Authour's Note: I wrote this a long time ago and will not be finishing it but there is too much for me to not post what I have. Like I really wrote a lot. If anyone wants to take the reigns go ahead. This is just kind of a past time I work on when I get writer's block.

The Common Folk

Chapter One

A Mission

Hikaru and Karu were slowly making their way to the third music room that stood abandoned by all musicians. To their knowledge it was only filled by a group of students known as the host club, which they too were a part of. Though the host club was scheduled to meet after school, Tamaki, the king of the club and maybe even the school as his standings were high and popular enough with not only the students but the staff as well, ordered for a meeting during lunch period that day in order to go over and set up their next big project. The halls were abandoned since every student was in the luncheon hall or spare rooms eating with their friends so the twins made their way through the lower levels and towards the stairs in peace. The Ouran school was pretty big after all, challenging the size of universities even, so the twins had a lot of distance to cover. As they crossed the courtyard towards the music building, the two of them caught sight of a couple people walking out of the Admissions building. Usually, the twins wouldn't pay any attention to people walking around the school as most of them were students and were probably meeting with teachers, however, these couple weren't in uniform. They were in a uniform per se, one that looked slightly like a militia, but definitely not the soft blue of the school. The two of them didn't recognize it being from Japan at all, as it looked a little too European, yet something should have stood out to identify it.

"Who do you think they are?" Hikaru questioned as they slowly resumed their pace towards the music building, their eyes still trained on the strangers. Karu shrugged as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Maybe they are taking a tour," his twin suggested. They paused for a moment as they watched the two strangers talk inaudibly to each other. The officers soon saluted each other, rather reluctantly it seemed from the shorter one's side, and parted ways. One of them went back into the Admissions building while the other paced unknowingly around the large court yard, looking down at a paper in their hands. Quite frankly, Hikaru would have guessed that they looked lost.

"Do you think we should help him?" he mumbled curiously to his brother. The two of them just stared at the lost soul of a soldier as he paced around the central decorative fountain head deep in reading the paper. They would have guessed it to be a map as he was constantly looking up every now and then to grasp a point of his location. However, just as they were going to decide on an action to take, the navy clad officer folded up the paper and marched towards the Academics building without another glance. The twins shrugged lightly as the bell rang and they continued to make their way to music room three where everyone was undoubtedly waiting for them.

…

Edward groaned to himself as he set his pencil down. It seemed to be smoking at the tip from where he was constantly grinding it into the application papers. It felt like he was filling out an encyclopedia the way his hand throbbed. Eventually, he had to switch over to the automail one since his left arm was so sore otherwise. He brushed off all of the eraser marks from the large packet and stuffed it back into the envelope from whence it came before handing it off to the overseer Admissions woman. After he picked up his military hat and gloves and slipped them on, Edward frowned and stumbled towards the door. He was now officially enrolled into the Ouran program against his will. Granted the Amestrian government gave him the option of what school he wanted to go to but considering he didn't even want to go to school in the first place and all of the choices he had were rich private schools, he wanted to murder someone. The Fuhrer had made the decision that Amestris needed Alliance ship with the strange far away country of Japan. They were going to help educate Japan in the knowledge of Alchemy in promise of their aid if Drachma, or any other hostile country, attacked. Edward of all people was assigned to this mission and unfortunately for him, the Japanese government didn't want anything to do with a child that wasn't at least in school or graduated thereof. Edward was therefore, forced with the torturing task of filling out the application into the Ouran Academy. When he looked at the price of the schooling there for even a single semester, he wanted to hurdle himself out of the window before the Colonel reminded him that Amestris was willingly going to pay for it even though it would come at the cost of cutting his research pension by a quarter. Even then, that was only if he got the honour's scholarship. There was only so much the government was going to do for a fifteen year old State Alchemist after all.

Edward walked back out of the Academics building where they willingly set off a rather large study room in order to let him fill out his application in peace. He had a difficult time finding the building let alone the room considering the size of the school. He would have confused it for a government complex rather than a school as it reminded him of Eastern Headquarters. The Colonel was waiting for him outside, being his escort on the mission just until Edward got accepted into the school officially. Edward saluted him as he got outside.

"I guess you can leave now," Edward muttered. Roy raised an eyebrow as they both turned towards the main entrance of the school which was decorated with an elaborate golden gate and triumph arch over it. Edward thought it rather over excessive to have a school so flamboyant with their money.

