Sunset was in the new section of Canterlot's garden. Unlike the ponies who came to pray at the statue for the return of the missing princess, the unicorn stood with her head down at her side. She looked sadly at the lawn, thinking that she should have stood beside Celestia on the day she disappeared. She realised that she was deluding herself. She could not rewrite the past. So, looking up to the sky, she stood up on her hooves and concentrated a bubble of flame. Her magic cooperated, once again spiriting her away.

"Sunset Shimmer!"

When she turned in the direction of the voice, she saw Twilight approaching at full speed before stopping in front of her.

"Are you hungry? I have a meal for two if you're feeling like it."

Sunset's stomach responded before she had time to form a polite answer. She looked embarrassed as she smiled sheepishly. "I think you know the answer already."

Twilight had a good chuckle at that. "Follow me. I know a secluded spot." She led Sunset to the roof of a library where she sometimes sequestered herself when she was still a simple unicorn living in Canterlot. During those times she often dreamed, gazing at the palace, about being as powerful and wise as Starswirl the Bearded.

Sunset was uncomfortable being so close to the palace, trying to hide it by turning her back on the imposing castle. As she waited patiently for the meal to be served, she noted the amethysts chiselled on each of the saddlebags.

Twilight took the contents out of her saddlebags. There were two bottles of water, along with two towels containing sandwiches cut into triangles. Additionally, there were two envelopes, treated to protect their contents and stamped with a sun-shaped seal. The calligraphy was easy to recognize as Celestia's. "For Sunset Shimmer," on the first one, and the second, "For Twilight Sparkle."

"What is that?" Sunset asked, her throat dry.

"I don't know," Twilight replied hastily, looking puzzled. "Reynaud didn't mention any envelopes."

"Reynaud? He's still Princess Celestia's personal butler?" Sunset asked immediately, before she realised what she had implied.

"Do you know him?" Twilight asked.

"Sort of," Sunset evaded.

Twilight was the first to pick up the envelope intended for her. Then, Sunset did the same. Sunset already had a vague idea of what she would see. Disappointment, regret, failure. There was a time when she daydreamed daily over their next meeting in the distant future, but it always ended the same way: Celestia shouting at her, beginning the nightmare she had dreaded over the years. By now, she had moved on to live her life in serenity, her past behind her. All this time, Sunset had told herself she would return to Canterlot one day and ask for an audience to express her regret. Now, all she had left was this letter. So, she accepted its contents with a heavy heart, reading the last words of the mare who was once her mentor.

By the time you read this letter, Twilight will have learned your true identity from the mail that was delivered to her alongside the one you're holding. I've taken the time to weigh my words to describe who you are so that she has some honest truths to base her opinion upon.

Warmly,

Princess Celestia.>

Looking pale, Sunset read the letter once again to make sure she hadn't omitted anything. When she had finished, she and Twilight lowered their letters at the same time, Sunset surprised by the shocked expression on Twilight’s face. Sunset knew where this was going to lead. She rose to leave, the envelope between her lips. She shot past Twilight, past the palace, past anything she shouldn't have approached.

Twilight placed the letter on the ground as watched her leave, more astonished than she was even a moment ago. "Sunset Shimmer, where are you going?"

Sunset stopped, using telekinesis to free her mouth so she could answer, her back still on Twilight. "I don't know. But now that you know who I am, away from you is a good start."

Twilight continued, "I know this is Princess Celestia's writing, but I'd like to hear it from you."

Sunset couldn't say no. While she had lied to her earlier, she owed her at least a bit of honesty now. "Fifteen years ago, I was a pupil of Princess Celestia. But I was a very different mare then. The lessons weren’t enough for me—I always needed more, because they seemed so useless to me. So, I began to study on my own, breaking into the forbidden library. There, I found a book about the HeartSpell. A spell that could make anypony a princess’s equal." She laughed at herself, considering how pathetic she was at the time. "I, Celestia’s pupil, commanded her to make me her equal because I deserved it. But I was wrong, so very wrong. I know that now." She walked to the edge of the roof, watching the activity below. "Seeing me so lost as her pupil, no longer worthy of her apprenticeship, she dismissed me. Banished me from Canterlot Castle forever." She looked up at the sky. "I gave up everything. My family, the few friends I had, my whole life. I left all that here in Canterlot and swore I'd never return. Over time, as I travelled the world, I gradually changed. Within a few years of arriving in Japony, I became the pony I am today." With those words, she removed the rubber band to free her mane and let it float in the wind, looking to the horizon. "I've thought a thousand and one times about coming back… but..." She bit her lip. "...I think the fear of being rejected without a chance to make amends kept me from doing so. I have no more ties here. I’m probably considered missing or dead. There was nothing and no one waiting for me. So, I stayed away, until I learned Princess Celestia was missing. The rest you already know."

