A New Beginning

Chapter Fourteen

Training

Fuhrer's Mansion

Early Evening

Edward's Office

Edward agreed that Severus had grown adept at reading energy. Better than most of the people he had come across, though not as gifted as Edward and Roy, let alone Mei and Ling. The problem, they all agreed, was if he was to find the horcrux likely hidden inside the walls of Hogwarts he needed to be better.

With that in mind, Edward arranged for Ling to secretly join them in these lessons. Mei was busy running a school and caring for a new baby, and she didn't have the patience to train two wizards. She had already begun expanding Remus Lupin's lessons, which lead to the choice of Edward attempting to further Severus' lessons himself or calling upon his friend's help.

Ling took a portkey directly into Edward's office after retiring to his private apartment with Lan Fan and their children. His wife had agreed to prevent anyone from suspecting he was not in the palace. This meant that though Edward had originally intended to include his eldest two sons and Draco in these lessons he changed his mind. He was not going to pressure them into keeping state secrets like that.

The three men settled into the office and Ling began the lesson with asking Severus to demonstrate what he had already learned, by asking him to identify how many people were on this level of the mansion with them. Severus frowned in concentration as he reached out to feel those around him. This part had been difficult for him to learn, as it went against the lessons to guard his mind. "Twelve, including the three of you." He said after a few minutes.

"Now. How many of them can you identify? "Ling asked after a nod.

"Identify? Five." Severus said after another pause. "Reliably five, perhaps two others."

"Name them." Ling remained calm without any indication on his opinion of how Severus was doing.

"You, Fuhrer Mustang, Lt. Fuhrer Elric, Colonel Breda, Arabella Figg." Severus said. "Possibly General Olivier Armstrong and Lt. Colonel Fuery."

"You do not recognize any of the others?" Ling asked.

"No, not reliably. One feels similar to General Armstrong, but softer… One I have felt before, but I do not remember when it was it has to have been a while ago…" Severus concentrated harder but knew he wasn't going to be able to identify the remaining people. "One feels odd, I haven't seen this before, I can not explain it. The other two I do not recognize at all."

"You need to keep your mind closed, as you open your senses." Ling sniffed. "It is unnecessary for you to reach for thoughts to feel the pulse."

"He's still learning Ling, give him a chance." Ed frowned. There was a time he would have been just as impatient if not more so, before he began teaching small children to control magic through alchemy.

"I was given the impression we were working with a tight schedule." Ling replied. "You were correct more often than not. Me, Edward, and Roy were the easiest. Breda, Armstrong, Fuery, Figg, and Harris were asked to remain on the level for a security experiment. The other Armstrong I do not recognize beyond her similarity to the Generals. The one that confused you is unborn, that is why she feels different. The last two I believe may be household staff."

"Yes, that would be Edgar Price and Sarah. They were asked to leave the floor before we began but it is possible, they are just passing through since they are already fading." Roy added, "Severus, Edward will work with you on keeping your mind separate after the lesson. He is the expert on that between the three of us."

"Hardly. Ling was raised with this, I only learned it a few years ago." Edward snorted.

"Yet you managed to keep yourself and Alphonse separate. You have strong barriers. Severus himself has commented on it when he was training you to close you mind." Roy said.

"Yeah, and now I'm completely unreadable most of the time. So is Ling though Dad. I still think he is the better teacher here. We don't have much time left; we've been at it for weeks that's why I called Ling in."

"What will you do should he not learn to properly master this before it is time? Do you have a plan B? You always have a plan b, how silly of me." Ling asked.

"I don't like plan B. I don't like plan A. We haven't been left with many choices here." Edward sighed. "Alright, Severus try again. This time leave your mental barriers in place, do not lower them, just reach out to feel the energy around us…now how many on the floor above us?"

Severus left his barriers up this time, though it was harder to reach out while holding them in place, it was still possible. It took him longer to make a list, though whether that was because they were further away or because he still had the urge to reach out mentally as well, he still managed to finish his list in a couple of minutes. "Thirteen."

"How many can you name?" Ling asked again.

"The children, your wives, General Alex Armstrong, and Pinako Rockbelle." Severus said after a pause to be certain he had listed them all correctly and to wonder why Edward was not more concerned that someone could listen into the conversations.

"Correct again. You also kept your barriers strong." Ling said. "You are however, still reaching for minds. Feel for their spirits. These vile things you search for have some level of awareness, however you are seeking the unnatural feeling of them, the tattered remains of the soul they once belonged."

"I was not aware you had encountered them?" Severus asked, trying to remember the horcrux hunt including the Emperor at any time.

"I have more than enough knowledge of unnatural acts. I felt monsters wearing the faces of men. I felt the tattered piece of a soul inside an innocent child. I have been further down the road of condemnation than anyone is comfortable remembering considering who I am." Ling replied calmly.

"There is no reason to share more secrets than you have Ling. It isn't a subject you need to dwell on." Edward interrupted grimly.

Severus nodded, curious but not pushing the subject. He would try to figure out exactly what they were talking about later. So many subjects had come up during this lesson that reminded him that for all he trusted these men, he did not know much of their pasts.

