Tales of the Green Hill Club

Chapters

Blackmailed!
Sleepover
Vandalized!
Mending Fences
The Terror of Invisible Trixie!
Beach Party
Flutter the Gymnast
Enter Ember
Rarity's Mesmerizing Predicament
Middle School Trip
Stakeouts and Statues
A New Canterlot
Switched!
A Get-Together
The Princess of the Sea
The Boy Next Door

Blackmailed!

***
Crystal Prep Academy
Monday morning
***

Sour Sweet did her best to avoid all the snickering and stares directed at her and her two friends as they headed down the hallways of their school. True to her word, Suri had managed to post the photo of them getting into Luna's car without clothes on the school's newspaper. Sunny Flare was mortified that she was now the laughingstock of Crystal Prep. Sugarcoat looked indifferent while Sour had a determined look on her face. Of course, their friends Indigo Zap and Lemon Zest quickly approached them with a lot of questions, like "How are you girls holding up?" and "How DID you get into that situation anyway?"

"We'll be fine, girls," Sour stated. "Principal Cadance knows about it, and she approved our little plan."

"Are we really...?" Sunny started before Sugarcoat reminded her to keep the plan a secret until the proper time by nudging her arm. "Oh, never mind."

"What plan?" Lemon asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Well, you're just gonna have to wait till lunchtime," Sour raised an eyebrow mischievously.

A bit later, Flutter Heart, Emerald Peace and Sunset Shimmer sneaked their way into Crystal Prep by way of a backdoor, where they met Cadance waiting for them. They were dressed in long trench coats graciously loaned to them by Rarity.

"Ah, here you are," the woman said, rather apprehensively. "Everything is ready. I just hope you kids know what you're doing..."

"We hope Sour does as well," Sunset muttered as the lunch bell rang. Slipping into the school's cafeteria unnoticed was not easy, but the three managed to find a good hiding spot behind the large school banner. As the Crystal Prep students filed into the dining hall, all eyes were on the table where Sour Sweet, Sunny Flare, Sugarcoat, Indigo Zap and Lemon Zest usually sat together. Everywhere there was whispers and giggles on account of Suri's photograph. Indigo and Lemon took their usual spots, wondering where their classmates were.

"Maybe they ran home in embarrassment," Upper Crust snickered.

At one table sat Fleck Paint, who had pale green skin, purple eyes and grayish hair. He didn't participate in all the gossip, instead just sitting and wondering what to say to his art classmate Sunny Flare the next time they met. What COULD you say to a girl after a picture of their naked body had been exposed to you and the whole school? Before he could think further, the cafeteria doors opened and the Shadowbolt trio stepped inside.

"Why are they still around?" Jet Set whispered to his girlfriend.

Sour happened to hear him, and with a smug smile, decided to use it to open up her speech.

"'Why are they still around?' That's what most of you are thinking, right? 'Surely those three losers would be too humiliated to even show their faces at school again? Surely they know that their reputation has been destroyed beyond recovery? After all, we haven't let them forget all day, right?'"

Now the other students began to look sheepish. Sour had guessed most of their general thoughts and assumptions quite accurately. On top of that, she did not look anywhere near as scared or embarrassed as they expected. Now THEY were the ones starting to feel ashamed.

"The past few weeks have been rather hectic for me and my friends, we managed to establish a friendship with students from Canterlot High, and embraced a whole new lifestyle." As she continued her speech, she began to slowly disrobe in front of her peers. Of course, everyone's eyes widened in surprise. A few girls tried to hide their boyfriends' eyes as more and more of Sour's bare skin was revealed. Upper Crust looked ready to say something, but her voice failed her as Sugarcoat and Sunny Flare began to follow their friend's example.

"Perhaps you've heard of the Green Hill Club?" Sour continued, now down to her underwear. "Well, we managed to become members there, and have made lots of new friends." She unclasped her bra and carelessly tossed it aside. That was the signal for Emerald, Flutter and Sunset to emerge and discard their coats, revealing their already nude bodies to the Crystal Prep alumni.

"The club is a wonderful place, with some of the nicest people we've ever met. And so, me and my friends thought it would only be fair to let you know..." Sour paused for a moment to remove her panties, "that we're proud to be members. We're proud to be nudists. And now... we offer you the chance to join in the fun!"

By now she and the five others stood fully exposed from head to foot, and there wasn't an unraised eyebrow in the room. Sunny still looked slightly nervous, but other than that they all gazed unabashedly right back at their audience, perfectly willing to have their bodies so exposed to the audience.

Flutter even sidled up to Emerald, embraced him by one arm and kissed him on the cheek while stroking his chest. Seeing this display of romance, Sugarcoat had a cheeky idea, and she spoke up.

"Fleck Paint?"

Several students turned to the boy himself, who began to look especially sheepish.

"Would you mind stepping over here? My friend Sunny Flare would like to talk to you about something." Sunny immediately went bright red as the boy of her dreams stepped up to her.

"Um, what is it?" The art student asked the blushing nude girl.

He couldn't help looking her up and down, taking in every detail. Her toes wiggled nervously when he reached her dainty feet.

"Fleck... we've known each other for a good while, and... well, besides being great at art, you're sweet, funny, kind and... very handsome..." She gazed fully into his eyes now. "W-w-what I'm trying to say is..."

"Yes?"

Sunny decided to let her actions speak for her. On impulse she placed her hands around Fleck's face and planted her lips onto his. Fleck was shocked at first, but then gradually eased into the kiss, embracing Sunny's naked body and running his hands over her shoulders and back. Emerald and Flutter giggled at the show of affection as Fleck began to undress himself. Indigo and Lemon looked at each other before nodding and throwing their own clothes off as well.

"So," smiled Sunset Shimmer with her arms behind her back, "I assume you guys will be joining the rest of us at the club?"

"Of course!" Indigo gave a familiar smug grin. "I bet I can move even faster without clothes!" Sunset chuckled at the same arrogance Rainbow Dash exhibited.

"Count me in too!" declared Lemon as she wriggled out of her panties.

"Wherever Sunny goes, I'll go," smiled Fleck, now fully naked and looking very much like an Adam to his new girlfriend's Eve. Fleur smiled as she undressed and joined her friends.

"Anyone else?" She smiled at Suri's dumbfounded expression as her blackmailing scheme was starting to unravel. A pale-skinned girl with light blue eyes and short, light blue hair stepped forward. Suri immediately recognized her as Coco Pommel, who had once been her own mistreated assistant before Rarity's generosity inspired her to go her own way.

"I'd be happy to join you guys," Coco offered, already slipping out of her cardigan.

"Welcome aboard, Coco!" Flutter smiled as Coco joined their growing group.

"Principal Cadance will definitely be angry with you about this!" Jet Set shouted as the doors opened again.

"Oh, is that so, Mr. Set?" came the voice of the woman herself. "If anything, I would be angry with you about what you have posted on our paper." She held up the newspaper with the photos of a naked Sour Sweet, Sunny Flare and Sugarcoat in the center. "Printing inappropriate photos of students without their permission is against the rules."

"I-It was Suri's idea!" Upper Crust pointed at her classmate accusingly.

Suri found herself with countless eyes turning on her, many of them full of disapproval.

"It's true," said Sour. "Suri was the one who took the picture."

"But considering that Jet Set and Upper Crust were with her at the attempt to destroy the club," frowned Sunset, "I'd hardly be surprised if they were in on this too."

"They are on the newspaper staff actually," Sugarcoat added. That fact now earned the couple disapproving looks as well.

"I believe a bit of punishment is in order for all three of you," Cadance decided.

"Y-Y-You mean... we've got to write lines?" Upper Crust looked mortified. She found the idea demeaning, largely because she had always sneered down at peers who had to do it, assuming that they had to be pathetic idiots to get caught like that.

"No, not writing lines - you'd be surprised how many students DON'T learn their lesson from that." Cadance's lips spread into a devious smile. "No, I was thinking of something else..."

"Suspended?!" Cinch shouted angrily over the phone. "You three are the only supporters I have left, and now their little club is stronger than ever!"

"We're sorry, Miss Cinch," Suri trembled. "We were hoping the photos would get them expelled, but it's only helped them brainwash the rest of Crystal Prep!"

"There's even talk of them joining forces with that sex club over at Canterlot High," Upper Crust added.

"A nudist club at Canterlot High, you say?" Cinch's anger was now replaced by a devious tone. "I think I may have a solution to our predicament..."

The Shadowbolts shared a laugh with their new Canterlot High friends at the Green Hill Club over their little stunt today.

"Oh, man, did you see the look on Suri's face when she knew she was busted?" Emerald asked the girls.

"Definitely!" Indigo chortled. "She was all frozen and panicky!"

"That'll put a wrench in whatever she and Cinch had planned," smirked Sugarcoat.

"Y'know, I don't know why I never tried this kinda thing before," giggled Lemon, stretching her naked body. "I just feel so... free right now!"

"Well, you're all free to come here any time if you want," Rosie smiled as she brought a tray of drinks for them. "Any friend of my kids are a friend to me."

Nearby, Fleck and Sunny were sitting at a table together.

"So what do you think of this place?" Sunny asked.

"It's pretty," he smiled as he pulled out his sketch pad from his backpack. "I may come here more often as a place to draw peacefully."

"Would you like to... draw me?" Sunny asked sheepishly.

Fleck's eyes lit up at the suggestion. "Yes! I-I-I mean, if you're okay with it--"

Sunny smiled. "How do you want me, then?"

"Err... pardon?"

"How shall I pose?"

"Um, how about lying on the grass?"

"Like this?" Sunny got out of her chair and laid her towel on the ground. She then positioned herself stomach-first on it, showing off her rear.

"Raise up your feet a bit."

Sunny did so, trying to look like a relaxing sunbather.

"Perfect!" Fleck got started, and within a few minutes he had sketched out a basic outline. He then went into further detail, starting with her face before moving on to her sloping back and rear. He did his best to replicate her inviting, soft-looking skin, and Sunny blushed a little as she sensed his eyes running over every inch of her.

"Bet you want someone as considerate as him, don't ya, sis?" Pimpernel teased as Sandymane watched the drawing session from one of the tables.

"Knock it off," Sandymane replied. "But yes, it would be nice to finally find a guy who wasn't a jerk."

"What do you mean?" Flutter asked.

"Before our family became nudists," Sandymane explained, "there were two occasions where I had terrible luck with love. I had my first crush at about twelve, but the boy I liked turned out to be really squeamish around bugs. When he found out about my interest in them, he... he called me a freak and ran away."

"She cried all day after that," said Pimpernel sadly. "I remember her asking me to share her bed and keep her company that night."

Flutter, Emerald and many of the others gave Sandymane sympathetic looks. After a short silence, Sunset asked "What about the second time?"

"That went even worse. I was sixteen at the time, and a guy about two years older than me started sweet-talking me and offered to take me on a date. Pimpernel didn't trust him, and we argued after I took up the offer. But not long afterwards, this idiot got drunk, stole and crashed his dad's car, and of course got into a heap of trouble for it. Apparently his intention was to take me for a 'wild ride'. I realized how stupid and irresponsible he was, and I severed all ties with him immediately."

Flutter gently hugged her friend. "Hey, you wanna go take a dip in the river to get your mind off it?"

"Yes, please," said Sandymane, sniffing slightly. She, Flutter and Emerald stepped away through the woods. As they reached the river, they noticed that they were not the first ones to be there. A boy was swimming there, with just his reddish-haired head above the surface. Ducking behind a tree before they could be spotted, Sandymane huddled up in embarrassment.

"Not how I wanted my day to go..." she muttered to herself.

"Wait, he could be from the club too," suggested Flutter.

"Doubt it," said Emerald, pointing towards the boy's shirt hanging neatly on some branches. "No pants. He's wearing a suit." Sandymane went even more red as she saw the boy stand up and headed in their direction. Sure enough, he was wearing black swimming trunks with red trimming.

He had also heard them, apparently. "Is someone zere?" he called out, his voice tinged with a moderate French accent. "I was not expecting anyone else - is a long way from any houses, no?" He gave an awkward chuckle.

"Can you tell us your name?" Emerald called out from behind the tree. "You're kind of... on our property." He nervously chuckled as well.

"Rouge Candle. Forgive me if I have offended, I am new to zis Canterlot place." He glanced around the woods, trying to find the owner of the voice he was talking to.

"It's fine," Flutter replied. "We were actually about go for a swim ourselves."

"Zen why don't you come out and show yourselves?"

"Err... that would be a bit difficult," said Sandymane, now feeling very nervous.

"Why? I do not understand."

"Well, we need to know exactly where you live first," Emerald answered. "So my mom can meet your family."

"I just live with my mother," Rouge shrugged. At that moment Sandymane stepped on a loose stone, and with a yell of alarm, stumbled out into Rouge's full view. Her face went bright red as her entire body exposed itself to the boy.

"...you are naked?"

Emerald and Flutter decided to reveal themselves as well, so that their friend wasn't forced to suffer alone.

"Yes, we all are," said Flutter as they stepped out next to her.

"O-Oh my..." Rouge slowly turned his head away as a form of courtesy. "Did... someone steal your clothes?"

Emerald couldn't help but laugh. "No, no, nothing like that! The thing is... this river lies very close to the Green Hill Club, a nudist camp. We all happen to be members."

"Mon dieu... zis is so unexpected..."

"How far do you exactly live from here?" Flutter asked.

"Just a little way up the river," Rouge pointed to the right.

"Well," suggested Emerald, "my mom runs the club, so it'd be convenient if you helped us arrange for her and your mom to meet, so we're at least aware of each other."

"Yes, I see your point..." Rouge replied, doing his best not to stare at Sandymane too much. Something about the combination of her form and her cute glasses really appealed to him.

"Well, we're gonna go take a dip," Flutter stretched her arms before running past the boys and dove headfirst into the water. "You wanna join us?"

"Well... I was in ze middle of swimming anyway," reasoned Rouge. "I do not see why not."

Emerald followed him into the water with Sandymane closely behind. For a while they enjoyed the water, though Rouge was having trouble forgetting that while he had a swimsuit, none of the others did. At one point his hand accidentally brushed Sandymane's rear. The bug expert went bright red and slapped the hand away.

"Ow!" Rouge cried. "Mademoiselle, I swear that was not on purpose!" Sandymane's anger waned a little before another splash was heard. The group turned their heads to see Fuchsia and Pimpernel enjoying the river as well.

"Hey, guys!" Fuchsia called, swimming over to them. "Who's the new guy?"

"Rouge Candle," explained Emerald. "He and his mother recently moved to a spot further up the river. They didn't know about our club."

"So you live right by the river?" Fuchsia smiled.

"In a way, oui," Rouge chuckled at this young girl's curiosity.

"We hope you don't mind having to share it with us," said Pimpernel.

"Do not worry about that, mon petit ami. You were here first, yes?"

"Yup! So you going to school soon?" Fuchsia asked.

"Oui, I am planning to enroll in Canterlot High soon."

"It'll be nice to have you around," Sandymane said. She immediately started blushing again. "I mean, um..."

"So, Rouge," Emerald floated on his back. "How come you weren't shocked by us being nude?"

"Back where I come from, there are many nudist beaches. I am used to seeing naked people."

"Why not join us?" grinned Fuchsia.

Emerald sighed and shook his head. "Sis, are you adamant on converting almost anyone we meet?"

But Fuchsia didn't hear him. She had already dived down below the surface, and Rouge suddenly felt her hands tugging at his trunks.

"Wait, wait!" He quickly stepped away. "I never said yes!"

"But you said you were used to it."

"That doesn't mean I went naked myself!"

Fuchsia pouted as she swam back to Pimpernel. But before Rouge could calm down, a gray shape suddenly bounded towards the river.

"CANNONBALL!" Gabby's voice shouted as the shape leaped into the water, soaking everyone.

"Gabby?!?" Flutter shrieked in absolute shock.

"Hey, everybody!" the Griffonstone girl laughed. Fuchsia quickly ran over to hug her friend.

"What are you doing here?" Emerald asked.

"We're on break over in Griffonstone!" The excited girl explained. "And Gilda made the suggestion we come visit you guys!"

"So you've met this girl before?" Pimpernel asked.

"Yep," said Gilda as she emerged from some bushes. "Along with me." Unlike their last meeting, Gilda didn't bother to cover herself much. "Good to see you guys again."

"You too, Gil!" Fuchsia giggled as she hugged the older girl.

Gilda and Gabby were soon properly introduced to the Globe siblings, and vice versa.

"And who's this?" Gilda asked, jerking a thumb towards Rouge.

"Oh, um, just a newcomer here," the boy replied, looking more nervous than ever.

Gilda raised an eyebrow. "What's up with him?"

"Oh, he's wearing trunks," said Flutter. "We ran into him already swimming. He didn't know about our club."

"Well, that's hardly fair, is it?" Gilda remarked. "We're all exposed to him, yet he still gets to wear something. Take 'em off, pal."

"Oh I-I-I am fine, mademoiselle, honestly--" Rouge stuttered.

Gilda frowned and cracked her knuckles. "Trunks. Off. NOW. Or I'll rip them off." Rouge trembled as she approached him menacingly. But before she could grab the trunks, he already had scampered off towards his house.

"Smooth, Gilda," Gabby deadpanned.

Gilda sighed, looking remorseful. "Sorry. I've always had a bit of a temper. I'm better at controlling it than I used to be, but..."

"What do we do now?" Flutter asked. "Shouldn't one of us go after him?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," Pimpernel stated. "At least not like how we are now..." He gestured to his nude body.

"Hopefully we'll see him again..." said Sandymane.

"Ooh, somebody's in loooove!" Fuchsia teased.

"I am not!!" Sandymane snapped. But it sounded like a failed attempt to convince herself.

"Kids!" Rosie's voice called out. "It's almost dinner time!"

The group got out of the river and began to walk up the trail back to the club.

"We arrived here after you guys left for the river," Gabby explained. "Your mom told us where you were going, so we decided to go and meet you!"

"Also noticed you made a few new friends too," Gilda added as they exited the woods and headed towards the dining area. The Shadowbolts waved to them, and soon everyone was enjoying a freshly barbecued meal.

"Ooh, you met a cute boy down there?" Sour Sweet asked. "Tell us more!"

Sandymane reluctantly spent the rest of dinner telling everyone about their encounter with Rouge Candle. Of course, once she'd finished, the girls were soon whispering to each other about how they'd noticed the obvious signs that their Trottingham friend had a crush.

Sleepover

Flutter Heart took her usual seat next to Emerald's in Miss Willow Grove's class. Of course, Emerald, Flutter and Sunset's little stunt with the Shadowbolts at Crystal Prep quickly became hot gossip back in Canterlot High. As for Sunset Shimmer, she found herself approached by Twilight Sparkle.

"Can I talk to you about something?" the girl asked, looking slightly nervous.

"What is it?" Sunset asked, smiling softly.

"Um, it's about that... thing we do at home," Twilight blushed.

Sunset was confused at first. "You mean homework?"

"No, um... we also did it... you know, at that club?"

"Oh, I see."

"I... want to try it again, but with other people."

"What do you mean?"

"Like, maybe we could... arrange a sleepover, or something?"

"A sleepover?" Flutter leaned in to join their conversation. "How about we do it at my place?"

"Really?" Twilight asked. "You'd be willing to have us both over?"

"Of course," Flutter smiled. "Along with Emerald, of course. And one or two others, if they want to." Before she could discuss further details, Willow Grove came into the classroom with a boy following her. He was about Emerald's age, with dark green hair, yellow eyes and reading glasses. His hair was styled in a ponytail and he had the features of a youthful pretty boy.

"Everyone, this is your new classmate, Viridian Specs," announced Willow. "I want you to make him feel welcome, understand?"

The class nodded as the new boy took the empty seat next to Emerald. Willow cleared her throat as she began her lesson.

"Hi, I'm Emerald," he whispered to his new classmate. Viridian only nodded in response, focusing more on the lesson.

"So we gonna do the sleepover tonight?" Flutter asked Sunset. The former unicorn gave a thumbs up.

That evening

Twilight Sparkle hummed to herself as she approached Flutter's house on Spring Street. Sunset had said she would be running late, leaving the purple-skinned genius by herself at this slumber party... naked. With other people that were naked. Sighing, she approached the house and rang the doorbell. Flutter Heart opened the door, dressed in a pink robe.

"You made it!" Her classmate hugged Twilight. "How about you come in and get undressed?" Twilight blushed at the sight of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy already in their birthday suits.

"Hey, Twilight!" grinned Rainbow Dash.

"Don't worry," Fluttershy kindly said. "You'll get the hang of it quite easily. Besides, we already saw all of each other at the club."

"I-I guess..." Twilight replied as Flutter led her to the bathroom to change in private. Taking a deep breath, she dropped her backpack, placed her glasses on the counter, and pulled her shirt off. Her skirt was next to go along with her socks and shoes. Now down to her underwear, Twilight shivered slightly. "Come on, this is silly," she whispered to herself. "You did this before, in a much more public place. You can do it again." Acting quickly, before she could change her mind, she unclipped her bra, worked her way out of it and then slid down her panties. Taking several deep breaths, she closed her eyes and stood in the bathroom for a few minutes. Her inner calmness was shattered when she heard the doorbell ring several times in succession. Packing her clothes in her bag, she fetched her glasses and stepped back out into the hallway. She saw Indigo Zap barge her way into the house, with Lemon Zest close behind, still dancing to the music of her headphones. Indigo noticed Twilight, and there was a brief moment of awkward silence. After all, these two old acquaintances had not in fact been naked in each other's company before.

"Err... hi, Indigo."

"...you oughta dress more lightly," Indigo stated. "You'll have better athletic form."

"That's exactly what I've been trying to tell her!" Rainbow Dash laughed.

"Stop teasing her," frowned Fluttershy. The nervous Twilight gave her a shaky but grateful smile. Lemon was still dancing, tossing off a piece off clothing with each movement.

"Well, that's... one way of taking your clothes off," Flutter said as she brought a tray of snacks from the kitchen. She set them on the coffee table while Indigo calmly undressed herself.

"So who else is coming?" She asked as she removed her underwear, and plopped down, just as naked as the rest.

"Sandymane and Sunset," Flutter replied. "Though Sunset may be running a little late, and Emerald had to be called to club business by his mom."

"Good thing I brought my games!" Indigo reached into her backpack and pulled out a gaming console.

"Bring it on!" boasted the ever-competitive Rainbow Dash. "I bet I can beat whatever you've got!"

"You're always playing sports outside," replied Indigo contemptuously. "I doubt video games are your forte."

"Oh yeah?!"

The two tomboys glared into each other's eyes.

"We have to stop this," Fluttershy whispered.

"Nah, this is gonna be fun to watch!" Lemon wrapped her arm around the back of Fluttershy's neck. "Anyone wanna bet to see who loses first?"

As the two athletes set up the console, there was a light knocking on the door. Flutter put her robe on to answer it. Sandymane stepped inside, dressed in a tank top and gym shorts.

"Hi, Flutter," she smiled. "Not late, am I?"

"Not at all," she smiled. "Indigo brought her gaming console."

"More video games, hmm?"

Flutter chuckled. "Yep. Indigo and Rainbow Dash are going head to head."

"Well, just let me get undressed and I'll join you. Here, hold my glasses, would you?"

Flutter obliged, allowing Sandymane to step out of her shoes and remove her top and shorts, revealing that she had neither underwear nor socks.

"Thought it'd save a bit of time," the Trottingham girl rather cheekily explained. Flutter laughed and returned the glasses.

"Sorry I didn't come sooner. Fuchsia is sleeping over, and my parents were out for a little bit."

"Well, now that you're here," smirked Flutter, "wanna watch our two jocks butting heads?"

"Sounds entertaining. But first, could we prepare some drinks?"

"Gladly!"

"Mind if I join?" an unknown voice said. The two looked around for the speaker. "Down here." Flutter and Sandymane saw a purple and green dog smiling cheekily.

Sandymane's eyes began to twitch. "Err... am I going nuts, or did that dog just--?"

"Nope, I really can talk" the dog replied. Flutter and Sandymane screamed in unison, getting Twilight's attention.

She leaped up from the sofa and rushed over. "Spike?!? What are you doing here?!"

"I was worried about you! You haven't been yourself lately, as you kept leaving me at home a lot more!"

"Wait, this is your dog?" Flutter asked.

Twilight sighed. "Yes..."

"A-a-and he can t-t-talk?" Sandymane stuttered.

"It's a long story. Anyway, I had no idea he followed me here."

"What is this all about anyway?" Spike asked. "And... why aren't any of you wearing clothes?"

"Spike," Twilight knelt down to talk to him face to face. "The reason why I haven't spent as much time with you is because..." she inhaled deeply. "I've become a nudist."

There was a short, somewhat tense silence.

"Why did you hide it from me?" Spike asked. He sounded more curious than offended.

"Well, I'm still getting used to it, you know? Still a bit embarrassed, and--"

"Twilight," said Spike, "I'm a dog. It really doesn't make a difference to me whether you wear clothes or not."

"Spike's here?" Fluttershy poked her head into the kitchen.

"Hey, Fluttershy!" The dog jumped into the animal lover's arms, catching her by surprise. She giggled as he licked and nuzzled her face.

Sandymane had taken a seat, still looking shaken at having met a talking dog.

"Are you all right?" Twilight asked.

"I'll be all right... I think. If you can handle naturism, I can handle this..."

"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash cheered, as she swung her controller wildly. "In your face!"

"Oh, you wanna raise the stakes?!" The Crystal Prep girl snarled angrily.

"Bring it! I'll take on anything you want!"

"Loser of the next round has to walk into town dressed like this!" She motioned to her nude body. Everyone else gasped at this.

"Oh, Indigo," said Fluttershy, "you can't be serious--"

"You're on, sister!" Dash declared. The two sports girls picked up their controllers and began the next game round. After a few minutes, the competition ended in...

"A tie?!" Both shouted in disbelief. Lemon cackled at the thought of both girls regretting making this bet.

Fluttershy was a bit confused. "Does this mean... they both win?"

"They both LOSE, actually," grinned Lemon. Rainbow was now sweating with nervousness while Indigo angrily stomped her foot.

"Well, rules are rules," Lemon snickered as she headed to the front door. "Time to go for a walk into town butt naked!"

"Not helping!" Indigo yelled at her friend.

"What if we all went?" Flutter offered.

"No, no, you guys weren't even playing the game," said Dash. "We don't want you to suffer too--"

Fluttershy suddenly linked arms with her. "It's all right, Rainbow," she said reassuringly. "I may be timid, but I'll stand by my friends whenever they need me." Rainbow found that she couldn't help but blush at this close contact.

"I'm not sure..." Sandymane said. "I mean, I don't wanna get seen..."

"Well, nobody is out at this time," Twilight reasoned. "So it's most likely we'll be good."

Soon

Rainbow Dash peeked her head out from the gate connected to Flutter's backyard. There was nobody else outside, so she opened the gate wide enough to walk out of. Signaling her friends, she slowly crept out into the front yard, her body completely exposed to the night air. Fluttershy came out next, tiptoeing in an attempt to make as little noise as possible. Then came Indigo, rubbing her chilly arms and blushing furiously over the forfeit she now had to endure. Lemon, on the other hand, was trying not to giggle with excitement at their bold little endeavor. Flutter led Twilight and Sandymane out last, the two smart girls furiously blushing at being forced to do this dare of exhibitionism.

"So... which way from here?" Flutter whispered.

"That way," Indigo pointed in the direction of town. She marched out into the street, liking the feeling of the grass of the front lawn tickling her bare feet along the way.

"Let's go, Rainbow," said Fluttershy, again taking her friend's arm and pulling her after Indigo. Lemon eagerly followed them, grinning back at the others on the way.

"We're gonna get caught..." Sandymane grumbled as they proceeded towards the exit of their neighborhood.

"Then we'll get arrested..." Twilight added.

"Or the one who sees us will just enjoy the show and let us off the hook," said Flutter with a nervous smile, trying to lighten the mood. Neither of the smart girls looked amused.

"Well, we're enjoying it so far," Fuchsia's voice called out. To their shock, Fuchsia and Pimpernel, both bare as usual, strolled round a corner.

"Ah, you decided to try it after all, sis?" Pimpernel couldn't help but smirk.

"Not by choice," Sandymane grumbled. "And how did you sneak out?"

"Window was unlocked," Fuchsia replied.

Sandymane groaned and rubbed her forehead. "We're all gonna be in SO much trouble..."

"Well, no time like the present," Fuchsia giggled as she suddenly took the lead. "Pimpy and I are planning to go to the fountain tonight."

"Wait, fountain?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Yeah, we're gonna go swimming!"

Rainbow grinned. "You kids are daredevils after my own heart."

"Well, you're not going there alone!" Indigo retorted. "I'm not gonna let you win!"

"Let's do it," smirked Rainbow. "Just lead the way, squirts."

"Gladly!" Fuchsia beamed as they headed to the edge of their neighborhood where a large decorative fountain sat. Several statues of mermaids, putti and other mythological beings decorated both the fountain and the pool surrounding it. Pimpernel stepped up next to a putto and playfully imitated its pose, making Fuchsia giggle.

Flutter smiled as she sat next to one of the mermaids, patting the statue's shoulder.

Fuchsia jumped straight into the water and swam up to the fountain, clambering onto the back of a centaur.

"Race ya to the big guy," Rainbow told Indigo, pointing at the centerpiece statue, a large bearded man wielding a trident. Both girls swam towards it as quickly as they could, but they were also careful not to create too much noisy splashing. Upon reaching the statue, they clumsily scrambled up towards it.

"So who won?" Rainbow asked Flutter, shaking droplets out of her hair.

Flutter chuckled. "You both look like you're offering to be his mistresses or something."

Fluttershy giggled as she sat beside one of the nymphs, almost resembling them.

"Just tell us who won," grumbled Indigo.

Flutter shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't see."

"What?!"

"Maybe you girls need to ease off on the competitiveness," Twilight stated as she straightened her glasses.

"I am NOT letting her one-up me!" replied Indigo stubbornly. "In fact... Rainbow Dash, truth or dare?"

"Dare," Rainbow smirked, certain she could handle whatever her Crystal Prep rival could throw at her.

"I dare you... to kiss Fluttershy!"

Rainbow's eyes widened rather hilariously. She nervously turned towards Fluttershy, and found herself focusing on details of the girl. Her smooth skin, her flowing pink hair, her greenish-blue eyes. The blush now crossing her face only made her look all the more irresistible...

'When did I start thinking like this?!'

"Oh, dear..." Fluttershy moved her hair to try to hide her blushing face.

Rainbow gulped, doing her best to steel her nerves. Then, before the others' eyes, she waded through the water towards Fluttershy.

"Y-y-you don't have to if you don't want to, Rainbow..." the girl stuttered, almost bringing her legs up to hide her body.

"But I..." Now Rainbow was blushing. Instead of saying what she thought of this dare, she decided to use the physical approach and kissed Fluttershy on the lips. At first Fluttershy's body tensed in shock, but then, to her further surprise - and the others' - Rainbow began to gently caress her shoulders, arms and sides. She found herself closing her eyes and easing into the kiss. When Rainbow finally pulled away, both girls stared at each other, blushing brightly.

"That was..." Rainbow started.

"...better than I thought," Fluttershy finished. Everybody was speechless for perhaps a good ten seconds. Then Indigo spoke up.

"Sooo... are we going to continue this game, then?"

"Nah, you win, Indigo," Rainbow waved dismissively at her, sitting next to Fluttershy. Indigo, not expecting this response, recollected herself as the group started to hear footsteps approach. The group immediately tried to find a place to hide.Flutter peeked out from behind one of the rocks to see who was approaching. To her relief, it was just Sunset Shimmer and Sour Sweet having a conversation.The two clothed girls sat down on a nearby bench, still talking. Apparently, they hadn't noticed anything unusual about the fountain yet.

"Should we reveal ourselves?" Rainbow whispered to the group.

"What if they reprimand us?" Twilight hissed.

"Does this mean," Pimpernel wondered, "that we really do look like putti and nymphs and mermaids and--"

Unfortunately, he spoke a little too loud as Sunset looked up at the fountain and noticed that some of the "statues" looked very familiar...

A mischievous smirk spread across her face. "Wanted to be 'part of their world', huh, Flutter?" she remarked, making a sly reference as she looked upon Flutter trying to look inconspicuous among the mermaids.

Flutter sighed in defeat. "Really, you had to go with that reference?"

"Seemed appropriate," Sunset shrugged as she tossed her jacket onto the grass surrounding the fountain.

Meanwhile, Sour Sweet was noticing the others throughout the fountain.

"What a cute little idea," she remarked with a smile, before hissing furiously "and a CRAZY one! What were you guys thinking?!"

"Indigo started it!" Rainbow pointed at her rival accusingly. "She dared us to!"

"Hey, you agreed to it!" Indigo argued, causing the two to butt heads again.

"Will you two give it a rest?" groaned Sandymane.

Sunset chuckled, having just finished undressing herself and was now walking toward the others.

"What are you doing?!" Sour hissed.

"Going for a dip with my friends," she replied as she carefully dove into the water, resurfacing near one of the statues displayed in the fountain, this one being of a woman whose privates were covered by a sarong.

"Please come and join us, Sour!" begged Fuchsia, rocking back and forth on the centaur.

"It's fun," Lemon added, mimicking the pose of a woman surrounded by the puttis.

"Yeah, you only live once," said Pimpernel.

"You guys are crazy," Sour chuckled as she pulled off her school vest. "Guess that means I am too." Laying her clothes next to Sunset's, Sour waded into the fountain, shivering somewhat from the cool water. However, she was not prepared for Fuchsia splashing her playfully.

"Hey!" she spluttered. "Let me get used to this first!"

"Don't be so sour, Sour," the younger girl giggled while her boyfriend shook his head.

"Guys?" said Twilight. "Do you hear that?" The group stopped their chatter to hear more footsteps approaching. Realizing it was not someone they knew, they immediately stood still, hoping they could blend in with the statues. A police officer strolled into the area, obviously on a night shift. He took a glance at the fountain - luckily, there was not enough light for him to tell the difference between statues and hiding nudists. As he passed by and was soon out of sight, the slumber party goers sighed in relief.

"I think we should head back now," Flutter decided. "Don't wanna risk being caught again."

"Maybe you're right," sighed Rainbow Dash. She blushed again as she noticed that Fluttershy had embraced her while they hid amongst the nymphs.

"Hey, Sour, you wanna come?" Flutter offered. "I know you weren't exactly invited, but us nudists gotta stick together, right?"

Sour shrugged. "Might as well. I didn't have much else planned tonight."

Rainbow Dash blushed as Fluttershy edged herself closer to her body.

"Umm... if I may say so... you're a good kisser," the girl squeaked.

"Err... thanks."

"Can we come too?" Fuchsia asked.

"And preferably our parents didn't find out?" Pimpernel added nervously.

"Wait," said Sunset Shimmer. "Sour and I have clothes here for getting home later. But you two don't."

Fuchsia nervously chuckled.

"...you were planning to streak home in the morning, weren't you?"

"That's FAR too risky," said Sandymane.

"Aw, come on!" Fuchsia whined.

"You can borrow some of my old clothes," Flutter said.

Sandymane sighed. "Fine. But as soon as we're back at Flutter's, I'm calling Mom and Dad to let them know where we both are, Pimpernel."

"Okay..." he sighed as they headed back to Flutter's house.

"So..." Sunset gently nudged Twilight's arm. "How did it feel being naked with others?"

"I'm still not used to it, but... tonight's been pretty fun so far," the science-loving girl admitted.

"I'll say," Lemon draped her arms around both girls. "I think I'm never wearing a thing again at home!"

"What about your parents?" Twilight asked.

"Eh, they're the easygoing type," the music loving Shadowbolt shrugged.

Fuchsia had another of her adventurous ideas. "Would they mind if we visited?" she asked.

"Another time, maybe," Lemon said. "I live on the other side of town."

"How about we get back to Flutter's house before any more conversations?" said Sunset, as she and Sour carried their clothes with them. Soon, they walked onto Spring Street. Thankfully, Flutter's driveway was still empty, signifying her parents weren't home yet. Opening the gate to the backyard, the streakers tiptoed towards the door, hoping to not gain the neighbors' attention.

"Almost there, everyone," Flutter whispered. Thankfully, she had left the door unlocked before they left, and also left Spike behind to guard. The talking dog happily barked as they slipped inside. As soon as they were all in, Pimpernel yawned.

"Time for bed, I think," said Sandymane, patting him on the head.

"Yes, mom..." the boy mumbled sarcastically. Fuchsia meanwhile, was playfully petting Spike.

"You're so cute!" She squealed. "And you can talk too!"

"If you're wondering how, I could tell you all about it tomorrow," the dog smiled.

"Of course!" She giggled as she pulled the dog into a hug.

"So, um... there's a lot of us here," remarked Twilight. "Who'll be sleeping where?"

"We got a good guest room," Flutter offered. "And the living room is big enough for four."

"Wherever Pimpernel sleeps, I sleep!" Fuchsia declared.

"Same with me and Rainbow," said Fluttershy. "I mean... if that's okay...?"

"Sure," Rainbow gently embraced her as they headed upstairs.

"I'll stay with Flutter," Sour stated.

"Me too," Indigo stated.

"So that leaves me, Twilight, Sandymane and Lemon," said Sunset.

"Then let's get to bed before my parents come home," Flutter yawned. She trudged upstairs to her room, while Rainbow, Fluttershy, Pimpernel and Fuchsia moved to the living room and the others took the guest room.

The next morning

Sunset awoke to the sounds of coughing and sneezing.

"Oh man, I don't feel so good," groaned Lemon. Twilight nodded before sneezing, almost knocking her glasses off in the process.

"It all comes... from being wet and nude... on a chilly night," sniffed Sandymane, blowing her nose between her words.

"And I'm pretty sure the others are in the same boat," Sunset reasoned, the only one in the room without a cold. Sure enough, a sniffing and coughing Pimpernel was tending to Fuchsia, who had been hit by a cold so bad she couldn't stand up. Sour and Fluttershy sat together on the sofa, sharing some honey mixed in warm water. Rainbow and Indigo came downstairs, looking perfectly well on the other hand.

"How come you two aren't sick?" Pimpernel rasped before coughing again.

"Good immune systems, I guess," Indigo shrugged.

"Yeah, all our outdoor exercise probably helps," added Rainbow.

"And I'm used to that sort of weather back in Equestria," Sunset chimed in.

"Lucky..." muttered Sandymane.

"Well, look on the bright side," assured Sunset. "Colds usually clear up in only about a week."

"And thankfully, it's a Saturday," Flutter coughed. "Though Em is gonna be disappointed about me missing about this week's trip..."

"Well, you don't wanna spread it to him, right?" said Rainbow.

"Of course not," Flutter sneezed. "I just hope these colds will clear up soon..." She wiped her nose while Rainbow and Indigo headed to the kitchen to cook some soup.

Meanwhile

At a diner in Canterlot, Suri Polomare approached a booth where three figures wearing hoodies sat. Their hoods hid most of their heads from the other patrons, and thus their identities.

"I thought I'd find you here," she remarked. "Look at you. The formidable Dazzlings, robbed of their voices and reduced to hiding under hoods."

"What's it to you?" growled one of the girls. "If you're here to rub it in our faces--"

"Aria, we have enough to worry about without you starting fights," said another. "And that also goes for you still trying to sing, Sonata!"

"I miss my voice," said the third, sounding sadder and less aggressive than the others.

"Why are you here?" The center one, obviously the leader, asked. "If it's about a gig, we're not interested."

"More like a... job opportunity," Suri smirked as she presented a wad of bills and waved them in a tantalizing manner. "Our group's benefactor is willing to pay you three for a little errand we have in mind."

"Oh, Adagio!" squeaked Sonata. "If we had money, we could go back to that pet store and--"

"We are NOT buying that budgie," Aria snapped.

"But why not?!"

"Because it would cost MORE money to feed!"

"You're a meanie!"

"And you're an idiot!"

"SHUT IT! BOTH OF YOU!" barked Adagio, before turning back to Suri and lowering her voice again. "Though I do admit, we could definitely use some money in our current state. So, what kind of errand?"

"Let's just say you're going back to Canterlot High..." Suri replied, sliding the money over to the three.

"Oh, sure," said Aria sarcastically, "and they'll just open the doors and roll out a royal mat for us."

Adagio roughly nudged her companion. "We're listening."

"Have you heard about the Natural Living Appreciation Club?"

Vandalized!

Canterlot High, Student Center

Pinkie Pie tied the final bunch of balloons next to the stage for the NLAC's next party. Sunset, Cheerilee and Luna were double checking their own progress in the room to make sure everything was perfect.

"Well, the streamers seem to be secure," said Cheerilee. "And I'm sure the students will enjoy the light show you suggested, Luna."

"Definitely," the vice principal replied.

At the same time, in the main halls above the Center, three hooded figures were searching for the entrance.

"You sure this is the way, Sonata?" Aria asked under her breath, not wanting to attract attention.

"Of course!" The airheaded Siren replied. "I've been there before."

"What were you doing there? Scratch that, I don't wanna know."

"Keep quiet, you two," Adagio hissed. "It's bad enough I have to be stuck with you without our voices...."

"Oh, shall we leave you to do this little job all by yourself?" Aria replied. "You NEED us to get this done quickly, and you know it."

"Do we even have a plan?" Sonata asked.

"Yes," Adagio rubbed her temples. "Just need to find a way into the room..." Before she could elaborate, she noticed Cheerilee and Pinkie Pie talking with each other in front of a door marked "Basement Access".

"So you just have a few more balloons to hang up," Cheerilee was saying, "and then you'll safely lock up?"

"Absolutely!" Pinkie declared, giving a goofy salute.

"And you WILL make sure not to lose the key?" said Cheerilee, looking a bit worried.

"Absatively!" beamed Pinkie. "It won't disappear on this steely-eyed Pie's watch!" She then frowned slightly. "I don't know why people say that - "steely-eyed". I mean, if your eyes were made of steel, wouldn't they feel uncomfortable in your sockets?"

"She's almost as ditzy as Sonata," Aria remarked as the Dazzlings watched. "Almost."

As Cheerilee gave Pinkie the key and left, a wicked smirk spread across Adagio's face. "Girls," she whispered, "I know exactly how we're going to get in..."

Pinkie stepped back into the basement, then after a short while, returned and locked the door behind her. By then Adagio had elaborated her little plot, and the Dazzlings were ready to make their move.

Soon

As Pinkie locked up the Student Center, the Dazzlings were spying on her from a corner, ready to steal the keys.

"So how do we get the key from her?" Sonata asked.

"Yeah," said Aria, "does one of us just bump into her and hope she drops them?"

"Bump into her, yes," their leader replied. "Then we swipe the keys when she's distracted."

"Right."

"And remember to keep your hoods up! We don't need her recognizing us!"

And so, as Pinkie Pie stepped down the walkway outside the door, she was passed by three girls with their faces hidden under their hoods, one of which bumped into her.

"Oh! Excuse me!" exclaimed Pinkie. Upon receiving no reply, she shook her head and said continued on her way - unaware that she lacked the key that had now dropped onto the ground.

Adagio quickly snatched it up. "Success! Now let's do this." The Dazzlings made their way into the center and back to the basement door.

The Next Day

"You lost the keys?!" Sunset angrily shouted to Pinkie.

"I'm so sorryyyyy!" Pinkie sobbed. "I let you guys down!"

"Well, we can only hope nobody knew what they unlocked..." Twilight sighed as they headed towards the Student Center... whose door was open. "...I hate being wrong."

The three girls rushed straight to the basement door, finding it unlocked and open as well. Inside, the room was completely destroyed, with tables flipped over, the decorations ruined, graffiti on the walls displaying offensive words, and...

"THE BALLOONS!" Pinkie cried out in horror as she rushed to the popped balls of joy.

Twilight, equally shocked, ran her eyes over the disaster area. "Who could have done this?!"

"Someone who had the key, obviously," said Sunset.

"Well, that could be anyone!" Pinkie wept as she held up the tattered remains of one of the balloons.

"Not exactly," Sunset smirked. She pointed towards a camera mounted in one corner of the room. "The cameras here weren't sabotaged, meaning our culprits were sloppy."

"Of course!" said Twilight. "I'll go and get Miss Cheerilee, and we'll look at the footage!"

Soon

The trio, joined by Cheerilee, were watching the security cam footage from the night before, in the hopes of finding the saboteurs. After getting to the part after Pinkie left and locked the door, they waited for the vandals to show themselves with baited breath. They didn't have to wait long as three hooded figures slipped into the room.

"Aha!" said Sunset. "Gotcha!"

"Wait," observed Pinkie, "I remember them! One of them bumped into me as I was heading home!"

Cheerilee quickly worked out the rest. "You must have dropped the key, and then they used it to break in."

"Oh, if only I'd noticed!" bemoaned Pinkie. If there was one thing that really upset her, it was a party being ruined.

"They look familiar..." Sunset leaned in closer to the screen as one of them began to tip over the table closest to her. Unfortunately, her companion was close by and the piece of furniture hit her on the foot.

"OW! HOT CRISPY TACOS!" Sonata Dusk's voice cried out as she clutched her toe. "Wait, we're alone! I can swear for real! SON OF A-" Sunset immediately paused the tape before she could finish her curse. After an awkward pause, she spoke up. "I doubt any of us could forget that voice. That's Sonata Dusk, one of the Dazzlings - and I'm betting those other two are Adagio and Aria!"

"Um, who are they?" Twilight asked, not having been a witness to the Battle of the Bands.

Pinkie began a rapid and complicated explanation. "Oh, they're these three nasty girls who tried to take over Canterlot High not long after Sunset, and they used their singing voices to turn everyone against each other - they're actually Sirens, y'see, and--"

Sunset covered her mouth at that moment. "There'll be time to explain later," she said.

"Well," stated Cheerilee, "clearly those troublemakers somehow found out about our club and decided to sabotage it."

"Given how we stopped them and broke their amulets, I can see why they'd want to," remarked Sunset, anger in her eyes.

"Well, where are they now?" Pinkie asked, her hair flattening.

Sunset shrugged. "Beats me. I haven't seen them since they fled the concert."

"Wait," Twilight stared at the screen some more. "I recognize those figures. I see them all the time at the diner."

"Then that's where we can catch them," said Sunset. "We should alert the others."

Later That Day

Suri Polomare met the Dazzlings at their usual booth at the diner.

"So you did as I asked?"

"To the letter," Adagio replied. "The basement's wrecked, their party's ruined. Now hand over the money."

"Of course," Suri smirked as she saw the girls from Canterlot High approached the diner. "You'll get your reward in a few seconds."

"Hey, no stalling!" said Aria angrily. "We kept our end of the deal, so you keep--"

"Hello, Dazzlings," said Sunset Shimmer in a cold, stern voice. The three ex-Sirens looked nervously up and beheld Sunset standing before them with her hands on her hips. Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and even Vinyl Scratch were with her. None of them looked pleased. The three looked back to the other side of the table, only to find Suri had vanished.

"Where's Suri?" Sonata cried.

"She double-crossed us!" Aria snarled.

"That's the least of your worries," growled Rainbow, looking ready for a fight.

"You realize vandalism of school property is considered a crime in this world?" Sunset inquired.

Adagio tried to feign ignorance. "What are you talking about? We haven't been in your stupid school since--"

"Since last night?" Twilight finished for her. "There's one thing you forgot to destroy in the basement: the security cameras."

The Dazzlings' faces paled. How could they have overlooked something as vital as that?

"They recorded everything you did," Twilight continued, "and I recognized you three from this very diner, so we knew we'd find you here."

"And I know now that it was you who pinched the key from me yesterday!" added Pinkie. "You're in deep trouble now!"

"We were set up!" Aria argued as Luna and Cheerilee entered the diner to make sure they didn't resist.

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "Really? By who?"

"Suri Polomare! That girl who abandoned us just now!"

"She said she'd pay us for it," said Sonata, looking sad. "We really need money right now..."

"You're broke?" Sunset asked, her expression softening somewhat.

"After you destroyed our amulets and ruined our voices," said Adagio, "we lost our best means of making a living. We've been fired from every other job we tried, and recently got kicked out of our apartment when we couldn't pay the rent."

The ever-kind Fluttershy, who had been silent so far, now spoke up. "Is it true? You no longer have a place to live or sleep?"

"Unless you count a dumpster as a bed," muttered Aria. "We can barely even afford a meal from here."

Looking back on it all was too much for Sonata, and she started to cry. To her friends' astonishment Fluttershy opened her arms and offered the girl a hug.

"It's okay, you girls can stay with me," she gently stroked Sonata's head.

Everyone was amazed by Fluttershy's offer. Even Aria lost her grumpy cynicism at that moment as she just stared at Fluttershy, her mouth agape.

"Y-y-you'd really do that?" Sonata asked, wiping away tears. "Even after what we did?"

"You need help, and I wouldn't exactly be kind if I refused it."

"The things you did at Canterlot High were wrong," added Sunset, "but we wouldn't just abandon someone to suffer in poverty. Even you don't deserve that."

"But don't think you're off the hook!" Rainbow insisted. "Flutters and the rest of us will keep a close eye on you. No more funny business, right?"

"R-r-right," stammered Adagio. There were not many things that made her nervous, but she knew she was on thin ice and could not afford to make any more big mistakes. She and the other Dazzlings had been given a second chance, and if they screwed it up, they might not get a third.

"So, all three of them are staying with you?" Twilight asked Fluttershy.

"I got space."

"Even with the animals you keep around sometimes?" smirked Rainbow.

"Even then," smiled Fluttershy. "They're usually just temporary visitors from the shelter. Though I have recently acquired a cute little budgie..."

"A BUDGIE?!" Sonata beamed. "Can we go, Adagio? Canwecanwecanwe?!"

Adagio had already decided. She just nodded, then sent a glance towards Aria to make it clear that she would tolerate no arguments.

"Is it the budgie that was in the window in that pet shop not far from here?" Sonata asked, still excited.

"The very one," Fluttershy replied. The blue-haired Siren squealed in delight as she and her companions followed Fluttershy outside while the others slowly backed away.

"...better than jail..." Aria murmured under her breath as they climbed aboard Fluttershy's moped.

"That... was an interesting turn of events," Luna said after an awkward silence as the moped sped off.

"Gonna be a little more interesting when they learn about Fluttershy's dress code," Rainbow snickered.

"Oh my gosh, you're right!" Pinkie gasped. "How could they have possibly known we were planning to have that party in the n--"

Sunset covered her mouth again, for discretion's sake. "Better not blurt that out here in a public diner, Pinkie. But yeah, they're in for a BIG surprise..."

Fluttershy's House

"UNDRESS?!" Aria shouted angrily as the animal lover began to disrobe the moment they stepped inside.

"You CANNOT be serious," stated Adagio more quietly, though she was no less shocked.

"Oh, didn't you know what kind of party we were planning in the basement?" Fluttershy asked.

The Dazzlings understandably found this surreal. Fluttershy was the last girl that they - or perhaps anyone else - would expect to find themselves talking to while she was stripping naked with a mischievous smirk on her face. Wasn't she supposed to be timid and nervous about what others thought of her?

"And since you're my guests, you have to do the same thing," she continued as she dropped her underwear.

"Why?!" Aria screamed as Fluttershy gathered her discarded clothes and placed them in a nearby hamper.

"Because I am a naturist, and such is the way of my home," replied Fluttershy, still shockingly calm as she now stood entirely naked and not try to cover anything.

