Chapter Two

Alphonse and Edward stood behind me, waiting eagerly for me to prove myself. I took a deep breath and sighed.

Okay, I can do this. I can definitely, positively do this. Just… put your hands together… and transmute something. Okay… now! I shoved my hands together briskly and reached to the ground. The earth beneath my feet shifted and I was swiftly pushed upwards as walls rose around me. I had created a small house, about ten feet taller than the ground I had previously been standing on. The walls looked flimsy, but I hoped this would prove something to the men beneath me. I walked over to the window and peered down at the Elrics.

"You think that is going to prove anything?" Edward called up to me. My face squished into a displeased scowl as I backed up, preparing for my next transmutation.

"But Brother, did you see-"

"Yes Al, she transmuted without a circle. I just wanted to see what she really could do." Edward said quietly to his brother. His voice was supressed by a sudden roar I had created by immediately pushing the earth back in place. I walked over to Edward and Alphonse and leant down beside them. I picked up a rock on the ground and clapped it in my hands. It formed a gun that worked, which I promptly loaded with bullets I transmuted along with the gun. I aimed it at Edward's face and he stepped back.

"Whoa, um… Akemi! I just wanted proof, not a fight!" he said, a little nervously. I grinned at him, hoping that I looked as maniacal as I felt. I pulled the trigger on the gun, but before I did I tilted it slightly to the right of Edward's head. The sound that this small piece of metal and gun powder produced was incredible, loud enough to make my ears bleed.

"Ow! You nicked me!" Edward exclaimed. I simply laughed and told him that I meant to do it. Alphonse's mouth was gaping, but he soon started to smile and giggle as well. Edward pouted as we all walked away.

"So Akemi," Alphonse said softly to me, after Ed had stopped whining. I looked up at him and shielded my eyes from the sun behind his head. After looking at him for a second I said, "Yes Alphonse?"

"How did you learn to do alchemy? I mean, did you study it?" It was difficult to remember exactly how I had learned, but when I did I beamed.

"I don't know if you've ever heard of Izumi Curtis, but she was my teacher. I was her second student. She always used to talk about her first apprentices- a set of brothers- the ones who were going to change the world. I wonder how she's doing now and if they really did accomplish what she thought they would."

"So, Teacher really did love us then. I can't believe she would brag like that though." Edward said, nonchalant as always. I stopped walking to look at him.

"Wait, what? Izumi was your teacher? I had no idea- I just thought the brothers she always spoke of were a family friend or something. I had no idea it was you two!" I exclaimed excitedly. Alphonse nodded and smiled at me.

"So, you've been following in our footsteps then."

"No way! I wouldn't want to do that because…" I trailed off, realizing how rude I sounded. "I just mean that you guys experienced so much and were forced to grow up so quickly, I don't know if I could have done that." The brothers chuckled.

"Yes, I guess we were forced to grow up early. You know, we had our goal set out and it was hard and everything, but we had each other. And Winry."

"Ed, I'm sorry. I've heard great things about her." Edward looked at me and smiled shyly. He started walking faster until he was ahead of me and then he turned around to face me again.

"C'mon, we just met you and already we're talking about such heavy things. Let's go do something fun to get our minds off of this sort of stuff!" Edward started to run. "I'll meet you at the tavern!"

"You know, he really misses her. He doesn't say it much, but I can see it in his eyes. It's probably best if you leave the past in the past. Some things happened to Ed after she died, things that still haunt him to this day." Alphonse said, looking down at his feet as we walked side by side.

"Things? Like what?" I inquired, being the nosy busy-body that I am.

"Just… things. Never mind. It's not your problem Akemi. C'mon, we've got to meet Ed at the tavern!" And with that, the other Elric brother took off.

"Wait up!" I said as I ran to catch up. I couldn't help but feel uneasy about what Al had said, but for now I was going to leave it alone.