Chapter 1: Welcome Back!
Tap... Tap... Tap...
"You're doing it again, Twilight," the purple unicorn whispered to herself as she glanced out of the train window once again,wresting control of a hoof impatiently tapping on the windowsill. The locomotive had finally entered the heart of Canterlot, causing Twilight to become anxious at the sights of the tall buildings whizzing by. She could see towers of the castle she once called home peeking just above the newly burgeoning metropolis, but beyond that, all of the sights were new to her. Lights of various colors shot by in rapid lines as the train sped its way towards the depot, catching Twilight's eyes as she scanned side-to-side, trying to catch everything she saw pass. Finally, the train entered a tunnel, allowing her a chance to pull her gaze away from the window.
Knowing the tunnel meant that she would soon be at her destination, Twilight decided it was best to remind herself why she had travelled to Canterlot that day. Her horn glowed as she cast a spell, causing her bag to open and a small piece of parchment to gently float out. It unfurled itself and moved to the purple unicorn, levitating in front of her face to allow her to read.
My dearest student, Twilight Sparkle,
My sister Luna and I would like your assistance on a special project. If you wouldn't mind coming to Canterlot for a few weeks, your help would be much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Princess Celestia
The letter had come to her rather abruptly. She wondered what this special project could possibly be and why they only needed Twilight. It had been the first time that she had been summoned to Canterlot by herself. While it was a tough decision to leave her friends behind for such a long period of time, Twilight decided it would be best to help the princesses out in any way she could, especially if they had requested her help personally. She was also extremely excited at a chance to try out all of the new technology she had been reading about.
Despite the major boom in Canterlot and the larger cities, Ponyville remained rather stagnant in it's technological advancement. The only reason Twilight knew of the advancements was because of reports and papers she had received from Princess Celestia detailing the advancements. I wonder if the princess will take me to see the gem charging plant, she wondered to herself, tapping her hoof against the windowsill again in impatient glee at the thought.
Her thoughts were interrupted, however, as the train began to slow itself. Twilight looked over the letter a few more times before finally rolling it back up and placing it back in her bag. Orange light filled the train as it pulled into the depot, lurching forward a bit as it came to a complete stop. Twilight got off of her seat and levitated her saddlebags onto her back, adjusting to the weight before finally stepping into the aisle and moving with the crowd as it departed the train.
"Wow, this is amazing! This is more than I ever imagined!" Twilight said to herself as she stepped through the door of the train and made her way down the ramp. She didn't know where to look first as her eyes were greeted with sights and sounds throughout the entire train station. Lampposts cast their orange glow across the entire station, filling every inch with artificial light. Monitors hung on the walls, quietly humming with power as they displayed train departure and arrival times. There was a buzz in the air as ponies hurried to catch their trains or talked with their companions at one of the many cafes that lined the walls of the terminal. Soft music could barely be heard coming through small speakers that hung inconspicuously from the ceiling.
Twilight wandered through the station, mesmerized by all of the new sights and sounds. She walked into a store, amazed at the various products it was selling, some of which she had never read about or learned the name of. She made her way to a small, black, rectangular box with a screen on it. She studied intensely, lifting it up with her magic and observing it from every angle she could. After having no luck in figuring it out for herself, she turned to the clerk that was at the counter.
"Excuse me, ma'am, what is this exactly?" she asked, raising the box up higher for the attendant to see. The clerk looked up and cocked an eyebrow at Twilight.
"That’s a portable television..." she answered warily.
"Interesting... and what do you do with it?" Twilight continued.
"You... watch it," the clerk responded again, a hint of annoyance in her voice. Twilight nodded and looked back at the small television. She stared at the box for a few seconds, hoping something would happen, but to no avail. Maybe it’s broken... she thought to herself as she replaced it on the counter. She continued to browse the store before a loud tone interrupted the music across the entire station, startling her and causing her to look up at the ceiling.
"Attention. Attention. The 1:30 Manehattan Express will be departing in five minutes from platform number seven. Again, the 1:30 Manehattan Express will depart in five minutes on platform seven. Please make sure you have all of your belongings when boarding. Thank you," a stallion's voice announced, booming and causing it to echo throughout the entire station. After a few seconds of silence, the speakers resumed playing their normal music. Twilight could feel herself shaking from the surprise as she regained her senses and decided to make her way out of the store. Well... I didn't know that they could do that... at least nopony will miss their train, she thought to herself as she once again looked up at the ceiling. She took a moment to calm herself as she used her magic to once again open her bag, pulling out another piece of parchment. She unfurled it and looked over the details before nodding and rolling it back up, replacing it in the bag.
