Mustang

Chapters

Truth
Passion
Flame
Guard
Trust

Truth

You want to know the worst thing about war? It's not the sight of it, as many people think. You get used to the images of mangled bodies piling in mass graves, of murdered children bleeding in the streets, of a mother holding her dead child in her dying arms. It's scary how fast one gets used to that.

It's not that feeling in your gut, either. You know the one; or maybe you don't, only those who have killed can truly describe it. It's like you've lost a piece of your soul, a part of your humanity that will never return. No number of so called "good deeds" can make one forget that feeling.

It's not even the endless cacophony of screaming voices, the sound of genocide. The air grows still enough after a while, and that silence makes one forget the noise in the first place.

You really want to know, huh? I guess I have no choice but to tell you. Just don't say I didn't warn you, Alchemist.

It's the smell. The foul stench of bombs and bullets and blood and bodies, of flesh and bone decaying in the endless heaps of rubble. You can't get it out of your clothes, no matter how many times you wash them and yourself. There's always that lingering smell, constantly festering about you like flies above a carcass. That stench brings back each individual memory as if in a nightmare, a never ending dream of death and decay.

That's the worst thing about war, Mustang. I pray that you'll never have to experience it for yourself.

A golden ray of sunlight flooded through the nearby open window, landing precisely on the sleeping human's hard shut eyes. The powerful rays of the dawn illuminated the entire hospital room, reflecting off various metal surfaces to create a dazzling array of sparkling stars. The warm light revealed a pair of white gloves with intricate red runes painted on the center placed haphazardly on a nearby dark oak desk. They were blackened and worn in sections, especially around the fingertips.

Resting next to these was a small book of simple design with a pen clipped to the inner cover. On the surface was the word "Notes" scrawled in hastily written black text. The book had a somewhat sinister aura about it, like it contained something forbidden, some knowledge that never should have been discovered.

In response to the break of day, dozens of song birds rang out in melodious sonnets from just outside the stone aperture. It was to this beautiful sound that the Colonel awoke, not the warm beam of yellow light across his eyes. To his disappointment, he found again that opening them failed to free him from his prison of darkness. For a moment, he counted the Elric brothers as lucky. It may have cost the short one an arm and a leg to know the Truth, but at least he still retained his ability to see the beauty in the world around him.

The Colonel sighed. Victimizing himself wasn't going to cure his blindness. The only thing to do was to move forward. Even without his sight, Roy Mustang was certain of his ability to rebuild the broken nation of Amestris as its new leader. More had been done by those with far less at their disposal in the past.

Tentatively, he sat up, various aches and pains groaning across his battered frame. As much as he hated to admit it, the Colonel knew his physical body had been through a lot in the past week. He had fractured numerous bones, broke two of his ribs, suffered internal bleeding, lost over three liters of fluid and had his sight stolen away. The painkillers could only help so much, and the Colonel generally avoided taking them at all due to their mind numbing side effects.

Nonetheless, Mustang refused to show his pain to anyone, not even his most trusted allies. With the fate of the nation teetering in the balance, the last thing the people needed was a leader who seemed weak and broken. Image matters much more than reality in the game of politics.

For a long moment, the Flame Alchemist sat silently, his eyes staring emptily into the white painted wall a couple of meters in front of his face. He gripped his thigh with his right hand, retrieving from his trouser pocket a large, silvery pocket watch with an ornate design of a roaring lion on the front cover. It shone brightly in the morning light, like the brightest star in the black night sky or the only candle in an empty room. He brushed his fingers across the face of the watch, feeling each individual scratch and etch in the metallic surface.

After a long sigh, the Colonel said aloud, "You used to be a symbol of hope. How easily deceived I was by your beauty and power. Never again."

"What, sir?"

The sudden voice shocked the Colonel out of his thoughts. He swiftly turned his head towards the source of the crystal clear voice, his face clearly portraying his surprise. He quickly identified the voice belonging to his trusted lieutenant, Riza Hawkeye. She stood in the now opened doorway in military blue service uniform complete with various accolades and awards. Her brown eyes were drawn in concern over Mustang's less than favorable physical condition.

"How long have you been standing there, lieutenant?"

"Long enough, sir. I hope I didn't wake you."

Mustang brushed the comment aside with a wave of his hand, "I was already up. What's the matter?"

"Doctor Marco is ready to see you now. He says that it's best to do it on an empty stomach, so we'll have to skip breakfast until after the procedure."

The Colonel chuckled slightly to himself, "Skip breakfast? I defeat an army of Homunculi and overthrow a corrupted regime and this is the thanks I get?"

Hawkeye grinned slightly, "That's the military for you, sir."

Mustang pulled his loose hospital gown tighter, tying the coarse strings clumsily around the chest. "Well then, let's get it over with. Bring him in."

Hawkeye quickly stepped out the room, motioning down the long hallway for a figure dressed in simple gray clothing forwards. Within a few moments, the figure entered the small, weakly furnished hospital room, his scarred and contorted face drawn together in determination and focus.

"Good morning, Colonel Mustang. I trust that you are doing well?"

"As well as I can be, Doctor Marco. How are you holding up?"

Marco placed a tender hand on his scarred face, "The skin on my face is starting to smooth out a little, but I doubt that it's ever going to get much better than it is. No matter. Down to business; Colonel, are you sure you want to go through with this procedure? I have little experience in the field of ocular medicine; any number of things could go terribly wrong."

Mustang tried his best to look into the deformed doctor's eyes, saying with an iron resolve, "My life in your hands, doctor. I won't be able to move forward effectively in my current state."

Marco sighed, his eyes glancing downwards towards the decrepit book on the desk. "You know, Mustang, the more I have to use my research, the more I wish that I had never discovered it in the first place. If you really want to do this, then lets make it fast."

The Colonel nodded, gripping the pocket watch firmly in his hand. After a moment, he placed it back into his small pocket and said to his lieutenant, "You don't have to watch if you don't want to, Hawkeye. If I've learned anything from my experience with the Philosopher's Stone, its that using it is often a painful and ugly experience for everyone involved."

Hawkeye's expression steeled, "That's not an option, sir. I'm seeing this through until the end."

Mustang closed his eyes and smiled to himself, "Thank you, lieutenant. No matter what happens, I just want you to know that-"

"Tell me about it on the other side."

The sudden interjection caught the Colonel off guard. For a moment, awkward silence filled the small room. Doctor Marco at last alleviated the quiet atmosphere as he reached into his pocket and retrieved a small, glowing crimson stone. All eyes instantly fell upon the jagged, crystalline object of immense, dark powers. Marco brought the stone to his eye level, analyzing it closely.

"I created this object out of the souls of human beings. Right now, they're suffering blindly, trapped within the stone. I cannot ask their forgiveness, but I can hope that their pain and sacrifice will return your sight, Colonel Mustang."

The Colonel didn't respond for a moment, gazing directly at the white wall with his eyes full of determination and passion. After a few seconds, Mustang's voice echoed within the cubicle, "Go ahead, doctor. Words won't alter whatever fate lies before us."

