(A/N): I changed my mind. The chapter that was here, Xenotime, has been moved to 'The Adventures of an Elric Sister', because it is a side story and I've decided that I really want to move on with the plot, especially with all the important stuff coming up. I'm super excited for that. Like I've said before about all the different paths I could do for this story, those will also be put over there. Maybe even 'Fullmetal VS Flame' will appear? That'll be fun! Anyway, I apologize for any inconvenience or confusion. I love you guys.
Now, have some Teacher Izumi.
A few train rides later, the Elric siblings find themselves in the scariest place ever where sure doom awaits them.
'Dublith Meat' the large sign in front of the shop reads as they hesitantly stand before the entrance.
"We're finally here." Elena writes, her handwriting reduced to wobbly lines due to her uncertainty of what's to come.
"I hope Teacher isn't home." Edward wishes aloud, making no move for the door despite the smaller sign on it displaying that it was open.
"M-Me, too." Alphonse shakes in his armor, though he should have no fear in the pain free body.
"WELCOME!" A young man's voice cheerfully booms behind them, all three practically having heart attacks as they fall over. "Well, if it isn't Edward and Elena!"
"Mason?" Edward asks him as he sets down the sack he had been carrying to look them over.
"Nice you remember. Look at you, kiddo. You've gotten pretty tall since I last saw you." Mason affectionately pats Elena on the head, then glances at the eldest brother. "Ha! You've hardly gained any height. Who's your friend in the armor?"
I hate this guy. Edward twitches, not ensuing in a rant in case Teacher was nearby. Alphonse introduces himself that he, the armor, is actually still him inside. Wanting to keep their toll secret, Elena prods Edward for him to ask where Teacher is.
"Mr. Curtis just got back from his trip. Here, I'll get him for you." Mason tells him as he picks the sack back up onto a shoulder.
You really don't have to. Each Elric mentally insists as Mason happily goes inside to get his boss. From inside the butchery, they hear the heavy footsteps that echo their beating hearts (Sorry, Al!) as a large, bloody butcher's knife pokes out of the doorway followed by the biggest man that rivals Armstrong's size as Sig Curtis emerges.
"H-Hi." Edward manages to speak for them as a terrifying face scans the trio. Sig hands the knife over to Mason and he launches both huge hands at the human Elrics.
We're dead!
"You've both grown." Sig notices as his hands clamp down on their heads and he gives them a welcoming head rub. Not sparing Alphonse to the experience, he adds. "Who're you?"
"It's me. Alphonse, sir." He replies, pleasantly surprised at having his helmet treated like a human's for the first time as he's given a similar treatment.
"We've got some questions for Teacher." Edward finally gets the courage to say as Sig lets out a nod.
"Mason, watch the shop."
"Gotcha, boss. Leave it to me!" Mason assures Sig as they leave him for the outside housing portion of the butchery.
"She's been sick lately, but I'm sure she'll be happy to see you all." Sig informs them, offering no information on what kind of 'happy' the Elrics were in for. He knocks at the open window and sticks his head inside. "Izumi, the kids are here for you."
"Ed, Al, and Ellie?" A female's voice asks from inside, and they all shudder as Sig tells her it is all three.
"Maybe she's too sick to see us." Alphonse suggests, hoping like them all for a good reason to escape while they still can.
I hate to say we can only hope. Elena shivers, wishing no ill will upon their Teacher, but also wanting to get out alive.
"Yeah, we should just go-" Edward starts to turn as the door slams open before him, greeting his face with a sandal full of Izumi Curtis's rage as he's sent flying before they can even react.
NOW, we're dead! Elena steps behind the protection of Alphonse's armor as Sig retrieves what remains of Edward.
"We've heard about you all the way out here, you foolish student! Become a military dog, have you?" Izumi barks at him, nothing getting through to his motionless corpse. "You better explain!"
"And who's the talking can?" Her attention is drawn to Alphonse who's asked for the third time that day.
"A-Alphonse, Teacher." He stutters as Elena sticks close, grimly realizing it won't take long for her turn.
"You've sure grown tall." Izumi compliments him, offering a hand with an act of false security that Alphonse takes.
"Oh, I'm still the same-ah!" The entirety of Alphonse is flipped over effortlessly and slammed onto the ground, leaving only Elena left as the mute girl hesitantly smiles with a slight wave, thankful for her condemned silence as she screams internally.
"And you. Don't you have anything to say? Little Ellie always cried after I beat her and her brothers to a pulp. You're not innocent, either, kid." Izumi raises a fist prepared to hit the girl with, only to halt as a sudden mouthful of blood pours out of the woman, the usual yet frightful sight that still scares Elena after all this time.
"I told you not to push yourself. Here." Sig worries as he offers Izumi a clean cloth and medicine that she takes.
"Sorry for worrying you, dearest." Izumi hugs her husband and he returns the favor.
"We made that promise, my dearest." Sig reminds her, their love for the other proving a distraction as the Elric siblings pull themselves together from the surprise attack.
