"Hmm," Dusk Shine sounded, standing before the bathroom mirror and inspecting his reflection from multiple angles. The young unicorn had spent the last ten minutes there, combing his mane into different styles and experimenting with his appearance, as he wanted to look his absolute best for tonight's activities.

Yesterday morning, after a drunken night spent with Rainbow Dash--an event that brought a red hue to Dusk's face when recalling what he could from it--he awoke to find the rest of his friends, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, all gathered in his home. They were summoned there by Rainbow Dash, who told them of how left out and alone Dusk felt whenever they had their planned outings without him; information she managed to pry from him after alcohol had loosened his lips. Apologizing, and wanting to rectify that dilemma, the girls personally invited Dusk to their next gathering tomorrow night (tonight, in present tense), which happened to be a sleepover a Pinkie's.

A short time after he happily accepted their offer--and a strange batpony had limped out of his home--the girls began to leave, but Dusk managed to catch Rainbow before she did, as he had a few questions to ask her, hoping to express his concerns on whether or not their 'night together' had changed their friendship between them in any way. Were they a couple now? Were they more than friends? Less than friends?

After a short guffaw from the rainbow-maned mare, one that both worried and confused Dusk greatly, she reassured him that they were still friends and definitely not a couple; she humorously told him to just chalk it up to one of those inevitable outcomes caused by mixing alcohol and hormones together. Besides, it wasn't all bad, because Dusk was, as Rainbow so casually put it, 'a good lay' and that he should take pride in that. Not long after she left, Spike returned, complaining about being sent all the way to Canterlot just to dust an already clean bookcase. Keeping what happened the night before to himself, Dusk apologized and promised to later make it up to the little dragon.

"Hmm, maybe I should take another bath," Dusk muttered to himself as he used his magic to will his mane back into its regular style, soon hearing an annoyed sigh that caused him to turn to its source.

"Ugh, another one?" Spike griped, impatiently tapping his foot as he stood beneath the bathroom's doorway with a shower cap atop his head, a red and white polka dotted towel wrapped around his waist, and a yellow, rubber duck held in his claws. "Come'on Dusk, you've been in here for hours! You're not the only one whose got places to be, and I don't want you using up all the hot water again! Cold-blooded and all, remember?"

Turning back to the mirror, Dusk sighed. "Sorry about that, Spike. It's just...I want to make a good impression, you know?"

"Uh-huh, you know I still don't get what the big deal is," Spike said, walking over to the tub to test the water's temperature. "So you're going to a sleepover with the others, so what? I'm going to one with the crusaders, and you don't see me getting all antsy about it."

Forehooves on the sink's rim, Dusk lowered his gaze to the drain before replying. "Well...that's because my sleepover's a little different than yours. Other than it being my first one, especially with the girls, I'm going to be the only stallion there..."

"And?" Spike questioned as he turned on the tub's faucet, slowly filling it with steamy water before tossing his rubber duck in. "I'm going to be the only stallion at mine too...well, er, not a 'stallion', but, eh, you know what I mean. Anyway, I'm not getting your point here. What's the big deal if you're the only dude there? It doesn't seem any different to me than when you're hanging out with them at any other time."

Dusk shook his head. "No, Spike, things are definitely different now...things have changed... After Rainbow and I--" Halting in mid-speech, his eyes widened as he turned back to Spike.

"After Rainbow and you..?" Spike said, patiently standing there with a neutral expression, gesturing for Dusk to continue.

Realizing what he was about to carelessly reveal, Dusk smiled awkwardly at the baby dragon. "Eh...maybe I'll tell you when you're older, Spike..."

"Hm, whatever," Spike replied with a shrug and roll of his eyes, dismissing it as another one of those 'adult' things he doesn't have to worry about for another few years. After turning back to the tub, Spike removed his towel and set it aside, then began to climb over its edge, slowly immersing himself into the balmy liquid and allowing the spreading warmth to be absorbed through his scales and into his core. "Ah yeah, that's the stuff~" Spike purred as he rested more comfortably in the neck-high water, a pleasant, warmth-induced tingle already running up his spine.

Lightheartedly scoffing at the sight of Spike soon batting his little rubber duck around, Dusk made for the door. "Heh, well, I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Try not to have too much of a good time in there, otherwise, you'll miss you're sleepover with the crusaders."

"Yeah yeah," Spike said as he raised his hand out of the water, using it to mimic Dusk's yapping mouth. "You just worry about yours and I'll worry about mine."

"Hmm, well, alright then," Dusk said as he walked out of the bathroom, only to have his head pop back in moments later and nearly startle Spike. "Hey uh, Spike. You wouldn't happen to know where--" Irritated, Spike cut him off, as he knew immediately what he was asking for.

"Look under the 'S' section, where it should be..."

Smiling gratefully, Dusk nodded. "Oh, uh, thanks! Um, don't forget to lock up when you lea--"

"Just go already!" Spike yelled, splashing some water at Dusk.

Narrowly avoiding Spike's water artillery, Dusk got the message. "Right, right...uh, have fun with the crusaders!" he yelled as he moved away from Spike's sight, allowing the young dragon to finally enjoy his bath in peace.

"Alight, Dusk...it's now or never," Dusk silently muttered to himself as he stood outside of Sugarcube Corner in the brisk night air, a lit room from the building's second floor serving as a tell-tale sign that somepony was already in there.

Done with psyching himself up, and having been told in advance that the front door would be left unlocked, Dusk gradually opened it, entered the establishment-slash-home, politely closed the door behind him, then proceeded to climb up the stairs to the second floor and began following a discarded trail of confetti in the hallway that lead him to Pinkie's room. Standing anxiously before it, Dusk assumed he was the last to arrive, because inside, he could pick up all five of the girls' distinct, albeit muffled, voices through the door.