Well, if it's almost 1:30, I guess that means I should head outside. The princess' royal escort should be waiti- she began to think to herself before she was interrupted by the cheers of several ponies gathered in front of the next storefront. They had all of their attention focused on a large monitor sitting in the window. Curiosity got the best of Twilight as she maneuvered her way over towards the commotion. She found a small hole in the group and made her way in, attempting to get a view of the screen. As she was finally able to move herself in a position to she, she felt her ears go back as she formed her mouth into the shape of an "O" as images and colors flickered about on the monitor.
"Wow... is this one of those television things?" she asked the pony nearest to her, a brown unicorn stallion with a long gray mane. He looked at her, appearing disgusted, as if she had just insulted him.
"Yeah... it’s a television..." he responded in a gruff tone. Twilight nodded and turned her attention toward the television, watching what was going on. It appeared to be a standoff between two earth ponies. One had orange fur with a bright yellow mane and tail that was cropped short. The other was a dark blue, its green mane falling gracefully across its left shoulder, and its tail hanging down, barely brushing the ground. Suddenly, the two ponies charged, slamming into each other and clashing for a second before pushing away and taking a few steps back. The two ponies began to circle around, staring at each other with an intense gaze.
Twilight cocked her head to the side. She was confused by what she was watching. "Why would they be fighting each other? What is this we are watching?" she asked the stallion again.
“You're kidding right? It's the Aura Battle Grand Finals,” he responded, a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"Aura Battle? What is that?" Twilight continued to pester the stallion.
"What, are you from Ponyville or something? You've never heard of Aura Battle?" the stallion responded, the annoyance very obvious in his voice now. Twilight shyed away, nodding a bit. The stallion sighed. "It's the biggest game ever right now. This is the match between the two top fighters from all of Equestria. The orange one is Sunfire and the blue one is Dew Drop. The winner of this fight will be the league champion!" he explained, turning his attention back to the fight.
"Oh! So these ponies have fought other pon-" Twilight started.
"Dolls. They're dolls. The actual unicorns are just controlling them with their magic," he explained without breaking his gaze from the fight.
"Dolls? So you mean this is just a game with toys?" Twilight asked with a negative tone.
"That's what I said earlier if you had listened," the stallion said, sounding rather aggravated once again. Twilight decided to stop questioning and instead turned her attention to the television.
The two dolls were in a standoff once again, staring at each other as they slowly walked in a circle. After a few moments, they dashed at each other once again, colliding heads and staggering back a step. Dew Drop shook his head and quickly recovered from the blow, sighting his opponent who was still dazed. Dew Drop quickly flipped around and balanced onto his front hooves, thrusting his hind legs out in an attempt to strike his opponent. But Sunfire managed to recover and duck down just in time. The orange pony reached its forehooves out, grabbing hold of Dew Drop's front legs. Quickly pulling and lifting at the same time, Sunfire caused his opponent to flip around and land face-first with a loud smack on the ground. The ponies around Twilight cheered along with the TV audience.
"Sunfire once again shows his unmatched speed in an excellent reversal! Dew Drop doesn't have many hit points left, but this where his controller shines!" An unseen announcer on the television said with an excited tone. The camera zoomed in to show Dew Drop laying on the ground, a grimace across his face.
"Wow! That was a pretty neat move. A doll just moved like that," Twilight said in amazement, her mouth agape as she watched the speed of the match unfolding before her.
"Yep, Sunfire there is one of the best in the league. He hasn't been beaten in all three seasons since his debut. Even has a few special tricks that I've never seen another doll do before," the stallion next to her agreed in a more friendly tone. Twilight smiled as the camera focused back on the two ponies, feeling the urge to cheer on the orange doll.
