The Element of Wonder- A Gummy Tale

Chapter 1

Pinkie Pie decided to have a pet picnic with Gummy one day. She wanted to set up the picnic near Sweet Apple Acres. Apple Jack had given her permission and told her to be careful since the orchard wasn't too far from the Everfree Forest. Pinkie gave her Pinkie Promise and both she and Gummy went off while Apple Jack tended to farm the apples.

Gummy sat and watched as Pinky opened the picnic basket and took out the picnic blanket, the plates, the food and the balloons to brighten up the corners of the blanket. She had prepared Gummy's favorites as well as some of her own. While they ate, Pinkie told Gummy more stories about her friends and legends that her grandmother used to tell her. Gummy listened with his blank stare, but Pinky admired his good attention to listen to stories.

After their meal, Pinky tells Gummy she has a surprise for him. She reaches into the basket and pulls out a stretchy pair of purple and lavender striped shorts for Gummy to wear. Pinkie states that Rarity helped her make it for him and asked if he liked it. Gummy stared at the shorts for a while before giving Pinkie a smile. Pinkie jumped for joy and told Gummy that these were made because she thought Gummy was such a wonderful pet. She put them on Gummy and told him he looked stylin'.

Pinkie then reaches into the basket and takes out a ball of wool. Gummy "grins" as Pinky throws it to him. He chomps on it and tosses it back to Pinkie. She giggles and tells Gummy to run and catch it as she tosses it further away. Gummy waddles quickly and jumps to catch it in his mouth. Pinkie waves to Gummy commending his great catch. She gestures to Gummy to toss it back. Gummy runs and spins around to swing it toward Pinkie. She runs and jumps to catch it in her hooves. Pinkie yells out to Gummy to "go long" as she winds her arm and throws it. Gummy stares at how far the ball travels and waddles quickly to where it lands.

Gummy spots the ball of wool near the edge of Everfree Forest and runs to retrieve it. Before he's about to bite it, something glares in the sky. Gummy gazes up as Pinkie calls out for Gummy. The glare was in the sky and as Gummy stared at it, the glare grew brighter and brighter. Pinkie's calls for Gummy grow louder as Gummy is entranced by the growing glare. Suddenly Gummy hears Pinkie shout "GUMMY, WATCH OUT!" and feels his body being pushed. Gummy turns his head long enough to see a worried Pinkie along with the glare flashing into an explosion of light.

Moments pass and Gummy awakens to find a small crater where Pinkie had pushed him from. Gummy reaches out but sees that his arm was not the same as it was before. He looked down at his longer arms, then down at his body. He had... grown up... and with teeth! His body had somehow transformed into a mature, muscular physique of his original form. He saw that his stretchy shorts were still able to hug his grown waist line. He couldn't believe how his body looked so fantastic. But as he looked around for Pinkie, he saw no sign of her.

He peered into the small crater and saw a glow. It was the same glow that was in the sky. He slowly reached down and grabbed the glow. It turned out to be a glowing round crystal. Gummy examined it, and then it vibrated and changed colors. Suddenly it glowed pink and Gummy saw a silhouette of Pinkie Pie within the crystal. It then faded and the crystal returned to its normal glow. Gummy wondered if she was trapped inside. He bit the crystal several times, but nothing cracked. Gummy got up on his legs and slowly walked toward a nearby tree. He rammed the crystal into the bark. Not a scratch. He did this several more times. Nothing happened. He looked around for a stone. When he found a large enough fragment, he started to chip away at the crystal. Harder and harder he tried to break the crystal, but no sign of damage appeared.

Gummy started to worry and wondered if she was going to be trapped in the crystal forever. He hugged the crystal and started to cry as he remembered Pinkie pushing him away from the crystal's impact. He thought, "It should have been me. Not you..." Gummy wondered how her friends, or even how the ponies of Ponyville would react knowing she was trapped... or worse, gone forever...

Gummy scrambled to his feet and tried hard to figure out a way to get Pinkie back. A part of him wanted to head to Apple Jack, but he wondered, would she understand what had happened? Would she recognize Gummy in his new appearance? Gummy struggled for a solution. He gazed at the Everfree Forest and tried to remember.

Origin... Lake... Waterfall...

Gummy started to remember the tale of Origin Lake that Pinkie had told him about. At the mouth of a waterfall, there existed a place called Origin Lake where those who bathed deep within the waters could find their true nature of who they are and return to their original self. It was a place where those who had either lost their true memories or had been cursed with a transformation could regain clarity and restore their true form. Few knew of its location because it was guarded my many menacing beasts. But Gummy knew where he had to go to save Pinkie...deep within the Everfree Forest.