Fortifying the last of his resolve, Dusk raised his hoof and hesitantly used it to knock on the door. Momentarily worried by the resulting murmurs and shushes, he was relieved to hear a set of approaching hoofsteps, followed by the door soon opening to reveal Rarity on the other side.

"Ah, Dusk, darling, delighted you could make it. Please, do come in," Rarity greeted with a warm smile before stepping aside, guesting for him to enter.

Looking down to where hallway tiles ended and bedroom carpet began, Dusk took a slow cleansing breath before stepping forward, wanting to commit to memory the moment he finally joined his friends on their pre-planned activities. Once he had finally crossed over the threshold, he looked up and was delighted to find the rest of his friends, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and...and Rainbow Dash, all within the bedroom, each bearing him a welcoming and inviting smile.

Having noticed his prolonged and unnecessarily slow entrance, Rarity's expression towards him became one of amusement. "Hmm, bit of a flare for the dramatic, don't you think?" she said as she used her magic to close the door behind him. After Dusk had responded by blushing while rubbing the back of his head, as well as flashing her an awkward, nervous smile, Rarity cleared her throat before holding her head up high and stepping forward to towards the group. "Now, ladies, as you can clearly see, our guest of honor has finally arrived, so--"

"Ah shucks, Rarity. Cool it, will ya?" Applejack interrupted before gesturing a hoof at Dusk. "Can't you see he's already nervous enough as is? There's no need to put him on a pedestal like that. What, do you have half a mind to scare 'im off?"

Pulling her head back, Rarity released a very lady-like gasp into her hoof. "Well excuse me, Applejack, but we all went through the trouble of arranging this little party so it would serve as both an apology and a way to make it up to him for all those times we've neglected to invite him to our previous get togethers, so I apologize if I was being polite and courteous." Turning her head away with an audible, disgruntled 'hmph', she then said, "Much unlike a certain drawl and crude farm pony I happen to know."

Raising a brow in indignation, Applejack tilted her head at the white unicorn. "Pardon? Them unprovoked words there sounded a lot like a jab steered in my direction..."

"Um...we're having a party?" Fluttershy questioned, brushing strands of her mane aside from her vision. "I thought this was a sleepover..."

"It is!" Pinkie exclaimed from behind, startling the normally shy pegasus. "It's a sleepover and a party! A sleepharty, silly!" Furrowing her brows seconds later, the pink mare placed a hoof under her chin as if in thought. "No, wait...sounds kinda gassy. Um...a partyover? Partysleep? Oversleep? Come'on Fluttershy, I can't be the only one with the ideas here!"

"Um..."

"Anyway," Rainbow announced loudly as she approached Dusk, capturing everypony's attention and silencing both Rarity and Applejack before a heated argument had the chance erupt between them. "Sup Dusk," she said with a friendly punch to his shoulder, "glad you even bothered to come at all."

Rubbing his shoulder, and seeing what she did, as well as being grateful to her for preventing their bickering from ruining the festivities before they even began, Dusk pulled his head back with a smile. "You kidding? I wouldn't miss this for the world!"

Returning his smile, Rainbow nodded. "Well that's great, happy to hear that. But uh, quick question though." Using a wing-tip, she pointed at what was strapped to his side. "What's that you got there?"

"Oh, this?" Dusk answered as he used his magic to removed his saddlebags, soon opening it to pull a book out from it. "Just Slumber 101, a reference guide to sleepovers; thought I might need it since, well, this is my first sleepover and all."

"Oh, it...it is? And I see you uh...you brought a book for that," Dash said, trying to mask her disheartened tone, her ears flattening at the sight of it. At any other time, she would have laughed, but seeing that she was partially responsible for him never being invited to one in the first place, she instead turned back to Applejack and Rarity, giving them a glare that conveyed the message 'You hear that? It's his first, so you two better not screw this up by arguing!'

Message received, and feeling just as guilty as Rainbow, the two turned to one another, nodded, and silently agreed not to ruin this night for him. Doing so would be counterproductive to the plan after all...

"Um, Dusk, darling," Rarity soon said as she approached him, placing a hoof on his shoulder. "As much as we all...er, appreciate your preparedness, the book really isn't necessary."

His face grimacing in confusion, Dusk eyed the book, then her, then back again. "You sure? But...I don't really know what the proper sleepover procedures are, like," he opened it to a random page, "like makeovers..." His expression turning blank, he looked up from it. "Huh," he clicked his tongue, "starting to think that maybe I should have given this a quick read before bringing it..."

"Perhaps," Rarity said as she used her magic to take it from his own magical grasp, moving it to the far end of the room. "But, you can relax, darling, as there are no procedures for what this night has in store." Wrapping her hoof around his neck, she turned him to face a table by the wall that had various snacks and beverages atop it. "As you can clearly see, we've got quite a selection to last us through the night, as well as plenty of activities later on to entertain ourselves with, so just go with wherever the flow takes you and enjoy yourself. After all, you're among friends here, so why not 'cut loose' as they say?"

"She's um, right."

"Mhmm, 'course."

"Yeah, Duskie!"

"Books shmooks, just unwind and have fun, ya egghead!"

Hearing their words of encouragement, Dusk was filled with a new-found sense of confidence, bringing a wholehearted smile to his face. This was what he wanted, to be part of the group without the excuse of a world-threatening crisis, to belong, and right now, he was feeling just that.

"You know what, you're right guys! You're absolutely right!" said Dusk with an ecstatic nod, feeling excitement for whatever the rest of the night had in store. "But um, what should we do first? I don't really care what it is, just as long as it's with you guys!"

"Really?" Rarity said in interest before inspecting Dusk's face from all angles, a small grin soon appearing on her muzzle. "Well, since you mentioned makeovers earlier, and now that I'm starting to picture it, I believe I can make your eyes really pop with a touch of mascara. Hmm, perhaps add a bit of eyeliner and a shade of blush? Oh, what do you girls think?"

