Summary: Two years after the Promised Day, the Elric brothers reunite to find Amestris under threat of a terrorist group known as the Red Kingdom. Worse is that Edward is being targeted by the Red Kingdom so now Alphonse must assume the mantle of the Fullmetal Alchemist in his brother's stead to find out why they're hunting him and stop their plans from coming to fruition.
Spoiler Warning: If you have not finished Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood yet, then be warned that this takes place after the anime has come to an end so this story is spoiler heavy.
Disclaimer: I own only a handful of Original Characters but nothing else. Fullmetal Alchemist is the sole property of Ms. Hiromu Arakawa.
A/N: I got into FMA last year and went on a binge of watching one anime episode after another, starting with the original FMA anime then watching Brotherhood for as long as Netflix had the episodes (had to go outside of Netflix to find the final episodes but it was well worth it) and then I sat back and watched the Sacred Star of Milos. Not eager to watch Conqueror of Shamballa since it's only an end to the original Anime and I prefer Brotherhood over the other. The original anime was good but Brotherhood was more satisfying (didn't like that we were subjected to the whole Mina Tucker incident and the death of Maes Hughes twice though). Anyway I thought I'd give an FMA story a try so here we are.
I'm also doing something that I started with my Kingdom Hearts series only taken to a whole new level. I'm giving my recommendations in regards to the BGM for certain scenes. I'll be using music from the FMA soundtracks (both the original anime - FMA - and Brotherhood – FMA:B - soundtracks, but not the movies) and will insert cues in appropriate places. These are merely to help heighten the mood of the scene and are totally optional. So whenever you see something like this…
(AC: name of song – name of soundtrack)
Then you'll know when the BGM needs to change. I'll try and do this throughout the story. AC stands for Ambiance Cue by the way.
(AC: Sky-High Pure Spirit – FMA OST 1)
Amestris: 1917
Two years after the Promised Day
Central City: East Central Station
Edward Elric, aged 18, sat patiently on the station platform, checking his old State Alchemist's pocket watch for the time as he waited for the boarding call for the train to Resembool. He closed the pocket watch and pocketed it before pulling out a photo of Winry Rockbell from the same pocket, smiling at the photo and mentally ignoring the highly detailed maintenance instructions for his automail leg written on the back in Winry's handwriting. The instructions were a veritable copy of the blueprints to his leg. He then heard a familiar voice calling him.
"Brother!"
Ed looked up and saw Alphonse, aged 17, approaching with the two Chimeras, Zampano and Jerzo close behind. They were approaching from one of the eastbound station platforms.
"Alphonse!" Ed called back as he stood up, both brothers embracing again for the first time in three months. Although he was back in human form, and had been for two years, Al still towered over Ed. One thing differed from the last time the brothers had seen one another three months ago though. When Al had left to travel East, his hair was short and well kept. Now it was almost as long as it was when he returned from inside the Gate of Truth. However, Al kept it pulled back behind his head with only a couple of stray bangs.
"I'm surprised to see you here, Brother. I thought we'd end up meeting in Resembool." Al said as Ed shrugged.
"The train from Table City got delayed and the train for Resembool hasn't started boarding yet. So what about you guys? Enjoy crossing the desert to and from Xing?" Ed asked as Alphonse nodded but the chimeras both sweat dropped.
"I could've done without the heat." Jerzo mumbled.
"You're part frog. You need the water." Zampano argued. Ed and Al both ignored the arguing from the two Chimeras.
"Xing is a beautiful country, brother, and I think I might be on the verge of discovering a brand new alchemical ability that can heal small injuries. I'm a bit hesitant to test it though. I don't want it to be misconstrued as human transmutation." Al said as Ed tapped his chin.
"I don't think you have to worry about that, Al. If it's small scale like that, then it shouldn't count. Besides, human transmutation is considered as such only when you try and transmute a fully-fledged human being." Ed explained.
