The Seventh Element

"Well, if this is how it's going to be." I sighed. I zipped my jacket up tight, threw the hood over my head and snapped my goggles over my eyes. I looked at Mist.

"You know the deal. Big storms come with-" Mist cut me off.

"Big responsibilities." He said, rolling his eyes. "I'll go try to find this Rainbow Dash pegasus. You go do your thing."

I saluted him, smiling. "See you in a bit, bro."

I flew off of the ground and into the dark sky. The clouds were... Not clouds. It was more of a fog. I tried to fly through it, but was bounced back. It was fabric.

"What the?" I asked aloud in confusion.

"Hey, amateur, let the pro figure this out!" A voice called from behind me. I turned to see a sky blue pegasus with rose-colored eyes and a rainbow mane.

"I got this. You may not know it yet, but weather is my thing. Let me handle this." I replied, trying my best to be polite.

"This isn't weather." She pointed out.

"I already know that." I snapped. "I'm trying to figure out why it has the same properties as regular weather. Maybe it'll be as easy to manipulate as clouds. Now watch. If I just-" I bumped into a cloud. Wait, a cloud! Perfect.

"Get out of the sky. I don't want you getting hit." I told the mare.

"Hit with what?" The mare was puzzled.

"My namesake, of course." I smirked. "Lightning. Now get out of the sky." I did a U-turn and started to gain speed.

"C'mon," I muttered, "Storm. Make a storm." A flash of light appeared in the distance.

"Woohoo!" I yelled, doing a loop-de-loop. A deep rumble of thunder echoed through the sky.

Move, I thought, to the sea and never back. Or disappear. Yes, disappear. The storm slowly calmed down, and soon the clouds were no more than water vapor. The fabric was no longer there. I'd have to look into the later. I landed on the ground and winced as a crowd rushed out and stormed me.

"It wasn't a big deal, really. It's just my job. I can control the weather easier than other pegasi, it's just my special talent." I told some who thanked me for my "gracious deeds".

"Hey, flyboy, how'd you do that? You started flying and the storm just disappeared." The mare from before looked at me suspiciously.

"Because I told it to." I answered simply. "Now, where's my little brother, he was supposed to find that Rainbow Dash girl." I scanned the crowd.

"I found Rainbow Dash." I heard him say. He was standing next to the mystery mare.

"Oh, great! Where is she?" I asked him. He gave me a blank stare. He turned to the mare.

"My big brother's an idiot, sorry." He said to her.

"My name's Rainbow Dash." The mare rolled her red, sticking out her hoof. "Now could you explain why you're going to be living with me?"

"I'm Lightning Strike and until this afternoon I lived in Manehattan. The biggest change? Finding out that I'm the Seventh Element of Harmony. Reality. I'm your reality check."

"... I'm taking you to Twilight." Dash decided, grabbing my tail in her mouth and dragging me away. Mist trotted along, following.

"Where exactly are we going?" I asked Dash, who was still dragging me.

"To the Golden Oaks Library. Twilight's house." She replied.

"And who is Twilight?" I asked.

"The Element of Magic. And I'm the Element of Loyalty." Rainbow Dash frowned a little. "What does Reality have to do with Harmony?"

"I'm here to show you that some people don't have friends or experience Laughter, Generosity, Kindness, Honesty, Magic or Loyalty from others. I... I'm the truth. I'm brutal honesty, I suppose." I realized.

"How so?" I froze. Well, technically, I hadn't been moving of my own accord.

"I.... Don't like to talk about it." I looked at Mist, who wouldn't make eye contact with me. "We don't like to talk about it."

"That's a lie, Lightning, and we both know it." Mist said, looking up. Dash stopped dragging me for a moment.

"You don't like to talk about it, because you were closer to... Y'know. And then with your Cutie Mark? And Silver Gunner? And Rough Boulder? You don't like talking about it because you were always worse off. And now we live here and you're not going to tell anyone. That's not friendship and that's not what your Element represents." He finished his speech and started walking ahead of us. Dash and I both stared. I got up and dusted myself off.

