Studying Abroad

"So you mean to tell me that you adopted a filly?" Luna asked.

"Yes Luna, I adopted her. I was lonely and depressed since the...huh...incident, and I had been considering adopting a foal for a while seeing as I can't have my own..." Celestia replied, slightly teary eyed as Luna hugged her sister. They spent the next hour looking through the scrapbook.

Back to where Sunset Shimmer was, it was now around ten o'clock and the girls decided to go to the Cake's sweet shop and make a game plan so they can gather some more information on the Twilight Sparkle of this world.

"How about we spy on her?" Pinkie Pie  suggested.

"Pinkie, how can we spy on her if we don't know where she is?" Rainbow asked/

"But we do know where she is! She's right there!" Pinkie exclaimed as they all looked to the left and there she was, ordering something.

"How..." Rainbow started, but was shushed by Applejack.

The six then saw her leaving and they decided to go with Pinkie's idea and spy on her. They followed her for a good twenty minutes until she finally stopped at a park bench where a girl almost identical to Sunset Shimmer was.

"So did you find out anything about Canterlot High?" she asked.

"Nothing...though I did notice this one girl who is almost identical to you there...she even has the same name as you..." 'Twilight' replied.

What? Another me? Are you serious?" she asked.

"That's not all, a lot of the students at that school were apologizing to me claiming they thought I was someone else...do you think there might be another me as well? Because I have never seen any of them before until now..." she replied.

"I don't know Twi, it's a possibility, but how can you explain that without sounding crazy? It just doesn't make any sense scientifically..." the 'other' Sunset Shimmer exclaimed.

"I know...that's why- I know it's hard to believe- but have you ever considered it to be because of magic...?" 'Twilight' said.

"Really Twilight, magic? There's no such thing..." 'Sunset' replied.

That was all the girls needed to hear to leave the area to discuss what they just heard.

"How did she manage to come to that conclusion...and so quickly?" Rainbow asked.

"Well, she is an alternate to Princess Twilight...who is practically a super-genius..." Sunset replied.

"Whatever it is, she is still onto us...we can't let her figure it out..." Applejack exclaimed.

"What do you think she's planning to do if she finds out?" Fluttershy asked.

"I don't know, but I don't want to find out..." Sunset replied.

Little did they know, this worlds Twilight and Sunset were listening in on the girls' conversation.

"See? I told you so!" 'Twilight' whispered to 'Sunset' in triumph.

"I...I can't believe it...and no one else will seeing as we have no evidence..." she replied.

"Well then, I'll just have to find some then..." she replied.

Later on that day, the girls decided to go to the mall. It was now going on two o'clock in the afternoon. As they were walking, Sunset Shimmer collided with the other one!

"Oh my gosh! I am so sorry..." the other Sunset started, but then stopped when she saw who she had collided with her. Twilight helped her up, as did Fluttershy to their Sunset Shimmer.

"Oh no..." Sunset mumbled under her breath.

"So, is this the 'Sunset Shimmer' girl you were telling me about? Funny, how we both look the same and have the same name..." the Sunset Shimmer from this world said.

Sunset laughed awkwardly. She just hoped Princess Twilight wouldn't send her a message right now...It would appear that faith was not on her side today, because the book started to vibrate. though no one could hear it, Sunset could feel it in her backpack. Her face seemed a bit more panicked now.

"Are you alright sugarcube?" Applejack asked.

"Th-the book..." she whispered so only Applejack and the girls could hear.

"Say, Sunset can you come with me? I need some ideas as to what I should get Sweetie Belle for her birthday..." Rarity said, attempting to cover for Sunset.

"S-sure Rarity!" she replied as they fled the area. once they were in a secluded area, Sunset Shimmer took out the book and began to read:

Dear Sunset Shimmer,

I would totally LOVE it if you came back to Equestria with me! Err...that is so you and Princess Celestia can fix things. I know she would most likely say the same thing. The only advice I can give you is to follow your heart and make what you think is the right choice! So, have you found out anything on the Twilight Sparkle of that world?

Your friend,

Twilight Sparkle

P.S: If you so wish to report your findings on friendship to me, by all mean go ahead. Just don't feel obligated to send me a 'friendship report' alright?

Susnet couldn't help but notice the way Twilight had written the message. It seemed almost as if she attempted to save herself when she said she'd love for her to return to Equestria with her...Sunset decided to just shrug it off.

"So what did she say?" Rarity asked.

"She told me to...follow my heart and make the right choice for me..."Sunset replied.

"Are you going to write back to her?" she asked.

"Later, we have friends to find..." she replied as they set off to find their friends in the food-court.

Meanwhile in Equestria, Princess Twilight, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were waiting for Princess Cadance to show up so they could discuss everything. Celestia felt it was time all three of them knew the complete truth about Sunset Shimmer. Finally, Cadance arrived.

"Sorry I'm late everypony! we had a...huh...slight debate at home..." she apologized.

"It's fine Cadance. Now, there is a reason why I called you all here...it's time you all knew the truth about Sunset Shimmer..." Celestia replied.

About sixteen years ago...

Princess Celestia, feeling lonely and depressed after 986 years that she had been forced to banish her sister into the moon, decided that she wanted a foal. In truth, she had always wanted to have foals of her own, but couldn't. Her and her late lover; Captain Solar Eclipse, the captain of her royal guard at the time, had tried many times for a child, but to no avail. Finally, she realised that her only remaining option was to adopt. So later on that day, she went to the orphanage in Canterlot.