"That's true. But what about-…" Al said, the two brothers immediately beginning a long discussion about Alchemy, leaving the two chimeras to stand nearby and watch, the conversation going completely over their heads.
"And they're gone." Zampano chuckled.
"Haven't seen each other for months and the first thing they do is discuss alchemy. Geez those boys need a hobby." Jerzo commented.
"I think that is their hobby." Zampano said with a smirk. The conversations were abruptly ended when they heard the conductor call…
"All aboard the express train to Resembool!" the conductor called. The brothers and chimera quietly picked up their respective briefcases and started for the train. As they approached, Al saw an old man struggling to raise his foot into the car behind their own. Al quietly approached the man.
"Excuse me sir, do you need help?" Al asked as the man looked at Al with a smile.
"Oh, thank you young man. I just left the hospital this morning after having knee surgery. Haven't quite recovered." The man said as Al effortlessly lifted the man into the car.
"If you need help getting out, I'll be in the car ahead of you. I'm Alphonse by the way." Al said as the man gave a friendly nod.
"Thank you young man, but I think I can manage. Going down is easy, going up is the hard part. Now if I can just do something about this indigestion." He said before limping into the car. Al nodded after him before climbing aboard the car. Al followed Ed and the chimeras to the front of the car, the chimeras sitting in the seat on the train's left while Ed sat on the right.
"It'll be good to be home, I'll tell ya that much Al. Traveling for the past several years can really make me homesick." Ed said as Al sat down, nodding in agreement.
"Yeah. I'm kind of anxious to see what we'll be having for dinner." Al said as he pulled out a small book from his vest pocket, flipping it open.
"You're still marking things off your 'once-I'm-human-again' list?" Ed asked as Al nodded.
"Yeah but there's only one or two things left on it now." Al said as Ed arched a curious eyebrow.
"Oh yeah? Let me see." Ed said as he reached for the book but Al pulled it away, blushing slightly.
"Umm it's kinda private, Ed." Al mumbled.
"Private? What could you possibly have on the list that you'd want to-…oh~h! Al have you got 'kiss a girl' still not checked off there?" Ed asked with a cheeky grin as Al's face turned beet red.
"Brother!" he groaned as Ed howled with laughter. Neither noticing as the train started to leave the station.
"Oh come on, Al! I'd've thought you'd have girls dripping off of you by now." Ed commented but Al was still embarrassed by the conversation.
"Cut it out!" Al groaned.
"Well maybe you can kiss Winry on the cheek when we get ho-…AUGH damn it!" Ed cursed as he started fumbling around at his pockets.
"What is it?" Al asked as Ed froze, a scowl clear on his face.
"Nothing…I just…I forgot to pick something up for Winry when we were in Central." Ed replied.
"What was it?" Al asked as Ed sighed in frustration.
"If I could still use alchemy I'd make them myself and there's nowhere between Central and Resembool to buy them either…at least not a decent one." Ed mumbled to himself.
"Brother, what is it?!" Al asked as Ed sighed.
"Don't worry about it, Al. I'll sort it out when we get home." Ed replied as two Amestrian soldiers, carrying rifles entered from the car ahead of them.
"Tickets please." One said, the brothers quietly handing them their tickets.
"What happened to the conductor?" Ed asked, suspicious. (AC: Lurking – FMA:B OST 1)
"He's right here." The soldier replied, the Conductor entering behind them and punching the tickets as the soldiers retrieved them from the passengers and returned them once the tickets had been punched.
"Okay, what gives? This is the second time I've had to deal with soldiers on the train. What's going on?" Ed asked, Al nodding.
"There were soldiers on the train from Youswell to Central too." Al commented softly.
"We're here for your protection, sir. Can't take any chances these days. You don't have any concealed weapons on you, right?" the soldier asked but both brothers shook their heads. The soldier seemed satisfied with their answer and moved on. The brothers and the chimeras both watched the soldiers and conductor move on to the next row of people.
