//------------------------------// // Twilight Vs. The Furious Five // Story: Kung-Fu Equestria // by Lady Umbra //------------------------------// Luna gazed across the sleeping quarters, her posture ramrod straight and her eyes hard. Despite her firm demeanor, she resisted smiling as the morning gong rang across the palace. Before the sound could even fade, the Furious Five stepped out and stood at attention. "Good morning, Master," The Five said in unison. But one was missing. When Luna glared at the sleeping quarters of Twilight Sparkle, she found the door firmly shut. There was no sign of movement from outside. “Unicorn!” Luna called in irritation. No response. “Pony!” Luna shouted, storming over to the door. “Wake up,” she demanded, throwing the door open. However, what greeted her was an empty cot, devoid of any sign of the purple unicorn. Luna let a small, satisfied chuckle escape her lips. “She’s quit,” she declared. The five obediently followed Luna out, though Fluttershy and Pinkie glanced sadly back at the empty cot. The other three, however, were more preoccupied with three younger students walking alongside them; an orange pegasus with purple hair strode proudly beside Rainbow Dash, a white unicorn with pink and violet hair walked close to Rarity, and an earth pony with red hair shared a worried look with Applejack. All of them kept a careful watch on Luna, who was walking with a skip in her step. She looked happier than she had been in years. Carefully, Pinkie walked closer to the alicorn master. “So… what do we do now, Master?” Pinkie asked. “If Twilight quit… who’s going to be the Celestial Warrior?” "All we can do is resume our training,” Luna declared, in a voice that was far from worried. “And hope that one day…” she shared an expectant look with Rainbow Dash – a look Rainbow Dash gratefully returned with a nod. “The true Celestial Warrior will be revealed," Luna finished. Almost pirouetting, she opened the door… and the grin shot from her face faster than Derpy when she was scared. Twilight Sparkle had not quit. She was using the training room’s equipment to attempt a full split. A small squeak of pain was escaping her, but she remained firmly in position, trying to read a scroll that she must have scrounged up from the palace library. A magic inhibitor ring was wrapped around her horn. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!” Luna demanded, half in disbelief, and half in anger. Twilight nearly shot off the split equipment – and her fur – in fear, but her feet remained perfectly split apart. “Um… G-Good morning, Master,” Twilight said, attempting to bow to her master as best she could while stuck in her position. “I-I just thought I’d… warm up and… uh…” She wriggled in her position, but her feet remained firmly stuck apart. “You’re stuck?” Luna muttered. “No,” Twilight insisted. “I… I’m…” She struggled and writhed. Her horn even started to glow, more on instinct than anything else, but with the inhibitor on, the magic glow faded. She finally slumped. “Yes, I’m stuck.” She glanced up. “I’d use my magic… but you told me not to.” Despite Luna still feeling cheated that the purple unicorn had tricked her, she couldn’t help but gaze at the inhibitor with a bit of respect. 'At least she has respect for the rule,’ Luna thought grudgingly.‘Unlike Fizzlepop' "Someone help her," Luna ordered her students. Rainbow moved forward instantly. With one hard yank, she pulled Twilight off the training tool before dropping her on the ground. Twilight gingerly got to her feet, nursing her stretched calves. “Thank you,” she said, half bowing to Rainbow Dash. “Don’t mention it,” Rainbow Dash replied. “Still, I really…” Twilight tried to say, before Rainbow Dash glared her down. “Ever,” she growled, walking back to Luna’s side. "You actually thought you could do a full split in one night?" Luna demanded, seizing two plates of stones and throwing them high into the air. "It takes years to develop one’s flexibility!” Twilight flinched, watching the plates soar into the air, before noticing Rainbow Dash watching them as well, a grin appearing on her face as her body tensed, awaiting Luna’s command. "And years longer," Luna continued, "To apply it to combat!" With a snap of Luna’s fingers, Rainbow Dash launched into the air and struck both plates with a split kick. Twilight gaped in awe, her eyes following Rainbow Dash as she landed. Tossing her