Two chapters in one day? Le gasp!
This one explains the brothers weren't just randomly in a park last chapter.
*ER*
"I refuse to help you with this."
"I don't exactly need your help." Alphonse rolled his eyes earning a sour look from his brother that could, ironically, curdle milk.* "This is the right thing to do and you know it."
"No, it's an undeserved second chance." Fullmetal huffed and turned to leave The Gate.
"How is that? When the first one wasn't really much of a choice?" Al asked, stopping Ed in his tracks. He didn't respond for several seconds. Finally he snorted.
"Do what you want." He grounded out. With a familiar clapping sound, the elder Elric vanished in a flash of blue light.
"I always do brother. Will you be this way forever?" With a sigh, Al started to clap only to be interrupted before his hand connected.
"He's still just upset about everything that's happened Alphonse. He isn't really angry with you." The legion like voice of Truth spoke from behind him. "Forever is a long time."
"I know that. But this is something I know in my heart is right to do." He paused. "What do you think...father?"
Father, and Mother.
Edward still refused to call Truth anything but Truth. Or Blind Asshole. Or Faceless Bastard. Or whatever creatively derogatory expletive happened to tumble out of his mouth really. In the time since Sylphine crashed landed into then gingerly skipped out of their lives the brothers had spent a great deal of time pondering their new existence and all that entailed. It didn't really surprise the two of them that Alphonse happened to be a Light Mage and Edward a Dark Mage. Especially remembering Sylphine's short explanation of their kind's nature.
While having the capacity to be selfless (assuming more of a burden than really fair) sincere and caring, Dark Mages were generally loosely wrapped bags of crazy when push came to shove. Often reckless and wreaking general havoc around them even without meaning to at times. Short tempered, pessimistic, spiteful and occasionally blinded by their own animosity (or apathy) fit Ed to a tee at times too.
Light mages were often considered sweet, gentle, self sacrificing, and optimistic about most people and things. Until you pressed the right (wrong) buttons; then affinity help you and anything standing between you and them. Hella destructive when provoked, willing to do whatever it takes to succeed at what he deems worthy (even if it means a few others have to eat along the way) and also being a slave to their own emotions happened to be faults Alphonse shared too. The brothers were mirror reflections of each other and thus their acute codependency provided balance between them.
Despite this, there were of course points of contention as with any siblings. And this was one.
"I think I've meddled enough. It's your turn now, the both of you." Truth laughed. "I'm content just holding everything together and judging those foolish enough to trespass without invite."
*ER*
Which brings us back to that park.
Brother always said he had a soft spot for strays.
"Good heavens! Gunther spit that out right now!" Shrieked a dark haired woman. Snatching up her purse she made a beeline for the rotund little boy happily munching on a maple stick, trying to hide under the tree's shade on the side opposite the bench she had been on. He couldn't be more than 8 or 9.
"But it smells like syrup and tastes sweet mommy." The boy whined as she took it from him. "I'm hungry!"
"I know dear. Honestly what do I pay that doctor for if he can't cure your pica**? He knows damn well I haven't the money to spare." Exasperated she stood him up and dusted off his clothes. "Come along now."
"Can we get pancakes?"
"We'll see if their still serving breakfast at Marzan's okay?" She smiled.
"Yay!"
The brothers watched the small family walk off, passing an older gentleman with his easel set up to paint the scenery. The patch over his left eye bearing a silver emboss of the Amestrian State seal. To most, he seemed to be a former soldier enjoying his retirement. Only the Elrics knew better.
"I believe Marzan's is serving up hotcakes all day Miss Luana." he smiled at the pair.
"Thank you Mr. Penrod." Though she returned the facial expression, her tone and clenched teeth suggested she wished the old man had simply kept his mouth shut.
A good distance from those relaxing, two figures stood in the shadows of an alleyway conversing out of most people's earshot. The brothers weren't most people.
"Still pickin pockets eh?" The taller took a drag from his cigar, absently stroking his fur collar with his free hand.
