Disclaimer: I do not own FMA at all. This is purely for entertainment purposes.
Author's Note: Sorry for the wait, but… I wound up on the dirty side of Hurricane Harvey. Since last Thursday, when I started filling up water bladders while my parents practically blazed south from Missouri from a vacation, I feel like it's been a month since all of this started. I was lucky in the fact that I was not among those you got to see on television in the floods. I was lucky in the fact that I didn't have to worry about my life and, miracle of miracles, my home didn't get flooded. Unfortunately, I know those who did have their homes destroyed. One of them is an aunt of mine and her house was lost as she had a birthday, which is insult added to injury.
Now, if you have not donated to the relief and wish TO donate, choose an organization like Salvation Army or some other non-profit organization. Do not donate to the Red Cross. During the Texas City disaster in which a tanker of fertilizer blew up, my grandfather and his buddies went to help with the relief efforts. In order to help, they had to buy gloves and coffee from Red Cross. In fact, Red Cross is well known to turn away donations if they have 'too much' of anything in particular instead of redistributing it to another organization that needs supplies to help others. So, please don't donate to them.
God blessed Texans with big hearts, y'all, and we used them to show the world we ain't a bunch of sonovabitches that do nothin' but hate. We're them arrogant, self-aggrandizing Texans with boots an' cowboy hats an' egos the size of our state.
And so many people have shown their hearts are just as big as ours.
Thank you very, very much.
That being said, I hope you enjoy this! I appreciate all the review (89), all the follows (235), all the favorites (176), and the community that's marked me.
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Chapter 10: In Which He Becomes the Flame
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Summer Solstice eventually ended and I was sent back home to my father via the train. I was troubled, though. My Aunt Chris had decided to distance herself from us… and she was sending a letter with me to my father explaining what she was trying to do for him. It was packed into my case so it wouldn't be forgotten, sealed in an envelope and with his name written on the front.
Uncle Maes also finally came around only to kiss and hug me before profusely thanking me for setting him up with a date with someone he declared was the prettiest woman in all of Central. I guessed from his enthusiasm that the date had gone well and that he probably had gone out on another date with her or, perhaps, had arranged for another in the near future. Personally, I didn't care either way as I was preoccupied with the thoughts about Aunt Chris. He sensed my unease but didn't comment on it other than to tell me he loved me, though.
Finally, though, I went home in the care of another conductor and was picked up at the station by my father. He smiled at me as I came forward and wrapped my arms around his waist. "Missed me that much?" he asked.
"Lots and lots," I mumbled. Dad smoothed a hand over my hair.
"Come on, Xiao-Hua. Let's go home."
"Okay, Daddy."
When we arrived, it was nearly time to fix dinner and I knew I was hungry. "Tell me about your trip," he encouraged. I looked at him, pausing in my patient cutting of vegetables we'd picked up on the way home.
"It was good at first, but…" He gave me a puzzled look. "Grandma told you about the book I got and stuff, right?" I knew that he had heard and he nodded.
"Of course," he replied. "I do want to look over it myself."
"I know… but…" I left my vegetables and got out the letter that Aunt Chris had written, holding it out to him.
"What's this?" he asked.
"Aunt Chris wrote it." His eyebrows went up at the admission and took the letter. He opened it and read it. I watched silently as his expression flickered with each new sentence. I didn't even know what she'd written, but by the end of it he looked very serious.
"Is this why you were so upset?" he asked. I nodded only to find myself caught up in his arms and being held close. "Don't be upset, Xiao-Hua," he murmured, kneeling on the floor to hold me close. "She does have some pretty good reasons. I will see about sending her a message, though. Just to make sure she knows we do care and still wish to have her in our lives, okay?"
"Okay."
"Come and let's get done with dinner. I want to see that book soon and I'd rather do that after we're done eating."
.
The book that Mister Van had given me had seriously impressed my father. He marveled over the contents in the handwritten volume, sometimes exclaiming over some point that had been made. "And he just gave it to you?" he asked in awe.
"Yes, sir," I replied dutifully. "I tried to give it back." I'd already told him that, though. I'd told him everything of what had happened on the train ride to Central as far as I could reiterate completely and Dad had learned about how the man looked as far as I'd observed, that he had sons, his name was 'Van', and that he was an alchemist. The one problem was that I hadn't learned if 'Van' was a first name or surname and he lamented over that as he wished to see if he could track this man down in order to talk to him some more.