Anything...except that...

"Whoa there, Sugarcube," Applejack said, verbally reining Rarity in, leaving Dusk incredibly grateful for the rescue. "The party's only just begun, so let's not start it on the wrong hoof by immediately emasculating the only stallion in the room..."

Moment's later, Dusk's easygoing smile faltered, as he was reminded of something that he had forgotten when he arrived. Applejack was right, he is the only stallion in the room...and he was going to be spending the night alone with five--now that he thought about it--gorgeous mares, each stunning in their own way. He clearly didn't think of them like this before, but his night with Rainbow had opened new windows in his mind, allowing him to see them all in a different light for the first time.

Suddenly, just looking at them without staring too long became an issue.

"Eh, y-yeah, Rarity," he said, his gaze now lowered to the floor. "Let's uh...let's not do that..."

"Fine, fine," Rarity relented. "Let's ease into the night with something simpler then. Oh Pinkie, deary, you know where the board-games are, mind telling me where you keep them? I'd rather not run the risk of opening random drawers just to have a blast of streamers and confetti ruin my perfectly maintained Coiffure." When she didn't respond, Rarity turned to her. "My word, Pinkie, what's outside that window that has you so enthralled?"

"Don't know," Pinkie answered, her squinted eyes looking through the window's closed blinds. "I think something's watching us from one of the trees..."

Raising his sight a bit, Dusk spoke up. "Oh, um...that's probably just Owlicious. Yeah, little guy's probably wondering what I'm doing here."

"Oh, should we let him in?" Fluttershy asked.

Dusk shook his head. "Nah. Flying around at this time is about the only exercise he gets, what with being a nocturnal bird and all. Anyway, uh, about that boardgame."

"Progress?" Luna asked beneath the cover of the leafy canopy, a forehoof placed against the tree's trunk in order to better balance herself atop its thick branch.

Laying flat on his stomach beside her, and trying his best to make out the figures through the closed blind via binoculars, Flashlight spoke. "Uh...looks like they just started a board game."

"A board game?" Luna questioned. "They're not, say...oh what's the word ponies use nowadays...'smooching'?"

The batpony guard lightly shook his head. "Nope, not as far as I can tell."

"Ah, well, continue your surveillance, Private Flashlight." That still wasn't his name... "If I am to get so much as a piece of Dusk Shine, then I must be informed the exact moment they do..."

"Or you could just, I don't know, go in there and ask if you can join them," Flashlight suggested with a shrug.

Laying her back against the tree's trunk as she sat atop her haunches, Luna scoffed in amusement. "It's a party of slumbers, Flashlight, and I wasn't invited. There are procedures to be followed, so if I wish to include myself in what I sense to be an orgy in the making, and one of great magnitude mind you, then my best chance to include myself would be to slip in when they are all lost in the throes of passion and desire."

"Uh-huh, yeah, that sounds great and all, Princess, but uh," turning to her, Flashlight tapped the plaster cast covering his pelvic area, "ya mind explaining why you pulled me out of the hospital for this? Still kind of in the process of recovering from getting 'placed' with you. Also, don't you uh, have some other princess-y duties to attend to than this?"

Her expression souring, Luna spoke. "Flashlight, look up." Grunting, he barely raised his head. "I said look up."

"I'm trying to, Princess, but this is as high up as I can see from this position without having to move my rear legs."

"Ugh, fine, be difficult then," Luna said. "Well, you see that giant shiny thing in the sky that I happened to have been trapped in?"

"Kinda," he answered.

"Well, I'm not sure if you're aware, but it's called the moon, and, oh yes, look at that, it's up, so I guess I did my job," Luna sassed before grinning moments later. "On another note, I fail to see why you continue to complain about getting placed with me, as you seemed to have been weeping tears of joy during."

"No ma'am, I can assure you that those were in fact not tears of joy," Flashlight corrected with a stone face, soon recoiling visibly from the flashbacks. "You...you just kept going... I prayed for another changeling invasion if it would have gotten you to stop... I'll admit, it's pleasurable at first, but after one's stamina has been drained by multiple orgasms while you've still reached none, it warps into an experience I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy..."

"Hmph, baby," Luna said with a dismissive roll of her eyes. "Just continue monitoring and be sure to tell me if anything changes. Remember, Flashlight: I wish to be informed the exact moment it does, so be vigilant."

"Mhmm, understood, ma'am," Flashlight stoically replied with a salute before looking through the binoculars again.

An hour had gone by and, so far, Dusk was having an excellent evening with his friends, all of them circled around a game of Ponopoly as they casually conversed with one another. Seeing that the game in question was one of careful planning and wise investments, Dusk was naturally in the lead with Rarity and Applejack closely tied for second, Fluttershy being third, Pinkie fourth, and a frustrated Rainbow Dash, who's reckless spending landed her in the dungeon several times, was dead last.

However, despite how much fun he was having, Dusk couldn't help but feel a bit on-edge, as he noticed a while ago that the girls have been whispering to one another and giving him looks whenever they thought he wasn't looking, looks that he could only describe as playful and...and impish. In those mere, brief moments he managed to observe through the very corner of his eyes, he made the distinction that they almost resembled foals sharing a scandalous rumor around the schoolyard, with Dusk most likely being the main subject of their circularized gossip. It didn't take long for his mind to formulate a probable cause for their strange and secretive behavior.

Did...did Rainbow tell them of what happened between us? he thought, trying to keep himself looking chipper in their company in order to avert suspicion of his true thoughts. I mean, it makes sense. Unless there's something else going on, why else would they be giving me these looks?

