My Little Planeswalker: Twilight's Spark

by Zennistrad


Homeward Paths

Twilight followed Jace down the prison corridors at a leisurely pace. It had become immediately apparent that Jace was voraciously inquisitive, as he had not ceased to ask questions the entire time they were present. Twilight wasn’t sure if she should be overjoyed at the chance to teach someone else, or be annoyed that she couldn’t get any questions of her own in edgewise. She had plenty of them, most notably how Jace had managed to earn the utmost obedience of everyone he’d come across. He seemed benevolent enough to trust, yet Twilight had no idea where his authority really came from.

In the back of her mind, Twilight also noted that the prisoners they had passed along the way had not taken notice of them despite their conversation being spoken in audible language, and that a subtle glow surrounded them both. Jace, she surmised, had cast a spell to render them both invisible and silent to outside observers. His authority must have also given him permission to cast spells where she wasn’t allowed to.

“So what plane are you from, anyway?” said Jace.

“Hmmm, that’s actually kind of tricky,” said Twilight. “The nation that I come from is called Equestria, and the name is sometimes used as synonymous with the plane itself. Most of the time we just call it ‘the world,’ or some other generic term.” She paused for a moment, contemplating some very old obscure history tomes that she’d remembered reading years ago. “Although, if I remember correctly, ancient scholars used to refer to the plane as Ungula. That name’s really archaic, though; almost no one you ask today will have heard of it, pony or otherwise.”

Jace gave an ever-so-slight smirk, barely enough to be noticeable. “Ungula, huh? So are all the intelligent races on your plane hoofed mammals?”

“Well, no, not all of them,” said Twilight. “Sure, there’s ponies, horses, zebras, yaks, donkeys, deer, buffalo, and goats, but there are a few others without hooves, too. Griffons and hippogriffs are still quadrupeds, but there are also bipedal races like minotaurs, aven, catfolk, and other beastfolk. Dragons can be bipedal or quadrupedal, depending on their age, subspecies, and the circumstances of their growth and development.”

“Interesting,” said Jace. “So what would that make you, then? I’ve seen plenty of pegasi and unicorns, but I don’t believe I’ve seen an equine with both wings and a horn.”

Twilight giggled. “Well, I suppose I can’t really blame you for that. I’m an alicorn, an extremely rare kind of pony with the combined traits of all three common types of ponies. Granted, those of us that do exist tend to be pretty famous in Equestria, but I’m guessing we’re even less common on other planes.”

“Alicorn?” said Jace. “Isn’t that the material that a unicorn’s horn is made of?”

Twilight beamed. “That’s correct! All ponies in Equestria have alicorn somewhere in their bodies. It’s effectively a magnet for ambient magic, allowing us to gather it to fuel our natural abilities. Unicorns have horns made of alicorn, which is connected to the brain via the cornic nerve. This allows them to use their horns to draw mana for conscious spellcasting. Pegasi have alicorn in their bone marrow, but it’s especially concentrated within their wing bones. This lets them unconsciously draw mana to enhance their flight ability, as well as walk on clouds and manipulate weather. Earth ponies have hooves made almost entirely out of alicorn, as well as large concentrations of alicorn in their muscles. They use this to unconsciously draw mana to enhance their strength, as well as form a connection to the earth that greatly increases the fertility of any land they tread on. Alicorn ponies are so named because we have very high concentrations of alicorn in every part of our bodies, allowing us to draw massive amounts of mana for any number of different purposes.”

Jace’s expression shifted subtly as Twilight continued her explanation. The insatiable thirst for knowledge remained gleaming within his eyes, but an almost imperceptible crease appeared in his brow, becoming only more noticeable as Twilight finished.

“So your bodies are like living mana batteries,” said Jace. “Your plane must have an overabundance of incredibly powerful mana for a species with such capabilities to evolve naturally. On most planes, few people ever learn how to gather mana at all. It usually takes a natural talent or years of exhaustive study to even begin.”

