A New Addition
The theatre was dark. The room was dark, leaving only the dimmest of lights to light the giant stage up front. The dim light was cast from a floating ball of light that floated next to a mysterious, hooded pegasus as they walked down the empty aisle and past the many unoccupied seats. There was no way to tell who this pony was, but one could see the faintest strand of a pink mane through the front of their hood. Once the pony was at the very front of the theatre, they took a seat in the middle section in the front row, then cut out their light. Now, the theatre was completely dark, leaving an eerie feeling of stillness in the large, spacious room.
That was when a sole stage light came to life, focusing on the center of the stage and allowing only a select few details to be seen, which was only a faint glimpse of a velvet curtain and the light, faded hardwood flooring. Then, the quiet clip-clop of hoofsteps filled the theatre, and a white pegasus with a silver mane stepped into the light with his head held low. His cutie mark was of an acoustic guitar. His eyes then opened, revealing a pair of electric-blue irises, and he smiled.
“Hello,” he said with an affirmative tone. Despite how low his voice was, it echoed throughout the entire room. “And welcome, friend. I am Silver Chord of The Adventure Crew…” He let out a smile chuckle. “Well, you already knew that. In fact, you’ve know that for a while. Today, is a very special day. This day marks the birth and rebirth of a pony and their soul. As a member of The Adventure Crew, I stand out against the plain, the mundane, the repetitive, and the opposition; I am different. You are like me. You did what you wanted, because you thought it was right. A decision like that inspires others to follow your example; to stand against the status quo.
“Another thing you should know is that a select few of us are the physical embodiments of Hope. These elements are also the ones that we base our beliefs on, and while there are five of us who represent on set element, we still embody all of them. I am the Element of Compassion. You have shown that you can be kind, considerate, and show unconditional love towards others who are in need. You listen when somebody spills their darkest secrets for you, and you keep them safe and locked away.”
Another spotlight came to life, this one focusing on another spot to the right of Silver Chord. Another pony stepped into this light, this one being a white earth pony with blue streaks over his eyes, a blue mane and tail with a single stripe of white on the side, and a had a pair of silver eyes. He also wore a brown leather jacket and a black fedora, and his cutie mark was of a dotted-line leading to a red question mark. He looked down at the mystery pony and smiled warmly.
“My name is Frostbite. I’m a full-time adventurer, as well as a proud member of The Adventure Crew. As Silver here said, we do everything, and that usually means we find ourselves in perilous situations at least ninety-five percent of the time. But hey, it’s still funny where we end up sometimes. We’ve been everywhere, from Saddle Arabia to the Crystal Empire, and we savor every minute of our adventures. I am the Element of Faith. You have shown that you have the faith to believe in yourself and others in times of crisis or distress. You keep others filled with hope, and for that, I commend you for your efforts.”
Click! Another spotlight to Silver’s left, and another pony. But instead of stepping into the light calmly, this pony performed a cartwheel and a side flip into his place. He was a sandy-blonde pegasus with a white mane and tail with a sky blue streak down the middle. He wore a pair of black flying goggles with tinted-red lenses around his neck, which was also his cutie mark—plus a white feather attached to the band. Silver and Frostbite stared at him with a flat look, in which the pegasus just grinned and rolled his teal eyes.
“I’m Windbreaker, former Wonderbolt cadet, stunt pony, and full-time member of The Adventure Crew.” He flashed a smile and a wink at the hooded pony down below, eliciting a feminine giggle from them. Silver rolled his eyes.
“He’s also a full-time flirt that doesn’t when to stop.” He scoffed lightly.
“Hey, don’t act like you’re not a flirt yourself.” He chuckled. “Anyways, I am the Element of Strength. You have shown that you are strong enough to overcome any obstacle that life throws at you, and you are strong enough to fight for others who are in need. And, in addition to that, you even had the strength to make your own choices, including the one to become your true self. I honestly would never have the mental strength to do that, so for that, I applaud you.”
Click! Another spotlight, and another pony. The pony this time was a unicorn with an electric-blue coat and dark blue mane with a white stripe. His cutie mark was of a beaker filled with a bubbling green liquid with three small lightning bolts shooting out the top, his eyes were a wild shade light green, and he wore a pair of protective goggles on his head, positioned just above his horn.
“You also know me, dear friend.” He said with a smile. “I am Sparks Intellect. I am a chemist, scholar, inventor, full-time scientist, and a member of The Adventure Crew. I have a tendency to blow stuff up from time-to-time, but I also create chemical concoctions that can save people’s lives. You also know my son, Cobalt.” A small, iridescent blue hologram of a unicorn appeared next to his head, floating in mid-air. “I am also the Element of Wisdom. You have shown that you possess the knowledge to know right from wrong, and to make the right decision. Although, with us, we won’t judge you for making a mistake. Celestia knows we make enough of those. You have shown these things, and that is more than great.”
Click! A dark silver pony with a blue-ish grey mane stepped into his light. His cutie mark was of a pair of dark storm clouds.
“Nice to meet you, stranger.” He said with a wave. “I’m Stormy Skies, full-time storm chaser and member of The Adventure Crew. I am the Element of Courage. You have shown that you have the courage to make your own decisions, and also to stand up for others who cannot stand for themselves. This is such an incredible trait, and I will be more than happy to bring you into our family.” Another earth pony suddenly appeared in his spotlight with a sheepish smile on her face. She has a white coat and golden-yellow mane and tail with hot-pink tips.
“And I’m Neon Tunes. I don’t represent a specific Element of Hope, but I’m a DJ and a member of The Adventure Crew. I’m glad to not be the only girl in the group now.”
Silver Chord smiled at the mystery mare. “Now, Mystic, it’s time for you to join us up here on this stage. Don’t be shy. We’re all family.”
The pegasus flipped her hood back as she made her way to the stage. She had a straight bright pink mane with a coat of black and eyes of blue. Once on the stage, she stopped in front of Silver, looking at him nervously. He only smiled in return.
“Mystic, you have been one of my best friends for a while now, and you have done so much for me. Now, it’s time that I repay you for that kindness.” He looked over to Sparks and nodded. The unicorn then levitated a small box over to them and opened it, revealing a badge that was crafted to resemble a wolf howling at the moon. “You are officially one of us now, Mystic. Welcome to The Adventure Crew.” He then pulled her into a hug. At first, she was reluctant to return the gesture, but she then wrapped a hoof around him and smiled.
“Yay! Group hug!”
“What? Nononono-” Despite his protests, he could not prevent The Adventure Crew suddenly dog-piling he and Mystic, causing them all to laugh. After a minute or so, Mystic managed to poke her head out of the pile, blushing.
“Is it always this crazy?” She asked softly.
“Oh yeah.” Tunes replied. “All the time.”