Surprisingly quick update today…
Two days later, Ed was finally able to walk without any trouble, and while he still had that initial panic when he woke up to fur in his face, he was beginning to accept it. Slowly but surely, against his will, he was becoming accustomed to living with lions.
Today he was spending his time with Simba, exploring the area where they'd first met to see if there was any clue as to how he'd gotten there. As he looked, he realized that it was very similar to the place he'd been while running from Scar. Did that mean the Ishbalan had arrived as well?
"So how come humans can't talk to the rest of us?" Simba asked as Ed climbed a rock to get a better view of the area. Ed had already lifted Simba up there, since there was no place nearby for the cub to climb up on his own, and Ed didn't want to bother looking for one.
"Dunno," Ed replied. "I figured it's because each species has different kinds of vocal cords, but if animals can communicate with each other, then I wouldn't know why it's different for humans."
"Well, you've got funny limbs," Simba pointed out. "Maybe humans are just weird."
Ed laughed. "Yeah, that could be it. Although some are stranger than others."
"Like you?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ed snapped.
Simba laughed. "You're fun to mess with. I just meant that humans can't talk to us, but you can. Don't you think that's weird?"
Ed blinked. "Well, yeah, but still… I'm not weird," he muttered as he began walking along the ridge.
"You know, I don't think Zazu likes you," Simba said after a while. They had stopped for a while and were now sitting at the edge of the rock, Ed's legs dangling off the edge.
"Who, that bird with the superiority complex? That's fine. I don't like him either," Ed replied. "But I do understand his reasons," he continued. "Some humans have done horrible things."
"What do you mean?" Simba asked.
"War, for one thing," Ed replied. "And some are greedy; they take everything they want with no concern for others. They completely ignore equivalent exchange."
"Equivalent exchange?"
Ed nodded. "In order to obtain something, something of equal value must be lost. It means you can't just take everything without giving something back."
"Oh. Kinda like how we eat antelope, but they eat grass?"
Ed blinked. "Huh?"
"Oh, my dad said that our bodies become grass after we die."
Ed smiled. "Yeah, like that. We may die, but after a while, our bodies decompose and give nutrients to other living things, like the grass, and then that passes on to other beings, and the cycle continues."
"My dad called it the Circle of Life."
Ed looked out at the savannah, a smile on his face. Despite the fact that his brain was aching from the lack of logic in the current situation, he felt happy; happier than he'd ever felt in a place without his brother. "Your dad's very smart."
"Yeah, he's brave, too," Simba said. "He can take on a pack of hyenas all by himself!"
"That's probably because he's so big," Ed replied. "And he has a lot he needs to protect."
"Yeah, if he didn't like you, he could have killed you in a flash!"
Ed shuddered. "Heh heh… yeah, he sure could have…"
"Good thing the king is noble, eh?" came a voice from behind them. Ed was immediately on guard. That voice wasn't friendly. It sounded menacing, and… well, like everyone did when they were plotting something, and Ed didn't like it. He looked back to see a lion with dark fur standing behind him. There was a look in his eyes; a look that confirmed Ed's suspicions. This particular lion was not to be trusted under any circumstances.
"Oh, hi, uncle Scar!" Simba exclaimed. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you in forever!"
"Oh, just here and there. I've been doing a few… things for the good of the kingdom," Scar replied. "I see you've made friends with the human."
Ed did not like the way the word was stressed. He scowled at the lion, but Simba seemed to miss the tension. He simply nodded happily. "Yeah, we're looking to see if there's something to get him back home," the cub stated.
"A valiant task, of course," Scar said, looking Ed over once before smiling. "We haven't been introduced, have we? I am Scar, the king's frequently overlooked younger brother."
Ed forced a smile. "It's nice to meet you, Scar. My name is Edward."
"A pleasure, to be sure. However, you don't seem too pleased. Do I frighten you? After all, humans are naturally suspicious of everything."
"Not at all," Ed replied good-naturedly. "I was just startled when I heard your name, that's all. It's the same name as someone I, ah, encountered the other day."
"Is that so? Might I ask whom it was?"
Ed shrugged. "Oh, just some guy who mercilessly kills people of my profession and has tried to kill me on more than one occasion." Ed paused for a moment before smiling, perhaps a little too cheerfully than the situation called for, but he felt it was necessary for this. "Oh, but just because you have the same name doesn't mean I'll associate him with you. After all, his scar was x-shaped."
Scar frowned. He looked rather irritated. "I see. Well, forgive me for intruding upon your conversation, but I felt the need to introduce myself to such a handsome young man. I look forward to speaking with you again, Edward," he said before standing and walking slowly away. Ed watched him go for a moment before turning back to Simba.
"There's someone who wants to kill you?" Simba asked, shock evident in his voice.
