Part 7
Three souls… I can hear them… no, no words… emotions… excited… insecure… confident…. They’re connected… but how...? Something… watching… waiting….
Soul’s eye flew open. He was lying in bed, now staring at the earthen ceiling above him. The sheets were tangled around him, and he was wet with perspiration. Just a dream, he thought as he sighed. He rolled over to look at the desk. The Power of Nature laid open where he left it the night before, and a piece of parchment rested next to it, marked with his own notes.
He slowly untangled himself from the sheet and flopped onto the floor. He carefully picked himself up and walked over to the desk. The book was opened to the section detailing the Element of Time. Amongst his notes, he had underlined three words: progression, precision, and stability. I know what to look for, he thought as he picked up his glasses from the desk. Now I just have to figure out where to look. He closed the book before climbing the stairs to the main room.
In the main room, Twilight was sitting at the table. On the table was a plate with a couple slices of toast covered in jam. Twilight levitated one piece of toast to her mouth and began to eat it.
“Good morning, Soul,” said Twilight between bites of her toast.
“Morning, Twilight,” said Soul. “How are you feeling today?”
Twilight put her toast down on the plate. “Better,” she said with a sigh. “Spike is dropping my orders off at the post office. He sent off your report to the Princess before he left,” she added.
Soul asked, “Couldn’t he just send your order the same way he sends letters to Celestia?”
Twilight held back a small chuckle. “His dragonfire only delivers to Princess Celestia. Any other mail has to go through the Equestrian Postal Service.”
“I suppose that makes sense,” Soul said. He tapped his hooves on the table. He was unsure whether to bring up Trixie or not. This is a decision Twilight has to make on her own, he thought, but maybe she should know what I found out last night.
Twilight picked up her unfinished piece of toast with her magic before sliding the other piece in front of Soul. “So, what’s next?” she asked.
Soul was pulled from his thoughts. “Huh?”
“The Elements of Nature,” she responded earnestly. “Do you know where you’re going next?” She rubbed one hoof over the other. “I hope you didn’t forget about it yesterday, what with everything else that was going on.”
“Oh, right!” He exclaimed. “I’ll bet you’ll be surprised to hear that there is another element here in Ponyville.”
“You’re kidding!” she said, wide-eyed. “What are the odds of that?”
Soul thought about this for a moment. “Well, all of the Elements of Harmony live in Ponyville,” he said before picking up the slice of toast and taking a bite of it.
“Well, that’s true,” she said, “but we were destined to be friends. Fate brought us together.” She was about take another bite of her breakfast when she suddenly stopped and closed her mouth. “The same could be true in this case,” she eventually said. “It’s like you said; you are the only one who could bring the Elements of Nature together.” She took a bite of toast and slowly chewed it while looking towards the ceiling in thought. “Perhaps this is how it has to play out…” she muttered.
While Twilight had been talking, Soul had become lost in his own thoughts again. Her talk of ‘destiny’ and ‘fate’ called forth memories of his grandfather. He had spent a lot of time with him; he enjoyed listening to stories about his travels across the world and the interesting facts and tidbits he always shared. One memory in particular floated to the surface; it was a few days after his mother had warned him about misusing his newly discovered talent….
“What am I going to do, grandpa? I messed up big time.”
“I’m afraid there’s nothing you can do, sport. You just have to learn from your mistakes and move on.”
“I should have known better! I know what it’s like to grow up; doing everything you can to find your special talent. I just went and told them what their talents were, without even thinking….”
“You shouldn’t be too hard on yourself.”
“I ruined their foalhoods! *sniff* I wish I never got this stupid power.”
“Now hold on there! Listen to me; whatever you may think, that power is what makes you special. I understand you regret what you have done with it so far, but that doesn’t change the fact that fate gave you that power for a reason. In all my years of traveling, I have never once seen anyone else with a gift quite like yours. You are destined for great things; I’m sure of that. Your power has a purpose; you just have to go and find it.”
It was that day that the idea of traveling around Equestria was implanted in Soul’s mind – though it wasn’t until much later that he actually began his journey. Soul left his hometown with his grandfather’s blessing and his words of wisdom. When this was all over, he would go back home with his own story to tell. He only hoped he would be returning with a purpose.
“Well, at least Ponyville is a smaller area to search than Canterlot,” said Twilight as Soul slipped out of his thoughts.
