For a limited time only, Mind Games presents: the Philosopher's Stone! A two day cruise across the Amestris ocean filled with mystery, magic and wonder! Venture onboard the Flying Dream if you dare, and witness the stuff of legends!
Ed put the flyer down and gave Al a look. "So, what do you think?" he casually asked.
Al's youthful voice echoed through his armour. "Well, I think we should ask Colonel Mustang about it," Al replied.
Ed gave him a dull look. "Yeah right, and you know what he'll say, don't you? 'Off on another wild goose chase again, boys?' Oh please, Al. I say we check it out. They say that good things appear in the weirdest places."
Al looked confused. "Did you just make that up?" he asked casually.
Ed looked guilty for a moment. "... Maybe?"
Al shrugged and got out of his seat. "Well it says the cruise leaves tomorrow. Gives us enough time to get our stuff ready. Should we let one of the military come with us?"
Ed shook his head. "Nah. Armstrong would just draw too much attention," he said.
Al pondered for a moment. "What about Sergeant Brosh and Lieutenant Ross?"
Ed scratched his head. "Well….we'd do better without them."
Al moved closer to Ed. "Come on, Brother, they do worry about us, and if we take the Sergeant and the Lieutenant then that'll stop the Major and Colonel Mustang worrying about us."
Ed looked reluctant to say what he was about to say, but he swallowed his pride and said… "Okay then, Al, you win."
One thing was for sure, whatever the next few days would entail, it wouldn't be easy to manage.
Human kind cannot give anything without giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one and only truth.
It was early morning when the four arrived at the foggy pier. The car doors swung open as Denny Brosh appeared with a suitcase, panama hat and rather colourful attire. He was followed by his co worker Maria Ross who, compared to Brosh, was more subtle in her attire. Ed and Al followed.
Ed turned to Brosh. "Subtle as ever, Sergeant," he said.
Brosh, always sensitive to criticism, coiled. "Hey, come on... when you said 'cruise,' I didn't expect to be woken at three in the morning and dragged to a foggy pier, did I?" he defended.
Ross looked around. "So, what's the name of this cruise ship then?" she asked.
Ed got the crumpled flyer out of his coat pocket and opened it up. He quickly skimmed to the bottom of the page. "The Flying Dream, it's called." He put the flyer back into his pocket.
The four looked around. "I can't see any ships around here," Al said.
Ed walked forwards, into the fog. "Edward, wait!" called Ross and ran after him, leaving Al and Brosh to catch up.
The fog was thick, and any shapes were almost impossible to defy. Ed tried to make out any kind of shape he could. He squinted as he thought he saw something. Ed's eyes widened. He could see a giant form, seven feet high and very bulky. He stopped in his tracks. He held out his hand and slowly approached the form. He edged closer and closer to the form. Ed's mind raced, What could it be? Do I want to know what it is?
He was very close to it now. Suddenly he heard the call of Al. "Brother, where are you?"
Ed turned his head towards Al's calls. He quickly turned back to the form, but it had disappeared, leaving nothing but slow moving fog in it's wake.
Al appeared, followed by Ross and Brosh. "Are you okay, Brother?" Al asked.
Ross panted. "You shouldn't have run off like that. Visibility is too low around here, you could have fallen into the ocean!" she yelled.
Ed looked back to where the form was. "But I saw something..." he said.
Brosh looked concerned. "Something? Do you know what it was, what it looked like?"
Ed shook his head. "The fog was too dense. But I know that whatever that thing was, it wasn't human."
A dark moment of tense silence fell upon the group. The look of concern was visible in the two officers. But the tense moment was broken by a small yelp and a form dropping to the ground. The four members immediately jumped.
On the floor in front of them was a man, dark skinned and wearing a white suit, who had gone face first into the ground. Al looked down first. "Ummm, excuse me, are you okay?" he asked.
The man got up quickly in an effort to regain composure and dusted himself down. "Yes, just fine. Sorry about that, I must have tripped on my suitcase," the man said.
Ed looked at him. Clearly a wealthy man, suitcase, looks like the kind of guy that would be drawn into these kind of things. Ed cleared his throat. "So, are you here for the Philosopher's Stone?" he asked.
The man nodded. "And I can't wait to get on board. The only problem is, I've kind of lost my way. This fog is so thick," he said.
Suddenly, a shaft of golden, heavenly light cut through the fog. The five all turned to see it. A second light shone, then a third. Immediately the fog began to lift. The five then gasped as the Flying Dream was revealed.
A giant ship stood in the bay. The woodwork glistened from the spotlights, the masts hung high, fluttering like butterfly wings and the decks were large, offering glorious views. The five all smiled upon seeing the sight.
"The Flying Dream," Ed proclaimed.
Then a gangway appeared from the ship. It elongated almost by itself and reached the pier within the space of a few seconds. Ed grinned at the sight of it. Suddenly he felt like a little child again in a sweets shop, he just wanted to run in and look around.
Al looked at Ed. "It's the most amazing thing I've ever seen!" he said. Ed nodded.
Brosh turned to Ross and they smiled together. The man began to tear up slightly.
The five then looked as a suited man of Hispanic origins appeared with a torch. His voice was smooth and gentle as he called out to them. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Flying Dream. Lady Dream requests that you enter and be our honoured guests for the duration of the cruise."
Ed turned to Al and back to the man. "We'd love to."
The man stepped to one side and gestured inside the ship. The sound of soft, beautiful piano music came from the ship. The man turned to Ed. "The other guests are waiting for you in the main lobby."
Brosh looked confused. "You mean there are more people then us already on board?" he asked.
The Hispanic man nodded. "Lady Mina, the honourable Mr. Philips, and Mr. McConnell as well."
Ross looked at the white suited man and back to the Hispanic man. "So when did they get onboard?" she asked.