"Yeah, but he hasn't succeeded, otherwise I wouldn't be talking to you right now," Ed replied. Unless I really did die and this is some sort of strange reincarnation thing… but that wouldn't work, would it?
"Well, I'm glad he didn't kill you. You're fun to talk to. You're kinda like my dad, but less strict."
Ed laughed. "Well, if I were your dad, I'd be so strict you'd be begging for mercy."
"Yeah, right. I could beat you up right now," Simba retorted.
"Oh, yeah? Let's see you try!" Ed challenged, moving to a defensive stance. "I have to warn you, though, I'm pretty good at defending myself when I have to."
"Okay, you asked for it!" And with that, Simba pounced. Ed easily dodged, and he ran in the general direction of Pride Rock, laughing as he dodged the cub's attacks. They ran for a while like this before coming to the edge of the rocks, where there was a four or five foot drop. Ed easily jumped down to the grass below, and he looked up at the edge of the overhang, waiting for Simba to appear at the edge and ask for a lift down. However, the cub surprised him by leaping off the edge and slamming into Ed's chest, the force of the impact pushing Ed to the ground. Ed let out a startled cry, and when he hit the dirt, he looked up at Simba, who was now sitting on his chest, a smug smile etched into the cub's features.
"You were saying?"
Ed grinned. "Oh, you think you've won?" he asked before suddenly grabbing the cub and pushing himself to his feet, running back to Pride Rock as Simba protested and struggled against him. After a while, Simba wriggled out and climbed to Ed's shoulder, claws digging into the alchemist's skin but not doing any real damage.
"Run faster, mighty steed!" Simba shouted.
"In your dreams!" Ed retorted before suddenly stopping, causing the cub to lose his balance and forcing him to jump to the ground. Then Simba jumped again, once again pushing Ed off his feet, and they collapsed in a heap on the ground, both laughing and panting heavily. Ed's legs hurt, but he ignored it. Right now was definitely worth a little bit of pain.
"You know, you should just stay here and live with us," Simba said after a while. "That way me and Nala could have another friend."
Ed stared up at the sky for a while, not knowing what to say to the cub. He did want to stay here, that much was true, but he wanted his brother to be happy even more. Every moment here just reminded him of how much his brother was missing.
"I wish I could," Ed finally said, pushing himself to a sitting position. "But I have a little brother, and there's something I need to do for him. I would be the happiest person in the world if he could be here with us right now, able to feel again…"
"Your brother can't feel?" Simba asked.
"No, not right now. I made a really bad mistake a while ago, and he's suffering because of it. That's why I need to go back to him."
"Oh. Well, when you fix him, will you come back?"
Ed smiled down at the cub. "I'd really like to. I'll try my best."
"Good. What's your brother like?"
Ed thought about it for a moment as he got to his feet. "Well, he's really nice. If he could smile right now, he'd probably be smiling most of the time, and he's always trying his best to help the people around him. He's a real softie when it comes to animals, too. If there's a kitten stuck out in the rain, he'll take it inside and take care of it. He's a lot like our mother, now that I think about it. And he's a lot stronger than I am," he finished with a sad laugh. "I've never won a fight against him, even though I'm the older brother and I should be the tough one and I'm supposed to be taking care of him…"
"Sounds like he's got you beat," Simba said as they got close to Pride Rock. "I want to meet him now."
"I'll bring him with me if I come back here," Ed said.
"Good."
Ed smiled. He really hadn't been around kids lately, and it was refreshing, even though technically Simba was a cub. He wished once again that he could stay here, with Al at his side, and maybe even with Winry. He looked down at Simba once again. "Oh, by the way…"
"What?"
"If I were your dad we'd be the same species."
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"That son of yours seems to be fascinated with that little boy you've found."
Mufasa continued to walk, unfazed by his brother's tone. "Is that right?"
"I stumbled upon the two earlier today. That human was speaking very highly of you. If I didn't know any better, I would say he was attempting to gain Simba's trust."
"Are you saying he's planning on using my son for some plan of his?" Mufasa asked.
"Of course not. That would be rude," Scar replied. "And it certainly has nothing to do with the rumors of white humans approaching the Pride Lands with their foul machines and destructive ways."
Mufasa raised an eyebrow. "When did you hear this?"
"Oh, sometime yesterday. Of course, it was from a meerkat, so it may only be a rumor."
"Let's hope so," Mufasa said.
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Okay, you gotta admit, Ed and Simba together has got to be the cutest thing on the face of the earth. (maybe cuter with lil' Ed, but you get the idea)
Also, for those of you who haven't read FMA chapter 77, which came out in November, this is a sweet little extra page we got with it: i80 dot photobucket dot com slash albums slash j185 slash junodog slash 01-1 dot jpg
Now make it a link and marvel in my ability to predict the future of FMA. (This story came out before the new chapter did, ya know…)