Fullmetal Alchemist (manga)/Fanfic Recs

Fullmetal Alchemist has loads of material to make good stories with... we're still waiting for Fullpetal Botanist, though.

These are recommendations made by Tropers for Fullmetal Alchemist fanfics, all of which have to be signed to stay on the page. Feel free to add a fanfic of your own to the list, but remember to use the template found here.

You can also add to the current recommendations if you want. Refrain from posting Conversation in the Main Page though; that goes in the discussion page.

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Authors and Websites

Anything by The Pandemonium-Chaos Disorder

• Recommended by RoamingShadow
• Excellent writing and characterization. The author also writes for the Harry Potter and Cardcaptor Sakura fandoms but is currently writing for Fullmetal Alchemist. The author also has two or three FMA/HP crossovers. In between fic updates, the author whips out some of the best written one-shots.

Anything by Laetans

• Recommended by MEWtiful
• The writer has written eight stories for Fullmetal Alchemist: some Warm and Fuzzy, some bitterly sad. ( To this day, February Thirteenth is the only fanfiction I have ever read that has managed to make me cry.) Whatever the case, you know that the characters' relationships are going to be explored beautifully. Heck, if it's a long story there may even be development, a accomplishment that i the holy grail of a media swimming with OOC stories. There is sex, but none of the stories are Lemon Fic; this does give them an "M" rating.
  • NOTE: For reasons unknown, all of Laetans' FMA stories are gone. Wither the author pulled them down his/herself, or... Which is a pity; this troper enjoyed those stories.

Anything by Sevlow

• Recommended by OracleSeven
• Excellent writing and characterization. There's great detail on the relationship between Roy and Ed in almost every fic. A lot of it is both dark and/or rated M, however.

Anything by BeautifulFiction

• Recommended by Wolfgirl44
• As a general warning, this author writes mostly Roy/Ed, so if you can't stand that kind of stuff you may want to give this one a pass. If you CAN stand it, give it a look. The writing style is wonderful, especially with descriptions. Special mention goes to the author's current project, The Saffron Soul. I could go on for hours about how wonderful this story is, how interesting the plot is, how vivid the pictures it paints are, how each chapter has me on the edge of my seat... it's just awesome. Really.

General Fics

Stories focused on the family and the friendly relationships of the cast. Plot-focused stories or light day-in-the-life stories. Pretty much anything that isn't focused on romance.

Aftermath Rewritten by musician-ceowannabe

• recommended by person5455426
• Synopsis: Set after the ending of brotherhood, Edward Elric disappears leaving his family. 10 years later, his kids venture out to search for him.
• Comments: It's pretty good for a newbie. Updates are semi regular though

Restitution by Random Cheeses

• Recommended by Aryashi
• Synopsis: After destroying the gate between worlds at the end of Conqueror Of Shamballa, Mustang ends up somewhere. . . unexpected.
• Comments: Roy gets sent back in time in order to "Achieve his heart's desire", to quote the Gate. This is a Peggy Sue fic, predominatly set in the anime-verse, but has bits of manga canon added for flavor. Its fantasticly written, and explores exactly how much sending one man back in time would change things. Its on a temporary hiatus, but the author is still very much active, so keep your fingers crossed for an update.

The Prices We Pay by Pandora Culpa

• Recommended by klepto
• Synopsis: Only life is equivalent to another life.
• Comments: Edward and Mustang friendship. It is far better than I could ever hope to explain it, but it's sweet without being too sugary, and definitely worth a read.

Torture by Mikkeneko

• Recommended by Taco Sundae
• Comments: One of the funniest one-shots I've ever read. In order to get Ed to make the Philosopher's Stone for them, Envy and Sloth decide that mental scars work better than physical ones.

The CareALot Chronicles by Petite Grenouille

• Recommended by MEWtiful
• Synopsis: Edward is sent to Care-A-Lot to research their advanced combat techniques.
• Comments: Yes, the 'Care-A-Lot' the title is referring to refers to the home of the Care Bears. You can tell the author is greatly enjoying herself as you read this hilarious tale chronicling Edward's interactions with Care Bears.
• Tags: Crackfic

Sketch:Gnosis by nebroadwe

• Recommended by Musicrox4ever
• Synopsis: Oneshot. Scar's brother receives his first shipment of alchemy books. (at the time, mangaverse)

Return to the Underworld by Clouds on Monday.

