Chapter one: the suicidal alchemist
Prologue
About fifteen years ago in Ishbal, there was a little girl who was half Ishbalian. Then one day the homunculi came storming through the town on this little girl's third birthday. Envy noticed the laughter coming from her house, "I'm gonna go check this house out you guys stay here" he said walking towards the house transforming into a fifteen year old Hoinheim which looked exactly like ed. when she got in there, as Hoinheim she turned the bone into a blade and started killing every body except the little girl, "hmmm, I think I'll keep you, you might be fun to torture" he said putting his finger under her chin. For the next ten years she was abused in every way imaginable (yes, every way), until one day the military came in and rescued her. After that she went under major surgery and counseling, which didn't help. When she turned fifteen she became a state alchemist
"EDWARD!" Riza yelled chasing after him and his brother. "Yes
ma'am?" they stuttered. "I have a young alchemist, and I think
that you might be the best thing for her, she tried to take her own
life" she panted. "Tried to take her own life? What makes you
think that we'd be best for her?" Alphonse questioned nervously
while Riza simply gave them a look saying just do it and leading them
to a room. "Azeri! Come in I found some people you can travel with'
she said knocking on the door. "Come in" she replied as the door
glowed blue and disappeared revealing a girl lying on the bed reading
a magazine. When she looked up, she jumped up and transmuted her
entire automail into a blade and lunged at Ed "you killed them"
she screamed. "Ni-san! Get back!" Al yelled darting into the
girl's flight path and opening his armor. The girl flew directly
into al's armor, "let me out!" she yelled banging at al's
armor." no" al said sealing his armor with alchemy. "Ok I'll
leave you guys too get acquainted, and if she kills herself, you're
dead" she said leaving the room while Nicole knocked herself out
with a desperate head bang to the armor. "Ok c'mon let's go"
Ed said lazily walking out. "Brother, shouldn't we wait until she
wakes up?" Al asked nervously. "She'll wake up eventually, just
walk softly" he said walking outside. About an hour later as they
were walking through a forest she woke up, "ow what happened?"
she said rubbing her head. "You knocked yourself out trying to
escape" al replied" you hungry?" he asked. "Yes" she said
as al shoved a roll through his armor," thanks" she muttered
taking a bite of the roll." why did you try to kill me?" Ed asked
suspiciously." one day on my birthday a boy who looked like you
came in and killed everybody, but you haven't aged since I last saw
you" she said. "Did he have automail?" Ed asked. "No, so it
wasn't you, and you're shorter than him" she remarked. Ignoring
her comments about his height "ok so it wasn't me, so don't
kill me" he said opening al's armor. "It's okay, it was
probably envy" she said popping out." envy?" al asked putting
his head back on. "Yes I was kidnapped by the homunculi when I was
a child" she said running into the forest. "Ok and where are you
going?" Ed called." to make something!" she called back. "I
wonder what she's making" al wondered. "Probably food or
something, I hope," he answered rubbing his growling stomach. A few
hours later, she came back with a small bag that smelled like fish
and a large sack. "What's in the big sack?" al asked
curiously." Well, I felt bad that you were trapped in a suit of
armor" she said handing him the sack. When he opened it he saw a
body that had been created by alchemy, perfectly formed to look like
him as he was as a child but older. "You, made that, by yourself?"
Ed stuttered. "Yes everything now excuse me while I throw
up" she said her face turning green and her eyes watering as she
walked into a bush. "Well we can put your soul in it tonight" Ed
said opening the little sack of fish and spearing it onto a stick.
"Ok I feel better now," she said emerging from the bushes. "Ah
dinners ready" Ed said throwing her a piece of fish." No thanks"
she said throwing back the fish. She pulled out a piece of chalk and
started drawing the most complex alchemy circle Ed had ever seen.
"Done, al, sit on it along with your body" she said as al walked
over the sack in his hand. Azeri put her hands together and then on
the circle, and everything glowed blue. "Isn't this dangerous"
Ed said staring in awe at this dangerous marvel. Instead of replying
Azeri simply kept to what she was doing, her face serious and
determined. After about a minute it was over,"is he okay? Ed asked.
