It was indeed her. Princess Twilight raised her head, eyes aflame, and spread her large wings.
“I’m here, Spike!” she said, smiling at him reassuringly. “The other princesses and I got your letter. Where’s Turing Test?”
Spike pointed and she turned, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw the robot.
Turing Test was standing ramrod straight from her hooves to the tips of her ears. “Twilight Sparkle?” she asked tentatively. “Is that really you?”
Within Turing Test, Twilight stared out at the sight before them both. The pony was her, and yet, not her. The same mane, the same coat, the same cutie mark, the same eyes, and even the same voice. But she was just a little taller, her horn a little longer, and, most striking of all, she had wings!
“Of course, Turing Test,” the alicorn Twilight before her said gently. “It’s me.”
(“No!”) the Twilight within her screamed. (“Turing Test, that’s not me! I’m me!”)
Turing Test laid her ears flat and stepped back, causing Princess Twilight to frown.
“I do not see how this is possible,” Turing replied. “You are here, and yet you are within me. How can you be in two locations simultaneously?”
“I can explain,” the outer Twilight said, holding up a hoof gently.
(“Don’t listen to her, Turing!”) the inner Twilight shouted. (“She’s got to be an imposter! Here, let’s scan her!”)
Turing felt her systems activate as Twilight cast another spell. Her visual systems scanned the Princess’s biometrics, matching them to her own data.
(“Measuring height, approximate weight, retinal pattern…”) the Twilight within her said, narrating the scan. (“...Analysis complete: subject identified as... Twilight Sparkle? Within 99.99% probability?! Impossible!”)
“Please forgive me, Twilight Sparkle and other Twilight Sparkle,” Turing Test said. “First, allow me to designate a less confusing means of distinguishing between the Twilight Sparkle in front of me and the one within me. I recommend we designate the alicorn in front of me as ‘Princess Twilight,’ and the one within me as simply ‘Twilight Sparkle,’ since she lacks any memory of becoming a princess.”
(“Or an alicorn!”) Twilight snorted.
“Or… an alicorn?” Turing said slowly.
“Wait a minute,” Princess Twilight said, her eyes widening. “She’s not an alicorn?!”
(“Why would I be?!”)
“You have been an alicorn for the duration of our friendship, Twilight Sparkle.”
(“What?”) Twilight gasped. (“That’s… no… but I’m not! How in Equestria…?”)
Turing turned her attention back to Princess Twilight. “Princess Twilight,” she said, “before I hear your explanation, I ask that you please prove your identity. Biometric scans indicate that you are most likely who you appear to be, but I wish to be certain.”
Princess Twilight nodded. “All right,” she said, nodding calmly to her. “How can I prove that it’s me?”
“Twilight Sparkle does not appear to recall many events from recent memory, including the entirety of our friendship.” She leaned forward, seeming to stare at her intently. “Princess Twilight, I ask you to recall a time when your friendship with me was in doubt. After several events, you made a promise to me. Do you recall that promise?”
Princess Twilight smiled, chuckling lightly. “How could I forget, Turing?” she said, closing her eyes solemnly. “I promised that day that I would never send you away, and I would always defend your right to stay here.” She opened her eyes again. “So… do I pass?”
To Princess Twilight and Spike’s surprise, Turing’s knees seemed to weaken and she even looked to be trembling. Then she suddenly dashed forward, throwing her forelegs around Princess Twilight’s neck.
“Twilight Sparkle!” she cried, laying her head on Princess Twilight’s shoulder. “Oh, I am so happy to see you, and so relieved that you have not forgotten me! It really is you! I was so confused and… and saddened… but now that you are here, I…”
“Whoa, whoa, Turing!” Princess Twilight exclaimed as the robot held her tightly. “Okay, okay, I’m happy to see you too,” she said, chuckling and patting her on the back, “but seriously, what’s gotten into you? Since when are you this… well, ‘emotional’?!”
“My apologies,” Turing Test said, releasing her and taking a few steps back. “I recently discovered that my connection with Twilight Sparkle has apparently given me far greater emotional range and intensity than normal. I am not certain of how this has occurred, but… eheheh…”
Princess Twilight and Spike’s eyes bulged. Not once had either of them ever heard Turing Test chuckle.
“...this is exhilarating. The sensations… these emotions... I never realized…” She placed a hoof to the side of her head with a metallic clank, and seemed to be unsteady on her hooves.
