Elements of Destiny

"Wh-who are you?" I ask.

"We are the first bearers of the Elements, and were the last to use them." The unicorn in front of me says.

"When was the last time ya used them?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Many years ago, hundreds of years after the Elements of Harmony were discovered." The earth pony says.

"But why us? We don't even have cutiemarks, how could we be the Elements of Destiny?" I squeak.

They looked at each other, "We can understand your confusion little ones, but you each represent an Element whenever your out crusading." They pegasus says.

"Then which Element am I?" Scootaloo asks.

"Or me?" Apple Bloom backed up.

"And what about me? Which Element do I represent?" I ask.

"Patience little ones, it is not us who tell you, it is something you must find out yourselves." The unicorn said. They started to fade.

"Wait! We're just little fillies, who's going to help us?" Scootaloo asked.

"I believe that that is where I come in." Princess Luna says as the three ponies fade to nothing.

"How can there be Elements of Destiny" I shout, " There's Elements of Harmony already, shouldn't that be it? And how come the Elements of Harmony couldn't stop it?"

Luna smiles. "Dear children, there are many elements to many things, there are those of Harmony, of Nature, of Earth, and the Periodic Table of course." I roll my eyes with a smile at that one.

"But most are lost, and recently, with the new threat arising, those Elements must be retrieved. And it is your job to do so. I of course will guide you.  But you mustn't tell anyone of this, for their own safety. Now you must rest, I will have a chariot at your homes soon, and I'll see you at the castle tomorrow, goodnight little fillies."

With that, the stars drifted away until it was nothing but a black space.

*************************************

*Knock, knock*

I heard hoofsteps as one of my parents went to the door. Afterwards I hear a few voices and then I find myself in the same carriage as Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. "Princess Luna would like to see you." The guard says.

"We kn- Ow!" I began before having Scootaloo poke me in the ribs.

"Remember what she said." Scootaloo said with a smile and clenched teeth. The guard gave us a strange look, then shrugged it off and started to fly.

*************************************

"Girls, I'm glad you made it." Princess Luna said. She waved off the guards and took us to the balcony. "I have unfortunate news; the Elements have scattered across Equestria, and are in the domains of our enemy." She said.

"Are you goin' to help us find them?" Apple Bloom asked with a worried look.

"Of course, but I can not locate them myself, you three will have to journey to different places of where they were last seen."

"Ok, which is first?" Scootaloo said. She was feeling adventurous.

"The closest would be the Crystal Empire. We must journey into the castle in which legend has it, was hidden deep within the castle walls to keep it from danger." Princess Luna says.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Scootaloo said.

"I admire your confidence dear Scootaloo, but patience, we mustn't worry anypony." Luna said with a giggle. " I must tell you though, the darkness has captured Princess Cadence."

"WHAT!!!!" I say.

"Quiet Sweetie Belle!" Apple Bloom said through clenched teeth.

"Right, I'm sorry." I say.

"Are you truly ready to face this mission? This isn't going to be easy, you can go back now, and forget about all of this." Luna said as she placed a hoof on my shoulder.

"We have to do this, for Equestria, and our sisters, no matter what the cost." I say.

"Very well. Guards!"

"Yes Princess?" said a guard as he burst through the door.

"I request a chariot for me and these three fillies to the Crystal Empire."

"Yes your majesty." He said before he running off.

Within a few minutes, we were going at a steady pace to the Empire, and that was when I saw the black ink-like clouds washing over the land for the first time.

"It's worse than I thought." Apple Bloom whispered.

"You're telling me," Scootaloo answers.

"We're almost there." I say pointing my hoof to the empire. It was so dark and gloomy, like king Sombra was in control of the place again.

I gulped.

Once we landed, we stepped out of the carriage and headed to the castle. It was nothing like the last time we've seen it. It was dark and dull instead of shiny and bright. The ponies were no different. They were no longer sparkly like crystal.

We trotted over to the castle. There we saw Shining Armor. "Have you seen Cadence by any chance?" He said with a hopeful voice.

"Sorry to say so, but we haven't." Apple Bloom answered before Luna could speak.

"Oh... that's ok. You're welcome into the castle as long as you need to." He walked into the castle with a really gloomy expression.

'Poor guy.' I think.

We slowed down to a walk as we entered the castle. We approached the throne room where Cadence; as I've been told, was supposed to sit.

"Stand back little fillies." Luna took a deep breath, and her horn began to glow purple and a sickly green. I couldn't see what she was doing, but by her expression, she was doing quite a toll with her magic. She then shot a beam of green and purple light at a gigantic gemstone in the throne, and the floor opened up.

"Wow! How did you do that?" Scootaloo asked, amazed.

"Just an old spell my sister taught me." Luna answers as she huffs.

