The plan was made. The girls happily welcomed their new friend, but there wasn't much to be done in that world.

Well, there was, but Laud's mind was filled with what needed to be done back in his own, and what effect having human-Twilight's assistance might yield. "I confess. For teens, you are all relatively reserved." They all looked surprised at that. "You are guardians of a magical portal to another world entirely, and most of you have never been through it. Were it a dangerous place, I would understand this, but none of you have spoken ill of it. You just don't do it."

Sunset raised a hand quickly. "One, I told them not to. Two--" She extended a finger with each number. "--they have copies on the other side they should try to avoid interacting with. Three, we're all students and have things to do."

While that was all true, Laud could see their expressions. Some part of them clearly wanted to wander on through and see what was there. It was discipline and respect for their leader that kept them from doing so. It ran at odd with their scattered appearances. "Does this mean we should endeavor to keep the two Twilights apart?" Laud snorted like the equine he currently was. "What would happen if they did talk?"

Rarity shrugged. "I couldn't say, darling. They've met once before, if briefly. Nothing too horrible occurred."

Sunset crossed her arms. "Let's not put that to the test." Her voice sounded quite certain. "Twilight, this Twilight, will assist Laud at his project, away from the other Twilight." She fixed her gaze on the present Twilight. "You know you don't have to go, right?"

"But I want to!" Twilight bounced once in place. "I should go. I have a thousand things to get in place. Be ready for me." And off she dashed without looking back, the door soon closed behind her as if a breeze had done it out of kindness.

Starlight rubbed one of Laud's ears gently. "Alright, we've caused enough uproar, maybe we should head back? We can visit again, if you're up for it."

Laud nodded at Starlight before dipping his head at the other girls. "It has been a pleasure meeting you all. You have a fascinating world that I would like to see more of, perhaps on a day you are all less occupied?"

Pinkie formed her hand into the crude shape of a gun and pointed at Laud. "You got it! I've never hung out with a literal tiny horse before, but that sounds fun to me."

Applejack quirked a smile. "Love ta see their reaction and yours if ya came down to th' farm. We got real horses, race and draft."

Laud was unsure how much he craved the company of actual horses in his current state. "I appreciate the idea... Starlight, do we go back the way we came?"

"Exactly." Starlight was on her feet and took Laud's bar. "Ready to go?"

He was for multiple reasons. He was not going to handle business the traditional horse way if he could help it. "Let's proceed." Having the lead, he took it and began walking for the door. A hand came down on his shoulder. It was attached to Rainbow Dash.

"Hold up there, little guy. Nice meeting ya."

"Yes, do come back soon," added Fluttershy with a little smile.

The others joined in the chorus of goodbyes and they were permitted to make their way out.

Starlight asked as she followed Laud's lead, "everything alright?"

"Mm?"

"You're walking a little funny and you seemed eager to get out of there."

Laud swiveled an ear back at her without trying. He considered a falsehood, but he knew it would not work very well. "I need to relieve myself, and will not do so as an animal. Let's return."

Starlight burst into giggles. "I'm sorry! I'm not laughing at you, I swear. Really, you know we have to 'do it like an animal' all the time, right?" She didn't slow his eager walk towards the statue, down the sidewalk. "Come to think of it... how... do... they do that here?" She glanced left and right. "Today will not be the day I discover that. I am in complete agreement, let's go home."

Walking with intent clear and in harmony, they quickly slipped into the statue the moment there were no eyes on them. After a vortex of colors, they emerged as they once were, human and pony, roles reversed. There was no metal between Laud and Starlight. She was holding the back of his shirt instead, her hoof pressed to it.

She released it the moment she realized. "Sorry, well, how was it?"

Laud shook his head. "Fascinating. I'm glad you insisted on the visit. The assistance of the other Twilight is sure to yield amazing results. I can scarcely wait to see her and Miss Pie, Maud that is, speaking on matters of metallurgy." He turned to her, glad to be on human feet again. He put a hand over his heart and dipped forward towards Starlight. "Thank you. Now, as you recall, I have business to handle."

She may have tittered, but she didn't stop him from fleeing the room with what dignity he had remaining.

Twilight trotted easily through her castle. She sang an idle tune of what she had to get done that day, confident that all the pieces were in place for a change. "Hello Spike," she greeted, waving as she passed his room. She smiled as he waved back, but she would not need his direct service at that time.

She arrived at the bottom of the castle, tail swaying with each step. It was going to be a busy day, but she had it all double-planned out! She just had to...

Her motion came to a halt. In front of her, by the door and next to Laud, was... herself? A changeling?! "Laud, look out, that's not me!" she called in alarm as she broke into a gallop.

Laud jerked back in surprise, giving her just enough room to slid between him and the other-her. "Stay back, whoev... Twilight?" The other her was wearing very suspicious glasses.

