Twilight and Spike are rewarded some earned vacation time. Their chosen Destination? The land of Saddle Arabia, where Twilight ends up getting more then she bargained for when she's given a beautifully crafted bottle made just for her. Spike and Twilight find themselves in a situation they never thought was ever going to happen. And with such limited time, Twilight has to make the hardest decision of her entire life.
This is the fanfic version of the Origin Story from the Ask Genie Twilight Tumblr blog.
Chapters (15)
"find", without the "s"
Hmm, I think I might read it after a few more chapters have been added.
Is it somehow going to intersect with the "Ask Twixie Genies" tumblr blog?
I know that "Ask Genie Twilight" are doing crossovers with them at the moment.
Anyway, it's very well written, without any typos or errors sticking out.
Although, not being able to bring her friends only because of the size of the air balloon seems like a poorly thought out reason. We've seen Twilight riding a hot air balloon several times in the show, that could hold all of her friends.
Also, gathering her friends to tell them, that she goes on a vacation but they can't come - seems a little cruel.
Other that that, I like it and looking forward to reading more.
2339736
I know about the balloon thing, but I think of it as Celestia only brought a small one out of chance, or something. Besides, I didn't technically create the story; I'm just making it a fanfic. I assume the real creator wanted me to make up a reason, so there's your reason.
And the fact that their friends couldn't come... again, just came to mind, and I had to stick to the story.
Also, this is based off the Origin Story, not the whole blog itself. Pretty much about how Twilight became a genie in the first place.
I’ve read the first chapter. You can be proud of it, it is a good one!
yes, more to yes!
no, wait, other way 'round.
more, yes to more. that's it.
Good first chapter. Can't wait to read more.
2339851 So this has nothing to do with this?
Haven't read it yet, but I need to say something:
It'll take a lot to make this interesting for those of us who've read the origin story already.
2344620
Ask Twixie Genies? No, it doesn't. This was long before that. That's just a crossover thing that's happening now.
2345053
I did realize that. But think of it as this: for those that haven't read the Origin Story yet, well, this'll be a more interesting version that goes more in-depth on what exactly happened in Saddle Arabia.
2345615 Cover art?
fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2013/073/0/9/shantae_twilight_by_navitaserussirus-d5y1okk.png
A new chapter, yay! For some reason it didn't show in my updates list. I just stumbled across it by accident while I was browsing my favorites list.
I haven't read the origins story at the tumblr blog, so I'm pretty interested at what happens next.
I am a bit surprised this guide hasn't introduced herself and Twilight didn't even think to ask.
I haven't read the tumblr, so I have no clue where this is going, but it's proving interesting, so far. Also a few things I noticed:
a few landmarks were visite4d
The 4 should not be there, obviously
If only to relieve him, Twilight bought a few for him, and the rest of the way, Spike sucked off of the flavor of it, enjoying the taste while it lasted.
The first half of the sentence says she bought him a few, but the second half says he sucking the flavor off of the one she bought him.
Twilight knew that, because there was no smaller beds for Spike to sleep in, she was going to share a bed with him.
This sentence comes off as redundant, since Twilight says as much in the next paragraph.
2464324
Thanks for pointing those out. They are now fixed.
I find it hard to believe it took this long for someone to notice those. Please people reading this, tell me if I did something wrong. My writing is for your enjoyment.
promising beginning.... fav
One thing I noticed:
In lava pools swimming dragon Spike whining about hot sand? unlikely
What an asshole.
But Twilight is also stupid. Shoud've asked about what will happen when she opens the bottle. Should've known that power boosts never come without a price.
A well written chapter, but it has a flaw in my opinion - the dialogue. It's too unnatural, like what you would see in an English textbook.
2610959 indeed Twi is skeptical but also knows to only do magics that could be considered new or nonexistent within the safety of her warded basement.
Really She also should have known not to leave spike alone in a foreign country, that is just asking for him to get kidnapped and sold off as some sort of exotic pet by some street vendors.
over all I understand what you're doing but I also know that you should probably try and make it more realistic but that is my opinion on the matter. anyway I think I'll drop this thread for the time being, it was nice while it lasted. cheers
check title for tragedy, gore, dark etc ...
oh good ! I was starting to worry for a min ...
Great chapter. How will Twilight deal with being a genie?
DUN DUN DUUUUUUUN
Nice to see he isn't downright evil. Just misguided and deceitful
2869243
Yeah. He had bad intentions, but they were justified at least. Twilight's well-being just wasn't coming to mind when he gave the bottle to her.
Malakhar? meet the Moon ... You and her are going to become good friends over the next thousand years... better pray we need you for something and decide to call you back sooner rather than later ..
Spike? Wish us to Celestia would you please? Thanks 
Heh, good reference a.deviantart.net/avatars/w/d/wdisneyrp-genie.jpg?15
A great chapter. A lot of exposition of course, but you had to set the rules for the story, so it's okay. Quite interesting actually.
Seems to me it would made more sense that Celestia offered vacations to all of the Mane 6 that they could all take separately, but not one big vacation they could all go on at once. Added upside to this: then the gang wouldn't have to agree on a location they would all enjoy attending, and instead could each pick a location they were each interested in.
