Author's Notes: Welcome to Xaltian Sights! I've always wanted to write a story where Roy and Ed meet under different circumstances than the canon-verse, so here goes!

Disclaimer: Hope I don't need to repeat this every chapter, but I don't own FMA. Otherwise, there'd be more *cough* action :D

Title: Xaltian Sights

By: Silverceil

Beta: AkizukiSakura

Manga: Full Metal Alchemist

Rating:T

Summary: The Gate took Edward in exchange for the Elric brothers' attempt at human transmutation, sending the boy into a far away land with no memories of his past. Now seven years later, Brigadier General Roy Mustang pays a visit to an eastern town in Amestris, having heard word of an alchemic genius residing the area. Eventual RoyEd

Updated on 12/31/2011

Chapter 1:

Military Headquarters in Central City

Brigadier General Roy Mustang watched the ornate handle of the office clock move at an excruciatingly slow pace, marking each passing second left before he could call it a day. Turning his head away to take a break from the constant staring, he glanced at the sunshine streaming through his window and noted the beautiful weather outside. At least something about his day was going well.

Looking back up again at the old grandfather clock settled against the right wall of his office, he waited impatiently for the minute hand to move again. On his desk was a large pile of paperwork due for the next day, but he would much rather dwindle the last minutes of his shift away whilst staring at the intricate clock decorating his wall. After all, it beat signing another document and reading through the mind numbing details of damage control procedures. While keeping track of military activities was important, he sometimes wondered if Hawkeye was not purposely adding inane reports into his pile to punish him for years of laziness.

When the clock finally struck three, he stood up and snatched his notebook off his desk. He then reached out and grabbed a pen before making his way towards his coat rack. Pursing his lips as he slipped his coat on, he played out his options in his head and made a decision.

"Captain Hawkeye!" he barked suddenly, breaking the relative silent of the room.

The office door promptly swung open to admit the blond captain. She saluted smartly and regarded him with a curious gleam in her hazel eyes. "Yes sir?"

Leaning against his desk, Roy gazed down at his subordinate with an air of authority. At the same time, he made sure to stand in front of the pile of unfinished work he had yet to look at and cleared his throat. He watched Hawkeye straighten her pose, noting the subtle frown forming on her face. He knew she was on to him and he needed to act fast.

"Hawkeye, I have a favor to ask of you," he said carefully, his fingers slightly clutching the side of his desk behind his back. Shifting a little to a more comfortable position, he masked his nervousness behind the calm look he had perfected over the years.

The woman raised a neat eyebrow at him, but did not comment and Roy almost smiled at how well his plan was going. He had been working with Riza for quite a few years now and trying to come up with new excuses to ditch work was becoming nearly impossible. He could tell by the skeptical look on her face that she was suspicious, but the fact that he rarely asked for favors tipped the scales just a little.

Mustang stretched the silence for a few more moments and watched the woman's frown deepen with each passing second. Finally deciding that it was now or never, he abruptly turned towards his desk and grabbed the large pile of unsigned documents. Before Hawkeye could open her mouth to speak, he dropped the papers into her arms and watched as she struggled to get a hold of them without spilling the sheets all over the floor.

Satisfied with his distraction plan, he quickly strode towards the door. "I'm taking a vacation. No longer than a week or two," he announced with all the courage he could muster as he reached for the doorknob. "I'm leaving the office in your hands. Have fun!"

Ignoring the protests from his captain, he stepped out of the room, only to freeze as a bullet buried itself in the wall next to his face. He knew a warning shot when he saw one, but it didn't stop him from sprinting toward the door at top speed.

"Sir!" Hawkeye yelled, quickening her pace. "Come back this instant!"

Roy barely noticed everyone in the outer office ducking for cover in his hasty dash for the exit, though he jumped noticeably as a second shot rang through the room. He glanced over his shoulder at Hawkeye, who bore paperwork in one hand and her favorite pistol in the other. Without waiting for her to ditch the pile on Havoc's desk, he yanked the door shut behind him, cutting off Hawkeye's outraged shout.

-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-

Train station in Youswell (Eastern City of Amestris)

The sun was high in the sky, its warm rays shining down upon the battered coal-mining town that was Youswell and brightening its dark corners. The citizens milling about in the streets were smiling for the first time in months despite their recent troubles with the tyrannical rule of an army official. Lieutenant Yoki had uncaringly stripped the people of their land and possessions in order to line his own pockets. Now, however, the town was once again prospering and the people owed it all to a single person.