Ed pondered; okay, Maria Ross was inquisitive by nature, but she did have a good point.
The Hispanic man smiled. "They arrived shortly before ourselves. We retracted the gangway because we did not want to lose any of the heat from the inside of the cruise. So please, we do not want to keep out guests waiting."
Ed, still racing through the questions in his head, ultimately decided to board, despite the fact it may not have been the best move. He put his automail leg first onto the gangway. It was strong enough to take his steel leg. So he put his other leg on and started walking towards the ship towards the soothing music and sweet smells in the air, even if he didn't know what those smells were.
Al followed, worrying about space; he didn't want to knock the man off the gangway and into the freezing ocean, it wouldn't be the best introduction. But it was surprisingly spacious. Almost like it was made deliberately wide.
The man in the white suit took off his hat and bowed to a very confused looking Ross. "Ladies first, I believe," he said.
Ross then finally clocked it. "Oh, thank you," she said. She'd usually say something at this point, but it was three in the morning, the fog was freezing and a cruise ship she'd be spending two days on was a few feet away. She walked ahead.
Brosh picked up his heavy suitcase. He looked up to the man. "After you," he said.
The man put his hand up. "No, no, I insist, after you," he replied.
Brosh scratched his head. "No, please…" He then caught a glimpse of Ross' "hurry the hell up" face, and jumped. "Okay, I'll go first then," he squeaked as he awkwardly ran to the gangway.
The man took one last look at the majestic ship and followed.
The first thing Ed noticed was how soft the floor felt underfoot. Even through his plat formed boots, he felt the red carpets. It felt nice. The sweet smells of flowers, cooking food and the unmistakable smell of polished wood all hit Ed in a pleasant explosion. He took a deep inhale. "Aaah, this is great!" he proclaimed.
Al joined him. "Yeah, Brother, it makes a change from our normal scene," he agreed. Considering they'd spent a vast majority of the last week in Central City, in the vicinity of the library, this change of scene was a pleasant relief.
Ross followed with Brosh in tow. "Yeah, this is like a floating paradise," Ross concurred. Brosh nodded in agreement.
The Hispanic man closed the doors behind them and walked to the top of the group. "The main lobby is ahead, ladies and gentlemen. There you will be shown to your rooms where you can rest and rejuvenate yourselves. At nine o'clock, you will then be called for breakfast. Lady Dream will then request your presence. But until then, if you'd all like to follow me?" the man said. He turned and then stopped. He then turned back again. "Oh, and my name is Midshipman Salazar. If you require anything, I am at your service," he said.
Brosh was intrigued. "Salazar? That's not a common name," he said.
The Midshipman smiled. "It means 'dweller in a sacred place.' The poignancy there is quite amazing, don't you think?" he asked.
Brosh nodded.
The Midshipman turned on his heals and walked up a giant set of stairs, made from marble and draped in the same soft carpet.
Al turned to Ed. "I think the next two days are going to be nice, Brother."
Ed turned to Al. "I had my doubts, but now I kinda agree."
The Midshipman noticed the white suited man and Brosh struggling with their suitcases. "Do not worry about your baggage, gentlemen; if you leave them there, they will be collected and taken to your rooms."
The man and Brosh complied, and left their suitcases at the bottom of the staircase.
At the top of the second flight of stairs, the five stopped and noticed their other travelling companions. A young Indian woman dressed in traditional robes, and two men. One with glasses, long brown hair and thick sideburns. He was dressed in black robes, with a high collar. The second was another man, with combed back long blond hair and a thin beard, his eyes, while retaining the white, the iris was black.
This caught Ed's attention almost immediately. He turned and whispered to Al, "Hey Al, look at that guy's eyes."
Al looked. "…Whoa…"
The man quickly turned to Ed and Al. "There's nothing wrong with my hearing, you know!" he snapped.
Ed and Al jumped. "Oh sorry! We didn't mean to offend you!"
The man turned back to face what the other were facing: a small box in the centre of the room. Ed and Al looked at it too.
Ed walked up to it. He kept his eyes fixed on it.
The Indian woman turned to him. "We were told to wait here. Oh, and don't worry about him." She gestured to the black-eyed man who was at the other end of the room, still looking at the box. "He's a rare genetic occurrence... he's not the devil, if that's what you're thinking. Although, he does act like it sometimes," she chuckled.
Ed chuckled too. "Yeah. You're Lady Mina, I take it?" he asked. The woman nodded. He held out his gloved hand. "Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist," he proclaimed.
Mina raised an eyebrow. "Alchemist, eh? It's a pleasure. I think he's an Alchemist too." She pointed to the man in the black robe.
Ed looked at him. If he was an Alchemist, Ed had never seen him before. He did notice a silver chain coming out of his robe pocket, probably his government-issued pocket watch.
The Midshipman appeared followed by Brosh, Ross and the man. He walked up to the box. "Thank you all for being so patient. I will now allocate the rooms," he said.
This caused a look of confusion from the others. "What do you mean, allocate?" said the black eyed man.
The Midshipman turned to the box. He opened it and pulled a small piece of white paper out and gave it to the man. He looked confused as he read out the paper. "Michael McConnell, room 12. Along the corridor, through the doors, first room on the left? Why can't you show us to our rooms?" he asked.
The Midshipman put his hands behind his back. "Unfortunately we do not have a very large crew, and the majority of the crew at the moment are preparing to cast off. So if you all will excuse me, I must see to the needs of the Captain." With that he gave a salute and walked down the stairs.
McConnell stared at him. "Freaky guy." He turned back to the paper. "'Your two suitcases have been delivered to your room, please have a pleasant stay'?" He scrunched up the paper and put it in his robe pocket and walked off.
The others gave him stern looks. "What crawled up his ass and died?" Ed asked.
