"I'll be there in a second!"
Sunset's voice rang out from behind the door leading into her apartment. Twilight patiently waited, going over her mental checklist for the upcoming road trip. Snacks. Check. Change of clothing. Check. Laptop and related equipment. Check. Bug Spray. Check.
The door swung open as Twilight was checking off sunscreen from her mental list, revealing Sunset dressed in a casual set of khakis and a long-sleeved shirt. She smiled at Twilight. "Hey, Twilight. I'm just finishing up my video call with Starlight. Do you mind waiting a few minutes?"
"Sure," Twilight replied. "I'm early, anyways."
Sunset led Twilight down the hallway towards her office. Inside was an ornate wooden desk that was beautifully crafted to capture the light coming in from the large window on one side of the room. And on that desk was a heavy-duty computer with a large monitor showing the face of a professional-looking woman with purple-and-pink-striped hair.
"Sorry about that, Starlight," Sunset said to the woman on the video call. "I had to let someone in. Twilight, meet Starlight Glimmer, President of Equinox Labs. Starlight, this is Twilight Sparkle, Professor of Experimental Physics at Hayvard University."
"Hello, Starlight Glimmer," Twilight said politely. "It's nice to meet you."
"Doctor Sparkle," the other woman replied with equal politeness, but Twilight heard an edge to her tone. "It's nice to finally meet you as well. Sunset's told me a lot about you." There was a hint of... something in her tone near the end. Anger? Derision? Twilight wasn't sure, but it probably wasn't good.
"She has?" Twilight asked.
"Yes," Starlight replied. "After all, a lot of the work we did was a continuation of yours after you abandoned it." Yup, definitely some anger there.
"Besides being the president of Equinox, Starlight has also been helping me with my research on magic," Sunset said, cutting into their conversation smoothly.
"I see," Twilight replied neutrally. Well, she wasn't surprised that Starlight seemed to dislike her, then; Sunset had probably painted her as the villain of the piece, trying to keep the wonders of magic locked away while Sunset fought to free it.
"Anyways, I think we're almost done with this meeting, right?" Sunset spoke to Starlight while Twilight tried not to disturb them.
"Yes," Starlight replied, returning to her previous professional air. "The only thing left to discuss is the Evershine exclusivity contract. I talked with Rarity's lawyers, our lawyers, and Fancy Pant's lawyers, and I think we've ironed out something that we can all agree to. I'll send the details to you if you want to go over them, but for now, I think we can proceed with negotiations with Fancy Pants."
"Alright, let me know how negotiations go. I don't know how long I'll be out, but I'll read over the legal stuff as soon as I can."
Starlight's expression softened. "You'll be careful out there, right? If there really is magic there, things could get dangerous, and you don't know who you can trust." The way her eyes shifted to Twilight as she spoke made it clear what she meant.
"I'll be fine, Starlight," Sunset replied. "We probably won't find much anyways. We're mostly just going to talk to Gloriosa."
"Still, stay safe. We can't afford to lose someone as important as you."
"I will. See you tomorrow." Sunset ended the call and turned to face Twilight. "Sorry about that. Give me a few minutes to get my stuff?"
"Okay." Twilight waited patiently as Sunset grabbed several bags lying around the room, stuffing them into each other and muttering off a list as she did.
"Ok, that's everything," Sunset said, holding up two large bags. "You ready?"
Twilight nodded and they headed out of the apartment. On the way to Sunset's car she listed the equipment that she had brought with her; an older spectrograph that was already calibrated for magic and two prototypes of the magic detector. She didn't mention Twilight's earlier reaction to seeing the original detector and Twilight chose not to bring it up either.
The drive to Camp Everfree passed by uneventfully; Twilight and Sunset were all business as they discussed the limitations of their equipment and how best to search the area, just the way Twilight liked it.
As they approached the camp, Sunset stopped by a pit stop to refuel and pick up lunch. "We're almost there," she said as she got out of the car. "Another half-hour and we should be at Camp Everfree."
"This is it, isn't it?" Twilight said, feeling a sense of finality settle in the pit of her stomach. "If we can figure out where the magic is coming from, we might be able to figure out who the thief is."
"Maybe," Sunset said as Twilight walked up next to her.
"Then we'd just need to take them down," Twilight said, "and that'd be the end of it."
"Yeah, I guess so," Sunset said slowly, glancing at Twilight. "Then you'd go back home, wouldn't you? Back to Hayvard and your lab."
"Of course," Twilight replied. "I told you I was only here to help you get the journal back. Once we do that, there's nothing keeping me here and I can go home and forget about all of this." Somehow, that thought didn't make her quite as happy as it would have a few days ago.
"Is that what you really want?" Sunset asked, her voice heavy. "To walk out on your friends again, go back home, and try to pretend this never happened? Forget how well we worked together? Forget all the advances we made in just a few days?" Sunset walked closer and closer to Twilight, her words becoming more heated as she spoke. "Do you want to forget about me?"
