Fan Fiction / Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ The Key to Alchemy ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: WillowBee the Cat 
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction / Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Supernatural / Romance / Adventure | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 04.10.2006 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.4K | Visits: 283 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction / Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Supernatural / Romance / Adventure | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 04.10.2006 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.4K | Visits: 283 | Status: Completed
Chapter 3
Colonel Roy Mustang waited for Fullmetal, Lt. Hawkeyed by his side. Seeing Al leave the train, Roy straightened up slightly. A moment later Ed walked on to the platform. Unexpectedly, Ed turned back to the train, helping a young woman on to the platform. Al, being the gentleman that he was offered her his arm.
She was pretty and delicate in appearance. One glance told Roy of her Ishbalin heritage. What had Fullmetal gotten himself into this time?
***
“Hey Fullmetal. Who’s your friend?”
Ed glared at Colonel Mustang. Damn, he’d forgotten that this was Mustang’s territory.
“Oh, hello Colonel,” said Al. “This is Miss Dawn-Marie Summers of Britain. She’s a street performer traveling through Amestris. Dawn, this is Colonel Mustang, brother’s superior officer.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Colonel,” said Dawn. Ed was pleased to hear the caution in her voice. She had obviously recognized Mustang for the evil, vindictive, womanizing bastard that he was.
It was then that Ed noticed where Mustang was looking. Lecherous bastard. “What are you doing here?” he growled.
“Excuse me, Lieutenant. I need to borrow your gun.”
Ed turned to see Dawn pull Lt. Hawkeye’s gun out of her holster. Before anybody could protest, Dawn had the safety off and was firing. Four bullets and an agonizing cry of pain later, Dawn unloaded the gun and handed the bullets and gun back to Hawkeye.
“I’m sorry about that,” said Dawn, ignoring the looks she was receiving. “I don’t usually carry firearms, the bullets are too expensive, you know. I’m assuming you wanted the prisoner taken alive. He may need to visit the doctor, but he can still answer questions.”
It was then that Ed turned to look at where the cry of pain was coming from. The so-called leader of the group of kidnapers was lying on the platform in a pool of blood. From the looks of it he had managed to escape, killing both of his guards.
“Where did-”
Ed decided that it would be best to stop Mustang before he could question Dawn too closely. He didn’t want the Colonel finding out anything about his new... friend before he did.
“Al, Dawn, come on. Let’s get going,” said Ed. “I need to finish writing my reports tonight.”
***
Dawn walked with Ed and Al, waiting for the questioning to begin. She hadn’t really been thinking when she shot that guy.
“Where did you learn to shoot like that?”
Dawn looked up at Al and then back down at the ground. “Wade taught me. He worked for my father a lot. Wade was the closest thing I ever had to a brother.”
“Soldier?”
Dawn turned to Ed, giving him a look. “Assassin.” She shrugged. “Haven’t seen Wade since I was eleven or so, though.”
“How old are you, anyway?”
Without thinking-something she seemed to be doing a lot these days-Dawn smacked Ed upside the head. “You never ask a lady her age!”
“Who said you were a lady?”
Dawn snorted. “This coming from the guy who’s so short that he couldn’t possibly be old enough for the army, let alone old enough to cross the street unsupervised!”
“WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT HE SHOULD STILL BE IN HIS MOTHER’S WOMB!?!?”
“YOU!!! You, annoying, short, jerk!”
“THEN WHY DON’T YOU LEAVE!?”
“I am leaving, you idiot!!!”
With that Dawn kicked Ed in the shin and stormed off.
***
Dawn sighed. That argument had been so stupid. She had spent the past two days playing on street corners and in seedy taverns, thinking about how idiotic she had been. Ed was one of the few nice guys that she had ever met, and she had insulted him rather badly.
She walked toward the military base, hoping that Ed would be there. A figure sat on the steps, arms wrapped around knees, a suit of armor nearby. Ed. It had to be Ed. It was raining out. Why on earth would he sit out in the rain like that? Something had to be wrong.
Dawn crouched down in front of Ed. “I’m sorry Ed. I shouldn’t have called you short.”
Ed grunted, a look of despair upon his face. She saw a tear run down his face, mixing with the rainwater. Dawn brushed back his bangs.
“Are you alright?”
“How could he?” Ed’s voice had lost all hope.
“How could who?”
“She was his daughter!” He squeezed his eyes shut, more tears escaping. “She was his daughter...”
“Ed-”
“He was supposed to protect Nina, not turn her into a chimera.”
