-1Chapter Eight: Al Discovers Arwen's Other Talent
A couple of hours later after Beth left the hospital Ed and Al saw that the doctor and the nurse were moving Arwen into the operating room so they could stitch up the hole were her right eye was and to place an eye patch over it.
"I hope she'll be okay." said Al worried.
" I hope so too Al." said Ed also worried.
Ed sat down in a chair inside the waiting room just outside the operating room to see and hear if Arwen is doing okay.
As Ed and Al waited for any updates on Arwen's progress a man came into the hospital. This man had short black hair and wore a blue military uniform. This man saw Edward and Alphonse sitting in the waiting room. He walked up to them and sat down next to them.
" Hello Fullmetal." said the man.
" Hello Colonel." said Ed. " What are and Al doing here?" asked Roy.
" None of your business." said Ed getting a little irritated at Roy's presence.
Just when Roy was about to ask another question the doctor came into the waiting room.
" Mr. Elric?" asked the doctor.
" Yes? How is she?" replied Ed looking more worried than he did earlier.
" Mrs. McClure is just fine. I must ask how did she lose her right eye?" asked the doctor.
Ed couldn't think of something to tell the doctor to not let him and Roy to know what Arwen attempted. Al however said something,
" We don't know what happened. We found her lying still and bleeding pretty badly."
" Well, in that case my only guess is that it was shot out by someone who by now could be about miles away. We did stitch up the place were her eye was and placed an eye patch over it. She will have to wear it for the rest of her life unless she wants to have a glass eye. You can see her once she is out of the morphine." said the doctor before he left them in a room.
Ed and Al walked into the room and saw Arwen sitting up on the side of the bed with her hand over her eye patch.
" Arwen you're okay." said Al as he went to her.
" Yeah I'm okay Al. Where's Ed?" responded Arwen.
" Right here." said Ed as he walked up to her as well.
Arwen saw that Ed's face held a look of anger.
" Hi Ed." said Arwen. Ed walked up closer to Arwen and slapped her in same she slapped him.
" What you did was really stupid! How could you do that!" said Ed. Arwen placed her hand were Ed slapped her and sighed.
" Because I love Saturn Ed. He was the one who was with me when I heard that my parents died. He was the only one other than my close friends that stood by me in everything." said Arwen.
" Look human transmutation isn't something you should do. Trust me Al and I learned the hard way." Ed said.
" What makes you the expert on Human transmutation?" asked Arwen getting upset.
" Ed took of his black over shirt. He showed her his right arm Arwen gasped and Ed started to explain.
" Al and I tried to bring our mom back from the dead. Al lost his whole body to the gate and I lost my left leg. I used my right arm as material to attach Al's soul into the suit of armor till this day." said Ed heavily.
Arwen looked at Ed and Al sadly.
" I'm sorry I didn't know that's what happened to you two." said Arwen.
Ed walked over to the door and said, " You can come back to the house. The exams are in two days. You might want to get ready." said Ed as he walked out.
Arwen sighed and picked up the bag of her clothes and held her head down.
" Al I really didn't know that's what happened to you and Ed." said Arwen.
" It's okay. Let's go." said Al.
Arwen dressed and followed Al back to his house.
As Al and Arwen walked back to the house a woman with short black hair walked up to the place were Arwen's failed attempt at human transmutation was. She saw a back mass still inside the faded circle. She walked up to the mass and noticed it was moving.
" You poor thing. Here I'll help you." she said handing the thing a bunch of red looking stones.
" Eat this you'll feel better trust me." She said as the creature took them.
As the creature ate the red stones it back to take a human shape. After a few minutes a full figured man stood before the woman.
" Who are you?" asked the man.
" I am Lyria the one who just help you." said Lyria.
" Why did you help me?" asked the man. " I couldn't stand to see someone like you in your earlier condition." Lyria responded.
She walked up to the man.
" After all someone did try to revive you earlier Saturn and then tried to get rid of you." she said smiling.
" Really?" asked Saturn.
" Yes. Now since you are no longer the same Saturn you once were I shall give you a new name." Lyria told Saturn.
Saturn looked at Lyria and gave off a small smirk.
" What's my new name?" he asked intrigued.
" Your new name will be greed since we lost one of us to that helpful brat Fullmetal. Greed was a nusance he never followed orders." Lryia answered.
Saturn smiled and accepted his new name with pleasure.
"Greed I like the sound of that." said Saturn.
Lyria smiled,
" Now I have a mission for you. There is a certain brat called the Fullmetal Alchemist and his brother Alphonse who is in a sit of armor. I want you to lead them to me so we can create a certain stone." she said.
" Sure. I'll help but first tell me what is the stone you're creating." Saturn said.
" Fine, I'll tell you Greed as a new homunculus you have a right to know. It is the Philosopher's stone." Lyria said.
" The philosopher's stone huh? This will be quite interesting." said Saturn as he rubbed the under side of his chin.
Lryia smiled and walked up to Saturn.
" Now go and find them for me Greed." she said as she smiled.
Saturn nodded and turned to walk away and search for the Fullmetal alchemist and his younger brother Alphonse.
Arwen was in side her room trying to study her advanced books. She sat there trying her best to concentrate on the contents of the book.
" Oh man I can't concentrate!" Arwen said in frustration.
