Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except for Isabella.
Isabella's POV
The three of us arrived here at Xenotime and began walking down the streets. "Do you think we're gonna findthe Philosopher's Stone in a rundown town like this? Looking around, it's hard to believe they ever producemuch gold at all." Al said to Ed. "This is why they're all the more likely to develop a Philosopher's stone." Ed said to him. "What do you mean?" I asked him.
"Now that their mines are no longer producing gold, they've got plenty of reason to want to transmute it. Andthey could only do that with a Philosopher's stone. What with this being a former gold mining town, it wouldn't look too suspicious." Ed said to me. "Is money all that grown-ups think about?" Al asked. As we continued to walk. But then we heardsomething from somewhere and we turn to see what happened.
"Elisa! Hey, get over here! Give me a hand!" We hear a voice say as several men try to free a crying girlnamed Elisa underneath a cart. "It's no use, it won't budge!" One man said. "Daddy!" Elisa said to her father. "It's all right. We'll get you out of this, I promise." Her father said to her. "What's wrong?" I called as those menturn to see the three of us standing there. "My daughter, she's trapped!" Her father said to me as the three of us gasped and ran up to the poor girl, and I kneel down to her level.
"Hold still for just a minute." I said to her as I turn to face Ed. "You ready, Ed?" I asked him as he nod. "Yeah." Ed said to me as he and I both clap our hands and used alchemy to turn this cart into something and Elisa cried. But soon realizes that she was saved and sees that we turned the cart into steal and we turn to face herwith smiles on our faces.
"Humankind cannot gain anything, without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equalvalue must be lost. That is alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that tobe the world's one, and only truth."
{Opening Song}
"*The Other Brother Elric (Part one)*"
Isabella's POV
The three of us are at Elisa's father house as everyone began to thank us for saving her. "I mean it! We surewere lucky to have two real alchemists like you show up when you did. I can't begin to thank you twoenough." Elisa's father said to me and Ed. "And don't forget about his metal father." Elisa said as Al began to turn white at what she said. Ed and I chuckled at this.
"No, you've got it all wrong. Al's not my father. He's actually my younger brother." Ed said to her. "And Alice isnot my mother. "Younger brother? But He's so much bigger than you are." Elisa said to us as Ed began to turn white at what she said. Al and I also chuckled at this. "Anyway, we're all just glad you're okay, Elisa." Al said to her.
"Yes, and thank goodness." I said to her when we hear someone coming in. "Elisa!" We hear a voice say and we see a man carrying a basket of lemons. "Elisa, are you alright." That man asked when Elisa was happy to see him. "Uncle Belsio!" Elisa said when her father stopped her. "Daddy?" Elisa said to him. "Get out! You've got some nerve showing your face in my house now, after almost getting my poor daughter killed." Elisa's father said to him.
"Listen to me, Elisa. No matter what he says, you are not to help him with his work ever again." Elisa's father said to her. "No, Daddy. None of this was Uncle Belsio's idea. I was the one who begged him to let me helpout." Elisa said to him as she began coughing and the four of us look on at what she had.
"I'm sorry, sweetie. Here, drink this." Elisa's father said to her while giving her some water and she drinks it. Edand I look on at this. 'Poor girl.' I thought when that man named Belsio sets the basket of lemons on the tableand begins to leave. "I am sorry." Belsio said as he leaves. "Uncle Belsio told me your lemon pies were always the best, Daddy. And that it was a shame all the lemon farms were shut down. I thought maybe if I helpedhim, I could taste your pie." Elisa said to her father.
"Don't worry, once the Philosopher's Stone is finished, we'll all be rich. And then we can afford to buy all the fruit we want from some other town." One man said to her as Ed and I stood up. "Philosopher's Stone?" Iquestioned as everyone faced us. "Yes! That's it! The three of you must have come to Xenotime to assist with his research and finish the Philosopher's Stone." Elisa's father said to us. "Please, do everything inyour power. Make it as fast as you can." One man said to us.
