Sunset Precedes The Dark

Sunset Shimmer awoke, and the very first thing she noticed was how natural it felt. No blaring alarms, no blazing sunlight in her eyes, and no playful prodding from her girlfriend to get her out of bed. For the first time in years, she woke up on her own feeling rested and calm. The second thing she noticed that was even more surprising was that Twilight was still beside her, sleeping soundly. Sunset was always a late riser, and couldn’t remember a time where she woke up before Twilight. Something about the situation felt cathartic, and she considered waking up her girlfriend, but decided against it. If she was still tired, there was no reason not to let her sleep.

Sunset took a moment to admire Twilight as she slept, observing a more serene side of her girlfriend that she never before had an opportunity to witness in the waking hours. Little details, like way her side rose and fell peacefully with only the faintest sound of her breathing, or how there was just a small, happy smile on her muzzle as she blissfully dreamt, came together to create a version of Twilight that was somehow even more beautiful than Sunset could have imagined.

When she had her fill of fawning over her lover, Sunset carefully untangled her limbs from Twilight and turned over in the bed, looking at the nightstand beside the bed. The alarm clock sitting on top of it read that it was currently seven thirty-five, a far cry from her normal wake-up hour. Despite the fact that she should feel exhausted, Sunset was eager to rise and move around. Must be something about beds in Equestria; I can’t remember the last time I felt so rested!

Being sure not to awaken her beloved, Sunset Shimmer slipped her way out of bed and quietly snuck her way out of the bedroom and into the hall, being sure to pick up her geode off of the nightstand as she left. As soon as she opened the bedroom door, she was met with the pleasant wafting scent of a freshly cooked breakfast elsewhere in the castle. Once the door was gently shut behind her, Sunset began to happily trot through the crystal halls, the clip-clop of her hooves echoing as she went.

It seemed like the years that she had been away did nothing to dull her muscle memory, as she was able to keep a brisk pace all the way to the kitchen. Rather, she wound up in the library first, then had to backtrack and go over the directions that Starlight had given her the day before in order to actually arrive at the dining room. Along the way, she marveled at the size and complexity of the castle, feeling slightly envious of Starlight and the fact that she inherited the castle from Princess Twilight.

Finally arriving at the dining hall, Sunset opened the door to find that Starlight was already seated and eating in front of a massive spread of food that went end-to-end on the table. Upon hearing Sunset walk in, she looked up and greeted her with a smile.

“Oh! Good morning, Sunset,” she said, “You look like you slept well. How are you feeling?”

“I feel great, actually,” replied Sunset with a beaming smile of her own. “I can’t remember the last time I felt so good. I had completely forgotten how nice the beds are in Equestria. Makes my bed at home feel like a plank of wood by comparison.”

Starlight shrugged, waving a dismissive hoof. “Well I’m pretty sure part of it is the fact that this is a magical castle furnished with the finest materials in Equestria, but hey, I’ll take the compliment.” Glancing past Sunset, Starlight added quickly, “Hey, where’s your Twilight? Is she still asleep?”

Nodding, Sunset closed the door and moved towards the large table, seating herself across from Starlight. “Yeah, normally she wakes up before me, so she must be pretty tired from the trip. I didn’t wake her up, because I want her to be well rested for all the things I’ve got planned for this week.” She couldn’t help but cast a glance down at the numerous platters of hot food tantalizingly laying in front of her, which Starlight noticed.

“Oh, I’m sure you’ve got plenty planned, but don’t just sit there staring at all this food, help yourself. I’ve got some guests coming over in a bit, which is why there’s so much, but I’m sure you’re hungry, so feel free to load up a plate for yourself.”

“Thanks, I was worried about imposing more than I already have.” As Sunset levitated a plate over to herself, she looked over the table, she felt so spoiled for choice that she had no idea where to start. Fried eggs, muffins, toast, juice, fresh fruit, waffles, apple fritters, doughnuts, and… sausages? She stared at the meaty links towards the end of the table, puzzled. Starlight again followed her gaze until she realized what caught her attention.

