Chapter 6:

Twilight Meets Master Luna

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. She knew that she didn't belong there.

"There's a huge mistake! I'm not…" Twilight tried to explain to them, but her voice failed her once more, as her brain processed what had happened. She was inside the Celestial Palace! And more…

"This…This is the Sacred Hall of Warriors!" Twilight whispered, turning around as her eyes widened in awe. This was the greatest Kung Fu museum and she was the biggest fan. Stars in her eyes, Twilight approached a red suit of armor.

"Master Bright Mac's Flying Rhino Armor. With authentic battle damage!" Twilight whispered in awe.

Catching a reflection of green in the armor, Twilight spun and gravitated towards a sword imprinted with a green dragon.

"The Sword of Heroes, said to be so sharp you can cut yourself just by… YOWCH!" Twilight whispered, longing for the weapon as 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. Wielded by Former Master Stygian!" Twilight squeaked in awe.

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 paintings 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! Master and Creator of the Drunken Fist!" Twilight squeaked in glee.

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! Said to contain the souls of the entire Draconequus race… except for Discord," Twilight said in a hushed voice added with a fearful look around. You never knew when the Lord of Chaos was , 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? 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. I should have noticed you first. It's just…Oh, I never thought I'd get to see any of these in real life!" Twilight apologized as she gazed around in awe and squeaked in glee.

"My patience is wearing thin," the voice growled, agitated.

Twilight looked back at the urn in confusion.

"Wait…really? But…I'm sorry, but were you planning to go somewhere?" She asked.

"Would you 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! H-Hello, Master Luna." Twilight stammered 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?! She is not even a Kung Fu Master! What is Celestia thinking?!

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, I…think so?" Twilight whimpered, more than sensing the agitation and anger emanating from the dark blue alicorn.

"WRONG!" Luna boomed, sending Twilight back into a frightened bow. So much for containing herself.

"Okay," Twilight squeaked. She didn't want more trouble from the Kung Fu trainer.

"You are not the Celestial Warrior! And you will never be the Celestial Warrior until…You have learned the secret of the Celestial Scroll," Luna hissed as she pointed upward at the scroll in the dragon's mouth.

Twilight looked up at the scroll, before darting her eyes over to Luna.

"Whoa! So, um, how does this work? Do I need a ladder or a trampoline or use magic?" Twilight asked, wondering how she would earn the secrets of the scroll.

"You really think it would have been that simple? That I could just hand you the secret to limitless power?! 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!" Luna demanded, indicating the scroll again… and the golden runes that glowed around the dragon sculpture.

"Oh-Okay," Twilight squeaked.

"To acquire the scroll, one must first master the highest levels of Kung-Fu. And that is clearly impossible if that someone is someone like you." Luna continued, marching around Twilight's bowing form, glowering down at Twilight as she circled her.

Twilight stared up at Luna, equal parts to confused and insulted.

"Someone like me?" She demanded.

"Yes! Look at you! This fragile body!" Luna snapped as she smacked Twilight's side with her flute.

"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. She knew she had problems, but Master Luna didn't have to point them out.

"And utter disregard to personal care!" Luna concluded, pointing at Twilight's hair. Twilight smoothed her hair back with an indignant expression.

"Hey, wait a minute. 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? I can smell your breath from here!" Luna demanded.

"Alright, listen! I don't know why Master Celestia chose…" Twilight burst out, her anger briefly making her forget who she was speaking to as she pointed angrily at Luna.

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 Wuxi Finger Hold? Not the Wuxie Finger hold," Twilight whispered in a scared tone, begging the alicorn.

"Oh-ho-ho. You know this hold?" Luna chuckled darkly.

"Developed by Masters Starswirl and Wuxi in the 3rd dynasty. Yes," Twilight recited in a rapid-fire tone, before admitting with a flurry of nods.

"Well then you must know what will happen when I flex my pinkie," Luna declared, wiggling her pinkie for emphasis, only sending Twilight into a near burst of helpless hysteria.

"No-no-please-anything-but-that!" Twilight begged.

But Luna's grip on her finger didn't fade. If anything, it got tighter.

"You know what the hardest part of this technique? The hardest part is cleaning up afterwards," Luna chuckled grimly, as Twilight's fear rose.

"Okay-please. Just-please…don't…" Twilight began to cry.

"Listen close, unicorn. Celestia may have chosen you. But when I'm done with you, I promise you. You're going to wish she hadn't!" Luna growled darkly at her jutting her head forward before she leaned back, "Are we clear?".

Twilight swallowed and whimpered, "Crystal,".

"Good. I can't wait to get started, " Luna smirked as she released Twilight's finger. The mare clutched her hand to her chest, breathing heavily. Luna smiled, staring down at the trembling unicorn.

Author's Note: I have a feeling things are not gonna go well for Twilight...