While the award ceremony for Starlight and her friends hadn't gone exactly according to plan, all in all, all those in attendance would agree that it was still a success.
Sunset and Sci Twi had stood off to the side, trying not to stand out more than needed. But it was easier said than done since no one but a few even knew who they were.
The fact that Sci Twi and Princess Twilight looked so alike had started rumors up and down the room by those who didn't know who she was and why she looked so much like the princess.
Only the rest of the Mane 7 and Starlight knew the truth about her but were keeping it to themselves for the moment. It had been decided that knowledge of the Human World was too dangerous to share with Equestria for the moment.
But that would only last so long now. Princess Twilight had already hidden her and Sunset's Journal in a pocket dimension that only she could access. Without it, the World Mirror was just a regular mirror.
She also knew that her Ponyville friends had been wanting to visit Canterlot High ever since she had come back from the Battle of the Bands. That feeling had only grown since she and Sci Twi had become a couple.
Sunset meanwhile was doing her very best to avoid Twilight's Ponyville friends at all costs. She was still not ready to meet them and didn't even know how she would handle meeting them.
How should she treat them? Like the girls, she knew and loved back at Canterlot High? Or try and start afresh with them? Sunset didn't know, and it was driving her crazy.
Discord though seemed to know more about the two new guests than he was letting on. He seemed to be muttering to himself in a way that no one liked. But that was normal, as Fluttershy explained.
But it was the Great and Powerful Trixie that was getting on everyone's nerves the most at the moment. Even more than she usually did.
"Trixie demands to know why there are two Twilight Sparkles?! Did we miss a changeling?" The unicorn asked, giving Sci Twi the stink eye, which made the alicorn gulp. Somethings never changed it seemed, no matter what universe it was.
Princess Twilight growled in annoyance. No matter what had changed recently, somethings she still hadn't let go of apparently. "That is none of your business Trixie. And even if it was, I wouldn't tell you anyway. It is on a need to know basis, and you don't need to know."
Trixie scoffed. "Did you forget that Trixie is now a national hero? I thought you were smarter than that Sparkle."
Twilight's horn glowed dangerously for a moment. Sci Twi took the chance and ran over to stand beside Starlight and Thorax. "How do you put up with her?" She asked the unicorn. "I can barely stand her. And that's after dealing with her at Canterlot High."
Starlight sighed. "I wonder the same thing somedays. But Trixie is my friend. She was my first real friend after I moved to Ponyville that didn't have strings attached."
"Didn't she only do that to one-up the princess?" Thorax asked.
Starlight nodded, still not proud of that particular memory. "Yes. But she's gotten better since then. I know she has." She rolled her eyes. "Today is just a bad day."
Sci Twi couldn't see it, but Starlight knew this Trixie better than she did. Though she didn't sound so different from the Trixie she knew at Canterlot High.
Thorax though gave her an odd look. "Are you a changeling though? I thought they were all in the hive. And what's this, Canterlot High you speak of? Is it in Canterlot?"
Sci Twi shook her head. "No. I'm not a changeling. But that's all I can say right now. It doesn't need to get out what I am, or where I'm from. Not right now at least. Far too much could go wrong if it did."
Starlight bit her tongue. While she may not have known as much about the Human World as Twilight and the rest of their friends did, she was still curious to know more about it. She also didn't like that they were hiding it.
She understood why they were. But that didn't mean she had to like it.
"Oh you're so much more interesting than a changeling," Discord cooed as he slithered over to the three of them. "And much more fun to be around as well."
Sci Twi wracked her brain, trying to remember why he sounded so familiar. But they had only met today. So why did he sound like she'd heard that voice before?
Discord smile turned Cheshire as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and whispered in her ears. "Oh. I think you know who I am. Or who I used to be. Somethings about your kind haven't changed I see."
Sci Twi's eyes widened and her heart skipped a beat as it finally clicked. Discord chuckled as he let her go and bounced off to find Fluttershy.
Starlight and Thorax were giving her concerned looks. "Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost," Thorax asked.
Twilight nodded, trying to get her heartbeat back to normal. "I'm. I'm fine. I just thought that Discord sounded like someone I've heard before. But I was wrong."
Starlight didn't look convinced and made a mental note to ask her later what was really going on, but for the moment, she had another question. "So how long do you and Sunset plan to stay?"
The question finally knocked Twilight out of her funk, as she smiled. "At least a few more days. Sunset wants to visit her family in Canterlot, and I wanna see more of Ponyville. I didn't see nearly enough last time I was here."
Starlight nodded, remembering those few days well. She smirked though. "And to get extra comfy with the princess?"
Twilight's blush lit up the room as she stammered. "I. I don't know what you're talking about!"
Thorax laughed. "Oh wow. I haven't felt somepony love another pony like this since Princess Cadance and Shining Armor. I wonder if that's an alicorn thing or not?"
Twilight tried to hide her blush behind her wings, as Starlight just laughed.