Now that he put a sliver of thought into it, it seemed that when they finally invited him yesterday morning, their expressions all looked as if they had some underlined, ulterior motive for doing so, and Dusk had absolutely no idea what it could possibly be! They said this sleepover served as an apology and a way to make it up to him for excluding him so much, which in itself feels authentic, but Dusk couldn't shake the feeling that there was possibly more to it. He could sense it in the room's very atmosphere, and somehow, he knew that he was girls' main focus, in more ways than one...

Moments later, Dusk's rationality kicked in, causing him to scoff to himself in amusement.

You're being silly, Dusk, you're a stallion of science, and other than Pinkie's patented Pinkie Sense being the sole exception, you're not one to follow ludicrous things like 'gut feelings', there's no conspiracy. You're finally hanging out more with your friends, which is what you wanted, so stop trying to poke holes where there are none and enjoy yourself. But uh, first, turning to the window, Dusk made a motion to stand up, I should probably check up on Owlicious, see if he's still in the tree an--RIGHT THERE! THEY'RE DOING IT AGAIN!

Instead of getting up to look through the window like he planned, Dusk immediately chose to sit back down, as he was sure he saw Rarity point at him while whispering something into Pinkie's ear, the pink mare still giggling at whatever was said.

S-She did, she definitely did! Rainbow told them! Wide eyes faced forward, and struggling to keep his composure, Dusk began to panic internally. I know Rainbow said she was ok with it, but what about the others? What do they think? What we did is something friends normally don't do, so they probably all hate me for it! Oh, coming here was a mistake...I never should have agreed to this!

After closing his eyes to avoid looking at then, and his breathing starting to deepen, a new thought soon occurred to him, this one easing his mind somewhat.

No, wait...Applejack and Rainbow, who are obviously not hated or shunned from the group, did do that, and in front of the rest of them! Sure, they were drunk, but so was Rainbow Dash and I! And...and even if that was a valid reason to hate me, they definitely wouldn't have invited me over if they did. Plus, now that I'm really thinking about it, these looks they're giving me don't seem to be ones of scorn or contempt, but instead...curiosity? Huh... you know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that what they're displaying is...is interest...

Moment's later, his attempt to decipher their actions soon brought him to a possible motive that, despite it being highly unlikely, caused his body to warm up to an almost uncomfortable degree, his reddening face serving as the only clue to his changing internal temperature.

Wait, is it possible that they--

Giving his eyes a slow, hard blink, Dusk freed himself of that thought, as he realized it was a ridiculous notion! Just because they might of heard that from Rainbow doesn't mean that they'd....that they'd all want to try for themselves... No, this was reality, not a work of fiction like one of those cheesy adult novels Dusk places at the higher book shelves to hide from Spike, so he had to start thinking realistically and pull his mind out of the gutter, starting...now!

...

...

...

Of course, if, by some small miracle, his friends actually were interested in him in that way and had invited him over for...for that, then he wouldn't be entirely opposed to the idea, as, looking around his little gathering, Dusk would admit that the girls really were attractive, each with their own unique and individual features that held certain appeals to him.

For Applejack, it was her emerald eyes complimented by her adorable freckles; Rarity, her sensual voice and ability to use the right amount of make-up to enhance her already stunning facial features; Fluttershy, her remarkable, curvaceous figure that earned her a temporary career as a model; Pinkie Pie, her energetic and well-contoured body, molded from constant, never-ending activity, even if some of said activities defied the laws of physics; and finally, Rainbow Dash...well...what was there that hasn't already been said? Her lithe, well-toned, athletic body was certainly pleasant to the eye, especially to his hooves when they caressed her in places where--

Giving his head a quick, jolting shake, Dusk forced his gaze back down to the game board, worrying if that one night with Rainbow Dash had turned him into a sexual deviant.

"Uh, you alright there, Sugarcube?" Applejack asked him, shaking Dusk enough from his stupor to notice that the rest of the girls were staring at him with raised brows. "You've been awful quiet for a good while now. Everything alright?"

Shaking his head a little too quickly for his liking, Dusk put up a smile as he responded with, "Oh, uh...n-no, I'm good! Everything's fine! Was just uuuh..." Rubbing the back of his neck, Dusk scanned the room, looking for an excuse to his behavior before his eyes soon settled on the playing phonograph atop the nightstand. "Was just wondering if we should turn down the music! Yeah, that's it!"

"Why? It's my jam!" Pinkie cheerfully replied, utilizing the curly end of her logic-defying, impossibly prehensile mane to pick up a tortilla chip, then using it to scoop up some cream from a bowl before plopping it into her mouth with a crunch. "What, you don't like it?" she said as she began to chew.

"Uh, n-no, no it's not that," Dusk answered, relieved to see that his improvised excuse worked, as the others were turning their attention back to the board. "It's just...uh, aren't you worried that we might wake the Cakes?"

"Pfft," Pinkie sounded, much to Dusk's surprise, covering her mouth with her hooves and stifling a short chortle with a snort. "The Cakes don't actually live here, silly!"

"Oh, um, never mind then," he said, looking back to the board. Moments later, after his mind did a double take, Dusk stared back at Pinkie, completely perplexed. "Wait, what? They don't?"

"Nope," Pinkie answered with a quick, carefree shake of her head. "Lot of ponies in town think they do 'cause of Sugarcube Corner's second floor and all, but they don't."

"Really?" Dusk questioned before gesturing towards the door. "But, the other rooms in the hallway..."

After dipping another chip into the bowl before eating it, Pinkie was quick to answer. "Other than one of them being the bathroom, they're all used for storage, just like this room was before they hired me! Yup, the Cakes really live a few blocks away, so you don't have to worry about bothering them--it's just all six of us alone here!"

