//------------------------------//
// The Elements of Salvation 
// Story: The Elements of Salvation 
// by Slick Dash 
//------------------------------//

“They attacked them!” Ruby cried in horror as Thor quickly caught up to the fleeing ponies. Brambles and branches tugged at their fur painfully as they rushed through the forest. “They just attacked them for no reason! How could they do that?” Seed who was still behind the mare saw her scared eyes glance back at him in tears, begging to be told why her home had just been destroyed.

“Just keep moving!” Angelica cried ahead of her, “When we’re safe, we can talk!” The group all obeyed, for what felt like an hour they ran through the trees and bushes, not wanting to let any of the resident creatures of the infamous forest to hear their movements. 

Suddenly Archy stumbled on a stray root of a tree and cried out louder than he should have for such a meagre trip. Immediately the other two males knew something was wrong, after years of being his friend they knew Archy wouldn’t complain unless something was really causing him pain! Quickly they forced themselves to catch up with the unicorn. 

The glasses wearing pony was slumped against a tree, panting hard. “Archy?” Seed asked, coming up to his friend slowly.
“You ok buddy?” Thor looked at the unicorns leg, and was the first to notice. A small dark cloud of magic enveloping the limb. “What is that?” he asked, bringing the entire groups attention to it. Archy opened his mouth to dismiss the magic he was casting on himself, but as he did his weight shifted onto the hoof and caused him to gasp hard. 

“He’s hurt!” Ruby cried, pushing past Seed and dropping to her knees to inspect the limb.
“It’s nothing!” The unicorn stallion protested, moving forward painfully. “It’s just like a cast that’s all.” 
“Why do you need a cast?!” Thor ordered, pushing ahead to block his obviously hurt friend’s path.
“I hurt it back in town, when I fell. It’s nothing, just a sprain judging by the pain.” He tried to move again but stumbled. Seed darted out and caught him. 
“Come on then Specky!” He smiled, as he straightened his friend up before stooping low. “Hop on!” 

Archy tried to protest, but as he looked around he saw the groups eyes, even Sweetness’s usually happy ones, all ordering him to get onto Seed’s back. “You’re in no condition to walk!” Ruby explained. “You’re tiring yourself out with that spell. Soon you’ll pass out! Let us help.” Her large round concerned eyes, melted Archy’s icy stubbornness. 
“Ok...” He said, and with a thanking look to his orange friend. He leant over Seeds back. Who then stood up straight and began to walk ahead again.

For another moment they walked in silence, no longer running. The sounds of the chaotic town had long since died away, and they heard no signs of pursuing changelings behind them. So the group resigned to slowly making their way deeper into the forest. “It doesn’t make sense!” Whispered Archy into Seed’s ear as they moved. “Changelings need love to survive, they’ll fight to gain it, but what do they gain from killing as many ponies as possible?”

“Revenge.” The single word rang out loudly around them, making the group all jump. They glanced to each other, but by their bewildered expressions they could all tell that the shout hadn't come from any of them. 
"Over there!" Sweetness shouted, pointing a hoof in-between two thick tree trunks. The group looked in the direction and saw a figure stood in a clearing. It looked like a pony, if not a bit taller, but it was hard to tell as it wore a large brown cloak around it's body with a hood to cover its face.

Thor jumped into action, taking to the air, he bolted to the front of the group. Once he landed, he lowered himself close to the ground ready to pounce. "Who are you?!" He demanded loudly, a few birds in the trees flew away startled at the loud noise, but the figure in the cloak didn't move an inch.

It raised a hoof, gesturing it in a 'come hither' motion, before turning and walking away. Thor snorted, "Pffft, yeah like we're going to"-
"Follow her." Archy interrupted, causing the group to stare at him. 
"Are you serious?!" Angelica said in amazement, "What if it was a changeling?" 
"Why would a changeling turn into somepony we're not sure about, it'd turn into one of our parents if it wanted to lure us into a trap!" Archimedes argued, his eyes locking with the yellow Pegasus'. "Trust me, if it's who I think it is. We're safe!" He looked down to stallion carrying him. "Follow her Seed." 

