(A/N: Woot! We've back folks! Ichigo here! Orenji and I hope you enjoy the awesomeness of this Fullmetal Alchemist fanfics. We hope this small story becomes as great as Arakawa-sensei's original creation! Please support us in our endeavors! R&R!

Story Keys

"talking"

'thinking'

Melissa speaking through her notepad

Disclaimer: Neither Orenji nor I(Ichigo) own Fullmetal Alchemist

Chapter 1: Three and a Half Alchemists

Children of God who dwell on the Earth…there is no salvation without prayer and faith. The Sun God Leto will illuminate thy path. Behold! The Lord hat descended from his heavenly throne to save thee from thy sins. For I am the emissary of the Sun God…

Lifting her head, a small girl with long, dirty blond hair that ended in many thick ringlets level with her mid-back cast her green eyes around chewing on the end of her straw, "What is this…?"

"It's a religious broadcast," a older, taller girl with long waist length black hair replied from her seat to the left of the first girl, her dark eyes closed in boredom as she sipped at her drink, "For the Sun God Leto."

To the dark blonde's right a boy with yellow-blond hair in a braid spoke up, "Somehow the fact you know doesn't surprise me."

Shrugging the brunette returned the straw to her glass filled with milk and began sipping quietly seemingly quite bored.

The blond stared at her, "How can you drink that stuff anyway Karin?"

Karin lifted her green eyes to look at the boy, Edward Elric, "What? I like milk. It's gunna make me grow up to be tall."

In an attempt to out grow the Fullmetal Alchemist, who was currently almost a foot taller then her, Karin had been drinking vast amounts of milk lately whenever she could.

"Yep," the black haired girl agreed, "It's full of calcium and other good vitamins, personally, I don't like it but…I'll still drink it."

Ed glowered going back to his orange juice, "You're both crazy."

"You make it seem like it's gunna eat us." Karin pointed out.

"Either way," Ed said choosing to ignore the small girl's comment, "A messenger of God? What's that?"

"I think I'm the one who should be saying 'What's that?' about you," the store clerk, an old man wearing a hat that fitted tightly around his skull, with a graying beard piped up, "Are you street performers?"

Surprised by the question Ed blew into the straw unintentionally sending his juice flying everywhere. Ignoring the protests of a now slightly damp Karin beside him he began to interrogate the man who dared ask such a ridiculous question,

"Okay, Pops. What part of us looks like street performers?"

"What else could you be?" was the reply.

"And here I thought there was going to be a show to look forward too…what a shame…"

Turning in her seat Karin looked behind them and saw a blond boy standing behind them, "Huh?"

The clerk looked at the boy surprised and began to pour another glass of milk, "Eh? Mikko, you're here earlier then usual…"

"Ya…I guess you could say…" he paused eyeing Claire's back and Karin's innocent face, "I was more motivated to come here then usual….heh heh."

Easily noticing the boy's obvious glance Ed rolled his eyes just as a girl with short blue hair held back with a headband stepped out from behind the boy, her orange eyes staring at them briefly in turn as she bowed to each of them.

Claire, the black haired girl, blinked behind her glasses at the girl before smiling, "Oh, hello there."

Karin blinked confused as the blue hair girl simple waved in greeting so Mikko clarified, "Melissa says hello."

Karin blinked again, "Why doesn't she just say so herself?"

"Ehh…she doesn't…really like speaking her mind…don't take it as an insult though…ehhhh, if you're not street performers…why are you here exactly?"

Turning his back to Mikko, Ed began to sip his drink again, "We're looking for something." he paused chewing on his straw thoughtfully, "Anyway, what's with this broadcast?"

Mikko blinked, "You mean you've never heard of Cornello?"

"Who?"

"Let me guess..." piped up Claire, "He's the messenger of the Sun God Leto?'

Ed scowled when Mikko nodded, "I really wish you'd stop doing that Claire."

"Doing what?" she asked innocently.

"Knowing everything."

"Jeez…I was just bored so I actually listened to the broadcast."

