Same Direction
Chapter II: City in Sand
Author's Notes: Five pages. Five pages of this fic was deleted when some moron turned off my computer. FIVE. FUCKING. PAGES. It took me so long to get an idea and pen it and then someone DELETED IT. God. It might have been all right if I didn't have it exactly how I wanted it done and now I feel like crap. :cough: But enough bitching. This is dedicated to kurama-sweethart (Moe), my muy awesome beta and practically the only reason I continue. Check out her Fullmetal Alchemist fic 'Dimensions', it's a beautiful read and will get your brain going and heart racing. Guaranteed. A tear-jerking story by a seasoned writer. (I sound like I'm selling a product. o.0)
A blond trudged through the endless amount of sand. For miles around, he could see nothing but the yellow grains. Black peaks somewhere South looked like buildings, but he really wasn't sure. Despite the unbelievably hot, muggy day he still wore a a long red coat with a black cross and snake design on the back, and under that was a black jacket trimmed with white and under that was a black sleeveless top. The black pants and boots and white gloves (which were very unpractical no matter where you are or how hot it was) covered him almost entirely. Not only was all that clothing layered on him, he carried a seemingly heavy brown suitcase. It was no wonder when he flopped down face first in the sand, not noticing the burning sensation on his face.
"I'm hungry" he whined into the sand. "If there was at least some grass I could use that and turn it into bread." He heaved a long sigh. The Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric, reduced to moaning in the middle of nowhere. If only that idiot hadn't called him short. But at least he paid the guy back. Stupid cabby. Couldn't even let them back in to get to Lior, and man was Al pissed at that . . . "Al? Al?" He got on his knees ad looked to the sides. "Al? Al!" His golden eyes whipped around the landscape trying to find his brother.
Another voice came, barely a squeak where he was. "I'm here! I'm here!" The other boy had fallen into the sand, tripping over the build up that occurred dragging his feet around and around, pin wheeling wildly and calling for his brother. This one looked older even if he was the younger brother, and was taller than the lighter-haired blond. His hair was almost brown, a very dark deep yellow. It was cut raggedly, some pieces of hair longer than others, the longest going past his shoulder blades. It was tied up, what could be tied up, in a ponytail at the base of his neck. Sunglasses were flung inches from where he had fallen, looking like a piece of tire on a beach. His outfit was similar to Edward's. His coat was a navy blue and under the colors were reversed. He too held a suitcase. "Help Niisan!" he cried, spitting a mouthful of sand.
Edward Elric, elder brother, sixteen years old. Alphonse Elric, younger brother, fifteen years old. The two were inseparable, they had to be.
The lighter-haired blond muttered a curse and ran over to his brother, who was quite a ways ahead of him. Funny how he couldn't see blue in a sea of golden grains. "If you keep losing me I'll just leave you behind!" he growled, handing the glasses back to Alphonse after helping him up.
"But Niisan . . ."
"No buts!" and he instinctively smacked him over the head.
"Niisan!"
"Don't use that tone with me!"
"You didn't have to hit me! It's not my fault you're so slow."
"What do you mean!"
"I mean your legs are too short to go fast enough!" Alphonse retorted. He started edging away as soon as he realized the 's' word was going to come out of his mouth.
Edward took a moment to process. In those three seconds Al began running for his life. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT IF HE WERE ANY TINIER HE WOULDN'T EXIST!"
"I didn't say that!"
"HOW FAST IS THIS FOR A PINT-SIZED BEAN THAT CAN GET LOST IN THE DESERT BECAUSE HE HAS TO SWIM IN THE SAND!"
"But I - "
"NO BUTS!"
- Lior -
"Are you okay, Niisan?" Al asked, still out of arm's reach from his older brother. He had a face that would scare the devil.
Edward glared at him. "It's your fault for not stopping."
