Sunset sat on a bench in the back of the school, her hands laid atop her lap, watching her friends who were looking at her deep in thought. School had already ended, but not before Sunset ran out of the school in obvious terror. She was at the back of the school grounds, near the old tool shed, when Rainbow Dash nearly tackled her. Sunset, firmly held up by Rainbow Dash, finally took the moment to breathe, leaving her friend to carry her full weight, while her thoughts ran amuck. She eventually regained a little of her composure, and seated herself on the bench, but not without cornering herself. She couldn't hide anything after the scene she had made, and with Sombra in her school, Sunset wanted more than anything to keep her friends out of it. Many things were about to change, and Sunset could only hope their friendship wasn't one of them.

"So you met Twilight," said Applejack. "But not our Twilight."

Sunset nodded.

"And you didn't think to tell us?" asked Rarity.

"I was afraid," Sunset said before being interrupted.

"Afraid of what?" asked Rarity. "How could you think that after everything we've been through, you could keep something so important a secret?"

"I didn't want," Sunset tried to say.

"It doesn't matter what you wanted," shouted Applejack. "What if one of us had met that Twilight? We could've said something without knowing it. You could've been in serious trouble, not including the 'monster' you failed to mention is wandering in our school."

"You shouldn't have been afraid to tell us," said Fluttershy.

"I know, but." Sunset was on the verge of tears. What a perfect time to be a crybaby again, she thought. She clenched her eyes, trying to hold back. She felt something being placed on her head. Her eyes snapped open, and she reached out her hand to feel a fuzzy hairpiece.

"What," muttered Sunset.

"Just a precaution," said a cheerful Pinkie Pie. "Now if that other Sunset Shimmer shows up we'll know which one's our Sunset."

"Pinkie..." mumbled Sunset, still touching the pony ear hairpiece.

"Jeez, you'd think you'd learn by now," said Applejack, smiling towards Sunset Shimmer. "We're your friends Sunset. We'd fight tooth and nail to keep you safe."

"That's right," said Fluttershy.

"Eeyup," said Rarity.

"And don't try to explain it all away, cause none of us will have it."

"You're not mad?" asked Sunset.

"Of course were mad," said Rarity, grimly. "But given the circumstances," she added, "I suppose a bit of clemency is in order. You'll just have to find some way to regain our good graces."

"Like letting us help you," said Fluttershy warmly.

"You guys..." Sunset wanted to say more, but couldn't find the words.

"Well, I'm still mad at you," said Rainbow Dash.

"We're all mad, Rainbow," barked Applejack. "But cut her some slack."

"How can I?" asked Rainbow Dash. "All this time, there was another me in Equestria, and she didn't even think to tell me." She looked at Sunset. "If there are two Twilight's, then there's obviously versions of us back in Equestria, right?"

"Uh, maybe, probably," stammered Sunset Shimmer.

"See," said Rainbow, looking towards Applejack. "You can't just hide something that awesome from your friends. Its almost evil."

"Rainbow Dash," said Rarity. "I think we have more important issues to consider."

"Oh c'mon. Look at Fluttershy, she's just as curious."

Fluttershy snapped out of her reverie upon hearing her name. "Oh, I'm not mad at Sunset. I know she was just trying to protect us." She scooted herself closer to Sunset Shimmer. "But I think its wonderful there's a pony me somewhere. I wonder what I look like as a pony," she said, blushing.

"Am I still in trouble?" asked Sunset Shimmer.

"Doesn't seem like it," Applejack said wearily, pulling her hand away from her face. "But no more secrets kay?"

"Right," said Sunset.

"Good," said Applejack. "Now if Rainbow's done being fickle, I'd like to know why you freaked out around that Sombra fella."

In spite of all her misgivings, Sunset Shimmer was rather happy with having told the truth. Her friends were now alerted to the other Twilight, and were less likely to slip her anything she might use against Sunset. Every now and then, she and her friends would look around, keeping an eye out for Twilight: enough that they may spot her if she was hiding somewhere, but not so much that Twilight could suspect they were looking for her. However, Sunset was less concerned about Twilight then she was about Sombra.

She watched the boy working at the counter in Sugar Cube Corner. Sunset felt somewhat ashamed. It was possible this Sombra was just an innocent boy, the human double of a pony who lorded ruthlessly over a shrinking empire. Her friends peeked at the counter at different moments, each equally confused by the situation.

"So the most evil, uhh, pony in Equestria," said Applejack hesitantly, "is now in our school... and works part-time at a bakery."

"Its nothing concrete," said Sunset. "But I can't take the chance. If this Sombra is in any way connected to the 'evil spirit' Twilight mentioned, I have to know for sure."

"Seems to me darling," said Rarity, "that the only threat he represents is to a lady's waistline." She said this watching Derpy walking from the counter, carrying a large bag of muffins. How that girl could eat those muffins without risking her figure was a source of constant agitation for a girl who checked her weight every morning. She inwardly salivated when she saw Derpy pull a muffin from her bag. Banana chocolate chip, thought Rarity, so delicious yet so cruel to me.

"Uhh," said Rainbow Dash, looking away from the bizarre staring content between Rarity and the muffin, "Rarity's right. Its pretty weird that some evil king would be working here."

"It could happen," said Pinkie Pie. "We have magical powers, so why can't he?"

"Pinkie's right," said Sunset. "When I came into contact with Sombra, I felt... something. He could be in the possession of powerful dark magic."

"But you were all weirded out by that other Twilight," said Applejack. "Could've been you were just stressed."

