Chapter 1: Just Your Average Slumber Party

Twilight Sparkle waited impatiently at her bedroom window as the sun was halfway gone at the horizon.

It was Saturday night, and Twilight's newest favorite part of the week. She could remember the day Starlight Glimmer, ex-villain, post-friend, finally turned her back on equality and embraced new unique friendships. It had been a few weeks since then. Now, Twilight could hear Starlight and Spike from down the hall in the study room coming up with things to do for the night. Twilight had told them about the weekly event that occurred in the castle, and they respectfully spent Saturday night outside the castle.

Twilight focused on the sun. About two-thirds of it was below the horizon. Only a few minutes until Twilight would be galloping around the castle to get ready for the Saturday night slumber party.

As a celebration for welcoming a new friend, Twilight and the other bearers of the Elements of Harmony decided to have a slumber party ever Saturday night. They were full of laughs, excitement, and time they could spend together having fun. Twilight enjoyed them as much as everypony else.

Finally, the last bit of sun fell under the horizon. Twilight squealed excitedly, clapping her hoofs together. She galloped out of the door hurriedly and traveled downstairs to the kitchen. Twilight cast a spell that lit up the kitchen with a soft white light. She opened some kitchen cabinets and levitated a few bags of junk food onto a smooth marble counter. Twilight proceeded to open a drawer and got out half a dozen large bowls. She trotted over to the counter and started opening the bags. She emptied them, separating the bags by type of snack.  Twilight went over to the refrigerator and took out some delicious grape punch she had made in the afternoon and fetched some cups.

She levitated everything to the Mane Six's bedroom, the room Luna had cast her spell in for the whole Tantabus-trapping adventure. Twilight placed everything in a semi-circle, making sure everything was perfect. The cups were set around the punch bowl evenly.

"Hmm..." Twilight placed a hoof on her chin. She was missing something...

"Ah!" Her eyes lit up. She was missing the extra blankets and pillows! She chuckled at her mistake. Twilight trotted out of the room and went around the corner to the room four doors down, housing extra everything. She entered and levitated everything she needed outside and back into the room.

Twilight organized everything so everypony had two extra blankets and two extra pillows. She placed them on their beds, in case they were warm when they came over.

She sighed happily and sat down at the foot of her bed. Her friends were to arrive in a few minutes, maybe fifteen at most. Twilight rubbed her chin. Maybe we could play some good old fashioned board games, she mused, or perhaps go stargazing at the balcony. That'd be relaxing, and I'd love to show the view to everypony.

A knock came from the door. Twilight hurriedly opened the door, thinking her friends had shown up.

Starlight Glimmer was looking at her hooves like she was afraid of something. She looked up with a startled expression. "Oh, did I bother you?" she asked. "I'm really sorry about disturbing you."

"Not at all, Starlight," Twilight assured her. "What's going on? Have you come up with something to do?"

"Yes, Spike and I have decided to go out to the Star Night Festival that's in Ponyville," Starlight explained. "It's only here for two nights, and I was busy helping Applejack with her chores today. But I wanted to go at this hour anyway because I heard the festival is even better at night. Hence, why it's probably called Star Night. Festival." She smiled sheepishly. "But that's not what I wanted to talk about."

"So what did you want to talk about?" Twilight asked.

Starlight rubbed her right foreleg. "Well, you see, I've always spent time with my friends, well, our friends, during the day, but I've never experienced friendship during the night," she explained. "Like what you and everypony do on Saturday nights."

Twilight was incredibly skillful at reading between the lines. Well, the majority of the time, anyway. Starlight Glimmer wanted to join them all in their slumber party.

"You mean, have a slumber party?" Twilight asked, confirming her inference.

Starlight smiled. "Yes, like having a slumber party," she said.

Twilight chuckled lightly. "I'm certain our friends would be happy to have you here for a slumber party," she said.

"Oh, just not this week," Starlight said hurriedly. "I don't know anything about slumber parties at all. I was thinking of reading up about slumber parties instead and come next week."

"Yeah, I've tried that," Twilight confessed, "and that didn't turn out so well. You don't get all your answers from a book."

"Oh. I see." Starlight's enthusiasm seemed to deflate a little. "Does that mean I would have to wing it?"

