The Friendship Games had concluded, with both Canterlot High and Crystal Prep being declared winners by Principal Celestia.
However, while all the excitement of both schools winning was fresh, Sunset Shimmer still felt a sense of guilt that was overpowering her mind. During the games, she had unleashed an angry outburst at the human world's Twilight Sparkle. It was a moment that Sunset could only wish that she would take back, but she couldn't.
"Sunset," called Twilight, as she walked over to meet Sunset at the portal to Equestria. "You wanted to talk to me about something?"
"Yeah, Twilight," replied Sunset, sighing heavily and tapping her left high heeled boot. "There’s something that’s been on my mind and I thought I'd share it with you."
Twilight had a good indication of what Sunset was going to say. The ex-Crystal Prep student had caused a great deal of trouble in just the span of a day. She suspected that, despite both her new friends, and her classmates from her old school, hadn’t fully forgiven her for almost destroying their world, and them along with it.
"It's about what happened after the tri-cross relay," Sunset spoke with a hint of sadness in her voice. "I've been meaning to apologize to you about the way I acted towards you."
"What do you mean?" wondered Twilight. "You were right to be angry with me. You were right, someone could’ve gotten hurt, or worse. All I wanted was to understand the magic that came from this school and…. well," she paused and took off her glasses. Closing her eyes Twilight tried her hardest to hold back tears of shame. "I did indeed put people at risk, Sunset! You did nothing wrong, all you did was call attention to something I was too blind to see! The magic was already out of control, and everybody was lucky to escape without harm! I shouldn’t have held onto the locket after that, it was too dangerous! Were it not for you, who knows what I would’ve done?!"
Sunset walked over to Twilight and placed a hand on her shoulder. Seeing Twilight like this brought back memories of a similar situation for Sunset, back when she was the undisputed mean girl of Canterlot High. Having finally obtained what she thought she wanted more than anything, the young girl had put on Princess Twilight's crown and tried to bring a teenage army into Equestria to conquer it. When she was defeated, it felt like her whole world had come crashing down, and yet in that moment it had been Princess Twilight who had reached out to her, and offered a chance at redemption. Something told Sunset, that the human world Twilight could use something similar right about now.
"I know you wanted to understand the magic that comes from this school, Twilight,” Sunset told her “But, it's better to learn with others than by yourself. As for what happened during the games, you were being pawned by Principal Cinch into trying to find a way to defeat Canterlot High, and look what happened! There may have been alternatives to giving into her demands, but maybe if I hadn’t been as harsh as I was, I wouldn’t have driven you into her hands. Besides, your actions are far less harmful, compared to the mistakes I made. When I was in your situation, I was corrupted with the blindness of my actions and it took Princess Twilight and my Canterlot friends to make me understand the error of my ways. I wanted what I initially wanted out of pure greed, you wanted what you were looking for out of pure interest. You never intended for anyone to be hurt, you were tempted by curiousity and wanting to know everything. Who could blame you for that, when you had no one to show you a better way?"
Twilight wiped a few tears from her eyes and felt a little bit better, although she knew there was still something she needed to address.
“Even if that’s true, that doesn’t mean what I did was right. Cinch was blackmailing me, and even outright encouraged me to spy on you girls! And I went along with it, even though I knew it was wrong! I could’ve tried to tell somebody, even you girls! But all I could think about was myself and my own desires, to the point where I nearly ripped this world and a world not my own apart.”
Sunset sighed. "But after I scolded you severely on the race track, I couldn't help but think back to how I was before the other Twilight came here. I may have had a point, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I presented it the right way. Ever since I was reformed, I've been meaning to hide that other side of me, Twilight. But, it came back with a vengeance, even if it was meant to protect my friends. We both harmed each other, Twilight, and I want nothing more than to have a chance to start fresh again."
"I think we both can agree on the same thing," remarked Twilight. "We both made mistakes and want to atone for them. Coming here now has been the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Sunset. I don't know what waits for me, but I know I can learn more with friends than by being alone. I’m sorry if I caused any trouble in my pursuit of knowledge, especially when I ended up taking away your friends magical abilites. I didn’t know those powers had twice saved the world!”
"And I'm sorry for unleashing my rage at you, and not making more of an effort to understand you on a personal level. I just assumed that, since you were with Crystal Prep, you were like the other students. It wasn’t until it was too late, that I realized I was wrong," Sunset replied. “All I want now, is a chance for us to start over. The two of us could learn a lot from each other.”
And as the sun came down on Canterlot High, the two girls went into an embrace hugging each other tightly. For a moment, Twilight could feel like she had finally come home. At last she’d found what it was she had been looking for all this time. It was not to be alone at a school like Everton, but to be with friends at a place where friendship was warranted and spread. A chance to truly understand something just as important as science or history, friendship.
"It's time to start anew, Twilight," Sunset declared, as they walked hand in hand towards the sunset that was forming over Canterlot High. "Welcome to Canterlot High, Twilight. I know you’re going to like it here."
“I know so too, Sunset Shimmer,” Twilight replied. “With you as a friend, I know I can handle anything the world throws at me.”