July 18th, 1656. That was the day Amestris became a country. It started with a small city gaining independence against the Cretans. As the years went by they took over more and more cities until it became the Amestris it is today. So on July 18th, the Amestrians celebrate their nation with parties, barbeques, and fireworks.
Usually, the Elrics celebrated by doing what they do every day since the attempt at human transmutation, search for the philosophers stone. If they happen to be in Central, they would watch the firework show the military would put on every year. This year was different.
A very annoyed Edward and Alphonse walked into the office of Colonel Roy Mustang. Mustang was procrastinating like usual. Yes, everyone in the military had to work on Independence Day because that's the day criminals decide to commit a crime or something. He was in the middle of folding his paper work into paper airplanes when the brothers walked in.
"Fullmetal, how nice of you to-"
"Shut it. I don't feel like fighting today." Edward interrupted the colonel.
"Well someone's in a bed m-"
"Please Colonel; don't pick a fight with Brother." Alphonse pleaded dryly (if that even makes sense).
"What's wrong with you two?" Roy asked.
"We struck out on a good lead. Not only did we have to pay a bunch of people for information but we got in a lot of fights too. We were even stuck in the woods, the desert, and a ditch." Al explained.
"All that hard work just to find out that the whole thing was just someone looking for attention so he made up a stupid lie." Ed said.
"Wow." Roy was surprised at what he just heard. For the whole 2 months they were gone, without giving him any reports- mind you, he wondered what they were doing. "So…did you have a good time?"
Ed growled, as in like a wild animal with MAJOR mental issues that you know has rabies or something-he was even foaming at the mouth. "Stop jerking me around." He said in a low, dangerous voice. It looked like there were flames in his eyes. Roy was terrified, though he wouldn't show it.
Just then his savior came. Havoc walked in on the scene with a cigarette in his mouth. "Uh…is this a bad time?" Ed turned and glared at him. One look at his face and he slowly backed out of the room with his hands up. "N-never mind." He ran the rest of the way out.
"Calm down Brother, he didn't do anything." Al calmed Ed down.
Once he was calmed down he calmly walked out of the room with Al behind him. Before he could head into the hallway, Havoc spoke up. "Hey Chief, do you and Alphonse have any plans tonight?"
"Uh no, why?"
"'Cause I'm hosting an Independence Day party and I'm inviting you guys?"
"Come on Brother, let's go!" Alphonse suggested.
"Fine, fine, whatever. We'll be there." Ed said.
"Good, come to my house at 8."
"Ok, we'll be there." Al said.
"Come on, Al. Let's go." Ed said. Without waiting for him he exited with a lazy wave behind him.
8 'o clock rolled by and Al woke Ed up from his nap. "Wake up Brother, it's time to go!"
"…5 more minutes…" Ed groaned.
"No, last time I let you didn't wake up for two hours!" he said while shaking him some more. This was answered with Ed throwing a pillow at him. Knowing he's not waking up this way he went into the kitchen, grabbed the emergency bucket of freezing cold water and walked back to Ed's room. "I didn't want it to come to this but…"
"I hate you." Ed mumbled while both Ed and Al walked up to the door of Jean Havoc. The walk from their apartment to Havoc's house wasn't far.
"It's not my fault that I had to resort to the ice-cold water." Al said.
"Yes it is."
"Well what would you've had me do instead."
"Let me sleep."
Before Al could say anything else, Ed rang the doorbell. Havoc opened to door with a grin on his face, a cigarette in his mouth, and a drink in his hand. "Come on in, the party already started!"
Inside were all of Mustang's team, including mustang himself, Armstrong, Brosh and Ross, and a few other random people that the brothers didn't know. The kitchen was right across from the living room. It had black and white tile floor and black counters. The living room had a black leather couch and a black leather love seat adjacent to it. There was a glass coffee table in front of the couch and a TV in front of that. Breda was having an arm wrestle on the dining table, which is in the kitchen, against Armstrong. A couple people were watching Breda lose, which included Fuery and Falman. Mustang was talking to two beautiful girls on the couch. Hawkeye was currently pouring herself a drink. Brosh and Ross were talking somewhere.
Feeling out of place, Ed and Al went to get a drink- well Ed was, Al was just following him. Ed was about to pour himself a drink when a drunk Mustang came over and stopped him. "What is that?" he slurred.
"Uh, apple juice?" he answered. It sounded like a question though.
"APPLE JUICE!" Mustang questioned incredulously. "What are you a wimp! Drink some beer!" he ordered.
"I'm not a wimp, I'm under age."
"Excuses, excuses, patuses. If you were a real man you would-"he burped "you would not care about that stupid law and drink."
"Well…"
"Brother, you're not really thinking about drinking it!" Al asked.
"What's one drink gonna do? Not like I'll get drunk off of that?"
"But-"
"I've decided I'm going to have one drink, just to try ok?" Ed reasoned.
"Ok but just one drink." Al reluctantly agreed.
He took an unopened beer can on the counter, which was Mustang's but he left when Al interrupted the conversation, and chugged it. He immediately started gagging and couching. "WHAT THE HECK IS THIS! HOW CAN YOU PEOPLE DRINK THIS STUFF!" Ed exclaimed after the coughing fit.
"Oh, so you tried beer huh?" Breda asked.
"Yes it was disgusting." Ed answered. He took the apple juice he was about to drink and chugged it.
"Edward, who gave you beer?" Riza asked.
"Mustang."
Hawkeye took out her gun and waked over to Mustang, who was making out with someone. When he saw Hawkeye with her gun, he pushed the girl he was making out with and ran for his life with Riza shooting after him.
As the night went on, everyone was having fun. Everyone, that is, except for the Elric brothers who weren't used to being at parties let alone a party full of adults. Most got drunk and others were too busy having fun with each other to pay attention to the poor brothers.
"This was a stupid idea." Ed grumbled top Al.
"Come on Brother, do be like that. Look on the bright side."
"What bright side?" For once, Alphonse couldn't think of any.
"The fireworks are starting!" someone said. Everyone ran out to the backyard to watch the show. Havoc turned on the stereo and played a CD he made just for this, playing songs about their country.
As the sky lit up with colors, Ed was remembering a history lesson his mom told him and Al when they were kids. They were curious how they became a country. Before it was a country it as a city. The citizens were used as slaves. If you weren't a slave and sent to other cities, you were here and poor. It was a terrible place to be. Then one day, the citizens decided that it was enough and revolted against their government. It took many years. It was an impossible battle but they pulled through and became independent. The first couple years were horrible, but with their leader they pulled through. It was a country to be feared. Ed remembered what his mother said after that lesson.
Be thankful for what you have. If they didn't fight for freedom then you would probably be slaves or poor. There are some countries that are like that now. So every July 18th we celebrate our freedom and the people who gave up their lives for it. There is a lesson to be learned. Always fight for good even if the odds are against you.
He looked at Al with a determined glare. The suit of armor was watching the sky, the light was reflecting off of him, and his 'eyes' held fascination in them. What we are fighting for may not be good, but we will keep on fighting even though the odds are against us, because if we keep on trying and fight hard, we will reach our goal. I'm going to get your body back, even if the world doesn't want us to. With those words in his head he continues to watch the sky with a fierce determination in his eyes.