“Oh, those! Those are fish sausages. I’m sure you know that some ponies eat fish, but sausages are actually a pretty new thing that we imported from the griffins,” explained Starlight as Sunset tenuously nibbled on one of the links. “When Princess Twilight opened up Equestria’s borders to other species for her School of Friendship, we had to change a lot of infrastructure to support other creatures, but the biggest change was making meat a staple food. In the end, the fishing industry wound up with a huge subsidy to account for all the new demand for fish, but I think it’s been pretty worth it. Dragons, griffins, hippogriffs, and abyssinians that moved to Equestria finally have reliable sources of meat, and all of the surplus can be exported out of the country to help pay for Twilight’s other reformation projects around the country.”

Sunset sat wide-eyed, gawking at Starlight Glimmer with a fish sausage hanging from her lips. She couldn’t believe so much had happened since she had last visited her homeland. She didn’t even know who the hippogriffs or abyssinians were, but clearly they were allies of Equestria now. If nothing else, it all proved to her how incredibly efficient of a ruler Twilight Sparkle was.

Blinking away her awe, Sunset set down the half-eaten sausage as she began to add other items to her plate. “I gotta say, I’m pretty blown away by how much things have changed. Here I thought Princess Twilight being the ruling monarch was the biggest news, but it sounds like she’s been pretty busy since she was crowned. Gonna have to add that School of Friendship to the list of places to visit with Twi… Where is it, anyway?”

Starlight tilted her head slightly, confused, before smirking in understanding. “The school is just around the bend. You can actually see it when you walk out the front door of the castle. I guess it wasn’t there last time you visited, huh?”

Shaking her head as she took a bite of waffle, Sunset chuckled to herself. “Well at least we won’t have to walk far. So those guests you’re expecting aren’t ponies then? Is it a formal thing, or are they friends of yours?”

Waving her hoof again, Starlight shook her head in return. “Yes and no. I’m expecting three other ponies, but the rest are other creatures. They’re all friends, but the meeting is business. We’re going to have our weekly meeting about next week’s curriculum, discuss upcoming trips, that sorta thing. We meet here because I’m the Headmaster, and I have the most room to seat everyone.”

“Oh wow, that’s cool. I didn’t take you for the type to run a school, but it sounds like you’re managing just fine.” Sunset began to nosh on one of the fluffy, fresh waffles as Starlight explained further.

“I was actually just the school counselor at first, but Twilight promoted me when she had to take over the country. It’s definitely been hectic, and a ton of work, but I’m honestly pretty happy with how things have turned out. I’ve been running the school with my husband and wife, and the rest of the staff are former students these days.”

Sunset happened to be taking a sip of coffee at that moment, and audibly choked when Starlight mentioned being married. After a short bout of coughing, she politely dabbed at her mouth with a napkin while smiling sheepishly.

“Sorry about that. You kinda caught me off guard there when you mentioned being married. I wasn’t expecting you to get hitched so soon, let alone to two ponies at once. Er… Are they ponies? Not that I’d judge, but-”

Starlight laughed aloud at the notion before dismissing it entirely. “No, no, my spouses are both ponies. Can’t say I’ve ever been attracted to anything besides ponies, for that matter, but I’ve heard that interspecies relationships are a thing in some places. I don’t think you’ve met either of them, but you’ll get the chance when they arrive.” She paused for a second, pursing her lips in thought before quickly adding, “Wait, what do you mean ‘so soon?’ I’m only a few years older than you. Aren’t you thirty?”

Before Sunset could answer, the doors to the dining room flew open again, this time with a new pair of ponies striding in. A familiar blue mare walked in alongside an unfamiliar orange stallion, with the former of the two loudly announcing her presence.

“Behold! Trixie has arrived to greet my beloved wife, and to eat her delicious cooking!” When she noticed Sunset sitting across from Starlight, her eyes locked onto the mysterious mare with suspicion. “Wait, I don’t know you. Who are you and what are you doing here?”

Sunset raised her hooves defensively, but then the stallion stepped between them, flashing Sunset a friendly smile. “I’m sure she’s a pony with a perfectly good reason to be here. How about you introduce us, Starlight?” Turning back to her hostess, Sunset breathed a sigh of relief that at least the stallion seemed to be reasonable.

Starlight stood up from her seat, and spoke as she trotted around to the other side of the table. “Sunset, these are my husband and wife, Sunburst and Trixie. Sunburst, Trixie, this is my friend Sunset. She’s visiting with her mare- er, girlfriend from the Human Realm for a week, and Princess Twilight asked me to look after them for today until she can have them transported to Canterlot for the rest of their stay.” She stopped in front of her spouses and pulled them both into a loving hug, before letting them go to give each a loving kiss on the lips.