“Okay, listen carefully, Turing,” Princess Twilight said. She swallowed before continuing, making sure Turing Test was focusing on her. “I need to talk to the other Twilight. Can I talk to her, please?”
“Oh. Yes, of course,” Turing said, seeming to regain her composure. “Twilight Sparkle? Did you hear Princess Twilight’s request?”
But it was then that Turing noticed that Twilight Sparkle was still muttering to herself. (“How… could it be? No, that’s… I’m… I’m the real… the only Twilight Sparkle!”)
“Twilight Sparkle? Please respond.”
(“What? Oh, she… the other Twilight wants to talk?”) She took a deep breath. (“Y-yes, please. I’m going to take control of you again, Turing Test. Just for a short time.”)
“Understood.”
Turing’s eyes flickered for a moment as Princess Twilight and Spike both looked to her nervously.
“I’m… I’m here,” Twilight said, speaking through Turing. She stood up straight, facing her doppelganger.
“Good,” Princess Twilight said, unable to keep the nervous waver from her voice. “Spike’s letter only told me a little bit. Can you tell me about what you remember, about this other world, and about what happened to you before you wound up inside Turing Test?”
Twilight nodded, noting the whirring sound of the robot’s neck. “Yes. Um, it began--”
“Oh, one moment, please,” Princess Twilight said, blushing sheepishly. She glanced over to Spike. “Uh, Spike, would you mind writing this all down?”
Spike nodded. “Right!” he said, grabbing a scroll and quill.
Twilight stood, looking over to the little dragon, seeing the familiar sight of her assistant ready to write, and honestly wasn’t sure if she felt like laughing or crying.
“Um, Twilight?” Princess Twilight asked.
“Oh. Yes, of course,” she said, turning back to the alicorn version of herself. “Um, as I was telling Spike, I was on my way to TecCon…”
Princess Twilight listened carefully as Twilight, using Turing’s body and speaking through her, told the whole story. About the computer, about David, about his world, and finally about finding herself inside a mechanical pony, struggling with it, and making their way to the castle.
“I see,” Princess Twilight said when Twilight had finished. She tapped her chin with her hoof, looking away in thought. “A few questions more, if that’s all right?”
“Sure,” Twilight replied, nodding Turing’s head.
“Um, in this world you were in, did you ever hear any mention of Canterlot? Or at least, that world’s version of Canterlot? Like a high school, perhaps?”
Twilight tilted her head to the side. “No. Why would I?”
“Just checking a theory,” Princess Twilight said, waving a hoof dismissively. “Next, do you happen to know the year?”
“Well, according to Turing Test’s chronometer, it’s--”
“No, sorry, I meant the year in that other world.”
“Oh! I’m not sure about how they count it, but in their calendar, David’s system said it’s the year 2053.”
Princess Twilight gave a start and went into a coughing fit. “2053?!” she shouted. “Are you certain?”
“Yes, I’m positive!” She held her/Turing’s head high. “I was in that computer for three months, twelve days, seven hours, and forty-two minutes; I think I would know the year!”
Princess Twilight narrowed her eyes. “I see,” she said slowly. “Well, that rules out one theory, but I think I’ve got enough to go from here.” Then she smiled. “Oh, and could you give Turing Test her body back? She’s been waiting long enough, I think.”
Inwardly, Twilight smiled. “Right. Hold on…”
Turing’s eyes shifted. “I am here, Princess Twilight, and I am aware of your discussion with Twilight Sparkle.”
Princess Twilight made a face. “It sounds weird when you talk about two of me.”
And then, to Princess Twilight’s surprise, Turing actually seemed to roll her eyes. “Tell me about it!” she said exasperatedly.
Princess Twilight blinked. “Let’s go to the lab I set up in the eastern wing of the castle,” she said, gesturing for Turing Test and Spike to follow her. “We might need to act quickly.”
***
The makeshift lab was a large room filled with several large pieces of machinery, heavy cables strewn across the castle floor, and a counter upon which several vial racks containing vials of potions were placed. Turing Test noticed that there was also a large, oval mirror attached to a strange mechanism that held a book in the center. She herself stood in a metal ring which was lined with blue crystals that periodically crackled and sparked with electrical energy.
