AN: The characters and concepts of FullMetal Alchemist belong to Hiromu Arakawa. This story revolves around the first anime of FullMetal Alchemist, not the manga. Do not flame because of that small difference, I've read the manga and seen the real anime that follows it, but the first anime is what captured my heart about FMA, so this story is tribute. Enjoy the story. The lyrics are "Dance Halls Turn To Ghost Towns" by The Audition, I do not own the lyrics to the song. - Carrie.
"Two hints lust, then I mix some charm with a dash of wits.
Add some good looks and then, close the door and dim the lights.
This will finally be the night, where the dictionary,
Chemical cookbook will finally hook you into me."
Sunlight streamed through the window of the hospital room in Central, waking the girl who slept on her right side. Carlina rubbed the sand from her eyes and sat up slightly, a pain shot through her chest when she found the chair beside the bed empty. Her breathing deepened and quickened until she was hyperventilating, fearing he had left without her. She felt a heavy hand on her shoulder, turning to find Alphonse looking concerned. "Are you okay Lina?" The pinkette took a few moments to catch her breath before grinning at the suit of armor. She launched herself off the hospital bed, ignoring the pain in her ribs as she squeezed Al as tightly as she could.
"Lina," he asked, sounding bewildered as she pulled herself from him and sat on the edge of the bed. "Sorry Al, I was just relieved to see you were still here. I thought-" "-we had left without you? Seriously? After that shit Mustang pulled yesterday, he'd send half the military after us for leaving you behind," Ed teased as he entered the room, holding a bag that bulged slightly.
Her eyes widened as he set the bag down in front of her, feeling the weight sink into the mattress. She blinked up at him as he motioned for her to open it. The bag opened to show a spread of pastries and various breakfast foods. Carlina grinned before spreading the foods out on the sheet, tilting her head as Ed looked away from her. "What's the matter? Don't you want some," she asked before shoving a danish in her mouth. "I bought all of this for you," he said, flinching at the glare she shot him before swallowing the mouth full of pastry, "What's that look for? I figured you would be hungry and you need the nutrition!" "Are you trying to say I'm not healthy enough," she asked slowly, Ed blinking in response.
"No, you've got enough meat on your bones," he responded even slower, dodging the cinnamon roll she threw at him, "What was that for!?" "Are you trying to say I'm fat," she accused, catching him off guard and making him pause for a moment. "Wait-what," he asked, looking at her in time to get nailed in the forehead with a large cherry danish.
The pastry stuck to his skin for a few seconds before plopping to the ground, leaving a sticky red circle in the middle of his eyebrows. He used his finger to scrape some of the filling off, staring at it for a second before grinning at the girl on the bed. "You're so getting it now," he cried, diving unto the bed and smearing the cherry filling on her cheek. She grabbed a muffin out of the bag and smashed it into his face, laughing as he grabbed a handful of jam. She twisted to avoid him throwing the jam, getting hit in the collar and making a face as some went down her shirt. "It's on now," she hollered, Al cowering behind the chair he had sat in to avoid the food fight. Ten minutes passed before both the teens had various food bits clung to them, still wrestling among the scraps on the bed.
Carlina stuck a slice of bread to the cherry filling on Ed's forehead. He grabbed her by the wrists, both laughing as he pinned her back on the bed. Ed's knee slipped in a patch of jam on the sheets, causing his automail elbow to jab Carlina in the left side of her ribs. He instantly let go as she howled in pain, clutching the injured ribs and rolling unto her side on the bed.
Al poked up from behind the chair, glaring at Ed with a muffin stuck on the spike of his helmet. Ed shuffled away from her and off the bed, looking guilty as she finally calmed down. Carlina sat up on the bed, still clutching her ribs while a small smile curled on her lips. "I'm okay now-" "-I'm so sorry-" "Ed, it's okay. I'm fine now. We both got a little carried away, come here and give me a hug," she teased, sticking her tongue out at him before extending her arms. His eyebrow raised suspiciously before he walked to the bed, sitting in front of her and slipping his arms around her waist. She curled her arms around his neck, scraping off jelly from the back of his shirt and spreading it into his plait. Ed pulled away with a shocked look on his face.
Silence hung for a couple of seconds before the teens started laughing together, leaning on one another for support. Once they caught their breath, they pulled away with their faces only inches apart. Dark blushes spread across both sets of cheeks as the door to the room slammed open. They looked to find Mustang and Hawkeye gaping at the scene of the crime.
Riza looked amused to find the teens covered in food and wrapped in one another's arms, while Roy looked ready to murder Ed for his arms around Carlina's waist. Both young alchemists broke apart, the dark look still in Roy's eyes every time he looked at Ed. "Well, we were just coming by to give you this," Mustang spoke, crossing the room to press a black box into Carlina's hands, "But now that we walked in on this, maybe I should reconsider the travelling arrangements we drew up?" Before anyone could respond, Riza grabbed Roy by his ear and tugged him toward the door. "No sir, we already filed the paperwork, and once you calm down you won't want to revoke the papers anymore. You still have a pile of forms on your desk to finish, time to get to work," she lectured him, dragging him out of the room.