The Dazzlings tried to avoid looking anywhere but the girl's face, and failed rather hilariously. Then Sonata spoke up.

"Wait - what was that you said about the party?"

"That room is for our nudist parties," she explained. "Unfortunately, because of your actions, we'll have to delay it till next week."

"You have a nudist club... in... your... school?!?" Aria spluttered, emphasizing the last three words.

"Of course," Fluttershy giggled at her shock. "Sonata here is an attendee."

"She's WHAT?!" Aria glared at her fellow Siren. Sonata chuckled nervously as she fidgeted with the buttons on her shirt.

"You've got some explaining to do," said Adagio sternly, folding her arms like an unimpressed parent.

"I couldn't resist!" Sonata pleaded. "They were serving tacos!"

Aria rolled her eyes at Sonata's weakness for the food.

"And she attended in the same attire as the rest of us," added Fluttershy, still smiling slyly. "And you'd be willing to do it again here, right, Sonata?"

Sonata nodded slightly as she had been subtly unbuttoning her shirt the whole time.

As she slid it off, Aria grew hysterical again. "Sonata, I do NOT need to see your naked body too!"

"Looks like we don't have a choice, Aria," said Adagio. "It's the rules here, apparently." She proceeded to slip off her jacket and get to work on her own buttons. Aria sighed as she began to undress herself.

"You'll also be helping take care of the animals here," Fluttershy added.

"Where's the budgie?" begged Sonata as she peeled off her socks. "I want to see my birdie friend again!"

Fluttershy giggled as she led Sonata into the other room.

"Are we really going to have to stay here, Adagio?" Aria rolled her eyes as her leader unclasped her bra.

"Stop complaining," Adagio replied. "What other options do we have?"

"Girls!" Sonata came running back into the room, a small bird resting on her finger being the only thing on her body. Aria quickly looked away in disgust.

"You look like some kind of hippie," she groaned.

"Apparently you're not familiar with my friend Tree Hugger," called Fluttershy. "That word is far more ideal for her."

Adagio was now down to her underwear. "Hurry up, Aria, unless you want to go back to the dumpster." Aria grumbled as she removed her pants and tossed them aside.

"We're giving up the only clothes we got..."

Adagio sighed. "Tell you what. If Fluttershy tries to steal them or something, I'll let you throttle her."

"Come on, girls, lighten up!" said Sonata, dancing around slightly on her bare feet. "This will help us open up to each other and become closer!"

"They tell you that when you were at the club?" Aria grumbled, now also fully nude and none too happy about it.

"It was good advice," Sonata giggled as she nuzzled the budgie. Adagio and Aria rolled their eyes as Fluttershy's phone rang. Picking it up, the animal caretaker had a short conversation before hanging up.

"Good news girls," she smiled. "We got you three a job."

"...so soon?" Aria deadpanned. Fluttershy nodded.

"It's helping to fix the mess you caused in the Student Center."

"Oh. Fantastic," sighed Adagio unhappily, seating her unclothed body onto a chair.

"Well... it seems only fair," Sonata shrugged.

"We'll be going there later tonight, so you can be sure the people there will be nude," she smirked slyly at the Dazzlings' blushing faces.

"What have I gotten us into?" groaned Adagio.

Sonata patted her shoulder. "Aww, don't worry. The people at the club are super welcoming and friendly. I got used to it!"

"Yeah, well, we're not you, Sonata," said Aria. Sonata shrugged as she went back to playing with the budgie.

Later

Fluttershy led the ex-Sirens through the halls of Canterlot High towards the Student Center.

"I'm glad it's a Friday night and nobody else is around," remarked Adagio, "or we'd be getting a lot of nasty looks."

Sonata nodded. Though she was often air-headed, she knew it would take a while to earn the trust of Canterlot High's students.

"Well, helping fix your mistake is a good start," Fluttershy explained as she opened the door to the Center. Sunset, Rainbow, Emerald, Flutter and Sandymane were already working on washing the walls free of the graffiti the Dazzlings sprayed on.

"So these are the infamous Dazzlings," remarked Sandymane. "I expected you to look scarier."

"Screw you, four-eyes," growled Aria.

"Now, now," Fluttershy stepped in between the two. "Name calling isn't going to solve anything. Aria here is just a little grumpy about cleaning up her handiwork."

"Well, it's the decent thing to do," said Sandymane. "I suppose I should be grateful that you three at least showed up."

"What can I do to help?" Sonata beamed, her clothes literally flying into Adagio and Aria's faces. The others chuckled at the almost unrealistic scene as Sonata dashed over to Sandymane.

Sandymane smiled, beginning to warm up to the most cheerful of the Dazzlings. "Well, I'm currently trying to untangle some streamers, and I'd appreciate an extra pair of hands."

"Sure thing!" Sonata giggled as she took the streamers from Sandymane and began the task of straightening them out. Adagio chuckled somewhat, prompting everyone to look at her in surprise.

"Did... you just laugh?" Aria asked in disbelief.

"Well... you have to admit, Sonata's upbeat attitude is quite adorable sometimes."

"Yeah, well, I think it's annoying most of the time," said Aria. "But then..." her face softened, "there are those moments where she does nice stuff for us, and I'm very glad we have her."

"Aww, you guys are sweet when you want to be," smiled Sonata. "Why don't you get out of those clothes and join us?"

"Not in front of everyone!" Aria screamed as Fluttershy led her and Adagio to the changing rooms.

"I don't really see how it makes a difference," said Emerald, "but you can use that room if it makes you more comfortable."

Aria was surprised at how courteous the only boy present was being. She had known many guys who would be total perverted jerks if surrounded by naked girls. She certainly knew several men she had seduced with her singing and looks. However, Emerald didn't even show any signs of arousal. But before she could think further, Sour Sweet and Sunny Flare entered the Student Center. Both Crystal Prep girls had already disrobed in the hallway.

"Ah, more help!" grinned Sunset. "Thanks for coming, girls."

Adagio looked closely at the newcomers. "Wait - you two are from the Shadowbolts, that sports team from Crystal Prep, right? I thought you were the Wondercolts' rivals or something."

"We may be from rival schools..." Sour began.

"...but we're friends in nakedness!" Sunny finished with a grin.

"Speaking of which, Adagio," smirked Sunset, "weren't you and Aria just about to go and get rid of those pesky clothes?"

"Or do we have to remove them for ya," Pinkie asked from behind, catching the two Sirens off guard.

"No thanks!" Aria blurted out immediately, hurrying after Fluttershy. Sunny chuckled at the girl's panicking, remembering she was exactly the same when she started out. Meanwhile, Adagio started undressing herself where she was, keen to avoid putting put with either Pinkie's assistance or more of Aria's panicking.

"See? Not so bad," Sonata giggled as Adagio placed her clothes on the closest table.

"Well, being the only one clothed in a bunch of naked people was a bit awkward," the Dazzling leader admitted.

"Kinda like the other way round, huh?" Rainbow grinned.

"You can help Flutter wash the graffiti off," Sunset handed Adagio a bucket and sponge.

"That part was Aria's idea," said Adagio. "I'll help for now, but when she returns, SHE does it."

"That's not how things work, Adagio," Sunset retorted, shoving the bucket into the Siren's hands. "You're not exactly in a position to give people orders."

For a moment, Adagio looked angry and ready to argue with the girl who had bravely encouraged the other Rainbooms to stand up to her. But then she remembered that she was now trying to get on good terms with Sunset and as many other students in the school as possible. So she sighed, swallowed her pride and accepted her appointed task without another word.

Soon, Aria came out of the locker room with Pinkie Pie, the Siren covering her chest and lower area while blushing brightly.

"No need to be embarrassed," Fluttershy assured her. "It's nothing I've seen before, or that the rest of us don't have."

"Except Emerald, of course," added Rainbow, somewhat unhelpfully.

"That doesn't make the situation better!" Aria retorted.

"How about you help me lift some tables?" Flutter asked. She figured that if Aria focused on doing that, it would help her adjust better.

"...fine."

Aria set to work, uncovering herself to do so, and Flutter kept a small conversation going with her.

Meanwhile, Sandymane spoke up about something she'd been wondering. "Have we made plans to reschedule the party, or is it a loss now?"

"Well, if we manage to get this finished in time," Sunset replied. "We can do it tomorrow."

"Yay!" squealed Pinkie. "I'll get some more balloons as soon as we're done!" Aria rolled her eyes at the statement, as she was the one who popped Pinkie's first batch when they sabotaged the room.

"You know what?" said Rainbow Dash with a crafty smirk. "Maybe you Dazzlings could help us run the party, to make up for wrecking it the first time?"

"Alright then..." Adagio sighed as they resumed cleaning up.

The next day

Aria yawned as she woke up in Fluttershy's guest room.

"Better get up early, girls," she heard Fluttershy calling from the kitchen. "We have a party to prepare for, remember?"

"I still can't believe we agreed to go," grumbled Aria to herself, rolling out of bed. She mentally noted that one benefit of nudism at home was not wasting time getting dressed before breakfast. She even let her hair hang loose for the moment, instead of tying it in the usual pigtails.

"...why is our hair even this big...?" she asked herself.

"Well, I'd say it looks good on me," smirked Adagio as she stepped into the room. "Come on, you slob. We need you to help with some cakes later."

"At least have some modesty, Dagi," Aria mumbled as her companion shamelessly showed off her nude body.

"Don't need to. We're safely in Fluttershy's place, remember? Besides, we might as well get used to being naked, since we'll be among LOADS of other nudists at the party."

"Thanks for reminding me," Aria muttered, sarcastic as ever.

"We're also going on a nature walk in a little bit," Fluttershy added.

Aria froze. "... Come again?"

"Yeah!" she heard Sonata call happily. "We'll be outside in the fresh air - it's gonna be great!"

"...naked outside?" Aria asked with fear rising in her voice.

"Yep!" Sonata giggled. "We'll have so much fun!"

"N-n-now wait just a freaking minute...!" Aria spluttered. But before she could protest, she already had found herself out in the woods next to Fluttershy's cottage. The feeling of the morning breeze on her skin and the grass under her bare feet served to strongly remind Aria how naked she and the others were. If anyone else were to pass by, they would be in full view.

"Now I wish we had our scales again..." she pouted as she covered her chest with her arms while the others took in the sights and sounds of nature.

"Lovely, isn't it?" smiled Fluttershy. "Listening to the animals and birds always makes me feel so peaceful."

"I feel so free!" sighed Sonata, dancing around a bit and looking rather like some nymph or forest spirit.

"I have to admit, it's not that bad," Adagio sniffed the air.

"And what if someone shows up and gets an eyeful?" asked Aria, still not convinced that this was a good idea.

"Nobody knows about this trail," Fluttershy replied. "I've done this a bunch of times."

"Oooh, how surprisingly bold you are," smiled Adagio, raising an eyebrow. "Shall we set off, then?"

"So I heard you and Dash are an item now," Sonata leaned in.

For a moment, Fluttershy looked like her more familiar nervous self again. But then she simply smiled and said, "Yes, it's true. We're together, and we're both very happy for it."

"You guys... do it?" Sonata asked.

"Oh, do tell," grinned Adagio.

"W-We haven't done anything serious yet..." Fluttershy moved her hair so it would cover one of her eyes.

"Come on, guys, lay off her," Aria found herself saying. "If she wants to keep the details private, let her."

"You really are no fun, Aria," huffed Adagio.

"Unlike you, I'd rather respect our host's privacy."

"Come on, girls, don't argue," pleaded Sonata. "We're out here to have fun, right?"

Things calmed a bit after that, and Fluttershy was able to lead the Dazzlings on her trail through the woods. Occasionally they could see amazing sights beyond the trees, from grassy fields to sloping hills. Eventually they came to a stream, where Fluttershy sat down and dipped her feet in the water.

"This is my favorite spot," she explained as she straightened her hair. "It's the most peaceful area in the woods."

The Dazzlings found they couldn't argue with that. The sound of the flowing water, along with the way the sun reflected onto it, gave them a desire to settle down and quietly enjoy themselves.

"...why did we cause people to fight anyway?" Sonata asked.

"We needed the negative energy of their emotions to fuel our amulets, remember?" said Aria. She didn't say it in a sarcastic way, however - her voice was full of regret.

"And it only got us banished from Equestria, trapped in these bodies and we lost them forever," Adagio added. Like Aria, her voice was full of guilt, rather than its usual haughtiness.

"And now we can't even sing anymore," sniffed Sonata, starting to tear up. "What are we going to do?"

"Well, why not make yourselves better people?" Fluttershy offered, scooting over to them. "You three have been a great help cleaning up your mess, and I'm sure the others would trust you a little more."

Adagio didn't look so sure. "Cleaning up a party we wrecked is one thing. Earning the forgiveness of the whole school after magically turning them against each other is another."

"Nobody said it would be easy," the animal lover shrugged. "But it's a good start."

Adagio decided that, as the Dazzlings' leader, she needed to reassure her friends at that moment. "Girls..." she said, "I know I haven't always been easy to put up with, and Faust knows I've led us into some bad choices. But whatever happens... I'll do my best to take care of you both, okay?"

Aria chuckled a little. "That sounds so unlike you, Adagio, maybe being human is affecting you more than you think."

Adagio shrugged. "Times have changed. I figured that we need to change with them."

"But we'll still stick together, right?" said Sonata. "That won't ever change, right?"

"Of course, Sonata," Adagio patted her head gently.

"I love you guys so much!" the bubbly girl cried, pulling Adagio and Aria into a hug with both arms. Aria slightly chuckled at Sonata's sudden change in personality.

That night

The party was on, and the naked Dazzlings found themselves standing among several more equally naked students.

"...I don't think I can handle this..." Aria covered her chest in embarrassment. When they had arrived, the NLAC's members had angrily demanded what they were doing there. Rainbow, Sunset, Flutter and Emerald had to stand protectively around them before Twilight and Sunset could explain everything. Even after that, nobody had spoken to them and most of the looks they received were nasty and distrustful. They tried to ease the mood by helping to serve out slices of cake, but it did little to distract from the fact that they were still less than welcome, in the club or in the whole school.

"Face it, Dagi," Aria said. "They're not gonna like us."

Sonata had been trying to strike up a friendly chat with some of the younger members, like the CMC. But they had generally kept their distance, and she now looked very sad and dejected. Flutter knew they just needed to find an activity that suited them.

"Hey, Sonata," she said. "Pinkie is making some balloon animals over there. Maybe if you ask, she'll show you how."

"Okay then!" Sonata saluted before running off to join Pinkie.

"And you, Aria," Flutter went on. "Do you like music?"

"Of course," the unhappy girl replied. "But I think karaoke is out of the question."

"What about actually playing the music? Vinyl might be willing to let you have a whirl at it."

The purple Siren shrugged before heading to the dance floor.

"And what about me?" Adagio asked, crossing her arms and tapping one foot.

"Oh, well..." Flutter thought for a moment. "You're a bit harder to read than your friends..."

"SCOOTALOO, NO!" a voice shrieked, followed by the sound of someone else crying out.

Adagio and Flutter immediately jerked their head in the direction the noise came from. Scootaloo had been up on a stepladder, trying to pin her friend Sweetie Belle's homemade streamer to the wall. It was Sweetie who had shouted as her friend leaned too far to one side, lost her balance and fell off towards the floor with a yell of alarm.

Reacting quickly, Adagio rushed in and caught the falling Scootaloo in her arms. She was knocked backwards onto her rump and skidded along the floor a bit - that would surely leave a mark or two - but she succeeded in making sure the younger girl was unharmed.

"You... saved me..." the CMC member said in awe.

"Err... yeah, I guess I did," Adagio replied, no less surprised at her own actions.

"Gotta admit, Adagio," Rainbow walked over to them. "That was pretty gutsy."

"Well, I couldn't just let her fall... right?" The rainbow haired girl patted her on the back before helping them both up.

Rainbow then turned to the other members, who had watched the whole thing in surprised silence. "You all saw that, right? Not as evil as you thought, right?" The others gave half-enthusiastic responses, clearly feeling guilty about their treatment of the ex-Sirens.

"Hey, thanks," Scootaloo smiled as she shook the surprised Adagio's hand. Her face was quivering a little as it moved slightly upward.

"You're... you're welcome," Adagio replied, with a shaky smile of her own.

"Did... Adagio just smile nicely?" Sonata asked, dumbfounded. "Is this, like, a dream?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if it was," Aria remarked. "We're all naked in public, after all." That earned a few chuckles from her fellow dancers. Vinyl gave Aria a thumbs-up and beckoned her back to her DJ booth, hoping to share some tunes with her.

"Look, Aria," Sonata squeaked happily, "you've made a new friend!" Her purple companion smirked a little as she joined the mute musician.

At the same time, the door to the changing room opened, revealing an embarrassed looking Rouge Candle trying to cover himself.

"What the--?! Rouge Candle?!" Emerald cried.

"Who the heck is this guy?" Adagio demanded.

"You could say he's our neighbor at the club," he replied.

Sandymane, meanwhile, stepped towards Rouge with a slight blush.

"I'm the one who invited him, Em," she spoke up.

"Say wha--?!" blurted out Rainbow.

"Miss Globe," frowned Cheerilee, "you do know we have to be careful about who we allow into our club? You should have informed me about this beforehand."

"I-I-I know, I'm sorry," Sandymane replied nervously. "It's just that--"

Fuchsia suddenly bounced in and interrupted. "She's got a crush on him!" Unable to restrain his girlfriend in time, Pimpernel gave his embarrassed sister an apologetic look.

"...and they stowed away with us," Sandymane added, hanging her head low.

Cheerilee turned her disapproving gaze onto the two youngsters.

"Err... hello, ma'am," said Pimpernel as politely as he could. "I'm Sandymane's brother, and this is Emerald's sister. We go to the Green Hill Club with them all the time, and we thought it would be okay to hang out here too... kinda?"

"Plus I don't wanna wait until I come here to party!" Fuchsia added.

"Hmm," the teacher replied. "Be that as it may, neither you nor this young man are recognized as members, and ought to have officially registered as such before coming here. Vice-Principal Luna and I will gladly welcome whoever wants to join, so long as we feel they can be trusted."

Fuchsia cheered before joining Pinkie and Sonata at the balloon table while Pimpernel observed his sister and Rouge head to a more empty part of the room.

"I wonder how she persuaded him to join us?" the boy muttered to himself.

"Come on, Rouge," Sandymane was saying. "None of us are any less exposed than you. You'll only draw attention by covering yourself like that."

"It's not zat..." he murmured under his breath.

"Then what is it?"

He blushed before slightly removing his hands. Sandymane gasped as Rouge quickly covered his groin again.

"So you managed to..." she started.

"Oui," Rouge replied unhappily. "I'm zorry, I cannot relax..." Sandymane stood up and went to fetch a towel for him.

"What's up, sis?" Pimpernel asked as she passed him.

"He... needs a towel."

"Wha--? Oh... right." He nodded as Fuchsia suddenly yanked him to the dance floor. Chuckling at the girl's hyper activeness, Sandymane yanked a towel from the changing room and brought it back to Rouge.

"Here," she said kindly. "Newcomers at the Green Hill Club are allowed to have one of these around their waist until they feel comfortable, and the same rules apply here at the NLAC as well."

Rouge gratefully wrapped it around his waist. "Merci, mon ami," he smiled. "I'll remove it when I feel ready."

"Yeah, do your mother proud," Sandymane chuckled. It was in fact Rouge's mother who had encouraged him to get involved in local people's interests, and she didn't seem to mind that some of her son's first new acquaintances were nudists. She just told him to be adventurous, have crazy experiences and meet some new friends.

"Saw you save Scootaloo, Adagio," Emerald said to the fluffy-haired girl.

"You DEFINITELY did the right thing there," added Flutter with a wink.

"Um, thanks?" Adagio said, still not used to this feeling.

She noticed the girl in question talking with her fellow CMC members, and they occasionally gave friendly smiles and waves towards her.

"Hey, if you're looking for work, I'm sure I could ask my mom about getting you jobs at our club," Emerald continued.

A chance for employment! Adagio almost agreed on the spot, but then she considered something. "That means REALLY committing ourselves to this nudist thing, right?"

"You're smarter than you look," Emerald smirked.

"I'll have to run it by the others... Sonata will be fine with it, of course, but Aria might be another story."

"I'm all in," the purple girl interrupted, having overheard the whole conversation.

Adagio found herself astonished once again. "Really?"

Aria smiled and shrugged. "Hey, these are actually really nice people. Starting a new life with them sounds like a great idea. And I think we've all got the hang of the 'not wearing clothes' part," she added with a smirk and a small pose.

"Yay, we're officially nudists!" Sonata surprise hugged Aria from behind.

Adagio chuckled. "Heh... I guess we are."

"Welcome to the club," said Sunset. "Or rather, this club AND Green Hill."

Green Hill Club

"Well, of course you three can work here!" Rosie Peace beamed after Emerald explained the situation to her.

"For realsies?" Sonata squealed.

"Even after the... mistakes we've made?" Adagio asked.

"I wouldn't be setting an example if I rejected you."

"Thank you so much," said Aria with a genuine smile.

"We'll help out any way we can," Adagio added.

"But for starters," cut in Sonata, "is there somewhere we can go for a swim? I so love it when we get a chance to do that!"

Rosie could understand that, given that these girls had once been marine creatures.

"The pool is that way," she pointed towards the swimming area.

"Thank you!" beamed Sonata. She grabbed her friends by the arms. "Come on, girls!"

"Ow! Hey, ease off a little, Sonata!" Aria yelled. Sonata giggled as she ran past Sandymane and Rouge entering the building.

The couple stepped in front of Rosie's desk, and Rouge gave a nervous but polite smile. Sandymane decided to explain for him. "Rouge here would like to sign in as a member."

"Is that so?" Rosie smirked.

"Oui, s'il vous plait," said Rouge. Obviously still not fully used to this new lifestyle, he did his best to not let his eyes wander from Rosie's face. "So I have to fill in something, vrai?"

"Of course," Rosie smiled as she placed the members book on the desk, and opened it to its latest page. She then lent a pen to Rouge, and he wrote his name and a few other details in the spaces indicated.

"Congratulations," said Rosie. "You're a member."

"Great!" Sandymane beamed as the club owner placed the book back on its shelf.

"Welcome to the club, Rouge Candle," said Rosie with another smile. "We hope you enjoy being here."

Before she knew what she was doing, Sandymane placed a small kiss on Rouge's cheek. Both teens went bright red at the feeling.

Rosie could not help but smirk and raising an eyebrow. Noticing this, Sandymane sighed and decided to come clean.

"All right, I admit it. I've been fancying him for a while."

"R-Really?" The beleaguered boy asked. "Well, so have I..."

Obviously flattered, Sandymane smiled and ran a few fingers through her hair. "Well, besides being good-looking," she took a moment to cheekily run her eyes up and down his body, "you're also polite and sweet and... well, I'd be happy to be your girlfriend."

Rouge responded by planting a large kiss on her lips.

"Why don't you lovebirds find another spot to do that, while I get on with my work?" chuckled Rosie.

"O-Okay..." Sandymane said absentmindedly as Rouge led her out of the office. Rosie took a moment to muse on the romances she had seen blossom in recent days - first her son Emerald and Flutter, then her daughter Fuchsia and Pimpernel, then Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, and now these two.

"We made it!" Indigo Zap shouted as she and Sour entered the office.

A startled Rosie almost fell out of her chair. "Girls, please don't burst in like that!"

"Sorry," said Indigo. "I'm just so happy we made it."

"What do you mean, 'made it'?"

"I mean before Rainbow," the girl replied with a triumphant grin.

"If you girls enjoy racing so much," sighed Rosie, "perhaps I should think about getting a proper running track set up in this place."

"And an indoor pool!" The Crystal Prep athlete added. "Perfect for pool volleyball!"

"We do actually have an outdoor pool and volleyball court," said Rosie. "But since rain could be a problem, I'll make a note of your idea."

"Sunny and Fleck are getting our stuff," Sour said as she picked up her discarded clothes. "We'd like two separate cabins for the weekend, please."

"Well, we're already very full, but we do still have two or three cabins left, so all right."

"You could always bunk with us, Sour," Flutter said, having overheard them. The Shadowbolt blushed at the offer, though she did not know why.

"Don't forget about us!" said Rainbow as she arrived with Fluttershy by her side. Sunset and Twilight followed closely behind, having ridden with them.

Rosie's eyes widened. "This... could take a bit of planning."

Mending Fences

Green Hill Club

Sour Sweet yawned as she woke up in the secondary bedroom of Flutter and Emerald's cabin. She could hear the noise of a bed squeaking slightly in the first bedroom, and a blush spread on her face as her imagination was being triggered. But as it turned out, Emerald and Flutter were doing nothing more than getting up themselves.

"Morning, love," she heard the blue girl say as she stretched her arms before she headed to the door and knocked. "Sour, you up?"

"Y-yeah..." the Shadowbolt replied, trying to hide the slight quiver in her voice. She couldn't clear her head of thoughts about what Emerald and Flutter might have been up to in the room they were sharing.

"Well, breakfast isn't going to last all day," Flutter replied as Sour got out of bed and headed into the main room. She found her cabin mates already preparing the table, and decided to help by getting out cereal and milk. At one point she accidentally brushed against Flutter's hip.

"Oh, sorry," Sour told her as she set the cereal and milk down on the table. "So, we're eating here?"

"The dining area is only open for lunch and dinner," Emerald explained.

"I guess that's okay..." Sour began to wonder just how she would avoid spilling food all over herself in front of the other club members. Dining nude in public would be a new experience, after all. "So what's the plan for today?"

"Well, Rainbow had to be called back to Canterlot, something about an 'important package'," Flutter explained. "So Fluttershy's gonna be here by herself, maybe we could provide her some company?"

"All right..." The brief feeling of Flutter's soft skin had set off something in Sour. She could barely look at the girl without a strange feeling bubbling through her body.

"You okay, Sour?" Emerald asked after pouring himself a bowl. "You look like Pinkie when she's thinking."

"Err... yeah, I'm fine. Just might not have gotten... as much sleep as I hoped, that's all..."

"We did our best not to disturb you," Emerald assured her.

"What do you mean?"

Flutter went bright red at the question. "Um, we..."

Sour appeared to catch on what she meant.

"Well... we are a couple, after all," said Emerald, trying to word it as discreetly as he could. Sour felt happy for them - yet at the same time, disappointed for herself. Like some opportunity was lost.

"Is there anything else you wanna do, Sour?" Flutter asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Well, I am up for a little volleyball..." she started. "That is, if you're okay with it."

"Sounds good," smiled Emerald. "Even if Rainbow can't be with us for that, I bet we can count on Indigo to join in."

"Makes me wonder what was so important about her package..." Flutter pondered.

Canterlot City, Rainbow Dash's house

"It's finally here!" The rainbow-haired athlete evilly chuckled. Grabbing some scissors, she snipped through the tape holding the box's lid shut and opened it to reveal an elegant looking deep blue swimsuit.

"Wait, wasn't it supposed to be a two-piece?" She asked herself.

Meanwhile

A bespectacled girl looked in confusion at the two-piece black bikini that arrived at her doorstep.

"This... isn't the one I ordered," she muttered, feeling rather uneasy. She would much rather go swimming in something that showed less off her skin. But Lemon Hearts, Minuette and Twinkleshine were looking forward to her showing up for the apartments' pool party.

"Well, I guess it couldn't hurt for just one day..." She reasoned that she could just order another one afterwards. She headed upstairs to the bathroom. She had just finished slipping on the revealing swimwear when her doorbell rang.

"Moondancer!" She heard Minuette's voice call from outside. "You ready?"

"Yes, I'll be right there," she called, slipping on some sandals and putting on a jacket and hat for the party before greeting Minuette at the door.

"Nice suit!" She flashed her trademark grin as the genius girl blushed. "Pretty bold of you to wear a two-piece!"

"Well... first time for everything, right?" Moondancer replied, hoping that she wouldn't get too much attention of this sort.

"Definitely! In fact, Twinkleshine has also tried something new recently."

"Oh?" Moondancer's curiosity was piqued.

"Tell ya later. For now, the pool party awaits!"

Soon

Moondancer and her three companions stepped out towards the outdoor pool that lay in the middle of their apartment complex. Many other Crystal Prep students were already swimming or relaxing on pool chairs, and a few of them waved to the newcomers.

"There's... a lot more than I thought..." Moondancer said after a few minutes of taking it in.

"Well, it is a pool party after all!" Minuette giggled before diving into the water. Twinkleshine and Lemon Hearts followed suit while Moondancer pulled out a book from her bag and began to find a place to sit down and read.

"Come on, girl!" Lemon Hearts called. "Get your nose out of those books and join us!"

"Err... in a moment," the introverted girl replied, still hiding under her jacket and hat as much as she could. She wasn't ready to interact with such a large group of people just yet. In fact, she hadn't even been the same ever since the Friendship Games. Her fellow bookworm Twilight Sparkle had been the one classmate she felt she could relate to. So, of course, she was disheartened when Twilight ended up going to compete alongside the Shadowbolts, that oh-so-popular bunch that hardly even acknowledged underdogs like Moondancer. The final blow came when she learned of her potential new friend choosing to transfer to Canterlot High. Moondancer had at least managed to get on good terms with these three other girls, but the hole left by Twilight's "abandonment" had not quite been filled. And now, it seemed Twilight had vanished from the face of the planet, as she was rarely seen at their usual hangout, the city's library.

"You sure you don't wanna swim?" Minuette asked, bringing Moondancer's train of thought to a sudden crash.

"Um, maybe when there's less people?" Moondancer replied nervously.

"Suit yourself," the blue girl giggled before going back to playing with the others.

Back at the Green Hill Club

Indigo Zap was annoyed. She and Sour Sweet were teamed together in a volleyball game, playing against Emerald and Flutter. Obviously, this meant that the latter was constantly in Sour's line of sight, and with her obvious distraction, their opponents were gaining the upper hand.

"Come on, Sour, focus!" cried Indigo.

"Don't pressure me!" Sour snapped, briefly showing her rude, angry side again.

"You feeling okay, Sour?" Flutter asked in concern. "You seem a little out of it today."

Being directly addressed by Flutter made Sour more nervous than ever. What is wrong with me today?!

"I... I just..."

She was interrupted by a sudden shriek from nearby.

"EEEEEEEW!! GET IT AWAY!!"

The four volleyball players turned their heads to see Sunny Flare cowering from a jar held by Sandymane.

"What's going on?" Emerald asked.

Sandymane sighed and showed them the jar's contents up close. Inside, amongst some soil and a few dead leaves, was a huge black millipede about 14 inches long, rearing up towards the lid and twitching its antennae.

"This is Mulch," the bug-loving girl said. "He's an African giant millipede, and my new pet. I thought you people might like to see him."

"That thing is a creepy, filthy MONSTER from the bowels of Tartarus!!" snarled Sunny. "How dare you bring it here! Don't those things have deadly bites?!"

"Those are centipedes, not millipedes," replied Sandymane, starting to lose her patience. "Mulch isn't venomous, and he wouldn't bite anyone. He's an herbivore - or more accurately, a detritivore. He eats decaying plants. Even Mom said he'd make a practical pet, because we can feed him with the weeds she clears from our garden."

"So he's harmless?" Flutter asked.

"Perfectly. You just have to be gentle with him."

"It's still slimy and gross!" Sunny shielded her eyes in a very Rarity-like fashion. "Get it away from me!"

Sandymane frowned at her, then carried her pet back to her cabin, her spirits obviously dampened.

"Don't you think you overreacted a bit, Sunny?" Flutter asked.

"Overreacted?! Did you see the SIZE of that thing?!"

"It's just a bug, Sunny," Sour deadpanned.

"'Just a bug?'" Sunny asked rhetorically. "No bug is that freakishly big!"

"I saw giant spider crabs in an aquarium once," said Emerald. "Believe me, Mulch is nothing compared to them."

Sunny was on the verge of fainting before Aria Blaze managed to catch her.

"Whoa there," the purple girl helped Sunny stand upright. "You okay?"

"I think so..." said Sunny in a faint voice. "Just... take me somewhere where there's no bugs."

Aria gently took her arm and led her towards the pool area. Sour blushed again as Flutter bent down to pick up the volleyball.

"You sure you're okay, Sour?" Indigo asked her classmate.

"Y-y-yeah... I think... I just want some peace and quiet for a moment, okay?"

Flutter frowned slightly, but decided not to nose into Sour's thoughts any further. She then noticed Fluttershy stepping down a trail into the woods. "Why don't you go with Fluttershy? She'll definitely have something quiet and relaxed for you to do." Sour nodded before following Fluttershy on the trail.

Later, back at Moondancer's apartment

The energy of the pool party had died down by now, and most of the participants had returned to their own quarters. Only Moondancer, her trio of friends and one or two others remained.

"Crowd's died down now," Minuette told her friend. "So if you're still up for swimming..."

Moondancer shut her fifth book and stood up.

At that very moment, Rainbow Dash was bursting her way into the building's main entrance.

"Does this place have the address 11568?" She asked the doorman. She looked exhausted from having to search all over Canterlot City for the place her package was sent to by mistake.

"Yes, miss," the doorman replied. "Is the resident expecting your arrival?"

"There's been a mix-up in the mail," panted Rainbow, holding up the package she'd received. "This should have been sent to her, and I, err, REALLY need to get what she's got instead..."

The doorman frowned. "Perhaps it would have been more prudent to contact her first and ask for an invitation?"

"Oh, for Faust's sake!" Rainbow cried. "This is an emergency, pal!" Before he could reply, a scream from the pool area caught her attention. "Um, never mind, I found her." She quickly zoomed off towards the source of the scream.

When Moondancer had entered the water, the soluble fabric from which her swimwear was made had dissolved in barely ten seconds, leaving her stark naked. Upon reaching the pool, Rainbow beheld the hapless girl blushing, sobbing and trying to hide herself, surrounded by her astonished friends.

"Um, I think this is yours," Rainbow nervously chuckled as she held out the package.

Moondancer noticed her, but was too mortified by her situation to answer.

"What do you mean?" Minuette demanded. "And who the heck are you?"

"Name's Rainbow Dash, I'm the one who ordered that prank swimsuit..." she sighed as she held out her hand to help Moondancer out of the pool.

"So... m-m-my real suit is in that package?" Moondancer brought herself to ask.

"Yeah. If you come out of the water, I can give it to you."

"I can't come out! Not like this!"

Twinkleshine thought for a moment before unhooking her own swimsuit top. Moondancer went even more red as her friend removed her bottoms and dove into the water.

Minuette chuckled nervously. "Heheh... remember how I mentioned that she'd tried something new?"

"Oh, you're a nudist too?" Rainbow asked, now feeling a little more eager to undress herself.

"Yeah, ever since that day when Sour and the others took their clothes off in school."

Minuette chuckled again. "Crazy world, huh, Moony?"

Moondancer sputtered a little as Rainbow Dash had set her underwear on one of the chairs and jumped into the pool as well. Minuette and Lemon Hearts were now the only ones of the group wearing anything. They watched Rainbow and Twinkleshine happily swim around with incredulous expressions.

A cheeky smile then crept over Minuette's face. "Well, when in Rockville..." She unhooked her own bikini top and wriggled out of her bottoms. Lemon Hearts shrugged before slipping out of her own swimsuit.

"What are you doing?!" Moondancer hissed, not wanting to draw attention.

"We're trying to make you a little more comfortable," Twinkleshine explained.

"But... I don't want you to be humiliated too..."

Rainbow Dash grinned. "Who's humiliated? Not me! Me and my girlfriend hang out nude at the Green Hill Club, after all."

"Plus, if I had my way," Twinkleshine added. "I'd be naked all the time!"

Moondancer sighed as her friends continued their skinny dip. Minuette took note of this and lightly tossed one of the beach balls towards her.

"Come on, Moony! Toss it back to me."

Moondancer refused at first, not wanting to draw her arms away from her body.

"We all have the same equipment," Twinkleshine joked. "And trust me, skinny dipping is really liberating!"

Moondancer closed her eyes as she lowered her arms to grab the ball and toss it back. A few seconds passed and she felt no different from before. Her embarrassment fading somewhat, she began to play catch with Minuette.

"See?" Twinkleshine smiled. "Nothing to be ashamed of. You have a nice body, Moondancer - be proud of it."

"Heh, I guess you're right," she smiled softly as Rainbow Dash climbed out of the pool.

"Hey, if you girls aren't busy tomorrow, I could give you a lift to the Green Hill Club tonight."

"What do you say, girls?" Twinkleshine grinned, eager to share her new interest with her friends even further.

"I'm in," Minuette jumped out of the water to dry off.

"Twilight's going to be there as well," Rainbow winked at Moondancer.

"W-w-what?!?" Moondancer could not help but respond in alarm, both at the idea of meeting Twilight again and at the fact that she too was involved in nudism.

"Well, that solves the mystery of where she's gone," Lemon Hearts quipped as they headed to Rainbow's car.

"B-B-But what about our clothes?" Moondancer asked, desperately trying to cover herself even more now.

"You can stuff 'em in the trunk of my car, if you like," Rainbow smiled.

"Do you think we ought to wear them for the journey, at least?" Lemon Hearts asked, a bit of reluctance still remaining in her.

"Come on, Lemon, where's your sense of adventure?" grinned Minuette.

Twinkleshine sided with her. "We'd only be taking them off again when we arrived anyway, so why bother?"

Moondancer had managed to snag her jacket from the pool and was using it to cover her chest as she watched the others get into the backseat of Rainbow's car.

Minuette noticed and shook her head. "Nuh-uh, Moony. You'll never come out of your shell if you hold that in front of you all the way. Put it in the boot with our stuff.

"B-But I don't want people to see me naked!"

"They already have, Moony," Lemon Hearts replied. "Plus, Twilight will be naked too."

"Not helping!" The genius girl snarled.

"You'll be fine," Twinkleshine assured her. "And we'll be right there with you."

Soon

"We're here!" Rainbow said to the napping trio in the backseat. Twinkleshine snapped awake in surprise as the car passed through the gates.

"Girls, wake up," she hissed. "We're there!"

Lemon Hearts rubbed her eyes and looked around at the grassy green hills, trees and flowers surrounding them. "This place is beautiful," she said. "You're so lucky to have the club here."

"Well, we've got a cabin still open for you guys," Rainbow said as she led them towards the office. On the way, they passed by the dining area where her friends were having dinner.

"Hey, Twilight," she called. "Isn't this an old friend of yours?"

"Um, Moondancer, right?" Twilight asked after looking at her for a few minutes.

"Hello, Twilight," Moondancer replied. It was not in a pleasant tone, and her eyes were narrowed. Twilight nervously munched on some fries as Rainbow gently directed Moondancer and the others to Rosie's office.

"What was that about?" Flutter asked Twilight.

"She's someone I once knew at Crystal Prep," Twilight explained with an unhappy sigh. "I don't understand why she's so angry at me, though."

"Maybe she's just moody about being brought here by her friends?" Sandymane suggested. "She does generally look less enthusiastic than them."

"Maybe she feels hurt that you left Crystal Prep without saying good-bye," Sunset added. "I mean she sounded like the two of you were close before."

"Well, she certainly tried to get my attention a few times," Twilight admitted. "But I generally spent more time alone, except for Spike."

"Maybe you should try spending more time with her," Sunset rubbed her girlfriend's shoulders in a comforting way. "Try to make amends."

Twilight was a kind, sensible girl. She quickly worked out that Moondancer must have seen her as a kindred spirit, and therefore would have been disappointed and hurt when she transferred to Canterlot High without so much as a goodbye. Guilt immediately set in over this, and she knew this would dampen both her and Moondancer's day until she did as Sunset said and reconciled with the girl.

"All right," she said. "As soon as I get the chance to approach her, I'll do it."

"That's the spirit, Twilight," Fluttershy smiled while Sour tried to discreetly follow Flutter outside.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sugarcoat asked, causing her fellow Shadowbolt to freeze in place.

"There's... something I was planning to do, that's all," Sour replied. She avoided mentioning Flutter, in the hopes of not arousing anyone's suspicion.

"You like Flutter, don't you?" Emerald asked, causing Sour's face to become extremely red in embarrassment. "If you like her, I'm okay with it," he continued, easing her somewhat.

The others were totally surprised.

"Okay," said Sugarcoat. "One: that's a bold assumption to make. And two: isn't Flutter already with you?"

"I know, but Sour shouldn't keep her emotions bottled up, it's kind of unhealthy." Sour nodded slightly as Flutter came back inside.

"What's up?" The blue girl asked. "You guys look like someone just gave away a massive spoiler to something."

"Sour," said Emerald, "tell her."

Sweat began to bead on Sour's forehead. "I... I... Ireallylikeyouokay?!" She blurted it out like it was one word.

"Oh..." said Fluttr after an awkward silence. "Well, I like you too. You're a good friend--"

"No, no! I mean, I have... feelings for you!"

Flutter blushed as she realized the Crystal Prep student had a romantic interest in her.

"F-For how long?"

"I... I always thought you were pretty. But seeing how friendly and clever and nice you are... it's made me like you more and more..." Flutter placed a finger on her lips, halting her stammering.

"...you know, I've never kissed a girl before," Flutter was now blushing.

"A-A-Are you saying... you want to?"

Everyone present was silent, unable to believe what they were seeing. They had always assumed Flutter to be conventional in her approach to romance.

"Well, I learned to enjoy being naked, didn't I?" Flutter chuckled as she leaned in closer.

Sour's heartbeat had at least doubled by now from anticipation. "If this is a dream," she said, "I don't wanna wake u--"

She was interrupted as Flutter's lips connected with hers.

"MMPH?!" Sour's eyes widened for a moment before she gently returned the kiss.

At that moment Sonata Dusk entered, doing waitress duties for Rosie Peace.

"Hey, everybody, can I get you any--?" She noticed the kissing girls and squealed with delight. "You two look so adorbs!"

Flutter and Sour separated, blushes on both their faces.

"I hope this means you're willing to share, Sour," Emerald half-joked.

Flutter giggled. "Get over here and join us, big boy." Emerald smiled before hugging both girls. Sour smiled before giving him a kiss on the cheek.

At the same time, Rainbow Dash had finished helping Moondancer and her friends sign in, and were on their way to the dining area for some dinner.

"Sooo," the sport-loving girl said to Moondancer, "I take it you and Twilight know each other?" She tried not to find out too quickly, seeing how unhappy their new guest was.

"Yes, we do," Moondancer muttered, starting to form a scowl.

"Old friends or something?"

"I thought we could have been."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, let's just say she didn't have time for friends," Moondancer's scowl was much more obvious now.

Rainbow raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Err... you're kidding right? I'm her friend, pretty much all my friends are hers too - heck, you could call her the Princess of Friendship." She chuckled a bit at her own joke, considering how before this world's Twilight Sparkle, she and her friends became friends with another who had that very position.

But her mirth was interrupted by Moondancer's angrily sarcastic reaction. "Oh, sure, it's not hard to be Twilight Sparkle's friend! I guess you just have to be a student of the oh-so-wonderful Canterlot High! Oh, and a nudist too, it seems!"

"It wasn't always like that," Rainbow sighed.

"Well, I don't know how you became friends with her," growled Moondancer, "and part of me doesn't care, considering how all my efforts to get to know her were ignored, and then she just swanned off to some other school and left me all alone! She was the only girl I might have been able to relate to at Crystal Prep - how do you think I felt when she did that?!"

"But you've got these three new friends now, haven't you?"

"That doesn't change how hurt I was by Twilight!"

"Will saying sorry be a good start?" Twilight asked.

Moondancer was speechless as the very object of her enmity joined in the conversation.

"Look, I'm sorry for how I treated you in the past," Twilight said, guilt in her voice. "But I've changed since then."

"It's funny," remarked Moondancer. "I'm starting to get my head around being stark naked amongst a bunch of equally naked people, yet I find it hard to believe that you're sorry."

Without another word, she stomped away. Twilight sighed and put a hand to her forehead.

"Well, there's a stubborn stick-in-the-mud," Rainbow commented.

"I usually frown on making blunt remarks about others," said Twilight, "but I have to agree with you on that."

"It'll take time, Twilight," Sunset said reassuringly. "It took time for everyone to forgive me for what I did in the past."

"What did she mean by you being 'the only girl she might have been able to relate to', Twilight?" Sandymane asked, becoming curious.

"Well, we both struggled to fit in at Crystal Prep. We were introverts, bookworms - 'nerds', you could say," Twilight explained with a slight dry smile.

Sandymane smiled too. "You know, I think I could relate to that in some way. I mean, I also love books and science stuff - heck, I even have glasses like you guys! Maybe I could try talking to her?"

"It's worth a try," Sunset smiled.

"All right," Sandymane declared, "I'll be back in a moment." She made her way outside, retracing Moondancer's path, still carrying Mulch's jar with her. She eventually found Moondancer staring at the main gate, possibly wishing to leave.

"I wouldn't recommend going anywhere without your clothes," Sandymane joked, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

"What do you want?" Moondancer grumbled, not finding the joke funny.

"Well, I heard you're not feeling very happy," Sandymane replied. "You have trouble fitting in with people, right?"

"Don't need to," Moondancer replied, not wanting to have a conversation.

"Is it because you like books?" Sandymane asked. "Because I do too. And science, especially biology."

Moondancer was about to respond when she noticed the jar Sandymane was carrying.

"...is that an African giant millipede?"

Sandymane inwardly cheered at seeing her become interested. "Yes, he is. His name's Mulch, and he's my brand new pet. I know it sounds weird, but I've always been fascinated by bugs."

"I've never seen one up close," Moondancer stepped forward to get a closer look at the jar.

Mulch reared up towards her, his antennae wriggling against the glass.

"He's curious about you," Sandymane giggled. "I can take him out of the jar, if you like."

"Sure," Moondancer smiled somewhat as Sandymane opened the jar and the large bug started to crawl onto her hand.

She did her best to keep still, but couldn't help but giggle as Mulch slowly made his way up her arm.

"He's like a little train. And his legs tickle!"

"Yeah, he likes exploring people," Sandymane smiled. She then leaned in closer and whispered, "I played a joke on my brother Pimpernel yesterday. Put Mulch on his body while he was napping. Gave him a bit of a shock when he woke up."

"Well, I hope he doesn't explore anywhere naughty," Moondancer laughed, her mood lightening a little.

Sandymane laughed out loud. "Well, I've never seen him do that, but you never know!"

By now Mulch had reached Moondancer's neck, and he reared up and felt at her ear with his antennae.

"He's pretty cute," Moondancer grinned.

"Sunny Flare didn't think so earlier. She thinks no bug should be as big as him. I guess she's never heard of Mulch's prehistoric ancestor, Arthropleura. That thing grew as long as a car."

"I remember,"Moondancer chuckled.

"So you feel like coming back for some dinner?"

"Yeah, I guess so. I mean, my friends drove me here, and they obviously want to stay for a while. I might as well enjoy myself."

"That's the spirit." Sandymane winked and patted her new friend on the back, before scooping up Mulch and placing him safely back in his jar. "We're also having a body painting session after dinner, if you were interested."

"Oooh... You know, sometimes I have secretly wondered if I might get to do that one day." Moondancer returned to the others a happier and more eager girl than before.

Twilight nervously waved at Moondancer, still hoping to talk with her.

"She really is sorry about what happened, you know," Sandymane whispered. "Maybe you could at least hear her out?"

"I wanted to tell you about my new project, Moondancer," Twilight said. "And I was wondering if you wanted to help."

Moondancer thought she'd never hear those words from Twilight. The girl was actually inviting her to work on something together! "Really? You'd let me help you?"

"Yeah, you were the best in engineering class, right?"

"Yeeees..." Moondancer was getting more intrigued by the second.

"Well..." she leaned in closer to whisper in her ear. "I'm working on an invisibility ray."

Moondancer's eyes widened so much they looked like her glasses' lenses might pop out. "You really think such a thing is possible?"

"I believe so, I just need help to stabilize it so it won't explode like last time..."

"Has a lot of stuff like that happened with your projects?"

"You have no idea," Spike said, leaping onto the table. Moondancer's jaw dropped as he sat between them.

"...okay, now I know I'm dreaming."

Twilight chuckled. "Oh, I have some VERY interesting stories to tell you..."

Soon

"Wow, now I really wish I went to the Friendship Games," Moondancer laughed as she swallowed another handful of fries.

"It was pretty unforgettable for all of us," Sunset agreed, and the other Wondercolts and Shadowbolts nodded as they listened in.

"And you two hit it off shortly after?" Sunset blushed at the question.

"Yeah, it kinda started at Camp Everfree actually," she chuckled.

"Me and Fluttershy got together recently too," Rainbow added, giving her blushing girlfriend a peck on the cheek.

"That's sweet," Moondancer smiled. "I guess I could hang around you guys more often."

"How did you do it, Sandy?" Flutter whispered to her when no one was looking. "A couple of minutes with you, and Moondancer's chatting away with us like there's no tomorrow."

"Well, like I said, we bonded over a bit of common ground," Sandymane replied. "No one likes to feel alone, after all."

"How does tomorrow sound?" Twilight asked.

"Tomorrow sounds great," Moondancer smiled.

The other girls watched happily as the two science-lovers made plans towards building their future machine - and at the same time, built a friendship that had supposedly been fated never to happen.

The Terror of Invisible Trixie!

It was recess at Canterlot High, and Sunset Shimmer was spending it leaning against the pedestal of the Wondercolt horse statue in the courtyard - the very statue that served as the portal to and from the world of ponies. Unfortunately, the statue itself was still destroyed ever since the Friendship Games, and both principals didn't seem to have the time to have it repaired. However, the portal was still very much active and in fact, was pulsing at this very moment. Sunset stepped back a little to give the visiting pony some leg room.

Could it be the pony version of Twilight again? She asked herself as a shape stepped through the mirror. To her surprise, it was not Twilight, but rather Starlight Glimmer.

"Oh!" Sunset grinned upon recognizing her. "Decided to visit again, huh, Starlight? Want to see more of the mall or something?"

"Um, Princess Twilight sent me here for..." she nervously played with her fingers. "...additional friendship lessons."

"...what did you do?" Sunset deadpanned.

"Oh, just... blewupherlibrary," she spoke quickly and winced for the inevitable lecture.

But instead, Sunset unsuccessfully tried to stifle a hysterical giggle. "Man, sounds like a crazy day!"

Starlight wiped some sweat off her brow in relief. "Why does it feel so hot here?" She loosened her jacket and slipped it off. She then grasped the bottom of her shirt and began to pull it over her head.

"Whoa, hold on there," said Sunset, quickly stopping her from going further. "What are you doing?"

"Taking these things off, I'm hot in them."

"Err, first of all, it's probably NOT a good idea to do that here. Believe me, I know..."

"What do you mean?"

"Long story. But anyway, last time you were here, you seemed to adjust to wearing clothes quite well."

"Didn't say I felt fine wearing them," Starlight grumbled as she was handed her jacket.

"Well, unfortunately, in public places like school, we kinda have to."

"Well, if we don't get somewhere cool, I am gonna faint," Starlight began to use her hand like a fan.

"Yeah, it's a bit of scorcher today." Sunset grabbed Starlight by the arm and pulled her towards the school. "Come on, there's air conditioning inside."

"So where's that other Twilight? You two seemed really close last time I was here."

"She's working on a project with an old friend."

Twilight's house

"And you're sure we've got the combination right?" Moondancer asked, making some adjustments to a somewhat lamp-like device she and Twilight had put together.

