Between the two of them and Rainbow's phone, they had enough foresight to send a text message to Fluttershy letting them both know that Sunset was fine and they were both just out for a walk.
Which wasn't fully honest, but Rainbow Dash ignored that thought. She had more important things to worry about.
Rainbow stood up, stretching out her hooves. "Oh my God," she said. "I'm a horse."
"Pony," Sunset corrected. She seemed to be adjusting to the sudden change much better, and was actually walking around, examining the room she was in.
"Where are my clothes?" Rainbow said, looking back at her naked self...and the tattoo that had suddenly appeared on her ass.
"Uh...anyone's guess, really," Sunset said. She grimaced, moving to examine another wall.
"Okay...up we go," Rainbow muttered, standing up. She wobbled uncertainly, stretching out her wings for balance.
She paused, looking back at the feathery appendages with disbelief. "I thought I'd be a unicorn," she said.
"Eh? No, you look like a Pegasus. I figured you'd be one." She peeked into a nearby crate, face turning contemplative. "Hey, Rainbow?"
"Yeah?" Rainbow gave her wings a few experimental flaps, rising just off the ground far easier than she'd expected. With a cry, she rushed across the room, slammed into a wall, and collapsed onto her back.
Sunset glared at her. "Stop that! I'm trying to tell you, we're not in Canterlot!"
"Yeah, we're in the magical pony world," Rainbow said. "I know that, Sun-Shim."
"Ugh...no! The capital city is called Canterlot! It's where my Mom lives! But if we're not there, then this mirror was moved! To someplace I don't know about! And it's positively frigid in here, too." She shivered. "Rainbow, we need to head back."
"No, way!" Rainbow said, spinning onto her hooves. She tottered, fluttering her wings to keep her balance, before finishing her proclamation.
"You came here to reunite with your mother, and dammit, that is what you are going to do!" Rainbow stamped one hoof, for dramatic effect.
"Rainbow, she's probably on the opposite side of the world," Sunset said. "And besides, if she had any desire to speak with me, she wouldn't have sent the mirror away like this! We need to go before whatever ruler is here finds us and decides to throw us in a dungeon like the thieves we look like!"
"Calm down," Rainbow said. "If so, we can just hop on back and send another message to your mom, right? Easy."
Sunset took a deep breath, then nodded. "Okay. You're right. We'll just—"
The door to the room they were in opened, and a bright pink winged unicorn stepped into the room. She looked across the room, then her gaze settled on Sunset. Her eyes narrowed.
"Oh...hi," Sunset chuckled awkwardly, waving with one hoof. "Hey, Cadie. Long time, no see?"
"Not nearly long enough," 'Cadie' muttered. "I should never have agreed to bringing that mirror down here."
"Look...I..." Sunset ran a hoof through her hair, then set it down with a sigh. "I'm sorry."
The pink pony paused, then frowned.
"I...I've done a lot of thinking about myself here lately," Sunset said. "I realized I'm not a good person...pony. And thinking back...I was really horrible to you. I was cruel, and vain...and I'm sorry." She wiped tears from her eyes, adding in a cracked voice, "I really am...I..."
"It's okay," Cadie said. She stepped over, folding one wing over Sunset in what Rainbow assumed was a hug. "I forgive you, Sunset."
"R-really?" Sunset asked.
"Of course. If you're really sorry, that is," Cadie chuckled. "And also...hold still for just a second." She stepped away from Sunset, and her horn lit up, bright blue. Sunset frowned, but said nothing, as Cadie lowered the horn, tapping it against Sunset's forehead.
"You are not a changeling," Cadie confirmed.
Sunset laughed. "Oh, I see how it is. You really had to check, huh?"
"Well...yeah. Sorry, just have some trauma about that," Cadie said with a lighthearted chuckle. She turned to look at Rainbow, saying, "And your friend here is..." She trailed off.