Other than that, can't complain. Only mildly familiar with Ask Genie Twilight tumblr, so more the most part, this origin story will be all new for me.
2963603
This story is made better if you aren't that familiar with the tumblr, or if you are, but haven't read the Origin Story.
All I can say is that you better not pull the blog's thing and have Twilight block herself off from the world, as that pretty much is exactly the opposite of what she would actually do.
2991811
I think you have the wrong Twilight. You're probably thinking of the one from Ask Twixie Genies.
The one from Ask Genie Twilight didn't block herself off. Of course, this depends on a decision she will make later.
An interesting story. Rather exposition-heavy at times, and sometimes I'm baffled by how the characters go to lengthy and roundabout ways of doing things (Why does Twilight have to round up all her friends just to tell them she's going on vacation, for instance?) but an enjoyable story nonetheless, and intriguing study of a concept.
Three questions come to mind, however:
-Isn't Saddle Arabia supposed to be a country? In this story, it comes off as little more than a single city that don't seem larger than Ponyville. Also, cities are usually built near water, farmable land, and/or strong trade routes, not in the middle of deserts. I will assume that the city has access to one or more oases for water, and may have developed from a central trade route.
-Why does the library sell its books? I could understand if it were a bookstore, or if it simply sold off a few volumes they needed to get rid of, but selling from its entire collection as its main business? I've never heard of any library that works that way.
-Why is Twilight so worked up about getting a vacation? She's been independent since she moved to Ponyville, and has gone to all sorts of places (Appeloosa, Dodge City, Cloudsdale) without getting permission from Celestia. Maybe Celestia is paying her this time? Not to mention that she takes Ponyville's balloon for flights all the time. Unless maybe Cherry Berry (who seems to be Ponyville's resident balloon custodian) wouldn't let her take it for such a long journey.
On a somewhat related note, you may be interested to know that the idea of "three wishes, must obey master, lives in bottle" and such are fairly recent concepts. In original stories, the genies were powerful and (usually) malevolent beings who were sealed away by sorcerers (begging the question, how much more powerful would said sorcerer have been?), and very much appreciated being freed from their prison with no intention of wanting to go back. The three wishes were considered a reward for the help, a gesture of generosity rather than a forced requirement. (Of course, since they had offered to grant wishes, they were honor-bound to do so even if it went against their own interests, which is the only explanation why they'd agree to be imprisoned again, as often happened.)
In addition, most stories were less about the genies themselves and more about the mortal protagonist learning an important aesop - earn your fortune the proper way, instead of getting everything for free from a supernatural being, because that always ends up going wrong. (Hence why the story usually ends with them wishing that everything was back to normal and the genie was back in the bottle.) In these cases, the genie is little more than a plot device, a talking vending machine.
Anyway, I just felt that you might be interested to know, since it's often overlooked. This story has its own rules established, already. I'm eager to see how this unfolds.
3030387
Woah... quite an in-depth comment here. I'm impressed. Let's see if I can answer your questions as best I can...
We can all assume it's a rather large city that it seems as first. Pretty scary when you think about it, and though Ponyville is quite... average in size, Saddle Arabia is very large, maybe about the size of Canterlot, possibly larger. That's my headcanon, anyway. The story interprets it as a large city, though it can be thought of as a separate country. It's not quite clear.
This is hard to explain... it's not clear about how the libraries work everywhere. With Saddle Arabia being a pretty distinct area, it would be expected that things worked much differently there. There's also the variable of the pony that owns the library: Kubuya Atka, who pretty much decides how the place is run. It was shown in the Origin Story that Twilight paid for the books, so this fanfic emulates that.
Now this... is something I can't really answer without an explanation from the creator of the Origin Story himself. I didn't make the Origin Story; I'm only converting it into a fanfic.
As for this, this is what makes this story so different. It doesn't focus on the person who summoned the genie. It focuses on the genie himself, or in this case, herself. Plus, the whole concept of how the genie wishes work in this will be important later on in the story. I'm thinking it'll be explained next chapter.
3030545
One possibility could be that Twilight is acquiring books for her own library (early on, she picks up a whole bunch of them) and is compensating Kubuya for them - she'd probably be okay with losing them as long as they end up in another proper library. So it's not like she's selling rare volumes to some stranger who may use them for a campfire, she's selling them to a fellow bibliophile who she knows will treat them properly. Or maybe she's just very erratic?
Yes, I realized this in hindsight. I'm very sorry for needling you. Though "paid vacation" sounds plausible to me.
That is actually a pretty novel approach. Sounds very promising. The mentioned rules and guidelines seem to cover most possible loopholes, which gives Twilight considerable self-agency - if she can decide which wishes she grants and how, the story focuses on her.
I ran a roleplaying session once when the players found a genie in a lamp, and immediately treated it as a wish dispenser instead of, you know, a sentient being. They wished for some item and added so many loophole-closing clauses that I expected them to have brought a lawyer. The genie dozed off three lines in, and when they were done, he said, "No, I got a better idea!" and gave them all the ability to fly. They were downright stunned that the he didn't play along and act just like how the movies do it.
