It was a bright Saturday afternoon in Canterlot City. The sky was blue, no clouds were in sight. And perfect cool weather as the icing on the cake. With school out for the weekend, the students and teachers of CHS stormed the city malls and restaurants, leaving their school campus devoid of any personnel.
But the campus wasn’t completely empty. Just outside the school building were three girls. Two of them were students of school, while the other was an out worldly visitor.
While she hadn’t visited Canterlot High for some time, Twilight Sparkle was glad to be back. Months of governing Equestria had taken a small toll on the young Princess, and what better way to spend her break is by spending time with her friends beyond the crystal mirror.
But she wasn’t here just to see her human companions. No, there was another reason why the Princess came back. A personal matter, in fact. Once that involved an experiment of hers.
“Okay, Sunset, everything’s connected on my end!” the Princess shouted. “How about you? Were you able to get the satellite up and running?”
“There’s only one way to find out,” replied a girl who was on the opposite side of the statue. “Go ahead and turn the generator on, Twilight.”
Twilight complied as she flicked the switch on the power generator, causing the large power equipment to roar with life. Once she could tell it was working, she reunited with the other two girls at the portal entrance. “It seems to be working just fine, though I’m not sure if everything is set just yet,” she said. “Sunset, are you sure that thing is powerful enough to handle a satellite dish?”
“Me and Sci-Twi did all the research, Princess. I’m pretty sure that generator is powerful enough to light up an entire house,” remarked Sunset.
The girl standing next to Sunset groaned. “Oh, come on, Sunset. Do you really have to call me by that nickname?”
“Sorry, Sci-Twi, but it’s the only way we can differentiate between you and the Princess. Besides, having a nickname isn’t so bad. Some of our classmates in school even said it’s cute.”
The girl who looked identical to Princess Twilight—aside from her glasses—looked away in embarrassment as her cheeks flushed red. “That’s not the point! I’m just saying that you or Pinkie could’ve at least asked me first before spouting that nickname of yours. Now, almost everyone in school calls me that every time she’s here!”
“Try not to worry about it, other me,” said Princess Twilight as she tried to comfort her counterpart. “I know having friends is a new experience for you, but there’s no reason to take something as silly as a nickname too seriously. It’s just playful teasing, that’s all.”
Sci-Twi frowned. “Sorry about that. Guess I still got a lot to learn when it comes to making friends. Though it’s kind of weird having my pony counterpart lecture me on friendship of all things.”
Princess Twilight smiled. “Let’s just say I know your current predicament more than anyone else.”
“Save the lessons for later, Twilight. We need to make sure everything is working pronto,” said Sunset Shimmer. “Now, are all the hardware components setup in your castle? There’s no point in having the internet if the computer isn’t working you know.”
“Everything up and running, Sunset. The only thing I need to test now is the internet connection back at the castle,” replied Princess Twilight. “Once that’s taken care of, I should be good to go.”
“I don’t know girls. I’m still having… doubts about bringing modern technology over to Equestria,” said Sci-Twi. “Are you certain this is a good idea? From what Sunset told me, your world isn’t exactly the most technologically advanced.”
“Don’t worry, other me. The computer will be kept safe inside my castle. No pony will ever know of its existence aside from me and my friends.”
“What about the Princesses? Have you told them about our experiment yet?” asked Sunset, to which Twilight shook her head.
“No, not yet. Though I do plan on telling them eventually after a couple of days.”
Sunset cocked an eyebrow. “Wait, you haven’t told them yet? Not even Princess Celestia? Your own mentor?”
“Our mentor, Sunset,” Twilight replied, reminding Sunset that she too was a mentor of the solar matriarch. “I haven’t brought it up yet because she’s too busy dealing with Equestrian affairs. So are Princess Luna and Cadence.”
“Then what does that make you?” asked Sci-Twi. “Aren’t you a Princess of Equestria too? If running a government is so busy, why do you have so much free time?”
Princess Twilight frowned. “Well considering that I’m still a relatively new princess, my royal duties have been somewhat limited. I still help the other Princesses every now and then, but most of my work has been centered around Ponyville only. Not to mention I have my own student now.”
“Princess Celestia doesn’t want to overwhelm you with work, doesn’t she?” asked Sunset. Twilight responded with a nod. “Guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I mean, ruling an entire nation isn’t exactly the easiest thing to do.”
“You think she’ll let you rule alongside her one day?” asked Sci-Twi.
“Maybe, but now is not the time to be thinking such things. All I can do is learn from her,” replied Princess Twilight. “Anyway, I think I should probably head back. Spike is waiting for me and I’ve been wanting to get some rest before I meet up with the girls.”
“Yeah, we should probably get going too. Me and Sci-Twi over here are supposed to be meeting up with the girls soon,” said Sunset. “Don’t worry about messaging me. I’ll know you’re online if your Skype account is active.”
“Oh, and don’t forget about your list of usernames and passwords for the apps you use!” remarked Sci-Twi. “You didn’t forget about that, did you?”
“Don’t worry about that, other me. I got everything I need back at the castle,” Twilight replied in a nonchalant manner. “So, I’ll be seeing you all again soon?”
“If your internet is working, then yes. I’ll look forward to seeing you and your friends online,” replied Sunset. “To be completely honest, having everyone meet their prospective counterparts on Skype is something I very much look forward to.”
“You’re okay with seeing two Pinkie Pies together?” asked Sci-Twi, which caused both Sunset to shiver uncomfortably.
“I’m sure we can get her under control. I mean, it couldn’t be that bad, right?”
Princess Twilight flinched. “I’ll make sure she doesn’t do anything reckless. Since we’ll be doing a Skype chat, I should be able to hold her back. Though I can’t say for certain how the Pinkie in this world will react.”
Once again, Sunset shivered in her place. “We’ll talk things over with her before we start. In the meantime, I suggest you head back home now. Sooner or later, somepony is going to wonder where you are, and the last thing you want is for any pony to snoop around the castle.”
“You’re right. I better head back before anypony gets suspicious. Goodbye, Sunset. Goodbye, other me. I’ll see you all online again soon.”
The Princess waved goodbyes as Sunset and her counterpart left the school grounds. With them gone, she turned toward the portal to Equestria and leapt in.