Chapter 2: The Necklace
Edward couldn't help the look of shock on his face as he now focused on the symbol, noticing it staying in place no matter what the object it became was. It was as if it was, engraved, within it.
"Brother?" Al's voice rang out cutting Ed out of his trance he did not realize he was in. Ed shook his head, as if to clear his mind and looked up at Al with smile, "Stay here Al." it was more of a request then a command. Al nodded as Ed walked into the room.
Kimblee glanced up at the blond, not even bothering to stop transmuting the object he was obviously obsessed with.
"Hey Kimblee," Edward greeted, "That's some necklace you got there." He smiled as sweet as he could, if he was going to get a better look at that thing he was going to have to play his cards right.
Kimblee gave his famous crazy smile, "It's a beauty an't it?" he mused turning back into, what Edward assumed, was its original state. The alchemy symbol shone through it. Ed gazed at it, now being so close, noticed it to be ten times more beautiful, than it was, from seeing it from his room earlier. It was a glorious shade of blue, one that Ed didn't even think could exist as a real color. The very thin, red, symbol, was buried inside but didn't give off any extra light, making the blue alone, to shine.
"It sure is." Ed slowly leaned up against Kimblee's desk, as if to get an even better look at it. "Where'd you get it?"
Kimblee broke eye contact with the thing almost smugly, and looked at Ed, smile still planted firmly on his lips, as if amused. "I can get you one, next time I go on a trip." He grinned, twirling the object between his fingers.
Ed's fake grin, grew in size as he gave his full happy look. "If you tell me where you got it from, I can just get one for myself."
Kimblee's eyes drifted back down to the necklace in hand, "It can only be special ordered."
"Well then in that case, can I see it?" Ed tenderly held out his hand, hoping the older would drop the thing into his offered palm.
The Crimson Alchemist began transmuting the object again, but in a way that Ed couldn't tell what all it was being turned into; his hands closing around it and opening as it was transformed then closed around it again, it was more as if Kimblee had a handful of play-duo.
"And why should I allow you to see it?" he asked giving a smug smile.
Ed wanted to punch Kimblee but kept his cool and tried again. "In order for it to be transmuted like that, it must be made up of some special material."
His eyes shifted to Ed, his eyes gleaming; "Yes, so special in fact, that's why I'm going to allow you to so much as to even touch it." He's tone had a hint of a threat in it. "Now if there is nothing else you came in for, I suggest you leave."
Ed ran a hand through his hair and walked out, clearly pissed.
"Come on Al," he snapped as he walked passed his brother.
"What is it Brother?" Al questioned following quickly.
Edward began ranting how Kimblee wouldn't let him see it as they walked down the hall. Once they got far enough away from any office's Ed sighed out. "If we can just find out what that thing is made of we may be able to use it to our advantage Al," Ed explained, excitement in his eyes.
"How so Brother?" Al asked wondering.
"Think about it Al, alchemy is the equivalent exchange of whatever is transmuted right?" Al nodded. "So you can only use one type of material to make something of equal value-but with that, what Kimblee has, it doesn't follow that rule. For all we know Al, it could be another clue to help us get our bodies back." Ed grinned, suddenly the symbol on it came to mind, "Plus it seems to have an engraving of the Colonel's alchemy symbol in it."
Al gasped in shock, "What do you think that means?"
"I don't know Al, but we won't know unless we can get a better look at that thing," He said folding his arms over his chest.
"You boys look like you have something weighting on your mind." Maes Hughes replied walking up behind them. Both boys turned to look at him, surprised at first but then calmed. "I take it Kimblee wouldn't let you see it…"
Ed sighed, "He wouldn't even so much as tell me where he got it from, he said it has to be special ordered, or whatever…stupid jerk."
Hughes rubbed the back of his neck in thought, "Um, leave it to me boys, I'm sure I can get old bomb-man to let me see it." He winked.
Ed and Al smiled at the offer, "Great!" with that Hughes headed to Kimblee's office.
The Crimson Alchemist was still playing with the object when Hughes knocked on the open door. Kimblee looked up momentarily. "Come in major, can I help you with something?"
Maes gave an overly happy look and answered, "As a matter of fact you can. I wanted to know about that pretty, little object you got there. Now I'm not an expert on alchemy but it seems that thing breaks the law of equivalent exchange, I'm I right?"
Kimblee transmuted it into a handgun, placing it on the table. It was then Hughes noticed the Roy's glove symbol on the hilt, the gun itself was a sight to be seen; a shimmering black with blue outlining.
"So what if it does, you're not, an alchemist, what difference would it make to you?"
