The five mares, three fillies, one stallion and one timberwolf were sitting in a circle in the forest, they had managed to escape to the forest without being seen.
"Sooo, who are you?" Twilight asked Night Walker
"I am Night Walker. I was previously working for Nightmare moon, but thanks to these three fillies, I am now going to help you defeat her. With that being said, I never got your names." He turned to the fillies
I'm Applebloom! Applejack's mah big sis!"
"I'm Scootaloo! The most awesome pony to exist, well behind Rainbow Dash" She did not notice the five mares and one timberwolf flinch at the mention of the Rainbow maned pegasus
"And I'm Sweetie Belle! I'm Rarity's little sister!"
"Right. thank you, for showing me the truth about my cutie mark, Applebloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. Now, who are you five? And, who is, the t-timberwolf?"
"I'm Twil-"
"HI I'M PINKIE PIE! NICE TO MEET YOU!" A bouncing pink mare shouted as she invaded his vision. "These are my friends, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity AAAAnnd, PAUL!" Pinkie shouted as she pointed to each friend in turn.
"PINKIE! Calm down!" Twilight shouted
"Hehe, sorry Twi. I'm just sooooo excited to meet somepony new!"
"Of course you are."
"Umm, Twilight? Where's Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo asked, as soon as she did, everypony went silent, and Pinkie's mane deflated a bit. "Guys? W-what happened?" Scootaloo was getting worried now, she had no idea what was going on, but she feared that it would be bad. Night Walker caught on instantly
"T-this, Rainbow Dash, s-she's gone. Hasn't she?" He asked "As in, gone, gone." The five mares and single timberwolf nodded their heads, slowly.
"W-what! No! That can't be possible! Rainbow can't be gone! Tell me that isn't true! Twilight! Please tell me that isn't true!" Scootaloo pleaded, but everyone else was silent, they didn't know what to say. "NO! I-I refuse to believe that she's gone! She would never leave me hanging! She's my awesome amazing big sister! She's the only family that I have! She-she c-can't b-be..." Scootaloo trailed off, tears in her eyes.
"I-I'm sorry Scootaloo. S-she, there was nothing we could do. She gave her life to save me. She went bravely, like a hero. The hero you always made her." Fluttershy said, gently.
"B-but, she-she promised, t-that sh-she'd never l-leave me!" Scootaloo wailed. Paul walked up to her and started to nuzzle her. He whined slightly, as if he were saying sorry.
"S-scoots," Applebloom began, but Scootaloo was taken over by a fit of anger
"NO! I-I-I, SHE CAN'T BE GONE! I-YOU! IT'S YOUR FAULT!" Scootaloo shouted, rounding on the five mares, "I BET YOU DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER TO CHECK! SHE'S PROBABLY OUT THERE, HURT! BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T STOP TO HELP! MAYBE SHE EVEN SURVIVED! MAYBE SHE'S OUT THERE WONDERING WHERE YOU GUYS HAVE GONE!"
"Scootaloo, calm down!" Applebloom said desperately
"NO! SHE-SHE-She-she-she-, she can't be gone..." Scootaloo started to weep, all the anger had subsided and tears were pouring down her face.
"Scootaloo. It's not their fault. Fluttershy said that Rainbow Dash went bravely. Come on. I'm sure that Rainbow Dash would be proud of you. No matter what. Even if she is gone, she'll always be with you." Sweetie Belle told her friend "In here." she finished, pointing at Scootaloo's chest. Just like that, Scootaloo felt much better. A glimmer of hope shone through her heart and she knew that Sweetie Belle was right. Even if Rainbow dash was gone physically, Scootaloo still had the memories of her, she just had to hold on to them. Sweetie Belle offered her a hoof to help her get up, which she accepted.
"You're right Sweetie Belle, thank you." Scootaloo said softly, then, she noticed that, the necklace around Sweetie Belle's neck, was glowing a soft purple. "Hey, Sweetie Belle, your element!"
"What?" Sweetie Belle looked down at her chest. "It's glowing!"
"What's glowing?" Twilight suddenly asked
"Sweetie Belle's element! Well, it's fading now, but it was glowing!"
