Chapter 18:
Twilight Discovers Her Destiny
Inside the living quarters, Twilight watched as the others gathered up their things. And in Rainbow, Applejack, and Rarity's cases, their sisters. If it was any other time it would have been a tender scene.
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. She hadn't even slept much in there, so what was the point?
For the first time since she was brought back, Pinkie grinned, "I wouldn't be so sure," She said in a sing-song voice.
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. I'm not a master like you and the others," Twilight said next as she tried to hand it back.
She had barely finished her sentence before Rarity gently pushed the GI back to her.
"If it is any consolation, I truly believed that you would become a fine Celestial Warrior. But I didn't make it for you because of Master Celestia. I made it because you are still a student of the Celestial Palace," Rarity said as she turned and accepted a large leather bag from Sweetie Belle, slinging it over her shoulder.
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 in defeat, "Some student I was," She muttered, reluctantly tucking the GI under her arm.
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! We're gonna get you safely out, so make it easy for everypony, and keep yourselves calm!" Rainbow Dash barked.
Then she turned to the Furious Five.
"Pinkie, gather the southern villagers," Rainbow Dash ordered, turning to Pinkie Pie.
"Okie-dokie lokie," Pinkie agreed, scampering to the south.
"AJ, The North," Rainbow continued, turning to Applejack/
"You got it," Applejack declared, racing to the north.
"Fluttershy, Light the way," Rainbow added, handing a lantern to the yellow mare.
As Fluttershy flew ahead, Rarity gathered up Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo.
"Follow along girls. And stay close," Rarity told them.
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 poured eagerly over them. Her nostalgia was interrupted when the door opened, and one familiar dragon stumbled out.
"I think that's the last of them. I still think Twilight had a secret hiding hole or two, but there's no way to know unless…" Spike said as he tottered out with armfuls of books.
"Hey, Spike," Twilight whispered.
Spike blinked before turning to the cart. Sure enough, Twilight stood there, giving him a sad smile.
Thankfully, Spike had enough restraint to set the books down gently, before he charged into Twilight's arms.
"TWILIGHT!" Spike said with a smile as he charged into Twilight and hugged her.
Twilight gave her dragon brother a hug as well.
"It's good to have you back, Sis," Spike said, patting Twilight on the shoulder.
"It's good to be back home," Twilight mumbled.
"Come on, Twilight," Spike said, starting to pull the cart before Twilight crossed over to the books Spike had nearly dropped.
"H-Here, let me help," Twilight insisted.
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 as she puts her GI and the Celestial Scroll in the cart before she begins pulling the cart.
"So for our next library, let us face the fact, the future of books and scrolls is multi-paged chapter books and no longer single. Also, I was thinking, maybe this time we can have a new counter and display stand…" Spike said as he and Twilight joined the evacuating crowd.
But while Spike was talking, Twilight began to slowly stop and her smile began to fade as she bowed her head down.
"Hmmm, you like that, Twilight?" Spike asked as he looked back and saw Twilight standing there with her head down in sadness while everyone went around her.
"Twilight, are you okay? What happened?" Spike asked, walking up to her.
"M-Master Luna's son is coming to Ponyville to take the Celestial Scroll. That Master Luna is having the Five evacuate Ponyville. To protect everypony. But if she faces him alone…she could die Spike! I read somewhere that if alicorns lose their magic they may still be immortal but if they get too injured…." Twilight explained in a sad tone. She felt like such a failure.
"But…Aren't you the Celestial Warrior?" Spike asked with a nervous glance.
Twilight shut her eyes, tears tracing her cheeks, "No," She whispered.
"Um… how? I mean… Celestia…" Spike asked.
"I don't…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…It's nothing but a blank scroll," Twilight sniffled as she crossed back over and revealed the Scroll to Spike.
Spike tilted his head before taking the scroll from her and unrolled the scroll, tilting his head at the blank golden parchment.
"Twilight, I'm sorry things didn't work out. It just wasn't meant to be," Spike said, trying to comfort her, but Twilight just slumped against the cart, feeling much worse.
"Twilight, forget everything else. Remember, your destiny still awaits! Like I said we are Library folks, Paper and Ink run deep through our veins," Spike further encouraged her and reminded her.
"I don't know, Spike. Honestly, sometimes I can't believe I'm actually your little sister," Twilight admitted.
Spike looked at the scroll again while Twilight prepared herself for Spike to start ranting about Celestia's lack of wisdom. Or maybe start comforting her about how they were all conned again.
What she didn't expect was for Spike to chuckle. As in… an actual amused chuckle.
"Spike? What's so funny?" Twilight asked, turning back to him.
Spike smiled up at her and turned the scroll around to her.
"Take a closer look, Twilight. What do you see?" He prompted.
Twilight stared at the scroll, uncomprehending, "A blank scroll," She replied, looking away from the scroll.
"You know, Twilight. I think it's time I told you something that I should've told you a long time ago," Spike said with a soft smile on his face.
"What is it, Spike?" Twilight asked, becoming intrigued about what Spike wanted to tell her.
Spike looked around to make sure nopony was listening before turning to Twilight and whispering to her quietly, "The Secret Page of my Secret Dragon Book," He whispered.
"Oh…um…okay." Twilight said, ready to hear the Secret Page.
"Alright, come here. The secret page is…nothing," Spike whispered.
"Wait, huh?" Twilight asked, raising a brow from that.
"Yup, you heard me, Twilight. Nothing! There was never a secret page," Spike confessed.
"So, wait. Do you mean it's just a plain Dragon Book? You don't add like some special code or writing or something?" Twilight asked, feeling shocked and surprised that there wasn't a secret page at all.
"You don't have to, Twilight. To make a book special, you just have to believe it's special," Spike explained.
"Wait, then that means that the scroll…" Twilight began to say as Spike showed her the scroll and adjusted it. Blinking in confusion, Twilight peered closer at the golden parchment… and saw herself and Spike reflected in the parchment.
"It's a mirror. Don't you see? See, I see myself. And now… you see you," Spike pointed out as he aimed it at him and then tilted it toward Twilight.
"M-Me?" Twilight asked, taking the scroll from him. 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.
"There is no secret page. It's just… me!" Twilight realized as she slowly turned and looked up at the Celestial Palace… and above. To the birthplace 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.
An epiphany hits her like a heroic second wind.