A/N: Hey guys! Urahara here. Anyway yeah schools been a pain lately so chapters for everything is coming later. Thankfully its my senior year haha. Anyway I mainly typed this chapter at like... one...twooooo... three in the mornings when i'm like super tired so most of this prolly doesn't even make sense haha. Anway read and review please! THANK YOU GUYS!
It had been a little later that day. Ed, Al, and Ray had gone to the crime scene to investigate some more with Mustang's supervision.
Mustang walked up to Ray. "You said you know who did this?"
"I have a pretty good idea," the teen answered quietly. "It seems like his style anyway. Killing people through a quick disappearing death."
"Disappearing? What do you mean? Alchemy couldn't possibly do something like that."
Ray stood up and leaned against the wall tapping his elbow when he crossed his arms. "Well… the thing is his alchemy isn't exactly…. Alchemy per se."
Ed stood up and looked at Ray. "What do you mean?" he asked, "Yesterday you told us he was an alchemist."
"Yes I did, however that was only half true. Allow me to explain. Saito Aizen, our suspect, is capable of many things. He is able to use alchemy to control darkness like myself, however most of the time he uses… a type of magic for his murders."
"Like the one here," Al interrupted. Ray nodded and continued.
"That's right. Not only is he an excellent alchemist, he's a deadly magician as well. To do to this man what he did, well let's just say only certain people can do it."
Ed took a step towards him. "How do you know so much about this guy?"
Ray closed his eyes and fixed his hat. Slowly he looked up towards the sky, the few clouds in it were moving ever so slowly to the west. In a city like this it was so hard to feel the wind. The winds of freedom that Ray sought for so long to obtain. He looked over to the Full Metal Alchemist, the boy's eyes so full of rage at such a young age. It must have been horrible the things he's gone through. That's what Ray thought.
"I've been hunting this guy for years, as he's been hunting me."
"Hunting?"
"That's all you need to know for now…"
Ed stomped up to him. "What do you mean that's all we need to know! If we're going to be partners and take this guy down we need to know everything you know."
Ray looked down at the blonde. "Trust me when I say this. There's no such thing as taking Saito down."
"What the hell does that mean!"
"You'll figure it out if you meet him."
Ed was about to get mad but Al pulled him away. "Ray, it seems you know more about Saito then anyone. So how would you suggest to conduct something like this?"
"We have to go to the source. What he's looking for would be that source."
"What would that be?"
"The Philosophers Stone. I predict that rock is precisely what he's after."
Everything got still, Ed stopped flailing. He whispered, "The Philosophers Stone… why would he?"
"The obvious answer? Power."
"Ray… you told us you know information on it. I think we could at least know that much."
Ray nodded and walked off grabbing his guitar case. "Of course, but not here. Too many people. We need someplace private. I'm staying in a hotel on the other side of town. Meet me there. And bring dinner. I'm broke."
He adjusted his hat so it would be in front of his eyes, walking off so quietly you could hear a rat scurry through the alley.
"Wait," Ed said realizing something, "Did he say he's broke? With gear like that?"
Al put his hand to his metallic chin. "Why would he be broke?"
The dark haired youth walked, slowly, and quietly keeping a good grip on the guitar case. Nobody knew what was really inside it. Probably for the best. It was such a nice day outside with very few clouds. The kind of day most people would love. He on the other hand didn't. The darkness was his friend. It always had been, though he didn't like admitting it.
Taking out a candy bar from his pocket he sat on a bench looking up at the sky. "What a world this is. Who woulda thought I'd ever be in it. Ha."
He was about to take a bite out of his candy bar, the only food he had on him for the past three days when he felt a tug at his jacket. Looking down he saw a small big blue eyed child. It was a little girl in a tattered up blue dress. She was so dirty, it seemed she was homeless.
"Um… Mister?" she asked holding out her hands shyly. Ray looked at her, then at the candy bar, and sighed handing it to her.
"Make sure you share it with your friends, alright?"
She nodded and smiled at him. "Thank you!" she shouted and ran off to another group of homeless looking children handing them small pieces of the candy. Ray smiled, then stopped.
I guess stuff like this happens no matter where you go.
A deep voice came from behind him. "Those children were once part of an orphanage around here, at least until it was shut down. Pitiful, they had nowhere else to go and the government couldn't help them."
Ray looked back and way up to a rather tall and big man with a bright blonde mustache. He had a little curled piece of hair on his bald head, his eyes small and beady. Regardless the man was wearing a state alchemist uniform.
"You must be the new alchemist," the man said, "the Shining Darkness Alchemist, correct?"
Ray stood did a rather weak salute not really caring about the authority this man could hold. He nodded, "That's right. Just inducted into the State Alchemist." He took out the locket showing to the man.
Then, without warning, Ray almost ended up on the ground by a large pat on the back. The man laughing a loud hardy laugh. "Now now son! There's no reason to be such stick in the mud around me! My name is Lance Armstrong, the Strong Arm Alchemist. Nice to meet you!"
"Mr. Armstrong!" the girl shouted.
The large man knelt down and chuckled a little patting the girl on her head. "Mona, are you being good?"
"Of course Mr. Armstrong. So are all my friends!"
"That's good, where are you all staying now?"
"Ms. Hawkeye is letting us stay with her for a little bit, but she says we have to leave when she works as long as we stay near her house."
Armstrong laughed slightly. "Aw that Hawkeye, she may seem strict but she has quite the heart of gold. Oh! I nearly forgot." The large man reached into his pocket, then took out several little ticket like pieces of paper. "These are meal vouchers. They have my name on them so you and your friends can eat at the town cafeteria as much as you all want for the next month. Alright?"
