Angel of Alchemy

Chapter One: Too Late

First Story I've got up! Please Review...it would help a lot.

Hopefully more chapters are coming soon.

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"No." Roy muttered the single word under his breath, slamming his foot on the brake making the car skid to a halt and swerve to an angle. Maes had to struggle for a moment so he didn't fall forwards and slam into the dashboard.

Maes was about to complain about the abrupt stop until he peeked over the dashboard he almost rammed into, his eyes widening as he did so.

"...Roy...is that-?" he didn't even finish as the car door slammed, Roy running frantically towards the two story house they were parked in front of. Maes scrambled out of the car, blinded by the lights that flashed through the windows like blue electricity.

He pulled out his gun as Roy kicked the door down with his own gun in check.

Maes knew something was going to go horribly wrong. The clouds hung over head like blankets, casting shadows which only enhanced the furious lights that flashed from the house. It smelled like rain, which didn't help the mood either.

'It seems that something bad happens whenever it rains...'

He thought to himself as he entered the house at a fast pace.

"Amaris! Where are you?!" Roy's shouts seemed to be coming from the second story. Maes ran towards the stairs, running up them to find that it led to a door (which had been broken down just as brutally as the front door by Roy).

He ran into the room to find that it was a study room, chimeras howled, screeched and screamed within their cages, their eyes following Maes as he looked around.

Roy was looking around with a panicked expression, looking at the transmutations on the walls. Maes, having no clue what they were only grew more panicked as Roy punched the wall in fury.

"Dammit..." he cursed, glaring at the wall which now had an indent in it.

Maes stayed silent, a serious expression on his face as he looked at the chimeras.

Not a good sign...this man who worked in the military and owned the house, he remembered his file if only a little.

And alchemist, who studied human transmutation and chimeras.

An even worse sign.

"The basement! Have you checked the basement?!" Roy shouted, turning towards Maes. Maes shook his head, watching as Roy rushed past him and down the stairs again. Maes glanced at the chimeras one last time before running after Roy.

By now, the lights had turned a sinister purple, a laughter heard under them in what they suspected to be the basement. Roy found the door, not bothering with kicking it. Instead, he snapped his fingers, flames shooting out and blowing the door away.

The two military men descended down the stairs without second thoughts, the lights getting brighter as they entered.

Roy made it to the bottom, his fingers ready to snap. His gun was in his other hand, although his arm stayed down limply at his side.

"Where is she?!" he shouted, on edge having completely lost his cool. Maes held his gun, aiming it at the man that was on his knees in front of them. He wasn't facing them.

A huge transmutation circle was in front of him, the source of the lights that still flashed. Maes barely caught a glimpse of what laid in its center before the man looked over his shoulder at them, half of his face in they're direction.

His black hair was matted, pulled into a pathetic ponytail with his bangs askew. His glasses shone brightly, his eyes wide with ambition as he grinned at the men.

"Too late." he said simply, his eyes drifting towards the circle. Maes saw Roy falter slightly as he moved his position to see what was in the center of the circle, his hand still raised. The lights had died down slowly until they simply glowed where the transmutation circle was, although purple sparks would fly every so often.

Maes watched as Roy froze, the gun in his opposite hand falling to the ground. His stance faltered as he stared with an empty and distressed look.

"...no..." Roy muttered, just like in the car they had been in minutes ago although it felt like hours.

"Roy, what happened?!" Maes asked, his own gun still pointed towards the man. Roy didn't reply, but the man laughed once more.

"Amaris, Amaris, Amaris..." he chanted out in a singing voice, getting up awkwardly as if drunk. Maes immediately became defensive towards the man as he saw him move.

Maes flinched as he realized blood was practically pouring out of the man. On arm was missing completely, and the one eye that he hadn't seen before was missing with blood pouring down his face.

"Amaris, Amaris..." he continued, walking to the middle of the circle which only blocked Maes' view more. He slowly walked around whatever was in the middle of the circle, giving Maes a complete view.

