It was mid-morning in Ponyville. A female unicorn galloped out of the train that had just arrived at the station. A pair of saddlebags rested on her back. A katana was stowed in its black lacquered, wooden sheath, attached to a harness on her right shoulder. She stopped in front of the fountain, looking around before she approached the closest pony.
"Hello there. I'm sorry to bother you, but can you tell me where Princess Twilight Sparkle lives?"
The light pink earth pony stopped abruptly when she saw the unicorn close in.
"Are you all right?"
The earth pony's azure eyes widened. She leapt with a gasp, then galloped away without answering.
The cyan eyes of the unicorn remained fixed on the mare, who disappeared at the street corner, an eyebrow raised. Fortunately for her, the next pony had no problem showing her the way. She retraced her steps when she arrived at the library, as the one she was looking for was just leaving. "Greetings, Princess Twilight. Would you have the time for an audience?"
Twilight watched the unicorn calling out to her, feeling suspicious but trying not to show it, dark circles under her purple eyes. Then, she put up a polite smile and brightened her face before she spoke. "Hello. I would be very happy to have this conversation with you, but at the moment, I have to go to Canterlot Castle. Princess Luna is waiting for me for an interview of the utmost importance. On my return, it'd be my pleasure to speak with you. Goodbye." With those words, she flew towards the capital.
The mare was not going to stop there. Unhooking her harness, she opened the door of the library, threw her saddlebags in a corner, then started to run after her. With the help of a spell, she created a sphere of flame that surrounded her. With one leap, she came out of it adorned with a pair of flaming wings. Soon, she was flapping in the same direction as Twilight. "Could you grant me an audience on the way to Canterlot?" she asked once at her height.
At first surprised to see a variant of a spell she hadn't used for years, then intrigued, Twilight couldn't help but answer with a question. "Who are you?" Most pressing of all, she couldn't tell how old the unicorn was. Her yellow and red mane was pulled into a long ponytail that started at the base of her head and worked its way down between her shoulder blades, which made her look much more mature.
"Who I am is irrelevant. If I have come back to Equestria, it is to understand what has become of Princess Celestia. What does it mean when the Equestria Daily says she's disappeared?"
Twilight was annoyed at how this conversation had begun. "As you just said, she's missing. This is what Princess Luna announced to Equestria. I don't see what else I can add."
The unicorn frowned. She opened her mouth to breathe in, but when she realised what she was about to say, she changed her mind. The upset expression on her face remained as she tried another approach. "Four months since her disappearance. I've had time to come all the way back here from Japony. And you have nothing more than this to say on the subject? Are there any developments in the case? A lead, perhaps?"
Twilight was embarrassed. It had been a long time since she had to deal with somepony who wasn't satisfied with the official version announced by Princess Luna. Journalists had tried to find out more, but she had always been able to have them leave it at that.. Something told her that this mare was not really going to settle for that. "I'm working every day to find her. What do you think?"
The unicorn took offence, her flaming wings suddenly beating a quicker tempo to overtake Twilight. Soon, she was right in front of her, her wings still flapping intensely. She then crossed her forelegs, her accusing gaze locked upon her interlocutor. "I think four months without any information is suspicious. I think that if the former student of Princess Celestia—and current Princess of Friendship—claims that she hasn't achieved anything after four months, there is cause for concern. I think you're lying by omission, Princess."
Twilight remained silent in the face of this. Soon, she looked away, uncomfortable, baffled, and using her mane to hide her face. She did not have the strength to respond to this. "No comment."
The inquisitive unicorn suddenly realised what she had just done. She lowered her head in turn, ashamed. Her forelegs fell down to her sides as she took her place next to Twilight. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't talk to a princess like that. It's just that Princess Celestia can't disappear like that for so long. It's as if the sun itself has stopped being raised forever. I don't understand, and it makes me anxious."
"It's all right," Twilight replied. "To tell the truth, I've been going through this regularly for the past few weeks," she admitted, sighing.
The mare with the golden coat bit her lip. Seeing the Princess's spirits so low, she had to find a new subject to talk about, and there it stood before her eyes. She smiled and resumed in a lighter tone, "Tell me princess, it's been over fifteen years since I set hoof in Canterlot—do you know if Donut Joe's store is still open?"