Princess Twilight was flitting about, making use of both her hooves and her wings as she checked various readings. Turing merely stood there as the crystals surrounding her created a low-level electrical field.
(“Turing Test,”) Twilight asked, (“may I borrow your voice for a minute?”)
Turing merely nodded and let Twilight take over.
“Um, Princess Twilight?” she asked.
“Hm? Yes, other Twilight?” the Princess replied somewhat distractedly while glancing at a paper feedout from one of the various machines.
“I can tell you’re measuring various magical fields and frequencies, specifically those found in Turing Test,” she said, raising her voice to be heard above the din. “It looks like you’re doing some sort of thaumaturgic strength analysis involving a directional casting trace.”
Princess Twilight glanced over her shoulder. “That’s right!” she said, flashing a smile. “Where did you learn--” She paused, smacking her own forehead. “Right. You’re me.”
“Uh, excuse me,” Spike said, raising a clawed finger. “What does that all mean?”
“It means that I’m analyzing a specific spell and figuring out its origin.”
“Princess Twilight,” Turing Test said, resuming control of her voice, “you seem to have accepted that Twilight Sparkle is ‘you,’ in a manner of speaking. And yet you are you? How is that possible?”
“Give me a few more minutes and I’ll find out.” She moved from the readout to the counter with the potion vials. She took out one and dropped a small, symmetrical crystal into it. It changed color from white to green as the vial bubbled. Princess Twilight levitated the crystal out, letting the excess liquid drop from it. She then cast some sort of spell on it, firing it from her horn, and walked it over to Turing Test.
Holding the crystal up, she watched as a purple glow formed in the center of the green crystal and seemed to pulse out, gently spreading further and further until it overtook the entire crystal, turning it purple.
Twilight Sparkle resumed her control of Turing’s voice and said, “A diffusion test! And it looks like whatever you’re measuring is diffusing rapidly.”
Princess Twilight frowned, knitting her eyebrows together. “Oh no. This is even worse than I thought.”
“What is?” Twilight asked, speaking through Turing once more.
Instead of responding, Princess Twilight went over to the switchboard on the wall and flipped all the switches in succession. One by one, the machines switched off and ground to a halt.
“Spike, can you please bring me the readout, and then check them against the numbers on the page of the notebook on the counter.”
Spike nodded. “Sure thing, Twilight!” he said, doing as she asked.
“Okay… T7, H83, M176, B14, B113, C153.”
Spike quietly repeated each number. “...C153.” He nodded. “They’re the same, Twilight!”
Princess Twilight took a deep breath as she stepped over to face Turing Test.
“Okay, you two. I couldn’t be absolutely sure what was going on, but now I am. And I know how Twilight was integrated into your system, Turing.”
“You do?” Twilight said.
“How did it happen?”
Princess Twilight put a hoof to her chest. “It was my fault.”
Turing Test said nothing, but jerked her head back in surprise.
“Let me explain,” she began, taking another breath. “Twilight, you should know that I’ve had contact with the human world before, but that was to a place called Canterlot High. I was curious about the detection of and travel to alternate realities and reasoned that I might be able to do it by recording my own magical signal and sending it through the ether to see if I could resonate it with my counterpart in another universe. I thought I was sending it through the mirror to the world of Canterlot High, but it looks like I accidentally sent it to another, somewhat similar world.”
Twilight resumed her control of Turing’s voice. “And that other counterpart was me. I see now…”
“But I didn’t count on it interacting with you in such a way!” Princess Twilight cried. “For some reason, be it magical instability or just rotten luck, it created a siphoning effect to try and bring you to this world. Not only that, it kept you in your current form as a program in a computer. But you couldn’t just go nowhere… you had to go somewhere that could accommodate you. The only machine like that in Equestria--”
“--is me,” Turing Test surmised.
Princess Twilight nodded. “That’s right. But it created such a huge magical backlash that it was detected at the Royal Institute of Magic at Canterlot University. You coming here created a ripple effect so strong, Princess Celestia called all the princesses together to see what it was and prepare for a possible emergency. Of course, nothing happened, but it wasn’t until Celestia got Spike’s letter, which I read, that I realized that the pony who caused all of this was me.”
Turing Test tapped her chin. “That’s really strange.”
Spike and Princess Twilight both raised an eyebrow at the subtle use of a contraction, but Princess Twilight pressed on. “I might be able to put this right, though,” she said. She came over and put her hoof on Turing’s shoulder. However, her gaze was stern.
