Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist in anyway.
Author Note: We're probably thinking the same thing here. Yes, another chapter! I'm happy I written one, I can say that. Thank you to those that have read this story and to those that have reviewed.
To one review in particular, all I have to say is "it's funny that you mention that."
Thanks to the great higher beings, chapter 10 is here!
Chapter 10: Alchemy?
They watched the military car leave. Mustang and Juliet both have work at the military headquarters, and the former plan of Edward coming in with Juliet was cancelled after the (uncomfortable) lunch. There was a silent unanimous decision among all four of them; Alphonse would be the best person to comfort Edward - which is how Edward finds himself among a legion of books.
In the labs they would read the books given to them during testing. They would read the book and be asked question about it later. They would then read more books and be asked more questions. It would continue on for an entire day. On his first test trail, he passed out after a few hours. The amount of reading and time took many trails to get used to such - as a quick thought, Edward never did understood the point to the reading exercises.
Looking at Alphonse peruse through the shelves of books, Edward finds himself at a loss. He didn't want to read books. He had read enough books in the lab and more than the standard person had. Personally, Edward is just ready to quit reading.
Yet, what else is there to do in a library?
"Have you ever been to a library before?" Alphonse asks, watching Edward's eyes wander around the shelves. 'Is he frowning?' His mouth cracks with a smile, instead of our right laughing. Strangely, Edward seems to be making war against the books. Odd would have been the best word. He could understand if Edward didn't like reading - many people didn't. Yet his friend seems ready to burn the books in a fire. 'No, fire is Roy's thing. There's a better chance of Edward eating the pages from the books.'
"No." He says viewing the books with disdain, not daring to touch. "Is this what you do all day?"
"Yes. When I'm not on a mission I'm researching." From the corner of his eye, Alphonse could note Edward stiffening. "Not all research is like that," Alphonse quickly adds realizing his slip, "in fact I'm just finding ways to better my knowledge of alchemy."
Alphonse is met with a blank look. "Alchemy?" Edward raises a brow, relaxing slightly. 'Alchemy, I've heard that term before.' "What's alchemy?"
It is Alphonse turn to give Edward the blank look - and in reality it is more of a prolong stare. Before allowing his mouth to move, he replays the question his friend just asked. Before the orphanage some of his playmates from the local daycare had alchemist in their families. Either it be the father or the mother (sometimes both), an older sibling, or a relative - distant cousins or first. Alphonse could remember an older brother showing off to them. With lines of chalk drawn into the ground, the boy had simply placed his hand on the circles and triangles he created and…pushed. It seems as though the older boy had pushed. Some invisible effort that had taken place to create the green sparks that glowed and shimmered, and then just grew into a big flash of light. In its placed was a little toy soldier, made from the dirt the array encompassed.
After the orphanage, his next memory of alchemy was Roy, fire, and his own creation of light years after. Roy had given him the book after he pleaded for it - wanting to be just like Roy. 'Basic Alchemy I' was his first step to learning the science.
Maybe it was because he surrounds himself with Alchemist; Alphonse couldn't imagine someone not knowing. Carefully placing his books on a table Alphonse whirrs to think of explanations. "Well, alchemy is a science…" He and Edward both took a seat at the table, with Edward watching intently on Alphonse lecture about alchemy. "…the art of transmutations, the manipulations of elements..."
"You said it's an art, yet it's a science?" Edward's face, a portrait of disbelief, allows Alphonse to reassess his explanation.
'Maybe I can show him.' "Do you want to see what alchemy is?"
"You can show me right now?" Edward sat up in amazement. 'What is this alchemy? I know of heard of it.'
Alphonse opens his mouth and stops. 'The library is not the best place.' "How about I show you later, after I finish my research?"
Edward nods, slightly perplex by the no Alphonse gave. He was sure Alphonse seemed excited to show him.
"You can read up on it if you want?" Alphonse laughed as Edward narrowed his eyes.
x x x
Edward fingers the pages of the closed book. Flipping the book so the front cover faces him, he outlines the hard edges of the book: The Basics of Alchemy. Across from him Alphonse is studiously reading and taking notes every so often. 'The Basics of Alchemy, if I want to know what alchemy is I have to read this book?' Edward lifted the hard cover of the book, pressing his fingers into the sharp top corner. 'Alchemy…I want to remember. I want this nudging at my brain to stop. It's like looking at… I wanted that man to be him.'
Edward grits his teeth, 'just forget about it!' He releases his hold on the book; no evidence left of his momentary anger. He wanted – wants to run from them. 'Staying just for that man; the wrong person even, it's stupid.'
