Starlight and Sunset walked along the path leading to Canterlot's entrance. Starlight held onto Twilight like last time, and Sunset asked, "Do you think anypony noticed while we were on the train... that this is actually Princess Twilight?"
Starlight merely rolled her eyes, and then checked on Twilight once more from within the snug blanket. "She seems alright," Starlight said, completely ignoring her friend's paranoia. "You on the other hoof... Is there something you're not telling me?"
Sunset slowed her trot, and again, she tried to offer Starlight her proposal of running away. "We have to turn around," she said while she stopped walking. "Starlight, I don't think... that I can face Celestia about what we've done."
Starlight looked into Sunset's nervous eyes, and asked, "What's gotten into you? I thought that Princess Celestia has forgiven your past."
Sunset gulped, and pointed out, "Yeah, but don't you get it? That just puts me on thin ice. One look at Twilight in this condition, and I'm through as far as Princess Celestia's concerned." She looked down at Twilight who yawned adorably, and said, "We could try and fix this ourselves!"
"What?" Starlight asked, raising an eyebrow. "You can't be serious."
"After we run away, we'll find out what the spells were that we used."
Starlight pointed out, "Uh, Sunset, even if we tried that, it's only a matter of time until somepony notices that Twilight's missing."
Sunset glared at Starlight with sudden realization, and said, "Then... I probably won't be visiting Equestria anymore."
There was an odd pause. On one hoof, Starlight couldn't believe how paranoid Sunset was behaving, but on the other hoof, she sort of understood Sunset's dilemma. "You won't be banished," Starlight said forwardly. "We'll be fine... probably..."
Starlight wandered forth, and Sunset just followed along behind her, saying, "We'll probably be fine?"
The two walked through the town slowly, and steadily. Even though the day was winding down, it didn't seem as though anypony noticed that the sun had yet to shift in the slightest. Starlight hurried her trot as she rounded a corner, and as Sunset struggled to keep up, she said, "W-wait up!"
"Err... sorry, Sunset Shimmer," Starlight said as she slowed down along a narrow alley. "It's just... Now that I think of it, we don't even know what the castle ponies are going to do about this at first, but that doesn't change anything... It just means that we'll have to explain ourselves that much more until Celestia arrives."
Sunset and Starlight walked closely by one another thanks to what little room they had. "Is this... some sort of shortcut?"
Starlight nodded, and said, "Yep... Takes us right where we need to be... We'll be right in front of the palace gates." It went quiet for a ways, and as the passage seemed to go on and on, Sunset began talking to her friend more and more.
"Y'know...seems like these days, all we do is practice our magic. I guess... what I'm asking is... why did Twilight have you leave Ponyville, Starlight, and be with her to help her rule Equestria if she didn't really need you?"
Starlight didn't answer at first. She just sighed, and said, "I think... I was just there for moral support. After we relocated the mirror back to Canterlot, that's when Twilight asked me to start helping you out with your magic."
Sunset stuttered, "N-n-not that I, uh... needed all that much help. It was a little bit like riding a bicycle, but once I remembered, I could use my magic again in no time."
Starlight nodded, and said, "I think that... you were mostly there at times, too... for moral support."
She looked down at the small, and completely innocent alicorn Twily, and that's when Sunset asked her, "Do you still see Sunburst?"
Starlight nodded happily, saying, "He's done a great job taking over the school, and he's even somehow managed to hire the right teachers. It's amazing that all of the teachers are also different creatures, too." Sunset smiled at her friend, and Starlight continued, "It's working out awesomely, though, and Sunburst always seems really glad to see me whenever I come over."
The further and further down they got, the less and less they became aware of the approaching light at the end of Starlight's shortcut. Sunset said, "That first time coming back into the Canterlot library of all places was beyond bewildering, but I think I get why Twilight decided to move it there. She just wanted me to spend more time with Celestia. Do you think... she's going to be mad?"
They reached then end, and entered the brilliant light together. Starlight stopped trotting, and standing there in a secluded pavilion filled with empty shacks and wooden market booths, she asked, "What do you mean?"
Some leaves were picked up by the winds near their hooves, and Sunset stated, "When I first saw her after so much time had passed, she looked just about ready to kick me out of the castle without even hearing me out. All I'm saying is... she can be just a little bit... intimidating to me."
Starlight breathed, and could see the seriousness within Sunset's glistening eyes. "Did she, though?"
Sunset looked away at first, but then, looking back, she admitted, "No... N-no, she didn't. In fact, she gave me a hug... and I, uh..." She sniffled, and fought back her salty tears. "I felt so relieved when she did."
A smile at least broke through that tough exterior which was good enough for Starlight, and she said, "I promise that Celestia won't have a heart attack. For all we know, she might be able to fix this right on the spot!"
Sunset giggled hopefully, saying, "That would be a miracle."
They began walking again, and in very little time at all, they'd reach the guard on duty that day. His face when they showed him whet they were carrying was just as they had imagined it. First, he made them wait while he told his superior about this, and after the commanding officer of the guard had seen Twilight with his own eyes, he'd leave them at the gate once again in order to inform his superior as well.
Finally, after a painfully long wait, the mares at the gate would be greeted by one of Twilight's very own personal secretaries. She was just as shocked to see Twilight of course, and had many questions, but as she brought them in, Starlight Glimmer and Sunset Shimmer would be at the very least grateful to hear from her that Celestia was being contacted right away.
She still wouldn't show up until tomorrow, so until then, Twilight remained within the custody of Sunset and Starlight. After being given quarters while they wait, something was beginning to tell them that for quite some time still to come, they'd be the official guardians of their young filly friend until a solution was one day found.