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fullmetalscullyy · 4 years ago

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the way it was - chapter 40

summary: what if riza never went to war? riza hawkeye has just married the man she loves. six months into their marriage, an unexpected surprise stops her from following roy to the military. a canon divergence au that explores what might have happened had riza been unable to join the military. there will be plenty of family fluff, angst, and royai.

rated: m | warnings: graphic depictions of violence (updated)

read on ao3

1915

i'm not afraid of burning bridges

'cause i know they're gonna light my way

like a phoenix, from the ashes

welcome to the future it's a new day

The fight against Father was not what Riza had been expecting. Roy had briefly described the situation as they were lifted into the sky by his alchemy – that they needed to drain Father’s Philosopher’s Stone and the many lives contained within it in order to beat him. Numerous souls being trapped inside one man was unfathomable, however after learning about homunculi, “world ending” plots, and one being’s desire to become God – however briefly that had happened – Riza didn’t think it was too far out the realm of possibility at this point in the day.

Riza had been Roy’s eyes, guiding his attacks and gauging distances for their target. She let him know what was coming their way and when to defend against it. It had been difficult as her vision wavered with exhaustion, but Riza pushed through. With a quick slap to her cheeks to perk herself up, Riza forced herself to keep it together and continue fighting.

After a rather large stream of fire from Roy, Father sent it back their way with no mercy.

“Incoming attack, dead ahead!”

Roy clapped his hands and dropped like a stone, slamming them into the ground. Riza kept her grip on his shoulder, so her body jerked as he moved, but managed to maintain continuous contact. After the sharp movement her head spun, and a burst of light-headedness almost overwhelmed her. Through the fog in her vision Riza saw a wall of stone pop up from the ground as a shield. It sent the incoming flames off their path, dispersing them around and away from them.

“Nicely done,” Riza complimented, feeling relief relax her shoulders as the force of the flames stirred her hair and loose jacket. She hadn’t even had time to explain what was coming, but Roy had saved them both, as well as Major Armstrong, from being consumed by the fire.

Roy smirked and thanked her, remaining low. Once Father’s attention had been diverted away by someone else, Riza patted his shoulder twice, indicating they were about to move. Wearily, Riza steadied herself with a hand against Roy’s chest and one on his shoulder.

“You okay?” He picked up her slight sway before they started to move, as well as how hard she was gipping onto him. It was much needed to keep her upright. He was a pillar of support that kept her moving forward.

“Fine,” she nodded, starting to move.

Riza guided them around the wall of stone, so they’d have a clearer view of the fight. Roy’s arm slid around her back, holding on as tightly as he could. More support. As they walked, he assisted with keeping her upright while she assisted with keeping him on a safe path. They worked together fluidly ducking out of the way so Major Armstrong could demolish the wall with an enthusiastic yell and alchemise it himself, turning it into an attack.

“Are you really okay?” Roy prompted her again. It was not out of disbelief towards her, but probably fear of the unknown in his current state.

“Tried, but okay,” Riza reassured. “You don’t trust me?” She made sure to pat his chest affectionately and keep her voice light so Roy could hear she was only joking, as a means to lighten the mood.

“On the contrary, there’s no one I trust more.” He faltered as Riza tugged him gently to the side, prompting him to sidestep to avoid a large stone. “That’s why I asked you to be my eyes, after all.”

Riza angled her head to look at him, smiling.

“However, I know what you can be like, Mrs. Mustang,” he teased. The corners of his lips tugged upwards slightly in a smile.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

Her quip was quickly forgotten and before Roy could open his mouth to reply, Riza pulled him up short.

“Debris, incoming! From the left. Fifty feet in the air.”

Roy clapped and dropped low again without missing a beat. Riza followed him, crashing painfully onto the concrete as her knees almost gave out. Both palms hit the gravel, scraping her skin roughly as it bit into her skin. Darkness consumed her as a sheet of stone rose up and covered their heads. It extended far over their bodies, much larger than was necessary, however, Riza appreciated it, nonetheless. There was the sound of gravel as it rained down upon their shelter, followed by a loud thud above them. Riza looked over, noticing Roy’s drawn expression and how he cringed at the loud noise. She tried not to think about how and where that could have hit them if she hadn’t noticed it in time.

“Are we okay?”

“Wait here.” She squeezed his shoulder as she passed by, crawling towards the edge of the shelter he’d made.

“Riza?”

It was much larger than she realised, and it took a while to reach the edge, especially in her tired state. Her muscles protested and shook as she moved along the concrete. Sharp stones bit into her palms, irritating her skin.

“Riza?” Roy prompted her a second time, impatience and concern clouding his voice.

“I’m fine,” she called over her shoulder. “We’re fine. The shelter’s a lot larger than anticipated. I’m still crawling to the edge.”

Looking out, Riza found they were safe. Her tired legs quivered as she fell to the side and sat on the ground, before shuffling back over to Roy.

“I made it too large?”

“After that thud we heard, nothing could be too big,” she reassured.

“I suppose you’re right,” he chuckled.

“The expanse was much appreciated,” Riza reassured, placing a hand on his back. “Head straight forward. You’re safe and there’s nothing in the way. Just stay low so you don’t bang your head.” The ceiling above them wasn’t too low, however, she didn’t need to add a potential concussion onto their already too long list of injuries.

She eased herself out after Roy. A heavy hand was placed on the roof of the shelter to help Riza lift herself to her feet.

“What’s our next move?”

“Everyone’s attacking with alchemy,” Riza explained as she looked around the battlefield. “They’re draining Father’s power, but they need more.”

“Then let’s give them more,” Roy smirked.

She nodded. “I’ll give you the signal.” Riza grasped his elbow and turned Roy so he was facing Father directly. “He’s dead ahead and unmoving.”

“Do I need to hold back?”

“No,” she replied firmly, giving his elbow a squeeze. “Give the bastard all you’ve got.”

Roy snorted, muttering it would be his pleasure as he wrapped an arm around Riza’s waist. She rested her hand on his chest, moving the other to his lower back, sliding it underneath his uniform jacket, as she watched for an opening.

Another round of shells and a boulder hit Father’s shield but didn’t pierce through. Izumi transmuted the ground to rise up, high into the air, forming a cone around his body. Father didn’t move, didn’t react. He remained still.

“Now, Roy!”

The fire burned so hot and so bright that Riza took an instinctive step back. Her eyes screwed up after the blinding flash of flames. As the light eased the fire became a violent vortex inside Izumi’s transmuted cage, towering high into the sky. Embers fluttered on the wind across the battlefield as everyone cringed, taking brief cover from Roy’s alchemy.

It still hadn’t been enough. Riza’s stomach dropped.

Nothing was enough.

Except…

The attacks continued and Riza watched on as Edward approached, almost striking Father in the head with a well placed kick. However, Father had to block Edward’s leg physically, rather than using his shield.

“Anything?” He was hopeful, but Roy’s tone was still reserved as he asked for confirmation on his attack.

“It hasn’t been enough, but –”

Edward was thrown off to the side, landing in a heap painfully after he rolled to a stop. Riza’s heart jumped into her throat and her grip on Roy tightened as she feared for the teen and his safety. He’d already lost his automail arm, thanks to Father. She didn’t want him to lose anything else.

Black tendrils of smoke started to escape from Father’s mouth. He clutched his head, body bowing forward and writhing in pain.

“He can’t keep the power of God he claims to have in check anymore!” Hohenheim’s cry echoed around them as Father continued to struggle to keep a hold of his power. Red sparks jumped around his body as they all stared in disbelief and horror. An eye appeared inside Father’s mouth, staring out at them all.

Father screamed as the light reached a crescendo. A pulse of energy pushed out from his body, blasting back everything in its path. People went flying into the air with a cry and Riza didn’t even have time to warn Roy of what was coming when it hit. Their grip on each other loosened with the surprise of the sudden attack, as they were knocked back in the shockwave of energy.

Riza hit the ground painfully, landing on her back. The wind had been knocked out of her, causing her to gasp and desperately try to refill her lungs with air. Rolling onto her uninjured side as she coughed, Riza searched for Roy. He’d landed a few feet away from her.

“Riza?” Roy coughed as he lifted himself slowly to his knees with a groan. His expression was twisted into a grimace of pain and his back was hunched over, his body curling inwards as his arm clutched at his stomach. “Riza!”

She couldn’t even reply to him. She tried, but still felt like she couldn’t breathe. Roy started to crawl in her direction, following the sound of her heaving breaths. His arm never left his stomach as he moved and his shoulder dropped every so often, giving out underneath his weight.

“I’m okay,” she tried, but it was nothing more than a croak in between gasps.

Roy’s hand reached for her calf, which he clamped onto immediately. He ran it up to her hip, over her waist, then to her shoulder.

“Riza?” His hands fretted over her, his expression pulled into deep concern.

“I’m fine,” she finally managed.

Roy’s hand slid up to her neck, his touch gentle as his thumb stroked her cheek.

“The wind was knocked out of me.”

“Apart from that, are you all right?”

Riza grimaced as she assessed her injuries. Nothing felt too hurt or out of place. Her back hurt from the impact but that was it. “Sore back,” she revealed, “but it’ll be okay.”

“Do we have time to take a minute?”

Riza glanced around, noticing others rising to their feet slowly and nodded, a movement which Roy felt. “We do.”

“Easy,” he soothed.

Her elbow supported her weight as she shifted to a half-seated position. Roy’s hand moved to rest on her back, taking some of her weight, but the arm across his stomach remained in place.

“Are you okay?” Her breath left her in a wheeze as she tried to speak louder.

He grimaced. “My old wound is playing up. I think I landed on something, but I’m not entirely sure.”

“Let me see.” Riza shifted and sat up properly to take a look at him. Gently, she pried Roy’s fingers away. “There’s no blood.” She looked back in the direction of where he’d landed. There was some gravel littering the ground accompanied by some larger stones. “It looks like it might’ve been a stone. Something blunt, but solid.”

“It certainly felt that way,” Roy chuckled, but it was pained.

They helped each other to their feet before they were halted by a chilling call.

“Al, no!”

Riza’s head snapped up in alarm as she heard Edward’s cry.

Lying on his back, Alphonse’s arms were raised into the air, where he clapped. That one clap seemed to echo around the whole area, signalling a finality that Riza didn’t particularly understand but could definitely feel.

Blue light consumed Alphonse completely, expanding outwards, however, this was much gentler than Father’s had been.

“Alphonse!”

Riza looked on in disbelief and with fear, after hearing Edward’s anguished cry.

“Was that –?” Roy never even finished his sentence and Riza didn’t think she’d be able to reply to him anyway, because Edward Elric miraculously had his arm back. The automail was gone. He surged forwards and ripped the rebar from his arm, attacking Father without mercy.

Everyone cheered him on, urging him to keep fighting. A true show of moral support for the teenager who was squaring up against the one person who had tried to kill every single one of them.

“Edward!” Riza offered her own cry, urging him onwards to beat Father. Her heart was in her throat, thinking that he finally had a chance to stop this, to put an end to Father and his scheme. Her pride for him surged inside her chest, wishing, and hoping that his alchemy attacks would be enough to stop him once and for all.

“Fullmetal!”

Riza turned to look at Roy. He was looking in the direction of the fight, but all he had to go on was the yells around him. She gently placed a hand in between his shoulder blades, rubbing his back slowly.

“Riza, what is it?” His head briefly turned to acknowledge her presence but returned to face ahead, towards the battle. “What’s happening to Fullmetal?”

“He’s fighting Father,” she relayed. “It’s a fist fight. Everyone’s cheering him on.”

“Is… Is he winning?”

“Looks that way,” she confirmed, almost hesitantly, in fear of jinxing Edward’s chances.

“Do we need to assist?”

“Not right now. But we’ll stand by.” Riza stepped closer to him, moving her hand to his shoulder as Roy wrapped an arm around her waist. She leaned on him for the moment, giving herself a brief moment of rest.

Riza watched as Edward Elric struck Father again and again, until finally, Father was beaten. After a powerful strike to his stomach, red streaks escaped from Father’s new body made of carbon - thanks to Greed’s sacrifice. What seemed like thousands of souls raced into the sky above, dissipating the higher they climbed, until they were gone. Father staggered before dark hands sprang forth from the hole in the centre of his torso. He screamed in desperation as he fought against their restraints, but there was nothing he could do. The small hands consumed his body whole, leaving nothing in their wake. He winked away into nothingness.

The world was silent as everyone basked in Father’s defeat.

“Did he beat him?” Roy’s voice was quiet as he voiced the question. The arm around Riza tightened its grip a fraction as he waited for an answer.

“Yes…” Wonder clouded Riza’s tone as she was suddenly flooded with relief.

It was finally over.

There was movement around Edward as people began to approach him. His father was speaking to him, but Riza didn’t know what about. With an anguished cry, Edward looked over towards her and Roy. Riza wasn’t sure what he was searching for in that moment – they were too far away to make out any distinct conversation – but Riza trusted him. She nodded once in encouragement.

Whatever he needed to do, she’d support it.

“What’s happening?”

Riza didn’t want to tell Roy, to reveal what sacrifices had been made in order to defeat Father, but she couldn’t keep the truth from him.

“Alphonse… Al is… gone.”

“Gone?” Roy was immediately alarmed. His body tensed.

“He – He sacrificed himself and returned to the gate. I don’t think he’s bonded to his armour anymore.” That thought terrified Riza, but she exhaled slowly, willing herself to remain calm. Alphonse was incredibly smart and would have known what he was doing. She placed her trust and faith in him, as well as his brother, knowing what they were capable of.

“What?”

“Come on,” she encouraged, sensing Roy’s anxiety. “Let’s go over and see them.”

Roy’s feet were moving immediately, walking forwards with purpose and confidence. Once Riza had caught up she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder before sliding it down to his elbow. Carefully, she guided him around the debris and breaks in the concrete.

Edward was sketching something on the ground by the time they arrived. The piece of rebar scraped along the stone, sometimes catching, and squeaking horribly enough to make Riza wince.

They were both silent as Edward drew a transmutation circle.

She didn’t particularly want him to go ahead with it. After hearing Edward being referred to a sacrifice and his disappearance, she just wanted him to be safe… But Riza trusted Edward and his abilities. He knew more about alchemy than she did, and knew his ultimate goal was to get his and Alphonse’s bodies back. Whatever he had planned, it would work towards achieving that, Riza was sure.

After a flash of light, Edward was gone. Riza tried her hardest not to panic. This was the second time Edward had gone to the gate and with Riza’s own personal experience of someone going to the gate, it was not one she wanted to witness again or wish on anyone else.

The payoff, despite Riza’s fears, was certainly worth it.

Another flash had her shielding her eyes, but when they opened, Edward, and his brother Alphonse – not in a suit of armour, but in a real, human body – were sitting before them.

“What happened?”

“It’s… It’s Alphonse. He’s…” Riza blinked at the grinning face of the young man before her.

“He’s what?”

“He’s back in his body.” The smile that spread across Riza’s face almost split it in two. Slightly dazed still that she was finally looking upon Alphonse Elric in the flesh, Riza slid her hands underneath Roy’s black overcoat. His arms lowered from her body automatically so she could remove the piece of clothing from his shoulders. “I need your jacket.”

Roy didn’t protest and proceeded to shrug himself out of it.

She stepped forward and held it out to Edward. He paused as he gazed upon his brother’s face and turned, showing Riza everything she needed to know about how elated he was to see Alphonse in the flesh again. His eyes were filled with tears, but they never fell. His grin wobbled on his face as emotion overwhelmed him, but when he set eyes on Riza he inhaled sharply, sucking in a breath as he tried to compose himself.

“Here,” she offered warmly. Riza gave Edward a proud smile, handing over Roy’s jacket.

Edward took it gratefully and wrapped it around Alphonse’s small form. It dwarfed him, but it was him. It was Alphonse.

They’d done it.

Those two kids had really done it.

Riza laughed quietly to herself as she slipped her arm around Roy’s back. She placed her head on his shoulder as she held him, blinking away tears.

Roy pressed a kissed to the top of her head “Is everyone safe?” His question was quiet, spoken in a breath so only she could hear him.

Riza nodded against him. “They’re okay.”

Alphonse laughed and Riza felt Roy’s head jerk up as he listened carefully, recognising the sound and noticing how it wasn’t distorted by hollow metal.

“They’re both back.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

In the aftermath of the battle, those who were well enough to keep working assisted with assessing and moving the injured. Both Roy and Riza were ushered into a hastily thrown up medical tent so they could finally be seen to about their injuries.

Roy sat on a chair by her bedside. Both of his elbows rested upon his knees and his head was down, facing the floor, as they waited for a medic.

She’d been given priority status. Being a civilian was a pain because Roy could pull that excuse and get Riza help faster than anyone else. No one wanted to argue with the man who’d successfully staged a coup either, so the urgent request was undisputed. Riza huffed quietly to herself. There was no doubt in Riza’s mind that her injuries were serious - she was well aware of the fact she’d almost died today - however there must have been others who needed immediate medical attention before her. She’d seen the result of the fight with her own eyes, seen the bodies. Riza would feel guilty taking up a space in place of someone who needed it more.

There was no use in arguing with Roy though. Once sitting on the cot assigned to her, Riza had removed her jacket as instructed by the trainee medic and pulled aside her shirt as best she could, exposing her injured neck to the world. Roy had fumbled to find her shoulders once she was settled and gently pushed, urging her to lie down. Automatically her mouth had opened to fight it, to insist she was okay and could manage, but his brow had been furrowed with such deep concentration as he felt out the dimensions of the bed with his foot – probably worrying he’d push her off the edge – that Riza just situated herself on it comfortably and lay down.

Lying there, her head spun often. The blood loss was hitting her in waves and hard enough sometimes that it made her whole world blur. However, she fought the urge to let her eyes droop closed like they so desperately wanted to. Roy had asked her to be his eyes and losing consciousness would mean that would disappear for him. She didn’t want him to be left alone.

A sigh left her husband making Riza’s head turn on the bed. It didn’t move far. There was the distinctive feeling of her flesh moving that made Riza pause and bite her teeth in discomfort. It felt like the skin of her neck was moving against itself in a way that was not natural. As though the wound was open and gaping, open to the elements and the dusty air of Central. Forcing the thought from her mind, Riza let out a slow, quiet breath to calm herself. The urge to reach up and touch her skin, just to make sure it was still stitched together, made Riza’s fingers twitch. Casting the disconcerting feeling aside, Riza tried to think about anything else.

Remembering his sigh, Riza tried to watch Roy out the corner of her eye as best she could. She was worried about him. He would be just as battered and bruised as she was. Not to mention he’d been stabbed through both of his hands. Physically, there were no issues with his eyes. Truth had taken his vision away. That was it. Riza’s heart sank as she realised that he’d never be able to set his eyes on their children again. He wouldn’t physically get to see Mia or Maes grow up, grow taller, or witness them succeeding in anything with his own two eyes. The thought was sudden and unbidden, bringing along with it a wave of tears that made her nose run as one escaped her lids and fell into her hair. She tried to remain quiet. Roy would only worry if she didn’t, and she had no way of articulating any of her emotions after the day they’d had.

However, she failed. At the sound of a sniff, Roy’s head jerked up. He searched in her direction with concerned eyes as he tried to determine what was the cause of her upset.

“Riza?”

“I’m fine,” she reassured, breathing out slowly as she got a hold of herself. Being so exhausted was wearing her thin. It was breaking her down.

His hand reached over for her, searching for contact. Riza grasped it, feeling him holding on for dear life.

“Please tell me what’s wrong,” he begged her quietly. His voice caught in his throat as he spoke.

It broke her heart. He’d always been very attentive and noticed a lot about her, even the minute changes in her mood or expression. They’d been together for so long that Riza found herself feeling the same way as him, easily picking out his moments of stress or worry. Now that was all gone for him.

“I’m all right, I promise. I’ve just been doing some thinking.”

“About the kids?”

Riza froze, and Roy noticed. Shifting in his seat, he moved closer and swiped his thumb over the top of her hand. The bandages across his palms were coarse against her skin, but his fingers were the touch she remembered.

“I was thinking about them too,” Roy admitted.

“If you don’t want to talk about it, it’s fine –”

“I would always want to talk about it with you, Riza,” he interrupted softly. “No matter how hard it may be. I…” He coughed, then swallowed thickly. “I keep thinking about Mia’s smile,” he frowned, “Maes’ too, as well as yours. I keep trying to picture them in my head, but it doesn’t seem right. It feels like a figment of my imagination, like a false picture. And I… I want to see them again. Just to check.”

Sorrow engulfed her. Tears collected in the corner of her eyes. “I’m sorry, Roy.”

It surprised Riza to see him shrug. “It is what it is, I suppose,” he stated grimly. His expression was pulled tight though, indicating he was lying. The muscles of his brow trembled before relaxing with a heavy sigh.

“Roy…”

“I should’ve gotten so much worse in this life,” he scoffed. “This,” he gestured to his eyes, “is a punishment, I suppose.”

“It still wasn’t right for them to force you to open the gate so Father could try and kill everyone,” Riza reminded him. “Plus, you’re still needed in this country.”

His blind eyes lifted to meet hers, but they weren’t on her face. They were looking just above her head on the bed.

“You successfully staged a coup and took down a corrupt power, one that was trying to kill all of this country’s citizens. You had a dream, remember? We’re not there yet. This was only the beginning.”

“I don’t know if I can get there blind,” Roy replied gently, trying to soften the blow for her - or for himself. “I had a vision,” he chuckled darkly, “and now it has been taken away. Quite literally. How kind of Truth,” he scoffed, casting his eyes down to the floor.

Riza struggled to sit up in the bed. Her neck ached, the muscles shaking with fatigue, and her head grew woozy as blood rushed there.

“What are you doing?” He’d sensed and heard her movements. Roy’s brows pulled together in disapproval.

“Come here,” she commanded.

“Riza –”

“Come here,” she repeated calmly, tugging him towards her gently by his hand.

Huffing, Roy stood and took a tentative step. Patiently, Riza guided him over to the cot, making sure he was sitting comfortably by her side. Her weight leaned heavily against his side as he snaked an arm around her back.

“We’re both alive,” Riza stated, eyes fluttering closed to relish in the warmth he provided. “We’re both physically able to walk and talk.”

“Except you shouldn’t be,” he muttered, referencing her insistence that she was all right.

She nudged him gently with her weight, a slow smile spreading across her face. “No, I shouldn’t be. Not anymore, anyway. But I couldn’t let the team down,” she smirked.

“You were extremely helpful in that final fight against Father. I feared I would’ve hit our own soldiers if it had just been myself.”

“Happy to be of assistance, Colonel.”

“I ought to promote you to a Lieutenant,” he added thoughtfully, angling his head so his cheek came to rest upon it. “Make you my aide full time. And Hayate too. That pup was invaluable today. He has a nose for homunculi, who knew?”

“I bet that would’ve been useful to discover beforehand,” Riza snickered.

“Oh, absolutely! I would’ve taken him to the office and let him loose to see if he could sniff them out for me,” Roy joked. “It would’ve saved me so much time and effort.”

“You’re just lazy.”

“… Maybe.”

Riza snorted, enjoying hearing his amusement as well. They laughed quietly together on that bed, both alive. Knowing that everything he’d work towards over the past year was over… It was surreal. Despite the tumultuous storm of emotions and fatigue brewing inside of her, one emotion that stuck out the most in that moment was relief. They were alive. They’d won. The plan to stop Father had succeeded and they were both still here to see through the aftermath.

“It’s all over…”

“I know,” Roy agreed. “It’s hard to believe, isn’t it?”

“I’m proud of all you’ve accomplished, Roy.”

“Most of it is thanks to you.”

A proud smile fought its way onto her face.

“I just listened.”

“And that help was invaluable. Your input has always been a massive help to me, and I want to hear it every time I come up with a plan. It kept me on the right path and kept me moving forward.” His head cocked to the side in thought. “I really should enlist you. You’d be a big help at the office. I could probably promote you straight to a Lieutenant too after all your help today,” he tempted.

Riza hummed tiredly to herself.

“Get some rest, Riza.” Roy’s body turned slightly and a hand ran up her arm slowly to find her face. Once he did so, a kiss was pressed against her forehead.

“I will,” she reassured, feeling a wave of exhaustion roll over her entire being, now that her eyes were finally closed, and the adrenaline had worn off.

“I’ll be here when you wake up.”

The wound on her neck was throbbing in time with her pulse and it would be so easy just to stop fighting and let go, give into her fatigue, and let sleep claim her.

“Sleep.” Roy’s command was soothing, lulling her further into unconsciousness while reassuring that he would be right there beside her, every step of the way.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Reality returned to Riza slowly. She didn’t remember dreaming of much. There were fleeting memories of Mia and Maes’ faces as she slept peacefully, but not enough for her to grab onto and remember why they were there. It was a comfort, seeing them again. Now, in the land of waking, that comfort was replaced by longing. She wanted to see them. Riza wanted to hear Mia’s tales from her holiday with her grandmother and see Maes’ little hands reach for her with a grin, begging to be held close.

Her entire body ached. That was the first thing she noticed. Every muscle felt like it had been through the wringer and then some more. They protested as she tried to shift on the hard mattress below her back, a light grunt erupting from her throat.

“Riza?”

It took a moment to realise someone was calling to her. Her head turned to the side automatically and Riza instantly regretted it. A sharp pain suddenly flared there, making her hiss loudly. She gasped, squeezing her eyes tightly closed as a hand clumsily lifted to protect the area of injury.

“What’s wrong?”

Roy was fretting. Slowly, Riza turned her whole torso to look over at him, grimacing at her aches and pains, and opened her eyes. His hands were ringing together in his lap. His eyes were wide and staring in her direction, flicking back and forth.

“I’m all right,” she soothed, but it didn’t lessen the nervous energy so apparent within him. “I turned my head too quickly.”

“The doctor said you have to keep it as still as possible,” he admonished firmly.

Riza almost nodded, then realised that probably wouldn’t be the best idea. “All right.”

“But are you okay?” He was stressed, still worrying over her.

“Roy?” She called to him, waiting for a response to try and slow down his mind that was probably picturing the worst, given his expression. It worked because his head perked up immediately and his hands still in his lap. “I’m all right.”

It took a moment, but slowly his shoulders relaxed. His posture slumped slightly.

“Promise?”

“I promise,” she replied sincerely.

It couldn’t have been easy for him to be unable to verify it for himself. He trusted her implicitly, Riza knew this, but still, suddenly becoming blind would be difficult to adjust to. He’d always been so good at picking up how she was feeling from micro expressions alone, so the sudden lack of it would be frustrating. Not to mention the fact she’d probably been out of it for a while. It certainly felt like it, despite still feeling exhausted upon waking.

Before anything else could be said, there was a knock at the door and Breda entered. Riza watched as he and Fuery piled into the room with grins on their faces. They stared at her, ecstatic to see she was awake.

“Hello,” she greeted warmly, extremely pleased to see them all.

Before anyone could reply, Rebecca Catalina stole all of Riza’s attention, just like always. She butted past them both hurriedly, stopping as she zeroed in on Riza.

“Riza!” The volume of her cry made her wince. “I’m so glad you’re okay!” Riza’s vision was filled with the black hair of Rebecca’s ponytail while she was enveloped in her best friend’s arms.

Riza patted her friend on the back gently. “Hey, Becca.”

“How are you doing?” She wasted no time pulling away to examine Riza’s face with a critical eye.

