We're not so Different

The hour had gone by and Twilight had all her things ready and packed for the trip and now all that needed to be done was wait was Sunset. The minutes felt like hours and Twilight was really hoping things were right with the portal on the other side, the book was in fine condition and the portal had recently be updated and tweaked after some repairs. Sunset was tar...tar...Tardy! Twilight knew that people got tied up but a big pet peeve was ponies or humans were tardy, she was a patient mare for sure but she was trying to stay on schedule and now she was officially three minutes and forty five seconds off schedule!

"Twilight..." Starlight deadpanned

"Hm? Yes?" Twilight said nervously and suddenly startled.

"You're nervous pacing again..." Starlight face-hoofed but chuckled regardless

"I am? But I don't feel like I'm trotting around..." Twilight began

"That's because your flying..." Starlight interrupted using her magic to bring Twilight down and sat her on her haunches.

"Oh...eheheh...oopsy..." Twilight said sheepishly with an embarrassed blush and equally sheepish goofy smile

"Why are you so nervous? Isn't she your friend?" Starlight asked quizzically

"Well yes of course it's just...I don't know, it's been so long since she's properly been back in Equestria...what if she changes her mind at the last minute or if something comes up or-" Twilight started to say as she sat in front of the portal with her back turned

"Hi Twi!" Sunset said happily in Twilight's ear

"Eeeeep!"  Twilight yelped shooting into the air

"Gyah!" Starlight jumped back surprised by the amber coated mare with a fiery gold and crimson mane.

"Hahahaha still doesn't get old...got cha Twi!" Sunset grinned and giggled

"What...huh...how...when did you-" Twilight sputtered over her words with an embarrassed blush on her face

"While you were flight pacing, I used an invisibility spell and waited a little bit...geez I heard that was a nervous habit for pegasi but who knew it'd translate to you...you're just so easy" Sunset said through her chuckling as she flipped her a mane a little to look up at Twilight.

"Ha-Ha very funny...nyeeeeah" Twilight stuck out her tongue at Sunset and turned her nose up before she teleported down to Sunset and gave the mare a inviting and friendly hug. "Welcome back to Equestria Sunset Shimmer."

"Thanks Twi...So...where is it?" She returned her friends hug and once they broke she looked around with an eyebrow raised.

"Wheres what?" Twilight asked cocking her head to the side genuinely curious

"My welcome back to Equestria party...I'm sure Pinkie planned one right?" Sunset gave a knowing grin

"Knowing that mare she probably di-" Twilight started

"HI SUNSET!" shouted Pinkie who appeared out of nowhere in typical pinkie fashion with a earsplitting smile on her face

"Gyah!" Sunset jumped in the air and grabbed onto the hanging ornament in the room and looked down to see a grinning pony pinkie pie.

"Ha-ha! Not so funny when the horseshoes on the other hoof!" Twilight said triumpantly pointing a hoof up at Sunset who in response rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at the pony princess."Hi...pinkie pie...wait...are you pony pinkie or human pinkie?"

"Yes!" Pinkie nodded with a grin

"Uh...that's not what I-" Sunset began

"Anywhozzle I can't stay long, got a big trip with the cakes to a desert convention in Baltimare and I can't be too late, just thought I'd drop off your welcome to ponyville and back to Equestria party before I go!" Pinkie said hopping up and down excitedly.

Uh how is that even possi-" Sunset began again

"LOAD THE PARTY CANNON!" Pinkie said donning a pair of shades similar to that of Vinyl scratch. It was then Pinkie brought out a party cannon much larger than her normal one and Sunset's eyes contracted to the size of pinpricks. It was large, blue, covered in graffttii like art done by someone who loves a lot of dubstep and it read "Party Crasher" in pink and blue lettering and it bore Pinkie's cutie mark as well. It buckled, shimmered and shook, the energy tubes along the sides filling with pink, blue and yellow energy and the cannon barrel was pointed directly at Sunset as it energy built up. Pinkie scanned Sunset with some kind of scouter device and after pushing a few buttons she turned to Sunset with an almost sinisterly happy grin.

"Oh horseapples..." Sunset said a small pray in her head. Twilight if I die I wanna tell you that I've always really, really, really liked yo-

"GET DOWN!" Twilight and Starlight both said taking cover.

"YOU KNOW THE OLD SAYING....MARES LOVE CANNONS!!!!" It was then Pinkie fired off the cannon and Sunset just managed to get out of the way by teleporting and when the confetti and glitter cleared the entire room had been morphed into what could only be described as the perfect welcome home party for Sunset and the only thing missing were guests.

