Eastern Command Center was still a buzz as everyone was working to get things under control for with the Fuhrer out of power and no one as his heir to his seat of power and the country was up in arms due to the activity of crimes being increasing with the lack of military members able to maintain the peace and punishment was low.
"Sir, we have reports of activity going on in the streets and we need all the military officials we can get to control the crime waves breaking out all over the city, what are we going to do?" Lt. Hawkeye asked as she stood near Mustang's desk with files in her arms that seemed to pile up in her arms.
"I don't know Hawkeye, we have a lot of trouble to face, the Fuhrer is in prison custody due to the files that were found after…Hughes' death," Mustang said as he stared down at his desk.
"Do you know where those files are because they will be needed to convict the Fuhrer of crimes against humanity?"
"At the moment, those are second in priority compared to find the Elrics'."
The noise in the room was reaching an all time max as the noise seemed to be the only noise in the room and it was becoming hard to hear anything that was being said between Mustang and Hawkeye. Mustang could not take the noise anymore as he pushed his chair out and stood up and moved to the center of the room. He stood in silence as he gazed around the room as he hoped to catch the eyes of the members in the room, but when he saw that it was not apparent, he opened his mouth and shouted out among the members.
"Did I SAY THAT YOU COULD JUST STAND AROUND AND TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE NOT APPARENT YET! GET BACK TO WORK! Thank you," Mustang said as he sat back down at his desk and the room became silent once more as the military members ran off to their duties.
"You didn't need to resort to such anger sir," said Lt. Ross as she walked in with Lt. Bloch in hot pursuit.
"May I ask the reason for this visit from you Lieutenant?" Mustang asked.
"Sir, we were sent here my Major Armstrong because he has heard that you having trouble here with dealing with a crime wave that has broken out."
"So, we are to believe that Major Armstrong is in command of the Central Command Center?" Lieutenant Hawkeye asked as she sat on the edge of Mustang's desk.
"Yes, ma'am and he is the only one capable to take command at the moment until someone is permanently found to replace the Fuhrer and there have also been rumors spreading about the possibility of you, Colonel Mustang, becoming the Fuhrer. No one trusts any of the upper level members to take the position and we need someone to take on the responsibility," Lieutenant Bloch answered.
"I would be happy to take the position, but I cannot leave my post here and I have a duty to the Rockbell's to find the Elric's because Edward went missing after the battle against the Homunculus and there have been sightings or reports that either one has turned up. I plan to go to Risembool and talk to the Rockbell's to find out if they have seen either one or heard from the boys," Mustang said as he gathered his coat and headed out the door of the office.
"Is it just me or has the Colonel been more depressed since the incident three weeks ago or is because he lost his right eye in the fight?" Bloch asked as the three military members watched the veteran alchemist.
"The Colonel may never be the same because he and Hughes were almost like brother's and he may never be the same and the Elrics' were like sons to him because of the fire of passion to never stop was always there in Edward's eyes and it seemed to remind of why he became an alchemist. He will be back on his feet when the time comes, but now is the time to be questioning his reasoning for doing what is going to do," Lieutenant Hawkeye as she watched sadly as she watched Mustang walk away, "If only there was something I could do to help him."
"Edward, Edward, come back and wake up," came the voice of Ed's dad as he pressed a cold compress on Ed's head as Ed lay on a bed in the room.
Still nothing
"Ed, please come awake. You are still the little boy I knew when I left you two, but there is something about you that is different from when you were little; there is some fiery passion that burns inside you, but I fear to tell you this, but this "world" is different then the one we once existed in. Science is the key to everything here and alchemy no longer exists. When you awaken, I fear I may have to tell that…your ability to perform alchemy is limited…you cannot perform alchemy because it doesn't exist," said Mr. Elric as tears sprang to his eyes that splattered across Ed's face that caused Ed to stir in sleep.
"Dad, why are you crying?" Ed asked weakly as he turned his face towards his father's stern face.
"Nothing, I am glad you are awake. You took a pretty nasty fall and you have been burning up."
"What time era is this?"
"I don't have the heart to tell you about where you are because this world is a world of danger and there has been word of a man rising among the masses that is intends to destroy human life and rise above the masses and I fear that he will be the end of this world."
"Father, what do you mean?"
"You have fallen into the time of a great world war, you have fallen into the time era of 1941 and we the world is at war and this is not the first time that such a war has occurred and I fear that this may be the end of this world."
Ed sat up in the bed, but his head began spin as images of the past, his brother, the members of the military he has made friends with swirled around along with the images of the past that been the cause of him being in this world. How could this be? Was his powers of alchemy still possible and what of his arm and leg that he had lost six years ago? Ed pulled up his sleeves, but what he saw on his right arm was not flesh and bone, but the automail still existed upon his body in this world.
"How can this be? I should have my flesh and blood back in this world!" Ed thought to himself as he feared that he would never be the same again as he had been when he was little.
"Ed? Are you alright?" Ed's father asked as he searched Ed's face for an answer.
