Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ The Forge Alchemist ❯ Chapter 1: Enter Edwin Auric ( Chapter 1 )

Title: The Forged Alchemist

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.

Summary: The Homunculus have left Amestris in shambles, and the new Fuhrer is an incompetent who is leading the country to downfall. When all hope is lost, Edward puts to the test a theoretical array, and enter Edwin Auric, the son of Hohenheim of Light, and elder half brother to Edward and Alphonse Elric.

 

Chapter 1

 

Hohenheim was returning from the fields when an array suddenly appeared before him. He recognized the array, he'd seen it before in bits and pieces, especially on the other side of the Gate, and watched as the array sparked and flared to life and then it died out, leaving a young man, practically a child, swaying from the effort of the Alchemy. Hohenheim recognized the child instantly; his wife had given birth to him only a few weeks ago.

 

“So this is what my progeny becomes?” Hohenheim asked as he fixed a stern glare on the blonde boy, “What drove you to such foolishness, child? Surely I would have taught my son better?”

 

“You never taught me anything!” The boy growled as he pulled out a roll of bandages and wrapped up his, Hohenheim realized belatedly, bleeding wrist. “Any alchemy I know, I learned from books! My rank I earned from my superiors through hard work! The only thing you gave me was your name! If you'd never left, mother wouldn't have wasted away from grief and neither Al nor I would be in our current positions!” He visibly pulled his temper under control and drew himself to his full height, “And the only reason why I'm here in front of you is because we have blood ties, you and I, and I needed that in order to ensure that I would arrive in Amestris at the right time and place.”

 

Cool golden eyes stared into surprised hazel, “I am Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Elric. You may call me the Fullmetal Alchemist or simply Lieutenant-Colonel. By order of the Madame Fuhrer Olivia Armstrong, I am to enter the past and ensure that the events that lead to the fall of the State does not occur, and I thank you, Hohenheim of Light, for making it possible for me to get this far.”

 

Hohenheim felt dread curl in his belly as his son from the future gave him a bland smile as he snapped off the crisp salute of a well trained military dog and said in a cool, crisp voice of an officer speaking to a particularly thick subordinate, “Greetings, Hohenheim. I am Edwin Auric. Elder half brother to your sons with Trisha Elric.”

 

Hohenheim couldn't help but wonder what his wife's reaction would be when she met this elder version of their son, because no way in hell is he allowing this reckless boy to go out into the world on his own, never mind that said reckless boy is a military dog. Or at least will grow up to be one.

 

~*~

 

The last thing Trisha Elric expected to see at the end of the day was her husband bringing home a young man with cool golden eyes and golden hair pulled into a braid. The simple sight of the man shocked her, if only because of the similarities to Hohenheim. She knew immediately that even if right now, Hohenheim claimed that she was the only woman that he'd ever loved, that he had once cared enough for another woman to father a child on her, this child; the young man that her husband had brought home. The youth smiled weakly, that small movement softened the shadows on his face, making him seem much younger than he actually was.

 

“I'm sorry to intrude,” he said sheepishly, “But I wanted to find my father. If I'd known he had a family…”

 

Trisha's felt her heart melt at the boy's discomfort, “It's alright,” she smiled, “its only right that you should know your father. Do you have a place to stay? You can stay here while you get to know your father.”

 

“I wouldn't want to intrude…”

 

“Nonsense,” Trisha smiled gently, “It's no trouble, right, Hohenheim?”

 

She was concerned by how slow Hohenheim's nod is, his eyes fixed on the golden youth beside him. There was caution in his movements, which meant he didn't entirely trust this child. But if Hohenheim didn't trust him, why did he bring him here?

 

~*~

 

That night, in the guestroom of the Elric House in Risembool, Edwin pulled out the files given to him by the Fuhrer and flipped through it quickly. The light from the moon was dim, but enough for him to read by as he studied the orders and the cover story he was to give. The story wasn't something he was unfamiliar with; it had been among the first things he had memorized on the train back to Central from Drachma. He had papers in his coat to back up the cover story, and he had papers to back up the truth. He as glad to see his mother again, but time travel was a fairly esoteric art, and few if any people had ever done it. Even the massive array that had been used had been mostly experimental, recorded in the National Library, but never activated. Edward Elric was less than a year old now, and he no longer had a claim to that name. Edwin Auric did exist, but in his time, the boy's father was unknown, and his mother never spoke of the man, and Edwin had been orphaned at six, and vanished from his orphanage at the age of eight and had never been seen or heard of since. It had been simple enough for the military to take the boy's identity and combine it with Ed's own records to make a cohesive record for Ed to use. No one would question his similarities to Edward Elric after he turned up in a decade or so since he'd revealed himself to Hohenheim and Hohenheim had told Trisha that he was his son. Maybe if he reappeared often enough under the impression of being undecided about whether or not he wanted to really get to know Hohenheim and at the same time be uncomfortable about intruding into an already established family routine…

 

It was a good plan. All he needed now, was to make the smooth transition into the ranks of the military, where he would begin smoothing over the cracks, planting the evidence, and turning the Homunculus against each other, and if he was lucky, he could get Envy and Dante to concentrate on him instead of Edward and Alphonse. That meant getting close to Mustang, and that also meant getting close to the Rockbells. That could be done easily enough. His automail would need maintenance, and Pinako Rockbell would be easy enough to convince if given the right proof. It would be nice to have a safe haven in the storm that was to come, especially since Edwin was going to be reluctant about being too much of a fixture in the Elric Household.

 

He pulled a pencil from one of his pockets and scribbled quickly in the margins. Yes, it was a good plan. Morning would be a good time to start setting things into motions.

 

~*~

 

“Thank you for letting me stay,” Edwin smiled sadly, “I will be on my way now.”

 

Trisha frowned. “But you've only just arrived!”

 

“That's irrelevant,” he said quietly, “Hohenheim has a family. Whether or not I am his son doesn't matter. I cannot impose on your hospitality, not even to learn more about my father.”

 

“Where will you go?” Trisha asked.

 

“The military, I suppose,” he smiled, “It's not like I have anyone to disappoint by enlisting anyway. Hohenheim might have sired me, but as far as he is concerned, young Edward is his only son. There's no room in his heart for me.” Edwin bowed over Trisha's hand. “Thank you again for your hospitality.”

 

“Please feel free to come back if you need anything,” Hohenheim said suddenly from behind Trisha. “You are my son, and I will support you as father.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Trisha was confused by the sudden tensing of the teen's shoulders and the shuttering of his eyes as he spoke his thanks to Hohenheim.

 

“Have a safe journey then,” Trisha said.

 

Edwin nodded again. “Thank you and good bye.”

 

“I wonder if our Edward will grow up to be like him,” Trisha said quietly as they watched the teen's retreating back, “Strong and independent and determined to meet his goals, whatever they may be.”

 

“I'm sure he will,” Hohenheim said quietly. Because Edwin and Edward are one and the same went unsaid. Trisha did not need to know that Edwin Auric was what their son, what their little Edward born only a few weeks ago could and would become. Hohenheim pursed his lips and silently swore that Edward would never have to go through what Edwin did, because whatever Hohenheim might have meant for his son, he never meant for that precious, fragile, golden haired infant sleeping soundly in the cradle in the living room to become a soldier who used his alchemy to kill in the name of the State.

 

~*~

 

TBC…