//------------------------------// // Chance Meetings // Story: The Full Metal Equestrian // by Derparoo //------------------------------// Alphonse slowly peeled his eyelids opened. Brushing the remaining sleep from his eyes, he slowly pulled himself out of bed and onto all fours. He’d been staying in Canterlot Castle for three days now, and Al was starting to get into the swing of things. True to his routine, he made for the bathroom, stepping into the shower. He gripped the faucet in his teeth, slowly opening the pipes. He let the warm water wash over him for a moment, recounting the events of his stay in Equestria thus far. Since he’d met the princess, Al had spent most of his time reading in the library, and trading stories with Princess Celestia. Not today, though. Today was Friday, and today was the day Alphonse would finally take the princess’s advice and visit her school. As the water began to weigh down and flatten his mane, Al got to work cleaning himself off. He’d have to look good; first impressions can be very important. Once he was out of the shower, Al made his way to the small vanity in his bedroom. He grasped a brush in his right hoof–a feat which was still a mystery to Al–and began taming his unkempt mane. It’s nearly as long as Brother’s, Alphonse laughed inwardly. Digging through drawers, Al was able to produce a small hair elastic. He grabbed the lower portion of his mane, drawing it together, and tying it into a ponytail. Al snickered. He’d done this every day, and he couldn’t help but laugh at the irony. A pony with a ponytail¸ he thought, what are the odds? Once he’d gotten over his temporary giggle fit, Alphonse made his way to his bedroom’s door, where he was greeted by this morning’s guard shift. “Morning Al,” the senior of the pegasi spoke, “sleep well?” Alphonse knew these guards, and the night guards too. Celestia and her sister had left the same groups to watch over Al, and they’d gotten pretty familiar with the colt. “You bet, Lieutenant Lightning,” Al replied, before greeting the other, “Good morning, Private Zephyr!” “Hey Al. Need to go anywhere today? Or just back to the library?” the private teased. Laughing, Al said, “Actually, I’m going to check out the princess’s school today.” “Oh really? So do you need us to tag along?” the lieutenant offered. Alphonse smiled, “No thanks guys, I can handle it on my own today. As long as you’re just guarding this room, go ahead and take the day off, I’ll get the princess to get you when I come back!” Zephyr laughed wildly, “I know I’m a private, but I’m taking orders from a colt now?” he joked. “Thanks for the offer, kid, but I think our Royal duties are a little important to blow off like that,” Lightning said. Al sighed, “Well, can’t say I didn’t try!” Both guards laughed heartily, and bid the colt farewell. Al steadily made his way toward the exit. He’d even gotten used to the castle by now; from Al’s room, it’s a simple right turn to find Celestia, and a left, followed by two rights to get to the castle gates. Needless to say, Al had gotten lost on more than one occasion. Not today though; Alphonse didn’t make a single wrong turn through the entire trip outside, and was greeted by the many sounds of Canterlot. Al decided to take a walk around before going to the school. He’d barely left the castle and he certainly hadn’t been around the streets of Canterlot, not since his first night in Equestria. The city streets were brimming with two things in Canterlot; various shops, and unicorns. Al hadn’t seen many ponies outside of the castle, but he’d expected the population to be a bit more…diverse. However, aside from the odd earth pony manning a cart or a pegasus washing windows, Alphonse was the only non-unicorn around. Al wasn’t about to let that get to him though, instead he just examined the many stores lining the streets. He could see one or two small restaurants near him, but he didn’t think much of it, since he was getting meals at the castle. A few designer clothes shops stood out, as well as several bakeries. All in all, not that different from an Amestrian market, right down to a few independent vendors selling their wares from stands. Alphonse was having a fantastic time taking in the sights. So much so that he had lost sight of what was right in front of him. A large obstacle hindered Al’s progress, namely by bumping into him. Al heard a gruff “Oof,” followed by what sounded like shattering glass. Fighting back a bit of fear, Al slowly looked up to assess the damage done. A blue mustachioed ivory unicorn stallion was shaking stars from his eyes, being helped to his feet by an elegant, pink-maned unicorn mare. The stallion wore an expensive looking black suit, obscuring most of his cutie mark, but Al could clearly see a trio of fleurs-de-lis upon the filly’s flank. Al hoped that he wouldn’t have to apologize en français. “I’m so sorry,” Al began, “I wasn’t watching where I was going.” “Quite alright, my boy,” the stallion spoke up, dusting