a soft purple light; one that experience had taught her provided an adequate amount of light to see by, while simultaneously being easy enough on light-sensitive eyes in the middle of the night.

The tapping sounded once again, just before she reached the door and opened it to see who/what was on the other side. With the who turning out to be Applejack, wearing a look she could only describe as being one of embarrassment.

"Hey, Twi'," she greeted uneasily. "D-did Ah wake ya up?"

"Yes," Twilight replied simply, "but I know you wouldn't without a good reason. What's up? Besides us?"

"Ah can't sleep," Applejack admitted, her demeanor quite foalish as she stood there in the doorway. "Ah've been tryin' ta sleep fer an hour now, but it jus' feels like Ah'm laying in raw burlap. Every little move hurts an' itches at mah skin, an' Ah can't get comfy no matter what Ah do."

"Oh..." Twilight replied all too knowingly, immediately remembering her own experiences when she was free to be more open with her own bald experiences. There had definitely been discomfort involved during the early days, especially with certain fabrics over others.

"Yeah..." Applejack replied as she glanced more at the floor than anywhere else. "Sorry ta bug ya fer somethin' so stupid."

Twilight shook her head. "It's not stupid, Applejack, don't think like that. Believe me, I understand what you're talking about. I had the same experiences and... huh. I think I know what's wrong. And if I'm right then it's my fault."

"Whadda ya mean, Twi'?" Applejack asked, not really understanding what her friend was getting at.

"To put in simplest terms, a possible laundry snafu," Twilight replied and let out an annoyed sigh, more for herself than anyone else. "Back at the beginning, when I could more freely go nude around the palace, I learned the hard way that not all fabrics and bare skin go together comfortably. When you have a fur coat on you don't notice, but without that coat you do notice. Spike and I eventually solved that problem with the right mix of laundry detergents and fabric softeners. But even so, we didn't think to wash all of the bedding in every guest room of the palace. Without asking Spike, I don't know how many sets were treated."

"Oh," Applejack replied.

Now it was Twilight's turn to nod as she glanced toward the floor. "I'm sorry, Applejack. I obviously didn't think this through too well."

"Naw, naw, don' go feelin' like that Sugarcube, we all make mistakes. This didn' ruin the evening any, so don' start thinkin' like that," Applejack told her in a firm yet friendly voice.

"That's a servicable enough excuse at this hour, I suppose," Twilight replied, before giving a dismissive shrug. "Look, it's late, I'm tired, I'm sure you're tired, and there's a lot that needs to get sorted out, but it's way too late at night to do that right now. We both need to get some sleep, so... would you like to come in and we'll bunk together in my bed for the night? I've got two pillows on it for the sake of symmetry."

"Ah've got no objections. Wouldn' really be the first time somepony's had ta double up at a slumber party."

With that matter resolved the two made their way over to the bed, slipping in under the covers and getting themselves situated.

"Oh yeah, now that feels much better," Applejack stated, taking a few experimental rolls and rubs against the sheets to test things out, even grinding her back against the mattress to address an itch that'd been building.

"Do you think you'll be able to sleep now?" Twilight asked as she watched her friend's antics as she got herself comfortable on her half of the bed.

"Ah don' think Ah can not sleep, now that Ah'm not itchin' mahself jus' by breathin'. Right now yer bed's as comfy as the couch in the library was," Applejack stated.

"Alright," Twilight replied and smiled, before laying back down. With that matter adequately addressed, she could more easily rest tonight, without having to worry. There would be time for worrying tonight. "Goodnight Applejack."

"G'night Sugarcube."

Author's Note

I am very not happy here. There is no reason, no excuse, for how long this took to write. Nor am I happy with the feel of it. Yet there's nothing I can do to make it feel right.

Twenty

The bed was a lot lumpier than Apple Bloom remembered it being. At least she thought it was a bed she was currently resting on; in her sleep-fogged brain, she honestly didn't remember much of anything at the moment. Nor was she particularly in the mood to.

She rolled over in an effort to find a more comfortable spot in hopes of drifting back to sleep again for some much-wanted rest. But her efforts only went halfway, as her movement was hindered by something, and her new position was even more uncomfortable than previously.

The discomfort eventually proved to be greater than the desire for more sleep, motivating her to open her eyes, and survey her surroundings to see just what was the source of said discomfort.

Finding herself sleeping on top of Spike was definitely not what she'd expected to encounter. Yet here she was, doing just that.

She vaguely recalled the two of them staying up and reading comic books to untold hours of the night. She thought she remembered leaning against him at one point. But after that details got to be fuzzier than a wool sweater and she couldn't really remember much of anything.

Spike grunted beneath her as she tried to move off of him, doing his best to stretch and eventually open his eyes, coming face to face with her.

"Morning," he greeted absently without a second thought.

"Mornin'," she replied before completely climbing off of him. "Do ya remember wha' went on last night?"

"Not really. I was kinda focused on the "Antagonizer" comics," Spike replied as he -reluctantly- sat up and scratched at his side. "Did something happen last night?"

Apple Bloom shook her head, opting not to bring up their unusual sleeping positions if he wasn't going to.

Satisfied with the answer, or perhaps just opting not to press further, he shrugged and climbed off the bed to more properly stretch out and twist to limber himself up.

"Do you mind lending a hoof in the kitchen with getting breakfast ready? With as much food as we need this morning, I could use some help."

"Ah reckon Ah can do that," Apple Bloom agreed, more or less hopping off her side of the bed. "Are the rest o' Twilight's friends comin' over fer breakfast?"

"Probably not. But you and Applejack are going back to the farm today, right? She's gonna need a lot of food if she's going to get her fur back on," Spike replied.

"Oh. Right," Apple Bloom replied, immediately recalling what Twilight had told her and her friends the first time they'd made that discovery.

The full scope of the explanation was lost to her at the moment, but she remembered the gist of it being that such rapid regrowth of a pony's full fur coat required a lot of calories, carbohydrates, and a lot of other important nutrients to serve as a course of fuel. And not knowing what the proper amount of intake was... yeah, they were probably going to need a lot of food this morning.

"A'right then," she continued, "what's on the menu fer today?"

Waking up next to one of your best friends? That was more or less par for the course at a slumber party; one had to be prepared to encounter that from time to time.

Waking up next to one of your best friends when you were both bald as billiard balls? Not so much.

Waking up to actually snuggling with one of your best friends when you were both bald as billiard balls? Even less so.

But despite the unlikeliness of it all, that was exactly what Twilight encountered as she woke up to -reluctantly- greet the new day, and become aware of the fact that the two of them were currently holding each other in their forelegs.

Carefully, she tried to inch her way back in bed, hoping to unwind herself from the embrace without disturbing Applejack's own rest in the process. This was probably going to be an awkward situation to explain without the right context; context she couldn't provide since she didn't know what'd happened while they were both unconscious.

But despite those efforts at being careful, Applejack was beginning to stir regardless, and responded by tightening her hold, and pulling her closer to her in what could best be described as a firm hug. A very firm, very naked hug. The type that involved skin against skin, and everything!

The... irony of the situation, wasn't lost on her, even in her own state of tiredness/confusion. Under different circumstances, if they'd both entered this willingly, it was something she might've enjoyed very much. But instead they'd been brought together by mysterious circumstances, had no recollection of it, and all she could think about was trying to slip loose before Applejack could wake up and see them in this mess, which might lead to questions she couldn't possibly even hope to answer.

She could teleport out! That would work! Except... not really. Not with how firmly Applejack was holding onto her right now.

Like it or not, she was just going to have to face the consequences of whatever happened. And if Applejack was upset about it, then she was just going to have to accept that. And as those unfocused green eyes opened, accompanied by a squirm and a yawn, that time of reckoning was going to come much sooner rather than later.

"Um... morning, Applejack," she greeted as best she could.

"Mornin' Twilight," Applejack greeted in turn, before stretching in her current position. "Ya sleep well?"

"Quite well actually. You?" she asked.

"Prob'ly one o' the best night sleeps Ah've had in a long while," Applejack replied.

"Oh. That's good then," she stated, happy to hear at least that. "Just one thing; could you let me go, please?"

It was only then that Applejack seemed to take notice of the situation, slowly glancing up and down to verify for herself what was going on.

"Heh. Ah reckon we rolled over a couple o' times while sleepin'," she chuckled, before slowly retracting her forelegs and relinquishing her grip. "Sorry 'bout that, Twi'."

Twilight shook her head in response. "It's alright. I just didn't want you to wake up and think we, er, did something we shouldn't have."

"Somethin' like what, Sugarcube? Can nudists not hug one another er somethin'?" Applejack asked.

"Oh no, nothing like that; not even close," Twilight replied, while weighing just how to proceed, now that she'd started on this whole mess. "It's just... I was worried you might think that we..."

"Oh," Applejack replied slowly, Twilight's current uneasy state doing far more to convey what she was trying to say, than she could comfortably put into words. She could only shake her head dismissively at this point. "Well, Ah'm glad ya cleared that up fer me. Ah wouldn' wanna be part o' something where Ah can't hug one o' mah friends whenever the notion strikes."

At that, Twilight honestly couldn't help but smile, filled with an overwhelming sense of happiness from Applejack's words.

"I wouldn't want that either," she stated. She then proceeded to slide in, and re-initiaite the hug they'd previously been sharing.

Applejack responded with a wordless sound that resembled contentment as she settled into and returned the hug, holding her friend close.

"So this is what skin-on-skin feels like," she noted, unable to not notice the sensations that were currently being experienced as limbs slid over limbs and other body parts. "This feels kinda funny,"

"A little bit," Twilight admitted. "It felt different on the other side of the portal. I think. I guess it's because humans are conditioned to experiencing sensations on their bare skin. Over here, not so much."

"Ah reckon Ah'll take yer word for it; makes as much sense as anything so far," Applejack replied and shrugged, before disengaging the hug and pulling herself back. "Ya up for some breakfast?"

Twilight nodded and slowly pushed herself up on the bed. "I could definitely go for something to eat. I'm going to need to grow my fur back out later today, and I definitely don't want to do that on an empty stomach."

Applejack shook her head, vividly recalling how she'd felt in the aftermath of her own experience relating to such. Honestly, she couldn't remember a time when she'd felt worse; both like she was starving and barely able to stand on her shaky legs. Had it not been for a quick snack/small meal provided immediately afterward, she probably wouldn't have been able to return to work that day.

The fact Twilight had apparently figured out a way to make it all work for her, just went to show how serious she was about all this, and how dedicated she was to making it work.

"Sounds like a plan then."

"Just... one thing first, please?" Twilight asked. "Last night you said you'd share your thoughts. I was just wondering if now's a good time?"

"Well, Ah don' see why not. No sense keepin' ya in suspense an' all," Applejack agreed, now that she'd been reminded of that particular point. "Like Ah said last night, it was like an evenin' with the family, even if Ah didn' have mah fur on the whole time. There was good food, fun, friends, an' it felt nice being able to come in outta the heat outside. But... Ah jus' don' know if going without mah fur is somethin' Ah'd really like to do mahself. Sorry, Twi'."

"Oh..."

To her credit, Twilight hadn't flinched at Applejack's words. Not visibly at least.

She'd known from the very outset that her interests were niche at best, and that any of her friends could've been opposed to them. She'd known that not everypony would be able to appreciate what she was doing, even if they were polite in their lack of acceptance or appreciation.

She'd known it, but she still thought she would've been more prepared to hear confirmation of such than she just had been. Hearing Applejack's words after everything they'd shared last night, everything that'd been experienced... well that'd hurt more than she'd anticipated it might.

"But Ah only tried it fer one night, so Ah might have ta do it a bit more ta make up mah mind proper," Applejack continued and shrugged. "Maybe around next Saturday?"

The drastic change in mood had been so sudden, Twilight honestly wasn't sure how to respond. At the moment she wasn't entirely certain she'd even heard just right. She had to stop and think to determine if she'd actually heard right.

Again. Applejack wanted to do this again.

Applejack, her friend, actually wanted to come over and spend time with her again, while they were both naked, and she wanted to do it next week!

She practically flew forward as she threw her forelegs around Applejack, pulling her into a tight hug as her body practically surged with positive energy at her words.

"Of course! Of course! Saturday night, or any night you want to!"

Applejack simply smiled warmly and patted Twilight's back with her foreleg. "Ah guess it's a date then. Now, let's see 'bout some breakfast."

A loud POP sounded from the frying pan as it sizzled, sending Apple Bloom dropping down close to the floor. She knew from experience just how treacherous/dangerous hay bacon could be to cook, and how painful it was to have hot grease splatter when it was least expected.

"Maybe I should take over on the bacon," Spike suggested and scooted over to the frying pan. "You take the eggs, I'll take care of this. The grease won't bother me nearly as much."

"Thanks," Apple Bloom replied and picked herself up from the floor, grateful for the opportunity to work on something a little less hazardous. "Ah reckon those scales come in perdy nice for stuff like this."

"Like you wouldn't believe," Spike stated, a sense of pride in his voice as he flipped the sizzling strips of hay bacon over in the pan without issue. "Twilight learned that lesson the hard way. Rule number one of being a nudist: Never fry hay bacon."

Apple Bloom winced in response, getting the idea all too well. If grease burnt through her coat as bad as it did, she didn't want to think about how bad it burnt bare, sensitive skin. "Wha's rule number two then?"

"Never fry hay bacon!"

The two turned at the sound of the voice, to see Twilight and Applejack walking side by side into the kitchen, still as bald as they were the night before.

"It really is that serious; to warrant being mentioned twice," Twilight continued, grimacing as she did.

"Morning you two," Spike greeted, before returning his attention to breakfast in order to avoid burning anything. "Sleep well?"

"Like a baby," Applejack replied, before sniffing at the growing aroma in the kitchen, and giving a moan of approval through her closed mouth. Whatever was cooking right now smelled a lot like a traditional Apple Family Sunday Morning breakfast.

With how everything had gone, she really hadn't expected it today, but she certainly wasn't going to complain or object.

"Better break out yer appetite, sugarcube, you're gonna need it," she added in Twilight's direction.

"Oh, don't worry about me, Applejack, I'm sure I'm up to it," Twilight assured her.

Scrambles eggs and hay bacon. Rye sausage, hash browns, and toast.

If this was the standard breakfast at Sweet Apple Acres on a Sunday morning, then Twilight now understood why Applejack had warned her. In fact, as she sat at the kitchen table, leaning back on her chair and trying not to groan, she understood it quite well.

"I take it back," she sighed and lost the battle to not groan. "I stand, er sit, corrected."

It'd all been so very good. But at the same time so very much. Her eyes had been bigger than her stomach, and her senses of taste and smell had sold her out without so much as a second thought. Leaving her to muster her way through her share of the goods; a task she'd eventually completed, but not with ease.

She was certain she'd be regretting it later on. But right now, it felt worth it.

Over where Applejack sat and ate, she was showing no signs of any difficulty or discomfort. But then again, she supposed that was to be expected from somepony who was accustomed to eating such a feast. To the contrary, she looked quite content.

"Ya keep eatin' like that an we'll fatten ya up yet, sugarcube," she commented and grinned.

"Ugh. I'm already full enough, I feel like I could regrow my coat two or three times before burning off all of that, even though I know that's not really the case," Twilight replied as she leaned back against the chair again. "I probably won't be needing lunch today."

"More for us then," Spike replied and shrugged.

"Well, maybe fer you anyway, Spike," Applejack stated, before turning back to Twilight. "It's been real fun an' all, Twi', an' Ah'm glad ya let me try this out. But we jus' can't stay. Sooner or later Apple Bloom an' Ah need ta be gettin' back ta the farm; there's errands we need ta run an' such."

"Oh... Right..." Twilight replied slowly, her stuffed feeling temporarily being forgotten about.

Ever since her very first sleepover, she knew things had to conclude eventually; her friends would have to return home sooner or later, even if she wanted them to stay. She also knew they would eventually be back for more fun and games at some point. But knowing that, didn't make the conclusion any less unpleasant to experience.

"I should probably be thanking you instead, Applejack. I really appreciate that you wanted to give this a try, and of your own volition rather than out of simply being asked. That... that honestly means a lot to me," she explained.

"No trouble at all, Twi', tha's jus' what friends do fer one another," Applejack replied as she reached over to rub her foreleg. "Besides, Ah can't rightly tell others Ah'm a'right wit' ya doin' it if Ah don' at leas' try it for mahself."

"I guess you're right," Twilight replied and slowly smiled as she returned the gesture. "So, do you want to get ready now?"

"Well..." Applejack paused in thought, "Ah don' feel right just eatin' an' runnin' off like that. Ah'll help with gettin' the dishes done up, an' see where things go from there, 'kay?" she suggested.

Twilight almost objected to the idea of Applejack helping with the work, but managed to stop herself before she spoke up. If Applejack wanted to use assisting with the cleanup as a reason for keeping her fur off for a bit longer, who was she to go and poke holes in her reasoning.

"Sure. I'd like that. It'd only be fair, seeing as how Spike and Apple Bloom did the cooking," she replied and slowly pushed herself up from her chair. "I'll wash, you dry."

As the two older ponies set about cleaning up things from this morning's breakfast, Apple Bloom leaned over to tap Spike on the shoulder to get his attention.

"Did somethin' happen wit' those two las' night that we missed out on?" she asked in a whispered tone, once she was sure they were out of earshot.

Spike looked over in their direction as they stood at the sink, doing their best to share the task of cleanup. He didn't really see anything that was out of place; at least no more out of place than when it was he and Twilight doing the same thing.

"I dunno," he whispered right back and eventually shrugged. "Must've gotten a really good night's sleep, I guess."

Author's Note

There is no excuse, absolutely no excuse, for why this chapter took so long to write. Worse yet, I'm still not happy with it at all. But sometimes, it's better to turn out a lemon, than not turn out anything at all.

Twenty One

There was something out of place that was throwing off the organization and orderly mess of Rarity's inspiration room, and she knew it. In fact she knew it very, very well. She could feel it right down in her bones, as the out of place aspect was practically projecting interference rays into her mind, rendering her unable to concentrate or create.

But so help her, she didn't know just what it was that was currently out of place, and throwing her out of sorts. Knowing it existed, and knowing what existed, were two entirely different things, and were sorely incompatible at the moment.

Was it the thread? Had somepony snuck in and rearranged her spools when she wasn't looking? Were the hues of blue no longer in their proper order?

Her eyes carefully swiveled to the left, and then methodically to the right, and then finally back to the center as she slowly scanned the spools, giving each and every one of them the care and attention they so richly deserved from the service they provided her.

Whatever the disturbance she was, she was certain it didn't lay with the thread; not in the spools at least. Perhaps the problem was in the bobbins? Or maybe with the bolts of fabric themselves?

"So help me, my dear little nuisance, I will find you. And then once I do, I swear that I will end you..." she growled in a velvety smooth, annoyed tone of voice as she stood up straighter.

"Might I be of assistance?"

The voice from behind was certainly unexpected, especially considering who it belonged to.

Immediately she spun around and caught sight of Princess Luna leaning against the doorway as she looked back at her, all the while wearing a friendly smile. And just as immediately her mood improved, as the presence of said princess assured her that this was but a bothersome dream she was presently stuck in.

"Your highness! To what do I owe the honor of your visit?" she asked.

"I sensed the forming of a nightmare in the vicinity. And when I followed the disturbance, I traced it back to you," Luna explained as she stepped into the room. "I figured I would step in and intervene in a preemptive manner, if there are no objections."

"Objections? Oh, goodness no!" Rarity replied and quickly shook her head. It would be positively rude to send her away when she was looking to help. "Honestly, I'd appreciate all the help I can get right now. I've spent what feels like the last hour, searching for something that feels out of place. And quite frankly it's interfering with what could potentially be an otherwise pleasant dreams. Possibly even a source of inspiration for future works in the waking world. One simply never knows when or where it will strike them."

"Of course," Luna replied ad she stepped closer. "Before we begin, however, I must ask you a question. Your present circumstances as they apply to yourself specifically; do you consider them to be a dream, or a nightmare?"

Rarity blinked in response. "I'm... sorry? I don't believe I understand the question."

Luna said nothing in response, opting instead to simply conjure a medium-sized wall mirror, and held it out to her.

Rarity looked in the mirror in confusion, and immediately went wide-eyed while her pupils simultaneously dilated to near pinpoints at the sight; she was utterly devoid of her magnificent white coat, and her luxurious deep purple mane, leaving nothing but her bare pink skin behind.

She was utterly and completely bald!

Just as immediately, she shrieked in terror and shrunk back to the furthest away corner of the room, frantically trying to summon the loose fabric about the room to drape over herself in an effort to hide from view; both that of Luna's and her own.

