Fruitloop: Thank you so much for all of your support everyone! I'm so sorry for not updating so soon. Writer's Block is such a pain and you know that *cries*

So anyways, thank you again and hope you guys have a nice day

Now on with the story~

The Clown and the Alchemists

Chapter 11: Crowd Trouble

The room was white and the corners of every wall were covered in mirrors. Ed was standing in the middle of it and when he looked around, the mirrors were reflecting his image. Where was he? He thought. The last time he remembered was he was battling with the Homunculus "Greed" and helped Al escape from the Devil's Nest in Dublith, he was stabbed and there was pain. What had happened? Ed gulped as he could feel uneasiness on this very room. The room was reflecting his image everywhere and couldn't help that he was being watched. Was he dreaming? He thought. He walked through the mirror and slowly reached for it.

"Please do not touch that young alchemist…"

Ed snapped and immediately turned around. There was a woman with a white robe with a long white veil on her head sitting in a stone bench with a sleeping child on her lap. The child was around ten years old and he was wrapped in white cloth and he had snow white hair. The child was not facing him but if that kid had white hair. Ed blinked and eyed the child. 'Could it be?' he thought.

"Allen?!"

The woman smiled and put a finger on her mouth in a "shh" gesture and brushed the sleeping child's hair lightly.

"Don't be so loud young alchemist" she said softly. "You'll going to wake him up"

Ed eyed the woman and straightened himself. "Who are you?" he asked. "What is this place?"

The woman smiled and continued to brush the child's hair in a motherly kind of way reminding Ed of his own mother. Ed was a little bit tensed. He looked at the mirrors and only saw only his reflection and when he eyed the woman to where her reflection should be, there was nothing there. As if the woman didn't exist. "I'm what 'they' called the Heart" she said not looking at him.

"They? Heart?" Ed asked curiously.

The boy on her lap; moved and slightly twitched. He mumbled something. "Mana…"

There was no doubt about it. This boy was Allen Walker. He remembered Allen told him about Mana, his foster father who has adopted him. But why was he here? As a child?

The woman smiled and held little Allen's cheek and brushed him gently. She closed her eyes; opened her mouth and started to sing.

So the little infant fell into a deep sleep

Among the grey ashes in the flames shining...

The Lullaby made the boy stopped moving and again peacefully sleeps on her lap.

First one, then two ... Surfaces numerous of your faces

The mirrors began to show off some images. In a snow filled land there was a boy wearing an oven knit on his left arm with a man walking along side him with a top hat. Holding the little boy's right hand and on his other hand was a large briefcase

A thousand dreams trickle back to the earth

Ed couldn't believe on what he was seeing. Was this Allen's memories? Or was this Allen's dream?

On the night when the silver eyes were trembling

The mirror showed Allen squatting on the snow and the man grabbed a stick and went to the stone staircase and sat. He began to draw something on the snow.

The shining you was born Across millions of years

"I will teach you something very special, Allen" The boy's eyes widen in excitement. "What is it Mana?"

The prayers have already returned back to the earth

"It's a special code Allen" the man smiled as he looked at the boy. "That you and I only will understand" he said with an amused tone. "Let's make it our secret language"

I will still continue to pray.

The woman that was singing the lullaby was looking at the sleeping form of little Allen, gently rubbing her fingers on Allen's cheek.

Please bestow upon this child your love

Upon our joined hands, leave a gentle kiss

The room began to break, the mirrors shattered. The room turned into white and all of the sudden. Ed became even more tensed. This feeling was similar when he was on the gate.

Behind the woman appeared the Gate of Truth and when he looked at closer on its design. It was a cross like rose and the two doors of the gate slowly opened revealing the "eye" staring at his being.

The Heart looked at him and tears were seen.

"Please protect him, Edward Elric"

All of the sudden, there was a man standing on the back of the Heart. He wore a pastor like clothing and he had a very long brown jacket. He also wore glasses and he was grinning at him like the Truth and his tombstone like teeth.

"You are not going to interfere on MY plans Alchemist"

Ed opened his eyes. He was covered with sweat and the strands of his hair were covering his face.

