Disclaimer: I own nothing of Naruto or Full Metal Alchemist.
Just to clarify before hand, I haven't gotten far in Full Metal Alchemist so I still don't know Edward or Al as well as the diehard fans. I hope I did ok with sticking to the characters. I wanted to try a cross over of these two series. This is a oneshot so if you hated then have no fear no more shall be made! Reviews are welcomed. Enjoy!
Worlds Apart
Sakura
Sakura looked up from the dirty tray. Her hair clumped together in her face. Her eyes were red and puffy, she wiped at them to make them look as normal as possible. She heard footsteps. Most likely it was him, Sasuke.
She scooted into the corner and curled up into a ball. She didn't want to see his obsidian black eyes. The hate, the lifelessness that occupied his eyes, she couldn't bear it. In his eyes she was not even human. Just something he had to deal with.
At first she tried, she tried to chat with him, to converse. He didn't respond. When she pestered him more his response was, "Stop." She was frustrated. Orachimaru had captured her and said he was giving her one more week to stay alive and make the right decision. The decision to heal his arms. Sakura wouldn't do it, she couldn't do that to her teammates, to her village.
Today he opened the door and light flooded in. it burned, it hurt her eyes. She was so used to the dark, to the nothingness. He took the tray by the door and plopped down another. He gave her one glance over and then he grunted for a second and left. She listened to the locks being put into place before she thought it say enough for eating. She picked up the bread and began to chew on it. A new wave of tears came to her. She was going to die either way.
Heal his arms and then be disposed of. Or, as he had mentioned, she could be put on his team. She certainly had more skills than Kabuto. She was trained under Tsunade after all. She let her mind linger on this.
What would Naruto say?
"No way in hell!" that's what he would say.
Her last choice ,obviously, was to refuse him. He said if that was her choice her death would be a slow and painful one. In that case she'd buck up and take it. Better her fall than nations. The whole thought was go evil and join him or die, there was no third option. That's what made her cry.
There was only one day left until she'd have to announce her decision, somehow she believed they already knew it. She was predictable. After drinking some of the water she closed her eyes and tried to think of something much less depressing.
Sakura opened her eyes. She was standing in a room that she'd never seen before. She felt like she was floating. Her skin glowed lightly. Movement caught her eyes. A boy who looked her age, only shorter sat up. He had blond hair pulled back into a braid. Golden eyes that shone in the dim light, they looked shocked at her presence. Was this real? Sakura thought.
Next to his bed that was a huge metal suit laying there. The boy with the golden eyes caught her attention. His right arm and left leg were metal. She didn't hesitate to ask questions.
"Where am I?"
"Sakura...?" the boy asked.
"What am I doing here?" she asked, not paying him any attention.
"Sakura..." he said still surprised by her presence.
"I fell asleep and woke up here," she mumbled. She brought her hand to her mouth. "Am I dead?" The horrible thought struck her. It made sense, Orachimaru would know what she was planning and would decide to kill her. But no, he wanted to make her suffer if her answer was no.
"What's going on?" the metal suit sat up. He sounded like a young boy, or at least a year younger. "Sakura?"
"Wait," she suddenly realized they were saying her name. "You know me?"
"Well you look a bit different," the blonde boy commented. "But what are you doing here? I thought you never left our hometown."
"What?" she felt kind of stupid not knowing them but she didn't. "I've never met you in my life."
"How is that possible?" the boy got up. "You grew up in the same small town as us. You always saw us at the market when we went. You'd always wave."
"What is this place?" Sakura looked around the room. Nothing looked like her village of Konoha. It looked unfamiliar. The window's view was of land she'd never seen, never heard of before. And it was raining outside. "This definitely isn't anywhere close to Konoha."
"Maybe she's from an alternate universe brother," the metal suit pointed. "That would explain how she looks. Maybe there's some copies of us somewhere in that world too. Just like she lives here in this world too."
She looked confused for a moment until he said on crucial detail.
