koryanders: Thank you. I will.
Fireminer: I've got it under control. The story is slowly but surely being pieced together.
You'll see whether Alexander is a cameo or not.
I've got one posted right now! Go check my page if you want to see it.
OBSERVER01: Glad you think so.
Pink Blood: Good to see you're so "hoppy"
Yup, lots of people show up here.
Aw, that's super sweet of you!
Deathfrown: The story's happening all over two or more different countries, so it's to be expected.
I like bringing everything in at one point.
I'm glad you're eager for the next chapter.
the allen walker: I'm glad you think it's unpredictable.
Yes, there are lots of mysteries here.
I'm going by the manga translation of Cselkses, not Xerxes.
Until then, then.
ZeAwsumOtaku: I can't make any promise; school senior year, you know.
I'm glad you think so.
I guess so.
...
H-heh-heh-heh...
Of course.
Okay.
Alice blinked.
Before her was a uniform clearly for a knightmare frame. It was a grey jumpsuit with a green short shawl with a golden fleur-de-lis on the left shoulder, grey gloves with green fingers and dark grey combat boots with green laces.
"What is this?" she asked.
"Your uniform," Sir Thurston said, "Last night, Britannia's Chosen attacked a knightmare frame factory. They were able to escape with various knightmare frames and parts. Whoever coordinated the attack definitely knew what they were doing."
Alice looked surprised. "So then...?"
"You have ten minutes to change; I'll be just outside," Sir Thurston stated before he closed the glass door of her prison.
The blonde girl looked on for a moment before she turned to the uniform and quickly stripped down her dress, stockings and dress shoes before he put on the uniform. She opened the door and walked over to the door of the corridor where Sir Thurston nodded to her before he led her to the hanger that held the Alexander, and his own frame, Alymere.
The Alymere's color scheme was a soft grey color with pale lavender and dark blue trim. It's head was slightly rounded with no facial features and a visor over the top of it's head with a single cloud grey plume. It's design was a bit bulky, like a well-muscled man.
It stood at nearly seven meters, quite high for a knightmare frame. It had four pairs of slash harkens; one pair at the shoulders, one at the hips, another, surprisingly, just above the knee-joints and one more at the wrists. It's visible weaponry consisted of a single MVS and a stout and tech-looking staff.
Many who had underestimated the Alymere and it's pilot, Alice knew, would be sent to the hospital at best and their graves at worst.
The hanger opened up, revealing a battlefield for the two. Sir Thurston boarded Alymere and Alice followed his example with Alexander. The cockpit was a bit unusual, with the seat a bit longer than a Britannian cockpit seat.
"Uh, Sir Thurston?" Alice said as she looked back at him from the cockpit's edge, "There's no manual."
"It doesn't come with one," Sir Thurtson stated, "They sent the frame, but not the instructions."
Alice nearly face-faulted at that. Of course the E.U. would try to exploit such a loop-hole!
"It can't be helped!" Sir Thurston called back, "That's what this battle is for; to test the Knightmare capabilities."
Alice sighed before she got into the cockpit and closed the top. In the ignition was a grey key with a single green stone attached to it by a chain. She turned it, turning on the system and knightmare frame. The controls looked fairly the same as the other controls she was used to.
She piloted the Alexander out to the field and faced against Alymere. The video feed opened up, revealing Sir Thurtson.
"This is merely an informal spar, for the sake of seeing the Alexander's features," he told her, "So we both need to minimize damage to one another so not to damage the frames too much. Understand?"
"Yes sir," Alice responded, gripping the controls.
Ed yawned
It had been a whole day since he, Al and Winry had gotten to Central. After nearly a whole day of nonstop train-riding, they had arrived to the city at last in the late afternoon before checking into their hotel and spending the rest of the day just resting from the trip before they got up the next day.
His apparent and unwanted "friend", Lin, had disappeared as soon as they had arrived, spurring Lan Fan (the bodyguard girl) and Fuu (the bodyguard old man) to start searching for him.
"Young lord!" Fuu had shouted from on the train, "Where are you?! Good grief, I can't keep my eyes off him for even a moment!"
"Oh, I hope he hasn't collapsed again..." Lan Fan had fretted nervously.
Geez, what a bizarre bunch, Ed thought as he got on his clothes.
"Hey Ed, how did you sleep?" Al asked from where he had been sitting last night.