"Nightmare it is then," Luna surmised, before discarding the mirror once its purpose was served.

She tapped her hoof once against the room's floor, sending out a pulse like a ripple spreading across the surface of the pond. An instant after contact was made, Rarity's visage was restored to what it normally was, much to the latter's relief.

Once certain she had her coat back on, and was once again decent, Rarity allowed herself to slump to the ground in a sitting position and drop the fabric she'd desperately surrounded herself with.

"Thank you, Darling, I appreciate that so much," she breathed in a relieved sigh. "What a truly frightening development to experience!"

"Yes, I apologize for that. I would have intervened much sooner, but I first needed to verify the matter," Luna stated. "I must admit, the developments with Twilight Sparkle have made the job somewhat more complicated as a result when it comes to this particular subject."

Rarity nodded in understanding, unable to argue against that particular point of fact, as it was simply the truth of the matter. Twilight and her being a nudist did make things more difficult in comparison to how things had been previously. But that simply went along with having friends who maintained their own unique interests; hardly something worth ending a friendship over, just something to be mindful of.

"It does a bit, yes," she replied, suppressing the urge to let out a very un-ladylike sigh. "Honestly, I've been afraid of finding myself in a situation like this for some time now."

"Like this?" Luna asked.

"Yes, like this. Finding myself trapped in a nightmare where I've been completely stripped of my fur, being confronted by you face-to-face, having to explain myself to you, and quite possibly outing a friend and her unique tastes in the process," Rarity explained. "It was such a relief to me when Twilight told us that you were in the know, and supportive of her."

Had Twilight not possessed the good sense -to say nothing of the common decency- to inform their little group of such a development, this could've been a very bad situation she currently found herself in. But fortunately that wasn't the case. And rather than being a potentially catastrophic development, this was merely an embarrassing moment worth forgetting.

"Oh. Yes, I can certainly understand that sort of worry," Luna replied and nodded in agreement. "Twilight sparkle is quite fortunate to have you on her side. Keeping a secret for a friend when it causes stress is not the easiest thing in the world to do."

"No, it certainly isn't," Rarity agreed, "but, what're friends for, if not helping when times are tough?"

"A fair question. One for which I do not have the answer," Luna admitted, before shrugging dismissively. "Would you mind if I asked a question in turn?"

"Not at all, feel free to ask."

"How are you holding up in all of this, with everything that has been going on recently?"

Rarity blinked, caught a bit off guard by the question. The way the discussion had been going, she'd honestly expected something relating to Twilight, not herself. But she certainly wouldn't object to the difference in subject.

"Honestly? Not as well as I'd like to, I'm afraid," she sighed and sat on her haunches. "It's all a rather long and self-centered story; you wouldn't really be interested in hearing it."

"I have the time if you are willing to share," Luna assured her, "and I am willing to listen to what you may have to say. What are friends for, if not helping when times are tough?"

She honestly hadn't expected that to be thrown back at her, and certainly not with such a short turnaround. And yet here she was, and yet it had been.

"Very well then. Just don't say I didn't warn you..."

The surroundings had been swapped out for something more comfortable than the work room, even if it was just the shop's foyer, accompanied by a pair of incredibly comfortable chaise lounges turned to face each other, and a rather enjoyable blend of tea and cookies to satisfy the mind's desire for refreshments.

Luna reclined and listened patiently as Rarity readily accepted the offer to unburden herself to somepony who would listen to what she had to say, and not judge her for saying it.

She listened silently, her expression neutral yet supportive as Rarity spoke, while said unicorn was doing her best to balance both an honest explanation of things as she saw them, and trying not to sound too much like she was whining in a self-absorbed fashion about problems she thought were greater than those of anypony else.

Commendable in her opinion, but entirely unnecessary as far as she was concerned.

As best she could tell, based on what she was hearing, Rarity's problems largely stemmed from the fashionista taking on far too many responsibilities -far more than anypony could reasonably ask her to manage- and was slowly being crushed under the increasing weight of all of them piling up, even if she didn't realize it. Or worse, she did realize the fact, but was denying it actually was fact even to herself, and refusing to acknowledge it as being the truth.

There was the amount of support she was providing Twilight in her endeavors, which was significant in itself since it was support relating to a topic she didn't particularly care for. There was Applejack and her uncertainties of whether or not they were doing the right thing in their support, right along with her own burgeoning curiosity on the subject. There was Pinkie and the matter of her traumas, a matter she took great displeasure in at hearing of such. Their group in general, all-encompassing terms. And then there were the matters of her own duties and responsibilities to both business and family, that had to be tended to on top of everything else she had saddled herself with.

That last one had been a topic mentioned only in passing, but she knew it was still a significant aspect. Being the guardian of dreams, one would be hard pressed to get anything past her.

Honestly, it was borderline miraculous she was holding up as well as she presently was. A single pony could only serve as a linchpin for so long, before the strain became too much for that. Her sister knew that fact quite well. As did the palace staff.

"That is certainly quite the story," she commented once the tale had drawn to a close, and she was certain she had all the pertinent information. "I commend you for your dedication to your friends. I cannot imagine how difficult this is all proving to be."

"Far less than governing an entire country, I would imagine," Rarity quipped.

"Touche," Luna found herself quietly replying almost reflexively.

"I'll admit, it does get to be a bit of a hoofful at times," Rarity continued without missing a beat. "There are days I wish that I'd never gotten involved, never learned the truth of what was going on around me, and could remain blissfully ignorant of it all. And then there are days where all the difficulty just seems worth it, when I see just how happy Twilight is, being able to freely exercise an interest of hers without the fear of being judged by her friends. It's the little details that would go unnoticed to others."

"Such as?" Luna asked curiously.

"The look in her eyes when one of us comes over and she doesn't have to cover herself up like she's doing something wrong. How relaxed her posture is when she's doing something as simple as standing around in her bare skin. This cute little smile that plays across her lips without her even realizing it..." Rarity trailed off, a rather content look crossing her features as she sort of stared off into the distance, not particularly focused on anything.

"Er, y-yes," Luna replied and cleared her throat, suddenly feeling a bit uncomfortable, as if she was prying a little too deep into a subject she didn't need to broach. Time for a change of subject. Or approach. Or anything really, lest she wind up starting something that couldn't -and maybe shouldn't- be finished here and now. "And Twilight Sparkle's... interests, are not something you would care to partake in yourself?"

Rarity shook her head in response, the content look she was wearing slowly melting away into one more appropriate for business matters as she returned her attention back forward.

"I can't say that they are. I'll partake in a collective fashion by being there for them, lending my support when it may be needed, and listening to whatever they might have to say. But to go further than that, it simply isn't something I have any interest in doing myself. I won't begrudge them going without their fur, but I prefer to keep mine on," she explained. After a brief pause, she continued. "Although... I will -reluctantly- admit that I'm curious whether or not Twilight's theory is correct, about a pony's coat being more luxurious after its regrowth. Curious enough that I'm contemplating whether or not it's even worth considering."

"She is correct. It is indeed the case," Luna stated simply and nodded.

Now it was Rarity's turn to be surprised at what she'd just heard. "I... beg your pardon? It is? Does that mean that you've, er... gone without as well?"

Again, Luna nodded. "I have. Within the privacy of my quarters. I wished to learn more about it for myself after my own discovery, and it seemed the most logical approach to accomplishing such. The difference in our respective work schedules makes face-to-face discussion difficult, and I do not have the benefit of proximity that you and the others do. And she is not the only one who dreams in Equestria, so I cannot make talking with her a nightly thing."

"Y-yes, I can certainly see how that could be a problem," Rarity replied and absently nodded. "I'm afraid you'll have to excuse me. I must say that's certainly not something I was expecting to hear."

"It is quite understandable. News of that sort is certainly not an everyday thing," Luna replied, before shrugging dismissively and letting out a brief sigh. "I cannot say it is something I particularly care for myself. I have tried it several times, I am trying to keep an open mind about it, but I have yet to find what Twilight Sparkle considers so worthwhile about it. I feel weird, I look wrong, and I am constantly feeling on edge and even downright scandalous until my fur comes back in."

Rarity nodded, easily able to understand those points.

To her credit, Twilight had done a wonderful job of taking a controversial subject that simply wasn't talked about in polite society, and making it seem rather innocuous, and even downright mundane with how she conducted herself while doing it. In her own case, she no longer felt the need to blush or even look away when her friend was bald. But then again she'd benefited from far greater exposure/experience on the subject, so it was possible she was a bit biased on the matter.

"Applejack told me she felt the same way when she first tried it. But Twilight and Rainbow Dash being in the same state helped her feel more at ease, and open to the idea of trying it again in the future," she explained. "I think it's a social thing of sorts; something that has to be done with others to get the proper experience."

Luna's response, while audible, was just barely so. It sounded along the lines of a mumbling of having to take it under advisement/consideration. But for Rarity that was neither here nor there, as it was really none of her business.

"Would you care to see for yourself?"

Rarity blinked in response, confused. "Pardon?"

"My furless state. As an apology for not intervening sooner in addressing your own nightmare," Luna explained.

"Oh dear," Rarity sighed, "you really don't have to do that. You don't need to apologize, Princess, these are trying times for everypony. Beyond that, it would be rather rude of me to go about asking you to show yourself in a state you're not comfortable with. But at the same time, I'm not asking, and you're volunteering this information of your own volition. In which case it may be equally rude -if not ruder- to turn down such an offer. I would say... do whatever you're most comfortable with, and willing to do because it's what you feel like doing."

The look on Luna's face suggested she was conflicted right now with what she'd heard, and was trying to determine exactly what it was she wanted to do.

Finally, she slowly climbed up from her couch, stood up, took a breath, and tapped her right hoof against the floor.

"Oh my..."

In a flash, all trace of Luna's fur and feathers had vanished, along with all traces of her regalia. Leaving behind a very pink-skinned alicorn with only the dark blue of her horn and hooves remaining.

She had thought seeing her friends in such a state would've better prepared her for this, but she was quickly learning how wrong she'd been on that.

"May I impose on you for just one moment, Rarity?" Luna asked, her voice uneasy as she spoke.

"Of course," Rarity replied without hesitation.

"You have far more experience with this subject than I do. Do I look as ridiculous as I feel without my fur on?"

This definitely wasn't the sort of question Rarity expected to be presented with. And yet she had been presented with it regardless. And now that she had been presented with the question, it would be quite rude not to respond. Once she figured out just how to respond.

Slowly, she climbed down from her couch and stepped forward to take a closer look; from a still-polite distance of course.

The most striking aspect to her, other than who it presently was, was the almost total lack of any mottling to be found on Luna. Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack all had their own varying degrees of dark patches gracing their skin from the amount of time they spent out in the sun. She wasn't certain why, but she'd simply taken it for granted from her own limited experience that everypony would be the same way. But now she could see that assumption was quite wrong.

In hind sight, being a night pony like she was, it would probably make sense that Luna wouldn't have as much mottling as other might.

"I can't presume to speak on how you may feel, Princess. But I can assure you, you look just fine," Rarity stated, doing her best to project an air of professionalism as she kept her focus on Luna's eyes rather than anywhere else. The fact said Princess was clearly uncomfortable -even borderline bashful- in her current state, simply demanded professionalism of the highest caliber.

It was... so very strange, to see one of the most powerful ponies in the kingdom appearing so vulnerable right now, and to her no less. Which made the need for professionalism so much more pressing as a result.

"You think so?" Luna asked uncertainly as she glanced back down at herself. "I do not look misshapen like this? I do not need to put on some weight, like my sister? I do not need to lose some weight, like our niece?"

"You look fine," Rarity repeated herself, a bit firmer this time and shook her head. She briefly wondered if offering a hug would be reassuring, or overstepping her boundaries. With Twilight it was one thing, but this most certainly wasn't Twilight.

"I appreciate that, I just wish I could feel it for myself," Luna replied and tapped her right hoof against the ground, immediately returning to her previous, regal state. "There are times I will observe myself in the mirror when I am doing this, and I swear I look like Sister's Philomina when she's due for a regeneration."

The urge to giggle at such a silly comparison was certainly there on Rarity's part. But she bit back the urge and suppressed it, knowing it was uncalled for. As uncomfortable as Luna was right now, there was no excuse for doing something that would make her feel even worse.

She briefly considered sharing how, the first time she saw Twilight without her fur, she immediately thought of a plucked chicken. But that might be equally uncalled for.

"Well, Princess, this might be a matter where you'll just have to set time aside, and meet with Twilight face-to-face for an in-depth discussion. She's more or less the expert on nudism in Equestria. She may be able to help you understand more than I can."

"I suppose that may ultimately be the case," Luna replied and sighed/huffed. "Thank you for allowing me to voice my concerns. Usually it is the other way around."

"And thank you for the same," Rarity replied. "It was quite refreshing, being able to talk so freely with somepony who's so understanding on the matter."

"Er, yes, about that," Luna continued, "if I may ask. If you do not actually share Twilight Sparkle's interests, why do you so readily support them?"

"I suppose that is a worthwhile question to be asking," Rarity replied and sat down on the sofa once again. "Twilight's interests in this case are very much a niche matter, unlikely to be shared by anypony else in Equestria. Much like the notion of clothing intended for the everyday, rather than reserved for special occasions. I suppose you could say I see a bit of myself in what she's doing, and I remember just how harrowing it was for me when I was getting started out in my business. I know just how important and valuable it can be to have somepony in your corner that supports you, even when others don't. I may not particularly care for the exposed skin route, but that's not really important right now."

"And if you were given the option to wash your hooves of the matter, and simply walk away from it all?" Luna asked.

Rarity huffed in response. "If that were to ever happen, I would take a vacation from it all! I'd spend two weeks away from them, and throw myself into matters of my work and family, with all the ferocity and focus of a dragon accumulating their horde! Then I would take the next three days to frequent Ponyville's spa, and order every service package they offer on the menu, to be pampered to my heart's content!" she stated, before finally sighing. "And then after that... I'd come right back to the others and catch up on whatever may've transpired while I was away. I may not like what they do, but I do care about what they do. Strange as it might sound, I really don't want to separate myself from them. I'm quite happy that they're happy, and I enjoy being present for that happiness as it unfolds."

"Even though you are the one apparently giving all of the support in this, and receiving none in turn?" Luna asked.

The frown on Rarity's face was slight, but it was still there as she shook her head.

"I'm quite certain the others would lend me their support at a moment's notice if I asked for their help. I have no doubt of that in my mind that they would," she explained in a tone that was as soft as velvet, yet carried all the firmness of a bar of steel.

"As long as you are certain of that," Luna replied, sensing that she was approaching a subject best left alone. "You are a good friend to the others, Rarity. But do not forget to consider yourself and your own well being just as you would theirs. Burnout is very much a real thing, and consume anypony, regardless of how much they may care for what they do."

Rarity simply nodded in response, having nothing to add in either acknowledgement or denial. She knew Luna was right, so there was really no point in attempting further discussion on the matter. Although basic politeness was always appropriate.

"Thank you for your concern. I do appreciate that."

"If that is all, I will be taking my leave now; there are other dreams that must be tended to, and guidance that must be provided," Luna explained as she stood up. "I suppose I should also give serious consideration to meeting with Twilight Sparkle face-to-face. I am going to have to determine if this is truly for me, or if I am going to follow your route of support in a hooves-off manner. If nothing else I can inform her of my own discoveries. The regrowth spell works best when cast in conjunction with a basic analgesic spell to numb the skin, rendering the entire process far less annoying to experience."

"Oh? Oh well now! That's most certainly a worthwhile piece of information to have," Rarity stated at hear. "I imagine she'll be thrilled to find out."

"I suspect she will. A good night to you, Rarity," Luna said as she made ready to take her leave, but then paused. "Um, one more thing before I leave, if I may? Just between the two of us... I believe you make the look work far better than I do."

The admission had come so far out of the blue, and followed by such an immediate departure before clarity could be sought, Rarity wasn't entirely certain she'd heard right. Had she just heard what she thought she'd heard?

"Oh my!"

The thought of it being a possibility was making her cheeks feel hot right now, leaving her fairly certain she was blushing right through her fur.

"Well now, I certainly didn't anticipate this sort of development occurring," she said to herself as she tried to figure out what to think now. "Whatever have I managed to go and get myself involved in now?"

Twenty Two

"Come on, Pinkie, you know you can do this. You've done this before. You just have to go for it. The longer you put this off, the more difficult it's going to feel, until you wind up talking yourself out of it."

That was, give or take a few details, the best summary of Pinkie's thought process as she uneasily paced in front of steps leading up to Twilight's palace. And it was a thought process she wasn't happy about. But then again she wasn't happy about how said palace, the home of one of her best friends in Equestria, just seemed so intimidating and off-putting in the vibes it gave off to her in recent time.

"You're being ridiculous. And stupid," she mumbled as she scolded herself while turning for another pass. "It's the same palace as it was when it first popped out of the ground. It hasn't been taken over by evil. It's the exact same as it was before all this mess started. You know that as well as anypony," she continued.

It was so unfunnily funny just how radically outlooks and perspectives could shift and change over a single, otherwise petty detail.

She knew the palace wasn't going to hurt her. She knew its resident and her friend wasn't going to do anything nefarious to her. And yet, setting hoof up those stairs still felt so imposing, and made her want to just turn around and leave.

"But if you leave, you'll never get any better," she continued berating herself as she spun around for yet another pass. "If you do that, you might as well just tell Twilight to her face that you don't appreciate all her efforts in helping you. It'd be far kinder than leaving her in suspense under the delusion of the false notion that you are right now."

She honestly didn't want to do that. She didn't want to hurt Twilight's feelings, or any other part of her friend. It wasn't her fault she'd stumbled upon something from her past that made her uncomfortable.

"She was willing to give up what she enjoys for your sake. And you didn't even have to ask her to do that. Only a true, true friend would ever do that for another," she pointed out to herself.

It was stupid. This wasn't even the first time she'd done this. It was the... maybe the fourth time she'd been over for what Twilight called therapy? None of the sessions had been particularly bad once they'd gotten started. Some of them had actually been downright fun. So why was it so hard to actually go up to the door and knock?

"Because when you see her bald, you immediately flash back to your time on the farm with your family, and you're afraid it's going to happen all over again, that's why. No matter how friendly and supportive Twilight is, no matter how much she tries to make you feel at ease around her, you automatically remember those years you spent as a foal under the razor blade. That's what you always think about first, even if you don't want to admit it," she told herself.

A huff of frustration followed as she spun on her hooves again for another pass of pacing uneasily. The fact the assessment was based so heavily in truth and fact made it so difficult to legitimately deny. She honestly, truly appreciated and loved Twilight -in a purely non-romantic way- and all of the effort she was putting in to helping her conquer that unfortunate part of her life. But some mountains weren't so easily conquered.

"Especially not when you're making every effort not to climb them," she mumbled to herself as she paced along and sighed. "Come on, Pinkie Pie, please do this. Do this for yourself. Do this for Twilight. You march you pink-furred fanny into the palace, face your friend eye-to-eye, and you either go along with whatever she believes will help you get over this. Or... you turn tail and run away from this because you're honestly too uncomfortable with it all, and be scared for the rest of the life, because you're too weak to do this. Some Bearer you are."

Even she knew her thoughts were jumbled and a bit incoherent right now. She was starting to not even make sense to herself.

"It's just spending time with one of your friends. Something you've done thousands of times before with so many other friends in Ponyville. This is no different. This is no different. This is no different!"

"Uh... Pinkie?"

"WHAT?!"

She hadn't meant to yell like she had. But her thoughts had left her distracted, and the unexpected voice from behind her and left her easily spooked. Not exactly the proudest moment of her life, but that was neither here nor there right now, as she turned around and saw Spike standing there, looking both confused and uneasy, as if she'd frightened him with her outburst.

"Are you okay?" Spike asked in a stilted, uncertain tone. "You've been pacing out here for a while. Twilight's starting to get worried. I actually had to stop her from coming out here to check on you herself."

Pinkie paused and blinked as she tried to make sense of Spike's words, and reconcile them with what she'd been experiencing from her end.

She could've said a lot of things, but ultimately decided to forego the majority of them, and simply give one of her warm -if a bit weak- smiles.

"I'll be alright, Spike, I just need to sort some stuff out," she assured him. "I didn't mean to make you and Twilight worry about me. I'm sorry about that."

"Eh, it's alright," Spike replied and shrugged. "Come on in out of this mess. It's too hot and humid to be thinking out here anyway."

If only it were as easy as Spike was making it out to be. If it really was, then she wouldn't currently be pacing out here, trying to muster enough nerve to step inside.