"Are you ok?" I ask.

"Yes, now we must hurry to retrieve the Element." Princess Luna says as she trots down the stairs. I begin to follow her urgently.

"Sweetie Belle, what are you doing?" Princess Luna says in shock as I run past her. It felt as though something was calling me, like apart of me was missing and it was down there.  My Element!

"I think that my Element is around here." I tell them.

"But how can you feel it? Isn't it an item?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Maybe it is a magical surge." Scootaloo suggested.

"You are both right," Luna said as we trotted down the stairs. "You all are connected with each Element, it's a magical surge."

"Oh, Princess Luna, you hadn't told us about how the Elements of Harmony couldn't stop this new villain." I ask.

"Dear children, the villain is changing the destinies of ponies, it is not harmony that is messed with, but destiny, for friendship and harmony are two different things while harmony deals with friendship, destiny can determine you friends, it is up to you to chose the right destiny however."

"I don't understand." Scootaloo said.

"You will in due time." By then, we reached the bottom of the stairs, where we approached the door. It was then that I felt the surge grow stronger. I reached for the handle, only to have the door move to the side. I reach for it again, but it moves once more. It then starts teasing me as it moves at blurring speeds.

"Ugh! Enough!!!!!!!" A very powerful green and purple shockwave comes from my horn, and it causes the door to stop. I open the door.

"Sweetie Belle, no!" Luna cries out. But her cries fades away as I find myself in the Boutique.

*************************************

'What am I doing in Ponyville' I thought as I walked through the suddenly long hallways of Rarity's shop.

"Sweetie Belle?" Rarity asked as she looked up from her work.

"Yes, it's me."

"What are you doing here? Weren't you crusading?" Rarity asked with an irritated tone. I thought for a moment.

"Yeah, but I came to help you with your work." I answered.

"There's no need. I have a big order to fill and I don't need you to mess it up." Rarity said as she levitated fabric to her desk.

"Wha-what do you mean?" I asked as my ears drooped. How could this happen? Is my worst nightmare is coming true?

"Ever since you first showed up to my boutique, you've done nothing but become a nuisance to my work. And although I've forgiven you for the little things, the fact that you showed no sign of caring for my lifetime of work shows that you are completely selfish!" Rarity said as she gave me a piercing glare.

"What are you talking about?"

"Remember how you ruined my headdress for Sapphire Shores? How you nearly ruined my life and all of the things I worked so hard for?!" Rarity said.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't being compassionate or considerate of your work. I thought that I made up for that!" I scream. Tears were flowing loosely down my face. I know what comes next for this nightmare.

"That's it! A true sister would understand the works of her siblings, and be compassionate enough to understand the other's efforts and reasoning! You are clearly none of those things," Rarity shouted as she slammed her hooves on the table.

"Rarity,"

"you are," she continued.

"Please give me a second chance!" I beg desperate for her to forgive me.

"not,"

"Please." I barely whisper. She continues in anger. It's as though she was trying not to strangle me, and talking in one full sentence was going to make her want to snap my neck.

"my sister. Now leave my sight." I do as told, never had I ever seen her so angry with me. This was much worse than our big fight. It was about simple things, it was about finding a way to do something together. This is much different. This is based off of my mistakes. I was so inconsiderate of her. I can't believe that my worst nightmare is becoming true. At least I still have my friends.

"Sweetie Belle?" A small nervous voice asked from behind me. Right on cue. I turned around. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. At least they aren't a part of this nightmare.

"Hi Scootaloo, hey Apple Bloom, what's up?" I say wiping away the streak of tears from my face. They looked nervous. Scootaloo looked down and Apple Bloom kicked a small rock on the ground. Finally she pushed Scootaloo to me.

"Um, Sweetie Belle, we don't want you in the club anymore."

"Why? Is it because I was never compassionate or considerate? I'm sorry for whatever I did. But please-"

"The decision is made." Apple Bloom said with a tear in her eyes. She looked away before I could see anything else.

"See you around Sweetie Belle." Scootaloo said as they started to walk away.

"No! Please give me a second chance! I can change!" Darkness starts to trail behind them as they walk off. I start to run after them, but they only get farther and farther. Soon I'm alone, Ponyville replaced by an empty space. I start to sob. My worst nightmares, a reality. I never went to far into them, always managing to wake up before it could get really bad. But this was worse than a nightmare, I can never wake up from it.

"Don't cry child,"a voice says.

"Who's there?" I ask, terrified.

"I am Skourene, and I've come to help you.. The voice says as though it were approaching a baby animal.

Many holograms appear around me. They show gray ponies...smiling, and laughing. As though they were really truly happy without their cutiemarks.

"What do you want?" I snap. A glowing pair of eyes appear and stare at me through the dark.

