Look Before You Sleep

Sunset sat on her couch, tossing logs into her fire as Silverspeed fluttered around, ignoring the rain starting to paint the windows with a few small droplets.

“Alright, everything is locked up and good. Are you sure you’re gonna be okay here by yourself?” Silverspeed shot Sunset a worried look. “Raindrops said this storm was gonna be a big one to help the farmers out because of a lack of rain. I can stay and keep you company?”

“I love your company and all, but go home Silverspeed. I’ll be fine. And besides, Silver Spoon will need her big sister. She’s a little kid after all and she’s probably gonna be scared out of her mind when the storm really starts.” Sunset was projecting a little there. More than a little, actually.

She was terrified of storms like this and would have killed to have Silverspeed stay here with her, but Sunset also knew that Silverspeed had a sister to look after. Silverspeed spent most of her time with Sunset. The pegasus deserved a well earned break in Sunset’s eyes.

“If you’re certain. Thanks!” Silverspeed shot Sunset a warm smile that made Sunset feel weird inside. The good kind of weird, like she felt warm everywhere. “Stay safe. And thanks for letting me sleep with you last month.”

Sunset hide a blush as she started poking the fire with a metal poker.

“Anytime. You’d do it for me if I was having a bad dream. Now go, have a day off. You deserve to relax Silvie.”

Silverspeed smiled slightly at the nickname as she gazed at Sunset before nodding.

“Thanks Sunny. You have a good night.”

“Yeah, you too,” Sunset waved a hoof dismissively without turning around as listened to the front door open and shut as she sighed. “I really hate being alone in storms. I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I wish Princess Celestia was here.”

Celestia had always stayed up late with Sunset or let the filly sleep with her when it was raining. Sunset would never admit this out loud to anypony as long as she lived, but she missed those times. Sunset wished she could have gone back to Canterlot for just tonight but the stupid train wasn’t in service tonight. Something about the rail like being blocked by a dozen downed trees that the crews were trying to clear but that wouldn’t be done till at least Thursday morning was the estimated time.

Which was almost two days from now. Sunset always hated traveling by train, especially when stuff like delays could happen or the train could derail. Sunset heard all about that as a kid. It took Celestia and Raven forcing her onto a train to make her semi okay with them.

With a sigh, Sunset wrapped a blanket around herself and stared forlornly outside.

Shoeshine tackled a rogue tree branch and growled in frustration at it as she started to tie it up with the rest of the branches she had fought to get.

“Where in Equestria’s name is Trixie?” Shoeshine grumbled as the wind started to blow her mane all around. “Fuck. Trixie!”

The unicorn bounded over with a grin, tossing some sticks in her magic around as she glanced up at Shoeshine hanging upside down from the tree and Trixie burst out laughing. She and Shoeshine had been tasked secure all loose tree branches and other various items around town. Well, Shoeshine was. Trixie was practicing her magic with the stuff they find.

“Ha!” Trixie pointed a hoof at Shoeshine and wiped some tears out of her eyes with the other. “You remind Trixie of a tied up pig at Applejacks farm!”

“Are you calling me fat?” Shoeshine growled angrily and glared at her before quickly glancing at her flanks. “I’m not fat, I just have bigger flanks than you. Us earth ponies have nicer asses than you unicorns and you’re just jealous.”

Trixie stopped laughing and rolling on the muddy ground as she glared at Shoeshine, pushing herself up.

“Trixie has a perfectly nice great and powerful ass. She doesn’t care about your admittedly nice flanks,” Trixie scoffed as she untangled Shoeshine with her magic and dropped her on her hooves.

“Enough about our asses,” Shoeshine turned pink and Trixie chuckled. “Can you take this seriously at least? The mayor wants us to tie these tree branches down so they don’t damage anything in the storm. I normally love your jokes and shit but not now.”

Trixie looked around her as she and Shoeshine each felt raindrops starting to rain harder on them, making the ground more muddier than before.

“Fuck! Raindrops said we had another hour till she and Cloudkicker started the rain storm!” Trixie cried and shook a hoof angrily at the sky. “Curse you, world! Curse you!”

“She said that an hour ago,” Shoeshine snorted flatly with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh.”

Shoeshine rolled her eyes in frustration and the two jumped at the loud booming thunder. Shoeshine and Trixie each screamed as some lightning arced across the sky.

“We should find somewhere to bunk down until this passes,” Shoeshine muttered as she and Trixie hugged under the tree they stood next to. “My house is too far from here and your wagon is definitely a no.”

Trixie pushed down the urge to defend her wagon to her dying breath as the pair shivered slightly, both freezing and manes flattened against their heads.

“Shoeshine, Trixie!”

“Was that Sunset?” Trixie asked and Shoeshine nodded as she glanced back behind her as Sunset waving from her door. “Trixie doesn’t know about you, but she is going inside. Hopefully she let’s Trixie get a bath. She is covered mane to hoof in mud.”

“Agreed,” Shoeshine nodded as the two galloped the waiting Sunset who was dancing anxiously on her hooves.

“I’ve been calling for you guys for almost five minutes. Come on inside. You’re both shaking and Trixie needs a bath,” Sunset ushered them both inside and shutting her door. “Thank fuck somepony is here.”

“Isn’t Silverspeed around?” Shoeshine asked as she looked around the living room.

“Nah. Sent her home to be with Silver Spoon.”

Sunset levitated a towel around Shoeshine and nudged Trixie forward to the bathroom.

“Go, shower. The hot water is fucking amazing. Handle kinda sticks, tho.” Trixie nodded as Sunset turned to go to the kitchen.

“I’ll go make some hot chocolate. This is gonna be fun!” Sunset clapped her hooves and gave a rare giggle as Shoeshine gawked at her. She and everypony heard Sunset laugh often. Pretty damn often once she came out of her shell and Sunset admittedly had a great sense of humor, albeit a bit awkward at times.

“Fun?” Shoeshine asked as she snuggled into the towel and Sunset nodded happily swishing her tail.

“Mhm! It’s gonna be like... what’s it called where you have friends hang out and do fun stuff? Like you watch movies, play games, do your girls makeup, drink hot chocolate and stuff?”

“A sleep over?” Shoeshine asked and Sunset nodded enthusiastically. “Hold up. You’ve never had a sleep over?”

“Well, no,” Sunset admittedly sadly and shook her head, staring down at her hooves as Shoeshine gave her a regretful look and her heart went out to her friend at the expression she wore. “I never had friends before you five. Remember, I was an orphan till Celestia found me at the castle. I never had a family to tell me there was some better way than being a jerk to everypony I met. So no, Shoeshine, I’ve never had a sleep over before except maybe the time Celestia let me sleep with her in her room and she did my make up when I was a filly. I was five or so? I felt genuinely pretty for the first time in my life.”

Shoeshine stared with wide eyes as Sunset gave a sniff and wiped her eyes as Sunset gazed at her.

“So indulge me or not, there’s the door. I’m not gonna force you or Trixie to stay here with me because of my messy childhood fucking me up as an adult.” Shoeshine cleared her throat and Sunset continued to stare at her.

“I think I’ll take a cup of that hot chocolate, if it’s still on the table,” Shoeshine grinned and flung her towel into a laundry basket nearby before settling down on the couch.

Sunset gave her the biggest smile ever Shoeshine had seen in her entire life.