Izumi
Winry stood up from her seat and opened the door of the train compartment she was in. She could easily see the Curtis couple having breakfast, even though the couple itself didn’t seem to notice the girl. Winry returned to the compartment to check on Ed and Al.
Who were tied up.
“Are you guys okay?” she asked in concern.
“Ouch!” Ed exclaimed in his attempt to shift in a more comfortable position. He turned to Winry, a very wry look in his eyes. “Do we look okay?”
Winry sat down, shaking her head. “I suppose not.”
But Ed didn’t really pay attention. He squirmed and kicked in an attempt to free himself. It was still of no use.
“Damn it…” he growled under his breath. “She’s taken my watch too.”
“And from the looks of it, we’re heading straight to Dublith,” Al said, his bright red gaze locked on the window.
“I really don’t see what the problem is – well, except for the ropes,” Winry said. “That’s where we where heading in the first place.”
Ed and Al exchanged a look of discomfort.
Now that made Winry more than just a little suspicious. She raised an eyebrow.
“What?” she asked.
It was Al who decided to answer that.
“We should have told you sooner. We meant to back in Rush Valley, but it didn’t quite work out that way.”
“Oh…” Winry said. She thought about Al’s statement for a few moments. “So where were we going?”
“Do you remember what Beregond had said about the Ishbalans back at the hospital?” Al answered. “We were on our way to find them. We were hoping that they might know of another way to create the philosopher’s stone.”
“You mean… other than sacrificing human lives,” Winry added, proving faster.
Al nodded.
Winry folded her arms on her lap. “I see. I wish you could have told me sooner though.”
The suit of armour bowed his head. “We didn’t know how you’d react.”
Her expression saddened. “Because of what happened to my parents?”
Al’s silence was enough of an answer. Even Ed had stopped moving about, watching Winry.
“Winry…” he started.
“I’m okay,” she reassured both of them. “I mean, it wouldn’t be easy for me to be among them, but it wouldn’t be that bad either. We all three know that it was a State Alchemist who was really responsible for mum and dad’s death.”
Ed and Al exchanged another uncomfortable look, because the two of them knew perfectly well who that State Alchemist was. Fortunately, Winry didn’t notice them this time.
“What bothers me now is that you guys missed your chance. Not to mention that Beregond is stuck in Rush Valley.”
“Not quite.”
Al and Winry turned to Ed and looked at him in surprise; there was a small grin tugged on the young alchemist’s lips.
“I’ve already made arrangements.”
“Hello, this is Dean Carson with the latest news. All train itineraries have all been rescheduled due to arrangements done for the safe transportation of the third and last party of Ishbalan refugees out of Central City. The transfer was ordered after dramatic events in which the lives of a number of Ishbalans were put at risk. It has been decided that the refugees will be sent to other Ishbalan camps in the southern parts of the State. Meanwhile, the city of Liore is still in complete disarray because of the ensuing conflict between the locals and the State Military…”
“Excuse me…”
“Yeah?” the man behind the counter asked, even though he was more interested in the news on the radio. He didn’t even bother took around to see who was addressing him.
“I’ll need a…”
“That’s why this establishment exists,” the man said. “It’s 1500 cenz for an hour and an extra 1200 for every hour.”
“Actually, I want to buy. There’s a black one with a white star outside that will do just fine.”
“Black with a white star?” The man immediately turned around.
“Yes, thanks!” Beregond said, slamming quite an amount of money on the counter and quickly turning on his heel. “Keep the change!”
“But… But…” the man hurried outside to catch Beregond. “That horse isn’t broken yet!”
He could only stare dumbly when he saw the black mare, already saddled and bridled, galloping towards Beregond. And when Beregond jumped on the horse without the animal having to slow her pace in the least, the man just watched the rider disappear in the horizon.
Fuery walked down the hallway of Central Headquarters, holding several boxes and doing his best to balance them in his hands while walking toward the new office that he and the others had been appointed once transferred here. It proved especially difficult when he had to turn the doorknob with his elbows, since no one was around to help him out. Nevertheless, he somehow managed. Falman also eased him off his burden soon enough and helped him take out the contents.
After ridding any kind of junk that needed throwing out anyway, Havoc stretched his back with a loud popping sound and then looked at the mess around. The whole place was still flooded with wrapping papers, objects waiting to be placed in a convenient enough place, and huge, empty cartons, which made walking quite hazardous for one’s health. Havoc discovered that the hard way, when he hit his foot on a particularly hard typewriter which was on the floor rather on the desk where it should have been. He cursed under his breath at the pain.
“I advise you to watch your language while on duty, lieutenant,” Riza said. She barely lifted her head as she kept organising the files into the file-case.
Havoc grumbled and decided to light a cigarette instead. His gaze drifted to Black Hayate, who was sitting on his hind legs and wagging his tail with abandon, obviously quite intrigued by the strange game.
“You’re the luckiest of us, Hayate,” he said wryly. “If you had any thumbs, you would have to work too.”
The dog just cocked his head in answer, obviously unaware of what Havoc was telling him.
“Which reminds me,” Falman said while opening another box, “Where’s Breda? He certainly has the thumbs to help around.”
“He said he had to do something first,” Fuery said, wiping a small film of sweat that had formed on his forehead.
“Like what? Playing truant?” Havoc asked sarcastically.
He never got his answer though. At that moment, the door burst open and Armstrong’s rumbling voice echoed throughout the dishevelled office.
“Greetings, everyone! Allow me to welcome you in the same artful way that has been passed down the Armstrong family for generations!”
Havoc, Fuery and Falman jumped and were ready to run off in case Armstrong started giving out bear-hugs of doom. On the other hand, Riza just passed by the oddly shorter and portlier Armstrong… and ripped off the yellow moustache without so much as missing a beat before continuing with her work.
“YOW!” Breda screamed, holding his upper lip. “Jeez, 1st Lieutenant, that hurt!”
“You’ll live,” she said calmly. “Now get on with your work.”
