Applejack took off her hat as she wiped her forehead. The soft breeze felt heavenly on her heavily perspiring body as she made her way back to her house. There was a light ache in her mud-caked hind hooves from all the bucking, but it didn't bother her.

It had certainly been worth using her extra strength on the orchard. The surge of earth magic was mostly gone now, but she had cleared a decent section of the trees and ploughed a field in record time, even with Rainbow pestering her.

Whoosh. AJ shielded her eyes from the sun and looked up to see a predominantly blue rainbow shooting towards her. Speak of the devil.

Thump. "Hey baby."

Applejack felt a strong yet soft wing wrap around her, and smiled: they were both sweaty. "Hiya sugar. What's the time?"

Rainbow paused, crossing her eyes in thought. "Like, five thirty or something. Why?"

AJ's brow furrowed. "Twilight's hostin' a slumber party tonight, remember?"

Dash narrowed her eyes, grinning. "Oh yeah! Kinda thought it was cancelled, what with her new castle and all."

"Nah, she came by about ten minutes ago. Apparently Discord's helpin' her out with games and stuff."

Rainbow snorted. "As if."

The earth pony shrugged. "It could happen. Them two are pretty darn close, not to mention Discord would probably give up his magic if Flutters told him to."

"Fair enough."

They got to the main house, went inside and took a shower together.

"To save water!" Dash had said with a wink. Applejack rolled her eyes.

Once they were dry, Rainbow insisted that AJ wore her mane down.

"It's just a slumber party!"

"So? You look so much prettier with your mane down! And besides: you complain about losing your mane ties all the dang time. Are you not more likely to lose them by taking them out at a slumber party?!"

"Ah do not complain!"

"Yeah you do!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Fine! Ah'll wear mah goshdarn mane down!"

"Ye --!"

"But you have to wear your necklace!"

Rainbow narrowed her eyes. "My necklace, as in The Necklace?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Please wear it! Ya look so much prettier with your necklace on!" Applejack did a mocking impression of her marefriend, who glared at her teasingly for a second before going to find the accessory in question.

When she returned with it on, Applejack smiled. She had "accidentally misplaced mah mane ties" in the time that Dash had been gone.

The pegasus kissed her tenderly, running a hoof through the loose golden locks. Then she kissed her again, pushing her back onto the bed. After a few seconds, however, Rainbow got up and dashed towards the jewellery box sitting on AJ's bedside table. From it, she pulled out two rings: one encrusted with a ruby, a citrine and a sapphire and the other adorned with emeralds.

"Five minutes?" she asked, somewhat sheepish. Applejack seemed hesitant. "Please, AJ! Just five minutes as fiancées?"

"You're still engaged to me even when Ah'm not wearin' that, you know," deadpanned Applejack. She let Rainbow slip the ring onto her hoof, regardless. Rainbow climbed back into bed and snuggled in to her.

A minute passed. "If you were plannin' on keepin' our engagement secret, then why did you propose in the first place?"

"AJ..."

"Ah'm serious! Ah hate keepin' secrets, and you know it! It ain't fair, Dash! Ah wanna tell 'em!"

Rainbow shuffled a hoof or so away from her and looked away in annoyance. Sighing, she admitted, "I do too, AJ. But you know how they'd react. They already view us as 'the cutest couple' in our friendship group purely because we're of the same gender. I hate feeling like we're this rarity in the romance world, like we're somehow special because we're both mares."

AJ paused. "You make a good point, sugar. Perhaps...perhaps we could ask 'em not to...?"

Rainbow shrugged, unconvinced. "Eh, maybe." She gave it some more thought. "Actually...yeah, okay. Let's do that."

AJ kissed her on the cheek. "Thanks, sugar."

"No probs, babe."

Fluttershy silently scolded herself for not bringing a scarf as she walked at a slightly hurried pace towards Twilight's new castle. She quickly rubbed her leg to knock some sort of warmth into it, but it lasted for only half a minute. She sighed, watching her breath swirling up into the sky.

Her cottage and the castle were on complete opposite sides of the town. She briefly wondered if flying would do her any good, but then remembered that her weak wings did not respond well to cold.

She wished Discord was there. That way, she would be over to the warm inside of Twilight's castle in an instant. But alas: Discord was with Twilight, supposedly helping her but probably irritating her more than usual.