"Oh, uh, y-yeah...that's great to hear then," Dusk said rather uneasily. Great, now that he learned that the Cakes weren't even in the building, Dusk's apprehensiveness grew exponentially, because now...now he suddenly felt as if he were isolated on an island with the girls. Nopony around to bother them...to interrupt...

"Mhmm, yup!" Pinkie said with a nod, dunking another chip in the bowl before crunching into it. "Holy smokes, this is some really good dip!"

"Dip?" Rarity repeated, not recalling seeing any on the snack table earlier. Once she turned to Pinkie, she gasped when she saw what exactly the pink mare was so happily digging into. "Pinkie! That's not dip, that's the cream for my facial mask!"

Pausing right as she was about to bite into another chip, Pinkie's eyes focused on it, then Rarity, then back to it before her teeth slowly clamped down onto it with a loud crunch. "So it is," she said as she chewed. "So it is..."

"Oh, and you seemed to have eaten the rest of it as well," Rarity said dishearteningly as she looked into the bowl. "And here I was hoping to exfoliate before we--" Placing a hoof daintily over her mouth as if to stop herself, Rarity's eyes gave Dusk a quick glance before she cleared her throat. "Ahem, no matter--what's done is done. Anyway, um, who's turn is it now, hmm?"

"Oh, I think it's Rainbow's," Fluttershy answered, prompting the girls to turn to her.

Staring at the board as if she were ready to start a fight with it, Rainbow spoke up. "Yeah yeah, hold on...I'm thinking..."

"Heh, well careful there, Rainbow, don't want ya thinkin' too hard and end up hurtin' yourself now," Applejack jested, earning a laugh from herself and the rest of the girls.

"Oh hardy-har-har," Rainbow said with a roll of her eyes.

As the girls continued to lightheartedly chuckle at Rainbow's expense, Dusk remained silent as he stared at Rarity, wondering what she was going to say before stopping herself and was curious as to why she had glanced at him right after doing so. Were his speculations correct? Were they actually planning to--

Shaking his head once more, Dusk berated himself for considering such thoughts that he could only describe as...as wishful thinking gone perverted. Choosing to keep his mind busy with something else, Dusk redirected his focus onto the game and patiently waited for Dash's turn to be over.

"Hmm," Rainbow sounded, rubbing her chin in thought before nearing her hoof to the board. Right when it seemed as if she was about to finally make a move, she instead yelled, "Fuck it, I'm bored," as she unceremoniously flipped the game board over, dispersing plastic game pieces and fake bits everywhere, much to everypony's dismay.

"Hey, I was winning!" Dusk complained.

"Sure you were," Dash said in a humoring, doubting tone, reaching for the bottle of cider she and Applejack had been passing back and forth. After placing it to her lips, and finishing it off with a long, upward chug, Rainbow set the now empty bottle sideways atop the upside-down game board. "Anyway," she said as she gave the bottle a trial spin, beaming everypony a knowing grin, "whose up for a little game of truth or dare?"

Tilting her hat up, Applejack returned Rainbow's grin. "Ah shoot, I'm game."

"Um...I'd like to play as well...if that's ok," Fluttershy meekly answered.

"Ooh! Ooh! Count me in!" Pinkie procaimed, bouncing with excitement.

"Hmm, well I suppose this is a slumberparty, so I fail to see why not," Rarity ever-so-elegantly responded. Once she had said her piece, her and the rest of the girls turned their heads to Dusk.

"Uh...what?" he asked, feeling smaller under their combined sights.

Her grin growing larger, Rainbow chose to answer him. "Well...don't ya want to play too, egghead?"

Aw geez, Dusk thought while scratching his cheek, a small blush making itself known as he found it difficult to look any of them in the eye. Is...is this how it's going to start?

If it was, now would be the perfect scenario, as they were all young adults who had an entire house to themselves, each of them around that age where, statistically, ponies have been known to experiment with their sexuality. Swallowing a lump in his throat, Dusk steeled himself before giving his answer with a smile.

"Y-Yeah, sure... Sounds fun."

Everypony flashing him a delighted smile for accepting, they all looked back to the bottle, Rainbow quietly cackling to herself before giving it another spin.

"Heh heh heh... Round and round it goes, who it lands on, nopony knows~"

Half an hour later, after Applejack boringly chose truth twice and revealed nothing noteworthy or scandalous, Pinkie was dared to hold still for ten seconds, worrying everypony enough to beg her to start moving again when the very fabric of the universe itself started to shake, and Fluttershy was dared to swear--poor girl did, but it was barely audible--the bottle slowed to a halt, its neck finally pointing at Dusk.

"Finally!" Dash proclaimed as the other girls sighed in relief. "Was starting to think that it'd never land on you!" Her smile then turned devious as she said, "Now, what'll it be, egghead? Truth or dare?"

His heartbeat increasing, as well as his body growing considerably warmer, Dusk tried to keep his enthusiasm from making itself known as he looked from one seemingly eager mare to the next. "Um, heh, alright, I guess I'm going with...with dare."

"Dare huh?" Rainbow said with a toothy grin, giving and receiving a small confirmatory nod from each of the mares. "You uh, sure you don't want to chose truth instead?"

Witnessing their subtle actions, and having his lips quiver from bottled excitement as a result of it, Dusk nodded. "Y-Yeah, I'm sure. Anything you girls want me to do, I'll do it, and I do mean anything, so just name it."

"Aw, well look at you, being all gutsy all of a sudden," Rainbow said. "Fine, dare it is then. But, before we tell you what we'd like you to do, first close your eyes."

"Close my eyes?" Dusk questioned, his face grimacing in confusion.

Rainbow nodded. "Yup, close em. We'll tell you when to open them again."

"But why? What are you going to do?" he asked.

"That would ruin the surprise, silly!" Pinkie added.