"Rainbow Dash, the one and only," Rainbow said, stretching out one wing and holding it front of her chest...or...what was probably her chest. Over her heart, anyway. "A friend of hers from the other world."
"Ah. Hold still a moment?"
Rainbow frowned, looking to Sunset, who chuckled. "I guess she knows this world's version of you," she informed Rainbow Dash.
"Right," Rainbow said, as Cadie tapped her forehead with her horn. "Should I be concerned about these, uh, changeling things?"
"Not usually," Cadie said, "but I know for a fact that you were sleeping upstairs less than five minutes ago, and I had the urge to double check. I'm Princess Cadence, Princess of the Crystal Empire. Nice to meet you." She gave a half-bow.
"Er..." Rainbow tried to bow back, but had to frantically flap her wings to keep from falling on her face. "Nice to meet you, too, Your Highness," she said, hoping to recover her lost pride.
Sunset laughed.
"Hey, I'm not used to being four-legged, give me a break," Rainbow snapped.
"Sure, sure," Sunset chuckled.
"So, what were you doing back here?" Cadence said slowly, looking between the two of them and ignoring Rainbow's comment.
"I was...wanting to apologize to Mom," Sunset said slowly. "Is she...here? In..." She hesitated. "...The Crystal Empire?"
"It's new," Cadence said. "And yes. I can take you right to her, if you want?"
Sunset took in a deep breath, then nodded. "So, uh...you've got your own kingdom now."
"Yeah," Cadence said. "Helped protect it from an evil tyrant who was going to enslave them."
"And what happened to him?" Sunset asked. "Reformed or something?"
"Uh, vaporized," Cadence said. "He wasn't exactly the 'listening' type."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Rainbow said. "Vaporized? As in, dead?"
"Well, yes," Cadence said. "Most of us normally go for the less violent route, but some ponies...never listen."
"I almost became that," Sunset mused. She butted her shoulder into Rainbow's, adding, "Thanks, really. For everything."
"Hey, don't be like that. I'm sure you'd—" Rainbow hesitated. "Maybe. I dunno. I suppose there's no use worrying about it, though."
"You're right there," Sunset said.
Cadence reached up, knocking on a large, ornate door.
It opened almost immediately, with a massive, pale white horse peaking out. Like Cadence, she had wings and a horn, but her mane and tail flowed out behind her majestically. She looked past Cadence, looking at Sunset.
Sunset shrank back, wilting immediately. "Hi, Mom," she squeaked.
Rainbow rolled her eyes, then used one of her wings to push Sunset forward. "Maybe speak up so she can hear you?" she said.
Sunset shot her a glare, but her gaze shot back to the 'goddess' immediately. "I...I'm sorry," she said.
The princess leaned forward, wrapping her wings around Sunset in a hug before Sunset could say further. "I missed you," she whispered. "I was always hoping you'd come back—"
"Oh my God, you sound just like Principal Celestia," Rainbow burst out.
Two piercing eyes met Rainbow's. She winced. "Um, sorry," she muttered. "I—"
"You happen to look like somepony I know, too" the princess mused. "You were the one messaging me from Sunset's journal?"
"Uh...yeah? I think?" Rainbow tried to shrug, and narrowly avoided landed on her face. Again. "Nice to meet you."
"It's my pleasure," she said. "Princess Celestia."
"Rainbow...Dash," Rainbow said slowly. "The one and only, uh..."
Celestia's mouth twitched in what was probably a grin. "Come on in," she said, turning around, heading back into her room.
"I'll be off," Cadence said. "I need sleep. See you tomorrow?"
"Probably not, actually," Sunset said. "Access to the portal is finnicky on my side, so I'm not sure I'll be able to make another trip." She smiled. "Kinda makes me glad we ran into you. I would have felt bad if hadn't been able to apologize to you, too."
"Thank you. I'm glad we met again...and you were nice this time around."
"Believe me, I think we're both glad that I'm nice this time around," Sunset said. "My original plan for returning was...ah..." She chuckled. "Different."