Seed looked from his friend to his cousin. After a moment, without a word he began to go in the direction of the figure. "Are you serious!" Thor protested, running to catch up with his two longest friends. "With no proof who that was, you're still going to trust them?" He locked gazes with Archy, who stared back simply. 
"Yes." Thor carried on staring at him for a moment, then shouted cautiously to the others. 
"Come on. If Archy thinks it's safe it probably is." With that the three stallions began to move forward. 

Sweetness followed them happily, simply curious as to who the hooded figure was. Ruby gave a nervous glance back in the direction they had come from, then trotted to catch up. Leaving a shocked Angelica stood alone. Her face grew annoyed, and she rushed to catch up with the group. Soon enough she reached Thor's side. "'If Archy thinks it's safe it probably is?' What the hay is that all about?" She whispered furiously. 

Thor glanced at her, and in an indifferent tone he explained. "Archy is smarter than all of us combined, he knows nearly every creature in Equestria off by heart, if he thinks it isn't dangerous, than it isn't dangerous." He glanced over at his friend who was still on Seed's back as they moved on searching for the cloaked creature. "Just don't tell him I said that or he's just gonna be full of it for the next few hours." Angelica, in spite of everything that had happened that day, found herself letting out a small laugh. Thor tried to keep a straight face, while inside he was jumping for joy because he'd made such a good impression even after everything that had happened. 

After a few more silent minutes, they came to another clearing, this one far more brighter, they'd forgotten it was still day time, after the darkness of the smoke filled Ponyville, and the gloom of the forest, it had seemed that they had been living in a world of night and darkness. In the centre of the clearing stood the figure, still wearing it's hooded shroud. 

When the group came to a halt on the perimeter, Archy began to struggle off of Seed's back. When he hit the ground he winced, but erected the spell once again, shrouding his leg in his cloud of protective magic. Then the dark stallion began to move into the light. "Always one for parlour tricks huh?" The figure shrugged from under the cape. Then reached up with a black and white hoof and took off her hood. 

The group sighed with relief at the site. Zecora! The woodland witch as the kids used to call her. Archy was right, they were safe! Archy smiled at her, then twitched his injured leg at her. "I don't suppose you have something for this do you?" The zebra smiled back to him, and beckoned them all to follow. 
"A warming lotion should do the trick.
It should heal you up nice and quick." And with that she headed off in the direction of a rough dirt path leading off from the forest.


..............................


They reached Zecora's hut quickly, and as the zebra opened the door to them and ushered them inside, Angelica noticed the first sign that she knew what had happened. The zebra seemed nervous, her eyes darted around as she waited for the teens to enter the house, they searched out every source of sound around the hut ensuring it wasn't a threat. The Pegasus didn't draw attention to it just yet, first Archy needed help, then they could discuss what had happened. 

Once they were inside, Zecora rushed to the wall of bottle shelves on the other side of her room and began searching. "Ahh!" She exclaimed happily as she found a small green bottle. She turned back holding it in her teeth, and approached Archimedes as Seed helped him sit gingerly in a seat in the corner. "Here my dear, sweet pony friend.
Simply rub this in and the pain should end." 

Seed had heard of the zebra from his mother, he'd even glimpsed her when he was helping on the market stall and she came for supplies or her famous brews, but this was the first time he heard her famous rhymes. It was said she couldn't help speak in rhyme, and that somehow she had one to mind immediately without pause for thought.   

Archy took the bottle from her with his magic and smiled up at her. "Thanks Zecora." 
"It is nothing my dear boy,
to see you safe fills my heart with joy." Archy, who had been halfway through applying the potion, paused.
"Safe?" He questioned.
"She knows what happened." Angelica piped up, causing the group's heads to swivel to her. She was still stood by the entrance staring at the scene. "Which makes me wonder why she was so willing to help us." 

Seed jumped up and rushed to his cousin. turning his back on the rest of the group, he blocked their sight and whispered furiously to Angy. "Archy's in trouble, he needs help, we find somepony willin' to help him, and you're 'bout to get us kicked out with your big yap!" Angelica opened her mouth to argue, but was cut short by the rhyming voice of the Zebra.

"Be still Apple Seed, what she says is far from lies,
even from this forest I could hear Ponyville's cries."

Seed was taken aback, he glanced at the zebra for a moment, then quickly retreated from his cousin. He gave her one last look of annoyance and said lowly. "It was still rude!" Angelica saw that she had stepped out of line, she gave the zebra an apologetic look, to which she gave an understanding nod, gesturing for her to take a seat. 

