> Kung-Fu Equestria
>  by Lady Umbra
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Comic-Con seemed like any other. The man walked through the vast tributes to anime and fiction, hoping to find something for his growing anime collection. After a time, a merchant stood out among the crowd: a peculiar chap dressed as the Merchant from Resident Evil 4. The man began to follow him until he entered a stall filled with all sorts of anime and movie memorabilia. Approaching the stall the man spot a pair of claw gloves with a white leopard design on them

"Something catch your eye, Stranger?" The merchant asked, his voice strangely like the Merchant from the game

"Uh..yeah," the man admitted. "H-how much for the claws?" 

500 each

The man winced. "Damn that's out of my price range, but..I really want those

But when the Merchant saw that the man didn't have the money, he waved the poor collector away. Once he turned around the collector quickly grabbed the claws and left. Not looking back, he headed to his car. Unfortunately ten feet from his car he felt a hand grip his shoulder hard before spinning him around. The claws dropped from his hands with a clatter. Before him was the very Merchant he had stolen from. Gripping his collar with both hand he picked the poor greedy man up off the ground. When he spoke, it was in a severely angered voice

Nobody Steals From Me!...Enjoy Your Punishment

With a final scream, the man was then engulfed in Darkness



Wind traveled across a cold night as the full moon cast shadows amist the dark streets of Ponyville. High above the village stood The Celestial Palace, a large, elaborately designed, and sacred palace that overlooked the Village of Ponyville. Perched on the top of Canterlot Mountain and visible for hundreds of miles, it stood proud a symbol of justice, honor, and courage. Like many other palaces, The Celestial Palace and its grounds are a complex that serve as a grand residence for Kung-Fu Masters and Students. Many masters have lived and trained in the palace since its construction, presumably under Senior Master Celestia's instruction. The palace currently serves as the home of its current senior master, Luna Solaris. On that fateful night, Luna awoke to the sound of knocking of the palace doors. Getting out of bed she placed a robe on and raced to the pounding door. Only when she laid her hand on the large door did the knocking stop, Cautiously Luna opened the door and found no-one there. Yet, upon looking down, she found a blanket wrapped around a sleeping child. Picking up the baby she saw that the child had snow white fur with black circles all over his body. Turning her gaze back to her surroundings she looked around, seeking any trace of the person who left the infant behind. Anger welled inside her.

'What kind of person could abandon something so helpless' she thought furiously.

"Hello?" Luna called into the night.

The only response was the whisper of the cold night winds. With no answer Luna looked down at the child in pity. she could not leave him out here alone.

"Come little one, let's get you out of the cold" Luna said, bringing the infant into the Celestial Palace

The following morning Luna had the servants make food that the baby could eat. As Luna examined the child she estimated that the infant was no older than 4 and 5 months old. As she personally fed the child she couldn't help but smile as the child made happy sounds and clapped, gazing on her with unconditional love of a baby recognizing his mother. While Luna was entranced with the child, she failed to notice that her master and sister had entered the room. Celestia Solaris, Grandmaster of the Celestial Palace, and the Older Sister of Luna Solaris. a Woman with flowing blue, green, purple, and pink hair except her blue, green, and pink hair had greyed out with age

"Good Morning Luna" Celestia said causing Luna to jump up

"Master" Luna said, quickly placing her fist into her palm before bowing to her sister

"Luna, we're sister's, both masters of the art. Please Luna, call your sister by her name" Celestia pleaded

"Sorry Tia," Luna apologized. "Old habits."

"So little sister," Celestia asked. "Who is this cute little thing" She pet the top of the childs head, the child staring at her with confusion. As Celestia gazed into his innocent face, her eye narrowed, taking in more than just his physical appearance

"No idea," Luna replied. "I found him at the door last night. No name, no note, and not a single trance of any living thing for miles. From what I can tell he is somewhere between 4 to 5 months old." Luna gazed on the child with sadness. When she spoke again, the sadness crept into her voice. "Tia...I think he was abandoned here on purpose"

"You wish to help this child," Celestia asked. "like I helped you when you were the Dreaded Nightmare Moon?" 

"You promised you wouldn't remind me of my darkest past" Luna said with a downcast look before grinning at the child. "But yes I want to help him. Give him a name and a home

"Any names come to mind Little Sister?" Celestia asked

For a moment, Luna thought. As she fed her newly adopted son, she grinned as an idea came to her

"Tai Lung," She declared. "My Great Dragon"

"Are you sure about this Luna?" Celestia asked with worry in her voice

"More certain than anything in my entire-OW!" Luna shrieked in pain, for Tai Lung had pulled out a large amount of her midnight hair

'I hope your right about this Luna,' Celestia thought grimly 'There's something about that child that gives me this feeling that I haven't felt since....Tirek'



Four years later

Tai Lung was in the training hall with Luna. As he played with the various objects inside,  he came across a round training dummy. Grinning at the new challenge, Tai Lung swiping at it with his right paw before jumping back and delievering a stong kick, knocking the dummy back and causing one of the spears to fall from the weapon rack and onto the ground. Luna noticed this and aproached her son, pride in her eyes, love adding itself in as Tai Lung nudged her affectionately. An idea blossoming in her mind, Luna began to show her adopted son the steps to the basic moveset of Kung-Fu. Her grin widened as Tai Lung copied her movements, almost with perfect fluidity.

Six years later

Tai Lung was pushed to the ground by a group of other students, rolling into a combat stance even as they surrounded him like the wolves they were.

"Leave me alone" Tai Lung growled, shifting on his paws

"You don't deserve this," the leader claimed "Your just the adopted son of the Master Luna. Unlike you, we had to earn our place here!"

The wolf's words were cruel, and they struck Tai Lung in a place he hadn't expected. His combat stance dropped.

"What?" Tai asked in disbelief.

"I said leave" the wolf snarled, rearing his fist back. But his blow was caught, and he was thrown away from the Leopard boy

The angered wolf boy looks up only to see Master Luna

"Master!" the wolf immediately bowed and placed his fist into his palm 

Luna said nothing as she shed her robe revealing her blue Gi, placing a hand behind her back while extending her hand "Come on, then," She dared, her voice cold and demanding.

The Wolf barely hesitated. with a bark, he charged using a series of claw strikes at Luna, only to have Luna block them with only one hand. The boy contined until he lost his temper and lunged at his master. Luna retaliated by slamming two fingers into his shoulder knocking him off course. As the boy got back to his feet he saw that he couldn't move his arm.

"What did you do?" asked the wolf-boy.

Luna placed her hand on the boys shoulder before popping it back into place causing the boy to regain feeling.

"Leave, You and all the students here are hereby forbidden to ever return to learn here again" Luna declared. The wolves didn't question her, and raced from the palace. Luna turned to face her son, only to find him gone.



Climbing the stairs Celestia settled herself next to a peach tree as she gazed upon the near setting sun. Not long after sitting against the tree did she hear the faint sound of sniffling. With a smile, Celestia grabbed her staff and lightly tapped the bark, causing a peach to fall from one of the branches and into the hands of her nephew, who had been sitting on the strongest branches just above her

"How long did you known I was here Auntie?" Tai asked

"For awhile actually," Celestia replied as Tai climbed down. "I saw you storm out of the training area, and it would seem you have found my favorite place to calm myself and think." 

Her gaze grew concerned when Tai did not reply, setting himself down next to her

"What trouble you, Little Dragon?" She asked

"Am I....Adopted?" the Snow Leopard asked

"Ahh..that puts the peices together doesn't it" Celestia replied with a grin 

"So it is true?" Tai asked

"Though it may be true, Does it change anything Tai Lung?" Celestia replied. "My sister may have found you abandoned as a cub but she still raised you as if you were her own flesh and blood." 

"Despite the circumstances you were given, you are here now. With a name, a home, and someone who loves you enough to call you her son."

Celestia stood and left the tree so that Tai could have a moment to himself. Returning to the Palace Celestia ran into Luna who was frantically searching for Tai Lung

"Tia," Luna asked in a panic, "have you seen Tia Lung?"

"Tai Lung is fine," Celestia assured her sister. "He is sitting by the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom," 

Yet, when Luna tried to go to they boy, Celestia blocked her withher staff.

"He just learned the truth," Celestia advised her sister. "he needs time to think. Give him time and he will return." 

Luna still gazed at her son with a defeated look.

"Why...Why do have to always be right Tia?" Luna asked.

With her free hand Celestia lifted Luna's chin.

"I'm your sister," she said with a smile. "It's my job."

The joking reply brought a smile to Luna's face.

A hour or two passed before Tai Lung returned to the Celestial Palace, Immediately he walked up to Luna and wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace.

"I wish you would have told me," he said quietly, before he looked up at her with determination in his eyes. "But it doesn't matter. I know who I am, and no matter what I will never forget it. I am Tai Lung, The son of Master Luna Solaris"  

Mother and son smiled at each other. Then Luna then bent down and embraced her son

"I know that, My Great Dragon," Luna assured him. "You are destined from Greatness. I can feel it."

Yet, as Luna embraced her son, she didn't notice Celestia watching the two with worry in her eyes.



By the age of 18 Tai Lung done something even his mother hadn't: he was the first to master the thousand scrolls of Kung-Fu. But the only scroll he had yet to read was the one inside the mouth of the Celestial Dragon. He had no idea what is was or what was in it. 

But he yearned to find out.

One day, when Tai Lung was training with his mother to hone his skills like a well balanced weapon, his curiosity and determination won out.

"Ecellent Work Tai," Luna praised. "Your technique is flawless as always"

Tai lifted himself from the ruins of the training dummies, but gazed at his mother with ambition in his eyes

"Mother," he said "I wish to ask you a Question." 

"Go ahead Tai."

"I wish to know about the scroll in the dragon's mouth" Tai Lung said 

"That is the Celestial Scroll," Luna explained. "It is given to the one who Celestia would dub the Celestial Warrior, When you are ready you will recieve the power within the scroll." 

For three years, Luna's words echoed throughout Tai Lungs mind, filling his head with dreams of glory, and driving him to train until his bones cracked.

On his 21st birthday[21 years since the day he was found] Luna presented him to her sister. Tai Lung stood before his mother and aunt as he waited for Celestia's verdict.

But when Celestia gazed at the student that had workered harder than any master before him, all she saw in his heart was a small light, surrounded by onminous darkness

"I'm sorry Luna," Celestia declared. "But he is not ready for the scroll." Celestia placed a hand on her sisters shoulder before walking away, leaving Tai Lung staring after her with confusion, denial, and slowly growing anger in his eyes

Luna turned to her son with downcast look and tried to comfort him, but fury filled her own heart, and she left her son to talk to her sister.

"Celestia!" 

"Luna," Celestia replied. "He isn't ready, and there is no debate about this." Celestia stood firmly in front of the moon pool below the Celestial Scroll.

"But, he more than deserves it!" Luna declared in a rising voice

"Luna," Celestia replied back in a stronger voice. "Your attachment to Tai Lung has clouded you judgement.I looked into heart and saw more darkness than light. He will not become the Celestial Warrior until the darkness is purged from his very being"

"Then use the W.." 

The Doors of the Palace slammed opened, drawing the sisters' gaze. One of the inhabitants of Ponyville entered with blood covering her body.

"Master Celestia!" the pony gasped, "Master Luna! Ponyville is under attack!" The pony began to fall only to be caught by Celestia

"By who?" Celestia asked

"Monsters? Bandits?" Luna demanded

"It...was....Tai Lung" the pony gaspeed out causing the masters' eyes to grow wide in disbelief
> The Jade Dragon Library
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leaves glided on the blowing wind, ruffling the robe of a purple mare. Her face was concealed by an oriental straw hat, protecting her from the wind's cold kiss. She walked along a path leading to a damaged building. As she walked, she could not help but imagine a narrator speaking in her mind, her voice powerful and grim, like she was narrating high fantasy.

"Legend tells of a legendary warrior whose Kung-Fu skills were the stuff of Legend", The voice in her head said. "She traveled the land in search of worthy foes."

The mare let the door slam open, revealing the various scum and villainy that such a damage establishment would host. Wolves and boars and bears watched her every move as she marched inside, set herself down at the table, and opened a book. All too soon, the boldest of the bandits stalked his way towards her, regarding her like a fresh piece of meat.

"I see you like to read," the bandit commented "How 'bout you read the book...Of My Fist!" The bandit slammed his into the table for emphasis

"The Warrior said nothing" the narrator commented. "Mostly because she had to mark her page."

Which the warrior did promptly.

"Then she shut her book," the narrator declared, as the warrior did what the narrator said. "And then she spoke.”

"Enough talk," she declared. “Let’s fight!

And with a cry for battle, the mare kicked the table at her opponents. As her horn flashed and her legs bucked like a wild stallion, sending bandits in every direction, the voice in her head grew louder with passion.

“She was so deadly and fast that her enemies would go blind… from her mastery of flash-bang spells!”

Emphasizing her point, she unleashed a blast of light from her horn. So bright that the few bandits who had been smart enough to stay back, were left scrambling for any sort of cover to their burning eyes.

“My eyes!” one of them cried.

“She’s too powerful!” another shrieked.

“And attractive…” a small voice commented. Spinning to the source, the warrior found herself gazing upon a pair of battered ponies, looking up at her as if she was the Master Celestia reborn.

“How can we repay you, kind one?” one of them asked.

The warrior turned. “There is no charge for greatness,” she declared, winking at the female of the two. “Or attractiveness.”

Some seemed to take that expression the wrong way, for the walls soon darkened with more foes. But, as her narrator was quick to point out…

“It mattered not how many foes she faced; they were no match for her mastery of the martial and magical arts!”

Indeed, foe by foe was flung aside by spells, kicks and punches. A thousand foes leaped into the air, forming the dark impression of a snarling, gaping wolf’s maw. But with a flash from her horn, the warrior sent them plummeting back to earth like rain.

“Never before had anyone been so feared, and yet so loved.”The warrior smiled as her gaze turned to the Celestia Palace, where five ponies stood in various poses.

“Even the most heroic heroes in all of Equestria, The Furious Five,” the voice breathed with a hint of awe, “Bowed in respect of this great master!”

And indeed they did. Launching from the palace and landing in front of the warrior, the mare’s heart soared as they inclined their heads in the sacred show of respect.

For… about five seconds. Then the pink one of the group bounced up with a cry of glee.

“We should totally hang out!” Master Pinkie Pie declared. “We should chat and sing songs and…” she gasped in delight. “PARTY!”

“Er…” the warrior grimaced as the pink mare danced around her. “Maybe hanging out would have to wait.” the voice in her head declared.

To her delight, an army of a thousand bandits appeared.

“After all,” the voice cried with delight, while the warrior summoned the emerald sword of heroes. “When you’re facing the ten thousand demons of demon mountain! There’s only one thing that matters!”

And as the warrior and her fellow warriors leaped to combat them, ready to find out what mattered… a new voice cut through the dream.

“Twilight! Time to get up!”



Twilight Sparkle bolted up with a gasp of alarm. Instead of facing the ten thousand demons of demon mountain, she was sitting in front of her reading desk, with a paper stuck to her cheek. Pulling the parchment from her face with a sigh, she gazed sadly at the words, depicting the proper techniques for Shaolin Blocking and Redirection. Rolling up the scroll with a shake of her head, Twilight pushed herself away from her stories of adventure and the techniques required to go on said adventure, and went downstairs to her actual life.

"Morning Twilight," the green dragon said from behind a stack of books and scrolls. “You sleep alright?”

“Good as usual, Spike,” Twilight replied, yawning as she lifted the stack of books from his tiny arms. “How about you?

"Alright,” Spike replied, shooting her a wry grin. “Once you passed out.”

Twilight rubbed the back of her mane sheepishly. “I, uh, wasn’t that loud, was I?”

“Twilight, you stay up every night studying Kung-Fu and its integration with magic,” Spike chastised, taking one of the scrolls from Twilight’s aura. “I’m surprised we haven’t gotten more complaints about the noise those spells make.”

"Sorry," Twilight apologized sheepishly.

“Eh, no need to apologize,” Spike replied with a grin. “Just help me get these back on their proper shelves.”

Twilight was quick to obey, and for a few moments, the only sound was of Twilight’s aura as she slotted the scrolls and books into their proper places in the library.

Yet, it didn’t take long for thoughts to overcrowd Twilight’s already large mind.

"Hey Spike,” Twilight asked curiously. “Have you ever had a dream?"

"Well…” Spike admitted, pondering the question. “Yeah, there was a time when I wanted to…” he chuckled sheepishly. “Wanted to sell comic books. Y’know, draw out my own stories of heroes and villains. Set em up against each other and sell the results, ya know?”

"And, why didn't you?" asked the unicorn.

"Well that's all it was,” Spike replied. “Just a dream."

Twilight looked down in defeat, quickly wiping the expression away when Spike glanced at her with a curious expression.

"Why do you ask?”

"I just... want more than all of this," Twilight admitted, motioning towards the entire Library. Spike followed her gaze, his reptilian brow ruffling.

"I thought you enjoyed working here,” he replied.

"I do, it's just I..." Twilight sighed, lowering her head. "Forget it,” she said, turning back to the scrolls. “I'm just speaking nonsense."

Yet Twilight couldn’t help but gaze at the scrolls of Kung-Fu. And beyond… just at the edge of one of the highest windows, Twilight could glimpse the Celestial Palace. Where the greatest heroes trained to defend Equestria.



In the gardens of the Celestial Palace, Master Luna Solaris sat crossed legged next to a tree as she played a soft melody on a flute. As her eyes shut, apparently lost in the music, five figures moved with in the shadows.

The first to charge was a pink mare coming from behind with a cheerful, “Surprise!”

As her cry broke the still peacefulness of the meody, four others launched for the Master; blurs of white, cyan, orange and yellow shot for the Master.

Yet even with their skill, they were not enough. Practically becoming a blur herself, Master Luna deflected their strikes, her flute turning from a simple musical instrument to an arc of pure deflection.

In seconds, the five younger masters were left panting, having surrounded the master but failing to land even a single scratch on her. Luna spun her flute and planted it into the ground like a sword.

"Well done, students,” Luna commented coldly, "If you were trying to disappoint me!"

She spun to the cyan Element of Loyalty. “Rainbow Dash, you need more ferocity,” Luna declared, eliciting a grim nod.

She spun to the white Element of Generosity. “Rarity, greater speed,” Luna demanded, eliciting a soft groan.

She spun to the yellow Element of Kindness. “Fluttershy; height,” Luna declared, eliciting a moan of sadness.

She spun to the pink Element of Joy. “Pinkie Pie… subtly,” Luna grumbled, eliciting a nervous giggle from the mare.

She spun to the orange Element of Honesty. “Applejack,” she began, before a voice cut her off.

"Master Luna!"

"What!" Luna barked, whirling on a gray pony with cross eyes, who grinned despite the flute being pointed at her like a sword.

"Master Celestia wishes to see you,” the gray pony said happily.

The cold look faded from Luna’s eyes. She turned briefly back to her students.

"I want you all in the training hall, Dismissed" Luna declared, before practically teleporting to the Moon Pool of the Celestia Palace.

Celestia was waiting for her, balanced perfectly on top of her staff as she gazed wistfully into the shimmering waters. Luna took a moment to calm herself, bowing with her fist placed into her palm.

“Master Celestia,” Luna declared. “You summoned me? Is something wrong?”

Celestia smiled softly, climbing down from her staff.

"Why must something be wrong for me to want to see my younger sister?" she asked, striding over to the dozens of candles lit around the mirror pool.

“So… nothing is wrong?” Luna asked curiously.

Celestia chuckled. “Now who said that?” Celestia asked coyly.

Luna attempted to wait patiently as Celestia carefully blew out one of the candles. Then another. Then another. Luna’s ears began to twitch with agitation. Celestia noticed her sister’s irritation, and moved to speak… before blowing out another candle.

Luna’s wings flared with her anger, and with a quick flap, she extinguished the remaining candles, plunging them into a soft darkness.

“You were saying?” Luna said, as her wings folded against her back once more.

Celestia stared at the extinguished candles, the coy grin fading from her features.

"Luna,” she began. “I wished this couldn't be happening. Especially with everything you've gone through. My fame prevented me from seeing what I was doing to you. You were imprisoned for a thousand years before I freed you at the cost of your magical ability. You've loved and lost your only son. So, with a heavy heart it pains me to tell you this...”

“Sister, please,” Luna said impatiently. “What is it?”

Celestia sighed, unable to hide the truth anymore.

“I have had a vision,” she said, turning to Luna sadly. “Tai Lung will return.”

Luna’s breath caught in her throat.

The night came back to her. The fury that had taken love. The damage to her heart that made the physical blows seem like nothing.

“Impossible!” Luna declared before she could stop herself. “He is in prison!”

Celestia shook her head in defeat. “Nothing is impossible, little sister.”

But Luna refused to listen.

"Derpy!" Luna yelled as the gray pony reappeared.

“Muffins?” she asked.

"Fly to Tartarus Prison,” Luna ordered. “Tell them to double the guard, double the weapons, double EVERYTHING! Tai Lung does NOT leave that prison!"

Luna practically screamed the last line, but Derpy simply smiled and nodded.

“Okie-dokie, Master Luna,” she declared… before promptly flying into one of the pillars. “Huh?” she commented, gazing at the pillar like it had appeared from nowhere. “I just don’t know what went wrong.” Shaking her head she flew out of the Celestia Palace and out of sight.

Celestia sighed at her sister’s impulsiveness. "One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it,” she warned.

"But Sister,” Luna protested. “We can’t just let Tai Lung march upon Ponyville and take his revenge. He’ll… He…” Luna couldn’t bring herself to say more. Couldn’t stand to refer to her old student – no, she couldn’t deny, her own son – as the monster he had become. Celestia’s softly touched Luna’s shoulder, pulling her from the bad memories.

"Your mind is like this water, Luna," Celestia said, motioning towards the rippling water of the Moon pool. “When it is agitated, it becomes difficult to see.” Celestia grinned and lowered her staff towards the pool. “But, if you allow it to settle…” she touched the pool softly, sending a soothing ripple through the agitated waters. “The answer becomes clear.”

Indeed, it did. As the water settled, Luna saw the reflection of the golden dragon above, holding the very thing that had triggered Tai Lung’s descent into madness.

"The Celestial Scroll?" Luna asked, gazing upon the scroll with a hint of resentment.

But when Celestia turned to her, her face became grim.