Brosh walked up to the box and pulled out another piece of paper. The emotion in his face drained away as he read it. "Umm…Lieutenant?" he squeaked.
Ross looked concerned. "What is it?" she asked.
"… It says we both have a single room… double bed…"
Ross' emotion drained from her face. "Your sleeping on the floor." She walked up to Brosh and read the paper. She then turned to the door and dragged the embarrassed form of Brosh with her. "Come on, Sergeant," she said as she pulled him away.
Mina then dug deep for another piece of paper. "Ummm… Douglas Jackson?"
The man in the white suit put his hand up. "Yes, that would be me," he said. Mina passed him he paper. He read it quickly and disappeared into the corridor, his eyes still fixed on the paper.
Mina pulled another one out. "... Ah, this is me then. Room 16... right. Well, I'll see you all for breakfast then?" she asked.
Ed and Al nodded. "See you then," said Al.
The Alchemist in the black robes pulled one out, skim read it and left within the space of five seconds.
Ed and Al watched him leave. "Brother…" said Al, "… I don't think I trust that guy."
Ed nodded. "For an Alchemist, he's pretty reserved." He walked up to the box and pulled out the last piece of paper. "Right, this is us Al," he called.
"Okay," came the reply.
Ed then looked inside the box. A small square of paper was still in there. Ed pulled it out and opened it. The message read…
Trust no one, Elric. They're everywhere.
Ed's eyes widened. "Al… it looks like this cruise may not be as carefree as we'd thought."
With that, Edward cautiously started moving towards the doors leading to the corridors of rooms. A giant lumbering form watched them disappear, it's eyes cutting through the dark, remaining undetected, just like before.
Ed and Al reached their room. Ed reached out his Auto-Mail hand and turned the shining brass knob. He opened the door slowly and looked inside.
A large four poster bed with curtains around it awaited him. The room had marble skilfully crafted into certain areas, and an en suite to boot. Ed looked around, his suitcase was there and two little chocolates were on the pillows of the bed. He let Al in and closed the door. "Well, whoever it is we're supposed to be looking out for, they sure as hell picked the best place to be," Ed said.
Al looked around the room. "Yeah, but then again, we can't get distracted by all of this," he added.
Ed turned to him. "I suppose you're right," he said. He went up to the bed and quickly munched on the two chocolates. He then jumped onto the bed and felt a noticeable sink. "Oh wow! This is the most comfortable I've ever been!" he said.
He was then snapped out of his pleasant trance by the ever familiar voice of the Midshipman. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to get underway. Please rest well, and enjoy your stay onboard the Flying Dream. The bar will be open as of now, so feel free to use it at your own leisure any time. Have a pleasant rest and once again, enjoy your trip."
Ed turned to Al. "Well, at least you'll have someone to talk to while I'm asleep," chuckled Ed.
"I guess so," replied Al.
The smile on Ed's face faded. "Hey, is something wrong, Al?" he asked.
Al shook his head.
"You sure?" Ed continued.
"Yeah. Don't worry about me, Ed. Just get your rest."
Ed nodded. "Okay. Can you wake me an hour earlier then everyone else?" he asked.
Al tilted his head. "Why?" he asked.
Ed looked up at the ceiling. "Because I want to have a look around here. See if that thing…whatever it was that I saw on the pier is here. It definitely wasn't human. I know that much."
Al pondered for a moment. "Hey… do you think it has anything to do with the Philosophers Stone?" he asked.
Ed's eye lids closed slightly. "Maybe. Maybe it was a Chimera. Still, we'll find out soon then."
Al tilted his head. "Rest well, Ed," said Al as he made his way out the door.
Ed turned to Al. "And Al?"
Al stopped. "Yes?"
Ed gave him a warming grin. "Be careful out there."
Al gave Ed the thumbs up and left the room.
The ship began to leave the pier. Ed could feel the bed slightly move. It wasn't a problem for him. It made him happy, which he felt was odd. It reminded him of being cradled, as a baby. Cradled by his mother. It didn't take long for this to send Edward to sleep.
The seas of the Amestris ocean were calm and relatively still. The ship was still rocking gently and easily.
Al stood on the deck and looked at the angelic masts blowing about in the wind. Sailing was always something he'd liked to do, according to Ed. He thought to himself, The younger me would have loved all of this. Shame I can't remember.
Al looked up at the sky. The sun had broken through the clouds and the light shone off Al's armour, lighting up the deck like a spot light in a theatre. Al was amazed at the beauty of it all. He turned around at the sound of approaching footsteps on the wooden deck.
The Hispanic Midshipman had arrived on deck. His silver hair was positively glowing in the light. Especially for someone as young as he looked. He flicked some of the lengthier parts out of his face and walked up to Al. "It certainly is a sight. Worth getting up early for."
Al turned to him. "Is that why you're here?" he asked.
The Midshipman kept his eyes on the sea. "I always come up on deck around this time. It's when the sun is most alive. It's still fresh. The light feels the most generous at this time. Filled with that youthful energy. And the sea, even at its roughest, is still the same constantly giving mistress as it always is."
Al looked out to the sea. "I've never heard it described like that before."
The Midshipman smiled and closed his eyes. "The natural world is the ultimate beauty, Alphonse." He opened his eyes. "We are dependant on it.". He raised an open hand to the sun, taking in it's warmth. "And I love it," he said.
Al looked up at the sun. "Yeah. I can understand that," Al said.
The black robed man walked up to the bar. The barman was drying a glass. He was a middle aged man, average build with parting black hair.
The Alchemist sat down on the padded bar stool. "Lemonade," said the Alchemist as he put a few coins on the table.
The barman took out a glass. "Certainly, sir. It's a rarity I get a request for a non-alcoholic drink."