Breda groaned something that sounded awfully like: “No sense of humour whatsoever”, but he complied nonetheless. After all, Riza Hawkeye wasn’t the kind of woman to be trifled with.
“Very funny, Breda,” Falman said, no mirth on his lips.
“You almost gave me a heart-attack,” Fuery said.
But Breda just smirked, regaining his good mood. “Still, your faces were priceless,” he said with a chuckle. “Besides, we don’t know when the Major will strike, so we’d better be prepared for it.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Riza said. “He isn’t here.”
That caught the other soldiers by surprise. “Really?” Havoc asked. “Where did he go?”
“He’s escorting the Führer on inspection of the Southern Headquarters. He left this morning.”
“Just him and the Führer?” Fuery asked.
The woman shook her head. “There’s also a female private named Cecilia Howard with them, as well as Brigadier General Hughes’ replacement.”
Havoc snorted, eyes reflecting his wry grimness. “They didn’t waste any time.”
“So what’s that guy’s name?” Falman asked.
Riza frowned as she tried to recall the name. “I think it was… Frank something…”
Falman’s eyes widened at this. “Lieutenant Colonel Frank Archer?!”
“You know him?” Fuery exclaimed.
Falman nodded. “He’s a man loyal to his military duties - unfortunately.”
“Unfortunately?” the sergeant-major echoed.
“Yes. He likes wars.”
“That also means that the Führer replaced the Brigadier General Hughes with someone who will obey his commands without hesitation as long as it offers him glory in battle.” He exhaled a puff of smoke with a huff and looked out the window. “Boss was right all along. We’re slowly being driven to war – it has already begun.”
“There’s also something else,” Breda said then. “The Elric Brothers and Beregond headed south too, isn’t that right? They could be going after them under the pretext of inspecting the military Headquarters there.”
“Nevertheless, there’s nothing we can do,” replied Riza. “Though the Führer is gone, Colonel Douglas is here to keep an eye on things. We shouldn’t arouse her suspicions by doing anything rash.”
Though the other soldiers didn’t like the prospect of acting as though nothing was wrong, they nodded their compliance. It was what Colonel Mustang had already asked them to do anyway, and they didn’t plan on letting him down.
“You know… I’m surprised.”
Ed and Al looked at Winry, finally distracted from their attempts to get their ropes undone. “About what?” Ed asked.
Winry pointed at the direction where she knew the Curtis couple was still having breakfast. “When you talked to me about your teacher, I was expecting to see someone rugged. But she’s quite the beautiful lady.”
Ed regarded the girl quizzically. “What are you talking about? You’ve met her before.”
Winry blinked in a bemused manner. “I have?”
“Yeah,” Al answered. “We officially became her apprentices in Resembool.”
“Really? When?” Winry asked.
“Don’t you remember?” Ed said. “It was at that day of the heavy rain.”
Winry frowned slightly as she tried to recall that time. “Now that you mention it… Hey, that’s right! She helped out when the river overflowed. You guys got so impressed with her skill that you kept begging her until she finally accepted you.” Her expression saddened as the memories triggered old emotions. “You accepted her challenge to be put under the test for a month before she taught you anything. You guys were so sure that you would pass her test… and you did…”
“Finally!”
Winry snapped her head up as though she had been startled off a dream. “What?”
“My ropes are broken too, Brother!” Al said in triumph.
Truly enough, the ropes had fallen off both brothers and onto the floor. Ed quickly looked outside the compartment.
“Good, they aren’t looking.” He grabbed his suitcase and opened the compartment door. “Let’s run, Al! If we manage to get out now, we might be able to find Beregond!”
“I thought you said you would let him do his part!” Winry exclaimed, seeing what the boys were up to.
Ed shook his head. “That doesn’t mean I’m gonna stay here to--”
He never finished his sentence, because it was then that his watch was thrown out of nowhere and hit him square on the forehead. The force was such that Ed ended up on the floor.
“Brother!” Al instantly knelt down to make sure Edward was okay.
He was, if one could consider being unconscious and sporting a huge lump on the forehead as okay.
“You still haven’t learned your lesson, have you?” Izumi asked, regarding both boys hard.
Al could only sigh at that. Nope, they hadn’t.
Teacher was never caught by surprise.
Two hours later, the train on which Ed, Al and the others were on board came to its final destination - Dublith. This time Izumi was considerate enough to untie Ed and Al, so that they would be able to follow her on foot, whereas Sig volunteered to carry the children’s luggage.
The boys didn’t find that comforting in the least. In fact, it seemed that they could barely drag their feet forward and they were both hanging their heads in utter defeat.
“We couldn’t run away…” Ed mumbled. His voice seemed to have lost all its strength.
“Yeah…” Al agreed in much the same tone.
“It was such a good life while it lasted, right, Al?” Ed added mournfully.
“I didn’t even get myself a girlfriend,” Al said, sounding as though he was about to cry.
Winry cocked her head and looked at both of them curiously. “You’re acting as though you’re heading for a funeral,” she noted.
“We are,” both boys answered at once.
“WILL YOU TWO BE QUIET BACK THERE?” Izumi roared. “AND KEEP UP!”
Ed and Al flinched and apologised at once. They quickly rushed to catch up with the Curtis couple, since they didn’t want to be pummelled to death just yet.
It was then that the most unlikely sound filled the air. Someone was laughing.
“I wasn’t wrong when I recognised that voice, I see,” a strongly-built young man in his early thirties said. “Welcome back, Mrs Izumi! Hello, Boss.”
Ed and Al looked at the newcomer in surprise. “Mason?”
“Eh?” Mason turned at the direction of the boys and eyed them both carefully. His face instantly lit up as he understood who was before him.
“Edward! I can’t believe it! You’ve actually grown some!” he said, laughing once again. He patted Ed’s head affectionately.
Ed really wanted to say something about that, he really did. But it was difficult to do anything when Teacher was nearby and she could just as easily skin him alive the minute he raised a finger.
“But… who’s this?” Mason said at that moment, noticing Al.