The change had happened almost overnight when a mysterious young man with startling gold eyes and blond hair entered the town and caused quite a bit of mayhem for the lieutenant. It was rumored that he had fought off the entire force of the lieutenant's guards within seconds and that his skills were of such an impressive level that he had won the land back from Yoki with a single glare…and perhaps some threatening. Yes, probably a lot of threatening.

While rumors could not be entirely trusted, it was true that Lieutenant Yoki had indeed reported similar facts back to Central, all the while losing his rank and reputation; not that he really had one to begin with. Hence, like wildfire spreading through arid forests, the news had made its way across the country in a matter of days and soon, most had heard of an alchemic genius residing in the eastern parts of Amestris.

At the present time, however, said prodigy was standing at the old train station in Youswell and running his hand through the long strands of his golden hair as he scanned the area for the information center. It wasn't a surprise that the place was as ragged and dusty as the rest of the town, but it only made searching for things all the harder. Finally, the blond found his destination and made his way towards the stand.

"Excuse me?" Edward asked, glancing down at the lady in the ticket booth. Her eyes were fixed on her book with such intensity that he wondered how the pages did not instantly combust from the way she stared at them. Drumming his fingers against the wooden counter in front of him, he waited for a few more seconds before trying again.

"May I ask when the next train for New Optain arrives?" he said politely in his light tenor, a friendly smile gracing his lips. He made sure to speak slightly louder than last time, but kept his voice at a volume proper for conversation.

Edward watched with carefully concealed amusement as the clerk blinked in surprise. She had obviously been well engrossed in her book. The woman's eyes flickered quickly from his hair to his eyes before settling on his lips as her cheeks took on a tinge of pink.

"Y-Yes?" she stammered as she sat up a little straighter. Ed raised a single eyebrow at her. Had she not heard him? The clerk rubbed the back of her neck and looked down, clearly embarrassed. "I-I'm sorry…I didn't hear your question."

The woman fumbled with her sleeves as she spoke and stole a few shy glances at him before gazing back down again. Edward frowned in confusion at her strange behavior, but refrained from commenting. It wasn't like he was mad at her, even though he was almost glaring at her for making him repeat himself.

"When does the next train to New Optain arrive?" he finally asked in a calm tone, keeping his demeanor perfectly diplomatic and neutral. Despite her illogical, fidgety behavior, he wanted to be as gracious as possible in case he really was intimidating her. He hadn't bothered changing out of his traditional xaltian robes, so maybe she was adverse to them. He had figured that the diversity in clothing had been broad enough in Amestris to not require a change in wardrobe just yet, but he was probably wrong. Come to think of it, not many people wore long red coats with heavy metallic embroidery that sparkled in the sunlight, especially not in this warm weather. He had drawn a number of curious glances from people here and then, but hadn't paid them much attention.

Meanwhile, the woman grabbed a clipboard from her desk and searched through the list of cities starting with the letter N, finally finding the right one. "I-In another hour, sir," she informed him timidly, raising her head to stare with admiring eyes at him some more.

"Thank you," Ed replied, offering her another sweet smile before reaching into his pocket and paying for his ticket. He didn't linger much longer after collecting the slip of paper and soon he made his way to a nearby bench.

Plopping his bag down, he reached his hand in and fished out his alchemy book. As he took a seat next to his bag, he flicked open the book, searched for his bookmark, and leaned his back against the hard wooden wall of the train station. His few days in Youswell had been quite hectic and he was glad to be finally leaving the town in order to achieve his goals.

Glancing down at the yellowing pages of his old book, he heaved a small sigh and scanned through the familiar text. Soon he would arrive at New Optain and hopefully find better books. He might need access to military libraries, but he would find a way.

He always did.

-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-

New Optain

The sound of the loud whistle signaled his arrival to the eastern town. Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, Mustang languidly stretched his tired muscles and grabbed his suitcase.

Peeking out his window, he was greeted with the sight of a busy town. The big streets were filled to the brim with people making their way to their destinations, some in a hurry and others walking at a more leisurely pace. Yawning, the general stepped off of the train and made his way to a nearby inn. He'd get himself some coffee afterwards; he needed the boost.

