center Find out the truth, and the realization in this long, but good chapter. /center
center b u Chapter 1: The Painful Past, the Peaceful Present. /u /b /center
Antonio sat up in his bed, eyes wide, breathing hard at the nightmare of his past. He looked around his room, and sighed as he lay back down and tried to relax.
Many years had passed since the Ishbalan war, but the painful memories of that incident still plagued his nightmares. He remembered that incident so well…
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He stood as the Ishbalan soldier fired his gun. At that exact moment a rush of fire shot around him and he nearly missed his shot. Antonio groaned in pain as he grasped his right arm. The bullet ricocheted of a truck and hit him in the arm. He looked to his left and saw Mustang standing there, out of breath.
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Antonio laughed as he remembered the Lt. Colonel's words: "Next time, follow orders." He remembered that he didn't even have time to thank Mustang. He ended up dodging gun fire and making it back to his medical tent.
His smile disappeared fast as he as painful memories were soon brought back to him.
He was told that the Rockbells had died in that ambush, but in reality were murdered, accused with treason against the state.
He looked at his arm where he was shot. He was able to use his alchemy powers to heal his wound, but there was still a small scar left. He chuckled slightly. "Even alchemy can't heal a wound completely" He looked at the clock and decided to get up, maybe today he would get something to do.
Antonio walked down the streets of central dressed in his standard issue uniform. It was his day off from his job at the State military hospital, but he decided to wear his uniform anyway. He decided to find his to friends Jericho and Calypso, who were also state alchemists. He knew he wouldn't have to search far.
He walked up to the local bar, snuck inside, and hid inside a phone booth. He looked around and spotted Calypso and Jericho sitting at their usual table. They weren't wearing their uniforms, but Jericho had his broadsword and combat knife. Calypso also brought his large shield. Antonio decided to wait before he made his appearance, as to wait in case Jericho decided to make an incident.
As if on cue, a bunch of rough looking thugs walked into the bar. They sat at the table next to Jericho and ordered drinks. There were about five large and strong-looking thugs. They were all wearing concealing clothes which made Antonio wonder if they had weapons.
The nervous waiter brought their drinks and quickly backed away. One of the thugs downed his drink in one effort. He threw the drink behind him and, of all places, hit Jericho in the back of the head.
"Ow! Hey!" Jericho stood up and faced the thugs. "Okay, which one of you bastards threw that bottle!" The thugs just laughed and one spoke up. "Hey, who do you think you're talking to?"
Jericho smirked, "While by the looks of it, I'd say a sorry bunch of idiots who just picked a fight with the wrong guy." This comment enraged the thugs and they all stood up and surrounded Jericho.
Jericho just laughed and said, "No, i you /i just messed with the wrong guy!" He then pulled out a small, long handled knife.
The thugs just laughed and pointed. "You're gonna fight us with that puny thing?"
Jericho smiled again and turned the knife, revealing a small alchemy symbol on the knife's blade. The thug's stopped laughing and watched as Jericho touched the knife and the symbol glowed. Suddenly the knife transformed into a large curved sword.
"Oh crap, he's an alchemist!"
Jericho smiled mischievously and charged at the first thug. He punched him right in the gut, and the thug slumped to the ground. Two other thugs reached in their coats and pulled out pistols. They aimed at Jericho, but were blinded by a bright light.
In front of them stood a towering figure in a suit of armor. The scared thugs shot at the figure, but the bullets ricocheted off his armor. The bullet's bounced off and hit two other thugs.
Jericho ducked around the towering figure and sliced their guns in half with his sword. Then the towering figure stepped forward and knocked out both thugs with one sweep out of his arm.
"Good work Calypso." Said Jericho looking up at the towering figure.
"Your welcome brother." He replied. "What shall we do with their leader?"
The two looked at the cowering leader hiding under a table, clutching on to his pistol. Calypso picked up the table and the thug leader jumped back in fear.
"St-stay back!" he yelled, backing against the wall with his pistol pointed at Calypso. "Who…who are you!"
Jericho stepped forward, a sly smile on his face. "I'm First Lieutenant Jericho Stars, the sword alchemist."
Next, Calypso stepped up. "And I'm Second Lieutenant Calypso Stars, the shield alchemist."
The thug's jaw and gun dropped to the ground. "You-…your state alchemists!" He saw the two then step even closer to him. "Okay, I surrender, just don't hurt me!"
Jericho lifted the thug up by his collar. "Now where's the fun in givin' up like that?" Jericho smiled wickedly and held up his sword right to the thug's throat.
Antonio saw this and stepped out of his hiding spot. "Jericho, that's enough!"
Jericho turned around dropped the thug who fainted. "Aww, why'd you have to ruin the fun Marsed?"
"It's i Mersad /i !" yelled an annoyed Antonio. "You know how to pronounce my last name Jericho!"
"Yeah, I know. I just like to piss you off." Said Jericho tauntingly. He re-transmuted his knife and put it away. At the same time, Calypso re-transmuted his armor, reverting himself back to normal. He walked over to his table and finished his drink.
"So, what do you want?" he asked.
"Well for one thing," Antonio said, "I'd like it if you'd stop creating such messes." He looked around and saw the damage done by the fight. "Do you know how many hoops I'm going to have to jump through to get you out of this?"
