I rolled over in my bed in slight frustration and cursed under my breath. I had been tossing and turning all night trying to get at least something that resembled sleep. Sleeping in an actual bed was surprisingly hard to get used to. For over half my life, all I’ve had was a hammock in my wagon.

An actual bed was a luxury I couldn’t afford at the time nor fit in my wagon. I was more accustomed to sleeping on the floor or in hammocks as previously stated.

Plus, it was a bit harder to focus on sleep with all the noise around the house. Ponies outside walking around quietly, muffled conversations and the occasional laughter from some ponies in one of the many watch towers littered around the camp fence. At least Twilight didn’t snore. I had heard stories from others that Luna and Cadence both snored like crazy so I had assumed it was am alicorn thing. And don’t even ask me why I thought that because I have no clue.

“Can’t thleep?”

I jumped slightly and rolled over in frustration, staring at a white filly with a red mane and glasses with a cutie mark of two candy canes overlapping staring up at me. I hadn’t even heard her open the door. Maybe I’m going deaf. I should see Redheart.

“Uh yeah, you could say that. Who are you exactly?”

“Thorry. I’m Twist. Twilight is isth letting me thleep in here too. Thaid it would be good for you,” she answered. “Isth that okay with you?”

“Yeah it’s fine. Uh, how old are you?” I asked as she climbed up into the bed next to me.

“Ten.”

Oh by Celestia’s cake loving flanks. Ten was a annoying time in my life. Trying to sort out school work, colts and fillies and more importantly, trying to not wet the bed. I don’t really like kids if they wet the bed.

“You uh don’t do the whole bed wetting thing, do you?” I asked hopefully and Twist gave me a confused look. I really hoped I didn’t have to explain further what I meant.

“Only when I have a nightmare.”

Oh sweet Celestia, I’m stuck with a filly that has nightmares and wets the bed during. I really don’t want to have my coat covered in urine.

“And thith whole thing hath pretty much been a nightmare,” Twist continued with a shudder and my expression softened. She was pretty damn accurate in that regard. I still hoped it was just a bad dream at times and Starlight would be waking me up any minute. “How did you thurvive?”

“Straight to the point, aren’t you? Luck I suppose. You?”

“Bon Bon, Mith Lyra and Caramel kept me safe till Princeth Twilight found us. Bon Bon isth my older thister and she was uh, pretty violent to keep me safe,” Twist continued as she slipped under the sheets next to me. “I’ve never seen her like that.”

“I see. I’m going to try to get some sleep, I agreed to do guard duty tomorrow after noon and relieve the overnight ponies. Wait. Why aren’t you at Bon Bons house then? I walked past it earlier.”

“She agreed to let me stay here for a bit.”

Oh. I suppose that made sense. I think she was more so convinced by Twilight than anything else or the kindness of her heart. I didn’t like Bon Bon and she didn’t like me and we were both happy with it that way. She had been one of the ponies who laughed me out of town alongside Berry, Daisy and Golden Harvest.

I only really got along with Berry and Daisy to be honest. Berry and I both enjoyed our alcohol, especially our bourbon. And Daisy grew some pretty delicious flowers. Though I learned the hard way she and her sisters were a bit dramatic.

A bit would be an understatement though to be honest. I thought only Fluttershy acted like that.

“Night Mith Trixie!” Twist announced and she rolled over, turning off the light on her side. “Don’t let the bed bugs bite.”

I hummed in response and tried to force myself to sleep.

I yawned as I brushed my mane idly and continued trotting up to a tower with a four written in bright red on the side.

“Oh thanks Celestia!” A stallion called out as I started to climb the ladder. “I thought our reliefs were never coming. I’m ready for a nap.”

“Felt that,” another stallion agreed as they both looked down at me. “It’s been clear all night. Have a good shift.”

“Yeah thanks,” I grumbled as I rested my rifle against the wall, watching the two fly away. I had woken up on the floor next to Twist in my hooves. How she ended up there with me, I’ll never know but Twilight had been pretty insistent on knowing why we slept on the floor.

“Oh there you are,” Thunderlane said and he dropped down next to me. “I’ve been searching everywhere for you.”

“And why is that?” I asked with a bored expression as I continued scanning the town. It was pretty just desert for miles and miles to my annoyance. I’d have liked something pretty to look at, like a bench or something. Anything that put a drink next to me.

“To apologize. I was way out of line yesterday evening and I’m sorry,” Thunderlane scuffed a hoof on the wood sheepishly. “Plus, I volunteered to work with you today for the next twelve hours. I brought coffee that Flitter made. It’s admittedly not great but coffee is coffee, right?”

He held out a thermos of coffee hopefully as I examined it before smiling slightly.