"We want Xenotime to once again be the town of gold." Another man said to us. "We must reclaim what'srightfully ours." One other man said to us. "That's right. We're counting on you, alchemists." The other mansaid as the four of us look speechless by all of this. "Wow, that really puts a lot of pressure on us. I guess we'lljust have to visit Mugear now and see what we can do." I said to them. "Before you go, could you tell us thenames of our saviors?" Elisa's father asked us.
"Certainly. I'm Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist!" Ed stated to them. "And I'm his partner, Isabella Rockbell,the Flower Alchemist!" I stated to them also. "And I'm his younger brother, Alphonse. Alphonse Elric." Al stated to them also. As everyone looked confused by what we said. "The uh, Elric brothers, Rockbell? State Alchemists, heroes-of-the-people Elric, and Rockbell?" One man asked us. "Yup!" Ed stated to him.
*FF*
The three of us are thrown out and sat up to face Elisa's father. "What was that about?!" I asked out ofanger. "Shut up! The real Elric brothers are already working to save our town up there with Mugear! Come back when you're ready to tell us who you really are!" Elisa's father said as he closes the door ;eaving the three of us to look at the mansion on a hill.
Isabella's POV
The three of us are at the gate of the mansion, and see that it was guarded. "Now why would somebody go around stealing our names?" Ed questioned us. "Brother, Isabella? Are you two going to sneak in there?" Al asked us. "Of course we are! To confront these impostors, and get them to tell us all about the Philosopher's Stone!" I said to them. The three of us then sneak passed theguard and we made it to the side. Then Ed and I both clapped our hands to use alchemy.
No POV
The two brothres are doing research when they hear something from outside. "Brother? Was that..." Fletcher questioned his brother. "A transmutation." Russell said.
Isabella's POV
The three of us are finally inside and we began looking through some books. "Look at this. All these books areall about the Philosopher's Stone." Ed said to us. "Then this must be where they're making it, right?" I asked him. "No doubt about it." Ed said to her. "Yeah, no kidding." I said to him as we hear a door open.
"In case the guards weren't a clue, this place is off-limits." We hear a voice said as we turn to see a pair of brothers at the door. "By any chance, are you guys the ones..." Al was then cut off by meand Ed. "Stealing our names?!" Ed asked them. "I take it that means you're the real Ed, in the suit, huh?" Russell questioned on Al. "Me?" Al questioned as Ed got mad at his.
"No, you dolt! I'm Ed, not him!" Ed stammered at them. "Why does everybody always think that?!" Ed and I asked them out of anger. "Huh? So you're the older brother?" Fletcher asked him. "Damn right!" Ed said as the he hide behind the his brother. "Try to tone it down a notch, or the gunmen will realize you're here." Russell said as Ed and I freak out at what he said. Then he started walking up to us.
"How bizarre. The real younger brother wears a suit of armor to protect himself." Russell said about Al. "It's hard to believe you two are only fourteen." Russell said to the two. "How do you know so much about us?" I asked them as the two stopped in front of us. "You wanna start something with me?" Ed asked the kid named Russell.
"No, I don't want to fight with you, Ed. So why don't you turn around and go home, and leave us to take careof things around here?" Russell asked him. "That's not the way you beg someone to do something." Ed said to him as he points to the ground. "On your knees!" Ed ordered as a long silence came by, and he repeatedly points to the ground. "I said get down on the ground!" Ed ordered as Russell shrugs his shoulders.
"What, so we can see eye to eye?" Russell questioned him. "Surely you must be used to people looking downon you and your friend." Russell said as Ed and I got mad at this and he began to punch him, but he dodgesit. He growls and punches again, but he still dodges it. He growls again and started punching him, and he still dodges and grabs his fist. "An auto-mail arm, huh? I guess the real Ed's seen some action." Russell commented.
"And we're glad to see you two have some skills." Ed said to him. "We'd hate for you two to damage our names." Ed and I said to them as Ed kicks him, Russell falls back and Ed charges up to him, but Russell punched him in the face sending him flying but he used his foot to save his footing.
"You know, we've always wanted to find out what two bona fide State Alchemists are capable of." Russell said to him. "And I think you're gonna be sorry you asked!" Ed said to him as he claps his hands together and usedalchemy to attack him, but he dodges it. "Not bad! You two don't need circles, huh?" Russell asked us when Russell uses alchemy to attack Ed.
