Crossing Worlds, a fullmetal alchemist fanfic

Disclaimer:I tried negotiating for the rights to Fullmetal Alchemist through a fan letter, but could hear their laughter across the ocean. So, sorry, not mine.

Chapter One: Impossible Realities

First came a flash of light, blinding and golden. This was expected. He closed his eyes, breathing in a taste of air. For all he knew, it could be the last. There was a roaring in his ears, and he felt dizzy. As his sight blackened, a tremor of fear passed through him, but he remembered his purpose. The calm returned, and he surrendered himself to the darkness. An image flashed across his mind, and then he was falling, deep into an endless void.

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The girl walked across the road, striding with the confidence of one comfortable within her routine. She passed house after house, oblivious to all but the rush of the thoughts flowing through her mind. This was her time, after all. An uninterrupted period in which she was free to think without worry. Recently, there had only been one subject on her mind. Ever since she discovered him, his face had filled her thoughts. His story, his words, his misfortunes, all consumed him.

However, she knew with perhaps more certainty than most that she would never meet him, never be given the chance to make him smiled. Why? The sad fact of the matter was that Edward Elric did not exist. At least, not outside of a Japanese manga, or a TV anime. How pathetic. What kind of person was so caught up in an imaginary world that they lost interest in the real one? It was not a feeling she wanted.

Her feet trudged onward without consideration from her head. Eighteen weeks of following the same course will do that to a person. She shifted the bag on her back, grimacing at the weight. Her biology teacher had gone berserk. This was probably due to the fact that the teacher still had a third of the textbook to cover, and had put it off until the last week before finals. The woman was turning into a nervous wreck, to say nothing of her pupils.

The pressure of the week came crashing down on her, and she slowed. At least it was a Friday, and, thank goodness, the first day of winter break. She would take her time getting home, she decided. No need to hurry when all that waited was a room to shut herself in. Her family would stay scattered throughout the town for several hours still. The girl breathed in the outdoor air, feeling the icy edge that crept into the breeze. Leaves drifted downward from the treetops, circling the block.

As she watched, one leaf in particular seemed almost to dance. It fluttered and spun closer, finally lighting atop her head. She disentangled it from her dark hair, noticing the contrast against the leaf's bright red. Her youngest brother would like it. She held it against her cheek and continued on. The leaves would keep falling with or without her.

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The first emotion that crossed his mind when he awoke was surprise. He had fully expected never to wake again. He blinked and looked around. The surrounding area was not at all familiar to him. What had he been doing? There had been a transmutation, but directly before that, there remained only an inexplicable gap in his memories. He tried to stand, but instantly realized his mistake. His head throbbed, and a wave of dizziness washed over him, causing him to stagger slightly.

He reached his right hand to the back of his head. The white glove came away red, having come into contact with a deep gash. However, the pain cleared his thoughts, and he began to assess the situation. He realized that he was standing at the center of a small clearing, surrounded by dozens of leaf-bare trees. That's strange, he thought. It had been early spring before.

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The girl reached her destination not long after finding the leaf. As she passed through the front door, a rush of stale air slapped her face. No one's been home all day, she noted. Her shoulders aching, she quickly slid off the bag. There was another thing she had come to enjoy. It was the absolute silence that filled her home, one that was far more comfortable for her than the crowded classrooms of the school. She wandered into her bedroom, collapsing onto the floor with her bag in tow.

Reaching into the aforementioned bag, she pulled out a hardcover sketchbook. Its cover was smudged and scratched, but that was of little importance. What mattered to her lay inside. She opened it to a blank page, and swept her hand across its width. Her fingers itched to fill the space, to create something new. She produced a pencil from the depths of her sweatshirt's pockets and touched pencil to paper.

Stroke after stroke. Forehead to cheek, cheek to chin, then up again. Sweeping movements for loose strands of hair, a careful arc for the top of his head. A picture began to take form at the page's center. It depicted a boy around fifteen or so, wearing a high-collared shirt that was mostly concealed by a calf-length coat, one that curled around his frame. The figure stood with legs firmly placed, braid lying across his shoulder, and his hands held up before his face. The fingers were spread wide, and his fierce eyes stared downward, contemplating. Though the left hand was concealed within a glove, the other was bare. Strangely, it looked robotic, a machine hand.

