Disclaimer: I do not own any copyright to plots and characters from Fullmetal Alchemist anime/manga/games, so pls don't sue me!

WARNING: FMA anime, manga & game spoilers! Rating will probably go up as the story progresses.

Characters Involved: Al, Ed, Chang Mei, Winry, Sophie, Armony, Dante, 'Father', Envy, Ran Fan, Archer, Roy, Hughes, Leonardo, Triffany, Godoa

AU: There is no made-up character in this fic though there's a lot of characters crossover for FMA manga/anime/games. I'm getting tired of doing multi-chap fanfic. Hope my interest won't extinguish before I complete this fic. Sigh...

Refer to image of FMA Manga/game casts at: http:(slash slash)i14(dot)photobucket(dot)com(slash)albums(slash)a333(slash)lysergkun(slash)othercast(dot)jpg

Hi Danny Barefoot: Glad u like my fic… Err. How do you know I'm going to slaughter some people? Btw, there's more than 10 chapters for this fic and I'm in the process of completion soon…. Arigato…(smile)

Hi S J Smith: Heehee, glad u like my fic.. I'm still struggling with the relation thingy though… (scratch head)

Hi Twilight-Cullen: It's ok, at least u are reviewing now…(grin) I've not seen any other fic with crossovers from anime/manga/games before so I'm curious to try one, especially when the differences between anime and manga is so great. Actually, I've never play the games before, I got the content from an FMA community board. (grin)

Chapter 06: The Father of Homunculi

The phone receiver from Fuhrer Armstrong's hand slipped onto the table as he stared into the space in shock.

"Mr Fuhrer, Mr Fuhrer Sir?" His officer on the other line called.

'This is impossible... How could the entire population of Drachma disappear within a week?' Fuhrer Armstrong reflected the sudden report that he had received a minute ago.

His officers, under the lead of Major Armstrong, had managed to reach the Northern country to find a totally isolated and abandoned city of Drachma. There was no struggle or destruction. It was like all citizens left off with whatever they were doing and disappeared into thin air. Along the street and inside some households, the soldiers could see cooking pots boiling over slow fire or hastily abandoned working tools in ironsmith shops, etc. The scene was unnerving.

"I want an emergency meeting right now." Fuhrer Armstrong told his secretary.

"Yes, Mr. Fuhrer."

At the train station, Rose was reluctant to see them go, but the Elric brothers insisted on going back to their hometown to bury Hohenheim's ash near where their house used to be.

"Do come back if you are free, guys!" waved Rose as she ran along side with the departing train, shouting at them.

"We will, Rose!" they waved back.

"Where's that bean-sized girl?" Ed asked Al, half expecting her to pop out to cling onto his younger brother.

"I saw her a second ago near the restroom. I'll look for her if she doesn't comes back... Look! It's snowing!" Al suddenly pointed the sky.

"It's so pretty!" exclaimed Armony. Sophie was nodding her head off on her seat. Ed sighed and took off his coat to cover her.

"I wonder how Grandma is doing now." whispered Winry, watching the falling snowflakes.

"I have a bad feeling about what's going to come next though..." muttered Al, almost to himself as he leaned his head against the windowsill.

The conference room was dark and cold, noted Roy Mustang as he listened to the heated arguments among the members of the top Council. Apparently, there was suspicion from Creata-a country in the West of Amestris and Areugo-a country in the South of Amestris regarding the sudden downfall of Drachma as it was the only militant state that had been heavily involved in event of Homunculi as well as mass production of Philosopher's Stones during the war with Ishbal.

One officer proposed joining force with Cresta and Areugo to investigate the matter while some others insisted that these two states might be the real culprit to eliminate Drachma before throwing the blame onto Amestris.

"What a bother," whispered Hughes to Roy: "If these two countries have really invaded Drachma, there should be at least corpses and burning buildings lying all over the place."

"Yeah," agreed Roy numbly, staring at Archer sitting on the other side of the table: "Did that guy said what he had encountered during his disappearance from the camp?"

"He said he was separated from the others during the confusion and had made his way back." Hughes said in low voice, watching Archer giving his heated speech about the high possibility of Cresta and Areugo's involvement in Amestris and Drachma's attacks.

"So, Alphonse is transferred back under Archer again?" Roy whispered, looking at several nodding elderly high ranked officers at Archer's speech and explanations.

"Yeah, I'll keep watch on that kid. I'm sure Archer can't do anything funny to him with us around." Hughes said.

Chang Mei was taking too long, noted Al as he looked at his watch and got up from his seat. His elder brother was dozing on his seat, so was Winry. Armony was reading quietly by the window. She looked up at Al from her book: "Where're you going, Al?"