“Actually,” he said slowly, “we may be able to narrow it down even further. Everfree told me that I should be looking for the Element of Time. It’s a long shot, but if you know any pony in town that could be associated with time, I could at least start there.”
Twilight looked towards the ceiling as she finished her toast. “Well, Pinkie Pie could help you there,” she said once her mouth was empty. “She knows everyone in Ponyville.” She paused momentarily before raising a hoof on to the table. “However, I can think of one pony that could fit the criteria. He’s known as Doctor Hooves, though most ponies just call him Doc. Not only is he a clocksmith, but he’s also the town’s official time keeper.”
“Time keeper?” Soul said, hoping for an explanation.
Twilight fed his curiosity. “Whenever there is an event or competition that needs to be timed, the official time keeper is called in to make sure accurate time is kept.”
Soul brought a hoof up to his chin. “He sounds like a good possibility. If it turns out to be a dead-end, then I’ll go talk to Pinkie.” He quickly finished up his slice of toast before grabbing his bag that was near the basement door. “Thanks again for all your help, Twilight,” he said as he went out the front door.
“You’re welcome,” Twilight shouted after him, “and good luck!”
Soul wandered down the streets of Ponyville until he found what he was looking for: A storefront with a sign featuring a slightly-tilted hourglass. A large window bore the words ‘Doc’s Clock Shop’ across the top. Behind the glass stood several clocks of varying sizes; some were small, plain, and simple, while others were large with intricate designs carved into their wooden exteriors.
Out of the back room came a light brown Earth pony with a dark brown mane and an hourglass for a cutie mark. Strapped to his head was a set of magnifying glasses layered over one another, each smaller than the one behind it. “Hello there! Welcome to Doc’s Clock Shop,” the stallion said with a smile. “I’m Doctor Hooves. How can I help you?”
“That’s an interesting name,” Soul said with a slight smile. “I doubt it’s your real name, so I can’t help but wonder why?”
Doctor Hooves raised an eyebrow. “You’re rather curious. Who are you to ask such personal questions?”
Soul Seer scratched his head with his hoof as he let out a nervous chuckle. “My name is Soul Seer. I’m a stranger around here, and I’m trying to get to know the locals a bit better. Sorry if I came off as a bit rude.”
Doc’s face quickly relaxed back to its original smile. “No worries. You’re right though; I’m a ‘Hooves’ by birth, but ‘Doctor’ is a nickname I acquired during my foalhood. I started asking ponies to call me Doctor, and the name just sort of stuck – though it has mostly been reduced to just Doc.” He leaned closer to Soul and lowered his voice slightly. “To be honest, I prefer it over my real name.”
Soul followed suit by leaning in closer to Doc. “Which is…?”
Doc’s smile turned into a smirk. “Now you’re just being nosy.”
The two ponies pulled back to a natural speaking position before Doc continued. “Now, I’m sure you didn’t come here just to talk about my name, so what can I help you with?”
Soul started, “Well, I’m a traveler –“
Doc’s eyes lit up with enthusiasm. “Of course” He interrupted energetically. “I should have known you were a traveler just by looking at you!” He raised his forehooves onto the glass case. “You’re looking for a watch.” Soul noticed a pair of thin metal bands wrapped Doc’s forehooves before he started to move onto another section of the glass case.
“Check this out,” Doc said as he pulled out a covered watch from inside the case. “It was designed with a pegasus in mind, but it’s a great choice for any traveler. It’s scratch-resistant, water-resistant, and lightning-resistant; guaranteed never to slide off, no matter what conditions you may find yourself in.” He closed the cover to reveal a compass embedded into the top of the watch. “It even comes with a functioning compass in the cover. This watch is an excellent companion for any pony that wants to wander the world.”
Soul nodded his head slowly as he looked over the watch. “Well, I’m certainly going to have to consider that, but I really did come to talk with you. See, I’m doing some research on clocksmithing while I’m travelling, and when I heard that there was an Earth pony clocksmith right here in Ponyville, I had to check it out for myself.”
Doc’s enthusiasm diminished as he crossed his forelegs on the glass case while he raised an eyebrow. “Excuse my disbelief, but clocksmithing isn’t exactly known for its recognition. However, if you’re serious…” Soul nodded to confirm. Doc’s smile returned. “Well then, come on back and I’ll show you what I’m working on.”