The girl spent a number of minutes adjusting and fine-tuning, taking great care. Finally she laid down her pencil, also putting down the sketchbook with a sigh. She stared at the image, and then rested her head back against the room wall. I'm so stupid, she thought. He's not real! She knew this, was aware that her fixation was unhealthy, but her life was so ordinary. There was nothing to distinguish it from the other billions on the planet.

She stood and left the room. The house now felt like a cage, dark and empty. There wasn't much point in staying. She slid on a pair of sneakers and headed out into the street. No one else was outside as far as she could see, and this suited her just fine. The girl went north.

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What happened? He shouldn't be here, he shouldn't be anywhere; this he sensed, though unsure of the reason. But he was alive, so… where the heck was here? There was something else, vital pieces of information missing. Remembering the image he had seen, however briefly, only perplexed him. There was the possibility that it had been the result of an exchange, but it may simply have been the last wish of a desperate mind.

The boy growled in frustration. These questions were getting him nowhere. His logical side, a core part of his nature, took over and demanded action. Several yards past the edge of the clearing he stood in, he saw what looked like a road. He strode towards it, determined. The wind blew against his back, almost pushing him forward. He would find answers. There was someone to whom he vowed to return, no matter the obstacle.

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The girl ascended the hill slowly. She was dully contemplating the weekend ahead. Break time was better than school, of that she was sure. Still, another stretch of pointless time to fill wasn't exactly appealing either. She reached the top of the hill and started down. As she walked further along the road, she sensed movement. The girl looked up.

And froze. There was a boy walking towards her, looking to be about her age. His hair was a shade of blonde she had never seen before, but what caught her eye was the short braid he had pulled it into. She pushed away thoughts of another boy who also wore a braid. This is ridiculous. Why can't I stop thinking about that? Stop now she ordered herself. Still, she found herself watching him closely as she moved nearer.

As of then, she had not seen his eyes. He was taking great interest in the surrounding houses of the neighborhood, his head turned away. The girl frowned as she examined him surreptitiously. He was dressed strangely, in nearly all black, except for a brown belt and simple white gloves. As for the rest, he wore a black shirt beneath a sort of jacket with white trim and a high collar. His pants were black leather, and were tucked into un-strapped boots with red rubber at the bottoms.

Her pulse quickened. It was so familiar. Almost as if… but no. She shook her head in an attempt to rid herself of such ridiculous notions. He was much closer now, and she realized that he was slightly shorter than she was. Acorns crunched beneath her shoes, and the boy looked up. His eyes met hers and she swallowed. Chills ran up her spine as she was pierced by his intense gaze. Those eyes were the most striking she had ever seen: clear, strong… and a deep, deep gold.

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The boy was startled out of his reverie by several crunching sounds. He glanced up quickly, and found himself a few feet away from a girl of about fifteen. She had shoulder-length dark brown hair that curled and waved, looking quite thick. Her skin was light, and she had dark eyes set above a faint spread of freckles and a pointed nose. Sighing inwardly, he noted that she was a few inches taller than he was. But what is she wearing? He had never seen clothes like these. Her top was baggy, some kind of closed coat with a hood attached. He didn't recognize the blue material of her pants.

The girl had jumped visibly when he had made eye contact, and he couldn't decipher the strange way she was looking at him. He did a quick mental check. Gloves still on, collar up—what was she staring at? Oh, well. He had to ask somebody where he was, and it might as well be her.

"Hey, could you tell me where we are?" he asked her. She looked surprised, but turned and gestured toward a thin green sign set at a turn in the road.

"This is Elderbrook Street, right by Hutchins Road."

"Ah." That didn't help.

"What city?"

The girl blinked at this, but answered.

"We're in Atlanta, Georgia." She responded. He didn't recognize either name, and each sounded foreign.

"Is this one of the North or West Districts?" That would explain his not being familiar with the general surroundings. He had never found need to travel to either of the two. The girl frowned at the question.

"Districts of what?" she asked. He was annoyed at her inquiry. Was she making fun of him?

"Amestris, of course! Where else?" he snapped. He could see the stunned look that passed across her face.