“Um…” Al said quite hesitantly. “I’m Alphonse, Mr. Mason.”
Mason’s eyes widened. “Al?! Little Al? You’ve grown so much!”
Edward settled with a slight huff and a roll of his eyes.
When all of them arrived at Izumi and Sig’s house, they all settled down for lunch, which was tasty and, more importantly, plentiful. Owning a butcher shop certainly had its advantages.
However, neither Ed nor Al attempted to eat. Winry knew why Al didn’t touch his share, but she was quite puzzled in Ed’s case. The boy always ate as though there was no tomorrow whenever he could get his hands on food and now…
“Aren’t you going to eat?” she asked gently.
Ed snapped his head at her direction, as though stirred off some daydream. “Um… I will…” he said lamely.
“Just eat,” Izumi said, her tone quite authoritative and adamant.
Ed swallowed. “Okay.” And with that, he picked up the fork and knife and started cutting the meat.
After all, since Teacher put it that way, he couldn’t refuse.
“Al, won’t you have some?” Mason asked then, wolfing down his own plate. “It’s quite good!”
Al shook his head nervously. “That’s fine… I’m… full.”
“Really?”
Al nodded.
“Well, if you say so,” Mason said with a shrug. “But I think you should eat. You and Ed are always travelling and you need the strength.”
“It would help if you didn’t get involved into too many dangerous things as well,” Sig noted, his voice thick but with a caring quality. “Izumi wasn’t kidding when she said that news of you had reached us long ago.”
“But it wasn’t all that bad,” Al said. “We’ve even helped out some people. We still do.”
“Al.”
Alphonse turned towards Ed. His brother was now carrying a warning expression, and it didn’t take a great mind to understand what he was asking of the suit of armour.
Don’t tell them about Beregond.
So Al complied. “There was this one time that we helped the wife of a friend of ours give birth.”
Ed scratched his head in an embarrassed manner. “Actually, we were more like running around in a state of panic and screaming while waiting for the doctor to arrive.”
Al chuckled. “I guess you’re right,” he agreed. “Still, birth is an important event for the whole family. The mother puts her life on the line for the sake of her baby, but it’s a blessing really.”
It was then that Izumi smiled - for the first time ever since they saw her again after all these years.
“That’s right. You boys were born like that too,” she said. “You should be proud of your lives.”
There was something in that tone that Izumi used that made Winry curious.
“How about you, Mrs Curtis? Do you have any children?”
The only answer she got was Mason suddenly standing up, hands slamming on the table. That made everyone stare at him incredulously, not really understanding what triggered that reaction.
It seemed that Mason was aware of that too, because he smiled in an attempt to play down on matters.
“I was just… um… wondering,” he said. He turned at Ed and Al’s direction. “You guys have improved on alchemy, right?”
Ed and Al’s eyes instantly lit up. “Yeah, we’ve been practising ever since we left,” Ed said.
“And we’ve been training our bodies too!” Al seconded.
Mason grinned. “Then you guys won’t mind if you show me.”
“No problem!” both boys said at once. They quickly arose and headed for the door, scarcely containing their enthusiasm now.
“Wait, I’m coming too!” Winry declared. She wiped her mouth at once and, moments later, she had exited as well. The only ones that were left in the room were Sig and Izumi.
“Izumi?”
It was just one word, but Sig still managed to express his concern.
She didn’t answer at once. In truth, she hardly seemed to acknowledge him, because there was now a faraway look in her eyes, filled with regret.
But then she spoke.
“They’ve seen a life coming into this world. That’s good experience.”
And with that she walked out to join the others.
If she noticed her husband’s saddened look as he watched her go, she didn’t show it.
“So… who’s to go first?” asked Izumi. She was now standing beside Mason and her husband, keeping her arms crossed. Her eyes were locked on the boys, her eyebrow raised in expectancy.
“I’ll go first,” Al said eagerly. Seeing that the ground was particularly soft, he used a small twig to draw a transmutation circle with practiced ease. When he triggered the array, a clay horse sprang out of the ground with a saddle and everything.
Izumi walked up to the statue and scrutinised it for a few minutes, feeling its texture.
“Pretty detailed work,” she finally said with a small smile of praise.
“It’s my turn now!” Edward declared in anticipation. Before he considered what he was doing, he clapped his hands and placed them on the statue. In a matter of seconds, the horse had sprung wings on its sides and a horn was adorning its forehead.
Al shook his head. “You should pay attention to detail, Brother.”
Ed certainly didn’t expect that. “What do you mean? It’s fine, isn’t it?” He turned to Izumi to ask her opinion, but he never got the chance.
She was now regarding him hard, a deep frown furrowed on her thin eyebrows.
“You don’t need a transmutation circle to perform alchemy?”
Winry, Sig and Mason could only stare. On the other hand, Ed and Al were now shifting uncomfortably on their legs, because they knew what was going to come next.
“Ed?”
“Yes?” the young alchemist said, swallowing hard.
“Did you see it?”
Ed tried to reply, but he couldn’t. It felt as though all ability to talk had abandoned him in his shame. And Al couldn’t help either. He had bowed his head, not daring to look their teacher in the eye.
Nevertheless, that was enough of an answer for the woman.
“You’ve seen it.” She looked at Ed indignantly. “That’s why you were called a prodigy. That’s why you got accepted in the army.”
Finally, it was Winry who couldn’t take it anymore.
“Mrs. Izumi, what…?”
“Mrs Izumi! Mrs Izumi!”
The tension was quickly dissolved into thin air at the sound of a group of children calling Izumi. Moments later, the children had appeared from around the corner and rushed at the woman.
“What’s the matter?” Izumi asked.
“My train is broken,” one of the boys said, holding up the toy for her to see. “Help me fix it.”
Izumi thought about it for a few seconds, as though deciding what she should do, but in the end she nodded. “Fine. Honey, can you bring me the tools from inside?”
“Sure,” Sig said and headed into the house.
“What? Aren’t you going to use Alchemy?” another boy exclaimed.