But... if she were to interpret the extended invitation like it was an instruction she had to follow, then that was a different matter entirely. Maybe she couldn't muster the nerve to approach of her own volition, but if it was something like an order, that was more easily done.

Alright, maybe that wasn't really the case, but she needed something to tell herself as she turned and stiffly followed after Spike up to stairs, through the front doors, and into the palace foyer.

It'd been a small thing done, coming in out of the heat, but it'd felt monumental to her. That fact in itself was pitiful enough, but she'd take what she could get.

And what she got as she entered the foyer, was greeted by a fan blowing not-quite-as-hot air in her direction, as Twilight presented her a bottle of cold, delicious water. Something that she eagerly accepted as the front doors closed, and proceeded to down it with a sense of urgency that surprised even her. Maybe she'd been out there longer than even she'd expected?

She knew the odds were 50/50, or maybe even 70/30, that the lavender of Twilight's coat was just the illusion spell at play, but right now she didn't really care, as she was far too busy enjoying the brief respite from the heat outside.

With the bottle over halfway drained, she finally stopped to come up for air.

"I needed that," she stated. She then tilted her head upward, and proceeded to pour to remainder of water directly on her face, soaking her fur and subjecting herself to the brief, blissful chill that followed as it soaked through to her skin.

She gave a soft sigh that resembled something along the lines of contentment, and turned so her face was directly in the path of the fan. That felt so much better.

"Would you like to come and relax in the library, Pinkie?" Twilight asked. "We have a cooler full of frozen water bottles for the air conditioner."

At hearing that sentence, and those magical words, Pinkie couldn't help but nod in an enthusiastic manner. She loved Twilight's invention, and the serene comfort it provided during times like this when it was otherwise unavailable. The Cakes had also loved it when she'd told them about it, and Sugarcube Corner now had their own air conditioner; a proverbial lifesaver on these hot days when they had baking to do that couldn't simply be relegated to the early morning or evening.

Just the thought of it was enough to make her forget -even temporarily- about her own tensions and discomfort.

"By any chance is that with the wet towels and spray bottles?" she asked hopefully.

"As if I'd ever deny my friends the deluxe treatment," Twilight replied and smiled. "Come on."

Cozy wasn't the word to describe the experience Pinkie was privy to right now. But it would have to do until she had the time to come up with something she felt was more appropriate and fitting. Time when she wasn't currently being besieged by cold air washing over her body, and loving every minute of it. Right now she was simply far too busy enjoying herself to care about such trivial things.

"So good..." she sighed, a dopey grin on her face as she looked through half-lidded eyes.

Twilight said nothing as she laid down next to Pinkie on the simple cotton sheet spread out on the floor, a wet towel draped over her own neck. But she could tell from her friend's expression that she didn't really need to say anything right now. Instead she simply focused on easing off her necklace, and the illusion right along with it.

Pinkie didn't so much as even blink in response, despite having been in her line of sight the entire time. Not that Twilight could see anyway. Hopefully that was a good thing.

Barring an objection, she decided to push the issue a little more and lay down on the sheet as well, so they could both enjoy the stream of cooled air being blown in their direction.

Pinkie continued to appear utterly oblivious to her surroundings, seemingly paying no attention to the bald pony beside her. She'd anticipated at least a flinch, but there'd been nothing.

She really didn't want to be too presumptuous, but maybe, just maybe, their efforts at therapy were actually doing some good?

"Twilight?"

Much to her surprise, it was her turn to squeak in response, caught off guard by Pinkie being the one to break the silence.

"You said my therapy can be in whatever form I want it, right?"

"As long as it's within the confines of the palace," she confirmed and nodded.

"Does that mean I can just lay here and do nothing for a while? I don't really feel like doing anything right now; it's too nice right here."

Pinkie didn't want to do anything but lay around? Now that was one she certainly couldn't see coming. Looking over, even Spike seemed a bit surprised to hear that. But...

"I think that's alright, as long as we're both together," she replied. As far as she was concerned, so long as they were together and she was in her bald state, whatever they did together would still constitute a therapy session. And honestly, she wasn't opposed to not being involved in some wacky adventure this time around.

"I can go for that," Spike stated, "I'm gonna go grab a snack from the kitchen. Anypony want anything while I'm up?"

"I'm good," Pinkie replied.

"No thank you, Spike, but I'd appreciate it if you could bring me my research notes. I can do work and therapy at the same time that way," Twilight stated.

"What kind of research notes?" Pinkie asked as Spike scurried his way out of the room.

"Ah, well... I'm trying to figure out how to better apply the spells I've been using for fur removal and regrowth," Twilight replied, figuring it was best to go the honest route. "Specifically I'm trying to figure out a way to let other ponies use it if they want, without first having to learn the spells themselves. Especially if it's a non-unicorn who wants to experience it for themselves."

"You think they'd actually want to?" Pinkie asked.

"Well..." Twilight paused, weighing how to proceed. Ever since all of this started, she'd made a conscious effort to try and not talk with her friends about what one did or didn't do when it came to this topic. But, perhaps the truth would actually help in this matter. "Applejack expressed an interest in trying it out again this Saturday night. If I can figure out how to make it work, she won't need me to wait in the bathroom with her while she showers."

"Again?" Pinkie asked, now motivated to pick her head up and better look Twilight in the eyes. "You mean she did this before? As in she not only did it, but found something to motivate her to give it another try later on?"

Twilight nodded in response.

"Wow. That's... that's something else," Pinkie concluded, uncertain of what else to say.

"I guess it is," Twilight agreed and shrugged. "I may have to try less ice bottles next time. She was complaining that she was too cold last time."

If Pinkie had lowered her head back to the floor, it would've been picked right back up at that sentence.

"Too cold? In this heat? That's actually possible?"

"Apparently. The combination of the air conditioner, wet towel, ice cream, and no fur was apparently a bit much for her, whereas Spike and Apple Bloom showed no such signs," Twilight explained. "Er, Apple Bloom had her fur on at the time. She was just there to observe," she quickly clarified.

"Huh," Pinkie replied as she chewed at her bottom lip. "I... kind of want to ask what happened. But at the same time I'm kinda scared of what the answer is," she admitted.

"Well it was about as uneventful a night as one could expect in a place like Ponyville. We had dinner, we spent the evening playing board games until we were too tired to focus, and then we went to sleep," Twilight recalled. "According to Applejack, it was a lot like a night spent with her family."

"A night with her family... while you happened to be... bald as bowling balls," Pinkie surmised in a questioning tone, even if it wasn't being presented as a question itself.

"Basically," Twilight replied and nodded, "we were pretty focused on 'Hazard' until almost midnight. You could've set off your party cannon next to us and I don't think we would've even noticed."

Pinkie shook her head. "Nah, that's not any fun. What good is using a party cannon if nopony notices it going off?"

Twilight couldn't help but laugh. And acknowledge that it was a good point. And if Pinkie was actually up to making jokes, she took it as being a good sign.

"Can we ever get there, Twilight?" Pinkie asked. "Is there any hope of me actually being like that? Being able to look at you or one of our friends bald, and not even being fazed by it?"

The question was an unusually heavy one to come from Pinkie, leaving Twilight uncertain of just how to respond.

Maybe one heavy question being asked, deserved another in turn?

"Is that what you want, Pinkie? Or is that what you think I want?"

"... I want to say "both" but I know that's not right," Pinkie sighed and hung her head. "It's what you need, Twilight, you just don't realize it yet. Or you did and you're simply too polite to say it. This is something that's important to you, Twilight, something that you enjoy doing, and it may be something that the rest of our friends will enjoy too. If I even thought that I was keeping more than one of my friends from doing something they might really enjoy, then I'd hate myself and never be able to forgive myself for it. I want my friends to be able to do what they like, without having to stop and ask themselves if it's going to make me uncomfortable. That's... that's what I want, more than anything, Twilight. I want my friends to be happy, and I want to be happy right alongside them. And if it means being in the middle of a collection of bowling balls, then so be it."

Twilight listened as Pinkie explained things, uncertain of how exactly to respond. Honestly, the explanation was proving to be somewhat confusing to hear, leaving her uncertain if she should feel touched by the sentiment, or concerned that the outlook was wrong.

"Beyond that, this is something that just plain needs to be done," Pinkie continued as she laid back down, and rolled over onto her back to look up at the ceiling. "I didn't get to be Ponyville's Premier Party Pony by having a narrow zone of comfort that I didn't stray from. I'm friends with a lot of ponies in town, and believe me they've all got a wide range of eclectic tastes that they enjoy; tastes that even I'll agree aren't for everypony."

"Well, it's said variety is the spice of life," Twilight offered up.

"Yeah, that's totally the case," Pinkie agreed and nodded. "Especially at the bi-monthly sex parties. You'll find a lot of spice of life going on there."

She'd heard Twilight starting to speak, starting to say something that sounded like she was agreeing with her. But it was quickly interrupted by some sort of commotion. Looking up she saw Twilight sitting there, wide-eyed with her face as red as a tomato, her lips pulled tightly into a narrow line as she did her best impression of a tea kettle that'd reached a rolling boil, but unable to properly get the noise from the steam out because of how tightly shut her mouth was.

"WHAT!?" she finally managed to yell in shock and surprise. "Bi-monthly sex parties!? What exactly is going on in this town!?"

Pinkie immediately lost what little composure she'd been holding onto, collapsing back on the ground and wrapped her forelegs around her barrel, completely consumed by laughter. More laughter than she'd experienced even during the time Twilight had worn the chef's hat and apron during their first official therapy session.

"I'm sorry!" she choked out in between bouts of spasming laughter that left her unable to do much of anything except continue laying on her back. "It was too funny not to!" she squeaked. "You should've seen the look on your face!"

Slowly, very slowly, Twilight was beginning to grasp the fact that Pinkie had been joking. And in her naive nature, she'd fallen for it without so much as even a second thought as to what'd been said until it was too late.

She honestly wanted to frown in response. Doing such would probably be warranted, even justified by the circumstances, but in the end she ultimately opted not to follow through with it. In Pinkie felt the need to make jokes as a way of coping with whatever degree of stress she was going through, there was no reason to just add to that stress with her own responses. She'd just settle for being the bigger mare and shrug it off.

Along with telekinetically lifting up the spray bottle Spike had left behind, surreptitiously switching the nozzle setting from mist to jet, and proceed straight to vigorously unloading on Pinkie while she was in the middle of her laughter.

Pinkie squawked at the sudden onslaught and immediately rolled over, diving for the bottle in an effort to get it away from Twilight's control, only to have it yanked out of her reach.

This quickly turned out to be a bad idea on Twilight's part, as without the bottle being in front of her to focus on, Pinkie instead set her path of travel directly for her. Before she even had the chance to respond she was tackled to the ground, in a mess of tangled limbs as the two scrambled, squirming and giggling at the impromptu wrestling match as each tried to pin or otherwise tickle the other into submission.

Again, this proved to be Twilight's undoing, as her exposed skin left her considerably more vulnerable to the sensation of hooves and fur delicately dancing across the surface at a rapid race, reducing her to a bundle of helpless giggling, laid out on her back as Pinkie sat atop her barrel, looking down triumphantly.

"Do you surrender?" she asked.

"Never!" Twilight declared defiantly.

"Oh," Pinkie replied a bit sadly. "I'm really sorry you feel that way, Twilight. I honestly didn't want to do this, but you leave me no choice..."

The tone in Pinkie's voice had such a dark turn, it honestly left Twilight uncertain of what to think. Uneasy, perhaps? Whatever the feeling was, it only grew stronger as her friend slowly slid further down her body.

"P-Pinkie, whatever you're doing, we don't have to do this," she protested quickly. "Please, I'm sure that whatever the problem is, we can sort this out like mature, civilized p-"

Twilight attempts at protesting were quickly ended by squeals of hysterical laughter as Pinkie blew a raspberry against her exposed belly, leaving her unable to do anything but laugh helplessly in response, as she tried to squirm away from her pink assailant. But being pinned down, she couldn't do that. She couldn't even use her magic to help, as she couldn't focus enough for it to do anything besides spark and flicker uselessly.

"Do you surrender?" Pinkie asked, bringing a brief respite to the torture.

"Yes!" Twilight screamed quickly during the brief second she actually had the ability to speak, in between laughing as the aftershocks quaked through her body, and her desperate struggles for air. "No more! Please no more!"

"Are you sure?" Pinkie asked in a teasing tone, her lips practically hovering above their target, and able to make another attack before any sort of intervention could be attempted. "You don't wish to go best two out of three and see if things might be different?"

"N-no! I surrender," Twilight quickly stated and vigorously shook her head.

"A wise decision on your part, my bald little baked potato," Pinkie practically purred as she climbed off of Twilight.

Twilight immediately climbed back up, scooting back to put some distance between herself and Pinkie. The nickname had been strange and confusing, but right now her immediate concern was avoiding anymore tickling. It was bad enough when it was just Spike was doing it by himself, she didn't need Pinkie getting involved too. And if those two decided to gang up on her at the same time... well then she couldn't be held responsible for what she might do to them in response.

Pinkie, for her part, merely readjusted the towel draped across her neck, and laid back down on the sheet like nothing had happened.

"... Pinkie?" Twilight eventually asked.

"What's up?" Pinkie asked in turn.

"... Baked potato?"

"Baked potato," Pinkie confirmed.

"Why baked potato?" Twilight asked. Out of all the questions she could think to ask, right now that was the one that seemed most pressing, what with the term seeming to come out of nowhere.

"I'll tell you about it later," Pinkie replied, "when you're older."

"... But we're the same age," Twilight pointed out.

"When you're older," Pinkie repeated.

The entire exchange had been so random, and so confusing, there was a part of Twilight's mind that almost demanded her to seek out answers from her guest. But she knew attempting to do so would be a very bad idea; both for what it might do to Pinkie if she tried, and for what Pinkie might to do her if she tried.

"Um... okay then..."

Maybe it was best to simply accept her non-answer for what it was, and be content with it.

Twenty Three

The excitement and antics stemming from Pinkie's previous statement had died down by the time Spike had returned, both with his snack of choice and the research notes Twilight had requested. Allowing the three of them to more or less settle back down peacefully in front of the air conditioner, and simply enjoy the cool air blowing over them as they relaxed in their respective positions, left to their respective distractions.

However the relative peace in the room was soon broken by a rapping noise coming from the outside of one of the library windows, making the three of them look up.

"Were you expecting company?" Pinkie asked as she directed her attention to Twilight.

Twilight shook her head, already in the process of retrieving her necklace and slipping it on, implementing the illusion just before the window was opened from the outside.

Much to everyone's relief, it was Rainbow Dash slipping inside the room, and closing the window behind her, seemingly oblivious to their presence as she hovered. But if her haggard appearance was anything to go by, it was probably understandable.

"Rainbow Dash?"

The cyan pegasus let out a less than stellar squeak and immediately spun around to see them, looking far too worn out to really feel embarrassed at having been caught in the act.

"Uh, hi Twi'," she replied as the rubbed the back of her head uneasily. "Do you mind if I crash here for a bit? The heat's really starting to mess with my stomach and I need to cool off bad..."

"On the contrary, I'd recommend it," Twilight stated, before pulling off the necklace and letting the illusion drop once again. "Pull up a seat and enjoy the cool. You look like you could use it."

"Actually,Twi'," Rainbow Dash paused as she touched down, "I kinda think I might need to go all in on this one."

Twilight blinked in response. "All in?"

"All in," Rainbow Dash nodded and ran a foreleg down her barrel. "My coat feels way too hot after being out there for so long. I think I need to go without for a while..."

Twilight's immediate response was to sit up a little bit straighter and smile at Rainbow Dash's words. However the good mood she was experiencing, was immediately tempered as looked back over to Pinkie. Suddenly things were now more complicated, leaving her uncertain of how to proceed between two potentially different points, which looked like they were about to collide head on.

"Is... this going to be a problem?"

Rainbow Dash blinked, confused by the question.

"Why would it be a problem for me to go without my fur? It's what you're doing right now," she pointed out.

"I know, but," Twilight paused as she glanced back at Pinkie a second time, just as uneasily as the first time. How exactly should she proceed with this? Was it right to inform her? Was it wrong to broach a subject Pinkie hadn't given her permission to speak about?

"I'll... be okay," Pinkie finally stated in a very un-Pinkie-like manner that more or less warranted all of their attention.

"Alright, can somepony fill me in on what's going on around here? Anypony?" Rainbow Dash asked, both confused and slightly irritated at the lack of clarity, as she continued to feel like she was baking in her own skin.

With one last look, and a nod from Pinkie, Twilight turned back to her other friend to read her in on the situation for what it was.

"The thing is, Rainbow, Pinkie... sort of had some bad experiences with baldness when she was growing up. I've been trying to help her with that. But I don't know if she's up to dealing with two bald ponies simultaneously."

"... Oh..." Rainbow Dash replied slowly as she eased herself onto the ground, uncertain of how to proceed now. "Sorry to hear that, Pinks."

Pinkie simply shook her head in response.

"It's not your fault, Dashie. You didn't know, and Twilight didn't want to go behind my back and tell you something without checking with me first," she stated. "But it would be my fault if I put my comfort ahead of yours, and left you trapped in a fur coat you already said is too hot for the weather we're facing. So... I guess it's just time to kick this therapy up a notch," she added firmly.

"Alright then," Twilight replied slowly, not sure exactly what to make of the situation as it unfolded, and not wanting to jump too far ahead for anypony's comfort.

She honestly didn't know if Pinkie trying to force this matter was a good thing, or a bad thing. Granted, something like this would've needed to occur eventually, with the level of exposure growing. But was it too soon for this step to be taken? That was a question for which no answer could currently be presented.

Before she could move to bring Rainbow Dash with her to the bathroom, she stopped as a new idea suddenly popped into her head.

"Actually, Rainbow Dash, if you could wait for just two minutes, there's something I'd like to see about trying first. And possibly get an answer to one of Pinkie's questions in the process."

Now it was Pinkie's turn to be confused, first looking at Twilight and then back at Rainbow Dash as she tried to recall what the former was talking about.

"Yeah, I guess I can do that," Rainbow Dash replied, although she still moved closer to the air conditioner to help take some of the edge off the residual heat she was still feeling. "It's not really that I want to do the whole bare skin thing, but I also don't wanna get heatsick either. And who knows, maybe this time around it'll be better."

"That's the spirit," Spike chimed in.

"Alright," Twilight spoke again. "The last time Pinkie was over, she wondered if it was possible to cast the localized version of the spell without actually looking at the target. I haven't really had the opportunity to sort that out, since results on myself would be different from results on another pony. So now seems like a good as any to try it out and see if it can be done."

Hearing this, Pinkie sat up a bit straighter to pay better attention to whatever might be happening.

Rainbow Dash simply opted to remain standing, as Twilight turned her back on them, and her horn began to glow.

"For this experiment, I'm going to be focusing on the cutie mark on your left flank, and trying for a square shape of approximately the same size," she explained.

Three sets of eyes now rested on the aforementioned flank, as they waited for Twilight to do whatever it was she was attempting to do.

Seeing no immediate change, Spike retrieved the spray bottle he'd been using previously, reset it back to the mist setting where it rightly belonged, and sprayed down Rainbow Dash's flank. Before pulling the towel off his neck and wiping down her thigh like he would a dirty dish.

It was, admittedly, still kind of weird to see fur come off so easily, leaving behind nothing but bare skin with the only trace of it having been there in the first place being a now-stained towel, and a faint outline of a cutie mark. Whether or not he'd ever get used to seeing it, he couldn't say. But right now it was neither here nor there, as he had assistance duties to tend to.

"Well, Twilight, your aim was pretty much of point, but your mark was way off."

Hearing this, Twilight turned back around to see what Spike meant, and frowned at the sight. Instead of Rainbow Dash's cutie mark fur being gone, her entire left flank was currently bare, exposing the mottling underneath for everyone to see.

"Hmm. I guess it's not as precise as I'd hoped it could be," she replied. But for a first attempt without practice, could she really expect anything different. "Oh well, it was worth a try."

"Maybe next time, egghead. But if you could leave my wings unaffected, I'd appreciate it," Rainbow Dash stated.

"Oh! Right, I forgot that we discussed that! Of course, follow me and we'll get you all sorted out," Twilight replied and trotted out of the room, leading the cyan pegasus behind her.

"Spike?" Pinkie spoke up as they found themselves alone in the library. "Am I the only one who found that whole thing to be weird?"

"Nah. Watching a pony's fur wash off like nothing is always kinda weird," Spike admitted as he turned his attention back to her. "Watching it actually grow back in that fast isn't much better. But on the bright side, my claws are proving to be invaluable," he added as he flexed his digits before her.

