Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ The Forge Alchemist ❯ In Which Edwin Begins to Crumble ( Chapter 2 )

Title: The Forged Alchemist

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.

Summary: The Homunculus have left Amestris in shambles, and the new Fuhrer is an incompetent who is leading the country to downfall. When all hope is lost, Edward puts to the test a theoretical array, and enter Edwin Auric, the son of Hohenheim of Light, and elder half brother to Edward and Alphonse Elric.

 

Chapter 2

 

Pinako Rockbell prided herself in being a fairly rational person. Her son and his wife were accomplished doctors whose knowledge and chosen fields made their automail shop flourish. Of course, being an automail shop meant that one had to have some knowledge of medicine just in case one had to take care of complications that may arise before, during, or after the surgery. She knew when to be righteously angry and when to listen, and so when a young man who closely resembled Hohenheim Elric from the house up the hill, she deduced that this child might have been the result of a previous fling from before the man had met his wife. She could tell from the way the young man walked that he had automail, and guessed that he was here to get it looked at or to have any problems temporarily dealt with before he continued to his mechanic for more lasting repairs, so she had no qualms about letting him into the shop area and telling him to show her the automail. The young man stripped off his black cropped jacket to reveal his right arm and rolled up the left leg of his pants to reveal the automail. Pinako's eyebrows rose to her hairline as she recognized her family's designs, although this particular automail was much more advanced and refined, and if the young man's easy movement was any indication, much lighter as well.

 

“Who are you?” she asked cautiously, “This is obviously Rockbell work, if somewhat different, but I think I would remember if we serviced you.”

 

The young man smiled wryly. “Not quite. My name is Edwin Auric, and my father is Van Hohenheim Elric.”

 

Pinako blinked and shook her head. “An Alchemist like your father then,” she sighed. “Then there is a long and twisty story behind all of this, isn't there?”

 

“Yes.” The young man smiled, golden eyes dark with some unknown worry, “It's a very long and strange story. Please hear me out, and afterward, if you want to throw me out, you may do so.”

 

And because Pinako Rockbell was a reasonable woman, and this young man's words were not unreasonable, she agreed, and began quickly checking the automail as he spoke, her hands and tools careful as she removed the casing and poked around at the wires and gears. This was a magnificent example of automail, and she'd rather not damage it incase she lacked the knowledge to repair it.

 

~*~

 

“Take care of that automail, boy,” Pinako said as she escorted the pale and shaky Edwin to the door. “If it'll be another decade or two before we have the designs or knowledge to work that arm and leg of yours without fear of damaging it beyond repair, then try not to bang it up too much, or you'll have to get the current ones that we have, which are much, much heavier.”

 

Edwin swallowed hard, still somewhat surprised by how easily Pinako had taken the news and nodded. “I know, thanks a lot, Madame Rockbell.”

 

Pinako shrugged and watched as the young man stepped off the porch and onto the dirt road. She turned her head just enough to look up the hill toward where she knew the Elric family home was located and frowned. So that was what Hohenheim and Trisha's son was going to grow up as. A military dog, one that had a long leash and short collar and was all but set free. One of those rare dogs with a kind heart that was breaking because of guilt and sorrow, but a dog of the military nevertheless. Pinako would have hated the boy because of his connections to the military, were it not for the pain that wracked his spirit and filled his words as he had told her his story, and she didn't see the need to extract a promise from him to ensure that Trisha's newborn son would not walk the same road he had. His eyes as he had spoken told her that he would ensure that little Edward Elric would not suffer as he had if he could possibly help it, because Edwin Auric would be there to help Edward Elric and Alphonse Elric when they had been alone before.

 

As she returned inside her house, she wondered if Edwin's newest mission, one that would forever wipe out the person he had become and strip him of the people that he'd known and destroy the world that he had been born and raised and had fought to protect, would break him, because he was very close to the breaking point now. How would seeing his former comrades and enemies so close, yet so far affect him? He'd essentially given up his own identity to perform this mission, and many of the bonds he'd had would have to be rebuilt anew, because the comrades he'd fought beside would no longer be comrades who were older and more experienced, but rather peers of a similar age, and he would be the one with more experience, because as far as he knew, he'd been a Dog of the Military since he'd been twelve years old. Pinako couldn't help but pray that Edwin would not break into tiny irreparable pieces before the foundation for the changes his Fuhrer and Commanding Officers had ordered could be laid. If it meant a better world, and a better Amestris in which the Military Dogs served the people instead of the ambitions of power hungry men, then she would be more than happy to throw in her support for a military dog, or Edwin Auric, the future self of little Edward Elric to be precise; because the son of Hohenheim and Trisha Elric would be the one to change the world, if he could only hold himself together for a few more years.