“No,” Izumi said simply.
“Why? My dad said you’re a powerful alchemist!” said a third boy.
“Because you don’t need alchemy to fix this,” she answered and took the small tool box that her husband handed her.
“It’s quicker and better with alchemy,” the first boy argued with a pout.
Izumi rolled her eyes. “Maybe, but you shouldn’t depend on it all the time.” She picked up the toy and looked at briefly. “One of the axles is just broken.” And with that, she took the small twig that Al was still holding and used it to pass it through the wheels of the toy train. Though the result was crude, the twig certainly served as an axle just fine.
The children didn’t have the same opinion.
“Eww, it’s ugly!” they exclaimed.
“Well, sorry,” Izumi said. “If you don’t want it fixed again, mind your toys better.”
The boys nodded emphatically before grinning broadly and running off again. “Thanks, Mrs Izumi! We’ll bring it back when it’s broken again!”
“I just told you not to break it!” Izumi cried indignantly.
At that moment, Mason tapped her slightly on the shoulder. “Mrs Izumi…”
“What?” she asked. But when she turned around, she realised what the problem was.
There was a little girl by the gate, and she was holding a cat in her arms.
“Manny? What’s wrong?” Izumi asked with concern. She immediately walked up to the girl.
“It’s Chiko,” the girl said softly. She held up the cat, which had her eyes closed. “She’s not moving. Can you fix her?”
Ed, Al and the others didn’t say anything. They all knew perfectly well why the cat wasn’t moving, but how were they supposed to tell that to the girl?
Izumi seemed to decide that she had to be truthful about things. Keeping her voice gentle, she shook her head. “She’s dead, Manny.”
Manny’s eyes widened, but hope was still reflected within them. “You can still fix her, right?”
Izumi sighed. “I’m sorry, Manny. I can’t.”
“But…” Manny now stared at Izumi in disbelief. “I thought you could fix anything…”
“Manny…” Izumi touched Manny’s chest, just where the girl’s heart was beating. “Living things are different from toys. You and Chiko have life. Now that Chiko’s life is ended, I can’t bring her back.”
Manny was trembling now. Tears started spilling down her cheeks and she did nothing to stop them from flowing. “I don’t understand… She was moving yesterday…”
Izumi looked at the girl sadly and picked the dead cat in her own arms. “Manny, I can’t bring Chiko back. But I can help you make a grave for her.”
And so it happened. By the time the sun was setting again, the cat was buried by a great tree outside the town. The girl cried without stop, but Winry was by her side and comforting her in any way she could. In the end, it was decided that Mason, Sig and Winry should take Manny to her home. However, Izumi insisted that Ed and Al should stay with her.
The boys complied. And even though they weren’t sure what she wanted with them, neither of them spoke. They knew that they wouldn’t have to wait long.
“When you live, your life will end sooner or later,” Izumi finally said, her eyes locked on the small grave. “You will have completed your cycle and your part in this never-ending story will be over, so that others may continue where you left off.”
There was a small pause, during which the boys didn’t say anything.
“I understand all of this, but it’s still hard to make a child understand death.”
Only then did Ed decide to speak.
“Teacher… Have you ever wished to resurrect someone?”
She tensed, but she didn’t face him. “You have asked me that question before. Back when you were still children,” she noted. “My answer is the same. The basic strength of a transmutation circle is the nature of the shape itself. The circle represents the circulation of power. By drawing it, that power can be evoked. By understanding this circulation of power and the laws that govern it, you can harness it for yourself. And one who works within this system of flow to create new things… that is the true alchemist.” She turned her head just slightly, so we would be able to see him from the corner of her eye. “Everything in this world flows and circulates, including human lives. When a life ends, it has completed its cycle. Resurrecting it is pointless. But you broke even that rule, didn’t you?”
Now it was Ed and Al’s turn to tense at those words. Izumi simply turned around, her gaze hard and almost piercing them through.
“Al, I know that armour of yours is empty. And I know that two of your limbs are automail, Ed.”
Ed bowed his head. In a way, he had known all along that it was only a matter of time before she figured things out, but still the question remained.
“How… did you find out?” he asked with difficulty.
She snorted. “Do you think I’m an idiot? I could tell from your weights when I threw both of you on the ground. Al’s body echoes and the sound of your footsteps is uneven.” She took a step forward. “I’m going to ask once, so you’d better be truthful. What happened?”
“Teacher…”
“Only once, Ed. Tell me everything.”
“Brother...”
Ed raised his arm, signalling to Alphonse that he would take responsibility of this. He straightened his shoulders and tried to speak.
“We…”
The words got stubbornly stuck on his throat, not wishing to come out. He breathed a number of times in an attempt to compose himself.
“We…”
He clenched his teeth. It was now or never.
“We transmuted our mother!”
The moment that words slipped out, a powerful punch landed on his stomach, making him double over.
“Brother!”
But Alphonse never got the chance to come to his brother’s aid. Izumi threw him again on the ground.
The sound of punches and kicks filled the air for several minutes. And by the time Izumi had stopped, Ed and Al were on their hands and knees, badly battered and scraped. She towered over them, eyes relentlessly cold and scolding, and then she extended her arms again.
As that meant only one thing, Ed and Al bowed their heads and bravely awaited the new round of punishment.
It never came. The arms wrapped around both boys’ necks in a fashion that could only be described as comforting, even… motherly.
After the shock of the moment subsided, their own expressions softened and leaned into the embrace, accepting it wholeheartedly. For it was then that they realised one thing.
Though she was enraged at their stupidity, she was also relieved that they were still alive.
TBC…
Who were tied up.
“Are you guys okay?” she asked in concern.
“Ouch!” Ed exclaimed in his attempt to shift in a more comfortable position. He turned to Winry, a very wry look in his eyes. “Do we look okay?”
Winry sat down, shaking her head. “I suppose not.”
But Ed didn’t really pay attention. He squirmed and kicked in an attempt to free himself. It was still of no use.