"Wonder what's going on. First the train from Table City and now the train to Resembool?" Ed mumbled. Before either could answer, the door to the back car flew open, one of the passengers calling for a doctor.
"What's going on?" one of the soldiers asked.
"There's an old man back here. He's in pain and he needs a doctor! He's-!" the passenger said before an explosion ripped through the car behind them. (AC: Lockdown – FMA OST 1) The explosion threw everyone forward, killing the passenger at the door and severely wounding the soldiers and conductor along with most of the passengers near the back of the car. Ed, Al, and the chimeras were rattled and shocked from the sudden explosion.
"What was that?!" Ed exclaimed as he and Al leapt to their feet but were suddenly knocked down again as they felt the train slam on the brakes, the squealing and screeching of the wheels against the rails causing them to cover their ears from the sound until finally the train came to a full stop. A soldier from the car ahead of theirs then burst in.
"Everyone off! Now!" the soldier ordered, the passengers immediately complying. The Elrics and the Chimeras quickly tossed their luggage out the windows then moved to help the other passengers escape the burning wreckage as the fire from the exploded car started to spread.
"Al! We've got to stop this fire!" Ed yelled to Al as they exited the train, helping a two Amestrian citizens and their daughter out of the car.
"Right, leave it to me!" Al exclaimed before clapping his hands together, causing a familiar tone to emit for a brief moment before he slammed his hands down onto the ground, causing a large pillar of earth to rise from the ground nearby and create an arch over the burning train car, large chunks of dirt raining down onto the blaze, putting out the flames.
"That's not good enough, Al! We need to put out the flames! What about flame alchemy?!" Ed asked as Al looked towards him.
"I don't know how to do that!" Al replied.
"Well I can't!" Ed argued. Al grimaced before clapping his hands together and thrusting them towards the car, alchemically causing the fire to start dying out for a moment before it suddenly returned to full strength.
"It's no use!" Al exclaimed.
"Wait! I've got an idea!" Ed yelled, grinning towards the tender on the locomotive. Al saw what he was thinking and ran towards the tender, clapping his hands together before pressing them against the tender, causing the whole tender and the forward two train cars to start crackling with alchemical energy, creating a large metal pipe that ran from the tender towards the car that was on fire and releasing a large gusher of water that quickly put out the flames. (AC: End ambiance) Al wiped his brow in relief as he saw the white smoke of the extinguished flames rising from the car. As Al approached Ed, an Amestrian soldier was stopped near Ed, catching his breath.
"How many people were in that car?" Ed asked.
"It was a full load. Roughly thirty people give or take." The soldier replied as he looked towards Central which was still easily visible from where they were. Ten minutes later, Amestrian military vehicles rolled up from Central, loaded with aid supplies and field medics along with doctors and firefighters. The medics and doctors were triaging everyone while the soldiers took note of who was on the train and took statements. Ed, Al, and the chimeras were standing nearby, waiting for their turn to be questioned and the brothers were making themselves busy by looking at the wreckage of the car.
"What are we looking for, Ed?" Al asked as Ed examined the car.
"I'm not sure. Something had to have made that car explode so there must be something left over that can give us a clue as to who did it." Ed replied before hearing a pair of rapid footsteps approaching.
"You there! Freeze!" one of the soldiers ordered, Ed and Al both turning towards them curiously, pointing at themselves.
"Who, us?" they asked curiously in unison.
"Yeah you! The alchemist and his short friend!" one of the soldiers said, causing Ed to snarl.
"HEY! WHO'RE YOU CALLING SHORT?!" Ed yelled, Alphonse quickly restraining him.
"Watch your mouths! These guys just saved a lot of lives by putting out that fire! You could show some respect!" Zampano yelled to the soldiers as he and Jerzo stepped in between the soldiers and the Elrics but Ed elbowed past them with a hand in his pocket. He immediately produced his State Alchemist's watch.
"I'm a State Alchemist so you mind explaining what's going on?!" Ed asked as the soldiers snapped to attention.
