An Elric Cat-astrophie!

Reveal and upheaval

Genevieve visited her father several more times and Ed tagged along. Now he knew for himself that Dr. Stine wasn't going to go nuts and kill him, or change him into something smaller or worse, he was happy to accompany Genevieve. More so, he was starting to enjoy it. She would carry him from the edge of the town and up to the caves. They would then walk together through the cavern to the end where she would sit and talk to her father. Ed would sit on her knee or lay wrapped around her shoulders for comfort and listen to her. This way he learned of the country they were from originally, of her father's illness and how they had been looking for a herbal cure to help as the chemical medicines were not helping with his frail and fragile well being. Ed's thirst for knowledge made him feel content with just listening to them talk... though in wanting to hear what had become of his own body was a very close second reason.

On their sixth visit Ed felt that something was wrong... it smelt wrong. "Eddy? What's up my gorgeous little man?" Genevieve asked, kneeling down to look at him. "You know we're leaving soon... its up to you if you join us but you know they'll probably consider papa and I as freaks if we stay... right? We'd be locked up... so we've got to go. You understand that much don't you my intelligent boy?" she asked, rubbing his head just the way he liked. Ed wasn't purring for once though as he felt terrified at what was going on around them unseen. "Well? Come on. Can't keep papa waiting right Eddy?" she smiled as she started walking inside the cave. Ed sat and waited at the entrance until she was out of sight, thinking of either running ahead to catch up to her or running back to get Al. But something stopped him.

"Nice work Fullmetal." It was the voice Ed hadn't heard much but still sent a shiver through his body. He slowly looked up and saw it was exactly as he had thought... the fuhrer King Bradley was stood there and behind him around thirty military soldiers. Ed jumped up from his seat in alarm. "SIR!" he tried to salute but it is hard to do without looking adorable or as though you're cleaning your head when you're a cat. "It's ok Fullmetal. At ease. Mustang has filled me in." he said as calmly as ever though it unnerved Ed to no ends. Ed looked back and saw that Mustang was indeed standing there and was wearing his hat... something that showed the seriousness of this operation... what's more is that under the shadow the hat cast down at this late hour of the night, Ed could also see the hint of a black eye and bruised cheek which suggested foul play. "We've no need for you to remain involved in this any longer Fullmetal." Bradley said stepping into the cave entrance. Ed panicked as Bradley drew his sword and, before he knew what he was doing, Ed bolted as fast as his tiny kitty legs could carry him. He ran blind through the cave before the soldiers and Bradley, as fast as he could. Someone had to warn them... they were innocent and no good would come to them if Bradley caught them. "GENEVIEVE!" Ed screamed as he ran flat out down the path she had gone before him. He didn't stop screaming her name until he came to the end where she was sat preparing her father's medicine. He was busy clearing things away in the corner. "Genevieve! You and your dad have to get out of here now!" Ed panted, trying to catch his breath. The girl looked at him, "E-Eddy? You can talk?" she started to ask in surprise. "Now is NOT the time! You've gotta go! Quick before they catch you!" Ed said rushing to her side and pulling at her trouser leg with his teeth, begging her to move.

Genevieve looked down at Ed quite confused but it was too late as a noise by the entrance startled her and made her look up. She saw, stood there, King Bradley with his sword drawn. "We've no need for the girl. Take her into custody. As for the old man, he's going to tell us everything." Bradley commanded and the soldiers moved to follow his orders and tried to keep the two from one another. Genevieve shouted for her dad from behind Ed who fought to make them leave her alone as her father fought to be at her side. Just as he was being dragged into the passageway there was a gunshot and his eyes dilated then lost their colour. Genevieve screamed, which echoed around the room and she ran to his side as he collapsed in a pool of his own blood. Ed spotted Mustang though no one else seemed to notice. Bradley was furious and took control. He grasped Genevieve by her long hair and pulled her along after himself. "If they behave like animals, treat them like animals. Leave his body there. There's no need for him any more." he said firmly. The soldiers saluted and left, following the Fuhrer and the still screaming Genevieve.

Ed couldn't move. He was rooted to the spot in shock. "I'm sorry...." Roy whispered. "I'm sorry but I heard... what they would do to her..." he uttered. Ed looked up at Roy in anger but it slowly slipped away from him as he saw the man was in tears. "I'm sorry.... Edward.... but this was his wish... that she stayed alive..." he sobbed, falling to his knees as he broke down. This was when the truth came out. After their first visit, Roy had over heard Ed talking to Al and went to look for himself during the day. That was when he had first met Dr. Stine. Just like Ed he had panicked about what the Dr. was capable of but, after a very long talk, Roy grasped the situation. The Dr had been studying the equivalent of Alchemy in Xing when they had crossed the desert and arrived in Amistris. It was shortly before leaving the sandy planes that he had become separated from his daughter and lost his medication. As his illness had set in he grasped to two things he could remember clearly, finding his daughter, which explained why he was seen randomly talking to young girls of the same age as Genevieve, and Alchemy. He had been practicing the circles and such when Ed had found him but until then nothing had worked at all. It had been Ed's alchemic powers alone, combined with the inaccurately drawn circle, that had split Ed and swapped the souls.

"So.... where is my body now? and where have they taken Genevieve?" Ed demanded, his tail flicking in irritation. He had dragged some cloth over the poor Dr's body to give him some decency while Roy had talked. "Probably to the same place. They want to find out exactly where she's from and what she knows. Last I knew, some soldiers had located your body and put it in the jail towards the middle of Central... that's where I expect you'll find Geni too." he said. Ed thought about it hard but nodded. "The Doctor left me this for you too... if you create it you should be able to reverse the damage that's been done and get your body back... though in theory you'll have to get your body to walk over it, just as you had done, of it's own free will. It's not impossible but could be tricky." he said. Ed nodded and took the paper from Roy's hand, "Fanks... Don't wowwy. I'll get hew outta ther unhawmed." Ed said with the paper between his teeth. Roy nodded, "Good luck Edward. You'll need it." he said. " 'sn't abowt luck! ish all abowt awkemic skiw." Ed replied before rushing off with the paper to find Al, his little kitty mind already trying to plan what he would do.

A.N: in the off chance you can't read what Ed was saying with his icle mouth full of paper, here's the translation ^_^ "Thanks... don't worry. I'll get her out of there unharmed." and then "Its not about luck! It's all about alchemic skill!"