"The colonel, too. And who's this?" Alphonse said, pointing at Mei.
"That's Mei Chang," Ed answered. "She showed up here just like we did. She's actually a princess from Xing."
"Nice to meet you," Mei said, bowing.
"You too," Al said, awkwardly bowing back.
"So, what's your story?" Ed asked.
"Well, I remember suddenly being in a totally different place. It was a building a lot like this, but there weren't any people. I had to wander around for days until I made it here. When I met Doan, he told me about how you had gotten here just before me," Al explained.
"So you've been in this time period the whole time, huh?"
"What do you mean by that?"
Ed explained what he and the other two had experienced, with them occasionally interjecting with their own details.
"Time travel? Is that really possible?" Al asked.
"Yeah, it's pretty hard to believe. It's kinda the sort of thing you have to see for yourself," Ed answered. "For now, we're looking for a way out of the future that doesn't involve going back to Guardia Castle."
"Well, I'm not sure, but maybe back east where I was will have another of those gates," Al said.
"Sounds like as good a place to look as any," Ed said. "First, though, let's get this seed back to Doan."
"Wait, have you seen what's in there?" Al asked, pointing at the door on the wall which had no walkway to it.
"No, we haven't. We can check it out if you want," Ed said.
"Alright, let's do it," Al said. He walked over to the edge of the platform, clapped his hands together, and touched the floor, causing it to extend into a bridge.
"Hey, how'd you do that?!" Ed yelled.
"Oh, when I got pulled through the Portal of Truth, it made me remember what happened the first time. Next thing I know, I can transmute like you and teacher!"
"Well, that's just great," Ed grumbled. He walked across the bridge and opened the door. "C'mon, let's see what's down here."
"What's his problem?" Al asked after Ed had already gone through.
"Probably frustrated that he's not as special anymore," Mustang said.
They walked down a short hallway, then came out in another room, this one occupied by giant rats, bugs, and a robotic sentry. Much like in the ruins, the animals seemed territorial, and attacked, while the sentry shot lasers at anything nearby that moved. This continued for a few more rooms, until they came into a much smaller one. There were two more desk-like panels in this room, as well as a large glass pane on the wall.
"What's this?" Mei wondered, walking up to the panels. She pressed something, then yelped as the glass lit up with information and started making sounds.
"Maybe this is the supercomputer that Doan talked about," Mustang said. "I'm assuming none of us know how to use it?"
Everyone shook their heads, but Al went to take a look at the controls.
"Why don't we just try hitting buttons?" he said, pressing one at random.
The information on the glass screen suddenly changed. "1999 A.D.," Ed read. "'Visual record of the day of Lavos?' What's that supposed to mean?"
A second later, the screen changed again, to some kind of moving picture. It showed the planet from above, seemingly a long time ago, as there was the futuristic technology, but the world was still green with life. Suddenly, a huge crack appeared, and a creature the size of a city burst from the ground. It was covered in spines, and it sent some kind of projectile flying from its back, which rained down on the domes and cities before the picture stopped.
"Wh-what was that?" Mei whimpered.
"Lavos... Maybe that's what brought the world to this state," Mustang said.
"That's terrible..." Al said.
"Mei, do you think that could be the alien presence you felt?" Ed asked. Mei slowly nodded. "If so, then that means this thing has been here for millennia at the least."
"Millennia? Then... Wait! Maybe we can stop this!" Al said. The others turned to look at him. "If we can go back in time, maybe we can defeat Lavos before it can do this!"
Ed looked back at the screen, which had now returned to displaying its default information. "Well, it's better than letting an entire world end like this," he said. "I say it's worth a shot."
"I won't just let so many people die," Mei said. "Let's do it."
"I'm right there with you, Fullmetal," Mustang said. "And besides, Lavos is probably what's making it so we can't go home."
"Alright, then, it's decided," Ed said. "First things first, though. We need to find a gate as soon as possible."
When they made it back to the ground floor of the dome, Doan quickly stood up from where he'd been sitting on the floor. "You...you're back!" he said.
All the other people looked up, then crowded around them.
"And? What did you discover?" Doan asked.
"The only thing that was left down there was this seed," Ed said, holding it out. "Take care of it, you don't know how long your enertron will work."
Doan took the seed from Ed's hand. "A seed..." He nodded. "Very well. I'll do my best to grow it."
"We're going east, we have something we need to look for," Mustang said.
"You're going to Proto Dome, I assume?" Doan said. He fished through his pockets, then pulled something out. It looked like some kind of key. "Take this, it's the key to a jetbike I used to use. It's parked in Site 32. It should help you get through quickly."
"Uh, right," Ed said. He took the key, then gave it to Mustang, who knew how to drive. "We appreciate it."
"Nonsense," Doan said. "You've done us a great favor today."
Once they'd taken another rest in the enertron, they were on their way.