Twilight finally freed herself from the haze that filled her head with gloomy thoughts at that harmless question. "Yeah, I still go there sometimes." Her mind wandered for a moment. "Fifteen years, you say? I was still a filly back then."
The unicorn kept smiling, remembering those days as she continued. "Let me guess, the kind of filly with a foal-sitter that took you to the park to play ball."
Twilight's face lit up, caught between surprise and nostalgia, as she recalled those days with Cadance, then her foalsitter, now current Princess of Love and head of the Crystal Kingdom. "How did you know?"
"All of Canterlot's foals have a foalsitter! See, the park is a great place to play ball and learn telekinesis without breaking anything in the house," the mare said with a forced smile that was meant to be mischievous. She could never admit that she had already seen her fifteen years ago in the company of Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, playing in the capital's park. This distant memory was from another life.
Twilight chuckled. "You got me. On another note, I assume you went to the School for Gifted Unicorns too, am I right?"
The stranger was silent for a while, her mind returning to thoughts of the school in her final days. It was not pleasant in the least. "Indeed," she finally replied.
Twilight continued on her way. "What course did you take that got living in Japony?"
Memories came flooding back. Words, deeds, and all the consequences that flowed from them. She was looking for a way out of this conversation. Then, she found it. She suddenly looked at Twilight, a fake smile still on her lips, her horn lit up with a clear blue aura. "We're almost to Canterlot. I bet I can teleport over the station faster than you can."
The princess was a bit taken aback. She had never had the opportunity to face a unicorn that seemed more powerful than average until now, so she jumped at the chance with a big smile. "Successive teleportation race? I'm in," she said, concentrating magic in the horn.
Together, they counted backwards from three. Immediately after, the teleportations followed one another at an insane speed, Canterlot getting closer and closer with each teleportation. In the blink of an eye, the two competitors arrived in a tie at the station. They smiled at each other, satisfied with the result of their improvised race.
Without warning, the stranger broke the magic that allowed her to fly, the wings of fire extinguishing. The mare began to free fall.
Twilight plunged after her to come to her rescue. But when she saw the expression on her face, she stopped.
The unicorn’s face was serene, as if everything was under control, and her intuition proved accurate. The unicorn slowed her fall with the help of telekinesis, her hooves gently settling on the marble of the train station platform.
"That was dangerous," Twilight commented.
"A calculated danger. It's good to know your limits. Especially to push past them," said the unicorn.
"What are you going to do now?"
"I don't know. Probably some sightseeing until I have to get back to Ponyville to retrieve my saddlebags from the library."
"We could go back together after my audience at the castle. What do you say?"
"Let's meet here at fourteen o’clock then. I doubt I'll be around much longer than that."
"All right, then. By the way, I still don't know your name."
The unicorn stopped. Her cutie mark, a sun whose thick and uneven flames were yellow on one side, red on the other, bobbed as her emotions came to a halt. "Oh, you're right." She curtsied, horn to the ground. "My name is Sunset Shimmer."
After the customary greetings, Twilight made a short flight over Canterlot. Despite Princess Celestia's disappearance, she could see life was still going on. She accelerated her cruising speed as she landed within the castle grounds, galloping through the corridors. When she reached the throne room and opened the door, Twilight saw that she was arriving in the middle of an audience.
"What do you mean by ‘no results’, royal mage?" Luna, as usual, sat to the right of the large, empty seat that had been Princess Celestia's throne for over a thousand years, looking scornfully at a slate-grey vampony.
A thick piece of linen in front of her hooves, the latter remained imperturbable in spite of the Princess's raised tone. "Just as I said to Your Highness. Despite the sample, we tested various spells all night long, although the clocks remained inert. No doubt the nature of the target made our magic unfit to hold her. Or that she knows how to make herself undetectable so nopony can hunt her down."
The indifference in the vampony’s cherry eyes was hidden behind the tinted lenses of the full-length glasses that protected the retinas from the sun at all angles. This was a necessary protection for all vamponies: unicorns, one of whose parents, direct or distant, was a bat pony. They inherited their sensitivity to light and their sharper canines that went along with an omnivorous diet.
Twilight remained silent at the rear of the room. She had a vague idea of the individual in question, but did not dare to intervene.
Luna snorted, exhausted. "Everypony out. I want to speak with Twilight Sparkle alone. Dusty Nova, leave the sample where it is."
