Twilight Sparkle and the Planet of the Pantsless Pony People.

Twilight stood at the bow of the small airship, watching the ground creep by below. She held her (well, technically Sunset's) cloak closed with one hand, and clung to the airship's railing with the other. The ship seemed steady enough, but Twilight didn't have any desire to test out her wings, either. The clouds were painted in early evening red as the last few rays of light valiantly glowed from the far-off horizon.

Sunset.

“Are you alright, Princess?” Flash Sentry stepped up behind Twilight. He still wore his armor, despite the scorch mark scored across the breastplate. “Sunset Shimmer didn't … mistreat you, did she?”

“No. I mean, yes.” Twilight shook her head. “I mean, I'm fine. Sunset Shimmer didn't do anything.”

“Apart from kidnapping you and taking you all the way to the Crystal Empire.”

Twilight blinked, and spared another glance down at the buildings rolling by. “Is that where we are? I … I was just in Ponyville this afternoon.”

“Ponyville?” Flash Sentry fluttered his wings in surprise. “That's two days train ride from here.”

“She used a teleportation spell.”

Flash's eyes went wider. “A teleportation spell? Over that distance? I didn't know she had that kind of power in her … “ He frowned. “I'll have to increase the security around her. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Princess.”

“Is that … really necessary?” Twilight turned to face the tall stallion. “I mean, maybe all Sunset needs is someone to just … talk to her, you know?”

“She'll be able to talk to her lawyer all she wants.” Flash Sentry said. “Now, if you'll excuse me, Princess, we're almost to the Crystal Palace, and I have a few tasks I have to finish before landing.” The tall pony gave a shallow (but no less gallant) bow before turning and heading to the rear of the ship, giving out orders to the crew as he went along.

A lifetime of devouring fantasy novels (and movies, and comics, and video games) had prepared Twilight for the sight of the Crystal Palace. It had everything that she'd been led to expect from such a place: tall spires, crenelated battlements, and so on. Faint traces of crystal (from the granite, perhaps?) glinted in the stonework, no doubt giving the Crystal Palace its name. The pony people wandering around (or flying, in the case of the occasional pegasus) were new, however. So was the airship dock.

The airship made its gentle descent to a large flat area atop one of the Crystal Palace's towers. Nude, muscular pegasi fluttered around the airship, tying down ropes and securing the ship in place. Flash Sentry stepped over the railing before the ship was fully secured, flaring his wings out to break his fall. He landed with the easy grace of a ballet dancer, and then directed several of the crewponies to haul a rolling staircase over to the airship.

“I'm sorry, Princess, but this is the best we could do under such short notice.” Flash Sentry said.

“Oh. Um. It's okay. You don't need to wheel out a brass band or anything on my account.” Twilight said as she descended the stairwell. Every pony who wasn't occupied with the running of the ship or its dock immediately stood up straight, and bowed their heads down, respectfully.

“Humble as ever.” Flash Sentry's lips turned up in a wry smile. “Equestria's lucky to have a princess like you.”

“Um. Thanks?” Twilight forced a grin and scratched awkwardly at the back of her neck. Her hooves clicked softly on the hardened planks of the airship dock as she let Flash Sentry lead her over to the doorway that no doubt went to the rest of the castle. “Uh. What about Sunset?”

“Don't worry, your majesty, we will take every precaution to make sure she's not a danger to anyone.”

“Oh.” Twilight looked over her shoulder and saw Sunset being taken down the rolling staircase. Silver chains clinked around her wrists and ankles, and a burly, scantily-clad stallion stood at either side of her. The sight could've made the cover of a racy romance novel, if Twilight didn't know the actual context.

“Now this way, Princess.” Flash Sentry snapped Twilight out of her reverie. “Your sister in law will want to know what happened.”

The inside of the Crystal Palace matched the outside: ornate, luxurious, and more than a little historically anachronistic. There wasn't a window that wasn't stained glass, or a wall that wasn't covered in tapestries. Unsurprisingly, given the general nature of the dimension, more than a few of the decorations were more than a little risque. More shocking, however, was one particular stained glass window.

Of Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight stared up at herself, done up in leaded glass. She stood, wingless but still glowing, pushing back a wave of strange, insectoid monsters. Her five best friends (the pony-people versions, anyway) stood in the background behind her, similarly glowing.