"Brother!" Al shouted and went to his side. "Al?" Ed looked at his little brother. He held his head and tried to remember what he dreamt off. "Are you alright, brother?" Al asked him and Ed slowly nodded.

"Where am I Al?" he asked.

"You're in teacher's house, brother"

Ed slowly raised himself from bed and rubbed his head. For some reason, he couldn't remember the nightmare. All he could remember was the Gate of Truth and everything was a blur there was also a melody of someone singing but who? He closed his eyes and tried again to remember

"Mana…"

"I will teach you something very special, Allen"

Mirrors shattered into pieces…

Ed opened his eyes and couldn't remember anymore. Al sat next to him and looked him in the eye. "Is there something wrong brother?" he asked. "Does your wound… hurt brother?" When Al notified him of his wound, he moved his hands to the stab wound were Greed stabbed him. He faintly registered the pain on his mind. Ed shook his head.

Please protect him, Edward Elric

"Then what's bothering you brother?" Al asked. "Was it another nightmare?"

"I don't know Al" he looked to his little brother. "I dreamt about… Allen… his past maybe…" he rubbed his fingers to his eyes as he remembered the fragmented memories of Allen.

"His past, brother?" Al asked him and tilted his head

Ed nodded. "I saw him and his foster father in the snow" he said and remembered the man, Mana writing on the snow. "He was writing on the snow, something like a secret language, Al…"

"A secret Language?"

"I also dreamt about The Gate but I couldn't remember anything other than that… But I heard someone sing… It's like a lullaby for a child… but I never heard of it…"

Roy was walking the long stair case of the tallest building inside the Ark with Allen Walker and the Rabbit. What troubled him was that the stairs and doors were everywhere as if a giant maze of stairs and doors were his original design, there were also floating pointed candles flying around, defying gravity. Where's the scientific explanation of that?! Roy thought. The rabbit turned around and he was still sitting on Allen's shoulder.

"Hey, Colonel, I guess I owe you an apology" He scratched its head. "I thought that you were in lead to that Crazy Woman in Briggs" he laughed.

"Crazy Woman?" he asked.

The rabbit nodded. "Yeah, when we at the Briggs Mountain, we almost got killed by the Crazy woman with blond hair with her bear guy… It was scary! This bear guy just appeared out of nowhere and attacked us with his metal claw! Then when we almost escaped, The Crazy Woman ordered her men to fire at us! Good thing that Allen used Crowned Clown and protect the both of us" it then stared at him and Roy stared back. The rabbit was talkative he thought. 'What's Crowned Clown?' he wondered.

"By any chance you know that woman Colonel, since you are in the military?" he asked to him.

"That would be Brigadier General Armstrong"

Allen turned his head around with a completely shocked expression on his face. "She's Major Armstrong's relative?!" he shouted. "But… she's evil! How did she even be related to the Major?"

Roy raised an eyebrow. "You know Major Armstrong?"

Allen put his hand on his head and rubbed it sheepishly. "Yes Colonel, sir" The boy looked at him. "I met them in Resembool along with the Elric Brothers, sir" Roy nodded in understanding.

"Why were you in Briggs?" he asked.

"Oh" Allen paused for a second. "Just personal business Colonel sir" he chuckled lightly and continued on walking. Roy looked at the black walls and the endless staircase down below. If someone will fall on this height they will surely die.

"We're here"

Roy snapped his thoughts and looked in front of him. They stood at the white door. Allen slowly opened it and he covered his eyes because of the bright light. When the light faded away and his sight was adjusting on the brightness. He saw a long table with three sits from each corner. The room was wide and had an open and a great view of the white city below. He still couldn't put his mind on how this city existed. "Uncle, were here!" Allen shouted.

"I'll be right there!" the Earl's voice echoed though the room but there was no sign of him. Allen sat on the chair and he followed. The rabbit jump off on Allen's shoulder and stood on the table. "I guess we haven't properly introduced ourselves, Colonel" He lift his arm as if he was giving a hand shake. "The name's Lavi, Lavi Bookman Jr."

Roy eyed the little arm and shook it. "Colonel Roy Mustang" he said.