Jericho laughed. "Don't know, but look at the bright side: We didn't die"
Antonio turned around and mumbled, "If you call that a good thing."
"What'd you say?" asked Calypso.
"Nothing. Come on; let's go before the military gets here." Antonio walked out of the bar with Jericho and Calypso right behind him.
They walked around the city a little talking about random things. They passed by Central's library, and looked at the burnt remains of the first branch.
Antonio stepped forward and looked around. "They say Scar's the one who did this."
"Scar?" questioned Calypso. "The alchemist killer?"
Jericho smiled mischievously and chuckled. "Yeah, I hope I run in to him someday. I'd really like to kill him."
Antonio turned around and stared at Jericho. "Are you crazy! That guy's killed ten State alchemists so far, including Brigadier General Gran!"
"So what? I can take him." Jericho cracked his knuckles and pulled out one of his katannas.
He had decided to take his personal, "collection" of weapons with him, but had to leave it outside the bar. Now that they had left, he had along with him: two Japanese made katannas located on his left hip, a large broadsword on his back, a combat knife on his right hip, a hunting knife on his chest, and two small daggers concealed in his sleeves.
Jericho took the sword and transmuted it into a large curved sword. "I'm the sword alchemist," he yelled, "No one can take me on!"
"Oh really?" said a voice from behind him.
The three turned around and faced a teenage kid with a red coat and a large person in a suit of armor.
Antonio gasped at the man in the suit of armor. "Whoa, you're the fullmetal alchemist, aren't you?"
The man in the armor raised his hands and shook his head. "No, you got it wrong! I'm not, my brother is." He pointed at the kid next to him. Antonio noticed that the man in the armor had a kid's voice.
"You're the fullmetal alchemist!" yelled Jericho looking at the kid.
"You bet!" he said. "My name's Edward Elric, the fullmetal alchemist, and my friend here is my brother, Alphonse."
Jericho looked at Ed a little longer and then started laughing. "You got to be kidding! A little shrimp like you is the mighty fullmetal alchemist?"
"WHO'RE YOU CALLING A SHRIMP!" yelled Ed. Al grabbed a hold of him as he flailed his arms around. "Let go of me Al, he asked for it!"
"Please brother, calm down." Said Al.
"Yeah, it'd be unfair to pick a fight with you." Said Jericho. "Heck, it'd be like fighting little puppy."
"That's the last straw!" Ed yelled furiously. "Al, let…me…go!"
Ed struggled free and grabbed Jericho by the collar. "Okay tough guy, how 'bout you back up those words?"
Jericho smiled mischievously, "Why sure. I'd be glad to."
Ed let go of him and stepped back. He slapped his hands together and transmuted his right arm into a blade. "You ready?"
'He doesn't need a circle' Jericho thought. He re-transmuted his katanna and put it away. "Tell me fullmetal, have you ever heard of a sword known as a banryu?"
"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" questioned Ed.
Jericho chukled and grabbed his broadsword. "Well then, let me show you!" he pulled out the sword and held the sword in front of him. He touched the alchemy symbol on the blade and the sword grew larger.
Ed's jaw dropped as he saw the massive size of the blade. "That's a banryu! How the hell am I supposed to fight that?"
Jericho laughed. "Your problem, not mine." He rose up the sword and brought it crashing to the ground.
'How the hell's he able to wield that?' Ed thought as he dodged the attack. 'That's gotta weigh a ton.' Ed jumped as Jericho swung the sword again, nearly hitting him.
"Come on fullmetal!" yelled Jericho. "I thought you were supposed to be the best!"
Ed stopped and re-transmuted his arm back to normal. "I i am /i the best." He slapped his hands together and slammed them into the ground.
The ground shook beneath them and a large stone hand raised from the ground and grabbed the banryu.
"What the hell!" yelled Jericho as he tried to pull the sword free. He looked up and noticed Ed running down the banryu. He moved just in time to avoid a kick from him.
"Sneaky little bastard aren't you?" sneered Jericho. "he pulled out his short katanna and charged at Ed.
Ed slapped his hands together and touched the ground again. This time large stone walls formed around Jericho.
Ed chuckled. "I guess I win."
"Think again!" said Jericho from inside the walls. Suddenly, the front wall was cut away and Jericho jumped out, this time carrying a long curved sword.
"Damn it!" yelled Ed as he jumped back to avoid Jericho. He tripped and fell on his back. He managed to transmute his arm back into a blade and point it at Jericho's throat, but Jericho had also pointed his sword at Ed's heart.
"Brother, stop it!" yelled Al and Calypso at the same time. They turned and looked each other and Calypso smiled weakly.
Ed and Jericho both stared at each other pulled away. Jericho re-transmuted his sword and put it away. Then he walked over to the banryu and did the same.
Ed fixed his right arm and walked back to Alphonse. "I guess this was a tie." He grumbled.
"Yeah," yelled Jericho, "But next time, we finish this!" He walked off and joined Calypso and Antonio.
Antonio shook his head. "You just had to, didn't you?"
Jericho smiled and nodded. "Yep. Can't resist a good fight." Him and Calypso started to walk away and Antonio stood there shaking his head.
"Honestly, what the heck am I gonna do with you." He walked to catch up with them and waved good-bye to Ed and Al.
center i -To Be Continued… /i /center
center Dang, that has to be my longest chapter yet. Hopefully Chapter two will be just as long, but it will take some time. /center