Once she had, Zecora began to speak fast. "You still aren't safe, at least not here,
To Canterlot you must go, and seek the princess's ear." Sweetness piped up.
"Why in Equestria would we want the princess's ear? That's creepy, not to mention reaaaaaallly hard to do! I think"- 
"She means an audience with Celestia." Ruby said quietly. The group glanced at her, she had been very silent since the attack, being the youngest of the group they were sure she was struggling the most. The unicorn was staring at the ground miserably, her slender coat seemed to physically dim with her sombre mood, making her look far less of the pony she had been a few mere hours ago. 

Angelica came over to her friend and held her close, Ruby grabbed hold of her tightly and began to sob silently into her shoulder. Seed's heart panged at the sight of the miserable girl, but he knew it wasn't time to talk to her about it, let her recover first. Let Angy look after her. The earth stallion turned to the zebra and addressed her directly. 

"Did anypony else come this way? Our parents?" The zebra's face fell.
"I'm afraid dear Apple Seed,
you six are the first seen survivors of the pony breed." Archy's eyes fixed on Zecora.
"Pony breed? So there have been other things in the forest coming from Ponyville?" Zecora exchanged gazes with the dark furred stallion, then nodded morosely. "They were changelings weren't they?" Another nod. "Darn it!" Seed took over quickly.
"Right, so we gotta be careful from now on, we don't know where they'll be." He looked around at his group of friends who all nodded in agreement. Then the orange furred stallion realised something. 

"I-if the changelings are all aroun' the forest by now, why should we head to Canterlot?" When Zecora simply gazed back at him, Thor began to grow annoyed at the lack of an answer to his friends question. 
"Is this your idea of some kind of joke or what? You darn Zebra, just tell us what's going on, because you obviously know!" Zecora's head slowly turned to Thor, and the burgundy Pegasus felt the temperature in the air drop. The cauldron in the centre of the room just between him and the foreigner seemed to glow intensely, casting an eerie red shadow across her face.

"Watch you tongue my little pony,
For you'll find the outside in the forest is far more lonely." Thor gulped and looked away, not scared, but uncomfortable. The glow seemed to fade, and the room returned to normal. Zecora then began to speak. "I’m afraid this is no joke.
There’s no turning back for you pony folk!
These attackers that come, they come for you.
But I fear it too late to say what you should do.
Perhaps we can speed it up, with one of my spells.
They’ll explain quick, and will explain well!" 

With that, Zecora made her way to the shelves and began taking down many assorted bottles and vials from her shelves. Seed opened his mouth to stop her, 'they come for you' what the hay did that mean, those monsters had come for him and his friends? Before he could ask however, Archy caught glsances with him, and the unicorn's gaze ordered him to stay silent, and let the zebra concentrate.

For a while, the group remained quiet and watched the witch work, not wishing to interrupt but terrified by her dark description of the events of that day. She threw some of the bottles in the cauldron whole, while others she only gave a drop, sometimes she would fling dollops of herbs into the bubbling mass, and the occasional sprinkle of others. Soon, red turned to gray, and the mass ceased bubbling and became still. Finally, after so much crying, Ruby had resurfaced and had begun watching with the rest of the group. 

"W-what s that going to do?" she asked hoarsely. Zecora, who was too deep in concentration to explain as she added the last few ingredients to the concoction, stayed silent. leaving an incredulous Archy to explain.

His leg was already feeling a thousand times better thanks to the magical remedy, and now his focus had switched to the potion in the pot. His eyes were wide with fascination as he watched the surface of the liquid glisten. "Hidden potential!" He gasped. The group all frowned at him. "M-my mum, she developed a spell, with the use of potions she could help establish a pony's destiny." Sweetness exploded with excitement. 
"REALLY?! OOOOOHHHH!" She went bounding over to the cauldron excitedly trying to pear into its murky depths, but a weary Apple Seed caught hold of her as she passed him. Archy ignored them.

"Mum always said she had help, but wouldn't tell me who from." He watched the zebra as she took a deep inhale of air from the cauldron. Ruby piped up finally.
"What do you mean, destiny? Like their future?" Archy frowned in confusion.
"Well... not destiny like future events, more like a path they must follow, a kind of ideal they should have to help them find their way." He watched as Zecora's eyes opened and she smiled, happy with her work. "Seed, that's how your aunt Apple Bloom got her cutiemark, right, using this spell." The orange stallion nodded, still holding a wriggling Sweetness back. 