"So, Al, did you see this 'jetbike' or whatever on your way?" Ed asked.
"Actually, I think so," Al said. "Follow me."
He led them to a small clearing in the rubble, near a surviving highway. A large blue-and-yellow vehicle, with enough room to barely seat all of them. It looked more like a rocket with wheels than an actual bike.
As they approached the strange vehicle, though, they were suddenly surrounded by four robots, green, with round exteriors that looked somewhat like three clams stuck together. They quickly prepared for combat, but then they heard someone say "Hold it right there!"
Something that looked like a purple motorbike drove past them and stopped behind the robots, then transformed into a man with two wheels on his back and flattened wheels for feet. He was wearing sunglasses, and had a black mohawk and dark skin.
"Oh! Bro!" the robots said in unison.
The man put his arms out and struck a pose. "Thanks for the intro, boys!" he said, then crossed his arms. He looked the group up and down. "You lowlifes can call me Johnny."
"Lowlifes?!" Ed yelled.
"Listen up," Johnny said, ignoring him. "This ruined highway's the only road you've got. If you wanna reach the other side, you're gonna have to race me."
"Wha—"
"I'll let you use that jetbike, 'cause that's the kind of guy I am. Don't sweat it, and don't you dare chicken out, babe!"
"Why would we ever want to race you?" Ed said.
"Ouch, that stings," Johnny said. "Do you shiny axels even know how to ride that thing?"
"Well, no..."
"Then that's why! I'll teach you if you'll race. You don't want to walk the whole way, do you?"
Ed turned around. "Guys?" he asked.
Mustang and Al both shrugged.
"Alright, fine," Ed said.
"Sweet!," Johnny said. "Now, which one of you's driving?"
Mustang stepped forward. "That'd be me."
"Alright, then! You three wait here." He turned back into a bike, grabbed Mustang's hand, and dragged him over to the jetbike. "Get in there and let Johnny show you how it's done!"
After a surprisingly short lesson, Johnny let the other three get in the jetbike, and they lined up for the race.
"Hey, uh, Colonel, are you sure this thing is safe?" Ed asked. It didn't even have a ceiling.
"On the contrary, Fullmetal, I'm quite sure that it isn't."
"Great."
One of Johnny's robots sounded off. Mustang flipped a switch and jammed the handlebars forward, and the bike almost instantly shot off. Johnny quickly caught up, and he bumped into the jetbike from the side. Mustang grunted and bumped him back, but then spent the rest of the race trying to avoid collisions, which Johnny did not make easy. When they were nearing the finish line, it seemed like Johnny would win, but Mustang jammed the handlebars forward again, and the jetbike lurched ahead just in time. Mustang slowed to a stop at another clearing on the other side of the highway, then they got out.
Johnny trailed behind them. "You beat me? I don't get it!" he said. "Well, you can come challenge me again anytime. We'll ride the wind, babe!"
"Right..." Mustang said, as he led the group away.
Once they were out of earshot, Ed said "Please tell me we're not going to do that again."
"Not if we can help it, no."
It was still a long walk to the east, even in spite of bypassing Site 32. In time, though, both another dome and some kind of old factory came into view.
"Well? Which way first?" Ed asked.
"The factory is probably crawling with robots," Al said. "Let's see if Mei can sense one of those gates in the dome first. I'm sure it's empty because that's where I first showed up."
"Dome it is, then."
Inside the dome, there were some robot guards, but beyond that, just an enertron and a steel door. Mustang tried it. "It's locked," he said.
"That's not a problem for us," Ed said. In seconds, his alchemy had relocated the metal of the door, leaving a hole in the wall.
"Hey, I can feel a gate!" Mei said.
"Really? Finally!" Ed said. They went through into a small room, and Ed used the pendant to open the gate, then they stepped through. The gate threw out sparks of electricity right before it closed, and Ed got the feeling something was wrong.
As they fell through the vortex of colors that was the inside of a gate, they didn't find it ending. Instead, the void slowly darkened into a sort of fog. They felt themselves falling down, then they slowed and landed gently, one by one, in a short pillar of blue light.
They found themselves on a square stone platform ringed by an intricate bronze fence. There was another pillar of light on either side of the first, and a short staircase and walkway led down to another platform floating nearby. There was a quaint wooden gate where it met the walkway, and a lamp post stood in the center, casting a gentle warm light on the surroundings. There was what looked to be an old man leaning against it, a can in his hands. He was wearing a brown trench coat and bowler hat, and was snoring.
"Where did it take us?" Mustang said.
"No idea," Ed said. "Maybe that guy can help us."
"Worth a shot."
They tentatively crossed the walkway, opening the gate and stepping onto the other platform. Apart from the lamp, there were also two potted plants, a wooden door with nothing behind it, and a small stone bridge that didn't seem to lead anywhere.
"Um, hello?" Ed said to the old man. Up close, he could see that he had a gray mustache.