"Of course we have!" Twilight replied. "Trust me, at this setting, the ray will effortlessly reduce the refractive index of a target's organic matter to that of air." Noting her friend's stumped expression, she clarified her statement. "I mean, it will make a person's entire body - skin, hair, flesh, bone, everything - as transparent as air, i.e. invisible."

"What about other things? Clothes, for instance?"

Twilight scratched her head evasively. "Ah, yes, I... haven't really managed to tackle that bit. But trust me, it's still a huge achievement that we've made it this far!"

"And how long will the effects last? I doubt anyone would want to be invisible permanently."

"Oh, don't worry, the effect should wear off after about two hours."

"Well, what shall we test it on?"

Twilight paused in thought, then said, "Bring me a vegetable or fruit. I'd like to test it on something like that first, just to make sure it's safe."

Moondancer hurried to the kitchen and opened the fridge. Grabbing the closest apple, she dashed back up to Twilight's room and placed it on the desk. Twilight arranged the ray so that it stood directly over the apple.

"All right, here we go..."

She flicked a switch, and the device whirred into life. The lens from which the ray would be emitted began to glow. Then it released a beam of light onto the apple. First the stem and skin faded away, then the flesh and core, and finally the pips in the middle. Twilight cautiously reached out with a gloved hand. Sure enough, she could still feel the apple, even if it looked like touching thin air.

"It works... Moondancer, it actually works! We did it!"

Moondancer eagerly walked over to hug her friend, unaware the ray was still switched on. As she passed the device, she accidentally knocked the dish's trajectory towards the open window.

Elsewhere across town

"Witness, feeble mortals, at the Great and Powerful Trrrrixie's next act!" Trixie Lulamoon proclaimed to her audience of stuffed animals in her room.

My most attentive audience, she thought unhappily. If only I could come up with some captivating new material, like a really well-devised disappearing act or something...

As if on cue, the beam from the invisibility ray came in through the open window, and Trixie was caught square in its path. She began to scream in terror as she saw her skin start to fade away right before her eyes.

"What's happening to me?!"

Clutching strands of her hair in panic, she saw that they too were disappearing. By the time she managed to reach a full length mirror to see how far the process would go, just about all of her body was gone. For a moment her purple eyes were still visible, staring helplessly back at her in the reflection, but then they too vanished. All that remained were her clothes, which looked like they were moving by themselves.

"Wait..." She looked at her reflection, raising her right arm. Her right sleeve mimicked her action. She began to form a devilish grin, though it wasn't obvious due to her invisibility. "I think I've found my next act."

It wasn't easy to use her hands when she couldn't see them, but she managed to unzip her jacket and slip it off, followed by her shirt and skirt. She then peeled off her socks, pulled down her panties and finally, with some trial and error, managed to remove her bra. Now wearing just her birthday suit and totally invisible, Trixie felt a thrill surge through her. She could technically do anything she wanted and avoid getting caught with such ease. Not being able to wear clothes was an inconvenience, but the possibilities her new condition offered made her too excited to dwell on that. Realizing she could go anywhere unnoticed, she quietly slipped out of her room and tiptoed downstairs. Sneaking by the living room, she made her way to the back door and carefully opened it. As she stepped outside, the feeling of fresh air over her body and the pavement under her bare feet reminded her how naked she was. She shivered slightly before heading out into the street and towards Canterlot High.

Soon, Canterlot High's Student Center

"There, that better?" Sunset asked a now nude Starlight putting the last of her clothes in a locker.

"Yes, it is," Starlight replied, sighing with relief and stretching her unhindered body. She then turned to Cheerilee. "And thank you for allowing this, Miss Cheerilee."

"Well, we don't want another scandal for our school after Cinch caused a major one years ago," the teacher explained. "Just make sure you lock up before you leave." She turned to leave the two unicorns-turned humans alone in the room.

"We're really lucky to have some teachers on our side in the whole nudism thing," Sunset smiled.

"How do you guys even survive in those things?" She motioned back to her clothes hanging in the locker.

"Well, apparently, it's seen as indecent to go unclothed in public here," Sunset replied. "I found it just as confounding when I first came here." She stood up to go prepare the arcade area for the two of them. "Feel free to come out whenever you're ready."

Neither of them heard the slight patter of invisible feet on the floor somewhere nearby, or the carefully measured breaths Trixie was taking. Seeing the changing room's door open, Trixie made a mad dash past Sunset and into the locker room. Sunset looked puzzled at the sudden slight breeze before shrugging and continuing to boot up the arcade machines.

Inside the locker room, Starlight was about to head out herself when she suddenly smacked into what seemed to be an invisible wall.

"Okay, I gotta ask Sunset if this is something humans have..." she rubbed her nose.

"Watch it!" An unseen voice called out.

"What the hay?" Starlight looked around, trying to deduce where the voice came from. "Who's there?"

At first Trixie wished she hadn't made that outburst, for it meant her cover was surely blown. Then she began to wonder: why was this other girl, who she had never seen in Canterlot High before, also naked?

"Who are you and where are your clothes?" She demanded to the new girl.

"Wait... Trixie?!" Starlight asked in surprise, recognizing the over-the-topness in her friend's voice.

"...how do you know my name?" The invisible magician asked suspiciously.

"Last time I was here, I heard stories about the self-proclaimed "Great and Powerful" Trixie. Considering how proud you sound, I wondered if you might be her. Now where are you?"

"Right in front of you," an invisible finger poked Starlight's chest lightly.

"What the--?!" Starlight began to feel nervous. "Come on, however you're doing this, it isn't funny. Show yourself."

"I'm serious, I'm right in front of you." As if to prove her point, a nearby towel floated off the bench and wrapped itself around... something. Starlight's jaw dropped as the towel walked over to her again.

"You... you really are invisible?"

"Got it in one."

"But... how?"

"To be honest, I'm still asking myself that. Though, it may not have been a great idea to walk over here naked..." Her feet still felt like they were burning from touching the hot sidewalk.

"Wait... you're naked too?"

"Yes... Unfortunately, whatever happened to me didn't affect my clothes. It was either this, or look like a living wardrobe and get a LOT more attention than I want right now."

"But why'd you come here? Are you looking for help, to get yourself turned back to normal?"

"More like looking for fun," Trixie smirked, though it wasn't obvious. She quickly dropped the towel when she heard Sunset come inside.

"You okay, Starlight? I thought I heard you talking with someone."

"Err, no, just myself," said Starlight quickly. "We all do that sometimes, right?" she added, with a slight chuckle.

Sunset eyed her suspiciously before closing the door again.

"That was too close..." Trixie sighed in relief.

Starlight lowered her voice, so as not to attract any more attention. "So now what? You're invisible, and you're here. What are you going to do?"

"You ready, Starlight?" Sunset called out.

"Just a sec!" Starlight answered, before lowering her voice again. "Well, Trixie? Answer me - what are you going to d--?"

The only reply she got was the door opening. She raced towards it and made a vain attempt to find and grab onto Trixie.

"I told you," the invisible girl's voice said. "I'm here to have fun. Don't try to stop me - for obvious reasons, you won't have much luck."

Starlight sighed to herself as she headed to the arcade area.

"Ah, there you are," Sunset grinned, leaning against one of the gaming machines. "See anything here you wanna try?"

Starlight noticed the title of the game she was leaning against, Attack of Tirek. "Wait, Tirek is just a fictional character here?" She asked in a mix of surprise and relief.

"What is he over in Equestria?"

"A very real, very nasty tyrant who tried to steal Equestria's magic and was thrown into Tartarus for it. He escaped once, but thankfully our Twilight and her friends beat him."

"Well, now's your chance to beat him yourself," Sunset offered one of the control sticks to her.

"All right, bring it on," Starlight grinned. "What about you?"

"Well, I want you to get the hang of the game before I take you on. I do have the highest score after all," she blew onto her fist to emphasize her toughness.

"So you'll be playing something else, then?"

"More like see how you do at this," Sunset smirked while Trixie rolled her eyes standing next to Starlight.

Bet you won't be expecting this, bacon-hair, thought the invisible girl as she reached out and tapped Sunset on one shoulder. The ex-unicorn turned her head to see who touched her, but saw nothing. Shrugging it off as her imagination, she continued to watch Starlight play. Eventually, Starlight managed to beat the final boss and cheered at her success.

Forgot she can be stubborn, Trixie inwardly cursed as Sunset set up two-player mode for the game.

"Ready to take me on, Starlight?"

Starlight smiled and gripped her control stick, indicating that she was ready, or at least felt so. The first round began and Sunset shortly began to prove why she had the highest score as she was making easy work of Starlight's character. Trixie, meanwhile, continued to watch and again became tired of seeing Sunset looking so triumphant. She decided to give the girl a shock, and slapped her on the behind.

"OW! Hey!" Sunset whirled around in shock, certain she wasn't imagining that. "You didn't hit me there, did you?" She asked Starlight.

"Of course not," her friend replied, knowing Trixie was to blame. Feeling her arm being grabbed by the unseen girl, she found herself being pulled back into the locker room. "Um, would you excuse me for a minute?"

"Err... okay," said Sunset, now seriously confused.

"Are you trying to get caught?!" Starlight hissed to her companion.

"As if anyone could catch the Great and Powerful Trixie!"

"Is this how you're going to use your invisibility? To play unfair tricks on people?"

"Oh, as if you wouldn't be tempted to do the same!"

"Well, I won't let you do it anymore," Starlight growled. With Trixie still holding her arm, she was able to find and seize the unseen hand. "I've got you now, and I'm not letting g--Aahh!!" Trixie had taken Starlight by surprise by blowing into her ear. Without thinking, she let go in order to rub away the uncomfortable tickling sensation.

"You just did!" Trixie's voice taunted with a mischievous snicker. The sound of footsteps leaving the room indicated Trixie had fled and probably headed out into the hall. Running back to Sunset, Starlight explained the situation.

"So Twilight finished that invisibility ray after all," Sunset sighed as they got dressed.

Starlight was ashamed of herself. "I should have let you know immediately. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Sunset assured her. "You probably worried that I'd think you were crazy."

"But how did Trixie get affected by the ray? You think she offered to be a test subject, and--?"

Sunset scoffed. "Not likely. Twilight wouldn't let that trouble making girl within five yards of her inventions." She finished putting on her jacket. "And now she's going to do all sorts of petty pranks on the students."

"Well, any ideas on where to start looking for her?"

Sunset shrugged. "The best idea I have is to alert Miss Cheerilee and our other closest friends and ask them to help us. Also, listen up for any word of weird things going on."

Meanwhile

Trixie snickered to herself as she streaked through the halls of Canterlot High. Nobody could see her unclothed state. She felt practically invincible! Realizing she could now get revenge on her designated enemies, she first headed to the school track. A handful of Canterlot High's sportiest students were having tryouts on it. There was Lightning Dust, Cloud Chaser, Vapor Trail, Sky Stinger - and the one Trixie was after, Rainbow Dash.

You'll pay for leaving me with that expensive guitar, Rainbow Dash! AND for costing me my victory in the Battle of the Bands! Trixie fumed to herself as she sneaked onto the track.

"All right, ladies," Lightning Dust was saying, "I know this is only a practice run, but no slouching! I feel insulted when someone lets me win too easily."

"Don't worry, Dusty," smirked Rainbow. "When you're up against me, you're in for a hardcore challenge! In fact, you're all gonna be eating my dust!"

We'll see about that, you tomboyish blowhard, Trixie thought deviously.

The five racers headed the starting line and crouched down in preparation. Seeing that Rainbow was on the far right track, Trixie stepped up right next to her and stuck out one leg across her path. Due to the transparency of the leg, Rainbow never saw it coming and tripped onto the ground. Lightning Dust zoomed by her and crossed the finish line first.

"Who's eating whose dust now, Rainbow 'Crash'?" Lightning mocked the fallen athlete while the others helped Rainbow up. The blue-skinned tomboy wiped some dust off her outfit as the others glared at Lightning's unsportsmanlike gloating.

"Okay, that bitch is next," Trixie sneaked up behind Lightning and pulled her gym shorts down, exposing her underwear to the others.

The other racers, of course, gasped. Vapor Trail covered her boyfriend Sky Stinger's eyes.

Now it was Rainbow's turn to laugh. "Nice badonkadonk, Gluteus Maxi-Dust!"

"Sh-Shut up!" Lightning crouched to pull her pants back up. Trixie laughed to herself as she headed back into the school to find Applejack for beating her the school talent show.

Soon, Canterlot High School cafeteria

Applejack placed the last bottle of her family's apple cider in the fridge with the other drinks.

"Okay, y'all!" she called out to the other students across the cafeteria. "Come get your exclusive Apple family cider!" The rushing crowd of students almost trampled her as they demanded their cider to be served.

"Yikes, one at a time!" the country girl cried. "There's plenty to go 'round, just be patient!"

Trixie scowled as the crowd died down, leaving Applejack alone at the counter.

She's so proud of her family's produce, she thought. Well, I know how to hit her where it hurts.

She carefully crept forward. Even though she couldn't be seen, she had to avoid bumping into people. At one point, the hand of a girl named Cherry Crash unwittingly brushed quite close to... a very personal area.

"Huh?" the confused girl said.

"What is it?" asked Mystery Mint, one of her friends.

"Could have sworn I touched something soft... Ah, forget it." Cherry shrugged, and the two moved on.

"Maybe next time, don't move through a crowd..." Trixie noted to herself as she crept up behind Applejack. At that very moment, Applejack had opened the fridge again to take out some cider for her next customer. Taking the opportunity, Trixie gave Applejack a hard shove, causing her to spill the cider all over herself.

"AUGH!" Applejack yelped in shock. "What in tarnation--?!"

But Trixie wasn't finished. Before everyone's eyes, a whole shelf of cider in the fridge was seemingly pulled out and tipped over all by itself, and the drinks were spilled all over the floor.

"Our cider!" Applejack cried out. "It took us three months to make that!" She sighed before noticing a pair of wet footprints making their way towards the cafeteria door.

"Huh? How in the--?!"

The noisy reaction of the crowd to the incident was flooding Applejack's ears. Otherwise she might have hear a familiar voice singing quietly to herself: "Ya better believe, I got tricks up my sleeve...!" At that moment, Starlight, Sunset and Rainbow Dash burst into the cafeteria, the two unicorns explaining the situation to Rainbow along the way.

"She's definitely left her handiwork here," Rainbow growled.

"So we got an invisible, buck-naked Trixie on the loose?" said Applejack, after a short explanation. "I have trouble believin' it, let alone knowin' how to stop her."

"Any idea which way she could have gone?" Sunset asked.

"Maybe we can follow the footprints," Applejack pointed to the bare foot trail left behind by the spilled cider.

"Aha! Good thinking, AJ!" Rainbow grinned. The four girls quickly followed the trail. It became fainter the further they went, but just before it disappeared completely, it seemed to lead right up to the entrance to the main hall.

"...girls, what was Rarity planning today?" Sunset asked the others.

"A fashion show!" Applejack realized. "If Trixie is workin' her way through us, Rarity'll be next!"

"Then let's hurry!" Rainbow led the others towards the main hall where Rarity had set up a runway for her show.

A large amount of students were gathered around a runway that had been set up. Rarity was strutting down it, along with two or three fashion-loving girls, all decked out in elaborate attire. Unbeknownst to everyone, Trixie was sneaking onto the stage.

"Finally, it's your turn, drama queen!"

Rarity was wearing a sweeping, sparkling blue dress, the bottom of which spread quite a bit along the carpet behind her. Trixie firmly set one foot upon it, causing Rarity to lose her balance in her high heeled shoes.

"What in the world--?!" The hapless fashionista got no further before the silken scarf she was also wearing was pulled tightly across her face. Without any hesitation, Rainbow Dash leapt onto the stage and grabbed Rarity before she could fall on her face. At the same time, Sunset noticed Trixie was slowly starting to become visible again.

"Guys!" she whispered. "Look!"

It had indeed been two full hours since Trixie was hit by the ray, and just as Twilight had predicted, the effect was wearing off. At first she didn't notice, and just kept sneering smugly down at Rarity. Then she noticed other students looking her way, totally gobsmacked. She looked down at her hands as they reappeared, realizing with mortification that the game was up. She was in front of everyone, fully visible and very, VERY naked.

"Trixie?!" Rarity shrieked in surprise. "Where are your clothes?!"

Trixie, who now had a face as red as a tomato and was trying to cover herself with her arms, was too humiliated to answer. Starlight, taking pity on her, had brought a towel from the student center and wrapped it around Trixie.

"But... why are you helping me?" The girl asked timidly. "After what I did to all of you--"

"We'd be terrible friends if we just mocked you," Starlight interrupted.

"But... even before this, I wasn't a proper friend to you."

"Hey, what you did today is nothing compared to what I did at the Fall Formal," said Sunset. "But I turned over a new leaf. And so, in fact, have the Dazzlings. So why should we be any less willing to forgive you?"

Trixie was so touched at hearing this that she began to sob. Starlight comfortingly hugged her, and she and Sunset gently escorted her out of the hall. Meanwhile, Rainbow went straight towards Photo Finish and forced her to surrender the picture she had taken. The rest of the students looked confused at what had just occurred.

At least one person was still unhappy, though.

"Now wait just a cotton-pickin' minute!" Applejack called after her departing friends. "What about my cider?! She wrecked a lot of hard work on my part!"

"Well, Trixie has graciously offered to help you make some more," Rainbow smirked. She then leaned in to whisper to the nude magician. "Do it or the photo gets sent to everyone in school."

Trixie gulped and nodded. "I guess I do owe it to her," she murmured.

"Let's get to Vice Principal Luna," said Sunset. "She'll find you something to wear, Trixie."

While Applejack went to arrange for the cider mess in the cafeteria to be cleaned, Trixie, Starlight, Sunset and Rainbow made their way down the locker-filled hallways towards Luna's office. Of course, the sight of the towel-clad Trixie got them many astonished looks from anyone in their path. Snips and Snails who were lounging around on a staircase, collectively gasped as Trixie was escorted past, and when they encountered Sandymane and Rouge Candle having a cozy looking chat, the latter instinctively blurted out "Sacre bleu!"

"Oh, bite me!" Trixie yelled.

"What the heck happened?" Sandymane asked.

"I'll explain later," replied Sunset, "but it involves Twilight's new invention."

As they continued down the hall, they also passed by Viridian Specs, who adjusted his glasses in interest.

"Long story," said Starlight to him, as Trixie shot the latest witness to her predicament a grumpy look. Soon, they arrived at Luna's office.

Rainbow knocked on the door. "Hello? Vice Principal Luna? Can you help us out with something?"

When Luna emerged and saw Trixie, she couldn't help but stifle a laugh.

"Boy, I wish I could explain things as quickly as Pinkie..." Sunset sighed.

Rainbow cut in. "Well, basically, Trixie got turned invisible by this crazy gizmo Twilight made. She only just turned back to normal."

Luna crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "And the reason she's naked...?"

"It didn't affect my clothes," Trixie explained humbly. "If I had worn anything, it would just look like it was floating in midair."

Sunset went through the rest. "She played a few tricks on us and made a mess in the cafeteria. But she's very sorry, and she'll be helping Applejack replace all the cider she spilled."

"So, do you have anything for her to wear?" Starlight asked, getting back to the subject of sparing Trixie further embarrassment.

"Maybe there's something in the lost and found."

"But won't other people be coming to collect those things?" Starlight asked. Sunset had given her a brief explanation of what "lost and found" meant.

"You'll find it hard to believe how many unclaimed clothes we have," Luna smirked.

After searching through several boxes, they found Trixie a shirt, shorts and even some sandals to wear. There was also a surprising amount of underwear, but Trixie drew the line at wearing that when it had been on other people's bodies.

"So... how did it feel streaking in public?" Rainbow Dash playfully nudged Trixie's side.

"Well..." Trixie haltingly replied, "when nobody could see me... it was honestly pretty fun. Liberating, even." She glanced at Luna, nervous about how the vice principal might react to this.

"I think Miss Lulamoon needs a trip to the Green Hill Club this weekend then," Luna smirked.

"The Green Hill Club? What's that?"

"You'll see," Rainbow snickered.

Green Hill Club, at the end of the week

"What do you mean 'no clothes'?!" Trixie shouted at Waterspell.

"This is a nudist resort, clothes are prohibited at all times," the lifeguard repeated herself.

Trixie angrily turned back to the group who had brought her along to this crazy place. Rainbow and Pinkie couldn't stop giggling, and even Fluttershy had a cheeky smile.

"You're asking me to strip off and bare myself to crowds of people again?!" Trixie hissed.

"Only this time..." Pinkie was already taking her own clothes off. "We're all naked, silly!"

"Yep," grinned Rainbow as she and the others followed suit. "And like you said, it's liberating! So come on and get with the program, Lulamoon!"

"This feels just like Equestria!" Starlight giggled as she laid down on the grass nearby, her chest exposed to the afternoon sun.

"That's the same reason I got into it," Sunset grinned as she sat down close by.

"Good to see you guys again," Emerald beamed as he brought a tray of drinks over.

Fuchsia rushed over alongside her older brother and grinned up at Trixie. "Oooh, a new member!" Trixie nervously waved as the younger girl poked her body a little. "Why are you still dressed?"

Looking into the little girl's beaming eyes, Trixie felt strangely compelled to comply with her expectations.

"I... was just about to take these things off, actually," she replied with a polite smile, before beginning to do so.

Fuchsia grinned again. "You'll feel a LOT better without them, trust me!"

"...did she just hypnotize Trixie?" Rainbow asked.

"Nah, my sister's just very persuasive," Emerald whispered with a slight smirk. "She knows how to exploit the power of cuteness."

Fuchsia grinned as she picked up Trixie's clothes and carried them to the locker room.

"Yo, Rainbow!" Indigo Zap fist bumped her rival.

"What's up, Zappers?" Rainbow grinned in return.

"Oh, just been training my volleyball skills for our little rematch today," Indigo smirked before noticing Rosie Peace approaching.

"Ah, Indigo, I got some great news! I managed to get the building of an indoor pool approved."

"Awesome! Volleyball will be allowed in it, right?"

"Certainly," Rosie smiled.

"Aw yeah!" Indigo shouted in glee as Sour made her way over to Emerald.

"Hey there, big guy," she smiled as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Hi, sweetie," he replied, giving her a kiss.

Trixie, who by now was also fully undressed, noticed them and frowned. "Hold on a minute, Mr. Peace. I've noticed you at Canterlot High, dating another girl--"

"You mean me?" said Flutter, stepping in and also embracing Emerald. "It's all right, we've agreed to share him." She and Sour shared a knowing smile. Trixie's mouth hung open as the two girls kissed.

"Wh-What?"

"You get used to it," Sunset said reassuringly.

Trixie blushed and rubbed her arms nervously, but figured that she might as well get the hang of this peculiar club while she was here.

"So how'd you end up coming here, miss?" Fuchsia asked, taking a seat at a table and inviting Trixie to join her.

Shrugging, Trixie took the chair on the other side and leaned forward to tell the bubbly youngster. "Well, believe it or not, it started when a machine turned me invisible..."

Fuchsia was already extremely interested.

"Tell me more..."

Beach Party

Flutter's house

"Another trip to Emerald Beach, huh?" Sunset asked. She, Emerald and even Gabby had been able to visit Flutter that afternoon, and all four of them - sans clothing, as they preferred - were now gathered in her room discussing possible future activities.

"Yeah, I was thinking maybe we could have an NLAC party hosted there," Flutter replied. "It's certainly large enough for everyone."

"Bit of a drive though," Emerald warned. "We might have to carpool."

Gabby, who had made herself comfortable on a beanbag Flutter owned, couldn't stop giggling.

"What is it, Gabby?" asked Flutter.

"Sorry... I just can't help picturing LOADS of us squished together in one car," replied the cheerful Griffonstone girl.

"Which is why I was thinking of asking for outside help," Emerald continued. "Maybe ask some of our non-nudist friends for help?

"You mean like Applejack and Rarity?" Sunset asked.

"Both their little sisters are in the club, right?" said Gabby. "Maybe they can help us persuade them?"

"My thoughts exactly," Emerald grinned as the doorbell rang.

"That's odd," Flutter said, getting up and putting a robe on. "I didn't invite anyone else over..."

As she made her way downstairs, she passed her mother Sweet Heart in the kitchen, dressed in only an apron.

"May wanna put something on, Mom," Flutter tightened her robe as she opened the door. To her surprise, it was her new neighbor and classmate, Viridian Specs.

"Hello there," he started. "My mother asked me if you had some tongs we could borrow."

"Tongs?"

"You know, the metal grabber to hold food with?" He imitated a snapping motion with his hand to demonstrate.

"Oh, right!" She turned towards the kitchen to grab them, only to see her mom holding a pair. Handing them to her daughter, Flutter then gave the kitchen utensil to Viridian, whose face was now bright red at seeing the older woman wearing just an apron.

"I-Is she...?" he started as Flutter sighed and dropped her robe, causing him to blush even more.

"Promise you won't tell anyone?" She asked.

Viridian was doing an utterly unsuccessful job of trying to keep his eyes above Flutter's neck. "Y-y-you mean, you're--?"

"Nudists, yes," Sweet finished for him. The boy dropped the tongs in surprise as Emerald peeked from the stairs to get a good look at the visitor. Viridian went even more red as the stairs did a poor job at covering Emerald's body.

"I-I gotta go!" He picked up the dropped tongs and quickly dashed back across the street, nearly running into the car in his driveway.

"Oh dear," said Sweet with a nervous chuckle. "The poor boy must have been overwhelmed."

"Maybe we should've put something on before..." Emerald sighed as Flutter closed the door.

"Well, too late now," Flutter replied as she rejoined the others upstairs. "Well, the new kid now knows we're nudists."

"Oh..." said Sunset haltingly. "We heard him scrabbling away. I guess he found it hard to cope with?"

"I think it was the first time he saw another guy naked," Flutter deadpanned, shooting a playful glare at Emerald.

Emerald scratched his hair in slight awkwardness, while Gabby started giggling again. "Funny how he only left after that. Like you were too hot to handle or something, Emerald. Maybe he bats for the other team or something?" she joked.

Emerald hung his head low in embarrassment as Sweet called them down for lunch.

"So you're gonna talk to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle about asking their sisters for a beach trip?" Flutter asked Sunset.

"Yeah, I'll do that," Sunset replied. "It probably won't be too much trouble. Apparently Applejack and Rarity are very accepting of the lifestyle their sisters chose, even if they don't take part in it themselves."

A few days later, Sweet Apple Acres

"You want me to ask my big sis to help drive the club members to a nude beach?!" Apple Bloom asked Sunset.

"If it's not too much trouble...?" Sunset replied, weakly and awkwardly. The younger girl was clutching the sides of her head in a panic.

"I'm gonna get grounded for this..."

"What do you mean?" Sunset asked. "I thought your sister was okay with you being a naturist."

"But Granny Smith and Big Mac don't know!" Apple Bloom replied, blushing brightly.

"They don't?" Sunset frowned. "You shouldn't keep this secret from them. It'll only lead to trouble."

"Well, would you tell your grandmother you like to spend time butt naked?" Apple Bloom retorted.

"You never know - she might be pretty cool with it," Sunset replied, trying to get the younger girl to lighten up.

"Look, I'm sure Applejack would be fine with driving some of the club members to the beach," Apple Bloom said, getting back to the subject at hand. "It might even convince her to join us."

"That's all what I needed to know," Sunset smiled before taking her leave.

"Y'know, we got a pretty secluded swimming hole here that I use for skinny dipping," Apple Bloom called out. Sunset turned around, a smirk on her face.

"Are you inviting me to go naked on your farm?" She asked.

Apple Bloom smirked in return. "And what if I am?"

"I think I'll take that offer," Sunset waved good-bye before heading to her car.

Meanwhile at Rarity's house

"I'm afraid I can't, Sweetie," Rarity said to her younger sister.

"Why not?"

"Because I have numerous orders to fill out this weekend. I'm sure you could ask someone else to drive you and the others to that beach."

Sweetie Belle didn't look totally convinced. "You're not just trying to avoid being around naked people, are you?"

"Oh, goodness no! I really am busy this weekend!"

In one more desperate effort, Sweetie Belle put on her exaggerated sad face that almost always swayed Rarity to her side.

"Sweetie..." Rarity looked away to try to avoid being swayed by the face. "I really cannot go. I'm sorry." Sweetie Belle sighed as she dejectedly headed downstairs.

"No luck, huh?" said Flutter, who was waiting in the sitting room.

"Nope," Sweetie sighed as she sat next to the blue girl.

"Maybe my mom or dad can take her place?" Flutter offered.

Sweetie's face lit up at that. "Really? They wouldn't mind?"

"Of course not," Flutter smiled, and she leaned in with a mischievous whisper to add, "After all, they're nudists too."

"Well, why didn't you say so?!" Sweetie squealed with delight, and they both laughed together.

Later

Flutter grinned as she passed by the Globe family's house on the way home. Sandymane was out in the front yard, mowing.

"Hey there, Sandy," she said.

"Flutter! What's up?"

"We're going to a nude beach for the next NLAC party!"

"And I'm invited?"

"You and your whole family," said Flutter with a wink.

"Great! I'll tell them right away!" Sandymane hurried into the house to give her family the good news.

"Did I hear you were going to a nude beach?" Fleur dis Lee asked from the house next door.

"Yep, you heard right," Flutter answered with a grin. "It's called Emerald Beach. Ever heard of it?"

"I'm afraid not. Is it far?"

"Not too far, but it is kinda out there."

"I would love to join you for this party. Could you help me plan when and where to meet you?"

"Sure, I was planning to ask if Sour and her friends wanted to come as well."

"I'm sure Sour at least will come, especially if you and Emerald are there," Fleur smirked with a wink. "I noticed the little... arrangement you three made, you know."

"To be honest, I never saw it coming myself," her friend blushed at the memory of the Crystal Prep girl kissing her. "I mean, I never thought I was into both girls and guys before..."

"Hey, there is nothing wrong with it," Fleur assured her. "Anyway, as nudists, we kind of ought to be tolerant, right?" They shared a chuckle.

"Well, we're leaving this Saturday at 9 AM, so if your parents are busy, meet up at my own house."

"They have their own plans for the weekend. I'll be there," Fleur assured her, heading back inside. Flutter smiled as she continued towards her own house, noticing Viridian Specs was at her front door again.

"Oh, err... hello again, Viridian. What brings you back here?"

Her classmate tried to look at her face, despite her being dressed, as he held out the tongs he borrowed a few days ago to her.

"J-Just wanted to return these to you," he stammered.

Flutter gave him a sympathetic look. "Are you still nervous about... well, you know?" Viridian only nodded as she took the utensil back. "Well, how about you come with us to this beach on Saturday? It'll be clothing optional, so you don't have to get naked if you don't want to."

"I... I don't know," the boy replied. "It might not... well, suit me."

"Well, come see me if you change your mind," Flutter shrugged.

As bad luck would have it, Viridian then noticed Emerald making his way down the street nearby, and he immediately blushed and stuttered.

"What is it now?" Flutter asked before noticing her boyfriend approaching. "Em!"

"Hey, Flutter--" Emerald started to call back, before noticing Viridian.

"Oh, hi. Viridian, right?" The boy only nodded before looking away.

"He's still pretty shaken from the other day," Flutter whispered.

"Hey, it's no big deal, buddy," Emerald assured him. "Accidents happen, and, well, I'm not really modest anyway."

"I-I can tell..." Viridian said.

"So whatcha up to today?"

"Mostly just hanging around at home, actually... I don't get the chance to get out much."

"Why's that?"

"Well, my mom is VERY absorbed in her work... She just never has time to take me on trips anywhere, or even talk to me much outside mealtimes. It's very lonely at my house, really..."

"Well, how about you come with us then?"

"T-to the beach, you mean? I don't think my mom would like that... she's rather conservative."

"It's our little secret," Flutter winked.

Viridian still looked reluctant. "I'm still not sure about being... you know, in front of others."

"You don't have to," Flutter continued. "The beach is clothing optional, so you can stay dressed if you want."

After a moment of thought, Viridian said, "No promises, but I'll see if I can persuade Mom to let me go out on Saturday. I'll just tell her I'm going shopping or something."

"Great! See you then!" Flutter gave him a quick hug before heading to her house with Emerald.

"He seems like a nice guy," she remarked on the way.

"Yeah," said Emerald. "It's just a shame he doesn't enjoy much company. But maybe we'll be able to change that, if he comes along."

"I think he also has a crush on you, Em," Flutter teased, causing her boyfriend to go bright red.

"S-s-say what?!"

"He blushed really hard when he saw you the other day."

"You're really suggesting...?"

Flutter shrugged and giggled. "Well, I'm with both you and Sour, so hey, I'm not against a bit of curiosity."

"Flutter, I'm pretty sure I'm straight."

"I'm sure your tune will change when he kisses you," she gave his cheek a peck as they headed inside the house and undressed.

Saturday morning

Flutter patiently waited outside her house for Sour to show up. The Globe family had already set off, carrying several other club members with them.

"Flutter!" Sour Sweet called out as she exited the house from down the street.

"Hey, Sour!" Flutter replied with a grin. Once the Shadowbolt reached her, the two girls exchanged kisses.

"So I heard that boy across the street might be joining us," Sour leaned in closely. "Is he a cutie?"

Glancing behind her, Flutter smirked and said "Why don't you see for yourself?" She pointed towards Viridian leaving his house, carrying his backpack. Sour grinned as she finally got a look at his face.

"If what you said about him liking Emerald is true, I'll be happy to share him," she whispered to her girlfriend.

"Not an unappealing idea," Flutter admitted.

"So am I riding with you guys?" Viridian asked, as he adjusted his bag.

"You bet you are, sweetheart," Sour replied with a wink. Flutter rolled her eyes, but still couldn't help but smile.

Viridian blushed as Sweet Heart and Starfoot exited the house and unlocked the car.

"Oh, you're coming with us?" Sweet asked her neighbor. Viridian nodded as he looked away, remembering what she was wearing the last time he saw her.

Starfoot noticed the boy's nervousness and offered some reassuring words. "Don't worry, son. The beach is clothing optional, so we won't force you to undress if you don't want to."

"E-Everyone keeps saying that..." the smart boy replied as he sat in the middle backseat.

"Relax, Viridian," said Flutter, sitting on the seat to his right. "You might have more fun than you expect. The people at the beach are very nice and welcoming."

"Plus," Sour added, taking her seat on the other side. "I'm sure there will be a few clothed people there."

"Yes, the important thing is feeling comfortable," Sweet Heart added.

"O-Okay..." Viridian said as Sweet pulled the car out of the driveway.

During the journey, Flutter began to fidget, tugging at her shirt collar.

"Sorry," she said as Viridian glanced at her. He quickly shut his eyes just as she pulled her shirt off. As she sighed with relief, a blush spread across his face again.

"You'll be seeing plenty of her when we get there," Sour remarked. "Might as well get used to it."

"...how have you not gotten arrested?" Viridian asked.

"Careful planning - and a bit of luck," Flutter replied with a smirk. Sour laughed as she worked her own skirt off.

"Like with our night walks," the Crystal Prep girl added as the car pulled into the beach's parking lot.

"Well, we're here," Sweet declared. "Excuse us, Viridian, while we all get ready." She stepped out of the vehicle and started stripping herself. Flutter and Sour followed her lead, getting out of the car and the rest of their clothes. Sweet hugged and kissed Starfoot, who had just finished putting his underwear in the front seat.

"Let's find a place to soak up some rays, honey," Sweet grinned. The two adults headed for the beach, arms linked.

"...I swear, sometimes they're sickeningly sweet..." their daughter muttered under her breath. Sour took a long look at the beach, seeing it was packed with students from both Crystal Prep and CHS.

"I guess 'peace and quiet' is out of the question," she remarked, looking slightly disappointed.

"Well, this is an NLAC party after all," Flutter smiled, placing her arm over her girlfriend's shoulder.

"Yeah, we might as well join in," Sour shrugged with a smile. "Hey Viri-Boy, you coming?"

"Um, I think I'll pass..." Viridian was still in the car, clutching his bag tightly, hoping it would cover his lower area.

Sour scowled. "Then I hope you enjoy sweating to death! It's a warm, sunny day, and cars can get like mini-greenhouses with those windows!"

"Sour..." Flutter whispered in her ear. "What was that about making him feel comfortable? Forcing it on him won't help."

"But he won't be comfortable in there! That's what I'm trying to tell him!"

"Let him figure that out for himself," Flutter winked. "Baby steps, Sour."

"All right," Sour called to Viridian. "But just follow us if you change your mind! Or is it 'when'?" Chuckling, she stepped towards the beach, deliberately wriggling her backside to tease him. As they stepped onto the sand, Flutter noticed Emerald having a chat with Sandymane and Rouge.

"Em!" She called out, waving to get his attention. Emerald rushed over to the duo and gave them both a hug.

"You made it!" He smiled, giving them kisses on the cheek.

Rouge chuckled. "He is a hit with ze ladies, no?"

"Who says you're not?" Sandymane grinned, kissing him on the lips. Rouge returned the kiss as Night Sky and Luna enjoyed a game of volleyball.

"You're getting better, Nighty," the vice principal smirked as she hit the ball back.

"Maybe one of these days, I'll score the first point!" Night Sky replied.

Sunset chuckled at the two while Twilight rubbed sunblock into her backside.

"Thanks, Twi," Sunset smiled at her girlfriend's gentle touch.

"Anything for my favorite girl," Twilight replied, cheekily starting to knead her flesh. Sunset giggled as Twilight began to start on her rear.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Indigo Zap and Lemon Zest were frolicking together in the waves.

"I never knew skinny dipping in the ocean could feel so good!" Lemon danced to an invisible tune as the water carried her body.

"Yes, it does feel more natural, doesn't it?" smiled Fluttershy as Rainbow lifted her up in a bridal manner and pecked her cheek.

Coco Pommel was also present, quietly enjoying an ice cream she had brought from a kiosk. Lyra and Sweetie Drops sat down next to her, both enjoying ice creams of their own.

"It's pretty here, huh?" Lyra asked the Crystal Prep student.

"Yes," Coco replied. "And I'll tell you something: ever since Sunset Shimmer and the Shadowbolts... 'converted' me, I've hardly worn anything at home. Unless I have guests, of course. And I put on a robe to answer the door."

"I think they converted quite a few of your classmates too," Sweetie Drops giggled.

"The lovebirds over there, for example," Lyra added, nodding towards Sunny Flare and Fleck Paint. Fleck had been buried up to his neck in the sand by his girlfriend, who was now playfully nuzzling him and toying with his hair.

"Sunny wasn't exactly the nicest person before," Coco replied. "She used to be meaner than Sour."

"I guess getting with Fleck changed that, huh?" said Lyra.

"Well, having better people as friends helped too," Sunny called out, overhearing their whole conversation.

"What about the going-around-naked part?" Lyra asked with a sly smirk.

"...yes, that too," Sunny grumbled.

"Don't worry, Sunny," Fleck assured her. "It lets me see more clearly how beautiful you are."

Sunny smiled down at him. "You just earned yourself a kiss, sweetheart." Sprawling on the sand with her face in front of his, she locked lips with him.

Emerald laughed as Moondancer found herself dunked underwater by a rogue wave.

"THAT'S what happens if you're not careful!"

"She's having more fun than any other time," Minuette giggled as Moondancer wrung the water out of her hair.

"Yeah, I'd say she's living proof that nudism is good for you!" added Twinkleshine. She turned her head to see Viridian Specs trying to discreetly make his way onto the beach.

"Hey, why hasn't that new kid undressed yet?" she wondered.

"He's new," Emerald explained.

"Yeah, I figured as much," Twinkleshine replied dryly. "But my point is, if he doesn't, someone might accuse him of being a pervert."

"Sad but true," added Lemon Hearts. "I know clothes are an option here, but not everyone may understand."

"That's why we're on it," Flutter winked as she and Sour headed over to Viridian.

"Err... hey, girls," the boy said nervously, unable to take his eyes off their bodies.

"Finally decided to join us, huh?" Sour smirked, noticing his body was still dripping sweat from being in the car.

"Yeah... it was getting REALLY warm and sticky in there..."

"I warned you," Sour shrugged as he removed his pants, revealing he was wearing trunks underneath.

"Down to trunks, huh? Well, it's a start."

"I couldn't let my mom know I was going to the beach," Viridian blushed as Emerald came over to join them.

"Hey, Vi!" Emerald smiled. Viridian quickly took his towel out of his backpack and set it on an empty patch of sand.

"Hello..." he replied quietly, just as nervous about looking at Emerald's body as the girls'.

"You gonna be alright?" Flutter asked.

"I think so... once I get some sunblock on. Just give me a moment to do that..." He still didn't turn his eyes away from the towel.

"Well, take your time," Flutter quickly ducked to avoid a beach ball thrown in her direction by Scootaloo.

"Sorry!" the young tomboy called.

Sweetie Belle rushed over, making her way between the older nudists to retrieve the ball. She bumped into Viridian along the way. "Oh, excuse me!"

"S-Sorry," Viridian sighed as Emerald sat next to him.

"You sure you're going to be okay?" He asked.

But the boy's blushing just grew all the more intense. Acting on impulse, he grabbed Emerald by the sides of his head and planted a long kiss on his mouth. Of course, everyone present was totally speechless. Their facial expressions varied, however, from an awkward-looking Sweetie Belle, to Flutter's realization that Gabby's predictions about Viridian's feelings were correct. As for Sour, she had a huge, lusty grin as she began to imagine 'activities' the four of them could try. When Viridian separated himself, he was bright red while Emerald rubbed his cheek absentmindedly.

"Uh... you're a good kisser, I'll give you that..." Viridian blushed again at the compliment.

"Y'know, if you keep blushing, you'll probably burst a vein," Sour sat between the boys, a seductive smirk on her face.

"Okay," said Flutter, trying to get her head around what just happened. "Let's all just try to stay calm, and..."

"Y'know," Sour continued, leaning towards Viridian, "this three-way thing me, Emerald and Flutter have - we're still flexible." Viridian couldn't handle that and fainted on the spot.

"What was that about 'baby steps'?" Flutter asked her girlfriend.

"Sorry," the Shadowbolt sighed. "He already made one big move today, didn't he? Two, really, if you count coming here."

"Still, we don't want to overwhelm him."

"Sooo... what do we do with him now?" Sweetie asked, looking down at the unconscious boy.

"Maybe carry him to a more secluded spot?" Emerald suggested.

"All right, Emerald, help me lift him then," said Flutter, taking Viridian by the shoulders. Her boyfriend nodded before lifting him by the legs.

Together they carried him to a spot next to the kiosk, under the shade of some trees. Sweetie Belle also helped by carrying Viridian's towel and spreading it out again for them to lay the boy on.

"Thanks, Sweetie," Flutter smiled.

"You're welcome," the young girl smiled. "Say, do you guys wanna join us for some volleyball?"

"In a bit, I want to watch him until he recovers."

"...that came out wrong," Emerald added.

Sweetie Belle couldn't help but giggle slightly, but she composed herself and said "Okay, whenever you're ready." She hurried away to retrieve the ball and get back to her friends. Viridian slowly blinked as he regained consciousness.

"What... happened?"

"You fainted," said Flutter, "but we took you to a shady spot to recover."

"Oh... um, thanks," Viridian rubbed the back of his head.

"I think we ought to talk about... you know, what just happened," said Emerald. Viridian went bright red.

"S-Sorry!" He bowed his head in apology. "I-I don't know what came over me!"

"Be honest," Emerald said. "Do you have feelings for me?"

Viridian only nodded slightly. Emerald smiled before leaning in to kiss him back. At this point Flutter noticed Sour peeking around the kiosk. The Shadowbolt grinned and gave her a thumbs up as they watched the boys. Emerald gave Viridian a small hug after pulling back.

"Feel more comfortable now?" He asked. Viridian nodded as Emerald helped pull his shirt off. "Then let's get you out of these clothes so you can enjoy the full nudist experience."

Emerald's acceptance of his attraction seemed to bolster Viridian's confidence. He proceeded to unbuckle his belt and pull down his shorts.

"Gotta admit, you got more charm than your sister," Flutter giggled as Viridian slowly stood up.

"Try telling that to Pimpernel," Emerald joked. "He finds her PLENTY charming." Speaking of which, Fuchsia and Pimpernel were building a large sandcastle with Pinkie Pie.

"Thanks for letting me join you guys!" smiled the party-loving girl, who had already decorated the castle with three small colorful flags and was now looking for places to add more.

"No prob, Pinkie," Pimpernel smiled as he placed a bucket of sand next to the castle, adding another tower to their creation.

"Yeah, we remember how you agreed to paint us to look like cats," added Fuchsia, "so of course we love having you around!" They all shared a chuckle over that "sounds weird out of context" statement. The trio noticed Emerald escorting Viridian back towards the party.

Pinkie Pie recognized him. "Hey, it's that new guy who we first met in Miss Grove's language class!"

"And new boyfriend," Flutter and Sour shared a laugh as they followed Emerald and Viridian.

Pinkie's eyes widened and almost seemed to cross. "So there's FOUR of you together now? You guys are crazier than ME!"

"Hey, it's good to share," Sour smirked as she sat near the castle. "Mind if we help you guys?"

"Err, sure," said Pimpernel. "We've already done a lot, though - what do you think you can add to it?"

"Well," Sour grabbed one of their shovels and began to carefully carve into their sculpture. "I can make it a little more fancy looking."

"What do you mean?" Pimpernel looked skeptical about what this girl meant to do with their work.

"Hey, take it easy, Pimps," said Fuchsia. "Maybe she has some great ideas." The kids' parents smiled as they observed the group build their castle.

"A lot of girls seem to like hanging out with Pimpernel," Hazelhair observed as she sipped a tropical drink. "If you ask me, that indicates a good attitude that will get him far in life."

"Well, I never expected Flutter to like more than one person," Sweet Heart laughed.

"Polygamy's older than a lot of people acknowledge," replied Smart Globe, who had always had a keen interest in history. "But yeah, it's a hard thing to picture in our day and age."

"Well, maybe they'll open people's minds," Rosie added.

Smart Globe nodded. "Anyone has potential to change the world somehow, so you might be right."

"Maybe we could get Canterlot made clothing optional," Rosie half-joked.

Hazelhair laughed out loud. "I don't know about that, but I'm sure we can at least gain more supporters."

A few hours later

"So how do you feel now, Viridian?" Emerald asked.

"You know... this isn't really so bad," Viridian replied. "I mean, no one else is wearing much more than me, and everyone just treats it so naturally. It stopped being embarrassing pretty quick."

"Does this mean you wanna hang out at my house more often?" Flutter asked hopefully.

"Well... I like the idea more now, at least." Viridian gave her a timid smile, hoping he hadn't offended her with those words.

"Great!" Flutter hugged him. "We can have nude study sessions!"

"That's not all we could do..." added Sour.

"Sour," said Emerald firmly, "there's a time and a place."

"You spoil most of the fun, Em," Sour playfully pouted.

"Seriously, though," said Flutter, "you'll have fun hanging out with us."

"There's just one problem," Viridian replied, looking rather pale. "My mom. If she finds out about this--"

Emerald supportively placed a hand on his shoulder. "Whatever happens, we'll stand by you."

"All of us," Rosie added, having heard the whole conversation.

Viridian looked up at her in surprise. "Really?"

"Of course. As a community, we all look out for each other."

Hazelhair and Smart Globe nodded, affirming their support.

Viridian almost looked ready to weep with gratitude. "I... I can't thank you all enough."

"How about we dance?" Emerald held out his hand for him.

"Yeah," grinned Sour. "Vinyl brought some of her records along. I bet those'll get you in the nude for it-- sorry, MOOD for it!"

The others could tell that her supposed slip of the tongue was deliberate. "You are terrible!" Flutter laughed, playfully shoving her girlfriend's arm.

"How about we dance and see if I'm terrible at that too," Sour smirked as the two girls headed to the party area.

"Come on, Vi," grinned Emerald, offering the other boy his hand again. "Let's kick up our heels."

Viridian accepted, and they raced after their girlfriends into the continuing party.

Flutter the Gymnast

Sweet Apple Acres

Sunset Shimmer wiped the sweat off her forehead as she parked her car in the driveway of the Apple family's farmhouse. Today's weather was unforgivably hot, which provided a perfect opportunity to accept Apple Bloom's offer to go skinny dipping with her at the farm's secluded swimming hole.

As she stepped out of the vehicle, Applejack and Big Mac stepped over to greet her.

"Hey there, Sunset. What brings you to our farm today?"

"Apple Bloom wanted some help with her school work," Sunset lied, not wanting Big Mac and Applejack to know she was going to take off her clothes and swim naked on their farm.

"Well, I envy you, to be honest," Applejack replied. "All you two gotta do is lay around with paper and pens, while the two of us gotta clean the barn in this hot weather."

"Eyup..." sighed Mac, wiping sweat from his forehead.

"Well, where is Apple Bloom?" Sunset asked.

"She's up in her room," Applejack pointed towards the open door.

Sunset and Applejack entered the house together. "BLOOM!" the country girl called. "Sunset's here!"

The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs became louder each second until Apple Bloom stopped at the bottom to catch her breath. She was just wearing some rather loose overalls, as if she were naked in her room and the overalls were the only thing she could put on in a hurry.

"Ain't you a bit... underdressed?" Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, sorry, sis," Apple Bloom rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. "Rest of my clothes were dirty. Well, Sunset's going to help me with my biology homework in the field." She began to head towards the back door, with Sunset following.

Once they were some distance from the house, Apple Bloom said, "Here for the swimming hole, aren't ya? I don't blame ya, with this darned heat." As they walked, she quickly slipped off her overalls, revealing her naked form underneath. Following her cue, Sunset eagerly began to remove her own clothes.

"Feels much better, right?" grinned Apple Bloom, stretching her young body.

"Tell me about it," Sunset chuckled as she began to unhook her bra. "So, is this pool of yours close now?"

"Yeah, just over the hill," the CMC member pointed to a somewhat large mound in front of them. Sunset had just finished undressing and had balled up her clothes. "Wanna race?"

"Sure! It'll get us to that nice cool water sooner." And with that, the two naked girls dashed over the hill and saw the swimming hole a few inches away. It lay in the midst of some trees, with a tire hanging from a rope on a branch acting as a swing. Apple Bloom quickly dove into the small pool and surfaced, spitting some water that got into her mouth.

"C'mon in, Sunset!" She waved. "Water's perfect!" Sunset set her clothes down and slowly waded inside. She sat down at the edge, leaving only her head visible.

"This is wonderful," she sighed in relaxation. "I should have you girls over sometime. The lake by my house is much bigger than this."

Apple Bloom grinned. "That would be awesome! By the way, how long can you hold your breath?"

"Pretty long," Sunset smirked as she lowered herself completely in the water.

Meanwhile
Green Hill Club

Flutter Heart weaved her way past the construction crew currently working on the new indoor pool building to join Sandymane and Rainbow Dash at one of the tables.

"Pole vaulting, huh?" Sandymane asked Rainbow, who was describing the gymnastics club at Canterlot High.

"Yeah, the club is perfect for exercising without playing sports," Rainbow grinned.

"Well, maybe Flutter could try out," Sandymane giggled. "She certainly has the acrobatic ability to apply."

"I... guess I could give it a try..." Flutter blushed at her friend's praise.

