Chapter 6- Roadblock

Raeluvs

Edward moved rapidly down the old dirt road, a million thoughts racing through his mind. Visions flashed like pictures on an old reel of film, playing back memories of the past at high speed across golden eyes; his face was glazed over in reflection.

The mocking and yet strange, sudden sympathy in Roy's tone, the stoniness of Riza's face, the horror struck, pained look carved into Alphonse's quivering, tear filled eyes, spread like wild fire through his head. His eyes burned; an inner war was raging within him, a strong hatred toward himself brewed, staining his heart, blurring his thoughts. He vaguely wondered how Elysia could call him family, but at the thought of the word, a smile escaped past tight lips. Family.

He rubbed his eyes absent mindedly, thought shifting to the Omega. From Hughess notes, he had deducted that Glyph had lost his left leg in an automail accident, to Edwards surprise and humor. He was attempting to create a whole automail body, equipped with weapons for a soldier, paralyzed from the spine down. However, the project failed; while installing a saw, Glyph was startled, by what, no one knew. He dropped it on his left leg, damaging the nerves beyond medical repair. He never finished the soldiers uniform and didnt create automail weaponry from that day on.

Much regarding Glyph was unclear after that. Edward assumed that Glyphs thought process was like that of all scientists; if you have the power to do something...

"...it's hard not to try, right, Edward?"

Edward clamped gloved hands over his ears instinctively, blocking out the memory of Shou Tuckers childlike voice. It was that philosophy alone that took innocent lives, and Tucker was proof of that. Edward took a deep breath, refocusing his thoughts upon the Omega and Glyph.

Tucker shared the all too twisted dream of thousands of alchemists; take things as they were handed to you, or try to change them, preferably with science. Edward figured that Glyph wanted to get back what he had lost, unsatisfied with his own mechanic work with the automail. Edward sighed; another tragic tale of science gone wrong, about which he could care less. He cared only about the Omega, which was the science gone awry part of the deal.According to Sciezkas notes, the Omega was compiled of many strange things. Edward could derive most of them himself; a lot of metal, copper, iron ore, nitrogen, sodium, flame, water, earth and more. What perplexed Edward were the vast quantities of the vitamins and minerals. They included:

1750 liters- water

1000 kg- carbon,

200 liters- ammonia

200 kg- lime

4000g- phosphorus

12500g- salt

500g- saltpeter

400g- fluorine

375g- iron

250g- silicon

150g- miscellaneous elements.

The other requirements that included fire, earth and etc were in much smaller quantities. Could Sciezka have reproduced the numbers wrong?

Somehow, Edward doubted that she had; he knew she produced exact verbatim of her instruction, down to the last punctuation mark, perfectly arranged as usual. He shrugged it off; he would get that amount somehow.

At nightfall, Edward stopped in a meadow, feeling just about as wretched as a living being could. Guilt ate away at him; emotions protruded the walls of his mind, tore down the fortresses that guarded his heart. Laying in three foot tall grass that swayed slightly in gentle green strands over him, the stars blocked by violet clouds, a sigh darted between dry lips. Edward's golden eyes grew heavy, and at long last, the blessing of sleep fell upon him. How quickly his blessing became a curse.

I have no brother!

You messed up, Fullmetal...

Who are you!

What were you thinking? What are you trying to pull!

Mom... Winry?

This pain is everything...

If you're looking for a way to die, this is it...

GET AWAY FROM ME!

Golden eyes snapping open, a frightened shout echoed across the empty meadow.

"AL!" Edward caught his breath slowly; sweat poured down his pallid face. "Al..." he whispered, shaking visions from his head; the confusion in Alphonse's tears, the anger in Roy's tone, and the pain in his own voice echoed in his mind, the effects of the nightmare scaring him out of fatigue. He would have to keep moving. He stood, visibly annoyed; he wasnt going to get a good nights sleep now, that was for sure.

