I wonder what kind of bird that is? It's kinda blue-ish. Yellow beak. "Sunset?" Twilight asks, breaking my train of thought.

"Huh?" I almost flinch, looking away from the window and to her.

"I asked what you thought about..." She trails off, fiddling with her cuffs and looking down. She looks back up at me "...Are you okay?"

I hesitate, my eyes shooting back to the window for only an instant. "I… Yeah, I'm fine." I lean up and sigh, "Sorry I was just thinking about some stuff. What were you saying?"

She stares at me for a moment before taking off her glasses and beginning to wipe them off, "I know that I'm… That I'm not your Twilight." When she emphasizes 'your' I frown. "But I still see you as my friend, I still care and want to help you." She puts her glasses back on, "...I just want to earn all of your trust… You, Rainbow, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie I mean." She sighs.

I stand up to her level, "Twilight, I do trust you. We all do. If we didn't, why would I pick you to help with this?" I reach to put a hand on her shoulder.

"Me and the other Twilight, who might I add, got to keep her first name, as my moderator." She mutters, backing away from my hand and turning away from me, just a touch of hurt seeping into her voice.

I shake my head and place my hand on her shoulder anyway; she flinches at my touch. "Twilight-"

"Don't you mean 'Ms. Sparkle'?" She murmurs.

I ignore her. "Twilight, it had to be one of you. It would've just been more confusing than it already was." I plead with her, squeezing her shoulder lightly. I move my mouth, thinking of the next words to put through it. "I just flipped a coin on it, honest."

She sighs, "...I know, sorry, I'm a little on edge lately..."

I nod, even though she can't see it. Given everything that's happening with her… Yeah... "And I understand that. From now on I'll… I'll call the other Twilight Princess Twilight. Okay?" I say as I give her a hug, which she returns. "And really, I'm fine. Just got a lot on my mind, to which I'm sure you can relate."

She nods lightly. "Okay.. Thanks."

"And if you ever want to talk about… You know… I'm here to listen, any of our friends are." We separate just as my book vibrates. Twilight fixes her glasses as I go over and open my book and immediately groan. "Nothing!" I close the book and drop it back on the table in frustration.

"It's only been a day, we can't expect all the answers." Twilight leans over the map we have set up on the table, lining where the military has set up camp around The Center.

The door slides open and Rainbow, followed by Fluttershy, walks up. "Hey guys. Any news?" She closes the door after them.

"Just that there's no news." I tell them. "Any word from Applejack and Big Mac?"

"Yeah, that's why we're here." She says, walking over to the map. "Right there," She pokes the map, "AJ and Big Mac said they found a small gap in security there. They don't know how long it'll stay though, so if we're going in there… The sooner the easier it'll be." She grins, "I personally think we should run in head first and kick that thing's sorry can."

I give her this look, that look you give to the guy who suggests you split up in a horror film. "It's not even a physical thing Rainbow, it's a magical expulsion from a hyper-condensed material of pure ene-" I try to explain to her, hoping to get through to her common sense.

"Whoa whoa whoa, you know I don't know egghead speak." She waves me off. I fail miserably as her ego just assumes she's right anyway.

My book vibrates again. I pick it up and scoff. "Yeah well good luck dealing with the magical contaminants." I say snidely, taking pride when she frown in remembrance. "What about Rarity? Does she have an idea for safety clothing if we need to go in there?"

"Maybe, not sure. When we called her she said she'd be right over." Rainbow shrugs.

I open the book and immediately recognize the hornwriting. "Hey uh.. Guys, I'll be right back." I murmur absently as I start for the door.

"Wait, what's wrong? Is there nothing we can do?" Twilight asks, panicking as she runs over and starts to look at the book.

I close it, keeping a finger in the page. "No, no, nothing like that. Just a letter from… Someone I haven't heard from in a long time." I duck out of the room before they can ask anymore questions and rush to the girls room. The school is empty besides us, everyone gone home to spend what might be their last few days with their loved ones. So I won't be disturbed.

I pushed through the door and place the book on the sink counter, opening it immediately.

Dear Sunset Shimmer,

When you were still my pupil, I asked you to do many, many things that the average pony considered dangerous. I asked you to personally visit and tour Tartarus unsupervised, because I believed that you would learn something. I sent you to Manehatten when it was being swarmed by Chimeras to help sedate the situation. Which you did in spectacular fashion might I add; without a single spell cast and without a single casualty from my little ponies or the Chimeras, you managed to bring peace back to the city.

Which, when put into perspective of what I'm about to ask you to do, it still falls into the category of completely ludicrous. Please know that I would never want to send you into danger if it could be helped, never once have I ever wished harm to you, Sunset. Not even when you attacked me out of rage and stormed out of the castle that one night all those moons ago.