Alphonse smiled good-naturedly, happy to have won the little squabble. "Niisan, I don't think anyone would have stopped in that situation." A killer Chihuahua is a dangerous thing, he wanted to add, but bit his tongue.
"Oh really? That's nice . . . " He stopped and turned. Al heard water splashing and also looked.
"Is it . . . water?" he asked. "Niisan, I don't -" Edward was ahead of him, running full tilt at the direction of the sound.
"It's water! Water! Water! Water! Water! Water! Water! Water! Water! Water! Water!" He stopped at the edge, while Al tripped at the stonewalls and fell in. Edward sweat dropped at his sibling's clumsiness and turned back to the fountain.
Al spit the liquid out of the side unknowingly. "Niisan, I wanted to tell you . . . this isn't water." He had a look on his face like he'd bitten into a severely nasty piece of food.
"Yeah, it's red wine," he sighed, scooping it up in a cup. "Is this what you said you smelled earlier?"
Alphonse nodded and felt around the rim before slipping over the side. "It's a lot stronger now that I'm covered in it."
"Hey!" a man lifted the two by their coats. "Children aren't allowed to drink at the fountain!" They had to sort it out with the man, clearing up the fact they hadn't known the fountain was pouring wine and Alphonse was soaked with it because he had tripped. "Sorry," he said afterwards, laughing it off. "Foreigners wouldn't know about there being a fountain of wine. And you," he pointed a spoon at Al, who was wearing an extra set of clothing, waiting for his other things to dry, "you should watch where you're going."
The boy bristled at the comment but forced a lop-sided grin. "Yes, sir, I will."
Edward glanced at his brother, Al's face now unreadable as he stared at the drink served to him. Ed sucked his absently. "Lior must be a really rich town to have a wine fountain."
"Yes! It's all thanks to . . . oh, almost forgot." The man flicked a switch and the radio above came to life. Al jumped in his seat and covered an ear, before settling down again. The brothers listened to the station play a series of intrusments before stopping. A smooth voice echoed through the atmosphere. Everyone had stopped and had their hands folded, as if in prayer.
"Leto shines upon you, my children. In the darkest of hours there is still light he gives. Pray, and be saved . . . " it continued.
"A religious broadcast." Al said, more than asked.
Things went unsaid as Edward and Al took turns sipping at their drinks. The man regarded their ragged appearance and suitcases. "Are you traveling salesmen?"
Edward's drink bubbled over the glass, splashing on the counter. He should know not to blow too hard on a straw. "Oi! Where do you get off calling us salesmen!" he demanded.
"Sorry! It's just that your looks - "
"What's wrong with how we look!"
"I mean, what is a pair of kids doing in this city?"
Alphonse remained indifferent, sucking at his leisure.
The elder brother rolled his eyes and allowed himself to calm down. "We're looking for something." He paused, changing the subject. "Who is that on the radio?" Edward queried, looking up at the shop owner.
"It's Cornello-sama," he said reverently, as if the name was made of gold.
Edward raised an eyebrow. "Umm . . . who's that?"
The man's eyes widened and he leaned over. "You don't know the avatar of Leto!"
"That's why I asked . . ." he replied weakly. All of a sudden, a troop of men appeared holding large mugs of beer still frothing at the top.
"Cornello-sama does miracles!" one said.
"Yes! He creates miracles!"
"He helped this city in the sand, abandoned by all, become rich!"
"What he does is a miracle!"
"Yes!"
Edcovered his ears, irritated by the buzzing crowd. "I'm agnostic. I don't care about religion." He finished the cool juice and stood. "Let's go, Al."
"Sure."The little brotherstood and bumped the glass with his elbow. Ice cubes rolled on the ground as it shattered.
"Hey! I thought you were going to watch it!" the clerk said. Alphonse's mouth twitched again, but he gave an apologetic look.
"Sorry for the trouble, sir. I'll fix it," Edward said, jumping in.
