> Technological Wonders
>  by currentlemon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue
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It was a bright Saturday afternoon in Canterlot City. The sky was blue, no clouds were in sight. And perfect cool weather as the icing on the cake. With school out for the weekend, the students and teachers of CHS stormed the city malls and restaurants, leaving their school campus devoid of any personnel.

            But the campus wasn’t completely empty. Just outside the school building were three girls. Two of them were students of school, while the other was an out worldly visitor.

While she hadn’t visited Canterlot High for some time, Twilight Sparkle was glad to be back. Months of governing Equestria had taken a small toll on the young Princess, and what better way to spend her break is by spending time with her friends beyond the crystal mirror. 

But she wasn’t here just to see her human companions. No, there was another reason why the Princess came back. A personal matter, in fact. Once that involved an experiment of hers.

     “Okay, Sunset, everything’s connected on my end!” the Princess shouted. “How about you? Were you able to get the satellite up and running?”

             “There’s only one way to find out,” replied a girl who was on the opposite side of the statue. “Go ahead and turn the generator on, Twilight.”

            Twilight complied as she flicked the switch on the power generator, causing the large power equipment to roar with life. Once she could tell it was working, she reunited with the other two girls at the portal entrance. “It seems to be working just fine, though I’m not sure if everything is set just yet,” she said. “Sunset, are you sure that thing is powerful enough to handle a satellite dish?”

            “Me and Sci-Twi did all the research, Princess. I’m pretty sure that generator is powerful enough to light up an entire house,” remarked Sunset.

            The girl standing next to Sunset groaned. “Oh, come on, Sunset. Do you really have to call me by that nickname?”

            “Sorry, Sci-Twi, but it’s the only way we can differentiate between you and the Princess. Besides, having a nickname isn’t so bad. Some of our classmates in school even said it’s cute.”

            The girl who looked identical to Princess Twilight—aside from her glasses—looked away in embarrassment as her cheeks flushed red. “That’s not the point! I’m just saying that you or Pinkie could’ve at least asked me first before spouting that nickname of yours. Now, almost everyone in school calls me that every time she’s here!”

            “Try not to worry about it, other me,” said Princess Twilight as she tried to comfort her counterpart. “I know having friends is a new experience for you, but there’s no reason to take something as silly as a nickname too seriously. It’s just playful teasing, that’s all.”

            Sci-Twi frowned. “Sorry about that. Guess I still got a lot to learn when it comes to making friends. Though it’s kind of weird having my pony counterpart lecture me on friendship of all things.”

            Princess Twilight smiled. “Let’s just say I know your current predicament more than anyone else.”

            “Save the lessons for later, Twilight. We need to make sure everything is working pronto,” said Sunset Shimmer. “Now, are all the hardware components setup in your castle? There’s no point in having the internet if the computer isn’t working you know.”

            “Everything up and running, Sunset. The only thing I need to test now is the internet connection back at the castle,” replied Princess Twilight. “Once that’s taken care of, I should be good to go.”

            “I don’t know girls. I’m still having… doubts about bringing modern technology over to Equestria,” said Sci-Twi. “Are you certain this is a good idea? From what Sunset told me, your world isn’t exactly the most technologically advanced.”

            “Don’t worry, other me. The computer will be kept safe inside my castle. No pony will ever know of its existence aside from me and my friends.”

            “What about the Princesses? Have you told them about our experiment yet?” asked Sunset, to which Twilight shook her head.

            “No, not yet. Though I do plan on telling them eventually after a couple of days.”

            Sunset cocked an eyebrow. “Wait, you haven’t told them yet? Not even Princess Celestia? Your own mentor?”

            “Our mentor, Sunset,” Twilight replied, reminding Sunset that she too was a mentor of the solar matriarch. “I haven’t brought it up yet because she’s too busy dealing with Equestrian affairs. So are Princess Luna and Cadence.”

            “Then what does that make you?” asked Sci-Twi. “Aren’t you a Princess of Equestria too? If running a government is so busy, why do you have so much free time?”

            Princess Twilight frowned. “Well considering that I’m still a relatively new princess, my royal duties have been somewhat limited. I still help the other Princesses every now and then, but most of my work has been centered around Ponyville only. Not to mention I have my own student now.”

            “Princess Celestia doesn’t want to overwhelm you with work, doesn’t she?” asked Sunset. Twilight responded with a nod. “Guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I mean, ruling an entire nation isn’t exactly the easiest thing to do.”

            “You think she’ll let you rule alongside her one day?” asked Sci-Twi.

            “Maybe, but now is not the time to be thinking such things. All I can do is learn from her,” replied Princess Twilight. “Anyway, I think I should probably head back. Spike is waiting for me and I’ve been wanting to get some rest before I meet up with the girls.”

            “Yeah, we should probably get going too. Me and Sci-Twi over here are supposed to be meeting up with the girls soon,” said Sunset. “Don’t worry about messaging me. I’ll know you’re online if your Skype account is active.”

            “Oh, and don’t forget about your list of usernames and passwords for the apps you use!” remarked Sci-Twi. “You didn’t forget about that, did you?”

            “Don’t worry about that, other me. I got everything I need back at the castle,” Twilight replied in a nonchalant manner. “So, I’ll be seeing you all again soon?”

            “If your internet is working, then yes. I’ll look forward to seeing you and your friends online,” replied Sunset. “To be completely honest, having everyone meet their prospective counterparts on Skype is something I very much look forward to.”

            “You’re okay with seeing two Pinkie Pies together?” asked Sci-Twi, which caused both Sunset to shiver uncomfortably.

            “I’m sure we can get her under control. I mean, it couldn’t be that bad, right?”

            Princess Twilight flinched. “I’ll make sure she doesn’t do anything reckless. Since we’ll be doing a Skype chat, I should be able to hold her back. Though I can’t say for certain how the Pinkie in this world will react.”

            Once again, Sunset shivered in her place. “We’ll talk things over with her before we start. In the meantime, I suggest you head back home now. Sooner or later, somepony is going to wonder where you are, and the last thing you want is for any pony to snoop around the castle.”

            “You’re right. I better head back before anypony gets suspicious. Goodbye, Sunset. Goodbye, other me. I’ll see you all online again soon.”
            The Princess waved goodbyes as Sunset and her counterpart left the school grounds. With them gone, she turned toward the portal to Equestria and leapt in.
> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In a flash, Princess Twilight soon found herself at home in her crystal castle. Landing on all fours, she let out a groan. The portal’s teleportation along with her body changing back into a pony was a dizzying experience. However, she had long gotten used to this. With a simple shake of her head, her dizziness all but vanished.

    Relieved by her headache, she glanced back at the crystal mirror.  Immediately, she spotted a single shielded twisted cable piercing through the glass. Against all logic, the cable was still in good condition, which was great for Twilight since the cable itself was needed for her experiment to work.

She then looked to her left and saw her prize, a custom built personal computer that was made back in the human world. A rather fancy machine compared to the ones at Canterlot High, but powerful in its own right. And expensive to boot.

“Alright, time to see if everything works,” Twilight said to herself. Using her magic, she gently pressed the on button, causing her computer to roar with life. Of course she already knew it was working. She and Sunset had already built it in the human world with all the necessary applications installed. The only thing left to do was to make sure the internet was working

She glanced over to a nearby desk, which had all the other necessities that made a computer work. A keyboard, a mouse, and a monitor. All high-quality items that she paid with her bits. The other Rainbow suggested she should’ve gotten something more powerful; but Twilight refused, telling her friend that what she had was more than enough.

As the computer slowly began to boot, a knock could be heard from the other side of the room. “Princess, are you there? It’s me, Starlight. Can I come in?”

“I’m here, Starlight,” Twilight replied. “Is Spike with you too?”

“Yes, he’s right next to me.”

“Oh, good timing. I’m just finishing up my latest experiment here. Feel free to come in. There’s a lot I need to show you two.” 

The door to the mirror room creaked open, revealing Princess Twilight’s longtime friend and assistant, Spike. Alongside him was Starlight Glimmer, a former enemy of the Princess and her friends. The two have butted heads in the past; however, they’ve made amends after reaching an understanding of one another.

“Wow, it looks like you’ve been… busy,” said Starlight. She gaped at the crystal mirror, then toward the personal computer. “That thing is supposed to be from the human world, right?”

“Yes, it is,” replied Twilight, beaming. “It’s amazing, isn’t it? The humans may not have any magic, but they’ve certainly made it up with the ability to innovate. Thousands of people use these machines, whether it be for everyday life or entertainment.”

