Chapter 1: The Gate Alchemist known as Ultima
I woke up that morning to the laughs of children. I opened my eyes, just to see an empty room. By the half-open door, I saw Alphonse pass, and then pause and look my way. He smiled brightly.
"So you're awake, brother! Noah is almost done making breakfast. We'll wait for you downstairs," he said lightly before going off.
I put a hand on my face, my cool metal fingers brushing my skin. I think I had a dream… and it was weird… what was it, again? Ugh… Can't remember. How long has it been, now…? How long since we got stuck here… the two of us…? How long since Noah and you fell in love with each other…?
"Darn… guess I'm not awake enough, yet," I said to myself.
I got up from bed and put on my clothes, slowly, trying to remember my dream. The rest, Al could remind me. But that dream… I think there was someone in it… Someone I never saw before… But then again… this feels familiar. I walked slowly out of my room and down the stairs. A good smell came to me and the corner of my mouth lifted. Noah was a really good cook. I walked on into the kitchen.
"Now here's something I haven't seen in a while. Since when do you get up so early, Edward?" asked Mrs. Rowack.
Mr and Mrs Rowack are a couple that lets us stay in their house for free, as long as we do a minimum of efforts to help them. They're old and rich, but they're very kind.
I smiled at the old lady. "Don't worry, Mrs Rowack. I just happened to wake up early today."
"And what woke you up, my boy? We were talking too loudly?" asked Mr Rowack.
"No, no. It's nothing, really. I just heard…" I stopped dead talking.
I didn't think of that, but those children's laughings that woke me up… they can't exist… There aren't any children in this house. Then what was it? Why did I hear children when there aren't any?
"You heard what, brother?" asked Alphonse, looking at me.
"Oh, nothing. Just… forget it," I waved off the question and sat down at the table.
Noah served the breakfast with a smile immediately after and she sat down beside Al. I kept quiet and started eating. The Rowack and Alphonse did, too. But Noah kept looking at me. She sighed.
"Listen, Ed…" she started. "We noticed that you were acting strange, lately. Is there something the matter?" I saw worry in her eyes.
I just looked down in my plate. "What. I thought you would be happy not hearing my loud mouth for some time," I joked with a fake smile.
I didn't want to talk about it. Not yet. I wasn't sure enough. There was something happening… or maybe not.
"How long has it been, again?" I asked, my face falling again.
"Since we got here?" asked Alphonse.
"Yeah. I… forgot again." I said.
"It's been six years, Ed."
"Thanks."
"If you want, I can make a journal so you won't forget again, Edward. Noah can help me. I'm sure you will like it," said Mrs Rowack with a kind smile.
"Thanks, but…" I started.
"It is already the twelfth time this year, Ed," reminds Alphonse, cutting me off. "The twelfth time you ask."
"I'm okay, Al. Don't worry. And Mrs Rowack… I'd appreciate it, if it's not too much trouble for Noah and you," I smiled at the old lady.
"It's a pleasure to help you, after all you've done for my husband and I," she said.
I got up. "Well I think I'll be off."
"This early?" asked Noah.
"Yeah. I need exercise and fresh air."
"Be careful, the sky is cloudy and there's rain in the air," said Mr Rowack.
I left the house. Drifting was the only way I could think clearly. Of course I never went too far. Just far enough to be alone with myself. Six years… and I could barely remember what I did the week before. I walked on in the forest. The house of the Rowack was at the border of a great and beautiful forest. This forest brought me calm and serenity whenever I lay foot in it. I walked on and on, not thinking of where I was going or anything else. And then I heard the laughing of children. The same one that had awakened me. I looked around frantically.
"Who's there?" I asked loudly.