“I don’t know,” was Riza’s honest reply, “other than I feel okay. I just woke up.”

“Any pain? Any discomfort? Do you need to… go?”

While her questions were short and sharp, Riza still appreciated her friend’s concern.

“Fine, Becca,” she soothed, patting her forearm. “It’s just sore when I move my head.”

“You keep it still then. Do you hear me?” A finger was shoved into Riza’s face. “Don’t go messing up the good work the hot doctors did on you.”

“Hot doctors?” Riza raised an eyebrow at her.

Rebecca’s face lit up in glee. “You were so lucky,” she snickered.

Roy cleared his throat from his bed, unamused.

“I’m kidding, Mustang,” Rebecca stressed, but still loudly whispered, “no, I’m not,” before slipping off the bed, walking over to Roy’s. “And how are you doing Colonel?”

“Ready for the day,” he nodded, very matter of fact in the way he spoke.

“Good. We have a lot to cover,” Rebecca announced, taking a seat by his bedside. Her legs were lifted, propped up on the edge of his bed. Feeling the dip, Roy turned his head downwards towards them, but said nothing.

“She’s right, boss,” Breda interjected. He pulled a book out from underneath his arm and flipped it open. “Good to see you awake, Riza,” he grinned before continuing.

“It’s so good to see you, Ma’am,” Fuery gushed, eyes twinkling with joy behind his glasses.

“You too,” she replied. During the Promised Day, she’d lost sight of them and was glad to discover they were safe and visibly unharmed.

“Before we get into it, could we get a minute?” Roy’s question had no room for argument as he gestured between himself and her.

“Uh, yeah, of course,” Rebecca hastily reassured. Her feet hit the linoleum floor with a thud before standing.

“Of course, boss. We’ll be back…” Breda shot Fuery an uncertain look. “We’ll give you guys some time. We’ll be back in an hour.”

“Thank you.”

The three of them filed out, leaving Roy and Riza alone. She felt exhausted, feeling it creep up into her head and take residence behind her eyes, forming a dull pain, after only a few minutes of conversation. Just what she needed on top of the slowly receding pain in her neck. A headache.

“Do you need anything?” Roy’s tone was asking her for the truth. Pleading with her for it. He couldn’t see it for himself so needed her to be honest with him and give more than an ‘I’m fine.’

During the Promised Day there had been so many bigger things at stake than her. Riza had kept focussed and kept moving forward, to do the right thing and put an end to those that had wronged her, her friends and family, and the entire nation with their lies and schemes. She had to be there to assist Roy and help the Elric brothers fight Father. Looking at the bigger picture, it was absolute top priority that they succeed on that day. So, her own health and wellbeing were pushed aside for the greater good. She was filled with dismay to realise that her insistence of being ‘okay’ had resulted in Roy pleading with her for the truth. He shouldn’t have to, but now that they were safe and unknown danger no longer lurked around every corner, Riza knew what she had to do.

“I don’t feel like I need anything at the moment,” Riza answered. “My neck hurts a little bit,” she added quietly, “and it really hurt after I moved my head too quickly.”

Roy’s fingers dug into the sheet over his legs.

“So I’m staying as still as possible. It was an automatic reaction to turn my head. I need to remember not to do that.”

“Like I said, the doctor said you have to keep it still.” His voice was authoritative, betraying his worry and concern for her. “They said the morphine will probably wear off soon, so if it does, we have to let a nurse know. Has it started to wear off yet?”

Riza paused to assess how she was feeling. “I’m okay for now. The pain from before is already fading after I moved too quickly.”

Roy’s lips pursed. “If you need more, we will get you some –”

“I’ll let them know if I do need more, I promise.”

Roy nodded, but Riza could still see the tension in his body. He would never fully relax, Riza was sure.

One idea to assist and make things easier on him popped into Riza’s mind.

Throwing the sheet off her body, Riza slowly swung her legs out of the bed. Every muscle protested and she groaned quietly.

“What are you doing?”

“Just… Give me a second.”

“Are you getting out of bed?” He asked as if it were the most ridiculous course of action she could have taken. “Riza –”

“I’m fine. I can walk okay.” Her feet were sore as they contacted the floor and the muscles in her legs were aching, but that was just from overexertion.

“Get back into bed,” he growled at her. “You shouldn’t be up –”

“This will help us both,” she interrupted him. There was a brief feeling of light-headedness as she stood, but it passed quickly.

“How?”

Riza didn’t answer. She shuffled over, movements stiff after being still for so long, but she managed it.

“Move over,” she commanded, nudging his shoulder gently with the back of her hand.

Roy was unimpressed, but did as she asked. Riza slipped into the bed next to him with slow and careful movements. As much as she would have loved to curl up against his side, she couldn’t with her neck, so opted to remain on her back. However, Roy took up the mantle for her. He rolled onto his side and immediately latched onto her. His arms pulled her into a tight embrace, one that told Riza she’d have great difficulty removing herself from his hold. Not that she minded at all.

“You will be the death of me, woman,” he muttered. Immediately his head was by hers, his breath warming the skin of her face. His forehead came to rest upon her temple.

“You love me for it though,” Riza countered with a smile.

“I do.” Roy lifted his fingers carefully towards her face, contacting her skin gently. He caressed her cheek with his thumb before cupping her chin and moving forwards to kiss her cheek.

He placed his head on the pillow and adjusted the arm that lay across her stomach. With his bandaged palms he couldn’t grip onto her completely, but his fingers did as best they could. His hold was still weak – a detail Riza noted and shelved for later. If he pressed too hard with his fingers, from the direction his palms had been sliced into, too much pressure may aggravate and reopen his wounds.

“Now I feel much better,” Riza sighed happily.

Roy hummed in agreement. “I must admit, I do prefer having you by my side.”

Riza ran her hand up his bare arm, noticing him shiver. “I can’t imagine it’s been easy.”

“It's hard being unable to see you for myself.”

“How long was I asleep?”

“It’s been about two days. It’s hard to grasp time and keep track, but that’s what the doctor said when they came in this morning. So probably just over that.”

“I’m sorry I was away for so long.” He’d asked her to be his eyes, and she’d left him.

“It’s hardly your fault,” he scoffed lightly. “You sustained life-threatening injuries and needed to be cared for too, as well as rest.”

“I know.” She swallowed. There was a twinge in her throat as she did so, and Riza silently hoped the injury wouldn’t affect that action too much.

“You getting the help you needed was my top priority. I’m just glad to finally be able to feel and hear that you’re up and awake.”

“I love you.” Her hand stopped on his bicep and gave it a quick squeeze.

“I love you too, Riza.” A kiss was pressed against her shoulder just below her bandages.

“How are you feeling?”

Roy shrugged. “Sore and tired. They performed surgery on my hands. There was enough to work with to repair some of the damage but they won’t be perfect. However, the correct care and physical therapy will help. And my vision… I’m completely blind. I won’t recover from it.”

Riza nodded in acceptance. She always thought that would be the case. Hearing it confirmed wasn’t easy, but she’d support him through it. They would adapt and adjust.

“We both went through a lot on the Promised Day.”

Roy nodded. “We did. And you…” He swallowed. “Helping me with Envy…”

“I would do it again in a heartbeat, you know that.”

“I almost lost it all.” His voice was hoarse.

“You stepped back from it though. Being subjected to torment like you were over the murder of someone you loved… How could anyone not be upset over that?”

“I yelled at you too. That was undeserving when you were only trying to help.” Roy snorted, his face twisting in disgust. “It seems I have a track record of that,” he added bitterly.

He moved to pull away from her, but Riza didn’t let him. She held on tight. “You were upset.”

“That’s not an excuse.”

“No, it’s not. But you were upset and teetering on the edge. They were trying to goad you over the edge, but you didn’t let them.”

His head bowed so his forehead came to rest upon her shoulder.

“You won that battle. Remember that.”

Roy was silent as they lay there. As they did so, Riza’s mind wandered towards her own wrongdoings on the Promised Day.

“Besides,” she swallowed, “I’m not completely innocent in all of this either. I killed someone.”

Roy’s hand moved from her stomach. He rubbed her upper arm gently in comfort. The bandages scratched her skin slightly, but not uncomfortably. “I can’t tell you that guilt and regret will ever go away, because it doesn’t.”

Riza clutched at his shirt tighter, scrunching it as she realised his meaning.

“But you’re not alone in this,” Roy reassured her. A kiss was pressed against her shoulder. “I’m right here.”

“I know you are.”

“You saved my life, and I’ll be forever grateful to you for that, however, I’m aware it comes at a price. I’m sorry you have to pay it.”

“I vowed to myself that I would do anything to protect my family.” Riza swallowed. “And I meant it.”

“It still doesn’t make it easy, does it?”

Riza shook her head. “No.”

“Talk to me whenever you need. Although it was incredibly difficult, sometimes impossible, I wish I had opened up more after Ishval. If I had, I could’ve maybe spared us some heartache.”

“We were both still young,” she reminded him. “Your world had been cruelly turned on its head and you’d been turned into a weapon, so, on an emotional level, I don’t blame you for wanting to briefly shut it out.”

“I could’ve been better, though.”

Riza sighed. “We learned from it though.”

“Sometimes I didn’t,” Roy grimaced. “What I would give to take back how I handled Hughes’ death.”

Riza patted his shoulder in comfort. “I think we were both at fault. Grief isn’t easy and it can be unfair. Especially when forced upon us so suddenly and,” Riza swallowed, “so violently.”

Roy repositioned his arm across her stomach, giving her body a tight squeeze. “We made it through in the end.”

“We did,” she confirmed.

Silence descended over them as Riza struggled to try and find the right words she needed to voice her thoughts.

“How… How do you deal with it, day-to-day? The memories of what you’ve done?”

“Before the Promised Day it was by working towards the coup. By taking down Bradley and the corrupt powers, I was working towards stopping something like Ishval from happening again. Now that’s over with… I want to rebuild Ishval. That’s the next project on the agenda. That’s why the team has been coming here every day, so I can learn about their customs and practices. I took part in taking that away from them, so I’ll work to give it back. Then…” He exhaled a long breath. “After that, I will continue to try and make up for all that I did until my last breath.”

“After Ishval?”

Roy nodded. “If I become Fuhrer I can enforce laws that ensure nothing like Bradley and Father will ever happen again. By devolving power and turning the system into a democracy, it removes it. And then, those who were involved with Ishval will be punished for their war crimes.”

On instinct, Riza’s body stiffened. They’d been over this. They’d discussed this outcome plenty of times and she’d somewhat made her peace with it, however, it didn’t mean it was easy. However, she’d respect his wishes, as well as the Ishvalan’s.

“Sorry,” he added quietly, noticing how she tensed underneath his hands.

“No. No, it’s okay. We have to talk about it.”

“If my execution is called for by the elders, then I won’t fight it. I have no right to deny them of how they judge me.”

Riza swallowed. “Obviously, I don’t want to lose you. I love you. However, I want you to know I would never fight it either.”

Her shoulder was squeezed tightly.

“It… It hurts to think about and talk about. It always has, throughout the years, but…” Riza sighed, the weight of the conversation settling heavily on her heart and her mind. “I agree. We can’t take that away from them. Not after what you did.” Riza almost cringed at the bluntness of her words, but she shouldn’t shy away from what happened. Roy wouldn’t, so she shouldn’t either.

“You’re right,” he agreed.

“I helped put that out into the world, so I always felt partly responsible. I suppose that will be my punishment for it.”

“It may not even come to that. If they don’t choose that avenue for me, then I keep on working as best I can. Whatever happens though, we will deal with it.”

“Yes,” Riza agreed, “and I will be with you every step of the way.”

His fingers lowered to entwine with hers. The digits were stiff and couldn’t move too far, which made Riza think back to her concern about how much pressure he could apply with his hands. Riza curled her fingers around his carefully.

“We can work to redeem ourselves together.”

“Until the very end,” Riza vowed.

Roy’s head cocked to the side when she let go of his hand. Riza shifted on the bed, rolling into her side. It wasn’t painful like she imagined it would be. Her neck showed no signs of discomfort as she lay down on the soft pillow.

“You okay?”

“Perfect,” she smiled. She brushed his fringe off his face.

Roy lowered from his elbow to lie next to her. His hand found her lower back and he shuffled in closer to her body. Gently, she cupped his cheek, but noticed how he flinched slightly at the sudden contact.

“Sorry,” she murmured, alleviating the pressure she’d placed on his face.

“No, I didn’t realise what you were doing.”

“I’ll need to be slower and more careful in the future,” she scolded herself lightly.

Roy lifted his bandaged hand to place it on her wrist. He pressed her hand back against his cheek, back to where it had been when he’d flinched. “You don’t need to do anything. You’re perfect. It's… jarring. Being in such inky blackness and feeling something so suddenly, not knowing where it came from. Especially after everything we went through that day.”

Riza studied his face as she tried to rack her brain for a way to announce herself before touching him. Her thumb stroked his face lightly and he sighed into her touch, his body relaxing underneath it.

“What is it like?” She hated to ask, but she wanted to know, so she could find or work out some way to help Roy ease into his new condition.

“It’s terrifying. I hate it.”

Hearing that was like a punch to the stomach.

“And I want to see you again. I so desperately wish I could.” His breath hitched and as Riza blinked, tears appeared in her eyes. “I miss you,” he admitted hoarsely. “I miss your beautiful face and your gorgeous eyes,” he grinned as a tear tracked down his cheek. “And your winning smile.” His hand lifted to cup her face, and he made contact with no issues whatsoever. He didn’t bump into her or end up off target.

Riza smiled. “You did that without thinking,” she praised. Her fingers trailed from his temple to chin, stroking the skin lovingly as she smiled. “You knew where I was.”

His mouth opened then promptly closed again.

“We’ll work through it,” Riza whispered, closing her eyes as their foreheads moved to rest together. “I promise. You won’t go through this alone.”

“I know.” Roy inhaled sharply before letting it out slowly. The hand on her cheek moved to rest on the back of her neck. “I know I won’t.”

She kissed his cheek, pulling him into a tight embrace. The two of them remained there, holding each other, finally able to do so and rest properly after all they’d experienced on the Promised Day. For Riza, she finally felt at peace laying there in Roy’s arm.

Two hours passed before Rebecca knocked on the door, apologising, but asking if they were ready to get to work.

#royai #royai fic #royai fanfic #royai au #the way it was #emma writes #i've stared at this for too long soooo.... YEET #if u see any mistakes yes u did but also no u didn't ❤

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pi-cat000 · 4 years ago

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FMA:B/BNHA Crossover (1)

Summary: Ed gets stuck in the BNHA world after the end of brotherhood. He starts trying to find a way home and ends up inadvertently working for the league of villains.

(fic I started writing a while back. I just like the image of Ed getting increasingly frustrated with how illogical quirks are)

Part 2: here

Edward notices tall, dark and suspicious the moment he enters through the rickety front door into his poor excuse of an office. It wasn’t just the way his entire head was covered in a low hood, though that was mighty suspicious, no, this dude gave off some of those dangerous vibes that he would usually associate with a homunculus. The stranger's movements were slightly off, as if not quite human. Only, there was no such thing as a homunculus in this weird word. Well, not that he knew of.

“Brat! Are you listening to me!”

Ed begrudgingly turns his attention back to his irate landlord. The older man is leaning over Ed’s desk, close enough that Ed can see the numerous wrinkles pulling down his face. “You better not be skimping on our arrangement.”

“Hey,” Ed taps a finger against the wood, leaning forward so the old man is forced back at the risk of butting heads, “This whole building needs new wires …do I look like an electrician?”

That enlists an expression of acute irritation and more annoyed huffing, “Don’t get smart with me. I’ll evict your freeloading ass so fast that…”

“Oi! Our deal was that I fix the roof, get rid of that mould up on the third floor, and you set me up for the next month.”

“The deal was that you handle the building’s upkeep and I put a roof over your ungrateful head.”

“Just because I can fix up some rotting floorboards doesn’t mean I’m an expert electrician… how about you go hire a person with qualifications while I get on with my day job.” He smacks his hand on the table for emphasis, motioning at tall, dark, and mysterious waiting a few steps behind the older man. Technically, he could probably figure out how to fix the building’s faulty wiring with alchemy but there was no way he was getting suckered into helping his grumpy scam artists of a landlord any more than was promised.

To his credit, the old coot takes one look at the shadowy figure and decides to put any further complaints on hold.

“I’ll be back. This ain't over,” is grumbled at Ed as the man makes his exit, skirting around the larger stranger with a healthy amount of apprehension.

“Don’t do me any favours!” Ed snaps after him, rubbing his forehead before eyeing his potential customer. The location where he has set up shop isn’t the most affluent or safe so, for all he knew, this weirdo was about to rob him. Not that he had much to steal. He had arrived in this world with nothing and, four months later, he still has barely enough to feed himself on the regular. Not when he is pumping any money he earns into his search to get home.

“Ah…sorry about that,” He squints, trying to see under the stranger’s hood and is met with only darkness. It almost looks like the other man is made of purple smoke. It’s unsettling. No doubt the by-product of some more weird quirk bullshit. Ed tries to keep his tone as polite as possible. “You came to get something fixed right?”

“It has been reported that you can repair anything?” The question is asked with little inflection. Almost toneless. Hopefully, this is a customer and not a cop trying to bust him for illegal quirk usage…great.

“Sure,” He puts on his fakest of smiles, channels his inner Ling, and launches into his best sales pitch, “I have a reconstruction quirk…as long as most of the pieces are present, I can put it back together.”

“…and does that extend to construction and building work?”

“Ah,” The stranger didn’t appear to be carrying anything substantial on him so the object in need of fixing was probably located elsewhere, “what the hell do you need fixed?”

There’s no response to his question and Ed crosses his arms, “I can’t do anything high-tech, too many intricate moving parts, but building construction is fine as long as the materials are all there and I have time to plan. Might take me a few goes depending on the scale. It will cost you extra as well. I’ll have to see it to be sure of the exact price.” He rattles off his fake quirk limitations with practised ease. In a world filled with nonsensical abilities, his alchemy fit right in.

The tall man thinks for a moment, leaving Ed to ponder the strange nature of the request. This is the first time he has been asked to do building work, usually, people wanted more mundane repairs like fixing furniture or jewellery.

“Acceptable,” comes the abrupt response, “My employer requires some discrete building installation and repair, basic reconstruction, shelving, wall-fittings, construction. All onsite work.”

“That’ll be pretty expensive….” Ed answers slowly, “and time-consuming.”

“All materials will be provided. The price will not be an issue.”

“Okay…” Ed narrows his eyes, examining the figure, but the shadows give nothing away. “Where exactly is this job?”

“Transport to the site will be arranged.”

As if to emphasis the statement, Tall-Dark-And-Smokey raises a hand and an inky black circle appears on the wall. The sudden action has Ed half rising from his seat, preparing to attack or defend. A beat passes and nothing happens.

“The mode of transport,” Tall-Dark-And-Smokey explains, motioning to the black circle. It is a quirk effect, obviously something to do with travel. Ed relaxes but remains standing. Is it just him or does the guy sound partly amused as his obvious unease? He carefully extracts himself from behind his crowded desk to step around and take a closer look.

“So I just step in that and hope you’re not about to screw me over.” He folds his arms, more irritated now.

“Your caution is understandable,” The purple circle fluctuates, undulating, and Tall-Dark-And-Smokey puts a hand inside his jacket pocket. Ed tenses again, ready to clap his hands together, relaxing only when he sees the stranger produce a white envelope. In a deliberately slow movement, the envelope is placed atop the uneven stack of books Ed has piled near the door. Ed once again gets the sense that the other man is amused.

“Consider this a sign of goodwill and proof of our willingness to pay whatever needed,” The man tugs his hood, so it further hides his non-existent face. “Think it over. I will come by later for a response.”

Tall-Dark-And-Smokey steps into the swirling circle which shrinks, disappearing completely.

“Later? When the hell is later supposed to be?” Ed snaps at the empty room.

“Tch,” He glares at the wall and its peeling white paint. What a weird unsettling guy. Suspicious as all hell.

So far Ed’s stay in this universe hadn’t exactly been smooth. He had arrived in a building collapsing around him, later revealed to be a fight between one of this world's 'heroes’ and ‘villains,’ mentally and physically exhausted from his sudden trip through the Truth’s Gate. From there it had been touch and go as he tried to find his footing, not get accidentally killed for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and avoid getting himself arrested for not having identification or a quirk licence which was apparently a pretty big deal in this word. With his poor track record, he is tempted to just pack up and not get involved with Tall-Dark-And-Smokey.

Only…

“A teleportation quirk…” He mutters, examining the wall more thoroughly and finding nothing out of place. It is the first time he has come across an ability like this. Against his better judgment, curiosity takes root. How far could it teleport? What were the conditions? Did it consume energy? What sort of energy and how much? What were the limitations? A lot of these weird abilities, quirks, had just as weird limitations.

Maybe this was the breakthrough he needed.

Ed’s alchemical research into escaping this world had long been stalled upon the realisation that the only way back to Amestris would be the same way he had left. Through the Gate of Truth. It would require an alchemy array the size of a small city and a sacrifice akin to a thousand human souls…possibly more…He hadn’t had the heart to make the exact calculations. There was no point in calculating the exact number of deaths required for him see his brother again. It wasn’t an option so he wasn't entertaining it. However, if he could somehow bypass the Gate, maybe by using some sort of quirk, then perhaps there was still hope for him. Teleportation had been one of the ones he had been on the lookout for.

Ed clenches his metal fist, reaching for the envelope with the other, hoping for a distraction. He almost expects it to be some sort of scam. Instead, he is meant with a stack of the place’s currency, neatly bound together.

It is a lot of money.

He stares in disbelief, slowly pulling out the bills and running his finger over them. It is more money than all his repair jobs and his periodic pawning of ‘family heirlooms’ have made him since coming here. With this, he would be able to pay actual rent and any other bills for the next month and then the month after. Heck, he’d be able to buy himself some decent meals, a new computer and a better phone on top of that.

Ed shoves the money back in the envelope and lets out a long, frustrated breath. There had to be a catch. No one just gave away this sort of money without reason. Not in the shithole of an area he’d set himself up in. Who the hell was willing to just throw money at someone to build goodwill? It sounded like the sort of suspicious behaviour that, had he encountered it on one of his missions, he would have reported it back to Mustang for further investigation. Not like he can just report stuff here, not without bringing unwanted scrutiny.

Ordinarily, Ed would have scoffed and refused the obviously illegal work. However, a quirk was one of his best chances of getting home. Maybe, if he accepted this work, he could bargain for information on the guy's teleportation ability. Not like he hadn’t done other illegal things since arriving here.

What would Alphonse say? Al was always better at reading people. Maybe he would tell him not to get involved with shady types? Or maybe he would say that Ed was too paranoid and he should give them a chance. Then again, his brother might caution him against it and tell him it was his duty to send in an anonymous tip to the nearest police station. Probably the last one. God damnit he misses Al. Ed stuffs the envelope into his shoulder bag, the one containing a portable automail maintenance kit and encoded alchemy notebooks.

Next, he is pulling on his signature coat, coloured grey instead of bright red because red stood out and as much as he hated it, he needed to keep a low profile. Ed shuffles out of his makeshift shop, turning to lock the door. He needed more information and his four months in this world hadn’t left him entirely without contacts.

Part 2: here

#fma brotherhood #bnha #crossover #fanfication #edward elric #Kurogiri #dimension travel au #end of year WIPs #fanfiction #Baku no hero academia #fullmetal alchemist

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kurokoros · 4 years ago

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I still can’t wrap my head around the bnha fandom being so vehemently against the villains because “they kill people” when Fullmetal Alchemist, hailed as one of the greatest manga/anime of all time, is a series where 80% of the main characters are former war criminals trying to overthrow the government responsible for several atrocities. (I would argue that the HPSC in bnha is also responsible for several atrocities. You can’t sustain heroics as an occupation without having villains to sensationalize. Petty crimes aren’t enough.)

The LOV and Mustang’s group aren’t dissimilar. Both groups can be classified as terrorists working against the government (I believe Mustang’s group is referred to as “terrorists” in the dub of FMA: Brotherhood, but I’d have to rewatch). And both groups are willing to use force to overthrow their respective governments.

The main difference between the series is that Midoriya idealizes hero society, and Edward Elric is a feral gremlin that tried to fight God and hates the government. The main protagonist’s view point skews the perspective of the entire series.

#i'm not sure what to make of the bnha fans who condemn the LOV #bnha has shown over and over again that the majority of the villains are people who have slipped through the cracks #I haven’t slept in two days so idk where I was going with this #but the point is bnha stans see everything as black and white #and focus was too much on the hero and villain labels

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fijiantransplant · 3 years ago

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Found on Facebook by David McClelleland

Michael Field, a grounds man at a lovely Yorkshire cemetery, noticed that 71 years earlier, one of Fiji’s finest died. Some how, Fiji’s first ever pilot, has slipped away from history. The tombstone at the Commonwealth War Graves section of the Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery lists him, under the crest of the Royal Air Force, thus:

1553660 SERGEANT

I.D. KOMAISAVAI

(OF FIJI)

PILOT

His full name was Isikeli Doviverata Komaisavai.

When he died of pleurisy on 19 October 1944 in a hospital in Aylesbury, he was just 24-years-old.

Most people knew him as Ratu Dovi. Complicating matters further, the sole reference to him in an RAF history calls him “Raten Kokaisavai”.

His death was noted in the Fiji Times and in the Auckland Star, which the latter had under a sub-headline “Descendant of King Cakobau”.

The Star said: “Ratu Dovi was the only representative of the Fijian race to have the distinction of serving with the R.A.F.”

He was born in Tailevu, the son of Ratu Savenaca Komaisavai and Adi Miriama Komaisavai.

Like a number of the sons and daughters of high chiefs in those days, the promising children were shipped off to school in New Zealand.

Ratu Dovi (it is likely that is what he was known to his peers as) found himself at Wanganui Technical College (now Whanganui City College) from 1936 to 1939. The Star said he had “a brilliant school career” there. He was captain of the first 15 in rugby and the first 11 in cricket. He was the vice-president of the school council.

World War Two broke out in 1939. Ratu Dovi returned to Fiji, then a British colony where his uncle, Ratu Lala Sukuna, was recruiting Fijians to fight for king and commonwealth against the Nazis.

Ratu Dovi and several white settlers volunteered and were accepted for the RAF in 1941.

Through New Zealand, Ratu Dovi was taken into the British Commonwealth Training Plan and sent to Canada to learn to fly. New Zealand had 2,743 pilots trained there.

That number includes Ratu Dovi who, upon getting his wings, was sent to join No 234 (Madras Presidency) Squadron, Coastal Command.

The official RAF account of the squadron says that when Ratu Dovi joined 234, it was based in southern England. From there it was using Spitfire VBs (with the letters “AZ” on them”) to conduct sweeps over northern France, hoping to catch out German bombers. Ratu Dovi was not the only non-Britain in the squadron; it was dominated by Danes who had escaped Nazi occupation. They even purchased the planes they were to fly in.

In January 1943 it was moved to the Orkney Islands, returning south in June 1943. Its main mission at that point was convoy protection out over the ocean. For some one like Ratu Dovi, the Orkney Islands must have seemed like a frozen bleak hell.

The record is blurred now, but it looks as if Ratu Dovi become ill with the lung disease pleurisy in January 1944. Pleurisy is often a symptom of something more serious and he found himself hospitalised.