"Well, that's fine," he assured me, flipping through the pages as he once again vainly looked for a name that I knew wouldn't be there. My mysterious benefactor hadn't seen a need to, apparently, and I'd already looked. "This is a little treasure trove of information."
"Could I learn from it?" I asked. He nodded.
"Yes. Most of this is pretty simple. But not until I say so, okay? I don't want you practicing out of this unless I give you permission."
"Yes, Daddy," I told him dutifully. He let me have it, assured that I wouldn't be irresponsible.
"That's my girl," he smiled, hooking me close to him. "Now, it's late. Go ahead and start getting ready for bed. We'll unpack your things in a bit, alright?"
"Okay!"
.
I settled back into routine during the days again while Dad was at work. Summer was burning by pretty quickly and I knew soon it would be Dad's birthday soon. I wanted to get him something, of course, and wondered if it would be better to use alchemy. Unfortunately for me, I'd promised to not use alchemy without him so I couldn't even make a surprise to give him.
That didn't, however, mean that I couldn't get the necessary materials and ask to transmute them for him when it came time to. That way, it would remain a surprise.
Unfortunately, things were turned on their ears in the later part of that summer and I heard through Dad that Uncle Maes would soon be sent to Ishval. The unrest had broken into civil war and I clung to my father, terrified that I'd lose him to the war, too.
"It'll be okay, Xiao-Hua. I've got control of my fire alchemy now. I've even begun the application to become a State Alchemist. They don't send State Alchemists out to war zones," he soothed me late one night as I curled in his bed with him.
"You did?" I whispered fearfully.
"Yes, I did. I promise things will be alright. I'll become a State Alchemist soon."
"But… what if they make you go to Ishval? Even if you become a State Alchemist?"
"If that happens, I'll figure something out." I shivered and he tucked me closer, petting at my hair. "I love you, Dawn. Now, sleep. Tomorrow will be fine."
"Okay. Love you, too, Daddy."
Even if I didn't understand everything, I understood I had to do as told and I worked to go to sleep though fears haunted my mind.
.
The first day of school was also when my father went to test to become a State Alchemist. I was anxious during my first day despite the fact I was dressed neatly with my hair braided and a bow at the end of the plaited hair. I had my school things and a sturdy bag to put those things in.
I think my father insisted on the extra steps so that he could have something to soothe his nerves.
"Hi!" I jumped and then spun to look at Laura who was smiling prettily at me. She, too, was all done up and her hair was in pigtails rather than a braid.
"Hi, Laura," I greeted. "How was your summer?"
"Great! I'm glad we're in the same class again!" Indeed, we were. I'd been filed into the same grouping she had been and we'd all been told this group would belong to one class. She even hugged me but stepped back when she realized I wasn't responding to the gesture. "What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.
"Daddy's testing," I admitted.
"For what?" she asked, puzzled.
"He's trying to become a State Alchemist today," I told her. "I wish I could be there to see how he does." I fidgeted and she considered this before nodding. It was clear she didn't completely understand, but she did nod, aware that it was upsetting me.
"Well, he's really smart, right? He's your dad, right?" I nodded soberly. "He'll make it." That simplistic conviction would have heartened any other child… but I wasn't any other child. I was a compulsive worrier and my father was taking a test that would define the rest of his life. I figured he would make it eventually, but I didn't know if that would be today.
If he failed today, I didn't know if I could even predict how the future might go. Dad was supposed to come into contact with the two boys. Those two boys were important because they were central to an entire series of books, comic or otherwise. If he didn't make it, I don't know what that would mean for other things.
The day was extraordinarily long and I was glad that I wasn't called on too much for interaction. Laura thankfully hung close and I met a few more classmates that were somewhat interesting. It wasn't really enough to distract me.
But when the end of the day came, I found my Dad there waiting for me among many women who had come to get their children. I went to him, silently looking for the dejection or elation that would tell me if he made it or not, but I didn't see either. "Did you make it?" I asked hoarsely. He smiled at me, a slight tightness in his gaze.
"I don't know yet," he admitted, hooking me closer. "I'll find out in a week." I swallowed nervously, looking down. "Hey, don't do that. Xiao-Hua, how was your first day?"
"Alright," I told him. "I was worried about you."
