In Search of the Element of Magic

Edward Elric:

"Well, I'm off!" I exclaim, a determined look on my face.

Today was the day I would set my plan into motion. I had to find the Philosopher Stone, and that's why I would go and plead my case with the scholarly Twilight Sparkle. What I was planning to do might be illegal, but I've already commited so many unforgivable crimes that it was too late to stop. And the book that led me to what I'm about to do anyway came from Twilight herself. The Philosopher Stone. It was Twilight who lent me that book on myths.

She was a trustworthy pony, even though our relationship was anywhere but close. I was just a customer to her, and she was just a librarian to me, but that was about to change. Besides, once she knew my reasons I just knew she would understand. Twilight herself had committed one of the biggest crimes in Equestria by dating the second most powerful pony in all the land: Princess Luna, who was only second to Princess Celestia. The two alicorns had fought over this crime and nearly destroyed all of Canterlot, as well as half of Ponyville. In the end, Celestia had succeded in banishing Princess Luna to the moon yet again, just like that time when Luna become the notorious Nightmare Moon. Twilight escaped punishment because Celestia believed that Luna had somehow bewitched her.

I was about to step out the door when I felt something tugging at my cloak. I turn around to see my brother, Alphonse, who has a sad look on his face. I could tell that he was doing his very best not to cry, giving me a smile that didn't reach his green eyes.

"Wait brother... I-I want to give you something before you leave." he holds out a package, wrapped in the leftover christmas paper that I had used to wrap christmas presents the year before.

He stumbles a little, and I quickly intervene by lending a hoof to steady him. Despite the contraption that allows my brother to walk, however slowly and awkwardly, he still has trouble standing. I blink back tears as this action fuels more motivation to set out on my journey.

"A gift? For me? I'm not going to have to give you extra presents on your birthday, am I?" I joke, trying to lighten the mood and make my brother feel better about the whole situation.

"Of course not!" he huffs, and I smile a little at his attitude. I begin to open the present, but then a hoof is placed on top of mine."Not yet, big brother. Open it later, when you're lonely. It's something for you to remember me by. I want you to hurry back soon, and to be careful, ok?" my fourteen-year-old brother is now looking at me with a determined gleam, a grim look on his face."If things start to get too dangerous, I want you to come right back home. You hear me?" I nod, neglecting to mention that this whole thing was extremely dangerous... there was just certain things I could not tell him, otherwise he would never let me leave, and I had to, because he was the only thing in my life worth fighting for.

Waving goodbye to my brother, I leave, but not before reminding him to make sure to frequently visit our grandma and cousin next door, so that he could be taken to weekly check-ups with his doctor. I can't have something bad happen to him before I came back.

Breathing in the morning air, I set out on the first part of my journey. It was time to pay a visit again to Ponyville, which was one town and one city off. Making sure my cutie mark was well hidden beneath my black cloak, I began to trot my way through my hometown, Saddletown. Hopefully I would make it to Ponyville by the end of the day, because I didn't want to spend the night anywhere but at Sugarcube Corner, where I could rent a room on the second level as long as I could withstand the loud noise that always seemed to come from Pinkie Pie's room, a local resident of Ponyville.

At around noon I was already in Trottingham, when my stomach started growling. Smiling to myself, I found a bench to sit on, and started eating my delicious daisy sandwhich, which my brother had made for me to take on my journey.

"Can't have you starving to death, now can I big brother? With the amount that you eat, you'll be hungry before you know it." Alphonse had said earlier, minutes after I had gotten up and gone downstairs to see what was for breakfast. Needless to say, Alphonse did the cooking around the house. What with our parents dead and buried, we had to learn to fend for ourselves.

Looking around, I just sit there, enjoying my sandwhich as peace settles like a soft blanket around me. It was nice to just sit there, without worrying too much about all my problems. Now that I was actually taking action, it felt relieveing. I wasn't just waiting anymore... I was actually going through with this. All around me there were ponies going through their business. One thing I liked about this city was there were so many ponies of different shapes, colors, and sizes. There was an earth pony just to my left who was munching on some hayfries, his flank sporting the cutie mark of a muffin, and just up ahead a blue unicorn with horn-rimmed glasses was trying to read and walk at the same time, the book held in the air in front of her with magic.