rainbow-colored hair with a scoff, the cyan pegasus walked back to her master’s side, as the shattered stone plates rained down around the awestruck purple unicorn. A larger chunk bounced off her head; a chunk Twilight tried to sneakily pick up. “Put! That! DOWN!” Luna snapped. “The only souvenirs we collect here are bloody knuckles and broken bones!" Dropping the chunk of stone, Twilight bowed before Luna, her fist in her palm. "Yes, Master Luna." Luna’s frown faded by a margin. “Let’s get started,” she declared. With a snap of her fingers, her students moved into position. "Yesterday,” Luna continued. “We saw if you knew any form of Kung-Fu. Now while you lack any muscle your form is... decent at best.” Despite her compliment, Luna’s frown didn’t fade. "Today, you are going to spar with my students." Her students straightened as she turned to them. "Scootaloo!" The orange pegasus flapped forward and bowed. "Sweetie Belle!" The white unicorn strut forward and bowed. "Apple Bloom!” The cream earth pony stepped forward and bowed. "You three will spar against the Celestial Warrior,” Luna declared, causing Twilight to look to her in shock. "Um… Master,” Twilight protested. “Shouldn't I only fight one of them at a time?" Luna chuckled. “Not with these three,” she declared, sharing a small smile with the three. “These three fight as one. They rely on each other’s strengths, and nullify each other’s weaknesses. As my sister once said, they have the heart, mind and soul of one!” As if to drive her point home, the three took up positions in a semi-circle around Twilight, assuming their combat stances in perfect synchronization. Twilight swallowed back her fear. “Stand ready,” Luna barked. Twilight quickly assumed her own combat form. Yet, her stance faltered when she noticed Apple Bloom take Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle’s hands, stepping back as if they were going to throw her like a slingshot. But before Twilight could ask what they were doing, Luna snapped her fingers. The alicorn master wasn’t lying about them. With a spinning motion, Apple Bloom threw both her friends at Twilight, like living projectiles. Twilight yelped and barely blocked their double kicks. As she forced them both back, Twilight moved to pursue them, only to be stopped cold as Apple Bloom buried her foot in the purple unicorn’s stomach. Twilight sunk to one knee, gasping for air, but before she could recover, Scootaloo shot in front of her, her wings flapping like a hummingbird and amplifying her speed. Twilight forced herself up, blocking every blow the orange pegasus threw at her. But her stamina began to fall. Twilight felt her breathing start to go ragged. Remembering what had happened the last time she had fought, Twilight caught Scootaloo by the wrist, and threw her over her shoulder. However, as Twilight threw Scootaloo away, Apple Bloom launched Sweetie Bell into the air, and Twilight only got enough time to turn around in shock before Sweetie Belle downed the Celestial Warrior with a hard palm to the face. As Twilight hit the ground, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom jumped on her arms, pinning her down as Sweetie Belle straddled her chest, her palm ready for a final blow. Thankfully, that blow did not come. "Well done, you three," Luna praised. The three girls looked back to their master with grins, and bowed. "Thank you, Master Luna," the three said in unison. As Twilight struggled back to her feet, she watched the three return to the Furious Five. Scootaloo high-fived Rainbow Dash, and Twilight tilted her head as she saw Rainbow Dash smile for the first time since they had met. "How'd I do, Rainbow?" Scootaloo asked. "You were awesome,” Rainbow Dash assured her. “Definity made you 20% cooler, Scoots." She ruffled the pegasus’ hair, and though there was no sign of them being related, Twilight could not deny the sisterly love between the two. Similar to the others, and yet different, as Sweetie Belle proved when she strut over to Rarity. "Did I do good, Rarity?" Sweetie Belle asked. "You did wonderful,” Rarity said, checking over her little sister for scuff marks. “A little less graceful than I would like, but you at least kept your hair almost perfect.” "Almost…?” Sweetie Belle started to demand, only to see a single strand of hair waving in front of her eyes. “Oh…” As for Applejack, she stood with her arms crossed and her Stetson on