A faint shimmer of light announced the return of Sunset Shimmer to the human world. The woman with locks of red and yellow smiled as she slowly adjusted back to being on two legs instead of four. No matter how many times she traveled between this world and Equestria, she always needed a minute or two on either side of the portal to readjust to the preferred method of walking (or trotting in the case of ponies).
As usual, no one was around to greet her aside from a few individuals clad in dark suits, black ties and sunglasses. It was their job to monitor the portal Sunset utilized for travel, to ensure that no unfriendly power attempted to access it. "Congratulations on another successful trip, Miss. Shimmer." One of the men briefly spoke to her.
Sunset smiled back at the man and nodded, relieved to see that her official ambassador suit was just as it had been when she had stepped through the portal a few days ago. Being the official ambassador to Equestria on behalf of the humans had its perks. "Oh, it was nothing," She waved a hand. "It always amazes me how much things have changed when I visit there. Now Princess Twilight has her own console of friendship," Then she blushed. "Well, I guess Queen Twilight is the better term, even if she prefers the term Supreme Ruler."
Another man adjusted his sunglasses. "You did make sure to discuss with her the continued observation and investigation of the unidentified portals connecting these worlds, right? It is imperative that we track down the locations so that they may be secured and protected like this one."
Sunset nodded again. "I know, and I definitely did. We're still working on that. Leads are hard to come by," She then looked around, taking notice of what could best be described as a top secret facility of some kind. It was where the statue that had once been in front of Canterlot High now resided, having been relocated for security purposes. "Thanks again for holding down the fort for me. I'm still grateful that you were willing to take a chance and let me work with you guys, Jim."
"Jim" simply looked across to the other man as he replied. "That's what Jayson and I are here for, Miss. Shimmer. You are the only one who contains any knowledge at all about Equestria, therefore it was logical to recruit you to represent humanity and assist us in keeping Equestrian magic under control."
The young woman proceeded to walk a ways into the facility as the portal began to close right on schedule. She then pulled out a well worn book with a horseshoe symbol on it, opening it up as she took a moment to write something down in its pages. "Just letting Princess Twilight know everything's okay here. She's always going to worry no matter what."
"Jayson" nodded. "It's fine. But if she ever writes to you about something urgent in Equestria that affects us, bring it to our attention right away."
Sunset finished writing a response in the book and after a moment she closed it back up, tucking it into her suit's right pocket. "There we go. All set," Then she looked at "Jim" and "Jayson". "I take it there's nothing around here that requires my immediate attention?"
"Jim" shook his head from side to side. "If there was we would've told you as soon as you returned to here."
The woman with locks of red and yellow hair happily nodded, her smile growing brighter by the moment. "In that case, I take it there's no harm in leaving? I have somewhere I really want to be."
"Jayson" was quick to encourage. "Go right ahead, Miss. Shimmer. Jim and I will take care of the paperwork," And with a sincere smile he told her. "You enjoy that Canterlot High reunion. Just remember, what you do as an ambassador is strictly top secret and is on a 'Need to know' basis. So make sure to be careful not to give out details."
Sunset Shimmer responded. "Don't worry, I understand. And I know my friends do too. It's not like they're completely in the dark about what I do." And with that, after removing her suit and slipping into that well worn black jacket she was always fond of, she departed the facility and headed to her car. Her destination was firm in mind: Canterlot High.
Sunset gently tapped on the brakes, bringing her car to a stop as she pulled into a space in the parking lot. It was packed with cars, just as it should be for a reunion. And she hoped that some of these cars were the ones that belonged to her friends (or at least had brought them here since she didn't know if all of her friends could drive).
It was weird to see the front of the school without that signature statue. Yes, they had commissioned a replacement when the old one had to be taken away for "safety concerns" as the official story had been (Sunset knew the truth, and so did those closest to her), but it just wasn't the same no matter how you sliced it. The new statue lacked that aged feel that had made the original so appealing.
But it couldn't be helped and Sunset knew that it did no good to dwell on it. Instead, the woman carefully made her way up the steps and into Canterlot High proper. The inside hadn't changed at all, it was just as she remembered it being from the day she had arrived so abruptly all those years ago, to the day she had graduated. Hard to believe all those years had gone by.
Almost immediately, Sunset noticed a familiar purple skinned woman with glasses, a white lab coat and a pink skunk stripe in her hair that was still a lovely, long ponytail. "Ah, Sunset Shimmer," She adjusted her glasses while giving her fellow woman a big hug. "So nice to see you again."
"Hey Twilight," Sunset greeted as she returned the hug full force. "Guess it's been a while, hasn't it? We really need to do a better job of staying in touch, don't we?"
Twilight only grinned. "Oh don't be silly, we all have our lives to keep us busy. You have your job, I have mine and our friends have theirs. And as Canterlot High's premiere science and chemistry teacher, my first priority is to the next generation of young learners."