"I'm going to check on Mei-chan, I won't be long."

"Ok." Armony returned to her book.

A blade pressed against Al's neck as he passed along the empty space between two carriages: "Where is that little Xingnese girl?" Al recognised the voice as Ran Fan.

"She's not with me right now." Al said.

"Fine then, you'll have to come with me. She'll come looking for you soon." Ran Fan said and pulled Al's arm behind his back.

"Do I look like someone who is easily taken as a hostage?" Al asked in surprise and fought back: "What's wrong between you two? Mei-chan refuses to tell me what's going on and you keep hunting for her."

"Al, what's going on?" Ed called as he approached his younger brother: "Ran Fan? Why are you fighting with my brother?"

"Don't you interfere!" snarled Ran Fan as she attempted to overpower Al, but failed. She reached for Al's neck.

"DON'T YOU DARE LAY YOUR FILTHY HAND ON MY ALPHONSE-SAMA!!!!" screamed Chang Mei from nowhere and started fighting Ran Fan.

"Al, since when did you become that bean-sized girl's property?" Ed asked in a mocked innocent voice.

"No, I'm not!" protested Al with reddened face.

"What's going on, Ed?" asked Winry and Sophie as they ran towards the confusion zone.

"Ra..." Ed began and paused. Armony's scream rang from afar.

"Armony!" Ed's face paled and raced back to their compartment in time to see a few of Xingnese masked men pulling Armony to her feet. One of them was holding his sword against her neck.

"Just what the hell is happening?!" shouted Ed angrily: "And let her go!"

"Chang Mei, you come back with us and we'll release this girl." commanded a masked man who looked like the leader of the group.

"Excuse me, am I to know that there's a great desert between Amestris and Xing and you are expecting her to follow you guys all the way along the desert?!" retorted Winry angrily: "I call that bullies!"

"You don't know anything, miss..." The masked man stared as Winry walked towards them menacingly.

"Now!" ED, Al and Sophie clapped their hands and sent metal hands flying from the ground to trap the masked men. Winry pulled Armony from her captives while Chang Mei kept watch on Ran Fan to make sure she did not do anything funny.

"Can you all kindly explain what's going on here?" smiled Winry friendlily a moment later.

"Not when we are all tied up like that." frowned Ran Fan, looking at her messily trapped fellow friends: "It's humiliating enough to be defeated without accomplishing our work." She looked at the curious stares from other passengers on the train.

"Now, now, Ran Fan, what's bothering between you and Chang Mei, I'm sure we can work it out." smirked Ed.

"Don't tell those people, you can't trust them, besides, it's our own country's affair!" One of the masked men shouted. Ran Fan looked at the grinning Ed and then at her acquaintances and sighed.

"Keep quiet, will you?" Ed said and stuffed cloth into his mouth: "What did that bean-size girl do this time?"

"Don't call me bean-size girl, you bean-size brat!" retorted Chang Mei.

"Quiet, Mei-chan." Al said before Ed started his rant.

"The incident started when our emperor started regaining back to his health a few weeks ago and this girl," Ran Fan glared at Chang Mei: "happened to steal something important from our emperor. That's why we need to take her back!"

"I DIDN'T TAKE ANYTHING FROM THE EMPEROR!" protested Chang Mei: "But I've heard something shocking outside an isolated room though."

"Don't give me that crap about our emperor being a homunculus, you little brat!" One of the masked men spitted at Chang Mei.

"But it's true!" Chang Mei shouted back: "Emperor was talking to someone whom he called 'Father'! I remember that 'Father' guy is someone who looks like human but is not one himself! Who else could Emperor refer to as 'Father' when the late emperor died many years ago?"

Ed's face immediately paled: "Is that really true, Chang Mei?"

"Nii-san, who is that?" Al asked suspiciously.

"I'll explain to you later." Ed said.

Dante made her way along a passageway to a well-hidden underground hall with tall ceiling impatiently. She had thought that her plan would work well and Hohenheim would be by her side again. Never did she think that it would backfire and she was back to square one again. The thoughts made her fumed.

"Good day, I've been waiting for you for a long time. King Bradley and Envy have been talking about you to me." said a deep voice that somehow filled Dante with strange dread.

"Who's there?" Dante asked coldly and turned to see a tall man walking out of the shadow within the confine of her secret headquarter.

"Hohenheim? But it couldn't be!" Dante looked into his face in shock.

"Anything is possible, Mdm Dante, if you can allow me to explain." The man smiled.