From afar, he could see a door appeared out of nowhere. The door was white with a -?- on the top of it and Roy eyed the door. 'How did it appear just like that?'

'Where was the Equivalent Exchange?'

The door opened revealing the Earl holding a tea set. Roy stared awkwardly.

"I just made some tea~ would you like a taste Colonel?" The Earl smiled as he placed the tea set on the table. He then saw him slip it on the table and positioned itself exactly in front of it.

'What the?! How did he?'

Lavi whistled. 'Hey, I didn't know that you have a trick like that, Neah. When did you learn how to do that?' The Earl smiled and put his arms on his hips. "It's just a little trick that my brother thought me a long time ago~" he chuckled.

"Where's Hughes?"

"He's recovering at the room"

"Lead me to him"

"That can wait Colonel Mustang" he took a cup of tea. "Let's talk first Roy, can I call you Roy?" the man grinned. Roy just went quiet. "Nice weather we're having, right Roy?" Neah smiled and couldn't help feel uneasy. "What do you want from me Earl?" Neah sip his tea and put the cup on the table. "Straight to the point kind of man hm?"

Roy's eyebrow twitched. "Well, if you want to know that badly, I just want to have a decent conversation with you though I don't like you trespassing on my home uninvited" The Earl sighed and tapped his fingers on the table. "But since you are a friend, I will let you slip" he said smiling.

"Normally, people who trespass the ark ended up dead but I guess I'm not in the mood"

Roy readied his gloves just in case. "I'm just kidding" The rabbit turned to him. "Colonel, I should warned you, Neah wasn't joking on that one" Roy's eyebrow twitched. "What do you mean?" he whispered. Lavi shrugged and put his tiny hands on his hips. "What I mean is what I mean"

"So how are you Roy? Anything new happened in the military?"

He just went quiet and shook his head. "By any chance that my nephew became listed in the wanted list?" Roy's eyebrow rose. "Why would he be on the wanted list, Earl?"

"Oh, you know… military involvement…" The Earl said as he eyed the Allen and the rabbit

Lavi then looked at Roy. "We kinda went into a big trouble with the Brigadier General, Colonel" he said. "She was serious on killing us and we were trespassing on a military base… sort of… we ended up in her bad side…" He scratched his head. "So there's a possibility that my little nephew ended up in the wanted list" The Earl said while he looked bored.

Roy looked at the Earl. "No need to worry about that Earl" he said. "I'll make sure that Allen here won't be in the wanted list" Allen's eyes widen and eyed him. "You can do that?!" Roy smirked. If he could get the Earl's interest and favor, maybe he might be willing to tell his secrets. "I'm the 'closest' friend of Armstrong family. I'll just talk to her about the misunderstanding"

Allen sighed in relief. "Thank goodness" The Earl clapped in delight. "That's great!" The Earl said and smiled joyfully. Roy mentally smirked. "Equivalent Exchange, Earl" he said as he eyed him. The Earl's smile faded and looked at him with a twitching eyebrow. "I will take care of your problem if you tell me what you know and what this place is"

The Earl went quiet and sighed deeply. "Fine" he said in defeat. "But know this Colonel" his smile was back and it send shivers down on his spine. "What I'll say to you will not leave this room" he then poured the tea on his cup. "If you ever leak any information about me and my nephew in the higher ups of your military, I will personally deal with you myself" he said and Roy noticed that his grin was wider that could reach to his ears. 'What can he do?' he thought. He was the Flame Alchemist, one of the most dangerous alchemists to deal with even though he was useless in the rain he admitted. Yet, why couldn't he shake of the feeling that the Earl was giving him? The Fear?

Roy nodded in agreement and tried to have a calm posture.

The Earl smiled yet again but this time, the evil smirk was gone. "Good~" he said gleefully.

After a long talk on the dining hall, Roy learned the Earl's real name was Neah Walker, the rabbit told him and The Earl didn't like it one bit, he was enjoying everyone calling him by the title 'Earl of Millennium' and yet he doesn't know what was the meaning behind it. Roy mentally sighed.