The old man jerked upright, then looked around and sighed. "Ah, more drifters..." he said.
"Drifters?" Mustang asked.
The old man chuckled. "Welcome to the End of Time, my friends."
"The End of Time? What's that supposed to mean?" Ed asked.
"Travelers lost in time's flow turn up here, much like driftwood on a beach. May I ask when you are from?" the man said.
"1914," Mustang said. "The three of us are from a country called Amestris, and the girl is from Xing. No one we talk to seems to know about them, though. You see, we sort of just showed up here, in different places and times, and we don't really know why."
"My, that is peculiar," said the old man. "You're sure that you're all from the same time where you're from?"
They nodded.
"Normally, when four or more entities of varying origins enter a temporal rift together, the torsion exerted on time's flow pushes them here, the point of least resistance," said the old man. "There are other ways of course, but... In any case, there have been a number of folks turning up here unintended recently like yourselves. It seems that something is having a powerful effect on the very fabric of time, and, in your case, space too."
"Is there a way for us to get back home?" Mustang asked.
"Not that I'm aware of," said the old man. "Perhaps you'll be able to find a way, and perhaps not. In the meantime, it's probably best that you travel in groups of three or less."
"Hey, but we can only open the gates with the pendant," Ed said.
"I guess one of us will have to stay behind," said Mustang.
"Yeah? Well, who's it gonna be?"
"I think we should first decide where we're going to go."
"Oh yeah, Mei and I still needed to go back and meet up with Ling."
"Then I guess it'll have to be Al or I."
"I'll do it," Al said.
"Really, Al? You're okay with that?" Ed asked.
Al nodded. "I'm used to being alone, especially at night when you're asleep, Brother."
"This is a bleak place, isn't it?" said the old man. "But not to worry, you won't be apart for too long. There are roads here to any time you could ever wish to visit. And as long as you have companions waiting for you, you'll be able to find your way back."
"That's a relief, I guess," Ed said. "Say, how do we leave, anyway?"
"You saw the pillars of light when you arrived, yes? Each connects this place to a different era," the old man explained. "Once you've been through a gate together, a new pillar of light will appear, and you will be able to access it from here. But beware the gate that connects to that bucket."
"Uh, why?" Ed asked.
The old man shook his head. "That gate leads to 1999 A.D., the Day of Lavos. If you wish to see the world destroyed before your very eyes, then by all means, go. But know that you yourselves may share the same fate."
"Oh, alright. Noted."
"Before you go, have a look past the door behind me."
"Huh? That one?" Ed said, pointing at the door that seemed to lead nowhere. He looked back at Mustang, who shrugged. "Alright..."
When Ed opened the door, there was a staircase on the other side. He peeked around the doorframe, still seeing nothing, then poked his head inside and looked around the doorframe from that side. There wasn't anything to see that way either. He shrugged and went up the stairs, through another, similar door, and onto another platform. A round, waist-high creature covered in white fur, except on its feet and face, was standing in the center of the platform.
"What're you lookin' at?" the creature barked.
The group jumped. "Huh? I- We weren't," Ed stammered. "Hey, who the hell are you anyway?"
"Me? I'm Spekkio, the Master of War! I watch all kinds of battles from here," the creature said. "How do I look to you?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" Ed asked.
"How do I look? Strong or weak?"
"Uh, weak, I guess," Ed said.
"Yeah..." Al and Mei agreed.
"Really? He looks pretty scary to me," Mustang said.
"What are you talking abou—" Ed started.
"I see," Spekkio interrupted. "How I look depends on how strong you are. If you're strong, I look strong. If you're weak, I look weak."
"Huh? Hey, the hell's that supposed to mean?" Ed said.
"Hm? Why'd the old guy let you through, anyway?" Spekkio said, ignoring him. "You don't seem to have it in you, though you do have something else."
"What are you talking about?"
"See, a long, long, time ago, there was a kingdom where magic flourished. Everyone there could use it! But the people abused their powers, and ended up destroyin' the place. After that, there wasn't anyone left who could use magic—well, exceptin' fiends, of course."
"Of course..." Ed muttered, barely following.
"Thing is, some people still have the inner strength needed to use magic. It needs power of the heart, that's where it flows from," Spekkio said. "I can awaken that power, but you don't have it."
"What?! Al and I have been through hell!" Ed said.
"Well, you might have inner strength, but not the right kind. You're all from a different world, which means using magic is right out. Whatever powers you already have is what you're stuck with."
"Wait, you're serious? We are on a different planet?" Ed asked.
"Yup! Don't know how, but all four of you are from a world with very different rules from this one. If you want to get back, you'll have to find whatever it was that brought you here in the first place."
"Well, thanks for the info, at least."
"Anytime. Feel free to come back whenever you want, but it won't make you any more magical. Ha!"
"Alright, then," Ed said. "Come on, let's get going. It seems like we've got a long road ahead of us."