Chapter 2

Gummy stared at the surrounding forest as he walked through. A part of him was unsure and startled. He remembered Pinkie’s song about facing your fears and managed to smile. Gummy carried the crystal under his arm as he started to strut through the Everfree forest. He was taller than he was before. He felt more confident than before and more focused on his task. He then stopped and looked up. He waited, and then closed his eyes. The noise from the forest was distracting, but Gummy was listening for water. He opened his eyes and continued into the woods. Creatures in the forest stopped and hid away from Gummy as he looked around and sniffed the air for any sign of water. After a while of pacing, Gummy spots a boulder and walks near it. He places the crystal down and sniffs the base of the boulder. There was water vapor, but it was an underground source. Gummy wondered if his new form gave him heightened senses to figure out such a water source existed underneath the boulder’s tunnel. Gummy grabs the crystal and walks on, trying to focus on water vapor in a higher level.

As Gummy strides on, he keeps noticing a rustle in the brush around him. It wasn’t the sound of fleeting creatures. This sound had been following him. Gummy held onto the crystal and waited for the hunter to reveal itself. Suddenly a cockatrice appears and slithers toward Gummy to strike. Gummy remembers the strength of the impervious crystal and quickly uses it as a shield against the strike. The cockatrice’s beak hits hard on the crystal and it cries out in pain. Gummy tries to escape, but the cockatrice catches up to Gummy and manages to wrap itself around Gummy’s ankles. Gummy trips and falls, keeping a firm grip on the crystal. Gummy stares at the cockatrice who is slowly coiling around his legs. The creature gazes back at Gummy, its eyes starting to glow red. Gummy starts to feel his feet becoming stone and tries to think of a way to avert the gaze. His reflexes put the crystal between his gaze with the cockatrice. The cockatrice is in shock as Gummy regains his focus and feels his legs return to normal. Gummy keeps the crystal in place and sees the cockatrice weakening its grip on him. Gummy pulls himself free from the cockatrice’s grip as he notices the creature turning to stone from its own power. Gummy wondered if the cockatrice had seen its reflection on the surface of the crystal. Gummy moved the crystal from the front of his face to see the cockatrice completely in stone. He gazed at it for any sign of movement, and then he walked away in relief.

Gummy was impressed with his own reflexes and wit. He wondered if it would be enough to save Pinkie. Gummy’s nose eventually guides him to the source of a bog. The murky area bubbled with vapor from the earthy water. Gummy carefully stayed on higher ground to avoid the waters as he crossed it. He treaded along trees, logs, and boulders, until one started to move. The shock caused Gummy to fall into the bog. The waters were shallow enough for Gummy to emerge and stand, but he noticed he had lost the crystal. He struggled to feel for the round crystal beneath the bog until something else emerged. Gummy gazed and saw a crocodile made of stone. The cragadile growled and told Gummy that he shouldn’t be here. Gummy growled back and said he was only trying to cross. Suddenly another cragadile growled from afar yelling out “It’s Coming!” Gummy noticed several boulders moving in the water, realizing they were all cragadiles. They all moved toward the forest as the earth trembled. From the forest, a giant hydra roared out and gave chase to the cragadiles. The roars were intimidating as the hydra tried to stomp on the cragadiles with its overwhelming mass. It chased them and its heads laughed at their fear. Gummy saw the bully instigate them and knew this was wrong. Gummy leaped out of the bog and attempted to get closer behind the hydra. While it was distracted, Gummy leaped onto the Hydra’s leg and bit hard into it. The hydra’s heads yelled in pain as Gummy jumped off and looked around. The forest curved up toward a cliff into a chasm. Gummy had the Hydra’s attention and ran into the forest. The Hydra was angry and stomped through the forest. Gummy kept his footing through the brush and through the trees as he and the Hydra headed toward the cliff. Gummy was in the clearing as the Hydra charged out of the forest toward him. The tricky part was coming and Gummy wondered how this would play out and prepared himself. Gummy ran toward the Hydra as it lunged its heads down to attack. Gummy narrowly dodged them and leaped back onto the legs as the Hydra was at the cliff’s edge. Gummy bit hard once again into the creature’s leg. The Hydra lost its balance from the pain and started to fall off the cliff. Gummy barely managed to leap off it and onto the ground before looking back to see the Hydra plunge into the abyss.