"Man, I cannot wait for the construction to be done," Rainbow leaned back in her seat.

Later
Sweet Apple Acres

Sunset and Apple Bloom were lying at the edge of the swimming hole, the sun drying off their bodies. However, their relaxation was interrupted by a voice calling out to them. Panicking, the two girls stood up and crouched, their bodies thankfully hidden by a bush growing near the pond.

They saw a tall teenaged male with glasses, blonde hair and slight stubble on his chin heading their way.

"Oh great, it's Trenderhoof," groaned Apple Bloom. "He's been pesterin' my sister a lot. Won't take the hint that she ain't interested."

"A Crystal Prep student," Sunset added, noticing his uniform. "Hopefully, he won't notice us and move on..."

"You again?" Applejack's voice groaned. The two nude girls noticed the farmer was heading towards Trenderhoof. "As I've told ya at least fifteen times, Trenderhoof," the country girl continued, "I don't feel the same way! Darnit, have ya even noticed Rarity trying to get your attention?!"

"But you're so rugged and hard-working..." Trenderhoof began to swoon, completely ignoring the part about Rarity. Applejack rolled her eyes and began shoving him towards his car.

"Your fancy-shmancy poetry won't work on me, pal. How about you quit wastin' your time and go home?"

"I will return tomorrow," Trenderhoof declared as he began to drive off. Applejack sighed as she headed back onto the field. Unfortunately, Apple Bloom's foot fell into the pond's water, causing her to cry out and getting her sister's attention.

"Is anyone there?" Applejack asked. She stepped closer to the lake, noticing Sunset's red and yellow hair behind the bush.

"I can see you, Sunset. What's goin' on here?"

"Um, just doing some swimming?" Sunset nervously replied, hoping her friend couldn't see that she was naked.

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "I didn't see you bring any swimsuit with you earlier. And what about Apple Bloom and her schoolwork?"

"We finished early!" Apple Bloom poked her head out. "We're taking a swim to help relax. Wanna join us?"

"What are you doing?" Sunset whispered to her. Before Apple Bloom could reply, her sister nodded. "Sure! Sounds like a great idea on a hot day like this. Just wait there while I go back to the house and get my swimsuit..."

"You do know she's going to realize we're naked, right?"

"Well, it's a good way to try to get her into nudism," Apple Bloom shrugged.

Sunset sighed and laid a hand to her forehead. "She's gonna go ballistic. I'll never be allowed near your farm again, I just know it."

"I'm back!" Applejack called out. She was wearing a green two-piece suit, and carried a towel under her right arm. "You ready for me?"

"Err... I guess?" Sunset replied, trying not to sound too nervous. She gave Apple Bloom a slight glare. The younger girl sighed as she stood up, revealing her bare body to her sister. Applejack dropped the towel in shock as Apple Bloom awkwardly waved.

"What in tarn--?!"

Seeing no more reason to hide it, Sunset followed Apple Bloom's lead and revealed her own nudity too.

"B-B-Both of y'all?!" Applejack stammered. "Goshdarnit, I can accept that you decided to become nudists, but seriously?! Skinny dippin' right here?! Someone could have-- What if Trenderhoof saw you just now?!"

"But he didn't," Apple Bloom replied, her legs shaking slightly. "Sis, I just wanted to cool off today... Wearing a swimsuit just isn't as comfy anymore..."

"You really mean to tell me," Applejack asked, "that you're totally comfortable standing totally buck naked in front of me out in the open right now?"

"Yes," Apple Bloom's confidence slowly began to grow. "I am proud to be a nudist. And I... wanted you to join us..."

"Me?!"

"C'mon, Applejack, why not give it a try?" Sunset asked, starting to smile and lighten up. "It honestly feels great, and it's easier to dry up afterwards without a wet suit to worry about."

"B-But what about Granny Smith?!"

"I don't think she knows this place exists," Apple Bloom deadpanned. "We are kinda out in a neglected part of the farm."

"I dunno..." Applejack ran her fingers through her hair nervously.

"I just wanted to share this with you," Apple Bloom continued. "And maybe you could hang out with us more?"

"I guess it wouldn't hurt..." Applejack said almost automatically.

Apple Bloom grinned. Both she and Sweetie Belle had made something of an art out of using their natural cuteness to persuade their sisters to do things. "Come on, then! Off with the togs!" she giggled.

Still blushing, Applejack began to peel off her swimwear. Her eyes glanced around, as if expecting to see someone with binoculars or a camera hiding behind any tree. She breathed deeply as she slowly untied her top and bottoms. Letting the suit fall off, she shivered slightly as the slight breeze brushed her skin.

"There," remarked Sunset, glancing over Applejack's now-naked body with a cheeky smile. "Feels good, doesn't it?"

"A-A little..." Applejack slowly waded into the pond. She chuckled somewhat when she was chest deep. "I remember doin' the exact same thing here when I was your age."

"Really?" Now Apple Bloom was very interested. "You skinny dipped as a kid? Why the hay did you stop?"

"I became a big sister, and I didn't want to set a bad example."

Applejack immediately regretted her words as she saw her little sister's hurt expression.

"I'm sorry, but I was worried that if you saw me naked, you'd imitate me."

"But being naked isn't a bad thing!"

"In private, no, I guess it's not... But in the wrong places, it could have gotten you in trouble - and me, for giving you the idea."

"That's why we go to the Green Hill Club and NLAC parties," Sunset replied. "It's safe to be naked at places like that."

"Plus, I doubt Big Macintosh would mind me doing my chores in the nude," Apple Bloom giggled.

"He'd certainly be... distracted," Applejack nodded. "And even more so by me, being older and more... developed."

"Wait, are you seriously considerin'-?"

"I'm not saying I'm opposed to the idea..." Applejack interrupted.

"Well, what if we get him to join too?" Apple Bloom smiled innocently.

"I'm so sorry," Sunset said with an awkward smile. "Look what I'm doing to your family, converting you all like this."

"Well, it's not totally bad..." Applejack chuckled, before diving underwater. "Big Mac is adaptable to most things after all."

Apple Bloom was actually clapping with delight. "Oh, we're gonna have so much fun!"

Soon

"Where are your clothes?!" Granny Smith nearly fell out of her chair as she saw her granddaughters and their friend stand in front of her without a stitch of clothing on.

"Well, Apple Bloom and I persuaded Applejack to give nudism a try," smiled Sunset. "And I expect they won't be wearing much around the house from now on."

"Please let us do it, Granny!" begged Apple Bloom. "It's so much more comfortable, especially on a hot day!"

"Will you be showing off your bodies more?" The old woman asked suspiciously.

"Weeeell..." Applejack was still a bit awkward about being in front of her grandmother like this. She fidgeted with her fingers and tapped one bare foot slightly. Then, as if the universe itself decided to toy with her further, Big Macintosh stepped into the room and got a full view of both his naked sisters.

"Hi, big bro!" Apple Bloom grinned, rushing over to him and hugging him around the waist. The older male blushed brightly at the feeling of his youngest sister hugging him in the nude.

"What... is going on?" He asked, taking in the surreal scene.

Sunset had a particularly sly grin now. "Congratulations, Mac. Both of your sisters are now nudists."

Sweat was visible on Mac's forehead as his eyes ran over the bodies of all three girls. Applejack had always figured this kind of situation would mortify her. But strangely, she found herself oddly flattered by her brother's obvious appreciation of her form.

"Well, not just them," the girls turned around and squealed in embarrassment as they saw Granny Smith ditch the last of her clothes. "May as well make this farm fully nudist!"

Despite the obvious effects of the woman's age on her body, Sunset remembered that naturism was about tolerance of other people and their appearance. So she shook Granny Smith's hand in earnest. "Welcome to the lifestyle, ma'am."

"Oh, I'm no stranger to it," Granny Smith laughed. "Back when I was your age, the only things me and my friends wore while playing were our birthday suits!"

"That leaves you, eh, Mac?" Applejack said. "Gonna join us, then?"

The boy sighed. "Eeyup." And with that, he removed his jacket before starting on the rest of his clothes.

"Those too," Apple Bloom pointed to her brother's briefs. Once they were gone, Big Mac fought the urge to cover his groin.

"Well, that's that!" declared Granny Smith happily. "This farm is clothes-free turf from now on, children!" Apple Bloom hugged her gleefully, making Sunset chuckle.

Meanwhile, Applejack couldn't resist running her eyes over Mac's body. "Many girls would want to be able to see through my eyes right now, bro," she said with a wink. He blushed at the compliment while Apple Bloom did a little victory dance. Everyone laughed at her enthusiasm.

"So I guess this means you're gonna sign up for the Green Hill Club?" Sunset asked hopefully.

"Oh, but of course!" smiled Granny Smith.

Applejack shrugged. "I guess we might as well..."

"YAY!" squeaked Apple Bloom, hugging her sister.

The next day
Canterlot High

"I signed up for the gymnastics team!" Flutter said to Emerald, Viridian and Sandymane.

"Congratulations," smiled Sandymane.

"Thanks! I really hope I make the team."

"Shame you'll have to put up with those tight leotards, though," joked Emerald.

"They're not that tight," Flutter giggled. "And I think the pink clashes well with my skin."

"So what kind of stuff will you be doing, exactly?" Viridian asked.

"Balance beam, trampoline, pole vaulting..." Flutter thought off the top of her head.

"Well, I hope you have fun, whatever you do," said Sandymane. They then saw Apple Bloom dragging her sister and brother over to them.

"Say hello to the newest NLAC members!" The younger girl said proudly.

"Well, howdy there, Applejack and Mac," grinned Emerald. "Welcome to the club."

"We'll be signing up for your mom's club this weekend," Applejack replied.

"Good luck holding off the ladies, Mac," smirked Sandymane, making the burly country boy blush again. The group turned their heads to notice the coach of the gymnastics team, Fleetfoot, stick a piece of paper onto the bulletin board. They rushed toward it to see who made the team. Scanning the list of names, Flutter stopped her finger near the bottom.

"I made it in!"

Her friends cheered, many of them giving her a pat on the back.

"Hope to see you at practice, Flutter," Fleetfoot winked. Before Flutter could reply, Emerald's cell phone rang.

"Hello?" His expression changed to one of frustration. "Yes, I am her brother. You sure my mom is too busy? Alright, I'll be there."

"What is it, Em?" Flutter asked.

"Fuchsia got sent to the principal's office at her school."

"What? What could she have done to deserve that?" Sandymane asked.

"...stripping in the middle of class," Emerald sighed.

"Seriously?! Why the hay didn't Pimpernel stop her?! I'm having a word with him this afternoon--!"

"I got this," Emerald slung his backpack over his shoulder as he began to head outside.

Canterlot Middle School

Emerald knocked on the principal's office door. "I'm here to pick up Fuchsia."

"Hello, Emerald," replied the usually cheerful voice of the principal, Ms. Peachbottom. "Do come in, she's right here." Fuchsia Joy waved cheerfully at her brother, dressed in only a towel. "She seemed rather agitated today in class."

"Well, the A/C was broken," Fuchsia pouted. "My clothes were getting uncomfortable!"

Emerald sighed in exasperation. "Fuchsia, you KNOW there are places you're not supposed to take your clothes off. And school is one of them!"

"But it was hot!" his sister fake-whined. "Plus, the substitute teacher was really stuffy!"

"Well, normally, I look this the other way," Ms. Peachbottom said. "I understand she wants to express her true self."

"Wait, she does this regularly?!" Emerald almost fell back in surprise at this revelation.

"Her regular teacher is very open-minded."

"What about Pimpernel Globe?"

"Her little boyfriend? Oh, I've never heard of him doing it here. Maybe he's not quite as... adventurous." The woman couldn't help but chuckle.

"I was hoping he could join me eventually..." Fuchsia said sadly as Emerald led her outside.

"How about we take a special walk to Flutter's house? It's right nearby," he winked. Fuchsia wondered what he meant before seeing him begin to remove his own clothes. She clapped softly as he put the last of his clothes into his bag. As they headed through the empty halls, they saw Pimpernel packing his things in a nearby classroom. When he noticed them, his eyes went as wide as dinner plates. "Fuchsia, Emerald, are you guys totally crazy?!" Fuchsia, having discarded her towel, giggled.

"We're going to Flutter's house to hang out! Wanna come?"

"We can't go walking naked in the middle of the day!"

"Well," Emerald interrupted. "As I recall, your house's backyard is connected to the school field."

"That's right!" Fuchsia said. "Remember the time we sneaked over the wall to go walk around the field at night?"

"Oh, yeah, we did..."

"So come on, silly! Strip down and let's go!"

Shrugging, Pimpernel began shucking his own clothes. Stuffing them into his bag, he followed the Peace siblings through the school hallway towards the field. As they passed by the principal's office, Ms. Peachbottom noticed them streak by through her window. She gave a small chuckle before letting them get out of her sight and leaving the office.

Soon the three naked kids had scrambled over the Globes' fence, and again found themselves in the elaborate garden that lay behind it. It was empty as Smart Globe had gone to work and Hazelhair was picking up Sandymane.

"Too bad your sister didn't come with us," Fuchsia giggled. They crept towards the gate, seeing Flutter's house nearby.

"So we're going to visit her today?" Pimpernel asked.

"Yes, we are," Emerald smiled. "Plus, I wanted to cheer Fuchsia up after what happened today."

He opened the gate, and they prepared to sneak their way towards Flutter's back door. Looking both ways to make sure there was nobody watching, Emerald led his sister and her boyfriend across the street. The asphalt began to feel burning on their feet as they reached Flutter's backyard gate. At that moment, a worrying thought occurred to Pimpernel. What if Flutter had other visitors that day? Ones that didn't take kindly to nudism? The first person to come to mind was Viridian's mother, who might show up to pick up her son from a visit. Emerald made a shushing motion as he opened the gate to Flutter's backyard. The three of them sneaked their way towards the back door, and Emerald prepared to knock on it. Flutter quickly opened the door, already naked.

"Oh, you noticed us already--?" Emerald began saying, but he was interrupted as Flutter covered his mouth and hissed "Shhh!"

"What is it?"

Flutter indicated inside the house with a slight jerk of her head. They heard Viridian having a conversation with a woman.

"Is that... his mom?"

A woman in her forties, with olive green hair tied in a bun, looked sternly at her son trying to cover himself.

"Honestly, son, I'm disappointed," she was saying. "You should know by now that the only proper places to go without clothes are your bathroom or bedroom."

"Sorry, mom..." Viridian felt his world crashing and burning inside. She was going to forbid him from seeing Emerald and Flutter again, he just knew it.

"That being said," his mother continued, her expression softening a little. "You're clearly comfortable like this, and grounding you certainly wouldn't relay the message to you."

And just like that, Viridian's spirits began to rise again. "So... you don't mind me coming here? Or hanging out with my new friends?"

"I'm not saying I approve," said his mother, still frowning. "But I know that trying to stop you would make you bitter towards me. Considering how exhausting my working hours can be, the last thing I need is family issues to worry about at home too."

"Um, what is it you do?" Emerald asked politely.

"Mom's a member of the city council," Viridian replied.

"Yeah, she works closely with Mayor Mare herself," added Flutter.

"So, Miss...?" Sweet Heart shook her neighbor's hand.

"Grain. Olive Grain."

"Would you like to stay for dinner?"

Olive didn't know how to respond. She was having enough trouble trying to focus on the naked woman's face.

"I can!" Viridian raised his hand. "I think mom may need some time to take all of this in."

"I suppose I could stay..." Olive sighed. Sweet clasped her hands in glee as she headed to the kitchen to begin cooking. Emerald followed to help her.

"Hello, Miss Grain!" grinned Fuchsia, pulling Pimpernel into the room. "I'm Fuchsia Joy, and this is Pimpernel. He's my boyfriend!"

"Err... hello, miss," said Pimpernel, still feeling nervous under Olive's gaze.

"His sister Sandymane is also friends with Viridian," Fuchsia continued. Pimpernel's face suddenly fell as he realized his family had no idea where he was at the moment.

"Oh man, I should be home by now! And if Sandymane finds out what happened at school--!" He was interrupted by the doorbell ringing. Flutter answered it to see Sandymane looking rather cross.

"Is Pimpernel here?" she asked, getting right to the point.

"He is," Flutter replied.

"I need to talk to him. NOW."

"About what?"

"About what Fuchsia did at her school today, and how he didn't stop her. Stunts like that could have dire repercussions for us all. We don't want the Green Hill Club to be put at risk again, right?"

"Green Hill Club?" Olive asked in confusion. "Is that some nudist club or something?"

Sandymane stepped in and noticed her. "Yes, it is, ma'am. All of us are members. And I swear we don't mean to cause trouble. We try to be discreet about our lifestyle."

"...you really enjoy it, don't you?"

"Yes, ma'am," Flutter replied.

"You should try it sometime!" Fuchsia added.

Olive began to blush. "I don't know about that... But you all seem like very nice people, and if Viridian wants to hang out with you, I suppose there's no harm in it..."

"But the best part of being a nudist is accepting everyone," Fuchsia continued.

"And I'm very glad to hear that," replied Olive, smiling down at the young girl. "But I just can't get involved - not because of you, but because of my political career. Unfortunately, if word got out that one of the council members was involved with nudists, there are lowlifes that might use that as an excuse to flame us. Mayor Mare isn't just my boss, she's a good friend. I couldn't put her reputation at risk like that." She sounded very unhappy about stating what she felt to be the bitter truth.

"Well, why don't you try to make Canterlot naked?" Fuchsia asked innocently. "Then you wouldn't have to worry!"

Olive actually laughed at hearing that. "It's not so easy to change so many people's minds that quickly, I'm afraid. But that would be a great step forward, wouldn't it?"

"Dinner's ready!" Sweet Heart called out.

Later that night

Olive attempted to straighten herself in bed. The night was being unmercifully hot for her. For some reason, Fuchsia's words echoed in her head. She was also thinking of the outdoor pool that lay in the backyard, and how refreshing it would be to swim in it at that very moment.

"Maybe a little swim couldn't hurt..." She slipped on her nightgown, and began searching her dresser for her swimsuit.
Then she again remembered what Fuchsia said, and a naughty thought occurred to her. It was dark, and no one else would be likely to be up to see her... But did she dare? She slowly tiptoed down the stairs, making sure she didn't wake up Viridian. Carefully stepping outside, she set her gown on one of the chairs and breathed deeply. Then, screwing up her courage, she peeled off her nightdress and wriggled out of her panties. For a moment she just stood there, trying to get accustomed to the feeling of being stark naked outside. The chill of the night made her skin tickle, and she couldn't help a slight giggle at the sheer excitement of it.

Throwing her worries to the wind, she made a quick dash and dived headfirst into the water. The first thing she noticed was how much better and more natural it felt to swim without a clingy swimsuit. The water flowed over her form much more freely, and she felt more flexible. She began to go into an old routine from her time on her school's synchronized swim team. She giggled again at the thought of how her teachers would have reacted if she'd swum in her current state.

However, her splashing was loud enough to wake up Viridian. Peeking out his bedroom window, he noticed her doing laps in the pool - specifically, doing it naked. Throwing his own clothes off, he ran down the stairs, hoping to join her. Olive was so focused on her laps that she didn't notice her son when he came outside. She did hear the splash when he jumped in, of course.

"Wha--?! Viridian!" She instinctively covered her breasts, looking totally embarrassed.

"Relax, mom," he chuckled. "I'm naked too."

That made Olive's heart beat faster. "Oh, Faust... I can't believe this is happening..."

"Mom, it's okay to admit you like this."

Olive sighed and nodded. "Yes... yes, I couldn't resist. After dining with all your naked friends, and that little girl Fuchsia trying to get me to join you... the idea was stuck in my head. And it IS stiflingly hot tonight... And, well, once I started, it felt wonderful. What about you? Have you done any skinny dipping before now?"

"...yeah," Viridian blushed. "I went on a trip to a nude beach with them, and..." He paused to breathe. "...Emerald kissed me."

This was another big revelation for Olive about her son. "So... you're into other boys?"

"J-Just Emerald..."

"What about that girl Flutter?" Olive dared to ask. "You seemed very close to her too."

"W-We're kinda in a polygamic relationship..."

"'Polygamic'?"

"As in, more than two partners involved."

"And you're all okay with that?"

"Yes."

"That's... certainly something that I never would have considered at your age. But if the three of you are happy... well, who am I to argue with it?"

"...it's actually four..." Olive almost lost her footing at that statement.

"Wh-who... who else, then?"

"Sour Sweet, a girl from Crystal Prep."

"Right... I... I think I need to sit down." Overwhelmed by all the startling secrets that had been revealed to her that day, Olive pulled herself out of the pool and onto one of the chairs that sat by it. Viridian patted his mother's back.

"Sorry I kept all this from you."

She sighed, starting to look rather sad. "To be honest... I don't blame you. You probably knew I would go nuts. Me and my conservative attitude - I'm such a bore, aren't I?"

"You're my mother, I could never see you as a bore. Plus, I don't think you could be considered conservative anymore," he winked.

A slight chuckle burst from Olive's mouth. "You're not wrong about that. Look at me!" She glanced down at her wet, naked body slumped on the chair. In the past she wouldn't have been caught dead outside with no clothes on, or at least would have insisted on using a towel before sitting down.

"If you want to, we could spend more time with Emerald, Flutter and Sandymane's families, help ease you into this."

"You mean... like, go to that club?"

"If you want to, yes. Or we could visit them at their houses."

Olive thought over this idea for a few seconds. Then she said, "Well, I'd have to figure out how to plan it around my working hours, but--"

"But?"

"I'm not opposed to the idea."

"So you'll really join me in this?" Viridian's eyes beamed, and Olive couldn't resist leaning up to hug him. The feeling of their bare bodies pressed together was a bit awkward, but she was just so pleased to make her son happy that it didn't seem like a problem. Both mother and son held each other's hand before jumping back into the pool together.

Saturday morning, Canterlot High Gym

Flutter Heart breathed deeply in the girls' locker room. Today was her first day of practice on the gymnastics team, and she was rightfully nervous. One of the other members, a girl with green eyes and blonde hair in a bun named Pizzelle, approached her.

"Don't worry, newbie. We're all generally good sports here."

"R-Really? Thanks," Flutter smiled as she pulled the school leotard out from her bag. It was bright pink, and had the CHS logo on the left side of its chest area.

"If you want some privacy while you get changed, I can arrange that," Pizzelle offered.

"N-No, I'm good," Flutter smiled softly as she began to pull her clothes off. Stuffing them into her locker, she carefully slipped on the uniform. It was tight, but comfortable at the same time.

"You won't find Rainbow Dash, Lightning Dust or any other jocks like them here, by the way," Pizzelle continued as she took off her own clothes. "They prefer stuff that involves adrenaline and speed. Gymnastics are a bit more about elegance and control."

"Who is on the team besides you and Fleetfoot?"

"Well, there's Meadow Flower. She's a good friend of mine. Velvet Sky and Sweet Leaf are also with us - turns out environmentalism isn't their only pastime. Parasol and Sassaflash are regular members too."

"And me," Flutter added with an awkward chuckle.

"You did great at the tryouts," Pizzelle patted her teammate's back. "We'll be able to settle the score with Crystal Prep this time!"

Flutter's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Wait - we'll be competing against them?"

"Eventually," Pizzelle chuckled. "We gotta a ways to go before the championships."

"Good to see you making friends, Flutter," Fleetfoot stood in the doorway, already wearing her suit.

They were competing against Crystal Prep - the very school from which Flutter's girlfriend Sour was from. She began to wonder if this might lead to trouble later. Soon the other five members of the team arrived. Once everyone had changed, Fleetfoot whistled to get their attention.

"Now in case you noticed, we have a new member on our team, Flutter Heart. Her acrobatic skills were superb in the tryouts yesterday, and I think we may have a solid win with her!"

Each of the team greeted Flutter. Pizzelle's friend Meadow Flower even shook her hand.

"So what are we doing first, Cap?" Velvet Sky asked Fleetfoot.

"Some floor exercises, to get us warmed up," smiled Fleetfoot. "And then we'll try a few jump maneuvers on the springboards."

"Sounds easy enough," Flutter stretched her arms as she followed the others into the gymnasium. There were numerous pieces of equipment all set up for them to use. Fleetfoot directed them all to spring floors made from rubber foam, and they began a series of stretches, poses and positions. However during the stretches, Flutter's suit began to irritate her.

Meadow Flower noticed her tugging and scratching at it. "Are you okay there, Flutter? You look uncomfortable."

"Don't strain yourself if you are, Flutter," said Fleetfoot, who had noticed them. "If you need a break at any time, just ask."

"I'll be fine," Flutter managed to smile, not wanting the others to know she wanted to rip the suit off and do the workouts naked. As the workouts continued, however, Flutter's inner discomfort only grew. By the time they were finished and had returned to the locker room, she was itching to get out of the suit and let her skin breathe.

"You did good out there!" Pizzelle smiled.

"Thanks," Flutter replied in a strained voice, finally wriggling free of the suit and hurrying over to the showers to wash away the sweat that had built up on her body.

"I see you didn't wear underwear under that thing," Sweet Leaf remarked with a smirk. "Clever girl. I do the same myself. Much more comfortable, huh?"

"V-Very..." Flutter said with half-sincerity as she turned on the shower and began to wash herself. Sweet Leaf entered the adjoining booth and turned on the shower in there.

"So, any other hobbies?" the environmentalist asked.

"Oh, video games, swimming, hanging out with friends..." Flutter played with her hair a little as she listed off the top of her head.

"Swimming, huh? Ever heard of Skystar? A real swimming champion - they call her the Princess of the Sea in magazines."

"Sounds pretty cool," Flutter smiled.

"Hope to see you all next week!" Fleetfoot waved as she left the room. Flutter switched off the shower once it was just her and Sweet Leaf were the only ones left.

"Can I ask you something private?" The eco-kid asked.

"What is it?" Flutter replied quietly.

"Out there, you wanted to rip the suit off and just exercise in the nude, didn't you?"

Flutter was speechless. Had it really been that obvious?

"I have the exact same feeling," Sweet Leaf giggled. "My whole family is nudist, so it's the most common feeling I know."

"Really?" Flutter was surprised to find yet another whole family with the same lifestyle as hers. "Are you familiar with the Green Hill Club, by any chance?"

"No, is that a nudist club?"

"Yeah, me and my friends go there!"

"So you ARE 'one of us', so to speak!" Sweet Leaf was grinning from ear to ear. Flutter nodded eagerly.

"I actually have a crazy idea Fleetfoot won't see coming," she winked at Flutter.

"Really? Do tell."

Sweet Leaf giggled before leaning in. "I was thinking of just painting my suit on."

The idea was so naughty, so irresistible, that Flutter was now grinning too.

"Mind if I join?" She asked, much to her new friend's surprise.

"On one condition," Sweet Leaf replied, smirking. "You help me and my family find out more about this club of yours and where to find it."

"Gladly! In fact, wanna walk back to my place?"

"Sure! But we'd better get dressed - at least, until we get there." Both of them giggled as they did so.

"My parents are gonna like you."

Enter Ember

Canterlot High Gymnasium,
A couple weeks later

"I'm still not sure about this, Sweet," Flutter blushed as Sweet Leaf pulled off the last of her clothes. It was their first gymnastics competition of the semester, and their team was up next. Like Sweet promised, the two had been attending practice with their suits just painted on, but they were about to do it in front of much of the city's inhabitants.

"C'mon," the eco-kid smiled as she stretched her nude body, the pink paint covering her private areas. "Fleetfoot never noticed, what makes you think the audience will?"

"How about the fact that our families and friends will be here, and they've seen us naked already?" Flutter looked over her own body in a mirror. The amount of paint applied looked indistinguishable from the regular suit. "We're gonna get disqualified, or worse arrested."

"You're worrying too much about it," Sweet Leaf giggled as she gently shoved Flutter towards the gym. The rest of the team was waiting outside, ready to start their routine. Flutter peeked out the door to see her parents sitting in the stands, along with the Peace family, Sour, Viridian and the Globe family nearby. The song they had selected for their routine, the Rainbooms' latest hit Dance Magic, began to play from the loudspeakers. Taking a deep breath, Flutter followed her teammates onto the large mat to begin their routine. As she flexed her body into different positions, she was blushing brightly as she was exposing herself to a bunch of people in public. However, as the routine went on, she saw that no one shouted that she was naked yet. She sighed in relief as her worries subsided. The audience clapped as the routine finished and the team struck their final poses.

Soon

"I knew we'd win with Flutter on the team!" Fleetfoot cheered in the locker room. "Seriously, where did you learn those moves?"

"Oh, they just came to me," Flutter smiled as she secretly washed off the paint in the shower.

"You were really something else out there," Velvet Sky added. "You were so agile!"

"Aw, thanks," Flutter blushed again, this time not of embarrassment, but of pride. Once she was sure the paint was gone, she wrapped a towel around herself and stepped out to get dressed.

"So got anything special planned this weekend," Meadow Flower asked the team.

"Well," Flutter started. "My birthday's tomorrow." The other girls gasped excitedly as they began to crowd around her.

"Are we invited?" Fleetfoot half-joked.

"Well, it's rather... unique in its dress code."

"I can handle it!" Fleetfoot smirked. "What's the dress code?"

Flutter responded with a smirk of her own before dropping the towel, showing off her naked form. "This." The other team members, minus Sweet Leaf, all went bright red at what she meant.

"N-Naked?" Pizzelle trembled.

"Well, the best way to celebrate a birthday is to wear your birthday suit," Flutter giggled. "No clothes, no problem!"

"I'll be there!" Sweet Leaf raised her hand.

"Me too!" Meadow Flower smiled, confirming her status as a nudist.

"I guess it would be rude to ignore my star member's birthday," Fleetfoot concluded as the girls got dressed. "What time?"

"11 AM," Flutter smiled as she approached her parents' car."Sweet can give you the directions." As she got into the car, she saw her parents were mischievously smirking. "What?"

"We saw what you were wearing out there," Sweet Heart chuckled, causing her daughter to blush. "That was reckless and brave of you."

"We didn't say anything as we knew this was important to you," Starfoot continued.

"...did everyone else know?"

"Of course. Seeing each other naked kind of makes us more familiar with our bodies," Sweet Heart giggled as they drove home.

"We're not going to the club?"

"We... have an early gift for you at home," her mother smiled as Starfoot parked the car in their driveway. As they approached the front door, an excited yapping could be heard from inside.

Flutter's eyes widened. "Mom, dad... what's that?"

"It's your gift, of course," said Starfoot with a wink. "Direct from your friend Fluttershy's animal shelter."

"You got me a pet!"

"That's right," Sweet Heart grinned. "Say hello to Ember." She opened the door - and a young female blue-furred Dalmatian rushed over to greet them, panting with excitement. The dog immediately reared up to place her front paws on Flutter, who giggled as her hands were licked.

"She's so cute!" Flutter laughed as she rubbed Ember's head.

"She needed a new home," said Starfoot, "and we knew she'd be happy living with us. She'll need plenty of time outdoors, of course, but given how often we attend the Green Hill Club, that won't be a problem." Ember got back on her feet, obviously wanting to play with her new owner.

"Spike is going to love you," Flutter smiled as she attached a leash to her collar.

"You mean that little dog your friend Twilight owns?" Sweet Heart asked.

Flutter nodded. "That's who I'm going to visit." She led Ember down the sidewalk toward Twilight Sparkle's house. Well, "mansion" was a more accurate term. As she knocked on the front door, Ember caught the scent of another dog inside the house and barked.

"Calm down, girl," Flutter laughed, petting her. "You'll get to meet Spike as soon as Twilight lets us in."

"Flutter!" The bespectacled girl hugged her after opening the door. "What brings you here?"

"Ember here," grinned Flutter, petting her new dog. "Mom and Dad just gave her to me as an early birthday present. I thought she and Spike would like to meet each other, if that's okay?"

"Sure thing! Come on in!" She opened the door further to allow both her guests to come inside.

They entered the building's main hall, where Ember pawed the floor impatiently. Before long, Spike peeked through the banisters at the top of the stairway. As Ember gazed up at him, a blush spread across his face.

"Hey, Spike!" Flutter waved. "I brought a new friend for you."

Spike nervously made his way downstairs, wondering how to make a good impression for this rather attractive female dog.

"While our pets are having fun, wanna see my new project?" Twilight smirked.

"Sure!" Flutter replied. "If your past projects are anything to go on, I'm sure it'll be something really cool." Twilight led her into the basement, where her lab was located. The lights were off, plunging the room into darkness.

"What is this, preparation for a dramatic reveal?" asked Flutter wryly. The lights suddenly clicked on, showing Twilight standing proudly by her table. On the table was an invention that looked like a blaster gun out of some science fiction film.

"Behold," said Twilight with playful dramatic flair. "It's a matter transmitter. It can break a target down to its very molecules and store them inside itself, then release and restore it afterwards. I figured something like this would make transporting things like heavy furniture so much easier."

"Cool..." Flutter gazed at it with interest. "Can it work on people?"

"Well, with further tests..." Twilight started before she was interrupted by Spike and Ember dashing into the lab. The blue Dalmatian accidentally bumped into the table, causing the new invention to fall onto the floor. Flutter's new pet paused as she and her owner saw the device begin to sputter. The matter transmitter released several beams of light from its body, enveloping both the girl and her dog.

"OMIFAUST!" shrieked Twilight. "FLUTTER, EMBER, GET AWAY FR--"

Her words came too late. In a brilliant flash, both Flutter and Ember disappeared. The inorganic items attached to them - Flutter's clothes and Ember's collar - floated in midair for a moment before collapsing.

Then, in another bright beam, two new figures appeared. One was a naked girl with blue skin, dark blue hair, red eyes and blue freckles across her body. The other was a blue spotted dog. Strangely, both of them were on all fours. The dog was unconscious while the girl looked around in curiosity.

"Flutter?" Twilight asked cautiously. Ember barked in response, wondering where her owner was.

Spike gasped. "Ember?! Is that you?!"

"S-Spike...?" Ember stammered, human words coming to her naturally. She slowly stood up on her two legs.

"Y-You're... human?" Twilight stuttered. "Which means that dog must be... Okay, stay calm, Twilight. You can fix this..." Flutter the dog slowly woke up, immediately noticing everything was bigger.

"Twilight?" Thankfully she still had her voice. "Did you shrink me or something?"

"Err... something else, actually..." said Twilight awkwardly.

One explanation later

"YOU TURNED ME INTO A DOG?!" Flutter growled.

"It was the matter transmitter's doing!" Twilight argued. "It must have switched your species! But it should wear off in about a day."

"I can't attend my birthday tomorrow as a dog!" Flutter moaned, burying her head in her paws.

"And what about me?!" Ember cried, struggling to stay balanced while standing upright. "How am I going to cope in this weird new body?!"

"...I may have a dumb idea," Spike replied.

A few minutes later

Ember tugged at the shirt now on her body. Spike's idea of having her pose as Flutter was full of flaws, but it was also the only one they could come up with.

"This feels weird..." Ember grumbled. "Why can't I just go out there without these things on?"

"I'm afraid you'd get in trouble," Twilight sighed. "Maybe even arrested. But I know what you mean - it's generally more comfortable not to wear them. But hey, that's why nudist communities like ours exist."

"We're planning to take you to ours soon," Flutter added. "You'll love it there."

"Yeah," said Spike. "If you're gonna be human for a day, might as well make the most of it, huh?"

Ember nodded slightly as Twilight fixed her collar onto Flutter's neck.

"Hey, Twi, you wanna come to my birthday party tomorrow? Spike could keep me company."

"I could show you some of the perks of being a dog," Spike gave a canine grin.

"And after you turn back," added Twilight, "do tell me about your experiences. As a scientist, I'll be very interested."

"So... do I attach it here?" Ember asked her transmogrified owner, clumsily holding the leash.

With a bit of help from Twilight, they were able to get the leash properly attached, and the temporarily-switched dog and birthday girl were ready.

"Wanna go for a walk, Master?" Ember asked.

"Just Flutter, and sure," the Dalmatian smiled.

Soon

Flutter cautiously trotted down the sidewalk, making sure she didn't trip herself. Ember was having the same issues with her new bipedal stance.

With her new, sharper senses, Flutter found herself able to hear and smell things around her at a level that was almost overwhelming. Hearing a squirrel nervously scurry up a tree as it noticed her, she found herself fighting an inner urge to chase it.

Ember, on the other hand, was disappointed that humans had dulled senses, along with colder skin. The clothes felt uncomfortable and the mounds on her chest felt... distracting.

"How do you humans cope with this?" she ended up whispering. "Being in this body feels so... limiting."

"I was going to say the same about you dogs," Flutter replied, trying to shake her head free of the primal instincts. Ember suddenly felt a need to use the restroom.

"Um, Flutter? Is there somewhere where I can... release?"

"I'm afraid you need a toilet for that," replied Flutter, wincing at the awkward subject. Another dog barking got their attention. They looked up to see Applejack walking her own dog Winona.

"Howdy, Flutter!" the farm girl called. At least that proved that Ember was convincing enough in terms of appearance.

"Oh, hi, um, Applejack?" Ember recalled her from the brief lesson Twilight and Flutter gave her about their friends.

"I see ya got a dog yourself," the farm girl smiled as Winona greeted the transformed Flutter.

"Yeah, I did," Ember chuckled, still hoping she sounded enough like her new owner.

Then Applejack noticed something. "Say - when did your eyes turn red?"

"Crap!" Flutter inwardly cursed. "Forgot about that!" She blushed as she felt Winona sniff her rear.

"Um, just... wanted to try out some new contact colors," Ember nervously chuckled.

"Really?" Applejack smiled in interest. "Well, no harm in tryin' a new look every now and then." Her look became a little more serious. "So I heard you're hostin' a naked birthday party tomorrow."

"Oh yeah... hehe, that." Flutter and Twilight had mentioned this only vaguely, and Ember was unsure how exactly to respond.

"There room for me and my siblings to come?" Applejack's seriousness melted as she raised an eyebrow mischievously.

"Err, yeah, sure! Plenty of room for all my friends!"

"See ya tomorrow then!" Applejack waved good-bye. As soon as she was out of sight, Ember suddenly yanked down her pants and positioned herself near a tree.

"Ember, no!" Flutter shouted. "It's not appropriate for humans!"

"Well, where can I go?!" cried Ember, really looking desperate.

"I told you - a toilet!"

"Then let's get to one already!"

Flutter dashed forward, yanking her current owner along back to their house, Ember pulling her pants back up along the way.

"Now quick! Get the key out of the right pocket and open the door with it!" hissed Flutter once they were at the front door.

Ember fumbled hurriedly, but managed to do so.

"Now get upstairs fast!" Flutter instructed. Ember quickly dashed to the second floor and into the bathroom, just as Sweet Heart emerged from the kitchen.

"Hello, Ember," she unknowingly rubbed her daughter's head, which admittedly felt nice.

I see why dogs like this. I'll be sure to fuss Ember plenty when we change back. Oh... I really hope we're not stuck in a difficult situation when that happens, she thought to herself, as she crawled up to her room, waiting for Ember.

She found the upstairs bathroom door closed.

"You doing okay in there?" she asked.

"Err... what's this handle for?" came the dog-turned-girl's voice.

"It's to get rid of your stuff when you're done!" Flutter rubbed her head with her paws. Hearing the toilet flush, she saw Ember had undressed in the bathroom, and was on all fours again.

"That feels better," Ember smiled as they headed to Flutter's room.

"Yes, you CAN get away with that inside the house. Good girl," said Flutter with a wink.

Ember chuckled before using her right foot to scratch her head.

"So how come your parents don't wear clothes at home?"

"Because we're nudists," Flutter replied. "It was me who got us into it, in fact, after my boyfriend Emerald introduced me to it. One day I'll tell you the full story."

"So your birthday is tomorrow?" Ember asked, remembering her conversation with Applejack.

"That's right. And everyone there's gonna be naked," declared Flutter, making Ember laugh.

"Well, I'll fit right in!" Ember grinned. "...will that dog Spike be there?"

"Well, I've invited Twilight already, so yeah. Why, do you want to hang out with him more?" There was a teasing tone in Flutter's voice.

Ember blushed. "Yeah..."

"Well, remember, you also have to pose as me."

"Oh Faust," groaned Ember. "You need to tell me more about being you..."

"Well, I'm cheerful most of the time, I'm sociable and I love Emerald, Sour and Viridian."

"Any... quirks I should be aware of?" Ember asked, trying to put it as discreetly as she could.

"Um, just try to stay positive?"

Then, after a second's thought, Flutter added "But not in a way that's too obvious. I mean, that's more my friend Pinkie Pie's thing. When you see her, you'll know what I mean."

"Alright then."

"Oh, and try to rein in your dog instincts, it'll make people suspicious."

"Easier said than done," Ember muttered.

"That means no sniffing people's rear ends!"

"Okay, okay!" Ember sighed as she crawled into Flutter's bed headfirst, her rear sticking out from the covers.

"Not like that..." Flutter put her paw to her forehead.

After many more adjustments and corrections, Ember at last lay in the bed as a human would, with her head resting on the pillows.

"This feels weird..." the human dog grumbled.

"Well, it's only for one night," said Flutter, trying to get comfortable herself on the floor. "Once we change back, you can sleep like I'm about to do."

The next day

"Happy birthday, Flutter!" Starfoot and Sweet Heart shouted in unison as they barged into their daughter's room. Both the human Ember and the canine Flutter gave yelps of alarm as they were jolted awake.

"Oh, sorry about that," Sweet chuckled as Ember glared at her.

"So," grinned Starfoot, "I figure you'll be wanting to come and have breakfast before we get ready for the party?"

"Yes, please!" Ember leapt out of bed and rushed downstairs, Flutter following closely behind. Ember took Flutter's usual spot at the table while Flutter walked over to Ember's dog bowl.

"Just remember," whispered Flutter when she got the chance, "use the spoon like Twilight and me told you. Don't just plunge your face into the bowl!"

Ember nodded before picking up the utensil. After breakfast, Ember went to help Starfoot and Sweet set up decorations in the backyard.

Flutter continued to whisper instructions to her, as she was still struggling with the sensation of having and using hands.

"Oh, we spoke with Olive last night, sweetie," Sweet smiled as she hung up a streamer. "She and Viridian are going to stop by later."

Ember gave a wide grin, giving the impression of being thrilled to see one of Flutter's boyfriends. The doorbell then rang, its sound causing Flutter to wince at its loudness. Starfoot grabbed his robe from one of the lawn chairs and headed back inside to answer it. He opened the door to see the Peace family eagerly waiting outside. Fuchsia was holding a wrapped gift, while Emerald waved in greetings. Rosie was behind them, brushing her hair out of her right eye. Unsurprisingly, all three were already naked.

"Come in, you loons, before the neighbors get upset!" said Starfoot. But he did it ironically, with an amused smile.

"Oh?" Rosie asked in mock surprise. "I thought your city council neighbor had already got rid of her clothes and joined our club." She giggled at the banter she was giving.

Emerald playfully smacked his mother's arm. "Let's just get in, shall we?"

"The Globes are on their way as well," Rosie informed Starfoot. "Along with Flutter's gymnastics team."

"Don't forget Sunset!" Fuchsia giggled as she set the present down on the coffee table.

"It's... great to have so many friends," said Ember, secretly feeling panicked at how many people she'd have to maintain her act for.

"We'll change back soon," Flutter whispered as the doorbell rang again.

"Pimpy's here!" Fuchsia beamed.

Unlike the Peaces, the Globes had put on clothes for the journey. But as soon as they were inside, Fuchsia pounced on Pimpernel and eagerly started helping him undress. Shaking her head in amusement, Sandymane placed two more gifts on the table.

"The second one is for Ember," she explained.

Starfoot didn't have time to close the door as Sour Sweet and Fleur dis Lee stepped inside, both tossing their clothing off as they walked.

"Hello, girls," smiled Sweet. "Nice to have you joining us too."

"I wouldn't miss my girlfriend's birthday," Sour smirked as she ditched her underwear and went to hug Ember. The dog blushed at the closeness and when Sour's hand moved down to her rear end.

Meanwhile, Pimpernel - now also fully nude - found himself playfully wrestled down onto the carpet by Fuchsia as she tickled his sides and kissed his face.

"Pinned ya!" Fuchsia giggled.

"Come on, Fuchsia, let me up!" Pimpernel protested. At last she agreed and they sat down together on the sofa, her arms still wrapped around his torso.

"Hey, is Rouge going to show up?" Fleur asked Sandymane.

"Afraid not," sighed Sandymane. "He and his mother already had a shopping trip planned for today."

"Sunny and Fleck are likewise engaged with their own families," Sour added.

"Well, with Sunset and the gymnasts on the way, I think we'll be pretty crowded anyway," said Starfoot.

At that moment the bell rang again, and this time Sunset Shimmer stepped in, carrying another wrapped gift under her arm.

"Happy birthday, Flutter," she smiled.

"Thanks, Sunset," Ember smiled.

"Twilight and Spike are right behind me," Sunset added, as she undressed.

Sure enough, the young scientist and her dog soon joined the party. Spike immediately made his way to Flutter and whispered "How are you holding up?"

"...better than I thought it would be," the dalmatian answered.

"Hey, at least you get to run around naked and no one is the wiser," the male dog chuckled.

Flutter giggled as she began to realize this. Meanwhile, as Twilight undressed, Ember quietly asked her how much longer it might be before she and Flutter returned to normal.

"About an hour," Twilight smiled, rubbing Ember's hair. The current human blushed at the feeling, her dog instincts showing themselves.

"So it's just your gymnastics team we wait for now, Flutter," said Sweet to the girl she assumed to be her daughter. "Any ideas for what to do while we wait?"

Before Ember could answer, the doorbell rang again. Twilight, being the closest to the door, opened it to reveal Sweet Leaf and Meadow Flower, both naked and each holding a wrapped present. The gifts were also strategically covering their "naughty" bits.

"Hiya, Flutter!" grinned Sweet Leaf as they stepped in.

"Oh, um, hi," Ember nervously waved, forgetting the girls' name.

"You seem a bit shy today. Not suddenly going textile on us, are you?" asked Meadow in a teasing tone.

"N-Not at all!" Ember huffed.

"Well, the Captain and the others are coming together," Sweet Leaf continued as they set their gifts down with the others.

"Anyone else feeling thirsty?" Sunset asked. "I could help you prepare some drinks, Mrs. Heart."

"Thank you, Sunset," Sweet smiled as Fleetfoot and the other gymnastics team members walked up the house's driveway.

Pizzelle was still looking nervous about the whole thing, even though none of them had even undressed yet. "A-A-Are we really gonna go through with this?"

"Flutter's a nice girl," Fleetfoot replied. "Plus, she's probably the best I've seen in a while." She inhaled deeply before knocking on the door.

This time it was Rosie Peace who opened the door. The gymnasts couldn't help but blush at the sight of the woman's body.

"Welcome!" Rosie smiled as the girls headed inside.

As they were confronted with a crowd of other naked bodies, Pizzelle looked almost ready to faint, and Sassaflash had a hard time trying not to stare at Emerald.

"Sorry, he's taken," Sour playfully nudged Sassaflash's side.

"Darnit," the gymnast muttered.

Meanwhile, Fleetfoot stepped towards Ember. "You really weren't kidding, were you? So... where shall we put our clothes?"

"You can toss them in the closet," Starfoot answered.

Fleetfoot immediately started to undress. The other girls reluctantly began to follow suit.

"You've been looking forward to this, haven't you?" Pizzelle asked her captain.

"Well, Flutter, Sweet and Meadow inspired me to research it, and... well, you only live once, right?"

"You gotta join us out here, Cap!" Sweet Leaf called from the backyard. "They set up a pool!"

Once her last scrap of clothing was off, Fleetfoot made her way outside, giggling slightly at the feeling of air flowing unrestricted over her body. The others looked dumbfounded at their captain's sudden change in personality.

"Did something happen to her this morning?" Pizzelle whispered. She was more used to the serious personality Fleetfoot exhibited most of the time.

"Guess doing this made her loosen up," remarked Velvet Sky, who was by now becoming more accustomed to being naked.

The rest of the team followed their captain outside where Emerald and Sunset had set up a large inflatable pool brought from Flutter's garage. Sweet Leaf was already splashing about in the water, and Fleetfoot was now climbing in to join her. Flutter smiled as her boyfriend joined Ember in the pool as well.

"Y'know, Spike, I actually wouldn't mind being a dog again sometime."

"Well, who knows?" Spike replied. "Maybe Twilight will find a way to do it without having to change Ember too."

The doorbell rang again, Fuchsia answering it this time. She giggled as she saw Viridian and his mother standing outside, with Vice Principal Luna in tow.

"Come on in!" said the bubbly little girl.

"Thank you, Fuchsia," Luna smiled as she gently nudged Olive inside. Viridian was already in the process of taking his clothes off as Ember dried off to come inside to hug him. As she came inside, Twilight noticed she was steadily regrowing her tail.

"Ember!" she hissed. "Look at your rear--!"

"What about it?" Ember replied, looking both offended and confused.

"You're changing back!" Ember's eyes widened as she called for Flutter to come back inside.

Ember's eyes widened in panic. She noticed the tail now, along with her hands starting to shift back into paws.

"It must've ended earlier than I calculated," Twilight reasoned as Flutter's fur began to fall off in patches and she began to grow in size.

"You two gotta hide until you've finished changing!" said Spike.

"My room! Quick!" Flutter directed her as Ember grew fur all over her body.

"...did Ember just talk?" Sweet asked.

Twilight quickly diverted her attention. "So, uh, how are those drinks coming on?"

"Nearly finished now," said Sunset. "We've got chocolate milkshakes, banana milkshakes, orange juice and blackcurrant."

"CHOCOLATE?!" Pizzelle's voice shouted from outside before she dashed inside, a somewhat crazed look on her face. "WHERE?!"

Sunset was understandably nervous. "Err... right here in these glasses..."

"GIMMEGIMMEGIMME!!!"

The sounds of screaming from upstairs caught everyone's attention.

"Um, Flutter's just doing a new yoga exercise," Twilight chuckled nervously.

"Well, I hope she finishes before we get the cake out," Sweet smiled.

"You think they'll be okay?" Spike whispered to Twilight.

"I really don't know, they're literally the first living test subjects who've been exposed to that device."

A few minutes later, Flutter and Ember headed downstairs, both back in their normal forms.

Twilight immediately hurried over to them. "Are you two okay? We heard... well, you know..."

"More or less fine, Twilight," Flutter replied reassuringly. "So did I hear mention of cake, mom?"

"Possibly," said Sweet with a cheeky wink. "How about I light the candles and we get started? I'll bet that yoga session built up your appetite."

"Wait... yoga?"

"I used that as a cover for you transforming," Twilight whispered. Sweet took the vanilla cake she bought the day before out of the fridge and began placing candles on it.

"All right, we need everyone present for this," announced Fleetfoot. "Could somebody go to the backyard and let the ones out there know?"

"On it," Pimpernel headed outside. Soon, everyone had gathered inside as Sweet lit the candles, seventeen in all.

"You know, Flutter," remarked Sunset with a grin, "I wonder if, on your last birthday, you'd ever have imagined you'd be spending the next one in your 'birthday suit', surrounded by equally naked friends?"

"Never," Flutter laughed. "Though it's not as weird as turning into a dog!" Everyone's jaws dropped at that last statement, except for Spike and Twilight who simultaneously face-palmed.