They obeyed, waving to the princesses before they left. Luna watched the stained glass windows without paying attention, becoming distant. Meanwhile, Twilight respectfully greeted the guards and the royal mage she had recently met, the latter levitating a wooden pencil to her mouth. Her long, jet-black mane was twisted into an improvised bun, bobbing as she bit into the wood of the pencil to calm her nerves.
Now alone, Twilight walked up to where Dusty was standing a moment before. She didn’t take an interest in the piece of flax at the moment. "You summoned me, Princess Luna?"
Luna lowered her head and closed her eyes. "Yes, Twilight Sparkle. I swore you'd be the first to know if I had any news about my sister."
Twilight had a sudden surge of hope, a faint smile on her face. "Do you know where she is?"
Luna raised her head, looking up at the sunlight through the stained glass window. "Two days ago, just before the setting of the Sun, Pepper and I had a little chat on the observation deck."
Twilight held her breath. "Really? What did you learn? Where's Princess Celestia?"
Luna looked at Twilight, crestfallen. "Twilight Sparkle, I regret to inform you that my sister, Princess Celestia... has been murdered. Pepper confessed committing this unforgivable act in order to gain her powers by setting the sun herself."
Twilight's heart was instantly crushed, Her limbs locked. She became a statue, unable to react, Luna's words echoing in her head. <Princess Celestia has been murdered.>
"As you can see, I'm trying to locate her, but she’s well hidden. Do you think you can succeed where Dusty Nova failed miserably?"
"Forty hours," Twilight said weakly.
Luna bowed her head, raising an eyebrow. "What did you say?"
"Forty hours," Twilight repeated. "You know she's been dead all this time, and you've made no announcement?! All of Equestria's turned to Canterlot, waiting for any information, and you've done nothing? Why is that?!"
"Twilight Sparkle!" Luna shouted, striking the floor with her right hoof to signal the young unicorn back to her hooves before she continued, "For four months, all of Equestria has been mourning the absence of my sister! The memorial in the new section of the public gardens I had built for her last month is constantly crowded! The offerings are raining from all corners! Equestria awaits her return with hope. Do you want to deprive them of that hope? They're already suffering! Do you want to tell them that she's dead? To feel what you're feeling right now? I'm sure my late sister wouldn’t have wanted it that way. But if you believe otherwise, if you believe it is right to make all of Equestria weep over an empty grave, then tell them."
Twilight bowed her head in resignation. "You're right. It's probably what she would have wanted." She used her magic to open the linen. With wide eyes, she gasped, then looked up at Luna. "How—"
Luna interrupted. "It seems that yesterday, Pepper had intended to go to the Badlands. Unfortunately for her, a regiment of my Lunar Guard welcomed her with blades in the clear, and a bat pony hit her in the head before she fled. They would have lost sight of her in the nearby forest."
Twilight looked at the bloody strand of mane and phoenix feathers. "What were the bat ponies doing out there? Pepper is anything but predictable. You couldn't have known she'd go to the Badlands."
"I told you so," Nightmare Moon whispered at Luna's mind, listening from the very beginning.
"Even in these troubled times, you keep a sharp mind. The least I could do is tell you the whole truth."
"What truth?" Twilight asked.
"You're joking. You're joking, right? ... Oh, it seems not. Unexpected of you, but interesting nevertheless," Nightmare Moon softly said to Luna.
"The day Pepper left Equestria, a part of me realised I wouldn't see my sister ever again. That Pepper had been playing us all along. So, in a maelstrom of conflicting feelings, I gave in to her. Nightmare Moon once again took control of my body and my life."
"What?! But how?! I mean, you're not Nightmare Moon now, are you?"
Luna lifted a hoof to impose silence, then resumed. "But Nightmare Moon knew that if you noticed her presence after Pepper and my sister's disappearance, you wouldn't give her time to explain. So, she made me an offer I couldn't refuse. A borrowed body in exchange for her help and my freedom."
"Her help? But that's Nightmare Moon! The one who wants the eternal night you're talking about! We don't need her help, Princess Luna!"
"Silence!" Luna shouted, using the traditional Canterlot Voice in a fit of anger.
Twilight hiccupped, then fell silent.
