Chapter 6
Jean's POV
After I walked out of that office I ran over to the military dorms, asking the front desk which room Ember.
"Floor 2 room 27."
"Thanks!" I shouted as I ran up the stairs. "25…26…27!" I knocked on the door. "Hey, Ember? You in there?"
"Yeah, you can come in. Its unlocked." she said from inside. I walked inside. She was cleaning her automail with some water and polish. "Hey, Havoc." she greeted.
"So, I came to say, don't get hurt. Okay?" I asked.
"Don't be silly," She looked up and put on a fake smile. "I won't get hurt."
"Promise? Please." I pleaded.
"I promise not to get hurt, okay?" she mumbled looking down at her automail. Then she looked back up and smiled a genuine smile. "I have to pack now. I'll come to see you first thing when I come back alright?"
"I'll be waiting."
"I know, and I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you, too."
The next day, 8 am.
"Ember, boarding time." Roy informed me.
"Really? I had no idea." I muttered sarcastically. I followed him onto the train. There were 3 cars just for state alchemists. Roy and I sat in the seat across from Major Alex Armstrong and another man named Rylan Kinden. He was the frost Alchemist, just joined last year. We were in the 2nd car. I was drawing pictures in the fogged up windows. It looked like it would be snowing soon. "Ow…" I groaned.
"What's wrong?" Alex asked, concerned.
"My automail is ports are aching. It's going to snow." I moaned. In a few minutes it was a blizzard outside. "Ahh, see?"
"So are you the Full Metal Alchemist, Colonel Ember Elric?" Rylan inquired.
"Well, seeing as how I am the only female State alchemist there is here, then yeah. I must be Ember. Please drop the Colonel." I replied, gritting my teeth.
"Oh, sorry." The man said.
"No. I'm sorry. I'm taking out my hate for my Automail on you. Sorry." I told him. I then asked, "You're the newest dog, right?"
"Dog?"
"Dog of the military." Roy informed him. "A State Alchemist. A living weapon."
"Oh. Yeah, I guess I am." he mumbled.
"Why'd you join?" I asked. Then I realized I was being rude. "Sorry, you don't have to answer, if you don't want to."
"I wanted to help people. 'Alchemists be thou for the people,' right?" He said. Roy and I shared a look. That's why he had joined, and look at what he had done.
"Good luck." I murmured. "But remember that 'people' means everyone. You're going off to war as a weapon. Whether or not you like it, you may end up killing people who had nothing to do with the ones you wanted to protect at home. Every soldier on the other side of this war has a family, too. Every soldier will be missed by someone, whether or not they are on our side or not." In the fog on the window I drew a headstone, and someone sitting next to it.
"How old are you, Ember?" Rylan asked.
"I am 20 years old." I muttered. "Why?"
"You seem older. You're wiser. I'm 27." He responded.
"Well, I became the military's lap dog when I was 12 with my brother, Ed. We grew up fast." I explained.
"Why did you join? If I can ask. You did ask me."
"Equivalent exchange, huh? Okay. Well, I made a promise to Ed and Al. A promise that I had to keep no matter what. I joined in order to keep that promise." I said evasively. "I kept it even if it meant that I would become a pariah, a soldier… or even a murderer. That's what war is. One. Big. Murder."
"You and your brother Edward became the youngest State alchemists in order to keep a promise to your little brother?" He looked skeptical.
"Don't believe me?" I took off my jacket to reveal an automail left arm. "I gave this arm up for my little brother, Al. My leg is gone too. I would have done anything for my brothers. They are the only family I have left."
"What about your parents?" He asked.
"Dead. The only family I've got is the military now. That's why I'm here now. I kept my promise to Al and helped Ed too. Now that I'm done with that I have another promise to keep." I glanced at Mustang who was looking at me wide eyed. "But that is another story."
Roy's POV
Listening to her tell her story to this naïve new recruit made me realize that everything Havoc had told me was true. She was only here to push me to the top. For a better country. Less war. She was doing this for the good of everyone. Armstrong was doing his best not to cry when I looked at him, the boy sitting next to him, asking her all these questions, didn't understand all that Ember had done. I won't take this stupidity much longer.
Edward's POV 4 days later, in Resembool.
"Edward! Get down here now!" Winry shouted, she sounded worried and scared at the same time.
"What's the matter, Win?" I asked running down the stairs.
"It's Ember." Winry turned around. She was crying. "She's gone off to war."
"No… Not Em…" I fell onto the couch. Winry handed me the handwritten letter. It read;
Dear Ed, Winry, and Pinako.
The Furhrur King Stanley has ordered all State Alchemists to the front lines of Drachma. I am leaving tomorrow morning. That was probably about 5 days ago. I will be coming back in one piece don't worry. Although, the Furhrur has ordered me to see an automailist here in central in about an hour for northern automail. Sorry, Winry. I will come back as soon as possible to see you about changing it. Brother, I'm sorry for still being part of this military. I can't leave yet, I need to make a better future for everyone first. Take care of Little Trisha. If by some chance I don't come back, please give the other letter in this envelope to Jean Havoc. Because then, he'll know what I can't tell him in person. I also wrote to Al and Mai.
Take care of yourselves.
Ember
"Daddy, whats-a matter?" my daughter asked pulling on my sleeve. "Why is momma cryin'?"
"Your Aunt Ember is in trouble." I told her.
"We gotta go help her! Daddy we gotta!" Trisha yelled, her eyes watering. "Otherwise we might not see Auntie again!"
"We can't, Trisha. She has to get herself out of trouble this time." I told her softly. I turned to look at my wife who had just read the other letter. She was now crying harder. "Whats the other letter say?" She handed it to me. I unfolded it and read it.
Jean-
Hey, if you're reading this then I'm probably dead. Sorry I couldn't keep my promise. Sorry I couldn't tell you I love you.
Sorry,
Ember Elric
"Ember…You'd better come back alive." I mumbled, crying. It sounded too much like my mother's last words to Hoenhiem. I wondered if she knew that. Probably not.
The Briggs Wall. Same time. Ember's POV.
Gunfire is what lit up the night, not the light from the stars, there were too many clouds. The snow was dyed a dirty red. I clapped my hands and hit the ground. Ice spikes shot up and through the legs of the 17 men running toward my troops. I didn't kill them, but I did save my allies. The screams echoed through the night. Screams I caused. The men I had saved wasted no time and ran away. I was wondering when this was going to end. Roy was running over to see what had happened. I pulled my scarf up over my nose to keep it warm. I turned away from Roy so I didn't see his reaction to what I had done. I turned my automail back to normal.
"Ember…" He trailed off.
"Yeah, Roy?" I asked but before he could answer, an explosion knocked us back. We checked to see if we were okay, then picked ourselves up walking cautiously toward where the explosion had come from. My arm was bleeding. I wrapped it up with a scrap of my scarf. Roy was fine. We walked together silently looking for clues. I saw a man with a Machine gun. It was pointed at Mustang. I let out a yell and shoved Roy down putting myself in front of him. I couldn't let him die. He was the future of this country. He would help this sad, pathetic country. I felt bullets hit me then heard Mustang snap his fingers. A heat wave went up behind me, then dissipated.
"Ember, just hang on, you'll be okay." Roy promised picking me up and running toward the infirmary.
"Thanks," I whispered brokenly. Pain lancing through my body. Ugh, why hadn't I passed out yet?
"Stop talking, just stay still." He ordered. I complied. The last thing I remember is Roy yelling, "Can I get a Medic! Now!" I passed out after that.
End of Chapter 6