"Yes!" Twilight snapped. "Yes, I do." She refused to back down, stepping towards Sunset. "Because it hurts to remember. Every time we work together, I remember how good things used to be. I remember all the amazing things we did in our lab, how in-tune with each other we used to be."
She was close enough to Sunset now that she could feel the heat radiating from the other woman's body. "And I remember how I used to feel about you, how I–" She cut herself off before she could finish that sentence. "I don't want to remember anymore. It just makes the pain worse."
"I'm sorry," Sunset whispered, her breath brushing against Twilight's hair. "I'm sorry for all the pain and hurt I caused you. I'm sorry for nearly killing you. I'm sorry for all the things I said to you afterwards."
Sunset's lips were inches away from Twilight's. All she would have to do was lean over to kiss her. Their bodies were nearly touching and Twilight could feel a yearning building up within her. For a moment, all she wanted to do was sink into Sunset's embrace and forget all about the past. They could begin again, and rebuild their bond.
But first, she needed to know one thing.
"Are you sorry for trying to stop us from closing the portal?" Twilight stared into Sunset's beautiful cyan eyes as she spoke, searching for the answer.
She found it in her hesitation. Sunset didn't speak, her eyes clouding over with conflict, and Twilight knew the truth. She quickly pulled away from her, her heart aching at the memory of how close they had just been. "You aren't sorry for betraying us, are you? You're just sorry that I got hurt because of it. If you had to do it all over again, would you still try to keep the portal open?"
Sunset sighed. "Without a second thought. But only if it meant you wouldn't be hurt."
"You'd betray us all again if given the choice." It wasn't a question, but Twilight could see the answer in Sunset expression.
"You still don't understand, Twilight," Sunset said softly. "Magic was – is – everything to me. My life, my destiny, my soul. I was born a magical creature in a world of magic. I came to this world seeking magic. Magic is a part of me, not just something I can let go of."
"Even if it causes more harm than good?"
Sunset gave her a sad smile. "You haven't seen the good that magic can. I wish I could show you how much better my world was because of magic."
"But this isn't your world, it's mine," Sunset flinched at the words and Twilight immediately regretted them. "I'm sorry," she said. "I shouldn't have said that." Not that she was wrong, but there was no need to use those words to say it.
"Forget it," Sunset said flatly. "It's nothing I haven't heard before. Let's just grab some food before we go to Camp Everfree." She walked off towards the gas station, not looking behind to see if Twilight followed.
They ate lunch in tense silence, neither willing to speak up to clear the air. The silence continued as they returned to the car and set off again. Twilight wanted to say something, anything, to cut the tension. Being able to work with Sunset, to talk and share ideas with her had been a wonderful dream, one of few she had experienced between the nightmares, and now that it was gone, she desperately wanted it back.
But she couldn't say the words that would make it all better. She couldn't lie to Sunset and say that she forgave her, that it would all be okay. She couldn't do it to herself, and she couldn't do it to Sunset.
They entered the parking lot of Camp Everfree. This time of the year, there were few others here, which worked out well for them; no need to expose others to magic if they found any.
"So, how do you want to do this?" Twilight asked as they approached the entrance of the camp, grateful to have something to talk about to break the silence.
"I'm going to talk to Gloriosa and ask if she's noticed anything odd lately," Sunset replied shortly.
"And if she's the one behind this?" It was a long shot, but there was no denying the connection between the magic and Camp Everfree, and Gloriosa was the one who ran the Camp.
Sunset reached into her pocket and pulled out her necklace, the image of a stylized Sun glinting on the pendant as it reflected the morning light. "Then I'll know too."
"No," Twilight said. They were standing outside the main building of the camp now, Twilight moving to position herself between Sunset and the door. "I'm not letting you use that thing. It's a violation of the mind and of the right to privacy and you can't just start using it on anyone you think might be guilty."
"We're talking about the fate of the world here," Sunset said.
"The possible fate of the world," Twilight replied. "You can't just go around using magic on random people whenever you feel like it. It isn't right."
"Why not, Twilight?" Sunset replied, an edge to her voice. "After all, I'm not from this world. Why should I play by its rules?" She pushed past Twilight and opened the door to the main cabin, leaving Twilight to scramble after her.
Inside the cabin was a rustically decorated lobby, with scenic pictures of clear blue lakes and wild green forests interspersed with maps of the surrounding areas hanging on the walls, worn wooden chairs and tables with old quilts draped over them, and a wooden counter behind which a middle-aged man with green hair and brown-tinted skin sat. He looked up at the door with a warm smile. "Hello. Welcome to Camp Everfree... Sunset?" His smile faltered as an expression of surprise replaced it.
"Hey Timber," Sunset said casually, no sign of her previous disagreement with Twilight in her demeanor. "How's it going?"