"Shut up Gregor you ain't my dad." his spiky haired companion snapped. He was dressed like typical kid to hide his hooligan tendencies perhaps. Though that outrageous green hair wasn't doing him any favors as far as blending in. Even with the hat.
"No but I am your guardian. I don't like it anymore than you brat I like my freedom too much to go to jail for your dumbass." The man beside him bopped him in the head. "Take it back right now Engel. Damn your mom named you poorly."
"Shut up my name's just fine!" Engel huffed sullenly. "Fine..."
"What made you come out here brother?" Alphonse asked, watching Engel stomp back to casually slip the watch he'd swiped from a man browsing at a pottery stand into his wife's purse as he passed them. "Did you change your mind?"
"I guess you could say that. I suppose those bastards do deserve a second chance. They never did have much of a choice in what they did their last life." Ed smiled at what used to be Lust holding onto a bouncing mini Gluttony. His eyes softening when he turned to look at Engel. Something flickering in them his brother could not place. "Their mistakes weren't exactly their own."
"The Curtis' love having their son back. He helps Sig at the shop but likes showing off his alchemy at home to be Teacher's little handyman better. It's kinda funny that his original name was Ramhart." the younger brother turned towards the sky.
"Mighty intelligent indeed. Of course you let him keep all the alchemy knowledge he got from me so that's to be expected." Ed puffed out his chest proudly. "I am a genius after all."
"Why are you suddenly so happy about my decision brother. Ego aside." Though he didn't turn away from the clouds, Al's question carried an aire of suspicion.
"I can't be happy for someone else?"
"That's not why."
"Well, you sort of gave me an idea. Let's see if Fuhrer Bastard notices before I decide to act. Memories can be tricky to manipulate. After all that's why Teach, Sig and Wrath are the only ones you let remember right?" Ed gave a wolfish sneer. "I didn't use my desk much but everyone thinks I kept a certain picture on it...that I bet is now in his office out of sentiment."
"Brother you didn't!" Al groaned. A familiar cackle validated his theory. "You did. That's NOT where I put her! He's gonna have a heart attack, how could you?!"
Fullmetal just continued to laugh hysterically despite being questioned angrily.
*ER*
"Sir I'm so sorry I'm late!" A dark blonde woman dressed in a female officer uniform burst into the leader of the country's office clutching a pile of folders. Her loose hair flying around her.
"It's quite alright...um. Forgive me, your name escapes me my dear. I know Hawkeye mentioned you to me before her leave..." he trailed off as his gaze landed on the one possession he had of a former subordinate. There on the shelf, the image of two brothers hair the color of the sun being hugged by their mother as the trio smiled into the camera sat in a plain oak wood frame. He paled instantly, his single eye going wide.
"Oh, well you're a busy man and I'm new and sort of forgettable...and I'm rambling aren't?" she blushed nervously swiping a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Juliet Douglas, your new secretary reporting for duty, uh, Sir? Are you okay?"
*ER*
*gonna make milk jokes when I can :P
**pica is a condition that causes people or animals to eat things they really shouldn't like hair, dirt, rocks, etc. It's thought to be purely a psychological disorder with no actual 'cure' and though sometimes treatable with meds, behavioral therapy is generally recommended to best manage it.
Yeah, Al felt the homunculi deserved real lives. And naturally, Ed perverted part of it for his own amusement. He's still a little shit.
Since they had no souls, he didn't violate the law that life flows only in one direction by making them human. That particular rule has a loophole we might revisit later n_n
Name list:
Gluttony: Gunther- Warrior; arguably loyal warrior
Lust: Luana- Battle Maiden
Pride: Penrod- Famous Commander
Greed: Gregor- Vigilant
Envy: Engel- Angel
Wrath: Ramhart- mighty and/or intelligent
Sloth: Juliet Douglas- the alias she used...for the same position under Bradley. Juliet happens to mean youthful
These were picked for meaning and/or similarity to their original sins in pronunciation.
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