"Mr. Mustang!" Laura came up with her little sister and mother in tow. "Did you make it?" Dad arched a brow as I blushed a little.
"I don't know yet," he told her. "I'm guessing Dawn told you?" She nodded.
"Yes, sir! She was really worried." He nodded with a smile.
"So she told me. I'll find out in a week, Miss Kidd." He nodded to her mother and then nudged at me. "Come on, Xiao-Hua. We've got to go home."
"Yes, Daddy. Bye, Laura! Bye, Hailey!"
"Bye!" the two girls chorused after me. I took Dad's hand gratefully and we went home. "I hope you make it. I don't want you to go to Ishval," I told him once we were a block or so away from the Kidd family.
"I go where I'm sent, Xiao-Hua," he told me, looking down. "And if I'm sent to Ishval, I have to go."
"The military sucks," I complained.
"Language," he chided. "And it doesn't 'suck'."
"But you're supposed to be a scientist, not a soldier." His fingers tightened on mine.
"I will be whatever I need to be for you to be taken care of and be better off than I was at your age."
At my age, my father was an orphan. At my age, he'd been taken in by a woman who didn't really want him but hadn't wanted to send him to a home. At my age, alchemy had been but a dream barely imagined as he lived in a little room above a bordello.
"I love you, Dad," I told him.
"I love you, too, sweetheart."
.
One week later, I was finished with my first week of school. One week later, I had become so antsy that I might as well have had a sugar high. I was doing my work, of course, but I got called down three separate times over the day for being somewhat disruptive.
When school was out, I hurriedly barreled out of the school in high hopes that I'd see my father there. He didn't pick me up all the time, even over the course of this week, but I certainly hoped he'd pick me up today.
It was a bit of a shock when he wasn't there and waiting for me and bitterness flooded my mouth as I looked around. Today, he should have found out if he was a State Alchemist. Today, I hoped he'd become the Flame Alchemist. My fingers tightened on the strap of my satchel as other students poured out to their respective parents. Some went ahead and started walking home, knowing that their parents weren't there.
I would be one of these latter kids today and I went ahead and started walking.
It was a couple blocks later when fast footsteps were heard and I heard a shout. I turned only to squawk as I was snatched up bodily by my father. My feet even left the ground as he gathered me up and close as he kissed me all over my face. "Daddy!" I squealed, surprised by the display.
"I made it, Xiao-Hua!" he told me, pulling back with a bright, sunny grin. "I made it!" My eyes widened as my breath caught.
"You made it?" I questioned, disbelieving.
"I did! I did!" he laughed and I threw my arms around his neck, hugging him right back. "Oh, I love you, Xiao-Hua! My biggest supporter in my entire life!" I laughed, his jubilation intoxicating. He kissed me again. "We need to celebrate!" he told me. "Let's go out for dinner tonight. We're going to be just fine from now on! I promise! Everything will be fine!" He sounded so happy and there were even tears starting into his eyes. He looked at me with a broad smile, grinning brightly as he settled me down on my feet. I frowned slightly at his words, causing him to falter as well. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"Wasn't everything fine before?" I asked, confused.
"Well, yes… but now we don't have to worry about money." I considered this. Financial troubles did cause problems, true, but I didn't think our financial issues were that bad. I nodded slowly. "Come on. Let's go home, get cleaned up, and go out. I want to celebrate with my favorite girl." I didn't tell him I was pretty much his only girl at the moment.
We did as he suggested and he urged me to go get changed into one of my nicer dresses before going to get changed himself. I picked out a neat looking pale-blue dress with a rosy flower print and had a lacy-edged white petticoat to go with it. I changed and went to him for help with the ribbon belt that was to go around my waist. He helped me out, smiling. "I need to go get my socks and shoes," I told him seriously, taking in his appearance of neat white button-down shirt, charcoal gray vest, black slacks, and his usual accessories of belt and whatnot.
"Yes," he smiled. "You do need to get shoes on. Go get them." I didn't really get to get them myself as he followed me and helped me out. I giggled as he deliberately tickled the bottom of one foot before he put on one knee-high stocking before pushing my little white patent shoe on firmly to my little foot. He buttoned it firmly before doing the same for the other foot. "All done," he grinned before attacking my sides with fast fingers. I giggled, trying to worm away. "Ready to go eat?" He didn't let up for a few moments before permitting me some room to breathe and I nodded.