Pulling a thin guide book out of his bag, he walked slowly toward the ravine path south of the meadow as gleaming eyes devoid of weariness scanned the list of required materials for the Omega. As he muttered obscenities upon the outrageous proportions, he saw a faraway light, twinkling in the distance. Edward's eyes narrowed; that couldnt be Rush Valley. That was still a two days walk away.

Edward's stomach growled loudly; he groaned aloud. It looked as though he would be making a pit stop, to refuel.

After a walk that seemed interminable, he made it. There was no proclamation of the name of the place; no greeting, or sign displaying the title of the town. The houses were small, made of thin, stilted slabs, and to Edward's chagrin, there wasnt a public restaurant or even an outhouse in sight.

Lights gleamed at the end of the cobbled street way. Edward kept his guard up, but he could feel the painful growling of his stomach slowly taking over his brain.

An elderly man with snow white hair was approaching what appeared to be a well at the end of the road. Edward approached cautiously, keeping wary of the situation. The man seemed to be having trouble working the well. At length, he managed to lower the bucket; ancient arms trembled as they pulled it up again. His wrinkled face creased forlornly to find the bucket empty, the well gone dry.

Edward sighed, as though following a routine; he clapped his hands together, creating a spark. The man cast narrowed eyes toward the sudden light. Edward placed his hands upon the sides of the well. A splash was heard; the man peered within the well, amazed to see it filled to the brim with water. Edward thrust the bucket inside, filling it, an egotistical grin plastered to his face. His eyes widened upon realizing how heavy the bucket was; he toppled over, the bucket slamming against his chest, yet somehow managing to keep the water inside.

"Ow..."he yelped weakly. The man was dumbfounded; he stared at Edward bug-eyed, his mouth hanging agape. Edward shot him a glare. "Ya know it'd be nice to get this off of me after I got you your precious water." He growled. The man nodded vigorously, heaving the bucket off of Edward's chest.

"How did you do that?" he asked in a hushed tone, voice husky. Edward shrugged, a conceited grin playing upon his face.

"I just separated the moisture from the dirt and reconstructed it into a purified form." He bragged, as though it was nothing. The man looked truly amazed.

"Please, allow me to give you a meal." The man offered. Edward's gaze turned greedy, a smirk evident upon his face.

"Well, if you insist..."

"So, you're a state alchemist?" the man asked. Edward nodded once, his face hidden by a bowl, chopsticks flaring, heaving food into his mouth. "Based in Central, under Colonel Mustang?"

Another nod.

"Fullmetal alchemist, soldier for the people?"

Yet another nod. Very big, conceited nod.

"Its an honor to have you in our home." The man smiled, the corners of his face wrinkling. "I am Kosuke. This is my estate that I share with my daughter."

"Daugshang?" he murmured, mouth full of food. Kosuke nodded, smiling.

"Yes, my daughter. Her name is Amara. She too is trying to learn alchemy." He said lightly. Edward, although seemingly completely preoccupied with his food, took note of this. Kosuke's vision grew clouded with perplexity. "But... wasnt there another that was said to travel with you?" he asked. He noted that the alchemist stiffened upon this statement; the chopsticks fell with a light clink into the empty bowl.

"Thanks for the food." He replied softly. There was a slight silence. The old man studied the boy's face. Although he was young, he had seen the world in all of its gore, and understood its bloodstained past. He was no stranger to fear, loss, or pain. Kosuke's pale cobalt eyes scanned the childs features. How could someone so young have lost so much?

"Hey." The boy spoke. Kosuke came to attention again.

"Yes?"

"Where am I?" Kosuke looked confused. Edward rolled his eyes. "What is this place? There's no entrance marker and it's not on the map I have." Kosuke looked slightly taken aback.

"Your..." he started, faltering. Edward's eyes narrowed slightly, noting his startled reaction. "Your map must be incorrect." He finished weakly. Edward knew for sure now; the man was lying. An innocent grin eased over his features.