“Now, my dear sister,” Celestia admitted. “It is finally time.”

"But who?” Luna asked, resisting the urge to demand why her son had not been good enough. If not Tai Lung then who? she couldn’t resist thinking before saying the rest out loud; "Who is worthy to be trusted to the secret to limitless power? To become...The Celestial Warrior?"

Celestia’s grin returned.

“I don’t know,” she replied coyly..
> The Celestial Warrior
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I know who I am,” the little leopard cub said, “And no matter what I will never forget it. I am Tai Lung, The son of Master Luna Solaris"

Mother and son smiled at each other. Then Luna bent down and embraced her son.

"I know that, My Great Dragon," Luna assured him. "You are destined for Greatness. I can feel it."

The days went by. Luna watched with pride as Tai Lung grew, both in body, and ferocity.

"Excellent work, Tai," she praised as he reduced an army of training dummies to splinters. "Your technique is flawless as always"

Tai lifted himself from the ruins of the training dummies, but gazed at his mother with ambition in his eyes.

"Mother," he said. "I wish to ask you a Question."

"Go ahead, Tai."

"I wish to know about the scroll in the dragon statue’s grip," Tai Lung said.

"That is the Celestial Scroll," Luna explained. "It is given to the one who Celestia will dub ‘the Celestial Warrior.’When you are ready, you will receive the power within the scroll."

Tai Lung’s eyes filled with ambition. Too late, Luna realized just how dangerous that ambition could be, as his eager eyes were replaced with the desperate and scared eyes of a pony, dragging herself into the Celestia Palace as fire blazed behind her.

"It.... was.... Tai Lung," the pony gasped out. Luna’s eyes grew wide in disbelief.

"Sister,” Luna stammered. “There… it has to be a mistake!”

Celestia said nothing, carrying the pony to the medical wing

"Tia? Tai Lung wouldn't attack Ponyville!" Luna all but screamed.

But her older sister gave her nothing but silence.

"Celestia!" Luna finally screamed.

Yet when Celestia finally turned to Luna, the cold light in her eyes made Luna long for her silence once more.

"Pray you are right little sister," Celestia said coldly, turning back to tend to the damaged pony.

Knowing Celestia would not be far behind, Luna turned for Ponyville. She would find the villain who framed her son. And she would see him punished for his cruel trick.

But she barely made it to the Hall of Heroes, before a loud BANG sounded from the Palace doors.

Luna froze in her tracks, hearing Celestia skid to a stop right behind her.

Cracks splintered the doors as another BANG rang through the hall. Then, with a final CRACK like thunder, the doors were flung off their hinges. As they clattered to the ground… Luna’s heart tore in her chest as a furious Tai Lung ran through them.
Luna wanted to believe it was a trick: that Tai Lung was stopping some invisible fiend. Or that he was simply coming to check on his family. But in the cruel light of his eyes, Luna saw the truth: Tai Lung only had one goal, and that was to claim what was rightfully his.

Luna could not let him past her. She had to stop him. Leaping forward, she readied a powerful kick that would stop his rampage. But as she and the leopard closed in, for a moment, Luna did not see the monster that she had created. She saw the cub that she had raised – had fed by hand. The cub who gazed at her with the love a child reserves only for its mother. Her kick faltered. How could she destroy that which she had created? Which she had loved? But her hesitation was her undoing. The vision passed as Tai Lung swept her leg aside. Pain flared up Luna’s leg as the bone broke from the force of his blow. As the cruel light in his eyes once again became clear to her, Luna suffered another punch that threw her back towards Celestia. And as the master that once was his mother fell, Tai Lung made a powerful leap towards the dragon statue, claws yearning to claim the power of Celestial Scroll. But then Celestia intervened. Like a beam of sunlight, she rammed her staff into Tai Lung’s neck, holding him in place as she tapped his chest in five vital nerve points, before leveraging him back into the ground. Tai Lung did not rise from where he fell. Only the rise and fall of his chest indicated that he was still alive. Luna crawled to her son, the pain in her leg nothing compared to the pain in her heart. Placing a hand on the boy’s head, Luna shut her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Tai Lung," she cried. "This is my fault, It's all my fault.”

But as her emotions tore through her battered heart, her tears blocked out the world around her. And when it reformed, Luna only found more horror waiting for her. Before her were the bodies of her students, each and every one of them were covered in blood and claw marks. In front of her was Celestia, the Sword of Heroes buried in her stomach. Celestia fell, revealing Tai Lung, but more terrifying than ever before. A golden Aura swirled around him; the Celestia Scroll clenched in his paw. With a vile snarl, Tai Lung seized Luna’s neck with his free paw, and lifted the alicorn master off the ground

"Tai..." Luna choked out as she tried to pull herself from her sons grip. "I…. tried..."

"You should've tried harder," Tai Lung hissed, snapping her neck with a sharp CRACK!



The crack ripped Luna out of her dream. She tore herself from bed, sweat covering her panting body. Even as the comforting sight of her bed and room assured her what had transpired was only a dream, Luna could not rid herself of the guilt or regret that followed the dream.

Her eyes welled up, her knees came to her chest, and Luna softly wept to herself, praying her sobs did not reach the others in the Celestial Palace.

“This is truly my fault, Tai,” Luna sobbed. “I’m so sorry… it’s all my fault!”

But grieving would have to wait; as she heard the hustle and bustle of the servants outside, Luna remembered the significance of this particular day. Wiping away her tears, Luna rose from bed, dressed herself, and raced to meet Celestia on the stairs to the tournament grounds.

The hours had passed quicker than Luna realized: ponies were already gathering in the stands surrounding the tournament arena.

"Such a historic day," Celestia commented. "And one I had feared I would not live to see."

“A marvelous day,” Luna agreed, her face set like stone. Celestia noticed her sister’s mask, and placed a hand on Luna's shoulder.

"Another nightmare?" the elder master asked. Luna took a deep breath, her eyes not leaving the arena grounds.

“My students are ready,” Luna said in a firm voice.

Celestia lowered her hand from Luna’s side.

“Very well,” Celestia said. “Just know this…” she waited until Luna looked at her. “Whomever I choose will not only bring peace to the land…” she smiled softly. “But to you as well.”

Giving a terse nod, Luna steeled her shoulders, and strode forward as the sound of the gong rang through the courtyard of the Celestia palace, drowning out any outside noise. Taking her place at the balcony overlooking the arena, Luna briefly noticed a violet flash just outside, before the doors shut tight with a bang. With no time to ponder the strange phenomenon, Luna addressed the citizens with a Royal Canterlot Voice.

“Citizens of Ponyville,” she declared. “It is my great honor to present to you… Rainbow Dash!”

A cyan blur shot out from the palace, making a lightning bolt shaped cloud in the sky.

“Pinkie Pie!”

A stream of confetti blasted into the air, as the pink master of Laughter held a pose in the air. “Ta-da!” she declared.

“Fluttershy!”

A silhouette of the yellow master of kindness drew across the sun, before gliding down closer to reveal Fluttershy, a blindfold around her eyes not stopping her from catching Pinkie before she fell.

“Rarity!”

The sun was once again blocked out, but this time by a pair of rainbow-pattered butterfly wings, attached to the back of the white master of generosity.

“Applejack!”

The orange master of Honesty lunged from a nearby apple tree, hitting the ground hard enough to leave a small crack. As she rose, the other four descended around her; Rainbow Dash hitting the ground hard enough to leave a larger crack, grinning at Applejack even as the cow-girl gave her a disapproving look. Pinkie Pie leaped from Fluttershy’s arms and fired her cannon to slow her descent. Rarity descended like an elegant dragon, detaching the wings like she was sliding out from a robe. Finally, Fluttershy glided to a stop just above them.

Luna allowed herself a small smile of pride. They were no Tai Lung, but they would do.

“The Furious Five!” she declared grandly.

As the citizens applauded and cheered, Fluttershy gave her wings a strong flap, the gust of wind subtly giving the audience the cue for silence.

As the audience slowly quieted down, Luna caught a small conversation from the girls.

“I appreciate you girls being here,” Rainbow Dash whispered.

“Of course, Dashie,” Pinkie said cheerfully. “Friends always stick together. Like sticky, creamy frosting.” Her eyes gazed wistfully to the palace kitchens. Mm…” she mumbled. “Frosting…”

“And remember,” Applejack said. “Whoever becomes the Celestial Warrior, we give all our support to.”

“What are you talking about ‘who?’” Rainbow Dash asked with a grin. “It’s obviously going to be me.”

“Don’t be so sure, darling,” Rarity teased. “Perhaps Master Celestia wants a Celestial Warrior with proper grace and elegance.”

“Ha!” Rainbow Dash barked. “All that ‘grace’ and ‘elegance’ didn’t help you last time we sparred.”

Applejack nudged both of them. “C’mon, ya’ll,” she chastised. “We’re on.”

Indeed, the crowd had finally quieted down, and Luna was giving them a glare for silence.

“Now,” Luna declared. “Direct your attention to the sky! For Master Fluttershy! As she faces the Thousand Tongues of Fire!”

The other four masters slumped, moving to the side as Fluttershy descended gracefully to the ground.

“Warned ya,” Applejack whispered to Rainbow Dash with a grin, eliciting a small glare. Though there was no time to focus on anger, as all eyes turned to Fluttershy. With her blindfold on, it was hard for them to know if she could see the device that stood before her: the thousand tongues of fire. A wooden machine shaped like a dragon’s head, a slowly opening mouth stacked with enough fireworks to host ten parties; a fact that Pinkie Pie was quick to lock on.

"That's enough fireworks to host ten of my parties," she noted, only to be hushed by Rarity.

As the fuse was lit and the fireworks prepared to barrage the pony, Fluttershy breathed in slowly, her ears flicking in suppressed worry.

“That’s it…” Luna mumbled.

“Trust yer instincts,” Applejack muttered.

“You can do this,” Rainbow Dash admitted softly.

Whether the yellow pony heard their words of encouragement was unclear, but just as the fireworks blasted out like the tongues of fire for which they were made, Fluttershy’s wings unfurled, and she took to the air in a heartbeat. Firework missiles shot back and forth through the air, yet the master of kindness flowed around them like a leaf on the wind. Briefly, she was hidden by a cloud of smoke as the fireworks. But, before any of the audience members could gasp in alarm, Fluttershy drifted down from the cloud of smoke, not a single singed hair on her body. Landing softly, Fluttershy inclined her head in a bow, before moving to join her friends.

"Ya did great, Sugarcube,” Applejack whispered.

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash agreed, patting her fellow pegasus’ back. “Not as good as me, but you were still awesome enough.”

Fluttershy blushed with a shy smile, while Luna motioned for Rarity to rise.

“Now,” Luna declared. “Master Rarity will face the Scorpions of Scorpan!”

The worker ponies moved twin scorpion mechs into the arena.

Rarity huffed, sweeping her elegant mane to the side.

“’Grace and elegance didn’t help me last time,’” she muttered. “Hmph! How about I show you ‘grace and elegance’ when you’re not fighting dirty, Rainbow Dash!”

She certainly got her chance. As the scorpion’s eyes came alive with the glow of fire, the left scorpion made the first move. Rarity danced around the scorpion’s strikes, before catching one of its claws. The scorpion tried to stab her off with its tail, but Rarity simply transitioned, seizing the tail and riding it up as the second scorpion tried to strike, only hitting its companion in the process.

Jumping off the downed scorpion’s tail, Rarity allowed herself a small flip, building momentum for an ax kick that destroyed the final scorpion. As she landed, she lifted her head, ensuring that not a single hair fell out of place. Performing a more elegant bow to her master, Rarity sauntered back to join the others, smirking at Rainbow Dash’s attempt to conceal a worried look.

“Now that, my dear,” Rarity said proudly. “Was ‘grace and elegance.’”

“Now,” Luna declared. “Master Pinkie Pie will face Discord and the Whips of Chaos!”

“Well, not technically Discord,” Pinkie mumbled, as a wooden contraption in the shape of the serpentine draconequus was rolled forward, twirling two bull whips that snapped with an ominous air. “Discord himself would be a bit more challenging and – whoop – no time to talk!”

Pinkie jumped backward, weaving in between the lashing whips like a needle threading a dress. With drawing her cannon, Pinkie carefully shot out one of the arms, sending it’s whip into a tail spin. Grabbing the whip, Pinkie rode its momentum, coiling the whip around the wooden contraption like a viper. As the other whip nearly caught her, she shot out the arm twirling it, and seized it as well. In a matter of seconds, the wooden contraption was hog tied and trussed up like a turkey, Pinkie topping it off by tying the whips into a little bow that she presented to Master Luna like it was her birthday.

“A great gift to a great master,” Pinkie declared happily, making a small bow before skipping back to her friends.

“Bribery isn’t going to net you the Celestial Scroll, Pinkie,” Dash noted as Pinkie sat next to her.

“Who’s bribing?” Pinkie asked. “I thought she might like a present.” She gave Luna a slightly sad look. “It always feels like she could use some cheering up.”

But Luna ignored her student’s concerns, staying focused on the tournament.

“Now,” Luna declared. “Master Applejack will face the Diamond Wolf, and the Claws of Carbon!”

Applejack strode into the arena, grinning as a more metallic machine made in the likeness of a bipedal wolf approached, claws bared. Without much fanfare, Applejack struck, sweeping the leg out from under the metal contraption, before another kick scattered it into shrapnel. Giving a terse bow to Master Luna, Applejack rejoined the others, even as Rarity and Rainbow Dash shook their heads.

“Seriously, AJ?” Rainbow Dash asked. “That’s it?”

“No class,” Rarity bemoaned. “No substance!”

“Don’t need none,” Applejack replied. “As long as Bucky McGillycuddy and Kicks McGee can get the job done…” she smacked her respective thighs. “Why drag it out?”

“And finally, Master Rainbow Dash,” Luna declared.

Rainbow Dash grinned. “I’ll show you exactly why we drag it out,” she declared, standing up and striding into the ring.

“Will face Iron Ox and his blades of death!" Luna said, as Rainbow Dash approached a fake ox with eight arms, each wielding double-sided axes.

“Alright,” Rainbow Dash declared. “I’m gonna show you why Rainbow Dash is the greatest master of Kung-Fu in Equestria! Come on!” she dared, darting away as the wooden ox struck at her with its axes.

As the cyan blur darted in and out of the iron ox’s blows, the audience watched with rapt attention. So rapt that they missed a blur of red, lavender, purple and orange flying and struggling above the arena. Celestia, however, glanced up at the mismatch of colors. And among them, she sensed something. Something that made her stand, her wings raising for silence.

"The Celestial Warrior is among us," Celestia declared.

Rainbow Dash paused, a protest on her lips. The Iron Ox wasn’t beaten yet. Yet, with a significant look from Luna, Rainbow Dash left the contraption behind, and raced to stand before Celestia, alongside Pinkie, Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy.

As Celestia took her time descending towards the group, Rainbow Dash quivered with excitement. Applejack nudged her with a glare.

“Ease it down, Sugarcube,” Applejack warned.

“I’m trying,” Rainbow Dash squeaked in excitement. “This is the moment we can make Luna proud.”

Glancing up at the dark furred alicorn, Applejack couldn’t find a way to refute her cyan friend.

But just as Celestia passed Pinkie, Rarity, Fluttershy and Applejack… something cannoned out of the sky with a scream, landing right between them and the princess with a burst of green fire.

The Furious Five leaped to combat positions, glaring down at the purple mare and equally purple dragon struggling from the small crater they had embedded into the ground.

Well, almost everyone was glaring at her. Pinkie Pie was looking up, scratching her poofy hair.

“Huh,” she mumbled. “Where’d she come from?”




Twenty minutes earlier…


Twilight pushed her cart of returned books and scrolls, neatly shelving them back into the shelves where they belonged. Though she tried to be careful, she could barely contain her excitement. Master Celestia was going to choose the Celestial Warrior today. It had been the talk of all of Ponyville.

“C’mon, Twilight,” Spike called from the front of the Library. “Celestia’s going to be choosing the Celestia Warrior soon. We gotta lock up the library and get going so we can get good seats.”

Twilight quickly shelved the last book. “Coming, Spike,” she said. “Though… why do we need good…?”

Her question was answered when she heard a knock on the Jade Dragon Library’s front door.

“Spike!” a female voice called. “We going to see this tournament or what?”

“Just getting ready.” Spike called. Twilight joined him at the front door as he adjusted the suit he was wearing. He turned to Twilight with a grin. “How do I look?”

Twilight had to stuff a hand in her mouth to keep from giggling. Though Spike had cleaned himself up nicely with a nicest clothes, something had convinced him to wear a large, obviously fake mustache. Resisting the urge to giggle, Twilight’s magic removed the facial hair.

“Perfect,” she declared.

Straightening his tie with a thankful nod, Spike turned and opened the door, revealing a bright orange dragoness.

“Smolder,” he declared with a bow.

For her part, Smolder resisted giggling as she took in Spike’s elaborate attire. Sharing a glance with Twilight, Smolder shook her head.

“Always trying to impress, aren’t you?” Smolder noted, taking the arm Spike offered her. She glanced at Twilight. “You coming to see the show?”

“As if I would refuse to see the greatest day in Kung-Fu history?” Twilight asked, quickly locking up the Library. She raised her hands when Spike gave her a meaningful look. “I promise not to get in the way of your date.”

“Date?” Smolder rolled her eyes, but couldn’t keep the grin off her face. And the three joined the throng of ponies heading for the Celestial Palace.

Yet, as they walked, Twilight noticed a red dragon flanked by a chubbier brown dragon and a lanky purple dragon. Their eyes caught on the trio, and the red dragon pointed, advancing on them as ponies wisely darted out of their way.

“Um… Spike?” Twilight whispered. “Smolder’s parents ‘approved’ of you, right?”

“Yeah,” Spike said, not noticing the red dragon just yet. “I was an absolute gentleman.”

Twilight indicated the dragon coming towards them. “So why is Garble here?”

Smolder spotted what she was talking about, and sighed. “Leave it to that ash-brained pile of scales to ruin my good time,” she muttered.

“Ah, come on,” Spike said. “Maybe he just wants to… wish us luck?”

Not even Spike sounded convinced. And Garble didn’t exactly refute him.

“You shrimp!” Garble growled. “I told you the next time I spotted you with my sister, I’d burn your face off!”

Twilight narrowed her eyes, stepping in front of Spike protectively. Spike, however, pat her shoulder with a roll of his eyes.

“Good to see you too, ‘brother,’” Smolder grumbled.

Garble glanced over at her, before giving Spike and his attire a glower.

“Don’t know what you see in this twerp,” Garble growled, grinning at Twilight. “He needs some namby-pamby pony to fight his battles for him.”

“Says the guy with hired goons?” Spike asked, grinning at his two lackeys, even as they cracked their knuckles menacingly. Spike rolled his eyes. “Look, Garble. If Smolder doesn’t want to go out with me, she’d tell me.” She glanced at her nervously. “You… would tell me, right?”

Smolder stood loyally beside him and nodded, before giving Garble a glare. “I’m not your problem, Garble,” she growled. “I’m not your excuse; so, stop trying to put others down to make yourself feel bigger. Believe me…” she grinned. “It’s only making you look more pathetic.”

Garble fumed, smoke rising from his nostrils. He aimed a claw at her. “If we didn’t share the same mother, I’d make you pay for that.”

Spike and Twilight glanced at each other, before Spike stepped between the siblings.

“Come on,” he insisted, trying to nudge them away. “We’ve got a tournament to get to. Let’s settle this with some bets on who’s going to get the…”

But the second he touched Garble, the red dragon whirled on him, a punch aimed at the purple dragon’s face. Twilight teleported in with a flash, catching Garble’s punch and flipping him over her shoulder.

A beat of silence dragged out. Like a calm before the storm. Realizing what she did, Twilight covered her mouth in horror.

"Oh my goodness," Twilight stammered, moving to help the dragon up. “I am so sorry. I was just…”

But Garble lunged at her with a roar, Spike shoulder checking him and getting him away from Twilight. His cronies lunged for Twilight as well, but Smolder jumped in the way, catching the chubbier of the two and forcing him backward.

“Take the beanpole,” Smolder yelled over her shoulder. “I got Fatso!”

“I’m big boned!” Fatso snarled back.

With Spike and Smolder occupied with Garble and his thug, Twilight was left on her own as the thin dragon swiped at her with his claws. Backing up into the steps, Twilight nearly lost her footing, but managed to catch herself with a teleporting spell.

Up the stairs the group went, Twilight dodging the dragon’s wild slashes and fighting back with beam spells or rabbit punches. All the while, she kept an eye on the Celestial Palace. Hoping against hope that they could get help from the masters.

But as they drew closer to the front gates, Twilight’s heart plummeted into her stomach as she saw the doors closing.

“No-no-no!” Twilight stammered, racing for the doors. “WAIT!” she screamed… only to run right into the shut and locked gates.

Clutching her nose in pain, Twilight tried to use her magic to teleport in. But just as her glow of light started to encapsulate her body, several glowing runes flashed on the door, revealing a magic barrier that negated her teleporting spell.

Twilight cursed, and kicked at the door. “Somebody help us!” she screamed. But her voice was drowned out by the voice of Master Luna.

"Citizens of Ponyville,” she was declaring. “It is my great honor to present to you Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack...The Furious Five.”

Up above, Twilight saw the Furious Five making their entrance. She waved at them.

“Hey!” she yelled. “Hey, help us out!”

For a brief, shining moment, Pinkie Pie spotted Twilight waving at her. But the pink pony only waved back at Twilight before turning back to the audience, and vanishing behind the gates.

Twilight slumped with a moan, only for the sounds of combat behind her to grab her attention.

“Twilight!” Smolder yelled, having caught the lanky one in a head lock. “Little help here!”

Covering her mouth in horror, Twilight raced back down, finding Spike backing up from Garble and his fat thug. Spike’s suit was ruined, and several scuff marks marred his purple scales. But his green eyes were alight with fury, and he held his fists up, looking for openings.

Garble spotted Twilight coming at him, and withdrew a metal ring. Twilight growled and tried to fire a beam spell at him, but he held the ring out, and whatever magic properties the ring had protected him from the spell.

His grin widened. He glanced over at his thug. “Handle the shrimp,” he snarled.

“Hey, no you don't!” Spike tried to say, only for the fat thug to tackle into him, leaving Garble free to advance on Twilight as she tried to hit him again, only for her spell to fizzle out once more.

