Iserlohnn - continued

The Return

Edward had no idea how long he had slept. The train car was dark so he knew it was night but how late was anyone’s guess. He ignored the searing pain in his gut and forced himself to sit up. Did they really get away from that thing? Or was it hiding on the training waiting to catch them the moment they let their guard down? Edward had seen his share of strange things in the four years he had been a State Alchemist but that thing he fought in the bar took the royal cake. And here I though homunculus were strange, mused Edward, they’re normal compared to that White-Haired Guy!

But the question remained, were they followed? Edward wasn’t about to take any chances and decided to do a little searching. He quietly got up from his seat and slipped noiselessly out of their compartment. The only sounds he heard as he wandered up and down the cars was the movement of the train and the snores of sleeping men. None of the faces he saw looked familiar, which was a good thing. After he was sufficiently sure they were safe for the moment, Edward took a pit stop to use the lavatory and then returned to their compartment.

“Nii-san?” he heard Alphonse call to him quietly.

“Yeah, it’s me, Al,” Edward answered in a low voice. “Just needed the loo.”

Edward could just make out Alphonse’s eyes glowing in the moonlight darkness. He returned to his seat, the movements making him wince, and tried to find a comfortable position on the upholstered bench. Edward glanced down at Tenshi and saw he was still unconscious and he looked even more fragile than normal, as Tenshi lay there unmoving beside him. Edward reached over and gently laid his hand on Tenshi’s cheek. The skin beneath his hand felt cold and clammy, not a good sign, and Edward hung his head. He hoped they made it back in time because Tenshi didn’t look like he was going to make it.

“He’s going to live, Ed,” Alphonse said quietly. “And it wasn’t your fault.”

“No, AL, it WAS my fault!” Edward countered. “I never should have let him go in there alone. It should have been me making the first contact with a suspect. I went against my better judgment and now…”

“Ed, you had no way of knowing this would happen.”

“But I DID know it COULD happen which is why it’s my fault.”

“But Ed-”

“No, Al,” Edward interrupted sharply. “My mission, my responsibility. That’s how it works. You take the bad with the good. Yes, we did succeed in that we rescued Princess Katarin. But Iserlohnn is still in danger and we’re going to have to go back but this time we’ll go back with enough of a force to stand up to this White-Haired Guy, Kimbley and who the hell else they’ve got working with them.”

Alphonse knew that determined look and knew there was no arguing with Edward when he got that way. Edward always did take his responsibilities very seriously. That was why Colonel Mustang knew he could trust Edward with missions like this one. There were those fleeting moments when Edward did act like a kid, for example when anyone made a comment about his lack of height, but other than that, very little ruffled Edward Elric’s feathers. It was because he approached most of what life threw at him in logical scientific manner and he was beyond brilliant that Edward was doing the sort of things many Alchemists twice his age only dreamed about.

“Try to get some rest, Ed,” Alphonse suggested after a long period of silence passed between them. “It’s late.”

Edward felt movement next to him and saw Tenshi was stirring. The little Alchemist fitfully rolled over onto his side and Edward noticed a trickle of blood dripping from the corner of the boy’s mouth. Edward pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and cleaned the blood away from Tenshi’s face. He gently lifted him and got him positioned semi-sitting using the corner where the window and the side of the couch met as a backrest. He tried to make him as comfortable as possible and bundled the train-issued blanket around him.

As Edward tucked his friend in he whispered softly to him, “Hang in there, Tenshi. We’re almost home.”

After he was sure he had done all he could for Tenshi, Edward sat back on the bench with a long sigh. His gut was on fire and he doubled over for a long moment giving in to the pain. The Doctor had given him something earlier to take the edge off but whatever it was it had cycled through his system. Edward wished he had some of the Colonel’s medicinal alcohol with him. Last time he took a beating in the field he had been with the Colonel’s unit and Roy had taken pity on him and let him take a few swigs from his flask. Just the thought of how good that fifteen-year old double malt made him feel was beginning to ease his discomfort. Edward eased himself back and allowed pleasant memories to help him drift off to sleep.


A gentle hand on his shoulder roused Edward from his slumber. He blinked a few times before his vision cleared and he saw Doctor Ferguson peering down at him. “We’re back,” She told him.

Edward sat up and looked out the window. Not only were they home but they had a welcoming committee standing there on the platform. Colonel Mustang, Lt. Colonel Hughes and Major Armstrong were there eyeing the train expectantly. Edward’s eyes widened when he noticed what little luggage they had brought with them had somehow mysteriously wound up on the platform beside the three men.

“How did-” Edward began but the question died before he could utter it. Obaba, he realized. It had to be. Now Edward was certain he had to go back to Iserlohnn. He had to rescue the city so he could earn the chance to study with Obaba. The things she could teach him…!

He put the pleasant promise of the chance to learn some truly unique Alchemy aside to deal with the situation at hand. “What are they doing here?” Edward moaned.