"I'm not perfect like my late sister. I am the Princess of the Night! I must watch over it and the dreams of ponies from all over Equestria. Without her help, I could not ensure a peaceful sleep for everypony. Celestia simply could not do so, for she was Princess of the Sun. She had no control over dreams. Since my return, I have watched over dreams every night. Yet, I cannot stay awake indefinitely. This is why Nightmare Moon's help is invaluable to me. She's been chasing those nightmares ever since, while I make sure that the kingdom prospers. You must understand, Twilight Sparkle, that I am acting for the greater good."
"It's—"
"Necessity is law," Luna said, cutting Twilight short.
"So Nightmare Moon goes into these ponies' dreams and chases the bad dreams away? But nopony talks about her!"
"She's no foal. She takes my appearance, just as I've taken hers to scare the foals at every Nightmare Night festival since I've been back."
Twilight was trying to think. But after being caught off guard like that, she was getting nowhere. Only one question popped into her head. "Where is she now?"
"Right here with us," Luna replied, before turning her gaze to her regalia. "Show yourself, Nightmare Moon; your presence is required."
Twilight panicked for a moment, searching for which way the alicorn would come, until a bright spark from Luna's regalia caught her attention.
A black cloud came out of it, landing on the ramp that separated the dais from the floor of the hall. There, the cloud shaped into the ethereal form of Nightmare Moon before it took on a physical appearance, looking down on Twilight neutrally.
Twilight, mouth agape, found herself unable to speak as she witnessed something straight out of a bad dream. Nightmare was just standing there non-aggressively, yet her mere presence terrified her. This time, she didn't have her friends with her to fight the mare of the Moon.
With a royal gait, Nightmare Moon descended to the level of the princess of friendship. Facing her, the queen, who was two heads taller than Twilight, put one knee on the ground as she performed a curtsy of circumstance. "I, Nightmare Moon, salute you, Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship. I understand your concern. We share a stormy past, but I hope you and I can put it aside to do what is right for the greater good. The future of Equestria is at stake."
Twilight's jaw was desperate to touch the ground. Luna was also surprised by the gesture, but was careful not to show it.
As Twilight didn't seem able to speak, Nightmare Moon resumed anew. "While this conversation has been enjoyable, Princess Twilight, I am sorry to have to take my leave, but I have no doubt that we will have the opportunity to share another equally enjoyable moment in the days to come." On this mock ending, Nightmare Moon became a mere cloud and returned to where she came from.
Twilight couldn't believe it. The situation was getting worse and worse by the minute. She didn't know what to think anymore. Had she been that blind for that long? She was trying to remember any clue from her visits to the palace over the past four months, but her mind was blank. Staring down at that bloody lock of mane, she was pulled from her torpor by Luna's hoof lifting her chin.
"Twilight Sparkle? Do you hear me? I've called you three times without success. I said that we must find Pepper so we can exact our revenge."
"Revenge? Shouldn't we bring her to justice or use the Elements of Harmony on her?" Twilight asked, looking up at Princess Luna.
"No. If we were to judge her, we would have to make the facts public. What's more, the justice of Equestria—instituted by my late sister—is too lax. As for the Elements of Harmony, what's the point? To make her a threat to future generations? Nay, we will apply the old Broncoliande adage; an eye for an eye, a fang for a fang. And we will make her suffer as much as she made us suffer. Then, when we are tired of her wailing, we will strike the final blow."
"I don't know, Princess. That sounds extreme."
Luna was about to retaliate, but there was a knock on the door. "Come in," she ordered.
A guard opened the door, saluted, and reminded Luna that the time for her audience with Lady Storm, Lady Shawarma, and Sir Adamantium was fast approaching.
Luna rolled her eyes, clearly overwhelmed. "The audience is cancelled. I've got more important things to do. Send them home." The guard saluted and closed the door. She turned her attention to Twilight. “All right, just find out where Pepper's hideout is. Then, we shall discuss a more appropriate punishment. Can I count on you?"
"Count on me, Princess Luna., Twilight replied, wings up, hoof on her chest, and determined to succeed. With these words, she used telekinesis to take the linen and its contents with her at a full gallop.
As Luna watched Twilight leave the room, Nightmare Moon spoke again. "I can't believe you lied to her with such panache."
Luna smiled briefly. "Whatever. When she's faced with a fait accompli, what can she blame me for? Absolutely nothing."
Nightmare Moon remained silent.
In the corridors, Lady Storm, the Pegasus, Lady Shawarma, the Earth pony, and Lord Adamantium, the Unicorn, were protesting against the intolerable treatment. Their families had laid the foundations of Equestria! They were the top echelon of the aristocracy!
