It was lunch time when everyone was finally able to get together. Sunset sat at the head of the table with Twilight to her left. Flash sat next to Twilight then it was Apple and Micro, Rainbow and Soarin, Fluttershy at the opposite end of the table, Sandal on her left, then Pinkie, Sonata, Rarity. Sunset looked them all over before she began speaking.

"Alright, because Sonata is new I'll explain what's going on." She then proceeded to go over everything she had told Adagio earlier. "So, that's about it. Sonata, you're new to this, you're trying to redeem yourself, so I'll understand if you don't want to be a part of what's going on."

Sonata shrugged with a half smile. "I lived through the dark ages and two world wars, I'm chill."

"Eww, good use of slang Sonnie," Pinkie said with pure enthusiasm and joy.

Sonata smiled back at Pinkie, slightly blushing. "Thanks but I've mastered over five hundred different languages and sub-dialects. Slang is easy."

"So Sunset; are you comfortable with Adagio at your place alone?" asked Twilight. It was a real question but the subtext was do you trust her to help.

Sunset thought for a moment. "Yes. I think I do. Besides I don't have much choice."

"You could have just sent us away," Sonata said in a not quite matter-of-fact way.

"No, I couldn't," Sunset responded in a solemn, slightly irritated tone. "After all I've been through, and after everything I've done, for me not to take you in would have made me the biggest hypocrite ever.

"But that's besides the point," Sunset continued after a small sigh. "I told Principle Celestia I was planning on leaving as soon as I get my updated papers from Discord. It'll cost me a pretty penny, but I have to. She said she knew, you guys had already been around and explained everything. She said until I leave, I didn't have to go to class and could use the school's resources for research."

Everyone nodded. This felt like a good start. And with as angry as Celestia had been that morning, it was nice to see her mood had turned around.

It was Rainbow who spoke next. "So what do you want us to do? I mean how can we help?"

"I'm not sure," Sunset replied a bit disappointed she had nothing better to say but it was the truth. "Since I have to talk to Discord anyways, I'll see if he knows anything. I'm flying blind here. Twilight and I will have to work all that out."

Twilight then spoke. "I guess first thing is to see if there have been any similar incidents in other places. I mean, we're going off the theory that whatever it is escaped when my twin opened up the portals at this school. We should double check. If things were happening like this before, we may have to not only readjust our timeline; but what we're dealing with."

"Well," Rarity uncharacteristically timidly, "with all of us now having enhanced magical powers and with Fluttershy being 'The Mystic'; we might want to try and see if can't use magic to get some answers." Rarity hated putting Fluttershy on the spot like that, but, in fairness, she had put her on the spot with trying to heal her brother and she honestly thought this could be a good way to get to the bottom of this thing.

Sunset and Twilight looked at each other and had an entire conversation with just facial expressions. Twilight then turned to everyone and said, "Well with me and Sunset acting as grounding forces, it could work. Maybe we can try something this weekend."

Once again, everyone nodded in agreement. But while most looked happy; Apple had a sullen look on her face. Micro looked at her and knew she was hurting. He planned on bringing it up tonight when she came over to his house.

"As we already discussed," Sunset added, "this isn't going to be easy. You all have lives to lead; or in Twilight's case a life to impersonate. But we can do this, together."

Suddenly Fluutershy sat bolt upright and her eyes began to glow white as the pupils disappeared. "Together, The Trickster is now together but does not yet recognize itself; so hidden it is." Her eyes then closed and her head fell down on the table.

Sandal and Rarity grabbed her and sat her up to see if she was ok. The others looked on in shock and surprise. After a bit; she shook her head and came to. "Wha, what happened she asked confused.

"You said The Trickster is now together," Sunset said. "Do you know what that means?"

"Yeh, especially since I'm The Trickster," Pinkie said nervously.

"No, sorry. It's, just, it's just something came over me. I can't explain it. Not now at least."

"Don't worry Shy," Sandal said; hugging Fluttershy. He then turned to Sunset and Twilight and said, "Maybe we should just hold off on any magic stuff for a while."

Fluttershy shook her head. "I'll be ok. I was just taken by surprise. This will be on purpose. I'll, we'll be in control." She looked up at Sandal and the two kissed.

"I just worry about you," he said softly.

"I know you do. But I got this. I never thought I'd say that about anything, but after everything I've been through, I'm good. I'm strong now."

"You always were," Rainbow said. "You just had to figure that out yourself."

"All of you are," said Twilight, her heart full of pride. "We, all of us, are here because we're supposed to be. This is no accident. We are bound together in a way far deeper and powerful than any of us could ever realize. Even you Sonata. You're here for a reason as well. We are one. We are family."

A tear ran down Sonata's face. Pinkie saw this and felt tears well up in her own eyes and she put her arms around her.

"Thank you," Sonata said. "No one's ever said that to me."

Sunset stood up with her juice in hand and held it out to make a toast. "Together," she simply said; to which all the others responded, "Together."

Author's Notes:

Ok, some of you maybe wondering how Sunset could have contacted Discord since I killed him off in the last book. Well, this section is actually a bit before those events in chronology. Not much before, but before. We'll get there though, with a little surprise.