//------------------------------// // The Living Element // Story: Staying Neutral // by NeutralZ1 //------------------------------// Three days has past since his arrival in the Canterlot Castle where he learned most of the ponies are harmless. Not in any way human though they do speak the same language their way of living is not the same. Past three nights have been horrible and the beds weren't the problem... It was Tibbers snoring and Graves negative attitude. What nights those have been! Breakfast was served and ate and their mini meeting has come to a close except one thing. "Neutral," Celestia spoke out unexpectedly startling few of the ponies. "I like to speak with you after breakfast? It's about your element," Celestia continued on as she sat waiting for the others to leave besides the Elementalists and the guards . "You may be wondering why I wanted to speak with you." "Let me guess," Neutral tried to guess the answer, "you're going to give me a test to see if I've been studying or not?" "You're half right, but I want to see how you can handle your own element with our trial," the feeling Neutrals getting when Celestia said trial. "There's nothing to worry about except if your element accepts you and doesn't overthrow you." "Overthrow meaning?" Neutral tried dragging the question out of her mouth. "Engulf your very soul and controlling your very body," she responded the best she could. Slamming the table the aggressive grey unicorn responded, "In other words this may kill me" "It may not-" "May not what?! Take my body leaving me to see all it would do?!" "Silence." "Why in the world would I kill myself doing thi-" "I SAID SILENCE!" Celestia raised her voice out leaving the aggressive unicorn not so aggressive. "Neutral, I know you're scared right now, but please hear me out. This won't be as bad as you think if you're nice to your element. Sparky certainly would be doomed if it weren't for one miracle." Paused for dramatic scene, "Accepting her friendship to their element." She smiled at Sparky who was petrified and her eyes were watering up. "Excuse me Princess, I need use the restroom," Sparky said quietly and hurried out the door. Celestia smiled at Sparky as she left and darted her eyes to Neutral, "We've only had a few ponies who couldn't handle their element or fakes." "Fakes like imposters?" Neutral asked. "Yes, long ago ponies who had the elements were to the ponies, important as I am. I've held many trials to prove they to are what they said they are. Those who don't however will be engulfed and their body, depending on their element, will freeze them in place for all eternity. Magic cannot unfix the bindings and if they could their minds will forever crazed by their element. I cannot for their own peace in mind break the bond and must stay bonded to the element." Celestia ended her story frowning and closing her eyes to forget those dark days. "Celestia, I promise you-" "No Neutral," Celestia cut him off. "Don't promise me, I cannot assist you in any way. This will be your journey and you must go alone. I want you to think it over for right now so I'm sending you and The Elementalists to see a Wonderbolt show. Hope that will clear your mind from the curse." Celestia smiled as she stood up from the table and left the room leaving the remaining Elementalists behind. "Woo hoo alright!" Coral Reef said excitedly. "This again?" Graves said in a depressed tone. "The Wonderbolts?" Neutral asked. Coral looked back at him in surprise, "I know you haven't been around here, but you haven't heard of The Wonderbolts?" Neutral shook his head waiting for her mouth to run again, "Their one of the best fliers in all Equestria!" "Will we have cotton candy?" Tibbers cut in. "Sure be my guest and as for you, Graves." Coral darted her eyes on Graves who did not like the idea of going, "you're not going to run off to any nearby museum and hide right?" Graves rolled his and faced Coral, "First off that museum had a series of plants I wanted to chat with." Coral rolled her eyes while Neutral stared at him blankly giving Graves notice. "What, I'm not crazy?! Plants told me things no other book has told me and you still say I'm crazy!" Graves angerly spoke out as he set his head roughly on the table, giving up on explaining his logic to them. "Anyways," Neutral began to speak. "When do we get to see these Wonderbolts?" "Well we wait in here for our tickets to arrive and it usually starts in the afternoon so we have plenty of time roam around right Graves?" Coral spoke as she gave a sly grin to Graves who his only reply was a simple growl. "What exactly did happen to Graves?" Neutral asked. Coral looking toward and thought how to put her words together, "He left without speaking to any