Satori Biship & Quitze Pilling

Fullmetal Alchemist:

Journey

Chapter one

The rain fell, persistant and dripping. It wet a wide variety of people throughout Xing, all scurrying into the cover of buildings with heavily slanted roofs, the ends turned up in an ancient Xingese style. Having been searching the unfamilier streets for more than a few days, Roy Mustang found himself sopping wet and irratable. A mood he always settled into when the sky made his thoughts cloudier then they already were. Beside him Edward Elric looked like nothing more then a red puddle of mud and H20, his unusually short height adding to the illusion. The young alchemist growled in an atempt to get Mustang to buy him some coffee or something warm.

The mud puddle glared up at him with sharp golden eyes and pressed his argument further, "We've been searching for four days straight, I thought you'd give up trying to brave the rain by now!" he scuffed the ground angrily with his black boot, the red sol forcing water to splash up, "Why not send some men to look for this guy instead?" He snorted in anser to his own question, "Looks like the new Fuhrer's afraid to trust his own men."

"Watch it Fullmetal, I don't think someone so keen to bring up my new position should be so eager to lose his own." Mustang gave Edward a look that said he was teasing, but only just.

Edward shoved his left hand into his pocket, inwardly groaning about how rusty his right arm would be if he didn't dry it properly later, which the odds of him doing just that were lower than the chance that the rain might end soon. He and Al had come to help Mustang track down a new Alchemist. He just hadn't expected it to rain all the deserts rain, in the same week he had been there. Or for Winry to insist on joining them, or for May to show up and run around Alphonse with a persistant obession that just about sent Ed over the edge. So far this trip had been nothing but an aching pain in his automail ports.

But the past days had come up with nothing, which honestly didn't surprise Edward in the least. How were you supposed to track down someone whose biggest hobby is setting things on fire if it's pooring water? He was tired of Mustang's snappy orders and irratable attitude. He travled his gaze to look at the older mans face. What Edward did not expect to see was the corner of Roy's mouth twitching into a flickering smile, his deep black eyes narrowed with a certain curiosity; the dangerous kind.

As Edward watched, the familiar reasoning look Roy always held in his eyes flashed away like the flames he so liked to create, there, but gone the next second. Though it looked like something had cought fire in Roy's mind and Ed doubted he could put it out.

"You know Fullmetal, a while a ago back in Central when Havoc and I fought Lust, I used the water on the floor to make fire after turning it into Hydrogen and Oxygen again." With this statement a wild look came over him, and Roy clapped his hands together and knelt to the ground, two actions Ed still hadn't gotten used to seeing Mustang carry out and reminded himself how Mustang had been forced to open his own portal and meet Truth. Though seeing Truth was supposed to make you wiser, Edward was seriously questioning the wisdom in what he was sure Mustang was about to do.

The water on the ground evaporated and blue transmutation flashes zipped down the street like Lightning. They reached into the sky. Raindrops disapeard in blue sparks and with a snap of Mustangs newly gloved fingers, erupted into a magnificint fire show that shifted oragne light down the ally. Laughter forced it's way through Roy's usually sinister lips and rang inside Edwards ears.

Mustang had set fire to the rain.

The red coat Edward was wearing whipped around, threatening to catch fire as he frantically searched for a safe place to take cover and think about how to stop this madness. The asnwer flew into him when his younger brother exited the shop they were just outside of and yelped when Ed threw off his metal helmet and jumped inside Al's empty armor body. At least Ed had thought it was empty.

He crashed in on top of May Chang. Xingese princess or not her favorite place was inside the safety of Al's armor. She gave a shriek full of words Ed couldn't hear because his elbow was covering her mouth. He pushed off her and awkwardly glued himself to Al's left side, giving May as much space to put between them as she could. "What is she doing in here?! Al I thought you said you didn't let people inside your armor because they might ruin your blood seal, She could destroy you at any moment!" He shot the words out before thinking about their true meaning, like he always did, and knew he was about to pay for it.

It was true, any person inside Al's empty body could kill him with one wipe of a sleeve. His blood seal was convieniently located in between the armors shoulders. If one part of that cirlce was smeared away the iron in Al's armor would no longer bond with the iron in Ed's blood and Alphonse Elric would no longer exist in soul or body on this side of the gate. It was a unstable and lonely existance but Al was greatful for it. He was still alive, and Ed had given up his own arm in exchange for the chance to bond his brothers soul to the armor, knowing it might not even be possible.

