"You're definitely coming back... right?" The slight waver in Twilight Sparkle's voice punched Sunset right in the gut.
With a chuckle Sunset pulled her friend into a tight hug. "You couldn't keep me away, Twi. It's just for the weekend, I promise."
School had let out, the students were heading home for the day, and Sunset Shimmer was waiting in front of the magical doorway mirror for her travelling companion to arrive. The other students ignored the two girls hugging beside the Wondercolts statue as they went about their own lives, which suited Sunset just fine.
Sunset and Twilight continued to chat softly between themselves as the school courtyard emptied of all other human life. It was too very long before they finally noticed Aria Blaze approaching from the sidewalk, flanked on either side by her two life partners, Adagio Dazzle and Sonata Dusk.
"Hey." Sunset cast them a bright smile as they approached. "Are you two sure you don't wanna come with us? I'm sure there's room for more."
Adagio shook her head, shoulders her way past her fellow Dazzlings, and marched her way up to Sunset in a hurry. Suddenly she grabbed Sunset's hair, jerked her head forward, and shoved a note in her face. If anything happens to Aria, don't bother coming back.
Sunset let out a soft, nervous laugh as she reached up to push Adagio's hand down from her face. "Haha... I... I won't let anything happen, so relax." Adagio still looked tense, but with the huff of a grumpy bull she pulled back to take her place at Aria's side. Aria just rolled her eyes at Adagio before stepping forward with her hands jammed into her pockets.
"Are you ready to go?" Sunset resumed her old smile. Aria gave her a silent nod.
"Take care of yourself, Sunset Shimmer." Twilight gave her a cute smile and a small wave of her hand. "I'll see you on Monday!"
"You know it." Sunset winked.
Aria turned back to her life partners, stared at them blankly for a few seconds, then waved them off with a brief gesture and stepped through the portal without a word. Sunset stared after her stunned for a brief moment before following her through the polished mirror.
She found herself in darkness, though she felt her hoof bump against a soft, scaly hide. "Aria? Is that you? I can't see anything."
Suddenly a voice echoed through the dark room as a light began to twinkle through the darkness, lighting up the shining walls with a rainbow of colors. "Welcome friends, to the Equestrian Palace of Friendship!" Suddenly a blue-coated pony appeared underneath the rainbow light ball with one hoof raised into the air. "I am your Great and Powerful Hostess, Trixie Lulamoon!" She swept her hoof to her right, where another spotlight lit up a grey-maned pony in a blue dress. "This is your second Great and Powerful Hostess Maud Pie!"
She whipped off her hat and threw it into the darkness between herself and Maud, where it landed on a third pony's head as another spotlight came on. "And this is your third Great and Powerful Hostess, Starlight Glimmer! Together we are..."
The three ponies threw up their hooves and spoke in unison. "Welcoming you to Equestria!" Maud jiggled two pompoms in her hooves lifelessly.
"Wow! Um... thank you?" Sunset smiled nervously as the rainbow of light faded and the normal lights came on.
Starlight Glimmer approached Sunset with a nervous smile. "Princess Twilight sends her apologies, but she got called away to Canterlot on royal business. And I know we didn't exactly get off on the best hoof the last time you were here... but she asked me to greet you and make sure you're comfortable, and I would like to do that for you."
"Um, thanks... yes, that would be nice. Things were a little tense, last time we met." Sunset Shimmer spoke as Starlight's companions approached. Sunset decided not to point out how familiar they all were, that would just make things weird. "As you probably heard, I'm Sunset Shimmer, and this is my friend, Aria Bluh...." She turned to point at Aria, only to pause in her tracks the moment she saw her.
Aria's scales were glittering in the light, coating a body that was equal parts curvy and sleek. The fins that replaced her forelegs, and the single tail that replaced her hindlegs looked like gossamer webbing several layers thick, and yet so thin she might break it if she even stepped on it by accident. Her face was the kind of beautiful that Sunset Shimmer couldn't even describe if one asked her to. It had a gentleness that tugged at her heart, though her eyes were dull and seemed disinterested in the proceedings.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Aria Bluh." Starlight held out her hoof.
"Blaze!" Sunset blushed deeply. "Her name is Aria Blaze."
"Oh, sorry." Starlight smiled nervously.
"It's okay, my fault." Sunset coughed. "Anyway, I actually wasn't planning to stick around here. I was hoping you could help me catch the next train to Canterlot. I haven't been back in a pretty long time and I would... like to, you know, visit... some of my old..." As she spoke Maud marched up to her, forcing her to back up until she was pressed against the wall with Maud's face nearly pressing into her chest. "Um, hello?"
"For goodness' sakes, Maud, personal space." Starlight blushed.
Maud spoke in a flat tone. "Where did you get that rock."
"Rock?" Sunset Shimmer looked down. While the rest of her human clothing had vanished on her way through the portal, the magical stone she had gotten from Camp Everfree was still swinging from its rope around her neck. "Oh! I just found it in a cave on Earth."
"May I study it."
"What's so special about that rock, Maud?" Starlight asked as she and Trixie moved up beside their friend.
"I don't know. I can't identify it." Maud stared at the rock like a very bored dog eyeing a bone. "Why do you think I'm so excited."
Sunset placed a hoof over the stone. "If I let you study it, do you think you can tell me anything about it?"
"I can do my best."
Trixie placed a hoof against Maud's flank. "Maud has a serious rock fetish, nopony knows more about rocks than her."
Starlight blushed. "It's a scientific interest, not a fetish!"
"And you'll give it back?" Sunset asked warily.
"You have my word." Maud nodded almost imperceptibly. "I'll give it back when you return from your trip through Equestria."
"Okay." Sunset slipped the necklace off to hand it over to Maud, who immediately took it in her hoof and whirled to make her way to the door without another word. "Um... good luck!"
"Well, it looks like Maud's weekend is suddenly full." Starlight turned back to Sunset Shimmer. "We're your hosts while you're here, so just tell us what you want to do and where you'd like to go and we'll make it happen.”
"Canterlot." Sunset nodded firmly. "I'd like to go to Canterlot."