//------------------------------//
// Catching Up 
// Story: Return to Equestria 
// by StormLuna 
//------------------------------//

It was early in the afternoon when they arrived outside of CHS.  While Twilight had somewhat grown accustomed to becoming a human and walking on two legs, this was something Starlight had never experienced before and she fell forward, catching herself with her hands.  She looked at what were now her arms and was in a state of shock.  She asked, "Twilight, what has happened to me?  What are these things?"

While Twilight remembered how it was on her first trip to the human world, she couldn't help but laugh, "Starlight, those are hands!  You're a human now."

Starlight managed to get up on two legs and held her arms out to try and balance herself.  She saw that not only had her and Twilight changed, but so had Spike.  She looked at him and asked, "Twilight, what has happened to Spike?  He looks like a purple dog."

Spike replied, "That's what I am in this world, a dog."

Like she has every other time she went to the world of humans, Twilight had a backpack for Spike to ride around in.  They could hear people talking off in the distance so Twilight opened her backpack and ordered, "Spike, get in."  

Spike hopped in her backpack and they headed towards the talking.  Off in the distance Twilight could see Sunset, Applejack and Adagio and quickly started running towards them.  Starlight tried to keep up with her but wound up stumbling and falling over several times before finally reaching them.

The first one to talk to Twilight was Sunset.  She embraced her and said, "Twilight, it's been so long!  I'm so happy to see you!"

Twilight replied, "It's good to see you too Sunset."  She then headed over towards Applejack, pulled her into an embrace and continued, "And it's good to see you too!"

Applejack said, "Well it's wonderful to see you too sugar cube!"  

Twilight took a look at Sunset and Applejack in their caps and gowns and asked, "You two look wonderful, I bet you're happy this day has finally come." 

Sunset replied, "Yeah, finally!"

Applejack added, "Yep, now Ah can spend more time workin' on the farm."  

Twilight cast her gaze at Adagio and asked, "Soooo....what are you planning now?"

Adagio gave her a nervous smile, "Right now I'm not sure.  I've had so much go on lately, I haven't even thought about it."

Given that Twilight had never gotten to know Adagio after the battle of the bands, she only gave her a nervous smile.  Sunset noticed that Twilight had a friend with her.  She asked, "Twilight, who is this with you?"

Twilight turned to Starlight and motioned for her to reply, "I'm Starlight Glimmer, I am currently Twilight's student.  Who are you?"

Sunset replied, "I'm Sunset Shimmer, one of Twilight's friends." 

Despite the two being friends, Twilight seemed a bit unnerved that Sunset would have one of her former adversaries with her but then realized that maybe Sunset is doing a better job at making friends than she expected.  She asked, "So Sunset, are you and Adagio friends?"

Before Sunset could reply Adagio interrupted, "Yes we're friends now and if it weren't for her friendship I don't even know where I would be right now."

Twilight was shocked.  She gasped, "Really Sunset, you're friends with Adagio even after what she and her sisters did?"

Sunset replied, "Twilight, I did what I thought you would do.  No one else in this school wanted anything to do with her and her sisters so I gave them a chance and while it wasn't easy at first, I befriended them."

Twilight developed a mile wide grin on her face as she replied, "Wow Sunset, I knew you had changed but I never imagined you'd take the initiative like that!"  She cast her gaze towards Adagio and asked, "So was it just you Sunset befriended or did she become friends with your sisters as well."

The very mention of her sisters caused Adagio to hang her head low.  Twilight saw this and asked, "What's wrong?"

Adagio buried her face in her hands causing Sunset to answer, "Right now isn't the best time to be bringing up her sisters."

Starlight, who had been quiet for the most part asked, "What happened with your sisters?  Did all of you have a huge blow up or something?"

The continued talk about her sisters became too much for Adagio so she took off the other way.  Sunset looked at the two and said, "I'd tell you what happened but I don't want to betray her trust.  I'm the only one she trusts and I don't want to lose that or her friendship."

Twilight sighed, "Well I can understand that." 





After running off, Adagio ran into someone she didn't really want to, her sister Aria.  Aria saw that she was upset and couldn't help but wonder what upset her, "So Dagi, what upset you this time?  Did someone bring up Sonata or something?"

Adagio grunted, "Not now Aria, this isn't the best time.  Twilight was asking about it and I couldn't take it."

Aria's eyes grew wide when she heard this.  She asked, "Twilight, as in Twilight Sparkle?  The same Twilight who was responsible for destroying our gems?"

Adagio sighed, "Yes, that Twilight."

Aria saw which direction her sister had ran from and immediately headed that way.  While she was in no mood for conversation from her enemy, she wanted to know a thing or two.  When she finally found Twilight she saw that she was still talking to Sunset.  She yelled, "Sunset, how's it going?"  She then cast her gaze at Twilight and asked, "So Twilight, how are you?"

Twilight was shocked that Aria would actually ask her how she was doing.  She gave her a nervous smile and replied, "Um, ok.  How about you?"

Aria replied, "Well it could be better, it could be worse."

Twilight asked, "So what about Sonata, how is she doing?"

Aria cringed at the very mention of her name and the fact that she asked how she was doing made her nervous.  Sunset saw this and interrupted, "Twilight, like it is with Adagio, bringing up her sisters isn't a good idea, especially Sonata."

Twilight couldn't believe what she was hearing.  She remembered how close of sisters the Dazzlings were and now here they are not even wanting to speak about one another.  She asked, "So did you three have a fight after the battle of the bands?"

Again Aria didn't want to discuss this stuff, she wanted to know about Twilight's life and Equestria.  She lied, "We didn't have a huge blow up but I have a question, how is life in Equestria?"

Twilight, thinking that perhaps Aria had changed some like Adagio, replied, "Oh nothing special is going on.  With the exception of me having a student"  she pointed at Starlight who gave Aria a nervous smile "things are pretty normal."

Aria asked, "So have you had to defeat any villains lately?  Have you had to cast anyone into Tartarus?"

Twilight replied, "Well we haven't had to cast anyone into Tartarus but my student here"  she pointed at Starlight "was part of a team of friends that saved Equestria from a second attack from Chrysalis."

Aria gave Starlight a smile and said, "Well that's good that you saved Equestria.  I doubt anyone would want to live under her rule."  Once she found out that things in Equestria are pretty normal she decided it was time to go.  She gave Twilight a smile and continued, "Well I really must get going"  She began to walk away before lying, "I need to go get Dagi so she won't be late."  

Aria casually headed off in not the direction of where Adagio had ran, but the portal.  She thought to herself, "Yes, Twilight is here which means the portal is open!"  Once she got out of sight from Twilight and Sunset, she picked up the pace.  Finally she reached the base of the old statue where the portal was located.

She took a look at what used to be the base of a horse statue with a smile.  She looked back and laughed, "Good riddance Dagi, good riddance humans, you are all the worst!"  She looked back towards the portal and said, "And Equestria, here I come!" 

She stepped into the portal leaving a bright flash of light behind her.  As she was traveling through the portal, so many memories from so long ago came back to her.  Memories of she and her sisters trying to take over Equestria with their voices came back, their encounter with Starswirl came back and the trip through that portal when they were banished came back to her.  After what seemed to be forever to her, she flew through the other end of the portal and crashed head first onto the floor, knocking herself unconscious.