His excitement further fueled by the sight of the girls' evident, adventurous smirks, Dusk was filled with a strange and new-found giddiness as he happily relented. "Um, heh, well alright," he said before closing his eyes, his world becoming pitch black. "Now what?"

"Now, you wait," said Rainbow's voice, her tone underlined with excitement.

"Yes," said Rarity. "No peeking now, understood?"

Once Dusk replied with a nod, he immediately heard their muffled giggles and the shuffling of movement, soon followed by the distinct sound of magic being used. Seeing that he wasn't using any magic and there was only one other unicorn in the room, Dusk guessed that it was coming from Rarity, but for what propose? She couldn't have just cast a spell, otherwise the sound would have been over by now and not continuing in a never ending, stable note like it was now, so she had to be using levitation on something. Whatever the object was, Rarity was probably bringing it closer to Dusk, because the sound was getting louder and seemed to be originating from right in front of him.

"Alright, you can open your eyes now," Applejack said.

Slowly opening his eyes, Dusk found that there was indeed an object floating right in front of him by Rarity's magic, and after taking a second to adjust his eyes, he discovered it to be a...a thermos?

"What is this?" he asked as he looked at them with a puzzled face, accepting the container with his own magic and hearing a swish within when shaking it near his ear.

"Your dare," Rainbow answered nonchalantly, looking at the front and back end of her hoof. "Don't question it, but we kind of want you to drink what's in it."

"Drink it? But what's even in i--"

"Ah-ah-ah," Rainbow cut him off with a to and fro wave of her hoof. "No questions. You accepted the dare, so you drink. All of it."

"I'm afraid those are the rules, darling," Rarity said with a lady-like nod. "You can relax, as I can assure you that the contents within are nothing disgusting or dangerous."

Ok, that would have been more reassuring if coming from Applejack, but, curious as to why she would say that, Dusk uncapped the thermos and looked in it, immediately seeing the reason when spotting what he first assumed to be alcohol was in fact some sort of purple, bubbling liquid that was emanating a sweet, almost grape-ish smell from it.

His jaw dropping at the thought of having to drink the self-churning liquid, Dusk closed his mouth, gulped, then immediately regretted his foolhardiness for choosing dare so carelessly. "Um, not that I'm doubting you or anything, but uh...you're absolutely, positively, one-hundred percent sure this is safe?"

"Mhmm," all of them sounded surprisingly at once, almost as if silently urging him to just shut up and drink it already.

Taking their word for it, Dusk gulped once more, smiling nervously as he rose the thermos to the girls in a toast-like manner. "Well, uh, down the hatch, I guess," he said before slowly bringing it to his lips.

Well, whatever it was, it seemed safe so far. Despite it bubbling like super-heated swamp gas, it was surprisingly cool going down and had a fizzy, almost soda-like taste that, just like the aroma it gave off, reminded him of grapes mixed in with other earthy flavors, flavors that, figuratively, were just at the very tip of his tongue. All in all, it wasn't exactly bad, just...strange...

"T-There, all gone," Dusk said after swallowing the last of the mystery liquid, coughing to clear its strange aftertaste from the back of his throat. Just to prove he was telling the truth, Dusk flipped the thermos upside down and shook it, showing that he indeed guzzled it down to the very last drop.

"Great," Rainbow said with a satisfied smile, an expression she was sharing with the girls. Moments later, Dusk sat there in confusion when they all turned back to the bottle, Rainbow's hoof nearing it.

"Wait, that's it?" he asked before brandishing the empty thermos. "Aren't you even going to tell me what I just drank?"

After giving the bottle another spin, Rainbow looked back to him and shook her head with a smirk. "Oh, but that's the beauty of it, Dusk, that's for us to know and you to find out. Anyway, relax, just sit there, keep playing, and maybe we'll tell you."

Calmly setting the thermos aside, Dusk did just that, a bit disappointed that that was all his dare asked of him and that perhaps the sleepover really was a simple sleepover, with no secondary, hidden agenda of the sexual nature like he had assumed. As the game progressed further into the night, Dusk questioned why he was so hopeful, as well as excited, for the most unlikely of possibilities and soon came to the only logical explanation his mind could pinpoint as a probable cause. So far, all signs pointed to a deep and carnal part of his mind--recently influencing him more than he'd care to admit--which might have been roused awake by his one night with Dash. Perhaps, like he had feared earlier, he really was turning into a sexual deviant.

"Dusk..."

Dusk didn't want that, and already he missed being able to look at his friends without anything lewd popping up in his thoughts.

"Dusk..."

Without having that twinge of guilt creep up on him from having his perverted mind warp his perception of them...

"Dusk, darling, are you listening?" Rarity asked again, this time loud enough to finally get his attention.

"Oh, uh, what?" Dusk answered with a shake of his head, not realizing that he had spaced out for a few moments there. "Um, whose turn is it?"

As the girls all stared at him in confusion, Fluttershy spoke up. "Um, nopony's. The game's been over for a while now, and we just wanted to ask you something."

"Really? Well uh, what is it?" Right after Dusk said that, the girls all turned to Rarity.

"Oh, why does it have to be me again?" she asked them.

"Well," Applejack said, "you are the more 'eloquent' one out of all of us, so who better than you? What, unless you want Pinkie to do it?"

"Ooh!" Pinkie excitedly called, raising her hoof as if in class and waving it. "Can I, can I?!"

"Eh, no, no I see your point," Rarity said to Applejack, then looked back to Dusk and took a moment to straighten her posture before composing herself. Right as Dusk was about to ask what this was about, Rarity cleared her throat before speaking.

"Um, Dusk, darling...I'm not exactly sure how to elegantly put this in a way that you'll understand, so I'll try to be as forward as possible. This slumber party we've arranged for you, well...there's more to it than it seems..." Despite her cheeks reddening in contrast with her white fur, as well as her eyes looking at everything but him, Rarity still continued. "You see," she coughed into her hoof, "excuse me. You see, yesterday morning, after Rainbow Dash had gathered us and told us of the predicament we were unknowingly putting you through, she...well...she also informed us of your um...your late night romp together..."