"... okay enough," Ed said, trying not to let his expression waver.
They went down to the lobby, where Winry was waiting for them. She smiled as she saw them and got up from the seat where she was sitting.
"Do you guys wanna come with me to see Mrs. Hughes and Elicia?" she asked.
"Sorry; I gotta report to Central HQ," Ed apologized.
"I'd be happy to come with you, Winry," Alphonse said kindly.
Winry beamed. "All right!" she chirped before looking at Edward with a stern look, "Don't go getting into any trouble, okay?"
Ed rolled his eyes. "Don't be such a worry-wart, I can handle myself."
Winry scowled before her face softened. "I'm serious; I don't want to see you hurt."
Ed looked back at her, but said nothing before he left the hotel. The streets were bustling with people and cars and machinery. Just another typical day in Central.
Wonder how they're all doing, Ed thought, remembering the Lt. Col., the two 2nd Lt.s, the Sgt., the Warrent officer, and the Lt.
Ed scowled when he accidentally remembered the Col.
Sonuvabitch.
He finally made it to the Col.'s office and knocked on it.
No answer.
"Oi, Col.!" Ed barked, "It's Fullmetal!"
Still nothing. The blond frowned.
Maybe he's asleep? No, that guy's the lightest sleeper on the planet.
"Hey open up, Col. Bastard!" Ed yelled, banging on the door harder.
"He's not here right now, Edward," a female monotone voice dead-panned behind him.
Ed turned to see Lt. Hawkeye behind him. "Oh hey, Lt. Do you know where he is?"
"He went over to see Commodore Hughes," she told him.
Ed blinked. "Why?"
Lt. Hawkeye looked at him with a slightly puzzled expression before it became serious. "... you haven't heard yet, then?"
Ed looked back at her, clearly confused. "Hear what?"
"... the night after you and your friends left, Commodore Hughes was going through the records when someone bombed the archive room."
!
"Wh-what...?" Ed got out, horrified.
"No one was killed, but the room and it's documents were destroyed," Lt. Hawkeye told him.
"A-and Hughes...?"
"He's alive, but he suffered burning, a few broken bones and a concussion. He's recovering fairly well right now and will be released in another week or two," she said.
Ed released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. When he had heard that the room had been bombed, he had immediately assumed the worse for the kind bespectacled man.
"So, the Col. is..."
"Visiting him in the hospital right now, yes," the Lt. confirmed.
"... Lt. Hawkeye, are you free right now?" Ed asked.
"For a little while longer, yes. You want to visit him, right?" Lt. Hawkeye answered.
Ed nodded.
Winry rang the doorbell to the Hughes residence before backing up with Al. A moment later, the door opened, revealing Elicia.
"Mommy!" she called happily, "It's Win and big-little brother Al!"
Gracia came a moment later and also smiled when she saw the blond and armored boy.
"Hello Winry, Alphonse," she greeted, "It's good to see you both."
"Hello Gracia/ Mrs. Hughes," Winry and Al greeted together.
"Please, come inside," she said cordially, opening the door to let them in.
Winry and Al stepped in and Gracia led them into the living room where they sat down. Elicia crawled onto Winry's lap.
"So, how are you all?" Gracia asked, "It's been a while since I saw you all."
"We're doing well, Mrs. Hughes," Al responded.
"Please, call me Gracia."
"Okay..."
"Where's little-big brother Ed and LLLLL, big-little brother Al?" Elicia asked Al.
"Brother had to go to Central HQ, and LL's gone on a trip," A explained.
"When are they gonna come back?" the little girl asked.
"Ed could come back later today, but LL's going to be gone a little longer."
Elicia pouted. "I wanna see 'em..."
"You'll see them soon, sweetie; just be patient," Gracia said gently.
"Speaking of, how's Mr. Hughes doing?" Winry asked cheerfully.
Gracia froze at that, her expression becoming worried and solemn. Even Elicia looked really sad.
"... what happened to him?" Al asked softly, "What happened to Mr. Hughes?"
"... he's in the hospital right now, because of an accident at Central HQ involving a bomb," Gracia said.
Al gasped and Winry felt sick at that. "What...? How did it...?"
"I don't know."
"Is he doing okay?" Al asked.
He's recovering well right now but..."
"'But' what?" Winry asked, worriedly.
