Hi I'm Juana or Juans for short Marisol or Soul for short is my older adopted sister you might know her as Cajun_Karma on live journal. She's crazy but gona be helping me with some of my first story, EVER.. As a heads up this takes place post promised day but Ed has alchemy which will be explained later (he also has both automail arm and leg also explained) and mustang fixed his eyes so… yay…. Here we go
For those of you who have read this already im going over it for mistakes and stuff sorry if you see an alert for nothing but by tomorrow I should have at least two new chaps up (soul 12/2/12)
The parade grounds were empty as they usually were when this day rolled around. The promised day, and the day of the Elric's state alchemist exam. After the first epic Flame vs. Fullmetal match no one came anywhere near the grounds when the state exams were going on. But the word Elric earlier was pluralized. Young Alphonse Elric had become a state alchemist since the restoration of his body. The military referred to him as the Spirit Weaver Alchemist but at the moment the two most esteemed and respected officers in the military were referring to him as an idiot.
"Al it's not going to work and its way to dangerous to try don't even think about it," Ed sounded serious and his golden eyes burned with anger he was hardly reigning in.
"But brother the equation is fool proof nothing could go wrong!" Al was adamant.
"Al do you remember the last time we said that?" Ed's eyes were now hidden by his bangs.
"We're older now do you think I would make the same mistake. Do you think I would even tell you about this unless I was confident it would work?" Al was getting upset now.
"Look let's talk about this after the exam. The Generals getting antsy and I wana wipe that smug smirk off his stupid face"
"Ed!" Al was surprised by this quick change of mood and more than concerned for the general in question.
General Mustang stood on the other side of the parade grounds growing more and more anxious with the way the boys were conversing so seriously, and how Ed seemed to be getting more and more angry. He decided to break it up before something happened between the two.
"When you girls are done I have a test to conduct," he called over smirking at the two boys across from him and watched as Alphonse's face transformed from confusion to rage.
"GIRL?" Al screeched as he charged at mustang clapping his hands and leaving his brother to catch up. Then many things happened in rapid sequence.
Mustang snapped. Ed jumped in front of Al, hands poised to clap. Al panicked. There was a sick crackle of alchemy and the fire that surrounded the three turned green.
Over in London, the Weasly's were celebrating Harry's successful trial in the kitchen when suddenly the fireplace flared green and three very unusual individuals tumbled out.
"What the fuck did you do Mustang!" this came from a rather short golden haired man
"Language Fullmetal." this was a tall pale black haired man
"Brother I think that was me…" this was the last one taller than the first but obviously younger if the roundness of his face was anything to judge by.
"You tried it anyway." the first speaker spoke in a low voice obviously threatening as he glared at the youngest "even after I told you not to!"
"It was an accident! I panicked I…" he trailed off as he seemed to take stock of his souroundings for the first time, looking around, and continuing in a whisper "brother where are we?"
Mustang voiced the question to the room taking on the role of speaker "I'm sorry there seems to have been an accident could you tell us where we are?"
Then one of the oddest looking men the three amestrians had ever encountered stepped forward pointing a stick at them two other men were quick to follow suit. Ed laughed but before he could make a witty comment three simultaneous stupifys hit the three men square in the chest effectively knocking them out.
The main goal then was to dispose of the three men before Molly Weasly could find them and see that two of them were hardly men at all. They would wait for Dumbledore he would know what to do with them.
Then they would tell Molly.
Edward Elric awoke to a pounding headache.
"Fuck…" he moaned.
"Has anyone ever expressed their distaste for your vulgarity." the smarmy voice of Gen. Mustang came from behind him.
Ed attempted to get up, only to find he was tied to not only the smug Bastard but to his unconscious brother.
"Al!" there was fear laced his voice now. When there was no response he became almost insane in his attempts to get at his brother. "AL!"
"FULLMETAL! Stop struggling you're just making the restraints tighter." Mustang's calm almost bored voice infuriated Ed. That was his brother sitting limp and inert between them how could he be so damn calm.
Ed didn't stop struggling though, in fact he struggled harder. Mustang had to wonder if it was for sheer spite he continued tugging or if worry made him forget his abilities on a regular basis.
"Fullmetal care to take care of these bonds before you damage all of our hands?" this caused Ed to pause if only for a second.
"You do it." Ed replied. Obviously irritated that the man had waited this long to do so himself.
"They took my gloves" there was a strange note in Mustangs voice.
"Ha! Wait who's they?" Ed's brow's came together.