His squadron covered the Normandy invasion in June 1944 and then converted to P-51 Mustangs for long-range bomber escort duty.

Ratu Dovi made it briefly into an official RAF account of the war. He was listed as being a member of an ethnic minority community who had volunteered to serve.

“It is difficult to determine how many of the volunteers from the Colonies were ethnic minorities as the RAF had no colour bar, and did not allocate distinctive Service Numbers to ethnic personnel nor annoted a person’s Record of Service with an ethnic origin,” the account says.

“Coloured British subjects from the Colonies were eligible to join the RAF on the same terms as white subjects of the Crown.”

Ratu Dovi, for the most part, has become an unknown warrior.

His name and photo is on the roll of honour at Whanganui City College, along with others from the school who died in the war.

The Auckland Star noted: “Ratu Dovi was a descendant of Cakobau, the last Fiji king, and one of his grandparents was a signatory to the Deed of Cession.”

The street in Suva, Ratu Dovi Road, is not named after the flier but a family member of an earlier generation.

Perhaps its time to name something significant after him.

Around the world there are airports honouring celebrated aviators: Edward Logan (Boston), Edward O’Hare (Chicago), Jean Batten (Auckland International), Lofton Henderson (Honiara) and Harold Bauer (Port Vila).

So perhaps Nausori International Airport could become “Ratu Dovi International” – complete with a plaque to remember Fiji

#fiji #teamfiji #vintagefiji #madeinfiji #oldfiji #suva #mysuva #vintage photography #vintage #FijiArmy #Fijipilots

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phantomrose96 · 5 years ago

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Pyramid Scheme

Spoilers for the end of the series!

“Fullmetal, I have a question for you.” Roy tilted his head in Edward’s not-quite-direction, in an approximated attempt to face Edward while he spoke. Roy was in fact facing the window just beside Edward, milky eyes catching the full force of the setting sun. It didn’t bother him. He had no way of telling the sun was even there, save for the soft warmth that filtered through the hospital window. “It’s not an easy question. You can decide to ignore me if you want. Responding to me isn’t an order.”

“…Even if it was an order, who’s gonna make me follow it? I’m not military anymore, Colonel.” Edward lowered the newspaper in his hands, folding it absently at his side. The rustle alerted Roy to Ed’s proper position, and he corrected the angle of his nothing eyes to stare Edward down directly.

“I doubt they’ve processed your paperwork yet. It’s not a simple process. And it’ll be months at least until you’re a private citizen again.”

“Find me one government employee with enough free time right now to care.” Edward eased his weight off his left foot, leaning harder against the hospital wall. The doctor had warned him it would be months before he would be able to carry himself normally on that leg. That hadn’t done much to deter Edward. It was already a breeze compared to his automail recovery. “I think they’re too busy rebuilding the entire government from ashes right now.”

“Fair point.”

“Ask the question, Colonel.”

“Hmm?”

“Ask it anyway. Now I’m curious.”

“You sure?”

“Doesn’t mean I’m gonna answer it. Just ask.”

“Sure. The question… It’s a question I’ve been asking several people, now that I have the luxury to ask it.”

“Out with it.”

“Why didn’t you run?”

“Sorry?”

“Why didn’t you run away, Fullmetal?”

“From what exactly?”

“From Amestris.” Roy’s hand moved, pawing at the air, until it connected with the back of the waiting room couch. He lowered himself into it, out of the dipping sun, which prickled too hot for comfort. “As I understand it you were missing and presumed dead for months before the Promised Day. Kimblee never found you. And you knew what was going to happen – you were the one who discovered the country-wide transmutation circle. And you had no plan to stop it. So I just want to know – why didn’t you run away?”

Edward said nothing. It stretched out the silence between them, until Mustang could hear nothing but the buzzing of the lights above. They were lights he couldn’t see, and Edward’s was a face he could no longer read.

“Forget I asked, Fullmetal.”

“I considered it.”

“You did?”

“I mean, it would be nice if I could stand here and say that I never considered it. But I did. In fact, I planned around it, at one point.” Edward eased his weight back onto his left foot, trying it again, trusting it to hold him. Longer now, this time. Just a bit longer than before. “We had Greed on our side, but he wasn’t much help when it came to making a plan. If anything, I think he dampened my spirits a bit. He was the strongest member of our group and even then he was only a lackey to Father. Anything he could do would be dwarfed by that bastard’s power. And if that was the case, what could I do to stop him? Or any of what was going to happen on the Promised Day? I wasn’t a god, or a philosopher’s stone, or a homunculus. I was just some naïve human, who couldn’t save even one little girl.”

“Nina.”

“Of course Nina. I thought about her every day leading up to the Promised Day, because I had nothing better to do when all I could do was just, hide away, try not to be found.” Edward curled his right hand. It ached, almost like the tendons had rusted from disuse. They strained under the skin. “And I doubted more and more that I had any power to stop this at all. Just me, Greed, and two chimeras. No plan and no tricks up our sleeves. I started to think it was arrogant of me to have ever thought that me and Al could have stopped Father. What could I give of myself that would equal the value of saving a whole country? Nothing, really. Just one person doesn’t have that power. And I started to wonder, really, if we’d all just been doomed from the start.”

“This was while you were in hiding, right? While you were separated from Alphonse.”

“Yeah, and I had no idea you or the Briggs forces or Hohenheim or anyone else had anything planned to fight this. Just me, and two dead-man chimeras, and a half-wit homunculus. …I really did think about running. I made a list of the people in my head, who I cared about most, who I thought I could maybe contact in time, and warn, and get them to flee. If that was the best I could do, maybe I could run from this country with them and never look back.”

“How many people?”

“Hmm?”

“On your list.”

“…A few dozen. I thought maybe I could get it to the hundreds if I stretched myself thin enough. Maybe the best one small human could do is to protect just the people I could reach. But I doubted myself. Every step of the planning process. I saw how quickly that plan fell apart. It wouldn’t work.”

“And why’s that?”

“Because even if I could gather up everyone I cared about and tell them the country is doomed, then each of them would have their own loved they can’t leave behind. The people they want to protect. And then all of those people have loved ones too they can’t leave behind. And that web spreads, and it grows, until inevitably, it would reach everyone in Amestris. And like that I’d be right back to saving the whole country once more.”

Roy said nothing immediately. Until he bowed his head forward, and let out a laugh that shook his whole body. “Sounds almost like a pyramid scheme, Fullmetal,” he remarked.

“Well I didn’t ask for your opinion on that, Colonel. And fact of the matter is I was proven right.” Edward moved his weight back to his right knee, which sent a dull ache through his spine. Moving any part of his body seemed to do that. So he conceded, and lowered himself into the chair across from Mustang. “I tried, sort of, you know. Seeing if I could act on this. I told Winry to get out of Amestris, and run while she still could.” Edward laughed, a small noise. “And she told me no. Not without saving everybody. That was her web, the people she needed to save if she was going to save herself. One degree of separation, and this pyramid scheme already covered the whole country.”

Edward straightened. “And I was also right about the fact that I couldn’t save everyone. With my hands, and my effort, and my intervention, I could only work to protect a few. But they were people who protected others, and who in turn protected others… You, me, Al, the Lieutenant, General Armstrong, the Briggs soldiers, Buccaneer, Fu, Mei, Lanfan, Ling, Greed, the Chimeras, Scar, the Ishvalans, your men, the Central soldiers who sided with us, Hohenheim… and the country’s worth of souls in him. It was that web, and all the branches on it, that reached out and spanned the whole country, don’t you think? Not me. Not any one of us. But all of us, together.”

“You know, Fullmetal,” Roy leaned forward, elbows braced to his knees. He stared unseeing at the ground. A clock ticked above him, and he smiled. “that concept you’re describing, it’s something that someone once pitched to General Hughes a long time back. I think it amused him. He’s the one who’d called it a pyramid scheme at the time, but I don’t think he was dismissing it. I think he believed in it.”

“Did he?” Edward watched the Colonel from the corner of his eye, trying to parse the smile on Roy’s face. “I would expect this to be the sort of thing an alchemist believes in, and he didn’t care much for that.”

“And what does this have to do with alchemy?”

“Equivalent exchange. To try to have one person save a million lives doesn’t work. One person can’t scrounge up enough value to trade for a million people. But maybe one person can protect a few, if he gives more of himself, if those few offer to protect him in turn, and protect the ones around them, until it’s equivalent, and balanced. It’s not a pyramid. It’s a network of connected points that all circle back together, that flow in all directions, that span everyone and everything equally.”

“It sounds like you’re describing a transmutation circle, Fullmetal.”

“Yeah, but one that works on our own terms. Not on god’s terms, or science’s terms, but on ours. The laws it follows are our own. On humanity’s terms.”

There came a click from the door. A woman garbed in white stepped out with a clipboard in hand. “Edward Elric?”

Edward pushed himself standing again. “That’s me.”

“The doctor is ready to see you.”

Edward nodded, and moved forward, and gave Mustang a gentle knock on the shoulder as he passed.

The door shut, and silence draped over Mustang once more, as all-encompassing as the darkness around him.

But it wasn’t as lonely as before. There was a warmth to the room that Mustang dwelled on, a heat that felt like comfort rather than destruction. A connectedness, that included him alongside everyone else. Not as the isolated peak of a pyramid, but just a piece of the larger flow.

The room was empty now. But Mustang didn’t feel like it was.

#fullmetal alchemist #fullmetal alchemist: brotherhood #fma #fma:b #fma fanfiction #fanfiction #fma spoilers #fma:b spoilers #-yells and throws this into the void-

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heartfeltheart · 5 years ago

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Alchemy: Magic Vs. Science

Chapters: 19/25 Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist/Harry Potter Rating: T Relationships: Edward/Winry, Lan Fan/Ling, and May/Alphonse. Primary Characters: Edward Elric, Severus Snape Additional Tags: Crossover, Teacher!Edward, BrOtp Edward/Severus. Sassy beyond measure. Series: Part 1 of 9. Summary: Magic and Science, are they the same or are they completely different? It just takes one person to point out all up and downs. Along with breaking the stereotypes that come up with being a wizard, alchemist and most of all being human. Thank you, @amynchan! D/C: I do not own Harry Potter or Fullmetal Alchemist. Discord: La Red(Mesh Mash of… stuff.): https://discord.gg/KYjmVAb Alchemy Series: https://discord.gg/DejEYNJ

“English and Edward’s accented voice.” “Amestrian or another foreign language.” “Written notes.” ‘Thoughts.’ First Name: Informal Last Name: Formal (Or used to annoy others)

"And this is... Alchemy in one of its finest points..."

The sound of hands clapping together reverberated around the room, an electric discharge the color of blue came from the hands onto a pile of metal, wires and other random items. The moment the light dispersed to reveal a functioning Cuckoo clock. The clock struck a new hour and out came the... what appears to be a young version Mr. Elric batting around a bat.

"Really...? Really...?" Edward deadpanned, he resisted the urge to facepalm at his superior's creation. Was it necessary to create the mini version of him swinging around a bat? No. Did the presentation show one of the many possibilities of Alchemy? Yes. Yes, it did. With a chuckle, remembering how he would add his own touch whenever he created something to his past creations. "Questions?"

"How the bloody hell did he create that?"

"This...this is...unbelievable."

"How does it work?"

"Remember what Mr. Elric taught us. The proper application requires a full understanding of chemistry and ancient alchemical theory, including to have a talent towards recognizing and manipulating the physical objects with energy, which require uncommon levels of intelligence and aptitude."

"... Could we do that?"

"Maybe one day... In the far distant future." Edward waved off the looks of amazement. He walked over at the front of the room and stood next to Roy. He reached over to pick up the clock that was on top of a slab of wood which rested on top of a table and rested it next to it. Now he picked up the slab of wood to show it to the class. The slab of wood contained a Transmutation Circle burned into it. "This is a Transmutation circle, the coming semester, something that is needed to create everything with...Alchemy."

"Are you going to teach us that?"

"No. None of you are at the level required to even start learning Transmutation Circles. Once classes start once more, the main topic I am going to teach all of you is...Rebound..." The way Edward said that the last word sent an ominous shiver down all his students spines. "The forces that are being manipulated when using Alchemy...are not human in origin the consequences for attempting to bypass the Law of Equivalent Exchange in transmutation are not merely a failure. When too much is attempted out of too little, a Rebound occurs. The alchemical forces are thrown out of balance on their side of the equation fluctuate wildly of their own accord in order stabilize themselves-taking or giving more than interned in often unpredictable and catastrophic ways such as... accidental mutation, serious injury or even death. Terrence? Question?"

"Sir... have you ever seen any of that happen before...?"

Edward put the clock back on the table with a heavy sigh. He reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose wondering how he could answer that. There are many ways he could answer that question or he could sweep it under the rug completely. No, they needed to see the result of trying to do something completely stupid. "...What I am going to show you must not leave this room. Understood?"

Edward thanked Truth for the fact Rolanda and Quirinus are not in the room.

Roy watched Edward with watchful eyes, suspicion filled within him seeing that familiar look in the younger man's eyes. "You sure about this?"

"I'm just going to show them my automail. Telling them the story behind it... maybe at a later time."

-.-

Silence fell over them, they ate their lunch slowly and methodically. Chewing on their food while they thought over what they saw earlier and the new tidbit of information on their teacher. Their teacher did something that was against the Law of Alchemy and he is living with that consequences every day. Are they still going to study alchemy? Yes, of course, they are. They came this far and they are not going to back out any time soon. The only problem they have is... how in Merlin's beard does that legwork? They never saw anything like it before and it wasn't like any other kind of prosthetics they've seen before.

"How do you think it works?"

"It has to be connected to his nervous system. It moves around as an actual leg does."

"The nervo what?"

"It's like this..."

With that, everything went back to a sense of normalcy.

-.-

"GET AWAY FROM MEEEEEEEEEEE!"

"Come Now, Edward!"

"I don't need a hug from you of all people!"

"Can't we ever have a day without this happening?" Mustang facepalm into his gloved hand, he peeked through his fingers to see a shirtless Major Armstrong trying to hug the screaming Colonel Elric. He glanced over his shoulder to see Elric's class and fellow instructors to see them watching the scene with mixed expressions. The fact that a lot of them looked bored and not bothered about the scene before them... Amestris is already getting to them. "Major Armstrong! Colonel Elric!"

Elric did not stop running away from Armstrong, he changed his course to run over towards the General and hid behind him. "Get him away from me!"

Fortunately for Elric, Armstrong stopped chasing after him and saluted, sparkles surrounding him still. "It just brings me great joy to see Edward Elric being a teacher!"

"Please tell him to stop chasing me...? Please?" Elric asked with mass hysteria in his eyes, he kept tugging on Mustang's uniform pleadingly. "Please?"

"Why am I here again?" Mustang muttered under his breath, resisting the urge to facepalm. This was something he was so not looking forward to.

"You and Major Armstrong are supposed to give a live demonstration to my class..."

"...Truth..."

-.-

Flame Alchemist vs Strong Arm Alchemist

A fight that is of epic proportions to the students and two magical instructors. They have never seen anything like it, nothing compared to what is occurring in front of their eyes. Some could feel the heat emitting from the flames or the rush of air from the soaring rocks that flew towards the fire. How both combatants are able to use alchemy in such a way has their minds boggling at all the possibilities and possible future for them.

Snap.

Punch.

Snap.

Blast!

Repeat.

"Amestris State Alchemists, all candidates undergo an extensive examination process involving a written test proving a high level of aptitude in the field, a psychological evaluation to determine whether the candidate is of sound enough mind to serve in such a specialized branch of the military and a practical examination in which the candidate proves to a military board whether or not his or her skills can be used in real-world situations." Edward explained to his students the procedure of becoming a State Alchemists. He stuffed a hand into his head and gripped his silver pocket watch, remembering the time he had taken such test. "Upon acceptance into the program, they are awarded a certificate of achievement marked with a symbolic title decided upon by the Fuhrer based on the newly accepted State Alchemist unique alchemical skills as well as their personal and dispositional traits."

"Flame Alchemist?"

"General Mustang, the Flame Alchemist, is versed in standard physical transmutation, experimental theory, and biological alchemy. Fire-based combat style of alchemy, see those gloves he's wearing?" After quick nods and mummers of yes, Edward continued. "They help him manipulate the air to do what he is doing right now. If you ask him, he might answer a few questions. Don't push him about it."

"Strong Arm Alchemist?"

".... Major Armstrong, Strong Arm Alchemist, utilizes a combat alchemy that has apparently been passed down the Armstrong line for generations and mixes alchemical skill with physical prowess. He uses those metal gauntlets strapped to his fists to transmute objects by punching them. If you want to know more but end up losing your mind in the process, go ask him. I will not be held responsible if such event occurs..."

"...What is wrong with him?"

"I have been asking that question myself for years. If you think that is bad, you should meet his eldest sister, that woman is one of the most terrifying women in Amestris. Better yet...the entire world."

Pause.

"One of...?"

"The others are Captain Hawkeye and Teacher..."

"Captain Hawkeye? She did not appear to be that terrifying."

"Stick around longer then you will see."

-.-

Edward munched on his dinner as he watched his students mob, Roy and Alex, asking them question after question about the performance they did earlier. Both Alchemist soaked in the attention and answered bit and pieces. They, after all, needed to hide away the secrets of their alchemy. The experience of them watching Alchemy being done in such manner opened their minds and see what they are studying first hand.

"Mr. Elric."

Edward glanced over to see Rolanda taking a seat next to him, she kept her gaze over the students. "Yeah?"

"You said you were a former State Alchemist, could you do what they did earlier?" Rolanda asked, turning her heard to look at Edward with her hawk-like eyes.

"...I... It is a very long story. The result is me not being able to do alchemy anymore." Edward stated lightly, smiling slightly at the reason behind him no longer being able to do alchemy anymore. It was worth the exchange.

"You don't have to answer if it is too personal, what did you exchange for you to no longer being capable of using alchemy?"

"...Again...long story and this one is...a personal one."

"My Alchemy has been passed down the Armstrong Family for several generations!"

Pause.

"How in Merlin's beard did he became a State Alchemist?"

"Shhh! Not so loud, do you want him to hear you? He will go on about the Armstrong Family Line for ages."

-.-

"I'll come back and visit again before I return back to work." Edward swung Elicia around in circles around the train station platform. Mrs. Hughes stood a couple steps away holding a cloth-covered basket, watching the scene with a small smile. "Be good, stay in school and if anyone picks on you...tell your Uncle Roy or Auntie Riza. They'll take care of it."

"Don't encourage her, Ed." Mrs. Hughes shook her head at Edward's words.

"What? I won't be in the country, and I can't get any phone calls there." Edward explained as if what he said was nothing out of the norm. "Otherwise I would take care of the problem."

Mrs. Hughes only shook her head. "Of course."

The woman smiled at the young man and extended the basket out to him. "For the trip, down to Resembool."

Edward places Elicia back down on the ground, the girl giggles as she keeps a grasp on her brother's pants to no fall. The Golden Blonde reached over and took the basket and he smelled that familiar scent of apple pies filled his nose. Such a pleasant scent. "Thank you, they smell amazing!"

"Are you ready to go, Fullmetal?"

Edward, Mrs. Hughes, and Elicia turned to see Roy and his unit standing in front of them. The Sandy Blonde girl smiled brightly and ran over to Roy and hugged him. "Uncle Roy!"

Roy smiled hugely at the girl and patted her on the head. "There's my favorite Squirrel Scout."

Elicia's cheeks puff out. "It's Lion Scout! Lion Scout!"

"Gasp-Of course it is! How could I forget such detail~" Roy chastised himself for forgetting such detail. He glanced over at Riza and gave her a silent command. "Hawkeye, Havoc, why don't you two take Gracia and Elicia home. It's getting late."

"Of course, Sir!"

Both soldiers gave Edward either a salute or nod before they escorted the Hughes family back to their home.

"Bye Little Brother!" Elicia called out, waving at Edward.

Edward waved back with a small smile, the smile disappeared once she was out of sight. Glancing over at his shoulder to give his superior a bored look, the Golden Blonde could only wonder what the man is about to inform him. "What?"

"I have people stationed along the tracks, try not to get into trouble."

-.-

The train ride from Central to Resembool was filled with random games, eating pies, homework, eating pies, sleeping and once more... eating pies. This time around, Mr. Elric had fallen asleep clutching onto his suitcase. It is worth mentioning he kept muttering under his breath something about...wrench of doom...? Interesting.

"Does he live out in the country?"

"Naw, he has to live in a city or something."

"In a mansion?"

"Castle?"

"I think he lives in a small cottage in the middle of a forest and you could hear a bubbling creek nearby."

"Maybe by a river!"

"Or by a volcano."

"No. He lives in a laboratory or some sorts, him working on his alchemy."

"Mr. Elric told us he lives down the road from his fiancé, and we'll be switching our time between both homes. If not...mostly in future Mrs. Elric's home."

"I still can't believe he's getting married, he's still young!"

"...In the Magical Community... It is rather common to see a student from the more... restricted pureblood families... get married off the moment they leave Hogwarts. Do you believe that could be happening here?"

"Naw, from what Mr. Elric told us, he'd know his fiancé almost his entire life and said that she's his mechanic. Whatever that means."

"A mechanic fixes muggle machinery and everything else of that sort. Remember Mr. Elric's leg? That's a piece of machinery."

"...A mechanic? Hm..."

"What?"

"Mechanics are uneducated, dishonest, uncaring, dirty, and would purposely break parts to get more work or bulling their customers into unneeded services individuals. A mechanic...hah!" One of the students, a muggle-born Ravenclaw, huffed out in disgust. "My parents dealt with many mechanics over the years, they are all the sa-"

-.-

"Hello~" A very attractive female in her late teens waved at a group of strangely dressed schoolchildren, for Resembool, getting off a train. She has long light blonde hair tied in a high pony-tail, with long locks of hair on either side of her face and bangs, blue eyes and is wearing a short-sleeved sundress. "Hogvarts?"

The Hogwarts students and two professors wonder if this is the Alchemy Teacher's fiancé. The way said man described her to be... is not what they are seeing. She seemed...delicate, polite, and a grease monkey. Her voice is heavily accented to the point they could hardly tell what she was telling them to a point.

Suddenly, the young woman's eyes brightened at whatever was behind the group. "Edward!"

"Winry!"

Everyone turned around to see Edward stepping out of the train, grinning at the Blue-Eyed Blonde. He only took a couple of steps towards her when he was almost flung backward in a bone-wrenching hug, dropping his suitcase in the process. Edward braced himself to prevent himself to prevent himself to fall backward with Winry in his arms. Once he regained his balance, the Golden Blonde swung the Blue-Eyed Blonde around laughingly. "I thought you were going to wait at home, Winry."

"I couldn't wait, I had to see you as soon as possible. Don't worry, Granny is taking care of the pies." Winry said once Edward stopped swinging her around. "So...introduce me. I want to meet these...students of yours."

"...Don't tell me... You have no faith in me being a teacher?" Edward deadpanned.

"Hahaha. Oh, Edward... I'm just surprised you haven't killed anyone yet." Winry laughed, waving off Edward's look of despair. She reached up and grabbed hold of Edward's coat to pull him down enough to kiss him on the lips.

At that moment, everything went blank for Edward... everything just felt... perfect.

-.-

"How much longer now?"

"I can't feel my legs anymore..."

"This goes many of our ideas of his possible home..."

"At least it isn't freezing!"

"It's winter....it supposed to snow..."

"Sh! Remember, we are supposed to be camping. Camping in the snow isn't fun! Believe me... it's not fun..."

Walking up ahead of the group, Edward and Winry whispered to silently to themselves. Both all giggles and smiles but that was just a front. Pay closer attention, you could see Winry if gripping Edward's arm far too tightly and said male purposely kept his face forward to not show anyone his tears.

"Who exactly is at your house again...?" Edward asked through teary eyes.

"Your brother, Mei, Lan Fan and Ling...."

Edward stopped at a fork of a road. One road leads to the Rockbell's Residence and the other lead to his own residence. He turned over to face Winry, shoulder's tense and expression unreadable. "Who else is there?"

"You think I'm hiding something from you?" Winry questioned Edward with a frown, crossing her arms over her chest. She glared at the Golden Blonde, no once did she waver.

"It's Teacher, isn't it?"

"... I invited her and Sig. After you told me you told them we got engaged."

"How is she?"

"She's helping me with the wedding."

"Define helping...?"

-.-

Bang!

Slam!

Screams of pain!

Break!

Shouting!

The two Hogwarts professors and eight students stood in front of a two-story home with a sign in the front. It appeared to be a simple home if it weren't for the fact that Mr. Elric and Miss. Rockbell entered the home and the moment he closed the door behind himself... chaos. He had told everyone else to stay outside until he cleared whatever was inside the Rockbell residence. Apparently whatever it was... it wasn't pretty.

There was a debate about whether or not to go inside to check on the Alchemy Professor. That idea was shot down when the sounds of pain reverberated throughout the entire home.

Wait... is that silence?

SLAM!

The door was slammed open and both Mr. Elric's were thrown out of the Rockbell residence with shouts of surprise. Everyone kept their eyes on the doorway, not able to look away. It was either from fright or morbid curiosity.

Then... they saw... her?

Tag List Below:

Permanent Tag List: @runestarchild @princesskitomi @fanfictionpromptsblog @souleateralicestein @vixen-uchiha @okami-knight @legendaryneckjudgestudent @weird-homosapien @justafanwarrior @vivilakitty @ravennightingaleandavatempus @if-you-give-a-chat-a-cookie @moonwatcher04 @darkshadowguardian @two-faced-biatch @kris-pines04 @mewwitch @edwardhatori @kuroko26 @tall-and-angry @bloody-no-kissu @crazylittlemunchkin @tbehartoo @worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry @melicmusicmagic

#Alchemy Series #Magic vs Science #FMA #HP #HP/FMA #Crossover #Fanfic #Au #Chapter 19

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alchemic-elric · 5 years ago

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This is completely bullshit is what it was. Really normally when he ended up here it normally was but yet he was still stuck setting in at the desk of Officer Fuery again for trespassing on the the Yao estate for the third time this week. The first time he was lectured and brought home by Officers Fuery and Falman. The second time he was brought to the station and given a written warning before they brought him home again and now here he was - round three and he was told that he couldn’t go home just yet because she wanted to speak with him.

Edward had never actually met Chief of Police Olivier Armstrong but he’d heard stories from his music teacher Ms. Catherine and Principal Armstrong had been sure to give him his recount of his older sister and told the young teenager it would be wise of him to never have a run in with her.

He just needed them to listen to him for once and understand that this was not his fault. If Wu Yao wasn’t such an asshole they wouldn’t be having this problem in the first place. The only reason he was even ‘sneaking’ onto his property was because he wanted to see his boyfriend and you could hardly blame a guy for that. Ling kept not coming to school and when that happened it always worried him.

He kept trying to tell them how horrible Wu Yao was but it didn’t seem to matter which adult he spoke to, none of them seemed to listen but he supposed that was perfectly normal when it came to adults because as Ling was always quick to remind him ‘Money Talks.’ and Edward always hated seeing the truth in that statement. Wasn’t there anyone in this damn town that would listen to him when he tried to tell them that there was something wrong in that house?

Sure he didn’t have the exact thing pin-pointed yet but there had to be another reason that Wu banned him from their property other than the fact that Edward may have told him to Go Fuck Himself.

