Twilight Stickmin

by raven618

Prologue

First it was very dark, then it was suddenly too bright. “Ah. Hello, Twilight.” A pale grey Unicorn with greased back hair and wearing a cloak walked out of the shadows. “Welcome… to The Wall.”

“Some of the most cunning and notorious criminals, of all races, are kept here,” He walked over to a wall she couldn’t see, as if admiring his work, “and now we have the infamous Twilight Sparkle. You’re going to be here for a long time.” The smile on this stallion’s face was creeping her out.

“Thunderlane, take her.” Before she had a chance to react, a muscular dark Pegasus came up behind her, put the sack back over her head, and began moving her to another part of the complex.

But you might be asking yourselves, how did this mare end up in a situation like this? Well my friends, that is a very long story, but something tells me you already have some idea of how it is going to go.

Okay ponies, let’s take it from the top.

My name is Twilight Sparkle. I was born in Canterlot, capitol city of Equestria, about twenty years ago. When I was 8 years old, my parents took me to Phili City for the Summer Sun Celebration. There, I saw Princess Celestia raise the sun for the first time. I became fascinated by the idea of magic and what it could do. I began reading as many books on the subject as I could, and I quickly became skilled at basic spells like levitation, light, and telekinesis. Then my parents enrolled me in Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. This would have been the turning point of my life, the place where Twilight Sparkle became one of the greatest magicians in Equestria. It would have been, if not for the entrance exam.

The teachers made all potential students pass a test of magic before being allowed to enter. This year, the teachers asked me to hatch open a dragon egg. A task I most definitely wasn’t prepared for. Fun fact, I looked into it after the exam, and not only is it impossible for a unicorn filly to hatch a dragon egg, but it is impossible for any pony, foal, adult, Unicorn, Pegasus, or Earth Pony to hatch a dragon egg. So either the teachers were really mean to kids, morons who didn’t know how magic worked, or just were totally drunk when they thought up that test.

To make a long and sad story short, I did not pass the test and was denied entry into the school. Well, me and every other foal who enrolled that year. Between the outraged parents, the complete absence of students, and lack of communication between the test administrators, the teachers, and Princess Celestia herself, the whole school fell apart a few weeks later. Literally, the buildings actually fell apart because of somepony’s experiment gone wrong. It was quiet cathartic to hear about it.

But back to me. Failing an impossible test didn’t stop me from learning. I went back to my books, practiced with my big brother (did I forget to mention I have a big brother?), and became a better magician than I ever could studying in a classroom. And I wasn’t the only one. A lot of the other foals who failed the test formed their own study groups. Some studied communication magic and created the first telephones. Some focused on more combat-oriented spells like laser beams and force fields. Some of us discovered how to use and make magical artifacts. Teleportation plates, miniature cannons, airships, and all other sorts of equipment that could only be seen in comic books, was suddenly the stuff of reality.

The spells I’m most proud of are my skills with pocket dimensions. At any moment or in any situation I can summon from a vast collection of equipment, tools, and artifacts without needing to carry them with me. There are a few limitations to this magic. Firstly, I can only access a few items at any one time. There is also a slight cooldown of a few seconds after I select an item. Despite these limitations, I’ve been able to use the spell quite efficiently.

Of course, being a practicing magician of true magic isn’t the best paying job, probably because it’s not a job at all. As such, I’ve run into a bit of a money problem. And while I would much rather find a job at a nice library or book café, nopony in Canterlot is hiring right now. And those big businesses with the office spaces and the telephones won’t let somepony like me with no work experience even enter the building, much less give me a job. So, I’m left with no choice but to steal the money. I mean I guess I could go to some other town and see if they have any jobs open, but then I’d have to move houses, and talk to strange ponies and… No it just seems easier to rob someone.

Wish me luck.

$= Breaking the Bank =$

It was located in the middle of the Fillypino Desert. Probably the worst place to put a bank, but it was here, it was lightly guarded, and she needed money. The purple Unicorn walked over to the bank, making sure that she wasn’t seen by the guards, and made her way over to the side of the building. If this was like most banks, then the vault would be right behind the wall.

She pushed aside her dark purple mane, and looked to her left, nothing. She looked to her right, nothing. She checked above her, still nothing. No fence, no cameras, and no motion detector. A single brick wall. That was all that stood between her, and paying this month’s rent. There was no turning back now. Twilight breathed in deep, focused her resolve, and breathed out. Now, how to get inside?

Use a shovel?

Use explosives?

Use a teleporter?

Use a laser?

Use a wrecking ball?

Use a disguise?

Author's Note:

Sorry if this chapter seems a little long winded. It was difficult to get this chapter over the 1000 words hurdle.

Vote here.

Comments

[Cojo5536]

Despite these limitations, I’ve been able to use the spell quiet efficiently.

Quite, not quiet, there's a difference.

[Comickook]

Hmm. Have to admit that this does look like it could have potential. Certainly appreciated the effort in this alternate Twilight's backstory to make her a hybrid of herself and Henry. (especially with the stuff about the "dragon egg test" being the beginning of the end for the school) And, yeah, the bad luck concerning the honest job hunt makes sense too.

And, yeah, it DOES make sense that Neighsay is in the role of the Warden.

It's pretty easy to guess that either the Changelings or the Storm King's army would be in the role of the Toppats (more likely the Storm King's army given how much of a natural Tempest would be as the Right Hand/Hoof Man/Mare). And either Rainbow or Pinkie would be naturals for the role of Charles. But those are the only roles I'm going to guess (and I will freely admit that those guesses could be wrong).

As for the first choice, obviously the disguise since that one, at least, gives her the least amount of lumps for this first bit.

[BiffdaKid]

Has potential if done right this will be a fun ride

[My name is R]

I look forward to seeing how this diverges from the source material with its new protagonist.

[Comickook]

Possible idea for later:

1. One of the other spells Twilight learned over the years could be a "temporal memory" spell that allows her to remember every mistake she and her divergent timeline counterparts made in their decisions, so she remembers the stuff that killed her in other timelines even if she, herself, is very much alive. While this spell is useful in helping her learn from the mistakes of several different versions of herself, this has the downside of bombarding her mind with conflicting memories.

[Wagooigi]

I literally can't find anything at all and you chapter names don't help distinguish what choice is what.