Twilight did not care for this, running for the exit. However, when she reached the entrance, a huge silhouette stood in front of her and forced her to stop.
"Is this way for a princess to run in the halls, Miss Twilight?" asked the silhouette in a deep and stern voice that had suffered the ravages of time.
"Reynaud? I—"
"Lady Luna has entrusted you with a task, and you are scurrying home. I understand this perfectly. But remember that you are a Princess. Sometimes, it is good to take the time to behave in the proper manner within the corridors of the palace. With your permission." With those words, the earth pony, who was as tall as Luna, but much more physically imposing, grabbed the linen and slipped it into one of the saddlebags before handing it back to Twilight. "Lady Celestia used to have it for some time. I thought you would enjoy having it too. I took the liberty of putting a meal for you and your friend in the other saddlebag."
Twilight looked at the purple saddle for a moment. Attached to it were two saddlebags of a yellow and white colour, adorned with three amethysts, similar to the ones on Celestia's regalia. The leather was worn out, scratched here and there. No doubt it had been used for a long journey. Her gaze softened. "Thank you, Reynaud, but which friend are you talking about?" She glanced at the earth pony, whose pale coat and mane had become white with the time, though he was still dressed to the nines in his butler’s uniform.
"The one you made during the trip from Ponyville to Canterlot, Lady Twilight. What a question."
Twilight realised he was talking about that Sunset Shimmer she'd met earlier. "Oh, right! But, how did you know about—"
"Miss Twilight, with all due respect, it is the duty of a butler to know what he needs to know when he needs to know it," he replied with a fine smile.
She smiled at his words, but it faded quickly.
"As far as I know, by the time you get there, you might find her in the gardens."
Twilight was stunned.
Reynaud ran the back of his hoof over his perfectly trimmed beard. "Leave now. A friend is waiting for you."
"She's not really my friend, as you said. Just a unicorn I flew with all the way to Canterlot," Twilight said with a small, uncertain pout.
He wrinkled his electric blue eyes, giving him that stern expression that many feared. "By the perfect moustache, the Princess of Friendship who doesn't know a friend when she sees one! Perhaps I should take you to the infirmary, you must be ill, Miss Twilight. No doubt a few vitamin injections will set you right."
Twilight was wide-eyed, the painful memory of her last vaccination in the castle infirmary immediately came back to her mind. And she didn't want to spend the rest of the day standing up again. She forced herself to smile tensely, an imaginary pain rekindling in her rump. "I don't have time, I have to go find my friend. Thank you and goodbye, Reynaud." Immediately, she teleported herself behind Reynaud's back, fleeing to the gardens.
Once assured that the young princess was gone, the butler went to join Bitter Truth, who was hiding in the servants' lounge of the castle. "The saddle was given to Princess Twilight, Sir Bitter. And I have given your directions regarding the whereabouts of Miss Sunset. And those that you are fleeing from are about to leave the castle grounds."
"Thank you, Reynaud," replied the unicorn, pensively.
Sunset was in the new section of Canterlot's garden. Unlike the ponies who came to pray at the statue for the return of the missing princess, the unicorn stood with her head down at her side. She looked sadly at the lawn, thinking that she should have stood beside Celestia on the day she disappeared. She realised that she was deluding herself. She could not rewrite the past. So, looking up to the sky, she stood up on her hooves and concentrated a bubble of flame. Her magic cooperated, once again spiriting her away.
"Sunset Shimmer!"
When she turned in the direction of the voice, she saw Twilight approaching at full speed before stopping in front of her.
"Are you hungry? I have a meal for two if you're feeling like it."
Sunset's stomach responded before she had time to form a polite answer. She looked embarrassed as she smiled sheepishly. "I think you know the answer already."
Twilight had a good chuckle at that. "Follow me. I know a secluded spot." She led Sunset to the roof of a library where she sometimes sequestered herself when she was still a simple unicorn living in Canterlot. During those times she often dreamed, gazing at the palace, about being as powerful and wise as Starswirl the Bearded.
Sunset was uncomfortable being so close to the palace, trying to hide it by turning her back on the imposing castle. As she waited patiently for the meal to be served, she noted the amethysts chiselled on each of the saddlebags.