"I have no idea. I've been up for a while and no one has come anywhere near this room. I've heard nothing voices or otherwise."
Ed stood up and dusted his hands off on his pants. Mustang jumped in surprise. Ed looked down; "you're getting rusty in old age" was all he had to say before he got to work untangling his brother from the mass of ropes that constricted him.
It wasn't too long after they had managed to rouse Al that there was a glow from the key hole in the door and it opened to allow entrance to seven very strange people.
The first was the man with the strange fake eye. The man who the Amestrians remembered had instigated the attack on them. As he walked in the alchemists were immediately on high alert. Then came the other two attackers. One, a man with dark skin and deep purple robes, the other was a slightly insane looking longhaired man who was wearing more normal looking clothes in a dingy grey shirt and black pants. Then came the oldest looking man the three had ever encountered. His beard was tucked into the belt of his midnight blue robe. He wore half-moon glasses and his eyes held anger and fear well masked by a grandfatherly twinkle. Next came a sickly looking man with grey hair with a young heart faced woman at his elbow. Lastly a fatherly looking man with red hair came in and, upon surveying Al's age, scowled at the weird eyed one before uttering a sentence that not only confused the three but served to drive the point home that they were currently in the company of a cult of horribly insane foreigners.
"Look at them Mad Eye. They look like muggles', and the blonds looks no older than my sons how could you stupefy them so freely when they seem so obviously harmless"
Ed leaned towards Mustang "What's a muggle?"
Mustang's only decent reply was "What's a stupefy?"
The elderly one looked to the one with the weird eye, eyes twinkling and a smile on his wrinkled face,
"I thought you said they were restrained."
The weird eyed one responded with a gruff "They were."
"Ah well it seems you have under estimated our guests, who I have to say are wearing odd clothes even for death eaters. Wouldn't you agree Alastor?"
Before the man with the weird eye, newly dubbed Alastor, could speak Ed broke in, "Wait one fucking minute. This is kidnap! Who the hell do you think you are? Who the hell do you think you're dealing with?"
"See Dumbledore I told you the blond was violent and he has fake limbs you can never trust a person with fake limbs." this was Alastor again
"You would know you have a fake leg don't you?" Ed replied cheekily. The man puffed up like a blowfish.
Dumbledore merely chuckled "Rebellious and confused yes Alastor but I doubt he means us any real harm." he then clapped his hands together which caused all three alchemists to go into fighting stances. The man's eyebrows drew together but he didn't stop to ponder the odd behavior " hm… it seems we have forgotten our manners I believe introductions are in order."
Al piped up from where Ed had made him stand behind him and Mustang.
"Sir, perhaps first you could tell us why we were attacked when we really didn't mean to show up here. I mean we hardly know where hear is. We tried to apologies. It was my fault. I miscalculated my circle"
"I'm sorry dear boy what do you mean by circle?"
"An alchemic array…. How could you now know? Isn't it what you attacked us with?"
"No. Alchemy is a dead art, we used magic, you nutter." This came from the dingy looking one.
Ed was trying to contain a laugh "First don't call my brother crazy when you look like you just escaped from an asylum yourself. Second magic isn't real so why don't you tell us the truth. We've seen a lot of crazy shit in our lives we'll believe you. Maybe." Mustang elbowed him and the two began glaring at each other sparks nearly flying.
The one with red hair's eyes lit up with curiosity "Are you a muggle?"
"I don't know what the fuck a muggle is but I'm an alchemist" Ed smirked and pointed to himself "The Fullmetal Alchemist to be exact" he seemed to be waiting for a reaction, and when none came looked at them in near shock. "What the hell backwater town are you idiots from?"
The female eyes widened "Backwater?" she snorted "London, backwater?" she started laughing and her hair turned a bright bubblegum pink.
Ed jumped back shielding his brother before reminding himself Envy was dead and lowering his guard. Al though failed to remember and attempted to get past his brother to get at her, Mustang caught him by the arms.
"Let me go. It's Envy! We have to stop him. Don't you two remember what he's done! General LET ME GO!"
"Al Envy's dead." Mustang had a waver in his voice as he spoke. Having seen envy die with his own eyes he knew she couldn't be him, but greed had been recreated, who's to say, in all the chaos, they hadn't missed something so vital. There were too many buts and if's to jump to conclusions right now.
"Then how did she…."
The man with grey hair, who looked rather sickly to the three alchemists, stepped to the front of the group but, Mustang noted he took care not to step ahead of Dumbledore. That meant the old one was their leader. Odd but he'd seen worse. Then he stuck his hand out and spoke.