“Forgiven. Thanks for the coffee,” I said as I levitated it to my lips and took a sip. I gagged a bit and forced myself to swallow the bitter liquid. How anypony could drink coffee black was beyond me. That was disgusting as hell. Whenever invented that idea was a criminal and deserved the depths of Tartarus.

“Yeah it was bad,” Thunderlane admitted. “But it’s the thought that counts, right?”

“Got that right,” I answered and turned to continue watching. “Thought you’d be with Soarin in tower nine.”

“Eh, we’re always partnered up. Figured I’d do a change of pace. Besides, Surprise wanted to be on that tower today. We also got Bon Bon and Star Tracker joining us today. Star is a good comedian.”

Oh joy. Being paired up with Bon Bon sounds like a dream come true.

“Huh. I heard Lightning Dust is here but I haven’t seen anypony that Rainbow had described to me. What’s she like?” I asked curiously and he scowled.

“She’s a jerk, that’s for sure. She’s our delivery mare. Last time I checked, she should be back in a few days or so from Las Pegasus and then Starlight’s village. She’s been delivering letters for us to other camps.”

“Isn’t that Derpy’s job?” I asked and jerked my head down at the gray pegasus trotting into a building with Dinky and some other fillies and colts.

“Normally yes but Twilight forbade her from going out because she has kids. Same reason why Twilight doesn’t allow Berry Punch or Silverspeed to be on guard duty. Because their daughters are here and Twilight isn’t fond of sending parents into danger. So Derpy assists Cheerilee in teaching the kids at the school house.”

I could believe that. Other than being a delivery mare, I could see Derpy being a teachers assistant. She certainly had the personality for it.

“Silverspeed mainly just trained a few ponies on how to aim a gun properly. Outside of Cloudkicker and the Wonderbolts, she’s the only other pony to have experience in military training. And you along with the rare Royal Guards we have here,” Thunderlane continued. “She does the weather now mainly. Berry runs the town bar if it can be called that but you already knew that part.”

“Ah. I have no military experience. I only know how to shoot a gun because of Applejack.”

“Oh. I forgot that mare damn near had an arsenal under her house.”

I nodded my agreement, idly watching Bon Bon quietly join us along with a pegasus in a Wonderbolt uniform. I assumed he was Star Tracker but I didn’t expect see him in a uniform.

“So how’s the-” Star Tracker started and I held up a hoof.

“Hold on,” I said and levitated my rifle in front of me, staring down the sight and I sighed as I slightly adjusted it and everypony fell silent around me.

I faintly made out Bon Bon pulling out binoculars next to me and looking in the same direction as me. I inhaled again and squeezed the trigger with my magic, watching in satisfaction as the zombie dropped.

“Woah,” Star Tracker whispered as I set my rifle down again. “That was insane dude. How far was that?”

“Two miles,” Bon Bon answered and she set down her binoculars. “Clean shot.”

“Thanks,” I said and gave a smug grin. It always felt nice getting compliments, especially from ponies who didn’t like you. “Since when does a candy maker carry a gun?” I gestured to the handgun on Bon Bons foreleg.

“When the candy maker is also a secret agent,” Bon Bon answered flatly and glanced at me. “So don’t fuck with me. And don’t even think about trying to jump scare me. Last pony to do so got pistol whipped and spent a week in the hospital with Redheart.”

I gave Thunderlane a confused look and resisted the urge to laugh. Bon Bon honestly seemed like the last pony to be a secret agent.

“And Lyra is too so don’t mess with her either. Though she’s more than likely to laugh,” Bon Bon scoffed and rolled her eyes. “It’s a Glock twenty two by the way. Standard issue for SMILE agents. SMILE agents are taught in all types of firearm practice. I prefer the Glock, Lyra likes the Ruger brand best.”

I almost made a joke comment about two lesbians with guns but I figured that wouldn’t go well with Bon Bon. I knew Lyra more and she would have died laughing knowing her.

“Uh huh,” I said and shifted away from her. I didn’t entirely know what else to say to this.

“Normally there’s law against me telling you because we’d all be executed for treason but well, there’s no more laws anymore. Only law now is do what it takes to survive,” Bon Bon mused and she stretched slightly. “I pulled night duty for Siren. Wake me up if anything interesting happens. And shoot Cement if he tries to fuck with me.”

We all gulped nervously and Bon Bon grinned slightly at me. Being executed is personally not on my list of things to do. I’d prefer to survive, thank you.

She leaned against the wall and placed a nearby hat over her face followed by quiet breathing.

“That was certainly something. What did you do to piss her off?” Star Tracker asked as he shrugged his flight suit off and I shrugged.

“Other than exist, nothing.”

Author's Note

Thinking about doing a side story from Suri's POV about how she survived and reconnected with Coco and coming to Twilight's sanctuary. LMK if that's something you all would like.