There was no answer, no one in sight. I relaxed. It was probably just a trick my mind was playing on me. I sat down against a tree and closed my eyes. Six years… since Alphonse and I got stuck here together. Six years but… I can't seem to let go of the other world. When he was still there, I wouldn't let go of the idea that I wanted to go back and then when I learned that he was alright, somehow, I could relax. I wasn't rushing to know how he was or anything. But now…
Now the only thing my mind would focus on trying to find an answer was how I could go back. I don't know why, Al. I don't know why I can't focus on anything else. I don't know anything anymore… only that I am starting to loose it.
Tears ran down my cheeks and I slammed my fists on the ground as hard as I could. Droplets of rain started to pour down as I began to sob. I sank back against the tree and looked blankly at my bare hands as the rain started to get heavier.
"Why am I this way…? Why does my mind want to go back so much?"
Just then, I noticed blood on my flesh hand. A deep cut ran on the back of my hand. I looked at the ground where I had slammed my fists and noticed a broken branch with blood on the torn end.
"I'm too careless."
I took out the wood shards and waited for the rain to rinse my wound. I tore a piece of my shirt and bandaged my hand. Then I sank back against the tree. If I had stayed here, I could have managed the transition. But going back there made me notice what I had there and don't have here. At first I could bear it…
I sighed. "Guess my mind refuses to evolve… What a sucker I am…"
My eyes closed and I drifted off into sleep. In the dream I had… I was in a giant, misty room. The visibility was poor, like a foggy night of new moon, but eerier. I started to walk. There was no one. I encountered a pillar here and there, some broken and others all right. And then I saw a faint light, coming from a half closed door. I walked to it and opened the wooden door. Inside it was a plain room, lighted by torches. I entered. The door closed behind me. There was no mist. I walked in the middle of the room.
"Edward Elric…" said a voice from behind, so soft it was almost like the whisper of the wind.
I turned around quickly and looked to see who or what could have talked. "Who's there?"
"Edward…" said the voice again, this time louder and coming from all around the room. I could identify it as being a woman's voice. "Edward… Edward… Edward…"
It kept repeating my name and I kept looking around, trying to find out who was calling for me. The more it continued, the more panicked I was. And then I just let myself fall to my knees, hands on my ears, eyes shut tightly. The calling stopped. I sensed a hot breath in my face and looked up, frightened. A woman was standing before me. She wore a plain, white dress, similar to the one Noah wore at Alphonse Heiderich's funerals. The hair of the woman before me was long and grey, but she looked even younger than me. Her eyes were violet. Wait a second! I know that colour of eyes! It's the same one as the Humonculi's!
Rage rose inside of me. "Who are you!" I barked.
A genuine smile rose to her lips, although her eyes weren't smiling. "Edward Elric… I have been sent to get you back, you and your brother. But apparently this isn't the best time to talk. I shall contact you another time," she said, her voice soft and emotionless.
"I asked you a question!"
"But you don't need to know the answers now." She looked deep into my eyes and took a serious expression. "What your heart desires most… it is selfish. You do know that, right?"
I couldn't answer. I couldn't move.
"Of course you know. But then again, I guess it is some kind of side effect or something."
I didn't understand. But I still couldn't talk.
She bent down and her face was so close to mine that our noses almost touched. I could feel and smell her soft breath. It smelt of strawberries. My face reddened incredibly and my heart started beating fast. Her eyes were on my half-parted lips.
"You are just a man, after all," she said slowly, hinting her head the slightest bit to the side and nearing her face even more to mine. "Too bad this is just your dream, hm Ed? I bet I could get you to your knees, pleading for more, even without using this power of mine." Her lips were brushing against mine as she spoke. She stuck her tongue out and licked softly my lips. "But then again, I would most certainly spoil you," she continued, standing up straight.
A voice in my head screamed for more, my breath was heavy, I felt like my heart would just jump out of my chest and my face was on fire. But this felt way too familiar.
A wicked smile came to the woman's lips. "But maybe I could use you as a toy while taking care of my other duty. This would be most…"
She was cut off by the laughing of children. A frustrated look hung on her face.
"My time is already up? Damn!" she cursed to herself, looking at the walls. She looked back at me. "Looks like we'll have to save the playing for later. But don't worry, my little Edward, I shall come back. And then I will take care of the task that has been assigned to me."