as Apple Bloom approached her. Yet even her eyes shined with the proud light of an elder sibling. "Well sis,” Apple Bloom asked. “How'd ah do?" "Ah think…" Applejack began, smiling before Applebloom could flinch down in nervousness. "Ah think ya did great, lil sis." Smiling at the signs of love between the three pairs of sisters – honorary or otherwise – Twilight regained her feet, and bowed to Master Luna. An irritated look grew on the alicorn’s face. "Pinkie Pie,” Luna ordered. "Okie dokie lokie," Pinkie agreed, bouncing in front of Twilight before assuming an almost panther like stance. “Are you ready?” Refusing to get caught off guard a second time, Twilight assumed her stance. "Born ready," Twilight declared, only to find herself staring down the barrel of Pinkie's party cannon. Before she could shriek, "Not for that!" Pinkie pulled the trigger with a gleeful laugh. BOOM! Within a split second, Pinkie Pie had managed to launch Twilight into the air before blasting herself into the air. With a hard chop, Pinkie returned Twilight to the ground with a hard THUD! Twilight groaned as she lay on the ground, Pinkie landing next to her. "You okay?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Sorry; I thought you said you were ready." Twilight groaned, but then she saw Luna's glare. Privately, Luna was daring her to give up. To walk out like she should have done that morning. But Twilight would not. She would not disappoint her. Unaware of what disappointing the alicorn master really meant, the purple unicorn struggled to her feet, and planted her fist into her palm with a bow. "That... was... awesome!" Twilight insisted, despite her mind saying otherwise, bowing to Master Luna. "Again." Agitated, Luna snapped her fingers. "Rarity!" The white unicorn strut forward, grabbing two bo staffs from a rack nearby. Rarity stepped before Twilight and bowed, before tossing one of the wooden weapons at her. "Stand ready," Luna said, as Rarity properly held her staff towards her opponent, Twilight copying her stance. Luna smiled as Rarity spun her staff, striking Twilight in her side and earning a yelp of pain. However, as Rarity went for a second strike, she was blocked by the purple unicorn. Emboldened, Twilight spun and struck Rarity in the stomach with the butt of her staff. However, Rarity recovered faster than Twilight could adapt, and used her weapon to trip Twilight to the ground before pointing her staff at Twilights face. "Admirable form, Rarity,” Luna declared with a smile, turning to Twilight. “Now, pony…” But her smile faded as she found Twilight already struggling to her feet. Despite wincing, Twilight got to her feet. And with her palm in her fist, she bowed, ready for the next round. Luna sneered, but kept herself from screaming. "Very well pony,” Luna declared, snapping her fingers. “Fluttershy!” The yellow pegasus winced. "Um... Master Luna… I don't..." Fluttershy said before Rainbow placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't" Rainbow said blankly. With a whimper, Fluttershy stepped forward. Her wings extended, and she and Twilight circled each other. And circled each other. And circled each other some more. “Um… are you… going to attack?” Twilight asked. Fluttershy squeaked with worry. Luna resisting sighing in irritation at the yellow pegasus’ kindness. Her eyes darted up; the sun was already starting to set. These two were wasting time. “Enough!” she barked, snapping her fingers. “Applejack!” Fluttershy barely got the chance to back out before Applejack shot in with a kick that sent the unprepared Twilight off her feet. Fluttershy gasped, almost reaching out to stop her, before Rainbow Dash and Rarity pulled her back. “It’s okay, darling,” Rarity said. “It’s just Luna’s way of…” But as Twilight slumped to the ground, Rarity winced as Twilight fell to all fours and threw up the contents of breakfast. Rarity and Pinkie glanced at Luna, shivering at her smile as Twilight weakly pushed herself back to her feet, only for Applejack to rush her again. “This…” Pinkie muttered. “Seems a little… excessive.” They flinched as the sound of wood cracking sounded alongside Twilight’s scream of pain. “Luna’s put us through worse,” Rarity tried to justify, even as the crack of concrete joined the sounds of the beating. “I don’t remember anything this bad,” Pinkie mumbled, as Twilight shrieked, getting thrown into the air. “Then again, maybe that’s