Marco nodded swiftly, beads of glistening sweat sliding down his grotesque cheek and dropping onto the hard stone floor below. His heart shook rapidly as he brought the incomplete Philosopher's Stone to Mustang's blank eyes. Lieutenant Hawkeye stood silently in the corner of the room, a concerned expression betraying her calm demeanor.

Forcing his own will upon the crimson stone, Marco focused the evil energies towards Mustang's blind eyes. Instantly, a deep red glow filled the room, emanating from the jagged stone itself. A foul and potent stench, like the smell of blood mingled with steel, filled the air as red sparks of light began shooting out of the crystal object in rapid bursts. A low and constant droning filled the ears of the room's occupants, reverberating into their very souls.

The light quickly grew fiercer, growing in strength and power until the entire room was painted in a crimson aura. With a flick of his finger, Doctor Marco redirected the Philosopher's Stone's alchemic energy into the Colonel's gray eyes. Red bolts of lightning concentrated around the severed nerves of his eyes, beginning to construct pathways that had long since been stolen.

The Colonel began to shake violently in response to the invading energy, the veins in his arms and hands dilating and contracting, his eyes glowing a bright crimson. Despite the overwhelming pain, Mustang controlled his physical being enough to stay mostly in place while Doctor Marco increased the power concentration.

"Stay with me, Colonel! We're almost through, just a little more and-"

Doctor Marco's encouraging words were cut short as he was blown backwards by an invisible force, gliding through the air and colliding against the hard stone wall. A chilling crack erupted from his backside as he slumped down the surface of the plastered wall, finally collapsing on the rough ground in a crumpled heap. Before the startled lieutenant was able to react, the same force knocked her feet backwards, causing her face to greet the floor with no large amount of grace.

Without someone to utilize its power, the Philosopher's Stone collided with the ground, shattering into millions of pieces and scattering the souls trapped within across the dark floor. A moment after, the remains of the stone evaporated into crimson smoke, diffusing into the stale air.

For a short few seconds, silence filled the void. The Colonel sat bolt upright, sweat beading down his heaving frame in streams, his eyes bloodshot, his expression clearly portraying his confusion and terror.

"Lieutenant, Doctor Marco, are you two alright?" The Colonel's concerned words fell upon unconscious ears. Instantly, he attempted to move, to do something beneficial for his allies, only to find his muscles restrained by a force he physically was unable to see.

"What the hell is going on? Did the procedure fail? Why can't I move" Mustang's last thought scared him in particular. The loss of his sight was one thing, but total body paralysis was far more than he knew he could handle. One of his most trusted allies, Jean Havoc, had the nerves to his lower body violently severed by the Homunclus Lust's Ultimate Spear. The condition rendered him physically useless to the military, preventing him from continuing his career, from moving on with his life as a normal human being. The thought of ending up like that brought chills to the Colonel as he blindly stared straight ahead, unable to do anything but sit perfectly upright and wait for whatever fate had in store for him.

His heart skipped a beat as he felt multiple cold, writhing hands slide down his body, wrapping around his arms, his legs, his torso, anywhere they could get a firm hold. The black arms then began pulling him upwards violently, towards the ceiling of that small room, where a familiar eye stared down at the incapacitated leader, the Flame Alchemist deprived of fire, of family, and of his world.

The Colonel opened his eyes, only to close them tightly in response to the blinding, ethereal white light. For a few moments, he simply lay on his back, allowing his senses to adjust to the new, strange surroundings. He stood on his own two feet somewhat clumsily, finding it difficult to stand without a nauseous feeling invading his gut. Finally, Mustang opened his eyes, allowing them to adjust to an all consuming whiteness instead of the darkness he had been trapped in.

"Hello, Colonel Mustang. Fancy seeing you here again. You humans just don't learn, do you?"

The Colonel felt his breath arrive in short bursts, sweat tricking down his contorted face as he recognized the strange, almost childlike voice. At last, his eyes fully adjusted to his surroundings, allowing a faceless figure to appear in the distance, silhouetted against the pure whiteness of that place. It had the rough dimensions of a small child, with a row of inhuman teeth acting as the only defining feature on its blank, pale face. Those unsettling teeth were arranged in a unnerving smile, one that Colonel Mustang hoped he would never see again.

"You...I've seen you before, haven't I? In the portal of truth, when I lost my sight...Who are you?"

A painful memory flashed before the Colonel's now seeing eyes, one of desperation and despair. Glowing crimson eyes piercing his soul, the cold steel swords of Wrath himself pinning his hands to the ground as living shadows forced him to commit the ultimate taboo: human transmutation.

"Many have sought the answer to that question, Flame Alchemist, yet few have found it. You might know me as the World, or the Universe. Some call me God; perhaps you call me Truth. I am everything, and I am nothing. I am One, and One is All."

The Colonel's hands began trembling; in rage, in confusion, in despair, he didn't know. Glaring at the smiling Truth with darkened eyes, he asked, "So you're one who stole my sight, huh? Who gave you the right to do such a thing? I wasn't even the one who wanted to perform the human transmutation, I was forced by the devils you allowed to exist. Why do you take so much from us Alchemists? Answer me, Truth!"

Laughter filled the ears of the enraged Flame Alchemist. After a few moments, the Truth responded, its voice laced with scorn,

"You mock me, Mustang! It's all just equivalent exchange-isn't that the basis of all your alchemy? For that which is taken, something of equal value must be given. All must pay the toll to know the Truth. You're not as special as you think, Alchemist."

"If that's the case, then why am I here? We didn't perform human transmutation, by all the laws of alchemy I shouldn't be here. What kind of game are you playing, Truth?"

Truth's smile widened, "You catch on fast, don't you, human? Yet you still have one important lesson to learn. The creatures of the world I'm sending you to are quite adept in it. I recommend you catch on as fast as you can."

A heavy sound exploded from behind the Colonel, causing him to jump backwards in surprise. A hundred black hands reached out from the now open gate of truth, grabbing onto the startled human and pulling him rapidly towards the blackness behind the ornate stone structure hovering in the empty white space. Unable to gain any leverage against the impossible force, Mustang was swiftly consumed by the gate.

Surrounded by blackness again, the Colonel had only his thoughts to keep him company,

"I'm coming back, Hawkeye, Havoc, Fullmetal, just you wait. I don't know where I'm going, but I swear on my life that I'll find a way out of this nightmare."

"A pint of your strongest cider, bartender. Just got the promotion I've been lookin' for, I'm feeling as giddy as a hummingbird on Tuesday!"

The brown speckled stallion threw two golden bits on the wooden counter. The smile on his muzzle was genuine, his intentions sincere, his life one full of joy, at least for that moment. The nicely dressed bartender set down the glass he had been cleaning next to a stack of dirty dishes and quickly snatched the bits from the counter and into his pocket, responding with a throaty voice,

"I bet you are. One glass of cider, comin' right up."

The bartender turned to his various drink creating devices, pulling various levers and switches to pour a golden liquid into a glistening glass container. The speckled stallion readily drank his reward with fervor, licking the glass dry of any leftover drops.

