"Neutral?" Coral tried to get his attention.
"No," Neutral said.
"Come on!" Coral pouted
"I said no," Neutral replied.
"Please?" Coral stepped in front of his path smiling.
"Will you go away," Neutral walked around her as him and the group made their way back to the castle.
"Okay hot head," Coral rolled her eyes before seeing a handsome stallion walking by. "And hello hot piece of-."
"Coral Reef front and center," the guard demanded Coral to stay with the group. Doing just that she ran up to the group and smiled at the guard, "You're lucky I'm in a good mood."
"Oh don't be such a rusty old shield," Coral taunted the guard playful.
Tibbers cut in apologizing, "Sorry about your shield."
Neutral, Graves, and Coral all face hoofed over Tibbers apology even though he was smart enough to know that air rusts metal. "Colt what are you talking about?" The guard asked.
"Ignore his idiocy," Graves said as Coral used her magic and created a marble sized saliva ball out of his mouth and chucked it at his face.
"Oops?" Coral defend Tibbers who laughed at Graves.
"Coral Reef, may I remind you that I'll be reporting your behavior to the Princess's," The guard mentioned his duty.
"Yeah sir whatever sir," Coral rolled her eyes as she lazily saluted. Graves used is magic to raise a block from the road they were walking on and tripped Coral, "Hey!"
"Gotcha," Graves grinned over his minor accomplishment.
The guard had enough of this nonsense, "Next pony who uses their element I'll have you wait here for someone who can foalsit you."
"Dude, we're at the castle gates," she said as the guards open the gates for her and walked down to the castle entrance followed by other Elementalists.
"Fighting again?" a gate guard asked.
"Yep."
"Coral and Graves?"
"As always."
"Water pumps or buildings used?"
"Just spit and a piece of the road."
"Lucky you."
"Yep," the guards made a quick discussion before heading in to report his morning.
Meanwhile, Neutral laid in his bed reading more about fire and it can be used in work areas when a knock followed by a door opening. Sparky was the one who open the door, "Good you're not busy," she said as she walked toward his bed.
"What do you want?" Neutral asked.
"It's not what I want, it's about what you should hear," Neutral nodded as Sparky continued. "You already know I was close to immobilization right? Well you don't know what it feels like when you come close to becoming... a glass energy statue. It was like drowning in a pool of water with your breath held for long period of time. Now think that only with electricity and the moment when you're going to go unconscious is when time stops there." Sparky gulped loudly and seemed nervous, "Your mind, your body from that point on will forever drown you stopping time itself in your brink of death. Its... its cruel and unusual to think one needs to bet their own life over some stupid ability, but I love it and I can't stand leaving its side even though it tried to engulf me." She was tearing up and smiling as she looked down shaking her head. "I can't tell you what it will be like since everything is a mix of white jigsaw puzzles, you can finish it in due time however it still doesn't lead to your answers since their blank to begin with." Sparky looked up and gave him a serious tone.
Neutral took this all in from the near death time still to the blurry adventure, "If the pieces were put together correctly what makes you think you can't remember them?"
"You foal, the pieces don't have to do anything with what I'm saying. The pieces are white to begin with meaning you know they have a purpose, but finishing the puzzle is worthless if you don't know what its supposed to mean in the first place!" Sparky explained her knowledge to Neutral as he still thought about it.
"You know its there but no matter what you do you can't seem to know what it is, right?" Neutral tried grasping the idea as Sparky nodded.
"Correct. All I know is the feeling of losing ones self and I hope it be a lesson to you so you won't end up an obsidian statue." Sparky stated and left the room. "By the way," she stopped. "Their waiting for you in the throne room right now," Sparky then left out of his sight.
Neutral sat there thinking for a while then rushed to the door only to find himself tripping over himself. He hasn't completely healed yet, but he hurried along to the throne room to see the rest of the Elementalists outside out of the throne room. "What's going on?" He asked as they wore different hooded robes. "And the robes?"
Coral wore an aquatic colour palette filled with waves and sand. Tibbers has air fade white lines representing wind and leaves as well as a blue and cloudy sky on the robe. Graves robe made him look usually bright for he as boulders and plants such as flowers and grass. Sparky who just arrived must have grabbed her robe, this was different as she had lighting bolts everywhere with a dark blue hue in the background.
Coral didn't look to happy, more over serious look made Neutral instantly nervous, "The robes protect us from any magic and elemental harm. We wear them in case you'll be engulfed and does not bind you." Coral said making Neutral even more nervous as this could hurt anyone if he were to fail.
Sparky frown as she faced Coral, "Stop scaring him, it's bad enough you're doing this on purpose." Coral broke her serious tone and laughed at Neutrals expression.
"You should've seen the look on your face!" Coral laughed again.
Frowning at her prank Neutral sighed heavily, "I hate, I hate you so much right now!" Neutral glared at the purple pony.
Coral giggled and stopped herself before speaking, "These robes do protect us from any assassinations or we're called out outside of Canterlot for special stuff," she explained.
Sparky walked up to Neutral and looked him in the eye, "Trust me if these three can pass you will surely pass and I have one advice. Don't show any fear." Sparky said as Neutral nodded unable to say anything after that.