Curious, Spike approached the PC and began to examine the machine. “I remember seeing these things when we first visited Canterlot High, but I don’t remember them being as big as this.”

“That’s because this PC has much more capabilities compared to the ones CHS uses. Not only is this thing capable of daily activities, but it can also stream movies and play games!”

Starlight cocked a brow. “Streaming movies? Playing games? What exactly are you talking about, Princess?”

“I’ll explain everything in due time, Starlight. Right now, I just need to make sure everything is working exactly the way I want it to. And please, call me Twilight.”

“Uh… okay? Do any of your friends know about this computer?”

“I plan on telling them once I finish things up here. I just got to make sure one last component works before I go.”

“If it’s okay, Twilight, I can go get our friends for you,” said Spike.

“That’ll be helpful, Spike, thank you. Just tell the girls to meet me at my castle in the next hour, all right.”

With Twilight’s consent, Spike left the mirror room, leaving the two mares by themselves with the computer. Curious, Starlight approached the large device and began to ask more questions. “Say, Twilight, what did you mean when you say humans use these things as part of their everyday lives? Does it provide a kind of spell that makes life easier or something?”

Twilight shook her head. “Oh, no. Nothing like that, Starlight. It’s like I said, humans have no magical capabilities whatsoever. However, they made up for that shortcoming by their use of technology.”

“Okay, I get that, but how does this thing work?”

Twilight paused for a bit as she pondered on how to answer her pupil’s question. “Alright, how about this. Say for example somepony here in Ponyville wants to send a letter, using no magic, to his family who lives in Vanhoover. What they usually do is write up that letter, seal it up in an envelope, and go to the post office to send it. That letter itself can take up to several days or perhaps weeks to get to its destination, provided that there are no delays.”

Starlight blinked. “Then what the heck does this thing do? Send the letter in an instant?”

“Correct!” replied Twilight, causing her pupil’s eyes to go wide. “This device has the capabilities of sending letters instantly with a click of a button. Although there are some requirements that must be made first, it’s a common feature humans use for their machines.”

“So, it's just like how you used to write letters to Princess Celestia? Excluding the whole dragon fire thing?”

“Yup!”

“But how could any pony write a letter on this thing?” asked Starlight as she gawked at the machine. “There’s nothing here I can write on.”

“You use this item right here,” Twilight replied. Using her magic, she lifted the keyboard off of her computer desk, revealing it to her student. “Notice that most of these buttons have letters and numbers? You can use these to spell out words, calculations or all kinds of stuff. Compared to writing on a piece of paper, this thing is much easier to use.”

“But where will the words go? I don’t see any paper here.”

 Twilight rubbed her chin. It appeared that she needed a more hands on approach for this type of explanation. 

She looked back at the monitor and saw the computer had finished booting. “Okay, Starlight, why don’t I just show you the capabilities of this machine instead of explaining everything all at once? You think that might help?”

Starlight shrugged. “Uh… sure, why not?”

Twilight smiled. As she placed the keyboard back down on the desk, she grasped the mouse and began to move it with her magic. “Pay attention to what’s on the screen, Starlight.”

After a few clicks the screen flashed a strange blue symbol before changing it again into an empty white page. Grasping the keyboard again, Twilight began pressing a few buttons. She didn’t type much, but it was enough to show her student an example of what the PC could do.

“Incredible,” said Starlight. “The letters… they all appear in an instant.”

“That’s correct,” replied Twilight. “By using this keyboard, I can write down more words than even the fastest writer in Equestria.”

“It’ll certainly make writing letters much faster, that’s for sure. But how would you even send these letters in the first place? Didn’t you say it was instant?”

“That is an explanation for another time, Starlight. I’ll tell you more about that when our friends arrive.” Suddenly, Twilight let out a yawn as the weight of exhaustion befell on her entire body. “As for me, I’m feeling a bit tired.”

“You’ve been working all morning?” asked Starlight.

“I woke up early so that I could work with Sunset and my counterpart. It took us all morning, but I think everything is all set up. I just need a little nap before everypony gets here.”

“Should I teleport you to your room then? Make things a little quicker?”

“That would be helpful, Starlight, thank you. Just promise me you won’t use the computer just yet, alright? There’s still a couple of things I need to check before I begin my presentation with the girls.”

Starlight nodded as her horn began to flicker. In a split second, she and Twilight pop out of the room, leaving it empty.
> Chapter 2
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    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.
> Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Starlight waited in anticipation as Princess Twilight’s computer monitor flashed a white color. She, like the rest of the girls, were excited to meet Sunset Shimmer and the other counterparts to ‘magically’ show up. The mare frowned. If the Princess heard her say that, she’d probably lecture her that this device wasn’t magic. 

Of course, she knew this to be true. Twilight’s machine didn’t output any magical energies whatsoever. If it did, then she would have known from the start. But how did these humans come up with something like this when they had no magical talents to begin with? It was a question she wanted to ask her mentor, but she wasn’t keen on teaching anypony about it just yet.

Starlight sighed. Perhaps at a latter time, when all these ponies are gone, she can ask her mentor about how this thing works. For now, she’ll just wait with the others.

Looking at the monitor again, Starlight and the rest of the girls found themselves disappointed when the screen went from white to pitch black again. “What the hay, Twilight?” said Rainbow Dash, who was starting to grow impatient. “I thought you said we’d be meeting ourselves by now!”

“Be patient, Rainbow,” replied Twilight. “You’ll see your counterpart soon, I promise.”

Suddenly, the screen flashed again, revealing a decorated room and some strange creature. She had yellow skin, teal eyes, and a bi-colored red and yellow mane. Definitely not a pony in Starlight’s eyes. “Wow,” said the strange looking girl. “So, that’s what the girls would look like if they were ponies.”

    Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you meet my friends at the Crystal Empire already, Sunset?” she asked.

    “Getting your crown was my first priority, Twilight. Besides, the hallways were completely dark. I couldn’t see anypony else.”

    “Fair point.”

    “Uh, Twilight. I hate to interrupt, but do you mind telling us who or what this thing is?” asked Starlight.

    Sunset rolled her eyes. “Hey, this thing has a name, you know! And just to be clear, I was a pony like you before I turned into a human!”

    “Take it easy, Sunset,” replied Twilight. “Starlight hasn’t seen a fully fledge human till now, so her reaction is expected.”

Sunset’s eyes widened. “Wait, Starlight? Did you say that was the name of your student?” The Princess nodded. “Wow talk about getting off on the wrong foot. But I guess it shouldn’t really matter now.”

    Applejack raised a brow. “Wait an apple pickin’ minute. So, yer that Sunset Shimmer girl Twi’s been talking about?”

    The human girl nodded. “That’s correct! It’s nice to finally meet you, pony Applejack.”

    “Pleasure’s all mine, Sunset. It’s ‘bout time we finally meet ya.” She paused. “Pony Applejack, huh? Not once in mah life did Ah ever think Ah’d be called that.”

    “Well, you’re gonna have to get used to it. If you girls are going to be talking with your counterparts every now and then, we gotta come up with some nicknames,” replied a smiling Sunset Shimmer. “Speaking of AJ, she’ll be running a bit late. But don’t worry. She and the other girls will be online at any minute.”

    “What about the other girls?” asked Twilight.

    “They all went home and will be joining us shortly. Well, all except for one. She just so happened to come home with me at my apartment.”

    “Who did?”

    “Surprise!” 

The girls all jumped at the sudden appearance of another girl on the screen. She was much more hyperactive than Sunset, but in a more nostalgic yet eerie sort of way. It was then that the girls caught sight of the girl’s features: bright blue eyes with fluffy pink hair and skin.

Upon seeing her, the girls all shuddered at once. Except for Pinkie Pie that is. Her eyes were completely glued at her other self. “Oh my gosh! It’s another me!” cried out the party pony. “Hi, other me!”

    “Hi, pony Pinkie!” greeted the human Pinkie as she and her pony faceplanted their heads onto the monitor screens.

    “Pinkie don’t plant your face against the monitor screen like that! You’re going to damage the hardware!” cried Twilight.

    While the Princess attempted to pull the party pony away from screen, her friends were discussing—and quivering—about the appearance of the other Pinkie Pie. “Oh, sweet Celestia. Not another one,” said Rarity.

    Her displeasure of the second Pinkie caused Starlight to gawk at her. “Wow, Rarity. I didn’t think you’d view your own friend in such a negative light.”

    Rarity stared back and gave Starlight an angry look. “Don’t get me wrong, Starlight. I am happy for her and the other Pinkie. But you have to understand, there’s only so much we can tolerate when it comes to her… behavior.”