Before the group could say any more, Zecora began to address them all. 
"Long ago, in a far off land,
filled with wind, fire, earth and sand,
My ancestor met a powerful creature,
Who gave him a glimpse into this worlds future,
It foretold of the time of discord's fall,
A wonderful day, and time for all.
the creature told, how the elements would rise,
smiting all power deemed evil in their eyes, 
and when the fighting ceased, and harmony did rain,
an old evil would rise, and strike them again,
it would take the elements, and hold them tight,
leaving nothing to challenge it's awesome might." 

Thor stared in horror. "H-hold them tight? You mean..." His memory flashed back to the sight of the slim figure atop the house, how it had mocked him, had it been him? The old evil, just waiting for the opportune moment? He opened his mouth to accuse the draconequus, but as he did, his eyes fell on Sweetness, what would she do if she knew? Could she cope? What would she do if she couldn't? "Y-you mean..." Maybe not now, maybe later. "You mean the changelings have our parents?" He improvised. 

Zecora gave yet another disheartened nod. Thor gulped. Across the room, Sweetness's mouth hung open in horror, Ruby's eyes misted over and threatened to cry again, Angelica, Seed, and Archy's eyes all widened in shock, but besides that tried to keep their emotions under control. Zecora however, wasn't finished, and continued to recite her tale. 
"But the creature promised a way out,
six powers to end all doubt,
to bring peace for all, in all they do,
and these six powers... are all of you." 

The words resounded around the silent hut, the group stayed stationary listening to the zebra as she closed the story. 
"for within your hearts, filled with such courage and determination,
lies the elements of salvation,
far stronger than any elements that came before them, 
you must meet with the princess, for she cannot ignore them,
she will know by now, that if she doesn't send you to save this land,
Equestria will become nothing more but dust...and sand."

The grim end left everypony speechless, they stood struck dumb by Zecora's words. After what seemed like an age, with Zecora staying silent and waiting for them to understand, Angelica finally spoke up. "...Elements...of salvation? You mean, elements of harmony? Like our parents?" Zecora nodded.
"Though your parents are harmony, salvation is far stronger,
for the manifestation of their powers takes far longer,
through your parents lives these elements did grow,
but only through their babes, would the power show." 

Angelica scoffed, then slowly began to laugh, bringing concerned and confused looks from her friends. "So you mean to tell us, that we're simply our parents only stronger?" She looked around searching for somepony else who found this as ridiculous as her. "We're the 'Elements of Salvation' and the fate of Equestria hangs on our shoulders?!?! HA!" Slowly her laugh died as nopony showed signs of sharing her doubts. 

"That doesn't explain everything." Thor said, staring at the ground. "In fact it makes everything make less sense. If we're the... you know, elements or whatever, than why didn't they attack us when we were in town?" Sweetness piped up, rushing over to Thor to try and make the morose stallion smile. 
"Well that's easy, we were just too fast, after all you are a pretty fast flyer Th"-
"No," Thor interrupted. "That's not it... They were watching us, not even trying to follow us."
The image of the drones' beady eyes watching him and Sweetness in fascination burst into life in his mind. They had watched them, yet not attacked. Ruby tried to reason with the troubled pegasus, she stood and walked over to him, placing a consoling hoof on his back. 
"Thor, it's likely you just misread the situation, so much was going on I wouldn't even begin to think you understood everythi"-
"Thor's right." Archimedes said loudly. Silence screamed across the room, slowly the bespectacled unicorn began to explain what he had seen in the town. 

The figure with the green eyes, the wings and horn of the changeling Queen, the body of a stallion. He reminisced about how it had gazed straight at him and winked before slaughtering a poor innocent civilian in the town. How when he had run to escape, it hadn't pursued. He voiced this story explaining what he had seen, and then how they had seemingly vannished without a trace. Though they all seemed to beleive him, he was sure they didn't quite understand how terrifieing it had been, they hadn't seen it's eyes gleam before it bit down on that poor gray pony's neck! 