"Not so scary without that magic you're so fond of, huh?" Garble said with a laugh.

Twilight at first backed up from him, but with a sad look at the locked palace gates, she sighed… and forced herself to remember her scrolls. As the forms appeared in her mind, she assumed her combat stance, opening her eyes to glare at Garble.

The dragon just laughed.

“Really?” he demanded. “You're going fight me with your shaolin karate?"

"It's not Karate, Dragon," Twilight growled.

But Garble didn’t care. He lunged at her with another punch. But once again, Twilight was ready. She caught his wrist and countered with a kick, knocking him back a few feet.

"It's Kung-Fu,” Twilight corrected.

Garble growled, cracking his knuckles and extending his claws.

"That's it Pony,” he vowed. “I'm gonna kill you.”

He charged, but Twilight redirected him into the door. Part of her hoped he’d bash it down and finally get the ponies inside to help. But the barrier bounced him off without so much as scratching the door. And when Garble whirled on her, his anger hadn’t abated.

Out of the corner of her eye, Twilight saw Smolder wearing down the lanky dragon thug with her chokehold, his eyes rolling up in his head as Smolder squeezed the life from his neck. Spike was doing much better against the fat thug as well, combatting him with flames and blinding him with smoke. Part of Twilight hoped that she could hold out long enough for Smolder and Spike to defeat their foes, and then help her with the angry red dragon.

But despite Twilight’s years of study, she had failed to make sure her body was maintained to use the forms. And it didn’t take long for her to tire. Her legs started to ache. Her arms struggled to hold themselves up. Every breath became ragged.

“Spike!” Twilight finally gasped out. But as her dragon brother finally kicked his opponent down the stairs and turned to her, Twilight’s luck ran out.

Garble managed to catch Twilight and slammed his knee into her stomach, knocking the wind out of her.

“Twilight!” Spike yelled, racing towards her.

But Garble saw him coming. And with Twilight on her knees and struggling to breath, she was unable to resist him as he lifted her up and gripped her like a pony shield. Spike stopped, and started looking for an opening, just as Smolder climbed off her beaten foe and joined him.

For a moment, the three dragons glared each other down, Twilight struggling in Garble’s grip, while Smolder and Spike looked for an opening. Their pause was broken by Luna’s voice.

"And finally, Master Rainbow Dash! Will face Iron Ox and his blades of death!"

Twilight glanced up at the gates. Had they been fighting that long?

Garble followed her gaze, grinning maliciously at Spike.

“You wanted to see Kung-Fu, wimp?” Garble demanded, his wings flaring to life.

“Garble…” Smolder started to growl.

“Then let’s get you a front row seat!” Garble declared, shooting up into the air.

"Garble!!" Smolder yelled, racing up after him.

"Twilight!!" Spike screamed, ripping aside his suit to reveal his own wings. He shot into the air after them.

Unfortunately, neither Spike or Smolder were as fast as Garble in the air. But as he rose out of their reach, Spike’s eyes glittered with an idea.

"Smolder! Give me your hand!" Spike yelled.

Smolder grabbed his hand, and Spike spun, launching the orange dragoness after her brother. With the added speed, Smolder was able to catch her brother before putting him in a headlock.

"Put her down Garble," ordered Smolder.

Garble growled, but his grin didn’t fade. Twilight whimpered in his grip, the arena looking like it was miles below her.

“That was a very poor choice of words,” Twilight mumbled in fright.

“But… whatever you say, sis,” Garble replied, dropping the lavender unicorn with a smile.

"TWILIGHT!!!" Spike screamed. He lunged to catch her halfway. But as she plummeted into his arms, the force of gravity hit Spike like an anvil, and both mare and dragon plummeted before slamming into the concrete.

Twilight’s eyes fluttered open, moaning in pain. Thankfully, Spike’s dive had kept the fall from being fatal, though it did still feel like some of her ribs were bruised.

“Spike…” Twilight mumbled. “You okay?”

Spike pushed himself up, clutching at his arms, but shaking some feeling back into them.

“Yeah,” he replied. “Yeah, I’m alright. You?”

"I'm good."

“You sure, fella,” a southern voice asked. The smoke around them cleared as an orange pony stepped forward, looking them over with concern. “That was quite a fall.”

“I’m okay, I’m…” Twilight stammered to a stop.

The pony was Master Applejack! Behind her, Rarity and Fluttershy were all grouped around, watching them with worry, while Rainbow Dash was still in a defensive stance. Pinkie Pie was looking up at the sky, scratching her mane.

“Where’d she come from?” she muttered off topic.

But Twilight didn’t have the courage to explain. The Furious Five were mere feet in front of her. And that meant…

Twilight slowly turned, to find Master Celestia. Her staff pointed right at her.

“Oh, no!” Twilight mumbled, backing up and bowing in profuse regret. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt, I… well, I was going to see who the Celestial Warrior was, a-and then these dragons…”

“How interesting,” Celestia noted, gazing at Twilight with intrigue.

Tilting her head, Twilight cautiously rose to her feet, looking over as Applejack and Pinkie helped Spike to his own feet. In her worry for her older brother, Twilight failed to notice Celestia was still pointing at her, until Rainbow Dash moved up next to her.

“Um… Master Celestia?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Are you… pointing at me?”

Celestia’s staff didn’t waver from Twilight. “Her,” Celestia confirmed.

Twilight paused from looking over Spike, turning back to Celestia to find her staff still pointed at her.

“W-Who?” Twilight squeaked, her courage further failing her as every eye fell on her.

"You,” Celestia said with a smile. She took Twilight’s arm and lifted it into the air. “The universe,” she declared. “Has brought us the Celestial Warrior!"

Twilight went pale. “What?!” she stammered.

"What?!" Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy all stammered.

"WHAT?!” Spike and even Smolder and Garble roared from above.

“WHAT?!” Luna bellowed.

But then, Pinkie jumped in.

“PARTY TIME!” she declared happily.
> Tai Lung's Escape
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Following Pinkie’s word, the gong pony rang his gong, and the citizens cheered, drowning out Luna’s attempts to chew out Pinkie and then the gong pony, and then the ponies bringing a palanquin down to the arena. Twilight stood frozen to the floor, utterly flabbergasted and unable to resist as several ponies pushed her onto the carried platform

"Celestia!" Luna yelled, racing to her sister’s side. "That Unicorn can't possibly be the answer to…” she paused, glancing around. 

Spike and the Furious Five were still staring after Twilight with mixtures of shock, concern, barely concealed rage in Rainbow Dash’s case, or happily conducting the cheerful ponies, in Pinkie’s case. Despite them all appearing distracted, Luna still kept her voice low. 

“That unicorn can’t be the answer to our problem.”

But Celestia barely regarded her, walking along as Twilight was carted into the Celestial Palace. Her chances of stopping this were fading fast. Luna vaguely pointed back at Rainbow Dash, who jumped when she mentioned her name.

"You were about to point at Rainbow Dash and then… that… she fell in front of her!" Luna argued. "That was just an accident!"

But Celestia’s grin remained serene and unbothered. "There are no accidents,” she said calmly.

THUD! 

At first, Luna spun, thinking Twilight had fallen off the palanquin. But instead, it had only been the dragon Garble, Smolder glowering down at him before gliding over to Spike, who was still gaping in alarm as his surrogate sister was carted inside. With a mutual fearful look at Luna, the dragons sidled off to the side, while Rainbow Dash shot Twilight an envious, frustrated look before reluctantly turning back to her master.

“Forgive us, Master,” Rainbow Dash choked the words out. At her words, the others – even Pinkie Pie – bowed their heads in regret. "We failed you."

"No," Luna said grimly, raising a hand to wave off the girls’ apologies. "If that unicorn has not quit by morning, then I will have failed you.”



Meanwhile, dressed in warm clothing, Derpy flapped her wings through the air, happily riding the wind currents before nearly bopping her head against the doors set into a cavern on one of the snow-tipped mountains. As she banked in the air, the wall-eyed pegasus was suddenly surrounded by spears.

“Hello,” she replied in a cheerful tone. Her optimism confused the minotaurs holding the spears long enough for her to reach into her bag and pull out a scroll. “Special Delivery from Master Luna to Captain Iron Will?”

The minotaur guards glanced at each other, before lowering their spears, nudging the gray pegasus through the doors and into the vast cavern that lay underneath the stone.

“Iron Will, sir!” one of the guards bellowed like a bull. “This pony has a message for you!”

The biggest of the minotaurs stomped up, his fur cobalt blue in the limited light.

“Oh…” Derpy whispered, tilting her head in awe at the minotaurs golden horns, which stood out among the other minotaurs and their normal white horns.

Derpy always considered herself to be an optimist; someone who could just look on the bright side of life, and assume everything was going to be okay. It wasn’t as easy to think that when Iron Will read her message.

“WHAT?!” he boomed, his angry voice alone nearly knocking the smile off Derpy’s face. 

“Double the Guard? Extra precautions?! Iron Will’s prison may not be adequate?!"
Iron Will threw the message aside and bore down on Derpy, who shivered as she tried to keep up a small smile. "You doubt Iron Will's prison security?"

“Of course not,” Derpy assured him, looking around. “Master Luna does.”

Iron Will hummed, the anger fading from his eyes as he regarded the wall-eyed pegasus.

“Then let Iron Will give you a message for your ‘Master Luna,’” Iron Will declared, seizing Derpy by the nape and pulling her deeper into the prison.

“Escape from Tartarus Prison… is IMPOSSIBLE!”

He pulled her onto a bridge, letting her see over the edge. Derpy swallowed at the height. Bridges crisscrossed below like spider webs, each one stacked with minotaurs decked out in armor and carrying weapons that looked like they could shear through the mountain itself.

Iron Will laughed at Derpy’s shocked expression, and set her down roughly, dislodging some of her feathers and sending some of them drifting down into the pit.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” Iron Will demanded.

“Very impressive,” Derpy replied, her voice quiet, but trying to remain cheerful.

"One way in,” Iron Will continued. “One way out. One thousand Guards…” he indicated the rough faces of the guards all around them. “And one prisoner.”

“Right,” Derpy said with a nod. “Tai Lung.” She noticed some of the guards still glowering at her, and tried to grin sheepishly at them. She just didn’t know what she was doing wrong to make them so cranky.
Reaching a wooden elevator, Derpy and Iron Will descended to the lowest level of the prison.

“Behold,” Iron Will declared, opening the elevator to the lower-most floor. “Tai Lung!”

Tai Lung’s ‘cell’ was more of an island in the middle of the pit, barely big enough to stand and move in a circle around. In the middle of the island sat Tai Lung, a large shell encasing his chest, with jade spikes extending from his back. Both his arms were bound and chained to heavy boulders that hung over the edge of his platform. Tai Lung’s head was bowed, his arms limp. It was hard to tell if he was even breathing.

Derpy nodded. “Very… nice,” she said, turning to Iron Will with a grin. “Can I just stay here?”

The warden chuckled at her barely hidden fear. “Nothing to fear, little pony,” he assured her. “It’s perfectly safe.”

Despite his soft tone, he still shoved the pegasus onto the rickety bridge that led to Tai Lung’s prison. As Derpy reluctantly walked towards the bound criminal, Iron Will’s voice boomed behind her.

"Crossbows at the ready!”

Derpy stared around in fear as massive crossbows – more ballista than crossbows – locked into place, aimed at the apparently unconscious snow leopard. Derpy was already scared beyond belief. As Iron Will joined her on the island, he only made it harder for her to conceal her fear.

"Hey tough guy,” Iron Will barked at the bound snow leopard. “Did you hear? Celestia's finally going to give someone the Celestial Scroll and it’s not going to be you!"

Derpy winced. “Please don’t make him mad,” she pleaded.

"What's he going to do?" the minotaur demanded. "Iron Will has him completely immobilized."

To prove his point, Iron Will slammed his hoof onto Tai Lung's tail. Derpy winced, holding her own tail with worry, but Tai Lung didn’t even wince. Not even when Iron Will brought his head closer to the bound leopard.

"Aw, did Iron Will step on the wittle kitties tail?” Iron Will mocked. “Aww…"

“I… think I’ve seen enough,” Derpy insisted, unable to keep the fear out of her voice. “I’ll tell Master Luna she has nothing to worry about.”

"No, she doesn't" Iron Will confirmed as both he and the pegasus left the cell. As they left, neither of them noticed the pegasus feather softly land right in front of Tai Lung

Tai Lung opened his eyes, both golden orbs burning with anger. They flicked down to the feather that had fallen before him. Moving his tail, he wrapped it around the feather, and pulled it closer. He looked up with a grim smile.



By the time Twilight managed to cobble together a feasible argument for why all of this was a huge mistake, she was already inside the Celestial Palace. Twilight got off the palanquin, and moved to protest… only to find the ponies hastily leaving.

“Wait-WAIT!” Twilight cried, only for the door to shut in her face. “There’s a huge mistake! I’m not…”

But Twilight’s voice failed her once more, as her brain processed what had happened. She was inside the Celestial Palace! And more…

“This…” she whispered, turning around as her eyes widened in awe. “This is the Sacred Hall of Warriors!”

With stars in her eyes, Twilight approached a red suit of armor

"Master Bright Mac's Flying Rhino Armor," Twilight whispered in awe. "With authentic battle damage!"

Catching a reflection of green in the armor, Twilight spun and gravitated towards a sword imprinted with a green dragon.

"The Sword of Heroes," Twilight whispered, longing for the weapon. "Said to be so sharp you can cut yourself just by… YOWCH!” She quickly pulled her hand back, staring in awe as blood ran down her fingers. “Just by looking at it,” she whispered.

Looking up from her damaged hand, the pain quickly fled Twilight’s mind as she beheld a weapon rack. Initially, it seemed to hold nothing, but Twilight spotted the shadow that proved otherwise.

“The Invisible Trident of Destiny,” Twilight squeaked in awe. “Wielded by Former Master Stygian!”

The inner Kung-Fu fangirl in her dying from joy overload, Twilight spun on her heels, catching sight of a painting depicting a previous master who had passed from the mortal realm

"I've only seen painting of that painting!" Her voice was so high-pitched, she could’ve reserved it for calling dogs. And it only got higher when she spotted a medium sized jug with a depiction of grapes across it.

"The Bottomless Gourd of Master Berry Punch!" Twilight squeaked in glee. "Master and Creator of the Drunken Fist"

Then Twilight spotted it.

“No! Way!” she cooed in utter ecstasy, scampering like a school girl over to an urn with several mismatched creatures on the outside.

"The Legendary Urn of Chaotic Evil!” Twilight said in a hushed voice. "Said to contain the souls of the entire draconequus race… with the exception of Discord," she added with a fearful look around. However, her gaze was soon drawn back to the urn. Trying to quell her shivering limbs, Twilight leaned right to the urn’s opening.

“Hello?” Twilight whispered.

She wasn’t sure what she expected. For something like Discord to reply back? Imagine her surprise when it did.

"Have you finished sightseeing?" a voice asked.

Twilight jumped back in alarm. Granted, the voice didn’t sound like a draconequus. But at that moment, Twilight was too overwhelmed to notice.

"I'm so sorry," Twilight apologized. "I should have noticed you first. It’s just…” she gazed around in awe. “Oh, I never thought I’d get to see any of these in real life!” she squeaked in glee.

“My patience is wearing thin,” the voice growled, agitated.

Twilight looked back at the urn in confusion.

“Wait… really?” she asked. “But… I’m sorry, but were you planning to go somewhere?”

"Turn around," the voice ordered.

Blinking, Twilight turned. At the end of the Hall, situated before the Moon Pool, Master Luna glared at her with an irritated gaze.

“Oh!” Twilight stammered. “H-Hello, Master Luna.” As she bowed, her eyes darted back to the urn and to the alicorn master, slowly making the connection. “Oh, boy…” Twilight mumbled worriedly.

Her nervousness was more than justified. As Luna glared at the purple unicorn, bitterness and anger battled each other in the alicorn master’s mind.

This is the Celestial Warrior? Luna wanted to shriek. This is who my son got passed over for?!

But, Luna managed to contain herself for the most part. She forced herself to grin at the purple unicorn.

"So, you're the Legendary Celestial Warrior?" Luna asked through gritted teeth.

"Um,” Twilight whimpered, more than sensing the agitation and anger emanating from the dark blue alicorn. “I… think. So?”

“WRONG!” Luna boomed, sending Twilight back into a frightened bow. So much for containing herself.

“Okay,” she squeaked.

"You are not the Celestial Warrior,” Luna hissed. “And you will never be the Celestial Warrior until…” she pointed upward at the scroll in the dragon’s mouth. “You have learned the secret of the Celestial Scroll.”

Twilight looked up at the scroll, before darting her eyes over to Luna. Cautiously, she flared up her magic, reaching out with an aura to seize the scroll.

Instantly, her magic backfired. Twilight was send skidding across the Hall of Warriors, with Luna bearing down on her.

"You really think it would have been that simple?” Luna demanded. “That you could just take the secret to limitless power?!” Luna indicated the scroll again… and the golden runes that glowed around the dragon sculpture. “Celestia herself placed a barrier to prevent any magic from getting to the scroll as well as the spell that prevents any pegasus from flying above the moon pool!"

“Oh-Okay,” Twilight squeaked.

"To acquire the scroll,” Luna continued, marching around Twilight’s bowing form. “One must first master the highest levels of Kung-Fu.” She glowered down at Twilight as she circled her. “And that is clearly impossible if that someone is someone like you.”

Twilight stared up at Luna, equal parts confused and insulted.

“Someone like me?” she demanded.

“Yes!” Luna snapped. “Look at you!” She smacked Twilight’s side with her flute. “This fragile body!”

“OW!” Twilight complained, only for Luna to whack her arm.

“These skinny arms!”

“Sensitive skinny arms!” Twilight protested, clutching at her arms, only for Luna to go for her legs.

“These knobby knees!” Luna complained.

“Stop it!” Twilight whined, dodging away from Luna’s flute.

"And utter disregard to personal care!" Luna concluded, pointing at Twilight's hair. Twilight smoothed her hair back with an indignant expression.

“That’s uncalled for…” Twilight started to complain, only for Luna to turn her head away from her.

“When was the last time you brushed your teeth?” Luna demanded. “I can smell your breath from here!”

“Alright, listen!” Twilight burst out, her anger briefly making her forget who she was speaking to. She pointed angrily at Luna. “I don’t know why Master Celestia chose…”

But her voice quickly died in her throat. Not just because she remembered who she was yelling at. But because Luna had just seized Twilight’s finger between her index finger and thumb while holding her pinkie up right. The familiar hand sign called Twilight back to one of her many scrolls. And as her heart raced in her chest, Twilight fell to her knees in a state of pure panic.

"The Wuxie Finger Hold," Twilight whispered in a scared tone. "Not the Wuxie Finger hold," she begged the alicorn.

"Oh-ho-ho,” Luna chuckled darkly. “You know this hold?"

"Developed by Masters Starswirl and Wuxie in the 3rd dynasty,” Twilight recited in a rapid-fire tone, before admitting, “Yes,” with a flurry of nods.

"Well then,” Luna declared. “You must know what will happen when I flex my pinkie." She wiggled her pinkie for emphasis, only sending Twilight into a near burst of helpless hysteria.

"No-no-please-anything-but-that!" begged Twilight.

But Luna’s grip on her finger didn’t fade. If anything, it got tighter.

"You know what the hardest part of this technique?" Luna questioned. "The hardest part is cleaning up afterwards." She chuckled grimly, as Twilight’s fear rose.

“Okay-please,” Twilight began to cry. “Just-please… don’t…”

“Listen close, unicorn,” Luna growled darkly at her. “Celestia may have chosen you.” She jutted her head forward. “But when I’m done with you, I promise you. You’re going to wish she hadn’t!” She leaned back. “Are we clear?”

Twilight swallowed. “Crystal,” she whimpered.

Luna smirked. “Good.”

She released Twilight’s finger. The mare clutched her hand to her chest, breathing heavily. Luna smiled, staring down at the trembling unicorn.

“I can’t wait to get started,” Luna declared. This is going to be easier than I thought, she thought darkly.



Twilight had thought the Hall of Warriors was amazing. But that had simply contained relics. Artifacts from times of glory long past. As Luna led her into the Training Hall, Twilight nearly suffered another joy overload as she saw the current heroes of her time in action.

Rainbow Dash sparred with Fluttershy on top of a sapphire blue bowl, their limbs blurring as they dodged, ducked and parried each other while keeping the bowl from spilling each other out onto the combat floor. Their blurs of yellow and blue almost seemed to mix to create a strange green blur.

Just beyond them, Pinkie Pie was cackling with glee, jumping along a series of pipes as fire tried to blast her into ash. Yet the pink mare was untouched; not a single strand of ash dotted her perfect figure.

Ahead of both of them, Applejack was barreling through multiple training dummies, leaving a flurry of shrapnel and wood chips in her path.

Above all of them, Rarity maneuvered on several swinging rings, practically dancing around and even through the metal obstacles.

As Twilight stared, awed at the white unicorn’s grace, she failed to notice that Rainbow Dash leap away from Fluttershy and land on a spinning platform just ahead of the purple unicorn. Spiked balls swung back and forth, attempting to dislodge the cyan pegasus, but Rainbow Dash was untouchable. Slamming both her hands into one of the obstacles, she blasted the training tool into wooden chunks, one of which bounced off Twilight’s horn with a spark.

“Oh, sweet Celestia…” Twilight whimpered, shivering as Luna chuckled at her discomfort.

“Let’s get started,” Luna declared, indicating for Twilight to take to the training grounds.

Twilight swallowed, gazing with fear upon the many tools of training. The spiked balls, the spewing fire. Even the training dummies were spiked.

“Uh…” Twilight squeaked. “Now?”

"Yes now," Luna snapped. "Unless you think that Master Celestia was wrong, and you are not the Celestial Warrior."

"Well... Um... No..” Twilight whimpered. “It’s just that… I’ve always been more of a scholar.” She pointed vacantly at the training room floor. “I don’t think I can do all of those… well… um…”

"Well,” Luna said, “We won’t know, if we never try.”

“I mean… yes,” Twilight admitted, running after Luna as she began to walk the edge of the hall. “I’m just wondering if we could… try something more on my… level.”

"And what level would that be?" Master Luna asked tiredly.

“Well, obviously not a master,” Twilight admitted with a breathless chuckle. “So… maybe Level… Zero?”

