If there could be a manlier man to walk the earth than he, let them step forward, because Sig Curtis would like to have a word. The Meat Shop owner, along with Izumi, stood before Alphonse and Violet like tower of pure bulk and muscles. There had been many people in Leiden who participated in bodybuilding and many more in the army who had great fitness, but to see a man as bulked and as large as Sig caught Violet by surprise as she had never seen such in her life.
Easily 2 feet taller than Violet, even with her most proper pose he was a sight, and unbeknown to her one of the gentlest souls she would meet to date. She looked to Al and he nodded reassuringly and with a smile, he turned to Sig.
"You've finally found your way back. Izumi always knew you would." Sig started out saying, in his trademark deep voice. However, when violet heard him speaking she could pick up on a latent hollowness to the words. Like words written on the page and then letters erased, the words spoken were incomplete. In her time working as an Auto-memories Doll, she had spent much of her days traveling to those who wanted letters and notes written to those who were lost in the war or were separated due to long illnesses or work. Often, she met those who shared those feelings openly and just as many who like Sig kept them hidden but expressed them subtlety.
Violet could tell immediately that Sig was the latter, and his nature was affected greatly by the loss. Part of her was immediately saddened thinking about this loss. She conjured images in her head thinking back to the times that she had watched over and played with Anne while writing all those letters for her mother. The pain of that loss, Violet still carried those lessons with her, and even thousands of miles away, oceans separated away from her home, those lessons are still showing her the depths of what Love is.
Sig's gesture to welcome them in came wordlessly after that as Alphonse and Violet both nodded in appreciation before they came in quietly. Stopping at the entrance they both paused for a moment leaving their traveling bags by the door as they both strolled into the front of the store and home of the Curtis's.
The familiar smell of meat, curing salts and fresh brine traveled through the air to them and greeted everyone at the door. The smell was a bit strong for Violet's nose, but Al seemed to be handling it just fine. He'd said something about that he and Ed had spent time here as children but didn't really elaborate on exactly what that meant before they had to disembark the train on the way here.
Sig traveled behind the counter and acquired a pair of chairs for them, placing them at a table very near the front window where before only a single large chair for someone of Sig's size.
"Please, you look like you've traveled a while. Have a seat. I'll make some tea for you both." His generosity already accepted by the two weary traveling companions through non-verbal nods of their heads, he vanished into the back room quickly, leaving them to sit and relax at the window seat of the house. Out front in the lawn a dazzling ray of sunlight struck the grass filtered through the clouds, and Al looked out over the grass.
Violet watched his eyes, as he gazed out for quite some time. They hopped and jumped, as if tracing a rolling, bouncing ball across a table with his vision alone. There was some time that they sat like that waiting patiently to Alphonse as he kept his silence for many moments. Eventually, he finally spoke, his eyes still never leaving the grass, as if drawn there himself.
"We spent… months here, practicing."
"Practicing?" Violet asked in a bit of confusion. "You mean, out there?" pointing with a quick raise of her metallic index finger.
"Mhm. Teacher she, she taught us Alchemy, but she also taught us how to protect ourselves, how to fight. She always said that, to be a good alchemist you had to train the body and the mind. We spent hours upon hours out on that grass. I can't even remember how many holes and divets we had to go back and fill in." He smiled softly as a curtain parted.
"Enough." Sig replied. Bringing out a small silver tray with a steaming hot teapot on its plate and saucer, he set it down between them. Along with it was your normal fare for tea, sugars, a vial of creamer, but a box was also on the tray as well, brought out in a wrapping paper and sat with the tray on the table.
"I don't think Izumi ever did get the grass to grow back all the way where you two kept tearing up the ground." He continued. Pouring several of mugs worth of hot tea from the kettle, he offered them across the table to Violet and Al and who both of which accepted quickly, drawing their cups close. Al quickly put his down as it was burning hot to the touch, but violet simply held hers, looking into the ripples of the hot tea as it swirled in the mug.
