Resembool is just as beautiful as I remember, I thought as I walked down the wandering dirt road. Slowly I passed by the quaint little houses of this spread out village, my belt clanking slightly under my jacket.
After our last fight, when both of us lay on our backs in defeat, Master Orkan had let out a booming laugh. "I must be getting old, to be beaten by some punk kid."
"A punk kid you trained," I gasped, still out of breath from the intense fight. "Besides, I didn't win, are you going senile or something?" It was true. After an hour of fighting, Orkan finally ended it with a 'fatal' blow before collapsing beside me on the grass.
"What was that, brat!"
"You heard me, you old jackass!" I smacked him weakly on the stomach with the back of my hand. It bounced off. He smacked me back and I grunted.
For a while, nothing was heard but the chirp of cicadas, the rustling of the grass, and the sound of us regaining our breath.
"You're ready." Startled, I turned my head to regard him. He was staring up at the sky, his old face more relaxed than I had ever seen it.
"But I lost."
He shook his head. "You didn't. I'm not sure when it started, but I began to notice something." He turned his head to look at me with his fierce blue eyes. With the horizon behind him, it was as if he had pulled the color down straight from the heavens. "You never go for the kill."
Immediately, I began to protest, but my words stopped in my throat. I thought back to our fight. Flashing before my eyes were all the times there had been an opening to end it, but I had held back because there was a slight chance that if he hadn't dodged in just the right way, or if he hadn't seen it coming, I could have killed him. So I…
"You only attack to disable," he continued. He sat up with a grunt and looked down on me. "Admirable to be sure, but dangerous. If I had been a real opponent, if I had really been trying to end you, you wouldn't have stood a chance. The world is dangerous, and sometimes the only way to survive is to strike first and strike hard. If someone is trying to kill you or someone you are trying to protect and there is an opening to end it, take it. You," he poked me in the chest, "are the most important person on the planet. Because the only way to protect others is to protect yourself."
I gaped at him. That was the most profound thing I had ever heard the old man say. "You look constipated when you talk so serious, old man," I said, breaking the strange tension that had settled around us.
"What was that punk!"
"You heard me!" He pulled me into a headlock and ruffled my hair till I surrendered.
As a parting gift, Master Orkan had given me his favorite weapons, which were now bouncing at the small of my back where I had secured them. "See you again soon, kid," he had said with a smirk. I hoped I would.
Izumi had not been there when I stopped by her place to say goodbye, so I left a note underneath her door, thanking her for all she had done for me. It was time to move on, so I boarded the next train to Resembool and didn't look back.
I smiled as I finally saw the top of Pinako's house peaking over the hill. About time! I had forgotten what a long walk it was from the residence to the station. As I got closer, a welcome sight greeted me.
Winry and Alphonse were sitting in front of the house in the grass. As soon as I came into view, Al jumped up in excitement and began waving. Winry mirrored his movements beside him, and I was struck again by his size. Man, I had forgotten just how large that kid was! I waved back.
Winry shouted at the house and out walked, yes walked, none other than Edward. He was wearing short blue shorts and a white t-shirt. Just like me, it looked like he had changed in this past year, though I couldn't make out much from where I was walking. He had grown out his blond locks similarly to mine and he leaned cockily against the railing of the porch. He looked whole again.
Just then, a big hulking suit of metal blocked my vision. Al and Winry had jogged up to greet me. "Alex," Winry greeted me exuberantly. She immediately pulled me into a hug and I grunted at her enthusiasm. "Hi Winry," I huffed, wrapping my arms around her slim shoulders. She had changed as well, standing just a little shorter than I was and even prettier than I last saw her. I looked up at Al, who was standing just a few feet away, keeping a careful distance.
"Hi Al," I said with a huge grin, "It's great to see you!"
"Yeah," Al returned happily. If he had a face, I'm sure he would have been smiling. "Wow Alex, you look great!"
"Thanks," I said. I had finally gotten my hair the way I wanted it. My bangs were parted down slightly to the left, so that the right side partially fell in my eyes. The rest of my hair was bound in a low ponytail, which I habitually pulled over my left shoulder. This was how I had always worn it in my other life, and I was relieved to find that it wasn't abnormal for men to grow their hair out in this world. I knew it wasn't only my hair he was talking about, though.
I carried myself differently than when we last saw each other. I was more confident in my stride and I held my shoulders straight, no longer so intensely burdened with my grief and anger now that I had had a little time to deal with it. I also found a men's style of clothing that I liked. I wore a pair of dark flexible pants under a loose fitting black shirt that wouldn't restrict my movements. Over that I wore a collard green jacket my master had given me when I finished training under him. The back was emblazoned with his crest; an emerald green circle surrounded by calligraphic brush strokes that pin-wheeled around it like the eye of a hurricane.
"You too," I said, and I meant it. Al seemed…happier than I last saw him. His armor was polished till it glowed and he also wore the crest of Izumi, painted in red, on his shoulder; a snake twining around a cross with wings and crown hovering above it. He was finally taking care of his new body and I took that as a sign that he had healed a bit as well.
He lifted his hand to the back of his head and laughed self-consciously. "Heh, yeah,"
"Come on," Winry finally said, pulling me toward the house.
"Ok, ok," I laughed, stumbling along behind her. As we got closer, I could make out more details of Edward, who was still leaning against the porch rail waiting for us. I got my first eyeful of how good he really looked. His eyes were brighter and clearer than I ever remembered seeing them and his tanned face glowed with health. He gave me an arrogant smirk. For the first time, I noticed just how good-looking he was. His features, which were no longer pulled down by the weight of his grief, were a bit manlier than mine and I could already tell that when he grew up he was going to be a great beauty. Maybe, I thought optimistically, he can distract the ladies from me! I giggled a little at the thought. My eyes shifted down and I inspected his new automail limbs.
