//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: The Land of the Sentient Horses // Story: Friendship is Magic; Damnation is Alchemy // by AnonymousCardCaptor //------------------------------// Friendship is Magic; Damnation is Alchemy By Anonymous Card Captor My Little Pony-Friendship is Magic is created by Lauren Faust and owned by Hasbro Studios. Fullmetal Alchemist is created by Hiromu Arakawa. All other characters are the creation of the author. All thoughts or anything read by a character is in italics. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Chapter 4: The Land of the Sentient Horses Everything was grey. The life force within Sinclair was transitioning between this world and the pure featureless world on the other side. Soon, he would be reunited with those wings the hard way. In that hazy background was a white silhouette of a horse gawking at him. "Haven't you learned anything yet, alchemist," Truth gloated. "A hint would be nice. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't learn *something* even if it's useless knowledge. How about some way of differentiating that lesson I’m supposed to learn from the usual crap that feels my noggin on a daily basis?" "If you had to ask, you haven't learned it." Just then, someone tripped and fell on top of Sinclair. He then heard that person and another talking. The figures were blurry shades of grey. "As humans would say, the cavalry have arrived. You may live long enough learn your lesson, alchemist." Then, everything went to black for a moment and then slowly lit up back up until it became just bright enough to see Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye standing before him. Sinclair tried to move but was frozen in place. Mustang bent over Sinclair and said menacingly, "you almost got away from us, but that's not happening again." "Sir,” said Riza Hawkeye, “I'll make sure Lab 2 put this beast down." "No don't do it! I'm Douglas Sinclair! We served in Ishval together!" But they didn't pay Sinclair any mind. "Damn, this thing makes a racket," Mustang griped. "Can you hurry up and put it to sleep already?" "Can't it wait, sir? I have a date planned." Riza asked. "You? A date? May I ask with whom?" Riza hid her blushing cheeks. "Oh Colonel, you know a girl shouldn't kiss and tell." Then Wind Racer stepped out of the shadows in an expensive three-piece suit and holding a dozen roses. "Don't be so shy, Riza." Mustang saluted Wind Racer. "Aw, General Sinclair, what brings you to our little operation, sir?" "I'm here to pick up my lady friend. I made arrangements at the Blue Oyster. Please allow your subordinate to have the rest of the night off. The restaurant manager had to juggle their schedule to make a last minute change in reservations just for us." Riza Hawkeye's outfit changed from her usual military uniform to a black, sleeveless cocktail dress. "Can I have tomorrow off, as well?" Riza rubbed Wind Racer's chest with her finger while staring at him with a sultry look. "I have something planned for you after dinner that'll take all night." "You don't mind if Riza takes the day off tomorrow, do you Mustang?" "Not at all, sir," said Mustang. "Oh and go fetch a lab tech to destroy this animal," Wind Racer ordered. "Riza has better things to do." Riza nuzzled up to Wind Racer. "Right away sir," Mustang saluted before disappearing into the shadows. "I'm so glad you came along and switched bodies with that loser Sinclair." "You know what he really is?" Sinclair said in shock. "Oh course she does," Wind Racer gloated. "He's more man than you ever were,” said Riza. “I wouldn't spit on you if you were on fire." "I told her everything about me." Wind Racer beamed with self-satisfaction. Riza rubbed on Wind Racer's chest. "It only made me want him even more." "Face it, buddy. I make a better you than you ever did." Sinclair's face was distorted by rage. He struggled against the force holding him in place. "I'LL KILL YOU, IMPOSTOR! I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL, YOU IMPOSTOR! I'LL KILL YOU!" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sinclair came crashing to the ground. He didn't know what was worse: the ache from the blunt force trauma or the migraine piercing his skull. He tried to get up on all fours but found himself tangled up in bed sheets. After working his way out of the twisted covers, Sinclair surveyed his surroundings. The floor wasn't the bare ground of a forsaken no-man's land devoid of civilization. Soft white ceramic tiles in some sort of complex or facility was beneath his hooves. Sinclair was in a room, and beside him was a hospital bed-twin size with metal railings and frame and on wheels. There was also an IV drip. Why does this keep happening? This is the third time he woke up in a strange place. Then he realized-none of this should be here in Rodinia. Did some of shipwrecked sailors of old settled this continent and etched out a place for themselves here? "Excuse me sir, are you okay?" A feminine voice called out from the other side of the door. There are people here; there is civilization here after all. "Yes ma'am," Sinclair put his hoof up to his mouth. What the hell was he doing? He's an animal, and animals can't talk. But why was this woman speaking to him or for that matter why is he in a hospital and not some veterinarian clinic? And then 'it' came through the door: a horse chimera. "Oh dear, did you fall out of bed?" The creature spoke. It had an ivory coat and pink mane and wore a nurse's cap on its head. Sinclair backed away in a panic. "You stay away from me! What the hell are you?" "I won’t hurt you. I'm your nurse, and I'm here to help." "Just back off!" "Please calm down, sir." The female horse chimera backed out of the room and yelled down a hallway. "Doctor! We have a problem." When she turned to call out for help, her side was facing Sinclair. He could see a red cross on the female horse chimera's thigh. Hoof steps echoed down the hallway. Another chimera peeked into the room. It appeared to be more masculine than the first. He had a short beige mane and a red coat. Etch on his thigh was a stethoscope. And he was wearing a pair of spectacles on the end of its muzzle. "What seems to be the problem?" "It's the patient, Doctor. He's still delirious from the fever." The male horse chimera walked up to the doorway. "I'm Doctor Stables, and this is my nurse, Redheart. You're in the Ponyville Emergency Room. We found you on the edge of the Everfree Forest near the point of death. You somehow managed to catch a particularly bad case of pneumonia. We brought you here for emergency treatment." "What are you 'things'?" The migraine was stabbing deeper into his brain and making it hard to focus. "We're ponies like you, sir. Please, you haven't recovered yet. If you keep acting up, you'll make yourself sick again." Sinclair decided he was in no condition to escape. He would have to do as these 'ponies' say for the time being. "Okay, you win." Sinclair slumped back on the bed. Nurse Redheart started to creep back inside before Dr. Stables put out his hoof. "I have to check his vitals, Doctor." "Not till he has time to calm down." Then the doctor addressed Sinclair. "But we are coming back here to finish your treatment. So please no more outbursts." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ As promised, the doctor and nurse came back. "So, are you feeling better, Wind Racer?" The horse chimera doctor asked. These creatures at least knew of the Impostor. Sinclair decides to play along. "Yes, I am." The doctor chimera bit into the other end of the stethoscope diaphragm and pressed it against Sinclair. Sinclair frowned on such an unsanitary practice, though he knew these creatures wouldn't be able to handle the instrument otherwise. That fact didn't make Sinclair feel any better about the nurse shoving a thermometer in his mouth after it's been in hers. "His breathing and heart rate are normal," the doctor said. He wrote down the readings on a notepad, also with his mouth. "Let me see his temperature." The nurse took out of the thermometer and laid it on the table. "Looks like your fever's broken," he mumbled while jotting down the readings. The doctor turned his head towards the doorway. "You can come in," he called out. Another chimera, a female, rushed into the room. This one, who appeared to be a bit older than other two, had a green coat and a blue mane. Also, she had the same pair of stubby wings as Wind Racer did when Sinclair first saw him. She propped against the bed and pressed her muzzle against Sinclair. "Oh my darling," the female chimera cried, "I thought I'd never see you again. What did they do to you in that forest?" Sinclair shoved her and backed away. "What the hell's going on?" The female chimera looked at him in shock. "Don't you know who I am?" Sinclair shook his head and still looking shocked at the strange chimera. "Why don't know you who I am?" The female chimera broke down in tears. Nurse Redheart rushed to her side to console her. "He lost his wings and now he