Sunset Shimmer couldn't help but giggle a little bit. "Guess that explains why you're still in your work clothes today, even though classes aren't in session," She then looked around. "By the way, where's Spike?"
"Oh, I dropped him off at Fluttershy's shelter for his annual grooming," Twilight explained. "She should be bringing him along shortly. It pays to have a friend in the animal caretaking business, especially one that's practically a licensed vet. No one knows animals better than Fluttershy."
The woman with red and yellow locks firmly nodded in agreement. "Oh it's true. I still remember Fluttershy introducing me to Ray. I can't imagine my life without him," And she quickly added. "And in case you're wondering, Ray is doing fine. He's slowing down a bit because he's older, but that's to be expected."
Twilight proceeded to adjust her glasses again. "Right. It's kind of the same with Spike. Hard to believe he's not a puppy anymore."
"Well apparently, the Spike in Equestria is all grown up too now from what I saw," Sunset explained in a whisper. "He was so buff I almost didn't recognize him. And apparently, he's serving as an official friendship ambassador on P... er Queen Twilight's behalf."
"How is she, the other me?" Twilight questioned. "Has she finally settled into ruling comfortably?"
Sunset Shimmer nodded back. "Indeed she is. She even has her own Council of Friendship that meets every now and then, and it consists of her friends. Kind of reminded me of this reunion, and how much I've been looking forward to it," She proceeded to ask. "Are the others here?"
"The only one I know for sure is here is Rainbow Dash," The off duty science teacher answered. "She should be around, probably hanging out by the teacher's lounge and waiting for me. Probably shouldn't keep her waiting any longer."
So the two women left the main entrance and made their way down the hallways filled up with various former students from the same class as Sunset and all of her friends. She recognized a few familiar faces in the crowd, including Flash Sentry who proudly bore that security guard outfit and badge. When he'd landed that dream job of his, it was all he'd talked about for weeks.
Eventually, Sunset and Twilight reached the door that led to the teacher's lounge. And sure enough, there stood the familiar form of Rainbow Dash as she sported that athletic body she had become known for. It was easy to recognize her even though she wasn't wearing track shorts or that Canterlot Windigos soccer outfit of icy blue and snow white colors that was always plastered all over those sports magazines.
The tomboyish athlete groaned ever so slightly as she approached her friends. "About time you showed up. I was starting to think you'd forgotten about the reunion or something."
"Sorry, just catching up on old times and all that stuff," Sunset immediately apologized. "Plus, I did just get back from Equestria not even two hours ago."
Rainbow Dash couldn't stay mad for long upon hearing such a statement. "Hey, it can't be helped. But maybe next time a little heads up would be nice," Though she then added. "Then again, if not for my incredible super speed I probably would've been late getting here. Last night's championship match against Downtown City was a real nail-biter, even for yours truly."
Twilight smiled as she patted her athletic friend on the back. "I heard the news this morning. You did great. You were able to drive the Canterlot Windigos to a victory in penalty kicks."
"Yeah, only after I missed a tie breaking goal earlier in the game," Rainbow replied while wiping the sweat from her brows. "But in my defense, Downtown City does have a really good soccer program from what I hear. If I wasn't so dedicated to Canterlot, I'd have probably gone with them."
"I'm sure you'd do great no matter where you went," Sunset reassured Rainbow as the three friends entered the teacher's lounge together. "And who knows? Considering your pony counterpart is leading the Wonderbolts, I have a feeling that someday soon you might become a coach of your own team."
Rainbow threw herself onto the couch at the back of the lounge, facing opposite of the door. She yawned and stretched her legs. "Eh, coaching's not really my thing. I'm not like you or Twilight, Sunset. I'm not interested in teaching or instructing. I like to do things on my own terms."
Twilight simply sat down on a chair, inspecting her lab jacket. "There's nothing wrong with that. After all, all our friends have gone off to do their own things. What matters most is being satisfied with your life the way it is, though being mindful of the fact that it can always change."
Sunset Shimmer just stood at attention, looking towards the door. "Yeah. I'm just hoping that the changes in our lives don't keep our friends away on a day like this," A sigh of longing escaped her lips. "I was really looking forward to seeing everyone again. It's been so long, I can barely remember the last time I saw even half of them. And it's just not the same communicating with our phones."
"Ain't that the truth?" A familiar snarky voice called out, soon revealing itself to be a rather massive light purple furred dog. And said dog was being walked on a leash by a very familiar yellow skinned woman with bangs a gentle pink in color.
Twilight immediately strolled over to take hold of the leash from the woman, bending down to pet the dog that she recognized in a heartbeat. "Hiya, Spike," She greeted while ruffling his fur. "I trust you behaved well for Fluttershy during your grooming?"
