Applejack sat in a small cushioned chair, leaning against the large round table in front of her that was covered in an assortment of papers. A few of them were typed, a few of them were written. Some of them were in pen, some of them were in crayon. Some of them were labeled "TOP SECRET", some of them were labeled "Grocery list". Some of them were covered in numbers and red lines, some of them were covered in doodles and puffy stickers. It was a strange, strange sight. But none of it was quite as confusing as the pink pony rambling next to her.
"Alright everypony." Pinkie said in a deep voice, adjusting the oversized pink Unicorn cap with an off purple mane. "These are the facts as I understand them. One: I am the prettiest Unicorn. Two: My mane is lustrous and fragrant, and it catches the wind perfectly."
lie
She shook her head as she said the last sentence, flipping the fake mane. "I-"
"Uh, Pinkie Pie? What are you doing?"
Rainbow Dash leaned against the arm of her chair. She frowned skeptically at the pink pony, who stood up in her chair with her hooves on the table.
"Making an amusing reference to a popular game that a lot of readers will get and hopefully comment on."
truth
Rainbow just stared.
The Griffon next to Rainbow Dash leaned over to the blue Pegasus and whispered, "What is wrong with her?"
"I ask the same question every day now."
truth
Pinkie grinned a slightly demented looking grin as Rainbow and Gilda stared at her with looks of confusion.
"Ahem, shouldn't we be getting back on track?" Rarity said with a roll of her eyes.
Applejack nodded in agreement. "My thoughts exactly. Ah think it's high time we try an' connect all a' these weird...abilities."
"So why is Gilda here?"
The group all turned to Fluttershy who, as if realizing just what she had said, began to shrink down into her chair.
Rarity cleared her throat. "She's here because one: Now that Griffonstone has united with Equestria, she is a very important part of this."
truth
"And two: She was a key part of when Rainbow got her ability."
truth
Rainbow cocked her head. "I didn't realize I had even gotten an ability."
Pinkie looked at Rainbow with curiosity. "You never noticed?"
"Noticed what?"
Applejack cocked her head. "Ah thought it was pretty obvious."
Rainbow frowned with mild frustration. "Thought what was obvious?"
Rarity cleared her throat. "I'm not sure if you've noticed darling, but...you've been flying almost constantly."
truth
Rainbow reeled back, as if stung, a look of shock and...almost pain on her face. She scoffed, leaning back into the chair. "Yeah? So?"
Applejack frowned. "Well...to be honest, ya didn't fly almost ever until ya rescued Gilda."
truth
Rainbow grimaced, Applejack a mild glare. "That's...that's not true! I-I flew when I first came to Sweet Apple Acres."
truth
Pinkie frowned. "Um...yeeeeeeeeeah. That's literally the only time we've seen you fly before then."
truth
Applejack had never seen a frown so deep.
Rainbow scowled. "SO!? I-It's not like I'm suddenly obsessed with flying or anything! It's not like I've been having the constant need to fly! IT'S NOT!!"
lie
Rarity pursed her lips. "Um...Rainbow Dash?"
"What?"
"You're flying right now."
truth
Rainbow looked down. Sure enough, while she was talking, she had flown upwards and was hovering just below the ceiling.
Rainbow chuckled nervously. "Uh, heh heh. Um..." She sighed, floating down to her chair. "Fine."
Rarity nodded, satisfied, before turning back to the papers in front of her. Now, I'm sure you all have noticed how all the Elements, minus the Element of Magic, have been activated at least once."
truth
The group nodded. "Now, after a bit of discussion," Rarity continued, "we have come up with an idea of who activated which Element."
truth
She cleared her throat, picking up the piece of paper in front of her. "We are all very sure that Applejack," Rarity said, gesturing towards the farm pony, "activated the Element of Honesty."
truth
Applejack nodded. She had agreed.
"Pinkie Pie," Rarity gestured towards the pink Earth Pony, "activated the Element of Laughter."
truth
Pinkie gave a slight strained smile, nodding slowly.
"Rainbow Dash activated the Element of Loyalty."
truth
The blue Pegasus smiled confidently.
"Rarity, myself, activated the Element of Generosity."
truth
"And Fluttershy activated the Element of Kindness."
truth
The butter Pegasus nodded, giving a soft smile.
Rarity nodded as well, setting down her current paper and picking up another. "That being said, I'm VERY certain you're all aware of the...ahem...abilities, that have started popping up."
truth
Applejack nodded slowly as she heard the all too familiar voice once more. She was just about used to it by now, but every so often she would become aware of it. It...really didn't have a pitch. It wasn't really a voice even. It was more of a mental...sense. She could just hear it in her thoughts, every time she heard a statement of any sort.
Maybe if Ah was around somepony Ah didn't trust, or my little sister when she's done something she's not supposed to, this ability would be a bit more handy.
Rarity cleared her throat, continuing. "First of all, Pinkie Pie...what exactly is the extent of your abilities?"