"I can walk the rest of the way." I told her. "And... I'll tell you. Not now, but... I will."

"Oh, yeah. That's fine, I guess." You could tell Dash was trying to process what had just happened. Names of ponies? Being close to you-know-who? The Cutie Mark thing? I wouldn't explain it all, but I'd give an idea of what happened. The day I got my Cutie Mark.... That was off-limits.

"We're here." Dash said, interrupting my thoughts. In front of me stood a large oak that had windows, a door, even a balcony like a house would.

"Are you-" I began.

"It's a library. And it's a golden-barked oak. That's why it's called Golden Oaks Library." She explained.

"Alright then. Am I going to meet the other Elements here?" I asked.

"Maybe." She replied. I looked at the mare's Cutie Mark. It was a cloud with a tri-colored lightning bolt. I looked at my own. It was a storm cloud with a yellow lightning bolt. Oh, wow. That was weird.

Mist was still ahead and walked through the door. He yelped. We broke into a gallop, making sure he was fine.

"Mist!" I said, bursting through the door. There was a crowd of ponies jumping and shouting.

"Oh... There's nothing wrong, it's just.... A welcoming party." Rainbow smiled. I smiled back.

"For us?"

"No, for our suitcases. Wait, where are your suitcases?"

".... Dang it." Mist muttered. "I, uh, forgot them."

I groaned. "Whatever."

"Hi, I'm Pinkie!" A mass of pink bounced in front of me.

"H-Hi, I'm-"

"Lightning Strike, brother of Mist Chaser and Manehattaner. This morning you were delegated as an Element of Harmony, Reality. You have a troubled past and have insecurity issues about telling anyone." She finished, smiling.

"How did she...?"

"I have no idea." Rainbow answered.

"And she's...?"

"Pinkie Pie, Element of Laughter. She's the party pony around here." Dash chuckled. "And everyone else should be...." Dash looked around and I felt someone back up into me.

"Oh! I'm s-so sorry." A shy pegasus apologized, hiding behind her hair.

"Oh, you're fine." I smiled at the butter pegasus. "But you spilled this drink... I'm really sorry. Would you like me to get another for you?" I asked her. She blushed.

"Oh, y-yes please. That would be nice." She replied.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Fluttershy!" Rainbow yelled.

"H-Hi, Rainbow."

"I see you've met Lightning. Lightning, this is the Element of Kindness. Flutters, this is the Element of Reality." Rainbow introduced us to one another.

"Lightning Strike, by the way." I told Fluttershy. "And about that drink..." I turned around and poured some punch into a plastic cup.

"Here ya go." I handed the cup to Fluttershy.

"Th-Thank you." Fluttershy nodded.

"Lightning needs to meet AJ, Rarity and Twilight, still Flutters. I'm sure after the party we'll all stay at the library. Bye Fluttershy."

"See ya, Fluttershy." I smiled. Her face turned bright red. She nodded. Dash kicked me.

"Ow! What the heck!" I yelled in annoyance.

"Stop hitting on her, stupid." Dash said plainly.

"You call that-"

"Flirting. I call that flirting."

"What are you, jealous or something?" I smirked.

"N-No! I don't want one of my oldest friends hurt! That's all!" Dash exclaimed.

"If you insist, Dashie."

"Whatever, Sparky." I froze again.

"Don't call me that." The request came out angrier than I had wanted it to.

"Why not?" Dash asked.

"It's part of my past." I winced as I noticed that Rainbow held a large resemblance to an old friend.

"Which part?"

"The part where I killed my best friend." I replied.

"Y-You-"

"Rainbow!" A strong Southern accent called out. "Who in the hay got rid of that storm? I know it wasn't you. Too big to be you." I turned to face an orange Earth pony with emerald green eyes.

"That would be me. Name's Lightning Strike. I'm here to-"

"Flirt with Fluttershy." Dash scoffed.

"It was NOT flirting."

"You hit on Fluttershy? Boy, I have half a mind to buck ya in the face." She glared at me.