    “Rare is right,” replied Applejack. “Don’t get the wrong idea, Starlight, Pinkie is still our friend and we love her very much. But that don’t mean there were times when she acted out of line. If yer gonna be a good friend, then ya have to honest when yer own friends are actin’ too far. Seein’ two Pinkies sorta just ruffled up some bad memories, that’s all.”

    “Yeah, no kiddin’,” replied Rainbow Dash. “Remember that time when she cloned herself with the mirror pool a few months back?”

    “P-please don’t remind me,” said Fluttershy.

“I… I see. Well, I guess even the most passionate friendships can have direct flaws at times,” Starlight said solemnly as her lips curled into a frown. “But, what does that make me?”

    “Excuse me, did you say something, Starlight?” asked Rarity.

    “Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about how we can help Twilight pull Pinkie away from the screen!” stammered Starlight, who quickly shifted the topic toward the still hyperactive party pony. “Do you need help, Twilight?”

    “No need to worry, Starlight,” replied the Princess as she finally managed to pull her friend away from the computer monitor. “I got everything under control.”

    “Aw, you don’t have to be such a party pooper, Twilight. I was only having fun, that’s all!” Pinkie argued.

    “You would’ve damaged my monitor, Pinkie!” shouted Twilight.

    “Whoa, take it easy, Twilight. It is just Pinkie being Pinkie,” said Spike. “Come on, is it really all that surprising, seeing her act like this? She is meeting her other self after all.”

    “He’s got a point, Twilight,” replied Sunset as she too pushed her Pinkie away from the computer monitor. “I mean, we did expect something like this to happen if these two ever met.”

    Twilight sighed. “You’re right,” she said before turning toward the party pony. “I’m sorry, Pinkie. I didn’t mean to yell at you like that.”

    “It’s okay, Twilight. You were just trying to keep your stuff intact, that’s all,” replied a still upbeat Pinkie Pie.

    Starlight’s jaw dropped at the sight of her mentor so easily forgiving her friend. The party pony had nearly destroyed her equipment, yet Twilight forgave her in an instant. “Hey, Spike. Does this sort of thing usually happen with the girls?” she asked.

“They get into arguments occasionally, but in time, they’ll forgive one another and move on,” explained the baby dragon. “Friendships aren’t always perfect, Starlight. You’ll get into disagreements sometimes, but if you’ve really made such good friends, you can look past all that and still be good friends.”

    “Huh, point taken.”

    Suddenly, another beep came from out of Twilight’s computer, garnering the attention of everypony in the room. From their standpoint, it appeared as if the monitor had split in two. One half showed Sunset and the other Pinkie, while the other showed another black screen. But the latter quickly vanished as yet another girl appeared.

    “Hey ya, AJ!” shouted the Pinkie counterpart. “So, glad you could join us!”

    The girls, excluding Twilight and Spike, gasped at the sight of the other Applejack on the screen. “Howdy, girls. Ah hope Ah ain’t late fer the meetin’,” the cowgirl greeted as she tipped her hat upward.

    “You arrived just in time, Applejack. Me and Pinkie have already established a connection to Twilight’s castle,” said Sunset. “Just take a look in front of your screen. I’m sure you can see the Princess and her friends just fine.”

    The other Applejack smiled. “Ah can see ‘em alright! By golly, they really are just cute little ponies, ain’t they? Boy, if mah little sister were here with me, she’d probably fawn all over the entire screen.”

    “Hey, who’re you calling cute?” shouted a disgruntled Rainbow Dash.

“Relax, Rainbow. Applejack’s reaction to us is expected of her,” explained Twilight.

    “But I’m not cute!” Rainbow complained. “No pony calls me cute! Ever!”

    “Easy there, Rainbow. Words like that will prevent ya from ever gettin’ stallion,” remarked pony AJ, whose remarked earned chuckles from the other girls. As their laughter died down, the farm pony turned to face her counterpart. “So, yer the other me Twi’ was talkin’ about, huh?”

    “You betcha,” replied the other AJ. “By golly, so that’s what Ah look like as a pony! Ah gotta say, Ah didn’t think Ah’d look that great at first, but seein’ ya on mah screen here made me think twice. But… if yer like me, then that means ya like apples, right?”

    Pony AJ smiled. “Course I like apples! They’re delicious, good for ya, and ya can make all kinds of sweets with ‘em. Like apple fritters fer example. By golly, does that treat warm mah heart. So good!”

    “What about apple pie?”

    “Candy apples?”

    “Applesauce?”

    “Apple clobbers?”

    “Will you be quiet!” Rarity shouted in an unladylike reaction, which in turn threw everypony into a fit of laughter. As they settled down, however, multiple black boxes began to appear on Twilight’s computer monitor. Soon, several more human girls appeared, bearing sparkling resemblances of all of Twilight’s friends.

“Okay, Sunset, I’m here,” said the girl who starkly resembled Rainbow Dash. “You better hope that this experiment of yours is working. Cause right now I could be at the soccer field practicing my—whoa!”

    The other Rainbow Dash froze as she and her pony duplicate stared at one another. “No way! Is that… another me?”

    “Oh my gosh!” squealed pony Rainbow Dash. The sight of her counterpart made the young Pegasus squeeze her cheeks. “It’s another me! There’s really another me!”

    “Aw, how cute!” cooed the second Fluttershy on the screen. “Rainbow, you’re pony self is the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen!”

    Her comment caused both Rainbow Dashes to wince.

    “I can say the same thing about you, Fluttershy,” said the other Rarity. “Such poise! Such elegance! I never would’ve imagined a horse would look so magnificent!”

    Pony Futtershy’s wings plopped up as her cheeks flushed bright red upon hearing Rarity’s comment. “Oh, um, thank you,” she said, meekly.

    “Oh, come now, darling. There’s no need to be shy. I’m simply telling the truth, that’s all. And… oh my goodness! Is that the pony version of me?” In an unladylike manner, the other Rarity squealed and slammed her forehead onto her monitor screen, causing her pony self to wince at the sight of something so uncouth.

    “My goodness, darling, calm down,” said pony Rarity. “As much as I am glad to finally meet you, I don’t think you should be acting so… Pinkie-like.”

    “Hey!” shouted both Pinkies.

    Realizing her rather unladylike reaction, the other Rarity faked a cough as she slowly backed away from her screen. “Oh, dear. I am terribly sorry about that. I suppose I went a little bit overboard.”

    “Don’t worry about it, Rarity. If it were anyone else, I’m pretty sure they’d have the same reaction as you,” replied a girl who bore resemblance to Twilight, aside from the pair of glasses she wore.

    “Hello, other me,” greeted the Princess. “Glad to see that you decided to join us.”

    “Glad to see that your internet is working, Princess,” Sci-Twi replied, bluntly. “Huh. So, this is how I look like as a pony.”

    “Yup! Though you probably wouldn’t be an alicorn like I am.”

    “So, you’re saying I’d look like a unicorn pony?”

    “Most likely. Since you haven’t completed any great princess deed, it’d be best to assume you’d mirror my image before I made my ascension to the throne.”

    “I see. Well, it’s good to finally meet the real… you, other me. And you girls as well. Gosh, if anyone would’ve told me three months ago, I’d be meeting a pony princess who looked like me and her friends, I’d call them insane. Yet, here I am.”

    “Oh my gosh! It’s another Twilight, but with glasses!” shouted pony Pinkie Pie. “Hi glasses Twilight!”

    Sci-Twi groaned. “Please, pony Pinkie, don’t call me that! It’s already bad enough that I have one nickname. I seriously don’t need another!”

    “She’s right, other me. Glasses Twilight is such a long and boring nickname. You should just call her Sci-Twi instead. It’s short, sweet, and it rolls off the tongue,” suggested the other Pinkie Pie, whose comment only caused pony Pinkie to gasp.

    “You’re right, other Pinkie. Sci-Twi sounds much better than glasses Twilight.” She then pointed her right hoof at the other Twilight, who appeared to be banging her head on her desk. “From now on, you’re gonna be called, Sci-Twi!”

    Sci-Twi let out a loud groan as she slammed her forehead against her desk, causing Princess Twilight and Starlight to wince. Perhaps both Pinkies went a little too far with the nickname. Eventually, the girl stopped, but the girls could see a reddish lump growing on Sci-Twi’s forehead. 

“I’m sorry about that,” she said as she straightened her glasses. “I, uh, didn’t mean to act so immaturely in front of you girls.”

