Of all the possible places to make the most of a pleasant Sunday afternoon, let alone savor the waning warmth of early Fall, CHS certainly wasn't at the top of Sunset's list.
Not that she didn't enjoy her time as a student, but most of what made the school special was completely absent on the weekends. Its hallways echoed with the sounds of her lone footsteps, and the dim fluorescence of the auxiliary lighting gave each empty room a slight otherworldly feel—like she was wandering through a still-life rather than a familiar part of her own life.

To think there was a time when this sort of loneliness suited her...

But at least all of that was in the distant past.
Sunset wasn't alone in this world anymore, nor was she the only occupant in the building right then. After all, the only reason she was even granted access into CHS on the weekend was because of Twilight, who was currently making some adjustments to her latest...thing over at the engineering lab. The ever-aspiring inventor said it would only take a few minutes to complete her work, whereupon she'd join back up over at the yearbook committee's quarters to help with their favor for Applejack. That was twenty minutes ago, and after getting more than enough of a head-start on their project, Sunset decided to make sure that her friend wasn't currently trapped underneath some sort of Rube Coltberg machine, or something as equally outlandish.

Nothing of the sort, as it turned out. In fact, what she walked in on was kind of anticlimactic.
The engineering lab was almost as quiet as the rest of the building, save for the gentle hum of some machines running vaguely in the background. And even in the relative darkness, it was easy enough to see that the room itself was surprisingly barren. No mounds of half-broken contraptions littering the floor; no elaborate arrangements of cogs and conveyors snaking around the place like she half-expected to find. It was all just so standard and disappointingly empty, save for the bespectacled young woman buzzing about in the far corner.

“Twilight?”

“Ah, Sunset!” Twilight responded promptly, though her eyes were still tightly glued to her own work. “Perfect timing! Can you come here for a second? I need some assistance with this part.”

Sunset gingerly approached, feeling both eager and slightly apprehensive of whatever her friend might be intently laboring on. It wasn't too long ago, after all, that the girls fought off a half-toaster, half-mechanized-monstrosity as a result of Micro Chips' own miscalculations. Between that and when her own efforts to understand the Rainbooms' magic resulted in electrocutions, explosions, and other mishaps, she was understandably growing a bit gun-shy of all this experimentation. Nevertheless, catching a closer look at this particular endeavor only made her all the more curious.

Whatever Twilight was fiddling with, it barely took up any space on her workbench, and it was fully illuminated under a single desk lamp. This device had the relative dimensions of a microwave, and it shared the same overall appearance. Really, the only things that stood out about it were the display screen—which currently just featured a purple line running along the lower end—and the rotating antenna that somewhat resembled a bent eggbeater. Its purpose was anyone's guess, but Twilight's not-so-subtle excitement suggested something grand.

“Do you have your Geode with you?”

“Yeah, of course. Never leave home without it.”

“Perfect!”

With a finishing twist, Twilight set down her screwdriver and pressed one of the buttons on the box's panel. Moments later, a little Plexiglas compartment rose up from atop the device, revealing her own Geode housed within. She plucked it from the casing, draped it over her neck, and turned toward her perplexed onlooker.

“Okay, just place it in there and we can finish the preliminary calibrations.”

“This isn't gonna damage it or anything, right?” Sunset inquired, despite already complying with her friend's request.
Seconds after detecting that something new had been inserted into it, the compartment receded, and the machine began to whir and buzz with indistinguishable activity.

“Not at all. I've had my Geode in there numerous times now, and it's still functioning flawlessly. Look!”

Twilight took the moment to display her telekinetic magic then, raising some nearby containers and twirling them around in the air effortlessly.

“I've been making sure to test it frequently while working on this project, and so far I've noticed no abnormalities!”

“Twilight,” moaned Sunset, “what did we just get through explaining to Rainbow Dash yesterday? We can't just keep using our powers all willy-nilly like that.”