"Not until we get your uniform," the Colonel grumbled even more upset with this entire thing than Edward seemed to be.

"I don't need you to fucking dress me," Edward snipped back grumpily, his head hurting from filling out all of that paperwork. His commanding officer shot him a glare and ended the blooming argument there. Edward was slightly glad because he knew he wouldn't have won with the headache he was dawning. "Why does everything I do, need to have a uniform?"

"Because it keeps you from looking like a country bumpkin."

"I am a country bumpkin," Edward huffed as he tiredly massaged his temples. The Colonel rolled his eyes and they left the school's grounds and started their walk into the city. The Administrator had given Mustang directions to a tailor who would give Edward his fittings for the uniform. They walked into rather large and intricate building, which at first glance Edward thought was a museum or government facility until he saw the mannequins in the window. There was a large waiting room with nearly everything made out of velvet or mahogany, and it was there that the Colonel took a seat with the orders to only disturb him if he had the bill.

"You aren't even going to be spending your own money on it," Edward growled at him.

"Then why should I also be spending my own time or energy?" the man returned with a smile. Edward was led back into the fitting room where he had a man in a black suit and tie nearly attack him with a tape measure. He nearly punched the man when he went after his automail because he was worried he might get oil stains on the clothes he was trying on. After a huge squabble and endless bickering, Edward finally had his uniform ordered and sent out for the appropriate alterations. Seeing as to what it looked like, the bright blue blazer with a tie he wanted to hang himself with, Edward hoped that it got lost in the mail or possibly butchered to death by fabric scissors. He ended up having to wake Mustang up from where jet lag had taken him on the fancy couch in order to get everything paid for. All the man did was flick his wrist, sign the check, and give one of his flashy smiles before kicking Edward out the door.

"Here," the Colonel stated as they made it back to the school grounds and walked toward the admissions building for the umpteenth time that day. The school should be done reviewing his exam so they would just have one last stop before heading their separate ways. He handed Edward large manila folder with all of his paperwork in it. Edward frowned slightly and peered into it as if checking that everything was there. "I got you and your brother an apartment little ways away, nothing too fancy. He called while you were in the exam and he is already there putting your crap away. You are going to have to take some public transportation or get yourself a bicycle or something to get to school-"

"Do I look like I ride a bicycle?" Edward asked with a smirk on his face. The Colonel frowned.

"Yes," he stated plainly before picking up where he left off. "I looked at your schedule and you are going to have to go to the Government building everyday after school but it is a shorter distance than from there to your house so you should be fine. Don't be late, and don't fuck up."

"That's the best advice you gave me my entire life, Colonel. How will I ever live without you?" Edward said without missing a drop of sarcasm as he tucked the folder underneath his arm.

"Edward, I am being serious. Learn Japanese customs and courtesies. They already are on edge because you haven't even been to school, so don't mess this up by being…. you."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Edward retorted as he was about to open the elaborate wooden door to the school building before it was slammed open in his face. He was sent reeling backwards clutching his aching head with a curse.

"Language, Edward," Mustang scolded him.

"I would like to hear you talking when you get a door slammed into your face!" Edward growled at him as he bent down and scooped his cap off the ground where it fell. He dusted it off and placed it back on his head square. He sent a scowl to his commanding officer and then turned to see who opened the door on him. It was two red headed twins carrying large boxes of random streamers which looked to be trimmed with gold. How much money did these people have? The two boys looked surprise, glanced at each other, and then back at him before they even attempted an apology.

"Sorry there, we didn't see you," they both said at once in absolute perfect union.

"You were here this morning weren't you?" the one on the left asked.

"What is up with the weird clothes?" the other on added. Edward was about to open his mouth but the Colonel stepped forward directly in front of him.

"I am Colonel Mustang and we are from the Amestrian military and have business to attend here. Do you know where Mr. Suoh's office is?"

"Down the right corridor and to the left," they answered him in unison again. Mustang smiled and gave them a little bow.

"Thank you," he replied sincerely. "Come on Fullmetal. The sooner we get you finished here, the sooner I can get back home," the man suddenly snipped before speeding through the now empty doorway.

"Yeah, yeah," he huffed and gave the two students a small wave before following his commanding officer.

….