“Oh,” said Twilight. It was a strange thought: magic had been such an integral part of every pony’s life that the mere notion of drawing mana being a rarity sounded ridiculous on its face. “...I guess I can understand. I’ve only been to one other plane before this, and it barely had any mana beyond that needed to sustain its existence. There was so little that most people there thought magic was just a myth.”

Twilight paused for a moment, rethinking her statement. On further consideration, the statement that she had only been to one other plane may or may not have been true. She had been to one other universe parallel to hers, where she had met evil counterparts of the Royal Sisters and a good counterpart to King Sombra. As she recalled from Star Swirl’s notes, the mechanics of the other magic mirror were different. Far too complex for even her to understand, yet apparently based on manipulating time rather than traveling through different planes in space.

New questions began swirling in her mind, fueled by her expanding role in the wider multiverse. Was the other Equestria really a separate plane, or the same plane in a different timeline? And if it was a different timeline, would that explain why it was so much easier to disrupt the balance with the parallel Equestria than with Anthropia? If that mirror weren’t destroyed, would something catastrophic have happened to the entire time stream? She would have to look into it further, but that thought was quickly pushed away when Jace responded with another question.

“So I take it that means you’re new at planeswalking?” said Jace. “I suppose it’s a good thing you’ve found someone who can show you around. I’ve heard more than a few stories of other planeswalkers getting into trouble in their early travels.”

Twilight grinned nervously. “I... guess you could say that, yeah. Thanks again for the help, by the way.”

“It’s no problem at all,” said Jace. There was a pause in the stream of Jace’s questions, as the two approached a reinforced steel door at the end of the long corridor. With a wave of his hand, the glow that surrounded him and Twilight disappeared, and he opened the door to reveal an entrance room beyond.

Standing just outside the other end of the door were a pair of Lyev guards and, beyond them, a stubble-faced man with white streaks in his hair. He wore a striking blue-and-red outfit with an elaborate brass backpack, which connected via a piece of flexible tubing to a very prominent brass vambrace. The way his hair stood up made Twilight feel distinctly uneasy, and she could hear a faint crackling and buzzing sound that she would expect to hear from a spark gap.

The man snarled something in Ravnican at Jace, his face twisted into a visage of anger, before shooting Twilight a glare. The guards surrounding the steel door tightened their grips on their weapons and raised them in a clear threat display, and the stubbled man immediately backed down.

“That won’t be necessary,” Jace said to the guards. Twilight, this is Ral Zarek, another planeswalker who helped me find you. We’ve... not always been on good terms in the past, but I promise he won’t hurt you.

“Um... okay?” said Twilight. Jace seemed trustworthy enough, but Ral Zarek had a wild look in his eye that she wasn’t sure she wanted anything to do with.

“We’ll talk about this more outside,” said Jace. “Preferably where we can meet alone.”

Ral sighed, and begrudgingly nodded. Twilight followed the two men as they made their way outside, past the boundaries of the prison and into the streets beyond. Twilight couldn’t help but gulp inwardly at the sight of the massive fortified walls surrounding the prison, as well as the numerous buildings nearby that appeared to be military garrisons. Even with her attempted escape stunt, she realized there was virtually zero chance she could have ever made it to freedom on her own.

Twilight noticed that the three of them had once again been enveloped by the subtly shimmering magic that masked their presence in the prison. As they moved down the streets, the pedestrians seemed to subconsciously move around them, as though they were being parted by a force that they couldn’t notice. Eventually, after moving past several military garrisons, they came to yet another disused alley, which the three planeswalkers ducked into.

Satisfied that they were not drawing any attention, Jace gestured to Ral and Twilight to come in closer. Twilight stepped inwards, but was startled backwards when a burst of electricity surged up Ral’s backpack, coursing through his hair and vambrace.

Gyah!” Twilight shrieked, before lowering her voice—just barely—to the level of a stage whisper. “Jace, what is he doing? We’re supposed to be inconspicuous!”

The corners of Ral’s lips split into a wry grin. “So it can talk after all. I was beginning to worry for a moment.”

