2: What Hao Knows

"A serial killer?" Edward repeated, dumbfounded.

"What does that have to do with Ed?" Christin asked.

"I've heard that you have experience with serial killers. Over ten years ago, there was a murderer who killed state alchemists by exploding their brains," Hao replied over the rim of his cup of tea.

"Scar..." Edward mumbled, his brow wrinkling at the memory.

"There was another one that was pretty famous as well. I'm sure you know Barry the Chopper," Hao smiled eerily.

Edward knew him, very well. He had almost been killed by Barry. That... was probably the first time he really feared for his life... the first time someone wanted to kill him. He repressed a shudder and forced himself to look at the child.

"Wait, wait, wait. Before we get into anything, I want an introduction. I should've asked this before letting you inside, but better late than never," Christin huffed.

"I am Hao Jing, fifth son of a fifth son and a child of the court in Xing. I ran away because of a scandal and have been taking refuge in Dublith for the past year. I stayed with a man by the name of Curtis for a while, before something got in the way and made me leave," Hao replied, getting down on one knee and bowing.

"Curtis?" Christin repeated.

"Probably Sig, if he knows about me and where we live," Edward whispered.

"And you are Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist and Hero of the People, and Christin Elric, formerly Christin Fallbrook-Mustang, Goddess of the Music Revolution and Captain of the Amestrian Air Fleet," Hao grinned.

"I've never heard that title before," she replied slightly stiffly.

"You haven't? But you're most known for bringing a new kind of music to us all, the Goddess of Music, the Queen of Rock and Roll!" Hao insisted.

"Okay, that's enough!" Christin cut in, holding up a hand. "I'm sick of people glorifying me."

"Look kid, I don't know what you've heard, but number one, I'm retired, okay? And number two, even if I wasn't retired, I can't stop a serial killer," Edward laughed.

"The killer's main target is you, Fullmetal," Hao replied solemnly. "He said that if I didn't deliver that message, he'd begin slaughtering people by the truckload instead of individual targets."

"Dude, how old are you?" Christin demanded.

"I'm eleven, why?" Hao replied.

"I'm just curious," she said.

"Curiosity killed the cat," he retorted.

"Good thing we have nine lives," she hissed.

"Regardless of the lifespan of a feline..." Edward cut in, holding up a hand. "Why am I the main target? What have I done?"

"Oh, lots of things... like Liore... the invasion of that psycho woman from beyond the Gate... and several other incidents. But what he told me he's after you for is the death of his older brother," Hao smirked.

"Older brother?" the pair repeated.

"I've done my part of the bargain, now he must uphold his. In exchange for warning you, I've been allowed to live," Hao smiled, standing up and bowing once again.

"Where will you go?" Christin asked.

"Wherever the wind takes me, I suppose. I'm just a drifter now," Hao shrugged. "I can't return to Dublith, because he is there, nor can I return to Xing because of the scandal... something bothers you two?"

"What makes you say that?" Edward asked.

"A dark energy clings to you two. It is strongest around Fullmetal, though, so I thought maybe I could help somehow," Hao replied. "Oh wow! Where did you find this?" he exclaimed, dashing over to the table beside the window and picking up the hourglass resting there.

"Hey, ADD, knock it off!" Christin snapped. "That thing isn't a toy so you better put it down."

"You're Elrin, aren't you?" Hao inquired, turning to Christin.

"What the... Elrin? Stop jumping from subject to subject!" she hissed.

"You do know what this is, don't you? It's the legendary Hourglass of Ages created by the great cat spirit Elrin! Whoever possesses it possesses the power to control time as they see fit, able to travel forwards or backwards as they please. However did you come to possess it? It's been lost to time. The last anyone ever saw of it was King Edward's last battle, where a supposed impostor stole it and vanished into thin air!" Hao squealed.

"More about that damn king again?" Edward grumbled.