"We're sorry to come on such, short notice, Mr. Curtis. I only learned of… teachers passing this morning before the train ride here." Al said in a soft and resigned voice. Looking up to Sig, the small Alphonse could only avert his eyes as he spoke.
Violet could tell immediately that this was something of a sore spot for both men, and that their emotions were on edge with the situation. What she didn't expect was Sig and his coming reaction. The large bear of a man looked at Alphonse who after speaking and grunted softly. "Izumi was many things. Weak was not one of them. It was her time."
Sig spoke with his booming voice on full display, but the hollowness of the words screamed in ways that have not been said otherwise. Alphonse barely had time to react when he looked up to Sig, and his eyes got a bit larger upon seeing Sig's eyes tear up. No other sign of emotion was shown from the man's sculpted beard and full face, except when the tears drew lines down his cheeks, disappearing into the facial hair.
Alphonse had spent the trip here in sorrow but to see Sig sitting there, a man who he had known for years as the stoic husband of Izumi keep a straight face even with the tears running from his eyes seemed to hearten him.
"Izumi fought until the end, and, her pain was rewarded. You two, you two Elrics are the children she could never have. Fighting with you on that day, standing side by side with you and seeing your accomplishments on the Promised Day was something that brought her peace after decades of pain and suffering. She never said it but she wanted to thank both of you for being her students. You made her proud." Sig nodded quietly as he finished speaking with a swig of tea from his large mug. Alphonse could only sit in silence for a few moments before closing his eyes. The messages relayed to him about teacher swirling throughout him, making him ever so slightly smile.
"Th-thank you Sig… Mr. Curtis." Alphonse bowed his head gently.
Violet held her hands at her lap, not drinking any of the tea as she was not thirsty but watched as Al bore the news of Izumi's final posthumous messages. Having no knowledge of what she looked like or who she was, Violet's eyes began scanning around the walls looking for any pictures or decorations in the butcher shop that would give her any indications but there were none. Just a poster with a tattered corner and a Chalkboard that read MEAT and gave a few prices on it:
Pork Tenderloin - 128 cenz/100g
Chicken Breast - 160 cenz/100g
Beef Shoulder - 200 cens/100g
Beef/Pork Combo - 98 cenz/100g
Her eyes were eventually drawn back to the table, and to the box that was brought out with the tea and sat with the platter. Untouched, it had been wrapped delicately and tied with a blue fluted ribbon. Sig took the box in his fingers and held it out to Alphonse as a present.
"This is from Izumi, it was her final gift to you, Alphonse." He tendered it forward, letting the box slip from his fingers and into Alphonse's waiting hands, which quickly outstretched to catch the present. Drawing it close, he gazed at it with a few hearty blinks. Upon its ribbon there was a small tag written in her handwriting his name.
"Teacher never… really gave us presents like this." He smirked, undoing the bow with a tug at it's leading tendril. "I remember that the first time she did, it was just filled with books on Alchemy, and she said she'd not give us another thing until we'd read every page of those books." His recollection only lasted until the ribbon released from the box, and the paper unfolded to show a small red-velvet lined package with a blue lid. It's soft and fuzzy exterior like a treasure itself containing within it a jewel.
Al slowly unlidded the box, and his eyes grew extremely wide. His hand dove in and retrieved the item, a Gold Pocket-watch. Violet observed it exiting the box with great curiosity, as it bore the helmet of a Knight it appeared and shone brilliantly. Al sat there speechless, looking at the watch and its craftsmanship and before anything else, he clicked it open.
Almost as if he expected something to be there, he smiled when there was. On the inside of the lid of the watch, there was in calligraphic engravings.
"Never Forgotten – .15"
"Izumi's hope was that, following you retrieving your body, and unlike Edward you would never join the military. But your skills, are far beyond any regular alchemist. In her final days, she made every component of that watch, transmuted them herself. A Watchmaker in town put the watch together for her when she got too weak to continue. You both carry her legacy and her teachings, and you should be proud of that, Alphonse Elric."
