Well, I must admit that at the most for each story I'm lookin' at dishin' out one or two chapters a week…that's IF I'm lucky. I may dish out three chapters but for one story…I dunno…anyway, thank you all for your kind reviews! As I may have mentioned (my short memory span rivals that of Ed's stature Ed off screen HEY!) just for those who are first reading this story and haven't read the reviews for the sake of this story I won't be doing any pairing, I'm not really into that…not that I'm against it totally, it's just that if I WERE to write a story with a pairing it would be a mary-jane…and I know how much some people don't like that. ALSO, just so's it's all clear, Artimus is NOT a mary-jane character, heck I can give everyone a complete profile of her if ya want…me loves writin' profiles, I'll do one of her original beginnings (in Haymaker Syndrome) AND a profile for this fiction! Look at me rambling, better get started with the next chapter (though writers block is starting set in T.T and I think it's starten' to show in my recent chapters). Read, enjoy, review, and eat sour punch straws!
Chapter Three: Departure…
A week had past and it was time to leave, Ed and Al where in their rooms packing up what little they had taken out. Artimus was at the bar sipping ginger ale and reading over the letter she had received the week before, she was smiling. The brothers came up behind her and Ed asked,
"So…when are we leaving? This is the day we're suppose to leave for that 'magic' school."
"Don't fret FullMetal, we're leaven," she got up and grabbed a black duffel bag from under the chair she was sitting on "We're off to Kings Cross and Platform 9 ¾, that's where the train that'll be taken' us to Hogwarts. Now just so you know, this train also carries the students of the school so be on your best behavior."
"What's that suppose to mean?" Ed hissed.
"We are the guests and should act as such, we each have our reasons for doing this and if one of us messes up then we all take the fall. Besides, it's not everyday three young aspiring scientists such as ourselves get invited to a 'magic' school, this is going to be a learning experience for all of us."
Ed huffed, Al though asked,
"You said you became a State Alchemist at the age of ten…how is that possible? They said that my brother was the youngest person to be accepted as a State Alchemist, he passed the exam when he was twelve."
"That's a story for later Al, but I'd be glade to tell you both all about it," she smiled "But if we don't get movin' we'll miss our ride."
"Ok." Al nodded, Ed though wondered the same thing, how on earth could she have been accepted at ten when he was the one that set the record for being the youngest State Alchemist?
"Come on you two lets go." Slinging the bag over her shoulder Artimus made her way to the door followed by the Elric brothers.
It took them twenty minutes to walk from the Leaky Cauldron to Kings Cross, when they entered the train station Ed stopped and looked up at the different platforms.
"So I see platform nine and platform ten, if I'm not mistaken platform 9 ¾ should be right in the middle about."
"What do you think Artimus?" Al asked.
"Say FullMetal think, if you were a wizard how would you go about finding this mystery platform?" Artimus said looking at Ed, he replied to this comment by rolling his eyes and saying,
"I'm not sure, maybe it's invisible or something."
"Ok…that's a start but you really gotta' start usin' that imagination of yours." Artimus sighed, she walked over to the barrier between platform nine and ten and placed her hand on it, it was solid. She then backed up a few feet and said,
"I only asked because I wanted to see how you would respond, it wasn't quite what I expected. You both didn't see it but when we entered the station I saw some people go through the barrier." She made a running start for the barrier, Al put his hands over his eyes and Ed tried to stop her but instead of crashing into the barrier she passed right through it. Both brothers just stood there for a moment trying to take in what just happened.
"Brother?"
"That…is not something you see everyday Al." Ed said shaking his head, he too took a few steps back then ran straight at the barrier and passed through it as if there was nothing. Al came through a few seconds later, they where now standing in a crowded terminal, Artimus no where to be found.
There where students and their parents seeing them off, some of them turned when they saw Al come through the wall but went on their way a few moments later. Edward looked around and saw only a sea of students and parents,
"Where the hell did she go?"