"Konoha doesn't exist here," the voice from the metal suit said. "The world has been explored, no such place exists."
"I'm a ninja," she said. "We have ways of keeping hidden."
"There are no such things as ninjas," he shook his metal helmet. "They died out way back in history."
Sakura felt like time was fading her. Whatever she was doing here she had to wrap it up fast. "Can you help me?" Her eyes pleaded with the pair of them.
"How?" the way he worded it was as if there was nothing her could do.
"If I could come here somehow, without being dead or using ninjutsu, there has to be someway you can get here too," she came closer. Her radiance slowly fading. Her skin becoming transparent. "Please help me."
"I'm not sure we can," his golden eyes looked sadly at hers. She couldn't cry in this form but it was the only thing stopping her. She stepped back.
"I'm sure you can," she smiled sadly. "You could find me if you believed and tried hard enough. Surely you know what your doing." She pointed to the alchemy book on the end table next to the blond boy. "Please save me."
His sorrowful golden eyes were the last that she saw.
Edward
Edward heard some strange noise. So he sat up. It was the strangest thing he'd ever seen. Her, Sakura, floating and glowing, and right in front of him. This has to be a dream. A very messed up one. She looked different, her hair was shorter, she looked like she hadn't changed her clothes in awhile. Like she'd been beaten even. It was sad. He'd never seen her like this.
In his hometown she was always there. She had a happy childhood, unlike them. Before everything, Edward had liked her. He would talked to her on the way to the market. She was older, by a year or two. She had the prettiest pink hair. Last time they went back home, well she was there, but she didn't pay him any mind. Now she was here, messing with his mind. What kind of alchemy is this?
That's when she spoke. It was mystical, weathered even, and other worldly. "Where am I?"
She had been looking at herself, apparently as amazed as Edward. He wanted to test the waters.
"Sakura...?" he asked softly. She didn't answer, only asking another question.
"What am I doing here?" she didn't notice him roll his eyes.
"Sakura..." he tried again. She was definitely Sakura. By now Al had to be paying attention, he was just being polite and not alerting her of his presence.
"I fell asleep and woke up here," her eyes widened with a sad worried look, she brought her hand up to cover her mouth. She was thinking carefully about this. "Am I dead?"
She didn't seem satisfied with this thought though. Al sat up finally. Curiosity probably eating him away. "What's going on?" Then he recognized her face. "Sakura?"
"Wait," she paused. Finally she looked at the both of them. "You know me?"
"Well you look a bit different," Edward gestured to her current condition. "But what are you doing here? I thought you never left our hometown." Obviously he had to know what what going on, she didn't seem like the Sakura he had grown up around.
"What?" she looked dumbfounded. Like Edward was trying to teach her fifty years of alchemy and he was cramming it down her throat in one sentence. "I've never met you in my life."
Her eyes so full of questions. "How is that possible?" Edward got up. He didn't like sitting on a bed and talking to someone standing. It made him feel small. Though, when he stood up she was still taller than him, and she was floating. "You grew up in the same small town as us. You always saw us at the market when we went. You'd always wave." He couldn't believe she'd forget them, had they left that little of an impression? Impossible.
"What is this place?" she looked around. To Edward this was a hotel room they were staying in for the night. Probably not the answer to her question. Outside the window it was raining. It was a big city, recognizable to almost everyone. Her eyes rested on the rain outside as well. A mixture of sadness and shock on her face. "This definitely isn't anywhere close to Konoha."
"Maybe she's from an alternate universe brother," the Al pointed. "That would explain how she looks. Maybe there's some copies of us somewhere in that world too. Just like she lives here in this world too." Al seemed to have been thinking about this for some time. Edward thought about this as well. If she had come from a different universe how did she get there, and why?
She was watching Al with a dumb look on her face until he said something that caught both of our attentions.
"Konoha doesn't exist here," Al said. "The world has been explored, no such place exists."
