The Elemental Alchemist
Disclaimer: I do not own anything Full-Metal Alchemist.
Chapter 6
Mana woke up the next morning to Ed bursting into her room and bouncing on the bed.
"Imup!" she yelled.
"Good, get dressed then. It's almost noon and you're late for your tour of Central."
Mana jumped out of bed or tried to anyway.
"Uh, Ed. You're kinda sitting on my leg."
"Oh, sorry."
Ed got up and left the room Al following.
Mana got out of the bed, still unused to the slight clanking of her automail. She got dressed and braided her hair again and went to find Ed and AL.
She found them in the lobby.
"Okay. Where to first?"
"We're gonna go see Sheska. She works for Hughes copying the criminal records that were burned in the fire at the First Branch Library a few months back. She's got a photographic memory and she used to work at the library so we got her the job for Hughes."
"Well, what're we waiting for? Let's go already!"
"So, where's Hughes Sheska? Is he at home?" Ed asked an hour later.
Sheska suddenly looked very sad.
"Not exactly…"
"Well where is he? I bet he's showing off some new picture of his daughter, huh?"
Sheska's eyes started to water.
"No." she said, her bottom lip starting to quiver.
"What do you mean "No"; he's always showing off some picture of his kid!"
"You mean you haven't heard? Brigideer General Hughes… was shot and killed almost two months ago!"
The three of them sat stunned. Shot? Killed? Two months ago?
"How?" Ed asked.
"He was going to see Dr. Marcoh and he was shot before he got back. He was found , by a phone booth. I guess he'd just found out something important about someone named Juliet Douglas. She's the Furher's secretary."
"What's the Furher's name, I haven't heard yet," Mana asked sounding numb.
"King Bradley."
Mana's eyes suddenly widened.
"D-does he wear and eye patch over his left eye?"
"Yes, why?"
"I-I'm suddenly not feeling so well. I'm sorry. I've got to go! It was nice to meet you Sheska, and I'm sorry about General Hughes!"
Mana was gone before anyone could say anything.
Ed sighed, "Maybe I should go check on her. C'mon Al."
Ed walked out of the room and Al followed.
"Bye Sheska!" Al called.
Ed found Mana sitting by the fountain in the center of town, her booted feet in the water. Ed sat down beside her.
"What was that all about?" he asked, cautious.
"It-it's nothing."
"If it's nothing then why'd you flip when Sheska told you the Furher's name?"
Mana turned to Ed suddenly.
"Can you keep a secret?" she asked.
Ed looked at her. She was looking him deep in the eyes with such intensity he felt she were searching his soul for the answer.
"Yes. What is it?" he answered.
Mana sighed and went to stare at the small fish swimming around her feet.
"My father joined the military when I was a baby. When the Civil war broke out my father was called to fight. He didn't come back. I was already a pretty good alchemist by then, despite being only six years old. My aunt suggested we take his body from the coffin and bring him back. We told Momma our plan; she was all for it. So the three of us buried and empty coffin and on the night of the funeral my aunt and I attempted Human Transmutation. It worked, but my aunt,… when the light faded she was gone. The only thing I saw was a strange gate something pulling me away, but not before I got my father. I crawled over to my father. He opened his eyes but one of them was strange. There was a mark on his left eye; like a dragon trying to eat it tail with a hexagram in the center. My mother and I were thrilled. She remarried him after he took a new first name. Both of us noticed nothing was wrong until he joined the military again. He moved up the chain so quickly and we wondered, why? How?"
She paused for a moment. When she continued Ed's eyes widened.
"My father wears an eyepatch to cover the fact that he's homunculus, over his left eye. He's not an Alchemist, not anymore. He simply used his old skill with the sword. He's still in the military too."
"What was the name he chose?" Ed asked.
Mana looked him straight in the eye.
"King. King Bradley."
Thanks everyone who reviewed my last chapter yes that includes my favorite buddy Wing it. I haven't gotten much other reviews but I'm sure within in time I will get a lot more. Oh and just so you know I'm only going to update this once a month now seeing as I'm not getting that many reviews by doing this I'm hoping to get a lot more. I'm really sorry. Please bear with me.