In no time at all, Twilight, Pinkie, and Spike had gathered up the rest of their friends- Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash -and brought them to the library. There stood the Crystal Mirror, the magical device Sunset and Twilight used to travel to the other world. Thanks to Twilight’s knowledge of science and magic, she had fixed the mirror so that the portal to the other world could be opened at anytime. Twilight had never had a reason to use the portal for a while. Until today, that is.
Of course nopony bothered to notice the portal after a while; they were too busy watching Twilight as she furiously scrubbed, swept, and brushed the floors, walls, and bookshelves. She was even going so far as to scrub Applejack’s face.
Applejack finally spoke up, “So tell me, sugarcube; what happened after Sunset Shimmer wrote that letter to Twilight?”
“Well,” Pinkie began, “after she got the letter, we were all super happy and dancing and going, ‘Yippe! Sunset Shimmer’s coming!’ But then Twilight was all, ‘Oh no! I’ve got to make the castle look all nice and clean before she gets here!’ and then she wrote back to Sunset saying yes, and Sunset said she’d be here in three hours!”
Rarity queried, “And how long ago was that, darling?”
“Oh about two hours, 58 minutes, and 17 seconds ago,” answered a frazzled Twilight, “Which means she’s going to be here any minute and the castle still isn’t ready!!”
“Um, I don’t mean to argue,” squeaked Fluttershy, “but I think the castle’s already more than ready for Sunset.”
“I really must concur, darling,” Rarity agreed, “I mean the floor is already so polished you can skate on it.”
“Already on iiiiit!” Sang Pinkie Pie as she performed a triple-axel along the floor.
Twilight panted, “Maybe you’re right. But just in case, I suggest we take a look at the checklist one last time.” She brought up a large checklist with her magic, “Red carpet?”
Pinkie Pie held up a roll of red carpet. “Check! I even added a little surprise to it!”
Applejack rolled her eyes and smirked. “What’s the surprise? Does confetti shoot out of that one too?”
“She knows me so well,” Pinkie whispered to Fluttershy.
Twilight continued, “Speech?”
Spike displayed a large scroll, “Check!”
“Crown?”
Rarity levitated Twilight’s crown, “Check, and freshly polished by yours truly.”
“Squeaky clean floor that you can eat dinner off of?” joked Rainbow Dash. “Check.”
Twilight groaned, “Ha ha. Very funny, Rainbow Dash. I really want to give Sunset Shimmer a proper welcome!”
“Yeah, about that,” continued Rainbow Dash. “I’m still not so sure I’m ready to be all friendly-friendly with Sunset Shimmer just yet.”
“Why in the hay not, Rainbow Dash?” Applejack asked, very confused.
“Well last time she was here, she stole Twilight’s crown and tried to turn a bunch of teens into her own zombie army! How do you know she won’t try something like that again? Remember when Discord got tricked into catching us for Tirek?”
Fluttershy glared at her loyal, yet slightly rude, pegasus friend. “That was different. Discord didn’t know what he was doing, and Tirek took advantage of him. He felt so bad afterwards; that it took almost 50 cucumber sandwiches and 29 hugs from Harry the bear before he could forgive himself.”
“And anyway,” added Twilight, “Sunset Shimmer really has changed. I saw her change when she got hit by the magic of friendship, and she saved us all from the sirens. If it weren’t for her, who knows what would have happened to Canterlot High?”
Everypony else in the room nodded in agreement.
“And after everything she went through after the Fall Formal, she deserves a second chance. And I think part of that includes the seven–“
“Eight,” interrupted Spike.
“The eight of us,” continued Twilight, “becoming friends. So, think we can give her a chance?”
The others thought for a second.
Applejack spoke up, “Aw, what the hay, I’m gonna tag along anyway. I’m in, sugarcube.”
“I’m too nervoucited to say no,” squeaked Pinkie Pie.
“I’m in if everypony else is in,” added Fluttershy.
“If it means learning about the different fashions of another world, I shall be in as well,” cheered Rarity.
“…Eh, alright. But only because I know what happens when I don’t listen to Twilight,” sighed Rainbow Dash.
“Where else am I gonna go,” teased Spike.
“Excellent,” said Twilight happily. “Then I know that together, we can make Sunset Shimmer feel welcomed back in Equestria!”
Right as she said that, the portal started to pulse and ring, as though something was coming through. And just like that, a light amber unicorn with crimson and yellow striped mane, and a yellow and red shimmering sun cutie mark wearing teal saddlebags stumbled in, slipping on the freshly clean floor, and finally crashed right into Twilight.
The new unicorn groaned, “Ow! Ok, I forgot how painful that was! Mental note; never run through like that again.” Once she and Twilight rubbed their respective heads, their eyes finally locked onto each other’s eyes, finally noticing each other. While Twilight’s mouth just hung open, the new unicorn put on an awkward smile. She spoke again, “Uh, h-h-hi, Twilight.”
Twilight panicked, “Sunset Shimmer! You’re here! Uh, uh, Pinkie! Roll out the carpet!”
“Rolling!” yelled Pinkie. And roll out the red carpet she did … Right in front of Twilight. Just like that, Pinkie’s hidden party cannon went off, blasting Twilight in the face with confetti and sending her staggering backwards right into Rarity and Spike! Thus lay Twilight on the floor, buried in her speech and gasping for breath.
Sunset Shimmer was concerned, “Are you ok, Twilight?”
Twilight frantically pushed the speech off her face, her crown hanging off her muzzle, “Who, me?” she asked very exhaustedly. “I’m fine. Yep, I’m just totally a-okay.” She noticed the crown on her muzzle and levitated it on her head… upside down. She then hastily grabbed her speech, and began reading frantically from it. “On behalf huff of me huff, the Prin- huff -cess of Friendship huff, I wel- huff –come you back to huff Equestria, Sunset huff Shimmer.” Finally, Twilight just moaned in exhaustion, and passed out.
Everypony, including Sunset Shimmer, looked at Twilight in concern as she passed out. “Nailed it!” squeaked Pinkie, breaking the awkward silence.