There was an eerie silence that blanketed the courtyard of Canterlot High School with only the sound of a haunting breeze wafting through. The nine girls were all on the ground in varying stages of consciousness. Their hair was mussed and they had scuffs and tears on their clothes.
"Ooooh...my head..." Rainbow Dash groaned.
"Unnngh...did it work?" Applejack asked to anyone who might be listening.
Twilight Sparkle picked herself up off the ground. Her glasses were scratched and slightly bent. "Spike?" she called out to her pet. The small purple dog ran up to her and leaped into her arms. She nuzzled his cheek closely then glanced around the Canterlot High courtyard. All of the festival tents had been knocked asunder and several of the windows around the face of the school were cracked. She saw Sunset Shimmer lying on the ground, knocked a good distance from where she was standing originally, and ran over to her.
Sunset groaned as she came to. Her vision was blurry but she could make out Twilight and Spike looking over her. "Twilight...?" she asked, weakly. She sat herself up as Jade Jewel and Pearlescent also walked over to her. She looked past her the girls and suddenly her eyes widened. "No...no no no!" she stammered in a panic.
Sunset hurriedly got off the ground and ran over to the Canterlot High statue. "The portal!" she cried, dropping to her knees upon reaching the spot where the statue was supposed to stand. Instead of the statue, there was a pile of rubble lying on the ground with only the muzzle of the stallion still intact. She began to tear up as she lay her hand on the fragmented pieces of the statue. Rarity and Fluttershy crouched behind their friend and laid their hands on her shoulders.
"What happened to the other Sunset Shimmer?" Pinkie Pie asked the others, as though she were posing the question they were all thinking but didn't want to ask. They all looked at each other then looked out into the sky in different directions.
Two days later
The cleanup process was underway to repair the damage from the weekend incident. There were city workers repairing the windows of the school as a large scoop was slowly removing the remains of the Canterlot High statue from the school grounds. The students milling about the courtyard, busy trying to mend the festival tents. Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna were conversing with the school district superintendent about the cleanup.
"I...don't understand what all this is about..." the superintendent said, perplexed. "Tell me again what caused all this damage...?"
The two women looked at each other, unsure of how to respond. "Would...you believe a large discharge of magic energy...?" Luna said, her facial expression suggesting she wasn't sure her response was what the superintendent was hoping to hear. His only answer was a raised eyebrow and his face turning to an expression of confusion.
Meanwhile, Sunset Shimmer sat on the stoop of the school's entrance with her chin on her hands and propped up by her elbows resting on her knees. She looked on at the cleanup efforts with a dejected expression. Sunset was most focused on the removal of the remains of the school statue. She let out a low sigh as the other eight girls walked up to her.
"Sunset?" Fluttershy asked. Sunset looked up at her friends but her expression remained unchanged.
"I'm sorry about the portal," Twilight Sparkle said. "I didn't realize that severing the dimensional bridge would cause such a strong reversal of energy."
"It's not your fault," Sunset assured her. "I just...this feels like the worst possible outcome."
"If it helps, Twilight thinks nothing bad happened to the other Sunset Shimmer," Rarity told her friend.
"I guess," Sunset said, still frowning. "But look where we ended up. The other Sunset Shimmer was pulled into a dimensional void and I have no way of returning to Equestria."
"Don't blame yourself," Jade Jewel attempted to reassure her. "It's sad about what happened to Sunset but she brought this on herself. Everyone kept warning her about playing with forces she didn't understand but she kept on pushing it."
"Yeah," Pearlesecent added. "Actions have consequences. It's just lame that it had to end up this way."
"I shouldn't be moping here," Sunset said. "I should be helping with the cleanup and restarting the festival."
She looked around and saw a couple of students attempting to raise one of the fallen tents back up. "Hey, let me help with that," she said. Sunset got off the steps and walked over to the students. She took one of the legs and helped to prop it up while a boy started anchoring it back into the ground. After the tent was successfully anchored, the students thanked her before walking away. Sunset looked at the tent and started to smile for the first time that day. Her other friends came over to join her.
"You know, I should remember what I've accomplished in my time here," Sunset said to the others. "I was tied up with how much I missed Equestria but I've laid so many roots here that I guess I took it for granted." She glanced around at her friends standing nearby. "Plus...with the portal closed for good maybe we can finally focus on just being good friends instead of good friends who have to save the day."
The other girls laughed at the remark. "But we love saving the day with you!" Rainbow Dash joked.
"It certainly made things unique," Sunset agreed. "But...really, I think it's time we settled into something more normal, don't you agree?" Her friends nodded. "And," Sunset said, looking behind her friends, "I think a couple of people could use some friends right now." She looked over at Pearlescent and Jade Jewel standing near the school entrance.
"You'd still want to be friends after what we helped Sunset with?" Jade asked, uncertainly.
"We basically betrayed your trust," Pearlescent said. "It would never have gotten as bad as it did if we hadn't gave Sunset Twilight's notes."
"Water under the bridge," Applejack replied with a smug grin. "Part of bein' good friends is knowing when to forgive and forget." She gave them a reassuring wink.
"I still need someone to skate with!" Rainbow Dash said to Jade.
"And I can't think of a better drummer than you, Pearl!" Pinkie added.
Jade and Pearlescent looked at each other and smiled.
"Now c'mon, everyone, let's get this festival fixed up and ready for prime time!" Applejack rallied. All her friends cheered in unison before enthusiastically setting to work.
Later that day, Sunset was sitting on the floor next to her locker, writing in her magic journal to Princess Twilight.
Hey Twilight.
I don't know if you can still get these messages without the portal intact. If you do, I just wanted to let you know how things ended up.
The portal is closed for good on this side. I guess we won't need to worry about dimensional doubles crossing paths anymore. I'm sorry that I won't get to see you again, I'm going to miss you but I have a great circle of friends here in this world and I'm grateful for the time I get to spend with them. You've taught me so much about friendship and I intend to carry it on in this world and make you proud. Hopefully with the portal closed we won't be seeing as much rampant magic in this world now.
This is the last school year we'll be at Canterlot High together so I want to make the most of it. I've got a lot planned but for right now, it's time for the homecoming festival and the Rainbooms are going to perform. I can't wait!
I hope you're having fun in Equestria and solving all sorts of friendship problems. If you get this, please write back and let me know how everything is on your end. Maybe someday we'll figure out a way to meet again.
~Sunset
Sunset closed her journal, stood to her feet, and put it into her locker before shutting the door.
Some time later, the book began to glow and vibrate...