AN: Alright Izumi has straightened Edward out on the whole training situation so let's see how far he takes it.
I long to go home Chap.22
The next day Edward finished replacing the windows with Sig's help and Izumi's ball crushing stares. He then worked with Crystal while Izumi worked with Jade and Kashmir.
She turned to him "Ed you've gotten slow being on the other side." His reflexes weren't what they used to be so she walked over and started throwing punches at him. "I'm going to get you back in prime fighting condition. I guess the other side is not as good as expected" she said grabbing his arm and flipping him through the air.
As he hit the ground "I guess not" he flipped his legs over his head and stood up "Crystal that's enough for today I need to talk to Sig." He smiled to himself.
"What have you got up your sleeve Edward?" Izumi asked curiously.
"I just want veggies and rice for dinner if I'm going to get back into shape." he walked into the house.
Izumi turned to the girls "He actually looks pretty good he's kept his body toned up. But your father used to be faster with his reflexes." she looked at Jade "He didn't fight much over there did he?"
Jade shook her head "Fight why would he have to no one was trying to kill him over there."
"You know about that?" Izumi said surprised.
"We do have ears you know and lately he's been on guard all the time." She looked at Izumi "He's training us for something isn't he?"
"Weeell" Izumi put her hand to her chin "You've got it all figured out don't you?" She stepped forward and grabbed Jade's arm and flipped her through the air. Then she turned and flipped Kashmir and she turned and bent down and swiped Crystal's feet out from under her as she stood up.
Edward watched from the open window as she started to walk to the house then stopped and turned to the girls "Go over the lesson until lunch."
The girls all got in a circle and Crystal drew a circle on the ground and they began to go over Izumi's lesson "The circle denotes the circulation of power in order to call upon-"
Edward had his eyes closed sitting by the open window when Izumi came in and heard him repeating the lesson with the girls "And to harness this power one must draw a structural matrix over the circle."
"Well" she smiled "You still remember after all these years?"
"Yeah" he opened his eyes "You nearly beat it into our heads." he smiled.
She looked out the window at the girls "Let's just hope they do too."
It was a few night's later and everyone was asleep until the familiar "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" rang through the house and shattered all the windows AGAIN.
Edward sat up and laughed "Weeell I guess Sig used the lion purrs softly attack on teacher."
"Edward you didn't?" Winry smacked him on the arm.
He gathered her in his arms and smiled "Yeah I did" as he snuggled next to her "Come on let's get some sleep" he pulled the covers up and closed his eyes.
The next morning Edward awoke to see all the girls practicing in the yard. He got up and helped Sig replace the windows AGAIN! Kashmir had her sickle out and was throwing and twisting it around.
"She's going to chop her own head off with that thing." Edward flinched as she barely missed cutting her own neck open.
'Holy crap' he thought for a minute and looked around. He thought 'We'll if their going to learn to use weapons it should be now.' He took down three carving knives and alchemized the edges flat. He picked up three paring knives and alchemized the edges.
"Ed what are you doing?" Izumi curiously asked.
"You'll see" He picked them up and walked out grabbing the ax on the way from the wood pile. He got outside and motioned for Jade and Crystal to come to him.
"Here" He handed Jade the carving knives "When you can catch these by the handles" he said juggling them "We'll move to the next stage." He handed Crystal the paring knives as they proceeded to try to start juggling them. After watching them for a few minutes he was glad he alchemized the edges.
He looked at Kashmir and shook his head and walked over and in her full swing he grabbed the sickle with his automail hand then broke it in half.
"Heeeeey" she said.
He grinned at her and handed her the ax "Twirl it and get a stride going" He took a piece of chain and began to swing it around flicking his wrist and swinging it from side to side like he used to do his pocket watch in a rhythm "Follow the flow of your body Kash, whatever feels comfortable."
She began to slowly twirl it from hand to hand "Heey I think I got it somewhat."
"Yeaah, keep practicing then try to swing it around and come back to that same twirl" he stepped back a few feet "Slowly at first there's plenty of time to speed up later."
As he turned to the girls Jade had already mastered catching the knives and know she was putting a twist on it. Crystal was having luck with two knives so he walked over and helped her and thirty minutes later she had all three going. He smiled as he walked into the house leaving them to practice.
Winry didn't understand "Edward you gave them weapons?" Izumi listened as she kept chopping meat behind the counter.
"Yes their alchemy is slow in a fight there's usually not enough time to draw a transmutation circle to transmute. The weapons are to compensate for that."
"Edward I don't think weapons-" he cut her off.
"I don't mean to sound cold and unfeeling Winry but my girls will be able to fight someone and take them down by force if necessary" he turned to walk out "That goes for Kashmir too" he stopped and looked at the floor "She'll probably be the one helping them at the last of their training" Then he walked out.
"Ed" she said then yelled after him "EDWARD!"
