Black and Mechanical

by Ashley Hale

Chapter 2

In the vibrant town of Ponyville, a purple unicorn and her dragon partner are entranced in a deep study. Inside her library tree, Twilight Sparkle is documenting the results of a recent survey from many ponies that have accounts from the social network, Facehoof. The survey is a series of questions with two answers: Does everypony create meaningful friendships by just accepting a friend request, not even seeing that pony's face? Is it better than actually talking to that pony and hanging out, enriching the friendship? All these ponies had to do was answer yes or no.

As Twilight continues her research, Spike is usually by her side, aiding her in keeping her library well organized and providing her with the proper equipment needed to keep her research going. As Spike reaches for a much needed book, he suddenly pukes out ashes. The ashes rematerialize to paper. It is Spike's duty as the intermediary between Celestia and Twilight to not read any letter from the princess until Twilight reads it herself.

"Oh. Twilight, you have a letter from the princess," says Spike as he hands her the letter.

He sees Twilight in a deep trance from her own study. He gently taps her shoulder, knocking her back to reality. Back to her senses, Spike gives her the letter. As soon as Twilight holds the letter with her magic, the paper unravels itself. She carefully reads every letter with precision and detail. Then, her ears flop down and she begins biting her lower lips.

"What's wrong Twilight?" asked Spike.

"It's an urgent letter from the princess. It says to meet her in Canterlot pronto... alone," she responded.
Twilight immidiately heads out the door.

"Wait Twilight! What about your research?" responded Spike in worry.

"Just keep everyting organized. I'll finish when I get back," she responded in haste.

Before Spike could answer that statement, Twilight had shut the door tight. Spike looked around the seemingly tidy work area. He then sees the folders containing the survey and its answers. He holds the folder up and opens it to find a very tidy assortment of surveys with yeses in one pile and the serveys with noes in another. Spike examined the thickness of each pile; the yes pile was a lot thinner than the no pile. Satisfied with his examination, he closes the folder, and places it on the ledge of the table, with more hanging over the table than on.

"Well, the place looks tidy," Spike said to himself. He started for the door, almost excited to be free after hours of confinment in Twilight's library.

"I guess I'll go visit Rarity," he continued as his face blushed red. Finally outside, he swishes his tail and slams the door recklessly. The impact startled the library, shaking the books; but the more important thing: the folder containing the survey. It falls on the floor, disassembling the neat piles Twilight worked so hard to organize. Now, the floor of the library was covered by a carpet of white. The yes and no piles scatted all over each other creating a mess of yes surveys and no surveys. But Spike is outside; he hummed a tune while that happened, his mind stuck on Rarity. Spike simply continued on his merry way completely oblivious of the new carpet of paper consisting of Twilight's research.

__________

The train came to a halt in the Canterlot station. Not long ago, tall, strong, bulky stallions pulled each train. Humans who crossed over to Equestria during this time period, the humans would call these trains "horsepowered trains." Now, with the use of a unicorn driver, trains have become magic powered. A new type of train is in development: one that is automated, not powered by stallions or magic. The newer trains will function like modern bullet trains in the human world. One could ride the new automated train from Canterlot to Ponyville in under five minutes. This is the result of human influence in Equestria.

Twilight rushes out of the train. Usually on a casual visit to Canterlot, she would do a little sight seeing in her former hometown before visiting the princess, but not this time. Now, she galloped straight to Celestia. On the way, Celestia's guards intercepted her.

"State your business." Said one guard in a commanding tone.

"I am Twilight Sparkle, and I have recieved an urgent notice to meet with the princess right away." She responded.

The guard finally looks at her and immediately recognizes her.

"Oh it is you," He said as he stepped aside. "Please proceed."

Twilight passes by the guards. She is now inside the throneroom when she sees the princess herself still sitting on the throne.

"Princess!" called an excited Twilight.

"Twilight, it is always good to see you," Celestia responded.

"I got your urgent message. You wanted to see me?" Twilight inquired.