"I dont think so." He said lightly, finger combing his chin as though pondering. "This was crafted by a professional librarian at Centrals main headquarters. She's the best of the best, take my word for it." The man gulped loudly.

"This town is without name." his face grew hard, as did his tone.

'Then why tell me my map was wrong in the first place?' Edward thought with a smug grin. He took his cue to stop pressing.

"I have one other question." Edward leaned back in his chair, propping the back leg off the ground, copping a casual hand before him. "You wouldnt happen to know anything about a guy named Omegas Glyph..." Edwards hands clamped upon the table, the chair falling hard upon four legs with a bang.

"...wouldja?" Edward couldnt help but let a smirk escape his lips upon the look he was given.

"I'm afraid your curiosity has overstepped your authority." Kosukes voice was curt and low. "I hope you enjoyed your meal, but you will have to leave." Edward wasnt the least bit surprised, but he feigned it well.

"Well, if you insist." He tried to look hurt by this, but his ploy was barely hidden. "I'll just be go..." he began, opening the man's door. He was met by a girl, far taller than he, to his chagrin, with fair hair and dark eyes. Her gaze was tight, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"I always wanted to take on a real state alchemist." She breathed, holding up a hand. A ring with a transmutation symbol was around her middle finger; he noted the air symbols that overshadowed one water symbol. Edward grinned slightly, some of the thrill of his past coming back.

"Yeah? Well, I've never lost a match to a girl, and it's not gonna start now. On the thought, I've never lost to anyone." He smarted back at her, dodging around her, knocking over a table in his haste. The match led outside, her hand glowing fiercely, shooting beams of red light toward him.

"You wouldnt hurt a lady now would you, Fullmetal pipsqueak?" she demanded, shooting another jolt at him.

"DONT CALL ME PIPSQUEAK!" he shouted, clapping his hands together. He grinned. "And dont tempt me." His hands met the ground; an explosion of blue light sent rock and dirt flying. People throughout the town poked their heads out doors, peering through cracks in curtains at the brewing fight.

"Amara, isnt it?" he asked, as she was showered in rubble. He let her soak in the sight; a cannon of rock built before her. "And I dont go easy on anyone, lady or not."

"Yeah? Edward was taken aback; she was laughing! "And neither do I, midget or not." Her ring glowed, shooting a waterspout into the air.

"Dodge this, Fullmetal!" she shouted as it progressed toward him. Edward fired his cannon, but the blast was intercepted by the waterspout. Edwards face faulted; this was not good. Not good at all.

Amara smirked, noting that the cannon had fallen. Dust rose into the air, the night sky clouded. Fullmetal was easy to beat, that was for certain. And they called him a prodigy.

"Don't... call me midget." A voice came hard. Amara's pale eyes widened with surprise.

'He... survived?'

"Hey, Amara." He called. The smoke cleared, exposing him; his gloved hand was clenched around his red coat, the flares blowing in the breeze from the waterspout that gradually moved behind him. His eyes were golden and gleaming, hard as stone. "Whats in it for you?" he asked.

"What?"

"Why are you fighting me?" he asked blithely. "Whats in it for you?" Amara was appalled by his words. He spoke as though he already knew why she fought him.

"Everything is equivalent exchange. By beating me, what would you gain?" Edward's face was set, eyes scanning over her face. Despite his stony appearance, he was annoyed.

"Why is she so damn tall!" he thought irritably. He watched her closely, despite the bother of her height. Why was she fighting him? To protect the Omega?

"You want to know about Glyph." She spat, her words caustic. Edward was slightly taken aback by this outburst.

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Wouldja believe me if I said school report?" he asked, mockingly. Roys egotistical contemptuousness had come to wear off on him, to his exasperation. She glared heatedly, her ring beginning to glow.