Blushing lightly as she stood up, Sunset realized that this is probably how her own friends felt whenever she and Twilight engaged in PDA. Offering a hoof, she greeted each of the two newcomers with a little more confidence, seeing as Starlight thankfully broke the ice.

“Nice to meet you both. Right now my girlfriend is sleeping in, but I’m sure you’ll get the chance to meet her in a bit… You know, I thought you looked familiar, Trixie,” she said, turning to the blue mare. “I’m good friends with your human counterpart. She’s a pretty successful magician over there… Probably because she seems to know real magic.”

Trixie turned up her nose with a pleased grin. “Of course Trixie is famous in the Human Realm! The only reason Trixie is not a household name in Equestria is because I gave up my performances to become a Great and Powerful Student Counselor!” She struck a pose, proudly standing up on her hindlegs until she noticed her lovers snickering at her. Sheepishly, she blushed and set her hooves back down again. “I mean… Good for her. I’m happy to hear she’s doing well for herself.”

“Yeah, you two definitely take after each other,” tittered Sunset, “Never thought I’d meet another Trixie, but I can’t say it’s a bad thing.”

Sunburst leaned over to kiss his flamboyant wife on the cheek with a smile. “Though I’m not sure if my life could handle two Trixies. As much as I love her, one is enough.” Everyone managed to share a laugh at that, and as Sunset was turning to sit back down again, Starlight turned back to her spouses with a concerned edge in her voice.

“Hey speaking of extra company, did either of you run into the others on the way here? I was hoping they’d arrive with you, because it’s already past our agreed time.”

Sunburst and Trixie exchanged a glance before the stallion shook his head. “No, we haven’t seen or heard from them since yesterday… Though Ocellus said they were having a private meeting at their treehouse, so they might still be there. Do you think something is wrong?”

Starlight pursed her lips slightly, shaking her head. “No, I suppose they might just still be on their way. In that case, let’s sit down and eat. I’m sure you two are hungry.”

Nodding, Sunburst quickly took a seat next to Sunset, while Trixie followed Starlight back to the other side of the table. “So Sunset, how are you acclimating to the new Equestria? I bet it must be pretty confusing with how much things have changed since you were last here.” He filled his plate with food as he spoke, digging in as she replied.

“Yeah, Starlight has been filling me in on the broad strokes. I can’t believe how much Princess Twilight has gotten done since I last saw her. A school of friendship, mass immigration from other countries, and socioeconomic reforms… It’s not at all the same country I grew up in. I’m not sure if I’m excited or afraid to see Canterlot.”

“I’m sure Twilight will be more than happy to see you again,” offered Starlight. “She was so excited when you messaged her the other day that she cancelled Day Court to make arrangements for you. Your stay with um… your Twilight is going to be awesome, you can count on that.”

Trixie nearly choked on her waffle as her eyes bulged from their sockets. “Wait, are you saying that Sunset’s marefriend is the Princess’ human copy? Of all the ponies you could have dated, it was Twilight Sparkle. I hope you know this lowers my opinion of you, Sunset.”

Sunset rolled her eyes dismissively as Starlight intervened on her behalf. “I for one think they’re a precious couple. Plus it comes with the bonus of freaking out Princess Twilight when she finds out.”

“Wait, you haven’t told her yet?” asked Sunburst, raising an eyebrow at Sunset. “I feel like dating your friend’s doppelganger is an important detail to discuss before asking to sleep over at their house.”

Fidgeting at her mane with a hoof, Sunset smiled bashfully. “Yeah, I know it’s in bad taste, but it just never came up. Besides, I feel like that’s a discussion that is better had in person rather than through a book.”

“Whenever that is, I want to be there to see the Princess’ face when she realizes the implication!” Trixie howled with delight at the prospect of seeing Princess Twilight caught in an awkward social situation, with Starlight joining in the laughter after trying and failing to resist the urge for a few seconds.

Diverting the conversation away from her own relationship, Sunset said to Sunburst, “Starlight actually said the same thing last night. Those two really are a lot alike, huh? I can see why they ended up together, but do you ever feel like the odd one out?”