• Recommended by Crank132
• Synopsis: Trapped and lost in this world, Edward Elric is stripped of alchemy; or so he thought. From Crop Circles to the Pyramids of Giza, Ed travels to the ruins of the world for clues to get home. But he isn't alone, and a painful decision has to be made.

Illness by Shiruba Neko.

• Recommended by Battypichugirl2
• Synopsis: Scar gets ill and unbeknownst to him, Al stuffs him in his armor and takes him to Risembool with him and Ed. Ed, Al, Pinako, and Winry end up taking care of him for a week and a half.
• Comments: It's extremely, extremely cute. One of my favorite stories. The characterization is excellent, and it's just really fun to read. A Hurt/Comfort fic, essentially. Don't read if you hate fluff.

Photograph by ZaKai

• Recommended by Keltena
• Synopsis: Ed wishes he was the one in Hughes's photographs.
• Comments: Short, sad, and painfully sweet.

Catheter by Netta Sloan

• Recommended by Dazai
• Synopsis: This is the first part of a series of fics detailing the events of Ed's Automail surgery, set a few days or two after the life shattering incident. These fics cover everything from the construction of Ed's automail to the rehabilitation process in incredible detail.
• Comments: The author shows breathtaking detail in this fic ranging from the building and functionality of artificial limbs, to excruciating Nightmare Fuel surgery scenes. Aside from the squick worthy details included in every chapter, there is a lot of Young!Ed and Young!Winry shipping scenes where she plays the role of his nurse and eventual rehab coach. Al also gets segments to himself, helping in the surgeries, watching over Ed or doing simple tasks to help get used to his new body. Unfortunately none of these fics are structured on her account, aside from if you haven't read X read X first, making it hard to navigate.

The Luzhin Defense by Zau

• Recommended by Skadi
• Synopsis: Life as chess. The pieces set. Breda recalls how he became Roy's.

We That Are Young Shall Never See So Much by Stoplight Delight

• Recommended by Selryam
• Synopsis: It's a well-known fact that innocents make poor soldiers. Fortunately, Riza Hawkeye's childhood was not entirely innocent. She had to grow up fast... though she wasn't the only one.

Magnum Opus by A Guy Named Goo

• Recommended by Also Sprach Odin
• Synopsis: While receiving training following a less than stunning evaluation, Edward is sent to follow a lead involving four friends and illegal experiments conducted during the war that could be what he has been looking for.
• Comments: This is a rare breed among fanfics - no shipping, no crossover, nu bullshit. The story and writing is straight and understated, the canon characters in character and the original characters believable. Simple, well written and intelligent.

The Reason Why by Moonrise31

• Recommended by Marlee Cross
• Synopsis: Riza Hawkeye is the only one who understands why Nina Tucker allowed her father to turn her into a chimera. Contains spoilers for chapters 5 and 57.
• Commentary: This fic, while short, draws quite an interesting parallel between two certain characters.

And In The End by Hey Its MJ

• Recommended by starstuff99
• Synopsis: A picture is worth a thousand words. Thirteen moments on film. Spoilers for Chapter 108.
• Commentary: A brilliant and heartwarming story, or rather, drabbles based on the picture montage for the last page of chapter 108. You can think of them as little captions next to the pictures that show where they are now, and it's not any less just for how short each drabble is.

The Sincerest Form of Flattery by Mikkeneko

• Recommended by sauronlulz
• Synopsis: Oneshot. Ed and Al revisit a town they once saved from bandits and discover something surprising.

Rewrite by Tramontana Keeper

• Recommended by Sarah1281
• Synopsis: 'Free Characters of Fullmetal Alchemist,' announced Edward dramatically, 'I have seen the future, and it is bleak.' The Ultimate Horror...a lousy Ending...demands the Ultimate Sacrifice to change it. Crack, Silliness, and much breakage of the Fourth Wall
• Comments: After managing to get his hands on a copy of the script for the ending of the first anime, Edward calls all the other characters together and they decide there's only one thing they can do: mutiny. It's a crack fic, but also absolutely hysterical.

