1

Lost

Jean Havoc walked in the rain his Sister Alex trudging through the mud behind him. Alex was tall thin and she had long dirty blond hair now soaked by the rain. Alex was Jean's younger sister, she was 18 and he was just 21. Jean's heart twisted in pain as he saw is sister struggle up the hill, she looked so much like their mother but with his father's eyes. Alex was blessed with the eyes of their father they were the eyes that looked through you and pierced your soul. Alex looked up at him and smiled her lagoon blue eyes and pure smile so full of innocents. He thought back to the last time they had experienced innocents before they were orphaned before the war.

A few years ago a war broke out between the Ishbalans and the state military. The Havocs' parents disagreed with the states motives to suppress the Ishbalans and fought with the Ishbalans. Non-the-less to say the state had them executed. Jean only knows what Alex told him because he was injured and not there. The military broke in at night and Jean tried to fight them of but one of the officers hit him from behind with a gun and took their parents. Alex went to the execution and told Jean they were shot. Then she griped the table and said thing that Jean never expected.

"I'm going to Central." Alex whispered through gritted teeth.

"What?"

"I'm going to become a state Alchemist put this power to some good."

"Traitor!" Jean couldn't believe what he was hearing his sister wanted to join the monsters that killed their parents. "How could you our parents just died fighting them!"

"I know" Alex let a few tears drop on the table, Alex never cried. "I know more than you think."

"What?"

"You can go live with Aunt Mary till you decide what to do."

Now Jean was mad not only did she want to join the military she wanted to split the only family they had left.

"I...I…I'll…I'll go with you" He swallowed. "I'll take the exam to."

Alex failed to suppress her laughter and fell to the ground.

"What is so funny?" Jean asked lighting a cigarette.

"One don't do that" Alex screamed ripping the cigarette from his mouth and stomping it on the floor. Alex sighed blowing hair from her face. "2 you hate the military, 3 you just told me not to, 4 you have no discipline, 5 you have no respect for authority, 6, 6 the number six in the list of reasons you cannot be a state Alchemist… you know nothing and I say nothing about the most important thing…"

"And what is that sister dear?"

"That brother is Alchemy."

Jean's face fell she was right he knew nothing about Alchemy.

"Ha check and mate."

"Alex, are you trying to leave me behind."

"No, I'm trying to protect you."

"From what? I'm your older brother I should protect you."

Alex turned from her brother she couldn't look him in the eyes.

"Alex," Jean walked over to his sister and grabbed her arm. "Alex, Alexandra. Talk to me damn it!" Jean never yelled and Alex never cried, but now Jean yelled. He forced Alex to face him and held her shoulders. She tried to avoid his eyes but she needed them. She needed to see her mother in his eyes the chocolate brown that let her know the world was ok. Jean stood a good six inches taller than Alex. She did what she had to do she looked up to his eyes for the strength she couldn't draw from anything else. She looked to his eyes and for the first time she saw he brother look to her for the same strength that she couldn't give him. She looked down he wasn't angry any more he let her shoulders go but she threw her arms around him and pulled him close and began to cry in his chest.

She heard him whisper "Ok we'll go to Central I'll join the military. We have to stay together you can't leave me I can't lose you" So there they were all alone in the world two souls each totally depending on the other.

"Jean." His sister whispered. No not whispered she was just far away. Jean was pulled away from his memory Alex Was screaming his name. He had sunk to his knees and was actually crying.

"Jean!?" Alex bent next to him she looked worried. "Oh my God, Jean Don't do that to me ever again I thought you died!!!"

"Sorry."

"Sorry doesn't cut it. We made a promise we would never leave each other, because we're all we have." Jean pulled his sister close to him as they got up.

"I would never leave you." He tried to wipe the mud off his sister as she tried to do the same for him. "That should do. Ok time to go."

The two walked in silence till they came to a small house. Alex stopped something wasn't right. There was a fowl stench in the air.

Jean turned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Let's go." But before they could take one step she saw a purple light and heard a boy scream.

"Al, Alphonse. Damn! Give me back my brother." Then, a younger voice he was screaming to the other.

"Brother…Ed… Edward!!"

Jean turned to his sister but she was already inside trying to find the boys and help. Jean wanted to scream to tell her not to go not to leave him. But for the first time in the young man's life he was at a loss for words and he was frozen to the spot. Then as if by magic he began to run after his sister. He may not be an alchemist but he knew this was Alchemy and he may lose his sister. That was his only fear losing her. But she couldn't leave him hey made a promise. But Equivalent exchange wouldn't care about their promise.

Without noticing he made it in to a basement and there was his sister dissolving into a deep purple light. He couldn't believe it she was gone and he did nothing. He couldn't scream he only could sit there and then he lost conciseness. To Jean it was a blessing to not have face reality for a while.