“Huh?” Twilight blinked. “Wait, that was a translation spell? Why the hay would you need lightning for a translation spell?”

“Clearly you’ve never met an Izzet guildmage,” said Ral. “If it doesn’t involve lightning, it’s not worth doing.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Right, obviously. Anyway, I don’t believe I’ve introduced myself to you, my name is Twilight Sparkle. Yours is Ral Zarek, I’m assuming?”

Ral sneered. “So Beleren intruded into your mind to tell you about me? I shouldn’t be surprised that he hasn’t quite grasped the concept of personal space.”

“I already told you I didn’t look at your mind, Ral,” said Jace. “I simply projected a telepathic message. You of all people should understand the need to communicate silently.”

“And I already told you that I don’t care,” Ral spat. “One move like that again and you’ll learn what it feels like to have all the water in your body electrolyzed. And as for you,” he turned and glared at Twilight, “your brief presence here has caused an inordinate amount of trouble for me. I’ve spent many years and vast amounts of effort working to ensure that the guilds of Ravnica never learn of the existence of planeswalkers. Had I not been lucky enough to catch you flying over the city, your capture would have undone that in a single day. I don’t know exactly what Beleren said to free you, but if I had to fathom a guess, I would say that he claimed you to be Izzet property to justify my presence at an Azorius prison compound. If you make things difficult for me again, I may choose to keep you under my now rightful ownership.”

“You will be doing no such thing,” Jace interjected. “Twilight is an intelligent being, and a brilliant mind as well. She is to be treated with dignity and respect as much as any other person. Do I make myself clear?”

Ral Zarek seethed, teeth clenched into a grimace. “You had better keep her out of trouble, Beleren. For both of your sakes.” Without another word, he stormed out of the alley, disappearing into the street.

Twilight hadn’t even realized until Ral had left that her ears had folded flat against the back of her head. “That cover story... that’s not going to be a problem, is it?”

A smile crept its way across Jace’s lips. There was a subtle detachment to his emotions, yet Twilight could tell they were no less genuine. “That won’t be an issue. I can have the records altered later. For now, I think our top priority should be ensuring that you don’t find yourself in danger while you’re here. Ravnica can be difficult for the unprepared to survive.”

“I, uh... I think I can tell,” said Twilight. She looked up towards Jace, and felt a tide of emotions sweep in, splashes of memories coloring her mind with the sights and sounds of her friends back home. “I... I know we’ve only just met, and I have so many questions,” said Twilight. “But I honestly just want to go home now. I’m so tired of dealing with all of this, and my friends must be so unbearably worried. They must think I just disappeared off the face of Equestria.”

“That’s perfectly understandable,” said Jace. “Planeswalking can be overwhelming at first. The good thing is that you should be able to return home anytime you want, now that you’re no longer detained.”

“Yeah,” said Twilight. “I guess that is a good thing, isn’t it?” Her thoughts once again turned to Princess Celestia, of the overwhelming worry that was carved into her face the last they met, and the tearful words she had spoken. “I... I have to go back right away. I’m sorry Jace, I really do. I might return to Ravnica sometime when I’m better prepared, but I can’t stay here right now. I wish I could spend more time getting to know you better, it’s just... I don’t know.”

“Well, I enjoyed getting a chance to meet you,” said Jace. “If you ever find yourself in trouble here again, I’ll try to see if I can bail you out.”

Twilight smiled. “It was nice meeting you, too. And I’ll keep that in mind if I ever come back.” Closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath, she recalled the same magic that she channeled into the Planar Amulet, and let it envelop her body.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself in the midst of the very same interplanar space she had encountered when she learned of her planeswalker abilities. Once again she was surrounded on all sides by the intense chaotic energies, and the millions of enormous bubble-like objects that each represented one of the planes of existence.

Dread crept its way into Twilight’s mind as a realization began to dawn on her. She had no idea which one was her home. Already the intense interplanar energies were beginning to tingle at her skin, gradually yet assuredly eating away at her existence.

