NAOMI
When we entered Mustang's unit office we walked into his subordinates complaining about the radio. Ed immediately transmuted it to a better status.
"Ed! Al! Neo!" Fuery exclaimed. "Back already?" Ed nodded. "Yeah..." Riza approached us with a smile. "Welcome back, you three. Go on in, the Colonel's expecting you."
We walked through the doors and saluted him swiftly. "Well done on the Liore case you three. Nice work. I appreciate you resolving the matter." I nodded. "No big deal." I replied kindly, but Ed averted his gaze and scoffed.
"It's not like we did it for you." I looked at him incredulously. "Right. The Philosopher's Stone. Another false lead?"
Edward cringed. "Yeah, after all that the stone was a fake. Even so...the power it gave Cornello was real enough. He transmuted this huge chimera right in front of us." I tapped my chin. "I wonder how he was able to make the stone to do that. I'm not familiar enough with bio-alchemy to really understand it." I mused. Edward nodded. "Yeah, I'm kind of curious about that too. It might be worth looking into. Who knows, maybe we'll find something that could help us restore our bodies." I smiled. Al hummed in admittal. I nodded as well. "Maybe." I agreed.
"It might help if you consulted a specialist." Mustang offered. Al and Ed perked up, I lifted my chin to show that I was interested as well. Our superior nodded. "The Sewing Life Alchemist, Shou Tucker. He's done some heavy research into chimera transmutation. I'll introduce you." Al stepped forward, eagerly. "You would do that for us?" Ed scoffed.
"OK, what's the catch? You want something, don't you!" He accused causing me to look away, ashamed. "Don't doubt my motives!" He hissed. "I'm trying to repay you for your work on the Leore case. Doing you a favor is better than being indebted to you." He reasoned.
Mustang ended up offering to drive me home since it was on the way, and being the lazy person I am, I agreed. In the car, Mustang updated the boys on Tucker's history.
"Two years ago, Tucker transmuted a chimera that could understand human speech. That earned him his certification as a State Alchemist." Edward gaped. "By "understand human speech", you mean... Wait, you mean it talks? A chimera?!" Mustang nodded. "Right...supposedly. It only said one thing. "I want to die." After that, it refused to eat until it got its wish." We all went silent after that.
"Suicide..." I mumbled. Mustang nodded. I got out at Riza's apartment building and bowed farewell to the car. "See you around, Ed,Al." I said. "Bye, Naomi!" Al replied. "Seeya." Ed said, a tired smile on his lips.
Xxx
From that mission onward, I often went to help the Elrics at Tucker's place.
I didn't leave East City for a few weeks following the Leore case, all in all things quieted down apart from Scar roaming about. I wasn't allowed to go home without Riza for awhile.
One morning, she approached me and said: "Tucker turned his daughter into a chimera." I gasped.
"What!? You mean ...?" She nodded. I hummed. "How did that...did Ed and Al find out?" Riza nodded. "Crap...are they okay? Mentally, I mean?" Riza shook her head. "I don't know. You would have to ask them. They didn't seem so well last I saw them, though." I nodded.
A few days later, Tucker was declared dead. I ran out of the HQ and scanned the frontal grounds for the Elrics. Before long, I spotted them I jogged over.
"Ed...Al..." I said, voice quiet. I sat down next to Ed and mustered his face. I massaged my stumps as the rain fell harder. "I heard...about Tucker...and Nina." Ed's body tensed, and I felt immediate remorse.