From there the lesson continued, Severus was tired by the time Ling announced it was time for him to return to Xing. Edward invited Severus to join them for dinner as Severus created another portkey for Ling and Roy went to tell everyone they could head home for the day and thank them for their help.

Severus and Edward sat at the desk after the room was cleared, before Ed sighed in frustration. "Ling was short with you, but he wasn't wrong. We don't have a lot of time left; I probably should have called him in sooner to help us with this. I'm afraid that if we send you before you've completely mastered this it will only end badly for everyone."

"We do not have many options in this." Severus agreed. "I will master this Edward, I have always been quick to pick up new skills, and I had this nearly mastered before we began training."

"The biggest problem, which is why I asked Ling to come, is that you need to be able to not only feel the horcrux but know that is what you are feeling." Edward pinched the bridge of his nose. "No, the biggest problem is you dropped your barriers. You said yourself you are one of the best at that. Why are you dropping them?"

"I was under the impression it became necessary to reach out further."

"Yeah, that is probably my fault. I should do a better job of explaining to you what it is you are doing here." Edward sighed as he leaned back in his chair. "What you are doing, this reading of energies, it can be taught to anyone. With or without magic. In Xing, most people are not alchemists or wizards, but nearly all of them can read energies."

"Have we been going about this wrong then?" Roy asked as he came back into the room. "Have we forgotten a step that needs to be further explored."

"Perhaps." Edward shrugged as he stood to go through his bookcase. "You told me before you learn better from reading than any other form of lesson correct Severus?" Before Severus could respond, Edward was placing a stack of books on the desk beside him. "Now, the biggest problem that you might run into with these books is language. I believe you said once you know a translation spell you can use?"

"I do, it is a simple spell, which can last for however long I chose. I would be the only one who read it in that state, anyone else who looked at it would see the original text." Severus agreed as he opened a book to glance at it.

"Well, these were given to me by Mei when she was teaching me, and I used them to teach the boys as well. It will probably explain certain parts of it all better than we have been explaining them." Edward sat back behind his desk, trying not to worry though it was a lost battle already. "You have been doing well up until now. The dropping of your barriers is new, and I suspect it is a side effect of you trying to reach out further."

Severus would not admit to himself or Edward that it was just as likely he was causing more trouble for himself trying to rush through the lessons. He too felt the deadline looming closer than was comfortable. He agreed to take the books home to begin studying right away.

After Severus left, declining the offer for dinner, Edward continued to sit in his office. He was certain that any plan that involved them winning, they had to get rid of all these pieces. It was going to be a long night as he tried to take time for other things, like food. He also needed to help put the children to bed, because there will never be a time his children remember their father hidden away in his study instead of spending time with them, as he promised himself years before Yuery had been born.

He set his research aside to make his way upstairs, where the boys were setting the table while Tad and the girls played in the background. Winry was watching over the children with Izumi in her arms while his parents' and Granny finished dinner in the kitchen. Maes was the first to notice Edward as he slipped into the room, and he excitedly ran to his Dad after hurriedly setting down the last fork. "Daddy! I got all the answers on my test today!"

"Thanks, great! Good job." Edward scooped the small boy up, before hugging the eldest two. Tad and Trisha came over next as he set Maes in his chair to get their hugs, While Sarah stood up and Lizzie pounded on her highchair.

He helped get all of the children settled around the table, with Winry sitting next to Sarah and Trisha, Ed between Maes and Will, Roy between Yuery and Tad, with Riza on Tad's other side and Lizzie next to her, and Granny on the other side of Lizzie next to Sarah. Ed scooped Izumi out of Winry's arms to give her a break (and because he still preferred to spend as much time with his babies as possible) as Roy began serving the children.

After everyone had their plated filled, and William had carefully separated it so that nothing was touching, Ed asked the older boys how their days had gone. Will, as usual listed all of his lessons and grades before returning to his meal, while Yuery told them a funny story about Hiro and Draco.

Ed was glad that Yuery had made several friends, after his rough start in his first school. He did worry that Will never seemed to have stories about playing with other children, though Yuery had mentioned several times that Will and a few of his classmates joined Yuery and his friends often enough that Ed hoped it meant his younger son also had friends.

Trisha and Tad then talked about their lessons and Maes once again bragged about his tests. Granny asked Winry about a client she had agreed to see, even with her maternity leave still active. Roy and Ed were quick to change the subject, redirecting back to the children when Riza tired to ask them about their paperwork.

Once dinner was finished, Ed sat with the children while they played a bit longer. Roy offered to take over if Ed had to finish his work but as always, Ed refused. Only once that he could remember had he agreed, when the threat of war with Creta was looming over them and Ed needed to be sure everything was in order before his early morning meeting with the wizards.

Every other time, even when they were dealing with the situation in Xing, and when they were still finishing up paperwork from Ishbal, Ed always made sure to wait until the children were in bed. Roy understood, he was the same way, he would not be retuning to his private office until all of the children were in bed. Winry had taken Izumi back to feed her and get her to sleep, while Riza was sitting with them in the living room, reading through a file as the children played so that if they needed anything she would also be there.