"No, I'll do it," Al interrupted. He bent down and ran his hands on the ground, catching the shards and ice, grouping it in a small pile. Lifting a piece of chalk from his pocket, he drew two circles and five triangles.
The man leaned over to Edward and whispered, "What's he doing?"
"It's an array," he answered in a matter-of-factly voice.
Al nodded. "Here we go!" He laid his hands on the edge of the circle and a flash of blue light and cloud came. When it cleared up, the glass was half full with water, no ice cubes in sight.
Again, the man's eyes widened to saucers. "Y - You can do miracles as well!"
"Miracle?" Edward chuckled.
"We're alchemists," Al replied simply, putting the glass back on the counter. There was a gash on Al's finger, long but very shallow, blood seeping through the right glove.
"Jeez, Al," Edward muttered. He took off the glove and got the water, pouring it on to the cut and wrapping it up with a piece of cloth.
"Thanks, Brother," Al said, a little smile on his face.
"Alchemists, eh?" one of the on-lookers said.
"The 'Elric brother's' should be a famous name," Edward said, a smirk on his face.
All of them looked at him with 'eh?' expressions. "Yes, Edward Elric. The Fullmetal Alchemist," a cloaked woman lifted her face. Her long fingers rested under her chin. "You're a famous state alchemist in East City."
His smirk grew wider, his hands resting comfortably on his hips, accepting the praise.
"Ahh! So you're a pretty famous guy, huh? How young! You must have started when you were thirteen," the men crowding around Al said.
"Why do they call you Fullmetal?"
"Ehh . . . well . . . it's not me . . . " Al said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
The men looked from the tall boy to Ed. One pointed at him, "You mean, the little kid over there?"
Edward's face darkened. Grabbing hold of four men per arm, he swung them around and ranted. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING A SPECK OF DUST THAT'S TOO SMALL TO BE PICKED UP WITH A RAG!"
"We didn't say that!"
"Things seem lively today," a young woman said, observing the raucous behavior of Edward. Her pink bangs framed her pretty face, violet eyes large and innocent, she was dressed like a peasant.
The clerk grinned. "Oh, Rose. So good to see you."
"And who are these people?" she asked, her voice naturally sugared with kindness.
Edward threw the scrubs over to the side. "I am the Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric."
Alphonse put his hand on Edward's shoulder, turning to face his direction. "And I'm Alphonse Elric, his little brother."
"He's the older brother?" Rose wondered under her breath. Luckily, Ed didn't catch it.
"Rose, you're done with the offerings right?" She nodded. "Well then, take these young men to the church of Leto, they're looking for something. Maybe they can find it through God."
"Of course," she replied, smiling.
"No, it's all right," Alphonse said, waving his hands in the air.
"Sure, let's go," Edward replied, a smirk on his face. "What could it hurt?" He took Al's suitcase and pushed it into his hands.
"But Niisan," Al protested. He gripped the handle all the same.
Rose looked over at his hesitant face. "The rooms are free," she offered.
"Here that! If I spend any more that Colonel bastard will kill me," the older brother said. "Come on Al!" He didn't wait for his younger sibling to protest, he was already marching off, following Rose to their lodgings. Al sighed and trotted after him staying near one side of the road. Edward soon joined him, tapping his shoulder. "Al, do you remember that woman?"
The taller boy put a finger to his chin, trying to recall the voice. "Not . . . really . . ."
Rose looked back at the two. "Don't worry, you'll find what you're looking for." Both smiled in unison. A smile that said, 'Thanks, but I know better than to hope.' Al rubbed his shoulder briefly. It was so hot outside, he wanted to take the coat off so badly. "And," the two glanced up at her, "you'll be taller if you pray."
Al saw it coming before the words left his brother's mouth and he buried his face in his hands while his older brother started rampaging after Rose. "WHO'S A SUPER-DUPER SHORT KID?" The girl laughed and picked up her pace.
"Niisan!"