He’s leaned back in the chair he’s setting in, his school bag setting off to the side of it and his cane leaning up against his legs. The teen is scrolling through his phone while he waits absolutely bored. He’s yet to text his brother as to where he was lest Alphonse lose his shit on him like he usually would. Grams was gunna bite his ear off again when he came home in a cop car again. Least they were nice enough to drive him home, probably only did cause his home was too far off the beaten path - wasn’t on the bus route and he certainly couldn’t walk home. It’d take forever.

Maybe he could get Al to come get him - naw - he’s blah to Grams and then he’d still be screwed so that defeated the entire point. Why the big boss wanted to speak with him was beyond him. Surely she’d just bite his face off for causing so much undue trouble. It’s not like he hadn’t been drug down here for fighting before... but if those assholes were gunna run their mouths he’d fight’em where ever they wanted to pick one - school grounds or not. Edward Elric was not above a brawl in the streets - fake limbs or no.

He’d make any dumb fucker eat their words should they open their fucking mouth and earn it.

“Edward.” the sound of Officer Falman’s voice echoes his direction and he groans while rolling his eyes. This was fucking stupid. He’d have to talk to Mustang about this no doubt. Some how that man always seemed to learn about every. single.one. of his transgressions despite just being his psychiatrist. Surely the Hawk’s Eye would be on his ass for this too. Monday meeting in the councilor’s office was in his future he was sure. There’s a scoffed groan as he grips the top of his cane and uses it to help force himself up from the chair.

“Can I leave my stuff here at least?” He asks looking over to Fuery who just nods to the teenager as he makes his way over to the officer that summoned him and walks through the open door he’s motioning towards for the boy to enter. It’s small and obvious it’s meant for interrogations - he’s seen enough cop shows to know that much. Alphonse had a real taste for’em and he always seemed to end up getting sucked into whatever one his brother was currently hooked on.

There’s a small table in the center of the room and two chairs one, on either side of it. Cliché. Falman motions to the teenager to set down and Edward complies as he rolls his eyes. The woman in the room, sets before him radiating the energy of a literate wall and he could tell from the look on her face she probably wouldn’t fall for his usual brand of humor - or in this case, sarcasm.

“So whadda I owe the honors?” He sounds seemingly unphased by her presence. “I fuck up three times so I get a special prize?” He grins. He couldn’t help himself sarcasm is in his blood.

|| @friigidus

#v; modern #friigidus #v; Conversation with the Queen #you can totally ignore this friend #but i just want him to talk to her so bad #so i just i wrote #please don't feel obligated to reply to this #but please #also feel free to harrass my son queen #be queer with us

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zetalial · 5 years ago

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Maria Ross (FMA 2003)

Hey, there’s nothing I love more than being requested to talk about FMA. This post is for @thornstone8773, who believes that Maria Ross needs some more love from the fandom. I agree.

Maria Ross is lovely. She’s introduced in Episode 18, which is while Ed’s studying Marcoh’s notes and she immediately gets into conflict with him. She sees Ed’s complete lack of concern for his own safety to be an issue when she’s been tasked with protecting him.

But it’s not just her job that compels her to care for the Elric brothers. She sees them as lost children getting in over their heads and needing someone to look after them. And she’s fully prepared to step into the role herself - whether Ed likes it or not.

Throughout this episode, she and Ed conflict with each other, Ross gets irritated at his impulsiveness and gets angry when he insists on working in the library where she isn’t able to provide him proper protection. Ed refuses to listen to her and he’s not obliged to (due to his rank as State Alchemist). He’s been dismissing her and Denny Broche repeatedly and very much sees bodyguards as another hindrance to his goals - another thing forced on him. (Ed sees the Military as a necessary evil.)

So, Maria talks to Hughes about it instead. And nice as Hughes might be towards Ed, consistently helping him where others wouldn’t, Hughes takes Ross’s side in their argument.

Hughes is often bending the rules for Ed and Al, he told them about how Scar killed Nina, offered him case files when Ed was investigating Barry, and helped him fight the terrorists on the train. Ed was fully expecting Hughes to be on his side. And Hughes knows it too - he doesn’t like denying them. But he cares about their safety too and recognises that Maria Ross cares.

Ross inquires about why Hughes would let them chase after the Philosopher’s stone at all and Hughes offers some nice insight. Ed and Al would chase after it regardless of whether he let them or not. By helping them, he is able to better protect them and, uniquely among the military, has Ed and Al’s trust. (Because Ed certainly doesn’t trust Mustang at this point in the series.)

Additionally, Hughes says that the State’s future is in their hands. That he and Ross have a duty to enable them to research into the Philosopher’s stone. Clearly, Hughes recognises the importance of their quest and is already looking into the bigger picture. Looking into it further is dangerous, as Hughes will soon learn though. Ross doesn’t like this but accepts it. From here, she’s more actively supporting their endeavours.

In the next episode, the Truth behind Truths, Ed has found out the secret of the Philosopher’s stone and wants to just give up. It’s practically what Ross was aiming for an episode ago but now she actively encourages him to continue searching, citing the importance of it, how it goes beyond their own personal goals.

Like, Ed wanted to make a stone to save his brother but after learning the cost, he realises he can’t go through with this any more. But he’s also finding out a lot about the military’s corruption and how the stone has been used in Ishval. There is more to look into, namely Lab 5 and what lies at the heart of this conspiracy. Ross encourages Ed to continue looking even if they themselves won’t gain anything from it because there is more to learn. He can’t let himself be turned away because he doesn’t like the answers he’s getting. Ross recognises he’s scared and still essentially a child, but encourages him anyway. It’s a great scene.

When Ed finds his determination once more, Ross gives this smile, like she’s proud of them.

‘Course Ed and Al still don’t trust her fully yet, though he did share his conclusions concerning Lab 5 with her. Ross promised to use the military to look into it but Ed and Al decide to sneak out.

I try not to bring up BH too much in comparison so... sorry. But the two different responses from their respective Maria Ross’s highlight their differences. When BH Broche and Ross discover the boys have snuck out, they’re comically worried and don’t want anyone to find out they lost track of the boys as it might get them into trouble. They’re concerned about the Elrics too, yes, but also themselves.

Maria Ross in 03, meanwhile, looks betrayed to find they’ve snuck out and informs Hughes. He agrees to authorise a military sweep of the abandoned Laboratory, getting a bunch of other soldiers, including Armstrong involved even though it’s the middle of the night. Fuhrer Bradley actually runs into them and goes along with it (likely realising it would be too suspicious to deny their operation.)

Upon entering Lab 5, Ross finds Ed in the red room and bravely wades into the room to calm him down. He had absorbed incomplete stone material and was in great danger of some sort of alchemic backlash as he was unable to control all that energy. Even Armstrong seemed to think it was too dangerous to go near him. Maria Ross calms him with a motherly hug, likely the first Ed had received in a long time.

In the aftermath of Lab 5, Ross confronts Ed, slapping him when he tries to brush the whole incident off. She asks him to try and start trusting adults more and he agrees, apologising for some of his reckless behaviour. It’s a good start to an episode about opening up emotionally.

Ed and Al leave for Dublith so Ross doesn’t show up much more for a while. In Episode 38, she spots Winry and Sheska eavesdropping in Central and helps them out against Sloth, where they reveal some of what they’re learning to them. Ross is quite observant to have noticed Winry there and this nicely leads into Ross’s next significant appearance.

When she hears Ed and Al are on the run from the military, she and Broche decide to have an abrupt ‘vacation’ in Risembool. She tells Winry and Sheska how Ed and Al are wanted by the military and how she doesn’t believe it. Here we see Ross actively going against the military she’s a part of.

And then again, when she hears news that Ed and Al have been arrested by the military, she goes to break them out. That’s direct action against the military. It’s really the Tringham brothers she ends up saving but they run into Ed and Izumi again anyway and Maria ends up actively fighting against Archer, who pretty much represents some of the worst of the Military while she’s basically become a rebel.

The epilogue shows her working in the new Government now that the Military state has been overthrown. She seems fairly busy so there’s a lot being done. She’s clearly doing the best for the State’s future.

So, all in all, Maria Ross is a character who has the Elric brother’s best interests at heart. She’s a part of the military but she’s nice and goes beyond her duty for them. She represents the best parts of it - the good people working within it who care and want to protect others. Unlike everyone else, she still sees the Elrics as children and tries to encourage Edward to trust her.

She is very principled and when she disagrees with something she will not stand for it. She does not let Edward get away with whatever he wants, she’s ready to question Hughes and she’s ready to question the Military too. Ultimately, her intentions are good and it’s a greatly encouraging sign to see her and Broche and Sheska working in the reformed State.

#fma #fma 2003 #maria ross #edward elric #Hughes is awesome #I'm sorry I shouldn't bring up BH just to mention where its inferior #but I really like how 03 approached her character #she basically represents the most positive side of the military #where in BH she's mostly comic relief in her parts #and her faking her death I suppose #except that just following Mustang's plan #but uh BH has more Riza and Olivier anyway #if you want some good female soldiers #(But I like Maria Ross more than either of them!)#I'm serious #I'm incredibly fond of her #meta #myposts

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wheremytwinwatches · 4 years ago

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[Where My Twin Watches]: Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood Episode 47

Last time: Winry interrupted Ed’s Sandwich Time, Pride told Al to take a nap, and Bradley got Operation Valkyrie’d. Onwards!

Narrator’s saying how Al was captured by the Goths on Promised Day Eve, and now he’s floating in the Whitespace. Probably not a good sign. A voice (Truth?) tells him to wake up- [Pride]: “It’s too soon for you to die. We aren’t done with you yet. There’s still so much work we have in store for you.” Well. This is going to be a cheerful episode, isn’t it? Episode 47 - “Emissary of Darkness” Way outside of Central there’s a ramshackle village, a bunch of people in rough clothes working the land. Wait why are you asking what the town is called Ed, are you lost? Central is like, clearly visible over the trees. Never mind then, guess this is where Beard’s been hanging out instead of Uncle’s stomping grounds. Sorry dude, but your lunch is getting interrupted by your estranged son and his- I mean, Greedling’s crew. So last time they saw each other it was over Mama Elric’s gravestone while Absentee Anime Father chided Ed for burning down the house. How’s this conversation going to OH SHIT [Beard]: “Edward, I didn’t thi-”

So Beard goes flying from, let’s be honest, a well-deserved punch. I mean we know that he’s on the side of the good guys now, but still. Absentee Anime Father has some explaining to do. Beard’s meeting his son’s new friends ([Lion/Gorilla]: “Ha, no.”), quickly identifies Greedling’s Goth nature and whoosh the Shiny Glasses are back. Eh, this is Beard we’re dealing with after all, guy can’t just give backstory without pulling up his Mysterious Shields. Later that night Beard’s finished storytime, Lion and Gorilla are sitting in shocked silence while Ed struggles with- oooh yeah. He’s spent a large chunk of his life searching for a Philosopher’s Stone to repair his and Al’s bodies, and now learning that he was raised by a “living stone”? Hell, conceived by it. Then Beard offers himself to restore his son’s bodies wat. Oh Leto thank you Ed, the young man’s yelling about how he’s not going to sacrifice innocent souls to fix something that’s their own fault. Beard’s proud to hear his son feels that way. Right, now that everyone’s caught up on the past, what’s going to happen in the future? Apparently there will be a solar eclipse tomorrow that Uncle’s going to “harness for his scheme”. What, is he going to overthrow the Fire Nation? Beard says he needs Ed’s help- [Ed]: “Help you?! Now look here, I’m gonna stop that bearded bastard, but I’m not doing it because you want me to help you! Our best chance at beating this guy is to team up, and that’s the only reason I’m even talking to you right now!” Yeesh. So Ed’s still harboring a lot of ill will towards Beard, storms off after that diatribe as the rest of Greedling’s crew heads off. Except Ed pauses oh yeah Granny asked him to pass on a message, Mama Elric’s final words: [Mama Elric]: “Sorry I couldn’t keep my promise… but I’m dying first.” Argh. And when Ed spins around to keep yelling at Beard, he sees the living Philosopher's Stone staring up at the night sky, crying. Out in the ramshackle village, Ed and the Chimeras are eating while the two men try talking him into giving Beard a chance, maybe ask why he took the Absentee Anime Father route. Ed’s still awfully bitter though, not helped by Greedling jumping into the conversation, pointing out the irony of Ed’s father being his early Quest Item. Ed says there’s more to it than that. Back at the campfire Beard’s thinking about the family picture, when Mama Elric was talking about how someday she’d grow old, that she’d be right there when he left for his Mysterious Mission. But we know how that all turned out. And it has to be said, he’s probably thinking about how he’s one of the most powerful beings in the setting. Maybe he could have healed her illness if he had stayed home? Yes at the cost of using his Philosopher’s Stone blood, but it’s still there. For now, Beard sits talking about how she stayed with him, how he wasn’t there beside- wait. [Beard]: “Tomorrow, ‘Trisha…” DEATH FLAGS WAVE WILDLY Like holy crap, the dude’s sitting by a campfire on his own the night before a big mission, looking at a photo of his dead wife and talking about how he wasn’t around. That’s… wow. Calling it now, Beard’s going to bite it. Taking all bets, I’ll bet Tephi a new book of her choice that Papa Elric will be gone inside of five episodes. The Dramatic String Music is starting up. Ed’s getting red cloth aw buddy why are you going back to your old red cloak? I liked the white outfit, you could have pulled off a good Gandalf.

See, Lion and Greedling agree with me, the Goth of Avarice even calls it flashy. But no, Ed’s all “this may be our final battle”, so he wants to do it in what he considers ‘style’. Fine, just promise no cars this time around. The Greedling Crew’s leaving? What about Beard, the Living Philosopher’s Stone you’re supposed to work with? Ed’s saying that the others can bail if they want ([Greedling]:”Hey now, I’m the boss!”). If they’re after restoring their bodies- [Gorilla]: “These bodies do have their perks. To be honest I really don’t mind staying like this.” [Greedling]: “Hahaha! Yeah, now that’s the spirit!” YES. THANK YOU. So anyway, the Chimeras are all “we’ve got nothing better to do, might as well help save the world” and Greedling’s… not telling Ed why he wants to go back to Central? Eh whatever, after his tiff with Bradley I don’t think he’s going to try and team up with the other Goths again. Wouldn’t put it past him to try and claim the title of Fuhrer in the chaos though. But even if he tries pulling that I think Ling would protest, and he’d have to deal with Roy Mustang (aka the guy who killed Lust) and Armstrong the Great. So yeah, I don’t see that happening. Lion pauses in the road, Ed looks around to see the holdup- Al! Did you get away from… oh no. No glowing red eyes? Walking out a dark, shadowy forest? Seen captured by the Goths and “worked on” by Pride? And yup Ed’s questioning how Al’s here when he was over with Sideburns in the East, and Greedling starts freaking out. Totally-Not-Possessed-Al ever so calmly says he needs to talk with Ed while the Creepy Strings start up, turns towards the forest- Ling yells at Ed to back up. Let me say that again, Ling yells at Ed to get away from the armor. Greed why are you trying to keep Ling from warning Ed? Crap shadows leaking from the armor and SHADOW SPIKES EVERYWHERE, Greedling and the Chimeras just barely dodge before they retract back to the armor, which slowly turns around to face the shocked Crew and then grows way too many eyes. We’ve seen Pride massacre Muggles in the tunnels, hold Riza hostage, chase after Uncle’s counterpart. Now we’ll see him actually fight. Mid-ep pictures of a grumpy Greed and a very unimpressed Grumman. Whaaaa? The Fuhrer’s remains haven’t turned up yet? Why wherever could they HE’S ALIVE DAMNIT. Oh hey General Grumman continues to be competent, he’s personally overseeing the search since he “won’t be able to comfortably sleep at night ‘til I see his corpse with my own eyes”. You go, trope-savvy General. But wait, what about leading the Eastern/Northern forces to Central? Uh. Hmmm. Well. Seems that General Grumman’s conniving extends to his “allies” as well. He just “has” to stay and oversee the search for the Fuhrer, meaning his troops are stuck with him. If Roy and Armstrong the Great make their move now, Bradley’s still-intact leadership (along with Uncle) will capture them. Then Grumman can step in to fill the power gap. [Grumman]: “They’ll take the fall as enemies of the state, while General Grumman will heroically come riding in on a white horse. I’ll let the youngsters dive head-first into danger and do all the dirty work. And then I’ll take my rightful place as leader of this country without any risk.” Holy shit. So Grumman is actually a conniving old schemer who plans to use the good guys to make his own power play. Not quite as bad as Raven, but damnit man I liked you. Thankfully Sideburns suspects Grumman’s motive and is withholding his trust. Back to Greedling’s Crew and Armored!Pride. Greedling confirms that it’s his “oldest brother” piloting the armor now, Pride shows off Al’s sigil. So now Ed has to fight his unconscious brother, and hold his punches so he doesn’t disrupt the sigil. This isn’t going to be easy. But at least he has backup- [Gorilla, hiding behind a tree with Lion]: “Our animal instincts are telling us to stay the hell away from that thing.” [Lion]: “It’d probably be smart for you to run too!” Well, this is the First Goth. It’s not really fair for me to expect them to fight it, even Toad and Boar kept to the sides against Envy. But Ed can still fight, and since he’s a Sacrifice then Pride can’t land any killing blows. Unfortunately Pride knows that, and that people can survive without all of their limbs… Pride’s just standing there as shadow blades strike all around the dodging Ed, who’s talking about keeping the Goth away from the slums. He Earthbends up a wall but Pride just smashes right through it and YIKES thank goodness Ling had his Ultimate Shield or he’d be dead, but Pride just latches on to his limbs and tells Ed to stand down or he’ll hurt Ling and the villagers. But Ed’s smiling? [Ed]: “I think it’s about time I start winning some of these fights for a change!” He transmutes the ground wait there are sparks heading straight toward the village OH! Well, it kinda sucks in the long-term that Ed shorted out their electric grid, but for the short term? No bright lights means… well it would mean no shadows if it wasn’t for the moon and stars. Or not? Apparently the moonlight is so weak that there aren’t any shadows near the forest anymore, all of Pride’s limbs vanish. Ed and Greedling exposit that they can’t see anything in the darkness, but Pride can’t cast without the strong light-source. What’s this about Pride’s shadow? Oh, so he’s controlling the armor by touching the armor’s shadow! Meaning that Pride’s just inside the tree-line, and Al’s armor is free from his influence. Quick, grab it! Oooh, but this means that our heroes are going to have to fight, maybe even kill an apparent child. Yeesh. Anyways, apparently the sky is “completely overcast” so that resolves the moon/star issue nicely. For now, Pride waits- Lion! Haha, looks like their noses are all better after Ed’s chemistry lesson. Holy Leto Lion is just unloading on Pride, the Goth chides him for attacking a child but Lion yells that he knows full well what Pride actually is, along with his animal instincts that are blaring “WRONG WRONG KILL IT BEFORE IT KILLS YOU”. Outside the trees Ed and Gorilla meet up, the chimera says they need to book it. But what about Al? He should be free from Pride’s control now, without shadows to manipulate it should be safe to grab the armor and run. But Gorilla urges caution. Moving along the trees they run into Greedling who’s wondering how they tracked him down LOOK OUT GLUTTONY! So just as Lion’s using his superhuman smell and sight to hunt down Pride, Gluttony’s been used for his enhanced sense of smell to track down Greedling. Who tells Gorilla to start fighting? Dude this is Gluttony, if anything you’re the best equipped to fight him seeing how Ling took the first edition down way back when. Except yeah Greedling doesn’t have the sight or smell to fight in the dark. Fight well, Gorilla! Holy Leto he’s actually fighting well, Gluttony’s getting tossed around- [Gorilla]: “Now for the final blow!” *WHAM* [Ed]: “Why, Mister Gorilla? Weren’t we sticking close to avoid attacking each other?” Ah. Never mind then. Greedling’s thinking over how Gluttony’s got the upper hand in the dark, and they’re all screwed when the lights come back on for Pride. Except ha! Like I said, Ling’s the best counter for Gluttony as he can sense the Goth and beat him once before. Let him CRAP Ling just lost an arm oh right Goth so he could regrow his limb (sorry, souls that got used up for that fix). Wait can Ling access the Ultimate Shield? Let’s come back to that, thankfully doesn’t need it right now as Ling’s fancy Xing martial arts are knocking Gluttony down. Greed even compliments him, impressive. But now Gluttony’s mad, and oh yeah he can do that whole pseudo Gate of Truth thing. Look out for the Eraser Gun! And now Ed’s the one who can’t see the danger, Ling and Gorilla can only talk ominously about “something bad coming”- Flash of someone running by? Beard finally catch up with the group and die heroically? Wait. Wait wait WAIT. Flashes of a speedy figure, metal blades that slice through Gluttony- EASTERN MUSIC STARTING UP OH LETO PLEASE TELL ME FUCK. YES. [Ling]: “I’m glad to see you’re ok. I was wondering when you’d find me, Lan-Fan.” The ninjas are back, baby! With a badass upgrade!

#wmtw #where my twin watches #full metal alchemist #full metal alchemist brotherhood #fmab #fmab 47 #ranubis

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writingsomestupidshitlovelies · 6 years ago

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FMA AU; The Small Difference

I have this FMA AU where Ed saves a town from this whole big conspiracy that involved the town’s local church-- think the whole “Leto” situation except escalated times 100 and with a mini-civil war breaking out across this no-name area that the military has been neglecting. The whole area is kind of barren: food shortages, unreliable water source, crackpot doctors giving incorrect prescriptions, the whole shebang.

Anywhoot, when he’s done Saving Lives he gets up on this stone-pedestal type thing and stands before the crowd of people waiting for answers, and tells them what was happening and things he did/could do to help. Like he has a very basic knowledge of medicine/medical alchemy (he has automail and knows how to do basic maintenance on that, he and his brother had to do some pretty serious research on the human body to do the transmutation, and Ed healed himself after being impaled-- no matter how poorly or enhanced, he still had that basic knowledge.) and changed the acidity of the soil so things could grow better/ grew some of the crops faster, fixed the water filter, etc.

But while he’s giving this speech and telling people what he did and now what they should do, he inadvertently positioned himself so that the statue of their Goddess/messenger of their Goddess is directly behind him, so it looks like he has these huge stone wings. Their Goddess is one of truth and healing, and what has this boy done? He has healed their people from greed and illness and starvation, and he has unveiled the lies that were being fed to them. It helps that their religion has this well-known story of the Sword and his Shield, believed to be two parts of their Godess’ whole: Edward is more abrasive and blunt and honest but also caring and passionate (just like the truth should be); meanwhile, Alphonse is sweet and hopeful and determined (his mere presence can be healing at times). They see Al’s armor and it reminds them of this story: the person made of armor and the person that was completely made of metal/gold aside from his piercing eyes (Fullmetal, anybody?) and how the two were borne from man’s transgressions but the Goddess whispered to them and they became the most human of all. (Sorry for going into a bit of a rant here I am super interested in my made up religion lol)

So it doesn’t change anything. At first.

When Ed is on the run with Greedling they don’t do nothing. Greed does primarily want friends, and he knows Ed has to stay under the radar, but he is still Greed: he still wants power and fuck does he want to thrive after he beats down Father and his so-called siblings. So first they get disguised: Greed just wears his tacky clothes and, when not in their more animal forms, Heinkel and Darius just look like very confused and gruff dads. Ed needs to change: he gets some sort of haircut but Ed is Ed so he gets it in a bob or pixie cut or something super edgy. He disguises his automail by adding unnecessary flourishes to it: snakes or vines with flowers and skulls-- people associate him with the sleekest, newest models, now it looks like his arms are art pieces. Without the cloak and the hair and the different automail, most people don’t recognize him. Greedling’s group ends up saving a few towns and recruiting some more people: Ishvallans from slums, human chimera that are in hiding, hungry children without a home. As much as the entirety of the group try to pretend otherwise, the four and-a-half (does Greed-Ling count as two people??) original members are huge softies.

And while they’re doing that? The town that Ed saved have been whispering. They see the wanted posters and frown. Because this boy saves lives. Because they’ve been following his misadventures and he’s helped so many people. Word of mouth lets them know that Ed and Al frequently help homeless people, pay off others’ debts, sit down and talk to someone on the knife’s edge, give thieves money and a stern talking to, help rebuild and feed and protect (without alchemy) in the Ishvallan districts. Edward is good, and they won’t believe this bullshit. They don’t believe that Ed is their Goddess, or even that he’s an angel of some sort, but there is this quiet belief that the Goddess crafted the Elric brothers herself, that she made them to save lives and bring goodness. They start rumbles of discontent. Contact people in towns the brothers had saved. It’s a quiet rebellion, but a rebellion none-the-less. People recognize Edward as the Fullmetal Alchemist and turn a blind eye, don’t call the authorities. They protest against more laws and officers than ever before. Something is stirring.

Ed and co. start a smear campaign against military officials they know are in on the whole “immortality” thing. With alchemy, the right lighting, and a camera, there isn’t a lot Ed can’t do. Scandals about officers sighted being at brothels or hitting a child are reported, mostly in gossip magazines, but the talk has started. Ed pays two little thief girls to cry and make say that this officer pushed them or threw their ice-cream money in the sewer or slapped their mother. He starts rumors about Lab Five and greedy old men that would take the lives of a whole country just for power and about a ruthless dictator who only acts innocent. He encourages haunted ex-soldiers to talk to newspapers about the atrocities they were forced to commit. Anonymous women speak about how often the old men come to “see” them. Ed is thankful that Ling is part of their group because he never could have done this himself. Mustang is thankful because people in positions of power are weakening and he manages to pass a few laws and get a few people fired and get himself lined up for a promotion.

