I do not own FMA because if I did my characters would be in it.
I know I said the showdown at Reja was this chapter but I decided to do this instead. This will answer any questions you had about Mia.
The Storm Front Alchemist
Chapter: 6 Never Forget
John was sitting in his seat on the train to Reja. Ed and Al had nodded off a while ago but he couldn't sleep. The events of the last few days had brought back memories John had worked hard to forget. John pulled out his pocket watch and opened it to look at the picture of his sister. John sighed.
"Mia why did this happen to you? It should have been me that died not you." John slumped back into his seat and slammed his hand the back of the chair. "Why!" he cried. This caused Ed and Al to be jolted awake.
"What's wrong John?" asked Al.
"Yeah some of us are trying to sleep." said Ed groggily. John quickly closed his watch and put it back in his pocket.
"It's nothing guys just go back to sleep." said John.
"It's your sister isn't it?" asked Ed. "Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" John sighed.
"It could take awhile." said John. Ed shrugged.
"That's okay were not going any where for awhile."
"Well I guess you could say it all started with my tenth birthday party."
FLASHBACK- 7 YEARS AGO
John was asleep in his room when he was suddenly jolted awake by his sister jumping onto his stomach.
"Wake up big brother you're going to miss your birthday." said Mia gleefully. John sat up rubbing his eyes. Then he looked over at his sister.
"What are you so excited about? I mean it's my birthday." said John
"Cause I still need to give you your present silly." said Mia. Mia then held out a shoddily wrapped parcel. John took the package and unwrapped it inside was a tin soldier.
"I made it with one of those magic circles you're always looking at." said Mia her voice filled with pride.
"You made this?" asked John in awe. Mia blushed and looked sheepishly at the floor.
"Well with grandpa's help." said Mia. John then hugged his sister.
"This is the best gift I've ever gotten." said John.
"Really?" asked Mia
"Really, really." (A/N sorry I had to do it. I don't own Shrek.) "Now go see mom and dad I need to get changed. Mia nodded and exited the room. John got out of bed and changed into his clothes, a white t-shirt and blue shorts. John then exited the room and walked down the hall and into the family room.
"Well there's my boy I thought you were going to sleep all day." said John's father, William Winrain. John's father was a tall man in his mid forties and had a neatly trimmed beard and mustache. A veteran of the Ishbal war he was the Thor's Hammer alchemist so named for the massive electrified hammer he wielded.
"Ten years old you're almost as old as I Am." said Ronald Winrain, John's grandfather a wizened old man in his early seventies.
"I could never be as old as you grandpa." said John. Ron then started laughing.
"John that wasn't very nice." scolded Sara Winrain, John's mother a beautiful women in her late thirties unlike the rest of the family her eyes were emerald not sky-blue. "Learn to behave in front of our guests."
"What guests?" asked John. John unfortunately did not see the little boy sneaking up on him.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN!" shouted the boy. John jumped in fright and fell to the floor. John looked up at the boy. He was about twelve years old with crimson eyes and reddish black hair. This was Malachi Logan or Maki as every one called him he was John's oldest friend.
"Maki you scared Me." said John. Maki laughed and tossed John a long thin package.
"Well go on open it." said Maki. John opened it inside was a four foot wooden training lance.
"Whoa." said John holding the lance. "This is perfect. It'll be so much easier to train."
"And guess what I have my gloves with me if you want to spar right now." said Maki. John looked at his mother.
"Can I, mom?" asked John
"Well." Began Sara but was interrupted by the doorbell ringing. "We'll see after we greet the guests." William went to the door and opened the door and was pleasantly surprised.
"King Bradley?" William asked incredulously. Standing out on the doorstep was the King, Roy, Armstrong, Gran, Hawkeye and Hughes
"Well aren't you to invite us in?" asked the King calmly
"Yes of course sir." said William and he stepped aside to let them in. "John come over here there are some friends I want you to meet." John walked over to his father's side. "This is King Bradley."
"Hello John." said Bradley
"Hi." said John
"And this is Roy Mustang." Roy nodded. "This here is." But William was cut off.
"I AM ALEX LOUIS ARMSTRONG THE STRONG ARM ALCHEMIST AND IT IS A PLEASURE TO BE HERE ON THE ANNIVERSIRY OF YOUR BIRTH!" said Armstrong as he began flexing filling the room with sparkles.
"Ooo pretty." Mia cried
"Um yes very pretty. That's enough Armstrong." said William
"Yes sir." said Armstrong
"As I was saying this is Basque Gran." Gran looked down at John which caused John to cower behind his mother.
He's scary. thought John.
"And finally this is Riza Hawkeye and Maes Hughes." stated William.
"Hey kid say cheese." said Hughes
"What?" asked John as he was blinded by the light of a thousand camera flashes.