"Mm-hmm." agreed Ed in a tone that said he didn't believe her at all, a tone which earned him a quick smack in the head delivered by Claire.

"Nii-chan's too bored to listen, nihahaha."

Mikko blinked looking at Karin and Ed, "'Nii-chan?' you two don't look related…"

"We're not." Ed cut in.

"I just call him that 'cause he's just as good as a real one!"

"Really?" Mikko asked curiously before sensing Ed's piercing glare and cleared his throat hastily, "Anyway…Cornello is the founder of Leotism. Apparently he came to this city a few years ago preaching about God."

And sure enough, all around them citizens were adding their two cents to the conversation,

"It's incredible! It's truly the power of God!"

Tuning out the citizens chatter Claire pushed her glasses back up onto her nose and peered at Ed, "You're not listening at all are you?"

"Nope, I'm not interested in religion," pushing away his glass Ed stood up, "I'm stuffed, let's beat it."

"Kay!" Karin chirped as she happily hopped off her stool smoothing her pink skirt down afterwards, Claire followed sliding off the stool and onto her feet brushing the dirt of her knee length black skirt. Al also rose up, however, the helmet of the suit of armor crashed into the overhanging part of the shop creating a chain reaction, causing the radio to bounce from its spot and shatter on the cobblestone below.

"Oopsie, there it goes!" Karin laughed, "Normally I'm the one breaking stuff!"

"Waah! You broke it!" Mikko cried hands on his head a look of horror on his face.

"Sorry! I'll fix it right away!" Al reassured him.

"'Fix'?" the store owner asked, "How?"

Ed smiled, "Just watch."

Karin pouted, "I wanna do it!"

Chuckling Ed ruffled the smaller girl's hair, "If you do anything to it Karin it'll be beyond repair!"

Sweatdropping Al completed the transmutation circle and stood crossing his hands over the center of the circle where the broken radio sat, "Here I go."

As Al spoke those words there was a flash of bright light, a puff of smoke and suddenly the chatter started back up again, the radio was repaired.

"Uwah! That's so cool!" Mikko exclaimed, 'He's an alchemist!'

"Yep! Al-chan's great isn't he? Right? Right?" Karin chirped her eyes sparkling, however the sparkling eyes were soon squinted shut in irritation as Ed ferociously ruffled her hair, "Owowowowowowow…"

"I'm totally stunned!" exclaimed the store/radio owner as he gaped at the repaired apparatus, "You can use the power of miracles?"

Blinking Ed stopped ruffling Karin's hair and turned to look at the man, "Say what?"

"I never expected you to be alchemists…" Mikko spoke up attracting Ed's attention from the other direction.

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's not everyday I get to meet an alchemist…are you all alchemists?"

"More or less, this one," Ed paused returning his hand to its resting place atop Karin's head of dark blonde locks, "tends to blow things up more then make them?"

"Oh?" Mikko asked curiosity peaked, "You like to blow things up too?"

"No," Claire growled, "She doesn't."

Mikko just blinked and ignored her, "Who are you guys anyway?"

"Just call us the Elric Brothers," Ed told the blond boy puffing out his chest a bit in pride, "We're sorta famous."

"Ehhhhh? I'm not a boy!"

Al sweatdropped, "She's Karin…"

"That's right! I'm Karin! Karin Messana!"

Claire bowed, "I'm Claire Hart."

"And I'm Mikko Wuori!"

Ed snorted, "Wuori?"

"Yes? What's the matter?"

Ed snickered, "It just sounds funny."

Stunned that someone could say such a thing about his name Mikko simply gapped opening his mouth and closing it several times before Ed's snickering finally brought him back to his senses, "No it doesn't! It's a respected name where I come from!"

No luck. Ed continued to snicker trying hard not to laugh outright. Suddenly the town folk around them seemed to have winded down from their previous conversation about Cornello and began chattering excitedly,

"The Elric Brothers?"

"I've heard of them!"

"The older one is a National Alchemist!"