"The fake you doesn't need a circle either!" Al said as Ed moves him.
The three of us then faced the other way. "How did you two... You have a Philosopher's Stone?" Ed questioned when Russell came and looked down at us Ed and I growled at then when we hear something. "What was all that commotion?" One guard asked the others. "It came from in here!" The other guard said as we face the outside.
*FF*
After the three of us escaped, we all sat on a hillside thinking about what happened. Ed was laying on his backwhile I was looking at the moon. "Damn it. I feel sore all over." Ed cursed to himself. "The fake you were pretty powerful, huh?" Al asked him. "They had something giving them boosts." Ed said to him. "Does that mean they've finished making a Philosopher's Stone?" I asked him as he sat up. "I don't know but we're gonna find out." Ed said to her when a long silence came.
"You know, I wonder what those brothers and those girl's real name are. Or if they're even really brothers, and if they're even really friends at all." I said. "And I wonder if the older brother and the girl with the braid are actually much older than you two are, or-" Al was cut off by Ed when he hits him to theside. "Size doesn't mean anything!" Ed said to him. "He's right, it's horrible!" I said to him.
No POV
Russell and Fletcher doing more research. "Brother, I think we should just give this ruse up already. What if the real Elric brothers, Rockbell turn us in? Then what?" Fletcher asked him.
"Don't worry. Nobody here is going to believe anything they say. So just concentrate on completing theS tone, so we can split town." Russell said to them. "Well I'm not gonna let Mugear take credit for the research Dad devoted his entire life to." Russell said.
"But, what if..." Fletcher said to him. "Don't worry. If it comes down to that, I'll make sure you three get away safely. No matter what." Russell said to him "You don't get it, brother. We're not worried about ourselves. There's a lot more going on here than that." Fletcher said to him.
*No POV*
Meanwhile, somewhere in an underground facility. Mugear is standing near a fountain of red water. "Are you sure you should be standing so close to it?" Mugear hears a voice asked and he turn to see that it was Lustthere, and dressed up in a dress. "I didn't expect to see you here." Mugear said to her. "And I didn't expectyou to let those kids in." Lust said to him. "But there's no need to worry. My guards scared off the Elric brothers, Rockbell. I think we've seen the last of them." Mugear said to her. "Don't bet on it." Lust said while removing her hood.
"Those kids can be frustratingly resourceful when they want, a desirable trait." Lust said to him while walking towards the exit. "Of course, we always knew it was only a matter of time before the military took interest in your research. You've had your shot, but maybe it's time you called it quits, Mugear." Lust said to him. "A little more time. Please. That's all I need. Just give me a little more time! I promise you, I'll complete the Philosopher's Stone." Mugear begged as Lust faced him. "Make it fast. You know I hate being dissatisfied."Lust said to him.
Isabella's POV
Ed was laying on Al's armor leg while Alice and I lay on the grass. "It's starting to swell up pretty good." I stated when Ed rubbed his swollen cheek against Al's leg happily. "Ah! Your cold metal feels just like a nice pack." Ed stated to his brother happily. "Glad I could be of some comfort to you, brother, even in this armor." Al said to him.
"That's right, and I could've kissed your cheek to make the swelling go away." I said to him. When we hear someone coming, and turn to see it was that man named Belsio. "Hey, you were the guy with the lemons before, right?" I asked him. "If you need a place to board up, you can come with me." Belsio said to the four of us.
Isabella's POV
The three of us are now staying at Belsio's house. "Thank you so much for taking us in." I said to him."Couldn't very well let you kids sleep outside, could I?" Belsio asked while setting a bowl of water in front of Ed. "Aren't you gonna ask us what our names are?" I asked him. "You're the Elric brothers, Rockbell. That's what you say." Belsio said to me as Al gasped.
"Then you believe us?" Al asked him. "Honestly, not in the least, but I figure you kids must have your own reasons for saying that you are. Makes no difference to me to each of their own." Belsio said to him. "So you're not into the Philosopher's Stone, like your neighbors are?" Ed asked him. "Everyone else is unable, orunwilling, to forget the gold once brought them. So Mugear has got them wrapped around his finger." Belsiosaid to him.
