Perception

Spike paced the meeting room in Twilight's castle incessantly, waiting, desperately hoping for a miracle.

To his utter shock, a white portal flashed out suddenly, metres above the shimmering crystal table at the edge of his vision, similar to the one that brought Twilight and Starlight away. He dashed forth to the edge of the table, his head tilted skyward to observe the proceedings. Squinting his eyes, he could just about make out two figures that were still flailing about through the portal. And they were heading right for him.

Before Spike could veer away from potential danger, Twilight and Starlight fell onto the crystal table from the white portal flashing above with a heavy groan, mere inches away from crushing the dragon. A tattered scroll was also ejected from the portal, causing it to float about the air before landing calmly onto the carpeted floor.

Seconds later, a huge flash of iridescent light was released, forcing Spike to shut his eyes. When he reopened his teary eyes, he realised that the portal vanished into thin air.

"Twilight!" Spike exclaimed, as he rushed to her side after overcoming his initial shock. "Are you okay?"

"...Spike?" Twilight wearily responded, as stars toyed with her vision. "Don't...don't worry...I'm fine."

"What happened? Where did you go?" Spike questioned constantly, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Where's Starlight? Did you defeat her?"

Twilight, her mind in a state of disarray, could barely keep a tally of the endless stream of questions flooding her ears. Her gaze seemed mangled and her eyes seemed to be sapped of energy as she could only moan to reply to Spike's endless babbling.

While waiting for several, long moments for some sort of reply from Twilight, Spike could detect the ruffling of the carpet behind him. Puzzled, he shifted his head back to find a fatigued Starlight Glimmer prowling on the carpet, trying to push herself up, stunning him into shock.

"Twilight!" Spike shouted, rushing back and vigorously shaking Twilight with his claws. "What's Starlight doing here?"

"Spike...just leave me alone," Twilight spoke, her voice containing a hint of irritation. "Can't you see that I'm trying to rest?"

"But Starlight-"

"Starlight's a friend," Twilight interjected, a thin smile emerging from her otherwise expressionless face, as she looked at Spike right into his very eyes.

Starlight glanced up from her prone position to face Twilight at the other side, her eyes leaking tears that moistened the carpet below.

"Starlight? A friend? How?" Spike replied, frowning at the thought of how Twilight could befriend the revenge-seeking Starlight. This boggled Spike's mind; the last time he saw Starlight, she was on to some sort of evil plot involving that mystical portal, but now, upon their return, it was jarring to note that Twilight could confidently proclaim that Starlight was her friend?

Twilight pushed herself up, using Applejack's crystal chair to support her semi-conscious self. Finally, the friction between her hooves and the carpet of the castle was proving to be of some use as she could barely support her legs to bring her body up.

Walking past Spike, Twilight trotted along to Starlight's side, her vision still a blur of the room's surroundings. She stuck out one of her front hooves in front of Starlight, her fatigued muscles straining at the effort.

A crying Starlight lying on the ground extended her hoof to reach out and clasp onto Twilight, her eyebrows vibrating sporadically at the gesture. Together, as one, they supported each other up to stand on all fours.

"Thank you...Twilight," Starlight uttered, as she tried to fight the flood of emotions flowing through her soul and the tears that trickled down from the sides of her face.

"Spike, I understand that you may be confused at this sudden change," Twilight stated as she brought a hoof and placed it over Starlight's furry back. "But-"

Out of the blue, the door to the meeting room slammed open, rudely interrupting Twilight's chain of thought. Before her stood the five friends that she so deeply missed after being gone for such a long period of time.

"Wait, how did you all-"

"Oh Twilight, darling," Rarity interrupted, her characteristic, feminine voice was something that Twilight almost forgot about after her arduous travels. "You finally returned! We were so worried for you, especially with that huge flash of light emanating from your castle!"

"Erm...wait a second...what's she doin' here?" Applejack commented before Twilight could open her mouth to speak, prompting the rest of the five to stare down onto Starlight, intimidating her. At the provocation, Starlight deflected her gaze away from the group in anguish.

"Well...it is quite a long story," Twilight remarked, turning her gaze back to Starlight, with grin.

Starlight could only smile sheepishly at Twilight's comment as she beckoned the group to their seats. Twilight carefully levitated the magical scroll from the floor to be placed onto the table's surface as an object of interest. She then began to recount the exciting events that led to this unexpected conclusion, as Starlight witnessed Twilight's recollection of it all, together with the five.

"I mean...I knew my Rainboom was awesome, but I didn't know that all of Equestria depended on it!" Rainbow Dash bragged conspicuously to the group, her eyes twinkling at the joy rushing out of her heart.

"Or us!" Pinkie Pie continued, her high-pitched voice cutting through to the group.

"Actually, I believe it's not just that, I think undoing one set of friendship made the magic within its network less powerful!" Twilight opined, her voice roaring with ardent conviction. "But...one thing I don't understand is...Starlight?"

"...Yes?" Starlight responded, guilt and remorse written throughout her face as Twilight spoke on the chain of events prior to this inquiry.

"I did confess that I didn't understand your motives and...I did push you into this road of revenge," Twilight stated, reminiscing the time that they both opened themselves to each other in the darkness of the prison. "Why did you form your village of equality? Why make everyone equal? Who made you this way?"

"...It's complicated," Starlight spoke hesitantly after sighing out loud. "I can explain...but allow me to do something first."

With that, Starlight's horn flared up to fire a beam of magic at the centre of the crystal table.