"I never knew a person so resilient to reading." Alphonse laughs across the table.
He looks up, not bothering with a smile but a shrug. "Maybe some other time", fingertips slowly push the book away from him and Alphonse receives it, as though it were a gift - or maybe a bomb.
Alphonse smiles at Edward. "That's ok. How about we leave? I can just take these from the library."
Edward stands from his seat giving his silent yes; allowing him to stay within his withdrawal. "Do you need help carrying the books?" Looking at the pile of ten books, Edward sees of how his assistance will probably be of use.
At first Alphonse refutes, until taking a look of the books spread out on the table. Edward could see that Alphonse wasn't planning to carry ten books by himself to the dorm. "Yeah, thank you." His friend reaches over to various books placing them in a pile. Pushing the pile to Edward, Alphonse adds one more book. The one Edward was supposed to be reading.
"Why do you need that book?" He frowns not understanding Alphonse intentions, "don't you already know alchemy?"
"It's for you, just in case you want to read it." Edward looks carefully at Alphonse. 'He's trying to get me interested in alchemy. What's so great about it?' Picking up the books, Edward makes his way to the exit where the checkout counter should be. He could see Alphonse smile falter as he realizes he is being left behind.
x x x
"Don't you have a bag to carry these in?" Edward places the books on a bench trying to steady his breathing. He has discovered that it's a long walk from the main library to the military dorms.
Alphonse drops his books onto the bench and takes a seat, stretching himself out as he catches his breath. "That's a good idea."
"I can't believe you never thought of that" Edward exasperates.
"I usually have someone to drive me around," Alphonse retorts in faux-innocence.
"You always told me I should think ahead." Edward takes a deep breath feeling a tinge of his normal strength return. "You're a hypocrite."
"What!" Alphonse exclaims, ready to jump up from his seat to add dramatics. Edward is clearly in a better mood than before, and it made Alphonse smile more.
Precariously falls onto the bench to sit down, points' a finger at Alphonse and repeat his last word. "Hypocrite."
"I am not!" He laughs. "I should make you carry them all."
"Then they're not going anywhere." Edward pats the top book of his pile, enforcing the idea that they weren't moving if he's doing all the work.
Alphonse laughs. "I could always threaten to transmute you." Looking over, he's remembers that Edward doesn't know alchemy. "Uh, transmuting – its part of alchemy."
"What does it mean?" Edward asks in pure curiosity.
"Transmutation, it's where we alchemist take one matter and change it into another."
"Taking one matter and changing it into another?" Edward frowns, "how?"
"Well, what we do is draw an array. When alchemists activate this array we can manipulate the molecules of the matter into a desired result." Alphonse watches Edward's brow creases in thought.
"I think I need to see this for myself. I don't know what you mean by molecules and arrays."
"Maybe I should show you then." Alphonse lightly laughs standing up and searching his pockets for his chalk.
"You mean right now?" Edward eyes widen and he could see the interest lying in them. He came to stand over Alphonse as his friend draws onto the ground. Alphonse drew the array with unneeded careful precision. Like most professional alchemist, they could draw their arrays without needing to see. The circle and the lines within were all stored in memory. Finishing the array, Alphonse looks up to see Edward has move in front of him. He gives a smile, signaling to Edward. Presses his hand on the array and activates it.
x x x
All the muscles in his body became rigid. He couldn't ever prepare himself for this light. It pushes him back to remember what limited knowledge of alchemy that he knew.
And then it pushes him to exactly the first time he's seen of alchemy be performed. Edward could remember the light wrapping around him, causing his skin to tingle. His breathing hitches, he could feel it caressing. It tingles all over him, when he didn't want it to. The pain came next, and Edward places his hands over his eyes to cover himself from the blinding light -
- Because now he could feel the light eating at his arm and leg.
x x x
"What's wrong? Edward!" Alphonse shouts to him. Alphonse had immediately stopped the transmutation to come to his friend's aid. He did not expect that reaction – never seen someone react like that to alchemy.
Edward has his eyes cover with his hands stuttering "it hurts it hurts it hurts!"
"I'm sorry." 'What did I do?' A crowd starts to gather, and from across the park a police officer comes running to see what this disturbance is about. "Edward it's okay!"
Alphonse has to shout over Edward screaming. He takes the older boys form and holds him, as though he was younger and not the other way around. It seems the crowd was gathering around even closer. "What's wrong?" "Is he okay?" "Did something happen?"