"Thanks for that delicious pint, bartender. I've got to be on my way, my mare will be waiting for me."

The simple bartender nodded in reply, leaving the speckled stallion to his business as he served a nearby regular his usual. The stallion leaped from his stool with happy vigor, swiftly trotting into the cool air of a Manehatten night surrounded by the sounds and sights of the big city.

He turned into a nearby dimly lit alleyway, guided only by the far away lamps of the main streets. Avoiding the festering piles of trash and decay, he turned left onto a smaller, darker path, the heaps of trash and dirt growing larger. Dismissing the horrible feeling in his gut, he pressed on, quickly coming to a stone wall wet with polluted dew.

"I must've taken a wrong turn. This can't be-"

A rustling sound cut his statement short. The startled stallion looked about his surroundings, struggling to see anything but shadows and objects.

"You're not human, that's for sure. You look like an even lower life-form than those miserable apes. It disgusts me that such a creature can exist."

The speckled stallion began to shake in terror as he replied with a trembling voice, "W-where are you? What are you?"

A pale hand reached out from the shadows, grabbing the stallion by his brown mane, preventing the startled pony from fleeing.

"What am I? I'm an Homunculus, Envy's the name. I'm quite sure you have no idea what I'm talking about, so I'll keep our discussion short. I'm gonna need to take that soul of yours. No hard feelings, horse thing. I've got a score to settle with a certain alchemist, and I'll need all the energy I can gather to end his miserable life. I'll let Lust take it from here."

A crimson spear pierced the skull of the speckled stallion, killing the pony instantly. A beautiful woman dressed in a black dress stepped out of the shadows, retracting her Ultimate Spear back into the normal fashion of her finger.

"That's the last one, Envy. The circle is ready."

The Homunculus Envy stepped into the gray moonlight, an evil smile adorning his pale, inhuman face.

"Then let's do this, Lust. I'm going to kill that bastard Mustang as slowly and painfully as physically possible, and nothing is going to stop me!"

Passion

"From the day I was extracted from Father, I believed that I was in every way superior to the disgusting creatures known as humans. Hell, a part of me still believes that now. If you were given powers that superseded every known law of alchemy, of nature itself, what would you think? Even when alchemists gain the smallest bit of power, they believe that they're somehow better than those who didn't. Bastard hypocrites.

The ultimate irony then, is that I, the physical embodiment of envy itself, became jealous of humans. What a ridiculous concept! Me, an Homunculus, envious of what little humans have? How could I so paradoxically despise every aspect of filthy human nature, yet desire it above everything else? Riddle me that, Truth!"

Truth grinned evilly at the furious Homunculus Envy, each white tooth portraying some element of a sinister plot.

"How could you not be jealous, Homunculus? You are indeed the very essence of that sin, yet you have the arrogance to believe that you are somehow above it? Humans have so much more than you could ever hope to gain, but you already know that, don't you?"

Envy clenched his fists in an embarrassed fit of rage, "Enough of your games! If I'm here, then you still have some purpose left for me. What the hell are you planning?"

Truth's expression turned sour as he pondered the question,

"There are so many places I could send your miserable soul, Envy. I could send you with the Father you seem to regard so highly to a hell you can't even imagine. Considering your nature and the things you've admitted, however, I think I have a much more, effective, place in mind for you now."

The two massive, ornate doors of Truth opened with a clamorous bang. Envy swung around to meet them, his face contorted with a foul mixture of surprise and anger. Dozens of featureless black hands exploded from the partially open doorway, wrapping tightly around the struggling Homunculus and pulling him towards the aperture.

"I'm sending you to a world that many humans might regard as a heaven. I can think of no better hell for you, Envy the Jealous."

The stone doorway shut, leaving nothing but a white silence in its wake.

___________

For a moment lost in an endless infinity, the human spun in the eternal sea of blackness. As in a surreal dream, Mustang felt his emotions and thoughts dulled by the environment. He could think little beyond patchwork ideas, incomplete memories, as his body was deconstructed and reconstructed thousands of times each second.

He saw a desert landscape painted red with the blood of an innocent people. He remembered the ruined cities and the dying children wandering empty streets. He saw himself, dressed in a uniform he once wore so proudly, obliterate a holy Ishvalan temple with a simple snap of his fingers. He smelled burned flesh and mangled gore in every house, on every road. He felt the pain of guilt overcome his soul, he felt the desire to rectify his sins by any means necessary.

He felt fury he never knew as he stared at the very thing that caused him all that pain, that resulted in the genocide of an innocent race. The Homunculus Envy, wearing that cocky grin he sported so often, mocking the "weakness" of the human race. The Colonel ended that boasting with the same movement that once carelessly destroyed thousands of lives.

Mustang's scattered thoughts were violently interrupted by a horrible pain occurring within each individual cell of his body. As he fell through that void, he vaguely recalled that feeling of being reconstructed from his last experience with the Portal of Truth. Bolts of volatile alchemic energy rebuilt his hands and legs from nothing, quickly spreading to fill in the rest of his body, including the hospital gown he had garnered before entering.

At last, an aperture opened below the reconstructed Colonel. Natural laws swiftly reengaged, causing the force of gravity to pull him into the tear between the worlds. His body collided with a hard surface, distorting his newly returned vision for a moment.

Disoriented and nauseous, the Colonel rose to his feet as swiftly as his reconstructed legs would allow. His vision still blurred, he saw only faded black walls and piles of something that smelled foul surrounding him. His breaths came in short gasps as he avoided tripping over decaying garbage.

His mind still partially trapped in a fog, the Colonel's voice rose, "What is this? Where the hell am I?"

A low sound erupted from the darkness, echoing and amplifying off the gray walls. The Colonel froze as he began to recognize that laughter so full of scorn and deceit.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" The Colonel yelled, attempting to address the mocking voice echoing from all sides.

"Who would've thought, the almighty Flame Alchemist so easily sequestered into my hands. I can barely resist the urge to strangle you, tear you limb from limb, watch the blood ooze from your body..."

The Colonel stood bolt upright, sweat beading down his face. His eyes contorted with shock as anger began to bubble in his heart. That raspy voice was all too recognizable.

He blinked the stinging sweat from his eyes, focusing on the movement in the shadows. From the darkness and decay of that abysmal alleyway, a pale figure stepped out of the darkness and into the gray moonlight. Its androgynous body was little more than skin and bone, contrasting sharply with the tightly fitting black clothing in the form of something resembling a skirt and top. The most defining feature of the being was its black hair, strongly resembling the sporadic leaves of a palm tree. Its facial features were sharply contorted in a mixture of rage and madness, its teeth barred in an evil grin.

"No, that can't be...you can't be-"

"Surprised to see me, huh? Can't quite say the same for you. Welcome to hell, Colonel Mustang."

The Homunculus Envy's smile widened as the Colonel stared in disbelief. Trembling with rage as he addressed the smiling Homunculus, he said,

"I burned you with my own hands, Envy. I watched as you ended your own life in shame. How are you here, how can you still be alive?"

