Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist at all. Though I really, really wish.

Warning: This Fan-Fiction may contain Anime Spoilers: This is pretty much a generic Fic in the way of what the time-line is. I really don’t think there is anything really major, and characters that should be dead, aren’t, because it fits within that time-slot.

Rating: K+ (For Edward’s slightly-bad mouth. Though nothing major, it could still offend. I apologize in advance.)

Genre: Drama/Suspence

Characters: Edward Elric – 14 (going on fifteen), Alphonse – 13 (going on fourteen). NO SLASH OF ANY KIND (Not that I hate it, it is just there is none in this story. But I can’t stop you from interpreting things that way…)

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Now this kind of Fic has been done many times by many people, but I find that a lot don’t manage to keep the characters in character while dealing with this problem. So, my job is in this short little Fan-Fiction is to do a similar problem, but keep the characters believable. I’m just getting tired of seeing Characters acting so far off from each other.

I realize that I am cruel to Edward, probably because all the Fics I read probably have something bad happen to him, so you can’t help but pick up on that. Well… his is the main character. Anyway, I am going to do something to him, but deal with it in a less cruel way. Sure, something bad’s gonna happen but it isn’t going to be horrible.

I lost a whole bunch of this while I wrote it…

This will only be a few Chapters long.

It may take you guys a while to guess what kind of Fics I am trying to take my own twist with...

Chapter One Summery – Edward is an idiot. Well… at least he thinks so. Now he has to make amends for things that he shouldn’t have done. Then, things go a little… weird.

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-Chapter 1-
How Can I Expect You To Forgive?

Edward sat on the steps of a large building, the snow swept off to the side so he had room to sit down. His head was clutched in his hands as he uttered a deep sigh. The day had gone horribly, and he would have very much preferred if it had stayed the way it begun. Alternatively, at the very least, it could have been like how the week had begun. Edward would prefer anything other than what happened that day.

The morning had started with a fresh layer of snow, covering all and everything with a thick layer of glistening white. It was gorgeous how it lay on top of all of the almost bare branches of the trees and how it laid against the ground like a clean white sparkling sheet was gently pulled across everything. It was truly a remarkable sight.

So, there they were, a nearly fifteen year-old State Alchemist and an almost fourteen year-old suit of armor playing in the snow. He and Alphonse hardly ever had the chance to play in the snow. The opportunity hardly ever arose, snow being a rarity in Central, or they were just in a place where snow would never come. So they took that rare chance to go out and do something that they loved doing so much together, hardly caring about the strange looks that people were giving them.

Of course, as Edward learned longed before, everything good fades; a twisted form of Equivalents Exchange. If something bad happens, something good will follow; that also worked the other way around.

He didn’t remember how it started exactly, but he and Alphonse gotten into an argument about the Philosopher’s stone, and how they were going to go about finding it, and what they were going to do, and all the other things about it that they had argued about so many times before. Then, he, being the hotheaded idiot that he was, made one too many snappish comments and started a fight between the two brothers.

Edward felt like slapping himself in the face a hundred times over. Of course the subject was touchy in some areas, but that had nothing to do with being rude or starting a stupid fight with using Alchemy. He sighed, all of his attempts to ‘get’ Alphonse had been half-hearted ones, fuelled by stubbornness and anger, though, Alphonse had done a pretty good job of ‘getting’ him before he ran off. It took several minutes for Edward to get his hand in a position where he could scratch a circle so he could undo the unusual trap.

And that’s how he got to where he was; once realizing that he had been the idiot and Alphonse had only been making innocent points to help them along, he had tried to go about the city in the attempt to find Alphonse and apologize. Unfortunately, since there were no familiar things in Central that Alphonse would be subconsciously drawn to, he had to go about the city ruling places out and deduct very slowly the possible whereabouts of his brother.

That’s when it started to rain. Edward thought bitterly that whoever controlled the weather had a strange sense of humor and liked clichés way too much. What a wonderful time for the rain to decide to pour…

‘Damn,’ he thought to himself. ‘Well, aren’t I a first class idiot, huh? You really did it this time, Edward.’