“What’s the matter?” Twilight said.
Princess Twilight flinched, still not used to the two alternating voices coming out of the same body.
“That diffusion detection spell was measuring Twilight’s signal integrity. But according to the reading, she’s diffusing. More specifically, she’s mingling and reintegrating with you.”
Turing tilted her head to the side, seemingly not understanding.
“Turing, don’t you see? Your greater emotional depth? Twilight’s meticulousness and ability to read and understand books?”
“You mean that we’re becoming more like each other as we share abilities? That doesn’t seem so bad.”
“No, Turing, you’re not just sharing abilities or swapping them like some sort of mental Traders Exchange!” she said, staring directly into her eyes. “You and Twilight are slowly merging. You are quite literally becoming one being. One body, one mind, one pony.”
Turing Test heard Twilight gasp.
“And while it’s only in the early stages now,” Princess Twilight continued, “it is progressing rapidly. And once it progresses too far, you will be so entangled that it will be impossible to separate you!”
Turing’s eyes constricted.
“No!” Twilight shouted, seizing Princess Twilight and shaking her roughly. “You have to do something!”
“I might have a solution, Twilight,” Princess Twilight said, patting Turing’s hoof comfortingly. “But I’ll need to work quickly. If I’m right, you could have as little as a few hours before you become one and the same. Just let me get to work on devising a reversal spell, and I can get you back to your friend David.”
“Wait,” Twilight said, holding up a hoof. “Why back to David? I mean, that would be nice, but if you could get me back to Equestria, to my Equestria, then--”
But Princess Twilight was already shaking her head. “I have no way to trace back to your original universe, Twilight. I’m sorry, but this is the best I can do.”
Princess Twilight smiled and turned away to begin her work, but she froze when she heard Turing Test speak her name.
“Princess Twilight,” she said, and her voice was low. “There’s no need. We will be fine as we are.”
Princess Twilight whirled around. “What?!”
(“Yeah, what?! I didn’t agree to that!”)
“I’ve analyzed the situation. You are sentencing Twilight Sparkle to a tiny prison in a foreign universe. With me, she can be back in Equestria among her friends. She will have my powerful mind, and I will finally be able to experience the full range of normal emotions to become like a normal, organic pony. Don’t you see, Princess Twilight?” she said, holding out a hoof. “We will become something greater than ourselves! We will be a new being! We are better together!”
Both Princess Twilight and the Twilight within her were silent at this.
“Turing,” Princess Twilight said slowly. “I don’t think you’ve thought this through.”
“Listen to her, Turing! This isn’t what we want, is it?” Twilight pleaded.
“And living in a dark little room with nothing but lines of code is what you prefer?” Turing asked.
“I… I know it doesn’t seem ideal--”
“It sounds miserable. You will be alone. And so… and so will I.” The mechanical mare slumped to the floor, her voice growing quiet. “Having you within me has been difficult, but sharing these new feelings and ideas with another, a pony who will never leave me, who will even become a part of me… can’t you appreciate how fantastic having such a close friend will be?”
Princess Twilight stepped forward and opened her mouth to say something, but it was the other Twilight who spoke first.
“Turing Test, you are my friend. And I can’t imagine how it must feel to be so different from all the other ponies. And you are right that going back to that computer sounds, well, less than fun. But friendship is about sharing your existence with others, not having the same existence!
“And think about it like this: if we merge, then both you and I will disappear! The Twilight who has friends waiting for her back in Equestria will never,” she paused, choking back a sob, “never reunite with those friends. And I want to see them again so much. No matter what, Turing Test, the ponies in this universe aren’t the same. They’ve had friendships with this universe’s Twilight, not me!
“The same goes for you, Turing Test. Pinkie Pie and Rarity and Spike and even Princess Twilight consider you a friend. Heck, even Discord!” she said with a laugh. “If you merge with me, then the pony they made friends with will be gone too! And she’s a great friend, and unlike any pony in the world! Don’t you think she deserves a chance to be her own pony, and not somepony else?”
Turing was still for a moment, but then shivered and seemed to bury her face in her hooves.
“Twilight Sparkle,” she whimpered. “I’m… I’m sorry!”
Princess Twilight heaved a sigh and went over to her, holding her.