    “It’s okay other me,” replied Princess Twilight in an attempt to comfort her other self. “I know it’s difficult, dealing with friends whose attitude is opposite of yours. But if you are patient, you will begin to understand them. And eventually, that understanding will grow into a lasting friendship.”

    “You think so?”

    “Of course. Believe me, I went through the same thing you are going through right now. Especially with Pinkie’s antics.”

    “Yeah, no kidding,” scoffed Rainbow Dash. “Didn’t you, Applejack, and Pinkie run into a hydra while you were out helping Fluttershy?”

    “What?” shouted both Starlight and Sunset. “A hydra?”

“C-can we not talk about that, please?” asked a now jittering Twilight Sparkle. “That really wasn’t one of my proudest moments.”

    “Ya think?” said pony Applejack, bluntly.

    Sunset sighed. “Look, as much as I’d like to hear that story, can we put it off for another time? I’d like to get this chat started so that the girls can get acquainted with their pony selves.”

    Twilight nodded in agreement as she was the first to address the ponies and their counterparts. She spoke for what seemed to be hours until both Rainbow Dashes abruptly stopped her after the Princess mentioned Equestrian history. Not wanting to waste time in history lessons, the two brash individuals took over the conversation, comparing their apparent awesomeness and the achievements they’ve accomplished. When they were done, the conversation passed down to Twilight’s other friends.

    One by one, the ponies and their counterparts spoke about their livelihoods, their families, and their accomplishments. A few noted that some of their lives mirrored one another, while others realized that some of them have already achieved their dreams. But as their conversation continued, two bystanders in Twilight’s castle watched in silence.

    “Looks like they are having fun, huh Starlight?” said Spike.

    “Y-yeah, they are,” replied the mare as she observed the conversation between the Princess, her friends, and their other selves. “It must be nice, knowing there’s another you out there who’s just as successful as you are.”

    Spike blinked. “Hey, is that a hint of jealousy I heard, Starlight?” he asked, which only caused the mare to sigh.

    “I dunno, maybe? It’s just that, seeing those girls talk with one another made me think. Where is my other self? And how is she doing in that other world?”

    “Who knows,” Spike bluntly replied. “But to be honest with you, I don’t think you should worry about it. There really isn’t any point in thinking about your counterpart when you haven’t even met her yet! So instead of worrying about somepony you don’t know, why not just focus on yourself and learn from Twilight? I mean, if you can’t change the way you are now, then what’s the point in worrying about someone you don’t even know exists?”

    Starlight’s eyes widened. “Uh, wow. That’s a really mature thing of you to say, Spike. Who taught you that? Twilight?”

    “Eh, not really. When I’m bored, I read some of the books in Twilight’s library. But only if I have nothing else to read.”

    “Does Twilight know you are reading them?”

    “No, but don’t tell her okay. I think she’ll go nuts if she finds out I’m reading some of her books. And by nuts, I mean she’ll literally force me to read more boring books.”

    Starlight chuckled. “Oh, I’d like to see that.”

    “Trust me, you don’t,” replied Spike as he took another glance at the other girls. “Looks like they are about to wrap things up. You want to say goodbye before Sunset and the others leave?”

    Starlight smiled. “Sure, why not.”
> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight was having the time of her life, maybe the most fun she ever had. An over exaggeration, perhaps, but never would she have even guessed that she would be in this situation. All her friends were here: both in Equestria and the human world. Though half of them weren’t present with her in the castle, they were with her online. 

The experience was magical. It was the first time in Equestrian history would ponies converse digitally. And with species from another world no less! She had a blast, and so did her pony friends.

The two Rainbow Dashes were the first to have a conversation by comparing the skills and achievements they’ve accomplished. Although her human counterpart was impressive, pony Rainbow had achieved much more. Not because she was a hero, but because she was given more time and opportunity. Human Rainbow was still in school and has yet to experience much of the real world. Her dream is to one day join a professional sports team and become the best athlete there ever was. 

They were much alike, those two. And upon realizing this, both pony Rainbow and her counterpart shared a laugh together before challenging one another on who would achieve their dreams first.

Applejack and Rarity were next. Both shared a moment with their counterparts, telling them of their success in the business world. Rarity’s counterpart could not believe that she had already owned not one, but two boutiques. Hearing this excited the young woman. So much so that she proclaimed that one day, she will be at the top of the fashion world.

As for both Applejacks, they had already achieved their dreams, on some level. Both were already managing their own Sweet Apple Acres. However, their debate on what their favorite apple-based food was an odd thing to witness. Funny, but odd, nonetheless.

The conversation with the two Fluttershy’s were surprisingly lengthy. Due to their passions for animals, their talk lasted the longest out of all the girls. Even longer than the two Rainbows. They would’ve gone on for a long time, but they were stopped abruptly by Twilight, who reminded the girls they were short on time. 

So, reluctantly, both Fluttershy’s allowed the two Pinkies to talk. But to the surprise of everypony present and the humans online, their talk was oddly short. Pony Pinkie did a few hoof gestures, and the counterpart followed suit with her arms. After that, it was over.

Twilight gawked at Pinkie as she hopped back behind the others. She had no idea what that conversation was; however, perhaps it would be for the best if she didn’t ponder on it for too long.

After having a brief conversation with her counterpart and Sunset, Twilight decided to stop the online chat for now. It had been over an hour since her friends had come to their castle, and it was time for them to go back to work. This decision made their human counterparts upset, particularly Fluttershy and Rainbow. But after some convincing, they relented.

Saying their goodbyes, the humans disconnected from the Skype call until Sunset and Sci-Twi remained. The two shared a moment with Princess Twilight, congratulating the Princess on a successful experiment. When they had finally left the call, the Princess turned to her friends and smiled. “So, what’d you think of your counterparts, girls?”

“Oh, she was lovely,” replied Fluttershy. “I do hope I get to meet her again.”

Applejack chuckled. “Ah should’ve reckoned ya wanted ta speak ta her again. By Celestia, the way ya two were talkin’, it felt like it would’ve gone fer hours on end.”

“What’d you expect, AJ! They’re practically the same pony!” argued Rainbow Dash.

“All of those girls were, Rainbow. And quite frankly, the only thing that separated us from ‘em were their ages.”

“I know!” shouted Rarity. “Looking at my other self on that screen was like staring at a younger version of me! Excluding the part where my reflection wasn’t a pony.”

“I agree. When I saw my other self, it was like I was staring at a me who hasn’t achieved her goals yet,” noted Fluttershy. “And it’s not just me. All those girls were like that. Even the other Twilight to some extent.”

“Ya got that right. By golly, jus’ lookin’ at her reminds me of Twilight when she first came ta Ponyville,” said Applejack. “Socially awkward. Somewhat distant. Preferring ta end the conversation as quick as possible.”

“Oh, come on, Applejack. I wasn’t that bad,” Twilight protested.

“Of course you were, Twilight!” exclaimed Pinkie Pie. “Don’t you remember the first time we me? How I threw a party at your library and you decided to stay in your room instead?”

The Princess frowned. “Thank you for the friendly reminder, Pinkie.”

“Don’t feel bad about it, Twilight. You were still learning after all,” said Rarity. “And besides, it’s not like everypony starts out perfect. You simply learned in time. Just like Princess Celestia wanted.”

“And it’s exactly how the other you is gonna start,” said Applejack. “Hopefully, the girls can teach her a thing or two. And who knows, maybe she’ll become a great leader like you someday.”

Twilight’s cheeks flushed red as a smile crept up on her lips. “Thanks, Applejack. I’m glad to have you as my friend.”

“Yeah, yeah. We get the picture already! Jeez, can we avoid the touchy-feely stuff and start talking about this computer thing again? I want to see what else this thing is capable of,” said Rainbow Dash.

Applejack sighed. “Always one ta get ta the point, aren’t ya Rainbow? Well, as much as Ah’d like ta see more of this thing, Ah can’t right now. Been away from the farm fer too long, an’ Ah need ta help Big Mac with today’s new harvest.”

“I agree. There might be some new customers at the Boutique, and I need to head back as soon as possible,” said Rarity.

Fluttershy nodded. “I need to go home too. Some of my animals still need to have lunch. If I wait too long, they might get a bit agitated.”

“Ohh, I have an idea! How about we meet back here later today?” suggested Pinkie Pie. “Once all our work is done, we can just drop by one more time before we all hit the hay.”

“I’m sure I can find the time this evening for another get together,” said Twilight.

“Then it’s settled! We call meet back here later and see what this PC thing can really do!” cried out an excited Rainbow Dash. “Now, uh, if you girls don’t mind, I got a stunt I need to practice.”

