It was the daytime. Sunset Shimmer, Derpy, Watermelody, and Golden Hazel went to the horse statue that was a closed gateway to another universe. Atom was there too.
It was a weekend, fortunately, so they could get away with messing around near the statue without being called to class and punished for playing hooky in such a visible spot. Derpy was blindfolded and had to be led, for while she didn’t have the best sight in the world, she wasn’t really used to experiencing the world blinded.
After the third time she bumped into a tree she had to hold Atom’s hand for the rest of the journey.
After the fourth time, she also had to hold Golden Hazel’s hand. Golden Hazel’s other hand held a picnic basket filled with food one might find in such a storage. Watermelody planned for them to consume the stuff in it while they watched Sunset Shimmer conduct experiments with Derpy.
“Man, I can’t believe Derpy bumped into all four trees between where we met with her and here,” said Watermelody.
“I can’t believe I have to hold her hand AND the picnic basket,” said Golden Hazel, who gave Watermelody a dirty look.
“What can I say, Golden, you’re real handy,” said Watermelody, eyes closed and with a shrug.
Golden Hazel gave her a dirtier look.
“We’re here,” said Sunset Shimmer.
The five teenagers stopped in front of a modest horse statue.
“Derpy, get over here,” said Sunset Shimmer, “Now, if you remember, the portal is really in the part the horse stands upon and not really the horse statue.”
“Right,” said Derpy.
Watermelody and Golden Hazel, who was able to release Derpy’s hand after she helped bring her over to Sunset Shimmer, had set up a modest picnic. Atom decided to sit next to them ‘til such a time as he’d be needed.
“First thing I want you to do, Derpy is put your hand on the base of the statue while you touch the mirror on the other side, can you do that?” said Sunset Shimmer.
“I’ll ask Twilight,” said Derpy, “Sunset wants me to touch both portals at once!”
It was rather late on the pony side of things. Princess Twilight Sparkle, Derpy, Carrot Top, Written Script, Amethyst Star, and Dinky were all gathered around a fancy looking mirror. Princess Cadance got it to Twilight as fast as she could, she was a good friend like that.
“It’s rather late, Dinky, maybe you should go to bed,” said Carrot Top.
“No! This is important! I can tell ‘cause you’re all anxious for some reason that I don’t know!” said Dinky.
Carrot Top decided to relent for once.
Derpy was still suspended, but she could see the room she was in. She looked at the mirror, she had never seen the mirror before. She had often seen the horse statue when she was traveling the school, so it was jarring for her that the mirror portal looked so different from it.
‘I guess that doesn’t matter too much,’ thought Derpy, ‘Still a point of interest though.’
“So what’s with this mirror anyway?” said Amethyst Star.
“It’s a portal that opens every thirty moons to another universe,” said Twilight Sparkle, “I went there once.”
“...Neat,” said Written Script.
‘Why do I keep bumping into trees?’ thought Derpy.
“Right now I’m trying to see if the mirror currently exhibits any behavior uncommon to a mirror when the portal’s closed,” said Twilight Sparkle, “Such as anything other than reflecting light.”
‘Oh good, we made it to the statue,’ thought Derpy.
Princess Twilight Sparkle poked and prodded the mirror for a while and everypony just stared at her work. It looked very flashy all things considered, but it didn’t end up amounting to much.
“I conclude that it is unlikely that the mirror exhibits behavior abnormal for mirrors while the portal remains closed,” said Twilight Sparkle.
She attached a machine something to the mirror.
“What’s that thing?” said Amethyst Star.
“Oh that?” said Twilight Sparkle, “It’s a device that reads magical signatures, I thought that I might as well install it now. When the portal opens, I plan on taking a reading with the device.”
“I take it you’re the type that likes to get things out of the way as soon as possible then?” said Written Script.
“Right,” said Derpy.
“Hmmm,” said Twilight Sparkle, “I’m not sure about that…”
“I’ll ask Twilight. Sunset wants me to touch both portals at once!” said Derpy.
“It’s technically only one portal, there’s just two-” said Twilight Sparkle.
“You know what she means,” said Carrot Top, who gave Princess Twilight Sparkle a stern look.
“Right,” said Twilight Sparkle, “I guess you could do that.”
Derpy put her hand up to the base of the statue. Then her hoof was put against the mirror. Derpy punched, or kicked depending on how you look at it, herself in the face. She promptly fell down and her forelimbs were removed from the portal.
There had been a subtle glimmer that appeared when Derpy put her hand against the statue. It disappeared when she stopped touching it. She was not expecting to accidentally punch herself in the face, but when her pony self’s front leg was placed on the mirror it somehow shot thru to the other side unchanged and it collided with Derpy’s human face.
Derpy’s human forelimb did also make a trip to its opposite universe, but it sailed harmlessly under her pony body’s torso.
“I wondered if anything would happen,” said Sunset Shimmer, “Didn’t really expect anything like that to happen though.”
“Are you alright?” said Atom after he got up and kneeled down at Derpy.
Derpy just nodded while she lied down on the ground.
Watermelody had laughed when Derpy interdimensionally punched herself in the face.
“It’s not funny, Watermelody,” said Golden Hazel.
“Pfft, you never appreciated real comedy,” said Watermelody.
“What? It’s your taste for commoner’s comedy that makes it so you’ll never live like a true thespian,” said Golden Hazel, left hand over her heart and right arm extending out for dramatic effect.
“If being like you is how to be a ‘true thespian’, I’m glad I’m a fake one or whatever,” said Watermelody.
“Okay, but I’ll need to rest a bit first. My face really hurts,” said Derpy, presumably to one of the ponies on the other side.
“Grrr, you just don’t know how to appreciate things properly,” said Golden Hazel.
“Trust me.That wasn’t the case on the other side,”” said Derpy, probably still talking to the ponies.
“No, that’s your problem. We’ve been over this,” said Watermelody.
“Why you…” said Golden Hazel.
“Shut up and get over here you two,” said Sunset Shimmer, “I want your opinion on whether Derpy is fine or not.”
“Sorry, I don’t swing that way!” said Watermelody.
She got smacked in the back of the head by Golden Hazel.
“I hate that joke,” said Golden Hazel.
‘Did Sunset know this would happen?’ thought Twilight Sparkle.
“Wait!” said Twilight Sparkle, “That should’ve given me a reading on the portal’s magical signature! If I can replicate it, I might be able to make a copy portal! With Sunset’s help we might even be able to make one that acts like it’s always being touched by Derpy!”
“You sound awfully excited,” said Amethyst Stat.
“You’re right, I’m probably getting ahead of myself,” said Twilight Sparkle, “Derpy, I’ll need you to activate the portal again.”
“Okay, but I’ll need to rest a bit first. My face really hurts,” said Derpy.
“But that weird monkey arm didn’t even touch you,” said Written Script.
“Trust me,” said Derpy, “That wasn’t the case on the other side.”
The four other teenagers were gathered around and hovering over Derpy, who was lying on her back right in front of the horse statue.
“You are talking to ponies on the other side, right?” said Sunset Shimmer, “Not just babbling nonsense?”
Derpy nodded her head.
“So what were you talking about exactly?” said Atom.
Derpy held up a finger telling them to wait a moment. She crawled back to the base of the statue and placed both her right forelimbs to it. The glimmer was back.
A book had flown thru the portal. Then something else flew thru right after it did too.
“Um...Hello?” said Twilight Sparkle.