“I am being so selfish! I thought… I thought if I… oh, Twilight Sparkle, I am a horrible pony!”
“Hey, hey, take it easy,” Princess Twilight said, as if comforting a crying foal. “It’s okay, Turing. I know how confusing feelings can be. And it can’t be easy dealing with ones you’ve never had before! But Twilight Sparkle - the other one - is right. Please stay with us. You have a home and friends here, and I’m sure that one day you’ll develop richer emotions of your own.”
Turing slowly nodded, looking up at the Princess. “Yes. Yes, you’re right.” She got to her hooves uneasily. “I apologize. I will cooperate.”
Inwardly, Twilight Sparkle breathed a sigh of relief. (“Thank you, Turing.”)
Princess Twilight nodded. “Listen, this will take me a small amount of time to do, but I can handle it on my own. Why don’t you and Twilight spend a little time together before we send her home, okay?” She smiled. “I’m sure she’s going to miss you a whole lot, Turing Test.”
Twilight chuckled. (“Like you wouldn’t believe, Turing Test.”)
***
Turing Test stood out on the castle balcony overlooking Ponyville. The sun was just beginning to set, casting a warm, orange glow out over the town. Turing rested her front hooves on the railing of the balcony as Twilight likewise looked through Turing’s eyes and through her ears heard the soft sounds of birds chirping, ponies heading home for the day, and the quiet whisper of the breeze rustling the nearby trees.
“It’s beautiful,” Turing said quietly, breaking the quiet stillness between them.
(“Yeah,”) Twilight sighed. (“It sure is.”)
“I never knew that.”
(“Hm?”) Twilight asked. (“Knew what?”)
“I never knew that it was beautiful. I did not understand the word as I do now, but, processing the images through you, I…”
Twilight felt the wave of emotion come over Turing Test. Even as Princess Twilight hurried to complete her work back in the lab, Turing Test and herself were connecting more and more, the barrier between their individual minds weakening and blurring. Turing’s awe, her sadness, her guilt, and, thankfully, her happiness were all flowing into Twilight’s mind. And it seemed that the process worked both ways.
“You are sad,” Turing said slowly. “And… worried? Yes.”
Twilight lowered her head, hugging herself. (“Yes, Turing. I just… I just wonder if I’ll ever get to see Ponyville again. My Ponyville. I want to see my world again with my own two eyes…”) Turing heard the tiny voice within her let out a sob, the soft sound of her crying filling her ears.
Turing would have cringed if she’d been able. Twilight’s emotion, her longing for her home, was beautiful and exhausting at once. Turing paused for a moment, considering what to say.
“Twilight Sparkle, please don’t cry,” she said. “Um…” She pat her her own head. “There, there?”
At last Twilight giggled, sniffling and wiping her eyes. (“Heh heh. I don’t think patting your own head counts as being comforting.”)
“It was the best I could do,” Turing said, shrugging her metallic shoulders. She was relieved, however, that at least Twilight had momentarily stopped crying.
(“Don’t worry about me, Turing. I’ll be okay. Sorry for getting a little emotional.”)
“Don’t be sorry. Being emotional is something I envy about organic ponies.” She looked down at her brass hooves, holding one up, examining it idly. “Twilight Sparkle, I will miss you, but I believe that this is the best chance of you finding your home. I cannot say it with certainty, but I… I feel that you may find your way home someday. If anypony can do such a thing, then I am certain that it is you. After all, it was this universe’s Twilight Sparkle that allowed us to meet.”
Twilight smiled. (“I hope… No, I believe you’re right. With David’s help, I think one day I’ll find a way. And,”) she added, (“I have to wonder: if there’s another me in this universe, then maybe there’s another you back in mine!”)
Turing raised her head and tapped her chin. “Perhaps so.” Her ears twitched. “If that is the case, Twilight Sparkle, then please go and find her. If she is anything like me, then she will need you more than you may realize.”
Twilight nodded solemnly. (“You have my word.”)
“Ahem.”
Turing Test turned around and saw Spike standing in the doorway. “Um, Twilight… that is, our Twilight says she’s ready. Can you two come back to the lab?”
Turing nodded. Then she felt Twilight suddenly take over her voice to reply, “Turing Test, you go on without me; I’ll catch up later.”