Informed Consent by Favilla

• Recommended by B2WM
• Synopsis: Everyone's favorite doctor - and why he hates Roy so much. "There was also that time I worked with that bastard, Mustang. He burned the Ishbalans and I did the autopsies." Rated M for violent themes. Spoilers for Ch. 62. One Shot
• Comments: This is really a dark one, folks - with echoes of Mengele and Schindler in Mustang's rigorous scientific protocol - and yet I've never seen a better breakdown of Roy Mustang's idealism during the Ishval Massacre.

Homecoming by kalirush

• Recommended by Taranwondering
• Synopsis: Ten years after the series, Al brings his family home to Resembool. Ed/Winry, Al/Mei, Royai, brotherly love, fluff, politics, and a few terrible implications.

Fullmetal Lol by Nimrochan

• Recommended by eyeheartturtles
• Synopsis: Crackfic parody. Ed is constantly drunk, and Al is generally depressed. Yet both persevere in their quest to restore their bodies through the legendary Internet, a mythical power said to hold unimaginable forces. However, a hidden, stupid evil awaits...
• Comments: A surprising funny and very amusing fic; each character's personality is twisted to the right blend of parody. The usage of the storyline from the manga/anime keeps it on track and makes it easier to know what's going on, making it a great balance of humor and adventure.

The Alter!Series by multiple authors in the community

• Recommended by Pepper-Jak
• Synopsis: Spoilers for the first anime series! After the events that ended with Edward in Germany, he travels across Europe to England to try and find a way home. Hohenheim sends one of his research assistants, Ichiro Masuta, who as it turns out is Roy Mustang's counterpart in this world.

A Dish of Herbs by Tiamat's Child

• Recommended by: Acacia
• Synopsis: Marcoh is deeply messed up, Scar is stern, and they're getting to be better friends than their pasts would seem to allow.
• Comments: There is not nearly enough fanfic about Scar's and Marcoh's travels together, but this is an excellent example of what there could be. Marcoh's introspection has to be pretty miserable just to be Marcoh's, and here that's managed without making it too unpleasant to be worth reading. Scar is neither so harsh as to be unsympathetic nor so forgiving as to be out of character, and there's just enough of Yoki and Mei to lighten up the angst a bit. Note that there are trigger warnings on it for disordered eating and discussion of suicide, if those are problems for you.

Crazy!Ed Verse by metisket

• Recommended by: MS Pachina
• Synopsis: Following the manga-verse, we explore how the plot might've changed if Al died while they tried to resurrect their mother.
• Comments: The first part is shorter and not as good as the subsequent chapters. The story really hits its stride when it goes into Hughes' point of view (i.e. sane thoughts about insane people/events/such and such). metisket is skilled at taking characters who are completely off their rockers and making her audience empathize.

Threads Of Time by Overnight-FMA

• Recommended by R.G.
• Synopsis: FMA Divergent AU: Upon attempting to resurrect their mother, things went horribly wrong and Alphonse Elric ended up binding his brother Edward's soul to a suit of armor. Their lives have been forever changed since that fateful night.
• Comments: I have always wondered what would happen if it was Ed who was in the armor and Al who had the Automail limbs. That said, ths fic is truly worth reading.

Crossover Fics

Gateway to magic by llothcat

• Recommended by Spire Eater
• Synopsis: Harry Potter/FMA. Edward Elric knew one thing for sure, and that was that he was bored in a dull world. And finds a chance to go home..at a price..
• Comments: At first glance this appeared to be a generic crossover between the two stories. However, the author has a knack for using numerous small details and often forgoten or unexplored aspects of the original plot which add to the atmosphere and prevent it from growing stale.
  • Note, however, that the FMA parts of the story are taken from the anime-verse, NOT the manga-verse.

Penance by Laora (formerly Fuocoso)

• Recommended by Purplequeen 15
• Synopsis: Harry Potter/FMA crossover. One of the few crossovers I've read that actually makes sense rather than being pure crack. It takes place in mangaverse chapter 105/Order of the Phoenix, so here there be spoilers. Ed and Al get pulled through the gate (like all FMA crossovers) and arrive in a strange place that seems to defy every law of nature: Number 12 Grimmauld Place. However, someone (something?) else arrived with them... A great story, though a few chapters are a bit slow because of exposition. No fluff.