Anyway, looking forward to seeing how this develops. May have to look through the source material.
3030916
Actually, that makes sense. It could work that way. It's really up to the readers' imagination to fill in reasons that aren't explained, or aren't explained enough.
By source material, do you mean the Origin Story itself? That would rather spoil the story before it even gets finished.
3030976
Good point. In that case, I'll leave it to you to make the best and most of the story. With regular updates and quality writing.
No pressure.
3031045
Not to worry, I'm planning to get faster updates, though writing two stories at a time may not help...
2991811 Hehe, I think you're thinking of the wrong Genie Twilight blog. That's Twixie Genies, not Genie Twilight.
I think you mean, contemplating, instead of compelling. To compel someone is to make them want to do something, contemplating means yer thinking about something.
3080123 Or compelled as well. Nonetheless a very good chapter.
3080123
Ugh, I thought I already fixed that.
That clears up the "Why didn't they just ask him for the low-down/wish for the book/wish for the knowledge" question.
Three days deadline, hmm? Rather rushed, but it works. Will be interesting to see the decision, or rather how you'll justify the decision, seeing as the source material is established. It's a big step.
Of course, this is Twilight 'Overpowered God-Beating Magical Powerhouse' Sparkle we're talking about. If any genie in history could ever succeed in going back to normal, she'd be the one. Nothing's written in stone, after all.
3084031
Yeah, but if you read back, you can see how there are a few factors that will influence Twilight's decision on whether or not to remain a genie or go back to normal. All that has to happen is Spike saying, "I wish Twilight was no longer a genie," and she'd be back to normal. There are pros and cons for each decision, which will be revealed next chapter.
Good chapter.
I'm only going to say this...
i.qkme.me/3so7mp.jpg
You got a like and a favorite from me. Keep up the good work!
I do wonder 2 things though.
1: After that 1000 years, does she have the choice for another 3 days again or what?
2: I wonder how the princesses, her family (including Cadance) and her friends will take this...
3183961
Well, thank you! I do the best I can.
1. I... believe so. If I remember correctly, she'll still have Spike with her, so if she chooses to go back afterward, he'll just have to make the wish. Wait... how long do dragons live again? Like, 8000 years or something?
2. They would take it just fine. Sure, she's a genie now, but they'll still treat her as normally as they have been. Don't forget though, you'll have to wait for her decision (though it's not hard to figure out which she chooses).
3184458
You're welcome. I'm always happy to comment on good pieces of fiction, even if they're based off a comic (which is also good by the way).
I believe it was said dragons live for about 5000 years. And what I meant when I asked #2 was, "I wonder what their reactions will be." I know I'd go through a few emotions if I suddenly found out one of my closest friends was turned into a genie, mostly with worry for them. Especially since, unlike twilight, they wouldn't know all the true details of being a genie as compared to the stories.
3185278
Ahah, that was just my opinion. You know how Twilight's friends and family are. Remember when she turned into a Princess?
...Ok, that may have been a bit different, but still.
And thanks for the dragons thing. I really wasn't sure.
3185392"
You're welcome. And I have no doubt they'll act that way, but that initial "first glance" reaction, I can just picture it...
AppleJack - A total "o.O" look as if she's thinking, "What in the hay?!"
RainbowDash - At first just a blank wide eyed stare.... only to burst into rolling on the ground laughter within a minute.
Pinkie - Completely unsurprised yet asking questions a million miles a minute as if she had known all along it would happen.
Rarity - At first quite shocked, only to start off on a tangent about the look of the outfit Twilight is now forced to wear, whether it be commenting on it or announcing it's flaws and how she could improve them.
Fluttershy - Her I'm not so sure of. Obviously worried over Twilight now being "anchored" to the bottle and the possibility that her friend is hurt in some way, but after that, I got nothing.
Either way, I'm looking forward to the next chapter.
3187701
Yup, that's exactly (or close to) how each would react.
And you're in luck. The next chapter of this story's what I'm writing now.
Great chapter.
aww i hope Kubuya takes good care of her journal.
i wonder how Twilight's friends gonna say ir she does stay as a genie or better yet what would Celestia say.
maybe she would wish for unlimited supply of cake.
also if Discord is reformed what would he say or do for that matter since Twilight got powers off cosmic proportion tho in a itty-bitty space
3030387
Remember the Crystal Empire and how it was more like a city-state?
Saddle Arabia is like that, but backwards.
You an really feel the weight of Twilight's decision weighing on her by the end. You pulled that off very well.
There is one thing I'd like for you to consider working on as the story progresses. This is the second chapter in a row where the characters have basically stood in place and told us everything. I think something as simple as including more motion and character dynamics would help in this regard. Having Spike play with things in the market stall, or having Malakhar disappearing through the rows of his stall and Twilight and Spike following him around would certainly help.
I know you are constrained by what Northern Verve put into the Tumblr, but I would have added something linking the grandfather with those who kept the hopes of seeing/creating genies from the previous chapter. That would add some continuity, and set up some possible consflict.
I'm still enjoying the little character interactions. This is definitely one of the better novelizations of a Tumblr in the fandom. Keep it up, Sal!