 

~*~

 

Two Months Later…

 

It had been ridiculously simple to infiltrate the military academy. Edwin scoffed as he picked up his uniform and the directions to his dorm, which he'd be sharing with another cadet, one that Edwin did not recognize, for which he was eternally thankful. He knew that he had an unfair advantage, having been military since he'd been twelve, and the fact that this was a part of his mission, and if it meant ensuring that most of the ills that occurred in his past would not take place here, he'd be more than happy to do whatever it took. His only concern at the moment was for his hard earned self-control—necessary on the battlefields of Drachma—and his childhood genius to shine, thus earning him a private dorm—because sooner or later, he was going to start showing obvious signs of post traumatic stress disorder—and for him to get into the ranks of the State Alchemists and begin his upward movement. Then his incorporating himself into the daily lives of his former commanding officers now peers to ensure his position and the process of laying down the foundations for the changes in the future would begin.

 

Distantly, as he made his way to his dorm, Edwin wondered when his collar had tightened and the leash had shortened to the point where he had become a dog that would bark on command. When had he become the emotionless military dog he'd sworn never to become?

 

~*~

 

Three Years Later….

 

The phone rang, its trill echoing shrilly through the house. A dark haired woman standing at the kitchen sink wiped her hands on a rag as she crossed the room to reach for the phone in the hallway outside.

 

“Elric residence,” she said.

 

“Is this Trisha Elric?” a cool male voice said.

 

The woman frowned. “Yes?”

 

“This is Edwin Auric.”

 

“Oh! Edwin!” Trisha smiled, “It's been a while. I'm afraid Hohenheim is out right now. How have you been?”

 

“I'm fine, thank you. Speaking of which, Edward is turning four soon isn't he?”

 

“Yes,” Trisha was confused. “Why?”

 

“I have been thinking,” Edwin said, “I have a physical assessment in two weeks and since I need to have a tune up for my automail before then, and since I'll be in Rizembool, would you mind terribly if I dropped by to say hello to the boys?”

 

“Oh, we'd be glad to have you!” Trisha said, “And you can tell us all about the military! Ed will be glad to see you, Al also I think. They both wanted to meet their big brother for such a long time!”

 

Edwin didn't speak for a moment, and Trisha was suddenly worried that maybe she had insulted the boy, and she was about to apologize when Edwin spoke again.

 

“I see…” he said quietly, “Then if that is what they want, I'll do my best by them.”

 

Trisha fell silent and then realized something. “You aren't the only son Hohenheim had before Ed, are you?”

 

“The eldest was William with a woman called Dante, but he is gone,” Edwin's voice was tight with anger, “Edward is the youngest now.” There was a moment of silence and Edwin said in a slightly more cheerful voice, “I'll call from my mechanic's shop when I arrive, if it's alright.”

 

“Of course,” Trisha said.

 

There was silence, then a hesitant, “Thank you for letting me be a part of the family, Trisha.”

 

“Nonsense!” Trisha cried, “I've told you before! You have just as much right to be a part of this family as Ed and Al! The three of you are all Hohenheim's children after all.”

 

“I… Thank you.” There was a brief pause and Trisha could hear some shuffling and muted voices over the line and Edwin spoke again, his voice much more lighthearted than before, “I'll call back later then. It seems my peers are of the impression that I'm taking too much time the phone. I'll see you in a week. Please tell Hohenheim and the boys that I said hello.”

 

“Of course, we'll look forward to your arrival.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“We'll see you in a week, Edwin.”

 

“Understood. Good bye.”

 

Then there was a click, and all that could be heard was a dial tone.

 

~*~

 

Two Weeks Later…

 

Trisha was at the window as she prepared the batter for the cake and watched as Edwin leaned against one of the support beams for the patio and looked out over the yard where Edward and Alphonse were playing with Winrys and her dog, Den. His lips were curved up in a small smile, and every line in his body screamed nostalgia and more than a little sadness. She couldn't help but wonder if Edwin had brought anything from his home to remember his old life by. She slid open the window and called out, “Edwin, help me carry some juice outside for the children?”

 

The young man straightened and flashed a small crooked smile as he made his way to the door. “Coming,” he said warmly.

