2 years had passed since Jennifer passed her State Alchemist Exam. She had been traveling throughout the country, visiting many small towns with the military. Granted, she didn't like what she was doing; killing innocent people was not high on her list. But she felt she had to do whatever it took to keep her family stable and to provide. She also began to understand over the years that orders were orders; she could do nothing about it. In order for her to keep this job she must do whatever they ask of her.
She found herself quickly climbing the ranks and was often the head of every mission she was sent on. Her rank was currently that of Captain; she had her own group of soldiers who fearlessly followed her into any battle. The Fuhrer found that she had a knack for leading people. She could handle any crisis and stayed calm under fire. She was also very strong. She was the fiercest fighter and alchemist he had ever come in counter with. She may have had a calm demeanor about her, but when put into a battle she wouldn't stop until the task was completed. She kept the men in line, fought fiercely, and never strayed from orders. She only had once problem; she began to drink constantly.
The many nights that went by without confrontation were filled with cigarettes and bottle after bottle of whiskey. When she was away from her family she tried to fill the void with something else she knew would never leave her. When she drank the men stayed away. She often became harsh and cruel, and sometimes even physical. Once Captain Jeffries opened the bottle, the men scurried to their tents and didn't resurface until morning. It didn't bother her because once she filled her soul with liquor nothing else seemed to matter. She didn't think about Joshua, Troy, the Fuhrer, or this horrible situation she was in, constantly risking her life everyday trying to support a family.
It was a catch-22. She had a knack for alchemy, able to adapt and transmute her body into that of animals. She was a figurehead on the battlefield and everyone turned to her in times of need. This was her niche, the place where she belonged. But she also had a family, people who depended on her and a young boy who only knew what life was like with his mother in it. The only thing she could do to protect them was to put her own life in danger, which meant that if something happened to her it would only bring the suffering she was trying to avoid.
Currently while Jennifer was away Joshua lived with Troy in his small house next door. Jennifer sold her house and moved all of her belongings into Troy's basement, the same place where she trained martial arts all those years. Joshua was very lonely, forced to either stay by himself or go to work with Troy at the bookstore he owned. He missed his constant companion in his mother and often found tears streaming down his face when he thought of her. He carried a small picture of the two of them in his pocket every day. It was worn and faded, the edges slowly creeping into a yellow color. But it didn't matter. This was the only thing he had left of his mother when she wasn't home. He understood why she was gone; he was forced to grow up quickly once she left. He may have looked 5 years old, but he almost had the mind of an adult.
Jennifer's absence brought the visit of her sister, Liza, her husband, and his brother to the house one day. Liza was Jennifer's half sister, and she was Ishballan. Her husband and brother-in-law were also Ishballan and they lived in a settlement close to the village where Joshua lived. Liza was strikingly beautiful and very shy and caring. She loved Joshua, but didn't visit often because she didn't want to put him in danger. The three of them had no idea of Jennifer's duty and were surprised to find her gone when they arrived. When they found out about Jennifer's new job as a state alchemist, Liza was outraged. Her voice grew loud as she yelled at Troy and pounded her fist against the wall. "How could you let this happen? What will happen to the boy when she is killed?" Joshua's eyes grew big as the thought of his mother dying slipped into his mind. He suddenly saw images of her body scattered on the desert floor, blood seeping from her beautiful frame. "No!" He screamed, tearing himself from Liza's grasp. "She won't die! She's the best soldier out there!"
"Joshua, maybe it would be best if you went out into the yard." Troy said, his voice shaking. Joshua reluctantly obeyed and went out onto the front steps so he could listen in.
"My own sister is killing Ishabllans! My own flesh and blood! She is destroying my people!" Liza sunk onto the couch and stared out the window.
"She isn't doing this to kill your people, Liza. She is doing it for Joshua. She wants to support us on account of my low salary can't. Plus, she really has a knack for this alchemy stuff. I can't even explain it, but she is amazing. She's found something she loves." Troy's eyes watered as he watched Liza's brother-in-law skulking in the corner and her husband rise to his feet.