“Your highness?” Flash Sentry spoke with all the politeness of a longtime civil servant. “I know that window was just put in recently, but perhaps it might be better if Princess Cadance could tell you about it herself? She was the one who had it commissioned, after all.”

“Oh, uh. Right.” Twilight shook her head. “Which way?”

“I've been told the Princess is in the throne room.” Flash Sentry said, and led on through the winding, high-vaulted corridors of the castle. Finally, they came to a tall set of oaken doors-- Flash Sentry said something to the two guards wearing little more than helmets, and then he and Twilight were let through.

The Crystal Palace's throne room, again, had everything Twilight had come to expect from such a place. Pony people, possibly nobles of some sort to judge by their lacy and gilded accessories, stood on either side of a long red carpet that led up to a raised dais, and the two high-backed chairs resting there.

After all she'd been through, Twilight had thought she was almost used to how a dimension of nymphomaniac pony-people worked. What she saw in the throne room soon dispelled any notions of that.

The larger of the two chairs on the dais was empty-- instead, both the royal occupants had squeezed themselves onto the smaller one. A tall, pink pony-woman bounced up and down on her companion's dark-skinned cock in full view of the assembled dignitaries and courtiers. In fact, by the way she parted her legs and arced her back, it was obvious that she was showing off for her audience, facing away from her lover and towards the ponies present.

Even in a dimension that seemed to run on sex, the pony on the throne stood out. Her displayed body was, quite simply, divine. Tall and perfectly shaped, every curve and line of the pink pony's form conveyed power-- both sexual and otherwise. She wasn't a perfect goddess, however: her multi-hued hair was unkempt, and the tiara on her brow had been knocked slightly askew by her vigorous grinding.

Each push of her hips drove that firm shaft deeper between her glistening lips, and sent lewd, wet sounds echoing through the throne room. Her heavy, rose-capped tits bounced with each thrust, and the pink pony's muzzle was parted in an expression of agonized pleasure. Her ecstatic moans echoed through the throne room, loud enough to make Twilight briefly marvel at the room's acoustics.

Between the wings, the horn, and the wantonly debauched behavior, it took Twilight a moment to finally put all the pieces together.

“C-Cadance?” she blurted, holding a hand up to her mouth.

“Twilight!” Cadance's eyes flew open at the sound of her name, and she looked across the throne room. “Just give me-- ah –a moment.” With that, Cadance set her lips in a determined line, and forced herself downwards, taking that cock even deeper within her. The stallion beneath her moaned, and pushed his hips upwards in an erratic spasm, which caused Cadance to shiver in satisfaction. This done, she gingerly stood, the insides of her thighs smeared with the sticky evidence of her coupling.

Polite applause rose from the audience.

Cadance ignored them, instead whisking across the throne room to scoop Twilight up in a warm, inviting hug that would've been comforting if she wasn't naked and reeking of sex. “What a surprise! If I'd known you were coming, I would've rescheduled.” Cadance stood taller than Twilight-- taller than anyone else in the room, for that matter, which put her abundant pink breasts right at Twilight's face-level.

“Rescheduled?” Twilight's voice was muffled by the close contact. If she closed her eyes, it wasn't as awkward-- at least, that's what she told herself.

“You know how it is--” Cadance went on, chatty. She'd apparently regained her breath in the few moments since she'd noticed Twilight. “Not only do I need a heir, but tradition says it's got to be a 'legitimate' one, so at least once a day, your brother and I have to let everyone see what we're up to. I don't mind showing off, but it takes some of the spontaneity out of it, you know?”

“Uh.” Twilight blinked. “Did you say brother?”

“Twily!” Shining Armor (or, at least the naked and ponified version of him) swept into the group hug. Twilight tensed, and tried very hard not to think about just which part of his anatomy was touching the outside of her thigh.

Cadance blinked, and set her hands on Twilight's shoulders, turning her to look her in the eye. “Hold on, are you alright? You look like hell. And what's this for?” She picked at the gray mantle hanging around Twilight's shoulders.

“It's … it's complicated.” Twilight glanced around, suddenly self conscious. “Can we … um. Can we talk about this somewhere private?”

“Of course.” Cadance nodded. “Shining and I usually go to our private bathchamber to clean up after we show off for the court. You can join us-- you look like you could use a bath.” Cadance flicked a speck of sawdust from Twilight's hair. “We'll talk there.”