"Who are you?" she asked. He was getting a bad feeling from her reaction, but didn't see a reason not to tell her.

"My name is Edward Elric." He had never seen someone turn pale so quickly. He sighed in apprehension. It would be inconvenient if she was the type to harbor a "dog of the military" prejudice. If she had recognized his name, then that might explain her unusual behavior. Still…

"Is that supposed to be a joke?" she asked almost shakily. Upon hearing this, Ed's certainty faded. He had no real idea of where the reaction might have taken him. How far away am I? If this girl has heard of me, then it can't be that far.

"No, it isn't! Yes, I'm a state alchemist, all right?" He gestured at the watch chain visible at his hip.

"Look, what I really want to know is how to get to Amestris, Central specifically, as quickly as possible. Can you help me or not?" Edward's patience was fading; he needed to get back to Al.

"But…that's…not possible! You couldn't….I mean, how…?" The girl appeared to be in shock. He turned away in frustration.

"Wait!" she cried. Ed glanced back at her.

"You really are him, aren't you? Not a cosplayer?"

He shook his head, not recognizing the word. She took a deep breath, and he could see the change as she composed herself, gathering her thoughts.

"…Edward…my name is Rebecca--Rebecca Chandler. Listen…there's something I don't think you've realized yet. If you come with me, I can try to explain it." She ran her hand through her hair, looking troubled. Ed watched her, considering. He rather doubted that she could pose a threat, and was willing to take all the information he could get.

"How far would that be?" he asked.

"It's not far, just a little ways past this hill." she replied.

"Fine. I'll go with you, but I'm expecting answers." For example, why did you react to my name the way you did-----------------?

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Rebecca led the way to her house, a silent scream building in her mind as it rejected the situation. She was filled with utter confusion. What this boy was claiming was an absolute impossibility, and yet…something within her found itself believing him. She, Rebecca Chandler, was walking beside Edward Elric! She supposed she ought to be elated. It was a dream come true, after all, but what to do now? How to possibly explain to him where he was, as well as show him the various technologies of the twenty-first century?

She heard a faint rumbling sound in the distance and glanced upward. It was a passenger plane soaring overhead. She looked away, losing interest, but heard a sharp exclamation behind her. Edward was staring at the airplane, dumbfounded.

"What is that?!" he demanded. Rebecca thought for a moment on how best to explain it.

"It's called an airplane. It's used as a vehicle of transport, like a car, but goes a lot faster. You'd have to look up the technical details of how they keep it up in the air, 'cause…I don't know how it works, really."

"Why haven't I ever heard of these?" he asked, and Rebecca hesitated.

"I'll explain that, too. But it…I mean, there may be some things I'll have to show you." Ed nodded reluctantly, and she could sense his suspicion. The pair reached the house, and Rebecca punched in the garage code and waited for it to open. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Edward's eyes narrow as he observed. He followed her through the front door, taking in the new sights wordlessly.

She walked straight past her bedroom and headed towards the kitchen. She was already going to have a hard enough time without the added awkwardness of trying talk to him in there. Plus, her dad would barbeque her if he found out. Not that either of them would do anything --she snorted at the thought-- but Edward was still a guy, after all.

Rebecca pointed Ed to a chair at the table, and sat down across from him. He watched her expectantly, and she inhaled deeply. What do I say?! For all she had read about him, she did not actually know this person. There was no guarantee as to how much of it was true anyway. He might hate me for being the one to tell him this, she acknowledged inwardly. But here I go.

"First of all… I can't tell you how to get back to Amestris."

He opened his mouth angrily, but she cut him off.

"In fact, I don't know that there's anyone in this world who could tell you." She saw by his sudden stillness that he had caught her implication.

"People know—I know—things about you that may or may not be true. I might not know exactly which parts are fact but, well, I think we both know what we'd see if you took that off." She gestured towards his right glove, and he stiffened. So that part is true!

"And…" Rebecca hesitated.

"I know about what happened to your mother."

Edward stared at her, and she was startled by the flash of pain in those golden eyes. It was blinked away in an instant, and he stood slowly.

"How do you know these things? Who are you, really?" His tone was threatening, and she tried to think of some way to calm him down.

