Element of Faith

Rainbow had told us a big storm was coming in, so to be sure I didn't spend the night alone in my house I asked Twilight if I could stay the night. Spike was busy doing something in Canterlot so it would just be the two of us.

The storm was beginning, I was looking out a window.

"Twilight, don't you just love when it rains?" I asked the unicorn.

"Kinda, I'm guessing you do." Twilight laughed.

"It's the only time that I can actually get some quiet. Being friends with Rarity meant two things: Being a model and constant drama. Rain equals peace. Peace equals rain." I explained. I saw two blurred images off in the distance.

One white. One orange.

Running to the door, I swung it open.

"Rarity! Applejack!" I yelled. Neither seemed to hear me. "Rarity! Applejack!" This time both turned towards me and I motioned them in.

"Woah nelly. Is inside a tree really the best place ta be in a lightning storm?" Applejack asked

Twilight joined me at the door, noticing our friends needed help.

"It is if you have a magical lightning rod on your home like I do. Come on in!" Twilight cheered.

I walked off with Twilight towards the book she pulled out when I decided to stay the night. Twilight really did have a book for everything.

"We are most grateful for your invitation." Rarity cheered.

"Thank ya kindly fer ya hospitality." Applejack thanked.

"Ah, so be a polite house guest and go wash up please. Won't you." Rarity told Applejack. Looking at AJ's mud covered hooves explained it.

Applejack mumbled something as she walked outside to get the hose. A plan formed in my mind. A evil plan. But a good evil.

"Some storm huh? The Pegasus Ponies really out did themselves this time. Hope you and Applejack don't have any trouble getting back home." Twilight explained.

"Actually Twilight. I had an idea."

Both unicorns turned to me.

"What would that be Fairy?" Twilight asked me.

"Why don't Rarity and Applejack join us for the sleepover?" Rarity's blue eyes widened.

"Us? Stay here? Together? All night?" Rarity asked.

"That's a great idea Fairy! The More the Merrier right?" Twilight smiled, lifting the book with her magic.

"It's Twilight's Very First so she had to pull out-" I started.

"‘Slumber 101: All You've Ever Wanted to Know About Slumber Party's but Were Afraid to Ask'. My own personal copy!" Twilight cheered.

"I've tried to explain to Twilight sometimes the best part of a slumber party is just letting thins happen but she refuses to listen to me." I explained to my fashionista friend. "Come Rare, it'll be fun! I just know you and Applejack will have barrels of fun!" I gave a wink to Rarity, letting her know she wasn't getting out of it.

"It's gonna be great!" Twilight cheered.

"Yes. Umm…great." Rarity groaned.

Twilight gripped the book, moving it towards her again.

"It says the first thing to do is Make-overs and it envolves something called a mud mask." Twilight explained.

"I think the stuff for it is in the kitchen, Rarity could you be a dear?" I asked her. She cheerfully nodded her head, not wanting to upset Twilight's first sleepover.

Rarity placed the cucumbers over my lilac eyes, blinding me from the world around me. Twilight laughed next to me as Rarity put the green mud on her purple face.

"What in tarnation is goin on in here?" Applejack yelled. "Now wait just a goddarned minute! Ya make me wash the mud off my hooves but its okay fer y'all ta put mud all over yer faces?"

"Hey AJ. We're having a sleepover. Make-over Mud Mask." I explained.

"We'll that's dandy. What're ya wearing on yer face?" Applejack asked.

"Cucumbers darling, to remove puffiness around ones eyes." Rarity answered. "And it's a Mud Mask! To rejuvenate and refresh your completion."

"We have to do it. It's in the book." I heard the sound of Twilight's magic floating around.

"It's Twilight's first. And she wants its to be perfect. Us four friends here, together and getting along. Wouldn't want anypony to wreck it right?" I asked.

*BOOM*

"I guess I could stay fer a spell." Applejack submitted.

"Yay Slumber Party!" Twilight squealed like a filly.

I heard some sounds of more mud being placed on a face, Applejack's most likely.

"What in the world is this for?"

Cucumbers.

"I told you. To remove puffiness around the eyes."

"Puffiness smuffiness." *slurp* "that good eatens!"

Smiling as Rarity explained the situations to Applejack, I trotted over to Twilight. As best I could, being blind at the moment and all.

"Isn't it exciting! We'll do everything by the book and that will make my slumber party officially fun!" Twilight cheered.

"Twilight, it can go a little off track. Maybe we could have-" I started.

"Ugh! You know there is messy and just plain rude!" Rarity yelled/whispered.

Applejack whispered something back but I couldn't hear it quite well.

The two went back a forth. I left Twilight with her organizing and trotted over.