Dew Drop began to stand as Sunfire jumped up above his opponent. Sunfire took aim and let gravity pull him down, bringing his hind legs into his body. When he was close enough, he snapped his legs out to kick Dew Drop. However, the blue pony managed to move to the side, causing Sunfire to simply strike the ground. At that moment, Dew Drop struck his opponent in the mouth with a foreleg, then jumped forward, tackling Sunfire to the ground. the orange pony wriggled himself free, standing up quickly, but was met with a strong kick from Dew Drop, sending the orange pony flying. Sunfire bounced on the ground and slid to a stop.
Dew Drop broke into a quick gallop, taking advantage of his opponent being down to close in. Sunfire lay in a motionless heap as Dew Drop closed the gap. The blue pony stood on its hind legs, preparing to slam its forehooves down onto its orange nemesis in a finishing blow.
"Oh no! Hurry and move! If you get hit by that you'll lose!" Twilight cried out, startling several of the ponies around her. She ignored their glares as she watched the match intensely.
As if he had heard Twilight's cries, Sunfire's eyes snapped open and looked up at his opponent. Dew Drop propelled his body downwards, slamming his forehooves down.
"No! It's too late!" Twilight covered her eyes.
A large cloud of dust kicked up around the two dolls as a rumble filled the arena. Everything went silent as they awaited the commentary from the announcer.
"There it is! Dew Drop's finishing blow, Thunder Hooves! But... Wait! Oh my gosh! Sunfire managed to escape! I thought he was finished, but his controller picked the right moment to unveil his wings!" the announcer practically yelled.
"Huh? What?" Twilight said, baffled as she uncovered her eyes. On the screen, she could see the orange pony hovering in the air, flapping two yellow, somewhat transparent wings, staring down at his opponent. "A pegasus? I thought he was an earth pony? I didn't see any wings of him before?" Twilight questioned. The stallion next to her nodded as a wide smile crossed his face.
"Remember what I said about him being able to do things other dolls can’t? Sunfire is the only one in the league who has those wings," he explained as he watched the fight in anticipation of what the orange doll would do next.
Sunfire quickly sighted his opponent and gave his wings a flap, turning downwards and aiming straight for Dew Drop. The blue pony braced itself to take the hit, but to no avail as Sunfire slammed into his opponent with his forehooves. Dew Drop was lifted from his feet and pushed backwards, grimacing from the hit. Sunfire quickly wrapped his forelegs around the blue pony and shot into the air, carrying Dew Drop with him. After a few seconds, the orange pony flipped around and threw his blue opponent towards the ground. He hesitated for a second and then chased after the mass of blue travelling downward quickly. Dew Drop slammed into the ground with a loud thud, and a split second later, was struck by a headbutt by Sunfire, causing another cloud of dust to shoot up around the two dolls. After a few seconds a loud buzzer sounded in the background, eliciting cheers from the audience on the television and the group at the train station, including Twilight herself.
"Fight over! Dew Drop has been knocked out through loss of hit points! Mares and Gentlecolts, this season's Aura Battle Grand Champion, Sunfire!" the announcer yelled out, practically out of breath with excitement from watching what had just unfolded.
"Wow! That was amazing! Oh my gosh! I've never seen anything like that! I need to go look into this Aura Battle game!" Twilight stammered in excitement as the crowd around the television began to break apart.
"Well, kid, if you have some spare bits, just go to any toy store in the city. They're bound to have some dolls," the brown stallion replied as he walked away.
"That's an even better idea! I'll play the game! There's no better way to learn about it! Oh, I hope they sell rule books. I definitely need to get a rule book!" she continued on as she watched the championship presentation on the television.
"For the third season in a row, we are pleased to announce the Grand Champion, Sunfire! He put up a tough fight all season long and once again came away undefeated," the announcer said. "Let's not forget about his controller, the one who makes this all possible, P-"
"In the city for five minutes and you're already obsessed with the technology. They must really keep you sheltered down there in Ponyvilly, Twily," a familiar voice said, causing Twilight to quickly turn away from the televised ceremony. A white unicorn stallion stood before her, flanked by two other gray pegasi. His golden helmet was removed, resting under a foreleg. His mane was dark blue with a single light blue streak running through it. His shaggy mane and tail and his gentle blue eyes gave him a non-threatening appearance, even when he donned his golden armor. He gave his sister a warm smile as he stepped toward her.