After a brief, very awkward silence, Sandymane spoke up. "Heh, it's funny... I could have sworn you said--"

"That she was turned into a dog?" Ember finished, causing everyone to look at her in shock. "What?"

"...Ember can talk...?" Sunset asked Twilight.

"I think we have some explaining to do, Flutter," sighed the scientist girl.

Soon

"So you built a matter transfer device, and it somehow switched Flutter and Ember's species?" Sweet asked Twilight.

"It was an accident, Mrs. Heart," Twilight explained.

"Another of your inventions went wrong, huh, Twilight?" asked Sunset, raising an eyebrow.

"It was my fault this time," Ember admitted.

Between them, Twilight, Flutter, Ember and Spike explained how Twilight's matter transmitter had been knocked over, how it brought about Flutter and Ember's temporary transformations, and how they had kept it concealed.

"Thankfully, the two of us just looked alike enough to deflect any suspicion," Flutter concluded.

"Well," said Starfoot, "while I would have preferred you to be more honest about your situation, you did a good job. Apart from the red eyes, Ember was the splitting image of you, Flutter. But we're glad to see you both back to normal, of course."

"And the experience left Ember with the ability to talk," Flutter hugged her pet affectionately.

"Well, I guess you aren't alone in that regard anymore, eh, Spike?" smiled Sandymane. The purple dog blushed at the compliment.

"You are cute, Spike," Ember nuzzled him.

The human girls couldn't help but giggle as they watched Spike getting attention from the female Dalmatian. Sweet Heart chuckled as she brought the cake over to the table. Olive, having ditched her clothes, moved aside to give her neighbor some room. As per tradition, the candles were lit, and then blown out by Flutter once everyone had sung Happy Birthday to her. Then Sweet Heart stood up and began cutting slices to pass around.

"I must admit," Luna said to Olive. "I didn't expect you to become a nudist so quickly."

"Well, my son helped convince me to try it," Olive gave a soft smile as she saw Emerald and Flutter share a laugh with Viridian.

"And you don't mind the... unique relationship he has with two girls and another boy?"

"Well... I admit that idea is taking even longer to get used to. But I respect his choices, and I wouldn't want to ruin his happiness by meddling with it."

"Well, I actually have a proposition for you," Luna mischievously raised an eyebrow.

"Wha-- Excuse me?" Olive looked apprehensive over what the other woman might have in mind.

"How do you feel about helping me make Canterlot a clothing optional city?"

Olive was understandably incredulous. "You honestly think that something like... THAT could be done?"

"It never hurts to try."

Olive gave a deep sigh. "You understand, of course, that since we live in a democracy, it would take a LOT of people agreeing on an idea like that to make it a reality? And if it failed, the one who put the idea forward might be seen as a radical lunatic, staining their reputation and career afterwards?"

"Even when a close friend happens to be the mayor of Canterlot?" Luna smirked.

Olive was taken aback by that comment. "Wh-What are you implying?"

Fuchsia entered the conversation. "You said you work with the Mayor all the time. If anyone can pull this off, it's you!" Everyone could tell that the little girl was very eager about the possibility of being able to go naked anywhere in Canterlot that she wanted.

"I-I'll try," Olive said after thinking it over for a few minutes. "But it'll be risky."

"You mean... you'll really try to do it, Mom?" said an astonished Viridian. She nodded.

"You won't have to do it alone," Sweet Heart spoke up. "We'll all help you."

"We'll do anything we can," Hazelhair added. "Vote, campaign, help with promotion - anything."

Olive was indeed grateful as she looked at the supportive faces around her. In an enterprise like this, she'd need all the help she could get.

Rarity's Mesmerizing Predicament

Carousel Boutique

Rarity hummed to herself as she worked on her latest fashion order. Despite her effort to give off an aura of calmness, however, she was trembling like a leaf on the inside. This particular order happened to be for none other than the pop superstar Songbird Serenade, who was visiting Canterlot that week. Here was one client Rarity was very anxious to avoid disappointing. To complicate matters further, Sweetie Belle was in her care for the weekend as their parents were on another trip. She respected her little sister's choice to be a naturist, but still could not help hoping that it would not cause any complications or embarrassment in her own plans. The shop bell rang, causing her to jump in surprise. Had Songbird arrived early? Heading downstairs, she saw to her relief, it was just Twilight holding a rather large glass dome.

"Twilight! What brings you here, darling, and what is that, err... contraption you've brought with you?"

"My latest invention!" Twilight declared proudly. "A mind reading device!"

"Really? How very... delightful. Of course, I don't know how many people would want other people to know what's inside their minds... Not that I mean any offense, you understand!"

"I actually made this to give Sunset's powers some rest, so we can avoid another 'overpowered' incident," she said, referring to the time when their geode powers went haywire due to Rainbow Dash overusing her super speed.

"Ah," Rarity replied. "You know, that's actually a very good and generous idea. Well done, Twilight."

"I wanted to ask if you could be the test subject."

"Me?!" Rarity was not being too keen on being used as a laboratory guinea pig, especially on a day like this.

"Everyone else is busy, so you're the only one left."

"Does it have to be today?" Rarity groaned. "As you can see, I'm already quite busy..."

"It'll just be a quick test session, I promise!"

Being the generous girl she was, Rarity at last agreed to Twilight's begging and led her to her room upstairs. She sat down to let the scientist place the device over her head.

"Now, if this works, whatever you're thinking will be displayed in the glass dome."

Twilight flipped a switch on a control panel connected to the dome, and blurry waves of energy became visible emitting from Rarity's head. Eventually, they solidified into a clear memory of seeing Songbird Serenade performing on television.

"You're doing an outfit for her?" Twilight asked.

"Yes, and I'd rather not disappoint her."

"I guess I can understand that... She's become a big name in music and entertainment." However, both girls were unaware that the device was starting to smoke. Their attention was undoubtedly caught, however, when sparks began to emit from it.

"Twilight," said Rarity in a nervous voice, "I think something's gone wrong..."

Twilight's eyes widened before running over to try to pull the helmet off. Alas, she was a second too late as the device exploded, thankfully doing little damage to Rarity.

Twilight fanned away the resulting smoke with her hands. "Are you all right, Rarity?!"

"Just a... little... woozy..." The young fashionista looked very dazed, and some of her hair was frizzled, but much to Twilight's relief, she was generally unharmed. The shop bell rang again, and Apple Bloom and Scootaloo's voices were heard downstairs.

Sweetie Belle invited them over?! Twilight began to fret over how the three young girls would react to the explosion, and how the disoriented Rarity would be able to continue her work.

"Hey, Sweetie Belle," they heard Apple Bloom say. "Thanks for havin' us over."

"No problem," Rarity's little sister replied.

"Hey, is something burning?" Scootaloo asked. "I can smell smoke."

"It's just one of Twilight's inventions," Sweetie replied. "You can get undressed, Rarity won't mind."

Rarity managed to hear "You can get undressed, Rarity," and by means of an unexpected side effect of the machine's explosion, a strange reaction took place in her mind.

"Yes... I can get undressed..." She droned as she lifted her shirt over her head and tossed it onto the floor. She undid her boots and stepped out of her socks before taking her skirt off. Twilight, who had not yet noticed this, was starting to salvage the pieces of her invention.

"All right, Rarity, I'm so sorry for this little fiasco. I'll just take this thing home and repair it, and-- What the hay?!" Rarity was in the process of unhooking her bra and throwing it on the pile of clothes. Her panties followed shortly after, and her elegant naked body was now on full display. Twilight, of course, was taken by surprise. She knew that unlike the rest of her friends, Rarity had not taken up the naturist lifestyle, and that with her self-conscious character it would not be easy to persuade her to. Yet just now she had fully undressed in full view of Twilight, and did not look in the least concerned over it.

"Rarity, are you okay?"

"Never better!" Rarity smiled, almost oblivious to her nudity. "Sorry your invention didn't work like it did."

"Err... that's okay. I can fix it easily. I'm just... glad that you're not hurt."

Just then, the CMC burst into the room, having heard Twilight scream.

"Is everything alright, TwiLIGHT?!" Sweetie's eyes widened in shock as her older sister began to work on her dress again, this time in the nude.

"Everything's fine, Sweetie," the girl smiled. "Just another little accident with an invention."

Sweetie's two friends followed her into the room. Apple Bloom gasped at the sight of the nude Rarity, while Scootaloo grinned with delight, assuming that Sweetie's sister had at last joined their lifestyle.

"What did you do to her?" Sweetie Belle demanded in an unintentional harsh tone.

Twilight nervously tried to explain. "I know this looks bad, but..."

"It's like she's been hypnotized or something!"

"...hypnotized?" Twilight's eyes narrowed at her broken device. "That's it! The device exploding must've triggered a hypnotic trance in Rarity!"

"But why'd she go takin' her clothes off?" Apple Bloom wondered.

Twilight thought for a minute. "Sweetie Belle, when you told the girls 'You can get undressed', Rarity must've heard it as a command."

"So how do we undo that command?" Sweetie cried. "How do we get my sister back to normal?!"

"Sweetie, you needn't fret so much," said Rarity as she worked at the seams of a skirt. "I'm perfectly fine."

"I-I'll go back home and fix this thing so it can be reversed!" Twilight stammered. "Just... try to keep her out of public view."

Scootaloo shrugged. "Hey, we're naked too. We'll be keeping out of sight ourselves."

"I'm sure Miss Hemline won't mind either," Rarity smiled as Twilight placed the broken pieces in a box.

"Wait - you mean Prim Hemline? The fashion critic?" Sweetie Belle looked even more panicked. "She's not coming here or something, is she?!"

"Of course, she owns the boutique."

"That tears it! Girls, we gotta get dressed until this all gets sorted out! Trying to hide ourselves as well as Rarity will just make it harder!" Apple Bloom and Scootaloo nodded as they retreated to Sweetie Belle's room to retrieve their clothes.

"What are you snickerin' about?" Apple Bloom asked Scootaloo in annoyance.

"Sorry... it's just she said 'tears it'... and 'make it harder'..."

"Get your mind outta the gutter! We got somethin' to take care of here! Or rather someone - namely Rarity!"

"And what if Miss Hemline sees her employee working in the nude?"

"We're gonna make sure that doesn't happen! We're gonna keep Rarity outta sight until Twilight gets that machine fixed so that RARITY can be fixed!"

They had just finished putting on their clothes when the bell rang again.

"That must be her!" gulped Sweetie Belle.

"Helllo, Rarity!" Songbird Serenade's voice called out.

"I'm here with Miss Serenade herself," they heard Prim Hemline saying afterwards. "We hope the ensemble you've prepared is befitting of her public image."

"Oh, it is!" Rarity called out, as she stood up, heading towards the door.

Apple Bloom quickly got in the way. "Err, you've been workin' hard, Rarity. Why don't ya have a sit down and let us greet them?"

"But it's important for an artist to meet her patron!" Rarity argued.

Growling in exasperation, Scootaloo took things into her own hands by pushing the naked older girl into one of her own closets. Locking the door, she gave the thumbs up to Sweetie Belle. Ignoring Rarity's muffled protests, the three Cutie Mark Crusaders hurried downstairs to meet Songbird and Prim. They stood in a row, sporting sheepish but polite smiles.

"Where is Rarity?" Prim asked the younger girls.

"She's, uh, putting the finishing touches on the dress," Sweetie sheepishly replied.

Prim frowned judgmentally. "I hope this is not an indication of her slacking off until the last minute."

"Ms. Hemline, you really ought to lighten up," said Songbird. "Besides, we're essentially guests in this house, so we should chill out and be polite."

A loud bang from upstairs got everyone's attention, along with the approaching sound of bare feet. Sweetie Belle quickly made her way back upstairs. "Sounds like something fell over - I'd better tidy it up!" She left her two friends to keep their visitors distracted.

"Sooo," said Scootaloo nervously, "anyone for charades?"

Prim frowned again, but Songbird just chuckled.

Upstairs, Sweetie Belle struggled to hold her sister back, hoping Twilight would return soon. Grabbing a nearby vase, she dumped the water inside onto Rarity's face, hoping it would get through to her in some way. Rarity blinked for a couple moments before stopping.

"Sweetie Belle, why am I all wet and..." Her eyes widened in shock and horror as she let out one of her trademark screams. She was heard downstairs, of course.

"What in Faust's name was that?!" Prim cried.

"Oh man, I forgot," said Scootaloo. "We were watching a horror movie earlier, and the volume was up pretty high."

"Uh, yeah, that's right," added Apple Bloom. "I guess Sweetie accidentally turned it on again or somethin'. Sorry about that."

"You kids watch horror films? That's pretty hardcore," said Songbird with a smirk.

Rarity, on the other hand, was mortified as Sweetie Belle handed her clothes over.

"Why am I soaking wet and naked?!" she hissed. "Prim will be here any moment, probably with Songbird Serenade herself with her! I simply cannot greet them like this!"

"It's a long story," Sweetie Belle sighed. "Just dry off, get dressed and present the outfit."

As Rarity headed to the bathroom for a towel, Sweetie Belle wondered if her sister had truly recovered from the effects of Twilight's invention, or if this was a temporary flash of awareness at best. A few seconds later, she emerged, fully dressed again.

"Much better," she said. "So, where are your friends, Sweetie?"

"Um... distracting Prim and Songbird?" Sweetie raised her arms nervously.

"WHAT?!"

"Yes, they're here. Now, just try to stay ca--"

"How long have they been here?! Every second they've had to wait for me could lower my chances of success here!"

"But you've more or less finished the dress while you were, ahem..."

"I have?" Rarity's spirits began to lift. "Excellent! Let me just get it, and--"

"I have a meeting to attend to," Prim said. "I trust you can wait?"

"No problem, ma'am," Songbird replied reassuringly.

Sweetie and Rarity overheard the fashion critic leaving and closing the door behind her.

"Well, that's the grumpy one out of the way," said Sweetie in a joking manner. "Trust me, Rarity, Songbird is really cool and understanding. Start talking to her and you'll stop feeling nervous very quickly."

"A-Alright," Rarity regained her composure before grabbing Songbird's dress and heading downstairs.

She began to tremble upon seeing the pop star, but Songbird gave her a warm smile and gave a gesture welcoming Rarity to speak.

"I finished your order," Rarity held up the dress. It was strapless with a short and frilly skirt, giving off something of a 1920s flapper vibe. A striking patchwork combination of black and white decorated it, with a sparkling finish overlying that.

"You're pretty good, Rarity," Songbird smiled. "I bet making this was a snap!" To emphasize her last word, she snapped her fingers. This seemed to trigger something in Rarity as she began to slowly undress again.

"What the--?!" Scootaloo cried out.

Sweetie Belle gulped. It seemed as if the effects of Rarity's accident were not fully reversed after all. Before their eyes, Rarity soon stripped down to her underwear. Due to her trademark fringe obscuring her eyes, Songbird's reaction was largely unreadable. Her mouth was slightly open, obviously in surprise, but her calm demeanor generally never faltered even as Rarity became fully nude before her. Sweetie Belle buried her face in her hands distraught that her sister's reputation was in shambles now.

"...pretty cool, Rarity," Songbird chuckled after a few minutes of awkward silence.

"Pardon, darling?" Rarity asked, her trance making her cheerful.

"Well, I'm glad to see that you're confident enough with your body to bare it all like this. Nudism suits you."

Rarity chuckled and blushed. "Oh, stop."

The Crusaders couldn't believe their ears. Was all the worrying for nothing? They watched in continued shock as the naked Rarity struck up a casual conversation with Songbird.

"Shouldn't we... try to stop this or somethin'?" Apple Bloom whispered.

"Why don't we just let them have their chat?" Scootaloo smiled. "See where this leads to, y'know?"

"Are you a nudist yourself by any chance, Miss Serenade?"

"Please, call me Songbird."

"Very well. Are you, Songbird?"

"Welllll, I never really got into it myself, but I had a friend once who did, so I've learned to respect people who choose to."

"Oh, you should try it out after this clothing optional law passes," Rarity smiled, earning more looks of surprise from the CMC.

"How did she find out?!" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Well, it's made quite a splash in the news," said Apple Bloom. "Must've seen it on TV or somethin'."

"They've been getting all kinds of support," Songbird noted. "Maybe I could do a concert for their benefit?"

"Really?" Rarity replied, looking pleased. "That would be greatly appreciated."

"I'll keep in touch," she lifted her hair slightly so Rarity could see her wink. The fashion designer hummed as she carefully placed the dress into a box.

"Well, it's been a pleasure," Songbird smiled as Rarity gave her the box. "Thank you very much for this, Rarity - I'll be sure to wear it at a gig sometime soon."

Rarity waved goodbye as the pop star left. To the Crusaders' relief, she did it while hiding her body behind the door, so nobody outside would see her nudity.

"Well, that was my final job for the week, so how about you and I go somewhere for the weekend, Sweetie Belle?"

"But... we're expecting Twilight to return here later, right?" said Sweetie Belle, making an attempt to be discreet about what led Rarity to this situation.

"Oh, that's alright, we can leave her a note. You know, I rather fancy a visit to that club of yours today..."

Sweetie Belle blushed. She had hoped her sister would have given the naturist lifestyle a try, but under normal circumstances. She followed Rarity to the parking lot behind the boutique, with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo closely behind.

Rarity didn't bother to put anything on for the journey. Even the feeling of fresh outdoor on her body apparently did nothing to break her trance. The trio got into the backseat of her car, still feeling alienated by the situation.

"This is probably gonna lead to trouble," Apple Bloom murmured.

"Oh, y'think?" Sweetie Belle replied, rather sarcastically. "If my sister snaps out of this again in the middle of the club, who knows how crazy she'll go?!"

"Which is why we're gonna try to get her to a cabin," Scootaloo offered.

"Good idea," Sweetie Belle agreed. "She'll be happier there than out in the open, if she does snap out of it."

"What are you three whispering about?" Rarity asked as she took the wheel and drove them out of the parking lot.

"Oh, um, nothing!" Sweetie Belle blushed.

"You know, Sweetie, if you want to talk about anything, you only need to tell me. I'm your sister, and I'll always help you any way I can." The sincere care and trust in Rarity's voice almost made Sweetie confess everything, but the presence of her two friends helped her to hold her tongue, and she simply nodded.

Soon
Green Hill Club

Rarity pulled up into the club's parking lot, ignoring the surprised look the gate operator, Sunleaf, gave her.

"Here we are, girls!" the fashionista announced cheerfully. "Off with your clothes, and let's go and enjoy ourselves, shall we?"

The CMC exchanged looks before disrobing themselves. Once they were all fully bare, they followed Rarity out of the car, voicelessly agreeing to be prepared for any mishaps. The first other members they came across were Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy sitting at the base of a tree, clearly engaged in a romantic moment.

"R-Rarity?!" Fluttershy went bright red at the sight of her fashionista friend completely undressed.

"Hello, girls," Rarity smiled. "Lovely day, isn't it?"

"All right," said Rainbow Dash with an awkward chuckle, "who are you and what have you done with the real Rarity?"

"I am the real Rarity," Rarity chuckled.

"You sure about that? 'Cause I'm one of her closest friends, and I know she's not the 'going around naked in public' type," Rainbow replied, the smirk on her face spreading. "She wouldn't be caught dead here."

"Well, sometimes things change," Rarity shrugged. "Now how about a dip in the pool?"

The CMC ran ahead of her, remembering what happened the last time she got wet.

"What do we do now?" said Scootaloo.

"We could try gettin' other people to fill up the pool before she gets there," suggested Apple Bloom. "Y'know, make it look too restless for her."

"Um, Rarity, how about we get you checked in first?" Sweetie Belle offered. "Then we can get a cabin to leave our stuff at."

Rarity shrugged. "All right, if you insist. After all, if I'm here, it will be good manners to let the people running this club know it."

Sweetie Belle led her sister to the office, quietly hoping Twilight found the note.

Carousel Boutique

"SHE'S AT THE GREEN HILL CLUB?!?" The purple skinned genius screamed, causing Spike, Flutter and Ember to cover their ears.

"Twilight, calm down," said Flutter. "It's not like anyone there would be dangerous for her to be around."

"I... I know, I know," Twilight replied, lowering her voice. "But you know Rarity would die of shame if she suddenly came to her sense and found herself there! We've got to take the machine there and end this whole mess!"

"We were actually heading there after I finished walking Ember, so we can give you a lift," Flutter offered.

Twilight gladly accepted, and soon both girls and their dogs were on their way. Twilight had placed the mind reading device in the trunk for safety.

"So that thing you made caused Rarity to act like this?" Flutter asked as she took the wheel.

"Pretty much," Twilight replied.

"And you think that same device will get her back to normal?"

"It's... it's the best option we have. Besides, I started this. The least I can do is try to put it right."

Flutter pulled into the parking lot, passing by the same pink haired lady from a few weeks ago.

Looks like there's interesting things going on here today, the disguised Mayor Mare thought as she watched the two girls undress and take out Twilight's invention. Well, I'm just glad the commotion isn't over me.

"So where would she be?"

"Well, you've told me she's very punctual," said Flutter. "If that's true, she'd probably sign in at the reception before doing anything else. We should start our search there."

"Hey, girls!" Emerald Peace called out. "Nice to see you both here."

"Hey, babe," smiled Flutter, taking the chance to peck her boyfriend on the cheek.

"We're looking for Rarity," Twilight hastily explained. "Have you seen her?"

"You mean, she's decided to join us?" asked Emerald.

"It's... complicated."

"I saw her heading near our cabin!" Fuchsia beamed, hugging Flutter from behind.

"Whoa!" yelped Flutter. "Fuchsia, how do you keep managing to surprise me?"

"It's a gift," Emerald's sister giggled.

"You said she was near your cabin?" Twilight asked frantically.

"Mhm! Along with those CMC girls!"

"We need to get over there, now!"

The duo ran over to the Peace Family's cabin. Flutter had a feeling that the day's craziness wasn't over yet, but she decided not to say so, to avoid rattling Twilight further.

"Are we going to the pool now?" They heard Rarity's voice in the cabin next door.

"Err, we haven't finished putting away our stuff yet!" Sweetie Belle replied, still trying to stall her sister for as long as possible.

"We're here!" Twilight barged into the cabin.

"Oh! Well, hello again, Twilight," said Rarity, who was currently seated on the bed, struggling as Sweetie tried to hold her in place. Twilight quickly slapped the helmet onto Rarity's head and switched it on.

"What are yoooouuu... oohhhh..." Rarity's attempt to speak became unfocused as the machine began to affect her again.

"All right, Twilight, here we are," said Flutter. "How do you mean to help her?"

"I changed the settings to erase the hypnotic trance in her mind."

"Here's hoping it works," said Sweetie Belle, who was worried for her sister and honestly wanted it to. A minute later, the machine powered down, and Rarity slumped into the chair, unconscious.

"Now we can only wait and see how she is when she wakes up," said Twilight.

"We should probably keep this cabin quiet for her," said Flutter. "Where are your friends, Sweetie Belle?"

"Out getting people to swim in the pool," the young girl replied. "Rarity wanted to swim in it, and being doused with water seemed to make her come to her senses for a short time, so we tried to make it too crowded so she'd change her mind."

"Can you help us dress her?" Twilight asked. "It'd be better if she woke up clothed."

"We have bathrobes here," Flutter offered. "She's probably used to just being in one of those."

"Good call," Sweetie Belle ran to the cabin's bathroom to fetch the robe hanging on the door.

"I hope Rarity can find it in herself to forgive me for this," Twilight sighed, obviously dreading the thought of losing one of her best friends.

"If we're lucky, she'll probably think it was a bad dream."

"My inventions have caused a lot of havoc, haven't they?" said Twilight sadly. "First my ray that turned Trixie invisible, then that incident with you and your dog Ember, and now this... I'm sorry about all of it. Maybe I should just stop, before I get someone seriously hurt..."

"Actually, I thought it was kinda fun being a dog," Flutter gently placed a hand on Twilight's shoulder.

"So... you don't think I'm dangerous?" Twilight dared to ask. "You're not worried about me really going off the deep end and becoming some kind of young female Dr. Frankenstein?"

"Nah, in fact, I think your inventions have made things a little more interesting."

Twilight smiled, and even chuckled slightly. "Well, I can't argue with that. So you guys really don't mind if I keep experimenting?"

"Not at all," Flutter hugged Twilight before hearing Rarity groan as she slowly came to.

"Ugh..." the girl moaned. "Um, not to be rude, dears... but why are you all stark naked? And where are we?"

"You, um..." Flutter paused, trying to think of an excuse.

"You agreed to drive me and my friends to the Green Hill Club for the weekend," Sweetie Belle spoke up. "Your clothes got dirty so they're in the wash."

"Oh, um, is that so?" Rarity replied, rubbing her eyes and looking understandably confused. "When did I fall asleep?"

"You kinda fainted half an hour ago about your clothes getting dirty," Twilight added.

"Oh... Well, um, do forgive me for that," the fashionista replied with an apologetic smile.

"So... would you be... willing to give naturism a try?" Sweetie Belle asked hopefully.

Rarity began to blush and run her fingers through her hair nervously. "I don't know, Sweetie... I mean, I'm fine with you doing it, but me? Exposing myself in front of others? It feels... scandalous."

"Well, you're already at a nudist club, so it won't be so scandalous here," Twilight smirked.

"I... I suppose..."

"Come on, sis," begged Sweetie Belle. "It'll be nice to do something together, right?"

"I guess it wouldn't hurt..." Rarity sighed as she slowly slipped off the robe. "You've all seen me naked before, didn't you?"

That statement caught Twilight, Flutter and Sweetie a bit off guard. Did Rarity retain some memory of her trance?

"Err... what do you mean, Rarity?" Twilight asked, nervous as to what the answer might be.

"Well, you got me changed into this bathrobe while I was unconscious, correct?"

"Oh yeah, we did!" Sweetie said with a nervous chuckle.

"So, I suppose there's no point in hiding what you've already seen." Rarity fully removed the robe and stood naked before them once again. Her cheeks went red with embarrassment again, but she resisted the urge to cover up.

"You still look pretty, sis."

"Th-thank you, Sweetie," Rarity replied with a slight stutter. The younger girl hugged her around the waist and looked up at her sister with a warm smile, which Rarity returned.

"We've added body painting as a permanent activity," Flutter said.

"Oh, um, is that so?" Rarity asked, wondering what Flutter might be hinting at.

"That's a great idea, Flutter!" Sweetie beamed. "With your artistic talents, imagine what you could come up with, sis!"

"Oh, yes, I do enjoy chances to... be creative." Rarity was unsure how well she'd be able to handle painting other people's nude bodies.

Just then, Emerald poked his head into the cabin.

"Flutter? Mom wants to see you."

"Really?" Flutter asked. "What is it about?"

"She's commissioned Fleck Paint to do a logo for the club and wanted us to be the models for it."

Flutter beamed at the thought of providing such a service. "Count me in!" she grinned, rushing to join her boyfriend outside.

"Fuchsia and Pimpernel are also going to be in the picture."

"Aww, this is going to be great!" Together they made their way towards wherever they were required to pose.

Meanwhile, Twilight and Sweetie led Rarity over to the multipurpose building, where a painting stand had been set up inside. As soon as they stepped into the vicinity, a certain fluffy-haired party-loving friend bounced in front of them.

"OMIGOSH, RARITY, YOU'VE JOINED US!" squealed Pinkie Pie as she hugged the girl like an overgrown teddy bear.

"N-Not exactly!" Rarity screamed.

"She's just giving the place a try, Pinkie," Twilight quickly explained. "She hasn't decided if she'll be a member yet."

"Well, you wanna body paint with us?" Pinkie asked, gesturing to Sweet Leaf sitting behind the stand.

"Who... who will our subject be?" Rarity asked, still rather apprehensive.

"How about you?" Sweet Leaf asked.

"Yeah!" grinned Pinkie. "You like being all decorated and fancy-looking, right?"

"Yessss... though it's usually by means of clothing," the fashionista replied, her skin already tingling at the thought of brushes lathering paint all over it.

"We can make it look like clothing," Sweet Leaf grinned.

"Really?" Rarity said. "Well, I suppose that might be possible... you could easily make it look like a leotard or something like that."

"That's gonna be child's play," Sweet Leaf giggled, referring to her and Flutter's gymnastics "outfits."

"Go on, Rarity," smiled Twilight. "This might be fun if you open yourself up to it, even just this once."

"I-I guess..." Rarity sighed as she sat down on one of the stools.

"Yay!" cheered Pinkie, grabbing some paintbrushes and a palette.

"If you like, you can choose how you want to be painted," Sweet Leaf offered. "Maybe we can give you diamond patterns or something? Pinkie's told me how fond you are of jewellery."

"Sure, I guess," Rarity tensed herself as the two began to work on her body. Their brushes danced over her skin, leaving trails of silver and blue paint, and eventually diamond shapes were visible all over her. They eventually stepped back to admire their handiwork. Rarity was now covered in blue and silver diamonds, with a rich purple filling the areas in between. For a finishing touch, Sweet Leaf had added mask-like silver patterns around her eyes. Rarity blushed when she noticed two of the diamonds were placed on her chest. Pinkie pushed in a full-length mirror, allowing her friend to see herself in full.

"Wow... I must admit, you two have done an impressive job with me," Rarity said.

"Turn around," Pinkie giggled. As Rarity did so, she saw two more diamonds decorating her rear end.

"Honestly, Pinkie," Rarity remarked, shaking her head. But she couldn't hide the amused smile on her face.

At the same time, Viridian Specs and his mother had just pulled up into the parking lot. They were greeted by Rosie Peace as they entered the club, and immediately noticed something different about her.

"You've cut your hair," Olive remarked.

"It's true," Rosie replied, her previously shoulder-length hair now being a chin-length bob. "I decided that as manager of the club, I ought to look more... casually professional, you know?"

"I think it suits her," Night Sky said from the office behind the desk.

"Well, shorter hair is easier to clean and maintain, I can tell you that," said Olive, patting her own hair that she kept in her usual bun. Just then, the disguised Mayor Mare stepped into the office.

"Oh," remarked Rosie, "it's you again, Ms. Shock."

"Ms. who?" said Viridian.

"Err, Pink Shock at your service, young man," the woman replied in a disguised voice.

However, Olive Grain was not fooled. After all, her career involved knowing the Mayor on a personal basis. "The only 'shock' here," she said with a frown, "is that someone of your status would be so dishonest as to sneak into here in disguise, Mayor." She rearranged the woman's hair to Mayor Mare's more familiar style, revealing her boss' identity to everyone in the room.

"Y-You really are Mayor Mare?!" Rosie almost fell out of her seat at this revelation.

"She is. And she's obviously been deceiving you," Olive said matter-of-factly.

"For a good reason," the revealed politician said. "You know how stressful it is being Mayor?"

Olive's expression softened. "Now that you mention it, I have seen you looking pretty worn out over all your work."

"And if anyone recognized me, they'd swarm all over me."

"Well," said Rosie, "the main purpose of this club is to get a break from stress. If you let everyone know that you're visiting, I could easily arrange for them not to give you grief or spread word of your presence."

"Thank you, Miss Peace."

"Does anyone else know about this side of you?" Olive asked. Mayor Mare looked away at that question.

"Come on, I know your habit of doing that when you're afraid to admit something. Tell us."

"...someone's been blackmailing me about it..."

"WHAT?!?"

Middle School Trip

Canterlot Middle School

Glowing Amber, a young woman with amber skin, short golden-blonde hair and light grey eyes, stood in front of her class. She was a kind, gentle and open-minded teacher, and her very presence seemed to calm the students and encourage them to be confident and honest.

"Good morning, class," she greeted.

"Good morning, Miss Amber!" the children replied, including a certain Fuchsia Joy and her boyfriend Pimpernel Globe, who were among those sitting nearest to the writing board.

"I hope you all had a fun weekend."

The students nodded, and they spent a few minutes taking turns to reveal how they spent their free time. Some went to theme parks or the cinema, others simply had walks or hung out at the local library. However, when it was Fuchsia and Pimpernel's turn, the rest of the class knew what they were going to talk about.

"We were, um... at the Green Hill Club again," said Pimpernel, trying to put it discreetly.

Fuchsia, on the other hand, had no hesitations about going into detail. "And we didn't wear a stitch," she said with a grin, "just like we won't everywhere else when Canterlot becomes a nudist town!"

The others whispered to each other about this revelation. Glowing Amber sighed, fiddling with her glasses as she was in the habit of doing when something potentially stressful was happening.

"It's gonna be awesome!" Fuchsia giggled as she pulled her shirt off.

"F-Fuchsia!" cried Pimpernel. "You KNOW that got you in trouble last time!"

"Yeah, but this time that stick-in-the-mud substitute isn't here," the girl beamed, tossing her shirt aside and getting started on removing her pants. The other students snickered as she continued to undress.

Glowing Amber, meanwhile, moved towards the windows to close the blinds and prevent anyone outside from peeking at Fuchsia. She'd done so many times before, being remarkably tolerant of her student's self-expression and willing to let her be nude in the classroom, so long as she remained dressed in the rest of the school.

"You don't need to do that, Miss Amber," Fuchsia said, now fully naked and looking blatantly proud of it. "Soon everyone in town will see my body all the time anyway!" She rested her bare feet on her table and laid one arm around Pimpernel's shoulder. Pimpernel blushed as he knew this gesture of hers was a silent prompt for him to take off his clothes too.

Glowing Amber seemed to notice as well. "You don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with, Pimpernel."

"Please?" Fuchsia whispered in his ear. Pimpernel loved Fuchsia, and his desire to make his girlfriend happy overcame his caution. With a sigh, he began to pull off his own shirt, doing his best to ignore another boy saying "Whipped" behind a fake cough. Some of the girls behind him giggled as he lowered his pants and his backside was exposed to them. One gothic-looking girl with pigtails even leaned forward for a closer look. Pimpernel blushed as he covered his front area.

In an effort to divert everyone's attention and spare the boy some embarrassment, Miss Amber spoke up. "Yes, well, as a matter of fact, I was planning to discuss with you all the very thing Fuchsia has mentioned."

"Wait, that's going to be a real thing?" The goth girl asked.

"IF the bill introduced by Olive Grain manages to be passed and become law," Glowing Amber clarified. "There are plenty of people opposing it as well as supporting it. Fuchsia here seems certain that it will be passed."

"And... we'll all have to go around... naked?" asked a quiet and timid girl named Honeydew, who reminded Fuchsia and Pimpernel of Fluttershy.

"You won't HAVE to, Honeydew, but it will be allowed," Miss Amber clarified.

"Well, I think it's gross!" A tough-looking girl called out from the back.

"Well, we're all entitled to an opinion, Cinderbrick," said Miss Amber in a slightly stern voice, "so long as we remember to respect other people's."

"Ashamed of your body, Cindy?" Fuchsia asked cheekily.

"Don't call me Cindy!" Cinderbrick snarled.

"Well, we're doing a class trip today," Miss Amber continued.

"Really?" asked the goth girl. "Where are we going?"

"To a place called Emerald Beach, Gothweb."

"Emerald Beach?!" Fuchsia and Pimpernel replied together. Knowing that it was a nude beach, both of them were surprised at the idea of the class visiting the place. In Fuchsia's case, of course, she was also quivering with excitement.

"Never heard of that place," Gothweb replied.

"I'm not surprised, really," said Miss Amber. "It's a place that many grownups probably avoided talking about in your presence. You see," at this point, she turned to address the whole class, "it's a clothing-optional beach."

The room fell silent for a moment as the other students had differing reactions on their faces. Most of them looked nervous and reluctant, though there were certainly several mischievous boys who wondered if they would get to see more naked girls. Honeydew, however, had a large blush on her face, while Cinderbrick tried to look disgusted.

Miss Amber proceeded to explain further. "I know it sounds unlikely that I'd be allowed to take you to such a place, but given that the naturist lifestyle has recently been in the spotlight in our town's politics, the other teachers and I agreed that it would be beneficial. If Canterlot does become clothing-optional, this would give you a chance to, ahem, get an idea for how things would be."

Honeydew stuttered. "W-W-Will we have to...?"

"Take your clothes off? Only if you want to, once we get there," the teacher replied kindly. The shy girl looked away to hide her embarrassment.

"Well, we're certainly gonna do it!" declared Fuchsia, speaking for herself and Pimpernel.

"Obviously," grunted Cinderbrick, adding "weirdos," under her breath.

"What about you, Miss Amber?" Pimpernel asked, surprising the teacher with his curiosity. "Will you... join us?"

"Got sick little fantasies about our teacher, Globe?" Cinderbrick remarked rudely. But to her shock, Miss Amber was in the process of disrobing herself without shame!

"Y-Y-You don't have to do it now!" Pimpernel cried, starting to blush. "I-I meant, at the beach--"

"Better to get used to it now," Miss Amber smiled as she unhooked her bra, causing most of the male classmates' eyes to be replaced by hearts. He was probably not the only one, but being naked himself, a certain bodily reaction in Pimpernel was more visible under his table. He shifted awkwardly as Miss Amber finally stepped out of her underwear, now also nude from head to toe apart from her glasses.

"I know some of you are feeling the same as Pimpernel," Miss Amber smirked, causing the boys to subtly cover their groin areas. "But you may as well get used to this."

"Y-You look great, Miss Amber," Pimpernel said nervously.

"Why thank you, Pimpernel," the woman smiled. "You're not looking so bad yourself." Following her teacher's action, Honeydew slowly began to strip off her own clothes as well. This was an even bigger surprise to the others, considering Honeydew's timidity. As the girl got down to her shirt and underwear she began to hesitate, but a reassuring smile and wink from Fuchsia encouraged her to continue. Soon she was the fourth naked person in the room. Gothweb sighed in exasperation before beginning to take her own clothes off as well. Fuchsia whooped in encouragement once she noticed, while Honeydew did her best to remain calm.

"Hey, it's okay," Pimpernel assured her, placing a comforting hand on Honeydew's shoulder.

"What's happening to this class?!" Cinderbrick yelled.

"We're preparing for this town's new way of life, Cindy," smirked Gothweb as she stepped out of her pants. "Might as well get used to it."

"When are we going?" Fuchsia asked in excitement.

"This very afternoon," Miss Amber replied. "Which is why you were all asked to bring your own packed lunches today."

"Will it be just us?" Honeydew asked.

"No, it'll be during open hours, so there will be at least some other people there. But they'll know we're there on a special trip, and if you don't want to undress, you won't have to."

"O-Okay..."

Soon

The school bus pulled in at the parking lot of Emerald Beach, with Glowing Amber and her class ready to disembark. Unsurprisingly, Fuchsia and Pimpernel had neglected to put anything on during the trip. Gothweb had also undressed to join them during the bus ride. Honeydew, however, had her clothes back on for now.

"All right, everyone," said Miss Amber, "remember what I told you all. Be respectful and friendly to the beach goers, whether you decide to join them or not." She proceeded to strip herself again, storing her clothes away in a bag.

"Now you get to see how I spend my time at home," Fuchsia beamed as she dashed onto the beach. Pimpernel stepped out after her, followed by Miss Amber and the other students. "We're gonna have all sorts of fun!"

Now that he was in more familiar territory, Pimpernel was starting to become more relaxed about his nudity, even with the majority of his classmates still clothed. He led them across the sand to the main beach, where a few beach goers gave them friendly smiles and waves. Some of the ladies even giggled as the boys blushed and could not help feasting their eyes.

Fuchsia whistled loudly to get their attention. "Found us a spot!" She cried out.

She led them to a corner where the sand was cooled by the shade of some palm trees.

"Good choice, Fuchsia," smiled Miss Amber. "Now, who'll help me lay out the towels?"

"I will," Honeydew raised her hand. With the timid girl's help, Miss Amber unloaded some towels from a bag she had been carrying and spread them out together on the sand. She also took out some bottles of sunblock and began applying some to herself.

"Anyone else wanna join?" Fuchsia asked.

"C'mon guys, it feels really good," grinned Gothweb, starting to rub sunblock into her own skin.

"I'll do it," one of the male students spoke up. His name was Pipsqueak.

"Yay!" Fuchsia was so happy to have a new 'convert' that she began singing a song she'd once heard in a film: "I'm doing the happy daaaance, I'm not wearing any paaaants...!"

The others looked dumbfounded at this little scene.

"You're, um... not wearing anything, in fact," Honeydew remarked.

"And neither should you!" the ever-cheerful young nudist replied.

"Come on, Honey, ditch the duds," added Gothweb. Honeydew only nodded before blushing at seeing Pipsqueak put the last of his clothes into his bag.

"It does feel... pretty nice, actually," the brown-haired boy said. "Like the breeze can blow any sand off me more easily."

Honeydew went bright red as she looked towards his lower area.

Pipsqueak blushed slightly as well upon noticing her. "You're, um... welcome to join us, y'know?" he said as he grabbed a sunblock bottle.

"O-Okay..." Honeydew nervously began to undress herself.

Her stroke of bravery had an effect on the rest of the class. Most of them began conferring with each other, wondering whether to screw up their own courage and join in. Fuchsia giggled as she took notice of Honeydew's crush on Pipsqueak. Cinderbrick just grunted and went to sit behind a palm tree, opening a magazine she had brought with her.

Fuchsia laughed as Pimpernel applied sunblock to her back area. "It tickles!"

"Oh, is that right?" Pimpernel smirked, moving his fingers to her stomach. His girlfriend squealed as she grabbed some of the sunblock and smeared it on his stomach in response. Gothweb rolled her eyes and chuckled as the pair ended up rolling all over each other.

"Who's up for a swim?" Fuchsia called out as soon as they were done.

"I like swimming," smiled Honeydew. "Though I've never done it like... well, like this before." She gestured at her own body, now fully nude.

"Me neither," Pipsqueak replied.

"It's very nice, really," said Pimpernel with an encouraging smile. "With nothing between you and the water, you feel more... free."

"Hippy freak," remarked Cinderbrick, rather loudly and offensively.

"You should show some respect, Cinderbrick," Miss Amber said warningly.

"That's true," added Honeydew, raising her voice a bit more than usual. "We're allowed to be n... n-nude here."

Pipsqueak offered the girl his hand. "Come on, Honey. Let's test the water. No pun intended."

A girl with scarlet eyes, pinkish skin and pale blue hair stepped forward.

"Finally decided to join us, Cozy Glow?" Miss Amber asked.

"I just wanted to take my sweet time," the girl replied.

"Well," said Miss Amber, "we won't be here all day. If you don't at least give it a try, that would be a bit of a missed opportunity, right?"

This question was, in fact, directed at all of her class, who nervously looked back at their naked teacher. Honeydew and Pipsqueak were already in the water, having a great time. Gothweb was applying sunblock to herself while Fuchsia and Pimpernel began to work on a sandcastle. One by one, most of the other children began to undress and try to go about normal beach activities as best they could. Smiling and nodding, Miss Amber took a look around and noticed some other grownups playing volleyball.

"I'm going to mingle," she said to Fuchsia and Pimpernel with a grin. "Would you two mind watching over the others until I get back?"

"Can do!" Fuchsia saluted. Giving the young couple a thumbs up, Amber made her way to the game. Among those playing were none other than Waterspell and Auburn Beam, the lifeguard and cook from the Green Hill Club.

"Hello there," Waterspell waved as she caught the ball. "You here on a field trip?"

"Yes," Amber replied. "As a matter of fact, I brought the class I teach along, to get an idea of what naturism is like." She pointed back to the children.

"Oh, you're Fuchsia and Pimpernel's teacher?" Auburn pointed at the two lovers continuing to build their sand castle.

"That's right," Amber smiled. "They've done a pretty good job in convincing the others to give it a try."

"They're good kids," said Waterspell with a nod. "They spread a lot of fun and joy when they're at the Green Hill Club. That's where me and my girlfriend live and work, by the way."

"They always talk about it in class," Amber smiled. "Though Fuchsia does have a hard time keeping her clothes on."

Auburn couldn't help but laugh. "I take it that's gotten her in trouble once or twice? Not that she'd let that stop her - the girl's overflowing with optimism."

"And I'm sure she'll do it all the time once that new law passes," Waterspell added.

IF it passes, Amber thought to herself. But she decided not to say it aloud, and brought the conversation back to the volleyball game. "So - does either side need an extra member?"

"That's a good point," Auburn thought for a moment on who else could join. She then noticed Cinderbrick sulking nearby. "Hey, kid! Mind if you could join our game?" But the girl just made a rude gesture at Auburn and went back to reading her magazine.

"I'm saying that I insist, Cinderbrick," Amber said sternly. "Otherwise, I may tell the principal about your rudeness today."

Realizing that her teacher would tolerate no arguments, Cinderbrick placed her magazine in her bag and sulkily made her way to them.

"Rather grouchy, isn't she?" Waterspell commented as Cinderbrick joined her side of the court.

"I'm afraid so," Amber sighed. "Hope you don't mind having her as a teammate."

"I'm not taking my clothes off, if that's what you're thinking," the girl in question growled.

"Nobody said you had to," Waterspell replied as she made the first serve.

"But it is pretty sunny and warm," added Auburn as she caught the ball. "You might get uncomfortable moving around with those things on."

"I said I'm not doing it!" Cinderbrick yelled as she deflected the ball.

Due to her anger, however, she ended up sending it directly into the net, making it fall to the ground on her own team's side.

"That's a point for me and Auburn," declared Amber.

"Oh, come on!" Cinderbrick growled.

"Try to calm down," said Waterspell. "It'll help you focus."

However as the game went on, Auburn's words rang true and Cinderbrick's clothes began to stick to her body. Wiping some sweat from her forehead, she finally agreed to take off her shoes, socks, shirt and trousers, leaving her in just her underwear. She reasoned that it covered her as much as a swimsuit would. Amber smiled as they continued their game.

"Ha!" Cinderbrick smirked as she smacked the ball into the other side.

"You did it!" cheered Waterspell. She held up her hand for a high five, and before she knew what she was doing, Cinderbrick gave it to her.

"Congrats on scoring your first point, Cindy," said Auburn.

"Oh, um, thanks," the tough girl replied, not knowing she was blushing. Her classmates would have been surprised to see her not react badly to being called "Cindy". As they continued their game, Cinderbrick began to absentmindedly toy with the back of her bra.

"Feeling uncomfortable?" Waterspell asked.

"Maybe just a bit..." the girl admitted.

"Well, we can't have that," said Amber, seizing her chance to take this somewhere. "If you're distracted like that, our team will have an unfair advantage."

"Is that a challenge?" Her student retorted.

"Weeeell," said Auburn mischievously, "you could just take it off. Unless you're chicken?"

"As if!" Cinderbrick unhooked her bra and tossed it onto the sand, along with her panties. Her tan lines were obvious to see, but she didn't care as she stood proudly. Amber smiled and gave her student a wink, before tossing the ball over the net to her. Behind her, Fuchsia giggled at her classmate's change in personality.

"Guess they appealed to her competitive nature or something," remarked Pimpernel. Honeydew and Pipsqueak were approaching them, both dripping with water and laughing.

"Having fun?" grinned Fuchsia.

"Definitely!" Honeydew grinned as she gave Pipsqueak a kiss on the cheek.

"We're very happy for you," smiled Pimpernel, giving his own girlfriend a peck as well.

At the same time, Cozy Glow rolled her eyes at the sight of her classmates having fun in the nude. Unlike most of the class, she was opposed to the idea of going to a place like Emerald Beach. "There's no way they'll be allowed to walk around all over town with nothing on," she said to herself. "Grownups wouldn't allow that in a million years."

"And that's victory for us!" Cinderbrick boasted as she scored the final point in the volleyball game. She and Waterspell whooped in triumph, and she even hugged the older woman around the legs. Cinderbrick immediately blushed when she remembered that she was naked and began to fetch her clothes.

"You really want those back on?" Waterspell asked. "It's still very warm today."

"B-But..."

"I think you actually wanted to take them off," Auburn smirked a little.

"But... I don't want to get in trouble with my family," Cinderbrick said nervously. "If my mom could see me now..."

"They'd never have to know," Fuchsia smiled. "It can be our little secret."

"Besides," added Pimpernel, "they'll HAVE to let you go nude if Canterlot becomes clothing-optional."

Cinderbrick perked up a little at that last comment. "Yeah, you're right!" She had her trademark smirk again. "From now on, I'm going to go full-time naked!"

"Good to have you on board," remarked Pimpernel with a slight smirk.

"Hey," said Honeydew, "who are those girls coming towards us?"

It was, in fact, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.

"Hey, girls!" Fuchsia waved before running up to hug them. "What brings you here?"

"We're on a special school trip," beamed Sweetie Belle. "With what's going on in the government, Miss Cheerilee decided that our class should get an idea of what a clothing-optional environment would be like."

"Same as us, then," said Pimpernel. "How are your other friends adjusting?"

"Better than expected," Apple Bloom replied.

"Well, not everyone's happy," frowned Scootaloo. "Diamond Tiara is still being a pain. She's one of the few of us who haven't undressed."

"Well, she'll come around, I'm sure," Fuchsia beamed, ever the optimist.

"Well, maybe," shrugged Apple Bloom. "I mean, her sidekick Silver Spoon is 'one of us' now, so to speak."

"Anyone else?" Pimpernel asked.

"Well, there's Featherweight," said Sweetie Belle. "He was pretty grumpy for a while because he wasn't allowed to bring his camera here. He loves photography."

"Yeah, cameras aren't allowed here," Fuchsia chuckled awkwardly.

"There's also Twist," Apple Bloom added. "She's a little shy about this."

"Which is rather unsurprising," said Sweetie sadly. "She doesn't have the best self image, with Diamond Tiara calling her 'ugly' all the time."

Fuchsia only smirked towards Pimpernel. "I think we got our first conversation of the day."

"What do you mean?" her boyfriend asked.

"I mean let's go help cheer her up." She grabbed his hand and pulled him along to help her search for Twist. They found the curly-haired girl hiding behind a rock, wrapped up in a towel.

"You doing okay?" Pimpernel asked with concern. A sad sniffle was the only response he got.

"What happened?" Fuchsia now sounded less cheerful and more worried.

"I... I can't do it..." said Twist in a muffled voice. "I can't go around without any clotheth on... I'm too ugly."

Pimpernel and Fuchsia noted her large purple glasses, her lisp and her slightly bulbous nose. Hard as it was to admit, they could easily imagine this girl being an obvious target for bullies.

"Wanna hear a little secret?" Fuchsia leaned in more closely. "Apple Bloom's grandma loves to go around naked, and nobody else cares. How you look doesn't matter when you're naked like everyone else."

The sad girl looked up at them, blushing slightly at the sight of their bodies.

"How about you try it with just us?" Pimpernel offered.

"At the very least, you'll feel better without that towel, since it's so warm," added Fuchsia.

"O-Okay..." Twist replied, slowly removing the towel. Like most of her classmates, her tan lines were obvious to see, though her body was kept in good shape and contrasted her facial features.

"Come on," said Fuchsia kindly, taking her by the hand. "Let's build a sandcastle or something."

"Alright..." Twist still felt unsure as she noticed her classmate Rumble join the volleyball game.

"Well, hello there, young man," Waterspell smiled at the sight of the new arrival.

"Hey there," Rumble shamelessly gave off a flirtatious wink at the lifeguard.

Amber rolled her eyes and smirked slightly. "This is Rumble. He always thought of himself as a real ladies' man."

"Well, why don't you prove yourself and join our game, Rumble?" said Auburn mischievously.

"You're on!" Rumble noticed Cinderbrick about to start the next round.