"Sorry sir, we didn't know!" one of the soldiers replied.
"We're looking for members of the Red Kingdom, sir!" the other replied.
"The Red what?" Al asked.
"The Red Kingdom, they're the terrorist group that's been responsible for a number of bombings in Central over the course of the past couple of months? Haven't you read the news, sir?" One of the soldiers asked as Ed and Al both looked at each other sheepishly.
"We've been out of the country for about three months. We just got back to Amestris today." Ed replied.
"Oh. Our apologies, sir. You didn't see any suspicious figures lurking near the train prior to departure did you?" one of the soldiers asked.
"Define suspicious. What are these Red Kingdom guys like?" Ed said.
"Not sure. We rarely encounter their foot soldiers and whenever we do they're either renegade alchemists or chimeras." The other soldier explained, alarming the four.
"Chimeras?!" Jerzo asked.
"What chimeras?!" Zampano asked.
"They're beasts made through alchemy. I don't pretend to understand the science behind them." One soldier replied.
"We know what chimeras are you idiot, Jerzo and I are chimeras!" Zampano groaned. He immediately regretted this exclamation as they suddenly had guns pointed at them from numerous directions.
"Is that true? Are you really chimeras?!" one of the soldiers asked. Ed immediately raised his State Alchemist's watch.
"Hey! Drop those guns! These two might be chimeras but they're with us!" Ed yelled.
"Sorry sir but we're under strict orders to apprehend all Chimeras we find!" one of the soldiers replied.
"Well I'm ordering you to back off!" Ed ordered, Al keeping his hands poised and ready to perform a transmutation on a moment's notice while Zampano and Jerzo looked around in confusion by the goings on.
"Sorry sir but our orders come straight from Major General Armstrong herself. She outranks you in this situation sir!" the soldier replied, their guns still leveled on the two chimeras. Ed snarled and lowered his watch.
"I see…ALPHONSE!" Ed yelled. Al was about to clap his hands together to perform a transmutation when suddenly three thin square pillars of rock burst up from the ground just in front of Al, interrupting the transmutation before it could be triggered, two of the pillars forming around Al's wrists, locking him in place.
"What?! AL!" Ed exclaimed as he rushed to his brother, trying to break him free.
"You know, ever since I learned this clapping transmutation, I've learned how best to stop another alchemist from using it." A familiar voice said, causing the brothers to pause. They both turned to see…
"Colonel Mustang!" Ed yelped as Roy Mustang, with Riza Hawkeye close behind, approached them.
"It's Brigadier General Mustang now, Fullmetal, although I don't think I can call you that anymore Edward." Roy said as Riza looked to the soldiers.
"Apprehend the chimeras, men." Riza ordered.
"Yes, Captain Hawkeye!" one of the men replied.
"Hey! Leave them alone! They had nothing to do with this!" Al yelled as he struggled to get free.
"Relax boys, they won't be harmed. I give you my word that I won't let Zampano or Jerzo come to harm." Roy said as the two chimeras nodded.
"Yeah, don't worry about us. We'll be fine." Jerzo said as he and Zampano willingly surrendered.
"We're used to cages. It's nothing new for us. Besides, only the guilty run." Zampano said as they were put in handcuffs and escorted to one of the trucks.
"They won't be harmed, Ed. Trust us on this." Hawkeye said, Ed noticeably backing down from the argument.
"Alright fine, but you owe us an explanation. What is going on here all of a sudden?!" Ed asked as Roy approached Al's bonds, clapping his gloved hands together and placing them on the ground, causing the earthen bonds to release Al and shrink back down into the ground. (AC: Mist – FMA:B OST 1)
"I know you boys have been out of the country for a while so I'll spare you the details. Amestris, specifically Central, is under attack by a terrorist group known as the Red Kingdom. There've been a series of bombings in Central over the past two months, all of which the Red Kingdom has claimed responsibility for. They've made no demands but have used the bombings as a way of getting our attention." Roy explained.
