The Elemental Alchemist – chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Fullmetal alchemist. Sighs.

What happened earlier

"You don't know how much this means to us. I don't know how we'll ever repay the two of you for your kindness. After all we did just meet."

Back to the story

Mana lay on a hard surface three days later. The board had been raised up in her backyard so she wouldn't have to be transported anywhere. She lay on her stomach with her head resting on a small feather pillow as her mother held her hand and whispered encouraging remarks. Ed and Al were talking in hushed voices with Winry and her Grandmother who had arrived the day before. They were waiting for the doctor to arrive and when the doorbell sounded Ashleigh got up and rushed to let him in. The rockbells went inside to tinker with their automail and not be in the way. Al went in with them.

Ashleigh returned, followed by the doctor.

"Are you sure she's ready? I ask because this kind of procedure is very painful and can be traumatizing."

"I just want to be able to be fully functional again," came Mana's muffled voice from the pillow.

"Go get plenty of towels. She's going to bleed."

"Tell us something we don't know," muttered Ed under his breath.

Mana heard this and started to laugh. She turned her head and looked at Ed.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure. what's up?"

"I was wondering, could I come with you and Al when you leave? I want to have some experience of what can happen to a State Alchemist before I go for the Test, but I don't know any but you. I'm a good Alchemist and I can help you, but I still want to be better."

"I don't know. I'd need to see what you can do and I need to talk to Al about it too. Maybe."

At that time the doctor came over with a tall stack of towels.

"You'll take care of her shoulder," he said to Ed, handing him half of the stock.

"once the arm is removed pressure is to be applied to stop the bleeding. Switch towels when they get too soaked. That goes for the leg too, Mrs. Velant."

Ashleigh nodded.

The doctor moved to Mana's right side. The broken arm lay motionless at her side. The doctor moved it so it was at a right angle to her body. Ed saw her other hand clench on the pillow. He didn't know how she felt, hids arm and leg had been evaporated in an attempt of human transmutation to bring their mother back to life.

The doctor brushed Mana's long dark hair out of the way and took out what looked like a giant cleaver. Mana turned her head away and closed her eyes, bracing herself.

She felt the cold steel touch her skin and she bit her lip. The blade lifted.

"Get ready, Mana," he said.

The blade came down hard this time and Mana felt the flesh Rip apart. The pain was unbearable, but she didn't utter a sound. If Ed didn't think she was strong, he would never let her go with him.

Ed was surprised that Mana didn't utter a sound. Her fist was clenched so tight her knuckles had turned white but other than that, she gave no sign she felt it at all.

"Stop that bleeding boy!"

Ed pressed the towel in his hands into the gaping hole where less than five minutes ago, had been an arm. Mana twitched when she felt the towel in her shoulder.

The doctor came around to where she could see him. Her fist was clenched and her lower lip was bleeding.

"Do you want to do the leg now, or wait a few hours?" he asked her.

"Just-get-it-over-with," she answered through clenched teeth.

'Brave,' the doctor thought. 'I'd have been screaming by now.'

Later that night, Winry was putting final touches to the automail while her grandmother was attaching the mechanisms to Mana's nerves.

"She didn't' even make a sound?" she asked Ed.

"Not a sound Winry. She's strong. She asked me earlier if she could travel with me and Al to get experience in fieldwork before she takes the Test to be a State Alchemist. I think she'll be a help. What do you think?"

"I think she's staring at you right now. I've got to finish this Ed, why don't you go talk to Al about this."

Mana watched Ed leave the room. I'm gonna be just like him, she thought.

"Okay Winry. Bring those parts over here. We're ready to attach them," said Mrs. Rockbell.

Winry walked over and handed the leg to her grandmother.

"Are you ready, girl?"

"Yes."

"I'd brace myself if I were you Mana," Winry said.

"Ready? One-two-three."

The automail snapped into place and Mana squeezed her eyes shut and gripped the table as hard as she could. If Ed thought her weak, he wouldn't take her with him and all she'd be able to do would be to keep cutting out the Newspaper articles that had to do with him. Her walls were already lined with them and her bookshelves consisted of Alchemy guides and tutorials and symbol dictionaries.

Winry thought, 'wow, Edward wasn't kidding she is strong, even Ed shows the pain when we do maintenance on his automail.

Mana opened her eyes and looked down at her new limbs. Her houlder was still numb from her arm being removed and her leg too.

"Show us to her room. she needs to lay down for a while," Mrs Rockbell said in a commanding tone.

Ashleigh showed them to Mana's room and turned on the light.

Winry stared around the room after setting Mana down in her bed. Everywhere she looked on the walls were Newspaper articles with headlines like 'Fullmetal Alchemist stops mad serial killer in his tracks' and 'Elric Brothers save Ishbalan child from Mercenaries,' 'Edward Elric: Youngest State Alchemist in History.' There were hundreds on the walls. She walked to the bookshelf and glanced at the titles. Every one of them had the word 'Alchemy' or 'Alchemic' somewhere in them.

Mana's obsessed with alchemy."

Winry turned to see Mana's mother standing behind her."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be nosy Mrs. Velant," she said.

"Not at all. And please call me Ashleigh."

"Why is she obsessed with Alchemy?" Winry asked, nodding.

"Because her father is. He taught her what he could and gave her all these books. She absorbed them, memorized them, practiced them, perfected them. And then Mr. Elric became the youngest State Alchemist in the country. He gives her hope that she'll be next. She idolizes him, and she's got a crush on him as well," She added with a grin.

Winry giggled, "why does she want to go with them when they leave here? I mean, it can't be because she doesn't want to be here. She adores this everything about this place. Edward told me about how she came rushing on a leg that didn't work when she thought you were hurt. So how come she wants to leave?"

Mostly because she wants experience in what State Alchemist do before she goes for the Test. We had planned this for a while and then her father pushes her out a window. She was supposed to have left two weeks ago. Because of that, the traveling she'll get in she'll run into her father most likely and I wouldn't wnt to be on the receiving end when she's angry."

"That bad huh?"

"Oh yeah! It's devastating. She blew up our backyard recently when her father said she'd never be a State Alchemist. Now I can't even get grass to grow."

"Wow."

"Yeah. My dad's a big jerk.

Winry turned to see Mana sitting up in bed.

"I was going to get a book, but I'm extremely tired all of a sudden."

"Get some sleep Dear, you've had a very big day. You can get up tomorrow," Ashleigh said.

Winry followed Ashleigh out of the room. Mana yawned and turned out the bedside lamp.

'I can't wait till tomorrow.'

Hey everyone thanks for the reviews and I hope you enjoyed this chappie, keep reviewing, and thanks especially to you Wing it. 