Metallic Hearts [A FullMetal Alchemist Story Episode Twenty-Eight: All Is One, And One Is All
Ed: "This is a joke. What does she mean cool our heads?" You shrugged and you all stared at the island Izume put you on when you were just kids. "I hope she doesn't think we'll have any trouble surviving this now." p
Al: "She even forbade us from using Alchemy, just like last time, isn't it." p
You: "Not really. This will be a piece of cake, does Teacher think we haven't grown up at all?" p
Al: "Oh, I don't know. I'm sure she has her reasons." p
Winry: "No wait! Go Back! Edward! Alphonse!" Winry leaned forward and almost fell off of the boat she was riding in. Sig grabbed her by the neck and lifted her back up. p
Sig: "Don't move around girl. You'll get wet." p
Winry: "Okay. . ." Winry sat back down comfortably. "But what do you want them to do?" p
Izume: "I don't want them to do anything." p
Sig: "That's right." p
Winry: "What's right? You left them on an uninhabited island without any provisions. And what do you mean you don't want them to do anything?" p
Izume: "I mean just that." p
Sig: "Right." Winry stood up. p
Winry: "You know, I just don't think I understand you people at all." p
Izume: "It's okay to do nothing. It's okay to just stop and think things over for a while. Those three need some time to do that for a while." Winry just stood there and blinked.
All Is One, One Is All
You and the Elric Brothers walked down the beach trying to familiarize yourself with the surroundings. p
Ed: "Al?" p
Al: "Yes, brother?" p
Ed: "Let's escape." p
Al: "What?! That's impossible! I can't swim." p
Ed: "Come to think of it, neither can I. . ." p
You: "And I hate water." You walked over to the edge of the island and stared out into the endless water. "Yeah, we so different from back then. We're smarter.
Flasheback
Ed and Al dipped their hands into the water and giggled with each other as you sat reading a book on the boat Izume was using to get you all to the island. p
Al: "This is fun isn't it brother?" p
Ed: "Sure is. It's been such a long time since we've been on a vacation together. Right?" You looked up to see Ed staring intentaly at you. p
You: "I would have requested somewhere with less, water." p
Ed: "Oh, that's right, you don't like water. . ." p
Izume: "A vacation?" p
Mason: "Good one." He laughed as you all touched shore. You stared up at all the open skies. p
Izume: "Take this." She threw something to Ed and he caught it. It was a hunter's gutting knife. "This is an uninhabited island. There is no electricity, no gas, no housing to protect you from the rain. Apart from that there are probably wild animals. You three have to survive on this island, all by yourselves for one full month. All right?" You all stared at her with blank expressions. "Oh, and you can't use any alchemy." p
All: "What?!" p
Izume: "I'll come to pick you up ina month, okay?" p
Ed: "But, wait!" p
Izume: "One is all and all is one. And if still haven't figured that out by the end of the month, I'm sending you back to Risembool."
Normal
Ed: "All is one and one is all." Ed cut through some of the heavier brush. p
Al: "We understand the concept now, but back then. . ." p
You: "Yeah, we had no idea what she meant by it back then." p
Ed: "Man, were we dumb." p
You: "Speak for yourself." You smiled as you came to a clearing with a couple of large leafs still on the ground.
Flashback
The three of you laid on a patch of large leaves as the sun went down. p
Ed: "One is all and all is one, huh? Damn, that crazy lady sure gave us some weird homework. It doesn't make any sense." p
Al: "Yeah, one is all and all is one. What's that mean?" p
You: "Maybe it's a riddle." p
Ed: "Sounds pretty stupid to me." p
You: "She said if we can't figure it out in a month than we can't go through real training." p
Ed: "We were tricked to come to this stupid island by that crazy sadistic witch! What the hell does this have to do with Alchemy at all?!" Ed imedditaly stopped yelling, the hunger in his stomach shutting him up. He plopped back down. "Let's sleep. We're gonna have to get up early in the morning to get breakfast." The sound of footsteps woke Ed up. "What's the matter, Al? Need a restroom?" He rubbed his eyes and looked over, both Al and you were curled up together fast asleep. Ed looked up to see a tall man, a mask covering his face. The man lifted up a club and slammed it into the ground. Ed grabbed the two of you and dragged you out of the way. p
Al: "What is it, brother? Go to the bathroom by yourself. . ." p
Ed: "Wake up, you idiot. Wake up, wake up." You opened your eyes and scurried out of the way as the man lunged for you. p
Man: "Get out of here!" p
Ed: "We can't get out of here! If we leave now, we'll never learn anything!" p
You: "Ed!" You shoved him out of the way and jumped back as the masked man went for a punch. "Damn it!" The man swiped at Al before kicking him, sending him flying. p
Ed: "Alphonse!" Before the Masked Man could crush Al, Ed ran up and punched him. The man seemed unfazed and threw Ed back. "Damn it! Alphonse! Run!" You all sprinted in different directions. You reached a tree and started to pant heavily. p
You: "You better not be lost or I'll kill you myself." Some one grabbed onto your shirt and you jumped. "You don't want to eat me! I taste terrible!" p
Al: "Lita it's just me!" p
You: "Oh, Al. I'm so glad you're all right." Al put his finger to his lips and you both crotched down to escape the gaze of the masked man.