Celestia simply nodded in approval. The princess begins her approach. Her joyful look after seeing Twilight turns to a serious face. Twilight notices this, and her mood changes as well.

"We must get to business," said Celestia. "I have recieved reports of three wormholes occurences near the Everfree Forest, Manehattan, and Appleloosa. Furthermore, three foreign beings emerged from these wormholes."

Twilight had past experience with foreigners. All of them were human visitors. "Foreigners? Easy," she said in confidence.

"Oh, but one of them was covered in a black veil. It decended to Manehattan, and another one was reported to be covered in metal," the princess responded.

"Humans covered in black and metal?" asked Twilight.
A guard interrupts the conversation.

"Princess!" shouted the guard. "We've recieved word that the mysterious figure has been spotted!"

"What?" asked the princess abruptly. "Where?"

"The outskirts of Ponyville! He's heading to the portal as we speak!" the guard continued.

Princess Celestia was surprised, but also determined to capture the mysterious figure. She finally rose up and faced Twilight.

"Twilight. I have a very important task for you," said the princess in confidence. "I want you to follow that myestrious figure to the other world."

"But what will happen to me? I've seen people from the other world, but I haven't been there myself," Twilight responded.

"I'm not sure, but I can't let this chance slip by. I'm sorry to ask this in an abrupt manner," she said to Twilight. "I might put you great risk, and it'll be my fault for putting you through this."

"I can handle myself well," Twilight said in a reassuring voice. Twilight stood up in confidence and faced Celestia. "I cannot fail you my princess." She said. "So? Where is he?"

Celestia spread her wings and prepared for flight. "The outskirts of Ponyville. I'll take you there."

"You know the location?" Twilight asked in a perplexed manner.

"I'll simply look for a yellow portal with a pink swirl," the princess said as she took off. Accompanying her was a carriage piloted by her pegasus guards. "Come fly with me."

Twilight promptly boards the carriage. Celestia leaps into the air and gallantly spreads her wings in a gliding motion. Her guards follow with Twilight looking back at the shrinking Canterlot.The princess suddenly tucks her wings and dives straight down towards Ponyville's outskirts. Celestia only did this in emergencies concerning Equestria's wellbeing. Her guards do the same. Twilight feels the rush of the descent and holds on with every inch of her hooves. Her eyes and mouth begin flapping uncontrollably to the sudden burst of speed. As they pass Ponyville, everyone below looked up in wonder of seeing Celestia. Twilight gazed at the ponies down there. They were minescule in size to the point that she couldn't make out the ponies that looked alike. At long last, Celestia touches the ground galloping. Her guards follow. Twilight dismounts the carriage a little dizzy from the sudden thrill ride of the descent, but she finally shakes her head back to reality. From Celestia's direction, the portal reached tthe height of the trees surrounding it. As the guard stated earlier, it has the yellow coloration with the pink swirl twisting inside.

"Is that the one?" Twilight asked.

"This is the one Twilight. I only know the stories these humans have told about their world. I don't know everything about the other world," said the princess. She paused for a second and looked down on the grass. "Is it right that I send my star student to the other world without any knowledge of what will happen?" she continued.

"Princess," Twilight responded. "I'll be fine. I have to do this for you and Equestria. This land might be in danger, and I've been through a lot of those," she went on in confidence.

"I wish I could have been the one who went. But Equestria need me to raise the sun," Celestia said in guilt.

"You can trust in me princess. I'll track down this figure, and I'll unmask him," Twilight responded once more. Once again with reassurance, the princess nods with approval for Twilight to enter the portal. Twilight approaches the portal with mixed emotions: excited that she finally gets to see the other side, anxiety that she will not know what will happen to her, and determination that she must do this for the sake of Equestria. She charges to the portal with all her energy and leaps forward. Her body dissappears into the yellow and pink portal. Celestia begins to worry already about Twilight in the other world. No pony in Equestria's history has ever done a feat as entering an entirely new and strange world except now. Celestia looks closer at the portal as if put in a trance.

"For the sake of Equestria, Twilight," she finished as she continued looking at the portal.