"You know there was a reason I got you into this right?" I carefully placed the slices over my eyes with my lavender magic and lifted it off. I saw them nod. "Well it wasn't to hear you to fight." I whispered. "It was so you would stop fighting. We've been friends for over a month and from what I can tell you two are the only ones who haven't become close yet. I get that you two have little to nothing uncommon but at least try for one night. Could you try?"

They both gave the other a warning glance.

"Fine." They both said. Twilight popped up from the middle of us.

"This is gonna be the best slumber party ever!" She cheered, wrapping AJ and Rarity in a hug.

"Yeah."

With make-up done, Rarity helped us with everypony's mane. Placing them in curlers.

"So…how are you getting along over there Applejack?" Rarity asked.

"Jest fine Rarity."

It was a funny sight. Applejack downright hated this, but I made sure she stayed 'happy' for Twilight's sake. First Sleepover is very important to a filly. No matter how old she is.

"This is so awesome!" Twilight cheered, laughing like a school filly. "Makeovers:check!"

In a flash the almost painful curlers were gone. Our mane's returned to normal.

"Aw…I wanted to see how it would turn out." I complained. Rarity trotted over to me and gave me a quick smile.

"Don't worry Fairy, I'm sure we'll have more time later for this." She wishfully thought.

"Good. That means you'll have a good enough attitude until that happens." I put on my best Pinkie Smile, before Twilight named our next event.

"It says we have to tell Ghost Stories! Whose first?" Twilight cheered.

"ME!" Applejack yelled.

Wincing at the sudden increase in noise, I listened to what story Applejack had to tell.

Should be good.

"Ah'm gonna tell y'all the story of the Prissy Ghost, who drove everypony crazy with her unnecessary neatness. Ooooo!"

Or not.

"I don't think that's an actual story AJ."

"I have a much better one! It's the horrifying story of a messy, inconsiderate, ghost. Who irritated everypony within a hundred miles! Ooooo!"

"That's not a real story!" Applejack complained.

"Neither was yours." I added. "Twilight, I have one that's real. So real, the last party I heard that told this story had nightmares for weeks."

*CRASH*

"AH!"

The lights went out.

Before anypony could scream, Twilight turned on a lantern.

"Okay Fairy, what's your story called?" Twilight asked while hoofing my the lantern.

"Bloody Marey."

*CRASH*

We quickly got into a circle, as I began my tale.

"It was Shelly Parkson's 14th Birthday Party, she decided to have a sleepover with two of her friends and, by force, her 11-year-old sister, Caramel..."

"…And Caramel replied 'Nah, I'm not crazy. I'm just different since I saw Bloody Marey. You're going to have to listen to me now.'

‘You did not see Bloody Marey.' Shelly explained, but she was starting to get nervous.

'Oh, yes I did.' Caramel insisted, and she leaned closer towards her sister. ‘I saw Bloody Marey. And she looked just. Like. Me.'

"This time, the girls parents responded to the screams in half the time. Oddly enough, though, there was twice as much blood...… mares behind you!"

The mares turned back, I quickly put on my disguise.

"Hehe, very funny Fairy...now we can-AAAHHH!" Twilight screamed.

Rarity and Applejack turned around and saw my face. Covered in dark red paint, scratches, even a knife raised in my hoof, like Bloody Marey.

*CRASH*

*BANG*

"AAAHHHHHH!"

"Hahahaha!" I laughed, using a paint removal spell to get rid of the paint and out down the knife as the mares stopped screaming. "You should've seen your faces! You all looked ridiculous!"

Rarity and Applejack(who were wrapped in a hug together) pushed the other away while awkwardly laughing. Twilight trotted up to the book to check off Ghost Stories.

"That was some story Fairy Wishes. Where'd ya hear it?" Applejack asked me.

"Caramel told me." I joked, Rarity gave me a scared glance. "An old Ghost Story Book. Read it cover-to-cover. Bloody Marey was my favorite, as well as 'Foals of the Tracks'. Still makes me laugh."

Before we could chat anymore, Twilight popped up behind me.

"Who wants s'mores?"

"Me." Applejack and I cheered.

"I could go for a good s'more." Rarity asked politely.

Soon after, Applejack was roasting marshmallows on a nearby fireplace while Rarity was going over the instructions on making a s'more.

"Then you place one marshmallow on the top of the chocolate and be sure it's centered - that's critical - and then carefully put another perfectly square graham cracker on the top. And done. Ta-da!”

“You always did know how to make the perfect s’more.” I said while eyeing the treat.

"Ooo!" Twilight gazed at the treat.

"Nah, ya just eat 'em." Applejack munched loudly on the treat as Rarity stared at her, very annoyed. Finally, Applejack belched.

Rarity sighed. "You could at least say excuse me."