"What kind of terrorist commits an act of terror and doesn't make any demands?" Edward asked.
"They've been using the bombings as illustrations as to why Amestris's days are numbered and that Amestris will fall while the Red Kingdom rises." Hawkeye explained.
"So they're trying to overthrow the government?" Alphonse asked, worriedly.
"It would seem that way, but so far there've been no attempts or attacks on Central Command or any major military targets. Only the bombings in Central and a few scattered chimera attacks throughout the countryside are the only attacks so far." Roy explained.
"I see. Is there anything we can do to help? I am a State Alchemist after all." Ed said but Roy's stern glare seemed to harden at this.
"I'm sorry, but that's where you're wrong." Roy said, confusing Ed and Al.
"What do you mean?" Ed asked as Roy held out his hand.
"You can't perform Alchemy anymore, Ed. As such, you're not fit to be called a State Alchemist anymore. Look, despite everything you did for Amestris, we can't continue calling you a State Alchemist when you can't even perform the most basic of alchemy. You can keep the title of Fullmetal, but you can't keep the watch or the privileges there of. When the crisis with the Red Kingdom is over, I'll return the watch to you as a keepsake." Roy said as Ed scowled. Al was unsure of what Ed was going to do.
"Brother." Al said, trying to get some kind of reaction from Ed who finally sighed and reached into his pocket, pulling out the watch. He started to hand it to Mustang but stopped and held it back.
"I'll hand it over on one condition: I want to keep the cover." Ed said, opening the watch to show the lid, the old inscription: "Don't forget .11" still carved into the watch's inside cover. Roy's stern glare softened slightly and he gave a nod.
"Fine. You can keep the cover." Roy said as he clapped his hands together and pressed one of them against the watch, causing it to crackle with alchemical energy for a moment before the cover popped off, the metal screws and pins holding the cover to the rest of the watch having been thinned out to a point that they easily broke. Ed quietly pocketed the lid while Mustang took the watch.
"It's nothing personal, Edward. At least this way, you don't have a reason to be running around adventuring. Take a break, Elric, both of you. Leave the Red Kingdom to the military." Roy said as Ed smirked slightly.
"Yeah, you've got a point." Ed commented, startling Al and Roy.
"He does?" "I do?" they both asked as Ed smiled. (AC: Overture ~Brotherhood~ - FMA:B OST 1)
"I've got no reason to be adventuring around anymore. I've got a special lady waiting for me at home. Any chance I could get one last favor and get a ride to Resembool?" Ed asked as Roy smiled understandably.
"Captain." Roy said as Riza stepped forward at attention.
"Sir!" she replied.
"Arrange a private express train to Resembool for Fullmetal and his brother. Use my authorization to see to it they get there as fast as possible." Roy said as Riza smiled and saluted.
"Yes sir, General." She replied before turning and walking off. Roy started to leave after her before pausing and turning to smile towards the brothers.
"Oh and boys, one last thing…welcome home." Roy said before turning and departing. Ed and Al both picked up their suitcases and watched him leave, beginning to follow him back towards the military vehicles.
"Well, come on Al. We've got a train to catch." Ed said as the two brothers started to depart. Unbeknownst to them, however, from the roof of a barn off in the distance stood a pair of shady figures, watching the brothers depart.
"Is that him, sister? The one they call Fullmetal?" one of the figures asked.
"Yes, sister. But which one is the Fullmetal Alchemist?" the other asked back.
"The tall one obviously. I doubt the short one is Fullmetal." The first said.
"I fail to see why either of them is worth the trouble. Why are they so important to our plans?" the second asked.
"That doesn't concern us, sister. For now, we shall leave them for our pets to deal with." The first replied before they both turned and started to climb down off the roof.
End Chapter 1
Please R&R…
Given the length of the average chapter in this story, I'll be uploading only one chapter at a time instead of in my usual 3 chapter bursts. The first three chapters are the exception for this though.