"I hope that Hughes is feeling better," Ed remarked as he went down the hall with Lt. Hawkeye.
The blonde woman nodded absently, her expression clouded.
"What's the matter?" Ed asked, looking behind, "You and Col. visited him plenty of times before not to be worried, right?"
"... he wouldn't let us see him."
Ed blinked. "Huh?"
"Hughes didn't allow anyone to see him, not even his wife or daughter," Lt. Hawkeye said softly.
Ed nearly tripped over his feet at that. He knew how much Hughes loved his family. What could have caused him not to want to see them?!
"Are you serious?!" Al exclaimed.
Gracia nodded.
"But why wouldn't he want to see you? You're his family," Winry said, feeling horrible for Gracia and Elicia both.
"I wish I knew," Gracia said, her eyes downcast, "All I can do is wait for him to get discharged..."
Smack.
Riza's eyes widened in unadulterated shock and she heard Edward exclaim in surprise by her in the gap of the doorway.
Hughes had thrown a punch, his fist colliding with the Col.'s face, slamming him backwards. He hit the wall a moment later, his cheek bruised and a thin line of blood trickling from his lip as he stared at the Commodore in shock and bewilderment.
"It's over, Mustang," Hughes said, his expression and voice cold, "Get the hell out of my sight."
Ed was simultaneously confused and shocked in the worst way possible. He couldn't have just seen Hughes punch the Col. like that and speak so harshly to him; he couldn't have!
The Col. staggered back on his feet, his expression bewildered. "Maes, I-"
"Are you deaf?" Hughes said in a flat tone, "I said get out of here."
"Commodore, what's the meaning of this?" Lt. Hawkeye asked sternly, still looking a bit shaken.
The bespectacled glanced over at her dismissively. "What are you going to do, shoot me for finally waking up?"
Lt. Hawkeye stopped at that. "What do you...?"
"I finally realized it," Hughes said, "If I keep backing you up, I'll only end up dead. Besides-"
At this, he looked back at Roy, sneering, "You don't have so much as a prayer in becoming Furhur anyways, Roy. Of course, you already know that, right?"
The Col.'s eyes widened at that.
"Come on, don't tell me you seriously think you'll actually make any kind of impact this country?" Hughes continued, remorselessly, "Pathetic."
"Stop it!"
Hughes and the Col. looked back at the teenager as he shouted this, glaring at the Commodore for all he was worth.
"I don't know what happened between the two of you, but that doesn't give you any right to say those things! I don't care how-"
"Fullmetal, shut your mouth this instant; that's an order!" the Col. barked.
Ed stared back at the Col. in disbelief, but his mouth closed anyways.
"Lt. Col. Hughes," the Col. said softly, "is this truly how you feel?"
The commodore nodded curtly.
"... very well."
With that, the Col. turned and promptly exited the room before Lt. Hawkeye went after him. Ed didn't know what to think, say, or do, he was so utterly confused. He stood there for a moment before he decided to follow them as well, leaving Hughes alone in his room.
"S-sorry," Ed muttered as he bumped into a blond officer with shadowed eyes.
Growl~
Nina frowned as her belly continued to rumble.
It was the third day of her training tutorial and she had woken up a while earlier, thanks to her more-or-less empty stomach. She was able to find plenty of water so she was properly hydrated, but she was very hungry now.
Mrs. Curtis said I couldn't use my Chimera powers, she thought, gripping her knife, So that basically means I can't use my sense of smell or-
Just then, she heard something. A scuffling nearby from where she was standing. She crept forward slowly, breathing through her mouth as she looked out from behind some bushes.
There was a fox, holding a bloodied rabbit by the throat in it's jaws as it walked over to a small hollow at the base of a tree. A few cubs came out, whimpering and squeaking as the fox approached them.
A vivid memory played in Nina's head of when her mother would come home from the store with a bag of groceries. She and Alexander, back when he was a puppy would come up and greet her.
Mama...
The cubs and vixen (apparently) tore into the rabbit, bits of fur, sinew and blood flying as they greedily and messily devoured the rabbit. Nina's stomach growled even more, especially at the sight and smell of the bloodied meat.
I've got to get food right now!
For the past few days, Nina had gotten her nutrition solely from the fresh water, not taking chances with the plants in case they were poisonous. While she was able to function, the water didn't give her proper energy or filled her stomach.