She turned to Twilight, raising her eyebrows when she saw her. Twilight was silent, her mouth and eyes wide open.

Sunset came closer, puzzled. "Are you all right, Princess Twilight?"

Twilight looked down to read the letter,then turned her attention back to Sunset. "Princess Celestia told me to give you a message: ."

Sunset tilted her head, circumspect. "What do you mean?"

Twilight regained her composure, moistened her lips, and then explained, "In my letter, it is written that you are somepony important to Princess Celestia. She explains the contents of your letter, asks me not to let you go, and to urge you to introduce yourself. Then, I'm supposed to say she's got you, and, now that we know each other, I have to go get the letter in the other bag."

Sunset had a nostalgic smile on her face. "That's just like her. A third letter?"

"Looks like it." After Twilight put her letter back in the first saddlebag, she opened the other one and took out another envelope. This one looked the same as the others, but, according to the words on the envelope, was meant to be read by Sunset and Twilight together.

Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle.

This letter is the last I've left behind. This one precedes the one I sent the day I disappeared.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Twilight, since you were my pupil and are now a Princess, Equestria will turn to you. The kingdom needs your leadership. Do the right thing. Even if it seems unfair. Just as I had to banish Luna when she became a threat to Equestria, the kingdom will expect you to act according to the knowledge I have passed on to you through my lessons. If you seek further wisdom, turn to Sunset. Her counsel may not be the same as mine, but I am sure her perspective will offer you a new way of looking at the issues that torment you.

Sunset, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all the tea you sent me on your travels. I was able to follow your journey around the world. Thank you for sharing with me your peregrinations. You lived the life I dreamed of living. Though you were far away, you knew how to keep me close to your heart. Know that it was the same for me. Twilight finds herself in a situation she didn't expect. She will surely encounter difficulties. I know this because when Luna and I were coronated as princesses of Equestria, it was our task to unite the three tribes that live here today in harmony. You have acquired by yourself the maturity that I had not been able to instil in you. If you will, watch over Twilight as Starswirl watched over me. With that in mind, I've reinstated you as my pupil and lifted your ban from the castle grounds.

Twilight, Sunset, you have credentials equivalent to mine. I trust you to act for harmony to prevail.

I've always wished forgiveness to be an element of harmony. It would have relieved my mind of a question that sometimes haunts me. Is It possible to forgive the most selfish of crimes?

That being written, do not regret your choices. They led to this very moment. Nothing will change the fact that I will not be here by the time you read this letter. It pains me that I will not see you both side-by-side.

I have watched you both grow up. Like a mother over the children I never had.

And even though one of you has grown apart from me, I have always secretly carried an equal mother's love for each of you.

Look after each other—dare I ask, like sisters? I dare. Like sisters. And have a happy life.

Warmly,

Princess Celestia>

The two mares remained silent, tears running down their cheeks. They did not move for a long time, reading and rereading this letter—Celestia's last words. Sunset's belly rumbled loudly, throwing them into a sudden burst of laughter. She didn't have the heart for it, but Sunset forced herself to eat the sandwiches, and so did Twilight. The meal took place in silence, one that made them both slightly uneasy as neither could think of anything to say.

Twilight took a breath after drinking one of the bottles of water in one gulp. "I have to go home. Spike's probably waiting for me."

Sunset sipped at her bottle. "Who's Spike?"

"A baby dragon whose egg I hatched on my Gifted Unicorn entrance exam. He's since become my first friend and my number one assistant."

Sunset packed everything neatly in the satchel. When she was done, she put the saddlebags on her back. "I'm ready to ride back to Ponyville, Princess Twilight."

Twilight was startled by her formality. "Sunset, you don't have to call me Princess Twilight every time you speak to me. We can be friends, if you'd like."

"Yet, you speak to me with the same formality. Proof that there is a distance between us."

"At first I did, yes. But I didn't know you then. Now I do it out of respect, because you’re my senior. The truth is, I would like to see you as a friend too."

"There was a time when I thought everything was due to me. I was wrong. Today, I know I can't accept what I don't deserve."

Twilight got a little carried away in her response. "We just read a letter which says that Princess Celestia considered us her own children! We're two sisters reunited after fifteen years apart! And I won't let you build a wall between us because you think you don't deserve to be my friend!"

Sunset took a bow. "In this case, I accept the honour of being your friend."

Twilight was bewildered. "What?"

Sunset's laughter was so radiant that Twilight thought, for a brief moment, that she was standing in front of Celestia. Then, without warning, Sunset lit her horn, then jumped off the top of the building. Twilight ran, barely reaching the ledge when Sunset reappeared, adorned with her flaming wings as she flew towards Ponyville. This time it was Twilight who went after her, their roles reversed.