In all of her excitement, the young inventor was actually caught off guard by her own admission of misusing magic then. She sheepishly lowered the crates back to where they belonged and flashed her friend an embarrassed smile.

“Um, w-well... I-I certainly haven't been using my magic frivolously. It's all been in the greater name of science, which is okay...right?”

“Uh-huh... So, when I saw you the other day levitating Spike around while he pretended to be a super-hero, I guess that was for science as well?”

“...Heh heh... He does love playing Power Ponies...”
As if on cue, the device sounded off with a rather loud beep, effectively interrupting Twilight's exercise in hole-digging.

“Oops, looks like everything's ready to go, let's continue with this deliberation some other time, okay, haha?”
With that, she quickly returned to her project, completely missing out on her friend's playful eye-roll in the process.

Following what seemed like just some random tapping away at the pseudo-microwave's buttons, the compartment containing Sunset's Geode reappeared. With a confirming nod from her friend, she grabbed the trinket and slipped it back on around her neck. It was only then that she noticed how this mystery machine was apparently connected to a nearby printer, which itself began to disgorge a sizable pile of readouts. Once it finished, and with uncanny discernment and precision, Twilight rapidly sifted through most of the freshly printed documents, only to stop midway and carefully analyze a few choice pages.

“...Hmm... Yes... Yesss...... YES!”
She spun around to face her invention and, after a few more taps against its panel, beckoned her friend to observe its screen. The purple line from beforehand was still visible, but now it was accompanied by a red one that ran along the display's upper half. To Sunset, this was all about as exciting as one of Mr. Cranky Doodle's lectures on vector mathematics, but Twilight was beaming at her with fevered anticipation then.

“Do you realize what this means!?”

“Um... The slopes are both zero?”

“Hah! Good one,” Twilight chuckled, before clearing her throat and dramatically gesturing to properly unveil her latest invention.
“Sunset Shimmer! May I introduce to you: The Telemeter for Magic Appraisal and Positioning!”

“...”

Well, there were no crickets nearby to chirp, but at least the nondescript humming in the background provided a suitable substitute.
Sunset stared blankly at her friend, unable to even muster an appropriate response for humoring the situation. Thankfully, it didn't take long for Twilight to try and coax the reaction that she was apparently expecting.

“You see, utilizing the specific resonances and energy signatures of our Geodes, this machine has been programmed to recognize and apply them as the baseline values for a comprehensive magical spectrum, which it can then cross-reference to detect any local abnormalities!”

“......”

“Then, through the use of technology similar to that of basic chronographs, as well as the incorporation of global positioning satellites, the Telemeter can recognize these abnormalities and roughly triangulate their positioning relative tooo...”

“.........”

Twilight let out an exacerbated sigh then.
“Alright, let me show you...”

With that, and following a few brief checks to ensure that everything was running optimally, she dragged Sunset along to the other side of the lab.

“Here," she said, outstretching her hand. "Read my mind.”

“Uh, are you sure?”

“Trust me.”

Sunset did exactly as she was instructed, gently gripping Twilight's hand with her own then.
Moments later, a collection of her friend's thoughts and memories began to flow rapidly through her consciousness:

Adjusting the internal sensors so as to better filter out possible atmospheric interference...
Making sure that Applejack's phone is using the appropriate Wi-Fi settings...
Lifting Spike into the air while his cute little paws are stretched out...

With those and a myriad of other recent moments and sensations now freshly transcribed into her mind, Sunset released her friend and fully returned to the here and now.

“So...what was that supposed to prove?”

Twilight didn't immediately respond. Instead, she walked back over to her little corner and yet again toyed with the Tele-something-or-other. Shortly thereafter, the printer once again began spitting out pages of data, though the young inventor was only interested in a few key excerpts.

“Ahem,” she started, while adjusting her glasses, “EMA—or Equestrian Magic Abnormality—detected within the vicinity of Canterlot High-School. Time of detection? Around 1300 hours, or 1:00 PM. What time is it now, Sunset?”