"Really?" Mikko questioned as he joined the crowd surrounding Al, "Then I'm sorry for making fun of your suit of armor!"

"Eh? But Al-chan's not Nii-chan!"

All fell quiet as the crowd looked between Al and the boy Karin was pointing to, finally Mikko was the one to breach the silence,

"Eh? This little boy?"

Anger finally snapping Ed grabbed Mikko by his shirt and begun spinning him round and round before finally releasing him, "WHO'S THE SUPER SMALL SPECK?!"

As Ed panted in anger Karin's green eyes tracked the boy as he sailed across the sky and crashed into a brick wall half a block away which promptly exploded, the fragments raining all around them and amongst them Mikko made his angry stomp back up the street,

"Oi! That was uncool Edford!"

Green eyes blinked at him, "Edford? But Nii-chan's name is Edward."

"He must be from far away," Claire reasoned pushing her glasses back up her nose bridge, "His accent's pretty thick."

"I'm the younger brother Alphonse Elric." Al stated deciding to take advantage of the stunned silence.

Suddenly remembering the misunderstanding Ed whirled back around to face the crowd pointing at himself, "I'm the Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric!"

"Excuse us!" the crowd cried afraid of Ed throwing them like he did to Mikko.

Karin looked at the crowd pityingly, "I feel sorry for them."

"I do too," Claire agreed, 'It would've been worse if anyone called me by my well…alias I guess you could call it…'

As if her thoughts had been telepathically blasted Ed piped up her worst fear, "Hey Claire, you never said what your alchemist name is, no one'll know you other wise!"

Startled Claire pushes her glasses back up her nose, "I-I'd rather not…"

"Oh c'mon it's obvious by your glasses," Ed stated waving his hand, "It's Mekkaneko."

At the word Claire's gaze darkened, "Oi…"

Mikko blinked, "Mekkaneko?"

"That's right, you know what that means right?" Karin asked sweat dropping.

"Er…"

'Soo…it is her...' he thought, 'Just my luck to find someone connected to the military who's my age! So what if I'm a year older?! I can't let this chance pass me by!'

Suddenly realizing Karin was staring at him with curious eyes Mikko snapped out of his thoughts, "No I don't know…what does it mean?"

"Glasses girl," the green eyed blonde replied simply, "They call her that because she needs glasses to perform her alchemy."

"Can we please stop talking about it…?" the black haired, bespectacled girl in question muttered as she memorized the contours of the stone beneath her feet.

Oblivious to Claire's embarrassment Mikko had the misfortune for the second time that day to be at the receiving end of two State Alchemists' wrath that day, "What a stupid name."

The punishment he received?

Claire's "Super Special Kick Shot" into a wall nearby the first one he hit.

"Why meeeeee!" he whined as a reluctant Melissa hauled him out of the pile of rubble that had once been a wall of a building.

Karin winced as she hoisted her backpack onto her back, "Ouch…"

"Glad that wasn't me…" Ed muttered shaking his head.

"Eh? Rose?" Mikko blinked as a girl with darker skin and brown hair with pink bangs rang over, 'There's so many cute girls…how can I just pick one?'

"Lovely day isn't it?" the girl named Rose greeted them as she approached and paid the store owner some money and he began to pack a paper bag with objects.

"Eh…um...yes!" Karin stuttered hastily, a bit nervous with all the stranger accumulating.

"Going to the church again?"

Rose turned and smiled at Mikko, "Yes, I need to make some offerings."

"Offerings?" Karin muttered as she thought of the kinds of things you could possibly offer a God

Suddenly noticing the two girls, the boy and the suit of armor Rose blinked, "I don't believe I've seen you before…"

"They've alchemists," Mikko replied, "They said they're looking for something."

Rose smiled as she clutched the paper bag tightly, "Well, I hope you find what you're looking for! May God protect you!"

"Rose has become so energetic lately; it's all thanks to the founder," Karin turned her green eyes from Rose's disappearing back to look back at the store owner in confusion while Ed replied with an unintelligent, "Huh?" noticing he had their attention he continued, "That girl has no relatives, but on top of that her boyfriend died in an accident this year."

