Survivor: Alchemist

By Storyranger

Disclaimer: I do not pretend to own any of the characters or locations mentioned in this story. They belong to their wonderful author, Hiromu Arakawa. I do, however, own the island on which our heroes are stranded, and the insane Professor Scathar.

Author's Note: I'm sorry for any confusion, but won't allow me to us asterisks or square brackets, so I'm stuck using parenthesis (). Occasionally though, I need to use them when someone other then Ed is speaking…… (sighs) You see! Oh well. Please bear with me!

How to read this story: This story can be a little tricky, but this should help. Anytime you see plain old ordinary text, like this, it's Al talking. He tells the story in neutral third person. At various points in the story, different characters step in to tell the story from their point of view. Winery's words are in Italics, Mustang's are in Boldface, and Ed's are ordinary text marked by (brackets) at the beginning and the end of every time he speaks. The conversation below should help to explain it. Enjoy!

Girl's Voice: Once upon a time, in a country far, far away, there lived two alchemists and their friend. The alchemists were part of the country's military, and did many brave and good things to protect their people.

(New voice: Ah, shut up, Winry! You know that that's just what they want you to believe!)

Another New Voice: Stuff it Ed! We're supposed to be telling a story, not berating the military!

(Ed: Ya, well, just because you're a Colonel doesn't me I have to listen to you!)

Winry: Actually, it does.

(Ed: Winry!)

Colonel Roy Mustang: Ed, for once, could you listen to your girlfriend?

(Ed: Mustang, could you for once just keep you mouth shut?)

A fourth voice: Guys, guys, guys! You're supposed to be telling a story here!

Winry: I have an idea! How about we let Al tell the story?!

(Ed and Mustang together: Fine!)

Chapter 1: Stranded

There once was a man who owned a yacht. This man's name was Professor Scathar. This man was a brilliant man. And he absolutely hated state alchemists. Oh, sure, he never told anybody, and he always did his civic duty and aided them whenever was needed, but deep down, he detested them and plotted to destroy at least one in his life time.

So he concocted a plan to give away his yacht in a lottery that only state alchemists could enter. The catch? Hidden aboard was a tiny bomb, attached to the fuselage and set to go off nine hours after the motor is turned on.

His plan worked wonderfully and soon enough, alchemists from all across the country were buying tickets by the pound. All except for one Edward Elric, know also as the Full Metal Alchemist, though others preferred to call him the Shortest Alchemist.

(I AM NOT SHORT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Ed only bought one ticket, with money borrowed from a friend

Are you CRAZY? Borrowed! He practically stole that money off me!

(It was just lying there on your desk. I left a Post-It note!)

Guys, guys!

ANYWAYS, as luck (or ill chance) would have it, Ed won the yacht. For his first voyage, Ed decided to take his childhood friend, Winry, and Mustang, to pay him back for the ticket.

(I was going to bring Al but……)

So Ed, Winry, and Mustang set off to the harbour to pick up the boat. Ed decided that they were going to sail out to sea for a bit, maybe around an island or two, then come back. They wouldn't be gone for more than a few hours, he thought. Nevertheless, Winry and Al insisted on them bringing lots of food and water, as well as some tools, a GPS and a lighter ("What the heck do we need a lighter for? We have Mustang!") in case of emergency. Finally, they set off, hopping that they wouldn't need anything they brought.

After about three hours, I thought we should probably check and see where we were. So I asked Ed where the map was. And he just stared at me and said "What map?" That idiot forgot the map!!! So I decided right then and there that we needed to turn back. Immediately. I then tried to convince Ed of the same. He…didn't see things my way. So I had to use measures that were a bit more…forceful.

(More forceful? He almost killed me! But anyway, he took over control of the ship. But that didn't make any difference. He just got us more lost! So for four hours we sailed around trying to figure out which direction to go in. Then we anchored the boat and tried to discuss what to do next.)

Tried to discuss? They didn't even try to listen! They just kept bickering for the next hour and a half, until finally they decided to just sail in the general direction we came from until we found the harbour.

So the trio turned the boat around and started for home. After a while, Mustang thought he could hear a small tick! -ing noise, and went down into the cabin to investigate. He looked around but could see nothing. He went back upstairs and walked towards the stern. That's when the bomb went off.

The first thing I remember thinking is 'Oh flip. We're all gonna die'. Then I was thrown backwards into the water. I heard a splash beside me and turned to see Ed disappearing into the water. I wasn't overly concerned. If the kid couldn't swim, that was his problem. I turned the other way and to my horror spotted Winry floating face down in the water.

I don't remember much about the explosion. I think I was knocked out by the blast. I heard a loud bang, and then I remember Mustang shaking me and pulling my face out of the water. I coughed up a lot of water and then gratefully grabbed the piece of floating debris that Mustang handed me.

As soon as they got over the shock, the group tugged the wreck to the nearest island. They managed to get the thing onto the shore, than started to salvage the food and supplies. Mustang could see that night was coming fast, so he decided that they should turn the boat cabin upside down and use it for shelter. "Well," said Ed, looking around, "things can't get any worse."

That's when it started to rain.

How do you like it? This is my first fanfic, so reviews are appreciated!