//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 // Story: Friendship is...Alchemy? // by ShinigamiOkami //------------------------------// Flight was one thing the young dragon had never been capable of, and right now he was falling into a black abyss, envying every pegaus in the world. He felt cold and empty, wondering when he would hit the bottom. He did at last, hard. "State your name, little...hmmm..." A deep bass echoed around him, and he could barely make out what it was saying. "...Alright, state your name, and what the hell you are." Without knowing what else to do, lest he be subject to punishment worse than book-stacking, the reptile replied, "Spike, Spike the dragon." He stood up, now wondering why he hadn't ended up a stain on the dark, surreal floor after a fall like that. "Umm...where am I? Am I alive?" The voice chuckled, "Oh, you're about to me more alive than ever...Spike. Heh, never gotten a chimera's form before, not to mention a dragon one. It doesn't matter though; I want everything in the world, and that includes you, Spike..." ~///~ "Spike!" Twilight shouted, shaking her assistant, the one who'd been her friend for longer than she could remember--well, she could remember, being a genius and all, but that wasn't the point. "SPIKE!" She started sobbing, the tears coming just the same even in a human's form. She hugged him, whispering his name over and over in the hopes he'd answer with some remark or joke like he always did. Lust chuckled in front of her, "He's perfectly fine; in fact, he'll be even better when he wakes up. You should be glad I gave him such a unique gift." Twilight glared through tear-streaked eyes at the woman, ready to throw every insult in the books, and she'd read a lot of them. Before she got the chance, the oddest thing happened; a mountain of a man, bald and shirtless, sparkling brighter than her cutie mark, burst through the far right wall. Following were the rest of her friends, the colonel, and a couple other human in military garb. Dash had also chosen to put on a pony-sized uniform, which she couldn't fathom why or how she'd gotten one, but nonetheless ran over with Spike to greet them. "Twi! What the hay's going on here?! And what's wrong with Spike? Are we too late? And..." the blue pegasus now saw the alicorn standing by Ed, eyes going wide at the sight, "Princess Luna?! Okay, what in the Wonderbolts did I miss?" While Twilight summed up the situation for the newcomers, Ed confronted the homunculus, arms in position to transmute. "Alright, missy, game's up. You're outnumbered, so just surrender nice and easy." "Outnumbered? Hardly." With a snap, she summoned guards and chimeras alike, itching for a battle. "Looks like we're even. Oh wait, no we're not. You're outmatched." She grinned like a snake before a rat as she said those last words, then stepped back to let her pawns fight while she tended to other matters. Al and Luna stood beside him, looking around in hopes of some way to just run out. "Fullmetal," a familiar voice said from behind, "Looks like you'll be needing some backup." Roy smirked, and Ed was never happier to his comrades in fighting stance before him. "Major! Lieutenant Hawkeye! Hughes! You're all here!" He stared in disbelief, but the colonel blocked his view. "Yeah, we're here to save you, but only for now," he snapped, summoning a small fire in his fingers, "Because I need to grill you later." Ed sweatdropped, smiling nervously, "Y-yeah...heh heh..." He was about to make sure the fire-fueled colonel was joking, but the growling of the enemies got them all back into position, battle-ready. The first chimera, a muscular mix between a fox and some kind of bird, threateningly approached with extended talons. Mustang whacked it away with a whip of fire, the attacks signaling the other mutants to charge in. "Armstrong and Al! 2:00, behind!" The colonel warned, to which the two beat down a pair of guards as one. "Hawkeye! Ledge to your left! See if you can take a couple out long-range!" The lieutenant obeyed, getting a high point for some gunshots below. "Rarity! Levitate those two small ones into range for AJ!" The unicorn did so, magically tossing a couple of scaly parakeets right into the girl's foot. Mustang continued to act as leader, barking orders and shooting flames, slowly overtaking their opponents. Twilight kept Spike out of harm's way, placing him in a box and fighting nearby with a sword Ed had transmuted for her. The blonde was off in the middle fo the room, dueling with a 6-foot panda lion. She looked back at Spike's hiding place, hoping he was faring better than they were. ~///~ His body convulsed as the feelings overpowered him. He knew this sensation, had felt it before when he'd lost control of himself and nearly destroyed his friends and ponyville, and knew its name all too well: Greed. It was pushing into his body and will, the energy far more than he'd felt the last time. His struggles weren't even worht it at this point. "So true, so, why not just succumb to your desires, hmm? With me in charge, everything will be in possesion. You'll