Envy's voice reached a maddened falsetto as he replied to the human, "I wouldn't worry about the how, but the why. That's a much simpler answer. You see, it all boils down to one question: how long will it take for me to end your miserable life? I certainly won't make it quick. Oh, and have fun trying to defend yourself without those infernal white gloves of yours."

The Colonel looked at his shaking hands, bare of the gloves that allowed him to perform Flame Alchemy. For a moment, his heart stopped as he pondered his options. He inhaled slowly, allowing his heightened emotions to abate slightly. Realization dawned upon him with a smile.

"I'm going to enjoy this more than you can even imagine, Colonel. It's high time I see you writhe-"

Mustang interrupted Envy's heated rant with a clap of his hands, bringing them together in a position largely associated with prayer. The Homunculus's smile vanished as blue sparks of pure alchemic power flew from his closed hands, casting strange shadows upon the walls. He then extended his right hand towards Envy, his thumb positioned strategically atop his index finger. His eyes darkened.

He swiftly brought his thumb across his finger. A tiny clicking sound erupted in the silent night.

Imagine fire. Recall the feeling of it in a camp, in a kitchen. Remember the pain of accidentally growing too close to the orange-red blaze. Amplify that fire, that passion, beyond anything you can even dream of. That is the power of the flame that was sent towards the bewildered Envy, it's burning fury illuminating the entire alleyway in a glow of heat and explosive energy.

The trail of flame collided with the Homunculus violently, to say the very least. Envy screamed into the darkness of that starlit night as his body was incinerated by Flame Alchemy over and over again. Red sparks of dark alchemic power erupted from the burning body as it attempted to regenerate ashen flesh and bone. The Colonel watched with passion in his eyes and fire in his heart, the shadows cast by the blinding flame adorning the hastily built wall behind him.

After a few moments, the flames naturally subsided, leaving an crater filled with ash where the explosion occurred. Plumes of white smoke rose from the collapsed figure exhuming red bolts of energy breathing heavily in the center of the circle. Nearby piles of garbage lit ablaze by the heat burned ferociously, forcing the Colonel to take a step back from his handiwork.

"On your feet, Envy. I'm not through with you yet." The Colonel's voice was powerful and demanding of respect. Envy slowly obliged, rising clumsily to his feet as the partial Philosopher's Stone within his core pumped energy to his body. He turned to face the Colonel, his eyes full of a mixture of fear and indignant rage. He stammered in pain as he finally replied,

"Bastard, I'm gonna kill yo-"

Another snap of his fingers and the Homunculus was engulfed in flames. The Colonel's eyes clearly expressed his determination, an unshakable will that far superseded the childish nature of the Homunculus.

"Do you really want to go through with this again, Envy? I've already killed you once. I'm more than prepared to do so again."

Mustang's voice was low and patronizing, like the tone a father might use to scold his child. As the flames subsided once more, Envy rose to his feet, this time sparing no time to attack. Lunging himself at the human in an enraged stupor, the Homunculus was spared no time before another burst of fire collided with his startled face. He flew backwards into the alley's wall, a terrible cracking sound erupting from his backside.

"I'll keep burning you until you're nothing but a smoldering pile of ash. This time, I won't hold back. You certainly didn't, Homunculus."

There was no wavering in the Colonel's voice. His eyes were hard set on the miserable creature regenerating his incinerated skin and bone ferociously, coughing violently in pain and despair.

"H-how are you using Flame Alchemy? There's no transmutation circle!"

The Colonel answered its question, clapping his hands together, "I've seen the Truth, Envy. I myself am the transmutation circle I use for Flame Alchemy. Although, it is a bit inconvenient to have to clap my hands between bursts. I guess it'll take a little longer to kill you than I initially expected."

The Colonel heard a small shuffling sound from behind him. He threw himself backwards as crimson spear suddenly jutted out from the darkness, narrowly missing Mustang's jugular. In response to the attack, he hurled a bolt of flame towards the rough location of the spear's trajectory, setting that shadowy section of the alleyway ablaze.

A women's scream erupted from the explosion. Against the blinding fire, a familiar shape crackled red with fire and reconstructive energy.

"Just when I thought things couldn't get any more interesting. Good to see you again, Lust. I guess I get the pleasure of burning you both."

Mustang's voice was laced with sadistic tones as he observed the smoldering Homunculus. She finished regenerating, returning to her original outside beauty. Her face was curled in an angry snarl as she thrust her index finger towards Mustang's smiling face, only to be greeted by another burst of wild flame.

Mustang chuckled to himself, "You Homunculi really just don't learn, do you? I guess that I'll have to burn some knowledge into you. It's time you truly understand the weight of your actions, the pain of your wanton murder, and the cost of your evil plots."

The Colonel turned his head to the sound of a clicking noise from down the blackened alleyway. Within a few moments, shadows of horse figures cast by the blazing heaps of decaying matter became visible, followed swiftly by the creatures who cast them. Mustang's eyes widened in surprise as he analyzed the startled and confused beasts now gaping at the scene before them.

"What in Celestia is going on, here? What are those things?"

"Why is everything on fire?"

"Get back, they might be dangerous."

"Might be? Look at the walls, look at the fire!

Mustang observed the fantastical, colorful horse-like beings with no small amount of wonder. "What are you? Some kind of strange chimeras?"

The creatures eyed the human with confusion until one of their number replied, "What's a-"

It's voice was cut off by a crimson spear sliding through its throat. A pool of red blood accumulated on the stone road below the creature as it slumped downwards to its knees, dying instantly. The remaining horse like beings stared at the scene in horror and disbelief as the Colonel turned rapidly towards the confident Lust, his hand curled and ready to incinerate the Homunculus.

"Not so fast, Mustang. You wouldn't want any more of those poor, innocent creatures to perish, now would you?"

Lust extended another spear towards the neck of a turquoise creature, cutting off its escape. The rest of the creatures stood frozen in place by a fear they had never experienced in their lives.

Blue sparks erupted from the Colonel's outstretched hand, on the brink of releasing a burst of flame at the smiling Homunculus. Envy rose to its feet, smiling in the wake of the latest development.

"That's always been you're weakness, hasn't it? You just can't let innocent souls perish. How pathetic."

Mustang clenched his fists, retracting from his stance. While he didn't even know the species of the presumed chimeras gaping at him, he still felt some amount of obligation towards their safety. Human or not, they didn't deserve to die by a Homunculi's hand.

I need to get out of this populated area. Judging from the tall buildings, I must be in some urban environment. There'll be too many innocent lives to risk a drawn out battle with those bastard Homunculi. The Colonel pondered his options as the stalemate continued. No soul dared a step in any direction, lest risk destruction in some way or another.

"Well, Mustang? What's it gonna be? Either you kill us and we kill those horse-things, or you allow us to kill you, and we might just let them live."

Fat chance of that, the Colonel thought to himself. He looked to an area of the stone alleyway where the stone appeared chipped and cracked in places. Taking one last look at the two impatient Homunculi, he spoke aloud,

"I guess we'll have to continue this conversation elsewhere."

