It turned out the Elements of Nature shared similarities with the Elements of Harmony beyond their appearance. The book stated that there were six Elements of Nature, but only five of them were known, just like the Elements of Harmony. The elements were as follows: Water, Air, Fire, Earth, and Time. It also appeared to be that the Elements of Nature, even if dormant, could be seen in the bearer’s actions and personalities. According to the book, each element presented aspects of itself in those who carried them. This still wasn’t much to go on at the moment, however. I had no idea how I was going to find the rest of them, after I had identified the one in Ponyville. So much was going on in my head, I didn’t get much sleep on the train that night. In fact, I got to the library early that morning, showed Twilight the book, and promptly took a nap…
Soul slowly walked into the main room of the library, stretching his limbs. “Alright! I’m recharged, refreshed, and ready for research!”
Twilight looked up from the book she was reading on the table in the center of the room. “Good to hear. This book you brought is fascinating, to say the least, but I’m still not sure what this has to do with anything?”
“Right, I still owe you an explanation.” He went on to tell her about what he saw the previous morning, his meeting with the Princess, and what little he had read out of the book.
“…so you think what you saw was one of these Elements of Nature?”
“I’m almost sure, I just need to confirm it and figure out which one.”
“Well, then we should go find her then!”
A look of discontent came over his face, “It’s not that simple.”
Her face scrunched in confusion, “Why is that?”
“Well for starters, the last time I saw them, they ran screaming in terror when they saw my eyes.”
Twilight’s eyelids fell halfway, “Whose fault is that?”
“It’s not like I planned for my glasses to slide off my face!” She gave a quick sigh before he went on. “More importantly, for now it’s best that she doesn’t know about the power that is lying dormant inside her.”
“Doesn’t she have the right to know?
“Of course she does, but not now! Telling her now would be like revealing her cutie mark, only about 100 times worse. When the time is right, she’ll learn of her power, but for now I need to figure out a way to examine her soul without her knowing.”
“How are you going to manage that? It seems to me it would be hard not to notice you staring directly at her.”
“Which is why I’ll probably have to do so from a distance.”
“And you can manage that?”
“Generally it would put more strain on me because of the extra focus required, but considering the intensity of the Elements, it might actually be easier to examine them from farther away. The downside is that it is rather like looking through binoculars; it will be hard to keep track of her if she is moving too much.”
“So…you just need her to stand still out in the open without her noticing you…you’re right, that’s doesn’t sound simple.”
Soul raised his hoof to his chin, “Actually, she might not have to be out in the open. You see, when I look at a soul, everything else fades into darkness. I just sort of ignore it, so theoretically, I should be able to see a soul even if there is a wall in between…I need to confirm this. Twilight, could you go outside for a moment and close the door behind you?”
Twilight smiled eagerly, “Glad to see somepony else use the scientific method for a change.” She opened the door, walked outside, and closed it. Soul wasted no time activating his power. A grin appeared on his face as he saw her Element shine, clear as day. “Alright, you can come back in,” he shouted out.
Twilight walked in through the door, “did it work?”
“Indeed it did, making my task a whole lot easier.”
“Good and I’ve thought of an idea. The school might be a good place to observe her. She will be sitting still for long periods of time, and you can observe her through the walls without her being any wiser.”
“That certainly is a possibility. I should check that out.” He slid his glasses down over eyes, after making sure they were really on his head. As he walked out the door, he mumbled to himself, “I just hope I don’t run into any foals on the way there.”
********
Soul passed a few groups of fillies and colts on his way to the schoolhouse, but they paid no attention to him. It looks as though they might have just finished for today, he thought. That may delay me, but at least I can check out the school in peace. When he reached the school, however, the first thing he noticed was that the building was in the middle of a small clearing. While he may be able to hide from the students inside, any passersby would be another issue. He had already managed to frighten three fillies in public; the last thing he wanted was a reputation as some sort of creeper. He was just about to leave when he notice a purple mare with a striped pink mane leaving the schoolhouse. He quickly walked up to her, “Excuse me. Are you teacher here?”