His arms fell as Roy's had, although his gun was still in one hand. He stared at the child that was curled in fedal position in the middle of the circle, blood running down her body as it leaked from the fresh cuts she had.

Roy recognized the pattern of the cuts on her body, and paled.

A transmutation circle...her whole body was a transmutation circle that had been engraved within her skin...

"Amaris..." Maes whispered, shocked at the state she was in. She looked up with a little, giving him an empty stare. Tears ran down her face, but she sat there emotionless. Her eyes had faded from they're once dark green eyes to one red eye and one lavender. Her hair had changed dramatically as well, changing from pitch black to brilliant silver. The silver would have been beautiful...but it was down right frightening when half of it, at least, had bled into crimson.

"Isn't she a beauty?" the man said, kneeling down next to her, stroking her face gently with his good arm.

"Dammit, what the hell did you do to her?!" Roy shouted, once again fierce but Maes could have sworn he was shaking if only a little.

"I made...an angel." the man said rather proudly, not even looking up from his daughter. No one had time to say any more as his remaining eye started to go dull. "Angel...of Alchemy..." he whispered. "My creation, my daughter...Amaris." he fell over as if in slow motion, hitting the floor lifeless.

Silence hung in the air as they looked at the corpse, the lights of the circle still sparking a little. They could hear faint whimpers from Amaris as she put her head on her knees once more. They realized she was wearing barely any clothes for the exception of extremely short shorts and a mid drift.

It was obvious it used to be a full outfit, ripped during the transmutation.

Roy warily sighed, walking over numbly to Amaris. His boots made little sloshing sounds as he walked, blood covering the floor. He knelt in the blood next to Amaris, observing the markings for a quick moment. It covered her whole body, but the most detailed and noticeable one was on her back from her shoulder blades to her tailbone.

Maes walked over as well, kneeling on the opposite Roy was on and patting Amaris softly on her head. "Roy...these cuts are what you alchemists call a transmutation circle." he stated, his eyes directed towards Roy. "So? What's with this one?" as he waited for a reply, he reached into his pocket to pull out a roll of bandages. He always carried a role or two, and he was thankful for it.

He started to wrap her arms slowly, and she didn't object. He could practically feel the sorrow of the hope-shattered girl.

"...I'm not sure." he stated. "It's...a new one. I think he designed it...but it's obvious it's still used for human transmutation." he said, taking the last role Maes had to help with the wrapping on her leg.

"A new one?" he muttered. "Human Transmutation...that's a taboo isn't it? How do you know it's used for that?" a soft ripping sound was heard as he ripped the bandage from the roll, finishing the first arm.

Roy remained silent until he finished her leg. Before starting on her other arm that Maes hadn't done, he started to point at certain marks.

"There are miniature versions of the human transmutation circle." he deadpanned, his voice void of emotion as he stared blankly. "They're hidden within the other markings, but they're still there. I've counted around eleven so far...but there's bound to be more." he said, starting to wrap her arm.

"But the complete circle that covers her body is completely new as far as I can tell." Roy's face was sour as he explained.

"She only just turned five though, right?" Maes started on her other leg, Roy moving onto her stomach and back. He had to make Amaris sit up slightly, but she appeared not to notice when he moved her.

Roy nodded, his roll of bandages running out as he finished. "...I should have come sooner." he said, watching as the bandages bled into a crimson.

"Roy, you know we came as fast as we could. Some things can't be helped." Maes said, knowing that Roy was feeling completely guilty. Maes didn't blame him, after all, he felt guilty too.

They had warning, if only a little. Her father, Ray, had obviously been acting differently and more unstable. "His Assessment was coming up...he studied chimeras and human transmutation, so wouldn't it only be obvious that he'd take it up another step?!" Roy clenched his teeth.

