Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Fullmetal Homunculus ❯ Strangers ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: I see absolutely no point in disclaimers. We're posting this on a fan fiction site for crying out loud! So unless half the people here have no idea what the words fan fiction mean, I am not going to write a disclaimer anymore.

 

Strangers

 

Al stared in utter disbelief. He couldn't move. He could speak. He just stared at the boy who could be his brother.

Winry had finally realized that Al wasn't behind her. “Hey Al what's wrong?” Then Al just bolted, finally finding the strength to move. “Al come back!” she shouted before he disappeared into the crowd.

Al was running, trying to get to his brother, but the crowd kept getting in the way. One by one the people just kept coming, almost trampling Al. When he finally shoved his way out of the crowd, his brother was gone.

`Where is he, where did he go?!' Al searched frantically all around, but found no one. “Brother! Brother!” The call was hopeless. He was gone. So close yet so far. Al dropped to his knees and cried his heart out. It wasn't fair. He saw his brother he was sure of it. He was alive, but he was gone.

Winry had finally caught up with Al. “Al! Al what happened?”

“Winry, you would never believe me.”

Winry kneeled down beside him. “Come on Al, you'd be surprised what I'll believe.”

Al looked up at her, tears streaming down his face. “I saw brother.”

Winry gasped. That was impossible. Was Ed really here? “Are you sure?”

“Yes I'm sure he was right here!” Al pounded his fist at the ground. “He was here!”

“Al! Al! Stop it!” Winry tried to restrain him from hurting himself. “Al it's okay.” She put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Maybe that was someone else who just looked like him.”

Al faced her with tears still in his eyes. “B-but he was here. I'm positive that was him.”

Winry sighed. Al would never get over this now. “Come on Al, let's get something to eat.”

“I'm not hungry.”

“Yes you are, just a few minutes ago you were complaining about it.”

“W-well, I'm not now.”

Winry tried to give a reassuring smile. “Al, just forget about it for now.”

Al couldn't believe what he was hearing. “What?”

“Forget about it, you can look for him later.”

“…You think he's dead.” It wasn't a question.

This time Winry couldn't believe what she was hearing. “No Al I don't believe that.”

“You're lying. You think brother is dead!” Al pushed away her hand and bolted out into the streets.

“Al come back!” But it was too late. Al disappeared again, and this time, she didn't know when he'd come back.

 

FMA

 

Al didn't know where he was going anymore. It felt like he'd been running for days, even though it could have only been a few hours. All he knew was that he was running in circles, running from the main street to the shops then to the town center and then back to the street. He didn't even remember why he was running. The sun was almost gone and the street lights came on. Al collapsed from pure exhaustion in the middle of the street. He was the only one there because everyone else was inside their homes with their families, the one thing Al didn't have. Al cried again. His tears dropped on the road along with all the other drops of rain that had just begun. It was all hopeless now. He would never find his brother. He was the last of the Elrics. He was alone.

“Are you okay?” A voice asked above him.

“Yes I'm fine, I-.” That voice. It was so familiar. So warm. That voice was…

“Brother!” Al looked straight up, and like the warm sun, Ed was staring down at him. “Brother it's you! I can't believe it's you!” Al embraced his brother and cried before Ed could do anything. This was the happiest, most wonderful moment in his life. His life was finally complete. Nothing could ruin this now, until…

“Who are you?”

Al's eyes shot open and let go of Ed, staggering away. “W-what?” His eyes were wide with disbelief.

“Who are you?” Ed repeated in the same confused tone.

“Y-you mean you don't know who I-I am?” Tears started to swell as Al looked back at Ed's calming golden eyes.

“No, who are you?”

Al broke down and cried all over again. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be. Had his brother forgotten who he was? Why didn't he remember? All that searching and this is what he had found. This was worst than not finding his brother at all.

Ed gazed down at Al in sorrow and confusion, wondering if he did something wrong. “Are you okay?”

Al didn't move. “I'm fine.” He finally said.

Now Ed was mortally confused. Not only did this kid hug him, but he sounded like he knew him. Who was this kid? “Come on. Let's go to my place.”

Al looked up. “What?”

Ed chuckled. “It's raining. You're gonna freeze if you stay out here.”

Al was confused by this sudden change, but it would be nice to get out of the rain. “Okay.”

“Great. Follow me.”