"I agree with Dumbledore our actions were rash and not thought through. If you would, I am Remus Lupin, and this" he said pointing to the, now pink haired, woman staring at them in open curiosity, "is Tonks not this 'Envy' person you keep speaking of. She's a metamorphmegus it allows her, within reasonable limits to change her appearance. "
"Reasonable limits?" Ed asked.
"well it's not like I can break and grow bones to get huge and short now can I?" The pink haired woman winked at them.
Envy could. Mustang was the first to accept the truce and stepped forward to take Lupins hand saying,
"I am General Roy Mustang the Flame Alchemist of the Amestrian military," he then shook Tonk's hand, not missing the looks the other group shared at the unfamiliar name. He then pointed to Ed and Al in turn saying "and these are my subordinates Colonel Edward Elric. Who you already know is the Fullmetal Alchemist, and Major Alphonse Elric the Spirit Weaver Alchemist."
They went around introducing themselves, and generally getting along until Dumbledore got around to his own introduction.
"Hello I am Albus Dumbledore headmaster for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It's a pleasure."
A tick mark appeared on Ed's forehead "For the last time old man magic isn't real!"
"I do believe I intend to change your mind."
Ed's only response was a malicious grin.
Al knew that grin and slapped a hand to his head in frustration. Not much more than five minutes and his brother had already started a fight.
Ed took a step forward but before anything could start, Dumbledore lifted his wand vanishing with a resounding crack. Ed was confused but determined not to show anything for it and instead jumped at the man closest to him.
"Where did he go? Ed asked.
Sirius' laughing surprise turned quickly to irritation.
"How should I know?" he replied hotly.
"He's your leader. You should know where he went and I'm not done with him. He owes us answers. So, where is he?"
Sirius smirked "You can use that tone all you want midget. It doesn't change the fact that I don't know where he is."
In an instant Al was behind his brother with one arm around his torso and the other over his mouth as Ed thrashed and from his mouth could be heard what was obviously a string of obscenities, some he recognized some in a language he had never heard, even through the hand that covered it. Sirius' smirk widened and he tucked that piece of info away for further use.
"Brother, calm down…"Al said, an obvious sigh in his voice. "Mr. Black probably doesn't know where Mr. Dumbledore is and you didn't really go about getting the information the right way."
"This is why you're the ambassador Alphonse, not him." Mustang added with a chuckle as the shorter blonds antics calmed.
Sirius got an evil glint in his eye "Sure that, and Alphonse doesn't need a stepstool to shake someone's hand"
In the space of a second Ed was once again trying to get his hands around Sirius' neck.
Al shook his head, again sighing. "Mr. Black if you're going to insist on goading my brother's temper, I'm going to leave you to his mercy." Sirius met Al's level look and, deciding to err on the side of caution, took it down a notch.
Once Al believed Ed was calm, he released his brother. He only realized his monumental mistake when Ed dashed passed the gathered wizards, ripped open the door, and ran down the hall in search of the missing Dumbledore. That is if his screeches of the man's name were anything to go by.
Mustang pinched the bridge of his nose as Al took off after his brother along with two men, Lupin and Kingsley if memory served, right behind him.
He looked over to the man named Arthur "I…" he started but the older man cut him off.
"I have six sons trust me. I understand."
Mustang was giving Arthur an appraising look. They would have to share a drink one evening, trade war stories, when Alastor broke the revere.
"Shouldn't you have more control of your subordinates?" he asked gruffly
"I could say quite the same no?" Mustang countered looking first to Sirius then towards the two that had run off.
Alastor grumbled but otherwise said nothing. As Tonks tried to smother her laughter. Rather unsuccessfully, truth be told.
"Either way I doubt that Ed would follow a direct order if it came from the Fuehrer himself."
The group looked confused at the title but Tonks spoke first.
"Then why keep him in your ranks? Isn't it dangerous if he turned on you?" Tonks asked. Trying to grasp the entire scenario in her mind.
"He would never turn on me, his country, it goes against his nature and he's worth fifty alchemists despite his attitude and lack of respect for laws." At this Tonks let out a low whistle. "And anyway," Mustang added "he's really only violent when you remark on his height. Or lack thereof."
There was a yell from down the hall "I'll get you later Mustang!"
Tonks and Mustang shared a look and began laughing.
-Meanwhile-
"Ed! ED STOP! I don't think he's here anymore." Al said attempting to reason with his hot headed brother. Not that tended to work.