"Yes, he's just sleeping" she said putting her ear over his
chest, "yea he's okay". A few hours later al woke up, "what
happened?" he asked rubbing his head" hey, I'm human!" he
exclaimed looking at his hands. "Yes, hungry?" she asked handing
him a platter of fish and roots. "Thank you," he said shoving his
face full of the food." well thank you boys, I must be on my way"
she said getting up and walking off. "Hey where are you going?"
Ed asked. "I need to go to Risembool to get my automail repaired,"
she said rolling up her sleeve revealing her automail and starting
for Risembool." Hey wait who's your mechanic?" Ed asked. "I
think her name's Winry," she said. " She's my mechanic too,
and my suspension's screwed up" he said showing her his automail.
"Cool now duck," she said transmuting her automail into a gun and
shooting right over Ed's head. "Told you to duck I almost shot
through you head," she sighed walking over to the tree she shot
at." Hi, avarice" she said holding up a struggling wrath. "You
know the other homunculi are after you" he sneered. "So? I'll
just change bodies again, now tell them that I'll change into it"
she snarled throwing him against the tree." what do you mean by it
and what's with the I'll just change bodies again" al asked
suspiciously. "Oh this" she said transforming into a chimera with
long blonde hair that fell on the ground. "Gah, what the hell are
you?" al asked astonished. "I don't know, when I was a child
this would happen all the time, people just call me an abomination"
the chimera said. "Well anyways we need to get our automail
repaired and Risembool is only five minutes away on foot," Ed said
starting off. "But also it's two minutes on chimers, c'mon the
only reason I'm this big is because I have horse in me" Azeri
said. "Ok well it wont hurt" Al said hopping on the chimera's
back with Ed. "hold on tight" Azeri said leaping in the air and
running faster than a car. In less than two minutes they were at the
Rockbell residence. "You can change back now," Al said. "I
can't I'm stuck like this for a few more minutes" she growled.
"Well let's just hope you don't freak Winry out, " ed said.
"AHHHRGH!" yelled Winry who was perched atop a shelf. "What is
that?" she stuttered pointing at the chimera. "Oh come on I'm
not that scary" Azeri said transforming back. "Neko? I thought
you were just human," she said crawling back down. "I'm not and
you know you need to call me Azeri in public or around pure humans,
and come on your only one-tenth of what I am" Neko said tossing her
pocket watch up and down. Ignoring her comment she walked over to Ed,
"your auto mail's suspension is messed up, come on let's fix
it" she said dragging Ed to her workshop. "Azeri, welcome back"
Pinacko said. "Hi auntie!" Neko said hugging Pinacko. "You're
traveling with, who's that?" she asked examining Al up and down.
"It's me Al, Neko made me this body," he said. "Is
that so?" Pinacko asked. "Yes" Neko said. "I felt that you
were coming so I set up a cot in the guest room," she said. "Thank
you auntie" they both said bowing then walking to the guest room. A
few hours later they were playing cards while Winry was finishing up
Ed's automail when the doorbell rang. "I'll get it" Neko said
answering the door. "Daddy?" she said astonished. "I believe
so," Hoinheim said coming in. "do you have an alchemy circle on
your side" he asked her. Not seeing his father in so long Al didn't
recognize his father. "GET AWAY FROM HER YOU PERVERT" he yelled
knocking Hoinheim down and hitting him in the gut. "Al you've
grown up so well" he said. "Father?" he said with his eyes open
wide. "Yes" Hoinheim replied smiling. "I'm sorry," he said
getting up off his father. "Dad?" Ed said looking angry, "what
are you doing here after so long?" he snarled. "I wanted to see
my daughter," he said motioning at the girl sitting in the corner.
"A father wouldn't let this happen to his daughter" she said
tears coming to her eyes. "I'm sorry I couldn't help" he said
"now I need to see if you have the circle on your side" he said
lifting up the side of her shirt. "Please don't hurt me," she
muttered under he breath squeezing her eyes shut. Hoinheim stroked
the alchemic circle on her side. "The phoenix" Ed and Al said
together. "Yes, she may only be thirteen but she is your younger
sister" he said letting her shirt fall back down. "How can she be
our sister if she's only thirteen?" Al asked. "An alchemic
secret only known to the creator of the alchemist who created the
philosophers stone, he wont even tell me how I was born" she said
getting up. "Oh look at the time I think I should be going to bed
now" Neko said skipping up the stairs. Winry who had been watching
the whole thing had fainted. After everybody was asleep al got up.