of us where he was running off to and gave the guards questioning everypony whether they do or not. Found him in the library chatting with the plants like he was on a hot date." She finished as Graves grunted and slammed his hoof to the table. "First off it wasn't a date! Second it was a rare type of flower that speaks almost like the dead, shove off!" Graves leaned back in his chair pouting. "What's getting you so worked up?" Coral asked to the stubborn pale purple eyed unicorn. "The plants, trees, soil have eyes watching everything! Their talking behind my back how I'm not normal like any other pony!" Grave explained his paranoia. "The plants?" "No! The guards, maids, Princess Celestia, and the other ponies have been talking about how dark I am and should go back to the graveyard... Well the last part is true, I don't want protection I want to live by myself away from all the living ponies." Graves is serious about everyone talking behind his back. Neutral spoke out finally, "And have the dead accompany you?" Graves simply nodded his head still angered about the other ponies, "How about this; we go to the museum for half an hour or so and go do other stuff around in Canterlot?" Neutral suggested. "Make it an hour and I won't stray off," Graves raised the deal only to leave Neutral sighing. Coral Reef decided to step in, "You got a deal!" A guard pegasus stepped into the room holding wrist bands or hoof bands in his teeth. He set them down on middle of the group of Elementalists. "Sweet there here!" Coral smiled as she took one of the bands that's her and puts them on. The guard spoke out in a serious tone, "Our majesty would like me to watch after you. Graves," he paused staring Graves. "If you're out of sight for more than a minute I'll send somepony to watch after you personally." The white pegasus stared down Graves who just grunted as a response. "Hey guard dude?" Coral Reef asked the cold eyed pony, "We're planning on going to a museum first before seeing the Wonderbolts. We kinda made a promise to this stick in the mud." Coral hinted over to Graves who simple rolled his eyes. The guard squinted his eyes at Coral thinking they almost crushing their promise when he smiled, "I haven't been to one since I was a colt." Coral and Tibbers smiled brightly. They all left except Sparky who sat in bed still thinking about that mishap with her element. She said she'll join them when the show starts. Walking into the Canterlot Museum the group split to look at painting, sculptures, etc. Neutral however came across one painting of a simple flame with blue streaks on the tip of the flame. He found himself fixated to the painting as the more he stares, the more interesting it gets. "Ember Soul," a white stallion stood beside him admiring the painting. Neutral stared at him blankly and gave the stallion a slight jump, "Oh my apologize, I'm Fancy Pants and who might you be?" The white stallion asked. Neutral sounded his name quietly to himself, "Neutral." He replied to the now surprised Fancy Pants. "Oh so your the one pony who survived that dastardly fall. I must say you recovered quite well than most other ponies. But I must ask, what I heard is true you hold one of the elements yes?" Fancy asked. "You're correct, but what is your business with me?" Neutral asked the curious stallion. He tapped his chin as he quickly examined him, "You seem out of place for the most part and does your element have to do with this painting?" he smiled showing no threat to him at all. "Umm... Yes." He replied nervously. "Look here young stallion, take a look at this piece," Fancy looked at the painted as well as Neutral. "The artist who made this thought of this dangerous fire to be beautiful. He once said their misunderstood just like how we see carnivores as dangerous because they eat living things, but they need to in order to survive. Eating anything it can to sustain themselves." Fancy explained the art to the inspired Neutral. "What your saying is we shouldn't fear it, but at the same time if you make it mad it'll become aggressive?" Neutral explained the best he can. "So to speak yes. May I ask where you're from?" Fancy asked. Neutral looked back at Fancy with uneasy feeling, "It's none of your concern." "Very well Neutral. I'll be off and take care of yourself," Fancy Pants gave a quick smile and turned to leave. Neutral thought to himself about how fire is a misunderstood element. Fire burns anything, it's used in wars as weapons and concentration camps during WWII in his dimension. How could it be something of beauty if the after math of one being set ablaze turns gruesome. Either way Fancy Pants has said the fire does not stand for hatred from where Neutral was thinking about. Stood thinking