"It's been a while."
Standing in the remains of what had once been her throne room, Twilight looked out from the torn wall. Har eyes ran over the scar the Behemoth had left in the city, still not healed, then settled onto the translucent form of the creature itself.
She wore a coat of brown fur, thick over her back and shoulders, and still she was shivering underneath it. She knew the cold was inside her, but the coat did help somewhat. She stared a moment longer at the creature, her expression unreadable, then turned to her side. "Any doubts left?"
"None," came the answer. "I believe you'll want to read what I found then."
"Certainly so." Twilight's eyes went back to the Behemoth, then she looked higher and higher, as high as she could. Still, she couldn't spot him, either he was too far or the creature's body hid him. "I need answers, and I'm not even sure what the right questions are."
Then she sighed. "Be careful, here. Don't fly into its shadow." Stepping forward, she opened her wings and took flight, soaring over the gardens now overrun with weeds and back to the still inhabited portions of the city.
Sunburst greeted them with a wave as they landed. "I had some food prepared. I don't trust things wouldn't freak out if I did it the other way while he's nearby." He threw a glance at Twilight's companion. Then he took off her coat, shaking away the layer of frost that had built up on it, and opened the door to the nearest building, welcoming the two of them inside.
As the stallion went to hang the coat near the fireplace to dry it off, Twilight stepped through the door. Lightning Dust gave a nod in her direction from the table, and so did Starswirl from the corner. "Where's Rose?" the alicorn asked, taking a seat in front of the pegasus.
"She's out, taking some samples of local flora," Sunburst replied. "She should be back in a few minutes." As the rest of those present moved to sit at the table, he placed six wooden bowls and spoons on it, then unhooked the metal pot hanging over the fire and began to pour soup in each bowl.
Twilight slid a little to the side on the bench, to let Starswirl have more space to sit on. Lightning was directly in front of her, Sunburst to the pegasus' right, and Rose would take the last remaining space in the corner, at Twilight's right and on the side opposite to her.
Sunburst took a first sip of soup with his spoon, blowing gently on it to cool it down. "Should we wait for Rose to be back before we start with the explanation?" He looked at the corner opposite from his, to the occupied space right next to Twilight.
Twilight pondered that, eating a spoonful of soup herself. "I don't believe that will be necessary." She turned to her right. "Please, begin."