Luna chuckled. "There is no such thing as level Zero.”

But as Twilight looked desperately around the room, her eyes lit up.

“Here. I can practice on this!” Twilight said, bounding her way over to a plush, round, bouncy dummy.

“That?!” Luna demanded, following after her. “We use that for training children! And for propping the door open when it’s hot.” She rolled her eyes. “But, if you insist…”

But the latter half of Luna’s explanation fell on deaf ears. For in the time Twilight had taken, the Furious Five had noticed the unicorn that had upstaged them, and had left the training room floor to check her out.

"The…” Twilight gulped. “The Furious Five!" She bowed low to them. "It is such a great honor to meet you all,” she whispered with absolute reverence.

Pinkie giggled at the unicorn’s humility, and bounded forth to introduce herself, only to be stepped by Applejack, who had noticed Luna’s glare. As Applejack held Pinkie back, donning her Stetson with worry, Fluttershy gave a nervous wave. Though due to her blindfold, she ended up waving at Luna. Rarity managed a light bow of respect, though Rainbow Dash scoffed and looked away with her arms crossed.

"Master Luna,” Rainbow Dash asked. “I believe it’s time for me to train the others."

"Very well Rainbow,” Luna replied with a nod. “You are dismissed.”

Giving a quick bow, Rainbow Dash shot Twilight another look of loathing before marching out of the hall. Twilight whimpered at the Cyan Master’s harsh look, before Luna’s harsher voice yanked her from her worried thoughts.

"Now, unicorn," Luna snarled. "Hit the dummy!"

"Y-Yes, Master Luna," Twilight stammered with a quick bow. She took a stance, and exhaled slowly, as her horn began to glow. However, her concentration was interrupted when Luna seized her horn in an iron grip.

"There is no magic allowed in this hall,” Luna barked at her. “In here, you train to hone your physical skills!”

She strained Twilight’s horn to the point that the unicorn whimpered in pain.

“Disobey that rule again,” Luna warned. “And I snap your horn off like I did a previous student!" She threw Twilight back. "Now hit the dummy!"

Twilight regained her footing and retook her stance, though she couldn’t stop the trembling in her arms. Twilight reared her arm back and struck the dummy with her open palm. The dummy bounced back towards the unicorn, but Twilight immediately spun around and performed a crescent kick. She glanced at Luna with a hopeful look, only for that hopeful look to evaporate as Luna glowered at her.

So much for this being easy, Luna thought, as Twilight turned back to the dummy, and continued to practice.



Even when night finally came, and with it, blessed relief from Luna’s training, Twilight’s problems didn’t end. The Furious Five left her behind, many of them giving worried looks to Luna, and Twilight was forced to slowly follow them to where hopefully the living quarters were. As Rainbow Dash joined them outside the training hall, talk quickly turned to the purple unicorn walking behind them. Twilight’s head hung as she heard every word.

“Well, The Celestial Warrior sure was… something,” Applejack muttered.

“I… suppose,” Fluttershy mumbled.

“Well, I like her,” Pinkie Pie said. “Just don’t let Master Luna know. I think she still thinks…”

“Pinkie, sh!” Rarity hissed. “Truly, I don’t know what Master Celestia was thinking.”

“Well…” Fluttershy said. “She did fall out of the sky on a ball of fire.”

“That was them dragons,” Applejack pointed out. “All that Twilight was-was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Rainbow Dash huffed. “Well, you’d think that Master Celestia would choose someone who actually knew Kung-Fu. Practicality over spectacle, maybe?”

“Oh, don’t be cross, Rainbow Dash,” Rarity declared. “Even Masters have to have an eye for the spectacle.”

“Eh, I’m with Rainbow on this one, Rares,” Applejack said. “Style’s nice, but pretty useless if ya got nothing else.”

The words weren’t totally mean, but it still hurt Twilight to hear. As they reached the living quarters, Twilight waited by the door, hoping that one of them would show her where she was supposed to sleep. But instead, they all retreated into various rooms. And one by one, the lights were snuffed out, until only Rainbow Dash’s was still alight.

Gulping, Twilight tried to make her way through the hall to what she hoped was an empty room. Despite her best efforts, Twilight tripped over a loose board. She groaned as her sore body began to fall… but she never hit the ground.

Gasping, Twilight found herself in the grip of Fluttershy, who had stopped her from face-planting into the floor.

"You should be more careful," Fluttershy whispered.

"Thank you, Master…" Twilight’s thanks was cut off in a hiss as she put pressure on the foot that had kicked the loose floorboard. Fluttershy gave her foot a nervous glance, before motioning into her room.

"Come inside," Fluttershy said, pulling her into her room. Settling her on the soft bed, Fluttershy placed a hand on Twilight’s ankle.

"Master Fluttershy?” Twilight asked. “I-If I may ask… how did you know I was going to fall?"

"I heard the board you stepped on,” Fluttershy said, reaching up to untie her blindfold. She smiled softly. “Relying on one's other senses tends to have its moments here and there.”

Despite her kind words, Twilight winced as she pulled off her blindfold. Many of her scrolls had given the impression that the yellow pegasus was blind, and that her eyes would be clouded… if they were there at all. But, to Twilight’s shock, her eyes were fine. A beautiful whole azure color. Though, she still kept her head low, and didn’t make eye contact.

Twilight blinked. “Y-Your eyes,” Twilight whispered.

“Hm?” Fluttershy asked, still not meeting Twilight’s eyes.

“W-Why would you wear a blindfold if your eyesight is fine?”

Fluttershy smiled softly, examining Twilight’s ankle.

"It becomes less scary when you can't see what you fear,” she replied, before her smile faded. “And… like some I was born with a gift, one where my eyesight can be used to petrify those who look into them.” Fluttershy sighed softly, releasing Twilight’s foot. "It’s just a light scratch,” she said, wrapping a bandage over a small red cut. “You’ll be fine."

Twilight looked around before exhaling deeply.

"I don't belong here,” Twilight mumbled. “Do I?"

Fluttershy sighed, putting her blindfold back on.

"I’m afraid not," Fluttershy mumbled softly. Despite the apologetic tone in her voice, Twilight’s head still hung in defeat.

"I was afraid of that,” she admitted. "I should've just stayed in my library, and…"

Fluttershy's head snapped up in horror.

"Oh, no!" Fluttershy stammered, swinging her arms in front of her. "No-no-no, that's not what I meant.”

Twilight looked at her in confusion, as Fluttershy glanced around in worry. Despite technically not being able to see anymore.

“I… meant… here!” Fluttershy gasped out. “You don’t belong here. I-in this room.” She grinned. “See, this is my room, so technically… you don't belong in here.” She smiled and pointed down the hall. “Y-Your room will be two doors down."

Twilight stepped back out into the hallway, quickly finding the door Fluttershy was talking about.

“Oh,” Twilight said in relief. She grinned at the yellow pegasus. “Thank you.”

"Oh, but be careful,” Fluttershy cautioned. "You must stay away from the sealed room at the end of the hall. Lest we wish to ensure the wrath of Master Luna." Glancing around to make sure the others hadn’t eavesdropped, Fluttershy gave one final grin to Twilight. “Good night,” she said before shutting the door.

Smiling at Fluttershy’s kindness, Twilight made her way to her room. But before she could open the door, Rainbow Dash yanked open the door to her room.

"You don’t belong here," Rainbow Dash growled.

Twilight spun, trembling as she beheld the cyan master’s hostile rose-colored eyes.

“I-I know,” Twilight stammered. “T-This is your room, and…” Her voice trailed off as she spotted a sleeping filly with orange fur in Rainbow Dash’s room. Cuddling up to a green tortoise.

Rainbow Dash stepped in front of Twilight, and almost pinned her against the adjacent door.

“I mean,” Rainbow Dash growled. “You don’t belong in the Celestial Palace. If you had any respect for who we are and what we do?” Rainbow Dash shoved away from Twilight and stormed back into her room. “Then you’ll be gone by morning.”

With a hard THUD, she slid her door closed, leaving Twilight leaning against the opposite wall. For a moment, Twilight almost slid to the ground, curled up and cried. But, she had enough strength to wobble out of the building, and out towards a peach tree at the end of a cliff. Finding peace in the bright pink blossoms and the solid trunk, Twilight slid down next to the tree… and started to weep.

As Twilight privately mourned the loss of her former life, and feared for her dragon brother, she was unaware of an alicorn ascending the stairs to the tree. A lantern was in one hand, her staff in the other. In the light of the full moon, her hair looked more like silver than ever before.

"It would seem another student has found The Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom," Celestia commented.

Twilight gasped, yanking herself from her grief.

“M-Master Celestia!” Twilight jumped up and bowed to the alicorn. “I-Is that what this is? I didn’t know it… wait? Another one? Who else?” She gasped. “N-Not that you need to answer that. I-I mean, who am I to… um…” She awkwardly sunk into another bow.

Celestia eyes grew heavy with regret. She lifted Twilight’s chin.

“You can ask me anything,” Celestia replied. “As for who found this tree first…” she gave the tree a wistful gaze. “It was one… I could not save.” She gazed down at Twilight. “But maybe it’s not too late for you.” She knelt next to Twilight. “Tell me what bothers you, my little pony?”

Twilight looked away from the old master, and sighed, sinking back against the tree trunk. When she spoke, she worried her voice sounded petulant. But she couldn’t stop the grief from coming back.

“Why did you choose me?” she whispered. “I-I’ve never… I’ve looked up to the Furious Five for so long.” She looked down, tears brimming in her eyes again. “And they all hate me.”

“All of them?” Celestia asked. Her tone was coy, but the worry in her eyes was real.

“Well,” Twilight admitted. “Fluttershy was nice. And Pinkie Pie…” she chuckled. “I don’t know if she even knows how to ‘hate.’” Her smile faded. “But Master Luna… and Master Rainbow Dash…” she looked back up at Celestia. “I’m not like them. I’m not strong… or brave… or…” She shrugged. “Reckless?” She leaned her back up against the tree with a sigh. “I really feel like I should just quit. Go back to sorting books at my library… and let them be the real heroes.”

Celestia sighed, gazing out at the moon.

“Quit… don’t quit,” Celestia said, almost whimsically. “Sort. Don’t sort.” She brushed the tears from Twilight’s eyes, making her look up at the old master. “You are too concerned with what was and what will be, my little pony.”

Twilight tilted her head.

“There’s a saying,” Celestia continued. “’Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. But today is a gift" Celestia stood. “That is why it is called the present,” she whispered, before turning away.

She paused, and tapped the tree with her staff. A peach fell into Twilight’s hand. And as Twilight gazed after the elder master, she began to smile. A plan was already forming in her mind.



His plan was working to perfection. With several flicks of his tail, the snow leopard knocked the feather back and forth, turning it through the key hole to his shell restrain. His ears flicked as the lock clicked. He was close. So, close.

With one final flick, the lock was turned. The spikes inside Tai Lung’s shell spun out of the contraption. And after almost twenty years of being still as a statue, the snow leopard felt feeling flood back into his core.

He let out a long slow breath. His claws sprouted, and he cracked the frozen joints in his arms.

He clenched up his body, and forced the spikes out of the shell. With a final flex, Tai Lung broke the shell off his body, only for the boulder restraints to nearly drag him back down.

But the boulder restraints were the least of his problems. High above him, Iron Will raced to the balcony, staring down in disbelief, and a hint of fear.

"Oh, no…” Iron Will muttered, only for Derpy to canter up next to him.

"What’s down there?" Derpy asked. However, she was quickly reminded when she looked down, and saw Tai Lung’s golden eyes glaring up at her and Iron Will. She let out a small squeak of fear.

On the levels below her, guards scrambled back and forth across the bridges, readying weapons. Tai Lung tried to raise his arms, but the boulders, along with gravity’s cruel hold on them, dissuaded his attempts.

"Fire Crossbows," Iron Will ordered, the order carrying down to the minotaurs at the ballista.

One ballista fired a bolt like a spear. Tai Lung dodged it. More bolts fired upon the prisoner, slowly pinning him in a cage of wood. But as the fifth crossbow tried to fire, Tai Lung managed to shift his arm just enough.

And the spear broke the restraint around his right arm.

The minotaur guards gaped in horror, unable to do anything other than stare as Tai Lung ripped the other chain on his left wrist free, and snarled up at the guards.

“Um… is he… freeing himself?” Derpy asked, shades of panic entering her voice. “Should I tell Master Luna about…”

Before she could finish, Iron Will seized her by the neck.

"You're not going anywhere and neither is he!" the prison warden yelled.

“Um… okay?” Derpy squeaked, as Iron Will turned to the elevator operators.

"Bring it up!" he ordered.

The wooden elevator lifted into the air, leaving two of the guards down below.

"No, wait" one of them said, “Bring it back.”

Tai Lung watched in amusement, before his enhanced hearing picked up the click of another ballista. The guards tried to take advantage of him having his back to them. Unfortunately for them, Tai Lung was more than ready. Striking the spear with the palm of his right paw, he redirected it before sending it right back with a kick, destroying the crossbow and embedding it into the wall.

Glancing at the other spears with intrigue, Tai Lung tossed up four of the five spears into the air before delivering a kick to each of the spears, embedding each of them into the wall. With his path to the slow-moving elevator assured, Tai Lung cracked his neck, and used the last spear as a pole vault, launching him towards the wall. From spear to spear, Tai Lung jumped towards the elevator.

"Um… he's coming this way!” Derpy noted, trying valiantly to keep the fear out of her voice.

"He won't get far," Iron Will snarled before turning to his minotaurs. "Archers!"

Across the highest bridge, Iron Will's guards fired a slew of arrows, turning the sky above Tai Lung red. Tai Lung glared at the raining arrows and quickened his pace. Making it to the final spear, he spun around the shaft before launching himself at the elevator.

For a split second, it looked like he’d be too late. But when the arrows coated the upper part of the elevator, the snow leopard was nowhere to be seen.

Without hesitation, the Minotaurs guarding the top of the elevator swung their axes, severing the chain and causing the elevator to fall below. For a brief moment, there was relief. The guards laugh and clapped their axes together in celebration.

Then Tai Lung reappeared. Without warning, he downed the two guards with a split kick. Seizing the chain and hitting the release, Tai Lung used the chain to swing out onto the bridge above.

The minotaurs raced to subdue him, but their axes, maces, swords, and guillotine axes were no match for physical prowess of one that had mastered the thousand scrolls of Kung Fu. With a single blow, Tai Lung shattered a minotaurs shield and sent him into a crowd of minotaurs like a bowling ball, scattering the guards and giving him access to the stairs leading to the next bridge.

Two of the minotaurs tried to hold the door shut trying to keep the prisoner from escaping. Tai Lung simply busted the door off its hinges, crushing the minotaurs underneath. Two more guards charged at Tai Lung. He threw them both off the bridge with a spinning maneuver. One guard struck at Tai Lung with a mace. Tai Lung ended up taking the mace for himself.

With a weapon in hand, Tai Lung made short work of three guards in a matter of seconds. A fourth rushed him with a roar, only for Tai Lung to shove the mace in his mouth.

For a brief moment of levity, he hushed the minotaur with a grin, before kicking him into the air. The minotaur didn’t even get to hit the ground before Tai Lung carved through the rest of his friends and caught the silenced minotaur. Throwing him throw the doorway and into the reinforcements those doors held, Tai Lung scrambled up to the top and gained access to the final bridge.

The minotaurs that hadn’t been downed yet stood in a crowd before the snow leopard. At the head of the crowd was Iron Will, Derpy still getting squeezed in his iron grip.

Iron Will snorted in defiance.

Tai Lung snarled in aggression.

Derpy neighed in fear.

For a brief moment, though, Tai Lung didn’t move. He paced on the bridge, gauging the minotaurs before him.

“So…” Derpy whimpered. “Are we dead?” Iron Will laughed defiantly.

“Not yet,” he declared, turning to one final minotaur archer with a flaming arrow. “Now!”

The minotaur archer fired… and hit a chuck of dynamite tied to the stalactites above. As the first stalactite fell, Tai Lung noticed other explosives connected to the other stalactites, fuses set alight from the first explosion heading to destroy the rest of the ceiling spikes.

A glimmer of fear briefly appeared on Tai Lung’s face before he stamped it down. He rushed for the end of the bridge, but the cave spikes slammed into the stone structure, bringing down his path to freedom. Tai Lung dodged the stalactites and made a mighty lunge…

But his claws sparked off the edge of the cliff, and he plummeted back into darkness.

Iron Will roared with laughter, mockingly waving goodbye to the snow leopard. But Tai Lung wasn’t out of the game yet. Looking up, the Kung-Fu master saw a group of explosives that had yet to go off. Jumping up, Tai Lung climbed up the falling debris, challenging gravity for control of his fate. With a mighty leap, he launched himself off the latest stalactite to fall… and caught the still last still intact ceiling spike.

The minotaurs and pegasus could only stare in mute disbelief as the snow leopard began to climb the stone. The fuse burned lower and lower. Every guard yearned for it to go off before Tai Lung reached it. But their yearning was for nothing. And the fuse was still hopelessly far from the explosive when Tai Lung caught it, and yanked it from the stone. before jumping up and grabbing hold of the intact stalactite, using his claws Tai Lung Pulling the explosive down, Tai Lung plummeted towards Derpy and Iron Will, both of them with pinpricked pupils wide with fear and disbelief.

"W-What went wrong?" Derpy whimpered in fear.

“I-Iron Will… just doesn’t know,” Iron Will whimpered, his voice cracking in defeat as Tai Lung hurled the explosives at them.



Derpy pulled her head from the ground with a moaning cough. She shivered as she beheld the destruction:

The doors to Tartarus had been blown wide open. Ash mixed with snow, scattering over the eerily still bodies of the minotaurs. Derpy whimpered as she beheld a familiar pair of golden horns, piercing the ground before her.

Before Derpy could even figure out how she felt about the fate of the prison warden, a clawed paw seized her by the back of her neck.

“Oh, not again,” Derpy whimpered, as she was lifted off her hooves. But this time, instead of the rough Iron Will, Derpy’s eyes widened in terror as she was lifted before the cruel, burning yellow eyes of Tai Lung.

Tai Lung lifted his free claw towards her, and the pegasus flinched. But all he did was remove a stone from her hair before setting her on her hooves. When she opened her eyes, she blinked as she found the snow leopard… smiling.

“I’m glad Mother sent you,” Tai Lung said amicably. He lifted her message bag, tapping out a flaming ember before handing it back to Derpy. “After she stopped visiting 15 years ago…” he looked down in sadness. “I was beginning to think she’d forgot about me.”

Derpy held her message bag to her chest, fear and relief battling each other at the snow leopard’s show of kindness.

“Fly back to the Celestia Palace,” Tai Lung requested. “And tell my mother and all her little students… that the Real Celestial Warrior is coming home.”

Derpy nodded, relieved that she was going to escape with her life. Spinning around, she took to the air at a speed that would rival the mighty Rainbow Dash.

Tai Lung watched her go, his smile turning more malicious as his gaze centered on where she was going.

"Mother" Tai Lung said to himself. "I'm Coming Home!"
> Twilight Vs. The Furious Five
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.
> Truth
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Miles away from the Celestial Palace…

A figure dressed in a black cloak made his way across the rooftops of the current town. As the sun set below the horizon, an odd flash drew the cloaked figure’s attention. He stopped dead in his tracks. Pulling down the hood of his cloak, Tai Lung observed the horizon, his ears twitching and his fur standing on end.

"Celestia?" Tai Lung muttered. "What… sorcery is this? I can’t feel your presence anymore…"

Realization slowly set on the snow leopard’s face, before he was distracted by a scream. Tai Lung spun towards the scream. Though he could feel what lay at the end of his path beckoning to his soul, he let out a low growl… and changed course, racing for the source of the scream.

"The Celestial Scroll isn’t going anywhere," Tai Lung muttered. “It can wait… whoever that is can’t.”

Tai Lung ran across the rooftops until he came across a dark alleyway. In the shadows, he heard a voice fill with malice and greed:

"Make another sound, and your eyes will match your arms and legs, freak!"

The voice had come from a red unicorn stallion, holding a blue earth pony mare by the neck. Her sweater and pants were shredded, and she was cowering in his grip.

"Now, is that any way to treat a lady?" Tai Lung purred, careful to keep himself hidden. Though he had a harder time hiding the growing anger in his voice. “Why don’t you let her go?”

"Who's there?!" the man demanded, dropping the mare and turning towards the ally entrance. With a grin, Tai Lung jumped down, rising up and flicking his hood back.

“They call me… the Great Dragon,” he replied.

The man snarled.

“You’re no dragon,” he said, walking towards him. “You’re just Luna’s reject…”

Before he could finish, Tai Lung seized the man’s head. With one quick but brutal motion, he slammed the man’s head against the wall, letting his limp body fall to the ground. A trail of blood painted the wall in a single line.

"T-thank…” the mare tried to say, but Tai Lung turned to her, his golden eyes narrowed.

"Change back,” he ordered, the growl of anger not leaving his voice.

"What?" the mare stammered. "I don't know what...?"

"I saved you,” the snow leopard growled. “Don't insult my kindness with lies.”

The mare sighed, before her eyes narrowed… and flashed green. She was engulfed in emerald flames before her true form revealed itself through the smoke. Skin pitch black and waxy like a fly. Her wings like a beetle. Holes dotting her arms and legs. Medium venomous green hair. And a curved horn on her head. Even her clothes faded away with the flames, revealing torn bottle green armor.

"Hmm...,” Tai Lung purred in intrigue. “A changeling.”

The changeling blinked bright blue eyes at him. “You’re… not afraid,” she realized.

"No" Tai Lung confirmed, smirking. “Are you?”

The Changeling gazed upon Tai Lung. Though her legs trembled, she lifted herself up.

"Yes. I am," the changeling admitted. "But not of you."

"Huh… Good," Tai Lung replied, shedding his cloak and placing it around the Changeling. The changeling bowed in gratitude.

"Thank you, Master Tai Lung,” she whispered.

Tai Lung paused. His gaze turned to the stars. To the moon. His mother's sign.

"I haven't been called that in years," he whispered, shutting his eyes. "It feels… nice." He gazed back down at her. “What is your name, Changeling?”

"Urtica.”

“Urtica…” Tai Lung almost seemed to taste the name, before he turned from her. “You are welcome to join me. Though… I suppose you’ll be needing this fool’s clothes?” He kicked at the corpse next to him.