But me, Twilight, Princess Cadence and Princess Luna have come to the decision that you have to go into the contaminated area and try to reach the center. We believe that whatever caused the thaumatic energies to become unstable to such a drastic point was it being catalyzed with an Equestrian magical artifact. It was probably forced into the physical manifestation of the Harmony Core for that world. We realize this term will likely mean nothing to you, as Twilight didn't even know what it meant. She will explain it when she arrives with your supplies. But please understand that this is not you or your friends' fault. Nor is it Twilight's or mine. We are not sure what might have caused it, but what's important is that the affects will be catastrophic to both of our worlds if you don't find a way to separate the magical device and the Harmony Core.

And I'm sorry. For not writing to you much sooner, nor on a more cheerful note. When you stablize the Harmony Core, I would like it if you came through the portal and we had a personal dinner in Twilight's Castle with her and her friends.

Your former teacher and former mentor,

Princess Celestia

I reread the letter twice before I close the book and leave the room. How am I supposed to respond to that? I don't even know where to begin! I sigh and sit down against the wall, running a hand through my head. Her hornwriting hasn't changed, not a bit. It's just like her old letters.

"Sunset darling?" Rarity carts a… Well a cart in front of me.

"Oh hey." I stand up and smile at her. "What's that?" Gesturing to her covered cart.

"I'll show you all in a minute. Everything alright dear?" She says before pausing. "Bad news from Princess Twilight?" She glances nervously at the book.

I grab up the book, "Not exactly… Do you have an idea for what we can wear to keep us safe in there?"

She nods. "Yes," She sighs, gesturing to the cart. "I didn't have the time or the idea to really spruce them up to be less… Ew." Her lip curls slightly at what I imagine is the thought of the outfits under the cover. "But I have a few things here that cover entire bodies in a relatively thick coating."

I sigh, "Good." Tightening my grip on the book, I walk over beside her. "I have an announcement to make too." I pull out my phone and text AJ and Pinkie, telling them to get here as soon as possible. She nods and we make our way back to the class room, where AJ is talking with Rainbow and Twilight is marking spots on the map and scratching notes in her notepad. "Applejack." I call out.

She turns and tips her hat. "Heyya Sunset. Rainbow tell you about them openings me and 'Mac found?" She asks, to which I nod.

"Yeah. You heard from Pinkie?" I glance back as Rarity slides her cart in and closes the door. "Me and Rarity have a couple things to share with all of you."

"Yeah, 'Ah passed her on the way here, she was just heading home to grab somethin' and she'd be right over." Applejack smiles lightly. I sigh and nod at her. I still don't know exactly how to respond to Celestia, but I turn to Twilight and ask, "Hey, can I borrow your pen for a second?"

She hands it over without even glancing at me, her eyes glued to the map. I walk over and sit at a desk, opening the book to the next page. I place it on the desk and prepare to start writing something. 'Dear Princess' "Helloooooooo~!" Pinkie's voice cuts through my train of thought before dicing it into a confusion salad. She quite literally bounces into the room, cheerful beyond any crisis for all life in both known universes.

I almost thank her as I close the book and stand up. "Hey Pinkie." I greet with a smile before walking to the map table with the others. "Now that we're all here… Rarity? You had something to show us all?" I shove the spotlight on Rarity while I work on my words mentally.

"Ah yes," She pushes the cart over as Pinkie bounds up to the table as well. "As I told Sunset in the hall, I found a number of outfits that would probably protect us if we need to go into the uh.." She trails off, looking for words.

"The Center." I interrupt, saving everyone from more confusion if she tried to come up with another name for it. "I've decided to call it The Center. But Princess Celestia wrote to me saying it was something called a Harmony Core that was at the actual center of all this, so I'm not sure if I should keep calling it The Center or not." I trail off awkwardly.

"Yes. Er.. Quite." Rarity laughs blankly, obviously entirely lost. "As I was saying, they would protect us in the event that we have to go into this er… Center." She unveils the cart, revealing eight tan and brown outfits. She was right about not having the time to style them, otherwise they wouldn't be such… Wholesomely Earthy colors. "I didn't want to add anything or try to fix them up any, for that might compromise the safety of the outfits." She holds one up, revealing it to be a helmet-less hazmat suit.

I take it from her, turning it around. Twilight then decides to voice all of our thoughts. "...Where did you get professional grade hazmat suits?" She too walks up and picks one up, looking it over.

She laughs a bit, scratching the back of her head. "Well my father is a rather… Peculiar man. He and Mother collect a lot of strange things during their 'adventures'." She picks another up and pulls the right arm inside out, revealing a fading white patch with information on it. "These aren't exactly new, nor would I trust them to be entirely water proof. They're from a good decade ago if I'm honest. But on such short notice..." She trails off, looking nervously at the outfit in her hands.