Cerulean Silver vs. Amber Gold by hikaranko (Crossover)

• Recommended by orpheus-izanagi
• Synopsis: Crossover with Harry Potter & HBP. Ed has been put on his stupidest assignment yet: babysitting. Well, that's not what everyone else would call it, but to Edward Elric, it's exactly like babysitting. But there's a lot more to this assignment than what's on file...
• Comments: One of the very few Harry Potter crossovers (ever) that doesn't focus on the Gryffindor Trio (Draco instead). Hikaranko manages to keep both Edward and Draco suitably in character, and the story is nice and long. There are very few errors (and you can just skip by those.) There is enough humor to break up the angst and seriousness of the story. Have you seen Roy Mustang? Warning, though: It's Draco/Hermione and not Roy/Riza (despite the author's like of the pairing) it's actually Roy/Narcissa!.

The Truth Decays by Marz1 (Crossover)

• Recommended by Akatsuki Daybreak
• Synopsis: Mangaverse crossed with Naruto. Ed ends up in the shinobi countries following the events of the 'Promised Day'. Everything is working out fine for him until he comes across a certain hyperactive blond ninja.
• Comments: Very well written (though definitely not as good as Seeking the Incomplete) with perfect characterization, especially Ed's. The fight scenes are very good and it's quite impressive that the author was able to come up with some of the stuff Ed does.

Seeking the Incomplete by Marz1 (Crossover)

• Recommended by Akatsuki Daybreak
• Synopsis: Willow attempts to use alchemy to bring Buffy back from the dead and the Slayer ends up in Amestris. A crossover with Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
• Comments: A great story with near perfect characterization, but it's updated irregularly.

Invert by Marz1 (Crossover)

• Recommended by Comartemis
• Synopsis: While investigating a bizarre alchemical structure, the Elric brothers get pulled into the Potterverse early on in an AU version of Deathly Hallows. In the interest of finding a way home, Ed lends his talents to the Horcrux hunt while Al finds ways to keep himself busy at Hogwarts. Better than it sounds.
• Comments: This was the fic that originally got me interested in FMA. It doesn't measure up to fics like Harry Potter and the Nightmares of Future's Past or Dumbledore's Army and the Year of Darkness, but it's still an entertaining read. Seems to be a deadfic but the first half of the story is complete enough to enjoy as a stand-alone fic.

The Clier Path by Ophelia Davis (Crossover)

• Recommended by Ruin Takada
• Synopsis: A crossover with The Matrix, in a dream, Edward finds himself in a white void, and within that, the Truth to all that is. Ever since, there has been a splinter in his mind, but that's just the beginning; unbeknownst to him, there is a path he must walk, and a destiny he must face. With the help of the Nebuchadnezzar's crew, all he has to do is free his mind. A mainly Ed X Roy pairing, but that's not all. There are still many doors to open, if of course, their faith will allow it.
• Comments: The first crossover of its kind, it is a real example of Sturgeon's Law at it's very best. Also shows the greatness of Rule50. While the first couple of chapters are a little inconsistent, and there is some yaoi of an Ed x Roy flavour, this is one to read for the pure faithfulness to the fandoms it employs, as well as the pure plot genius.

Fullmetal Firefly: Serenity by Bookwrm389

• Recommended by Kina Kalamari
• Synopsis: All Captain Roy Mustang wants is to do the job so he can get paid and keep flying. But he gets more than he bargained for when he takes on a passenger with two automail limbs and one deadly secret.
• Comments: Basically, it's the FMA characters in the Firefly universe, taking the places of the characters therein. It's brilliantly done, and all of the characters fit ridiculously well. It's only nine chapters long, and complete, so you don't have to invest a whole lot of time in it. The prose is excellent and very easy to read, and it's got some great moments of humor, both from the original show (Firefly, that is) and never before seen. I would recommend it to anyone who likes both shows and would be interested in looking at the connections between them. Or to anyone who just wants a fun read. Either way, it's great.

Shipping Fics

Stories focused on the romantic relationships between the cast.

