Whoohoo! I'm on a roll! I've got spring break all this coming week so I'll have loads of time to write loads of chapters! Ok, so I'm sorta stuck in a rut with the FMA/ HP story soooo…yeah…anyway, there will be updates on "Gates" and "Millennium Awakening" (kewl name huh? Ok so I'm still a tad weak with the names but hey that's cool). I am presently attempting to recover from an all day snowshoe hike thingy the Tae Kwon Do group I'm in did today (being Saturday the 25) T.T ouch…
Chapter Two: Xenotime
The three friends made their way down to the train station the next morning, each carrying a medium sized suitcase. Alphonse walked over to the ticket office to buy the tickets, Ed and Winry walked over and sat down on a bench.
It had indeed been sometime sense the Elric brothers had seen or even talked to the Tringum brothers. If Ed remembered correctly it was just before he'd gone through the Gate that he'd seen them last, he smirked slightly, he vaguely remembers Russell telling him to come back alive, funny how that worked out.
Alphonse walked over to them and sat down in between them, Winry looked a little annoyed by this. He then handed them their tickets and said,
"The train will arrive in ten minutes."
Edward though was just looking straight ahead of him with a dazed expression, both Winry and Alphonse looked at him quizzically, it was sort of odd to see him look so dazed and uncaring. Not an uncaring that he didn't care what was happening around him but more so an uncaring that said he was aware but didn't really acknowledge it.
"What are you thinking about brother?" Al asked. Edward didn't turn but he replied,
"I wonder if the trees grew back."
"Trees?" Winry questioned.
"That's right, Fletcher used the trees to suck up all the Red Water and then disintegrated them." Al said thoughtfully. Winry still looked confused, so Al told her all about their first visit to Xenotime. By the time he had finished the story the train had arrived, they stood up and made their way over.
Getting on the train the friends made their way to their seats. Ed and Al sat next to each other and Winry in the seat adjacent to them, it would be another fifteen to twenty minutes before the train would depart so they took this chance to talk some more.
"So tell me about these brothers." Winry said.
"Well, as I said before, Russell is the older brother and Fletcher is the younger brother." Alphonse said.
"Yeah, last time I checked Russell was fourteen…" Edward grumbled, he had a very irritated look on his face "That makes him sixteen now…he better not be taller then me."
"Brother, don't tell me you're still sore about that?" Al asked slightly annoyed. Edward didn't reply he just looked out the window, his mind had trailed off to other things.
Moments later the train learched forward and started to build speed, Alphonse just sighed and shook his head. Edward didn't talk much on the trip, he just gazed out the window at the scenery with the same dazed look that he had at the station, Winry and Alphonse where talking about different things.
Ed's POV
This trip to Xenotime was a great idea, I wonder what gave him the idea…oh well, I guess it's nice to get away. Sense we've been back Alphonse and I haven't left Risembool, it was peaceful.
I gazed out at a now semi-barren landscape, that's funny…I don't remember there being a railway to Xenotime. It has been a while though…I wonder…what else has changed? As much as I hate to admit it, I couldn't help but wonder how Col. Mustang was doing. Was he even still a colonel?
Al and Winry seem to be having their own conversation…wonder what they're talking about. What about Izumi? This was all a lot to think about, hmm, this is what happens when you disappear for so long then just randomly reappear. There's way too much catching up to do it's almost not worth it.
--
Not realizing it Edward had dozed off, Al and Winry where now sitting quietly just watching people walk by. Getting board Winry poked Ed and said,
"Hey!"
"Five more minutes…" he muttered.
"Oh wake up Ed, you've been sleeping for three hours now." She hissed poking him again, he just waved her off and continued to sleep. Now becoming rather irritated, Winry jabbed her finger into his side. Ed nearly fell out of his seat, he caught himself and glared at Winry,
"What?" he hissed.
"How are you feeling?"
"…Is that why you jabbed me? Just to ask how I was feeling?" Ed glared.
"Not really, I wanted to ask you something but…"
"What?"
"Well, I know it's been a year now but…I was wondering if there was any chance that the other you would come back?"
Ed straightened himself out and frowned, he hadn't actually expected such a question but that really didn't change the fact that it was asked.
"You really didn't go into to much detail about him when you both told me and Granny about him so I was just wondering."
"I doubt he'll come back…" Ed sighed folding his arms "That binding sutra is keeping him at bay, the only chances of him coming back is if the seal is washed away."
"What would happen if it did?" Winry asked, all she really knew was that this darker half was just a 'meaner' version of Ed.
"How should I know? Maybe the same thing that happened in that other world." Ed shrugged, he was now feeling rather irked because this now added one more thing to ponder in the vastly growing sea of wonders.
"Tell me more about this Inuyasha, is he really half dog?" Winry asked, this time Al jumped in, he could tell his brother really had other things on his mind so he'd come and rescue him for the time being.