just from a concussion or two.” Concussion or not, none of the Furious Five could deny; Applejack showed little to no mercy when facing the unicorn. And Luna’s grin only seemed to encourage the violence. It wasn't until the sunset bathed the training area on orange and gold that Applejack finally backed off, huffing from exertion. Twilight laid on her back, bruised, battered and broken from five consecutive losses. Yet as Luna tilted her head in apparent triumph, the grin was once again wiped from her face as Twilight lifted her hands and put her fist to her palm. Luna’s face went dark purple. Her teeth grit in fury. Rainbow Dash started to move forward, only to back up, eyes wide at the absolute fury burning in her master’s eyes. "I've been taking it easy on you, pony,” Luna snapped. “But no more.” She strode forward, and shed her robe, revealing her signature Gi with a crescent moon across the left side of her chest. “Your next opponent… will be me!” Twilight gaped at her with a squeak of fear, before reluctantly forcing herself to her feet. “O-Of course… Master,” Twilight whispered. Pinkie and Fluttershy glanced at each other in horror. Rarity, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom looked to each other with concern. Even Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked at each other in shock. Twilight barely managed to regain her feet before Luna had marched in front of her. "Step forward!” Luna ordered. Her heart jumping at Luna’s voice, Twilight obeyed before she could think… and was immediately spun into the air before finding herself on the ground, her arm twisting behind her back with an audible crack and pop. “The truth path to victory!” Luna hissed over Twilight’s yelps of pain. “Is to find your opponent’s weakness… and make them SUFFER for it!” “AAAHAHA-GOT-IT!” Twilight shrieked, only to be yanked by the horn back to her feet. "To take their strength, and use it AGAINST THEM,” Luna lectured, kicking Twilight into the air. “Until she finally FALLS!” She threw her to the ground before catching her and yanking her head back by the horn. “Or quits!” “But a real warrior never quits,” Twilight replied, glaring up at Luna. “And I will NEVER QUIT!” Luna grit her teeth in fury, before throwing Twilight into the air. “EVENTHOUGHYOUREMAKINGITVERYTEMPTING!” Twilight got out before Luna delivered a hard kick. A kick so powerful, it threw Twilight out through the doors of the Celestial Palace and down the flight of stairs, all the way back to Ponyville. The Furious Five watched in slight awe as Luna stormed back into the Palace. Cautiously, they peered out from the Palace, down the stairs. To their utter shock, Twilight had managed to stop her fall, and was clinging to the stairs like it was from the edge of a cliff. She glanced up at them, and Pinkie Pie grinned as Twilight shot them a broken smile. "If she's smart,” Rainbow Dash commented. “She won't come back up those stairs.” She turned and walked back inside, Scootaloo quickly falling in line behind her. Rarity rolled her eyes. “Don’t fool yourself, darling,” Rarity declared. “She will.” She turned away, Sweetie Belle fell in line behind her. Indeed, as Applejack, Apple Bloom, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy watched, Twilight started to pull herself up the stairs. "She's not going to stop,” Fluttershy whispered, partially in pity, and partially in awe. “Is she?" "Well, she did quit bouncing," Pinkie commented with a laugh. A laugh that Applejack cut short with a hand upside the back of the head. “Ow! What?” "Time and a place, Sugarcube," Applejack said, walking inside with Apple Bloom in tow. “Time and a place.” Rarity had guessed that the purple unicorn would be daft enough to climb back up the stairs. She had even set up acupuncture needles for when she came to her door. But still, she couldn’t help shaking her head in disbelief as Fluttershy and Pinkie dragged the beleaguered girl into her quarters, her face wracked with pain, but determined to stay conscious. A determination that shook like rippling water as Rarity set about aiding her. Twilight yelped in pain as Rarity placed a needle inside her back. Aside from Twilight and Rarity, Sweetie Belle stood with the box of needles, while Fluttershy watched on with worry in her eyes. "Darling, you must stop squirming," Rarity insisted. “I’m trying,” Twilight hissed. “I thought you said acupuncture would