The Alchemist rubbed his forehead. "I don't drink that sort of thing. All it does is damage. There are no good things to come out of drinking it."
The barman poured in the cloudy liquid. "Well, there's got to be one or two good things about it, otherwise I'd be serving a lot less people. Not to mention the big drinks companies would go bust." He slid the glass across the table.
"If you ask me, it's just a way of getting a cheap high. It shows we as a race just live for the cheap highs, despite the fact it causes damage in the long run." The Alchemist put the drink to his lips and began drinking. He put the glass down after a sip. "It's just the way we are," he said. He pulled the pocket watch out of his robes and checked the time. "…7:05, perfect."
The barman observed the content of his hand. "Say, you're an Alchemist, aren't you?" he said.
The Alchemist returned the watch. "Yes, State Alchemist." He took another sip of lemonade.
The barman finished drying a glass, put it up on the shelf behind him, and turned around. "I had a friend that was a State Alchemist. He had a nickname and everything."
The Alchemist put his glass down. "Had? What happened to him?"
The barman paused for a moment. "Died in Ishval," he said in a monotone voice.
The Alchemist lowered his head. "I'm sorry to hear that."
The barman nodded. "Were you involved in that Ishval business?" he asked.
The Alchemist shook his head. "I joined after that. And if you're wondering, it's the Giving Rain Alchemist."
The barman raised an eyebrow. "Now, that's interesting."
The Alchemist nodded and took another sip of his lemonade. The barman noticed two circles that were tattooed on his hands. "So those are….thingy circles, aren't they?"
The Alchemist looked up. "You mean transmutation circles?"
The barman clicked his fingers. "That's it!"
The Alchemist gave a look to the palms of his hands. "Yeah, that's right. These can send energy into clouds and make them rain, sleet, snow, and so on. Kinda useless if there aren't any clouds. I used to be paired with an Alchemist called Isaac, who was the Freezing Alchemist. But he defected and was killed. Now I just do random jobs for the military." He took another sip.
The barman looked interested. "Well, it's one hell of a talent you got there. Sounds a bit like Lady Dream and her ring."
The Alchemist stopped drinking. "You mean the Philosopher's Stone," he said coldly.
The barman picked up his cloth. "That's what it says on the flyer."
The Alchemist sipped the last of his lemonade. "Thanks for the conversation, friend." He put another three coins on the bar table, and turned away.
The barman took the coins. "Thank you, sir. But I never caught your name!"
The Alchemist turned to him. "Andrew Philips." He then continued to walk, his robes swaying around him.
The barman looked at the coins and let out a small "Hmm."
The sound of metallic footfalls woke Ed from his sleep. He opened his eyes to see Al hovering over him. Ed jumped and let out a high pitched yelp. "Al! Don't scare me like that," he said, panting.
Al chuckled. "It's just gone seven."
Ed looked at the clock on the wall, fifteen minutes past seven. "Good job, Al. Come on, I want to look around before we get the official wake up call," he said.
Al nodded. "Lead the way, Brother."
Ed jumped out of his bed, his automail limbs were still connected. Usually it would be uncomfortable to sleep while wearing them, but the bed was so soft Ed didn't know the difference. He slipped on his black shirt and platform boots and his red coat.
He turned to Al. "Let's go!" he called. He hastily ran out of the door, followed by Al.
The corridors were quiet and dark. Ed and Al walked down it as stealthily as possible (for a boy with a steel arm and leg and an even younger boy that was a walking suit of armour). They continued to venture down the corridors until they arrive at one with the door left open.
Ed held his hand up to signal Al to stop. Ed peered into the door and did a double take. The room was awash with pieces of note paper, all covered in equations and theories. One flew out of the room. Ed picked it up and froze.
Al walked up. "Brother, what is it? What does it say?"
Ed looked at the other sheets of paper. "It's a theory on creating Philosopher's Stones."
Al looked into the room. "Whose room is this?" he asked.
Ed looked at the door. "I think it's that Alchemist's room," he said. Ed pondered and quickly folded the paper up and slipped it into his coat pocket.
Al turned to Ed. "Do you think it's to do with the Stone on the flyer?" Al asked.
Ed considered it. "Maybe. It would make sense."
Al closed the door to the Alchemist's room. Then, suddenly, they both stopped. They heard the approaching sound of footsteps. Ed, in blind panic, dragged Al out of sight, into one of the other corridors.
The Alchemist walked up to his room and stopped by the door. Clearly he was confused as to how he'd left it ajar and now it was closed. Suspicious, he entered his room. He looked around his cluttered room for any signs of the content being tampered with. He couldn't see anything missing… except...
"The twelfth method theory." He turned back to the door and walked out of the room.
Ed's heartbeat increased rapidly. He could hear them getting closer and closer. He closed his eyes in some odd, involuntary way. Maybe he thought if he closed his eyes, the problem would go away, but that was kids' logic, not adults'... not his. He could feel the sweat dripping from his forehead and his fast paced heart was making him feel ill. The individual foot steps increased the rate of his heart.
He reached down to Al's hand and grabbed it tightly. The foot steps were the worst sound he could hear at that time. All he could hear was thump.
Thump. Thump…
Ed opened his eyes. The footsteps had stopped.
He heard the Alchemist's voice. "What do you want?"
Ed wondered, was that directed at him? But then he realised it wasn't.
A second voice followed. "You know very well what I want. The Philosopher's Stone."
Ed's ears rose. He gave Al a confused look.
The Alchemist's voice came again. "You know I don't have it. If the Stone is on this ship, I had nothing to do with it."
Ed then heard a thump, like someone had pinned another to the wall. The second voice, obviously the assailant, spoke again. "But you're an Alchemist! You used Stones in Ishval!"
The Alchemist remained cool and in control. "I wasn't involved in Ishval. I joined after the war."