The royal bathchamber (much like what one would expect from anything involving the terms 'royal' or 'chamber') was enormous, bigger than some of the houses she'd seen in Ponyville. On top of that, the fixtures were entirely anachronistic. There wasn't anything to show the marble tile hadn't been laid along with the rest of the castle's medieval-looking stones, and yet the bathchamber had nearly every modern amenity she could think of. Twilight supposed hot and cold running water was explained easily enough (after all, the Romans had figured it out thousands of years ago), but that didn't explain some of the other luxuries offered.

Like the hot tub.

Still, musing over the technological implications of a potentially ancient, potentially magical hot tub at least was enough to distract Twilight from other, more uncomfortable thoughts.

Thoughts about the other people in the hot tub, for example.

“Are you alright?” Cadance, Princess Cadance, asked. The bubbling water of the hot tub concealed most (but not all) of her sculpture-worthy body. “You're still … tense.”

“It's alright, Twily.” Thankfully, even more of Shining Armor's body was concealed by the water. “Flash Sentry told me everything. You're safe here.”

“Um. I'm not sure if he told you everything.” Twilight said, and slumped down low enough for the warm water to tickle the underside of your chin. She fixed her eyes on one of the hot tub's faucets, and reminded herself that communal bathing had a long and established history through several different cultures across the world.

“Oh.” Cadance held a hand up to her mouth. “Sunset Shimmer didn't--”

“What? No!” Twilight blurted, just barely managing to avoid a noseful of water. “Sunset didn't do anything!”

“Except kidnap you.” Shining Armor added on, frowning.

“Except that.” Twilight closed her eyes. “It's just that … it's … more complicated than that.”

“Complicated?” Cadance's equine ears perked forward. “You don't mean you and she are … “

“What? No! I've never even met Sunset before! Or, uh, that Sunset, at least.”

“What're you talking about?”

“Okay. So.” Twilight sat up a little straighter, and ran her hands through her damp hair. “Just so you guys know, I'm … not exactly Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

“Oh, Twilight.” Cadance's smile was kind, accepting. “Having a Princesshood thrust on you is a lot to take in-- I should know, but--”

“That's not what I meant.” Twilight said. “It's just that I'm … I'm not Twilight Sparkle. Not your Twilight Sparkle, at least?”

Shining Armor and Princess Cadance stared at Twilight-- and then, in a flash they were both on their feet. Water dripped from their perfect bodies, each droplet reflecting the glint of magic that glowed on each of their horns.

“Posing as Twilight? That's low, even for you, Chrysalis.” Shining Armor said.

“I told you what would happen if I ever saw you again.” Cadance's voice had lost all its characteristic warmth, fueled by the righteous anger of a woman scorned.

“I'm not a Chrysalis!” Twilight scrambled out of the hot tub as quickly as she could, stumbling over the edge as she did so. “I don't even know what a Chrysalis is!” She fell on her tail, and stared up at the extradimensional versions of her brother and her brother's girlfriend as they bore down on her. “I'm just an alternate universe occurrence of Twilight Sparkle who stumbled into your dimension by accident! Just ask Twilight! Other Twilight! Your Twilight!”

Cadance and Shining Armor blinked, and then turned to look at each other, sharing the quizzical, nonverbal communication so common to happily married couples. Gradually, they relaxed, and the arcane glow around the both of them faded away.

“Let's say you're telling the truth.” Shining Armor said, wary. “That still doesn't explain why you were with Sunset Shimmer.”

“She thought I was the real Twilight Sparkle! Or, um, this dimension's Twilight Sparkle. She … might have been planning to steal her magic in a supervillainous plot to take over the world.”

“What?” Shining Armor said. “I knew she was a criminal, but I didn't think she was that evil.”

“She's not!” Twilight blurted. “She's just lonely and misunderstood and wanted to prove herself! She just, um, picked a really bad way to do it. She doesn't want to hurt anyone. Really.”

“And you know this … how?” Cadance arched a brow.

“I know her! Or, um, I know my Sunset. Back in my home dimension. Even though she's actually from a third dimension unrelated to yours or mine, which is actually where I was trying to go when I wound up here, if that makes any sense.”

“Not really?” Shining Armor scratched his head. “But that does sound like something Twily would say.” He turned to Cadance, and shrugged.

“Look, Twilight-- other Twilight, is still back in Ponyville-- that is, unless she's already started looking for me. Just ask her! She'll confirm everything I said. You've got some kinda magic way to get ahold of her, right?”