Carlina looked at Ed and Al for a couple of moments before opening the black box in her hands. The first thing she noticed was the piece of paper folded into the lid. She used the underside of her pillowcase to wipe off her hands before she removed it and began reading it out loud, "This official document certifies that the nation of Amestris, prefecture of the Generalissimo appoints the name Electric Alchemist to Carlina Evangèline Joihanson in the name of Fuhrer King Bradley."
She was about to read on before Al leapt from behind the chair, sweeping her off the bed and into a bearhug in one fell swoop. "You're official now, that's great," he praised, putting on her feet as she peered into the black box. The inside lined with blue silk, and sitting in the center was a State Alchemist pocket watch. Her face lit up as she looked at it, extending her fingers and brushing them against the cold metal. Shivers ran down her spine as she turned her grin to both the brothers. "Guys, I can't thank you enough, without you I wouldn't have been able to do this." Ed grinned and clapped her on the back, peering over her shoulder at the watch in the box, "Anytime. Now, let's get you discharged and cleaned up so we can head out of here."
Later that day, the three teens stepped off the train at an abandoned looking station. Rolling green hills surrounded the area with only dirt roads. Carlina's hair was french braided diagonally from her left temple to behind her right ear, then pulled into a ponytail at the base of her neck. She wore the yellow cloak again with a white tank. Her black pants tucked into her knee-high boots with the chain of her watch hanging from her right front pocket.
Both alchemists still had wet hair from showering to remove the aftermath of the food fight, Alphonse's armor polished to remove the food stuck from hugging Carlina. Ed held the piece of paper with directions toward the small town, standing in the middle as the three trudged down the dirt road. The trio occasionally bickered over the directions written on the piece of paper. They turned right at a 'T' intersection in the road and continued on toward what appeared as a small town. Ed and Al spoke to most of the people they stopped, Carlina zoning out for most of the conversations. She heard the townspeople talking about their doctor, Master Maro, wondering what the Elric brothers wanted with a doctor.
Her interest was only piqued when they spoke to a father and daughter in their field, the little girl mentioning she was healed by a flash of light. Alchemy, she questioned in her head, retreating back into her own little world as the brothers spoke about the man they were searching for. Ed grabbed her by the elbow as he pushed Al into a nearby hay pile, taking her with them.
"What," Al asked as Ed pushed his head back into the hay, "Al!" "This is a bad idea, I'm filling up with straw," the younger Elric whined, earning a sympathetic look from Carlina when his brother shushed him. Armstrong came into view on the road, taking his hat off and looking around. "Who's that," Al asked, sounding confused. "A State Alchemist, I recognize him from HQ when he came in with the Führer, wasn't he also one of the ones in the room that received something from your parents," Ed explained, looking to Carlina for confirmation. "Yes, but why is he here? Did Mustang order him to follow us," she asked, both brothers shrugging their shoulders in reply. "The Colonel said he's never reported Marcoh's whereabouts to Central Command," Ed responded, dragging Carlina out of the hay once Armstrong was out of sight. Both teens dusted the hay off their clothes, plucking pieces out of one another's hair. "C'mon Al, we better go straight to Marcoh's from here," Ed called as Al popped out of the hay stack, the name ringing familiar to the female alchemist as a pit settled in her stomach.
They arrived at a two-story stone cottage set a little further away from the other buildings, walking up the stairs so Ed could knock on the door. A man with salt n' pepper hair opened, the face familiar to Carlina as the Elrics explained that two of them were State Alchemists. The kind smile on the man's face vanished as he whipped out a pistol, all three teens narrowly missing the shots fired at them.
"Easy there Doc, we don't want any trouble. We're-" "-I know what you want, you said you two are State Alchemists! You think you can take me back there," the man Carlina presumed was Marcoh cut Ed off. "You are Dr. Marcoh, the Crystal Alchemist, is that really true," Al asked, the name causing more deep memories to stir in the girl's head. "No, no more questions or orders, I couldn't bear it going back to that place-" "-that's not it, listen," Ed requested, all three teens with their hands above their heads as Al began to stand. "Put the gun down, please," Al asked quietly as Marcoh spoke, "Or have you come to, silence me? Think you can kill me? Well I don't have to just let that happen!"
The Doctor's eyes widened as Al stood to his full height in front of him, shielding Ed and Carlina from the barrel of the gun. "It's all okay. Shoot if you want, but I won't die. You're the only one who might get hurt," Al cautioned, bumping the breastplate of his armor against the gun so the hollow sound could be heard echoing within. Marcoh lowered the gun after a small gasp, "I see. You're him, you're the Fullmetal Alchemist."