Pinkie couldn't help but giggle at Spike's comment. It helped -slightly- take the edge off her nerves at the moment.

But all too soon her nerves reasserted themselves, as the full weight of the situation reminded her of its presence again. Two of her best friends were about to be bald as bowling balls, right in front of her, with every detail to them being easily seen. And she would be the only one present who still had her fur on.

It didn't help that the next few minutes passed by in silence, other than the whirring of the ad-hoc air conditioner doing its job. She wasn't sure just what to say right now, and Spike didn't seem inclined to speak up himself.

And then the silence was broken by the sound of flapping coming down the hallway as Rainbow Dash swooped back into the room and touched down in front of them again. Stripped completely of her fur, but with her flared wings still covered in their cyan feathers.

Try as she might, Pinkie couldn't help but flinch away at the sudden and overt display of baldness that'd all but been thrust right into her face in the sort of way that only Rainbow Dash could do. She had to forcibly clench her leg joints stiff to avoid running away right then and there.

"Oh yeah, that's a whole lot better," Rainbow Dash sighed happily as she proceeded to stretch like a cat, utterly oblivious to her own surroundings in the moment.

Spike simply watched the entire demonstration for a moment, before shaking his head. "You mind tucking away those wings, Dash?"

"Yeah, yeah," Rainbow Dash grumbled as she stood back up and retracted her wings. Only to flinch and drive them back out again as they made contact with her skin. "Okay... this is awkward..."

"Getting a little too turned on, are we?" Spike asked as he crossed his arms over his chest and smirked.

"No, you little pervert," Rainbow Dash snapped right back and gave a huff. "This is kinda embarrassing. My feathers are tickling me..."

Pinkie didn't necessarily want to be amused by her friend's plight, but in this case the plight was just a little too silly to not at least smirk in response to hearing.

Spike, ever the professional that he was, thought on it for a moment without comment, before scurrying his way over to the plastic tote filled with melting ice water and fresh towels to pluck one out, wring out the excess wetness with a degree of strength that few could match, and moved back over to Rainbow Dash, carefully draping it sideways over her back just behind where her wings sat.

"Try that."

Skeptically, Rainbow Dash slowly retracted and tucked in her wings once again.

"Much better," she replied and slouched a bit, able to relax without the downy feeling dancing against her sensitive skin. "This is gonna take some getting used to."

Spike simply gave an understanding nod in response. Outside of Twilight he was probably the most knowledgeable about this subject, including the mundane little details that could so easily get overlooked. Chief among them being just how sensitive bare skin could be.

Then again, said little detail had been responsible for so much laundry in the following days, it was kind of hard not to be familiar with it to same degree.

Honestly, who in their right mind would believe that the type of laundry detergent used could be such an issue in need of addressing?

Before the conversation could actually get going, it was effectively halted as Twilight popped back into the room via teleportation and a flash of purple light, and not looking too particularly happy.

"You could've waited for me before just taking off like that, Rainbow Dash," she pointed out.

"Yeah, by bad," Rainbow Dash admitted and rubbed the back of her head with her hoof. "Sorry, Twilight, I just really wanted to see what it felt like to fly around like this, since I got to keep my feathers this time."

Try as she might, Twilight couldn't really fault her friend there for wanting to experience something new.

"So what's it like?"

Surprisingly it was Pinkie who presented the question.

"Honestly? I never thought I'd say this, but like this it's actually kind of annoying to fly! The air's moving over my skin so fast it tickles and feels all weird and stuff!" Rainbow Dash stated and frowned. "I either need to get more used to this or cut it out entirely."

"The flying or the baldness?" Spike asked.

"Yes," Rainbow Dash replied.

Pinkie let out a snort of amusement at Rainbow Dash's statement. Which is turn got a smile out of Twilight, happy to see her friend wasn't beyond the point of laughter despite being in the presence of two bald ponies. Maybe their impromptu therapy sessions were actually doing some small bit of measurable good.

"Alright, I got out of my fur, so I wanna make the most of this whole cooling off session," Rainbow Dash stated and made her way over to where the air conditioner currently sat, eager to claim a spot in front of the premium cold air.

Wordlessly, the others quickly joined her in finding a comfortable spot to rest on the large cotton sheet that was spread out on the crystal floor to serve as a buffer/cushion between them and the crystal flooring.

Under normal circumstances, Pinkie basically cutting in line and plopping herself down in front of Rainbow Dash to hog the air current for herself would be grounds for objection and complaints.

But these weren't normal circumstances, so she was willing to let it slide this time around. Honestly, it was actually a bit more comfortable to have her friend serving as a buffer so she wasn't in the direct path of so much cold air for an extended period of time. Now that she was out of her fur, it was a different matter and needed to be addressed accordingly.

Regardless, it was still a whole lot better than being outside right now.

"How're you holding up, Pinkie?"

"I'll be alright..."

The conversation, and the fact Pinkie responded in a very not-Pinkie fashion, served to pique Rainbow Dash's curiosity.

"Does somepony wanna tell me what's going on here?" she asked as she lifted her head up. "I'm feeling left out of the loop here."

Twilight looked at Pinkie. Pinkie looked back at Twilight, before eventually giving a brief nod.

"Pinkie's parents used to shave her and her sisters during the hot season, so they wouldn't have to deal with infestations of fleas, ticks or lice," Twilight explained, "with an old-fashioned straight razor. Needless to say the procedure wasn't as smooth as my own."

Pinkie's only contribution was a physical shudder as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Wow," was all Rainbow Dash had to offer up at the moment as she let the news sink in. "That... that sucks. I'm sorry to hear that."

"You didn't know," Pinkie replied as she kept her head low. "It was a long time ago, and Twilight's been doing her best to help me. It's still not something I'd ever wanna do myself, though."

"And it's not something we'd ever make you do," Twilight assured her as she reached over to rest a hoof on her withers. "The only one who'll be going bald around here is me. Well, except for Rainbow Dash and Applejack, of course."

"Eh, mainly just Applejack," Rainbow Dash spoke up, before momentarily adjusting her position. "Don't get me wrong. Twi', I'm alright with doing this, but it's not really my thing. Really, I'm just doing this so I can cool off fast. And even then, only because it's so easy. If I had to go through all the hassle Pinkie did while growing up, I wouldn't be touching this with a ten foot pole."

"Wait, really?" Pinkie asked, her curiosity now presently piqued by this revelation. "You don't like going bald?"

"I mean, it's not all that bad, but it's certainly not my favorite thing in the world to do," Rainbow Dash replied, before giving a grunt as she rolled over onto her back in order to scratch as itch on her back against the sheet. "And I'm really not looking forward to getting my fur grown back in either. That itches and hurts like nopony's business."

Pinkie gave an involuntary shudder and vigorously nodded in agreement, as more unpleasant memories began to force their way to the surface.

"Well then, Rainbow Dash, you're in luck," Twilight spoke up, a hint of excitement creeping into her voice as she pushed herself up. "I'm happy to announce I've made significant breakthroughs in my research on the matter. I've learned that when used in conjunction with a basic analgesic spell, the pain and discomfort that comes from the rapid regrowth of fur is reduced to a far more tolerable level, rendering it little more than a mild annoyance to experience."

Rainbow Dash slowly blinked and looked up at hearing this.

"... You have to go up the butt?"

Spike had tried not to laugh in response, even going so far as to clamp both hands over his mouth to keep his lips pinched shut as he desperately snorted in amusement. But the urge was far too strong to resist and he'd been reduced to a laughing mess in short order.

Pinkie's dam had burst right along with Spike's, possibly triggered by his, as she rolled over onto her back and grasped her stomach as she desperately tried to breathe.

Twilight scowled at her friends, annoyed by the sheer amount of immaturity they were currently displaying. However her own resolve crumbled not two seconds later, reducing her to nothing but a fit of giggles as she tried some measure of professionalism.

"What? What's so funny?" Rainbow Dash asked, hopelessly confused by what was going on.

"That's not what that word means!" Twilight managed to get out, all the while trying to get herself back under control. "I know it sounds like that, but it's entirely unrelated. It's a topical application spell that numbs the surface of the skin, all the way down to the nerve endings. You feel almost nothing as your fur grows back in."

"So no butt stuff then?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"No butt stuff," Twilight confirmed and shook her head.

"Huh," Rainbow Dash replied, uncertain of what else she could say in response. "Well that's good to know then; on both counts."

This was definitely going to require some reevaluation on her part. Maybe reserve judgement on the whole thing until she actually experienced the whole thing, now that she knew it was supposedly improved over the last time.

Pinkie nodded in agreement with the assessment, but otherwise remained silent on the matter.

"It certainly helps with the process. Unfortunately it also complicates what I'm trying to do currently," Twilight replied and let out a short huff. "The more steps involved, the more difficulty with making everything go off without a hitch."

"Tell me about it," Spike commented, knowing full well just how true that was.

"So what exactly are you working on?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Ah, basically I'm trying to figure out a way to make the spells directly accessible to anypony who might care to use them," Twilight explained, before giving her friend's a brief overview of the slumber party she and Applejack had over the weekend.

More specifically, she filled them in on Apple Bloom's questions and observations about what the whole process had involved, and how it had caused her to begin rethinking things, which had led to where she was presently with this new idea.

"Huh."

Now it was Pinkie's turn for the short, non-definite answer in response.

"You know, I never thought about it like that before. But now that it's out there, I can't really un-think it," Rainbow Dash stated and scratched at the side of her head. "Yeah, I guess I could see that being the case."

Twilight nodded. "Which is why I'm trying to figure out a way to make the entire process more accessible -and more pleasant- should anypony ever want to try it for themselves," she explained. "Not that I actually foresee that becoming a thing, though."

"You don't?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Twilight shook her head in response.

"When I first set out to experiment with the concept of nudism adapted over to Equestrian terms, it was just sort of an experiment during a period where I didn't have anything scheduled, spurred on by curiosity from browsing old medical journals and finding an old spell contained within. I never thought it'd be something that I'd actually enjoy doing. And I never even dared imagine it'd be something that others would be supportive of. Honestly, if Rarity hadn't caught me in the act that one day, and been as supportive as she was, none of you would even know about it; not even Spike."

"Why not me?" Spike asked, now finding himself relevant to the conversation.

"It was... well it just felt like too awkward of a subject to broach in a deliberate manner. In hindsight, I think it all happening accidentally like it did was for the best. It sort of pushed me out of my comfort zone and made me realize it would all be alright and work out."

Spike shrugged in response, figuring it was a good enough explanation to go with, before returning his attention to his snack.

"Don't get me wrong," she continued as she turned her attention back to Pinkie and Rainbow Dash, "I'm glad most of my friends know and are supportive. And I really appreciate that you and Applejack are at least willing to try it out for yourselves. But I honestly don't see this as ever being more than a niche interest at best, occupied largely by myself. And even if anypony did take an interest in it, I honestly don't foresee that interest lasting through the winter for them, if even that far."

Pinkie scowled in response, as there was no way a frown could be strong enough for what she was feeling in the aftermath of Twilight's words.

Nopony should ever have to find themselves being left alone, no matter what their interests might be, regardless of how weird or benign they might be. And the way she had so easily resigned herself to the possibility of being alone didn't sit right with her at all.

Without so much as even a word, she got up from her spot in the direct path of the cold air, moved over to Twilight's side, and proceeded to pull her into a tight hug without so much as even a second thought about her bald state.

"Pinkie?"

"I'll join the Bowling Ball Club if you want me to, Twilight. I'll be bald right along with you, so you don't have to be all alone with what you like," Pinkie replied in a very un-Pinkie-like manner. "Just... please, please, please don't ever call it anything related to shaving. Just do that for me, and I think I'll be alright."

Three sets of eyes were now currently in Pinkie in the wake of her statement, none of them quite certain just how to respond to what they'd heard for themselves.

Finally Twilight replied in the only way she knew how, which involved returning the hug she currently found herself in.

"I really appreciate that offer, Pinkie, but you really don't have to do that for my sake. I'm not sad about the fact I'm the only one who's really interested in this," she assured her.

"You're not?" Pinkie asked as she pulled back to look at her friend.

Again, Twilight shook her head in response.

"Being a nudist is something that I enjoy, but it's not like my cutie mark; it's not a defining aspect of who I am. Think of it like how you organize the store room at Sugarcube Corner; you're pretty much the only pony who can effortlessly navigate and know where every single ingredient is, in accordance to color gradient, use-by date, and frequency of use. Does it make you sad that other ponies don't do it the same way that you do?"

"Well no, that'd just be silly if it did. I..." Pinkie started, only to slowly close her mouth halfway through. "I think I see your point now, Twilight."

"That's good," Twilight replied and disengaged the hug. "I still appreciate the offer. But if you ever did want to go bald, it should be because it's something you honestly want to do, not because you think it's something I want you to do."

"I think I can do that," Pinkie replied and nodded. "I mean... I don't know about the whole going bald part of doing that. I just don't. But the other part, about doing something because I want to, I can totally manage that. That's as easy as organizing a party for a new arrival in Ponyville."

Watching the entire thing unfold, Rainbow Dash, not wanting to be left out of the whole support thing -and honestly not wanting to be quite in the direct path of the air conditioner- got up and moved to Twilight's other side to hug her as well.

"We'll figure something out, egghead. That's what friends are for."

"I know," Twilight replied and returned the new hug she found herself in.

As she did, Rainbow Dash squirmed at the touch and quickly pulled back.

"No offense, Twilight, but if it's alright I think I'll do the whole support thing without any touching involved. The whole bare skin thing feels kinda weird to be on the receiving end of," she stated.

"It can be that way at times. But I still appreciate the offer," Twilight replied as she sat herself back down. "That's one of the reasons I don't really foresee nudism becoming a widespread trend in Equestria. The problems I'm having with making this idea work, might ultimately wind up being for nothing."

"Maybe," Rainbow Dash acknowledged, before shrugging the matter off. "I know you kinda explained it, but what exactly are you trying to do? I mean, how're you trying to do it?"

She knew going in that asking Twilight to explain something sciency was risky. But what else were friends for, if not taking one for the team to help another pony out?

"Well, basically I'm trying to set up a simple, concise system, that would allow anypony to use these spells on their own, should they have any interest in it for themselves. Which sounds simple in theory, but when actually put into practice it's proving to be anything but," Twilight huffed.

"So let's start with what we know so far. The spells would have to be made accessible to anypony in the palace who might want to use them. But due to the mess involved with the molecular bond of fur breaking down, they would need to be limited to a bathroom. But there's a lot of bathrooms in the palace, and finding a way to have the spells on standby in each and every one of them simply isn't viable. There also needs to be a way for the spell to be deliberately selected for use, rather than it being used accidentally. So there needs to be an on/off feature, almost like a light switch. Along with a way of actually powering them. I suppose the bathroom closest to the foyer could be designated as a sort of undressing room, and all efforts could be focused there. But it still brings us back to the question of how to make everything work exactly."

As Twilight spoke, sounding as if she was simply talking to herself out loud, Pinkie looked behind her friend over to Rainbow Dash, who did the same back at her. There was a shared glance between the two of them, as they acknowledged that the best thing they could do right now was simply let Twilight talk rather than interrupt.

"Originally it was best to use the regrowth spell in the shower, because the flowing water helped mitigate some of the discomfort involved. But because of the integration of the analgesic spell, that's no longer an issue. But it would still be best for both spells to be found side-by-side, should somepony attempt it and find they don't like it; much more convenient that way. That would require some method of being able to actually select which spell is used," she continued.

"Yeah," Rainbow Dash agreed and nodded. "It'd probably be pretty bad if somepony wound up using the removal spell twice in a row without realizing it."

"Actually, not as bad as you might think," Twilight replied, her tone slowly sounding calmer as she spoke. "The removal spell doesn't work on bare skin. Even if it were cast multiple times in succession, it would just fizzle out. The spell simply isn't intended to do anything besides that. I... sort of tried it out on myself, back when I was first experimenting with being a nudist in Equestria. I didn't really like the way my skin looked, and I may or may not have tried to... ratchet up the power that went into casting the spell in hopes of cleaning up some of my mottling. Needless to say, it didn't work out," she admitted sheepishly.

"Huh," Rainbow Dash replied and rubbed at the side of her head, carefully so as to not cause herself anymore discomfort than necessary. "So what would happen if a pony cast the regrowth spell twice in a row? Would they come out extra fluffy?"

"No, nothing like that," Twilight replied and shook her head again. "The regrowth spell actually works in tandem with the removal spell. It doesn't affect fur that's already there."

"If you don't mind, Twilight, I'll take point on this one. No offense, but I don't think Pinkie and Dash want the full explanation," Spike spoke up, now that his snack was finished.

"Spoilsport," Twilight sighed, but ultimately relented. "Fine. Go ahead, Spike."

Nodding, Spike got up and made his way to the front of them so they wouldn't have to look back at him as he spoke. It also gave him a great excuse to be in the direct path of that sweet cold air current.

"Alright it's like this. Some of the games we've found have a mechanic called a "save point" that basically lets you bookmark your progress before going on, and if you don't like how you progressed a certain way, you can reset back to where you saved and try again. Basically, the way Twilight explained it to me, the removal spell scans your furred state and applies a magical save point onto your skin. The regrowth spell more or less reads, loads, and erases this save point when it grows your fur back in, returning you back to how you were previously. That means it won't be any shorter or longer than it was to begin with."

Their friends probably wouldn't understand the concept of video games and how they worked, and honestly that was a whole 'nother undertaking in itself. But that didn't mean certain aspects of them couldn't be referenced in a manner they would understand. And having sat through the long explanation once before, he had a pretty good idea of how to boil it down and concise it all in a way that still got the main points across.

"Wait. So that means no shortcuts? No longcuts?" Pinkie asked. "Twilight couldn't use the spell to make her mane grow out to be as long as Rarity's?"

Twilight shook her head in response.

"Not that I'd ever actually want that much mane to manage, but even if I did, the only way to get there would be to let it grow out to that length," she explained. "Unfortunately it also means the regrowth spell can't put back what the removal spell didn't already remove. For example, if I developed mange for whatever reason, and tried to use the spells to fix it, I'd still have the same bald spots I did before."

"So, wait a second. You mean I couldn't use the spells to get over my annual molts on the same day and be done with it?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I'm afraid not," Twilight replied and shook her head. "Even if you tried using the removal spell beforehoof, once the regrowth spell was used, your feathers would still be in the same condition they were, and would still need to come out to allow for new growth. It would ultimately be an exercise in futility to even try."

"Well crud," Rainbow Dash sighed and crossed her forelegs over her barrel in annoyance. "There goes that idea, I guess," she huffed out, much to the amusement of her friends.

"So what we know is that the spells are safe to use, can't melt the skin, and can't make a pony look like a sheep in need of shearing unless they already looked that way before, and can't restore what wasn't already there to begin with," Pinkie suddenly spoke up in a rather business-like manner. "So that means we just need to figure out a way to make the spells usable by ponies who aren't Twilight. That basically boils down to devising a method to deliver the spells, and power them too."

"... Essentially, yes," Twilight replied and slowly nodded. "I have to say, Pinkie, I'm really surprised. You're taking this whole discussion a lot better than I thought you would."

"That's because we're discussing how to help out a friend, silly. Or, multiple friends if Dashie and Applejack are involved in this. I might not like the specific subject we're discussing, but the general topic is still how to help out a friend," Pinkie pointed out.

Twilight had to admit, Pinkie's idea of a solution was certainly a creative one for working around her own discomfort without directly addressing it.

"So how do we make it so a non-unicorn can actually use a unicorn-based spell?" Rainbow Dash asked. "We've all done some pretty impossible stuff, from me using the Sonic Rainboom, to all of us beating Tirek and restoring magic to Equestria. But I don't know how we can do something like what we were just talking about."

"I'm sure we'll find a way, eventually," Twilight replied as she tried to remain optimistic sounding, "I was just hoping to have it all figured out before Applejack comes over Saturday night for another slumber party. I wanted to surprise her with the new refined process."

"Well we've still got a few days before Saturday night comes around," Spike pointed out. "If we all put our heads together, maybe we can come up with something by then."

"Maybe," Twilight reluctantly agreed. She didn't want to give up on the hope of making it work. But with the lack of progress her notes detailed currently, she could probably be excused for having doubts about what was possible in a short amount of time.

Honestly, right at the moment, even defeating Starlight Glimmer and freeing her village from her control seemed easier than this in comparison.

But she owed it to Applejack to at least try and make it work. She'd been so supportive of her endeavors since finding out about them. She really couldn't call herself the Princess of Friendship if she didn't make every effort to help out her friends as they helped her out.

"Well then, if we're going to get this figured out before Saturday night, let's get started. I didn't get to be Princess Celestia's prized student by backing down from a magic-related mystery, simply because it was difficult."