The Next Day
*FF*
After I got dressed, I was walking down the hall, unaware that Ed and Al are there. "Good morning,Uncle Belsio!" We hear Elisa's voice said to her uncle. "If your father finds out you're here, he won't be happy." Belsio said to her. "Not to worry! Daddy's too wrapped up in talk about the gold mine to even notice." Elisa said to him. "Good morning." Al greeted when Elisa recognized the three of us.
"Hey, it's the make-believe Elric brothers, Rockbell. That must hurt! Did somebody hit you becauseyou were telling lies again?" Elisa asked Ed as he turns away. "I'm telling you, we're not the impostors here, kid. But Ed did get clocked by one of them." I said to her. "Wait, you don't mean that you're the ones who snuck into Mugear's mansion last night do you, pretend brothers and sister?" Elisa asked me.
"Of course we did! We can't just let those phonies run off with our names! Besides, it's a major crime to use a Philosopher's Stone to make gold. They're going down." Ed said to her when Al placed a hand on his shoulder. "Brother." Al called to him. Then we looked at Elisa who has her head down. 'Poor girl, she's got that ill look on her face.' I thought to myself. "I'm gonna see what I can find here in town." Ed said as he walks off. "And I'm going with him." I said as I walk off.
"Brother! Isabella!" Al called. As Ed and I leave. Al sigh at this. "Hey, big guy!" Belsio called as Al face him. "Yes?" Al asked. "How would you like to run down to the pharmacy for me today?" Belsio asked the him. "Elisa needs her medicine and your brother and friend. He could probably use a cold compress, and she could probably need a chill pill." Belsio said to them.
No POV
Al was in the pharmacy unaware that someone is watching us from the window, and several people began talking to each other about us. "My word. Don't look now but one of those charlatans just walked in." One woman said to the other. "The gall of them showing their deceitful faces in here." Another woman said to the other. "And you know they were the ones who broke into Mugear's mansion last night and tried to rob him!" The other woman said as Al began to get some medicine for poor Elisa.
"Hey, you! What're you doin' here?!" We hear a woman called and Al began to move back when sheran up to us. "W-We just need to get some medicine." Al said to her. " Well, we don't have nothing here to keep you from telling lies, so go on and get out!" The woman said as she kicks Al out of the pharmacy. Al sigh at what that woman did to us.
"Great. Now how are we gonna get that medicine for Elisa now?" Al said. "Uh, excuse us." He hear a kid called as we turn to see that it was those kid named Fletcher from last night. "It's you." Al said to him. "I can buy that medicine for you, if you let me. To make up for us borrowing your identities." Fletcher said to us.
*FF*
Al are sitting with those kid and that kid named Fletcher gives Al the medicine. "Here." Fletcher said to Al. "Thank you very much." Al said as he gladly takes it. "I guess both of us have older brothers who let their tempers get the better of them." Al said to him. "And that both of us have best friends who also let their tempers get the better of them." "Aren't you mad at us?" Fletcher asked him. "I figured you have your own reasons." Al said to him.
"I'm sorry. For us to work with Mugear, we had to have some credibility. The only way my brother could passfor a State Alchemist, as a teenager, was to claim he was the famous Edward Elric." Fletcher said to us. "You want a Philosopher's Stone that badly?" Al asked him.
"My father, he devoted his entire life to working on the stone." Fletcher said to us. "So your father was analchemist too?" Al asked him as he nods. "Mm-hmm." Fletcher hummed. "And my parents, they tried to devotethemselves in completing the stone." "So your parents were alchemists, too?" Al asked as he nods.
"But then one day, they both died because of the poisoning caused by thered water, just like how my parents died. The two of us lived as orphans all our lives, stealing what we need to survive, running from people who tried to chase us."
"Really awful." Al said. "But then one day, he wassuddenly gone. So now, out of love for Dad, my brother and friend insists on completing their researches." Fletcher said to us as he began to tear up. "That's the opposite of my family." Al said to them.