It all builds up when Greed remembers a base of operations full of fake philosopher's stones and chimeras and weapons. In order to take it out, Greedling needs a distraction. Ed, who has been hiding in slums and hanging out with the outcasts of Amestrian society, knows exactly what to do. He makes a monument. It takes a few days to set it up, but then he’s got it. It’s almost in the center of the city he’s in and it is covered in names. Designs of foreign desert plants line the oddly-rounded building. Ed has been speaking to survivor’s for months. He’s asked them if he could do this. It is the names of all the Ishvallan victims he has read and heard about. A statue of the Rockbells fitting a tired man with a new arm, of a now-dead Ishvallan with his arms and mouth open and beseeching eyes, of the real heroes of Ishval are scattered about. There’s a statue of Wrath, pleasant expression on his face and one hand on his sheathed sword and the other holding a leash. Collared to the leash is Kimblee, sadistic elation on his face and one armed stretched, crackling with alchemic energy. In front of him is an Ishvallan priest, face firm and determined, arms linked with Ishvallans that are faceless aside from piercing red eyes. Signs are in front of names and statues, giving estimated death tolls and heroic acts and anti-military sentiment. Of course the place is stormed. But people are already gathered around and inside. Ishvallans link arms just like in the statue around the monument because this is theirs, because they’ve given up so much but to finally see an acknowledgment? To see real stories and real names and the blunt, harsh truth? They won’t give in. They didn’t before and they won’t now. Guns are pointed at them, and the hesitation to shoot isn’t even there. Hate crimes done by the military are a constant, no one will even look twice at this. But then, a woman runs in front of them, eyes hard and mouth thin. She’s Amestrian. “My mother,” she begins, “died for something she didn’t believe in. She died in your dumb war so that my little brother wouldn’t be drafted. I won’t let you kill anyone else. Not again.” And she’s crying, but her arms are spread and she means it. “Move.” One Amestrian woman could be a scandal, but swept under the rug. The soldiers stand firm. “No.” says one of her friends, standing besides her and linking arms like the Ishvallans behind them. “We let this happen once. We will not let history repeat.” And her friends join. The crowd thins as Amestrians stand in front of Ishvallans, arms linked, a silent but loud promise: You have to go through us to get to them. They use their privilege to protect, this once. They are all scared, terrified, but seeing the names and reading the stories somehow makes it all real: genocide. Not a war, genocide. One soldier points his gun, finger on the trigger, and Ed decides he’s done hiding. “Instead of killing innocent civilians, why not pick on someone who can fight back? ‘Course, you’ll need a hundred more of you canon fodder to beat me.” He leads them on a wild goose chase throughout the city. He gets hurt, of course he does; they’re going for the kill and, just like with Kimblee, Ed is still going for the mercy blows. People see this. Officers notice. Something, again, stirs. Greedling gets the stones, recruits the chimeras, and blows that base to kingdom come. They’ve been destabilizing the military for awhile now, and Wrath has been unable to help in the preparations for the Promised Day because his main job is keeping the military afloat; without the military, the whole plan crumbles. People rally, calling for officers to be discharged. For Bradley to resign or explain himself. There are riots in the streets and abuse against high ranking military officers by civilians. Ed becomes the face of a revolution. With all this focus on him, Mustang and his team can act a bit more freely, despite being separated. Laws are almost absently passed or remade or taken down entirely. Winry is giving poor people automail those people turn around and help others; they all realize that the military should not have abandoned them, that they have to help each other, and they are all angry and begin planning attacks of their own. Greedling makes several bases of their own, full of “minions” (hungry children and lab experiments and amputees and those with disfigurements. A home for the homeless. A war base and safe place for the oppressed.) and with the focus on Ed, manages to launch attacks of his own. Greed has been alive for centuries, although he has forgotten much of it, and Ling grew up in politics with assassins and war, they fight the government like they were born to do it.

It’s a civil war; unlike in Liore, it is no longer one sided. The civilians fight their dictator, military officials fight from within the system.

This is all I have for it, so far. It’s very ramble-y but vgadhbjnfk I refuse to believe that for about 6 months Greedling and co. sat around and goofed off like Ed has a saving people thing and Greed is antsy and wants (to know) things and Ling wants power and he wants it now. Ed is like pure chaos in a five-foot bundle like you can’t tell me he sat around and didn’t even try to do what he could from the outside?? He is a literal genius smh

Also, you might have noticed that I mentioned the Ishvallans a lot and that’s because there needs to be more about and with them. The manga/anime does handle it pretty well but there is so much potential that isn’t used. Also I am a culture-nerd and love learning about different religions and cultures and architecture so I need this ok???

#fma au #Edward elric is chaos #weird au #ramble #Edward elric fights back #au where ed actually does something in those six months #Greedling #I didn't mention Alphonse purely because I forgot what he was doing at the time #everybody loves ed #everybody loves Edward Elric #big au #long post #fam rebellion au #fma revolution au #I need more of these aus dammit #ishvallans #I need more ishvallans too btw #also more about automail and Ed's disability in general thanks #I spent an hour writing this instead of doing my history work lol

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edwardslostalchemy · 6 years ago

Text

Tilted Axis Part 2

This piece is filled with dialogue, just FYI, and it’s also very Long. I’m trying not to do as much exposition in my writing and I want to show you guys what’s going on rather than just telling you with a lengthy paragraph. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: FullMetal Alchemist belongs to Hiromu Arakawa. I just use her characters as barbie dolls to play with and write stories about them.

[Part 1]

Read on AO3 and FF.Net.

“You might feel like a prisoner of circumstance, but you are forgetting you have the jailer’s keys.”

-Ms. Moem

Part 2: Trial and Errors

“You know what I’ve realized?” Ed asked. He and Al had been staying in a hotel room, the location deep within the heart of Berlin, Germany. “It was foolish of us to have kept so much from Winry.”

Al rolled onto his side to face his brother, making the bed he laid on creak with his movements. “You’re just now figuring that out, Brother?”

“Do you think it would have been a good idea to tell her about all the dangerous shit we did?” Ed countered.

“Not entirely, but she’s smart, Ed. We probably made her feel like we couldn’t depend on her for support,” Al pointed out.

“I just didn’t want for her to worry about us,” Ed sighed, pushing back the hair from his face with his metal hand, feeling how a couple of strands got stuck in a crease. He winced when he pulled it back with enough force to take a couple with him.

“It was also for her own safety,” Al added with a sigh. “She was already getting too involved for her own good.”

“So much so that Envy had her appearance down,” Ed muttered.

“I wonder how he found out she had a crush on you,” Al mused, a mischievous grin plastered on his face.

“I recall Envy-as-Winry saying you were the one she’d always loved,” Ed argued.

“Which wasn’t true. It made you freeze, Brother. Admit you felt something for her,” Al teased.

“What good would it do if I did, Al?” Ed asked, looking out the window and gazing at the moon overhead.

“It would probably help you to let it go in a way,” Al suggested. “I know you feel guilty for leaving her behind.” He waited for his brother to deny his suspicion but received no answer in its place.

“I didn’t even get to thank her in person,” Ed said absentmindedly.

“I’m sure she knows you were always grateful.” Al sat up and gave his brother a soft smile. “If we’d ever get to go back, would you still keep her in the dark about issues?”

Ed thought about it for a while, withholding an answer from Al until he’d weighed out the pros and cons of doing so. “I wouldn’t. She would deserve to know what was going on….”

“So then you would tell her we’re out searching for a bomb?” Al inquired as he raised an eyebrow.

“I mean…that gearhead would probably want to help us find it to take it apart and see what makes it tick, disregarding how dangerous of a weapon it is,” Ed offered, remembering the way Winry would get excited over anything related to machines and mechanics. “She’d probably figure out how to deactivate it in seconds.”

“I don’t doubt it. She built your automail at age eleven… She’s a mechanical genius.” Al stretched out and brought his pillow closer to his head. After a few minutes, Al suspected Ed had passed out, but he knew he was a light sleeper and even struggled to find sleep at times. The precaution they always had to take when it came to bomb hunting was probably catching up to him and made him restless. “I wouldn’t keep her and Granny at a distance anymore,” Al mentioned after a while. “They were our family.”

“I wonder how far family members can get without severing ties,” Ed answered, undoing his hair tie and loosening his ponytail.

“Not sure, but I think crossing dimensions probably fits the fill,” Al snorted.

Ed joined in on the laughter because he had a point. “I’d give anything to visit them.”

“Me, too…I miss them,” Al sighed.

___

Tools clanked against one another in Winry’s box as she searched for something Edward couldn’t figure out, but after years of working in the profession, he more than trusted her to know what she was doing. Lying on his stomach, he allowed himself to relax while his mechanic fixed up his arm. It had been so long since he had any maintenance done…. He had tried and even Al had done his best at helping him oil his metal prostheses, but their efforts would never be as precise as the ones performed by Winry’s skilled hands. Earth was far behind in that sort of technology, which was a shame. Now back in Amestris, the dream was real and here he was again with this genius of a woman that had never ceased to amaze him. Earth would have really benefited from someone so intelligent.

Edward had stalled the subject for as long as he could, but Winry was perceptive and knew that the Elric brothers wouldn’t go five minutes without getting themselves into trouble. It was stupid to try and hide things from her. However, he could not tell her everything the second they reunited. Such a wonderful moment couldn’t get ruined by the news he and Alphonse had received. There were tears of joy and lots of embraces, but no words of a trial until later. He waited until he and Winry were alone so he could explain. The confusion in her tone was justified, but he wished he’d been as ignorant as her when he got the news from Roy.

“A trial?”

“Yeah…it was a surprise for me as well,” Ed finally answered, gulping in order to help clear his throat to continue speaking. “At first, I thought it was because of all the destruction that went on when the gate was opened, but it turns out the military doesn’t forget about its deserters.”

“They still have that on record?” Winry’s voice was low, quivering as she spoke.

“They’re really good about keeping track, apparently,” Ed said with a roll of his eyes.

“But that was eight years ago, Ed.” Although Ed’s arm was artificial, he could feel the way Winry used her screwdriver to tighten up the screws on his shoulder. She was still concentrated on her craft despite the information he was telling her.

“I could have come back twenty years from now and they would have still remembered. It’s a crime against the military to leave without permission, especially since I was a dog,” Ed explained.

Another clank resonated in the room, this time more deliberate and rougher, when Winry set her tools down. “You didn’t leave by choice!”

“I know that.” Ed met her gaze, fiery gold against piercing cobalt. He didn’t want for her to get upset, but he doubted he could calm her down with one look alone. He moved his metal hand, flexing the fingers to regain feeling and prompted her to take it. When she placed her gloved hand in his, he held onto it tightly, reassuring her with his grasp that he would be alright.

“It’s unfair, you know?”

Nodding, Ed let out a humorless chuckle. “What kind of equivalent exchange, right? I worked under the military for years, and now that I come back, I get court-martialed.”

Winry squeezed his hand. “I’m surprised you’re not locked up in a cell.”

“General Mustang took care of that one.” With a raise of an eyebrow, Winry prompted Ed to continue. “He didn’t go into a lot of the details on how he did it, but he said he reminded them of my loyalty before the Philosopher’s Stone was created in Liore.”

“Will he also help you with this issue?” After all, it was the General who tracked down Ed and Al all the way to Resembool and scolded them for not asking him for help.

“Yeah, he and his team are witnesses…. If we are able to convince the council and senior staff, then I can count on a shorter sentence.”

Ed saw Winry’s face light up, gasping as she realized something. “I can testify, too! And Sheska! We were both there, too!” She let go of Ed’s hand then before she reached for one of her wrenches. Edward observed her out of the corner of his eye, beginning to sweat. “We aren’t letting you go down without a fight.”

“Are you planning to hit everyone with that thing until they let me go?” His solemn expression became nervous at the sight of the metal tool.

“If needed, then yes,” Winry answered simply. “But first, I need to finish with your automail.”

___

Food and refreshments decorated the table in the conference room that had been spared as requested by General Mustang. Edward had no clue how he did it, but it seemed that his commanding officer was moving the world around to help him as much as he could. He knew it wasn’t like him and all these favors would make Edward owe him for life, but he couldn’t question his motives at the moment. There was no time to waste in arguments, only strategies. There was no telling what the government would do to Edward, but from what he gathered leniency wasn’t in the military’s vocabulary when it came to judging its soldiers. The only reasonable explanation he could think of that the military was even allowing him to walk free and stay in that room was because Roy had that much authority. Being a General had its perks.

“You should eat something, Brother.” Al’s soft voice broke Ed out of his train of thought and into the present.

“I’m not that hungry right now… I’m thinking of what it is I’ll say in that court room.”

“How can you expect to concentrate if you don’t have food in your stomach?” Al raised an eyebrow. “I know it won’t fix the problem, but you can at least think while you eat.”

“Who’s the older brother again?” Winry asked with a smirk. She set a plate of food in front of Ed and returned the glare he gave her.

“Very funny. I’ve grown in the past years, you know!” Ed picked up a carrot from his plate and bit it angrily.

“You’re not kidding on that one. I did maintenance, but I need to make adjustments to your arm and leg since you’re off balance,” Winry mused. “I might as well fit you with new models.”

Ed swallowed as he listened. “Are they as light as the ones I have now?”

“They should be. I’ve been experimenting with new alloys and metals to take strain off the body.” She swirled a piece of food in cream as she explained.

“Maybe that’s why you got taller, Brother!” Al seemed to be excited for him, his sincerity never failing to bring a smile to Ed’s face. However, he couldn’t help feeling he was also picking on him for his height and he couldn’t keep his genuine composure for too long.

“Hey now, I’ve been growing since before I got the lighter models.” He took another bite of food, but this time something clicked. “Come to think of it, you’re probably right.”

“Of course, he’s right. I started developing a lighter model around the time—” Winry cut herself short and Edward wanted to believe his ears deceived him when he heard her breath hitch. She gulped after a moment to collect herself. “By the time you came back, I had been using the lighter models already.”

She didn’t have to say what she omitted and Ed wouldn’t ask her to continue. He knew her memories went to the time he crossed over to the other side of the gate, so it made sense that she would have been working on something better. Maybe she had him in mind for it, but he wasn’t her only customer and she wasn’t the type of person to stop working just because a friend left her side.

“I see,” he nodded, acknowledging her explanation. “Thank you, Winry.”

Were his eyes playing with him as well or was that a blush on her face he saw? Winry was talented enough to receive praises from left and right. Gratitude from his part shouldn’t have been such a big deal to her, but he could have been wrong.

“I’m glad it’s helped you all this time. I was afraid…your recklessness would outlast the automail’s durability.”

She was lucky Ed’s mouth was full with food or else he would have definitely said something he would regret later. However, her smug smile showed him she’d struck a nerve and she knew it, and there was nothing he could do about it because she was right. Still, he couldn’t stay like that and let her win.

“I’m not that irresponsible. I took care of it for three years before I needed a new arm, remember?”

“And it would have lasted longer if it hadn’t been destroyed in the first place,” Winry countered.

Ed heard Al sigh beside them. “You two need to get a room…”

“Shut up, Al!” Ed and Winry said in unison.

“Alright, settle down you two!” Roy slamming folders onto the table brought their attention to him. “I could hear you down the hall. You’re in a military command center, not a market place.”

“Might as well be with the commotion the higher-ups are doing over one stray soldier,” Ed muttered.

“And they will continue to do so if you don’t behave,” Roy advised. Sighing, he took a seat in front of the trio, flipping through pages of the top folder on his pile of files. “It’s a big deal because more than seven thousand soldiers were killed in the Liore incident and then you two ran off right after. Tell me how that doesn’t look suspicious to them.”

The indignation in Edward’s expression reflected his disapproval of the accusation. “But you know what hap—”

“Yes, I know, damn it, but I’m not the one who’s going to judge you!” The commanding officer rubbed his face wearily before sighing in exasperation. “I did what I could at the time to defend you and I am doing the same now, but the senior officers are seeking retribution whether it’s justifiable or not. And right now, FullMetal, the scale isn’t tipping much in your favor.”

“So what you’re saying is I’ll get screwed over no matter what? That’s great! Thanks for the help!” As he crossed his arms, he looked away with annoyance. He felt his temple pulse and he cursed to himself in hopes of not getting a headache. By the looks of the situation, though, it wasn’t likely his head would cooperate.

“You idiot, you’re not seeing the point. Parliament is going to get involved as well and they’ll have every reason to back you up once we present the testimonies of the witnesses,” Roy reasoned. “Last time you were here, you protected the city and took down the person in charge of the flying machines. They know that was you.”

“You actually gave me credit for that?” Ed’s skepticism rose in his tone.

“Was I the one flying that contraption? I was in a hot air balloon, Edward.”

That got a chuckle out of the younger alchemist. “Alright, fine. I’ll trust you…for now.”

“Fine by me. We want for your sentence to be as short as possible. I doubt you came back to go to prison right away,” Roy said, his voice returning to his serious, authoritative tone.

“How long do you think they’ll give me?” Ed asked.

“Hold on! Is there a possibility that perhaps he won’t go to prison?” Winry didn’t mean to interrupt and she was well aware that it was imprudent to give her opinion in a matter that was beyond her knowledge. However, Edward knew her too well. She wouldn’t just sit by and let him sink.

“He deserted the military,” Roy pointed out. “But…we are counting on everyone’s versions of the story. Unless both the military and parliamentary body allow for a deal in exchange of prison time, we’re looking at many years, if not a life sentence.”

Once the words left the General’s mouth, Ed realized a loophole.

“What did you say?” Al asked. Ed turned to look at his brother, recognizing he, too, had come to the same conclusion as him.

Roy raised an eyebrow in question. “I don’t want to get your hopes up on the possibility of a deal. What we have to do right now is come up with a credible story to present to the court.”

“Then I suggest we confess about what really happened,” Ed answered.

“You would have a lot of explaining to do,” Roy refuted. “That would entail a second court martial for just attempting human transmutation. You don’t want to make it worse.”

“I’m already getting court martialed,” Ed pointed out. “I know that means that by talking about it, I’m dragging you and your team with me for just knowing about it. I’ll take full blame. You knew nothing about it.”

“Think about it, General. The Fürher was a homunculus. He was part of the conspiracy to create a Philosopher’s Stone. Your team and you are key witnesses to all of that,” Alphonse argued. “It would help clear so much—”

“I don’t think you two heard me when I said the military will punish you whether it is or isn’t justifiable,” Roy pointed out. “I’m not scared for myself. I’m concerned about the both of you. Alphonse, you would be facing prison time as well.”

“If my brother’s going down, then I’m going with him,” Al answered. “I participated in the transmutation, too.”

“I don’t want you to go to prison, though,” Ed said, avoiding Al’s gaze and opting to look at the folders under Roy’s hands. If he looked at him, Al would convince him with his fervent stare. His eyes were just as full of fire as his own, if not more.

“You didn’t perform the taboo on your own.”

“It’s very noble of the both of you to look out for each other, but this isn’t bringing us closer to a plan.” Roy spread out the folders and Ed was finally able to read some of their labels. “If you want to bargain with them, then we need a strong argument. What do we have to work with?”

The folder with the heading ‘State Alchemist Exam’ caught Ed’s attention and gave him an idea. “General, I’m risking sounding vain, but how valuable am I to the state?”

___

The time it took to wait for the witnesses to come out to Central was used to develop a plan for Ed’s trial. General Mustang and Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong would present his case. Winry and Sheska, along with Al and Roy’s team, would be part of the group that would provide evidence for why Edward was forced to desert the military. In addition, Rose, Sig, the Tringham brothers, Captain Ross, and Second Lieutenant Brosh had also agreed to speak, seeing as how they all met with Ed during that crucial time. After reviewing his files, something became apparent to Ed. One of the officers that was practically throwing him in jail was Major General Hakuro, but the young alchemist knew how to play that card, too.

He had seen a sea of blue uniforms before, but the air in the court room could drown him from the intensity in which cold eyes stared at him. General Mustang hadn’t been kidding when he said the senior officers wanted his head as a trophy. They were all vultures preying on fresh meat. The feast wouldn’t last for long and Ed hoped they could all stomach something rotten.

When the trial began, the senior staff went for Ed’s throat immediately, accusing him of genocide, calling him a traitor, yelling how dishonorable he was. If he didn’t despise the military so much, their comments might have fazed him. He didn’t give a damn about their opinions or their ‘honor’. He had never set out to make a name for himself with the military, although it had been a bonus. All he wanted was to get his brother’s body back, but they didn’t know that.

General Hakuro was quick to mention how badly he made him look, seeing as how he vouched for him to take the exam at the age of twelve. “I should have known you’d be troublesome. We should have never let you in the military in the first place!”

“With all due respect, sir, your words are exaggerated. Edward Elric completed his duties and followed orders until this unfortunate incident with Liore, which forced him to retreat.” Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong, ever eloquent and composed, countered the General’s insults. “And need I remind you that you are alive because of his involvement on the train all those years ago.”

“I repaid the favor by giving him permission to take the exam. But don’t confuse one thing for another. My life was just one. We’re talking about seven thousand men missing.” General Hakuro was adamant, the stubborn officer refusing to see reason. What could they expect from someone so arrogant?

“Edward was under orders to investigate Liore and hunt down Scar, the person responsible for the annihilation of so many soldiers.”

“Yet Scar was never found.” Hakuro’s stone-cold stare never strayed from Armstrong’s.

“He used himself as a component. It is the only explanation why he went missing along with the soldiers.”

General Mustang stepped to the front. “I have a letter written by Edward addressed to me, describing what he had seen in Liore. The council can use this as proof that he never planned to hurt the military.” He brought the documents to the body of suited men that sat across from them.

“You’re arguing that he had no intentions of using the men for the stone. Then, why did he flee afterwards? That is what a suspicious soldier does when he is guilty of a crime.” The logic General Hakuro used may have been reasonable to him, but the only thought in Ed’s mind was beating the shit out of him.

“Because Edward’s younger brother, Alphonse, was turned into the Philosopher’s Stone.” The Lieutenant Colonel’s words caused the room to gasp collectively, afterwards creating a rumble of murmurs amongst the soldiers present. Even General Hakuro had no comeback for such a bold statement.

The council spoke amongst themselves, Parliament against Military, taking their time to come to a decision. How difficult was it to think of something to do? Wasn’t it obvious to them the next action to take? Although Ed remained with a poker face, his body silently suffered from an anxious storm. His chest tightened, his left hand began to sweat, and suddenly his throat was as dry as the desert he and Al had crossed to get to Liore all those years before.

Finally, the council faced forward and Lieutenant General Grumman spoke. “We call to the stand Alphonse Elric to testify.”

Edward wasn’t nervous for himself. He was in a panic because his little brother, no matter how tall or old he was, would go up by himself to testify in front of a court. He was confident in Alphonse. He did not trust the council with him in their hands, though. He didn’t know them and they didn’t know him. He wasn’t a fragile child, but Edward couldn’t fight what he felt. He and Al had gone through so much together that the mere thought of allowing him to enter the lion’s den encouraged him to go up there and protect him. However, he couldn’t do such a thing. He couldn’t leave his seat. He had to trust his commanding officers who knew what they were doing. He dared look around and found Winry’s face among the crowd. It was a good thing she had a front row seat else he’d have difficulty maintaining eye contact with her. They weren’t allowed to exchange words, not even mouth anything to each other or else their behavior would be seen as suspicious. She blinked at him and gave him a nod of recognition, the only gestures she could offer him for comfort. It was all he needed to keep his sanity.

They turned back to look at Al, who was taking an oath to agree to say nothing but the truth. There was no sign of uneasiness in Al’s expression, just a boy who was determined to help make things right. In order to correct them, though, they had to confess their faults first. Everything always came at a price, didn’t it? This wasn’t just alchemy’s law of equivalent exchange. It was the law of the world. Nobody, not even Dante, could convince him otherwise.

“You have a story to tell, young man. What is this about being turned into a Philosopher’s Stone?” General Grumman had taken over for General Hakuro, seeing as how the other had been driven by emotion rather than staying objective. General Mustang had mentioned that Grumman supported them, seeing as how the younger commanding officer had worked under him in the past and they had respect and trust in one another. It wasn’t that he blindly believed Mustang, but rather he wasn’t a biased person to conduct a trial.

“Colonel Archer ordered the Crimson Alchemist to cause destruction in Liore. While there, we ran into each other and Scar, and Kimblee used my body to create a bomb,” Al began. “Scar saved my life by using my body to turn me into the Stone.”

“Your body?” General Grumman looked like an intelligent man, but Edward couldn’t blame him if he was confused by Al’s choice of words.

“Yes, you see… My body was a suit of arm for a few years, with my soul attached to it.”

The older commanding officer stroked his chin in thought. “We will put a tab on this issue for a later time. I don’t want to change the subject, so I hope you understand.”

Edward was frozen in place. He had never thought about ever confessing about the taboo he and Al committed. He had imagined he would either be dead or far away before that happened. Both instances had occurred more than once, yet here he was in front of a court and his biggest secret was moments away from being out.

“What happened to the Philosopher’s Stone? Clearly, your body is not a suit of armor, at least not anymore.”

“Well, in order for me to talk about that, I first need to explain how I became a suit of armor. I hope you understand.” This was the plan that Ed, Roy, and the others had come up with and Al was sticking with it. Ed knew how brave Al was, but he sometimes forgot he could be daring, even more so than him. To talk to an elder—a commanding officer—the way he did, to use his words against him, was something Ed hadn’t seen, at least not in a long time.

“Proceed then.”

“If I may, General Grumman. I believe both Edward and Alphonse should speak of this matter,” Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong interjected.

“Then bring him to the stand, too.”

“We cannot have two subjects speaking at the same stand!” General Hakuro cut in.

“Quiet, General. We want to solve this as quickly as possible. Let them speak.” This wasn’t a request, no matter how level-headed General Grumman spoke to the rowdier officer. This was an order and he outranked the younger General.

Edward reached the stand, going through the same ordeal as Al to swear to tell the truth, and mentally prepared himself. When prompted to continue, he took a deep breath before beginning.

“Alphonse and I performed human transmutation when we were kids.”

Either Ed was condemning his brother and himself for life or he would be saving them. Still, he continued, recounting the night he and Al tried to resurrect their mother, how he bonded Al’s soul to the suit of armor, and their search for the Philosopher’s Stone in order to restore their bodies. Time seemed to drag on as he and Al took turns speaking, but the more they confessed, the lighter Ed seemed to feel. It had weighed on him for years, even after it happened, even after he found out Al did get his body back, but he had to admit it still haunted him. He still felt guilty despite doing his best to move on. Perhaps…it was a blessing in disguise, but who knew? They kept their story as brief as possible, only talking about what needed to be said. The homunculi, Fürher King Bradley, Dante, and Scar were discussed, which brought them back to their initial topic: Al becoming the Philosopher’s Stone. It was convoluted and they spoke as clearly as possible, but Ed could tell this all confused the council. Nonetheless, he and Al needed to say everything, including Al’s kidnapping by the homunculi, Edward’s death, Al using himself and the Stone to resurrect him, and finally Ed using himself to revive Al.

“When I woke up, I was a ten-year-old boy with no recollection of the four years my brother and I spent searching for the Stone. A girl named Rose took me home and explained what Edward did for me. This is why there is no Stone and why I am no longer a suit of armor.” Through his peripheral vision, Edward saw how Al’s composure hadn’t faltered. His face was lightly flushed from the heat of the room, and a bit of sweat had collected on his forehead, but he wasn’t intimidated by the scrutinizing eyes that looked at them.

“And you, FullMetal?” Grumman asked.

“I ended up on the other side of the gate. If I disappeared, it wasn’t by choice. There was no way I could return since the parallel world I was dragged into did not use alchemy.”

“Is there anyone that can attest to this? I certainly believe you, but I am not familiar with alchemy. Plus…there are more people you need to convince.” General Grumman gestured to the rest of the council. If this man was genuinely saying that, Ed wondered how he had reached his rank with his easy way to trust others. Or maybe he was just messing with them and he missed his sarcasm.

“There is, and she is present with us today,” Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong answered.

“What about witnesses for the rest of the events? Surely, more than one person was there?”

“Multiple witnesses are present to confirm what the Elric brothers have discussed. We can request their presence in the stand as you wish.”

Rose was called to testify. Being the only one who had been there through the ordeal, and given the fact she was not a relative of the Elrics, her word was valid. “Edward helped my people escape through an underground tunnel. It’s because of him that so many people made it out of Liore alive. We would have all been killed by the military had he not been there. It wasn’t possible that he would create the Stone as he was far from Liore when it happened.”

“This was after the military took advantage of the civil war that broke out in the city, correct?” Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong asked.

“Yes… nobody cared to help us then. It was as if we weren’t part of the country anymore with all the cruelty and fighting.” Rose tried her best to keep herself composed. Ed saw her lip quiver, but she held it together. She had become a stronger woman and it showed in those tense moments.

“What about these sacrifices that the two brothers made for each other? Were you present?”