"You and I both know that this was unexpected until this morning." Maes looked over towards Roy with a stern face, finishing his own job of bandaging the girl before picking her up bridal style.

"His report on his progress came in this morning, giving details on a possible outcome if he combined transmutation circles. Be glad that we were able to put two and two together in this case at all...we could have realized much later." Maes walked towards the stairs. The lights of the transmutation circle didn't even flicker before going out as Amaris left the circle.

"Now come on Major, she needs medical attention." he said. Roy nodded, realizing his friend was right before following after him.

Rain was pouring outside, just as Maes had predicted. And it came as everything had gone wrong...just as he thought it would.

He carefully placed the girl in the backseat lying down before getting in. Roy decided to drive again on the way.

The ride wasn't pleasant. The guilt was heavy in the silence, nearly driving both men insane. Roy constantly looked in the small mirror above the dashboard to check on the girl who had fallen asleep or unconscious, he didn't know.

They made it to the hospital and, showing the doctors his pocket watch to prove they were with the military, Amaris was taken to be treated.

Roy sat silently in the waiting room, lost in thought as Maes used a phone not too far away.

"Yeah, she's being treated right now." Maes said, reporting in to the military. "Her father died shortly after we arrived and his body is still there. It all happened in the basement...apparently, he used his daughter in the transmutation."

"Come back with the girl once she is done being treated." a higher ranked officer commanded from the other line.

"Right." Maes hung the phone up, waiting a moment before turning to look at Roy who sat leaning forward with his chin resting on his hands.

"Once she's treated we need to report back to Central. It's requested that she comes too." he said, not bothering to walk over.

"Figures..." he muttered. "After all, she was an experiment for the military, even if it wasn't approved..."

"What are you trying to say Mustang?" Maes asked, finally walking over to him. Instead of sitting, he remained standing.

"I'm saying that, even if not approved, she was an experiment...so, even if the Fuhrer doesn't approve, they'll most likely examine her...possibly even go as far as to run tests on her." he sighed in frustration. "They won't view her as a human."

"Not to mention she has no one to go to." Maes pointed out, looking out the giant window which took up a whole wall of the hospital which was considerably big. The rain was pouring down greatly by now, so greatly that he couldn't see so much as two feet past the window. Lighting struck every so often, as if the sky itself was crying.

"That doesn't help Hughes." Roy replied dryly.

"Actually, it does." Maes pried his eyes from the window to look down at his friend. "If we found someone for her to live with...well, they couldn't examine or run tests on her."

"Who do you propose we ask?" Roy asked, glancing Maes' way. "Everyone in the military is either too busy or would turn her in. Civilians would most likely be blackmailed or threatened in secret." he waited for an answer.

"I guess I could take her in." Maes said. "After all, Gracia and I have always wanted a kid, and she might prepare us for that." Maes grinned, obviously trying to lift the mood.

"Hughes, she's five. The past years in her life were the ones you would need preparation for if you had a kid." Roy deadpanned.

"Like what?"

"Walking, talking..."

"And?"

"Potty Training." he stated.

"Oh." silence came once more.

"So, it's settled." Maes said, sitting down.

"What's settled?" Roy looked at his friend with a quirked eyebrow.

"I'll take Amaris in."

"When did we settle on that?" Roy asked, lost.

"We didn't." Maes smirked a little. "But, you listed who couldn't take the girl in, and your obviously too busy since you didn't offer...so I'll take her in." his hands were behind his head down as he leaned back.

"Besides, I think we both knew one of us would have to take her. After all, we spent a lot of time with her in the past, before today of course." Maes continued. "So, we'll check with the Fuhrer if it's okay to have her move in with me."

"Do you really think it will be that easy?" Roy deadpanned, not believing that it would.

"Of course not. I'll have to say that she needs to live with a normal family to get over the whole ordeal...so instead of staying strictly under the military without a real family, she'll be living with me." Roy nodded, understanding.

"Then I guess it is settled." he said.

"Guess it is."