The girl smiled and took them. "Thank you Mr. Armstrong!" With that she ran back to her friends.
Ray looked at the Lieutenant and sighed. "You're very kind to them."
Armstrong nodded standing back up casting a large shadow over the much smaller teenager. "I have to be," he said. "They're orphans. You haven't been here long I take it so you should know this. Parentless children in this town, they're not treated well. In fact they're disrespected."
"In a place like this? People around here seem so nice."
"Yes, they are, but some just think the homeless children are nothing but a nuisance. It even got to the point where some adults were giving the State requests to get rid of them. Instead the Fuhrer gave a direct order that they be under the State's protection since there were so many that wanted to kill them."
Ray looked at the group of children and shook his head from the stupidity that some people can have. He stood up and dusted himself off tipping his hat off to Armstrong. "Well, it was nice to meet you. I have somewhere to be though." Ray walked off, but before he could get very far Armstrong stood up, but he had kept an eye on the kids.
"Mr. Urahara, I don't know who you are or where you come from. I do however sense a strong sense of confusion in you. Darkness is not always darkness son. Light is not always light. Keep that on mind."
Ray nodded and walked off waving, not understanding any of that.
The sun had been setting, Ray sitting on his window sill of the open window, the cool night air had already descended on the city and it felt nice to have a little bit of wind blow. His long hair flowed back gracefully as if wishing to be free from the confines of the room, knowing full well it never could be.
There was a knock on his door interrupting Ray from his reverie. He looked over and yelled, "Come in! It's open!"
Seconds later the knob turned and in walked the large clunky piece of armor, Alphonse Elric, with his much shorter brother, The Full Metal Alchemist Edward Elric. Both of which were with Mustang.
Ed's eyes got medieval. "WHO'RE YOU CALLIN' SO SHORT YOU CA-"
Alphonse covered his brother's mouth and asked, "You wanted us here?"
Ray nodded closing the window and sitting at the couch. "Did you bring food?" he asked.
Mustang dropped a bag with three bags of food. He looked at everyone intently. "Dinner for all four of us. I just got you breakfast for dinner since everyone likes eggs."
Ray opened his bag and saw a foil wrapped paper plate filled with eggs, bacon, sausage, and hash browns. He nodded and grabbed a fork. "Thanks for the food."
Mustang nodded and sat at a chair in the desk. Looking around he realized it wasn't much of a hotel room, in fact the hotel itself was on the worst side of town. The room itself had nothing but a desk with a chair, a couch with a coffee table, and a small twin sized bed. Come to think of it there was nothing that looked like a spare pair of clothes other than a pair of leather pants and a white button down shirt laying over the bed.
Mustang looked towards the youth who was calmly, but quickly, eating his food. "Simple place" he said leaning his head on his hand. "Simple cloathing options too."
Ray looked over to him, only moving his eyes. "I told you. I'm broke. I use what I got. Wash clothes everyday too.
Mustang nodded. "I see."
Ed ate his steak, clearly avoiding the milk his superior bought him. "So tell us about the Philosopher's Stone," he demanded with his mouth half full of steak.
Ray sat up and nodded. "An agreement is an agreement, and you did bring me food. Fine." He sighed and finished the last of his bacon before setting the plate down.
"Fine… let me first start off with Saito Aizen. Where to start now… this man… no… this monster has remorse for nothing. If you are in his way of the goal he is pursuing then he will kill you without even a first thought. He came here… in search of the Philosopher's Stone for the power it possesses. There was a problem though."
"That would be?"
"There's only one person at the moment that is known by few for information on this stone. I believe the two of you know him well. Hohenheim I believe his name was, rather his former name."
Suddenly the air in the room grew tense. Ed stopped eating, his eyes wide, Al grabbed at his hands, both of them shaking ever so slightly. Ray noticed, he knew a reaction like this would happen. He leaned back and continued.
"The power that the stone has would be able to increase his powers by two hundred percent."
Ed swallowed. "Why would the bastard want that?"
"… I don't know. He does not wish to destroy the world, but he also does not wish to rule it. It's obvious he wants powers. What he wants it for is a blank for me. He has been searching for the stone for some time however. Everywhere he goes he leaves a trail of distruction."
Al thought for a second then looked over to Ray and nodded. "You said he's been hunting you right?" he asked. Ray nodded and Al continued onto his point. "Are the two of you evenly matched in strength?"
"More or less. Every time we fight it ends in a stalemate of some sort for one reason or another."
"Well maybe he wants the Philosopher's Stone so he can finally put an end to the stalemate."
Ray put a hand to his chin and thought for a few seconds. "That would make sense… I wonder…"
Ed jumped up. "If he's after the stone then what're we doing just sitting here and eating! We need to be out there looking!"
Ray stood. "I would love to do that, you want to tell me where a trail is though?"
Ed shot back, of course. Saito hadn't left a trail that he's heard of. In fact this was the first time he heard of him.
Ray took another bite of his food and put one finger up. "One," he started. "We need to find his trail. I'm willing to bet my guitar case that over the next couple of nights a few more killings will happen… I know its bad but that's all we have to go off of at the moment. Two, when we find it, we don't strike. We make a PLAN. This guy… has ways of destruction. He will kill us in a heartbeat if we go in guns a blazin'."
Mustang and Al agreed, and as a result Ed hesitated in agreement. "Fine," he said. "But… we need to hurry!"
Ray nodded, and with that finished his last piece of food. "Then let's start searching."