"Wow, look at that brother!" Al suddenly said pointing. Ed looked in the direction Al was pointing, he was looking at a long scarlet train. It was billowing smoke out of its' smoke stack and a whistle blew,
"That must be the train." He said.
"We should find a seat brother." Al suggested.
"Yeah, that Artimus can find her own way around, she seems to know what she's doing so she can find her own way." Ed said making his way towards the train, Al close behind. Getting on the train and walking down the narrow passageway they looked for a preferably empty cabin, upon finding one, Ed sat down while Al put their suitcase on the shelf above them.
The cabin was nothing like they had ever ridden in, it didn't have hard uncomfortable seats like the ones they were used to, and it had soft squishy seats like the first class cars. Edward put his feet up on the seat and lied back with his arms behind his head, Al sat down in the seat in front of him and gazed out the window at all the parents seeing their children off. That's when the door slid open and Artimus walked in, Al turned while Ed didn't pay any notice.
"Hey! Get your feet off the seats." She hissed, Ed just looked at her and replied,
"I don't see a sign that says other wise."
She walked over and shoved his legs off the seat and sat down, crossing her arms she said,
"This trip is going to last a good few hours so we'll have to deal with one another."
"Goody…" Ed grumbled straightening himself out and scooting closer to the window and crossing his arms again. The train lerched forward and started to move, they could hear parents saying their last 'good byes' and 'have a good years'. Moments later their door slid open and three people where standing there talking to one another.
" This is the last cabin we can talk here…oh…" the person who had been talking, a girl with long brown bushy hair, stopped when she saw that it was occupied.
"Can we help you?" Al asked.
"I'm sorry, um…all the other cabins are filled, could we sit with you guys?" she asked.
"Sure!" Artimus smiled.
"No…" Ed frowned.
"Don't listen to him, he's in a bad mood," Artimus said standing up and opening the door more so that the people in the hall could come in also "My name is Artimus, the one with the attitude is Edward Elric and that's his younger brother Alphonse Elric." She said pointing to the two brothers. The three looked at Al for a moment, which's when the boy with red hair and freckles said,
"Younger brother? Why's he bigger then?"
"HEY! I'M STILL GROWIN' YOU KNOW!" Ed shouted shaking his fist slightly.
"Sorry…"
"My name is Hermione Granger." The girl said trying to change the subject.
"Ron Weasley" the red haired boy said giving Ed a worried glance. The last person, a boy with messy black hair and round glasses said,
"I'm Harry Potter."
"Well it's nice to meet you all!" Artimus said, the three new comers looked at each other and shrugged. See that there where more people then seats Artimus sat on the floor, when everyone was situated they all got into what they had did over the summer. Ed and Al didn't say too much, Artimus on the contrary was the opposite,
"Man, you would not believe the people I have to put up with over the summer. I mean they aren't bad it's just a riot being in the same room. Anyway, this past summer I was givin' this…project and…"
It went on and on much like that for the next three hours, it wasn't until there was a knock on the door again this time it was an old lady pushing a cart of strange looking candy.
"Anything off the cart dears?" she asked. Hermione and company all got up and bought a bunch of candy, "What about you dears?"
"No thank you ma'am." Artimus said nodding, Ed frowned and Al just sighed. When the lady left and the door was closed again Ron asked,
"So, you guys are…first years?"
"Nope, we're here because we where invited. We're not going to be going to Hogwarts, we've got our own… 'School', I guess you could call us ambassadors." Artimus answered.
"Really? What school are you from then?" Harry asked.
"Harry!" Hermione scolded.
"No, it's ok, we're from a sort of 'military' school." Artimus laughed.
"Military? You mean they don't teach magic?" Hermione asked.
"Not the kind you're thinkin' of, besides we're from Amestris which is a country mostly run by the military so pretty much everything is…military. Anyway, we mainly focus on alchemy."
"You three must be very strong wizards if you can do alchemy," Hermione said "It's a very advanced magic."
