Elements of Destiny

I was almost there. For the past few days, I've been walking through the forest, supporting my mother on my back. Each day I had hoped it would get better, that the sky would clear. It only grew darker and darker, dark colors showing through as the sun and moon came out. I followed a random trail, trying to get as far away from Ponyville as possible. I was hungry, cold and tired, but something pushed me to go forward, something motivated me to go along my own path, my mother.

I found a desolate cave, dark and lifeless, I decided that I would rest there for a while. I set my mother down and climbed under her outstretched wings, shivering near the mouth of the cave.

I've been camping with my sister before, it was before she moved away, she would take me camping and make a fire, sometimes we'd just sit there all night and talk until the sun would come up. I remember going with my mother before, we sat on the logs, listening to a story she shared with us.

"Once upon a time, a long time ago, there was a secret. Going back so far in time, before Celestia or Discord reined. There were these powerful items, which had a special magic within them to help ponies find their destinies." I looked a my blank flank and smiled as she continued, the light of the fire illuminating her face.

"They each helped with a task of finding someone's destiny, bringing different types of joy and happiness. Some say they were gems, others different creatures, many say it came from a magical and powerful tree."

"Like the tree of Harmony for Princess Twilight?!" I had asked excitedly.

"Yes, in fact, some of the few ponies who know about this secret, believe that they're connected to that same tree."

"Wow!" I said. My sister smiled down at me.

"But then came a new threat, called Skourene, from an ancient forgotten language. No one knows where she came from, but she altered the destinies of the land, sometimes injuring them really badly if she thought they were of no use. The items stopped her with their power, but were greatly weakened, to the point of never helping anyone find their destinies themselves. With the remaining power they had left, they seeped their magic into the ponies, those that they'd help find their destiny getting a mark to represent it. And that's why we have cutiemarks."

"Whoa!" I had said excitedly. "What about the magical items? What happened to them?"

"That's just it Dinky," She said, touching my nose. "no one knows, although it is rumored that they retreated to something. My mother told me that they went through the falls we're heading to, and that the trail they left behind leads to Rainbow Falls. But you can fill in the ending with your own imagination." She said, smiling in the light o the campfire.

As I lay here now, daydreaming of the old memories, I slip a tear from my eye, my mother as lifeless as a doll, draping her wing over me. I lay there and sob into her coat, wishing she was awake and comforting me like she always does when I cry. I suddenly feel a cool breeze

on my neck.

I look up to see if it was someone, I find something glowing and white in m blurred vision full of tears. Wiping my eyes of them, I look up again to see the same tree as before.

'Maybe it was my imagination.' I think. But I have the feeling it was more than that. Like someone close is calling my name from afar. I see a streak of light fly by, as though it were a ghost. I hear the sound of rushing wind from behind me and turn around to see the silhouette of a pony.

'Is this a dream? Am I asleep?" I think. By the way the creature looked, it must've come from one. The creature turns around and moves away, looking back from a distance as though it was waiting for me. I see it's mouth move.

I follow it without hesitation, moving my mother to deeper into the cave. I run after the creature, which make a gesture that suggests it's smiling and goes through the trees, like a fish in water. I run after it, somehow regaining my energy as I follow it for what seems like an eternity. It could be a few seconds or minutes, hours to days, until the creature stops at the falls. Black murky water took the place of the original rainbows there, I step beside it, sure that I'm in a dream. Where else would I get the energy from? The taller creature turns its head in my direction. It then takes off again, becoming a streak as I follow behind it.

Through the falling river it goes, and I do my best to keep up. Once I reach the other side of the pouring water, I find that I'm standing on wet, solid ground.

"Dinky" A voice echoed in my ears. I turn around to find the figure standing directly behind me, looking down with glowing eyes.

"Our last hope"[color] The creature disappears to the other side, going through a cave I have not seen. I walk behind it, seeing five caves and run past the other four to the one in the middle. The glow from this figure acting as my guide as I follow it through the growing caves. We come to a stop. I find myself standing directly in front of four other figures, smaller in size staring directly at me as the biggest, my guide, stands in front of me.

"Elements" Several voices shout out at different times, echoing throughout the cave walls.

"Destiny" They yell out. I notice a hint of a familiar purple behind the one that resembled the pegasus, and step to the side. I find Scootaloo behind it.

"Scootaloo?" I ask. The voices stop, all looking down at me, for it was the first tie they heard me talk. The filly pokes her head from behind the gigantic pegasus.

"Dinky, you shouldn't be here," She says.

"Why? This is my dream." I say.

"Dream?" I hear the entity that looks like a earth pony say. She stares at my guide. "Is this...?"

It nods. Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and a pink haired Earth pony poke their heads out from behind, stepping in front of the ghost like figures.

"This isn't a dream Dinky." Sweetie Belle says.

"What?" I say in shock.

"Ya mean ya don't know yet?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Know what?" I asked.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to tell you," My guide says.

"Tell me what?"

"Dinky, you are an Element of Destiny." She says.

"I'm a... what?"

"We don't have time to answer all the questions sitting here, we need you to find your Element."

"Wait, do you mean like the Elements of Harmony?" I asked. They seemed surprised I knew about it.

"Yes, your Element comes when the four others are united. The first bearer of your Element stands before you." The gryphon said.

"So does that mean... you four," I said, pointing to the other fillies in the room. "Are the other Elements?" I ask.

"Yes, but Nightmare Moon destroyed our Elements, and now, they're just gray pieces of rock." The gryphon spits out.

I don't understand everything they're saying, it isn't until I see the gray pieces of rock before me that I see that must be the Elements the gemstones represented.

"What are we going to do now?" The I asked. From their silence, I could tell no one knew.

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

I watched the looks of confusion on their faces as they tried figuring out what to do with their worthless Elements. Laughing all the while, I turned to Nightmare Moon.

"You are truly excellent." I compliment. She chuckles. "Thank you, and I must admit that you are quite clever, absorbing the power of the Elements,  is something I never would've thought of." She replied.

"That's not all I have in store." I say as I look into the scared eyes of the purple filly.

"Whatever else could you be planning?" She asks in curiosity. "You've done as much as kill the tree of Harmony, and killed off thousands with your presence."

"And I plan on doing the same to one more." She stares at me in confusion until I show her the confused yellow-maned filly.