Cadance's wings and shoulders slumped down a little, and she daintily stepped out of the tub. She curled her fingers, and a towel floated across the room and into her hand. She took in a deep breath, and started to dry herself off-- the simple, everyday gesture reminding somehow highlighting Cadance's casual nudity.

“I'll sent Twilight a letter.” Cadance reached up to towel her luxuriant mane off. “If what you say is true, then we'll do everything we can to help you. If you're lying … “ Cadance trailed off, and leveled an imperious gaze down at Twilight.

“I'm not!” Twilight squeaked. “Lying, that is. Ehehm.” She scratched at the back of her neck.

“We'll assign you an escort, of course, to show you around.” Cadance said.

“And keep an eye on me?” said Twilight.

“That too.” Cadance tossed her towel into a hamper, and shook out her mane with the sort of bounce normally only seen in shampoo commercials.

“I guess that's fair. But. Um. Can I make a request?”

“Within reason.”

“I'd like to talk to Sunset Shimmer.” Twilight said. “I mean, she's scared, and alone, and confused … and I bet she really needs somebody to talk to right now.”

Cadance's imperious expression melted into something far warmer and more familiar. “That's exactly what our Twilight would say.”

The Crystal Palace had a dungeon.

A real one, not the secret hidden den of overcomplicated 'accessories' that Princess Twilight had tucked away in her basement. Twilight supposed, however, that the genuine article could be put to use if Cadance and Shining Armor ever wanted to--

“Ooooh-kay, let's not think about that.” Twilight blanched, and pulled the cloak Sunset had given her back around her shoulders.

“Hm?” Flash Sentry glanced over his shoulder as he lead the way down the stairs. He'd changed out of his full battle armor to something more 'casual'-- a set of bracers around his wrists, and a chain-link belt hanging around his trim waist. Nothing else.

“Oh, uh. Nothing!” Twilight shook her head. “Just, um, thinking aloud. As you do. Or, um, as I do. That's all.”

Flash Sentry arched a blue eyebrow, and shrugged his broad shoulders. “Just checking. Now, we're almost there.” He stopped in front of a heavy oaken door, and pulled a set of keys from his belt. “Sunset Shimmer's bound in silver, to keep her magic in check, but you should still be careful.”

“I will.”

“I can go in with you, if you like?”

“I don't think that'll be necessary.” Twilight said, and pulled in a deep breath. “If she sees you, she'll think it's an interrogation. I just want to … talk, that's all.”

“Of course, Princess. But remember, I'll be out here-- call for help if you even think Sunset Shimmer tries something.”

“I don't think that'll be a problem.”

Flash Sentry nodded, and then unlocked the heavy door, letting Twilight in.

As far as jail cells went, Sunset's wasn't too bad. She had an actual bed in one corner, a toilet & sink combo in another, and even a couple of books on the nightstand. The room was well lit by a glowing crystal lamp in the ceiling, and the stone floors were dry, if not particularly welcoming.

But it was still a cell. One only had to look at Sunset Shimmer for that.

She sat on the edge of the bed, looking small and vulnerable in her nakedness. Manacles of silver were fastened around her wrists and ankles, with thin lengths of chain draping between them. Sunset looked up at Twilight, revealing the tear-tracks going down each side of her muzzle.

“You.” Sunset Shimmer hissed. “What do you want? Here to gloat?”

Twilight winced, but forced herself to step forward anyway. “I've come to help.”

“Help me.” Sunset Shimmer's chains clinked softly as she sat up straighter. “Let me guess, you're going to play Good Cop so you can squeeze a confession out of me?”

“No!” Twilight snapped. “Look, I know you feel hurt, and alone, and that nobody understands you … but you're not. I know exactly what you're going through! That's what I was trying to tell you earlier, before Flash Sentry showed up.”

“He always did know when to barge in at the worst possible time.” Sunset said with a rueful, mirthless smile.

“You know him?” Twilight looked to the heavy door, and wondered if Flash was listening in.

“We have a … history.” Sunset Shimmer said. She wiped the corner of her eye with the back of her hand. “It's complicated.”

“Everything in this dimension is.” Twilight said. “But … well, that doesn't mean it's not something we can't work through, right? I know you're not a bad person, Sunset. You just made a couple of … mistakes, that's all. Just think of what you could accomplish if you let other people help you? Think of everything you could do if you didn't waste all your time and energy on half-planned world domination schemes. Like I said before, I was kinda like you, once … but then I started making friends, and they helped me turn me into who I am today.”