"Brother!" Al let out an exhasperated gasp and threw his elder brother back into the fire rain, "She's been in there before, and so has Winry so don't give me that!"

Edward thumped to the ground and flailed, trying desperatly not to catch on fire. "Mustang stop it! This is way out of hand! Al, let me back in!"

Mustang laughed like a madman and Ed knew the Fuhrer was lost in his day dream, where his greatest enemy, rain, had turned into his best friend, fire. Ed tossed the thought around in his head with amusment, Mustang had been driven out of his mind by just a few days of being cold and wet. It was almost pathetic, and yet it somehow suited him.

"This is rediculous!" Ed clapped his hands together and dropped to the ground, rolling away from his useless brother and thrust his white gloved hands onto the ground. With an alchemical flash, a fist the size of Al sprang out of the ground and wrapped it's fingers around Mustangs torso like the ground was taking it's vengance on him. Ed danced his way around flames until he could glare up at Mustang from many feet bellow, looking even smaller then usual in contrast to the huge fist that held Mustang a few feet higher in the air. "Stop the rain and I might put you down."

Roy's hair whipped as he pulsed against the steely grasp of the fingers that crushed his arms to his sides and half declared, half wailed his response, "No! I WILL defeat the rain!"

Ed looked at Al, an annoyed sense to him "You got any good ideas other then leaving me out here to roast?!"

Alphonse took no note of Ed's smart remark and turned to find the only person who could probably calm Mustang down. Seeing it rain fireballs was pretty strange, but he certainly wouldn't put it past Mustang to do something like that, especially when his asistant wasn't there to talk some sense into him. He pushed open the door of the shop he had just left and emerged a moment later with First Liuetenant Riza Hawkeye. She was about half head shorter than Mustang, who was just above six feet tall, her blonde hair pinned up behind her head. In her hands she held a closed umbrella and strode over to Mustang, completely acostomed to the disasters he could create.

Fire flickered in her stern amber eyes, glowing the same way fire glowed off metal. When she reached the Fuhrer she held out the umbrella and gave him a disaproving stare. "Here, now put out these flames before you destroy this city." When Roy did nothing in reply but look at her with resentment as he struggled against his binds she continued, "You can have this umbrella sir. You don't want to harm any of the innocent people here and give Ling a reason to arrest you." She shifted her gaze to Ed, "Put him down Edward."

Edward didn't move at first but after being reminded of how effective the hawks glare was clapped his hands to the ground. The giant fist dropped Mustang into a pitiful heap on the ground and melted away.

Mustang knelt, mud smeered on his jacket where the hand had held him. When he looked up it was to servey the damage he had done and frown at his luitenant. He pouted, much like a child and put his own hands together. When he pressed them to the ground the same flashes as before sped down the alley and into the air. Fire was turned into water again. He pushed off the ground and clenched his jaw. As Riza handed him the umbrella she wondered if it was the realization of what he had done that was keeping him quiet or if he still hadn't woken from his daze.

The rain began to fall again, putting out the last of the fire and Edward pointed out the obvious, "You've really done it this time." He gave Riza a look, "I think Ling has reason to arrest him."

She sighed in reply, "Sometimes I think his temper is no better then yours Edward." She straitened her posture and composed herself. Regardless of the fact she and Mustang had known each other much longer then they had known the military, he was still her superior officer. The Fuhrer now. "Forgive me sir, that last comments was uncalled for."

Mustang shook his head and brushed off their comments, "Well at least it sent a message to the other Flame Alchemist." He let out a sigh of his own.

Sensing Mustang was back to himself and able to make good decisions again Edward asked the question everyone wanted to know the answer to, "So what do we do now?"

"Lay low for a while. I think we all should, I cant imagine Ling being very happy about this." Finishing off his sentance Mustang again aprecciated the fact that Ling Yao had gotten what he worked hard for, he knew it was hard work, and became emperror of Xing. He was sure that the consiquences for what he had just done would be far less under Lings rule then they would have been if one of Lings brothers had claimed the crown. Still though, he wasn't to keen on getting cought right away.

The door of the shop slamming woke the croud from their thoughts. "What did you DO Ed?!" The voice was full of accusation and a frightening tone the young mechanic had mastered after years of yelling at Ed and Al for any number of things. After all she had grown up with those two, and she knew best how to scold them. She clenched her fists at her sides and leaned forward on her toes, as if she were about to run down the street and take flight.

Edward was eager to defend himself, for once he wasn't guilty. "Most of it wasn't me this time! Ask Al!"