Ed then heard a loud thump as the Alchemist was dropped. "Useless," said the other figure and turned away.
Ed slightly peered and caught a glimpse of the other form - it was the black-eyed man. Suddenly, Ed hid as the Alchemist got up, he turned to Al and whispered. "We gotta hide." Al quickly opened the nearest door to which they both entered. The door closed.
The Alchemist got up and followed the sound to the door. He peered into the darkness behind the door. He let off a small shrug and walked off.
The room where Ed and Al had entered was damp, dripping and more then a bit creepy. "Brother, where are we?" Al asked.
A small amount of water sloshed across Ed's legs. A small bottle followed. Ed picked it up and gave it a quick sniff. "I think this is… or, was the rum store."
Al looked up the walls, that were covered in seaweed and barnacles. "No one's been down here in a long time," he theorised.
Ed nodded. He inhaled. And the smell he discovered worried him. "That smell… rotting flesh… Al, I don't think we're meant to be down here."
They were suddenly interrupted by a sound that filled Ed with dread once more. The ever familiar sound of footsteps. Except these were very heavy and was followed by a inhuman moan and groan. Ed turned and Al followed his gaze.
In the darkness, two big red eyes stared back. Ed then filled with a sense of dread and fear. Those eyes weren't human, they had slits for pupils and the creature matched the form Ed had previously seen on the pier.
Ed backed up towards Al. He then suddenly found himself unable to speak, unable to think. He tried desperately to say something but nothing was coming from his mouth. The creature started to walk towards them.
Al backed up further. "Brother…"
Suddenly they both looked up the stairs. "Edward, Alphonse. What are you doing here?" The voice was that of the Midshipman. His silver hair was almost like a torch.
Ed quickly turned back to the creature. Or rather, where it had been. Ed looked confused.
The Midshipman spoke again. "This room is no longer in use."
Ed turned back to him. "Umm yeah, we kinda got lost, right, Al?"
Al's voice still had an element of shock in it. "Yes," he quickly said without hesitation.
The Midshipman walked down the slimy steps. "We are about to serve breakfast. I was on my way to let you know when I noticed the door open," he said.
Ed looked at the darkness. The Midshipman looked as well. "What is it, Mr. Elric?" he asked.
Ed shook off the idea of telling him about what he saw. "Nothing. Really."
The Midshipman looked at Edward. The look was not of worry or concern, more of acceptance. Ed thought the Midshipman was a man of great kindness. He clearly didn't judge. Ed thought he could come to like him. The Midshipman smiled and turned to Al. "Shall I escort you both to the dining room?" he asked.
Ed and Al both nodded. "Sounds good to me," said Ed.
The Midshipman turned and walked up the discoloured stairs. Ed and Al followed.
As the Midshipman closed the doors, the eyes opened once again and growled.
Mina, the Alchemist and the man in the high collared jacket had already sat down, waiting their arrival. Mina looked up at the two. "Edward! Alphonse! We were worried!" she said.
Ed smiled and sat next to her. "Yeah, sorry about that. We just had something to do." He looked up and down the table. "Say, anyone seen Sergeant Brosh or Lieutenant Ross?"
Mina looked up and down. "No, Edward, I haven't. Sorry."
Ed nodded. "Okay, no worries."
Suddenly a loud thump was heard as Brosh came panting into the dining room with Ross and Jackson in tow. "S… Sorry we're late… we got lost…" wheezed Brosh.
Ross gave him a bad look. "Because Captain Sense Of Direction thought he could work it out himself!"
Jackson looked at the tables. "Oooh food!" he gasped and sat down. Brosh and Ross pulled up chairs opposite Ed and Al.
The Midshipman walked up to the front of the table. "Ladies and gentlemen, if I can have your attention please? Thank you. Before you is a menu containing an array of hot and cold food for you to choose. We have taken your dietary and personal tastes into account when considering the food choices." The Midshipman turned to Ed. "And the chef has been instructed to keep milk out of any of your dishes, Mr. Elric."
Edward was taken aback. He didn't tell him about his dislike for milk. Only Al knows that. Brosh and Ross don't. "Weird," Ed said to himself. He looked down at the menu. His eyes widened, the menu consisted of all of his favourite foods.
Brosh let off an audible gasp. "Oh wow….I didn't think bacon burgers would be on a classy menu!"
Ed looked down his menu….his didn't have that on it. He looked over to the others. Mina didn't seemed phased by it but the Alchemist was. The man with the black eyes showed very little emotion anyway and put his menu down.
The Midshipman walked up to the Alchemist and the black eyed man. "Have you decided, gentlemen?"
The Alchemist passed his menu over. "The fried sausage and bacon and still water," he said.
The Midshipman bowed. "Very good, sir," he said and walked over to Mina.
"I'll have the Idli and green tea, please," she said as she passed the menu over.
The Midshipman nodded and moved onto the black eyed man. "And you, sir?" he asked. The man pointed to two items on the menu and the Midshipman took it. "A fine choice, sir." He walked over to Brosh and Ross. "I take it by the appeal of the burger, sir, that will be your choice?"
Brosh closed the menu and his face lit up. "Of course!"
Ross turned to him. "For breakfast? You're joking!"
Brosh shook his head. "I know what I like!"
The Midshipman looked over to Ross. "And you, madam?" Ross pointed to the menu. The Midshipman looked over and bowed. "Excellent choice." He took her menu and walked to the top of the table. "Your breakfast meal will be with you very shortly. Please relax and enjoy each other's fine company while we prepare." And with a spin on his heels, he disappeared into the other room.
Ed looked around the table. "So…" he said, attempting to be casual.
The black-eyed man turned menacingly to Edward. "If you think you're attempting to start a conversation with me, boy, you're mistaken." He turned back to his straight sitting position, leaving Ed with a taken aback expression.