for several minutes over arguing himself on how his element can even be worth called beautiful; Coral walked up to him startling him, "I'm sorry," Coral smiled sheepishly. "We're ready to go whenever you are." Coral continued and smiled. ------------------------------------------------------------ Making their way through the hordes of surrounding ponies, they had the best seats to watch the Wonderbolts up close and almost personal. Neutral inspected the surrounding area and it seemed like a betting ring for who wins first. He himself isn't into gambling Coral decided to place a few bets before their guard forced her to quick. "Wow," Neutral said in awe as the Wonderbolts came out to race wearing skin tight blue body suits. Before racing they waved back at the audience and one specific pegasus stared at the group of Elementalists. The mare who was five yards away stared Neutral down stunned and completely in shock as to somehow he rose from the dead. One of her opponents knocked her out of it as the race was to begin. Neutral couldn't believe she somehow knew him, but he never knew her or any of the Wonderbolts? "Oh my Celestia Neutral what did you do?!" Coral was fidgeting over her betting tickets as anyone's guess the pony who stared Neutral down. The race began as streams of smoke and fire left them. It just struck Neutral that the pony who was currently racing on this track, the one who stared him down, that mare was none other than the stream of fire as he fell. That meant she not only tried to save him, but gave him the element fire! Neutral could not believe this mare gave him the ability to manipulate fire! "Coral who is she!?" Neutral desperately wanted answers from the now surprised Coral. "Who?!" Coral having no knowledge of what he's trying ask. "That fire looking pony!" This point he practically started yelling. "Spitfire, what has gotten into you?!" Coral answered his question. Neutral laid his hooves on her shoulders and had the face like he knows all the knowledge of the universe, "She is the one who gave me my element, Spitfire is that pony on the tracks right now! She's the reason for my element!" Neutral practically shook her until he laid his hooves off her, "I need to talk to her ASAP!" Coral thought it over looking every way to avoid raining on his parade, "Umm well we can't really for say, I mean yes these tickets gave us the best seats, but it doesn't mean we can see them personally." She smiled awkwardly as it turned into a frown. Neutral frowned as well and left the stands to go find his element. Searching all around finding the one place they go out for public viewing, and autographs. He waited by the exit for roughly five minutes until the double doors swung open. Swarm of ponies crowded Neutral and blocked him of his element. Spitfire didn't look too happy as she lost going in last place, because of Neutral he would think. Forcing his way over to Spitfire as he shoved the ponies out of the way he called out to her, "Spitfire!" "Yeah yeah hold your saddles," she spoke sadly and unaware of him. "Now what did-," her jaw dropped at the pony who she failed to save from his fall standing in perfect condition except the bandage over his horn. "You. You in the locker room right now!" She spoke like a drill Sargent. Neutral had a dirty mind after hearing that, but also scared what she may do to him. Following her closely leading him to the locker room he was nervous. As Spitfire opened the door to the locker room she quickly closed it behind him and locking it, there seems to be no one else here except them. "How?" Is all Spitfire could say. "How what?" Neutral looked in different directions unaware of the situation. Spitfire practically yelled at him, "How did you survive the fall!? I failed to save you and through out the month I was ridiculed for our performances were mere magic acts and we cheated those races!" Spitfire started to tear up, but trying really well to hide it, "I'm sorry for not saving you. I called out for you and didn't listen or couldn't hear me." Looking down at her hooves. "Will you please forgive me?" Spitfire looked at Neutral with so much pride taken from her she didn't know what else to do. Neutral sighed and hugged her, "I'm not mad at you Spitfire, it was my choice to accept my would be death." Pulling away from Neutral Spitfire looked up at him, "Why were you going so fast then?" "The faster I fall, the quicker my death will be. I wasn't aware you were behind me, I thought I was hallucinating from the fall and chose to ignore it." He explained to her as she turned her head away from him. "That was quite brave of you, well knowing you're going to die. Honestly thought Soarin was the stupid brave one; you however took the cake." Grinning