//------------------------------// // Chapter 22: Realizing a Talent // Story: The Impossible Choice // by FireMaster //------------------------------// ~ April 19th, 1020 ME ~ ‘1:14pm‘ Blazing hadn't slept much the night before, nor could he seem to sleep much now. His mind raced with questions and thoughts about what had transpired over the past few days. He kept joking about needing therapy, but his mental state really was in a poor place. Many things were uncertain, but one thing was for sure: he needed to release some stress and trying to sleep was getting him nowhere. It was time to do something he hadn't done since becoming a pony, run. Leaving his room, he found his way into the palace garden. Starting at a slow pace and slowly building up, Blazing forgot for the first time that he was wearing the wrong skin. He had felt alien sensations for the past week, but his mind was now functioning on auto pilot, without worry winning every waking second. After thirty minutes feeling began to return, his body starting to ache from a good workout. As he began to slow down, he noticed another pony in the garden for the first time. Despite Blazing not knowing many ponies, her pink mane was easily recognizable. Fluttershy was sitting by a group of animals seemingly talking with them. "Excuse me? Fluttershy?" "Oh, you startled me." Some of the animals had left, but Blazing continued to approach. "I couldn't help but notice you were talking to yourself over here. How are you holding up?" "I was talking with the garden animals. My friends were cheering me up. I'm scared thinking about the future." "What scares you the most?" "I know my friends need me. The squirrels were helping me put away my doubts." "I don't understand. You're scared that your friends need you." "No... I'm scared that fear will keep me from acting when my friends are in danger. I'm scared of losing somepony..." "Fluttershy, I wish I could take away those fears. I wish I could tell you it will all be okay. I promise I'll do what I can to help while I'm here, but I'm not even sure what I'm supposed to do. There's still so much I don't know." By this time almost all the animals had scurried away, but one squirrel remained hiding behind Fluttershy's leg. "Well, when I don't know what to do, I talk to others. My friends give me lots of advice. When Applejack doesn't know something, she works harder. When Twilight is feeling lost, she references books. When Pinkie Pie is struggling, she- "-Wait sorry to interrupt Fluttershy, but you're a genius! I know what I need now! Is there an archive with documents you can't find in the castle library?" "Yes." "Thank you Fluttershy! I've felt so pressured trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do if I'm going to be Equestria's best chance, and now, thanks to you, I know where I need to go! Thanks for putting up with me Fluttershy! Your kindness is saving ponies! No, your kindness is saving Equestria!" "Yay... Glad I could help." Twilight may have been Blazing's instructor on all things magic, but with her still resting from the physical and mental exhaustion of the night before, Blazing was on his own if he wanted to practice learning and honing his new abilities. He was determined not to find himself unprepared for any more situations that could arise, and that would mean learning how to use magic that no other pony (currently alive) could. Blazing found the nearest castle guard and asked for directions to the royal archives which they gladly shared upon seeing his royal seal. If Twilight was only able to watch as he experimented with elemental magic anyway, he would try to find documentation of a pony who had been born with the power. Maybe then he would find clues about what other magical abilities he may possess. The question is why had Celestia mentioned her without divulging very many details about her? What was her name again? Winter Storm? At the door the guards checked his security clearances. He was allowed access to the archives and immediately began searching for the section on magical studies. He saw books dedicated to a single spell, books about pony magic by tribe, and books about specific branches of magic such as combat or conjuration. Blazing was trying to contain his impulses to spend the rest of his time in Equestria studying these books, but they didn't contain the knowledge he was seeking. The greater part of an hour was spent sifting through books that most of the Equestrian population had likely never seen, but Blazing couldn't find anything referencing elemental magic. If a book did exist, it seemed like it didn't want to be found. "Can I help you find something? I couldn't help but notice you seem to be lost." The archivist, having come up behind Blazing without him really noticing, had really shook Blazing up. Blazing had thought he was alone for a while and hadn't expected company. "Do you happen to have anything on elemental magic?" "Hmm... That is a tough one. No, I can't say that we do." "You can't say but it does exist, doesn't it? What about Winter Storm? Do you have any information on her?" "Yes, but I believe all we have is public record information." "So, the books I'm looking for are connected then? Would this help me see them?" Blazing pulled his seal back out of his bag showing it to the archivist. "I'm impressed you knew they existed. I've only heard that name used by Princess Celestia. They are among books not meant to be seen by anyone short of the princesses and you apparently. Follow me." The archivist began making his way to the back corner of the archives where he inserted a hoof into a small gap between two shelves. The bookshelf ended up revealing the classic secret door. It led to a spiral staircase going down. When they reached the bottom, braziers automatically lit, illuminating