Never Deprive Someone of Hope (It May Be All They Have)
Hope. As defined in a dictionary it simply reads: the general feeling that some desire will be fulfilled. There are different types of hope: desperate hope, optimistic hope, and realistic hope. Hope itself helps the person feel well and move onwards. Sometimes hope is crush and other times created.
In the military, leaders give hope to its citizens; alchemists give hope to the military; and children give hope to the dying leaders and alchemists as symbols of the future. It's a circle of hope that should not be taken for granted.
For Edward, hope means everything. Hope is what keeps him moving forward despite the pain an misery of the past. Hope keeps him and his brother fighting for a way to restore their bodies. And a hope that will forever be present for the Fullmetal Alchemist is a hope to someday grow tall. Every time people shout at him to drink his milk or insult his height (or lack thereof), Edward seethes in anger and the hope to become taller increases.
"Brother," Alphonse sighed one evening in their hotel room.
"What?" Ed asked, a toothpick in his mouth that bobbed up and down as he chewed on it and talked.
"Why don't you drink your milk, just this once?"
"Tch, why should I?" Ed glared at Alphonse out of the corner of his eye.
"Maybe you'll grow taller-"
"I am growing taller! Just because I don't drink milk doesn't mean-"
"I know you're growing." Alphonse picked up the unopened milk bottle and glanced at his brother. "But, I dunno, maybe it'll help you get taller, faster." Al knew best of all that his brother was touchy about his height-everyone knew. If there was any chance of getting him to get calcium via milk, it'd be best to just play on the fact that it would help his brother grow taller.
Edward had another fit where he landed several punches on Al's body and ended up leaving the room saying he was going to take a breather. Even if Alphonse believed him, which he didn't, Al knew Ed was going elsewhere.
oxoxoxo
The books piled up to the ceiling of the library surprised the people walking past. Even more surprised were they when they saw the short, blond-haired man sitting behind the pile, reading each one, his already red face getting redder as he read each new book, muttering curses under his breath that made a woman cover the ears of her "little darling" before running dragging her child away despite the little girl's protests.
When he put down the last book, he stood up, grabbed onto his braided hair and pulled as he screamed a loud and deafening "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
The people in the nearby area stared on as he crumbled over the open books, tears running down his cheeks as he muttered "Calcium...Milk...Tall...No!" over and over again.
Apparently, Edward had been researching other minerals and foods that could help him grow taller and all the exhaustive medical health books stated one simple solution to Edward's problem: Milk.
And with that, his hope was extinguished. Alphonse, Mustang, and Mustang's subordinates were treated to a week full of Edward's sulking and bitterness which is why hope, especially the hope of Edward Elric to be one-hundred seventy centimeters by age nineteen, should not be crushed.
note: from a simple prompt i found which said to write a story involving rules and the rule said to "never deprive someone of hope (it may be all they have)". i tried my best to make it comedic, but i highly doubt it's that funny. but honestly, i feel ed's pain. i don't like the taste of milk that much, but it's not so bad after you actually notice you started growing a little more after you drank it. ah, well, what can you do?