"Poor kid, not knowing how she was born" he said stroking her
head then giving her a sweet kiss on the forehead. "Sweet dreams
little sister," Ed said knelling next to al. "thanks big
brothers" Neko said in her chimera form. "Hey get to sleep" Ed
said ruffling her hair. "Ok, ok" she yawned falling back asleep.
"She's got her mom's eyes" Ed remarked. "And you boys will
have to look after her" Hoinheim said walking into the room as
silently as possible so not to disturb Neko. "My other son, Envy
will be looking for her, after all he helped torture her," he said
getting up and leaving. In the morning Neko was still a chimera,
"daddy?" she said as she wandered the halls and eventually going
outside. "I think daddy went on another mission," she said to
herself as she transformed back to human. "Hey! Where's Neko"
Ed said looking around manically. "I just wanted to watch the
sunrise" she said her blonde hair dragging on the floor. "You had
us worried!" Al yelled. " I bought you guys some breakfast" she
said giving them a bag. "Breakfast burritos?' Ed asked. "I read
your mind and you said that breakfast burritos were your favorite
food, and that you have a crush on Winry, that's why you wont let
anybody else repair or make your automail," she said. "And
explain how you read my mind" Ed asked confused. "Umm hello
alchemic screw up" she said." Oh right, you're an abomination"
Al said. "Don't call me an abomination," she said her gold eyes
turning purple then snapping back to normal. "Uhh I'm just going
to go get dressed," she said nervously grabbing an armful of
clothes and running off to the bathroom. "That, was weird" Al
remarked. "Yeah, are her eyes supposed to turn that color like
that?" he asked. "I don't think so but there is rumor going
around now about the eighth homunculi, lies" al said thoughtfully."
yes I am lies" she said "but only part, if I wasn't I'd have
gone mad by now" she said coming in. "how did you become like
this?" Ed asked. "Someone found my pre-form and thought I was
dying, the morphed my body with two homunculus and a chimera." She
said trying not to cry. She glowed and then was a figure with black
hair and a short black dress. "This is sorrow the other homunculi,"
she said stroking an ourobous tattoo on her wrist. "Why is it on
your wrist" Ed asked touching it then quickly withdrawing his hand.
"The same reason I'm called the bleeding heart alchemist" she
said returning to her human form. "Oh I see " al said."Why are
you changing so often?" he questioned. "Insanity" she replied
smiling then getting up. "Insanity?" Ed asked as she walked
outside." too much has happened to her, and it's forcing her body
to become host to all the sins that's why they are disappearing"
Winry said at the table." How can we stop it?" Al asked. "Death"
Winry replied grimly. At that moment she came in bloody and panting.
"Envy" she said before a blow to the head knocked her out.
"Fullmetal I'll be traveling with you unless you can get me
out,
" he said disintegrating into her body. "Leave her alone"
he said lunging at her at the last moment. "Al! Stab her tattoo!"
he ordered as Alphonse took a dagger and stabbed through it. "Funny,
you can kill me, your brother but you can't kill her even though
she's more dangerous" were the last words that slipped out of his
lips before he turned to dust. When Neko woke up the only thing in
her eyes was sheer terror, "are you okay" al asked stroking her
red and black hair. "Was I ever?" she asked herself. "I need to
take a walk," she said getting up and leaving. "Well now there's
one less something to worry about," al said looking out the window
at Neko and another figure. "Hey who's that brother?" al asked.
