Chapter 17:
The Celestial Scroll
Meanwhile, unknowing of the battle that occurred, 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, more powerful. More… sure of herself.
"You have done well, pony," Luna declared another far cry from the first time they had met. She was complimenting her actually talking nice to her.
"I hope…I mean… I did awesome!" Twilight cleared her throat as 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. But yes, you have done…Awesome," Luna reminded her, before Twilight could sink into another hunched posture, Luna punched her hard on her shoulder. Though it was a friendlier punch than it would have been in times past.
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? Girls! Are they dead?!" Twilight stammered, racing to their side.
Before anyone could answer, Twilight felt Pinkie's chest and exhaled in relief, "No, she's still breathing. But… are they asleep?" Twilight asked as she checked her eyes next, "No, her eyes are still open. '
Then she paused for a second, "Wait… does Pinkie sleep with her eyes open? She's hyper enough…".
"Nerve attack. I'm sorry Master. We were… no match for his nerve attacks," Fluttershy gasped out, putting an end to Twilight's theorizing and looking at Luna with shame.
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," Luna whispered in horror, yet, when she tapped on the damaged nerves, a sigh of relief escaped her as Applejack gasped, freed from paralysis.
"Wait…Tai Lung has gotten stronger?!" Twilight stammered as Luna crossed over to Pinkie.
Twilight 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! Oh, gosh! Sorry, Twilight…" Pinkie yelped, before noticing 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." Rainbow Dash whispered, not even looking at her master.
"He could have killed you," Luna chastised, crossing over to Rarity. She couldn't believe that her students would defy her orders to stay away from Tai Lung. But she was grateful that they were alive.
"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 and strike fear into our hearts. But it… won't… work!" Luna lectured, punctuating each sentence with an unlocking jab into Rarity's body. And with a final jab, Rarity popped out of her locked state, taking a massive breath.
"Sorry, Master Luna. But it's working on me…a little…okay, I'm pretty scared," Twilight admitted, shivering as she took in the living proof of Tai Lung's power.
"You can defeat him, Unicorn," Luna insisted.
"But…They couldn't! And they're five Masters. I'm just one me," Twilight reminded her, looking at the beaten state of her friends.
"But you will have the one thing they did not have," Luna countered with a grin.
Twilight and the Furious Five's eyes widened.
And their eyes 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? You really think I'm ready?" Twilight asked, turning to Luna.
"You are… Twilight," Luna said with a smile.
Twilight put a hand to her heart. Her mouth moved, wanting to speak, but unable to form the words. It was the first time Master Luna used her name, it showed just how far their relationship had come.
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 and 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, The Celestial Scroll," Luna declared as 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 from her training or fear, something stayed in her hand.
"What will happen if I read it?" Twilight asked.
"No one knows. But Legend says you will be able to hear a butterfly's wing beat," Luna admitted.
Twilight blinked in shock and excitement, "Really? That's so cool!" She said.
"Yes, and see light in the deepest cave. You will feel the universe in motion around you!" Luna continued.
"Oh, my gosh,I can't believe this is actually happening! Can I punch through walls? Do amazing tricks?..." Twilight squeaked, 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," Twilight apologized.
"Read it, Twilight, and fulfill your destiny. Read it! And become… the Celestial Warrior!" Luna insisted.
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 which was a big step up from where she and Rainbow started – 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 and screamed as her eyes went wide… and then deflating.
"It's blank," Twilight said, looking up at the others, who stared at her in shock.
"B-Blank?" Luna questioned.
"I mean it's blank. Look," Twilight replied as she tilt the scroll towards Luna, but the alicorn backed away.
"No! I am forbidden to look upon…" Luna protested before 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, and despite looking at 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?!' Luna thought to herself.
"I…I don't understand," Luna said as she turned to face her students.
Twilight's eyes began to fill with tears again.
"All this time, I thought Celestia was wiser than us all," she whispered, her voice cracking.
"She was! She was… supposed to be…," Luna protested, turning away, only to find herself staring at her reflection in the reflecting pool and sliding the scroll back into its holder.
But Applejack shook her head.
"Pardon the lack of respect. But it's lookin' to me like Master Celestia was just a crazy old lady who picked Twi by accident," She muttered.
"Applejack!" Rarity cried, scandalized, but Twilight hung her head in defeat.
"No, Rarity, she's right. Who were we kidding? Celestia did pick me by accident. I'm not the Celestial Warrior. I'm just… some librarian." Twilight admitted as she sat on the floor, feeling defeated.
"But if the power isn't real, who's going to stop Tai Lung?!" Rarity demanded.
Rainbow Dash shook her head. She hated to think it, but it looked like they were screwed.
"You got me. He pulverized us last time," She admitted.
"But if we don't try something, he'll destroy everything," Fluttershy whimpered.
"And everypony. You don't suppose we could just… give him the Scroll, right? I mean, there's nothing on it, so…," Pinkie whispered.
"No, He is forbidden from knowing its 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!" Luna declared, turning back to the mares and handing the scroll to Twilight.
"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. I can hold him off long enough for everypony to escape," Luna said and as she suspected, she was answered with a gasp of horror.
"But Master Luna…He'll kill you." Twilight whispered. Though she hadn't known Luna as long as the others, and although they had a rough start, Twilight didn't want nothing to happen to Master Luna.
But Luna gazed at her student with resignation, "Then I suppose I will finally pay for not being the mother my son needed," She said.
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. 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," Luna declared, turning to the rest of the mares.
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.