"Thank you, Tai Lung" Urtica breathed. As she bowed, she could not hide the smile on her face… or the blush in her cheeks.



Meanwhile, blissfully unaware of Tai Lung and Luna’s strife, Twilight stood at the stove of the dining hall, reading carefully from a cookbook as she prepared soup. The Furious Five and their sisters lounged at the table, watching Twilight with intrigue. With the exception of Rainbow Dash, who stood further away from Twilight, preparing her own food.

"I must say Twilight," Rarity commented. "I'm surprised you know how to cook."

"Considering ya almost killed her with the acupuncture?" Applejack teased. Despite Rarity puffing her cheeks in agitation, Sweetie Belle and even Twilight managed soft chuckles.

"That really isn’t funny, darlings," Rarity muttered.

"Don't worry Rarity," Pinkie chirped, leaning over the table. "I lent her a few of my cookbooks. She said she was aching to read scrolls again, so…"

"Thank you, by the way, Pinkie,” Twilight said gratefully, shutting the book and blowing out the flame. “Now, this was pretty much the only recipe that didn’t involve baking,” Twilight continued, levitating eight bowls before using a ladle to pour soup into each one. “I did my best with it – followed the instructions, but… let’s see how it worked.”

Continuing to use her magic, Twilight levitated the eight bowls over to the others.

"Oh! Did you read one of the other cookbooks I gave you?" Pinkie Pie asked.

“I want to,” Twilight admitted. “But it’s dinnertime. I only had the time to read this one.” She propped the book up next to her, pat it like it was an old friend, and dug in along with the others.

Though Twilight’s eyes still darted around with worry, she perked up as gasps of delight emanated all around as the others tried her soup.

"Twilight!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. “This is really good!" She practically slurped her soup in joy.

"Don't slurp, Sweetie," Rarity chastised.

“But slurping means ‘delicious,’” Pinkie noted, proving her point by slurping her own soup as well. “And this is beyond delicious!”

Rarity rolled her eyes at Pinkie’s antics, but did adopt a softer tone. "They are right darling,” She admitted. “This soup is divine. Even pinkie can't get this soup this good"

Rarity immediately realized what she said and turned to her pink friend in apology, only to find her missing. Rarity then saw Pinkie standing before the stove pouring herself another bowl of soup.

"It's nothing,” Twilight insisted. “I just followed the recipe.” She gave the soup a doubtful look. “I did think about going a little overboard – using some onions or herbs – but, I didn’t know if it would…”

“Twilight, relax,” Fluttershy insisted with a smile. “This is amazing.”

Twilight looked around with a slowly developing smile as the others enjoyed her cooking.

“Fantastic!” Pinkie agreed.

"Ah wish mah mouth was bigger!" Apple Bloom agreed.

Even Scootaloo nodded in approval. “Rainbow Dash,” she commented, sliding her bowl over to her older sister. “You gotta try this.”

But Rainbow Dash stuck to her daisy sandwich. “You know,” she commented darkly. “I heard it said that the Celestial Warrior can survive for months at a time on nothing but the dew of a single gingko leaf, and the energy of the universe.”

Twilight’s grin faded. Pinkie rolled her eyes at her friend.

“Dashie, don’t be like that,” Pinkie chastised. “You’re only saying that cuz you’re jelly.”

“Jelly?!” Twilight and Dash exclaimed. Rarity and Applejack choked, trying to stop Pinkie, but with their mouths full, they were too late.

“Peanut butter and jelly,” Pinkie continued as they motioned for her to stop. “Just because Twilight’s the Celestial Warrior and not you doesn’t mean that…”

“Pinkie!” Apple Bloom barked, on the desperate motioning from her sister. But the damage had been done.

Twilight stared at Dash as she glared down at her food. She put a hand to her heart.

“All this time… you’ve been… jealous?” Twilight asked.

Dash huffed, and looked away.

“Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said with a small chuckle. “What do you have to be jealous of? You’re the leader of the Furious Five; one of the greatest groups of warriors in Equestria! Have you read any of the books that have been written about you?”

Dash glanced at her curiously.

“Master Luna doesn’t give us much time to read,” Fluttershy admitted quietly. “Unless it’s related in some way to training.”

Twilight briefly stared at Fluttershy in horror before shaking out of it.

“M-My point is," Twilight continued. "The scrolls and books depict you guys as the greatest heroes since Spitfire’s Wonder Bolts!” Before the others could comment, Twilight went on a roll. “I mean, the Battle of Weeping River? Outnumbered a thousand to five, and you all didn’t stop! You just..." She jumped up and mimed several kung fu moves.

Rainbow Dash chuckled. "We were awesome there, weren't we?" she admitted. She glanced up with eager intrigue in her eyes. "What else have they written about us?"

"The time when you went up against the Diamonds of Death?" Twilight practically squeaked in awe. "How does someone manage to turn their enemies into sequined dresses?"

"To be fair," Rarity said with a sweep of her mane. "I aided a lot in that." She gave a worried look to Rainbow Dash. "But I wouldn't have been able to if you hadn't worn them down."

"Yeah..." Dash admitted. "Yeah, you're right."

Pinkie shot up. "Oh, what other adventures did they write about?" Pinkie asked. "Did they write about the time Dashie and I managed to eat five all-you-can-eat buffets out of business?"

Twilight gave her a long, confused stare. "No," she admitted. "But they did talk about the time you went up against Discord with the aid of Master Luna!"

“No way!” Rainbow Dash breathed.

“I thought Discord destroyed the library,” Rarity exclaimed.

“Turned all the books into birds.”

“Nope,” Twilight replied. “A.K. Yearling got every word you guys spoke that day.” Proving her point, she stood up from the table and growled out a perfect impersonation of Rainbow’s voice. “Your reign of terror ends here, Discord.”

Twilight then switched to Luna's voice

“Surrender now, foul beast, or face the consequences of your actions!”

Hearing Twilight mimic their Master the five couldn't help but laugh, while Rainbow dash just smiled. Emboldened by their positive reaction, Twilight pushed forth into a mockery of Discord’s voice.

“Oh, you truly are a treat, Lulu. ‘Oh, look at me, I’m Master Luna!”

Pinkie howled with laughter. “He sounded exactly like that!” she gasped through tears of laughter.

“What is that sound you make?” Twilight continued to growl in the mock Discord-Luna voice. “Laughter? I’ve never heard of such a thing!”

Rainbow Dash bit back a chuckle. Encouraged to try and make the cyan mare laugh, Twilight cast an illusion spell to mimic Luna’s hair.

“Work hard, my little ponies,” she mimicked. “And maybe someday… you will have hair like mine!”

But just as an impression of Luna’s night-colored hair cascaded down Twilight’s head, the five’s laughter turned to dead silence. Twilight stared at them in dismay, failing to notice Luna glaring at her from outside the room.

“Did I go too far?” Twilight asked. “I mean… I’m pretty sure Discord said that in the book.”

“No, darling,” Rarity hissed. “It’s Luna.”

"Of course, it's Luna who else would it…" Twilight started to say before realizing where everyone’s eyes were darting to. “Oh, dear Celestia…” She spun, whimpering as she beheld Luna’s angry visage. “Master Luna, I was, uh…” She desperately tried to dispel the illusion magic, but in her panic, she only ended up turning her fake mane a bright pink.

Luna grimaced, privately remembering a time when Celestia’s mane had looked like that. The muffled chuckles of her students brought her back to attention.

"You all think this is funny?" Luna demanded. As she stepped into the light showing everyone her red eyes and the dried tear trails. "Tai Lung has escaped from prison and your acting like children!"

At her words, the little bit of humor struggling to remain faded. Pinkie’s mane deflated like a balloon, and Rainbow Dash started to stand.

“Wait… what? What was that part about Tai Lung?” filtered through the students.

"He's after the Celestial Scroll,” Luna said grimly, turning to Twilight. “And you are the only one who can stop him!”

Twilight stared at her in terror. At that moment, Twilight’s illusion spell wore off, and faded away with a small explosion of pink sparkles. Her eyes turned right to Pinkie.

“Pinkie, I thought Master Luna didn’t have a sense of humor,” she whimpered.

“She doesn’t,” Pinkie whispered. The implication hit Twilight like a deer in a road.

“B-But… I…” Twilight turned back to Luna. “W-What about Master Celestia?! She stopped him before…”

“Celestia cannot,” Luna said darkly, her expression faltering as she gazed at the staff in her hands. “Not anymore.”

Dread settled over the table as everyone processed what Luna was saying. Pinkie’s mane deflated even further. Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom snuggled close to their sisters, almost fearing that they’d leave them. And Fluttershy put both hands to her mouth, struggling to hold back tears as Rarity tried to comfort her.

"B-But that ain’t possible," Applejack burst out. "Master Celestia’s immortal. Just like you!"

Luna didn’t look up at her student. “She gave it up to save me from Nightmare Moon,” she said.

Applejack slowly sat back down, disbelief etched across her face. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom shared a scared look.

“What do we do?” Scootaloo asked Rainbow Dash, who could only look up to Luna for confirmation.

"Nothing," the alicorn replied. "Our only hope… is the Celestial Warrior."

Rainbow Dash’s face went beet red. “The unicorn?!” she demanded.

“Yes, the unicorn,” Luna snapped back, prompting Dash to stand up, practically kicking her chair back.

"Master Luna, please," Rainbow Dash argued. "Let us stop Tai Lung! This is what you trained us for!"

"No!” Luna protested. “It is not your destiny to defeat Tai Lung! it is hers!" Luna said, pointing towards Twilight… and finding herself pointing at empty air.

The group looked around in shock.

“Where’d she go?” Luna asked… before her head whirled to the window.

Outside, Twilight was flat out sprinting for the stairs that led down to Ponyville. Though her training had given her a little more stamina, she still huffed and puffed as she raced for her life… and when Luna landed in front of her, Twilight’s scream was clogged by exhaustion.

"You cannot leave!” Luna barked at Twilight. “A real warrior never quits!”

“Well,” Twilight said with a strained smile. “Good thing I’m not a warrior!” She flared up her horn, preparing a teleportation spell. “Bye-aw…” her squeak turned to a whimper as Luna surged forward and seized her horn, cutting off her spell. “Come on!” Twilight protested. “How am I supposed to beat Tai Lung?! I can’t even beat you with magic!”

"You will beat him because you are the Celestial Warrior!" Luna said, prodding Twilight’s chest with the staff.

But Twilight had enough of Luna’s abuse, and when she spoke, her voice was equal parts scared and angry.

“You don’t believe that!” Twilight snapped, shoving the staff away and pulling at Luna’s grip on her horn. “You’ve never believed that! Ever since I got here, you’ve been trying to get rid of me!”

Twilight struggled against Luna’s grip, but Luna let her horn go, reeling her back and allowing her to trip Twilight up with her staff, sending Twilight to her back.

"I was" Luna admitted, pointing her staff in Twilight’s face. "But now, I ask you to trust in your master. As I have come trust in mine."

But Twilight glared up at her with everything but trust.

“You’re not my master,” Twilight snapped, shoving the staff from her face. “And I’m not the Celestial Warrior!”

“Then why didn’t you quit?!” Luna demanded. “You knew I was trying to get rid of you! Yet you stayed!”

"Yes. I stayed," Twilight said darkly. "I stayed because every time you threw one of the Furious Five at me, o-or said I was weak… yeah, it hurt!” Her head lowered. “But it could never hurt more than it did every day of my life just being…” Twilight struggled for the words, before sighing. “Just being me.”

Luna’s glare faltered as Twilight looked up at her.

“I stayed,” Twilight continued. “Because I thought… if anyone could change me. Could make me into something better, it was you! The greatest Kung-Fu teacher in all of Equestria.”

“And I can change you,” Luna insisted. “I can turn you into the Celestial Warrior! And I will!”

Twilight laughed bitterly. “Tai Lung is on his way here right now?” Twilight demanded. “And even if it takes him a hundred years to get here, how are you going to turn a weak, pathetic, scrawny little bookworm into the Celestial Warrior?! Tell me, how?!”

Luna stepped back at the hurt in Twilight’s eyes as she said it. It may have just been part of the training, but Luna had really underestimated just how badly Twilight had taken her words and actions. She looked away, seeking an answer to Twilight’s question.

“How?” Twilight asked again.

Luna shut her eyes. Truth was, she didn’t know. Part of her still believed Tai Lung had been destined for the role of Celestial Warrior. Indeed, how was she supposed to train someone that she didn’t believe deserved it?

“HOW?!” Twilight screamed.

“I don’t know!” Luna finally snapped. Her head lowered in defeat. “I don’t know…” she repeated softly.

Twilight didn’t even look at her. “That’s what I thought,” she whispered in despair.

As Luna walked away from the depressed unicorn, neither of them were aware of a pair of rose-colored eyes watching them.

Perched on the roof of the Celestial Palace, Rainbow Dash shook her head in sorrow at the two’s despair. They needed her. Rainbow Dash knew it. Luna was her master; though she had never gotten over Tai Lung, she was still the closest thing Rainbow Dash had to a mother. And Twilight… Rainbow Dash couldn’t kid herself. Twilight may have taken what was hers, but right now, Rainbow Dash couldn’t see some thunder-stealing wannabe. She saw a frightened and scared civilian.

A civilian she had to protect.

Turning away from the two, Rainbow Dash stared up at the stars. Then, her wings flared, and she surged into the air, dive-bombing towards Ponyville. Wind rushed pasted Rainbow Dash as Ponyville drew closer, at the last moment the master flared her wings and landed on one of the houses. She looked back towards the palace.

“This is what you trained me for!” Rainbow Dash insisted, to herself, and even to her master – never mind that her master couldn’t hear her.

Turning her gaze forward, Rainbow Dash launched off the rooftop and flew for the outskirts of town. But as she neared the borders of Ponyville, she failed to pick up the shadows of four ponies pursuing her.

"Rainbow!"

Rainbow turned. Behind her, Fluttershy was keeping a steady pace, while Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Applejack ran in formation just below her.

"Don't try and stop me,” Rainbow Dash barked, trying to pull ahead. But Pinkie made a massive bound, briefly putting herself at Rainbow Dash’s side before gravity pulled her back down. Undeterred, Pinkie gave another massive jump.

“Don’t… be… silly… Dashie!” Pinkie said, getting a word out with each bound. “We… aren’t… stopping… you...”

Rainbow Dash slowed. “Huh?” she asked.

“We’re coming with you,” Fluttershy said, floating to her side.

"No one should party alone," Pinkie agreed.

And as Applejack and Rarity gave nods of confirmation, Rainbow Dash felt the hostile look slip from her gaze, replaced with relief and gratitude.

"Thanks, girls," Rainbow Dash said. Letting Fluttershy take her spot at her side, Rainbow Dash turned her gaze back to the horizon. And together, the Furious Five set out to stop Tai Lung



Though the sun rose, Luna could find no comfort in its glow, as it lacked the warmth of her sister’s touch. Luna sat near the sacred peach tree, watching the sun rise without its master. Her sister’s staff lay embedded in the ground before her.

"Celestia?” Luna whispered, gazing towards the staff and the sun beyond. "What do I do?” She looked down in thought. “Tai Lung is coming for the scroll. I can't cleanse his heart without my magic, and…" Luna gazed up at the sun’s reddish hue. “I don’t know what to do.” She lowered her head. “I can’t do this without you…”

But before she could sink back into despair, a noise caught her ears. The sound of… combat?

Luna turned, trying to follow the sound. It wasn’t coming from the training hall. As Luna tracked the sound, she quickened her pace as she realized it was coming from the palace library.

Racing to the doorway that held Celestia’s prized collection of scrolls and books, Luna froze in shock; the lock had been broken. Not by magic, but through sheer power.

Luna peered inside… and gasped. Twilight was jumping from bookshelf to bookshelf. No ladder was in sight, and her horn didn’t glow with any magic. A massive a stack of books and scrolls was carefully yet perfectly balanced on her arms and head. Only when she had jumped down and set the books and scrolls down on the table did Twilight notice she had company.

"Master Luna!" Twilight yelped before bowing. "I'm sorry. I just feel better when I'm reading, and…"

Luna stared at her for a moment, before her eyes brightened with an idea.

"Oh, no need to apologize," Luna said with a small smile. "I just thought you were Rainbow Dash.” She indicated a bookshelf Twilight hadn’t roamed yet. “She hides her Daring Do novels on top of the bookshelves."

“Daring Do…?” Twilight whispered giddily.

Luna pretended to walk away, but hid around the corner. Inside, she heard a chair hit the floor, and the creak of bookshelves. Racing back inside, Luna found herself staring in amazement: Twilight had performed a perfect split on parallel book shelves, and happily had her nose buried in the edition of A. K. Yearling’s Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Statue.

Luna’s smile began to brighten, as did the sunlight through the window. Twilight winced as the light hit her eyes, but as she covered her eyes with her hand, she spotted Luna approaching. Her eyes bugged out of her skull in horror.

“Please don’t tell Rainbow,” Twilight begged.

But Luna made no motion to tell the absent cyan master. Instead, she drew closer.

"Look at you,” Luna commented, though it only caused Twilight’s face to fall.

“I know,” Twilight said, resigned. “I’m pathetic.” She buried her nose back in the book.

"No, I mean…” Luna indicated her. “How did you get up there?”

Twilight glanced down at the split she was doing. “I run a library,” she replied. “I do things like this to reach the top shelves all the time.”

Luna chuckled. “Twenty feet off the ground?” Luna asked. “Using a perfect split?”

“Oh, this?” Twilight said with a chuckle, waving it off. “It was just…” Her foot began to slip. “An accident…” Twilight whimpered, before she lost her footing. With a yelp, she hit the ground, the Daring Do book bouncing to a stop before Luna.

With a look of dawning comprehension, Luna picked up the book before looking to the sun. When she gazed at Twilight, her grin matched the sun’s brightness.

“There are no accidents,” Luna said, partially in realization. As Twilight lifted herself up and reached for the Daring Do book with a moan, Luna turned away, motioning for Twilight to follow with the book. “Come, unicorn. Follow me.”



Twilight gasped and huffed. For the past hour, Luna led her up the mountain that stood adjacent to the Celestial Palace. The Celestial Palace had always made Ponyville look small, but now from the height they were at, even the Celestial Palace looked like a toy castle.

Not that Twilight was able to enjoy it. A massive pack filled with books, scrolls and other assorted supplies pulled on her back, trying to drag her down. She glanced over at Luna, who walked along carrying only a wooden training staff.

"Master Luna,” Twilight gasped. “I know you're trying to be very mystical and mysterious.” She almost lost her balance before righting herself. “But can you please tell me where we're going?"

Luna didn’t reply. She walked towards the top with a strange spring in her step. Her face was eager. She was smiling.

As they walked, Twilight glanced up at her horn, and an idea came to her.

"Master Luna?"

Luna still gave no indication that she had heard.

"Why don't you use any magic?" Twilight asked.

Luna stopped. Her entire form stiffened, and Twilight feared for a moment that she was going to get thrown off the mountain. But then… Luna sighed.

"I don’t have magic,” Luna replied. “Not anymore.”

Twilight tilted her head. This had certainly not been in any of the scrolls she had read.

"What happened?" Twilight asked.

“You seem to be an apt scholar,” Luna noted. “Do you know the tale of Nightmare Moon?”

Twilight glanced down. “O-One of Celestia’s greatest enemies,” Twilight recited. “Tried to plunge the world into eternal night, but was stopped by Celestia.”

“I was Nightmare Moon,” Luna replied.

Twilight froze in shock. Master Luna was the dreaded Nightmare Moon. The books and scrolls I've read told of the things she had done but they never said who she really was.

"My jealously over my sister became too great to handle,” Luna continued. “I used my magic to transform myself into Nightmare Moon." Luna shifted her gaze downward. "After my sister stopped and imprisoned me, she spent centuries looking for a spell to purge Nightmare Moon from my being.” She looked up with a small smile. “After a thousand years, she succeeded.” Her face fell. “However, it took away my magic…” Her eyes shut. “And Celestia's immortality.”

Twilight winced, the grief of the revelation from last night washing over her once more.

“Since then,” Luna continued in a slightly stronger voice. “I have been unable to perform the simplest of spells." She quickened her pace. “And I have made it so I don’t need to.”

Luna’s quickened pace kept Twilight from asking any more questions. She almost had to run to keep up with the alicorn master, and even then, Luna still got far ahead of her. By the time the two reached a small body of water shrouded in mist, Twilight was struggling to stay on her feet.

As Twilight collapsed to the ground, shedding her pack like a snake shedding skin, Luna approached the body of water, and sat cross-legged, meditating.

"You...brought me...all the way...up here...for a bath?" Twilight gasped out. But as she gazed at the pearly waters, she couldn’t help reaching out for a handful to wash the sweat from her face.

"Unicorn,” Luna said, her eyes closed but her voice firm. “We do not wash ourselves in the Pool of Sacred Tears."

"Pool of Sacred… Oh!" Twilight quickly pulled her hand back from the waters, as Luna stood, watching as the mist slowly dissipated in the wake of the peaking sun.

"This is the place where my sister unlocked the secrets of harmony and focus," Luna said, as Twilight rose next to her. "This is the birthplace of Kung-Fu."

Twilight looked up in awe as the mist cleared, revealing an entire field perfect for training. Rocks jutted into the air, providing places to learn balance and agility. In the glare from the sun, Twilight could almost see a younger Celestia, learning the first techniques of the martial art. As her spirit leaped into the air, it became one with Luna, who landed where Celestia had stood. In the light of the sun, Luna and Celestia almost looked like one alicorn. Twilight whimpered in awed delight.

"Twilight Sparkle!" Luna declared. "Do you wish to learn Kung-Fu?"

"Y-Yes," Twilight whispered, putting her hands to her chest.

"Then I am your master!"

"Y-Yes, Master Luna" Twilight said, tears of joy welling up in her eyes. Luna grinned softly.

“Please don’t cry,” Luna asked.

“O-Okay…” Twilight struggled to hold her tears back, before sinking into a bow.
> Tai Lung Vs. The Furious Five
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun was just cresting the horizon when the Furious Five came upon a bridged chasm. Rainbow Dash halted, and the five mares glared across the empty space before them. The bottom of the chasm couldn’t even be seen; it was shrouded in ominous mist.

"He'll have to come through here if he wants to get to Ponyville," Rainbow Dash realized. "This is the only path that leads between Tartarus and Ponyville!"