"I want you. You are a very strong filly, I want you to join my kingdom, you obviously have a great power within you.

Does she know? I better not talk about what I think she is.

"What are you talking about? I'm just a simple filly. How can I be powerful?"

"You're an Element of Destiny." she says. She knows.

"With an Element on my side, I'll be unstoppable." She smiles as she somehow starts to play with me like I was a toy. A lot like the old Discord would.

"Why would I help a villain?" I ask the eyes.

I already have half of Equestria in my hooves, I stole the powers of the former villains, who have all failed  in trying to take over this place. I've captured every force that could come against me. But with an Element of Destiny..."

"I won't help you." I say. She narrows her eyes, purple little trails start to come out of the sides, and they become cat-like, a lot like Nightmare Moon's, yet still the same scary red.

" Then you will have to pay the ultimate price." I feel a tight hold on my neck, and I can no longer breath. She moves her glowing red eyes towards me and squints them with anger.

'She's choking me!' I feel as though something were draining from me. 'This must be what Princess Luna was talking about! Twilight and her friends didn't return because she took their power!' I see a screen pass by, it was filled with many gray bodies, some of which had purple bruises and blood, I especially froze when I saw my sister and her friends, and another with Babs gray, bruised, and abandoned without their cutiemarks.

'She must've drained them of their powers, maybe she's using them to help her get stronger like Tirek! What else can she do?' I wonder.

I start to feel weary. I suddenly snap awake. 'She's going to kill me.' I think. Suddenly a flash of light appears. I close my eyes, protecting them from the blinding rays. I then find myself on steady ground.

"Are you ok Sweetie Belle?"

Princess Luna. I try to stand, but collapse to the ground, greatly weakened. I open my eyes to find myself back inside the Empire.

"Yes, I'm fine, but I need to let you know something. But it would be better for after I find my Element." I say. I stand up.

"Maybe you should rest." Apple Bloom said as she stepped up to me.

"No, Equestria is in bigger danger than we suspected, and I have to find my Element." They all look worriedly to each other.

"Just let us know if you need to stop." Scootaloo said with her eyebrows raised in worry.

I look at the door. I'm not going to walk into it again. How was Twilight able to get through? Suddenly it hit me. I stood up and lit my horn. I thought about all of the times I was compassionate to my friends, and I  focused all of those memories through a beam to the gem at the top. I stopped once I saw this.

"Sweetie Belle! What are you doing?" Princess Luna cried out. I ignored her. Suddenly the door opened once again, and though I didn't want to at first, I stepped inside. Only to be stopped by a hoof on my shoulder.

"Are you crazy?!" Scootaloo asked me.

"Maybe I am, but I just know that the Element is in there, besides, if I'm wrong, you can just stop me the way you did before." I say before trying to walk back in.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" The Princess asked.

"Yes." I say.

"Please don't do this, can't we find another way?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Let her do it." Princess Luna said.

"What?!" My friends shouted.

"If she believes her Element is in there, let her get it, if it's not, we'll just close the door like last time." She said.

"If there's no other way..." Scootaloo said.

"Do it Sweetie Belle. But if ya run into trouble, show us a sign." Apple Bloom said.

"Ok." I say. I turn to the door and step inside.

*************************************

I find myself inside the pathway that Princess Luna uses to enter dreams. 'Where could it be?' I then find the unicorn spirit standing in front of me.

"Hello Sweetie Belle." she says.

"Hi." I say. She smiles.

"You have managed to forgive yourself for your mistakes, and were compassionate to others after learning from them. Despite your fear of not being compassionate to your friends and family, you have shown in many situations that you are worthy of your Element." She said.

"What does that have to do with destiny?" I ask curiously. She smiles.

"Although you need to worry about your own fate, it is important to care and worry for many creatures other than yourself. You may have sabotaged your sister's work, but it was then, after realizing how much suffering it would cause her and would hurt her destiny, you managed to make up for your mistake. Do you understand?" She asks.

"Yes I do." I say honestly. "So what is my Element?" I ask. She smiles.

"Sweetie Belle, you are the Element of Compassion." She says as I begin to float. My eyes begin to glow as suddenly, a pink gemstone; exactly like how the Elements of Harmony looked before Twilight and her friends found them, comes towards me and spins around until it finally stops by my neck. It forms a necklace similar to the one Rarity had for her Element.

"Take care of it. For shall it fall into the wrong hooves, it will bring great  danger to us all." She says. I nod. "I will be able to protect you from any further harm, and with each gemstone found, your protection will become stronger." She explained "Farewell Sweetie Belle."

"Goodbye." I say. I close my eyes, and the next time I open them, I'm back in the Empire, with my Element around my neck.