Once Starlight Glimmer had gotten the okay from her teacher in Equestria, she hung out with her new friends in the human world. After the Daring Doo premier, she went to the mall with Sunset Shimmer and her friends, and even Juniper Montage. Over the next couple of days, the nine friends went to the arcade, karaoke, a couple of restaurants.
On the third day, Starlight had to go back to Equestria, so she and her friends walked over to the Canterlot Statue. "Thank you so much, girls. I had so much fun."
"So did we," said Fluttershy.
"It was such a blast!" said Pinkie.
"Where's Juniper?" asked Starlight.
"She's at work," answered Sunset. "But she wanted me to show you this text."
Starlight looked at the message.
"Dear Starlight, thank you so much for setting me straight. Sorry I couldn't be there to say goodbye, but I have to pick up the slack for the mess I pulled at the theater or I'm fired. Sorry, but I hope you come soon. I'll miss you, Juniper."
"Tell her I understand," said Starlight.
"We will," said Twilight.
"It's such a bummer you have to go," said Sunset.
"I know," said Starlight. "But I have to get back home. My friend Sunburst is going to visit tomorrow, and I have to get everything ready."
"Who's Sunburst?" asked Applejack.
"The very first friend I ever made when I was little," answered Starlight.
"Is he more than a friend?" asked Rarity.
Starlight's cheeks turned red instantly. "We haven't gone that far… yet."
"Ooooooh," said Pinkie.
"What's he like?" asked Rainbow.
Starlight then told her friends all about Sunburst and what plans she had set up for the two of them.
Back in Equestria, a full grown Ursa Major was attacking Ponyville. At first, Fluttershy tried to talk to it, but it didn't listen to her. So, the Wonderbolts, Princess Twilight and her other friends had to fight it.
"Charge!" yelled Spitfire.
Eventually, they defeated the monster and knocked it out. Unfortunately, as the Ursa Major fell, one of its arms came down on a part of Princess Twilight's house.
"Oh no!" cried Twilight. "That's the room where the crystal mirror is! Starlight!"
"Is she still in that other world?" asked Rainbow.
"Yes!" answered Twilight. She immediately teleported herself to her castle and went to the wreaked room. The crystal mirror and the machine that kept the portal open to the human world open was completely destroyed. "NOOOOOO!"
(The human world)
"Bye everypony," said Starlight. "Oh! I-I mean everybody."
"It's okay," said Sunset.
"We'll miss you soooooooo much," said Pinkie.
"Who knows?" asked Starlight. "Maybe I can come back one day." But as she tried to go through the portal, she instead walked right into the statue. "Ouch."
The girls gasped.
"Are you okay?" asked Sunset.
"What happened?" asked Fluttershy.
"I don't know," said Starlight. She tried to find the portal on the statue, but nothing appeared. "What the? Where's the portal?!"
"Oh no," breathed Sunset. "Here, let me try." She tried feel around for anything magically familiar, but found nothing. "This is just like at the Dueling Games. The portal's gone again!"
The other girls gasped.
"But, how's Starlight gonna get home?" asked Fluttershy.
"She can't!" answered Sunset. "Not without the portal."
"Whatta we do? Whatta we do?!" asked Pinkie.
"I don't think we can do anything," admitted Sunset. "Last time this happened, I literally couldn't do nothing."
"That's quitter talk!" said Rainbow. "We'll just have to try something else!"
"Like what?" asked Twilight.
"I, um… don't have a clue," Rainbow confessed.
Back in Equestria, Fluttershy convinced the Ursa Major to leave.
Meanwhile Twilight was pacing around her wreaked room trying to think of a way to get her student back. Rarity was cleaning up the room, while the others tried to calm her down, but it was no good.
"How will she ever get back?" asked Twilight. "What is she never gets back?! I'll never see her again! Sunburst will never see her again! And if he doesn't see her again, he might think she doesn't like him anymore and their friendship will collapse, just the first time! Also, what if we need to help us stop a villain or monster that only she can defeat?! Then we're doomed! We're all doomed!"
"TWILIGHT!" yelled Spike. "Just breath. I'm positive you'll find another way to get Starlight back."
"Ya made that machine last time like it was nothing," said Applejack. "Why don't just wipe up another one?"
"Because I don't have all those supplies, or a mirror!" said Twilight in a panic.
