Co-written by Yumeko and Kasumi.
A/N:
::Yume: This is adapted from a roleplay done by me and Kasu. The writing style may seem oddly jumpy and mismatched, but that's only to be expected, as it is, after all, melded together from the writings of two different people.
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Al had had a bad feeling about this mission from the start.
Clenching one massive armoured fist, he slammed it right into the face of the chimera that was leaping at him with fangs bared. Something cracked, and with a sickening thud, the creature fell to the ground to join the scattered bodies of its comrades.
He had been unable to shake the faint sense that something was wrong right from the moment Colonel Mustang had handed them the mission details. All the same, investigating alchemical anomalies was what they did, and this was the latest one they had been assigned. Even Edward had had to admit that it was a scenario worth investigating. Of course, that hadn't stopped him from complaining loudly and vociferously about the way that 'blasted Colonel' was always sending them off on 'damn wild-goose chases out to the middle of who-knows-where'. It was only after the Colonel had threatened to incinerate him that he had stompled off to the train station with Al in tow, griping every step of the way.
The details Mustang had given them were sketchy, at best. Leydig was a small trading outpost on the outskirts of Amestris, in the north-east. It received some trade, but not much, because of its isolated location at the base of the northern mountains. Over the past few months, a number of people had gone missing, and the locals had reported sightings of strange hybrid creatures that seemed to be meldings of several animals. Any alchemist worth his or her salt would have recognized the descriptions to be those of chimera, unlicensed ones at that. And indeed, the brass had taken notice of the situation, and sent several officers and a State Alchemist to look into the matter. None had returned.
He peered through the darkened trees, searching desperately for any sign, any gleam of red or gold. "Brother?" he called once more, without much hope in his voice. "Brother, can you hear me?"
Somewhere far in the distance, the blue-white light of alchemy flared, a bright spark barely visible between the thick trees. It glowed for a few moments before disappearing as abruptly as it had come. Following instantly afterwards, came a strangled scream of terror and pain, in a familiar voice.
Fear clutched at his heart, paralyzed him. "Brother!" Without hesitating, he broke into a run, heading between the trees in the direction from where the light had come.
All in all, all the signs had seemed to point to the presence of a rogue alchemist practicing without a license. Ed had agreed, and with his usual cockiness, had declared confidently to Al as they disembarked from the train in the evening that catching the guy would be a 'piece of cake'. The local authorities had been helpful too, pointing them to the region where the chimeras were last sighted and providing them with a list of the missing persons. Al found himself, for whatever reason, unable to share his brother's confidence, but he had followed all the same.
Things had gone rapidly, suddenly downhill from there. The brothers had found themselves tracking the trail of the chimeras into the woods bordering the town, then, without warning, attacked by a horde of the creatures. Mountains of fangs, muscle, bone and sinew, the beasts had driven them further into the dark woods. The worst had come hower, when, at some point, Al had lost track of his brother among the trees. Occupied with fighting off the chimeras, he had been unable to find his way on track, and before long, found himself well and properly lost…and separated from his brother.
He burst through the trees, and whirled around, scanning it desperately. His eyes alighted on the small, red-cloaked figure lying in a limp heap in the centre of the clearing, and for a moment, his heart stopped. A cry wringing loose from his throat, he scrambled over to his brother and dropped to his knees beside him.
"Brother!" he choked out, gently scooping him up into his arms. Ed's head flopped limply back, mouth hanging open. His eyes were closed, and his skin was chalk-white. "Ed, can you hear me? Answer me!" In his panic and desperation, he seemed to him for a moment that his brother wasn't breathing. Then, he detected the barest, imperceptible rise and fall of his chest, and his worry lessened a little…only to return as Ed just lay there limply, showing no signs of life other than his slight breathing.
Al shook him half-heartedly, receiving no response. His panic and worry seemed to reach a head, bursting from him in a panicked, heart-wrenching scream. "Brother!"
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A/N:
::Yume:: -preens- Dramatic beginning, no?