D3 Chapter One

Dimension 3
(A few months after the adventures with his double, Edward is told something that makes him question everything.)
Sequel of “Living in the Mirror”

Chapter One: Meeting

For the past several months - ever since the adventures with his double had ended - Edward had a strong urge to achieve some good in the world. But, when you’re five minutes away from a meeting with a couple of homunculi, those feelings can vanish.

The sky was a cloudy gray. As he stood before the old brick building, it’s address on a slip of paper held in his hand, a light breeze picked up, blowing his long, red coat. His attire suddenly felt alien to him. He had been wearing a modified version of his double’s outfit ever since he had left home to help people, but now it felt too big on him; too heavy on his shoulders.

“So you came.”

Edward turned toward the voice to see a wide grin.

“I was starting to think you wouldn’t show, Pipsqueak,” the homunculus said.

Edward wouldn’t have believed it if the homunculi hadn’t sought him out two days ago. He didn’t think there were such a thing. It seemed like all he could do was stare.

“Well, do you want some answers or don’t you?!” Envy growled.

“I do,” Edward said. His voice sounded hoarse, his throat having gone dry. He began walking.

Two days ago. That was when everything changed.

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“Hey!” Edward said and shielded his face as someone jumped through his closed hotel window. Right afterward, a second person jumped into the room from a different window. “What’s going on?!”

“Alchemist,” the woman of the two said, “you have a special skill that can be of use to us.”

“Who are you?” Edward said with narrowed eyes.

“We’re homunculi,” the other one said right next to his ear, causing him to jump a little. There was a tone of amusement in his voice.

“What?”

Edward had heard of them, in his father’s alchemy books, but for them to actually exist and be standing in his hotel room?

“Hear that? The pipsqueak doesn’t believe us. I guess we’ll just have to kill him.”

Edward widened his eyes as the green-haired one grabbed his hair. Just as suddenly, his head was free and his hair came out of it’s braid. Looking toward the woman in front of him, he saw that her hand was raised and her index finger extended to about six inches long. He could only guess that her fingernail was much longer than that a second ago.

“No, Envy. We need him alive,” she said, a hint of a threat in her voice.

“You could’ve let me have some fun with him!” Envy complained. “Hurry up and give it to him so we can leave.” He then opened the room’s door and stepped outside.

Edward gave a questioning look to the woman, who began to walk past him, but paused to hand him a piece of paper and say, “Meet us at this address in two days. At one p.m..”

Edward glanced at the writing on the note, before rushing into the hallway. “Hey, wait!” Envy was leaning against the wall beside him, and the other one was still only a few feet from the door. “Why do you think I’ll come?!”

“Don’t you think we can find you again, pipsqueak?”

“Don’t call me so short you can keep me in your pocket in order to keep an eye on me!” Edward yelled.

“I can kill you right here, pipsqueak,” Envy growled, causing Edward to step back.

“The boy’s right - he’s an alchemist, he follows the law of Equivalent Exchange. I propose this: in exchange for you coming, we tell you the truth about your mother - and what Hohenheim of Light did to her.”

“W-what... Hohenheim did...?”

The two homunculi walked off while Edward stood in the hallway.