"Our father was also an alchemist, but my brother hates him for it. Hewas obsessed with the science, and our mother suffered because of it, especially when he left her, and us." Al said to them.
"On our journeys, my brother, friends and I have met a lot more people who've suffered because of alchemy, too. Listen, if your brother and friend are doing something you two know is wrong, please, just be brave and stop them. It's tough, I know, but if someone else has to intervene, it'll only your brother and friend more." Al said to him as he look down. Then the two of them meet on their own separate sides.
"Hey, have you two noticed how there are an awful lot of people with bad coughs in this town?" Al asked him. "Actually..." Fletcher said then Fletcher noticed two kids that are named Russell on the other side looking for them.
"Brother!" Fletcher said when he sees the boy, then he began to walk off. "Sorry. We have to go now!" Fletcher said as Fletcher run off, but Al stopped him. "Wait! Tell us your real name." Al said tothem. "It's Fletcher!" Fletcher said to as he run off.
*Al's POV*
I sighed and began to walk off, but then I see brother and Isabella running in that direction. "Brother? Isabella?" I called as they stop and face me. "Why are you two running?" I asked them. "Those impostors are around here somewhere! Have you seen 'em?" Ed asked me."Uh... Um, no." I lied to him.
"Those unethical jerks! Did you know they've been fixing people's tools andtransmuting wheels all over town?" Isabella asked me.
"That's better than them using yours and brother's names to do bad stuff." I said to her. "That isn't the point! It's the way they work! They've got no regard for the Law of Equivalent Exchange!" Ed said to me as I gasped. "Al, we're gonna sneak into the mansion again tonight." Isabella said to me. "What? Just one day later?" I asked her.
"Right. They won't expect us." Ed said to me with a smirk on his face.
( A/n: A remnant of what you just saw. Ed's English voice actor Vic Mignogna, had to use powdered sugar doughnuts to help with the sound of Ed's swollen cheek. So he asked Colleen Clinkenbeard who is directing this episode if he could take a break, and she said yes to him, and he runs to a vending machine and sees several items inside. He then sees the powdered sugar doughnuts and thought that it could help with the sound. So Ed has several lines of him and his swollen jaw, so Vic had to go through the whole eight packet until the doughnuts turn into a mutated goo in his mouth, making him go, "It's disgusting! I'll never look at a doughnut the same way again!". Oh yeah, and he gags at the sight of 'em.")
No POV
Fletcher while Russell are busy with the research. "Brother. There's something weneed to talk to you about." Fletcher said. But the he ignored him and the he sighed at this.
Isabella's POV
The three of us left Belsio's house, unaware that he was noticing that we left. Then the four of us sneak passedthe guard after we came back. Ed check to see if the guard has passed, and he did. "Tonight we're trying Operation Mole Hole!" Ed stated to us. "Mole Hole?" Al questioned as Ed and I both clapped our hands and used alchemy to create a hole.
The three of us are through the hole with Ed in the lead.
"By my calculations, we should be under the center of the mansion now." Ed said to us. "Are you sure?" I asked him. "No, but we gotta come out somewhere." Ed said to me as he claps his hands and used alchemy to create a way in. "We're in!" Ed said to us. The four of us got in and see that red water flowing. "What is this?" Al asked him."So that's their plan. I think this is the chemical used to produce the red stone." Ed said to her. "What red stone?" I asked him. "I remember reading something about it at the library in Central. It's a theoretical solid,pumped full of alchemic catalysts. You put this refined red water under a few megatons of pressure, till it turnsto stone." Ed said to me. "A Philosopher's stone?" Al asked him.
"No. More like a cheap imitation. I think there was some alchemist named Nash or something who was researching the red stone, but in the end, it never panned out." Ed said to him. But then he begins coughingand holding his chest. Good thing "Brother?" Al called. "Edward?" I called.
"I'm having some trouble breathing." Ed said as he passes out and Al caught him. "Edward! Edward!" I called out. "Brother! Brother!" Al called out when we hear the door open. "This way!" We hear someone called and we turn to see who it was and it was the two from the other night. "Who's there?" Al called out. "It's us! Come on! Hurry!" Fletcher said to the three of us. "Fletcher." Al said to the person. I got confused by all of this.