the small reading room. "I must warn you that the information kept here is private for a reason. Everything down here is either dangerous or not meant to be public knowledge, so you must not divulge anything you learn while in here." The archivist began making his way to a shelf on the left side of the room where he pulled out a rather old looking leather bound book. "Here's the books you requested. It is both a research documentation and journal of Winter Storm, however it was never completed. From what I'm told it has an abrupt end, but even I am not allowed to know what is contained within most of these books. Happy reading sir." "Thank you." The book titled "Storms of A Different Nature, magical research of the elements", written by Winter Storm was well preserved for how many centuries it had been around. Blazing opened the first page and began reading. Journal Entry I (7/3/331 ME): Today marks the first day of controlled testing for what activates my special talent. Emotions have been known to set off the storm inside, and past experience demonstrates that the amount of mana consumed is greater than should be possible based on personal reserves. The theory is all elemental magic must tap into external ley-lines. Today the first test will be to feel the flow of ley-lines around the environment. The page continued on, and Blazing was soaking up all the ideas held within the experiments. Winter had been trying to connect with nature to use the full extent of her abilities, because harnessing the elements seemed to take more power than she possessed. Journal Entry XXIV (2/27/332 ME): Progress has been exponential since finding a connection with Equestria's ambient magic. Now, the use of pure willpower can formulate snowstorms, rainfall, high speed winds, and just yesterday lightning. Another major discovery from the past week is that using the runes we've discovered thus far makes magic usage more efficient. Below the currently known elemental patterns are documented: Water (∇) Air (🜁) Earth (🜃) Lightning (+) Ice (*) Journal Entry XXXI (5/15/332 ME): This date marks the discovery of something new that should have never happened. A new type of "elemental' power was discovered that we have dubbed STAR (Supernova with Terribly Adverse Repercussions). We were lucky to stop the spell halfway or else worse things could have happened, but the events of today were still a catastrophe. Our lab was destroyed, and half the ponies within a hundred-foot radius went blind. We were lucky to escape with our lives, as no pony was lost to the spell. The experimenting will have to cease for the sake of public safety. Even for the half second the spell was active before it was dispelled, I felt as though I was being pulled apart. My grip on the world was fading. I will not be including the symbol in my documentation. No pony short of Princess Celestia should wield the power of the sun. Blazing could have stopped reading since he had found everything related to his magic within the first 31 entries but there were only 2 more entries, so he decided to continue. Journal Entry XXXII (5/26/332 ME): I have recovered from my magical exhaustion induced by STAR only to hear that the Dragons have waged war on Equestria. They have already burned some of the outer rural villages to the ground. Situations are getting dire, and I can't help but think my research may be able to save ponies' lives. I don't know what to do, but I'm not going to watch ponies suffer. Princess Celestia has mobilized almost the entirety of the guard, but what will they do against hundreds of dragons? I tried to get my former mentor to put me on the front lines, but she wouldn't allow me into battle. I've decided I'm going anyways to at least slow down the dragon army. I want to say farewell to my research assistants, but they would just tell the princess, so I am acting alone in this. Whatever happens.... whoever reads this... If I die... I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye... Thank you for supporting me over the years after I lost my parents. Journal Entry XXXIII (5/29/332 ME): I've been attempting to slow the Dragons attack's down by creating blizzards, and I have downed a few with well-placed lightning bolts, but so far this has only enraged them further. They know I've been striking them from a distance and now I'm sure they are looking for vengeance. They are traveling towards Canterlot and will be there by evening if no-pony can stop them. The thing is I can... I'm just scared to use it again so soon... I'm going to use STAR... I think If I can get close enough and keep the spell activated long enough... I don't know. I'm scared to try for fear of hurting any ponies on the defensive front, but my time is running out. Princess Celestia wants me back in Canterlot and I've witnessed some awful things. I think I need to do it before the dragons get close enough to civilization again where either I destroy things with my spell, or they destroy things with their fire. If you found this book in my camp, please get it to Celestia. Tell her I'm sorry I couldn't be a more dependable student. Tell her... She was like my second family. Signing off for potentially the last time, ~ Winter Storm (☉) As Blazing read the name of Winter Storm written in her final moments, his eyes were pulled to the strange symbol after her name. It was the alchemical symbol for the sun. He couldn't unsee it. This was the runic design for another one of Winter's spells. This was the symbol for STAR. Suddenly Blazing was now fully aware why this book was in this restricted section of the archive. Winter Storm had documented the symbol which she vowed on 5/15/332 not to share. Blazing had seen a symbol capable of creating what he could only assume held as much potential as an atomic bomb.