The Elements in Harmony

by No One and Nobody

Chapter 6: The Living Stone and the Winds of Change

Chapter 6: The Living Stone and the Winds of Change

After a little while Thomas began to feel more like himself. He hadn't exactly had a racing pulse since he came to this new world but he had definitely felt agitated, on edge, and a strange tightness in his chest that seemed to come with fear.

Maud put her hoof on his knee and said, "You feel much calmer now. Want to go back in?"

She can feel calmness?! Well I am a rock and she is the princess of all things rock.

He nodded his head and they got up.

Thomas felt somepony approaching and tried to discern who it was. There were two of them, both seemed happy and one was a pegusus. Thomas could tell just by how light she was.

As they rounded the corner of the barn Thomas could just make out what one of them was saying.

"... Reversed the particle flux generator and next thing I know I'm-"

They stopped talking.

In other words, they've seen me. I hope this works.

Thomas raised his hand and waved; beside him he could feel Maud nod politely.

The two ponies shrugged and continued on through the barn door, the second one never missing a beat with his story.

"-Which is why it is never a smart thing to make a Sontaran soldier mad."

Oh boy-oh boy-oh boy... The Doctor is in!

Just as he was about to go in though he felt some more ponies coming and heard Rarities voice.

"Oh there you are Mr. Thomas, I was hoping to find you. You've already met Sweetie Belle."

"Hello mister Tom," she said in that cute little squeak of hers. He could feel Rarity gulp when she said 'Tom'.

"Thank you for saving me and Applebloom the other night."

YOU'RE WELCOME

They walked into the barn but Thomas just stood there.

"Are you coming darling?" asked Rarity, turning around.

He nodded and walked back into the barn.

The minute he did so, ponies' heads turned in his direction.

Thomas almost froze a second time but this time Sweetie Belle came over and said, "Come on. I want you to meet my friends Applebloom and Scootaloo."

He waved awkwardly to the crowd and let Sweetie Belle drag him over to a corner where Applebloom and Scootaloo were waiting.

"So this is him?" said Scootaloo. Thomas could feel her tilt her head back to look up at him.

"Eeyup," said Applebloom. Apple family response.

"Wow! You're big." said Scootaloo. Lots of tact Scoots. You're gonna go far kid.

Before they could say anything more Pinkie appeared out of nowhere.

Literally, she appeared out of nowhere!

She can really do it. Wow!

"I see you decided to come back in where all the fun is," she said, hanging from Tom's left shoulder, "Now I can introduce you to all the ponies in Ponyville!"

This is going to be painful, said Tom to himself. But then again, if I'm going to be spending a long time with these ponies, I'd better introduce myself around.

He let Pinkie direct him over to a crowd of ponies who were eating rather than dancing and she greeted them from high up on her perch.

"Hey there Roseluck, Lily, Daisy. Wanna meet my friend Tom?"

Wait! These are the major drama flower ponies?! Thomas actually couldn't see their faces or colors so he didn't know who they were until Pinkie talked to them. How come they aren't fainting or screaming?

"Hey there Pinkie," said Roseluck, "Nice to meet your friend. Tom, was it?"

Tom nodded.

"Sorry we're late," said Lily, "But some of our flowers were starting to look a little wilted."

"A LITTLE WILTED!?" said Daisy, "They were barely holding on! If I hadn't saved them, who knows what could have happened."

"And don't forget that bad cobblestone on main street," said Roseluck, turning back to her associates, "Somepony is going to get seriously hurt one day because of that."

There we go. So they only overreact to things that don't really deserve an overreaction... Sounds reasonable.

Pinkie, who was standing on her back hooves on top of Tom's shoulder, tapped his head and said, "They're going to be at this for a while. Onward to more ponies!"

---

After meeting most of the ponies in ponyville including but not limited to: Button Mash and his mother (who both seemed more interested than scared of him), the Doctor and his friend (who asked him if he was by any chance related to Pyroviles) and Filthy Rich (who tried to sell Tom something or other).

While Pinkie tried to explain to Filthy that Tom didn't actually have any money, Tom tried to give Diamond Tiara a hard look.

She in turn glared back at him.

ME + CMC'S = FRIENDS

Thomas erased the board, rolled his shoulders and cracked is neck. Which was, honestly, pretty impressive now that he was made out of stone.

Tiara gulped and smiled shakily while silver spoon hastily left the table and sat with her parents. Nopony else noticed Tom's slight intimidation except the Cutie Mark Crusaders who chuckled to themselves and gave Tom the hooves up from the other side of the barn.

---

After they had met most of the ponies in the barn Pinkie let Tom sit down for a rest by a bale of hay on one side of the barn.

For some reason Tom couldn't keep walking and waving and moving for too long before he became exhausted.

Must take a lot of energy to keep this new frame of mine up and about. Note to self, nearly indestructible, super strong, but I tire easily and require frequent rest. Don't let Rainbow find out about this.

At that moment however Twilight got up on stage, as Scratch and Octavia left, and pulled out what sounded like a set of thick note cards while everypony in the barn grew silent.

"Thank you everypony for coming," she said, aligning the deck, "I would first of all like to thank all of your for giving Thomas such a warm-"

"Uh Twilight," said AJ, walking onto the stage, "Could I say a few words?"

"It's OK AJ," said Twilight, pulling out a rubber band, "I came prepared this time."

Hooking the rubber band around the cards she pulled it taught and then let go, sending the cards flying out into the audience of ponies.

"They were blank anyway," she said, stepping down from the podium.

Pinkie chuckled from next to Thomas and AJ tapped the microphone cautiously.