After the Rain by Zau

• Recommended by Skadi
• Pairing: Roy/Hawkeye
• Synopsis: After the end of the world there are still signs of life.
• Comments: This was the fic that converted this troper to from indifference to mildly rabid Roy/Hawkeye shipping. This is long, set post-Hughes' death, and pretty depressing. And if you can make it past the massive walls of text, it's worth every second of the effort - breathtakingly beautiful.

m001: FULLMETAL by liliwick the WORD (Crossover)

• Recommended by NG 14916
• Pairing: Roy/Ed
• Synopsis: An imaginative crossover between Fullmetal Alchemist and Chobits, with a focus on the relationship between Roy and the new persocom that he accidentally bought due to a misunderstanding involving the black market.
• Comments: This fic is quite original, and it's obvious that the author put much effort into the story, revising and rewriting portions of it multiple times. It's definitely worth checking out this well-written story.

The Father-Son Talk by Hagane Neko

• Recommended by Dark Insanity 13
• Synopsis: After the Promised Day, Hohenheim decides to talk to Ed about the fairer sex.
• Pairing: Ed/Winry
• Comments: While this has been placed under the Ed/Winry section of FF.net, the focus is less about their relationship than it is with Hohenheim attempting to connect with Ed through a "birds and the bees" talk. The characterization is wonderful, with Ed getting as easily flustered and angry when he gets a direct to his pride as he does in the manga, and Hohenheim remaining a good mix of cluelessness and wiseness. The writing, like Hiromu Arakawa's original style, balances the angst and humour perfectly. The best part is Hohenheim's prods at trying to figure out Ed and his light-hearted teasing, as well as Ed's over-the-top reactions.

The Incompetent Matchmakersby Shtuff

• Recommended by chibiaries
• Pairing: Royai, Roy/Riza
• Synopsis: Involves Havoc's Brilliant Plan aka what Fuery labels as A Very Bad Idea.
• Comments: Short, sweet, and hilarious. Most of the hilarity comes from a very freaked-out Fuery.

Every Missing Irony by words without

• Recommended by chibiaries
• Pairing: Royai, Roy/Riza
• Synopsis: Bunch of drabbles and themes on Royai
• Comments: 55g of angst, 40g romance, and 5g humor. Focuses mainly on how their relationship develops through war and the uglier parts of life. Not kidding about the angst, but some of the fluff balances it out.

First Few Desperate Hours by bravenewcentury

• Recommended by katyhalo
• Pairing: Roy/Hawkeye, plus the rest of the team
• Synopsis: Brooding, loneliness and some rash decisions post-chapter 62.
• Comments: Despite the high possibility of descending into typical emo!Mustang territory, this story is actually very gentle and well-observed, and deals excellently with both Roy and Riza as well as giving lovely little character moments to the rest of the tachi. The deft prose and well-used humour don't hurt either.
  • Anything by this author is highly recommended if you like Roy/Riza. There are several others which focus on their relationship and are beautifully written and IC.

Falling by Gennerator

• Recommended by Pheonee
• Pairing: Ling/Lan Fan
• Synopsis: "Ling, Ran Fan, and a pit. Surely nothing too drastic can happen."
• Comments: Cleverly written, with an excellent and perfectly-interpreted Lan Fan narrating, extremely in-character behaviour from everyone, humour, prose—probably among the best fic I've read, for a rather less-loved pairing. (Read: 3 pages of fic. EdWin has 93. Royai has 121.) The author deserves little short of worship. Oh, and nothing drastic happens. Really.

Black and Blond by My-name-is-foxglove

• Recommended by chibiaries
• Pairing: Roy/Hawkeye
• Synopsis: Another stab at the 100 Royai themes. This author hits the target.
• Comments: A really excellent set of drabbles, each one thoughtful, melancholy, subtle, or occasionally funny by turns. There's a beautiful quality to them, although the angst features prominently, with a good dash of stream-of-consciousness style. Occasionally a bit verbose, but the author really succeeds at capturing the subtle undercurrents of the Royai relationship, and it updates pretty regularly. A highly recommended read.

100 Moments to Live For by causmicfire

• Recommended by Dont Kill Bugs
• Pairing: Ed/Winry; Al/Mei in one chapter
• Synopsis: 100 EdWin Themes. Rated for Ed's foul mouth.
• Comments: Much like Black and Blond, this story is a wonderful set of unconnected drabbles for any EdWin fan. The author's prose is very good, though he tends to hop back and forth between canons, which can be a bit off-putting.