"Yes!" I hugged him impulsively despite the evil fingers that he'd used against me and he hugged me back. "But… what happened? Were they impressed?"
"Obviously," he told me with a little pomposity despite the fact he was hugging me. Detangling his arms from around me, he stood and looked down. "In fact, they said it was an incredibly ingenious method of alchemy and execution." He'd not told me this before, choosing to keep his testing to himself until he'd heard one way or another. I knew he'd been fretting all week long, too. It had been an insanely lucky miracle he'd not been required to go to Central to be tested like every other State Alchemist. If he'd been required to, he'd have asked Grandma or Mrs. Liu to watch after me. "And I have a new rank and title, too."
"You do?" I asked, wondering at him. He nodded.
"I'm technically an honorary Major, but I only have the commanding ability of a Captain. And all State Alchemists get second names." I listened carefully despite having part of this before. "I'm the Flame Alchemist now."
The Flame Alchemist. It was a piece I'd been wondering about and it seemed my faint memory hadn't been wholly inaccurate. Extremely broad strokes were one thing, but inaccuracy was something else.
"The Flame Alchemist?" I repeated. He nodded. "You sound pretty amazing."
"And I didn't sound amazing before?" he asked in mock hurt.
"You're always amazing, Daddy," I told him seriously. He smiled instantly at my words. "Now you sound more amazing."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome!" I chirped brightly. As he took my hand, I felt reassured that my Daddy wouldn't be sent out. State Alchemists weren't called on to go to battle. They were supposed to help develop new weaponry for Amestris, yes, but not go to battle. "Can we write a letter to Uncle Maes and Grandma and Grandpa to tell them?"
"Of course," he nodded. "We can do that." I looked away, missing the slight tenseness in his expression that developed once my gaze was elsewhere. I didn't realize it yet but, even though the financial expenses were no longer a major worry, other worries had taken their place. I was thrilled my father was no longer in danger of going to war even though Uncle Maes would soon be sent out.
I didn't realize that the rules were going to change now that he was a State Alchemist and an enlisted soldier.
.
My father's birthday came quickly enough and I had bought the materials I needed to transmute a figure for him. Fortunately it was on a Saturday, which meant I wasn't going to go to school. He fortunately had the day off, too, which made it even better. Now that he was a State Alchemist, his hours were more standardized and that meant he got weekends off though I now had to walk home from school alone more often than not.
"What's this?" he asked as he woke up that particular morning and I grinned at him as I dusted my hands off from having drawn a circle on the floorboards.
"I wanted to make something for you with alchemy!" I told him, puffing out my chest some.
"Really?" he asked, interested. My talent with alchemy had increased over the time we spent here in East City, of course. Constant exposure to the science had helped me tremendously though I didn't think I'd ever become an alchemist of my father's caliber. I had no interest to. In fact, I still rather liked the idea of becoming a veterinarian alchemist that designed zoos. I still had my plans for the zoo reconstruction, honestly, and it was something of a dream of two childhoods to become a veterinarian.
I was somewhat determined to fulfill that dream now. I had more intelligence in this life, after all, and was doing chemistry at an age where I'd not understood such things before. I figured becoming a doctor was a lot more possible this time, even if it was 'only' a veterinarian.
Still, right now it was my Dad's birthday and I wanted to make him a present. This wouldn't be something made out of popsicle sticks, glitter, and glue but rather a bunch of glass marbles along with a spool of bronze wire.
Dad watched as I first sketched out my circle, silent as I drew it out, and then raised an eyebrow at the coil of wire I put into the circle along with the marbles previously mentioned. "What are you making, Xiao-Hua?" he asked.
"It's a surprise!" I chirped before getting down to business. I'd spent some serious time making sketches and calculating how much material I'd needed. I sat for a moment, building the image in my head.
"Need help?" he asked.
"Dad!" I whined, pouting at him. "I was working on it!"
"You looked stuck," he defended, holding up his hands. I sulked. "Go on."
"What if I don't wanna anymore?" I huffed, folding my arms over my chest. I probably looked cute if the amused look on his face was any indication. His lips were fighting to not smile and were, as a result, twitching noticeably.