"Eat this, small fry!" she screeched, throwing forward a bullet of lightning. He knew what to expect; he pulled all the moisture out of the air and formed it into a thin block of ice. Pressing it against the ground, he clapped his hands together once more, creating an icy fortress. The lightning struck the wall, sending hail flying.

"Again with the small jokes?" he growled. "I ask a simple question and an old man decides to sic his girl on me like shes a watchdog. You obey well. You should join the military." An idea wheedled its way into Edward's mind; this was perfect.

"What was that!" she shouted, infuriated.

"You heard me." he grinned. "You'd make a great dog of the state. Wanna sell your soul to the Colonel, rather than this old guy?" He was taunting her now; she was irate, her thoughts brewing rash.

"You... you..." she seethed; her face was blotching with obvious streaks of anger. Edward smirked. Almost there.

"Come here, Amara." He crooned obnoxiously. "Thats a good... lapdog."

"THAT'S IT!" she screamed. Throwing her hands into the air, the transmutation array glowed wildly. Clouds boomed overhead, sending down hard droplets of rain. Hands twitching with rage, she thrust them forward, the drops changing course and twisting into hail.

"Perfect." Edward breathed, pressing his hands together. After a glow of blue light, the transmuted bladestaff appeared on his forearm. Edward ducked under the rain of hail that had been shot in a straight, even line; he had a clear shot at her. The tip of the bladestaff clipped her hand, sending her ring flying. He held the tip to her chin.

"Now," he said softly. "Where were we?" He heard Amara gulp heavily upon noting the blade at her throat.

"Ah, yes. You were about to tell me about Omegas Glyph." He said sharply, voice turning hard. "Where was he last seen?"

Silence.

"You want me to kill you?" he asked. "I havent killed anyone good lately." He was baiting her.

"Kill me." she replied weakly, staring at the blade. Edward inched it closer, appearing dead serious.

"Okay then. No skin off my..."

"STOP!"

The two shifted their gazes to the voice. The old man, Kosuke was standing to the side, having watched the whole battle.

"Father!" Amara exclaimed, upon seeing him.

"Glyph was last seen in Dovries." The man said in a rush. "He moved off toward the fields where a cave was said to be. It was used as an old alchemic lab. It was said he died there."

"Father, dont tell this shrimp...!"

"Why did you cover it up?" Edward demanded. When greeted by silence, he made it appear as though he was going to thrust the blade at any moment. Amara struggled in his grasp. "Tell me!"

"Because... because he was a black sheep." He said softly. "This town was the original Rush Valley." Edward was thrown off guard. This rat hole had been Rush Valley?

"It was a small automail producing town, Glyph being our best mechanic. One day we were offered the best chance of our lives; free publicity. No costs, no strings attached. Business would boom, and we would live in the lap of luxury. Or so we thought." The man sighed, an ancient figure. "There was a catch. We had to move a two days journey away, where everything would have to be rebuilt. The new location was near a trade route by Dovries, which would also attract customers, as this place is in the middle of nowhere. But packing up and moving our families and valuables just to start over would be too much strain.

"So Glyph, having no attachments here, felt as though we were tying him down by declining the offer. He spat upon us and left, taking some of the best techniques and tools with him." The man sighed. "He was our greatest source of income, and had been a good friend. We were angry, thus I withheld it from you.

Edward transmuted his arm back to its original form, loosening his grip upon Amara. He nodded; it made sense.

"Thanks, Kosuke. For the info and food." He turned to Amara. "You fight well. But as someone once told me, all war is deception. Use your enemys weakness and it becomes your strength. Remember that."

Edward made his leave from the town as dawn broke over the horizon, dew dripping freshly off long blades of grass. He had gotten what he needed for now, and could only imagine what else lay in wait on his journey ahead.

Maybe now, he could get a goodnights sleep...

A/N: Chapter 7 on the way, folks. Read and review, por favor? Believe it or not, this chapter is dedicated to Bobbi, who is my mother (XD!) for faithfully reading and bothering me every single day for more. guess thats a mothers love, eh?