Author's Notes:

Before you read this, understand that some of the words you may get confused by. Please note that Twilight is not a robot and that she is real in this chapter. She is only moving and acting much like one so the comparisons are incorporated in describing her movements and behavior.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GUmmgvEehI

Twilight sat in her guest bedroom at Celestia's palace staring at the three words printed in her journal. Three words just scrawled on the paper shouting desperation.

Twilight tried to swallow the lump in her throat. She had received the message last night and had nothing to write back to her. She still didn't. Twilight missed Sunset badly and needed to be with her.

Somehow, she knew the words were more than what they said. It wasn't written in the neat and quick way Sunset always wrote. It was written heavily, as if by burden and sorrow. The way the pen stroke broke off abruptly on the end of the last word made Twilight's chest ache as her heart squeezed.

Sunset missed her a lot.

Just then, a knock came at her door and before she could answer it, her friends came piling in. They paused when they saw the pony before them. She didn't look like the happy mare they had known before she left. There were bags under her eyes, a sign of having had a sleepless night. Her coat was frazzled and unkempt. Her mane was a mess and her expression dead.

She changed.

Before she left for the other world she was as friendly and nice as they knew her to be. There was always a smile on her face as bright as the sun. Her eyes would be a-light with wonderment of what the new day would bring. With quick strides, she travelled through the journeys they faced with unspoken amounts of determination.

That's the mare they knew. Princess Twilight Sparkle, Saint of Friendship.

But now...

She was a foreigner, trudging through a world she didn't quite belong in. A mysterious nopony whose eyes everypony avoided. No more was she the high standing princess of Equestria. She was lost, yet she was found.

"Twilight," Fluttershy whispered.

She timidly flapped toward her with her fragile wings.

"Is everything...alright?"

The princess stared down at her journal not saying a word. As Fluttershy grew closer she could see she was reading three words over and over again.

"...Miss...you..." she read aloud softly and in much confusion.

Twilight snapped the book shut and startled the poor Pegasus. Turning to her friends she sighed.

"Anything you need? I'm busy."

Pinkie Pie bit her lip. She would cheer her up but the dead stare Twilight had was too much.

"We just want to spend time with you i-is all, darling," Rarity spoke. "Ever since you left last night's party, you shut yourself up in this room of yours..."

Her eyes drifted up toward the ceiling and the walls. It was dull and grey. The very color of depression. The curtains weren't pulled back and left the room darker than it should be. Pleased to have found something useful to do, Rarity went about opening the curtains.

Rainbow Dash stepped up toward Twilight.

"You sure do seem out of sorts..."

And here comes her blatant mouth asking the question that's on everypony's minds.

"You're happy you're back home, right?"

Twilight smiled(barely) and said," Of course, Rainbow Dash. It's always wonderful to be around my friends."

Something was off about the way she sounded. It sounded happy, yes. But it was more of a recording than anything. No real emotion was put into her voice. It was as if she were a doll with a wind up string. You yank the cord and she spits out a worthless catchphrase that no matter how many times you hear it play, should make you smile.

It was creepy.

She was more of an animatronic than a real live pony. She moved robotically and barely blinked as she told them the pre-recorded message with glassy eyes and a false smile, her mouth moving and voice lip synching to the jingle of a merry voice.

Her friends were quiet as they studied her. Her mind seemed to have drifted off elsewhere and left her body to move mindlessly through life. Applejack noticed the necklace on Twilight's neck and pointed.

"That sure looks nice. What pictures are in it?"

"There of Sunset's parents," Twilight told her flatly.

They waited for her to continue on, but when they saw she wasn't going to keep talking they tried to get her to keep going.

"So, uh, Sunset's parents? Why is that?" Applejack asked.

"It was a locket Sunset valued and she gave it to me," Twilight responded.

She stared at them watchfully with her unblinking eyes, cameras verring as it zoomed in and analyzed them. Scanning for nothing in particular.

"Why did she give it to you?" Applejack asked carefully and slowly keeping one eye on her and another on the floor.

"Because she loves me," Twilight told her.

Everyone froze. Loves her? Such a strong word for a friendship. The word 'care' would've been a more suitable word to place instead of 'love.' Because she cares about me was what they would expect.

Applejack decided to move on from that and went on.

"That's a very nice gift she gave you. She's a very good person..."

"Yes. I should know more than others," the animatronic answered.

More creep factor.

Rainbow Dash frowned.

"What do you mean 'I should know more than others'? And this 'because she loves me' stuff...What happened when you were over there?"

Twilight gazed at them blankly.

"Sunset and I are together."

This shocked them so badly that it left their mouths open.

"Y-You and Sunset are together?? How..." Pinkie Pie whispered.

"How did that happen?!" Rainbow Dash asked, taking the words right out of Pinkie's mouth.

"Fate," Twilight told them. She turned stiffly to her books and sat down with precise movements. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to work."

She opened up her journal and stared at the three words on the page.

The ponies left the room quietly and didn't return at all that day. Twilight didn't belong there anymore. Her life there ended as soon as she stepped onto the ground of the other world. Twilight didn't belong in Equestria anymore. Her life was meaningless.

She belonged in the other world.

Right by Sunset Shimmer's side.