Sunburst shook his head, smiling lovingly at his wives as he adjusted his glasses. “We may have less in common with each other than a typical partnership, yes. Although, I think our differences are really what make it work. There’s never a dull day with these two, and I always love to see new sides of them. Life is an adventure where we get to learn more about each other every day, and I wouldn’t trade that for all the magical artifacts in the world.”

Hearing that, Sunset managed a genuine smile. Admiring the love the three felt for each other made her feel more confident in her own relationship. At the very least, it inspired her to work hard to ensure that her relationship with Twi was as strong and adorable as the three ponies in front of her now.

Interrupting the mirthful moment, however, was the strangest feeling that Sunset had ever before experienced. It felt like her rump was vibrating, as though she were sitting on a ringing phone. At first, she thought it was the seat itself, but looking down at her flank, she realized that her cutie mark was vibrating and glowing with a gentle, audible chime along with it.

Jumping up in surprise, she startled the others as she yelped aloud with equal parts confusion and fright. “AHH! What the hell is this? What’s happening to my cutie mark?” With her outburst, Starlight and Trixie stopped laughing to look on in amazement. Sunburst’s mouth hung open dumbly for a second before he snapped out of his daze.

“Sunset! You’re being summoned by the Cutie Map! I don’t believe this!” His shock turned to fascination as he stared at her glowing and buzzing flank. “No one has received a summons in years, this is incredible!”

“The what? What do you mean I’m being summoned? Is this some sort of crazy friendship magic that I don’t know about?”

Rising from her seat, Starlight made her way back around the table again as she explained, “The Cutie Map is a magical artifact here in the castle that directs specific ponies to friendship problems across Equestria that need their particular skills to solve. Sometimes, it even sends us beyond its borders into foreign lands, but it's been completely inactive for years, ever since Twilight ascended to the throne.”

Sunset frowned in frustration, realizing that if this really is a magical call to action, it’s not something she can exactly ignore. Figures that I get roped into a magical quest the one time I get a vacation with Twi. With a disgruntled sigh, she stomped a hoof, before forcing a smile.

“Alright then, Starlight. Lead me to this map so I can get this over with. Here’s hoping it’s not sending me a million miles away. I really don’t want this vacation to be spent doing a friendship quest, because who knows when I’m going to get another week off with Twilight?”

“I’m sure the Cutie Map wouldn’t summon you unless it was absolutely vital, Sunset. I don’t think it intends to ruin your vacation with Twilight. Come on, follow me and let’s figure out if anyone else got called.” She turned to her spouses, quickly adding, “You two can stay here and keep eating. Let me know if the others arrive, ok?” When they both nodded affirmations, Starlight led Sunset out of the dining room and into the hallway, setting a brisk trot towards the map.

“So what can I expect from this sort of thing? Have you ever been called?” Sunset was hoping for an assurance from her friend that this was a simple task and wouldn’t take long, but was disappointed with her response.

“I honestly don’t know what to tell you. The map has summoned creatures for everything between clearing a misunderstanding all the way to preventing wars. The two times I was summoned by the map, the first time was to prevent a falling out between Celesita and Luna, and the second time was to reconnect with my parents. A task can take days or even weeks to complete, so I have no idea what to expect for your quest.”

Sunset gave a defeated sigh, saying “Well I don’t have any parents left to reconnect with, so I guess I’m off to save the world.” When Starlight raised an eyebrow at her, Sunset clarified with a weak chuckle, “I’m joking, obviously. Not about the dead parents, but I’m really hoping this isn’t a big deal that is about to ruin my vacation.”

Just as they were turning a corner, Starlight ran face-first into Twilight, knocking them both to the floor with a pained grunt. Sunset reached out with a hoof to help her girlfriend up, but then gasped in surprise when she saw that Twilight too, had a glowing cutie mark.

Smiling, Twilight stood back up with her girlfriend’s help as she fixed her skewed glasses with a hoof. “Sorry for bumping into you, Starlight. I was just looking for you two. I woke up a moment ago thanks to whatever this is,” she said, gesturing to her flank, “so I came looking for you. Though uh… it looks like you’ve got the same problem as me.”

