AN: Happy FMA Day! This picks up from where we left off in the previous chapter.
Short recap: Izumi is a State Alchemist specializing in circle-less alchemy (without human transmutation). In this AU, State Alchemists are not necessarily military personnel. They could be civilians and still get into the program and would be called for missions only if necessary. They could also be military personnel, like Roy, who decided to get their certification despite being an officer already.
Izumi offered to teach Ed and Al circle-less alchemy when Roy refused to teach them Flame Alchemy.
Hope you enjoy!
In the Trenches
"No." Roy arranged his dropped utensils in an attempt to make them presentable, his food forgotten. "There is no way you are going to be a State Alchemist." He looked up to meet Ed's glare. "Absolutely not."
Riza and Al's conversation fell away, the discussion about adopting a cat coming to an abrupt halt.
"Why not?" Ed shot back, pushing his empty plate forward.
"Just because you're my son doesn't mean it's an automatic in to the program." His lips pursed together in contained irritation. "That's a bad reason to join."
"I'm not joining it because of you," he snarled, though he knew it was a lie. Since he knew it was a lie, his adoptive parents knew it too.
Roy raised a brow. "No."
"Is it so difficult to see I can hack it?"
"You don't hack the program, Ed. In case you didn't know, I don't make the decisions on my own. You need at least three other people backing you up once the exams and interviews have started."
Riza slid a hand on Roy's shoulder before they both said something they didn't mean. "Ed, why do you want to be a State Alchemist?"
"I want to research and learn more about alchemy without depending on just Master Izumi. You won't teach us Flame Alchemy, but maybe… other than circle-less alchemy, there's more to it than that. Plus," his gaze dropped to his plate, "It wouldn't hurt to be by your side when it's necessary. I'm quick… quicker, because I don't use gloves or chalk."
"No."
"Roy," she hissed. Ed might not have said anything that resembled it, but she knew he meant that he had also been inspired by them. Otherwise, why would he want to be — possibly fight — by her and Roy's side?
"No." Roy was stubborn, refusing to listen to reason and blocking out anything that was different from what he thought. "While being a State Alchemist off the bat does excuse you from most military missions, you might still be called upon when necessary. You're good, Ed, but you're young."
"What does that have to do with anything?! You were my age when you enlisted!"
"I was a soldier first before I was a State Alchemist."
Ed slammed a fist on the table. "Would you want that, then? Would you be satisfied if I completed basic training first?!"
"No!" Roy rose from his seat, which caused Ed to do the same.
Riza bit back a sigh. Heated emotions tended to make people say things they didn't truly mean. She hoped they would realize they were more alike than they thought even if they did stand on opposing sides of this issue.
"It isn't even guaranteed I'd get in. I'm just applying. If safety is an issue, mom taught us everything we know about self-defense." During their basic training, Izumi even coordinated her alchemy lessons with Riza's self-defense lessons.
"You're my son. While it might not come up at first glance, because your mother and I have allowed you to keep the Elric name, it will still come up eventually."
Ed shot back, "Isn't there a rule about how to safeguard fraternization?" To emphasize his point, he briefly glanced at Riza before turning back to Roy.
Roy grit his teeth. "I do not want you to be a State Alchemist."
"Lucky for you, parental consent forms are not required for the application."
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"Maybe he'd fail," said Riza as she and Roy tucked in bed that night. The State Alchemist Exams were composed of three stages: written, psychological, and practical with panel interviews. A prospective applicant can easily fail at any stage and would no longer be allowed to take the following stage of the exam.
Roy turned over to his side so his back faced her. "Maybe."
"Roy…" She slid a hand over his shoulder to try and coax him into facing her, but he refused to budge.
"Good night, Riza."
She buried herself beneath the covers and turned off her bedside lamp. If her husband needed time to stew, so be it. Hopefully this doesn't drag on too long.
Unfortunately for Riza, Roy decided to indeed drag the issue longer than she liked. Childishly avoiding Ed the entire week, Roy decided to go to work ahead of her and went home past dinnertime.
A few days into this new routine, Riza tried to address the issue with the boys. "How are you two… with school?" She wanted to slap herself for retreating in the middle of the sentence.
"Not much happened from last week," said Ed, grumbling into his meal. "Pop's still not happy, huh?"
"He doesn't want you to push through with your application."
He frowned at her. "It doesn't make sense and you know it. He's a State Alchemist."
"Your reason doesn't make sense to him, either, Ed."
Al frowned at her too. "Are you on pop's side, mom?"
"No," she pushed her plate away, "I'm on no one's side. But make me understand. You never once mentioned this, why now?"
She didn't want to fuel Ed's agitation and Al's frustration, and make Roy seem like the bad guy who refused a young man's dreams outright without reason, but she also refused to let this matter go without the boys trying to understand Roy's point of view. This would be a whole lot easier though, she thought to herself, if he'd talk to me.
Ed tilted his head to the side like a challenge. "Maybe now is the only time I realized I wanted it."
"Anything that pushed you to that decision?"
"You two, actually. I like learning," he flushed at the admission, "and the research funds I'll receive are great. Maybe I can help out a bit with house expenses, but more than that… 'Be thou for the people'." He shrugged.
She blinked at that. He was just as ideal as Roy was. I wonder if they've realized it yet. "And you?" she turned to Al. "There's a year left before you're allowed to send in an application form, but I would appreciate it if you didn't drop a bomb on us when the time comes."
"I don't want to be a State Alchemist," said Al, "But I do want to help people with alchemy too, I just haven't figured it out yet… Maybe like a traveling merchant? Learn different kinds of alchemy in lots of places and get paid for my services."