have everthing you ever wanted: money, fame, chicks...whatever you love most." Spike listened to the voice, an image of Rarity drifting in his mind. "Yes, her too. You'll have her all to yourself..." Spike mulled it over...he'd have Rarity...all to himself..."Rarity," he whispered, "Rarity...you are going to LOVE me!" He shouted, louder than Fluttershy at the Gala, and let the urges envelop him. "You'll be mine...It'll all be mine...hahahaha....AHAHAHA!" ~///~ Dash fought off as hard as she could, zipping from enemy to enemy, while barreling over any foe she could pass. Her trademark rainbow trailed behind her, creating a colorful diversion, even if for the few seconds it took to buck down any chimeras or guards she came across. She'd chosen to put on the military uniform, to show she was there to fight back, to prove she waas going to fix what went wrong at all violent costs. This was her battle. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the homun-whatever from before, just casually strolling over to Twilight. "Not if I can help it..." she muttered, careening over to the woman. She stopped right in her path, snorting furiously. "You did all this, didn't you? Well, you're gonna pay, you bit-" She was knocked aside by her fingers, which seemed to have magically grown to just right length. She felt a cut on her leg, but ignored it and got back up. Lust approached the box, Twilight too busy with another one of the griffin-like ones to notice. "Ah, there you are, little one..." she peered into the box, seeing a very shaky Spike, most likely almost overcome by the stone by now. She reached down to pick him up. With the force of a Sonic Rainboom, Dash went hoof-first into her head, knocking her to the ground. "Hah! Who's laughin' now?" The pegasus gloated, preparing to finish the fight. The homunculus stood up, the part where she'd been wounded healing over already. She extended out an arm, stretching it and the fingers unnaturally long to pin down the pesky pegasus. Dash was forced into the wall behind her, trapped like one of her tacked-up photos of Spitfire. "You don't even stand a chance against us, little chimera," she cooed, "You think you'll be the hero? Well, I've got a piece for you: You're nothing. You can be as loyal to your friends as you like, but you'll never be able to save them while you're dead." She raised her other hand, running the sharp index finger under Dash's chin. A trickle of blood started to run down, darker than the red on her mane. The box beside them started to quiver, taking the homunculus' atenntion off her prey, for now. "Oh? Finally awake, are you? Tell me, how do you feel?" She walked over to the crate, still keeping the pegasus stuck to the wall. There was a groan from the box, and Lust asked once more, "I said, 'how do you feel?' Answer a little more clearly." Dash stried to wriggle out, but the claws contracted, ensuring she wouldn't get away. She watched as the little dragon slowly stood up in the box, getting bigger by the moment. Things were getting worse. ~///~ Twilight finally managed to get a god smack on the chimera with the blade, sending it scampering away with a wounded wing and bloodied back paw. She turned back round to check on Spike. Whatever was emerging from the box was definitely not Spike, at least not the one she knew. It looked like a more humanoid teenage version, grinning and chuckling with extra-sharp teeth. The wooden cell that had been holding him splitered and broke as he grew to about a foot taller than her 5' 5" stature, taller than Lust, even. "Ah," he stretched out, facing the homunculus, "I feel...greedy as ever." She could guess what was going on; whatever that stone was, it had brought out his draconic urges and forced him to change, just like the event back in Equestria, only his voice sounded different...deeper...more evil. "Perfect. Looks like my mission is accomplished then." Lust released the pegasus, her arm retracting like measuring tape as she joined the lizard's side. "Good to see you again," she smiled, "Greed." Twilight looked from Dash to the woman to Spike, a confused look of panic on her face. "What's going on? Spike...?" The dragon raised an eebrow, as if he didn't even recognize her. Lust answered the grl's question with much pleasure. "Spike's gone now, dear. This is Greed, another homunculus. And you know," she turend back to the dragon, "I think I like you better than before, Greed. Both your personality and form are much improved." The unicorn's face turned to one of horrow as she looked at the baby dragon that been her assistant, her friend, practically her brother, for her entire life. He was gone. It seemed so impossible. She looked away, hoping she might wake up in her bed to find it all a dream, or maybe even be back at Ed's place before this all happened. She spared a glance at the dragon, a tear going down her cheek as she saw he was still there, still Greed. Dash couldn't stand to see Twi so upset. He surveyed the area, seeing the others were in just as much trouble. Her fellow ponies were slowly being outnumbered by the dozens