Author's Notes

This chapter gave me a lot of grief. Thankfully, next chapter's already written…purely by accident. Downside of that is there's a gap in the plan. Sorting it all out. Don't worry.

I'm bringing in the Xingenese Royals, but they're not crossing over from brotherhood, ie. the situation in Xing is non-existent…or rather, it's already been resolved. Ling is the new Emperor. Lan Fan and May don't particularly get along, but they tolerate each other.

Mei Mei means sister in Chinese.

I apologize if any stupid errors made their way in. This hasn't been proofread. I'll come back at some point and do it.

Enjoy.

In the Midst of a Dream World

Alfons Heiderich is shot in Munich. When he wakes up in the middle of what looks like a war, the first thing he thinks is that he's failed. In fact, that's the second thing he thinks too. Post CoS/Slightly AU on tech.

Alfons H& Roy M

Chapter 4

Healing Magics

Sergeant Major Kain Feury gave a start as the boy in front of him uttered his name before lapsing back into the realms of unconsciousness.

'Alphonse?' he repeated, staring at the teen's face.

The blond hadn't managed a surname either, nor would he for a while yet. Not that the soldier could blame him; he didn't know much about alchemy…or the Xingenese equivalent called Alkahestry, but wounds took time to heal. After all, he had been shot in the chest.

Alphonse though…it wasn't a common name by any means. The only "Alphonse" he knew of was Alphonse Elric, the younger brother of the infamous Fullmetal Alchemist. But Alphonse, the last time he had seen the boy, had been twelve. Due to the younger Elric's travels in searching for his elder brother, it was difficult for any one person to keep tabs on him. That was less than a year ago, so assuming his birthday had passed sometime between their last encounter and the current date, he should be thirteen. This boy looked closer to Edward's age, although the face was nothing to speak of. Edward had, after all, faced burdens far heavier than any boy his age…or years older, should have had to. All of them – Mustang's crew that was – had felt somewhat responsible for the pair when they came under their wings. In that sense, he could understand the Corporal's – or Brigadier General as he had been temporarily restored to his former rank – feelings when it came to the long period of wait amidst the eternal snow. None of them understood alchemy…except the Lieutenant Colonel, and he had sorrowfully claimed his trust in the young man who'd abandoned his dream for reasons none of them quite understood and left for Liore, the task entrusted to him by Mustang before his own departure.

But he hadn't given up on his dream after all, or so he claimed. When Havoc and Breda had managed to track the elusive man down, he'd confessed he had simply chosen a different path, reminiscent of the child that had danced upon his toes to grow into adulthood.

It had been rather disappointing to realise he'd missed his chance to say farewell to the Elric brothers, both having returned to the sky with the remnants of the invasion brought to their world. The ship defeated, the walking dead burnt or mowed down by gunfire raining upon them…for a moment, it had been a siege, but it was ended now. All that was left was to recover.

Or it should have been, but it seemed some civilians believed the Military had failed in their job to protect. Perhaps they had been reverted back to trust after a new Fuhrer took the throne and restored peace, opening lines of trade to Drachma, Xing and Aerugo, or the disgruntled fraction had simply been waiting for their chance to take down the powerful State that hovered over them. In any case, several ragged men had already started throwing pieces of their derelict homes at the soldiers who were forced to walk through the warzone…for whatever reason. One had been forced to return to base after a particular projectile caused the vision in his right eye to blur with blood. He'd departed with a light quip: "I guess I'll be joining the Flame and his eye-patch."

Many of the surrounding battalion were grateful Lieutenant Hawkeye was not present at that point in time to witness it.

'Alphonse,' Fuery repeated again, trying to dissect the face of the teen that lay before him. He supposed the boy did look somewhat like Alphonse Elric: the facial features were rather similar, even if the latter appeared older and more worn. It was to be expected though from the age gap. But he had aged too fast too quickly…unless this was another thing about alchemy he was completely ignorant about.

He decided it was time to depart; after all, it was unlikely that this patient would be waking any time soon to answer his questions…and there were others unidentified and taking up almost an entire wing of the main hospital in Central. It was the only hospital in Central if one wanted to be technically accurate; there were a few Doctor's clinics and a Military branch but the former were all privatised and the latter was specific to Military Personnel only…even if the more badly wounded of them also found themselves occupying beds in the main hospital. It was a sore point amongst those citizens in and immediately surrounding Central, since those civilians unable to afford privatised care were left in a bit of a jam. It was one of the things that had only minutely improved; the State Economy had finally stabilised and Doctors were just starting to lower the charges required for their services. A pair of clinics had been talking about combining; the consequence would be their joint practice would be cheaper to run and thus more inexpensive to utilise. But it hadn't happened yet, so all badly wounded and less wealthy civilians were stuck overflowing the Central Hospital.

Why had Mustang assigned him there? Oh yeah, to sort out who belonged where and arrange something for them.

He sighed, before catching sight of a pink shirt-tail vanishing around the corner…before reappearing as he slid the door shut.

The black-haired Xingenese teen blinked shyly at the young soldier. 'Is he…alright?' Her Amestrian was flawless, if a little accented.

Fuery blinked as a black cat-like creature peeked its head around her shoulders, a white patch gleaming within the fur. On closer inspection – or rather, as the creature climbed the braids like a ladder – more white patches were spotted.

'Oh.' The teen noticed the other's stare. 'This is Xiao Mei. My name is Mei Chang, seventeenth Royal Princess of Xing.' She bowed to her waist, and the other suddenly found himself on clumsy footing as she attempted to mimic the action. 'Is he okay?'

'Well…' Fuery managed. 'Yes. Relatively.'