"Yeah," said Rainbow in agreement. "I mean the only evil monster I see is Aria, and she can't use magic anymore."

"But if Sombra does have dark magic," said Fluttershy, wiping Rarity's lips with a napkin, "he could end up hurting someone."

"I agree with Fluttershy," said Rarity, brought back from her trance. "Trust but verify, as I always say."

"The real problem is determining if Sombra has any magic or not," said Sunset, digging in her bag. From it she pulled out a small gemstone, which glowed faintly on her palm.

"What is that?" asked Rarity, awestruck.

"Back in Equestria these gems are used for lighting lamppost at night. They glow when they come into contact with magic. The magic in our world isn't the same as back in Equestria, so these gems wouldn't glow if used by a normal person."

"But we're not exactly normal," said Fluttershy.

"That's right. We each possess magic leftover from when I brought Princess Twilight's crown through the portal. When I touch the gemstone some of that magic is being emitted to it, making it glow."

"So if Sombra has any magic," said Rarity, "the gem would glow as well."

"Exactly," said Sunset. "So we need to..."

Looking back at her hand, Sunset realized that she was no longer holding the gemstone. She scrambled in her seat, looking desperately for the tiny gem. But her minor episode was interrupted by a few pokes from Rainbow Dash, who pointed dumbstruck at the familiar pink girl now standing by the counter.

"P-P-Pinkie Pie," Sunset stammered. "What the heck is she doing?!"

"I'd take it she's taking the initiative on this one," said Applejack nervously.

Sombra had been more than patient with Pinkie Pie when she arrived at the counter, and although he couldn't admit any animosity towards the pink girl, the growing line of customers was testing his nerves. He glanced at Aria, herself busily taking customers orders, who glared angrily at Sombra briefly before turning back to the customers. Pinkie continued staring at him quietly.

"Uhm, Pinkie Pie, right?" asked Sombra.

"Yes Sombra," said Pinkie, finally blinking.

Sombra paused to consider his words. "I don't mean to be rude, but I need to help the rest of the customers. If you haven't decided what to order, could you stand beside the counter so I help the other customers while you decide."

"Your really nice," said Pinkie Pie.

"... thank you."

"No, seriously," stressed Pinkie Pie, "you don't seem like a bad guy at all. Most guy's wouldn't be so nice to someone being so inconsiderate."

"Then maybe you should try being nice and let everyone else in line through," sneered Aria.

"I should shouldn't I," said Pinkie, innocently. "But then I wouldn't be able to talk to Sombra, and he would be to busy to talk to me, and then we can't become good friends."

"I'll be on my break in a little bit," said Sombra. "We could talk then."

"That's sweet, but we should talk now. Like what's your favorite color?"

"Pinkie Pie," seethed Aria.

"Green," interrupted Sombra. "My favorite color is green."

"Now is that like an evil kind of green, or the good kind?"

"What?"

"Just kidding. Unless you like milky green, which is my least favorite color for green. Reminds me of boogers, bleh."

"I guess it would be... unpleasant."

"But your not are you. Your just a struggling guy trying to make his way in life, working hard to help his family, not burdening them with his own wants and needs. My sister Maud would have loved to meet you. Oh, and Applejack to, she loves guys like you, always working hard. In fact, she used to have a teenie-tiny crush on Braeburn before she learned they were cousins. Boy was that embarrassing. Oh no," she said glumly, "I just told you something embarrassing about one of my best's friends."

"That's alright," Sombra said desperately. "I swear I won't tell anyone. But if you could please-"

"That's so nice of you," gleamed Pinkie Pie. "In that case, it will be our secret as best's friends. Do you have any secrets?"

"Wha?"

"Well I just blurted something really private about someone. It wouldn't be fair if you didn't tell me something that I could keep a secret. I mean that's what friends do."

"But I don't really have any secrets."

"That's okay, just tell me when you find one."

"Could you please move it," shouted someone from the line. "Some of us want to actually eat some food."

"Then maybe," said Pinkie Pie, looking deathly back at the line, "you should use the other line."

The customers immediately buckled at the sight of Pinkie Pie's smiling face, and deflated hair, sidestepping to the next line.

"So," she said, turning back towards Sombra, her hair frizzed back to 'normal', "I heard you passed out at the cafeteria. Are you alright?"

"Uhh," stammered Sombra, frightened by the brisk change in Pinkie's attitude, "yes. A little dizziness but I'm alright."

"That's really great to hear. It must have been really bad to have to go through that on your first day. Good thing you had friends to look after you. I mean they could've left you lying there, cold and alone on the floor; also can you hold this for me?"

The rattled Sombra felt his hand being pulled by Pinkie Pie, who placed a small gemstone on his palm. Sombra simply watched, too far gone to process the unusual situation happening before him. The small gem glowed dimly on his hand, still held firmly by Pinkie Pie.

"What the heck is that?" snarled Aria, busily tending to customers while keeping her eye on Pinkie Pie.

"Duh, its a glowing rock. My sister Maud loves rocks, so I thought this would be really cool to give to her for her birthday. But I didn't know if it glowed or not, so I wanted to check."

Pinkie let go of Sombra's hand, putting the gem in her pocket, before waving away to Sombra.

"It was really nice talking to you. We have to do it again sometime."

Sombra mumbled incoherently while a number of brave customers moved to his line.

Pinkie Pie seated herself beside her friends, each dumbfounded by the scene they had witnessed. Pinkie fiddled with the gem in her hand briefly before speaking again.

"That Sombra's a really, really, nice guy. To bad he might be evil."