Karin gasped, "No way! That's terrible!"

Mikko nodded, "Yeah…I thought a girl would be so devastated she'd never be able to smile again…but she's so happy."

"What saved her," a bald man said, "Were the teachings of Cornello the messenger of the sun god Leto."

"Eh…? Really..?" Karin asked only to be ignored as the man continued with his story.

"He said he gives everlasting life to the living and rebirth to the dead. The power of miracles proves that. Mister!" he turned to look at Ed, "You should definitely take a look too, that's definitely the power of God!"

"'Rebirth to the dead' huh? That smells fishy." Ed mused scratching his cheek thoughtfully.

"I'm guessing you're not to interest in Leotism."

Ed glanced at Mikko, "Nope, I'm an atheist."

"Then? Will you guys be leaving town?" the older blond pressed.

"Once we find what we're looking for."

"And what would that be?"

Ed scowled not liking Mikko's tone, "None of your damn business."

Mikko scowled as well, "Just wanted to help."

"Um…" Karin piped up meekly, "Sorry...but…"

"It's a group problem," Ed explained cutting Karin off, "You don't need to get involved, Wuori."

"Well…is there anything I can do for you while you're here? I'd like to help anyway I can…"

'This guy is trying too hard to be nice…' Claire noted as she studied the two blond boys through her glasses.

"If you keep insisting," Ed paused eying Mikko with the same suspicious look Claire was, "Then maybe a place to stay."

"Melissa, do you think we have enough room?" he asked looking at the girl with short blue hair that stood beside him whom paused, thinking, before nodding, "Then it's okay."

"Thanks then."

"The pleasures all mine."

"Hn."

"Why are you here Wuori-san?" Claire asked as she scooped up her bag.

'Doi…why is she asking?' he thought before replying, "Ehhhhh why do you ask?"

Ed rolled his eyes, "Cause judging from that flaky accent of yours you're not from around here."

"Well…the place where I'm from is going through a lot of problems so…I figured I should get as far away from there as possible. Well…that and the selection weren't very good."

"Ehh? Selection? Was the food bad?"

Startled, Mikko waved his hands at Karin, "No! Nothing like that!"

"Then what?" she asked.

"Hahahaha…uh…how do I explain this?"

Melissa sweat dropped, unable to believe he was actually going there. Karin on the other hand titled her head to the side adorably, "Huh?"

"Ahhhh…. the umm….people were…not as nice to…uh…be around…"

"Huh? They were mean to you?"

"Ehh…hehe…"

"I think," Claire sublimated helpfully, "He means he didn't like the girls where he came from."

"Eh? Really?" Karin asked oblivious to the true meaning.

"You better not try anything funny." Ed warned Mikko.

"'Funny' Ahahahaha….that sounds weird coming from a shrimp..."

And to prove that the third time is, indeed, the charm Mikko was once again grabbed and thrown for his blunt mouth by Ed with a cry of, "PERVERTS SHOULDN'T MAKE FUN OF OTHER PEOPLE!"

"It's so big…"Karin said as she stared up at the ceiling of the church as they walked into the building.

Rose paused from cleaning the alter and turned to look, "Oh? Didn't I meet you earlier? Do you want to learn about Leotism?"

"Sorry," Ed replied holding up a hand to silence the others, "But like I already said, we're atheist, or at least, I am."

"That's not good! By believing in God you live in gratitude! It's wonderful! If you have faith surely you'll grow taller!"

"What? You little-"

Quickly grabbing his brother Al hastily added, "She didn't say it to be mean."

"Hmphf," Ed grunted as he sat himself down in a pew, "Pray to God and the dead will come back…huh? …Jeez…do you really believe in something like that?"

"I do…with all my heart!"

