Al sighed.
It had been years now since he had last seen his older brother, and he had grown from the small, impressionable boy he had once been. He stood nearing six feet tall, having prematurely passed the lanky stage that comes with the teenage years. His body agreed with him, building him to be the type of man that any woman would trade her groom for; with or without the alter. His hair was cut just below his ears and messy, the wind having played with it for a good number of hours now. He wore a pair of worn, black pants, something along the lines of a white T-shirt, and a cropped red jacket- the bottom of it lay a couple of inches above his waist. Three belts rounded the top of his pants, and two watches crossed on his left wrist. Other than that, the only distinct about him was the pocket watch that, rather than resting in his pocket, ringed his neck- that, now, is the important thing.
Seven years. It had been seven years since anyone had seen a hair of or heard a word from the mysterious, disappearing Edward Elric. Some wondered, even now, if he had been nothing but a myth- a child prodigy, the youngest state alchemist to be known? It seemed ridiculous. Alphonse prided himself on the fact that they were able to forget his brother- it meant he was doing his job well, staying on the outskirts of the world that everyday people lived in. He did not want fame or fortune; what he was intent on relied on secrecy and discrepancy. He was, of course, trying to find his brother.
Slowly, oh so slowly, over the past five years (for it had taken him the entirety of two years to be entered as a member of the state) Al had followed both Edward's and his own (rather larger) footsteps. It had been difficult, and at points had seemed impossible- Risembool, of course, was in ruins. But then, a year past, he'd attained a follower. Or, in some cases, a leader. He was the clue that Al had been searching for, and find him he had- sitting beside Al on this windy hilltop was the child form of Wrath. Having since nicknamed the homunculi Wra (it seemed a little less intense), they had been partners for all of the past year. Wra wore automail in the way that his brother once had, Al knew that much. It seemed darkly ironic to him at times; but Wra was sweet, even gentle at times. And it was thanks to him that after years of work he was finally starting to be able unravel the answers to his questions- brilliant as Alphonse was, he was not the genius that his brother had been.
And the pocket watch had been there through it all. Through the whole five years of hardship and trials, it had ticked quietly to the right of Al's heart. He would be lying if he didn't say that he felt an attachment to the object- and with Winry's sentimental insistence, he had engraved the words "Edward" into the inside of the front cover of the pocket watch. It lay on his chest as a reminder to find his brother- which, while something that he would not regularly forget, was comforting to have. And it rested as a reminder of how much time had passed- and the amount of time that he did not know he had left. It was both a point on unease and a point of rest for Alphonse, and in the past five tears he had only removed the watch from around his neck before he took a baths. And that was how he planned on keeping it.
"What do you say that we go inside, Wra?" The words were soft, and Al turned his head towards Wra easily. A smile pressed itself over his lips, and a hand rose to mess Wra's hair affectionately. It was nice being the older brother now and then.
"Okay." If Al's words had been soft, Wra's were practically nonexistent. He had started talking more since having become attached to Al's side, but for some reason his tone always rested in less than loud. Al knew that he was thinking- it was how he himself felt at times. Sometimes Wra's existence disturbed him- not that fact that he did exist, simply that Wra had to live with not truly being alive. It didn't quite seem fair.
"Alright then," he responded, his smile growing in the smallest degree. Helping Wra to his feet, he turned back towards the Rockbell house. It was their last stop before they started their final step- what that final step was, he didn't quite know yet.
But he had a feeling that it wouldn't be too hard to figure out.
●●●
And the scene is set…
●●●
"You really shouldn't stay out there for so long, Alphonse!"
The voice was as familiar as the sound of dripping water to the younger Elric brother, and Al couldn't help the playful smile that inhabited his face. "Oh, don't be such a stick in the mud, old woman," he responded, winking in a most suggestive manner. "I'm a man now, and men can take a little bit of cold."
"Alphonse Elric, you- you- you- you're incorrigible!" Winry's frowning face appeared inches from Al's, a disapproving look fastened upon her naturally lovely features. "And I am not an old woman, thank you very much!" Exhaling rather violently, she grabbed the seventeen-year-old by the collar of his jacket and started towing him upstairs. "We are getting you into the bath and warmed up before you catch pneumonia! Look at you, you're shivering!" Turning her head to call over her shoulder, Winry continued. "You too, Wra. You can use my bath."
