If there was one thing that everybody knew about Twilight Sparkle, even those who did really call themselves her friend, it was that she loved books. It was a passion she had always had, and that sentiment had not dwindled, even in the face of all the magic and strange goings on in her recent life. So it was that she, along with Sunset Shimmer, now found themselves in the local library of Canterlot. The former unicorn stood to one side, a smile upon her face as she regarded her friend. The latter was like a kid in a candy store right now, her eyes wide and full of love as she looked over every aisle, every book she could get her hands on. In truth, the two of them were really the only ones here today, aside from the librarians of course, and as such, the place remained as silent as the grave, with the exception of Twilight as she started to speak up to her friend again.

"Um...Sunset? Could you give me a hand?"

The Equestrian turned to her colleague, seeing that she had gathered so many books that they had started to become just a little bit too much for her to handle, to the point were they even looked as though they were going to topple over. Thankfully, Sunset had time to roll her eyes briefly to this, before promptly making her way over to her friend. With just a few motions, she was able to steady the near-toppled pile of books Twilight was holding, much to the latter's appreciation. And, after briefly adjusting her glasses somewhat, the eager young scientist took on a somewhat embarrassed look to herself.

"Thanks. Guess I'm getting a bit carried away, huh?"

Sunset chuckled a little before adding her own voice to things.

"Maybe. But, let it never be said that you don't prepare yourself for your work."

Twilight smiled wider to that.

"Well, the science exam is going to be important to the final grade this year. I just want to make sure I'm ready."

Sunset looked to her friend's books, then back to her, before raising an eyebrow.

"No offense Twilight, but I think you might be overdoing it. After all, chances are that someone like you already knows everything that test will have to throw at you."

Twilight, upon hearing that, briefly started to look a little disapproving of Sunset's words.

"Maybe, but that's no excuse not to prepare."

Sunset nodded, acknowledging her point, and stayed silent as the former Crystal Prep girl carried on.

"I wonder if I should invite Applejack or the others to study with me?"

Placing her hands on her hips, Sunset smiled again.

"I'm sure they'd appreciate it, but they all have their own way of studying for these things. Best to let them stick to it."

Twilight considered that for a moment, then nodded in acceptance of that suggestion. Together, the two of them started to head off towards the front of the library, where the receptionist's desk was. Twilight was still smiling, eager to get her books checked out and get ready to work. But, no sooner had she and Sunset started approaching that desk when, all of a sudden, the young scientist started to bear a loot of realisation.

"Oh!"

Sunset turned to her.

"What is it?"

Twilight looked right back.

"There's still a book I forgot! I...hold on!"

She started to look around, and her face lit up as she spotted a nearby table. Silently, she gestured to it with her head, and Sunset understood the message, helping her out and getting the books over to it. Together, they laid them down, and took a moment to enjoy the feeling of not having so much to carry around in their hands anymore. But the moment was short-lived, as Twilight once more got to the business of searching for her missing book. Sunset walked alongside her to help, but it seemed as if she needn't have bothered, as it was mere moments before the former Crystal Prep girl found what it was she was after.

"There it is!"

She skipping ahead a few steps of Sunset, much to the latter's amusement, and reached up to grab hold of a bright blue book that stood out from all the rest on that shelf. However, before she could take hold of it, Twilight saw, to her surprise, that a second hand was reaching for the book. Taken aback, Twilight stopped, and turned her head to the one who had done this.

"Oh! Pardon me."

It was a girl about her age, though perhaps an inch or two taller, with pale cream-coloured skin. Her hair was a mix of both red and purple, and was long enough to reach to her waist, though there remained a spot on the very top of her head where that hair had been worn up and tied with a scrunchie. Her attire was that of a dark and thick-looking sweater, with what appeared to be a pants-skirt combo, and to top it all off, she wore long boots. Upon her face were a pair of glasses, not unlike what Twilight herself wore, though it appeared as though they had been damaged at some point, as evidenced by the tape that bound the two halves together in the middle. The girl in question, now noticing Twilight's presence, seemed to be even more surprised than she was.

"T...Twilight?"

Twilight took on a look of confusion.

"Um...yes?"

Then, realisation dawn on her.

"Wait...Moondancer?"

The other girl, Moondancer, stayed silent after hearing the girl's words, and her expression had changed from surprise to a look that one only saw on those that were trying very hard not to give away what they were thinking or feeling. As for Twilight, she seemed to be almost ecstatic to see her.

"Oh my gosh! It's been ages! How are you?"

Moondancer considered this for a moment before replying.

"I'm...fine."

There was no emotion in her words, but Twilight had not noticed this, and instead, she turned, looking over to Sunset and waving her over.

"Hey! Sunset! Come over here!"

Sunset did so, and only now did she notice Moondancer, whom Twilight was quick to gesture to.

"I'd like you to meet Moondancer. She and I were in a lot of classes together back at Crystal Prep."

Sunset smiled at this, taking a few steps forward and offering her hand to this new girl.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Sunset Shimmer."

Moondancer looked at the offered hand and, after a moment of hesitation, accepted it.

"Yes, I've...I've heard of you."

There was something in the way she'd said that which caused Sunset some measure of uncertainty, but again, Twilight had been oblivious to it, smiling widely to her former classmate.

"It's great to see you again. You wouldn't believe all the things that's happened since I left Crystal Prep! And all the new friends I've made too!"

That final line in particular caused Moondancer to narrow her eyes a little.

"New friends, eh?"

Twilight nodded, but Sunset seemed to deepen in her sense of something being amiss here. Even so, she stayed silent, and as for Moondancer, she sighed deeply, adjusting her broken glasses and, in utter silence, started to walk away. Twilight's smile faded as she saw this, and as soon as Moondancer was close to the front desk of the library, she called out.

"M...Moondancer?"

The other girl paused, not even bothering to look back to Twilight as she replied.

"I've...got work to do."

And with that, she left, leaving Twilight and Sunset to watch her go. They said nothing as they watched Moondancer check out a few small books that she'd been carrying with her this whole time, and before long, she was exiting the library entirely, putting herself out of view for the other girls. After a long and uncomfortable length of nobody talking, Sunset finally broke the silence, turning to Twilight, who seemed visibly upset by this.

"Twilight? What was that about?"

But all Twilight could do was shake her head.

"I...I don't know."