Sunset looked back at her own rump, and allowed herself a chuckle. “Yep, looks like we’ve both been roped into this, but at least we get to face it together. I was worried it was just going to be me.”

Starlight got back to her hooves and waved for the two to follow her. “Well, at least the Map is nice enough to pair you two together for this. Though, if you want your flanks to stop glowing, you’re going to actually check the Map itself to see exactly where it wants you to go. C’mon, follow me.”

Sunset and Twilight nuzzled each other affectionately before turning to follow Starlight deeper into the castle. It didn’t take them long to come to a large pair of doors that Starlight pushed open with her magic, leading the trio into a massive room with the Cutie Map in the center. Sunset and Twilight had been here before during the last time they visited, but this was their first time witnessing the Map active, with a holographic display of all of Equestria and beyond. Hovering over just the center of the map were their cutie marks, flittingly circling each other, as if they were impatiently performing a small dance while they waited for their owners to arrive.

The three of them stepped up to the map, and even though Twilight didn’t know anything about the lands of Equestria, she was still rendered to breathless awe, closely studying the numerous minutiae of the map, which appeared to be detailed down to the individual buildings of each settlement. Starlight and Sunset, however, were focused much more on where the cutie marks were floating. The two stars continued their binary orbit over the spot on the map that was simultaneously close by, but also one of the last places Sunset wanted to go to with her girlfriend.

“The Everfree Forest,” said Starlight, her voice just barely a whisper through pursed lips.

Sunset nodded, her brow furrowed in thought. “I’ve only been there once before, but it was along the outskirts when Twilight and I wound up here by accident a few years ago. I remember hearing horror stories about that place as a filly. I considered it lucky that we were close to town last time, but it looks like the Map is directing us deeper. Right into the center of the forest.”

Twilight’s ears pricked up in curiosity as she gave the two other unicorns a confused look. “Wait, what’s so bad about the Everfree Forest? It seemed pretty tame last time.”

Starlight shook her head sympathetically. “The Everfree Forest is anything but tame. Where most of Equestria runs harmonically with each other, the Everfree is full of wild, uncontrollable magic that affects both flora and fauna of the area. That wild magic is probably the reason why there was a naturally-formed portal to your world there. No one is sure why it is the way it is, but it’s one of the most dangerous places in Equestria. You two got lucky last time.”

Taking a step back, Twilight struggled to digest the information. “So this magical map is calling us on a quest into one of the most dangerous places in Equestria? Why?”

“Like I told Sunset, this map is a powerful artifact that directs creatures to places of great importance to solve issues across the world. If you’ve been summoned, it's because you were deemed to be the best choice for the job. You two have unique skills and perspectives that are required to solve this problem in particular.” Starlight somberly placed a hoof on the map, near a small town on the edge of the country. “I know from experience that the summons made by this map can save lives, or even alter the course of fate itself. If it wasn’t important, it wouldn’t have called for you.”

At first, Sunset wanted to slam her hooves down in anger, shatter the crystal table, take this “destiny” and shove it sideways up fate’s ass. With a defeated sigh, Sunset instead slumped forward onto the map, face planting into a mountain range with a dull thump. She groaned in frustration, the weight of the situation finally dawning on her in full. She wanted to be mad, but couldn't find the energy to be at this point, instead choosing to implement her finest blobfish impression.

A tender hoof came to rest on her shoulder, and Sunset turned her head to see Twilight smiling at her encouragingly. “Come on, Shim-Shim. It’s not all bad, right?”

Pushing herself off the table, Sunset turned fully to face her girlfriend, a dour frown on her face. “I’m not sure what’s good about this situation. Our vacation plans are getting totally screwed right now, and as if being sent to some random spot in Equestria for a quest wasn’t bad enough, it turns out to be one of the most inhospitable locations on the planet. What exactly is the silver lining?”

Twilight leaned forward and placed a loving kiss on Sunset’s lips, which rather surprised her. Keeping only a few inches apart, Twilight looked deep into Sunset’s eyes, and she into hers. Sunset saw a familiar glitter of enthusiasm and determination in the violet pools of her lover’s eyes that told her all she needed to know.

“You’re really into this, aren’t you Twi?” An amused smirk crossed her lips as she leaned back onto the map, quickly forgetting her worries as Twilight’s infectious excitement got to her.