"Hey, Cindy," grinned Rumble with a raised eyebrow as his eyes ran up and down her nude body. "You're lookin' pretty good there. Don't know why you wanted to keep it all covered up."

"Some friends helped me realize that it shouldn't be covered," Cinderbrick smirked.

"I'll say," the boy replied. As he moved to stand beside Cinderbrick as part of her team, he made sure to briefly brush his fingers against her hip. The normally tough girl blushed at the feeling before preparing to serve.

"How about you ditch those trunks?" Cinderbrick asked as she tossed the ball. "It'll make things easier."

Now it was Rumble's turn to blush. He was in fact perhaps the only one in Amber's class who had not yet fully undressed. And being surrounded by attractive naked ladies, he was certainly suffering a certain male reaction that he felt very reluctant to reveal. Before he could comply with Cinderbrick's suggestion, a scream got both classes' attention.

"What on Earth--?" Amber started to say, before Apple Bloom suddenly rushed past her.

"That's Silver Spoon!" she cried. "She wandered off to explore the beach earlier!"

"HELP!" the girl cried from an unseen location. The CMC reached the source of the voice to see Silver Spoon's head sticking out from the sand.

"Guys, help me!" she sobbed. "I stepped onto this spot, and I... the sand just collapsed under me..."

"A sinkhole!" Apple Bloom cried. "Try not to struggle, Silver!"

"I'm still sinking!" Silver Spoon yelled as she tried to keep her head on the surface."

By now the grownups had rushed over and seen what had happened. It was frightfully clear to them all that Silver was indeed still sinking.

An idea came to Auburn. "Can you reach out with your hand?"

With some struggling, Silver managed to get one of her hands above the sand's surface, though it came at the price of her going down to her chin.

"Somebody grab her hand and don't let go!" said Auburn. "I'm going to get something that will buy us some time." She rushed towards where she and Waterspell had parked their bikes upon arriving, which thankfully was not far away. Diamond Tiara was also nearby, watching the whole scene unfold. She watched as Apple Bloom lay herself down to more easily get a firm grip on Silver's hand, and as Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo grabbed Apple Bloom to add their strength to hers. Amber and Waterspell kept close as well, doing their best to comfort the terrified Silver. Not wanting to stand idly by anymore, Diamond ran towards them and slid across the sand to grab Silver Spoon's hand.

"D-Diamond Tiara?" Silver Spoon asked in shock.

"Just stay calm!" the rich girl replied, in a tone far more worried and empathetic than usual. "We'll get you out! I promise!"

Auburn returned, carrying the plastic tube from the chain which held her bike to the rack. "Put this in her mouth so she can breathe!"

Diamond Tiara put one end in Silver's mouth - just before the poor girl's head slipped completely under. Her hand followed, along with some of Apple Bloom's arms as she kept a firm hold on it. Diamond made sure to keep the rest of the tube clear of the sand.

"Does anyone have any rope?!" She yelled.

"I'm sure the staff do," said Amber. "I'll go get it at once!" She ran off towards the bus. At the same time, Diamond Tiara began to shed her clothes.

"What the--? You're doing that NOW of all times?!" Scootaloo spluttered.

"I'm going to be diving in after her," Diamond retorted. "And Daddy would kill me if I show up with sand covered clothes."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Waterspell asked. "I mean, we already have one girl stuck in there--"

"WE'RE LOSING HER!" Apple Bloom shrieked as her arms were pulled in almost to her shoulders. Silver had sunk further. Diamond could have sworn she heard panicked panting coming from the tube. Amber had returned with some rope.

"Tie it around my waist," Diamond instructed the middle school teacher.

Waterspell frowned. "Are you sure about this, young lady? I mean, as a professional lifeguard, I could do it myself--"

"No time!" Diamond replied as Amber tied the rope around her waist. "She needs help!" And with that, she dove into the sinkhole. It was just in time, because at that very moment Apple Bloom, despite her best efforts, finally lost her grip on Silver's hand. The plastic tube fell still, indicating that Silver had also lost hold of that.

As Diamond disappeared into the sand, Amber, Waterspell and Auburn kept a firm grip on the rope. There was an intense silence, in which nobody dared to move or speak. Sweetie Belle began to sob, wondering if they would ever see either of the girls reemerge. After a couple moments, Diamond Tiara emerged from the sinkhole with Silver Spoon clinging to her back. The rich girl took a deep breath as she climbed the rope attached to her waist. Tugging with all their might, the three adults pulled them onto firm ground. Diamond instinctively patted Silver's back as the girl shook and coughed, still frightened, but also relieved to be alive.

"That... was pretty cool, Diamond," Scootaloo said in disbelief.

Diamond blushed, partly from the tomboy's compliment and partly out of now being as naked as everyone else present.

"I... I lost my glasses," said Silver Spoon when she was able to speak again.

"I could buy you some new ones," Diamond helped her to her feet. Looks of astonishment were passed between Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and other students from both classes that had gathered around. Then, to Diamond Tiara's surprise, Silver Spoon hugged her tightly.

"Thank you so much..." the girl sobbed. "You saved my life... even after everything that happened between us..."

"After everything that's happening with my mom, I couldn't stand by any longer," now Diamond was also starting to tear up.

"Wait, your mom?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Yeah, what are you talking about?" added Rumble.

"...she's the one blackmailing the mayor..."

A fiercely determined look came into Pimpernel's eyes. "We need to tell the Green Hill Club."

"Then let's go after school," Fuchsia added. "You too, Diamond Tiara."

"Do I... do I have to come?" the girl asked nervously. "Being naked around loads of other naked people--"

Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that what y'all are already?"

"..okay, that's a good point..."

Later that day
Flutter Heart's house

Chalk, still recovering from the abuse he had suffered from his arrested father, accepted a mug of hot chocolate from Flutter Heart.

"You're going to be safe here," Sweet Heart smiled softly.

"Thanks," the boy replied. "I'll try not to be too much of a burden..."

"You're hardly one," Starfoot said reassuringly. "We're happy to take you in."

"We've arranged to have your belongings from your bedroom in your old house moved here within the week," added Sweet.

"Th-Thanks..." Chalk was still getting used to affection.

"Plus, I've always wanted a little brother," Flutter added.

The girl's use of those particular words made Chalk's heart glow with joy, and he gave Flutter the biggest, fondest hug he could, while their parents beamed in approval.

Stakeouts and Statues

Green Hill Club

Diamond Tiara fought the urge to raise her arms and cover her exposed body to the other nudists. Rosie Peace kindly decided not to pay too much attention to that. "Is it true, young lady? Your mother is the one trying to blackmail Mayor Mare?"

The rich girl nodded. "I overheard her talking to Miss Cinch on the phone."

The Mayor herself was practically boiling with indignation.

"Well, we can easily stop them now, right?" Fuchsia asked. "Since we know who's behind it."

"It's not that simple, sweetie," Rosie gently patted her daughter's head.

"Spoiled Rich is an unpleasant woman, that's no secret," said Luna. "But she's also wealthy and influential. She generally knows how to buy her way out of trouble."

"Well, what about that stakeout idea?" Night Sky asked. "If we can get evidence of her meeting with Cinch..."

Luna paused in thought for a moment. "Yes... yes, if we could get a photo or even a video of them..."

"Sounds like a plan!" Rosie stood up in excitement.

"Luna and I will make preparations tonight," Night Sky said as she saw Fuchsia drag Pimpernel to the indoor pool.

"I... I'm so sorry," Diamond dared to say. "About all of this..."

"Apology accepted," Sweetie Belle placed an arm over Diamond's back. "You did the right thing coming to us."

"And it's very brave of you to do this, y'know?" added Apple Bloom. "Not just gettin' naked with us, but choosin' to be a better person than your mother."

"Say, wasn't Sunset supposed to come over today?" Scootaloo asked, changing the subject.

"That's a good point, girls," said Rosie. "She usually turns up by now..."

Meanwhile
Twilight Sparkle's house

"And you're SURE this will be safe?" Sunset asked skeptically. Her girlfriend was currently setting up a large, possibly deadly, ray and aiming it at Sunset.

"Positive!" Twilight grinned somewhat maniacally. "It'll wear off in a couple days since this is more powerful than my invisibility ray. Though I wonder where that device went to..."

"And I spend a couple of days as a living statue, is that it?"

"Well... yeah, I guess. But think of how your skin and hair will be cleansed of dirt and sweat in that time!"

Twilight had devised a way to create a fast-hardening substance that resembled cement, but would have the beneficial effect of purifying human skin, much like facial cream at a spa.

"Well, I guess a few days wouldn't hurt..." Sunset mused as Twilight activated the machine. It began to shake and glow before firing a beam at Sunset, instantly turning her skin to stone. Strangely enough, her clothes were left untouched. Fortunately, before doing this, Twilight had taken the precaution of inserting a piece of apparatus into Sunset's nose that ensured her nasal passages remained clear, allowing her to keep breathing as Twilight then proceeded to remove it.

"Are you... okay in there?" Twilight asked, lightly tapping her friend's solidified head.

"Mm-hmm," came the muffled reply. Sunset couldn't open her mouth, or move any part of herself, for that matter. But she felt surprisingly comfortable, as if Twilight's substance was supporting her all by itself and letting her relax. Twilight thought for a moment on where to put her for the weekend. However, her thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell ringing.

"I'll be right back," she assured Sunset, patting her girlfriend's shoulder before hurrying downstairs to answer the door. To her surprise, Ember tackled her and began to slobber her face. Behind the blue dalmatian was Emerald Peace and Flutter Heart.

"Hey, Twily," said Flutter with a grin.

"O-Oh, Emerald and Flutter!" Twilight straightened her glasses as Ember leapt off her. "What brings you two here?"

"We thought of bringing Ember here for a play date with Spike," Emerald explained.

"Someone say my name?" Spike called as he appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Spikey Wikey!" Ember dashed upstairs to tackle her canine companion.

"Has she been hanging out around Rarity, by any chance?" Twilight whispered. "Because she always likes to call my dog that..."

Flutter shrugged before Ember barked to get their attention.

"There's a Sunset statue up here!"

"Come again?" said Emerald.

Twilight nervously chuckled as her friends headed up to her room.

"Oh my Faust, there is," Flutter remarked as they beheld the petrified Sunset.

"So detailed..." Emerald remarked, "and it's even dressed like her..." When he tapped the side of her head, the muffled cry sent him jumping back a little. "Twilight, did you... turn Sunset to stone?"

Twilight twiddled her fingers nervously. "Errrrr… yes and no. I doubt that kind of thing would literally be plausible, except by magic of some sort. Thing is, she's still herself underneath that substance..."

"Can you do it to us?" Flutter asked somewhat excitedly.

"... I beg your pardon? I haven't even told you what it's meant to do."

"Hey, as long as Sunset's fine, I want to try it too."

Emerald looked more apprehensive. "Err... are you sure about this, Flutter?"

"Positive," Flutter smiled.

"So... what exactly is the purpose of this?" Emerald asked Twilight.

"It's... it's meant to be a body cleansing treatment," the young scientist explained. "Sunset will spend a couple of days in there before it crumbles away, during which her skin and hair shall be being cleansed and revitalized."

"It'll be perfect for us!" Flutter kissed her boyfriend's cheek.

"But really, Flutter - two whole days unable to move?" said Emerald. "And what about when we need to... you know..."

"Expel bodily waste?" said Twilight. "The substance safely absorbs that too."

"I actually have an idea where we could even go," Flutter smiled. "Water doesn't affect it, right?"

"Nnnnooo, it doesn't..." Twilight replied haltingly. "Where are you going with this?"

"I was thinking we could be placed in the fountain," Flutter was now smirking mischievously.

"R-Really?" Emerald had no problem being seen naked by others, but only so long as it wasn't in a compromising situation. "Won't we be a bit... vulnerable?"

"Well, I don't think we'd be recognized since we'd look indistinguishable from the real statues."

"But what about eating or drinking?" Emerald asked.

"I thought ahead there too, fortunately," said Twilight. "The process will hold your body in a sort of suspended animation during your time encased. You won't need any food or liquids during that time."

"Then let's do it!" Flutter smiled, having removed the clothes from the Sunset statue.

She then began stripping off herself, and urged Emerald to do the same.

"Wait, you want to be naked the whole weekend?" Twilight asked in shock.

"Well, if we're going to be in the fountain, we won't stand out," Flutter reasoned.

By now, Emerald had decided there was no swaying Flutter from this idea. And since he didn't really have anything planned for the next couple of days, he consented to share this strange experience with his girlfriend. Once he'd removed all of his own clothes, an equally naked Flutter pulled her close to him.

"Do it while we're like this," she grinned to Twilight, "so that we look like the couple we are."

"One last thing." Twilight took out two more of the nasal instruments and placed them in both her new subjects' noses. "This will keep your nostrils clear; I'll remove them once you're encased. Now, are you sure you want to undergo this? Last chance to back out."

"Go for it," Emerald smiled as Flutter pulled him into a long kiss.

Twilight activated the ray at that moment, and as the nude lovers closed their eyes, they became living statues, their lips attached and their arms encircling each other. Once the process was complete, Twilight removed the apparatus from their noses.

"Are you two okay in there?" she asked.

Muffled happy sounds indicated that they were.

"Still want to go on display at that fountain?"

"Mm-hmm!" Flutter's muffled cry shouted.

"I think I better call Applejack to help out..." Twilight removed her glasses to rub her eyes.

She made her way towards the telephone to call on the farmyard girl. On the way, she turned towards Ember.

"You can stay here with me and Spike this weekend, while your owners are... occupied."

"Sounds good," Ember nodded. "Spike and I have some... catching up to do anyway." She rubbed her face against the smaller dog's cheek.

As luck would have it, Twilight managed to enlist not only Applejack, but also her brawny brother Big Mac, in transporting the new "statues". They weren't as heavy as solid stone, but carrying them would still take muscle.

The siblings arrived at Twilight's house not long after the scientist called. Apple Bloom also tagged along, having donned a set of overalls for the trip. "Well, I'll be..." the younger girl mused, observing Sunset closely. "It's still darned hard to imagine our friends are actually in there."

"Well..." Twilight began to remove her own clothes and untied her hair from its usual ponytail, before walking over to the petrifying ray. "Wanna see it in action?"

"Whoa, what in tarnation?!" exclaimed Applejack. "You're gonna do this to yourself too?!"

"Well, I don't wanna have Sunset feel lonely," the genius explained as she put a breathing apparatus into her nose.

"Now hold your horses," Applejack interrupted. "What if something goes wrong? We'd need YOUR help to fix things, Twilight. Nobody else understands this experiment like you do. And you can't exactly help if you're a statue too, hmm? Besides, she'll already have those two for company." She gestured towards the embracing Flutter and Emerald.

"Eeyup," added Mac with a nod, agreeing with his sister's reasoning.

"It'll wear off Sunday morning," Twilight said reassuringly as the beam hit her and her skin began to be encased in stone.

Applejack jumped back in shock, and watched as her friend became yet another living statue. Then she sighed and put a hand to her forehead. "Aaaaand our workload just got bigger."

"You got super strength, sis," Apple Bloom smirked.

Removing the nose piece from Twilight, Applejack sighed again. "Come on, Mac, help me get them onto the truck."

"Eeyup," her brother lifted Emerald and Flutter over his shoulder.

Then Apple Bloom noticed Spike and Ember watching them. "Wait - what about the dogs?"

"Winona could use the company," Applejack suggested.

And so while her older siblings carried the "statues", Apple Bloom happily led the dogs to sit in the truck with her.

"So what's Winona like?" Ember asked. "I only met her briefly when Flutter and I had switched."

"It's okay, she's friendly," Spike replied. "Very playful too."

"Sounds fun," Ember smirked.

Applejack stopped the truck at the fountain, and unloaded the frozen forms of Sunset and Twilight. She and Mac placed Sunset near some reclining mermaids, and Twilight next to a centaur. Applejack went back to the truck and picked up the kissing Flutter and Emerald, setting them directly in the middle of the water.

"Err... y'all okay in there?" she whispered to them.

"Mmmhmmm!" Flutter's muffled voice replied.

"Well, I hope so," Applejack said with another sigh. "Cause you're gonna be this fountain's new decorations for the next two days."

Contented hums came from both of the lovers, and as the Apple siblings stood back to observe for a moment, the new additions really did fit in seamlessly among the other statues.

"How romantic," giggled Apple Bloom.

"Hope they don't get arrested when they thaw," Applejack wiped some sweat off her brow.

"What'll we tell the others at the Green Hill Club, sis?"

"Maybe just say they're doing some after school stuff."

"Something like that, I guess." Apple Bloom shrugged and giggled again. "No one would believe us if we told them the truth, would they?"

"Nope," said Mac.

"Then again, they seemed to believe when Flutter turned into a dog," Ember added.

"And when Trixie turned invisible," said Spike with a nod.

"Well, we should head to the club," Applejack said.

Later
Green Hill Club

Rosie Peace continued to discuss Sunset Shimmer's absence, and soon that of Twilight Sparkle, Flutter Heart and Emerald Peace as well, with the Club's staff and members.

"So we're not going to see my brother?" Fuchsia asked.

"Not unless someone knows where he is," shrugged Pimpernel. "Or any of the others."

Apple Bloom had been absent from the cabin, having gone to fetch a glass of fruit juice. As she arrived to rejoin her friends, she overheard their conversation and, knowing where the missing members happened to be, quickly gave them a cover-up story.

"They're... helping us out at the farm over the weekend," she chuckled nervously.

"Even Twilight?" Scootaloo asked. "I thought she was into science, not manual labor."

"They needed an organizer."

For a moment, Rosie Peace looked doubtful that Apple Bloom was telling the truth. But she decided that she already had enough to worry about with Luna and Night Sky planning their stakeout, not to mention the vote on the new law being closer than ever. So she accepted the girl's explanation, but still made it clear that if any members were going to be absent, they needed to call in about it.

At the same time, Rarity made a tiny squeak as she made her way over to her sister.

"Your sister's a member?" Diamond Tiara asked in surprise.

"Not exactly," Sweetie sighed, pointing out Rarity was still dressed.

"Then why's she here?"

"She was our ride," Scootaloo replied.

"Yes..." Rarity herself managed to say, her eyes shifting awkwardly, "and I've been having to wait around here ever since you three went in."

"Rarity, you seemed to get the hang of being here just fine a couple of days ago," said Sweetie. "And you were naked too, remember? There's no need to be all sheepish about this place now."

"That was just one day. I can't do it full time."

"What about when that law gets passed, and everyone starts doing it all over Canterlot?" asked Scootaloo with a smirk.

"I-I..." Rarity couldn't handle it anymore and promptly fainted.

Sweetie Belle sighed and put a hand to her face. "I love my sister, but she can be so melodramatic."

"We should help her get more comfortable then." Apple Bloom suggested.

"Yeah, go get your siblings," Scootaloo grinned. "Mac could carry her to a deckchair or something."

"I wanna help!" Fuchsia raised her hand.

"Oh, you reckon your magic touch will magically convert her or something?" asked Scootaloo, raising an eyebrow and continuing to smirk.

Fuchsia gave the tomboy a dirty look. "I WILL make a wonderful, glamorous nudist out of Rarity yet! You see if I don't!"

Soon

Rarity groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. Applejack had stayed close by to keep an eye on her friend, and noticed her starting to wake up. "Hey there, sugarcube. Hope ya didn't hurt yourself when ya toppled over like that."

"Oh, thank you, Applejack," Rarity blushed slightly. The country girl was naked, of course, just like everybody else at the club. Rarity went even more red at that sight.

"Have a nice nap?" Fuchsia smiled. "Aren't you uncomfortable in those clothes?"

"Um, no! I mean, I, err..."

"You're the only one here still wearing clothes. Don't you feel kinda funny?"

"Wh-What do you mean by that?" Rarity tried to keep her composure.

"She means it's gotta be like being the only one buck naked in a crowd of dressed people," Applejack chuckled. "In both cases, ya stick out like a sore thumb."

"Is that a challenge?" Rarity suddenly stood up.

Fuchsia put on one of her trademark grins. "Does this mean you'll join us?"

"Wh-What?!" Rarity blushed. "I never said that!"

"Yeah, Fuchsia, don't jump to conclusions so quickly," chided Applejack, trying to be supportive of her fashionista friend.

"Th-Thanks, Applejack." Rarity blushed again.

"Hey, don't forget," Applejack replied, "I haven't been a part of this lifestyle as long as my little sister has. I know how awkward it can be at first."

"A-Alright..." Rarity suddenly leaned in to her classmate.

"Uh, Rarity? Are you doin' alright?"

Rarity responded by planting a long kiss right on her friend's mouth. Almost everyone's jaw simultaneously dropped at the scene, with the exception of Fuchsia, who was grinning wildly.

When she finally pulled away, Applejack stood in shocked silence for a moment, her fingers lightly touching her own lips. Then she managed to stutter out some words.

"R-R-Rarity... where the hay did that come from?"

"Applejack..." Rarity blushed. "I... like you...."

The farm girl blushed, her eyes seeming to get even wider. "Y-Y-Y-Ya do? A-A-As in... like like me? Since when?"

"Um... ever since that debacle at Equestria Land."

"Ah yeah... that was a crazy day, heh..."

"Oooooh," Fuchsia pushed Applejack closer to Rarity.

"If I may say so," Rarity continued with another blush, "you have a very nice body, Applejack. Pleasantly toned and tanned... and the freckles really add to it." She dared to reach out and run her fingers along Applejack's arm.

"I'm sure you're just the same, Rarity," Applejack replied, silently asking her if it was okay to remove her clothes.

"Why don't you show her?" said Fuchsia to Rarity in a mischievous whisper.

Rarity gulped before nervously removing her shirt. Her boots, socks and purple skirt shortly followed. Now standing in just her underwear, much of Rarity's milky white skin was on display for the girl she liked. She inhaled deeply before unhooking her bra. Applejack was so fixated on the beautiful girl undressing, she didn't even notice Fuchsia silently mouthing a chant of "Off! Off! Off!" Finally, Rarity's silk panties dropped to her feet. She stood fully naked before her crush, fighting the urge to panic.

Applejack lightly stroked her cheek. "You're more beautiful like this, ya know."

Rarity blushed. "Oh, pish posh, that's not true..."

"No, I mean it," Applejack insisted. "Ya don't need fancy outfits or makeup or any of that. Nature already made ya stunning. Take it from the Element of Honesty, you're just... perfect like this."

Rarity could see in Applejack's eyes that she meant every word of what she said, and her mouth spread into a deeply flattered smile. She pulled Applejack in for another kiss, while Fuchsia did a fist pump behind them.

Then another familiar voice spoke up. "Well, lookie here, Shy-Shy."

Applejack and Rarity turned to see Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, the former giving them a playful smirk while her arm was wrapped intimately around her own girlfriend's waist.

"O-Oh, Rainbow Dash! Fluttershy!" Rarity quickly dusted herself off.

"I don't know what's more surprising, you kissing AJ or taking your clothes off willingly," the athlete snickered.

"But don't worry, we're not judging you," Fluttershy added hastily. "I mean... that would be rather hypocritical, wouldn't it?"

"Well, I guess I could start by signing up as a member..." Rarity chuckled nervously. Fuchsia eagerly grabbed her arm and began to drag her towards the office. Much to her embarrassment, Applejack found herself eyeing her new girlfriend's backside as she was taken away. She then turned to Rainbow Dash, flinching at what the crass tomboy's reaction might be, but Dash simply gave her a wink and a thumbs-up.

"That... was unexpected..." Diamond Tiara said as Luna and Night Sky approached her. "Can I help you?" she asked the two women, trying to avoid sounding rude.

"We wanted to ask if you wanted a ride home," Luna replied. "Since we're going to stake out your mom's house."

"That's... very nice of you," Diamond replied. "Just drop me off somewhere close, so she doesn't notice you and get suspicious, okay?"

"Good idea," smiled Night Sky. "What a smart girl."

Later that night

Luna drove past the fountain at the entrance to Flutter's neighborhood. "Did those statues always exist there?" She asked Night and Diamond, pointing at the stone forms of Emerald, Flutter, Sunset and Twilight.

"I don't think so," said Diamond. "I've been driven by that fountain lots of times, so I'd recognize most of the details. Maybe those are new additions or something?"

"Well, they certainly aren't as covered up as the old ones," Night noted the bare breasts of the Twilight and Sunset statues.

"True..." Diamond remarked with a blush. "Maybe they got added to celebrate the new law?"

"In anticipation, maybe," Luna parked the car across the street from a luxurious-looking mansion. "Just try to act normal."

Diamond had been getting her clothes back on during the journey, so that by now she looked sufficiently presentable in her mother's eyes. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the front door. Unsurprisingly, only her butler answered.

"No questions, Randolph," she said, pretending to be her usual "snobbish" self. "Where I've been is my business and my mother's, not yours."

"Speaking of your mother, she's in a private meeting," Randolph in a calm tone, silently knowing she was faking her attitude.

"She'll be busy with that for a while, I presume?" Diamond asked, hoping that she would. It gave Luna and Night Sky plenty of time to see if incriminating evidence would present itself.

"Indeed, madam," he replied. "She and Miss Cinch are upstairs."

As soon as Diamond Tiara was safely in her bedroom, she whipped out her mobile phone and called Luna, as they had planned during the journey.

"Mom's meeting with Cinch in the next room," she reported to her vice principal.

"The room with that tree near the window?" Luna replied.

"The very one."

"It's getting dark now. We'll set up our camera in the tree as soon as we can do it without being seen." Luna then hung up and got out to prepare to climb the tree next to the lit second story window.

Night Sky crept out behind her. "Exciting, isn't it?" she whispered. "Sneaking around together, just like we used to?"

"Very much like we used to," Luna smiled as she set the camera up in a strong branch. She then called Diamond back. "Okay, camera's set. We'll come by later tonight to grab it."

"Right," Diamond Tiara replied. "Over and out."

"So what do you wanna do till then?" Luna asked her partner.

"Well, I did have something in mind..." Night Sky blushed.

"What exactly?" Luna asked, curious as to where her friend was going with this.

"This!" Night Sky responded with a kiss to her friend's mouth. Luckily, this had the effect of muffling Luna's yelp of shock, otherwise they would have risked being heard and discovered.

"Nighty..." Luna said in disbelief as they landed on the ground. "You... like me?"

"Let's take this back to the car," said Night Sky, "where we'll attract less attention."

"Actually, how about the fountain?" Luna smirked.

Surprised at her cheeky response, Night Sky simply nodded in response. After all, they were unlikely to be interrupted there at such a late hour. Running back to the decorative fountain, both women gleefully began to disrobe themselves. Once all their clothes were off, Luna asked "So... how long?"

"As long as you want, my love," Night kissed Luna on the cheek before taking her hand and wading into the water.

"I mean... how long have you had feelings for me?"

"Ever since we were kids..."

"Really? And you never told me until now?"

"I... I was afraid how you'd react. Not everybody accepts lesbians, and... I didn't want to destroy our bond."

"You mean... you're perfectly okay with this?" Night Sky asked, her spirits beginning to lift.

"Of course," Luna kissed her cheek. "What kind of friend - or girlfriend - would I be if I didn't accept you for who you are?"

Flutter Heart managed to give a muffled "Awwww" at the scene.

"You hear something?" Luna asked.

Night Sky shook her head.

"Well, then we got some private time," Luna raised an eyebrow seductively. She pressed her lips against the other woman's again, and the two began to run their hands along each other's bodies as they knelt in their embrace in the water. Sunset blushed slightly as the two adults began to make out in the fountain. She couldn't see them, but the sounds they produced made it easy to imagine what they were doing. Luna and Night Sky became so engrossed in their mutual pleasure that they ended up spending a good couple of hours there, a tangle of dark-skinned bodies, limbs and hair at the foot of the kissing Flutter and Emerald. Eventually, however, they began to feel the lateness of the hour.

"Let's go grab the camera," Night Sky said as the warm night air dried off their bodies.

"Yes," Luna nodded. "Spoiled and Cinch's little chat should be LONG since finished by now." She climbed up the tree and snatched the hidden camera. Sure enough, there was no longer light coming from the window and the curtains were shut. The vice principal then slid down the tree and dashed to the car.

"Let's get this to Mayor Mare," Night Sky said after they reviewed the footage.

Green Hill Club

"You got it?" Mayor Mare asked excitedly.

"We did indeed," Night Sky said proudly, her arm around her new girlfriend's waist.

"Then we got a chance," Rosie smiled as she brought the new couple some drinks.

"So what did they say?" asked Auburn Beam, who was now sitting close by with Waterspell.

"We'll use it in case Spoiled makes a move at the city council meeting tomorrow," Mayor Mare explained.

"But what did those creeps say in the video?" Auburn persisted.

"That they've been trying to undermine our efforts at every corner," Luna replied.

"And they're planning some kind of final strike to stop our new law from passing," added Night Sky.

"Good thing we got this footage to counter them then," Rosie smiled.

Sunday morning

It had been about two days since the addition of the four new statues to the fountain. Small cracks had already started to appear, and now they were starting to crumble, gradually revealing the living naked flesh within. Sunset began to flex her fingers as she was able to move them again. Likewise, Twilight wriggled her toes free, and was soon able to kick out with all of her feet. Flutter broke free from the kiss as the last of the stone casing broke away and dissolved. All four teenagers stood rather shakily, feeling fresh air on their bodies again. Although dazed, they also felt every bit as clean and refreshed as Twilight had predicted, with any dirt, sweat or blemishes cleansed from them.

"It... it really worked," said Twilight after a moment of silence. "A success!"

"Yeah, though, we probably should get indoors right away," Sunset nervously chuckled.

"Or... maybe not," said Emerald haltingly.

"What do you mean? We're still naked, for Faust's sake!"

"And we're not alone on that," replied Flutter. "Look!"

Sure enough, mostly everyone was walking around the streets sans clothing.

"Is... this a dream?" Twilight asked in confusion.

"Nope!" said a familiar cheerful voice.

The four turned to notice Pinkie Pie, who was standing near the fountain with Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Sandymane, Candle Rouge, Viridian Specs, Sour Sweet, Fuchsia Joy, Pimpernel, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Silver Spoon and even Diamond Tiara. All of them had gathered to meet their revived friends out there in broad daylight, and all were every bit as naked as they would be at the Green Hill Club.

"Welcome to the new and nude Canterlot!" Pinkie declared.

A New Canterlot

A day earlier
Canterlot City Hall

Rosie Peace stood before Mayor Mare, who sat with Olive Grain and the rest of the city council, including such figures as Fancy Pants and Night Light, the latter of whom Rosie happened to know to be Twilight Sparkle's father. Unfortunately, Spoiled Rich was also on the council. The smug look on her face indicated that she was sure her plans had succeeded, and that her blackmailing would force the mayor to refuse to pass the law that would make Canterlot clothing optional.

"Good morning, everyone," Mayor Mare began. "Let's begin this week's city council meeting."

"Ah yes," said Fancy Pants. "The final debate on that... interesting new law proposed by Miss Olive Grain, isn't that right?"

"We've gone over it several times," Night Light added. "And it does seem reasonable."

"But also radical!" protested Spoiled. "Just think of what people in other cities will say about Canterlot if this law is passed!"

"Which is why we shall put it to a council vote," Olive countered.

"But before we do, of course," declared the mayor, "we have a special guest with us: Rosie Peace, current owner of the Green Hill Club, a naturist resort popular with many people in Canterlot. She has a few words to say on behalf of herself and all who are in her care at the club."

"Thank you, Mayor," the club owner stood up. "Now, first of all - yes, as you can all see, I came here fully dressed, as the current law demands. However, I cannot stress enough the benefits I and other people at the Green Hill Club have enjoyed from our clothing optional lifestyle. We are not perverted deviants, as some might have you believe. Rather, there is a refreshing and comforting sense of openness between us. It is as if by shedding clothing, we also shed our need for secrets or mistrust - everyone at the Club is generally very open and accepting of each other. While the idea of making all of Canterlot clothing optional seems like an alarming and bold idea, I think the benefits would easily help us forget old hang-ups, inhibitions and other problems in the long run."

Spoiled could hardly contain her rage as Rosie's speech seemed to win over the other council members.

"Furthermore," Rosie continued. "hasn't history shown us again and again how what seems ideal and 'proper' for one generation might end up being left behind by future ones? Our earliest ancestors lived in feuding tribes and warring factions - now we can resolve disputes more peacefully in council debates like this one. There have been recent huge steps forward in terms of accepting homosexuality. Maybe making Canterlot clothing optional is simply the next step towards a more open-minded world?"

Night Light and Fancypants murmured in agreement.

"I can see what she means," said Night Light quietly. "I mean, hundreds of years ago, the idea of my daughter even getting an education would have been considered laughable."

"Yes, standards change," nodded Fancypants, "sometimes in ways we cannot foresee and may struggle to accept. But that doesn't necessarily mean new ideas are wrong."

"Then all for passing this law?" Olive raised her hand.

She, Rosie and their other supporters had put much time and effort into their campaign - and to their delight, it had not been wasted. The majority of the council raised their hands with them, having been won over to the idea of a Canterlot with less restrictive rules about what to wear in public.

"And against?" the mayor asked.

A disgruntled few raised their hands at this point, Spoiled obviously being among them. Mayor Mare noticed smugness in the woman's face - she was obviously still counting on her blackmail to prevent the mayor from making the final choice. Not wanting to let the rich snob win, Mayor Mare began to disrobe right in the middle of the room.

"Well, the vote is certain, the law to make Canterlot clothing optional is hereby passed," she declared. Across the council, eyes widened and gasps sounded out as their mayor's unclad body was revealed - and they continued, of course, as Olive and Rosie followed her example.

"It's legal now," Rosie smirked. "So you can't arrest us for following the law."

Spoiled couldn't believe her ears. How could Mayor Mare not have been intimidated by her?

"And as for a certain council member," Mayor Mare glared at Spoiled. "We have proof that this person was blackmailing me."

"Y-Y-You're even crazier than I thought!" Spoiled stammered. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Of course not," the mayor replied. "You just confirmed it for me."

"You have no evidence!"

"Actually, we do," Olive held up the recorder given to her by Luna and Night Sky.

"And the footage on this not only provides sufficient proof for your own guilt," Mayor Mare added, "but of that of a co-conspirator, one Abacus Cinch, former principal of Crystal Prep Academy."

All heads in the room turned to Cinch sitting in the back row. She tried to flee the room, but her path was blocked by Night Light and others.

Grasping her last straw, Spoiled spoke up again, her voice still shaking. "B-But how do we know you're t-t-telling the truth?! Anything could be on that tape!"

Olive only smirked as she pushed the play button. Projected onto a large screen was a clip of Spoiled and Cinch conspiring together in the former's house.

"And you're sure this blackmail idea will work?" Cinch asked in the video.

"Of course it will," Spoiled replied. "Politicians will do anything to avoid public embarrassment. Trust me - now that she knows I know about her visiting that nudist club, there's no way she'll allow this absurd new law and risk me letting others know..."

"You do realize what the punishment is for blackmailing a politician, right?" Olive asked rhetorically, pausing the tape.

"It's not just a slap on the wrist, by the way," added Rosie.

"Th-This isn't over!" Cinch declared as she and Spoiled were dragged away.

"With your own word against yours?" replied Rosie. "Kind of looks like it is."

"It was a rather daft plan you had, anyway," the mayor remarked. "One of the main ideals of naturism is to NOT be ashamed of who you are. I'm ready to admit that I like going without clothes, and now anyone else in Canterlot can safely do the same."

Present day

"So... it's really true?" said Sunset Shimmer.

"We can go around nude anywhere in Camelot?" asked Flutter Heart.

"And not get in trouble?" gasped Emerald Peace.

"Right-a-rooney!" beamed Pinkie Pie.

"Our biggest dream has come true!" Fuchsia grinned.

"It'll be convenient not havin' to put stuff on and off to go outside, huh?" grinned Applejack, nuzzling a blushing Rarity.

"And doing sports without clammy clothes is just so freeing!" cried Rainbow Dash. She was so thrilled that she scooped up Fluttershy in her arms and gave her a big, flamboyant kiss right in front of everyone.

"It's certainly gonna be an interesting next few weeks," said Sandymane as she held hands with Rouge Candle, "what with how people are gonna react, both in and out of Canterlot."

"Well," Rouge replied. "Back where I am from, zere are some naked cities."

This got surprised gasps, along with several cases of "Whoa," and "Really?"

"Oui," the boy replied. "Mother never really took me to any of zem, but she's still been supportive of me getting into this whole thing with Sandymane, so I guess she must have always been okay with zem."

"Will we get to meet your mom anytime soon?" Pimpernel asked.

"Soon enough," Rouge patted the younger boy's head. "We're thinking of moving here."

"You are?" Sandymane asked with a smile. "How convenient. We'll be closer to each other."

"And she can join us!" cheered Fuchsia. "The family just keeps getting bigger!"

"Oh, we're a family now, huh?" Emerald chuckled as he pulled his little sister into a bear hug.

"Well, why the hay can't we call ourselves that?" Applejack shrugged, still smiling. "We all love and care for each other, and I'd say this new law brought us all closer together than ever."

"Eeyup," nodded Big Mac. Flutter blushed at the sight of his well-built body.

"Wait - when'd y'all get here, big brother?" Apple Bloom asked.

"A couple of seconds ago - with both of us," said a familiar tomboyish voice. Everyone noticed Gilda and Gabby arriving behind him, both as naked as the rest of the group.

"Gabby!" Fuchsia dashed over to hug her friend.

"Hey there, kids!" the cheerful Griffonstone girl laughed as the CMC also rushed in to join the cuddle.

"You here on vacation again?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Better!" Gabby grinned. "Gilda and I are officially exchange students!"

"Yeah, word kind of... got around that we were both into nudism," admitted Gilda with a blush. "So we got recommended as the ideal choices for Canterlot once this crazy new law of yours got passed."

"Where are you two staying at?" Twilight asked.

"Well, we'll be attending Canterlot High," said Gilda. "But as to where we'll live, well... we're a bit stumped."

"You can stay with us at the club," Fuchsia suggested.

"Oh yes, that's perfect!" squealed Gabby. "It's gonna be so much fun! By the way... do you allow pets?"

"Of course," Flutter smiled.

"Oh, that's great! Because there's this other guy who's also with us, and he brought his dog, her name's Smolder…"

"Cool, where are they?" Emerald asked.

"In our car," said Gilda, gesturing to the vehicle parked on the side of the road.

"We can ask him to let Smolder out, if you want," added Gabby with a wink.

"Sure!" Ember barked. She and Spike bounded after Gabby on her way back to the car, eager to meet a new friend. As they reached it, another dog, orange with tufts of purple fur on her head and tail and yellow-tinged ears, appeared inside. She pawed at the window excitedly and answered Spike and Ember's barking.

"Keep it down, Smolder," a boy's voice said from inside the car. "I don't want another... incident."

"Then open the door and let her out, Gallus," said Gilda.

"Or better yet, come out completely," Gabby added.

"No thank you," Gallus replied in a snappish tone. "Not everyone is as comfortable with going around stark naked as you."

"Well, you're gonna have to get used to it, since we're going to be living at a nudist club," Gilda said almost teasingly.

Gallus sighed. "You can let Smolder out, but I'd rather stay in here for now." The door opened slightly, allowing the orange dog to slip out.

"Hi there!" yapped Spike as she playfully rushed around him and Ember. Smolder barked in response, obviously not having the ability to talk. Spike and Ember didn't let this bother them, and they were soon happily rolling around with their new playmate.

"I think we should dry off and get back home," Sunset placed a hand on Twilight's shoulder.

"You're probably right," said Twilight. "Plenty of other things to get done too, I think, with our absence and the new status quo."

Soon
Green Hill Club

Sonata Dusk and Aria Blaze approached Skystar, who had been sitting quietly in a chair not far from the club's reception office.

"What's up, Skystar?" Sonata asked the famous swimmer. "You're totes quieter than usual."

"Yeah, you've just been sitting around there like you're waiting for something," added Aria.

"Yeah, my cousins are coming to visit today," their idol replied.

"Ooh, you mean, like, a family reunion?" Sonata grinned with excitement.

"Pretty much, although... I haven't exactly told them I'm a nudist..."

"W-wait, what? So they don't know they're gonna see you and all of us naked?"

"This is gonna be interesting..." remarked Aria, who couldn't help but smirk a little.

As if on cue, a car pulled up in the parking lot.

"They're here!" Skystar moaned.

The car was driven by a girl about Skystar's age with pinkish skin, violet eyes and blue striped hair. In the front passenger's seat was a younger boy with greenish white skin, cyan eyes and similarly striped hair. Both of them were fully clothed, and both looked very awkward and nervous about the place they had ended up in.

"Sis... are you sure you followed Skystar's directions right?" murmured the boy. "'Cause this looks like a club for... well, you know."

"The address is right," his sister replied. "Maybe we could ask around if Skystar is here?"

"I... I don't know if I'm brave enough to go in there, Silverstream."

"Well, I'm going, Terramar!" She then stepped out of the car and headed towards the office. As she stepped in, she encountered the very girl she was looking for - though when her cousin had suggested a reunion, she certainly never thought it would be like this, with Skystar wearing nothing but a simple jeweled necklace.

"Hi, cousin," said Skystar with an awkward smile, one bare foot fidgeting slightly.

"Skystar, y-you're..." Silverstream's face went bright red.

"Naked, yeah..." her cousin chuckled nervously.

"Mind you," said Aria as she stepped around a corner and showed herself, "that's the norm here. And in all of Canterlot by now too."

"E-Everyone..." Silverstream couldn't handle that information and promptly fainted.

"Just like Rarity, huh?" sighed Aria, putting a hand to her forehead. "Shall I help you carry her to a chair?"

"Please," Skystar lifted her cousin up as Terramar peeked out the window. From where he was, he could only vaguely see Skystar and her friend, but that was already enough to make him nervous. He turned away blushing - only to find an equally naked Sonata grinning at him from next to the car.

"Hello, cutie!"

"GAH!" Terramar fell onto his back as Sonata opened the car door, showing off more of her body to him.

"You're one of Skystar's cousins, right?" the cheerful Dazzling asked. "She said you'd be coming over. Ooh, wait till I show you around the club!"

"I-I-I-I-I..." Terramar was so blown away by Sonata's unclothed beauty and upbeat nature, he couldn't speak. His tongue just waggled uselessly in his mouth, and his face carried such a blush it looked like his head might explode.

Sonata giggled at his shyness and, before he could react, grabbed him by the hand and pulled him out. Before he knew it, she was dragging him towards the center field of the club. They passed by Flutter Heart and Sandymane playing volleyball with their brothers.

"Hey, guys!" called Sonata. "Look who I've got here! He's Skystar's cousin!"

"I didn't know she had a cousin," Pimpernel ran up to Terramar, who blushed at the sight of another boy's naked form. "Welcome to the Green Hill Club, pal," Pimpernel smiled, holding his hand out. "Name's Pimpernel."

"T-Terramar..." the boy nervously shook his hand, trying hard to not look at his lower area. Chalk also ran up to shake his hand.

"I'm Chalk Breeze, and I guess you're also new to the lifestyle?"

Terramar was so overwhelmed from this experience that he could only nod and accept their handshakes.

"Well, take it from me," Chalk continued, "you get accustomed to it pretty easily once you take your clothes off."

Sonata looked excited at the prospect of seeing Terramar's body. "Yeah! So come on, cutie! Kit off!"

"Wh-What?!" He barely had time to respond as Sonata had tossed all of his clothes off in an instant.

"Whoa... how'd she pull that off?" Flutter wondered, too astonished to notice her own unintentional pun.

Sandymane shrugged. "It's Sonata. Don't question it."

"I thought that's what we said about Pinkie?"

"I've seen them hanging out. Obviously Sonata's learned to do a few things."

Upon finding himself as nude as everyone else, Terramar hurriedly tried to cover himself.

"Relax, pal," said Pimpernel. "There's nothing you have that we don't."

"Even that," Chalk took notice of a certain reaction beginning for Terramar.

"I-I need to go!" He wailed before trying to run. Sonata quickly prevented his escape by grabbing him and pulling him close to herself, accidentally pressing his face into her breasts. "MMMPH!" Terramar couldn't handle it anymore and, much like his sister, promptly fainted.

Sonata noticed, and immediately felt awkward. "Err... oops?"

At the same time, Silverstream, having recovered, was being brought over to the court by her cousin and Aria. She noticed her naked little brother in Sonata's arms, and immediately snapped into a defensive panic.

"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR PERVY HANDS ALL OVER MY BROTHER?!"

"He fainted, and I just caught him!" Sonata shouted defensively. Flutter and Sandymane helped ease Terramar back to his feet.

"It's true," Pimpernel explained hastily. "We were a bit... forward about welcoming him into the club. We never meant him any harm."

"See, we're all just good friends," Skystar added. Working together, they all got Terramar safely into a deckchair. As they waited for him to wake up, Silverstream talked to her cousin.

"Why didn't you tell me about... your new lifestyle?"

"I was afraid you'd be too embarrassed or disgusted to come."

"Well, it is... unconventional. But you know you can always be honest with me, right?"

"I guess it's because of how my mother reacted," said Skystar with an unhappy frown. "She didn't take it all that well when I told her I'd decided to become a nudist."

"We remember her outburst."

"So I've been staying here since then."

Silverstream sighed, and started to smile. "Well, you're doing what you want, and I can see you've got lots of friends here. So... I'm happy for you, Skystar."

"Then how about you come join us?" Sonata asked.

"W-What?" Silverstream stuttered. "Y-Y-You're asking me to...to stay here too?"

"And your brother... if that's okay?" Sonata looked very hopeful about that part. She already had a very special liking for Terramar.

"And... naked?"

"Well, duh," said Aria. "Either that, or start feeling very out of place."

"O-Okay..." Silverstream pulled off her shirt.

"You're really gonna join us?" Sonata squeaked with delight.

"It's a matter of family," Silverstream managed a small smile as she cast off her pants.

"There's always room for new members," Flutter smiled. "We'll get the two of you a cabin near Skystar's, if you want."

"Thanks..." Silverstream ditched her underwear, leaving her as naked as the others.

Terramar started to stir on the chair, and Sonata rushed to his side.

"Are you okay?" She asked with worry.

"I think so..." the boy replied, still not quite focused. "Had this weird dream, though... where me and my sister were at this camp place, and everyone was..." He paused when he saw Sonata's naked breasts in front of him.

"Err... hi there," the girl said sheepishly.

"It wasn't a dream, Terramar," said Silverstream.

"S-Sis!" Terramar leapt back in surprise. "Y-You're...!"

"A member of the club," Silverstream finished for him, blushing slightly. "And, well, there's a certain dress code..." Terramar looked down to see he was also unclothed. He was about to let out a scream before Sonata put a finger to his mouth.

"Shh, just calm down," she said, in a quieter and gentler tone than before. She stroked Terramar's hair in such a comforting manner that he actually found himself becoming less tense.

"Huh, never knew she could be tender," Aria commented.

"So... you've decided to join them, sis?" Terramar asked.

"Hey, family's gotta stick together, right?" Silverstream chuckled.

"I guess I'm along for the ride, huh?" Terramar sighed, getting a sense that there would be no point arguing. He almost lost his breath as Sonata bear hugged him.

"Looks like you got yourself a new girlfriend, stud," remarked Aria slyly.

"Hmm, I don't know," said Silverstream. "She's at least a year older than him..."

"Hey, I've got TWO older girlfriends," chuckled Chalk. As if on cue, Sugarcoat and Coloratura hugged him at the same time, their breasts smooshing into his face. "Hehe... see?" The boy shrugged with a bashful grin.

"So what is there to do here?" Silverstream asked her cousin.

"Well," said Skystar, "there's hiking trails through the woods, volleyball, yoga, a swimming pool - I spend most of my time at that last one, of course..."

"And body painting!" Fuchsia added.

"Speaking of which," Pimpernel said. "Didn't Rarity say she was going to pitch the idea of body paints to her boutique?"

"Well, with people going around naked now, it figures she'd have to expand her repertoire beyond designing clothes," stated Sugarcoat.

At the same time
Carousel Boutique

"And in conclusion, Miss Hemline," Rarity said, reaching the end of a speech, "I think that with the new law now in place, and clothing no longer in such high demand, body painting is an ideal and creative new technique to add to our business."

"That is an... interesting proposal, Rarity," her boss said. "And I will take it into consideration."

"Thank you Miss Hemline," Rarity bowed her head respectfully.

"Though maybe next time, put something on when you make a pitch," Hemline playfully smirked. Indeed, Rarity had grown more accustomed to being naked in public more than she would like to have admitted.

"Yes, well... it is legal now here in Canterlot, isn't it?" Rarity replied with an awkward laugh. "And it is surprisingly comfortable, not wearing anything. In fact, I recommend giving it a try if you can."

"...perhaps another day, Rarity," Hemline said after a few minutes.

"You only live once, Miss Hemline," Rarity replied. "We all need to get a bit adventurous sometimes... right?"

It sounded like something someone else had given her to say, but Hemline decided not to pry, and bid the girl a polite farewell before leaving. Once she was gone, the Cutie Mark Crusaders emerged from their hiding place behind a curtain to congratulate Rarity.

"You did great, sis!" beamed Sweetie Belle, hugging Rarity around the waist.

"And kudos to you for using that line I suggested about being adventurous," smirked Scootaloo. "It'll get her thinking about giving nudism a try, trust me."

"Oh, thank you, Scootaloo," Rarity blushed.

"Guess now we wait and see if your pitch worked, huh?" said Apple Bloom.

"I'm also surprised that more people are enjoying the new law than we thought," Sweetie Belle chuckled.

"Yeah," grinned Scootaloo. "The most I've seen anyone wear today is a hat, glasses or sandals."

At that moment they heard two female voices giggling outside. They recognized one as Pinkie Pie, but there was also one that sounded younger.

"Sounds like Pinkie is making the rounds again," Rarity said.

"I wonder who that is with her," mused Sweetie Belle.

Her question was answered as they saw Pinkie through a window, bouncing along down the street and obviously reveling in being able to do it without a stitch of clothing. Riding on her shoulders was a small naked girl with pale green skin and purple hair in a ponytail. Like Pinkie, she was clearly having a lot of fun.

"Oh, it's that girl Pinkie babysat that one time," Rarity smiled softly.

"Hey, isn't she in Fuchsia's class?" Scootaloo asked.

"Yeah, her name's Lily Pad," said Apple Bloom. "But last time I saw her, she seemed like the quiet type. Just sat around lookin' at her iPad, y'know? I guess Pinkie managed to convince her to loosen up."

"Or Fuchsia," Scootaloo giggled. "Given how much alike they both are."

"Well, I'm glad to see her so happy, at any rate," Rarity smiled.

Later
Green Hill Club

Gilda parked the car containing herself and her friends outside what was to be their new residence. She was happy, Gabby bounced eagerly next to her and Smolder panted excitedly, but Gallus just sat sulkily in the back.

"You ever gonna cheer up?" She asked the boy.

"Maybe when I get a chance to go back to Griffonstone," was his sarcastic reply.

"Y'know, I thought a boy like you would be loving this," Gilda remarked with a smirk. "You'll be seeing us and plenty of other ladies in the buff all the time."

Gallus's face went bright red at that statement.

"I think he's shy about getting a certain... you know, reaction," Gabby giggled, going into an unusually risqué topic for her. "I wonder if he's even managed to keep his cool around us, Gilda?"

"Gabby, shut up...!" groaned Gallus.

