Sup! Iron Rose here! Time to give you the greatest update excuse ever: SCHOOL! Ain't that fantastic?! Yeah. Right. Nope. But anywho, this is Jack and Savon bonding time! Bromance episode! Enjoy!
Ana woke up to Jack banging on her door.
"Ana! Ana! Hey Ana!" he shouted.
The door opened and Ana appeared. She rubbed her eye with one hand and ran the other through her hair. "What'd ya want?" Ana yawned.
"Bernard told me to get you up. Breakfast is ready," Jack replied.
"Fine. Gimme a minute," she said as she closed the door.
Ana glanced around the room for her suitcase. She quickly walked to it and got out a light grey t-shirt and a pair of jeans. As she walked to the door, Ana caught her reflection in the mirror. She noticed her hair was starting to fade. She was going to have to color it again soon.
Ana opened the door again and Jack was still there. He had been leading up against the opposite wall. When he saw her, he jumped up, eager to get to breakfast. They started down the hall.
"Why didn't you go back down?" asked Ana.
"Well," Jack rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "I think Bernard sent me up here to get me out of the kitchen so he could cook."
Ana snorted a laugh. As they descended the stairs they heard Bernard and Lori in the kitchen.
"Lori, that's your fourth cup of coffee this morning. You're going to collapse due to a caffeine overdose."
"Oh hush up," Lori slurred. "I got back at two last night. I had to clean up this huge mess at the lab and-" Lori stopped talking as Ana and Jack entered the room.
"Morning," Ana yawned.
"Good morning," said Bernard. "We're having pancakes."
"And bacon?"
"Of course."
"Can I have some coffee?" asked Jack.
"Sure," said Lori. "The mugs are in the cupboard over there. Top shelf."
Bernard set a plate stacked high with pancakes and himself down at the table next to Lori. Ana grabbed a chair two pancakes, the syrup and dug in. Jack poured himself some coffee and sat down to eat as well.
After a few minutes, Bernard asked, "So….what were you two planning to do today?"
"Well we were wondering if one of you could take us into Central City," said Jack.
"We need to meet up with Naomi and Savon," Ana finished.
"Of course. Of course," said Bernard with a smile. "Where'd you need to go?"
Ana gasped as she stepped out of the Alter's car. That had been the most terrifying thing she had ever experienced. The car ride had started out okay but once they had pulled out onto the major road Bernard had hit the gas and they were going 70 in a 55 zone. Thankfully he had slowed down a little once they reached the city, but that did not stop the man from almost hitting every possible obstacle in the road.
"Have a nice day and don't do anything too dangerous. Okay? Bye," said Bernard.
"Like get back into the car with the devil driver," Jack muttered, but by then Bernard was gone.
"C'mon. Let's find Naomi," Ana suggested. She turned towards the bakery. It was one of her favorite places in Central. The store had large glass window that showed all the different desserts; over the windows hung red striped awnings. Her favorite thing about the little shop was the apple pie. It was almost as good as her mother's. Almost.
Naomi choose that moment to come walking out.
"Found her," Jack said dryly.
"You're late," Naomi deadpanned.
"Naomi," Ana said slyly. "You drive, right?"
"Yeah," Naomi said suspicious. "Why?"
Ana turned on the puppy eyes. "You gotta come pick us up and drop us off. I'm not getting in the car with that maniac ever again. Please! I'm begging you."
"Uh-huh. And what's in it for me?"
"Um….You'll do it out of the kindness of your heart….?"
"Yeah…No."
"Well, it was worth a shot." Ana shrugged as if she expected that response. She looked around. "Hey, where's Savon?"
"Maybe he's bleeding out in an alley somewhere," Jack suggested. Naomi just rolled her eyes.
"Jack, Savon is part of this team just like you and-"
Just then Savon came running up.
"Speak of the devil," Jack muttered once he was in earshot. Savon sent him a glare. Naomi sighed and rolled her eyes at the boys' antics. Really, they could be so immature.
"What's up?" Savon asked.
"You're late," Naomi deadpanned.
"Yeah. Sorry," said Savon sheepishly. "Mom wanted to talk about stuff."
Jack snorted at the pathetic excuse. "That's totally not vague. Not vague at all."
"You got a problem with my mom?"
"No. Just you."
"Oh, yeah!? Well take this!" Savon swung his fist towards Jack's face but Naomi just grabbed his arm.
"Savon, you can't be picking fights in the street," she admonished. Jack sent him a victorious smirk.
"He started it," Savon whined.
Naomi sent a glare in Jack's direction. "That goes for you too, Jack."
He just rolled his eyes. "At least I'm not some prissy rich kid who-"
"ENOUGH!" Ana shouted. She glared furiously at Jack and Savon. "We were going to have some fun today but you two spoiled my mood. So for the rest of the week, Savon you're going to help Jack study for his State Alchemist exam."
Jack groaned. "I hate reading." He slammed his head down on on the library table. Savon dropped a huge stack of books down on the table.
"Doesn't matter," he said. "Ana says I have to get you ready for your alchemy exam and the first part of that is a written test."
"But I HATE-"
"Shh!" hissed the Librarian.
Jack shot the woman an annoyed glare. He turned back to Savon and asked, "What are these books about anyway?"
"Fire alchemy and its various uses," Savon replied, already bored. "This one here is specifically about famous people who only used flame alchemy."
"You found all these pretty easily…?"
Savon was uncomfortable with all the questions. "My dad wanted me to learn flame alchemy really bad so he had me read these books pretty often. Now get started."
Jack groaned but opened the first book anyway.
Jack threw his hands up in the air in frustration. "Ugh! This isn't working, Savon! How is a target supposed to help anyway?!"