Author's Note

I hate how long it takes to get these chapters out. There's just no excuse for that kind of incompetence on my part. This was supposed to be a fun little distraction from my main story, but it's proving to be a lot more involved than I originally thought it could be.

Twenty Four

Twenty Four

Applejack glanced towards the clock in the market square, noting the current time, and felt a sense of pride at the fact it'd been a whole ten minutes since the last time she'd checked. That accomplishment on her part had been really respectable...

Try as she might, there was no use in denying the simple fact that she was feeling a bit excited right now as she tended to the stall.

It was Saturday. Not only did that mean tomorrow was a day off for the family and even the farmland to relax, it also meant that tonight was her slumber party with Twilight. Making it all the better was the fact Rarity was back in town, and would be right there with them the entire night. It was a promise the fashionista had made the moment she'd gotten back to Ponyville, and unless some sort of emergency arose she intended to hold her to it.

It was just a matter of actually getting to that point first.

"Apples! Get 'em while they're fresh!" she called, hoping to attract somepony's attention so her time out here wasn't wasted by doing nothing.

If nothing else, at least she had a nice roof/awning to stand under and stay out of the direct sunlight. Every little bit helped and whatnot.

But it was still going to be a long two hours before it was time to close up shop. Made all the longer by a current lack of customers interested in even browsing her wares in this blasted heat!

Time could be such a fickle, infuriatingly stubborn thing when it decided to progress at a snail's pace, and couldn't be motivated to hurry itself up. Doubly so when there was a clock present that allowed for anypony passing by to accurately keep track of what time it was.

But not even time itself was able to out-stubborn an earth pony who was determined and dedicated to doing their job. Although it was certainly doing its dang best to try and do just that, as it just seemed to drag on slower, and slower, and slower...

Finally, after what felt like forever in the heat of the day, and a disappointing lack of customers, it was down to the last ten minutes before everything was finally over, and she could pack things up for the day. She just needed to stick it out a little longer; even if it did feel like the last ten minutes were going to be the longest part of the entire day.

"Apples!" she called, yet again, in hopes of drumming up even a few last minute sales to get a few more bits -and pass a few more minutes- before all was said and done.

But fate apparently decided to throw her a bone, not with a customer but rather a welcomed distraction, as she saw Rarity currently approaching her position, and looking completely unbothered by the current weather.

"Hello, Applejack," she greeted as she approached. "How're you holding up?"

"A whole lot better than Ah'd be without this roof ta keep the sun off mah back," Applejack replied. "Ah still appreciate ya thinkin' it up like ya did."

"Oh it was nothing at all," Rarity replied and waved her hoof dismissively. "But that's not actually what I came to ask about, darling. How're you holding up?"

Applejack's brow furrowed in confusion as she tried to decipher just what Rarity was getting at. Admittedly it took longer than she cared to admit for it all to click into place and make sense.

"The closer we get, the antsier Ah'm feelin'. All fidgety an' sorts," she admitted reluctantly. "Ah wasn' feelin' this way at all jus' a few days ago. But now that it's, what, nine minutes 'til closin' time, Ah'm havin' a hard time not closin' up shop early."

"So why not simply go ahead and do just that?" Rarity asked. "It's only a matter of a few minutes. It'll take you longer than that to get your stall and wares back to the farm."

Applejack could do little more than sigh and shake her head in response. There was no arguing that it sounded mighty tempting right now, what with the lack of any prospective customers coming her way. But she just couldn't do that all in good conscience.

"Ah jus' can't do that, sugarcube. It'd jus' be too easy ta call it quits, ju's 'cause Ah'm gettin' inpatient ta be spendin' time with mah friends. Ah don' wanna be gettin' inta the habit o' shirking mah duties, even if tonight is sorta a special occasion. If Ah do, then wha's gonna stop me from knockin' off a half hour early later on down the line? Or even a full hour?"

"Your friends," Rarity replied without missing a beat. "To say nothing of your family, and your own dedication to them and your farm. The very same dedication that has you out here right now, trying to squeeze whatever business you can out of these last few minutes, despite the fact nopony is buying anything in the market."

Applejack had no immediate retort to that. All she could do was glance around the market square for evidence to the contrary, only to see nothing that she could immediately point to, to show that business was still going.

"It's jus' a few more minutes," she justified.

"Well then, I suppose you leave me no other choice but to wait out those "few more minutes" by your side. It would be simply unbecoming of me to just leave you here all by yourself, when we're both headed for the same destination. Beyond that it'd be nothing short of rude to head over to Twilight's without you as if I were an impatient foal," Rarity stated.

Try as she might, Applejack couldn't fault Rarity's position. Not that she particularly wanted to anyway, as she appreciated it.

The market clock eventually sounded some few minutes later, announcing the end of the business day, and signalling that it was finally time to close up shop; something Applejack didn't need to be told twice to do.

Once it was all said, done, and put away, she found herself perched in front of the dresser in her room, taking a moment to simply let herself relax. after it all.

Things had been a bit easier with Rarity at her side, helping as she could with transporting everything back to the farm and getting it put away until Monday morning.

"To the end of a long day," she sighed to herself, before finally taking a good look at herself in the mirror.

She honestly looked as tired as she felt. Or maybe she felt as tired as she looked. Whatever the correct standard was, she looked like she'd been put through the wringer.

Making herself look a bit more presentable for her friends surely wouldn't hurt. So she picked up the mane brush that sat bristles-up on the vanity, and began running it through her hair to make it look a little bit less unkempt.

"Applejack?"

And then her attention was brought to the fact that Apple Bloom was currently standing in her doorway. Not for the first time, and hopefully not for the last time.

"Hey there, Apple Bloom," she greeted back as she glanced at her sister's reflection in the mirror. "How ya doin'?"

"Hot," Apple Bloom replied unenthusiastically. "Are ya stayin' fer supper, or headin' over ta Twilight's?"

"Ah'm gonna be headin' on over as soon as Ah'm done here," Applejack replied, before running another pass through her mane with the brush, and setting it back down. "Ah'm meetin' wit' Rarity an' we'll be headed over ta Twilight's together. Been lookin' forward to tonight fer weeks now," she clarified.

"Gonna be one o' those nights?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Unless somethin' comes up an' we need ta reschedule," Applejack replied as she turned away from the vanity and walked over to her. "Are ya thinkin' 'bout comin' along?"

Apple Bloom shook her head in response. "Granny said Ah could have a sleepover wit' Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. We're gonna be set up in the clubhouse tonight."

"Sounds good then," Applejack replied. "Ah guess Ah'll be seein' ya tomorrow then."

"About that," Apple Bloom replied slowly as she held her position in the doorway. "Could Ah talk ta ya 'bout somethin' before ya head out? Somethin' kinda important?"

Applejack looked back at her sister, who was in the process of glancing around the hallway uneasily, before slowly slipping into the room, and quietly closing the door behind her to avoid raising a ruckus. Whatever it was, it must've been mighty important to the filly.

"How come Rarity's a'right wit' Twilight goin' bald, but Sweetie Belle's not?"

"Come again?" Applejack asked, not quite grasping what her sister was talking about.

"Rarity's seen Twilight bald, she's even helped 'er out, and she doesn' even bat an eye. She's been nothin' but helpful an' understandin' 'bout it all. But Sweetie Belle's nothin' like that. She's grossed out by it all. Says it disgustin' an' whatnot," Apple Bloom clarified.

"Ya don' say," Applejack replied as she tried to recall when they'd discovered Twilight's interests.

"Ah do say," Apple Bloom retorted. "Scootaloo couldn' care less. She jus' brushed it off as bein' weird and moved onto somethin' else. But Sweetie Belle acts like ya'd expect Rarity ta act."

"Ah don' know what ta tell ya, Apple Bloom. Some ponies just react diff'rently. Ah mean, look at Pinkie an' all the trouble she had wit' it," Applejack pointed out.

"Ah guess," Apple Bloom sighed. "Ah jus' hope she doesn' wanna stop bein' friends 'cause Ah don' agree wit' 'er 'bout Twilight bein' bald."

Applejack winced. That was a concern she certainly understood, what with the whole debacle they'd already faced with Pinkie and misunderstandings.

"Ah wouldn' worry too much 'bout that, Apple Bloom. There's no point in borrowin' trouble wih' somethin' that hasn' even happened yet, an' might not even happen."

"Bu' what if it does happen?" Apple Bloom asked.

Another one that Applejack found herself having to mull over for an answer. How did her sister go about figuring out these really hard questions to ask?

"Anypony willin' ta end a friendship over who you're friends wit', doesn' sound like much of a friend if ya ask me," she replied, figuring it was the best she could come up with. "The three o' ya have been through far too much fer somethin' as silly as this ta break ya. Besides, Rarity would yammer 'er ear off if she did somethin' like that."

That at least got an amused snort out of Apple Bloom.

"Ya jus' try an' have fun wit' yer friends an' not worry 'bout stuff like that, a'right? Twilight doesn' need us worryin' with 'er; she'll end up getting the wrong ideas."

"A'right, Ah'll try," Apple Bloom replied halfheartedly. "G'night then, Ah'll see ya in the mornin'."

"Not if Ah see ya first," Applejack retorted as she gave her a parting hug, before making her way down the stairs.

She hadn't really been expecting Rarity to be standing by the front door while waiting for her. But regardless that was the scene that'd greeted her as she reached the bottom.

"Ready to go, darling?"

"Ready if you are," she replied, slightly tempted to teasingly suggest Rarity was even more eager than she was to get over to Twilight's.

But she managed to remain mature about the whole thing and restrain herself as they departed out the front door, even though she wanted to gallop the whole way to burn off some of the energy she was bristling with at the moment. After Rarity had been nice enough to keep her company and all, basic politeness was the least she could do.

"So whadda ya think Twilight has in store fer us tonight?" she eventually asked as they trotted along.

"Hm. It's hard to tell, really. Despite your account of what happened in my absence, I've been brimming over with curiosity ever since I got back to town," Rarity admitted. "It's been so hard resisting going over to Twilight's to see what she's been up to. I wanted tonight to be just as much of a surprise as last week would've been, had I been able to attend."

"Ah don' know if that's possible since Apple Bloom won' be joinin' us tonight," Applejack pointed out. "Ah'm mighty curious ta see wha' tonight's gonna be like wit' jus' the four of us bein' together again."

"In that case, darling, let's get there all the quicker so we can find ourselves just what this night has in store for us," Rarity suggested.

It really wouldn't be right to classify the travel to the palace as a race. Although there had been a fair bit of friendly one-upping one another, as each would periodically make an attempt at quickening their pace just enough to move ahead of the other.

All good-natured and whatnot, up until the final length of the journey as they neared their destination and dropped any notion of basic politeness as they galloped the rest of the way to the front doors.

Applejack hadn't really been pushing herself all that hard, but it was still a bit surprising just how well Rarity had been keeping pace with her the entire time. If not for the occasional giggles from the two of them, one might've actually thought they were being serious.

"Welp, no sense dilly-dallyin' an' keepin' Twi' waitin'."

Before Applejack even had her hoof on the bell, the front doors were already being pulled open to reveal a positively giddy Twilight standing there, looking like it was taking every ounce of her alicorn willpower to maintain even some semblance of calm as she smiled practically ear-to-ear.

Spike looked far more calm and collected as he stood just off to the side.

"Before we get too far along, I just have one question I need to ask," she stated, a slight hitch in her voice like she was trying not to squeak with excitement. "There's been no surprise developments, and we're still on for tonight, right?"

"Like the shell on an egg, sugarcube," Applejack replied.

Twilight nodded, trying not to lose her composure but quickly losing the battle. "That's all I need to know. Come inside out of the heat so we can get this evening started!"

Applejack and Rarity had barely even stepped inside the foyer before Spike was closing the door behind them. And the instant it was shut what little composure Twilight had struggled to maintain was quickly lost, as she let out a squeal of absolute delight and quickly pulled the two of them into a group hug.

"It's actually, finally happening!" she exclaimed excitedly and allowed the illusion spell to drop, confirming what they'd felt the moment they were grabbed. "I know it's only been a few weeks, but it feels like it's been forever since we made these plans for tonight. And now we're finally here and get to carry them out!"

Whatever their own individual feelings on the subject were, it was hard to not find Twilight's joy over something as simple as spending the night with friends, positively infectious. Applejack couldn't help but smile as she returned the hug.

"Alright. I'll let you bring them up to speed on everything, I'm gonna go start on dinner," Spike announced before turning and leaving, sensing that his contribution to the welcoming had already been fulfilled, and leaving him no further reason to stand around.

"Hm?" Rarity hummed, the good mood from the embrace temporarily pushed aside as her curiosity piqued. "Bring us up to speed?"

At this, Twilight couldn't help but grin. "We've made some advancements since the last time we talked."

The trip to the bathroom had been quiet short, but more than long enough for their curiosity to get going at just what Twilight had meant by "advancements." Her being tight-lipped and insisting on showing rather than telling had only added to the mystery as they were ushered and led inside the room.

As far as Applejack could tell, nothing really seemed out of place that would indicate what had Twilight so excited. About the only thing that looked different from last week was what looked like four colored gems -blue, green, amber and red- done up like soap on a rope, and hanging from hooks on the far shower wall. With Twilight's par for the course OCD tendencies for organization having them hung in a straight line and evenly spaced apart. Not that there was anything wrong with that.

"We've found a way to simplify and streamline the undressing process," Twilight stated triumphantly. "It's now far simpler, there's less hassle, less discomfort, and can now be performed by anypony without my being present. And I have the two of you to thank for making that degree of development possible in the first place."

"Really?" Rarity asked, perplexed at this sudden announcement. "How did we do that?"

She knew the moment she saw Twilight's grin, that they were going to be in for a significant explanation. But even if she hadn't asked, she suspected it was going to happen regardless.

"Through a series of seemingly minute, otherwise unrelated events, all culminating together in a way that's led us to where we are presently; starting with Apple Bloom's question last week, when she asked if the process involved basically amounted to a pony having to ask my permission in order to remove their fur."

Hearing that her little sister had somehow been involved with whatever was currently going on had perked Applejack's interest.

"It was a notion that I just couldn't get out of my mind, because it made a lot of sense. After that I started trying to figure out a process that would let anypony do such on their own without my involvement, should they ever wish to do so. But trying to figure out how to accomplish that was a lot more work than I'd anticipated, as I not only needed to work out a method of how to deliver the spell, and power it, I also needed to figure out a way it couldn't be accidentally triggered by somepony who had no desire to go without their fur."

"Yes, I can certainly see how that could prove to be a problem," Rarity replied, doing her best to keep her expression neutral despite the mental image the explanation brought to mind. "But you apparently found a way to fix it, correct?"

"Well, not exactly. Not on my own anyway. Pinkie and Rainbow Dash sort of helped me out with this one," Twilight admitted.

"Oh now Ah've gotta hear this one," Applejack stated. There was no way this account could go without being told after everything they'd been through together.

Rarity nodded in agreement. "Quite right. I'm curious how you managed to get Pinkie of all ponies to help you on this, considering her own experience with the matter."

"Well I didn't actually, it just sort of happened. It's kind of a long story," Twilight clarified, before continuing regardless. "Thursday turned into another one of our therapy sessions, although it really just started off as her coming over to escape the heat of the day; we just decided to roll with classifying it as therapy afterwards. We were content to just lay around and relax, not really doing anything. Shortly after that Rainbow Dash stopped by for a visit by slipping in through the library windows, also looking to beat the heat. Although she took it quite a bit further by opting to strip down to just her feathers. On the bright side, I think the therapy sessions are actually doing some good; Pinkie didn't seem to show any additional discomfort from having to be around two bald ponies simultaneously."

"Well now, I'm certainly glad to hear that. But it doesn't really get us any closer to learning how we helped you with whatever advancements you've made, darling," Rarity pointed out.

"I'm getting to that, I promise," Twilight assured her. "Anyway, we were all just settled in, relaxing, and the discussion eventually turned to the project I've been working on. And at hearing the problems I was facing with making everything work, Pinkie decided to redefine the matter as one of helping out a friend. Honestly, her being willing to do that without even being asked was kind of a surprise to me."

"So wha' happened then?" Applejack asked.

"Well we all sort of hit the same wall in trying to figure out how to let a non-unicorn use the spells on their own in a controlled manner. All four of us were coming up with nothing and we were just sort of circling. We were getting tired and frustrated, and the next thing I know Rainbow Dash is declaring this to be a big brain problem that required big brain energy. So she grabbed my necklace to put on and started doing impressions of me. But in truth it was just her spouting nonsense that sounded vaguely scientific. This got Pinkie laughing and insisting on giving it a try, and before I knew it the scene has devolved into a Twilight Sparkle impersonation contest, with each of them trying to outdo the other in being me.

"Honestly, I wanted to be annoyed with them over just how ridiculous their takes on me were. Which only became more ridiculous as time went on. I know they weren't trying to be rude, but still. But as I'm standing there, watching as my necklace gets passed back and forth like a beach ball, it all suddenly just... clicked into place. We finally had the answer we were looking for."

"An' what was that?" Applejack asked.

"The necklace that Rarity gave me for the illusion spell," Twilight stated. "The spell that makes me look normal is ingrained into the crystal's structure, is accessible to anypony who wears it, and is powered through physical contact with the wearer. We had the answer this entire time, and we never even realized it!"

"Is that why ya've got those gemstones hangin' up in the shower?" Applejack asked.

Twilight nodded. "That was actually Pinkie's contribution to the endeavor, once we knew what we were doing. She scrounged up a dozen or so cubic zirconia that Spike doesn't care for the taste of, some rope, and a soap on a rope to make sure her idea got across and understood. From there it was just a matter of a few spells for smoothing out the stones' surfaces, partially liquefying the cores to affix them on the ropes, dying the surface, and attaching the appropriate spells to each of them. Which leads us to where we are right now; four of my best friends helping me out when I needed them, even before I realized that I needed their help."

Another group hug at this point was mandatory. The laws of the universe demanded it.

"I'm quite happy for you, darling. This is wonderful news," Rarity stated as she patted Twilight's back.

And just as it'd begun, the group hug came to an end as the three separated again.

"A'right. This is good news an' all, Twi', but do ya mind explainin' how these things are supposed ta work?" Applejack asked.

"Oh! Right! Well it's all very simple, Applejack. Each of the stones have a particular spell attached to them, each one corresponding to a specific step of the progress. The green one is the removal spell, the amber one is the analgesic for numbing the skin, and the red one is the restoration spell. The blue one is specifically tailored for Rainbow Dash and removes everything but her feathers, but otherwise is identical to the green gem in terms of function. After much discussion, we decided it'd be best to color code them like traffic signals," Twilight explained. "All anypony has to do is touch the gem for the spell they want for a few seconds, and it becomes activated through the magic in their body, just like the illusion spell."

"Well then, if nopony minds Ah'm gonna get mahself ready fer tonight. Ah came ta spend the night wit' mah friends an' Ah'm gonna do jus' that," Applejack announced as she stepped forward, placed her hat on the ground, and hopped into the tub.

"Of course," Twilight replied, "I'll leave you to it and go help Spike get dinner ready. We have a special treat for tonight, and I want to make sure it all goes off without a hitch."

Now it was just the two of them alone in the bathroom. Not that Applejack particularly cared one way or another. She had bigger matters to attend to, and wasn't in the mood to waste any time worrying about unimportant stuff.

She reached up and pressed the underside of her right hoof against the green gem, and immediately felt a mildly warm sensation radiating from the stone, up her leg, and throughout her entire body. It was a different sensation from the last two times she'd gone without her fur, but that might've been because she'd had running water to distract her at the time.

With a shake of her leg the remnants of her fur flaked away with ludicrous ease, demonstrating that the spell had worked. She briefly considered shaking herself like Winona, but stopped and simply turned on the shower to deliver a jet of lukewarm water over herself, just long enough to wash off whatever traces of powdery fur residue she still might've had left clinging to her.

Then she shut off the shower and shook herself like Winona, a bit of a grin on her lips at seeing for herself that the spell worked like Twilight had said. This was going to make things so much simpler.

It was only when she reached for a towel to dry herself off, that she realized Rarity was still in the room with her. Almost as if she'd been watching. Not that she actually minded if that'd happened, it was just a bit odd.

"Somethin' wrong, Rar'?"

Rarity shook her head in response. "No, not wrong, just... unexpected is all. I feel like I missed out on a lot more last week than I initially thought I would."

"How do ya figure that?" Applejack asked as she climbed back out of the tub with the towel currently draped over her neck.

