//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Future Masters // Story: The Key to Friendship // by ImperfectXIII //------------------------------// “Surprised to see me?” Twilight Sparkle blinked several times to make sure her eyes were working properly. She barely got to see her older brother Shining Armor since he joined the Canterlot Royal Guard, and normally she’d have been ecstatic to see him. But his presence here at this moment in time meant only one thing. “I-I have to fight you?!” she nervously stammered. “There are very few Keyblade Masters in Equestria beside myself,” Celestia explained, “and, as I’m sure you’re aware, your brother here was recognized for the Mark of Mastery not long after he made captain. If you have reservations at the thought of fighting him…” “W-Well…” “You’ll have to excuse Twily here, princess,” said Shining Armor. “Back when she first got her Keyblade, she’d want to spar with me all the time and put all she learned about it to practical use. If the way she’s acting comes as a surprise, it’s because…she could never beat me.” “Ah. I see. In that case, perhaps I’ll get in touch with Master Featherswift in Cloudsdale—” “Wait.” Celestia and Shining Armor looked to Twilight, who hung her head just slightly. After a few moments of silence, she picked her head up and looked back to her teacher and sibling. “…I’ll do it. Let me show you – both of you – what I’ve learned. Please.” “You’re sure?” “Yes.” As she closed her eyes, Twilight produced her Keyblade. Across from her, Shining Armor grinned and produced his own: a Keyblade that ostensibly reflected its wielder’s inclination toward strength and protection. Princess Celestia stood off to the side and watched the two closely. “Twilight Sparkle…” The young unicorn’s violet eyes glinted with confidence. “Master Shining Armor…” So too did the older unicorn’s eyes of intense cerulean. “May the light of the Keyblade, and the light of the Equestrian sun, guide both of your hearts to victory. …Begin!” My Little Pony: The Key to Friendship ~ Chapter 2: Future Masters ~ Celestia’s eyes were glued to the battle that played out before her. For going on five minutes, Twilight and her brother clashed blades fiercely, neither willing to give the other an inch. Shining Armor occasionally alternated between wielding his Keyblade in his mouth and wielding it telekinetically to throw his sister off, while Twilight demonstrated a talent in a wide assortment of magic spells. Fire, wind, gravity – each attempt by her brother to confuse her was met with an attempt of her own. To the princess’s affixed eyes, it was like poetry in motion watching the two do battle. With a particularly loud clang of steel against steel, Twilight and Shining Armor leapt away from each other to catch their breath. Their Keyblades hovered at their sides, and their brows were marked with sweat. Shining Armor’s lips curled up into a smirk. He’d expected the fight to be over by now, and he was surprised by how long his sister’s lasted against him. Surprised and impressed. “Wow,” he started at Twilight, “you didn’t put up this much of a fight last time.” “I’ve been…practicing,” Twilight replied in short breaths. “Well, it shows,” Shining Armor commended, “though you’re lookin’ a little beat there. You sure you want to keep going?” Twilight put on a confident grin and readies her weapon. “Oh, I’m sure. You ready to lose for the first time, ‘Shiny’?” Shining Armor put on a grin of his own and hardened his stance in preparation for whatever Twilight threw at him next. The younger unicorn pointed the tip of her Keyblade at her brother and shot a trio of fireballs at him. In response, Shining Armor erected a spherical barrier around himself. The fireballs made contact with the barrier and were absorbed into the energies that comprised it. Twilight rocketed forward herself then and brought the full physical force of her blade down upon the barrier. Once again, it simply absorbed the blow, its energies rippling outward from the point of impact. “Nice try, little sis.” Twilight wasn’t discouraged. Throughout the fight, she’d been studying her brother’s techniques, tactics, and magic closely – how they worked and how they could be circumvented. Shining Armor was known for his specialty in barrier magic, that much was clear. And the resilience of the barrier was proportional to its size and the amount of magic he poured into it. He could outlast her for hours if necessary. But she’d seen him cast it enough times to understand how it worked. With this knowledge, Twilight projected