"Sun-Sun, we need to talk." Twilight said. Sunset blinked.
"Sun-Sun?" Sunset asked. "That sounds adorable." Twilight blushed and made a 'nya' sound.
"Yes. Well, I got a letter from Celestia." Twilight smiled a bit.
"What about?" Sunset asked. "Saving the world?" Twilight nodded.
"Yes. We need to go to a place called Love." Twilight said. Sunset blinked once.
"Love?" Sunset asked. "Really?" Twilight shook her head.
"No. Love with the hard O."
"Love?"
"No, Sun-Sun. Love."
"Love?"
"Love." Sunset looked at Twilight with a 'I can't believe you just said that' face.
"You said Love! It's called Love!" Sunset exclaimed. Twilight growled.
"Love, Sunset. It's called Love." Twilight poked Sunset's chest. "Got it?" Sunset held back a giggle. Twilight wasn't that threatening.
"Whatever floats your boat."
It was a hard decision for Twilight to not bring Spike or Rainbow or Applejack along. Her most cherished friends (and most reasonable choices to bring on a adventure) weren't going to help her on this perilous journey called Love.
"You packing yet, Twi?" Spike called from the door. Twilight looked up from a stats sheet she was making. Twilight sighed.
"No Spike. I'm just kinda....." Twilight trailed off, looking for the right word.
"Scared? I am too, ya know. Seeing that you won't be back ever possibly, or that only Sunset returns....... It's real scary. But, you can make it. You two can make it. Sunset has your back, okay Twi? Nothing bad will happen to you with Sunset around." Spike said. Twilight smiled.
"Thanks Spike. I needed that." Twilight put away the stats list.
"No prob. Just make yourself a checklist and I'll go help Sunset." Spike walked away.
"Sunset?" Spike poked his head in the doorway of Sunset's room. Sunset looked up from a series of clothes and other stuff that smelled like cinnamon.
"Oh. Hey Spike. I was just looking for my bags so I could start packing. So, what do ya need?" Sunset asked. Spike shrugged.
"Nothing. I just wanted to talk to you." Spike looked around. "Can I come in?" Sunset smiled.
"Of course Spike. Find somewhere to sit." Spike searched for somewhere to sit as Sunset bolted into her closet.
"Sunset? Is there anywhere in here that I can sit?" Spike asked. Sunset chuckled, embarrassed.
"The silk canopy chair should be clear." Sunset's voice drifted from the closet. "After all, I'm packing there. Er, will be packing if I can find my bags!"
"I could help you...." Spike offered. A millisecond later, Spike was in the depths of Sunset's closet.
Sunset's closet was huge. It looked like a whole other room. A stream of tiny twinkling lights was the only source of light. On one of the walls, a miners helmet and flashlights. A poster hung, and Spike had to lean close to read it.
Where the weak don't survive,
Where there is only Sunset,
Should the Human mare dwell.
"What a creepy message...." Spike muttered as he grabbed a helmet and a flashlight.
"Spike! Where are you?! Sppiiiiiiiiiike!" Sunset called. Spike cleared his throat and searched for a better source of light. Luckily, a club-wooden thing was laying around, and Spike picked it up and carefully and lit it on fire.
"Sunset! Watch for the green light!" Spike yelled in response.
It was a perilous journey, finding Sunset Shimmer. The dame was the back, drowning in a harsh sea of clothing.
In short, the author's closet and room in a nutshell.
"Spike!" Sunset exclaimed. "I found the bags! Let's go!" Spike groaned as he searched for the exit.
"Sunset... Really?!" Spike exclaimed. "I nearly died and you literally just find the bags?!"
"Oops." Sunset nervously replied.
"Sunset?" Spike asked. Sunset looked up from her packing.
"Yeah Spike?"
Spike let out a long sigh. "Will you and Twilight be back?" Spike felt silly for asking such a question.
Sunset stopped her packing abruptly. "W-Why would you ask that question?"
"'Cause I never know when you guys will be back," Spike explained. "There was that one time where Twilight fought Tirek? And where was I? At. The. Library's. Ashes." Sunset got up and hugged Spike.
"Oh Spike," Sunset began, "I know you'll worry, but you have Rarity and Applejack, and all of your friends. Twi-Twi and I will be back in a month or two. Just remember, we will be back."
"This is it Sunset," Twilight said as she stared out at the moonlight sky, "Our period of peace is over." Sunset sighed and rolled her eyes.
"This isn't a monologue in a book or a story online where people read this. It wouldn't be such a interesting story until now. Anyway, this is still a period of peace."
