Chapter 4:
The Celestial Warrior
At The Jade Library…
Twilight was surprised. While Spike's library was not a failure, it was not normally this busy. It seemed like half of Ponyville was in the library. Everypony wanting either an adventure story or a story of the Furious Five. She was sorting through the books and scrolls, but her mind was elsewhere. In her mind, she was still having adventures with her heroes.
Then all of a sudden, a brown stallion with an hourglass cutie mark came bursting into the library!
"Hurry everypony! We have to get to the Celestial Palace! Master Celestia is finally choosing a CELESTIAL WARRIOR!" He said.
It was as if hundreds of fireworks went off all at once! Ponies dropped whatever books and scrolls they were reading and started joining the throng of ponies already in the streets heading to the palace!
Spike who had come out of the basement to see what the commotion was about, shook his head.
"What could be so important that ponies would forget their books?" He asked dismayed at how ponies just threw everything on the floor.
"Master Celestia is finally choosing a Celestial Warrior Spike. Ponies have been waiting for this to happen for over 500 years." Twilight explained patiently.
"It's just a fancy title given to somepony who's already a Kung Fu Master. What's the big deal?" Spike asked not seeing the point in all the fuss.
"Look why don't you take a nap? I'll clean up the mess. After all, I know where everything goes," Twilight suggested.
"All right Twilight. Thanks to that Celestial Warrior business, things will probably be slow here for a few days," Spike agreed as he started to his bedroom not noticing the mischievous look in Twilgith's eyes.
The hours had passed quicker than Luna realized: ponies were already gathering in the stands surrounding the tournament arena.
"Such a historic day….isn't it, Sister?" Luna commented.
"Yes, and one I had feared I would not live to see. Are you students ready?" Celestia asked.
"Yes, Celestia," Luna replied. Had Luna not had so much on her mind, she might have found Celestia's choice of words funny. After all, they were both immortal.
"Now know this sister, whoever I choose will not only bring peace to the land…but to you as well." Celestia smiled softly.
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.
Meanwhile, outside of the Celestial Palace, Twilight finally made it to the top of the many stairs and laid down on her back, catching her breath. Twilight cheered in victory for making it this far up the stairs but her victory was short-lived when she sees the gates starting to slowly close.
"Oh, no! No, no, no, wait! I'm coming! Wait, wait!" Twilight shouted as she made her way to the closing gates.
But by the time she got there, the gates have already closed and Twilight only ran into them.
"Ow," Twilight said with a dizzy look as she fell to the ground while the crowd cheered in the courtyard.
"Hey! Open The Door!" Twilight yelled, banging her hooves on the door but her shout and knocking is drowned out by the banging of the drums.
"Let Me In!" Twilight cried as she looks for a way to get in and see the tournament.
"Citizens of Ponyville. It is my great honor to present to you Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack...The Furious Five!" Luna declared in her Canterlot voice while Twilight manages to climb and look through a round hole in the wall.
Twilight laughed excitedly as she watched the Furious Five make their entrance. A cyan blur shot out from the palace, making a lightning bolt-shaped cloud in the sky. A stream of confetti blasted into the air, as the pink Master of Laughter held a pose in the air.
"Ta-da!" She declared.
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.
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.
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 cowgirl 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. All of her students were gifted, and she had to admit to herself, she was a bit excited to see which one of them would be the Celestial Warrior.
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.
"Yay! The Furious Five!" Twilight cheered, waving at them.
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 the wind from Fluttershy's wing caused the gate above the hole Twilight was looking through to close in front of her.
Twilight was tossed back and slumped down with a moan.
"Warriors Prepare! Ready for battle!" Luna announced.
Twilight quickly got up and looked around to see how she could watch the tournament now. That's when she spotted a little hole between the gates and peeked through it. Through the hole, Twilight could see Master Fluttershy preparing herself to do a move that Twilight recognized…
"The Thousand Tongues Of Fire! Whoa!" Twilight cheered in excitement, ready to see the battle in action.
"Whoa, look at that!" A Citizen said, getting in front of the hole and blocking Twilight's view.
"Hey, get out of the way!" Twilight shouted, trying to see through the hole.
But then she heard something and looked up above herself to see Master Fluttershy flying in the air with fireworks zooming around her. Twilight backed up laughing in excitement while watching Fluttershy do her performance battle with the Thousand Tongues Of Fire. But Twilight should've watched where she was walking before finding herself falling down the stairs. The fireworks went off exploding and the crowd cheered as Twilight quickly climbed back up only to find that she was too late.
But the Unicorn wasn't giving up for she has come way too far to quit. She's going to see the tournament no matter what.
While the crowd was cheering, Twilight was doing everything she could to get in…
She tried punching through the doors, but that only made her cry in pain when she broke her fingers, "Ow!" She cried.
Next, she tried flinging herself over the wall with a stick of bamboo, which was very bendy, but instead, Twilight only managed to fling herself towards the wall.
For her third attempt, Twilight tied down some Bamboo with a rock and got on as she cuts the rope with her magic to ready to fly over the wall to see the tournament and who'll be the Celestial Warrior. But after cutting the rope, Twilight found herself not flying into the air nor has the bamboo even moved yet.
When Twilight climbed down to see what went wrong, the bamboo shot up and then back down hitting the mare on the head as she fall to the ground groaning.
Twilight is now sitting on the steps thinking quickly but yet she's starting to run out of ideas.
"And finally, Master Rainbow Dash!" Luna's voice announced.
Suddenly, Twilight got another idea of how she could see the tournament.
While the crowd was still cheering, the large tree was surrounded by a purple magic aura and was being pulled down while Luna continues announcing:
"Believe me, citizens, you have not seen anything yet!"