himself off, “as long as nopony was hurt.” Casting a guilty look to the ground, Al could see a rather large gathering of broken chunks of glass. “I really am sorry about this.” He motioned to the massacre. “As I said, my boy, there’s really no need,” the stallion assured him, “It was just a little gift; someone had gotten me a small glass sculpture of Princess Celestia, nothing too uncommon.” Al was still apologetic, “Maybe I can fix it for you,” he offered. Laughing, the unicorn simply told Alphonse that glass is not so easily repaired. Without hesitation, Alphonse produced a small piece of white chalk, and began to design a circle around the rubble. The pair of unicorns he had bumped into were intrigued by his actions and arcane symbols alike, and a few others had come to see what all of the fuss was about. Moments later, Al had completed his transmutation circle and was smiling slyly. Alphonse pressed his fore hooves to the edge of the circle, prompting a large flash, brought on by the alchemical reaction. In a few seconds, a flawless glass statue of Princess Celestia sat upon the cobblestone walkway. “How in Equestria did you do that?” the mare asked incredulously. “I say,” the stallion spoke up, “that certainly is a spectacle!” Al blushed a bit, surrounded by a prying party of perplexed ponies. They began bombarding him with questions, up until the unicorn he had bumped into had been able to shoo away the rest of the civilians. Slowly but surely the small crowd dissipated, leaving just the three ponies standing in silence. “Good to meet you, boy,” the stallion spoke up, “I am Fancypants, and this is my wife, Fleur.” “Hi there,” spoke the aptly named Fleur de Lis. “My name is Alphonse Elric,” he introduced, “it’s a pleasure meeting you too.” “Now then,” Fancypants began, “there is simply no way that that could have been unicorn magic, seeing as you’re an earth pony. How in Equestria did you fix that statue?” Al tried to shy away from the question; he probably shouldn’t be flashing his alchemy like that. Alphonse racked his brain trying to come up with some sort of explanation, his mind coming to rest on his own cutie mark. Although Al himself wasn’t sure what the strange circle meant, he told Fancypants that alchemy was his special talent, omitting the word ‘alchemy’ from his explanation. This seemed to be enough for Fancypants, who smiled and said, “Well, young colt, I owe you a great debt for fixing my statuette.” Fleur, who was now leaning onto Fancypants’ back exclaimed, “What an amazing talent; an earth pony with magic!” “Thank you,” Al replied, “I try not to show it off, I’m sort of new in town.” “Well, that would explain why I’ve never heard stories of your skill before,” Fancypants mused. “Truly there are some amazing ponies in Equestria!” Al blushed. It had been a while since he’d gotten this sort of treatment for his alchemy. Back then, he’d always had to hide the nature of his armored body, and now he had to hide the nature of alchemy itself. If it wasn’t for his humble nature, Al might even feel cheated by destiny… Fancypants wasn’t done his interview yet though, “So, Alphonse, what brings you to Canterlot?” “I heard that it was a great place to study,” Al lied through a nervous smile. At least I’ll be prepared for the kids at the school… “Ah yes,” the wealthy unicorn remarked, “Canterlot Library has volumes for just about any topic imaginable; a fine place to study.” “Oh yes,” Al agreed awkwardly, not sure which way to take the conversation. “The princess is nice enough to give me full access to the castle’s tomes as well.” “The castle?” Fancypants asked. “You know Princess Celestia?” Al was worried. Perhaps he’d said too much. Again. Smiling, he carefully said, “Yes, she was kind enough to let me stay in the castle while I’m in Canterlot.” Fancypants threw his head back, laughing wildly, “Imagine that, Fleur,” he called to his wife, “this is the second exceptional pony we’ve bumped into who’s been staying at the castle!” Al found himself blushing again; exceptional was definitely a new compliment, and coming from such a seemingly high class unicorn. Suddenly, Al’s mind snapped to the words Fancypants had spoken, “There’s another pony staying at the castle?” Clearing his throat, Fancypants explained, “Oh no, she’s long since returned home. I shall have to write her soon.” “Oh, you mean Rarity, dear?” Fleur piped up. “She was simply darling! I hope she comes back this way soon.” “Indeed, my dear,” Fancypants agreed. “Anyway,” Al began, “I’ve really got to get to the school. It’s been really nice meeting the two of you!” “And you as well, Alphonse,” Fancypants said. “If you ever need a favor, do not hesitate to come and find me.” Al smiled, before trotting off toward the school. If the upper crust is this friendly, just imagine a town like Resembool… In Ponyville… At the Carousel Boutique, an uncharacteristically dirty ritual was taking place. Rarity was nearly finished putting together Ed’s auto-mail legs; an impressive feat for a pony that’d never worked with machinery heavier than a sewing machine. She had done her best to follow Ed’s depiction (which was not exactly a detailed diagram), etching channels along the front plating of the pieces, but mostly followed her own ‘fabulous’ design. Rarity had tried to get Edward to let her add some jewels to give his legs an extra ‘flair,’ but Ed had written the idea off, complaining about being too ‘flashy.’ The seamstress levitated a small screwdriver, tightening up the last of the joints. After splashing some oil over the moving parts, Rarity stepped back to inspect her work. Each leg would be the perfect length; she had taken care to make Edward’s measurements perfect. The strange pieces of metal did have an alien aura about them, but still appeared as familiar as anypony’s two legs. Satisfied with her work, Rarity decided she’d bring the auto-mail to Edward to see what he thought of it. The walk to the library was a bit more difficult than Rarity had anticipated. Her creations not only protruded awkwardly from her saddlebags, but being made from steel made them very heavy! She struggled her way through Ponyville, earning awkward glances at the strange machines poking out of her packs. When she’d reached the door to Twilight’s home, she knocked loudly, eager to remove the load from her back. “Rarity,” Twilight smiled as she opened the door. “Come on in.” Stepping inside, Rarity began to observe the uncharacteristically empty Ponyville Library. “Where’s Spike?” she asked. Usually he’d have been vying for her attention by now. “Oh, he’s playing chess with Ed upstairs. I came down here to study while it was still quiet,” Twilight explained. She gazed at the packs on Rarity’s back, but more importantly the things sticking out from them. “What have you got there?” she asked. Rarity smiled proudly, “I have just finished assembling Edward’s prosthetic legs, and I thought I would drop by to show him! I’m quite certain he’ll be quite excited.” “I’m sure he will too, Rarity,” Twilight smiled. After handing off one of the saddlebags to Twilight, the pair of unicorns slowly made their way up the staircase. Edward was sitting up in bed, with Spike and a small table off to one side. A chess board with several removed pieces sat on the table. When he heard hoofsteps, Spike turned to look out the door. “Hey Twilight, hey Rarity,” he said almost blankly, as if he’d barely even noticed the girls come in. Ed smiled and waved a hoof at the approaching fillies. “How’s the game going guys?” Twilight asked enthusiastically. “I think I’ve got him this time,” Spike said, determination in his voice. Ed laughed, “Yeah, he’s a fiery little guy. He’s barely let me stop playing to sleep!” The pair of unicorns laughed a bit, before sitting back to watch the game. Spike made a bold advance on Edward’s side of the board with his bishop. Spike crossed his arms, and smiled a very cocky smile. Edward grinned slyly, before grabbing his own knight, simultaneously taking Spike’s bishop, and cornering his king between a knight, rook, and queen. Spike was dumbfounded. His jaw dropped, prompting a giggle from the pair of fillies sitting beside him. “Sorry buddy, better luck next time,” Ed smiled. Spike just crossed his arms. Ed chuckled, before turning to the ivory unicorn, “Nice of you to visit, Rarity.” “And it is good to see you’re well, Ed,” Rarity smiled warmly. “I’ve finished working on your auto-mail.” Ed’s eyes lit up, “That’s amazing!” Giggling, Rarity pulled a bag off of her back, with a steel leg poking out the top, “It’s right here if you’d like to see it.” “Yeah, absolutely!” Twilight levitated the false legs onto the bed, next to Edward, who quickly lifted one, looking it up and down. He checked everything; the lengths, joints, even the overall design of it. Seemingly satisfied with Rarity’s work, Ed practically sang, “This is amazing! It’s almost exactly like Winry’s! Rarity, you are the best!” Rarity was beaming. Flipping her mane back playfully, she told Ed, “Really dear, it was no big deal.” “It’s a huge deal,” Ed yelled. Calming down, he somberly said, “You’ve given me a leg to stand on, and for that, I can’t thank you enough.” Rarity blushed deeply. At a complete loss for words, she simply nodded in recognition of his gratitude. “So,” Spike prodded, after a few moments of silence. “Can we put it on now or what?” Ed turned hopefully to Twilight, who just laughed at the gesture. “Sorry, Ed, but we need to tell everypony about this first. Applejack especially can get very busy, we’ll need to make a plan.” “Then let’s get the word out!” Back in Canterlot… After his run in with Fancypants, Alphonse had decided to head straight to the school, lest his alchemy attract any more attention. He weaved through the grid of city streets, trying to remember the layout of Canterlot from his night out with the guard patrol. Eventually, he found himself in front of a very large, elegant structure. Several