//------------------------------//
// Short: Observant (Edit) 
// Story: The Cool Brazilian Wind 
// by Lazy_ 
//------------------------------//

Sam listened in on the conversation surrounding him. He hadn't taken much notice of the ponies around him other than the nurse who often gave him his check-ups. The princess and the weird doctor had given him the impression that he was... different from most ponies around their home. If they were going to throw the five 'w's at him everywhere he went then, this was going to be a problem.

Sam was usually laid back, at least as much as he could be without putting himself at risk. However he was but a humble mortal in a world of mad and random stuff which all seemed to be beyond him. Techni-colour ponies obsessed with friendship and kindness? Fair enough. Immortal beings who ruled the realm through their power and benevolence, controlling the sun and moon? He could cope. Magic however? Now that is something which was going to get on his nerves.  He'd seen it be used plenty by the princess in her questions as well as some of the unicorn's employed by the hospital he was in. But that didn't mean that the sight of it wouldn't greatly perplex him, filling him with sense of confusion. But at least there were rules on weaponising it, that was enough to keep him happy around it for a while.

One thing that was starting to bother him though was the ponies around him. Mainly, what the ponies around him talked about.

"Have you seen that grey pegasus with the black mane?"
"Oh, you mean the one we can't talk about outside of the ward?"
"Yeah! He a strange one or what?"
"I know right? I heard him talking with the Princess of Friendship about how he used to be a mercenary!"
"A mercenary? That's so cool!"

It seemed he was quite the subject of conversation within the ponies who worked around him. By eavesdropping on their talks he managed to determine a few important things about himself and his relation to the outside world at that moment. 

Firstly, he was mostly a secret, even if it was a little badly kept. They let the princess bring in her assistant who sounded no older than sixteen. However he guessed you can't argue much with royalty. He fully expected to get the before-mentioned five 'w's from multiple ponies upon his leave, that is of it isn't under some form of escort or secret release. He had no clue what would happen.

And secondly, they were very intrigued about the technology he had brought with him to Equestria. His artificial skeleton in his right foreleg and shoulder were the main topic of speculation, but by talking for a moment with Red Heart he determined that they had got as far as trying to make their own Kevlar based of' scans. And as for his armour and Muramasa, they apparently had it locked away in an undisclosed location. That was what he could gather from: "The Royal Guard apparently have the equipment you came with. But nopony knows where it is. Nopony in the hospital at least."

Sam yawned loudly, his muzzle wide agape and letting out noise very obnoxiously. It was early in the morning after all, and Sam had some time to think before he got his breakfast. Pondering on what he would do after he left the hospital, Sam decided on a few things to get on with as fast as possible when he could, coming up with a short mental list.

"-One. Make sure I'm on good terms with Equestria and it's people.
Two. Find some place to stay, even temporary shelter will do.
Three. Find work, I get bored very quickly. (Note, avoid slave labour!)
Four. Secure my equipment if I can, I don't wan't all that technology hanging around and risking killings if it get's into the wrong hands.
Five...-"

Sam was sure there should be five things on the list. The absence of the final point hit him like running into a steel wall, literally hitting a wall with his list. He looked around blankly for a few moments to see if it would come back to him. To his sides were two other ponies who had both been admitted to his ward. They lay in the same beds as everyone else, with the same covers and hospital gowns. They seemed to be quite generic ponies and were both asleep. He couldn't tell if they were male or female from just looking at their heads and mane's, as he wasn't too good at judging their gender's after a day and two nights.

He looked across the room, and found himself taken by surprise when he saw the window at an awkward angle to him. He couldn't see much through it, only a tree blowing around in the wind with a blue sky and a few clouds behind it. below the window was- "-Oh shit...-" The fifth point came smashing back in as he focused on the tree in the wind again. It was the wind that had reminded him. "-The wind... The Winds of Destruction...-"