What she said next had Edward stifling a laughter. He hid it quite well. It was like this detail should help them find her location.
"I'm a ninja," she said. "We have ways of keeping hidden." She looked like she had faith in this. Somehow Al wanted to help her but he didn't want her reality to delude what was really possible.
"There are no such things as ninjas," Al's metal helmet shook. "They died out way back in history."
She stared at him in disbelief. Indeed she was far from home. Something about her appearance was changing. She looked more transparent, like she was beginning to fade. Edward felt a little rush of panic. She had just gotten there.
"Can you help me?" her green eyes begged them. She looked like she needed help, but what could the pair of boys do to help her?
"How?" Edward more stated than asked. There was not much he could do for this girl. She was in a alternate universe. What could he possibly do?
"If I could come here somehow, without being dead or using ninjutsu, there has to be someway you can get here too," she came closer to Edward. Her radiance was slowly fading from her presence. Her skin becoming transparent, fading like a photograph. "Please help me."
"I'm not sure we can," he wanted to reason with her. If she created some sob story out of this he'd be doomed into wanting to help. She'd be gone soon. His mind thought of the girl he had seen years ago in their hometown. The one who smiled, who waved and said, "Hello Edward!" when he walked by. He wanted to help her. If only he could think of a way.
"I'm sure you can," her smile was filled with sadness, but with some hint of hope. "You could find me if you believed and tried hard enough. Surely you know what your doing." She pointed to the alchemy book on the end table next to Edward. It was an advanced alchemy book, one he had just started to read. One that may have answers. He had to read more. "Please save me."
Her image faded, the last thing he saw were her beautiful green eyes, sad and pleading. The air was stiff and still. Her last words echoed the silence, they stayed in his mind. Without thinking he grabbed the book she pointed to. He flipped open to the chapter he left off on. There had to be some reason she pointed to it.
"Brother?" Al asked softly. Edward didn't reply, he was absorbed in the book and every sentence it contained. "Brother?" He tried again, louder this time.
"What?" Edward replied. It wasn't sharp or harsh, just getting straight to the point.
"We're going to help her right?" Al waited for Edwards response. Edward looked over his book. The look in his eyes was determination. He nodded and went straight back to reading. Al smiled but it wouldn't show up on his metal helmet. His brother was good, he'd do the right thing, with enough prodding. It was going to be some hell of a long night.
Sakura
The dream she had was odd. Like she was there and yet not. The blond boy seemed to know her. Though there was no possible way that she knew him. She didn't open her eyes. There was no way to know if it was morning. But the rest of her sleep had been nothingness. Just rest.
She finished off the food she left earlier on the tray. She hoped the boy could help her. She was reduced to begging to dream people for help. She wanted to cry more. No tears came. Just a big lump in her throat. She had to be strong but it was hell.
Time ticked by slowly, she counted her heartbeats, until she heard footsteps. Her heartbeat faster. She quick counting. Please! If your coming make it soon! She knew by the footsteps down the hall Orachimaru wasn't alone. Probably Sasuke and Kabuto from the sounds of the footsteps. She went back into her corner. Suddenly she couldn't hear the sounds of footsteps, only the sounds of electricity. It came from the wall next to her, between her and the very locked door.
A door began to form, she stared at in in awe. She moved back. The door opened and there was the blond boy, the boy in the metal suit couldn't fit through the door the other had created.
"Come quickly!" he said, he ushered through the door. The locks were unlocking to fast. Unused to her legs she got up as fast as she could, only to stumble over. She was dragged out by the metal suit. The boy stood in front of the metal doors he had created. With her safely on the other side he swung the door closed.
Only a hand stopped him from closing it. The metal suit created another metal bar and tried to close it too. They were fighting to close it. Sakura stood up, she wobbled her way over to help.
"Open the door!" Orachimaru commanded. "Can't let the best healer escape! Oh move over you fool!"