Applejack grinned. “Tarnation,” she declared. “Well, then, let’s cut the bridge and be done with it.” She moved towards the bridge’s chasm. “’S not like he can fly ‘r anything, and we beat him here.”

However, as she and the others went to cut the bridge, they failed to notice a blue eyed bird land on the archway above them. Fluttershy’s eyes widened under her blindfold; her ears twitched, picking up the sound of footsteps coming from the other side of the bridge.

Fast and heavy; only one animal was capable of making those steps.

“Hurry, Applejack!” Fluttershy whispered. “He’s here!"

Yet her warning came too late. As the others looked up in shock, fear or disbelief, Tai Lung skidded into view. For a moment, the snow leopard glared down the cyan pegasus. Her rose-red eyes narrowed.

Tai Lung then let out a brief roar, before charging across the bridge.

"AJ! Do it now!” Rainbow Dash yelled, smashing one of the stones holding the bridge up. Applejack followed her lead, kicking the other and breaking the bridge from its tether on the cliff.

"Hooray!" Pinkie cried. "We win!"

But Pinkie chose to celebrate the moment too soon. Just as the ropes began to fall, a green magical aura covered them, holding them in place and allowing Tai Lung to charge across uninhibited.

“What?!” Rairity exclaimed.

"I... think I celebrated too soon," Pinkie squeaked in fear.

But there was no time to find the source of the magic. Tai Lung was almost across! As the others tried to prepare themselves, Rainbow Dash went on the offensive, kicking the snow leopard back and planting herself on the bridge, wings flared and fists up.

“Figure out what’s keeping this bridge up,” Rainbow yelled at the others. “I got this poser.”

But Tai Lung merely grinned and leaned himself against the ropes, casual as if they were talking at a stadium rather than over a chasm. Rainbow Dash had to shift her weight to keep her balance, her stance refusing to falter.

“You got me?” Tai Lung asked bemused. “Be serious; where’s the Celestia Warrior?”

“How do you know you’re not looking at her?” Rainbow demanded.

Tai Lung merely laughed. “You think I’m a fool?” he asked. “I know you’re not the Celestial Warrior.”He turned his gaze to the rest of the Furious Five, furiously looking for the source of the magic. “None of you are.”

“Love to argue the point,” Pinkie said. “But we’re a little busy trying to drop you!”

“Pinkie, focus, for land’s sake!” Applejack cried.

Tai Lung chuckled, while Rainbow Dash growled at him. Her stance tensed as he walked towards her, but his walk was still too casual. Rainbow Dash's heart fluttered in her chest. He should not have felt this comfortable around a kung fu master like her. Could the legends be true? Could it be possible that he was... better than her?!

“I heard the rumors about the Celestial Warrior,” Tai Lung explained over Rainbow Dash's thoughts. “I heard how she fell out of the sky on a ball of green dragon-fire; That she’s…a 'warrior' unlike anything the world has ever seen.”

Fluttershy froze. “Twilight?” she whispered to the others. Her fearful voice only brightened the fire in Tai Lung’s eyes.

“That’s her name?” Tai Lung mused. “Twilight.” He almost seemed to taste the name with his tone. “Finally, a worthy opponent.” He raised his fist into the air. “Our battle will be LEGENDARY!”

“You’ve still got our battle to worry about!” Rainbow Dash insisted, before charging at him with a scream.

But the snow leopard’s casual nature was not bravado or unearned arrogance; not a single one of Rainbow’s initial strikes hit him.

Yet, as Tai Lung toyed with the pegasus, Fluttershy's ears twitched. It was faint, but she picked out a small giggle. Grabbing a stone from the ground, Fluttershy threw the stone at the source. With a pained squawk, the bird on the archway hit the ground, hitting the ground with a burst of green flames. The green flames revealed a familiar changeling, now dressed in a black sleeveless shirt under an open vest with fur trim, and a pair of pants cut off just below the knee.

"That hurt,” Urtica whined, rubbing her forehead.

"A Changeling?!" Applejack stammered.

“I knew it!” Pinkie cried out.

Immediately, Rarity noticed that the Changelings' horn was alight with the same magic aura as the one around the ropes.

"She's using magic to hold the bridge!" the white mare cried. "We stop her and the bridge drops!"

"But what about Rainbow?" Pinkie asked.

"She has wings,” Applejack dismissed. "She’ll be just fine.”

Yet, as Applejack, Fluttershy and Rarity rushed the changeling, Pinkie gave a nervous look to the battle on the bridge.

“Not entirely what I meant,” Pinkie noted with concern.

For back on the bridge, Rainbow had just tried to throw Tai Lung over the edge. But the snow leopard caught the rope and spun the bridge, launching himself into the air. Blinded by the sun, Rainbow Dash only managed to avoid Tai Lung’s strike by flipping the bridge. Even then, the bridge served as a poor shield for Tai Lung’s fist. Dropping from the bridge, Rainbow Dash’s wings buzzed like a hummingbird, and she charged back into the fray. But Tai Lung was prepared for her charge, and redirected her into the boards, smashing her through the wood with an upward kick. Another kick sent Rainbow through the structure. Broken boards plummeted into the mist, followed by the snapped hand rails. With a twist of the ropes, Tai Lung caught Rainbow Dash by the neck, leaving the cyan master choking and struggling for breath.

“That’s what I meant!” Pinkie yelped, turning to the others. “Fluttershy!”

But Fluttershy’s ears had already picked up the sound of Rainbow Dash’s choking. Leaving the changeling to Rarity and Applejack, Fluttershy seized Pinkie by the hands and threw her for Tai Lung. Halfway into the lunge, Pinkie spun, producing her party cannon.

“Surprise!” she cried happily, soaring over Tai Lung and blasting him in the face with a glop of cake batter.

While the pink master sent the snow leopard reeling, his grip of the ropes faltered, and Rainbow Dash was left to plummet into the mist, Fluttershy diving right after her.

With her friends apparently out of the action, Pinkie balanced precariously on the ropes, rolling her party cannon down the bridge as Tai Lung advanced on her. Shot after shot fired from her cannon, but Luna’s surrogate son had caught onto her tricks, and his iron claws deflected the strikes.

“Uh, oh…” Pinkie muttered as he deflected her shots. “Oh, no!” Her mane started to deflate as Tai Lung got closer. “Rarity!” Pinkie screamed as Tai Lung reached her and slammed his fist into her cannon, clogging it and rendering it useless.

Back with the changeling, Applejack and Rarity had just managed to corner Urtica. But at the sound of Pinkie’s scream, both of them turned to their friend.

“Go!” Applejack yelled, jumping on Urtica before she could try to take advantage. “I got this.”

With barely any time for a nod, Rarity shot across the ropes at full speed, drop-kicking the leopard seconds before he could throw Pinkie into the abyss. As the white and pink masters stood together, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy shot out of the mist, Rainbow Dash rejuvenated and back in the fight.

“AJ!” Rainbow yelled.

Urtica, who had just managed to dodge away from one of Applejack’s heavy kicks, spun and saw Rainbow Dash charging towards her. She readied herself for defense, only for Applejack to capitalize on her distraction.

“Got it!” Applejack declared triumphantly, delivering a hard kick to the changelings’ back.

The changeling was hurled into Tai Lung like a cannonball, throwing them both back onto the other side of the bridge as the ropes fell, no longer held up by Urtica’s magic. Rarity and Pinkie briefly look at each other in worry, before Fluttershy glided towards them, catching Rarity while Rainbow Dash snatched Pinkie out of the sky.

Yet, as the two pegasi hovered with their precious cargo, they saw Tai Lung and Urtica glance at each other, before Urtica took Tai Lung’s arms, and began to heft him across the canyon, her beetle-like wings buzzing with exertion.

“Oh, no you don’t!” Rainbow Dash snarled. Charging at him as one, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy threw Rarity and Pinkie at the changeling and snow-leopard.

Though Urtica tried to dodge, Tai Lung weighed her down. And both of them were struck head on, stunned long enough for Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash to seize the falling ropes and entangle them both. Grabbing their friends before gravity could claim them, all four masters delivered four powerful kicks that left Tai Lung and Urtica plummeting, tangled up and defenseless, into the abyss below.

Applejack looked on, her concerned look slowly turning to relief as her friends glided back over to her side.

"Hooray!" Pinkie cheered, tossing confetti. "We win! For real this time!"

"Looks like Master Luna didn't need poor Twilight after all," Applejack commented, setting her hat on her head and crossing her arms.

Yet, as the other celebrated, Rainbow’s ear flicked, and she glanced back down at where Tai Lung and his accomplice had fallen.

Her eyes widened. One of the ropes was… moving. Suddenly, the rope snapped upward. Something shot out of the mist. But when Rainbow looked up into the sky… she saw nothing.

The others sensed her panic. But before they could join her at the edge… something slammed into the ground behind them. All five mares whirled around, gasps of shock and disbelief escaping them as Tai Lung rose from the ground, Urtica safely nestled under his arm.

“Mother… taught you well,” Tai Lung admitted. Then he tossed Urtica into the air. As the ponies followed the changeling’s movements, Tai Lung struck, faster than a cobra.

Rarity was the first to fall. Pinkie screamed as Rarity hit the ground, a pained grimace across her face, and her body frozen like ice.

“But she didn’t teach you everything,” Tai Lung whispered, before striking again. Pinkie’s next scream was cut hauntingly short, as she joined Rarity on the ground.

“Pinkie!” Applejack cried. But when she went to kick at the snow leopard, Urtica slammed down on her leg, almost breaking it.

“Nice try,” Urtica mocked, before Tai Lung lunged over her with another of his paralyzing strikes. A second later, Applejack was on the ground.

“Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash cried, barely avoiding Tai Lung’s next strike. “D-Do it!”

Fluttershy desperately grabbed her blindfold, while Urtica swept Rainbow Dash’s legs out from under her. Rainbow tried to flare her wings, but Tai Lung smashed her to the ground, his claws finding the necessary nerve points to ensure that Rainbow wouldn’t rise again, unless someone unlocked her body.

As Tai Lung and Urtica turned to Fluttershy, the yellow master yanked her blindfold off and opened her eyes, azure blue and sparkling with a fierce fire. Instantly, Urtica fell back on her haunches, her eyes widening as she was caught in Fluttershy’s gaze. Even Tai Lung grimaced and held a hand over his eyes. But as he forced a step forward, and then another step, and then another step, Fluttershy’s gaze started to falter.

It dissolved into absolute fear as the snow leopard seized the mare by the neck.

“Gorgon’s Gaze,” Tai Lung mused. “So, that’s why you wear the blindfold.” He huffed a chuckle. “I’m impressed. That gift hasn’t been seen since Master Somnambula.”

Fluttershy kicked at his chest, but he responded with a punch to her stomach. The pegasus gagged, the air knocked out of her lungs and ceasing her pointless attack.

“That was for getting in my way,” Tai Lung growled. He glanced over at Urtica, who was rubbing her eyes, slowly recovering from Fluttershy’s Gorgon Gaze. “Had you actually hurt Urtica, I would have cut those eyes from your skull.”

Fluttershy whimpered, shutting her eyes and allowing tears to trace down her face. But she did not feel Tai Lung’s claws on her face. Rather, the pressure on her neck released, and she flopped to the ground before him. Fluttershy looked up at the snow leopard, unable to cease her quivering.

“Fly back there with your friends,” Tai Lung instructed. “Remind them that the real Celestial Warrior is coming home.” His eyes narrowed. “And pray we never cross paths again.”

Her nod almost hidden by her terrified shivering, Fluttershy gathered her beaten friends up by the tails, and launched into the air, flapping her way back to the Celestial Palace.





Meanwhile, unknowing of the battle that occurred, Twilight and Luna stood across from each other, a burning fire between them. Twilight stood ready with her fists by her side and her eyes narrowed in determination.

"When you focus on Kung-Fu,” Luna said. “When you concentrate…” she smirked at Twilight’s hopeful grin. “You stink.”

Twilight’s smile faded into disappointment. At first, she started to wonder if Luna was just going into another tirade about how bad she was. But then, she noticed the light in Luna’s eyes was truly different.

“But that is my fault,” Luna admitted, causing Twilight’s eyes to widen. “I cannot train you as I have trained the Five. I now see the way to get through to you…” Luna pulled out three scrolls emblazoned with wax seals depicting Celestia’s sigil. “Is with these.”

Twilight gasped, covering her mouth. “Scrolls?” she whispered. “From Celestia’s private collection?”

Luna nodded and held them out for her. Twilight inched forward, her fingers itching for the scrolls… only for her grin to turn to horror as Luna dumped them into the fire.

“NO!!!” Twilight screamed, leaping through the blazing fire and rescuing the precious scrolls. Yet, as she held them to her chest, she noticed something was off. As a librarian, Twilight was used to not only the smell of paper, but the scent of ink as well. A scent these scrolls were lacking.

Unrolling the scrolls, she deflated even further as she realized they were blank parchments. Luna chuckled behind her.

“When you have been trained,” Luna said, dangling another scroll before Twilight’s eyes. “You may read.”

Twilight regarded the scroll with suspicion, but this one had the scent of ink on it. Could it be one of Celestia’s scrolls? Or another trick? Either way, Luna wasn’t about to let Twilight find out, walking away with the scroll trailing behind her like a treat for a hungry dog.

“Let’s begin,” Luna declared.

And begin they did. Starting with basic exercise, Twilight soon found herself dangling upside down with her legs around the branch of a tree. Luna sat above her with the scroll and a box of matches. Every time Twilight slowed down, Luna lit a match and brought it close to the scroll in her hands, smiling as the incentive got Twilight to push harder.

Unfortunately, she pushed too hard. Pulled down by Twilight’s rampant sit ups, the branch began to creak and crack. Sensing danger, Luna leaped onto a nearby rock formation, Twilight following suit as the branch gave way. The scroll had flown into the air in the leap to safety, but Twilight grabbed the tree branch stump with one hand and caught the scroll with the other.

"Safe and sound," Twilight declared happily. But before she could open it… another crack cut her off. “Oh…” She whimpered before the last of the branch snapped off, and she plummeted into the pond below, Luna snatching the scroll from her grip.

Once Twilight dragged herself from the water below and dried off, Luna brought her deeper into the surrounding forest. Handing her a bound and locked book, the alicorn then drew a bo staff. Twilight soon found herself fleeing through the forest, desperately trying to unlock the book as Luna whacked her upside the head and down side the legs. Twilight valiantly tried to run, block and unlock all at the same time, but it was merely the beginning of her training.

As the days wore on, Luna found more and more ways for books and scrolls to motivate Twilight. Playing keep-away with a scroll that she transitioned from hand to hand, Twilight’s grabbing motions starting to resemble kung-fu strikes. Allowing her to read, but only when she did push ups over hot coals. Balancing several books on her head, arms and even a knee as she teetered on a sharp rock at the top of a mountain.

But, slowly and surely, the training paid off. As Twilight’s body accustomed to the physical training, she began matching Luna in push-ups. She began matching Luna’s speed and strength. And the forms of kung-fu she had read about but failed to properly emulate began as easy to copy for her as breathing.

Finally, the day came when Luna did not have another challenge waiting for Twilight. Instead, she saw before an entire table full of books and scrolls. A fire did sit nearby, but it merely cooked soup for lunch.

Luna motioned towards the pile of literature. “After you, pony,” she invited.

But the long hours of training had made Twilight more than suspicious. Luna had never allowed Twilight near her precious books like this.

“That’s it?” she asked suspiciously. “Not sit-ups? No… ten mile hike?”

Luna’s smile was disarming. “I vowed to train you, and you have been trained,” she replied, picking up a book for herself. “You are free to read.”

Twilight’s glare didn’t fade, even as she sat down. Or when she pulled one of the scrolls to her side.

“Enjoy,” Luna replied, already – apparently – invested in her own book.

Slowly, Twilight unrolled her scroll, the wonderful scent of ink and paper almost intoxicating to her mind. She centered her eyes on the first paragraph.

The reign before Celestia was…

But she didn’t get to read any further. With a flash of midnight blue, Twilight wailed in despair as the scroll plunked into the soup, soaked and ruined within seconds. Whirling on Master Luna, Twilight found her… still invested in her book. Luna glanced up with confusion, like Twilight had shouted for nothing.

“You are free to read,” Luna invited again, nudging a book towards her. “Try The Reign of Discord. As I recall, you were particularly invested in that particular adventure.”

Tensing at the memory of Luna finding her imitating the passages from that book, Twilight pulled the book to her side.

Suddenly, the table bounced. Twilight’s book flung out of her hands, and with another midnight blue flash, the book sailed over the horizon, down the mountain and out of sight.

Twilight gagged in utter disbelief, before whirling on Luna. Her eyes lifted from her own book, sparkling with mischief… and a bit of challenging ferocity.

“You are free to read,” Luna practically growled.

“Am I?!” Twilight demanded back.

“Are you?!” Luna demanded, throwing her book away and striking a kung-fu pose.

Growling, Twilight formed her own stance, before making a lung for the books.

Luna, however, was faster, kicking the books and table into the air and leaping among them, scattering them all over the mountain with kicks, punches and swipes.

Desperately, Twilight leaped up to try and save at least one scroll. Only to wail again in despair as Luna snatched the scroll away from her hand.

Both fighters landed, Luna before the fire with the scroll positioned over the bubbling soup, and Twilight on her stomach. However, before Luna could drop the scroll into the bubbling pot, Twilight regained her feet and caught Luna by the wrist.

Luna laughed in glee as the two began struggling over the scroll. Wrists clashed against wrists, arms tangled like noodles in ramen.

However, Luna broke free first. As Twilight stood between her and the pot, Luna began transferring the scroll from hand to hand, foot to foot. At one point she even balanced it on her tongue. But Twilight’s eyes turned into a blur following the scroll’s movements. And when she lashed out with her hand… she caught the scroll!

Back the two went to their grappling and struggling. Though Luna was bigger and stronger, Twilight was faster and nimbler. When Luna tried to sweep her legs out from under her, Twilight leaped and spun. Her spin knocked the scroll out of their hands. But Luna leaped over Twilight and kicked the scroll into the tree.

Twilight tried to go for the tree, only for Luna to block her path. The two sparred back and forth, but Twilight’s body had been honed from the training. And where Luna would have soundly trounced the purple mare before, now Twilight was able to keep up with the blue alicorn.

But experience was still a large factor, and it wasn’t long before Luna got in a hit that knocked Twilight into the tree… and jarred the scroll from the branch.

Sensing the scroll falling, Twilight leaped up to grab it, only for Luna to yank her back down. But just as she reached up for the scroll, Twilight swept her legs out from under her. Adapting, Luna kicked the scroll, sending it flying down the hill.

But not at nearly the same speed as the other books. And as the scroll arced into the air, Twilight leaped over Luna and gave chase. Smiling at the ferocity in Twilight’s fighting, Luna raced after her, seizing her bo staff along the way.

And so, the fight continued down the hill, the scroll bouncing off the two fighters as Twilight parried, blocked and reflected Luna’s attacks. All the while, her eyes never left the scroll for more than a second. But when Luna tried to take advantage of Twilight’s apparent distraction, the purple mare managed to redirect Luna’s staff into the ground, flip over her master and…

Luna’s smile widened as Twilight hit the ground, the scroll safely in her hand. Panting, but smiling in triumph, Twilight looked to Luna, awaiting her next move. Luna simply nodded and motioned for Twilight to enjoy her reading.

Twilight gazed at the scroll for a moment… before tossing it back to Luna’s hand. Luna’s eyes shot open, staring at Twilight in shock. Twilight just gave her a small grin.

“I don’t need to read,” she replied.

Luna smirked, and tossed the scroll aside as Twilight placed her fist into her palm and bowed.

“Master,” she added quietly, as the two fighters bowed to each other.





The first-time Twilight had entered the grounds of the Celestial Palace, she had been unsure. Nervous. Terrified even.

But now, as she and Luna returned to the Celestial Palace, she felt stronger. Powerful. More… sure of herself.

“You have done well, pony,” Luna declared, another far cry to the first time they had met.

“I hope…” Twilight cleared her throat. “I mean… I did awesome!” She glanced at Luna with a light slug on her shoulder, hopeful that her spurt of confidence had been well-received. Which made it disappointing when Luna gave her a stern look.

“The mark of a true warrior is humility,” Luna reminded her. “But yes,” she added before Twilight could sink into another hunched posture. “You have done…” she punched Twilight hard on her shoulder. “Awesome.”

Twilight winced from the pain, but giggled as Luna shared a genuine smile with her. However, their smiles faded as they picked up the sound of wings flapping. Turning around, their gazes turned to horror at what they saw.

Fluttershy, beaten, broken and quivering, struggling to lift the eerily still bodies of the other members of the Furious Five. Twilight gasped in horror as Fluttershy landed with a rough THUD, the martial arts masters scattered before them like corpses on a battlefield.

"Girls?" Twilight stammered, racing to their side. “Girls! Are they dead?” Before anyone could answer, she felt Pinkie’s chest and exhaled in relief. “No, she’s still breathing. But… are they asleep?” She checked her eyes. “No, her eyes are still open.” She paused. “Wait… does Pinkie sleep with her eyes open? She’s hyper enough…”

“Nerve attack,” Fluttershy gasped out, putting an end to Twilight’s theorizing. She looked to Luna with shame. “I’m sorry Master. We were… no match for his nerve attacks.”

Luna shook her head, kneeling before Applejack. She spread her hand over Applejack’s chest, feeling the nerves wracked by Tai Lung’s claws.

“He’s grown stronger,” she whispered in horror. Yet, when she tapped on the damaged nerves, a sigh of relief escaped her as Applejack gasped, freed from paralysis.

“Wait…” Twilight stammered as Luna crossed over to Pinkie. “Stronger?!” she leaned over, watching as Luna worked her ‘magic,’ so to speak, on Pinkie. Unfortunately, Pinkie’s hyperactivity caused her to lash out the minute she could move. Her fist slammed into Twilight’s chin, knocking her out.

“NO FAIR; THAT WAS TOO FAST!” Pinkie yelped, before noticing Twilight. “Oh, gosh! Sorry, Twilight…!”

As Pinkie stammered her apology, Luna unlocked Rainbow Dash’s body, allowing her to take a great gasp of air.

“I thought we could take him,” she whispered, not even looking to her master.

“He could have killed you,” Luna chastised, crossing over to Rarity.