Hikaru tossed the box of streamers down in front of Mori. He sent a slight glance up at him where he was trying to blow up some balloons with Honey. Their theme for the host club meeting this day was just a simple birthday party for Haruhi. They were used to throwing large elaborate parties for their friends in the Host Club however Haruhi was quite indifferent to really big flairs they held every few weeks. They had to calm Tamaki's intentions of giving her an entire ball in her honour and go with a simple commoner's party with cake and streamers. However, all of them were having quite a hard time setting everything up. Mori seemed to be the only one who could actually successfully tie a balloon and the cake that Honey made earlier looked more like a wedding cake than anything. Hikaru had a feeling that Tamaki had his input on that one.

"Why are you so late? It doesn't take that long to go to the admissions building and back. What have you been doing?" Kyoya asked as he checked something off on that clipboard of his. Hikaru really wanted to know what he was writing down half the time but it was a big mystery.

"Kaoru opened the door on a soldier's head," Hikaru said quickly before his brother could give a nonchalant answer. Kaoru sent him a glare and slapped him lightly on the shoulder.

"Well if I were you, I would try to make sure no one is on the other side before you go swinging doors open on important people," Kyoya scolded. He nodded his head and tucked his clipboard underneath his arm and smiled slightly. It was the only smile the boy knew how to give, one that said 'I know something you don't'. The twins frowned upon seeing it and glanced at each other.

"What is it that we don't know?" they asked together in defeat.

"Nothing much. It is just that we have some visitor's from the small yet powerful country of Amestris. I heard from my father that they were taking tours of all of the best private schools in the country," he said smoothly.

"And why would the head of a health care unit know this?" Kaoru tested. The man shrugged and pushed his slipping glasses a little farther up on the brink of his nose.

"All schools need to collect the student's health information and my father's business collects them to keep records. We received a few records from the same Amestrian from different schools."

"How do you know they were soldiers?" Honey asked honestly as he accidentally let go of another balloon, letting it jet around the room in a farting mess.

"We asked them after I apologised for slamming the door into one of their heads," Kaoru admitted with a shrug.

"They were both wearing funny uniforms so naturally we would be curious," Hikaru added.

"What would the military be doing looking at schools?" Takashi questioned.

"For that, I can honestly say for once that I haven't the slightest clue," Kyoya finally admitted. It was a rare occasion that Kyoya never even hear a rumour of the topic on hand but this seemed to be one of those times. The soldiers were an unknown.

…

Edward had taken another light tour of the school, following his class schedule so he would know where to go the next day for classes. The school was so big that he was extremely relieved to have a map. The Colonel wasn't of much help on their search since he was flirting with almost every single rich female teacher he could find. He ended up having to drag the Colonel away from the calculus teacher as the bell rang and a whole new class was entering.

"Come on Colonel, I just want to get home," Edward griped as he yanked the man out onto the grounds towards the main gate. The man grumbled to himself and straightened out his uniform jacket.

"You want to get home? I am the one who has to cross several countries-"

"That means you should be getting a move on then! Your ride should be here at any moment-" A horn from a car honked at them as it drove up along the road. That was Mustang's ride. He had an afternoon ship out of Japan. If he were to make it to Xing by tomorrow he had to leave now. Upon coming to Japan, both Amestrians quickly learned of the new contraption called the airplane after one flew directly over their heads scaring the living daylights out of both of them. The Colonel nearly set it on fire. It was a very efficient way to travel, Edward had to admit, but there was no way he was ever stepping foot on one. He couldn't help but have full faith in gravity's ability to put things down. It also wasn't like Amestris had any ports to begin with so in the end they were still stuck to land and water navigations. Mustang opened the doors to the sleek automobile and hopped into the passenger's seat, taking off his patrol cap as he buckled himself in.

"Edward," the man said with utmost seriousness, "remember what I said."

"Don't fuck up?" he chuckled lightly. "Yeah, I think I can do that. As long as you get your paperwork done for once."

"I have Hawkeye to keep me on track."

"And I have Alphonse," Edward retorted. The Colonel gave a slight shrug in acceptance.

"Fair enough," the man hummed slightly. There was a small length of silence before the Colonel and Majour made their fair wells. Edward saluted him lightly and before it was returned the car was zipping frantically down the road. As the car disappeared around the corner, Edward let out a huge breath. Free at last.

….