鋼の錬金術師 (FullMetal Alchemist)
Chapter 2 Arrival of the Alchemist
Ed jumped into the train when the guard wasn't looking. He had bought two tickets, even though Ling was dead. He was going to pretend he was asleep when they were asked for tickets.
He healed his wounds, and let him laying in the seat.
Ling hadn't lost the smile. He was stiff, and beginning to get cold, but the smile of having sat in that throne legitimally was still there.
Ed didn't know wether to cry or laugh.
Xiao Mei moved close to Ling, and licked his face, as trying to wake him up.
o0o
The croud was already organized. Every soldier looked carefuly at the doors of the main headquarters, waiting for the new Fuhrer to appear.
The door opened, and Roy came out yawning.
Many laughs were contained.
"Now, soldiers, listen to me. There's a war coming, and as hard it may be for you to believe it, we didn't cause it. Now, rise your hands, sware your loyalty to me, and get ready for battle". Roy said.
This time, the laughs were massive.
Roy snapped his fingers, and every clear space between the soldiers got lit. The heat rose for a second, as the enormous fire grid held the soldiers.
The flames dissappeared as fast as they had come up, and Roy looked at them severely.
"Now, don't you think I'm being serious?".
o0o
"How's Ed?". Winry asked, as soon as she saw Al waking up.
"I… I think he's alright… Envy cut the blood seal of the armor". He said, lowering his head.
"He's alright". Hope said, looking through the window of the office of the main headquarters.
"Look what's going on". He said.
Everyone came close to him, and looked at the rows of soldiers raising their hands at Roy.
"They are swearing loyalty to him". Hohenheim said. "I've seen other presidents doing the same".
"Have you?". Lust asked.
"Well, yeah… I've seen this same thing from three different bodies and angles".
All the soldiers lowered their hands, and Roy ordered them to turn around and leave.
He went into the headquarters again, and went up to the office where everyone was waiting.
"I've got a special mission for you, Al".
"I-I'm not a state alchemist!".
Roy went up to his desk, opened a drawer, and pulled a silver watch out of it. Then he got out some sort of scroll, and signed it, whispering.
"I, Fuhrer President Roy Mustang (He laughed when saying it) grant to Alphonse Elric, the grade of Alchemist of the State of Amestris, as well as Major to it's army, and shall be, from now on, be referred to as the Soul Alchemist. There, you're in a mission now". He said, laughing.
Al grabbed the watch, and sighed heavily. He tied it up to his belt, and looked at Mustang, annoyed.
"Now I see why Ed hates you so much". He turned around, and the group followed him. They all greated Roy, and just before leaving, he shouted:
"Armstrong goes with you!".
Al started cursing in his mind.
o0o
Envy kicked the helmet around, and looked at the blood on the floor. He just walked back through the hole in the wall, and entered the Symbol room again.
The signals of a battle were mor obvious.
Gluttony was still fainted on the floor.
Envy got close, and touched the side of his stomach.
"I gotta figure a way to get you past the desert".
o0o
The train station was oddly empty. Al, Hope, Lust, Winry, Ran Fan, Hohenheim and Mei Yang were there, waiting for their train to arrive.
Al heard some loud stomping behind himself, and got ready for what was coming.
Two gigantic arms covered his chest, and lifted him in the air. He was then pressed strongly against a couple of big pectoral muscles, and heard his own back cracking loudly.
"Young Alphonse! I'm so glad to have arrived in time!".
"Hell…O… Major…".
Hohenheim came close to Armstrong, and tapped his shoulder.
"Mister… You're killing my son".
Armstrong turned his head, rather curious.
"You're Ed and Al's father?".
Hohenheim looked back at him, and almost nodded, but he was trapped in a hug that lifted him from the floor.
"I've heard so much about you! Mainly from Ed, saying you're a bad person… But I've also heard you're an exceptioanlly skilled alchemist!".
Hohenheim's back cracked.
For the first time in his life, Armstrong payed attention to this, and let Hohenheim down.
"I'm terribly sorry if I hurt you. You must be very old".
Hohenheim's look changed. He got as pissed as Ed being called tiny, by being called old.
"It's this body… But it's quite old, yeah. I think you put something into its right place, though".
Armstrong vowed, as a train arrived.
Ed came down, carrying Ling.
o0o
Ran Fan was the first to salute him, and immediately looked at Ling.
"Wake up! You're safe now!".
Ed lowered his head. Everyone else understood the situation, but Ran wouldn't gove up so easily.
"He's asleep, right? He's… He…".
Xiao Mei jumped to her elbow, and licked her face sweetly.
She covered her face, and knelt, shaking softly.
The sky was starting to get covered with clouds.
o0o
Ed and Al improvised a grave under a tree. It was on top of a hill, where the whole of central could be seen.
Ran and Mei were crying. Everyone else was lowering their heads.
Slowly, Armstrong and Ed lowered the coffin, and slowly filled the hole with earth.
Lust wrote the gravestone with her spikes.
Ling Yao
Emperor, and friend, always loyal.
We'll join you.
Once the grave was filled, they walked away slowly.
Ed turned, and was left behind.
The grave looked almost cheerful… The last flower on the tree fell, and slowly descended.
It hit the gravestone, and fell on top of the fresh earth.
Ed slightly smiled.
He felt his left arm, being pulled softly by Winry.
He turned around once again, and was about to wave at the Grave.
He could almost see Ling's shadow underneath the tree, sitting down.
Smiling.
o0o
The wagon moved faster and faster.
Soon, the green fields of Liesenburgh appeared.
The satiton was as quiet as could be.
Everyone walked the path to the Elric's newly built house.
Ed kissed Winry good-bye, and she went away to see Pynako.
The house received cozily. Everyone hanged up their coats, and walked to the kitchen.
Hohenheim made some tea. Ran and Mei still cried, and conforted each other, hugging.
Hope and Lust looked theough the window, as if the days they had lived some weeks ago were parts of memories from decades far past.
Ed and Al sat down, and looked down.
Armstrong was standing still, near the door of the kitchen. He was rather sad.
"And, by the way, Ed… Roy named me State Alchemist".
"What? I told you over and over that I didn't want you to become a dog of the military!".
"I really wasn't given an option".
"And you let him?". Ed said, now screaming at Hohenheim.
"I can't go against the fuhrer".
"You could kick ten Fuhrer's ass if you felt like it!".
"Well, I don't feel like it".
He poured a cup of tea, and gave it carefully to Ran.
"So… What are you called?". Ed asked.
"Soul Alchemist".
"And what is the mission you have to fullfill?".
"How did you know I had a mission?".
"Why else would Roy name you a state alchemist in such a rush?".
"Well… He told me to gather all the alchemist's we met during our trip".
"Really?".
Both Elric brothers shut up.
"…He'll probably turn them all into state alchemists…". Ed whispered.
"But sensei… She's the strongest alchemist around, after Dad… Should we?".
"…Fuhrer's orders, sadly… I want to see sensei anyways".
o0o
The front door was smashed open. Winry came in shouting.
"Ed! Edward!".
Ed stood up, and ran to meet her.
"What is it?".
"There are soldiers here! They kidnapped Granny!".
Ed heard the steps of a big group of men running heavily towards the house.
