" Alright, Al," Edward said, finishing up the large transmutation circle. " You ready?"
" Yes," Alphones said as he moved closer, his armor body clanking. " But what if it dosn't work?"
" Don't worry," Ed said. " Whatever happens, we'll get your original body back."
" But what about you? We have to get your arm and leg back too."
The older boy looked at his right arm, which was made of auto-mail, a kind of prosthetic limb that connected directly to the nerves. " Don't worry about me either."
" Okay..." Al, the younger of the two by a year, moved apprehensively in to the circle. " Can't I help you at all?"
" No," His brother said. " You wont be able to take another rebound if something goes wrong."
" WHat? Brother!" It was too late. Ed clapped his hands together and put them in the circle, starting the alchemic transmutation. Blue light pulsed from the circle, and the two went in to the bright, white light that appeared before them.
" She's a witch." Sam said, staring at the odd chid who seemed to have appeared from nowhere. " That's why she just appeared like that."
" Poof," Teena the parrot said, adjusting her position on Jhonny's head.
" No," said Bill, tying off his sail while staring at the strange blonde. " He's a boy, so he's a mage. Witches are girls."
" Why ain't he wearin' funny robes, then?" Henry asked, his face wearing its' usual puzzled expression.
" I still think she's a witch," Sam said. " Why else would 'er 'air be so long?" he reached out to touch the boy's braided hair that went down to his shoulders. Suddenly a boot appeared in his face.
" Do not," the boy said, coming to. " Touch my hair."
Sam staggered back, and the rest of the pirates stared with their mouths agape as he got up. The boy got up and adjusted his red coat before continueing. " Where the hell am I? Who are you people?"
" Shouldn't we be asking him that?" Asked Henry.
" Yeah," the men chorused.
" I'm Edward Elric," Edward Elric said. " The fullmetal alchemist."
" Fullmetal what?" Henry asked.
" Alchemist." Ed answered.
" What's an alchemist?"
" Someone who performs alchemy."
" What's alchemy?"
Edward started speaking slowly, as if to a very young child. " Alchemy is a science, much like chemistry. In it, one makes things out of other things. It is all based on the law of equivalent exchange, which states that you can't make something out of nothing."
" I dont' get it."
" Gr..." Ed put his gloved hands on his face. Then he yelled. " Alchemy is alchemy, that's all you need to know!"
" What's going on here?" A voice said from behind them. The group parted a bit, revealing the captain.
" Colonel?" Ed gasped, not thinking that he would see a familiar face here, much less his boss.
" Captain," Roy Mustang said. " Do I look like a landlubber to you?"
Ed looked the man up and down. He did look like Colonel Roy Mustang, but for some odd reason, did not quite seem like the man he knew in Central City, Amestris. He wore clothes that were remarkable similar to his military uniform, that is, the jacket and pants were blue with a silver trim, and his boots were black. He wore no hat, making his hair shine in the bright Caribean sun. What was it that was so different?
" Who the hell are you, kid?" Ah, so that's what was different. The Colonel would insult him every chance he got, but 'kid' was marginally better. The captain fingered his falchion lightly. " A stowaway, perhaps?"
" He's an alchemist, sir." Jhonny said, shaking Teena off his head.
" An alchemist?" Roy shook his head, obviously not believing this. " Alchemy died out years ago, he can't be."
" But I am!" Edward said, triumphantly getting his pocket watch offf of his belt. he gave it to Roy. " Here, that proves it."
Roy tried the lid, getting frustrated when it didn't open. He shrugged and threw it over his shoulder. Teena caught it and flew to some high perch. Edward was shocked, and stood there for a moment, completely still. " What does it prove?" Roy said with a shrug. " Nothing. Absolutely nothing. It's just a silver pocket watch that wont open."
Edward regained his composure and yelled." That's a state alchemist pocket watch, you idiot! It has the military's seal on it!"
" An idiot, am I?" The captain said as his crew gasped. " Take him to the brig. I'll figure out what to do with him later."
" What?" Ed cried as Sam dragged him away.
" Deal with it, shorty." Sam said, nudging the boy down the stairs.
" I'm not that short!" Ed yelled, turning back at Sam, about to punch him. Suddenly the man grabbed his fist and twirled Edward back around, facing him in the opposite direction. Ed nearly fell down the stairs, but was held back.
" I dont' want to 'urt you," Sam said. " Just cooperate, okay?"
Ed didn't say anything, and went silently in to the cabin used as a jail. He sat on the hard cot, listening to the door lock. He wondered how he would leave this strange world and make it home.
About a day later
Edward had nothing. Try hard as he might, he couldnt' think of a way to get home. No matter how many times he tried, he just couldn't perform alchemy. He was doomed to be stuck on this ship forever. The only thing he had to look forward to was Sam or Bill, or even Henry bringing his meals and offering pathetic amounts of conversation.
The boy looked up at the roof. He could hear shouting, and the quick steps of people running to do their jobs. " What's going on?" He wondered.His question was soon answered when Bill unlocked the door.
" Come," Bill said. " The captain will forgive you for calling him an idiot if you help defend the ship."
"N-fine." He said, starting to say "no", then thinking better of it. he got up and followed Bill out of the room. Suddenly something occured to him. " I don't know how to use a sword."
" You'll figure it out as you go along. " Bill said, taking Ed up on to the deck. " Or just use you alchemy. That's what it's for, right?"
" But-" A sword ws shoved in to his hands before Bill walked away to man a sail.
Edward leaned on a nearby rail, swishing his sword through the air, when suddenly, a grappling hook appeared next to him. He looked behind him and there was a ship. It seemed to come closer, and the boy hoped that he could figure this out without dying.
A few pirates jumped aboard, then more and more. Edward was confused, not knowing who to fight, when suddenly he was attacked by a fish-human chimera! It was an ugly thing, needless to say, and it talked rather pompously as they fought, saying how a pathetic human like him couldn't possibly beat the great and powerful Admiral Finius. Ed, needless to say, was pissed off. He stabbed the chimera in the stomach and watched him fall to the ground.
" Retreat!" One of Finius's men called. " The admiral is injured! Retreat!" The opposing crew ran away, carrying the chimera, and only then Ed had realized what he had done. He collapsed on to his knees, sure that he had killed the thing.
" Thanks, boy." Roy said, suddenly appearing before him. Ed looked up, confused. " You ended the fight really quickly, and without an injury too! You'll make a good pirate."
" No," Ed said, looking back down. " I just want to go home."
"Well, Roy said, getting back up. " I think I have something that'll make you happy." He took the boy's hand and pulled him up, almost dragging him to the captain's/navigational cabin. The room, in Edward's opinion, was unimpressive. It was filled with various odd-looking instruments, charts, and porraits of Roy with girls all around the room. He looked at the map on the table, and beamed as the captain explained.
" On this island, here," Roy said, pointing. " Lives a man who has a book that knows everything in the world, but only he knows how to read it. It'll probably tell you how to get home as well. I'm going to get a question answered, maybe you can too."
" Maybe." Edward nodded.
Author's notes
This is the first half of a contest entry for a contest that is currently closed and I'm too lazy to link to. YAY!