doesn't recognize me," she wept. Then, another chimera, a male, rushed in. He was also more mature looking, but he had a white coat and short yellow mane. He also had wings as well. "I heard a commotion. Is everything alright?" "It's not alright," the older female chimera said, "our son doesn't remember who we are." Sinclair felt sick when she blurted out those words. He was right in the middle of some family drama because of this mistaken identity. Wind Racer's mother was in tears over it. However the father, assuming he is Wind Racer's father, seemed to have taken the news better. In fact, he was staring angrily at Sinclair. "You didn't tell me had amnesia," Wind Racer's mother sobbed. "We didn't know till now," Dr. Stables said apologetically. "We could keep him in the hospital for a..." "There's no need for that. There's no reason why his memory won't come back to him if he's released." Dr. Stables raised his foreleg and waved his hoof. It was almost as though he was mimicking the instinctive human reaction of holding out one's hand to keep someone from leaving. "That's not the issue. There could be some head trauma we didn't detect." "I suppose another day wouldn't hurt," Wind Racer's mother said hesitantly. "It won't kill him if he leaves a day early," Wind Racer's father grumbled. "Why do you have to be in such a rush to run your own son out of the hospital in his condition?" "Oh he'll live." "Are you so cheap that you'd neglect your own flesh and blood to save a...” "It's okay, it's okay," said Sinclair trying to defuse the situation. "Father's right, it won't hurt me to leave one day early." Calling this complete stranger 'father' left a bad taste in his mouth, but he had to go along with it for the time being. "You can at least let me look you over one more time before I release you for my care. Besides, there's a unicorn from Canterlot that coming here to question Wind Racer." A unicorn? What the hell is that? "Canterlot? Was that unicorn sent by Princess Celestia?" Wind Racer's father asked. Dr. Stables nodded. "If a messenger from the princess wishes to speak to my son, then it can wait." "About what?" The mother protested. "He lost his memories?" "He still needs to tell that to the princess's messenger himself. You're the one who wanted him stay here another day. You should be happy." "Wind Racer, this is your father Sky Ripper and your mother Wind Dancer," Dr. Stables said pointing to each one. Damn, don't these chimeras have normal names? Doctor Stables then looked over Sinclair for any trauma follow by another battery of examinations until there was a knock on the door. Nurse Redheart welcomed this new visitor, which was the most bizarre in appearance yet. She had a light purple coat and a dark purple mane with pink highlights, but what set this one apart from the others the most was the single horn spirally out of its forehead. These 'unicorns' must the Children of the Great White Mare that Lord Arakaki spoke of; the ones able to perform miracles, whatever that means. "I'm sorry to bother you. My name is Twilight Sparkle and..." "Hold it. Is that your real name?" Sinclair said looking cockeyed at Twilight Sparkle. Sky Ripper nudged him rather hard. "Don't be so rude, Wind Racer," he said in a hushed, but gruff voice. "Well, why wouldn't it be? What's wrong with 'Twilight Sparkle'? I'm sorry, I got off topic. Our Majesty, Princess Celestia, wishes to know what you saw on the other side of the Everfree Forest." "'Everfree Forest'? What's that?" "Please," said Wind Dancer, "our son Wind Racer lost his memories. He didn't even recognize his own parents." The unicorn closed her eyes and concentrated and mumbled something about not being under a spell. Great! I'm under the care of a witch doctor. "Are you sure you don't remember anything at all?" Sinclair decided it would be difficult to tell them anything without giving away his true identity. "I'm afraid not." Wind Racer's mother returned to sobbing for her amnesiac 'son'. "What about the 'Impostor'?" Nurse Redheart spoke up. "You said you were going to kill this Impostor. Was he trying to hurt you?" "Nurse, Wind Racer was saying that while delirious with fever. The mind plays tricks on us in our dreams, especially one brought about by a serious illness," Dr. Stables rebuked Nurse Redhead. "Wind Racer," Twilight Sparkle asked, "could you at least tell us about that dream with the Impostor?" "I don't remember even having it." Twilight Sparkle held her head down. "Oh, that's too bad. I guess I don't have anything to give to the princess." Twilight Sparkle started to walk out of the room, but then turned around. "If you remember anything, tell me immediately. I'm staying at the Ponyville Library, and don't tell anypony else what you saw." That last sentence made Sinclair feel apprehensive. This Princess Celestia seems intent on, not only finding out what's outside their little world, but also keeping it from the other chimeras. Sinclair may have to fake amnesia for as long as he's in Rodinia. