The Truth

Every morning, on my birthday, I wake up to find my mother standing in the kitchen, making my favorite breakfast, and a present or two on the table.

Usually I go to school, then when I come home my mom and I eat all the cake we can handle and then I open my presents. After that, we sit together in her room and talk. She tells me all about Dad, and I tell her everything I can remember. She has a new story every year.

But the best treat usually comes in the evening. Around five o'clock, every year, there is a knock on the door. When either my mom or I answer it, there's never anyone there, but there is a small package wrapped in plain brown paper, with a white tulip laid across it, sitting on our porch. Sometimes it's a picture. Sometimes it's a ceramic figure, or some other trinket. Lately, it's just been letters.

These are my favorite presents. I hide them in my dad's office, in a drawer that I went through years ago. All it has in it is a few envelopes and paper clips. I left those in there too.

When I was little, my mom would take me to see Roy and say, "Say thank you to Mr. Mustang, Elysia."

I would stare fixedly at the ground and mutter a few words. Roy would smile kindly at me and make an attempt at conversation. "Did you like your birthday, Elysia?" "How's school going, kid?" "Good job on your report, Elysia, I saw how well you did."

Secretly, I thought of him as Uncle Roy. But my mom insisted I call him Mr. Mustang. Until, one day, when I was twelve years old. My mom had to go to a meeting at my school, and she had completely forgotten. She showed up at Roy's door, asking if please please please could he take me just for an hour or two...

He laughed and smiled at her. "Of course, Gracia. It's no problem; really, it's fine."

She had thanked him and left in a hurry. It wasn't the first time Roy had watched me; whenever my mom had to go somewhere, she went to Roy first. She trusted him, and I could see why. He was smart, and dependable, and most of all he was a friend of my dad.

I had taken one glance around his apartment, then asked, "Where's Riza?"

He laughed. "You mean where's Miss Hawkeye?"

"Riza doesn't mind if I call her by her first name."

"Does your mom mind?"

"Yeah. But she's not here."

He smiled. "Good point. Then I guess you don't have to bother with all that Mr. Mustang stuff."

"Okay. Cool," I said, then, with a grin, I added, "Roy."

He just sighed and shook his head. "Thanks for the letter," I told him. My birthday had been a week ago, and I had not yet had the chance to thank it. It was the first year he had given me a letter. Well, it was actually two letters - one that my dad wrote to him years ago, and one Roy wrote to me. He nodded silently.

He nodded toward the couch, which I flopped down on. I played with the radio, to see if I could get anything good. News, news, news, news... music. Finally.

"So why exactly does your mom need to go to this school meeting of yours?" asked Roy. "You get into trouble or something?"

I shrugged. "I gave a boy a bloody nose."

He let out a low whistle. "Was there a reason, or..."

"He was being mean to a friend of mine. I thought I'd teach him a lesson."

Roy groaned. "You actually punched a kid?"

"Yes. His name was George."

"You definitely did not turn out the way I thought you would," said Roy, shaking his head. But there was a smile on his face, so I didn't think much of it.

"What would my dad say, if he was here?"

Roy didn't move. He didn't exactly freeze, but it was like he was thinking...hard. "He would go around telling everyone who would listen that his little girl was so great, she could even defend herself. I bet he'd even have a picture of you beating that kid up."

"I'm not little anymore," I sniffed.

For some reason, this made Roy laugh very hard. "No, you're not," he said, wiping his good eye. "And believe me, I've seen little."

"...what are you talking about?"

He glanced at me. "You ever heard of the Elric brothers?"

"Yeah. Of course I have."

"Oh really? What can you tell me about them?"

I looked at him. "Um. They used to live here. They were alchemists."

"Alchemists and so much more. Edward, the older one, he was your age when he became a state alchemist." I made a face.

"Who would want to be a state alchemist?" At his look, I added, "Other than you, of course."

He grinned. "Ed wanted to become an alchemist so the state would fund his research."

"His research for what?"

"The Philosopher's Stone."

"What the heck is the Philosopher's Stone?"

Roy shook his head. "I can't believe you don't know."

"Come on, tell me."

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway. It's the mythical stone that can supposedly turn lead into gold. It can pretty much do anything."

"Why did he want it?"

Roy paused. "This is where it gets complicated. See, Elysia, these two boys - Edward and Alphonse - a year or two before, they lost their mother. She died, and their father had abandoned them long ago. So, instead of living with what they had, and moving on, they tried... they tried to bring her back to life."

