It'd been days since Pinkie and Sonata had been rescued from that island. While the pair were glad they were finally rescued, it wasn't without sacrifices. Crosshairs had injured both, and they were immediately rushed to the hospital. While their injuries weren't critical, they were severe. For the party-loving girl, her left arm was so broken and dislocated that she had to be put in a sling; for the former siren, her neck had been quite bruised and had a few cracked ribs as she had a neck brace and had bandages around her sides. Once they were discharged and given a few days of home rest, Pinkie met Sonata at the Sweet Shoppe. The former siren was reading a newspaper article about Crosshair and his associates' conviction.

"Hey Sonata, you doing okay?" asked the pink-haired teen.

"Yeah, I'm alright. The doctor said if I continue to take the prescription, I should have my neck back to normal by the end of the week. As well as my ribs. How about you?" asked the former siren, looking at the pink-haired girl with her left arm in a sling.

"Doctor said I'm healing well. Did you hear about the conviction?"

"Yeah. Life in prison with no chance at parole. Your friend, Fluttershy, was brave enough to testify."

"Yeah. She said Phil is doing well helping her at the shelter. Who knew a monkey could work perfectly at an animal shelter?"

"I'm just grateful that he only suffered a mild concussion. I can't imagine what else Crosshairs and his men might've done to him," said Sonata.

"Yeah, I agree with you there. I heard Sunstorm is doing well at the Police Station," responded the pink-haired teen as she reached for a cookie.

"How does Twilight's brother feel about having a mech on the force? He was skeptical the last I heard."

"He was approved of it after a few good jobs."

"That's good to hear. Hopefully, there won't be any trouble for the public when they see a mech in real life," said Sonata as it was crazy enough that magic was real, but to know that a robot came to life because of magic. It would send some people astray.

"I doubt it. Last I heard, Sunstorm was doing fine. I wish he had kept the orange paintwork," said Pinkie.

"Well, we can't tell him what to wear and what not to wear. It's his choice. As long as he's happy, that's all that matters, right?"

"Yeah. Seen the FlimFlam brothers anywhere?" asked the party-loving girl.

"Not a trace. Last I heard, they skipped town."

"Darn! I was hoping to get a refund from them. Plus all the special treats they promised!"

"At least we got to keep the stuff we salvage," remarked Sonata.

"Not to mention a new friendship with each other," said Pinkie with a smile.

"Words to live by, Pinkie. Thanks for being a friend."

"Anytime, Sonata."

The two girls extended their hands, sharing a fistbump, and their smiles grew even bigger. While their journey may have been crazy and out of this world, it was no doubt less magical.

Author's Note: An end to this short story just as 2024 draws to a close. Thanks to Garrus Skywalker for this small collab.