Twilight carefully watched Rainbow Dash as she flew around, coaching Scootaloo on how to use her wings properly. Scootaloo wasn’t as skilled as she was in the vision, but she could at least get off the ground for a time. It wasn’t perfect. She could only seem to fly for around ten seconds or so at a time before she lost control of her wing tempo and fell down to the ground.

Rainbow Dash tried to just focus on Scootaloo so she wouldn’t give in to her fear, but she found herself being overly careful. Her heart kept racing every time she flew too near to the sides of the gorge.

Twilight thought things were going well. It had been about a half-hour. She got a surprise when she heard a voice behind her.

“So this is your answer, is it?”

Twilight spun around quickly, seeing the fortuneteller standing there.

“What are you doing here?” asked Fluttershy.

“Yeah,” said Applejack.

“Why would you follow us all the way here?” asked Twilight.

“Because I wanted to know,” she responded.

“To… know? To know what?”

“What she would choose to do.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I do have a purpose beyond just scaring ponies. I want to see how they react to fear. Fear and courage are but two opposite sides of the same coin. Power comes not just from physical strength but also from mental and emotional strength. If one doesn’t possess the last two then they only possess brute strength and are given to despair when that power is shown to be insignificant to a greater power.

"On the other hand, one will never be listened to properly if they have no physical strength with which to stand up properly for their ideals. I seek those who have all three. Your friend up there clearly didn’t have all those requirements. She gave in to fear, and thus has a storm cloud hovering over her, just waiting to rain down upon her. If one considers themselves a slave to fate they will give up when told something is hopeless. She believed in my prediction and would have given up entirely if you hadn’t encouraged her to do this. She has promise, but at current she is not fit for the new world.”

“What in the hay are you babblin’ about?” asked Applejack.

“A new world?” asked Twilight.

“Correct,” said the mare. “Things will be changing in the near future. A great change is on the horizon, and nothing can stop it. This change will not be pleasant for some, but it is all for the best. After all, who could hate a world in which there are no weaklings and everyone is strong and can stand up for their own beliefs?

“But I may be getting ahead of myself. There will be time for that later. I would like to test you, young alicorn. You interest me. You may be worthy of being a teacher in the remade Equestria.”

“And what does that mean?”

Her horn began glowing as she lifted her crystal ball. “Do you have the courage to touch it and see your future? You’re a princess, and all your friends will follow along with whatever you say, will they not? So let me see if you actually have the integrity to stand by your word.

"You say my power is fake. Thus, you have absolutely nothing to fear by watching what it shows, since it is not real. Or… will you admit you lied and refuse to see because you’re afraid? What example will you send to your friends and thus to your eventual subjects if you can’t show you can keep to your own words?”

Twilight looked with annoyance at the smug look on her face. “I don’t have to prove anything to you. You come over her spouting nonsense, following us all the way out for here, simply to try to convince me of something ridiculous? Just get out of here. I have work to do.”

“You know, it’s not just what you choose to do, but also what you choose not to do, that has an influence on those around you. If someone attacked a friend of yours and you did nothing to prevent it you would still influence those who looked after. It sets an example and precedent as a ruler that you’re not up to the task. Thus, why should they, as those lower than you, make any effort themselves if your ruler is not willing to do the same? And what about the children as well? The children that are easily influenced may believe it’s fine to be apathetic.”

Twilight sighed heavily and rolled her eyes. “Fine. If it will make you shut up I’ll prove that I’m not afraid of you.”

“You sure about this, Twilight?” asked Fluttershy.

“She does have a point. I don’t have to accept her words, but my life is not just mine, especially as a princess. Even though I personally don’t have any interest in her words, I cannot deny that the way I act and the decisions I make will influence those around me.

"So fine. I’ll walk into your 'trap.' Show me what my supposed future holds.” Walking forward she placed her hoof on the crystal ball.

Out of the ball came another projection. This time it showed a depressed looking Twilight awkwardly standing outside a set of double doors. The voice of Princess Celestia called out, “Enter.”

Twilight opened the doors and walked into Celestia’s throne room. She was looking everywhere except for the princess who stood at the end of the room. When she at last made it to the bottom of the steps leading to the throne she finally looked up towards Celestia. Her voice coming out as just above a whisper she sputtered out, “Y-you wanted to see me, Princess?”

Celestia did not look happy. “In this case I would say I’d rather not see you. I can hardly believe the utter irresponsibility you have shown recently. I trusted you to be able to handle Ponyville. I expected great things of you. WHAT HAPPENED?”

Twilight shuddered as Celestia used the Royal Canterlot Voice. “I… I don’t know. I did my best. I tried so hard but I wasn’t able to stop it.”

“Obviously this was all a giant mistake. Your friends are all miserable, and Ponyville right on its heels.” Jumping out of her throne she landed in front of Twilight, who backed away from her a few steps. “Clearly, the mistake was mine for ever making you a princess in the first place and trusting you to be able to handle it at such a young age. You’re clearly unworthy of your title and the wings you gained. Tomorrow you will be properly disbarred for all to see. Maybe when you actually grow up a little you can show your face in front of me again. Not get out of my sight until I can give you your punishment properly.”

Twilight looked shamefaced at the ground, tears falling down her eyes. “Yes, Princess Celestia.” She turned and began slowly walking out of the room.

The mare looked with interest to see what Twilight’s reaction would be.

Twilight only gazed at her exasperatingly. “So, is that it? I disappoint everyone and lose my title? I know without a doubt that at times I disappoint my friends, and times when Princess Celestia is disappointed in me, but I can’t see things happening the way you say it will.

“So are you satisfied now? What were you trying to prove with this little stunt?”