Twilight's eyes went wide as she quickly trotted forward, standing up and wrapping her forelegs around her brothers neck. "BBBFF! What are you doing here? I thought I was just going to have a simple escort to the castle?" Twilight asked in happy surprise.
"Well, I convinced Princess Celestia that an escort from the Captain of the Royal Guard would be necessary to make sure her student arrived on time and safe," he replied with a wink. "Unfortunately, that first part is already not going to happen," he teased, rubbing the top of her mane. He looked behind her at the television. "So what exactly stole your attention for so long?" he asked.
"Oh! This game called Aura Battle! There was some fight on the television there," Twilight answered. "This orange one was amazing! It used these wings to dodge a hit and then finished off this blue on before it had a chance to even move!" she explained in excitement.
"An orange one with wings, eh?" her brother replied as he watched replays of critical points in the fight on the television. "So she won again..." he trailed off.
"Again? So you've seen him before? Does that mean you like Aura Battle?" Twilight asked.
"I know a little bit about it," he replied simply, still watching the post-fight festivities being shown.
"Oh! That reminds me! I need to write myself a note to find a store. I want to buy a rule book and try out Aura Battle while I'm here," she said, using her magic to pull out a quill and a small piece of parchment.
Shining Armor shook his head, breaking his gaze from the television. "No need to remind yourself. Why don't we go get you a doll right now? There's a toy store not far from here." he said to his sister, causing her to raise an eyebrow.
"Didn't you just say we were late?" she questioned.
"Oh, don't worry, we have a little bit of time," he said with a smile. He walked back towards the other guards, motioning for his sister to follow. "Besides, I want to buy my little sister a welcome home gift!"
"N... no need to do that. I can go and find it on my free time. Besides, won't Princess Celestia be waiting?" Twilight asked.
"I have a feeling she isn't even at the castle right now," Shining Armor replied with a wink. "Now hurry up, Twily, or you're going to end up having to walk to the castle," he said as he moved with the guards towards the exit. Twilight thought about pressing the issue further, but shrugged it off and quickly trotted to catch up with her brother.
~`~`~`~`~
Twilight marveled at the size of the toy store as she followed her brother through the open door. Shelves upon shelves were filled front to back with all sorts of toys. She spied various sizes of stuffed animals, plastic figurines, dolls, fake swords, and various electronic toys she had never seen or heard of before.
"Wow! It's more amazing in here than the train station!" she exclaimed as she wandered around, curiously looking at various toys. "How am I going to know if I see anything to with Aura Battle in here?" she asked.
"Oh, Aura Battle? That's all right here behind the counter, miss," replied the store clerk that had overheard her. She was a pink unicorn with a curly purple mane. She turned around and used her magic to pull a large purple box off of the shelf, setting it down gently on the counter. "Will that be all for you?" she asked.
"Ye-" Twilight began before her brother stepped up to the counter in front of her.
"Actually, can she get all of the starter accessories as well? Oh, and an extra set of repair supplies. Oh yeah, and a creation and repair terminal," he listed off quickly as the clerk turned around and rapidly began to pull what he ordered off of the shelf.
"You know just a little bit about it, huh?" Twilight said in a suspicious tone, raising an eyebrow as she glanced at her brother.
"Well, perhaps a bit more than the average pony," he replied with a small chuckle as he paid for the set of toys.
"Is all of this completely necessary?" Twilight asked as she watched the clerk fill a large bag with the various accessories.
"If you want to get a good start it is," Shining Armor replied as he lifted the bag from the counter with his magic, hovering it over to Twilight, who immediately took control of the bag and set them upon her back. "Just make sure you have fun and don't take it too seriously, Twily," he said with a smile as they walked out of the door and back into the carriage.
~`~`~`~`~
"You know, you're more than welcome to stay with me and Cadance," Shining Armor said as he escorted Twilight up to her old living quarters. Twilight simply shook her head.
"No, it's alright. I'll be fine. I lived here the entire time I was learning from the Princess," Twilight responded. Shining Armor nodded as they reached the door. He reached up and wrapped his sister in a quick embrace before waving goodbye and heading back down the path towards the castle gate. Twilight sighed and turned to face the door, using her magic to turn the handle and push it open.