Edward looked up; he should start to look for Alphonse again. He had been looking for over a long time, in the snow and rain. Still, he had no luck in even finding a hint of where he was. Edward staggered upwards, standing straight. He squinted into the rain, and down an alleyway. That place would be as good as any to start again.

Placing his hands in his pockets, Edward started back down the streets again, thinking furiously he would find Alphonse and apologize for being such an idiot, and praying that Alphonse would accept his apology.

---

He clicked opened his pocket watch, glancing vaguely at the time as he shielded it from the onslaught of rain that bucketed down. The snow had long since turned to slurry, and the air was nippy, making the rain like little icy pins whenever it raked across bare skin. Six hours, it had been six hours since he last saw Alphonse, with his back turned, running away in his angered huff. Over Five hours since Edward had started looking.

He couldn’t believe the trouble he was going to just to find his brother. How hard could it be to find a seven-foot tall suit of armor in a city? Apparently, it was very hard, and if Alphonse was mad enough to hide himself that well, Edward wondered at what chance he had of explaining his stupidity.

Edward hoped that when he found Alphonse, that he would be given enough of a opportunity to apologize and state his reasons for being dumb and say that he understood what he said was idiotic and unnecessary. Well, Alphonse usually gave him a chance to apologize, but it was never to such a large-scale argument as that one.

His pocket watch clicked shut before it could get waterlogged, and he continued on down the alleyways and streets, tucking the thing away.

Another reason he was beginning to think he was stupid was starting to creep up on him again, but he pushed it down and away before he began to feel bad that too… No doubt Alphonse would have a thing or two to say on the subject.

He was walking down an alleyway, looking for his brother, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He shouted in surprise at the sudden contact and whirled around, hands poised for a clap so he may transmute his arm into its ever-familiar blade.

A hurried voice came afterwards, “Woah, kid! Calm down.”

Edward looked up at the owner of the hand, and lowered his own. “Colonel?” he asked, very surprised to see the Military Officer. “What are you doing here?” He demanded, jerking away from the superior man with a snarl.

Mustang looked down at Edward, expression hard. “Where have you been?” his voice was cold, solid, and demanding an answer, explicitly throwing out in the open that he wanted a reasonable one and not stupidity or excuses.

“What does it matter to you?” Edward asked back, firmly glaring at the Colonel, he shrugged off the Flame’s hand and turned around. “Now if you would excuse me,” he said before Mustang could respond, “I have to do something.”

He did not have the time to deal with the Colonel right now. Alphonse was still out there, very upset most likely, and he had to make amends before anything got worse.

Mustang’s hand grabbed onto Edward’s shoulder again, harsher the second time, and he whirled him around, firmly holding Edward in place with both hands on each shoulder.

There was a long silence afterwards that emphasized the rain that pattered relentlessly against the buildings, both of the State Alchemists glared long and hard at one another.

“Where have you been?” Mustang asked again through clenched teeth, clearly very angry and very annoyed, and for some reason seemed to be holding back from yelling.

Edward stared up at him, confused, but still showing the persona of being ticked off. Why did the Colonel look so angry and desperate? Why the heck did he seem to be concerned and relived at the same time?

“Why the hell do you want to know?” Edward responded after a moment, glaring up at the Colonel. “I don’t remember the part of the deal was that I had to inform everyone of where I went when I had the day off. I seem to remember that I am pretty much allowed to go anywhere if there isn’t some sort of mission. So why the hell are you asking?” He paused, sneering up at the Flame. “Sir.”

Edward saw Mustang’s teeth grind, and he felt the grip on his shoulders tighten. “You left without telling anyone, you just disappeared. You’ve been gone for almost six hours now, and nobody knew where you had gone. The Military thought you had gone out to take things in your own hands; and frankly, I thought you had too.”

