CHAPTER 1: The Curse
There's something inside of me. Something that tears my heart open more and more every day. I'm not even sure what it is but it brings me pain. I'm not sure when it exactly started, but every since it did, I sit in my bed, eyes open as I'm drenched in sweat. My heart feels as thought it's going to explode as I also feel sick to my stomach. The two things that hurt more than anything are my metal arm and limb. It's metal so that means I shouldn't feel anything, right? Wrong, I feel pain from them, as if they were really flesh and bone. Every night this happens, and you could never tell from just looking at me but every day I'm dying in the inside. Ever since mom died, I have been looking for a cure. But nothing seems to heal my pain. Am I meant to live with this curse forever?
2nd POV
"Brother, brother it's time to wake up!" The metal armor walked into the room, expecting his brother to be comfortably sleeping, but instead, he was on the floor, an uneasy look on his face.
"Oh, not again, brother!" Alphonse ran next to the fallen boy, gently shaking his shoulder.
"No, let me sleep…" The alchemist mumbled, turning over on his side.
"Brother…RISE AND SHINE!" The younger brother shouted. Edward's eyes bulged open as he jumped so high, he almost hit his head on the ceiling.
"Al, what the hell was that for?!" The full metal alchemist asked angrily.
"You wouldn't wake up…" Al said quietly, staring at the floor. "Brother, you were on the floor again when I came in. Are you sure you're okay?" Edward looked towards his brother. He couldn't see it in the armor, but Al's voice was covered in concern and worry. And Edward responded with the same response he said every single day.
"Oh yeah, must have fallen out of the bed again, stupid me!" He laughed slightly, putting a hand behind his head nervously as his brother sighed. 'Brother…I know you're hiding something from me…' And of course Alphonse's instinct was correct, Edward Elric wasn't okay, but he never told his brother. And it seemed as though he wasn't going to tell him anytime soon…
"We should get going, we're supposed to see the Colonel today, right?" Ed asked while Al nodded. Edward let out a deep sigh.
"All right, let's go, we can get something to eat on the way." Alphonse nodded again as the two brothers left the hotel and headed towards the nearest library were supposedly the Flame Alchemist was waiting for them.
"We can grab some grub here." Ed said, suddenly stopping and pointing. He was pointing to a café. It looked like any other café, with it's tables and second floor. Below the balcony, in pink paint read 'White Fire' with some of the paint chipped off, making the place look somewhat old.
"Come on." Ed and Al seated themselves outside and waited for a waiter or waitress to appear. And for a while, that's the exact opposite of what happened.
"What the hell is with this? Where is everyone?"
"Be patient brother they might just be busy today." Alphonse said, seeing a frustrated look on his brother's face
"Yeah, yeah…" Ed grumbled, resting his chin on his hand and drumming his fingers on the table impatiently. The two of them waited as time pasted by. 10 minutes, 20 minutes, no one knew how much time had gone by, but one of them was getting angry.
"That's it! We've been here at least a half an hour and no one has come to serve us! And I'm hungry!" Edward stood up, slamming his fist onto the table.
"Brother…" Al was just about to stop him when two of them finally heard other voices.
"What's a matter sweetie? Don't you have time off from work now?" A man's voice came from inside the café, and from what he sounded like, Edward and Alphonse could tell he was trouble.
"No, and if you excuse me…I need to get back to work." A girl said, sounding somewhat frightened.
"Aw, don't you want to have some fun with us?" Another man spoke, sounding almost exactly like the other man before.
"N-no…Now if you would excuse me…."
"Listen girl…We always get what we want…" Another man growled. Meanwhile, outside, Ed and Al were both stood up, and they both walked inside.
"Is there a problem here?" Ed asked, a smile on his face.
"Huh, who are you?" One man asked.
"Oh, no one, just a customer, and if I'm not mistaken, that girl right there is the waitress."
"Yeah, so what?"
"Well, my brother here and I have been waiting patiently and are quite hungry and would like it very much if you guys got your grubby hands off of her so she could do her job." The alchemist said ever so sweetly.
"You think you can tell us what to do, you small little pipsqueak." At the sound of the last three words, a large vein pop appeared on Ed's forehead.
"WHO YOU CALLING AN ANT SO SMALL YOU COULD SQUISH IT WITHOUT REALIZING?!" Ed snarled. The men slowly backed away, and who could blame them, Ed was pretty scary when angry.
"Now, if you leave the miss alone, I might not have to get serious." Ed growled, cracking his knuckles.
"Feh, you're just a brat!" The three men all charged at Ed and within a blink of an eye, all of them were on the floor, passed out.
"Bakas….That'll teach you for calling me small!" Ed said, a smirk of triumph on his face. He then turned to the girl who had been backed up against the wall. "Hey, are you okay?" The girl nodded slowly as she stood up and bowed.
"Thank you so much for saving me!" She said smiling.
"It was no big deal." Ed responded. The girl smiled again, she looked around Ed's age. Her pigtails were full of dirty blonde hair with black and pink streaks. She had one blue colored eye, while the other was brown. She also had the sweetest smile Ed or Al had ever seen.