Twilight took the contents out of her saddlebags. There were two bottles of water, along with two towels containing sandwiches cut into triangles. Additionally, there were two envelopes, treated to protect their contents and stamped with a sun-shaped seal. The calligraphy was easy to recognize as Celestia's. "For Sunset Shimmer," on the first one, and the second, "For Twilight Sparkle."
"What is that?" Sunset asked, her throat dry.
"I don't know," Twilight replied hastily, looking puzzled. "Reynaud didn't mention any envelopes."
"Reynaud? He's still Princess Celestia's personal butler?" Sunset asked immediately, before she realised what she had implied.
"Do you know him?" Twilight asked.
"Sort of," Sunset evaded.
Twilight was the first to pick up the envelope intended for her. Then, Sunset did the same. Sunset already had a vague idea of what she would see. Disappointment, regret, failure. There was a time when she daydreamed daily over their next meeting in the distant future, but it always ended the same way: Celestia shouting at her, beginning the nightmare she had dreaded over the years. By now, she had moved on to live her life in serenity, her past behind her. All this time, Sunset had told herself she would return to Canterlot one day and ask for an audience to express her regret. Now, all she had left was this letter. So, she accepted its contents with a heavy heart, reading the last words of the mare who was once her mentor.
<My dear Sunset Shimmer,
By the time you read this letter, Twilight will have learned your true identity from the mail that was delivered to her alongside the one you're holding. I've taken the time to weigh my words to describe who you are so that she has some honest truths to base her opinion upon.
Warmly,
Princess Celestia.>
Looking pale, Sunset read the letter once again to make sure she hadn't omitted anything. When she had finished, she and Twilight lowered their letters at the same time, Sunset surprised by the shocked expression on Twilight’s face. Sunset knew where this was going to lead. She rose to leave, the envelope between her lips. She shot past Twilight, past the palace, past anything she shouldn't have approached.
Twilight placed the letter on the ground as watched her leave, more astonished than she was even a moment ago. "Sunset Shimmer, where are you going?"
Sunset stopped, using telekinesis to free her mouth so she could answer, her back still on Twilight. "I don't know. But now that you know who I am, away from you is a good start."
Twilight continued, "I know this is Princess Celestia's writing, but I'd like to hear it from you."
Sunset couldn't say no. While she had lied to her earlier, she owed her at least a bit of honesty now. "Fifteen years ago, I was a pupil of Princess Celestia. But I was a very different mare then. The lessons weren’t enough for me—I always needed more, because they seemed so useless to me. So, I began to study on my own, breaking into the forbidden library. There, I found a book about the HeartSpell. A spell that could make anypony a princess’s equal." She laughed at herself, considering how pathetic she was at the time. "I, Celestia’s pupil, commanded her to make me her equal because I deserved it. But I was wrong, so very wrong. I know that now." She walked to the edge of the roof, watching the activity below. "Seeing me so lost as her pupil, no longer worthy of her apprenticeship, she dismissed me. Banished me from Canterlot Castle forever." She looked up at the sky. "I gave up everything. My family, the few friends I had, my whole life. I left all that here in Canterlot and swore I'd never return. Over time, as I travelled the world, I gradually changed. Within a few years of arriving in Japony, I became the pony I am today." With those words, she removed the rubber band to free her mane and let it float in the wind, looking to the horizon. "I've thought a thousand and one times about coming back… but..." She bit her lip. "...I think the fear of being rejected without a chance to make amends kept me from doing so. I have no more ties here. I’m probably considered missing or dead. There was nothing and no one waiting for me. So, I stayed away, until I learned Princess Celestia was missing. The rest you already know."
She turned to Twilight, raising her eyebrows when she saw her. Twilight was silent, her mouth and eyes wide open.
Sunset came closer, puzzled. "Are you all right, Princess Twilight?"
Twilight looked down to read the letter,then turned her attention back to Sunset. "Princess Celestia told me to give you a message: <Gotcha>."
Sunset tilted her head, circumspect. "What do you mean?"
Twilight regained her composure, moistened her lips, and then explained, "In my letter, it is written that you are somepony important to Princess Celestia. She explains the contents of your letter, asks me not to let you go, and to urge you to introduce yourself. Then, I'm supposed to say she's got you, and, now that we know each other, I have to go get the letter in the other bag."
Sunset had a nostalgic smile on her face. "That's just like her. A third letter?"