"Looks like you're onto something," Gilda smirked. Smolder began to paw at a window and yap, impatient to be let out and explore this new environment.

"Go ahead," Gallus sighed as he opened the door, letting the orange dog out.

"I say we ALL get out now and make ourselves at home," Gilda decided, making it clear that she would accept no arguments from Gallus.

"...fine," the boy grumbled as they stepped out of the car. Each of them stepped out of the car, unloaded their luggage and carried it towards reception, Gallus still the only one wearing clothes. "This is still so weird..."

"Quit bellyachin'," said Gilda. "This is gonna be the norm, so get with the program."

Before Gallus could respond, someone bumped into him. They both toppled over, and Gallus' luggage collapsed everywhere.

"S-Sorry!" Silverstream quickly got off of him. Gallus could only stammer in response, his mind still reeling from how her unclad breasts had pressed against him. Gabby helped him to his feet and gently led him to the office.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine," said Gilda to Silverstream. "He's... new to this whole gig, y'know?"

"Ohhhh, I see."

"He's been all grumpy about us taking him here, but we're sure we can convert him before long," Gilda continued with a sneaky wink.

"Fuchsia can handle that," Gabby giggled.

"We're just get ourselves signed in and settled into our new cabin," said Gilda, "then we'll hang out with the rest of you guys or something."

"Sounds like a plan!" Silverstream beamed.

Meanwhile, Gallus found himself standing before Rosie Peace's desk, doing his best not to panic.

"It's okay," the club owner smiled. "We all felt the same the first time."

Unable to reply, Gallus was relieved when Gilda and Gabby stepped in to sign them in, giving him a chance to sit down and try to calm himself. That became difficult, however, when Silverstream followed them in and sat next to him.

"Sorry about bumping into you."

"Err... it's okay." Gallus' blush intensified, as he realized he found Silverstream particularly attractive.

"So you own that dog out there?" She pointed to Smolder playing with Ember and Spike outside.

"Y-Yeah, her name's Smolder," Gallus managed to reply. "Both my pet and my best friend in the world... though she seems to be having more fun than me here..."

"You know," said Silverstream, brushing some of hair behind one ear, "I'm new here too. Me and my brother recently moved in to join my cousin Skystar - perhaps you've heard of her?"

"Th-The Princess of the Sea is here?! You're related to her?!"

"Yep," said Silverstream with a small beam of pride. "She and I tend to hang around the pool here, of course."

Gallus panted slightly at the revelation and mental image of his idol living here in the nude.

"Got a little crush on my cousin, do ya?" Silverstream playfully leaned in.

"Well, you're beautiful as well!" Gallus hurriedly answered, before realizing what he said. "I-I-I mean..."

"Awwww, thanks," Silverstream planted a tiny kiss on his cheek. She then withdrew and giggled as Gallus put his hand to that cheek, a rather goofy smile spreading across his face. "Was that your first time being kissed by a girl?"

"Yeah... never imagined she'd be... n-n-naked while doing it..."

"Wanna even the odds?" She smirked.

Now Gallus' eyes widened as he became nervous again. "Y-You mean...?"

"Getting your clothes off? You bet I do."

Gallus's face went red again as Silverstream stood up.

"I'll be at the pool if you need me," she swayed her rear a little to tease him.

As she left the office, Gallus' eyes followed her all the way. Then he heard Gilda clear her throat, and noticed her smirking while Gabby giggled.

"Ready to get to our cabin then, Casanova?"

"Um, maybe later," Gallus replied as his classmates left the office.

"You know," Rosie Peace said, "Silverstream is right. The sooner you get undressed, the sooner you'll calm down and feel comfortable." Before she could continue, she noticed Gallus was already gone, his clothes floating in the air for a second before falling to the ground. "Well, well... love conquers all, as they say," she chuckled.

Outside, Gallus was making his way towards the pool while trying to cover his lower area. Aria Blaze happened to notice him on the way. "You can't keep doing that forever, newbie!" she yelled, pointing at his hands and laughing herself silly.

"Aw, leave him alone, Aria," Sonata said to her fellow Dazzling. "He needs time to get used to it."

"Though you have to admit," Adagio Dazzle remarked, "it is fun to watch boys get nervous over seeing us girls. Almost a shame they get used to it after a while."

"Pervy as always, Adagio," Aria deadpanned.

Adagio shrugged. "It's a fact of nudist life, Aria. You'll feel better looking at the fun side of it."

"You took the leap, Gallus!" Silverstream called from the indoor pool. As he arrived, Gallus beheld her in the water, leaning on her elbows at the pool's edge. And swimming laps behind her was none other than Skystar.

There was also a radio sitting on a small poolside table, playing a cheery song that sounded like it was from a good few decades back:

"Let's go sunning, it's so good for you.
Let's go sunning, 'neath the sky of blue.
Greet the sun every morn.
Feel as free and happy as the day you were born..."

"They've been playing that quite a lot since the new law was passed," giggled Silverstream. "Apparently it's from some 50s naturist film."

"So I see..." Gallus nervously slipped into the water.

Skystar noticed him doing so at swam towards him. "So, how is it?" she grinned. "Compared to swimming with trunks on, I mean?"

"...weird."

The celebrity swimmer smiled kindly. "Silverstream told me you were a newcomer. Don't worry, you'll get accustomed to it very easily if you just let yourself have fun."

"O-Okay..."

"Tell me, Gallus - do you swim a lot?"

"Not really... I'm more of a track and field guy..."

"Well, I'm currently teaching Silverstream some new swimming techniques. If you want, you could join us for that."

"Come on, Gallus, it'll be fun," Silverstream said, putting an encouraging hand on the boy's shoulder.

"I guess..." He followed the girl as her cousin began swimming laps again. Gilda and Gabby entered at that moment. While Gabby jumped straight into the water with a splash, Gilda sat down casually on a deckchair.

"Well, lookie what we have here," she remarked with a smile upon seeing Gallus and Silverstream together again. "Not interrupting anything, are we?"

"N-Nothing! Nothing at all!" Gallus said defensively.

"Well, me and Gabby have gotten started unloading our luggage into our new cabin. We also overheard something the rest of the club are planning..."

"What is it?" Skystar asked.

"A trip on a boat!" said Gabby, before diving under the surface.

"It's a luxury cruise out to sea," Gilda clarified.

"A cruise, huh?" Silverstream grinned.

"Yeah, they'll be games, parties, movies, all sorts of stuff. Sounds like a gas, doesn't it? Unless you get seasick easily, of course."

"Then who's gonna be watching this place?" Skystar inquired.

"Well, I heard a few of the staff won't be going. Olive Grain says she gets queasy easily, so she'll be staying here."

"So are we," Waterspell added, her and Auburn Beam coming into the pool.

"But Rosie Peace is going," grinned Gabby. "She wants to have some fun with Emerald and Fuchsia! The whole Globe family will be there too."

"So is the Heart family, and they're bringing Viridian along too." Auburn dipped her feet into the water while her girlfriend gracefully dived in.

"I guess you two are going too, huh?" Gallus asked.

"Well, duh," chuckled Gilda. "Rainbow Dash and that girlfriend of hers are, and I wanna hang out with them. Did you know we're old friends?"

"And I'm going 'cause I like parties," grinned Gabby.

"I'll come too," said Skystar. "I might even get a chance to swim in the sea."

"Sunset and Twilight are going too," Waterspell surfaced and shook her hair.

"What about you, Gallus?" Silverstream asked, a pleading look in her eyes. "I'd be happy to be your... partner there."

Gilda scoffed. "He won't come. He's not the kind to try new things."

"I-I'll go!" Gallus shouted. He then blushed intensely as Silverstream hugged him in delight, her bare body pressing against his. He went even more red as she planted a kiss on his cheek.

"You... you're joshing me, right?" Gilda gasped. "Did it really just take a new girlfriend to convince him to--?!"

The two kissed each other deeply, cutting her off. Gabby, Waterspell and Auburn simply laughed at Gilda's gobsmacked face, while the radio played the 50s song again:

"Let's go native,
Sun your cares away.
Be creative,
Learn to live and play.
Pretty flowers need the sun.
This applies to everyone.
Life's worth living
When nature's giving
Happiness to everyone,
So let's go sunning!"

Switched!

Canterlot City Park

Sandymane and her boyfriend Rouge Candle sat together on a bench, glancing around at other locals taking walks or playing on the nearby climbing frame. Thanks to the new law, of course, everyone was able to do so with virtually no clothing on, apart from the occasional sandals, hat, sunglasses or jewellery.

"Still feels rather surreal, doesn't it?" Sandymane remarked with a smile and a slight blush. "I wonder how many of these people could have imagined themselves doing this a week ago?"

"Not many, I am sure," Rouge replied, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "All ze same, it is comforting to see zem accept our lifestyle so quickly, yes?"

Sandymane nodded and laid her head on his shoulder. "So I heard you're planning to move into the neighborhood."

"Oui, zat is true. Mother says we might as well live closer to all my friends now zat our club is... 'fully integrated' into Canterlot, so to speak."

"Will we finally be able to meet your mom?" Sandymane had a legitimate question. Ever since Rouge joined their group, they had not had a chance to meet his mother.

"Of course! She's been dying to meet all of you."

Before Sandymane could respond, a strange glowing from the bushes caught her attention.

"What the hay...?" She frowned, trying to guess what it could be.

"What is it, Sandy?" Rouge asked, not having noticed it himself. She stood up and walked towards the glow, almost like in a trance.

Rouge began to get worried. "Sandy, are you all right? What are you--?" He was cut off as he saw the glow too. Almost instantly, he reached out towards it as Sandymane knelt down to investigate. His fingers touched what seemed to be a stone lying underneath one of the bushes. Almost immediately, a large flash of light engulfed them, knocking out both of them. Pinkie Pie and Lily Pad happened to be heading towards the climbing frame at that moment. But their plans were interrupted at the sight of what was happening to two of Pinkie's friends.

"Omigosh, are you two okay?!" Pinkie rushed over to the fallen Sandymane and Rouge.

"What happened to them, Pinkie?" asked Lily nervously.

"I dunno." Pinkie poked both of her friends' foreheads. "Maybe we should carry them home?"

"'We'?" Lily gestured to herself, indicating how she was not big or strong enough to carry either of them by herself.

"Yeah, me and Sunset," she pointed to Sunset Shimmer who was walking behind her.

"I saw that glow!" Sunset cried. "And it reminds me of-- Oh my Faust, what's happened to Sandymane and Rouge?"

"I don't know! But we should get them home!"

"Wait!" Lily interrupted. "Look - under the bush!" She pointed to the unmistakable sight of a glowing stone lying amidst some leaves the bush had shed.

"What is that...?" Sunset picked up the stone, no flash occurring this time.

"Ugh..." Sandymane groaned as she slowly came to.

"SANDY!" Pinkie squeaked, grabbing the girl by the arms and rapidly pulling her to her feet. "Are you all right? Speak to me!"

"W-W-What do you mean?" Sandymane sounded different than usual, with an accent like her boyfriend's. "Where is Sandy? And what was zat flash of light? And... what's wrong with my voice?!"

At the same time, Rouge rubbed his head as he sat up.

"Please keep it down..." he said in a Trottingham accent. "My head hurts a lot..."

Sandymane turned towards him with a mortified expression. "Hey, how is zat my voice... but with my girlfriend's accent? And wait - I'm wearing glasses?!" She then looked down and patted herself, shocked to find herself in a female body. "Sandy...?!"

"Rouge...?!"

"Did we...?!"

"Swap bodies?!"

There was a brief silence, during which Pinkie awkwardly whispered "Three, two, one..."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGHHHH!!!!"

Soon

"Are you two finished now?" Sunset asked dryly. She was as worried about the situation as her two body-swapped friends were, but their seemingly endless bout of panic had also annoyed her.

"I'm a boy!" Sandymane moaned. "I have every right to panic!"

"I... I've tried to keep zat body clean and fit... if it's any consolation," said Rouge sheepishly. Pinkie couldn't help but giggle a bit at how it sounded with his now feminine voice. Even Lily was slightly amused.

"Oh no..." Sandymane's eyes narrowed. "How are we going to explain this to our parents?!"

"My mother will zrow a fit..." groaned Rouge. "Right before she gives me an awkward lecture about how to handle... periods."

"Why don't you just pretend to be each other then?" Fuchsia suggested.

"... I beg your pardon?" Sandymane replied, clearly unhappy with the implication.

"Well, since you're in each other's bodies, it's easier to go home as the other person."

"For your information, I've never been to Rouge's house," Sandymane replied.

"And I could not imitate somebody else's accent to save my life," Rouge added.

"Well, I just wrote to Twilight about this," Sunset said as she held up the stone. "Apparently, this is another Equestrian artifact that switches people's bodies when they both hold it. Its effects will wear off after a day."

"And until zen, we're stuck like zis, mais oui?" Rouge moaned.

"Well... it could be much worse," Sandymane told him, starting to loosen up a bit at the news that it was no longer than a day. "Though we may need to imitate each other's accents for a bit..."

"I told you," Rouge repeated, "I just CANNOT mimic accents. Acting was never my strong suite."

"Oh, Pimpy already knows," Fuchsia held up her phone.

Sandymane frowned. "All right, WHEN did you go and tell my brother about this behind my back?"

The younger girl shrugged. "While you two were going bonkers."

"That's also when I contacted Twilight," added Sunset.

"So... I just have to pretend to be you then," Sandymane reasoned.

"You said your mother wanted to meet your new friends, right? … Err, Rouge?" asked Sunset. At the last part, she remembered that the one she was talking to was in Sandymane's body, and turned towards him accordingly.

"True," the boy-turned-girl replied, "but how will zat help us?"

"Well, maybe if I came with Sandymane to your home, she'd at least have a bit of help in keeping up the act. Plus, I could ask for a tour of the place, which would let Sandymane learn about it too."

"That's actually pretty clever," Sandymane said.

"Meanwhile, Pimpernel could tell his mom and dad that you can't talk because you have a sore throat or something," Fuchsia suggested to Rouge.

"Looks like we have this covered until it's over, then," said Sunset.

A sly smirk then spread across Fuchsia's face as she turned to Sandymane. "By the way," she whispered to the girl-turned-boy "I just can't resist asking - what's it like having a--"

"Shut up, Fuchsia," groaned Sandymane.

Rouge Candle’s House

“So… this is where Rouge and his mom live,” Sandymane mused.

“Well, if his directions are reliable, it must be,” said Sunset.

The two girls - or rather, one girl in her own body and one in her boyfriend’s - stood before the house that used to belong to Svengallop, Chalk Breeze’s cruel father.

“Feels kind of… awkward, visiting the place where that poor kid Chalk was suffering so much,” Sunset remarked.

“Well, I’m sure Rouge and his mother have been making it much more pleasant,” Sandymane asserted. “From what he’s told me of her, she’s a perfectly nice and open-minded person.”

“Feeling ready to meet her, then?”

“I guess so… though I wish I didn’t have to pretend to be her son while doing it…”

Sunset had to nod in agreement. The circumstances were awkward. “I know what you mean. But if you try to mimic his accent as best you can, and maybe let me do most of the talking, we might just pull this off until you’re safely back in your own body, and she’ll never suspect a thing.”

Sandymane took a deep breath as she walked forward to knock on the door. They soon heard the sound of someone in the house bustling about, perhaps trying to reach the door while already in the middle of something. Then the door opened, revealing a woman with curly scarlet hair, teal eyes and freckled, peach-coloured skin. She was draped in a blue bathrobe.

“Um, hi?” Sunset waved nervously.

“Oh! Bonjour, young mademoiselle,” the woman replied with a smile. “You must be one of my son’s friends zat he has told me about. I have been wondering when I would get ze chance to meet one of you in person.”

“Yes, I’m Sunset Shimmer. I just offered to walk Rouge home.”

“Ecarlate Candle at your service.” Rouge’s mother held out her hand, and Sunset gladly shook it. “So you are a nudist, oui?”

Sunset shrugged and chuckled. “Me and all my friends, and also Rouge here, as you’ll already know. I think the majority of people in Canterlot are, since the new law arrived.”

“I have certainly noticed,” said Ecarlate with a slightly awkward smile. “So many people walking around au naturel... My son has suggested I join his new lifestyle and get to know ze… benefits. I have certainly tried it when alone in ze house, but I am still working up ze courage to be nude in the company of others, hence zis.” She gestured down at her robe, though her feet were bare and it was clear she had nothing else on underneath. “Oh, but enough about moi! Rouge, why do you not invite our guest inside for a drink and a proper chat?”

It took a second or two for Sandymane to remember the role she was supposed to be playing, but then, in the best imitation of Rouge she could muster, she replied: “Oh, err, bien sur, mere.” Mentally, she thanked Faust for having picked up some useful phrases from Rouge’s language during their dates.

Ecarlate led Sandymane-in-Rouge’s-body and Sunset through a hallway and into the house’s kitchen, where they could see cooking equipment and ingredients such as eggs and brown sugar on the counter. The oven had also been set to heat up.

“I was just starting to make a cake when you two arrived,” the woman explained. “Rouge and I decided zat it would be ze perfect way to celebrate our proper integration into Canterlot’s society.”

“Well, it certainly would be a nice gesture,” Sunset smiled, gesturing to Sandymane to smile a little.

“Ah, so he told you about how he planned to take a portion to share with you at ze club?” Ecarlate smiled.

“Err, oui, oui, I did zat, all right,” said Sandymane with a slightly frantic nod.

“Of course, we both agreed zat ze largest slice should be saved for a certain someone, didn’t we?” added Ecarlate with a wink.

For a worrying moment, Sandymane didn’t know how to reply.

“Oh, do not play stupide,, son,” the woman teased. “Zat amie of yours from Trottingham! Sandy-something, correcte?”

Pleased by the romantic gesture her boyfriend had planned, Sandymane nodded and gave a genuine smile. When Ecarlate’s back was turned, Sunset took the chance to give her friend a thumbs up for having found such a generous and thoughtful beau.

Globe Family’s House

Rouge-in-Sandymane’s body had, with Fuchsia’s help, met up with his girlfriend’s younger brother Pimpernel, who had a hard time getting his head around what Fuchsia had told him.

“Is it really true?” the boy asked. “My sister’s mind is in Rouge’s body, and vice versa?”

Rouge sighed. “Oui, mon ami. Awkward, but true.”

At the sound of the accent coming from his sister’s mouth, Pimpernel couldn’t help but chuckle slightly. At the same time, however, Fuchsia could not help noticing that the boy she loved seemed a bit on edge that day, as if worried about some sort of impending trouble. Before she could ask him what was on his mind, an unfamiliar voice came from up the stairs.

“Oh, Pimpernel? You promised you would look after poor little me, remember?”

It sounded like a young girl, and Fuchsia found that the way it addressed Pimpernel triggered a twinge of distaste inside her. “Pimpernel, who the hay is that?” she demanded with a frown.

The boy flinched, as if preparing for her to suddenly explode in anger. “Err, I can explain… I didn’t want her in here, but--”

“But his mom and dad said I could come in,” the voice interrupted, and its owner came down to show herself. She was shorter than Pimpernel or Fuchsia, probably at least a year younger, with a pinkish freckled face and frilly striped arctic blue hair decorated with a pale yellow bow. Unlike everyone else in the room, she was fully dressed, her turquoise and white dress giving the impression of a charming little schoolgirl. Fuchsia immediately recognized her from her class.

“Cozy Glow,” she almost snarled.

“Hello there, Fuchsia,” Cozy replied with a smile that felt rather too sweet to be genuine.

“Why are you here?” Rouge asked.

“Oh, I got myself lost while walking, and Pimpernel’s parents saw how scared and helpless I was, and they insisted on letting me stay here until my poor nerves got over their fright,” the girl declared in a way that sounded rehearsed in advance.

“Spare us the pity party, Cozy,” Fuchsia snapped. “I know you, and how you like to play the innocent and toy with people.”

“Aw, widdle ol’ me?” Cozy deliberately made her eyes wider as she tried to look as innocent as possible. “Why does your girlfriend have to be so mean and grouchy, Pimpernel?” And to Fuchsia’s visible outrage, the smaller girl latched onto Pimpernel’s arm and pressed herself against his body, as if urging him to protect her. Pimpernel himself squirmed unhappily in an attempt to shake her off. “Besides, he promised to give me a tour of the garden in the back.”

After a moment’s thought, Rouge-in-Sandymane’s body pulled a fuming Fuchsia aside as discreetly as possible. “Okay, I can see that you don’t like zis little drama queen,” he whispered, “but wouldn’t zis be a chance to help me learn about Sandymane’s garden and home too?”

“I guess…” Fuchsia pouted as Cozy led Pimpernel to the backyard, nuzzling his arm along the way.

“I know you’re up to something, Nosy Glow,” Fuchsia hissed when she got the chance, making sure to use the most demeaning nickname she could come up with on the spot. “And by messing with my boyfriend, you just made it personal.”

“You’re starting to sound like Pinkie during the ‘Pie Conspiracy’ incident,” Pimpernel sighed, recalling when Pinkie grew paranoid over Rainbow Dash not eating the pies she made.

“Come on, Pimpernel, it’s Cozy cloppin’ Glow!” Fuchsia replied, making him gasp at her language. “She always has some ulterior motive!” She was interrupted by Cozy’s dress smacking her in the face. Pimpernel went bright red as he saw Cozy wading into the pond completely naked.

“Don’t you want to swim with me and make sure I don’t get hurt, Pimpy?” she weedled. “I need a kind, handsome boy to look after me, remember?”

“That’s MY pet name for him, and that’s where WE first got together!” Fuchsia was on the verge of losing it now.

Pimpernel tried to diffuse the situation. “I-I can easily just watch you from here, Cozy...”

“Oh, but it’s a warm day, isn’t it? Wouldn’t you like to join me in the cool water?”

“Mon dieu,” Rouge rubbed his forehead in frustration. “Does she deal with zis every day?”

“She tells me she does,” said Pimpernel. “Though I don’t share as many classes with Cozy as she does, and until now, we’ve never met her outside of school.”

“And I’ve been very glad of it,” Fuchsia muttered.

“Plus, I think your little friend needs to cool off as well,” Cozy smirked, ignoring the discussion the others were having.

Now Pimpernel was blushing even more intensely than before. He did his best to hide his lower body behind the garden’s plants.

“We need to get her out of here,” Fuchsia whispered to Rouge.”I will NOT allow her to get him excited before I do!”

Rouge had an idea and whispered it to the irate young girl. “Well, I’m meant to be Sandymane at ze moment. Why don’t I take her to her home, and Mr. and Mrs. Globe will understand my generous gesture?”

“Or just leave her on the curb,” the middle schooler grumbled.

“She did say she was lost--”

“She’s lying, trust me. She knows Canterlot’s streets perfectly well - she’s been around playing on people’s sympathy a lot. Plus, I’ve never seen her take her clothes off at school - seeing her do it so quickly here just feels so…”

“Suspicious?”

“Exactly! So we’ve gotta kick her out before she decides to get to second base with him!”

“Do you even know what zat means?”

“No, but Emerald says it all the time and it sounds dirty!”

Despite Cozy’s efforts to distract him, Pimpernel had managed to overhear what Fuchsia wanted, and decided to help to make it happen. “Err, Cozy? Sandymane says she’ll help you get back home, so you don’t have to stay here after all.” He picked up the girl’s clothes and offered them to her.

“Aw, and we were just starting to have fun.” Cozy pouted a little, but she stepped out of the pond and took her bundled clothes back, though Fuchsia couldn’t help but notice that she didn’t put them on immediately. Instead, the girl seemed to make it a point to give Pimpernel one more show with her nude body, wriggling her backside, batting her eyes and even rubbing one bare foot against his leg.

“Ugh…” Fuchsia began to forcefully shove Cozy through the house and out the front door. Rouge-in-Sandymane’s-body stepped out after them, leading Cozy away into Canterlot’s streets. Fuchsia groaned as she fell onto the floor, back first.

“Are… are you alright, Fuchsia?” Pimpernel dared to ask, stepping towards his frustrated girlfriend.

“I am, it’s just… she’s such a pain.”

Pimpernel kindly offered his hand, lifting Fuchsia up and pulling her into an embrace. “How about an ice cream?”

“I’d love that,” she smiled. “Y’know, mom did say we’d be having our own room on the cruise.” She booped his nose teasingly, her grouchiness now gone.

“Wow, really? With all the friends we’re bringing along, I’m surprised there’d be one available…”

“Maybe we could do something a little… private?” She raised an eyebrow naughtily.

To her delight, Pimpernel began blushing again. “Y-You mean… when we’re on the boat?”

“Of course, it’ll be just us.” She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, and laughed as a goofy smile spread across his face at the thoughts she was putting in his head.

Candle Residence

Sandymane looked around Rouge’s room, taking a look at his belongings.

“I never realized he liked art so much,” she remarked, seeing several books containing collections of paintings by renowned artists from across history. “It’s a wonder he doesn’t hang out with Fleck Paint more.” She quickly moved her head up when she noticed her eyes were starting to look down again. “...I am never going to be used to seeing that… thing on my body…”

Despite herself, Sunset couldn’t help but laugh. “Guys have it so rough, don’t they? Getting their bodies to behave with us girls around?”

“Not funny, Sunset,” Sandymane sighed as she saw a photo of her and Rouge on his nightstand. “That’s from when he joined me at the NLAC party…”

“Ah yeah, when you plunged him fully into the world of social nudity for the first time,” grinned Sunset. “He was so embarrassed and nervous.”

Sandymane blushed as she felt that reaction happening again. Sunset handed her a cool towel in response. She quickly wrapped it around her lower area as the feeling subsided.

“Relax,” she assured her friend. “I think we’re through most of your day as a boy already.”

“So tomorrow, I’ll be back in my proper body?”

“Unless Twilight hasn’t got her facts straight about that artifact. And trust me, if anyone understands stuff related to ancient or obscure magic, it’s her.”

“And it’s a good thing you’ll be spending the night,” Sandymane sighed as she dried off.

“Hey, that’s what friends do, right? Stick out for each other?”

“Hard to believe you used to be the mean girl…”

“Not my proudest days,” Sunset frowned, remembering how she had terrorized the Twilight Sparkle of Equestria and the friends she had gathered around her, even being briefly transformed into a demonic monster by the crown she had stolen. She was certainly glad that those days were long past and that she’d proved herself capable of being so much better.

“I wonder if Rouge told his mom about the cruise in a few weeks…” Sandymane climbed into Rouge’s bed, noting it wasn’t as soft as her own.

“We’ll talk to her about it tomorrow,” said Sunset. “Or rather, Rouge and I will, since your minds should be swapped back by then.”

“Well, this was a… weird experience…” Sandymane slowly drifted off to sleep.

Globe Family House

“So you and Sandymane usually sleep in ze same bed?” Rouge asked Pimpernel, feeling awkward about the idea.

“Yep,” Pimpernel replied. “I remember the day when we first started doing it, when we had first started trying out nudism and she was getting over her grumpy behavior from days before that. I gotta tell you, our change in lifestyle really helped us bond.”

“And neither of you get… ideas?” Rouge asked.

Now it was Pimpernel’s turn to be embarrassed. “I won’t deny… as a boy, I appreciate her natural beauty. But hey, she’s got you and I’ve got Fuchsia…”

Rouge gently patted the boy’s head as he climbed into the bed. “Well, I won’t be in zis body much longer anyway. Might as well act as though I’m not by zis point, mais oui?” Pimpernel pressed his head against his breasts, causing Rouge to blush a little. “You know… being a girl felt rather… nice…”

Hearing that, Pimpernel began to grin mischievously. “Maybe you could ask Twilight to invent something that’ll turn your own body female, if you like this so much?”

“She actually could do zat?”

“Of course, she managed to turn Flutter into a dog once.”

Promising himself that he would get his friends to tell him the full story at any cost, Rouge settled down into Sandymane’s bed, appreciating the softness of the sheets compared to his own. Pimpernel climbed in next to him and snuggled against the female body that would soon be his sister’s once more.

“Good night, sis,” he remarked, again making a little joke.

“Good night, little brother,” Rouge smiled as he slowly drifted to sleep.

The next morning
Candle House

Rouge blinked a few times as the familiar sight of his room came into view. To his relief, he also found himself safely back in his own body.

“Hey, Rouge,” said Sunset as she opened his door. “That… is you in there, right, Rouge?”

“Oui, it’s me,” the boy smiled. “Twilight got her predictions right zis time.”

“Well, Ms. Peace is on her way over. Apparently, Fuchsia insisted she do so.”

This surprised Rouge. “Any reason as to why?”

“Maybe it’ll be about the cruise?”

“Ze cruise! Of course! She must be coming to invite my mother!” As if on cue, the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it!” Ecarlate called up to her son as she opened the door to meet Rosie Peace.

“Ms. Candle, right?” Rosie smiled as she shook Ecarlate’s hand.

“Oui, madame. Care to come inside?”

“Gladly. In fact, I’m here to invite you on a special trip we’ve been planning at the Green Hill Club…”

A Get-Together

The two Crystal Prep girls stood in front of the Globe Family's house. Ever since taking off their clothes and joining their friend Sour Sweet at that party, Sugarcoat and Sunny Flare both found themselves stripping at home without realizing it. Knowing they wanted some advice, they decided to ask the person Sugarcoat talked with the most at the party. Sugarcoat stepped forward and rang the doorbell. Sandymane answered, clad in a red bathrobe and her usual glasses.

"Sugarcoat! Sunny Flare! What brings you two here?"

"We... kinda need your help..." Sunny Flare rubbed her arm in embarrassment.

"Well, I'll be glad to," smiled Sandymane. "What's it about?"

"Well, um... you see..."

"It's about being naked," said Sugarcoat, blunt as ever.

"Sugarcoat!" hissed Sunny nervously. "Anyone could hear you out here!"

"We can take this chat inside, if you like," offered Sandymane.

"That would be convenient," replied Sugarcoat, "given Sunny's reluctance to admit she enjoyed our time at the Green Hill Club."

Sunny Flare pushed her friend through the doorway. Before entering herself, she then took one more glance behind her to assure herself that nobody had overheard Sugarcoat's indiscreet words.

Sunny sighed in relief as the door was shut behind them.

Sandymane invited them into the kitchen. The Crystal Prep duo blushed a bit upon finding a naked Flutter Heart already seated at the table there. Upon seeing the two girls again, she grinned and jumped up to meet them, her bare feet slapping against the kitchen tiles.

"Sugarcoat! Sunny Flare!" Flutter hugged them both at the same time. "It's so good to see you again!"

"Err... you too," replied Sunny, blushing even harder. Sugarcoat just nodded and smiled in as friendly a manner as she could.

Sandymane started untying the sash of her robe. "You two don't mind, do you? We keep these robes handy for meeting visitors, but it's generally the norm for us to go nude in our own house."

"Go ahead," said Sugarcoat, before Sunny could utter a word. "Your home, your rules."

Sandymane smiled before shedding her robe and hanging it on a chair, leaving herself as naked as Flutter. "So, you wanted to talk about when we were at the club?"

"You had fun, right?" added Flutter.

"We did," Sugarcoat answered. "It's what happened after that we want to talk about."

"Well, why don't we sit down while you tell us?" said Sandymane.

Flutter gave a suggestion of her own. "We were just about to have some glasses of milk. Interested?"

"I'll have a glass," Sunny replied, trying to hide her face.

Sandymane stepped over to the counter and started taking out some glasses. "How about you, Sugarcoat?"

"I'm good," the bespectacled girl stated.

"So what did you want to talk about exactly?" Flutter asked, sitting next to them.

"Well, ever since that day... neither of us could forget about how... freeing it felt to just go without clothes," admitted Sunny.

"Very liberating," said Sugarcoat. "We wanted to feel that again."

"Yeah, so... when I got home that evening and had a shower... I kinda... didn't get dressed afterwards," murmured Sunny. "I spent the whole evening naked, and didn't wear pajamas in bed that night. And it felt great, apart from always worrying about someone seeing me through a window."

"Well, that's normal," Flutter explained. "I had the same feeling when I started out."

"I spent most of the following day naked too," Sunny continued. "Though I also went out and bought some things - I got dressed for that, obviously."

"I went further than that," said Sugarcoat, a mischievous twinkle coming into her eyes. "The day after the club, once I'd finished my morning shower, I actually dared to step out into my back garden with nothing on. I didn't even have my usual pigtails. I got comfy on a deckchair for a while, just enjoying the sun. Then... a little boy came outside in next door's garden, and he kicked his ball into my yard, climbed over the fence to get it back, and saw me there."

Every eye in the room widened at that.

"And what happened?" Flutter asked.

"Well... neither of us said a word. He just stared at me, awestruck. After a moment's thought, I smiled and gave him a little wave, then put my finger to my mouth, as if to tell him not to mention this to anyone. I think he got the message, cause he nodded before grabbing the ball and climbing back to his own garden."

"How do you KNOW he didn't tell anyone?" Sunny asked, obviously dismayed by her friend's temerity.

"Well, I got no complaints from the neighbors," Sugarcoat replied with a cheerful shrug.

"Well, if you ever want to practice naturism in an outdoor setting, both of our houses are open to you guys," Flutter smiled as Fuchsia and Pimpernel came inside from the backyard, followed by Sour Sweet and Fleur dis Lee.

"Heya!" chirped Fuchsia with her usual cheerfulness.

"Hey there..." Sunny blushed again as four more naked bodies entered the room.

"Hey, girls," smiled Sour, who had grown much more at ease with her body by now.

"I remember you two," said Pimpernel. "You're Sour Sweet's friends who helped us see off that protest at the club."

"Do you not you feel strange being the only ones dressed here?" asked Fleur. "You can join us now if you want."

"That's just what we were talking about, actually," said Flutter. "Sugarcoat and Sunny Flare might be interested in taking up the lifestyle."

Fuchsia squeaked and clapped her hands happily. "I love it when new people join us!"

"W-Well, let's not jump to conclusions..." Sunny stammered.

"I know it's embarrassing at first," said Sour with a slight frown, before lightening up and saying "but it's worth it!"

"Be honest with yourself, Sunny," said Sugarcoat. "We enjoyed being naked. And an opportunity is an opportunity."

With that, she began to undo her pigtails, letting her grayish-white hair flow freely. Next, she kicked off her shoes and peeled off her socks. Then she removed her bow tie and began unbuttoning her cardigan. Before long, all Sugarcoat's clothes lay on the floor and the girl herself was standing naked except for her glasses.

"Voila," she declared, allowing herself a smug smile. Sour winked and gave her a thumbs up.

Sunny sighed in defeat before undoing her own cardigan. "I hate it when you're right." Sure enough, she was soon just as unclad as the others.

Fuchsia hugged her around the waist. "Feels great, doesn't it?" she grinned.

The Crystal Prep girl blushed at the feeling of her nude flesh making contact with another's. "Y-Yeah..."

Noticing this, Flutter couldn't resist playing a little joke. "So," she said, "who's up for Twister?" Sunny's eyes looked ready to pop out of their sockets. Twister was, after all, known for tending to involve lots of physical contact. Then Flutter cheekily added "Just kidding." Laughter spread among everyone else, though Fleur gave Flutter a slightly reprimanding look.

"Relax, Sunny," chuckled Sandymane. "We'll try not to make this too awkward for you. Just do whatever makes you comfortable. Well, apart from covering up, of course," she added with a slightly devious grin.

"R-Right," Sunny chuckled. "So what do you guys do for fun?"

"Swimming in the pond!" declared Fuchsia.

"Fuchsia, we just did that," sighed Pimpernel.

"And it is not big enough for all of us at once, anyway," added Fleur.

"I mostly read," said Sandymane, "but sometimes Pimpernel and I play video games together."

"Video games?" Sunny's attitude suddenly perked up at the mention.

"Yes," smiled Sandymane. "We even have a dance pad... right, Pimpernel?"

The boy in question suddenly became very sour and moody. "Sandy, if you DARE bring that up--"

"Pimpy, what are you talking about?" asked Fuchsia, looking a bit concerned.

"You don't need to know."

"But I want to!" She put on a sad pout. With a deep sigh, Pimpernel whispered something in her ear. As soon as she heard it, her eyes widened and she immediately started giggling and tried in vain to stifle it.

Most of the girls were puzzled. But Sandymane leaned conspiratorially towards Flutter and quietly told her: "We once made a bet about something, never mind what. Pimpernel lost, and for a forfeit, he had to let me film him dancing on the pad... to Kira Kira Killer."

Flutter couldn't help but snigger. The mental image of Pimpernel reluctantly dancing to that distinctly girly and upbeat Japanese pop song was just too hilarious.

Sunny decided to change the subject. "Well, I am an accomplished dancer," she said, "but I've also loved video games since I was little."

"Any preferences?" asked Pimpernel, starting to lighten up.

"Sort of a mixed bunch," Sunny admitted.

"How do you feel about racing games? I've got a couple of those."

"You're on!" She and Fuchsia followed Pimpernel up to his room, leaving the remaining five girls in the dining room.

"So... you guys have a pond?" Sugarcoat asked after a few awkwardly silent minutes.

"Yes, I think you girls will like our garden," replied Sandymane. "Our mother considers it her masterpiece."

"Then please, do show it to us," said Fleur.

Just like Fuchsia had been when she first set foot in it, Sugarcoat and Sunny were very much impressed by the Globes' garden. They marveled at the variety of plants, and Sugarcoat sat down by the pond and dipped her feet in the water.

"This is amazing," she sighed. "It's like being in some kind of fantasy jungle."

"Four Eves in a little Eden, eh?" quipped Flutter. "Too bad our only Adam has his own upstairs."

Fleur decided to start a special girls' chat. "So, are either of you girls interested in anyone?" she asked teasingly.

"Well," said Sugarcoat, "there is this very nice boy in the art classes at Crystal Prep that Sunny is interested in. Fleck Paint's his name, and he has a great sense of humor and real creative talent."

"Has she tried talking to him?"

"She's too scared to even speak to him."

"But Cadance is the principal now," Sour interrupted.

The grey-skinned girl simply shrugged and slipped her whole body into the pond. "You don't mind, do you?" she asked Sandymane.

"Well, Pimpernel and Fuchsia were in there earlier, so I suppose it's okay."

"It's very refreshing," Sugarcoat smiled, scrubbing her arms. "So how come you're over here, Fleur? I don't think I saw you at the party."

"Well, as it turns out, I actually live next door to the Globes," Fleur smiled. "I managed to catch Pimpernel trying to sneak back inside after one of his evening walks, which is how I learned you were also naturists."

"He does what?!" Sandymane marched inside angrily.

"Sandy, wait!" cried Flutter, worried for the boy's well-being. She and Fleur hurried in after the girl, who refused to listen all the way up the stairs to Pimpernel's room.

There, he and Sunny were playing a game called Space Race, in which they controlled alien spaceships that raced against each other through science fiction themed levels, avoiding asteroids and other obstacles. Fuchsia had been watching and cheering them on, mainly her beloved boyfriend.

One moment Pimpernel had finally managed to overtake Sunny after being left in her dust for two laps, the next his sister burst in, pinched his ear and hoisted him to his feet.

"What's this I hear about you walking naked in the streets?!"

"OWW!! Let go, Sandy!" the boy yelped.

"It was me!" Fuchsia cried out. "I'm the one who convinced him to do it with me!"

Sandymane released her brother, looking unsure how to respond. Flutter, still behind her, ventured to speak.

"The truth is... I've done it as well, alongside both of them."

After a short silence, Sandymane spoke, in a stern voice. "You realize, of course, that this sort of stunt could get you arrested?"

"We know, but..." Pimpernel trailed off.

"Nothing ever happens in our neighborhood," Flutter continued. "Plus, it helps relieve our stress."

"I just... hate the idea of you getting in trouble like that, Pimpernel," said Sandymane in a wavering voice. "And I'm not just talking about with the police. There are... certain people in the world who... well, if they saw a naked little boy just wandering around..." She looked ready to tear up.

"Which is why we do it late at night, and only around the block," Fuchsia replied. Sunny Flare looked dumbfounded at the drama unfolding.

"Fuchsia," sniffed Sandymane, now really starting to cry, "if you guys do insist on doing this, promise me one thing: that you'll watch over my little brother. Keep him safe. Please!" She grabbed Pimpernel and hugged him to herself like a teddy bear.

"Too... tight..." Pimpernel gasped.

"Well, then why don't come with us on our walks?" Fuchsia offered.

"Me?!" Sandymane spluttered. "I-I-I don't know... It's one thing to wear nothing in my own home or at the club, but on the streets...?"

"Well, we've never been caught before," Pimpernel smiled.

"So we gonna continue our game or what?" Sunny asked impatiently, gaining her looks from everyone.

"Err... sure. Carry on," said Sandymane.

Pimpernel resumed his position on the floor, and he and Sunny continued their race.

"Sorry for my little outburst," sighed Sandymane. "You don't mind if I watch you playing, do you?"

"Of course not," Sunny smiled.

Meanwhile, Sugarcoat was lying on a towel placed on the stone path, drying off her body. Sour was now trying out the pond herself. "I told you about the new guy living where the Peaces used to, right?"

"Yes," said Sugarcoat. "What about him?"

"Have you seen him around lately?"

"Not really, I'm afraid."

"Maybe he's enjoying the pool," Flutter suggested, referring to the swimming pool at Emerald's house.

"With or without a swimsuit, d'you think?" Sugarcoat asked deviously.

Flutter rolled her eyes. "Well, it's his now, so he can do whatever he wants in it."

"Perhaps we should get to know him sometime soon?" said Sour.

"Probably," Flutter shrugged. "So, you still up for the after school class Miss Willow Grove is offering, Sour?"

"It would give a good impression," stated Sugarcoat. "You know, give people proof that our two schools ARE getting along better."

"How bout you and Sunny join us?" Sour offered. "She only gives the class to certain people after all."

"All right, I'll come," smiled Sugarcoat. "I don't get up to much after school, anyway."

"So we just gotta ask Sunny now," said Fleur.

***
Soon
***

"Of course I'll go!" Sunny Flare smiled. "When's the next class?"

"Tomorrow, actually," Flutter beamed.

"How about you, Sandy?" Sour asked.

"I don't know," Sandymane replied, adjusting her glasses awkwardly. "Languages was always one of my worst subjects..."

"It's not really a language arts class, it's more of a class where you work on homework."

"Oh." Sandymane started to become interested. "Well, it would be more fun to do that with friends than alone at home. All right, I'll give it a go."

***
The Next Day
***

The bell rang in Willow Grove's class, signifying the end of the day. Everyone had gathered their stuff and were rushing to leave the classroom in a rush, hoping to start their weekends early. Everyone except Emerald Peace, Flutter Heart, Sandymane, Fluttershy and Sunset Shimmer of course.

"I see I have volunteers for the after-school class," remarked Willow, looking very pleased.

"We're expecting a few more very soon, Miss Grove," Flutter smiled as the sounds of the students clamoring through the halls slowly diminished.

"Yeah," said Emerald. "Remember the Crystal Prep girls from that day when my family were given the club?"

"Sour Sweet, Sugarcoat and Sunny Flare, yes. It was very brave and noble of them, taking our side and persuading Night Sky to change her views too."

"Well, we kind of stayed in touch with them, and they've agreed to join us today." As if to illustrate his point, the sound of footsteps was heard outside the classroom. The door opened and the three Crystal Prep girls stepped inside. They had obviously rushed there, as they were out of breath.

"Hello... Miss Willow," panted Sour. "We hope you... don't mind... us joining you!"

"Not at all," the teacher smiled as Flutter and Emerald rushed to the windows and shut the blinds. "Just take your seats and we'll get started." The girls sat in the closest empty chairs as Willow Grove pulled her shirt off.

"Are you sure we won't get any... unexpected company?" Sandymane asked nervously.

"Calm down, Sandy," Sunset assured her as she wriggled out of her jeans. "Everyone else is on their way home, or busy in a club in some other corner of the school."

"Plus, we only do this when it's Vice Principal Luna's turn to patrol the hallways," Emerald added, dropping his shorts to the ground, not bothering to wear underwear. "Or Miss Cheerilee." Sour smirked a little before pulling her own shirt off.

"W-Wait, why are you guys stripping?!" Sunny Flare's face was bright red from embarrassment as her peers casually undressed themselves.

"This after school class is reserved for nudists," Fluttershy explained, unhooking her bra and letting it drop to the floor. "Since we don't have time to study much at home while nude, Miss Willow Grove suggested we do this at school."

"This has gotta be against the rules..." Sunny groaned to herself before seeing Sugarcoat undressing as well. "Have you lost your mind?!"

"Nobody is gonna come by," her classmate stated as she dropped her skirt and pants. Sunny sat down and untied her shoes. An already nude Sunset patted her shoulder reassuringly.

"It's alright, we're all in the same boat." Sunny chuckled a little as she undid her own uniform and placed it on the desk.

Before long, Willow and her eight students were naked and ready to start, their clothes piled against a wall. Sunny Flare and Sandymane simultaneously blushed as they pulled out their homework from their bags and began to work.

"This feels... weird..." Sunny admitted after a few minutes. Sandymane nodded in agreement as she adjusted her bare bottom against the somewhat cold plastic of her chair.

"Anyone need any help," Willow asked as she paced up and down the rows of desks, looking at the students' work. Sandymane raised her hand. "Ah, Sandymane, what is it you need help on?"

"Um, language arts." The teacher sat in the desk next to her, and looked over her paper.

Flutter sighed as she absentmindedly played with her pencil. Her attention was then caught by Emerald tapping her shoulder.

"What is it?" She whispered.

"I was wondering if you wanted to spend the night over at the club," he whispered back. "Since there's no school tomorrow."

"Sure," she gave him a thumbs up. "I'll ask my parents if it'll be all right."

"What's this about a sleepover at the club?" Sour asked, overhearing their conversation. The couple blushed at their new friend's close proximity to them.

"Oh, um, I was just... kind of inviting Flutter," Emerald laughed nervously.

"Oh, that's too bad," Sour replied somewhat sadly. "My parents have gone away for the weekend, so I'm pretty much home alone..."

"Do you... want to tag along, Sour?" Flutter asked.

"Well, if it's okay with your mom..." Sour fidgeted a little.

"I'm sure she'll be fine with it."

"I actually wanted to head there after this as well," Sunset joined the conversation. "Twilight's busy for the weekend, and Fluttershy's been wanting to revisit as well."

Her band mate nodded in agreement. "I haven't exactly told my parents about me being a nudist yet though, so I'm not sure staying overnight there is a good idea..."

"Then just say you're staying at a friend's house," Sugarcoat stated. Fluttershy nodded before fishing her cell phone out of her bag. As she called her parents, Sandymane noticed the door slowly opening. On the verge of panicking, she tried to look around for a hiding spot. Her fears subsided as she saw it was Vice Principal Luna stepping inside.

"Having another special class, Willow?" She chuckled, as she closed the door behind her.

"Oh, Vice Principal Luna!" Emerald stood up. "Some of us are planning to go to Mom's club after this. Do you wanna go with us?"

"I was actually planning to head there after I locked up. Night Sky is expecting me." She blushed somewhat as she said the last part.

"Wait..." Sunset smirked a little. "Are you and Night Sky...?"

"Oh, goodness no!" Luna laughed in an embarrassed manner. "...at least, not yet..." she muttered under her breath.

Half an hour later, everyone's phones buzzed, signifying it was time to leave. Flutter and Emerald kissed each other on the cheek as they packed their clothes into their bags and headed outside, not bothering to get dressed. Sunset, Fluttershy and Willow Grove followed suit.

"What are you doing?!" Sandymane hissed as Sour and Sugarcoat placed their clothes into their bags as well. Sunny was likewise dumbfounded at how her companions were just about walk in the school's hallway butt naked.

"Nobody's around here, and the parking lot is behind the school," Luna explained, undressing herself as well.

"This is so wrong..." Sandymane sighed as she and Sunny followed the group out into the parking lot.

"Do you two want to come with me?" Luna asked Sugarcoat and Sunny Flare. Sugarcoat eagerly nodded while Sunny did a half-smile. "I'll take that as a yes," she chuckled as she led them to her car.

Emerald saw his mother's car was waiting for them in the parking lot as well. Signaling Flutter and Sour, they dashed towards the bright pink vehicle and climbed inside. Fuchsia was in the backseat, already naked and bouncing excitedly.

"Yay, Flutter's coming with us!" She cheered as Flutter and Sour positioned themselves in the back seat. Rosie smiled as she drove into the street and towards the Green Hill Club.

Sandymane noticed her family's car was not far away. Walking up to it, she saw her parents and little brother were also nude. Her embarrassment no longer a major concern, she got inside, sitting next to Pimpernel. In the other seat, sat Fleur dis Lee, equally naked as the rest.

"Um, why is Fleur here?" she asked.

"We're going to the club, sweetie," Hazelhair explained as Smart Globe followed Rosie's car. "And Fleur wanted to join us."

"We may as well have another party there," her daughter chuckled.

"So how was it being naked in public?" Pimpernel teased his sister.

"It felt... risky," Sandymane admitted. "Reminded me of how nervous I would have been about this sort of thing before you got us into this lifestyle, little brother."

"Pretty fun though, right? Sneaking around school with no clothes on!" Pimpernel leaned back into his seat with his arms behind his head, grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

"You should not worry so much, Sandymane," remarked Fleur. "Everything was under control. And it must have been rather liberating, right?"

Sandymane blushed so hard her face almost looked like a tomato - but she couldn't help but nod slightly. She looked out the window to see Sugarcoat and Sunny Flare getting into Luna's car before being momentarily blinded by a camera flash.

"WHAT THE--?! Who did that?!" She scanned the area, and noticed a shape scurrying from the bushed. "Dad, stop the car!"

Sensing the urgency in his daughter's voice, Smart Globe immediately did so. Sandymane jumped out, raced towards the bushes and leaped straight in after their unknown observer. Pimpernel, Hazelhair and Fleur came out after her.

"Who is it, sis?" Pimpernel called.

"Unhand me, you freak!" Suri Polomare thrashed wildly in Sandymane's grip.

"You again?!" Hazelhair cried. She started to look angry, as did the others. Suri tried to wriggle free and slip away, but Sandymane held her in a tight grip, with her legs wrapped around Suri's waist from behind.

"What are you doing here, Suri Polomare?" Hazelhair demanded.

"Your campaign against us failed," added Fleur sternly. "Night Sky destroyed that wretched petition, and in fact she now works at the club and is our close friend."

"Yeah," said Pimpernel, "why can't you just leave us alone?"

Suri only laughed at their statements. "We found a new leader, one who is a little more take-action than that traitorous Night Sky." She then held up her phone. "And with this new evidence I have, I'll crush all of your reputations!"

"Big mistake, showing that to us!" cried Pimpernel. He pounced on the girl, trying to snatch the phone. Before he could grab it though, Suri managed to hit the Send button. She laughed triumphantly only to get her face flattened by Pimpernel. She screamed in horror as she saw his lower area up close.

"Who did you send that to?!" Sandymane snarled. "Tell us! NOW!"

"Tell your brother to get those... things out of my face first!"

Sandymane sighed and rolled her eyes. "Pimpernel, get off her." The boy did so, still scowling down at Suri.

"Now," said Hazelhair, folding her arms, "who did you send that photo to? This new leader of yours?"

"Pfft, Miss Cinch is too busy to review photos," she quickly covered her mouth after realizing her blunder.

