Twilight and Sunset landed in front of the library. The sight of the library dispelled Twilight's insecurity. She turned to Sunset. "I'm going to introduce you to my friends. I have the feeling that you'll get along well."
Sunset briefly raised one eyebrow, amused. "It can't be any worse than the one I met when I left the station."
Twilight tilted her head, intrigued. "Who are you talking about?"
"An earth pony mare with a pink coat. I ask where you live, she jumps three metres high, then gasps before taking off like she saw an Ursa Major behind me."
It didn't take long for Twilight to understand who she was talking about. She hid a muffled laugh behind a hoof. She used her telekinesis to open the door, "Please go in first and make yourself at home."
Sunset entered the library. It was completely dark, due to the curtains covering the windows. She took off the saddle, keeping it in her telekinesis as an improvised weapon. She then noticed her personal saddlebag was gone.
When she moved forward, the lights flipped on. Five mares and a baby dragon shouted "Surprise!", before a shower of confetti fell on Sunset and Twilight. There was a banner hanging from the ceiling that read, “Welcome back to Equestria, Sunset-senpai.” Sunset did not understand how this was possible, although she recognized the earth pony she had crossed paths with a few hours earlier.
Twilight, looking at the banner, couldn't help but ask, "Seen Pay? What is it?"
Sunset laughed "It's pronounced
"I don't think anyone here but you can speak that language. Unless..." Twilight decided to make the introductions. "Sunset, let me introduce you to my friends. First, the one you've already seen— who is certainly the culprit behind the banner—Pinkie Pie."
Pinkie hopped forward, greeting Sunset Shimmer by joining her hoof with hers, which resulted in a slightly unpleasant—but not too painful—shock. "We don't know each other, but we already have a connection," she commented jokingly, removing the joy buzzer she had been hiding and putting it in her mane.
Sunset shook hooves with her. She was a bit miffed to have been fooled by such an old joke. She smiled anyway, chasing away the tear with a little magic.
"She is a party planner, a prankster, and an amazing baker, but if I may give you a recommendation, it is this one. If Pinkie Pie does or says something that seems weird to you, don't try to understand it. I experienced it myself. In the end, I just gave up on the idea of explaining her faculties. A question that starts with 'How,' is often answered with, ‘because it's Pinkie Pie’."
"I think I will remember that," said Sunset.
Twilight nodded to her next friend. "Applejack."
As Pinkie Pie returned back to her original spot, Applejack came forward. Grasping the leg that had just been electrified by Pinkie, she offered Sunset a firm and vigorous hoofshake. "It's a pleasure to meet you for sure, Miss Sunset."
"She and her family run Sweet Apple Acres. She is an honest worker who is always ready to help. She also knows a thousand recipes when it comes to apples. Don’t lie to her; she’ll know."
"Pleasure shared," Sunset said, wondering what was worse—the previous prank, or Applejack's strength, given the state of her hoof.
Twilight said next, "Rarity."
Applejack took her place alongside the others, replaced with Rarity, who made a distinguished bow. "My dear, you will have to tell me about your travels to Japony. I am sure it will give me some ideas for my next collection."
"She has her own fashion boutique, she makes the rain and sunshine in the fashion world or on social occasions, and she always has a heart of gold whenever the opportunity arises."
"After a good night of sleep, why not?" Sunset said, smiling.
Twilight nodded to another friend. "Rainbow Dash."
As soon as Rarity turned around, Rainbow moved in a flash to Sunset, messing up the unicorn’s mane in the process. Sunset coughed while she put her mane back in place. "I'm glad to meet you, Sunset Shimmer," she said, stretching out her hoof to hoofbump with Sunset.
"She takes care of Ponyville’s weather. She's the fastest pegasus—the only one who can make a Sonic Rainboom. "
"Oh, yeah? I'd like to see that."
"Any time you want! Even now, no problem!"
"Later, if you don't mind. Introductions are not over," Sunset said.
Rainbow Dash looked at the others. She smiled sheepishly, rubbing her mane with a hoof, before turning to Sunset. "Okay, okay, okay. Later," she said, taking her place so Twilight could introduce the last of her friends.
"Fluttershy."
The pegasus avoided Sunset's gaze. She rubbed one leg with the other. "H-hello," she whispered.
"At first sight, she is fierce, but she takes care of any wounded animal. She's been in charge of Philomena since... the disappearance... of Princess Celestia."
Applejack raised an eyebrow, looking at Twilight.
Sunset gave Fluttershy a short bow. "Thank you for that." She walked towards the little dragon, smiling. "And you must be Spike, Twilight's friend and assistant. She told me about you when we were in Canterlot."
For a moment, he looked at the new mare in the eyes. "Yes, it's me." He proudly puffed up his chest, lifting his head high, claws on his hips. "I put your saddlebag in the bedroom when Pinkie was preparing the party. She said you were going to stay for a while."