"Looks like it." After Twilight put her letter back in the first saddlebag, she opened the other one and took out another envelope. This one looked the same as the others, but, according to the words on the envelope, was meant to be read by Sunset and Twilight together.
<To my dear students,
Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle.
This letter is the last I've left behind. This one precedes the one I sent the day I disappeared.
Twilight, since you were my pupil and are now a Princess, Equestria will turn to you. The kingdom needs your leadership. Do the right thing. Even if it seems unfair. Just as I had to banish Luna when she became a threat to Equestria, the kingdom will expect you to act according to the knowledge I have passed on to you through my lessons. If you seek further wisdom, turn to Sunset. Her counsel may not be the same as mine, but I am sure her perspective will offer you a new way of looking at the issues that torment you.
Sunset, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all the tea you sent me on your travels. I was able to follow your journey around the world. Thank you for sharing with me your peregrinations. You lived the life I dreamed of living. Though you were far away, you knew how to keep me close to your heart. Know that it was the same for me. Twilight finds herself in a situation she didn't expect. She will surely encounter difficulties. I know this because when Luna and I were coronated as princesses of Equestria, it was our task to unite the three tribes that live here today in harmony. You have acquired by yourself the maturity that I had not been able to instil in you. If you will, watch over Twilight as Starswirl watched over me. With that in mind, I've reinstated you as my pupil and lifted your ban from the castle grounds.
Twilight, Sunset, you have credentials equivalent to mine. I trust you to act for harmony to prevail.
I've always wished forgiveness to be an element of harmony. It would have relieved my mind of a question that sometimes haunts me. Is It possible to forgive the most selfish of crimes?
That being written, do not regret your choices. They led to this very moment. Nothing will change the fact that I will not be here by the time you read this letter. It pains me that I will not see you both side-by-side.
I have watched you both grow up. Like a mother over the children I never had.
And even though one of you has grown apart from me, I have always secretly carried an equal mother's love for each of you.
Look after each other—dare I ask, like sisters? I dare. Like sisters. And have a happy life.
Warmly,
Princess Celestia>
The two mares remained silent, tears running down their cheeks. They did not move for a long time, reading and rereading this letter—Celestia's last words. Sunset's belly rumbled loudly, throwing them into a sudden burst of laughter. She didn't have the heart for it, but Sunset forced herself to eat the sandwiches, and so did Twilight. The meal took place in silence, one that made them both slightly uneasy as neither could think of anything to say.
Twilight took a breath after drinking one of the bottles of water in one gulp. "I have to go home. Spike's probably waiting for me."
Sunset sipped at her bottle. "Who's Spike?"
"A baby dragon whose egg I hatched on my Gifted Unicorn entrance exam. He's since become my first friend and my number one assistant."
Sunset packed everything neatly in the satchel. When she was done, she put the saddlebags on her back. "I'm ready to ride back to Ponyville, Princess Twilight."
Twilight was startled by her formality. "Sunset, you don't have to call me Princess Twilight every time you speak to me. We can be friends, if you'd like."
"Yet, you speak to me with the same formality. Proof that there is a distance between us."
"At first I did, yes. But I didn't know you then. Now I do it out of respect, because you’re my senior. The truth is, I would like to see you as a friend too."
"There was a time when I thought everything was due to me. I was wrong. Today, I know I can't accept what I don't deserve."
Twilight got a little carried away in her response. "We just read a letter which says that Princess Celestia considered us her own children! We're two sisters reunited after fifteen years apart! And I won't let you build a wall between us because you think you don't deserve to be my friend!"
Sunset took a bow. "In this case, I accept the honour of being your friend."
Twilight was bewildered. "What?"
Sunset's laughter was so radiant that Twilight thought, for a brief moment, that she was standing in front of Celestia. Then, without warning, Sunset lit her horn, then jumped off the top of the building. Twilight ran, barely reaching the ledge when Sunset reappeared, adorned with her flaming wings as she flew towards Ponyville. This time it was Twilight who went after her, their roles reversed.
"What was that about?" Twilight asked when she reached Sunset.
"In Japony, when you receive a gift, you have to refuse twice before accepting it. The giver has to insist three times to prove that he or she really wants to give the gift," Sunset explained.
"We're not in Japony! Besides, what would you have done if I hadn't insisted?" Twilight replied.