The mare could see that despite Twilight's words her body language was telling a different story. Her words were genuine in that she meant what she said, but she wasn’t completely unaffected. She did have some fear of what she had seen, but she wasn’t letting it dictate her actions. “You truly are worthy of your crown. You are what I hoped you would be. Soon the time will come when all ponies will be like you. The time is quickly coming. Don’t fret, though. Your power will play a vital role in the new age. For now, though, you are still bound to the old world. That is a shame, as you must live with the consequences.”

Her horn glowed brighter as she pulled the crystal ball back. “Aren’t you supposed to be keeping an eye on your friend in the sky? You wouldn’t want her to get hurt, would you?”

“Hmmm?” Twilight spun around to see a rockslide beginning to occur in the direction Rainbow Dash was heading in. She was flying backwards, trying to encourage Scootaloo.

Rainbow Dash had relaxed enough to focus more on Scootaloo, as she had confidence Twilight would get her out of trouble if something happened. She heard the sound of collapsing rock and looked up in panic. There were too many to avoid them.

Scootaloo screamed out “Rainbow Dash!” The barrage of rocks had gotten her. “No! No, no, no! It can’t be true! I won’t let it be true!” She rushed down towards the pile of rocks, beginning to throw them out of the way. “Where is she?”

Twilight was panting. “That was way too close.” She had only just managed to teleport Rainbow Dash out of the way before the rocks hit her. “Over here, Scootaloo!”

Rainbow’s heart was beating hard in her chest. It had nearly happened. She had lost focus on the threat, doing exactly like she had done in the vision, flying backwards and talking to Scootaloo. She had nearly had a horrific accident that could have cost her her wings… or her life.

“Hey!” cried out Applejack as she felt something bump her. Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie followed in complaint. All of them had gotten distracted from watching Rainbow Dash.

The fortuneteller had touched the other four of them with the crystal ball.

Four videos began playing simultaneously for the four ponies remaining.

Applejack saw herself on the farm, bucking apples with Applebloom. Just like usual, whenever she would kick a tree Applebloom would be under it with a basket, waiting to catch the ones that fell. The two of them were having a blast, laughing away as they enjoyed their chores. They went to a pretty big tree, and Applejack gave it a mighty buck.

She suddenly heard a cracking sound. She looked curiously at the tree, and her eyes went wide as the tree suddenly tipped over with another loud cracking noise, crushing Applebloom beneath it.

The memory moved ahead to Applejack standing over the grave sobbing as she placed her hot on top of it. “I’m so sorry, Mom and Dad. I promised I’d keep Applebloom safe for you. I failed. I failed! Forgive me!”

Fluttershy saw herself going shopping in the marketplace for her animal friends. Things went well. She had enough bits to get all of them the food they liked best. She had even managed to score some free carrots for Angel Bunny. The shopkeeper was going to throw them out since she had gotten a whole new shipment of fresh carrots. She was all smiles as she returned home. “Hello, all my little friends. I have lunch for all of you.” All her critter friends; the bear, badgers, mice, squirrels, cats, and bunnies were cheering and chattering away.

She gave each of them their food, filling up their bowls as they began eating eagerly.

She called over Angel Bunny. “Come here, you. I got you your favorite.” He hopped over, grabbing the carrot from her and munching down greedily on it.

“Now, now, silly. Don’t eat it so fast or you’ll choke.” He just rolled his eyes at her and kept eating. When he was done he hopped over and jumped onto her back, nuzzling her face. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

After a short time he began coughing. “Oh, Angel. Are you okay?” His coughing got worse, and he suddenly fell off her back onto the floor. His face was blue, and he was covering his throat. He began sputtering for breath. “Angel!” She cried out, picking him up. “What’s wrong?”

His breathing became short, and his eyes were half-lidded as he shuddered and suddenly became still. “Angel! No! Wake up!” Tears began coming down her eyes.

She found out that the carrots she had gotten for free had been grown with an unsafe pesticide that had gotten into the mix. The memory skipped over to her trying to walk through town and getting accused of being an animal killer, a statement that horrified her. Half the people she walked by looked at her as a monster. Eventually she gave up and just ran home crying. She sat down in front of his grave and just sobbed.

Rarity’s showed her messing up a big order. She had cracked under the strain of trying to get all her outfits done on time and, in her fatigue, had messed up the last of them. After she had a night of rest she rushed to deliver them. As she showed each of them off she got a look of awe and delight from her client, but as she took out the last of them and saw how shoddy they looked the clients face turned from delight to disgust. The client accused her of trying to take the easy way out and demanding full price for a few pieces of slipshod work.

Because of the clients influence word quickly got out and business quickly slowed down to the point that no one wanted to shop at her boutique anymore.

Pinkie Pie’s showed another pony coming to town who was an even bigger party planner than her. He arrived in spectacular fashion, proclaiming his superiority and eagerly accepted her challenge of seeing who was better. In all ways he dominated her. His jokes were funnier, his treats were tastier, his party skills trumped her own. Even her very own friends began getting wrapped up in his talent. In the end she saw that she was no longer worthy of living at Sugarcube Corner, and left Ponyville to return back to her rock farm.

The fortuneteller laughed as she returned the crystal ball to herself. “So I have seen, so it shall be. This fate will come to pass, though you may try your best to avoid it. Is there any hope for you? Only you can decide what you’re going to do from here on out. Will you lose yourself, of find yourself? The choice is up to you.” With a sinister laugh her magic engulfed her as she glided into the air and then disappeared with a poof, leaving the other ponies in stunned silence.

Author's Notes:

Agh. I've had this story in mind for a while, and now two of the misfortunes(Pinkie's and Rarity's) have sorta been shown in episodes in season 4, so it looks like I'm copying it now.