Twilight giggled as she waved goodbye to her athletic friend. Once Rainbow was gone, the others followed suit until there was no one left but her, Spike, and Starlight. Seeing that her student had been relatively quiet, the Princess approached the young mare. “Is something wrong, Starlight?” she asked.

Her student’s head jerked. “Huh, what?”

“I’m asking you if there is something wrong,” asserted the Princess. “You know, I expected you to join us during our online session and make friends. But I find you and Spike here all alone.”

Starlight frowned. “I’m sorry, Twilight. Me and Spike were talking, and it got me thinking. After seeing you girls talk with your counterparts, I thought about my own counterpart and how she’s doing.”

“Your counterpart?” asked Twilight, raising an eyebrow. “Why are you thinking about her all of a sudden?”

“I’m not entirely sure myself. It came to me after seeing all of you together. It made me wonder if she is just a normal girl, or maybe she was like the old me, causing trouble wherever she goes.”

“You don’t know that, Starlight,” inquired Spike. “For all we know, the other you may be just a regular student at Canterlot High.”

“Spike is right. I know that seeing those other girls has made you curious about the other you, but don’t worry it too much. Let her live her life,” Twilight lectured.

“But what if she was as bad as me?” asked Starlight.

“Then somepony would put a stop to her and make her see reason. Whether it be my other friends or perhaps another human would help her.”

To Twilight’s disappointment, it her words did not seem to cheer her student up as the mare lowered her head in shame. The Princess sighed. She needed to change the topic now or else her student would be down in the dumps for the rest of the day.

Turning to her computer again, she grasped keyboard with her magic and opened up yet another application. The word ‘Steam’ came into view, which gain the curiosity of Spike. “Hey, Twilight? What’s that?” the drake asked.

Twilight smiled. “Well, Spike, I’m glad you asked. You see, our friends at CHS recommended me several key things to require before I took this machine home. One of these was an entertainment platform called, Steam.”

“Steam? You mean the smoke that trains and big ships always make?”

“I’m not referring to that type of steam, Spike. This is something else entirely. Remember what I said earlier that this PC is capable of entertainment. Well, this Steam is one of said entertainment applications.”

The Princess clicked on her mouse again, causing another pop-up window to appear again. The words Divinity Original Sin 2 were written in big letters as well as a picture of strange beings that ranged from human to a big red lizard. “Starlight, I want you to take your mind off your counterpart,” she ordered. “Take a deep breath, relax, and play this game I have for you here.”

“Game? What game?” asked Starlight.

“This right here, Starlight. Divinity Original Sin 2 is a game that was recommended to me by Sunset and my counterpart. I played it at every chance I got back at the human world.”

“A game? You mean those big arcade machines the I sometimes play back in the town square?” asked Spike.

“Correct. But these games are meant to be played at home rather than in public. As for this game, it’s heavily based on the popular Oubliettes & Ogres tabletop game,” explained Twilight. “And before you ask, yes, that game exists back in the human world.”

“Wait, seriously?” asked Spike, who immediately grew interested the moment Twilight mentioned his favorite game. “Can I try it?”

“Perhaps another time, Spike. For now, I just want Starlight to play and help get her mind off of her counterpart.”

Starlight’s jaw dropped. “Wait, you want me to play this… thing? But how? I don’t even know how to work this PC thing in the first place!”

“Oh, don’t you worry about that, Starlight,” assured Twilight as she used her magic to conjure a stack of paper. “I have all the instructions right here. If you are confused or if you don’t know what to do, then I suggest you skim through these real quick.”

“Instructions, huh.” Starlight sighed. “Well, at least I’ll have some paperwork here that can help me a little bit. But are you sure this… game is right for me? I don’t even know anything about Oubliettes & Ogres.”

“You can ask Spike for advice on that. Since he is so familiar with that game, I’m sure he can give you a brief rundown on how it plays.”

Spike beamed. “Wow, this is going to be so cool! A game that’s made from the human world! And it’s based off of Oubliettes & Ogres too! Oh, I can’t wait to see what it looks like!”

Twilight smiled as she allowed her student to take the mouse from her. With Starlight and Spike gathered at the PC, she stepped away, observing the reactions from her student and Spike as the game’s introductory video played on the screen. With them preoccupied, she lit her horn and teleported out of the room.


> Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In a flash of purple, Princess Twilight Sparkle found herself standing in front of her castle. She had been away for some time, dealing with her duties as a Princess from Equestria. But now those duties were over. She was free again, and that meant more time spent on her friends, and her computer.

She smiled. Her first showing of the new technology she brought over was a huge success. Her friends were able to meet their human counterparts. Their talk wasn’t very long, but it was enough to get them interested in the machine. Eventually, the girls would probably want to talk to their counterparts more in the future, and the same could be said for the others in CHS. She would happily grant their request, but it’ll have to be worked out with Sunset.

    Then her student came into mind. During the online meeting, Starlight looked pretty down after noticing that her own counterpart was missing. So, Twilight found a way to clear her student’s mind of the problem. At least briefly.

Video games. Particularly, Divinity Original Sin 2. A favorite of hers.

“Hmm, I wonder how Starlight and Spike are doing right now,” Twilight said to herself as she opened her castle doors with her magic. Before she could enter though, one of the bushes near the entrance began to shake rather uncontrollably. Seeing this, she approached the bush, but was immediately greeted by a hyper pink party pony.

“Hi, Twilight!” greeted Pinkie Pie.

“Gah!”

Twilight let out a yelp as she fell to the ground instantly. Looking up, she could see her friend bouncing out of the bush. “P-Pinkie? What… how? Why are you in my bush?” asked the bewildered Princess.

“That’s easy, silly. I’m here because I wanna see more of your computer thing!” replied the party pony while she helped Twilight back on her hooves.

“Yes, I know that. Why were you in my bush? And how did you get here so quickly? Sugarcube Corner is still a couple blocks away.”

Pinkie chuckled. “Oh, Twilight. You don’t have to worry about Sugarcube Corner. I already cleaned the place up! As for how I got here so fast; well, I took my secret tunnel!”

“S-secret tunnel?”

“Yup! Oh, but you don’t have to worry about that. My tunnels are safe and secure! They won’t be affecting Ponyville’s landscape, that’s for sure!”

Twilight twitched. The amount of absurdity that came out of Pinkie’s mouth was ridiculously high. Yet despite the lunacy, it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility. A secret tunnel would certainly explain how her friend would traverse the town so quickly unnoticed. After all, Pinkie came from a family of rock farmers and she also had that secret cave under Sugarcube Corner.

“So, when are we going to see your computer?” asked Pinkie.

“Oh, um, the computer?” Twilight replied. Her friend’s question immediately snapped the Princess out of her thoughts. “Yes… well, I was gonna wait until the girls get here first before we head back to the mirror room. There are some things I want to discuss first before we start the next demonstration, so—”

Before Twilight could finish talking, she was abruptly interrupted when Spike barged out of the castle. “Twilight! Oh, thank Celestia you are here!” he shouted.

Both the Princess and Pinkie stared at the young drake with confused looks. For some reason, he seemed strangely out of breath. “You… you got to help!” pleaded a panting Spike. “It’s Starlight. She won’t stop!”

“Settle down, Spike!” cautioned Twilight. Using her magic, she aided her assistant and helped the young drake catch his breath. “There you go. Do you feel better?”

“That’s… actually, I do feel kinda better, thanks. But that’s not what I’m here for! Twilight, you’ve got to tell Starlight to stop. She’s been playing that game of yours for four hours straight!”

“Game? What game?” asked Pinkie. The mere mention of the word ‘game’ excited the pink pony as she planted her face onto Spike’s forehead.

“Pinkie calm down. I’ll explain about it later,” Twilight said as she immediately pulled her friend away with her magic. “Now, Spike, you said Starlight has been playing nonstop for four hours, right? Why didn’t you convince her to stop?”

“I tried!” Spike argued. “I told her to take a break after an hour of play. But she was so focused on the screen that she wouldn’t stop! So, when talking failed, I tried to do everything I could to get her to stop playing. Even to the point where I threatened to turn off the dang thing!”

He frowned. “But even that didn’t work! When I tried to turn the computer off, she just used her magic to teleport me away!”

“Is she still in the mirror room?”

“Yeah, she is. After three hours of non-stop teleporting, I just gave up and figured that I’d wait for you instead.”