Al followed Ed for a few minutes, all the while thinking about what happen in the last few minutes. He admitted that he didn't know what he was getting into, but right now, he just wanted to know what had happen to his brother. Ed on the other hand was wonder just who that young boy was.

 

FMA

 

“We're here.” Ed and Al stopped at a small, but charming little house. It was just as charming on the inside as well, but Al noticed there were a lot automail parts and diagrams lying around.

“Do you live here by yourself?” Al asked.

“No. An automail mechanic has let me stay hear for a while.”

`Well that explains the automail.' Al thought. `This must be that mechanic's place Winry was talking about, which means that Winry is bound to show up here sooner or later.'

“Hey old man, I'm back!” Ed shouted up the stairs.

“Where were you?! I was getting worried about you Sute!”

“Sute?!” Al accidentally shouted, his once heartbreaking confusion now elevated into complete, baffled confusion.

“Yea, that's my name.” Ed answered gleefully.

“Sute, is there someone else with you?” The man shouted downstairs.

“Yea, I think he's a traveler, and he thinks he knows me.”

“I do know you!”

“All right, lets see what all the commotion's about.” A big, burly, middle aged man came down the stairs. The stairs squeaked loudly under his weight, or maybe it was just the old house.

He stared at Al like a watchdog. “Who are you?”

“Uh, Alphonse Elric sir.” Ed's eyes widened slightly at the name, as if he recognized it.

“And why are you here?”

“To find my brother.” Al could practically feel the man's eyes burning holes into his skull.

“And you think Sute is your brother?”

“…Yes.” Al glanced over to Ed, who was watching him intensely.

“Well okay then.” The man said surprisingly happily.

“Huh?” Al said surprised.

Huh?!” Ed said even more surprised.

“Yep. This Alphonse seems like a good little runt. Maybe you should listen to him.” The man gave Al a big pat on the back that knocked the wind out of him. “He seems like an honest fellow.” Al didn't know whether to be insulted or flattered by that comment. Ed sighed, not knowing what to say.

“So…Sute is your real name?” Al asked suddenly.

“No, it's just my nickname, I can't remember my real name.”

“You can't remember your name? But-”

“Why don't we go sit down and get this all sorted out, okay?” The man interrupted suddenly. Ed and Al nodded and all three of them sat down at a table.

Al spoke first. “So…Sute,” Al grimaced slightly at the name. “you can't remember anything?”

“No, I only remember the last few months, which I spent with Victor.” Ed was across from Al, looking down as if sad.

“That's me!” The man interrupted again.

Al was relieved. Before, he thought his brother didn't care who he was, and abandon him. But as it turns out, Ed couldn't even remember who he was. He couldn't come home without knowing where to go.

“What was your name again?” Ed asked snapping Al out of his thoughts.

“…Alphonse.”

“Alphonse…. seems familiar.” Ed said still looking down. “You really think I'm your brother?”

“I know you are! You look exactly like him!” And he did. He had the same hair, same face, and the same eyes. He was only wearing different clothes, which consisted of black pants, a white shirt, and a pair of black gloves, and shoes of course.

Ed finally looked up, and looked Al straight in the eye. “If you really do know me, then what is my name?”

Al smiled. “Your name's Edward Elric.”

Ed gasped. His eyes widened and something flashed through his mind. Images of people. Places. Emotions. Pain…

Ed fell to the floor, grasping his head in pain, as if trying to maintain his humanity.

“Sute!” “Brother!” Victor and Al both shouted simultaneously. They ran over to him trying to calm him down.

“Brother! Brother what's wrong?!” The pain only increased at those words and he screamed. The world was a blur now, just a bunch of colors all blending together. And the sounds, the sounds were like bees buzzing in his head. He began to fade, the world slowly going black. The last thing he saw before darkness took him was the image of a boy, and someone shouting `brother', over and over…

 

FMA

 

Second chapter done. The next time I say I'll update ASAP, expect the procrastinators' version. I was going to make it longer but decided to split it. I know this chapter wasn't that exciting, but the first few chapters are supposed to be a little sad, then it gets into the action. So just bear with me here, okay?

 

On another note, this story has nothing to do with the game Bluebird's Illusion. I only found out about the game four days ago and couldn't find out much about it, though I am curious about it.

 

Please tell me what you think of the story so far. Thank you!