Dawn paled. “Is Nina still alive?” Ed turned away from her. “Tell me! Is she still alive?!”
“Yes. But it would be better to die than to go through what the military will do to her.”
“Al, take Ed back to his room. I’ll be back tomorrow. You’ll be at the base, right?”
With that, Dawn ran off.
***
Dawn stepped over the guards, entering the room. A man stood over Shou Tucker’s dead body. An Ishbalin. He turned toward the dog like creature-Nina.
“[Step away from the Chimera,]” Dawn said in Romani.
“[Stay out of this, girl.]”
“[I can help her. I can change her back into a human.]” Dawn paused. “[It’s not her fault that her father was an abomination.]”
The man gave her a long, measuring look. Then he took a step back. With a nod of acknowledgment, Dawn knelt down next to Nina.
“Hello, Nina. My name is Dawn. I came to help you,” Daw said in a low voice. “Don’t be afraid, you’ll be back to normal soon.”
Dawn opened a portal, searching for the man who would be able to help her. She knew that it would cost her dearly. However, not little girl deserved what had been done to Nina Tucker. Helping her was the least she could do.
***
Ed looked at the doorway. Did he really want to know? Considering the military was involved, probably not. With that in mind, Ed turned to leave.
“Edward!”
Ed turned back to the doorway to see Lt. Hawkeye standing there. “Oh, first Lieutenant Hawkeye.”
“What are you doing here so early?” she asked.
“Uh... um...” Ed gathered up his courage. “I wanted to know... What’s going to happen to Tucker and Nina?”
“Tucker was scheduled to have his license revoked and then taken to Central to be put on trial...” Hawkeye trailed off. “But he died. Nina... nobody knows what happened to Nina yet. She just... disappeared.”
Woof! Woof!
The next thing Ed knew, he had been tackled to the ground. After a moment, Ed stood up again, looking at the hauntingly familiar dog in confusion.
“What?” Ed looked around, his eyes eventually resting on an even more familiar figure.
Dawn walked toward him, a sleeping Nina in her arms. The dog-Alexander ran back to Dawn, sniffing both females happily.
“Dawn? What did-How did-”
Dawn’s eyes were haunted, dead. “I turned Nina and Alexander back.”
She handed Nina to Ed and turned around.
“Wait! Where are you going?” demanded Ed.
Dawn glanced at him. “Equivalent exchange. I thought you would know that by now. A life for a life. Now if you don’t mind, I have a meeting with an immortal to attend.”
Colonel Roy Mustang waited for Fullmetal, Lt. Hawkeyed by his side. Seeing Al leave the train, Roy straightened up slightly. A moment later Ed walked on to the platform. Unexpectedly, Ed turned back to the train, helping a young woman on to the platform. Al, being the gentleman that he was offered her his arm.
She was pretty and delicate in appearance. One glance told Roy of her Ishbalin heritage. What had Fullmetal gotten himself into this time?
***
“Hey Fullmetal. Who’s your friend?”
Ed glared at Colonel Mustang. Damn, he’d forgotten that this was Mustang’s territory.
“Oh, hello Colonel,” said Al. “This is Miss Dawn-Marie Summers of Britain. She’s a street performer traveling through Amestris. Dawn, this is Colonel Mustang, brother’s superior officer.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Colonel,” said Dawn. Ed was pleased to hear the caution in her voice. She had obviously recognized Mustang for the evil, vindictive, womanizing bastard that he was.
It was then that Ed noticed where Mustang was looking. Lecherous bastard. “What are you doing here?” he growled.
“Excuse me, Lieutenant. I need to borrow your gun.”
Ed turned to see Dawn pull Lt. Hawkeye’s gun out of her holster. Before anybody could protest, Dawn had the safety off and was firing. Four bullets and an agonizing cry of pain later, Dawn unloaded the gun and handed the bullets and gun back to Hawkeye.
“I’m sorry about that,” said Dawn, ignoring the looks she was receiving. “I don’t usually carry firearms, the bullets are too expensive, you know. I’m assuming you wanted the prisoner taken alive. He may need to visit the doctor, but he can still answer questions.”
It was then that Ed turned to look at where the cry of pain was coming from. The so-called leader of the group of kidnapers was lying on the platform in a pool of blood. From the looks of it he had managed to escape, killing both of his guards.
“Where did-”
Ed decided that it would be best to stop Mustang before he could question Dawn too closely. He didn’t want the Colonel finding out anything about his new... friend before he did.
“Al, Dawn, come on. Let’s get going,” said Ed. “I need to finish writing my reports tonight.”