The look that Mustang was giving him made him feel that he should know something, something that seemed to be very obvious to the Colonel.

Edward raised his eyebrow. “Take what in my own hands?”

Mustang’s face softened slightly in what seemed to be relief, his voice mirrored it, “You don’t know.”

Edward brushed Mustang’s hands of his shoulders once he realized that the Flame was no longer gripping onto them like a vice. “Know what?” he repeated.

At that moment, Riza walked out from behind the corner, and approached the two State Alchemists. “There is a murderer on the loose in the streets of Central.”

“Another one?” Edward asked in a mocking manner. “Doesn’t Central have enough of those running around? Seems to me that the Military isn’t doing a very good job of keeping those sort locked away.”

Edward had no idea why he was trying to tick off the Colonel, but will all the frustrations of that day; he didn’t seem to be thinking exactly straight.

Riza ignored his comment, Mustang looked ready to blow a gasket, but she cut off any response that the Flame was about to make. “Since the murderer had been reported about six hours ago, and has been known for killing Alchemists, the Military assumed that you overheard and went out to investigate it for yourself, Edward.”

“Why the hell would I do that? I’m not a complete idiot.”

Yet again, Riza had to cut off the Colonel before he could respond to Edward’s last statement. “So am I right in assuming that you never heard of this murderer before now?”

Edward nodded. “Yes.”

Her stare became firm, “Then if that is not the case, where have you been, Edward?”

Edward growled under his breath. He had no time for this. There was an Alchemist killer out there, and his brother was, no doubt, an Alchemist, and no thanks to him, probably pretty famous. He had to act quickly, before this murderer had a chance to act first.

“Answer Fullmetal,” Mustang demanded, his voice once again cold and hard, his gaze burrowed down on the teen in very much the same way.

“Why the hell should I? You should mind your own damn business!”

“Fullmetal…” Mustang growled, hand unconsciously raised to snap.

Riza nearly gaped at him, but she held her firm glare. “Edward! You don’t speak to your superior officer in that way.”

Edward shot her a harsh glare. “I don’t really care right now.” Edward turned around, “I have something I need to do.”

Mustang’s hand shot out once again and grabbed Edward’s right wrist, pulling him in. “You’re not going anywhere, Fullmetal, until you explain where you’ve been and your reasoning for such gross disrespect.”

Riza’s expression was different however; she placed a hand on Mustang’s arm, and looked at Edward seriously, but for an entirely different reason. “Edward, is something the matter, did something happen?”

Mustang looked back at Riza for a moment, slightly surprised, then back to Edward, seemingly reassessing him. Though his grip didn’t loosen, his voice did. “Fullmetal?”

Edward paused. “No…” he did not want to have the Military involved, not now. “No. Nothing’s the matter. Now let go of me!”

Mustang pulled Edward closer. “You’re lying.”

“Sir…”

Edward placed his free hand on Mustangs arm, pushed, while he pulled his right arm back very harshly, earning a shout of surprise from the Flame. He clapped both of his hands together while jumping backwards to keep away from Mustang’s flailing arms.

“Edward!”

“Sorry,” was all he said, and he meant it; and neither the Colonel or Riza were fast enough, nor prepared, to stop the boy from clapping his hands and sealing off the alleyway, separating the two officers from the young State Alchemist.

As Edward turned and dashed off away from the new separating wall, he could hear the strings of curses from Mustang’s mouth, and he inwardly was very happy the Flame was useless in the rain.

---

It had been nearly two hours since Edward’s encounter with the Colonel, and though he was very surprised that he hadn’t seen any real efforts from the Military to get him, he was quite relived that the Colonel hadn’t had his chance of wrapping his hands around his neck. Although as he passed crowds he heard that the word on everyone’s lips was that the Military was pursuing someone, though, no detail of whom they were pursuing was given. Edward thought that the Military must have been pretty desperate if they were sending out more soldiers to look for him.