make me feel…” Twilight winced as Rarity placed another needle into her back. “Better.” “It actually does,” Fluttershy mentioned. “Rarity did this a lot for me when I was first starting out.” “Though, to be fair,” Rarity pointed out. “You were much more… er…” she shot an uncomfortable look at Twilight, who hung her head in resignation. “In shape?” Twilight muttered. Rarity rolled her eyes, and jabbed another needle in, earning a yelp from the purple unicorn. “I was going to say well-trained,” Rarity said. “Really, Twilight; do you truly think less of us just because of our experience?” “O-Of course not!” Twilight stammered, wincing as Rarity placed another needle. “It’s just…” she sighed. “I know Master Luna’s just trying to inspire me to train harder. But… sometimes, it really feels like she just wants to get rid of me.” Fluttershy, Sweetie Belle and Rarity all shot each other uncomfortable looks. Though they tried to hide them with false smiles, Twilight saw right through them. “Oh, sweet Celestia…” Twilight mumbled, burying her head in her hands as Rarity drew a few more needles from Sweetie Belle’s box. “Come now, darling,” Rarity said, literally prodding Twilight out of her moping. “Master Luna may seem heartless, but it’s truly not her fault.” “Yeah,” Sweetie Belle agreed. “Rarity, didn’t you say that there was a time when Master Luna used to smile?” Twilight laughed at the concept. “You mean like a genuine smile?” Twilight asked. “Actual happy and joyful smile?” “The very same,” Pinkie replied, poking her head in with a grin. Though the grin faded. “Before the room got sealed.” All eyes shifted to the direction of the forbidden room. Rainbow Dash glared out at them, before gazing in the direction of the forbidden room herself. "What happened?" Twilight asked. The group looked at each other. But just as Pinkie started to lean in and whisper, Rainbow Dash sighed, and walked up to them. "Tai Lung happened," Rainbow Dash replied. "Rainbow Dash!” Applejack barked from her own room. “You know we ain’t allowed to talk about him!” "Luna forbid it,” Fluttershy added quietly. "Well, if she's going to stay here, then she needs to know,” Dash insisted. As they argued, however, Twilight perked up. She remembered Tai Lung’s name from the books. This was something she knew! “B-But I know about Tai Lung!” Twilight declared, drawing Rainbow Dash’s gaze. “He was one of the first students to master the thousand scrolls of… Kung… Fu?” Instead of impressing the cyan master, Rainbow Dash’s glare had deepened. All of Twilight’s courage failed her. “T-Then he turned… bad?” Twilight whimpered. “And… went to… jail?” At first, Twilight feared Rainbow Dash was going to smack her. Then… the cyan master’s glare faltered. “He wasn’t just a student,” Rainbow Dash said quietly. Almost bitterly. “Luna found Tai Lung as a cub, and raised him like a son.” Privately, Twilight recalled that Tai Lung had been a student of Luna’s. But… also her surrogate son? Twilight tried to envision Luna feeding a child by hand. Caring for it. The idea… didn’t sit right with the stern teacher she had met. “And when the boy showed talent,” Rainbow Dash continued. “Luna trained him.” She looked down, her fists clenching. “Believed in him. Told him he was destined for greatness.” Despite Rainbow’s bitter tone, Twilight could see this much more easily. Tai Lung had been a prodigy. He would’ve easily passed Luna’s tests with flying colors. Twilight felt assured that had it been him going up against the Furious Five, they wouldn’t have had a prayer against him. “But it was never enough for Tai Lung,” Rainbow Dash said. “He wanted the Celestial Scroll. But Celestia saw darkness in his heart… and refused.” Her brow furrowed. “Outraged, Tai Lung laid waste to Ponyville. He tried to take the scroll by force.” Twilight winced. Why was it that just now, she remembered that particular part of Tai Lung’s history? “And Luna had to destroy what she had created.” Rainbow Dash paused, looking between Rarity and Sweetie Belle. “But, how could she?” Neither of the sisters answered, Sweetie Belle looking up to Rarity with worry in her eyes. Leaving Twilight’s side, Rarity went to her sister, and held her close. Rainbow Dash looked away with a grimace. “Luna had loved Tai Lung like she had never loved anyone before… or since.” Twilight covered her mouth. In that moment, Rainbow Dash wasn’t the leader and most powerful member