I walked deep into the cave, crystalline roots extending above my head and around the walls, into the floor. I soon left Twilight and Starlight behind, my view of them cut off by a bend in the tunnel.
After a minute or so of walking, I came to a dead end covered in crystalline roots. There wasn’t any voice calling, telling me where to go from there, so I just sat down.
“I.. I’m here.” I called out to nobody in particular. No response, so I just sat there for a minute or two, thinking.
Blaze was quickly getting antsy, so I turned to walk out, but was stopped by the sight of Twilight standing in the middle of my path.
“T-Twilight?” I stammered. “I thought I said I didn’t want you to follow…”
Twilight didn’t say anything, just tilted her head and looked at me with a strange, blank expression.
“Twilight?” I asked, suddenly a bit wary. This behavior was, from my admittedly limited experience, very unlike her. Almost… mechanical?
“Are you Twilight?” I asked.
The thing that looked like Twilight shook her head.
“No,” she intoned.
I started shaking for some reason. “T-then, are you the one who called me here?”
“Yes.” The Twilight-looking thing said, nodding.
I nodded slowly. So this was the thing that could send me back home.
“Are you… are you going to send us back?” I asked. She tilted her head again.
“Do you want to be sent back?” She asked.
“I… maybe.” I said. “I… I don’t know. I want my friends to be safe, I know that much.”
The Twilight nodded.
“And what do you want for yourself?” She asked.
I closed my eyes, napalm tears streaming through their corners.
“I don’t know.” I said. “There are so many things, and I’m afraid that I can’t have them all. I… I don’t know who I am anymore.”
Well I know what I want. Blaze said. I want to end this conversation as soon as possible.
To my surprise, the Twilight-thing reacted, even though I was sure Blaze had only thought those words.
“Ah, the unrepentant spark,” She said. “You shall have your wish.”
There was a brief feeling of vertigo and reality-warping suction, and then Blaze was gone. I blinked, feeling myself in total control of my body for the first time in almost a week. I wanted to ask how this was possible, but… this Twilight seemed like more of the ‘mysterious riddles’ type than the type to give out long, drawn-out explanations.
“I… t-thank you.” I said instead.
“It was his wish.” She said back. “What is yours?”
“I… I… I don’t know.” I said. “If I go, I’ll never be able to see my friends again. If I stay, I’ll constantly be worried that I’m going to destroy them and everything they hold dear. I can’t… it’s an impossible choice.”
The Twilight thing stared at me for a few more seconds before saying;
“I did not ask you whether you wanted to go or stay. I asked you, ‘What is your wish?’”
It took me a while to parse that statement properly.
“Wait… just how much are you offering me?” I asked.
“Your heart’s desire; nothing more, and nothing less.” She responded. “If you do, truly desire it.”
I sat on my haunches and rested my head on my hoof, staring off into space, thinking of all the possibilities. What was my heart’s desire? What did I want right now, more than anything else?
And in an instant I knew.
“Yeah, yeah I do desire it.” I said. “I know what I want.”
Starlight was pacing back and forth across the tunnel entrance when I came back around the bend in the cave. Twilight was sitting uncomfortably, probably wondering how long they should wait until they should just assume that I was never coming back.
I was busy thinking what sort of clever line I should shout to them when I tripped on a small rock and fell to my knees. I gave off a short grunt that gave me away, and the two ponies looked, squinting into the cave.
“Emerald, is that you?” Starlight asked into the darkness.
“Yup.” I said. “Just… tripped, a little.”
“I… I can’t see you.” Starlight said. “Shouldn’t you be glowing?”
“Well, um… not really.” I said as I got up again, a smile crossing my muzzle. “Here, it’ll be easier if you can just… see.”
I stepped slowly into the light, causing Starlight to gasp and Twilight to cover her mouth with her hooves in surprise. The creature that emerged into the midday sun had real hooves, and a pale yellow-green coat. Her mane was disheveled and messy, and sported a minty shade with white streaks. Through that same mane poked a sharp unicorn horn, and on her flank was a picture of a yellow-green flame, burning like a campfire or a cozy hearth.
“So, uh… how do I look?” I asked, trying out my new vocal chords. That line of thought was soon interrupted by two Pink and purple ponies tackling me in huge bear-hugs. The sensation was just right, and for the first time, I cried real, wet tears.
Pinkie was ecstatic when I came back, and She immediately ran off to start planning my “Welcome to Being a Pony” party. The CMC were thrilled to found out that I was sporting a brand-new Cutie Mark, but I knew it wasn’t that big of a deal; After all, Fire being a part of who I am is something I’d always known, I’d just, paradoxically, not been able to truly embrace it until now. I did want to go back to Rarity’s boutique to try on my new dress, but, once she got over the shock of seeing me in pony, she insisted that it just wasn’t quite ready yet and I’d be able to try it out once she’d had it adjusted. Fluttershy seems like the only pony who secretly wishes I’d stayed as an elemental; now that I’m a pony, I think she feels like she has to be as nervous around me as anypony else. Maybe some more time will help her to feel differently.
For now, Twilight has agreed to keep me around in her castle until I can find myself a proper job; All kinds of options have suddenly opened up now that I can touch things without burning them, though I still think it might be a bit difficult to resist making something burst into flames from time to time.
We can worry about all of that later, though. For now, I’ve started yawning, and according to Twilight and Spike that means I need to get to sleep. Sparks, this pony body comes with a whole lot of new sensations that’ll take getting used to. I don’t regret my choice one bit, though. No matter how much adjustment it’ll take, I’ll be able to work through it with Starlight and Twilight’s help. I can’t promise it’ll be an easy road, but… well, Friends will make it a lot easier.
Well, I guess this might be my last entry for a while; Since I’m no longer a fire elemental, biologically at least, Twilight no longer needs me to keep this journal for scientific reasons, though I might try start it up again on my own time. Once I learn to read and write, that is.
For now, then, goodbye, and I hope to write again.