"I suppose there's no helping it. I'll just have to do without a present for my birthday." He sounded forlorn but he was obviously laughing at me. I sighed, rolling my eyes. "Stop that, Xiao-Hua," he told me. "You're not allowed to do that until you're thirty."
"I'm not allowed to do anything until I'm thirty," I protested.
"For the safety of my hair color, you definitely aren't allowed to date or cop an attitude until you're thirty." I groaned, flopping backwards onto the floor despite the fact my calves were underneath me. It was very uncomfortable but I could do it. To relieve some of that discomfort, I shifted my legs so my feet weren't directly under my rump. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," I replied, staring up. "Just contemplating the ceiling plaster."
"You're too young to be using sarcasm so fluently. Come on, Xiao-Hua. Do your transmutation so we can eat breakfast." Encouraged, I pushed up and pouted at him before sighing and nodding.
"Yes, Daddy."
I transmuted the brass and colored marbles, bringing together the image I'd envisioned and the materials I'd procured.
What was left behind after the fountain of lighting died down was something like one of those fancy enameled eggs I recalled from a long time ago only with more of a jewel-like exterior than enamel, carefully shaped diamonds of glass caught in a framework of brass wire. It sat on a base of bronze with three claw-like feet.
Dad was staring, arms unfolding from over his chest. He came over to pick it up and hefted it lightly. "It's not solid," he noted.
"Nope."
"No, sir," he corrected, arching a brow at me. He turned his attention back to the egg and noted the solid band of brass just above the exact center of the egg and both the obvious hinge and the clasp. Opening it, he found another surprise inside. I was also thrilled to see it was perfectly formed. "Xiao-Hua…" His words were floored. "I see now why you had to concentrate so hard. You did a beautiful job."
"Thank you," I replied, accepting the compliment. The brass egg had become a solid yet thin brass shell, the banding on the outside both to help the rigidity and holding the multi-colored glass bits.
"I like it," he concluded. "Thank you." He closed the egg, hiding single rose I'd sculpted within it, made of delicate glass petals and brass wirework.
"You're welcome." He hugged me close, careful with the egg, before putting the transmutation onto the mantle. I had already picked out a few details I'd messed up on, mostly because I couldn't do the faceting I'd wanted to do and there were faint transmutation scales here and there, but it was advanced work even with the imperfections. Doing it all at once had been hard, harder than anything else I'd done, so it was really good considering how I'd just jumped levels from basic transmutations to something more advanced.
Of course, I would spend the rest of the day with my father. Breakfast, fun, and all. We called Grandma and Grandpa, of course, and got a call from Uncle Maes wishing Dad a happy birthday. He didn't mention anything about his girlfriend, which made me wonder if she'd dumped him, but otherwise seemed cheerful if by the way he chattered Dad's ear off.
All in all, it was a great birthday.
.
"Xiao-Hua." I was walking down the road with my dad after school and looked up at him. He was clearly upset and I'd noticed it when I'd met up with him that afternoon.
"What is it, Dad?"
"Your uncle… was deployed." I felt a shiver of fear down my spine as my eyes widened.
"Ishval?" I asked.
"Yes." I gulped. "Dawn." He stopped me with a hand on my shoulder, turning me to face him. His gaze was serious as I looked up. "Dawn, he'll be fine."
"Don't lie," I told him, surprising him and myself with how hollow my voice sounded. "Don't lie. You can't promise that."
"You made him promise, though," he reminded. I'd forgotten that, actually. I dropped my eyes, staring more at his chest than at his face. "You made both of us promise, remember?"
"Yes," I mumbled. "Daddy?" My voice was pained as I spoke up once more. I looked up at him, aware I looked afraid. "What if you're deployed?"
"That's not going to happen," he promised me. "They don't send out State Alchemists, remember?"
"But what if they do?"
"Then I'll have to go," he admitted. "But…" He faltered, looking around us. People walked past, vehicles trundled along, and none of it looked like it was a country at war. I looked down at my toes, swallowing thickly again. He sighed and seemed to give up on trying to explain whatever was going through his head because he hugged me close. "We'll get through this."
"Can I write Uncle Maes?" I asked him.
"Of course. I'm sure he'll love hearing from you." There were a few more moments before he escorted me home and we worked on dinner.
Some hours later, I found myself standing staring at the mirror before my nightly bath. The water was running, warming, as I looked at my features.
