Halu! Halu!
So sorry for the long delay! Here is Chapter 6! Hope you guys enjoy, and forgive me for the lack of updates from me!
Long live anime!
Disclaimer: looks back at previous chapters Uh…you have seen the other chapters, haven't you guys?
XXX
DREAMSCAPE
CHAPTER VI— FAMILIAR FACES (?)
"Bokutachi wa mayoinagara…,
"We continue to search for our destination…,
tadoritsuku basho wo sagashitsudzuke
Even as we lose our way…
"Kanashikute namida nagashitemo…,
"Though tears may flow with our sadness…,
itsuka kagayaki ni kaete..."
They will shine with radiance someday…"
tozashita kako ga ima mune wo yusaburu kara
The sealed past is starting to stir in my chest,
motomeru hodo tooku okizari no kokoro
The forgotten heart goes further each time I wish for it.
bokura wa ikiru hodo nanika wo ushinatte
The longer we live, the more we lose,
soredemo ashita eno yume wo sutetakunai
But even so I don't want to throw away my dreams for tomorrow.
XXX
Al stifled a yawn as he looked around his surroundings.
It was freaking 6 AM, and it was freezing out at the gates of the University of Munich. But Al can't complain. He needed a job and will brave anything just to get one—including the unbearable weather that was already freezing his insides.
Al had arrived at the University two minutes ago and was having his temporary ID verified by the security officers before he was allowed to enter.
The said officers, after some calls made to the main office, turned to Al and said. "OK, kid, you're free to go in."
Al nodded thankfully before taking back his ID and walking into the dimly lit compound.
As he drew nearer to his destination, the boy let out a loud sneeze. "Argh, darn it! It's so cold here in the morning! I should get myself a really thick jacket with my first salary!"
"Herr Alphonse!"
Al looked up to see Herr Ramon waving at him. "Herr Ramon! Good morning!"
The old man ran down from the main building steps to greet him. "Good morning to you as well, Herr Alphonse. It's good that you have made it just in time for this sudden meeting. I am sorry about the sudden change in the schedule. Herr Rudolf Hess, the Head of one of our most important sponsors for the project, insisted on meeting with everyone at this unholy hour!"
"It is fine, Herr Ramon, don't worry." Al replied as he allowed Herr Ramon to lead him inside. "How many people are attending this briefing to be exact?"
"About everyone from the project is attending, especially our new recruits. Herr Hess wanted to see if there were any 'worthy' initiates among the new recruits for the Thule Society."
"Thule Society?"
Herr Ramon gave Al a shocked look. "What was that? You don't know what the Thule Society is?"
"Er…I'm sorry, Herr Ramon."
"Sigh, you're really such a youngster, aren't you?" Herr Ramon smiled kindly. "Anyway, the Thule Society is an organization formed around the year 1918 by Rudolf von Sebottendorff that centered on the supremacy of the Aryan race. They are also very strongly connected to the government. It would be a very wise idea to join them if they find you…well, 'worthy', as they put."
"Uhm…I don't know…" Al said. "I still need to understand more about this Thule Society."
"Your hesitation is understandable. Herr Hess anticipated that, which is why he assembled this briefing."
"But Herr Ramon, are you a member of Thule Society?"
"Me? No, I'm not. I was invited once before, during Thule Society's years of rise to power. But I am far too old to engage in such radical things. These kinds of organizations are more suitable for youthful people like you who can still live long enough to make a difference."
Then, Herr Ramon paused in front of a double door room.
"Here we are." Herr Ramon said, patting Al on the shoulder. "Well, we'd better go in. Herr Hess is already inside."
Al gave him a small smile before lifting the latch and entering the room.
XXX
Hours later…
Good heavens, this must be the most boorish meeting I've ever been to… Al thought as he listened on to the supposedly "enlightening" speech of the man before him and his group.
The man, Rudolf Hess, appeared like an ordinary man. He had graying, blond hair, an aged but still handsome face and a rather large build dressed in an expensive business suit. Rudolf Hess introduced himself as a very important person in the very important Thule Society, the organization of the Aryans who are the supreme race.