"... The first time I saw you without your fur, you presented yourself as this paradoxical blending of subtle, soft-spoken strength with your toned muscles being easily visible just under your skin, and a degree of bashfulness that would've easily rivaled even Fluttershy. Had I been any other pony, I wouldn't have been able to resist hugging you where you stood and call you adorable."

Applejack couldn't help but blush at hearing this.

"This time around, you're like an entirely different pony. The way you stand, the way you carry and present yourself, there's no difference between you now and when you had your fur on earlier today. You're confident, secure, and utterly relaxed. You carry yourself just like Twilight does in such a state. However did you make such a drastic change in such a short amount of time?"

"Experience," Applejack reasoned, "it's jus' like ya said, Ah had ta give it time ta get a proper understandin' 'bout it. Apple Bloom an' Ah were too busy last week tryin' not ta get trounced by Twilight while playin' "Hazard" tha' we didn' have time fer thinkin' 'bout much else. Ah was a bit too distracted ta give it much thought, Ah guess Ah jus' settled in an' got cozy."

"So it would appear," Rarity surmised, before letting out a soft sigh. "I just wish I could've witnessed it all for myself. I might not be the biggest fan of Twilight's embrace of nudism, but I always enjoy seeing my friends grow and develop. It's not so much the journey or the destination, but the experiences shared along the way that make it all worthwhile."

"Yeah?" Applejack asked, not really expecting that sort of answer.

Rarity nodded. "I don't believe I'll ever be up to going as far as you and Rainbow Dash have in this matter. But that particular point aside, I still want to see just what develops of all this, whether it remains something shared by just a few of our friends, or winds up becoming a trend embraced by a good portion of Ponyville. Whatever may come, I want to see not only the conclusion, but how we arrive at that point."

"An' maybe givin' a helpful nudge along the way?" Applejack asked.

At this, Rarity had no immediate verbal response. Just the slightest hint of a gentle smile playing across her lips, with what might be considered a politely guilty look at the corners of her eyes.

"Well now, I can't really be blamed for trying to help out a friend who might be in need, can I?" she asked coyly.

"Ah reckon not, seein' as we've got a few of us all doin' the same thing," Applejack replied and shrugged, before retrieving her stetson and donning it once again. "Should we go see wha' Twi's got in mind fer dinner tonight?"

"It would probably be for the best if we did. There's no sense in being rude by keeping the host of this evening waiting," Rarity agreed. "The sooner we eat, the sooner we can see just what this evening holds for us."

Author's Note

There is no excuse, none whatsoever, for how long it took to write this chapter.

Worse yet is the fact it's not even the full chapter. This was going to be much longer and cover a whole lot more, but I just couldn't manage it.

Sorry folks.

One

It was hot out. That much was blatantly obvious to Applejack as she stood, wishing the family's market stall was set up in the shade of a tree with a nice canopy, rather than out in the open right now, with not a bit of refuge from the sun's rays.

Not that she had anything against bright, sunny days. Days like this was what made the crops prosper as well as they did. Nor was she opposed to working in the heat of a summer day; being a farmer, that went with the territory, and she knew that.

If she had to pick anything to be dissatisfied with on this hot day when she was doing market duty, it was the complete absence of a nice, gentle breeze to get the air moving. If there was a breeze, it would all prove to more tolerable for her to be out here.

But unfortunately there was no cooling breeze to be had, and no clouds overhead to hide the full intensity of the sun. And it was still hours before the day was done, and she could return home.

"Hoowee," she exclaimed as she removed her hat to wipe her forehead with the back of her leg. "Ah'm roastin' like a marshmallow on one o' Twilight's s'mores at a slumber party," she muttered as she placed her hat back on her head. "Ah swear, Ah'm gonna put a roof on this here stall."

This wasn't the first time she'd made such a declaration. And it likely wouldn't be the last either. She always intended to make such a modification to the stall. But when it came time to do such, something always came up, left her distracted and forgetting, or she was simply too tired when the opportunity presented itself. So until the occasion better presented itself, she'd simply have to tolerate the sun trying to bake her like a raisin.

And she really hated raisins.

"Apples! Nice red, juicy apples fer sale!" she called, working her sales pitch to bring in customers. Those that were willing to brave the heat right along with her anyway.

Out of all the ponies that Applejack anticipated to be out braving the heat right along with her, she would admit that Rarity who was approaching her certainly wasn't among them. Twilight who was currently accompanying her, maybe, but not definitely Rarity. Not with how that mare went on about how much humidity was the bane of her fancy mane's existence.

Regardless, she was still glad to be seeing friends right now.

"Howdy girls," she greeted and waved towards them.

"Hey Applejack," Twilight greeted in return as she approached the stall. "How's it going?"

"Oh it's goin', jus' not as smooth as Ah'd be likin' it to," Applejack replied, before moving her hat to wipe her head again. "Wha' brings ya by?"

Rarity remained silent in response, opting to magically retrieve a hoofkerchief from her saddlebags, and used it wipe down Applejack's forehead.

"Nothing much. We just saw you out here, and figured we'd come by and say hi," Twilight explained as Rarity did her thing.

Rarity nodded in response. "Would you care for some lemonade, darling? It's positively beastly out here in the sun," she stated, before tucking the hoofkerchief away back in her saddlebags.

The sudden attention she was getting left Applejack confused. But confused or not, it was still appreciated on a day like today. "Well Ah've got a hankerin' fer iced tea right about now. But Ah sure wouldn' say no ta lemonade neither," she replied, the thought of something cool to drink, whatever it was, being mighty appealing right now.

"Oh?" Rarity asked. Applejack nodded. "Well if you could take a break from working the stall, I do have some iced tea back at the boutique," she explained.

"Yeah?" Applejack asked as she thought over the proposal. It was proving to be very appealing right now. "Much as Ah'd like ta do that, Ah need ta keep an eye on the stall; make sure none o' the apples wind up goin' missin'," she explained.

"Oh dear. You're not suggesting that somepony might steal them, are you?" Rarity asked, horrified by the idea.

"Ah'm not sayin' that they would. But..." she let her sentence trail off, rather than finishing it. It would be naive not to assume that nopony would pass up what they might view as a free sample, or a quick-hoof discount. They all knew that fact, how nopony was perfect.

"Oh I think I can make sure that doesn't happen," Twilight replied confidently, knowing that it would be easy enough to thwart any prospective apple thieves. A simple, temporary-duration force field would do nicely.

Applejack couldn't help but grin as she shook her head in thought. For all the quirks that Twilight and Rarity had about them, that sometimes rubbed her the wrong way, there was no denying that they made great friends.

"Ah tell ya what, you two 're certainly somethin' else..."

Much as she didn't want to, Applejack couldn't help but give a contended, relaxed sigh as she leaned back. Being in the shade of the indoors, with electric fans blowing about the parlor of the Carousel Boutique, and a tall glass of iced tea with just a hint of lemon and honey mixed in was just too nice of a change from just a few minutes ago. It was almost like being scooped right out of the pits of Tartarus.

"Ah tell ya what, that hit the spot," she replied, before downing the rest of the glass, and setting it back on the coffee table in front of her. She honestly didn't realize just how beat she'd felt until now. "Ah might've collapsed out there if ya hadn' come by when ya did."

"I wouldn't be surprised in the least. This weather is positively inhospitable," Rarity groaned. "Rainbow Dash wasn't joking when she warned us about how bad the coming summer was going to be."

"Remind me ta show 'er a little more consideration the next time Ah think she's exaggeratin' a might," Applejack commented. "Ah have seriously gotta see about puttin' a roof on that stand fer weather like this," she stated.

"If you'd like I could help. I've got a lot of books on carpentry," Twilight stated.

Applejack couldn't help but laugh in response to that. "Ah appreciate the offer, Twi', Ah really do. An' no offense to ya er nothin', but the stall is meant ta come apart fer easy transport at the end o' the day. Quick an' dirty like, not permanent like a home," she pointed out.

"Oh..." Twilight replied, mildly embarrassed at how easily Applejack had been able to figure out what she had in mind. "Well maybe I can still help with something. Maybe some poles at a tarp could work instead," she suggested.

"A tarp, darling?" Rarity asked, visibly disgusted with the idea. "Perish the thought. Canvas would be the way to go. Not only in keeping the sun off of Applejack's back, but it would provide a far superior look as well. Why with a little work, I dare say a collapsible awning wouldn't be out of the realm of possibilities," she stated.

It was at the discussion of plans for putting a roof on her stall that Applejack started to regard the two a bit skeptically. Something about all of this was... off somehow. She didn't want to say that they weren't good friends to her, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being rubbed the wrong way by something. Rarity and Twilight weren't just being friendly to her, they were being very friendly. It was almost like how chummy Rainbow Dash got if she wanted something for free... but a lot less extreme.

"A'right ya two, Ah know that somethin' is up. What is it?" she asked, deciding to cut right to the heart of the matter.

Twilight and Rarity exchanged a look with one another, before looking back at Applejack. And Twilight was wearing a bit of a guilty expression on her face as she did.

"Alright. You caught us," she admitted. "The truth is we did have an ulterior motive for calling you here. There's something that I wanted to show you, but I wasn't sure how to when you were out in public."

"Ah'm listenin'," Applejack replied neutrally, wondering where this was going.

Instead of getting a verbal explanation, she was instead presented with a picture Twilight had dug out of her saddlebags. She supposed the saying "a picture's worth a thousand words" was being referenced here. Although as she looked over it, she wasn't sure a thousand words would be enough to explain it.

"Wha' exactly am Ah lookin' at here?" she asked as she looked it over.

"You know how Sunset Shimmer contacted us through the journal?" Twilight asked. Applejack nodded. "Well we've been keeping in contact with one another about stuff, one thing led to another, and... having some free time, we worked out a photo exchange. I brought a group photo of what we look like in this world, and they sent back a group photo of what we look like in that world," she explained.

"Huh," Applejack replied and scratched her head. "So that's the us from the other side of the mirror. Sure is a strange lookin' bunch."

"I'd gauge them as being more unfamiliar than strange, darling," Rarity replied. Strange, even though technically accurate, just seemed rather rude to her. Unfamiliar just had a more open flow to it.

"I'll admit, it's a lot to get used to. Walking on your hind legs, picking things up with hands, having no fur and wearing all kinds of unfamiliar clothing. But after a while, it stops being so unfamiliar. Although switching from human, to pony, and back again, can get a little jarring," Twilight replied.

"Ah'll take yer word fer it," Applejack replied, deferring to what counted as the voice of experience. "So how'd they react when they saw wha' we looked like?" she asked.

"I'd say positively. Rainbow Dash thought it was awesome that her pony self had wings for flying. Fluttershy... well I don't think I've ever seen her quite that excited before. I didn't even know her voice could go that high," Twilight explained.

Applejack chuckled in response to the mental image that was drawing. Somehow it made perfect sense to her that something like that might be the case.

"So all this over a photo?" she asked. It all just seemed a bit extreme for something so simple.

"Well it's really not the sort of conversation that I want to have with everypony. That would be... complicated," Twilight explained. "But besides that, you still looked like you could use a break from the heat. And the two just seemed to go together well enough."

Applejack just nodded in response. She could see that as being the case.

"Well Ah'm mighty thankful for the intervention. But Ah gotta get back ta the stall an' sell some apples before the day's done," she replied as she stood up again, bracing to walk back out into the heat again.

"Um. Before you get back to it, Applejack, could I... ask you a question?" Twilight asked, stopping her friend from leaving just yet.

"Wha's on yer mind, Twi'?" Applejack asked.

"Well a while ago I was comparing notes about the differences and similarities between the two worlds, and..." Twilight paused at feeling a nudge come from Rarity who sat not too far away from her. A subtle way of telling her that she was rambling, and should get to the point. "Well I was just wondering. What's your opinion of a pony that likes to... go bald?" she asked.

"Goin' bald? Like the ones in the picture?" Applejack asked. Twilight nodded uneasily. "Depends Ah guess. If it's in the privacy o' there own homes, an' ain' nopony gettin' hurt by it, Ah don't think it's any o' my business wha' they're doin'. Ain' like they're prancin' out in public, flauntin' anything in mah face. Why should Ah care?" she asked.

As the words left her mouth, she couldn't help but feel a sudden sense of tension in the room that hadn't been there just a few minutes ago. She suspected that there was something she wasn't being told, but she didn't know why. And right now she didn't want to jump to any conclusions. "Why?"

"Well..." Twilight started uneasily, even hesitantly. "Spending time in the other world, doing things the way they do, it sort of got me thinking on a few things. Then one day I found this spell in an older medical book about inducing baldness for lice. And I... sort of tried it. And I... sort of liked it..." she admitted, finding it difficult to actually get the words out. Where things had flowed so easily when telling Rarity, it was a great deal harder with Applejack, and she didn't know why. It was like her words had psychological weights to them that were holding her back.

"Yeah?" Applejack asked as she quirked an eyebrow in the process. Twilight simply nodded in response, reminding her a lot of when Apple Bloom was younger, and had a penchant for getting in trouble. She had that same nod when she would get questioned about doing something wrong. "Is that what all this was about?"

Twilight nodded again, finding it hard to maintain eye contact with Applejack. She felt like she was a specimen under a microscope right now. She thought that Applejack would be the easiest to approach, but so far that didn't look like it was panning out. Worse was the possibility that this was the easiest that hings would go.

"Twilight. Look at me..."

The tone that Applejack's words carried with them was of a very commanding nature, without being particularly forceful. Twilight felt compelled to look up at her friend, in the eyes, much like she was facing a parent, rather than another pony who was close to her own age. She had a feeling that this was the moment of judgement, and she flinched.

"No offense to ya, Twi', but ya still got some Canterlotian goofiness to ya, if ya were afraid Ah was gonna stop bein' yer friend, just 'cause ya like doing somethin' that might strike me as bein' odd."

Rarity might've been the one to let out a relieved sigh, but it was Twilight who nearly fell down at hearing Applejack's words. She'd been bracing for a much worse development to occur. And now that it hadn't transpired as she feared, she felt a mental weight being lifted off of her.

"Shoot, if bein' odd was all it took fer me ta stop bein' friends with somepony, Pinkie'd never be allowed on Sweet Apple Acres," Applejack continued and chuckled. She might've understood the reasoning behind the indirect approach, but still, there were easier ways Twilight could've gone about informing her about everything.

"So... you're not upset? You don't think it's obscene, or perverse to be doing this?" Twilight asked. Sure she was relieved and all, but it just struck her as... a bit strange. She knew Applejack was accepting and all, but she still thought that it would've taken a little more than this to get to the point they were at right now.

Applejack just shook her head. "Like Ah said, wha' somepony does in private ain' rightly any o' my business. Ah reckon ya've got good reason fer doin' wha' yer doin'. Besides, yer a grown mare, ya don' need mah permission ta do somethin' if it makes ya happy."

The next thing she knew, Twilight had come around the table and pulled her into a hug. Naturally she reciprocated.

"Thank you. I was so worried that things were going to go badly when I decided to tell you about this."

"Well Ah can understand why, but ya don' have ta be worryin' no more, Sugarcube," Applejack reassured her. "The only question Ah have, is why ya felt the need ta tell me. Not that Ah don' appreciate the honesty an' all. Ah'm jus' curious about wha' brought this all up."

It was at this point, that Rarity spoke up by clearing her throat. She'd been sitting silently, letting Twilight do most of the work. But letting her do all of the work herself wasn't what she'd signed up for when she decided to assist Twilight.

"Well, you see, darling, we still don't know why, but the crystal construction of Twilight's palace tends to prove cooler than their surroundings. And Twilight, being the good friend she is, didn't want us to be shocked should we make use of the palace during this unbearable weather, and stumble across the fact that she's a nudist," she explained.

That wasn't exactly the full truth of the matter. But it was still a truthful answer, and it got the important points across in an efficient manner. And it was truthful that Twilight didn't want the others to be surprised, hence why she hid her decisions from them.

"Wha's a nudist?" Applejack asked, blinking at the unfamiliar word.

"It's the human equivalent of being a baldy," Twilight elaborated.

"Ah. Gotcha," Applejack replied and nodded. "Ah appreciate ya thinkin' 'bout us like that, Sugarcube. But next time ya have somethin' ta tell me, would ya mind bein' a little more straightforward?" she asked.

"I think I can do that. I mean, after you tell your friend that you enjoy walking around, naked as a jaybird, what else is there to say that's shocking?" she asked.

"Naked as a jaybird? Where the hay did ya get somethin' like that?" Applejack asked, caught off guard by the unfamiliar phrase.

"Your human counterpart. Her term, not mine," Twilight explained.

"Huh," Applejack replied. She might have to remember that one. It certainly sounded like a countryism. "Well Ah'm sure there's a good story behind that, but Ah jus' don' have the time ta sit an' talk. Ah gotta be gettin' back ta the stall. Ah'm burning' daylight here," she replied as she let go of Twilight. "Thanks fer the hospitality though. Much appreciated."

"Applejack, just one more thing before you go, I promise I'll make it quick," Rarity spoke up, once again cutting off the farmer's escape. "Could you possibly come by for dinner tonight? We could talk more then."

"Tonight?" Applejack asked as she glanced up in thought. "Sorry, tonight's no good fer me. Tomorrow night would be better."

Twilight looked over at Rarity, who looked back at her and gave her a simple nod in response.

"Alright. Tomorrow night it is. Just come to the palace, and I'll do my best to answer any questions you might have," she stated, before making her horn flash brightly. "There. I adjusted the force field so it'll only last two more minutes. Plenty of time to get back to the stall before it collapses. If you get there before then, just give it a couple of good whacks and it should crack like a walnut."

"Ah reckon Ah can do that jus' fine. Like Ah said, Ah appreciate the hospitality, but Ah gotta get goin' now. See ya girls later," Applejack stated.

"Don't be afraid to come back, darling," Rarity stated as Applejack left.

The chime above the front door sounded as Applejack stepped back outside. That left the two of them alone, in the silence of the boutique, to contemplate what had happened.

"Well now..." Twilight spoke up slowly, "that went a lot better than I thought it would."

She knew that Applejack could be very understanding when approached correctly. But still, this almost felt too easy to her. Applejack had settled in for the conversation almost like they were talking about a new apple-related recipe.

Rarity simply walked over to Twilight and hugged her. Things had gone quite well in bringing Applejack into their little group. Even if it was just the initial stage, it had still gone quite well. But then again there had been little reason to believe otherwise. Perhaps tomorrow night would go just as swimmingly.

"Oh dear. I just realized something. We never asked Applejack to not mention this to anyone," Rarity stated, shocked that they'd managed to overlook something so important.

"That's right. We didn't," Twilight replied as she nodded. "I don't think she would though. She's not really the gossiping type. Especially not about her friends."

Rarity could do little but nod in response. Applejack really wasn't the sort that would go around spreading gossip for the sake of conversation. But still, with something of this degree of sensitivity, it was easy to assume the worst, in trying to control everything. Sometimes being a friend required a certain degree of trust in one another to do the right thing without mentioning it prior.

But still, just in case, she'd stop by Applejack's stall when she could, and bring it up in conversation at all possible. Perhaps even buy a few apples to help compensate her for her absence.

Two

Applejack stood still as she observed Twilight's palace from the outside, several paces away from the front door. No matter how many times she saw it, it still struck her as impressive to think about how it had literally grown right out of the ground, fully formed and everything. It was magic far beyond her level of understanding. But it was a magic that she didn't obsess with trying to comprehend by herself. How it came to exist, that really wasn't as important to her, as the purpose that it had come to serve in its existence.

Besides that, she really didn't need to unravel every mystery she came across. There were some things that had to be known, while others you simply wanted to know.

Right now, however, she had other things on her mind. Things like how yesterday she'd agreed to show up for dinner at the palace with Twilight and Rarity, for the purpose of greater discussion over what they'd shared with her yesterday.

She'd done her best to avoid too much speculating about something she didn't fully understand, but she'd be lying if she said she wasn't curious. It was mighty hard to not wonder about it all, so it took very little leg twisting on their part, to get her to agree to come over tonight to find out more.

"Well. No sense waitin' around out here," she said to herself as she stepped closer, and knocked on the large front door. Moments later the door was opened and she saw Twilight standing behind it. And -much to her relief- she was currently wearing her fur. "Well howdy, Twilight, how's it goin'?"

"It's going alright, but dinner's running a little later than expected. I hope that's not too much of a problem. I know that farm work motivates a big appetite and-"

"It's a'right, Sugarcube, Ah don' mind waitin' a spell ta eat," Applejack stated, cutting off whatever long-winded explanation Twilight might've been preparing to launch herself into.

Although in stopping Twilight from explaining things, and breaking her concentration, it looked like she had forgotten about actually letting her into the palace. Applejack wanted to chuckle, but decided to just let the matter go, as there was no point in being rude. "So. Mind if Ah step inside?"