"All you would need to do would be to learn from everypony," Twilight explained. "That's what I did." She embraced Starlight. Twilight could feel Starlight moving her hooves uncertainly until she was hugging Twilight back. "I'll make sure to ask everypony to have you at next week's sleepover. After all, you're the reason we celebrate weekly."

Twilight could sense Starlight smile. "Thanks, Twilight," Starlight said. She let go, and Twilight did the same. "Thanks for everything. For the home at your castle, your friendship, and everything I've learned."

"That's what friends are for," Twilight said with a smile.

"Hey, Starlight! We should get going!" Twilight and Starlight turned to see Spike run over to them. Spike said, "I heard at nine, they have a constellation contest. With your studies and my time with Twilight, we could totally win!"

"I'm glad the two of you have become great friends," Twilight said. She turned to Starlight. "Now go. I don't want to keep you from your night out in Ponyville," Twilight said.

"Yeah," Starlight said. "Let's go have fun, Spike!"

"See you two later!" Twilight said. She watched Spike and Starlight eagerly travel downstairs, talking and getting hyped.

Twilight got back into the room and sighed. I wonder when everypony will get here.

Out of nowhere, a party cannon went off somewhere in the castle. Twilight's ears rang for a moment. She shook her head quickly and laughed. Now they were here.

"Heyyyyyyyyyyy, Twilight!"

"Howdy, sugar cube."

"What's up, Twi?"

"Twilight, darling, what a wonderful evening!"

"Hey, Twilight."

Twilight welcomed and embraced all her friends as they entered the room. "Hey, everypony!" she said. "So, how's the week been for each of you?"

Rainbow Dash flew onto her bed, throwing her sleeping bag onto the foot of her bed. They had all told her it was pointless to bring a sleeping bag on the second week, but Rainbow had persuaded them that it felt more like a slumber party, sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bag. "Me? I had a great week at the Wonderbolt Academy," Rainbow Dash explained as she stretched her wings. "Yours truly managed to break another academy record."

"Another record?" Applejack asked. She unrolled her plain orange sleeping bag. "Shoot, Rainbow. At this rate, you'll be a Wonderbolt Academy legend."

"Yeah, I know," Rainbow said smugly and stuffed her mouth with chips.

"Oh! That reminds me," Rarity said excitedly, levitating her sleeping bag to the ground. She whisked out a magazine from her saddlebag. It was from the newest magazine company in Canterlot, "Fashion Figures." On the cover was a picture of Rarity and Sassy Sandals presenting the newest dress that was rocking Canterlot Boutique. It was a slim, black dress, lined with diamonds and tightened with a purple waist. "The Unicorn's Rarity of a Dress: Rarity Unicorn's Latest Fashion Success," could be read above the picture. Rarity squealed, "I've been featured on the cover of this week's Fashion Figures magazine!"

"Wow! That's wonderful, Rarity!" Fluttershy said. She sat down with her sleeping bag. "Recently, a friend I know has been looking for ways to make a statement. She's had rallies in Manhatten and Appleloosa. It's such a wonderful thing, looking for ways for the little creatures of Equestria to be noticed like one of us. There's going to be a rally in Trottingham on Wednesday, which I'll be going to."

"Ooh, what's their name?" Rarity asked eagerly.

"Fawn Evergreen," Fluttershy replied. "She's an amazing pony! I hope you all get to meet her someday."

"What have you been up to, Applejack?" Pinkie Pie asked as she hopped into her sleeping bag. "I spent allllllllllllll of this week helping bake so many orders! There were even a few from Canterlot!"

"Ah've had the usual, and Starlight helped me today," Applejack explained. "Though, come to think of it, Applebloom wants to go to that Star Night Carnival tomorrow night, before it goes to another town. So Big Mac and ah are gonna take her." AJ rested herself on her sleeping bag once she had unrolled it. "What about you, Twi?"

"Oh, same old, same old," Twilight replied. "Starlight and Spike are going to the Star Night Carnival. Starlight said it was better at night." She served herself some punch. "Speaking of Starlight, she asked me if she could come to one of our sleepovers. What do you think, girls?"