"This isn't fair, after getting transported to this world I should have gained my flesh and blood limbs back, but I am cursed with these stupid metal limbs!" Ed shouted as he tossed the wet rag from his forehead as he fell towards the floor once more, but his father caught him this time.
"Edward, you must take it easy. Don't beat yourself up because you have not gained the dream that you searched for the past five years! I searched almost as long and hard to get back to you, Alphonse, and your mother. I would have given both arms and legs to find a way back home to you guys. Do not think that your quest and your forthcoming to this world were in vain. This world is a world of dangers due to the war that has been brewing ever since a man from Germany has sent forth to conquer all of us, but his greatest hatred is towards the Jewish. No one knows the reason for his madness, but if we are not careful in this world, we may end up dead like all reports that have spread about death camps for those both oppose this man and those that are of Jewish descendent.'
"Ed, you must be patient if you wish to return to your time and I will help you escape this world, for I will not let any harm of this man come to you."
"What is this guy's name that you and others fear so much? The only person I only feared was Colonel Roy Mustang," Ed asked sarcastically.
"He is known Adolph Hitler and I fear that he may be the end of the people known as the Jews for he has a fiery hatred for them and I fear that you would match the description of a Jew and that is why you must be patient in your quest to regain yourself and to return home."
Ed was stunned at what he had heard, this world did not live by alchemy, but by science and they lived life to life, day to day, in fear that their day of reckoning was upon them and was to be brought about upon them by one man, Adolph Hitler. Ed was brought back to reality when the door began to open once more as a mysterious figure entered the room as the door creaked open and a shy voice came forth.
"Sir Hohenheim, are you alright? I have been hearing voices in hear and your shouts coming from this room," said the mystery voice.
"Come on in, there is nothing to fear. I want you to meet my oldest son," Hohenheim said as the mystery visitor came forth.
"Edward, I would like to introduce to you one of my students that is helping in the field of rocketry that could help you and I get back to our time, Edward…this Alphonse Hiedrich."
"Hi, nice to meet you Edward Elric," Alphonse said as he shook Ed's hand, but the grasp soon went limp as Ed once more hit the floor.
"We are going to need to lay a mattress on the floor if he is going to keep doing this Professor."
"I know, but this too much for him."
"Why did he faint when you said my name?"
"My other son is named Alphonse, he and Ed have been through many tribulations since my disappearance when they were little."
"He's as cold as ice, why is that?"
"That is a long story that I am sure Edward can tell you better than I can."
Hohenheim and Alphonse set Ed up onto the bed and then left the room so that they could seek a doctor for Ed's increasing high fever. When he came through the portal something happened that is now affecting Ed's health and time is running out to do something for Ed, for unbeknownst to Hohenheim and Alphonse, the house they are hiding in is slated for destruction. It has been slated by destruction, not be a construction crew, but by an incoming German missile and time is about to run out as is luck for these three.
"Al, where are you? I sure could use right now. I'm scared and I can't find my way back home and to think that I was always the one that knew where we were and knew how to get back home. Not this time," Ed's mind drifted in and out as his fever increased and decreased. His fever was fluctuating from time to time and time was running out as he seemed to be fading from any sense of consciousness and he was fading fast.
"Brother, I will find you, but you must fight what ails you so that you may come back home to be with all of us so that time can reverse itself and you will gain back what has been lost, but only if you live to see another day," came the voice of Al as Ed slept and while no one was in the room a smile appeared across Ed's face. It had been along time since a smile had crossed the alchemist's face for there had not been much to smile about since the death of Lieutenant Colonel of Court Marshall Affairs Maes Hughes and the truth of behind the Homunculus and their reason for the Philosopher's Stone. The time had come once more for that smile to cross Ed's face.
Alphonse Elric sat on the train that would take him east unaware that on a different train that was headed to the West held the once proud Colonel Roy Mustang as he made his way to Risembool to speak to the Rockbell's to find out if they knew the whereabouts of the Elrics'. Would their paths crosses or were they destined to never meet up once more?
"Brother, I will find you and we will be a family again. Hold on to your hope and I will find you," Al thought to himself as he looked at the window of the train as he watched the countryside disappear as his eyelids drooped as he fell asleep and his mind wandered the green pastures of the past places they had been and to places that were yet to be discovered.
"Sir, sir, May I see your ticket?" asked the train conductor.
"Oh, yes. Here you are my good sir," Mustang said as he took his eyes from the countryside and handed his ticket to the conductor.
"Thank you."
"Wherever you are boys, I will find you and the answers I seek as to why the Homunculus have returned when it is believed that they were all dead," Mustang thought to himself as he stared out the window with a hardened look upon his face.
Are you guys hanging on by the edge of your seats yet? I want to thank those of you that have emailed me with reviews on the chapters I have submitted so far! YOU GUYS RULE! This chapter is filled with a spoiler about the movie coming to Japan this summer in July. If you want to find out about it, this is the title Fullmetal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shambala. I want to thank you guys again for reading and reviewing. Enjoy this chapter as much as I have enjoyed writing it!