A/N: Hello everyone! This is my first FMA fic. It's not as good as most out there yet but I still hope you'll enjoy. I've just seen the series and watched the movie. I liked the movie and I'm glad Ed and Al are finally together. And although the Elrics weren't able to stay in Armestis, it makes perfect sense why, and I hardly find any other way to go around it that doesn't mean I like that part however.
Notes:
-This story begins four year after the series and this is Postseries AU meaning movie-verse never existed
-Pairings are indefinite, because they're not really the focus of the story. Therefore you can think of whatever pairing you'd like in this fanfic. But I'm telling you I have no intention for romance in the story.
-Lastly, this story is AlEd centric no, not Elricest. Particularly Al-centric because I love Alphonse and I haven't read much stories centering him. Anyone knows some good Al stories? Please let me know
Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist is and will never be mine. Otherwise I wouldn't be writing this fanfic now, would I?
ENJOY THE SHOW!
Dreamscape:
Chapter I – At the Beginning
"Kimi no kudake chitta yume no hahen ga Boku no mune o sashite …
"The broken pieces of your dream Pierce my heart…
Wasurete wa ikenai itami toshite Kizamareteku…"
Leaving the pain That I should never forget…"
Central Headquarters
1921
"Sir, I know this is a stupid question, but how did all this happen…AGAIN?"
Roy Mustang let out a frustrated sigh as he leaned on his seat in their cab, his unpatched eye gazing around the city.
"As you can see some of the citizens have it against the current government." Roy said smoothly. "So they decided to take it all out on a bloody massacre/rebellion as you can see right now. Normally, something like this won't escalate to such a gruesome state with our soldiers' numbers and capabilities, but—"
"—apparently they had the help of some disgruntled Alchemists, correct?"
"Yes." Roy paused. "And based on the reports I've gathered, it seems like the Alchemists caught our soldiers by surprise and quickly outnumbered them. And what's worse, the rough count of the rebel Alchemists present count from ten to twenty at most—which is why we called for you and the other state Alchemists available. Do you understand everything now, Major Elric?"
The boy, Alphonse Elric, eyed the man warily before nodding slowly. "Of course, General."
Roy had always found it hard to believe (as well as amusing) that this gentle, even-tempered boy is the younger brother of the passionate and rather reckless Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric.
Physically, the Elric brothers aren't that far apart—other than Al's blonde hair having a dark shade, his eyes being metallic gray and being more blessed height-wise, they looked a lot like each other.
Dare he say, Al was looking more and more like Ed each passing year.
He recalled the first time he met Alphonse—the real Alphonse whose body has been rightfully restored by Ed's sacrifice four years ago.
He was small, naturally for a timid eleven year old. His blond hair was already long and tied back to a ponytail because it wasn't long enough to be braided yet. He was wearing the same black top, the same black pants and the same red coat Ed used to be wearing. But his eyes were nothing like Ed's.
It snapped Roy out of his reverie that this boy, for a moment, was Edward Elric.
The boy had come at that time because he wanted to know about the people's alchemist the Fullmetal Alchemist, who was allegedly his brother.
At that time, Roy was already informed that Al has lost all his memories from the four years he and Ed had toiled to restore their bodies and quested for the Philosopher's Stone. He was reluctant at first, but eventually he agreed to tell him as much as he can about the elder Elric.
This resulted to Al constantly visiting the Central Headquarters, hearing stories about his brother's achievements and befriending officials who already knew him.
He had also found a trustworthy confidant in Roy and his other subordinates— he had even told Roy of his theory that his brother wasn't dead but merely somewhere beyond the Gate and that Al was determined to find him no matter what.
Roy however never thought that by what Al meant by that is that he would enlist himself in the military as a State Alchemist.
At the age of twelve, following his brother's footsteps, Al had passed the Exams and became the second youngest State Alchemist in history. He had gloves with transmutation circles on them made with Roy's help, had received his pocket watch from the said General and was given the title "Soul Alchemist" by the State.
By his certification, Al was able to access the military records and research papers to his heart's content that he believed would help him in his search for his estranged brother. He was away most of the time, following leads much like they used to four years ago, only returning to Central when Roy would call for him, just like today. Normally, Roy wouldn't want to disturb Al's work, especially because of something like this.
But now he didn't have much of a choice—the State needed their Soul Alchemist.
Al and Roy got down from the cab to a ruined building which was converted to a makeshift base and treatment facility for the military. Here, the many victims that were unable to be accommodated at the hospitals nearby were being treated by some of the volunteer health professionals. At the end of the building was the assembly of the military personnel who were assessing the damages and preparing for the next possible attack.
"General Armstrong sir, Lt. Col. Havoc, good afternoon." Al greeted to the first two officers that he and Roy met.
"Ah, our Soul Alchemist has come to grace our presence. Welcome!" Armstrong said patted the boy on the back as gently as he could (but Al still stumbled anyway).