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The ponies of Ponyville couldn't help but to stare at the pegasus pony with the clipped wings. Sinclair was beginning to feel self-conscious. It was bad enough to have that female chimera pressing up against him as if he was her newly-born colt. He wasn't the type to crave the spotlight and certainly didn't like being gawked at, especially by these freakish chimeras. "Could you move a bit faster? I want to get out of sight." "Funny, I thought running off to the other end of the Everfree Forest was about getting attention!" The father yelled. "Make a scene why don't you?" The mother scoffed as she got between the father and Sinclair as though she was duty bound to defend her son from even the righteous indignation of the other parent. "Why should I keep a know-it-all showoff of a son in my house?" "Our house, Sky Ripper, our house," Wind Dancer said. "Not the one I made with my own hoofs, Wind Dancer. He's an embarrassment. Without wings, he's no better than an earth pony," Sky Ripper blurted out. The chimeras without either the stubby wings or horns gave Sky Ripper dirty looks. Sinclair reasoned that they must be earth ponies, though he wondered if 'earth pony' was the name of their breed of horse chimera or some sort of racial slur. Just then, a voice called out from the sky itself. "Yo, Wind Racer, heard you got your wings clipped." Sinclair stared stupefied at what looked like horses in the sky. One of them was lying on a cloud as though it was a helium-filled balloon and the others flapping those stubby wings that, according to the laws of physics and nature, shouldn't be able to keep them up. "Tough break, dude. Tried to warn you not to run off to the Everfree Forest," the one on the cloud said jovially despite the severity of the situation. Then Wind Racer's mother pressed Sinclair's head down with her foreleg. "You ponies should be ashamed of yourselves!" She then turned to Sinclair. "Don't stare at them, dear. It'll only upset you." "I don't have any idea how he's coming home with us anyway," said Sky Ripper. "He can't fly, remember." "You live on a mountain or something?" "In the clouds, dear," Wind Dancer said while stroking Sinclair's mane. "And we could take him with us if we buy a wagon and carry him." Sinclair's eyes bulged out. "Don't be ridiculous. We're not running a taxi service." "It's okay...mother," Sinclair said trying to hide his disgust over claiming kinship with this creature, "I'll be okay. Go back home. You two had a rough day." Sinclair found it hard to believe something as intangible as water vapor could be made into a sturdy structure able to support his weight anyway. "Honey," the mother said, "We're going to get someone to take care of you. She'll be glad to see you returned safely, even if you lost your..." Wind Dancer started crying. "Oh just hurry up already," Sky Ripper snapped as he hovered over head. "Don't be in such a hurry." Wind Dancer flapped her wings and flew off with her mate. Gee I wonder where the Impostor got his saintly demeanor from. Oh, I know: his fine upbringing. Sinclair just wished those two dysfunction chimeras didn't make such a commotion. The other chimeras were still gawking and whispering to each other. Then, one of them strolled up to him. But this one invoked a far different reaction within him. Sinclair was in complete awe of her. The ray of the sun reflected off of the glitter she put in her neon pink mane. The way she moved was enticing; her sultry strut was hypnotic. Sinclair's attention was fixated on the white lotus etched on the neon blue filly's flank. "Do you like what you see, Wind Racer?" The blue chimera had a very exotic accent that added to the feel of sensuality. Sinclair then realized what he was doing and tried to pretend that he wasn't captivated by this alluring filly. "Well...umm...I...I...wasn't looking." Sinclair stuttered. He wanted to hit himself for getting caught in the act and for his pitiful attempt to save face. "I've been worried about you