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.
"I've been thinking about this for a long time," He began. "We put all our trust in alchemy, but in the end, what is it?" He sighed, sitting up straight. " "Alchemy is the science of understanding the flow of matter and its laws...the process of comprehension, deconstruction, and reconstruction. The world flows too. It must also follow laws. Everything circulates... Even Death is a part of that circulation. You must accept the flow."" He paused. "Teacher sure drummed that into our heads, didn't she? I thought I understood it, but I didn't understand anything. Mom proves that. Now here I am again, trying desperately to figure out a way to do the impossible." He sighed, angrily. "I'm such a hopeless idiot... All this time, and I haven't grown up one bit. I thought maybe the rain would wash away some of this gloom that's following me. But right now, every drop that hits my face is even more depressing."
I reached out and touched his shoulder. "I don't even get that much." Al said. "Without a body, I can' t feel the rain hitting my face. That's something I miss... All the time... I want to get my body back soon, brother. I just want to be human again. Even if it means going against the flow of the world and trying to do the impossible." I squeezed Ed's shoulder. "You will," I insisted. "I'll help you achieve that, no matter what." I began to feel my eyes burn. "I'd—I'll follow you anywhere, to the end of the earth if I have to." Ed hummed, the vibration sent a jolt through my body.
"Thanks, Neo."
I smiled at the use of my nickname. I scanned the area and frowned. A man approached us, and I felt my stomach twist.
"You, boy, you're the Fullmetal Alchemist Edward Elric, correct? And you, the silvertarot alchemist." Terrified, I didn't reply. He moved his hand and a transmutation began to occur. "BROTHER! NEO!" Al yelled, snapping Ed out of his trance which led to the blond pulling me out of the way as he ran for it as well.
As we laid on the ground, the fountain burst.
"What the hell is going on here?!" Ed exclaimed. As he closed in on us my mind raced. Scar...no! This is bad, this is really bad. I have to move...now! The church bells rang, snapping Ed out of his terrified trance. "Al! Neo! Let's go!"
With a start, we began to run down the stairs and a wild chase began. I had to rely on Ed to transmute things to our advantage since I was too preoccupied with running.
Ed cursed as we ran. "Damn it, what the hell is this guy's problem?! Making enemies isn't something that I..." He heisitated, and we both knew that that was false. "well... I never really avoided it. But there's no reason someone should be trying to kill me!" He cursed. "Ed!" I called. "Down this way!" We rounded a corner and sprinted.
Scar exploded a house, however and sent us spiraling off the staircase. Unfortunately, the rubble crushed my legs.
"Naomi!!" Ed called, but he had no time to worry about me, since Scar was facing him again. He seemed to be his priority.
"Who are you, anyway?! Why are you after us?!" Ed asked. Scar cracked his knuckles. "As long as there are 'creators' like you in this world, there must also be destroyers." Ed hissed. "Then it looks like we're going to have to fight." I squirmed. "Ed...don't--!"
"Gutsy one, aren't you? But...too slow." Scar tapped Al's armor. "Al!" Ed and I called, in unison. "You bastard!" Ed cursed, charging. "You're too slow!" Scar taunted, tapping his automail.
"Ah! Damn it!" He said, stripping off his coat. Scar mustered him. "An automail arm... Then that explains why my attacks didn't do the damage I expected. Most unusual." Al sat up. "Brother, don't! Just take [Name] and run away!" He urged. "You idiot!" I yelled in synch with Ed. "We're not going to leave you behind!" I protested. By now I had crawled to sit by Al's side.
"You press your hands together to make a ring, and then you perform transmutation... Now I see." Scar observed. Scar grabbed Ed's arm. "Then I will have to start by destroying this abhorrent right arm of yours."
BANG!
"BROTHER!" I didn't know, but I was crying by then. "EDWARD!" I screamed. "Now you will not be able to use your heretic's alchemy." Scar said. "I will give you a moment to pray to god."
"Brother! Run away! Brother!" Al yelled. I cursed. "DAMN IT YOU ASSHOLE! GET OUT OF THERE!" He didn't seem to hear us.
"Unfortunately, there isn't any god I'd like to pray to." He rolled over. "Am I the only one you're trying to kill today? Or are you going after my brother Al, too? And [Name]?" Scar huffed. "If he interferes, I will eliminate him, but, Fullmetal Alchemist, you are the only one who's receiving judgement at the moment. You alone." Ed paused. "Okay... In that case, I want your word," He said. "Promise me you won't hurt my brother!"