"What? How do you do that?"

"I don't know, specifically. And even if I did I wouldn't tell you, you know that."

"Okay, okay. So what happened?"

He let out a small sigh and leaned back in the armchair he was sitting in. "It didn't work. To save his life, Edward had to attach his brother's soul to a suit of armor. In doing so, Edward lost his arm and his leg."

I shivered, but I wasn't cold. "You're just pulling my leg."

He closed his eyes and smiled. "No. I'm telling the truth, I swear. Right. Well. Alphonse was left without anybody except for a seven-foot tall metal shell. Edward had to have an automail arm and leg - you've seen automail before, right?"

I shook my head. "Never."

"Really? Hmm. It's really very fascinating. I'll see if I can't find someone to show you."

"Keep talking, Roy."

An odd look appeared on his face. "So, Ed and Al wanted the philosopher's stone to get their bodies back. Ed left his hometown and joined the military. He was under my command for a long time."

His expression told me a little more. "Was he your friend?"

"Who?" asked Roy, opening a single eye. "Edward?" I nodded. He paused. "Close enough," he finally said. "He was a little hotheaded at times, but he was a good kid. I was a jerk to him, though."

"No," I said. "No, you weren't. I bet you weren't. I bet he really liked you."

He smiled kindly at me. "Maybe."

There was a short silence, then I asked, "What happened to them? Did they ever find it - the whats-it stone?"

"No," he said. "Well, I guess you could say they found it several times. But in the end they didn't even need it."

"What? Why not?"

"I...I don't exactly know what happened. But, somehow, Edward managed to get his brother's body back. He disappeared, though. Almost three years went by before I saw him again."

"Wait, I'm confused. What happened to him?"

"That's just it. I have no idea. Apparently, there's some other world... there's some kind of world on the other side."

"The other side? The other side of what?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. The other side of life."

"Like, where you go when you die?" I asked excitedly. "You think my dad's there?"

"I don't think he is," he said. "No, no, I'm not explaining this right."

"It's okay. How did you see him again?"

He shifted in his seat for a second, then continued, "There was some sort of invasion of this world. You might remember - you must have been seven or eight. There were think flying machines, and lots of guns - in Central City."

I shook my head. "I don't remember."

"Maybe you were in the country for that. Well, I just saw him for a few minutes, but it was enough. At least I knew he was alive."

"What happened to his brother?" I asked.

"Alphonse went with Edward when he returned to the other side. With the help of some of the other state alchemists, I managed to close the Gate to that other world. It wasn't easy, but we got it done."

Another short silence. "Sounds like a good novel idea."

That made him laugh. "Just what I should have expected. Your mother told me you're always writing something. Feel free to write about it, though. Just promise to get me a free copy."

I smiled. "No problem." I thought about it for a moment, then I said, "You know what, I think I will writing something about it. I'll do research, and I'll get all the information I need to, and I'll write the story of Edward and Alphonse Kelric-"

"Elric."

"-Elric, and I'll write about my dad too!"

"Oh, Elysia, trust me, you can't write about one without the other."

"You did," I said. "In your letter."

"I was going to have the mention the Elric brothers eventually. I'm just taking it slow."

"Tell me about my dad."

"Wait until your next birthday."

"Roy! Come on! I'll dazzle you with my cuteness!" I pouted at him. He laughed.

"Consider me dazzled, kid."

I couldn't help but laugh. And, just like that, the time was disappeared. My mom came to pick me up about an hour later. She told Roy and I that she just talked the principal out of suspending me. Roy smiled and ruffled my hair. "That's definitely his daughter."

My mother smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Roy."

"Anytime, Gracia."

We left.

And this is the beginning. Right here, what I've just written. It's the beginning - well, it's my notes, really - but it's the start of a whole story that I'm going to write, all about the Alphonse and Edward and my father and all their friends. I'm going to write everything, the good, the bad, and everything in between, even things that nobody wants me to know.

Because that's what I want. That's all I want. About everyone - even my dad, even - especially - if it's bad.

I just want the truth.

BECAUSE ELYSIA AND ROY WERE BOUND TO BE BEST FRIENDS, FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.

Also, because they just happen to be my two favorite characters in Full Metal Alchemist, and Elysia asking her mom why they were burying her daddy was the saddest scene ever. And because that single tear tracking down Roy's cheek was the second saddest scene ever.

Also, I felt like it. Shuddup.

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