Sig's words tore right down to Alphonse's core, and he clutched the watch tightly in his hands. Bringing the golden timepiece to his chest he bowed deeply to Sig with a tearful smile. "Thank you Mr. Curtis, thank you for this truly. Teacher was the reason we are still alive today. Even when we were impulsive and almost lost everything she is close to both of us. I am proud to have been her student!"
The exchange brought Violet close to tears. Her observations watching the exchange had been entirely silent this entire time. Before she could get the chance to ask anything though Sig himself got up and walked the tray of cold tea to the back of the stall. Left alone together again, Violet's eyes panned over to Alphonse as he cradled the watch closely and didn't release it for several more moments.
"S… Alphonse, what is the meaning behind that watch?" Violet finally was able to ask, curious as to its purpose and why he had such an immediate attachment to the instrument.
Holding the watch closed in front of himself he sniffed and turned it over to show the face. The carved lid depicting a Helmet of some great knight as it faces to the right of the watch. The helmet was carved with a very high relief and sported a very long crescent shaped plume that wrapped underneath the helmet along the rim of the lid. The eye was very deeply bored out and a small red gemstone was placed within the socket and sealed into the gold. The detailing on the artwork was immaculate and stunning on compare with the scrollwork and embellishments done on her own metal arms.
"This is me, or…" Alphonse stops himself for a moment. "This is who I was, before I got my body back. Brother bound my soul to a suit of armor like this and I lived that way until the Promised Day." He nods and while explaining moves his fingers along the lid to the action, clicking the watch open. The clicking flipped the watch lid over to reveal the date again inscribed inside the lid.
"February 14th?" Violet asked quietly, reading the date aloud.
"Yes, February 14th, the day of the eclipse. It was the day that Father had chosen to unleash his plan upon Amestris. Because of teacher, because we lost our bodies, because we never gave in and forgot our promise to never forget…"
Alphonse began to go silent, but a smile erupting across his lips. Pride beaming, as he traced the outside rim of the lid again with his index finger. The pride still mixed with sadness to be sure.
"Her legacy was that we learned that the Truth isn't trivial or a game. Alchemy is a system, a balance. One is All, and All is One." Al's retelling of Izumi's very first lesson to Ed and Himself brought a soft chuckle to his throat. "It's just ironic that if we hadn't tried to be heroes, we couldn't have been heroes. We tried to … " Cutting himself off, he looked over at Violet with a sigh.
"It's alright, it has been a heavy weight upon both you and your brother for a long time now. I… I know I wasn't here for it, But!" she paused with a dramatic raise of her palms. "You survived, and many other people did too. War is painful and we all have our scars." Almost out of pure instinct at that statement her metal hands raised and clutched the brooch she wore around her neck. The emerald centerpiece mounted upon its wreath of gold and shining out like an unblinking emerald eye, like his eyes.
"I almost forgot." Alphonse admitted watching her hands grasp the brooch. "You're right and, this war was one that could have made us pay a terrible price had people like Brother and Col. Mustang not stepped forward to fight and protect the rest of the world. You must have had people you had cared about too when you went off to fight, right?"
Violet paused. The statement had genuinely caught her off guard because the truth stung. "N… No. I was an orphan when the war started near my homeland and I was just a Dog."
Dog of the Military, right… "The Military…" Al just stated, with a sigh. Opening his mouth to speak again he just shuts it, electing to keep silent regarding the line of questions he had in the back of his head about it.
Falling into silence for a few moments as the flash of sunlight from a passing car shoots through the window, both Al and Violet turn to watch as it drives by. The serene calmness of the town almost infectious as both gazed out at Dublith and down it's near perfect streets. The Scars of War had not come to Dublith like it had in so many other places, and the damage was very well repaired already from what was done. It was no wonder Izumi liked staying there.
Sig finally returned after a few more moments of silence with the two of them sitting and gazing out of the window. Setting down a plate of a few crackers and meats from the back, he slid it forward offering it to the pair.
