Shoeshine laid on the carpet and held a bucket in her hooves as Trixie and Sunset both sat at a table with a bottle of whiskey, each pouring each other shots.

“Damn bottle is empty,” Sunset muttered and shook the bottle with her magic. “So other than another drinking game, what now?”

“Spin the bottle,” Trixie waved a hoof and grinned as she placed another full bottle of whiskey down with a third shot glass. “Every time we don’t wanna do something or answer a question, take a shot. Instead of kissing one of us, we pick a pony to spin the bottle and whoever it’s pointed out asks them a question or tells them to do something.”

Shoeshine groaned as Sunset shot her a concerned look.

“I’m not so sure Shoeshine is up for that. She seems pretty sick and has been vomiting a lot of alcohol up. Maybe we should call it a night and do this another time?” Sunset suggested and Shoeshine nodded weakly. “I’m really sorry. We should have paced ourselves better.”

“We can play another game that doesn’t involve drinking,” Trixie commented and grinned. “Pillow fight?”

“Sure,” Shoeshine grunted and barely managed to pull her self to her hooves, knocking some empty beer bottles aside. “Where’s a pillow, damn it?”

A light gray pillow slammed into her face and Sunset smiled smugly at her.

“Right there,” Sunset teased and Shoeshine growled as she bit the pillow.

“Oh, it’s on,” Shoeshine grumbled and Sunset’s smile was quickly replaced with fear as Shoeshine slammed the pillow hard against her face and Sunset swore she saw stars for a brief second.

“Sweet Celestia!” Trixie whispered and stepped back as she levitated a few pillows from Sunset’s and launched them at Shoeshine.

“Oof!”

Sunset peered out from behind her couch as the other two glared at each other.

“This is war,” Trixie declared and Sunset’s eyes widened. Trixie laid down the beer bottles in a row between her and Shoeshine. “Do not cross this line.”

“How about you don’t cross it?” Shoeshine shot back as Sunset looked between the two.

“Girls?” Sunset tried to interject and ducked as a rogue pillow went sailing over head. “Woah!”

Trixie narrowly avoided a pillow and her expression hardened as she laid on her stomach.

“You’re going down for that,” Trixie grumbled and Shoeshine gave her a cocky drunken smirk.

“We will see,” Shoeshine shot back and a pillow slammed into her chest as Sunset levitated another up in the air. “Hey!”

“Never turn your back on a potential enemy,” Sunset shrugged and winked. “Celestia taught me a lot in self defense.”

Trixie and Shoeshine glanced at each other, having a silently conversation before nodding and they both turned to Sunset.

“H-hey wait!” Sunset exclaimed and started backpedaling as the two approached her. “Let’s talk about this.”

“I don’t believe in negotiations,” Trixie commented with a frown.

“Oh fuck me,” Sunset muttered as she was covered in pillows. Shoeshine and Trixie burst out laughing as Sunset’s head poked out with a pillow stuck on her horn. “I surrender?”

“Probably for the best!” Shoeshine snickered and leaned against Trixie, wiping some tears away. “Oh man, that was awesome. Team TrixShine for the win!”

“If Roseluck was here, she’d be making some comments about you combining your names,” Sunset commented casually and Shoeshine promptly turned red.

“I’m surprised Shoeshine actually had fun,” Trixie mused and received two confused looks. “I mean, she’s normally super stoic and well, boring is the easiest way to put it. She never goes out to bars despite me inviting her all the time, she never does pranks, she rarely laughs. She’s super serious and hates fun.”

“I like fun!” Shoeshine defended herself and sat down hard with a hurt expression as her ears flattened against her head. “Is-is that really how everypony sees me? Just a boring old mare who doesn’t like going out?”

“Of course not,” Sunset jumped over the couch and sat down next to the earth pony. “I don’t and none of our friends do. Trixie doesn’t either, she just misspoke, right Trixie?” Sunset shot Trixie a warning look that made her pale.

“Yeah! Absolutely,” Trixie agreed readily and Sunset relaxed her glare as she watched Trixie sit down on the other side of Shoeshine. “I just think you could use some time out. You’re just so fucking obsessed with your job and you go days without seeing any of us.”

“Derpy is serious about her job too, if not more so!” Shoeshine pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah but she always makes sure to visit her friends after her shift if she isn’t tired enough. You just stay inside or sleep,” Trixie countered and Sunset hated that she partially agreed. “It’s like we aren’t even your friends. We went through hell and back together.”

“We are friends,” Shoeshine answered after a moment. “I love you five more than life itself. I would give up my life in a heart beat for any of you if needed. I just, fuck man. I suck at expressing myself with words so I use actions, ya know? Gifts here and there, friendly gestures. I’m too blunt and honest at times for most ponies to ever truly like me.”

“Felt that,” Trixie muttered quietly and looked away. “Ponies don’t like me because of my ego or my stage persona. The Great and Powerful Trixie is just a stage thing. It’s meant to be loud and in your face. Off the stage, Trixie is just like everypony else.”

Sunset vaguely remembered reading some gossip paper about Trixie and her stage persona when she lived back in Canterlot. It didn’t really paint Trixie in a good light but nopony really read that paper anyway so it didn’t necessarily affect Trixie in the long run.

“I’m kinda surprised you don’t have a book about sleep overs or whatever,” Trixie glanced at Sunset and the mare snorted.

“You mean like fuckin Twilight Sparkle?” Sunset scoffed and laughed loudly as she pressed her face into Shoeshine’s mane. “That mare is crazy. You all met her and her marefriend Moondancer at the Gala.”

“The purple unicorn, purple highlights in her mane, other student of Celestia, kinda a bitch?” Trixie asked and Sunset nodded.

“That’s the one.”

“I remember her,” Shoeshine noted and Sunset nodded again. “She actually has a book on sleepovers? What the hell?”

“Yep. I remember seeing it when I broke into her room one day. We both lived in the castle so we unfortunately ran into each other a few times. She spent most of her time with Moondancer and the others from class. I forget the name of the book, but she had it on her shelf. I was trying to find evidence that she was trying to get me removed as Celestia’s student but I didn’t see anything unfortunately. Or if there was, I didn’t see any.”

“She’s weird. But enough about a weirdo, I’m getting tired,” Shoeshine looked around and Sunset nodded. “Want me to put out the fire in the fire place?”

“Yeah sure. And then we go sleep. I only got one spare room and that’s Silverspeeds room when she sleeps here so I hope you two don’t mind sharing a bed with me,” Sunset blushed slightly and Shoeshine tossed a bucket of water on the fire.

“Sunset, we’re drunk. I don’t think we care about where we sleep as long as it’s warm and has blankets,” Shoeshine pointed out and held Trixie up. “Upstairs, right?”

“Right.”

Author's Note

I'd like to remind everyone this universe has a group. Be sure to join https://www.fimfiction.net/group/217456/sunsetverse

I'm also currently working on a Redheart story that's not connected to this universe.