"Oh my!" Twilight squeaked in embarrassment as she hurriedly stepped aside and opened the door wider. Now Applejack couldn't help but chuckle, as she dusted off her hooves and stepped. "I'm sorry, that was really inconsiderate of me!"

"Settle down there, Sugarcube, yer actin' like yer getting ready fer a first date er somethin'," Applejack stated.

"... I really am, aren't I?" Twilight asked, now realizing that she was being totally ridiculous. She knew that she didn't have to be this anxious. But knowing or not, she really couldn't help feeling it. "I'm sorry. I'm being ridiculous. I don't know why I'm being so anxious about all this."

Applejack didn't say anything as she walked over, and wrapped her leg around Twilight to pull her into a hug. The type of hug one friend didn't hesitate to give to another during a period of distress. The poor mare was getting herself way too worked up over something that was really nothing. "Ya already told me 'bout yer secret, Sugarcube. Ah reckon the hardest part is done an' over with."

"You're right. You're right," Twilight replied as she nodded slowly. The hard part of all of this had already been done when they'd told Applejack about everything, and she'd still shown up for dinner. She hadn't even hesitated to hug her when she looked like she had needed it. What did she really have to be upset about anyway? "Thanks. I needed that."

"No trouble at all, Twi'," Applejack replied as she patted Twilight's back, before setting her hoof back on the floor. "So how was tonight supposed ta go anyway? Does the question an' answer session come before dinner, er after, er what?"

"Oh. About that," Twilight paused ,"the thing is, I had this idea for a specific setup of this evening. But Spike and Rarity eventually talked me into a more free form approach to doing things. They reasoned that since we're not discussing anything obscene, it shouldn't necessarily be restricted to an after dinner conversation," she explained.

"Makes sense Ah guess," Applejack replied. It actually reminded her a lot of the first time she, Twilight, and Rarity had gotten together for an impromptu slumber party during a thunderstorm. Twilight had her rigid way of trying to do things by the book, and it usually fell on them to try and show her that there were easier ways of proceeding. "Ah reckon we'll do jus' fine, playin' it by ear."

"I guess..." Twilight replied slowly, still unconvinced about the whole idea. She really should've made a checklist on how to proceed with this. The thought of proceeding in such an open manner just didn't feel right. Rarity had discovered her secret by accident, so she had little choice on how they proceeded. But this was knowingly walking into the situation without a plan.

Applejack didn't need to be a mind reader to know that something wasn't right with Twilight. She and the others had been a bit more attentive to watching the signs after the last time she'd had a meltdown, and they had an idea for how to respond to seeing them.

"If ya don' mind mah askin', Twi', why've ya got yer fur on? On the way over here, Ah half expected ta find ya plucked," she stated. But almost immediately after the words left her mouth, she regretted ever asking the question. That sounded so, so wrong now that she'd actually heard it. "Er... not that Ah mean Ah was expectin' ta find ya bald er nothing! Ah'm not, uh..."

Now it was Twilight's turn to giggle, amusement overtaking anxiety.

"It's alright, Applejack, I get what you meant," she said as she patted her back. "As to the why. Being nude is something I only do when I have free time, and the privacy to do it in. And since the palace still serve as the town library, those are two resources often in short supply. Although both have become more abundant ever since Spike and Rarity found out, so I've got a little more leeway at my disposal," she explained. Looking back on how hard it had been previously, compared to how it was currently, she wondered how she'd ever gone it alone, now that she knew what it was like having help when she needed it.

"As to why not now. I considered it, reasoning that you already knew about it. But then I stopped and remembered that there's a lot of difference between knowing something academically, and actually experiencing it with your own hooves. I didn't want to just go and do it, without knowing if it might make you uncomfortable. Plus it would just be rude," she continued.

Applejack paused, wondering what she should say next. She wasn't sure whether to express gratitude over Twilight being so neighborly and considerate of others, or tell her that since it was her home, she should feel free to do what made her comfortable. It was one of those complicated give and take problems that she just couldn't figure out right now.

"Anyway. Let's go to the dining room. Hopefully dinner will be ready by the time we get there," Twilight suggested.

Applejack nodded at that suggestion, glad for the change of subject to something that was far easier to discuss.

"I still think we should've gone a different route for dinner tonight. This... just seems wrong to me," Rarity commented as she looked at the spread on the table. This certainly wasn't what she would think of as appropriate. They should've gone with something more... impressive. Something that required a little more effort.

"Maybe. But this is what we settled on for the night," Spike replied as he finished setting the table. "Besides, it's homemade," he added.

It was no secret that Twilight had a strong love for the Hayburger; it was probably the worst kept secret in all of Ponyville. That mare couldn't get enough of what they put out. So it really wasn't that much of a surprise that their usual was what was for dinner tonight. But as he said, it was all prepared and cooked at home, with ingredients fresh from the market. Oatburgers topped with cheese, and fresh hay fries were the menu for tonight.

To Spike it just made sense. Giving Twilight a worry window of nearly 30 hours to, well, worry about all the little -and otherwise nonexistent- details, was a bad idea no matter how you sliced it. And in light of such undesirables developments occurring, a little comfort food was the least that they could do.

"If this doesn't help Twilight relax, I don't know what will," he stated as he picked up one of the hay fries, and popped it into his mouth.

"I suppose," Rarity replied, not knowing what else to say. It was hard to argue that Twilight had been stressed since yesterday, despite them doing their best to help her relax. She suspected that after tonight, things would go a lot smoother. If Applejack wasn't uncomfortable, or otherwise opposed to Twilight being a nudist, it was likely that the rest of their friends wouldn't be either.

She couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt right now. It had been her idea to push Twilight into bringing the rest of their friends into the know about her secret, when she had been fully content to just keep it to herself the entire time. And right now there was little that she could do, but watch Twilight worry about what might go wrong. Had she simply stayed out of the matter, this wouldn't be such a problem. But she simply hadn't been able to do that. She believed Twilight was in need of help, had established her position, had more or less pushed her in this direction... and now she was regretting ever doing such.

Looking over at Spike, however, was enough to convince her that her actions had been justified. He was Twilight's assistant, friend, and for all intents and purposes, her little brother. If no one else, Twilight should have at least been able to confide in him from the start. And even if, for some reason, the others were opposed to Twilight's decisions in conducting her life, at least she would have Spike's support.

"Hey, Rarity?"

"Yes, Spike?"

"Well I was just wondering. How do you think tonight's gonna go?"

"Hmm..." Rarity mumbled to herself as she rubbed her chin in thought. That was certainly a good question. But unfortunately, it was one for which she had no answer. Applejack was quite understanding yesterday when Twilight told her that she was a nudist, saying that it wasn't any of her business what she did. But that could've simply been because she wanted to get back to her market stall. Although she did accept the invitation to dinner when she had no need to.

Before she could actually give an answer to his question, her ears picked up the sound of both Applejack and Twilight entering the dining room. As best she could tell, neither one of them were looking particularly uncomfortable.

She would take that as a sign of so far, so good.

"So good that you could make it, Applejack," she stated.

"Ah said Ah would. 'sides that, Ah reckon Ah came off as mighty rude, rushin' back ta mah stall like Ah did yesterday," Applejack replied as she stepped closer to the table, noticing the layout for tonight. "Takeout?"

"Homemade," Twilight clarified as she walked around to the other side of the dining room table. "Don't tell the Hayburger I said this, but as much as I love their menu, it has nothing on Spike interpretation."

Applejack just chuckled in response. She figured that was something that she could keep under her hat with ease.

"All except for the hay fries. I don't know what it is, but I can't cook mine like they do theirs," Spike stated, before popping another into his mouth to chew on. "Theirs are just plain better."

"Crispier doesn't necessarily mean they're better," Twilight pointed out as she turned her attention to Spike. It was sort of an apples vs oranges sort of thing as far as she was concerned. And she liked both equally, for their own unique -and delicious- qualities.

"Ah'm lost. Ah thought we were here fer dinner an' discussion, not critiquin' food," Applejack spoke up.

"Quite right, darling, quite right," Rarity replied and nodded, before taking her seat at the table. One by one the others followed in turn, sitting down at the table in order to eat.

Despite Spike's modesty about his culinary efforts, dinner proceeded without a complaint, as they were all too busy eating to stop and talk. It wasn't until all the plates had been polished off, that anyone actually considered speaking up.

"Ah tell ya what, Spike, that was hoof lickin' good," Applejack commented as she patted her stomach, satisfied with the meal.

"Please don't," Rarity spoke up, "it's incredibly unsanitary. Not to mention unsightly."

That got a few amused chuckles from around the table. But all too soon the chuckles died down, as an uncomfortable silence began to settle in, making the atmosphere feel like it was growing to be stifling.

"So..." Applejack stated slowly, being the first to speak up.

"So..." Rarity repeated.

"So..." Spike added, not knowing what else to say.

"Ugh..." Twilight groaned as she hung her head. "I just don't get it. We got the hard part out of the way yesterday, and that went fine. Why does this just seem so hard?" she asked, disgusted with how things were going so far. She double face hooved in annoyance. "This was actually easier when Rarity caught me off guard..."

"Ah know Ah'm not the most educated one o' the group, but if ya ask me, Ah think yer all tryin' ta think too much on this," Applejack offered up as an explanation. To her it just made perfect sense. It was like pulling out a foal tooth; do it quick without much thought, and it'll hurt a whole lot less than agonizing over it. "We came here fer dinner an' discussions, an' we already took care o' the first, so let's start on the second."

"A-alright then," Twilight replied uneasily as she nodded, "what... what would you like to know?"

"Well Ah reckon we oughta get the biggest question outta the way first. That one bein', are ya plannin' on goin' without yer fur tonight er not?" Applejack asked, deciding to cut right to the bone of the issue.

"Er..." Twilight paused in thought. She looked over at Rarity, and Spike, who looked back at her, none of them having a particular answer in mind. "Well I wasn't really planning on going nude tonight. But if you'd like me to..."

"Uh..." Applejack paused, feeling her cheeks getting hot through her fur real fast. She hadn't intended for the conversation to go this way. But whether she intended it or not, it had. And now she found herself in a bit of a precarious predicament. "Ya... ya really wouldn' mind that any if Ah asked?"

Twilight merely shook her head in response. "Part of being a nudist, is knowing that eventually, others are going to see you when you're most vulnerable, most exposed, and being alright with that fact. Maybe not comfortable with it in all cases, but accepting enough of the fact to not let it bother you; being a nudist isn't the same thing as being an exhibitionist, where you're doing it for the thrill of being seen by others."

"It ain't?" Applejack asked, a little surprised by that. "Wha's the difference between 'em?"

"Well..." Twilight paused in thought, trying to think of how to explain it in a way that would make sense to Applejack. "Boiled down to simplest terms, the difference between being a nudist, and an exhibitionist, comes down to intent. Simply because I'm alright with being seen nude, doesn't mean that I want to be seen nude," she explained.

"... Ah reckon that makes enough sense," Applejack replied and nodded after a pause, thinking over what she had just been told. "So's there much more Ah should know about it?"

"Well, other than that, there's really not much in the way of need to know information. But if there's any other questions, I'll do my best to answer them," Twilight replied.

"A'right then," Applejack said as she thought on what to ask, going over the possible questions. "Well Ah guess Ah'd ask how long ya've been a nudist?"

"Two weeks yesterday," Rarity stated before Twilight could even get a word out edgewise. "That's the official count of her coming out anyway. Before then it was just isolated experimentation whenever she managed to find the time, so that really can't be counted, officially," she explained.

Applejack blinked, not expecting Rarity to just charge in with the answer like that. But then again, Twilight had never said that she would be the only one answering the questions. So with a dismissive shrug, she decided to engage Rarity for a bit.

"So how many know? Jus' the three of us?"

"So far," Rarity replied and nodded as she leaned back in her chair. "After a lot of discussion, we concluded that it would be best to approach you first, before making the others aware of this. I don't mean to speak ill of anypony, but out of everyone, you have what's likely the most level head in the group. If anyone would reserve judgement until they got all the facts, we knew it would be you, darling," she explained.

Twilight nodded. "We were hoping that, if everything went well tonight, maybe you could... help us inform the others? Your input would carry a lot more weight than just ours."

"Ah think yer givin' me way more credit than Ah deserve. But, sure, Ah'll help ya if Ah can. Wha' would Ah need ta do?" Applejack asked.

"Mainly just be available when we're ready to bring somepony else into the know. I don't think the others would react all that badly, but..." Twilight trailed off, trying to think of a polite way to explain that their friends were all crazy in their own rights. "Well you know how it can be around Ponyville."

"Sure do," Applejack replied and chuckled, getting something of an idea on what was being asked of her. "Ah think Ah can do that. Jus' be sure ta let me know first in case ya plan on schedulin' anythin'."

"Deal," Twilight replied and nodded with a smile.

A moment of silence passed after that. And then the moment started to stretch into the realm of awkwardness, leading everyone to start looking at one another.

"So... here we are again," Spike commented, not sure what else to say. "Short trip."

"Maybe. Ah got another question, but Ah think Ah already know the answer," Applejack stated as she looked back at Twilight. "Ah'm guessin' yer the only one whose, er, participatin' an' such in bein' nude?" she asked.

"Well other than Sunset Shimmer, yes," Twilight replied and nodded. "But I'm alright with that. It's something I enjoy, but I'm certainly not going to try and convince anyone to join me. If they wish to that's one thing, but it's ultimately up to them to make that decision. That said, however, it's a lot easier when others know about it, and are supportive of you as you do it."

"Ah sorta figured Rarity'd be a tough sell," Applejack commented.

"Twilight didn't try and "sell" me on anything, Applejack, she merely explained the concept," Rarity explained, deciding to let Applejack's comment go. "I'll admit, she gave me a lot to think on. And she did mention a few things that could be considered advantages in going without fur, but nudity just simply isn't for me, darling."

"Oh," Applejack replied, hoping she didn't insinuate the wrong thing in her statement. "Uh, if ya don' mind mah askin', Ah got another question," she said as she looked at Rarity. "Wha' exactly is it like bein' around Twilight when she's, er, doin' her thing?"

Rarity didn't even bat an eyelash before responding. "Much like being around Twilight at any other time. I'll admit that it was a bit jarring to experience at first. But eventually that faded away, as I came to realize that nothing important was any different from any other time. Twilight's still very much herself, it's just a different presentation is all."

Spike nodded in agreement. He wanted to say something, but Rarity had pretty much covered everything that needed to be covered.

"I guess you could say that Twilight's nudeness lost a lot of its newness," Rarity added, causing the others to chuckle in response.

Once again, silence. But not necessarily an uncomfortable silence that they found themselves in.

"So's that it then?" Applejack asked.

"Well," Twilight paused as she rubbed her chin in thought, "I could tell you about the discoveries I've made about being a nudist. But that might come off as sounding like a sales pitch. So I guess that's it."

"Well technically there's still one thing left to at least address," Rarity stated to gain their attention. "I know that we're all still new at this, but if somepony is going to be properly introduced, shouldn't they actually observe what's being discussed?" she asked.

"She's got a good point, Twilight," Spike added.

Twilight looked between them, before looking back over at Applejack, and giving a shrug. "It's whatever you want to do. I don't mind either way."

"Well..." Applejack paused in thought, trying to figure out what to do. Being able to go with either option, and it apparently not mattering one way or another, made it a bit difficult to decide just what to do. But difficult didn't mean impossible. "Aw hay, if ya really don' mind none, why not? Go on ahead."

"Alright," Twilight replied as she pushed herself up from her seat. "Spike, why don't you go ahead and get dessert ready," she suggested, before trotting out of the dining room.

"Wait, where ya goin'?" Applejack asked. She got the distinct feeling that she was missing something.

"Well I've found that it works best to do this in the shower. The spell causes the molecular bonds of fur and feathers to break down, so if I just went ahead and did it out here in the dining room, there'll be purple powder everywhere," Twilight explained.

"Trust me. It takes forever to clean up," Spike added.

"Ah. Gotcha," Applejack replied and nodded in understanding. That made sense.

"I'll just be a moment. Don't wait up," Twilight added as she left the room.

"Ah tell ya, Ah'm not the biggest fan o' ice cream, but this stuff's perdy good," Applejack commented, practically sucking the remnants of chocolate sauce right off the spoon, before going back in for more of her sundae.

"Twilight always gets the best ice cream," Spike stated in between spoonfuls, enjoying the chilled gem bits as they mingled with the hot fudge.

Rarity silently nodded in agreement, remembering her own conversation with Twilight over a bowl of ice cream. And from what Spike had told her, his experience had been quite similar She couldn't help but wonder if this should be the standard treat for whenever they decided to induct the others into the know.

"Okay, everypony, I'm back."

Applejack paused, spoon hanging limply in her mouth as she turned around in her chair. She'd nearly forgotten that Twilight had gone to get out of her fur without making a mess, only to be reminded of the fact when she came back. As soon as she had, she resolved to get it over with quickly, rather than hesitating like it was something she was dreading.

However she wasn't sure just how to respond when Twilight didn't look the least bit different, as she stepped back into the dining room.

"Somethin' go wrong, Sugarcube?" she asked as she took the spoon out of her mouth.

"No, everything went just fine. I just figured I'd come presentable, in case there were any last minute thoughts," Twilight explained as she stopped in front of the table. "Just a simple illusion spell, in case there were any lingering doubts to address."

"Ah appreciate ya bein' considerate an' all, Twilight, but Ah ain' scarin' all that easy," Applejack replied.

"Just so long as you're sure," Twilight replied, before cancelling out the illusion, letting it fade away from view, and take the visage of her fur and feathers with it.

"Whoa nelly," Applejack stated in a whisper, feeling like her breath was caught in her throat as she saw what Twilight looked like under her spell. "Ya look like a freshly sheared lamb!"

"See? I told you she looks like a lamb," Spike said to Rarity at hearing Applejack's comment.

"That fact aside, I didn't think it was particularly polite to compare Twilight to some farm animal," Rarity replied in her own defense.

"You two are funny," Twilight giggled in response, before returning her attention back to Applejack, who looked like she was still overcoming her shock. "Anyway, this is pretty much it..."

"So Ah can see," Applejack replied, "uh, Twi'? Would it be a'right if Ah..."

"Go ahead," Twilight replied.

Nodding, Applejack pushed herself up from the table, sundae ignored as she made her way over to where Twilight stood, slowly circling her, all the while hoping that she was coming off as inquisitive, rather than perverted. Although that was probably easier said than done. It was easy enough to say with certainty that she could do something. when that something was just an abstract thought. But confronting that abstract in a real life setting, having it stare her right in the face, was proving that it wasn't nearly as easy as she thought it would be.

And that was certainly no abstract in front of her...

"So..." she said slowly as she came back around front to look Twilight back in the eyes. "This is wha' ya look like without yer fur on."

"Pretty much," Twilight replied and nodded.

"An' this is comfortable to ya?" Applejack asked.

"Quite comfortable," Twilight replied and nodded again. "It's really hard to describe adequately. It just feels... better without carrying around so much fur all the time. There's nothing to hold in the heat, making it several degree cooler. There's also no fur being rubbed the wrong way when trying to settle in and get comfortable. And then there's the matter of fabric. You'd be amazed at just how different fabrics feel against your skin, compared to against your fur," she stated.

Despite the awkwardness of the situation, Applejack couldn't help but chuckle at that last part. "Rarity's been havin' some fun wit' ya then?"

"Oh now really, Applejack, you make it sound like we're doing something inappropriate," Rarity stated.

"Uh..." Applejack sputtered, cheeks burning at Rarity was saying. "T-that's not what Ah was meanin'..."

"Oh I know, darling, I was merely giving you a hard time," Rarity replied as she waved her hoof dismissively. "It was too hard to resist when you left yourself open like that."

Applejack frowned, but ultimately shrugged and let it go. "Ain' exactly the first time Ah've stepped in somethin'," she replied.

"Can we just get back to the ice cream already?" Spike asked impatiently. He understood how important this all was. But he also understood that the ice cream wasn't going to stay cold forever, whereas the explanation wasn't about to go stale. "We went all through dinner without talking, why can't we do the same for dessert?"

"I think that would be alright," Twilight agreed. After all, she was the only one who hadn't had any of her ice cream yet. "We'll talk more afterwards, alright?"

"Sounds fine ta me," Applejack replied. The reprieve of ice cream would give her time to think over what she might want to say, and what she should refrain from saying.

Fourteen

Spike let out a frustrated sigh. Despite his best attempts at following the story in the current issue of "Power Ponies" comic book, he realized that he simply couldn't concentrate on what was going on. He just couldn't seem to get his head into the adventures of the heroes on the pages, as his mind continually wandered elsewhere.