Looking around, Nina found a long stick, a thin vine, a sharp stone and a few grubs. She tied the vine to the stick, then the other end of the vine to the rock and stuck one of the grubs to the rock before looking around for a fish-infested area in the water.
After a while, she was able to find an area where the water was rippling and she could faintly see a few fish beneath the water.
Okay, let's try this.
With that, Nina got as close to the water on the ledge as she could before she let the line drop as gently as she could. During this, she was able to set up the make-shift rod so she could leave it and get some sticks for fire.
The sun continued to dip lower until it had nearly set and Nina's stomach was totally empty.
I wonder if foxes are edible or not... she thought as her stomach growled weakly.
However, at that moment, her line was suddenly pulled. Acting quickly, Nina yanked the line out and got it on land, where a decent-sized fish flopped on the ground. She quickly began to rub tow sticks together until she finally got a spark going (she did have experience with fire, from seeing some of the chimera light cigarettes or pipes and she did learn how to use a flint).
Eventually, there was a small fire going and the fish was beginning to cook from where Nina rotated it over the fire on a stick. The smells were making her salivate and her dog nose wasn't helping the matter, since it had already smelled amazing when she caught it.
Finally, Nina couldn't take it anymore. She took the stick with the fish out of the fire and her fang-like teeth broke into the flesh and tore off a hunk, heedless of the blood dripping down her chin from the rawness. After a few minutes, all that was left of the fish was it's bones before Nina began to gnaw on them as well.
After three days of nothing to eat but plants, Nina's appetite was sated, and she was feeling very thirsty. She got up and went over to the water and almost blindly scooped up the water and drank deeply until she was done. As she was getting up, the young girl saw her reflection. A sharp gasp came out of her mouth.
The excess water and blood dripped off her face, her eyes seemed to be redder than usual and her mouth was slightly parted, showing her fang-like teeth. Shaking her head quickly, Nina's hands smacked down into the water before she began to splash it onto her face until her entire head seemed to be soaking.
I actually looked like a dog, she thought as she wiped the water from her eyes, Is this what hunger does to you?
Al and Winry were back in their hotel room as the sun began to set and the sky was slowly becoming darker and bluer.
"What's taking Ed?" Winry wondered.
Al said nothing but he wondered where his brother was too. He didn't think it'd take so long for him to see Col. Mustang. He hoped that nothing bad had happened to him.
The last time brother went out on his own was...
It had been three years ago. A case had come up for Ed, the first assignment as the Fullmetal Alchemist. It was to help investigate a string of murders around Central, twenty-three to be more precise. Ed had gone off to investigate and Al hadn't seen him back for a few hours. Finally, he followed the military officers who found out where the murderer was hiding out.
When he got there, he found his older brother in a state of fear he had never thought he'd see. His eyes were wide and almost glazed over, his body was shaking and Ed had even attacked him when Al had come behind him, his automail arm transmuted into a blade raking across his armored torso. The murderer, a butcher named Barry apparently, was quickly arrested but he had already left a deep mark on his older brother.
I think that was the first time I've ever seen brother cry.
Just then, the door opened. Brother walked in, his expression shadowed. Winry got up and walked over to him. "Ed, what took you so long?"
His brother was simply silent as he shrugged off his red coat and took off his shoes listlessly.
"Ed...?"
"It's been a long day. I need sleep," came his reply.
Winry said nothing but gave him a concerned look before she nodded and left the room. Al looked back at his brother, who pulled out the binder holding his braid and stripped down until he was only wearing his boxers and tank-top.
He slumped onto his bed, grabbed the bed covers and pulled them over his form. The armored boy got up and walked over to the bedside, sitting down by his brother and laying a hand on his tiny shoulder.
"What happened?" he asked.
Brother said nothing, but shifted underneath the covers further.
"Brother, please."
At that, his brother's head poked up a bit more, his expression almost timid.
"Al... do you hate me?"
The armored boy stared, almost recoiling at the question. "Wha-why would you ask such a thing?"
"Don't you blame me for being stuck in that armor?"
Is that what this is about?
"... Edward," Alphonse said in a stern voice, "the blame doesn't fall on you. I wanted to see mom again as much as you did, maybe even more. I wanted to go back to the past, so I remained silent and didn't question you even once. I followed through without a word."