"Okay seriously there is NO WAY she can do that without some kind of magic!" Starlight said completely aghast and in awe

"You clearly haven't known Pinkie that long...but wow...this is a bit much...even by Pinkie standards. I swear if my Pinkie comes out with something like thi-ah ponyfeathers...so that's why she was asking Twilight to make those improvements to those party cannons she used at the friendship games!" Sunset face-hoofed.

"Pinkie! I told you to be careful! The upgrades we made to your party cannon are very sensitive!" Twilight said in a huff

"Wait you helped upgrade her party cannon?" Starlight asked in total surprise.

"It was a birthday gift...ehehe i maaaaaaay have gone a wee bit overboard by integrating a magic motherboard system and a few other special bells and whistles...like a party scouter that scans the desired pony and tailors the perfect party to them in just a few seconds! I have to say its some of my finer wor-" Twilight had a small smug grin as she talked about her technological advancement.

"Neeeeeeeeeeeeeerd" Starlight and Sunset said bat the same time teasingly causing Twilight to blush in embarrassment and them to blush in awkwardness but regardless they are shared a laugh

"Hmph that's 'Princess Nerd' to you two..." Twilight turned her nose up and puffed out her cheeks indignantly with a hrumph.

"Heheh yes you're royal geekness whatever you say." Sunset said with a grin

"Yeah totally you're majestic dorkness we will forever obey your nerdy rule" Starlight said teasingly with a cheeky smirk standing next to Sunset.

"Oh hello you must both be the twins Sunset Pot and Starlight Pot, my name is Princess Kettle Sparkle, I have wonderful news for you both...ahem...YOU'RE BOTH VERY BLACK TODAY" Twilight snapped with a huff and stuck her tongue out at the two cackling mares.

They all shared a laugh eventually and when the laughing had finally died down Pinkie came back over.

"Besides Princess Nerd Kettle Sparkle, it's not like anypony got hurt see!" Pinkie motioned to the aforementioned perfect party that was spread across the main room where the cutie map and their thrones sat. The colors of the streamers and balloons were all gold red and orange, there was a big banner that read "Welcome Home Sunset Shimmer!" in neat fiery like lettering, sparklers placed around the room  and all the balloons were even in the shape of her cutie mark. The literal icing on the cake...was an actual cake...a very big cake and it happened to be Sunset's favorite and the very sight of it made the fiery maned mare drool a little bit as she stared at it as Derpy Hooves would a muffin or Twilight an ancient book or Rainbow Dash an fresh brewed Cider.

"I-Is that..." She gulped and her tongue lolled out of her mouth and she moved forward slowly.

"An eight layer ice cream cake with all of your favorite flavors of ice cream perfectly blended and magically enchanted to be un-meltable so you can enjoy it for as long as you like without fear of it melting and won't give you brain freeze so you can eat as much as you want? hehehehe....maaaaaaaybe-" It was then Pinkie ducked to avoid Sunset diving in for the cake until the overly excited mare was stopped by a magical field from Twilight

"GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME!!!!" Sunset said rapidly wanting to devour the delicious treat that she had only ever seen in her dreams, her eyes literal stars and tongue hanging out of her mouth and hooves stretched out to take the cake.

"Easy Sunset, you haven't even introduced yourself to my other student here"

"I swear if Celestia shows up and steals this cake Twilight...we're fighting...princess or not" Sunset deadpanned narrowing her eyes at Twilight in a very serious manner. It seemed she shared Celestia's love for cake but Ice cream cake was certainly her favorite and was one of her many secret weaknesses right next to power pony comics and Daring Doo novels.

"Heheh I'm liking this mare more and more" Starlight said with a chuckle.

"Anyway...Twilight's right...that was as Rarity would say...uncouth of me...I didn't mean to lose it like that but...seriously?! That cake though! I've been dreaming about having that cake for when I came home to Equestria...I know that might seem selfish but..."

"Nonsense silly filly!! You wanted to feel happy and welcomed when you came home to Equestria and to enjoy this cake with your friends...I know it's a little sad we can't all be here right now because we're ubber busy but at least you have a brand new friend in Starlight here! Ohhh! and the baby is coming!!!"

"Speaking of which, shouldn't Flurry be arriving soon Twilight?"

"Oh your right! Shining Armor is bringing her in his personal airship!"

"Your brother has an airship?!?" Starlight and Sunset asked eyes wide.

"Yup! Isn't it neat!? Hehehe...it was of my own design..." Twilight said proudly.