“Damn it…” he growled under his breath. “She’s taken my watch too.”
“And from the looks of it, we’re heading straight to Dublith,” Al said, his bright red gaze locked on the window.
“I really don’t see what the problem is – well, except for the ropes,” Winry said. “That’s where we where heading in the first place.”
Ed and Al exchanged a look of discomfort.
Now that made Winry more than just a little suspicious. She raised an eyebrow.
“What?” she asked.
It was Al who decided to answer that.
“We should have told you sooner. We meant to back in Rush Valley, but it didn’t quite work out that way.”
“Oh…” Winry said. She thought about Al’s statement for a few moments. “So where were we going?”
“Do you remember what Beregond had said about the Ishbalans back at the hospital?” Al answered. “We were on our way to find them. We were hoping that they might know of another way to create the philosopher’s stone.”
“You mean… other than sacrificing human lives,” Winry added, proving faster.
Al nodded.
Winry folded her arms on her lap. “I see. I wish you could have told me sooner though.”
The suit of armour bowed his head. “We didn’t know how you’d react.”
Her expression saddened. “Because of what happened to my parents?”
Al’s silence was enough of an answer. Even Ed had stopped moving about, watching Winry.
“Winry…” he started.
“I’m okay,” she reassured both of them. “I mean, it wouldn’t be easy for me to be among them, but it wouldn’t be that bad either. We all three know that it was a State Alchemist who was really responsible for mum and dad’s death.”
Ed and Al exchanged another uncomfortable look, because the two of them knew perfectly well who that State Alchemist was. Fortunately, Winry didn’t notice them this time.
“What bothers me now is that you guys missed your chance. Not to mention that Beregond is stuck in Rush Valley.”
“Not quite.”
Al and Winry turned to Ed and looked at him in surprise; there was a small grin tugged on the young alchemist’s lips.
“I’ve already made arrangements.”
“Hello, this is Dean Carson with the latest news. All train itineraries have all been rescheduled due to arrangements done for the safe transportation of the third and last party of Ishbalan refugees out of Central City. The transfer was ordered after dramatic events in which the lives of a number of Ishbalans were put at risk. It has been decided that the refugees will be sent to other Ishbalan camps in the southern parts of the State. Meanwhile, the city of Liore is still in complete disarray because of the ensuing conflict between the locals and the State Military…”
“Excuse me…”
“Yeah?” the man behind the counter asked, even though he was more interested in the news on the radio. He didn’t even bother took around to see who was addressing him.
“I’ll need a…”
“That’s why this establishment exists,” the man said. “It’s 1500 cenz for an hour and an extra 1200 for every hour.”
“Actually, I want to buy. There’s a black one with a white star outside that will do just fine.”
“Black with a white star?” The man immediately turned around.
“Yes, thanks!” Beregond said, slamming quite an amount of money on the counter and quickly turning on his heel. “Keep the change!”
“But… But…” the man hurried outside to catch Beregond. “That horse isn’t broken yet!”
He could only stare dumbly when he saw the black mare, already saddled and bridled, galloping towards Beregond. And when Beregond jumped on the horse without the animal having to slow her pace in the least, the man just watched the rider disappear in the horizon.
Fuery walked down the hallway of Central Headquarters, holding several boxes and doing his best to balance them in his hands while walking toward the new office that he and the others had been appointed once transferred here. It proved especially difficult when he had to turn the doorknob with his elbows, since no one was around to help him out. Nevertheless, he somehow managed. Falman also eased him off his burden soon enough and helped him take out the contents.
After ridding any kind of junk that needed throwing out anyway, Havoc stretched his back with a loud popping sound and then looked at the mess around. The whole place was still flooded with wrapping papers, objects waiting to be placed in a convenient enough place, and huge, empty cartons, which made walking quite hazardous for one’s health. Havoc discovered that the hard way, when he hit his foot on a particularly hard typewriter which was on the floor rather on the desk where it should have been. He cursed under his breath at the pain.
“I advise you to watch your language while on duty, lieutenant,” Riza said. She barely lifted her head as she kept organising the files into the file-case.
Havoc grumbled and decided to light a cigarette instead. His gaze drifted to Black Hayate, who was sitting on his hind legs and wagging his tail with abandon, obviously quite intrigued by the strange game.
“You’re the luckiest of us, Hayate,” he said wryly. “If you had any thumbs, you would have to work too.”
The dog just cocked his head in answer, obviously unaware of what Havoc was telling him.
“Which reminds me,” Falman said while opening another box, “Where’s Breda? He certainly has the thumbs to help around.”
“He said he had to do something first,” Fuery said, wiping a small film of sweat that had formed on his forehead.
“Like what? Playing truant?” Havoc asked sarcastically.
He never got his answer though. At that moment, the door burst open and Armstrong’s rumbling voice echoed throughout the dishevelled office.
“Greetings, everyone! Allow me to welcome you in the same artful way that has been passed down the Armstrong family for generations!”
Havoc, Fuery and Falman jumped and were ready to run off in case Armstrong started giving out bear-hugs of doom. On the other hand, Riza just passed by the oddly shorter and portlier Armstrong… and ripped off the yellow moustache without so much as missing a beat before continuing with her work.
“YOW!” Breda screamed, holding his upper lip. “Jeez, 1st Lieutenant, that hurt!”
“You’ll live,” she said calmly. “Now get on with your work.”
Breda groaned something that sounded awfully like: “No sense of humour whatsoever”, but he complied nonetheless. After all, Riza Hawkeye wasn’t the kind of woman to be trifled with.
“Very funny, Breda,” Falman said, no mirth on his lips.
“You almost gave me a heart-attack,” Fuery said.
But Breda just smirked, regaining his good mood. “Still, your faces were priceless,” he said with a chuckle. “Besides, we don’t know when the Major will strike, so we’d better be prepared for it.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Riza said. “He isn’t here.”
That caught the other soldiers by surprise. “Really?” Havoc asked. “Where did he go?”
