Chapter 2: Helium

ASTRAL'S P.O.V.

Yuma...

God, I can believe he went after me and now...

Now he hurt...

I can't bring myself to see him like that...

I can see what I did to him...

"Astral? You can come out."

"Yuma..." I said with shock.

He's awake...

He's awake! Thank god!

I have to see him, I have to!

I began dissolving myself into pieces to exit the key, when I heard a voice echo through my mind. "Alchemy is the science of understanding the flow of matter and its laws... The process of comprehension, deconstruction, and reconstruction. The world flows too. It must also follow laws."

Alchemy? I've never heard of it, yet it sounds so familiar.

I rebuilt my molcules outside of the key.

I now saw that we were in Yuma's room and Yuma was sitting in his hamock, looking at me.

"Yuma, why aren't you in a hospital? You were hurt and..."

Yuma looked up and said, "Astral that was a month ago. I was in the hospital for the majority of that time.

" I looked at Yuma, and saw the right sleeve on his t-shirt was completely flat.

He had no arm to fill the empty sleeve... not anymore...

I looked at him and said, "You should have never came back for me... If you didn't then you would still..."

Yuma smiled and said, "Astral, you know me. I would never leave anyone of my friends behind."

I looked at him and said, "Your always optimistic no matter what."

He smiled and said, "Well I better get back to packing."

He stood up and began filling a bag full of clothes, bottles, blankets, and cards.

I asked, "Are we going somewhere?"

Yuma nodded and said, "Kite has a friend that builds prosthetics that move like real arms, but in order to get it I have to go to another country and then spend three years there, recovering and learning to use it."

I stared at him and said, "Really? That's unbelievable..."

He looked around his room and said, "It's going to be rough, but it's what needs to be done."

I smiled and asked, "So, when are we leaving?"

Yuma closed his bag and said, "Right now."

We went down stairs to see, Tori, Kite, and Shark waiting for us.

Tori gave a sad smile and said, "Let get going... We have a long trip ahead of us."

Kari and Grandma hugged Yuma giving him a tear filled goodbye.

Lily Bot rolled up and said, "Yuma. Be safe. And you stink!"

Yuma smiled and said, "I'll miss you Lily Bot."

The five of us walked out the door of the house and got into a car, slowly driving away from the only home I remembered.

I looked at Yuma and asked, "So what's the name of this country, we'll be going to for the next three years?"

Tori replied, "Amestris..."

Yuma and I looked at Tori and Yuma said, "You can see him?!"

Tori nodded and said, "Yeah, I guess I can."

As we rode Shark looked to Kite and asked, "So how are we getting there?"

Kite pulled out a map and said, "Amestris, is a huge country, but will be heading for a small vilage in the eastern part of the country. We ride in a plane for the majority, but then the rest we take on foot through the desert."

Yuma said, "Man, this sound like a tough walk."

Kite nodded and said, "It's also the sight of a civil rebellion group, therefore my contact is sending a few of her military friends to guide us through the desert safely."

Tori looked at Kite and said, "So it a woman, and she has friends in the military. I'd really like to know how you know this lady."

Kite gave a small laugh and said, "Her name's Winry Rockbell, she's 14 years old, and my only cousin."

I looked at him and said, "I didn't know you had family, other than your brother."

Kite nodded and said, "Winry is my cousin on my mother's side. My mom was origanally from Amestris, but moved to Heartland."

Tori smiled and said, "You must be excited to see your aunt, uncle, and cousin again."

Kite looked down and said, "My cousin only... My Aunt and Uncle died during the Ishvalen Civil War..."

Tori gasped and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't know..."

Kite looked up and said, "No it's alright, in my book they were heroes. Saving lives to the very end."

I looked at him and said, "So, where to have a military escort. Any idea who it's suppose to be?"

Kite nodded and said, "It's a State Alchemist and his brother."

I looked at him and asked, "What's a alchemist?"

Kite replied, "Alchemist are scientist who study the art of alchemy. The person we're meeting up with is a State Alchemist meaning he works for the military."

Yuma looked up and asked, "So what's his name?"

Kite replied, "His name is Edward Elric, and he is The Fullmetal Alchemist."

EDWARD'S P.O.V.

"Dammit, where are they?!" I yelled as we sat in the blazing sun in the mists of the desert.

Al looked down at me and said, "They should be here anytime Brother so be patient."

I sighed knowing my 12 year old brother was right.

But still, it's extemely hot here, and my automail is starting to sting.

I heard the roar of an engine as a vechile pulled up.

Four figures stepped out of the vechile and it pulled away.

I looked closely and saw that they were all in their early teens, 13 or so. (Nearly the same age as me.)

They also had the strangest hair colors I had ever seen.

The oldest looking one, was dressed in a white coat and suit. His eyes was a crystal blue, and his hair for the majority was blonde, with the exception of the blue spike in the front.

Next was a guy with eyes as blue as the ocean, his hair and outfit were a dark shade of purple, with bits of grey mixed in.