They couldn't even blink before the wall exploded into black chunks of stone and melted tar.

Flame

"You won't make me forget, whatever you are. I refuse, there's still too much at stake, there's too many people I care about for me to just forget..."

The soul spun through a black emptiness, alone and confused. He felt his memories, his feelings, the very things that made him human, draining into that endless void.

My name is... what was it? Why can't I just remember? Something important was going on; no, I discovered something important. What was it?"

The human remembered flashing images-a monster in a black dress impaling his shoulder with an alien finger, his blood dyeing his blue military uniform crimson.

"The nationwide transmutation circle, how could I forget? There was a plot within the senior staff, a plan to sacrifice the nation's population in exchange for immortality. That demonic thing must've known that I'd figured it out.

The human felt these vital memories draining from his consciousness. Struggling to hold on to them, the human said to himself,

"My name...I have to remember that much. Hughes. Lieutenant Colonel. Intelligence division. Wife: Gracia Hughes, daughter, Elicia Hughes. I won't forget them... I love them far too much to betray them like that. My family needs me. I refuse to let them down, I won't let myself."

He felt sharp pain throughout his being as he fought to remember,

"My name is Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes... Amestrian military. Wife... come on, you can't forget her now, Hughes. I refuse to forget those beautiful eyes."

In that empty stillness, Hughes felt nothing but pain as an invisible force tore more and more memories from his grasp. Tears ran down his nonexistent face as he held on to what remained,

"My name... my name is Maes Hughes. Officer. I discovered something that threatened the lives of my family, my friends, my entire country. I won't let you take my memories, whatever you are.

My name is Maes Hughes, and I refuse to forget."

__________

If one were to ask a passerby stallion or mare what made the busy metropolis of Manehatten unique, they might think of the dazzling display of sparkling city lights. They might think of the wild assortment of sounds constantly erupting from every street corner, ponies hollering, dancing, singing, deals being made and buildings under construction. They might imagine the towering buildings, symbols of progress and economic prosperity across the skyline.

For all of its glamour and extravagance, the city of Manehatten was rather predictable in substance. Ponies awake to alarms across the gray downtown, slowly rising from their beds to begin their usual morning routines, generally arriving at their various work places somewhat on time. They smile as they perform duties surrounded by many friendly faces, often collaborating with each other and sharing the workload in generous acts of selflessness. As the sun begins to dip under the horizon, the working ponies of that city close their small shops and bank firms, waving a genuine goodbye to one another as they return to their warm apartments and patient families.

` The citizens of Manehatten, therefore, were often surprised by extraordinary events. Such random acts of fate didn't fit their schedules very kindly. Some ponies regarded the occasional monster attack or friendship crisis as a mere annoyance, others often protested the occasions to bureaucratic councils of lethargic clerks. Regardless, the city dwellers understood that whatever happened was often rather tame, verging on the brink of irony. Therefore, they could let any fears of these events live well outside of their consciousness as they went about their monotonous tasks and various repetitive gatherings.

After all, there was no enemy in Equestria that could stand against the Magic of Friendship, right?

When what was a well acclaimed local clothing outlet exploded violently in the darkness of a typical Manehatten evening, the crowd of ponies going about their normal business were more than a little bit surprised.

A cacophony of panicked voices interrupted the mundane serenity of the city as startled ponies scattered in haphazard clumps. Anypony unfortunate enough to be trotting by the now incinerating structure were blasted backwards by the sudden explosion, crashing hard against the rough stone street. Those ponies who hadn't already fled attempted to aid their fellow friends and acquaintances, clearing the burning area in a matter of a few seconds.

One tan stallion squinted with tears in his hot eyes at the flaming building. Smoke poured from its shattered windows and uncontrolled fire turned strong oak support beams of ashen twigs. Within a minute, the entire structure finally collapsed with a ear splitting crack, causing a plume of white ash and dust to blind the stallion's blue eyes.

A black shape silhouetted against the pile of burning ruble. It moved decisively away from the structure, its strange bipedal appendages swaying with confidence. It's features became more defined as it swiftly walked towards the startled populus, its strange face drawn in what seemed to be a lethal mixture of fury and thought.

The creature approached the collapsed tan stallion. It took it's strange fingered hand and grasped the stallion's muzzle, pulling him to his hooves. Roy Mustang's black eyes locked with the stallion's own blue ones. He spoke decisively and professionally to the trembling creature,

"Tell every civilian to evacuate the area. They'll believe one of their own kind more readily than an outsider. You don't have much time, chimera."

The stallion blinked in confusion as he replied with a trembling voice, "W-what are you? What's going on right now? You need to explain-"

"There's no time! If you don't do as I say, you and your families will perish. Do you understand?" Colonel Mustang analyzed the frightened creature. He was still operating under the assumption that he and the other strange horse-like beings of the city were the result of some military experiment.

The stallion straightened himself, more or less halting the trembling in his hooves. "I can't say I understand..."

It made a gesture that the Colonel accurately interpreted as prompting for a name. After a moment, he decided to fully disclose that information with the stallion,

"Mustang. Colonel. Amestrian Military. Get moving, chimera."

Still ostensibly confused by the peculiarity of the situation, the tan stallion with a smiling dog for a cutie mark began to back away, turning to face the panicked crowd of ponies gawking at the spectacle. Clearing his throat as Mustang turned to face his handiwork, the stallion spoke,

"Hey, everypony. So, quick recommendation: we should probably start running away now. Like, we should all evacuate, or something."

The stallion put on a obviously faked smile as he concluded his rather unconvincing statement. The crowd of a hundred or so city goers stared confusedly at the stallion and the human, the indecisiveness clear in their wide eyes.

Mustang sighed audibly. Garnering the circumstances, it was going to take more than the weak proposal of a pony to get these civilians to make a decision. Putting his hands together, he engaged his internal transmutation circle, causing an array of blue sparks to erupt from his fingertips. Without turning to face the ponies, he snapped the fingers of his right hand, causing a small, controlled burst of fire to create a small crater in the asphalt street a few meters away.

Startled by his strange magic, the crowd of ponies at last understood the gesture, dashing comically away from the scene. At last, the Colonel was alone on the long, black street. He watched the building he had reduced to burning ruble to escape the two Homunculi closely, readying his fingers to incinerate anything that moved.

` The Colonel's eyes focused on four crimson dots peering from the crackling flames and ash. In a fraction of a second, the dots were followed by the two evil souls Mustang had hoped to burn along with the empty building.

Envy darted out of the ruble, little more than a blur as he ignored the pain of the flames circling his body. It was swiftly followed by Lust, her eyes wide with rage and her fingers elongated and sharper than daggers.

Mustang snapped his fingers, unleashing a burst of flame in the small space between the charging Homunculi. His aim was true as the flame exploded, causing both of them to fly dramatically in separate directions. Now sprawled across the street meters away from each other, they writhed and clawed at the air as their bodies attempted to heal their incinerated flesh and bone.

