Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Metal and Tears ❯ A Chance Meeting ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

*Writer: Yeah, all copyrights go to Hiromu Arakawa...yadda, yadda, yadda, I don’t own Fullmetal Alchemist blah, blah, blah,.... LET’S GET THE SHOW ON THE ROAD!!! Oh and don’t blame me for the weird things that happen in here, I have way too much time on my hands as well as too many FMA pics...*

Edward Elric stepped off the last train in the dusty town of war, blood, death and ruins, the town of Ishbal. The winds picked up and the sand grated so much against the back of his throat that he had to cover his mouth with his sleeve to keep from being choked. He pulled out the silver watch that signified him as a State Alchemist and narrowed his golden eyes in anger.
“Damn Fuhrer, damn him and his orders.” He clutched the trinket tight in his palm as if to break it in his grasp when a voice sounded behind him.
“Brother?” Alphonse stepped off the stair carrying with him the only bag that the Elric brothers possessed. Edward calmed himself down and placed the watch back into his pocket remembering why he was there.
“Edward,” Lieutenant Colonel Hughes had said two days before.
“You’ve read Marcoh’s notes, and you’ve only found a small portion of the secrets that The Philosopher’s Stone holds. Well, so has the Fuhrer. Orders have come to Central that you and Alphonse are to go directly to Ishbal, and investigate where the Stone was first used. We’ve had reports to come in about some very strange alchemy going on out there, but to what degree, we have no clue. That’s where you come in, if it’s anything you find suspicious, Edward, orders are to search and destroy. Do you understand?”
It had been easy enough to say ‘Sure I understand.’ at the time, but now that Edward was there, he was starting to have doubts. He grinned largely in hopes of driving away the fear he had that what was really going on was much bigger than Central had expected, even bigger than the horror he and Alphonse had discovered at Laboratory Five.
“Brother, are you all right?” Alphonse’s face showed concern even through the metal helm. Edward turned.
“Come on Al, we’re at as good a place as any to start locating any information on the Philosopher’s Stone.” Alphonse hoisted the bag, and nodding, followed Edward into the ruined city.
Edward and Alphonse had just turned a corner of a crumbling building when they heard a scream come from the other side of a large rubble pile they stood next to. The Elrics scrambled to the top where they could get a better view of what was happening. They saw a young girl, not too much older than Edward, being backed into a corner that had been made by the remains of two destroyed walls. She had sandy hair and piercing ice-blue eyes. The girl wore only a simple black tank that looked covered in dust and sand. Edward figured from the way she stood leaning on one of the walls for support, she had been on the run for at least two days, maybe more, her denim pants were torn at the knees and spattered with caked on blood. She clenched her gloved fists in rage as two hulking bikers wearing leather jackets and studded helmets advanced upon her idling, on two large motorcycles.
“Heh, heh...” Chuckled the one in front.
“Thought you could steal the boss’s chimera and get away with it, did you?” Edward jerked but then eyed the mentioned chimera cowering behind the girl as she stood protectively over it.
“SUMI! RUN FOR IT!” She cried as the bikers made a rush at the two. The yellow-gray beast made a leap away from the attack and landed just beside Edward, the chimera’s face seemed to plead for his help, but before he could rationalize against it, the chimera was gone.
“I’m going to regret this.” Edward grumbled to himself as he tapped his brother’s shoulder.
“Let’s go, it’s time to do our good deed for the day.” Alphonse nodded and quietly followed his brother around the back of the rubble pile to catch the bikers off-guard.
The first chain hit hard and fast as thoughts of her friend ran rampant through the girl’s mind. She fell to the ground, hair coming loose from her ponytail and falling into her face as the biker’s turned around for more. She knew that in her state, even if she had a good head start, she would never be able to outrun the motorbikes. She forced herself onto one knee and looked sadly in the direction that the chimera had gone.
“Forgive me Sumi, I can’t fight anymore....” She whispered as she hung her head ready for the end. Suddenly there was a great flash in front of her. The girl’s head jerked up and she saw two figures in front of her, standing between her and the bikers. There was a smaller one dressed in a red trench coat, and his partner decked out in full armor.
