(A/N): Much like 'Who is Elena Elric?', this section will be dedicated to side stories such as Xenotime as well as alternative paths to the current story that I might write about. So much to do, but only one Elena! I apologize in advance for any confusion and for kicking the Tringam brothers out of the story. As much as I love them, they are a side story and I really want to continue on. So, enjoy them here as well as other extras.
"Is this the right place?" Elena tries not to doubt as they travel down the beyond rusted railroad tracks.
"Of course!" Her eldest brother confirms, trying to hide a hint of uncertainty.
"Give us the map." Alphonse sighs as Elena retrieves the unhelpful possession of Edward's. Little protest comes from him surprisingly, having been teamed up on before against his younger siblings.
Elena places the map against the sandy ground and they huddle over it, as much as a bulky suit of armor, pipsqueak, and girl can.
"That guy said it was at the end of these rails where they curve." Edward repeats what the man at the previous station had told them, even glimpsing at what Elena had written down. "Across the carpet of green, to the mountains of hope, and the tall peak shining of gold."
But nothing looks like the saying, the gold more like endless sand of scattered dreams. The rotting rails, piles of rocks gathered like giant tombs, mine carts left abandoned and empty.
"Is it the town of gold? Xenotime?" Elena writes, motioning to the ends of the tracks and the town that lies there.
"Looks like the town, but this stuff hasn't been used for a long time. I'm surprised this is still standing." Edward comments, placing a gloved hand on a support beam of a crane coated in the red of rust. The worn metal lets out a piercing groan as it topples to the ground with a crash.
"Careful, Ed!" Alphonse cries out as he and Elena dodge out of the way, the remnants of the machine strewn about like a shattered skeleton.
"They can't still be using it, right?" Edward looks over the unintended destruction he had caused, though not like much could have been done to make the crane in even worse condition. Elena tilts her head, the echoing sounds of hammers beating at rock and machinery scraping away carry in a breeze.
"What can they find?" She asks, the question seeming as empty as the carts. For a place of rumored riches, but abandoned equipment, there had to be very little left and not just the gold. "And us?"
The two brothers are silent as they all think on their own. With a clap of his hands, Edward presses them down before the broken crane. The bright light of alchemy shines around it as the crane materializes together, bits of metal melding as one to repair the damage of the fall and neglect.
"They aren't giving up. So neither are we." Edward grins, the crane standing strong on its own. "Good as new."
"But do you really think we can find any information on the stone in a town like this?" Alphonse asks as they finally see the first glimpse of state of the town from just the outside buildings is no better than the mines, all exposed metal turned to the dusty brown of rust. It seems almost abandoned until hints in the sounds of more voices reveal life in Xenotime, as well as continuation of hammers to rock. Shops still hold "Open" signs, few gold products hanging in their windows for display.
"Should we move on?" Alphonse asks, their hopes of finding any information on the Philosopher's Stone sinking with each step.
"We promised to check out every lead, no matter what." Edward reminds his siblings and himself, and his stomach reminds him that they hadn't eaten in awhile. Elena nods, accidentally bumping into his side as they reach further into the town. Normally he would ignore his body's signs of exhaustion and continue on despite Alphonse's protests, but they were with Elena now, and she wasn't used to traveling non stop or at all for that matter
"Wake up, Ellie." He prods her side with an elbow, earning a gentle shove back.
"They have to have a Tavern somewhere. We can rest there." Alphonse suggests to his mortal siblings, the suit of armor glad Edward was acknowledging Elena's needs and his own. Maybe he'd stop being so reckless to himself now?
"Yeah. Race you two!"
Guess not.
Before any race can ensue, a cry for help gets all their attention with the sound of another object toppling over not that far away.
With a nod to the other, the Elrics quickly head for the frantic shouts and come across the scene. A tiny girl is trapped underneath an overturned cart and pile of rubble, crying for her miner father who tries to keep her calm as his fellow workers carefully try to get her free.
"Please, help my daughter!" The man begs when he sees the Elrics approaching them. Knowing there's no time to lose, Edward kneels down to Elisa's level and gets a better look at her position.
"Hold still for just a minute okay?" He assures the child who lets out a tearful 'okay' in return. Taking a step back, he claps his hands and the cart transmutes into nothing more than a bar of the common iron its made of. The sight of alchemy amazes the miners as Elisa is freed, Elena noticing how much the younger girl resembles her.
"We sure were lucky that an alchemist like yourself was nearby. Thank you all so much." Lemac, Elisa's father and owner of the tavern that the Elric siblings currently found themselves in, as well as a small crowd of miners that followed them in after the rescue, thanks them . Grateful for the meal that the man happily provided for his daughter's savior and companions, Edward and Elena begin to eat as Alphonse politely turns it down.
"Oh, and don't forget his metal daddy and girl friend!" Elisa smiles brightly at the other Elrics, both shocked from the clueless girl's assumption of the two.