He knew how much trouble, and the penalties that he could be facing if he were ever caught; he knew that it definitely wouldn’t go down too well in his records regarding his behavior, and that would certainly affect some things in the future. Not that he cared or anything; he had more important things to worry about.

His first and foremost thing he had to do was find Alphonse and apologize. In addition, he had to make sure that the Alchemist Killer would have nothing to do with his brother. He frowned heavily at the thought. If anything were to happen to his brother, before he could get to him, he’d never forgive himself if the last thing he ever said to Alphonse was a rude, and snappish remark.

He pulled his coat tight around him, and adjusted his rarely used hood that was now covering his head from the onslaught of rain. He shook away the previous thoughts, noting that the negativity of them was certainly not going to help him one bit.

Whenever he passed large groups of people, or saw somebody who looked like they’ve been at one place for a while, he dared to go and ask if they had seen his brother, in hopes that Alphonse was still outside, or had actually been seen by somebody.

He looked across the street and saw a woman sitting under an overhang with her fruit stand, book in hand. He walked over to her hopefully; she would be a good person as any to help with the search of his brother. He had tried many like her before, but she could possibly help.

“Bad day for customers, huh?” he asked once he made it over to her, hands in his pockets, looking over the different fruits in the stand.

The woman jumped, not expecting Edward to be there, but smiled and responded, laying the book down in her lap. “Yes. I was thinking of closing up the stand until the rain lets up. Hopefully it will be better tomorrow.”

Edward nodded in absent agreement, ruffling for something in his pockets. He pulled out a photo, which already, even though it was taken a month before, it was pretty worn around the edges and was beginning to tear.

“Have you seen him?” Edward pointed to Alphonse in the picture, then handed it to the woman.

A month or so before, Edward and Alphonse paid a visit to the Hughes’ family. Of course, Mr. Hughes had his camera on hand and was taking rapid pictures of the Elric brothers with Elicia. But this one had been his favorite, and he had requested that he keep it.

It was a picture of his brother, himself and Elicia. Elicia had her arms wrapped around Alphonse’s leg, and was in the midst of giggling madly. He had his arm on Alphonse’s back, Alphonse being too tall to for him to reach his shoulder, and he was also grinning mad. Alphonse had this look in his eyes that he would be grinning wildly too, Edward remembered that Alphonse was chuckling happily when the picture was taken.

The woman stared at the picture but shook her head sadly, then she held it back out for him to take it. “No. I would remember if I saw anyone who wore anything like that.”

“Oh. Okay. Thanks for your time,” he said, taking the picture from the woman and putting it back in his pocket.

Before he turned away the woman piped up again. “Would you like to come inside?” she gestured to the door she was sitting by. “You look very cold and wet, and I could offer you a cup of tea or some hot chocolate.”

Edward smiled, but shook his head. “No, no. I’m fine, really.

“Are you sure?”

Edward nodded. “I’m sure.” He then gave her a wave. “You just have a nice day, okay?”

With that said, Edward turned away from her and began to walk off.

It really didn’t upset Edward so much that the woman had not seen Alphonse at all that day, so many people had already said the hadn’t seen him, or hadn’t remembered. What had bothered him though was the fact that he was slowly going more and more nowhere in his search for Alphonse, all the while feeling worse and more guilty as time went on. He could be such an idiot sometimes.

After a while aimless walking, passing a couple of blocks, Edward sat down on a nearby step, resting his back on the wall of the building with a heavy sigh. How long had he been at it? He guessed around eight or so hours. He didn’t realize till just then that his legs felt extremely stiff and exhausted from the near non-stop walking he had done. He closed his eyes in thought.

His stomach then growled in protest that he hadn’t even stopped to get food. He was just at a fruit stand, and he hadn’t even bothered to go and buy some of the fruit. It wasn’t like he couldn’t walk and eat at the same time. He rubbed his temple with his left hand, if Alphonse ever found out, he would have yet another thing to be sorry for.

