Luna gave Sunset a level look. "I have to admit, I'm glad you're doing this. It takes a certain amount of courage to really fix things."

Sunset sighed. "I can't just… leave and have them feel betrayed by my counterpart, can I? Besides, I told Central I wanted to do this. Friends are a rare commodity and a life like Sunset has been living… I can't just destroy that."

Luna nodded. "A most noble sentiment. However," she glanced at Sunset's companions. "Are they really needed?"

"Well, now I feel offended…" Galahad muttered. "I still can't believe our little Sunset is a hardened warrior."

"Think of it as… impact," Sunset said, ignoring Galahad's mutterings. "If I just walk in on my own, there's no evidence… they might think I'm making it up, or that Sunset is unstable. This way… it's better."

Luna sighed. "Very well then, let's do it."

"So… you think this has to do with what happened with Sunset?"

Applejack gave Rainbow Dash a deadpan look.

"Well, darling… given…" Rarity closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "that we were all involved in that terrible fiasco, I can't imagine why else we'd be gathered together."

"I just need another chance at her," Gilda growled, "I'm going to pummel the living daylights out of her!"

"Just make sure you heal your arm first," Flash muttered.

"You said something, blue eyes?"

"Nope!"

The banter stopped when Vice-Principal Luna opened the door and walked in, followed by two individuals in black suits. She glanced around the room and nodded.

"I'm sorry to have made you all wait. I know that today things have been crazy and that all of you being kept from classes and your friends after today's incident is… well, not ideal. However, my sister and I wanted to figure things out first and there are many things that were unexpected.

"Fortunately, no one else besides you few were left in the cafeteria at the time it happened, and thus the damage has been contained."

"So," Gilda spoke up, crossing her arms defensively, "who are they? The police?"

Luna shook her head. "These are RAF Colonel Bree, and COS liaison, Lieutenant Durand. They're here because of what happened today."

Immediately the mood in the room went defensive.

"Ah don't know if that's necessary for a minor dispute," Applejack said, her voice a bit muffled.

"Oh my, well, that's very generous to make this so serious, but I'm quite certain things are not that bad..." Rarity added, rubbing her arm.

"So we got into a fight. Fights happen, right blue eyes?"

"Yeah, everyone has a bad day."

There were general murmurs of consent from the other students.

"Oh my gosh! You're in the RAF?!"

"Dash!"

"Sorry! Sorry! Some of the best pilots in the world are there!"

"Ahem!" Luna cleared her throat. "Yes. Right, I'm… very proud of all of you. But a specific person requested they be here with them so that what happened today can be sufficiently explained to all of you."

Luna gave them a wary look. "This will be hard to believe, but it's true. This person has lived the last few years in a war and can shed light into what caused all of this. I know you all will be surprised, but please, be respectful too… it's not easy to say what they have to say, understood?"

The students glanced at each other in confusion but nodded.

Luna sighed. "Alright then, Lieutenant, if you would?" she asked, walking up to the door.

There was an audible gasp when Sunset walked in, and stood in front of the class, with an inscrutable look in her face. Luna closed the door behind her and leaned against it.

"Is this a joke?" Gilda blurted out.

"No joke," Sunset said, looking at her, then turned to regard the rest of the students in the room, "First let me say I'm sorry I scared you all like I did… and that I am very proud and grateful that Sunset Shimmer has such good friends and forgiving people in her life."

Rarity had withdrawn instinctively when she had walked in, but shook her head. "You are not making sense, darling."

"Right. Sorry… I'm… it's just difficult to do this, but I wanted to clear the air… what I did to you was unforgivable, miss, but I hope you understand… that your friend Sunset was not the one that did that…"

"Wha?"

"Perhaps you should just start at the beginning?" Luna suggested.

"Most of it is classified…" Galahad muttered.

"Shush, you," Sunset growled, then faced the students. "Alright… I'm not the person who you think I am. I'm a Sunset Shimmer from a place very different to this one, which has been at war with powerful enemies. The last thing I remember, before Rainbow Dash woke me up, was taking a short nap in my bunker bed.

"The next thing I knew… I was in a place that… well, let's just say this place doesn't exactly exist there. I never studied in Canterlot High, nor met most of you. I just recently lost a dear friend, and… I'm not in the best place emotionally. I thought I was being controlled or attacked in some obscure way… and defended myself until I realized that… that it's real and you were not enemies after me."

She looked down, closing her eyes. "I'm sorry. I… I didn't know. I know it's no excuse—you were worried about me, and I hurt you. Well… worried about Sunset. She's safe, she'll be back… but when she comes back… I don't want you to hate her for something she didn't do."

"Is this… for real?" Applejack asked.

Sunset nodded, and the girl narrowed her eyes. "Now, my granddad went to war, and Ah know I was very confused when he would jump under a desk when an airplane would ride past. Ah thought it was funny at first… and as Ah grew older, he explained…" she licked her lips. "What Ah'm sayin is, we Apples have a long line of soldiers in our family. Ah get it… and, Ah forgive you sugarcube… Ah just wish it didn't hurt that much."

"I for one wish it hadn't come to… what happened," Rarity said, hugging herself. "I'm sorry darling, I understand that you're going through a lot but…"

"It's okay…" Sunset spoke up, "I know it takes a lot to forgive that kind of thing… it was inexcusable, and I can't ask you for that… just… remember it wasn't Sunset."

Rarity smiled a little. "I'll try."

"So this was just another of your magical shenanigans?" Gilda drawled. "Bo-ring! And here I thought Sunny had gone postal." She snorted. "Whatever, I won't hold it against her."

Sunset nodded. "If it's alright… um… Applejack? I could fix your nose for you."

Applejack blinked. "You can do that?"

"Yeah… simple spell. There's more magic in this world than in mine."

Applejack smiled. "Well, Ah'd be lyin' if I said that wasn't mighty convenient, go ahead sugarcube."

As not-their-Sunset healed Applejack's nose, Rainbow Dash frowned. "Wait… so if you're here… does that mean our Sunset is in World War three?"

"Oh my Celestia!" Sunset was walking in circles in the room. "My dad! My dad is part of a secret organization that fights aliens!"

"Hey…" Twilight made calming motions with her hands, "Calm down! I know it's a shock, and now-a-days it's not really a secret organization but—"

"What if the only reason he adopted me was to keep an eye on me?" Sunset blurted out, turning to face Twilight, "He knows about the magic! He was there for the Fall Formal, and the Dazzlings concert! What if that's the only reason he—"

"Miss Sparkle," Bradford said, opening the door to the room, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but Dr. Taygan… Sunset? What's going on here?"

Sunset's lower lip trembled, and she launched herself at Bradford, hugging him tight. "Dad! Tell me it's not true!"

Bradford stood still. "Wha…"

"Next time, Central…" Twilight muttered, "You might want to knock first."