Eventually all had to agree it made no sense. Unless... "They wanted us..." Seed murmured miserably. "Or to at least get to us... they attacked everypony there except us...That don't add up unless the attack was meant to...scare us." 
"Well it worked." Ruby said, her eyes still gleaming with fear. Seed turned to Zecora.
"How can we be sure? Is there a way to find out if we are these 'Elements of Salvation?'" The zebra opened her mouth but was cut across by Archimedes. He finally stood, happy with the lack of pain in his leg. using his magic he placed the empty potion bottle on a nearby table. 

"That's what that potion's for." He glanced at Zecora and grimaced. "I'm sorry, we're not so used to al the rhyming, and seeing as this is important, I thought it best everypony understood fully". Zecora nodded slowly, looking slightly surprised at his reasoning. With an amused smile she gestured to the potion and allowed the unicorn to continue. 

"My mum made this to establish what ideals a pony should follow in order to reach their destiny, it's almost like a guide to your own personal moral code. So if we use it we should...wait..." He turned back to Zecora, his brow furrowing in confusion. "How's this supposed to tell us if we're the Elements of Salvation? This spell only tells you what you should do, not what you are." 

Zecora smiled. "Your truly are your mother's son,
Come here and let me show you little one." She gestured to the potion waiting in the caldron, inviting the group to come nearer. "This brew is similar, but by no means the same,
it gives each element a purpose and name.
This spell was made by my family long ago,
In preparation for your arrival, to let you all know,
the creature told us of each powers name,
we only had to find them, and the spell would prove the claim,
so look into the potion boy!" She gestured to Archy, "We haven't much time,
find your element, while the spell's still at its prime!" 

Archy stepped up cautiously, not sure what would happen. He glanced back at his friends, all of whom nodded, showing him they were there if anything went wrong. The dark stallion took a breath, and spun on the spot, gazing straight into the gray depths of the cauldron. For a moment nothing but his own scared reflection stared back at him. he could see the bruise from where he had been knocked unconscious. His glasses looked slightly damaged, but besides that, nothing seemed any different.

No sudden realisation sprang to his mind, no truth as to who he was. This was ridiculous, his mother's spell had already bordered on the impossible, but this idea of a spell was impossible! After all, all scientific research proved that it was simply impossible for-

The potion sprang to life as Archy thought, it bubbled and flashed a shade of white before settling as a dark blue colour, the same shade as Archy's coat. With a gentle hoof, Zecora pulled the colt away, and as his face moved from the near surface of the potion, a slow rippling stream followed him. To the group's amazement the single column of gravity defying liquid began to rise higher above the cauldron, then it slowly began to curl in the air. 

The single strip of liquid thinned as it stretched and curved into a perfect circular ring. For another moment nothing happened, then within the circle a smokey shadow seemed to form. The same colour as Archy and the liquid. For a moment it had no form, but soon it began to shift until it solidified into a solid looking shape. The group stared at it for a moment, then at Archy's flank, surely enough his mark was the same as the image. A book.

"Ahh..." Zecora hummed happily, "The element of knowledge, that was an easy guess,
facts wrap around you like a foal's new dress." She smiled at the stallion, who gave a slightly nervous smile to her, not sure what any of this had done really. As he walked away, the shape faded, and the airborne liquid suddenly dropped back into its container with a loud splash.

Angelica had had enough of this! This zebra was simply taking advantage of a dire situation, she was simply copying their cutiemarks, but she knew a way around this trick. "I'll go next." She exclaimed, walking confidently forward. "As you can see, I don't have a cutiemark, so your little trick, is going to fall flat on its flank!"

She trotted up to the cauldron, and imitated what Archy had done. A lot of the sounds of the hut seemed muffled, but she was sure the group would still hear her. "After I prove this is all a load of hooey, and Archy's healed up. We're leaving, and getting the heck out of this forest! Do you understan"-

Yet another flash of white light made Angelica jump, she pulled her head out defensively and stared as the cauldron's contents turned into the same shade of dark yellow as her coat, and yet again a single stream of liquid sprang into the air. As it had with Archy, the potion formed a circle, and from within a cloud began to form, only this time the more golden hew of Angelica.  After a moment it solidified into a badge, it gleamed as though made of actual gold, in the centre of the circular badge lay an emblazoned crown, set against a shield. 