"Hey, you should be proud that you have the same name as one of Amestria's greatest rulers," Hao pouted. "And his sister, Ethelfleda... oh, she was a vision to behold, so the stories say. The pair were almost invincible together! Of course, some people say they were secret lovers, but that is most likely a myth."

"Ed... what's happening to you?" Christin asked softly.

"Me? Nothing, I'm..." he replied, looking down at himself like he had just noticed a wound that was bleeding. "...fine..." he finished weakly as he looked at his hands. He could see right through them, as if they were made of glass or transparent plastic. Within moments they were back to normal. He turned them over, wondering what had happened.

"Oh... oh, I'm so sorry. That doesn't look good at all," Hao mused, leaning over to stare at Edward's hands. "How horrible..."

"What the hell do you want, little boy?" the blond snarled, grabbing the child's collar and almost lifting the boy off the ground.

"Sh...Sharzan bade me come here! He said something terrible was happening to you! I had a prophetic dream the night after the killer sent me away!" Hao replied hastily. "He told me that if you don't correct the error playing out in the past, you'll cease to exist!"

Edward's grip on the boy's collar loosened and the child dropped back onto his feet. He did his best to smooth out the wrinkled fabric and tried to hold back a smirk. Edward felt the color drain from his face ever so slightly. He'd cease to exist? Did that mean he would die? That was impossible. People simply didn't stop existing; they had to die or be killed before they stopped existing. People didn't just vanish.

"I know what you're thinking: people don't vanish like mist on a hot day. You might find this hard to believe but... okay, you know how people say they don't want the past to repeat itself? Well, it does. It's not exactly a parallel dimension or world or something... it's more of a 'half' of a dimension. Time travelers can enter this 'half dimension' and alter time as they see fit. Someone has gone back in time and altered something that affects your existence now," Hao explained as if he was discussing something ordinary like the weather.

"I'm getting really tired of people telling us to save the world..." Christin muttered under her breath, leaning back and crossing one leg over the other.

"This isn't about the world. This is a very small, very intimate issue," Hao replied stiffly. "It affects both you and your brother, Fullmetal."

Hao produced a small pouch and dipped his fingers in it, pulling out a pinch of pale pink powder. He tossed it into the air and clapped his hands. Pale pink lightning flashed and the powder solidified into something resembling a thin sheet of glass or ice.

"A special technique I devised. I was trained in purification arts, but I studied alchemy as well. This is a looking-glass," Hao said smugly.

"A mirror?" Edward asked.

"No, not a mirror, a looking glass," Hao said crisply. "A mirror reflects things. A looking glass allows you to see something else. Look carefully, you'll see your brother."

Edward watched the looking glass, not liking the child's eerie knowledge. Alphonse was standing at a sink, leaning heavily over the edge. He ran a hand through his hair, smearing water on it and slicking it back some, though a few stray strands fell over his forehead. He looked down at his arm, which was as transparent as Edward's hand were a moment ago. His other hand touched the transparent limb, passing through it as if it wasn't there. Within second it lost its transparency and became an opaque, solid limb once again. He could see Alphonse's face reflected in the mirror, and saw his mouth moving, but he couldn't hear anything.

"I can only show images. You can't hear anything that the person watched is saying," Hao said, his voice laced with the smallest hint of sadness.

"So... something in the past has been affected, making me disappear now?" Edward asked. Christin stifled a titter. It seemed like he was struggling to make sense of this. She had no problem accepting it, but he was used to using logic and science to explain everything, and his beloved 'equivalent exchange' of course.

"I can't explain it any more clearly," Hao shrugged.

"Are you following this BS? Some brat shows up out of nowhere and tries to feed us this crap and we're supposed to believe it?" Edward hissed to Christin. She looked at him and grinned in response. Of course she followed this; it all made perfect sense to her now that she was 'magic' and anyone with half a brain knew that magic just happened and couldn't really be explained in the scientific depth and detail Edward wanted.

"It's not BS, Edward. Your life is dependent on all this," a familiar voice chided firmly.

