The Elements in Harmony

by No One and Nobody

Chapter 7: Seeking Answers, We Don't Know What To Do...

Chapter 7: Seeking Answers, We Don't Know What To Do...

Thomas awoke the next morning feeling well rested. The minute he opened his eyes he understood why.

He couldn't open his eyes.

Ever since he had become stone he hadn't had any stiff or painful joints. He wasn't numb, he just never felt like his body needed to 'warm up'.

That might be one thing I'll miss when I go home... if I go home. thought Thomas.

The reality that he might be stuck in Equestria was really beginning to hit home.

I could be stuck in worse places I guess. At least it's the real Equestria and not Fallout.

He wandered out of the barn and looked around.

Whether the sun had come up or not he didn't know, but he was definitely up.

He spread his arms out trying to feel the warmth of the sun.

Some of the moss on his shoulders tingled as it stood up and he could just make out a touch of warmth creeping over the horizon.

"Nice ta see yer up," came a voice from behind him and Thomas nodded to Applejack, lowering his arms.

"I'd ask ya to buck some apples but at yer size I reckon you'd buck the tree an' not the apples."

He nodded and then raised his right hand a little as if asking her to go on.

"Well, judging from Big Mac's description I'd say ya could probably haul apple buckets. How does that sound to ya?"

Tom nodded and headed towards the barn where he could feel Big Mac was pulling out buckets.

---

The apple family was amazed by how many buckets Thomas could carry at the same time. Aside from Big Mac, who just calmly watched the whole spectacle with a smug smile of satisfaction, AJ and Applebloom gawked, wide eyed, like a couple of stunned owls.

"Now that's how we did'it in ma day!" yelled Granny Smith from on the porch, waving a hoof in the air and nearly falling out of her rocking chair.

Thomas saluted casually and continued with the work. Bucking apples was pretty quick, but hauling them, that was the slow part, at least for the rest of them. Hauling bucket after bucket across Sweet Apple Acres didn't even feel like work to him.

Probably because I have such a strong connection to the earth.

---

Meanwhile Twilight was organizing all the books she would need to talk to the two visitors today.

Rainbow had showed up rather early that morning and just kept leaning on Twilight to get over Sweet Apple Acres until Twilight figured that whatever it was that was in the bottle had gotten enough sleep.

Packing up her saddlebags she headed off towards Applejack's farm. She could fly but it was such a nice day that she decided to walk there. Besides, she still wanted to give the creature in the bottle a little more rest.

Rainbow flew slowly above her, her hooves crossed in exasperation.

"Can't you speed it up?" she said.

"Come on Rainbow," said Twilight, giving her a look, "Don't you have any patience whatsoever?"

"Twilight, you can't tell me you're not just as curious about these guys as me."

Twilight bit her lip and said, "Well yes, but it doesn't seem that urgent. Can't you just come down here and walk with me? Look here comes Pinkie Pie."

Pinkie hopped up next to them and said, "Hey Twilight, hey Rainbow. What's up?"

Rainbow landed grumpily and continued on with her friends.

"Rainbow's particularly excited about our new friends," said Twilight.

"Supposed friends," said Rainbow.

"What do you mean supposed?" said Pinkie, "Tommy's great!"

"She doesn't trust this new one," said Twilight, "Don't know why though."

You'll soon find out, said Rainbow to herself as they approached the farm.

They could just make out the huge figure of Thomas sitting near the barn along with AJ, Rarity and Maud.

"HEY MAUD!" yelled Pinkie as they got nearer.

---

Rarity had shown up a little after Thomas had finished helping the Apple family with their chores. Hauling the buckets of apples was the most tedious part of it all and Tom had cut that task down to about 20% of what it used to be.

Maud had showed up after Rarity and as they sat there waiting for the rest of them to show up Rarity decided to ask a question which got Tom's attention.

"Excuse me Mr. Thomas," she said, cautiously, "Forgive me for asking but... where are your eyes?"

Thomas felt that tightness that came when he got nervous now and turned to Rarity.

WHAT?

"Well you are made completely out of stone, but you're alive. I was just wondering how you see."

All the things Thomas should have been doing right now he was unable to do. He couldn't sweat profusely, he had no pulse, and hyperventilating was out of the question.

Maybe I can tell them Rainbow's the one I can't trust... yet.

He patted the grass they were sitting on.