her unicorn magic upon her brother’s shield and inverted its magical polarity – like reversing a battery – allowing her Keyblade to pass through! Shining Armor diffused his now useless barrier and brought his weapon up to shield himself. “Well now,” he commented, amazed, “that’s a neat new trick.” “Like it? It took me a while to work out the specifics of how your spell worked. I mean, I still can’t cast it myself, but just understanding how it worked was enough for me to—” “Okay, I get it!” Shining Armor griped with a roll of his eyes. “Boy, once you get going…!” Twilight harrumphed at her brother’s jab at her quirks and turned her attention back to the matter at hand. Jumping away, she hung in midair as she assailed him with blasts of ice. The older unicorn leapt out of the way of each blast and retaliated by flinging his Keyblade at Twilight like a boomerang. The spinning blade narrowly missed Twilight as she leaned out of its flight path; thinking quickly, she magnetized it, allowing it to orbit her body for a few seconds, before sending it straight back to sender. Shining Armor hopped to his rear by several feet, and his Keyblade struck the ground where he stood just milliseconds earlier. ‘Whew! Close one!’ thought the intimidated captain. Princess Celestia continued to watch as the battle between her student and the captain of her Royal Guard persisted. Truly, she was astounded by how skillful with the Keyblade she’d become. But there was something off about the way in which Twilight fought. It felt as though something was missing. And Celestia knew exactly what that something was. It was something Twilight had always been missing and refused to accept. She truly hoped that she would learn to accept it before it was too late. She craned her head upward as Twilight suddenly rocketed several feet off the ground. “Haaaaaaah!” With a fierce battle cry, Twilight dove upon Shining Armor from above, bringing her Keyblade harshly against his once more. The violent reaction of their colliding magical auras exploded outward, blanketing Princess Celestia’s throne room in a blinding light. The princess of the sun shielded her eyes with a wing and waited for the intense light to die away. …When the dust finally settled, Twilight and Shining Armor stood muzzle to muzzle, their eyes locked and their Keyblades poised to deal the finishing blow. “…Enough,” Celestia spoke out. “An excellent battle, the both of you. I’ve seen all that I needed to see.” The unicorn siblings heaved a simultaneous sigh and backed away, their weapons vanishing into their cutie marks. They stood side by side before their princess as she looked upon them. “A most awe-inspiring display, Shining Armor,” said Celestia, addressing the older unicorn first. “I see now that I chose very well in appointing you captain of my Royal Guard.” “You flatter me, your Majesty. It was, as always, an honor.” She nodded in reply before turning to her dearest student. “I’ve reached a decision. Twilight, you’ve fought well and hard today. And while you had doubts about facing your older brother at first, you overcame those doubts and rose to the occasion. How far you’ve come in your studies has been made perfectly clear…” With each sentence of praise Princess Celestia gave her, Twilight’s eyes grew in size, as though her passing the exam was a foregone conclusion. She so longed to hear her teacher say those words to her… …but those words would never come. “…But it is with deep regret that I must inform you…” The pupils in Twilight’s eyes shrank. “…You have not yet shown yourself worthy of the Mark of Mastery.” “W-What?!” Twilight’s thoughts raced faster than ever. She felt her world crumbling at her hooves. Never before today had she failed an exam; she didn’t allow herself to. And here Princess Celestia was, telling her she did just that. “But…why?!” she cried, desperate. “Did I take longer than I was supposed to?! Was I on a time limit?! Did I not react fast enough?! Did I focus too much on physical attacks, or on magic?! Please, princess! Tell me what I did wrong!” Celestia couldn’t say she hadn’t expected this kind of reaction. “Twilight, please, calm yourself. It’s not the end of the world. You did nothing wrong. As a matter of fact, only members of the Royal Guard have ever lasted as long against Shining Armor as you have.” “Then why—?!” “The Mark of Mastery, as I said at the beginning of all this, is bestowed only upon those who are strong of heart. Your heart is indeed strong, Twilight…but it is also markedly empty.” “Empty…?” “You’ve read and reread