Spike nodded as he wagged his tail. "Oh yeah, definitely. I'm always happy to visit Fluttershy, grooming or otherwise. She's so much better than any other vet. Well, aside from this one that apparently can talk to and understand animals, but I've yet to meet her."
Fluttershy then spoke up. "You'll be happy to know, Twilight, that Spike is doing well for a dog his age. He's perfectly healthy, he's up to date on all his shots and his behavior is just about perfect," Then she looked to the other women in the lounge. "Oh my, how did I not notice earlier? It's good to see you all again."
Sunset blushed a bit. "It's okay, I almost forgot about this reunion too, Fluttershy. It's amazing how something planned so far in advance can sneak up on you."
Twilight couldn't help but tease. "And you all make fun of me for being organized. At least I can say that I can stick to a schedule. Kind of have to for the sake of my job."
Rainbow Dash shrugged her shoulders. "It's not like I can't do that either. I'm just more of a 'Go with the flow' kind of girl, know what I mean?"
"Yes, Rainbow, we know," Fluttershy quickly replied. "But you've always been good at keeping your commitments when you do make them."
Spike, meanwhile, was looking at Sunset Shimmer. "Hey, Sunset. How's Equestria? I'll bet if I went through the portal now, I'd be this amazing fire breathing dragon, right?! I mean, that's what my other self has to be by now, right?"
The woman with hair locks the same colors as two of the most popular condiments out there firmly nodded. "He definitely, not that I've seen him use his fire breath much. In fact, it amazes me how some of the things happening to your counterparts in Equestria reflect what's happening to all of you here. Rarity and Pinkie Pie in particular seem to have followed their pony counterparts so much it's scary," She then added. "At least as far as I know though, our Pinkie Pie doesn't have a Lil' Cheese, yet."
"From what I hear, she's apparently looking to get engaged to a certain Cheese Sandwich," Rainbow Dash replied while lazily gazing up at the ceiling. "But don't quote me on that. I've never even met the guy."
As for Fluttershy, she was asking. "So, where are the others then? I would've thought they'd be here by now."
"Probably running late if I know them. Their jobs keep them very busy from what I understand," Twilight explained, briefly glancing down to her phone. "Everyone always seems to be running things through me ever since Sunset Shimmer became an ambassador to Equestria."
At that moment, a familiar elegant voice called out. "Oh, you mean Sunset Shimmer actually managed to come back here in time? I was worried she might be delayed." And soon, in strolled Rarity as she proudly displayed a new gown, a long, purple robe that wrapped around her body so elegantly. Her hair was longer now, but she was still the very model of beauty that she had been in years prior.
"Hey, Rarity," Sunset greeted as she got up and approached her fashion friend. "How's life in the big city? I understand you've been working for a very important person in the fashion world?"
Rarity nodded, proudly showing off her robe in all its glory. "Yes, though it's more of a joint collaboration. After all, I've already made quite a name for myself with my own wares. This robe alone can attest to that. Just the thing for when one needs a bit of extra warmth, or wants to feel like royalty."
Fluttershy's eyes lit up with wonder upon seeing it. "It's amazing, Rarity! Just like all your previous works!"
Even Rainbow Dash found herself drawn to the robe, despite the fact that she wasn't much of a fancy clothes person. "Now if only that came in sports attire, I'd buy that in an instant!" She declared! "Can't believe I'm saying that."
Rarity grinned and giggled. "Oh I know, you're jealous. You never get to wear anything like this in your line of work," Then she flashed a toothy smile. "I'd be more than happy to try and modify this for all of your lines of work, free of charge too."
"You don't have to do that, Rarity." Sunset protested.
And Twilight added. "I think I'll stick with what I've got. I wouldn't risk getting something on your designs that couldn't be removed. I've only just managed to get the stains out of my dress from the last time Pinkie Pie hosted a party."
Pinkie Pie happened to come upon the scene at that very moment, looking like she'd just hastily changed into her normal clothes given how sloppily they seemed to have been put on. "Hey, my parties are totally off the hook and you know it!" She soon panted. "Sorry I'm a little late, but I had a special birthday party that needed some last minute planning," But upon seeing Sunset Shimmer she gasped! "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! No one told me Sunset Shimmer was coming back!"
"It's okay, Pinkie," The off duty ambassador apologized to her pink haired (and pink skinned) friend. "I wasn't sure I'd make it back in time for the reunion, and I didn't want to get anyone's hopes up. I guess maybe next time I should plan better."
Pinkie only replied by hugging Sunset fiercely! "Are you kidding?! You have the bestest job ever, Sunset! No one else gets to visit Equestria like you do!" And then she declared. "But now I gotta start working on planning something to welcome you back. It can't just be taking you out for dinner, we do that all the time. We need something special."