"Wow," I whistled, impressed. The steel limbs looked just like his flesh ones, only they glowed gunmetal grey in the bright sunlight. I was astounded at just how realistic they looked. His foot even had little toes!
"Alex," he greeted when we stopped a few yards away. His voice was just as attractive as I remembered it, breathy and low.
"Edward," I greeted back. "You look great. How are those new limbs treating you?"
"See for yourself!" With that the boy planted his automail hand on the railing of the porch and lifted his body over, his prosthetic leg glinting in the sunlight. He landed with perfect balance with a thump and stood up straight, gracing me with a toothy grin. He opened his arms as if to say 'what do you think'. I grinned back.
Suddenly his expression froze, and he really looked at me. He stalked forward till he stood directly in front of me, mouth dropping open in horror.
I tilted my head. What's his problem?
"How…" he started in a small voice. Then he dramatically pointed at me, arm flailing up and down. "How are you taller than me!" He shouted loudly, and I had to wait a second for my ears to stop ringing. Winry and Al were standing off to the side, both covering their mouths. Winry looked like she was holding back a laugh.
I furrowed my brow in confusion, and then it hit me. Edward was older than me, and I was about three inches taller. The kid looked flabbergasted, his mouth hanging open comically.
I slow smile crept up on my face. "Why Ed," I said evilly, "you look smaller than when I last saw you."
The explosion was immediate and destructive. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL MY LITTLE BROTHER CAN PICK ME UP WITH ONE HAND THROW ME ON THE ROOF?!"
Ed lunged at me, and I ran.
FMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMA
Edward crouched down in the clearing just a few yards in front of me. I mirrored his position, one knee planted in the grass. Al stood just a ways off in between us, his arms crossed stoically. Neither one of us moved, both waiting for the other to twitch.
Ed moved first. He grit his teeth and lunged, shattering into motion. He came at me with a right punch. I easily dodged and swung my leg around, aiming for his head, only to divert it at the last moment when he tried to block with his steel arm. That definitely wouldn't feel good. We jumped apart and immediately came back together, exchanging a series of furious blows. I winced every time my flesh came into contact with his hard appendages and was careful to divert as much force away from my body as I could. Ed swung a vicious uppercut and I dove backwards, executing a one handed backflip as it whistled inches past my nose.
We paused for a second, reevaluating each other. This kid is good, I thought, at least as good as Alphonse. I was going to have to step it up a notch. Ed evidently felt the same, because he jumped back and knelt to the ground, his arms moving in a blur.
"Oh no you don't," I exclaimed, surging forwards. If he thought I was going to let him complete a transmutation circle, he was very much mistaken! He jerked back as my heel slammed into his unfinished circle and jumped away again. I didn't let him go far. "You're going to have to be faster than that, twerp," I shouted, habitually falling into yelling insults while I battled. It was a habit I had picked up from both Orkan and Izumi. I lunged forward and slipped my arm underneath his. I heaved and threw him as hard as I could over my shoulder.
He gave a startled cry but managed to land on his feet before I could slam my fist into the ground where he had been. "Don't call me twerp," he yelled, touching his flesh hand to the back of his automail arm. In a flash of light, the metal appendage transformed into a solid club.
I cursed. The boy had drawn a transmutation circle on his arm before we started! Swiftly, I pulled out my weapons from the back of my belt and brought them forward to block just before he could hit me with his transformed arm. His club slammed into my crossed weapons. He jumped back to reassess the new threat.
I brought my weapons into a defensive position and waited for another attack. In my hands were two metal tonfa. They were straight poles a little longer than my forearms with handles sticking out perpendicularly. They were black at first glance, but flashed an acid green when turned in the sunlight.
"You going to fight me with chopsticks now," Edward taunted. I smirked. We were just about to launch back into battle when there was a distressed scream.
We both froze and looked over to see Winry, her face open in horror and her shaking fist clenched around a large wrench. "What have you done to my automail!"
With growing trepidation, Edward immediately hid his transformed arm behind his back and touched the transmutation circle. It changed back in a flash of light. "Nothing!" He shouted frantically, waving his perfectly formed hands in a placating gesture.
"Nothing my foot! I saw what you did! Get back here!" Winry started chasing the contrite and terrified blond around the yard, shaking her wrench in the air.
With a stunned chuckle, I stowed my tonfa back in their sheath at the small of my back and walked over to Alphonse.
"Impressive," he said, not at all fazed by the fight going on in the yard.
"You guys too," I said, "I really don't know which of us would have won that fight."
Al shook his head, the armor clanking slightly. "No, you are definitely better. I could tell Ed was getting nervous."
"Oh," I said, blushing lightly, not expecting the compliment. I wasn't too sure about that though. Ed was like a force of nature.
"So when are we leaving?" I asked. As much as I enjoyed hanging around and sparring, I was eager to start our journey.
"Tomorrow."
Yay reunion! And action! Things are finally picking up. What do you guys think?
I had originally planned for Alex to carry tonfa, since they are easy to conceal under a jacket and it's also my favorite weapon. For those of you who have never seen this weapon: Tonfa, also known as tong fa or tuifa, is a traditional Okinawan weapon from which the modern side-handled police baton is derived. Its from the kobudo discipline which is the Okinawan art of fighting with weapons made or taken from everyday objects. The tonfa is a wooden rice husking tool used as a weapon and has a handle similar to a police baton. If you are interested in seeing how to fight with them, look up 'how to fight with tonfa' and you will find some pretty great videos on the matter.
Shout out to Master Diaz and Sifu Tony, who both taught me everything I know! Orkan's words were almost a direct quote of something Master Diaz preaches often.
This story is gaining momentum! Next Chapter: Our boys have a run-in with some nasty people. See you next time!