The rabbit, Lavi Bookman Jr. was a golem, The Earl made him for Allen to accompany him while the golden monster was with him, helping him to his research from the monster that attacked his friend Maes. He had discovered that Lavi was one of Allen's dead best friends and his golem form has his memories not his soul. When he thought about it, the golem can taste and feel, which was still a question on how that works and when he asked him on how he done it. Neah told him while pointing at the rabbit was that he has a special crystal that was inside him. He called it "Dark Matter". He was told that only his family could utilize and produce these special crystals except for Allen.

The Crystal was powerful, just like the Philosopher's stone, it by pass the Laws of Equivalent Exchange. It could bring back the dead (which he doubted that it was only the Earl's bluff) and create as many dangerous golems. Neah even demonstrate and introduced a butterfly golem called 'Tease' that eats human flesh on the screen. It was disgusting but the Earl told him to not worry because the Teases were all gone 'extinct' and they won't come back anymore.

He also told him that these crystals were a curse and for those who weren't part of the Earl's family use it for their selfish desire will die from the exposure of it.

This place, the 'Ark' was a city full of doors that could lead from one place to another. A fascinating design that can be used as a weapon, opening doors that could lead to one place to another in a blink of an eye, to the places that could take days to arrive and using the ark it only takes a matter of minutes. Only Allen and Neah could open the doors of this place which remained a mystery on "How" it worked.

Neah on the far corner of the table smiled. "I expect, Roy that you won't tell anyone about what you discovered here hm?"

He nodded in agreement and looked at the Earl.

The Earl smiled and looked at his nephew. "Ah, Allen, I need you to buy more tea leaves in the city, it seemed that we all ran out" Allen nodded and stood. "Oh and Allen~" he heard Neah gleefully say and noticed that Allen went still. "Come back before dinner, okay?" Neah said smilling. "Don't get any more trouble~"

"Yes uncle" Allen said and smiled with a hint of wariness. Lavi jumped to Allen's shoulder and Neah stood up and signaled him to come, Roy was tensed but it broke when Allen whispered to him. "Don't worry, Colonel sir, he's going to send you now to your friend". Roy stood and slowly went with the Earl.

Allen and Lavi were on the streets of Central again. Allen looked up and noticed the grey clouds. It was about to rain. "You know Allen, The Colonel kinda reminds me of a 'serious' Komui mode" Lavi said as he swing his tiny little rabbit fit back and forth on his shoulder. "Do you think he should be trusted?"

He smiled at his friend and patted his head. "Don't worry too much, Lavi" he said. "The Colonel is trustworthy"

Just passing by the bulletin board, he saw people gathered around. "What do you think is the fuss about Allen?" Curiosity struck Allen and he went into it. "I don't know Lavi" he said. He easily dodged the crowd and he finally saw on what was on the board. There was a sketch of him with Lavi and below the picture was labeled:

Missing "Nephew"

Reward: 4,000,000 Cenz

If found, hand over to the North City, Briggs or Central Command

Signed: Brigadier General Armstrong

Allen paled and so does Lavi. The fact that they are not listed in the Wanted list, but in the missing list? Everyone in the crowd looked at him and went quiet upon realization

"HE'S HERE!"

"HURRY!"

"Come here, we'll send you to your family"

Allen immediately dash out of the way and what was tailing him was the crowd. Lavi was hanging on his clothes, holding it tight. "COME BACK!" the crowd behind them was shouting.

"Allen turned to that alley!" Lavi shouted as Allen saw an alley way. Allen followed and met a huge brick wall in the way. "Hang on tight Lavi" He readied himself and started his high jump. The people behind him stared at him wide eyed as he was on the top of the brick wall.

He began to ran to the roofs of the buildings, jumping from one to another. He looked below and saw some of them were still following him. "They just won't give up, would they?" Lavi said. "Lavi, do you see the reward price over my head?" Allen said sarcastically. "We have to at least find a place to hide" they jump from the other building and landed on the alley. He looked around to see if it was coast and clear.

"We should find a jacket" Lavi said as he help on surveying the area.

Unknown to them, two pair of violet eyes were watching them.

"He smells delicious, Lust. Can I eat him?"

TBC

Fruitloop: Thank you for reading!~