“It's too late for me.” Sunset Shimmer curled in on herself, pulling her knees up to her chest. “Princess Cadance will keep me here for the rest of my life.” She shivered. Sniffled.

“No, she won't.” Twilight said, resolute. Noting Sunset's apparent discomfort, she pulled the grey cloak off of her own shoulders and draped it around those of its rightful owner once again. “I'll make sure of it.”

Sunset blinked, and looked down at the cloak, suddenly surprised. “You really mean that, don't you?” She said, both wary and grateful.

“Of course.”

A smile-- faint but genuine –crossed Sunset's lips. She stood up, suddenly-- and before Twilight could make a sound of alarm, Sunset leaned in to press her lips against hers. Twilight's gasp was muffled by the kiss, but the fleeting taste of Sunset's mouth was enough to send a thrill coursing through her whole body.

Sunset Shimmer placed her hands on Twilight's chest, and pushed her away. “Thank you.” She smiled coyly. “I really needed to hear that.”

“I-- I believe in you, Sunset.” Twilight felt her cheeks go hot, despite the cool air of the jail cell. She stretched her wings a little, suddenly acutely aware she'd given away the one item of clothing she'd had since arriving in the Crystal Empire.

“That makes at least one of us.” Sunset Shimmer said, and then tilted her head to look past Twilight too the oaken door. “But … you should probably go. Sentry'll get suspicious if you stay here too long.”

“Are you sure? You look like you could use some, uh … company.” Twilight's eyes fell to the jail's simple but comfy looking bed … which even then was large enough for two (so long as neither occupant sprawled out too much).

“Very.” Sunset Shimmer said. “Don't worry, we'll speak again. Maybe sooner than you think.” She winked, and Twilight blushed even harder.

Still, Twilight managed to turn her back on Sunset Shimmer (which only coincidentally allowed her to show off her tail and rump to the would-be conqueror), and headed to the door. No sooner had she rapped her knuckles on the heavy oak, the door swung open, revealing a concerned-looking Flash Sentry.

“Is everything alright? Are you okay?”

“It's fine. I'm fine.” Twilight forced a grin through her embarrassment. “I … it's just late, and I should get to sleep, that's all.”

“Of course, Your Highness. Let me show you to your chambers.” Flash Sentry led the way, quickly heading up the winding stairwell to the more luxurious, less secure parts of the Crystal Palace. “Will you require company?” He remained as casual as if he'd only asked Twilight what she would've liked for dinner.

“Uh.” Twilight bit the inside of her cheek. She stole a sidelong glance at Flash Sentry's tight, defined abs, along with the swaying cock dangling beneath. She wrenched her eyes upwards, however, and shook her head. “Thanks? But, um. I think I just need some sleep right now.”

“I understand, Your Highness.”

Apart from the lack of a closet, the guest bedchamber was everything a young, princess-obsessed girl could have wanted. Twilight ignored the dressing mirrors with the gilded frames, the Juliet-worthy balcony, and even the tall mahogany bookshelf occupying one wall of the room. As soon as Flash Sentry politely shut (and locked, she couldn't help but note) the door behind her, Twilight Sparkle made a beeline towards the enormous canopied bed.

Twilight flopped face-first onto the downy mattress, nearly submerging herself in the soft pillows and comforters. She sighed a ragged, desperate sigh, and sprawled out, savoring the rare moment of privacy in which nobody was around to look at her butt (or tempt her into looking at theirs).

Twilight closed her eyes, and let her exhaustion catch up with her. “Everything will be fine tomorrow.” She told herself, even though she didn't entirely believe it.

Twilight fell asleep within moments anyway.

“Hey. Twilight.”

“Hmmh?” Bleary eyed, Twilight cracked one eye open. The luxurious bedchamber was lit only by the scant moonlight seeping in through the balcony windows., but even in the relative darkness, Twilight made out the sight of someone standing at the foot of her bed. “Hhwhah?” Twilight rolled over and bolted upright, instinctively (if perhaps unnecessarily) pulling a stretch of blanket up to conceal her nakedness. “Whossat?”

“Relax, Twilight. It's me. Sunset.” The unicorn leaned forward, planting her hands on the bed. She had her cloak thrown back, revealing the lithe and feminine form beneath.

“You got out?” Twilight blurted, still reeling at the implications.