Twilight gave an annoyed huff. "Well, We're going to a place off of the equestrian filly scouts map! That map has everyplace on it! And where we are going is out of Equestria! And no period of peace there, Sunset."
"Okay fine. You got me with logic."
I know." Twilight grinned. Sunset smiled as she took a look and the handy outside of Equestria map gifted by Discord.
"Well, it seems like as soon as we leave Macintosh Mountains, we'll have a beeline to Las Pegasus..." Sunset trailed off.
"Oh," Twilight sucked in air. "I guess we'll have to be brave then."
The castle door creaked, and out popped Starlight's head. "Um... The girls are here to see you. They entered through the back."
Twilight chuckled to herself, "I knew they would wake up at three in the morning just to say goodbye. Such great friends."
As Twilight and Sunset entered through the castle doors, the first sound was crying, presumably Fluttershy's. As Sunset and Twilight reached the throne room, the second sound was muffled conversation..
"Hi girls!" Twilight greeted. "Starlight told me you were here."
"Twilight!" The mares chorused. "Sunset!"
Pinkie ran up to them. "Oh, we though you were gone! And then we would've saddy sad, but the Starry said you were still here" Pinkie sucked in a big gulp of air, "IwassohappyIwantedtoexplode!!" A little laugh sounded from Applejack.
"We all thought that ya'll had gone an' left us in th' dust. See? We're all packed an' ev'rything." Applejack gestured to the various bags. Twilight slapped on a smile that lasted for a second.
"Oh girls," Twilight said solemnly, "the letter Celestia sent said only Sunset and I were to come. I'm sorry. You can read it if you'd like." Twilight set the letter down, and Sunset began to read it.
Dearest Twilight Sparkle,
There is quite the important task for you and Sunset Shimmer. There is a place called Love, with a hard o sound, and some mysterious happenings have been reported by Discord there. We have reason to suspect there is a terrible magic there. Discord himself said "It was some kind of alicorn, changeling, pony, and dark magic mixed together." Love is a fairly small town, population 14 or so. We need you and Sunset to stop this magic, and save the inhabitants outside of Equestria. I believe in Sunset and yourself.
- Princess Celestia
"Wow," Rainbow breathed out. "You. Guys. Are. So AWESOME." Sunset laughed.
"Okay, we may be." Fits of giggles followed that statement.
"Serious time," Rarity declared. "We need to find a way to keep close contact."
"M-Maybe Twilight could to that letter thing Celestia does with Spike?" Fluttershy offered. "We would get it immediately."
"You're a genius Fluttershy!" Twilight praised. "It's a brilliant idea!" Fluttershy blushed.
"A-All I did was suggest it..." Fluttershy murmured. Sunset smiled.
"So Twilight and I will send you daily letters, one from each of us. Doesn't matter how many. Just we have to send you one each day." Sunset confirmed.
"Mmhm!" The group agreed. Twilight weakly smiled.
"I hate to be the Element of Bad News," Twilight frowned a bit, "Sunset and I have to get to the train at four. It's 3:49, and we have to get going."
"Oh," Starlight said. "Group hug?" All of the mares, sans Rarity went into the group hug.
"Wh r yeh nof in th groop fug?" Cam Pinkie Pie's muffled voice.
"Well, we are leaving out dear Spikey Wikey. I shall get him at once!" Rarity left.
"Girls, we should break the group hug." Rainbow Dash said.
"No!" Twilight protested. "Spike and Rarity aren't here!"
"Well we are now." Spike's grumpy voice said from the doorway.
"Spike! Rarity! Into the group hug!" Pinkie lifted her head from Rainbow's fur. So Spike and Rarity did.
"We have to leave," Twilight said soberly. She then felt Fluttershy's tears pelt the back of her mane.
"Twilight, I don't want to let go." Fluttershy whispered. Sunset sighed.
"Oh Fluttershy," she cooed, "Twilight and I will be back. We will be exactly the same as you see us now." Fluttershy nodded.
"Okay. Sunset and Twilight need to leave." Fluttershy reported. "We have to let go."
"Oh, so Miss Don't-End-The-Group-Hug needs to leave! I'll miss ya Egghead! I'll miss ya Sunset!" Rainbow taunted as she left the hug, making Pinkie fall flat on her face. Soon, the hug trickled down to just Twilight and Sunset. They began walking to the door, and as soon as Twilight's hoof made contact with it, she turned around.
"I love you all," Twilight's eyes began to tear up, "and I want you to know it will never change."
"I do too," Sunset said. "I adored the human version of you guys, but you make me feel at home."
"Oh Sunset," Twilight smiled lightly. "You are home."
And with that, only 32 seconds left to catch the train, a bright flash of magenta signaled they were gone.