The Everfree was darker and denser than Sunset ever imagined. As such, she'd begun to walk closer and closer to Twilight's side, and much to her chagrin, the alicorn had rested a reassuring wing across her back.
Despite the embarrassed blush coloring her face nearly the same hue as her hair and the feeling of being babied, Sunset Shimmer would not be complaining any time soon. The wing was a surprising and welcomed source of warmth, as chilly could not begin to describe the ominously icy feeling the Everfree gave travelers in the brisk Autumn afternoon. Beyond that, the wing was soft, and Twilight's grip was firm. Sunset sighed. "It must be nice to have pegasus magic like that," She thought.
Twilight noticed the sigh, but lost in her own thoughts, mistook it for conversation. "Hmm?" She asked. A warm smile cut across her features.
Sunset's cleared her throat and rid her mind of the thoughts of jealousy. "Oh...um...nothing..." She lied.
Twilight shrugged it off and continued forward. The shrug lifted her wing just slightly and allowed the frosty air entry between it and Sunset's fur, eliciting a violent shudder from the unicorn. She noticed this and tightened her grip a bit more. Sunset gasped. She had no idea how the pony next to her, the one that had been so klutzy and unsure of herself the last time they met -even in Equestria-, could be so confident. It had been thirty moons in the human world. That was approximately two and a half years, but that meant that only a year had passed in Equestria. Why then, was Twilight so different? What could possibly have happened in just one year to have made her presence so much more...commanding, deserving of the title "Princess"?
As they neared their destination, Sunset took note of a small cave to their right, almost overlook-able. She briefly pondered what may lie beyond its stony entrance, but dismissed the thoughts quickly as she recalled it was that very curiosity which landed her in the predicament she was now trying so desperately to pull herself from, yet something about the cave seemed to draw her attention, even as she pulled away. there was something in there, something she needed to see. "Like it's my destiny," She thought. That was when she saw it. Up ahead in the distance was the largest structure she'd ever laid eyes on.
She barely noticed crossing the rickety wooden bridge, even as it swayed in the gentle breeze. Her mind was focused solely on the behemoth of a castle before her. The architecture was unlike anything she'd seen before, obviously medieval. It was a testament to the strength of the walls that they had, for the most part, endured the years. The windows which still stood told the tale of two sisters descending from the heavens to battle a mighty king. It seemed what remained of the end of the story had not completely shattered, but just as Sunset set upon the task of solving the case, her thoughts were cut short by foreign voices.
"You are worthy..."
"Come with us, and you will see..."
"We will grant you the power your heart desires..."
Sunset could hear the whispers in her head. A chill ran through her head as a dark cloud passed through her very being on its way to he castle. Twilight seemed unperturbed. "W-w-what was that?" Sunset croaked.
"Those were the nightmare forces," Twilight explained, "Ghosts of Nightmare Moon's dark powers. Don't worry. They can't harm you. Not anymore. We've eliminated most of their power. Just...do not let them persuade you..." Twilight's wing fidgeted on Sunset's back, alerting the unicorn to her discomfort. She looked over to see the alicorn avoiding her gaze and gave her a nudge on the muzzle with her own.
"Hey, I'm done with all that, alright?" Sunset said, trying to comfort Twilight. "I just want to get my old life back now. No power, no authority. I just want to be...me."
Twilight smiled and nuzzled her new student's cheek back. "Thank you," she whispered happily. They faced forward to find they'd made it. They were mere meters away from the steps leading into the castle beyond the massive, oak door. "The Castle of the Two Sisters," Twilight announced, more loudly than she had spoken before.
Sunset gulped audibly as she stared the imposing fortress down. "W-why are we here?" She asked shakily.
"Come with me, and I'll show you." Using her magic, Twilight swung open the door. She broke away from Sunset and went ahead inside. Sunset gulped once more as she observed the mare disappear into the darkness right before her very eyes. The void ate away at its surroundings, swallowing them up like a hungry timberwolf. She didn't want to go anywhere near it, but she knew she must. Drawing upon the courage granted unto her by the mask she'd worn in her darkest hours, she took the first step, followed closely by the second and third until she made her way through the doorway as well.
As her eyes adjusted to the dark, Sunset gasped. She believed now, staring at the rubble before her and statues carved away by erosion over a millennium, that she knew why the princess had brought her here. She took note that, despite the age of the place, it was in relatively good condition, as if someone had been cleaning and restoring it to its former, unadulterated glory like an antique on display in a shop.
"This was the site of Princess Luna's greatest mistake, and she deals with the grief and regret of that mistake to this day," Twilight spoke from the podium on which the thrones resided. Standing there, with wings outstretched and the moon shining behind her, she was a vision of both beauty and authority. Sunset once again found herself admiring just how much Twilight had changed.
Taking slow steps down the staircase toward her, Twilight continued talking. "This is where Luna became Nightmare Moon for the first time and faced off against her sister. This is where she forced her sister's hoof and was sent into exile. She made her ultimate mistake, and she was lucky it didn't lead to her untimely demise."
Twilight's words sent ice shards through Sunset's heart. She felt for Luna so much. It hurt her to know that that there was anypony else who had made such a grave mistake.
"However," Twilight continued. She was inches from Sunset now, and she rested a hoof on her shoulder, staring deep into her teal green eyes. "I was here when she changed back. I watched Celestia welcome her back with open hooves and a tear in her eye. Mistakes: ponies make them, but no matter how bad they are, they can be forgiven over time, and they are redeemable. You are not lost, Sunset Shimmer. We just couldn't find you for a while."
Sunset could feel the waterworks coming again, but she fought them off. She opened her mouth to speak several times, but the words never came. In the end, she remained silent.
"Here I am," Twilight told her, "To welcome you back with open hooves." Sunset gasped as Twilight extended her hooves, inviting the unicorn to initiate a hug of her own accord. "Will you be my friend, Sunset Shimmer?"
The tears finally came, and they brought reinforcements. Sunset could feel her body shake in sobs before she gently reached out and embraced her new friend. "Yes," She mumbled into Twilight's shoulder, "I would like very much to be called your friend."