//------------------------------// // The Origin of The Masked Matterhorn // Story: Matterhorn: Origins // by Aqua Berry //------------------------------// "It still weird to me to call myself the Masked Matterhorn," She said while looking over the city. "But I still can't believe that everything changes throughout one night, but that's how life works, you never expected it. And it all started at one particular place." In the past Simon Tech Industries, Canterlot's most extensive chemical research facility. See, I was a first-year student at Crystal Prep Acamdey and my class was on a field trip my friend Monica Simon was a first-year however she was going to a school for geniuses--Nexus High. But she was here today because her dad owns the place. "This way students," Willaim Rhodes guides the students into the building. "Monica, how are you not bursting the seams? You're a science geek?" Twilight asked. "We're about to see some of the world's most advanced equipment." "It's my dad's company, Twi, it's like we went on a field trip to visit your mom at a knitting factory or brother to the police station," Monica said. "That's a first," Twilight picks a purple geode. "Is something wrong? Is it reactor meltdown?" Twilight asked for the security detail. "Some chemicals got mixed in and caused a small explosion, nobody got harmed in the event." "And here I thought I had something to worry about." "Sparkle, can you please stay out of trouble?" William asked her. "Sorry, Mr. Rhodes." "Monica, I thought Crystal Prep was rid of you. But if you insist on chaperoning us, please pair up with my son, Spencer. Twilight's partner is Indigo Zap. Miss Zap, please keep Sparkle on a leash, will you?" "Not a problem, sir," Indigo replied. "Besides, Twilight and I are good friends." "Yeah, good friends." Weclome, everyone, to Simon Tech Industries, the Canterlot's most extensive chemical research facility and electronics manufacturer. I hope most of you are excited as the young girl to get used to such state-of-the-art technology. But don't let it fool you, because if you're a true scientist, you can solve any problem by using the five steps of the scientific method. Would anyone like to guess what those are? "Observation, hypothesis, prediction, experiment, and conclusion." Much later... I'd say the only thing that unsettles a scientist is something called 'chance' when the situation has no scientific reason. "So, who would try out this new robot? Monica?" "Why don't you let someone else go first." "I'll try it," Twilight came forward. Line up so perfectly that an outcome is an event of unusual magnitude. Unbeknownst to her, the geode that was in her pocket started to shim and Twilight started to lose her balance. "Whoa, I don't feel so go, does any know where the bathroom is? I don't feel so good," Twilight asked as her stomach felt uneasy. "Down the hall to your right," Monica told her then Twilight took off. As Twilight headed to the bathroom, something was happing to her. "What's going on?" Twilight tried to fight through it. "Strange things had to me before, no big deal. Spike bit me by accident, along with thousands of mosquitoes bit me. So this is probably no different, right?" Then she heard knocking on the door. "Uh, Twilly, are you okay?" Monica asked. "Yeah, I'm fine," Twilight said. You'd thought I'd share something this big with my best friend, Monica? But my head was spinning and felt I like I needed to understand it myself first. "Okay, Twilight, focus, you can do this," Twilight said while walking through the city. "This is like another problem. How would a scientist go about it? Right, the five steps of the scientific method!" "Step one, observation, I observed that had powers courtesy of magic geode at Simon Tech," Twilight explained then her head flash. "Wait, what was happening? It feels like my entire body is covered in goosebumps and are telling me to jump!" Twilight jumped up from the unsuspecting car and landed gracefully on her feet. "Observations, indicate that I have a Danger Radar, and also being physically enhanced since I'm not the athletic type, this couly come in handy. What else can I do?" Twilight thoughted then she somehow lifted a trash can in mid-air. "Telekinesis, now this is officially awesome." Later at her house, Twilight was in her room recording herself while her dog Spike, was asleep on her bed. "I've already observed the effects of the geode. So now it comes to step two, the hypothesis. A suggestion solution for unexplained occurrences. So I hypothesize that I'll be able to embrace these powers in order to use them to my advantage." "One, so far my head rings when something dangerous comes in range. I call it my Danger Radar." "Two, it appears that my eyes have cleared vision, and my body has a bodybuilder's look. Maybe I can create something that gives me an edge. Time to test my latest gadgets, the Sparkle Shackles, wrist shackles that are capable of creating a variety of energy beams, from ice, and fire, to electrical currents." She puts them on and started to do heroic poses. "Look out world, here comes The Sparkle! I think I need a better name, I wish there were five steps for coming up with a good name. But that's another topic as now I'm on step three...prediction... But if I want to be in