"I'm so sorry, you two must have been waiting forever!" The girl cried. "Please, go seat yourselves, I'll be right there, and don't worry about paying, it's on me!" She yelled, running towards the kitchen. Ed and Al looked at each other. Ed just shrugged as they both sat down and at that second, the girl zoomed out.
"Okey dokey! My name is Yuki and I'll be your waitress for today! So, are you two ready to order?" Yuki was cheerful, no doubt about that, Al seemed to like her personality while Ed acted like he could care less. Ed ordered while Al, like usual, said he wasn't hungry. Yuki quickly came back with their food.
"Thanks." Ed said, immediately consuming the food.
"Of course." Yuki said, with another cheerful smile, she walked off to the bar and started to clean the counter.
"Do you think the Colonel is mad?" Al asked, watching his brother act like a vacuum, wolfing down the food in seconds.
"Who cares if Mustang is, he's the one that told us to come here, and look, we got completely nowhere!"
"Mustang?! Do you mean ROY MUSTANG?!" Before Ed could return to his plate, Yuki was right in his face, her eyes bright and full of question.
"ACK!" Ed fell backwards, falling straight to the floor. Yuki bit her bottom lip to restrain herself from laughing. Al chuckled slightly while Ed grumbled, sitting up and rubbing his head.
"Yes, Roy Mustang…" Ed said, annoyed.
"As in the Flame Alchemist, right?" Yuki asked again.
"Yes!" Ed snapped.
"Why do you sound so interested in Roy Yuki?" Al asked while Yuki stood up.
"I heard that Roy is Colonel, and he's a state alchemist…Wait a minute!" Yuki fell to the floor and stared at Ed.
"W-what?!" Ed asked.
"Are you a state alchemist?!" Before Ed could even start to answer, Yuki spotted the silver chain.
"Oh my god, you are!!!" Yuki cried happily, twirling. Ed looked at her strangely. Yuki continued twirling around until she saw both Ed and Al staring at her.
"Um, aheheh…." She cleared her throat.
"What is it with you and state alchemists?" Ed asked, still looking at her as though she was completely insane. Yuki pulled up a chair and sat in between Ed and Al.
"I've always wanted to become a state alchemist…" She said quietly, looking at the table.
"But why?"
"Because, I have skill, I really do! No one around here thinks I have what it takes to become a state alchemist! But I do! I just wish someone would believe me…" Yuki sighed.
"So, you basically want to prove them wrong?" Ed asked.
"N-no….I want to put my skills to good use."
"You think being a dog of the military is doing something good?" Ed snorted. Yuki just glared at him.
"My father was a state alchemist!" Yuki looked at the table again as her voice got soft. "He died in the Ishbal Rebellion…" Ed didn't say anything and for a few minutes, there was an awkward silence.
"Hey, you know what, you never gave me your name!" Yuki said, smiling slightly towards Ed.
"Oh, um, I'm Edward Elric, known as the Full Metal Alchemist." Yuki gasped and clasped her hands.
"Oh wow! Nice to meet you! And you are…?" Yuki turned to the suit of armor.
"Alphonse Elric, Ed's younger brother."
"Nice to meet you, both of you." Yuki said with another smile. "I have a favor to ask of both of you though…"
"What's that?" Ed asked, lifting an eyebrow.
"Could you please take me to the Flame Alchemist?"
"What?!" Ed asked.
"Oh please? I promise I won't be in the way, I just want to meet him!"
"Meaning you want to see if you can become a state alchemist…" Ed mumbled.
"Please?"
"No, I don't have time taking people to see him. Besides, he's a baka anyways…"
"I won't believe that until I meet him!" Yuki whined.
"No." Ed said flatly.
"Oh pleeeeeasseeeee??" Yuki pleaded. "I'll be off your back after I meet him, I promise! Please, please, please!" Yuki was on her knees now, her hands clasped together as she looked up at Ed, her eyes wide and big, it was obvious she was doing her puppy face.
"Brother, maybe we should let her come…" Al said while Ed sighed and shook his head.
"Oh fine…" Ed grumbled.
"THANK YOU!" Yuki jumped for joy and hugged the state alchemist.
"Yeah, yeah…" Ed said, turning slightly pink while Al laughed. Yuki detached herself from him as she skipped outside.
"What are we waiting for, let's go!" Ed continued his grumbling as he stood up and walked outside, a chuckling Al following after him. "I can't believe I'm doing this…" Ed sighed, trying to keep up with a very excited Yuki.
After about a ten minute walk (20 minutes for Ed and Al, who were trying to keep up with Yuki) to the library, the three found themselves inside the building, books surrounding them every which way. Yuki hummed while both Ed and Al almost collapsed through the door, both of them panting.
"Well, it's time for you two to lead me to Roy Mustang!" Yuki twirled around and smiled at the two alchemists when a voice came up behind her.
"There isn't going to be any need for that." Yuki jumped as she whirled around, to see the Flame Alchemist, standing right in front of them.
"Well, well, Full Metal and his younger brother, and who's this…?"