Iserlohnn - continued

DISCLAIMER: Ed and Roy do not belong to me. Full Metal Alchemist, belongs to numerous powers-that-be, including Hiromu Arakawa (whose reaction to this novella would be interesting to see), Studio BONES, and FUNimation.
THIS DISCLAIMER APPLIES TO EVERY CHAPTER OF THIS NOVELLA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No one makes money writing fanfic. Trust me. Been doing it for years and I\'m STILL BROKE!


PLEASE read \"ISERLOHNN\" then come back here and read the rest. This is going to wind up a book-length story so I hope you all like FMA as much as we do!
EVENTUALLY this whole thing will become a manga! A really FAT manga with LOTS OF ART! It\'s already in progress. Probably won\'t be done until around Christmas.
I\'ll post here and on Deviant Art, and other spots I hang out where it is complete so all my FMA fan friends will know!

DISCLAIMER (again!) - don\'t own FMA because if I did Hughes would NOT have been fatally shot in episode 25 and they would have been up against a WAY COOLER bad guy than Dante


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The Journey

The journey to Iserlohnn was uneventful for the most part. Edward divided his time between helping Tenshi with his studies and working with Al on their Scrying Arrays research. Seris listened in on the boys but kept her distance. She had a vague understanding of what they were doing, since she was a self-taught Alchemist, but their skills were far beyond what she had managed to master. Listening to Edward as he schooled Tenshi Seris realized why the Colonel had so much faith in him. He was brilliant but she still found it hard to think of him as anything other than an extraordinarily gifted child.

By the time dinner came and went, Edward and the others had had enough of Alchemy. The books were put away and both Tenshi and Edward got up to take a leg stretch. They walked the length of the train twice before stopping in the vestibule between cars to enjoy the feeling of the rumble of the train beneath their feet and the rush of the wind as it blasted past them. A sudden jolt sent Tenshi flying into Edward’s arms and he caught the little Alchemist in time to keep him from falling. Tenshi took advantage of the accidental moment of closeness and hugged Edward tight.

Edward didn’t mind the demonstration of affection. He liked Tenshi and found his hopeful enthusiasm a welcome respite from the harsh reality of his own life. He sensed Tenshi wanted more from him than friendship but Edward had no intention of destroying the closeness they already had. Edward felt Tenshi deserved to be with someone who shared his optimistic worldview, not a jaded fatalist like himself. Edward gently disengaged himself from Tenshi and motioned to his Kohai to go back inside the train car.

“Aren’t you coming too?” Tenshi asked his small voice barely heard over the roar of the train.

“In a few minutes,” Edward told him. “I need some alone time.”

Tenshi looked up at him wide-eyed with concern. Whenever his Sempai wore that grim determined face he was pondering something important. He paused for a long moment before going back inside and heading for their compartment.

Edward watched him go and sighed. He knew Tenshi could handle himself in a fight but Kimbley was no ordinary opponent. As long as they all stayed out of the reach of the Crimson Alchemist they had a chance of walking away from this one. The last time Edward had faced Kimbley both he and Al had almost been turned into walking bombs. If Edward hadn’t reversed the chemical transmutation in time, Al would have exploded and probably taken out an entire city block in the process. Although he had been able to restore Alphonse on his own, it had taken both Al and Colonel Mustang working together to reverse the process in Edward. It had been a very close call and it was an experience Edward would rather not repeat.

The ability to convert the human body, which was sixty percent water and did have trace metallic components, into a bomb was a unique skill but not so special that it couldn’t be duplicated. Edward could make people into living bombs if he wanted to. However, just because you COULD do something doesn’t mean you SHOULD do it.

There was no way Edward would ever copy one of Kimbley’s signature attacks. As cynical as he was about the world and those who dwelled in it, Edward still had enough human decency left to believe all life had value and no one, not even he, had the right to take life away.

Edward needed to do something completely mindless for a while. Maybe somewhere on this train is a floating game of Hold ‘Em I can get in on, Edward thought. He went off in search of a game that would allow him in on the meager funds he had to use as a stake…

When Tenshi returned from his constitutional alone no one was really surprised. Edward did go off every now and then to spend some time alone. However, when after four hours passed and he didn’t return everyone was worried. They doubted he fell off the train. Edward could be clumsy sometimes but he wasn’t THAT bad. Seris was the one who insisted they search for the wayward Fullmetal Alchemist and it was she who divided them up into search parties. Tenshi had the few front cars that were ahead of their section while she and Alphonse would search all that lay behind them. They agreed to meet back at their compartment in an hour and thus the search began.

