Chapter 2. The gate wasn't destroyed
Ed and Al were walking down the street. Thay were amazed looking at the T.V. inside the shops.
"Its like portable cinema!" Said Al.
Ed looked around sceptically. He kept walking, even though they didn't know where to go.
He had an idea, and as soon as he saw a bookstore, he went in. Al kept walking until he realized Ed wasn't by his side, and turned around running. He went inside the bookstore, and searched for Ed.
Five minutes later, he found him. He was checking a book on a table, and there was a wallet near the book. Ed was looking at the book very focused.
Al checked the cover.
XX century History.
"What?" He said, surprised.
"We moved. The time, while we were switching sides, must have run faster in this world. According to this, there was a Second World War, and it began the year we were in Germany". Ed said.
"Where are we now then?" Said Al, nervous.
"According to what I found in my wallet, I'm the 18 year old student called Edward Elric, descendant from Germans, single, 1.75 meters tall".
"You grew up while in the gate". Said Al smirking.
Ed's face changed dramatically.
"Who are you calling a nature's phenomenon who can't grow up while time-traveling?". He shouted.
A forty year old man told him to keep silence inside the bookstore. Al was laughing silently.
"I didn't say that" He whispered.
Alphonse searched his own pocket, and found a wallet. Inside, he found 20 dollars, an an I.D. It said he was Alphonse Elric, 16 year old student.
"Hey… Look, I grew up 3 years in the gate!".
"There is a lot to find out yet. For example…" He shut up.
"…Why didn't Roy Mustang destroy the gate!".
The forty year old kicked them out.
o0o
Roy gathered everyone at Winry's house.
"I knew the gate couln't be destroyed… So I didn't even try. The results may have been catastrophic (even more) after the battle".
"How did you know?" asked Wrath. He was sad, looking by the window, but still concentrated on the conversation.
Riza Hawkeye rose.
"My father was Colonell Mustang's master, and I am the keeper of his secret as an alchemist".
"Riza has a tattoo on her back. I made a copy of it and used alchemy to see what would happen. Somehow, I was sent inside the door, and learned evreything".
"If that is so, then why do you keep using your sparky gloves?" Asked Armstrong.
"In spite of all my knowledge, I still don't know how to create a spark without anything but my hands".
"So… they can come back…" Interrupted Wrath.
"Yes, but first they must find out how".
"And can they bring mother back?"
o0o
The Elric brothers kept walking. They were trying to find the adress in their I.Ds, but this had proven hard, since they didn't know where the heck they were.
At about seven o'clock, before nightfall, they sat down, awfully tired of walking. They were sitting near a trashcan, which was in front of a house. The lights turned on, and the dor opened. A tall blonde man, carrying a big trash bag walked past them and opened the can.
When he turned around they saw him.
Hohenheim.
They were both amazed. Ed had seen him die, when Envy bit him in the castle. He looked at them, and smiled.
"There you are… Come on in, dinner's ready". He walked inside the house, and left the door open.
Ed and Al switched looks.
"Are you coming, guys?" Hohenheim asked.
"Yeah, we're stretching a bit" Ed lied.
"Suit yourselves, but close the door once you come in" A woman's voice said.
"Al, listen to me… Act normal. You eat, try not to talk much, and please, please, don't talk about alchemy".
"If there's milk in the table, you will have to drink it. You are taller here, so you must like it, and they will be suspicious if you don't".
Ed's eyes changed again.
When they walked in, Hohenheim was bringing a bottle of whine to the table. Al turned back and closed the door, and sat down. Ed did the same thing, and poored some water in his cup.
"Why did you switch places, guys?". Hohenheim asked.
"…" Both Elric brothers were caught by surprise.
"It's time for big changes, old man". Said Ed, trying to act calm.
"Ok, I AM old, but im not a pipsqueak for not drinking milk".
Edward would have transmuted his arm into a gigantic knife, if only it weren't flesh and bone again.
"He's right, brother, drink some milk" Al poured milk on an empty glass, and switched it for the one Ed had in front. Al looked at him viciously.
"Screw it" Ed thought. He grabbed the glass and swallowed it entirely. It wasn't so bad.
"Finally. The only reason why you are a pipsqueak is because you never tried cow milk when you were young".
The door of the kitchen opened before he had a chance to stab Hohenheim with his fork.
Trisha Elric walked in with a bowl of spaghetti.
o0o
Ed and Al tried to keep quiet, and waited for their mother to serve them. They all started eating.
"Honey, you know I don't want you to call Eddy 'Pipsqueak'".
"Ok, dear, I was just messing around". He smiled.
Ed thought to himself "Eddy!".
They had dinner peacefully, until Al said 'Hey, an ant' and Ed hit him in the head. Then the ant bit him, he shouted, Trisha told him to calm own, and tell his brother he was sorry.
He did, and in a low voice, so only Al would hear him, he said:
"Once I find out how, I'll transmute your bed to a saw".
o0o
The other day, Hohenheim woke them up at seven AM. They got dressed with the uniforms on their desks, and their father made them brakefast. A cup of coffe for Ed and some orange juice for Al.
Then he took them to school.
"New school, kids, make friends".
Ed was in the final year of high school, and Al was a freshman. He got bothered by bigger students, but since he was so experienced in fighting, they didn't mean a thing.
In a break, while Al was kicking some ass, Ed was looking at him. A guy came close to him.
"That's some pretty good fighting there". The boy said. He was in the class with Ed, but he hadn't payed much attention. Speciallly since Winry wa sitting next to him in the classroom.
"Yeah, we used to practice a lot back at home". Ed said.
He turned to look at his schoolmate. He was a chines guy, a bit taller than him. He had long hair, tied up, almost raching his waist, and his shirt was outside his pants.
"I'm Ling" He said.
"Ed" Answered Ed.
They started talking while they watch Al fight. The only defficiency in their school, as Ed was told by Ling, was that the teachers had a lot of personal problems, and they didn't watch the students during the brakes.
Al had knocked down every senior student but Ling and his own brother. He was walking towards them when someone jumped off a tree and walked towards him. He had his shirt inside the pants, and his tie around his head, keeping his hair off his face. He had long, dark green hair. His eyes where purple.
"Nice fighting" said Envy.
Al turned around when he recognised his voice.
"Care to try me out?".
Ed was frost still. He was to amazed to move. Ling looked at Al smiling.
Al moved towards Envy, and tried to kick him in the face, but he ducked, rolled under him, and kicked him in the back, pushing him forward. The he jumped with his arms, turned in the air, and looked at him, with both hands in his pockets.
"That was predictable, make something better". He said.
Al ran towards him, and tried to kick his legs, but Envy jumped, and was ready to hit him behind the head, when Ed came in and punched him in the face. Envy fall to the ground, and looked at Ed furiously.
"What the hell are you doing, pipsqueak?"
"I'm tired-Of you-Caling me-PIPSQUEAK!".
He jumped over Envy, and tried to kick his head, but Envy roll aside, and kicked him behind his legs. Ed fall to the ground, and Envy hit him in the face. Then, he stood up, and held his hand for Ed.
"Nice fighting, man". He said, cleaning the dirt off his cheek. "You did surprise, kid". He said to Al while he helped Ed stand up.
"I'm Remy Vios. Everyone calls me Envy, so feel free to do so".