"Aw, I was just about to, but you interrupted me." Applejack replied. "Pardon."

"S'mores, check. Now the next item of fun we have to do is Truth or Dare." Twilight announced, writing in her book.

“My favorite game.” The four of us gathered back where we had Ghost Stories, Twilight carrying the Book the whole way.

“Okay, who wants to go first?”

Raising my hoof, knowing exactly whom to pick.

“I dare Applejack to do something carefully and neatly for a change." Rarity began fighting.

“Rarity, you know that’s not how the game works.” I tried, looking Rarity in the eye. Applejack pushed me aside.

"Oh yeah? Well I dare Rarity ta lighten up and stop obsessin' over every last little detail, for a change." Applejack fought back.

"I think the truth of the matter is that SOME pony could stand to pay a little more attention to details."

"And I think the truth is SOME pony oughta quit with her fussin' so the rest of us can get things done."

I grew more annoyed with each argument they made. Twilight walked over to her book and flipped through the pages. "Um, I don't think this is how the game's supposed to work. You have to give an honest answer to any question or do whatever any pony dares you to do”

“Ah dares you ta step outside and let your precious, tidy mane get ruined again!" Applejack began first.

Rarity gasped.

“You have to. It’s the rule.” Twilight added. Rarity gave me a hope filled glance.

“Sorry Rarity. It needs to be done.”

Even though I’ve known her four years, I know Rarity sometimes needs a reality check. Doing the dare might convince her to stop the nonsense.

“HAH!” Applejack laughed.

"Fine!" Rarity slowly walked to the door and then outside. The only thing stopping me from joining her was the fact that I didn’t want to upset Twilight. Applejack snickered as she came back in with her mane and tail shivering. The only other normal unicorn and I just stared with unease. Applejack began laughing but was cut short when Rarity walked straight towards her.

"Okay! I dare Applejack to play dress-up in a fru-fru, glittery, lacey outfit!”

Applejack gasped, but she walked away to put on her outfit. When she came back, she was wearing, what appeared to be, a princess outfit. Or a dress-up gown.

What was that even doing in Twilight’s house?

"Happy?" She asked.

Not Good. So very not good.

"Very." Rarity, replied, giving a smirk.

"Um, do I ever get a turn?" Twilight asked, trying not to interrupt.

"I dare ya to enter the next rodeo when it comes to town." Applejack commenced.

"I dare you not to enter the next rodeo that comes to town." Rarity replied.

“Twilight I think you have betters chance getting struck by lightning.” I said dryly.

"I dare ya to not comb your mane a hundred times before bed."

"And I dare you to comb yours just once."

As much I didn't want to get mad, I couldn't handle anymore… all this fighting… it was getting to me…I was close to that place.

Not wanting a repeat of the ‘Welcome Gilda Party’, I kept my breathing calm and steady.

"I think we should just skip Truth or Dare.” Twilight said as Applejack and Rarity stopped screaming.

Nodding my light brown head at Twilight, carefully walking towards the book myself to see what was next.

“Pillow Fight, sounds fun. Ready?”

"Oh please. I am not at all interested in something so crude." Rarity complained.

*pomf*

Right in the face too.

"Oh! It. Is. On!"

Before I could stop it, the two mares were tossing pillows back and forth, Twilight sitting in the crossfire.

"Oh I get it. Pillow fight! Fun-ah!"

"Time out!" I screamed, running to check on Twilight.

Rarity and Applejack refused to hear me.

I placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "Twi, can you hear me?"

"I think we should take it down a notch." Twilight said, her eyes twisting around. The fighting didn't stop.

"Ah will if she will!" Applejack yelled.

"She started it!"

I wanted to get Twilight away but we were both buried under a mountain of pillows.

"I say we go to sleep." I groaned while trying to find an exit to my pillow prison.

"Great idea." Twilight moaned after spitting some feathers out from her mouth.

Soon enough, we had convinced the two mares to stop. Then we tried to get the sleeping situation.

Twilight slept in her own bed, I almost ordered Rarity and Applejack to take the spare while I took the couch downstairs.

The couch was a little uncomfortable but I lived with it if only to get some peace.

The whole place was black, I could barely see my hoof in front of my eyes. The only thing I heard was laughing.

“Please just let her go!” I heard a mare's voice scream. “She's just a foal!”

More evil laughter, it sounded like it was coming from a mare.

Trying to find those voices, a pair of glowing blue-green eyes came into view.

“She's more than just a foal." The voice that kept laughing said, looking right at me.

"ENOUGH!"

The loud noise woke me up, causing me to fall off the couch.

"Ugh." I groaned as I slowly stood up.

"It says right here that the number one thing you're supposed to do at slumber a parties is have fun and thanks to you two, I can't check that off!" Twilight snapped.

