Fullmetal Alchemist Awakening

Road of Hope

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except for Aaliyah.

Chapter 6: Road of Hope

Ed, Aaliyah, and Armstrong were all sitting on the train, waiting for fit departure, when there was a knock on the window. They turned To see Lt. Colonel Hughes. "Hey, just came to see you off since everyone else was busy." "Great...but would you mind telling me why the Major is here?" Ed asked, annoyed.

Armstrong gained sparkles around his head causing everyone to sweatdropped. "For protection... What would happen if Scar came after you again? You're in no shape for a fight guys..." Hughes glanced over to the two as Ed gripped his auto-mail arm and Aaliyah looked down at her hands.

"The Major's here to help. Just try to grin and bare it." Hughes said. "Children can be stubborn," Armstrong said. "Hey shut up!" Edward said defensively. "I'm no child! Anyway, are you sure Al made it on board?" Aliyah snorted. "Of course... I thought he might get lonely without some kind of company." Armstrong reply.

Alphonse is in with the Sheep. "My brother isn't some kind of farm animal!" Ed shouted. Aaliyah sweatdropped nervously. Another bell ring. "Oops, it's time." Hughes said. Black smoke came from the train's smokestack. Hughes saluted to them. "Okay, you guys have a safe trip. Stop in and give me a shout the next time you make it to Central." Hughes said.

They all salute at him while the train slowly pulled out. The sun turned a golden orange color s it prepared to set. Armstrong sat in the almost-too-small seat, reading a small book. Ed had his head on Aaliyah as they fall asleep.

The train pulled into the station and Ed and Aaliyah stretched. As Armstrong saw a man walk by. He quickly got up and looked at him out of the window. "Doctor Marcoh! Armstrong shouted. "Doctor Marcoh! That is you, isn't it!" The man turned around. "It's me, Alex Louis Armstrong from central!"

A fearful look crossed the man's face and he turned and ran away. "Friend of yours? Ed asked. "Yeah, he looked scared." Aaliyah said. "He's from Central. A talented State Alchemist. He was researching into possible medical applications of alchemy, but after the Ishvalan Civil War he went missing and just disappeared." Armstrong said.

Ed grabbed Aaliyah's hand and ran off the train. "Let's go, guys! A guy like this doctor might know a few things about bio-alchemy." Ed said. Armstrong walked around town, carrying the large box containing Alphonse in his shoulder alongside Edward and Aaliyah.

"Excuse me." He said showing a man an illustration of Doctor Marcoh he had drawn, "but do you know who this person is, by any chance?" "Wow, Major." Aaliyah said, looking at ht detailed sketch, "you can really draw." Aaliyah said as well. A smirk crowd Armstrong's face. "The art of portraitry has been passed down the Armstrong family for generations." "That man looks like Doctor Mauro to me." The man said. "Mauro?" Aaliyah asked confused. "All of our town's doctors are drafted to help on the battlefields during the Civil War. Then Doctor Mauro came here. He's really been a life saver." He said. "He'll see any patient," another man wearing glasses said cheerfully, "and he never gives up on anybody." He snickered. "We're lucky he's here."

"You see this big, bright flash of light and then you're cured." A adolescent girl said, " just like that!" "So he sound a good guy to me." Aaliyah said. Edward looked at her and thought about it.

~Time skip~

"This is it." Edward said, standing in front of a building's front door. Aaliyah is behind him. As Armstrong and Lyssa walked up the stairs Armstrong still carried Alphonse on his shoulder. Edward knocked on the door and pull the handle. "Um hell—" Aaliyah grabbed him before he get hit by a bullet. "Alright! Tell me what you guys are doing here! He said. "Did you come to take me back?"