“Thanks to you.” The mattress creaked softly as Sunset Shimmer prowled her way up the length of the bed. “I wanted to come by and say … thanks.” Even in the darkness, Sunset's playful smile gleamed.

“Okay, I get it. I'm dreaming, aren't I?” Twilight laid back on a pile of pillows. “This is just my subconscious having a field day after everything I've-- ow!” Twilight gasped, and clapped her hand over the spot on her thigh where Sunset had pinched her.

“Don't worry, it's not a dream. We wouldn't want Princess Luna watching, after all.”

“Princess-- mmmph?” Twilight's question was muffled by the sudden, not entirely unpleasant sensation of Sunset's lips upon hers. Twilight splayed her wings out and laid back upon the multitude of cushions. Sunset broke the kiss, and turned her muzzle downward, using her blunt equine teeth to tease along Twilight's sensitive neck.

“Oh!” Twilight gasped. She ran her fingers through Sunset's silken red hair, and trembled.

“Mmm. Not so loud.” Sunset murmured between nibbles. “We don't want to wake anyone up, do we?”

“Oh.” Twilight said, quieter. “That's very considerate of you-OOOOH!” She arced her hips upward at the sensation of someone else's fingertips running over her already soaking pussy. Sunset silenced her with another fierce kiss, and Twilight could do little but melt under the attention. Sunset's attention remained gentle, but insistent, as she drew as much pleasure out of Twilight as she could. Sunset pushed a finger, and then a second into Twilight's pussy, curling her digits just so, seeking out (and finding) just the right spots to render Twilight into a mewling, overwhelmed mess. As if that wasn't enough, Sunset's thumb pushed up the length of Twilight's pussy, coming to circle around her justifiably engorged clit. Sunset flexed her wrist, working Twilight's needy sex for a few short eternities, until Twilight finally came. Hard.

Unable to control herself, Twilight twisted and writhed. Finally, reluctantly, she broke the kiss with Sunset, and laid back gasping for air. Looking smug, Sunset propped herself up on one elbow, and locked eyes with Twilight as she brought her sticky fingers up to her muzzle and cleaned them off in her mouth.

“So maybe I was hornier than I thought I was.” Twilight said, staring up at the canopied ceiling.

“Nothing wrong with that.” Sunset's warm breath tickled over Twilight's ear, and sent delightful trembles rippling through her whole body. “But … as pleasant as this is, we need to get moving.”

“Whah?” Twilight tried, with debatable success, to get her limbs moving again. “What are you talking about?”

“You're smart. You'll figure it out before long.” Sunset rolled off of the bed and onto her hooves with spry vigor. “There's not anything you wanted to grab on your way out, was there?”

“What? No!” Twilight flailed her legs until they were untangled from the sheets, and pulled herself out of bed after Sunset.

“Mmm. I suppose that makes sense. Cadance probably wouldn't let you anywhere near the treasury. Doesn't matter-- we can steal what we need along the way.”

“Steal what we-- what are you talking about?”

“It's just like you said!” Sunset Shimmer splayed her arms back, causing her cloak to flutter dramatically behind her in the moonlight. “I need … a friend. A friend like you.”

“Oh.” Twilight held a hand up to her mouth. “I … um … thank you?”

“No. I should thank you.” Sunset grasped Twilight's hands in hers. She smiled, and her green eyes gleamed in the moonlight. “You were right. My plans for global domination were short-sighted and foolish.”

“You're the one who said it, not me?” Twilight said, as politely as she could.

“But you, Twilight, you know how to plan ahead! Together, we'll be unstoppable!”

“You're kidding.”

“Don't put yourself down.” Sunset squeezed her fingers tighter. “You're brilliant. I can tell. You're already three steps ahead of everyone else in this castle, aren't you?”

“What're you talking about?”

“Don't play coy. You said you'd get me out … and then you did.” Sunset Shimmer laughed, verging a little too close to madness for Twilight's comfort. “You found the lockpicks sewn into my cloak, didn't you? And you knew what I'd do once I found them!”

“You had … “ Twilight stammered, and stared at Sunset. “I just thought you were cold!”

“Mmm. That's what I love about you, Twilight. You've already got a cover story.” Sunset leaned in to smooch Twilight on the nose.

Twilight sputtered and stammered-- but before she could voice any of her many protests, the door slammed open. Flash Sentry piled through, followed by several more guardsponies.

“And that's our cue,” Sunset Shimmer said, smiling.

She snapped her fingers, and the world went white.