Twinkleshine stared up at the sky outside as she counted stars idly as she laid on the deck of her room, her pink mane spilling across the wood flooring and she crossed her hind legs.

“You know, I’m fairly sure you can do this on the grass too,” Twinkleshines eyes rolled up slightly to look at Twilight in the door way. “How was working with Sunset and Silver Spanner at the castle earlier today?”

“Oh boy it was something,” Twinkleshine laughed and covered her mouth. “Silver Spanner has my respect. Honestly, I don’t even think her country accent is that noticeable enough for ponies to complain. It’s there, but it’s subtle if you know what I mean?”

“Yeah, I’ve ran into her. She seems nice,” Twilight agreed and brushed her mane with a hoof. “Moondancer is asking for you. Something about her and Lemon Hearts having a uh, civil disagreement about what movie we should watch.”

“Oh for the love of-”

Twinkleshine bit back a curse word and rolled over onto her hooves. She could faintly make out Minuette standing between the other two unicorns nervously and Lyra tugging on Moondancers tail with her magic.

“What in the wide world of Equestria and beyond is going on in here?” Twinkleshine demanded and everypony froze, Spike slamming face first into Lyra’s side. “You, Spike. Explain.”

“Didn’t Twilight tell you when she went outside?” Spike asked and gulped as Twinkleshine shot him a glare. “Right, explaining. Lemon Hearts wants to watch The Mare From Whinnyappolis, whatever that is. Moondancer wants to watch some documentary, I think.”

Moondancer opened her mouth and Twinkleshine promptly held up a hoof to cut her off.

“Spike decides what we watch tonight,” Twinkleshine announced and sat down next to him. “He almost never gets to pick. If anypony has a damn problem, speak now or forever hold your freaking peace.”

Nopony spoke as Lyra scuffed a hoof awkwardly against the flooring of Twinkleshines bed room and Minuette looked away, casually whistling.

Lemon Hearts was leaning against Twinkleshines pink floral themed wall as Twilight looked everywhere but at Twinkleshine.

“So,” Lyra broke the silence first and everypony looked at the mint green unicorn. Lyra was usually the bravest of the group when it came to starting conversations after group disagreements. “How about them CSGU Wondercolts, eh?”

Everypony groaned and Spike stretched out on Twinkleshines lap as she gave a brief nuzzle on the top of his head.

“So I have a sleepover with Sunset this weekend at the castle,” Twinkleshine commented casually and Minuette stared at her with wide eyes. “And Silver Spanner. Should be a good time.”

“I’m not entirely sure how to take that. But good for her. She needs a good friend group,” Minuette stretched out on her friends pink and white bed. “Celestia knows I’ve tried.”

“You teleported away from her to work with Lemon Hearts in class one day,” Twinkleshine pointed out and Minuette shrugged. “And Lyra is allegedly so terrified of her. Moondancer is just lazy-”

“Hey!”

“-Lemon Hearts is shy,” Twinkleshine continued and ignored Moondancers outburst. “Twilight is well, Twilight. She loves her books more than she loves anypony else-”

“What?”

“-And Spike is probably the only non pony to at least talk to her,” Twinkleshine continued and ignored the glares she received from Moondancer and Twilight. “I personally don’t see what the fu-freaking problem is with her. She’s nice to everypony unless you anger her or disrespect the Princess, Equestria or the Royal Guard.”

“Twinkleshine?”

“I’m not done Lyra,” Twinkleshine rolled her eyes. “You know how many times she’s convinced the school board to allow you and someponies named Sea Swirl and Amethyst Star to stay in the CSGU? A lot of times apparently. I snooped around in her room when she went to the bathroom. Sunset is a damn good pony, better than half of Canterlot probably. And I personally am glad to be her work partner. Now does anypony else wish to voice their displeasure of me having a friend outside of this group?”

“We never were upset about-” Lemon Hearts started.

“Ah, ah, ah. That’s not what I asked,” Twinkleshine wagged a hoof in the air and narrowed her eyes.

“No,” the group said collectively as one followed by an exasperated sigh from everypony and dragon.

“Excellent!” Twinkleshine clapped her hooves together with a grin. “Spikey, pick out a movie of your choosing, please.”

Spike nervously nodded and started thumbing through her book shelf of films as the others watched quietly. An angry Twinkleshine was always a scary sight. Not because she screamed or yelled or was rude.

No, she was calm. Scarily calm. And she always shut ponies down respectfully in a manner that scared ponies enough to leave her alone.

Most of the time, Twinkleshine used facts about the ponies life to get them to shut up quick. Respectfully, of course. And she never used anything that was too personal like family life or teeth. Teeth was a sensitive topic in the group, especially around Minuette.

“Perfect choice,” Twinkleshine clapped her hooves again as Spike picked a random superhero movie. “Right, girls?”

Twinkleshine shot them a look as Lyra plopped down next to them eagerly.

“Absolutely.”

“Oh, yeah.”

“Definitely.”

“Because we haven’t seen that one at least ten ti- OW! Nice choice Spike,” Moondancer growled as she rubbed her side and glared at Twilight whistling innocently as she looked away.

Twinkleshine rubbed Spike’s head absent mindedly as she levitated the movie onto her projector.

