//------------------------------// // THIS Is My Destiny // Story: Destiny // by contodaslasganas //------------------------------// Sweetie Belle opened her eyes, suddenly blinded by a large white light. All around her, she could feel endless warmth, even hear birds chirping in the distance. Could this be where the good ponies go when they die? Something called the Eel-ee-shun Fields? She struggled a bit more with her vision, blinking repeatedly until outlines began to form. Suddenly, a familiar face appeared in front of the light, one face that Sweetie knew all too well. “Scootaloo?” Of course, that must be where I am. There's no way she would actually be here: she’s still in Appleloosa! “Sweetie Belle! You're okay!” “Huh? What do you mean? Aren’t I dead?” As if on cue, a swirl of color entered the white unicorn’s vision, vague figures of trees and rocks forming as Sweetie looked from side to side. The information overload woke up her mind, which began piecing everything together after a couple seconds. “Scootaloo! You're here! But how? I was walking up the mountain with my group when we encountered a rockslide. I was hanging from the boots of another pony, but the weight was too much, so I let go so they could save the other pony! But I'm not d–” Scootaloo cut off the white unicorn, doing quite possibly the most unexpected thing Sweetie could think of: She kissed the unicorn. It was a simple kiss, but one that showed exactly how much the pegasus cared for Sweetie Belle. For half a second, the unicorn couldn't think, this time not blinded by the light but rather by the heat, by the softness of Scootaloo's lips. How she had longed for such a moment, for days, for months! Now that she was finally experiencing it, she felt something she had not felt in such a long time: calmness, joy, even the butterflies. She melted into the kiss, dragging it out for as long as she could, never wanting it to end. As their lips parted, Sweetie Belle's curious mind kept trying to rationalize everything, bombarding Scootaloo once again with questions and explanations. “But, how did you know? I never told anypony else, and the letter I was going to give you got lost when I th–” Scootaloo suddenly took out a small piece of parchment, light purple in color, the ink on it faded slightly. It was the watermark on the paper, that simple bell, that actually betrayed its identity to the white unicorn. “That's the letter! But how did you get it? I saw it fly to the other side of the train and–” “And it landed on some other pony's seat. It took him months, but he finally tracked me down and gave me that paper, and I'm glad he did." The orange pegasus paused for a while, as if she were choosing the correct words to say. "I didn't know that you felt that way about me, Sweetie Belle. Perhaps, if I had known, I would have ... I would have told you how I really felt about you. Sweetie, that feeling that you've had these past months, I've had it too, and I wanted to tell you that as soon as I could. I love the way you're always cautious, thinking about my safety. I love the way your mane and coat shine under the sun. I love the way you sing, I love the way you talk, I love everything about you! I guess ... I was just too scared to admit it back when we were in Ponyville.” By now, Sweetie's eyes had teared up, each sentence Scootaloo said lifting her heart up to unimaginable heights. Not even in her wildest dreams had the unicorn pictured such a moment. “Unfortunately,” Scootaloo continued, “by going all the way here, I forfeited my spot in the finals for the obstacle course, but you know what? I don't really care about that anymore, and do you know why?” Sweetie Belle simply stared at the orange pegasus, jaw agape. "Wait, what? I thought flying was your dream! You were so happy when you were finally able to get off the ground, and you would always talk on and on about the Wonderbolts!” A frown had worked its way onto Sweetie's mouth as she recognized that were it not for her, Scootaloo would still have been at Appleloosa striving for that spot. “There's no need to get all sad, Sweetie!” Scootaloo raised Sweetie's muzzle and looked her in the eye. “In fact, I should be thanking you. Because of you, I was able to find out what my cutie mark really meant. Now, take a look at my cutie mark. Now look at the letter you wrote.” Sweetie did as she was told, noticing a striking resemblance she had overlooked every time she used that special paper. The bells. They were exactly the same. “Now I know what my destiny is, and it's got nothing to do with racing or the Wonderbolts, but something much better,” Scootaloo continued, inching over towards Sweetie Belle as she placed one wing over her. “My destiny is to care for you, to protect you, to be with you …” Scootaloo pulled in for another kiss, a bit more passionate than the previous one, Sweetie taking in every sight, every sound, every smell, everything during the seconds their mouths were connected. “And to love you. And I don't care what anypony else says, or if that even is the reason why I got my cutie mark. I have chosen this to be my destiny. It's the best future I could ever have.” It was quite surprising for Sweetie Belle to see this emotional side to Scootaloo, who had just pulled her in a soft embrace. The two stayed there for a long time, each reveling in the warmth of the other, watching the sun set as waves of color shimmered overhead, neither one wanting the day to end. For Sweetie, her heart no longer felt heavy, no longer did she have to carry that regret to her grave. Scootaloo turned to her new marefriend, smiling ear to ear at how beautiful she looked under the colors. “Now, what do you say we go back to Ponyville for a while and just, you know, hang out? I'm sure that diamond mine won't be open for a while 'til they assess the damage.” Scootaloo's question made Sweetie Belle bounce with delight, exactly like she would do when she was younger. However, instead of replying to her answer, Sweetie simply galloped forward, yelling back to the orange pegasus: “Last one to the train station is changeling food!” “Oh, YOU'RE SO ON!” And just like that, Sweetie's worst day became her best, because now she had somepony special in her life, somepony who would never leave her side, somepony she loved deeply and unconditionally: She had Scootaloo. Perhaps this is exactly what fate had in store for the small filly, ever since the creation of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Perhaps Scootaloo's cutie mark appeared in that way just to unite them. Perhaps … But in the end, who really knows? Cutie mark magic predates even the Immortal Sisters that control the sun and moon. For now, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo could care less, for it is not the cutie mark that makes the destiny, it is the pony and the decisions the pony makes that shapes all life. And for those two ponies, life was good.