//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Technological Wonders // by currentlemon //------------------------------//     An hour had passed since Twilight had returned home, and during that time, she had been sleeping on her bed. She was tired, mostly due to the fact that she’d woken up early in the morning, finalizing her last bit of work with Sunset and her counterpart. But after getting some much-needed rest—along with some coffee too—the Princess was ready to get back to work.     Teleporting back to the mirror room, Twilight darted back to her PC. Turning it on, she quickly tested the internet connectivity, hoping that the work she’d done this morning was a success. To her delight, the word ‘Google’ popped up on the screen.     Everything was ready. Now all she had to do was wait for her friends.     Suddenly, Twilight heard a knock coming from the only door in the mirror room. She looked back and saw it slowly creak open, revealing her assistant, Spike. “Hey, Twilight, the girls are here,” he said. “Are you done with… whatever it is you’re doing?” “Yes, Spike, I’m finished. You can let them in now,” replied Twilight. Her assistant nodded as he swung the door open, revealing the five special mares who made her who she was today. Her student, Starlight, was with them as well. No doubt the mare was curious to learn more about the PC. Her demonstration an hour ago may have been brief, but it was enough to get the mare intrigued. Pinkie was the first to come barging in. “Hi, Twilight!” the party pony greeted while bounced about in the room. “Spike came to Sugarcube Corner earlier and told me you wanted to show something really important. So, here I am.” Before Twilight could respond, Pinkie skipped right past her as the mare quickly took notice of the computer. “Ooohhh, shiny,” said the party pony as she began to poke at the machine with the tip of her hoof. “Is this the thing you wanted to show us, Twilight?” “Pinkie be careful. That’s a very delicate object!” Twilight replied. “So, does that mean it was expensive?” asked Pinkie. “Yes. Well, I mean, not really. Even with all these parts, it only costed me twenty bits.” Starlight raised an eyebrow. “Twenty bits? I thought you said this thing was powerful and state of the art. How did you afford something so cheap?” “It’s the bits themselves, Starlight. They’re worth a lot of money in the human world,” explained Twilight. “Even a pouch of our currency would give you a lifetime supply of oats.” “And ya spent it on that thing?” asked Applejack as she pointed at the PC. “Jus’ what in tarnation are ya tryin’ ta show us Twi’?” “Yeah, I was kinda in the middle of practicing some flying techniques until Spike told me to meet up here,” said Rainbow Dash. “Seriously, Twilight, what gives?” “Girls, please. If you just give me a chance to speak, I’ll tell you everything you need to know.” After settling her most rambunctious friends down, Twilight went on to explain everything they needed to know. “As you can see, this PC is a highly advanced machine that I brought from the human world. Its capabilities are a bit difficult to explain, but I figured I’d give you girls a demonstration.” “I don’t know, Twilight. Are you sure bringing something from the human world is such a good idea?” asked Fluttershy. “You didn’t even tell the other Princesses about this yet.” “I concur. Forgive me, Twilight, but as much as I’m intrigued about this thing of yours, I don’t think it was a good idea not to tell the Princesses. For heaven’s sake, you didn’t even tell Princess Celestia yet!” argued Rarity. Twilight sighed in frustration. It wasn’t surprising that her more reasonable friends didn’t like the fact that she was keeping secrets. And after glancing back at Rainbow and Applejack, it appeared that her friends agreed with each other. “You’re right, girls. I’ll write a letter to Princess Celestia tonight and explain everything. In the meantime, I suggest we all sit back and observe modern human technology.” “You’re still intending to show everypony what this thing can do?” asked Starlight. “I do. One of the things that Sunset and I intend to do to have the girls finally meet their human counterparts,” Twilight explained as she grasped the keyboard and mouse with her magic. “What?” shouted all of her friends at once. “Oh, oh, does that mean I get to see the other me?” said Pinkie, beaming wide. She attempted to jump in front of Twilight and plant her face onto the monitor screen, but thankfully, she was stopped short by the Princess and Starlight. “Calm down, Pinkie. I need to check with Sunset first,” said Twilight. After putting Pinkie back behind her, the Princess began to move the mouse again. Then, after a single click of a button, the screen flashed a small blue square with the word ‘Skype’ in the middle. “What in the hay is that supposed to be?” asked Applejack. “It’s a way for me to contact Sunset,” Twilight answered as she pressed a few buttons on the keyboard. “Are you writing a letter to her or something?” asked Starlight. “Sort of. It’s not a letter per say, but just a quick message. She’s online, so it won’t take long for her to respond.”  “Okay, now you’re just confusing us even further!” said Rainbow Dash. “How the heck is she supposed to reply back so quickly?” Suddenly out of nowhere, a loud beep echoed across the room, startling everypony in the room except Twilight. “Oh, good, she responded,” said the Princess. She quickly glimpsed the response on the screen but frowned when she finished reading. “Looks like we’re gonna have to wait a little while longer. Apparently, they’re still hanging out together and they won’t be back at their computers till later.” Unfortunately for Twilight, she quickly realized that her words were completely ignore as her friends were all staring at the monitor in awe. “She responded that quickly!” shouted Rarity. “How in Equestria did that happen?” “Yeah, it happened in ten seconds flat!” said Pinkie Pie. “Hey, this thing is just as fast as Rainbow Dash! Neat!” Rainbow grumbled in annoyance at her friend’s remark, but nonetheless, she and the rest of the girls were just as curious as Pinkie. But out of everypony in the room, the only one who seemed unsurprised was Spike. “Hey, I remember this. Sunset and the girls mentioned something called instant messaging the last time I went to the human world with Twilight,” said the young drake. He scratched his head. “Huh, that’s weird. I don’t remember the girls using something this big for instant messaging. What they used was way smaller than what Twilight has.” The girls stared at Spike with wide eyes. “Wait an apple pickin’ minute, Spike!” shouted Applejack. “Yer tellin’ me that ya know what Twi’ is talking about?” Spike shrugged. “Well, no, not really. I just remember seeing it first-hoof in the human world. I’m not really sure how it works, but you girls can think of it as my dragon fire. The only difference is that the one Twilight used is faster.” “That’s one way to put it, but yes, Spike is right. Sending letters or messaging other people is instant in the human world. All you have to do is write something up and bam, it’s there in an instant,” Twilight explained. “Wowie, zowie! So, I can send letters to my family in the rock farm in ten seconds flat!” yelled Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash winced. “How does it work though?” asked Fluttershy. “Sure, it’s nice that you can send letters to anypony instantly, but how did humans accomplish something like that in the first place?” “It’s complicated to explain,” replied Twilight. “If I were to give you girls a lecture as to how this thing works, you all would be even more confused as it is. And knowing somepony here, they’d just fall asleep or get bored the moment I start talking.” Rainbow opened her mouth to reply, but as much as she wanted to rebuke her friend’s claim, she decided that it wasn’t worth it. “So, instead of teaching you girls the ins and outs of human technology, I’ll just give a brief demonstration,” continued the Princess. “It won’t be very long, but since your counterparts aren’t ready to talk just yet, I can keep you girls entertained till then.” Rarity tilted her head. “Entertained, dear?” “This PC can also serve as an entertainment device,” Twilight explained. She paused for a brief moment to look at all her friends. Then, her eyes fell on the Element of Kindness. “Fluttershy, I’ll start with you.” “M-me?” asked the meek pony. Twilight nodded. “How about I show you something that appeals to you. It’s sweet. It’s adorable. And it has something to do with cute animals.” Fluttershy’s ears perked up. “C-cute animals?” Twilight smiled. Turning back to the computer desk, she grasped the mouse again with magic. After a few clicks, another white screen popped up, showing the word ‘Google’ from before. It nearly prompted the girls to ask more questions; however, the screen changed yet again before anyone could get a word. “Ah, here we are,” said Twilight. “YouTube. Now here’s something that’s fairly popular in the human world. Humans love to express themselves here, whether it be teaching others or performing outright silly actions.” “What do ya mean by that, Twilight?” asked Applejack. “I will explain later. First, let’s watch this short video I have ready for Fluttershy.” “What the hay is a video?” Twilight did not answer. Instead, she used her magic to click the mouse again, causing the monitor screen to change once more. After a brief flash, the girls soon heard a voice out of nowhere. It startled them a bit, but their eyes glued back to the monitor screen. The girls gasp as they see a dog breed that they’ve never seen before tending to its three newly born puppies. Almost immediately, Fluttershy cooed. “Aw, look at the cute little babies,” she said as her lips curled into a wide smile. “So adorable!”  “Oh, most definitely,” said Rarity. “Hearing them cry makes me want to cuddle one of them. They’re just so precious.” The girls were introduced to the small newborn pups as Dalmatians, a dog breed that they haven’t seen before. After getting the puppies names, the narrator talked about the dog breed itself. Most particularly about their athletic build that makes them perfectly suited for any job. “An athletic dog, huh?” said Applejack with a whistle. “Wouldn’t mind havin’ a fella like that on the farm.” “What about, Winona, darling?” asked Rarity. “Ah’m sure they’ll get along just fine. No matter what breed it is, Ah’m sure any dog will get along with another. Just depends on whether ya put the time n’ effort to do so.” “Shh, quit girls. I want to learn more about this breed,” said Fluttershy, surprising both her friends. The video continued to play with the three Dalmatian puppies fighting over who gets to have breakfast first. Though puppies Francie and Madison have no trouble getting to their mom, only boy Woodrow seemed to have the most trouble. “Hey, what gives?” shouted Rainbow Dash. “Why do those girls have to be such jerks to their brother?” “They’re only babies, Rainbow. Cut ‘em some slack,” replied Applejack. “I know that, but still. You gotta let the little guy eat. How’s he supposed to grow into this cool athletic dog if his sisters keep getting in the way?” As the two ponies argued about the lone male puppy, Starlight leaned closer to the Princess and began to whisper in her ear. “Hey, is this video thing okay for Spike to watch? I mean, the puppies are literally feeding off their mother’s… you know.” “Don’t worry. Spike is old enough to know about the ins and outs of motherhood,” assured Twilight. However, a small grimace formed on her face. “I didn’t tell him everything though. There are some parts I left out due to how… sensitive the topic is.” Starlight silently nodded in agreement as she focused her attention back to the monitor screen where the video had fast forwarded three weeks later. The dalmatian puppies were growing. Their eyes had opened. And best of all, they were taking their first steps.  