Destiny Book 1: Dark Vengeance

by SirScribe

Canterlot Castle Mayhem

Rainbow hated being the rescued. She could've taken on Discord and Nightmare Moon without any struggle, even while weighed down. With Discord and Nightmare arguing on how easy their takeover was, Rarity unlocked the chains on Rainbow Dash's hooves, picked up Fluttershy, and took off. The girls followed suit.

Applejack's mind was still racing. Discord, the draconiquus who they showed tolerance to, had betrayed them. It was expected, obviously, but for him to stand by and watch as Fluttershy loses her mind and nearly have a heart attack was too much. She felt like a disappointment. It was because of their combined power that Nightmare Moon fell, but now she was alive and ruler of the world. To know that their first night as friends proved nothing more than the fact that 6 different ponies can meet and call each other friends.

Rarity, being the unicorn who spent a lot of time roaming the castle, knew all the twists and turns they needed to take. She led them through hall after hall after hall. Along the way, they managed to run into some changelings. Applejack's hind leg strength proved to clean changelings easy.

Rainbow Dash sighed as they reached another endless hallway. "I could've taken those two without breaking a sweat," she said. "We should've stopped them while we had the chance!"

"Rainbow! Nightmare gone and blinded Fluttershy and weighed ya down on the ground. Mah rope turned into a snake and Rarity doesn't have combat spells," Applejack said.

Rarity shrugged. "I never did like the style of offensive magic. I mean, who would think using magic in such a cruel way would be acceptable?" she said.

Applejack shrugged. Fluttershy stayed silent. She was too afraid to speak in darkness, even if it is just her vision that is obscured. Rarity panted. "Anypony else want a turn?"

Applejack trotted over to Rarity and offered to take her for the time being. Without Fluttershy on her back, Rarity was able to stretch for the first time since the cage fell earlier. Applejack centered Fluttershy on her back, and they continued walking/flying. Occasionally, Rainbow would quickly spin around to see if anypony was following them.

Fluttershy once walked in on one of Twilight's many lectures to herself. She once heard that if one sense is obscured, the other 4 will become stronger. Without her vision, Fluttershy was able to tell how far the hall went. She heard the collective voices of Rarity, Rainbow, and Applejack. She was also able to pick up a faint whisper. Her ears twitched as she looked for the sound. The whisper was calling out to her. It was a collection of whispers all saying the same thing: turn left.

Fluttershy didn't say a word, but then she heard something else. A voice she recognized all too well. "Left."

The trio stopped. "Um, what?" Rarity asked.

Fluttershy shrunk down. "Um, if it isn't too much trouble, I think we should turn left. That is-if you want to."

Rarity smiled and turned to the direction. Down the small corridor was a door. A single door, and it was ajar. Rainbow could swear she saw somepony move behind the door. Instead of silently checking it out, Rainbow burst toward the door. Rarity was too slow to use her magic to stop her.

Rainbow blew the doors wide open. The room inside was empty. A couple shelves of books lined the wall with several thrown about. A couch was turned upside down in the far right corner. A large stone was propped up against the nearby wall. In the middle of the room was a bejeweled box.

"Rarity, Applejack, come check this out!" she called out.

The two walked in. Fluttershy was busy humming to herself to calm her down. It seemed to be working since she had a grin on her face. "No way. Sugarcube, ya found the Elements!"

Sure enough, the chest containing the Elements of Harmony was sitting there on top of a pedestal. The box opened, revealing 4 necklaces.
The girls gasped. Pinkie's Element was missing. Since Twilight used her Element as a crown, it was more than likely with her. Rarity levitated the Elements to the girls before she put hers on. Before she did, however, Pinkie happened.

There was a loud battle cry. Rarity just had to look up to see Pinkie falling from the ceiling. Rarity was too late to react, and was immediately squashed by the bouncing pink pony. Two mysteries were solved at that moment: the case of the missing Pinkie and the disappearance of the Element of Laughter. Fluttershy did a quiet giggle before she felt somepony staring at her. Applejack flat out laughed at the scene before her. Rainbow was laughing out loud while struggling to stay airborne.

Rainbow helped Pinkie from Rarity, who was about ready to get her hooves dirty for a bit of payback. "Pinkie, what in the name of sanity were you thinking?" Rainbow asked.

Pinkie shrugged. "Had to see if she is a changeling," she said.

Rarity sighed. "Darling, you didn't have to drop from the ceiling just to see if I was a changeling. I am not a changeling," she said.

"Prove it."

Applejack facehoofed. Rarity sat there pondering ways to prove to Pinkie that she was the real deal. "Um, when we were stranded in the desert, thanks to somepony, I was questioned on whether to call your new treat a Chimicherry or Cherrychanga. We spent a good few hours in the desert debating over the subject before we caught a train to Ponyville." She paused. “We decided on Cherrychanga by the way.”

Pinkie leaned into Rarity's face. Rarity could feel the party pony staring into her soul. "Okey-dokie!" Then she hopped away.

Rainbow watched as Pinkie left. She was about to say something, but shook her head and flew out the door. Rarity looked up at the ceiling.

"How did she ever get up there?"

"Beats me. Ah never question Pinkie anymore, not since the Mirror Pool thing," Applejack said.

"Or the pre-birthday party for Angel," Fluttershy said.

Applejack sighed. "Poor Angel. Is therapy doing OK?" Rarity asked.

"Oh yes! Angel has made progress, but I cut out the cucumbers in his salads. We don't want to have him remember the party," Fluttershy
said.

Rarity began to remember the party, and shook it out of her mind. Only Pinkie can find a way to shove 15 cucumbers in Angel's mouth with a candle at the end of each. Applejack fixed Fluttershy on her back and began to walk out the door. Before she did, however, she noticed something on the corner of her eye. A creature was in the corner of the room. It was an adult-sized animal. The animal was sandy colored and seemed to be staring at the Earth Pony. Applejack ignored it and closed the doors behind her using her tail.

---

Pinkie was full of surprises as time progressed. Somehow, she had hidden a party cannon and pulled it out whenever a changeling looked their way. At the press of a button, the changelings would be covered in so much confetti, that it was impossible to get it out. Rarity was stunned at the Earth Pony's actions.

The 5 finally came to the main hall. The doors in front of them were giant and without any guards. Applejack fixed her stetson. "Y'all ready?"

The 4 nodded. She took a deep breath and kicked open the doors. The scene inside was horrible. Queen Chrysalis and King Sombra were sitting at the throne of Celestia. Several changelings and shadow ponies surrounded the two monarchs. In the middle of the room was an injured Princess Celestia. Her horn was snapped in half. Above her was Twilight.

The recently crowned alicorn had an energy shield over herself and Celestia. Changelings were seen trying to find a way inside along with what appeared to be Shadow Ponies. They hammered at the shield with no success.

Sombra was laughing as the doors opened. He looked up and with a magic spell, cast a bright light over the 5. The girls screamed in terror as they felt pain erupt all over their bodies.

"Well, it looks like we have some visitors," Sombra said.