"Winry, Winry, geez. Calm down! We weren't out there all that long, it isn't that cold out, I'm wearing a jacket, and I'm not shivering- I'm laughing at you," Al choked his words out, chuckles erupting from his chest even as he attempted to speak. "I am definitely too old for this, I think."
Shoulders slumping, Winry's wide eyes and pursed lips took over her face, and she released Al in order to sit down on a stair instead. "Oh, you're right!" she wailed, the back of her hand going to her forehead for dramatic effect. "Who am I to try and take care of the only Elric I have left? Who, I ask? If Edward was here, he wouldn't put up with this for a moment anyway…"
Al sighed. "I'm really never sure where you get off on making me feel guilty about Ed not being around anymore. Besides, even if it was my fault in the first place, I'm trying my best to get him back. You know that."
"Yeah, but I could help. You're too young to be a state alchemist, Al."
"No, you can't, it's too dangerous and Ed would kill me if I let you. And no, I'm not. Maybe thirteen was a little young, but it's perfectly acceptable now."
"I'm still older than you by the same number of years as ever, so it's still completely unacceptable to me, Mister."
Rolling his eyes, Al offered the collar of his jacket back to Winry in his own classic style. "Yes, mother," he teased. "And you say I'm incorrigible."
Winry bit her lip, attempting to keep worry from creasing on her face. It really was too much- Edward still missing, Al only coming back every few years. And this had been his longest visit since he had left to be a state alchemist- the fact that he had stayed for so long made her feel uneasy, as if he was planning on disappearing just like Ed had. And if he was planning on disappearing, there was no way in hell that he didn't expect Winry to do whatever she could to go with them. The shop would be alright without her, Granny was as fit as ever- fiddles could eat her dust. Besides, Wra needed someone who could keep him in tune.
Not to mention if they actually did manage to find Ed…
"Oh, just go do as I say," she commanded, a forced but genuine smile pulling her lips apart. "And take little Wra with you."
Watching as Al and Wra made their way upstairs, Winry couldn't help but grin at their backs.
She was very sure that she had heard a small, almost unintelligible voice grumble the words "I'm not little."
Now that brought back memories.
●●●
And the scene is set…
●●●
Golden eyes twinkled with mirth.
"Edward."
And rolled towards the heavens for the nth time in his life.
"I told you already! It was an accident. It's not like I did it on purpose or anything," As he spoke, Edward Elric's words slowly descended into an offhand grumble. In his opinion, he spent more than enough time in this particular room, and almost never for a good reason.
"An accident. You call fifteen car wrecks and innumerable damage bills over the past three months accidents? Edward, since you've become a part of our order-"
"I'm not a part of the goddamned order." Those same golden eyes flashed dangerously before Edward's body relaxed back into his chair. With a lazy grin, he sighed easily. "The devil part is just a little too fun to pass up."
"Mind your tongue, Edward," Sister Kate's own eyes narrowed at the young man who sat in front of her. She had known him for four years now, and in those four years she had grown into both loving and despising the beast of a boy. With a clearing of her throat and the straightening of the material of her skirt, she continued. "Despite your refusal to attend anything to do with the church, you are as much a part of the order as I am-" Pausing, Sister Kate gave Ed a pointed look, ignoring the complaints made obvious by his expression. "And in any case, that is not the point of our conversation. The point is, since you have…arrived to be taken into the care of this organization, you have caused more trouble and bills and heaven knows what else than all of the other members combined!" Pausing, Sister Kate added an afterthought. "And yes, yes that does include Sister Rosette."
"Yeah, yeah- but I'm also the best at getting the devil things, aren't I?" Both defensive and proud, Edward leaned forward. His lips curled into the smirk that knew his face best, and his shoulders heaved upwards in a shrug. "I mean, what's a couple wrecked cars in exchange for the peace and prosperity of this city- no, the entire world? Seriously, Sister, you sure you've got your priorities straight?"
He was incredibly infuriating. Inhaling and exhaling with the force of a small elephant, Sister Kate's nerves felt themselves snap one by one. "You're quite right, Edward, this probably is my own fault," she responded, Ed's face erupting in surprise and amusement. "I will assign someone tall enough to see over the steering wheel to your party immediately."
It was almost sinful how much Sister Kate found she enjoyed the newly warped features of her young charge's visage.