"In my world, there is a woman who is… writing your story, and there was an anime…not that you know what that is, I mean, um..." She growled in frustration. She was making a complete mess of this! Edward stared at her, obviously questioning her sanity. She wasn't that confident of it herself.

"I don't understand how it could be true, or how you even exist. Maybe this is all in my head and I'll wake up to my alarm just like every other day…" She trailed off, than stood.

"I think I need to show you. Wait here."

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For the first time in a long time, Edward Elric was at a loss. He and Al had always had goals, things to work towards. And they had had each other. Even during those nightmarish moments, when everything had gone so wrong, he had had a purpose. Ed had not considered surviving what he expected to be his final transmutation.

And now this. It felt as though there was a veil, a barrier, keeping him from the knowledge that would explain his presence in another world. There were images hiding in the back of his mind, but they remained blurred. He remembered clapping his hands, darkness surrounding him, but as to the circumstances…those seemed out of reach. Getting back was of utmost importance. And so he would observe, watching for the opportune moment.

Edward sat in the strange room, waiting for Rebecca to return. He didn't yet know what to think of her, and the waiting caused him to shift restlessly. The things she knew had been disconcerting. The fact that a total stranger could know of two of his most closely guarded experiences made him uneasy. But what choice was there? She was his only link to this world, precarious as that connection might be.

As if his thoughts had called to her, Rebecca appeared in the doorway. She looked unsure, as if second-guessing whatever she was about to do.

"Well?!" he demanded impatiently, ignoring the sense of foreboding that crept into his awareness.

From behind her back, she pulled out a small book and handed it to him wordlessly. Edward frowned.

"What is th—" His question came to a halt as he stared, dumbstruck, at the book's cover.

Fullmetal Alchemist

Story and Art:

Hiromu Arakawa

And as if those words weren't enough of a shock, there was the picture as well. On the front cover was the image of two figures: unmistakably…indisputably…Edward and Alphonse Elric.

With hands that were not quite steady, he turned the book over to read its summary.

Alchemy: the mystical power to alter the natural world; something between magic, art, and science. When two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, dabbled in this power to grant their dearest wish, one of them lost an arm and a leg…and the other became nothing but a soul locked into a body of living steel. Now Edward is an agent of the government, a slave of the military-alchemical complex, using his unique powers to obey orders…even to kill. Except his powers aren't unique. The world has been ravaged by the abuse of alchemy. And in pursuit of the ultimate alchemical treasure, the Philosopher's Stone,

their enemies are even more ruthless than they are…

His face darkened. There it was. That simple paragraph stripped the horrors of his first fifteen years of life down to the bare essentials. Incredulous disbelief welled up inside him, and he whirled on Rebecca.

"What is this?!" He brandished the book in her face, causing her to take a step back. Her silence infuriated him.

"What the heck is it for?!" Edward shouted. Rebecca flinched.

"It's thought of as a …fiction…novel." She responded, not quite meeting his eyes. He understood, and the golden eyes sparked with fury.

"My life…my brother's life…are put in a book, open to the world…and you people read it for entertainment?" Edward spat out the last word with utter contempt. Hurling the book away, he stood, face flushed in anger, fists clenched. He sat in the chair abruptly and laid his head in his gloved hands.

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Rebecca stared at Ed, unsure of the next step. She had seen the shock in his face, and had felt the rising anger that filled him. And now, judging on his dejected behavior, it was coupled with despair.

She figured now was not the time to tell him about the TV show.

Okay, she thought. Figure out the bare essentials. Rebecca sensed that if she didn't keep her mind busy the shock would hit, and who knew how useless she would be then. But Rebecca was naturally a shy person, and her instincts were screaming at her for stepping away from her timid behaviors. She shoved back the panic that rose within her.

"You need a place to stay." This statement caused Ed to lift his head slightly. He seemed to have forgotten that she was in the room with him.

"You could…stay here with us." He looked at her and she sputtered.

"I mean—that is, if you wanted to." Edward sat up, seeming to consider. It's amazing, she noted, watching the emotions drain from his face, how quickly he's able to hide his feelings.

"I'd have to convince my parents first, though…" Rebecca mused. His eyes flickered, but Ed nodded and sighed.