The draconequus had responded ridiculously well to Fluttershy breaking up with him. So well, in fact, that it looked as though he was faking it. In hindsight there was nothing wrong, but the insistent demeanour of his words were unsettling and caused her to wonder if he was hurting badly, and if she should even be going to see him after such a short --

"Hey Fluttershy!"

The mare flinched at the squeaky, cheerful, and slightly muffled sound of Pinkie Pie calling her name. The party pony bounded over to where the frozen pegasus could see her; she was wearing a extraordinarily long baby blue scarf that covered the lower half of her face and her entire neck.

"You cold?" she asked but didn't need an answer. The soft cotton was soon wrapped around both mares' necks, binding them together as they walked. Fluttershy didn't say anything for a while, and surprisingly neither did Pinkie, for there was something on her mind.

"Fluttershy?" she asked, serious and less excited than usual

The pegasus looked at her briefly to show she was listening, but then went back to concentrating on the path ahead.

"How do you know when you're in love with someone? I mean, I know for sure when I love someone, platonically or romantically, but...how do you tell that your affection has reached its peak?"

Fluttershy bit her lip. She felt like crying, but didn't know why. "I-I don't know, Pinkie. You just feel it."

"But how do you know you feel it? 'Cuz there are moments where I know I love you guys, and I feel it with every fibre of my being, but at other times...and I know this is mean, but...I-I wonder why I'm even best friends with you. How do you know whether it's just one of those sorts of moments or not?"

"P-Pinkie, I just...I can't..." She took a deep breath. "I'm trying to work that out myself, really. I've been contemplating my feelings for Discord for a while now, and...w-well, I broke up with him about an hour ago."

"WHAT?!" Pinkie shrieked.

"Don't tell!" Fluttershy begged. She wondered, however, whether Discord had chosen to be secretive about it as well or blurted it out, all passive-aggressive, to the first pony willing to listen.

"Sorry, I just...I don't get it!"

"Neither do I," Fluttershy whispered as the castle came into view.

"...Was he...upset?" Pinkie asked, choosing her words carefully as Fluttershy seemed on the verge of tears.

"H-he didn't, um..." Fluttershy looked to the pinky-orange sky, widening her eyes so the collected moisture on her waterline would spread out. She sighed. "He was alright with it, I think. I...hope." The last two words came out as a whisper.

"That's...good." Pinkie wrapped her hooves around the pegasus -- and surprisingly she did it in a way that didn't make her victim strangled for air. "'Cuz, otherwise, tonight's sleepover would be reeeeally awkward." She let go and started back on their path towards the castle. "Discord's so passive aggressive, no offence."

"Oh, none taken," Fluttershy smiled sweetly. She saw the tops of Pinkie's cheeks rise.

"So, what games do you think we're gonna play?!" she exclaimed, cheered up a bunch.

Fluttershy decided to set her feelings aside and enjoy the aura of joy Pinkie had, since the party pony had done the same and now seemed as carefree as she usually was. "Oh, I don't know. I'm betting they'll be some truth or dare at some point, though, since Rainbow and Applejack are gonna be there."

"Yeah. Ooo, if I dare on of them to propose to the other, do you think they'd do it?! 'Cuz I think I've got a ring in here somewhere..." She stopped to rummage around in her mane, and -- "Aha!" she pulled a plain gold ring out triumphantly. "It would be sooooo cute to see that happen, especially between them!"

Fluttershy beamed, pushing at the castle's door. "That would be fantastic, but you know Rainbow: she doesn't really like to be affectionate in front of other ponies, even us."

"It could happen!" the party pony insisted, evoking a giggle from the pegasus as they squeezed awkwardly inside. They were relieved to finally be able to take the scarf off and walk freely again.

"TWILIGHT! WE'RE HERE!" Pinkie sang. Moments later the alicorn appeared in a flash of magenta.

"Hey guys! Everyone's upstairs. And by everyone, I do just mean Spike, Rarity and Discord; AJ and Rainbow haven't arrived yet."

"Okay, cool!" Pinkie bounced up the stairs. Fluttershy followed her, smiling as she noticed that the party pony had somehow stashed the impossibly long scarf into her mane in just twenty seconds or so.

