disclaimer: I own neither Naruto, Shingekino Kyojin, nor Fullmetal Alchemist.
Elric woke up in a cool soft bed with cotton sheets and a comforter thrown over him. The overcast light coming in through the sole window shed long shadows, indicating it was late in the day. There was a beautiful woman rubbing a cool wet towel across his forehead.
"Honey. I think you've fussed at him enough. If you bathed me like you did him we might have eight little rug-rats running around instead of two."
Children laughed in the background.
"Oh don't complain, darling. I'm just cleaning him up a bit. He keeps sweating. What in the world is wrong with him?"
A tall brown dark haired man standing over by the window shrugged. He sighed, "Not sure exactly. He's dehydrated and low on electrolytes. Not to mention, he's supremely exhausted. If I had to guess, he'd have to spend a week foraging for water in the desert, run a marathon, and then work a double shift digging ditches yet somehow fail to keel over and die to end up looking something like that." He walked around to the bed and Edward opened his eyes and turned his head to regard the man.
"Well sweet hallelujah, somebody's back among the living. Do you have a name?" the man said.
Elric tried to say something, but his tongue was thick and slimy and didn't work properly. Plus it seemed an overly large bullfrog sat perched on a lilypad stuck in his throat. He managed a weak grunt which devolved into fit of coughing.
The pretty lady poured him a glass of ice cold water from a pitcher sitting on the nightstand. "Here. Drink up, you poor thing." She said. She held his head off the pillow and he took a few sips. After some more coughing and sputtering he managed to get a fair bit of liquid down his throat and keep it there.
"Elric." He whispered. "Edward Elric."
"Progress!" The man stated. He pulled up a chair from the other side of the nightstand and sat down by the bed. "Where are you from Edward?"
"Amestris?" He replied, hopefully.
"Hmn. You say that almost like you're asking me. Never heard of Amestris." And with that Edwards heart sank low in his chest. "Is that your town? In which district?"
He was interrupted by a familiar voice, the boy from before standing in the doorway. "I'm telling you, dad, he's from beyond the walls! He..." He was silenced with a wave of the hand.
"If you can tell us which district this Amestris is in we can send a message to someone you know. You shouldn't be moved for awhile, but at least your family and loved ones will know you're alright. And perhaps they can come and see you."
Edward shook his head. "I wouldn't know how to find them from here. Wherever here is."
The man and the woman glanced at each other. He said, "You're in Shiganshina District on Wall Maria. You're clearly not from here. Are you from one of the other districts? Trost maybe?"
"I've never heard of Trost or Shiganshina or Wall Maria either." He realized they must be man and wife from the comment earlier and the way they stole quick knowing glances every now and then.
The man gave him a rather patronizing pat on the shoulder. "Well you need to get plenty of rest. We'll leave you to that. If you need anything just holler." The couple left the room closing the door behind them.
Whatever was wrong with the rest of his body, his ears worked just fine. He heard them whispering about mental patients and checking the asylum. Too tired to even care, he just rolled over on his side and went back to sleep.
Elric faded in and out of consciousness for the next three weeks. During that time he'd managed to glean that Shiganshina District wasn't anywhere near Amestris, Ishval, Drachma, Creta, Aerugo, or even Xing, nor any of the other places he's been or heard about back home or on his adopted world. Yet they spoke his native language or at least some dialect of it, as he'd come to realize. He wasn't sure what to do. Where could he be? Perhaps he was on the other side of the world from Amestris. Somehow... he didn't think so.
Something was nagging at the back of his mind. He shouldn't risk it, but he decided he had no choice. He turned his head towards the door to the bedroom he'd marinated in for the past few weeks and spoke. "No need to be so quiet now. You've already woken the dead."
With that the door flung open. The two children that pulled him out of the river were standing there. Also there was a third boy he'd seen snatches of over the past weeks time. He was a blond boy. Even more slight of build than the others. He held a rather timid look in his eyes.
"Eren! Your mom said not to disturb him. He's resting!" He said, looking fearful.
"Shut up, Armin! I just want to ask him some questions."
"Well... he look's a lot less dead than when I pulled him out of the river. I don't suppose curiosity will finish off the cat I dragged in."
Edward chuckled. There was something refreshing about this pretty little girl's matter of fact bluntness. "It would take a lot more than that to kill me." He motioned to Eren. "Come closer. I want to ask you something."
The girl moved protectively in front of Eren before he could even respond. "You don't look like one of those perverts they talk about in the newspaper, but if you try anything at all, I'll break your arms and legs then drag your raggedy ass back where I found you to drown in the river."
Edward threw his head back and laughed harder than he had in years. When his guffaw subsided, he nodded vigorously at the girl. "No doubt you would too. Nothing to fear from me little lady... especially how I am now." He sighed, hesitating to bring it up, but then pressed on. "Have you three ever heard of alchemy?"