“Why… didn’t he?” Applejack groaned, an additional moan escaping her when she realized her hat had been lost in the battle.

“So you could come back,” Luna lectured, punctuating each sentence with an unlocking jab into Rarity’s body. “And strike fear into our hearts. But it… won’t… work!” With a final jab, Rarity popped out of her locked state, taking a massive breath.

“Sorry, Master Luna,” Twilight admitted, shivering as she took in the living proof of Tai Lung's power. “But it’s working on me.”

“You can beat him,” Luna insisted.

“But…” Twilight looked at the beaten state of her friends. “They couldn’t. And they’re five masters.”

“But,” Luna countered with a grin. “They did not have what you will have.”

Twilight and the Furious Five’s eyes widened. And only widened further when they were brought into the Hall of Warriors. No one had to speak as Luna led them to the back of the Hall of Warriors. To the pool just underneath…

“The Celestial Scroll?” Twilight asked, turning to Luna. “You really think I’m ready?”

“You are… Twilight,” Twilight said with a smile.

Twilight put a hand to her heart. Her mouth moved, wanting to speak, but unable to form the words.

As the others watched in awe, Luna crossed over to a small shrine depicting Celestia. At the center of it, framed by candles, was her staff. Taking it as if she was carrying Celestia herself, Luna carried the staff over to the reflecting pool.

Twilight backed up to the others as Luna began a series of complicated kung-fu maneuvers. The wind kicked up from her techniques stirred a series of peach blossoms from the reflecting pool. As the wind spun faster and faster, the peach blossoms flew higher and higher, swirling around the depiction of the dragon holding the Celestial Scroll. Finally, after what could’ve been either an eternity or eight seconds, one of the petals rested softly on the scroll… and tipped it off its pedestal.

Flipping the staff, Luna jabbed forward like she was hurling a spear. Her timing was impeccable, and the staff caught the scroll, the staff lightly tapping the water and sending a single, calming ripple through the water.

Handling the scroll like it was solid gold, Luna lifted it from the staff.

“Behold,” she declared. “The Celestial Scroll.” She turned to Twilight and the others. At first, Twilight didn’t approach. But when Rainbow Dash nudged her forward, Twilight crept up as Luna held the scroll out to her.

“It is yours,” Luna confirmed.

Twilight reached out, fingers itching for the scroll. Yet… whether it was her training or fear, something stayed her hand.

“What will happen if I read it?” she asked.

“No one knows,” she admitted. “But Legend says you will be able to hear a butterfly’s wing beat.”

Twilight blinked. “Really?”

“And see light in the deepest cave,” Luna continued. “You will feel the universe in motion around you!”

“Oh, my gosh,” Twilight squeaked. “I can’t believe this is actually happening.” She almost went into a squeaking fan-girl mode, before Luna’s voice broke her out of her state.

"Focus" Luna said breaking Twilight out of her fangirl state

"Right sorry" Apologized Twilight 

“Read it, Twilight, and fulfill your destiny,” Luna insisted. “Read it! And become… the Celestial Warrior.”

Breathing slowly to contain her excitement, Twilight lifted the scroll from Luna’s hands. With a small look at the Furious Five – Pinkie giving her two thumbs up, Rarity clapping in glee, Fluttershy giving her a soft smile, and Applejack and Rainbow Dash giving nods of approval – Twilight pulled the scroll from its tube, and unfurled the scroll, golden light bathing her face.

Everyone held their breath, watching as Twilight stared at the scroll, her eyes going wide… and then deflating.

“It’s blank."
> Student Vs. Master
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

At first, silence greeted her. Twilight looked up at the others, who stared at her in shock.

“B-Blank?” Luna questioned.

“I mean it’s blank,” Twilight replied. She started to tilt the scroll towards Luna, but the alicorn backed away.

“No!” she protested. “I am forbidden to look upon…” she stopped. Despite her attempts, she caught sight of the golden parchment.

And the nothing upon it. Dropping her sister’s staff, Luna snatched the scroll from the unicorn. Despite closing and reopening it, despite looking on the back, and despite yanking it to its full limit, Luna could find nothing upon the Scroll her sister had built up as the ultimate weapon.

“Blank?” Luna whispered, disbelief and grief simmering in her gut. Oh, Tai Lung… I sent you to prison over a BLANK SCROLL?! “I…” Luna turned to face her students. “I don’t understand.”

Twilight’s eyes began to fill with tears again. “All this time,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “I thought Celestia was wiser than us all.”

“She was!” Luna protested, turning away, only to find herself staring at her reflection in the reflecting pool. “She was… supposed to be…” she whispered, sliding the scroll back into it’s holder.

But Applejack shook her head. “Pardon the lack of respect,” she muttered. “But it’s lookin’ to me like Master Celestia was just a crazy old lady who picked Twi by accident.”

“Applejack!” Rarity cried, scandalized, but Twilight hung her head in defeat.

“She’s right,” she admitted. “Who were we kidding? I’m not the Celestial Warrior. I’m just… some librarian.”

“But if the power isn’t real, who’s going to stop Tai Lung?!” Rarity demanded.

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “You got me,” she admitted. “He pulverized us last time.”

“But if we don’t try something, he’ll destroy everything,” Fluttershy whimpered.

“And every pony,” Pinkie whispered. “You don’t suppose we could just… give him the Scroll, right? I mean, there’s nothing on it, so…”

“No,” Luna declared, turning back to the mares and handing the scroll to Twilight. “He is forbidden from knowing it’s secrets. Besides, even if he discovers the truth, Tai Lung’s rage will be unfathomable regardless. We must evacuate Ponyville; ensure that he cannot take his rage out on the villagers.”

“What about you, Master?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Luna’s head bowed. The answer was obvious to her, but she knew it would pain the others.

“I will fight him,” she said. As she suspected, she was answered with a gasp of horror. “I can hold him off long enough for every pony to escape.

“But Master Luna…” Twilight whispered. “He’ll kill you.”

But Luna gazed at her student with resignation. “Then I suppose I will finally pay,” she said. “For not being the mother my son needed.”

Rainbow Dash winced at her words, drawing Luna’s attention to the others. For a moment, Luna and Rainbow held each other’s gazes. And in their eyes, something more than words passed between them.

“Listen to me,” Luna declared, turning to the rest of the mares. “All of you. It is time for you to continue your journey without me. But know… I am very proud to have been your master.”

With those final words, she bowed to her students. With no words capable of expressing their own emotions, the students bowed back. And as they left, Luna turned back to the reflecting pool. Twilight watched her go, before Fluttershy gently pulled her along.

Inside the living quarters, Twilight watched as the others gathered up their things. And in Rainbow, Applejack and Rarity’s cases, their sisters.

Rarity noticed Twilight standing at the entrance. “You… don’t want to check your living space?” she asked.

Twilight shrugged. “It’s not like I had anything to take,” she muttered.

For the first time since she was brought back, Pinkie grinned. “I wouldn’t be so sure,” she said.

Tilting her head, Twilight crossed over to the bunk she had been given. To her surprise, there was a bound package inside. Wrapped with a neat little bow. Carefully opening the package, Twilight found a light purple gi with a six pointed lavender star with five small white stars surrounding it.



"I hope you like it," Rarity’s voice whispered.

Twilight turned to the white master, who was standing outside her bunk with a hopeful look.

“I love it,” Twilight replied, hugging the gi to her chest. “But… I don’t deserve it.” She tried to hand it back. “I’m not a master like you and the others.”

She had barely finished her sentence before Rarity gently pushed the gi back to her.

“If it is any consolation,” Rarity said. “I truly believed that you would become a fine Celestial Warrior.” She turned and accepted a large leather bag from Sweetie Belle, slinging it over her shoulder. “But I didn’t make you that for Celestia. I made it because you are still a student of the Celestial Palace.”

Twilight stared after Rarity as she went to help her little sister. Looking back down at the gi, Twilight unfolded the uniform, and found a yin and yang symbol that adorned the gi of the other Furious Five.



Twilight sighed. "Some student I was,” she muttered, reluctantly tucking the gi under her arm.






Miles from Ponyville


Urtica’s hiss of pain stopped Tai Lung in his tracks. Turning back, he saw the changeling fiddling with the bandages adorning her legs and chest.

“Stop,” Tai Lung declared. Picking her up gently, he set her on a rock, and began undoing the bandages, checking over the bruises the Furious Five had given her.

“A-Are you sure…?” Urtica started to ask.

“If you need to heal, we can stop,” he assured her, applying new bandages around her leg and chest. “The Scroll isn’t going anywhere. And even if it was…” he chuckled. “They can't hide it from me.”

For a moment, Urtica just watched as Tai Lung tended to her. Her brow furrowed in thought.

"Why did you do it?" she asked.

Tai Lung froze. At first, he didn’t respond. But Urtica could sense the emotions in him. She knew she didn’t have to clarify.

“I don’t know,” he finally admitted. “For twenty years, ponies believe I tried to take the scroll because I wanted its power.” He exhaled, his eyes shutting in weary regret. “But it’s not true. I want to become the Celestial Warrior because… it would make Mother proud.”

Urtica tilted her head. “Master Luna Solaris?” she asked.

Tai Lung nodded.

“She did so much for me,” he said, gazing up at her beloved night. “I just felt like that was the only way I could repay her.” He looked down at the changeling. “Then Mother presented me to Celestia… and she denied me.” He grit his teeth. “And Mother?” He scoffed. “Mother turned her back on me too.”

His fists clenched. Urtica shivered as she felt his power. If he got too into his story, she was sure he could squash her like a fly and not realize it.

“So, I went down to Ponyville,” Tai Lung rasped, continuing his story. “And I met someone. Dressed in dark robes with an eerie voice. He claimed I deserved the scroll. That if I truly wanted it, I should take it!”

Tai Lung turned from Urtica, fully clenching his fists.

“I-I don’t remember much after that,” he admitted. “Only that I wanted the scroll. Hated my aunt for denying me. For making Mother hate me.” His fists unclenched. “And the next thing I knew, I was in Tartarus Prison. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even speak. And I had to learn from that insolent minotaur that Celestia put me there for attacking Ponyville.”

Urtica didn’t dare speak. Though he didn’t mention it, she could see anger flickering off him like a blazing flame. She didn’t dare risk getting caught in that blaze.

“The only relief I had from my torment,” Tai Lung whispered, the flames of anger dying down by a fraction. “Was when Mother visited me. Once a year, for five years, she’d be there.” His flames were quenched by the cool dampness of sorrow. “Then she wasn’t. For fifteen years I remembered her… but it seems she forgot about me.” Then the fires returned, as he turned his head to Ponyville. “I have nothing left, Urtica. Only getting that scroll. Then, maybe… finally… I can forget her…

“As she forgot me,” Urtica whispered. More to herself.

Tai Lung turned to her in surprise. “Urtica?”

“I wanted to make my mother proud, too,” she admitted, gazing down at the ground. “But no matter what I did… she never even knew I existed.” She frowned. “To her, I was just another drone. Another servant to help her take over Equestria. Expendable. Replaceable.” Her eyes closed. “Forgettable.”

Tai Lung frowned, crossing back over her, and brushing her face with his paw.

“Personally,” he admitted. “It would be hard to forget you.”

Urtica looked up at him, her face blushing a light green. Tai Lung’s face turned red himself, and he quickly turned his back to her.

"I want you to stay out of the upcoming fight," Tai Lung asked, turning his gaze to Ponyville, and the storm clouds forming over the town. “This is between me and my mother.”

"Are you sure about this?" the changeling asked.

Tai Lung fixed his gaze above Ponyville; on the Celestial Palace. And though the distance was far, he could recognize the tiny dot of midnight blue standing on the steps. He swore he could feel her eyes on him.

"Absolutely," Tai Lung whispered.





The Citizens of Ponyville were in a panicked frenzy. With the threat of Tai Lung once again over their heads, they scurried from their homes, clumsily carrying along as many of their belongings as they could carry.

“Everyone remain calm!” Rainbow Dash barked. “We’re gonna get you safely out, so make it easy for everypony, and keep yourselves calm.” She turned to the Furious Five. “Pinkie, gather the southern villagers.”

“Okie-dokie,” she agreed, scampering to the south.

“AJ,” Rainbow continued. “The North.”

“You got it,” Applejack declared, racing to the north.

“Fluttershy,” Rainbow added, handing a lantern to the yellow mare. “Light the way.”

As Fluttershy flew ahead, Rarity gathered up Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.

“Follow along girls,” she told them. “And stay close.”

Twilight watched as Rarity and Rainbow led the three girls into the throng of ponies. Glancing back, she could see Luna standing before the Celestial Palace. Waiting for Tai Lung to arrive.

Turning her head in shame, Twilight slowly made her way through the evacuating Ponyville. All too soon, she found herself outside the Jade Dragon Library. A cart awaited her outside, filled to the brim with books and scrolls. Twilight ran a hand over the scrolls, remembering the times she had pored eagerly over them. Her nostalgia was interrupted when the door opened, and two familiar dragons stumbled out.

“I think that’s the last of them,” Spike told Smolder as they tottered out with armfuls of books. “I still think Twilight had a secret hiding hole or two, but there’s no way to know unless…”

“Unless she came back?” Smolder noted with a grin.

Spike blinked before turning to the cart. Sure enough, Twilight stood there, giving him a sad smile.

“Hey, Spike,” Twilight whispered. Her eyes widened as Spike’s grip on the books faltered. “No, don’t drop…!”

Thankfully, Spike had enough restraint to set the books down gently, before he charged into Twilight’s arms.

“Twilight,” he whispered, as Smolder set her own books down and gave her a hug as well.

“Are you okay?” Smolder asked in concern.

“I’m… fine,” she mumbled. Both dragons glanced at each other, unconvinced, before Twilight crossed over to the books Spike had nearly dropped. “H-Here, let me help.”

With the aid of Twilight and her magic, the books and scrolls were safely deposited onto the cart, even shrunk in size to make them easier to store. Twilight kept up a fake smile, but the smile broke as she placed her gi and the Celestial Scroll in the cart.

“Twilight,” Spike said, walking to her side. “What happened?”

Twilight bowed her head. “M-Master Luna’s son is coming to Ponyville,” Twilight said, crossing over to the cart’s harness, and lifting it with her magic. “To take the Celestial Scroll. So, Master Luna is having the Five evacuate Ponyville.”

“But…” Smolder gave Spike a nervous glance. “Are you the Celestial Warrior?”

Twilight shut her eyes, tears tracing her cheeks. “No,” she whispered, before pulling the cart forward. Spike and Smolder glanced at each other again, before following after Twilight.

“Um… how?” Smolder asked. “I mean… Celestia…”

Spike held a hand up, signaling her to wait. For Twilight had stopped. She dropped her hold on the cart, and covered her face.

“I don’t…” she sniffled. “I don’t know what to do. The Scroll was supposed to give me this legendary power… but there was nothing. No words of wisdom, no unlocking my hidden potential…” She crossed back over and revealed the Scroll. “It’s nothing but a blank scroll.”

Spike tilted his head before taking the scroll from her. With Smolder leaning over his shoulder, Spike unrolled the scroll, tilting his head at the blank golden parchment.

Twilight hunched, crossing her arms. She prepared for Spike and Smolder to start ranting about Celestia’s lack of wisdom. Or maybe start comforting her about how they were all conned.

What she didn’t expect was for Spike to chuckle. As in… an actually amused chuckle.

“Spike?” Twilight asked, turning back to him.

The dragon smiled up at her, and turned the scroll around to her. “Take a closer look,” he prompted. “What do you see?”

Twilight stared at the scroll, uncomprehending. “A blank scroll,” she insisted.

“Look harder,” Smolder prompted, nudging Spike over to Twilight and adjusting it. Blinking in confusion at them, Twilight peered closer at the golden parchment… and saw herself and Spike reflected in the parchment.

“W-Wait, huh?” Twilight asked.

“It’s a mirror,” Spike pointed out. He aimed it away. “See, I see myself.” He tilted it towards her. “And now… you see you.”

“M-Me?” Twilight asked, taking the scroll from her. The gears in her head started to turn. Her eyes widened, taking in how, in the golden parchment, she looked so much stronger than she had been before.

“It’s just… me!” she realized, slowly looking up at the Celestial Palace… and above. To the birth place of Kung Fu. The place where she had trained with Luna. Not where Luna had given her amazing powers, but where she harnessed the abilities she already had. Where she had managed to learn by doing what had come naturally to her.

There doesn’t need to be anything special, she realized. It’s just… me!

She gasped as her epiphany hit her like a heroic second wind. With a cry of glee, she pulled Spike into a hug, planting a kiss on his cheek. “Oh, thank you Spike. Thank you – thank you!”

“Oh, that worked,” Smolder commented, as Twilight released Spike, leaving him wobbling on his feet.

Shrieking in glee, Twilight raced around the cart, seizing her gi.

“So,” Spike asked. “You gonna kick Tai Lung’s butt?”

Twilight giggled. “I… wouldn’t put it that way,” she admitted, before grinning again. “But yeah.”

With a burst of magic, she teleported. And as Spike and Smolder turned, they saw Twilight climbing the stairs to the Celestial Palace, clearly past the anti-teleport barrier.

“So…” Smolder commented. “Do we still need to evacuate?”

Spike gave the Jade Dragon a longing look. “I’d… make sure we’re still a good distance from the town,” he commented, grabbing the cart. “Just in case their fight gets a little too exciting.”

Smolder hummed. “Hope Master Luna has some good insurance policies in place,” she commented, as the two dragged their cart for the outskirts.





Luna sensed Tai Lung before he revealed himself. A small smile graced her lips as lightning flashed… and she heard him land before her the instant she shut her eyes.

My silly dragon, she thought. Always making your entrances dramatic.

She opened her eyes, beholding her son. A changeling stood behind him, but not like a bodyguard. More like a follower.

“Hello, Mother,” the snow leopard greeted, inclining his head. “I have come home.”

Luna inclined her head as well, a million thoughts running through her mind. A million things she could say to him.

Welcome back, my son.

This is no longer your home, and I am no longer your mother.

Instead, her eyes flicked to the changeling behind him.

“I see the rumors were true,” she noted. “You allied with a changeling.”

Urtica winced, but Tai Lung didn’t turn to her. He sighed.

“So,” he said. “Where is your new favorite? This… Twilight?” He grinned at the empty looking palace. “Did I scare her off?”

Luna’s glare turned harsh… yet her voice cracked when she spoke. “No one could replace you, my son,” she whispered.

Tai Lung’s grin faded. “Just give me the scroll,” he asked. “I do not wish to fight you.”

“You know I can’t do that.”

Tai Lung turned to Urtica. “Is that how it’s going to be?” he asked.

“That is how it must be,” Luna said, reluctantly taking her combat stance.

For a moment, Tai Lung didn’t turn to her. A low growl slipped from his lips.

Suddenly, he lunged into the air. Luna barely backflipped out of the way before he struck the ground. A burst of stone was dislodged from the ground, which he promptly kicked at Luna.

The alicorn blasted it away with a punch, but Tai Lung was already charging at her. And with a punch of his own, he threw her into the Hall of Heroes.

“Twenty years I rotted in jail,” Tai Lung snarled, storming into the palace. “FIFTEEN of them ALONE! Was that ‘how it was must be’ too?!”

“I never forgot you,” Luna insisted. “It broke me…”

“Fifteen years!” Tai Lung insisted. “FIFTEEN YEARS of nothing but those insolent, evil minotaurs. All because of your WEAKNESS!”

“Obeying your master – obeying your sister – is not weakness!” Luna tried to argue, but Tai Lung’s voice cracked with fury.

“YOU TOLD ME I WAS THE CELESTIAL WARRIOR!”

As they stared each other down, they both could almost see it: Tai Lung; young and proud. Standing before Luna and Celestia. Luna eagerly looking to her sister as she examined him. Both confident that Celestia would choose him.

“You always told me,” Tai Lung hissed as he gazed at the scene before them. His teeth baring as Celestia shook her head at Luna and turned away. “But when Celestia said otherwise… what did you do?”

“I…” Luna whimpered.

“What did you do?!” Tai Lung insisted, watching as, in the flashback, Luna stared at him, shock and confusion on her face… before she turned from him as well. Tai Lung shut his eyes, dissipating the vision, before he glared at Luna. “Nothing,” he whispered.

“You were not meant to be the Celestial Warrior!” Luna argued. “That was not my fault!”

“Not your fault?” Tai Lung seethed. On impulse, he seized Bright Mac’s armor. “Who filled my head with dreams?!”

He hurled the armor at Luna, but of course she deflected it.

“Who drove me to train until my bones broke?!” Tai Lung demanded, seizing a gold shield and hurling it at Luna.

But, of course she dodged. Tai Lung’s anger burned brighter, and he seized an entire weapons rack.

“WHO DENIED ME MY DESTINY?!” he all but screamed, throwing the weapon rack at Luna.

Yet, even as she deflected the blades, her voice cracked when she spoke.

“It was never my decision to make,” she hissed, struggling to keep her voice from cracking.

Growling, Tai Lung’s eyes landed on the shrine to Celestia. His stance faltered, as did Luna’s when she followed his gaze. Before she could stop him, he lunged to the shrine, and seized Celestia’s staff. When Luna moved to take it from him… she stopped as he handed it to her.

“It is now,” he said.

With a scream of rage, Luna charged her son. But Tai Lung was not as off-guard as she believed. Deflecting her with the staff, he pinned her to the wall with the end of the staff.

“Give. Me. The Scroll!” Tai Lung ordered.

“I cannot,” Luna choked, barely holding the staff back.

Snarling, Tai Lung tried to increase the pressure, but the staff was not made for such violence. With a crack like thunder, it snapped in two. Briefly, Tai Lung backed up. Mother and son stared down in horror at the staff, as several peach blossoms blew past it.

But grief did not stay either of their hands. Looking up at each other in rage, the two masters of kung fu dueled. Back and forth they went, their battle smashing them into the walls and the pillars of the Celestial Palace, until their fight brought them out onto the roof, and even higher up.

Fighting in mid-air, Luna managed to pin Tai Lung’s head under her foot. For a brief moment, she angled him towards the roof, ready to crush him underfoot.

But once again, hesitation overtook her. And in her moment of weakness, Tai Lung squirmed free, and flipped her around.