F-Father? Alphonse thinks, not sure whether to be surprised or find it funny of the new guess. Usually he was always to be figured as the older brother, but never their father.
G-Girl friend? Elena doesn't write the words down, too shocked about it. Though now that she thinks about it, her brothers were probably always confused for younger and older, but their father? And her as Edward's girl friend? Maybe Elisa meant as a female friend?
"No, he's not our father, and she's not a friend." Edward holds back his laughter with a grin from seeing his siblings' reactions. "They're actually my little brother and sister."
"Little brother?" Elisa repeats, confused as to how that could be. "But he's so much taller than you."
Now it's Edward's turn to be surprised as he attempts to contain a rant about height from the innocent Elisa while Elena laughs without a sound as Alphonse tells the girl that they're just glad she's okay.
"Hmm? How come-" Elisa starts to ask why the little sister doesn't make any noise when a man rushes into the room with a basket of lemons in hand.
"Elisa, are you alright?" He asks the girl from the doorway, suddenly feeling very unwelcome when her father glares at him.
"Mr. Belsio!" She names the man, happy to see him after the accident.
"You stay away from her." Lemac stands protective in front of his daughter who looks up at him in confusion. "You almost got my poor daughter killed! Elisa, you are never to help him with his work again, you understand?"
"But daddy, it wasn't Mr. Belsio's fault! It was my idea. I begged him to let h-h-help-" Elisa argues, only to be interrupted by a series of coughs that force her to cover her mouth. Suddenly very concerned over the girl, the Elrics watch her as Lemac hands her a helping of medicine and a glass of water. Her coughing stops, and they're relieved. Maybe it was just a cold, but that was the same they had hoped about their mother.
"I am sorry." Mr. Belsio says as he leaves the basket of lemons on the table and exits the room.
"I...I just thought, that maybe, if daddy had lemons, he could make a pie like he used to because there's no more lemons anymore. Mr. Belsio grew them all himself." Elisa continues sadly after seeing the man leave. Disheartened to see the young girl so upset, a member of the crowd speaks up.
"Well, when Mr. Mugear's research on the stone is complete, we can buy all the lemons we want."
"Did you say 'stone', like the Philosopher's Stone?" Edward asks suddenly, he and Elena exchanging hopeful glances as Lemac and the others nod.
"That's right! You must be here to assist him, correct? You have to help him!"
"Please, help Mr. Mugear restore Xenotime to its former glory!"
"Our children can't keep suffering like this."
They motion to the designs of goldware that line the walls of the Tavern, hinting to the glory days of what had once been a bustling town of business and not a shadow of its former self.
"Looks like we have no choice but to visit him, huh?" Edward admits, he and his siblings feeling the pressure from each and every one of the citizens as they're surrounded by the pleading crowd.
"Before you go, could we at least know the names of our saviors?"
"I'm the Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric." He grins, expecting the popular title to be recognized as Alphonse introduces himself and Elena writes her name down with an unsure smile. She wasn't known at all, unlike her famous brothers.
"As in State Alchemist, hero of the people? The Elric brothers?"
"Yeah, that's us. We're the Elric siblings, not just brothers." Edward confirms the disbelief that suddenly forms on each face.
"You're Edward Elric?"
"Yeah, I just told you. I'm Edward Elric." He repeats, the confusion turning to him and his siblings as the crowd suddenly gets very mad.
"Aren't you a little too old for lies, boy?"
What? Lies? Elena watches as Edward insists they are who they say they are, getting just as irritated as the others when they call the Elrics liars over and over.
"Look at you, kid, trying to pretend to be Master Edward. Shame on you!"
"M-MASTER?!" Edward snaps, wondering what the hell was their problem, or rather, who this other Edward was.
"But, we really are the Elrics." Alphonse protests, Elena nodding in agreement as she wishes she could help persuade the angered crowd that gets uncomfortably close now, and to Elisa's face getting saddened by her rescuer's supposed lies. "It's true. Really."
"If you're going to lie to us, do better than soiling Master Edward's name!"
Before they know it, they're tossed out of the Tavern as Edward snaps back.
"What was that for?!"
"Because the real Elrics are already here!" Lemac points at the mansion on the hill, a sight that sticks out amongst the dust and rust of the town's buildings.
"We...are?" Elena brushes the dirt off her sketchbook as she looks over to Edward who by the look on his face, can only be plotting the worse.
"We're going to break in, aren't we?" Alphonse asks with a sigh, already knowing the answer all too well.
"We are?" Elena asks again, still uncertain and with the idea of breaking the law, though they weren't the first ones breaking it like whoever stole their named.
"We are. We're going to find these impostors and they're going to tell us all they know. Now, c'mon!" With no choice, his younger siblings follow after the eldest Elric for Mugear's mansion and the false Elrics.