“He is still on the train,” Alphonse insisted as they scanned the open seating area they were passing through for Edward. “He is probably in one of the vestibules sulking. He HATES long train rides.”

Seris made no comment. She persevered. When they got as far as the luggage car she paused and asked Alphonse, “You want to go in there and look for him? I have a feeling if he is hiding in there and sulking like you think he may respond better to you than to me.”

Al nodded and went into the baggage car first. He had to shift aside many boxes and bags in order to just fit into the space. The sound of voices coming from the rear of the baggage car caught this attention. He listened and he was sure he heard Edward’s voice mixed in amongst the others.

“I found him!” he told Seris and began to plough his way towards the back of the car.

Seris was right behind him. Al had a much better vantage point because of his height and, when he reached the back of the car he saw Edward and some passengers and train crew in the midst of a hand of Hold ‘Em. Edward had a nice pile of chips in front of him and was looking very pleased with himself.

“Nii-san?” Alphonse inquired and the sound of his voice made Edward turn to look up at him.

“Uh…oh…Hi Al!” Edward responded nervously knowing full well he was hip deep in doo-doo.

“The Colonel said NO GAMBLING, remember?” Alphonse reminded him sharply.

“Right!” Edward responded and saying to the dealer. “Gotta fold and cash in. Sorry. It’s been real but I have to leave now.”

“You didn’t tell us you were State Army!” one of the players complained.

“Well, yeah, I kinda am so I kinda gotta go. NOW!”

The dealer cashed him out quickly and Alphonse’s jaw would have dropped had the armor been hinged in such a way to make that feat possible. The wad of bills Edward crammed into his pants pocket was impressive. He scooted away from the table and past Alphonse before his brother had the chance to box his ears. Edward knew he was in for it but was determined to delay the inevitable for as long as humanly possible. Alphonse rarely got angry with him but when he did Edward never escaped undamaged. He knew his brother disliked it when Edward willfully disobeyed the Colonel’s orders. So he was going to get it and get it good this time.

Edward beat everyone back to their compartment. He was tempted to lock himself in but he knew Alphonse could bypass a simple locked door in his sleep so Edward didn’t even bother to try that. Hiding in the luggage rack was looking like a really good idea but at the same time it was an annoying one because it meant he was small enough to fit up there. Oh Goddammit, Edward mentally swore. I’ll be happy when I won’t be able to view luggage racks as an escape option!

The door opened and Tenshi entered. “Edo-Sempai!” he cried happily as he glomped Edward.
“Where were you?”

“Um, well, I found this card game and-“

“You won a ton of money but Al caught you so now you are in LOTS of trouble!”

“That about sums it up, yeah.” Edward admitted sheepishly.

Tenshi giggled. “Maybe you should hide in the luggage rack.”

Edward rolled his eyes. Even Tenshi thought he was small enough to fit up there. But he didn’t go off on him because Tenshi was the only Alchemist Edward knew who was shorter than he was. The only difference was Tenshi didn’t mind being cute and small. He actually ENJOYED it.

“Thanks Tenshi but I’d rather just have my beating and get it over with,” Edward muttered.

The door opened and Seris and Alphonse entered. Seris looked annoyed and Alphonse was equally bent. Al grabbed Edward roughly by the arm and tossed him hard onto the seat stating, “You aren’t going anywhere, not even to the bathroom, without someone watching you until we get to Iserlohnn. Understand?”

Edward nodded and sat there massaging his bicep. He was going to have a nasty bruise where Al had grabbed him but he was lucky nothing was broken. Alphonse could snap bones with his grip and Edward knew getting his brother angry was not a very healthy thing to do. Edward sat in the corner by the window staring out into the darkness. He made no attempt to defend his action or to engage in any conversation. He was in the doghouse and had a feeling he would remain there until they reached their destination.

It was late morning when they reached Iserlohnn station. All of them had managed to get some sleep during the night but it wasn’t the sort of restful sleep they would have had if they had spent the night in bed. Edward was jonesing for a cup of coffee but didn’t say anything about it to Al or the doctor because he sensed they were still mad at him. Tenshi, however, could care less about what rule Edward broke. He stuck close to Edward as they disembarked and viewed the unfamiliar surroundings.