Izumi kept her head down "He's trying to save their lives Winry."
"But Al drew transmutation circles when they used to fight." She explained.
" Yes but Ed didn't have to draw one so he had time to do it. My boys were more trained in fighting so they could fight and only use alchemy when necessary." She looked up "You must train the body to train the mind."
'What is he training them for?' she thought as she watched out the window. He was teaching them stances and how to throw the knives in the air and flip then catch them.
Edward watched the girls and praised them when necessary and then corrected them when necessary. He knew it was time to tell them as he looked down the road and saw a familiar figure coming closer.
"AL!" he yelled and waved.
"BROTHER!" Al began to run towards him and stopped as they shook hands.
"Good to see you" Edward told his younger brother and he knew he had to tell him one more thing " I am so proud of you Alphonse I knew you could do it Ironsoul alchemist."
Al's cheeks turned red as he blushed "Stop it Ed" he looked at the girls practicing "They look good brother."
"I hope so " he looked away "They have a hard fight coming" he looked at Al "I'm going to take the girls for a walk with me. We'll talk later when I get back alright."
Al knew what his brother was going to do by the look in his eyes. He was going to tell the girls finally. Edward walked over to the girls then looked back to Al.
"I'm glad you're here Al" he smiled softly.
Al stood there and watched them walk off and he knew things would be different after today.
Edward and the girls walked for a ways down the road then he stopped and looked at them "You know I am very proud of you and that I love both of you very much." he turned to stare at the country side this was going to be harder than he thought.
"Dad what's going on?" Jade asked seeing he was having some talking "If this is about the guy trying to kill you we already know."
Edward smiled and turned to face them " Oh my Jade I could never keep anything from you" he sat on the brick wall that lined the road "But no it's not about him."
He motioned for them to come closer "My Jade with hair the color of fire to match your spirit" then he looked at Crystal "Crystal your compassion to help people makes me proud." a single tear rolled down his cheek " You are both the best parts of me" he looked down "I'm not going to sugar coat this so here goes" he pulled them both close "I'm dying girls."
"WHAT!…NO!" Jade screamed as he held onto her "YOUR WRONG! YOU CAN"T!" She pushed against him wanting to run.
Crystal looked up with tears flowing from her eyes and it reminded him so much of Winry "Dad you can't die" she hugged him tightly.
"Listen to me" trying to calm them down.
"THAT'S WHY YOUR TRAINING US ISN'T IT?" Jade screamed as she fell to the ground sobbing "So we can help you fight this guy?"
"Nooo my Jade" he said softly lifting her up "I'm training you so you can carry yourselves in this world and continue the fight for the people" he pulled her to him " This world is not like the world you were born in. You have to be able to take care of yourselves and each other."
Jade looked at him "There has to be something we can do?" as both girls hugged his neck tightly. Edward looked to the sky and thought 'God take care of my girls' as he sat there he realized soon there would be another part of him in this world.
"Girl's you have to promise me" he pushed them away to look at him "That you will train your brother and take care of him when he get's here."
Both girl's saw the look in his eyes and knew what he wanted them to do "Yes dad" they both said as he sat there and held both of them.
Edward and the girl's walked back to the house and when Winry saw them she knew he had told them. Both girls ran in the house and went to the room they were staying in.
Winry turned to Edward "So how did they take it?"
"As well as can be expected" he said sitting at the table.
"Give them some time Edward" Winry said hugging his neck. He looked up at Izumi as she chopped meat.
"Teacher I think it's time we go home to Resembool. Thank you for helping with the girls and straightening my thinking out."
"Edward….you and Alphonse are the best thing that I have ever done and-" She paused and there was awkward silence for a few minutes "I love you both" She said softly.
He got up and walked over to her and hugged her "I know and we love you too.' he said as they shared a tender moment before she snapped back to her old self.
"ALRIGHT now get out of here I can't get any work done with you blubbering all over me." she said wiping a tear away and pushing him slightly backward.
Edward turned "Yes teacher" as he took Winry's hand and walked out.
Izumi broke into tears when they left the room and put her clever down " My dear boy may God have mercy on your soul and give you strength."
It had been a couple of hours and Al went to go check on the girl's. He went to knock on the door when two words rang through his ears "Human transmutation."
He burst through the door "What are you two thinking?" he stood arms crossed " You will not try human transmutation it is forbidden that's how a homunculus is made."
"But Uncle Al-" he cut her off.
"I know your hurting so am I, But you will not bring my brother back as a homunculus. With everything your fathers filled with at this point who knows what he would come back like." He turned around " You need to forget this right now and never speak of it again" He turned and looked at them "DO you hear me?"
Both girl's flinched "Yes" They said as he shut the door. Crystal looked at Jade " Are we going to forget this?"
Jade gave her a sly look "NO!… he was brought back once before. There has to be something in these books that will make it successful " she slammed her hand down "We just have to find it."