Rose nodded. “Dante used my son multiple times to open the gate. He still has scars around his stomach from where she carved a transmutation circle on his skin.”

“We’ll have to see those scars, then,” General Hakuro said, never giving up on a chance to try and trump Ed. However, he and the rest of the room were silenced when Rose’s son was escorted to the front of the room and raised his shirt to show that there were, in fact, scars in the shape of an outline for a transmutation circle along the sensitive dark skin of his torso. They were faint, but they were there. Edward felt sick by the sight, dizzy at the fact alchemy could be used in malicious ways. Despite having no relation to the child, he felt indignation for him, wanting for him to be protected from the ruthless stares from the senior staff.

“After Edward performed his last transmutation, Alphonse was in his place and I took him to the surface, along with one of the homunculi who had been incapacitated. Everything that those boys said was true. Take my testimony as proof.” Even through Rose’s soft voice, Ed could hear the stern tone as she pleaded for the council to think reasonably.

As for the desertion and the knowledge that Alphonse had become the Stone, General Mustang, his team, Winry, Sheska, Ross, and Brosh spoke of the incident, all having the same version of the story and coinciding with what the boys had said. Sig talked about the homunculi, including the late Fürher Bradley; and Russel Tringham talked about his meeting with Ed at the place above the underground city in Central, presenting the excerpt from his father’s journal he and Fletcher had shown Ed before he ventured into the abandoned city to confront Dante. Slowly, the pieces were coming together and the council was growing more and more satisfied with the proofs presented, but the senior staff was still skeptical, though Ed thought they must have been unsure of what to do with the information.

“I think we have enough to work with to have a verdict,” General Grumman began after the group of men took a moment for discussion.

“However, it does not outweigh or excuse the fact that you two committed human transmutation, something that is illegal and a taboo.” It was apparent that Hakuro would not tire until he saw Ed punished. He wondered if he did this all out of pettiness for tarnishing his precious name.

“With all due respect, sir, their transmutation hurt no one but themselves. They have already lost so much and have gone through hell. That should have been enough punishment for their transgression! Why punish them for something that clearly does not affect you?” Armstrong had one of the strongest voices Edward had ever heard and he was getting the chance to see him use it with all its glory and power. He was surprised the Lieutenant Colonel wasn’t boasting about the fact the strong voice had been passed down the Armstrong family for generations….

“Because as definition of ‘illegal’ states, it is against the law,” Hakuro answered.

“Then, I challenge the members of the senior staff to step forward if you are free of any action that would potentially get your court martialed,” Armstrong countered. “If you are so bold as to do so, then you may have the right to judge these two boys.”

To Ed’s astonishment, he saw no one take a step. The senior staff as well as the council remained seated, perhaps contemplating what Armstrong had said, or perhaps mulling over the fact he was right.

“Our actions are independent of theirs, Lieutenant Colonel. What we have done is not the subject matter of this court. If we leave this unpunished, then we would have to do so for anyone else who commits the taboo,” Hakuro reasoned. “This is punishable by death or a lifelong prison sentence.”

“It would be wasteful to eliminate them. Have you considered what Edward has done for the military in the past? What his skills have allowed him to do for the military? Forget the desertion. Human transmutation allowed him to become a gifted alchemist. He and his brother saved your life, something military staff wasn’t able to do. It would be to our benefit if we kept him and his brother alive. They would serve a better purpose if they weren’t locked up in a cell, too.” There was a sudden shift in the room when Armstrong went off on his speech.

“What are you suggesting?” General Grumman asked.

“We would like to bargain with you.”

The muttering seemed to come back in the room, or maybe it had been there all this time and Edward wasn’t paying attention. He had been too engrossed in the situation to even pay attention to his surroundings. If he spaced out, he would have missed his cue. He stood, locking eyes with the General that had made it his mission to see him punished. He was the true General Bastard.

“Our deal is this: In exchange for prison time, my brother and I would enlist as soldiers and the military can use us however you see fit. We will follow your orders. This country has more than enough problems that need fixing. We can help resolve them faster. Do with us what you wish.” A bead of sweat slid down Ed’s face, waiting for someone, anyone, to respond to his proposal.

General Hakuro’s tone was cutting. “Give us a reason to allow an opportunity for sinners to serve our military when they've committed a taboo shamed by their own science.”

Ed and Al looked at one another and said in unison, “Shou Tucker.” Just mentioning his name made Edward shiver and he was sure Al reacted the same way.

“What about him? He’s dead,” Hakuro scoffed.

Punching this man would have been easier than simply talking to him and it irked Edward that he had to defend ever single thing he said just so he could have him spew more nonsense out of his mouth. “Supposedly, he was executed after he turned his daughter into a chimera. However, he worked for the military, under General Basque Grand, to continue the creation of chimeras and other monsters. Explain to me how you spared him and even let him continue more research after doing something so grotesque, yet you won't spare us, who have loyally served the military?”

“Also, our taboo hurt no one except for my brother and me. It rebound on us only. You have spared sinners and they used live humans. You're not only being a hypocrite, but you are also using subjective judgement to evaluate our mistake.” It was impressive to Ed how Alphonse, of all people, wasn’t taking any bullshit and was actually calling out Hakuro. He could be so patient and gentle, but he became a different person when under a lot of stress, which was something Ed really liked. He could not only kick a person’s ass physically, but verbally as well.

Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong cleared his throat to speak. “These boys are skilled in alchemy and hand-to-hand combat. They can research as well as hunt things and people down. They would better serve the military alive than dead. Use them to your liking.”

“You know, they did stop that attack we had all those years ago with those weird machines. Not to mention that we do need some help with the recent terrorist attacks we've had going on in the country. And these two have experience with fighting people. They could be of great help with resolving the issue, General,” Roy added, a smirk gracing his features. Ed’s stomach churned from disgust. Here he went again, wanting to make himself look good by taking advantage of other people’s unfortunate situations.

“I think we can use soldiers like them. We can set up a contract. No deserting this time. No human transmutation. Work only for the state.” General Grumman nodded as he thought about possibilities.

General Haruko scoffed. “How do we know they aren't these types of homunculi creatures?”

“If we were, we wouldn't be here. It doesn't make sense to come back,” Ed answered matter-of-factly. “Besides, homunculi need to feed on red stones to survive. We wouldn’t even have a shape to begin with.”

“We also have our memories intact whereas they didn't, unless they were forced to remember,” Al explained.

“But you mentioned you lost your memories after your last transmutation. Who is to say that Ms. Thomas didn't feed you red stones?” Hakuro asked, raising his eyebrow in suspicion.

“That makes no sense! I lost my memories of the four years I traveled with my brother, not the memories from my entire life!” Watching the way Al became angry to argue reminded Ed of himself, even if it was a tamer way of addressing the issue. He had to keep in mind that Al wasn’t a child and could argue on his own, but it still didn’t appease Ed. He couldn’t let Hakuro treat them like this.

“Maybe so, but that doesn’t explain how you two are alive, if what you are saying is true,” Hakuro countered. “Those monsters had the ability to cheat death, and you two are alive even after being killed. If we shot you right now, who is to say you wouldn’t survive?

Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong and General Mustang came into Ed’s line of sight, standing in front of Al and him as a way to shield them.

“What you said can be taken as a threat, General. I suggest you watch your words if you don’t want to be the next person to be court-martialed,” Armstrong suggested, his tone stern, a warning for the General.

“That's enough, General. We have no evidence for your assumptions. The testimonies we have are sufficient proof. Let the council decide now,” General Grumman spoke with a tinge of annoyance lacing his voice before he turned his attention to the pair of exasperated brothers that waited as patiently as they could for the procession to end. “If these two are skilled enough to perform a human transmutation as children, then I think they are more than qualified to be soldiers for the military. They are useless if they're executed, but alive, they could help us a great deal. Can you fight, Alphonse?”

Al looked a bit shocked by the question. “Yes, sir. I've trained extensively in hand-to-hand combat as well as alchemy.”

“How many people can you take on at once?”

“A good handful,” Al answered.

General Grumman stroked his beard, and if Ed didn’t know any better, then he would have assumed he was coming up with his own way to exploit their talents. He had to trust this man for now, though. “I would like to see what you can do for us. Has the council decided?”

The head of the council nodded and came forward. “Our verdict is to require both brothers to enlist as soldiers and serve the military in place of a life sentence in prison or death. Edward is to remain a state alchemist and respond to the line of duty if the country would go to war or face a national emergency.”

Edward wasn't thrilled with the outcome, but it was better than the alternatives. “I have a condition. If we are going to be your slaves, then we must be allowed leave time to visit our family.”

Grumman considered this. “That sounds reasonable to me. Do keep in mind that training and missions take time and you must have your assignment finished before you two can take a break.”

“That’s fair. My automail requires maintenance, though, so I must visit my mechanic in order to keep it in tip-top shape. It doesn’t last forever, you know?” Ed reminded, holding up his metal arm for emphasis.

“If I may request something as well, sir?” Al said, his polite voice a stark contrast from the tone he used moments prior to argue. “I ask to be my brother's assistant or bodyguard, whichever works for our assignment.”

“Is your brother not capable of protecting himself?” General Hakuro asked, rolling his eyes.

"I don't doubt my brother's ability to hold his own, sir. However, with all due respect, I doubt any of your soldiers can put up with him for more than five minutes. He can be a handful; I'm saving you the headache,” Al explained.

A stinging feeling crept through Ed’s body as he heard Al say those words. “Hey!” he exclaimed, feeling hurt at the thought of being a bothersome older brother to be around for Al. There was no point in arguing with him at that moment, though. They had other things to worry about.

“I don't see why not,” General Grumman shrugged. “I think it would be interesting to have you two here. Do you plan to take the state alchemist exam?”

“If given the opportunity, then yes,” Al nodded.

General Grumman turned his attention to Roy. “They’ll be under your command, General.”

“That was actually going to be my condition for this deal, sir,” Roy grinned, probably feeling triumphant that this could turn out in his favor.

“Well, I’m glad I beat you to it.”

General Hakuro was not as satisfied as the rest with the decision. “So that’s it, then? We are really going to allow these criminals into our military?”

Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong glared at the objecting commanding officer. “Don’t act like the military isn’t full of war criminals who have done worse, General. Or have you forgotten the insurrection in Liore, which was under your command?”

The General became quiet for a moment, having been bested in the debate. “Even so, the military academy doesn’t start taking in recruits until the summer time. What will these two do until then?”

“We’ll put them to work,” Armstrong answered. “Edward is already a state alchemist, after all. And the training for soldiers only takes around a year. They’ll be out before you know it. You’re worrying about an issue that isn’t your concern, General. Let those in charge handle it.”

The head of the council spoke once again. “The case is concluded with the deal as a verdict. We will create a contract that will be signed at the end of the day by all parties involved, holding accountable the Elric brothers for insubordination, if it were to occur, as well as desertion, breaking the laws of the state and alchemy, and failing to fulfill their duties. The Elric brothers will be allowed leave time and Alphonse will serve as Edward’s assistant. General Roy Mustang will be responsible for overseeing their progress and giving them their assignments. The State will respect the arrangement and allow for the conditions to take effect once Edward and Alphonse have completed their military training. Any changes to the contract will be discussed and will either be rejected or will be held to have the document amended. Court adjourned.”

General Grumman walked towards the brothers so as to speak to them privately. “I want to believe that you two will serve as a sort of saving grace for the country. Terrorists are getting creative.” He side-glanced Hakuro then. “Show these people you are more than what we bargained for. Prove them wrong,” he added before winking at them and walking away.

“Yes, sir,” the brothers said in unison.

It was as if a huge weight had been taken off of Ed’s shoulders. Obviously, the position his brother and him were in was not the greatest, but they had been spared the jail time. They had actually managed to come up with a better alternative instead of accepting their fate. Ed wasn’t doing it for himself as much as he was doing this for Al. He was too you…too gentle for prison and Ed would have never forgiven himself if he saw him step foot in a cell. Their human transmutation had also been excused… He wasn’t sure how to feel about it, but for the time being he could only go with what Roy advised him back in the conference room. He just had to cooperate and make things the least difficult as possible. It had been tough for Ed because every so often he wanted to jump from his place to land one on General Hakuro’s face and shut him up. That man was infuriating.

The official document took the afternoon to create, so at least the council had started to fulfill their promises. Ed could only hope that this deal would hold up for decades after that official body had all hit the bucket. He and Al stepped inside Roy’s office and noticed how spacious and quiet it was without his subordinates present. None of them had interrupted their meetings, not even Major Hawkeye and that concerned Ed for some reason. He wasn’t used to there being enough silence for him to ponder on these things.

Roy took the document out of its neat manila packet. “I just want to reiterate that this deal will be for the rest of your lives,” he said. “You may have to get your hands dirty, follow unreasonable orders, and even kill people. Not to mention going through traumatic events like war. I want for the two of you to be aware of these possibilities.”

“It’s not like we’ve never dealt with those things before,” Ed mutters, his voice low yet collected. “We’re conscious of what we have decided. We’d rather have conditional freedom that have it stripped away from us.”

“At least the state will hold up their end of the bargain,” Al added. “Or should we doubt them, sir?”

“There has always been corruption in the military, but it’s been settling down in recent years. Watch your backs with General Hakuro. He definitely doesn’t like you,” Roy stated. “For now, we have to get things sorted out here. You’ll be working with the division in charge of homeland security and defense as well as working under my command.”

“How bad are these terrorist attacks, General?” Ed was more curious than cautious at this point.

“We’ve had a handful so far that haven’t escalated to large threats, but we can never be too careful. I predict they’ll be getting worse with due time,” Roy explained. “Anyway, I can’t have you waddling around with your uneven automail. Go get that fixed and report back as soon as that’s done.”

“I thought we were supposed to stay until things got sorted out,” Al said.

“Government officials will take care of that. There isn’t much you can do for the time being. Might as well take advantage and get an upgrade,” Roy suggested. “Besides, I think there’s a house waiting for you two back in Resembool. Better go visit before you’re sent off to the academy.” A small smile curved his lips, almost as if he’d known that the boys wanted to hear those words.

Ed let out a chuckle. “Why are you being so generous with us, General? I would have imagined you wanted us out of your hair.”

“Don’t get it twisted, Ed; you were my constant headache back in the day,” Roy’s face scrunched up in frustration before letting out a sigh. Ed could relate to the part about having a constant headache, which had been present for him for the past few days. “However, I didn’t find the court martial reasonable. You, of all people, know how I feel about those types of things.”

“Reach a position where you wouldn’t have to follow unreasonable orders,” Al repeated Roy’s words like a sort of mantra.

“You got it, kid.”

Ed and Al looked at one another before facing Roy once again, giving him a bow.

“What’s this?” Roy wasn’t sure if they were just teasing him. He could never be entirely sure with Ed, but if Al was giving him this gesture of respect, then it must have been serious.

“Thank you,” the brothers said.

Roy ran a hand through his hair and puffed out a breath, meeting the boys’ eyes after they straightened up. “Don’t mention it. Now sign the contract and go home. Don’t keep Winry waiting anymore.”

“Right,” Ed smiled.

Al neatly wrote his signature on the elegantly crafted contract before handing the pen to Ed. He read over the paper one last time and signed, noting how different his writing was from Al’s. It would be interesting to see what they both could do, even if this wasn’t what Ed wanted for Al. He would have taken the bargain on his own, but he knew Al wouldn’t have let him go in by himself. How much more would they have to give up in order to be rid of their sins?

___

This was a ride to write. I really hope you guys enjoyed this because it took me weeks to put it all together. This is almost 9k words, probably the longest chapter I’ve ever written (and I’ve written some pretty long pieces)! I noticed that in the fics I’ve read over the years, I’ve never seen anyone bring up the fact that Ed was a deserter…and that would have gotten him court-martialed. This story idea had a completely different outline, but I scrapped it for something else and this was the result. Why are these two suffering more, you ask? I want to see how they handle this journey. In my previous ideas, I hadn’t paid much attention to the brothers’ relationship, but in this final version their bond is central to the plot. I’ve learned so much after re-watching both series several times over the past few months that I have come to appreciate Ed and Al as brothers and as characters, so I couldn’t not include an issue that pertained to them as the main conflict. I also hope the EdWin isn’t forced here. I also also hope that the beginning of this chapter had a smooth transition from past to present. I don’t have a clue about court martials, military academy, or anything related to these things, but I did my best to research. Arakawa-sensei didn’t give us a rubric for these situations, so I’m making it my own and using my creativity. Please let me know what you think!

#edward elric #alphonse elric #winry rockbell #roy mustang #edwin #elric brothers #fullmetal alchemist #fullmetal alchemist 2003 #fma #fma 03 #fran writes #tilted axis #WOOOKAY HERE WE GO #please please share this #it took me so long to write like hhhhh

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fullmetalscullyy · 4 years ago

Text

the way it was - chapter 37

rated: m | warnings: no archive warning apply

read on ao3

1915

i can only tell you how it, how it looks from here

i think you've made up your mind

Everything about this room set Riza’s nerves on edge. The glaring white walls were bright enough to give her a headache. The decaying body across from them, surrounded by pieces of smashed armour, was creating a stench strong enough to make her gag. Riza pressed a hand against her mouth and nose, stifling it as best she could. It didn’t help much. The smell still made her stomach lurch.

Aside from the foreboding atmosphere of the room, the smirking homunculus at the other end was making her skittish. That was the same one who’d tried to kidnap her earlier, probably to use her against Roy. When they’d first set eyes on Riza, Envy flashed her a smile with teeth fully on show. It was unsettling.

“Nice to see you again, Riza,” they’d sneered at her.

In response Riza lifted her gun higher, aiming down sights to settle it upon their face.

It had been a while since she’d fired a gun. Riza wasn’t sure if she had it in her to shoot to kill someone, but she would do her utmost to protect those she loved. The wounds didn’t need to kill, just hinder, and slow them down. The thought settled uncomfortably in her gut but Riza was not naïve. The homunculi wouldn’t go easy on her just because she was a civilian. When it came down to it, she had her children and her husband to fight for. She’d fight to survive for them. Growing up she’d learned how to survive from a young age and had been forced into doing what needed to be done far too soon. Now would be no different. If they threatened to kill her, kill her family, then she’d fight back. There was no question about it. The weight and consequences of any actions would be dealt with later.

After Envy’s welcome party Roy stepped up close behind her. He placed his hand gently upon her hip to garner her attention.

“Stay close,” he murmured in her ear, before moving around her, placing himself between her and Envy.

He didn’t know just how much comfort that action provided.

Even half shielded from view, Riza never relaxed. Her gun lowered so it wouldn’t be pointed at the back of Roy’s head, but her muscles were still coiled tightly and ready to react at a moment's notice. She didn’t let her guard down.

“Got your back,” Riza replied quietly.

Still facing away, Roy’s head bobbed once. Taking that as a sign he acknowledged her, Riza turned her gaze to the rest of the room. Her eyes skipped between everyone in front of her, making sure Edward was all right.

The strap of the rifle Breda had presented to her threatened to slip off her shoulder, so Riza shrugged it back into a comfortable place. She didn’t see the need for her to have two weapons however she had to admit, she did feel more comfortable with the rifle. That was what she’d grown up with and it was a comfort to know her preferred weapon wasn’t far away. Not that she wanted a weapon at all, but Riza knew these people could very easily kill her. She didn’t want to be left defenceless. Not when she had two children waiting for her to come home.

Finally, returning to the conversation, Riza turned her attention to Envy. They smirked maddeningly and Riza’s stomach twisted.

“Congratulations, Colonel Mustang. You’ve finally hunted down your culprit.”

Her stomach dropped.

Envy’s body glowed bright red, changing and morphing into -

Gracia.

They’d… They’d killed Maes… Using Gracia’s face...

The gun in Riza’s hands dipped to point at the floor with her shock. Riza didn’t even realise. She was too stuck on the revelation that this was the person who’d killed one of her dearest friends. They’d taken a loving father away from a child, left a woman widowed… Made him think his own wife had killed him -

“That’s enough.”

Bile crawled its way up Riza’s throat, but it stalled when she saw Roy move. Her head snapped to face him, seeing his whole body shaking with…

Rage.

Gloves were tightened over his hands and all Riza wanted to do was reach out, place a hand on his shoulder, and jerk him back, out of reach of Envy. Anything to break his concentration. Envy was taunting Roy, playing with him, and it caused Riza’s fear to skyrocket. Roy had already been volatile enough about this topic of conversation at home. He didn’t need to be teased further about Maes’ murderer. But Riza was frozen in place. Her brain was still trying to process that this was who’d murdered Maes Hughes.

Roy walked toward Envy so Riza lifted her gun, training it on Envy’s form now that Roy had stepped out of her line of fire. She swallowed thickly, past the lump in her throat.

“This one is mine, and mine alone.”

Her breath caught, eyes nervously shifting over to look at Roy again.

Please… Please don’t do anything reckless, she pleaded inside her head.

“Mrs. Mustang, do you really think the two of you -?”

“Edward, go.” She shifted her grip on the gun. The day was not won, and they still had a job to do. Edward still had his own goals to achieve. “You’ve got somewhere to be.”

“Are you sure?”

“She said go, Elric,” Roy snapped.

Riza frowned at the back of his head, affronted by his tone. Still, she wanted Edward out of here. Riza felt the same way about the young girl standing by Scar too. She was sure they were more than capable, but her maternal instinct was clawing its way to the surface. She could handle Roy, and they had somewhere better to be.

They walked by without incident. Envy glared as they passed but made no move to stop the group. Their tongue was still smoking after Roy had snapped earlier, burning it to stop them from talking.

“You go too -”

“She’s not getting to leave,” Envy sneered. “No,” they smirked, “I think she can stay here with you and watch how you work, Colonel.” Envy snickered to themselves and Riza’s stomach twisted uncomfortably.

Before Roy could open his mouth to reply there was a deafening crack of energy.

The pistol fell limp by her side. Riza’s mouth parted in complete shock, brain struggling to comprehend what was in front of her.

Envy had changed shape completely. The massive form of a green… She didn’t even know what to class it as. It was no beast she knew of, more a culmination of numerous beings all mashed together into one. The human bodies and faces that pressed out from the green skin almost made her vomit. It would be naïve to think they weren’t real people stuck inside there but… Riza couldn’t help but hope beyond hope. A foolish hope, but enough to keep her sane for the moment. It was enough to keep her breakfast in her stomach and stop the horror from keeping her completely frozen in place.

Her fear about running from the imposter at her front door was validated in that moment. Initially she’d been compliant so she could avoid any kind of conflict as the homunculus’ powers were unknown. Seeing this new form in front of her Riza was really damn glad she hadn’t fought it. Those massive paws could end her life in one playful swipe.

“I’ll give you the fight you’re looking for Colonel, seeing as you’ve been so relentless in your search for Hughes’ killer. However, I can’t exactly tread lightly in this body so you better -”

Envy’s eyes erupted into flames. Riza balked at the show, their howl of agony slicing through her entire body and making her shudder.

“What’s it like having the fluid inside of your eyes boil? I’d imagine it might sting a little,” Roy stated coldly.

Riza turned to look at her husband. Dread prickled over her skin, lifting the hairs on her arms, and turning her blood to ice. Horror roiled inside her chest, squeezing her heart painfully and making her break out in a cold sweat.

Enraged, Roy didn’t relent on his assault and Riza could only watch on, terrified.

This was the power she’d unleashed upon the world. These flames had ravished the desert, razing it, and destroying everything in its path. Riza was well aware of this, had discussed it with Roy years ago, but had never seen it at work.

“I think she can stay here with you and watch how you work, Colonel.”

Envy had already known of Roy’s destructive power.

Shortly after they were married, he’d playfully lit the fireplace with it, used it to light the gas on the cooker – sometimes with almost disastrous results – but after Ishval the gloves were neatly tucked away inside a drawer and were never brought out except for when he went to work. He never wore them again inside their home, taking his time to coax a fire from the coals on their hearth, or almost burn his fingers with a match.

This was the power that had torn him apart once before, it was threatening to do it again.

Riza couldn’t let that happen.

Envy’s massive form shifted, their tail swinging to hit the wall beside them. The force of it blasted rock towards Roy and Riza’s heart lifted into her throat.

“Roy!”

His hands lifted to in front of his face to try and shield it, but she lost sight of him as more stone flew by and dust filled the room. Riza crouched low, feeling grains of stone scrape gently across her hands as she covered her head. Luckily, she was out of range of Envy’s attack.

“You coward!” Roy barked.

She heard footsteps against the stone floor, running. As the dust cleared she saw her husband running towards the door Edward had walked through, and Envy was nowhere to be seen.

“Roy, wait!”

She was desperate. Riza took a step towards him. She’d heard the fury in his voice, saw the inferno of hate inside his eyes before he’d attacked Envy. In her mind she was silently begging Roy not to run headfirst into something he’d regret. But she never got a chance to voice it aloud.

“You stay here where it’s safe,” he called over his shoulder, running towards the door. “I don’t want you to get hurt. I’m going to take care of Envy myself,” he spat.

She hated hearing the fury in his voice. That wasn’t the Roy she knew. This wasn’t the doting father who laughed and cherished his children. Riza knew his time in the military hadn’t been sunshine and roses. It had been difficult and cruel, but this was something else entirely. He was changing, teetering on the edge of morphing into… into a monster. If pushed enough he just might. The realisation of it cut deep into her chest, making it ache as she exhaled.

Her shoulders slumped as she stared after his retreating form. She felt momentarily helpless –

Riza frowned. As if she would stay and let him run off to fight Envy alone. The irritation and anger she’d felt festering during their last argument about him seeking revenge and justice came hurtling back. He was losing it, but he’d already said he didn’t want to become a monster again. Riza wouldn’t let him.

The pistol was gripped tightly in her palm. Riza started moving and picked up her pace to a run. Her gun was cocked and ready.

As she walked through the tunnels she’d heard the explosions, heard Envy’s distant screams. Riza was on high alert. The blasts and the screaming eventually stopped but she wouldn’t let her guard down until she knew for certain Envy had been defeated. The sudden lack of them made her wonder if Roy had already defeated and delivered his justice to Envy, but she held onto the slim hope that maybe they’d just escaped. She clung to it desperately.

Footsteps were approaching her current position. They were in the hallway ahead, heavy but steady as they walked. Ducking, she hurried as quietly as she could to the opening where the tunnel she was in opened up into another. Gun poised and ready, she waited for whoever was approaching to come into view.

At the last second, Riza spun out and swung her gun, lifting it so it came face to face with -

Roy.

She blinked at him, surprised to have seen him so soon. Her shoulders fell with relief and realisation but paused when she saw the dark look in his eyes. His stare was hard as he looked down on her.

A seed of doubt planted itself into her mind when he remained, poised to snap at her, for a moment longer. He should have recognised her right away...

Was this…

Unless he thought she was Envy.

“I told you to stay behind, Riza.” Roy straightened his posture and lowered his hand to his side. His hand relaxed and went limp.

“I wasn’t going to let you face this alone. I already told you that.”

Riza thought he might argue with her, stating it wasn’t safe down here, but he just scoffed quietly and shoved his hands into his pockets.

“Where’s Envy?” She rose to her feet and lowered her pistol but didn't loosen her grip.

“They outran me.” He turned away from her, speaking into the empty tunnel. “This place is like a labyrinth. You might as well help me kill them now that you’re here. Stay right by my side, Riza,” he ordered over his shoulder. “Don’t leave it.”