She pocked me hard on the chest and I fell backwards. But instead of falling directly on the ground like I expected, I didn't stop falling. I saw the woman turn around and start to walk away. But as she turned around, her outfit changed into that of the military, back in my world.
"No! Wait! Please!" I screamed, trying to make her take me back and answer my questions.
But instead, the laughing of children continued on as I fell in eternal darkness. The only other words I heard were her words being echoed in the distant. "Don't worry, my little Edward, I shall come back." And then I blacked out.
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A knock came at the Fuhrer's door. The man looked up.
"Come in," he said.
The Lieutenant Colonel Riza Hawkeye entered the room and closed the door behind her. "Sorry to interrupt you, Fuhrer, but she is coming."
The Fuhrer arched an eyebrow questioningly. "How much time do I have left?"
Hawkeye seemed to hesitate a moment. "The time to finish you coffee, I guess, sir," she said, looking at the mug still full.
The Fuhrer laughed a bit. "She must be getting here very slowly," he said, taking the mug in his hands. "Well I must say that she takes very little time to go to Liore and come back."
"She did say it would take her less than three days getting there entirely on foot… but I didn't imagine she was actually serious," commented Hawkeye.
The Fuhrer became serious again. "What do you think of the fact that I decided to take her as a State Alchemist directly under my orders, Riza?" he asked, taking a sip of coffee.
The Lieutenant Colonel smirked. "Since when do you call me by my name, sir?" she asked mockingly.
The Fuhrer put his mug down and looked at Hawkeye with an amused look. " And since when do YOU try to counter the order of your superior with a joke, Riza? You know plain well that when we're in private like this, there is no need for policy."
Hawkeye just smiled. "Yeah, I know, Roy. But it's funnier to call you 'sir Fuhrer King Roy Mustang'. Anyway. For your question… It is as surprising as when Edward Elric became State Alchemist. But the most surprising thing is the name you gave her. Why 'Gate Alchemist'?"
Mustang's face turned serious and he returned his attention on his coffee. "There are things I can't talk about right now, even with you. This girl… she's a phenomenon I must protect and keep secret. I'm not saying I don't trust you. On the contrary." He looked at Hawkeye. "I just want to protect you."
Hawkeye's expression got softer and sadder. "It's turning around the Elric's case, doesn't it?"
Mustang didn't answer and just sipped his coffee slowly, looking at the papers scattered on his desk. Even if he had spoken, nothing could give a better answer than this to Lieutenant Colonel Hawkeye. She always was in the knowing that Roy Mustang missed having the Fullmetal Alchemist around. And she was one of the few who understood it, too. But why would he try to hide the true potential of that girl?
"Despite what you might think, Riza. It's not from those who would seek to have her that I wish to protect you, but from the Gate Alchemist herself," said the Fuhrer without even looking at Hawkeye. "And please… do not talk about the Elric openly in my presence, ok? I still intend on getting them back here safe and without taking the risk of another attempt of invasion."
The Lieutenant Colonel nodded. It was still painful for a lot of people to talk about those two guys, even after six years. Even though in Edward's case, for most people, it has been eight years.
"If you have no more business with me, I shall leave you," said Hawkeye, reaching for the door knob.
"Could you go say hi to Hughes' family for me? My paper work will last until midnight, since the Gate Alchemist is coming back here in Central," said Mustang.
"Sure thing, Roy," said Riza before opening the door and leaving.
Roy Mustang looked into space while sipping his coffee. The Gate Alchemist… He remembered very well what happened on the day of the inscription in which she took part.