Ed then began to get frustrated. "Hey, do you have a problem with me or something!?" he yelled.
The man stayed silent.
Ed's patience, or what was left of it, snapped. "I know your kind! You think you're superior to me just because I'm a kid!" he shouted.
Ross leaned over. "Ed, please calm down!" she said.
Ed gave a stern stare to the man. "And what the hell are you hiding?"
The man's eyes quickly opened. "… What?" he said, clearly showing signs of angst.
Ed stood up from his seat. "Yeah! Guys like you are always the same! Stay quiet and disconnected because you're hiding something! What is it then? Tell me!"
Ed was suddenly stopped as he jumped at the sound of a bolt of lightening striking near the ship. Ed felt like he was going to jump out of his skin. But where the hell did that come from? There were no clouds.
He looked over to the others. The robed Alchemist held out his glowing ring. "Enough," he said calmly. Everyone looked at him as he put his ring away. "This bickering is pointless," he continued.
Mina nodded. "Yeah, he's right," she agreed.
Ed sat down again. Brosh turned to Ross. "Hey, that guy's an Alchemist right?" he asked.
Ross kept her eyes on the robed man. "Yeah, looks like it," she added.
Brosh turned back to him. "He has a State Alchemist's pocket watch… but I don't remember seeing him on the official State Alchemists records."
Ross agreed with a small nod.
Al looked at Ed. "Are you okay, Brother?" Al asked.
Ed's eyes narrowed. "There's something very off with those two," he muttered.
Mina turned to them. "Yeah, I know what you mean. The Alchemist's being very secretive, and the other man's just rarely seen. I've barely seen him walking about," she said.
Ed remembered back to earlier. The black-eyed man had clearly been threatening the Alchemist. And over the Philosopher's Stone. Clearly he, Al, the Sergeant, and Lieutenant were not the only ones after it. But an Alchemist and… whatever the hell the other guy was were also clearly out for it too.
Then what about Mina? Well, she seemed innocent enough. However that fact barely carried merit in Ed's life anymore. But she'd not been around much either. She'd barely spoken about herself. Ed clearly thought he'd need to get some more information out of her. During breakfast probably.
And Jackson... well, he was just Jackson. Nothing suspicious about him. Aside from the fact he seemed to be the dictionary definition of an utter tourist.
Suddenly the doors flung open as the smell of hot food shot out like a cannon to Ed's senses. "Looks like the food's here," said Mina.
A large silver food trolley appeared with the Midshipman wheeling it. "Ladies and gentlemen, breakfast is served," he said with a warming smile. He wheeled the trolley down the side of the dining room and slid the plates down his arms with such precision and skill that it caused an audible "Wow!" from Al. Each member received their meals within seconds. They had the tops taken off and the smells of blissful food filled the air.
Brosh's face lit up. "Let's eat!" he yelled as he piled into his meal.
Ed wiped his mouth on his napkin. He was amazed at how wonderful that breakfast was. He'd never tasted anything like that, not since… Mum. He quickly shook this off, however, and turned to Mina. "So, how was that?" he asked.
Mina turned to him with a smile. "It was lovely, the best I've ever tasted."
Ed gave a smile in return.
Brosh let off a poorly concealed burp. "Sorry," he blushed.
Ross rolled her eyes. "Class, Denny, class," she said sarcastically.
Ed turned to the other two, the Alchemist and the man in the long coat. They were both trying their hardest not to acknowledge each other in any way possible. But while the Alchemist was struggling to do so, the other had no difficulty whatsoever and was actually seeming to require no effort at all.
Ed turned to Al. "I still think we should keep our distance with those two," Ed whispered, being conscious that the black-eyed man had a very good sense of hearing.
Al, even with his expressionless helmet still managed to look confused. "But why, Brother? Sure they both don't act very nice, but it still doesn't mean they're bad people," he said.
Ed shook his head. "While the Philosopher's Stone exists, there will always be those who seek it for their own selfish, evil reasons."
Ross took note of Ed's expression. She knew after all the time she knew Ed, that when he felt like that, they should be worried.
The Alchemist dug into his jacket pocket, pulled out his silver pocket watch, and flipped it open. Ed just barely caught a glimpse of the inner side of it. He couldn't work out what it said.
Ed pulled out his pocket watch from his trouser pocket, flipped open the reflective emblem of the Amestris flag, and looked at his engraving. "Don't forget .10."
Ed looked over again. The Alchemist's pocket watch had an engraving in the same place. Okay... now that's weird.
Jackson, who had changed his jacket for a matching white waistcoat, leaned over. "Since you all have your watches out, what is the time anyway?"
Ed looked to the clock face, something he seldom looked at. He almost forgot which Roman numerals stood for what number.
"It's 9:49," came another voice.
Ed looked over as the Alchemist closed his watch and returned it to his jacket. Ed huffed. "Yeah, what he said."
Mina raised her head; something had caught her attention.
Ed looked at her. "Hey Mina, what is it?" he asked.
Mina pointed at something in the water. "Over there, look," she said.
Ed and Al both got up at the same time. Brosh and Ross both looked behind them as they were facing away from the window and the Alchemist and the other both looked from their seated positions.
"Oh my God…." came the timid response from Brosh.
Outside the giant window was the derelict hull of an old ship, similar to the Flying Dream… in fact, almost identical. If the wood was less rotted and the seaweed and barnacles were scraped off…it would be the same.
Ed's mouth opened wide in awe. "It's... it's the same!" Ed gasped.
"You're almost accurate, Mr. Elric." Ed turned around as the Midshipman entered, his eyes fixed to the ship outside. "What we are observing is… or, was the Flying Dream's sister ship, the Enlightener's Way," he said, retaining his calm and controlled voice.