Colonel Mustang addressed the two howling Homunculi with a steel like voice, "Unless you enjoy having the skin on your bones liquefied again and again, you will do as I say."

Envy rose slowly to its feet, its arms dangling limply from its hunched frame. It shook in pain and fear of the human glaring at them with those merciless eyes. Envy recalled his prior run-in with the Colonel, how he was brought so low by the creatures he so dejectedly despised. It pained him more than Mustang's flames to be so utterly humiliated.

Lust climbed to her heals, her skin returning to its normal pale color as she examined the situation,

"What would you have us do, Colonel?" Her voice was laced with malicious tones as she addressed the mildly surprised human. Envy glared at Lust's apparent admission of subjection with daggers for eyes.

"I would say to burn in hell, but it appears that we have already arrived. You will answer my questions, Homunculi. First of all, how did I arrive here?"

The Homunculi glanced at each other for a moment, pondering whether or not they should answer the impatient human's questions.

"Let's just say that we've got plans, Mustang. How you got here isn't all that complicated. All that matters is that you're here now, and more importantly, how I'm going to kill you. Because trust me, Mustang, I will find a way." Envy spoke with sadistic tones at the Colonel, his pupils dilated and bloodshot from pain.

Mustang moved to reply, only to have his attention diverted by a team of armored figures moving down the left side of the street towards them. The Homunculi gawked at the small squadron of armored pony soldiers arrayed in golden plates and shining silver spears at their sides. The Colonel opened his mouth to order the gathering of soldiers to vacate the vicinity, only to find his tongue unable to move as he recognized the center-most figure.

The stallion's coat was a navy blue, the same color as the uniform officers in the Amestrian military commonly adorned. His facial features were strong and determined, with a scruffy beard lining his hard set chin. His eyes were a brilliant greenish-hazel, his pupils focused despite the peculiarity of the dangerous situation before him. His flank was decorated with a simplistic design of a yellow smiling face within a gray magnifying glass.

"In the name of the Royal Guard and the Princess of Equestria, I order you to stand down."

The Colonel's eyes widened. His hands trembled and fell to his side as his mind attempted to comprehend the situation. Envy and Lust stared with looks of utter shock and surprise at the stallion addressing them, smiles slowly creeping onto their pales features.

The stallion continued his rant, putting on a small, defusing grin, "Come on now, I don't want to make this difficult. I'm sure we can just talk this through over a cup of coffee. How does that sound?"

The Colonel's entire body shook in confusion, in joy, in rage, in a cacophony of emotions that he had no ability to understand. After a long moment of silence, the Colonel addressed the stallion with tears welling in his black eyes,

"Hughes... is that you?"

Guard

The blind Colonel stood in a field of rounded gray stones. In his right hand was a simple polished walking staff, in his left was an elegant bouquet of purple flowers. A warm spring breeze blew through his navy blue uniform, almost causing the ceremonial cover atop his black hair to glide away.

With empty eyes, Mustang stared in the general direction of a stone not much unlike the other hundreds and thousands of those dotting the rolling green hills at regular intervals. Although he could not read the epitaph carved into the grave, he remembered whose name was ingrained there clearly.

Maes Hughes
1883-1914
"Loving father,

Loyal soldier,

Lasting friend"

He gripped the flowers in his hand tightly. After a few moments, he lifted his calm voice to the stone,

"We did it, Hughes. We finally figured it out. Took us long enough."

He visualized that fateful evening when the life of a friend was stolen away. He remembered an innocent soldier bathed in his own crimson blood, the unfortunate result of a dastardly plot that abandoned rational thinking. That man always had a knack for figuring things out. There wasn't a secret the Colonel could keep hidden for long from his energetic, perhaps eccentric mindset.

"You know, the people of this country think that I'm the one who saved it. To hell with that. If I could have just an ounce of the effect on other people's lives that you did, I might just have the courage to call myself a good man."

A small wet drop ran down his cheek as he placed the beautifully scented flowers in front of the squat stone grave.

"I just came here to say thanks. I don't quite recall doing so very often while you were around.

I've got a lot of regrets, Hughes. Not saying thank you while I had the chance is my greatest."

____________

The navy blue equine stared down the trio of monsters terrorizing the generally peaceful city of Manehatten. Beads of sweat drizzled down his muzzle as the situation swiftly grew tense. The pony could tell by the rising flames and crumbling buildings that the creatures were powerful and dangerous. By the dichotomy between the bipedal in a strange gown and the two other creatures in jet black clothing, the stallion also sensed that they seemed to be opposing forces locked in some type of battle. The officer analyzed the lone one's facial structures carefully. They didn't differ so much from his own, allowing him to clearly see what seemed to be a mixture of unbridled rage and... was that surprise? Remorse? Happiness? It wasn't so easy to translate what that creature was thinking, not to mention that it was giving the stallion an bewildered look that unsettled him more than the evil grins of the other two.

"Hughes... is that you?"

The navy blue stallion widened his eyes in surprise. He hadn't expected the creature to respond so oddly. The guard raised his eyebrow as he responded,

"I don't believe we've met. My name is first lieutenant May Hooves, Equestrian Royal Guard. I cannot allow you three to continue putting the lives of civilians at risk. Just come along with me quietly."

While lieutenant May Hooves took pride in the skill and effectiveness of his garrison, he nervously hoped that the three alien beings would comply without them having to resort to using force. As cool and shiny as swords, spears and offensive magic looked to the public, Hooves doubted that such measures would be enough to subdue the powerful trio.

Colonel Mustang's body trembled violently as a tempest of emotions tore through his soul. There stood before him a blue equine who in all ways but physical acted and sounded exactly like his closest comrade and best friend. The respected soldier, loving father and loyal husband the military both loathed and adored, the man who gave his life to protect a nation that collectively cared little for his wellbeing.

As the Colonel continued to stare vacantly at the equine bearing the ironic name of May Hooves, Envy shattered the tedious silence with an ear splitting laugh. Gritting his teeth and lifting his hand toward the Homunculus, the Colonel raised his steely voice,

"What the hell is going on, Homunculi? Are you the bastards behind this? Answer me!"

After a few moments, Envy steadied itself long enough to halt his mocking laughter. Sporting a wide and devious grin, the Homunculus replied,

"I wish I could take credit for this one, Colonel, but this is not our doing. That sure as hell doesn't mean that I'm not gonna enjoy every precious second of it. Just imagine the irony! Given the chance to kill the same bastard human twice... that's not a very common occurrence."

Blue sparks of alchemic lightning erupted from the Colonel's outstretched hand as he moved to immolate the Homunclus where it stood, only to be halted by a placating gesture of Lust's Ultimate Spear towards the group of equine soldiers. Mustang froze, his heart skipping his beat as he found himself locked in a lethal stalemate.

"Now, now, Colonel, you wouldn't want to lose your closest friend twice, would you?"

Roy's barely contained rage seeped from every pore of his hands in the form of alchemic sparks of light as his eyes bored holes into the smiling Homunculi,

"You really are pathetic, aren't you? Don't have the guts to face one human without a bargaining chip? Who's the weaker race, Homunculi?"