I place a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm sure they'll be fine." I smile at her as reassuringly as I can muster. "Now we just need a hood of some sort that will protect our head and neck." I mumble as I place the suit back on the cart, as does Twilight after folding her's up first.

"Yes, that's true." Rarity hums to me. "But enough with what I had to say. Sunset? You had something to announce as well?"

I sigh and nod. "Yeah." I glance one last time at the book before I begin. "Not long ago, I got a letter from Princess Celestia, as I mentioned in passing a moment ago." I walk over to the map and lean over it. "We have to go in." They all look immediately nervous and afraid, even Pinkie looks a tad less happy. "Princess Twilight and the other princesses have come to the conclusion that the cause of this is an Equestrian magical artifact somehow being attached to this world's Harmony Core, which I have no knowledge about at all." I say, before they can ask the question I'm waiting to find the answer for. "Applejack? Could you show us where you found those gaps in the security around The Center?"

She nods. "Can do." She walks around the table and I hand her the pen. She then circles a small portion of the map just northwest of Sweet Apple Acres. "Right there. Me and Big Mac managed to find a good hundred ta' two hundred feet gap in patrol around here."

We all nod. "Twilight? You… You know the area around The Center best. What do you think is the best route?"

If my subtle reminder to her dead family bothered her, she didn't let it show. "I have a few ideas. Give me some time to calculate the best one." I nod and look to Pinkie. "Pinkie what have" I pause before trying again. "What are…" I pause again, my finger pointing at her. I think. Some more thinking. I think even more. Everyone starts to stare. "...What are you supposed to be doing again?"

"I dunno." She shrugs with a smile.

I groan, covering my face with my hand. "I've seen you with all sorts of weird stuff before. Do you have anything that might help us in there?" I ask desperately. She nods rapidly. "Great." I sigh. "Fluttershy? Can you gather enough food and clean water to get us through at least two weeks? I have no idea how long we'll be in there."

"I-I can try." She gulps. "I need to f-find someone who can watch after my animals until we get back too..."

"I'll ask Sweetie if she and the Crusaders can do it." Rarity says before I even have to think of anyone.

"AJ and Rainbow can work on finding us all something to defend ourselves with, we can't just depend on the Elements this time. I know for a fact that it's going to be dangerous." They high five and nod at me. I close my eyes and sigh partially out of relief. "Alright. We all have our jobs."

"What about you?" Twilight asks, looking up from the map.

I glance over at her, she has an almost emotionless expression. "I'm gonna send a letter to the Princesses and then I'm gonna help you out with the route." I smile at her, to which she only nods and looks back at the paper.

I frown. Then everyone disperses. Leaving me, Twilight and the book alone. I shake my head and walk over to the book staring at it nervously. Then I sit down and open it to the page that I started earlier.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I read your letter and I already have the girls working on getting everything ready to enter The Center as I've begun to call the zone that the Harmony Core is affecting. But please, do not praise me for those things. As far as I am concerned, those are the acts of a pony long dead. Those were the acts of a power hungry pony, not worthy of your praise.

I also realize that you never wished harm on me, that you only ever wanted what was best for me. I know that I was so foolish back then, I'm never going to forget how foolish I was. I'll never stop apologizing for it either.

I understand. I will complete my mission your highness.

...I'm also sorry. I could have written Twilight to give you a missive from me at any point, but I didn't. Not from negligence, nor from spite. But from fear and shame. In my mind; my heart, I only saw your response as being one of hurt, or anger. I was afraid what you thought of me after all I had done to alienate myself from you and all of Equestria. Please understand.

Your former student,

Sunset Shimmer

I finish the letter and close the book with a sigh. I see Twilight staring at me out of the corner of my eye, but when I turn to look at her she immediately acts like she'd never stopped working. I gulp as I find my words. "Tw-Twilight?"

She jumps at my voice, looking up almost guiltily. "Yes?"

I twirl my fingers together before smacking them on the desk. I stand up and walk over, where I gesture her to take a seat on the stage. I sit down; as does she next to me. "Last night… I had a nightmare." I begin.

She shakes her head. "Sunset, you don't have to tell me if you don't want-"

"No." I tell her firmly. "I want to tell you. Just listen okay?" She nods. I then retell my nightmare from last night.

(Excerpt from the Diary of Adagio Dazzle – One day post-Battle of the Bands)

Dear Diary,

Yesterday… Those CHS girls shattered our pendants by over loading them with Equestrian magic. When we examined them, they showed only the slightest signs of being capable of holding any magic, as we managed to squeeze a little out. But we have all come to the same realization: We're going to die, if we cannot get them repaired, which in this world is all but impossible. Or if we can't find a different source of magic to feed off of.

Tomorrow we will head to the local library. Perhaps we can find something about this world's latent magic.

Adagio Dazzle