"What happened here?" A police officer asks Alphonse.
Alphonse looks up as he cradles Edward. "I don't know! I was just showing him alchemy." His friend starts to struggle and Alphonse has to hold him tighter to his chest. As an after thought he quickly adds, "I need you to call for a Juliet Sloe of the military's 4th division."
The officer passes the request to his partner who quickly runs off right after arriving.
"Edward, you're okay. You're safe." Alphonse repeats into Edward's ear.
"Make it stop!" The blonde yells, grabbing his automail arm and leg closer to him.
'Is that how you lost your arm and leg?'
x x x
Juliet drives away from the front of Central's military Headquarters. Alphonse had waved his goodbye profusely apologizing to him. He had even asked to take the alchemy book back if he didn't want to read it, which is what Edward did.
Quietly Edward responds, "Good I guess."
It was not the response Juliet expected. Not the way she thought he would answer considering that just one hour ago, she had driven to a park and found the boy screaming in fear and unwilling wouldn't stop. Alphonse had given her and account of what transpired. It made less sense to her, than it did to Alphonse who seemed heartbroken to see Edward like that. Scared even - possibly because he didn't know what to do, or why.
"If - when you're ready, you can tell me what's wrong?" Juliet knew she's being hopeful that Edward would talk, but when Alphonse couldn't, then no one else stands a chance.
"No. I don't want to."
The words are spoken coldly, and Juliet backs away and concentrates to keeping her eyes on the road ahead. Thinking of ways to breach a wall.
"Is there anything you want for supper Edward?" Juliet eyes keeps to the road while every so often venture to Edward who kept to staring out the window. After a few minutes of non-response, Juliet deflates and gives in to talking. "I was thinking of trying to make Xingian food, though I don't think that'll pan out to well." Golden eyes kept to the window. "Maybe I'll cook you spaghetti. I use to cook that a lot for my family back home. I've never actually gotten the noodles done right, but the sauce should make up for that. Or so I tell myself." Juliet makes a small laugh, and with Edward and the thick tension surrounding him she feels embarrass. Like laughing at ones own joke that no one else understood.
Juliet slows the car to stop at an intersection, hoping Edward would tell her that she could stop speaking. That he's okay. 'Do apologies work in situation like these?' "I'm sorry," She could see Edward frown, "about this day. I don't know what happen to you, and I'm sorry that Commander Mustang --- Edward!"
The passenger door lies wide open, letting in the breeze. The instant Juliet had stopped, Edward rips out from the car. She struggles to think of an offensive action to take. Edward rounds the corner of the street, and Juliet didn't know how to handle a run away situation.
x x x
Edward didn't want to here that name. He can't stop himself from running. 'I've had enough disappointments and memories!' Edward knew where Alphonse lives, but he couldn't bring himself to go see Alphonse. The next best option is to simmer alone, and the residential playground just down the street came to be a perfect place.
Slowing his steps, Edward tries to calm down. 'How could I not remember what alchemy was? After what happened.' He pulls up his right arm into eyesight. The metal reflects the light of the sun, close to disappearing behind a houses and then below the horizon. The automail was bought cheap from outside the lab. 'Maybe from this city.' It was Kei who gave the proposal to the council. It was Davis who first asked him about his missing limbs, and it was the first time Edward told someone the truth - against Kei's orders. Edward was sure that was when his rebellion settled in.
Edward sat under the construction of the slide. A small little sitting area made of three wooden walls. He could see the cracks of the broads above him, and could imagine the sand seeping through if a bunch of small kids were to be playing above. 'It's nice. Like a cave,' Edward thinks as he lies down to close his eyes with his back to the opening. Allowing the idea of drifting into sleep to take over. 'My room in the lab was better than this.'
Someone is shaking him. No, petting him. Edward doesn't move. Nothing to alert the person that he's awake. Flesh hand closes around the sand, 'I could blind them with the sand - throw it in their eyes.'
The petting continues, moving to his neck, which cause Edward to involuntarily shiver. It continues for a few moments before skating over his arm and holds his hand into the ground. Suddenly afraid that this person knew he was feigning sleep, Edward quickly tries to think of another plan.
A lip touches his ear and the person - the man - calls his name.
Edward opens his eyes, quickly turning his body so he's on his back facing this familiar person. Those lips are touching Edward's own, and all he wants to do his hold onto Davis as the older man instigates a deep kiss as hands travel all over.
Author to readers: Admit it RoyEd fans, how much do you hate me for bringing Davis in there. (I'm off to sleep with an evil laugh.)