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It was a cloudy day. Usually, Mustang didn't care about the weather. But that day wasn't an ordinary day. It was the final day of selection, the day he would choose the future State Alchemist. Half of the young alchemists that had already passed were far from impressing him. Even Alphonse Elric impressed him more in alchemy than those guys. Sure Mustang hadn't been Fuhrer for more than two years, but he already was bored of watching wannabe alchemists. And then came the turn of a young girl who looked, Mustang assumed, six years younger than Edward Elric. Using no transmutation circle, she made a sculpture of a bird so realistic that some even touched it to be sure it wasn't real. And then, always with alchemy, she made the bird flap its wings and begin to fly. General Havoc, mouth open and cigarette almost falling off, handed the results of the other tests of the young girl. It was amazing! Not only did she have a big knowledge about alchemy, she was extremely skilled and reliable, too! Mustang looked again at the girl, still occupied at making her made-up bird fly. Suddenly, she made the bird fly into the water, clapped her hands and the surface of the water froze. Everyone held their breath. And she spoke.
"Now with the finale," she simply said.
And then she concentrated and the head of a big, ice, sea serpent came out of the water, mouth ajar, fangs menacingly sharp, and in it was the realistic soil bird she had made earlier. The mouth of the gigantic creature closed on the bird that got immediately crushed. Then the girl clapped her fingers and the monster exploded in the air into tiny shards of ice, falling down on all those watching. Mustang looked back at the papers to review them. He had had a look at Edward's papers when the man got into the military. The only word the Fuhrer Mustang could qualify this girl with was simply 'phenomenon'. Then he felt an icy chill run down his spine. He looked back at the girl and she was looking directly at him with a smirk. Then her lips moved soundlessly, saying, from what Mustang understood: "I know what you want, and I can help you to obtain it."
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Roy Mustang furrowed his eyebrows as he remembered that. 'That girl… she's no ordinary human,' he thought, sipping the remaining of his coffee. Edward was shorter than normal, sure, but at least he looked and acted like a normal human. Well… for a teenager, that is. But this girl was absolutely not ordinary. She seemed even a little creepy, looking at everybody mercilessly, even though she carried out her missions perfectly with deadly precision and efficacity. But then Mustang wondered again, like the first time he spoke to that girl, a year ago. 'Who the heck is that girl?' A knock at his door brought him back to reality and he put down his empty mug.
"Come in," he said.
The door opened and in walked the Gate Alchemist. Mustang had given her that name after a little discussion, the night after the breath-taking, alchemic act the girl had put up.
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It was past midnight and Mustang was home, taking off his clothes and preparing to sleep. As soon as there were only his boxers left, he jumped into bed and closed his bedside table's lamp. Then he closed his eyes, intending on going to slumber. But then he heard a faint flapping of clothes. Paying it no heed, he turned on his back and put his arms under his head. He felt a slight weight on the bed beside him and clothes brush his chest. He felt a breath on his ear and shivered. There were three possibilities. One, he was already asleep and he was about to have one of those too frequent wet dreams. Two, his mind was playing a really good trick on him. Three… there was someone with him in the bed, just on top of him. And that last hypothesis was the one he wished wasn't true. A soft voice spoke into his ear.
"I know what you want, and I can help you to obtain it, Roy Mustang," whispered the voice.
"This is a dream… This is a dream… This is a dream…" Mustang repeated to himself.
But then he felt a hand ghost over his stomach and his eyes shot open to see, at the light of the moon, the girl from earlier that day, her grey hair held back into a bun, her deep violet eyes looking at him with what seemed like lust and hunger. She wore a white, silky night gown. Mustang swallowed hard.
"What the fuck are you doing here? You're not allowed to enter this building before you are officially part of the military, kid," Mustang growled, keeping his voice low.
The girl bent down a little and whispered in his ear. "I just thought we could have a little…" she paused to lick the Fuhrer's earlobe, "talk."
Mustang got his senses back and pushed her gently but firmly, so not to hurt her but to show her he was interested. "I'm not interested in that kind of talk with a little girl. And even less one that wants to enter the military."
"I'm sure you're just afraid I would hurt you, Fuhrer, since your body guards aren't here," said the girl. "And besides, I'm far from being a little girl anymore. In fact, I never was one. But that interests nobody since no one trusts me. I'm just an ordinary girl with abnormal grey hair and big knowledge of alchemy. Although… I'm sure you want more."