of the furious five. In that moment, Twilight saw a scorned child. An unfavorite. One that had tried to live up to the expectations set by another… and never achieved them. Not due to her own lack of skill… but because the teacher wasn’t past her own failures. Then Rainbow Dash looked up, and the scorned child was replaced by the master. "And now she has a chance to make things right," Rainbow said firmly. "To train the true Celestial Warrior.” Her eyes narrowed at Twilight. “And what does she get?” Twilight lowered her head. "A scrawny, egg-headed unicorn who belongs in a library and takes it as a joke!" Twilight wanted to say she wasn’t taking it like a joke. That she wanted to do right by Luna. But at that moment, a sharp pain went up through her nerve, and her jaw went slack, her tongue hanging out as her eyes went cross eyed from the nerve jolt. "OH, THAT IS IT!!" Rainbow Dash yelled, moving to smack Twilight out of the building. Rarity just barely managed to jump in her way. “Rainbow, wait!” Rarity shrieked. “That was me; I accidentally tweaked her facial nerve.” At that moment, Twilight slumped to her stomach, her back covered in acupuncture needles. "And… may have also… stopped her heart," Rarity admitted, as Sweetie Belle poked at Twilight’s face. Meanwhile, unaware and barely caring of Twilight’s plight, Luna sat cross-legged in the training hall. Numerous candles were lit all around her as she meditated. "Inner peace," she exhaled, trying to achieve the concept. Yet, her mind remained wracked with worry. Her indignation for her son. Her frustration at Twilight. That odd flapping sound in the background. “In…” Luna forced herself to breathe. “In… Inner Peace…” It wasn’t working. Her son deserved better than this. Twilight wasn’t the Celestial Warrior. Who was making that flapping noise? Her ears flicked; hopefully she could silence one of her problems. "Will whomever is making that flapping sound quiet down!?” Luna demanded into the stillness of the training room. For a brief, shining moment, they obeyed. The flapping sound diminished. Luna started to return to her meditation. “Inner…” she started to say, only for the flapping to be replaced by a yelp, and the THUD of a body colliding with the ground. Sighing in frustration, Luna stood, ready to chastise whomever had interrupted her. But the sight of Derpy shaking melted snow off her fur brought a chuckle of relief from the dark alicorn master. “I stopped that flapping sound,” Derpy mumbled, as Luna crossed over to her. “I just don’t know what went wrong.” "Derpy, excellent" Luna greeted, dusting off the Pegasus. "I could use some good news." Especially after the day I've had, her thoughts admitted. The wall-eyed pegasus opened her mouth to speak, before her ears flattened. “Oh, uh… good news?” she squeaked. Luna tilted her head at Derpy’s sudden hesitation. “Is my son safe?” she asked. "Uh..." the pegasus whimpered hesitantly. "Derpy?" Luna asked worried. "Master Luna" began Derpy "Your, uh… Tai Lung…" Luna’s ears flattened. Her eyes widened in horror. “No…” Luna whispered. "Tai Lung has escaped! He said the real Celestial Warrior is coming home!" Derpy got her message out in one breath and flinched down, expecting to be yelled at. But when she opened her eyes, Luna was gone. Vanished into the dusk. The sun was halfway over the horizon when Luna found her. Celestia stood next to the sacred peach tree. Her breathing was steady, yet slightly ragged, and her hair was almost completely grey. Celestia's ears twitched, hearing the furious flapping of her sister’s wings. "Celestia!" Luna gasped, skidding to a stop before her. “It’s… I have terrible-terrible news!” "Oh, Luna,” Celestia said like she was still a little girl. “There is just news. There is no good or bad.” But when she turned to Luna, she saw the tears brimming in Luna’s eyes. "Your vision,” Luna almost cried. “Your vision came true. My s… Tai Lung has broken out of Tartarus, He's on his way here!” Celestia stood frozen for a moment. Her serene expression faded. “That… is bad news,” she admitted, before her smile returned. “If you do not believe the Celestial Warrior can stop him.” Luna started to protest, before hanging her head in defeat. “I don’t want him defeated,” she admitted. “I want my son back.” Her ear flicked, and she glared up at her sister. “And that purple unicorn can’t do either. Celestia… she isn’t the Celestial Warrior! She