Twinkleshine stared up at her ceiling as she listening to Lemon Hearts snoring. For a pony as quiet as her, she sure could snore louder than anypony Twinkleshine had ever met.

Lyra was curled up in a ball next to Minuette with the blue unicorn cuddling her in a way that reminded Twinkleshine of the way she slept with her stuffed bear.

Twilight and Spike slept on the floor with Twilight nuzzling Spike occasionally in her sleep.

“Hey, Twinkleshine?” Moondancer whispered as she poked the other unicorn. “You awake?”

Twinkleshine briefly glanced at the other mare she was sharing her bed with without moving. Moondancer poked her side again and Twinkleshine sighed.

“What, Moondancer?”

‘Are you awake?”

“No.”

“Oh.” Twinkleshine waited for a second as Moondancer looked back at her. “Hey, wait.”

“What do you want, Moonie? It’s two thirty five in the morning and Lemon Hearts snoring sounds like what I imagine a bear in hibernation sounds like,” Twinkleshine grumbled and Moondancer snorted. “What’s up?”

“I can’t sleep.”

“Same,” Twinkleshine sighed and stretched out more. “Hey, do you wanna hug?”

“Sure. It’s pretty cold in here after all,” Moondancer wrapped a foreleg around Twinkleshines barrel. “Why in Equestria is it so cold in here, Twinkle?”

“It’s the only way to get Twilight to sleep. Who the hell needs the cold to get sleep? I always preferred the warmth of like a trillions blankets to get to sleep,” Twinkleshine nuzzled Moondancer and yawned. “Remind me to get more sleeping bags. Last time I had to share my bed with Minuette, she kicked the ever loving hell out of my side in her sleep. Worst night sleep ever.”

Moondancer and Twinkleshine shared a quiet laugh. Everypony hated having to share a bed with Minuette. Lemon Hearts snored like a walrus, Minuette kicked like nopony Twinkleshine had ever met.

Twilight was obsessed with sleeping in the cold and with a book under her pillow. How Twilight could sleep like that was completely beyond Twinkleshine. Lyra for some reason insisted on sleeping with a jar of candy, Moondancer insisted on going for an evening run. Twinkleshine probably was the only normal one.

“At least I’m not like you,” Moondancer waved a hoof and smirked. “You insist on watching some sad movie every night.”

“If I cry, it tires me out. Therefore, watch a sad movie will make me bawl my eyes to help me sleep. Ponies have a lot of other ways to sleep, often unhealthy. Remember that one time in class when the royal guards came and arrested that eighteen year old classmate for having drugs in his locker?”

“Ah yeah. We really should have figured that one out when he told us his name was Dime Bag,” Moondancer muttered and Twinkleshine hummed in thought.

“Yeah, you got a point there. Surprised more classmates haven’t been arrested for it. There’s some idiots out there.”

Moondancer opened her mouth to agree when Lemon Hearts snored loudly and the two peered over the end of the bed. Well, Twinkleshine saw her while Moondancer saw a yellow blob in a bag at the foot of the bed.

“Good god,” Moondancer whispered with wide eyes, flailing around with a hoof. “I’m going to get a glass of water from downstairs. Where’s my glasses?”

“Nightstand,” Twinkleshine answered and levitated them on her friend. “I’m kinda hungry as is. Let’s go.”

Twinkleshine rolled onto the floor and tip hoofed around Spike sleeping.

Moondancer stepped around Lyra and the mint green unicorn rolled over, grabbing her hind leg and Moondancer slammed into the ground, groaning as she rubbed her muzzle in pain.

“Ughhh,” Moondancer groaned and glared at Lyra, eyes widening as Lyra used her magic to drag the unicorn next to her and wrapped her foreleg around her neck. “Twinkleshine, help!”

Twinkleshine glanced back and stared at Moondancer flailing a foreleg around as Lyra tightened her grip slightly.

“Oh sweet Celestia,” Twinkleshine whispered with wide eyes and used her magic to pull Moondancer out. Or tried to. She didn’t even know Lyra could use her magic in her sleep. Only Moondancer did that and it was very annoying. Twinkleshine was not a fan of waking up levitating in the air. But then again, she doubted anypony would be.

Twinkleshine grunted and stretched as her horn glowed brighter. Moondancer launched out of Lyra’s grasp and went rolling into a wide eyed Twinkleshine.

“Oh, fu-”

Twinkleshine and Moondancer laid on the carpet in a daze, Twinkleshine waving a hoof in the air.

“Look at all those stars,” Twinkleshine mumbled and rubbed her head. “Moonie, you alright? Moonie?”

Moondancer laid on her lap, groaning.

“I’ll get the Tylenol.”

“Good call,” Moondancer groaned and shakily stood up. “I swear, she has the grip of a freaking gorilla.”

“Got that right, sweet lord.” Twinkleshine disappeared out the room and Moondancer followed after a moment.

God knows Twinkleshine was less dangerous than Lyra was apparently right now.

Author's Note

There was some concern about the word "terrorist" in the last chapter. And I'll admit, I did briefly consider changing the chapter title.

In my defense, that chapter title was made the day before that New Orleans incident and the Cybertruck incident. The word "jokingly" was added before it was posted.

That being said, my thoughts and prayers go out to the families involved in those incidents.

What element do you wish to see next in the series, White Lightning or Red Heart?