Without another word, Roy walked off, leaving her to stare after him.

That seed of doubt was putting down roots and sprouting slowly within her mind.

Riza started to walk behind him. He didn’t even acknowledge her.

“You might as well help me kill them”. That didn’t sit well with Riza at all.

I don’t want to get you involved. He’d told her that, adamant about that fact, when she’d offered to help Winry after she’d had a run in with Scar. He’d begged her to stop pushing for her own safety, as well as their unborn child’s.

I didn’t intend for this to happen. He’d been miserable as he reassured her of that on their couch after his meeting with Bradley. And it was me that put you in harm’s way.

This isn’t over, he’d vowed after seeing that Pride had hurt her. I swear my life on it.

Roy had never wanted her to get her involved in anything relating to his work. He’d even fought to share his plans for the day with her, stating the less she knew the better. However, she’d managed to wear him down and it had helped him to talk it through with someone, rather than shoulder it all by himself.

Before running off after Envy he’d even told her to stay where it was safe. That he didn’t want her to get hurt. Why would he invite her to help him kill Envy, when he knew that was the opposite of what Riza wanted him to do?

This was not her husband.

Riza lifted her pistol towards Roy’s head. She let out a quiet breath, ignoring the horrible imagery of pointing a gun at her husband, poised to kill.

He stopped, turning to half face her. His fringe was almost hiding his eyes, but his expression never changed. It was the same steely one he’d worn earlier when he didn’t lower his hand, despite realising it was her around the corner.

It was possible he was just being cautious but his command to help him kill Envy was what settled it for Riza.

Slowly, Roy turned back around and lifted his hands in surrender. “Do you know who your gun is pointed at?”

Riza scoffed. “Who? Don’t make me laugh. When we’re alone, my husband calls me by my maiden name. A throwback, to old times.”

She heard Roy gasp, then jump away in a flash. As he did so, red sparks erupted from his body as it morphed into Envy. “Maiden name?” Envy scoffed. “What kind of weird marriage do you two have -?”

“I lied.”

Riza fired, hitting Envy in the face with her bullet. They cried out in pain, hurtling backwards to crash into the ground. Her stomach lurched with the impact of that first shot, very aware that she’d fired at another ‘human being’. She knew they couldn’t be killed so easily but… It was still jarring.

Just like it had been after her first successful hunt as a child.

Fight to survive, Riza.

Red sparks erupted around Envy’s face, healing the wound she’d just made, repairing skin and muscle insanely fast. It angered Riza that they could heal and repair themself so easily while a friend couldn’t and had been left for dead in a phone booth in the middle of Central.

“It was nice of you to fall for it though, Envy. And now you can do us all the favour of dying.”

Riza fired again and again, almost emptying a clip into the homunculus.

“Ow! That hurts!” Envy yelled at her.

Something very green and sharp shot towards Riza, cutting into the skin of her shoulder faster than she could react. The arm that held her gun jerked out as she ground her teeth together against the pain. The way her body spun from the impact made the rifle strapped to her back lose its grip on her clothing and it slipped down her other arm. Riza caught it quickly, so fast that even she couldn’t believe it, but she was being fuelled by indignation and this being’s carelessness for human life, as well as adrenaline. With that combination, the rifle was caught easily.

Riza’s knees buckled with surprise and the sudden pain in her shoulder. One hit the ground painfully as she steadied herself, getting ready to fire. Despite the rough treatment and the recovery from Envy’s strike, she still managed to hit her target.

Envy’s body jerked with the hit, pushing them back a step with every single one until they dropped to their knees.

“You’re really annoying with that thing!”

Furious, another bolt of green disrupted the stones beneath her feet before shooting up and racing towards Riza. She stood sharply but it was too fast to dodge. It wrapped around her entire body, sealing her arms against her body tightly. It squeezed impossibly tight, restricting her ability to breathe. Gasping for a breath, Riza’s eyes bugged open wide as she was lifted off the ground. Knowing what was coming before it happened should have helped her prepare, but she was too caught off guard. She was still recovering from the sudden lack of oxygen and the pain lancing through her shoulder. She was slammed down into the concrete, the back of her head bouncing sickeningly off the stone. There was a crack as her hair clip broke and let her hair loose. The blonde strands tumbled down her back and over her shoulder, springing free from their restraint.

“I’ll dump you at his feet like a rag!” Envy cackled.

Gasping, Riza lay there as she tried to blink away the spots from her vision. They danced in front of her, but one thing did make its way into her pain addled mind, there was a quiet snap in the distance. It sounded so out of place that it caught her attention. Riza knew what that snap meant.

Envy screamed as Riza felt a sudden heat. Looking down her body Riza saw flames lick at the green appendage holding her still. They stopped far enough down that they wouldn’t harm her, but the sudden rush of flames made the skin of her face heat up.

“Roy,” she cried out, partly with relief and partly to get him to stop.

There was another snap and Envy was consumed by fire. Their screams drowned out Roy’s approach so Riza had no idea where he was.

“What in the hell are you doing to my wife?”

Riza’s head snapped up, blood running cold at the fury she heard in his voice. His face was like thunder as Roy stared Envy down. Glancing over at their enemy, Riza finally saw fear in Envy’s face. They were petrified. They’d made a mistake going after her and now there would be hell to pay.

“Don’t interfere, Riza.” His tone was softer as he spoke to her but that look in his eyes… His rage knew no bounds. “I told you I would deal with this, and I don’t want you to get involved.”

Before she had a chance to reply hell rained down on Envy, like fire and brimstone. Roy snapped and grunting, letting out all of his fury as he sent attack after attack at the homunculus to drain their power. It blew her hair away from her face and the intensity of the heat almost made her turn away.

All Riza could do was stare. She felt numb.

He’s going to kill them. He’s giving into that hatred.

She had to do something. She had to move.

Struggling to her feet was a great effort. Riza felt herself stagger. She was almost knocked backwards by the force of Roy’s alchemy and her head was still spinning from the hit she’d sustained after being slammed into the ground.

After one last ferocious blast Envy’s body started to disintegrate. It crumbled into a charred mess, leaving a tiny green creature in its place. Their voice turned almost child-like as they cursed Roy, crawling away from their own remains with tears in their eyes.

Roy approached and lowered his foot harshly atop Envy’s body. They were squashed underneath his boot, almost crushed completely. Any slight increase in pressure and they’d be dead.

Like hell Riza would let Roy do that to them.

“So this is your true form then?” The growl in his voice almost made Riza sick.

Stop… This isn’t you, Roy… Stop it, please.

“You’re ugly.”

Envy whined, begging for Roy not to do it, just like Riza was in her mind.

“I don’t want to die!” Envy cried desperately, tiny limbs flailing frantically.

It was too much for her to take anymore. Catching herself on the wall, Riza shoved herself so she was standing.

“I’m not giving you a choice. Now burn in hell!”

His fingers snapped together. Riza lifted her weapon, cocking and pointing it at Roy’s head, as her heart broke clean in two.

“Roy!”

Her yell echoed around the tunnel, bouncing off the walls with such clarity even she didn’t expect it. In the lull of the explosions the world sounded eerily quiet. Roy’s quiet gasp filled it once he realised what she was doing. His body stilled, his foot easing slightly on Envy’s body underneath his boot.

“What do you think you’re doing?” His tone was harsh but genuine surprise had seeped into it as well.

“Stop this,” Riza commanded, putting as much authority into her voice as she possibly could. Her gun shook in her hand, the grip slacking. No. She couldn’t let herself slip now. Not after all they’d already been through with this discussion. She wouldn’t let him talk to her like that either. The grip on the gun tightened. “I’ll deal with Envy from here on out.”

“Riza. Lower your weapon,” he ordered with the same authority she’d heard him use with his team at work.

Riza was no soldier and had to follow no such order. She was his wife, she loved him, and she’d made a promise that she’d watch his back and watch out for him always. He’d asked her to do that and she wasn’t about to let him down.

If I lost myself to all of this… That’s not the husband or father I want to be. I don’t want to be a monster again.

I choose you. I choose all three of you. There’s no contest and never has been.

He’d picked his side, that night in the darkened bedroom, and she wasn’t going to let him back out now.

“No. Put your hand down, Roy.”

He scoffed. “I won’t ask you again!” He shouted, almost startling her. He’d never used that tone with her before, never been so angry towards her like this. It didn’t even sound like her husband. The barrel of the gun quivered.

There was the sound of a transmutation and the ground beneath his foot was alchemised, disrupting their conversation. It rose up sharply to throw Roy off balance and send Envy sailing through the air. They were both startled out of their argument by the sudden appearance of Edward Elric and Scar.

Edward plucked Envy out of the air effortlessly, gripping onto them tightly with a scowl on his face.

“Fullmetal.”

Riza’s head turned sharply back to face Roy, noting how much calmer he sounded. But it was all a ruse. He hadn’t changed one bit. The fists at Roy’s side began to shake with his fury. One of his arms extended outwards towards Edward.

“I’ll be taking that.”

Edward was surprised by the request, seemingly unsure for a second. He glanced over at Riza and she shook her head the tiniest fraction.

“That is an order. Give them to me, right now!”

“No, I won’t,” Edward refused and Riza felt herself relax the tiniest amount.

With a controlled movement, Roy’s arm lowered. Alchemic energy still sparked around his gloves, a sign that he hadn’t given up the transmutation yet. He still needed to decide where to direct it.

Not at Edward and Envy, Riza pleaded. She couldn’t take it if he did.

“Elric,” Roy growled. “That thing belongs to me.”

“No they don’t!”

“Give them to me! Or I’ll burn up your hand along with it!” Roy’s hand twisted, pointed towards Edward.

“Roy!” she scolded, outraged that he’d threaten such a thing, and to Edward of all people too.

He’s almost gone, Riza. Do something!

Edward wasn’t one to give in so easily either, though. He interrupted before Riza could recover from her burst of anger. “Try it then!” he goaded, daring him.

Roy fell silent as he and Edward glared at one another in a standoff.

“Think of our children, Roy,” she commanded, trying another way to get through to him. It had worked before so she hoped it would again. Although Riza tried to keep her voice strong, one mention of them almost broke her. Her voice cracked and she was almost pleading with him as she spoke his name. “Remember what you said to me when we discussed this before. Don’t give into this,” she begged. “Remember that you’re letting go for them, as well as yourself.”

“What would Mia ask you to do?” Edward’s voice rang out in the tunnel, adding onto her point.

Roy’s shoulders stiffened and she heard him inhale sharply. “Stay out of this, Fullmetal,” he warned harshly.

“What would Maes ask, huh?” Edward continued on as if he hadn’t heard Roy speak. “What would those kids say to finding out their father gave into anger and hate and killed this homunculus!” Edward was spitting angry, furious that Roy was even considering such an act, but was desperate to get through to him as well. Riza could see it in his eyes. There was fear in them too. “If it were me I certainly wouldn’t want to look at you again!” Edward yelled. “You look like a monster!”

“I know I have no right to tell you what to do, Mustang, but they are correct.” Scar’s deep and calm timbre rolled through the air, settling over Riza, and making her loose another breath from her lungs. Hope swelled within her that maybe the three of them would be able to get through to him together. “You’re a father and you need to set an example. Do not cause any more death than you already have. End this cycle of hatred,” Scar snarled, “do it now. Break the chain. Otherwise you’re no better than a beast and those that have come before you. And I shudder to think what kind of world you will create after you become its ruler with all of that hatred burning inside of you. I dread to think what kind of father you will be.”

Roy’s body stiffened.

“Roy.” She brought his attention back to her. “This is not who you are.” Her voice was controlled as she steadied her weapon. She knew the Roy she loved was still within him but was buried underneath the tumultuous storm of emotions raging within. He had to be. Riza wouldn’t accept anything otherwise.

His shoulders tensed. “Riza… I did it,” he growled. “I finally ran them down and they’re right there. They attacked you –”

“I understand that,” she barked harshly. “I know you did, and I know what happened, but you’re about to do something you’ll regret here and I won’t let you. You’re better than this. I know you’re better. I know the man I love, and he’s not here right now.”

His shoulders jerked up towards his ears.

“This course of action benefits no one. All it will do is hurt the ones you love.” Riza took a deep breath. “This is pure hatred. And I will not let it take you. I already told you that. I already promised I wouldn’t let you do it!” Her cry rang out in the silent hallway.

He was struggling, teetering on the edge, but he was listening to her.

“Would you really shoot me with that gun, Riza?”

Her breath caught tightly in her throat, choking her. What… What was he asking her?

His tone changed completely, along with his body language. His shoulders relaxed and he let out a long breath. He sounded calmer, that edge to his voice gone. He almost sounded defeated.

He still didn't let go of the transmutation though.

“If you’re going to shoot me, shoot me.”

It was just a threat, really. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to kill her husband if he actually went through with this. She was no soldier, had taken no human life, and Riza wasn’t sure if she was emotionally stable enough to hit her target regardless of that.

But would she be able to live on with him, knowing that he’d become the monster he didn’t want to be, but had sought out that path anyway?

“Maybe not,” she admitted quietly.

She’d only been able to target Envy because she knew they wouldn’t die. That first pull of the trigger though… It was jarring, horrifying. When she’d fired a gun before it had been for food, for survival. This fight was a way to try and keep her alive, but she gained nothing from each hit. Just the sickening realisation that she was harming another living thing and gaining nothing from it.

“Maybe I can’t pull that trigger on you.” Despite the turmoil rattling her bones her voice held steady. Sorrow bled into her tone, shoulders dipping as her resolve to point the weapon at him wavered. “I couldn’t do that to you. Couldn’t do that to our children either,” she added, bile rising at the thought of taking their father away from them, regardless of their current conversation.

Memories flashed inside her mind. Roy lifted Mia high in the air, spinning her round as she giggled with glee. Maes’ happy squeals filled the room as Roy blew raspberries on their little boy’s arms, tickling him. Hayate barked happily in their garden as she, Roy, and Mia chased each other in a game of tag on the grass. Little Maes clapped his hands happily as he watched, sitting on Chris’ lap.

Riza clenched her jaw to stave off the sudden tears and keep a hold on her emotions. She wanted that Roy back. She just wanted her husband back.

“But I’m doing what you asked me to do,” Riza replied with more confidence this time. “I’m watching your back. You told me you didn’t want to be a monster again. Don’t give into it. Mia wouldn’t want you too.” Her voice wavered. She cleared her throat to try and shift the lump in it, but it was futile. “Little Maes wouldn’t want you to either. Neither would Big Maes.”

Roy’s head jerked suddenly, no doubt remembering their conversation in the dark in their bed. He’d held her close that night. She remembered pressing a kiss against his throat, feeling his pulse thrum beneath her lips.

“I…” The words stuck in her throat, halting her. They needed to be said because they were true, no matter how much it hurt to think about. She needed to get through to him and the hope that she could was dwindling second by second. “I don’t think I will be able to live on with you if you do go down this path.”

Roy flinched violently.

“I can’t follow you down it. Our family can’t. And I refuse to leave our children behind.”

He let out a choked breath. Suddenly, Roy’s hand jerked out and with a yell, the fire torpedoed down an empty hallway, filling it with heat and his anguish.

He didn’t do it.

Riza had never felt such strong relief in her life. A choked breath left her lungs, stuttering as it passed by her lips. Her knees shook and her pistol trembled in her hand. She almost lost her grip on it.

“I… I can’t afford to lose you. Or them. This madness… Scolded by a child and a man who was once my enemy.”

Roy turned to face her and Riza felt hope blossom tentatively at the look in his eyes. All his hatred was gone. A deep exhaustion had settled over his bones and it showed clearly in his expression. The features of his face drooped, eyes filled with so much regret and agony that Riza almost lost her breath. He was broken, defeated by himself, but he was Roy.

“And you.”

Tears flooded his eyes. Roy’s touch was gentle when it rested upon her gun. His hands were bare, gloves gone. Riza was unsure when that had happened, but it didn’t matter. The fact remained that he’d unequipped his weapon and taken that step away from where he was threatening to fall over the edge.

Riza watched completely mute as they both lowered the gun to her side slowly.

“It almost cost me you. I forced you to go through all of this. I pushed you away. My love,” he breathed, so quietly only she would hear. “My children. I would have lost it all.” Roy cleared his throat, dropping his gaze in shame. “I’m sorry I hurt you,” he whispered. “I did it again. I’m such a fool,” he cursed in disgust, dropping his gaze. He turned to the side as his knees shook. He fell to the ground, finally spent, with his face hidden by his hands.

Relief made her body shudder and tremble. The pistol grew slack in Riza’s hand and dropped to the floor without her realising it. She joined him, kneeling by his side. Pain shot into her kneecaps after she fell, hitting the ground hard enough to make her wince. Her old injury with her fight with Envy flared up but Riza paid it no mind. All of her attention was focussed on the side of her husband’s head. She stared, knowing she wouldn’t be able to discern anything from it, but still looked upon those dark strands as if they would give her all the answers she sought.

Tentatively, Riza reached out. Her hand hovered before the space in between his shoulder blades. It was an action she’d done numerous times when helping him through his low points. She wasn’t sure what his mental state was. She had no way of knowing until she took the first step and made contact. Her fingertips pressed down first, lightly, before the heel of her hand kissed against his back. She watched, saddened, as his shoulders bunched up further at his ears, head dipping down. He was hiding from her.

“Roy?” Her call was apprehensive. She just wanted him to turn and look at her, give her something to go on. But he didn’t.

Shifting on her knees, Riza angled herself around him so she was kneeling by his side. Her hand naturally moved to come to rest on his shoulder. She gave it a squeeze of comfort and encouragement.

“Roy, look at me,” she prompted gently.

Unable to bring himself to, his gaze remained on his feet which were crumpled underneath his body at odd angles.

“Roy.”

It was just enough coaxing. The hand that covered his eyes moved a fraction. His eyes were desolate once they made contact and barely visible as he peeked up at her through a gap, filled with shame and sorrow.

“You didn’t do it,” she reminded him.

“I was close.” His voice was a whisper, only loud enough to reach her ears. “I - I saw you being hurt… And thought about what had happened to Hughes and –” His sigh made his whole body shudder. “I’m sorry,” he whispered in a hoarse voice.

Riza gathered him close, placing her cheek against the top of his head. Her arms wrapped around his shaking frame, bringing his face against her chest to hide him from the rest of them. Just for a moment, she wanted it to be just them, to have a tiny moment to themselves so she could get him back on his feet.

“You’re all right for now. You came back to me,” she whispered into his hair, focussing on that fact at the moment. The day was not over so everything else could be left until later when they were alone.

Slowly, hands lifted to her hips and held on. His fingers dug into her sides almost painfully. Then, the arms wrapped around, squeezing her against him. Her fingers ran through his hair as relief made them shake, thankful that for now, the worst of the confrontation was over.

#royai #royai fic #royai fanfic #royai au #the way it was #emma writes #tentatively posts #i used up all my brain cells editing this to the point where idek if its good or makes sense anymore lmaoooo #i will never be able to compete w the mastery of arakawa but i think this is a relatively decent attempt #apologies in advance my dudes

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fullmetalirin · 6 years ago

Text

Fullmetal Alchemist: Episodes 50-51

Fullmetal Alchemist Episode 50: "Death"

As zeppelins rain bombs upon London during World War I, Edward and Hohenheim flee the city. As they watch the attack from a distance, Hohenheim explains that in this world, on the other side of the gate, the science of physics has developed instead of alchemy but, because Edward's soul was transferred over without his body, the Gate of Truth within himself can be used to return to Amestris. Meanwhile, with Hawkeye's help, Mustang has sneaked into the Führer's mansion to confront him and avenge Hughes. Gluttony, moping over Lust's death, is forced by Envy to begin gradually eating Alphonse's armored body to complete the Philosopher's Stone within him so Dante can use the stone to switch bodies with Rosé. Annoyed with Gluttony still mourning the loss of Lust, Dante alchemically destroys his mind so he can be nothing but an eating machine just as he begins gradually eating Alphonse. Wrath, still moping over Sloth's death, tries to intervene by using alchemy so he can use Alphonse to revive Sloth, but Dante has Edward's original limbs removed from Wrath's body so he can no longer perform alchemy in doing so. After repairing his relationship with Hohenheim, Edward returns to Amestris and tries to stop Dante's plans and set Alphonse and Rosé free, only to be distracted by Envy, who begins tormenting him in battle. When Edward angrily demands to see Envy's true form, Envy gleefully obliges, transforming into Hohenheim and Dante's deceased son, causing Edward to hesitate in sorrow. Dante reveals that Envy was the first ever homunculus, created when Hohenheim attempted human transmutation to revive his son who died of mercury poisoning. As Envy admits this is the reason why he hates Hohenheim for abandoning him to start a new family, the homunculus instantly transforms his arm into a blade and heartlessly kills Edward by piercing him through the heart while a horrified Alphonse, Rosé and Wrath watch.

Hm, I forgot he transferred to WWI London. I thought Amestris was equivalent to Nazi Germany.

Ed is impressed by zeppelins and airplanes. Hohenheim says their mechanical engineering is better than in their world, but Amestris has pretty sophisticated manufacturing too. Trains are apparently about a century old, which is about on par with our timeline. I guess you could presume that technology hit a plateau as people figured alchemy was better for more advanced applications.

Bradley keeps his remains in his house. He's read the Evil Overlord List! Selim saw the safe, so Bradley entrusts him with the key. That's pretty smart, since it's unlikely Mustang will think the kid is relevant.

Riza has dispatched Bradley's guards and is at his door. I presume this is a diversion, because we cut to Mustang sneaking in by… jumping over the wall? I'll presume that was alchemy-assisted.

Archer is still not dead.

We cut to Ed and Hohenheim and get my other favorite scene. Hohenheim explains conservation of energy, explicitly drawing a comparison to our very first example: Al fixing the broken radio. The souls of the dead from Earth pass into their world and provide the fuel for alchemy. This makes perfect sense: we already know the Philosopher's Stone, which amplifies alchemy, is powered by souls, so it's only logical that regular alchemy work the same.

Hohenheim explains he really did love Trisha, but left because he didn't want them to see the rot. I think this is a flawed but reasonable explanation. The rot represents more than just itself: it's a mark of his sin, a reminder that this body is not his own and that he's committed atrocities to obtain it. I see this more as him being unable to bear the answer to the inevitable question, "Why are you rotting, Dad?" It's horribly selfish and cowardly of him, but at the same time, it's understandable. Humanity is flawed.

Back in Amestris, Dante needs Gluttony to eat Al to complete the Philosopher's Stone. Apparently Dante designed him to refine red water. However, Gluttony is still BSODing over Lust, so Dante destroys his mind by removing his ouroboros tattoo.

Hohenheim confirms that Dante can't create a Philosopher's Stone on her own.

Hohenheim leaves us with the bright side of Dante's philosophy: you can gain something for nothing too. When a parent loves their child, he says, there need be no cost or reward.

But Ed still clings to equivalent exchange, admitting his only argument is that he doesn't want to believe a sacrifice could go unrewarded. He believes he just has to keep trying.

And then a zeppelin falls on him! He returns through the Gate just in time, but the poor boy he was inhabiting is still certainly dead.

Back in Central, Riza tells Bradley Mustang is after him… why? To get his family out of the way? Bradley goes into the wine cellar to fight Mustang, and the door is alchemically sealed behind him.

Bradley gives basically the same speech as Dante, saying really he's helping people by keeping the Philosopher's Stones from them.

Bradley explicitly says Mustang's fireballs will be less effective in an enclosed space. Thank you!

The Gate takes Wrath's arm and leg, but not the rest of him.

Ah. Ed realizes he used Earth!Ed's life to make the jump.

And now we get confirmation Gluttony killed Marcoh way back then.

Envy has a lot of fun running through forms to taunt Ed.

Alchemy can't be used because the activation of the Philosopher's Stone makes it too reactive. What does "activating" it really mean, though? We haven't seen alchemists need to do anything special to use it before.

Seeing Envy's true form stuns Ed, but… it doesn't look that recognizable? Ed says it looks like Hohenheim, but Hohenheim had a beard, and we just established he was willing to punch his mom's face. I remembered it as him looking like Ed, which would have made more sense. Still, it's a neat reveal. I've heard Brotherhood fans say it's a worse motivation than the one he has in Brotherhood, but, eh, his Brotherhood motivation was clever in theory but felt totally contrived and out of left field. Daddy issues might be cliché, but it's fitting for the more human homunculi, and it makes for a powerful parallel with Ed – further emphasized by them both being his children. I still think it'd have been stronger if we didn't learn it earlier, though.

Also, I do like that Envy violates talking-is-a-free-action to shank Ed while he's distracted.

Dante says Envy was the first homunculus ever created, so I guess Dante and Hohenheim were the first alchemists?

Rose appears to break out of her trance upon seeing Ed die.

Let's update our homunculi list real quick before the last episode:

Greed is wasted.

Lust defects, and is killed out of vengeance for a loved one.

Sloth is paralyzed.

Gluttony refuses to eat, and is made a slave to base desires.

This one is actual irony. He's spent the whole series only caring about eating things, but now, when he's actually ordered to, his human emotions get in the way. He's killed by an absence of gluttony, and becomes the embodiment of gluttony – a slave to base instincts. I find that a lot more clever than "Gluttony is eaten" – that is just so utterly trite and banal, you don't get points for that.

Fullmetal Alchemist Episode 51: "Laws and Promises"

Alphonse breaks free and attempts human transmutation as he sacrifices himself - using what's left of his Philosopher's Stone within him to revive his brother. Envy appears at the Gate of Truth, having failed to stop Alphonse, and encounters Edward's soul. Learning that Hohenheim is still alive on the other side, Envy gleefully decides to head through to kill him against Edward's advice, disappearing into the distance as a green, serpentine dragon. Edward reawakens to see his body fully healed as well as his right arm and left leg are now flesh and blood. However, Alphonse has been taken by the Gate of Truth as a consequence. After having Rosé take an injured Wrath with her and flee to Resembool, Edward attempts human transmutation, offering his own life, allowing Alphonse to return to his body, albeit his memory is recalled up to when the brothers tried to resurrect their mother. Meanwhile, Mustang successfully kills Führer Bradley with the help of his son Selim, who unintentionally weakens his adoptive father by bringing him the remains of the human from which the Führer was originally based. The Führer responsively strangles his son to death out of anger before Mustang takes his advantage. As he takes Selim's body and leaves the mansion, Mustang is confronted by Archer, who apparently shoots him in the left eye. Hawkeye arrives in time to save Mustang's life and kills Archer. Dante escapes into an elevator to find the Führer to help her exact vengeance, only to be devoured by Gluttony, who fails to recognize her. Alphonse is back in Amestris now and Edward is pulled through the Gate of Truth and is currently in Munich. The brothers both resolve to reunite again someday.

Dante snarks that maybe Ed just didn't pay enough to deserve survival – "We always come just a little short of the price."

We actually see Mustang drawing the transmutation circle with his blood. So much cooler than him doing it offscreen!

Al destroys Gluttony's jaw. Gruesome.

Mustang successfully destroys Pride. Since he didn’t use a sealing circle, I’m guessing he really did exhaust all of Pride’s lives. See, that’s acceptable to do once as a climactic cool moment. Notice also that we skipped straight to the end instead of watching him use fireballs for two minutes straight.

Riza saves Mustang by being the only person smart enough to shoot at Archer's human half.