"Helloooooo, everyone!" Pinkie greeted, joining the square they had formed; Twilight had teleported back upstairs. Fluttershy kept her head down and seated herself half-behind Pinkie. The deliberate distance did not go unnoticed by Rarity, but she chose not to say anything. Instead, she suggested to Spike that he made them all hot cocoa.

"So, Twilight: how's the new castle?" Pinkie asked, saving everyone from what would've otherwise been an awkward silence.

The alicorn screwed up her face as she ran through ways to describe it. Finally, she decided on the perfect one, "...Disappointing."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I had hoped that this would give me some insight as to what my role as a princess is, but I guess not. Also, it's kinda cold. And huge."

"You don't say," Rarity said, idly eyeing the walls as she took a sip from the mug of cocoa that Spike had brought her. "Thanks, darling."

The dragon went to each mare, eliciting a "thanks" or "thank you" from each of them. Finally, he offered one to Discord.

The draconequus' expression was unreadable. No one had noticed it until now, but he was staring at the wall -- brow furrowed, fists clenched and lips pursed --, obviously lost in his own thoughts.

"Uh...Discord?"

In an instant, he snapped out of it, took the mug and downed it in one like he hadn't drank in days.

"Thanks, little guy." Spike grumbled as he took his own mug and reclaimed his spot next to Rarity.

Discord slapped his hands together. "So: games."

Twilight blinked herself out of her thoughts. "Oh, uh...right, yes." She pulled out a crumpled sheet of paper from under the pillow she was seated on. "Number one: 'Truth or Dare'. As soon as Ponyville's Most Daring Couple arrive, we can get this one out of the way."

"Awww, Twilight, don't be like that!" Pinkie exclaimed. "'Truth or Dare' is loads of fun!"

"I know. I'm just not looking forward to it, thanks to a certain someone." She shot a glare at Discord, who put a paw to his chest innocently. Twilight cleared her throat. "Number two: Pillow Wars."

"Pillow fights?" Rarity arched an eyebrow.

"Nope: Pillow Wars. Sort of like indoor paintball with pillows."

"That sounds fun!" Pinkie exclaimed, nodding at everyone to make them agree. The mood was far from cheerful, and she was determined to change that. However, she didn't have to as moments later a ruckus of laughter erupted from the floor below.

"Ah won!"

"No you didn't, I clearly got in before you!"

Some galloping hoofsteps and more laughter later, AJ -- now visible a the top of the stairs -- declared, "No, Ah won!"

A second passed before Rainbow tackled the farm mare and sent them rolling about the room. When the momentum ran out, Dash found herself on the ground beneath her marefriend's hooves. "Pinned ya." She leaned down to nuzzle her.

Once released, the pegasus trotted over to the group and said, "Hey guys. So: what's first?"

"Do it, do it, do it!" chanted everyone who wasn't Rarity as the unicorn moved her head away from the glass of orange juice she held between her hooves. Perhaps if I just drop it...?

"And don't ya dare think of backin' out," said Applejack with an evil grin on her face. "You've come this far."

She hesitantly took a sip -- then recoiled in disgust. "Ugh, why Applejack?! Why?!" With a big effort, she unceremoniously drank the whole thing. "There!" She triumphantly tossed the empty glass to the earth pony. "Twilight, promise me you'll never buy that extra-minty toothpaste again!"

The princess only giggled.

"Right, now who do I get to dare?"

"Anyone!" said Twilight with the kind of laugh one could only pull off if one was in an incredibly silly mood. "The rules kinda went out the window in the very first round."

"Yeah, well that's because you let Discord go first." Rainbow stifled a laugh.

"Applejack, I dare you to cover half of your face with zap apple jam and cover the other with peanut butter, then not lick your lips or anywhere round your mouth for the rest of the evening!"

The farm mare glared at her. "What kind of peanut butter?"

Rarity grinned maliciously. "Smooth."

"You evil little monster."

Discord conjured up the two items and gleefully handed them to the infuriated earth pony. She dipped her hoof in the peanut butter, deciding to get that one over with first, and cringed. Rolling her eyes, Rarity reached forward and slathered it all over AJ's right cheek and around her right eye, laying it on as thick as she could. She then proceeded to do the same with the jam, only on the left of her face.

By the time she was done, Applejack's jaw was clenched and her brow was furrowed in a glare that made Rarity giggle with sadistic glee. "Now," she said through her teeth, "Ah'm not gonna dare ya back. Instead, Ah'm gonna ask you, Rainbow," the pegasus turned to her, "a truth."

