Where Nothing Can Go Wrong
Never again had Twilight felt so happy to hear the strident sound of her alarm-clock! It meant it was morning, and morning meant today was the day Sunset Shimmer was back from Fillydelphia for Christmas holiday. A big smile on her face, she punched the button off, very Rainbow Dash-like, and bounced off her bed as if she was Pinkie Pie on her road to buy cupcakes. She still had at least three hours before meeting her friend at the Canterlot Royal Station, but one girl couldn't be too cautious, right?
At least a girl such as Twilight. She never was the kind to let things be, and always liked to plan, order and check the plans. Even as a little girl, she used to impose herself rules to follow scrupulously when she played with her Smarty Pants, or with any of her toys. It triggers admiration of many but also a bit of fear from her parents, family and friends, who tend to think it was a little burdensome, sometimes.
Today wasn't any different, and because she was now much more laid-back than she used to be before meeting her bunch of friends, she still hated let things go without the minimum of preparations. In her mind, there was a precise schedule, with a space for freedom, which didn't mean a space for improvisation... First, a shower, then a beauty mask, getting dressed with the clothes she had chosen on the previous night after days of thinking it through and asking Rarity advice. Finally, closing her personal preparations, she added a dash of rose perfume on her neck and was ready to go down and spend time with her parents before they leave for work.
So far, so good. Everything had got down according to her plans. She could only hope for the rest of the day to be exactly the same...
It was difficult to hide her parents how excited she was to see Sunset Shimmer again, for the first time in weeks and weeks. Their special kind of relationship still was difficult for her to explain. They weren't exactly dating, and not only because her friend was at another university miles away from her. Even without that, they never exactly dated. But, they were more than friends, more than best friends, even. She had best friends. They were really close, they trusted each other as if they were sisters but with the advantage of not living under the same roof and all the tensions this could create.
With Sunset Shimmer, it was something else. She couldn't envision her as a sister. She couldn't envision her as her lover, neither. To be honest, she even kept on seeing Flash Sentry from time to time and knew the girl wouldn't mind much, which wouldn't be the case if they had been lovers. They loved each other but they weren't in love. They weren't physically attracted by each other, even. But they liked to sleep in the same bed, simply hugging, they liked walking together hand in hand, stuff like that, but nothing more "intimate".
Their friends understood, or at least they weren't bothered by this special bond. It didn't matter much as long as the gang was still solid. But her parents... It was different. They were tolerant, sure, but still, it was too complicated to explain to them. She didn't know what words she could use to make herself clear.
When they both kissed her goodbye because they were leaving for work, Twilight checked out her watch. Sunset Shimmer's train would arrived at the station in less than an hour. Although she still had free time in her hand, she decided to leave earlier. She didn't mind waiting. It was better than being late!
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Canterlot's station was crowded. In this Christmas period, many students from other universities came back for the holiday and there were complete families all around Twilight. One quarter to eleven. Perfect. She even would have enough time to check out in which wagon Sunset Shimmer was and wait for her right in front of her door, thus welcoming her as soon as she would get off the train.
The closer she got, the more excited she was. It was getting very had to hide. Would she be able to hold herself back and not to fall in her arms? She doubted it. True, they talked on the phone every week, they exchanged pictures on Internet and everything allowed by new technologies to stay in touch but it never was the same than being face to face, together. And it would be a delight to walk together again in the streets of the city full of lights and decorations and snow. She especially couldn't wait for the Winter Fun Fair, this afternoon, near the Castle, especially as this year was Princess Skystar's eighteenth birthday and balls and parties were planned all around Canterlot for the event.
"Hey, Twilight! Over here!" said a voice the young woman recognized immediately.
She froze. No. It couldn't be. She was dreaming. She must be dreaming.
Slowly, Twilight turned around and her worst fear turned out to be true. It was Pinkie Pie's voice which had called her. Her eyes opened wide when she noticed that not only her curly pink-haired friend was here but so were all her other friends, at the exception of Rainbow Dash. They were standing on the quay where Sunset Shimmer's train was supposed to arrive, holding a huge banner that says "welcome back home, Sunny", with hearts and smiles.
The young woman turned pale. Obviously, the one they all were waiting for had warned them too of the day of her comeback, or else why would they all be there with that banner? Sunset Shimmer didn't tell anything about it... Well in fact, maybe she did, but Twilight was so busy thinking about their future schedule that she completely forgot.
Plastering a tensed smile on her face, she walked to the bunch, hiding her shaking hands behind her back.
"Wow! You're all here! What a surprise!"
"Of course, we're all here, silly, we wouldn't miss our best friend's return, duh! Except Dashie, because Dashie has an extra-course this morning, and can you believe it? She hated to study, and now she studies even more than you do! Guess she really loves that crimilogy thing..."
"OK, Pinkie, Ah think Twilight got it," Applejack cut her. "And it's criminology, by the way..."
"Yeah, I got it, thanks."
It was difficult for her to hide her deception. Not a minute had she thought that her other friends also wanted to see Sunset Shimmer after all this time... Selfishly, she only thought about her anticipation and about how she had missed her so much. And not only because they couldn't see each other as much as they did back when they were in CHS. If she was feeling so disappointed right now, it was her own fault. After all, the girls also loved her and wanted to make up for last time. The Friendship Bracelet at their wrists with the items representing each of them was there as a proof.
So, Twilight made efforts and showed the bunch the warmer side of her. The side that was always happy to be around her friends, the best in the world, who had put everything on the side just to be here when their friend would get off the train, and make her feel like at home again. She even was able to share Fluttershy's disappointment of the fact one of them was missing... Though she could understand. Taking extra-courses with FBI experts wasn't something to be refused.
Author's Note
Second part coming soon. Stay tuned! 