"You can still write to Sunset, can't you?" asked Rarity.
Twilight froze. "Oh yeah! Why didn't I think of that? Thank you Rarity!"
"Of course, darling," said Rarity.
Twilight immediately began writing a message to Sunset.
(The human world)
"Just stay calm," said Twi. "There has to be another way."
Sunset's journal started glowing. "Hey! Twilight is messaging me!"
The girls rushed around their friend.
"What did she say?!" asked Starlight.
"An Ursa Major attacked the city, and destroyed the crystal Mirror?!" said Sunset.
"What's an Ursa Major?" asked Applejack.
"It's a constellation in the northern sky," answered Twi.
"A what now?" asked Rainbow.
"A group of stars," said Twilight. "It's also a known in mythology as the Great Bear."
"In Equestria, they're real," said Sunset.
"What?!" asked Twilight.
"Yeah, a lot of mythical creatures are real in our world," said Starlight.
"Fascinating," said Twilight.
"Maybe we can use the power of our geodes to make a new portal or something," suggested Rainbow.
"Good idea," said Fluttershy.
"Whatta think, Sunset?" asked Applejack.
"It's worth a shot," said Sunset.
The girls all held up their geodes at the statue… but nothing happened.
"Shoot!" said Rainbow. "I think at least something would happen!"
"Back to the drawing board," said Twilight.
Sunset wrote back to Princess Twilight. "Can't you make another portal somehow?"
(Equestria)
Once Twilight got Sunset's reply, she sent a message back telling her that they didn't have enough supplies to build another portal.
"I wish I could make another machine," said Twilight. "But I only have some of the supplies, but how will they work without a magic mirror?"
"Isn't there a way to a different kind of portal?" asked Spike. "One that doesn't require a mirror?"
"I don't know Spike," admitted Twilight. "I just don't know."
Back in the human world, Sunset received Princess Twilight's message. "Oh no."
"What's wrong?" asked Starlight.
"It seems Princess Twilight can't make another portal," explained Sunset.
"But maybe we can!" said Twilight.
"What are you talking about?" asked Rainbow.
"Come to my house, and I'll show you," said Twilight.
"To the Hummer!" called Pinkie.
A few minutes later, the girls arrived at Twilight's home.
"Now follow me to my lab," said Twilight.
"Lab?!" asked the girls.
"Yes, lab," said Twi. "This way."
Twilight led the girls to a huge shed in her backyard.
"So… this is your lab?" asked Rainbow.
"Looks like a regular shed to me," said Applejack.
"Its inside," said Twilight as she opened the door. Inside was a high tech science lab.
"Woah…" said the girls.
"This is where I built that robotic companion for Spike," said Twilight.
"Oh, so this is where that robot doggy came from," said Fluttershy.
"So… you've got something in here that can help me get home?" asked Starlight.
"Not yet," said Twilight. "But I will." She sat at her computer and began typing.
"What are you searching for?" asked Sunset.
"A report," answered Twilight. "Dr. Eisenstein once worked with Industrial Illusions to build a Sub-Space Dueling System."
"What's that?" asked Pinkie. "Something that lets you duel in outer space?"
"Not quite," answered Twilight. "In the report, Dr. Eisenstein said he wanted to use this machine to open a worm hole between two different dimensions."
"How in the hay did he do that?" asked Applejack.
"The report doesn't give all the details of the other dimension," said Twi. "But it does show what kind machinery he used to make the machine. If I can build a smaller version of it, I think we might be able to open a portal of our own to Starlight's world."
"Wow!" said Starlight. "This is so cool! Thank you, Twilight! Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are just as smart as Princess Twilight."
Twilight blushed. "Thanks. Now let me see what we'll need."
"I better inform Princess Twilight," said Sunset as she wrote in her journal.
(Equestria)
"Maybe one of the other Princesses can help us find a solution of some kind," suggested Rarity.
"I hope you're right," said Twilight. She then saw Sunset's message. "Wait!"
"What's wrong?" asked Fluttershy.
Twilight read Sunset's message. "It seems Sunset and her friends are building a machine of their own to open the portal!"
"See?" asked Rainbow. "I knew everything would turn out okay."
"This is terrific!" said Twilight. She then wrote back to Sunset. "Is there anything I can do to help with your plan on my end?"
Back in the human world, Sunset just received Princess Twilight's message.