Sighing happily, I decide to take a little nap before heading off to finish my journey to Ponyville, because I have a little time to spare. However, before I'm able to doze off, I spot a certain pink pony ambling away, and I blink before I process what I was seeing: it was Pinkie Pie. Maybe she was going back to Ponyville, and I could get the latest news on how Twilight was doing. Since the misshap with Luna a year ago, the unicorn was more reclusive. I didn't know Twilight that well, but since Pinkie was close to her, and I was a friend of Pinkie's(although, Pinkie was nearly friends with everyone), maybe she would be willing to give me some information so that I could be a little more prepared for what I was about to do.

Quickly, I throw away the wrapper of my sandwhich in a nearby bin, and rush to catch up with the jovial pony.

"Hey! Pinkie Pie!" I call, a little out of breath as I try to catch up with the swift pony.She doesn't hear me, probably because she was humming under her breath, bopping her head as she went along.

After five minutes of catching up, I finally manage to get her attention when I bump into her as she halts in front of a candy shop... it figures. That pony ate candy, along with bakery goods, day in and day out. All that sugar was probably why she was so hyperactive all the time.

"Hi Ed!" and I was engulfed by the pink pony.

"Ah! Get off of me!" I manage to squirm out of her rather tight hug.

"Long time no see! Of course, it's not like I visit you either. Sooo what have you been doing lately? I've been pretty busy myself, coming up with new recipes for cupcakes. I even came up with what I call a cherrchonga! Can you imagine it? Cherrychonga! Doesn't that sound delicious? Cherry! Cheeerryyychonga! And like everyone asks me what that is, and I tell them it's a chonga with cheeries. I mean, how could you NOT tell from the name? But I guess-" and Pinkie went off on one of her frequent tangents.

Impatient, I shake the pony a little to get her out of her monologue, because if I let her go on any further, we could be standing here all day. She comes out of it slowly, and before I shake her a little harder, she looks at me quizzically.

"I wanted to know if you were going back home anytime soon. I'm going to Ponyville myself, and I wouldn't mind having some company." I shrug, giving her a questioning look back.

"Okie Dokie Lokie! Why didn't you say so?" Pinkie nods with vigour, glomping me again with force, threatening to push me to the ground.

"Pinkie?"

"What?"

"Get! Off!" I struggle to maintain her weight, and sigh with relief when she takes herself off of me. "Thanks." I say, a little breathlessly.

I may be an athletic pony, but Pinkie was heavy, being an adult pony and all. I mean, I was too, at the age of eighteen, but I was a little... undersized... NOOOOOO! I mentally slap myself. Did I just call myself short?! What was this world coming to?!

Pinkie didn't seem to notice my minor breakdown as she told me that she would take about five minutes in the candy shop, and then they could venture across Trottingham together and into Ponyville. When she goes inside, I sat start having doubts about asking her to accompany me at all. It was going to be a looooong journey to Ponyville with this pony. Siiiggghhhh... but still, if all went well, I might get the helpful information from her... or not.

It was a not. I couldn't understand a word this pony was saying, and she was talking a mile a minute, literally. I didn't even have a chance to ask her what Twilight was doing as we entered Ponyville, passing the narrow side road that led to a small cottage. I follow Pinkie Pie to Sugarcube Corner, where I pay for a room and set down my small backpack of luggage.

After dozing off for awhile, I wake up to find out that it was getting dark. There was a beautiful twilight outside, and I immediately remember my task. Mentally shaking myself, I work the chinks out of my exhausted body, put on my cloak, and slowly make my way downstairs.

"Going somewhere, Ed?" Mrs.Cake asks, a friendly smile on her face. When I nod, she warns,"Don't stay out too long then. Remember the curfew, ok?" I nod again, and, satisfied, she goes back to her task of finishing a recipe for a big event tomorrow for one of her customers. It had something to do with butterflies.

Outside it was a little breezy, and there were clouds that were already beggining to gather on the horizon. Wondering whyin the world the pegasi thought that tonight was a good time to make it rain, I began to canter off towards Twilight's house, praying that I wouldn't get soaked, and that luck was on my side, for I would need it. This whole plan depended on Twilight Sparkle, and without her I would have to figure out a different approach to get my hands on the stone.

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