SEE THROUGH GROUND. NO SEE AIR. DON'T TELL RAINBOW.

"I see," said Rarity, "Don't worry Thomas. Your secret is safe with me."

"Me too," said AJ, "Understand where yer comin' from though, Rainbow would just make a nuisance of herself with that knowledge."

"What's it like under the ground?" asked Maud, an almost imperceptible interest in her voice.

Thomas hadn't thought about that. Feeling the ground with his hands, he tried pushing. That didn't work.

Next he tried to feel into the ground. To his surprise it was almost like his body descended into the earth and he could feel it all around him.

He could feel where there were particularly well packed spots, as well as roots, rocks and the ever present life beneath the soil.

It all felt very firm and solid, unmoving... reliable.

However as he was down there he realized that the further down he felt the farther out he could feel. As he descended into ever more tightly packed earth and the weight of it all above him pressed down upon him, he could stretch out and feel across hundreds upon thousands of feet.

However as he felt deeper and deeper beneath the ground he could hear something like a shrill buzzing in his head. He stopped for a second to listen and could just make out that it was Rarity screaming.

He had become lost in the earth. But the minute he heard Rarity it all came racing back and he shot to the surface to find himself lying on the ground, with Rarity and Maud tried to wake him up.

"Please tell me you're OK Thomas. Please tell me you're OK."

"You're the first rock who ever talked back to me. You can't die now."

"Come on Sugar-cube!"

Thomas raised his left hand and pushed himself into a sitting position.

SORRY. GOT LOST DOWN THERE

"Don't do that!" said Rarity, cuffing Tom on the shoulder (it didn't hurt), "You had us worried to death."

"All of the sudden ya just keeled over and wouldn't get up," said Applejack, "Ya were out for a good five minutes."

Wow! thought Thomas, I've got to be more careful. Can't go too far down or else I lose touch with everything up here.

SORRY. WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT WAS LIKE?

"Yes!" said Maud in an enthusiastic voice this time.

Rarity, Applejack and Tom (kind-of) stared at her in shock.

"What? I like rocks," said Maud in her normal tone again.

LIKE WARM WATER. ONLY VERY THICK. COULD FEEL THE EARTH AND STONES.

"Any gems?" asked Rarity as Tom erased the board.

YES. LIKE SHARDS OF GLASS IN A SEA OF EARTH. VERY SHARP. VERY CLEAR.

"And what were the stones like in their natural habitat?" asked Maud, excited.

CALM. AT PEACE. AT REST. AND YET FILLED WITH THE LIFE OF THE EARTH.

Maud sighed contentedly. "I wish I could see that."

Rarity raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything for at that moment they heard Pinkie call out "HEY MAUD!" and they turned to see Twilight, Pinkie and Rainbow coming up the path.

"Hey there Pinkie," said AJ, "We're still waitin' fer Fluttershy but ya got that bottle, right Twilight?"

Twilight levitated it out of her saddlebag and balanced it on her right hoof so Thomas could see it.

"Got it right here."

"Sorry I'm late," said Fluttershy, coming around the side of the barn, "But a squirrel was in desperate need of CPR."

She gave CPR to a squirrel!? thought Thomas to himself, Wow! That's the old Fluttershy we all know and love...

"Well now that we're all here," said Rainbow, "Why don't you open the bottle so we can get some answers!"

WARN FIRST!

Twilight nodded, "Exactly my thought. Thank you Thomas."

She tapped the bottle a few times, then just to make sure she tapped it again much harder.

She waited a few seconds and then uncorked the bottle.

There was a whooshing, yawning, spitting sound as whatever was in the bottle came shooting out spraying leftover cider across some of the ponies standing there.

Fluttershy blinked, AJ coughed slightly, and Rainbow licked her lips.

There was a hiccup followed by a groan.

"Ooohhh! Now I know why my mom says never to drink."

"How did you sleep?" asked Rarity, politely.

"Seriously?" said Rainbow, "I think we should skip to the important questions."

"I'm just being friendly," said Rarity.

"A little too friendly," said Rainbow under her breath.

"Rainbow I want to apologize for my actions last night... or was it the night before. That last few days are kind of a blur."

"So it was you who insulted Rainbow," said Twilight.

"It was just a joke. Besides I was really tired at the time. I wasn't thinking clearly. I'm sorry."

Rainbow sighed, "I guess I forgive you. But I've still got a question. How did you know about me and flowers?"