The bells over the door chimed to announce his entrance as he stepped over the threshold and walked towards the counter. He took in his surroundings as he walked, noting the pleasant air to the place and the comfortable leather couches in the lounge. He concluded that the inn might have been small but it had a nice, welcoming feeling to its design which Mustang approved of entirely.

Reaching the front desk, he spotted an employee seemingly too busy calculating something to notice his arrival. He cleared his throat softly to catch her attention.

"Excuse me. I'd like a room for the next three days," he began courteously, flashing the girl a winning smile. That always got the ladies.

"Wait a second," was the reply. The woman did not bother to look up as she scanned through her book. Spotting an available room, she pulled a drawer open and grabbed the keys, leaving them on the counter. "Room 21," she said dismissively as she went back to calculating.

"…thank you," said Roy, quirking an eyebrow at her. Were his skills rusty? The man shook his head. He'd have none of that. Resting an arm against the table, he glanced at the tag on his key. A smirk crossed his features as he noticed something that gave him the perfect excuse to try again. "I'm afraid you've given me the wrong keys," he pointed out amicably, purposely pitching his voice an octave lower. The effect was a sultry almost-purr that had never failed him before.

"What? I'm pretty su-" she began before her voice stopped dead as she glanced up and stared wide-eyed at the gorgeous man before her. Her breath hitched. Quickly looking down at the keys, she saw her mistake. "I-I'm sorry," she took them back as her face flushed. "I gave you key 12."

Roy smirked. This was too easy. "It's fine. You were…" he leaned in, "distracted."

Her face turned a deeper shade of red as she handed him the right keys, her heart fluttering when she felt his hand touch her own. Seen the flushed expression on her face, Roy expertly let his fingers linger a while longer, feeling her skin heat up before gazing into her soft brown eyes with a smirk on his lips.

"...hurry things up?" Roy heard a smooth voice complain and glanced over his shoulder at the attractive young man standing behind him. From the blonde's crossed arms and tapping foot, he'd been there a while and had been held up by Roy's flirting. The expression on his face clearly indicated that his patience was swiftly running thin.

Roy did not like being interrupted, but the stranger was right. 'Oh well. Maybe next time,' he thought, only a little disappointed. Heaving a small sigh, he thanked the girl and grabbed the suitcase that he had set down beside his feet. As he turned to leave, Roy glanced once more at the young blond and was mildly amused to note that the youth had wasted no time in moving up to the counter.

The man was of average height and structure, but his piercing gold eyes shone with an underlying determination that matched his own. Slowing his pace down, Roy took the time to look the blond over, noting the startling wheat-color of his hair and the length of his long braid that ran down his back and ended at his enticing hips. He wore a scarlet red coat with intricate metallic patterns decorating each side and the overall design bore a slight resemblance to the traditional xingese robes he'd seen at international meetings before.

Unconsciously licking his lips, Roy realized that he had made his way to the stairs and almost felt disappointed. Shaking the thought away, he chanced a last glance at the golden-haired stranger and began walking up to his room.

-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-

New Optain was graced with a cloudless sky that day, allowing the bright light of the sun to generously soak every building in town, illuminating the busy roads as merchants took advantage of the clear weather to gleefully advertise their products.

Edward strolled down a large street and watched as people gathered around the more entertaining sellers who showed off their colorful merchandise. He kept his pace steady but took his time taking in the sights before him with a serene expression on his face, appreciating every moment. Back home, he would not have had such an opportunity, for he would have either been under heavy disguise or rushed by a crowd of excited, or sometimes angry, citizens. In Amestris, however, no one knew him and, hence, not many seemed to take notice of him in the busy crowd once he had dressed himself in more casual clothes.

Stopping in front of a street vendor selling exotic fruits and vegetables of all shapes and sizes, his eyes fell upon a familiar crimson fruit. The last time he had seen one was back home and the thought brought back memories of his childhood; of when he would sneak into the kitchens with Reyhan to where the servants would bring in freshly bought fruits from the trading posts.

Heaving a small sigh, he almost felt nostalgic about having left the young prince behind in order to accomplish his quest in Amestris, though he knew Reyhan didn't mind. In any case, he had promised to write him about his adventures, so surely he would be hearing from his friend once he settled down someplace near a large enough library.

So lost in his somewhat melancholy thoughts, Edward failed to notice the fruit merchant approaching him and jumped when the man happily slapped the blond on the back.