Eyes widening, body tensing, and heart pounding at that conformation, Dusk, despite sitting as still as a statue, suddenly felt as if he were falling backwards from a great height. "O-Oh...she...she did, huh?" he said, turning his head enough to see Dash blush as she looked around the room, whistling an inconspicuous tune.

Waving her hooves before her in a dismissive manner, Rarity reattained Dusk's attention. "Now, don't be mad at Rainbow for telling, as she had left that part out and it was mostly our fault for forcing her to reveal such private information. We simply grew suspicious as to how she had learned of your dilemma, and after...well...after smelling and seeing the byproduct of your, ahem, 'joint activity' run down her hindleg, we all sort of put two and two together and grilled her for further details."

"Heh heh...eh, yeah...probably should have gone home and taken a shower before gathering them," Dash said with an embarrassed smile, her hoof nervously rubbing at the back of her neck as she scanned the ceiling for nothing in particular.

"Yes, you probably should have, deary," Rarity said to Rainbow before turning back to Dusk. "Anyway, returning to the subject matter at hoof, Rainbow spoke very highly of your, mmm, prowess and explicitly pointed out that she was left more than satisfied afterwards...so much so that it got the rest of us thinking."

Looking up from the small bit of floor he had been pawing, Dusk blinked. Wait, was I...

"Um...thinking about what, exactly?" he asked, needing conformation.

This time, and to Dusk's surprise, it was the girls who averted their gaze from him, either rubbing their shoulders or feigning interest in the room's decor. After a few pregnant pauses had passed, Applejack tapped Rarity's side, then gestured her head to Dusk.

Her pleading expression having no effect on the farm pony, Rarity bowed her head in defeat. Of course, it just had to be her; Rarity was voted--'drafted' would be a more fitting word she'd use--to speak on the group's behalf, and right now, her cheeks reddening in hue as she struggled to lock eyes with Dusk, the white unicorn almost cursed her sophisticated and refined elocution for what she was about to propose.

"What we've been thinking, Dusk," Rarity said, doing a remarkable job at keeping her voice steady, "is, well... Hmm, how shall I say this? It's...it's been a rather slow season for all of us in the relationship department. Putting it so, none of us just have the time; I have my boutique, Applejack has her farm, Pinkie has the bakery, Fluttershy has her animals, and Rainbow has...eh, whatever it is Rainbow does..."

"Hey!"

Ignoring her, Rarity continued. "Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that it's been a while for all of us, and when we all saw how Rainbow was practically glowing after a night spent with you, well...it piqued our curiosity."

Leaning forward a bit, and slowly titling his head to the side, Dusk then asked, "Wait, you don't mean..."

"Mhmm," answered Rarity with a nod, glad that he seemed to be catching on. "For the first time since we've known you, it wasn't until yesterday morning that we saw what you were truly capable of as a stallion, which is why we have this proposition for you." Wanting to sell it, she took a second to adjust her mane with her hoof before resuming. "You see, all five of us lovely mares pine for a stallion's touch, but since we lack the time for conventional dating, and seeing that you're both a stallion and somepony we're all very well acquainted with, we were wondering if you were interested in being that stallion to take care of our need..."

He was right... Dusk couldn't believe it, he was actually right! He was feeling guilty almost the entire time for thinking of them in such a lewd way, but it turns out that the same thing was going through their minds about him! What could he say, yes? Of course he was interested, what stallion in his right mind wouldn't? But he couldn't just blindly accept, as he had to know exactly what he was getting himself into.

The blood rushing to his face, and a small semblance of a smile appearing on his muzzle, Dusk nervously scratched his cheek as he eyed the ceiling. "Eh--y-yeah...yeah I might be interested," the girls smiled almost simultaneously at that, "but first...I have a few questions to ask before I make any decisions."

"Reasonable," Rarity said with a nod. "Such as?"

Wanting to get the largest hurdle out of the way, Dusk asked, "Would this change our friendship in any way?"

"Did yours change with Rainbow?" Rarity retorted, having heard from Dash earlier that Dusk had privately brought up that concern with her after they had left his home yesterday.

Dusk didn't answer. Honestly, he wasn't sure, as not enough time had passed for him to make a precise verdict on whether it did or not.

Picking up on his silence, Rarity chose to ease his worries. "It won't, darling, so you shouldn't worry. Rainbow has informed us that you unintentionally witnessed her and Applejack getting physical with one another during our last sleepover, and as you can clearly see, their friendship together hasn't changed in the slightest."

"H-Heh," Applejack sounded nervously with a smile, tilting her hat lower to hide her eyes. "'Mazin' how much pent up sexual frustration can spill out after having the right amount of cider in ya... But, yeah, Rare's got a point. Other than the incredibly awkward day after, our relationship really hasn't changed one bit."

"Mhmm," Rarity continued with a nod, "and besides, we're all consenting adults here, so just think of it as a group of friends having a bit of fun with each other. But, if you're uncomfortable with the idea and don't wish to go through with it, then you're more than welcome to turn down our offer; we'll simply forget we ever brought it up in the first place and continue the rest of the night as it was."

"Alright, um, good to know," Dusk said, thankful for the option to back out if he wanted to. Not that he did... "Another thing...if I do agree, aren't you girls worried about...well, you know..."

In response, Rarity's smile became one of amusement. "Not to worry, if it's pregnancy you're referring to, then don't. I've made sure to ask earlier, and it seems that none of us are in heat, so, if you happen to not pull out, then it's perfectly all right." Adjusting her sitting position atop the floor a bit, and moving her curled tail forward to cover her lower section, Rarity smiled suggestively at him. "In fact, I don't know about the rest of the ladies here, but I'd prefer it if you left it in."