“Oh, no!” Twilight cried out. “I... I don’t know what to do! Where do I go? Where do I go?

Slipping once again in the grip of panic, Twilight closed her eyes as her body began shaking uncontrollably. When she opened them again, she found herself back in Ravnica, standing exactly where she had been when she left.

“Huh? J-Jace? What happened?”

Jace regarded her curiously, though with a subtle frown. “I’m not sure. You planeswalked away for a moment, and then came back.”

Twilight exhaled, painfully aware of the deep pang of sorrow within her chest. “I... I don’t think I know how to get back home.”

“Well, that’s going to be a problem, isn’t it?” said Jace.

“Are you kidding me?” Twilight blurted out. “This isn’t just a problem! This is quite possibly the biggest problem that’s ever problemed! What if I never see my home again? What if I never see my friends again? They could think that I’ve died, or worse! What if something dangerous comes to Equestria and I’m not there to help? Will they even be able to handle it without me?” She could already feel herself beginning to hyperventilate, and wished Spike was there to hand her a paper bag to breathe into. The thought didn’t help matters, knowing that he wasn’t around, and her breathing intensified further.

Her vision was already beginning to fade when a blue light enveloped her body. It was a cold sensation, enough to send a chill down her spine, yet paradoxically there was also a genuine warmth to it. She could feel her breathing steady itself, and the tension that wound itself through her body like a coil beginning to unravel.

When her body finally relaxed, she looked up at Jace, at once both curious and slightly apprehensive. “What did you do just now?”

“Something to take the edge off,” said Jace. “I’m sorry for manipulating your emotions like that, but I wasn’t sure what else to do to stop you from passing out.”

Twilight exhaled, a smile breaking out across her muzzle. Had she not felt so thoroughly exhausted by the experience, she would have laughed. “Don’t worry about it. I probably needed that anyway.” She looked up again at Jace. Despite her anxiety having been calmed, there was still a genuine uncertainty within her that she couldn’t ignore. “So, uh, what do I do now?”

“If you’re asking me to show you how to get home, I’m afraid I can’t do that,” said Jace. “Even if I knew where your plane was, planeswalking is a highly individualized form of magic. Every planeswalker spark is unique, and no two planeswalkers move through the multiverse in exactly the same way.”

“So you’re saying I’ll have to figure out how to get home myself,” said Twilight. “Well, that’s just great, isn’t it? I don’t even know the first thing about planeswalking, and there’s no book that could possibly teach me!”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” Jace reassured. “Planeswalking is as natural to you as walking on two legs... or four, I suppose. In the meantime, why don’t you come stay with me? I’m sure I can accommodate you while you’re here.”

“Really?” said Twilight. “You would do that?”

“Well, I can’t just leave you here by yourself, can I?” Jace replied. “I believe I have some extra room in my apartments. You’re free to use them as long as you need.”

Had it not been for their difference in height, Twilight would have hugged Jace then and there. “I... I can’t thank you enough for this, Jace.”

“Again, don’t mention it,” said Jace. He paused, and rubbed his chin. “Although, in the future, you might need a disguise if you’re going to be staying here.”

“Oh! Actually, I’ve already got that taken care of,” said Twilight. With a wobble, she stood herself up onto her hind legs, and her horn lit up with a light purple glow. She felt the familiar embrace of her illusion taking hold, creating a powerful disguise. The disorientation from the conflicting perceptions of her real and false bodies returned in full force, giving Twilight a dizzying headache that she fought to ignore.

Jace observed the display with fascination. “You’re quite skilled in illusions already, I take it?”

“Yup!” said Twilight. “It’s been very useful so far. Hold on, there’s something else I need to take care of.” Another glow came from her horn, though through the illusion it appeared as though a soft light was coming from her entire body. “Forgot to add the translation spell. I’m not sure what magic you’re using to understand me, but I think it’d be best to make sure I’m not speaking another language when others are around.”

“A wise choice,” said Jace. He squinted, and looked closer at Twilight’s illusory body. “Although I must say, that disguise doesn’t look very comfortable.”