"You old bat!" Edward exclaimed, jumping to his feet in a bout of rage. He had grown, he really had- he stood nearing a good five foot six now. But still, it was never enough- why did everyone always have to pick on him! Oh, he'd thought he'd escaped the worst of it when he'd figured out that there would be no more Mustang. But no, now he was stuck with godforsaken nuns, and even they had the nerve to pick on him. Life would never cease to surprise the nineteen-year-old. "I come here and almost automatically get assigned to the militia, and am completely successful with devil after devil, and you call me in here to reprimand me because I might cause a little destruction now and then, and then you tell me that I'm SHORT?!" Chest heaving, Ed collapsed back down onto his chair and crossed his arms, his facial expression resembling that of a pouting child.
"Oh, calm down, Edward…" Sighing, Sister Kate took a seat herself. "Just…try to be more careful."
"Whatever," Ed grumbled, biting the inside of his cheek.
"You're dismissed."
"Gee, thanks."
In a huff, the head of blonde hair disappeared out the door, and Sister Kate allowed herself to slump forward a little more than usual. Scanning her desk, her eye caught on an article that she'd read earlier. To the average citizen it may have seemed like a tale of the boogeyman, but to her it was simply cause for a sense of foreboding. A man killed by his own wife, and the body of the wife found dead the next day…
Stories like this were sprouting up more and more commonly. Dear friends, family members, close personal acquaintances- people were turning on each other and killing themselves. Well, it was that, or there was something else at work here.
With a tired arm, Sister Kate pulled the paper closer to her and let herself reread the article for the god knew how many time. And found her thoughts returning to Edward and his two companions…
"A devil, a young girl and an infuriating young man. That's who we have to rely on…" she muttered to herself.
"God save us."
●●●
And the scene is set…
●●●
"Whatever you say, sir."
"I believe prefer General, my dear Captain Havoc."
Havoc rolled his eyes up to examine the ceiling. How long had it been now since he had first been positioned under Mustang? Somehow, it didn't seem quite right that even now he was positioned in central under the man; General Mustang was only steps away from Fuhrer now, and that was the truth. And oh, he ever know it.
Though the man was blind in one eye, it did not stop him from seeing how close he was to touching the top dog spot- in the past six years he had ascended from the rank of colonel, a hefty promotion to Lieutenant General following his leave of the hospital, his subordinates soon following in fashion. The 'Great' Flame Alchemist had risen in glory, driven as all hell, but now and then, something still bothered him. A blonde boy, shorter than he himself, wandering the countryside. Looking for something that he would very likely never find. And yet, Roy found himself responsible once again for the escapades of the Elric boy…
"Now, would you please mind explaining to me where the hell Alphonse is?"
Havoc sighed. "We're pretty sure he's at the Rockbell household, sir. Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong volunteered to go collect him- as much trouble as his brother, isn't he, General?"
Reclining in his seat, Mustang spread his hands slowly over his desk (his very big desk), thinking a moment before responding. "Edward had more zip, more…energy. More attitude. Alphonse is a little more responsible."
"Roy, he was supposed to have checked back with you eight months ago. You call that responsibility?"
General Mustang couldn't help the twitch of his lip heading upwards. Slowly, he allowed his gaze to turn towards the doorway. Ah, the fine figure of a military woman. A military woman whose legs were much finer in the skirts he'd seen them in rather than the straight-lined military wear that clothed them now. A soft, private sigh followed by impatient, inappropriate thoughts distracted Roy for a moment before he was able to respond.
"Riza, lovely, how sweet of you to visit. Did you bring my lunch, darling?"
He could sense the vein protruding from her forehead, the disapproving look plastered to her face- but she would hide it, and hide it well. Roy couldn't see her face- he was much too busy examining the most important blank piece of paper in front of him.
"The facts, sir."
Oh, he loved that. Sir. Wonderful. How his name reverted from a first name basis to rank of command over two sentences- she was much too easy.
"Well, my dear, I have got someone on the job. Besides, there's very little I can do- I gave our younger, newer Elric free reign, did I not? We know how well trying to reel in those who don't want to be caged works, don't we?"
"You could have done something sooner. Eventually he isn't going to check in at all- and then how will you know if he's even alive, sir?"
"I don't think that there's a thing in the world that will be able to kill that boy while he's yet to find his brother." Attitude suddenly a little more serious, Mustang's face hardened into a darker expression. The younger Elric brother was growing up to be more and more like his brother every day- almost shockingly, considering how he did not remember how Edward himself was when he'd been fifteen.
Silence enraptured the room for a moment, until Havoc chose to speak. Coughing lightly to break the lack of sound, he bid adieu to both Hawkeye and Mustang, and headed out the door, leaving the two to their own devices.