What also drew the girls were the puppy’s sprouting black spots, a unique trait the girls have never seen before. And as the narrator began to explain the Dalmatians’ spots and their varied colors, Spike chimed in. “Say, you don’t think there are Dalmatian Diamond Dogs are there?” he asked. “I don’t think so,” answered Twilight. “But then again, we don’t know much about Diamond Dogs in general, besides their desire for well... gems. Who knows, maybe they have breeds that we’re unaware of.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I doubt it. Even if there were Dalmatian Diamond Dogs, seeing one with spots all over them would be too weird.” “I agree,” scoffed Rarity. As the girls continued watching, they quickly cooed over the two hyperactive female puppies. Rarity swooned seeing such adorable puppies take their first steps, while both Rainbow and Applejack grew attached to Francie and Madison. However, they would immediately felt sorry for only boy Woodrow, who wasn’t as active compared to his sisters. While they wandered around their home, he stayed behind. “Aw. Looks like somepony needs a hug,” remarked Pinkie Pie. The narrator went on to explain that a puppy’s ears would open after twenty-one days. Though Woodrow’s sisters could hear his cries, they chose to ignore him instead. “Wow, I… I’m not sure how I should feel about that,” said Spike. Applejack sighed. “Poor fella. He jus’ wants his sisters ta keep him company. Too bad they won’t listen ta him though.” Thankfully, the pup’s cries were heard by his mother, Roxy, who quickly came to ease the scared little pup. Though she loved her rambunctious daughters, her son had a special place in her heart.   “How adorable,” said Fluttershy. The video would fast forward once more. Only this time being five weeks later when the puppies have fully grown up. While the two sisters were as hyper as ever, only boy Woodrow spent most of his time with his mom. After a quick flashback of the pups growing up, it was soon time for one of the puppies to be adopted as a firehouse mascot. They immediately cheered as Woodrow was selected. “Hooray!” cheered Pinkie Pie as she pulled out confetti from her mane. “The mama’s boy wins!” Starlight blinked. “Uh, Twilight, where did she get that confetti from?” she asked, nervously. “Pay no attention to it, Starlight. It is just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie,” Twilight assured. “Trust me, the last thing you want to do is question her antics.” “But it’s so illogical. How in Equestria does she do those things?” “Don’t question it, Starlight. It’s better if you just leave her be. Trust me when I say you do not want to question Pinkie Pie’s antics. Doing so will only give you headaches, or painful experiences.” “It sounds like you have first time experience.” “You don’t know the half of it.” As the video ended with the remaining two Dalmatian pups playing, Princess Twilight began to address her friends. “So, girls, how did you enjoy your first taste of human technology?” she asked. Fluttershy was the first to respond. “Oh, it was wonderful, Twilight. I never would’ve thought that the human world would have such an adorable dog breed. Just thinking about them makes me so happy.” “I concur,” followed up Rarity. “This was my first time seeing newborn puppies. And to be quite honest, I never would’ve dreamed they’d be so… adorable!” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “It was okay, but isn’t there anything else you can show us, Twilight? Maybe something that’s awesome like me?” Applejack frowned. “Watch yer ego there, Dash,” berated the apple farmer, causing the prideful Pegasus to wince. “Y-yeah. Sorry about that.” “This computer has all sorts of capabilities, Rainbow. I’m sure there’s plenty of videos that are made just for you, but you gotta be patient. There are still some things I’d like to show you first,” said Twilight. She then smirked. “Including some of my personal favorites.” “Favorites?” asked Rainbow. “What favorites?” Before the Princess could answer, a loud beeping noise echoed inside the mirror room, startling the girls and Spike. “Everypony, please, there’s no need to worry. That’s just the computer making the noise.” “W-why is it doing that?” asked Fluttershy. “I think somepony is trying to message me,” Twilight answered as she stared at the computer screen. She paused for a brief moment. Then, she let out a gasp. “It’s Sunset. She said she and the other girls are ready to talk.” “Wait, right now?” asked Starlight. “But I thought she said they weren’t ready yet.” “She did, yes. But I guess things have changed. Oh, well. I’m sure she can explain a few things once we talk to her.” Using her magic, Twilight moved her cursor to the ‘Skype’ application. After pulling up Sunset’s account, she gave her friends one last look before clicking the call button. “Okay, girls. Are you ready to meet your other selves?” The girls cheered as Twilight started the Skype call.