***
Dawn walked with Ed and Al, waiting for the questioning to begin. She hadn’t really been thinking when she shot that guy.
“Where did you learn to shoot like that?”
Dawn looked up at Al and then back down at the ground. “Wade taught me. He worked for my father a lot. Wade was the closest thing I ever had to a brother.”
“Soldier?”
Dawn turned to Ed, giving him a look. “Assassin.” She shrugged. “Haven’t seen Wade since I was eleven or so, though.”
“How old are you, anyway?”
Without thinking-something she seemed to be doing a lot these days-Dawn smacked Ed upside the head. “You never ask a lady her age!”
“Who said you were a lady?”
Dawn snorted. “This coming from the guy who’s so short that he couldn’t possibly be old enough for the army, let alone old enough to cross the street unsupervised!”
“WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT HE SHOULD STILL BE IN HIS MOTHER’S WOMB!?!?”
“YOU!!! You, annoying, short, jerk!”
“THEN WHY DON’T YOU LEAVE!?”
“I am leaving, you idiot!!!”
With that Dawn kicked Ed in the shin and stormed off.
***
Dawn sighed. That argument had been so stupid. She had spent the past two days playing on street corners and in seedy taverns, thinking about how idiotic she had been. Ed was one of the few nice guys that she had ever met, and she had insulted him rather badly.
She walked toward the military base, hoping that Ed would be there. A figure sat on the steps, arms wrapped around knees, a suit of armor nearby. Ed. It had to be Ed. It was raining out. Why on earth would he sit out in the rain like that? Something had to be wrong.
Dawn crouched down in front of Ed. “I’m sorry Ed. I shouldn’t have called you short.”
Ed grunted, a look of despair upon his face. She saw a tear run down his face, mixing with the rainwater. Dawn brushed back his bangs.
“Are you alright?”
“How could he?” Ed’s voice had lost all hope.
“How could who?”
“She was his daughter!” He squeezed his eyes shut, more tears escaping. “She was his daughter...”
“Ed-”
“He was supposed to protect Nina, not turn her into a chimera.”
Dawn paled. “Is Nina still alive?” Ed turned away from her. “Tell me! Is she still alive?!”
“Yes. But it would be better to die than to go through what the military will do to her.”
“Al, take Ed back to his room. I’ll be back tomorrow. You’ll be at the base, right?”
With that, Dawn ran off.
***
Dawn stepped over the guards, entering the room. A man stood over Shou Tucker’s dead body. An Ishbalin. He turned toward the dog like creature-Nina.
“[Step away from the Chimera,]” Dawn said in Romani.
“[Stay out of this, girl.]”
“[I can help her. I can change her back into a human.]” Dawn paused. “[It’s not her fault that her father was an abomination.]”
The man gave her a long, measuring look. Then he took a step back. With a nod of acknowledgment, Dawn knelt down next to Nina.
“Hello, Nina. My name is Dawn. I came to help you,” Daw said in a low voice. “Don’t be afraid, you’ll be back to normal soon.”
Dawn opened a portal, searching for the man who would be able to help her. She knew that it would cost her dearly. However, not little girl deserved what had been done to Nina Tucker. Helping her was the least she could do.
***
Ed looked at the doorway. Did he really want to know? Considering the military was involved, probably not. With that in mind, Ed turned to leave.
“Edward!”
Ed turned back to the doorway to see Lt. Hawkeye standing there. “Oh, first Lieutenant Hawkeye.”
“What are you doing here so early?” she asked.
“Uh... um...” Ed gathered up his courage. “I wanted to know... What’s going to happen to Tucker and Nina?”
“Tucker was scheduled to have his license revoked and then taken to Central to be put on trial...” Hawkeye trailed off. “But he died. Nina... nobody knows what happened to Nina yet. She just... disappeared.”
Woof! Woof!
The next thing Ed knew, he had been tackled to the ground. After a moment, Ed stood up again, looking at the hauntingly familiar dog in confusion.
“What?” Ed looked around, his eyes eventually resting on an even more familiar figure.
Dawn walked toward him, a sleeping Nina in her arms. The dog-Alexander ran back to Dawn, sniffing both females happily.
“Dawn? What did-How did-”
Dawn’s eyes were haunted, dead. “I turned Nina and Alexander back.”
She handed Nina to Ed and turned around.
“Wait! Where are you going?” demanded Ed.
Dawn glanced at him. “Equivalent exchange. I thought you would know that by now. A life for a life. Now if you don’t mind, I have a meeting with an immortal to attend.”