Iserlohnn was a beautiful city. The colorful pagoda-style architecture of the buildings was unique to the region. The skyline was a sea of color and this was also reflected in the clothing of the natives. All around them the sight of the colorful saris on the ladies and tunics on the men made just viewing the goings on in the bustling marketplace a feast for the senses. The smell of food cooking, spices and fresh fruits and vegetables hung in the air. The train station was smack dab in the middle of the busiest place in the city, which made sense since it was the primary means of getting trade goods to and from this remote mecca of civilization.

Edward scanned the area carefully. It was hard to believe Kimbley had this city under his thumb. It didn’t seem like anything was amiss. Tenshi, Dr. Ferguson and Alphonse were also equally mystified.

“Maybe Obaba can tell us what’s going on,” suggested Tenshi.

“Yeah, but we have to find her first.” Edward told him.

Edward looked around. First they would need to find a guide who both spoke their language and knew the city well. After that, they would be able to search for Obaba and hopefully get their questions answered. The only real clue they had to her whereabouts was the Colonel’s message disk. And Mustang had subtly left that bit of information inside the pocket of Edward’s pants when he had been otherwise engaged. He must have slipped it in there while he was undressing me, Edward surmised. Clever bastard!

A young native girl clad in a floral tunic with dark navy pants approached them. She didn’t look much older than Edward and she was casting an appreciative eye on the blond Alchemist. “You need guide?” she asked him in a heavily accented voice.

“Yes,” Edward responded.

Her dark eyes met his for a moment. She was tanned from the sun and her dark hair was thick and curly. The way she was surveying him Edward was beginning to wonder if showing people around the city was how she truly earned her keep.

“Look, we need to find someone,” Edward began to explain. “Her name is Obaba, the Solar Alchemist.”

The girl’s eyes widened in recognition of the name. “I know her! She is at the Great Shrine. Take you there I can!”

“Thanks.” Edward replied and the four of them followed the native girl as she led them on a winding path through the marketplace and out into the hustle and bustle of the city.

Iserlohnn was huge, a much larger city than Central. There was so much going on around them it made their heads hurt. Keeping up with their fleet footed guide was a bit of a challenge for the foursome, especially Tenshi whose little legs had to go two steps for every one the taller members of their party took. When it was obvious he was starting to tire, Alphonse scooped him up and let Tenshi ride on his strong metal shoulders. The little Alchemist clung to Al’s helmet but was careful not to block his vision. He was like a boy at the circus as he watched the world going on around him.

The natives noted their passing with a combination of awe, fascination and fear. Alphonse caused the greatest stir since they many of them had never seen a man in armor before. Others whispered as Edward went by because they recognized the Alchemist symbol on his red coat. The Doctor, who was in civilian dress, didn’t catch anyone’s notice nor did little Tenshi except for the fact he was riding on Al’s shoulders. Young children, thinking Tenshi to be just a boy, waved at him and he waved back.

When they arrived at The Great Shrine they all saw how it got that name. The building was a huge pagoda whose trim was all hand carved designs carefully painted in a multitude of colors. Inscribed on the walls were holy words written in both the native language of the region and in symbols Edward recognized to be Alchemical in origin. It seemed the people of Iserlohnn viewed Alchemy as an offshoot of their religion. This was in sharp contrast to Ishbal where Alchemy was seen as blasphemy.

“The Holy Mother is in here,” the girl said leading them up the marble steps to the Shrine entrance. “They will let you see her. You wear the Holy Sign.” She pointed at the symbol on the back of Edward’s coat and he nodded his understanding.

“Thank you for bringing us here,” he said. “What do I owe you?”

She actually looked disappointed when she saw him fish the wad of cash out of his pocket. It was obvious he wasn’t going to express his gratitude in the way she had hoped he might. “A hundred cenns,” she said quietly trying to hide her feelings.

Edward handed her the money saying, “I know this isn’t what you really wanted but I am here on business. Maybe some other time.”

She smiled at the glimmer of hope her offered and accepted the payment. He did have the most beautiful gold eyes….

Alphonse set Tenshi down and he raced to Edward’s side. “We see Obaba now?”

Edward nodded and led the way to the huge black mahogany front doors. As he examined the entranceway, he paled slightly. The carvings around the doors, the statuary and all the décor looked too much like The Gate to be merely a coincidence. Edward stared transfixed. How was that possible? To make it look SO similar…

Tenshi saw the fearful recognition in Edward’s eyes and wondered what his Sempai was really seeing. The doorway just looked really ornate and imposing to Tenshi. He went to the door and attempted to open it.

“Tenshi NO!” Edward cried in terror as the little Alchemist pulled on the huge handle breaking the seal….

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more to follow!!