"Hey kid, General, glad you could join us here." Havoc greeted, a smug smile on his face.
Roy offered a small smile in return before he spoke. "So anyway, what's our status?"
"Not so bad, but not good either, sir." Everyone turned their heads to the approaching Riza Hawkeye, who had a grim look on her face. "Two hours ago, the rebels have withdrawn their men and are still in hiding. Our men would've gone in search of them if they could, but the rebel's alchemists have done a good number of damage on our troops. Reinforcements are said to arrive after an hour. But we have no clue if they will arrive before the rebels strike again."
"I see." Roy frowned in frustration. "Did you see how many alchemists they have and what they're capable of?"
"I'd say around ten to fifteen alchemists. Most are good, but they're not as good as the State Alchemists we have I daresay." Armstrong commented. "But we aren't sure yet if they're the only alchemists these rebels have."
"That does sound grave." Al spoke up. "Do we have any plans?"
"We don't know where the rebels are yet and there are no signs of them attacking—"
"General!" A soldier, a Lieutenant, cut off Armstrong, his face pale and panicky. "The rebels' alchemists, they've returned."
"Shit, that's just what we need!" Roy frowned. "Looks like we'll have to do without those reinforcements, Colonel Hawkeye…how many troops do we have left, Havoc?"
"Erm…" Havoc paused. "I'd say thirty more men, more or less."
"And how many alchemists did you say were heading this way, Lieutenant?"
"Uh…I'd say twelve, with some backup soldiers around twenty."
"All right…our numbers are good enough for them I hope. Gather all our men right now. We have to make this quick. We're running out of time."
"Excuse me, General?"
All eyes turned to the youngest member of their faculty.
Al's grey eyes bored into Roy's charcoal ones. "If you don't mind, I have a proposition…"
And so it was decided.
Alphonse bravely scoured through the burnt city of war torn Central alone in an effort to locate the enemy's base of operations, infiltrate then destroy as much as he can.
Roy and Armstrong, naturally, objected to the idea as much as they could. But the boy already had his foot down. After pointing out that they don't have forces or time left to spare, a surprise infiltration could help out, at most.
Besides, the boy added, he could take care of himself. After all, he was the brother of the Fullmetal Alchemist, right?
Al sighed in annoyance as he slipped through the wreckage while trying to remain unseen, still unable to search for any sign of success.
The Ishbals can't have gone so far from here. They've got to be hiding somewhere… "Darn it, why do hideouts have to be so conspicuous—wait a minute!"
Al paused as he saw someone run down the path to an open manhole.
And that someone wasn't wearing a military uniform. "What could that be…?"
Not even stopping to consider his decision, Al quietly sneaked after the man jumped down the hole.
And the sight that greeted him wasn't anywhere near what he was expecting.
"Great…a maze of sewerage pipes. Oh joy." Al said snidely as he looked around. He barely caught sight of a shadow heading north from him.
No time to gaze at the wonder of Central Underground, I guess. Al thought as he ran up north to follow the said shadow.
Al tried his best to stay out of view while surveying the scene before him.
At most, he counted, there were still about twelve alchemists in the area, with armored guards in every corner.
Usually the sight of several armored guards would've scared many. But for young Alphonse, he smiled a bit—like it was an advantage.
And to widen his smile more, there were also a line of unmanned armors.
Which is exactly what I need… Al thought as he clapped his hands in anticipation. Now these rebels find out why I'm called the Soul Alchemist.
Roy cursed as he ran impatiently around the grounds. Their plan was working so far, but there was still no sign of Alphonse. And that was unnerving him to the bone.
"Alphonse, where the hell are you?" He muttered as he snapped his fingers to create a fire to eliminate his incoming opponents.
"General," an incoming Private reported. "We've searched everywhere and there's still no sign of Major Elric."
Damn it, Al, what's taking you so long? We can't afford to lose another Elric! Roy frowned, visibly worried. "Armstrong, you take charge from here, will you?"
"But Mustang," Armstrong asked. "Where are you going?"
"To find Al," he replied tersely. "If Al's right about him being alive, Fullmetal will probably have my head for letting Al join the military. But he'll never forgive me if something happens to his brother now."
The chaos happening underground was rather unpleasant, even for Al, who caused it.
Using alchemy, he transferred a part of his detachable soul into the unmanned armors and made them attack.
The armored guards and alchemists, in total confusion, began turning in on each other, thinking that any armored men could be their enemy.
"Ook, this was a lot messier than I expected." Al muttered. "Looks like I have to come out in the open now…"
"HEY, YOU! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!" An armored guard shouted, making the boy jump. "YOU'RE FROM THE MILITARY, AREN'T YOU!"
Ah damn! Al thought as he rolled away to avoid the onslaught of bullets.
"INTRUDER ALERT! THERE'S A SOLDIER IN OUR BASE! HE'S RIGHT HERE!"
"You just had to tell the world that now, huh?" Al fumed as he clapped his hands to the ground to produce a wave of rising earth heading to the incoming guards' direction. "And correction, I'm an alchemist."