"Yeah, his mother was human and his father, a great demon dog lord! He's also got an older half brother named Sesshoumaru, he sort of keeps to himself and rather dislikes humans. But he's not really a bad guy Sesshoumaru," Edward scoffed at this remark "It's true brother, though he was rather mean at times I really don't think he's all bad, he travels with that little human girl Rin remember."
Edward didn't reply, so Al continued telling Winry about it. It wasn't long after wards that Ed fell asleep again, this time sitting in a way so that Winry couldn't jab him again. The night passed quickly and soon day was arriving, and they where arriving in Xenotime. When the train came to a full stop and everyone was getting off, Edward looked around at the small train platform and frowned,
"What's the matter brother?" Al asked.
"When did they get a train platform?" he asked.
"Brother…they've always had one." Al replied, he was giving his brother a rather concerned look, it was strange. It was about a month ago that Al started noticing that Ed was having some difficulty remembering small things, like where the silver ware was. There was an occasion when he completely forgot he left some of his stuff laying near the edge of the stairs and Al had tripped on them thus resulting in some rather nasty bruises.
"Oh…oh yeah that's right," Ed just smacked himself in the forehead then started walking "Come on you guys it's this way."
Winry walked up next to Alphonse and asked,
"Where exactly are we going?"
"Russell and Fletcher live with a man named Belsio, remember he's the one I told you about that grew lemons." Al replied. Winry just nodded then started following Edward, Al following a moment later.
"Hey brother!" Al shouted from behind.
"What?"
"Have you noticed that there seems to be a considerable increase in trees around here?" Al pointed out, Edward stopped walking and looked around. There where indeed more trees then he remembered, they seemed to be all over the place now and not just surrounding Mugears' mansion…which wasn't standing anymore.
"It's kinda nice huh Al?" Ed smiled he then continued to walk, this time a little faster, but he stopped again. He felt something…it was faint but it was a sort of small tremor in the ground below him. Ed looked down for a moment then back up, he then took a deep breath. What came next was most unexpected…he started to cough not just a tickle in the throat sort of cough but an allergic reaction sort of cough. Each time he'd cough though his shoulder felt as if someone had taken a solid iron poll and smashed it down on it repeatedly.
"Brother!" Al rushed over when he saw his brother double over "What is it? What's wrong?"
"I…I'm not really sure," Ed muttered attempting to stand up right again, Winry had dashed over also.
"Edward what happened?" she asked.
"I'm fine…lets go we're almost there." Ed straightened himself out, Al grabbed his arm and stopped him.
"Brother?"
"Alphonse I'm ok, lets not dwaddle." Edward replied pulling his arm out of Als grip. Winry was still lost, she looked at Alphonse questioningly. Al returned the look with a sigh,
"He sure didn't sound ok, but…I'm sure he was right…it's probably nothing."
Winry just nodded and started to follow Edward and Alphonse, it wasn't long until they made it to a somewhat large house with semi-high walls surrounding it. These walls where ment to keep the sand from blowing into the now blooming lemon trees. Entering the front gate Winry and the Elrics made their way up the stone path towards the house. A young boy with short blonde hair walked out of the house, he was emptying a large basin of water when he looked up and saw them.
"Huh?" he had a shocked look on his face.
"Fletcher! How are you?" Al laughed rushing up to him, Fletcher took a small step back and asked,
"Do I know you?" he then spotted Edward and Winry walking up behind Al "Oh! Hey Edward."
"Hey Fletcher, how's it goin'?" Ed waved "Where's Russell?"
"Oh, brother's inside," Fletcher smiled gesturing behind him, he then looked at Winry "Who's this?"
"This is Winry Rockbell," Alphonse answered "She's a long time friend of ours."
Fletcher smiled at Winry and nodded, he then continued to look at Al funny as if he recognized his voice but not his face, Edward noticed this and laughed,
"What's the matter Fletcher? Don't you remember Al?"
"What? Alphonse?" Fletcher walked over to Al and looked at him closer.
"Yep!" Al smiled, Fletcher smiled too, and said,
"Wow! You got your body back!"
That's when another boy came to the door, this one looking much older the Fletcher and seemed to have a slightly irritated look on his face,
"Fletcher what are you doing? What's taking…" he stopped when he saw Edward, Ed just smirked and said,
"Russell long time no see."
"Like wise Edward…I see you made it out alright." Russell replied, he didn't move from the doorway.
"Um…Ed?" Winry tapped Ed on the shoulder.
"Yeah?"
"So that's Russell Tringum?"
"Yep."
"He's some much taller then you are! Are you sure he's a year younger?"
"WHAT!"
-To Be Continued-
Oh! The plot thickens! Ok not really…well anyway, I've figured out how I want this to go…more or less. Ah yes, that's right, finalfantasy1990 had suggested sending Inuyasha to Ed's world…that's a very intriguing idea! I may do that in a future story (not that I haven't thought about using that as the sequel idea). Just outta curiosity what other shows would be interesting to have the Elrics visit? Just wonderin'…hope you enjoyed this chapter and stick tuned!