"How can we support something we forbid? Anyone in our culture doing that stuff is banned for life; how can you expect us to support her? Especially if she's killing us, too?" He sighed exasperatedly and buried his face in his hands. He loved his wife more than anything and would not let her sister be her downfall. "Liza, let's just go. There is no use being here or ever coming back."
Liza stood and looked Troy fully in the eye. "You make sure she knows we visited and you tell her this: I will never again call her my sister or include her as my family anymore. I hate to do that to the child but it is necessary. I can not call her my sister and a state alchemist and feel good about it." She turned, gave one last look at Troy and they walked out the door. Looking at Joshua on the front step, crying, she stooped down and embraced him. "You know I love you, child. But I need you to understand why I said the things I said." She kissed him gently on the forehead and slowly walked off with her family, never to see them again.
Dusk settled in on the lonely village Troy and Joshua called home. Off in the distance, Joshua could hear a battle going on; the gunshots and blasts lit up the sky like fireworks. Used to this, he slowly climbed the steps and went inside for dinner. He was beginning to grow weary of his mother not being home; maybe the battle over the hill was hers and she would come home to visit. His eyes lit up at the thought of it, but his thoughts were dimmed at the thought of her in any battle, no matter how close. He didn't like the thought of her in a battle; it just wasn't like her to kill people. While it was cool to tell the local kids his mom was a state alchemist it didn't take away the worry and pain he felt every night waiting for her to come home.
That very night the battle over the hill raged on and on. It seemed to be coming closer and closer to the house as it progressed. At about 2 a.m. Troy burst into Joshua's room and scooped the boy into his arms. "I don't have time to explain. Come on." They ran from Joshua's room into the kitchen where Troy reached into the cabinet and grabbed a pre-made bag of supplies they would need in case of an emergency. He also grabbed a flashlight and paused to look out the window. The battle was raging right in their front yard; Jennifer's house had already been destroyed. Turning from the window, Troy ran to the trap door in the kitchen that led into the basement. Setting Joshua on his feet, he nudged him down into the cellar. "What's going on, Troy? Is mommy coming home?" The boy asked groggily. He had been dreaming of her. "There isn't any time to explain, the war is in our front yard." Joshua's face tightened as he climbed slowly into the basement. "I'll be down in a minute. Take this bag and the flashlight. I've got to grab something I forgot." He closed the door over Joshua's head and ran down the hallway toward Joshua's bedroom. He had seen it on the dresser and knew that the boy would be hysterical without it.
As he reached the bedroom, he grabbed what he needed and turned to leave; just as he faced the doorway, a loud blast hit the house. Chunks of the doorframe fell onto Troy as he tried to make his way through the rubble. He reached the living room when another bang hit the house. This one wasn't as mild as the last one. The house had caught fire and beams from the ceiling were now falling around Troy. Putting the item he had grabbed into his pocket, he covered his head and fell to his knees, unable to reach the cellar door. Coughing and sputtering, his mind flashed images of Jennifer in a wedding dress and Joshua all grown up. He smiled at the thought of her and slowly collapsed onto the ground. Before he died, he took out the picture of Joshua and Jennifer he had grabbed from Joshua's bedroom and gave one last look before closing his eyes for the last time and said one last thing: "I love you."
The sudden bangs of artillery that hit the house sent everything in the cellar flying. The ceiling was starting to crumble and fall in places rather close to Joshua's head, so he decided to get out of there. He grabbed the bag and flashlight and opened the door that led to the top floor of the house. He gasped at the sight he saw; fire blazed all around him and the walls were crumbling. Gunshots could be heard outside and voices were yelling in harsh tones. He scanned the living room and screamed at the sight of Troy's dead body lying on the floor, smoldering in the flames. He ran to his side, barely missing a falling beam, and burst into tears at the sight of what was in his hand; his picture. Troy had gone back to retrieve Joshua's picture and it was his fault he was dead. Grabbing the picture and stuffing it in his pocket, he took one last look at Troy before bolting out the back door.
He had no idea where he was going to go, but he took off towards the woods in the backyard. Rain started to pour from the opening sky and the battle seemed to subside. Joshua found a tree and nestled down under it, gripping the picture tight and letting the tears flow freely from his eyes. His body was shaking from the violent sobs that came from his small frail body and he slowly cried himself to sleep while the rain poured on and more lives were lost.