Edward suddenly stood up and snapped,
"Alchemy is not magic! It's a science!"
"What did I say back at the Leaky Cauldron? Sit down Ed, don't get so bent outta shape just because they don't understand what alchemy really is. Much like we don't understand about magic." Artimus said giving him an irritated look. Sensing the sudden uneasiness Harry decided to change the subject.
"So why do you ware that suit of armor?" he asked Al. Ed glared at Harry and said,
"That's none of your business."
"Brother?"
"I think this question session is done," Ed said. Artimus rubbed her eyes roughly and made an irritated noise, this is going to be one heck of a year. She then took out the letter she had and started read it, once again she smiled.
"What's that?" Al asked seeing the letter in her hands.
"It's a letter…" she quickly folded it up and put it in her pocket "So how much longer is this train ride?"
"Yes! Exactly! When is interrogation train gonna end?" Ed asked. Sighing, Artimus got up off the floor and grabbed her duffel bag, she then took out a head scarf saying,
"Edward…"
"What?"
When Ed turned around to see what she wanted, Artimus stuffed the scarf in his mouth saying,
"You know, Mustang was right…you talk way to much and jump to way to many conclusions. Now if you don't mind I would highly suggest you sit down, shut up, and calm down."
"Um…well we should be at Hogwarts pretty soon," Hermione said "We should change into our uniforms, we better leave…" they all hastily made their way to the door and left. Edward pulled the scarf out of his mouth,
"What the hell did you do that for?"
"They where just tryin' to be friendly, the least you can do is act like you're interested." Artimus scolded.
"Interested! In what? Magic? I'm only here because…"
"Because you want to find the Philosophers Stone I know, listen like I said before, we each have our own reasons for being here but there is one thing, ONE THING we need to get straight."
"Oh really, what's that?" Ed hissed.
"Lighten up, don't forget that we where invited to this tournament NOT a free walk through and search of their school," Artimus put her hands on her hips and added "Do you remember reading anything about the tournament?"
"Yeah, that one representative from each of the invited schools will participate in the…tourna…ment, ah crap are you serious!" Ed said realizing what he was saying.
"Yes, now once we get there and settled at the school I'm sure things'll work out, we'll talk to the head master about you lookin' for the Philosophers Stone but that is not our first priority." She said looking out the window, she could see they where crossing a long large bridge and the school was just around the next turn.
"Then tell me, what is our first priority?" Ed asked. Al, who had been sitting quietly looked at Artimus as well, she just raised an eyebrow and said,
"That too can wait, much like my little story about myself. Now, we'd best get ready, remember we must represent our 'school' as best as we can."
"How are we going to…" Ed stopped when Artimus raised her hand, she then replied,
"What did you think I was hallin' around in this duffel bag?" she picked up her duffel bag and opened it, there where two boxes inside along with some clothes and whatnot.
"What is it?"
"Uniforms of course, I've made some changes to them so that they look more like school uniforms." Artimus said with a smile handing him a box. Inside was a slightly altered version of the military uniform.
"You want me to ware this?" he questioned.
"Yup, now from what that Hermione said we'd be arriving at Hogwarts soon so, I'll leave so you can change."
"I'm not wareing this…" he grumbled.
"It's only temporary, you it's just for the opening ceremony when we get there." Artimus said.
"…"
She shrugged and left making her way down the hall, mean while in the cabin Ed was looking at the uniform.
"What do you think brother?" Al asked.
"I think this is stupid but if it's the only way we haven't got much of a choice do we?" he replied, Al just nodded in agreement.
-To Be Continued-
Chapter three completed 3:05 a.m. while watching Beauty and the Beast (Walt Disney cartoon version) Yey! Be Our Guest! Anyway, yep they're leaving the Leaky Cauldron and riding on the Hogwarts Express and almost arriving at Hogwarts…what can I say…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…snort…oh sorry dozed off. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, the next should be up…um…ASAP, review! I love reviews!…nice ones more then not nice ones but hey…