But it was too late he was already out there beating the shit out of
the other guy. "Ed! Stop it!" Neko said tackling Ed. "Greed's
my friend he was nice to me" she said turning into a chimera. Al
who had heard the entire thing while running to them. "Fine but I
swear if you hurt my little sister, I'll rip your head off" Ed
said. "Fine, fine" greed said walking off into the forest. "Bye!"
she said waving. "Bye!" Greed replied. "Why are you taking so
many risks!" al yelled. "You can't be putting restraints on me"
she snarled. All of a sudden she burst into flames and came out
looking like a mix of envy and wrath, "ello, Fullmetal" said the
strange figure "I'm deceit" she said. "Neko"
Ed whispered. "Incorrect, Neko was an idiot and weak,"
she laughed hitting Winry who had come running in the face. "Don't
get involved you dumb blonde," she said walking into the forest. At
that moment they both realized what they had to do, they lunged at
her and grabbed her around the waist. She immediately burst into
golden flames but it didn't hurt them and she was normal. "Winry!
I am sooo sorry!" she cried fixing Winry's face. "It's okay"
she said rubbing her face." you've learned not to put restraints
on me until I'm stable, right?" she asked. "Yes, the hard way"
Ed said rubbing his head. "Ok now come on I have a feeling that Roy
wants us," she said walking. "C'mon! Bye Winry see you soon!"
she yelled as the boys stumbled to catch up to her. By the time they
got to the train station, Neko was a chimera. "Sorry animals aren't
allowed" the guard said, "hey whom are you calling an animal
ape-man" she growled. "Shush pookie!" Al said, "I'm sorry
I'm blind and he gets sidetracked," he said. "Oh okay then go
ahead sir I'm sorry" the guard bowed. Later in the train when
Neko was in her human form "pookie? I know what you were trying to
do but pookie?" she said dumbfounded. "It is a funny name," Ed
giggled. "Yeah it is!" Al thought aloud. "Oh shut up," she
said looking annoyed. "Whatever, pookie" Ed said. "Don't call
me that," she said hitting Ed in the head. The rest of the trip was
silent and filled with reading until about nine at night there was
simply light snoring. As soon as they arrived at central Neko woke
her brothers up, "wakey, and wakey" she said shaking her
brothers. "Are we in central?" al asked groggily. "Yes and I
bought you guys some coffee" she said handing them two steaming
cups of coffee. "Thanks" they said sipping it. "Your welcome"
she smiled as they walked out of the train and onto the station where
Roy was waiting for them, "what took you so long?" he asked
teasingly. "Shut the hell up, were not in the mood" Ed said.
"Okay, I see your traveling with the bleeding heart alchemist" he
said getting into the car. "So what? They're my brothers" Neko
snarled." Oh really, well you guys look really tired do you guys
need a hotel room courtesy of the military?" he asked. "Yes
please" Al said sleepily. "Ok, you guys are watching over a child
so naturally she needs sleep, I understand" he said. As soon as
they got to there hotel room Neko was asleep. "Whoa is she alive?"
Ed asked in astonishment. "Probably I think we should follow suit"
al yawned falling onto his bed fast asleep. "Good" Ed said not
being able to finish his sentence for sleep. In the morning the hotel
alarm clock by al's bed went off. "Alchemy is a science where one
understands what matter is made of!" he yelled sitting on his bed.
"Please try not to be so loud and you were saying that all night,"
Neko said pulling her floor length hair into a braid. "Sorry ever
since we became national alchemists like you we've been talking in
our sleep" he said as Ed rolled out of bed. "I know I'm going
to go grab us some breakfast" Neko said walking downstairs. "She's
a bit of a troublemaker isn't she?" Edward remarked as he pulled
his shirt over his head. "Like you" al chuckled combing his hair.
"I'm back" Neko sang a big stack of doughnuts in one hand and
some teas in the other. "Hungry?" she said handing each of them
plenty of doughnuts and mugs of hot tea. "Thanks" Ed said
gratefully. "Your welcome" she smiled. After breakfast they left.
"Brother was are we going?" Neko asked al. "I have no idea"
both of them replied. "What do you mean by you have no idea?" she
asked. "Same thing you ment by insanity" Alphonse said. "What?"
she asked confused. " Come on you'll learn," they laughed as
she raced to catch up with them. They eventually arrived at Ishbal,
"home" she muttered. "What, oh yeah you're half Ishbalian
which means, we're Ishbalian too" Ed pondered. But her pupils
were shrinking until they disappeared then they snapped back."
let's go" she said bravely and doing what seemed a forced walk.