Five girls, of varying builds and skin colour, gathered in one of the empty classrooms on the upper floor of Canterlot High. After pleasantries and cupcakes were exchanged, they got right down to business.
“Sunset Shimmer’s startin’ to worry me, girls,” began Applejack, “Everyday after school, she just goes and sits in front of that statue out the front for about an hour.” To illustrate her point, the southern girl pointed out one of the windows of the class room, and sure enough, in the front courtyard, just in front of the statue that Twilight had vanished into, sat Sunset Shimmer.
“Do you think she misses being a pony?” asked Rarity.
“She’s had something like two years to get used to school, though. I think if she missed being a pony, we would have seen it before,” said Rainbow Dash, leaning up against the wall.
“Maybe she misses Twilight!” said Pinkie Pie, “Maybe she finally realised that they’re true and perfect soulmates, and that because the portal only opens once every thirty moons, they can’t see each other for another two years and have to wait until the portal opens and then they can f-,”
“Pinkie Pie!” interjected Rarity, glaring at the party planner. Pinkie Pie looked appropriately contrite until the moment Rarity looked away. The fashionista continued on. “But regardless of Pinkie Pie’s language, I do think she may be onto something. Perhaps Sunset misses Twilight. Maybe it’s that she regrets what she did in that other world, but cannot go back to make amends.”
“So the question is, what do we do? I mean, I know we said we’d be her friend and all, and I’m down with that,” said Rainbow Dash, “But what can we actually do?”
Silence pervaded the classroom as the five girls thought.
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Back in Equestria, Twilight Sparkle was rushing around the mirror that served as the portal to Canterlot High School.
“Twilight. What are you doing?” asked Princess Luna, walking into the room where the mirror portal was kept in Canterlot Castle, barely avoiding a rapidly teleporting Twilight Sparkle.
“I wanted to go back to that other dimension and check on Sunset Shimmer,” said Twilight, barely pausing in her half frenzy of magic as she set up a plethora of runes and sigils. “I actually feel sorry for her. Not because she’s trapped over there, but because she just doesn’t understand friendship.”
“It will never be said that you lack compassion, Twilight Sparkle. But the portal will not open again for another thirty moons.”
“But that’s just it! I think I’ve found a way to trick the mirror into thinking that thirty moons have passed.” Twilight was positively bouncing with glee as she prepared to launch into her explanation of her magical method, but was halted by Princess Luna holding up a single hoof.
“Does this involve time travel, Twilight Sparkle?”
“Why will nopony ever let me forget that week?” muttered Twilight, before shaking her head, “No, Prin-Luna. It doesn’t. All I’m doing is feeding precise amounts of magic into the mirror’s internal spell-clock matrix.”
“Very well, Twilight Sparkle. We shall stay here, and monitor you. But if Celestia asks us, we were in the kitchen. Eating donuts.”
[Time]
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“Are you sure you don’t want to come back to Equestria, Sunset?” asked Twilight, as she stood in front of the statue, ready to leave Canterlot High once more. Sunset shook her head.
“I...I don’t deserve to. I don’t deserve any of this. Besides, I think I’m better off here. But Twilight, could you at least tell Celestia that I’m sorry? And maybe once thirty moons have passed, I’ll talk with her in person. But I can’t face her right now.”
“I can do that, Sunset,” smiled Twilight, and gave the reforming former student of Celestia a hug, and then walked through the portal back to Equestria.