Disclaimer: Full Metal Alchemist is not mine; I don't own it and I probably never will. But this story idea is mine and if you steal it… I'll have to kill you okay? (Also for later chapters, the Odysseus Stone is my creation.)
Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only, truth. - Alphonse Elric
The Philosopher's Stone was the target for the Elric brothers. Though what they thought would help them, would not only be a myth, but a complete and total lie. What if the one thing you searched for, for so long wasn't there, but in fact wasn't even on this earth? What do you do?
As Edward read the passage over and over again he couldn't help but think had his mind been playing tricks on him that entire time? Had the one stone that would help him and his brother actually been destroyed those many years ago? What would they do now? How was Edward going to give his brother his body back, and how would he get his own limbs back from the Gateway that held onto them for four long years?
This isn't how things were supposed to happen. Nothing this bad should of happened with me and my brother. Why us? Why did you take our mother, and why did our good for nothing father leave us like we were nothing? These were just a few thoughts that ran through not only Edward's head but Alphonse's too. Edward was trying his best to save his brother, but how could he do so without the one thing that would help them?
Alphonse looked at his brother who at his moment was very frustrated and angry with not only himself but with Dr. Tom Maroch.
"Brother, please be calm, it's not your fault" Al said trying his best to calm down his over active brother.
Ed looked at Al with pained eyes, "It is my fault, if I hadn't of said I wanted to bring mom back you wouldn't be in that armor and I wouldn't be limbless."
Al looked at his brother, "It wasn't only your fault brother I said I wanted to go through with it!" Ed could not see his brother's expressions, but he could still hear it in his voice. "It's both our burden." Al continued with such calm in his voice that it almost frightened Ed.
"Why are you so angry with Dr. Maroch?" Al asked tilting his bulky head to the side.
"He lied to us Al, he lied to everyone" he said looking down at his right armored hand. Al looked to Ed and shifted some, his armor making a soft clanking noise as he moved. Ed looked up at Al, "I'm sorry I got carried away. I'm just trying to figure out what we can do." He pauses before continuing, "Now that we don't have the Philosopher's Stone."
Al looked to his brother, "Maybe there is something else out there That can help us." He said as he stood up grabbing the massive brown suitcase. "Maybe there's something out there we just haven't found it yet." Al said with so much encouragement in his voice that it made Ed even smile.
Al looked at Ed who at this moment was smirking more than smiling, Al looked to his brother and moved his bulky body along the path his brother had started to walk down.
Ed yawned as they walked down the road, his eyes squinting against the high sun that sat in the sky. He looked forward at the road they were on and he saw in the distance a figure, it looked like it was covered In a brown like robe. He looked to Al, "Do you see the figure up there?" He said as he patted Al's gray forearm.
Al looked ahead as well and nodded lightly, "Yeah I see it. Who do you think it is?" He replied as he set the suitcase down once Ed had stopped walking.
The brown cloaked figure looked over to Ed and Al as they stopped in their path. Under the cloak a smirk appeared on a set of pale lips. The eyes under the cloak where black and emotionless as they focused On them. Ed and Al looked at each other for a second before walking forward and advancing the person.
"Hey there, nice day isn't it" Ed said as he stood next to the figure who in return didn't say anything. Ed looked to Al and shrugged lightly, than watched as Al picked up the suitcase again ready to leave.
Ed began to walk with Al until he felt a piercing pain in his shoulder where his auto-mail started. He looked at his shoulder and saw something that looked like a long black finger protruding.
"Edward!" Al said as he saw Ed's eyes go wide.
Edward's eyes were wide with fear as he felt the sharp pain enter his body. A small cry of pain escaped his lips as he felt the long thin finger pull away from his flesh and automail. He fell to his knees holding his shoulder.
Al looked to Ed, but than his metal face turned and looked at Ed's attacker. "Who are you and why have you attacked Edward!" Al said with worry but also anger as he looked to the dark cloaked figure.
A smile appeared under the hood of the cloak a devious looking grin in fact. "My name is of no importance to you." The voice was in fact female as Al nervously moved to his brother's side. "Brother… are you okay?" He said with concern in his child like voice. Ed looked to his brother's metal face and nodded. "It's just a scratch" Ed said as he soon got to his feet.
Ed turned and looked to the cloaked figure. "Why are you hiding behind that cloak, you coward?" He said as he straightened himself up and stared at the figure.