She stepped inside and looked around, smiling at the familiar sight. Books still lined the shelves on multiple floors, and reading stands were scattered about, some with books open, most likely to the last page Twilight left them on. She walked in and set her saddlebags on the bed, then used her magic to empty the toy store bag onto a nearby desk. She stretched for a moment and looked over all of the accessories.
"Well... Perhaps I should get started on making this?" she said to herself as she lifted the box with her magic. The Aura Battle logo was displayed prominently on the front, with small black text underneath stating "contains 1 blank doll." Twilight checked the box for any other details before finally opening a small flap on the top. She turned the box over and gave it a shake, causing a small manual and a foam cube to slide out and bounce harmlessly onto the desk.
She discarded the box to the side and picked up the cube with her magic. Examining it closely, she found that there were two foam pieces simply taped together. Carefully, she broke the seal of the tape with her magic and lifted the top piece away, placing it on the ground next to her. Inside was a small, grey, pony-shaped doll. It had no features except for a pair of closed eyes. The shoulders and knees all had small ball joints to allow for full movement. There was no mane or tail, but instead small slits and holes where they should have been. Twilight raised an eyebrow at the doll as she lifted it out of its embedding in the second piece of foam.
"Well... you're kinda ugly," she said as she spun it around, lifting one of the legs and watching it drop lifelessly back to it's original position. "Those two ponies I saw on the screen originally started as this?" She asked as she placed it down upon her bed and picked up the manual, flipping open the cover and levitating it in front of her face.
"Thank you for purchasing the PoniCo Aura Battle AuraDoll. Remember to keep the AuraDoll away from young foals as it contains sensitive electronic parts. Do not take the AuraDoll into the bath with you. If there are any malfunctions with your AuraDoll, please contact PoniCo as soon as possible so any problems can be resolved," Twilight read aloud. She looked over the manual back at the doll. Sensitive electronics, eh? No wonder you were covered in so much wrapping, she thought to herself as she turned her attention back to the manual.
"Please make sure any internal accessories such as manes or tails are attached to the doll before placing it in the registration terminal, as the holes will seal themselves at that time," she continued. "Any damage sustained to the AuraDoll during a game of Aura Battle is the fault of the consumer and PoniCo has no liability when it comes to basic post-game repairs. Please be sure to take the AuraDoll to a trained professional if you are unable to repair it yourself," Twilight finished. She put the manual down and picked up the doll.
"For a toy, you sure are something fragile," she said to the blank pony body. "Well, we better get started, I suppose," she said to herself as she looked through her accessories and found a package containing various colors of manes and tails. Hmm, I want it to have orange, like that pony that won today. Oh! This is perfect! she thought to herself as she pulled a pack of orange hair from the box.
She inserted a tuft of hair into the hole on the rear and placed the rest in the small slit across the head and neck. From here she pondered a bit, carefully turning the doll around so that no hair fell out. I think I want the mane and tail to be short... something easy to take care of, like Sunfire had, she told herself as she used her magic to open a drawer and lift out a pair of scissors. She neatly cut the tail to a length that caused it to bob right above the doll's flank. Next, focusing on the mane, she carefully cut it so it was just the length of the neck, with the bangs short enough to hang just over the forehead and not block the eyes.
"Perfect!" Twilight said aloud, as she looked the doll over, proud of her handywork. "Now... I think I have to use this?" she said as she levitated the terminal off of the far end of the desk and set it down directly in front of her. The terminal was a small round pad, with a few buttons and a screen protruding from the side. Twilight looked it over a bit before picking the manual back up. She flipped to the next page.
"Turn the terminal on by pressing the green button. When the main surface lights up, place your AuraDoll onto it. The screen will then give you information, as well as a chance to name and customize your AuraDoll. Naming and customization of an AuraDoll cannot be undone, so be absolutely sure you have set everything up correctly for your product," she read aloud. She gave the small green button a quick push, hearing the click confirming it had been activated. The pad lit up a brilliant white, humming with power.
Twilight studied it, watching the screen for instructions. After a few moments of nothing happening, she shrugged and placed the doll on the pad. The white light engulfed the doll, and the monitor attached to the side of the terminal flickered on. She looked it over.
Welcome to Aura Battle! Your AuraDoll registration number is 1139671092. Checking... Your doll shows no sign of injuries and requires no internal or external replacements. Please use your magic to choose a body color for your doll...