Gummy made his way back to the bog to continue his search for the crystal. When he came back, he saw several cragadiles standing before him. Gummy growled, telling them he doesn’t want to fight them. One cragadile approaches Gummy, stops before him, and smiles. The cragadile opens its mouth and releases the crystal Gummy had lost. The cragadile growled and thanked Gummy for saving them. Gummy nodded and smiled back. He asked the cragadile where he might find a waterfall that pours into a lake. The cragadile pointed in one direction and warned Gummy that the path should be taken with caution. Gummy nods and thanks them before setting off again.



Chapter 3

Gummy held the crystal close as he approached a darker part of the forest. The woods were more silent than usual and the vegetation was thick. Gummy could only hope that when he reached the lake, all would return to normal. It wasn’t a journey he thought he’d ever take, especially alone. He wondered why this all happened now. Did it have a purpose? If anything, it did give him a chance to experience challenges as they occurred. He knew he was doing this for Pinkie, and that’s all that mattered to him. Gummy gazed at the crystal, hoping to see Pinkie’s silhouette again, but it just gave the same glow. Gummy thought, “Where did this crystal come from? Why did it hurdle itself toward me?” Gummy’s thoughts were interrupted by rustling in the bushes. A foul odor filled the air before a pack of Timberwolves appeared. Gummy was in their territory, but he stared them down, wondering his next move. One of the Timberwolves was impatient and pounced. Gummy held the crystal tightly and rolled away. The other Timberwolves ran toward Gummy. He dashed away while the pack followed close behind. Gummy had thought quickly and headed toward the denser part of the woods. Some of the Timberwolves couldn’t get through the brush, but Gummy remembered his path from before. One of the Timberwolves got ahead of Gummy and attacked, causing Gummy to drop the crystal. Another Timber wolf snatched the crystal and ran off. Gummy tried to chase it, but three Timberwolves tackled him. Gummy was overwhelmed. He didn’t want to lose Pinkie forever. He came so far. He thought, “It can’t end like this…” Gummy gathered his strength and started snapping his jaw all over the Timberwolves. The sheer force of his bites cracked and shattered the Timberwolves until they became immobile. Gummy stood up, weary from the fight. He wondered how he’d find the stray Timber wolf that ran off with the crystal. He looked down and saw foot prints heading away. Without a moment to lose, Gummy followed them.

He hurried as fast as he could, tracking the footprints carefully. He suddenly heard a roar and felt the earth tremble. Gummy wondered if the crystal was still intact. He ran faster, following the tracks toward a clearing. When he saw a pile of timber, he slowly approached it. The Timber wolf was smashed and there was no sign of the crystal. Gummy looked around and found his answer to what had happened. Something had squashed the Timber wolf. Gummy discovered much larger footprints and the path through the woods the creature had taken. He knew the creature must have taken the crystal with it.

Gummy walked on, disappointed that he had lost the crystal… and Pinkie. No matter what, he was going to get it back and take it to the lake. He knew the lake couldn’t be too far away. Gummy tracked the large footprints until he came to a giant cavern. He peered inside and heard the creature stirring within. Gummy slowly crept along the walls, hiding in the shadows to stay out of sight. He finally reached the den of the cavern. He saw piles of jewels and gemstones of various colors. The creature was a collector. Suddenly, the creature growled and started moving. Gummy hid behind a stalagmite and saw that the creature was a giant green dragon with sharp, lime-colored scales. The dragon was leaving the cavern, so Gummy saw the chance to search for the crystal.

He stared hard at the piles of gems. The crystal was a new addition and should’ve been on the outer layers of the mounds. Gummy looked, but couldn’t find the crystal. He walked around and around, but the various colors of the jewels made it hard to separate his crystal from the rest. Gummy stopped and wondered if he could get it back before it was too late. He growled out for Pinkie. The gems continued to sparkle and glimmer the light within the cavern. Gummy felt like he was running out of time. He looked again and noticed something flashing. The hue was pink and Gummy raced to find it. It came from the top of a pile. Gummy staggered to the glow and found the crystal flashing pink with Pinkie’s silhouette inside. Gummy grabbed and hugged the crystal in relief.

He slid down the pile of jewels and started to leave the cavern until he heard stomps returning to the cavern. The dragon had returned with more gemstones. Gummy hid behind the piles of gems and slowly attempted to exit the cavern. The dragon looked around and saw that the crystal he had taken was missing. The dragon looked around until he saw Gummy running fast out of the cave. The dragon chased after Gummy who was already heading into the woods. Gummy kept running through the thick brush, but the dragon smashed through. Gummy kept going until he came to the base of a tall Cliffside. The dragon had cornered Gummy. As the dragon growled with a fiery vapor, Gummy took one last look at the crystal. The glow was calming but Gummy wished he could see Pinkie one last time. Suddenly, the crystal glowed pink, and Pinkie’s silhouette appeared again. The glow grew brighter until it was blinding. The dragon could barely see and shielded its eyes with its claws. Gummy saw the moment and held the crystal up until it flashed the entire area. When the light faded, the dragon moved its claw and saw that Gummy and the crystal were gone. The dragon growled and roared out in frustration knowing that they had escaped.