"Maes don't kill the kid on his birthday." piped Roy. John shook his head to clear the stars from his eyes.
"Well I greeted the guests can Maki and I go spar now?" John asked his mother pleadingly.
"If it's okay with the guests' then yes." said Sara. John looked at the group with puppy dog eyes.
"I think that would be an excellent idea." said Roy to the group.
"Yay!" yelled John. John ran over to Maki and grabbed his arm "Come on Maki let's go." And he dragged Maki out the door followed by the rest of the party.
XXXX
They were all out side in the backyard John's family and company sitting on the patio furniture. John and Maki were facing each other across a makeshift arena in the yard. John had already drawn a transmutation circle on the lance with chalk.
"Well this doesn't seem very fair that other boy doesn't have a weapon." stated Roy. Will laughed.
"Just watch Roy, Maki is just as skilled as John is with alchemy." As Will was speaking Maki pulled from his pocket two black leather gloves with red circles on the backs which looked unnervingly like pentagrams. "Now you're in for a show Roy."
With that Maki held his hands close together and the circles began to glow and a vicious torrent of air formed between Maki's hands. The air began to compress and take the shape of a sword. Maki continued to compress the air blade until it became a solid clear crystalline albeit blunt katana.
"How did he do that? Where did the sword come from?" asked a bewildered Roy. Will laughed even harder.
"I told you he was good Roy. You see Maki creates a vacuum so powerful it turns any thing in it to a solid."
"Are you telling me that that sword is made of air?" asked Roy
"Yes, air put under so much pressure it became solid. I've seen him do it with fire and electricity too." Will sighed. "He'll be a great State Alchemist someday."
"Will you shut up Will there starting."
"You ready Maki?" asked John
"Aren't I always." replied Maki coolly. John and Maki tensed and stared each other down. Suddenly Maki charged John and swung his sword. John blocked the blade with his lance. John then shifted and tried to strike Maki with the butt of his lance but Maki dodged. John then sent a shockwave of air at Maki but Maki countered by throwing his sword which changed back to air which cancelled out the blast and quickly made a new blade.
"You'll have to better than that John." taunted Maki.
"Don't worry I plan to." replied John. John then charged Maki his lance primed. Maki sidestepped the lance and swung his sword at John's leg making him trip. John rolled over onto his and felt Maki's blade against his throat.
"Dead." said Maki. John sighed.
"Man you always win." whined John. Suddenly they were interrupted by the sound of applause. They looked to see the spectators applauding.
"Well done boys." said King Bradley.
"Yes we could have used their help during the war." said Armstrong.
"You were all in the war?" asked John
"Why of course all in the same unit I have the picture if you want to see." said Hughes as he whipped out a picture.
"Geez Maes do you have a picture for everything?" griped Roy
"Of course Roy." John took the picture from Hughes and looked at it. Everyone was there but there were two people John didn't recognize.
"Dad who are they?" asked John. Will walked over and looked at the picture.
"The first is Zolf Kimblee a traitor and I will say no more about him. The second is August Victor Siren, the Cardshark Alchemist. He was the best friend I ever had.
"What happened to him?" asked John. Will sighed.
"He was killed in action. It was such a shame it left his daughter orphaned."
"What happened to her?
"Clara I'm not. Do you know anything Roy?"
"Well I'm not too sure myself, last I heard she was adopted by a family in Aquroya." said Roy. Mia then walked over to John.
"John I have to go to the bathroom." Mia whispered into John's ear.
"Dad excuse us."
"Of course John." John grabbed Mia's hand and led her into the house. John and Mia were walking down the hallway when he heard Mia gasp. John looked behind him to see a masked man holding Mia gun in his hand.
"Tell me where your valuables are and your sister won't be hurt, and don't even think about calling for help." said the man menacingly. John only nodded and led the man upstairs into his parents' bedroom. The thief went straight for the jewelry on the nightstand.
I have to protect Mia. thought John. John then noticed how distracted the thief was rifling through the jewelry. The thief had let go of Mia's hand the gun being held loosely in the other hand. It was then John tackled the thief knocking him to the ground the gun clattered on the floor.
"Mia run!" screamed John. But Mia was too scared to move. The thief regained his composure and pushed John off of him as he did this John managed to pull of the thief's mask revealing his face. John's eyes widened in shock. "Mr. Logan?" It was Matthew Logan, Maki's father. Logan picked up the gun and aimed it at John.
"Say goodnight kid." said Logan.
"John no!" cried Mia and she ran between them. The gun fired and Mia was struck in the neck.
"Mia!" screamed John and ran to her side. She was bleeding profusely. She looked up at John the life already draining from her eyes.
"John?" she said weakly. "Why is it so dark?" With those words Mia's body went limp and she died in John's arms.
"John! Mia!" cried John's parents from outside and frantic footsteps from downstairs.
