Siren- Sorry I was gone so long I rather had writers block and I'm not too friendly with my friends. Recently I'm kind a avoiding them. I just don't see the point of them since they seem to say things behind my back. I also am depressed from school. I mostly restarted this fic. for English. I pretty much have terrible English skills yet in every other class I have to write a freaking report I get a freaking A!!!!!!!! I DETEST ENGLISH!!!!!!
Ed-Another emotionless mask to be put up again aye? Or are you going to blow a gasket?
Siren- I may be emotionless but you're a pain in the ass! (Whack)
Muse-Death to all humans. (Cackle gleefully)
Ed-X_X
Roy-She's gone insane again hasn't she?
Riza-I don't' know but she's a lot more fun now than she was two years ago.
Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End
Where was this place? Alphonse questioned himself briefly. He had seen this before. He knew he had, but where? It was a complete void of golden light guarding two large doors with a sickly sweet tune in the air.
"Alphonse?" Ed's uncertain voice echoed behind him.
Al quickly spun around to the slightly familiar voice. And there he was. The only person he would ever look up to and trust completely. Brother had been there when no one else had, not even his own mother. Except, his brother looked slightly different from what he remembered. He was much taller and sharper in the face. He had an air of intelligence and age that shouldn't have been there. It couldn't be, could it? His brother was not that tall or old was he? What was going on?
"Brother?" Alphonse asked uncertainly staring confusedly at who he thought was his brother.
He couldn't understand how that could be his brother he looked so different. Something had gone wrong in the transmutation. Something they had done to bring their mother back had ruined something special something he couldn't quite place yet.
Ed nodded in conformation, relieved that he had finally gotten back the one person that had meant so much to him. Ed wore a sad smile on his face along with resignation as almost if he was expecting something bad and he wasn't going to fight it this time. "You go on ahead." He whispered as he slowly disappeared from view. "I'll follow."
--4 years later—
(Central, Amestris)
~Train Station~
That was the last thing he remembered of his brother. He had lived for four years after he and his brother had tried to bring back his mother. He couldn't even remember a second of it. All he had was his dreams. He had arrived at Winry's place too young and lost with a girl named Rose. He had been shocked when he had first seen her and after the incredible story, she had told him… No, his incredible story it was hard to believe that he had lived for four years and yet he had no memory of it.
All he had left of his brother was his journal, the one thing that had kept him going and the one thing Edward had never let go of without knowing he would be back for it. It was a nightmare to try to decode, bringing him almost to tears at points, but he was getting there. Not quickly enough to satisfy him but he would wait as long as he had to.
Al walked briskly along the street, his shoes creating echoes on the cobbled pavement of Central. A slight morning breeze whipping the blond hair into his frowning face causing the fair strands to dance shortly before falling perfectly back into place. He wasn't sure why he was here but after finding a dead end in Lior his feet just led him here unconsciously. It was just like every other time his brother and him happened upon failure when he was searching for the philosopher stone or so he was told. So it made more sense to him subconsciously then consciously he could work with that.
"Edward?" An uncertain voice from behind him spoke up.
He turned in surprise to see a young blonde woman with burgundy eyes dressed in uniform looking on in bafflement. She was almost certain it was Edward the Red coat, the blonde hair, but she had noticed too late that the hair color was to dark and it wasn't the right style. Instead, it was someone she had thought she'd never see again after she had glimpsed his form as Mustang helped smuggle Rose and Al out of Central after all the disaster happened after Fuhrer King Bradley was killed.
"No," she shook her head looking on in amazement along with the bitter edge of disappointment. "Alphonse."
"Yes?" He spoke uncertainly. She seemed familiar to him but just vaguely.
"We had heard you were in the area." She stared him in disbelief before it vanishing into a look of fondness that she rarely wore even to those closest to her. "I thought you were Edward at first."
Al looked on confusedly at her. "You know my brother?"
She nodded sadly to him. He truly was the miracle that Edward had created and she knew for a fact that he would have been proud of him no matter what. "I kind of worked with him." Shrugging her shoulders indifferently to him, she did work with him just not that closely he was always on one mission or another.
"So you are?"
She smiled and offered her hand. "First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye."