since I heard you came back from the Everfree Forest, and you're well enough to have those sorts of thoughts running through your mind?" What the hell is your problem? That's an animal, and you're lusting after it. What sort of sick pervert have you turned into? Then Sinclair remembered how Wind Racer was going on about how he used to be disgusted with human women but now found them attractive. Also, Lady Masago, the last Sinclair saw of her, was absolutely stunning in her kimono and should have reduced Sinclair to an awestruck adolescent teenage boy too amour with a pretty girl to think straight. Yet, he felt indifferent towards her. He also remembered when he lost his tempter and went to town on Wind Racer. He pawed his hoof along the floor and snorted. That isn't the instinctive reaction of a being that evolved from primates. It's the sort of thing to expect from an enraged hoofed mammal. He was become less human in mind and spirit and more horse-like as he was adapting to his new body. Those thoughts were enough to snap him out of his lust-induced trance. "Do I know you?" Sinclair asked. "I'm hurt," said the blue chimera. "Don't tell me after I went through the trouble of getting Daisy to look after the spa at the last minute that you forgot about me. You don't remember the night at the Grand Galloping Gala four years back?" "Actually, I don't remember anything at all." But before Sinclair could finish speaking, the blue chimera back off and walked away while nervously looking back at him. "Why she leave in such a hurry?" "Ya sho' haven't changed one bit since I last laid eyes on you," Sinclair turned around and faced the pony speaking to him. This one was also a female earth pony. She had an orange coat and a blonde mane done up in a pony tail. A rather large brown hat sat on her brow. She was very attractive in her right, but unlike the last one, her demeanor was far more hostile. "Oh hello there," Sinclair said nervously. The female chimera stared him down. "Ya ain't here five minute and already you done found yourself a new filly to cheat with." "Do I know you?" The orange horse chimera got into his face. "'Know ya'? Ya oughta know me." "Actually, I don't." "Ya must think yer slicker than a greased worm?" "I don't know who you are!" Sinclair yelled. The orange horse chimera paused for a moment of contemplation. "Ya really don't remember, do ya?" Sinclair shook his head. "Ask that Doctor Stables chim...pony." The female chimera examined the spot where Sinclair's wings were. "Them critters in the Everfree Forest must have done a number on ya. Did ya run into a dragon or somethun'? Them look like burn marks." "You're asking the pony with amnesia where he got his wounds?" Just then a flying horse chimera with a yellow coat and pink mane landed next to Sinclair. She looked pitifully at Sinclair; tears streamed down her face. "Oh Wind Racer," she laid her head against Sinclair's as she cried. "I missed you so much." The yellow chimera looked at Sinclair's sides. "It's no wonder why you stayed gone for so long. Oh what could have happened to you?" "Um...um...hi Fluttershy," the orange chimera said surreptitiously. The yellow chimera glanced at the orange one in the hat. "Applejack, did you come to see Wind Racer too?" Yeah, I went to check on'em." Fluttershy then said to Sinclair, "Is it true? Did you lose your memory?" Sinclair nodded his head. "Don't worry about a thing. I'll take care of you. You can come and stay with me." Sinclair caught sight of Applejack rolling her eyes. "Just follow me, and I'll take you back to my home. And don't worry, I live on the ground." Fluttershy walked slowly as though she was afraid of outpacing Sinclair. "Wind Racer," Applejack said. "Yeah, what?" Sinclair asked. And then Applejack said in low, but menacing voice. "Ya shoulda stayed gone." Sinclair wanted to put the chimera with that odd dialect in her place, but then he remembered his own experience with Wind Racer. This Applejack was the one with the best grasp on reality and the best judge of character, except for the understandable mistaken identity. He really couldn't fault her giving him the third degree. Hell, he tried to kill Wind Racer the last time he saw him. Sinclair galloped off to Fluttershy who was waiting at a distance for him. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I hope you enjoyed the fourth chapter of Friendship is Magic-Damnation is Alchemy. Next time, we’ll cover what Wind Racer’s been doing all this time as well as Sinclair’s stay in Equestria.