"So, uh, long time no see." Edward revives and tries to make peace with their Teacher.
"Got that right." Izumi happily scolds with a smack to his head as they all head inside.
Nice to see you, too, Teacher. Elena thinks, holding the sketchbook in her bag close to her. Though Teacher had pretended not to notice the differences in their bodies, Elena knows it's only a matter of time. And besides, no one can hear silenced tears.
"The Philosopher's Stone?" Izumi repeats at the table. "I've no interest in it legendary items, unless you're researching it?"
"N-No, I'm just curious!" Edward lies, not daring to admit that it's far more than curiosity that's brought them here.
"There was an alchemist who was interested in it." Sig recalls, telling them of the man they had encountered on their trip.
"Oh, right, that guy." Izumi remembers. "What was his name? Van Hohenheim?"
Daddy? Elena hardly recognizes the name after all this time, much less anything regarded to the man that was their father. Very vague and hazy memories blink into her head, trying to remember what she barely can as Alphonse asks what the man had looked like while Edward's formed fists start to quiver with growing anger. Izumi describes Van Hohenheim, nothing meaning much to Elena except recalling the beard that would tickle her face and the glasses she had begged to try on. Edward has enough information, though, as he slams one of his fists on the table.
"There's no way I'm asking that bastard for help!" He snaps, drawing the surprised attention from Izumi and Sig. "Never!"
"Then...what did he say?" Alphonse asks, his voice holding curiosity from the news of the father he had almost forgotten they had.
"Well, he was happy. Seemed he was getting close to reaching his goal." Izumi recounts what the man had said, and wonders what it could mean now that she thinks about it.
A meal of spaghetti is served as they all sit around the same table as Mason joins them. As expected from the curious young man, questions are asked about their travels and Edward and Alphonse's time at Central with the military. Few are directed at Elena that she manages to answer with nods and shrugs, her brothers paying close attention as they try to respond for her without seeming suspicious or changing the subject with a story about a random town.
"Oh, yeah. Guess what, Teacher? We helped a woman give birth back in Rush Valley. Well, Ellie did most of the help with Winry, didn't you? Brother and I were pretty useless. All we could do was wait outside." Alphonse explains the event, Elena nodding in the appropriate places. "It was a miracle that Sadila and her baby were both healthy."
"Well, you were all born that way, too. That's what makes each life a treasure." Izumi shuts her eyes at her words of learned wisdom.
"Oh, that reminds me. I'm surprised you don't have a child, Teacher." Edward chimes in, Elena wondering as well as the room suddenly grows a strangely pained quiet.
"Edward!" Mason oddly shouts his name, visibly sweating as he realizes that he has all their eyes. "So, um, how about all that training you went through? I want to see it!"
"Sure, no problem." Edward stands up from his chair as his siblings copy him. "Teacher, you've gotta see what we can do now!"
"Yeah, we're coming." Izumi calls after them as they leave to go outside, Elena swearing she hears Izumi say she'll be okay as Mason chats with Edward over what they've learned.
Outside, Alphonse and Elena work on their own circles as Edward and Mason watch over them. Elena carefully double checks her transmutation circle, having not drawn one in quite some time save for the prepared ones in her sketchbook that she still keeps tucked away. Wanting to prove how much better she's gotten to Izumi, she finishes what extra she can as the woman and husband cone out of the home.
Together, her and Alphonse clap their hands and press them on the ground at their circle. The electric blue of alchemy sparks from their work as objects begin to emerge from the transmutation. From Elena's comes a pony made of earth, neatly detailed as it rises up to her chest and almost large enough for the girl to ride as if a real animal. Crudely shaped cats seem like a lifetime ago.
From Alphonse's comes a much larger horse, not a pony like his little sister's, just as finely detailed as hers if not better. Impressed, Izumi praises their work in comparison from the last time she had seen from the two younger siblings that also seems like a lifetime ago. Not wanting to be outdone by them, Edward simply claps his hands and touches the ground with his palms. A winged and fang-bearing horse, Edward's artistic vision shining through, raises out with its hooved front legs pawing at the air.
"Edward, you didn't use a transmutation circle?" Izumi asks, almost more like a statement
"Yeah, that's right." Edward gets a feeling that he doesn't like where she's going with this.
"So you saw the thing, didn't you?"
He starts to deny it, only then to nod that he did, his clueless siblings wondering just what 'it' was.
"That's why they called you a genius, the youngest state alchemist being a gifted prodigy-"
"I'm no genius, all I did was see-"
"Mrs. Izumi!"
A pack of three little boys, one of them holding a broken toy train, burst into the backyard as they cautiously avoid the intimidating Sig on their way to Izumi. She asks what the matter is as Mason pats the gloomy Sig's arm about the children being scared of the gentle giant's size.
See what? Elena gives Alphonse a questioning look, getting a shrug from the just as unsure armor. Wondering what it could have been, she turns over to Edward whose face is covered with anguish, but quickly concealed when he catches Elena looking. What did you see?