 

Trisha felt a thrill of pleasure at seeing the young man's golden eyes light up with humor. She smiled as she set a pitcher of juice on a tray with four glasses and Edwin entered the kitchen to pick it up. Yes, this was how it was supposed to be, because Edwin was just as much a son of Hohenheim as Edward and Alphonse, and that made the boy family. She wanted him to feel as if he could always come back to Risembool if he needed, because what Edwin needed was a family, especially having gone without for such a long time. She wanted for Edwin to be able to call their little household home, because really, watching him pour glasses of juice for the playing children out in the backyard, he simply fit into the picture flawlessly. An elder brother, one who could be relied on when Hohenheim left for his research, and when Trisha's illness made her weak, she wanted this young man to be there for her children when she could not. Because in the short time that she'd known him, she had come to love Edwin as though he were her own son, and that made all the difference.

 

~*~

 

Edwin deftly sidestepped the three children that tried to tackle him, lifting the tray higher with his automail arm to keep from accidentally hitting one of them on the head.

 

“I know you are thirsty, but try not to hurt yourselves, children,” he chuckled.

 

“But brother!” Edward cried, and Edwin tried not to flinch away from his younger self's voice, that single title bringing up memories both good and bad, because young Edward had been far too happy to call Edwin “Brother” and Alphonse followed suit by calling him “Elder Brother” to keep from getting confused since Edward was “Brother”. “You're holding the drinks too high!”

 

Edwin smiled at the three as he set the drinks on a small table out on the porch, “And tackling me is not going to get you anything to drink, rather, you will find all of Trisha's hard work spilled onto the floor.”

 

“Hey, Brother?”

 

Edwin poured the juice into each glass and said absently, “Yes, Edward?”

 

“Why do you call mama by her name? Only papa does that.”

 

Edwin paused and lied through his teeth since time travel was an esoteric art, and he had given up his previous existence to the children in front of him, “I call Trisha by name because although Hohenheim is my father, Trisha is not my mother. She is my step-mother.” His heart clenched as he denied his own mother, and Edwin wondered if Trisha Elric would forgive him if she ever found him out.

 

~*~

 

Edwin left the morning after Edward's birthday party after transmuting a small playground for the children to amuse themselves with. The Elrics had accompanied him to the train station where they said their goodbyes.

 

“It was fun with you here. I wish you could stay, big brother,” Alphonse said quietly.

 

“Yeah!” Edward cried, “Why do you have to go, brother?”

 

Edwin chuckled weakly. “I don't have much of a choice, boys. I need to get back to Central for the exams. Bad enough that I'm almost four years older than most of the students in my classes, but I need to move up and quickly. Once I graduate from the Academy, I'll take the State Alchemy Exams, and once that's done, I'll have some free time on my hands. Don't worry. It's not as if I'll be gone forever.”

 

“Be careful,” Trisha warned, “Don't be too eager to graduate. Rumor is that things aren't going well in Ishbal. If you graduate too soon, you might find yourself in the middle of a warzone. Spare your poor father's heart, and don't worry the boys, yes?”

 

Edwin's smile was sad, and Trisha knew that the young man wasn't going to promise her that, and even if he did, it would be a promise that he would break. “I will try.”

 

~*~

 

Two Years Later…

 

Edwin stood in front of the examination building, his eyes taking in every inch of the pale stonework and the banner bearing the Amestrian Crest that was draped over the front of the building. He remembered the first time he'd seen the building, he'd been twelve, and Alphonse had been beside him, and the then Major Maes Hughes had been there also, wishing both boys luck before he hurried off to his office to finish up some paperwork and go over some obscure detail of the investigations under his watch. He swallowed, remembering how unwieldy the automail was, bringing him to resort to using his left hand to write, and going slow, trying to keep his writing legible. He remembered the tiredness of his wrist as he left the building with Alphonse, remembered the disappointment that he had been unable to finish the test, remembered Nina, innocent little Nina and her massive dog Alexander greeting them, and the talk with Mustang later that day… Edwin forced the memories away and with what seemed like monumental effort, ascended the stairs, struggling to keep his face and eyes cool and bland, feeling as if his memories and swirling emotions were tattooed across his forehead.

