Travelers

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Well do ya, do ya, do ya, wanna? --Franz Ferdinand
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Ranen blinked blearily, sitting on the side of the road. She was playing with the dirt, making little sand twisters.

She was tired as her sleepy look professed. Of course, she wasn’t always tired when she used this look but she found it could be incredibly useful at times.

She’d met Alphonse sitting on this road. They had not exactly hit it off so much as—she was wandering around and he was going to Winry’s house and she was kinda hungry so he’d let her come back with him.

She’d thought Winry was nice enough. There were times when they got along fine and other times where it seemed they were only moments away from knifing the other in the chest.

She’d liked Alphonse though. A kind-hearted boy, she’d thought. And it had come one day that she’d ask about that other blond boy, standing next to a suit of armor in a photograph. Winry had smiled a little, pausing with her screwdriver.

Alphonse had said, “That’s my brother.”

“Is he dead?”

“He’s gone.”

“Gone as in not dead? Or gone as in he left and joined the circus?”

Winry glared down at the hand piece she was working on.

No explanation had come that day.

Nor the many other times. She’d started to visit on a regular basis, bringing news from Central and other parts of their wide country.

She’d mentioned once, when she and Winry were at the house, about a church she’d found in Lior. She hadn’t explored it, she’d been in a hurry at the time, merely hiding in there and waiting for the authorities to pass. She’d met a girl there named Rose that’d acted strangely about it.

Winry had jerked her gaze up.

Surprisingly, Alphonse has returned the next day to score some chocolate chip pancakes and Winry told him this story.

And many visits later, they finally told her.

She hadn’t believed it at first. Until she’d gone back herself and muddled her way to the cavernous hall. Of course, some psychotic monster had tried to eat her and she’d taken off.

Ranen had no brothers or sisters. She had parents but didn’t really know where they were and didn’t particularly care. She didn’t like being tied down to anything for too long. Something though…something had captured her attention about this poor boy and this young woman and their story.

It ate at her.

And, it seemed, by chance that she had wandered through these woods and come across the house of Isaac Crane. He had been waiting for her. His spirits had already informed him of the presence of another alchemist.

She had been exhausted at the time, and he had let her stay the night. In the middle of the night, he had locked her in a spirits’ grip and drawn a Circle on her forehead. There was something off and he’d known it. Or, rather, he thought there was, his paranoia moving his actions. His spirits, clamped to his control invaded and peered in.

So. She knew Alphonse Elric, famous child prodigy alchemist whose brother had disappeared some time ago. She also knew Russel Trigham, who had made the Red Water in Xenotime.

That was all he needed.

He had implored her to stay for a time—which meant, ‘stay or I’ll destroy your mind’ and she had agreed, reading between the lines. He laid it out plain. He wanted a Stone. Get Russel Trigham.

She had countered with. “Fine. But for a price.”

“You aren’t in any position to negotiate.”

“You wouldn’t say that if you knew where I’d sent my sand with a message.”

He glared. That was fine with her, he didn’t need to know she was lying.

“Let’s make a deal. I’ll find Trigham but you let me get a kid named Alphonse Elric. Let him use the Stone first to Cross this gate or whatever your spirits told you and get his brother.”

“What makes you think he’d risk it? If I remember the rumors about Full Metal, he would not have—“

“It’s his brother and he has no memories—it’s a bargaining chip.”

“And if they should ask how I know such things?”

“Lie. Your spirits did it.”

“Why do you care whether or not Edward Elric ever comes home?”

“Because I know his brother. And…it ain’t right what happened to them.”

“You speak of being ‘right’ when all you do is lie and plot behind his back.”

She shrugged. “That’s how I operate. Gets me by. You’ll get the Red Water from Trigham, Alphonse going will likely make Russel easier to convince because I, obviously, can’t tell either of them what’s going on. You’ll have to do that. And if something happens, kill me. Your spirits know me now. If I suddenly disappear in this forest of yours and you kill me, no one will know the difference. It’s not as though I’m established anywhere.”

“You do understand the game you’re playing?”

“Of course. Alphonse will likely be able to help Russel as it is.”

“I mean this one.” He narrowed his eyes at her.

She smiled. “Yes.”

“You care about the boy?”

“He’s a kid, he deserves to have his brother back.”

“Do you have dead family or something equally cliché and melodramatic?”

“Nope.”

Going to Alphonse first would have killed everything, because he would tell Winry before he left and Russel too.

So she had to wait for the opportune moment. And while she waited she purposely built up tension between herself and Alphonse’s best friend—pushing her until she finally said something of it in front of Al, which would undoubtedly trigger a question. And finally, they had all been at the house at the same time, she pushed, Winry finally snapped at her words and Alphonse asked. She’d left the house and waited for Alphonse and, ah, just as she’d hoped, Russel as well, sent along a message with sand and, thus, Crane had been waiting for them.

And when Noa pulled away and told Russel she said, “It was nothing more then her friendship with Alphonse. She had no other friends.”

Russel looked somewhere between bewildered and disgusted.

They left the room.

Edward had made some noodles for them to eat and set the Stone on the table. They all sat around it, listened to Noa and then ate quietly, each with his or her own thoughts. None of them were all that hungry.