"Hey!" Archimedes cried, "I've seen that before, that's my uncle Armour's captains badge!" 
"The element of leadership, a powerful tool,
many with leadership waste it, and look like a fool,
this element is strong, but still relies on the others,
as the power of a leader lies within their followers." Zecora recited almost in a chant like voice. Angelica stared at the badge, from the moment the flash of light had erupted from the potion, she had felt something change. Had this been what Zecora had meant when she said "Your life will begin anew?" because now she saw the shape, she felt no doubt, only... acceptance.

The liquid fell once again, reverting to it's colour of gray once more, leaving Angelica to go over to Archimedes and Zecora. "MY TURN MY TURN!" Sweetness yapped happily, but before she could get to the cauldron, Thor already had his head above the mass of gray liquid. 
"Come on then, what the hay am I? Come on! I'm not afraid I"- Almost instantly from his boisterous attitude, he usual flash of white appeared, and the liquid turned burgundy, soon a new hoop of water hung in the air, and a silhouette of a pony stood in the centre of it. 

It stood tall, pushing its chest out and raising its head high. Thor looked at it, he didn't need to check his flank to know that wasn't his cutiemark... so Archy's had just been a coincidence then! Zecora smiled at the pegasus stallion who looked at her waiting for her to chant some verse of the element, but the zebra simply laughed. "You said it yourself, you're not afraid,
what does that mean you are young nave?" Thor was sure she was beginning to run out of rhymes, he'd never heard somepony actually use the word nave, but he ignored it and thought for a minute.

"Uhhh... I dunno, bravery I guess?" Zecora nodded, and Thor's eyebrows sky rocketed. "Ha! Haha, I'm the element of bravery, SWEET!" He laughed, trotting over to the other two friends. Apple Seed looked over to Sweetness.
"You can go now Sweetness if you want?" The pink pony seemed a little deflated suddenly, she glanced at the stallion then at Ruby who stood on his other side. 
"Oh. No, go ahead, I'll wait." She gave a quick glance over at Thor, who still hadn't noticed what he'd done. His eyes were closed as he smiled smugly, please with his luck of the draw. She gave him an annoyed glare, but as her eyes began to drift away, she caught glances with Archy.

The stallion glanced at his flying friend, then back to Sweetness and rolled his eyes, showing she wasn't the only one who thought he had been rude. He then gave her a warm smile, which perked the pony up quickly. She beamed back to him, and looked up to the orange stallion. 

"Well..." he glanced at Ruby, "Well, ladies first." Ruby smiled then daintily put her head above the potion. She expected her long hair to fall into the liquid, but she noticed a faint current of heat emanating from the liquid, which lifted the locks of hair and made them flutter in the breeze. Seed watched, noticing yet again, how beautiful she was. 'No!' his mind shouted, 'not now you idiot!'

For a while nothing happened, Ruby was sure that she wasn't meant for this. She wasn't even technically a pony, she was a hybrid, did that even count? In her mind she slapped herself hard across the face, how dare she think that, her parents loved each other! And she had come to be because of that love. Her parents, she shouldn't have left them behind, she should have gone back, she should have told them she loved them one last time before she lost them! 

A flash of light erupted at her thoughts. Once again reacting to the thoughts and emotions of the pony before the gray goop. Soon, yet another circlet -this one the platinum colour of Ruby's coat, speckled with purple streaks- hung in the air. Soon, the usual cloud solidified into a solid form. This time, a platinum eye stared back at her, a purple tear welling up in its corner and brimming over the lid. Ruby frowned at it, glancing back at Seed, who shrugged, just as confused as her. "S-so..." She began, turning to Zecora "So I'm... sadness... or misery? Or something like that?" The zebra shook her head.

"You are the element of remorse, something key for all change,
If one doesn't remember the dark times of old, how can one make a new age?" Ruby stared at her for a moment. 
"R-remorse... I suppose that makes... sense." she said, making her way to the others, leaving only Seed and Sweetness. 

"Go ahead!" Sweetness beamed to her orange friend. Who gave a nod and approached the large pot. He looked over at his other friends, how could it be that after such a small amount of time, he could feel so different to them now? The brave dashing Pegasus, the confident leader, the knowledgeable unicorn, and the radiant beauty, they all complimented each other so well. How could it all have changed so quickly?

Slowly, he lowered his head into the cauldron. For the longest time yet, the potion did nothing. After a while of feeling awkward, he pulled himself back out and looked up to where the circle had formed the previous times. Nothing. He looked over to his best friend. Thor gave a bewildered shrug, and glanced over at Archy, the smart one would know...surely. Yet when looked to for help, the dark unicorn gave the same look of confusion as everypony else.