Watching the exchange was a man in black robes. A cloth was wrapped around his shoulders. One hand with a red ring held to his cane, the other drawn behind his back. His head was completely bald and his face was set with an expression of interest and ever-present cunning. Glaring at the three with half-lidded eyes, he turned to a man covered in darkness. "Thank you for telling me about them," he said.
"It's no problem," the other replied, flicking a dagger to the floor. It was stained with blood. Cornello looked at the dull blade with a hint of disgust, but nothing more. "Just remember, this is our little secret. Okay?"
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"Here you are. The church isn't very far from here, you can go there to worship," she said. Edward nodded, not particularly interested in where the church was as much as the location of the lavatory. He stepped into the room with a brief note of thanks. Alphonse bowed and apologized for his brother. Curious that Ed was now acting very cold to the girl once he got here. Probably thinking, Al thought, dismissing it. Of course, the younger Elric was right.
Al closed the door and set his suitcase against it. There wasn't a lock and his load was heavy enough to at least warn them if someone was breaking in. Precautions had to be taken. He poked around, running his hand along the bed and walls, bumping into furniture he didn't notice. Edward stumbled out of a room, pinching his nose and gagging. Al caught a heavy scent of perfume and turned slightly green himself. It wasn't that it smelled bad, but it was so thick that Edward's eyes watered. "What is that?" Alphonse choked.
Edward didn't answer he slammed the door shut and shoved his jacket onto his face. "The bathroom," his muffled voice replied.
"Eh?" Al really didn't want to know.
The incident ended when Edward fixed the heavy smell, blowing it out with a concentrated blast of air. He was lucky the window in the bathroom had no glass, he'd have broken something. Not that it mattered too much. Another slam made Al jump out of his seat by the window. His righthand rested on the page, ungloved. The bandage was starting to give way to red stains."Hi Niisan! Did it work?"
"Yeah. It's okay now." Edward flopped onto the bed, his face buried in the musty blankets. While Al had been sensible and taken off the coat, Edward still kept all of his extra layers of clothing on. "Daaaammn," he muttered.
Al adjusted the sunglasses and sighed. "What were you thinking, coming here?" he asked. The tone wasn't one that berated his sibling, just a mild sort of curiosity.
"That Cornello guy is supposed to be a head priest or something," Edward said. It came out like he was speaking with a fistful of cotton in his mouth. That wasn't totally far from the truth either. "We'll check him out tomorrow." Alphonse felt the warm sun still cascading through the window he sat by.
"That's going to be in a while, Niisan." The underlying question was, what are you planning to do right now?
Wrapping himself in his red coat, Edward turned away from the window. "I know. So I'll be sleeping."
- To Be Continued -
End Notes: I'm calm now. Sort of. Erm . . . any reviews with questions shall be answered. Such as Black Angel's, and yes, that is the gist of it. This chapter gave broad hints as to what is wrong with Alphonse. (Maybe 'wrong' isn't the right word . . .) I have a chunk for the middle portion and their past is completely done. Wuhahahahhaahaha. I love this fic. My almost intolerable brother is the price paid for good conversation.
This and everything else will be updated slowly, since my Writer's Block should be renamed Writer's Big-Freaking-Wall-That-Has-an-Annoying-Tendency-To-Creep-Up-When-The-Writer-Wants-To-WRITE-Dammit. Along with the computer being afflicted with 'lack of recovering files' virus. T.T Can you tell how hung up I am about this?
In any case, I hope you enjoyed, and if you did, remember to leave a kind word in, okey-days? Special thanks again to Moe! Another shameless plug for Hitsuji no Edo's 45 Roy x Ed Themes. One-shots written to a string of various themes, as the title suggests.It'sa great readto follow up Dimensions, or start the FMA reading spree. (hinthintwinkwink)Read, review or die.
Next; Chapter Three: 3 Blind Mice
Alphonse: What we did was wrong and we all paid the price. Dad, Brother, and I. We never saw the truth for what it was.