“He’s escorting the Führer on inspection of the Southern Headquarters. He left this morning.”
“Just him and the Führer?” Fuery asked.
The woman shook her head. “There’s also a female private named Cecilia Howard with them, as well as Brigadier General Hughes’ replacement.”
Havoc snorted, eyes reflecting his wry grimness. “They didn’t waste any time.”
“So what’s that guy’s name?” Falman asked.
Riza frowned as she tried to recall the name. “I think it was… Frank something…”
Falman’s eyes widened at this. “Lieutenant Colonel Frank Archer?!”
“You know him?” Fuery exclaimed.
Falman nodded. “He’s a man loyal to his military duties - unfortunately.”
“Unfortunately?” the sergeant-major echoed.
“Yes. He likes wars.”
“That also means that the Führer replaced the Brigadier General Hughes with someone who will obey his commands without hesitation as long as it offers him glory in battle.” He exhaled a puff of smoke with a huff and looked out the window. “Boss was right all along. We’re slowly being driven to war – it has already begun.”
“There’s also something else,” Breda said then. “The Elric Brothers and Beregond headed south too, isn’t that right? They could be going after them under the pretext of inspecting the military Headquarters there.”
“Nevertheless, there’s nothing we can do,” replied Riza. “Though the Führer is gone, Colonel Douglas is here to keep an eye on things. We shouldn’t arouse her suspicions by doing anything rash.”
Though the other soldiers didn’t like the prospect of acting as though nothing was wrong, they nodded their compliance. It was what Colonel Mustang had already asked them to do anyway, and they didn’t plan on letting him down.
“You know… I’m surprised.”
Ed and Al looked at Winry, finally distracted from their attempts to get their ropes undone. “About what?” Ed asked.
Winry pointed at the direction where she knew the Curtis couple was still having breakfast. “When you talked to me about your teacher, I was expecting to see someone rugged. But she’s quite the beautiful lady.”
Ed regarded the girl quizzically. “What are you talking about? You’ve met her before.”
Winry blinked in a bemused manner. “I have?”
“Yeah,” Al answered. “We officially became her apprentices in Resembool.”
“Really? When?” Winry asked.
“Don’t you remember?” Ed said. “It was at that day of the heavy rain.”
Winry frowned slightly as she tried to recall that time. “Now that you mention it… Hey, that’s right! She helped out when the river overflowed. You guys got so impressed with her skill that you kept begging her until she finally accepted you.” Her expression saddened as the memories triggered old emotions. “You accepted her challenge to be put under the test for a month before she taught you anything. You guys were so sure that you would pass her test… and you did…”
“Finally!”
Winry snapped her head up as though she had been startled off a dream. “What?”
“My ropes are broken too, Brother!” Al said in triumph.
Truly enough, the ropes had fallen off both brothers and onto the floor. Ed quickly looked outside the compartment.
“Good, they aren’t looking.” He grabbed his suitcase and opened the compartment door. “Let’s run, Al! If we manage to get out now, we might be able to find Beregond!”
“I thought you said you would let him do his part!” Winry exclaimed, seeing what the boys were up to.
Ed shook his head. “That doesn’t mean I’m gonna stay here to--”
He never finished his sentence, because it was then that his watch was thrown out of nowhere and hit him square on the forehead. The force was such that Ed ended up on the floor.
“Brother!” Al instantly knelt down to make sure Edward was okay.
He was, if one could consider being unconscious and sporting a huge lump on the forehead as okay.
“You still haven’t learned your lesson, have you?” Izumi asked, regarding both boys hard.
Al could only sigh at that. Nope, they hadn’t.
Teacher was never caught by surprise.
Two hours later, the train on which Ed, Al and the others were on board came to its final destination - Dublith. This time Izumi was considerate enough to untie Ed and Al, so that they would be able to follow her on foot, whereas Sig volunteered to carry the children’s luggage.
The boys didn’t find that comforting in the least. In fact, it seemed that they could barely drag their feet forward and they were both hanging their heads in utter defeat.
“We couldn’t run away…” Ed mumbled. His voice seemed to have lost all its strength.
“Yeah…” Al agreed in much the same tone.
“It was such a good life while it lasted, right, Al?” Ed added mournfully.
“I didn’t even get myself a girlfriend,” Al said, sounding as though he was about to cry.
Winry cocked her head and looked at both of them curiously. “You’re acting as though you’re heading for a funeral,” she noted.
“We are,” both boys answered at once.
“WILL YOU TWO BE QUIET BACK THERE?” Izumi roared. “AND KEEP UP!”
Ed and Al flinched and apologised at once. They quickly rushed to catch up with the Curtis couple, since they didn’t want to be pummelled to death just yet.
It was then that the most unlikely sound filled the air. Someone was laughing.
“I wasn’t wrong when I recognised that voice, I see,” a strongly-built young man in his early thirties said. “Welcome back, Mrs Izumi! Hello, Boss.”
Ed and Al looked at the newcomer in surprise. “Mason?”
“Eh?” Mason turned at the direction of the boys and eyed them both carefully. His face instantly lit up as he understood who was before him.
“Edward! I can’t believe it! You’ve actually grown some!” he said, laughing once again. He patted Ed’s head affectionately.
Ed really wanted to say something about that, he really did. But it was difficult to do anything when Teacher was nearby and she could just as easily skin him alive the minute he raised a finger.
“But… who’s this?” Mason said at that moment, noticing Al.
“Um…” Al said quite hesitantly. “I’m Alphonse, Mr. Mason.”
Mason’s eyes widened. “Al?! Little Al? You’ve grown so much!”
Edward settled with a slight huff and a roll of his eyes.
When all of them arrived at Izumi and Sig’s house, they all settled down for lunch, which was tasty and, more importantly, plentiful. Owning a butcher shop certainly had its advantages.
However, neither Ed nor Al attempted to eat. Winry knew why Al didn’t touch his share, but she was quite puzzled in Ed’s case. The boy always ate as though there was no tomorrow whenever he could get his hands on food and now…
“Aren’t you going to eat?” she asked gently.
