Ishbalan Alchemist Chapter 3
AN/ Just thought I'd say that I won't be writing chapters this fast all the time, we have exams coming up at school so I won't have enough time (too much homework!) But I will try to bring out chapters once a week or sooner.
Edward shook his head in disgust, the people of the military didn't even consider him as a candidate for becoming a State Alchemist, and they hadn't even given him a valid reason why. He jumped as the sound of rapid gun fire rang out in the distance. He grabbed his crutch and walked over to the window. There was nothing that he could see from their second story house but endless other buildings in the distance. He could feel his hair coming out of his plait so he absentmindedly tied it back, unlike Al he had never wished to be born an Amestrian, he was happy how he was but that didn't mean he was content to be bullied by people who thought they were better than him. Ed sighed, if only there was some way to make a difference.
Ling was beginning to feel hungry again already, it had only been half an hour since he ate he guessed that walking did that to you. He picked up his pace, if he didn't find the secret to immortality in time then his entire clan was, toast. The city lurked on the horizon, of only he could reach the secret of immortality faster, time was running out for him, and the way it was going it was going to be too late.
Al would never forget the sight of everyone he knew being destroyed, riddled with bullets, murdered by command Amestrian soldiers. When everything finally sunk in Al ran, he felt like he was never going to be able to stop. The images kept flashing in his head, it was too much to take. If he could cry, his tears would be streaming down his face, he felt like he couldn't breathe. He would have been sick if he had a stomach. As he rounded the last familiar turn and his house came into view, everything he'd suffered came back in a raging torrent of sadness. This was something he was never going to forget.
Ed jumped as Al barged into the room in his shock Ed had knocked over a chair and sent a pile of paperwork spiraling to the ground, as the images kept flashing through his mind, everything seemed transparent, like glass. "Al what's going on!" Al ignored him and started pulling open draws after draws. "Al tell me what the hell is happening! What did you see!" As Al's search became more and more frantic the paper jammed into draws, flew everywhere. Books hit the floor, no time to pick them up. "Where is it? Where did you put it!"
"Al, put what talk to me!" Edward tried to yank Al around to face him but instead just hastened his search. "The photo! The photo with mum and dad!" Ed had hidden that picture away, every time he saw it he felt betrayed. The picture had who they assumed was their mum and dad holding themselves as babies. Ed looked about one or two years old and Al's face was barely visible through the blankets. Their dad was crying.
Edward walked over to a cabinet on the other side of the room and pulled it out. Brushing the dust of it, he was filled with infinite sadness. "It's over here Al." He snatched it from Ed's hand, "We have to go, now!" "Wh-" Ed's question was broken off by the sounds of more gunfire, and screaming, as both brothers walked over to the window they made a shocking revelation, the slums of central city where on fire.
After the fire had killed most Ishbalans living in central, the select few that remained where forced to fight. Ed and Al had joined the group of surviving Ishbalans, were they gave Edward Automail, his ability to transmutate had proved invaluable to the resistance and to help them all survive. After two years had passed, and the fighting had grown even more intense, the resistance grew to not just the survivors of central city. But every person who was ever wronged by Amestris came to join them, and soon they had an army to be reckoned with.
Ed had never wanted to kill anyone, the thought of taking someone's life revolted him. He hated Amestrians but not enough to kill them. So when he found an entire village of Amestrians murdered it made his blood boil, and to make it worse is they were killed by his own companions. The resistance had started with the mere intent to survive the war, but when Amestrian criminals joined, all hell broke loose. They had all felt vengeful toward every citizen of Amestris and wouldn't hesitate to kill them. Slowly these people took over, and the intent to simply survive was changed, it became to kill or be killed.
He knew he could never bury an entire village, so he satisfied himself with simply burning them, hoping that they could find peace. The resistance had camped just outside the town so no doubt they had looted everything here as well as killing them. As the fire raged through the dismembered bodies, he felt himself seethe with rage, no one should have the right to kill so many people. He was going to have to talk to the person who did this, he was going to have to talk to the Chopper.
When the resistance was still in its early stages, about one and a half years ago, they had hidden out in an abandoned lavatory. Inside they had found a murderer called Barry the chopper, who had joined their group and had been with them from nearly the beginning. Ed had put up with his violent ways for long enough. Either he would change, or Edward would make him regret it.
Barry was, as usual, wasting time and resources with his drunk criminal friends. The great thing about being with the resistance so long was that people had given him much more respect than when he was just an Ishbalan citizen. Barry's goons fell silent the moment Edward entered the room, moving away to let him pass. He walked up to Barry who was still having vigorous chatter with an obviously drunk idiot. As Barry's friend fell silent he turned around to face Ed who was visibly fuming at being ignored. He wasn't going to let him get away this time.