Welcome back! The story is really going to be moving forward now. Since I had such a long break from writing this story, I have made this chapter much longer! However, I do struggle with transitions. So if it's a little weird in parts or seems to drag on a little bit, it's probably because I struggled. (Which I do a lot) Please forgive me! I hope you guy enjoy these next few chapters…. I know I will 😉
Alphonse and 'Edward' have been separated from each other. At this point, even Mustang admitted to believing who ever was in the other room was not Edward Elric. Mustang felt like a failure. How was he not able to see it? He's one of his men. He should have known. Roy sat against the wall, hands folded together and pressed against his forehead. He let out a deep sigh.
"Even I didn't realize it at first Mustang, but what really matters is finding the real Ed." Alphonse paced from one side of the room to the other. He suddenly stopped when a thought crossed his mind. "His soul!" Al shouted, his eyes widened in horror. Mustang jumped slightly at the sudden outburst. He raised a brow to the young man before him. "Do you think his soul is trapped in that body?!" Al's voice cracked, and his face showed his growing concern. Roy, while an experienced alchemist, was still not an expert on soul transferring. Edward had neither discussed it with him, nor had he ever asked. He was limited on research but had learned about the truth of it from Marcoh and Tucker.
Mustang's body tensed. "Either his body is on the other side like yours was… or he was killed". A million possibilities running though his mind. Soul. Not Edward. His appearance. His voice. Missing. Not him. Trapped. Dead. It was driving him mad not knowing what happed and if Ed's even alive at this point.
'There's no way Ed was killed… right? He's strong. Even fighting me he won. We need to find him! He's…. not dead…' Mustang slapped his hands against his face, as if trying to force the thoughts out of his head. Alphonse sat next to him and attempted to get him to talk. He seemed to have shut down; his hands clasped over his face, eyes glazed over, and every sound was like a distant hum. He could feel that Al had begun to slightly shake him. He didn't care. Two times now, he was finally able to be with Edward… only to have it ripped from him. Mustang felt doomed. 'What if he's…' another thought began but was violently pushed from his conscious as the pain sunk in. His right cheek felt hot. It burned in fact.
"I'm sorry Sir but pull it together!" Alphonse was kneeling in front of him now, clearly angered. "We don't have time for you to shut down! Get your ass up and go find my brother!" His volume increased every time he spoke. "I thought you loved him!" Alphonse grabbed the man by the arm and yanked him up. He fumbled with his feet but was standing quickly. Mustang looked at Al, who stood almost eye level with him now, and could see the passion burning in his eyes. He felt the spark start within him again, and his expression turned serious.
"I do." Mustang's dark, piercing eye once again showed fiery passion. "Come with me Al. We can find him together." Mustang headed towards the front door. Alphonse nodded and quickly left a note on the table for Winry. 'Ed' was waiting outside, leaning against a tree. "Edward! Let's go."
Edward walked over to meet the other two while asking "where are we going?" Roy marched back towards the train station without giving them an answer. Mustang updated Al on the mission Edward was sent on before he disappeared as they walked. He was investigating disappearances around Amestris. People in many regions were disappearing without a trace. Edward was able to confirm some details of the mission, while spots were hazy.
"I remember coming here…"
"To Risembool?" Al asked surprised. "Why?"
"A young girl went missing. But while I was here…I saw something… something I've never seen before. They were black and had gold symbols engraved onto their flesh. I don't think it was human though."
"A golem." Mustang interjected. "Artificially created beings primarily formed from soil." Mustang was jotting down notes as he explained. "Great news Edward." Al and Ed both looked over to the taller man, who had a small smirk on his face. "We are heading to Xerxes." The two younger men stared at Mustang waiting for further explanation. Roy stopped and looked off into the distance before continuing, "Like homunculi, golems require souls of their own to provide them with animating power."
"So Ed…" Alphonse's eye widened in shock as he slowly looked over at Edward.
"It's me… but not my body… right?" Edward looked up at Mustang. Mustang nodded. Roy again said nothing before turning around and walking again.
"Let's go. We may not have much time." Roy stated, the seriousness of the issue laid clearly in his voice.
"I'm sorry for calling you a monster Ed…" Al walked next to Ed the rest of the way. Knowing it really was his brother in there, he felt awful for how he had treated him. Ed just shook his head and waved his hand. Edward understood… after all, he did just threaten to kill his own brother in a blind fit of rage. "When we put your sole back into your body, will you remember this?"