"I know!" Twilight shouted, pulling the tree with all her magical might.
"Master Rainbow Dash will face Iron Ox and his blades of death!" Luna announced as Rainbow Dash readies herself for battle.
That's when Twilight flung herself into the air laughing in victory. Now she can see the final tournament. But that was short-lived when Twilight hits the tiles and landed in a cart, groaning in pain. Celestia, however, glanced up at the color purple. And among them, she sensed something. Something that made her stand, and raising her wings for silence.
"I've sensed The Celestial Warrior is among us," Celestia declared.
Rainbow Dash paused and left the contraption behind, as she raced to stand before Celestia, alongside Pinkie, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy.
"Citizens Of Ponyville, my sister will now choose…The Celestial Warrior!" Luna announced.
Twilight quickly got up from the sound of that.
"Huh? Oh, no. No, no, wait." She said, desperately trying to figure out how she is going to see who will be the Celestial Warrior now.
But then she found her answer when she noticed she was in a cart filled with fireworks and an idea came to her. It may be crazy and dangerous but to Twilight, it just might work.
Meanwhile, Celestia took her time descending towards the group while Rainbow Dash quivered with excitement and Applejack nudged her.
Outside, Twilight was working on something until she was done and backed up laughing, revealing a chair with fireworks attached to it.
Back in the arena, Celestia passed Pinkie and Rarity.
Back with Twilight, she lights up a match and cackles for this idea of hers going to work. But when just when Twilight lit up the chair, Spike arrived…
"TWILIGHT SPARKLE?! I leave you alone for 5 minutes and you disappear leaving books in the wrong place! Now I find you here?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Spike asked, seeing his sister sitting on a chair with fireworks attached to it.
The young dragon heads towards her and starts blowing out the spark.
"What does it look like I'm doing? Spike, stop, stop! I'm gonna see the Celestial Warrior!" Twilight said, stopping Spike from blowing out the spark.
Back in the Arena, Celestia walked past Fluttershy and Applejack.
"But I don't understand, Twilight. You said you finally had the library dream!" Spike reminded her.
Twilight sighed, she knows she couldn't lie to Spike anymore. She had to tell him the truth.
"I lied, I didn't dream about books or the library, Spike," Twilight admitted as Spike looked at her in shock. Not because it wasn't her dream, but because she felt she had to lie to him.
Twilight looked down and saw the spark getting closer to the firework, which means it was almost time for her to be blasted off into the air.
"I love Kung-FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" Twilight declared as she closed her eyes and readies herself to be shot right into the air.
But nothing happened so far as Twilight opened her eyes and saw that the chair wasn't bursting or anything. Twilight only found herself falling to the ground and started sniffling sadly for it was no use for her as she turned to Spike with a sad look on her face.
"Come on, Sis. Let's get back to work." Spike said.
"Okay, Spike," Twilight said sadly in defeat as she starts getting up from the ground.
But suddenly and unexpectedly, the fireworks bursts and Twilight screamed in surprised shock before finding herself launched toward the wall while Spike looked with surprise to see Twilight sliding against the wall.
"Twilight, Come Back!" Spike shouted as Twilight was then launched into the air screaming. He was scared his little sister would be hurt.
While she was screaming, the fireworks exploded, catching the attention of the audience as they watched with awe.
"Owwwwwoooo, uh-oh!" Twilight whimpered as she saw the chair disintegrate in the air and found herself falling to the arena miles down below her, screaming before slamming into the concrete.
Twilight's eyes fluttered open, moaning in pain.
"Oooooh, what's going on? Where-?" Twilight moaned, rubbing her head.
"Ya okay there, Sugarcube? That was quite a fall," a southern voice asked.
The smoke around Twilight cleared as an orange pony stepped forward, looking her over with concern.
"I'm okay, I'm…" Twilight stammered to a stop.
The pony was Master Applejack! And behind her, Rarity and Fluttershy were all grouped around, watching her 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 pointing her staff right at her.
"Oh, no! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt, I… well, I was going to see who the Celestial Warrior was, a-and…" Twilight said, backing up and bowing in profuse regret.
"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 Twilight to her feet. While they were helping her, Twilight failed to notice Celestia was still pointing at her, until Rainbow Dash moved up next to her.
"Um… Master Celestia? Are you… pointing at me?" Rainbow Dash asked, but Celestia's staff didn't waver from Twilight.
"Her," Celestia confirmed.
Twilight paused 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.
"Me?" Twilight asked, feeling greatly confused.
Celestia took Twilight's arm and lifted it into the air as she declared, "The universe has brought us the Celestial Warrior!".
"What?!" Twilight stammered as she went pale.
"What?!" Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy all stammered.
"WHAT?!" Luna bellowed.
"WHAT?!" Spike roared.
But then, Pinkie jumped in.
"PARTY TIME!" She declared happily.
Following Pinkie's words, 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. And the brown stallion from earlier smiled to himself as he knew how this would end.
"Celestia! That Unicorn can't possibly be the answer to…" Luna yelled, racing to her sister's side before she paused, glancing around.
Spike and the Furious Five were still staring at 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. You were about to point at Rainbow Dash and then… that… she fell in front of her! That was just an accident! " Luna argued.
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.
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 was only a few wooden boards broken and Twilight struggles to get herself unstuck. Luckily a few more ponies came and lend a helping hand while Rainbow Dash shot Twilight an envious, frustrated look before reluctantly turning back to her master.
"Forgive us, Master. We've failed you." Rainbow Dash choked the words out. At her words, the others – even Pinkie Pie – bowed their heads in regret.
"No, If that unicorn has not quit by morning, then I will have failed you." Luna said grimly, raising a hand to wave off the girls' apologies.