She could see Orachimaru pushing his way up to he door. She knew what was coming. Orachimaru opened his mouth and a giant snake appeared. Its fangs dripping with poison. She had only seconds to react, but she was way faster than them.
The snake went for the boy's throat. "Brother!" the metal suited boy cried out when he saw the snake. It was over fast. Sakura's fist connected with the snakes face as soon as it was through the door. She threw all the energy she had, along with chakra. It was one hell of a punch. It knocked Orachimaru into the wall behind him, completely demolishing the snake. Kabuto and Sasuke were hit with a wave of the impact. The door swung open a bit but the blond haired boy closed it quickly.
Edward
This was certainly her. The girl from the night before. Edward stared at her. They had just escaped three people. One who regurgitated a snake. The thought made him shudder. She sat down. They were outside in a meadow, not far way was the building they had been in the night before. Outside their window they had seen this little meadow. There wasn't enough room in their room. They were given supplies and told not to do this experiment indoors.
He was surprised it worked. He smiled and started to laugh.
She looked at him for a moment with amazement, probably thinking the same thing, this crazy plan had worked. She'd begged a total stranger to help her. He'd saved her from whoever those three were. Baboons more than ninjas I bet, he thought.
The smile she had recently acquired was fading. She coughed, she coughed like she was dying of something. Blood was coughed up into her hands.
"No," it was all Edward could say. He'd saved this girl, he'd saved Sakura, and she as dieing? Probably as a result of the alchemy he used.
She coughed worse, more blood coming out. She closed her eyes in pain. She tried to stop. Al stood there watching with amazement. He probably would be crying if he could. He's always liked Sakura too, she was friendly to them both. She couldn't be dieing. Not yet.
Sakura
Sakura's insides felt like they were liquidizing. Her heartbeat beginning to fade. The blood she coughed up was only becoming more and more. She was dieing. It must be a result of leaving her own world. It was possible but not for long it seemed.
She looked at the blond haired boy and his companion in the metal suit.
A smile of pure joy crossed her face, "Thank you." She had managed that much. The shorter boy looked like he wanted to cry, and he was confused. She was dieing and she was thanking him? "For saving me." She specified.
His fist clenched and he looked away.
"I'm sorry," she said. She didn't have long. Why was it that when she was around him she didn't have much time? "I don't mean to... to..."
"I'm sorry," he said. "I wouldn't have brought you here if i'd known.
"No," she said firmly. "Don't you be sorry for this."
"I don't understand," he looked into her eyes.
"You saved me," she smiled awkwardly. "This is better than what they would have done to me. I wasn't going to heal that bastards arms no matter what they threw at me. You may have just saved the lives of many nations by taking me out of the equation. I feared that if I refused they'd torture me until I did break and join them. This is better."
She was satisfied with that. She smiled and fell over onto her back from the sitting position. Her coughs became worse. She looked at the clouds.
"Do you have any connection to her?" his question caught her off guard. "To the Sakura we know, she could be your twin."
"Possibly," she answered honestly. "I have no clue, I can't feel much right now. Maybe it's because of her existence that I could come here."
There was silence.
"I won't forget that you saved me," she tried to pick a flower but her arm trembled and she gave up on it. Her eyes did meet theirs. "I promise."
"You can't make that promise," he said matter-of-factually. "In a few moments you'll be dead. How can you mean that?"
"But I can," she smiled. "It is a shinobi promise. We can never break those. It's just like my friend Naruto would say. I got that from him. But I do mean-" she coughed more. She lost feeling in her lower half. Something, some dust was floating away from her in the wind. She was turning to dust. And quickly.
"I won't ever forget. And if I can," she hesitated waiting for a coughing fit to pass. "I won't let her forget it either. If she's anything like me, if we have even the faintest connection, she'll know all about this. She won't forget it either. I promise a shinobi promise."
The blond haired boy looked away. The boy in the metal suit was seated now. He looked blanking above her at the dust. It was her. She faded finally completely into dust.