Dash froze as she waited for AJ to ask her...whatever she was going to ask. They had a silent conversation, and when Rainbow figured out what AJ was going to ask, her eyes pleaded with her in a desperate attempt to get her to not say it. However, AJ did not obey.

"What did ya do on the evening of the first Saturday of last month?" Applejack said, lengthening every word.

Rainbow bit her lip. Need a good lie, need a good lie need a good...

"C'mon, Dashie, hurry up!"

...lie.

She scratched the back of her neck in faux-awkwardness. "I...was at Pinkie's." AJ's face fell. "I'm sorry, I just don't really like Braeburn. He irritates me so much."

AJ looked down. "Fair enough, sugarcube."

Rainbow could see that Pinkie was about to object and ruin her trick, she she spoke fast: "Okay, now I dare Discord to be a pony for the rest of the afternoon." It wasn't one of her best, but his frustrated reaction was sufficient.

The draconequus-turned-pony grinned when he realised it was his turn now. He had been waiting patiently for a while because the moment his first turn had finished he had thought of a better way to use it.

He turned to Twilight with a sly grin on his face. "Sparky, who do you have a crush on? And might I remind you that I can tell when you're lying."

Twilight took a deep breath, considering the question that she had known he would ask. She had mulled over it for quite some time, and really...what was the worst that could happen? Everyone in the room liked Sunset and if she answered smoothly Discord wouldn't have the satisfaction of seeing her be embarrassed.

"Sunset."

"REALLY?!" every other Element of Harmony exclaimed in unison.

"Mmm-hmmm." In her peripheral vision, she could see Discord folding his arms.

"I knew it!" Spike declared. Twilight wondered how he had figured it out, but the answer came to her a second later and she prayed that he wouldn't tell. Fortunately, no one asked, and no one noticed when she blew a sigh of relief.

"Right, I think that's a good way to bring this to a close. Next: Pillow Wars!"

When everyone had been sufficiently worn out from being struck by pillows, smothered by collapsing cushion forts and sick of stuffing marshmallows into their mouths, they dropped off to sleep: some next to each other, some snuggled in the ruins of a beanbag-based castle.

Applejack, while blessed by the warmth of her marefriend, could not stay asleep. She had no trouble pinpointing the reason, and eventually she rolled over and woke Rainbow with a little shake.

The farm mare led her by the hoof into a room at the other end of the castle, shutting the door firmly behind them. By this time, Dash had figured out why her sleep had been disturbed and avoided eye contact.

"What was that?!" she demanded, keeping her voice low even though no one sleeping would hear her. "What was that?!"

"You know darn well what it was," Dash snapped. "I don't want them to know."

"You promised me you'd tell 'em!"

"I made no such promise. I just --"

"Dash, Ah mean it! Why did ya do that?"

"Because it's not just them that's the problem! Have you not seen ponies clapping whenever I hold your hoof in public or cheer when we enter a restaurant?"

Applejack sighed. "'Course Ah've noticed, Dash."

"Then it shouldn't be that hard for you to figure out why I'm so hesitant to tell equines we're engaged!"

AJ rolled her eyes. "Their reactions shouldn't matter! It ain't hard to figure out that those things will only occur more often, Ah'll give ya that. But they're not gonna change that awkward, avid supportiveness, whether we marry or not!" She calmed herself. "Look, if you're that worried then Ah can just break up with ya, 'cuz this is just stupid."

Rainbow's heart plummeted. "W-what?! No!"

"No? Well can ya please decide whether ya care about them or me more!"

There were tears in Rainbow's eyes now. "It's you, AJ! It's always been you! I love you! Please, don't do this!"

"If ya love me then can ya please just set this issue aside?"

"Okay! Okay, I promise!" she sobbed, sinking to her haunches. Applejack wrapped her hooves round the pegasus, who clung back desperately. Five minutes later, she whispered, "Don't scare me like that, ever again."

"Ah won't. But should we go and get some sleep now? Pinkie'll get everyone up at six and right now it's past midnight."

"Yeah, 'kay."

Author's Note

In case ya haven't figured it out already, I'm calling AJ/RD marefriends whenever their friends are around(well, until they know at least) even though they're engaged.

Right, now I've set up the three main plotlines of this story, the real stuff can begin!