There was a silence before Ed sighed and pulled a small, worn notebook out of an inside pocket of his red jacket, flipping it open to a page, as though he memorized it's exact location long ago and often referred to it. He then began to read, "35 liters of water, 25 kilograms of carbon, 4 liters of ammonia, 1.5 kilograms of lime, 800 grams of phosphorous, 250 grams of salt, 100 grams of saltpeter, 80 grams of sulfur, 7.5 grams of fluorine, 5 grams of iron, 3 grams of silicon, and a little bit of 15 other elements," Ed paused smirking at bit at Rose's dumbfounded look, "These are the elements that are required to make an average human adult body."

"We already know that much with modern science, but the reality is that no successful human transmutation has ever been reported. There's not enough of something...for hundreds of years scientists have been researching and researching, but the still haven't been able to grasp it," Ed paused snapping the book shut and returning it to his jacket pocket, "So you could say it's a wasted effort, but I think it's a lot more useful than just praying and waiting. Oh right, and the ingredients for these parts? You can pick all of them up at a market with the pocket money of a little kid. It's really cheap to make a human being!"

Rose smoldered for a moment before exploding outwards as Ed's words hit home, "A person isn't a thing! You're being disrespectful to the creator! You'll get the wrath of heaven!"

Ed laughed, "Alchemists are scientists, we can't believe in some vague thing like "The Creator" and "God." We explain the fundamentals of the creation of everything in the world and pursue the truth. It's ironic that as scientists that don't believe in God, we're the ones who are closest to God."

Rose scowled, "That's arrogant, you think of yourself as God's equal?"

Ed smirked eyes closing as he crossed his legs and rested his hand upon his knee as his three long term companies gloomed, "Oh right, I've heard this legend before, 'There was once a hero who flew too close to the sun. His wings of wax fell apart and he plummeted to earth…'"

"So what do you think of Cornello?"

Standing upon a wooden box Ed continued to observe Cornello for a moment as he created his "miracles" before he replied to Mikko's query, "I think he's a fraud."

Claire nodded, "It's pretty obvious he's using alchemy."

Ed frowned a bit, "Ya…but the law…"

"So you all came?" a voice questioned suddenly.

Looking back Karin noticed Rose making her way towards them through the large crowd that had assembled in the square that surrounded a large statue and nodded at her, "Yeah."

"What do you think about it?" Rose asked as she came alongside Ed and Al, "No doubt about it's the power of miracles! After all, Lord Cornello is the son of the sun god."

Ed continued to peer at Cornello not sparing Rose a glance, "Nope. It's alchemy. He's a fraud."

"But the law…" Al added.

"Hmm…that's right."

Rose blinked, "Law?"

Al turned to look down at her, "From an average person's point of view, alchemy is a handy skill that can make anything without limit. But the truth is there's laws."

"The law of conservation of mass and the law of providence right?" Karin piped up coming alongside the group, smiling when Al nodded at her and listening closely to Claire as she picked up the rest of the story.

"Among us practitioners there are people who use the four elements and the principals but…it's taking an object with one element and changing it into an object containing the same elements. An object made of water can only be transmuted into an object with water attributes."

Mikko stared at her with dazed eyes, "What?"

Mikko's comment finally tore Ed's gaze from Cornello to the boy beside him, "I thought you were an alchemist."

"I never said I'm an alchemist…I'm still reading the instruction manual! I just like blowing stuff up…"

Ed rolled his eyes muttering "Idiot" before turning his attention back to Cornello, "In simple terms for the idiot over there," he threw a glare at Mikko, "The basis of alchemy is 'Equivalent trade!' If you want to make something you need something of equivalent cost. But he ignored the law and was able to transmute."

"Make some sense!" Rose snapped, "Do you believe in the power of miracles or not?"

"Nii-san…maybe it's…"

Ed smirked a bit, "Yeah, maybe it is….Bingo!"

Melissa blinked when all of a sudden Ed spun around a big dopey grin on his face as he addressed Rose, "Miss! I'm interest in this religion! I want to talk to the founder, so could you give me some information?"

Karin's green eyes widened, 'Nii-chan! You're full of baloney!'

Claire narrowed her brown eyes at Ed, "What are you thinking….?"

Ed smiled at them, "Relax guys! Everything'll work out!"