Chapter 4

Gummy sighed in relief knowing he was far from the dragon. He glanced at the crystal again and saw that it had returned to its original glow. Gummy wondered if Pinkie was trying to help him through the crystal. He knew she was still active. Gummy made his way through the forest again, sensing a strange aura in the air. He could hear water flowing and smell the vapor. As he treaded faster, moisture was filling the air as mist grew near Gummy’s legs. He was getting closer. He started to run. The noise from the waterfall grew louder. Gummy ran until he approached the shore of a huge lake. The waterfall’s vapor produced a glimmering rainbow at the base of the falls. The surrounding vegetation was vibrant with color. Bordering the lake were an abundance of flowers from the Seeds of Truth. Gummy looked at the crystal and growled saying that they finally made it.

Gummy held onto the crystal and walked into the lake. He swam to the middle and waited. Nothing happened. Gummy wondered if the cure was within the lake. He submerged and swam down toward the base of the lake. He searched for any clues to the lakes power and saw an obscure structure at the bottom of the lake. He swam to it and examined it. The base seemed to be a root and the tip of it was a crystalline shape with a round, shallow indentation. Gummy looked at the shape, and then realized what it was. He looked at the crystal and the shape seemed to fit the indentation. Gummy wondered, “Is this where the crystal came from?” He slowly placed the crystal into the indentation and it fit perfectly. Suddenly the crystal glowed brighter as its light traveled through the root and started to illuminate several underwater plants. As the area glowed, it looked like a sacred place. The crystal glowed and spoke to Gummy.

“What is it that you wish to know?”

Gummy was in awe from the question. His first thought was “Why did this happen?”
The crystal replied to Gummy.

“You were chosen to represent a sub-element of harmony, The Element of Wonder. Your deep thoughts, your passive demeanor to react, and your attention to listen & learn helped you to get through the challenges to get here. Your test was to return here with the element.”

Gummy took in the words and remembered his trials. He owed much of his success to Pinkie. She taught him to be brave by telling him all the stories and experiences that she and her friends had been through. Gummy realized that his quick reflexes and wit were from the lessons of the stories. From the defeat and knowledge of the cockatrice, the Hydra, the Timberwolves and the dragon… all were forged from Pinkie’s tales. Gummy realized how his mind had grown from the experiences. He then looked at himself and asked “Why did I change?”
The crystal replied.

“Like Pinkie, your element has shared its power within you. You now represent the full potential of your being. Your ability to use this new form effectively was also a part of the test.”

Gummy understood now. The element was meant to strike him to test his ability to represent the element. Unfortunately, Pinkie got caught in the wrong moment. Gummy gazed at the crystal and back at his form. He finally made his request to the element.

“I want my friend Pinkie restored from the crystal.”

The crystal glowed until it changed into a pink hue. The pink glow separated from the crystal and Pinkie’s silhouette started to form at the glow’s core. As the glow approached Gummy, he placed his hands around it. The warmth he felt was Pinkie’s essence. He felt happy, full of joy, and smiled. The glow grew brighter until it lit the whole lake and blinded Gummy. He closed his eyes and heard the element speak to him.

“Your journey to discover yourself has only begun. But you have proven yourself worthy of the Element of Wonder. You shall be taken back to where this all began. Farewell.”

Gummy awoke and looked around. He was at the edge of the Everfree Forest. He looked at himself and saw he had returned to normal, still wearing his purple shorts. He then searched for Pinkie and saw that she was lying near him. He waddled to her and nudged her mane. She awoke with a daze and looked at Gummy. She started to cry, then hugged him tightly and said ”I saw it. I saw it all. You saved me Gummy. Thank you. Thank you ever so much.” Gummy smiled and growled.

From that moment on, Pinkie tried to convince her friends of Gummy’s heroic tale, but they found it hard to believe. Eventually, Pinkie decided to just keep this story a secret between Gummy and herself. Pinkie wondered if Gummy was ever able to transform back into his new form. Gummy wondered too and knew that one day, it may happen again, when the time was right. His purpose was clear and he awaited the days when his power would be needed.

THE END