Doc slid his forehooves down to the ground and turned to face the doorway to the backroom. He stood still and looked at a box filled with packing material located next to the doorway before he said, “Hold on a moment. I need to do something quickly.” He picked up the box and moved around the store before placing it in front of one of the shelves near the center of the room. Soul watched him with curiosity. Doc nodded at the box before turning to face Soul. “Now we can go.”
The backroom was slightly smaller than the store front. The walls were lined with shelves and drawers, and a sturdy work bench resided in the center. On the bench was a medium sized clock that had its inner-workings exposed, along with a drawn blueprint of a clock. Doc motioned at the other clocks that were sitting on the shelves around the room. “I’m always trying to find the next step in making a better clock. I’ve designed clocks that track the seconds as they go by, depict the day and night cycle, and even have an alarm that goes off at a set time.” He stood behind the bench and nodded towards the incomplete clock. “My latest design will simplify the alarm system so that any pony can set it for any time they want.”
Soul leaned in to look at the exposed clockwork. “Building a piece like this must require a high level of precision.”
Doc turned to look at Soul. “I know what you’re thinking, and I suppose you’re right; almost all clocksmiths are unicorns because it requires a gentle, precise touch that generally only magic can achieve. However, I assure you, I’m just as good as they are,” Doc raised his forehooves up to his face, “and all I have are a pair of hooves and my mouth.”
Doc began to fiddle with various thin tools scattered over the workbench. He started by sliding a pair of long-handled tweezers into a loop on one of his metal bands. He tightened a bolt on the metal band with his teeth, which not only locked the tweezers into place, but also clasped them around a tiny gear that was lying on the bench. He repeated the process with a similar-sized straight socket wrench on his other hoof. He lowered the first lens of his magnifying set over his eyes as he carefully moved the gear towards its proper place within the clockwork.
Soul was getting nervous just watching the gear enter the jungle of springs and cogs, but Doc’s hooves remained steady as rock as he meticulously placed the gear onto it’s turning pin. He gently released the gear from the tweezers and proceeded to grab a nut with them. He carefully placed the nut on the turning pin and ratcheted it into place with the wrench. He then pulled his tools out of the clock without hitting a single piece of clockwork.
Soul let out a small sigh of relief. “Alright, that was impressive,” he said.
“That was a fairly standard procedure,” Doc said as he raised the lens away from his eyes. “There are plenty of other things that I have to do that are much more complicated.”
Soul asked, “How can you keep your legs so steady?” Then a thought washed over him as he took a step back and look down at Doc’s hind legs. He had been standing on them during the whole procedure. Soul motioned a hoof toward them and said, “Doesn’t that get tiring after a while?”
Doc turned his head to look at Soul. “I’ve always had steady hooves; unlike you, apparently, I don’t get shaken so easily.”
Soul gave him a slight scowl, which Doc responded with a gleeful smile.
“As for standing on my hind legs: of course they get tired after a while; it’s unnatural to be in that position for too long.” Doc brought one of his forehooves to his chin. “However, I have heard of other ponies who have tried to stand that way, and they say they find themselves quite unbalanced. I’ve never had that problem myself.” He chuckled a bit, “At least not until they start to give out. Maybe it’s because I’m an Earth pony; more stamina and all that.”
“Yeah, maybe…” Soul muttered as he continued to stare at Doc’s hind legs.
Doc’s smile flattened out as he rolled his eyes. “Well look,” he said as he carefully removed the tools from his metal bands, “if you’re going to keep staring at me, I’ll stop standing up like this.” He rotated his body so that his forelegs slid from the workbench to the floor.
A bell from the storefront rang, and a feminine voice called out, “Delivery for you, Doctor.”
Doc yelled back, “Be right there, Ditzy.” He walked out of the backroom, with Soul right behind him. Waiting among the shelves was a female pegasus carrying a small package under her wing and a small pouch wrapped around her midsection. She was light grey with a blond mane, but Soul’s eyes were quickly attracted to her own. They were golden in hue, but one looked lazily towards the ceiling, while the other addressed the two stallions.
“Oh, hello,” the mare said as she walked towards the glass case. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around before. My name is Ditzy Doo-oof!” She bumped into one of the shelves, knocking over one of the clocks from the top shelf. Soul was expecting to hear a crash, but he was surprised to only hear a soft crunch.