Thomas felt the tightness once again as he realized that, whoever this was, they had just made a huge mistake.

Rarity and Applejack gave Rainbow a weird look.

"But Rainbow, everypony knows ya hate flowers. What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is," said Rainbow, raising her voice, "That she's not a pony. How would she know that about me?"

The ponies all turned to look at the newcomer and then realized they couldn't see her.

I... I...

"I might have accidentally told her," said Pinkie, smiling nervously, "Sometimes I just can't help myself. You guys know how I like to talk, right?"

Rarity rolled her eyes and said, "Well that solves that problem. Now why don't you tell us your name."

Thomas stepped closer to where the voice was coming from as she spoke.

My name's Mira, and Rainbow's right. I'm not a pony. I don't think I should tell you what I am though. Suffice it to say I'm not usually made out of air.

As Thomas got closer he could feel Mira wrap herself around him, suddenly everything got much clearer and brighter around him.

Hello

Thomas felt his senses tingle as he could hear a voice in his head.

Can you hear me? he thought.

Yes. Can you hear me? came the voice again, definitely in his head.

Yeah. You a brony?

Eeyup. 20% and all that jazz. You haven't told them anything they shouldn't know, right?

Thomas almost nodded his head then thought against it.

No. How about you?

Aside from my little 'mistake'? Nothing.

OK then. Glad to know we've got this private line. Don't use it too much though. We have to pay attention to them as well so they don't know we can communicate like this.

Got it.

Thomas and Mira focused their attention back on the ponies however Tom could still see much better.

We must be sharing our vision somehow.

My thoughts exactly.

"So do you two know each other?" asked Rarity.

"No," said Mira as Thomas shook his head.

"But you are the same species?" asked Twilight.

Human? asked Tom.

Human, confirmed Mira.

"Yes," said Mira as Tom nodded his head.

"Do you have any idea how you got here?" asked Twilight.

"No," said Mira, as Tom shook his head, "I don't even know why I'm here. I was hoping maybe you knew."

"Well for once, I have absolutely no idea," said Twilight, "Any idea's Thomas?"

They turned to look at Tom as he wrote on his board.

NO IDEA. HOWEVER MAYBE WE SHOULD START LOOKING FOR THE OTHERS.

I can't read that, said Mira in Tom's head.

Me neither, but they can, replied Tom, and told her what it said.

"What others?" asked Fluttershy, gulping.

FIRE, EARTH, AIR, WATER.

"Of course," said Twilight, "Why didn't I think of that. Where should we start?"

Pinkie looked around at everypony and when nopony said anything she raised her hoof excitedly and said, "Ooooh pick me! I've got an idea."

"Um... Pinkie?" said Twilight, pointing her hoof at the vibrating mare.

"How about we look for water down at the fountain in Ponyville square?"

"That's oddly precise..." said Twilight, suspiciously, "But I guess it's a reasonable start. Let's go."

They headed off towards Ponyville however Thomas and Mira stayed a little ways behind along with Pinkie.

Pinkie told you about Rainbow? asked Tom, mentally.

No. I haven't even met her till today.

"Why did you cover up my mistake like that?" asked Mira quietly to Pinkie.

"They couldn't handle finding out that they're famous," said Pinkie nonchalantly, "Besides now you two are eternally in debt to me, and I demand payment RIGHT NOW!"

"What do you want?" asked Mira, who was just as confused by Pinkie's strange transformation as Thomas.

"HUGS," said Pinkie, with a look of extreme severity.

"Sorry Pinkie but it's kind of hard to hug air," said Mira.

"You hug Tommy and I'll hug him too and presto... GROOUUUUP HUUUGGG!"

Thomas stopped walking as he felt the air wrap around him again and then Pinkie embraced them both, somehow.

Wow! thought Thomas and Mira together, Pinkie's a reeaallly good hugger!

Author's Note:

So I've decided to start posting my chapters on Saturday, that way maybe I'll get more views. Besides it's messing with my school schedule.
On the plus side it means you get two chapters this week.

Comments

[Maultrace]

Surprisingly underrated story, but not bad so far.
Like, fave, waiting updates.

[Wellwater]

"HUGS," said Pinkie, with a look of extreme severity.

Heh. Sounds about right!

[VunderGuy]

"You're the first rock who ever talked back to me. You can't die now."

The only way that line could be made better is if you used exclamation marks rather than periods.