"For once he's telling the truth, it was Mustang." It wasn't the first time Ed and Winry had depended on him for verification. He was far more honest then either of them could ever hope to be.

Winry's face contorted into a look of disbelief then shock when she looked at Mustang who's guilt shone across his eyes. For once Edward had been innocent. And he was unharmed which was just as much a miracle. Maybe he was starting to take care of himself, trying harder not to get hurt, or better, finally attempting not to ruin her perfect automail every other week.

Winry's bright blue orbs dashed to meet Edwards gold ones when he spoke again, this time his voice full of concern, "Winry," he paused and looked up at the sky, "I think we should find somewhere safe for you to stay. Ling will be looking for us now and there's no need for you to come with us to get locked up or something. Just find somewhere to wait for me. Al, maybe May should go home too, she can still get out of this."

"How does this always happen?! I thought we were here on some peace mission or something!" Winry sounded frustrated. No matter how safe Ed said they would be, those brothers couldn't step three feet out of her sight without getting into trouble. But at least this time it wasn't their fault.

A wrench that seemed to appear from nowhere landed it's mark on Roy's shoulder. He flinched but made no attempt to deflect it, though he could have with a simple wave of his hand. It clattered to the ground and Winry strode to pick it up. When she stood straight again, she brushed some loose strands of her blonde hair, which always escpaped it's pony tail, over her shoulder and gave Mustang a fierce look, powered by concern for him and Riza, but mostly Edward and Alphonse. "Don't do that again."

Ed's snickering was drowned out by Al's echoing voice. "May, I think he's is right, you should go home."

"But, will you be ok Alphonse?"

"I'll be fine."

"Promise?"

"Promise." He said it with finality.

Al released the straps that held on his chest plate to let May crawl out. It was no wonder she was comfortable inside him, she was smaller then even Edward. Her white slippered feet landed on the ground silently and she brushed off her pink sash. She was dressed in pink silk right up to the ribbons that held her thousands of braids from her shoulders. May Chang was a princess after all. Sure, her clan was one of the poorest but when she returned home from Amestris with Ling he had promised her clan would be well cared for when he became Emperror. He had come home with the power she had left to look for, he had just beaten her to it. But he kept his promise and a completely un likely alliance had formed between the Yao and Chang clans.

May smiled up at Al through her short black bangs and hugged his leg. Her companion, a panda with a desease that had stunted her growth, leaving her no larger then a kitten landed on her shoulder. "Come on Xiao may, let's go home." She ran down the street and looked over her shoulder at Al. "Be careful!"

"I will." Al seemed to sigh as he watched her go. Someday he'd have his body back, and maybe then he could be with May without feeling guilty that she was endlessly affectionate to him, but he could never return her warm hugs. Besides the fact that he was hard and spikey, Al was cold too. He knew she didn't care that he wasn't soft and warm, but that was only a matter of time.

Now that May was gone both brothers turned expectantly to Winry. "Well, are you going Winry? It's probably safer if you do."

"No," Winry answered Al and shook her head. "I'm not going to just wait again. Whatever happens I'm sure Ling won't be upset with me." She smiled, "After all, he did offer me to be his wife once. Though I doubt he was serious."

Ed's jaw dropped to the ground, "When was that?! What else has that sneaky little devil been up to?"

Winry giggled, "Geez Ed, you'd think I said yes the way your acting!"

"Wha-what? I just mean that..." His face flushed and he hid his bright cheeks behind long golden bangs, his braid flicked as he turned away from her.

Al chuckled to himself. All these years and Ed still couldn't figure out his was in love with Winry. Sometimes he wondered if he should tell him, but he wasn't sure how Ed would react, and he didn't want to ruin anything. Besides, he was still shorter then Winry and if memory served right, she had shot both himself and Ed down when they were kids because of it.

Riza cleared her throat and adressed everyone who was left. "It might be wise to find cover. We're an easy capture out in the open like this." The way she said it made it seem as though it had underlying meaning. Like she knew just how vulnerable they were because she herself was a hunter. A sniper of Ishval, possibly the best shot in the military, though she would never brag about it. Her ability to kill wasn't one she proud of, and she was especially not proud of the time she spent in Ishval.

"Agreed, there's an empty warehouse not far from here we could shelter in." Roy's answer was short and to the point. No need to waste time. And what was there to say anyway? He had stepped out of line, and as the Fuhrer that was absolutly unacceptable.

Ed nodded and shot Al an angry look. Al ducked his head and followed his brother. He supposed Ed was angry at him for throwing him out into the fire.