Pain flared through the alicorn’s body as she was smashed through the roof and flung into the wall. Luna barely managed to regain her feet before Tai Lung landed, knocking over a set of blue flames. Charging through the flames, Tai Lung continued his assault, his claws alight and burning through her gi sleeves and into her arms.

“Everything I did,” Tai Lung screamed as he attacked. “I did to make you proud! Tell me how proud you are, Mother!”

Luna couldn’t respond. It took everything she had to keep him from carving her into ribbons.

“Tell me!” Tai Lung insisted, his voice cracking, turning desperate. “Tell me,” he pleaded.

“I…” Luna whispered.

“TELL ME!” He screamed, finally blasting through her guard.

Luna rolled to the edge of the reflecting pool, a scorched, battered and bloody mess. Tai Lung’s fists clenched, smothering the flames as he approached. Before he could continue his attack, Luna found her voice.

“I have… always been proud of you, Tai,” Luna whispered. “From the first moment, I was… proud.”

Tai Lung froze, taking in every word.

“And it was my pride that blinded me,” Luna whispered, tears forming in her eyes. “I loved you too much… to see what you were becoming.” She lifted her head to look at him. “What I… was turning you into.”

Tai Lung’s brow furrowed. His frown turned sad. His fists trembled by his side.

“I’m sorry,” Luna cried. “I’m so sorry… my Great Dragon.”

Tai Lung shut his eyes. His fists unclenched. He let out a soft, tired sigh, and for a moment, Luna breathed, wondering if she had got through to him.

But then his eyes opened. And they were hard with anger. His claws shot out, seizing her by her throat.

“I don’t want your apology,” he growled. “I want my Scroll!”

But as he lifted her up, he saw the Celestial Dragon statue. And something was missing from it.
“What?!” Tai Lung whispered, lowering her to make sure.

But it was impossible to miss. The Celestial Scroll was gone.

“WHERE IS IT!?” he screamed, slamming her into the ground. Her head bounced hard off the marble, and her eyes fluttered, her grip on reality fading.

“Celestia… Warrior…” Luna breathed with the last vestiges of consciousness. “Taken scroll… halfway across Equestria… by now…”

Seething, Tai Lung bared his free claws. Yet Luna didn’t even seem to notice. Her eyes rolled in her head, and her words were almost impossible to hear.

“You’ll never see the Scroll again, Tai Lung,” she whispered. “N-never…”

Kill her, sang an eerie voice in his head. It will be so easy. Carve her face off and be done with it.

Kill… my mother…

Tai Lung hesitated. And in that hesitation… a scream tore him from his stupor.

Dropping his mother, he whirled around. Urtica had hit the ground, a purple aura sinking into her carapace. A similar purple aura shrouded the hand of a purple unicorn in a purple gi. Violet eyes glared at him, and her aura shifted, lifting Urtica’s unconscious body.

“Let her go,” the mare ordered. “Or the next spell I hit this changeling with will be worse than a sleep spell.”

Tai Lung blinked in shock. “Who are you?!” he demanded.

“My name is Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight declared, shifting her stance for combat. “And I… am the Celestial Warrior.”
> The Celestial Warrior Vs. The Great Dragon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

For a moment, the two warriors glared at each other, silently daring each other to hurt their hostage first.

After a tense few seconds, Tai Lung threw Luna aside. Her glare not faltering, Twilight gently lowered the sleeping changeling, and set her aside as well.

“So,” Tai Lung growled. “You’re the one Celestia chose over me?”

Almost in response, Twilight drew out the golden scroll. She looked down at it morosely.

“All you wanted was power,” Twilight accused. “You didn’t deserve…”

But she barely got the chance to finish before Tai Lung roared in rage. Stomping on a nearby spear, he launched it at the unicorn with a kick. Shrouding her leg in magic, Twilight crescent-kicked the spear aside, smoothly sliding back into her combat stance.

“I never wanted it for power!” Tai Lung snarled. “I wanted my mother’s pride!”

Twilight’s eyes flicked over to the unconscious Luna. Worry creased her brow, barely relaxing when she saw Luna’s chest still rising and falling with life. Tai Lung followed her gaze. Sorrow briefly flicked across his face, before he grit his teeth and clenched his fists.

“But now,” Tai Lung admitted, turning from his mother. “The Scroll’s power is all I have left.”

Twilight glared at him as he took a stance; ready to pounce.

“Well, if you want it?” Twilight said, waving the scroll like bait. “Come and take it!”

Tai Lung did. Before she had the chance to react, Tai Lung pounced. His punch threw Twilight out of the palace and jarred the scroll from her grip. But Twilight had been expecting it. Flaring her magic, she summoned a portal, redirecting her back towards Tai Lung as he seized the scroll and lifted it into the air.

“Finally!” Tai Lung cried in excitement.

But just before he could open it, Twilight shrouded herself in magic again, body-slamming him with the force of a train. The scroll was jarred from his grip, and Twilight snatched it out of the air.

“Sweet Celestia,” Twilight mumbled. “I can’t believe I pulled that off.”

But she didn’t get long to celebrate. Tai Lung charged the unicorn on all fours, his claws sparking against the ground.

As the beast rushed at her, more like a wild animal than a person, Twilight’s courage failed her. She stepped back, all but ready to turn and run. But Tai Lung was faster, and tackled her out of the palace and onto the tournament grounds.

Summoning her magic, Twilight bounced off the ground, keeping the scroll away from Tai Lung’s prying claws. Roaring in anger, Tai Lung kicked her into a nearby tree. But with a rubber spell, the tree bent under Twilight’s weight, allowing her to land safely on the ground. Tai Lung leaped towards her again, but Twilight snapped the rubberized tree back like a rubber band, striking Tai Lung and throwing him back into the arena. The tactic only gave Twilight a second to breath before Tai Lung smashed the doors to the arena open and pursuing her down the stairs to Ponyville.

“That scroll is MINE!” Tai Lung bellowed, once again tackling into the unicorn.

“No…” Twilight hissed through gritted teeth as they struggled over the scroll. “It’s… NOT!”

Tucking into his tackle, Twilight sent both herself and Tai Lung rolling down the stairs. Using it to her advantage, Twilight drove her elbow, fist and knee into Tai Lung every time he hit the stairs, doubling the damage as he was sandwiched between the unforgiving stone and her equally unforgiving limbs.

All too soon, however, they ran out of stairs. And Tai Lung was able to kick her through the archway and into the village. As Twilight hit the rooftops, she yelped as the scroll was jarred from her grip, and bounced away. 
Unable to stop her momentum, Twilight came to a rest next to an abandoned noodle cart. However, as she glanced at the noodles, her eyes lit up with another idea.

She turned back towards the scroll, which Tai Lung was chasing across the rooftops. Just as he managed to grab the slippery scroll, Twilight snatched it away with a lasso spell.

“Get over here,” Twilight mumbled to herself with a chuckle. Though the chuckle turned into a gasp when the scroll bounced off her head and careened across the village.

Tai Lung shot by Twilight, focused on the scroll, but Twilight managed to snag his legs and cast a gravity spell on his shoes. Gagging as his spine was stretched by the whiplash, Tai Lung was pulled down onto the empty cart, turning it into a catapult that launched Twilight after the scroll. With a snarl, Tai Lung kicked off his spell altered shoes, and continued on in his bare paws.

Meanwhile, Twilight reached for the scroll, only for it to vanish inside a paper lantern. Crying out in distress, Twilight’s momentum sent her right past the hidden scroll and into a bamboo forest. Catching herself on the papery stalks only caused her to snap two stilt sized bamboo stalks off in her hands. And as she managed to stumble her way out, she accidentally knocked over a stack of iron pots.

Briefly, Twilight made to clean the pots up, before the clink of the scroll hitting the ground, followed by the THUD of Tai Lung landing near it drew her attention.

With no time to close the distance, Twilight looked to the pots and flared her horn.

Tai Lung had just reached out to claim the Celestial Scroll… only for one of the pots to slam into his face. With a flare of more magic, Twilight hurled the rest of the pots, covering the scroll before Tai Lung could dislodge the metal cooking utensil from his face.

Leaping over the pots, she tossed one of her stilts at Tai Lung before breaking the other into a bo-staff. Tai Lung easily reflected the stilt, but it knocked him back, allowing her to get between him and the pots. And as he glared down at the iron coverings, Twilight’s magic flared again, and the pots began to shuffle like an odd game.

“You… clever little pony,” Tai Lung growled.

He made to knock Twilight aside, but she blocked and redirected his strikes. Snarling, Tai Lung swiped his claw at the bo-staff, splitting it in two. Yelping, Twilight tried to back up, only for Tai Lung to seize the front of her gi and throw her into the shuffling pots. Iron pots flew into the air, but among them, both fighters saw the gleam of the Celestial scroll.

The snow leopard went for the scroll but was stopped by a purple magical aura tugging at his tail. Looking at the unicorn he saw her horn and her hand ablaze with magic. Clenching her fist and pulling her hand towards her, she attempted to levitate Tai Lung away from the scroll. But Tai Lung broke free from her magic, swinging his paw at the scroll the snow leopard knocked it away from both of them. Kicking Twilight aside, he attempted to once again claim the Scroll as his. 

Lunging back to her feet, Twilight sent a lightning spell to her legs, blasting herself after the scroll.

The BOOM of thunder jarred Tai Lung from his focus, and he got just enough time to turn and see Twilight rocketing towards him on a bolt of lightning. Tai Lung got one yelp out before Twilight barreled through him, sending him into the air while she seized the scroll with a triumphant laugh.

Unfortunately, Twilight realized she was rocketing towards the side of a building. Shrieking, Twilight tried to deactivate the spell, but her momentum still carried her into the wall. A shield spell kept her from breaking her back, but it failed to save the scroll, which flew from her grip and rested in the mouth of a stone dragon head.

With Tai Lung rapidly approaching, Twilight forced herself not to panic.

Focus, she ordered herself. Envision the Jade Dragon Library. The Scroll’s just another book out of order.

As Tai Lung rapidly approached, he gasped in disbelief. The lavender unicorn was scaling up the side of the wall like a monkey. Her eyes were closed. She wasn’t even using her magic! Instantly, his eyes locked on the scroll.

“The Scroll truly has given her power!” Tai Lung realized with glee. However, that glee rapidly faded as he realized she was going to get it way before him. “NOOOOO!” He roared, ramming himself into the crack she had already made in the building.

The building had already been rocked by one kung fu master. The second one began to bring the stone structure down, ripping Twilight from her day dream. Whipping her head around, Twilight screamed as Tai Lung rapidly scaled the collapsing building. Flaring her magic, she sent several loose roof tiles smashing into the snow leopard’s face. As he reeled from the odd ammunition, Twilight blasted herself off the building with an explosion spell, hopping off pieces of debris before… she cried out in relief as her hands closed once more around the scroll.

But in her moment of victory, she failed to notice Tai Lung lunge out of the cloud of debris that the building was vanishing into. Just as she heard his roar, she turned around only to get an axe-kick to the face. She hit the ground with a BANG, sending up a cloud of dust. And before she had a chance of trying to flare her horn for some kind of protective spell, Tai Lung thrust his arms down and dive bombed her.

A second cloud of dust rushed through the town. When the dust cleared, Tai Lung stood triumphant over Twilight’s battered body. Faintly, her fingers twitched towards the scroll, which had rolled to the end of the crater Tai Lung had punched Twilight into. But she no longer had the strength to rise. And all she could do was watch helplessly as Tai Lung, panting but persistent, crossed over and seized the scroll.

“You were… by far… the best opponent I’ve had in years,” Tai Lung praised, uncorking the holder. “I can see why Celestia would choose you.” He coughed, waving away the dust before holding the scroll up to his eyes. “But now… the power of the Celestial Scroll… is… MINE!”

On his last word, he yanked the scroll open… and his face fell.

“It’s… nothing?!” he demanded, looking on the back and closing and re-opening it. But he had no more luck finding anything than Twilight or Luna had.

With a small groan, Twilight pushed herself up to her knees.

“It’s okay,” she assured the snow leopard with a cough. “I didn’t get it the first time either.”

Tai Lung blinked in confusion at her. "What?" he demanded, tossing the scroll to the ground.

“There is no power,” Twilight said, standing up and gazing at her reflection in the golden parchment. “You just have to be yourself.”

For a brief moment, Tai Lung stared down at the scroll. Twilight winced as she saw utter despair creep into his face. She could practically see his brain churning with negative thoughts.

All this time, he was thinking. All the pain. My mother… All the suffering I’ve… He shook his head. It was all for some inspirational message for children?!

And as the despair faded, Twilight saw burning rage – hotter than any anger Tai Lung had displayed up until that point – take over. And she knew, that though there was good in him… it had very little chance of getting out from the icy walls that had shrouded his heart in darkness.

Roaring – practically screaming – with heartbroken rage, Tai Lung lunged to strike Twilight with a nerve attack.

But the purple unicorn saw it coming. Flaring her magic, a shield spell blocked his attack.

Almost crying in fury, Tai Lung struck at her shield, again and again, his anger only rising like a flower in bloom. Finally, with an animalistic shriek, he slammed both his fists into the shield spell… and Twilight faltered as it broke.

However, as she sunk to one knee, she redirected her magic into a beam spell, blasting Tai Lung out of the crater and into the side of a shop.

But the snow leopard was not taken down that easily. Lunging back into the crater, he only found himself blocked by another shield spell. Trying to maneuver around it only resulted in Twilight catching him with a gravity spell, leaving him wailing as he floated helpless through the air. Twilight grabbed his tail, but he tried to kick at her, forcing her to slam him to the ground.

His rage blinding him, Tai Lung went to bite Twilight’s face… only for her to block with his tail. A small kitten mew escaped Tai Lung before he yowled in pain.

Before he could recover, Twilight sent him back out of the crater and back into one of the abandoned homes. But magic alone was not going to stop him. Twilight knew that she needed to combine what was good about her… with what Luna had taught her.

And so, as Tai Lung once again rose, battered and broken but far from beaten, Twilight channeled a strength spell into her leg. As Tai Lung charged her in blind fury, Twilight charged the power in her spell. And right as Tai Lung lunged to tackle her, Twilight planted her foot right into the snow leopard’s chin… and he vanished into the clouds, sent skyward by the power in Twilight’s kick.

For a moment, Tai Lung didn’t come back down. As Twilight stared up at the clouds, confusion and fear started to take hold.

Oh, dear, she thought. Did I send him up too high?

Her worries were soon answered when she picked up the sound of screaming. And saw Tai Lung come plummeting back down.

Realizing where he was going to land, Twilight yelped and leaped out of the way, flinching as the snow leopard made contact with the earth. Peering back into the crater, Twilight had to resist laughing as she discovered the snow leopard had left a perfect outline of his body. One he immediately clambered out of, only to stumble and struggle to get back to his feet.

“Y-You… can’t…” he panted, his voice cracking in despair and disbelief. “You can’t defeat me!” He tried to stand, only to lose his balance. Yet, undeterred, he crept up and out of the crater and towards Twilight. “You…” he stammered. “You’re just a small… weak… unicorn!”

He weakly threw one more punch at the mare. But she was easily able to snatch his claw out of the air.

“I’m not a small weak unicorn,” she said smoothly. She grinned. “I’m The small, weak unicorn.”

With a grin, Twilight raised her pinkie finger. She remembered her own shock and fear at the sight of the technique. It was rather amusing to see it painted onto the injured snow leopard’s face.

"The Wuxie Finger Hold?!" Tai Lung whispered.

“Luna showed you this hold too, eh?” Twilight asked.

“You’re bluffing,” he insisted. “You’re bluffing! Mother showed, but she never taught!”

“You’re right on that,” she said, eliciting a nervous grin from her foe. “But I’m a librarian; I figured it out.”

Tai Lung gaped in utter disbelief and horror, missing Twilight’s hand covering itself in a golden aura. Her grin faded.

"But this isn’t for you,” she added.

Slamming her open palm into the leopard’s chest, Twilight knocked the snow leopard back. He hit the ground with a grunt, staring up in shock at what had replaced him: a shadowy figure dressed in a cloak made of darkness. Its finger was still trapped by Twilight’s finger hold, even as it reached for Tai Lung with the other hand.

“That… that’s the one who told me to take the scroll!” he stammered in disbelief.

“And it’s time he left you alone,” Twilight replied. Grinning up at the shadow figure, she flexed her pinkie.

The shadow figure gave one final scream. Then his very being vanished in a flash of rainbow light.





Far away, the Furious Five and the villagers saw the flash of rainbow light. A wind blasted out from the sight of the flash, nearly knocking Fluttershy’s blindfold off.





Back in the village, Tai Lung sat before Twilight, completely dumbfounded as to what had just happened.

The only thing Luna had told him about the Wuxie Finger Hold was that it sent its victims to the spirit realm, with no chance of return. Yet, here he was, still in the mortal realm. And… he blinked in shock. He was no longer angry! All the malice and hate that had infected his body for the past twenty years… it was all gone.

All that was left, he realized with a throb in his heart, was the despair.

“Tai Lung?”

The snow leopard vaguely looked up. Twilight was sitting on her knees before him.

“How?” he mumbled. “How did you do that?”

Twilight smiled, her gaze drifting to the Jade Dragon Library.

“Master Wuxie may have developed the finger hold in the third dynasty,” she recited. “But Starswirl the Bearded perfected it with his magic. By pouring raw magic into someone, Starswirl theorized it was possible to separate one’s impurities from one’s being.” She rested her hand on Tai Lung’s heart. “But it only works if they have something good still in them.”

Tai Lung reached for her hand, but then he saw the bruises and dirt marks still across her body. All marks from the fight he had given her. His hand dropped.

“What should be done with me?” he whispered, bowing his head. “I’ve done so much wrong… I attacked this village, I attacked you! I…” He gripped his head. “How can there still be good in me?”

“Leave him alone!” a voice suddenly cried.

Twilight and Tai Lung sprang to combat stances, just in time to see a flash of green light. They jumped away from each other, the resulting green explosion forming Urtica, who took a defensive stance, defending Tai Lung from Twilight.

“You caught me off guard once,” Urtica hissed at Twilight. “But not this time!”

“Urtica,” Tai Lung said, catching the changelings attention. Her stance faltered when she saw that he was not primed for battle. “It’s over,” he said gently.

Urtica blinked. She looked between him and Twilight. “But…”

Tai Lung rested his hand on her shoulder; on the one person whom he knew he had not hurt. And with his motion, the fight went out of Urtica as well.

“Twilight,” Tai Lung said, drawing the unicorn’s attention. “I think… I’d like to go home now.”

Twilight nodded. “Of course,” she replied. She almost moved to aid Urtica as she gently helped Tai Lung towards the Celestial Palace… but then all three of them heard voices.

“Place doesn’t look too destroyed…” Pinkie’s voice. Hopeful and positive.

“We haven’t reached where that flash was,” Rainbow's voice replied. “Keep moving!”

Twilight glanced in the direction of their voices before turning back to Tai Lung and Urtica.

“Go,” she told them. “The Five won’t understand until I explain it to them.”

The two nodded, and Urtica hauled Tai away into the mist that had formed from the flash. Meanwhile, Twilight turned to the direction of the voices. Striding forward, she started to see the faint outlines of the villagers.

“Look!” one of them yelled, pointing her out. “The Celestial Warrior!”

Twilight chuckled. She didn’t think she matched the image of a Celestial Warrior. Battered and bruised, with a gi that was ripped and in serious need of a wash. Yet, as she strode out of the mist, and beheld the ponies and drakes of Ponyville, the cheers they gave her were fit for a Kung-Fu Master regardless of appearance.

Twilight’s heart melted at the sight: she spotted Garble and his cronies in the crowd, cheering for her all the same. She saw ponies that walked by her library, and never spoke to her except to ask for books, all regaling her as a hero. But most importantly… her eyes locked on the purple scales of Spike, who did not cheer, but instead pushed his way through the crowd to her, his smile brighter than Celestia’s sun.

Moving forward as well, Twilight parted the crowd with her presence alone, allowing her and Spike to run into each other’s arms.

“Thanks for believing in me, BBBFF,” Twilight whispered.

Spike chuckled and tightened his hug. “What are brothers for?” he replied.

Twilight would have been content to remain in Spike’s arms for hours. But when she looked up, she noticed the Furious Five striding up to her. And for the first time since she got the honor of meeting her in person, Twilight saw Rainbow Dash with a friendly smile. Directed at her, of all things.

Nervously, Twilight let go of Spike, and rose to meet her fellow masters.

“Hey…” she mumbled, before awkwardly bowing to them. “Masters….”

Rainbow huffed a small laugh. “You don’t need to do that,” she noted.

Twilight looked up at her, quickly pulling out of her bow. Her eyes widened further as Rainbow Dash bowed to her.

“Master,” Rainbow Dash added with a grin. Behind her, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Applejack copied her bow.

“Master,” they said in unison.

Twilight covered her mouth, fearing that she was going to cry. Then… she remembered another master.

“Master Luna!”

With a yelp, Twilight flared her horn, teleporting to the palace… and slamming into the anti-teleportation field. Shaking it off, she trekked up the stairs and raced to the reflecting pool. Luna lay where she had fallen, the rise and fall of her chest still the only sign of life.

“Master?” Twilight whispered, turning Luna to her back. She was rewarded when Luna’s eyes fluttered open, and fixed on Twilight with recognition.

“Twilight?” Luna whispered. Her lips curled up in a smile. “You’re alive?” Her grin faded. “Or we’re both dead.”

“No, Master,” Twilight said. “None of us died.”

“But… Tai Lung?” Luna asked.

Twilight smiled. Before she could answer, she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. Briefly turning to confirm her suspicion, Twilight lifted Luna’s head, letting her see her son limp inside, aided by Urtica.

Where before, Tai had gazed on her only with resentment, now he limped forward with both happiness… and so much sorrow.

“Tai?” Luna whispered.

Tai stopped, resisting Urtica’s attempt to bring him forward. Tears welled up in his eyes… before Luna held a hand out to him. Gasping back his tears, Tai limped forward, and took her hand.

“Mother…” Tai got out. Then he fell to his knees. The guilt and remorse pulling him down like an anchor in an ocean. “The pain I’ve caused you… there is no…” He rested his head against her hand. “I’m so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?”

Luna said nothing. With all of her strength, she lifted herself up, and put her other arm around her son.

“My great dragon…” Luna whispered. “I already have.”

And as Mother and Son embraced each other, Urtica and Twilight gave each other a mutual look, and backed up to let them have their moment.