Author's Note: Genderbent!Ed and Al is something I've always wanted to mess with. And I have no idea where I'm going with this, so bear with me!
Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.
It's no secret around Central Command that the Elric siblings have something to hide.
When the soldiers of Central first heard wind of Edward Elric, a fifteen-year-old who managed to pass the exams to become a State Alchemist when he was only twelve, they all had certain expectations upon meeting the kid when it was announced the Elrics were making a trip down to Central Command while Edward was on leave.
Only a handful of soldiers were present when the train carrying the Elrics pulled up to the station in South Central, two of which being Majors Maes Hughes and Alex Louis Armstrong, ordered to greet the infamous siblings by the Führer himself and told to expect a suit of armor accompanied by a person in a red coat. The suit of armor was spotted first, stepping off the train toting a small suitcase and nothing else, glancing around the crowded station and then pointing excitedly when the Central forces were noticed.
Glancing over its shoulder, the suit – who at that point was assumed to be the Fullmetal Alchemist – seemed to call to someone before another person stepped down from the train, arms stretched over their head in a luxurious stretch as their gaze slid lazily over to where the suit was pointing. They had strikingly blonde hair pulled back into a braid, and as the two approached the awaiting soldiers, the Fullmetal Alchemist's companion tugged restlessly at the red coat over their shoulders, also wearing tight-fitting black pants, a matching shirt, and combat boots, sporting a frown that seemed to glare dangerously at anyone who dared glance at the odd pair.
"Edward Elric!" Major Maes Hughes had exclaimed once the two were in hearing range, stepping forward to grip excitedly at the suit of armor's hand while everyone else hung back, reserved in the presence of such a well-known hero. "It's a pleasure to meet you. We here in Central have heard so much about your endeavors in the field! You won't have to worry about a thing while you're here, sir, we'll take care of everything!"
But the respectful – albeit over-enthusiastic – greeting wasn't exactly well received. The person in the armor jerked as if hit, ripping his hand from the Major's with a slight sound of discomfort that sounded a little bit too high-pitched, especially for a fifteen-year-old boy.
A cry of indignation sounded from the suit's side, and when Major Hughes spared a glance at the one in the coat, he was greeted with golden eyes filled with liquid fire. "Hey, dip-weed!" The person snapped, and the soldiers behind the Major stiffened in shock. "I'm the Fullmetal Alchemist, not her! I swear, Al, if one more person makes that mistake I'm gonna – "
"Sister, calm down, it was just a misunderstanding!"
Aside from assuming that the Elrics were boys and the one in the armor was the infamous "Alchemist of the People," no one had expected that Edward Elric would actually turn out to be some foul-mouthed, ill-tempered teenage girl lacking in class, height, and boobs, the latter of which was an extremely touchy subject that only those with a death wish would dare bring up.
Alphonse Elric – dubbed Ali, Al, or Fullmetal's sister depending on whom you're asking – was the one who walked around in an absolutely enormous suit of armor that should have dwarfed a girl her age. She'd never been seen without the suit. No one even knew what her face looked like beneath the mask, but they never said anything, figuring that there must have been a reason. Perhaps even a serious one.
It didn't help matters any that Alphonse was single-handedly one of the sweetest kids anyone in the service had ever met, making it pretty impossible to grill her for details on her suspicious outward appearance. Some have come close to inquiring while Alphonse's "entourage" was otherwise preoccupied, though those few usually ended up rejoining their comrades with a solid resolve to never bring up the issue again, even if Alphonse herself wasn't in the vicinity.
And if the girl's disposition weren't enough to deter any prying, no sane soldier wants to be the one to make the Fullmetal Alchemist's younger sister upset.
Everyone learned pretty early on that despite being only a girl with a fairly masculine name, Edward Elric wasn't one to be messed around with. She had to be carried away by Alphonse that first day at the station when someone unwittingly commented on her flat chest, spitting antagonistic words that somehow left no room for wondering if perhaps they were just empty threats.
She spent her weekdays at the State Library or wandering around the Command Center, gloved hands stuffed deep into the pockets of her pants as she observed the soldiers in action on a day-to-day basis. All the soldiers kept on their toes when in her presence; especially when Alphonse wasn't around, who was the only person who could actually keep her sister in line most days. Edward always seemed to be in a sour mood, always frowning and never laughing. It was off-putting, especially when paired up with Alphonse, who could communicate a smile through only a glance, though eerie a glance it was.
The sisters were usually never far apart. Alphonse would shadow her older sister like a lost puppy, the sound of her clinking armor echoing through the halls as she followed after Edward on whatever endeavor the teenager thought suited her at the time. She never had anything negative to say about her older sister and never took the bait when given opportunities to do so, redirecting the conversation with a finesse even grown men or women didn't always posses.
Edward, in turn, would pace every time her sister left the Command Center on her own, though she acted as if she hadn't been concerned whenever Alphonse came back. Alphonse was never the wiser, though the soldiers were, who witnessed the obvious distress on the alchemist's face, a worry that always seemed to be more maternal than anything else.
When Edward received a phone call from Eastern Command Center one day, the girls' stay in Central came to an abrupt end. "That damn Colonel." Edward was reported to have said as she stalked back to her room, Alphonse trailing behind her. "Sends me to Central to cool off for a bit and then calls a week and a half later to put me on some job in the East. He needs to make up his mind and stop jerking me around when we could be looking for the - "
"You really should calm down, Ed. Mustang wouldn't have called us if it weren't important. You should trust in his decisions more."
"Tch. Yeah, I'll do that just as soon as he asks Hawkeye to marry him."
The sisters left Central by train the day after, leaving so many questions left unanswered, aside from the unimportant, "Why did your parents decide to give their daughters names that aren't really feminine?"
Why were girls as young as the Elrics on their own? Where were their parents, why had Edward decided to join the military, and why had she been accepted in the first place? Female State Alchemists were uncommon, because most didn't have the stomach to use their alchemy for military purposes. How was it that a girl of fifteen could liberate Liore and throw corrupt military leaders in jail without even batting an eye?
Alphonse was never seen without her armor, and Edward never took off her red coat and white gloves when it public. Something was off about the way Edward walked. No one could recall seeing Alphonse eat. And to top it all off, Edward didn't need to use transmutation circles to use alchemy, could just clap her hands and attack with the agility, ferocity, and skill of someone twice her size and age.
Just who exactly were Edward and Alphonse Elric?