Hey! I'm back! And I'm here with chapter 10! And in response to one of my reviews:
TaIoRaFoReVeR523: I'm glad you like it! :D thanks so much for that review!
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And here's the story!
Chapter 10
Ed couldn't believe what he had just heard. He wasn't sure whether to be shocked or angry at that point.
"H-How did you-?" He started to ask, but Mahan cut him off.
"When you've been on the front lines in a war as long as I have, you see all the guilt and heartbreak that soldiers possess. Even though it is part of their job to kill when ordered to kill, and they know that, it doesn't make the regrets go away. I can see that you have those same feelings just by your eyes. But there is one thing that your eyes possess that the soldiers don't: horror. I've seen that in EJ's eyes before. You can try to deny it all you want, but you can't fool these eyes."
Ed sat there in silence for a little while, and then he remembered that EJ's eyes had seemed a little off, like she put on a brave face, but in reality there was something that she thought no one else would understand.
"General, what exactly do you mean when you say that?" Alphonse wondered. Mahan rubbed his eyes.
"Before I can tell you anything, maybe you boys should tell me some things about yourselves first."
Edward laughed bitterly: "Alchemy is based on the law of equivalent exchange. We get information from you, if you get it from us first, am I right?"
Mahan's blue eyes met Ed's gold ones. There was something in them that the young alchemist couldn't put his finger on…
"You catch on quickly. I won't ask any questions, so long as I get answers. We have a deal?" Mahan stuck his left hand out this time. Ed shook it.
"Deal."
~~EJ~~
It was amazing to think that Mom and I had sat on this same hill all those years ago. The wind blew my hair over my shoulder, which I'd let out of its braid so it made a curtain around my face. The sun was coming up over the hill, stretching my shadow. I checked my watch: 6:30.
"I've got to head back, okay Mom? But I'll be back as soon as I can." I promised the headstone I'd been sitting next to. I kissed my fingertips and pressed them to the name engraved into the marble:
Victoria Mahan Samuels
1874-1904
Beloved Wife, Daughter, & Mother
I headed back towards the school to clean out my first year locker and moved to my second year one.
Somebody placed their hand on my shoulder. I turned, startled to see,
"DJ." My friend looked at me strangely.
"You seem a little distracted today." He told me. I didn't say anything for a while, but then I nodded solemnly.
"I just came back from seeing my mom. I guess I'm a little shell shocked right now." I stated, fighting back the tightening feeling in my ears. I was NOT gonna cry; not in front of him.
"Look on the bright side: After today, it's no worries until September." DJ said which surprised me, since he'd never looked to the bright side since I'd known him; He's extremely pessimistic.
Even so, I was grateful for his attempt to cheer me up. I smiled gratefully at him.
"Thanks for that. Come on; we've got a few minutes to kill before we've got to be there."
~~Elrics~~
General Mahan had kept true to his word: he hadn't said anything the entire time the boys had been talking. But now Ed was wishing that some words would be spoken to ease the tension. Al was thinking along the same lines.
"I do congratulate you boys though." Mahan finally said, looking up from a spot on the table.
"You do?" The boys felt relieved and surprised at the same time.
"Indeed. The two of you for having the alchemical knowledge for human alchemy at such a young age, and I don't think I've ever seen such an inconspicuous soul binding. The only way someone could find that seal is if they were on the inside. I'm guessing that was the point?" Mahan actually smiled, and Ed could see EJ within the old man's face.
"Yeah; I was just acting on instinct I guess. I didn't wanna lose Al." Ed said sadly. He gripped the sleeve of his right arm. It was a painful reminder of the he** he'd gone through to save the last family he had.
"I apologize for the third degree. But I figured something was off when I felt your footsteps; there's a heavier vibration every other step." Mahan said, interlocking his fingers together.
"I was thinking that Colonel Mustang somehow let you know we were coming." Alphonse pointed out. Mahan looked surprised.
"He's a colonel now, is he?" The general laughed, a sound like any other loving grandfather might make. "Looks like he's keeping that promise he made me when he was fighting under me in Ishval. He's moving up."
He stood up then. "EJ won't be home for a couple of hours. She has one last final and then it's first year locker clean out. You boys have some time to kill and figure out how exactly you're gonna break this to her."
The boys looked at each other in horror. They could almost imagine EJ's reaction: it'd be like facing off against Teacher, or worse: Winry with a wrench.
"I'd actually recommend going to see EJ's friend Alleh. She's probably the best mechanic this side of Central. She could give you an exact diagnosis on your arm and leg; see what kind of problems you're having."
"Sounds good. We'll have to try that." Alphonse said. The two boys exited the room, and as they walked down the hall, they exchanged bits of the conversation they'd just had.
"It was actually kind of funny when my head flew off." Al said.
Ed laughed. "You know, it was; anyone else would've freaked out. I wonder why the general was so calm about it." He became lost his own thoughts again. He still had a hard time believing that he and EJ had been the same age when their mothers had died, and he could relate to Jeremiah's resentment; Ed himself still hated Hoenheim for leaving.
"Edward! Alphonse!" a voice called. The Elrics looked towards the sound, and Alleh was waving at them from a little roadside stand.
"Hey. You're the girl we met yesterday; it's Alleh, right?" Alphonse questioned. The dirty blonde girl smiled at them.
"The one and only." Then she looked down at Ed's leg with a curious look on her face.
"Who made your leg? It's awesome." She asked pointing. Given the circumstances, Edward would've panicked, but instead he rolled up the leg of his black pants.
"My friend back home. She's kind of a crazy gearhead." Ed replied thinking of Winry and how well she and Alleh would get along.
"It supports your weight pretty well. That's a sign of a good prosthetic; if it supports your weight and gives you mobility." Alleh stood up, making a face like she was thinking hard.
"You do seem a little stiff in the joints though."
Ed paled and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. Al was standing in a way that would've scared other people, but was a simple reprimand.
"Well, well, well; looks like Alleh's got herself a new boyfriend." A new voice jeered from somewhere to the left. Alleh rolled her eyes in annoyance and whirled to face a teenaged guy with dark hair.
"Cole, can you go be a sack-jay somewhere else? You've already been through here."
"I could, but I really don't want to." Cole stated, smirking.
"It's interesting; I wonder how little Miss Stuck-Up is gonna react to the fact that the shrimp is cheating on her."
"WHO YOU CALLING A MICRO-SHRIMP?" Ed yelled.
"I'm talking to you, wack job."
"That's not exactly how you beg someone for mercy. On your knees." Ed demanded. Cole didn't move.
"I said get down on the ground!"
"What? So we can see eye to eye?" Cole asked.(A/N: I had to add this part. It's from episode 11 of the 2003 series of Fullmetal.) "It's amazing to think that EJ would be interested in someone like you, or even that DJ guy. I wonder if maybe she'll come to your rescue; she always did stick up for the underdog."
To everyone's shock, Cole pulled a gun and aimed.
Don't freak out on me please! I'm working on the resolution for this issue in the next chapter all this week! I'm still raising awareness of the Blue Hyperlink (We have T-shirts! XD lol)
Please review! every review give a dollar to the Blue Hyperlink foundation!
~Sady Mordan