"It was not flirting! I poured her a cup of punch! I'm sorry if in Manehattan we have manners!" I argued back.

The mare snorted. "Yer from Manehattan? No wonder you act like ya own the world. You were raised that way."

"Please. I'm only a 'petty commoner' to the high life. I live in the slums. And I'm actually here because I'm the Element of Reality. The seventh Element of Harmony."

"Huh? That just don't... Have ya taken him to Twi?" She turned to Rainbow.

"Not yet. Trying to find her." She replied.

"Applejack, dear, where did you... Oh! There you are." A white unicorn stood next to Applejack.

"And who is this?" The unicorn purred at me.

"Lightning Strike, ma'am. Element of Reality and I'm the one who fixed today's faux storm." I bowed. Dash hit me over the head with her hoof.

"What did I do that time?!" I asked.

"You flirted. And you acted full of yourself." Dash replied.

"Look who's talking, Dash." Applejack said.

Dash didn't answer her.

"Where in the world is Twilight? Can anyone find her?" Dash peered over the heads of multiple ponies.

"Where's Mist?"

"Little pegasus colt? Purple and green? No Cutie Mark?" The white unicorn asked.

"Precisely."

"No Cutie Mark... He's with our sisters, ain't he?" AJ asked the unicorn.

"Probably." Dash nodded.

"Indeed." The unicorn sighed. "I'm Rarity, by the way. Ponyville's fashion designer."

"Well, my jacket is getting kind of tight... Maybe you can make me a bigger one." I said hopefully. The unicorn brightened.

"Oh! I can start a stallion fashion line! This is perfect! Say, have you ever attended the Grand Galloping Gala?" The unicorn inquired.

"No, not really. I... With my theories on weather manipulation, I've been invited once or twice, strictly on business to talk with the Commander-in-chief of the aerial fleet of the Equestrian army. I always declined, though." I replied. I remembered the Gala invitation from Commander Thunderwing.

"Why?" Dash asked.

"Two things, I guess. He wanted to talk with me to discuss harnessing my powers to wreak havoc and disaster on foreign countries as weapons. I told him he was a disgusting tyrant. He didn't know what would happen if he tried to set, say, a tornado off in Saddle Arabia, for instance. It would affect the whole of the country, going haywire and killing more than the soldiers. So, there was that. And I didn't have a date." I remembered the older stallion's words.

"Son, you'll be my successor, whether or not you respect my thoughts right now." He had said.

"You didn't have a date?" Applejack asked skeptically.

"Precisely. But why do you ask?" I said, turning to the unicorn.

"The Elements get invitations every year. Although, last year..... Was interesting. But I was thinking of making you a suit! Won't that be exciting?"

"I, uh... Yeah! That'll be great! Wait... You're an Element of Harmony, too?" The unicorn nodded.

"Rarity, darling. Element of Generosity." I looked to Applejack.

"Applejack. Element of Honesty, sugarcube."

"Great! So... Five. Where's... Magic?" I turned to Dash.

"Twi's here. Somewhere. If I can just-"

"Hi, girls. So, have you met the new pony in town yet?" I turned to look at a purple unicorn.

"I'm Lightning." I said, extending a hoof. "Element of Reality."

The unicorn's smile faded.

"Dash, get Fluttershy and Pinkie. We need a meeting. And you," she pointed a hoof at me, "You need to explain yourself." Dash flew off to find the other two.

"What did I do?!" I asked.

"You.... I don't know yet." The purple unicorn sighed.

Dash came back, two ponies in tow. Fluttershy and Pinkie.

"Alright. Party's over, every pony! And could Applebloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle-" Twilight began.

"And Mist." I added

"And Mist stay, please!" There was an audible groan from the crowd.

The crowd shifted through and revealed four young ponies left. Mist, another pegasus, an Earth pony and a unicorn. Not one of them had a Cutie Mark.

Twilight turned to me.

"Explain yourself. Tell us everything. Every important detail of your life, explain."

I smirked and turned to face Dash.

"Here's the explanation you wanted."