Opening his eyes, Edward glanced across the street, and towards the street sign. At it was just then, at that very moment, that Edward realized that he had no clue where he was. He knew that Central was big, but he had no idea to the extent of the winding streets and the actual size that the city had. So, not knowing those key bits of information, Edward managed to loose himself.

Hurriedly, Edward shuffled around in his other pocket, pulling out a creased and rather wet piece of paper. Unfolding it, Edward glanced across it, hoping he could pin point where he was.

“Damn it,” he swore under his breath. “The street isn’t on here.” The map he had wasn’t nearly as a detailed map as he wished. “Why the hell not?” he hissed under his breath.

Edward stood up, and looked down both ends of the street. “If I don’t even know where I am, how the hell am I supposed to find Al?”

He stood up, and approached the nearest person who was walking down the street, which was odd, for there was nobody there before, and these back-streets usually had nobody on them. “Excuse me,” he asked, “do you know where the main street is?”

The man continued on, as if Edward said nothing at all, then glanced at his pocket watch to check the time.

“Hey,” Edward said, glowering angrily, he reached out for his sleeve. “I was talking to you.”

He grabbed the man’s sleeve, only to have it yanked out of his grip quickly. But the man still didn’t seem to recognize the fact that Edward was there at all, the gesture just seemed like was adjusting his hat so the rain didn’t thunder down on his face. The man just continued down the street like nothing had happened.

Edward stared after him, but didn’t move, he was seriously confused. “That was… odd…”

He turned to a woman that passed, who looked oddly a lot like the woman at the fruit stand. “Excuse me do you-“

She brushed him off like he was a minor annoyance and nothing else, looking forward and never once breaking her stare at whatever she was set to do.

“What the hell is-” Edward was cut short as another person who was walking down the street pushed him to the ground. “Hey! There’s somebody walking here!” However, the person just walked on, once again like nothing happened.

“What the hell?” Edward said to himself as he started to pick himself up. “It’s like I don’t exist. They plowed through me as if I’m not standing here.”

He gasped as he was harshly pushed to the ground again, much harsher the second time, as a group of people walked down the sidewalk quickly. He turned to shout, but yelped in surprise when he saw the crowd of people that were about to trample him. He only had the time to cover his head as the crowd of people seemingly walked all over him.

Once they passed, Edward stood up and dashed to the other side of the road and back to the steps he was standing on earlier, he was miraculously unhurt and un-trampled. Which surprised him, he didn’t expect to come out of that experience unscathed, though he should have. Not that he was complaining very much.

“It’s like all of Central has gone insane,” Edward said to himself, looking left and right at the people who looked seemingly normal in doing their everyday business. “Why the hell are they acting like this? Why the hell are they here?”

He glanced across the street again; daring for a moment that he might cross over to see where he was, when, a silhouette caught his attention from an alleyway. He forgot all about the strange-acting people.

“Al?” Edward asked hopefully. Nowhere else could he see a shadow with that distinct shape, size and have the glinting red glowing eyes.

He made his way towards it, repeating, “Alphonse? Is that you?” Trying to get the thing’s, that he thought was his brother, attention.

The shadowy figure turned, familiar red eyes glinting back at him, in a response to his calling.

Edward felt major relief as he approached. “I am so glad to see you. I just need to say that I’m sorry, okay? That you were right to say those things, I was wrong to be so rude and close-minded. You had every reason to be mad, and I deserved what I got. Do you- Do you forgive me?”

Alphonse continued to stare as he approached, watching Edward with a stern glance. The silence that Edward was receiving from Alphonse began to disturb him. Thoughts tumbled through his head of any possibly reason why Alphonse wasn’t responding. He hoped that it was that he either didn’t hear him, or, he was thinking of a really good way to say, ‘I forgive you’.

When Edward got close enough to see the details of Alphonse’s armor, Alphonse stiffed, then abruptly turned and began to run off down the alleyway without a word.

“Hey… wait… Al!” Edward called. “Come back! Alphonse! Wait!”

Edward began to dash after him, down the strange twisting and turning alleyway.