Maes turned his gaze over to the gun on the table. "Dose it fire as good as a real one?" he questioned switching the subject back to the gun.
Kimblee grinned evilly, "Better."
"Is that so?" Kimblee gave the okay for him to pick it up with his eyes, which Hughes did.
Hughes made a note of how the weight of it was different than, that of a normal gun, it was lighter, but not much to make it very noticeable.
Holding the gun he opened the loading cartage examining it; he noticed it was not loaded. Snapping it shut he looked at Kimblee. "May I try it out for myself?"
"If I wasn't about to let the Elric brothers touch it, what makes you think I'll let you?" he smirked. He then took the gun out of Hughes's hands and transformed it into a pocketknife. "This is a one in a time item, and I'm not about to let it out of my sight."
"The Elric's said you mentioned it being special ordered." Hughes pushed.
Kimblee's grin grew, showing his canine teeth. "Indeed; only because it uses a very special type of material."
"And what kind might that be?" he was pushing all the buttons he could to get an answer from the Crimson Alchemist anyway he could.
"If your only here to pester me major, I would ask you to please leave."
Hughes gave out a sigh and gently apologized as he got up and left.
Shutting the door behind him, he looked the two boys in the eyes. "I'm sorry boys, but it seems that's just one item you're not going to get your hands on..."
Ed put his head down slightly upset. Hughes couldn't stand seeing them like that, so added, "Maybe if you too travel to Laior you may just find another one you can look at." He smiled warmly.
Ed didn't really like that idea, but he gave a smile and nodded; he knew Hughes was just trying to be helpful. "Thanks major."
Hughes smiled at them and walked back to his own office.
"What are we going to do brother?" Al asked wonder in his voice.
"Well we an't going to give up, that's for sure." Ed replied stuffing his hands in his pockets and turned to walk passed his brother.
As they walked Ed spoke, "There's something odd about that item…" a flash back of Kimblee's face and the marking on the dagger pulled at his mind. "I just have this strange feeling Al…I can't place it…but all I know is I have to get my hands on that item of his…"
Al showed signs of a frown, "How are you going to do that Brother?"
"I don't know yet…but I bet I'll think of something." He smiled slightly smugly.
"You always do Brother." Al smiled back.
Back in there hotel room Ed was busy pondering how to get that item away from Kimblee-it's not that he wanted to steal it, he just found it unfair a man like him, got such a festinating thing. For all he knew, it was something made from the new philosopher stone rumors were being spread about…and maybe even the key to how he could restore his brothers body back to normal. But then…there was that symbol… Ed thought about that for a moment, before a smile and a small laugh escaped him. 'That smug bastard…I bet he's the one behind creating those things…and he just had to imprint his own symbol on the thing...'But suddenly that didn't seem right either…if Mustang was involved in the creation of it, why couldn't he just get one himself?
Suddenly, they felt, more then heard; a loud explosion, outside.
Ed and Al ran to the window; both were shocked to see what they did. Scar was on the attack again, but this time he was fighting Kimlee and his men; dust blowing by Scar as the road was destroyed.
"Looks like while the coronal is away, the military has Kimblee on the Scar case." Ed said, not too worried. After all Scar needed to be stopped somehow, and he didn't care who it was to do it…not since Scar just about killed him and his brother.
Down below Kimblee's men were shooting at Scar as the big man charged after Kimblee who in turn was smiling his twisted happy to kill smile and took a hold of the blue necklace he refused to part with, and transmuted it into a gun.
Ed and Al watched with amusement; Kimblee was going to use that item in a battle! Ed could feel his itch of needing to hold it, even just once, take over his body.
Suddenly just as Scar was close enough Kimblee fired the gun. Flames, as well as a large explosion, bigger than the one Ed and his brother heard, erupted from the beautiful weapon.
Ed's mouth hung open for a moment. "Did you see that Al! Not only can it transmute into anything but it latterly becomes whatever you transmute it to!"
Scar vanished once the smoke and dust cleared, it didn't take much of a brain to know he had escaped again; Scar was the type to know when he was out numbered.
By now Ed's eye was twitching, oh what he wouldn't give to have that item in his grasp, even for a moment. It truly was the best thing he had ever seen; no equivalent exchange needed! To an Alchemist, it was a dream come true! Just like the Philosopher Stone-only in Ed's mind, better!
As Kimblee and his army were packing up to leave, a blast that seem to come know where, blow them all away, knocking them all to the ground. Kimblee dropped the gun in the process.
Edward couldn't help himself, he knew Kimblee would most likely kill him if he found him, but he needed to see what that item of his was made of.
Opening the window Ed jumped out.