"Even if they are I don't want to stay here. We'll find out where we are and figure out a way to get home as soon as we can." Ed trotted around a corner and dug his heels into the carpet to stop himself from running into the sudden obstacle. Al, not given enough time to react, continued running strait into his brother effectively toppling the smaller blond over. Ed caught himself but he slammed his own head into the hardwood floors. He heard a shattering sound that was oddly out of place but paid it little mind.
Ed was struggling to push Al off him, groaning Al rolled over to let his squirming brother up, and saw what had made his brother pause. Standing in front of the two in a state of shock was a redheaded woman who stood before what was once probably a pot of tea and several teacups but now bore a very poor resemblance to its origins.
Ed was already up and, as their uniforms demanded in front of a woman, in full salute. Al scrambled upright and hardly noticed as he swayed on his feet. The woman looked alarmed and reached forward but before she could say anything he spoke accompanied with his own rigid salute.
"Ma'am I am terribly sorry, for the scare and the mess. Please allow me to clean this up?" He then smiled disarmingly at the flustered woman as he clapped his hands and in a mixture of blue and white sparks fixed the tea set to its original glory which, he patted himself on the back, included the tea. When that was done he returned to his salute seeing that Ed was still rigid as a board in his salute and waiting to see how things would play out.
The woman looked at a loss for words and her eyes continued their dance between Al and the previously destroyed tea set resting in his unoccupied hand.
That was until Lupin and Kingsley caught up and having sighted Molly blanched and tried to back up mouths opening and closing no sound coming out in their trepidation. The boys offered no help.
Suddenly a look of horrified understanding lit up Molly's face as she realized why everyone had been acting strangely. Why the door on the third floor had been locked. She took in the boys' disheveled appearance, the singe marks on their clothes as well as the now visible rope burns on the wrists of the younger blond as his sleeves slid from his awkward pose. Her anger reached its boiling point as she looked no older than Fred and George but they seemed to be well used to the treatment they were receiving. That was their eyes their eyes gave her a clear view into a soul older than any wizard she had ever met.
She opened her mouth to let loose what was no doubt a fit to go down in history when the younger boy gasped, doubled over, and clutched both hands over the center of his chest. The tea set fell to the floor again. And the boy was surrounded in the same sparks that had fixed the cups. This time though the color looked to molly a horrid and foreboding violet.
"Alphonse!" The shorter boy screeched in a tone that somehow spoke like what was going on was not right, and he knew it.
The boy, Alphonse, Molly now knew, was consumed by a fit of coughing that forced him to fall to the floor as blood flowed over his hands and onto the floor.
Hurried footsteps could be heard down the hall but they were far from the small groups mind.
Molly gasped and reached out to the boy with the hand that wasn't covering her mouth.
"Don't touch him!" was the biting reprimand her efforts were met with, and she looked at the older blond. She saw the sparks reflected in the unshed tears in his odd golden eyes and tried to hide her own look of helplessness. "I don't know what's going on for sure. But I don't want anyone else hurt."
Her fear was real then. This was real. As she watched, completely helpless, a young boy was suffering. And if her eyes weren't lying it was his brother who had to wait it out as well. It couldn't have been a minute but it felt like an eternity when the younger boys back arched in pain and a gurgling chilling scream ripped through the hall.
"THAT'S IT" The elder boy bellowed and he clapped his hands together leaning in to touch his brother.
"ED! NO!" Mustang yelled as he attempted to tackle Ed to the ground before he touched Al. He was a second too late. Just as Ed's hands touched Al's shoulders the general was thrown back a few feet getting the wind knocked out of him.
The diminutive blond and his brother seemed frozen in time even the sparks had paused and a barrier of opaque fog that seemed to trouble Mustang prevented anyone from touching the two while they were in that state. He sighed out of fear and frustration. All there was now was to wait and see what kind of shape the two came back in.
The people around him would demand answers he could dance around some of the more important matters while trying to, well explain this. Lupin was the first to gather his wits, Mustang liked him if he could judge from face value the man was a fair bit sharper than a good portion of the others.
He answered the questions on autopilot. Alchemy the boys the shadows gate… STOP. Lies flowed like silk from his tongue when called for but his mind wandered behind his mask.
Since the promised day the two boys have shared a gate so he sincerely doubted the type of failure from the past but he also knew how rash Ed could be he never had gotten the full story of how he'd lost his gate in the first place. He was going to stop thinking. He would simply wait and hope, but never again.
He sighed again. It wouldn't be to long now anyway.