Spike raised an eyebrow at that. “Uhhh…”
Twilight laughed and relinquished control of Turing’s voice. And yet the laugh continued.
Turing raised a hoof to her faceplate, chuckling demurely. Then she froze. “Oh!” she exclaimed. “I… I laughed. So that’s what that feels like. How… how wonderful.”
Spike gave her a smile. “We’d better go, you two.”
As the little dragon went ahead, Turing followed, her hoofsteps slow and dragging, and her eyes downcast.
(“Turing? What’s wrong?”)
“I just realized,” she whispered, too quietly for Spike to hear, “that after you leave, I will never laugh again. Not like that.”
Twilight was quiet for a moment. Then she said, (“You know how you have faith that I’ll find my home? Well I have faith that one day you’ll be able to feel such things on your own. I don’t know how, but crazier things have happened… as you and I can both attest.”)
She saw as Turing’s gaze lifted. She felt her sadness ebb away and saw that she was picking up her hooves into a normal trot.
“Thank you. Now let’s get you home.”
***
Princess Twilight was glancing at several pages of spell notes as she levitated them before her. She frowned and set them down when she saw Turing Test enter behind Spike.
“We’ve got a problem.”
Turing tilted her head to the side. “What is it?”
“I’ve worked out how to cast the spell in a way that would be effective,” Princess Twilight explained, tapping the pages with her hoof for emphasis, “but it would require disentangling the other Twilight from you, Turing Test. As she becomes more and more integrated with your systems, it might be harder to separate her perfectly.”
Twilight spoke through Turing to respond. “In other words,” she said, “if you messed up, some of Turing’s data could be left in me, or some of mine in her. That could be pretty bad for both of us.”
Princess Twilight nodded. “Exactly. I do have a solution, though: if Turing were to cast the spell, she could pinpoint which parts of herself were Twilight and which were her own.”
Turing Test took a step back. “Princess Twilight, that may be unwise.” She glanced over at the pages. “My magic skills may have improved under your teaching, but such an advanced spell is beyond my capabilities.”
“I know, Turing,” Princess Twilight sighed, “but we’re running out of time. Me casting it would be an option, but the chances are very good that one could end up with holes in her memory while the other one ends up with memories and jumbled thoughts that aren’t her own, and those effects would be permanent.”
The room went silent as Turing stared down at the sheets of paper with the spell notes on them.
(“Hm…”) Twilight murmured. (“That’s a tough spell, but not impossible. If only… oh, I just got an idea! Turing, I’m borrowing your voice!”)
Twilight took control of Turing’s voice again and exclaimed “I think I know a way, Princess!”
“You do?” Princess Twilight cried.
“Well, what if I took over Turing’s systems and cast the spell--”
But Princess Twilight was already shaking her head. “No, no, that wouldn’t work,” she sighed. “Turing has to cast it because she has to remove you from herself. You wouldn’t be able to maintain the spell as it separated you from Turing.”
“I see,” Twilight said. “It has to be Turing Test… but if she and I are sharing abilities, then… I’ve got it!” she suddenly exclaimed. “Okay, listen carefully, Turing:
“I can scan and memorize this test perfectly in an instant. Then, if you tap into my mind and I go through the mental process of casting the spell, then you can learn how to cast it properly from me.”
Turing regained access to her voice and tapped her chin metallically. “That process may work, Twilight Sparkle, but accessing you might just speed up the merging process. If this plan fails, we may not get another chance, as we’ll be too entangled to separate.”
“Don’t worry, Turing. I think we’ve got a high probability of success!”
“How high?”
“67.64321%.” She grunted. “Ugh. Let’s hurry. I don’t want to get too used to talking like a robot.”
Princess Twilight dashed forward, placing her hooves on Turing’s shoulders. “N-now just wait a minute!” she exclaimed, her eyes wide and fearful. “This plan still sounds risky to me! What if… I mean, 67 and-so-on percent sounds nice and all, but there’s still a chance this could fail! There must be another way, you two!”
“I’m not certain there is, Princess Twilight.”
“I’m not certain there is, Princess Twilight.”
Twilight and Spike gasped. Turing had spoken in both her own and Twilight’s voice at once in perfect unison. Turing’s synthetic voice and Twilight’s organic one were nearly indistinguishable from one another.
Turing lifted her leg, examining it as she moved it back and forth.
“Oh. We are… doing this together. The boundary between us is eroding.”