"Good afternoon your majesty, what brings you here today?" a mare  with a grey coat, brown mane and tail along with piercing green eyes answered the door.

"Good afternoon Mrs. Glodheart, I was actually hoping to adopt a foal..." Celestia replied.

"Well, why didn't you say so! Come in! Come in! Was there a specific age or gender you wanted?" she asked as she invited the princess inside and lead her to her office.

"Not really..." the princess replied.

"Well, how about we start with the little ones? We found a little filly on our doorstep last night...might be a couple weeks old at most..." she said as she went to get the little filly in question.

A few instants later, Mrs. Goldheart had returned with a little yellow-orange colored filly bundled up in a pink blanket. The filly would have a mane of yellow and red when she grew older. As soon as Celestia saw the filly, she knew that she wanted her. There was something about her...

"I wish to adopt this filly" she said.

"Excellent. What shall be her name? She hasn't one yet..." Mrs. Goldheart asked.

"Hmm...Sunset Shimmer" Celestia said. She thought the name was fitting of the child.

"What a pretty name!" Mrs. Goldheart said as she started on the adoption papers.

After sometime, everything was in order and the princess brought her new daughter home.

"So you adopted Sunset Shimmer?" Asked Cadance.

"Yes" Celestia replied.

"That would explain a lot, actually..." the Princess of Love replied.

As the years went by, Sunset and Celestia became so close that they were almost inseparable. But sadly, all good things come to an end. One evening, Sunset Shimmer, age thirteen, went inside her mother's room to fetch one of her books she had left in there. While searching for her book, she accidentally dropped book on the floor. It was actually Celestia's journal. It was opened to the page that was dated to the day that Celestia had adopted Sunset Shimmer. It read:

After 986 years, something good finally happens to me! As I have most likely already mentioned in this journal, I am sadly unable to have foals of my own. Solar Eclipse and I have tried many times, but we were told that I was barren. But today, I went to the orphanage in town and adopted the cutest little unicorn filly! I am so happy I brought her home with me today. Mrs. Goldheart told me that she was stranded on the doorstep of the orphanage last night...the poor thing! Anyway, when she first showed me this filly, I knew that I wanted to raise her. There was just something about her...I decided to give her the name Sunset Shimmer. It just seemed to fit!

There was also a picture of a filly Sunset Shimmer on the page. Sunset now had mixed emotion, but the one that stood out most was anger. What she thought was her mother had lied to her for all those years! She knew that Princess Celestia would most likely be in her personal library, so that's where she went.

"Wait a second, you're barren?" Luna asked.

"Yes. I cannot ever bear a child...anyway, this is when the argument ensued..." Celestia replied.

"How could you!" was all Sunset Shimmer could say to her supposed mother at the moment.

"Sunset, what's wrong?" Celestia asked.

"How could you not tell me that I was adopted?" Sunset yelled.

"Sweetie, I..." the Princess of the Sun started, but was soon cut off by her daughter.

"I can't believe you would hide something so major from me!" Sunset yelled.

"Sunset..." Celestia attempted to get a word in, but to no avail.

"I just want to know why?" Sunset exclaimed.

"Sunset, listen to me; you don't understand yet, but you will when you're older, please can we talk about this then? I truly wasn't prepared for this..." Celestia said as Sunset groaned in complete and utter frustration.

"Ugh! I hate you!" Sunset's words echoed in Celestia's ears. Sunset had fled the room in tears. Celestia took off after her a couple seconds after only to find that her daughter was gone. Celestia knew where she had gone; through the mirror. Celestia spent a good week in front of that mirror, hoping that her daughter would return to her.

"I actually remember that week...I spent most of it with Cadance, except for at night..." Twilight said.

"Well, now you all know the truth..." Celestia said.

"You miss her, don't you?" asked Cadance.

"More than anything..." Celestia replied, small tears forming in her eyes.

Suddenly, a pink aura engulfed Twilight's saddlebag. She was getting a message from Sunset Shimmer! She grabbed the book with her magic and read it:

Dear Princess Twilight,

I have found out a few things about this world's Twilight:

• She graduated from high school early and is going to attend University in a few weeks.

• She has a brother 'Shining Armor' (doesn't your brother have the same name?) who is in the army and is married to Mi Amore Cadenza (though I hear she likes to be called 'Cadance'...everyone loves her!)

• Her best friend is the Sunset Shimmer from this world

• She is going to university to become a scientist of just about every field...(that's going to take a while to finish all that school...)

That's all I got for now, and I will let you know if I find out more. Also, I haven't decided if I will come back to Equestria or not, but I will give myself until you come back to decide...If you wish to tell Princess Celestia, go ahead, just be sure to say that I might come back, it isn't guaranteed yet...

I also decided that when I learn something new about friendship, I will report it to you. which reminds me...

Today we literally bumped into the other Twilight and the other me. It was also at that time that you had sent me your last message. though no one saw the book glow, I could feel it vibrating in my backpack. Thankfully, Rarity managed to help me get out of that situation. I learned today that a true friend will always be there to help you when you need it most!

Your faithful student,

Sunset Shimmer