*FF*
Al sat his unconscious brother on his lap and I ran up to Ed. "What are you gonna do?" Al asked me. "I'm gonna give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, that's what." I said to him as I held Ed's nose, and opened his mouth and placed my mouth over his, and started giving him air in his lung two times. I pulled back and pressed his chest three times and did the same thing over and over again. But at that moment, he started to stir and regains consciousness and sees me, Al and those kid who he met.
"Brother, are you all right?" Al asked him. "Yeah, Ed, are you all right?" I asked him as he gasped and seesme face to face with him. I blushed and moved back so that he could sit up. "Where...where am I, guys?" Ed asked as he faced the kid named Fletcher. "And what the hell are they doing here?" Ed questioned angrily to us when the two felt frightened by him.
"We... We're sorry!" Fletcher said to him as Ed questions about it. "Huh? Well what are you sorry about? What'd you two do?" Ed asked them. "No, Fletcher, it's what you didn't do, isn't it? If you knowsomething, tell us. I get the feeling you two don't like what's going on here." Al said to him. "That red wateryou saw, it's a toxic substance that's polluting the whole town. But it's... it's a vital ingredient for creating a redstone." Fletcher said to us. "Is that why the people in Xenotime have been coughing so badly?" Al asked them as Fletcher nods and then he begins tearing up.
"We're so sorry!" Fletcher said to us as while the three of us look on after I stopped blushing. Ed began standing up while I stand up as well. "Okay, this is ridiculous. First thing's first,let's demolish this lab." Ed said to us. "I hear 'ya loud and clear, partner." I said to him. "We can't let you dothat." We hear a voice said as we turn to see those two impostors named Maya and Russell, and holding redstones in their hands.
"After all the work we put into it, we've finally created a red stone. My father gave me everything he had inpursuit of this breakthrough, Mr. Elric and Ms. Rockbell. If you two think we're gonna give up now, you're quitemistaken." Russell said to us. Ed and I chuckled. "So, you two care that much about a lame piece of costume jewelry?" I questioned. Russell growls at Ed and heuses alchemy on a nearby lamp and turns it into a sword. "Yeah, a fake sword from a fake stone, huh?" Edquestion as he claps his hands together. "I think I can top that!" Ed said as he turns his arm into a blade and charges at him and it became a sword fight. Ed and Russell continued their fight when the sword he transmuted started to break and Ed smirks at this.
"Mine's the genuine article." Ed said to him as he growls and knees him in the gut forcing him back. Russell started to create a pipe through the door via alchemy from the red stone."What the-?!" Ed said out of shock at what he did. "Red water straight from the tap. If you're doused with it,you're a goner. You'll lose a lot more than your consciousness." Russell said to him as Ed smirked.
"Fine, let it rain." Ed said as he claps his hands together and turned his arm from a blade to an umbrella, andRussell shoots the water at him. But was saved from it, thanks to his auto-mail turned umbrella. "Ed, this is crazy!" Al said. "Your brother and friend are right! Just go and you can live!" Russell said to him.
"Never!" Ed shouted as Russell gasped. "I'm not giving up to some naive kid who's desperate to be just liked Daddy!" Ed said as Russell growls and turns it on more and Ed tries his hardest to keep his footing, while I continued my cat fight with Laura not even noticing about the water. But Ed slips on the water and is almost hit by it, but Fletcher intervenes and takes the hit instead of Ed. "Fletcher!" Al called as he run up to him while Russell looks shocked by all this. I was shocked as well.
"Fletcher, hang in there!" Al said while Al carries the poor boy in his arms. "Brother, the reason Dad wanted to create a red stone was to bring happiness to people and to make their lives better! But what we've beendoing here, it's actually been making people suffer, hasn't it? Don't you see, the cost of forging that stone? It doesn't matter who gets credit anymore! Because this isn't... Because Dad would be ashamed if he could seewhat we've done!" Fletcher said to his brother. As he looks down, but then we hear a whistle go off and the five of us gasped at it.
{Ending Song}