“It's...1:21...... Wait...” she said, suddenly grasping her friend's demonstration. “So, that Tele-thing... Are you saying it can tell when and where we've been using our magic!?”

“Roughly speaking, yes. But that's only the basics. It can also theoretically categorize the nature of magic abnormalities, and—”

“Twilight, that's amazing! Why didn't you say so before!?”

“...I thought I did,” she grumbled.

Sunset approached to get a closer look at the machine then.
“Talk about being full of surprises! If you didn't tell me any of that, I would've thought this whole thing was just you warming up some lunch. Can it sense everyone's magic? Even Rarity's?”

“No. Well, not yet, at least. I still need to get ahold of everyone's Geodes and program the Telemeter to recognize their magic first. And even if everything was properly calibrated, the sensors wouldn't have enough power to detect magic from somewhere as far away as Manehattan.”

Twilight yet again exercised her telekinesis, this time to raise some pencils off of the workbench. As she did, the device's display screen reacted accordingly, with the purple line fiercely oscillating up and down in response to this nearby magical occurrence.

“Honestly, it's just a prototype. And it's still in the preliminary trial phase. With enough time, I could probably increase the range to cover most of Canterlot, but for now...”
She ceased her little demonstration, and the screen returned to its idle state.

“Right now, it's just for use at CHS.”

“That's still really impressive! But, come to think of it, is all this necessary? I mean, it's really cool that we could detect our own magic and all, but I doubt any of us are abusing our powers enough to need that kind of surveillance. Don't you?”

“But that's the best part, Sunset!” Twilight replied, her elation reaching its peak. “Right now, the Telemeter can only detect the magic of you and me. But that's not even its intended function! Ideally, when all of this is finished, it won't even react to our magic, unless I calibrate it to do so. Instead, it'll be able to detect and locate magic from sources outside of our own! Sources such as—”

“Anything that's been overrun with Equestrian Magic!?”

“EXACTLY! This little device will help us to locate foreign magic, so we can deal with it before things get out of hand like usual!”

“TWILIGHT, THAT'S INCREDIBLE!” Sunset shouted, grabbing her friend's shoulders and lightly shaking her. “No wonder Principal Celestia gave the okay for you to come in on the weekend! This is seriously important work!”

“Well, that...and she trusts me to water her office plants.”

Following a brief chuckle over that little quip, Sunset leaned in to examine the machine a bit more closely.
She knew of ways to detect magic in Equestria, but those methods were nowhere near as effective or effortless as something like this... Just the thought of what it could be capable of achieving was staggering. One minute, the girls could be off minding their own business. The next, an alert on their phones or something calls them into action, and they rush in to combat a magical disturbance and save the world! It was like something out of a comic book!

"Wow, it's almost like you're building our very own crime computer! I guess Dash's superhero talk is starting to rub off on you, huh?"

"Maybe a little," Twilight said, still slightly embarrassed over giving in to Rainbow's enthusiasm. "Honestly, though, I've been working on this device more for you than anyone else, Sunset."

"Me?"

“Yes... I... I know you still feel guilty about Equestrian Magic being in this world—even though you shouldn't—and I also know how much you've been hoping for the Fall Formal to be uneventful this year. Maybe this isn't much, but after everything you and the others have given me over the years, I just wanted to do something to help alleviate your burden... At the very least, I—"

Before she could say another word, Twilight suddenly found herself in Sunset's tight embrace, and could only smile as her friend whispered between some subtle sniffling.

“...It's more than enough...and thank you...”

For a few more minutes, the two friends discussed the Telemeter before finally departing from the engineering lab. After all, making advancements in combating rampant Equestrian Magic was certainly important, but another friend was in dire need of some encouragement then, and Sunset knew exactly where to look for it.

The yearbook committee's quarters were about as dark as the engineering lab, but at least this was an environment that Sunset had more experience with. It also didn't hurt that the unified glow of neighboring monitors made everything a bit easier to see. Of course, there wasn't much need to actually wander about right now, especially since both girls were just browsing through the committee's private files.