Pinkie slouched in her chair, rolling her eyes with a cringe. "Oh, everything from a mane that suddenly has a mind of its own, can pull things out of itself, and can...move..." she gave a shudder, "in ways that no mane should be able to, a voice that insists on saying ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS VERY VERY LOUDLY!!!" She stood up in her chair, looking upwards. She paused for a moment, before rolling her eyes. "Yes, I know you can't control the volume, but do you have to narrate everything?" She paused again, before sighing. "Alright, I'll shut up." She sat down in her chair, looking back at Rarity. "Some strange...sights/visions/hallucinations of weird ape creatures, and...that's about it."
truth
Rarity nodded slowly, a look of confusion on her face, before clearing her throat, looking back down at the paper. "Ahem, yes, well...uh...Applejack. I believe you can tell truth and lies?"
truth
Applejack nodded. "That, and a craving for apples, but that's the lesser of the two."
truth
Rarity nodded, looking back at her paper. "Um, Rainbow Dash, the flying."
Rainbow nodded slowly, hanging her head a little. "Yeah. You guys are right. I've never wanted to fly since I was a filly. After I rescued Gilda, it was just...I don't know, I just couldn't seem to help it."
truth
Rarity smiled softly. "And of course, myself. After having that magical outburst, I have simply had an overwhelming sense of inspiration. That, and my magic has actually stayed under control now."
truth
Rarity cleared her throat, continuing. "And finally, Fluttershy."
The group turned towards the butter Pegasus, who shrank down into her chair. "If I recall correctly," Rarity said, "you could...understand the animals?"
Fluttershy nodded, whimpering softly. "It wasn't really like they were talking in Equish, it was more like I could just...understand what they were saying. Like, when somepony is talking in Zebrican, but you've learned the language."
truth
Rarity nodded, setting down her paper with a sigh. "Now, I'm not sure if you've noticed, but...I think that these abilities are somehow connected with the Elements of Harmony."
truth
Applejack sat up. "Absolutely. After all, what else could it be? None a' us had any a' these abilities until we started on this whole adventure."
truth
Pinkie sat up with a nod. "Indeed. After all, Applejack activated the Element of Honesty, then could tell truth or lies. That seems like it's connected to the Element if you ask me."
truth
Rainbow Dash stood up in her chair, slamming her hooves on the table. "But why? I thought we were just supposed to, I don't know, be a lot of whatever that Element was! We were never told anything about weird voices, or strange urges! I DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR THIS!"
truth
Fluttershy sat up. "Calm down, Rainbow Dash. I mean, it was unexpected, no doubt, but...maybe Celestia didn't know."
truth
Applejack stood up further. "How could she not have known? There were Element bearers before us. Wouldn't they have had those abilities as well?"
Rarity placed a hoof to her chin. "Maybe not."
"Huh?" the group said in unison.
"Well, um...have any of you noticed something...different, after we got these abilities? Other than the abilities themselves, I mean."
truth
Pinkie Pie cocked her head. "Like what?"
"Well...we've all been wearing our uniforms this whole time."
truth
Rainbow Dash nodded. "So?"
"Well..." Rarity bit her lip. "Um...goodness, how do I ask this...Did any of you have a Cutie Mark before this?"
The group froze, staring at Rarity. Fluttershy shrank into her seat. Pinkie Pie bit her lip, twiddling her hooves. Rainbow Dash sat down, a blank look on her face.
Applejack cringed. She knew what Rarity meant. And she was positive the others did as well. How could they not have noticed it?
Applejack cleared her throat. "Um...to answer truthfully...no."
The group stared at Applejack, with looks of neither shock, nor confusion, simply...a slight pain.
Rainbow Dash cleared her throat, sitting up. "Same as Applejack."
The rest of the group nodded, some hanging their heads as they did. Finally, Rarity sighed. "Myself as well. However, I'm not sure if it was just me, but...did you all...get a Cutie Mark along with your abilities?"
Once again, the group nodded.
Pinkie gave a tense sigh, lowering her voice to where it lost its previously cheerful tone. "There is no doubt in my mind that these abilities, and these Cutie Marks, are connected. I just don't know how. In fact, what the Cutie Mark looked like, at least for me anyway, was very confusing. It was a set of three balloons. One yellow, two blue."
truth
"Mine was odd, too," Fluttershy said. "It was three pink butterflies with turquoise on the inside."
truth
Applejack nodded. "Mine was three apples."
truth
Rainbow slouched down with a sigh. "A cloud with a rainbow lightning bolt."
truth
"Three blue gems." Rarity placed a hoof to her head. "I don't know about you, but this whole thing is giving me a headache."
truth
Fluttershy nodded, sitting up. "I just have one question; why didn't we tell each other? I know I was too scared, worried you guys might laugh at me or something, but...shouldn't at least one of us have said something?"
Rarity sighed. "I think we were all a bit scared. The stress of this excursion, along with the abilities, on top of getting a Cutie Mark at this point...I'm pretty sure we were all a bit scared."
truth
Applejack nodded. "Now that that's been discussed, about the whole Griffonstone thing...?"
Rainbow Dash nodded, sitting up. "Right. Now, Gilda, what were the full details on what happened to Griffonstone?"
Rainbow turned to her right, but let out a gasp.
The chair was empty.