In Times of Trouble

Chapter Thirteen

The Past Lingers

Central City

Snape's Residence

Severus arrived home quicker than Cissy was expecting him, with a guest. She had not been expecting a visitor either, and it made her a bit nervous. The man looked young, with long golden blond hair and a uniform nearly identical to the man who had interviewed her. Then he turned to greet her, and she paused at the shade of his eyes. They weren't bright yellow, instead a deep gold nearly matching his hair. She could have sworn she;d seen someone similar at some point but she couldn't place where exactly.

"Cissy, this is Lt. Fuhrer Edward Elric." Severus said making the introductions. "Edward, this is my houseguest, Cissy Black. She's who I mentioned over at the command center."

The other man eyed her with a frown as he shook her hand. "Well, this neighbor of yours has never met an Ishbalan obviously." He said as they walked into the living room. "Her hair coloring isn't right, nevermind the rest of her features. Now Miss, would you mind going over what happened once more for me please?"

Cissy nodded before launching back into the story she had told Severus earlier. As she finished talking, Drake wandered into the room. Edward smiled brightly at the child, "Hey there Buddy. What are you up to?" he asked as he stooped down to be level with the boy.

"I was reading and now I'm thirsty. Can I have a drink Mommy?" Drake said, unafraid of the friendly stranger since Mommy and Sev seemed to be happy with the man visiting. Mommy nodded and went to go get him a drink so he guessed the man was nice. The man smiled at him again and asked what he had been reading, but Mommy interrupted before he could answer to tell him to go play.

The man stood back up to shake Mommy's hand before he left with Sev. Mommy then pulled him into her lap. "Drake, Darling. We mustn't ever tell people here when we read our magic books. They don't understand it."

"Okay Mommy. What should I say then?" Drake asked.

"Just…tell them the name of one of the story books Severus bought you. That is far safer." She replied as Sev came back inside after pointing out the correct house to Edward.

"Actually, as Lt Fuhrer, it is perfectly safe to mention magic to him. He knows a great deal about it." Severus said.

"The Statue of Secrecy-"

"Doesn't apply to any world leader that I can think of, they are always informed." Severus said. "He actually has children Drake's age as well. Apparently, they are advanced readers."

"Interesting. What was he saying about my coloration?" Cissy asked as she sent Drake off to go play.

"He is very familiar with Ishbalans. He was part of the restoration project, and he housed a couple of children for a while. He's a firm believer in equal rights for all of their people, as is the fuhrer. That includes both Ishbalans and Wizards." Severus said.

"Does he know you're a wizard?" Cissy asked.

"He knows everything the Fuhrer does about wizards, possibly more. So yes he does. He knows you're a witch as well." Severus said. "He's the Fuhrer's son and an alchemist."

"Oh. I've read about him in the papers." She said with a smile. "They speak very highly of him, don't they?"

"Yes. Alchemist of the People they called him for years."

Meanwhile, Edward walked calmly up to the house in question with Breda just behind him. He knocked on the door as he noted the tricycle and wagon in the yard and hoped the mother didn't make a scene in front of her children.

After a moment, the woman answered the door with a scowl. When she saw who was standing at her door, the scowl disappeared and she smiled brightly before greeting him in a nervous voice. She invited them inside. Edward agreed after a moment, not wanting to make a scene though hoping this could go smoothly either way.

She sent the children, three of them, out of the room and offered them coffee. "No thank you. This shouldn't take long." Edward said, as he sat on the couch Breda standing behind him. The woman sat in the chair across from him, looking nervous again. "It has been brought to my attention that an altercation between you and the woman down the street occurred earlier this week."

"The Ishbalan? Yes. Her child is completely unruly and inconsiderate. He was attempting to damage our fence." She said with a scowl.

"Really? I saw nothing on my way in." Edward said with raised eyebrows.

"Well of course not. I stopped the little wretch before he could actually touch it." She said with a sniff. "Then I warned his mother to control her child. I suppose it's to be expected with their kind that she has no real control over him but still respectable people shouldn't be forced to endure his behavior."

"Hmm. I see." Edward said before glancing at Breda to ensure the man was recording everything she said into his notebook. "Well, then I'm afraid we do have a problem here."

"Are you going to remove them?" she said hopefully.

"No, I'm not. Ms. Black isn't the problem here. You are." Edward said. "We, the administration, have made it perfectly clear that this kind of anti-Ishbalan sentiment will not be tolerated."

"I have heard all the problems they have caused you. Your wife's parents were killed there. You were injured in a bombing as a child. You were attacked by one a couple years ago! Why would you defend them?"

"Well. It was a war, bad things happen in war. As far as my wife goes, her parents died helping people. All people. As I said we do not accept this kind of prejudice you have displayed today. For now, you will be receiving a ticket for your threats and behavior. I advice you to leave the family alone at this point." Edward said as Breda handed of the ticket that he had filled out while Edward was speaking.

She saw the amount at the bottom and sputtered hatefully as the men moved to leave. "Oh and Ma'am? I've spent my entire childhood and then several months as an adult near Ishbal. That woman and her child are not Ishbalan at all. I only can assume you have never cared to look carefully at the people, but that woman looks nothing like them."