The doors opened to the room and the Elementalists were led in. As soon as they entered the doors shut upon entering. Celestia and Luna looked upon them not with greetings, but more over a warning, "Neutral, thy Fire Elementalist! You shall be tested if thy is worthy of your eternal command! Do you comply?" Celestia spoke like Luna did.
Neutral breathing heavily as he spoke, "Y-yes."
Luna began speaking like how she was when he met her, "Does thou wish to give more time?"
"I want to get this done and over with," Neutral spoke nervously.
Celestia's turn to speak, "Patience young one. Rushing won't quicken the trials any more than you try without having your life taken." She spoke her usual self almost and yet very convincing.
Luna took over, "You may all leave us now," The guards left the room as soon as Luna gave the order.
Celestia's horn glow yellow as she pointed to the ground where an entrance led to a good sized dark tunnel room for three ponies. The princesses stood up and walked toward the entrance, "This way." Celestia spoke.
Leading down the dark tunnel with only the light of the princesses horns glowed and torches that must have been lit before their arrival. It felt like it took hours getting to where they needed to be only find out it was a five minute walk down halls and stairs. Neutral had to look back several times before he felt safe with the Elementalists and two powerful alicorn princesses. The room door or a vault door from the looks of it stood in front of them as the bars lifted up. The door swung open and he knew this place was beyond what he'd expected as the room felt different, not as different as levitated by magic no. This dark room felt crowded, Celestia took a torch from the wall using her magic and levitated in the center of the room to see statues of ponies. Looking back at the Elementalists they did not once look at the statues as they looked away. Taking a closer look were rows of ponies in their own element, trapped by it. He recognized a few such as the wielder of earth was turned to stone with mold on them. Aqua was ice as it frightened to see through the pony. Air was something he would not believe if told, a cloud of some sort created a figure of the pony. A pony made up of glass and electricity stood as activity inside it continued which shook Neutrals core. Finally what got to him was a pony made up of obsidian and ember that glowed faintly as whatever was inside cling to life.
Neutral stood there frozen in place as the many ponies who once held life are now smite for their attempted at new power. Celestia spoke softly with sadness in it, "These ponies are struggling everyday. Every week. Every year. Yet, anything I do will suffer them greatly and I cannot end their life without feeling more guilt." Celestia looked very guilty and depressed. "Elementalists, you're very special to me for not only receiving this gift, but you alone can wield this magic as my student and I cannot. I respect you greatly than any other for proving not only your ability to control your element, but also brave enough to seek it until your journey has ended. These Elementalists failed to obtain this ability, but they showed their willing enough to sacrifice their life for their element and for that I protect them from the outside as they will remain here." Shutting the door and locking the bars to the room Celestia looked over Neutral, "This is your last chance, are you willing to give up everything to obtain this power?"
Breathing accelerating rapidly as Neutral thought over his chances and is it worth it? Thinking back at a book he once wrote but never published. Shawn Blaze, a character from the story had the power of fire and meant vengeance to Neutral as he wrote it. Using it to dispose and purify the world by burning the enemies and anyone who stands in his way. He made him so that fire stood for the power and unstoppable force that is Shawn Blaze. His parents back in his dimension fear the fire he once used to depict evil. If he holds this new found power what will happen if he survives? What happens if he fails? What if he will never see Spitfire again, the one who gave him this element and very related to fire. He'll never see her again even if he declines, she would never go for someone who gave up so easily without trying. That is trying and not succeeding he will be trapped either way.
Neutral sat on the ground shaking profusely and he held his head trying to decide. Fear took over and cold sweat started dripping off him. A hoof touch his back and Luna spoke, "You can do it, Neutral." Luna said as Neutral looked up to her as she smiled. "We've seen your dreams and know you have the potential to finish the trial." Luna nuzzled Neutral for a boost of confidence.
Neutral gave a slight grin as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath and out, "I'm ready."
"Are thou sure?" Luna asked.
"Yes," Neutral replied weakly but confident.
"Very well, follow us," Luna said as the group followed the princesses. Down the hall their was another door, this wasn't as heavy but had the different elements on the door itself. Five ponies surround the half moon and sun symbolizing what may appear to mean protection or guidance.
Opening the door was a large room as it held torches on both sides of the wall, the middle of the room has a decorated sheet where the design from the door held. The princesses stood in front of the room and Luna levitated a candle on the sheet. "Please lay in front of this candle as your source will guide you," she spoke as Neutral did as he was told.
He looked back at the Elementalist and Coral came up and use her magic to remove the bandage from his horn, "You won't need this," she smiled and went to the side where the others were.
"Now," Celestia began, "Concentrate on your element and only your element. Let the fire surround you, let it enter you, let the door to your mind open to the stranger as you both will become one. Close your eyes and let it enter you," Celestia spoke sternly.
Neutral closed his eyes and thought only on his element. The candle began to grow as flames surrounded him like a bubble protecting him from anything. It did not burn though and his mind slipped into a coma state.