The other Twilight gave a nervous little laugh. "Funny running into you here." She glanced away and back. "Hello?"

The original crashed to her haunches. "Why are you here? Is everything alright?"

Laud's hand came down gently on Twilight's withers. "She came to see my project and lend a hand."

The other Twilight laughed at that. "I'm all out of hands, but I can lend an eye or two. I also heard he has real spaceship parts lying around here and I want to examine them."

The original's posture relaxed a little. "I wish you would have informed me of this... but I suppose that isn't... too awful. Please, be careful." She pointed upwards. "Ask Spike or Starlight, they can guide you to the ship parts. Laud here knows the way to his own projects. Please don't confuse ponies into thinking you're me. You're not a princess." Twilight could feel her precious time table sliding off balance. "I really do have to be going. Laud, I'm trusting you to keep this under control."

"As you command, Your Royal Highness." His voice held not a hint of sarcasm, spoken with sincere respect.

Twilight went red. "T-thank you. Have fun, you two." She trotted past them, trying to dismiss thoughts of what could go wrong with her otherworldly self wandering around. She had a schedule, and she was going to follow it!

"I miss anything?" asked Spike as he wandered in. "Where's the other, uh, me, hiding anyway?"

Other-Twilight smiled at her transformed pet. "I'm sure he's hiding around here. Do you want to look for him, or shall we proceed to this space dock you're working on?" She suddenly giggled. "Oh, just thinking about a real space dock... Does it have anything cool and high tech in it?"

Laud shook his head. "We have to start simple. A flat and level place for ships to land will be enough to draw them. We will provide amenities and make this as tempting a place as possible to keep them coming, and begin trading for what else we may need."

Twilight frowned a little. "There isn't much for me to see there then, yet. We should start here." She waved a hoof, wobbling dangerously on her other three. "Let's find your ship parts and get to examining them."

Starlight's voice was heard before she came into view, "I thought you were scheduled to be out of here al--Oh." She tilted her head at the group of them. "Let me guess, not the same Twilight?"

Twilight lowered her hoof to her chest. "Guilty as charged. The other me said you'd know where the ship parts were?"

"And where the other me is!" quickly added Spike with a hopeful smile. "I wanna meet him."

Starlight turned in place as she laughed. "Both of them are in the same direction. Welcome to Equestria! I didn't turn on the portal though. I was going to do that later, and here you are?"

The other Twilight scurried to get beside Starlight, almost tripping along the way. "The portal was open on its own. It still does that once in awhile and I didn't see any reason to not take advantage of it."

Spike's eyes roamed the hallways they were walking through as he walked along. "Being up on my hindlegs all the time feels like it should be really hard, but it isn't. Kinda wierd." He glanced aside at Laud. "I guess you're used to it, huh? So this is you? You don't look that different from how Twilight normally looks, uh, except the whole being a guy, and taller, and an adult human I think?"

"What's going on out here?" Before Laud could answer other-Spike, it seemed the original was poking his head out of his room. "What..." He trailed off, peering at his other self and the other-Twilight that came with it. "What's going... on?" he repeated lamely.

Starlight turned to the guests and pointed at each of them. "This is Twilight, and this is Spike, from beyond the mirror. You've heard of them both, right?"

Spike hiked a brow. "Yeah, uh, hey?" He wriggled a few fingers at them only to hop back as the other Spike rushed him. "Hi?"

The other Spike began sniffing all over the original, making no allowances for personal space. "Nice to meetcha! Being a dragon is fun so far. We can breathe fire, right? Show me how! I wanna be a fire breathing dragon!"

The original gently pushed his doppelganger back a few precious inches. "Woah, easy there. Yeah, we can breathe fire, but I try not to. Twilight's castle practically doubles as a library, and fire and books don't get along. Trust me, I've seen it."

Starlight nervously laughed. "Yeah, let's save the fire experiments for when we're outside. Spike, come along with us. Twilight's going to be busy looking at Laud's ship parts, but Spike 2 would really like to get to know you."

Spike 2 bobbed his head. "So what's it like being a dragon?" He wriggled his new fingers. "Do ponies get scared of you when you growl at them?"

Spike 1 shook his head. "Nah, they know I'm a good dragon." He stepped free of his door and pulled it shut behind himself. "So, you're a dog normally, right?"

Spike 2 fell to all fours and wriggled his tail as a happy puppy might do. "Born and raised! Then a bunch of magic from this world came out and poof, I could talk and everything!"

Twilight gently tapped Spike 2 on the head. "Come on, you. Up." Spike 2 pouted but stood up. "If I have to be on all fours, you have to be on twos. That was the deal, remember?"

"Yeah yeah." Spike 2 rolled his eyes before sliding in against Spike 1. "So, does your Twilight boss you around sometimes too?"

Author's Notes:

Let's reverse these roles! Laud gets to show off what's left of his ship to an eager SciTwi.

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