of chimeras swarming in. Even Luna was breaking a sweat, seeing as she currently couldn't use magic. Ed and Al were back to back, trying to keep the monsters at bay. The other soldiers kept at it, but even they couldn't hold off for forever. She had to do something. With a flash, she darted for the way they'd came in, going for the secret entrance. ~///~ She made her wa through the dim tunnel, galloping as quick as she could, as it was too narrow to fly, lest she damge her wing again like she had when they'd first arrived in Amestris. As she neared the front, she spotted the small crack of light, big enough for a cat or small dog...or, in this case, a little pony. She squeezed through as soared up as high as she could go, building up speed. There was one way to break through and get them all at once. She'd use her best element, an arial attack. She came to a mid-stop at the peak of the coulds, looking down at the rubble. Then, letting gravity and speed pull her odwn, she dropped. Her wings went at full force, helping het to go at the speed of light itself. The wind buffered against her face, making tears stream past. She pressed on, about to do her signature move, performed only by the best. Only she wouldn't pull up this time; she'd go head-on. She felt the light bending around her, glistening different hues and tranluscently growing into a multi-colored streak. This was it, her time to shine and save them all, to right what she'd done wrong for them all, to stay loyal to them all. ~///~ Lust strolled through the battle, her foes staring dumbfounded at her new ally. The fight ceased for a moment, but it wasn't going to end, not on a certain 5' 4" blonde's alchemist's watch. Ed skidded to a halt in front of the homunculus and comapny, gritting his teeth. "Come on, lady! It's you and me right here, right now!" They stood in the center of the room, calculating each other's moves. Ed transuted his right arm into a blade, waiting to strike. "Look, Fullmetal," she bent down to his height like a teacher speaking to a student, "You're all no match for us. And, as much as I'd loved to kill you, I already have stated--I believe it was in this similar spot, too--that I can't kill a candidate like you. So let us pass, and I might spare the tohers and your new equine pets." Clenching his fist, Ed didn't back down. Lust stood back up, motioning for the dragon to take her place. "Greed, care to deal with him? I've really gotta get back to Father right now." Greed nodded, to which she waved goodbye to them. Ed started to run after her, but the dragon grabbed his coat and yanked him back. "Where d'ya think you're going? You're mine." The battle continued at that command, Ed slicing the dragnon's arm and getting free fro a moment. While the others went back to warring with the monsters, he faced down the chimera homunculus. He went at the beast, swinging with his bladed arm. The reptile moved and grabbed his arm, bending it. His bones would've snapped if that arm hadn't been automail. Twisitng around, Ed used the position to spin off the ground, twisting the socket and kicking the beast in the face. Greed shrugged the hit off and slammed a fist right into the alchemist's face, sending him a good five feet. Ed stood, wiping a bit of blood from his busted lip. As he watched the blood hit the floor, he realized just exactly where he was. The fifth laboratory had had a large transmutation circle in it, and it had obviously been redrawn sice being destroyed. He was now positioned at the edge of it, with Greed standing dead center. "Hey, everyone--and everypony--get to the sides!" He warned, shouting to all his comrades. "I'm gonna need a little room for this fight." They did so, backing out of the circle and letting themselves fight with their backs to the wall. Whether their chimera opponents heeded the warning or not didn't matter; them getting in the crossfire was just a bonus. Greed huffed, clenching his fists and letting out a puff of green fire. He was waiting for the little blonde to make his move. Ed smirked, clapped his hands, and pressed them to the concrete. ~///~ The rainboom was coming a tad late, proppelling her skull through and crashing through the layers of soil, but not with enough force than she'd wanted. At this rate, she'd hit the room and the rainboom would go off then, possibly harming her friends with the aftershock, and her. Unfortunately, she was going too fast to stop. She breached the final layer of earth, seeing a glowing light under her. Something had happened while she was gone. In a quick glimpse, she noticed her friends and allies were against the wall; hopefully that would keep them safe. However, Ed was still too close to the center, and it looked like he had lighting pulsing out of his hands, towards Greed. He was transmuting something, that much she could decipher in the few seconds before she impacted on Greed. A flash of electricity and rainboom brightened the underground. It was beautiful, and terrifying, as she felt, for the second time on a span of only a few days, her molecules and fibers being ripped apart.