"Man, you haven't died yet? You really are a cockroach," Edward griped as Josiah strode into the room.

"Yes, I'm pleased to see you as well, really. You're looking as sharp and witty as ever," Josiah drawled. "Can't you at least act like you're glad to see me?"

"You, explain that," the blond ordered, pointing at the looking glass.

"It looks like a looking glass, made from the powder of crushed lotus flowers. They're really the best substance for looking glasses, the purity of the flower adding to the quality of what's seen. They can be made out of anything, really, but flower powder works the best because it's easy to carry and obtain. Also, the cultural and, some say, religious importance of the flower adds to the quality of the glass. I could teach you how to make one if you want," Josiah grinned.

"I meant what's happening to me and Al, smartass," Edward spat.

"Don't boss me around. I'm older than you," Josiah replied, appearing offended.

"Please, Josie, please tell us what's going on," Christin pleaded, looking at him with eyes brimming with tears.

"See, that's how you ask for help you brat," Josiah sniffed at Edward. The blond rolled his eyes and folded his arms.

"Thirty-four damn years old and I'm still being called a brat..." he huffed.

"Only because you're acting like one," Josiah sneered.

"Guys, please..." Christin sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. "Can't you get along for ten minutes?"

"What? You mean you..." Edward floundered. "Weren't you near tears a moment ago?"

"Never underestimate a woman, Edward," she smirked.

"Hao is right, you know," Josiah said, pulling a folded-up newspaper out of his back pocket and handing it to Edward. The blond unfolded it and began reading the headline. "The killer is after you because you killed his brother though... that's not entirely true."

"This guy looks kinda familiar," Edward mused, staring intently at the picture featured with the article. Christin leaned over his shoulders and read along with him.

"Son of a bitch..." she swore under her breath. Edward felt the air around him ripple from a sudden flux in her magic. "Ha, he thinks you killed his brother. No wonder he looks familiar..."

"I suspected that you'd figure it out," Josiah nodded knowingly.

"What, what, who is it?" Edward asked, looking from person to person.

"C'mon, Ed, use that brain you're so famous for. Who has been a big thorn in my side ever since I got here? He almost ruined my life and killed my sister. C'mon, guess who it is," Christin said sourly, glaring at him from beneath her bangs. "Take a stab at it, come on! I know you can figure it out."

"You don't mean..." he gasped, eyes widening in shock for a moment or two. "Damn it! Even dead that guy's a pain in the ass!"

"You're telling me," she scoffed angrily. "Listen to this: 'For the unforgivable crime of brutally killing my brother, the illustrious Space-Time Alchemist Robin McLean, I am going to bestow upon the Fullmetal Alchemist Edward Elric the same fate he bestowed upon me: lifelong pain and suffering.' Criminals are always to overdramatic and what's up with everyone so revenge-crazy? Don't they know that revenge isn't something worth fighting for? If you seek revenge, you are only burdened with feelings of guilt after the revenge is gone."

"Is that how you feel?" Edward asked softly.

"Not anymore. I did feel awful for a while after I killed the bastard. I thought 'What if he has a family, as terrifying as that thought is? A wife and kids or siblings? Parents and friends, even? Surely they'd be upset if they knew what happened to him, even angry. Why did I have to have revenge? Why did I have to make all those people suffer?' So I made a resolution of sorts, to never seek revenge again. It was a long time before the guilt was completely eradicated, but I still have the scars it left on my heart," she replied.

"Is that why you spent a week in bed sick?" Edward asked. She smiled a bit and nodded.

"Aw, you two are so cute! It makes me want to puke," Josiah drawled.

"You can kiss my ass, cockroach man," Christin spat.

"People..." Hao huffed, "Can we return to the issue at hand?"

"She's a lost cause, her attention span is less than zero," Edward smirked, patting Christin's head. "Anything you say to her goes in one ear and right out the other."

"There you go again with the intelligence bashing," she muttered.