 

The exam room was the same as he remembered, and he took a seat in the very back, his eyes turned toward the front where three military officials stood. It was almost exactly the same as Edwin remembered it in the future that was his past, the Fuhrer standing in a balcony at the front of the room, flanked by two military officials. Edwin recognized one as Basque Gran, and the other was a nameless general that had been assassinated in the four months before he'd taken the State Alchemy Exams for the first time. It was odd to not see Mustang or General Hakuro up there, and Edwin could remember a moment before he'd been shipped off to Drachma a second time when it had been Flame and Fullmetal up on that balcony flanking the Madame Fuhrer Armstrong while overseeing the written exam.

 

Edwin pinched the muscle at the base of his thumb, a subtle reminder to himself to stop thinking about it too much. There was too much at stake for him to spend time wallowing. Once everything was over, or calmed down a bit, he would sit down with a bottle and think and remember and maybe cry a bit, but until then, he needed to focus. It might be rather counterproductive to his already fragile mentality, but he needed to be in Ishbal before his mission really began.

 

The Fuhrer—Edwin suppressed an angry snarl at the thought of being once more under the control of a bloodthirsty homunculus—signaled the start of the exam, and the Lieutenant-Colonel turned Cadet bowed his head over the exam papers and picked up a pencil and began scribbling. Just because he was in his past didn't mean that his feelings or the feelings of his peers were any less real. They had gone through a lot to get him as far as he was, and even if they didn't know that it was him, if he could repay even a little bit of the favor, then Edwin would be content, because how could anyone be happy knowing that they didn't belong in the existence that they were trying to integrate themselves into?

 

~*~

 

“Why do you wish to join our military?”

 

It was a question that was familiar to him. He'd answered it once before, although the array in the room made it impossible for him to remember exactly what it was that he'd answered. It hardly mattered though. He'd had a goal then, and he had a goal now. He needed only answer honestly, and if the array accepted him, then he would pass, at which point, he was only required to take the practical exam, and afterward, his mission would begin in earnest.

 

“To bring my loved ones a bright future,” Edwin answered, “So my half-brothers will always have someone to support them, so the faith that my family places in me will not be in vain, because I told them I would be an Alchemist in the service of the State, to take all the good and the ills that come with it. Because I made a promise, and I do it not for my own gain, but for the sake of those under my care.” The words left him easily, and he could see in the sparkle in the general's eyes that he'd answered well, and the interview continued smoothly from there.

 

~*~

 

Edwin stepped out of the exam building into the noonday sun and fished his watch from his pocket, running wistful fingers over the emblazoned flamel before he opened it, his eyes taking in the picture of his friends, all in civvies, squashed together, their faces gaunt and tired from the strains of war, but laughing at the predicament that they were putting themselves into so their little-not-so-little-anymore Fullmetal would have a snapshot of happier days when they all knew him in his watch when he was alone in his past without the very name that made him who he was. They were all in front of Gracia's house, if Edwin wasn't mistaken, and they had likely asked some neighbor to take the picture for them. Dear Gate Above, he missed them like mad.

 

He'd give anything to be fourteen again, lounging on the couch in Mustang's office, exchanging barbs with the frazzled Colonel as they both filled out paperwork. Hawkeye would be in the outer office, filling out her own paperwork or cleaning her guns, shooting Mustang looks that promised pain if he didn't finish his paperwork right now every so often through the open door and discussing something or other with Havoc while the smoker chewed absently on an unlit cigarette while either filling out paperwork or fiddling with his rifle. On the other side of the Outer office, Breda would be stuffing his face with donuts while working on a project with Falman, and Alphonse and Fuery would obsess over Al's newest stray in some out of the way corner. Those were easier, happier days, and there were times when Edwin missed them so badly that it felt as if his heart had split open and his lungs were being squeezed with an invisible hand, and loneliness was so bad that it hurt and he would fight the urge to do violence to either himself or his concerned roommate or run through the streets on Central until he reached the Hughes residence or Mustang's apartment, or the dorms in which one of the staff members lived, but he couldn't because they just weren't there!

 

Edwin snapped the watch shut forcefully and shoved it into his pocket and tilted his head up toward the sun so he could have a plausible reason for his watering eyes. But Gate Above! He knew better than to think of anything other than his mission right now, how could he have been so weak to indulge in his self-pity at a time like this? Foundations needed to be laid and he didn't have time to be sad or homesick!

 

A hand on his flesh shoulder and a familiar concerned baritone drew him out of his thoughts.

 

“Hey, you alright, Auric?”

 

Edwin turned, and his stomach flipped as he came face to face with Cadet Roy Mustang.

 

~*~

 

TBC…