The two boys were standing in the Alter's 3 acre backyard. Savon asked Ana to set up a training course so Jack could practice. Jack was hitting the target just fine but every time the fire would completely consume it.
"Like I said before, the targets teach control and accuracy," Savon said. "You've power but your shots usually go wild and that can get you killed."
"Yeah. Sure. I've fought with this stuff all my life and I've won every battle."
Savon sighed. "You're being-"
"And these gloves suck," Jack complained. "How am I supposed to control anything with these things on!?"
"The ignition gloves?"
"I'd rather use my lighter, but that's back in Rixwell Point," muttered Jack.
"Lighter?" questioned Savon. "But you don't have a transmutation circle on your hand. How does that work?"
"The transmutation circle was on the lighter case. Duh."
"So all we need is to get you a new lighter."
The store the two boys were at was small and rather dingy, but Savon knew Jean Havoc, the owner, was friends with his dad. Mustang would go on and on about how Havoc should stop smoking and that would eventually turn into the story of how he defeated a homunculus with just a lighter, blah, blah, blah, bla-blah.
"So which one do you want?" Savon asked Jack.
"I get to pick?" Jack was surprised. He never got to choose anything. It was never a choice. You did what the - , or there was pain in your future.
"Duh," said Savon. "It's YOUR lighter."
"Um…..the red, metal one over there. It reminds me of Ana."
Savon furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Really?"
"Well, yeah," Jack said defensively. "It's red. Like her hair."
Savon just shrugged. "Okay. Whatever floats your boat." Savon reached for the lighter but Jack stopped him.
"I-I don't have any money," Jack confessed softly.
"So? I've got some cash on me," he said pulling it down. "I'll buy it."
Jack looked down at the younger boy, confused by his actions. No one had ever given him anything before. Everything he had ever had was earned or stolen.
"Don't worry about it," said Savon. "You can pay me back once you get your State licence."
Once they were back in the Alter's backyard, Savon had Jack start the exercises all over again.
"Wow. The lighter really makes a difference," Savon commented.
"Duh. I've been using one since I was six. They don't have fancy "ignition gloves" where I come from."
Savon furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "But you can get the gloves anywhere in Amestris."
Jack wanted to say, Who said I grew up in Amestris, but instead he just rolled his eyes. "For six year old hands?"
"Good point ," Savon conceded. "Now get back to work."
Jack slid across the frozen mud, landing on his back. Savon pointed his ice sword at Jack's face and shouted, "HA! Beat you!"
Jack snorted. "That's not much of an accomplishment. I beat you 7 to 2."
Savon stuck his tongue out at Jack in response. Jack laughed and picked himself up off the ground. The two boys went over to the patio to cool off while the ground thawed out. Once they were sitting, Jack asked a question.
"So, Savon, why aren't you a State Alchemist?"
Savon look over at Jack in surprise. He thought the older boy never cared about anyone but himself. And now Jack was asking about his personal life….. Weird.
"Um….well," He started to say. Jack looked at him expectantly. Savon took a deep breath and said, "Mydadwon'tletmetakethetest."
"What?" Jack asked slowly.
Savon shuffled his feet. "My dad won't let me take the test because he doesn't want me to get hurt."
"During the test?"
"No! After that. Being a State Alchemist isn't the most glorious position. Especially with what's going on in the West."
"What about your mom?" Jack asked curiously.
"Mom thinks I should take it. Just to gauge my skills and stuff. She says since I learned it, I might as well put it to good use. Right?" Savon sighed and then said tersely, "But Dad's word is law. Literally."
Jack all of a sudden felt bad about bring it up. He knew there had to be a reason behind why the kid was not State certified, but Jack did not think Savon would be this bitter about it. "Sorry. Didn't mean to bring up-"
"Forget it. It's not your fault," Savon said, standing up. "Go again?" He attempted to crack his knuckles, but they did not pop.
Jack's wild grin once again took over his face. "You're going down, Mustang." He got into a battle ready stance.
Savon copied the movements. "You're on."
Savon and Jack had been sparring for the past two hours. Jack had won most of the fights but Savon had his victories here and there. Not to mention, the younger boy gave Jack a run for his money. Water alchemy was extremely difficult to combat, especially for flame alchemists. Savon was also a very good strategist and quite the little trickster. But what Jack lacked in strategy, he made up for in strength. His main attack was 'Blast 'Em With Fire'.
After the last battle the boys fell to the ground, exhausted.
And that was where Ana and Naomi found them.
"This doesn't look like studying," Ana said accusingly. She was standing behind Savon's head, looking down at him with a scowl. "Does it, Naomi?"
Naomi tried to hide her grin as she said, "No. As a matter of fact it doesn't, Ana."
The girls knew, of course, that the boys had been working all day and that they had both improved a lot. Ana just wanted to give them a hard time about it.
"Jack's test is in two days and all you've been doing is lying around? I expected more from you, Savon." Ana shook her head in mock disappointment.
"Wha-? Huh? We've been-" Savon sputtered.
"Don't make excuses," Naomi said sternly. Well, attempted to say sternly; she was not as good an actor as Ana.
"But we have been-" Jack started to say.
"I don't want to hear it," Ana interrupted.
"But-" cried the boys in unison.
"If you don't pass Jack, I'll have both your heads," Ana threatened. The boys just stared at her in shock. "Let's go, Naomi."
The girls headed back towards the house. Once the door clicked shut, they both laughed until they cried.
Back in Ana's room, Naomi stared out the window at the boys, who were back to sparring. "That plan worked well."
"Yep," Ana said smugly.
"You REALLY came up with this when they were fighting earlier?" Naomi said, doubt lacing her voice.
Ana replied indignantly, "You don't believe me?"
"Usually 'spur of the moment plans don't work out well."
Ana released an evil cackle. "Well, that sums up about all of my plans."
