Chapter 1

Separate ways

"Well I guess today's the day Al!"

"Yeah. I guess so brother."

"Good luck on your search in Xing"

"Yeah. Hopefully there will be something in Creta for you to find too brother!"

It's been two years since we returned home from our fight with Father.

Winry was so exited when we got there. She even gave us that apple pie! Well I guess today we leave here again and Al and I go opposite directions. I go west to Creta and he goes east to Xing.

"Ed! Al! Be careful!"

"You to Winry! Bye!" Al called back and ran off to catch his train

"And Ed! Don't break your leg!"

"I'll try my best! Bye!" I yelled back. We had just split up at the train station. This will be my first time traveling with out being able to use alchemy. I hope that this journey won't be as hard as our first. Where I'm going there have been lots of border disputes. Al and I are on a new quest to prove our theory, 'if we receive ten and add one from ourselves and give the next person eleven.' This is the new rule we've come up with in contrast to equivalent exchange. We need more information to make it work but were determined to make it the new law of alchemy.

"Mr. Elric. There's a call for you."

"Who is it?"

"Colonel Mustang."

"Crap. OK show me where the phone is."

"Its only up a few cars."

After going all the to the switch board I see that no ones talking to him the phones just set down on the board. I pick up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Fullmetal, I need you to make a stop in Central."

"Why? Can't you just wait till I come back."

"No. You are needed here."

"Why am I needed there? It's not my post!"

"Just do it."

"Beep beep beeeeeeeeeeep…."

"Oh great, he hung up. Now how am I supposed to get out of this?"

I had to switch trains but now I'm here. Hmmm… I haven't been here in a while. Well I guess I'll look around after I talk with Mustang.

I walked into the building to his door and saw Lt. Riza Hawkeye standing next to it waiting for me.

"Edward."

"..."

"You better go in you know how he hates to wait for you."

"I know, I know"

She opened the door for me and I walked in she immediately closed it after I was 5 feet in.

"Ah, Edward. So you finally chose to come."

"I had to switch trains. We were half way there when you called. So what do you want?"

"I want you to stay out of trouble. And you don't have a passport do you?"

"…"

"I thought so. So here's a parting gift."

"A passport! I didn't think you'd care."

"I don't really, but it's to make sure I don't have to go all that way just to get you out of jail."

"As considerate as ever I see."

"HA, HA. But really don't cause problems over there. We already have to deal with the border disputes."

"OK. Whatever. Bye."

I then got up and stared to walk away when…

"Stop right there Elric."

BOOM!

"What the heck!"

"Sit back down and let's talk."

"Why aren't there any scorch marks?"

"Fire proof door."

"And the floor?"

"I had my room fire proofed."

"Oh."

"So, come sit back down and let's finish our talk."

I immediately went back to my seat and sat back down.

"Ed, you're not a sate alchemist any more you can't just waltz into restricted areas any more."

"I know that."

"Ok. With that out of the way I want you to work for me."

"WHAT!"

"I want you to be secretly part of the military. You will only take orders from me."

"I can't do alchemy any more I'd be no use to you."

"I know. But you're smart and you can fight and I have a feeling…"

"What?"

"I don't know, never mind. Are you in or not?"

"What do I get out of this?"

"I'll fund you and you're brother's research."

"OK. I'm in."

We shook hands and then I stood up and he said something else

"Don't tell you're brother or anyone else. Only you, my subordinates, and I know."

"Got it."

I left the building now once again working under Mustang. But at least now I wouldn't go hungry or hit a dead end because I couldn't pay for a ride. Maybe I should get a car… no it'd only get destroyed. Well I might as well look around Central for a while I'm here. Hmm… ah! A cloth store I need a new cloak. My old one was burned in a fire and I was to busy to get I a new one back home. I went into the store to see if they had any red cloth. To my surprise the person running the store was …

"Rose?"

"Ed!"

"It's been so long. Oh, how's the village?"

"Its great thanks to you!"

"It was nothing."

"Oh, did you need any thing?"

"Just a new cloak."

"Like you're old one?"

"Yeah, you still remember it!"

"Of course, I have a great memory."

"So can you make it?"

"Why can't you with alchemy?"

"I can't do alchemy any more. I lost the ability two years ago."

"Oh. Well I guess that means more work for me. Do you want the same symbol on the back?"

"Yeah, thanks."

"You're well come! That'll be 180"

"Here."

I placed the money on the counter

"Huh!"

"What?"

"You don't have metal arm any more!"

