Equestria 20XX.
Derpy Hooves promptly made her way down the twisted hallways of Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns. Which in her opinion was something of a lie, this location hadn't been a real school for a long while now.
In fact, she felt it was more along the lines of a Testing Facility, the students simply an easy source of labor for more detailed experiments taking place. Celestia believed that her mentor Starswirl had found a power source hidden within various elements of the pony soul.
What type of power?
Uncertain.
Could it be harnessed?
Uncertain.
Starswirl also believed that a common Portal Spell could be used to transverse dimensions if wielded by a pony of vast hidden strength.
Celestia believed many things, no matter how many failures compiled over the years.
She trusted her mentor would succeed in the end.
Even as the school plummeted into uncontrollable debt.
The young pegasus finally arrived at the main office elevator. Her once neat blonde mane a frazzled mess of tangles, white blouse stained by coffee and red skirt crumpled towards the hem. She wasn't feeling absolutely the best, but as a personal secretary to the solar princess, she was expected to persevere.
A soft click echoed from her right, Miss Yearling, Luna's personal secretary had called forth the elevator. She had her long raven mane in an elegant bun, serious eyes hidden behind crimson glasses.
Her violet blouse pure perfection, black pencil skirt untouched by the chaos of the day.
How she kept herself so collected was a true mystery, it was barely even noon and Derpy felt as if she were about to collapse.
"Hello, usually you're night shift?" Derpy cleared her throat nervously.
"Hmm?" Yearling quirked a brow.
"I'm Celestia's personal secretary." Derpy felt her weak eye wander slightly.
"That's nice." The door opened as both pegasi climbed inside.
"Must be quite important if you're called during the day shift." Derpy watched the door close.
"I work both shifts, a complete seventy-two-hour workday." Yearling sighed as if struggling to make small talk.
Derpy scrunched her muzzle, she only worked a ten-hour day.
"How's Luna anyway?" Derpy quipped.
"Not at liberty to say." Yearling sighed.
"Oh, any important projects?" Derpy coughed, this elevator ride excruciatingly long.
"I'm not at liberty to say." Yearling puffed out her cheeks.
"Taste the new coffee in the break room?" Derpy began to sweat nervously.
"I'm not at liberty to say." Yearling sighed in relief, as the elevator door finally opened.
Both sisters were sat at a large oval-shaped table, dozens of various files spread over the surface in a sea of controlled chaos. Yearling galloped over to Luna's side with a professional smile and courteous bow. Derpy attempted the same, only to trip on her skirt and topple to the floor under Celestia.
"Ma'am, the excavation of the Stasis Ore has hit a snag." Yearling spoke through pursed lips.
"What kind of snag?" Luna placed a hoof on her cheek curiously.
"Deadly." Yearling bit her lower lip a tad worried.
"Send some mercenaries or something." Luna groaned at the news of further halted progress.
"Stasis Ore!?" Celestia frowned towards her little sister in disapproval.
"Indeed sister. ~ It's quite the valuable ore at the moment." Luna replied in a cold emotionless tune.
"Also highly toxic! ~ With dozens of unknown side effects!!" Celestia's hoof slammed the table hard, earning a yelp from Derpy who had lifted off the floor in a daze.
"They're my men! ~ I'll pursue whatever projects I so desire!!" Luna snapped with a roll of her translucent blue eyes.
"Hmm, what's the status of my top student?" Celestia turned her attention towards the frightened pegasus at her side.
"Midnight is still stuck on Test.18," Derpy whispered as a large lump formed in her throat.
"Midnight? ~ I hate that dumb nickname!" Celestia grumbled under her breath annoyed.
"Um, she prefers to be called by it." Derpy giggled out of fear.
"Well, I don't! ~ Her name is Twilight, I demand she is called by…" Celestia heard her sister giggle from across the table.
Luna flaunted a hoof in a mocking manner. "18? ~ Isn't that the cake one?" She burst into a loud chortle once more. Celestia could feel her cheeks burn a bright red in embarrassment, her students had fallen behind across all subjects.
"Derpy, tell that moron to solve the test! ~ Or she'll spend a week in the isolation chamber!!" Celestia glared daggers to her secretary, the pegasus frantic to nod in agreement.
"These tests are futile." Luna's gaze locked upon her sister.
"They just need more time." Celestia huffed in reply.
"Ever since the technological boom led by Cadance, the world has begun to advance at a wonderous pace!" Luna let her gaze fall to the table below, her hoof lifted to dismiss her secretary.
"Quality of life comforts!" Celestia snorted with a melodic laugh, her hoof dismissing Derpy just the same.
"No longer just comfort, it's pushing forward advancements in our society! ~ Medical, technological, and weaponry!!" Luna's voice filled with excitement about what the future held in her lifetime.
Yearling exited towards the elevator, holding the position to wait for the other mare.
"Technology is a delightful resource I admit. ~ Though our future is intertwined with magic always has been." Celestia bit her lower lip with uncertainty, as her mane cascaded over her face messily.
"Magic is quickly becoming outdated, sister. ~ Most students know more about computers than our simplest spells." Luna frowned as she stated the sad truth.
Derpy stood still in awe, blatantly eavesdropping.
Yearling's loud cough enough to snap her back into reality, Derpy quick to gallop towards the elevator as cheeks burned red.
"What would you have me do?" Celestia lowered her head in shame.
The elevator hummed as it lifted upward from below.
"Place your trust in me, before it's too late." Luna lifted to her hooves, voice full of comfort.
The elevator soon arrived, as it opened with a swoosh.
Both pegasi climbed inside, Derpy desperate to hear more.
"Sister." Celestia whimpered, ears folded down nervously.
"I call it, Black Acres." Luna smiled with confidence in her newest project.
The elevator door soon slamming shut.
The meeting over.