"I hope it's something I can get involved with this time," Spike couldn't help but grumble. "Seriously, this is the first time I've gotten to see someone besides Twilight or Fluttershy in ages. I'm not like most dogs, I can behave."
Fluttershy lightly stroked Spike's fur, calmly reassuring him. "I know you can, Spike. But not everyone knows you can talk, and it's imperative that it stays that way. It makes Sunset's other job of keeping tabs on Equestrian magic a lot easier."
The light purple furred dog still grumbled a bit. "Yeah yeah, but it still hurts. You girls get to do all these neat things, and I have to stay at home and 'act natural'."
Twilight smiled as she strolled over to her pet. "Which is why you'll love it when I take you to Downtown City next week for my teacher's conference. I hear they're extremely pet friendly. They even have an entire street devoted to caring for pets."
Spike's eyes lit up upon hearing that! "Finally, I get to go on a vacation somewhere!"
Meanwhile, Sunset Shimmer was just wondering. "Does anyone know if Applejack is going to be here? The reunion's not going to last all day."
Rarity nervously replied. "No one's really heard from Applejack these past few days, Sunset. Her temporary employment at the mall came to an end."
Fluttershy couldn't help but declare in a worried tone of voice. "She's been struggling a lot with finding jobs. She seems to have been bouncing from one to another ever since she graduated."
But Rainbow Dash replied in an unconcerned tone of voice. "I think you're all worried too much about Applejack. I know her, and I know she's made of tough stuff."
As if to prove Rainbow's point, at that moment a somewhat flustered and exhausted looking Applejack came strolling into the teacher's lounge. It seemed she had been working late the past few nights given the noticeable bags under her eyes. "Howdy y'all!" She greeted, seemingly unaware of the state of her appearance.
"Oh Applejack, thank goodness!" Pinkie Pie happily declared as she rushed over to hug the cowgirl. "We haven't been able to keep in contact with you. We thought something might have happened to you."
Rainbow Dash just replied by sitting up on the couch, looking at the last of her friends to have arrived. "Told you she'd be alright."
Applejack yawned a bit, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "Sorry if I'm a bit less than ideal at the moment. Didn't exactly have much time to shower or get dressed," She apologized. "Heck, I wasn't originally plannin' on attendin' this reunion 'cause of my new job."
Sunset Shimmer was the first to ask. "And what is your new job, Applejack? The last one I remember you having was at the mall where you were working at the food court."
The somewhat exhausted farmgirl just flicked her hair. "Eh, it wasn't really workin' out. I was workin' the same old hours for the same old pay day in and day out. So I left," She proceeded to explain. "I was able to get a job that I'm hopin' is gonna stick around for a little while: I'm officially servin' as a bodyguard."
"Bodyguard? For who?" Rarity pondered.
Applejack grinned. "For none other than the latest up and comin' musical sensation, Countess Coloratura. But I know her as Rara," A fond smile came onto her face as she declared. "Knew her briefly when we were kids. We attended summer camp together. She had the most beautiful voice I'd ever heard. Guess it's not too surprisin' she'd go on to be a singer. And naturally, with all that fame she kind of needs someone to keep the autograph hounds at bay."
Even Spike sounded impressed if his rapidly wagging tail was any indication! "Wow! You're so lucky! Of all the odd jobs you've had over the years, Applejack, I think this might just be your best one yet."
Applejack nodded ever so slowly. "Yeah, I think so. And it's because of this that Rara said I could take today off to come and see y'all. She's also mentioned that I've been workin' extra hard since she hired me, keepin' myself up almost all night sometimes just for her sake."
Pinkie Pie smiled. "Hey, it's all worth it. You get to have a job that finally fits you!" And she then declared! "Okay, no excuses! After this reunion is over, we're all going out to do something as a group to celebrate!"
The rest of the Rainbooms nodded in agreement in unison. "Oh, I agree. It's been so long so we were all together just for fun," Rarity proclaimed. "We really do need to find time to get together more often, even with our jobs and lives."
Sunset Shimmer then spoke up. "You know, it's funny you should all mention that because something sort of similar happened with Princess Twilight and her friends. They actually formed their own Council of Friendship so they could meet to discuss things," And then she got an idea. "Hey, I think maybe we should do something like that!"
"A Council of Friendship?" Rainbow Dash pondered. "I don't know."
The off duty ambassador quickly explained. "Not really a council or anything, just a little something between friends. Like a once a month meeting or something so we can all catch up."
Fluttershy inquired. "Do you think we could make it work? I mean, we're all so very busy."
Sunset firmly vowed! "We'll find a way to make it work! If we want to ensure our friendships stay strong!" And she added. "And you know, maybe we could plan a group vacation to Equestria or something. I'm sure Jim and Jayson wouldn't mind. Besides, Equestria is quite lovely this time of year."