“Aw, but why would you want to stop her from playing? It sounds like this game of hers is fun!” argued Pinkie Pie. However, Twilight ignored her friend’s comment as she quickly fired up her horn. In a flash, she teleported away from Spike and Pinkie.

When the magic wore off, the Princess was inside her castle’s mirror room once again. Looking around, she immediately found her student sitting in the exact spot where she left her. She sighed as she noticed the mare’s eyes were completely glued to the screen. She’s become addicted. Twilight thought.

“S-Spike… is that you?” muttered Starlight who didn’t even bother to turn her head around. “Could you do a mare a favor and get me some hay chips please? I’d like to do it myself, but I gotta get this next Source point for my character.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. Once more, she ignited her horn. But instead of focusing her magic on herself, she enveloped the light around Starlight, teleporting the mare away from the computer. “Snap out of it Starlight!” shouted the Princess, immediately slapping her student right on her face.

“Huh, what?” Starlight blinked. “Oh, T-Twilight, you’re back! Gosh, that was fast. I didn’t think you’d be done with your royal duties so soon.”

The Princess sighed. It appeared the mare didn’t even notice that so much time had passed by. And judging from her face, it appeared as if she hadn't even blinked for hours.

“Starlight, it’s been four hours since I’ve left the castle! Since then, you’ve done nothing but sit here and play my game for the entire afternoon!”

“What?” Starlight screamed as her face went pale. “But, how? I promised myself that I’d take a break every hour!”

“These games are addicting, Starlight. Yes, they are fun; but if you don’t control yourself, you’ll find yourself playing for hours and not want to do anything else!” explained Twilight. “Trust me, I went through the same exact experience when I tried these games. And when that happened, it took the efforts of both Sunset and the other Applejack to get me away from my computer.”

“What about, Spike? He was there with me. Why didn’t he just tell me to stop?”

“He tried. But whenever he tried to get you to stop, you used your magic to get him out of the way.”

Starlight winced. “Oh, Celestia, I remember now! He… told me numerous times to take a break, but I ignored him. And when he tried to turn off the computer, I teleported him to random locations in town!”

“You did what?” shouted Twilight, letting loose the Royal Canterlot voice in front of her student. Upon seeing her student’s terrified reaction though, she quickly apologized and helped the mare up. “Don’t feel too bad about it, Starlight. When you are doing something fun, you don’t want to stop.”

“I guess. Still, I never would’ve thought I’d get addicted so easily though.”

“That’s the power of a good game. Divinity Original Sin 2 is one of my favorite things from the human world. The story, the narrative, and sweet Celestia, the characters! If Larian Studios wrote it in book form, I’d buy it in a heartbeat!”

 “Of course you would,” snarked Starlight as her eyes began to twitch. She then raised her hooves and started rubbing her face. “Ugh, my eyes. It feels like they’re on fire right now.”

“A side effect of playing too much. When you become so focused on the computer screen itself, you forget to blink. Don’t worry. The pain will subside eventually. Though splashing your face with water does help alleviate it. Come on, I’ll help you to the bathroom.

Before either could leave the mirror room though, the exit door opened, revealing Spike and all of Twilight’s friends. “Twilight, there you are, darling,” said Rarity as she was the first who approached the Princess. “We heard everything from Spikey-Wikey. Is everything alright?”

“Everything’s fine, girls. I managed to get Starlight off the computer,” Twilight replied. She then looked to her assistant. “Spike, can you please escort her to the bathroom? Her eyes are sore from all the playing she’s done.”

“Okay, Twilight. But first, she’ll have to promise not to use her magic on me,” rebuked the young drake.

His comment caused Starlight to sigh. “I really messed up, didn’t I? Look, I’m sorry, Spike. I didn’t mean to use my magic on you like that.”

Spike chuckled. “Aw, relax, Starlight. I was only half joking. Come on, I’ll help you to the bathroom,” he replied as he helped the mare out of the room. 

With them gone, Twilight was left alone with her friends. She looked at them and could immediately tell they had questions. “Alright, Twilight, just what in the hay is going on?” asked Rainbow Dash. “When we came to your castle, we found Spike panicking, and Pinkie saying that Starlight was in trouble.”

“Calm down, Rainbow. I’ll tell you everything you need to know,” Twilight replied. For the next few minutes, she explained what happened between her student and Spike. Though the girls found it difficult to believe at first, confirmation from Applejack settled their doubts.

“Girls, she’s tellin’ the truth. It’s not jus’ because Ah can’t tell a lie, but it’s also because Ah found Spike wanderin’ mah fields today,” the farm pony explained. “Ah asked him why he’s at the farm, but he didn’t answer. Instead, he jus’ ran back ta town.”

“I also found Spike at my home too,” said Fluttershy. “I was tending to my animals at the time, but then suddenly, he appeared out of nowhere. I checked on him to make sure he’s okay, but all he did was apologize and leave.”

“And he didn’t mention Starlight at all?” Twilight asked her two friends. To her disappointment, AJ and Fluttershy shook their heads. “Darn it. It would’ve made the situation a lot easier if he just told you two.”

“You weren’t in town, Twilight?” asked Rarity.

“I had to teleport over to Canterlot. Princess… I mean, Celestia needed some help with her paperwork. To be frank, I would’ve preferred that I work here, but I haven’t seen my mentor in a while. So I worked alongside her for the entire afternoon.”

“Did ya tell her ‘bout this whole experiment of yers?” asked Applejack who immediately batting an eyelash.

“She does, yes. But she says she wants to see what me and Sunset have been working on. So, as of tomorrow, she will be paying me a visit during lunch hour.”

“Oh, Princess Celestia is coming to visit?” Pinkie yelled. “Should I bake a cake and set up a party for her?”

Twilight chuckled. “If you want to, then go right ahead, Pinkie. But please, be on your best behavior when Celestia is here. I want her union with Sunset Shimmer to be perfect.”

“She wants to talk to Sunset tomorrow?” asked Rarity.

“Well, yes. But I didn’t tell her that. Their reunion tomorrow will be a surprise. Both for Celestia and Sunset. Granted, I don’t think the latter will take it well given their history, but I’m certain she’ll open up.”

“Yeah, whatever. So, can you tell us how exactly Starlight stayed here for over four hours? Pinkie said something about a game, but what exactly is she talking about?” asked Rainbow.

Twilight smiled as she looked back at her computer. The Divinity Original Sin 2 program was still up and running on her monitor. “Alright girls. For my next presentation, I’ll show you another feature on my computer. And trust me, it’s something that will blow you all away.”  
> Chapter 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Twilight’s demonstration of Divinity Original Sin 2 was a fun one. It was easy for her to showcase the game as she had multiple saves where a major fight was about to happen. And much to her delight, her friends couldn’t get enough of it. Seeing the characters move and fight against one another, as well as the interaction between characters, was more than enough to draw them in.

    After playing one last battle in the game’s third act, Twilight shut the game down to address her still hyped friends. “So girls, what did you think? Was this game to your liking?” she asked.

    “That’s an understatement, Twilight!” shouted Rainbow Dash in response. “Sweet Celestia, that was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen!” 

    Applejack rolled her eyes. “Really, Dash? That was the most amazing thing ya ever seen? Not ta downplay this here thingamabob, but seriously? Did our past adventures not mean not mean anything to ya now? What ‘bout the stunts you’ve seen the Wonderbolts have done?”

    Rainbow chuckled nervously as her cheeks flushed red. “Okay, maybe I may have overreacted a bit. But come on, AJ. This is pretty cool.”

    “And brutal!” shouted Pinkie Pie. “Oh, remember the time where that Dwarf character spilled oil everywhere and then followed up with a fireball?”

    “Heck yeah I do! Seeing all those bad guys go down in one spell was awesome to see!”

    “Don’t forget the special effects, Dashie!”

     “Pinkie, please. Don’t remind me about that,” muttered Fluttershy who was shivering a little bit on her chair, unsettled by the violence that occurred in game. If Twilight recalled, the mare let out a few shrieks as she watched the game’s characters pummeled each other to death. 

“Sweet Celestia, the blood. Was there really a need to include that much violence?”

    “To be fair, Fluttershy, blood is a mechanic in the game itself. And you can avoid some of the fighting in game, as long as your persuasion skill is high enough,” explained Twilight.

    “Twilight, darling, you’re not helping!” replied Rarity who immediately attempted to soothe the pegasus pony. “Fluttershy does have a point. Though I’d admire the artistic direction and the characters you played, it doesn’t change the fact that this game is gory!”

    “I know that, Rarity. Believe me, I had the same reaction you and Fluttershy had when I first saw this. But not all video games are like that. Some take a more different approach when it comes to their design.”

