A/N: Well, this is the second chapter of my story, Element Alchemist. The last chapter was a little too short, but I'll try to change that here. And, I also only got one review for the last chapter, so, I hope I get some more this time.

Chapter 2

"All right, I guess there's no escaping it. Like you two, I pushed my luck with trying human transmutation. As you can see, I failed," Ken confessed. "But you only lost your arm and leg, while Ed lost his leg, and I my whole body. Why is that?" Alphonse asked. "Well, I put twice the amount of ingredients I needed to for the transmutation, but I still failed, maybe that's why," Ken speculated. "But, you don't have any parents or siblings, why were you trying to transmute a human?" Ed asked this time. "I got lonely after I left you guys. So, I tried to create my own, custom human." Ken was pouring some orange juice into a cup, while Alphonse and Edward were just flinging questions on to him. "I remember something Winry told me once," Alphonse said suddenly. "She asked me, 'What sort of idiot would risk his own life to create a fake younger brother?', so I'm kind of wondering the same thing." Ken thought about it for a little while and smiled, "Well, I hadn't given that much thought back then."

"Hey, you guys are alchemists, right? How good have you gotten?" Ken tried to change the subject. "Uh...yeah, we've gotten pretty good; you want to have a contest?" Ed asked. He was confident that even Ken wouldn't be able to beat him at that. "Sure, let's give it a go," Ken grinned.

They went into the back yard again and Al drew a transmutation circle in a dirt plot. He placed his hands on it, and around thirty rock statues of different enemies they had faced popped out of the ground. Ed was up first. Since Ken already knew about the human transmutation, he thought it wouldn't hurt to show him what he could do. He clapped his hands, placed them on the ground, and giant stone fists sprouted from the ground, flinging the statues into the air. He ran back to the house and clapped again, placed them on the wall, and arrows flew out of the wall and stabbed most of the statues. Al repeated the transmutation. Now it was Ken's turn. He also clapped his hands, and placed them on the ground. Only this time, large stone blades came from the ground and pierced through every one of the statues. He didn't even have to transmue again, since the stone imitations crumbled wth the swords.

"Show off..." Ed mumbled to himself as Ken walked toward him. He was bested again. He was starting to wonder if there was anything that he was better than Ken at. Ken laughed. "How about we go for some ice cream?"

"Brother, do you think we should try to head the town we were supposed to be at yesterday?" Al asked, trying to get Ed's mind off of the subject. "I suppose. We really should get back to our search for the Philosopher Stone. Hey Ken, We're gonna be headed north-west to a town, you want to come?" Ed asked. Ken replied, "Sure, I don't have anything better to do."

They were halfway there when Ken asked, "Hey, do you know of any good State Alchemists I could go to to look for a certain something?" "Sure, what are you looking for?" Al asked. "Uh, something called the Philosopher's Stone. You know anything about it?" Ken asked, unaware that Edward and Alphonse were searching for the same thing. "I'm the Fullmetal Alchemist. And we're looking for it to get our original bodies back. What do you want it for?" Ed asked, wondering why he was looking for it. "...I don't feel like talking about it right now. Anyway, at least I found someone who can help me. I've been searching for a while for someone, but all I ever found was a guy and his kid brother named Russell and Fletcher Tringum. They were pretty good alchemists studying something similar to the Philosopher's Stone that they called 'The Water of Life'," Ken stated. The brothers were amazed to hear that he had met Russell and Fletcher all the way in Xenotime. They snapped back into reality and started walking again.

They got there at about noon, and decided to get some lunch, so they went to a nearby restaurant and took a seat. "So, you were asking about why I wanted the Stone right? Here it is: I have reason to believe that there is a former State Alchemist on the loose. His name is Kimbley. I need the Philosopher's Stone to gain alchemical power enough to defeat and capture him. Have you ever heard his name?" Ken once again surprised them. "Um...isn't he the one responsible for the genocide in Ishbal?," Al asked. "Yeah, he is." All the while listening to Ken, Ed was looking at the ground. He looked up for a moment to see a few birds flying by, then looked back at the previous spot. But as he was looking down, he saw something gleam in Ken's pocket.

"Hey, Ken, What's that in your pocket?" Ed asked curiously. "Oh, this?" Ken asked as he took out a pocket watch, "Like you, I'm a State Alchemist, called the 'Element Alchemist'. I don't have a family, so I need the money to survive," Ken said. "Element...element...oh yeah! You're the one they say can 'Bring water during drought'! Why is that, by the way?" Ken laughed, "I'll answer that later as well."

After finishing their food, they went to a house down the street. They knocked, and a tall thin man came to the door. "Ah, it's nice to finally meet you, Fullmetal Alchemist," the man greeted them--but, like most everyone else, he shook Alphonse's hand instead of Ed's. "Uhm, I'm sorry sir, but I'm not Him...he is," Al stated...again. "Hmm? Ohh, him? My, my, I'm terribly sorry, but I was expecting someone a little taller, for such a stern alias as 'Fullmetal,'" he said. "You callin' me short?" Ed grumbled in anger at the man. "Oh my, no. I was just saying I wasn't expecting you to be so...well, yes," he said, smiling innocently, "Come, come in, you must be tired from your travels," He offered. Ken sauntered in, while Al kept Edward from lunging at the man. By this time, he was fuming and struggling in Al's grip. As he was doing so, people at the market stopped and stared, like always.