"For another thing, neither of us had any idea what would happen; it's not like you wanted my soul to be trapped in here. Besides, if you hadn't, I wouldn't be here right now, with you."
Brother sat up at that, an almost child-like look of surprise on his face. "Alphonse..."
At that, Al's arms wrapped around his brother, holding him close.
"Edward, you're my big brother; I love you."
A moment passed, before Edward shifted and wrapped his arms around the armored boy as best he could.
"Al..." he whispered, his breath hitching.
Roy's hand covered his face as he slumped over his desk, Hawkeye by his side. His cheek still stung but the pain was gradually fading.
He didn't, no, he couldn't understand how this had come to be; his and Maes's friendship managed to survive military training and the Ishvalan civil war (It still curdled his stomach to refer to it as such) yet after the archives were attacked, his friend began to distance himself, until today.
What was worse than the blow and the silence, were Maes's words. The one who had promised to work beneath him, to support him, who had also said that he would never realize his ambitions, calling him pathetic, it had struck him down to his very core. What was even worse than that was...
Is he right? Is it really so hopeless? Roy thought, his teeth gritting, Am I really that pathetic?
"Lt."
Hawkeye looked back at him, her expression still stoic. Roy could barely take it.
"Tell me... what's wrong with me," he said, "Tell me what I need to do to change. Tell me what I need to-"
His sentence broke off as his shoulders shook, hist fists clenching. Hawkeye said nothing but still stood by him.
"... it's starting to rain..."
At that, Hawkeye simply closed the distance between them and held him closely, her chin resting on the top of his head, her arms around his neck and shoulders.
"Yes sir."
Schneizal fought back a scowl.
The negotiations with Xing had been officially postponed and now, they were heading back to Britannia. After all of that, they would have to put it off until the Xingese emperor recovered or Mei Chang returning with the Philosopher's stone.
Still, Zero was very convincing, able to adapt to Kururugi's mannerisms while still acting as the old Zero.
Cornelia was packing her items while Schneizal had already finished. Soon, they would depart. Just then, his door was knocked on.
"Come in," Schneizal said.
With that, the door opened, revealing a hooded man with two bodyguards and another figure behind them, but Schenizal couldn't make him out. The hooded man had brown skin, with a full grey beard on his chin and lower-cheekbones and around his mouth.
"Who are you?" the blond asked.
The hooded man smiled cordially. "I am your salvation."
Schenizal blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I know about Lelouch vi Britannia's command to you to follow Zero," the man said, "and I can free you from your brother's control once and for all, if you lend us your aid."
Schenizal's eyes widened. He was all too aware of Lelouch's command, but he had no choice but to subject himself to it. But if what this man was saying was true...
"What do you need my aid for?" he asked.
"Well, we have something we wish to experiment; a token that will bestow great power if it's host is strong enough. I personally believe you are a suitable candidate for the power it will grant," the man explained.
At that, he nodded to the man behind the guards and he came forth. Like the first, this man was wearing a cloak, but his mouth was in a toothy grin, with a single gold tooth prominent. He held a small case before he opened it up, revealing a small vial of blood-red powder.
Short chapter this time...
Okay, I started watching some of the episodes from the original Fullmetal Alchemist anime and I was really impressed. I can see why fans really liked it. However, it also gave way to a plot-child for Fullmetal Geass that I really wished I could have done and would make this story a lot cleaner.
Basically, LL appears in Amestris when Ed and Al do Human Transmutation in their house. He doesn't replace their "mother's" remains, but lands there all the same.
Like here, LL has no memories. He and the Elric brothers, along with Granny Pinako and Winry, decide to take care of him, with LL eventually becoming an Elric and being christened Idris (Arabic: a good man)
Idris then goes to help Edward and Alphonse pass the state alchemist test and look after them both. He becomes fiercely protective of both brothers and Winry, especially after the incident with Barry the Chopper.
Nina still disappears but like before, is reared up by Greed's gang, except she's with them for four years.
Meanwhile, after Lelouch's disappearance, Nunnally sends people to try and locate him but to no avail. Eventually, everyone must move on for the world. Kallen and Gino still go out, Tamaki still runs a bar and Britannia's Chosen rears their ugly head.
Schneizal, Cornelia and Zero-zaku go out and erect peace treaties with various countries, Xing being their latest during the main storyline.
I really wish I could have had this brain-child while the story was just starting out... oh well.