Yet again, Seed stuffed his head into the cauldron. He brought his face right up to the surface f the gray liquid, so close he could feel the slight tinge as his nose just brushed the surface of the potion. Still nothing happened. This time he felt a hoof touch his back, he straightened and turned to find Ruby. She gazed up at the stallion, at any other time, he would have given anything for this contact. 

But slowly as he stood there, a growing sense of disappointment was beginning to build within his stomach, disappointment and annoyance. "Hey, Seed..." Ruby began, "It's ok, you don't need to be some silly element of whatever, you're still you!" 
"Yeah!" Piped up the other two stallions. 
"Like I care if you're the element of big headedness or whatever!" Thor joked, trying to illicit a smile from his orange earth pony friend. But as he watched, Archimedes saw that all the words fell on deaf ears. Seed simply stared at the surface of the potion, trying to understand.

"W-what am I?" he whispered, causing everypony to gawk in surprise. In known history, Seed had never been morose, or truly upset, this was the first time in living memory that he had actually said something that made him sound so... lost.
"What are you talking about?" Ruby tried to reassure him, rubbing his back slowly. "You're Apple Seed of course, our friend! The kindest, most considerate pony we all know!" The group all nodded in agreement, all except for Zecora who watched on with a peculiar expression on her face. 
"Yeah buddy! In fact, out of all of us, you the most normal now!" Thor smiled, "Seeing as you're not one of these stupid element thingies!" 

"That's just it... I'm not normal." Seed's heart was growing heavy, only so long can you take what life throws at you before you finally have to vent it out. It seemed now, after everything that had happened that day, Seed was finally letting it all go. "I aint normal... I've got no dad, I never got a stallion I could try to be!" Slowly he backed away from Ruby, who was looking at him in a whole new light, she'd thought he'd been just a happy pony, but it seemed there was more to him.
"Seed, that doesn't matter! Pleanty of ponies don't know their father." She glanced at Archy for help, of all the group surely he would have sme words of wisdom on the subject! 

The dark unicorn simply watched, he said nothing, and didn't even acknowledge that Ruby was looking at him. He simply watched Seed, he'd always guessed, but never voiced it. He was sure that if he had lost his father at a young age, and he fealt so different because of it, then surely Seed felt doubly so, for never knowing his father at all! 

"Tonigh' proves I'm not normal!" the orange stallion continued regardess of the consoling words. "Out of every pony here, the children of The Elements of Harmony, I'm the only one who aint one of these new elements?" He looked around at everypony's faces. Angelica couldn't believe this! Her cousin, the stallion she thought she knew, had all this building up inside him? For how long? "What? Huh, is it just I'm the wrong son or summit? I just got in the way, maybe Angy was supposed to have a darn brother and I just screwed up the gran' plan? Why do all my friends have this responsibility and I don't huh?" He looked at Zecora, "Am I just not worth it, not worth the trouble to be able to help mah friends?" 

The zebra stayed silent. She simply looked from the orange stallion to the cauldron and back. "Sweetness, while your friend asks why,
maybe you should give this brew a try." the pink pony glanced from the zebra to her friend, unsure of what to do. She wanted to help Seed, but... if she was an element, maybe she could help mommy! She began to approach the cauldron.
"NO!" Seed exploded, making the group all jump. Sweetness froze, but it wasn't her he had yelled at. Seed stood there glaring at the woodland witch. "I've had 'nuff o this trickery, you're gonna tell straight out! Why aint I an element?" He wanted to help, why didn't she see that? Why did she still remain silent? 

Finaly the zebra's mouth opened. 
"If you think it wrong, please proceed,
try again, young Apple Seed." Seed glared at her smug face, he'd heard his mother sing this witch's praises, but she'd been fooled. She wasn't kind, she was opportunistic! And nothing else. Without thought, he turned back to the cauldron and walked silently to it. He came to a halt beside Ruby.
"Seed, wait... this isn't going to help... you need to..." Seed turned and gazed at her, cutting her scentence short.
"I need to protect my friends!" He said quietly, and the platinum unicorn swore she saw a tear in his eye. 

With that, Seed took hold of the cauldron with both hooves, and plunged his head into the gray abyss.