"So, Who are you, miss?" Sig turns to Violet after resuming his sitting.
"I am Violet Evergarden, Auto-memories doll for the CH Postal Company, at your service!" Her response made as she placed both of her hands down to her lap and crossed the metallic arms with a few clicks as they came together.
"Auto-memories doll, I don't think I've heard of that."
"I am a Letter Writer and Scribe, Sir." Her reply came as she looked to the side at the typewriter sat on the floor from when they entered.
"I see, so you write other people's letters for them when they can't do it themselves." Sid analyzed, taking a large piece of meat from the tray and layering it on a cracker for himself.
"Of course, and I also write other things as well. I have even helped, to write a play for an artist, letters for an orphaned child, and love letters for those who's emotions cannot be conveyed by their own hands." Violet abstained like usual, refraining from joining the others in eating or drinking anything. Her hands remained clasped tightly together, unmoving. Sig turned his head to one side noting it, nodding but not saying anything.
Many people in Amestris have Automail limbs, and after having been around Edward enough, it was easy enough to recognize, even in a child her age. The somber glance returned, and his unflinching facial expression panned back to Al.
"And Alphonse, have you seen Edward recently?"
The question actually came as a surprise. "N… no actually, we were on our way to try and catch him here, has he not been here?" Concern arising in his voice, for his brother's whereabouts were supposedly putting him on track to be in Dublith and there would really only be one reason to come, and that would have been to see Izumi Curtis.
"No, I've not seen Edward in several months actually. Its odd that he wouldn't mention a visit, though he has been busy since the end of the war. I'm sorry to bear bad news, but he's not been here to visit."
"That's not like Brother." Al looked a bit perplexed, gazing down at the watch. "I wonder where he's been at this whole time."
"I'm not sure, Alphonse. But Ed's got to come around sometime, just be patient. In the meantime, do you want me to show you to her grave?"
Al looked to Violet and nodded, both of them standing and bowing to Sid.
"Please Mr. Curtis, I would like to pay my respects."
Standing himself, and taking the last of the meat away, he nodded to the door. "Let me lock up and I can show you two there."
Excusing themselves outside, both Al and Violet waited in the front yard for Sid to lock the doors and lead the way. Within walking distance from the house apparently, they set off on a small trail heading behind the house and into the side district, which led into a forest close to the home. Dense with foliage and rife with thick brambles the forest was a good deterrent for those who would come seeking her grave, and at the same time a fitting resting place for her to lay and return to the earth. Al couldn't help but grin as the ducked branches and navigated a few of the trails, leading to a small clearing.
In the center of the clearing there was a small plot of land, and a small mound with a stone arched headstone. Approaching it together, Sid brought them up to it, and then stopping about 30 feet back, nodded silently to Al and Violet. Turning back himself, he gave Al the peace and respect of being able to mourn her in his own way without prying eyes.
Violet watched from that 30-foot mark, standing still as Al walked forward toward the grave. It was a sight to behold for her, seeing death so often, so much blood from her time in the military as Major Gilbert's tool. Even through all those years of torment she had very rarely seen those mourning the dead. The approach to the grave took what felt like minutes and each step fell as if begging that the truth was not there in front of him. Violet wanted to walk up behind him but decided not to, remaining where she was and observing from the side of the clearing.
Upon the gravestone, in freshly chiseled lettering, read 'Izumi Curtis. A Housewife'.
The inscription had no dates on it, and no other adornments. It was elegant and it even made Al smile as he knelt at the grave.
Violet could see his smile, and it confused her. Why would someone smile at a grave like this? So often she would see those crying or screaming, pain but… this was something she didn't understand. How could someone find humor or comfort in something like this to express a smile? Nonetheless, she saw him begin to whisper something at the grave, but a gust of wind blew through the trees and she couldn't hear anything that was said.
Al's private words to his teacher's resting place were his own, and his smile only grew. Perhaps in seeing the headstone, some comfort was found? It was hard to ascertain this by Violet as she waited patiently.