What Applejack sought was relatively simple: proof.
Proof of Rarity's talent as a fashion designer, and of the effect that she's had on others because of her skills and unselfish behavior. But as simple a task as that may have seemed, the discussion that Sunset ultimately had with Applejack evolved into a bit more of an elaborate plan, one that she further explained to Twilight as they both combed through multiple gigabytes of old photos.

“So,” Twilight started, “we just need pictures of her outfits, right? I'm sure there's tons of those in here, but I've got quite a few on my phone as well, if we need.”

“Yeah, same. And I suggested that to Applejack, but she brought up a pretty good point. We're Rarity's closest friends, so it's easy for us to have that kind of stuff lying around—and to be super encouraging about it all. Problem is, it's also easy to see that kind of thing as us just playing favorites.”

“You don't think Rarity would believe we're just humoring her, do you?”

“Of course not. But after talking it over this morning, we both agreed that she needs more than just her friends' support on this one. Not to say that we can't send her some of our own, but—”

“It would be better to have as many unbiased opinions as possible?”

“Right.”

The search for such impartial evidence was a bit more cumbersome than expected, due largely to the disorganized nature of all these files. After all, who honestly expected that the need would ever arise to revisit old yearbook folders?
Still, it was both surreal and entertaining to take a digital trip through memory lane, and it managed to spark an important, albeit slightly somber, conversation.

“Ooh, I found a few really good ones,” Twilight declared, as she copied the files onto her jump-drive. “I still can't believe Rarity would ever think she wasn't good enough to be a fashion designer. Some of this stuff is just so pretty.”

“Well, I get how expectations can clash with reality. But yeah, I do agree with you on that. It didn't feel like AJ gave me the whole story, but I think that university really got to her. Guess when you start planning your whole future around something, finding out it's kinda crummy can leave you feeling pretty bummed out.”

“Yeah, I suppose you're right...”

Planning for the future...
There was a brief silence as Twilight searched for the right way to broach this topic. Eventually, however, she decided to try and lead with a bit more of a general question first.

“Speaking of... Have you been giving much thought to college yet?”

“Mmm, not as much as I probably should. How about you? Decided on anything?”

“Um... No, not yet...”

“Still can't pick between Harvard or Yale, huh?”

“Heh heh... Good one...”

Sunset sighed heavily as she leaned back in her chair then.
“...It's funny how different things can be around here. In Equestria, when people—or ponies—discover their true calling, everything else just kinda falls into place from there."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, a lot of us don't really need further schooling after our cutie marks appear. It's almost like learning a trade. You realize what you love to do...then you go off to do it. Sure, there's always more to learn, but you can grow and find your place in the world a lot faster there, ya know? Look at Princess Twilight and her friends. They're a similar age to us, but most of them live alone, manage their own businesses, and even rule over entire populations. I guess you could say that...some things seem a bit simpler where I'm from.”

“Oh... Well, I-I'm sure even that comes at a price. It certainly doesn't sound like they have as much time to spend with each other...before real-world responsibilities commence.”

Sunset chuckled.
“Actually, Equestria's a bit more compact than this world. And a lot of creatures there do fly, or teleport or whatever. Not to mention all the changes going on these past few years... Honestly, it seems like Princess Twilight gets into adventures with her friends almost every week!”

“Oh...I see...”

There was a brief lull in the conversation before Sunset continued.

“...Hmm, adventures with friends... I think that's what I'll miss the most when everyone parts ways...”

“Huh!?” Twilight squeaked. “W-Well, that isn't necessarily going to occur. I mean, considering everyone's plans, it's not like they'd be that far away, right?”

What were everyone's plans following graduation? Neither Twilight nor Sunset was completely certain, but at least some educated guesses could be made based on what was known.