"You remembered most of our journey. Well, not at first, but I'm assuming it'll be the same for me." A twinge of pain ached in Ed's chest as he stared at Mustang.
"How do we pull your soul from that body?" Al asked, more mumbling to himself than anyone else.
"We will just need to ask Crowley when we get to Xerxes. He's an alchemist who has much knowledge in this form of alchemy."
"Crowley? Hmm." Edward rubbed his chin. He recognized the name.
Mustang continued, "The Silver Bullet Alchemist. He's a former State Alchemist. He was stripped of his title for committing Human Transmutation on his deceased wife." Al and Ed's expressions turned sour. A mixture of feelings rose deep within them.
"Did he succeed?" Edward asked quietly.
"Can't say. After the military found out about the transmutation, his title was stripped and that's all I know. Last I heard, he was in Xerxes." Mustang slipped his note pad into his pocket as they reached the train station.
"Shouldn't we have wait until Ed's automail is fixed, sir?" Al asked, looking down at Ed's arm. Roy shook his head.
"It won't work Alphonse. It's not technically real. If Edward's truly a golem, then removing the limb will just cause it to turn back to soil. It's best if we don't explain this to the Rockbells either. It will just cause them to panic."
"I see." Alphonse nodded in agreement. "I left a note on the table saying you two were called away to an immediate military mission. I mentioned I was tagging along to assist Edward with what I can."
"Great… I'm sure we'll get our asses beat when we come back." Edward grumbled rubbing the back of his head. "You too Mustang." Roy just smirked. To him, it meant they are coming back. All of them.
On the train, Mustang made numerous phone calls to his most trusted comrades. He knew collecting this intel would look suspicious to the military.
-Xerxes-
They had arrived after the day-long train ride. The once beautiful city of Xerxes lied in mere rubble and sand. The three men trudged through the desert sand, the heat beating down on them, as they examined the remains of small buildings carefully. "I wish you would have told me we were headed to the desert!" Edward complained. 'Memory slip again. These are becoming more frequent.' The though popped into both Al's and Roy's mind. Alphonse and Roy knew they were running out of time. "Can't we take a break guys? I'm dying here!" Edward groaned, wiping sweat from his face. Al's eyes dropped to the hot ground at his feet. A solemn look on his face. Edward realized the mistake he made. "Sorry…" he mumbled. They continued walking through the rubble in search of this Crowley gentlemen. Buildings still stood but were in no way repairable; roofs had collapsed in, walls so cracked a simple sneeze may knock them down, and the furniture left inside was buried by sand and dust. Tall columns stood throughout the city, some almost in perfect shape. Some statues remained too. Amidst the rubble, stood a large wall and crumbling columns. There was an array covering a large portion of the wall. This caught Edward's attention. He strolled off towards it, leaving the other two to continue searching on their own.
"Transmutation Circle?" Ed stared up at the large display in confusion. "I've seen this… but where?" Ed pondered over this for a while before sighing and sitting down. "So pointless. I… can't remember." The other two had finally noticed Edward was no longer with them as they were calling out his name. With another sigh, Edward stood up to go meet them. As he stepped forward he sank suddenly, a small squeal escaping his mouth. Edward looked down to see his right leg was twice the size as normal. It was slowly sinking towards the ground, like it was melting. Panic began to take over Edward as he fell over onto the ground. "Oh god… What's happening?!" Edward shrieked grabbing his leg. His leg began to pool over his hands like mud, clothing and all. "This isn't real… this can't be happening! Not now!" Ed's panic was taking control as he frantically began crawling towards the voices calling out to him. "Alphonse! Colonel!" He cried out, reaching towards the sounds. They were close, he could hear their footsteps. Edward's fingers twitched and began to bubble like boiling tar. Edward's eyes widened in horror as they too began to melt from his body.
"Brother!" Alphonse shouted as he entered the ruins Edward was in. He froze in fear of the sight before him. Mustang ran around the young blonde towards Ed.
"Edward!" Roy dropped to his knees beside him quickly looking him up and down. "Breathe. You have to calm down." Roy tried to remain calm and collected. He didn't need to panic Edward any more than he already was. Roy reached around Ed's torso, pulling him onto his back and into his arms. He sat on the ground holding the young alchemist on his lap.
