Thank you so much for the reviews so far! Hopefully this story will be good enough to warrant into double or triple digits... That being said, I have read what you've written. Your questions will be answered soon, have no fear. Yes, some events and quotes are directly from the book. I use it as a reference. I don't own those, either. Soon this story will diverge far from the original book.
Roy Mustang looked up from his desk, his self-satisfied grin falling grim. He looked at the young man before him. He was coupled with a heavy suit of armor. Green, level eyes looked back beneath a shock of black hair.
"I'm here to take the Test." The boy said, hoping his vagueness would imply his determination.
Mustang had the temptation to shoo the boy away. But, there was something in the spectacled eyes, something haunted, deathly that caused him to consider.
"An alchemist at your age? You hardly look older than eleven or twelve." A State Alchemist to Mustang's right said.
The heavy suit of armor shook its head. "My brother's really talented. We've studied Alchemy for a long time."
The boy, meanwhile, screamed internally. This was what he had to do: but he had no recollection of what instigated his actions.
Edward lay on his back, staring at the slanted ceiling that squeezed him into the small space. He kept his hand on his stomach, his prosthetic limb unmatched and sitting against the wall, and his mind racing. Now that he had gotten in what seemed to be trouble—he didn't realize guardians were so cruel—and was marinating in his own unfiltered rage, he had time to think.
The first few days of "crossing-over" Edward had suffered a form of jet lag. He was putting the pieces together, albeit slowly. Now his mind could process the information that was presented to him.
And from what he'd seen, he was getting very mad. The man and woman were unjust. They had created an imbalance that would make any alchemist's heart throb with grief. They had doted on the fat boy and had ignored Edward, for the most part. When Edward was allowed a meal after his first punishment, they made as though he didn't exist.
"You should at least yell at me or something." Edward challenged.
If only he had his other arm. Or maybe a few books of his. Then he could do something worthwhile in the cupboard. Instead of thinking he could be studying. Or he could be testing the physics of this world.
Not that he couldn't do that now…
Edward sat up and took a marble from one of the small shelves lining what he assumed was his "room". He had no trouble moving about. Thankfully his muscle mass remained the same. It made for an easy escape from Dudley's low, heavy blows. The boy didn't know how to fight, not properly. Brute strength never made up for skill.
The marble in his good hand, Edward watched it. If the world worked like his then it should fall without a problem. He dropped it. It plummeted to the floor and clicked. Edward swooped it up again. Well, that was a bad test, wasn't it?
Edward rolled the dusty green sphere between his fingers. Alchemy worked. The thought fell into his head. He had placed his palm against the glass and it vanished.
But he didn't notice. He had only placed his palm on the glass out of instinct. Pure instinct. Edward gritted his teeth. What the hell was going on with this world? It wasn't completely normal. It had advanced technology, medicine, and zoos. But there was something else in this world. Something Edward couldn't quite understand.
And it looked an awful lot like alchemy.
Edward let the marble drop on to his bed. It fell at the same rate. Edward picked it up and set it aside, flicking a spider away from it.
Several days later, Edward left his cupboard to be greeted be a horrible stench. He crinkled his nose, wondering what died and rotted in a matter of half an hour. Locating the reek in the sink, which was bubbling with gray water and a mass of big clothing, Edward was no less satisfied.
"Seems like your cooking got worse." Edward commented.
Petunia, who stood next to him, scowled. "Don't be stupid." Her eyes glinted. "It's your new uniform."
Edward shoved his hand deep into his pocket.
"Do all schools…" in this world. He paused. No, he shouldn't say that. "…in this region of yours have a policy for ugly uniforms?"
She became tart. The mere inquiry had set her into an even worse mood. Edward grinned slyly. Secrets began to peer through half-opened doors. He only had to lure them out, one by one. He stepped back from the sink and pried into her eyes again.
"It'll dry soon, once I finish dyeing it."
"Besides, I doubt it would fit me." Edward said. Dudley was several thousand times fatter than short, lean Edward. Short… Edward had called himself short. He screamed inwardly.
"You can stitch up one of the sleeves if you want to." She avoided looking at his missing appendage.
"That's rude, asking a one-armed kid to sew his own clothing." Edward retorted.
Petunia's cheeks turned bright red.
"You are awfully mouthy today." She hissed.
Danger levels: rising. Edward's ability to care about what this walking effigy had to say: decreasing dramatically.
"So that's it, isn't it?" Edward said.
Aunt Petunia narrowed her eyes.
"You have something against me. Something that makes you want to hate me. You don't really hate me, at least, you haven't always hated me. Something, like, say, jealous has turned you into this monster of a human." Edward snapped. He could feel the blood pressure in his head rising. "So you take it out on me."
Petunia opened her mouth to admonish him.
"Or are you not prepared to face the truth? You live in your own private bubble. Other people's feelings aren't important to you, are they? So long as you look good, everything's perfect. Who cares if you emotional scar a kid for his entire life? I had people like you." Edward gave her a pointed glare. Before he could continue on, his head snapped to the side.
He had seen it coming. He had seen the blur of an arm swing towards his cheek. He had seen her intent to slap him. Edward began to react, shooting signals down his body and into his arm.
Problem was, his arm wasn't there. The metal was gone, leaving an empty phantom. His head was facing the other way, his cheek burning lightly. Still, nothing compared to an actual fight.
He had to remind himself that this was a scrawny, sheltered, terrified woman. He couldn't beat her up. He couldn't teach her the listen that itched to escape his mouth. He had to wait until he had both arms and legs, at the very least.
"You will never speak to me like that again, do you understand?" Petunia spat. "I took you in after your parents died. Your mother was my sister! You cannot disrespect me."