"Sorry kid but I don't like company." said Logan as he climbed out the window. "O and by the way, happy birthday." Logan the climbed down the side of the house and ran away. John's parents ran into the room followed by the military crew. Sara looked at Mia and fell to the floor.
"No." she sobbed. "No."
XXXX
Four Months Later
John was still depressed. Logan had been caught and was executed almost two months ago but it did not heal John's pain. Maki had stopped speaking to John and had moved away last week.
John was reading in his grandfather's study. When Ron came in John started and quickly closed the book he was reading.
"Grandfather what are you doing here?" asked John.
"I could ask you the same thing, it's after midnight." said Ron
"Nothing grandfather just some research." John got out of the chair and tucked the book under his arm hiding the title.
"What are you researching?"
"Nothing much. I think I'll be going to bed now." John went to leave the room but his grandfather stopped him.
"Give me the book John." John handed the book to his grandfather and looked nervously at the floor. Ron looked at the book, The Science of Human Alchemy.
"I'm sorry grandfather." Ron sighed.
"I know you miss your sister John, but you must understand nothing can bring her back. There's a reason why human transmutation is forbidden. Those who attempt it gain nothing and lose everything. Do you understand this?" John nodded. "Good now promise me you won't ever attempt this."
"I promise grandfather."
"Good now get some sleep John." John then walked out of the study and upstairs to his room.
XXXX
ONE MONTH LATER
John was asleep in his room tossing and turning fitfully suddenly he sat upright.
"Mia!" he gasped. John looked around and looked around. "Just another nightmare." John looked over to his nightstand and saw the tin soldier that Mia had made him and sighed. "I'm sorry grandfather but I have to try." John got out of bed and quickly got changed. He then went over to his closet. Inside was everything he would need.
In the field by John's house John was preparing the circle for the transmutation. John placed his hands on the circle and there was a bright flash of light.
XXXX
Back at John's house Ron was in his study when he was suddenly surprised by a bright flash of light in the field. He got up with a start.
"John!" he screamed and ran out the door.
XXXX
"Mia where are you." shouted John. Suddenly the shadows surrounded and grabbed him. "Hey let go of me." Suddenly John felt the presence of a great and terrible power. The shadows stopped fighting and held John to the ground. The shadows parted leaving only one standing before him. John could sense that this shadow was stronger than the others he also noticed that the shadow had ancient alchemic symbols on its arms. On the right the symbols for destruction on the left the symbols for agony.
The shadow moved towards John and raised its right hand and plunged it into John's right eye. John screamed in pain. The shadow backed away from John and the light faded. John found himself back in the field his face drenched in blood. John looked to the center of the circle a horrible mass of flesh struggling to breathe. Then John blacked out.
XXXX
John opened his eye he was in the hospital. He looked to see his grandfather reading in the corner.
"Grandfather." said John weakly. Ron got up and walked over to John a look of relief and disappointment on his face.
"Thank God you're awake."
"Grandfather, I'm sorry."
"I know you are. Now you know the price of your sin."
"I know you tried to warn me about messing human alchemy."
"No, John you promised me you wouldn't try and you broke that promise and betrayal is the greatest sin of all." John then began to sob uncontrollably. "It'll be okay John. It'll be okay."
END FLASHBACK
"So that's my story Ed." said John.
"John I'm so sorry." said Ed. "But I have to ask you did you ever see Maki again?"
"Once, a year ago. We had tied for the position of State Alchemist, so they decided to do battle assessment. Maki technically won but would not stop, he wanted me dead. If Hawkeye hadn't shot his fire blade I would be dead."
"John do you know what happened to the thing you made." John shrugged.
"I don't know but I guess it died. Now go to sleep its late." John put his head on the bench and sighed.
What did happen to that thing? Thought John and he went to sleep.
FLASHBACK
It had been fifteen minutes since John's grandfather had found him and took him to the hospital when a figure came walking up to the mass of flesh. The figure was Matthew Logan even though it he had been dead for two months. But suddenly he started to change. He changed until standing there was a young boy with green palm tree like hair.
"Well it looks like Pride's prediction was right he did make a homunculus." said the palm tree boy.
"And not just any homunculus Envy." said a mysterious women.
"Lust what are you talking about?" asked Envy. Lust smiled.
"This is Betrayal."
"Betrayal?" Envy gasped. Then Envy smirked and pulled red stones from his pocket. "Eat up little one we have big plans for you."
"What about the kid and his family?" asked Lust
"Can I eat him Lust?" asked a short fat man.
"No Gluttony, he might still prove useful." said Envy. "Now let's get out of here. This place is too cheery for my tastes." Envy then picked up the newborn Betrayal and they walked off into the darkness.
O what tangled webs the homunculi weave. Hopefully this chapter answered all your questions as well as raised new ones. Thanks to all my loyal reviewers.