She ran her fingers through her hair as she bent her head down. It was very hard for her to concentrate considering that it was a pretty day and hearing Al and Ed sparring didn't help much either.
" I need some air." she said to herself as she sat up from her desk.
Arwen grabbed a big black book from her side table along with a case full of small charcoal pencils.
Arwen then headed out of her room to the backyard were Ed and Al were sparring. She walked outside and sat right under a oak tree to watch the brothers fight. It was amusing to her. She liked to see Ed trying his best not to be bested by his younger brother. Al was well balanced and graceful for someone whose soul was bound to a suit of armor. Ed however was sort of balanced for someone who had to wear automail for his right arm and left leg.
Arwen laughed to her self as she watched Al pick up Ed and fling him about twenty feet away. Ed landed on his right hand and flipped to charge right back towards Al. Arwen opened up her black book and flipped to a blank page and began to draw. She looked up every once in a while to see Ed either getting flipped over or Al dodging Ed's attacks.
After about a couple of hours later Ed and Al were tired.
" Man I'm gonna be sore for the next day." said Ed as rubbed his left shoulder.
" Maybe you should relax tomorrow Ed" suggested Al
" Yeah guess you're right Al after all the exams are the day after tomorrow." replied Ed as he walked back to the house.
" Arwen what are you doing?" asked Ed as he noticed the soon to be alchemist sitting under the tree.
" I was getting some fresh air Ed. Is that a problem?" Arwen answered.
Ed shrugged his shoulders and walked into the house to rinse off the sweat from sparring and to change into some clean clothes. Al stayed outside with Arwen to talk.
" So Arwen what were doing out here?" Al asked as he saw Arwen closing her sketch book.
" Oh nothing Al just watching you and your brother spare." Arwen said getting up from the ground.
Arwen stood up a little too quickly and she was a little dizzy and her sketch book fell from her hands and landed on the ground. Al bent down and helped her pick up the various pictures that fell from inside the pocket of the book.
Al paused and saw the pictures.
" Arwen these are really good were did you learn how to do this?" asked Al as he flipped through them.
" Oh I just taught my self and even took a couple of art classes. It's not big really." Arwen answered as she was handed back her sketch book.
" Well let's get inside and cook dinner." Arwen said heading back into the house.
" Okay." said Al as he headed after Arwen into the house.
Arwen walked into the house and headed to the kitchen to cook dinner. She just walked into the door way and stopped. There she saw Edward with his hair down, he had his shirt off and was wiping off the water from the shower. Arwen couldn't help but stare. Arwen shook her head and went to the stove and started to work on the stew for dinner.
Ed smelt the beginning of the stew.
" That smells good Arwen." Ed said being cheerful again.
" Thanks Ed." Arwen replied to the good complement.
' Wow Ed sure has warmed up to me a bit. I wonder what could've made him happy just after being mad at me a few hours ago?' Arwen thought to herself.
She looked at Ed and saw him put his hair back into the braid. And putting on his muscle shirt letting his automail show.
' I wish you didn't put your hair back up.' Arwen continued to think to herself.
She was brought out of her thoughts when a knock emitted from the door. Ed went to the door and let in Colonel Roy and Lt. Colonel Hughes.
" Hello Fullmetal." said Roy.
" Hi Ed!" rang Hughes.
" Hello Mustang and Maes." Ed said as he let them into the house.
Roy and Maes sat on the couch and held straight faces.
"Ed we want to tell you why we are here." said Roy.
" What is it?" Ed asked curiously.
Maes looked at the sixteen year old alchemist.
" We have reason to believe that someone might try to disrupt the Alchemy exams tomorrow. We need to have Arwen and Beth keep an eye out. We think that Scar might be the one to come." said Maes wiping off his square glasses.
" Okay. Wait, the alchemy exams are tomorrow! Did the Fuehrer change the date?" asked Ed surprised.
" Yes he did. The Fuehrer is to spend the day at home with his son for his son's nineth birthday." answered Roy.
" Might as well tell Arwen she's gonna be freaked out." said Ed.
Before anything else was said Arwen came to the door way of the kitchen and dinning room. Her hair was out of place and she looked sweaty and had flour smeared across her face.
" Dinner's done. Come and help your selves." she said.
Maes rose up out of the couch.
" No thanks Gracia would want me home see you tomorrow Arwen. Good luck." He said as he headed out the door.
Roy rose out of the couch and headed to the dinning room.
" Thank you for the hospitality Arwen." Roy said smiling at the state alchemist hopeful.
" No problem Roy." Arwen said with a little laugh.
Dinner went by fast Roy and everyone enjoyed them selves as they shared embarrassing stories and jokes. After everyone ate dinner and had desert and were all relaxed. As Arwen was getting the dishes clean and in an excellent mood that's when Roy got up from his seat and went to the door.
" I'm going to head out now Arwen, al, and Fullmetal I will see you tomorrow at the exams." said Roy as he went out the door.
" Ed what did he mean about see you tomorrow at the exams?" asked Arwen.
Ed swallowed and sighed.
" He means the exams are tomorrow Hughes by possibly told Beth. Know you know." said Ed.
Arwen looked shocked and angry.
" WHY DID'T YOU SAY SO EARLIER! I HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT I HAVE TO DO FOR MY PRACTICAL!" said Arwen as she ran upstairs to think if what to do for her practical.