the limelight, I going to need something a bit more flashy like a costume." Much Later, Twilight was wearing a purple jumpsuit along with a black mask and eye goggles. "Luckily I have resources to make this stuff." "Twilight, have you seen my purple tights?" Her mom asked from downstairs. "Uh, no, I haven't seen them!" Twilight quickly said. "Okay, how should I kick start my career? Audition for a movie? Post a video on the Internet? Kids' show? So many options? But something tells me I'll know when seeing it," Twilight then looks to her side and wrestling flyers. "Wrestling! That's it! The perfect place to try out step four of the scientific method, experimenting." Weclome, to another episode So You Want To Be A Wrestler.? The show where nonprofessionals get a chance to compete against actual wrestlers. This week our judges have discovered an interesting fellow. She calls herself The Matter! But does she have the moves to prove it? Because her opponent is laughing matter, he's our reigning champion, Bone Saw!" "I have no idea, who that is. Is he good?" Twilight asked while in the ring. "I kinda new to the whole wrestle thing." "Is he good? Tell that to the number of constants he has crushed." The announcer replied as Bone Saw entered the ring. "No one can defeat me!" Bone Saw yelled. "Oh, shit," Twilight gulped. "Okay, Sparkle, reminder, size nor strength doesn't matter. It's all about physics." "Hope you're a ready little girl because I'm turned your 15 minutes of fame into 15 broken bones." Bone Saw grabbed a chair and threw it at her making contact then grabbed her leg and tossed her to the wall. "Okay, if chairs are allowed, then I guess, ice is too!" Twilight fire an ice blast at his body. "You don't mind the ice, do you? I heard you were down to earth!" Twilight grabbed him by the arm and slammed him to the ground, then kicked him in the face. "Ooh, I think Bone Saw stars with that one." "I'll show you the stars!" Bone Saw got up and used the ring to gain momentum and tries to deliver the closeline punch but Twilight tripped him up with her foot then punches him in the gut making him fall. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new champion! Give it up, for The Matter! Later in Twilight's room. This is the first-ever sports trophy I ever got, granted it was awarded to The Matter. But that's because I won it putting new powers to use as a masked wrestler. The trophy is made up of three different kinds of metal and two different dioxides. I know that because I'm really into science, a subject my uncle, Astral Spirit encouraged me to pursue. He would've been proud of this trophy. But he'll get a chance to see it. Because you know what else is made up of three different kinds of metal? A bullet. And that bullet ended my uncle's life when he was right in the middle of a robbery earlier tonight. Twilight was lying on her bed feeling defeated, then Spike jumped on her bed lying next to her, and comforting her. "Knowing you, Uncle Astral, you'd say to look for the lesson in all this, because that's the kind of stuff you were made of. Now, I'm too angry to feel that way. So now it's time to find out what I'm made of." Twilight put on her costume and headed out then made her way to the warehouse. The cops said the burglar has holed up in this warehouse. They also said to let them handle it. Twilight crashed through the ceiling and was face-to-face with the criminal. "What are you supposed to be?" "Payback." "I don't think so!" He tries to pull his gun, but Twilight used her magic to pull it away. "You're coming with me!" Twilight used her magic and tossed the guy across the room. "Don't hurt me!" "Are you making a request or quoting someone else from tonight?" "I didn't mean to" Twilght punched him then grabbed him and pushed him to the wall. "Save the excuses! All I wanna hear is you screaming." Twilight froze his legs, then I got a look at his face. Twilight realized the burglar was the same person from the arena the one that she let go. "What I have done?" Twilight said then left once the cops bust through the door. ... The burglar went to prison, of course, and got 25 years to life. But I got something that night too, a greater understanding of what matters in this world. People like Uncle Astral can never be replaced, but the things they stood for can be carried on through our beliefs and through our work. "Since being in contact with magic geode at Simon Tech, I've observed the changes within myself, hypothesized that I'd be able to embrace them, predicted the role I'd play in society, and experimented with how best to use these powers. Now for my conclusion, and that is this... They're not to be taken lightly. I have been given a gift of great power. Astral always said, with great power comes great responsibility. I don't think I truly understood what he meant until that night. But in order to live up to that motto, I need to become something more than a celebrity. I need to become a symbol, a beacon of hope. I need to become a hero. I'm not saying it's been easy, but it's how I've made sense of what happened to me. And I'm sure it's what Uncle Astral would've wanted. So, the next time you see me flying by your window, know that although I've called many things, you'll know me best as The Masked Matterhorn!