"What's happening?!" Mustang hesitated to answer. He wasn't entirely sure how to. Or even able to give him a detailed explanation since he, himself, wasn't sure. This couldn't be the end. He didn't want to lose Edward yet. Real Edward or not. He had to get Edward to calm down. His military training took over and without a second thought he raised his voice.
"Calm down Fullmetal!" He barked. Edward froze by the sudden command. "Breathe." Another order. The tone in Mustang's voice made it clear it was an order. Edward's chest began to slowly rise and fall. The panic on his face dispersed. Mustang placed his fingers on Ed's cheek, peacefully caressing it. "You're going to be fine." Roy's expression softens with his voice. He smiled down at the blond in his lap. As Edward calmed down his limbs returned to normal. "See?" Mustang whispered, holding Ed's fingers in his hand above Ed's face. Edward's eye lids fluttered momentarily before shutting. Mustang watched the golden orbs slowly disappear.
"Is he okay?" Alphonse finally asked walking over to them.
Roy nodded and stated, "Ed just passed out. He'll be fine." Mustang adjusted the sleeping beauty in his arms while carefully standing up. "Let's get going." Alphonse nodded and the search continued.
"We don't have much time do we?" Alphonse questioned. Mustang let out another sigh.
"Let's just focus on finding Ed's body."
"Hey there!" a voice shouted from the entrance of the abandoned castle. Mustang looked up to see a familiar face.
"Crowley!" Mustang shouted. He and Alphonse quickly made there way up the stairs to meet the older alchemist.
"I never expected to see any one else out here." Crowley mentioned smiling. He glanced down at the sleep blond boy in Roy's arms. His eye brow twitched. "Is he okay?" he asked, reaching a hand to brush the strands of blond hair from the boy's face. Roy's grip tightened on Ed.
"You need to come with us Sir." Roy stated calmly.
"And you are?" He asked, crossing his arms.
"Brigadier General Mustang. I'm also known as the Flame Alchemist. Again sir, this is of utmost importance."
"Military soldier? These two look to young to be soldiers Sir. Please, follow me. Let's talk where it's a little cooler." Crowley waived for them to follow his lead. They followed only because of Edward. They were running short on time. Crowley lead then inside the crumbling castle to a room that was, indeed, much cooler. "What can I do for you General?"
"You're familiar with creating golems correct?"
"Yes." Mustang had already taken note of the way the silver haired man kept glancing down at Edward. "I'm familiar with a golem when I see one too. What happened?"
"That's why we are here. Hoping you could tell us."
"So you know." Crowley mumbled. Mustang laid Edward out on the table. He looked so peaceful. "Who is this young man?"
"I would prefer to keep names out as much as possible. He's an innocent person who has been reported missing. Upon finding him, evidence has lead us to believe this is not the real individual. You are the only person the military had on file who has knowledge of this kind of alchemy." Crowley looked over Edward. Checking his pulse, breathing, eyes, and even his skin. It felt like hours before Crowley spoke.
"I'm afraid I have some bad new for you boys." Panic quickly spread through the room. Both Roy's and Al's hearts began to beat heavily. "The boy this soul belongs to was hurt badly. Before the soul was even transferred. A golem is an exact physical copy of their soul's body."
"I understand that much. Please. Can you help us find him?" Mustang pleaded. "I will compensate you for your time. Please."
"Just an innocent civilian huh? No need to hide it." Mustang held tight to his cover. He wasn't letting his guard down. Not until he had answers. Crowley nodded understandingly. "This soul is rejecting the body. It won't be able to sustain the soul much longer. I have a few questions."
"I'll answer only if relevant." Mustang stated. Crowley nodded again.
"Has he shown any signs of aggression?" Al nodded. "Memory loss? Or memories that are incorrect?" Mustang and Al nodded.
"Both." Mustang answered.
"Sickness?"
"Yes. He's vomited multiple times."
"What does it look like?"
"Mud."
"Any morphing occurred?"
"Once yesterday. And again today. Today was worse. Sir, what does this all mean?" Alphonse answered quickly. He was very worried for his brother.