He didn't bother to wait for her response. As they walked back to the car, Edward asked Breda to arrange someone from investigations to begin watching this woman Ed just hoped it had been enough to keep her from bothering Snape's friends anymore.

Scotland

Hogsmeade

Hogshead Tavern

" I have a problem." Albus said as he sat across from his brother at the bar.

"You have a slew of problems. None of which concern me." Aberforth responded.

"I'll have a coffee, please. We need to talk."

"Coffee, eh? Finally decided to pull your head out of the bottle?" his brother said as he set the cup down in front of him.

"Yes, I'm sure you're very disappointed to lose the income." Albus said snappishly.

"Can't say I care." Aberforth shrugged. He had been watering down the drinks as it was and had been part of the small circle trying to get his brother to stop. He may hate Albus, but the man was drowning and he hated to see that as well.

"Do you remember Nicolas?"

"Sure. He came and whisked you away about a year after we buried her. He took you as an apprentice if I remember correctly." Aberforth said before adding sharply. "If you're thinking to confess becoming his lover, you already have. Repeatedly. Usually at the bottom of your second bottle."

"His wife came to call." Albus said sipping the hot drink with a frown. It was far more bitter than he preferred. "She feels I owe her something apparently."

"Well, you did sleep with her husband. She has the right to be angry with you both."

"It's more than that. I think she may be insane, and dangerous" Albus said. "I swore off drinking to keep a clear head about me when running into her."

" So your sins have finally come to collect then?"

"I suppose one could put it that way, yes."

Albus wasn't sure what he expected from his brother. He knew Aberforth hated him, and with good reason. Coming to him for… he wasn't even sure, advice? Sympathy? Had not helped him at all. He wished suddenly, desperately, that he had a close friend to lean on in this situation.

With a heavy sigh he stood to leave, and threw some sickles on the counter before heading back toward the castle. As he approached High Street at the edge of town three people suddenly appeared.

He recognized them all, Remus Lupin, who for some reason had brought along the younger Elric and the weird girl who could see through cloaking spells. Albus sighed, as Lupin spotted him and pointed in his direction to the other two. Part of him wanted to turn around and go the other way.

He did want to know why Lupin would bring these two here however. There was a big difference between meeting the Amestrians in London and bringing them to an entirely magical community. Resolutely, he approached the others.

"Professor Dumbledore." The Elric said politely. "If we could step in somewhere private perhaps?"

"The weather is pleasant, let's head over to the yard around the Shrieking Shack. No one will bother us there." Lupin said before Dumbledore could reply. He followed along behind them for a few minutes until they had reached the grounds, and the town was far behind them.

Lupin sat on the old stone fence, joined by the Elric, while the girl sat on the grass. Dumbledore pulled out his wand to draw up a chair. He saw no reason to sit on a hard surface after the last few weeks.

"Hello, I suppose we should begin with proper introductions. I am Headmaster Alphonse Elric of Xerxes Academy. This is my wife, Princess Mei Elric also Headmistress of Xerxes Academy." Al said, trying to remain friendly, despite his distrust of this man.

"How can I help you?" Albus asked instead of introducing himself since they all clearly knew who he was.

"Actually. We wanted to warn you." Al said, sounding slightly uncomfortable.

"I was already warned rather thoroughly by your father sir, you needn't have come all this way to threaten me again." Albus said rather snidely. He was not in the mood to deal with all of this.

"I wanted to warn you about another, unrelated party, actually." Alphonse responded.

"What party would that be then?"

"Perenelle Flamel." Al said calmly. "You apparently made her short list of people she intends to kill after tormenting them for as long as possible."

"I'm afraid I don't understand, why would you warn me?" Dumbledore asked, while internally shuddering at the mention of that woman.

"I only know what the journals say as far as I've copied out." Al said. "Look. I don't like you. You are a threat to my brother and his family. You even threatened him recently. That said, she can't be allowed to do this to people either. Just because you're behavior is unacceptable, doesn't mean you should be subjected to it from someone else."

"Do you know what became of Flamel? You mentioned you have his journals." Dumbledore was sure why he asked. He just wanted to know how much this boy and his brother knew.

"Flamel disappeared as if he was never a real person at all. That is all I can tell you." Al said. "Perenelle on the other hand is very much active, and a threat to us all."

"Very well. She has been to see me twice." Dumbledore said carefully. Still not comfortable with sharing anything personal. "Apparently, she feels thanks to my relationship, I owe her a great deal. She also is seeking information on Takeshi Zhao."

"Takeshi Zhao was executed in a public display three days after his capture." The girl, Mei, said calmly. "A fitting punishment considering his crimes. I supported the Emperor's decision completely."

"Very well. I would assume by now she would have discovered this information then." Dumbledore said. "Perhaps she'll move on now."

"Highly unlikely. She asked to see how deep your contacts in Xing go." Alphonse said. "Before we go on. Edward and his children will have no part of any bargain you attempt in this. You will not reappear in a few months demanding custody of my nephew. You will not demand my brother give you access to his child. If you can't find that acceptable, we can always leave you to your fate."

