Elements of Destiny

I wake up to find my mother missing, and blood curdling screams outside my window. Quickly, I run to it, to find that it's night time, and a lot of ponies are on the ground, gray and bloody.

"Dinky!" My mother calls out as she bursts through my bedroom door.

"Mother, what's going on?" I ask.

"I... I don't know! We're in danger and we need to escape this town!" She drags in my suitcase and starts packing a bunch of my stuff, her gray wings flapping worriedly.

"But, why do we have to go away? Isn't Princess Twilight supposed to handle this?"

"Princess Twilight's been gone for days Dinky, and now, a new villain is taking over Equestria, we have to go!" It was then, after saying that, that the winds picked up outside, the moon shone brightly through the fog, showing small hints of red and blue, and the winds blew until our house torn apart.

"Mommy!" I shout as the swirling winds pick her off of the ground.

"Get out of here Dinky, while you still have the chance, leave me here, forget about..." She exclaims as two glowing pairs of eyes appear, increasing my fear.

The sound of Ponyville being ripped to shreds is silent to me as I see my mother collapse on the ground, her wing stretched out towards me. "NO!!" I shout out. The eyes laugh as I rush to my mother, and then they leave to destroy Ponyville, I can only watch as the farm is reduced to rubble, the trees dying at the touch of the inky clouds, the homes turning into loose splinters and pieces of wood, but the most terrible of all was seeing my mother on the ground.

"Mommy, get up," I sob.

"Dinky," She says weakly, I become terrified when I see for the first time in my life; watch my mother cry. "You need to go, save yourself, don't worry about me."

"But I need you mommy, what about Ponyville? You can't just stay here!" I desperately plea.

"Just leave me here, worry about yourself. I love you Dinky," She starts to close her eyes, which were turning more and more gray with each passing moment.

"I love you..." She drifts off, leaving me crying at her side. I look up at the shadows, which were laughing evilly and leaving ghostly howls of cheer behind them, proud to have destroyed my home, and to have hurt my mommy. I look up to see the biggest shadow, taking the for of a pony and laughing evilly as Nightmare Moon, who comes out of her mane, laughs with her, eternal darkness spreading across the land.

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"We're here." A happy Princess says as we step out o the chariot. I flutter my wins cheerfully.

'Finally!' I want to shout. Luna thanks the tired guards, and I rush off the bare land, only to find the once beautiful place, unrecognizable. There were only tufts of grass left, leaving a charred brown soil left. The rainbows still flowed, though some of the land it ran down from the mountain was completely destroyed. It looked like a terrible event happened to this place. As soon as I approach a far off hill, I realize that it's not the worst of it. Everywhere I look, are gray ponies, bloody and bruised, it made me want to get sick. I take back what I said before, it looked like the aftermath of a war.

Princess Luna and the rest come up to me. "Why would she do this?" Sweetie Belle said, afraid of the sight.

"Power." Is all the Princess can say. I suddenly feel something pull at my chest, it feels a lot like when I walk Tank and he's pulling at the leash.

"Hey, I can feel my Element." I say as I head to the edge of the place. Down, deep in a cave at where a Rainbow comes out, I see a purple glow. Without thinking, I jump off and land on a close ledge, and make my way to the bottom.

"What're ya doin' Scootaloo?" Apple Bloom asks in alarm.

"Getting my Element of course," Soon I hear several more hoofsteps behind me as I jump from ledge to ledge. They become more and more narrow and close to the wall as I near the rainbow river.

"Scootaloo, don't do it!" Sweetie Belle shouts out. "A little filly can't make that jump!"

"I know that I can do it, I have to try, I've got to, for Equestria." I look out at the far jump to the cave ahead of me, balancing as best as I possibly could on my close hooves, doing my best not to fall over. 'This would be so much easier if I could fly.' I think to myself. Taking a deep breath, I jump.

"Scootaloo!" They shout after me, but it's too late. Just when it looks like the jump is too short, I flap my wings and hoer just enough to land safely on the side of the gushing river. I venture forward, hearing a few shrieks and gasps as the others jump on to the ledge of the cave with me. But I'm far ahead of them. All around I see some type of rainbow crystal, brightening the gigantic cave as I trot forward. I feel the urge grow stronger as I walk in different directions. I soon discover other smaller caves inside, gushing their own little streams as well.

"Most don't know it, but Rainbow Falls has caves for the streams, each dangerous and filled with Rainbow quarts. Though they have no magical value to ponies, they're magic keeps the streams running, and even make the rainbows themselves." Princess Luna says.

"Alright an adventure!" I shout.

"Speakin' of adventures, I was wonderin' where Princess Celestia is, isn't she supposed to be here with us?" Apple Bloom asked.

"I'm afraid that she won't be able to attend, she has been captured by Skourene."

"WHAT?!?!" Sweetie Belle says, causing the cave to echo. The spikes at the top begin to shake.

"Sweetie Belle!" I whisper.

"Sorry" She blushes. We continue walking until the growing glow turns into a gem. I stretch out my hoof, "That wasn't so bad." I say as I reach out to my Element. That's when the ground begins to shake under my hooves.

"What's happening?!" I ask as I find myself falling.

"The caves are known to collapse after hundreds of years!!" Princess Luna answers.

"But the cave looks new! It wasn't here before!!" I shout back over the roaring winds.

"There could only be one..." She says before she's replaced by a stone wall. I hear faded shrieks and screams as we continue to fall down. I notice my Element fall past me, and try to grab it, but it clinks down a different hole in the wall.