And that was where the whole meeting revolved at—how great and oh-so-mighty the blonde, blue-eyed Aryans were and that they were supposed to be the ones who would rule the world.
Oh, and also that the "Jews" were the spawn of hell that should be destroyed without mercy.
Yes, it was the most engaging conference Al had ever been in his entire life…so engaging that Al was praying to anyone who'd listen to keep him from yawning.
"Hey, you!"
"Huh?" Al's grey eyes swept to his side to see a guy with sandy blonde hair and black eyes eyeing him strangely. Al gasped at what he saw.
Denny? First Lt. Denny?!
"Hellooo!" The Denny look alike waved at Al. "Hey, are you OK?"
"Oh? Oh yes, sorry. What is it?" Al asked, feeling uncomfortable at the man's gaze and at the internal battle that was going on within him. It can't be. This can't be our Firs Lt. Denny. This must be the Denny of this world. After all, I'm not in Armestis anymore, right? And besides, how sure am I that his name IS Denny?
"Is it just me?" The man cut through his thoughts with a smirk. "Or does it look like this is boring the hell out of you?"
Al shot him a sheepish glance before sighing, pushing his thoughts at the back of his mind, and shrugging. "Yeah, well, why? Doesn't it bore the hell out of you?"
The man grinned at him. "Thank God for that! I thought I was the only one not staring at that old man with stars in my eyes!"
Al stifled a laugh. "You exaggerate!"
"You think? Take a look at my friend over here!" The man gestured to his seatmate, a brown girl with blue eyes who was staring admirably at Rudolf Hess. "I swear when we get back to our apartment, she'll make an altar for Herr Rudolf Hess!"
Sensing that her friend was talking about her, the woman turned to the blonde stranger and frowned. "Oh, keep your lies to yourself, fool!" Then she smiled sweetly at Al. "Forgive this idiot. He makes up the weirdest things."
But Al was busy gaping again at the new familiar face.
Captain Maria Ross! Oh just great, how many more familiar faces do I have to see here?! Al thought, shaking at the unnerving situation going on.
"Uhm, excuse me…?"
"I'm sorry!" Al said suddenly, trying to ignore his thoughts again. "I was just…thinking of some things…"
"It's OK. Don't worry. You must really have a lot in mind." She smiled at him. Al felt oddly comfortable at her smile, just like how comfortable he felt whenever he was with Captain Maria.
She and Colonel Riza Hawkeye were like his caring older sisters in the military.
And sisters made him think of his own brother…
God, how he missed Armestis right now…but not as much as he missed Ed.
"And that puts our discussion to a close!" Rudolf Hess ended with a loud boom, nearly making Al jump. "Thank you for listening, children of our motherland! We, the Thule Society, once again call upon your support! Long live Germany!"
"LONG LIVE, GERMANY!" Everyone but Al chorused.
"Uhm…long live, Germany?" Al added meekly. I have got to fit in this place somehow…
XXX
After Rudolf Hess had taken his seat for a short break, Al sat back and yawned. "Ah, I'm so sleepy!"
The blonde beside him grinned. "So I noticed. Well, can't say I can blame you. After all, it's just seven-thirty in the morning. Anyway…" He extended his hand to the younger boy. "Nice to meet you, kid. I'm Denny, rocket science student and a member of the University's Rocket Project."
Al froze. "Wait…what was your name again?"
"Hmmm? I said I'm Denny, Denny Brosh."
Al inwardly gasped. So he IS the Denny Brosh of this world. Who would've thought he'd meet the happy-go-lucky First Lt. at work.
"Hey, kid?"
"Oh! I'm sorry! It's nice to meet you too…Denny." Al said as he shook Denny's hand. "Thanks. I'm Alphonse, but you can just call me Al."
"Not a problem, Al. Oh, and this lady beside me," Denny gestured at the brunette behind him. "This is Maria Ross, a student majoring in chemistry."