Back To Normal
A rustle in the bushes made you look up. p
You: "Look, it's a fox." Al giggle as a second one came to look at it's new visitors. p
Al: "Look there's two of them." You all looked at each other and started laughing. You all stared as Al sat patiently in the river. A minute later he stood up and walked onto shore. p
Ed: "So, how'd it go?" p
Al: "Let's check." He opened his chest plate and water spilled out of it, three fish hit the sand. p
Ed and You: "Alright! We got ourselves some dinner!" p
You: "Al, don't forget to dry off, we don't want you rusting." p
Al: "Okay."
Flashback
Al: "Who was that person, brother. Oh man, he was so scary. She said this island was uninhabited." p
You: "I think he was more dangerous than any wild animal. . ." p
Al: "What should we do?" p
Ed: "What can we do? Our rides not comin' for another month. First things first, if we're all hungry we can't fight." Ed made a trap and laid it out, a rabbit got caught later in the day. p
Al: "My brother is a genius!" p
Ed: "Looks like these traps work even if you don't make 'em right!" The rabbit was struggling to get out of the binding around it's feet. p
Al: "How are we supposed to eat that, brother?" p
Ed: "We kill it." p
You: "Do we have too?" It was looking at you with those beady eyes filled with tears. p
Ed: "You do it!" He tried to hand the knife to Al. p
Al: "No, you don't understand, Ed! You have to do it! There's no way I can! I've never killed anything before!" p
Ed: "Well, I haven't either, Al!" p
Al: "That's no far, you always make me do your dirty work!" p
Ed: "I do not!" p
Both: "Lita, who's right!" p
You: "Uh, guys." You pointed to the rabbit which was being carried away by a fox. p
Both: "Stop!" And you all ran after the fox. p
Ed: "That's our rabbit!" The fox turned around, dropped the rabbit, and lunged at Ed. He ducked and the fox bit him in the arm. Ed fell into the bushes and the fox ran off with the rabbit. p
You: "Ed!" You ran over to him, blood was already dripping down his arm. "Are you allright? That looks really bad." p
Ed: "Stupid fox!" And he ran after it holding his arm. You continued to search though the brush for another hour. "When I find that damn thing I'm bitin' it back!" p
You: "Guys." They crouched beside you and looked on. The fox laid the rabbit down, and two babies came out of the stump of a tree. "It has babies." p
Al: "I guess she's a mother." The babies started tearing the rabbit apart. Ed and Al looked sick. p
Ed: "Let's pass on the meat and eat fish instead." You sat on a rock for hours with a makeshift fishing pole, waiting for a fish. "I'm starting to wonder if foxes are edible." p
You: "Of course they are edible, Ed. But just be patient." p
Al: "Got one!" p
All: "Fire! Time to eat! Food!" A huge crash made you all look behind you. The Masked Man was back. You booked it out of there the man destroyed the fire and the fish.
Back to normal.
Al stood by the fire waiting for the fish to finish cooking. p
Al: "Almost ready!" You smiled as you found the tree where you made your homemade calender. "Lita!" p
You: "Yeah, Al?" He grabbed you by the ear. p
Al: "Come with me." He dragged you to the fire which was extinguished and fish bones laid everywhere. Ed was standing near by with his arms crossed. p
You: "What happened here?" p
Al: "What do you mean what happened? You got hungry and ate it all before dinner time. p
You: "It wasn't me." p
Al: "But look, there's your hand print." p
You: "So all of a sudden you think I'm a thief? And apparently a liar." You set your hand down next to the handprint. You hand was smaller and little points were at the top of your fingers from your nails. "Maybe you should look at your evidence more clearly next time." You stood up and began to walk away. p
Al: "Lita, please don't be mad at me, I was just trying. . ." p
You: "I'm not mad at you. But it's apparent that someone else is here." p
Al: "Someone else? But, you mean. . ." p
You: "Now it's obvious why teacher brought us here, she thinks we didn't get enough last time." You continued on your way. p
Al: "Wait, where are you going?" p
You: "To find the masked man. Might as well go ahead and get this over with now." Ed and Al followed you into the woods.