Another gust of wind blew even stronger through the trees. The Winds coming from the peaks of the hills were quite turbulent and their strong gales made the trees rustle with the songs of the mountain. Leaves and twigs raced across the ground, and Al, who was kneeling down lost his balance, falling over.
Violet hurried over to him, kneeling down to help him up.
"I… I'm fine, I promise." With a wave of his hand. Violet wasn't having it though, insisting my clasping a hand on his shoulder to help him up and steady him.
Not wanting to argue, he sighed and dusted himself off. As he was brushing though, he looked down at the headstone noticing a flutter.
"What's that?" he asked, pointing and walking back out of Violet's grasp.
A red cloth tip fluttered from behind the grave, dislodged by the high winds. Al walked to the side and as he looked down, his eyes got big. A red cloak was folded and placed at the base of the headstone beneath a small sheet of marble. It wasn't secured there but placed and weighted down on the ground. Al took the cloak and unfolded it and his eyes couldn't have gotten bigger.
"Brother!" Looking upon the cloak and recognizing the Flamel insignia printed on the cloak, it couldn't have been anyone else's. "Brother has been here, or, he was here!"
Excitedly looking around, Al's eyes darted, hoping to see someone in the forest close by. Maybe Ed was just going to jump out and surprise them or was waiting to make his approach?
But his excitement and smile faded. Violet felt sad for Al, getting his hopes up that Ed would be there like that was not something she wished to take from him, but she could detect no one anywhere near them. No tracks were apparent in the vicinity, and no movement in the tree line all around them.
"Brother, why?" he started to ask, gazing around hopefully for just a few more moments before his heart sank. Clutching the cloak close and bringing it to his chest, he looked down at it in confusion. Why would he just leave this here? Why would he come all the way to leave it and disappear again? If he knew about teacher's death, then why? Questions just wracked Al's mind as he slumped down against the headstone. Leaning forward with a sniff he rubbed at the collar of the worn cloak. It was definitely Ed's cloak, he recognized a number of the repairing stitches made to it that had been made over the years. The cloak itself a patchwork of battle damage and scars over their many journeys across Amestris and a time capsule in and of itself of all the times they got into trouble.
"You know… I don't even remember where half of these came from." Remarking at the repairs in the cloak, placing his hand on a few of them examining the stitching down the cloak. His hands tracing the lines of cloth down and the pockets. Wait, there was something in one of them. Al's hand fished out a small piece of paper.
Flipping it over and unfolding it, there was a short message scrawled in Ed's handwriting. It was instantly recognizable to Alphonse as he gazed at it for a few moments. 'One is All.' He read it aloud.
"One is all." Violet mimicked after Al. "That's what you said your Teacher taught you, right?"
"Yes, it was one of her most important lessons but, why would Brother have that in his pocket?" Al became perplexed again, flipping the note over but nothing was written or drawn on the other side.
"Maybe it's like the engraving on the watch? Just a reminder." Violet offered as a possible explanation for the strange note.
Al dismissed that though, shaking his head negatively.
"No, Brother wouldn't leave a message like that, not here at least. No, it was meant to be found but, yea it wasn't hidden well at all." Looking down at the place where the cloak was tucked at the base of the back of the headstone was nothing. The ground was perfectly bare, not even a sign of tampering or disruption could be seen or observed.
He turned the cloak over and checked the rest of the pockets, finding them empty and returning to the note in his hand.
"One is All… And All is one." He repeated and added the rest of the phrase. His brow furrowing at the paper he just blinked cluelessly. Violet was similarly perplexed and unable to understand the meaning of the cryptic line. However, she would remain by Al's side until he decided what to do.
"All is one… One is all… One is All… One is all… all.. the… THE ISLAND!" Al finally exclaimed after several moments to pondering back and forth and holding the note in his hand. Violet was even more confused.
"All is one and one is All! The lesson she was teaching us, she did it when we were kids, and again when we returned after losing our bodies! She sent us to an island to learn the meaning of the phrase, and to live off of the land. To be part of the circle of life and survive while appreciating the gifts of nature and not live off of the use of alchemy!" Jumping to his feet, he excitedly looked to Violet. "I think that is where Brother is!"