"Are you kidding me!!!" I shout out. I eventually see a rainbow river, and position myself for a dive. Then, everything turns into bursts of red, and orange and yellow and green. I swim to the top, and swim again towards the shore.

" You poor, poor child." A hollow echoing voice says.

"Who's there?" I say. It  takes me a second to realize that it's Skourene. I see nothing but what the faded glow of the river shows, until I see the brilliant red eyes, purple streaks coming from the end, cat like pupils, and I see one large white fang as she grins.

She laughs. "Don't be alarmed, I came here to propose. She explains.

"You have a ring?" She scowls.

"This isn't a joke child," she angrily spits. " I came to ask you to join me. Once you do, you will be rewarded with all of the same powers I posses."

"No, I'd never help you."

"I knew you'd never agree if I asked, which is why I wanted to show you this. She takes out an orb and shows it to me, inside is Ponyville in ruins.

"No!!" I shout out. "What did you do?"

"I hope you don't mind, but I did a little... redecorating. She laughs at her own joke.

"What do you want?"

It's simple really, you join me, and I'll restore this little town and leave it alone, you don't, I destroy all of Equestria and take you by force.

"No," I say sternly.

"Then I have no choice." She grabs me by the neck, and begins to drain me. It isn't until she's halfway there that I feel my eyes glow.

Skourene, you have done enough with Equestria, and have done enough damage, give up now, or it is you who will pay the ultimate price. A voice says through my mouth, causing the both of us to talk together, I immediately recognize it as the pegasus.

"Ha! You're just a filly, how do you expect to stop me?"

'I know I can do it, I know I can,' I remember all of the times I was confident, the time I wanted to be brave for Rainbowdash, and had to face my fear, or believe that I could carry the flag in the games without flying. Even the times when I was too confident for my own good. I open my eyes, and smile, a glow growing brighter and taking Skourene back.

She hissed as the light touched her form, burning her, she rushed off, leaving the cave and opening a wall to which a trail stood. I'm dropped into the stream, I swim to shore, and I find the Pegasus, the size of a normal pony, there.

"You've managed to defend yourself and were confident at the times you needed to be, you know when you're over doing something, and know the difference between showing off, and being strong, a strong part of destiny is being confident for yourself, and believing in yourself to do something. When you had to face you fears, you grew confident and faced them head on, yet when you were looking for Trouble Shoes, you knew when it was time to stop before things could get too out of control. You've proved yourself worthy of your Element Scootaloo.

"What is it?"

"Scootaloo, you're the Element of Confidence." She spread her wings, and my Element floated down to my neck. "Handle it with care, I will protect you from future dangers, good luck Scootaloo." She begins to turn.

"Wait!" She turns back to me.

"Yes child?"

"How come we keep floating every time we come across Skourene?"

"You'll have to get used to that, it happens all the time with the Elements of Harmony." She laughs.

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"Girls?" I ask frantically. I begin to walk through the opening of the cave, when I find the familiar darkness flood it. "Skourene." I spit out. She laughs.

"Ah, if it isn't Princess Lulu."

"What is your purpose?"

"I just thought that I should give my dear best friend a warning.

"Save your breath, I'm well aware of what will lie ahead."

"Oh no, no, no, I mean this." She gestures to an orb, where I see my sister and niece, locked up in a cage like a pet.

"What have you done?!" I shout angrily as I breathe out puffs of steam.

"Oh I just put the old birds back into their cage." She says.

"Release them." I command.

Now, now Lulu, don't get your tail in a knot, I just wanted to have a quick word.

"Make it quick."

I bet you're actually glad that Equestria is being overthrown, you never got what you wished for, an eternal night, I bet you wish for the night to be shown.

"Silence!" I command. "I'd never wish that upon anypony, I'm not Nightmare Moon, I'm not a monster! I don't want eternal night, I don't want to hurt my subjects or the ponies I love!" I shout back.

"A nightmare you wont be, it'll give nopony any fright," I look up to find her eyes, hypnotizing me in a trance I can't break.Equestria would be better eternal night.

I feel myself begin to become engulfed in darkness, a laugh erupts from my throat as my teeth sharpen, and I feel myself grow bigger. She continues until I take my full form, I stand where I am, no longer am I any Luna, I am, a Nightmare.

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I return to my lair, now with all of the Princesses in my clutches, who sits in the cage without a word. Nothing to say Tia?" I tease, I laugh when I see her look up with a stern grin. I have drained her and the Crystal Princess of their power/

"You will not get away with this Skourene." Cadence says. I laugh at her remark.

"Really? The you won't get away with this line too? I already have. I have Princess Twilight and her friends, and I have nearly all of Equestria in my clutches. And now..." I reveal Nightmare Moon, who laughs evilly as she watches Celestia cry out.

"Missed me Celestia? I've missed you from the moon, and now that I'm here, I will get what I wanted, eternal night." Everyone shutters as she laughs evilly.

And I have an even better surprise for you Twily," I tease. "These." The six of them shriek in sheer terror once I reveal the six gemstones.

"How'd you-" Twilight begins.

"It only took an minute to destroy Ponyville, and a second for the Tree of Harmony."

"You foolish tyrant!" Celestia says.

"How nice of you to say so," I say. "Thanks to all of you, and now these, I can take over all of Equestria!!!

"And the night, will last, forever!"  Luna cackles. I begin to drain the Elements of their power, and the Princess of Friendship herself, watches in horror as the Elements become gray as I drain they're power. I grow much larger in my size, and laugh.

"Soon, the whole world will be ours." I say as I drop the last few bits of the Elements; like pieces of broken glass.