The children glanced at each other. The girl spoke up again. "My mom used to talk about druids or something that tried to change lead into gold. Is that what you mean?" The other two just shook their heads.
Edward raised an eyebrow. "A druid is something else entirely. Let me show you exactly what I mean." He reached for a lava lamp that someone had left on the nightstand. He laid it on his chest then closed his eyes and recalled something from his childhood. He clasped his hands as if in prayer and reached out his consciousness, searching, feeling. Yes... there it was all around them. The very breath of this planet itself. It felt different than his adopted world. And yet different still than even the Dragon Pulse from his home-world, but... it was there. And if it was there... so was his alchemy. He broke his gesture and reached for the lamp. In a crackle of electric blue light a snow globe he'd played with as a child sat in his hands right where the lamp did just moments ago.
The children's eyes went wide. They took a big step back in unison. "Moooooooooooomm!" Eren screamed and ran from the room. The others followed him.
"Oops." He said. By the time the others came back in with their mother. He'd changed it back into a lava lamp.
"What's all the fuss about!" She said. The others were jumping around pulling on her skirt and blouse shouting about all manner of witchcraft, while pointing constantly at the lava lamp. She picked up the lamp and gave it the once over. It was clear she didn't believe a word of it.
She frowned and shook her head. "I told you to let him rest! Can't even tend to my garden with you little buggers running around! Out! Out! Out! The lot of you!" The door slammed shut.
Edward lay his head back on the pillow to ponder. He was certain now that this world was neither his native, nor adoptive one. Well... nothing to be done about it just yet. He was also certain alchemy couldn't get him back. No gate of truth. No Truth, period. Just a flash of lightning, a roll of thunder, and a total bankruptcy of his chakra. He'd have to wait and see if he recovered his stamina enough to use ninjutsu.
At some point he drifted off to sleep. Memories flooded his dreams.
Is that a transmutation circle?
Al's coming RIGHT BACK! This is the last time you lay eyes on a Fullmetal Alchemist transmutation!
Clap! Crackle! SHOOOM!
Come for you brother, have you? But how do you plan to extract a whole person. Your toll, I wonder? What will it cost you? Your entire being?
I've got your lousy tithe, right here. It's mighty big though. You might need a truck to hall it out of here.
The gate of truth exists in every being. In every star twinkling in the night. In every grain of sand sifting to the bottom of every hourglass. It is the alchemical foundation of all existence in this world. Have you really never understood? All is one. One is all. You cannot exist without truth.
It doesn't matter. I said take it, damn it! GIVE MY BROTHER BACK!
Did you and Al not promise to never selfishly use human lives to win back what you lost? Are you not a life? Or are you not human? How is this not breaking your promise... in the worst. possible. way?
Al already gave his life for mine! Why can't I give mine for his?!
No. Not just for you. Al gave everything he had left just to give you the chance to save everyone in Amestris and beyond. His act was no more selfish than yours would be selfless in saving your only brother.
God I hate you! Think! Damn it, THINK! Wait... I remember now. Oh my god!
You called?
When I passed through the first time, I saw... in between those things pulling at me... there were other gates that looked nothing like my own yet somehow I knew they were the same as mine. What were they?
Those were gates... of other worlds. And yes, they follow different paths than your own. Same difference.
That settles it. You said the "alchemical foundation of all existence in THIS world." I give it all up of my own free will... my place in this world for another. EQUIVALENT EXCHANGE! For EVERYTHING Al and I both lost!
I see... the price is right, but can you really do it? Alchemy can never bring you back. Can you truly choose to never see them again? To say goodbye to Al? To Winry? To everyone? Forever?!
It doesn't matter if I see them again or how I feel about it. Al and I, we gave the people of Amestris a chance at life. I can give Al a new chance at life with May. She loves him. She really does. Nothing is guaranteed... or promised for tomorrow. The agony in my ass won't even matter as long as I know they're out there... somewhere. And all my loved ones have a chance to live to love to fight for another day!
That's it! That's the answer, Fullmetal Alchemist, the TRUTH indeed!
You've defeated me! Claim your prize!
TAKE EVERYTHING YOU WANT!
Come say goodbye to your brother for the final time. The door to the rear exit... is this way.
Tossing and turning, Edward Elric slept fitfully all through the night... but he never got even a hint of rest.
Author's Notes: Well as I said I'll be updating at least two at a time. Finding the interface a little cumbersome so bear with me if updates don't show right away. Hopefully, we'll get back to the Narutoverse soon. A shame I couldn't add Naruto as a category. I had to stick with FMA and Shingeki no Kyojin. That's all for now. All reviewers welcome.