"Rinchee..." Josiah started. Christin flinched. "There's something... I'd like to do and I need your help, if you don't mind," he finished.

"You need me?" she repeated.

"It's about River," he replied.

A shadow crossed her face as well as Edward's. "You can continue on without me. It seems to concern you anyway," she said stiffly, standing up and motioning for Josiah to follow.

"Who's River?" Hao inquired.

"She's our first daughter," Edward replied in a tone similar to his wife's. "She... she had to be put out of her misery, so to speak."

"I'm so sorry," Hao said, looking at his shoes.

"Ah, don't be. It's in the past and we've moved on," the blond chuckled dryly.

"Right, if you say so. So, I just came to warn you about the killer. You'd want to be on your guard at all times," Hao said grimly.

"How do I know you aren't after my life, if that's the case?" Edward smirked.

Hao's mouth flapped open and closed like he was a fish gasping in the open air. Edward laughed at his reaction, and Hao blushed.

"I'm kidding. She wouldn't have let you in if you were after me."

"She knows that?" Hao asked.

"Yeah, she knows a lot of things. It's kind of creepy sometimes. I don't know if it's magic or alchemy or just her intuition, but she understands people, sometimes better than the people themselves," Edward chattered thoughtfully.

"You love her, don't you?" Hao asked bluntly.

"Well, yeah, I wouldn't have married her if I didn't, though I really hate when people ask that," Edward mumbled. "So what will you do now that you've delivered your message?"

"Um... travel some more? I really don't know," he replied, looking at the floor again.

"If you need to, I can ask a friend to let you stay with her until you figure things out. Unless you want to stay here and baby-sit," the blond offered.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to stay here. My father, before sending me away because of the scandal, said that, if I needed to, to come to you. He said that you, out of all other people, would be able to care for me," Hao said, getting down on one knee and bowing yet again.

"Your father?" Edward asked.

"The Emperor of Xing," Hao replied.


"Aren't you worried? Someone is out to take your husband's life," Josiah chattered.

Christin didn't move, her bright green eyes locked on the tombstone before her. A warm summer breeze lifted strands of brown and purple hair and made them float effortlessly around her face. He noticed that her left hand clenched around the fabric of her skirt, the large scar covering the back of it standing out sharper in the fading sunlight. The petals of the bouquet of flowers in front of the tombstone rustled pleasantly in the same breeze, a few of them separating from the main flowers and drifting away into the distance.

"What... can I do? I'm dying... I'd only be more of a burden to him. I've fucked up his life enough, don't you think? I have complete faith that he can manage on his own... without me," she said bitterly.

"What the hell is that attitude?" he snapped, slapping her face.

She staggered backwards and pressed a hand to her cheek, staring at him in disbelief. Hot tears stung her eyes and she ground her teeth together.

"After all you've been through, you choose now to get all defeatist? Are you that cowardly that you'd rather die instead of face life? If you're going to act like that I regret ever creating you! You have changed the lives of so many people so why can't you let yourself be happy for once?" Josiah barked, clenching his fists.

"Serves me right, huh?" she asked, lowering both her hand and her gaze. "I... can't help it. I'm only human. It's only natural... that I'd harbor feelings of selfishness and resentment. I don't know, maybe I'm scared. I've been used and tossed aside so many times. People want to be remembered long after they're gone. I'm scared that once I'm gone people will forget me. I... don't want to be forgotten. It's happened too many times already."

"Keep talking like that and you'll end up making Ed break his promise to you," Josiah pointed at her rudely.

"His promise?" she repeated stupidly.

"Yeah, don't you remember? When he proposed to you, you said that you were broken and warped because you'd been told over and over that you were worthless and stupid and that sixteen years of thinking like that were irreparable, and then he said that if given that amount of time he could change you, if not fix you, and he proposed and you accepted," he explained. "If you shave off all the formalities and extract the core, you get a promise. He promised to change the way you perceive the world so you wouldn't ever feel that horrible ever again!"