It had been raining since he'd woken up this morning. It certainly wasn't the most ideal development in the middle of a heatwave, but there wasn't much that could be done about that since it'd been scheduled by the weather factory in up Cloudsdale. For whatever reason it'd been ordered, and they were stuck with it as Ponyville was turned into a soggy mess as a result, which would eventually become a sweltering mess when the sun came back.

There was a rumble of thunder in the distance, and the crack of lightning following shortly after. It went without saying that nopony would be getting out in this mess today, unless it was absolutely necessary. Which was fine by him, as they didn't have any pressing matters to attend to outside of the palace today.

Unfortunately there were no matters to attend to inside the palace either. Crazy as that might sound, that was actually the case today.

He certainly appreciated having downtime as much as anypony, but right now there was the desire to have something to do; something physical that would allow him to simply stop thinking so much about everything. To stop thinking about Pinkie...

Hearing her tell the story herself, rather than hearing Twilight's recounting of it, had struck them a lot harder than he'd initially believed would be the case, and added a whole lot of context to what they'd witnessed on that fateful day.

He, Applejack, and Rarity, none of them had thought twice about agreeing to let Pinkie have as much time as she needed to sort things out and figure out how she wanted to proceed in this whole mess with Twilight. They knew they couldn't pressure her into making an immediate decision about it, and they weren't about to try either.

Whatever decision Pinkie ultimately made on how she wanted to proceed, it didn't really matter to him either one way or the other since it didn't affect him. All he really cared about was her talking with Twilight to let her know what she wanted, so the latter could make an informed, rational decision based on facts rather than assumptions. No matter what happened, in the end Twilight was still going to be Twilight, and that was all that really mattered.

But still. Whatever was going to come to pass, there was the desire that it would do so sooner rather than later.

For three long days now, he'd been as anxious as a foal on Hearthswarming Eve, eagerly anticipating the morning to see what was in all the presents. And trying to appear calm so as to not make Twilight suspicious, while at the same time being anxious about what was going to come to pass, was not an easy thing to do. Nor was it getting easier with each passing day.

He wouldn't begrudge Pinkie needing time to sort things out for herself. But he still couldn't help but wish that she'd hurry up and come to a decision already, so he knew how things were going to proceed. The longer things took to be resolved, the longer he had to speculate blindly.

"It's useless," he sighed and unceremoniously tossed the comic book aside, paying no attention as it fell to the floor of his room. Try as he might, he simply couldn't distract himself from his own lingering, anxious, uncertain thoughts.

Another rumble of thunder sounded in the distance, reminding him of the fact that it was still raining outside.

And then an idea came to him. If there was nothing that he could do to take his mind off things, then he was simply going to do nothing, and catch up on some much-needed rest while the temperature wasn't totally unbearable. Twilight had already said she didn't foresee needing him for anything today, so why not?

"Maybe I can talk to Princess Luna about this..." he muttered as he laid down and rest his head on his pillow. Knowing the Night Princess was both aware and supportive of Twilight being a nudist made things a lot easier, as he didn't have to worry about unintentionally dreaming about matters that'd be pretty hard to explain if she were to visit him for whatever reason.

With her being in the know, that might actually help them even more. If he could get in contact with Princess Luna, and explain the situation to her, maybe she could pay Pinkie a nocturnal visit, and provide her with the help that she needed.

"Maybe-" he started, but yawned before he could finish voicing his thoughts. He hadn't realized it previously, but now that he was actually comfortable, both he and his eyelids were feeling the full weight of just how tired he really was.

Before he even fully realized the fact, he was already out like a light.

"... Spike... Spike..."

Exactly how long Spike had been asleep for, he didn't have a clue. He didn't actually remember falling asleep to begin with. He didn't even remember any dreams he might've had during that time he'd been asleep.

"Spike. Wake up, Spike..."

As the haze of sleep slowly lost its grip over him, he realized with equal slowness that somepony was addressing him. Along with poking him in the stomach with something that felt vaguely hoof-shaped.

With a grumble, he eventually surrendered to the fact that he wasn't going to get anymore rest and began to stir on his own, simply to bring an end to the irritation of being disturbed by a yet-to-be identified individual.

As his eyes adjusted and focused, he saw that it was Twilight standing by his bed, hoof raised and poised to likely poke him again if he hadn't stirred.

"Twilight?" he asked, before letting out a yawn. "What's going on?"

"You've been asleep for quite a while, Spike. Are you feeling alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm alright, just tired is all," he replied, before pulling himself up into a sitting position. "How long was I asleep anyway? It didn't feel like any time at all."

"Long enough that you completely missed lunch, and didn't even get an afternoon snack. I didn't think it was a good idea to let you miss dinner as well," Twilight explained.

Spike was having trouble believing what he was hearing. Dinner? He'd been asleep the entire day!? How had that even happened? Why-

The growling of his stomach brought an end to his internal questioning of things. If he really had been asleep this entire time, it was no surprise that he'd be feeling this hungry, now that he was awake. It was an empty, cavernous sort of growl, that demanded sustenance be shoveled in now!

"Yeah. Dinner sounds mighty good right about now," he admitted without an ounce of shame. "Have you eaten yet?"

Twilight shook her head. "I planned on waiting for you to wake up first. But..." she trailed off, interrupted by her own stomach releasing a growl of its own, accompanied by an uneasy chuckling in the wake of being outed.

"Oh. Sorry about that," Spike replied sheepishly at the reveal. Shame on him this time around. "Alright, then, let's go get something to eat."

Twilight turned around to leave, but didn't actually move toward the door just yet. He interpreted this as an invitation for a ride to the kitchen and jumped at it, easily leaping onto her back from the bed. Only then did she actually take off and begin moving.

Silly as it might seem, he was thankful for the offer of the ride. Despite being awake now, he was still pretty tired as a result from sleeping so long. He'd need to be up and around for a while to shake that feeling. Plus he'd probably be awake late tonight as a result of getting so much rest this afternoon. But that was alright, at least he didn't have school to attend the next morning when the after effects would be most present.

"So has it been raining this whole time?" he asked as they traveled along.

"To the best of my knowledge. Although admittedly I haven't been paying close attention to the weather," Twilight replied as she trotted along. "You know how it is. You get distracted by other things, and your perception of your surroundings gets completely obscured."

Spike nodded. But whether she was talking about herself, or about him, he really didn't know. They were both pretty guilty of losing track of themselves at one time or another, so it was difficult to tell for sure on this one.

"Pinkie dropped by while you were asleep..."

The shift in the tone of Twilight's voice was almost unnoticeable, but it was evident enough for him to suddenly feel tense as he heard it.

"Yeah?" he asked uneasily, anxious about what she had to say, but at the same time apprehensive in case it was bad news.

Twilight nodded, her pace slowing down considerably as she began talking again. "We had a very long, very interesting conversation while you were asleep."

The tone she was using was making him more uneasy by the moment. If she was going to drop the hammer on him he did, he really wished she'd just get it over with and not drag it out for whatever reason.

"Oh yeah? W-what about?"

"Lots of things actually. Like how you went to Rarity and Applejack to tell them about what we talked about earlier in the day," Twilight stated as her pace slowed to a complete stop in the middle of the hallway, and slowly turned her head to look at him out of the corner of her eye. "I only have myself to blame for that one. I didn't really tell you not to talk to anypony about the matter."

Spike suddenly felt a lump of nervousness in this throat. "Twilight, I can explain."

Twilight shook her head, dismissing Spike's protest before it could even be formed. "I'm sure you can, Spike, but that's really not necessary. I know what I need to about what you and the others did. You were trying to help me because you thought I needed help, but in the process you wound up helping Pinkie when she was really in need. By bringing this subject to light, she can get the help and support she needs in order to properly come to terms with what she had to go through. "

This was definitely not how Spike imagined this conversation going.

"So... you're not mad then?"

"Oh believe me, Spike, I'm plenty mad alright. But I'm mad with myself rather than anyone else, over just how poorly I managed this entire incident," Twilight admitted.

The next thing Spike knew, he felt himself being levitated off of Twilight's back, and pulled into a hug as she sat down on the crystal flooring of the hallway.

"So many things could've gone wrong here. The only reason they didn't is because you had enough sense to actually get involved; more sense than I had, because I was simply going to let the matter drop entirely. Doing that would've caused more harm than good in the long run, but I just didn't see it at the time," she continued.

Spike didn't understand all of the details that Twilight was currently talking about, or at least referring to, but that really wasn't unusual once she got going. He knew that they'd helped her, and they'd wound up helping Pinkie at the same time, and for right now that was good enough for him. He could ask her for a proper elaboration of the matter later on, but right now it didn't strike him as important enough to be immediately concerned about.

"Thank you, Spike..."

"Hey, it's what I do," Spike replied, uncertain of what else to say on the subject. Uncertain, and seeking clarification on another matter that had yet to be addressed. "So what's this mean for you? Can you go back to being a nudist? Or is that officially over now?"

"Why don't you tell me," Twilight suggested.

Spike had been confused before, and this trend really wasn't showing any signs of letting up; not with statements like that being made. How in Equestria was he supposed to know about what went on when he was asleep, and...

As he was asking himself that very question, he realized that he'd had access to the answer and didn't even know it. He was pressed up against Twilight currently, and before that he'd been riding on top of her back. He shifted, and realized that what he was feeling didn't match what he was seeing. There was no texture of fur, and her "coat" had no yield or give to it as his hands trailed along it, leaving no visible trails behind from individual hairs moving in accordance with such. There was something hard and metal at her neck that he couldn't see, but he could definitely feel as his fingers traced along something familiar.

When he'd awoken from his nap, he hadn't expected anything to be different from the past few days. He simply hadn't paid any attention to what was in front of him when he'd climbed atop Twilight's back. Although now that seemed kinda stupid in hindsight.

Twilight's giggling snapped him out of his exploration and brought his attention back to her directly.

"Your fur's gone," he noted. "So everything's good again?"

"Actually... no, it isn't. Or at least not yet anyway. What Pinkie went through was significant, and that trauma won't simply go away in the course of an afternoon. I honestly don't know if it ever can go away. But it's possible that the trauma can be lessened to an extent," Twilight explained.

"Yeah? How?" Spike asked, intrigued by the idea.

"Ah... well I'd describe it as something of a combination of exposure therapy, and positive reinforcement. Whenever possible, Pinkie's going to be spending time with me while I'm bald, thus exposing her to the underlying trigger of her trauma in a safe and controlled setting. At the same time, we're going to engage in events and activities of her choice around the palace, which will provide her with a degree of security and control over how things proceed," Twilight explained. "The theory we've worked out so far is that the combination of the two should help offset her discomfort, and potentially allow her to associate baldness with more pleasant memories, thus minimizing the impact of the trauma."

"Wow," Spike replied, now feeling somewhat disappointed that he'd slept through everything. "And you think that'll work?"

"Honestly? I don't have a clue. The preliminary results seem promising and all, but only time will tell if these results are sustainable over the long term. We'll just have to see how things go, and adjust our plan accordingly if it proves necessary," Twilight replied. "Somehow, I get the feeling that I'm going to learn how to do a lot of baking..."

"Probably," Spike replied and chuckled at the mental image of how this would likely end. "Well you can count on me, I'll help however I can."

"I know, Spike, and I really appreciate that. I appreciate all the help you've been to me throughout all of this, even when I didn't even know I needed help," Twilight stated and pulled him into another hug.

Spike returned the hug and smiled. He didn't always understand everything Twilight said, but he understood enough when it was important. Twilight and Pinkie had talked things out like adults, and had come to an understanding that could be mutually beneficial. Pinkie was going to get the help she needed from a friend that cared, and Twilight could keep up with her nudist endeavors without having to feel bad about it. As far as he was concerned, today had been a very good day!

"Now. With all that said, you're grounded."

The mood whiplash the statement generated had caught Spike completely off guard, leaving him wondering if he'd actually heard right. He was grounded? Seriously? What for!?

"Huh? Why?" he asked, unable to put anymore eloquence into the question than that. First she was thanking him for his help, and then she was grounding him in the very next sentence? What'd happened? More importantly, how had it happened so quick? "I thought you were glad I got involved in this!"

"Oh, believe me, Spike, I am," Twilight replied quickly and nodded. "No. This is for a different, unrelated matter," she explained.

"What sort of matter?" he asked.

Twilight opened her mouth a few times to respond, but only wound up closing it again. Finally with a sigh, she used her magic to undo the necklace she'd been wearing, causing her illusion to shimmer and fade away, letting her bare skin come into full view.

Spike's eyes went wide with surprise. Twilight's skin was covered in all manner of black graffiti! Nose to tail, horn to hoof, and everything in between, it was hard to find a spot that wasn't adorned with words, or random designs and squiggles, and covered her body like she was an artist's canvas. Not even her face, which currently wore a curly mustache and goatee, with the outline of what looked like a monocle around her left eye.

He honestly didn't mean to. But at the sight of the stereotypical villain trademarks, he snorted with amusement, unable to keep himself composed. "What in Tartarus happened to you!?"

Twilight sighed again, unamused by Spike's amusement at her situation. "When we were trying to figure out the basis for putting this plan into action, I made the unfortunate decision of randomly suggesting we play connect the dots with the freckling on my skin. The idea was so random in fact, that Pinkie utterly loved the sound of it; especially when we got underway, and she found out just how ticklish my bare skin really was," she explained.

Try as he might, Spike could barely keep from laughing as Twilight told the story. The disapproving frown she gave in response didn't help matters any; not with her wearing comic book villain markers.

"But it's alright. I didn't mind doing it for Pinkie. To see her happy, it was worth it. And if she wants to, I'll do it again," she continued and shrugged. "That's not the issue, however. No. The issue is, when I went to the supply room to retrieve the markers we'd need, I didn't realize at the time that the washable markers had gotten mixed up with the permanent markers, and weren't stored in their designated space on the shelf. And I didn't realize the error until I tried to wash up, and couldn't figure out why it wasn't coming off..."

Slowly Spike's amusement died down as Twilight's words started to paint a more complete picture of what was wrong. "Oh... oh crud."

Twilight nodded with his evaluation. "This is why everything in the supply room is labeled and organized, Spike, to avoid mix ups that could lead to such... unfortunate developments occurring."

Spike sighed as everything came together for him. Twilight wasn't grounding him for getting involved in all this, she was grounding him for not keeping the supply room properly organized. It was kind of petty and all, but at the same time he could kinda understand it. If it'd been him that received the mural treatment, he'd be kinda peeved too. If the wrong markers were used on a dry erase board, you could just throw it out and get a new one. But your own skin?

"Alright," he sighed again in acceptance of his fate. "So how long am I grounded for?" he asked, wanting to know what the damage was going to be so he could plan accordingly.

"Well, in light of certain mitigating factors, like all of the good that came about as a result of your choosing to act where I didn't, I'd say... as long as it takes to make sure everything is where it belongs in the supply room," Twilight stated.

He had heard Twilight's words, but he was having trouble understanding it. He was grounded... for as long as it took him to make sure the supply room was properly organized? His punishment was to perform the normal chores that were done when they had to restock things? Was... was she trolling him or something? Was she giving him a hard time in an effort to be silly?

"But first, dinner."

Yep. She was definitely trying to be funny. That was his evaluation as he found himself levitated back onto her back as she started walking again, her necklace and the resulting illusion now absent as her message had been delivered.

"Oh well," he thought to himself and shrugged as he settled in for the ride. He'd still come out ahead in the situation as far as he was concerned. If she was just asking him to do some simple inventory work, just checking to make sure things were where they were supposed to be, he really couldn't complain too much. After all, she wasn't asking for a complete reorganization of the supply room or anything like that. It was just...

Wait a minute...

"Wait a minute," he said, his mouth echoing his mind. "How in the world did you even get permanent markers confused for washable markers in the first place? The ones you order come in two very distinct styles. Even if they weren't put in the right spots on the shelves, you still should've been able to recognize the mistake pretty easily. That's why you get them in two distinct styles to begin with," he pointed out.

Twilight had almost skidded to a stop as he brought this up. "T-that's not the issue, here, Spike-" she stuttered defensively.

"You just assumed, and didn't even bother to check and see if what you grabbed was the right thing, did you?" he asked in an ever-growing accusatory tone of address. The fact that she was flinching, and trying not to make eye contact just further reinforced the fact that he was right on this.

"Spike-"

"Did you?" he asked further as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"... No..." she admitted, sounding ashamed of the fact, "but-"

Whatever she had to say in either protest, or defense of herself, he didn't really care, as he didn't wait to hear it. Instead of letting her try and talk her way out of taking responsibility for her own screw up, he went about tickling her sides, effectively putting an end to her protests as she squealed with laughter. Laughter and wriggling to get away from his claws as they danced over her exposed and vulnerable skin. Wriggling that sent the both of them to the floor of the hallway.

"Say you surrender!" Spike ordered as he quickly climbed atop her again and sat on her furless belly.

"Spike-"

More tickling ensued, a wicked amused grin across his face as he went about assaulting her along her ribs, reducing her to hysterical laughter, with one of her hind legs thumping against the crystal flooring.

"I surrender!" Twilight finally managed to cry out. Not that it really did her much good, as he was showing no signs of relenting. "I surrender! I surrender! Uncle! Uncle! Uncle! Uncle! Uncle!" she continued pleading through her laughter.

The assault slowed to a trickle, but didn't yet come to a complete stop. "Am I still grounded?" he asked as his fingers paused.

"No!" Twilight cried out.

"Is it my fault you didn't check to make sure you grabbed the right markers?" he asked.

"Spike-" she started, only to tense up as she felt his claws beginning to move against her soft underbelly, and knew he was going to start tickling her again. "No! No it isn't!"

"No, I didn't think so," Spike replied triumphantly, before finally deciding to stop tormenting Twilight, and actually let her recover as the aftershocks of his assault ran the course through her system.

"You evil, wicked little dragon you," Twilight gasped out as she was finally allowed to breath again. "You are so going to get it for that!"

It was a declaration that would've carried must more impressiveness, had it not been punctuated by the sound of Twilight's stomach growling loudly, demanding food now. Just the timing alone had been enough to put a sheepish grin on her face, and redden her cheeks significantly.

"But first, dinner. One can't exactly go about planning revenge against their number one assistance on an empty stomach, now, can they?" she asked.

"Nope. Gotta be well fed, along with well rested if you're gonna get the drop on a dragon," Spike stated before climbing off of Twilight, letting her get back onto her hooves once again.

Twilight let out a breath. "All joking aside, Spike, I'm very lucky to have you as a friend. I don't know what I'd do without you. And I really wouldn't want to find out either," she admitted and pulled him into a hug again with one of her forelegs.

"Yeah, it'd probably suck," Spike replied, "meanwhile I'm lucky we've got the friends we do. If Applejack and Rarity hadn't been on board, I don't think I could've pulled this off, and who knows where we'd be now?"

"It certainly is an interesting conundrum to consider. If Rarity hadn't been so supportive, you and the others likely wouldn't know what I'm up to. Pinkie wouldn't have discovered my being a nudist, and we'd never know what she went through growing up. Meaning she'd never get the help she needs, and there's no way of knowing if something else down the line would've reminded her of her trauma, and led to even more disastrous results," Twilight explained. It was so difficult to tell just what would've happened if things had deviated any. But thankfully that hadn't been the case. "I'm so going to thank them tomorrow for how much they helped."

"That, and let them know that everything worked out for the best," Spike pointed out. A thank you was good, but a thank you combined with informing them about how things went would be a lot better.

"Of course, that goes without saying," Twilight agreed and nodded.

How might things have progressed if any of the variable factors in play had been different was a question that Twilight couldn't even begin to try and figure out. If she was being honest with herself, she really didn't want to try and figure it out either. Despite some hiccups and potholes along the way, everything that'd happened so far, had culminated in what was ultimately a positive and beneficial manner. Why risk jinxing it by questioning the how and why of it all?

"Alright then, enough about all of this. Let's go get dinner," she stated.

"You won't get any argument from me on that one! Onward!" Spike eagerly called, before moving to climb up on Twilight's back.

"Onward!" Twilight cried in agreement.

Author's Note

Alright, two things:

First, I'm so sorry that it took so long to get this chapter up. There's truly no reason that it should've taken as long as it did, but it happened regardless.

Second, this really isn't how I wanted the chapter to be. But trying to shape it into what I wanted it to be was simply taking way too long, and I didn't want to leave everyone waiting several more months before presenting something. Maybe I'll revise it into what I want it to be one day when I'm feeling particularly motivated to tackle such and undertaking.