She eyed Ed, "Between you giving us a heart attack," then faced Al, "and you wanting to leave the nest and go to unknown and faraway places, and make us worried sick for you…" She sighed as she trailed off.
Al's voice was small when he asked, "Are you disappointed in us, mama?"
Her answer was an immediate and firm, "No. Not in the slightest. But I do hope you understand worrying comes with the territory of being parents to two intelligent and strong-willed boys."
She reached for Ed's hand. "I believe you can do anything you set your mind to. And if you're clear on your goal and your reason, Roy will understand. We didn't know why you wanted to do this. All he saw was worry for your safety and was blinded by it." She grabbed Al's hand too. "Remind me to refresh you both on self-defense lessons before you leave us for alchemy research, alright?"
Al grinned. "It's gonna take awhile, mom. School first."
"That's a relief."
Ed gripped her hand tighter. "Will pop really understand?"
"Once you show you're determined enough for it, yes. Right now, he doesn't understand why. He's confused. And you know when alchemists are confused. It's a range of emotions before they settle to finding out answers." She gave him a knowing look.
"I don't understand why he'd be angry, though, it's not like I told you I wanted to be a serial killer." Then he added as an afterthought, "We don't even know if I'll pass on the first try yet."
"It was a surprise, nonetheless." She held back the fact that Roy was confident enough for Ed to pass the first two stages of the exams without a hitch, which was why he was only worried for the practical exam part — when he would have to face Roy and the rest of the panel before his name was put up for deliberations.
"Speaking of…" Ed inched his hand away. "I was wondering how to fill up the application form… Pop was angry, like I was only using your name, his name? But, I checked and other than the emergency contact person, I don't have to put his name under 'father' if he doesn't want me to."
Her brows rose at that. Never in their years of raising the Elrics was it an issue and now because of her husband's anger and momentary stupidity, the boy was doubting his position in their household. Ed and Al always placed both their real and adoptive parents' names under 'father' and 'mother'. "He's still your father, Ed."
"Would it help if Ed didn't put in pop's name?" asked Al. "Then you would be Ed's emergency contact person, so pop would be less angry."
"I'll do that, yeah," said Ed, nodding his head as he made the decision.
She wanted to tell him it was alright to put in Roy's name, but with the way he was giving all of them the silent treatment… She bit back the protest threatening to burst from her lips.
She hoped it wouldn't have to take until the end of this year's State Alchemist Exams before Roy talked to her or the boys. She hoped he wouldn't be that childish.
Much like being stuck in the trenches, this drawn out stubbornness battle between her husband and child would hopefully tire them both out soon. Very soon, if she had her way.
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Upon submission of the application forms, the first stage of the State Alchemist Exams was the written exam. Ed eyed his fellow examinees, noting how everyone seemed to come from all walks of life. Some looked older than the Fuehrer, there were a handful who dressed up like they were about to go to a fancy dinner… Ed kept his head down and shoulders curved because as far as he could tell, he was the youngest one there.
Damn it. Roy's critique rang in his mind as he took a seat. "You're good, Ed, but you're young." Did age really matter? Did age automatically factor into one's capacity to help the people?
He furrowed his brows and shook his head. He forced Riza's words at the forefront of his mind. "You can do anything you set your mind to." Yes, he agreed, Even if I'm about to become the youngest State Alchemist there ever was.
Placing his bag on the floor, he rummaged for the sandwich that Riza insisted he packed with him. Here we go.
A man dressed in military uniform stepped up on the platform. "We'll double-check if you're in the correct seats. One of the watchers will approach and hand you a pencil, use that for the exam and only that."
Ed grabbed the pencil being waved too close to his face. "Thanks," he mumbled, remembering his manners at the last second.
"You may begin once the exam sheet is given to you. Don't forget to put your name on all pages."
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The moment the clock struck 5, Riza pushed her chair back and grabbed her bag.
"Whoa, Hawkeye rushing out the office at exactly 5 pm? That's a first," grinned Havoc.
"I have somewhere to be." She slung her bag over her shoulder and motioned for Hayate to follow her. "I'll go ahead, sir." She saluted to Roy, nodded at the others, and didn't bother to look back as she heard their office door close behind her.
Roy still hasn't spoken to her about Ed, sticking to topics related to work or their schedules, and he hasn't uttered much to the boys either. She tried to check if the men knew anything, but so far they seemed clueless about Ed taking the exam.
So Roy has just been brooding like a baby. She hastened her steps once she was out in HQ's front yard and turned to the next building over where the written exam was being held.
She spotted Ed climbing down the steps and all but ran to his side. "How was it?"
He was pale when he met her gaze. "I didn't reach the end of the exam. I… I tried so hard to be faster —"
"It's done." Only hesitating for a split second, she moved to his side and wrapped an arm around his shoulders as they made their way to the parking lot. "We hope for the best moving forward."
Ed shrugged out of her hold, slowly turning his head side to side and visibly flinching as passersby eyed them. "Is there a rule about physical contact here?"
"Unwritten rule. But," she pulled him back close to her side again, "I'm already done for the day, so regardless of the uniform, I'm just a mom who is about to buy her son some food."
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"So Ed was absent from school today?"
Riza flinched at the sound of Roy's voice. They had turned down for bed around an hour ago and in the darkened room, he felt so far away from her. Licking her lips and swallowing some saliva for lubrication, she replied, "Yes."
"Best to remind him that school should be his backup plan if this rebellion of his fails."
You don't mean that. Turning over to her side so her back faced him, she audibly huffed and forced herself to get some shut-eye.
AN: Barely edited this chapter. My apologies in advance. Still trying to crawl my way out of retrograde's effects, but wanted to post this for FMA day huhuhu. Hope you're all hanging on too.
'Til next time!