Twilight winced at the accusation. “...You can tell, huh?”

“Illusion magic happens to be one of my specialties,” said Jace. “Here, let me help you with that.” A sky-blue glow surrounded his hand as he waved it at Twilight.

All at once, Twilight could feel her perceptions being twisted, wrenched, and snapped into place, making her head spin and her stomach lurch. When the sensation passed, everything felt... different. There was no longer any feeling of conflicting sensory inputs from her real body and her illusory disguise. She wasn’t even aware of her equine body at all, every part of her felt human from her head to her toes. She looked down at her human arms, lifted her hand toward her face, flexed her fingers tentatively. It was exactly the same thing that she saw and felt from the first time she had truly become human.

“This... this is an illusion? But it feels so real! How is it possible?”

Jace smirked, and tapped a finger to his temple. “You don’t need to change your body if you change your perceptions of it. Now, why don’t I take you back to my place? I think I’ve spent enough time away as it is.”

“I think I’d like that,” said Twilight. “And thank you.”

————————

There were so many questions that Jace still wanted to ask Twilight, and so many things about her home plane that he still wanted to learn. Yet even as they quickly and quietly made their way through the streets of Ravnica, disguised by a subtle perception barrier that made others pay less attention to them, the fatigue in Twilight’s eyes was clear. She had been through a lot, and more than anything needed rest.

That of course, didn’t stop Twilight from asking a few questions of her own. “So, uh... back when you rescued me. You said something about ‘Guildpact’s order’s.’ What does that mean? I thought the Guildpact was destroyed?”

“Glad to hear you’ve done your research on this plane,” said Jace. “To answer your question, the Guildpact was destroyed decades ago, but not without a contingency plan. It’s a long story, but I became the living embodiment of the new Guildpact recently.”

Twilight’s eyes lit up at the response. “Oooh, so that explains why everyone listens to you! I’m glad to hear there’s at least one powerful person on this plane that’s looking out for me.” Twilight ended her sentence with a very loud yawn.

“Tired?” said Jace.

“Yeah,” said Twilight. “It’s been a long and stressful day, as you can probably guess.”

“It won’t be long before we’re there. I’ll be happy to answer any other questions you have once you’re rested.”

The two had soon found their way to yet another of Ravnica’s alleys, this one containing one of the many entrances to his sanctum. The teleportal network connecting his home to the various districts of Ravnica was programmed on a rotating schedule, and at the time they arrived the entrance in this particular alley was still active. They had arrived not a moment too soon, as the sun had already begun to dip its way toward the edge of the Western horizon.

On one of the walls in the alley was a small door, colored so that it blended in almost flawlessly into the side of the building. He smoothly grabbed the handle and opened it, leading Twilight through the teleportal and into his home.

Twilight’s eyes went wide as she took in the sanctum. It was a modestly-sized library by any standards, littered with charts, diagrams, half-finished projects, and illusory models of various objects Jace had hoped to study. The sanctum had become even more of a mess since becoming a common room for the Gatewatch, with the belongings of other planeswalkers left haphazardly strewn about. Chandra had left her gauntlet on top of the central table, and out of the corner of his eye he could make out a large leafy twig on the floor by the sofa. Thankfully, the model skeleton in the far corner didn’t seem to have moved at all.

After taking a moment to look around, Twilight let out a loud yawn, and dismissed her illusory human form. “This... this is a nice place you have,” she said blearily.

“There’s an empty guest room you can use,” said Jace, pointing to the stairs to the right. “Just head up and take the third door to...”

Jace’s words trailed off as he realized that Twilight hadn’t heard them at all. With a sluggish flapping of her wings, she had already taken to the air and quite literally crash-landed onto the couch. Almost immediately, an audible snoring came from her now-unconscious body.

“...Or you could just sleep on the couch,” said Jace, with just a hint of exasperation. He would have quite a bit of explaining to do when Lavinia returned.