"Interested in the apples, young man?" the old man boomed with a large grin on his face.

Ed straightened out his clothes before turning towards the merchant and giving him an almost pained smile. "Yes," he replied, his voice slightly strained as he tried to rub his sore back. Pulling out a wallet from his pocket, he paid the man and left with his apple as quickly as he could, fearing a second merrily administered slap.

Finally far away from the marketplace, he bit into his purchase and enjoyed the sweet, crispy taste. Now that he was practically alone, he let himself lean against a nearby wall to consider his day.

Despite having explored most places around New Optain, he had yet to see a library or bookstore and rather suspected that he might not find one after all. The maps he had consulted had been pretty old and it was obvious that they hadn't been updated at all since the town's foundation. That would certainly explain why, whenever he arrived at a location, the area had either been replaced by someone's house or turned into a marketplace like the one he had just strolled through.

Shaking his head in slight disappointment, he finished his apple and dropped the core in a nearby garbage can before glancing around the new part of town he'd wandered into. Noticing a classy little bar at the corner of the street, he decided to try one last place before leaving and made his way towards the door. Entering the small saloon, he marched towards the stools in front of the only person there: a bored-looking bartender.

The man looked up from drying wine glasses and gave him a small smile. "Welcome, what can I get for you?"

"I'll take a beer," answered Edward casually, returning the polite smile and taking a seat. He watched as the man grabbed a glass off the back counter and opened the tap, swinging the cup with practiced ease towards the flowing drink before the first drop had the time to drip onto the floor. Finally serving Edward his glass, he went back to cleaning.

The blond eyed the beer, having only heard of the drink from his friends before and decided to take a healthy swing of it before he could overanalyze the situation. As the cold liquid ran down his throat, he felt a slight tingling sensation bubble inside his mouth before tasting the lingering bitterness of the drink. Quickly casting a glance at the bartender, who had his back turned, he subtly coughed into his fist a few times.

Feeling a little better, he cleared his throat and was not too surprised when the bartender turned towards him with a questioning look on his face. At least the man hadn't seen him practically choke on the beer, he thought grimly before speaking up. "Is it normal that there are no libraries in New Optain?" Edward asked, nonchalantly striking up a conversation. The bartender stopped wiping and a moment passed before a small grin curled his lips. 'Strange,' the blond thought, but kept his comments to himself.

"There is one," the man answered in a deep baritone, "though I'm not surprised you don't know it." The man's grin broadened as he finished his sentence, showing off what remained of his yellowing teeth.

Flinching slightly at the man's disturbing grin, Edward let a small frown mare his otherwise placid face. "Where?" he wanted to know. He had been searching all day, how could he have missed it? He was sure he had walked through all the marked places on the map, unless…

"It's in the red light district," replied the bartender. "Not many people read in New Optain, except for the usual school textbooks. The only other books you'd find in our library are for adults only."

Edward felt like slamming his forehead against the counter. He knew that small towns like New Optain probably didn't have much to read, but he had hoped to find decent books before the next train tomorrow morning to Central. Grabbing his glass in frustration, he downed the beer, forgetting about his initial reaction to it. He coughed his way out of the bar after paying his tab and, behind all the wheezing and deep breaths, thanked the man for the small enlightenment.

Closing the door behind him, he felt his shoulders slightly slump in exhaustion as he looked up at the darkening sky. It seemed it was a waste of time searching for this library, but at least he enjoyed his trip around town. Practically dragging his feet back to the inn, he figured he might as well sleep in now and catch the early train to Central.

He entered the inn and heard the chiming of the bells above the door greet him, as well as alert everyone lounging around the room of his arrival. Choosing to ignore the few turning heads in his direction, he made his way towards the stairs before bumping into something hard and stumbling back a few steps. Looking up, he saw a tall man with a stern expression on his face.

"Sorry about that," he apologized, rubbing his nose where he had come into collision with the stranger. The man shot him an angry look and Edward blinked. Before the blond could comment on the rudeness, the man swiftly turned and walked away, completely ignoring his presence as Edward stared at his retreating back. A tinge of anger sparked through him, but he chose not to dwell on it. In any case, he was leaving tomorrow. Shaking his head in disapproval, he walked up the stairs.