towering spires protruded from its left and right sides, and a sizeable statue of Celestia sat in the center of a walkway leading to the towering double doors. “I think I found it,” Al muttered sarcastically. As he trotted lazily toward the entrance, Al felt something he hadn’t before. When he’d woken up, he was nothing but excited to visit Celestia’s school, but now...since Al had left, there’d been a tug in the pit of his stomach. He was nervous, terrified even. Al hadn’t spoken to anyone his own age for six years, save for Winry! He wasn’t sure he even knew how to be a teenager. He had begun to lift a hoof to open the doors when he thought; maybe I should just head back... No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than the long ringing of a school bell pierced his eardrums. Before Al could so much as react, a mob of pastel-shaded ponies burst through the doors, shoving him aside quite forcefully! Once the rampaging storm of school ponies had subsided, Al managed to piece his mind back together, but before he could get to his feet, a shadow crept over him. From above, a soft voice cautiously asked, “Uh, hey, are you alright?” A young white unicorn pony was holding out a helpful hoof. Al took the help to his feet, and thanked the filly, assuring her he was just fine. She was pretty cute for a pony; she had sparkling crimson eyes and a wavy red and pink mane that fell along her neck. A trio of stars creating a semicircle around a crescent moon sat upon each of her flanks, a rather mysterious cutie mark. “I’m Moondancer,” she smiled warmly, “I haven’t seen you around before, are you a new student?” Al cleared his throat. “Actually, I’m not a student at all. You can’t really go to a unicorn school if you aren’t a unicorn,” he joked. Moondancer glanced up at Al’s empty forehead. “I guess that’s a pretty good point,” she laughed. “So then, what are you doing here?” Where to begin? “I just got to Canterlot a few days ago, so I was hoping to make some friends here.” The unicorn’s ears perked right up. Eyes shimmering, she said, “Well, I’m having a little get-together this evening. You wanna come?” Al was a little taken back. He was expecting to chat with two or three ponies, but so far this visit to the school was going very strangely. After a few moments’ consideration, he simply said, “Sure, but I’ll have to check if the Princess wants me around tonight. Is that okay?” Al asked nervously. Now it was Moondancer’s turn to be shocked. “You know Princess Celestia?!” Al practically slapped himself in the face. He’d slipped up again. So much for blending in like a normal little pony. “Yeah,” he began, “I’ve been staying in the castle with the Princess.” Moondancer’s jaw practically hit the ground. She stuttered for a few moments before finally asking, “would you – I mean, would it be okay if I – uhm, can I come back with you?’ she pleaded. “I’ve always wanted to meet Princess Celestia!” Al really wasn’t sure how good of an idea it was to be taking random ponies in for an audience with royalty. Even so, he just couldn’t say no to those eyes. Confound these ponies... and with that, the pair set out, heading back towards Canterlot Castle. For a few moments, not a word was spoken, silence eaten up by the bustle of the big city. Finally, Moondancer spoke up, albeit very nervously. “I’m sorry,” she said, “I’m dragging you off to the castle and I don’t even know your name.” Al just laughed, prompting a perplexed expression from his new companion. “Don’t apologize; it’s not like I wasn’t heading there anyway. Besides, I came out here to meet ponies! I’m Alphonse, how about you tell me a little about yourself?” And so they walked while Moondancer told Al a bit about her background. Apparently, it was her 4th year at Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, and she was very proficient with magic. Despite all of her time spent on school, Moondancer somehow managed to find time for one of her “little get-together’s” at least once in a fortnight. According to her, tonight was unlikely to be Al’s only experience at one of Moondancer’s events. “I like to have people around, it’s great to see them all having a good time,” she said happily. All of a sudden, her mood drifted downwards, “I sure do miss Twilight though…” Al was a little puzzled, “Who?” “Oh, sorry,” Moondancer blushed. “Twilight Sparkle, an old friend of mine. She moved out of Canterlot a while ago, and I haven’t so much as heard from her since…” “I know that feeling.” Moondancer looked up at Al, who was wearing a comforting smile, “I’m sure she’s just been busy,” he assured her. “Well, she is Celestia’s apprentice.” Another bomb dropped into Alphonse’s poor, blank mind, “She’s what?” “Princess Celestia took Twilight in as her personal protégé.,” Moondancer said plainly. “She studied more on her own than at the school, really.” Although he was still a bit shocked, Al went back to smiling, “In that case, I’m sure we can get the princess to contact her for you.”