Envy jumps into the Gate in pursuit of Hohenheim, and even manages to shake off the souls trying to eat him. Hardcore.

After the scene with Dante and Gluttony, we see the elevator open to an empty chamber. Creepy.

Ed's lost limbs are restored when he's resurrected, but it costs all of Al's Philosopher's Stone.

Sheska says Amestris is no longer a military dictatorship, but the current wars will still continue. However, they've become more tolerant towards Ishbalans.

Roy has an eyepatch. Just like Bradley! Riza said her outing him and then doubling back was part of the plan, but I'm not sure how or why.

How did Hohenheim get to Germany? The year is 1921, so he somehow survived 7 years even though his body looked to be at its limit.

Ed thinks Einstein's theories are bunk. Heh.

Ed says he planned to offer his life as the price for restoring Al. The fact that he didn't makes him wonder if he got something for nothing.

The ending spiel is a twist on the standard opening spiel: Al recognizes that equivalent exchange is not the law of the world, but he still hopes that hard work will pay off, and that one day they'll be reunited: a promise, not a law.

Conclusion

I think this is a good finale. The cutting around is a bit disorienting – it perhaps might have been better to resolve Mustang's side of things earlier? – but not uncalled for. I like how Mustang is actually challenged and injured in his fight scene instead of just effortlessly coasting his way to victory; he's cool without being overpowered. The final boss fight with Envy is a bit meh, but huge fight scenes were never what I was watching for in the first place (and Mustang vs. Pride kind of has us covered on that front). In terms of how this interacted with and resolved the story's major themes and questions, I think it was excellent. We learn what is behind the Gate, we learn the truth behind alchemy, we get discussion on the theme of equivalent exchange, and the protagonists' driving motive, the restoration of their bodies, is resolved. It's an open-ended finale, but not an unsatisfying one. The villains are defeated, the characters have learned important lessons, and they're going to keep on living.

Mustang's side is probably the weakest part here – Cyborg Archer is really weird and random and seemingly just there to add more tension and battles. His fight with Pride feels a bit truncated since we keep cutting away from it. I'm still not totally clear what his plan was or if it made sense, and it was very dumb of Ed not to tell him how to fight homunculi. I do like that Riza saves him in the end, though.

Ultimately, this is again the rare OG arc that I feel could have been better spread out over more episodes. Getting all the characters into position is rather rushed and relies on a bit of contrivance, and the finale itself feels like it's trying to say more things than it really has time for. But I'm still happy with what we got.

Now, this is more subjective, but I find the dual sacrifices way more emotionally meaningful here. I plan to do an ending comparison post where I will discuss this further, but for now, I think it's very powerful that Al finally has his moment of triumph. He's spent the whole story as a damsel in distress, even getting literally turned into a MacGuffin for this finale, only ever watching helplessly as people make horrific sacrifices for him while he can do nothing to save them. So here and now, he says screw it, for once he has the power and he's going to use it to save the person he loves more than anything in the world. It's so strong that it's an absolute mirror of what Ed did for him, and extremely meaningful that in a series that started with and revolved around the impossibility of resurrection we end with a true one.

But Ed, stupid, stupid Ed, can't be content with what Al gave him and refuses to learn his lesson, so he puts them back where they started. I'm not sure how I feel about that – it makes him into a very stagnant and stubborn character who refuses to learn the narrative's lessons even when they've been so firmly pounded into his skull. The point of Dante's speech, to me, was that you cannot keep throwing good lives after bad – Ed has hurt himself and so many others on this journey, justifying it to himself with sunk cost fallacy. The correct option is to cut his losses and go home, to be happy with what he still has instead of throwing away even more. Even the very fact he planned to kill himself to bring Al back shows he's still ignoring him – Al has said over and over again he doesn't want Ed to do that. Are these brothers doomed to be trapped in an endless spiral of self-sacrifice for the other? But… I gotta say, Al staying dead would have been too much of a downer. They've been through so much that they do deserve a miracle. (There's that stories-as-just-worlds striking again!)

I actually have never seen the movie, so maybe it resolves some of these things! I shall see. But for now, let's complete our list…

Greed is wasted.

Lust defects, and is killed out of vengeance for a loved one.

Sloth is paralyzed.

Gluttony refuses to eat, and is made a slave to base desires.

Envy kills himself out of jealousy.

Pride is killed by his son.

Wrath outlives them all.

An ironic pride death is easy – hoist them by their own petard. This show takes it a step further, and has Pride undone by his namesake. I'm pretty sure it is said somewhere that Selim is his biological child in this continuity, and that the capacity to sire children was one of Pride's human traits. That makes it deeply ironic that the son is the reason he dies.

I never bought Wrath's Brotherhood death as "irony". Wrath being killed by wrath… I don't even know if that's poetic, it just kind of… is. We say those who live by the sword will die by the sword, and for good reason. Wrath dying to wrath isn't unexpected or at all clever. The volatile, self-destructive sin being the only one to live, though? That's irony.

And oh my god you guys Brotherhood!Envy kills himself out of PRIDE not jealousy, he could not have been more explicit about it! Know your sins if you're gonna be smug about what deep symbolism they are!! This one is still a bit of a reach – wrath is a closer fit – but there is a case to be made that he is doing this out of a desire for the connection and satisfaction that other children have yet was denied to him.

Lastly, I think you could make a case that Dante embodies all the sins and is undone by all of them simultaneously. She believes herself above humanity, yet she is easily frustrated, slothful in her attitude towards the homunculi, envious of others' bodies, and greedy, lustful, and gluttonous for life and power. Wiping Gluttony is an act of impatience, frustration, greed, and arrogance in the assumption she could still control him.

Even aside from that, though, this is such a fitting end for her. She's spent her whole life plotting in the shadows, never allowing herself into a position of personal harm, and just as she tries to slink away to do it again she's undone by her own tangled web. Work behind the scenes, die behind the scenes.

#fullmetal alchemist #fma #fullmetal alchemist brotherhood #fma 2003 #liveblog

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scribblescrabblebabble · 6 years ago

Text

RoyEd Week Day 1

Title: All in One

Rating: T+

Realtionships: Roy Mustang/ Edward Elric; Alphonse Elric/ WInry Rockbell

Chapter: 1 (Fighting/ Making Up)- [Ed meets Roy's estranged mother and sisters]

Cross- Posted on AO3 and Fanfic.net links- AO3 FF.net

The only things Ed knew for certain about Roy’s family were thus:

1. He had two living parents, as well as two sisters: Elizabeth and Margery. His father ranked Lieutenant General, a lofty few ranks higher than Roy (a Brigadier General), and Margery, the eldest sister, worked as a history teacher back in their hometown.

2. A rather unnecessarily loud and violent fight between Roy and his father had resulted in the then teenager’s enlisting as a State Alchemist and quitting communication with his parents and siblings.

Ed had figured this much out about his fiancée about a year previously when the Flame Alchemist had drunkenly (due to a long bar night after a particularly arduous day at HQ) given Ed a long rant concerning the military higher-ups. While not the first of these kinds of intoxicated spiels, Roy rarely made it past the Major Generals before passing out, and, like other such rants, he barely remembered telling Ed these frustrations come morning time.

With this said, it took Ed a good minute to register who the three women standing at his doorstep were.

An older woman, black hair streaked with copious wisps of gray, tugged at her thick lace gloves that matched the off-white of her lace cardigan. Her sharp black eyes looked at Ed with mild interest. Behind her, another black-haired lady who appeared roughly Ed’s age held two leather bags, and a woman with lighter brown hair cut stylishly in a slick bob held one as well. Both young women had softer, gray-blue eyes.

The pristine folds and drapes of the ladies’ dresses made Ed feel a bit frumpy in his own catastrophe of a bun, baggy t-shirt, and sweatpants that he hadn’t changed out of since falling asleep the night previous.

“Can I help you?” Ed asked, at a loss of what these people would want from him, especially before noon.

The old woman spoke, her voice as sharp as her gaze, “Does Brigadier General Mustang live here?”

Ed quirked an eyebrow, “Who wants to know?”

The woman’s gaze narrowed, not amused, “His mother.”

The blonde’s eyes widened slightly in realization, noticing now how much the old woman resembled his partner, “Yeah he lives here, but you missed him. He just left for work an hour ago. Come in, I’ll call and tell him you’re here.” Ed gestured inside, and the women filed in, “Hold on.”

With all three inside, Ed closed the door and strode into the bright kitchen. He spotted the remains of his breakfast sitting on the stove and made a mental note to clean up a bit after his call.

Quickly dialing Roy’s office number, Riza answered after three rings, “General Mustang’s office”.

“Riza, hi, it’s Ed. I need to talk to Roy, like, now.”

“O-okay, he’s not doing anything right now. Is everything alright?” came her concerned reply.

“I hope.” Ed said before muffled voices rumbled from the line, and a transferal ‘click’ switched the phone to the one atop Roy’s desk.

“Ed, what happened?” Roy’s voice was equally as concerned as his Lieutenant’s.

“Your mom and, I’m guessing, your sisters are here.”

The phone was so quiet that Ed worried for a minute that Roy had hung up on him, “Roy?”

A long sigh came as a reply, followed by an utterly defeated, “I’ll get home as soon as I can. If they ask anything just tell them the truth. Just as a warning, they don’t know I date men.”

The phone clicked off before Ed could respond. He mumbled, “Thanks for the heads up,” before placing the phone back in its place and returning to the three ladies, who were still standing in the entryway. “He should be back as soon as possible, so make yourselves at home. Just put your bags anywhere. I’m Ed, by the way.”

Roy’s mother followed Ed back into the kitchen while the two younger ladies rid themselves of their purses. “May I?” she asked with a gesture to one of the oranges piled into the wooden fruit bowl on the counter.

Ed shrugged, “Help yourself”.

She thanked him, grabbing a large orange and peeling it tenderly (she was still wearing her lace gloves) as she introduced herself, “My name is Mary, but please call me Mrs. Mustang. My two daughters are Elizabeth and Margery.” Mary motioned to the two women who had just sat at Ed’s and Roy’s small kitchen table. Based on Mary’s gestures, the woman with the bobbed hair and loose-cut, baby blue dress was Margery, and the lady currently braiding her long black hair over her gingham shoulder was Elizabeth. Ed noted a rough scar that stretched from Elizabeth’s left cheek back near her ear as she brushed her hair back.

“Nice to meet y’all. Roy doesn’t talk much about his life pre-military, so I’ve been curious.” Ed leaned casually against the counter opposite the table, and Mary moved to sit with her daughters.

Margery made a vague gesture with her hand about the table, “Well, here we are.”

Elizabeth giggled a bit, hands wringing viciously within themselves on the pink fabric of her lap, “So you and Roy are… roommates?”

Ed looked to the side with a grin, “Yeah, something like that. What’s brought on this visit, anyways? If you don’t mind me asking.”

Mary sighed, “Not at all. Elizabeth, would you care to elaborate?”

The youngest sister flushed, her flounced skirt a twisted mess in her hands at this point, “Oh-uh, well, I’m getting married this fall, and I wanted to personally invite Roy, because he deserves to at least know about it. I had to find him, though so… I-uh, kind of used Father’s military badge to sift through communication records. I saw his numbers, but I also saw that there were a lot of calls to an automail clinic in Resembool…” Elizabeth’s words faded to mumbles, her face as red as a beet.

Margery picked up for her, “Lizzie assumed the worst, and we were on the train to Central the next morning. Judging by your arm, though, I assume you’re the one who made all of those calls?”

“…Oh.” Ed was at a momentary loss for words. “… Yeah, my brother’s girlfriend is my mechanic- we grew up in Resembool.” That’s what all of this was about? The Mustang women all looked at Ed, dumbfounded when he broke down into a fit of giggles. It just seemed- in that very moment- like one of those moments in the radio-show dramas Ed had caught Roy listening to when he thought Ed wasn’t home. Of fucking course, Roy would have some uppity family that just needed to come see their dear estranged brother over a tragic misunderstanding. It was just so…HIM. “Fuck, this is priceless.”

Elizabeth, still a lovely shade of red, dragged her hands down her face warily with a groan, “I feel so stupid now, how am I supposed to explain this to Roy?”

Ed grinned through his giggles, “Just tell him what you told me, he’ll understand your stress. I’m guessing you don’t know, but Roy’s also planning a wedding.”

Elizabeth and Mary both yelled a collective, “What?!”, whilst Margery boredly inspected a chip in her pearlescent fingernail polish.

“Mother, Lizzie, you aren’t blind are you?” She asked with a hint of incredulousness in her bored tone, not taking her eyes from her spindly fingers (the narrowness of which she shared with her brother). She made the vaguest of gestures with her head in the direction of Ed, he guessed at the engagement band plainly visible on his non-metal hand.

“Margery, get rid of that tone this instant!” Mary snapped. Her lacy hand was rapidly tapping on the edge of the table so hard that the noise was plainly audible.

“Why should I?” Margery snapped right back, standing with a suddenness that sent her chair loudly back a foot. She turned from the group, muttering her desire for a smoke as she passed Ed to the hallway. After a short rummage, the front door clicked open. However, when Ed expected to hear it shut, all he heard was silence.

Elizabeth seemed to pick up on the inconsistency as well, as she followed Ed to the foyer to inspect. Margery was still standing by the cluster of purses, a cigarette pack clutched in her hand with a matchbox, a mix of a glare and surprise across her face. Her attention was focused towards the open door, where Roy currently stood, fingers still grazing the door handle. His attention was equally focused on his sibling as hers was on him.

Just as Margery turned her nose with a huff and pushed her way past a still dazed Roy, cigarettes in hand, Elizabeth squealed and nearly jumped on her brother. Her skirt fanned out around the two, as the force of her hug sent she and Roy in a small spin.

“Roy, it’s been so long- you can’t imagine how much I’ve missed- What happened to your eye?! You’re old! And what’s this about you being engaged and not calling me? You know-“ Elizabeth quieted abruptly when, with an arm around the young lady’s shoulders and another atop her head, Roy began to laugh. “What’re you laughing about?”

Roy let go of his sister, giving her cheek a joking poke and still laughing, “No clue.” He responded dismissively, “You haven’t changed, Lizzy.”

Elizabeth scoffed, “You haven’t seen me since I was nine!”

Roy held up his hands in surrender, “That’s not to say I’ve changed at all since I was eighteen.”

“Of course you have! We both have!” The youngest Mustang sibling smacked her bother softly on the arm.

Roy moved further into the house, taking off his coat and still smiling at Elizabeth, “If you say so.”

She giggled, and Roy finally looked from his sister to Ed. The blonde noticed in his periphery that Mary had not congregated to the entrance of the foyer like the rest.

“Why don’t we move this into the living room? Bugs will get in if the door stays open.” Ed commented. Elizabeth agreed, already heading back to the kitchen and through the next door, as instructed. Roy soon followed, but not without a quick kiss to Ed’s amused smile first. Ed slid his hand into Roy’s, meaning to just give his hand a reassuring squeeze. Roy, however, grabbed fully onto Ed’s hand, keeping his skin in contact with Ed as the couple made their way to their living room as well.

He noticed a lack of Roy’s mother but soon found her standing by the couch with Elizabeth. Through the window, the blue of Margery’s dress moved amongst the many flowers that decorated the backyard.

Ed slipped his hand from Roy’s before the two ladies looked over. Mary stepped forward, face seemingly blank of emotion. Even though she was considerably shorter than her son, she was still able to clip him upside the head with her right hand, demonstrating considerable force. “Roy Mustang, I cannot believe you!” She angrily scolded over his yelp of surprised pain.

“What?” He exasperatedly asked.

“Don’t ‘what’ me, mister! I haven’t spent twenty years worrying about you- only knowing you were alive through newspaper articles to be sassed at!”

“Well, I was clearly told the next time I stepped foot in the manor that I’d be shot, so what exactly was I supposed to do?” Roy retorted back.

Mary looked taken aback, “And when were you ever one to listen to your father’s blind threats?”

“I’d never been threatened with my life before, Mom.” Roy crossed his arms.

Mary seemed not to acknowledge her son’s comment, moving on to her next point of contention, “And what’s this about you getting engaged? That never appeared in the papers! Not to mention that you have some roommate when you’re about to be married- it’s totally careless!”

Roy bristled, “That ‘some roommate’s’ name is Ed, and it’s him that I’m engaged to, thank you!”

Ed blushed, looking to the side a bit when Mary and Elizabeth turned their surprised eyes directly upon him. “U-um, newspaper companies aren’t incredibly supportive of guys tying the knot with each other, so we decided not to inform the media. It would have been a threat to our careers as State Alchemists.” Ed explained, finding the wallpaper beside him incredibly fascinating to look at at that moment.

“I-“ Mary looked back at Roy, anger seemingly burnt out into exasperation. “I didn’t know you… you…”

Roy sighed, his temper gone as well, “There was no way you could have known I’m gay, Mom. I didn’t even know until I left for the military. Its one of the reasons I never came back.”

“Roy, you know I could never be mad at you for that.” Mary stepped close to her son, resting the hand that had previously hit him reassuringly on his arm. “I know. It’s not you I was worried about.” Roy replied.

Ed eyed Elizabeth, finding her watching the scene unashamedly, much like Ed had been doing as well. She looked over at him, noticing his confusion regarding Roy’s dismissive comment, and mouthed ‘father’. Ed nodded his understanding, moving to take a seat with Elizabeth on the couch.

There was a short silence during which Margery stalked into the room from the garden, silently leaning against the kitchen doorframe. The silence was interrupted by Mary’s blunt, “Tell me what happened to your eye.”

Roy smiled ruefully, sitting on the arm of the sofa nearest Ed, “I was shot in the face. Karma’s a bitch, isn’t it?” Elizabeth itched her cheek, looking at her brother with sad eyes. Ed could tell there was a piece of the narrative he wasn’t informed of.

Mary looked horrified, “Was it during that horrid affair with Fürher Bradley? It was all the papers could talk about for weeks! The assassination, and that young Elric boy going missing.”

“Exactly then!” Roy answered, smirking at Ed, “But the ‘young Elric boy’ was found, so I guess it wasn’t all that horrid.”

“’Young Elric boy’ my ass,” Ed mumbled, crossing his arms and lightly head-butting Roy in the arm. His fiancée laughed, whilst Mary gasped.

“Oh my, you’re Ed Elric? I didn’t recognize you from the papers!”

Ed waved her surprise off dismissively, “I was fifteen, I wouldn’t recognize a picture of me then if I didn’t know myself.”

“Hold on.” Roy interjected, concerned. “Not to sound unwelcoming, but why are you all here in the first place? Did something happen at home?”

Everybody in the room turned to Elizabeth, whose face flushed scarlet again, “Well…” She explained what she had told Edward, this time without Margery’s aid. By the end of her story, Margery had migrated to her sister’s end of the couch, yet to cast a sidelong glance at Roy.

“… And, well, now we know that the automail isn’t yours, so the whole trip could have been much less sudden if I hadn’t been so nosy. You’re invited to the wedding, anyway.” Elizabeth finished. “You know my fiancée, too. It’s Patrick Crowley- the boy I was best friends with as a little girl.”

“I remember Patrick, he was there the last night I stayed over.” Roy’s eyes darted to the side of Elizabeth’s face quickly. The young lady covered her scar with her hand as he looked.

“Yes, he was! He came to return some socks that I’d left at his mom’s house the day before. We’d gone swimming in his little stream.” Elizabeth recalled, “I was going to stay the night, but I left early because you’d returned from the front.”

“You shouldn’t have come back.” Margery said. Mary shrieked her disapproval, whilst Elizabeth looked stunned.

“He was eighteen and traumatized!” Elizabeth said softly.

Margery’s eyes gleamed with aggression, “You were nine and just wanted to wake your brother up! Whose fault is it?”

Ed had been confused before, but when Elizabeth defensively pulled her hair over the scar on her face, he began to understand.

“It’s been two decades, get over it!” Elizabeth shouted.

“Two decades and the least Roy could do was apologize!” The elder sister shouted back. Mary looked like she wanted to cry.

“How exactly do I apologize when my own father won’t let me into the house without a firearm trained at my head?” Roy was shouting too. He looked at Elizabeth, “Lizzy, it was an accident. I love you and the event has been keeping me up at night for more than half of my life. I’m sorry.”

Margery rolled her eyes, “Well isn’t that just the most sincere apology I’ve ever heard.”

“You put me on the spot!”

Mary, seemingly unable to stand the anger in the room, grabbed Ed by the arm and pulled him off of the couch, “You three- sort this out without killing each other. I can’t stand to see you fight after so long apart! Edward, you’re coming with me.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Ed yelped as he was dragged, rather violently, from the room. “Mrs. Mustang, why don’t we go to the garden?”

Mary stopped her stomping through the kitchen, looking back at Ed, “Yes, please. I’d like you to tell me about yourself since you plan on marrying my son.” “Yeah, sure.” Ed replied rather inarticulately.

He led Mary out the front door and around the side of the house, into the large backyard. The garden lay at the back end of the yard, and during the current spring season was flourishing with flowers he and Winry had planted during her last visit. A small bench sat under an old tree, directly in the noontime shade. They sat there.

Mary took a deep breath, sighing it out as if she hadn’t exhaled all day, “What a mess. Your garden is beautiful.”

Ed rubbed his neck, mentally counting up the weeds that needed to be uprooted amongst the daffodils, “We keep it up when we can. Roy’s mentioned that you’re big on gardening.”

Mary smiled, most likely picturing her own flower patch, “I am. Does your mother garden?”

Ed laughed, “Mom couldn’t keep a plant alive for the life of her. She liked knitting kinda stuff.”

Mary seemed to pick up on the past tense, and changed the subject, “So Resembool- that’s a far step from Central. What made you move?”

“Oh, I’m a State Alchemist, but it’s more research-type work than what Roy does.” Ed tried to ignore the ‘thump’ that sounded a ton like a book hitting a wall from inside the house, instead plowing forward, “Yeah, living in Resembool was nice as a kid, but it’s too still for me now. Not enough action.”

Mary nodded, and a short silence fell over the two. Ed broke it tentatively, “Did… Roy hurt his sister?”

Roy’s mother took a deep breath, letting it out through her nose, “It was an accident like Roy said back in the living room. He had left the battlefront only days before returning home, and as you can guess he was pretty shaken up. His father didn’t want him coming back, as their fight was still ongoing, but one look at Roy changed his mind. He was haunted and needed a familiar place. “He was overjoyed to be back. I’d never seen him so eager to hug his sisters- Elizabeth especially. You know, he and Lizzy were always very close, despite being the furthest part age-wise. She was quite a tomboy, and Roy was always willing to help her dig up worms and such. “Roy fell asleep sometime in the late afternoon, and I had told Margery and Elizabeth to let him rest, but I guess Elizabeth wanted to play with him. I… I should have known, with a General as a husband, that young veterans tend to keep firearms near them while they sleep.” Mary paused, looking at her gloved hands as she finished her story, “He ran the second Elizabeth was carted into the ambulance. All I found was a note of apology on his pillow the next day.”

“You didn’t look for him?” Ed asked. Mary’s story had proven Ed’s previous theory, but he was still slightly dumbfounded.

“How? George, my husband, wanted nothing to do with him after that, and I didn’t know anybody who would know where he’d go. Later, of course, he began appearing in the papers as some kind of conniving rank climber.” Mary’s tone had turned more annoyed than its previous sad.

Ed nodded, “He really made a name for himself back then. Too bad now all they call him is ‘the one who killed Bradley’. A fucking waste of effort.”

Mary looked at Ed curiously, “You were a State Alchemist back then too.”

Ed shrugged, “Yeah, I was. That’s how I met Roy- he was my Commanding Officer when I was a teenager.”

“You were a teenager when you disappeared, and my son was almost thirty, isn’t that right?” Mary stated, more than asked.

“Yeah,” he said quickly. While their age difference didn’t particularly matter to Ed, Roy had been disturbed about that aspect of their relationship in the beginning. That issue had required various very carefully worded (as well as very blunt, Ed-style) conversations.

“Edward, you haven’t given me any reason to doubt you, but you have to see how that looks to a mother.”

“I-yeah, I know how it looks. My little brother had a really long and unnecessary…talk… with us when I told him.” Ed replied, remembering how Al had put on his most parently expression, and Roy had left the room an hour later mildly terrified.

“Your little brother gave you the ‘marrying someone older’ talk?” Mary asked in disbelief, “it would make more sense for you to give him the dating talk.” “That’s what I told him!” Ed exclaimed.

Mary laughed. It was a quiet, fluttery sort of laugh, but it sounded nice after the tension Ed had felt since the arrival of Roy’s female family members.

A thought flashed into Ed’s head, “Why didn’t the Lieutenant General come with you guys, by the way?”

Mary waved her hand absently, “You answered your own question. He’s not in a position to leave work at the drop of a hat.”

At that moment, the back door slammed open and Elizabeth popped her head out, “Come in, we’ve reached a truce!”

“After how much property damage?” Mary mumbled. Ed snorted, not expecting such a dry comment from the dainty woman. They stood and moved back into the house. Ed was a bit wary to see the state of his living room but was surprised to find it generally in order, save for a few books lying haphazardly open against walls. Roy and Margery were sitting beside each other not entirely comfortably, well-wiped eyes and resigned looks on both siblings’ faces.

“Oh good, you didn’t kill each other.” Ed commented, picking up a few of the books, folding their pages back to normalcy, and returning them to their respective tables.

“Just each other’s pride.” Elizabeth added. Margery grumbled what might have been a half-assed retort had she spoke loud enough to be heard.

Roy stood decisively, making his way towards the phone and addressing his mother, “Stay for lunch, we can catch up a bit.”

Mary smiled, “That’s a lovely idea. Can you cook?”

“He can’t for shit- I’ll do it.” Ed volunteered.

“If you wouldn’t mind, Ed, I’d like to help.” Margery offered. Ed suspected that she probably just wanted to have time away from her brother to reflect on the new progressions in their broken relationship. He was also, in a way, separating from the two more vibrant women in order to mentally prep for the inevitable onslaught of questions and talks in his near future, not to mention questions about the wedding, and if they could make it to either considering both were taking place so soon to each other.

“Sure, knock yourself out.” He replied. As the eldest sister migrated to the kitchen, and the two other ladies moved to the small dining room beside it, Roy pulled Ed aside slightly.

His fiancée sighed, leaning against Ed a bit, “I’m sorry you’ve been kind of in the middle of all of this.”

Ed shook his head, “Don’t be- it’s not your fault. We’ll talk about everything tonight, ‘kay?” He patted Roy on the cheek after seeing the small smile and affirmative ‘okay’, and went to join Margery in the kitchen.

While Ed would never have guessed an hour ago that he’d be cooking lunch for his future in-laws at that moment, he was content for the time to get to know these women and learn more about Roy that way. They would, indeed, have to have a talk about not being secretive probably. After all, it was occupational necessity that Roy know all of Ed’s childhood- it’s hardly fair that Ed not receive some payback (even if during his teen years, both Ed and Roy could not have guessed they’d end up engaged).

Ed smiled a bit as he heard Roy’s laughter from the dining room, following Elizabeth’s chirpy voice. It was a big step- reconciliation. But it was one Ed was willing to stand by Roy through.

Because that’s what love is, really.

~END~

#royed #Roy Mustang #edward elric #cross-posted #meeting the family #fanfic #AO3 #fanfiction #angst #alwin #royed week #royedweek #royedweek2018 #day 1

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