The superior grins of the duo faded as they stared back into the Colonel's enraged pupils. There was no sign of mercy in those eyes, no concept of retreat behind those night black discs. Envy pondered its options carefully. Death by immolation, by experience, wasn't really a valid course of action. If he attempted to move, the Colonel was sure to blast him where he stood. The unwelcome, disgusting feeling of defeat crept slowly into its soul as it compared this situation with its last run in with Mustang. The jealous Homunculus gazed at its opponent with indignant fury, every fiber of its being desperately desiring to see the Flame Alchemist ripped to shreds by its own hands.

Lust maintained her Ultimate Spear a couple of meters from the equine soldiers' startled frames as she silently considered the ramifications of ending the pseudo-Hughes staring at her with bewilderment. Any chance of satiating the enraged Colonel would be lost forever, for certain. His retribution would likely be quite absolute. One run-in with immolation was quite enough for Lust to decide to retract her Ultimate Spear, surprising both the Colonel and Envy.

Crossing her arms below her Homunculus tattoo and slightly tilting her head, she spoke to the confused and enraged human,

"We are at an impasse. I propose a deal, Mustang. You allow Envy and I to walk away from this, and we will not harm any of the civilians of this city."

Envy scoffed at Lust's apparent surrender, only to be silenced by a harsh glare from the lascivious Homunculus. The Colonel squinted his eyes in thought as he replied,

"You're damn well insane if you think I trust your word for one second, Homunculus. As it stands, however, it seems that my options are limited."

Finding the courage to speak, the equine known as May Hooves spoke up, his glasses nearly dropping off his muzzle as he raised a hoof to the trio,

"Now wait just a minute! This is Equestrian territory, we get a say in what happens here. I can't just allow you dangerous monsters to go free..."

Mustang cut off his voice, sternly saying,

"Listen, Hughes... Hooves. Are you telling me you have no idea what these things are? Who I am?"

The stallion responded swiftly, his voice laced with confusion,

"As I've already said, I have no idea what, much less who you three are. Now stand down, let's not make this any more ugly than it already is."

Mustang sighed audibly. This entire situation was riddled with much more irony than to be a result of mere coincidence. While a part of the Colonel was overjoyed at the possibility of some version of Hughes to be alive by whatever force of hell or heaven, another section was more than skeptical regarding the entire peculiarity of the matter. Hughes died months ago at the hands of the Homunculi he killed, partly to avenge his death. Now here they all stood, in one form or another.

"Regardless, you must listen to me. My name is Colonel Roy Mustang, Amestrian military. You have my word that I will not harm the citizens of this city. However, those two creatures will not hesitate to kill every single civilian to fulfill whatever plot their planning. Having them leave this populated area is the best deal you'll get."

Lieutenant May Hooves considered Mustang's words carefully. There was no indication in both his voice inflection and body language that he was lying. Additionally, it seemed that Mustang both knew and hated the two creatures he was locked in combat with. While allowing any of them to simply get away put the lives of ponies across Equestria at risk, a drawn out battle with the powerful creatures in a populated area was likely to result in even more casualties.

Sliding his silvery sword back into its sheath, May Hooves calmly addressed Mustang,

"Unfortunately, I believe that you are correct. What are your thoughts for safely escorting them beyond city lines?"

Mustang looked directly into the eyes of the two Homunculi with somewhat bored expressions on their faces as he replied,

"I'll take care of it. If they make a move, I'll kill them where they stand."

May Hooves raised his eyebrows. Killing was a bit of a drastic concept to him and most of his fellow comrades in arms.

"Very well... Colonel Mustang. My guards and I will follow at a safe distance and make sure all civilians are out of the way."

Roy nodded in response, never taking his piercing gaze from the Homunculi. To allow them to go free brought a certain amount of disgust and despair to his soul, he understood that this was the best possible resolution to the stalemate. He could develop strategies with this new nation's military forces later, not to mention get to the bottom of who and what that navy blue equine truly was.

Lifting his hand with his finger over his thumb towards the Homunculi, he gestured for them to move down the dark, wide street.

"Still can't believe we're actually going through with this, Lust. I would rather just take my chances and kill Mustang and that Hughes impersonator now."

As they turned to walk pursued closely by Colonel Mustang, Lust replied quietly to her jealous sibling,

"Be patient, Envy. We have to bide our time, position ourselves in a situation that better advantages us. You'll have your chance soon enough."

As they moved awkwardly through the sprawling city, Mustang inquired to them with a low and steely voice,

"What are you planning, Homunculi? What's your game?"

Without turning to address the Colonel, Lust replied with venom laced tones,

"That's not of your concern, Mustang. Just know that if you interfere, we will not hesitate to paint this land crimson with the blood of its people."

His eyes became slits as he replied,

"Something tells me that's going to happen whether I get involved in this madness or not. I'm going to find a way to end your miserable lives once and for all. After that, I'm going to find my way home. You've got my word on that, Homunculi."

Envy craned its head to look into his eyes, his face placated with an evil grin,

"We'll see, Colonel."

The trio remained silent for the remainder of the journey to city lines. The sprawling metropolis suddenly halted, the buildings replaced by rolling hills of vibrant green grass that twinkled in the light of the full moon. With their frames silhouetted by the moon's silvery light, the Homunculi and the human stared each other down, their eyes full of rage, hate, pain, and fear.

Lust analyzed Mustang with a painful look. Even after all he had been through, that man was no less tenacious and courageous than he was the day he burned her alive. She shuddered inwardly as those memories seeped into her consciousness.

"Soon," she thought, "I'll see those focused eyes wide with agony."

Envy glared at the Colonel with daggers for eyes, its pale teeth gritted as it fought the overwhelming urge to kill the human where it stood. The humiliation that man brought to it again and again was far too much for the jealous Homunculi to bear. A simple human, besting an Homunculus? The thought caused its hands to curl into fists as it thought,

"I'll play your game, Colonel. And I'll win."

Breaking the tense silence, the Colonel spoke to the Homunculi with patronizing tones,

"Get moving, Homunculi. If you lay a finger on the inhabitants of this world, I will find you, and I will not hesitate to send you to an even deeper level of Hell. I don't know what the hell you're planning, but I will find out."

For a few moments, the Homunculi said nothing in reply, boring their evil eyes into the human with all of the lustful hate and jealous vengeance they could muster. Finally, the two turned away, putting their backs to Mustang as they walked with the moon directly in front of them, causing their shadows to stretch over Mustang's focused frame. As he watched them depart to play their game, he said coldly,

"Very well, Homunculi. I'll allow you devils to be free to hang yourself with your own rope."

Trust

The aesthetically practical chandelier hanging perilously from the ceiling swung gently in response to a nearby door slamming shut. The electric yellow light flickered for a moment as an blue equine trotted cautiously into the sparsely furnished room. Little decoration adorned the white walls and oak floorboards, save for a small square table and two oddly shaped chairs on either side. An alien figure sat motionless in the chair facing the door. The blue of his uniform appeared almost black in the shadows cast by the limited light. His face was entirely expressionless as he eyed the blue stallion entering the room.