“They probably know that the Princess is with us,” Alphonse suggested. “They might have come to meet her.”

Edward nodded. It made sense. Central’s High Command would send their most senior officers to greet visiting royalty. Edward saw the Princess peering out the window and said, “You wanted to see Flame. Well, he’s out there waiting for you.”

“Who are those others with him?” she asked.

“Big guy is Major Armstrong and the other man is Lt. Colonel Hughes.”

“Are they your friends?” Edward nodded and she commented softly, “Flame is not the same person he was when he lived in Iserlohnn. He is like you, carrying a lot of bad memories.”

Edward made no reply as he watched her leave the compartment. He wasn’t sure what to make of Princess Katarin. Maybe it was best he had no opinion. A Princess and a guy like him? Never going to happen. Not in his or anyone else’s lifetime.

Alphonse gently scooped up the unconscious Tenshi and said to Edward, “I know you won’t listen but I still think none of this was your fault.”

Edward looked up at him, his gold eyes distant. “Thanks Al.”

The Doctor was at Edward’s side. “Can you walk?” she asked him.

“Yes,” he said as he got painfully to his feet. “No way I’m letting THEM know I screwed up until I tell them.”

“You didn’t screw up,” the Doctor corrected him. “We were in over our heads.”

He half-smiled at her. “Well, at least we got it half right. We got Katarin out of there in one piece.”

The Doctor made no reply and followed Edward as he left the compartment and got off the train. Katarin had made it to the three State officers first and was in the midst of describing what happened when Alphonse carrying Tenshi and Edward followed by the doctor joined her.

“The head sprouted legs?” Hughes queried in disbelief and the Princess nodded.

He looked at Edward. “You blew up a guy and he slithered himself back together?”

Edward rolled his eyes. “Look, I don’t know what the hell that thing was but I know what it wasn’t. It wasn’t human. And it wasn’t a homunculus. It was something I’ve never seen before.”

The Colonel saw the deadly serious look in Edward’s feverishly bright gold eyes and knew things had just gone from bad to worse. “Can you describe what that thing looked like?” he asked Edward.

“I can try but Al got a better look at it. I was too busy trying to stay alive to notice what his face looked like.”

Mustang nodded in understanding. “Fine,” he said. “Al take Tenshi and go with Hughes and Major Armstrong. I’m sure the Major will be able to draw a good likeness based off your description.”

“Doc, stay with Tenshi, just in case,” Edward said concern tingeing his voice.

“But you’re-”

“I’m fine,” Edward stated firmly cutting her short.

“Go with them,” the Colonel told her and with a defeated sigh she followed after Hughes, Armstrong and Al. The Major was carrying almost all of their bags, something Edward found mildly amusing. With them on their way that left the Princess to be escorted by the Colonel and Edward and the Colonel turned to Princess Katarin and asked, “Where shall I take you, your Highness?”

“The hospital,” she told him. “I want to make sure those that risked their lives to rescue me are being cared for properly.”

Mustang nodded. “Fine. Come with us then.”

The only suitcase that had been left behind was Edward’s and he collected it. He and Princess Katarin followed Mustang to his car and, as they walked, Edward said, “We almost had Kimbley. Tenshi nailed him good but he escaped. He had some device on him that took him away from us before we could get him secured.”

“Port Key with a Trigger,” Mustang said softly as though recalling something from long ago.

Edward looked up at him. “More of that ‘lost Alchemy’ stuff we talked about before?”

The Colonel smiled slightly. “It’s not lost Ed. When you go back to Iserlohnn and raid their library you’ll see it’s all there.”

“Fine, after I free the city and peel the cap back on that white-haired freak show I’ll do just that,” Edward remarked.

Mustang stopped by the car. “So, you do want to go back?”

“I have to,” Edward said stopping and turning to face him. “Kimbley’s still loose and that freak he’s working for is still there too. The job’s not done.”

“For you it is,” Mustang stated. “For now at any rate. You’re not in any shape to lead an assault.”

“I’ll be fine,” Edward assured him.

The black of Edward’s tank top and cropped jacket did a good job of hiding his wounded state but not a perfect one. The bandages were visible through the thin fabric of the tank top and what was more apparent was the shirt was wet in a place that could not be attributed to perspiration. Edward was trying to conceal his injuries from the Colonel but he was not succeeding.

“We’re all going to the hospital,” Mustang told him. “Get in.”

“I’m not sure they’ll let us see Tenshi right now,” Edward said as he tossed his suitcase into the trunk and then climbed in to the passenger seat. The Princess got in the back seat and continued to quietly listen to the two men.

“He’s not the reason we’re going,” Mustang said as he started the car. “You are.”

“But I told you I’m-”

Edward never finished the thought because Mustang knocked him out with a swift unexpected blow to the temple. He strapped Edward into the seat and the made all due haste to Central’s Base Hospital.
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