Carefully climbing up the stairs to Twilight's room I found all three mares awake and arguing.

"Ah've been tryin' my darnedest ta get along!" Applejack argued.

"No it is I who have been trying my best!"

"No it was me."

"No it was I!"

"It was neither of you!" I yelled.

The mares finally noticed I was in the room.

"I convinced Twilight to let you stay over to get you to be closer but I made it worse somehow! Did either of you think for a second that this wasn't just Twilight's first sleepover? That maybe I wanted to include mares who must'be had more than I can count? Or that for the smallest second tonight did either of you try and think of what was best for us and not your pety fued with each other! Even once!" I yelled at the two mares. "Well obviously you didn't so thanks Rarity and Applejack, you have successfully ruined not one, but two First Sleepovers tonight.

"See you tomorrow Twilight. I'm ging home." I said before running out of her room and running towards the door.

*BANG*

Not paying the lightning any heed I ran to my house soaking wet. I could hear Twilight calling out for me but the rest was drowned out by the sounds of the rain.

Walking into my house, the first thing I did was shake all the water off me. Next I ran to my room to get some much needed sleep.

Only to have that dream again.

This time I was running, my hooves felt like they kept hitting things. It hurt but I couldn't stop.

“Don't just stand there! Go after her!” The voice boomed.

I kept running, meeting cold eyes when I did. Every turn led to them until I finally found some safety.

But then the eyes came up and laughed again.

"Fairy Wishes." A voice called out. "Fairy Wishes are you in there?"

Not getting a chance to find the voice, I felt a darkness wrap around me coming right from those evil eyes. I tried to scream.

*BANG*

Waking up for the second time by loud noise that night, I found Applejack rushing into my room. Rarity and Twilight close behind her.

"Fairy Wishes, are you okay?" Applejack asked. "We heard ya screaming."

Gathering my composure, I looked at the mares.

"What are you three doing here?" I asked.

"Well," Twilight started, "after you left a lightning strike hit a tree by my house. Applejack pulled it into my bedroom." I felt my eyes widden at that. "While I was checking my book for things like that Applejack and Rarity worked together to get the branch out."

"Could you repeat that last part?" I asked her.

"We worked together ta fix it Sugarcube." Applejack explained.

"Then after we realized you were right about it and how terrible we all felt we ran here to apologize." Rariy added.

"And finish the sleepover here at your house." Twilight continued.

Seeing they all were telling the truth, I felt a tear fall down my cheek.

"Really? You all did that for me?" I asked. They nodded. "Thank you so much." Running over to the mares, I gathered them all into a hug.

Once they pulled away, we all went downstairs to finish the slumber party.

"Isis it bigger than a barn?" Applejack asked me.

"Not even close."

"Is it smaller than a saddle?" Rarity asked me.

"Yes. Only three of your Twenty Questions left." I reminded them.

The Slumber Party was going way better than before. Rarity found my curlers and placed them in her hair, Twilight's and mine. We decided to play Twenty Questions and the weren't even close to figuring it out.

"We're never gonna guess what yer thinkin' it could be anything!" Applejack pointed out.

"Are we getting warmer?" Rarity asked.

"No I feel just fine." Twilight said. "Why is it too cold in here? Fairy could you turn on the heat?"

The three of us laughed.

"She means are we getting closer with our guesses." Applejack explained.

"Oh."

"The answer is no. And that counted for a question so only two left." I explained.

Applejack and Rarity waited another minute before guessing again.

"Is it a six-legged pony with a purple polka dotted mane and shootin' stars comin' out of his eyes?"

"Who flys thru the air all over the world to hide magical eggs?"

I gave them a weird stare before answering.

"Yes!"

"Reay?" Both asked.

"No. And that's twenty."

"Well what was it?" Rarity asked. I pointed at a paintbrush sitting on my coffee table.

"It was so nice to see you working together. I wanted you to win." I explained.

The three mares laughed, happy to see them being nice.

"See? We could've been having fun like this all along." Twilight explained.

"If only somepony hadn't been so prissy." Applejack said.

"Well maybe she wouldn't have been if somepony else hadn't been so sloppy."

We laughed. Again.

Applejack and Rarity then went on a apologizing argument, making me laugh even harder.

"I declare our first Slumber Party a success!" Twilight cheered as Rarity and I high-hoofed.

"YEAH!"

Later, I read the letter Twilight planned on sending the Celestia.

Dear Princess Celestia,

It's hard to believe that two ponie who have so little in common could ever get along, but I found out that of you brace each others differences you just might be surprised to discover friends after all.

Your Faithful Student,

Twilight Sparkle

I had to agree with Twilight.

Our first slumber party was a success.