A chill ran down the stallion's spine as he locked the door. He only maintained eye contact with the creature for a moment before tearing his gaze from those dark eyes.

After clearing his throat, Maes Hooves addressed the silent Colonel warmly,

"I apologize for the lackluster accommodations. Protocol dictates that standard interrogation procedures be conducted following contact with an unknown, hostile creature."

Colonel Mustang raised an eyebrow,

"You calling me hostile, Hooves? I suppose you have every right to-"

"Protocol also states that at least three officers be present for the interrogation, and that the highest authorities be notified immediately."

Maes Hooves looked into the Colonel's eyes sternly. A flash of understanding crossed the human's features briefly as he replied,

"So I see. You know, I have protocol to follow as well. In the event of capture by hostile forces, I am only to divulge my name, rank, and serial number."

Maes Hooves took an awkward seat in the chair facing the Colonel. Beads of sweat accumulating on his stressed facial features, he addressed the stone-faced human,

"I believe that this will go much more expeditiously if we just cut to the chase. You've placed my garrison in quite the awkward situation, Colonel. For now, they're under strict orders not to divulge any information regarding this incident to the public or the media. I've also refrained from notifying command of our status for the time being."

Colonel Mustang placed his hand on his chin inquisitively, a small grin spreading across his features,

"Seems like you're doing me quite the favor, Hooves. What are you getting at?"

The blue stallion shook his head,

"This isn't a favor, not by any stretch. My garrison and I just witnessed you destroy an entire building with unknown magic. Those two accomplices of yours killed at least five civilians and threatened the lives of my stallions-"

Mustang interjected, his voice low and serious,

"Those aren't my accomplices, Hooves. They're responsible for the deaths of thousands of my kind. While I apologize for the collateral, if I hadn't stopped them, they would've murdered every soul in this city without batting an eye."

Lieutenant Hooves remained stoic as he analyzed the Colonel. While to the passerby he might've seemed perfectly calm, Hooves noticed the small details in his composure: his trembling hands, dark eyes, and void expression.

Boring into the Colonel with his own green eyes, Hooves spoke with a lethal quietness,

"Ponies are dead, Mustang. It was my responsibility to ensure their safety. I can't even tell their families why their dearly beloved were found in a pool of blood on the street. I can't tell them why they won't be coming home. I'm sure somepony of your rank is used to that, but what you call collateral I consider to be the most brutal slaughter in recent history."

Mustang tore his gaze away from the stallion, staring down at the rusted steel table in thought,

"It's true that many people of my rank do get used to...these situations. Let me tell you something, Hooves. Those people who find it easy to send hundreds and thousands of men and women to their deaths are less than human. Those who find every justification to end life for their own selfish plots are lower than animals. I've seen my closest friends murdered on little more than a whim. I've watched a country send innocents to murder innocents. In the end, it's the people in my position that get to decide who lives and who dies. That's the sickening truth."

"That same truth is the reason why I need you to trust me. Those two creatures we encountered are known as Homunculi, variants of my own species that possess supernatural alchemical powers. They are named after the Seven Deadly Sins that plague sentient life, the feminine creature being the living carnation of Lust and the androgynous beast that of Envy. While I myself don't yet understand how or why, they have arrived in your world and will kill anything that stands in the way of their plans."

Hooves stared in abject horror as he considered the human's statement. There was no sign of falsehood in his eyes, as much as Hooves wanted it to all be deception. The human was speaking clearly and honestly, obviously emotionally invested towards towards the two creatures in some very negative fashion.

The stallion replied with an incredulous tone,

"Setting aside the absurdity of these claims, let's assume for a moment that I believe you. It's clear that the...social dynamics of wherever you come from differ vastly from our own. To be clear, Colonel, the concept of murder in our country is so foreign that most don't even know of the word's existence until adulthood. All of this gruesome death and governmental corruption you speak of simply doesn't exist in our society, or hasn't in at least a few decades. I've seen my fair share of monsters and tyrants, to be sure, but not even the worst of them would stoop so low as to take the life of another."

The Colonel raised an eyebrow, inquiring Hooves further,

"Aren't you an officer in your nation's military? You must serve for a reason beyond-"

"-Policing? The garrison stationed in Manehatten does little more than that, and even then we rarely deal with more than petty theft. Even her Majesty's Royal Guard is mostly ceremonial, although it has been beefed up since the Changeling incursion. I don't believe that Equestria has dealt with anything quite as lethal as you have described since the Wendigos of ancient folklore."

The Colonel folded his hands together, staring intensely at the twisted reincarnation of his best friend. From their discussion, it was clear to Mustang that the creature ironically identifying himself as May Hooves had no knowledge or memory of his Amestrian counterpart, or prior life, or whatever version he paralleled. For this reason Mustang refrained from discussing that complex topic entirely, clearing his throat as the addressed the stallion seriously,

"Then you're in for a rude awakening, Lieutenant. The Homunculi and I have a...complex history. In short, by siding with me, you're putting your life and the lives of your soldiers in jeopardy. However, I'll be perfectly clear, without my assistance, you'll be fighting a losing battle against them. They cannot be reasoned with, and they cannot be imprisoned. We were lucky to make the bargain we did, even though it put the lives of additional civilians at risk."

"The only option we have is to kill them. If you can offer any assistance, I'll see to it that it's taken care of."

___________

"Well this sucks."

The articulate statement had been made by a rather scrawny creature hunched over a small fire, the sparks and embers providing a small amount of warmth in the chilly rain of the twilight. Under rather thin leaf cover, the androgynous Homunculi's counterpart rolled her eyes in response.

Leaning against the rough bark of a nearby oak tree, Lust replied with clear annoyance,

"What tipped you off, Envy? The fact that we're being hunted down by the man who already killed us once or that I'm stuck with you for all of it?"

Envy scowled at the lascivious Homunculi,

"I had been talking about the rain and stuff, but that little problem isn't exactly the highlight of my day, either."

For a long moment, the pair sat in silence, neither willing to look into the eyes of the other. The rhythmic pitter-patter of the rain falling against the leaves overhead filled some of the stillness, but failed to distract the two from the real problems ahead.

"I never really had a chance to ask, Lust, but how did your, experience, with the Colonel go?"

The odd question dredged painful memories from Lust's unconsciousness. For a moment, the Homunculi considered refusing to answer, but at last replied to her jealous counterpart,

"It certainly wasn't a pleasant one, but I'm sure you already figured that. Right when I thought I had him and his allies in the palm of my hand, he surpassed my wildest expectations. I had just impaled him and his friend just minutes beforehand, yet he not only stopped the bleeding by cauterizing his own wound, but also managed to kill me shortly afterwards. I never thought I would ever see such raw determination in the human race, but there it was, in its purest form."

Lust chuckled as Envy stared deeply into the cracking fire, the orange glow reflecting off its magenta eyes.

"We've got a lot to learn if we want to survive."