Flashback
You carved two lines into a near by tree. p
You: "We're not giving up. A month, I think we can hack it." Over the next week you all struggled to make shelter, find food and keep under the radar of the Masked Man. You all laid the big bunch of leaves you had made on your first day. You were all cold, tired and hungry. p
Ed: "Why are we here again, I don't remember." p
Both: "Me either." It started to rain and you all huddled up under a tent. p
Ed: "What would happen if we died out here?" p
Al: "We can't! Winry and Aunt Pinako would be sad. And there are so many things I haven't done yet, that I want to do. It's just, I don't understand what this has to do with Alchemy." He dropped to the ground. "I hate this. I want to go home." Al started crying and you pulled him up and cuddled with him until you all fell asleep.
Back To Normal
You scaled a tree and jumped onto one of the branches, pulling Ed up. p
Ed: "All right. Where are you?" Meanwhile Al was searching down below. He looked over and found some mushrooms. p
Al: "Food. . ." He looked up to see a figure with long hair standing in a ways ahead of him. "Hey, Lita, look what I found!" The figure ran off. p
You: "You called me?" p
Al: "Lita? Then, who was that over there?" p
You: "Who, Al?"
Flashback
You all stood in front of the Masked Man, the rain still coming down. He ran forward and kneed Ed in the stomach. He grabbed you by the hair and threw you, and went on the offense on Al. Ed opened his eyes and looked over, a bug was being decomposed by some ants. p
Ed: "A Scada, I see. It died. Death. If we die, the same thing will happen to us." The man grabbed Al by his collar. "Let go. . .of my brother!" Ed ran at the man with the knofe Izume had givin' him. The Masked Man let Al go and ran off. "We talked about what would happen if we died here." You wrapped up Al's chest, afraid of possible broken ribs. p
Al: "Yeah, a lot of people would be sad." p
You: "That's a subjective opinion. But look at it objectively." p
Ed: "If I died, the world would keep moving as if nothing had happened." p
Al: "Because you're just a small part of it." Ed hit him. p
Ed: "Don't call me small. Apart from the small part, in this case me, dies, the body remains." p
You: "Water, Carbon, Ammonia, Lime, Phosphorus, Salt, Salt Peter, Sulfur, Magnesium, Fluorine, Iron and Aluminum." p
Ed: "Right, the human body is only a combination of those simple elements. Nothing more. We're destined to be decomposed by bacteria. which makes food for plants." p
You: "Which then feed Herbivores and Omnivores, which feeds Carnivores and Omnivores. The great flow that maintains the universe, call it the Cycle of Life, the course of nature. Each of us is just a small part of that current. One in the all. Yet, with out all the individual ones, we all can't exist. This world spins around laws that we can't even begin to imagine. To recognize that flow. And work within it. To decompose and recreate." p
All: "That is Alchemy." Ed threw a knife at a snake on the calendar tree. p
Ed: "Twenty eight days." p
Al: "And hey we got some breakfast." You all sat in front of Izume on her return. p
Izume: "All right, let's here it. What does it mean, One is all and all is one." p
Al: "The world is the all." p
Ed: "And I am the one." Izume and Mason started laughing. p
Izume: "All right, then. Let's begin your training." p
All: "Yes!" And you all high-fived.
Back To Normal
You all were sitting around a fire. p
Al: "I guess we're not going to find the guy in the mask." p
Ed: "What does it matter? This island all ready taught us the only lesson it has to teach us, right?" p
You: "Yeah." p
Ed: "When we were kids, we taught ourselves the answer to one is all and all is one. We didn't understand everything back then. But it was a mistake to try and bring mom back. We learned that the hard way." You set your hand on his automail shoulder and leaned against Al who grabbed an arm around you. p
You: "The cycle of life only goes in one direction. Not even Alchemy can change that. I guess teacher brought us here to remind us of that. And to give us time to think about the consequences." You all sat in front of Izume the next morning. p
Izume: "Well, did you remember?" p
All: "Yes, ma'am." p
Izume: "And did you realize?" p
Al: "Teacher, we know what you're trying to tell us." p
Ed: "We know we went against the laws of Alchemy when we tried to bring mom back. What you see before you is our punishment for that." p
Al: "But we just want to regain the bodies we lost when we made that mistake." p
Izume: "Are you trying to regain the bodies you lost from a mistake, by making another one." p
You: "We know it's not what you thought us. But we. . .we have to try, damn it. We can't just give up. Even though we may not have been able to bring mom back. We're still alive." p
Izume: "So you are determined to move foreward." p
All: "Yes, ma'am." p
Izume: "So be it. Is there someone out there?" p
You: "What are you talking about? There was someone out here when we were kids too." p
Al: "We just figured it was the same guy in the mask as before." p
Mason: "Impossible. Since I was the brute in the mask from before." p
Ed: "Wait a minute! That was you the whole time?!" p
Izume: "Yes, I sent him to make sure you didn't die." p
Ed: "He nearly killed us!" p
You: "And nearly ripped my hair out from the fricken roots!" p
Izume: "It looks like we don't have time to discuss this right now." A little boy walked out through the bushes and smiled.