Al nodded as he took the offered hand into a friendly shake. She wasn't like the others who wanted to hug and never let go or the type that stay away and hide in the shadows afraid to upset them. He had met all types of people when he started to travel around with Izumi-sensei died and most of them that learned his name did just that.
"Do you know brother well?" Al asked with a tilt of a head. He hadn't met anyone who had known his brother at all really well. Not even Winry, who could only offer so much information.
"I'm starting to wish I had." She murmured too softly for Al to hear but the second part more loudly to the companion she hadn't seen in so long. "No I'm afraid not General Mustang was closer to you and Edward then I was."
His ears perked up at that last part. He might have actually found a lead to trying to find out what happened in the last few months that he was with his brother. He almost had the full story of the last four years but the last months were still unknown simply because there was no one who knew. "Would you take me to see him?"
She looked down startled. No one wanted to meet with Roy anymore they were either afraid of him or his ice persona that he acquired after the funeral of Edward. "I don't think it's such a good idea."
"Please?" Alphonse pleaded to her. "I need to speak with him."
She sighed hanging her head in defeat. No one can survive the dreaded puppy dog pout that Alphonse had completely perfected not even Izumi. "I can't guarantee he'll see you." She nodded toward the car as she headed towards the streets.
Alphonse smiled brilliantly at her trailing behind her like her own Hayate would be if she had brought him along. If she didn't know any better she would think, she had just told him he was inheriting Amestris and all its wealth. "It's better than what I have been following."
She stopped before the car and stared for a moment running through the reason she was out in the city to begin with. "I'll need to drop some paper work off first though." She offered regrettably going around the car to the driver's seat.
"I don't mind waiting." Al grinned stepping into the front seat shutting the door behind him.
"Let's just get the confrontation over with first." She just sighed once as she started the car. She wasn't looking forward to how the Colonel was going to take this one bit. "I'll worry about the papers later."
"So how is Risenboul?" Hawkeye asked awkwardly. This was going to be a disaster she knew that but how could she let Alphonse or even Edward down when he had come all this way.
Al shrugged turning toward the window knowing what the next response would be after his. "Wouldn't know haven't been there for over a year."
"Oh?"
"I've trying to find Nii-san." Al answered curtly. He knew what was coming next, everyone he had ever met did the same thing the denial that Edward was dead, and there was nothing he or anyone else could do about it. His brother had, and he wasn't about to let his brother down.
"Alphonse-" She started unsurely but was quickly cut off.
"I know what you're going to say and it's not something I haven't heard before Lieutenant." He kept his eyes to the houses that they were passing. He didn't want to see what he knew he was going to see. Pity, sadness, wistfulness, and the questioning of insanity he was so tired of the looks that they gave him. "Nor is it something I haven't thought of myself."
She nodded to him in understanding and drove the rest of the way to HQ in silence. When they finally reached it ten minutes later it was busy like always at lunch hour as people tried to find a place to eat or find a reasonable lunch in the mess or as reasonable as you could in there. They didn't say a word to each other as the stepped out of the car and ascended the stairs into the halls. Hawkeye was giving a nod of acknowledgement to those around her who were saluting all the while ignoring the others that stared before they finally reached the doors of the outer office.
"At least no one's here." She said to herself as they safely made it into the room. Both walked toward the Colonel's door but Al heard anyway and he stifled a snicker. She smiled in response and pointed to the chair closest to them. "Wait here and I'll tell him you're here."
He nodded and quickly sat down. She took a deep breath it was going to be interesting here for a good while yet. Hawkeye knocked twice before opening the door and stepping a foot into the office that all officers feared.
"Sir?" Hawkeye stuck her head in uncertainly almost afraid it would be bitten off if she said something wrong as many people did now a days.
Colonel Roy Mustang had changed in the last four years and she knew like everyone else did, it wasn't for the best. He had left the sign of Brigadier-General in the past and sat patiently as a Colonel when they refused to give such a well-known soldier a demotion. He did his work but that's all he did. He refused to keep on living after he was forced to bury one his best friends also known almost as a younger brother.
Mustang looked up frowning tiredly from his stack of paperwork, his hand going to his neck to sooth the stiff muscles that one would get from sitting in that position too long as he looked at her impatiently. "What is it Hawkeye?"