"Brother wait," Al tried to stop him once Ed lifted the window.
"Now our chance Al, we may never get another, besides that was Scars last attack, even he's smart enough to know when it's time to give up." Ed spoke as he let go dropping to the ground below.
Al watched in caution, as his big brother risked his life, in more ways than one, to get the item of interest from the rubble before Kimblee.
Keeping a look out Ed saw Kimblee looking in a another pile of rubble for his valuable item.
Ed quickly looked in the pile he remembered seeing it fly and began digging, luckily fate seemed to be on his side, because he found it fast and without being seen by Kimblee and his men, ran back to his hotel room.
Al stood by the door waiting for it to fly open, which it did within a few seconds.
"I got it Al!" He all but cheered holding the gun up.
"That's great Brother, but what about Kimblee? You know if he sees you with it he'll kill you."
Ed gave a smug look, "I'll just tell him, I found it for him," Ed said as he walked passed his brother.
Sitting on the bed up against the wall, Edward began examining the gun. It was truly a remarkable sight; shinning black with blue outlining, and the red alchemy symbol Ed knew too well to be coronal Roy Mustangs.
Once satisfied with looking the item over as a gun, Ed cupped it in his hands and tried to see what basic alchemy would do to it.
Al watched in awe as the gun suddenly shape-shifted into the necklace they both were accustom, to seeing by now. Ed cupped the necklace again and thought about a ring as he began the transmutation.
"That's amazing!" Al exclaimed as the necklace took the shape of a sliver-blue ring; the flame alchemy symbol, embedded in the sapphire of the ring.
"Tell me about it," Ed breathed out still slightly shocked at what the necklace could do. "Here give it a try Al." he said handing it to his brother.
Al held the ring in his palms. "How does it work?"
Ed leaned back on one hand on the bed with his legs crossed. "It's not hard, all you have to do is use basic alchemy, and think of what you want it to become while you transmute it, I bet you can even change the color."
Al gave a happy giggle and began to use his alchemy.
The ring became a State Alchemist pocket watch.
"Brother look!" Ed looked at it his brother's hands.
It looked just like the real state alchemist pocket watch-nothing odd or even different about it. Ed pulled his pocket watch out and compared the two. Both, all the way down to the chain, wasthe same.
"That's amazing." Ed said; then he went to compare the insides. Opening up his first, he took the lookalike and opened it next. Inside the lookalike, it was similar, but the background of the watch was the same flame alchemy symbol.
"Well at least we know that symbol is permanent." Ed stated flatly.
"Yeah" Al began, a smile clear in his voice, "at least we will always know which one is fake and which one is real." He laughed slightly.
Edward smiled back and clenched the thing in his gloved hand.
Kimblee matched down the hallway and stopped to knock on Fuhrer Bradley's office door.
"Come in," came the voice on the other side giving Kimblee the okay to proceed. "Ah, Kimblee, what can I do for you?" King Bradley asked as Kimblee shut the door behind him.
"It's about the necklace." Kimblee stated, a hint of anger in his voice.
Bradley's normal smile disappeared instantly. "What happen?"
Kimblee took a seat in the chair right in front of the Fuhrers. "That alchemist murderer made me lose it…I can't seem to find it anywhere…and I don't want to cause a big séance looking for it, if you know what I mean."
Bradley nodded. "No…we certainly don't want to do that," he agreed getting up to face out the window, behind him, "However…we have already distributed the letters to everyone…" he turned to look his officer in the eye. "If the item hasn't been transmuted for a full half hour it will ruin everything."
Some time passed, and Ed was done playing with the item, it now sat on the desk as coronal Mustangs glove. Ed was sitting at the desk a book open in front of him along with a few papers with notes. The room was still, well lit with the bright sun outside.
Al sat on the bed facing his brother whose back was facing him due to where the desk was placed, on the other side of the room.
Tapping his index finger of his flesh hand, Ed was lost in thought.
Al watched, and waited for his brother's thoughts to collect as he normally would when he was in deep thought. It was a half hour since they stopped messing with the mysteries item and were now trying to find out what the true nature of the thing could be, for it to be able to be used without the law of equivalent exchange.
Holding a pencil in his other hand, Ed began tapping it against his chin. "humm…"
Whatever was on Ed's mind at that moment fled as he heard Al gasp somewhere behind him.
"Brother!" Al cried pointing to the glove on the desk, "look!"
Ed looked over at the item in the shape of the glove next to him and saw it glowing a bright blue.
Just about panicking, Ed threw it to the ground, the symbol facing up, and pushed up against the desk as if he was trying to snick into it just to avoid touching the now glowing item.