"Twi!" said Sunset. "Princess Twilight wants to know if there's anything she can do to help."
"Yes," said Twi. "Find someone who can duel."
"Why?" asked Sunset.
"Because this machine is smaller than the original," said Twi. "Meaning it can only make a very small portal. So we'll have to widen it by using duel energy."
"Duel energy?" asked Pinkie.
"The power that flows through our duel disks," explained Twilight. "This machine will harness that power and use it to widen the worm hole between the worlds."
"Makes sense," said Starlight.
"The problem is," said Twi. "Even if my calculations are correct, there's only a 30.75% chance of success. So we'll need to harness a lot of duel energy. Far more than just one duel."
"How much power?" asked Starlight.
"Several hundred billion joules of energy," answered Twilight.
All the girls' mouths dropped.
"So… we'll duel each other to power up this thingy and open a hole for Starlight to get home?" asked Pinkie.
"Not each other," said Twi. "This machine will allow us to duel the people, um, I mean ponies in the other world."
"Oh," said Sunset. "So we're going to use their duel energy too."
"Exactly," said Twi.
"Wait! Do they even have duel disks in that world?" asked Applejack.
"Princess Twilight does," said Sunset.
"She does?" asked Rarity.
"Oh yeah!" said Rainbow. "After Battle City, she took her disk through the portal with her! Remember?"
"This is perfect!" said Sunset.
"Yes!" said Starlight.
"Wait!" said Twi.
"What's wrong?" asked Applejack.
"I forgot, they will a small machine on their end as well," said Twi. "They need an Inter-Dimensional Duel System in order to make contact and duel with us."
"I bet they have something like that in Equestria," said Starlight in a not so sure tone. "Or maybe they can use their magic to make contact with us."
"Well," said Twi. "I do have the list of parts she would need to make the machine, if only there was some way I could send it to them."
"Tell me the list," said Sunset. "I'll send the list to Princess Twilight through my journal. But first, I better ask Twilight if she still has that duel disk."
(Equestria)
"So? What did Sunset say?" asked Spike.
"She said find somepony who can duel," said Twilight.
"Duel?" asked the girls and Spike.
Twilight then explained Sunset's plan to everyone.
"Wow," said Rarity. "I can't believe can do all that, just by dueling."
"I know it sounds unbelievable," said Twilight. "But right now, it's the only other option we have." She then looked through some of her old things. "Here it is! The duel disk I used in Battle City!"
Sunset then sent the list of supplies to Twilight.
"What?!" asked the Princess.
"What's wrong?" asked Applejack.
"Sunset also needs us to set a machine for hers to work," said Twilight.
"Don't worry," said Rainbow. "We'll help ya make it."
"Me too!" said Spike.
"But that's just it," said Twilight. "We don't have any of the parts or materials we need to make this machine!"
The girls' heads drooped in defeat.
"Wait!" said Rainbow. "I think I know somepony who has a friend that does!"
"Who?!" asked the girls.
"Derpy!" said Rainbow. "She knows Dr. Hooves! He makes all kinds of scientific stuff in his lab."
"Do ya think he can build the machine we need?" asked Spike.
"Of course!" said Rainbow. "I hope."
"Then let's get going!" said Twilight.
Once the girls found Derpy and asked her, she brought over to Dr. Hooves' house.
"I just know he'll be able to help you, Princess," said Derpy as she knocked on the door.
"Thank you very much," said Twilight.
Dr. Hooves then answered the door. "Hello? Ah, Derpy. Good to see you again. Oh my! Princess Twilight Sparkle!" He instantly bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you in…"
"Thank you! But I really need your help!" said Twilight cutting him off. She then explained everything to the Dr.
"Princess Twilight, I'd be honored to help you!" said Dr. Hooves. "Besides, this is an experiment I've always wanted to try myself. So, let me see that list." He looked very closely at all the parts. "Yes! I'm positive I can make his machine! Just give me a few moments to build it and set everything up."
"Can I help?" asked Derpy.
"I can't believe this is all going to work out," said Twilight. "At one point, I had lost all hope."
"Never ever lose hope, Twilight!" said Spike. "Just remember your friends are always there to back you up."
"Always," said Rainbow. The rest of the girls nodded.
"Thank you all," said Twilight as she hugged her friends.
A few minutes later.