Romance by Inuchron

• Recommended by Lotuschan
• Pairing: Ed/Winry
• Synopsis: All Ed wants is a hot-water bottle, loving proximity to a duvet, and Winry.
• Comments: A one shot in which Ed is stuck in bed with auto-mail pain, and Winry takes care of him. Short and sweet.

Just Get Them Together Already! by Cafe au Liet

• Recommended by Lady Norbert
• Pairing: Roy/Riza, with the rest of Team Mustang along for the ride
• Synopsis: Mustang's subordinates decide to take matters into their own hands, coming up with a plan to get the Colonel and his Lieutenant together. But they weren't prepared for this.
• Comments: Much like in "The Incompetent Matchmakers," recommended above, Havoc, Breda, Falman and Fuery decide to get their two lovesick superiors together. However, this story is different—Mustang and Hawkeye figure out early on what their friends are up to, and decide to play the game their own way. Hysterically funny right up until the last few paragraphs, when it swerves very powerfully into sweetness.

The House of Smex Universe

• Recommended by Pepper-Jak
• Warning: M/M pairings, M/F pairings, along with the main OT 5 / fivesome / M/M/F/M/M pairing. Stories range from G to NC-17. HAS ELRICEST!
• Synopsis: The stories in the archive generally take place after Ed and Masuta get back to Amestris and details the evolution of the relationship between Roy, Riza, Ed, Al, and Masuta. This story is a spin-off of The Alter!Series (see entry in general fics above), so I urge you to read that first. There are no really solid, over-arcing plots in the Main Archive, which mostly contains "a day in the life" drabbles (to short stories) about the five and is categorized by subject and not chronology. If a story falls into a certain part of the general timeline, it is noted in the story's lj entry. There is a Plot Archive, where specific story arcs, often following their own canon, are listed.

Catalysis by Teh Twinnesses Presents

• Recommended by: Turn Table
• Sypnosis: We have all seen stories of Ed's journey, but let's try a change. What if, ultimately, Trisha Elric never died? Watch as Ed walks a path markedly different from the old, along the way meeting the people who will shape his life. Roy/Ed
• Pairings: Despite the label Roy/Ed, all that had been seen so far is a very parental relationship between the two, never crossing the line of bromance, Although the author has noted that there will be Roy/Ed romance in the future.

Two Years by Kainaku

• Recommended by SapphireBlue
• Synopsis: It's an 100 Themes fic, set during the timeskip at the end of the (manga/Brotherhood) series. The chapters go in a chronological order, and some of them tie into others.
• Pairing(s): Ed/Winry, although not entirely a shipping fic. It's more like a Slice of Life story with some romance on the side. I was kind of debating whether to put it in this section or the Gen Fic one, but decided to put it here because of the "romance" tag.

Casualties by Miskcat

• Recommended by Sofia Merriweather
• Synopsis: "As Roy and Riza work together in East City, sublimating their deeper feelings for a higher good, they must beware of how this sublimation affects others around them." Focused on how Roy and Riza's relationship is not only self-destructive, but how it affects the people they interact with.
• Pairing(s): Roy/Riza
• Comments: This is a really heartbreaking look at Roy and Riza's relationship. It details their relationships with two very well done (and unnamed, adding to the atmosphere) OCs, and how these relationships impact both the OCs and Roy and Riza. It's chilling to get an outside look of Roy/Riza, because it's easy to lose sight of just how broken and sad they are. Highly recommended, and not terribly long, at only eight short chapters.

Returning Echos by silkendreammaid

• Recommended by Smoke And Bone
• Synopsis: Ed died on the Promised Day... but Al brought him back. However, something's not quite the same...
• Pairing(s): Roy x Fem!Ed, Havoc x Hawkeye, Al x Winry
• Comments: Everyone is completely in character. I didn't read a single chapter that I didn't like. The progress between Roy and Ed is slow, but it's worth waiting for. Also, this strikes me as noteworthy: A plausible reason is given for Fem!Ed and also, Ed doesn't accept it in, like, five minutes. It takes a long time for him to get used to being a her.