I'd matured a lot over the years and sometimes I could almost swear I aged as I watched my reflection. Six and a half didn't sound like much, honestly, but I vaguely remembered what I looked like as a toddler. I had pictures still around, too. Dad didn't replace the older pictures that often, so I could go out to the living room to look at it.
My hair was long. Long enough, in fact, to just reach my waist. I had barely had it cut over my life and sometimes I wondered if it would be better to cut it off to something more manageable. I looked much like I had at two-three years old only older. I still had the same color of eyes and the same pale skin and the same blend of my father's and mother's features. I still looked distinctly Xingese but not too Xingese.
I also knew what the mirror didn't show. I knew that beneath the skin of a little girl was a much older soul. I knew that she was a contradiction of thoughts and instincts, of a child and an adult. I knew that she was loved by many, cared for, and had many people she loved.
I also knew that she had changed several people's lives irrevocably.
Turning from the mirror, I climbed into the shower to clean up. Dad didn't need to stay with me all the time anymore though the door remained unlocked. I didn't have to fear him barging in, thankfully, but in case I had trouble he could come right in.
I had written a letter to Uncle Maes, of course, and reminded him that I expected him to come home among the simpler things such as how I was doing in school, how my alchemy was progressing, and anything else I could think of to make him feel included and not so far away. It wouldn't be mailed until tomorrow, but at least it was ready and waiting for the mailbox. I hoped, selfishly, that Dad wouldn't be sent out, too. I hoped that I'd changed enough things to keep him from going.
Once I was clean, I left the shower and toweled off before pulling on my sleeping clothes. I opened the door to the bathroom, not looking again into the mirror, and found my father on the phone. I looked at him, puzzled, but it seemed that the conversation was concluding and he was soon hanging up the phone. He looked over to see me and plastered a smile on his face. It didn't quite reach his eyes and I didn't return the gesture. "All done?" he asked somewhat unnecessarily.
"Yes, sir," I replied. "Who was that?"
"Your grandfather," he answered honestly. "Nothing to worry about." I did, though. I did worry.
"Okay," I said, audibly dismissing it. "Can you read me a story?" I hadn't asked for one in some time and the surprise was visible on his face.
"Of course," he agreed. "No problem." I smiled before he shuffled me off into bed and settled me in. Studiously, he tucked my blankets around me, careful to not catch my hair. I watched him. "What story would you like?"
"Something where the good guy wins," I told him. He looked momentarily baffled before chuckling somewhat.
"There aren't many stories that can be told in a single night like that, Xiao-Hua," he told me.
"I know." I considered him before asking, "Would you like me to tell you a story?" He smiled indulgently and nodded. I shuffled to sit up and put my hands into my lap, well aware I'd disrupted his neat tucking.
"I'd like that very much. What story do you have for me?" I thought about it before deciding on one that I vaguely recalled. I took a breath to start, blanked for a moment, and frowned before moving to start again. "You don't have to if you don't want to," he assured.
"No. I was just trying to think how it should start," I told him seriously. "But… here…" I drew another breath. "In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit."
"What's a hobbit?" he asked.
"A small person about a meter tall," I told him. "Not human but a hobbit! With pointy ears and bare feet with wooly hair on them, and they're really peaceful and not very adventurous for the most part. They farm and build houses into hills!"
"That doesn't sound like a story where the good guy wins," Dad noted.
"Because not every one of them were uneventful!" I pouted.
"Alright, alright," he assented. "Go on.
"Anyway, the hole wasn't dirty or wet or anything like that. And it wasn't a dry hole with nothing to eat and no comforts. It was a hobbit hole… and that meant comfort." He looked at me, amused. "This hobbit's name was Bilbo."
"What kind of name is that?" he asked.
"It's a hobbit name! Do you want to hear this story or not?" I asked, incensed. He made a motion of buttoning his lip and I eyed him carefully before nodding shortly. "His name was Bilbo Baggins and he was a nice, normal hobbit, thank you very much." He snorted. I glared. "He didn't do anything unexpected… until one day someone arrived at his home. It was an old man, bent and gray with a long beard and a walking staff with a twisted top, a pointed hat with a wide brim, and a long cloak all in gray. Bilbo greeted him with a polite 'good day' but the old man, who was twice as tall as he was as he was a man and not a hobbit, asked him promptly if it was really a good day or a day to be good on or if he was merely wishing for the old man to have a good day. Bilbo returned that he supposed it was all three because he'd been smoking and enjoying his afternoon and he hadn't really put any thought into it."