"Why the heck are you here, girl?" asked Mustang.
"My name is Ultima, Fuhrer. And I already told you that I am here to talk. Even though you don't want to believe me, I'm not here for sex. Except if you want it, of course," she replied casually.
"Ok. Let's talk. What do you want to talk about?" Mustang asked, trying to stay away from the sex subject as much as possible.
"I believe you would like to retrieve the alchemist Edward Elric."
Mustang's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, so what?"
"I can help you to attain that goal."
"How?" Mustang asked, sceptic.
"Simply by retrieving him myself. I can come and go by The Gate as I please. The hard part is to first find him."
Mustang couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You're kidding."
"Am I?"
Mustang couldn't reply. A part of him wanted to believe that creepy girl, but he knew fully that what she claimed was impossible.
"Have you seen this before, Fuhrer?" she asked.
A symbol appeared on her forehead and glowed slightly. This symbol was the ouroboros, the symbol worn by the humonculi. Mustang's eyes widened.
"What the… How… why…" He couldn't even finish a sentence as the questions and exclamations raised in his head.
"Yes. I am a child of The Gate. But contrarily to the humonculi, who were driven in their half-life by their sin, whom they wore the name, I have all their powers and none of their weakness. In fact, it is because I am a child of The Gate that I mastered alchemy like this. And it is because of that, too, that I can come and go from one side of The Gate to the other."
"It also explains why you crept me out since the first time I saw you," said Mustang, alert.
"But do not say it is not thrilling to have a servant that can't die and has so many other powers. I know that deep inside, you just wish to forget the rank and the age. Think about it. A cute girl comes in into a boy's bedroom in the middle of the night and she seems oh so innocent and harmless. What does the boy want to do?"
"I know what you're trying to get to, but it won't work on me."
"Not tonight, maybe. But someday you'll want it. Until tomorrow, Fuhrer."
And then the girl vanished. Mustang looked around frantically, trying to figure out where she had gotten to, but he saw nothing out of the ordinary.
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Mustang sweat dropped as he remembered that, looking at the grey-haired young girl enter his office. 'Since then she always tries to make me go over the edge. And every time she brings me a little closer, too.'
Ultima smirked. "Still thinking about that cute, grey-haired girl who's hitting on you, Fuhrer?" she asked tentatively.
"What about your mission?" Mustang asked.
The girl pouted slightly and Mustang mused inside. It was the first time he upset her and he sure was proud of it.
"Your little friend Edward is a better fish than you are. Just a little bait and here he goes having a hard-on. You have competition, Fuhrer," said the Gate Alchemist.
Mustang raised an eyebrow. "You found him?"
Ultima nodded. "Caught him sleeping and I decided to start the game with him in his sleep. Just a little hitting and the guy is red as a tomato. Maybe I should try the same technique on you, Fuhrer," she said naughtily, smirking.
"Forget it, Ultima. I already told you many times that I didn't want 'that' sort of talk with you."
"Sorry. I just don't know how to quit, Fuhrer."
"Anyway. When will you be able to bring back the Elric brothers?"
"There has been a change of plans, Mustang. It's not the two brothers alone. I can bring only Edward back, or bring Edward, his brother and his brother's wife."
"Alphonse has a wife?"
"Yeah. So I'll let you think about it and I'll see you later. What's my next mission, Fuhrer?"
"I don't have anything in particular for you. Take a break, I'll call you if I get anything."
"Okay."
Mustang watched the girl exit his office. Of course, he knew she would soon claim a price for taking the Elric back. He was no foul. And bringing Alphonse's wife just made the price go higher. The only problem was that Mustang didn't know the price. And that was the thing he was the most afraid of. He wanted the Fullmetal back, but not at any price. Knowing The Gate and its principles, it will surely have to be another matter of 'Equivalent Exchange'.