"There's someone to see you." She answered softly, walking through the door and shutting it quietly behind her.
He snorted in disgust and waved her off looking back down to his 'precious' paperwork he had been concentrating on for hours. "Send them away then."
She leaned back in surprise. "But Sir?"
"I'm not interested in entertaining dogs at the moment nor am I in the mood." He growled out. He was never in the mood for guests and especially not for anyone of the higher ups trying to promote him once more.
She paused before coming to a decision on what to say next. Should she tell him who it was or should she just tell Alphonse he would see him later. She sighed quietly to herself quickly coming to the second answer. "It's Alphonse Elric Sir."
Mustang stopped and stared for a moment in surprise before setting the pen down beside him and nodding with confirmation. "Let him in."
"Sir?" She asked a bit unsurely. Would it be wise to let young Alphonse in to what might be described as the lion's den by other soldiers?
"I said let him in." He said once more leaving no room for argument as she quickly saluted and walked out as quietly as she had come. Mustang turned to his window leaning back in his chair with a small quirk of a smile as his eyes became overly bright. "It's been a long time Alphonse."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Berlin, Germany)
~Train~
Edward couldn't help the small sigh of misery escapes his lips while he listened to the sounds of the train. He was bored and his travel companions were not a good source of entertainment they seemed to want to watch the scenery like him or read the newspaper.
The train was moving swiftly across the countryside, all the way into the inner most reaches of Germany. He was on his way to Berlin for some reason or another. He really didn't want to go there but they did have the best resources of getting home or at least the best resources of his recent theory of getting home.
For the last four years Edward had been in a completely different world. Alchemy was no longer useable and everyday he would run into copies of friends and family all around this world. They almost seemed to be seeking him out but every time he would be reminded of something he couldn't have, it was completely maddening. He had both found and lost himself to this world but he never once stopped believing he would find a way to leave it.
His temper had even mellowed out. Not completely mind you, but enough. He certainly wasn't the loudmouthed teenager he used to be, but he was still Edward. And Edward still had a temper, although it wasn't set off as easily. He was still sore about his height. While he wouldn't swear or bash your skull in for a comment about his stature, he'd twitch in annoyance and give you a rather nasty look. However as his father had discovered further teasing about Ed's height did indeed earn you a skull bashing. He had the lumps to prove it.
Unfortunately for Alfons, he had proof too. That had been one of his more entertaining episodes when being teased about his height because he hadn't been the one to give Alfons the lump.
"Come on." Alfos consoled sitting across from him smiling. No matter how much Alfons resembled his brother, he couldn't bring himself to hate that damn man. "Cheer up don't make me say that word."
No matter how many times he wanted to bash his skull in because of the many times Alfons always seemed to manage to call him short as his version of cheering someone up.
"You look as if the worlds about to end." Alfons continued, smirking at the glare he was receiving from his travel companion as it turned to the scenery once more.
Ed took a glance at him from the corner of his eye. Sometimes he caught himself staring at him for hours on end. He looked exactly like Al. He couldn't seem to stop himself these days, these two were his travel companions, and that was turning out to be hell. What he wouldn't give to have Al with him at that moment or even a freaking book.
Hohenheim glanced up once and just sighed in exasperation. He continued to look from his son to his traveling companion once more one was glaring at the other while the other one was smirking. Alfons just didn't know when to keep his mouth shut sometimes. Too bad the copies here didn't act like the ones back in Amestris it would of made thing so much easier. He was about ready to hit Alfons himself.
"When do we get-?" Ed paused uncertainly looking once more to the scenery lost. "there?"
Where were they again? It was somewhere that started with a T right. On the other hand, was it a B? All these damn places look the same to him he was even messing some of the places he had been back to Amestris. They looked too much alike and it was starting to disturb him.
"There where?" he looked to him suspiciously. He didn't remember did he?
"Um, Transylvania?" Ed finished sheepishly.
"No." Alfons growled out, his eyebrow twitching to the rhythm of the train.
Hohenheim snickered to himself as he watched the eyebrow twitch. How many times had Alfons talked to Edward about this particular subject in the week? Oh right he was on fifty-one.