————————

It’s already night by the time I finally figure out which of these alleys has the door I need to get back home. Ugh, stupid Jace and his portal thingys. It’s where we live, for crying out loud, why the hell can’t he make finding it easy?

I feel the contents of my stomach trying to jump out of my mouth as I stagger forward and grasp the doorknob. Gnib’s a damned good bartender, but the stuff he serves is way potent. I keep fumbling around, trying to get a solid grip on the dumb thing, when the door suddenly swings open and I fall flat on my face.

A hand reaches out and grabs mine, pulling me back to my feet. I look to see who it is and see two faces staring at me. Three? No, definitely two.

“Oh, heya Jace. You...” A slight hiccup interrupts my words. “...You practicing those illusions of yours again? Which one of you’s the real one?”

“Chandra, you’re drunk.”

“Y-yeah? So what if I am?” I shoot back. “You... you wanna make something of it? It’ll be fun! Just like old times!”

Something about the glare he’s giving me right now tells me the answer is a solid ‘no.’ “At least tell me you didn’t get yourself in trouble with the Lyev again.”

The Lyev? Bah, screw them. How did that song dissing the Lyev go again? It was that weird kind of Ravnican song without a real melody. “H-hey, I technically didn’t break the law this time,” I say.

Jace frowns and raises an eyebrow. Y’know, his usual ‘you’re saying something dumb but I’m too polite to tell you it’s dumb’ face. “Technically?”

I give Jace what may well be the biggest shit-eating grin I’ve had in my entire life. “Loopholes are fun. You should try them.”

I don’t bother sticking around long enough to hear whatever retort he has. Instead I make my way through the common room, hoping to find a couch to crash on. Right now, in the state I’m in, stairs are out of the question.

An idle thought crosses my mind, one that I definitely wouldn’t be having if I weren’t completely smashed. You know what would be great? If I saw Nissa, and gave her a big, sloppy kiss. Or Gideon, I’m not too picky. Hell, maybe even Liliana, provided she’s brushed her teeth. Her breath always smells like grave dirt for some reason.

...Damn, why is every planeswalker except Jace so hot?

As I make my way over to the sofa, I see something that makes me do a double-take. Sitting right on top of it is Nissa, which is kind of unusual, now that I stop to think about it. She usually doesn’t spend a whole lot of time outside of the garden or her room.

No, what’s really unusual is the animal that’s lying asleep on the couch next to her, as she gently scratches it behind the ears. It’s some... thing that’s roughly the size of a large dog. Not a huge large dog, but large enough to make you think ‘huh, that’s a pretty big dog.’

That... thing, though, it isn’t anything like a dog at all, apart from size. It looks kind of like a horse, with the hooves and all, and it has wings like a pegasus and a horn like a unicorn. But that thing can’t be a horse, or a pegasus, or whatever. It’s too... cute.

Like, I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen in my life, just looking at it makes me want to go over there and pinch its cheeks. It’s got big, round eyes, a rounded face, and its whole body is weirdly... diminutive? Is that the right word? I hope I don’t sound like some kind of egghead saying that. Oh, and its entire body is also bright purple, which is a thing. The colors in its mane look particularly familiar, but I can’t place why.

The more I look at the creature, though, the more something about it feels... off. Its body is smooth, round, and completely perfect, free of the blemishes, details, and little flaws that you would see on any other living thing. It looks like a drawing come to life. It doesn’t even look real.

As I stand there, gawking, Nissa notices me for the first time. There’s a hint of concern in her eyes, though admittedly it’s hard to tell given how weirdly glowy they are all the time. “Oh, hello, Chandra. I didn’t see you there. Is everything okay?” She tilts her head slightly, making it clear that she really is worried about me. “You haven’t intoxicated yourself again, have you?”

“...Yeah,” I bring myself to reply. “I think maybe I’m going to start cutting back on that, though.”

————————

Double Back

Phenomenon

When you encounter Double Back, put the bottom card of your planar deck on top of your planar deck. (Then planeswalk away from this phenomenon.)