"One of the military alchemists found their way here!" Another man shouted. "Get him!"
Al clapped his hands to the ground again and toppled the armored men and some slower alchemists with his previous attack. The armors still under his control meanwhile are doing their job beating up the other armored guards.
"That kid…who the hell is he?" One of the alchemists muttered.
"Doesn't matter! He's gonna die for thinking he can take on us by himself!" The man pulled out a gun from his waist holster and fired.
Al, caught unaware, was shot at his shoulder.
"AH!" The boy stumbled, but recovered quickly enough to jump away from the next shot.
"Damn, he's fast!"
Al clapped his hands to the ground again to produce a spear and threw it to the alchemists' direction.
It effectively hit one of the alchemist's arm before lodging itself to the wall.
"What the hell—?"
Al jumped up, above the opposing alchemists, with ease as he grabbed the spear and slashed at the alchemist with the gun.
"ARGH!"
"Damn brat!" The other alchemist transmuted the metal gauntlet on his arm into a bigger gun and fired at Al.
Al had successfully avoided the attack of the first alchemist, but was gravely hit by another alchemist who made a strong, sharp gust of wind hit him on the back.
Al choked back a scream as he was sent flying through the wall and landing on his stomach in a new area.
His vision blurry, Al could barely make out the form of the rebel alchemists running to attack him.
"You're dead now, kiddo!" One of them smirked as he raised his gun to fire.
But another fire made him drop the gun.
Roy snapped his fingers threateningly at the enemy alchemists, making them jump out the way before he came to help Al up.
"Damn it, Alphonse, what the hell happened to you? Why didn't you call for help?"
"Must've…slipped my mind, General, sorry. I'm all right now though."
"You're an awful liar, you know that." Roy sighed. "Look at you! You're bleeding all over. Let's get you back up. I'll handle the rest—"
"NO!" Al insisted, standing up while ignoring the stabbing pain on his back and shoulder. "I'm a little hurt, that's all. I can still fight. I know Brother will never give up in a fight just because of minor injuries!"
…Which is what usually drags him closer to death in the first place. Roy continued silently.
But before Roy could come up with another reply, one of the rebel alchemists and some armored guards had jumped through the hole to attack the two alchemists.
"General!"
"Alphonse, go! I'll handle these two!"
"But I just can't leave without you!"
"I can handle myself better right now! You need help! GO!" Roy shouted as he produced his signature flame attack against the rebels.
Al stubbornly grabbed his spear and attacked the other guards, refusing to leave the General behind. "And I said I won't leave you behind, General Roy Mustang! No matter what!"
"Hell, just how strong are these two?" The alchemist with the transmuted gun growled. "That's it, I'll handle them both with one steady blow!"
He aimed his gun at the unaware Flame Alchemist with a snide grin on his face and said. "This one's for you, military scum!"
Then he fired.
"ROY, WATCH OUT!"
Roy had barely managed to subdue the other alchemist he just defeated when he heard a loud "ROY, LOOK OUT!"
Turning around, he met the sight of a huge fireball fired at his direction.
Before he could react however, he felt a strong forced knock him out of the way and sent him down the ground.
Groggily, his mind processed that he was still alive and that he didn't take any damage from the blow or from the fireball.
But someone else did.
Frantically, he scanned around for the boy who took the blow for him. "Alphonse! ALPHONSE! AL, NO!"
Al groaned as he opened his grey eyes. He felt incredibly light, in contrast with the immense pain he had felt before blacking out.
"What the—where am I? What happened to me?"
You should know where you are by now, little Elric.
"Wait a minute! Who was that—" Al paused as he saw what was in front of him.
Color immediately drained from Al's face. How could he be here? Why was he here?
All he could remember was being with General Mustang, saving him from the blast from the rebel alchemist before blacking out. How could he awaken and see this—
"You're…you're the Gate, aren't you?"
Could've taken you a shorter time to figure that out, right?
Al felt something cold drop into his stomach. Ah great, what does it want from me now?
"Tori no you ni habatakeru nara Kimi no moto e tondeyuku deshou…
"If I could flutter like a bird I would fly back to you…
Soshite kizu o otta sono se ni Boku no hane o sashidasu deshou…"
For your wounded back I offer my own wings…"
Lyrics are of "Moments" by Ayumi Hamasaki also the OP theme of Bluebird's Illusions, the fantastic Chinese-made fan game. I nearly cried when I heard this song!
Ok, I know you guys will probably pound me to pieces for killing Al, but don't fret. Remember, the battle happened in Central underground. And just because this is a Post series AU, that doesn't mean I'm not using the movie as my reference.
There are some things I still got from the movie and I'm still trying to sort it all out.
One way to let me know that I should continue this story is by pressing that cute little button down there that says "Submit Review". It looks nice doesn't it? Preetty preeeetty please review? I'd really appreciate it.
Thanks a lot for reading!
JD