    “Whatever do you mean, darling?”

    “I’m saying that games like these depend on the developers. Some design products that focus more on their art style, while others delve into storytelling. You may think I’m crazy, but there are even developers who design their games based around blood and violence itself.”

    “Good gracious!” shrieked Rarity as she nearly fainted but picked herself back up at the last minute. “What kind of brute would even purchase a product like that?”

    “A lot of people, Rarity. If I recall, there was this one game that was released a few years ago that sold millions of copies. And based on what Rainbow’s counterpart showed me, it’s even more violent and profane than Divinity.”

    Applejack shook her head in disgust. “Why am Ah not surprised the other RD is into that sort of stuff? Ah know she n’ our Rainbow like ta be in the thrill of the moment, but this?”

    “Hey, you can’t blame the other me for liking something that might look cool!” argued Rainbow Dash, but then flinched after realizing her poor choice of words. “Uh, wait a second. I think that came out wrong.”

    “Ya think!” shouted AJ. “For lands sake, RD, Ah know what Twi’ showed us was nice n’ all but aren’t ya at least a bit worried?”

    “Whatever do you mean, Applejack?” asked Rarity.

    “Ah’m talkin’ about the actual violence, Rarity. If what Twilight said is true, then that means there are a ton of test do-hickies all over the human world right? Won’t that mean more violence if it’s so mainstream?”

    “You do raise a good point, Applejack; however, I can assure you that the correlation between violent forms of entertainment and the human psyche is nonexistent. Plenty of human researchers dedicated their time to answer if excessive amount violence can affect a human’s psyche. But like I said, it is nonexistent. Seeing another human bash another one’s skull does not make them or anyone else violent,” explained Twilight.

    “Are you sure about that, Twilight?” asked Fluttershy, to which the Princess nodded in reply.

    “I admit, there have been some outliers, but a majority of them have been due to the person’s mental health rather than being under the influence of video games itself.” Twilight looked at the monitor again, which was still showing the pause menu of Divinity Original Sin 2. “I think it’s time I’d show you girls a more light-hearted game instead. Give me a moment, I’ll load something that all you girls can enjoy.”

    Taking the computer mouse and keyboard with her magic, Twilight shut down the Divinity game and went back to her steam home page. Moving the mouse, she clicked on yet another title. One that immediately caught the eye of Fluttershy.

    “Ori and the Blind Forest?” she asked.

    “Oh, come on! This isn’t going to be one of those cheesy stuff like that puppy video you showed us earlier, right?” asked Rainbow.

    “Settle down, Rainbow. You’ll see in a moment,” Twilight answered as the game slowly booted up. After flashes of the company logos appeared on the monitor screen, the girls were greeted to brightly colored title screen and a very soothing piano piece.

    “Aw, how lovely,” commented Rarity while the game’s music played on the speakers.

    “And pretty!” followed up Pinkie Pie as the screen began to change once again. “What’s this one about, Twilight?”

    “Patience, Pinkie. You’ll see it soon enough,” replied Twilight. Leaning back on her chair, the Princess watched as the opening cutscene began to play. The colorful art-style, as well as the soothing soundtrack, was more than enough to get the girl’s attention again. 

When the game’s perspective finally shifted toward a plumb black owl creature, Fluttershy immediately cooed. “Aw, what a cutie!” she said. A smile formed on her face as Twilight took control of the creature. “Does this game focus around animals?”

“Somewhat. You’ll get all the answers eventually, Fluttershy. Just pay attention to the screen and you’ll find out.”

Rainbow frowned. “Don’t keep us in the dark, Twilight! Come on, tell us what this game is supposed to be!” she complained. However, she was cut short as the girls saw a small white creature appear before the large owl.

“Aw, so cute!” squealed Fluttershy as the game introduced the small creature as Ori. And much to her pleasure, along with the rest of the girls, she watched the small animal have a lovely childhood with its adoptive father. 

However, things turn for the worst as Ori’s forest home begins to deteriorate and food becomes scarce. Things eventually turn from bad to worse as the forest where the creature’s home became almost uninhabitable and its adoptive father passed away. “Holy buck. This just got dark really quick,” muttered Rainbow Dash.

“Ah’ll say!” replied Applejack, who was trying her best to comfort a now weeping Fluttershy. However, the game’s intro didn’t get that much better as it showed a lone Ori slowly dying due to the decaying forest. 

    “Goodness me,” stuttered Rarity as Ori seemingly drew its last breath. But hope was not lost. With the last bit of light from the forest, Ori was revived. “Oh thank Celestia. The sweet little thing is okay.”

    “Of course, Rarity! Main characters shouldn’t be dying off like that so quickly!” exclaimed Pinkie Pie.

    “But what was the point in all that? What’s this here game tryin’ ta tell us?” asked Applejack.

    “That was just the opening cutscene, AJ. Ori and the Blind Forest is a game that focuses more on an artistic style of graphics and pairs it with platforming and strategy,” explained Twilight as she took control of Ori. Moving the character around, she began to showcase the game’s seemingly water colored theme with soothing music playing in the background.

    “So lovely,” said Fluttershy who was staring at the monitor screen in awe. “This is much better than the previous one you showed us, Twilight.”

    “I figured as much. Not all games in the human world center around combat and violence. Sometimes, you’ll find hidden gems like these.”

    “Can… can I play it?” Fluttershy asked, whose meek response earned the stares of everypony in the room, excluding Twilight.

    “Wow, Flutters. I never expected you of all ponies to be a gamer type,” said Rainbow Dash. “What makes you want to try this out?”

    “I dunno. Maybe because it looks pretty, and it casts a cute animal as the main character too. I don’t think there are a lot of stories these days that are like this one.” 

    “That’s fair Ah guess. Jus’ by lookin’ at the thing, Ah can tell it’s something that suits ya, Fluttershy. Still, Ah’m kinda surprised that you of all ponies would be interested in this sort of thing.”

    “It’s not that surprising, AJ. Surprisingly, the other Fluttershy is also into games as well. Though her tastes may be somewhat… different.”

    “Different how, Twi’?”

    Twilight shrugged. “Let’s just say there’s another genre that the other Fluttershy is interested in. And it’s something that you girls would never believe even if I told you.”

    “Seriously?” asked Rainbow, raising her brow. “Just what kind of games is the other Fluttershy interested in? I mean, both she and our Flutters are completely similar. So, it shouldn’t be that weird, right?”

    “I’ll tell you more about it later, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight replied nonchalantly before turning her attention back to her meek friend. “As for you, Fluttershy, I’m afraid I can’t let you play just yet. Not because I don’t want you too, but way this game is played relies heavily on keyboard inputs.”

“And how exactly is that a bad thing?” asked Applejack. “Ah’m sure Fluttershy can use that thingamabob jus’ fine.”

“There’s a reason why I use my magic on this thing instead of hooves, AJ,” Twilight answered as she lifted the keyboard up with her magic and showed it to her friends. “As you can see, the buttons are way too small for my hooves. Just using them would only cause problems if I’m writing a document or playing a game. If I actually want to use my machine, magic is the only alternative I currently have.”

“But that would mean only Unicorns can use this thing!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash. “How in the hay is this PC thing so special when over half the ponies of Equestria can’t even use it?”

“Rainbow has a point, Twilight. It wouldn’t be fair to everypony if only Unicorns like me can use this,” said Rarity.

“I know,” Twilight replied, nodding in agreement. “It’s reasons like that are why I’m working on building an alternative piece of hardware with my counterpart. Ones that are made specifically for ponies. She and I hope to complete a prototype in the next few weeks.”

“That’s okay, Twilight. I’m not in a rush to play this game,” replied Fluttershy. “But can you perhaps maybe give a small demonstration. If you don’t mind, I’d like to see more of this Ori thing before we leave if that’s alright with you.”

Twilight smiled as she laid down the keyboard. “Sure thing, Fluttershy.”
> Chapter 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Princess Celestia wasn’t sure what to do with her former student. Though she loved and cared for Twilight deeply, the mare had given her fair share of problems in the past. The “Want it, Need it” shenanigan was a notorious one. However, her latest action may have eclipsed that.

    Sitting inside the library of Castle Friendship, the Sun Princess could not help but roll her eyes as Princess Twilight explained her newfound toy. A “computer” she called it. An item brought over from the human world.

    Celestia bit her lip as she did her best to hold back a sigh. Although the machine itself was quite fascinating, she knew the potentially dire consequences on bringing the computer here. The human world, which she was familiar with, was more technologically advanced. Not just to Equestria, but their entire world itself.  Ponies, as well as the other species outside her nation, were not prepared for something like this.