"I don't remember seeing an ocean anywhere near here, is it far to travel by train?" Violet asked perplexed. Islands don't just spring up in the middle of towns after all.
"No, the island is close, its on a lake here near Dublith. Come on!" Quickly throwing Ed's cloak around his shoulders as to not carry it, Al trudged off, heading out of the thicket of trees and in search of the lake not far from the tree line.
Below the next hill over a short walk away Violet was able to see the shoreline of the lake, and far into it a small island. Just beyond the tree line of the island, a small trail of smoke could be seen rising from the center of the island. Not wanting to elevate Al's already excited state Violet kept silent and simply followed him down to the docks of the lake.
The docks sported a few unclaimed boats, just simple rowboats used for fishing on the lake tied to the posts of the short dock leading to the water. Untying one of the boats, Al quickly embarked, followed by Violet. Al began to take the oars and row them out onto the water. With some difficulty he managed to get them launched off of the dock with success, only hitting the side of it a few times as he began rowing them out into the water.
Al's excitement and drive to head out to the island was palpable, and Violet herself was becoming a little excited. Watching Al row determined to reach the island, she wasn't surprised when he began to tire out quickly.
"V… violet I… Uhm…" she smiled to him and took the oars. Her strong metal arms able to easily maneuver the oars much easier than his still recouping body. Gratefully he bowed his head and looked over to the island as they approached it at a much higher rate of speed.
"Don't worry brother, I'm coming!" Al yells over the side of the boat. Hanging out over the water as it flowed around them, Violet's paddling was much more vigorous and propelling them closer and closer. He could almost taste it, the rabbits and fish they ate, the water they drank. The memories of the island flooding back to him from growing up before they had lost their bodies made him cry large tears of joy.
Violet piloted them close to the shore, having to find a good spot to land and seeing another boat up on shore gave her the path she needed to take. Angling the boat to approach on the south side of the island, they made landfall on a nice sandy part of the beach right across from another very similar rowboat. Violet, not wanting to get her dress ruined let Alphonse disembark first, so she could leap out directly onto the beach without having to wade through the water. Tugging the boat up onto the shore to secure it herself, She turned to follow Alphonse who had already begun making his way up to the tree line off the beach toward where they had seen the column of smoke rising.
Not too long after they got into the tree line, a clearing was off to the side. A small, crackling fire was lit and heating a pot on the ground next to a small well-constructed tent. All walked over, seeing the food cooking but no one at the campsite.
Violet had to catch up after she had pulled the boat on shore but once she did, she was greeted by the smell of the campfire, and the lonely campsite.
In some small distress, Al turned back to her, a worried look on his face as he looked back as if to ask "Well? Where is he?".
He'd never get the chance to ask.
"Hey, took ya' long enough Al!"
OOC: Hey everyone, Sorry it's been so long but life and busy things happened. It was a really crazy year and I didn't know where I wanted to go with this story for a while, so I took a break and stepped away from it for a good long while. But now I'm thinking on the direction I want to go in and wanted to start back this year strong. So, I hope you enjoy!
Also 2 Things: First, I kept the original FMA demise of Izumi and blended it with FMA:B. I consider FMA:B to essentially be FMA:The Definitive Edition, but I did keep that element of her development the same as it would match well with how the story went following the end of the promised day.
Secondly, Yes, I know that the "Promised Day" happened in what the manga calls a 'short time skip to spring'. Because of that and the fact they didn't provide us an In-cannon date that I could find, what I did was I used the real-life movement of the moon and pulled the closest Solar Eclipse to that date. That happens to be the Feb.14 date I used, which isn't too terribly far from "spring" but for anyone who goes questioning it, that's where I got the Feb.14 date from. If anyone has an actual date and can provide a reference, I would be more than happy to correct it, but in lieu of that, its what I had to go on.