"How the hell did you remember that? You weren't even there," she replied. "And what's with the extracting and shaving crap? This isn't a cooking lesson!"

"But he made you a promise, didn't he?" Josiah demanded, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her. "Do you really want to make him break it? Use your head a little, you fool! Do you know what he says about you when you're not there to hear?"

"Damn, that woman's amazing in bed?" she guessed.

"Get your mind out of the gutter," Josiah hissed, bopping her on the head.

"Sorry," she grinned, sticking out her tongue.

"He keeps prattling on about how you were the one to touch his heart," Josiah smiled. "You saw into his core and found the smallest fragment of the kind of man he wanted to be and brought it to the surface."

"Really, he said that? Sounds like something I'd say," she pouted.

"Who cares about time and how much or how little is left?" he laughed, slapping her back. She winced from his enthusiasm. "You two have something rare and you shouldn't let it get poisoned by your doubts. Revel in your love! You're only young once!"

"Pfft, whatever," she scoffed.

"Stay by his side and enjoy the time you spend together. Take it from someone who died a million times: in the end all you have are the experiences so you better enjoy them while you can, little girl," he smirked. "And since he's the main target of a serial killer, you had better stay with him. We all know how you can get."

"Yeah... I know how I can get. I mean, you know how I killed Robin," she chuckled dryly. "I sandpapered the man to death."

"And now his brother wants revenge. Ironic, isn't it?" Josiah snickered. "Aren't you coming?" he asked, turning around when she didn't walk with him back towards the house.

"No... I'm going to stay here a bit longer. You go on ahead, Ed'll see to anything you need," she replied, shaking her head and folding her hands behind her back.

"Alright, I'll be hanging around for a few days so I'll see you around," Josiah waved. "I better see you around, that is. You do something stupid and I'll turn you into a soul attachment with a toaster!"

"I got it, I got it," she waved back.

She sighed deeply and turned to the gravestone, the setting sun casting a warm orange glow on everything. She sat own on the ground and rested her arms on the carved rock. As an afterthought she rested her cheek, which was starting to swell a little, against the cold stone as well. Another breeze decided to play with her hair, tugging at it as if it was trying to get her to stand up and leave her doubts behind.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry. I couldn't save you... I can't even save myself, so how can I be expected to preserve Ed's life? People expect too much of me. I'm just one person; I'm not as great as they think me to be," she chattered.

A few tears dropped onto the rock, staining it darker where they landed.

"What should I do? You know, don't you? What should I do, Rio?"


Area 51 1/2 12-25-10: Muahahahaha... I feel so evil. I don't know why, but I feel evil. Okay, I remember there was something I wanted to explain when I was writing chapter 1, but I completely forgot... oh, yes! The cast for book 3. I'm going to limit the cast of characters in book 3 greatly, mostly because this book's main issue is highly personal (Ed and Al's existence). Obviously, the Elrics are going to be there (they have to be [all of them] because they're the driving force behind the entire trilogy). I'm also going to try to focus more on the relationship between Ash (Aislinn's nickname... shortened name, whatever the hell it's called) and Rin. That's because... well, there's going to be a large hunk of the story focusing on Ed and Al and I didn't want the girls to feel left out (especially Rin, because she might try to kill herself again [just kidding]). And I thought of a really good idea to test the strength of their relationships. I mean, Ed and Al aren't going to be there (with them) so I wanna explore how the two will deal with that. So I'm gonna try to focus on the inter-mingling of the characters this affects most. Wish me luck, eh?

Unfortunately, I want to write the Rin & Ash part more than the Ed & Al part right now... ah, whatever shall I do? Suck it up and deal with it, most likely.

So how was everyone's holiday? Did everyone get what they wanted for Christmas? And what about those of you who don't celebrate Christmas (just in case, I don't want to be rude)? I'll talk about my X-mas in the next Area!

Until chapter 3...