"The friendship of a princess is a precious gift. I wouldn’t have accepted it without saying so, that's all. You'll have to put up with these customs of mine if you really want to be friends. You'll also have to tell me a little more about yourself in return. I heard about your coronation, but other than that, I know nothing about you."
"Oh? All right, where do I start?"
"Right now, there's something I want to know more than anything else—but you're not the subject. I'm sorry to ruin the mood, but I need to know: is there anything I still don’t know about Princess Celestia’s disappearance?"
Now that Twilight knew her—and that Princess Celestia herself trusted her—she had no reason to hide the truth. "Six months ago, a human appeared in Equestria. Pepper Chilly, the human in question, is not from our world. She calls herself a planeswalker."
"How did you discover her presence? Has she destroyed Ponyville? Part of Canterlot?"
"Nothing like that. Basically, she was thrown in jail for physically attacking cows."
Sunset was incredulous. "A creature from another world attacks cows—and you just threw her in jail, like a common criminal?"
Twilight laughed uncontrollably. "At first, we all thought she was a unicorn like the others. The assault, to put it bluntly, was over taking milk without the cow's consent because she was hungry."
Sunset had a doubt that she decided to dispel. "So, she's human, but can take the form of a unicorn?"
"Pepper has magic that allows her to change her physical form. One day, she explained to me that the laws of this dimension bid her to look like a pony. So, she used her magic to take the appearance of a simple unicorn with white fur and carmine mane most of the time. Her ability to change her appearance has several flaws, however. For example, the irises of her eyes remain red. In Equestria, since only true unicorns can use magic, she is forced to be one. Apart from these flaws, she has no limits, as long as it is organic and alive."
Sunset thought it over for a moment. "Is that why you stared at me when I saw you outside the library?"
"Yes," Twilight admitted. "I thought she was back for a moment."
"And we’re getting off-topic. Most of the time? What about the rest of the time?"
Twilight was amused that she noted the detail. "Pepper has wings as well, like a pegasus. So, in her—dare I call it—Equestrian form, she's uniformly white. While in her human form, her wings become jet black. So when Fluttershy, who was the very first to meet her, explained to her what it meant to have horns and wings, she immediately hid them so as not to draw attention. It was only after she was released by Princess Celestia—who welcomed her to Equestria and assured Pepper that she had nothing to fear if she committed no further crimes—that we learned of her true nature."
"She couldn't explain herself before?"
"No. Once she woke up, Pepper remained mute and ran away the moment the anti-magic ring was removed. Princess Celestia told me that a planeswalker’s magic has a unique vibe. It doesn't go unnoticed by anypony who can feel it."
"How did Princess Celestia learn to sense the power of a creature from another world?"
Twilight's jaw, for the third time that day, sought to touch the ground miles beneath her hooves. She hadn't considered that. "I don't know," she admitted. "It's Princess Celestia—she always knows everything about everything, so I didn't think to ask her back then."
Sunset was amused, a mischievous smile on her face. "I think I now understand the reason for Celestia’s request in the third letter. And then what happened?"
Twilight's cheeks turned pink. "As time went on, she came into daily contact with Rainbow Dash and Princess Luna. Deep down, she seemed singular, but not malevolent.”
"And was this singular human the cause of Princess Celestia's disappearance?"
"One day, I received a letter from Princess Celestia..." Thinking back to the missive, Twilight’s eyes widened. "It all makes sense now. She was talking about you."
Sunset raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"The missive! The letter that Princess Celestia sent me that day, with a plural in the header! All this time I thought it was a mistake! But it makes so much more sense now that you're here."
Sunset was wary. "What was in the letter? And what did you do next?"
Twilight gave Sunset a faint smile. "I've read enough books to know it's a cliche, but I think it's best you read it for yourself. I'll give it to you when we get back to Ponyville so you can read it at your leisure." Then, she looked up at Ponyville. "Picking up where I left off ... At the time I thought it was a bad joke, one that the human was fond of. But when I got there, I heard from Princess Luna that Pepper had left Equestria..." She trailed off, remembering the conversation in the throne room. She wondered what would have happened if Nightmare Moon hadn't offered her help to Princess Luna.
Sunset didn't need to hear any more to understand that Pepper was guilty of the abduction. When she saw the look on Twilight's face, she didn't dare bother her, understanding why the younger alicorn was having trouble finding Princess Celestia. The rest of the trip was conducted in silence, giving Sunset ample time to observe the surroundings and think about the situation.