She seemed a little surprised to see him, “Uh, yes, I am. My name is Cheerilee. Do I know you? Do you have a foal in my class?”
A quick look of annoyance crossed his face. He thought; I don’t look that old, do I? “No, nothing like that. My name is Soul Seer, and I’m just traveling through. I’ll be staying in Ponyville for a few days doing some research.”
“What are you researching?”
“Actually, I was wondering if you could give me some information regarding one of your students: Scootaloo.”
She broke eye contact. “I’m sorry, but I shouldn’t be talking about my students with a stranger.” She began to turn away.
“No, wait! Just hear me out. I’m trying to help her.”
She stood still for a moment, looking at the ground. Then she turned back and looked at him in silence, waiting for him to continue.
Soul removed his glasses, let out a deep breath, and began to explain, “I have a special gift that lets me see a pony’s soul. I saw something in Scootaloo that makes her different from everypony else, and if it isn’t handled properly, it could be dangerous; to her and those around her. I need to know more about her so I can determine what exactly I saw, and for the time being, she cannot know about it. Do you understand? This must be kept a secret. I just want to help her.”
They stood there for a few seconds, looking at each other, before she said, “I believe you.” She turned back towards the schoolhouse. “We can talk inside.” They walked into the small building. It looked like an average schoolhouse: There was a big desk up front with a blackboard behind it, and an array of smaller desks for the students set up on the other side of the room. There was also a variety of artwork posted around the walls, most clearly done by the students themselves. Cheerilee made herself comfortable behind her desk. “Alright, what do you want to know?”
Soul was slowly walking around the room. “Anything about her personality: what she does in her spare time, who she looks up to, unique characteristics she exhibits…”
“Well, she is often seen with her friends, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. She idolizes Rainbow Dash. I believe her words to describe her would be ‘the most awesome pony ever’. She wants nothing more than to be like Rainbow Dash when she grows up. Unfortunately, her ability to fly is rather weak at the moment, due to family issues.”
“What do you mean?”
She was a little reluctant to continue. “Well, I’m not entirely sure what it is her mother does, but I do know that she is always traveling. She is often gone for long periods of time, leaving Scootaloo home with her father…who is an Earth pony.”
“I see…so she is not just missing a maternal figure in her life, but also a pegasus figure. That would explain why she clings to Rainbow Dash so much.”
“Exactly. She’s a lot like Rainbow Dash: determined, loyal, always looking towards the sky. She tries so imitate her when she can. Though she can’t fly well, I’ve seen her around town on a scooter, and she can get pretty fast on that thing. It’s wonder that she doesn’t hurt herself more often.”
“Speed, huh…” He mumbled under his breath, “…she only wants to be free.”
“What did you say?”
He quickly looked up. “Nothing. Um…do you know where she might be now?”
“She is probably hanging out with her friends, as usual. I think they usually go to their clubhouse after school.”
“Clubhouse?”
“Yea, I’ve heard them talk about a clubhouse they have set up somewhere on Sweet Apple Acres.”
“Ok, thank you for your time, Ms. Cheerilee.” He began to head for the door when he stopped for a moment and turned back around. “What made you decide to trust me? You were reluctant at first. Why did you change your mind?”
She smiled at him. “Two reasons: Scootaloo hasn’t had the best circumstances in her life. You said that you wanted to help her, and right now, I believe that she needs it. Also, there is something about your eyes. Call it intuition, but I know when a pony is trustworthy.”
A smile slowly appeared on his face as he recalled a memory. “It must be a teacher thing. My mother is teacher back home, and she always knew when a student was trying to lie or cheat. She always knew when I was up to something, too.”
She let out a little chuckle. “That’s just being a mother.” Her face slowly became somber. “Good luck, Mr. Seer. I do hope that you can help her.”
His expression became serious. “I’ll do everything I can.” He then turned around and walked out the door.