“Stay out of our way and we’ll handle these idiots.” The girl nodded, and ducked low to the rubble to her left.
“Who are these people?” She asked herself. One of the bikers cursed an oath under his breath and made a lunge at the one in armor, but he caught the biker’s arm, and with one powerful swing, sent him flying into the side of a brick building. Then the smaller one grinned and gestured mockingly to the remaining biker.
“Want to try your luck against me? I’m not as strong as my partner is so I doubt I could throw you back into a building.” The burly man hesitated, then fled the scene forsaking his friend as he loosed his bike to the West. The one in red turned to his friend and sighed as he scratched the back of his head.
“Aw Al, I guess he was too chicken to test his luck.”
“Brother.. you’re too harsh.” The girl smiled and was about to thank her heroes, but then she felt something slide up beside her, she looked and saw the bulky form of the chimera she had been with.
“Sumi!” The girl fell to her knees, wrapping her arms around the animal’s neck.
“Oh, Sumi, I’m so glad you’re okay!” She was suddenly interrupted by a harsh cough behind her. The girl turned to find the two that had come to her rescue standing just a few feet away. She rose and bowed in thanks.
“Thank you two so much, I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t come to our rescue!” The shorter one scratched the back of his head again as he grinned sheepishly.
“Ah, don’t worry about it, but listen, what we’re really interested in is why those guys were chasing you.” The girl’s eyes narrowed and she placed a hand on top of the chimera’s head.
“I trust you, but I don’t trust you that much. I’m sorry.” She backed away slowly hoping to put some distance between them.
“Wait!” Cried the one in armor.
“Who are you? My name is Alphonse Elric, and this is my brother, Edward.” The girl glanced sideways at the two then looked at her friend. The chimera slightly nodded, or as close to a nod as a chimera could get, and Edward saw the girl reluctantly agree.
“My name is Kiri, and this,” She said motioning to the animal at her side.
“Is Kasumi.” At the sound of her name, the chimera wagged the long thin tail she had as she sat back onto her haunches. Alphonse looked sadly into the round, dark eyes.
“Just like Nina...” He whispered to himself.
“How long has she been like this?” Edward forced out.
“Not very long, she used to be a performer at the circus that we both worked at, but one day Kasumi fell terminally ill. It was only a couple of weeks after that, that some weirdo came to examine her, creepy guy, always had a trench coat on...and a hat for that matter, anyway he told us that if we agreed to whatever terms he demanded, he could save her. Naturally we all agreed, after that he wanted to see our livestock and he ended up picking out one of our oldest lions and taking it with him. The next time we all saw Kasumi, she looked like this, and the freak with the underdeveloped voice box was nowhere to be found.
The ringleader thought she would make a great freak show attraction, but I wouldn’t stand for it. Kasumi had always wanted me to leave, so in the dead of night a couple of days ago, I took her and ran.” When she had finished recounting the tale, Kiri noticed Edward’s face had become dark.
“What’s wrong?” She asked as he turned, shoulders stiff.
“Not long ago,” Alphonse said as he glanced back at his brother.
“We met a young girl whose father was a State Alchemist. We were trying to find some.....interesting research, but all we found was a madman. In order to meet his assessment requirements, he transmuted his daughter and her dog into a chimera like your friend there.” Kiri lowered her gaze.
“ What happened to them?” She heard Edward draw a shallow breath.
“They were murdered just after we found out what he had done.” He said softly.
“I’m sorry.” Kiri replied. She bowed once more and turned to leave when she felt a hand grab her shoulder. She turned to find Edward’s golden eyes staring straight into hers. She came a head taller than him, but Kiri was sure that the youth’s eyes she stared into scared her as much as someone who towered over either of them.
“Edward?” She asked, voice wavering.
“I’m sorry too, our orders are to eliminate anything alchemically suspicious.” Kiri’s eyes widened.
“Orders?” She felt something hit the back of her head and just as the world around her started to fade, she saw Edward pull from his pocket, a small silver watch inlaid with the State’s crest, after that, all was dark and silent.