Al was the next to inquire. "What…what happened to it?"
The Midshipman took off his hat and held it to his chest as a mark of respect. "Ran afoul of the reef, regretfully. All hands lost. They were unaware of the treacherous reef formations in this area. Since then these waters have been meticulously mapped. We are in no danger here. The crew are more than capable of traversing the reefs." Even then the Midshipman never failed to supply great reassurance to everyone.
But Ed still had a burning question he needed answered. "Speaking of the crew, why do we never see them? Why are you the only crewmember we see?" Ed asked.
The Midshipman put his hat back on. "Because of the size of the ship, most of the crew are committed to the running of the ship, whether that would be with the captain on deck, maintaining the mechanics of the ship or taking charge of the leisure facilities. I am the only one who is readily available to assist you in any way possible." The Midshipman gave one of his customary bows.
"Fair enough," Ed said.
The Midshipman walked to the top of the table. "Now, I hope that you have all enjoyed your breakfasts. Their will be a short transitional period in which we will ready the theatre for Lady Dream's performance." Ed, the Alchemist and the man all gave small involuntary reactions, akin to a dog's ears pricking up. "In the meantime, feel free to wander around the designated areas of the ship. You will be informed ten minutes before the performance begins," the Midshipman added.
With that, he gave another bow and turned on his heels back to the kitchen area behind the large doors.
Ed got up out of his chair. "We just leave our plates here, I suppose?" he asked.
Ross looked over to the doors and back. "I assume so, Ed," she replied.
Ed gave a small stretch and turned to the exit. "Come on, Al."
Al followed, noisily getting up out of his seat. "Right!"
Ross, Brosh and Jackson all followed. Mina quickly finished off her drink and left too... leaving only the Alchemist and black eyed man.
After a few seconds of bitter, tense silence, the Alchemist got out of his chair, quickly pushed his glasses back to his face and turned to the exit. His pocket watch, unbeknownst to him, quietly dropped to the ground.
The man noticed that and quickly reached under the table and grabbed the watch from the soft velvet carpet. He held it out to the Alchemist. "You dropped this."
The Alchemist turned and with a look of suspicion, took the watch. As he left, the man gave one last look to the fading wreckage and also followed.
Ed and Al walked down the seemingly endless series of corridors to their room. For such a small ship, it really was surprising how many corridors there were. They both then suddenly heard the sound of approaching footsteps again.
But this time it sounded like high heeled footfalls, lighter and more delicate as opposed to the heavy harsh footsteps from the man. Ed stopped as the footsteps came ever closer.
"What is it, Brother?" Al asked.
Ed put his hand out and Al stopped dead in his tracks, having just clocked the sound. The source then appeared from around a corner.
Or rather, sources. Two figures appeared. One was that of a tall, slim woman. She was wearing a dark pink and purple skin tight body suit that almost reached her chin. She had bright blue eyes and hair to match, which reached down to the floor in its length. She turned to the Elric brothers and smiled with innocence and grace.
Behind her, a smaller figure, dressed in an all black dress and a veil over her head. Ed and Al followed these two with fixed gazes until they were out of sight. The brothers remained silent for a while until Al broke the silence.
"They were beautiful," he said.
Ed kept his gaze fixed in the direction the two women went in. "Yeah…" he agreed, clearly dazzled by the sight.
Jackson appeared around the same corner. "You guys saw them too, right?!" he asked in an ecstatic voice.
The Elrics nodded.
Jackson walked out of the corner and to them. "I think that one behind the veil was Lady Dream. They say she never reveals her face unless she's on stage."
Ed looked over to him. "And what about the woman with her?"
Jackson spent a moment pondering. Clearly he knew the ins and outs of the upcoming performance. Ed thought he'd be a good person to stick around. Only for information of course. This guy's a kind of Maes Hughes, but not in a good way. "Oh yes, her name is Jasmine; she's Lady Dream's assistant."
Al looked over at Jackson. "Assistant? What does she do?"
Jackson spent anther moment pondering. Ed became slightly irate, was this going to happen every time he asked a question? The reply came as a rather taken aback, "… I don't actually know."
Ed was surprised at this. "Well, you must have some idea," he said.
Jackson shook his head. "No, it's a mystery to me."
Al spoke next. "Well, we'll find out soon enough," he reassured.
Ed gave an agreeing nod. "In the meantime, I'm going to the bar... I got really dry all of a sudden," he said, trying to add any moisture to the surprisingly dry throat of his, which he only noticed a moment ago.
Jackson smiled. "I'll come with you. I wouldn't mind a drink either. Are you coming, Alphonse?" he asked.
Al stepped back a tad. "Umm, no thanks."
Ed turned to Al. "Hey Al, you sure? Don't feel you have to go because you can't eat and drink."
Al shook his head. "No, it's not that. I just wanted to go back to the room and maybe go out on deck again."
Ed smiled. "Okay, but be careful, alright? Don't want you falling into the water and losing that blood seal."
Al chuckled. "Don't worry, Brother, I'll be okay. I'll be back before the performance." With that, the two brothers parted.
Lieutenant Ross looked out of window in the lounge area of the ship. The soft padding of the chairs was like bliss to her. She was only really familiar with the cold hard wood and metal seats that the military provided. A minute of solitude was just what she felt she needed. A bit of time to relax and lay back was a warming feeling.
She closed her eyes for a moment and took in the feeling of the sunlight coming through the windows. It's good to be alive, she thought. Considering how many of her friends….weren't. Between Scar and the Homunculi, she realised just how many of her friends had actually died. Bates, Norman, Akagi, Dahl, Buck….people she'll never see again. "Wow, that's depressing," she mumbled.
But she remembered that warm feeling coating her. "Still, things aren't so bad now. In fact right now, it's the happiest I've felt in a while. I guess that weird old saying is right… this is the life," she said quietly to herself.