“Oh. We are… doing this together. The boundary between us is eroding.”
Turing’s eyes constricted as she stared at Princess Twilight.
“I don’t think we have any choice now. We must begin immediately.”
“I don’t think we have any choice now. We must begin immediately.”
Princess Twilight took a deep breath. “Okay,” she whispered. “Just… be careful, you two.”
“Understood.”
“Understood.”
Princess Twilight went to the mirror and the machinery surrounding it. She pulled some switches and twisted the knobs, carefully examining the readings to make sure everything was ready.
“Okay!” she shouted over the din of the rumbling of machinery and the hum of electrical and magical energies flowing around them. “There’s no more time to waste! Do it now!”
Turing switched to U-Mode and used her magic to flip through the spell pages, processing and memorizing them in moments. The information and procedure flowed into Twilight’s mind. The rush of information and all the power of Turing’s processors was at her command. She knew just what to do.
“Beginning synchronization. Access to pony.exe granted. Uploading data and initiating procedure in 3… 2… 1…”
“Beginning synchronization. Access to pony.exe granted. Uploading data and initiating procedure in 3… 2… 1…”
The electrical hum that Turing Test normally emitted became a high-pitched whine and then, suddenly, Turing’s eyes went dark and her head dropped, as though she’d suddenly shut down.
“Turing!” Princess Twilight and Spike screamed.
Spike gulped. “What happened, Twilight?” he asked. “Was that supposed to happen?”
Twilight held her hooves over her mouth. “I don’t know, Spike,” she whispered.
At first, there was nothing but blackness. But slowly her vision began to clear. Blobs and streams of color and light encircled her. And before her, something still and unmoving and… lavender?
“Twilight… Sparkle?” she whispered.
The lavender thing moved toward her. “Yes, Turing,” she said, coalescing into a clear image. “So… it’s nice to meet you face to face.”
Turing glanced all around her. They were in a cavernous place with streams of strange symbols rushing all around her. And though she had never been here, Turing felt like she knew what the place was. Every flash of light and color was something she knew.
“This place is…”
“Your mind, Turing,” Twilight said, smiling warmly at her. “This is where I’ve been. We had to divert so much power to this, we had to shut down almost all your other systems except for your lower cognitive function and your memory. In a way, you could say that we’re in your subconscious mind right now.”
Turing Test stepped forward, her hooves strangely landing on nothing and making no sound, yet finding purchase anyway. She stopped just short of Twilight and held out her hoof gingerly, slowly reaching it toward Twilight.
She gave a start as Twilight placed her hoof against Turing’s. It was solid.
“Incredible, isn’t it?” she asked.
“Affirmative,” she replied. “Also…”
“Also?”
“...You look odd without wings, Twilight Sparkle.”
Twilight giggled. “I think the other me looks weird with them!” She paused, rubbing her chin. “Then again, maybe someday I’ll have a pair of my own. Maybe I should get used to the idea.”
The two both sat in silence for a moment, neither one wanting to say what they both knew they needed to say.
“We need to cast the spell now.”
“We need to cast the spell now.”
They both jerked their heads up, laughing at how they’d said the same thing again, only this time it had been unintentional.
“Come here, you,” Twilight said, holding her forelegs wide. Turing stepped forward, letting Twilight embrace her.
“Have a safe trip, Twilight Sparkle,” Turing whispered.
Twilight blinked back tears. “Goodbye, Turing Test.”
With that, Twilight’s horn began to glow, and an aura of magic engulfed the two of them. In that flow of magic and data, for just a moment, the unicorn and the robot vanished, co-mingling as the one opened herself to the other.
As the bright aura of magic burst forth, a new voice spoke.
“Ah. This is what we would have been…”
Back in the lab, Twilight and Spike watched as Turing’s eyes lit up and she slowly raised her head. But as she did so, a warm, violet field of magic spread from the tips of her hooves up to the tips of her metallic ears and horn. She began to levitate off the floor and raised her head.
“Turing? Twilight?” Princess Twilight whispered, her throat going dry.
Turing Test let out a sound that could either have been a sigh of relief or a moan of pain. She let out the prolonged sound as the magic aura drifted from her horn to coalesce into a single point. Gradually, it regressed from her hooves, exposing the metal underneath, receding upwards to her horn until it was completely gone. The sound she was making died away and she gently descended back to the floor.