As they sat down, Ed had let off most of his fumes, and asked why the man had called them up. "Well, you see, I was hoping you could help me with a problem. There is a forest behind our yard. I have already built a tall fence, but, some how, there is something getting through it, and kidnapping young women from our village. If you could invesigate more on that, or possibly even capture the culprit, we would be most grateful," He explained. "We could try putting up a taller and stronger stone wall. And maybe tonight, we could do a stake-out, to see if it still gets through, and follow it," Ken suggested before Ed or Al could speak. "Yes, yes, thank you, that would be very much appreciated," The man said. "oh! I'm terribly sorry. I've been rude. My name is Henry. Henry Jadsin," He said. "Elric. Edward Elric," Ed stated. "And I'm Alphonse Elric," Al said. "Ken," he said with just a wave of his hand. He didn't even open his eyes or look up.

Ed was still thinking about what Ken had told him. The 'Element Alchemist.' He couldn't believe Ken, of all people, was one of the best known state alchemists in Amestris. "Geez, I have a lot of catching up to do," he thought. "Hey, Ken, will you answer mw now??" Ed asked. "Hmm? Oh, that again? Uh...do I really have to explain it now? Maybe after we solve this case, that alright?" Ken asked, thinking it to be to troublesome to explain now. "Maaaan...you always were really lazy..." He complained, "Fine, fine. After, so we'd better get started. Hey Al! Come on, we're gonna make that wall now," Ed called.

As they approached the fence, they heard a rustling noise from within the forest. "What the hell was that?" Ed asked. "If I had to guess, it's either animals, or the thing kidnapping everyone," Ken said, "Anyway, let's get to that fence." Ed clapped his hands and transmuted a wall tall enough to keep even a squirrel from getting over it.

With that done, all there was to do was watch and wait...and wait some more...and some more...and just as Ed was falling asleep, there was a loud roar from the forest. "Hey, Ed, wake up, it's time." They ran to the back yard and found the wall to have a large hole in it. "Whoa...we're gonna need to fight pretty hard against something like that." Ed complained. "Al...we sure this isn't a trick? I mean, what can break through a stone wall?!" They investigated more, and they found something by the wall on the other side. "Big Brother, what's this?" Al asked. "Footprints...but what made them?" As if to answer the question, they heard a roar from another house.

They ran around to the house, and there, standing in the yard, was a chimera clutching a young girl in its teeth, growling. "Hey!! Giant, furry bastard! Let go of her!" Ed yelled. "Ahh...it's probably best not to antagonize it..." whispered Ken as the chimera dropped the girl and turned around. "Crap, we gotta fight!"

The chimera charged at them, roaring. Ken jumped overhead, while Ed and Al dodged to the sides. They both ran at it, but the chimera span, knocking Al down and coming to meet Ed face to face. Then, blue light shone underneath it as four stone hands popped out of the ground and took hold of the chimeras feet. "Good work, now we just gotta get this kidnapper back to the old man..." complained Ed. "Well, that won't be as easy as it looks..." Ken said, "The chimera won't be held down much longer..." He was right. the chimera was struggling to get free. "...I'll...just knock it out..."Ken mumbled as he walked over and smacked it in the head with a transmuted stone mallet. "So, Al, you're strong enough, you think you'll be able to carry it?" asked Ken. "Sure, why not?" he groaned as he heaved the chimera onto his shoulders.

They hobbled over to the house and laid it at the doorstep. Ed knocked on the door and waited...and waited...and waited. "what the hell is taking him so long?!" he yelled. "Wow, I guess we spent more time on the mission than we thought..." Al said. He was looking at the horizon in the east. The sun was rising. A light shone suddenly from inbetween them. The chimera was glowing, and changing shape. "Old man?!! What the hell?!" Ed screamed. "C-c-can alchemy even DO that?!" Al studdered. "No...no it can't...I think his DNA may have been chemically altered...we'll ask him when he wakes up if he's been near any nuclear plants," Ken said. "Where do you come up with this stuff...?" Ed asked under his breath.

Henry woke up about fifty minutes later, clearly not knowing where he was. "Wh-why are you all looking at me like that? What happened?" he asked blankly. "...Sir, we have some news for you, but you have to tell us something first," Ken said calmly. "Ugh...yes, yes, alright, what do you need?" he asked. "Sir, have you been near any nuclear plantations lately?" Al asked. "Ngh...I have...about three months ago. a few days before the kidnapping began. Why? Are they connected somehow?" he asked, still not understanding. "Thank you, sir. The news we have to tell you isn't pretty, though...you're the chimera that has been kidnapping all those girls," Ken said. Although I didn't know that guy was such a pervert...kidnapping young girls at such old age... "Anyway, sir, we need to find a way to keep you from changing at night." "I have no idea how that might be...how might I stop myself from changing into the chimera?" He's taking this really well, though... "I think I know how," Ed said with a sudden burst of enthusiasm, "If he changes at night, it means that the chemicals in his body react to the darkness. All we need is to keep the house light throughout the night." At this, Al got up. "How are we going to do that, Big Brother?" "Well...all we might need to do is get a bunch of candles and light them at dusk." "So it's settled, candles it is," Ed said, getting up with a grunt.

They got all the candles, and set them up around the house, and left. "Ah...we might need to go back to Resembool..." Ken said. "Why's that?" Ed asked. "Well...my auto-mail's a little...faulty," he admitted. "What? It didn't look busted after we fought Gramps here!" Ed said, looking at Ken's arm. "Well...the wiring is just wearing down a bit," He said. "Yeah...that's happened to me once I think...oh yeah, it was when Winry forgot that bolt. I didn't notice it at first...and then all of the sudden it broke," Ed said with a shrug. "Alright, should we go now, or wait till tomorrow?" Ken asked. "We can go right after you tell me why they say that stuff about you, remember?" Ed eyed him closely. "I knew it would come to that eventually...okay, fine. Here." He took off his right glove. "Take a look at this."

A/N: Well, that the end of this chapter, be sure to R&R for me, alright?