an untold number of books in your time as my student. And what have you learned about from doing so? History, literature, magic – all vital information as a scholar and Key bearer, yes, but there’s more to life than what’s just on the written page. Tell me: did you make any friends at all while attending my school?” Twilight had no idea where Celestia was going with this, but indulged her nonetheless. “Well, Spike and I—” “Spike is different. You hatched him from a dragon egg. The two of you are close, of course, but he’s more like family to you, isn’t he? I mean real friends. Do you have any?” Twilight hesitated in her answer. “I… I guess I don’t. But you don’t understand, Princess.” “Oh? Enlighten me then.” “Books are – have always been – everything to me. They’ve taught me so much, and they still have so much more to teach me. And I never want to stop reading. Or learning.” Twilight moved toward one of the stained glass windows and looked up to regard it intently. “Ponies aren’t like books. They’re unpredictable. Disorganized. Irrational. I love books because they’re predictable. The invaluable knowledge they provide, the captivating stories they tell…” It was almost difficult for Twilight to put her love of books into words, and before she realized it, a melody had found its way into her heart, and she started to sing. So much left to know So much time to grow So many mysteries to uncover Wishing for just one more to discover Even though other fillies and foals Seem bored with books and scrolls It fills my heart to expand my mind Finding things I never knew I could find And I have so far to go And there’s so much left to know Princess Celestia smiled warmly as she joined her student by her side. “Oh, Twilight,” the alicorn princess said softly, “there’s so much you’re missing out on.” Looking up to the same window of illustrative glass, she joined in her student’s heartfelt song. So much beauty to be found Every precious sight and sound You can learn so much from the pages of a book But never forget to get out and look With your own two wondering eyes At the sea, the fields, the skies With friends by your side, I know you’ll be on your way To discovering something new every single day All together we will grow For there’s so much left to know To know Celestia casts her gaze downward to meet Twilight’s eye. You can wait a little longer to grow For there’s so much left to know “…Princess?” Twilight looked up at her teacher with a face of uncertainty. “I have a task I’d like you to do for me, Twilight. Will you hear me out?” …Spike let out a great sigh as he placed the last book on the shelf. “Finally finished,” the young dragon spoke to himself as he stepped down from the ladder. “I wonder how Twilight’s exam is—” Before he could finish his thought, Spike heard the front door downstairs close shut. “Twilight?” In his excitement, Spike slid the rest of the way down the ladder and raced down the stairs to meet his unicorn best friend as she came in. “Welcome back! So how’d your exam go? Passed with flying colors, right? Am I supposed to call you ‘Master Twilight’ now? Hehehe.” Twilight rubbed a foreleg in hesitance. She almost didn’t have the heart to break the bad news to one she considered a little brother. “Um… Actually, Spike…” Spike quickly picked up on Twilight’s lack of excitement and lost his smile. “Or…did I jump the gun before you could tell me what happened?” “…Maybe you should sit down, Spike. We need to talk.” Thirty minutes earlier… “…The Summer Sun Celebration?” “Yes,” Princess Celestia affirmed. “I’d like you to oversee the preparations for the Celebration this year. It’s being held at the bottom of the mountain, in a small town called Ponyville. I’m certain with somepony like you acting as the chief supervisor, it’d be a Celebration to remember. It is, after all, the thousandth one.” “But, Princess Celestia,” Twilight protested, having nearly forgotten why she wanted to meet with the princess to begin with, “I’ve made a terrible discovery before coming here! The ‘longest day of the thousandth year’ – which this year’s Celebration falls on – is the day that the Mare in the Moon, Nightmare Moon, escapes from imprisonment!” Celestia raised an eyebrow at this. “Nightmare Moon?” “If something isn’t done to prevent this from happening, all of Equestria will be plunged into everlasting darkness! I know the Summer Sun Celebration is one of the most important events of the year, but for the sake of all of Equestria, I must insist we cancel it this year and make sure Nightmare Moon doesn’t break