********
Sweet Apple Acres was exactly what it sounded like: acres and acres of apple trees. It was a good thing Soul decided to get Applejack’s assistance in locating the clubhouse, as he would have almost certainly gotten lost. Unfortunately, that also meant letting another pony in on the situation.
“So, why do ya need to go to the ol’ clubhouse again?” Applejack asked as they cantered though the apple trees.
“I need to examine Scootaloo’s soul to confirm which Element of Nature she is carrying. If I can catch her at the clubhouse, it could be the perfect opportunity.” Soul was starting to become annoyed with her constant questions.
“And that is…”
“…something similar to the Elements of Harmony, except it can have a powerful impact on the world around it, even without its counterparts nearby.”
“Sounds dangerous.”
“Exactly”
The clubhouse finally came into view. It was a small structure that was built in an old apple tree. It had a couple of windows on opposite sides, and a ramp that led up to the door. Applejack began to walk towards the ramp. “I’ll just let the girls know you her to see them.”
Soul let out a stifled shout that stopped her in her tracks. “No! They can’t know I’m here! That’s the point!”
“I don’t like this sneakin’ around business.”
“I’m not asking you to do anything. Please, just stay here, out of sight, and stay quite.”
Her face scrunched up in annoyance as he made his way around the perimeter until he got to the side opposite the door, where there was no window. He positioned himself just within the clearing around the tree house, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he was immediately drawn to the bright light that floated in the sky in front of him. There were also two smaller sparks nearby, but trying to observe them was impossible with the intensity of the third spark. The element had a greenish-blue tint to it, and its tendrils all reached out in the same direction, as if being blown away. His suspicions were already confirmed, but he had to look deeper. He began to feel the element reaching out to him. He could feel its freedom, its desire for speed, and the knowledge that nothing could stop it. It truly was a force to be reckoned with, and it was in the soul of a little pegasus who could hardly fly. It’s just as I feared, he thought as he deactivated his power and made his way back to Applejack, who still clearly disagreed with his methods.
“Well, did you get what ya needed?”
Soul spoke with a dejected voice and continued to walk past her. “Yea, I got the truth. It’s just as bad as I expected it to be.”
Applejack’s expression changed to one of concern as she caught up with him. “What do ya mean? What ya see?”
“Scootaloo is in possession of the Element of Air.”
She thought for a moment. “Huh…well I’d think that makes sense, considerin’ she’s a pegasus and all…”
“…A filly who can barely fly!” Soul was getting worked up. “She would do anything to be like Rainbow Dash, and the Element of Air can do just that, and probably more. As soon as she learns she has that kind of power, she will try to use it, and she will more than likely bite off more than she can chew. She won’t even consider the consequences until it’s too late!”
“Whoa, hold on there! You gotta calm down!”
He slowed down and took a deep breath. “You’re right. Everything should be fine as long as there is no reason for her to suspect anything. She has gone this long being ignorant of its presence. Why should that change anytime soon?”
“I’m sure everything will turn out all right. It’s like what I keep telling Apple Bloom: She just needs to be patient. Her special talent will reveal itself when the time is right.”
“I’m just worried about how she will discover her power. I can only hope it will reveal itself when she is ready to wield it. For now I should write my letter to the princess of what I have learned of the Elements of Nature so far.”
Applejack slightly rolled her eyes. “What is it with the princess and her letters?” Oh well, her right, I s’pose.”
“Just remember, Scootaloo’s power must remain a secret…”
“…from everyone, especially her. I know. It’s just, I ain’t good at lying. It just ain’t right.”
Soul turned to look at her in the eyes. “Look at it this way: You’re doing this protect the citizens of Ponyville. You’re doing this to protect her. Besides, if all goes well, you won’t actually have to lie at all; the topic should never arise in the first place.”
“Yah, I guess so.”
He smiled. “Thank you Applejack. I knew I could count on you.”
She smiled back. “I aim to help wherever I can…” A puzzling look came to her face. “…by the way, now that you figured this out, what are you going to do now?”
“Now?” He appeared to think for a moment, though he already knew the answer. “Now I look for the others.”