Sunset Shimmer's eyes fell down to the backpack at her feet. It wasn't that the teacher was boring, in fact, when it came to lecturing, this professor was perhaps the most animate storyteller in the entire school, but Sunset Shimmer's heart just wasn't into it.
Waiting for the professor to turn his back, Sunset reached down into her open backpack, taking hold of a small, leather bound book. She didn't bother taking it out of the bag, she only took hold of the bookmark and opened it to where she had left it, a blank page.
“Miss Shimmer, I would be very much obliged if you would do me the honor of ignoring your phone and paying attention to the lecture. Indeed, it is considered rather rude to ignore all of the effort I have placed into the noble and important task of preserving this, our beautiful and glorious history.”
Sunset Shimmer's face began to flush as she let go of the book and slipped further down in her chair.
“I'm sorry, Mr. Rocinante.”
Mr. Rocinante smiled with a slight bow.
“Think nothing of it. Now, if you will all please recall from yesterday's lecture...”
Sunset Shimmer sighed as the professor continued. Though she hadn't been checking her phone, she felt as though he wasn't too far off, since it served as the only communication she had with Twilight since she went back to Equestria. Finally the bell rang and everyone filed out of the classroom.
“How are you holding up, darling?”
Sunset turned back towards Rarity and Applejack behind her.
“I'm doing alright. I'm just...I dunno, it's not like Twilight to just suddenly stop responding like this. I guess I'm kinda worried, was it something I wrote?”
Applejack gave her a warm smile as she patted her on the back.
“Look here, Sugarcube, we all read your letter, and though we may not understand what all happened between you and this “Princess Celestia” I think we can all tell that you mean the best and I know Twilight can tell it.”
“Then why hasn't she said anything?”
“Oh! I know!”
The sudden appearance of Pinkie Pie sent everybody reeling backwards, but Pinkie never even seemed to notice as her ever racing words continued.
“What if because she's a princess she's been kidnapped by an evil dragon and she's waiting for someone to come and rescue her?! Or what if she's the one doing all the rescuing and is so busy saving Equestria from all the mean evil baddies that she hasn't had time to write back yet?! Or what if-”
“I guess you still haven't heard from Twilight, huh?”
Sunset Shimmer shook her head as Rainbow Dash joined the group in their walk down the hallway.
“I don't see why you don't just jump through that portal and ask her what's going on.”
“It doesn't work that way, Rainbow Dash. I don't even know how Twilight managed to open the portal in between its natural cycles, so unless she opens it, I can't go through.”
“Umm...I was standing next to the portal the other day, and...umm...I accidentally dropped a chew toy for the nursery and it bounced through the portal.”
Everyone stopped and looked towards Fluttershy as she fidgeted slightly in the back of the crowd. No one was even sure when she had gotten there, but to Sunset Shimmer, that didn't matter.
“When?!”
“Umm...yesterday. I didn't check it today.”
Without another word, the group raced towards the statue at the front of the school, with Sunset Shimmer leading the charge until suddenly she stopped.
“I don't know. What if I'm just overreacting?”
Applejack pushed her towards the portal with a grin.
“Then Twilight will help set you straight. Listen here Sunset, we all know Twilight, there's no way she won't be happy to see you.”
Sunset Shimmer looked to her circling friends and smiled. She had come a long way since she first left Equestria. Reaching forward slowly, Sunset Shimmer pushed her hand through the statue's pedestal.
The other side of the portal had not been the Crystal Palace that she had been expecting. Shaking her head a bit, Sunset Shimmer looked down at her hooves. There was a strange sense of both nostalgia and something that she could only describe as foreign. On the one hoof, she was home again, but on the other, where was her home really?
It was a unique question that she had never really pondered before, but the scene around her quickly drew her attention. All of the lights were out, except for some lights on the machine that Twilight had devised to power the portal, and the place looked as though somepony was in the process of moving in.
“Is this...Twilight's place?”
Sunset Shimmer looked around, but there was no pony visible as she slowly made her way down the stairs.
“Hello? Twilight? Are...are you in here?”
Opening a door at the base of the stairs, Sunset saw a set of thrones set about in a circle. This was definitely a castle, but not one she was familiar with.
“H-Hello? Anybody?”
“Good evening.”