There was a hearty laugh and a boy nearing adulthood slipped out from another closed door. The princess gave him a scornful look, replicated by the woman who followed the late-teen out the door. The latter adorned a mask, but a white bandage could be seen peeking out from under it.

'Emperor,' she murmured respectively. 'It would be wise if we did not dawdle-'

'I'm afraid you'll have to wait,' May cut in, somewhat coolly. 'The Fuhrer seems occupied right now.'

'Oh?' the woman responded in equal coolness. 'How would you know?'

The younger pointed out the window, and the elder immediately slipped away from sight.

The late-teen sighed. 'Must you aggravate her, Mei Mei?'

May smiled a little. 'Of course brother. I'm not the Emperor of Xing and she is not my bodyguard.'

'The Emperor?' Feury repeated, a little faintly and the pair of siblings turned to look at him.

'Oh, my apologies.' The boy suddenly fell into a far more polite manner as he bowed deeply. 'I'm the Emperor of Xing, here on formal business. Ling Yao.'

Fuery bowed again. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he was glad he wasn't any older, otherwise his back would have been protesting by that moment.

'And it appears the Fuhrer is indeed indisposed,' Ling noted as the bodyguard leapt down again.

'Indeed.' She sounded vaguely annoyed. 'His council will be ready for us tomorrow; they lack several things, including a cleared space and important documents.'

'Now now Lan Fan,' the Emperor cautioned, sounding more like an older brother than the leader of a country. 'It wasn't as if they planned this earthquake.' He looked around, and then whistled at the crowds that littered the hallways and the waiting rooms. 'My, it appears the entire population of Huang have crowded into this small space.'

Lan Fan shifted restlessly. 'I don't believe it's safe,' she muttered.

Ling raised a hand. 'They've certainly been kind to us,' he protested. 'But perhaps we are overstaying our welcome.'

'It's not that Highness,' the other explained. 'I simply think that many things can be stirred by the shifting of the earth.'

'The earth has shifted,' May said soberly.

'Do not get involved in another country's war,' the body guard cautioned. At the narrowing of eyes, Ling repeated the statement.

'People will die,' May argued.

'People must always die to keep the balance,' the Emperor replied, before turning away. 'Soldier, we will meet with your Fuhrer tomorrow. For now, we will retire.'

'Wait.' The teen stepped away from her company, towards the soldier.

Lan Fan folded her arms, somewhat crossly. 'What were you doing while I was being looked over?' she asked, staring down the younger woman who looked back at her defiantly.

'You are not my mother,' May responded in equal crabbiness. 'I was healing a few people if you must now. They have little knowledge outside the primitive when it comes to illnesses; gunshots, knife wounds and missing limbs are the only things they know how to treat with any great effectiveness.'

'Be that as it may,' the bodyguard replied. 'Your task is to remain with the company. Our joint task is to settle with the Fuhrer a permanent mode of trade and then to return to our own country, not to merge ourselves in their problem.'

'It's all right Lan Fan,' Ling cut in as the woman made to continue. 'Saving a few lives in the hospital will do no harm. As it was, transferring ideas of Alkahestry and Alchemy is to be discussed at the council at a later date.'

'Much later,' Lan Fan pointed out. 'This country is still struggling to remain on its feet. This earthquake will not help.'

'Then we will wait,' the Emperor returned. 'In any case, wait we must. It seems another war is looming over this country.'

May rose a hand to pet Xiao Mei, drawing comfort from the little panda.

'You are still young,' Ling said to his half-sister in a gentle tone, bending to her height. 'But we have our own country to look after, and these people have their own. Trade can only succeed when both parties are not in a state to send their troubles along as well as their profits.

'There will be no change in trade,' Lan Fan concluded, removing her mask to reveal a pale face, beautiful and yet hardened by life. 'Not from this state.'

'We will see,' the other responded. 'Tomorrow.'

May remained silent.

Ling's lips tweaked. 'Did you find a boy?'

She blushed hotly. 'No,' she exclaimed, before amending: 'Well…somewhat. His disease was in the lungs; it was unlike anything I have ever seen before. The disease came away as a black substance with a mass of at least a quarter of that of the lungs. The remaining mass within his body will take a few weeks to readapt into perfect working order.'

'I assume this is what you were explaining to that soldier?' Ling asked while Lan Fan shook her head.

'At least she is efficient in her work,' the woman, to everyone's surprise, muttered under her breath.

'Hey,' the Emperor exclaimed, a little late.

Fuery cupped his hands under the faucet, collecting the cool water before splashing his face with it. Night had fallen outside and the stars had come out. The crowd had thinned into a more manageable amount and several nurses had collapsed on the plastic chairs from exhaustion. A couple of doctors were seated too, drinking coffee while families said farewell to the more injured of their parties who were forced to remain overnight. The fighting – the arguments, the yells – had faded, leaving everyone weary and in the hopes that a shelter stood in the places they had once called home. The following morning, when they awoke, they would mourn for that which could not be replaced.

His job was mostly done as well. There had been the Xingenese company, who seemed to know where there were going. There had been a few soldiers from the East: those who had chosen to remain from the joint-exercise and were now without their leader; he had checked with a passing Hawkeye who briskly informed him the dorms were repaired to liveable standards. Everything was simply that; care would be taken in later days to fix things back to their proper form. For that night, everyone simply needed a roof over their heads.

There had been several other people. The only mystery that remained was that "Alphonse," but the other was still to awaken.

He'd leave that to the Brigadier General's discretion. Or the Lieutenant Colonel's. And on that note, he would also inform Mustang about the discussion that had taken place a few feet before him…and the little extra he had been eavesdropping on. After all, barring electronics, that was his next best skill: listening. And it came in handy when having a Commanding Officer who made it his business to know every little secret of the world…even when he was burrowing under seven feet of snow.