Several soothing minutes passed. She was then awoken by the sound of a distant splash. She sat up and looked down at the lower level of this ship, visible from the window. "Typical," she said dryly. Denny Brosh had performed an almighty canon ball into the pool. Ross watched with a slight hint of amusement as Brosh in his bright multi coloured swimming trunks was doing a backwards stroke across the length of the pool.
From the doors leading to the inside of the ship, the Midshipman appeared, with a drinks tray in hand and a full glass. He walked up to the pool. "I see being surrounded by water has not affected your swimming mood, Mr. Brosh," he called.
Brosh quickly turned to the Midshipman, but wasn't judging his distance effectively and banged his head on the other end of the pool. He proceeded to float downwards before emerging with a sharp inhale, holding his head. "Owch! Oh, umm… hey there. It's not time for it already, is it?" he asked.
The Midshipman kneeled to the pools edge and held out the tray. "Not yet, sir. I thought you'd want a refreshing milkshake, sir, seeing how you are so fond of them. Swimming can take a lot of energy out of oneself."
Brosh's face brightened up as he took it. "Oh, thanks!" He took a hearty suck from the straw.
The Midshipman put the tray under his arms. "If you don't mind me asking, Mr. Brosh, why are you such a frequent participant of swimming?" he asked in his inquisitive way.
Brosh stopped drinking the milkshake and wiped his mouth. "Well….I guess it's just my way of feeling like I'm going back to nature or something. Yeah, I know we never belong in water. If God wanted us to swim we'd have flippers but still, what do fish do? They swim, eat, and avoid getting eaten. That's it. They're free. Whereas us 'land lubbers', we're bound by stuff like honour, duty, and all that stuff. I can see why pirates do what they do. They just want to be free on the endless ocean. That's why I just want to have a little bit of that freedom every once in a while. I'm sure you feel the same."
The Midshipman smiled. "Well, you certainly have a unique perspective, Mr. Brosh."
Denny blushed a tad and started drinking the milkshake. "Mmm. This is great! You guys certainly know how to please my stomach!"
The Midshipman got up. "I'll be sure to inform the barman of your compliments," he said as he gave a small bow and walked off.
Al, having been on deck for quite some time, began his noisy walk down the stairs to the familiar corridors of the ship. He turned the corner to the main corridor. At the other end of it, the large padded doors to the theatre. Ed, Ross and Brosh were already there.
Ed turned to Al. "Hey, Al! You're just in time!" he called.
Al walked up to the group. "You guys are here early," he said.
"Yeah, we wanted to get here as early as possible," Ed answered.
Al looked behind him and back again. "Have you seen those ladies yet?" Al asked.
Ed shook his head. "They must have come before we did."
They were then joined by the white clad Mr. Jackson. "So you all decided to get here early for the best seats, then?"
Brosh nodded. "Yeah," he said.
Jackson smiled. "Yeah, me too! This is great, isn't it?!" he grinned excitedly.
Ross and Ed shared a look that confirmed that they were each trying to hold back laughs. Ed's attention was then snatched away from Jackson by the arrival of Mina, dressed in an elegant pink and gold sari. "Mina….you look beautiful… really beautiful," Ed gasped.
Mina blushed slightly. "Awww, thank you Edward. You really are too kind."
Al looked down to Ed. "I'd love to see Winry's reaction to all of this," Al chuckled.
Ed then became overcome with a sense of dread. "I'd rather not," he replied. Ed liked his manhood where it was. And he'd rather it not be an automail prosthetic, either.
Luckily this rather unsavoury thought was interrupted. Unfortunately it was thanks to the Alchemist and the black eyed man. For two people that were at each others necks, they were certainly together a lot. Distance had to be kept with those two.
Ed turned to the sound of the heavy doors being open. The Midshipman stood with a flashlight. "This way, please, ladies and gentlemen. Time to take your seats for the show."
Ed and Al went in first, followed by Mina, then Ross and Brosh, Jackson and the other two. The theatre was actually bigger than Ed was expecting and darker too. He went to the end of the top row and sat on the almost sofa like seat and leant back, enjoying it's comfort. Within half a minute, the guests had filled their seats.
The Midshipman turned off his flashlight. "Now that everyone is here, let us begin with the show. Please enjoy." The Midshipman disappeared into the shadows.
There was a minute of silence. Nothingness.
Ed felt the soft, delicate hand of Mina touch his. He put his left, real hand on hers in a reassuring way.
Still silence. The tense atmosphere was so thick Ed thought he could cut through it with his transmuted arm.
Without warning and without fail, at the strike of 11:00, it happened.
A massive explosion ripped apart the stage in a shower of wood and fire. There were screams and panicked cries from everyone. Ed tried to get out of his seat, but was forced back by the sight he and everyone else dread, the sight of an incoming tidal wave! It was lucky they were so high up!
Ed began to panic. Al, his blood seal… that kinda tidal wave would kill him for sure! Mina, Maria, Denny, they'll all drown! What the hell can I do?! "Oh god what the hell can I do?!" Ed yelled.
Mina grabbed hold of him and buried her face in his arm. Ed held her tightly as the tidal wave came closer.
Then, it vanished. Ed's heart slowed down so fast it felt like it would give out because of the speed difference.
"What the... it just disappeared," said Al.
As the water thinned out, they saw a sight they'd never expect to see. There on the stage… Jasmine who was standing behind the woman in black. Now her veil was lifted. She was white of hair and wore black lipstick over her full lips.
She had her hand out in the air and she had an expression of smugness about her. On her hand was an object glowing red.
Al turned to Ed. "Brother… that's…"
Ed gazed. "I know, Al. The Philosopher's Stone"
#Even now we hear only the crying in the night#