Dear Princess Twilight,

The school year is winding down pretty fast and we’re all excited for summer break, but we’re also a little nervous, too. This is the last time we’re all going to be together at the same school.

Rarity was accepted to a prestigious design school in our Manehatten. She’ll be learning tips and techniques from some of the most famous designers in the world.

Rainbow Dash managed to gain a starting backup position in the Northern District Soccer team, but she has a lot of work to do to make it on the starting lineup of any of their teams.

The rest of us will be attending Canterlot University. Sunshine’s been accepted on a science fellowship and I’ve been granted a creative writing grant there based on a letter of recommendation from my soon to be mother-in-law. Both programs are going to be pretty tough, but I’m sure we’ll make it through.

Pinkie and Fluttershy are taking basic courses with us, and Applejack has agreed to take some basic business management classes in preparation to take over the farm after Big Mac announced that he wasn’t interested in anything but digging and planting until he was dug in and planted himself.

Our graduation is in two weeks, and three days from now is the combined bridal shower for Cadence, Sunshine and I. I’m nervous about this, more than anything else I’ve ever been nervous for before. Even letting the girls be my friends after the Fall Formal those years ago. What if I mess something up in the ceremony? I don’t know anything about being married! At the risk of sounding like you, you wouldn’t happen to have a book on that, would you?

Oh, speaking of books, I haven’t had a response from any of my last few messages. I know being a Princess and all keeps you busy – what with those friendship missions and all – so when you get a moment, I’d love to know if you and the girls there will be able to make it to the ceremony. Our band will be playing and I know Rainbow Dash will get a kick out of that if nothing else.

Your Friend,

Sunset Shimmer.

I closed the book, frowning as I returned it to the cabinet shelf that we had designated for it in our new apartment, next to the ones made for my sisters by the Princess. Twilight and I both had taken to writing to the Princess, but this strange silence the last few weeks was starting to bother me.

Add that to the fact that the emanations from the statute containing the portal had only increased since we’ve started measuring them. Not knowing what was coming, we had all taken to wearing our pendants constantly, which made things awkward for Twilight and me, since physical contact gave me insight to a person’s surface memories or emotions. It was neat in situations where she was worried about something or we were being intimate, but I had to fend off Pinkie and Fluttershy. They were, after all, the two more huggy of my friends. I had already been subjected to a second trip inside Pinkie’s mind and the strange insanity that resided there, and I had seen why Fluttershy had been so timid. Fresh waves of guilt had flooded me that day.

But the worst part was this strange creepy sense of being watched that had started to sneak up on my consciousness.
It came and went, but when I felt it my skin crawled and I felt nauseous. Twilight had felt some of the same symptoms, but nowhere near the degree I did.

One good thing that had come in recent weeks was the discovery of the reason why Twilight and I seemed to be connected as closely as we were, and why she was so subtly different from her pony counterpart. The first time she siphoned magic from me was also through the portal. Something about the way it had happened had connected us through our magic, and the increased outpouring of magic from the portal had only strengthened that bond.

I felt arms slide around me, one over my shoulder and one around my waist. I leaned back slightly into the embrace and felt a kiss land on my bare shoulder.

“I thought we talked about drifting off into la-la land like that, Sunny,” Twilight said, resting her chin on my shoulder. I smiled and tugged my tank top down a little from where her grasp had bunched it up.

“Sorry, honey,” I said, turning slightly and giving her a peck on the cheek. “Lots of changes coming up, and a lot of things to think about.”

She nuzzled me, the pony-style show of affection something that we had both adopted in our time together. It came naturally to us both now, and it was more comforting to me than she realized. I may have decided to remain in this world, but that didn’t mean that parts of me don't miss Equestria. I owned my old home there and Twilight and I had planned on spending part of our honeymoon there, as well as a short trip to one of the resorts on the beaches in their equivalent of Jamaneca.

“Surely those thoughts can wait until morning?” she whispered in my ear, her intentions flooding through me and causing a warm glow to ignite. I took one of her hands and kissed the wrist before nuzzling it.

“You go ahead and get ready for bed, sweetheart,” she whispered. “I’ll lock up and be there in a minute.”

I lingered for just a moment, looking at my love’s shape in the dim light of her namesake’s time of day. Something about her was beguiling to me, beyond her looks. Nothing could compare to how I felt about her, not even my love of magic. She stopped after a few steps, glancing back over her shoulder and catching me in the act. She smiled sexily.

“Bed, Sunset,” she said huskily. “Unless you plan on playing hard to get.”

“Too late for that, Twilight,” I said as I got up and headed for our bedroom.

“I caught you almost a year ago.”I slid my tank top off and dropped it to the floor with a wink over my shoulder. While giggling, I saw my future wife flush and hurried to the door to lock it up and check on Spike’s food and water dishes.

Too bad I was going to be in my pajamas before she made the complete circuit.

Author's Note

For those who missed the in-between stories since "Wooing" ended.