As soon as their subordinate had left them, the two fell into a more relaxed state. Both exhaled, their minds focused on the sandy haired boy who was potentially wandering about his hometown.
"You're worried about him, aren't you?" The question was point blank, Riza's eyes not expressing curiosity, but understanding. No denial in the world would convince her that the statement was not true.
"You could say that."
"Going back to Risembool can only mean..."
"That he's probably planning something that most likely won't end well?"
"Yes."
"He's much too much like Edward. Let's us stay a few steps ahead of him."
"You're not going to let him…"
"I'm not exactly sure what else I can do but let him. He's only a part of the military for one reason, and I may as well let him have that reason. I did not keep a tight enough hold on Edward's own ventures- I at least owe it to Alphonse to let him find his brother on his own terms. Now, whether or not I accompany him will be my own decision…"
"Roy!" Riza's relaxed posture snapped up, and she felt herself stride over to his desk and slam her open palms down onto the wood of it. "You can't be serious! God only knows…"
Waiting a moment, Roy felt that same smile tugging at his lips. Reaching up, he brushed the sole loose strand of Riza's hair away from her eyes. "We'll see, Lieutenant Colonel," he murmured, brushing his lips to her forehead. "We'll see."
There would not be another Elric to go missing on his watch.
●●●
And the scene is set…
●●●
It had been four years. Four bloody, drawn out, horrible years since he had left his world behind. And the worst part was, he didn't even know if it had been worth it.
Of course, if Al had wound up okay, he was perfectly content with his current position. Occasionally Ed even found himself happy with his new life- he had his friends, lovable people who now and then resembled his old family and friends. But he didn't know, and it killed him- there was no way for Edward to know if Al had returned from the gate, whether or not the transmutation had actually worked or if he was a failure and this was his punishment. That gnawing feeling in his stomach that overtook him every night before sleep became unavoidable. And it had been that way for those four long years.
Ed hoped, of course, for Alphonse's return. He had even come close to praying, though he blamed his surroundings for that- when surrounded by those who believed, it was extremely hard to escape that belief now and then. He hoped every minute of every day that Al was alive, well, happy- living out his life the way that life was supposed to be lived out. Maybe he'd found a nice girl, maybe he'd gone after some dream- just, as long as he was happy, Ed didn't care about anything else. But he didn't know. He didn't know anything, and quite frankly, it killed him.
After having been transmuted through the gate, Ed had found himself with his father once again; and, of course, soon after he had gone after the promise of rocket science. But then, somehow, in a way that he did not quite understand, he had wound up in the United States of America. And once in New York, he had found the Magdalene order- and what they did, with these devils of theirs, had made sense to him. Edward had, in a way that he often thought foolish, found distinct resemblances between the devils and the homunculi back in Amestris. Both were damned, creatures not fit to be on the earth, and both had an incurable desire for trouble. And both, he found, he had an astonishing ability to dispose of.
It was a game, almost, being a member of militia. With the same level of brilliance as always Edward had gone through the training with six months- much of the content he had found to be extremely similar to that of the military back home. While, yes, he had found the concept of an organization that was both military and religious slightly odd, their purpose he both understood and accepted. At least, the part of the purpose that had nothing to do with God. The Magdalene order provided both a purpose and a surrogate type of home for the elder Elric brother- and he had already gone far too long without a home. So he had settled, or at least had settled enough to let himself stay there for the past three years.
But still, that tense feeling in his gut never disappeared.
And while he would never admit it, Edward Elric missed his real home.
A frown on his face, the blonde walked along a stone path. Tripping along in front of him was a small stone, one that, once he got close enough, Ed kicked into the lead once again. Still, though it had been close to ten minutes, Edward found himself seething a little over his conversation with Sister Kate. Insults flowed freely through his mind, only representing themselves out loud now and then with a reluctant grumble. Finally, at his favorite tree, Ed sighed and collapsed on the ground. He lay with his back against the tree, his eyes staring towards the sky. It was so blue today, clouds fluttering through it like a butterfly through a windy day. To most people it would seem relaxing.
And, once again, Ed wondered if it was even the same sky that Winry would be staring up at every day. If when her eyes turned up, she was looking directly at him without even realizing it. Maybe, now, if he looked hard enough he would be able to see them…
For a brief moment Ed considered straining his eyes to try and see, but reconsidered at the last moment. It was a stupid thought, after all. Teeth clenching, Edward instead let his eyelids fall down, immersing him in darkness. That was better.
