Courage Knows no Weakness

As Comet walked into Zecora’s hut, she sensed a natural magic that had become as familiar to her as unicorn magic. “So, what are you brewing today?” she asked the zebra.

“I see you have taken interest in my brew. If you look inside, your true path will shine through.”

“But, I can’t see anything. It would be pointless for me to take a look.”

“Their doubts have affected you, but being sightless will not affect this brew. Look inside for what you seek, only you may take a peek.”

“Alright. I’ll try. Spike,”

“On it.” said the young dragon, hopping from  the midnight unicorn’s back with her cloak. “Just promise me you will never take your bracelet off.”

“Whatever, Spike. Let’s just get this over with.”

Comet trotted to the center of the room until she could sense the brew directly in front of her. She closed her sightless eyes against the slight heat that bubbled up into her face. She stopped using the echolocation spell, the red glow fading from her horn. Instead, she focused all her energy on the cauldron before her and the brew inside. A voice called to her, so quiet she could barely hear it echoing in her ears.

“Comet Dust, I know what you feel.”

“But, how can anypony know? No one I know is blind like me. I’m just a strange young mare who's never had a normal life.”

“Your life is not normal, but that just means you're special.”

“I’m not special.” huffed Comet. “I’m different. I always have been and I always will be.”

“Now Comet, if I believed that you weren’t special I wouldn’t be here.”

“I still don’t believe you. My mother used to tell me I was special. She used to tell me that there was a greater destiny for me than anypony could see. Now she doubts me. I tried to warn her but she just shooed it away like it was a harmless prank.”

“Your mother doesn’t understand you like I do. I believe that there is something coming. Of course, I don’t know what. Neither do you. But you shouldn’t let that stop you from fulfilling your destiny.”

“What is my destiny?” asked Comet quietly.

“Your destiny cannot be told. You much search to find its true path. Go deep into the Everfree Forest until you reach the Cave of Prophecy. By the time you reach it, the night of the full moon will be approaching. You must stay within the cave until after the full moon has passed.”

“What do I do inside the cave?”

“You don’t do anything. Over the course of the full moon, you true destiny will be shown. Now, you must watch carefully. You will only be shown this once.”

Comet felt a pull as she vanished into a dark abyss. A flash of white light greeted her and she squinted against the blinding effects it had on her. How is this affecting me? she pondered, turning around in a full circle to try and regain her bearings. It had once again fallen dark in the empty space surrounding her and she couldn’t grasp onto any reality.

Her horn started to glow in an attempt to provide some light, however small it may be. As she did, stars of all sizes joined her in the abyss. Swirls of color accompanied the stars, forming pictures around her. “Wh-what’s going on? Where am I?” Comet called out, her magic fading as she was surrounded by light.

Her voice echoed before fading to silence with no reply. “Hello?” she called again.

Just watch.

“O-okay.”

Comet watched the pictures forming around her. There were six. She recognized them as the Elements of Harmony. Each gem was in a necklace around one of her mother’s friends’ necks. Except for one. This one was in a crown on Twilight’s head.

The gems were glowing, providing the light that Comet was surrounded by. She watched as beams of light shot out from each element, surrounding her with a rainbow of colored lights. As the colors swirled around her, her bracelet started to glow along with the elements. She looked down as the metal started to heat up, the magic inside the fire ruby melting its way into her own bodily flow of magic.

Suddenly, the light around her faded and she could barely see the swirling colors inches from her hooves as she returned to the darkness she was accustomed to. She still managed to catch one last burst of light from the colors as she returned to reality, despite her return to blindness. “C-Comet? Are you okay?”

A quiet, familiar voice pulled her back into reality as the colors faded to nothingness. “Spike?” she asked softly, sitting up slowly.

“What happened? The last time something like that happened was when your mother became a princess.”

“True as that may be, nothing has happened to this pony. A burst of magic may have shown, but nothing but knowledge has grown.” said Zecora, sweeping a thoughtful gaze over the unicorn.

“I-I’m not so sure about that, Zecora. I’m more confused now than ever before.”

Comet stared blankly at the door to Zecora’s hut, her back to the bubbling cauldron. She heard a quiet scraping sound as Spike moved towards her across the dirt floor. Her cloak was dragging along behind the dragon slightly, throwing up tiny clouds of dust that clouded her remaining senses. “Comet?”

The young mare tilted her head downwards in the direction of the purple dragon’s voice. “Hmm?”

“What are you thinking about?” Spike asked, placing his claws gently on her hoof.

“It’s... nothing. I have to go.”

Comet looked away, her horn glowing a light red as she took her cloak from Spike’s claws. It unfolded itself and floated down over her back. She pulled the hood over her glowing horn before switching to her echolocation spell. “Stay with Zecora until morning, Spike. Zecora,” she said, turning towards the zebra, “take him into town tomorrow, back to my mother. Tell her I’m fine and not to worry about me.”

Without waiting for a reply, Comet trotted out of the still-open door to the hut. “Goodbye.” she called behind her, disappearing into the dark.

Spike traced the slight dark red glow from her horn until it vanished into the shadows. “Zecora, do you have any idea where she’s going or if she’ll really be okay?” he asked with a shaking voice.

“Do not worry, dragon friend. She will be fine in the end.”