“I told you I wanted to learn more about your homeland, and although museums and libraries are great and all, I think firsthand experience exploring the perilous unknown sounds a lot more interesting.” She playfully fluttered her eyes at Sunset, earning a giggle out of the amber mare. “After all, I’m going to have my badass biker girlfriend to protect me. I’m pretty sure we’ll be fine.”

Sunset furrowed her brow at that, pursing her lips for a moment before retorting. “Maybe back on Earth I’d be better equipped to protect you, but it’s been years since I was in Equestria, and even longer since I last sparred with my hooves and magic. Nowadays I’m better with a sword than my horn, so I’m not actually sure if I’d be able to fend off anything that would want to attack us.”

“I think you’re not giving yourself enough credit, Sunset,” remarked Starlight, as she stepped forward. “You used to be Celestia’s old pupil, right? I’m willing to bet you’re still pretty handy with your magic, you just need to shake some of the rust off. If you want, we can spar a little while Twilight grabs breakfast. I’m willing to bet that your quest revolves around Zecora, a zebra living in the forest. Considering she knows the place better than anyone, she’s probably fine on her own for the time being, so I’d say there’s no immediate rush.”

“I think that’s a great idea,” replied Twilight, “As much as I’d like to join you two, I can barely hold a fork with my magic as it is. I don’t think learning combat magic is in the cards for me during this stay, so I’ll stay out of your hair for the time being. Besides, adventuring on an empty stomach is never a good idea.”

Sunset put up a hoof of resignation. “Alright, alright. First, we’ll show you the way to the dining room, then Starlight and I will practice some spells. This place is pretty confusing, so I don’t want you to get lost on the way there. Sound fair?”

Twilight and Starlight both gave affirmative nods, satisfied with the current plan. With everyone in agreement, the three set off out of the room, with Sunset casting one last glancing glare at the map before closing the doors behind her.

The doors to the room flew open with a bang as Sunset was concentrating on maintaining her barrier against Starlight’s barrage of magical bolts. The sudden ruckus snapped them both out of their focus, causing their magic to fizzle out simultaneously, and leaving them both huffing with exhaustion and staring at the source of the intrusion to their spar.

Standing in the doorway was a blue griffon and a bizarre-looking pink creature that Sunset didn’t recognize at all. Behind them was Trixie, Sunburst, and Twilight, with all five of them looking extremely frazzled.

“Headmaster Starlight! We need your help! Something crazy is going on in the Everfree Forest!” announced the griffin, his feathers puffed out in fear.

“Gallus, Silverstream, what’s going on? Where’s everyone else?” Starlight approached the pair as Sunburst cautiously approached. She didn’t know what was going on, but had a terrible feeling it was about to involve her.

The one known as Silverstream grabbed Starlight by the shoulders, shaking her about madly as she screamed in a panic, “THERE ARE HORRIFYING MONSTERS IN THE EVERFREE AND THEY’RE GOING TO KILL OUR FRIENDS!”

Sunburst quickly intervened, prying the two apart with his magic as he steadied a dazed Starlight with his hooves. “Sorry, she’s been like this since they arrived. They burst into the dining room demanding to know where you were, and didn’t stop to explain.”

“There’s no time to explain!” shouted Gallus in frustration, “What part of monsters that are going to kill our friends don’t you understand? We need your help now!”

Curious about whatever was happening in the Everfree, Sunset stepped forward to speak to the frantic pair. “We can’t help you if you don’t take a breath and tell us what happened. Where are your friends? What kind of monsters were there?”

Clasping the sides of his head with taloned fingers, Gallus took a deep breath and tried to gather his thoughts. “Alright, fine! We were at our treehouse in the Castle of the Two Sisters, when Sandbar saw a monster watching us from the window. When the rest of us went to check, all we saw was it running away, back into the forest. It didn’t move like any creature we had ever seen, and when Silverstream and I flew outside to get a better look, we saw that there were four of them waiting down in the gorge by the castle. Because Silverstream and I are the fastest fliers, we came here to get you for help, and on our way over, we saw those things climbing up the cliff!”

When her eyes stopped rolling in their sockets, Starlight asked the pair, “Can you give us a better description? What did these monsters look like? Are you sure they weren’t just wild animals?”

