Chapter 1: How It All Started*
*I blame Wrath (*｀へ´*)
AN: So this story is pretty much a lot of AUs of the same fma(b) scene*, each with different endings and POVs. Most will probably be narrated by Ling, but we should get a few narrated by Lan Fan, Riza, and maybe even Dr. Knox; pretty much anyone who's involved with the whole ordeal. Also, in the parts that reflect the actual storyline, the lines and actions are mostly written from my memory/imagination, so it won't be word for word. Also, each AU will take up multiple chapters (4 or so),
*that was my original plan, but it may or may not happen (see Chapter 3's AN for more details).
Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist is not mine in any way, nor will it ever be *sob*
P.S. The first chapter is (mostly) a not-so quick how-it-all-started sort of thing.
Italics=First-Person thoughts
It was a warm day with a slight breeze, calm and quiet, as Ling stood on top of a building, staring across the vast layout of Central City. Really, Amestris was such a beautiful country. Even Ling found it hard to believe in the evil hidden behind the peaceful mask.
He glanced to the right where stood his childhood friend and sworn protector, Lan Fan. She was outfitted in her Xingese guard uniform, complete with a yang mask. He hated that mask. He wouldn't dare say it aloud, but she was really pretty without it. With her, he thought silently, the mask is the source of the evil. Even with her fine-tuned combat skills, she really was kind and merciful. He never would've thought, even for a moment, that she was too merciful. As such, he never would believe that the one thing that kept her from going too far would be the same force to defeat her.
The downfall of the invincible, merciful warrior.
"Young Lord."
"Hmm?" Ling snapped out of his thoughtful trance. "Ah! They're here!"
He looked down on the impending Homunculus. Its many layers of fat flapped as it ran. Was this a joke?! All that fearful talk about Homunculi, and this is what appears to fight them? Despite the appearance of the creature, the air almost thrummed with the energy it emitted. "Let's go, Lan Fan."
They leaped off the building almost weightlessly, in order to get a better view of the immediate threat. "Hello there!" Ling shouted down to the Homunculus. "We'll need to borrow your immortal heart for a moment, 'Kay?"
"There's no point in hiding," Lan Fan cut in. "We can trace your aura."
The Homunculus didn't acknowledge their words. Instead, it ran up to Lan Fan with a determined cry of "Eat you!", only to be kicked in the face by one of her metal-tipped combat boots. Ling liked watching her fight. Sometimes he just needed a reminder that, despite her pretty face, she was strong.
He stiffened up as something in the corner of his eye flashed. He looked down to the ground to see a man unsheathing dual-wielded swords.
"Lan Fan! Incoming!" He yelled down to her.
The man was scouting out his plan of attack.
"LAN FAN!" He shouted louder. This time she heard, but she looked up at him, distracted.
The man was running, a deadly gleam in his eyes.
In the second of reaction that she had, she held up her kunai in defense as she shouted down, "I have no fight here with a human. Leave."
A flash of metal. She managed to block one of the swords and dampen the blow of the other, but she lost her balance as it bit deep into her shoulder. Ling heard an agonizing scream as his loyal companion fell towards the ground, headfirst.
"LAN FAN!"
He heard a mumbled conversation between their two enemies until the larger one, the homunculus, jumped up with another war cry of "Eat you!"
"Not today." Ling mumbled dangerously. He leaped off his stand on the building and determinedly slashed his sword at the creature, sending a spray of blood into the warm air. As he landed on the ground, he ran over to his guard. "Hey, Lan Fan! Answer me!" There was no response. She lay in a widening pool of blood, unconscious, and breathing heavily. He lifted her up, as gently as he could, and hoisted her over his shoulder.
Without a second thought, he held up his sword in defense, and began to fight the only person to ever disable his friend.
The two swords made an indiscernible blur in the air. Ling flinched as his enemy's sword nicked his face, making a thin line of blood.
"You've had some training..." mused the man. "You know to stay to my blind side." He indicated his black eyepatch, worn over his left eye.
Ling gave no response, and kept fighting with Lan Fan draped limply over his shoulder.
A yell of "Gluttony!" From Ling's opponent summoned the newly regenerated homunculus. It clasped it's hands together and, before Ling could react, slammed them into his stomach. With a wild gasp, he flew off of the roof and crashed through the window of a corresponding building. He rolled over several times before coming to a stop, wheezing. A sudden thought of his injured companion lured him back into reality. "Lan...Fan," he groaned. She had practically smashed through the window headfirst. He could only hope that she wasn't injured more.
"Nnn..." Came the quiet voice, to his right. She was there, but clearly in a lot of pain.
The small noise almost broke Ling's heart, but it indicated that his warrior had been shocked into consciousness. At least she was alive. "I'm here." He reached out for her hand to reassure her. Suddenly the air pulsed with energy. Ling quickly but gently lifted his injured friend back onto his shoulder, just as the homunculus and Mr. Eyepatch landed in front of the broken window frame. Ling had been too rushed to notice it before, but the man wore a blue Amestrian military uniform. He did not like the direction that this was going.
"How convenient. Now nobody can see us," mused the military man. "Now, I have some questions for you."
Ling cast his eyes around for a distraction. They finally landed on the man's shoulder badge. His eyes widened. "You're the highest ranking man in the country, and this is how you treat your people?!"
"They obey me and cooperate with me. Is that not all I should require of them? Should I want them to serve me, bow to me, as is asked of your countrymen?"
He had hit a soft spot. Ling stiffened up in anger. He quickly tapped Lan Fan's leg. "'A king is no king without his people.' King Bradley ," he said, recalling the name,"you will never be a true king."
"Fool," came the retort, "There is no such thing as a true king!"
Then came the flash bomb. Lan Fan sure had perfect timing. Ling sensed around for the air flow, signaling a door. The door is...over there. He ran towards the corner of the room. A sword sliced through the air, impaling the wall right in front of his face.
"Not so fast."
Ling gasped, turning on the spot.
"What's wrong? I do have another eye, you know."
The Furher had removed his eyepatch. In it's place, a scar ran across his eyelid, but his eye seemed to work fine. And, tattooed on his eyeball, was the mark of a homunculus. An Ourosborus tattoo.
He had been told by Ed that this symbol was one only found on a homunculus, in various places on the body. That explained why the highest-ranking officer in the country was out fighting foreigners with a homunculus at his side. He was a homunculus.
A thousand questions raced through Ling's mind. How hasn't anyone noticed? Doesn't he have a wife? How do you even tattoo someone's eyeball? And, most importantly: How can I not sense his presence? A philosopher's stone made of thousands of lives is required for a homunculus, so we should be able to sense him!
A large 'boom' brought him back into reality. Lan Fan had just thrown a smoke bomb. Ling didn't hesitate. He ran and jumped through the empty window, falling harshly downward. He landed on his feet in a squatting position. It hurt, but Lan Fan was hurt even worse. He had to get her away from here; out of the imminent danger. He allowed himself a few seconds before breaking into a run. His friend had gone limp again, and unconsciousness had settled over her. He was worried to death about her. She was bleeding a lot. Another hour, and he didn't even think that a hospital could help her. He needed to get into a crowd, so he could have eyewitnesses, maybe find a healer. He ran into an alleyway, hoping beyond hope that it actually led somewhere populated. One thing was for sure: No one he knew was dying today. He wouldn't allow it.
Like it? Hate it? If that was how it started, you probably already know the angsty scene (for me, at least) that the AU's are actually centered on. Nobody likes when their favorite character gets hurt... ( ;_; )