Pinako was deeply disappointed when Winry, Ed and Al made a very quick visit to her and left hurriedly after burying Hohenheim's ash in the family graveyard. Winry gathered more tools for her automail work before kissing Pinako and her dog-Den goodbye.

"Be careful when you are out there, children." waved Pinako.

"We will." waved Winry and the Elric brothers who ran to meet the rest who were waiting at the railway station. With Armony and Sophie around, Ran Fan did not attack Chang Mei anymore.

"We need to head back to the Central." Ed told them.

"I doubt I'll be able to return to Xing for time being," sighed Ran Fan: "with her," hinting Chang Mei. "...on the loose right now. I hate to think what young master will think."

"I remember Yao Ling has turned into Greed, isn't he not?" asked Ed.

"He is, but I believe he is currently battling with Greed within his body. In the meantime, I'll stay close and watch over him. He'll need all support if I can help. He's currently in Xing." Ran Fan said.

"That proves it." said Ed shortly: "Your emperor's probably under that 'Father''s command now."

"Nii-san, is that 'Father' figure that scary?" Al asked softly: "I really can't remember what happened during that time at all."

"Very and I hope we won't meet him in short time." Ed said grimly as they boarded the train back to Central.

It was close to night when they reached the Central. Ran Fan's followers left for their own accommodation else where while she accompanied them to Winry's residence. Along the street, the fog suddenly thickened and ice shot out towards them.

"GET DOWN!" screamed Ed and Ran Fan as all of them ran for cover. Sophie pulled Armony with her and ran. Winry and Chang Mei ran for safety in separate ways.

Ran Fan, Ed and Al tried to detect where the attacker was when another shot of ice flew at them, causing them to run separately. Amidst the fog, someone attacked Ed and he fought back to find it was Ran Fan who mistook him as an enemy.

"Nii-san, where are you?" Al yelled in the fog. He looked down to see the tiny shivering figure of Xiao Mei and put her on his shoulder so that he could return her to Chang Mei later. He suddenly noticed the back of Ed running in a direction and ran after him: "Nii-san!"

"Al, where are you?!" Ed yelled and was surprised to see the fog disappearing as fast as it had appeared: "Oh no, it could be a trick! AL!"

Ed looked around and inspected the crowd. Al and Winry were nowhere to be found.

"Al! Winry!" Ed paled in shock: "Ran Fan, can you feel any homunculus's aura?"

"Yes, but it's faltering very fast!" Ran Fan said anxiously and turned to run in a direction.

"XIAO MEI, WHERE ARE YOU??!!!" Chang Mei yelled in panic, finding her little panda missing.

To their horrors, a few people were waiting for them.

"Triffany, Leonardo and Godoa." Sophie said softly.

"Nii-san, where are you going? Wait for me!" Al cried as he ran after Ed. His elder brother had run into an underground subway where along the way, Al noticed strange creatures lurking by the flowing sewage and to his horrors, human skulls littered in dark corners nearby. Xiao Mei shivered and cowered on Al's shoulder and Al petted her fur: "Don't worry, I'll protect you."

Ed suddenly came to a stop and grinned at Al in a strange way.

A realisation suddenly dawned onto Al: "You... you are Envy!"

"That's right, former armor-boy!" Envy said as he reverted back to his usual face.

"Where are you taking me?" Al asked cautiously. He could feel the little panda recoiling against his neck in fear.

"Someone wants to meet you," Envy said: "Don't ask anymore questions, will you? We are almost there now."

"Is that person the 'Father' you people usually talk about?" asked Al.

"You mean you don't remember anything about him at all?" asked Envy in surprise.

Al shook his head and turned to walk back where he came from. Envy stretched his hand to grab Al. Al leaped away to transmute the floor. To his horror, nothing happened. He ducked just in time from another Envy's attack.

'What's happening to my alchemy?!' Al thought bewildered. Envy's hand flew towards his throat.

"Don't hurt him, Envy." A voice said.

"Oh, alright, father." Envy said and withdrew his arm.

Al turned to see a man walking towards him. Al's eyes widened in shock.

"Too-san?! That's impossible, I've seen you burnt to death with my very own eyes and I've just buried you!" Al gasped as the man's face came under the soft light from above the ground.

The man smiled warmly: "You must be Alphonse Elric. I'm glad you have gotten your body back from the gate." His hand reached to pet Al's face almost affectionately. Al tried to walk away, but somehow, his legs were too numb to move.

"You will help me open the gate of Transmutation." 'Father' said very slowly.

TBC

MANGA SPOILERS:

Yao Ling turned into Greed in manga #14 after 'Father' injected the stone into his wound. Armor!Al had told Ran Fan the news after his meeting with 'Father' with Ed and Yao Ling.