"Great!" Timber replied. "We just finished the summer season and the fall crowd hasn't shown up in full force yet, so it's pretty chill right now. How about you? What are you doing here? And who's your friend here?" Timber glanced at Twilight for a few seconds before recognition sparked in his eyes. "Twilight?"
"Hi, Timber," Twilight said. "It's been a while, huh?"
"Fifteen years? Yeah, I'd say that's a while. Where have you been? I haven't heard from you since you graduated from high school." Timber walked around the counter and walked up to Twilight, holding out his arms to hug her. Twilight hesitated for a moment, but allowed herself to be pulled into his embrace. Timber still smelled the same after all these years, a mixture of grass and wood and dirt that screamed "nature."
"It's good to see you again," Timber said as they ended the hug. "So, what brings you here after all this time? I don't think you came here just to go camping."
"Actually, we came here to talk to you and Gloriosa," Sunset said. "Is she here?"
"She's just doing some inventory stuff in the back. I'll go get her." Timber hastily rushed out the back door, leaving Twilight and Sunset alone in the lobby.
"I'd forgotten that Timber worked here too." Twilight finally said.
"Yeah, sorry," Sunset said sheepishly. "I kinda thought you knew. It won't be a problem, will it?"
"No," Twilight replied. "It was a long time ago. I don't have any feelings for him anymore."
"Twilight! Sunset! It's so good to see you again!" Another familiar voice announced the arrival of Timber's older sister. She swept Sunset up in a warm embrace before moving on to Twilight with a much more restrained one. "So, what brings you to Camp Everfree? Timber said you wanted to talk to me?"
"Yeah," Sunset replied, "Twilight and I have been investigating a magical anomaly and we think it might be linked to the magic in Everfree Cave."
"Oh," Gloriosa said, a flash of surprise crossing her face. "I thought you said that all the magic was gone?"
"We thought so too, but we think there's a chance that some of it might still be here, and if there is, we really need to find it," Sunset said. "Have you seen anything weird recently?"
"I don't think so." Gloriosa turned to her brother. "Timber? Have you seen anything weird around here?"
"Can't say I have. Sorry you wasted your time coming all the way over here."
"No worries," Sunset said. "It's always good to see you again. Do you mind if we hang around a little and take a few measurements for ourselves? There might be some stuff here that you can't see with your eyes."
Gloriosa smiled. "Of course you can! You two are always welcome here after everything you did for us. Are you going to be staying overnight?"
"Not this time," Sunset said. "We just wanted to take a few readings before we head back to Canterlot."
"Well, you'll need a guide out there," Gloriosa said. "The forest is dangerous for those who aren't familiar with it. Tell you what, I'll be your guide for the day. Timber can manage things here, can't you?"
"Sure," Timber replied.
"Thanks, Gloriosa," Sunset said. "I'll just grab some equipment from my car, then."
"I'll need to finish up the inventory too. I'll see you back here in a few minutes?"
"Okay." Sunset and Gloriosa exited the building, leaving Timber and Twilight alone in the cabin.
"So," Timber said after they had left. "I haven't heard from you since graduation. How've you been?"
"Good," Twilight replied. "I got my Ph.D. in experimental physics and I'm a tenured professor at Hayvard University now."
"Cool. I've just been here the past fifteen years, running the camp with Gloriosa." There was a short silence before Timber spoke again. "So, you and Sunset. I heard the two of you had a bit of a falling out?"
"Where did you hear that?" Twilight asked.
"The rest of your friends come here for a camping trip every year," Timber said. "It wasn't hard to notice that you weren't with them, and they all got awkward every time we asked about you, until we just stopped asking. But Sunset always looked hurt every time we mentioned you."
"Yeah, we didn't quite see eye-to-eye on the whole magic thing."
"But you're back together again?"
"Not really. We're just working together until we get this whole magic thing sorted out. Then we'll go our separate ways again and I won't have to see her ever again."
Timber looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Really? That's it? You're going to do your superhero team-up thing and then just never talk to each other again? C'mon Twilight, I know you better than that. You wouldn't just walk away from Sunset again."
"You knew me fifteen years ago," Twilight said coolly. "I'd hardly call you an expert on who I am today."
"Maybe not, but I still remember why we broke up at the end of that summer," Timber replied.
"Because we were two kids with a crush on each other who weren't thinking about our futures or the differences in where we wanted to be in life?"
Timber snorted. "You know it was more than that. I might not be some genius physicist like you, but I'm not blind either."
"It doesn't matter anymore," Twilight replied. "That was the past. Sunset and I are just trying to solve this anomaly now. That's it."
"Whatever you say, Twilight."
"Alright, I've got the equipment I need." Sunset's arrival signaled the end of the conversation between Twilight and Timber. "Is Gloriosa here yet?"
"Yup!" The back entrance opened up to reveal the woman in question. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yes," Sunset said, holding up a small metal box. "Let's see if there's any magic left in this forest."