A pic drabble series which is a Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conqueror of Shamballa Alternate Universe Fic in which Edward Elric met up with the alter world counterpart for Roy Mustang, Masuta Ichiro, rather than Alfons Heiderich. It chronicles their journey together through Europe as they attempt to help Ed find a way home. In addition to its excellent characterization and story telling, there is plenty of Homoerotic Subtext between Ed and Masuta.
It can be found here
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This work provides examples of:
- Awful Truth: Crossing the Gate back to Amestris, cost a lot of energy. Which the Gate exacts from the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Edward and Masuta are horrified when they find this out, meaning Masuta can't go back to his home world.
- Alternate Universe Fic: Edward befriends Roy's alter, not Alphonse's.
- Artificial Limbs: Masuta was shocked when he saw Ed's canon prosthetic arm.
- Bittersweet Ending: Masuta can never go home but Masuta builds a new life in Amestris and Edward is finally reunited with his friends and family.
- Death Glare: Masuta gives Ed a very venomous one after Ed badmouths Hohenheim, who was a favorite mentor of Masuta.
- Disney Death: Masuta is fatally shot and Edward is surrounded. It looks like the end until Edward manages to activate Hohenheim's array which opens the Gate. Once across, Masuta is perfectly fine. Subverted, Masuta actually did die and the attackers were unintentionally sacrificed to make a new body for Masuta. Crossing the Gate had a much higher cost.
- Doppelgänger: When Masuta initially met Roy, he mistaken him for this.
- Doting Parent: Hohenheim is this to Ed to make up for lost time, while he's not overtly doting he did brag about him a lot to Masuta.
- Finally Found the Body: Masuta's body is found by the police, weeks after Masuta and Edward went into hiding.
- Freak Out: When Masuta is waken by Roy, he freaks out at seeing a man looking exactly like him.
- Identical Stranger: Also, the premise of this fic. Edward on his search meets the real world counterpart of Hughes, Havoc, Hawkeye, Lust, Alphonse and Nina. Masuta also gets hit with this trope when he meets Izumi and Siegfried, who are his parents in his homeworld.
- Irony:
- While Roy Mustang is The Casanova, Masuta Ichiro is a Celibate Hero.
- Alter Havoc's counterpart is a popular ladies' man, Masuta believes its due to his accent.
- Ironic Echo: Masuta's funeral in the real world is played in the same as Hughes's death, right down to the tears.
- Living Emotional Crutch: Masuta and Edward are this to each other. Edward needs someone to depend on him to help with his self-esteem and Masuta's perfectly happy to follow Ed for the rest of his life.
- Mundane Utility: Masuta learns alchemy to recreate green tea.
- Our Nudity Is Different: When Masuta ends up in the world of Fullmetal Alchemist, he is shocked by how little Winry wears. While Winry's tubetop and overalls is only showy to Edward, it's outright indecent to Masuta. In his world, not even the prostitutes wear such skimpy clothes.
- Relative Error: Izumi thinks Masuta is looking at her because she's resembles a lost love which triggers her husband's jealousy, he's actually looking at her because she's his mother.
- Riddle for the Ages: Thomas(Alter!Hughes) never finds out what happened to Masuta or Ed.
- Round Robin: Several LJ users took part in making up certain parts of the series.
- Sick Episode: When Masuta first enters the world of Central, he gets really sick. According to Ed that is just a side effect from entering a new world.
- Together in Death: Hohenheim and Trisha are reunited at the Gate where they watch over their sons.
- Twin Switch: Roy and Masuta switch places for Roy to goof off from paperwork.
- Walking the Earth: Edward travels all over Europe looking for a way home with Masuta tagging along side him.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Masuta is terrified of fire after a fire took his parents' lives.
