Chapter 2: Memories & the Scars They Carry

An ominous rain fell as the train Denny was riding to Ressenbol carried on. Still focused on the ring around his finger, Denny stared into the cloud-filled sky. "It was a day like this." Denny thought to himself. "It was a day like this…when I first found this ring. Hard to believe it has been six years since.

As Denny stared into the sky, he started to nod off until he fell asleep. As he slept, he dreamed of the exact day he was talking about. Up in his family's attic, Denny was searching for something to give John for his tenth birthday. "Where is it?" Denny asked himself. "Damn it. If I don't find that Power Ranger Morpher, I can't have Dr. Igasa fix it for John.

As Denny continued his search, he bumped into an old dresser. Atop it was a black briefcase. The force was strong enough to knock it off the dresser, hitting Denny in the head as it fell. "Ouch!" Denny let out with a scream. "What the hell was that?" Denny looked at the black briefcase. He was suddenly mesmerized by the weird symbol on the front of it. He took the briefcase and ran downstairs to show his dad, Dennis Daniel.

"Dad! Dad!" Denny shouted running into the kitchen where Dennis was sitting, reading the paper. "Look what I found!" "Well I'll be." Dennis smiled as he stared at the briefcase. "This briefcase belonged to my brother, your uncle Mark Daniel." He opened it up and he and Denny looked at the contents. Inside the briefcase was a small black box and what seemed to be a journal.

"You know Denny your uncle was a pretty good alchemist." Dennis bragged on. "Al…alchemist?" Denny asked trying to pronounce it. "Yes. He was a scientist." Dennis replied. "He was currently studying the theory of Equivalent Exchange. He was studying it with a partner of his. I wonder…"

Dennis opened the journal and pulled out the photo hidden between the pages. "Here we go." Dennis smiled. "This is the man. You see? This is your Uncle Mark and his partner, Hoenheim Elric." "Hoenheim?" Denny asked. "Yes. Hoenheim was a good man. I never met him personally, but your uncle would always go on about his two sons." Dennis chuckled. "He had children?" Denny asked. "Yes. If I'm correct, their names are Edward and Alphonse." Dennis answered.

He then looked at Denny and handed him the journal and briefcase. "Denny, I want you to have this." Dennis said as he looked at Denny. "But why? Isn't Uncle Mark going to need these?" Denny asked. "No he won't." Dennis replied in a serious tone. "Your uncle died five years ago in a lab accident. He told me to give this to the first son of the family to find this. So I'm giving it to you. I know you'll make him proud." "I will Dad." Denny smiled as he started to cry.

All of a sudden, a giant flash of lightning woke Denny up. "What? Huh?" Denny stammered half-asleep. "Oh that's right. I did find that briefcase in the attic." As he fell asleep again, he remembered all that he did after that day…

"That was my start into the world of Alchemy. Using my Uncle's notes, I quickly learned the basics. After one week, I could fully understand The Law of Equivalent Exchange. I performed my first usage of Alchemy a week after finding the briefcase. I transmuted a wilted pile of daises into a lovely bouquet of roses for my mother.

After that, I began showing off my new skills to the city of Norwood. I created a statue of our Mayor out of a pile of sand. A new auditorium out of the ashes of the old burned one for the Middle School. I was indeed an Alchemy prodigy. I was given the nickname "The Norwood Alchemist".

Things were looking up for Denny Little did he know that was all about to completely change. It was early in the morning. Denny was working in the basement while Dennis was in the kitchen, eating breakfast. Out of nowhere, the sound of gunshot riddled the air upstairs. Denny ran up to see three armed men in front of his dad, who was lying on the ground bleeding.

Thinking quickly, Denny drew a Transmutation Circle and turned the kitchen floor into a prison cage, trapping the armed men away from their guns. Denny ran over to his father to see his left arm, riddled with bullet holes. "Dad! Dad! Wake up! Please!" Denny cried out. Dennis was rushed to the hospital as fast as possible.

The doctors were amazed he was still alive. They couldn't say the same for his left arm. It had to be amputated or he would bleed to death. Several hours later, Dennis came out smiling. He saw Denny, sitting in the Waiting Room. Denny looked up to see his Dad and with the emotional connection any child has to their parent, ran to him crying in his arms. Only, he mourned the loss of his father's left arm.

Denny locked himself away in the basement for weeks on end. Trying his hardest to find anyway to regain what his father had lost. One day, Denny came up to see Dennis holding a letter. "Denny, this is for you." Dennis said as he handed Denny a letter. The letter was addressed to Denny from the German State Military. Denny quickly opened the letter and read it.

Dear Mr. Daniel,

Upon hearing your family's loss, I send my condolences. However, I have read on how you are becoming an Alchemy prodigy in America. Which is why I want you to join the State Military here in Central City as a State Alchemist upon hitting your eighteenth birthday if you are still interested then. Hope to hear a reply from you.

Best regards,

Lt. Colonel Roy Mustang

"The Flame Alchemist"

"That sounds like a big honor, Denny." Dennis replied in amazement. "No!" Denny whispered. "I won't join. War had hurt this family enough. I won't let it hurt us again." Dennis looked at Denny with a sad look in his eyes. He then put his right arm on his shoulder and as Denny looked up, he smiled at him. "Denny, I still have my right arm after all. If this is your dream, you need to pursue it." Dennis told him. "Well, I'll wait until I'm a little older at least." Denny replied as he hugged his father.

Out of nowhere, a crash of thunder sounding like it could shatter the heavens startled Denny and woke him up. "Uhhhh…I fell asleep again." Denny yawned. "Attention. We will be entering Ressenbol in ten minutes." The train conductor shouted. Denny grabbed his suitcase and got ready to exit the train. As the train entered the station, he noticed the sun was starting to come out. He exited the train and saw the beautiful and scenic countryside of Ressenbol.

"Well. Time to find the Elric Brothers." Denny shouted as he put his fist in the air. As he began to take a step, a thought occurred to him. "Dahh!" Denny shouted. "I don't know where they are. Mustang never told me WHERE in Ressenbol they were." Denny let out a sigh, looked up and began walking off, continuing his search.