A.C.: ...yay... :)
Summary: Upon finding the diary of the legendary Phoenix Alchemist, Edward is thrown into a plot long since launched into motion by the fabled war hero...
Timeline: Sometime before Hughes is dead.
Warnings: oocness, grammar/structure/spelling mistakes, spoilers?
"Roy!"
Disbelief
Rational when you think about it
The Xingese man was supposed to be stationed in East.
Roy nods briefly before putting on a standard military hat. He pushes it downwards to hide his eyes.
"Hold on."
He steps on the acceleration.
-
-
Days blend into nights of drunken songs and heartbroken tears. Always the same nothing changes. Today I had some foot soldiers come with me for experience. Actually it was there mission to protect me from stray Ishival bullets but no one mentioned that. They're not allowed to, they don't want to repeat the fact that alchemists were brought in to end this war. They don't want to say that our lives are worth more.
Besides, us alchemists get violent when set up with body guards. Last time Crimson had any at all, he nearly turned all of them into bombs. Silver somehow ditched his group, Blackarrow told his superior off. Mother, Flame and I nearly threw a fit when a group was assigned to us. But I can't say anything now.
We were in the Northern quadrant when the ambush assault occurred. A ragtag group of Ishivals opened fire on us. Two died while trying to protect me as human shields. I shot the snipers off the rooftops. The remaining three were wondering why I didn't just roast them alive. Alchemists are really disgusting eh?
End result, out of five that was sent with me, only one survived. A gangly blonde one, I didn't get his name, I don't want to,
-Ryan
-
-
"Who do you think he was?"
"Hm?"
In the background there are few houses. Small farms scattered across the prairie. It's a homey scene. Reminds them of their home. The river, and the orange sunset.
"The Phoenix Alchemist, the guy with the initials M.R."
"It could be a woman brother."
"Yeah but the only one I can think of right now is Maria Ross. I'm pretty sure she's not it. Besides, I doubt that her nickname is Ryan."
"Ah right," Alsphonse scratched his metal head sheepishly. "Well I don't know anyone named Ryan."
"Neither do I, assuming that Ryan is his first name. His initials are M.R. See."
"Do you think teacher knows?"
"With all the tongue lashing she gave us about state alchemists?"
"There must be a reason for that."
"hmm..."
-
-
After much confusion on both sides of the party, after a series of negotiation Edward, Alsphonse, and Winry are taken in by the Elric's teacher Izumi. As the sun sets, the mallow red disk sinking in the horizon, Izumi confronts the siblings.
"Alsphonse your body's hollow, Edward, your right arm is an automail."
The wind weaves through the thin stalks like a slippery snake through grass.
The two guiltily stare down at the ground.
"...sorry..."
-
-
Hughes' residence
All was quiet,
No one was there yet
He hoped...
Hughes rushes out the car, Mustang follows a length behind with leisure that has been lost on the gold eyed man.
The door is quickly unlocked, Hughes bursts into the living room to see Major Armstrong playing with little Elysia.
Gracia is calmly sipping tea while listening to one of Armstrong's numerous speeches about his family's heroic feats.
For one precious moment Hughes believes death might have been a preferable choice. But then he realizes how much he missed the jolly ramblings from the muscular blonde and he collapses onto the floor, eyes full of tears as he tries to wipe them away.
Gracia looks concerned,
Elysia jumps from the couch and into her father's hug.
He easily picks her up and in two strides, reaches over to Gracia and hugs her sobbing.
-
-
"You have to get out of here."
"There's no where to hide Roy, they... they're not human."
"You have to get out... they'll say you're a traitor, they'll hunt you down like a dog."
"Come with us"
"I can't..."
"..."
"Maes, remember when you told me that you would support me from the bottom?"
-
-
Before life in the military I have never seen a sunrise. Sure my mother is in the military, wakes up like a clockwork. Sure I've heard of the legendary proceedings in which the big fireball of gas rises from the horizon to complete it's cycle from east to west. Actually it turns out that it's us that's doing all the cycles, but I digress, before military I've never seen a sunrise. Sunset suits me more I think, both in color and mind.
Kimbley's laughing over my shoulder, the bastard.
-Ryan
-
-
"Brother? Are you ok?"
An island in the middle of a lake. They could use alchemy to escape, could, but sometimes it was good to wallow in memories. Sometimes it was good to let the thoughts wash over you like generic soap turned generic foam before rubbing it away in a shower of generic water.
Al...
"I'm fine,"
A hand of flesh, his left hand holds a thin book with many missing pages physically and spiritually.
"It's not coded but it's harder to understand that way, he says he's been in the Ishival war... I don't know what that has to do with the philosopher's stone."
The book is a mystery, an hidden archive of knowledge that Edward is fearful to penetrate. He does not know where the emotion comes from but knows that it bars him from figuring out too much too soon. Even know with Alsphonse's help he can barely read entries one by one.
"Don't worry brother, we'll figure something out."
As he repeats the words over and over again in his mind he realizes, it's not the standard language of Amestris.
-
-
So many are dead, we set up camp in one of the abandoned villages still stable enough to support mud caked buildings. Dead bodies are everywhere. We drew up twigs to see who would get the cleaning duty. As fate would have it me and Crimson drew the role. Crimson seems pretty happy to explode corpses, he looks happy touching the warm bodies heated by the sun.
A body burns, another, then another. The sun sinks, the moon, stars come out but we don't stop, we can't, we dare not. I know that in some deep, dark ways that even Kimbley realizes that. How this madness has overtaken us all. How he is another example on how to survive, how much I needed someone to hate.
We have another sector to clean tomorrow.
-Ryan
-
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Havoc is supposed to be taking a day off. He was working his ass off at the office, forging Mustang's signature while trying to look short and inconspicuous at the same time. Fortunately for him all the people who are sent to question him are those of lower rank. He doesn't have to stand up, nor does he have to salute and look at the other soldier in the eye. He takes an early leave, trusting Hawkeye to take care of matters back at the office. Farman tails him to clean up any trails.
Mustang is elsewhere smuggling Hughes and his family out of Amestris.
-
-
"You sure you're not coming with us?"
"I'm trying to save the world, you can come back when I become the fuhrer"
"But then I'll never get to come back...!"
"..."
"Oy, Roy... I promised to support you from the bottom remember? All the way to the top."
"All the way to the top... I remember..."
A sigh
"Promise me you won't die"
"I'm going to be fuhrer, I won't die"
"I'm glad..."
"Maes, thanks..."
"For what?"
"For everything."
The train whistles loudly, a Xingese man is seen waving at a family of three brunettes. Elysia waves excitedly as the figure of her uncle Roy fades from her childish view.
"Bye uncle Roy!"
"You're welcome Roy... and thanks..."
-
-
A boy with a crop of silky black hair that reached his knees.
A boy with blue violet eyes, the dreaded eyes from the gate.
A boy with his arm, his leg, parading around Curtis household.
A homunculus that can use alchemy,
Wrath... a dangerous weapon,
His master's deadly secret
-
-
"Teacher?"
"Hmm? Is this about Wrath?"
"No... I just wanted to know, have you ever heard about a State Alchemist named Phoenix?"
"..."
"Teacher?"
"...He's the reason why I didn't want to be a dog of the military."