She had added a potent dosage of venom into "your mother". Edward's own mother had come into his head. Not the mutilated nightmare that he had made, but the one who smiled at his little alchemic tricks. The mother with the gentle voice. Mother who got sick…
Edward's eyes burned with tears.
"What did you say about my mother?"
Petunia appeared conflicted. She didn't know what to say, or even what to think. She knew Lily Potter. She did not know Edward's mother. They were nothing alike, Edward thought. They couldn't be.
Edward's fingers curled into a fist.
"You're mother got everything. I got nothing." Petunia said, more quietly. She didn't look at his hand.
"You're jealous of my mother? And that gives you a right to carry these emotions on to me?"
"You—You," Petunia began, but stopped.
"WHAT IS GOING ON IN HERE?" Vernon's voice exploded into the room.
Edward's fist only tightened instead of released. He placed it on the counter, next to the puddle of clothing and gray matter. Vernon's plumy form stepped into the kitchen. His beady eyes went from Petunia to Edward. Edward gave him a look of terror and destruction.
"Nothing." Petunia said, to Edward's surprise.
Edward's fist weakened. He looked at Petunia in surprise, his lips parting to say something.
"You know children." Petunia continued, pinching Edward's neck and pushing away from the sink. "But they know their place, don't they?"
Edward didn't respond. What he wanted to say disappeared from his mind when he looked at the frightened confusion lining Vernon's face. It was well worth it. These people were no villains, no homunculi. Just people.
"If you'll excuse me…" Edward said, shouldering past them.
Luckily, Vernon was far too confused to react.
"That boy, Harry, he doesn't use Alchemy." Hawkeye said.
Roy exchanged a glance with her.
"What he uses seems to be a lot more powerful than Alchemy." He said. "Think it could be useful?"
She did not respond. Her hands were clasped firmly behind her back. Before each new flare of power, Harry would whisper something under his breath, hardly moving his arms. Something wasn't quite right. And the Alchemy looked like nothing she had ever seen before. It was a little more electric.
At dinner:
"Do they teach you how to hit properly?" Edward asked of Dudley's new school. Dudley held the stick in his hand. His face was dull. "It would do you good, rather than relying on a petty stick."
Vernon shot him a look.
Edward smirked back. He was winning, slowly but surely.
Dudley made the mistake of trying to thwack him with said stick. He hit the wrong side and Edward blocked it with ease, hardly looking up. His tense muscles flexed. Dudley frowned.
"Mum, dad? Why's does he have muscle?" he whined.
Edward began to respond but Petunia rolled over his comment like a steam roller. "That's because he's too dull to use his brain so he uses his body. Unlike you, Dudleykins." Petunia said lovingly.
Edward felt a volcano erupt inside of him. That was a sheer lie. It should win an award from how ironic and far from the truth it was. That was a lot of irony, Petunia! Your blood is going to get real healthy that way!
And then the letter arrived.
Edward stood to get it after a brief quarrel between the family. Sighing, he marched towards the door. The letter said:
"Mr. E. Elric
The Cupboard
4 Privet Drive
Little Whinging
Surrey"
A letter to him. A letter to exactly him, to only him. A light of hope ignited in Edward's heart. He couldn't stop himself from smiling. Maybe Alphonse had found him and had written to him. It was a little odd, but it was just like his brother to be overly polite. Or maybe it was Riza, or Winry, or even Roy—as odd as that would be. But Edward's hopes were crushed when he found the seal. A letter H. Who did he know that had H? Hawkeye? Why would she use a fancy red seal? And why would she be the one writing to him?
Maybe it was meant for the boy who lived here before. Potter, was it? Edward had trouble recollecting the name. He dug his finger under the letter, using the wall for support.
"Edward, what's taking you so long?" came the porky call from the kitchen.
Edward didn't respond. Petunia muttered something about an Aunt Marge.
Edward managed to slip the paper out of the letter.
"MUM HE'S OPENING THE LETTER!" Dudley screamed.
Vernon went to the doorway, where Edward was reading what was possibly the most confusing letter he had ever seen in his life. He could make sense of complicated nonsense scribbled over the paper. And it was inviting him to a school? Edward hadn't seen one of those in years. Unless he counted his teacher… But that was different. Very different. A wave of cold fear past over him at the thought of the powerful master.
A pudgy hand snatched the letter out of Edward's grasp. Edward turned. Vernon's eyes bulged and Petunia looked like she might faint at any moment. Edward stared, his gaze turning icy.
"Give it back." he whispered.
"No, none of this nonsense in this house!" Vernon bellowed.
"Give it back." Edward said, louder.
"No, not this—I remember it being," Petunia faltered, her face contorted into a look of agony.
Dudley scrambled for it, wanting to get a look at the letter.
Edward's blood boiled.
They looked like filthy swine fighting over an apple. And Edward had quite enough of it.
"Give the letter back to me, now." He said dangerously.
The three paused, looking at Edward. Their expressions changed from anger, to terror, to amusement, to hatred, and then back to terror.
Edward's hand was glowing crimson. He didn't notice.
"It was wrongly addressed to you." Vernon blatantly lied.
"It was pretty specific to be wrong." Edward said.
Then, Vernon knew better than to put him in trouble. Edward slammed his hand against the floor, causing the ground to rumble. Dudley squealed in terror and Petunia stepped back, confusion firmly planted into her face.
Vernon stumbled, right into the nest of splintered, twisted wood. He grunted, waving the letter of his head. A vine of rope, collected from the rest of it and the carbon therein hardened into a diamond-like structure, shot out of the ground and twisted around Vernon's arm. Edward snatched it back up.
Huh, one-armed Alchemy, huh? Edward thought with a tinge of pride, holding his letter. A defiant gleam lit his eyes.
A gleam a Dark Lord would have.