"Wait... use my magic to choose? How do I do that?" she asked, pulling the manual back up to her eyes. Oh, apparently by surrounding the terminal with my magic and thinking of a color, it will change the color of the doll, she thought to herself as she read the next few pages. She put the manual down and focused on the terminal. A faint purple aura appeared around the entire terminal as she began to think of the proper color. white... white... white... she told herself in her head. After a few seconds, she looked up, noticing the doll's body had changed to a pure white color. As she let the magical aura die down, the next set of instructions scrolled across the screen.
Please adjust the sliders to customize the skill and size of your AuraDoll...
Twilight studied the sliders. "Speed... Power... Health... Height..." she read aloud. She shrugged and once again cast a spell to surround the terminal with an aura. She moved the speed slider to the right, increasing the ability. As she did this, she noticed the power, health, and height sliders began to automatically decrease at different rates. Oh! I see, as I adjust his abilities, the meters change to account for it. Hmm, so I have to be careful with how I do this part. Well, I want him to be fast... but not too weak... just a perfect balance. I don't want him to be too tall, but I don't want him to be short, either, she thought to herself. She played with the sliders until she was satisfied with their positions. The speed slider was the furthest to the right of the screen, with the power slider sitting slightly left of the middle. The health slider sat at the exact midpoint, along with the height meter. The terminal gave a small confirmation beep as the pad lit up even brighter, bathing the doll in a blinding white light. It quickly changed form to account for the statistics listed on screen, shrinking a small bit before the light finally faded, leaving the finished doll standing idle once again. The monitor blinked to confirm the stats and scrolled the next instruction across the screen.
Please choose a name for your doll...
Twilight thought for a few moments. She had never considered any names while she was getting the doll ready. She looked over the doll standing in the terminal. Well, that pony that won today was named Sunfire... Oh! I have an idea! she thought to herself. Twilight once again closed her eyes and surrounded the terminal with her magical aura, thinking of nothing but the name that had popped into her head. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes. To her surprise, the doll's eyes were open, looking back at her. She smiled as she looked at the monitor.
Firemane is now ready to play Aura Battle. Good luck!
The light on the pad died down as Twilight lifted the doll off and looked it over. She admired her handiwork, thinking about the match she had watched that day. She couldn't wait until she had a chance to fight against other ponies. Maybe one day I'll even get a chance to play against Sunfire, she thought to herself. Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door. It opened and inside stepped the Princess of the Night, her dark blue and black mane trailing behind her midnight blue body elegantly as the draft blew at it.
"Ah, Twilight Sparkle, it is good to see you again," Princess Luna said.
"You too, Princess Luna," Twilight replied. "What is this special project you needed my help for?" she asked.
The Princess stepped inside and eyed the doll that Twilight held before her. "Ah yes, the project, my sister and I will explain your role in due time, however, I came here to tell you that she has had a busy day and needs to rest. But first, is that an AuraDoll?" Luna asked.
"Yeah, it is! I saw two ponies playing Aura Battle as I made my way out of the train station. It was amazing!" She said, sending the doll over to Luna to take a look. "Shining Armor bought me a doll on our way back because I liked the game so much," she continued, blushing a bit in embarrassment.
Luna studied the doll carefully, flipping it around and looking at all of the features. "Ah, yes, indeed, you did a nice job with the creation of this one, Twilight Sparkle. It's very good for a first attempt," she said. "Have you had a chance to play the game yet?" the princess asked.
Twilight shook her head. "No, not yet. I was hoping to get a chance sometime later this week if the project doesn't keep us too busy," she said.
Luna smiled. "Lucky for you, Twilight Sparkle, I have played the game several times myself. If you would like, we can go to a cafe tomorrow morning and I shall show you the basics of playing," she said.
Twilight's eyes lit up with excitement. "W... Why yes! Of course Princess! I would love that!" she said, excited. "But what about the project?" she asked.
"Oh, don't worry about the project. We shall start that in due time. I will meet you here tomorrow morning, Twilight Sparkle. Be prepared to have some fun!" the Princess said as she turned and left. Twilight bounced around excitedly, levitating her doll to her and looking it over in anticipation of the next day. After a few moments, she set the doll on an end table and began to unpack the rest of her things.