The ball of magic in the air changed shape. For a moment, it took a familiar shape: that of a unicorn with a straight, flowing mane. Though it was only a shape, Princess Twilight was certain she saw it smile.
Then, without another word or action, the magical energy shot like a bolt for the swirling vortex of the mirror. It plunged inside and the vortex immediately dissipated, the machinery all around them grinding to a halt and shutting down.
In the lingering silence in the lab, Twilight and Spike paused a moment before going over to Turing Test.
“Turing?” Twilight asked. “That… that is you, isn’t it?”
Turing slowly turned to face her. “Affirmative. I am myself.” She paused, then added, “All of myself.”
“Oh thank goodness!” Twilight cried, throwing her forelegs around Turing.
Spike joined in the hug. “So, uh,” he cautiously began, “that thing we just saw… was that… the other Twilight?”
“Correct,” Turing replied. She gently broke from the hug and went to the mirror, placing her hoof on the still glass. “She has gone home. Or, rather, she has gone back to where she came from.”
***
David continued staring at his ceiling from where he lay on his mattress. After practically throwing Ron out of the house (he’d been so livid he was honestly surprised that he hadn’t just killed the smirking bastard), he’d done every test and search he could think of to try and find or recover pony.exe and, more importantly, Twilight. Hours had gone by. He’d even turned his internet back on in an attempt to see if there was some way to undo the damage.
But there was nothing. She was gone.
He shut his eyes, rubbing his face. Yeah, she was gone, and there was no way to get her back, and as mad as he was at Ron, he couldn’t really pretend that it wasn’t his own fault. He’d never find out how she’d gotten there in the first place, what she really was, let alone get her back home.
Idiot. She trusted you to help her, and what did you do? he asked himself. You got her deleted. She was your friend, she asked for your help and you just--
The lights in his room flickered. Electricity crackled over his computer and the monitor came to life with a bright, purple glow.
He sat bolt upright, his jaw dropping open as the machine’s cooling fan revved up momentarily before slowing down to its usual light whirring.
David swallowed hard as the lights came back on.
“David?”
As soon as he heard that voice come through his speakers, he jumped up, plugged in his headphones and turned his desktop’s microphone back on.
“Twilight?!”
“Oh thank goodness, it’s you!”
A window came up and David saw the now-familiar face of his equine friend staring back at him. She looked a little disheveled, but none the worse.
“Jesus, Twilight,” he sighed, leaning back in his chair. “Where have you been?!”
She held a hoof over her mouth and chuckled, looking away mischievously. “Well, it’s not so much where I’ve been, but who I’ve been,” she said slyly. “Boy, have I got a story for you…”
***
It was the next day and Princess Twilight was making her way through the castle. She passed by an open door and saw that Turing Test was in the sitting room, standing by a bookshelf. She was levitating something up to her face, but Twilight couldn’t see what it was, so she entered.
“Turing Test?” she asked. “What have you got there?”
Turing glanced over her shoulder and then turned to face her, showing the object in question to her. Twilight saw it was a framed photograph of herself and Twilight.
“Oh, you’re looking at this picture of the two of us?” Twilight asked, smiling at her mechanical friend. “That’s nice.”
“I miss you.”
Twilight blinked, scrunching her face. “Uh, you can’t really miss me if I’m right here, Turing.”
Turing shook her head. “I do not mean the you that is here. I refer to--”
“Oh!” Twilight said, her eyes widening. “Of course, you mean the other Twilight.”
Turing nodded at that, then glanced back at the picture. “It was confusing and aggravating at times and had the potential for detrimental consequences, both for the other Twilight and myself. Furthermore, I understand that returning her to the place she came from will give her the best chance to reach her own version of Equestria. However…”
Twilight smiled. “Even if it was difficult, you still liked being with her, in the end.”
Turing nodded. “Correct. The other Twilight was not you. However, she shared many of your traits that I find admirable.”
The mechanical mare put the picture back on the bookshelf. To Twilight’s surprise, she came over and embraced her.
“I suppose I will take comfort in knowing that you and I will always be friends, regardless of which world you originate from.”
Twilight smiled and patted her on the back. After a few moments, they parted and went back inside the castle. They would both go forward on their journey, knowing that somewhere, across time and space, another friend of theirs was going forward as well.
The End