"I don't exactly have a wide range of options right now." He commented wryly. She looked at him, confusion resurfacing.

"Edward…"she hesitated. "…how did you get here?" His body went

suddenly tense, and Rebecca saw his fists tighten atop the table. Though he was facing her, he seemed to be seeing something else altogether.

Instinctively, Rebecca reached out and placed a tentative hand on his shoulder, inwardly shocked at her boldness. He shuddered and was once more aware of his surroundings.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered. Edward looked away quickly.

"It's none of your business." He said harshly. Rebecca pulled her hand away as if it had been burned. I shouldn't have expected anything different, she rebuked herself, trying not to feel hurt at being shut out so abruptly. I don't know this person, and he doesn't know me.

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It was Rebecca who had sent Edward plunging towards memories of the whatever events that had conspired to bring him to this strange world. There had been rushed impressions, and none of them pleasant. And yet, it was also Rebecca who had pulled him from them. Without thinking, he had snapped at her, and the speed with which she had removed her hand created an awkward pause that now seemed to stretch on for an unbearable period of time.

Finally, she broke the silence.

"…I guess I'll call my dad to tell him you're staying." Rebecca turned away rather quickly, picking up the receiver of a telephone very different from those he was accustomed to. Pausing as a thought struck her, she faced him again.

"I'm going to need to tell him your name." She said. Edward came alert.

"And I'm not sure how receptive he'll be to the idea of a guy staying here, especially one he's never met, unless we have some sort of explanation…" Rebecca looked at him seriously.

"I don't think we should broadcast your origins. For one thing, I really doubt anyone would believe us. The second thing is that even if they did believe us, they might not have the best intentions. As for my family…" she lay down the telephone and rubbed at her temples.

"I'm not sure what to tell them." She sighed. Ed could see that she was overwhelmed, and decided it was past time toassert himself within the situation.

"Tell them that my name is Edward…Rockbell. I'm an orphan with no place to stay."

She smiled slightly at hearing the surname he had chosen, and Ed was again taken aback at how much this girl knew about him already.

"But what's your reason for having to stay here?" she asked. He considered this. It might be hard to explain why he needed to stay here in particular. And that was the vital question, wasn't it? What reason did he have, really, to stayRelying on her help went against his sense of independence.

"You tell me. Why should I trust you?" Ed challenged Rebecca. He wanted to get a better idea as to the true nature of this person.

"I should go somewhere else."

She looked dismayed upon hearing this statement, though Edward could tell she was trying not to show it.

"But I already know who you are, and there aren't that many people around here who have heard of you, or would think you aren't insane. The fact that I was the first person you came in contact with has to be more than just a coincidence. Look…" Rebecca seemed to be struggling to find the right words. She impatiently swept aside a stray piece of hair that fell in front of her eyes.

"Let me tell my family who you are…and we'll figure something out." she finished. Though he kept his face expressionless, Edward had already made his decision. He would stay long enough to gauge his situation and act from there. Al's always after me to be less impulsive, he thought wryly.

The sudden slamming of the front door caused the pair to jump. Edward was on his feet in an instant, but Rebecca grinned and turned towards the sound.

"That'll be my brother, Joshua." She told him. At that moment, a tall, gangly figure appeared in the doorway. Ed examined him closely. He had straight brown hair that fell across freckles like Rebecca's, though the boy's nose was more rounded than his sister's. His eyes, a bluish-green color, met Edward's in surprise. She rose to greet the boy and as he stepped forward, Ed noted with a mental grimace that his head rose six inches above Rebecca's. Joshua looked questioningly towards his sister upon seeing the visitor.

"Josh, this is Edward." She hesitated and glanced at Ed. He gave a slight nod of consent, understanding he had reached the point of no return as he did so. She finished the introduction.

"This is Edward Elric."

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So there it is. I've finally sent my first fanfic baby out into the world. If you thought the first chapter was a little slow, the second will be better; I will reveal more of the back-story. If (when!) you review, please tell me what you think of my OCs thus far.

-n.star

Note: The summary Ed reads from the back of the first manga volume (all in italics) is actually taken directly from the English translation. So I'll type in the copyright details.