free!” Celestia laughed then, which puzzled her student a great deal. “Oh, Twilight, you simply must stop reading those dusty old books! The Mare in the Moon is nothing more than an old ponies’ tale, the stuff of folklore. Secondly, do you realize what it is you’re suggesting? Cancel the Summer Sun Celebration? Do you know how many ponies would be upset if I authorized that? It’s just as you say – the Celebration is one of the most significant events of the year. I can’t simply call it off two days prior and on the word of one little pony. No matter how much I value that pony’s diligence and counsel.” “But—!” “Twilight,” Celestia cut her off again, “trust me when I say you have nothing to worry yourself over. And when the Celebration’s passed, we can discuss your retaking the Mark of Mastery exam. Will you do this for me?” Twilight’s mind wrestled with itself. Who was she to doubt Princess Celestia’s word? Maybe she was worrying herself over nothing. Maybe it was just an old ponies’ tale. As for supervising the preparations for the upcoming Celebration, how could she say no? It wasn’t an order from her ruler; it was the favor of a teacher and the only pony aside from her brother who she considered a dear friend. “…Of course,” Twilight finally answered. “Thank you. And Twilight?” “Yes?” “During your stay in Ponyville, do try and make some friends, won’t you?” she said with a wink. …On the morning of the solstice, Princess Celestia and Shining Armor stood in the castle courtyard to see Twilight and Spike off. From the way Twilight clung to her brother so firmly, Spike would’ve needed a crowbar to pry her legs loose. Any tighter, and the mare would’ve cut off Shining Armor’s air supply. “Twilight,” groaned the stallion, “it’s only gonna be for a day or two.” “I know,” Twilight moaned. “Doesn’t mean I’m not gonna miss you or Canterlot.” “Yeah, yeah… See ya soon, Twily.” “You too, B.B.B.F.F.” Twilight finally let go of her brother of her own volition and moved toward the chariot. Shining Armor leaned down to meet Spike eye-to-eye. “I’m counting on you to look after my little sis for me, okay, Spike?” Spike responded with a reassuring salute. “Leave it to me, ‘Shiny’! She’s in good hooves! …Er, claws.” Shining Armor almost pulled the little dragon in to give him a noogie, but out of fear of scraping his hooves on Spike’s scales, he settled for patting him lightly on the head. “Heh. No doubt about that.” “Hehehe.” Their brotherly moment now passed, Spike joined Twilight in the chariot. And with a gesture from Twilight, the two Pegasus royal guards at the front took off, flapping their wings, beating their hooves against the air, and taking the chariot Twilight and Spike were riding in up into the sky with them. Twilight looked back to Shining Armor one last time, waving goodbye to both him and Princess Celestia. The princess and captain waved back, and kept waving until the chariot fell out of sight. Shining Armor slowly lowered his hoof as he addressed the princess standing behind him. “…You sure it was a good idea not telling her?” Celestia replied with a question of her own. “You would rather I did tell her and cause her undue stress?” “I’m just saying. No good can come from keeping her in the dark like this. The banishment spell is going to wear off tonight.” “And when that happens, I’ll be ready.” “No,” Shining Armor asserted, turning to face his princess. “We’ll be ready. You won’t have the Elements on your side this time, your Majesty. Your Keyblade is strong – possibly the strongest in Equestria – but I won’t allow you to face Nightmare Moon by yourself. As both captain of the Royal Guard and a Keyblade Master of Canterlot, it is – and always will be – my sworn duty to protect you and this kingdom.” Princess Celestia closed her eyes for a moment, her heart warmed. “Thank you, Captain. But you are wrong about one thing: we do have the Elements on our side…so long as Twilight comes through.” “Do you think she can do it? She’ll know what to do when the time comes?” She opened her eyes again and looked to the sky, as though she could see Twilight’s chariot in the distance. In all likelihood, she probably did see it. “I have the utmost confidence in her.” “…Be honest with me though: you had every intention of failing Twilight in her Mark of Mastery exam, didn’t you?” “I’m afraid I have no idea what you’re talking about, my dear Shining Armor,” said Celestia through her thin smile. Shining Armor shook his head. “No wonder the other guards call you ‘Trollestia’ behind your back…” “What was that?” “Nothing.”