The figure laughed lightly and than threw off the cloak. In front of Ed stood a woman, in black with a strange tattoo on her chest almost similar to an alchemy matrix. Ed ward squinted lightly at the tattoo than backed up when the woman's finger nails extended at him again.
"If you really wish to know my name its Lust" she said grinning evilly as she jumps lightly and lands just behind Ed and Al. Ed claps his hands together and presses his left arm to his armored right arm and a blade appears as he removes his left hand.
Ed quickly spun around to find Lust running at him her finger nails extended ready to stab at whatever she could get.
"AL GET OUT OF HERE!" Ed screamed to his younger brother who stood there silent as ever. If you could see his expressions you would see worry and fright there but unfortunately for Al there was no emotion on his armored face.
"No brother I'm not going anywhere" he said with a little bit more pride in his voice. Ed's eyes turned to look at his brother but soon they were back at the now flying Lust as she jumped and pressed her nails against Ed's throat leaving a small cut in his flesh.
Ed jumped backwards and clapped and dropped to the floor and a wall appears in front of Lust. Lust laughs as she pushes her nails through the wall and it breaks instantly.
Ed's eyes go wide as he steps back "shit" he said as he watched Lust step forward.
Al watched his brother fight the woman named Lust when he saw another dark cloaked figure approach; this was man for his face was revealed. This man was dark skinned and had red eyes, his face also bared a scar almost in the shape of an x.
Al looked to the man than looked back to Ed who was now leaning against a wall he had made, "damn it" he said as he moved from the wall as Lust threw her finger nails at it breaking it into pieces once more.
Ed jumped up and stood atop another wall he had conjured, seconds after the other wall had been turned into debris.
Ed jumped off of the wall landing just behind Lust, he than pushed his blade into her stomach. Ed looked up at Lust with a grin on his face. Lust looked back and began to laugh a small amount of blood fell from her lip.
"Now look what you've done you ruined my dress and it was my FAVORITE!" she said and moved and was about to stab Ed with her nails when something exploded behind them.
Ed smirked as he heard Lust, "Well I suppose you'll just have to live with that than" he said as he ran toward her, his sword pushing into her stomach.
"Your not very bright on your lovely" she said and jumped back the knife breaking off. Ed looked at her and one foot went behind the other as he stood there. Al looked on as he saw the tan man walk up behind Ed. "BROTHER!" he said and ran forward. The man looked at Al and than stepped back before he placed his hand to Ed's head, Ed's eyes moved frantically around in their sockets, Ed knew about this man.
"BROTHER! Leave him alone!" Al said as he ran up to the man and tried to pull his hand away from Ed's head, when he saw the long tattoo almost like an alchemy circle. He moved his hand and looked at the man. Ed than pushed his foot into the man's stomach and pulled his head back and fell but got to his feet quickly his hands up ready for either one of the people to do something.
Lust looked to the man than shrugged and than vanished. The man looked to Ed than turned and walked off. "HEY YOU COME BACK HERE!" Ed screamed as he ran after him before he felt his entire body get pulled backwards.
Al looked at Ed who was now lying on his back on the train track. "Why did you do that Al, I could of taken him." Ed said as he got to his feet. Al looked to his brother, "and gotten killed in the process brother. He had a transmutation mark on his arm all around it in fact, you didn't see it?"
Al said looking to Ed who looked back and shook his head, "no didn't see it" he was lieing right than, he had seen it but he didn't want to frighten Al. "Lets just get going" Ed said and pulled his shirt sleeve down.
Al walked past him and picked up their suitcase and began to walk behind him, "what do you think that explosion was?" Al said as he walked next to Ed.
"Who knows, I might have been something that scarred man could have done." He said and looked down at his feet, as he shoved his hands into pockets of his red coat.
Al sighed lightly as he walked beside Ed. "Do you ever feel like your being watch." Ed suddenly said looking to Al.
Al looked back with slight surprise, "being watched… I'm always being watched I'm a walking suit of armor brother." He said and laughed lightly.
Ed looked at Al and smiled lightly. "We just fought two people we didn't even know, both of them wanted to kill me so I'm slightly worried, not big worried just slightly worried."
Al looked to Ed, "maybe they wanted something" he said shrugging lightly the suitcase than hit Ed in the back of the head, "OW AL! Watch where you put that thing."
Al sweat dropped, "sorry brother."
AUTHORNOTE: I have combined chapters 1-3 into one story; the next chapters will be separate. I have also proof-read the story and this is the revised and edited version.