Finding himself in darkness where he feared something in it, not the darkness itself, but what's lurking inside of it. He look all over and found nothing until an unfamiliar voice spoke, "Hey." Neutral turned to a barely visible hallway just like in his dimension where doors and corners of the halls were shown, barely visible yet light enough to see. He carried on to see prison like gates on different halls to prevent going there. He wonders if this is what his mind looks like in his view.
Walking around some more he had the nagging feeling he was being watched. "Hey," said the voice through an open door, Neutral jumped back and got into some sort of fighting stance. "Don't be alarmed," the voice turned the corner and what appeared to be a bipedal creature, the skin looks as though it was actually skinned and the body was thin as though it hadn't eaten ever, the face had barely noticeable nose and the mouth grinned widely with no lips, the eyes had small black dots as it stared at the grey unicorn with no eyelids.
"What the hell are you!?" Neutral stood his ground, scared beyond belief and yet feared that this thing came for him.
"You must follow before it arrives," it said as its boney fingers signaled him to follow as he walked slowly into a hunch. Neutral hesitated and glimpsed in the room he came from, "Nightmares beyond there, don't go in," it said as he heard faint sounds coming slowly. He did not hesitate to follow this thing through the darkness.
Several minutes passed as they head toward a lock gate. The thing grabbed something in a nearby room, a machete he held and Neutral began to panic when the thing cut its own head off. No blood came out but the head was still alive as it turned to face Neutral, "Apologize for that, safe way to hide the key," It said as the key taken out from its neck of the head. It attached the head again to its body and unlocked the gate. Whispers were heard through some of the rooms that were closed. "Its here," it said as it walk briefly down the stairs to the open room from the other rooms, this room was bigger as it held a pool table in the center of the room where only a ceiling fan light hovered closely over it.
"What is this place?" Neutral asked looking around as he went toward the pool table.
The thing grabbed a pool cue and led toward another hallway that only led toward to a pitch black hallway. He gotten scared again as he looked at the thing again, "Face your fears, you are the light to the darkness, light up your path. I cannot follow you as it is up to you to finish." Neutral looked down the hallway again unsure what to do, "Show me you can face your fears and handle me."
Neutral looked back as the thing to see it turned into his human self, Neutral, as it faded away until Neutral himself was alone. He couldn't handle this place and wanted to give up , but something inside told him to press on and keep going forward. Something strange however gave him perfect knowledge of how to use magic. He instantly light the room up by his horn which glowed. Taking a deep breath he pressed on as the hallway kept going straight despite the lock gates blocking the other halls. Those gates weren't to keep him out he realized as something dented and bend the tough looking bars. His eye caught red glowing eyes beneath the darkness as it huffed loudly and stared at the grey unicorn with such anger and aggression. Neutral kept pressing despite seeing what could have been his end if that gate hadn't been blocking whatever that thing was.
A sudden bass of a boom box of some sort banged once, startling Neutral he looked back at the path he took and the sound came from there. He was pretty sure nobody in any of the rooms were even listening to music in this realm. He walked forward more and the sound got louder once more. Neutral kept walking as the sound went off a second early than last time. He knows something is coming, but what? The sound began to go faster and as it went a steady catchy and yet scary beat where whatever that thing was is getting closer and closer and Neutral had to run for it.
Neutral ran as fast as he could and as he did he looked back to see a faded bipedal figure as the features were unknown. Neutral ran faster as his hooves can take him until he reach a dead end where the gate had locked itself, a bright light was just at the end of it. He bucked it and had no use until a key stood between him and that thing chasing him. He knowingly levitated the key over to the lock and quickly open it and did not dare look at that thing as he shut the gate behind him and leap into the light.
Finding himself staring at the he instinctively carried the flame off the candle and into mid air, it felt so right handling it. "Beautiful," he spoke as the flames tinted blue and put the flame back on the candle where it lit up again.
"Congratulations Neutral," Celestia chimed in smiling at her new found Elementalist. "You made it despite your fears, trust, and confidence. I will forever be a student to you, all of you have proved your all brave and strong minded ponies. Neutral I wish the best out of your life." Celestia smiled.
Luna began to speak, "Yes, my sister and I are happily grateful you passed the trial and upon receiving the element, fire. Is there anything you want as a celebration?"
Neutral shook his head, "No thanks, I'm not comfortable with those sort of things."
"We weren't talking about a party," Luna said as she gave Celestia a wink.
"The one who looked after you mentioned you and Spitfire in the locker room alone." Neutrals face turned red as she smiled. "I've made a quick note to the guards as soon as you were awake. I'm sure she'll want to see you," she giggled at Neutrals embarrassment.
Coral and Tibbers ran behind him and hugged him, "Awesome dude you made it!" Coral spoke happily.
"What was it like I can't remember mine?" Tibbers asked.
Graves stepped, "You idiot of course you can't remember, not only you fell off the roof but forgot when we do these trials you won't remember a thing!"
The princesses both sighed and shook their head at Graves, "I think it's time to leave, wouldn't you agree Neutral?" Celestia ask as she was about to blow out the candle when Neutral stopped her.
"Allow me," Neutral said as he lift the flame up and compressed it till it it was a pure white ball of fire and soon it popped like a firecracker. "Guess I went out with a bang," Neutral said as he smiled.