    Then came the issue of national security. Who is to say that somepony, or any creature, can sneak into Castle Friendship and use this machine? Perhaps her worries are nothing but paranoia; but given Equestria’s recent close calls, it wasn’t in the realm of possibility. Especially when Twilight had no guards.

Also, didn’t she mention that her castle was recently broken into by her new student?

    “And that concludes a basic introduction on what computers are and what they do,” said Twilight, who immediately gave the Sun Princess a beaming smile. In return, Celestia finally let loose the disgruntled sigh she’s been holding back.

    “That’s… great, Twilight. I’m impressed that you and your counterpart had managed to drag this thing through the crystal mirror.”

    “I know, right! I mean, sure I had my doubts, but we managed to pull it off in the end! Great minds do think alike after all!”

    Celestia couldn’t help but roll her eyes at her student’s latest comment. “Yes, I can see why you two get along so well. But Twilight, as wonderous as this machine is, I can’t help but worry that this may potentially hurt Equestria.”

    Twilight tilted her head. “What do you mean, Princess?”

    “Twilight, may I remind you that we are both equal in royalty. You don’t have to call me Princess anymore. But as I was saying, this technology… it’s out of place. Equestria hasn’t seen anything like this before.”

    Celestia would go on to explain her biggest concerns about the computer to her student. How the computer was left unguarded and that their nation, nor their world, wasn’t ready for technology like this. Much to her disappointment, however, Twilight didn’t seem to take her worries seriously.

    “Oh, come on, Celestia,” she said with a scoff. “Don’t you think you’re overthinking this? It’s just a harmless experiment.”

    “I’m not, Twilight! By bringing this machine to your castle, you are potentially putting our nation at risk!” Celestia argued. “Think about what has happened these past few years. Tirek’s rampage. The Changeling Invasion. Nightmare Moon coming back. I fear that having technology that’s leagues above our own will only bring our nation trouble.”

    “What? Celestia, you can’t be serious!”

    “I am, Twilight! You need to get rid of this machine now!” shouted Celestia. She immediately regretted her outburst, however, when she spotted her former student flinch and tumble backwards. “Forgive me for shouting, Twilight. That was rude of me and I apologize. But know that I am serious about my concerns. As fascinating as this machine is, it has no place in Equestria. At least not yet.”

    “What do you mean, Celestia?” asked Twilight.

    “Twilight, what the humans did to create something like this is a wonderful thing. I for one would love to see something like this built in our nation. But that’s the point. This PC is out of place. We as a nation, nor any creature in this world, haven’t made anything like this yet. And I want it to stay like that. Let the citizens of our nation, or any creature in this world, grow and come up with the means to invent this technology on their own.”

    “Wait, so you don’t want this computer here because you think it might hamper the growth of ponies?”

    Celestia smiled. “Airships and the steam engine weren’t invented in an instant, Twilight. They were built overtime through the ideas and creativity of brilliant ponies. And that growth makes an individual strong. Did you know that the inventor of the common airship was first suggested by an Earth pony?”

    “What?” Twilight shouted. “But I thought the inventor of the airship was a Unicorn!”

    “No, it wasn’t. The pony who drew the first blueprint of the airship was in fact an Earth pony. He just insisted that scholars keep his little secret. Though if you read through his works carefully, you’ll notice a couple of clues that he left behind that reveal his true identity.”

    “Oh my… gosh!” said Twilight. Her smile returning once again as she playfully hopped around the library. “This changes everything! Now I want to reread his work again and find the clues to his true identity! Oh, just thinking about it makes me so excited!”

    Celestia couldn’t help but smile as she observed her former student’s excitement get the better of her. She chuckled. Twilight had always acted like this in the past should anything piqued her interest. One would even  assume the mare was the Element of Laughter if they ever saw her like this. 

“Okay, Twilight, settle down. We still need to discuss what to do with this machine,” Celestia said. Before she could continue speaking however, she was interrupted by a strange ringing sound. “What in the world? Where is that noise coming from?”

“Don’t worry about it, Celestia. It’s just coming from my computer,” answered Twilight. Approaching the machine, the Princess of Friendship stared at the brightly colored window that she described as a ‘monitor’. “Oh. It looks like one of my friends from the human world wants to talk. Says she has some important things she wants to discuss.”

“Twilight, please, we haven’t finished our conversation yet!”

“I’m sorry, but she says that she needs to talk to me now!” Twilight replied as she ignited her horn. Eyes widened, Celestia called out to her former student one last time, hoping she could stop her from doing something reckless. But Twilight was quicker. Using her magic, the mare did something on the device to make the colors on the computer monitor change.

“Twilight, can you hear me? Sorry, Skype is acting a bit weird. I can’t see you at all,” said voice that came from seemingly nowhere. From the Sun Princess’s perspective, it sounded like mare talking. “Hold on. Let me fix this.”

Celestia gasped. She recognized that voice. It had been years since she last heard from her, but she knew who that voice was.

Suddenly, the computer monitor brightened as a human girl appeared on the screen. “Sorry about that, Twilight. The app’s been acting a little weird ever since the last update on the computer. Now, what did you want to talk… about, huh?”

Celestia’s jaw slacked. There was no doubt. Despite not being a pony anymore, the human’s yellow skin and red-orange mane give it away. “Sunset? Sunset Shimmer is that you?”

    Unfortunately her question was left unanswered. As soon as she and Sunset laid eyes on each other, the monitor screen went black. “What in the world? Twilight, what happened?”

    “She disconnected the call!” Twilight answered. “Hold on, let me try to reconnect with her again!”

    As her student scrambled to get Sunset back on the line, Celestia pondered on her two former students. Earlier, it seemed as though Sunset seemed surprised to see her. It was as if the mare wasn’t expecting any company at all. Did Twilight didn’t tell her?

    “Alright, she’s coming back!” exclaimed Twilight. “Don’t worry, Celestia, she won’t disconnect again.”

    “I’m not so sure, Twilight. From what I saw, it didn’t appear she seemed comfortable seeing me,” said Celestia. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

    “Of course! You know, I’ve been planning for this day ever since I got this computer to my castle, and I am not going to let this moment go to waste!”

    “Wait, go to waste? Twilight, was this whole meeting between us just a ploy to get me and Sunset in speaking terms again?”

    Unfortunately for Celestia, her question was left unanswered as Sunset Shimmer appeared on the monitor screen again. The Princess stared at her former student, waiting for her to say anything. But Sunset didn’t say a word. She didn’t even look at the screen either.

    Celestia herself wasn’t that much better either. It had been years since she last saw Sunset, and now was perfect opportunity to make amends. But instead of reaching out and attempt to start a conversation, she kept quiet and could only mirror her student’s facial expression. “Oh, Sunset.”

    “So, Celestia.” The Sun Princess turned to see Twilight looking straight at her with an awkward smile on her face. One that seemed forced rather than genuine. “I’m just gonna leave you two alone here, okay. If you need anything, you’ll know where to find me!”

    Celestia opened her mouth to respond, but before she could say anything, Twilight immediately ignited her horn and teleported out of the room. The Sun Princess could only sigh as she finally realized the mare’s true intentions from the start. “I’ll get back at you for this, Twilight,” she muttered quietly before looking straight up at the computer screen. “But right now, somepony else needs me.”

    Standing upright, Celestia slowly approached the computer monitor and stared directly at her former pupil. Although Sunset wasn’t willing to talk just yet, the Princess didn’t care. “Sunset Shimmer,” she said in a demanding tone. “It’s time we talk.”

    Sunset didn’t respond at first, preferring to instead look away from her monitor screen. Celestia was a patient mare though and wasn’t going to force Sunset to talk. Instead, she’ll just wait her out. If she wasn’t in the mood for talking, or if she tries to pull a stunt like last time, then their talk wasn’t meant to be.

    And for a while it seemed like that was the case. Time quickly past, and Sunset still didn’t seem like talking. Seeing this, Celestia merely looked down and shook her head. Perhaps this wasn’t the best time after all.

    Turning her head away from the monitor screen, Princess Celestia ignited her horn, mentally preparing herself to teleport out of the room. However, she stopped when she heard a low cry from the monitor screen.

    “Wait, don’t go.”

    Celestia turned to look at the monitor again and found Sunset Shimmer looking directly at her. Though she was still shy and shaken, the former Unicorn didn’t intend to hide any longer. “Please, don’t go,” the former unicorn said. “I’ll talk… I promise.”