Ditzy shook her head rapidly before starting to apologize profusely. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to! I can pay for that!” She brought her hoof to her worried face. “How much does a clock like that cost?”
Doc started to chuckle, which surprised the other two ponies. “Don’t worry Ditzy,” he said. “No harm done. Look.” He motioned his head towards where the clock had fallen.
Both Ditzy and Soul moved to see the clock lying in the box full of packing material, completely unharmed. Soul’s eyes widened while Ditzy let out a sigh of relief. “I’m so glad I didn’t break anything,” she said.
Doc walked over to the box, and placed the clock back on the shelf. He looked at Ditzy and said, “That makes two of us. I guess luck was on our side.” He held out his hoof to her. “Now, I’ll take my package, and you” he said while nodding towards the box on the floor, “can take that box and packing material back for recycling.”
“Oh, right! Of course,” Ditzy said as she passed the package to Doc. Then she pulled a piece of twine from her pouch and carefully wrapped it around the box so that she could carry it with her mouth. She carefully carried it over to the front door. She placed it on the ground, look over at Soul, and said, ”It was nice to meet you… uhh…”
“Soul…” responded Soul automatically. His eyes were still wide and transfixed on the spot where the clock had fallen.
“Uh, right…” Ditzy said with a slightly worried smile. She turned to Doc and said, “See you around, Doctor,” before picking up the box again and backing out of the store.
Doc watched as she flew away before he turned to Soul and asked, “Now why are you acting weird all of a sudden?”
Soul’s eyes returned to normal as he quickly turned to face Doc. “That settles it! You must possess the Element of Time!”
Doc raised his eyebrows quizzically. “What?”
Soul explained his ability to see souls, what he’s discovered about the Elements of Nature, and who Everfree is and how he wants Soul to gather the Elements for him.
Doc remained silent as Soul spoke, slowly nodding his head as he let all the information wash over him. When Soul was done, Doc said, “So, you weren’t really interested in my clocksmithing; you wanted to see if I had one of these Elements inside me.”
Soul scratched the side of his head with his hoof. “That’s not to say your clocksmithing isn’t interesting, but yeah, that was my intention. I’m sorry I had to lie to you, but I didn’t want to get you involved in all this unless you had to be.”
“So, have you been looking at my soul?” Doc asked. “Is that how you’re sure I possess one of the Elements?”
Soul quickly shook his head. “No, of course not! I would never look at someone’s soul without their permission.” He started to slowly pace around the room. “You appear to possess all of the attributes associated with the Element of Time. You drive towards progress, you possess uncanny stability, and your precision is superb. To top it all off,” he said as he suddenly turned towards Doc, “you can predict the future!”
Doc sputtered out air before sharply declaring, “What!?”
“Oh come on!” Soul said as he rolled his eyes. “Don’t play dumb with me. You could have placed that box anywhere – near the door or in the back – but you put it in that very specific spot. There was no other reason to put it there but to catch the clock that that mare knocked over.” He took a large step towards Doc. “You put that box there because you knew that was going to happen!”
Doc took a deep breath and released it before responding in a firm voice. “I didn’t know the clock was going to fall. I just knew I had to put the box there.” He looked away from Soul. “I don’t know how to explain it, but every now and then, I am compelled to complete certain tasks. I don’t know why I do them – the reason doesn’t become apparent until after the event,” he turned back to Soul, “I just know I have to.”
Soul brought a hoof up to his chin. “If you’re not predicting the future, then I would have to guess that the Element of Time is allowing you indirect knowledge of your immediate fate. All other creatures would see it as their conscious choice, but perceive it differently. You would act according to your fate, regardless of other events.” Soul raised his eyes towards the ceiling. “Fascinating, even when you consider what else you could do…”
Doc’s ears perked up. “What do you mean, ‘what else I could do’?”
“I’ve seen what the Element of Fire allowed its host to do,” Soul said. “She was able to conjure a large fire and was able to control it enough that she could engulf herself in the flames without harming herself. She may be a unicorn, but I doubt her magic would have allowed her to learn such a feat overnight.” Soul’s voice rose slightly. “If all the Elements allow their hosts that level of control, then you should theoretically be able to manipulate the flow of time!”