"I can imagine," Cadence said. "I won't keep you any longer—go talk to Auntie." She left, trotting off at a brisk pace.
Rainbow shivered from the cold as she walked behind Sunset into a bedroom with massive piles of books and documents scattered about.
"Still working from bed, eh?" Sunset said.
"Well, I do have a lot of work to do," Celestia said. "Princess Summits don't plan themselves."
"Princess Summits? Is that a new name for 'tea with Cadence' or—"
"There's been quite a few changes since you were last here," Celestia said. To Rainbow's astonishment, a teapot floated over on its own, surrounded by a pleasant yellow glow, and poured itself into three cups, which moved over to sit in front of each of the three ponies in the room.
"Magic," Sunset said, bumping her with a...horse...elbow...thing.
"Right," Rainbow said, determined not to give it too much thought. She was about to take a sip of the tea, when she realized she had no idea how to properly pick up the cup.
"Uh..."
Sunset's own cup lifted up in a green glow, matching the glow of her horn, and she took a sip, letting out a sigh. Then she looked over to Rainbow Dash, and then to the athlete's tea cup.
"Well, don't look at me," she said. "I've never picked one up without using magic, even back when I lived here."
"I'm not really a tea person anyway," Rainbow admitted, chuckling.
"Sorry," the Princess apologized. "Here." A stool levitated over, and the cup was set on top if it.
"Thanks," Rainbow said. She leaned over, sipping from the tea.
"So," Celestia said, "You plan on heading back?"
"Yeah...I've set up a few too many roots to just abandon them," Sunset said. "I...hell, I actually have people who care about me." She paused to think about it.
"I would never ask you to abandon them," Celestia said quietly, "though I will miss you, and I want you to know that you're always welcome here."
"Thank you," Sunset whispered. "I...I would love to come back, but the portal situation...on my side, it's kind of on public property, and I wouldn't want to terrify people by materializing out of thin air." She took a sip of her tea.
"It could probably be opened further," Celestia murmured. "Twilight is gifted in that field. Perhaps she could find a way."
"You're student?" Sunset asked.
Celestia raised an eyebrow.
Sunset immediately squirmed, fidgeting. "So, uh, I might have bribed a guard or so roughly thirty moons ago, to figure out what all had gone down during my absence."
"This 'original plan' you mentioned to Cadence?" Celestia said with a smile.
Sunset nodded. "Heh. Sorry."
"No need to apologize for something you didn't do."
Rainbow's mind immediately wanted to fill in, "What about homework?", but she held her tongue. Instead, she said, "Well, the important thing is, you're nice now."
Sunset nodded again. "I guess so."
"You've been well, I hope?" Celestia asked, sipping her own tea.
"Mostly. Got a taste of being a tyrant at the school in that world. Don't think I liked it, however much it suits me." She smiled bitterly. "Almost jumped off a roof."
Immediately, a massive white wing stretched forward, pulling Sunset into a hug. Sunset rolled her eyes, sipping her tea. "Saw that one coming," she muttered.
"Sunset..."
"I'm fine, now," Sunset said.
"Mostly fine," Rainbow corrected.
Sunset whipped her with her tail, glaring at her. "Fully fine," she reinforced.
Rainbow chuckled, rubbing her side with a hoof. "Okay, okay," she relented.
"I've had some trouble, took some hard knocks," Sunset said, leaning into the hug. "But I think I'm on the path you wanted me on."
"It would seem like it," Celestia said. She pressed her head against Sunset's in an affectionate way. "But I'd love to hear about it, while you're here."
Sunset grinned.
Three days later...
Rainbow Dash hesitated, coming to a full stop right in front of Sunset Shimmer, and Gilda, in the middle of talking. She ducked back, letting them continue while she eavesdropped from a comfortable distance.