Edward / Sakura
After she had died Edward hit the ground hard. It was a shame, she was so young, maybe his age, or older. She was saved and then died. So when he got off the train now with his brother in the suit they walked to the market.
It was familiar, they waited under the shade of a tree. If she came it was always at noon. Edward stared over at the hill in the distance. It had been one month since they had saved her. It took them that long to get close to their hometown.
Call it foolish but he hoped that when she walked over that hill, if she did at all, that she would recognize him instantly. Even Al hoped just a bit.
Suddenly a figure appeared. She looked much the same but slightly different. She was wearing a pink sundress. That was normal. But this Sakura's hair was almost always long, but it was cut short. It waved in the summers warm breeze. She tucked wild strands behind her ear. She couldn't see them yet but when she did look up she nearly dropped the basket.
Her savior.
She picked up her pace. She ran all the way over. Edward was actually shocked that she was reacting like he had hoped. She stopped just in front of him. Her eyes were greener than he ever remembered. Their had been subtle differences between them, but they were the same for sure.
She was out of breath. He wondered if that meant she was still the Sakura who they grew up with, the one who didn't see what Edward really felt. He was going to test the waters.
"I thought you were a ninja," he teased. "Ninjas don't tire that easily do they?"
She gave him a quick punch to the arm. This had to be the girl he saved. The Sakura they knew was weaker than that, she couldn't carry much from the market. The vegetables were heavy.
"My body is recovering," she looked him in his golden eyes. "Edward, thank you."
"For what?" he asked curiously.
"You saved me," she had said me instead of her.
"Are you her or you?" he asked stupidly. It was confusing the hell out of him.
"The Sakura you had grown up with was dieing of a sickness while my body died," she began to explain. "My soul was lingering here though because it couldn't go back. I found my way here to her and my soul is stronger. Therefore the body fought the sickness better with me in control. I also tried making some medicinal tea with herbs from around the market. I was able to recover mostly. There are still traces of this illness lingering in the body though.'
He listened, it was intriguing. She was alive.
"What about the other Sakura?" he asked. "Is she still in their too?"
Sakura shook her head. She felt horrible. It all happened so fast. She had found her to tell her about him, to show her how he had saved her. Only she had been dieing. Her soul was attracted to the body where the weaker soul was losing the fight. There was no way that she could still have survived.
"Her soul wasn't strong enough to hold onto the body," she told him sadly. She fiddled with her fingers a little. "Does that upset you?"
Al stood by the tree but he was listening to their conversation. He tried not to look like he was. She knew his stance was so that he could hear better. She somehow knew everything about them that the previous owner of this body did.
Edward didn't respond.
"Edward?" she asked softly.
"What?" he looked up confused for a second. "You never knew my name though. How did you know it?"
Sakura halfheartedly smiled, "She knew your name. So I know it know too. I don't know how to explain other than all her memories are left with me. Almost like the switch had never happened. Like we really were the same. One mind two bodies."
He moved closer and for a second Sakura was confused. Edward was hugging her. She hugged him back.
"I kept my promise, just like I said I would," she whispered.
"Somehow I didn't doubt that," he laughed a little at her comment.
When they separated she realized the look on his face was that of relief.
"Would you like to come over to lunch?" she offered with a smile. "I got fresh veggies from the market. I can cook much better than she ever could. You remember the time she made a pasta with tomato sauce, turned out horrible?"
Edward and Al laughed. Al followed Edward as they walk to her house. She was retelling the memory just like they remembered it. There was no doubt, these two souls had been one. One soul split into two, sent to different universes. One grew strong from her life as a ninja the other remained unchanging, and weaker. So when they were reunited they were once again the stronger won over the weaker. Though it was the same.
Like I mention before, I haven't gotten that far in the Full Metal Alchemist series so if the characters are different I'm sorry. I liked the idea before I started. Hope you liked it. Please feel free to review. And thanks for reading it!