"He's got about a week I'd say. But these changes and outbursts will become even more frequent. Morphing is a sign of the soul breaking down the body." Alphonse gasped. Roy felt the sweat trickle down his face. He glanced around the room, trying to reassure himself and push down the fear rising in his chest. His heart was racing. "It's possible to reattach his soul to his body… but it is an extremely painful process. He's already experienced this at least once though. Bonding the soul to the golem itself is painful. And degeneration is inevitable. The longer his soul is outside his body, the more damage there will be. Eventually, the soul will perish too. Only the owner of the soul's original body can handle the soul."
"What happens if we can't find his body before this body deteriorates?"
"The soul would pass to the other side. I'm sure you know the only option then sir." Crowley furrowed his brows at Mustang.
"Human Transmutation." Alphonse mumbled. Crowley looked over at the young man surprised.
"Correct. So you are an alchemist?" Alphonse nodded. Mustang placed a hand on Al's shoulder, squeezing firmly. It was a warning. "I'm assuming this is your older brother?"
"Not relevant Crowley. I've a question for you however. How do we find his body?"
"If his body is alive, then as the host gets closer to the body, the more the degrading effects will occur. The body will be trying to pull the soul back. However, that is only if the body is here." Crowley lifted Edward's shirt up to his chest, revealing his stomach. "I'm going to attempt to tighten the bond on this body. It should buy you some more time." Crowley drew a transmutation circle on Edward's stomach. Mustang watched carefully as the man performed his alchemy. The dim room lit up blue as sparks snapped in the air around them. Edward opened his mouth, like he was trying to scream but nothing came out. His body twisted grotesquely. Only grumps and groans came from Edward. Mustang wanted to badly to hold this little host in his arms. It was still Edward. He was in pain. It was obvious. He didn't want to watch his comrade writhe in pain like this.
Edward managed to scream that echoed though the empty room. He began to lash only to notice his hands were chained above his head. 'Back in my cell.'
"Ah… you're awake." A voice chimed from the cell door. "You were out for a long time. A few weeks. That's good progress." A young blond man looked Edward up and down. Edward tried to pull his arms free, but the pain and fatigue was hitting him hard. He could barely move. "This will help you relax." The man approached Edward and injected him with a liquid filled syringe.
"Please… no more…" Edward knew what happened next. The torture. He didn't know how much more of this he could handle. His body went numb and mouth just hung open. He couldn't even close it. The man reached up and unlocked Ed's clasps. Edward fell to the ground hard. The pain shot up his body but he couldn't make a sound. Another sharp pain immerged as his hair was grabbed and he was pulled out of the cell. The cold ground felt good on his bare, hot skin. His body suddenly was ripped off the ground and thrown onto the too familiar wooden table. 'No restraints? What's going on?' Edward's mind raced.
"I have a different form of torture for you today." The blond man smiled. The smile… Edward had seen it before. The fear setting in was making Edward nauseous. He so desperately wanted to vomit. "Let's have some fun, shall we fullmetal pipsqueak."
ENDING NOTE: Thanks for reading everyone! I would love to read some new reviews now that the story is finally moving forward. I've had this part of the story planned since the very beginning and I'm excited to get to the end now! But don't worry, then end will still be out there a bit. I'm not expecting to end this story for probably another 10(ish) chapters. I've got a bit of an easy semester, so I have a little bit of time each week now to be working on this story! Also, if you are at all interested! I have shared some really interesting history facts below! They relate to fullmetal, so yeah. Read if you like! Thanks again for reading! Please review and follow because more chapters are coming soon!
SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN ALL OF FULLMETAL AND BROTHERHOOD!
Xerxes was the name of the King who ruled the Persian Empire from 486-465 BC. His wife was Queen Amestris. King Xerxes was murdered by Artabanus, who then gave the position of power to his seven sons. According to Aristotle, Artabanus was then killed by Artaxerxes, son of Xerxes and Amestris. Like in the FMA series, where the country of Xerxes was destroyed by Father. Father then created the seven homunculi and gave the highest position of power in the country to one of his sons. The other homunculi watched over the Amestrian cities. It is fitting, that Father, like Artabanus, was killed by Edward Elric, with a mother from Amestris, and a father from Xerxes. Like Artaxerxes, Ed avenged the Xerxesian people by dealing the final blow on Father. As direct descendants of Van Hohenheim, the last living Xerxesian, both Edward Elric and Alphonse Elric are half Xerxesian on their father's side. Both brothers even share the features of Xerxesian people; golden hair, eyes and tan skin.