"O-Oh...I...I see," Dusk answered with a shaky nod and timid grin, looking away as he moved his forelegs closer together so he could hide his stimulated anatomy behind them. Despite his head being turned, Dusk figured that they must have caught on to what he was up to, because he could spot their smiles becoming wider and more enthusiastic through the corner of his eye.

His face burning with an increased intensity as he flashed them a flustered smile, Dusk's nostrils soon flared when he picked up a strong scent that was quickly permeating throughout the room. After Dusk had taken a few curious whiffs of the surrounding air, he learned that, whatever it was, it wasn't one scent he was perceiving, but instead, a mixture of several, all fragrant and alluring. It was difficult for Dusk to differentiate the wafting aromas from one another, but there was one such scent that he was able to identify as a familiar combination of a pleasant musk and petrichor. Remembering seconds later where and when he had last caught that specific scent, Dusk realized what exactly was filling his nasal cavities, making him feel pleasantly lightheaded.

It was the scent of arousal...from five different mares...

Feeling the first heartbeat through his now fully-erect member, Dusk adopted a dopey and almost feverish smile as he turned back to the girls and nodded. "Um, alright, sure. Sure, I'd love to...to do that with you girls..."

"You sure?" Rarity asked, tilting her head cautiously. "Because once we start, there's a possibility that we won't stop until we're all satisfied."

Once again, Dusk nodded, as he had already made up his mind. "Yup, I'm sure. No objections here."

After the girls had all looked to one another, silently reaffirming their commitment, Applejack was the first to speak as she tilted her hat up, winked at Dusk, then said, "Heh, well alright, Sugarcube, you're in for a wild night!"

His heart-rate increasing and breathing deepening, Dusk found it difficult to contain his growing giddiness as the girls got up, then slowly sashayed their way towards him with eager expressions, each sway of their tails making the scent in the room so much stronger.

"Whoa!" Nightlight exclaimed. "Movement! I'm picking up movement!"

"What?! It's starting?!" Luna called out, shaken from her bored daydreams meant to pass the time quicker.

Adjusting the binocular's focusing lenses for a better picture, Flashlight replied. "I think so. From what I can tell, they seem to be grouping up, so maybe..."

"Maybe, hmm?" Luna inquired as she made a small opening through the tree's leaves and looked through it, trying her best to peer through the window's blinds from her distance, yet all she could gather was that the silhouettes were a lot closer than they were before, so perhaps the batpony was right. "Hmm...if it has indeed just started, then I'll need to bind my time for a bit... Strike just when the iron is hot...and even then, I'll need a foolproof strategy for success..."

Moving the binoculars away from his eyes, Flashlight raised a skeptical brow as he turned to her. "You uh...you do know you're planning to crash an orgy, right? Not a full scale offensive?"

Luna didn't bother with a response, her calculating eyes still fixated on the window as if in thought. Moments later, she then muttered to herself, "Hmm...yes...yes, I believe that might work."

"What might work?" Flashlight asked out of curiosity. "The full scale offensive!?"

Deciding to indulge him, Luna filled him in. "No, not the offensive! When the time comes, I'm going to emulate the most popular and successful of erotic folklore in order to guarantee myself a turn with Dusk."

His expression puzzled, Flashlight cocked his head in confusion. "Ok, you're going to have to run that by me again. The most popular and successful of what folklore?"

Luna scoffed in amusement. "Oh, Flashlight, don't play coy, you know very well what I'm talking about. I'd hate to admit it, but you might have been right the night before yesterday when you claimed that I was a tad outdated. So, yesterday, as you were lazing about in the local hospital," recovering...he was recovering in the hospital, "I took the liberty of updating myself on the modern art of courting by studying this text containing a wide compilation of tales regarding that matter." Reaching a hoof into her ethereal mane, Luna extracted a book from it, Flashlight's eyes widening in shock at the sight of it.

Unlike most readers of Playcolt, Flashlight actually preferred its steamy stories over its pictures, so much so that he had long ago purchased a copy of their special, limited edition release that solely contained their best written work published throughout the years, the very same copy Luna was holding in her magical grip.

"W-Where did you get that!" he exclaimed, his face reddening as he tried to reach for it, only to be stopped by Luna's hoof on his head and the pain beneath his cast.

"Why, under your bed, of course," Luna casually answered as she opened it and skimmed through its pages. "My, Private, you don't strike me as the studious sort, yet these pages seem well worn beyond their years, and what, pray tell, are these stains I keep coming across?"

"N-Nothing! They're nothing!" he said in a near shout, still reaching for the book. "And--and why were you going through my things!?"

Holding the book back further from him, Luna tsked at Flashlight as if lecturing a foal. "Silly, Flashlight, don't be absurd, I don't go through your things...I go through everypony in the castle's things... One gets rather bored after raising the moon, and after having been absent for a millennium, trinkets such as these fascinate me..." Seconds later, Luna stopped the book's page on the story she was searching for. "Ah, here it is! Hmm, yes...yes, I believe I can use this courting stratagem; it's simple, yet surprisingly effective."

Giving up his attempts to take back his book, Flashlight sighed in defeat before asking, "What stratagem?"

"Why, the one employed by the mare in this particular story, see?" she said as she turned its pages to him. "Tell me, where can I find a uniform such as this?"

Remembering which story it was after reading its title, Flashlight's jaw dropped.

"Oh no...you can't be serious..."

Author's Note

Special thanks to Sura-Resch, ryvan and Ghost Pony Rider for donating into my Christmas fund. You guys are awesome!

Here's my patreon. Come on guys, I'd really like to go to my first ever convention. Babscon.