"Princess," said Dr. Hooves. "Your Inter-Dimensional Duel System is ready!"
"Alright!" cheered the girls and Spike.
"So what are we waiting for?!" asked Pinkie. "Let's get our games on!"
"I'll write back to Sunset," said Twilight.
(The human world)
"Yes!" cried Sunset. "Princess Twilight has gotten everything in place!"
"Alright!" cheered the girls.
Once Twilight had finished her construction of her miniature Sub-Space Dueling System, she plugged it in. "Done!"
"Is everything ready?" asked Starlight.
"Yes," confirmed Twi. "Now let's see if we can make contact." She turned on the machine and spoke into the mic. "Hello, is anyone there?"
"Yes! I can here you!" said Princess Twilight on the other side. "Wait, it sounds like I'm talking to… myself."
"You are," said Sunset. "Remember how you met our Twilight after the Friendship Games?"
"Oh yeah!" said Princess Twilight. "Is Starlight okay? She's not hurt is she? Please tell me! How is she doing?!"
"I'm fine, Twilight," said Starlight. "It's good to hear you."
"You too," said Princess Twilight. "I can't believe this really worked!"
"Neither can I," said Sunset.
"Remember, Princess," said Twi. "These machines will let us enable us to transform and harness duel energy into a reliable power source. We must synchronize our systems in order to connect our dimensions."
(Equestria)
"We're all set to go!" said Dr. Hooves.
"Perfect," said Twilight.
"Engage duel synchronization!" Dr. Hooves to Derpy.
"Huh?" asked Derpy.
"Just press that gray button," said the Dr.
"Oh, okay!" said Derpy. As she pressed the button, a static picture of Sunset, Starlight, and the appeared in the center of machine.
"Sunset," said Princess Twilight. "We have visual contact."
(The human world)
"Good," said Sunset. "So, Twilight do you have your duelist?"
(Equestria)
"Yes," answered the Princess. "I'll be dueling."
(The human world)
"Hold on," said Twi. "There's something you should know. This machine that I've created is much smaller than what I hoped."
(Equestria)
"Is that a bad thing?" asked Twilight.
(The human world)
"Kind of," answered Twi. "You see, because it's smaller than the original model, we'll have to generate a lot more energy. So you may have to duel multiple times."
(Equestria)
"What?" asked Twilight.
(The human world)
"Don't worry," said Twi. "I've set the computer system to store the energy from each duel as we go along. So once our levels are high enough, we'll open the worm hole and send Starlight through."
(Equestria)
"Okay," said Twilight.
"So… multiple times?" asked Rainbow. "Does that mean all of us can duel too?!"
"Oh yeah!" said Pinkie. "I wanna duel too!"
"I've been working on my deck in my spare time!" said Rarity.
"I can't draw the cards, but I know the rules!" said AJ.
The girls then all started arguing about who was going to duel who and who would go first.
"Everypony STOP!" yelled Twilight. "True, Sunset did say it would take more than one duel, so let's all draw straws to see who will duel first." She then held up a seven straws with her magic.
"Wait," said Fluttershy. "Not all of us have magic, so how can we play or hold the cards?"
"I can help with that," said Spike. "For those of you without magic, I'll draw and play the cards for ya."
"Thank you so much, Spikey-Wikey," said Rarity as she nuzzled him.
"You're welcome… Rarity," said Spike blushing.
The girls then drew their straws.
"Yay!" cried Pinkie. "I get to go first! Let's do this, Spike."
"You got it," said the little dragon.
(The human world)
"Okay," said Twi. "Alright, time to initialize the centralization!"
A static picture of the Equestrians then appeared on the Sub-Space machine.
"Wow," said Rarity. "So that's what we look like in pony form."
"Awesome," said Rainbow.
"Well, I'll be," said AJ.
"Oh, they're so cute," said Fluttershy.
"Woo! Woo! I can duel myself? Can I?! Can I?!" asked Pinkie.
"Of course," answered Twi. "But remember, in order for this to work, you two will have to battle each other with all your might."
"Got it," said the two Pinkies. "Jinx! Double Jinx! Triple Jinx! Quadruple Jinx! –"
"Pinkie!" said Sunset.
"Sorry," said Pinkie. "Are you ready for this?"
(Equestria)
"Yup!" answered Pinkie.
"Me too!" said Spike as he strapped on the duel disk.