"I mean, like, I still don't like you," Gilda was saying, "but yeah, I thought about it, and realized I did....do...kinda owe you an apology." She ran a hand through her hair, awkwardly. "I might have stepped a little bit out of line."
Sunset chuckled. "I don't particularly like you either, and also owe you an apology for everything I've done, so..." She shrugged. "I dunno. I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry, too," Gilda said. She hesitantly stretched out a hand, and Sunset shook it.
There was a moment's pause.
"Do you..." Sunset hesitated. "You know what? Who says we have to like each other? Especially right now? Let's just...not talk to each other. We can try and make friends later, but..."
"I think that's a good idea," Gilda said, holding her hands above her head. "I could care less about making friends right now."
"Well...do you want me to tell Rainbow Dash you apologized, or...are you gonna do that yourself?"
"She's just around that corner, listening in," Gilda replied easily.
"Fuck..." Rainbow winced, then called out louder, "No she's not!"
"Anyway...not-see-you later, Sunny."
"Heh—'not-see-you-either', later," Sunset replied. Rainbow listened as Gilda walked off, and Sunset peaked around the corner, raising an eyebrow.
"I mean, I didn't want to interrupt," Rainbow muttered.
"Come on," Sunset said with a chuckle. "I don't want to miss the Princess announcement." She took Rainbow by the hand, bringing her back to the school's gym.
"You excited?"
"Kind of," Sunset said. "Which is weird, isn't it? I'm not even in the running, and yet...there's this suspense. Who actually wins the nomination?"
"It's gonna be down to Rarity or Trixie," Rainbow noted. "One or two other people put their names up in time, but those two are the big ones."
"I know that, but still! It's kind of exciting!" Sunset gave a girlish giggle.
"So, uh...how did the Principal take it?"
"Well, the magic book certainly helped convince them," Sunset said, annoyed at the topic change. "They didn't believe as readily as you and AJ, but I think they're convinced now."
"That's a relief," Rainbow said. "I don't think asylums have visiting rights, either, so that would have made friendship between us difficult."
"Eh. I'd have probably just gone back to Equestria, but then we'd have the same issue," Sunset muttered. "Things turned out like they did, and I just had to hope for the best outcome."
She grinned as Pinkie Pie's shrill voice called out, "RAINBOW DASH! SUNSET SHIMMER! WE'RE OVER HERE!"
"Leap of faith?" Rainbow said.
"Yeah. People keep saying that to me, and I'll just get it on a T-shirt. Bet Aunt Luna would laugh."
"Yeah, she would," Rainbow agreed, as they reached the rest of their friends. The band exitted the stage, giving the floor to Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna.
"We played together last night," Sunset said, smiling as the Principal started her speech.
"As in..."
"Elden Ring. Got to the first boss before Mom called in my curfew."
"Oof. Did you beat it?"
"Not even close," Sunset replied. With a smile, she added, "But I have hopes to do so tomorrow night."
"Quiet down! I need to hear this!" Rarity whispered to them.
"...The winner of this year's Fall Formal is..." Celestia gave a dramatic pause as she slowly pulled out a card, before reading out the name of the winner.
"Trixie Luluamoon!"
A massive smokecloud enveloped the stage, sending a chorus of laughs throughout the audience.
"Darn it," Rarity muttered.
"There's always the next Spring Fling," Sunset said.
"Well, yes," Rarity muttered. "I suppose so."
"You gave it a good shot, and in the end, that's what matters," Sunset said. "Maybe you'll win next time. Maybe you don't." She shrugged, pulling Rarity into a half-hug. "Life's always like that. Win or lose...I suppose what matters is that you keep playing." Sunset looked to Rainbow Dash, and smiled. "You never know what comes next. But if you play long enough, you'll win eventually."
"...We're not talking about a six-inch plastic circlet anymore, are we?" Rarity asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Eh, sorry," Sunset said, laughing. "I've been moody lately. It'll pass."
Seeing her friends laugh, Rainbow grinned with them. I think it's already passed, she thought to herself.