"I can promise you-" Dumbledore began.

"Not good enough." AL replied. "Not after last time. I want you magically banished from Amestris."

"I can arrange such a spell." Lupin said quietly. He hadn't said anything much during this meeting. He would rather hang back and allow them to work it out together.

"Yes, thank you Remus, if you could handle that? Then we can all meet here again in three days. Until then, do your best not to annoy her into killing you." Alphonse said before standing and helping his wife to her feet. Lupin stood a moment later and pulled a small notebook from his pocket, where it glowed with a blue light for a moment before Dumbledore found himself standing alone near the shack.

He wasn't sure what to think of everything that had just happened, and this banishment was inconvenient but not a total loss, since they didn't say anything about wizards in general, just him. He could always send someone else if needed.

Fuhrer's Mansion

Roy's Office

Late Evening

Edward and Roy were sitting in the latter's office to discuss the situation brought to their attention today. They had both known that prejudice was still an issue around the country but were surprised the level it had taken root in Central City.

Edward had made some calls as soon as he had gotten home this afternoon, and investigations had already pulled together enough information that Ed feared the pattern he was looking at. He spent years digging beneath the pretty facade of cities and towns to know what he was looking at, and it was not an image he expected to find after everything they'd done to repair this city.

Roy was now looking over what Armstrong's men had brought Edward. His brow was creased in worry. He needed to talk to his mother, because if she had been aware of this kind of thing, she would have mentioned it, and he had never seen something grow like this while escaping her net of spies.

First though, he needed to make up a map of complaints to see the pattern for himself. It may sound worse than it was at this point. However, there appeared to be an organized anti-Ishbalan movement building in the city. Roy sighed heavily. Some days, it felt like for every step forward, they took three back. There had to be a better way to handle this. Father and his Sins were gone, and the echoes of their reign could still be felt throughout his office.

He looked over at the exhausted expression of his eldest child with regret. The boy wasn't yet twenty, and already the weariness was evident. His child looked twice his age. The only comfort Roy allowed himself was the same bone deep exhaustion did not mark his second son. Roy snorted at himself as he shook his head. Congratulating himself on only ONE of his sons working himself to death.

He could hardly say for certain Alphonse was in any better shape either. The distance being what it was, he was lucky if he saw the boy once a month in person. They called each other every day at least, and he sounded healthy and happy over the calls. Still, Roy felt he needed to make things better,easier, on both of his boys.

"I know that expression Dad." Ed said without looking up from his lists. "You're blaming yourself for everything again. Stop it."

"You can't deny you're exhausted Edward. You also can't deny I forced you to take this office. Your current condition is my fault."

"No, my current condition is thanks to having four young children and a fulltime job. No matter what I was doing, I'd be this tired."

"I hardly-"

"Seriously. With Dante pulling her shit, and this whole mess we're looking at right now, I would be involved Dad. So would Al." Edward said before looking up as he finished the last report. "Patterns are my thing. We both know it. This is not as organized or as big as they want us to think it is. They intentionally are setting a pattern to make us look at it. Which means it's a smokescreen."

"A smokescreen for what?" Roy asked, forgetting his guilt in favor of Edward's uncanny ability to pull together patterns at record speed.

"That's what I'm working on now. However, people like that woman today? They aren't regular participants in this. They just happen to share the same mindset. However is doing this is more like hecklers. Stirring up the crowd so that the masses do their dirty work for them. We need to shut this down quickly before it escalates to the point of having to send us in."

"Even if I send the alchemists in, you aren't on that list Ed." Roy said with a shake of his head. "Dealing with small isolated issues is one thing, I won't send someone of your high powerset into battle. It would be a massacre; none of us would recover."

"You can't protect me forever." Ed said quietly.

"I did a terrible job protecting you from the start. I won't let you become a living weapon."

"I already am, I was born one." Ed said, as he looked directly at his Dad. "I am what he made me. I accept that, even if no one else wants to. I can blame the Gate all I want, and I will outside of this room, but I think we both know I was never normal. We don't even know the full extent of what he did. So, before you keep blaming yourself for how it turned out, remember once and for all you SAVED me. You gave me something to live for, to hold on to, when I just wanted to give up. You picked me up, screamed in my face, and put me back on my path… I think in some ways, even if neither of it knew it then, that was the day you started to become my Dad."

"I screamed in the face of an injured and traumatized child, I had no right to treat you that way. I won't say I regret pointing you to the State Alchemist Program, because I believed then and still do now, that it was the only way to save you…however I will never forgive myself for how I treated you." Roy said. "I hadn't been back from the post war crap all that long at that point, and I was still feeling it far too much. It doesn't excuse my behavior."

Edward stood to walk over to the desk. He looked over the map Roy had been working on, that was nearly complete. Silently, he circled a small area in red ink. "The person responsible is in this area." Edward said before he turned to leave the office. "For the record Dad, the only thing I DON'T regret about what happened then, was meeting you and JiMu. Even then, my heart knew, we are family. So, when you wish to take it back, remember that it led us to you."