"Pleasure to meet you, Al." Maria said kindly, shaking hands with Al. "So you're the new member of the team we've heard of. Are you a student here as well, or a student from another place?"
"Well…actually, I'm not a student. I was just picked by Herr Ramon. Before he came along, I was supposed to work at a nail making factory."
"No really?!" Denny gasped. "But you're just a kid! Hell you even look a lot younger than us!"
"I might look young, but believe me, I'm sixteen." Al replied, still smiling. "So anyway, are there other members from the team I should meet?"
"Oh, well…" Maria looked around then pointed at a black haired teen with spectacles. "That would be Kain Fuery, a student majoring in math and one of the project's mathematicians."
Second Lt. Fury…!
"And that…" Denny said as he pointed to a girl with bushy, brown hair who also wore glasses. "That would be Ms. Sheska Fritz. She is the library assistant who has this uncanny talent to memorize whatever she reads and writes. Cool, huh?"
Private Sheska…!
"And that man over there is a senior Physics student, Frank Archer."
Lt. Col. Archer…!
"Another Chemistry student, two years older than Maria, Zolfrano Kimblee…"
Lt. Col. Kimblee…!
"And that would be one of the other heads of this project…" Maria said in a hushed voice, eyeing the said man with a tinge of fear in her eyes. "That's the Head of the Physics Dept—Professor Basque Grand!"
Good heavens, even the deceased Brigadier General?! I feel like I'm going to faint!
"Well, that's pretty much everyone in the room so far. There's a lot more to meet, but they'll be here around eight-thirty." Denny said before he caught the sight of Al's pale face. "Al?"
But Al couldn't hear him. He was too shocked and overwhelmed by the sight of the familiar faces—especially with the familiar DEAD faces—he was seeing. It was too much…
And then suddenly, he saw flashes of light and…
"I am Second Lt. Maria Ross, at your service sir Fullmetal Elric, sir!"
"What? You mean the Fullmetal Alchemist is this shrimp—?!"
"I know they always say that someday I'll be buried alive by my own books, but I didn't think they meant it literally…!"
"I want him to have time to think about his death… and reflect on how meaningless his efforts have been…"
Wh…what is all this?! Al thought as he held his head in pain. Are these…flashbacks? My lost memories…from my four years with Niisan? Are my memories finally coming back?
"Al! Hey, Alphonse, are you OK?"
"Alphonse!"
But before Al could reply to the worried call of his new friends, everything went black.
XXX
kanashimi no riyuu de sae mo tsuyoku dakishimeteitai
I want to strongly embrace even the reasons for our sadness.
toorisugita kisetsu no sono saki ni nani ga aru no darou
I wonder what lies before us as the seasons pass.
bokutachi wa mayoinagara
We continue to search for our destination,
tadoritsuku basho wo sagashitsudzuke
Even as we lose our way.
kanashikute namida nagashitemo
Though tears may flow with our sadness,
itsuka kagayaki ni kaete
They will shine with radiance someday.
'Cause I'm Never Gonna Stop Streakin' My Dream
XXX
Well, that's all! Thanks for reading again!
See you next chapter.
And to answer some possible Qs:
Capt. Ross? First Lt. Brosh? Should their respective ranks be Second Lt. and Sgt. Master?
Hey, it's been 4 years in Armestis right? It can occur that they'll be promoted, of course!
How come Al knows the dead officers (Kimblee, Archer and Grand) if he doesn't have his memories from the four years with Ed?
When Al became State Alchemist, he had open access to all the military files. It is safe to assume he came across the files about the dead officers.
Ooooh! Flashback thingies! Wait, what just happened?
Hmmm…maybe it's because he saw so many familiar faces it just triggered something…?
How many more Armestis cameos will we meet in this fic?
I'm planning to use as many as possible. Other alter-versions of Aremstis people we might see in this fic will be Roy, Riza, Armstrong, Hughes (he Was in the movie, after all) and more surprises. grins
Just when will Al meet Ed again?
That's for me to know, and for you beloved readers to find out!
Again, please read and review! Thank you very much!