Sunset was surprised. "How..." She quickly changed her mind, smiling. "Because it's Pinkie Pie, I guess."
Twilight, with Celestia's old saddlebags on her back, headed towards the stairs. She had to force herself to smile. "I'll be right back, girls. Start the party. I'll take this up to my room," she said before going upstairs.
The celebration soon began. Sunset laughed as they began asking her many questions about her life and travels, unaccustomed to being the centre of attention. However, two of the mares were more focused on the door Twilight had closed behind her.
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"She lied," said Applejack quietly.
"It wasn't a real smile," added Pinkie Pie.
"You thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’, sugarcube?"
"Tickle her until she smiles again?"
"Or we go ask her what's wrong instead?"
"What about... we tickle her, and THEN ask her?" suggested Pinkie Pie, bouncing excitedly.
Applejack rolled her eyes, then began to climb the stairs, closely followed by Pinkie.
In Twilight’s bedroom, she was staring at her collection of Celestia's scrolls. Her morale was lower than ever before as she put her letter from Celestia away with the others. She wanted to cry, but couldn't. Sunset’s arrival was the only positive end to this succession of stabs. She jumped when the door opened, turning around to see the two earth ponies coming in before Pinkie closed the door behind her.
"Twilight, are you okay, sugarcube?"
"Yes, I'm fine," she replied, forcing a smile.
"Twilight, if there was something wrong, you'd tell us, wouldn't you?"
"Yes, of course, I..." Her smile faded. "...I would have told you."
"Spike told us that you received a message from Princess Luna and went to see her. Do you want to talk about it?"
"I..." Twilight's heart had preserved itself all this time by denying the truth. Thanks to Sunset's presence, she had remained in a bubble of denial, refusing to accept Celestia's death. Unconsciously, she knew she would have to tell others sooner or later. She was trying to postpone this fateful moment. She didn't want to say it; she couldn't accept the truth. "I'll say it after the party in honour of Sunset's arrival," she said, trying to buy time.
"Oh, don't worry, it's already over," said Pinkie Pie, her mane slightly less poofy as she opened the door. Sunset, Spike, and Rarity fell head first to the floor, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash falling on them.
Twilight turned her back on her friends, retreating a little more. "These scrolls are not at all in the right order. You have to put them in chronological order, not alphabetical order. I will do it right away," she said, her voice trembling. She used telekinesis to organise the scrolls differently, putting her heart into the work.
The others looked at each other. Only Pinkie Pie seemed to understand, her mane almost flat, her ears drooping.
"Twilight, tell us what's going on!" Applejack said, coming back to the charge.
The young princess stopped fidgeting with her pile of scrolls. "Pepper has..." No, she couldn't say it so brutally. "... spoken to Princess Luna. A short time ago." She held back a sob. "I'm sorry, Sunset. I didn't want to talk about it until you all got here." She could no longer contain her tears as they rolled down her cheeks. "Princess Celestia is... she is..." She didn't have the strength to say such a simple word. She didn't want to accept it. She refused it! She lashed out with her hoof, breaking a shelf, the books collapsing on the floor. Then, she no longer felt the strong desire to deny it. She might as well tell them. “... Dead. Princess Celestia was killed by Pepper. She was after her magic. She wanted to be able to raise the Sun. That’s what she said to Princess Luna."
Every creature baulked at this revelation.
Fluttershy fell unconscious.
Rarity also fell unconscious, but in a much more elegant way.
Applejack took off her hat to observe a minute of silence.
Pinkie Pie cried silently, her body wracked with sobs and spasms, her smooth mane framing the right side of her anguished face.
Sunset shook her head, in tears, before bringing her hoof to her mouth.
Spike fell on his knees, crying hot tears.
Rainbow Dash looked at everyone else, frightened, before turning to Twilight with a desperate smile. "It can't be! This is a joke! Pepper's not a monster! She would never do such a thing!"
Twilight turned to Rainbow with unbridled anger. "I, too, would have liked to keep my head buried in the sand, but you saw her, Rainbow Dash! Her aura turned yellow! Princess Luna said that Pepper set the sun before her eyes! We have to face the truth. She killed Princess Celestia. She was here to do just that from very the beginning! She lied to us all, Rainbow!"
The pegasus turned away, her eyes fogging with tears, her maw twitching upward with anger. Suddenly, she fled. As soon as she left the house, she flew away and disappeared into the horizon as fast as she could, leaving a Sonic Rainboom in her wake. Twilight locked herself in a bubble of anger, staring at a corner, still crying.
Applejack put her hat back on as she met Sunset's gaze. Sunset looked at her with a sympathetic glance, but had no idea what to do first.
Pinkie was still crying by herself. Sunset, barely knowing her, looked at Applejack, gesturing towards their friend. Applejack approached Pinkie.