"Of course it is." They both said

"Hey being the princess of friendship can be boring sometimes and I had a lot of free time so I did a lot of drawing and planning and-" Twilight began to ramble.

"Wow it's almost scary how alike you and human Twilight are." Sunset said with a chuckle shaking her head.

"Um Twilight...you also have to go meet with Luna and Celestia." Spike said as he walked into the room. "Sup Shimmer" Spike said

"You know I sometimes forget that your a dragon..."

"Why? What is he when he goes to your world?"

"A dog."

"ehehehe..."

"Hm....that's funny...he told me he turned into a rugged young man" Starlight said teasingly casting a glance at spike

"Sure if a charming young man can fit in Twilight's backpack and loves doggie treats and belly rubs from Rarity...then sure total." Sunset replied with a chuckle

"Alright, alright you got me...anyway Twi-" Spike said noticing that Twilight was gone and he burped up a note and read it aloud.

'Couldn't be more tardy, teleported away while you were teasing Spike, Flurry will arrive in approx. 2 hours according to Shining Armor's last report, keep an eye out for the airship...you can't miss it and you'll know when it's arrived. In my study is a list of things that Flurry will need and a few other things that will help with her care; sorry to  port and run but you know I hate being tardy! Have fun with Flurry and with each other.'

-Twilight'

PS: Pinkie left with me, I ported her to the train station to meet with the cakes.

PPS: Have fun girls! -Pinkie

"Ugh I hate when she does that...anyway i'm out too, gotta meet up with sweetie belle and the crusaders." Spike said burning the letter and headed out of the room waving bye to the two mares.

"Bye Spike, say hi to the girls for me and tell them congrats on their cutie marks for me too!"

"Ditto, see ya around Spike" Starlight said rolling her eyes with a chuckle and turned to Sunset. "Anyway I suppose formal introductions are in order...Starlight Glimmer...former evil mare now personal pupil to Princess Twilight." Starlight said with a slight sheepish smile as she extended a hoof to Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset chuckled and took the mares hoof and shook and smirked. "Sunset Shimmer, former student of Celestia, Queen B. of Canterlot High, Raging She-Demon and now student in friendship to Twilight Sparkle and leader of the Rainbooms."

"Wow...quite the resume you've got"

"I hear yours is nothing to snuff at either"

"Ehehe yeah...enslavement, cutie mark theft, brainwashing, torture by way of reconditioning, kidnapping a princess and the elements of harmony, attempted multiple homicide and the cherry on top? Tampering with the space time continuum...multiple times." Starlight said guilty and hung her head recounting each of her many sins.

Sunset stood there mouth agape at what the mare had just listed off and shook her head and whistled an impressed whistle. "Wow...that's um...Wow"

"And you?"

"Attempted murder of six alternate dimensional copies of the elements of harmony and Twilight, attempting to overthrow Celestia, brainwashing, blackmail, manipulation, abuse...a lot of petty but really cruel and messed up stuff while I was queen tyrant of Canterlot High School in that world...the things I did...well let's just say some people just don't forgive...Oh and the theft of the element of magic and turning into a raging she demon...still never gonna live that down" Sunset said down casting her eyes.

"Whoa...harsh...well...I um...guess Twilight was right...we do have a lot in common." Starlight grinned sheepishly.

"Yeah...anyway enough dwelling on the past though, its a party right? We've got two hours before Twilight's big brother and the baby show up, might as well enjoy it; get to know each other beyond our past experiences in our failure to murder the princess of friendship" Sunset said plainly with the wave of a hoof. "C'mon this cake won't eat itself! DIBS ON THE CUTIE MARK SECTION!" She rushed over and grabbed the cake knife near the cake and cut the cutie mark out of the cake and plopped the large slice onto a plate for herself.

"Yeah...that sounds...nice" I think i might have just found another best friend! Starlight thought in her head. I mean, Trixie is great, she's powerful, she's amazing, she's a great friend...but she's hardly ever in town unless she comes for a visit and while we do relate in that we used to be enemies of Twilights...Sunset and I are alike on a deeper level. When she thought about it, Trixie only tried to banish Twilight and take over ponyville and after having been shown up by Twilight beforehhoof...Sunset and Starlight literally tried to kill Twilight and ruin her life in very similar ways almost and yet the pony princess forgave them both and they were now humble students in friendship under her and were given a fresh start and a chance to become something better and they'd both taken it without a moments hesitation. Starlight knew about some of Sunset's fall from grace...but she yearned to know more...to get deep inside this mares mind to see just how alike they truly were and she kept wondering to herself. 'Does she feel the same about me?'