"That's where the book Dracula took place in." Alfons nearly growled out. They had went over this for over a week now Edward had better learn it soon or was it he knew it but enjoyed pissing Alfons off?
"Okay." He said slowly. Then continued just as slowly, never taking his eyes off his companion across from him. "Then where are we going?"
Alfons looked at him suspiciously. He had to remember something about what he had been saying over the past few weeks.
"Berlin." He said at last. However, at Ed's blank look, he took one from Ed's book and he said it s-l-o-w-l-y. "You know where Adolf Hitler is giving his speech? Where he might hire us? Where we might actually get some funding?"
Alfons looked at him inquiringly as Ed just gave him sheepish look. He didn't remember??! How can he not remember? Adolf Hitler was going to become Fuher there!!! It was going to be the moment of the century in which born German has their pride back! Was he even a German?
"I must have missed that." Ed returned cockily. Silently snickering to himself. This was just too much fun sometimes.
"He might be funding our project!!!" Alfons exclaimed in frustration throwing his hands up in defeat. Edward wasn't going to listen to him the first few times why he should continue explaining it. "So you better remember that!!!"
Was he the only one who was taking this seriously? After all, it was the most important convention in history. Alfons growled quietly to himself in anger. He knew he should have taken someone else as his partner. His sister would have even been better and she had no idea what the hell a rocket was. He wondered if Larry the Cable guy was available.
"Is any of this coming back to you." Alfons glared stubbornly.
"Nope." Ed grinned at him. Oh this would be fun he was in one of those moods again.
Shesh. He remembered now but if Alfons was able to pull shit like this on him he was allowed to turn it right back at him. Oh, this would be great fun indeed. He just got the chance to ruffle Alfons's feathers a bit he was such a peacock at times.
"Don't worry so much Alfons." Hohenheim consoled looking over his newspaper once more. He tried ignoring them the first half of the conversation but if he didn't intervene now there might be bloodshed.
Hohenheim knew his son was just messing with Alfons but he didn't know that. If they didn't kill each other by the time they finished building the rocket it would be a miracle. If he believed in God he would be praying right about now for such a miracle.
He smiled reassuringly at Alfons. "You'll do fine."
"And Ed?" Alfons asked shortly glaring across the seat at Ed.
He was not going to calm down until Ed knew just how serious this was. He had worked too damn hard for this for his partner to mess this up. He crossed his arms stubbornly. He was tired of the occupant across from him at the moment.
"What's there to say?" He shrugged sheepishly.
Alfons glare snapped from one Elric to the other making Ed stare, as surprisingly he didn't get whiplash. Ed snorted to himself and they said he had a short fuse. "What you mean what is there to say?" Alfons yelled at him.
Ed rolled his eyes passively to the green scenery passing him by. If it wasn't Alfons and him arguing it was Alfons and his father. Things just never seemed to change on this side of the gate. Oh, how he hated this life sometimes… Okay maybe most of the time. Ed shook his head at his own thoughts. This place just plain sucked.
His gaze began to lose focus as he turned his thoughts to his past. At times like this, he couldn't help but have his mind slip back into the time when he was a young sixteen-year-old State Alchemist. He even sometimes pretended that the train was taking him back to Central, back to his home. However, you can't pretend for long before the cold hard truth comes crashing down on top of you. He missed his old life terribly.
He turned to Alfons. He was going to ask him a question to smooth those ruffled feathers back as only another question would do when-.
"SO WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?! THAT IT'S MY FAULT HE DOESN'T LISTEN TO ME!" Alfons yelled at his father waving his hands in the air wildly.
Ed sighed, never mind they can deal with that little spat themselves. Concentrating on the scenery was a much safer prospect then interfering. Was it too late to turn back and be bitten by Dracula???
--To Be Continued--
Siren-English sucks beyond words. Don't get me wrong I love college but English can go to freaking hell!!!!
Riza-Is she still ranting????
Ed-Remember to review next time she won't hit me so hard and to tell her if you like the joint Al and Ed's side or one at a time.
Riza-Shouldn't have pissed her off
Muse-Remember to leave some chocolate please (Faint)