On his way down the hallway, he saw a dark haired man walking in the same direction. Wracking his brain for when he had seen the guy before, he continued to stroll forward before finally remembering the man; he was the one flirting with the inn girl and taking an awfully long time doing so. The latter part of his mental statement brought some of the irritation from the morning back with a sweet vengeance.

Looking at him now, he could see that the guy was actually quite handsome. His dark features contrasted beautifully with his pale skin and a blue gleam seemed to shine through his onyx eyes, giving him a mysterious allure when he chose to use it to his advantage. Ed discretely raked his eyes over the other man, noting his lean figure and the outline of muscles against the man's clothes. 'No wonder this guy is such a flirt,' Edward thought. He actually had something to work with, unlike some people he knew. Actually, he kind of reminded him of Reyhan: tall, confident and a raging womanizer. Rolling his eyes at the comparison of these so-called qualities, he pulled his keys out.

"Hey, you're that young man from this morning," said the man, apparently noticing Ed for the first time.

Edward twitched at the word young. "Who are you calling short?" he fumed, outrage coating his voice as he settled with glaring daggers at the taller man. He had just gone through a day of unproductive searching and he was low on patience.

The flirt's dark eyes widened in surprise. "No one?" he offered, clearly confused.

Finally hearing the click of the lock sliding open, Edward stuffed his keys back into his pockets and threw the other guy an apprehensive look before slamming the door in his face.

-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-

Left in the empty hallway, Roy raised an eyebrow, completely baffled by the blond's reaction. 'What just happened?' he wondered, glancing over at his door and noticing they were, in a sense, neighbors. 'So much for friendly greetings', he thought sarcastically. He would probably be better off leaving room twenty alone for the next two days. It was really a pity, though, because Roy would have liked to spend some time getting to know the attractive blond. Unfortunately it was not his priority at the moment.

According to Hughes, the alchemist he was searching for had been spotted in Youswell. 'Maybe I should just head on over there after a last check in New Optain', he mused. Entering his room, he dropped his jacket onto his bed as he walked into the small bathroom. A quick shower and he'd hit the hay for the night. 'No dates for a week', he told himself. It was crucial to find his target, as this might just be his next ticket for a promotion.

-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-

Edward tucked himself warmly into his blankets as he shifted to the right, turning the lamp off with a pull of the string. Everything was so quiet at night and it felt strange to him. At the palace there'd be the shuffling of maids, the switching of guards or, from time to time, Reyhan sneaking up on him. It was never quite noiseless back home but he liked it that way. All this silence made him feel uneasy, lonelier than he really was.

Sighing into his covers, he pulled the blankets up to his head, reveling in the warmth of an actual bed after spending a few days in Youswell, with its straw-stuffed mattresses, and the uncomfortable train benches. Shifting around, trying to find a comfortable position, he settled on his left side and let a small yawn escape his lips. Finally about to close his eyes, a sudden shifting of light caught his attention. There was a small space between the floor and the bottom of the door to his room. When he focused on it, he could just make out what appeared to be someone's feet. There were people lingering in the hallway.

Now, it certainly wasn't strange for people to walk around, he reasoned in his mind, quickly thinking through the possibilities. This was an inn, and maybe the people here liked sneaking out for late night parties; who knew? But something bothered him about the person: it had vanished as quickly as it appeared. If someone was simply going out for some air, why would their steps abruptly disappear? Why would they even bother to keep undercover?

Tossing his blankets out of the way, he slowly slipped out of bed, making the smallest amount of noise he possibly could. After long years of dealing with assassination attempts, he'd learned to trust his instincts. Gate knows he'd survived more than once thanks to them, and they were positively screaming at him right now. The mysterious person was undeniably a trained killer.

Quickly, he silently scooped up his pack, a gold-trimmed bag that bore his meager possessions, and tossed it swiftly over his shoulder as he planned his next actions. If this was an assassin sent from home, he would simply need to escape, nothing more complicated than that. Nodding at his decision, he suddenly froze at the sound of his neighbor's door creaking open. Though it was barely audible, he heard it anyway. They did not call him gifted for nothing.

His thoughts, so orderly a moment ago, jumbled to a screeching halt. Why was the assassin entering the other room? Was this not an attempt upon his life?

The sudden image of the dark haired man flashed before his eyes as he heard the chime of a blade being slid from its sheath. What to do now?

Throwing a quick glance at his window, Edward swiftly rushed out of his room.

A/N: Reviews keep this author happy and motivated :)