Alfons sat back in his room, staring out the window. If he stayed here, he would die within a few months. If he left, he might live, see a new world. It would be as if he’d died here anyway…

He picked up a pen and paper, writing down everything that had happened to his uncle. “They can keep working on the rockets…they’ll leave their mark. I’m running out of time…” As if to emphasize that, he went into a fit of deep, hacking coughs—the blood thicker this time, churning his stomach.

He got up to tell Edward his decision, going to his room first, hoping he would be there so he would not have to announce it. He already felt bad enough for lying to him. But Ed wasn’t there. Instead that girl was lying on Ed’s bed. She looked a lot less harsh when she was unconscious. He started to turn away.

“It would have been a very romantic death, y’know. Agonizing and slow, right to the bitter end. Very commendable.”

He looked back at her. Her eyes were closed.

“Just sayin’ is all, not that it’s hardly my business but I woke up when you opened the door.”

She opened an eye. “You made your choice?”

He nodded. “I’m going to go tell Edward.” And, with that, he turned around and left. He heard her slump out after him but ignored it, walking into the kitchen.

He looked at Edward only, locking eyes with him. He nodded.

“Let’s go then,” Russel said, standing. “We can make the jump here.”

“Shouldn’t we tell Gracia that we’re—“

Ed shook his head. “No…no…it’d be easier on us and them if we just disappeared. You’re sure you two want to risk this?” He looked at Noa and Alfons.

Noa nodded. “I want to go. I want a home.” Edward did the tiniest of double takes at that.

Alfons nodded, though more slowly and he said nothing. He felt Ranen behind him around his shoulder. His hands had gone clammy. Leaving my world for another…is this even…even…

I’m running out of time.

"Russel. Your brother. We need to go."

Everyone jumped up. Edward snatched the stone. Alphonse and Winry hurried out to the front room. Russel hurried past Noa, encouraging her with a nod. Ranen turned around, shoving an unlit cigarette into her pocket.

Alfons left his letter on the table and looked back. Can this… He moved quickly, going to his room and grabbing his bag of blueprints and books and went to the living room.

Can this really be happening…?

The rest of them were standing together. Noa looked nervous, anxious, but he didn’t think anything could have made her move and he wondered about that. Maybe it was the gypsy in her? He looked at Edward.

“Alfons…if you want to stay…”

The young dying scientist, Alfons Heidrich, took a deep breath. He caught Ranen looking at him, dead in the eye and he turned his gaze away from her. He swallowed and nodded. He couldn’t say anything; it was all too sudden. It was moving too fast. He was shaking but he walked into the circle, gripping his bag.

“We’ll have to draw the Circle on the floor, alchemy doesn’t work here, so we won’t just be able to clap it into existence,” Edward said. He handed the Stone to Russel and he and Alphonse drew the lines in chalk on the wood floor.

Edward stood and looked out the window. It was dark by now and the dim city lights were just a glow at the sill. He may never see them again.

He cut his hand and took the Stone back from Russel, wrapping his bloody fingers around it. The Stone sent a warm flash up his flesh in response Winry appeared at his side, taking his arm. Alphonse took his other arm. Russel took Winry’s hand and gestured for Noa to take his. She grabbed onto Alfons, who grabbed back tightly, and Ranen took a deep breath, thinking of that Gate and awkwardly took Alfons’ hand.

Edward held out the Stone. “This is how it began and this may be how it end.” He laughed faintly.

To the Gate.

There was a flash, the room suddenly sparked blue.

And they were gone.

Alfons and Noa started at the huge black Gate.

Alfons nearly stumbled back, mouth dropping open, casting around. “Oh my God.”

“Purgatory,” Noa whispered.

“What?” Russel murmured.

“Hurry up,” Ranen said.

“We should hurry, Ed,” Alphonse told him, grabbing his arm.


Edward just stared at the Gate. Here again. Better luck this time. He looked down. I’m sorry Gracia. Take a look at Officer Hughes every once in awhile. John, Phillip, Vincent…I hope you guys end up famous.

Izumi…I’m sorry for doing this.

He straightened and called out, “We’re going to the other side!”

The doors opened. Noa screamed and Russel grabbed onto her arm. “Calm down! It’ll be okay!”

Next to her, Alfons tried to breath and went into a coughing fit, spitting up blood all over his lips, chin and the front of his shirt. He hardly noticed, staring at the eyes. Oh God, the eyes. “Oh my God. Oh my God.”

He felt a slight tightening on his right hand. Ranen was walking forward. She glanced up at him and looked away. “We’ll either go through or die anyway.”

She took out a cigarette, stuck it in her mouth, lit it one-handed and took probably the longest drag in existence and then chucked the remaining into the eyes, black, eager hands snatched it. She took out a small knife and slashed her hand and gripped his again with the unmarred one.

“Let’s go!” Edward called. If any of them die… “Alfons, Noa—hang on as tight as you can! Don’t let go!”

They jumped in. Black, grabbing hands and flashing gold light. Winry closed her eyes, latching onto Edward. Edward looked at his brother, who nodded. Russel pulled Noa closer to him as she seemed on the verge of complete panic. Her grip nearly loosened on Alfons, but he grabbed at her hand like an octopus, curling his fingers into hers. Ranen let her free hand fly behind her, letting the blood gash out.

There was light ahead.

Edward tried to keep his eyes open, staring at the Stone, glowing bright and getting smaller and smaller. Just a little more. Please just a little more. It was getting hotter and hotter in his hand--

And then an all mighty CRACK.

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