Mikko's eyes turned into swirls as he followed the others, "Man this guy has serious mood swings…"

Melissa rolled her eyes and took out her pad and scribbled on it and showed him, No, you're just stupid.

"Oi."

Walking through a hallway of the church a sense of foreboding was settling upon members of the group. Karin, the youngest was chewing on the sleeve of her yellow sweater while holding onto the white sleeve of Claire's, Cray, the man guiding them, had an evil feel to him.

"The founder is a busy man," Cray stated as he opened a door and lead the group inside, "And thus does not have much time, but I wish you good luck."

Removing her sleeve from her mouth Karin tugged on Claire's whispering hurriedly, "I don't like this…"

"Me neither," Claire replied her voice just as hushed, "But we'll have to see what Ed's planning…"

"Sorry," the previously mentioned blonde said, "I don't plan on talking to him for too long."

"Yes, we'll end this quite soon" Cray agreed smirking with his back turned to the teens as he reached into his coat pocket and pulling out a gun and aiming it at the helmet of Al's armor and pulling the trigger with his next words, "Just like this!"

Suddenly the room was filled with the ringing of the gun shot, the clash of Al's armor and the sound of sharp weapons being revealed blocking the young alchemists' path.

"Brother Cray!" Rose cried horrified, "What's the meaning of this?"

"Rose! These people are heretics that were going against the founder, they're demons!"

Stunned Karin removed her hands from her ears and her eyes widened as she discovered their paths individually blocked by spears that had been disguised as flags that their entourage had been carrying.

"No!" Rose insisted, "If that's why, the founder wouldn't allow th-"

Clay smirked, "He did allow it! The words of the founder are the words of God! This is the will of god!"

"Oh?" Al's headless armor body asked as he gripped Clay's gun tightly in his hand, "That's a mean God."

Using everyone's shock at the still alive Al, Ed forced down on the end of the nearby guards pole, grabbing him by the shirt and throwing him to the ground as Al punches Clay square in the face.

"Um, there's still-"Karin began noticing one man still standing only for the man to be knocked to the ground as Ed violently tosses Al's head at him, "Never mind..."

"Strike!" Ed cheered gleefully.

"My head!" Al cried.

"I've got it!" Karin chirped.

"W-What's going on?" Rose stuttered.

Mikko blinked, "Is he invisible?"

Ed shook his head banging his fist on the breastplate of the armor, "It's always…"

"Like this." Al finished pointing to himself.

"There's nothing inside!" Rose cried horrified, "It's hollow!"

"Here you go Al-chan!" Karin chirped as she ran over and held out the amour's head to Al.

"Thank you Karin-chan!" Al cried as he took his head back and placed it back between his shoulders, "Oh this? This is the body of someone who has trespassed in God's forbidden domain. Nii-san too."

Rose stared, "Edward too…"

"Okay, let's stop this topic," Ed said turning to Rose, "You saw God's true nature didn't you?"

"No! There must be some mistake!"

Mikko, on the other hand, was still in a daze over Al's statement, 'What exactly did they do?'

Ed scratched his head, "Geez…the lady's already seen this much and she still believes in that fraud of a founder…Rose…"

At the sound of her name Rose looked up and found herself looking at Al, Ed, Karin and Claire, Ed having a serious look on his face as he continued,

"Rose, do you have the guts to see the truth?"

Notes

-chan: an honorific that indicates close familiarity. Normally reserved for girls but can be used for younger boys or boys you're particularly close to, can be used for last and first names

-san: Added to first or last names as we would use, "Mr" "Mrs" or "Miss" it is the most common honorific.

Edford: As indicated by his surname, Mikko is from the Amestris equivalent to Finland and judging from what a friend of Orenji's told her, natives tend to pronounce Ws as F thus they pronounce the name Edward as Edford.

Nii-chan: An informal form of Onii-san, meaning older brother

Nii-san: Means "brother" it is more formal then Onii-chan and Nii-chan but less formal then Onii-san

Oi: Hey