"Let me see." Twilight said, them she moved over to inspect it. It was in the shape of a musical note. A quaver. It was a light purple and a faint glow radiated from it. Within the next few seconds, the glow had gone. "Hmmm, interesting."
"See, I told you Twilight." Pinkie Pie suddenly said
"Told me what?"
"That the elements glow when they are activated. Sweetie Belle just activated hers!"
"Hmm. You're right. But, which element does she she represent?"
"I dunno. Sweetie Belle, which element are you?"
"Umm. I'm not sure..." Sweetie Belle answered "Scootaloo? Applebloom?"
"We're not sure either." Scootaloo responded. Then, Twilight remembered something. Back in the castle, when she and her friends had gotten their elements, two prophecies had been told to her. The first, was 'The youngest will perform a sonic blast, bringing the six together for harmony at last' and the second 'Talents for showing others talents, these three shall become hope, chance and courage'
"How did you three get your cutie marks?" Twilight asked
"Well, when we were in the dungeon, Night Walker, came in. He was taking the position of another guard. We started to talk to him about his cutie mark, because we wanted to see if we could get inspiration from his story." Sweetie Belle began
"Then, when he told us, he said that it was his destiny to follow Nightmare moon, just because the moon on his flank is the same as the moon on her flank." Scootaloo continued
"So, we told 'im tha' his cutie mark don't tell 'im whut he's suppos'ta do, but whut he's good at, an' tha' he shouldn't be followin' Nightmare moon jus' 'cause o' his cutie mark." Applebloom added
"So then we explained further and he finally started to believe us. Then he unchained us. When we hoof bumped, these bright lights swirled around us, and once they had finished, we had these beauties!" Scootaloo finished, showing off her new cutie mark.
"don't fergit the elements." Applebloom said.
"I see..." Twilight murmured to herself "Well, hmmm. Scootaloo." She said, addressing the filly "What did Sweetie Belle give you?"
"Wha- she didn't give me anything....not really. I suppose, she gave me encouragement. Made me believe that Rainbow Dash was still there. Why do you need to know that? You were there." Scootaloo responded curiously
"I'm trying to figure out which element Sweetie Belle is. Encouragement...that's not one of the elements, hmm which one is it most like? Hope, chance or courage?"
"Courage?" Applebloom suggested "Ah mean, encourage has courage init. So... An' she gave Scoot's courage..."
"Courage to do what exactly? It took more courage for me to actually break down in front of you guys." Scootaloo asked
"Well, she gave ya courage... ta... believe tha' Rainbow is still with ya."
"I don't need courage to believe she is still with me. If anything, she gave me hope."
"Yeh bu- tha', probably works better. Don't it?" Applebloom paused "Twilight!" She called to the purple unicorn
"What?" Twilight looked up, a bit startled
"Ah think-" Scootaloo jabbed Applebloom in the arm "-ow, okay. We think, tha' Sweetie Belle is tha' element o' hope. 'Cause she gave Scoot's hope." Instantly, Twilight's eyes lit up
"That's it! YESYESYESYES! That leaves courage and chance to be you two! But, which one is which? Hmmm."
"I bet I'm courage! That's sounds totally cool. And definitely something that Rainbow Dash would be." Scootaloo exclaimed
"Well ah don't mind which one ah am. Ah think it's 'totally cool' tha' we're actually elements." Applebloom added
"I'm in agreement with Scootaloo." Sweetie Belle stated "After all, she is Ponyville's second daredevil."
"Tha' leaves me ta be chance! Wait, are any o' them listenin?" Applebloom gestured to the five mares, one stallion and one timberwolf
"Doesn't look like it. They're too interested in watching Twilight pace about, creating a ditch in the ground." Sweetie Belle observed
"But we're, like, right next to them." Complained Scootaloo. They saw Applejack yawn, then heard her suggest that they all hit the haystack. Her suggestion was met by a chorus of agreement and so, half an hour later, everypony was tucked in, into their sleeping bags. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle shared a sleeping bag with their sisters while Scootaloo slept with Fluttershy. Night Walker had been offered Rainbow Dash's sleeping bag, but it was too small and he ended up sleeping with Paul curled around him to keep him warm.