Ed snapped his head at her direction, as though stirred off some daydream. “Um… I will…” he said lamely.
“Just eat,” Izumi said, her tone quite authoritative and adamant.
Ed swallowed. “Okay.” And with that, he picked up the fork and knife and started cutting the meat.
After all, since Teacher put it that way, he couldn’t refuse.
“Al, won’t you have some?” Mason asked then, wolfing down his own plate. “It’s quite good!”
Al shook his head nervously. “That’s fine… I’m… full.”
“Really?”
Al nodded.
“Well, if you say so,” Mason said with a shrug. “But I think you should eat. You and Ed are always travelling and you need the strength.”
“It would help if you didn’t get involved into too many dangerous things as well,” Sig noted, his voice thick but with a caring quality. “Izumi wasn’t kidding when she said that news of you had reached us long ago.”
“But it wasn’t all that bad,” Al said. “We’ve even helped out some people. We still do.”
“Al.”
Alphonse turned towards Ed. His brother was now carrying a warning expression, and it didn’t take a great mind to understand what he was asking of the suit of armour.
Don’t tell them about Beregond.
So Al complied. “There was this one time that we helped the wife of a friend of ours give birth.”
Ed scratched his head in an embarrassed manner. “Actually, we were more like running around in a state of panic and screaming while waiting for the doctor to arrive.”
Al chuckled. “I guess you’re right,” he agreed. “Still, birth is an important event for the whole family. The mother puts her life on the line for the sake of her baby, but it’s a blessing really.”
It was then that Izumi smiled - for the first time ever since they saw her again after all these years.
“That’s right. You boys were born like that too,” she said. “You should be proud of your lives.”
There was something in that tone that Izumi used that made Winry curious.
“How about you, Mrs Curtis? Do you have any children?”
The only answer she got was Mason suddenly standing up, hands slamming on the table. That made everyone stare at him incredulously, not really understanding what triggered that reaction.
It seemed that Mason was aware of that too, because he smiled in an attempt to play down on matters.
“I was just… um… wondering,” he said. He turned at Ed and Al’s direction. “You guys have improved on alchemy, right?”
Ed and Al’s eyes instantly lit up. “Yeah, we’ve been practising ever since we left,” Ed said.
“And we’ve been training our bodies too!” Al seconded.
Mason grinned. “Then you guys won’t mind if you show me.”
“No problem!” both boys said at once. They quickly arose and headed for the door, scarcely containing their enthusiasm now.
“Wait, I’m coming too!” Winry declared. She wiped her mouth at once and, moments later, she had exited as well. The only ones that were left in the room were Sig and Izumi.
“Izumi?”
It was just one word, but Sig still managed to express his concern.
She didn’t answer at once. In truth, she hardly seemed to acknowledge him, because there was now a faraway look in her eyes, filled with regret.
But then she spoke.
“They’ve seen a life coming into this world. That’s good experience.”
And with that she walked out to join the others.
If she noticed her husband’s saddened look as he watched her go, she didn’t show it.
“So… who’s to go first?” asked Izumi. She was now standing beside Mason and her husband, keeping her arms crossed. Her eyes were locked on the boys, her eyebrow raised in expectancy.
“I’ll go first,” Al said eagerly. Seeing that the ground was particularly soft, he used a small twig to draw a transmutation circle with practiced ease. When he triggered the array, a clay horse sprang out of the ground with a saddle and everything.
Izumi walked up to the statue and scrutinised it for a few minutes, feeling its texture.
“Pretty detailed work,” she finally said with a small smile of praise.
“It’s my turn now!” Edward declared in anticipation. Before he considered what he was doing, he clapped his hands and placed them on the statue. In a matter of seconds, the horse had sprung wings on its sides and a horn was adorning its forehead.
Al shook his head. “You should pay attention to detail, Brother.”
Ed certainly didn’t expect that. “What do you mean? It’s fine, isn’t it?” He turned to Izumi to ask her opinion, but he never got the chance.
She was now regarding him hard, a deep frown furrowed on her thin eyebrows.
“You don’t need a transmutation circle to perform alchemy?”
Winry, Sig and Mason could only stare. On the other hand, Ed and Al were now shifting uncomfortably on their legs, because they knew what was going to come next.
“Ed?”
“Yes?” the young alchemist said, swallowing hard.
“Did you see it?”
Ed tried to reply, but he couldn’t. It felt as though all ability to talk had abandoned him in his shame. And Al couldn’t help either. He had bowed his head, not daring to look their teacher in the eye.
Nevertheless, that was enough of an answer for the woman.
“You’ve seen it.” She looked at Ed indignantly. “That’s why you were called a prodigy. That’s why you got accepted in the army.”
Finally, it was Winry who couldn’t take it anymore.
“Mrs. Izumi, what…?”
“Mrs Izumi! Mrs Izumi!”
The tension was quickly dissolved into thin air at the sound of a group of children calling Izumi. Moments later, the children had appeared from around the corner and rushed at the woman.
“What’s the matter?” Izumi asked.
“My train is broken,” one of the boys said, holding up the toy for her to see. “Help me fix it.”
Izumi thought about it for a few seconds, as though deciding what she should do, but in the end she nodded. “Fine. Honey, can you bring me the tools from inside?”
“Sure,” Sig said and headed into the house.
“What? Aren’t you going to use Alchemy?” another boy exclaimed.
“No,” Izumi said simply.
“Why? My dad said you’re a powerful alchemist!” said a third boy.
“Because you don’t need alchemy to fix this,” she answered and took the small tool box that her husband handed her.
“It’s quicker and better with alchemy,” the first boy argued with a pout.
Izumi rolled her eyes. “Maybe, but you shouldn’t depend on it all the time.” She picked up the toy and looked at briefly. “One of the axles is just broken.” And with that, she took the small twig that Al was still holding and used it to pass it through the wheels of the toy train. Though the result was crude, the twig certainly served as an axle just fine.
The children didn’t have the same opinion.
