Sparkles and Scales - Story Notes · 12:50am Sep 2nd, 2018
This story started out from the very simply idea of Twilight becoming a dragon, but while still being close to the same Twilight we know and love. Making her a dragon is not a new idea, I've seen a number of stories (such as the excellent Flipverse) where Spike was a unicorn and Twilight a dragon, but the switch in species usually came with a switch in there core roles.
Using her cutie mark story seemed like a good place for this change to happen, with the out of control magic doing something far more unexpected then it originally had. Starlight Glimmer has nothing to do with this change in the timeline (and if pushed Dash would admin that she thought she saw a dragon in Cloudsdale that day). In fact the core of the change was that she had just a fraction of a bit more control of these events then in canon.
Building this around her cutie mark story also allowed me to jump right to The Cutie Mark Chronicles. This also meant I wasn't going to be rewriting the first story, something that a lot of AUs do, and while many of them handle it quite well, I still would prefer to not just repeat myself more then necessary. Anyways, while the details might be different, most of the stories happened in broad strokes.
That's not to say that every story in the same, some (such as Boast Busters and Bridle Gossip) go very differently due to the changes in Twilight's personality, and others (like Owl’s Well that Ends Well) never happen.
Having this new Spike joining the CMCs seemed like a logical thing to do (and something that seems like a missed opportunity in the show proper) as he's about the same age as the other three. His new age and role will cause a few of their own changes, including some major ones to a couple CMC focused stories and completely changing how A Canterlot Wedding goes.
As for Twilight growing up as a dragon, she went through a lot of the same things Spike did on the show, just before she moved to Ponyville. This lead to things like the Overdue Library Incident. Not to mention her molt turned out quite a bit different then canon!Spike's.
For the moment this is still a oneshot, but I've been working on a couple of interesting stories ideas that arn't retelling of stories from the show. I'm trying to find new stories to tell that shine a light on how Twilight is different in this universe while trying to feel like part of the show.
*edit*
Oh wow, the story made it to the featured box in less then an hour. You guys are awesome!
So you are planning to make this a true AU and not just a one-shot?
You have no idea how happy I am to hear that.
Guess the only way Twilight can be even more awesome is when MMC roles around, she becomes the new dragon goddess. Wonder what she'd be like with five heads.
a mane six member as a griffon or a kirin hasn't been done to much I can just see Rarity as a monster hunter Kirin that has quite the shocking personallity
It is a great what if. I would love to see others in its timeline should you ever feel like writing them.
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Probably getting hit on by the hydra
Thanks very much for sharing these notes. I am quite happy that you ARE thinking of potential sequels.
I am very certainly going to be looking forward to seeing what you come up with. :-D
I would love to see more of this.
It could be curious if you want to make more chapters to see Twilight in the dragon migration, or with the villains like Nightmare Moon surprised by Dragon Twi, Discord offering her to return to normal with a trap, Sombra using the fear of Twilight being a dragon as others fear her, The Dragon Lord, the dragon that wanted to nap and was throw away by Fluttershy...
Personally I hope you write some original stories with her! I can never stay focused on rewrites of episodes for very long, and I'd enjoy seeing what new tales you come up with. Best of luck! :D
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On one hand, I agree that rewrights tend to drag, on the other, their are a few key moments I'd like to see in this setting. The initial meeting with her friends, the look on her face when she sees the town is willing to accept a literal DRAGON, aka a predator, and not a Zebra, a nother member of genus Equus, simply because she looks difrent, and of course the moments concerning meeting other Dragons.
Oh dear. Dragon Migration will go differently, And having a bunch of jerkbutt dragons hitting on her.
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Oh for sure, those would definitely be some cool moments!
Could we see Boast Busters, Canterlot Wedding, and Bridle Gossip as storys to see how the would changes you think would happen?
You are awesome man, best AU idea i've seen since gold bars!
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What is "gold bars"?
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Au is the chemistry abbreviation for Gold
It was a bad pun
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I was aware of that chemistry fact, and still failed to get that.
Good one!
I wonder what is was like for her to move to Ponyville