Silverstream went to grab Starlight again, but was thankfully held back by Trixie this time. “They’re the most TERRIFYING things I’ve ever seen! They were made of metal and stood on TWO LEGS like a dragon, but didn’t have FACES! The one we saw at the window had one big, GLOWING EYE right in the middle of its head, and was totally black all over! What’s worse, is that it was the SMALLEST of the bunch! The biggest one was as big as a TREE!”

Listening carefully to the descriptions, a realization slowly dawned on Sunset. With wide eyes, she glanced at Twilight, who returned her expression of revelation, their suspicions silently clarified between each other by gaze alone. It had dawned on them both that what Silverstream was describing sounded too much like futuristic human soldiers, and it was definitely that and not Zecora that they needed to investigate in the Everfree.

As Sunburst and Trixie led the two flustered avians away, Starlight turned to the remaining two and addressed them directly, interrupting their meeting of the minds. “Judging by the look on your faces, you’ve got something figured out that I’m missing, and I’m guessing it’s about these mystery monsters in the Everfree.”

Twilight nodded, before explaining, “The monsters that Gallus and Silverstream described are a near exact match for something Sunset and I have seen on Earth. It’s not a stretch to say that this is what the map was summoning us for, considering it’s not something any ponies would have any experience in.”

Starlight raised an eyebrow skeptically, eyeing the two in front of her. “You’re telling me these monsters are from the human realm? Did they follow you or something?”

“It’s hard to explain,” answered Sunset as she shook her head. “I’m not completely certain, but if my hunch is right, things just got really complicated. Whatever these things are, they couldn’t have followed us from Earth. If they came through one of our portals, they would have been turned into ponies. That still doesn’t change the fact that Silverstream was definitely describing humans.”

Starlight looked even more confused now, scrunching her muzzle with scrutiny. “Humans? Sunset, I’ve been to the human realm. People there aren’t the size of trees, or made of metal. And you all have faces.”

“That’s why this is concerning,” interrupted Twilight, a serious frown written across her face. “Gallus and Silverstream described human soldiers, and not just any kind of soldier. They described human soldiers ripped straight out of a science fiction setting. Full-body powered armour complete with visored face masks and what very well could have been some sort of mech suit.”

“Those sorts of things don’t exist on Earth yet,” continued Sunset, “But they’ve been written about by science fiction authors for years. Wherever these soldiers are from, it’s not our Earth, but it could be yet another world connected to Equestria through a portal. Equestria is decades behind Earth on a technological level, so maybe it’s not a stretch to say that this parallel world is decades, or even centuries ahead of either of us?”

Taking a slow breath, Starlight massaged her temple with a hoof. “Ok, clearly you two have a better grasp on this situation than I do, so I'm going to trust you to handle this while I go rescue my staff. If your hunch is right, then this is exactly what the map would call on you two for.”

Turning away, Starlight headed for the door, but paused, looking back over her shoulder. “Look after yourselves. If anything, anything goes wrong, you come back here. We’ll figure things out together if it calls for it, but whatever happens, put your safety first. If they really are soldiers, there’s no telling if they’re here peacefully or not.”

Sunset hadn’t even considered that as a possibility yet, and she swallowed hard at the idea of sci-fi soldiers arriving in Equestria with hostile intent. She suddenly was a lot less comfortable with the idea of bringing her girlfriend along for this “quest,” even if the map demanded equal participation from them both. Turning to Twilight, Sunset saw that her face still carried the same steely resolve as before. Knowing that at least one of them was ready to face the unknown was reassuring.

Without another word, Starlight disappeared with a flash of teal light, leaving the two alone. Twilight looked to Sunset, and smiled confidently, her eyes twinkling with excitement from behind her glasses. To think that when she had fallen in love with those violet pools four years ago, it would lead her to this spot, this moment.

“Are you ready to venture into the unknown, Sunset?”

Every day with Twilight led her to new places, new feelings, new experiences that she would never have gotten to have if she had just stayed in Equestria. In a weird way, losing everything in this world gave her so much more amongst humans, with Twilight. She owed everything to the nerdy purple girl in front of her, and there was no way in hell that she was going to give up on what they had together now.

Leaning over, she kissed her girlfriend on the cheek, earning a pleased giggle. “Yeah, I’m ready. Let's go make history together, babe.”