“Eww, it’s ugly!” they exclaimed.
“Well, sorry,” Izumi said. “If you don’t want it fixed again, mind your toys better.”
The boys nodded emphatically before grinning broadly and running off again. “Thanks, Mrs Izumi! We’ll bring it back when it’s broken again!”
“I just told you not to break it!” Izumi cried indignantly.
At that moment, Mason tapped her slightly on the shoulder. “Mrs Izumi…”
“What?” she asked. But when she turned around, she realised what the problem was.
There was a little girl by the gate, and she was holding a cat in her arms.
“Manny? What’s wrong?” Izumi asked with concern. She immediately walked up to the girl.
“It’s Chiko,” the girl said softly. She held up the cat, which had her eyes closed. “She’s not moving. Can you fix her?”
Ed, Al and the others didn’t say anything. They all knew perfectly well why the cat wasn’t moving, but how were they supposed to tell that to the girl?
Izumi seemed to decide that she had to be truthful about things. Keeping her voice gentle, she shook her head. “She’s dead, Manny.”
Manny’s eyes widened, but hope was still reflected within them. “You can still fix her, right?”
Izumi sighed. “I’m sorry, Manny. I can’t.”
“But…” Manny now stared at Izumi in disbelief. “I thought you could fix anything…”
“Manny…” Izumi touched Manny’s chest, just where the girl’s heart was beating. “Living things are different from toys. You and Chiko have life. Now that Chiko’s life is ended, I can’t bring her back.”
Manny was trembling now. Tears started spilling down her cheeks and she did nothing to stop them from flowing. “I don’t understand… She was moving yesterday…”
Izumi looked at the girl sadly and picked the dead cat in her own arms. “Manny, I can’t bring Chiko back. But I can help you make a grave for her.”
And so it happened. By the time the sun was setting again, the cat was buried by a great tree outside the town. The girl cried without stop, but Winry was by her side and comforting her in any way she could. In the end, it was decided that Mason, Sig and Winry should take Manny to her home. However, Izumi insisted that Ed and Al should stay with her.
The boys complied. And even though they weren’t sure what she wanted with them, neither of them spoke. They knew that they wouldn’t have to wait long.
“When you live, your life will end sooner or later,” Izumi finally said, her eyes locked on the small grave. “You will have completed your cycle and your part in this never-ending story will be over, so that others may continue where you left off.”
There was a small pause, during which the boys didn’t say anything.
“I understand all of this, but it’s still hard to make a child understand death.”
Only then did Ed decide to speak.
“Teacher… Have you ever wished to resurrect someone?”
She tensed, but she didn’t face him. “You have asked me that question before. Back when you were still children,” she noted. “My answer is the same. The basic strength of a transmutation circle is the nature of the shape itself. The circle represents the circulation of power. By drawing it, that power can be evoked. By understanding this circulation of power and the laws that govern it, you can harness it for yourself. And one who works within this system of flow to create new things… that is the true alchemist.” She turned her head just slightly, so we would be able to see him from the corner of her eye. “Everything in this world flows and circulates, including human lives. When a life ends, it has completed its cycle. Resurrecting it is pointless. But you broke even that rule, didn’t you?”
Now it was Ed and Al’s turn to tense at those words. Izumi simply turned around, her gaze hard and almost piercing them through.
“Al, I know that armour of yours is empty. And I know that two of your limbs are automail, Ed.”
Ed bowed his head. In a way, he had known all along that it was only a matter of time before she figured things out, but still the question remained.
“How… did you find out?” he asked with difficulty.
She snorted. “Do you think I’m an idiot? I could tell from your weights when I threw both of you on the ground. Al’s body echoes and the sound of your footsteps is uneven.” She took a step forward. “I’m going to ask once, so you’d better be truthful. What happened?”
“Teacher…”
“Only once, Ed. Tell me everything.”
“Brother...”
Ed raised his arm, signalling to Alphonse that he would take responsibility of this. He straightened his shoulders and tried to speak.
“We…”
The words got stubbornly stuck on his throat, not wishing to come out. He breathed a number of times in an attempt to compose himself.
“We…”
He clenched his teeth. It was now or never.
“We transmuted our mother!”
The moment that words slipped out, a powerful punch landed on his stomach, making him double over.
“Brother!”
But Alphonse never got the chance to come to his brother’s aid. Izumi threw him again on the ground.
The sound of punches and kicks filled the air for several minutes. And by the time Izumi had stopped, Ed and Al were on their hands and knees, badly battered and scraped. She towered over them, eyes relentlessly cold and scolding, and then she extended her arms again.
As that meant only one thing, Ed and Al bowed their heads and bravely awaited the new round of punishment.
It never came. The arms wrapped around both boys’ necks in a fashion that could only be described as comforting, even… motherly.
After the shock of the moment subsided, their own expressions softened and leaned into the embrace, accepting it wholeheartedly. For it was then that they realised one thing.
Though she was enraged at their stupidity, she was also relieved that they were still alive.
TBC…
Subtitles
- Brother's Debt
- Fullmetal Body, Fullmetal Heart
- A Quiet Day
- In The Night
- Two Men's Faces
- Transfer
- Making Plans
- Shadows Of The Past
- Underworld
- The Price Of Immortality
- Departure
- The Key
- Enemy Revealed
- A Step Back
- A Step Closer To The Truth
- A Race
- Rush Valley
- Responsibility
- Izumi
- Time To Stand Still
- Wild Child
- Encounter
- Riddles In The Dark
- In Search For Answers
- A Teacher's Mistakes
- Complications
- Visits
- The Nature Of A Homunculus
- Dante Of The Deep Forest
- Kidnapped
- Fight At The Devil's Nest
- Innocence Lost
- Blood Spilt
- Recovering
- Bearers Of Ill News
- The Flame Alchemist
- True Colours
- Markings On The Ground
- The Mission
- Heading To Liore
- Change Of Plans
- The Scar
- Holy Mother
- A Mother's Face
- Final Moments