Rarity's were the most obvious. In her endeavors to become a world-renowned fashion designer, she would seek an institute that catered specifically to her craft. Probably one of the more prestigious schools like those in Manehattan, or even someplace outside of the country.
Fluttershy's were a bit more local. Never one to stray too far from outside of her comfort zone, she was content to pursue veterinary studies somewhere closer to home. Canterlot University—or CU, for short—seemed like the most probable destination for her.
Applejack's were the most rooted. Knowing that her calling would always be to her family and their farm, she considered not even pursuing additional studies at all. At the very most, a couple of years at a local trade school were possible, if the need ever presented itself.
Pinkie Pie's were naturally all over the map. Party planner, entertainer, pastry chef; just a handful of the many occupations that she expressed interest in. But regardless of the intent, CU seemed the most likely place to house those budding and completely erratic aspirations.
Rainbow Dash's were surprisingly the vaguest. Becoming a pro-athlete was obvious enough, but exactly what kind was much tougher to determine. There was also the question of which college would provide the best athletic scholarships to suit her needs.

Overall, some would probably drift further away, while others would remain close. But was that good enough for Twilight's point—and her hopes—to stand?

“Really, most of you girls will likely still be around...right?”

“Yeah, it's possible, but I'm not so sure... Besides, even if that were true, it'd still be pretty lonely without you around.”

“What!?”
Twilight shifted around to face Sunset then, unsure of what she fully meant by that comment.

“Well, I mean, you're as brilliant as they come. And you've got tons of academic interests, and an amazing portfolio! I'll bet plenty of universities would go to war with each other just to have you as a student.”

“I...I'm not so sure about that...”

“Hey,” Sunset chuckled, tilting her head so as to show her friend an encouraging smile. “Anyone who could tutor all of us into getting straight A's—let alone invent something as amazing as what you just did—is definitely a genius! You know we all believe in you, and I know you'll go far no matter what you decide.”

“...T-Thanks...”

Twilight forced a weak smile before turning back to her computer, her fingers nervously fidgeting as she pretended to scour for more images. Such a disheartened reaction didn't go unnoticed by Sunset, however, and she couldn't help feeling a bit surprised by it...and concerned. Was it something she said?

“Are...are you okay, Twi?”

For being so apparently brilliant, Twilight was unsure of how to answer that question. What was she supposed to say, especially given how Sunset's expectations of her were already so high? She didn't want to cause any friction, nor did she wish to disappoint anyone.
Maybe it wasn't the best time to bring this all up. Maybe it should never be brought up again...

“Yeah,” Twilight sighed, “I'm fine. Even geniuses get a little worn out staring at screens for too long. Maybe we should just focus on finishing the search, huh?”

Sunset didn't quite buy her friend's explanation then, but she did raise a good point. It was getting later in the afternoon, and there was still quite a bit of work to do before enacting Applejack's idea. They needed to send these files, contact the others, coordinate their actions and timing...
Realizing all of that, she returned to her own search then, all the while making sure to have a deeper talk with her friend once all of this was behind them. Perhaps by then, she'll have finally decided on whether or not returning to Equestria was the right path forward following their graduation...

Graduation...

Of all the possible places to make the most of a pleasant Sunday afternoon, CHS certainly wasn't at the top of Sunset's list. However, as she and Twilight continued sifting through a deluge of memories and halcyon adventures, they both silently accepted that this school—as well as everything in it—wouldn't even be on that list for much longer...

Next Time: Countdown

Author's Note

Considering that the lion's share of this story has so far revolved around Applejack and Rarity, I figured a little break from their dynamic was in order. Bearing that in mind, I think this chapter's title nicely summarizes its intended purpose.

Once again, we've laid the groundwork for future plot points; however, it's worth pointing out that not everything brought up in these chapters will be dealt with sufficiently by the end. As stated in the longer synopsis, this whole thing was meant to be the first in a collection of smaller stories that formed a larger narrative. While I'm still not sure if I'll ever write anything after this, I might as well set things up how I envisioned just in case. Besides, it's kind of fun to explore how the world of EG could evolve with time and certain developments.

Either way—constructive critique, suggestions, yada yada yada, good night.