Much better.
●●●
And the scene is set…
●●●
"You made the papers again," Came a voice in his ear. Spinning gracefully around on one foot, Evie let a finger trace the built jaw of the blonde's face. "I know," he whispered, nuzzling his face into his 'boss's' neck. "They just can't stay away from me, can they?" Trailing off, he fell into soft arms, pretending to enjoy the strong feel of a leaded arm wrapping around his waist. "I'm a mystery, after all, and these pathetic excuses for human beings will trail willingly after anything that they don't understand."
The arms fell from around him, and Evie felt a frown form on his feminine lips. "Aion?" he murmured, trailing after the devil silently.
"It seems too obvious to me." Came a deeper voice, a few feet away from Evie, its body hidden by the shadows.
"Well, of course," Evie couldn't help the natural sarcasm that snuck into his voice. "You know absolutely everything about what's going on- it's only natural that you would think that it's too easy to be figured out."
"No," The reply was harsh, and Evie felt his face harden. "You've only been here a few years. You've yet to meet Chrono- he'll know. Anything suspicious and it will come back to me."
Sighing in slight boredom, Evie folded himself onto the floor, sitting cross-legged. "Whatever. I don't understand why you're so uptight about this, though- according to some of the others, you aren't usually this…covert about your actions."
"This is different."
"Okay, okay."
"Absolutely everything is riding on this," Aion felt his voice become more eager than he liked, and reigned himself in. There was just something about Evie that made him lose his cool- and it wasn't attraction- that was definite. It had been decades since Aion had felt himself attracted to any other living thing- pointless things were delivered from existence.
"You're so uptight."
Without another word, Aion had stalked out of the room. If Evie hadn't known better, he would have said that the blonde was in a huff- but Aion didn't get into huffs. He was much too controlled for that.
It was one of the many things that Evie hated about him.
But things were going well. Collecting the seven sinners in a manner befitting them was proving to be easier than he thought- they had four down, three to go. And after that, the apostles would be gathered in a much simpler fashion. Seven sins, seven virtues- ultimate control. The plan had been explained to him, and he had found himself drawn to it. With the kind of existence that came promised with it, Evie could…well, do just about anything. Mostly, though, he wanted the gate.
Inhaling the toxic air of the technological world, Evie reclined until he was lying straight down onto the floor.
"I don't envy them," he murmured to no one in particular, an ironic giggle following his words.
●●●
And the scene is set…
●●●
"Wake up, sleeping beauty…"
"I think Goldilocks is more appropriate."
Two voices. One in each of Ed's ears. Golden eyes opened to the world, and proceeded to roll at his company. "Am I not allowed a nice snooze now and then?" he drawled. Ed shook his head at the pair standing beside him, though the smile that found itself on his face he couldn't help.
"Not unless you want to miss dinner," Chrono's soft, almost timid voice rung with a hint of amusement as he watched Ed jump to his feet. "Now there's the energy I know." He said fondly, clapping Ed on his shoulder.
"What did you think you were doing, anyway? There were chores to be done, you know!"
Frowning at Rosette, Ed's chin jutted out defiantly. "Like you weren't blowing the day off yourself. I know that you weren't here all day- because I took the heat from Sister Kate all by myself this time!"
"Well, you were the one who was driving…"
"The only reason I crashed was because you stuck your hand in my face!" Outraged, Ed's hands emphasized his distress with each word.
"Oh, that's just a technicality…" Bouncing along, Rosette's face held a grin as they walked along.
"You two are going to be the cause of my early death," Announced Chrono fondly, nudging Ed in the side with his elbow. "Quit it."
"Oh, don't complain Chrono," Ed insisted. "Your early death is still at least half a millennia after we'll be dead!"
The trio chuckled, happy in the moment.
●●●
And the scene is set…
●●●
Alphonse lay awake on his bed, staring at the familiar ceiling of 'his' room in the Rockbell house. Wra lay breathing quietly on the bed beside him, where his brother might have once lay. With a soft exhale of breath, Al tried to relax, shifting under the covers. There were only days. Days, and then he'd find his brother.
He would find his brother, or he would cease to be.
Alphonse jumped as Wra's leg shot out from under his bed, and a few mumbled words slipped from the boy's lips. Laughing at himself silently, Al quieted his thumping heart, finding his jumpy nature nothing if not entertaining. 'Calm down, Al…' he insisted to himself.
And, closing his eyes to meet the sleep that waited, another sigh passed through Al's lips.