“Alphonse!”

Alphonse turned down a corner, Edward nearly missed him, skidding slightly so that he could turn into the corner and not lose Alphonse ‘round another one.

“Stop! Wait! Al!” He called after him.

Alphonse’s footsteps became quicker as he dashed down the back alleys that ran behind the buildings, he turned another corner.

“Al! Al, slow down!” He dashed harder as he turned the corner, huffing for breath. “Alphonse! Stop!”

Either somebody ‘up there’ really liked him, or really hated him. Alphonse stopped dead. A dead end.

Edward brought himself to a stop as well, leaning himself against the brick wall of the back of some building, gulping for air as he tried to catch his breath. “Alphonse I need to tell you… I apologize, okay?” He gave him a pleading look. “Forgive me. Please.”

Alphonse looked back at Edward, but his expression seemed cold and harsh despite the fact that his helmet couldn’t display any emotion. Edward recoiled backwards.

“Alphonse?” Edward said warily, eyes widening in fear. He had no idea why he was so suddenly so scared, all he knew was that he was petrified by the look that his brother was giving him. “Al…”

Alphonse silently pointed to the wall that blocked the Alleyway, Edward followed his gesture and his eyes rest on a transmutation circle. He took a couple of steps backward.

“I-I said I was sorry… o-okay?” Edward said more desperately, holding his hands out in front of him. “I said sorry.”

Alphonse took a step backwards himself, and then planted his hand on the symbol, instantly activating it to radiant blue.

Edward mindlessly ducked, flattening himself against the ground as a spike made from the wall came hurtling at him. He was lucky, for it narrowly missed his head.

He gasped from surprise and his un-caught breath from before, looking up at Alphonse was anxiously. Who surprisingly hadn’t moved an inch. Edward would have thought for him to go through the hole that the material for the spike left behind.

He lay on the ground, still terrified of what Alphonse could do next. He didn’t realize that he managed to tick of Alphonse that much. Sure, he had been crude and bitter, but nothing to deserve to be nearly killed.

“Alphonse,” he managed to force out, his voice dry in his throat. “Alphonse… I’m sorry. Okay?” His voice turned to one of pleading. “Please believe me.”

He began to stand up, but another spike came whizzing his way and he slammed himself against the wall and onto the ground just to narrowly miss serious injury for a second time.

“I mean it! I really do! I’ve been looking for you for eight hours just to apologize!” Edward quickly blurted out. He stayed against the ground. “Alphonse, you’ve got to believe me!”

Alphonse stared at Edward for a good long while, the only sound being the heavy clinking of water on his armor. It was a very unnerving and terrifying silence. Edward’s mind tumbling, worrying about whether his brother was going to make another attempt to maim or possibly kill him.

After hour-long minutes, Alphonse turned away and ran down the now open alleyway. Leaving Edward alone, lying on the soaked ground of the abandoned Alleyway; his only company his terrified, confused and jumbled thoughts.

What the hell is going on?

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Author’s Thoughts: Well put Edward. What IS going on, pray tell. Alphonse is acting a bit weird, now isn’t he? And didn’t I say that I would try to keep everybody pretty much in character as much as I can? Hmm… then why is Alphonse acting this way? Hmm. –laughs- either you’ll figure it out, or you’ll read the next chapter. (The ladder of the two being the preferred, but the first I don’t mind at all!)

Can you possibly guess where I got the chapter name and the story name from?

Chapter Two Summery: To put it in Edward’s words, “What the hell is going on?”. Soon he finds out why the people in the supposedly empty streets are so abundant and distant, and why Alphonse seems to be so hostile yet shy. Life is full of oxymorons… or is it something else?

Please Read and Review!

Note: I apologize for any Spelling and Grammar mistakes beforehand. Thank you.

(No Flames! I will feed them to Gluttony. And they will be yummy.)

Fullmetal Alchemist is © Hiromu Arakawa, SquarEnix and all those other people that own it. (Which isn’t me… -sniff-)