"Ah jus' wanna' say thanks to Tom. Without him ma sister would probably be nothin' but a statue in the Everfree right now."

"And the same goes for me too Darling," said Rarity, sneaking around Applejack just for a second to get to the microphone.

"An that's why ahm' offerin' him a job at my farm for as long as he wants it while he's stayin' here in Ponyville."

Thomas was flabbergasted. First of all he hadn't been planning to stay in Ponyville that long, second he hadn't even considered getting a job, third he was just shocked that Applejack would trust him so much, so soon.

"Oooh, good job Tommy!" said Pinkie grabbing his hand and, somehow, shaking it fiercely.

As Applejack stepped down from the podium Thomas walked over to her and held up his chalkboard.

WHY?

"Ah like this fella'," said Granny Smith from next to the stage, "Don't need ma ear thingamawachit ta talk ta 'im."

"It wasn't all ma idea," said AJ, "Big Mac suggested it as an apology for his actions, Granny Smith had a good feelin' about ya, an' Applebloom really seems to get along with ya. I jus' put it all together."

THANK YOU

---

The rest of the party went off without a hitch. However, after all the ponies had left and the main six started setting down, with Thomas helping of course, something weird happened.

Thomas was hauling an empty barrel of cider over to the empty pile to be reused later, when he felt something slide over him.

It was almost like for a moment he could see.

He turned around and darted after whatever it was.

It wasn't so much a thing as an area. As he got nearer to it he could feel it's presence.

It's a person, or some kind of consciousness.

He followed it into the barn and shut the door behind him.

SOMETHING'S HERE

Twilight and the rest looked around the barn.

"I don't see anything," said Twilight, looking cautiously around.

IT'S HERE

"Eep," squeaked Fluttershy.

Rainbow darted over to her friend.

"There's something here alright," she said, her wings flared out, "I can feel it in the air, and I don't like it."

Suddenly there was a quiet mumbling which drifted lazily through the barn.

"Rainbow-bobby-bibabuble-fmmbbleeeee..."

Whatever it is it sounds like it's running down, said Thomas to himself.

"Who are you and what do you want?" asked Twilight, stepping into the middle of the barn and raising her head.

"Soooo sleeeeeepppyyyyyy..." returned the voice.

"Well then why don't 'cha just hit the hay?" asked Applejack, backing towards Twilight, her eyes darting around her barn.

The voice seemed to hiccup and then groaned.

"Falling... apart... can't... hold... myself... together... sooo... Tired....."

"But what are you darling?" asked Rarity.

"I'm... zzzzzzzzz..."

The voice seemed to drift off for a second and then it snapped back.

"AIR! I'M AIR!"

At that moment several things clicked into place in Tom's mind.

But first of all they needed something to keep her in so she wouldn't fall apart when she fell asleep.

JEANIE IN A BOTTLE?

Twilight nodded and turned to Applejack, "AJ do you have any spare cider bottles lying around here?"

AJ nodded and went over to one of the tables. She uncorked the bottle and looked into it.

"It's still a little ways full-"

Rainbow grabbed the bottle from Applejack, swigged the lot, handed it back to her and belched.

"Problem solved," she said.

AJ shook the bottle a few times and passed it to Twilight.

"We have a bottle here," she said, "If you trust us you can sleep in here until tomorrow morning."

There was whistling moan followed by a pop as whatever it was squeezed itself quickly into the bottle.

Twilight capped it off and looked at her friends.

"Any ideas?" she asked.

AIR

They all gave Thomas strange looks.

STONE He tapped himself on the chest.

AIR He pointed towards the bottle.

"So yer sayin' some poor ponies are bein' changed into the elements?" said Applejack.

NOT PONIES

"This new... being, is like you?" said Twilight, squinting to try and see through the dark brown bottle.

"But what are you?!" said Rainbow, who was now getting mad.

A FRIEND?

All the ponies went silent.

"Definitely," said a voice from Tom's side, and he could feel Maud standing next to him.

"Ya saved my little sister-"

"And mine," cut in Rarity.

"So I guess that's good enough fer me."

"Any friend of AJ's a friend of mine!" said Pinkie, jumping up and down excitedly, "She's almost as good as my Pinkie sense and that's telling me you're alright too."

Rainbow grumbled a little but at last she said, "Well if Pinkie says you're OK then... ah whatever."

Twilight tucked the bottle into her saddlebags and said, "I'm going to have to ask you two some questions in the morning but... Tonight I'll let you get some rest. Let's all meet here tomorrow, early."

REALLY TIRED? Thomas pointed to the bottle.

Twilight blushed, "Whoops, OK then after noon some time."

The rest of the ponies all nodded and left the barn.

Thomas lay down in the bales of hay and started thinking.

Another human like myself? I'd better warn him/her tomorrow so they don't give anything away about Bronies. That is if they're even from the same universe as me. I wonder what it all means though. If I'm here, and now someone else in the form of air... What purpose are we meant to serve?

As Thomas's mind drifted off to sleep he could only hope that this new person as well was getting the rest they, so obviously, needed.

---

As Rainbow flew away from Sweet Apple Acres towards her home she couldn't help but dislike this new development.

It was the same voice from last night. However if it's some strange creature from somewhere far away how does it know about me? I know I'm awesome, but how did it know about me and flowers?

Rainbow half considered turning around and dropping in on Twilight to get some answers but decided against it.

It can wait for tomorrow. Besides *yawn* I'm tired enough as it is.

As she got into her bed though, she silently promised whoever it was in that bottle that she would get all the answers tomorrow.

I'll find out what you're hiding. No matter what!

Comments

[VunderGuy]

"It's a person, or some kind of consciousness."

So... a person.