wasn’t even supposed to be here. It was an accident!” But Celestia shook her head. “Luna,” she said. “There are no accidents.” The fight drained from Luna’s face. She settled against the peach tree’s trunk. “Yes,” she admitted. “You’ve said that before. Twice.” Celestia chuckled. "Well that was no accident, either,” she almost sang, despite the tired sound of her voice. Luna rolled her eyes. "Thrice,” Luna commented, holding up three fingers "My sister," Celestia said in a mothering but tired tone, walking towards Luna, "Twilight will never fulfill her destiny - nor you yours - until you let go of the illusion of control.” Luna’s ears flicked. "Illusion?" she almost demanded. "Yes,” Celestia confirmed, looking up at the tree, and at the fading blossoms across its trunk. “Take a look at this tree: I can't make it blossom when it suits me, nor make it bear fruit before it's time." "But there are things we can control," Luna insisted. With a kick, she sent peaches raining down among them both. “I can control when the fruit will fall! Luna was cut off when a peach landed on her head. Celestia giggled as Luna seized the offending peach and threw it into the air. “And I can control…” Luna growled, leaping into the air and exploding the peach into juice, pulp and the seed. Grabbing the seed, Luna rocketed to the ground, and punched into the ground, creating a small hole. “Where to plant the seed!” Luna threw the seed into the hole she had just punched in. “That is no illusion… sister!” "Ah yes,” Celestia admitted, limping her way over to the hole and the seed haphazardly thrown in. “But no matter you do, that seed will turn to a peach tree. You may wish for an apple or an orange tree, but you will get a peach." "But a peach cannot bring my son back!” Luna insisted, frustration and grief entering her tone. "Maybe it can,” Celestia offered, bending down and gently burying the seed in the dirt. “If you are willing to guide it… to nurture it... To believe in it.” “How?” Luna almost sounded like a child. “I need your help, sister.” But her ears perked in confusion; Celestia was practically leaning on her staff. Her hair had lost all its ethereal colors. “You just… need… to believe,” Celestia insisted, though she almost looked ready to fall on her feet. The sun was getting lower, paving the way for the night. “Promise, me, Luna… promise me you will believe…” “Celestia?” Luna asked, reaching to hold her sister up. “Celestia, what’s happening?” Celestia looked down at her withering form with a sigh. Like she was disappointed her body had to give out on her now. “My time has come,” she whispered. "Impossible!” Luna insisted. “You’re immortal!” "The spell I used to free you from the grasp of Nightmare Moon…” Celestia said, collapsing into her sister’s arms. “It may have taken your magic… However, to cast it… I had to give up my immortality.” Luna gaped in horror. “You’re dying… because of me?” Luna asked, a new surge of guilt joining the one that had rested in her soul ever since Tai Lung’s rampage. "No," Celestia placed a hand on her sister's cheek. "I gave up my immortality for you. So that I could be with my sister again.” Celestia smiled, despite wrinkles appearing across her white features. Turning her old and decrepit. “Please…” Luna whispered, clutching at her sister like it was her dying, and not Celestia. “Please, don’t go, Tia,” she almost cried. “But now… you must… continue your journey… without me," Celestia continued. Struggling to stay on her feet, she lifted her staff, and placed it into Luna’s hands. “T-Tia…” Luna whimpered, tears spilling from her eyes. “Tia, please… no…” But as the setting sun tipped over the horizon, it gave one last glow, like a flare of light. Celestia stepped back as peach blossoms floated towards the flash of light, almost carrying Celestia away and towards the vanishing sun. “Celestia!” Luna screamed, stumbling after her. “You’re all I have left! Please don’t do this!” But as the flash of light faded - and Celestia with it – she smiled faintly at her younger sister. “You must… believe,” Celestia whispered, her voice like the wind. “Celestia!” Luna screamed. But then the flash faded. The sun set. The peach blossoms blew away in the breeze. And Celestia was gone. Luna fell to her knees, clutching her sister’s staff. And she wept. For now, it was not enough for her to have lost a son. She had lost both a sister and a mother as well.