Once again, Doc’s voice rose to match Soul’s. “You can’t be serious!”
Soul shrugged. “Well, it’s just a theory, but from what I understand of the Elements’ power, I’d say it’s a fairly accurate assumption.”
Doc stomped his hoof on the floor. “Then I want no part of it! Time is a constant; fate is already written. To alter the flow of time would be to tear at the very fabric of reality! No pony should have that kind of power!” He stared at the ground for a moment before turning back to Soul. “You said that this guardian of Everfree wants to return these elements to nature?”
Soul nodded “That’s right, but-“
“Then we should go see him. Now,” Doc said as he pulled the strap of lenses from his head.
“I’m pretty sure he needs all of the elements together before he can return them,” Soul said hastily as Doc placed the lenses in a drawer.
“Only one way to find out,” Doc responded as he removed the metal bands from his forelegs.
“Are you sure about this?” Soul asked. “I mean, the Element of Time may well be amplifying your natural talents, and I’m sure it’s given you your unnatural knowledge of your fate. Are you really willing to give that up so quickly?”
Doc dropped the bands into the drawer before slamming it shut. He turned around to face Soul with a very determined look on his face. “What would you do if someone told you had a gift that goes against everything you believe in? Would you willingly hold on to that?”
Soul’s eyes roamed the floor as he thought about what trouble he had caused with his own gift, and how bad he felt afterwards. This may be different, he thought, but if I had the opportunity then, would I have given it up? He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before raising his eyes back to Doc. “I understand. I’ll take you to see Everfree.”
Doc’s stern face softened up with a smile. “Thank you, Soul.”
Doc flipped the sign on the door to indicate the store was closed while Soul placed his sunglasses over his eyes. The two ponies then walked through town towards the Everfree Forest.
Shafts of light from the midday sun pierced the canopy of the Everfree Forest, lighting up the otherwise eerily dark landscape. Although Doc had told Soul that he had never been inside the forest before, he did not appear too shaken as the two walked amongst the trees.
Eventually, Doc asked, “Where exactly is this guardian?”
“I’m sure he already knows we’re here,” Soul responded. “It’s just a question of how long he’s going to make us wait.”
They took a few more steps before Soul suddenly stopped and signaled Doc to do the same. That means he’s watching us, Soul thought as he quickly looked around them. Not this time, Everfree. This time, I’m going to get the drop on you. The world around him faded to black as he concentrated on finding souls. The Element of Time shone bright beside him; it was light yellow in color, and its tendrils appeared to slowly rotate around the center at a constant pace. Soul struggled to ignore it as he looked around the forest.
He could see dim sparks of wildlife in the distance, but he finally caught sight of a tiny creature in a nearby tree. It wasn’t long before another similarly sized creature joined the other; however, this new arrival had a brighter spark. The dim spark flew off as the brighter spark slowly descended. To Soul’s surprise, the spark began to grow in size and intensity, and the faint outline of the creature’s body began to change into a now familiar shape. The strain became too much, forcing Soul to shut his eyes and drop his head.
“Are you okay?” Doc asked as he moved in to check on Soul.
“He’s fine,” said Everfree as he stepped into view, flashing a sly grin. “He just got caught off guard.”
Soul slowly raised his head just enough to make eye contact with Everfree. He spoke with a slight rasp, still recovering from the strain. “You can –“
“Change shape?” Everfree interrupted. “Yes, I can. It was a gift from nature I managed to hold on to.”
Doc stood up straight and looked at the draconequus. “You must be the guardian, Everfree.”
Everfree locked down at Doc with a grin. “And you’re the pony that carries the Element of Time.”
Doc returned with his own slight smile. “I’m here to make sure this element is returned to nature, where it belongs.”
Everfree shot up straight as his eyes widened slightly. “Really?” he said with a sign of surprise in his voice. His eyes quickly shifted over to look at Soul – who had now fully recovered – before turning back to Doc. “Well, as much I would love to return the Element of Time to nature right now,” he said as he relaxed his body,” I’m afraid I must wait until all of the Elements are present.” He rotated his wooden paw in the air. “If I were to return the Elements one at a time, it might cause an imbalance in their power. The results could be…” He brought his paw up to his chin for a moment before continuing,” Let’s just say I’m not willing to take that chance.”