"What was that about?" Twilight asked when she reached Sunset.

"In Japony, when you receive a gift, you have to refuse twice before accepting it. The giver has to insist three times to prove that he or she really wants to give the gift," Sunset explained.

"We're not in Japony! Besides, what would you have done if I hadn't insisted?" Twilight replied.

"The friendship of a princess is a precious gift. I wouldn’t have accepted it without saying so, that's all. You'll have to put up with these customs of mine if you really want to be friends. You'll also have to tell me a little more about yourself in return. I heard about your coronation, but other than that, I know nothing about you."

"Oh? All right, where do I start?"

"Right now, there's something I want to know more than anything else—but you're not the subject. I'm sorry to ruin the mood, but I need to know: is there anything I still don’t know about Princess Celestia’s disappearance?"

Now that Twilight knew her—and that Princess Celestia herself trusted her—she had no reason to hide the truth. "Six months ago, a human appeared in Equestria. Pepper Chilly, the human in question, is not from our world. She calls herself a planeswalker."

"How did you discover her presence? Has she destroyed Ponyville? Part of Canterlot?"

"Nothing like that. Basically, she was thrown in jail for physically attacking cows."

Sunset was incredulous. "A creature from another world attacks cows—and you just threw her in jail, like a common criminal?"

Twilight laughed uncontrollably. "At first, we all thought she was a unicorn like the others. The assault, to put it bluntly, was over taking milk without the cow's consent because she was hungry."

Sunset had a doubt that she decided to dispel. "So, she's human, but can take the form of a unicorn?"

"Pepper has magic that allows her to change her physical form. One day, she explained to me that the laws of this dimension bid her to look like a pony. So, she used her magic to take the appearance of a simple unicorn with white fur and carmine mane most of the time. Her ability to change her appearance has several flaws, however. For example, the irises of her eyes remain red. In Equestria, since only true unicorns can use magic, she is forced to be one. Apart from these flaws, she has no limits, as long as it is organic and alive."

Sunset thought it over for a moment. "Is that why you stared at me when I saw you outside the library?"

"Yes," Twilight admitted. "I thought she was back for a moment."

"And we’re getting off-topic. Most of the time? What about the rest of the time?"

Twilight was amused that she noted the detail. "Pepper has wings as well, like a pegasus. So, in her—dare I call it—Equestrian form, she's uniformly white. While in her human form, her wings become jet black. So when Fluttershy, who was the very first to meet her, explained to her what it meant to have horns and wings, she immediately hid them so as not to draw attention. It was only after she was released by Princess Celestia—who welcomed her to Equestria and assured Pepper that she had nothing to fear if she committed no further crimes—that we learned of her true nature."

"She couldn't explain herself before?"

"No. Once she woke up, Pepper remained mute and ran away the moment the anti-magic ring was removed. Princess Celestia told me that a planeswalker’s magic has a unique vibe. It doesn't go unnoticed by anypony who can feel it."

"How did Princess Celestia learn to sense the power of a creature from another world?"

Twilight's jaw, for the third time that day, sought to touch the ground miles beneath her hooves. She hadn't considered that. "I don't know," she admitted. "It's Princess Celestia—she always knows everything about everything, so I didn't think to ask her back then."

Sunset was amused, a mischievous smile on her face. "I think I now understand the reason for Celestia’s request in the third letter. And then what happened?"

Twilight's cheeks turned pink. "As time went on, she came into daily contact with Rainbow Dash and Princess Luna. Deep down, she seemed singular, but not malevolent.”

"And was this singular human the cause of Princess Celestia's disappearance?"

"One day, I received a letter from Princess Celestia..." Thinking back to the missive, Twilight’s eyes widened. "It all makes sense now. She was talking about you."

Sunset raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"The missive! The letter that Princess Celestia sent me that day, with a plural in the header! All this time I thought it was a mistake! But it makes so much more sense now that you're here."

Sunset was wary. "What was in the letter? And what did you do next?"

Twilight gave Sunset a faint smile. "I've read enough books to know it's a cliche, but I think it's best you read it for yourself. I'll give it to you when we get back to Ponyville so you can read it at your leisure." Then, she looked up at Ponyville. "Picking up where I left off ... At the time I thought it was a bad joke, one that the human was fond of. But when I got there, I heard from Princess Luna that Pepper had left Equestria..." She trailed off, remembering the conversation in the throne room. She wondered what would have happened if Nightmare Moon hadn't offered her help to Princess Luna.

Sunset didn't need to hear any more to understand that Pepper was guilty of the abduction. When she saw the look on Twilight's face, she didn't dare bother her, understanding why the younger alicorn was having trouble finding Princess Celestia. The rest of the trip was conducted in silence, giving Sunset ample time to observe the surroundings and think about the situation.