"Is there a point to this?" my father asked. I glared. "Sorry. Go on."
I huffed before telling my father of the rest of the encounter with Gandalf before the old wizard disappeared and how Bilbo forgot about the offer of tea on Wednesday because he'd not written it down as he'd been flustered and hadn't thought the old man really intended to take him up on the offer. I told him about how, on that Wednesday around teatime, there was a knock on the door and how there was an unknown dwarf that soon introduced himself. I couldn't remember which one came first in all actuality though I could remember all thirteen dwarves' names after some effort (it helped they came in twos and threes of rhyming save for Thorin's name). I told him about how Gandalf had decided Bilbo would be the fourteenth member of the company to help dispel the bad luck of thirteen and the job involved.
"A dragon?" he asked, clearly amused.
"Yes, a big fiery one with red scales!" I told him. He smirked.
"Like this? Rargh!" I squealed as he attacked me with hands formed like talons and tickled me mercilessly for some time. Once I recovered my breath from his tickle attack, he shook his head. "What an imagination, Xiao-Hua," he complimented. "But your story doesn't have an end and you can't stay up much longer."
"But there's a point to the story, Daddy," I told him as he readjusted my blankets.
"Oh?"
"You don't have to be great to make great things happen. You just have to care enough to do something." He gave me a long, thoughtful look.
"Like you?" he asked. I felt a brief surge of panic at that before chastising myself for such foolishness.
"Yeah," I agreed. He kissed me on the forehead. "Dad… Can I tell you more tomorrow night?"
"Of course. I can't wait to hear more about wizards and dragons and hobbits."
"And dwarves," I reminded.
"And dwarves," he agreed. "Sleep well. Sweet dreams."
"You, too, Daddy."
.
I suddenly noticed something one day walking back and forth to school that took me aback. Before, there hadn't been a lot of Ishvalans in the military. Only enough to account for, perhaps, five to ten percent of the total military. There was one man I'd seen commonly enough, though, that I'd taken him as a matter of course going along. I assumed his path was along the same lines as mine and sometimes we crossed as he went to and from work.
I hadn't seen him lately. I tried hard to pinpoint when he'd vanished from my sight and something about it bothered me in a way I wasn't sure about but found deeply unsettling. The man had disappeared.
I paused near a flower stand, thinking about Miss Harlow and how she was doing. I wondered if she still dated Uncle Maes and if she'd one day be my aunt. I wondered what had happened to the Ishvalan soldier. Had he defected and gone to help his relations in Ishval? Before, he'd seemed very proud of his uniform. All the buttons were well-polished and sometimes had glinted with the sun when I'd seen him. I wondered about Uncle Maes and how he was doing. I'd gotten a letter back, of course, and in it he had told me how he was doing and wanted to know more about school. I had immediately written back, wanting very much to converse with him and make sure I kept constant contact. I wondered about Miss Hawkeye, too. I'd never met her, but Dad had loved her. I wondered if she'd found her place in the world now that her father was gone.
"What are you doing out here alone?" I looked up, startled and suddenly defensive, as a large shadow loomed over me. The man was dressed in the military uniform but he was tall and broad-shouldered. I momentarily wondered if his uniform had been custom made because it looked to be well-fitted.
"I'm sorry, sir," I apologized, glancing around to see if anyone else had noticed me standing dazed. That wouldn't have been good if I'd been snatched. Even now, I couldn't guarantee my safety with this man. "I was just thinking."
"And how old are you?" he asked, voice deep and rumbling like distant thunder.
"Six and a half," I replied honestly. "I'm just going home from school, sir. I do it whenever Dad can't pick me up from school." He seemed intrigued as I took in more of his features. His face was like it had been chiseled from rock, full of broad planes and strong features. His jaw was square and his nose big and angular. He was bald, perhaps to the point he nominally shaved his head and kept it perfectly neat… except for one peculiarity on his otherwise bald pate. He had a blonde lock of hair poking out from where his widow's peak would have possibly been, twirled and waxed into a curl. His upper lip was also sporting blonde hair in the form of a meticulously trimmed, curled, and waxed mustache. His chin was devoid of any fuzz but clearly he could have a beard if he so chose considering how the space between his nose and mouth looked. Interestingly enough, despite his very strong features and very intimidating stature, his bright blue eyes were… gentle. Looking the rest of him over, I recognized the silver chain that dangled from one belt loop to pocket. I looked up immediately again. "You're a State Alchemist," I said only to blush at my audacity. He seemed pleased by the recognition, though.