Then there was a girl. She had hazel colored eyes that seemed rather sad, dark green hair, and wore what looked like a school uniform.

Finally there was only one left. The boy's skin was a bit darker, but not by much, he had dark black hair with streaks of a violet-red in his hair, and his eyes matched the color.

But what really caught my attention, was 2 things: one, the golden key around the boy's neck that seemed to scream it was made with alchemy, and two, the fact that he was missing his right arm, for the sleeve of his shirt laid completely flat.

The blonde boy looked at Al and said, "I'm guessing your Edward Elric."

Al pointed to me and said, "Um... I'm his younger brother, Alphonse. He's The Fullmetal Alchemist."

The group stared at me and the boy with purple hair said, "No way they let a pipsqueak kid into the military!"

I yelled, "WHO THE HELL YOU CALLING A TINY LITTLE PIPQUEAK?!"

They backed up a bit a little frighten by my outburst.

I composed myself and said, "Yeah, I'm the youngest state alchemist. Passed the exam at 12 years old."

The girl said, "So you became on this year?"

I growled, "I'm 14 you idiots..."

The purple hair kid said, "Your older than us?! But your so..."

I growled, "I'm what?!"

The boy shut his mouth and backed up.

The girl looked up at Al and asked, "So how old are you?"

Al looked down and said, "I'm 12..."

The group stared at Al in complete shock.

Al looked at them and said, "I'm guessing Winry, neglected to tell you about our age."

The blonde nodded and said, "My cousin would do that..."

I looked at him and said, "So your Kite, though you looked a bit like Mr. Rockbell."

He looked at me and said, "You knew my uncle?!"

I nodded and said, "We were next door neigboors, my brother and I lived at the Rockbell's house when..."

I stopped and said, "Well that's a different story."

The girl looked at me and said, "So, you don't know them through business."

I shook my head and said, "I didn't say that."

I pulled off my gloves and showed them my automail hand.

The all stared in awe, espeacially the boy with the missing arm.

Kite smirked and said, "She always did a good job."

I smirked and said, " I was her first customer to get automail arm. This is alchemist style automail, and so is my leg..."

The puprle hair kid said, "Your missing a leg too...What the hell happended to you?!"

I looked up and said, "We did something stupid and it nearly cost us our lives..."

Kite nodded and said, "Yeah, I know how that goes..."

I nodded and said, "Before we get moving, but first I need names, and none of that bull crap nickname things. Colonel Bastard does that enough..."

The girl stepped forward and said, "I'm Tori."

The purple hair boy looked at me and said, "Reginad Castle, but I prefere the name, Shark."

I looked at him and said, "Alright... Reginald..."

He cringed as I used his real name.

I'm going to enjoy this...

The boy looked at me and said, "I'm Yuma Tsukamo."

I stepped up to the boy and said, "Don't worry, Winry is the best automail machanic there is, she'll have you up and going in no time."

He gave a small nod and said, "I'm just nervous..."

I smiled and said, "Come on, we got to get moving before..."

I heard the click of a rifle loading.

I yelled, "Take cover!"

I clapped my hand and began transmuting walls for us to hide behind.

Shark yelled out as the walls raised, "What the hell is happening?!"

Al shouted, "Ed's an alchemist. He's transmuting walls to protect us."

Tori yelled, "From what?!"

I yelled, "The damn Ishavens, that what! They hate Amestrains, due to the war..."

I heard a voice yell, "Hold your fire!"

The guns stopped shooting.

I heard footsteps approach the wall and a voice said, "Why have you tresspassed on our holy land alchemist?"

Al replied, "We came here to help these people, we didn't come to due harm..."

I lowered the wall revealing the older Ishvalen man standing near the wall.

He looked at us and said, "Your just children..."

He turned to the firing squad and said, "You would fire apon mere children?!"

One of the gunmen replied, "But Master, he an Amestrain and an alchemist. His people slaughtered our kind... Our children..."

The Master looked at the gun man and said, "He does not represent his people. He is an individual, now return to your post."

They bowed and said, "Yes Master."

The old man turned to us and said, "I apoligeze for my fellow Ishvalen's behavor. The still linger with the scars of that you people have left."

I nodded and said, "Thank you, kind sir. We did not mean to trespass here."

He looked at me and said, "But be fare warned, not all Ishvalen's are as forgiving as I... Be wary young alchemist..."

He began to walk away into the deserts sands.

The four teens were still in a bit of shock, from being fired apon, and from seeing alchemy for the first time.

"That was alchemy...but no circles..." Kite said with awe.

Shark looked at me and said, "So that wall thing was alchemy?"

Kite nodded and said, "Usually you need a transmutation circle to use it, so either he's has it tattooed on his hands or..."

I shook my head and said, "I'm an alchemic prodigy, I can transmute without a matrix, because my body act's as the matrix."

Yuma looked up and said, "A matrix... It's sounds so familiar..."

I looked at him and said, "I'll tell you guys more on the way. We need to get out of the desert before the heat of the day hits."