The flat voice from above her caused Sunset to jump. Behind her, further up the stairs was a lone unicorn, stepping out of a side room. He was difficult to make out in the darkness around them, but he was clearly a tall unicorn and the light faintly radiating from his horn revealed a uniform that made Sunset Shimmer's heart sink.
“The Police Nationale...”
The unicorn's face was as set as stone as he glared at her with piercing yellow eyes that felt as though they were examining her very soul.
“I see you remember us, but then again, I suppose recent events would bring us to mind, wouldn't they?”
Sunset Shimmer stepped back and looked around.
“What's going on? Where's Princess Twilight?”
“Strange, I was about to ask you the same thing.”
“What?!”
“Where did you hide Her Highness, Princess Twilight Sparkle?”
What little part of her was glad that it wasn't her fault that Twilight had stopped responding to her was quickly overwhelmed by the fear for her friend's safety.
“I just got here! I'm looking for her too!”
“I see...”
The unicorn slowly began walking down the stairs towards her.
“You will, of course, be willing to answer the questions of the Royal Equestrian Police Nationale and Her Highness, Princess Celestia.”
Sunset backed up again, but the unicorn pursued. The very idea of seeing her former mentor sent a shiver down her spine. It was already hard to think of what she would say to her as things were, but now that she was clearly a suspect in Twilight's disappearance, the very idea of facing Princess Celestia terrified her.
“I didn't do anything! I want to find Twilight as much as you do!”
The unicorn frowned as he stopped on the stairs.
“That would be Princess Twilight Sparkle, to you. Now, will you come with me to the capital?”
Sunset Shimmer felt her heart racing as her breath grew quicker and quicker. Sensing the fight or flight urge rising in the young mare, the unicorn's horn began to glow brighter.
“I see...Sunset Shimmer, I hereby place you under arrest for the abduction of royalty. Surrender both yourself and Princess Twilight Sparkle and the law may be lenient.”
Sunset Shimmer opened her mouth to speak, but her words were cut off as a green dome suddenly appeared over her. Her eyes went wide and at first she panicked, pounding on the dome's edges with her hooves, but as the dome began to shrink around her, Sunset Shimmer suddenly sighed and reached up to rub her head.
“I'm sorry, who were you again?”
The unicorn's expression remained as neutral as ever.
“I am Inspector Javanner of the Royal-”
“Do you know who I was before I left Equestria?”
Inspector Javanner's horn began to glow brighter and his dome began to glow brighter in response, but Sunset Shimmer could only smile.
“That's right, I was Princess Celestia's pupil.”
A teal ray shot out form her horn and instantly shattered the dome surrounding her. Javanner stepped back, but he did not retreat.
“You are resisting arrest, Sunset Shimmer, and convincing me further of your guilt.”
“I didn't do it, Inspector. Twilight- Princess Twilight Sparkle is my friend and I have to find her.”
Javanner dug in his hooves and gritted his teeth. His eyes shifted to a dark blue as he barred the path back towards the portal, but Sunset Shimmer no longer had any interest in returning to the other world.
“We need to go and find Twilight, Princess Twilight. Will you help me?”
“You must think me mad! You expect me to drop all of this evidence against you just because you say it wasn't you?! Stand down or you will be subdued!”
Sunset Shimmer took another step back, but it was no longer because of fear.
“Don't fight me Inspector. You can see it, can't you? Those magical eyes can easily tell I'm the stronger pony by far.”
A dark green bolt fired from Javanner's horn, but Sunset Shimmer deflected it easily.
“I studied under Princess Celestia. It may have been a long time ago, but I still know magic better than anybody except Princess Twilight!”
Firming her stance, Sunset Shimmer pointed her horn towards Javanner.
“I'm sorry Inspector, but you should go and look for Princess Twilight!”
A teal blast threw Javanner up the stairs and against the wall behind him, but Sunset could already tell by the Inspector's obstinacy that he wouldn't be stopped for long. As she turned and raced down the stairs she heard the Inspector call out after her.
“No matter where you go! No matter where you hide! I swear to you, I will be there!”
Racing through door after door, Sunset Shimmer at last emerged into a town she did not recognize, but she couldn't let it stop her. She had to find Twilight, and she had to find her fast.