"MISS CINCH?!" Fleur cried. "The former Principal of Crystal Prep?!"

Suri growled before kicking Sandymane in the shin before running off.

"I think you better warn your classmates about the photo when we get to the club," Hazelhair warned Fleur.

"MISS CINCH?!" Sour, Sugarcoat and Sunny shrieked together. Everyone had just arrived at the club, and Fleur and Sandymane had alerted them to recent events.

Sour clenched her fists and growled. "As if she hasn't caused enough trouble already!"

"Well, she was fired from Crystal Prep after word got out that she was deliberately abusing her students," Sugarcoat explained. "She probably sees this as a means to get back on top of society."

Emerald groaned. "When are these people going to get it? We're NOT a menace to society!"

Rosie gently patted his shoulder. "Sweetie, some people are never going to get it as they see it as a means to get attention."

"Well, they at least can't touch us here anymore!" Fuchsia smiled.

"But Suri still has that photo!" cried Pimpernel. "We'll be in big trouble if people find out about us being naked in the school!"

"Knowing Suri, I think she'll post it around our school first," Sour smirked.

"But what about about your reputation?" Flutter asked.

"Well, I actually have a plan, but we're gonna have to need Principal Cadance's help."

"What plan?" Sugarcoat asked.

"Yeah, what are you up to, Sour?" said Sunny.

Sour smiled slyly at her friends. "Oh, just you wait and see..."

The Princess of the Sea

Globe Family's House, Pimpernel's Room

"Are you sure about this, Fuchsia?" Pimpernel asked as Fuchsia set Twilight's invisibility ray on his desk.

"Stop worrying, Pimpy!" his rather reckless girlfriend smiled. "This'll be fun!"

"But who knows what could go wrong?"

"Trixie's still fine after it happened to her, right?"

"Well, apart from being exposed when her two hours were up..."

"I don't care who sees my body," Fuchsia declared with absolute certainty, folding her arms smugly. A visit to Twilight's house the other day while walking Ember had Fuchsia notice the invisibility ray Trixie told her about on the genius girl's desk unattended. Reasoning Twilight wouldn't mind her "borrowing" it for a couple days, Fuchsia hid the device in her backpack. Pimpernel, who was typically the more cautious of the young duo, immediately had concerns about taking and using it when he found out.

"Come on, that festival is going to be in town in a couple days, we can see it up close and personal!" She had said.

"And we can't just go to it like everyone else will? As in fully visible and yes, fully dressed?"

"Because I wanna see Skystar up close!" She pulled out a poster from her bag. It showed a young woman with light blue hair and light grayish skin. She had a red flower in her hair and seemed to be wearing a mermaid costume as she burst of water in the picture.

"Skystar? The Princess of the Sea?" A blush spread across Pimpernel's face. Before meeting Fuchsia, he had harbored something of a secret fanboy crush on the celebrity swimmer.

"Yeah! She's doing a mermaid show at the festival since it'll be aquatic themed."

The thought of being near Skystar in a mermaid costume was tempting enough for Pimpernel. The idea of doing so while he himself was stark naked nearly blew his mind.

"We could... really do this?"

"Yeah, she's doing it in front of the fountain we visit on our walks."

"And it's in just a couple of days?"

"Yup, all we have to do is zap ourselves and walk over there."

A few days had passed and the town's "Under the Sea" festival was well underway. Fuchsia was positioning the invisibility ray on Pimpernel's desk.

"Ready?" she asked her boyfriend, with that mischievous grin that seemed to be her trademark.

Pimpernel took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "Okay. Let's do this."

Fuchsia switched on the device, firing its purple beam at the two kids. She giggled as her skin began to vanish. Pimpernel looked ready to panic as his arms began to fade away. Fuchsia quickly grabbed his hand before it totally disappeared to reassure him. Eventually only their faces remained, then their eyes - Fuchsia seemed to be positively twinkling - and then the two children were completely invisible.

Or at least their bodies were - the orange shirt and dark brown trousers Pimpernel was wearing were still there hanging in midair, as were the light green summer dress and hat Fuchsia had on. They usually didn't bother wearing anything around each other's homes, but after hearing about how Trixie became invisible, Fuchsia had been curious about seeing clothes seemingly float in midair, and had convinced Pimpernel to go along with the idea. Looking in the mirror, Fuchsia did a small twirl and the reflection of the floating dress and hat did the same thing.

"So cool!" She giggled.

"Whoa," said Pimpernel as he discovered the sensation of moving a body he could not see. "It's like we're ghosts or something."

"Now for the fun part," Fuchsia smiled before her hat lifted itself and was tossed onto the room's floor. Pimpernel got on with the interesting task of removing a shirt using invisible hands and arms. He ended up getting his head stuck in it, and a giggling Fuchsia had to help him pull it off. After that, it was also tricky undoing the button and zip on his trousers, but he eventually succeeded and slid them off. Fuchsia pulled off her dress, waved it around with a small "Whoo!" and then tossed it aside. Finally, they both pulled off their undergarments in unison, tossing them onto their respective piles of clothes. Now they were both fully nude and fully invisible - the only sign of their presence were slight indents in the carpeted floor where their feet were.

"Let's go see Skystar!" Fuchsia declared as she opened the window and climbed out.

Jumping down onto the grass, she waited for signs of Pimpernel following her. She heard a bumping noise and his voice saying "Ouch!" before he landed beside her and found her by touch.

"I hit my head on the window frame," he explained. "It's taking a while to get used to this.

"Well, at least we don't have to walk far," Fuchsia giggled as she took his hand and began heading towards the fountain.

They soon reached a crowd of people gathered to watch the festival. It was surreal being naked around so many clothed people, yet have them be totally unaware of the two young streakers in their midst. Fuchsia softly chuckled at the sight of Sunny Flare and Fleck Paint holding hands.

"Cute couple, aren't they?" she whispered to Pimpernel.

"They are," he replied as he saw a tent that had a familiar mane of blue hair poking out.

"Wait - Fuchsia, do you see that? Could it be... her?"

"I think so!"

"Ladies and gentlemen," announced a voice on a loud speaker, "here she is! The one you've been waiting for, the champion young swimmer, the Princess of the Sea herself - SKYSTAR!"

The young woman from Fuchsia's poster emerged from a hidden platform inside the fountain. She wore a yellowish-grey mermaid-like tail with scales that glimmered in the sunlight, along with a somewhat risqué seashell bra. Her silky hair - again adorned with a red flower - flowed from her head, looking almost like an elegant fin. Close-ups of her face were displayed on small screens, and as Pimpernel got a clear view of her blue eyes, freckled nose and cheerful smile, his heart hammered in his invisible chest.

"Wow..." Fuchsia whispered in awe.

Pimpernel instinctively nodded in agreement, forgetting that Fuchsia couldn't see him do it. "She's... amazing."

Skystar immediately leapt off the platform and into the water, thankfully the fountain was deep enough for her. The crowd applauded as she then began swimming in circles, her mermaid costume not hindering her in the slightest. She had clearly been practicing and rehearsing for a performance like this. Fuchsia and Pimpernel, however, were moving closer to the fountain, hoping to see the performer up close. They climbed up onto the very rim as she approached that corner of the water. The crowd applauded as Skystar paused and took a bow, signaling the end of the performance.

"She was great, wasn't she?" squeaked Fuchsia to Pimpernel. Bouncing around in excitement, she accidentally knocked him forward, and a large splash appeared where he landed in the water. Everyone else was confused, of course, because they hadn't seen anyone or anything fall in. Their attention then snapped back to Skystar's platform lowering back into the water, along with the swimmer.

"Pimpernel, where are you?" Fuchsia hissed, beginning to worry for her boyfriend's safety. She felt an unseen finger tap her shoulder, followed by Pimpernel's body hugging her. By now, the guests were leaving, Skystar's performance being the final event of the day. She then noticed the faint outline of Pimpernel's head, covered with droplets of water, appear on the other side of the pool. Taking advantage of everyone focusing on the spot where he fell in, the boy scrambled out of the water, his whole body subject to the same effect. He had noticed this, and was desperate to get dry again before anyone else did.

"Let's get out of here before anyone notices," he whispered as he led her back towards his house. Thankfully, the sun was going down, meaning someone seeing his outline was less likely.

Soon

One advantage of being wet was that, being able to see his own limbs, Pimpernel found it easier to climb back through the window. Once back inside the house, he quickly made his way to the bathroom to grab a towel.

"Wanna go back there in a little bit?" Fuchsia asked. "We still got about an hour and half left."

"Sure," said Pimpernel as he patted the water off himself. "But we gotta be more careful this time, okay? That was a pretty close call."

Fuchsia squealed in delight as she hugged her boyfriend and twirled him around.

"I have one crazy girlfriend," Pimpernel sighed.

"But you love me for it," Fuchsia replied, finding his cheek and kissing it.

Soon, the duo snuck out the window again and headed back to the fountain.

It was getting rather dark now, and everyone had left for their own homes. Fuchsia, however, was hoping to take an invisible swim in the fountain.

"I know it nearly got us caught," she whispered to her boyfriend, "but your little accident gave me an idea!" However, it seemed someone was already swimming in the fountain. To their astonishment, it was Skystar again. Only this time, she wasn't wearing her mermaid tail or seashells - or anything else, for that matter.

"She's naked!" Fuchsia whispered.

Pimpernel couldn't even bring himself to speak. The young woman he'd fancied since he first learned how to fancy girls was skinny dipping only a short distance from him.

"What was that, Shelly?" Skystar asked a red clam with googly eyes pasted on the top. "You heard something?"

The clam, of course, said nothing.

At this moment, the ray's effects were starting to wear off as Fuchsia and Pimpernel's bodies slowly became visible again.
They hadn't yet noticed, however, as they were distracted by the sight of Skystar talking to a second clam which was purple.

"What about you, Sheldon? You don't think there's someone here, do you?"

"She's talking to clams?" Fuchsia whispered.

"Maybe she's lonely?"

"And maybe just a bit loopy. What is it with you and crazy girls, Pimpy?"

Pimpernel nearly took offense at that, but he could tell by Fuchsia's smile that it was a playful jab. After all, she was calling herself crazy at the same time. Then he realized something: he could see her.

"Fuchsia! Our invisibility is wearing off!" He had raised his voice in his shock, and Skystar heard it.

"Who's there?!" Skystar demanded, her tone now serious.

As both of the young nudists reappeared, Fuchsia could see sweat gathering on Pimpernel's forehead. He looked ready to explode with anxiety.

Skystar covered her mouth in shock as the two naked children fully rematerialized before her. There was a brief, tense silence, and Pimpernel was sure he would faint. But the ever-confident Fuchsia linked arms with him in reassurance and prepared to speak up. But to both of their surprise, their idol began to laugh.

"If you wanted to swim with me, you shoulda just asked!"

"Y-Y-You mean... you're not mad?" Pimpernel asked with an understandable stutter.

"Of course not," Skystar smiled kindly. "I was only angry earlier because I thought some pervert was spying on me. But now that I see you two, I can tell you came here with the same idea as me."

"Great!" Fuchsia beamed as she dove into the water.

Pimpernel followed her, blushing as Skystar continued to smile at him.

"So," the swimmer asked, "are you two siblings or something?"

"Better!" Fuchsia replied. "We're boyfriend and girlfriend!"

"Aww, that's so sweet," Skystar giggled.

"I know, right?" The younger girl grinned. "So how come you're skinny dipping here?"

"It's not the first time I've done something crazy like this," Skystar admitted. "Believe it or not, just because I'm famous doesn't mean my social life is good. I appreciate the exercise I get in my vocation, but it often leaves me too worn out to leave my house in my spare time. I often feel quite lonely."

Pimpernel and Fuchsia both thought of asking if that was where her habit of talking to the clams came from, but decided against it.

"Well, you could hang out with us if you want," Pimpernel offered.

"Sorry, kids, but I'm only in town for the parade. Me and my mother live near Basalt Beach, and it wouldn't be easy to get from there to here all the time."

Fuchsia thought about this for a moment. "Well, you could stay with me and my family at our club!"

"Your club?"

"The Green Hill Club," Pimpernel explained. "It's a, err... nudist resort."

Skystar looked reluctant. "Gee, I don't know," she said, drumming her fingers uneasily. "I mean, I'm used to skinny dipping in private. Even my mom doesn't know about it - I'm sure she'd ground me for at least a month."

"Well, she won't ground you if you're living on your own."

"You really think I could do that? I've been accustomed to living with her all my life, and I only recently turned eighteen."

"It's a nice place to live," Fuchsia smiled.

"LIVE there?! You mean, be naked around other people all the time?" This was a lot for Skystar to take in.

"Everyone there is very welcoming and understanding," said Pimpernel in an attempt to calm her.

"Yeah!" Fuchsia added. "And it's pretty too!"

"Would I be able to swim there?" Skystar asked.

"Are you kidding? We have an outdoor pool, and a new indoor one is almost ready to open now," said Pimpernel.

"Plus a large river by the property!"

Skystar took a moment to think. "I suppose... with a bit of planning, I could at least visit and try it out."

"Great!" Fuchsia hugged her new friend.

Once they were finished, Skystar turned to Pimpernel and pulled him into a hug too. To Pimpernel's mortification, he felt a certain masculine reaction occur at the feeling of the older girl's skin. He quickly pulled himself off of her and turned around, covering himself.

"Doesn't happen a lot, huh?" Skystar gently patted his head.

"He's a fan of yours," said Fuchsia with a cheeky smile. "You were his first crush before he met me."

"Fuchsiaaa!" moaned Pimpernel.

"Was he now?" Skystar giggled. "Well, you do seem like a nice boy, but you've already got a girlfriend."

"I know..." Pimpernel groaned, feeling like salt was being rubbed in the wound.

Noticing his distress, Skystar took a more gentle approach. She leaned towards him and whispered "But I am flattered, if that helps," and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. At that feeling, Pimpernel couldn't handle it anymore and fainted, slowly sinking to the bottom of the water. Fuchsia gasped before diving under to grab him. Pulling him back to the surface, she dragged him ashore and began fretting over how to wake him up.

"Move aside," Skystar approached the unconscious boy. She began to press her hands into his chest, administering CPR. In one of those moments where it seems certain that the universe has a sense of humor, Pimpernel awoke when she resorted to mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. He coughed out some water before sitting up.

"You're awake!" Fuchsia cheered, hugging him in relief. "Where'd you learn to do that?" she asked Skystar.

"Well, during all those years of swimming, I learned about a few ways to handle emergencies," Skystar explained.

"I think we should call it a night..." Pimpernel sighed.

"Yes, it wouldn't look good if I was caught out here naked with you," Skystar agreed. "I'll look up that club of yours, though, and see if I can visit somehow."

"Hope to see you there!" Fuchsia gave her one last hug before following Pimpernel home.

Green Hill Club, a few weeks later

The club's indoor pool had by now been finished and opened - but Fuchsia and Pimpernel weren't among those using it. Instead they sat together on a bench, wondering if Skystar would ever come to the club.

"It's been weeks, Fuchsia," sighed Pimpernel. "Maybe she couldn't find a way to get here after all." He was interrupted by the sound of a car horn honking.

"Maybe this is her!" said Fuchsia, refusing to give up hope.

"Fat chance. We've watched at least five cars arriving today, and all of them were strangers."

"Hellllllo, Pimpernel!" Skystar's unmistakable voice called out. The girl herself stepped out of the car, wearing a yellow top, short blue skirt and blue sandals. She grinned and waved at the two children.

"Guess she made it after all!" Fuchsia giggled as she stood up to greet the newcomer. Skystar happily accepted another hug from her, then beckoned Pimpernel to come and do the same.

"Um, I don't know..." the boy blushed, remembering what happened last time.

"This'll help you get used to it, kiddo," Skystar said with a sympathetic smile. She gently gave him a hug before heading back to her car to grab several suitcases.

"We can, err... help you with those, if you like," Pimpernel offered.

"Oh, thanks so much!" Skystar replied. "This is what I call a warm welcome." The kids each grabbed a bag from the back seat. "Which way is the office?"

Together they led her towards the small building in which Rosie Peace sat at her desk.

"Well, well! The Princess of the Sea herself," the nude woman declared. "Who'd have thought my daughter would come in holding hands with you?"

"H-Hello, ma'am," said Skystar, doing her best to keep her cool. "Fuchsia and Pimpernel here convinced me to... you know, give this place a try."

"For how long?" Rosie asked as she placed the guest book on the table.

"Um, full-time?" Skystar nervously chuckled, causing Rosie to look up in surprise. "I... would like to live here for a while."

"Really?" Pimpernel gasped. "So you've left your mother's home?"

"You gave me the confidence to," Skystar smiled.

"So... does your mother know about where you're moving? What did she say?"

"She... flipped out."

Pimpernel winced, feeling a bit guilty at having triggered this family drama.

"She'll get over it," Skystar smiled as she began disrobing.

"Are you sure you'll be okay, Skystar?" Rosie asked. "If there's anything besides a cabin that we can provide for you, you only need to mention it."

"Thank you for that," the celebrity swimmer placed her clothes in the suitcase she was carrying.

Once she was fully naked, Rosie asked her to sit down and fill in a form, thus confirming her status as a full-time resident. Once that was done, she was then given a key to a cabin.

"Why don't you two help our celebrity to her new residence?" Rosie said to the two children.

"Sure!" Fuchsia grinned as she led her idol outside.

With a sheepish smile, Pimpernel picked up two of the suitcases and followed them, trying not to let Skystar's rather elegant rear distract him.

"This place is amazing!" Skystar looked at the large green field in the center of the property. "You weren't kidding about it being pretty!"

On the way they passed Waterspell and Auburn Beam having a romantic chat. Upon noticing Skystar, the two rushed over to meet her in excitement.

"You're going to stay here?" The lifeguard asked, obviously gushing over the famous swimmer.

"It'll be so cool having a celebrity like you around!" Auburn squealed.

"Thanks," said Skystar with a nervous chuckle. She was used to enthusiastic fans, but still had yet to get accustomed to talking to them without clothing.

"The Dazzlings are gonna love you!" Waterspell grinned.

"Who are the Dazzlings?" Skystar whispered to her escorts as they moved on.

"They used to be these bad girls, but they've become nicer now," Fuchsia explained.

"They also have an... interesting history when it comes to swimming," Pimpernel added.

"What do you mean?" said Skystar.

"When we meet them, we'll let them explain it."

"Well, Viridian's mom has started her campaign recently," Fuchsia said.

"Wait," said Skystar, "are you talking about Olive Grain? My mom saw her on TV once - said she sounded like a crazy woman."

"How so?"

"I don't know. I asked why, she just said she was putting forward absurd ideas that would probably never be taken seriously."

"What kind of ideas?" Fuchsia smirked mischievously.

"She wouldn't talk about it."

"Well, she's campaigning to make Canterlot naked!"

"WHAT?! ALL of Canterlot?! Surely you're not serious!"

"I AM serious - and don't call me Shirley!" The smirk never left Fuchsia's face, as if she was wondering if anyone would recognize her little movie quote. "And we've been getting more support every day."

An entire town walking around naked. The idea was mind-boggling to Skystar, and she could see why her mother might consider it too crazy to ever come true.

Soon, they arrived at the cabin Skystar was assigned.

"Here we are," said Pimpernel. "Hope you find it comfortable."

"Thanks for carrying my stuff, sweetheart," said Skystar, leaning down and kissing him on the cheek again. Pimpernel didn't faint this time, though he did still blush intensely.

Almost as soon as Skystar taken all her luggage inside the cabin and shut the door behind her, Sonata and Aria happened to appear.

"Hey, kids!" grinned Sonata, while Aria just gave a small wave.

"Hi, guys!" Fuchsia hugged the equally cheerful Siren.

"So who was that you were with just now?" Aria asked, in a less bubbly but still friendly tone.

"Only just the Princess of the Sea herself," Fuchsia giggled.

"SKYSTAR?!" Sonata squealed with delight. "For realsies?! Oh, I've ALWAYS wanted to meet her, and talk about what it's really like to live in the sea, and--"

"Please," said Aria skeptically. "If Skystar is actually here, I'm Mayor Mare."

Behind her, a pink haired woman froze in alarm.

Pimpernel noticed her. "Are you okay, miss?"

"Oh, um, yes," the disguised Mayor Mare stammered.

The Boy Next Door

Carousel Boutique

Rarity stretched as she got out of bed. She felt relieved that she was back in her nightgown.

"What a crazy day that was," she muttered to herself. "To think I was stark naked in front of Songbird Serenade, and then amongst however many other nude people at that club. And on top of that, I let Pinkie Pie and her friend paint my body!"

The doorbell rang, signaling her attention.

"Rarity?" Miss Hemline's voice called out. "I have a new outfit to be displayed in the window."

Rarity sighed before calling back. "At this early hour? Forgive me, Miss Hemline, but I haven't even had the time to get properly dressed."

"It's fine, feel free to check it out when you're ready."

Rarity was puzzled. The Prim Hemline she knew wasn't this lenient. She quickly put on her usual outfit before heading downstairs.

"Is everything alright Miss HemLINE?!" She quickly looked away as her employer was currently unclad from head to toe.

"Of course, Rarity," the woman replied with a casual smile.

"Wh-Where are your clothes?!"

"Clothes?" Prim chuckled a little. "Don't you remember? Clothes have been out of style for years."

"I-I-I beg your pardon?!?" Rarity ran to the window and peeked outside. Sure enough, everyone was naked. For a few seconds she just stared in utter shock. Then another thought occurred to her. "B-B-But what about this 'new outfit' of yours?"

"Of course, paints," Prim smiled as she pointed to a mannequin with a familiar pattern painted on it. The diamonds on its chest and rear was all too recognizable to Rarity.

"Did you... get this idea from my friend Pinkie Pie, perchance?" Rarity asked, almost dreading the answer.

"Of course she did, silly!" giggled Pinkie Pie as she suddenly bounced in, just as naked as Miss Hemline. "Why don't you take off all those stifling clothes?"

"You must be hot wearing those all the time," Prim smiled. "Why not embrace being naked?"

Rarity slumped into a chair, utterly confused at this turn of events.

"C'mon, Rares, give it a go for real!" Pinkie persisted. "Even the zebra thinks it's a good idea!"

"...The zebra?"

Pinkie pointed to a chair next to Rarity's, and as if things couldn't get any stranger, she saw a zebra seated in it, which immediately spoke to her.

"Your friend is correct, Kevin, my dear. Embrace this lifestyle, and the benefits will become clear!"

Green Hill Club

Rarity leapt up in bed, that last part of her dream snapping her awake. She noted that the bedroom she was in was not her own, but the one that was part of the cabin she was currently being allowed to use at the Green Hill Club. She groaned as she saw the ridiculous diamond pattern was still painted on her body. At the very least, it was a durable paint that had not rubbed off on the bed sheets. She then smelled breakfast being cooked. She nervously walked out to see Sweetie Belle and her friends preparing a meal for all four of them.

"Morning, Rarity!" said Sweetie Belle with a grin. "Nice paint job!"

"Yes, well, it's probably coming off today..." Rarity nervously sat down in one of the chairs, still feeling shaken by the dream.

Noticing that her big sister was still on edge, Sweetie spoke in a more comforting tone. "Sorry for the teasing, sis. Still not used to this, huh?"

"I'm afraid not..."

"Well, how about some breakfast?" Scootaloo offered.

"Ah, yes, thank you," Rarity replied, giving a polite smile at the offer. "What are we dining on this morning?" she added, her trademark impeccable manners starting to show again.

"Just waffles," Apple Bloom replied. "Since Sweetie tends to burn her meals."

"Hey!" scowled the girl in question.

"It's the truth, Sweetie," said Scootaloo matter-of-factly.

"And what about the others?" Rarity asked. "Where are they?"

"Rainbow Dash is playing volleyball with Fluttershy," muttered Scootaloo, somewhat upset that the attention of her idol was diverted from herself by her recent romance.

"Flutter and Emerald are still posing for the logo," Apple Bloom said.

"Pimpernel and Fuchsia's part is finished, though," added Sweetie, "so they're doing other stuff. Last I saw them, they were in the outdoor pool."

"And Twilight?" Rarity asked.

"She's chatting with the staff right now," said Scootaloo. "Something to do with Mayor Mare."

"The Mayor?" Rarity replied in astonishment. "Even she's here?"

"Yeah, turns out her natural hair color is pink!" Sweetie Belle laughed.

Apple Bloom nodded, also giggling. "And apparently she's been comin' here for the last few days."

"Is there anyone else?" Rarity asked.

"Well, Sour Sweet got here late last night."

"Really? What kept her from coming sooner?"

"Family stuff, I guess," Scootaloo shrugged.

"You mentioned that all of the Shadowbolts are members here, didn't you, Sweetie?" Rarity asked. "Are they all here today?"

"Well, almost... Sugarcoat said she had other things to take care of, whatever that means."

Meanwhile
Sugarcoat's house

Ever since the younger boy who lived next door to her had accidentally seen her sunbathing naked, Sugarcoat had been unable to resist deliberately leaving her curtains open so as to allow him more occasional glimpses. Today was no different as her unclothed body was in full view of her house's side window. Sure enough, his familiar face, with its white skin, green eyes and turquoise hair, soon peeked around a curtain. Sugarcoat smirked and did a provocative pose when she noticed. The boy blushed and quickly ducked back behind the curtain.

"Heh. He's so easy to tease, it's adorable," Sugarcoat grinned to herself. She stretched a little before walking out to the backyard for her daily sunbath. Lying down on her deckchair with a glass of fruit juice, she sighed as the warmth of the morning flowed through her skin. Then she heard the sound of sneezing from the garden next door.

"You can come over here if you want a closer look," she called out.

"Err... I think I'd better not," the boy's voice replied, and it sounded like he had a runny nose. He let out another sneeze, followed by a violent cough.

"You sick?"

Another cough. "Yeah... but my dad says it'll just go away by itself sooner or--" His words were interrupted by another sneeze.

Sugarcoat was now genuinely concerned. "You sound really bad, kid. Hasn't your dad given you any medicine to make you more comfortable?"

"He says I don't... need it, because colds are... temporary..." The boy's words continued to be obstructed by coughs.

"You need help." Sugarcoat headed back inside to throw on a tank top and gym shorts. Once fully dressed, she grabbed a bottle of ibuprofen from her bathroom cupboard, then slipped on some sandals in order to step outside. She headed straight for the front door of the boy's house and rang the bell. The sound of coughing grew louder before the boy opened the door. Now that she had a closer look at him, Sugarcoat could more clearly see his reddish nose and slightly bloodshot eyes.

"You look awful," said Sugarcoat, her eyes full of honest sympathy. "I've brought something to help you feel better."

"Come in," he said in a raspy whisper. "But be quiet, or you'll wake Dad." He coughed again, before adding, "He hates intruders."

"How come?"

"He's been that way since... since my mom died. He keeps saying he can take care of this house all by himself... I just try not to make it hard for him..."

"Does he even pay you much attention at all?" Sugarcoat asked, becoming increasingly worried.

After a short pause, the boy said, "No, now that you mention it..." Then he coughed again.

She quickly pulled him outside and towards her house.

"You need medical attention. Now."

"Dad... won't like this..." the boy replied between another two coughs.

"I don't care what he thinks," said Sugarcoat bluntly. "He should be taking better care of his son."

She laid him onto her living room couch, and went to prepare an ice pack.

"What's... that?" he asked weakly, pointing to the bottle she was still holding.

"Ibuprofen. A dose of this should ease your symptoms. I'll give you some once I've got an ice pack for your poor head."

Before long, she had given the boy the medicine and sat beside him holding the ice pack in place. She then decided to start up a conversation to distract him from his own illness.

"I've just realized that we've never told each other our names," she said. "Mine's Sugarcoat. Rather ironic, considering I tend to be blunt about telling people things."

The boy chuckled. "I'm Chalk Breeze."

"So... you always like looking at me?"

Chalk immediately started blushing. "I'm sorry, it's just... I've never forgotten when I first saw you in your garden, and--"

"It's fine, I didn't mind."

"You're... very beautiful," Chalk said, after taking a moment to find the right words.

"Aw, thank you."

Then, clearly screwing up his courage, the boy asked "Would you mind... taking off your clothes now? I mean, we're safely in your home, right?"

"If that's what you want..." She pulled off her top and her shorts followed immediately after. She even undid her pigtails, letting her hair down and making it flow elegantly with a slight toss of her head. "You like what you see?"

Chalk simply smiled and nodded, his eyes running over the older girl's naked body. "So... you're a nudist, right?"

"Indeed, I am."

"That's so cool," the boy grinned. "I mean, I've read about people like you, when Dad wasn't looking, but I never thought I'd actually meet one."

"Oh, we're a LOT more common than you'd think," replied Sugarcoat with a wink. "Especially here in Canterlot."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, me and a lot of my friends are members of this club."

"O-Oh my..." Chalk blushed before coughing again.

"It's called the Green Hill Club, and it's not too long a drive from here," Sugarcoat continued. "Mind you, I didn't even expect to strip off the first time I went there..." She proceeded to tell Chalk about the seminal incident in which she was originally taken there as part of an attempt to put an end to the place, only to end up joining after her friend, Sour Sweet, inspired her and others to switch sides.

"Wow..." Chalk said in awe.

"Yeah, quite a memorable day," Sugarcoat smiled. "Of course, we're all very happy that we managed to save the club. And we've been joined by many more new faces ever since - including Skystar, believe it or not."

"Th-The Princess of the Sea?"

"Yep. Bet you'll never look at photos of her in magazines the same way again," replied Sugarcoat with a sly grin.

Chalk nodded before sneezing again.

"You look like you could use some tissues," Sugarcoat said. "Let me go upstairs and find you a box." As she left the room, Chalk couldn't take his eyes off her rear. She soon returned and pulled several tissues out of the box.

Chalk used one to blow his nose. "Thank you," he said, in a voice that sounded less stuffy.

"Get some rest, and you'll feel better soon."

For the next minute or two, Sugarcoat sat by Chalk in silence, gently stroking his cheek and hair until he fell asleep.

"He is kinda cute," she muttered to herself. "But I'm very worried about the neglect he seems to suffer from his father."

Green Hill Club dining hall

"So you don't know who this blackmailer is?" Luna asked Mayor Mare as she, Night Sky, Twilight, Olive and Luna sat at one of the tables.

"No," Mayor Mare sighed unhappily. "The notes are typed by computer and printed, so we can't even trace them via handwriting."

"Well, what do they want from you?" Night Sky asked.

"They obviously don't like nudists, because they want me to reject the bill to make Canterlot a nudist town. I mean, I knew some people were bound to object to the idea, but blackmailing me?!"

"Okay," said Twilight, trying to keep a level head, "since they were able to get pictures of you here, that means they must have also been here at the same time, or they could have gotten the pictures from someone else who was."

"Or seen me at home," Mayor Mare added.

"Oh, you've been going without clothes there too?" Olive asked.

"Haven't you been careful to keep your curtains and window blinds closed?" Rosie Peace added.

"I have been usually."

"Do you think Suri Polomare might be involved?" Twilight suggested.

"It wouldn't surprise me if she tried to give us more problems," Luna replied.

"Well, what do they want from you?" Night Sky asked.

"Nah, this feels more like Diamond Tiara's work," Apple Bloom stated, joining the conversation.

"You think Diamond's behind this?" Twilight asked. "How could she have gotten those photos?"

"I dunno yet, but blackmail's one of her prime tools when dealing with people she doesn't like."

"Hey, didn't Cinch also blackmail you, Twilight?" Luna asked the purple genius.

Rosie sighed unhappily. "It's absurd, the reasons people find to do these things to others."

"So we got three suspects with pretty good motives," Olive mused as Adagio brought a tray of drinks to their table.

"Well, well," the Dazzling leader grinned. "The Mayor of Canterlot herself. Does this mean you'll agree to let us all go around naked full-time?"

"Not until this blackmailer is stopped," Olive warned.

"Hey, mom!" Emerald called out as he and Flutter stepped into the dining hall. "Fleck finished it!"

"Ah yes, our new logo," Rosie smiled. "All right, let's have a look."

Fleck Paint carefully opened the doors, carrying a large canvas with him. He propped it against a wall, allowing everyone to see his work. It featured the words "Green Hill Club", with the amusing slogan "Where You Leave Your Worries (And Clothes) Behind". Above that was an image of a hill covered in trees and bushes, upon which Flutter, Emerald, Fuchsia and Pimpernel - all naked, of course - could be seen from behind. The whole thing was painted in light shades of green, giving off a pleasant, welcoming vibe.

"It looks fantastic!" Rosie stood up and hugged the young artist, unknowingly allowing her breasts to press onto his face.

"Err... thank you, Miss Peace," Fleck replied in a muffled, nervous voice, desperately hoping that a certain awkward bodily reaction wouldn't occur. She quickly let go and eagerly ran over to get a closer look.

"Once we have copies made, you'll be seeing this all over the resort," she announced.

"Congratulations, Mr. Paint," smirked Adagio. "You're very talented. Let me know any time you'd like me to pose for you..."

"I-I'll think about it," Fleck blushed, still recovering from the hug.

Sugarcoat's house

Sugarcoat continued to gently stroke the sleeping Chalk's hair, when, glancing through a slight gap in a window's curtains, she noticed an unpleasantly familiar upper-class car parking outside just between their two houses.

"Suri Polomare..." she growled to herself. It seemed her classmate had some business next door at Chalk's house. Sneaking up to her window and peeking through the curtains, Sugarcoat watched the insufferable girl get out of the car after telling her chauffeur to wait. She then stepped straight up to the front door of Chalk's house and ring the doorbell. A couple of minutes passed before the door opened, revealing a grown-up version of Chalk, but much grumpier-looking. He also appeared to be slightly balding, and generally gave the impression that he had been stewing in bitterness over past misfortunes instead of trying to move on from them.

"Something I can do for you?" he asked Suri, clearly hoping she would go away quickly.

"Yes, I wanted to ask for your vote in ending the proposed clothing optional bill for the upcoming city council meeting."

Chalk's father grunted. "If you ask me, it won't get through anyway. Whoever got the idea ought to be in a loony bin."

Sugarcoat rolled her eyes as she knew he had just unknowingly insulted Fuchsia.

Suri simply smiled. "I see we understand each other, sir. Me and my colleagues want to stop this absurdity from becoming real, and with your support we can do that."

"Then I guess you've got it, miss," the man replied, "if it means I don't have to put up with bloody nudists all over my neighborhood."

She handed him the petition she was carrying. Sugarcoat unhappily watched as he signed the dotted line Suri pointed out for him. Unbeknownst to her, Chalk was slowly waking up.

"What is it, Sugarcoat?" he asked groggily. "What can you see out there?"

"That obnoxious girl I told you about, Suri Polomare," Sugarcoat replied. "She's just gotten your dad to sign an anti-nudism petition."

"That's terrible!" Chalk immediately sat up, almost immediately regretting it as he had a throbbing headache.

"Whoa, easy there," said Sugarcoat, hurrying over to him and gently helping him lie down again. "You're still sick, remember?"

"But he's going to notice I'm gone..." Chalk argued.

"I actually kind of doubt that," said Sugarcoat, "if he really doesn't pay much attention to you. Chalk, I'm sorry to say this... but I don't think he's been a good father to you."

"I have nowhere else to go though..."

That response made Sugarcoat pause in thought. Then she had a brainwave, which she divulged to Chalk.

"I'm going to call in authorities and alert them to the poor job he's done caring for you."

Chalk tried to protest. "No, no, Sugarcoat, I don't want you to get in trouble with him--"

"Chalk, it's my moral obligation to do it. I just can't turn a blind eye when it comes to bad parenting. HE'LL be the one in trouble, not me."

"O-Okay..."

And so Sugarcoat went straight to the nearest phone, in order to save Chalk Breeze from further suffering.

Green Hill Club

"You want to do a stakeout at my house?" Mayor Mare asked Sweetie Belle.

"Err, heh-heh... Scootaloo's idea, not mine," said Sweetie sheepishly.

"It's the best way to find whoever is blackmailing you," Scootaloo interjected.

"I usually disapprove of children spying on people's homes," said Olive to the Mayor, "but in this case, I think we could use these girls' help. Catch our enemy by surprise, so to speak."

"Actually, I was thinking maybe the adults could do it?" Scootaloo chuckled nervously. "My parents would kill me if I stayed out too late."

"So all we'd need are volunteers," said Twilight.

"I'll do it," Luna raised her hand.

"Me too," said Night Sky, stepping forward so that she stood next to her friend. "It'll be like old times, eh, Luna? The two of us, on an adventure..."

"Sure," the vice principal smiled, not noticing the blush on her friend's face.

"Thank you so much for agreeing to help," smiled the Mayor. "Hopefully we can catch this blackmailer and alleviate the situation with that bill."

Back at Sugarcoat's house

"You're burning up, Chalk," Sugarcoat noted as she took her neighbor's temperature.

The boy groaned. "I hope I don't have to wait too long before this darn cold goes away..."

Sugarcoat blushed. "I may have an idea that could help..."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the heat might leave your body more easily without... without clothes in the way." She awaited his reaction with baited breath.

"Y-You want me to get... naked?" Chalk tried to contain his shared feelings of embarrassment and excitement.

"Not all the way, if you don't want to," Sugarcoat assured him. "I mean, you could leave your underwear on..."

To her surprise, Chalk shook his head. "I've seen all of you many times. It would only be fair if I went all the way now, right?" And without another second to wait, he stood up and his clothes came flying off, landing on the pile of Sugarcoat's shorts and top. Finally, after stepping out of his underwear, he sat back down as naked as she was. His blush was obvious, but he tried to fight the urge to grab a cushion and cover himself with it.

"It's okay, I felt the same the first time," she gently patted his shoulder.

"I... I know I'm a bit scrawny..." Chalk replied with a nervous smile.

"It doesn't matter what shape your body is," Sugarcoat assured him, stroking his cheek again. "Nudism is all about accepting ourselves and each other." The feeling of her softly touching his cheek was too much for Chalk to bear, and on impulse, he quickly placed his lips over hers. Ever since he first met her in the nude, feelings about the girl - despite being about two years younger than her - had bubbled irrevocably inside him, and now that he had felt her gentle touch while they were both completely naked, he could hide them no more. However, as fate would have it, the door opened.

"I'm home, roomie!" A girl's voice called out.

Of course, Chalk's eyes immediately went almost as wide as dinner plates. "Who's that?!" he hissed, absolutely terrified.

"Relax, it's just my roommate. I'm staying with her since my parents live abroad."

"Relax?!? I'm friggin' naked!"

"So am I," Sugarcoat stated calmly.

"Having a boy over already, Sugar?" Her roommate said from the dining room. "Didn't think you were ready to start dating!"

Now Sugarcoat began to blush, considering what she and Chalk had just been doing. "Err, actually it's the boy who lives next door. He's sick, and I've been looking after him."

"And him being in the nude is to help him feel better?" Now the girl was clearly teasing her.

Sugarcoat and Chalk turned to see a girl with light grey skin, dark indigo hair and moderately purple eyes smirking at them from the living room doorway. Unlike both of them, she was fully dressed in a dark grey top and short silvery skirt.

"Ooh, and he's so young," the girl teased. "Going all cougar on him, are we?"

"I'm only two years younger!" Chalk blushed as the girl began to disrobe herself.

"But then, I don't blame you, Sugarcoat," the roommate continued. "I've often given younger boys kisses, just to see their adorable reactions."

"Knock it off, Coloratura," Sugarcoat sighed.

"C-Coloratura?" Chalk went even more red. "A-As in Countess Coloratura?!" She was a popular singer whose songs he had often heard on the radio, or being sung by girls at his school.

"The very same!" Sugarcoat's roommate declared proudly as she tossed the last of her clothes onto the pile.

"No one really recognizes her offstage," said Sugarcoat. "It's because of all that makeup and the crazy hairstyles and costumes she gets given to perform in."

"Well, the next costume is gonna be even crazier," Coloratura playfully leaned on her roommate's shoulder. "Body paints!"

Finding himself not only naked with two girls, but one of them being a pop singer who was now talking about the idea of performing in nothing but paint, Chalk could not stop a certain bodily reaction from occurring.

"Ooh, even the way it rises is cute!" Coloratura giggled as Chalk grabbed a cushion to cover himself.

"Don't tease him," Sugarcoat scolded. "He's new to this whole thing."

"I do hope you don't mind sharing him," Coloratura grinned, running her fingers down one of the boy's arms. Chalk blushed as Sugarcoat rolled her eyes.

"How about some sunbathing?" She suggested, hoping to calm him down a little. "The sun could help with the cold."

"G-G-Go outside?" Chalk stuttered. "Like this?!"

"Nobody can see us, and we've got a third chair," Coloratura gently nudged him towards the backyard. And so Chalk Breeze found himself stepping outside without a stitch of clothing. The feeling of the outdoor air and the patio beneath his bare feet, along with the effects of his cold, made him feel quite vulnerable. He saw Coloratura setting up another lawn chair. Sugarcoat had already made herself comfortable in one of the two chairs that were already there, placing her glasses on a small table beside it.

"Don't forget sunblock!" Her roommate said. Sugarcoat sighed. She knew that the sight of her running her hands all over herself would make it even harder for Chalk to stay calm, but she couldn't let her skin get burned. Grabbing the sunscreen bottle, she began to apply it to her body. Sure enough, as her hands rubbed the cream onto her arms, legs, shoulders, stomach and breasts, Chalk began to look fidgety. He tried to distract himself by watching a butterfly going between the garden's flowers.

"Hey, how bout I get you?" Coloratura asked him, a sincere tone in her voice. Sugarcoat gave her a stern look, but before either she or Chalk could speak, the pop star was already applying cream to her hands and beginning to rub it into the younger boy's back. Chalk was surprised at her gentle touch as she rubbed his back.

"Can you get your front?" She asked.

"Oh, err, yeah," Chalk replied. He let her squirt more of the cream onto his hands, and he applied it to his chest and downwards from there. Once he had completely covered himself, he nervously sat down in the spare chair. He did his best not to stare as Coloratura covered herself with the sunblock, though she caught him looking as she got the cream between her toes and gave him a cheeky wink.

"Y'know, you look kinda familiar," Coloratura said as she sat in her own chair.

"What do you mean?" Chalk asked. "We've never met before - though I certainly knew about you."

"You kinda look like my jerk of a manager." Upon seeing Chalk's face fall a bit, she reassured him. "Don't worry, you're totally different where it counts."

"Now that you mention it," Sugarcoat replied. "He kinda does look like Svengallop."

That statement made Chalk remember something. "I... I heard him talking on the phone once, and he mentioned that his name was Sven..."

Coloratura's face fell at this revelation. "So... you really are his son?"

"I... I don't know. Dad's never told me much about his work. Is your manager going bald?"

"Actually, he has curly vermilion hair. And he wears glasses."

"He sorta looked like that a few months ago..."

A thought occurred to Sugarcoat. "Do you think... Svengallop might be altering his appearance when working, like you do, Coloratura? I mean, his hair could easily be a wig or something, right?"

"It's possible."

"So... how exactly does your manager make things rough for you?" Chalk ventured to ask Coloratura.

"You mean how he did. I fired him after learning he abused my fans into doing stuff for him."

"If your manager is my dad," Chalk reasoned, "that might explain why he's become more bad-tempered recently." Before they could discuss it further, there was a loud banging on the front door. "H-He's here!"

"Don't worry, Chalk," Sugarcoat assured him. "Whatever happens, we'll protect you."

The door banged again, this time with much more force.

"Wait here," said Sugarcoat to her two guests. "I'm going to get us something to wear." As she made her way upstairs to her bathroom cupboard, she heard a voice from the front door.

"I know you're there, boy!" Chalk's father yelled. He sounded ready to actually beat up his son. Sugarcoat could not help bristling with anger as she heard it, but she refrained from answering yet and continued to the cupboard, grabbing three bathrobes and taking them back downstairs.

"Here," she said. "Just get behind us both now, Chalk."

With their bodies thus covered, they made their way to the front door, and Sugarcoat opened it.

"Hello, Mr. Breeze," she said, mimicking Sour's false sweet tone.

"It was you who called THEM, wasn't it?" the man growled. He pointed at a team of uniformed officers who had their car parked outside his house.

"So what if I did? You clearly have a lot of unpleasantness, so I wouldn't be surprised that you beat your son."

"How dare you?!" the man snarled.

Sugarcoat did not back down. "You're certainly neglecting him at the very least. I've just had to give him much-needed treatment for a cold - something you apparently never thought to do."

"It's a blooming COLD! They go away by themselves, and they're hardly ever fatal!"

"But they still cause discomfort and suffering. A proper parent would do all they could to make it easier for their child to endure."

At the same time, Coloratura was inspecting the man's face.

"Svengallop - so it IS you!"

"C-Countess Coloratura?" The man's aggressiveness all but vanished when he realized his former client was heading out to talk to the police.

"Oh, err... hello, ma'am," said one officer a bit sheepishly, considering that she wore only a bathrobe.

"You here about him?" She pointed at Svengallop.

"Yes, but he keeps saying he's done nothing wrong and his neighbor kidnapped his son."

"Well, I can give you a couple more reasons not to believe him."

The officer got out his notebook, ready to write down what she told him.

"He used to be my agent," Coloratura began to style her hair in a ponytail.

The officer was utterly surprised. "That hairstyle... I swear, you look almost exactly like--"

"Countess Coloratura," Sugarcoat finished for him.

"Indeed, for I am she!" The idol struck a pose.

"So you are!" Svengallop spluttered, before he realized what he said.

"And I'm sure you're aware of what Svengallop has done."

"Yes... we've heard of the incident that got him fired from your service." The other officers' eyes turned sternly on the man in question.

"I think we have good enough reason to put him in custody."

"Don't forget to charge him for mistreating his son," Sugarcoat added.

At this point a female officer noticed Chalk still hiding behind the door. "Is that the boy in there with you?"

"Yes, madam."

"If we could have him testify to his father's actions, that would be a big help."

Svengallop was now so swollen with anger and wounded pride that when his son stepped outside, he did the worst thing possible for himself. He lunged forward, grabbed Chalk roughly by the ear and with one smack to the face, knocked the poor boy to the ground.

"RESTRAIN HIM!" shouted the female officer, and two of her cohorts immediately pounced on the wretched former manager and put him in cuffs.

"Are you okay, Chalk?" Sugarcoat asked.

Chalk was sobbing slightly and rubbing his sore cheek, but he nodded.

"Don't worry, son," the female officer assured him. "We'll keep him as far away from you as possible now."

"Th-Thank you..."

"Does he have any next of kin to take him in?" the officer asked Sugarcoat and Coloratura.

"He told me his mother's been dead for a while," said Sugarcoat sadly, "and we don't know of anyone else."

"He could stay with us until a suitable guardian can be found." Coloratura offered.

The officers agreed, and they all spent the next few minutes arranging details. Svengallop was then driven away to custody, and not wanting to look at him again, Chalk eagerly followed the girls back into their house.

"Th-Thanks," he quickly hugged them both.

"Come on," said Sugarcoat kindly. "Let's go get something for your poor face."

"Thank you..."

"Sorry you had to see that," Coloratura patted his head.

"And that we failed to stop your father from hurting you like that," Sugarcoat added.

"It's all right..." the boy replied, wiping away a tear. "I'm with you girls now. I feel safe."

"You know we can't legally take care of you, right?"

"But who can? I mean, like you said, I don't have any other close family members."

"Hey, how about Flutter Heart and her parents?" Coloratura suggested.

"Really?" Sugarcoat asked. "You think they'd be willing to take him in?"

"Who are they?" Chalk asked, wanting to know about the people he might end up living with.

"They're these super nice people that live a little down the street."

"In fact," Sugarcoat added, "they're friends of mine at the Green Hill Club."

"Y-Y-You mean... I'll be living in a nudist family?"

"Nothing wrong with that, right?" said Coloratura with a cheeky grin. Chalk quickly shook his head before discarding his bathrobe.

"You know," Sugarcoat remarked to Coloratura as she removed her own robe, "it can be surprising how quickly new people get into this."

"Best thing to wear is nothing at all!" Coloratura laughed as she tossed her robe away. Once Sugarcoat had applied some soothing lotion to Chalk's cheek, the three of them spent the next hour playing a game of Scrabble to take their minds off the drama they had just been through. As Chalk began to spell out his next word, his stomach began to growl.

"Ah, somebody's hungry," Sugarcoat smirked. Then her own stomach did the same.

"Make that two somebodies," the boy replied with a grin.

"How about we go out to dinner then?" Coloratura suggested.

Chalk beamed at hearing that. He missed being taken out to restaurants, as his mother used to do all the time when she was alive.

"There's a new restaurant I wanna try out."

"It's not that obnoxiously cheerful place with the clown head on the roof, is it?" asked Sugarcoat, frowning a bit.

"You know me too well."

Soon
The Anxious Clown Restaurant

"Hello, welcome to the Anxious Clown, where everyone has a good time whether they like or not," the familiar pink girl greeted the trio as they sat down. "I'm Pinkie, your waitress tonight."

"Figures she'd work at this place," Sugarcoat muttered.

"I see we got a group of lovebirds dining out tonight," Pinkie giggled.

"Wha--?! What makes you think that?" Sugarcoat asked, more in alarm at how perceptive Pinkie really was than in denial. Coloratura, on the other hand, just grinned and pulled Chalk close to her with one arm.

"Can I get you any drinks to start off with?"

"Pineapple juice for me, please," said Chalk, blushing at how Pinkie regarded both Sugarcoat and Coloratura as his new girlfriends.

"Just a cola for me," Sugarcoat stated.

"And a banana milkshake for me," Coloratura smiled.

"Okizzay!" Pinkie replied, jotting down their requests and zipping away.

"Strange girl," Chalk remarked.

"You get used to her," both girls said in unison.

Of course, the three of them were once again fully dressed in order to come to the restaurant. To do otherwise would doubtlessly have started some kind of incident.

"So what are you gonna get?" Coloratura asked her new boyfriend.

"They do cheeseburgers here, right?" the boy replied. "I'd like one of those."

"The Cheer-Up Cheeseburgers?" Pinkie asked, carrying their drinks. "An excellent choice. The pickles, mustard and ketchup form a smiley face that is sure to lift your spirits!"

"Of course it is," Sugarcoat sighed.

Pinkie leaned in closely. "Don't get the Surprising Chicken Salad, " she whispered.

"I'm... not very fond of salads," Sugarcoat replied.

"Well, what would you like?"

Both Sugarcoat and Coloratura ended up asking for hotdogs with fries.

"Coming right up!"

When their food was served, Chalk chuckled to see that the ketchup and mustard had been squirted on in the shape of a smiley face.

"Feeling a little better?" Sugarcoat asked. Chalk just held the burger up beside his face, grinning to imitate it, before taking his first bite. "I'll take that as a yes."

Coloratura giggled. "Your cold seems to be getting less severe as well."

"Well, you helped..." Lowering his voice, Chalk whispered to them both. "To be honest, I'm only really uncomfortable from having to wear clothes again."

"Well, that may change soon," Sugarcoat smirked.

"What do you mean?"

"We're petitioning to make Canterlot clothing optional," Coloratura explained.

"Y-Y-You mean... everyone will be... well, you know... all the time?!"

"If they want to. And if we can get it through."

"Whoa..."

"Just have to take care of something first, according to a text I got from Sour," Sugarcoat said.

"What's that, then?" Chalk asked.

"She said it was top secret," the Crystal Prep girl shrugged.