"EDWARD!" I screamed. "Brother!" Al gasped. "I will keep that promise." Scar agreed. Al began to thrash as I hiccoughed. "No, brother, what are you trying to do?" "Ed! No stop!" "What are you thinking? Run!" "Get up and run! Stop! Don't touch him!" "No...! No, you can't!" "Stop it!"
Suddenly, a stern voice rang out: "That's enough! You won't be killing anyone else today, Scar. I'm taking you into custody, where you will answer for the murders of at least ten state alchemists."
Relief flooded through me, and I collapsed against Al's undamaged body. "Mustang..." I whispered. "Colonel..." AL hissed.
I didn't catch the rest of the fight, but soon enough Ed was kneeling before AL and checking his armor. Glancing to the rubble, I saw my automail.
No way in hell I can repair this...I'll need new parts. Suddenly a thud caught my attention. I spun around to find that Al had punched Ed.
"Why didn't you run away when I told you to?! What kind of idiot are you?!" AL asked. "No way! I'm not just going to run away and leave you behind!" Another punch. "Which is exactly why you're an idiot!" "What do you keep punching me for? If I'd run away, you could've been killed, you know that?!" "And maybe I wouldn't have been! Making the decision to die is something only and idiot does!" "Hey, easy on the idiot stuff! I'm still your older brother, got it?!" Al protested, however.
"I'll say it all I want to! Survival is the only way, Ed. Live on, learn more about alchemy. You could find a way to get out bodies back, and help people like Nina. You can't do that by dying! I won;t allow you to abandon the possibility of hope and choose a meaningless death! Oh, great! And now my arm's come off because my brother's a big, fat idiot!" Ed sighed, looked at the ground.
"We're really falling apart, aren't we?" He sighed, making me smile. "We look like we belong in a junkyard." I nodded. "But we're still alive." Ed nodded. "Hm. We are." Suddenly, he looked at me. "Are you okay? I...kinda forgot you were still here...sorry."
I shook my head. "I'm okay, a little legless, but I'm okay. I would've forgotten about you too if it had been Lys instead of you, it's fine." Ed nodded. I shifted a bit and got out a 'wheelchair' transfiguration card and used in on the stone and wood lying about.
Xxx
Soon enough I found myself in a conference with Ed, Hughes, Armstrong, Mustang, AL and the rest of Mustang's unit.
"The Ishvalans were a race of people who lived to the east of us. They believed their god Ishvala was the one, absolute creator. Even after they were annexed into the country, there were still conflicts between us and them. Then, thirteen years ago, a military officer accidentally shot and killed an Ishvalan child... And that led to a full blown civil war. One uprising led to another, and before long, the rebellion had spread to the whole eastern sector. After seven years of this. an order came down from the military high-command...to exterminate Ishval. Many State alchemists were brought in to act as human weapons. Needless to say, the State Alchemists produced striking results. That man is an Ishvalan survivor. In a sense, his revenge is justified." Mustang explained. I scoffed. "No way!" Ed said. "There's no justification for taking revenge on people who had nothing to do with it! He's just dressing his ugly lust for vengeance in the mantle of his god and calling himself an agent of justice." I agreed.
"Still, the fact is, he's coming at us with full force. We can't let ourselves be killed for his cause. Next time there will be no more talk. Got it?" Mustang ordered. "Yes sir!"
Hughes hummed, turning to the boys and I. "Well, Neo, Ed, Alphonse, what are you two going to now? What's the plan?" Ed huffed. "We're going to keep moving. We can't just sit around, not as long as we're still alive." Alphonse sighed. "Brother..." " Before we can make any headway on getting your body back," Edward declared, "we have to get my arm back to normal. After all, I'm the only one who knows how to bond your soul to the armor."
Al hummed. Edward sighed. "We've got no choice. It's been a long time, but we need to pay a visit to our mechanic."
Riza hummed. "Right. Naomi, your legs were completely demolished correct?" I nodded. "Yeah, normally I repair my automail myself but if I don't have the correct parts so I can't do that. And I don't know how the individual parts are made, so transfiguring them won't be possible."
Ed gasped. "You repair it...yourself?" I cocked a brow. "Yeah...? It hurts but there's no other way. Most Automail engineers just wave me off, claiming they know better." Ed nodded, decisively.
"Then, why not coming to resembool with us? Our mechanic is the best and always is open for criteria. And, she'll have your parts done in no time." He offered. I thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright," I said. "I'll go with you."
xxx