//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Back To School // Story: Digitizing Reality // by TheDimensionRift //------------------------------// Twilight stood in silence as she tried to comprehend what had just happened. She had so many questions and not a single answer except for a phrase which may or may not mean something, it was irritating her inside. Seeing this, Rainbow Dash tried to lighten her friend’s mood. “So I’m guessing your just as confused as we are?” asked Rainbow as she gave a nervous laugh. Seeing her attempt wasn’t working, the pegasus tried a different approach. “Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked as she flew to her friend. “Rainbow head back to Canterlot and inform Princess Celestia of what happened here. Spike and I will examine the crash sight and look for clues” The pegasus gave her an assuring nod and took off towards the city at great speed. Twilight walked into the small crater and looked around searching for even the faintest of clues. She noticed a small metallic fragment under some ruble, using her horn she levitated the piece in front of her face as she studded it. She put in a bag that she had with her and turned to her dragon. “Come on Spike, I think I know where this came from” with that said, Spike hoped on her back as she began to fly towards her castle. The unicorn exited the portal and was met with his emotionless doppelganger staring back at him in a room filled with strange objects, charts, maps, and a large active portal in a corner. “Did you leave a sample of the satellite?” he asked with a blank stare. The unicorn nodded before replying. “Indeed, and if she’s as smart as we’ve been led to believe than she’ll cross over. We must give her time, speaking of which,” the unicorn said as he stared at the watch on his hoof, as if on cue, the watch began beeping. “It would seem as though my time is up, I better head back to my world before we cause another distortion” He walked over to the active portal. “In the meantime, I’ll leave the device with you. I want you to see if you can find out what it’s for, if you find anything contact me through ECO as usual” The twin nodded confidently before seeing his lookalike off. Twilight scanned through several books trying to find her answer of the material. When she had finished the last of them she glanced over at Rainbow Dash. “Just as I suspected, this fragment doesn’t match any know material in the history of Equestria” her friend stared back at her in a lost daze. Twilight sighed before continuing. “Meaning whatever that thing was, it wasn’t from this world,” she paused for a moment “Actually now that I think about it, I have seen this material before but it was from the human world” “That’s impossible, how could something from that world cross into this world? The only way is through the mirror or the portal that you made,” asked the pegasus as she struggled to comprehend everything which was happening. “There’s only one way to find out, I have to go back and see if I can dig up any answers,” she stopped and put a hoof under her chin. “Do you remember what that gray unicorn had said, about it not being the time or place for him to tell me? You think maybe he was from the human world?” Rainbow Dash began to laugh as she gave her friend a playful shove. “Come on Twilight, no human could have made it here, and besides the mirror is in a heavily guarded castle and your portal only turns on with your magic” she followed her friend as she entered the room with the portal. “I shouldn’t be gone long, can you watch after Spike while I’m gone?” Twilight’s friend gave her a salute. Twilight grabbed a bag and turned the portal on but faced her friend before she left, “As soon as I find anything I’ll come right back so make sure the portal stays on” “Roger that!” replied Rainbow with a nod. Having said her goodbye, Twilight entered the portal hoping to find answers waiting for her on the other side. When she passed through the statue Twilight found herself staring at the front entrance of Canterlot High. She noticed that the school seemed to have less color than usual and she began to question where she was. It wasn’t until a familiar voice chimed in to let her know she was in the right place that she began to relax. “Well this is unexpected surprise” Twilight turned around to face her old friend Sunset Shimmer who had a smile on her face and carried some books under her arm. Twilight ran over to her and greeted Sunset with a hug. “If you’re here for school you’re a bit early,” said the flame haired girl as she and Twilight began heading to the school’s front doors. “If that’s true than how come you’re here so early?” asked Twilight as she held the door open for her friend. “I’m heading to the library to return these books and get a little studying in before classes start” As they entered the library, Sunset gave Twilight a confused look. “Speaking of which, what brings you here?” “Actually that’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” said Twilight with a serious expression. She reached into her bag she had brought and pulled out a square piece of metal. “I need to know more about this” Sunset Shimmer looked at the square and then back at her friend, still with a puzzling look. “I don’t think I’m getting the gist of what your asking?” She pulled up a chair by one of the computers and motioned for Twilight to sit down. "You want to know more about metal?" "Not exactly, this came from a strange object which crashed outside of Ponyville and I want to know if you've seen it before?" asked Twilight as she handed it to her friend. Sunset Shimmer felt the material as she held it in her hands, she had seen this material before but can't recall where. Just then, her eyes shot wide open as a light lit up in her head. "Yeah, yeah! hold on a sec," Sunset logged onto a computer and began typing on the keyboard quickly. After a few key strokes and several clicks she turned the monitor towards Twilight and show her what was onscreen. "Is this the metal object you said landed in Equeastria?" To Twilight's surprise, the object on screen was in fact what she had seen. Her look of surprise was all Sunset needed to know she was going to say yes. "Its the Technology Advancement Club's prototype satellite. It got first place at the district science fair last year thanks to the club president who, as rumors have it, is a genius" "But what I don't understand is what it's doing in Equeastria?" Asked Twilight with a confused expression. "I'm not sure either," said Sunset as she logged off the computer in stood up from the chair she sat at. "But I might know who does, come on," she grabbed Twilight by her arm in a quick motion. "Where are we going?" "To see the the president of the Technology Advancement Club of course"