Al never moved from his spot on the bed, but was confident the thing was far enough away it wouldn't touch him.
Both watched in anticipation, as the thing got brighter and suddenly began to change…
Edward gave a confused yet curious look to what it was becoming. Slowly the glove grew longer and formed a arm and soon another along with legs and a head next.
Once the blue light faded Ed and Al went wide-eyed at what was reviled.
Laying belly first was no other then Coronal Roy Mustang, military outfit and all, except his gloves were missing.
Ed looked on in complete utter shock as his commanding officer, laid unmoving on the soft red carpet.
"Corona-l…" Ed began when suddenly Roy went into a coughing fit. Fighting to breathe, while coughing, Roy began coughing up blood.
Ed leaped to Roy's side, trying to help him up, with Al's help.
"Coronal!" Al gasped as he and his brother helped Roy to the bed. The whole time Roy was coughing and more blood falling from his mouth in unhealthy amounts.
If it wasn't for the coughing fit and blood spas, Roy looked like his old self-but Edward and Al knew better.
Once the coughing settled down, they laid him down on the bed.
"Coronal-what the hell happened to you?" Edward asked making it come out more as a demand.
Roy looked at Ed though half lidded eyes and whipped a bit of the fresh blood from his mouth. "Fullmetal?"
Ed looked at him with hurt, worried, and demanding eyes.
Roy looked as if he was about to say something but his body gave out and he fell into a deep sleep.
As Roy passed out something clicked, "Al..." Ed whispered but before he could go on, Al nodded.
"I know brother." No words needed to be changed, both boys knew just what material the necklace was, and just way Kimblee was not willing to let it out of his sight-something was going on in secret, that they knew for sure.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door snapping both teens back to the situation at hand.
Thinking quickly, not sure who it could be at the door, Ed made a plan to hide Roy.
Within minutes Ed opened the door surprised to see Maes Hughes. Only he wasn't smiling, in fact he looked as if he had been crying; his eyes were red and bags had formed under his thin glasses.
"Major Hughes?" Ed gasped, mostly at the sight he saw him in. The look didn't suit the over hyper man.
"Edward…Al." he gave a weak smile but failed and put his head down beginning to sob quietly.
"Major, what's wrong?" Al was the first to ask. He was sitting on the now empty, bed, even all the blankets were gone leaving just the blue mattress.
Ed shut the door behind Hughes and followed him to the small couch in the room that was off to the side near the bed and desk but still out of the way.
Maes all but plopped down on it and began to sob even harder into his hands before he started reaching into his coat pocket pulling out a piece of paper.
Ed and Al looked at the man heartbroken, what could have happened to make him brake down like this? Ed hoped with all his heart it wasn't his family.
Hughes calmed his breath as best he could to hold his tears, trying to, at least have some image of strength. "There was a reported accident in Nordic…" he couldn't seem to say anymore and handed Ed the paper.
Edward began to read it, Al standing over him reading it himself.
As Ed read it, his eyes grew wide.
The mission Nordic was a success but not without loss, it is with a heavy heart and great servitude that we announce Roy Mustang high racking officer now with the rack of Master Sergeant,
Reading more Edward grew angry as he read the sentence, Roy Mustang pronounced dead.
Not really thinking, other than feeling extreme anger about the whole thing, Ed ripped the paper to bits.
Hughes suddenly snapped knocking the boy out of his rage.
"Damn it Edward! I know you hated the man, but he was my best friend and lifelong comrade, I came here in hopes you would understand my pain of losing someone close to me…" Hughes would have went on, if he didn't notice the fire in Ed's eyes.
"Major…I have something to show you."
Edward turned to Al, still on the bed, and transmuted his front half turning it into a door. Opening it slowly Hughes looked into Al's normally empty, hollow body just to see a pile of blankets and sheets. And laying on top of them was Roy Mustang.
Roy slowly began to wake up opening one eye and slowly looking over at Hughes.
"Hey Maes…" he said weakly.
Hughes looked at his best friend in shock. Suddenly, as if something snapped, Hughes cried for joy and wrapped Roy in his arms. "Roy!"
Roy couldn't help but laugh a bit, but ended up cough again spattering more blood.
Hughes ignored the blood now on his clothes and just ran his fingers threw Roy's raven hair as if he still could not believe he was really still alive; Ed felt maybe he couldn't.
Shortly after Roy nodded back to sleep Hughes stood.
"Where did you guys find him?"
Ed and Al looked at each other; both knew there was going to be many questions and they were going to need all the help they could to get the answers.
"You may not believe this…" Edward began.
Yes, at last a update! Please Review! I really need to know what you all think. ^_^