"No! For the hundredth time, that name belongs to me! And she's the Electric Alchemist," Ed exclaimed, shoving Al aside and gesturing over his shoulder at Carlina. "So I deserted the battlefield, I left and stole all the research I compiled at the time. Their books, my notes. I have a hunch the military's still looking for me so they can see what I found out," Marcoh spoke a few minutes later, Ed and Carlina sitting across the table from him as Alphonse sat on the bed. "That's it! Why he sent us, we're researching Human Transmutation," Ed spoke in excitement, standing with his hands planted on the tabletop. "Forget it, I can't show you my work. The audience from above not-withstanding, I dirtied my hands with that research. Then the military, they put it to use on those people...In that Eastern rebellion massacre," the doctor cradled his head in his hands in the end, Carlina slowly rising to her feet next to Ed.
"You mean the uprising in Ishbal," she asked softly, shrugging off her cloak as Ed asked Marcoh, "That is what you're talking about, right?" "Armageddon, that's the only word that fits that battle," Marcoh answered, taking a deep breath before continuing on, "Women, children, it didn't matter. Everyone was killed, and there wasn't any real reason. All they said was the people of Ishbal defied them, spoke out against the system...What I was responsible for, I could never make up, even taking my life would be a token gesture!"
He paused as if building tension before he quietly spoke the rest, "So I decided to vanish and become a doctor, help people and slowly work off some fraction of the debt...Now get out." "I'm a ranking State Alchemist, I have a right to that research and anything else you know," Ed declared, slamming his hands on the table for emphasis. "You're way too small for these concerns," Marcoh said, ignoring Al holding Ed back from the mention of the word 'small' as he continued, "I bet you were blinded by the abundant privileges, access to records and prestige. So you joined their ranks, both of you, a foolish mistake. If you had been there during the rebellion, you'd feel the same way." Carlina threw her cloak on the table with the embroidered insignia up, Dr. Marcoh running a hand over it in wonder as Ed spoke, "I know that. I know what we're doing is stupid, okay? It's not your problem!"
A few tense moments of silence passed, Marcoh continuing to look at the insignia on the back of Carlina's jacket as Ed opened his mouth to speak. "Dr. Marcoh, about five years ago, you treated some babies at Xenotime. I just wanted you to know they're fine now, the red water's gone," Al spoke, Marcoh's gaze shifting from the insignia of the jacket to the wall on his right for a fraction of a second.
"Brother, what are you doing," Al asked as Marcoh rose from his chair, everyone watching Ed tapping on the wall. "Guesswork," he replied, clapping his hands together and touching the wall to show a hole with a cabinet inside. "Don't need circles," Marcoh mused, his eyes widening as Ed reached into the hole and grabbed something, holding it up to the light. "Is this the red water from Xenotime? No, it looks a lot clearer," he mused to himself, as the trio by the table rushed behind him. "Stop," Marcoh called as Al grabbed Ed under the arms and pulled him from the wall. The brothers struggled for a few moments before the flask went flying, Carlina dove to catch it but missed by inches as it shattered on the floor.
"It's not really a liquid," Ed knelt next to Carlina, helping her into a sitting position as Al continued, "No it's not...It looks more like the ring the Priest in Liore had…" "You, Joihanson girl, you have to keep them from that substance, no more can suffer the way the Ishbalans did. Surely you know what your parents and sisters went through in the battle," Marcoh pleaded, causing Carlina to go rigid as he tossed her cloak to her.
"You, you did know my family? You mentioned the rebellion and I figured if you had, you would recognize our family crest," she spoke in wonder, her thoughts cut off once her cloak was on and the front door burst open. "The Sage's Stone, The Celestial Stone, The Great Elixir, The Red Teacher, The Next Element. Did you really think a substance of so many names would be limited to just the form of a stone," a large tanned man drawled, strolling over to pick the oval-shaped red stone off the floor. "Brigadier Grand," Ed spoke, Carlina's eyes narrowing at the piece of stone-like material he clutched between his fingertips. "Brigadier, Basque? Well, you've wormed your way up," Marcoh spoke, chills flooding Carlina's spine from the tone the older man used to discuss the military personnel by his first name. "You're damn right, Crystal Alchemist. And now you'll turn the Philosopher's Stone and your research over to me," Grand spoke, Carlina covering her mouth with her hand and her eyes widening as she realized what the Elric brothers were after on their adventure.
AN: Now we've finally jumped in to the FMA canon storyline! Is anyone really that surprised Marcoh knew the Joihansons? Turns out our girl is surprised her boys were searching for the stone! Thanks to Ed's Curious Kitten for reviewing the last chapter, I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving. For all readers celebrating other holidays, I hope your holidays went well too! This chapter dragged on, but I hope you all enjoyed. Hoping to have the next update up before Christmas! Have wonderful days everyone! -Carrie.