Sunset gently lifted Spike with her magic, offering him a shoulder to cry on before approaching Twilight. She began quietly. "Twilight, I understand why you didn't tell me before. I don't blame you. But you have to channel your anger; you can't let it control you."
Twilight glared at Sunset. "How can you act so cold when I just said Princess Celestia is dead?!" A wick of her mane started burning.
Sunset slapped Twilight with the back of her hoof, snapping her out of her rage. Her ignited flame became part of her mane again. Sunset’s chin trembled for a moment, tears flowing again. "Make no mistake, I'm as devastated as you are. But I can't afford to let my feelings push me to act rashly again. Princess Celestia asked me to look after you, and I intend to do so, Twilight."
Twilight felt pitiful compared to Sunset. She’d let her feelings run rampant, whereas Sunset kept control of herself. She sank to her haunches, her head down, her face tightened by her self-loathing as she let her shame invade.
Sunset watched Twilight for a moment, doubting whether she could find the words to get her out of this spiral. She placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Don't just stand there. Go lie down. I’ll be here when you feel better," she whispered.
As Twilight climbed the stairs to the mezzanine with Spike's assistance, Sunset found the extra bed. She set it up for Rarity and Fluttershy. Applejack and Pinkie left the room before Sunset, who looked at the place one last time. Not knowing what was waiting for her, she took her saddlebags and katana, then closed the door gently.
Once downstairs, Pinkie started to put away the party decorations. Applejack and Sunset came to help her, the latter first leaving her bag in a corner. "Usually my surprise parties end better than that," Pinkie commented, her head lowered, ears flattened against her skull.
"It's my fault," Applejack said. "If I hadn't pushed Twilight, we'd still be celebrating for sure."
Sunset wrapped her forelegs around Pinkie's neck in a comforting embrace. "When I left Japony to come home, I thought that nopony would be here to welcome me. And you, Pinkie Pie, without knowing me, offered me the most beautiful welcome. If we hadn’t had a good connection, I think I would have started crying. So, from the bottom of my heart—thank you."
"It must be contagious, because I want to cry now," exclaimed Pinkie Pie, her mane reshaping to full lushness. Tears gushed from her eyes like a fountain as she embraced Sunset, her words a balm to her heart.
"Pinkie... the decorations..." Sunset gasped, slapping Pinkie on the back as she unintentionally strangled her.
"Oh, that's right," said Pinkie before separating from Sunset. Pinkie sniffed and wiped her tears before picking up where she had left off.
As they were cleaning up, Sunset thought about the situation. She realised that she knew so little that she risked ruining the morale of Twilight's two friends. "Say, you look like you're holding up, but... Do you think the others will be okay? I think we can exclude Twilight, since it's obvious she's going to need time to recover."
Applejack and Pinkie Pie exchanged a look before continuing to detach the banners.
"Rarity will certainly make black the signature trend for her autumn collection. It’s possible she might overwork herself to keep her mind occupied," said Applejack.
"The animal caretaker will have to be taken care of," said Pinkie Pie in a failed joke attempt, not having the morale to find anything better than that.
"Rainbow Dash—"
"Rainbow was good friends with Pepper," Pinkie cut in.
"You're telling the truth, Pinkie. I don't know what's gonna be the hardest thing for her. Accepting the idea that Pepper lied all this time, or that she... did what she did."
Sunset asked, "Before this, did Pepper ever do anything wrong?"
"Except for her first day that ended in prison, no. She hung out mostly with Rainbow and Princess Luna, sometimes Fluttershy. Mostly for a free meal. For the rest of us—Twilight, Rarity, and I—she avoided us like a herd of cows would flee a snake."
"She became interested in my storage pockets. Once or twice she came to see me right before dawn, when I was preparing deliveries for Sugarcube Corner. And even though I'm as up for a prank as Rainbow Dash is, I was always the last to know about hers."
"Your storage pockets?" asked Sunset.
"Yep," said Pinkie Pie, before she pulled her festive cannon out of her mane. "Where I keep the important things."
Sunset's jaw dropped. She turned to Applejack, pointing at the festive cannon.
Applejack shrugged. "And again, she didn't mention her Pinkie Sense."
Sunset, her jaw still on the floor, turned to Pinkie.
"Twilight spent a full day trying to prove that there was an explanation for my Pinkie Sense. After being chased away by a four-headed hydra, she gave up, just accepting that there were things she couldn't explain scientifically."
Sunset suddenly grew a mischievous smile. "Oh, I bet I could explain it easily."
Applejack and Pinkie exchanged a curious glance, then approached Sunset. "Could you, Sugarcube?" Applejack asked.
"Yes," Sunset replied, looking at Applejack, before pointing at Pinkie. "Because it's Pinkie Pie."
The three mares had a laugh together.