"I am!" he boomed before lowering his voice as I jumped back. "You're a very smart little girl."
"Thank you," I told him. "But… my Dad's a State Alchemist, too." He blinked.
"Really?" He considered my features, no doubt trying to guess who my father was. "Who is he?" he asked instead of guessing.
"Ah… Roy Mustang," I replied. His interest was obvious and his eyes positively sparkled.
I think more than his eyes sparkled, but as I'd never been in the presence of a man who could glitter before… I was going to say the sun was in my eyes and leave it at that.
"I've heard of him," he noted. "He's stationed here in East City, yes?" I nodded uncertainly. "I've yet to meet him, though. I hadn't heard he had a daughter, though. He's pretty young." I blushed and looked down at my toes. "Don't be ashamed, Miss Mustang," he told me gently, patting one large hand on my head. "I'm sure you're someone of great importance to him." I nodded, not daring to say that he'd been a teenage father. Anyone who did the math would figure it out but I didn't like to have his nose rubbed in it all the time. He had been sixteen when I'd been born. He was twenty-three now. I knew how bad that looked. "I'm Alexander Armstrong, otherwise known as the Strongarm Alchemist." I looked up at his kind face.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Dawn Mustang."
"A pretty name," he mused, smiling obviously despite the disguising of his mouth thanks to that oversized and over-stylized caterpillar on his upper lip.
"Thank you," I replied. "Why are you here, sir?" Then I flushed, realizing how rude that was. Armstrong, however, looked far from offended.
"Good eye!" he chortled. "You're right, Miss Mustang. I'm not from East City. I am normally stationed in Central." I looked up at him, then. "I was asked to run a short errand here to East City. Some documentation for the State Alchemist Program that's secret." His voice had gained some volume again but not enough to make me cringe. I wondered how it looked from the outside. I was small compared to him.
"Mr. Armstrong?" I asked carefully. "Do you think the State Alchemists are going to be sent out to fight?" He looked a bit shocked and even a bit taken aback by my question.
"I… I don't think so," he said, suddenly looking troubled. "But it would be an honor to serve one's country in such a capacity." I nodded, knowing the propaganda that usually surrounded a military life.
"Thank you for being honest," I replied. "I need to get home now. It was nice talking to you."
"It was nice talking to you, too," he smiled from behind his mustache. I scooted on, still thoughtful but about new things. I didn't know how Mr. Armstrong, clearly a Major by the decorations on his (admittedly very high) shoulders, figured into everything else… But he had said something that made me worried.
'He doesn't think so,' I thought to myself. 'It wasn't a definitive no. That means that it is possible. State Alchemists weren't supposed to be involved in war.'
But they could be. Had the rules changed? Had Dad hidden the fact that he was still very much a soldier in the military? And how likely was it for me to suddenly find myself living with my grandparents again because he was shipped off to a battlefield?
I shivered as I entered our apartment building and climbed up the stairs to the third floor. I knocked on Mrs. Liu's door and told her I was home before asking if she needed anything of me. She said no and I went on, unlocked my apartment door, and slipped inside. I shut it behind me and turned on the radio to a music program for the noise.
Somewhere around problem number four I'd needed to take care of for my math class, the music cut out.
"Attention, attention. A special news bulletin. Today, his Excellency King Bradley has signed off on Fuhrer Order Number Three-Oh-Six. As of this moment, Fuhrer Bradley has accelerated the campaign to bring Ishval back under Amestrian control. Tomorrow, in an effort to end the civil war, all battle-ready State Alchemists are being deployed against the Ishvalans."
It went on, propaganda pumping out as my pencil fell from nerveless fingers to the table. I couldn't absorb any other information at that moment, my mind buzzing with two thoughts:
Dad was a State Alchemist.
His fire would be considered 'battle-ready'.
-/-/-/-
Author's Note #2: Please note that I do not own anything of 'The Hobbit' but it has been one of my favorite stories since I was in the seventh grade (that's almost 20 years now). Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Thank you all for reading. Please review.