The room became abnormally quiet. Rainbow Dash piped up, "Would that mean this week is our last week slumber party as six?"

"I guess so," Twilight replied. She saw a twinge of uncertainty grow on the faces of her friends.

"Come on!" Twilight said. "This would be another way to further strengthen our friendship with her. And if Starlight were here, she could make the party even better!" She faced Pinkie Pie. "I know you, Pinkie, and you wouldn't be able to resist this kind of idea. More fun at a party?"

Pinkie Pie beamed. "Of course!" she exclaimed. "Parties never have enough fun!" She suddenly grabbed Fluttershy over. "I'm sure Flutters likes the idea, too!"

"It is certainly a better way to connect with her," Fluttershy admitted.

"Then we'll just wait for everypony else to let this idea sink in," Twilight explained.

Applejack sat on her hindquarters. "Twilight, the point of our slumber parties is for the six Elements of Harmony to spend times together and celebrate a new friendship. We established this friendship with Starlight. Ah love her to cubes as much as the next pony, but we've only had six slumber parties together. Our tradition would be broken."

"We're having slumber parties because of Starlight," Twilight said. She could hear her voice beginning to rise. "If we hadn't become her friend, we wouldn't be having these weekly parties."

"We could've started that thing at any time without Starlight!" Rainbow Dash said.

"But it happened now and not later!" Twilight argued.

"I don't mean to interrupt, but I think it's close to 9 PM, and we still haven't done anything fun," Fluttershy said quietly.

The three ponies stopped arguing, silence entering the room once again. Rarity took a deep breath and said, "Fluttershy is right. We're meant to be having fun, not arguing about nonsense! I'll allow Starlight in the slumber party."

"Rarity's right!" Pinkie said. "So we should have some real fun by playing some games!"

"And talking!" Rarity added.

And so, the six friends spoke and laughed and giggled about what games they should play. They shared their own experience with some of the games they had played, sending fits of giggles everywhere. Twilight had once played War (With Pillows and Toys) with Shining Armor. She had created a book fort and had Smarty Pants as the fort's captain. Rainbow had played Runaway Rainbow with Scootaloo. Rainbow had to run away from Scootaloo and make sure she wasn't caught for fifteen minutes. Scoot always lost, but Rainbow explained she had fun anyway. Pinkie shared how she had played Hide-and-Seek with the Cake twins. The game had taken a lot longer than Pinkie and the Cakes had wanted, but in the end, Pinkie Pie won.

Finally, the friends were almost out of ideas. Twilight ate some marshmallows as Applejack told a game she had played.

"As a lil' filly, Big Mac and ah used to play Apple Truth Toss," AJ explained. "The goal was to toss an apple back and forth with yer tail, and if you dropped the apple, the other pony asked ya a question, and ya had to tell the truth. Ah was so determined not to miss, ah even trained outside of playtime."

"The truth, ey?" Rainbow Dash asked. She grinned. Twilight recognized her grin as a mischevious grin. "Hey, I know a game we can play!"

"What game would that be, darling?" Rarity asked.

Rainbow flew up to the ceiling. "Truth or Dare!" she replied.

"That's an easy game!" Pinkie said. "If you choose truth, somepony asks you a question, and you've got to be honest! If you choose dare, somepony dares you to do something, and you gotta do that dare that somepony dared you to do!"

"Except this time, it's got a twist," Rainbow explained. She grinned slyly. "The game doesn't end until sunrise!"

"Sunrise? Really, Dashie?" Rarity asked. "That could take hours, and I need my beauty sleep!"

"You don't ever have your beauty sleep during slumber parties," Rainbow said.

"Oh yes I do!" Rarity argued. "Can't you at least lower the time frame?"

"Fiiiiine." Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "The game won't end until midnight. There, are you happy now?"

"I am satisfied." Rarity nodded.

"So, who wants to play?" Rainbow asked.

"Sounds like fun!" Pinkie Pie said.

"I'm not sure about this," Fluttershy said uncertainly.

"Shoot, count me in!" Applejack said.

"I'd be happy to join," Twilight replied.

"Awesome!" Rainbow Dash did a loop-da-loop in midair. She landed, smiling mischievously. "So, who wants to start us off?"