Doc lowered his head and stared at the ground for a moment before saying, “So that’s how it must go.” He raised his head to look at Everfree. “Then I will continue to wait in Ponyville until Soul has gathered the other Elements.” He turned to nod at Soul. “You know where to find me.” He then turned towards Ponyville and walked into the forest.
Soul and Everfree watched as Doc disappeared into the trees before Everfree said, “I like him; He gets it! I can only hope the other bearers will be as understanding.” He turned to face Soul, his eyebrows scrunched into a serious expression. “Not that they’ll have a choice, but it would make things easier for everyone involved.”
Soul looked up at Everfree. “Surely you can understand their reluctance though, right? The Elements have become part of their soul; they impact who they are. Removing them will not only take away the power the bearers have been granted, it could also alter the aspects of their soul that the Elements are associated with. They may not be the same after all this is over!”
Everfree’s eyes drooped. “You’re right, and I’m sorry that it has to be that way. I don’t want to hurt anyone,” he said before quickly returning to a serious demeanor, “but I have to do what needs to be done. I have waited far too long for this damage to be repaired; Nature will be restored, no matter what the cost!”
I just hope those costs aren’t greater than they need to be, Soul thought.
“Now then,” Everfree said in his usual, relaxed state, “I know where the next two Elements are located. The Element of Water is located to the southeast – in a desert, oddly enough. Meanwhile, the Element of Earth is located to the northwest, high in the mountains.” Everfree pointed in the directions as he spoke them, and crossed his arms in front of him when he was done. “Once you have located and retrieved those two elements, bring them all to me.”
“What about the final Element?” Soul quickly asked. “We agreed that I would bring you the Elements after I had gathered all six of them.”
Everfree turned away from Soul. “I’m aware of our agreement. However, the sixth Element is remaining quiet; it is not calling out to me like the others. If the other Elements of Nature were to gather here with me, I’m sure it would reveal itself so that it could be reunited with nature.”
Soul narrowed his eyes while keeping his gaze fixed on the back of Everfree’s head. “Why would the Element be hiding from you?”
Everfree kept his back to Soul as he talked. “It is probably to ensure nature’s security. The Elements of Nature dispersed in the first place so that their power couldn’t fall into Discord’s control.” His paws clenched as he spoke the spirit’s name. “The final Element is hiding to make sure the full power of nature cannot be accessed until the Elements are securely reunited with the land.” Everfree finally turned around to look at Soul. “When it senses that the other Elements are gathered here under my protection, I’m sure it will reveal itself.” He walked past the pony as he said, “You’d better get going. The Elements are waiting for you.” He then disappeared among the trees.
As Soul headed back to Ponyville, he though, I can’t help but feel you’re lying to me, Everfree. I just don’t know about what… or why.
“Hello”, Twilight said automatically when she heard the front door to the library open. When she turned to see who had entered, she added, “Oh, Soul, it’s you. Did you find the Element of Time?”
Soul propped his sunglasses on his forehead before nodding in affirmation. “Your guess was right; it was Doc, but get this – his element is allowing him to react to future events, but he doesn’t know what the events are until they happen.”
“Whoa, hold on!” said the voice of Rainbow Dash, who was lounging on the stairs overlooking the library. “He can see into the future?”
Soul looked surprised at the pegasus. “No, he only acts in accordance to events that haven’t happened yet. What are you doing here?”
Rainbow Dash sported a look of confusion before raising an open book so that Soul could see it. “Uh… I’m reading a book. This is a library, remember?”
Soul let out a small sigh. “I mean, I wouldn’t have thought you were the reading type.”
“Have you read Daring Do?” Rainbow Dash retorted. “She’s so awesome!”
Soul held up a hoof. “I’ll take your word for it,” he said before lowering his hoof and tilting his head slightly to one side. “I’m still a little surprised that you’re not training Scootaloo right now.”
Rainbow Dash had gone back to reading her book. “Her mother flew in this morning, so she’s spending some quality time with her.” She waved her hoof towards Soul. “Her flight training will start tomorrow.”
Soul smiled. Good, he thought. If her mother’s attention can override her elemental desires, then this should still work.
Meanwhile, Twilight had pulled a book from a nearby shelf and was frantically flipping through the pages. “This isn’t good,” she said, acquiring Soul’s attention. “If Doc’s element is allowing him to react to future events without him realizing it, I would hate to think of what he could do with control over the Element’s power. Time magic is dangerous and can have unexpected consequences.”