"Oh. Yeah. I got it back two years ago."

"Wow. And what about Al?"

"Yeah, we got his body back the only thing we didn't get back is my leg."

"Oh…Oh yeah! Come back in an hour and I should be done ok?"

"Got it."

I left the shop and went looking for a supply store. Once I found one I went in and bought a pair of gloves like my old ones. I didn't like explaining things to people. (Rose reminded me to get them.) And I also got a little note book and pencil to write my findings in. Once I was done there I went to eat then an hour and a half was up (I gave her a little extra time) I went back. To my surprise she had made whole entire old outfit.

"Here."

"Thanks. But I only asked for a cloak."

"I know. But that suit looks stupid on you."

"Thanks. But how did you know my size?"

"I just looked at you."

"OK…"

"Because you're finally average size."

"What was that!"

"Nothing, Nothing."

"Well, thanks. Bye."

"Welcome. Come again."

I left and looked for a hotel. Once I found one I went straight to bed. Once I woke up I changed into my new clothes. "She was right. I do look better in these." I mumbled to my self. I then packed up, checked out and went to the train station to catch my train. The ride was uneventful and boring I snoozed most of the way. Once I made it to Creta I looked around the town…

"Wow… this place is run down."

I walked a little while longer until I came to a place that seemed to be an inn.

I walked in to see a woman standing behind a counter. She had green eyes and brown hair.

"Hello?"

"OH! You startled me. Wait are you a tourist?"

"No and yes. I'm just a lone traveler."

"Well you have to stay somewhere tonight! Why not stay here?"

"OK. Sure, how much?"

"20,000."

"Wow you're just like the people in Youswell."

"Huh? I've never been that far east."

"Never mind. Here's 20,000."

"Th-Thanks! You're rooms right up there on the right."

"Thanks."

I walked up stairs to my room and put my stuff down.

"Hmmm…I thought there were alchemists here. Why is this place so run down if they could just fix it up with simple alchemy?"

I went back down to ask the inn keeper about this but when I got down there a bunch of people were there when I came down they all started yelling stuff like…

"Hey! Come buy some stuff at my shop!"

"Do you need something sewed?"

And other random stuff about there shops.

Finally I yelled "QUITE!" and everyone went quite.

"I have some questions and if you answer a question you get ?"

Every one agreed

"OK, so first question, where are the alchemists?"

"…"There was a silence then a bunch of angry shouts. Then a girl in the front answered

"Come with me and I'll tell you."

So I followed her out back she had green eyes but blond hair. 'One of her parents must be Amestrian' I thought.

"So where are the alchemists?" I asked as we stopped behind a house two blocks away.

"They were all obsessed with only helping them selves become rich."

"You mean they made gold with alchemy!"

"Yeah."

"But isn't… oh yeah the west doesn't have laws on alchemy."

"No, but we should."

"Are there any other alchemists?"

"I'm an alchemist and so are you."

"What!"

"You're the Fullmetal Alchemist! Aren't you?"

"Yes and no. Yes I'm Edward Elric, but no I'm not an alchemist any more."

"Why did you give it up! There were rumors that you were dead or that you went against the military, and other crazier things."

"Like what?"

"Like that you're the Truth."

There was a silence between us for a while.

"Well since you just gave it up can't you just do it this once to save our town?"

"NO! You don't understand it's not that I wont it's that I can't!"

"What do you mean can't?"

'Remember Edward you can't tell anyone why you can't do alchemy, or it might give them ideas of the toll to give and try human transmutation.' I remembered what Mustang said after I 'Quit' being a State Alchemist.

"Er…Um…"

"Did you get a punishment that you weren't allowed to after you went against Bradley?"

"Um…Yeah!"

"Oh. OK."

"Sorry. And why do you keep up with Amestris's news?"

"My Dad lives there. My Mom and Dad are divorced. I guess you can tell my Dad was Amestrian."

"Yeah, the hair gives it away."

"Anyway, the alchemists all moved to better property right out side of town."

"Wait you mean they just up and left?"

"Yes."

"They don't come to this town for anything?"

"No, well there is one thing they come here for."

"What is it!"

"They take people to work in there mines."

"I thought so this place looks deserted because no one wants to be next."

"That's why we only came after you got a room. To make sure you weren't one of them."

"Oh…wait how could I be one of them! I came form out of town! And do I look like I'm from here!"

She laughed at that.

"No, no. sorry."

Clack, clack, clack.

"Oh no! There here!"

"What! Who's here?"

"The alchemists!"