as she giggled to herself. Neutral was confused at the sudden emotion Spitfire had, "What does that supposed to mean?!" Spitfire turned to face him still grinning, "Take it as a compliment already. Anyways you know who I am, now I want to know who you are?" Spitfire ask the grey unicorn. "Neutral... Oh do you have somewhere to go?" Neutral asked the pegasus. She shook her head, "Nope I'm actually supposed to be done for the day, I would be doing another round if I haven't lost." "They disqualified you?" Neutral asked. "No Soarin said I can't that I'm making the team look bad for me to lose. I don't want to leave my team to do all the work, but at the same time I feel like I'm dragging them down. I might as well quick and become a weather pony or something along those lines." Spitfire said as she dragged herself over to the bench and started peeling away of her suit exposing her body to him. Like it mattered or anything since everyone of these ponies are naked, except she's different. As Neutral was talking to her he felt something familiar not just being attractive which he found it odd how he himself attracted to a pony. No, he felt this feeling when he's close to fire and yet she's stronger than the flames if he was not in the burning state. He couldn't stand to leave her just like any other flame. This is what beauty may have been in the painting, a beautiful flame, his flame Spitfire. Neutral started to blush immensely at Spitfire who was fully expose and sweating. Looking back Neutral she gave him a small grin, "Never saw a mare naked before Neutral?" Neutrals face turned red from the sheer beauty, yellow fur coat with slick back fire like mane and tail with orange eyes. "I... I'm just not... not used to seeing someone as beautiful... as you." He explained roughly. She rolled her eyes and shook her head, "You're not first one to say that, many others say it all the time and it means nothing to me. You have to do better than that!" She challenged him. Neutral thought it over for a moment giving Spitfire plenty of time to grab a nearby towel to hook on the shower wall. "You're the fire to my candle, and oh... if you light it you're easy to... handle, you turn my soul to... ember, and will you be mine... forever?" Neutral clenched his teeth and shut his eyes as he saw her eyes wide open. What Neutral expected a slap came an unexpected kiss on the cheek, "You know that was good, no better than anything I've heard and for that I really want to get to know you Neutral and how did you come up with this?" Neutral almost fell as a mare from this dimension likes him, "I came up with it just now since umm well, I'm an Elementalist from Canterlot. And this is just a theory, but I think your the one who gave me my elemental power... fire. For some reason though you're setting off something you can relate to is fire." "Woah woah woah, hold on. So you're one of the important ponies next to the Royal Officers of the Guard. I'm surprised you came without a guard with you?" Neutral went wide eyed as how he completely ditch his group , "Actually he did, he's with the other group. I'm that important though huh? Well to tell you the truth I'm supposed to be doing the trials after the show." Spitfire shook her head as she walked in a circle and stop, "I heard these trials are dangerous and failing means-." "Your body will become a statue," he continued her sentence. "I thought that was legend?" Spitfire seemed shock at the sudden news. Neutral shook his head, "No it is not; the trial is to prove to your element your will is stronger and needs your trust. I'm not sure what to expect really." Spitfire laid her hoof on Neutrals shoulder, "I know we've started dating, but all the things you've said to me I believe in you. Now I need to shower so get out!" She grinned as Neutral rolled his eyes and walked out facing a Wonderbolt. "Who gave you permission to enter our locker room?" The stallion spoke down on him. Neutral sighed, "Spitfire needed to talk to me what business is it to mister...?" "Soarin, what makes you so special she wants to talk to you?" Soarin asked rudely. "Well considering I'm the reason for her past failed races, I'd say she's back on whatever she's been on." He smiles showing him up. He still wasn't impressed, "Yeah right, this better be the last time I see you!" "Its not," Neutral responded. "What do you mean?" Soarin was puzzled. "We're dating," he answered his question leaving the angry pegasus walking past to the locker room door. Neutral calmly shook his head, "You snooze you lose." smiling about at the achievement he got as he scored one of the most beautiful mares he laid his eyes on. He'll need to concentrate on the task that will be at... hoof. Not getting stoned.