Soul shook his head. “You’ve got nothing to worry about, Twilight. Doc doesn’t want that kind of power. He doesn’t believe anyone should. In fact, he has already resigned to giving the Element to Everfree so that it can be returned to nature.”
Twilight raised her head from her book. “You took him to see Everfree?”
Soul sighed. “He insisted upon it. However, Everfree told us that it would be best to return all of the Elements to nature at the same time. Doing otherwise might produce unwanted results.”
Twilight closed the book in front of her. “Do you believe him?”
Soul shrugged. “I see no reason why he would lie to prevent getting the Elements back sooner.”
Twilight though about this and nodded while Soul walked over to a stack of scrolls. “He told me where to find the next two Elements,” Soul said before grabbing one of the scrolls with his mouth. He placed the scroll on the table and unrolled it, revealing a map of Equestria. “The Element of Water can be found in the desert southeast of the Everfree Forest,” he said while pointing at the region on the map.
Twilight had joined him on the other side of the table. “That desert is quite a large region to search, but it only has a couple of towns; Dodge Junction and Appleloosa. As for where you could start looking, I would recommend Appleloosa; it’s a small town that was only founded about three years ago, but they have formed a friendship with one of the nomadic buffalo tribes that live in the area. Several members of the Apple family were responsible for founding the town, so I’m sure you can find some help if you need it.”
“I guess we can only hope this bearer doesn’t live alone in the middle of nowhere,” Soul said, tapping the side of his head. He then pointed toward a cluster of mountains northwest of Ponyville. “The Element of Earth should be located here, in this mountain range.”
Twilight’s nose scrunched up as she stared at the map. “I don’t know much about those mountains besides the fact they act as physical boundary between Equestria and the Griffon Empire. I certainly don’t know of any settlements near there.”
“There’s a griffon village in those mountains.” Soul and Twilight looked up see Rainbow Dash hovering above them, looking down at the map.
“How do you know that?” Twilight asked with genuine curiosity.
Rainbow Dash turned her head away from Twilight and Soul as she rubbed the back of her neck. “Because… that’s where Gilda grew up.”
Twilight produced a quiet, awkward oh and looked back at the map. Soul looked over at Twilight, then back up at Rainbow Dash before asking, “Who’s Gilda?”
Rainbow Dash remained silent for a few seconds before facing Soul. “Gilda… was an old friend of mine. We both attended the Junior Speedsters Flight Academy. We… don’t see eye to eye anymore.”
“I’m sorry,” Soul said with apologetic eyes. “I didn’t mean to bring up old wounds.”
Rainbow Dash flashed a half-hearted smile. “Don’t worry about it; She’s a jerk,” she said before her smile turned back into a frown. “It just took me awhile to see that.”
Soul turned back to the map. “Well, if that’s the only settlement in the area, I guess that would be the best place to start looking.”
Rainbow Dash landed near the table. “It’s not going to be easy for you to get up there. There’s no trailing leading up the mountain. Unless you can climb the cliffs, the only way to get there is to fly.”
Soul brought a hoof up to his chin. “Maybe Pinkie Pie will let me borrow her hot-air balloon. I’ll see about that when I get back. I’m heading to the desert first.”
Twilight watched as Soul walked over to the basement door. “Are you leaving already?” She asked surprised.
He opened the door before turning around to say, “As soon as I can catch a train heading out that way.” When he noted a look of concern on Twilight’s face, he added, “Don’t worry, I’m used to being on the move a lot.” He proceeded down into the basement to pack his bag with The Power of Nature and his notes, along with a few other essentials.
Twilight called down the stairs to him. “At least go talk to Applejack first. She can let her family out there know that you’re a friend.”
Soul came back up the steps with a smile. “Alright, Twilight, I’ll go talk to Applejack before I leave.” Twilight stepped out of his way as he walked towards the front door. He turned around and waved back at the two mares. “You two makes sure that Trixie and Scootaloo don’t do anything reckless while I’m gone.”
Rainbow Dash waved back while keeping her eyes on her book. “You can count on me!”
Twilight just smiled and nodded back at Soul.
Soul knocked his sunglasses over his eyes as he said, “Take care!” He then turned around and walked out the door.