The Children of the Sun
The Children of the Sun
Command Center
Kappa
Lt. Fuhrer Mustang's Office
It had been about a month after they arrived in Kappa that the railroad had finally been completed. The first shipment of supplies would be arriving this morning, and Winry would be riding back out. Now that the train was coming once a week, she would be spending one week a month in Central at her shop. This meant that she would be gone two weeks altogether with travel.
Edward and Winry had discussed it in great detail, and he had insisted that he and the boys would be fine while she was gone, that he had been raising a child alone longer than with help and he knew how to handle it. He also assured her that that didn't mean she wasn't important to him and the boys, just that they would be fine with her traveling. After all, at some point it was likely he would be the one that had to go.
Now she was down at the train station, Ed had gone to see her off, and the boys were in Roy's office. Because most of the time Ed had been raising Yuery 'alone' Roy had been helping everywhere he could, and that wasn't going to change anytime soon. Yuery was sitting at the small table Roy had arranged to be placed in his office coloring, and William was sitting in the playpen with his blocks. Roy was busy filling out work orders.
A knock on the door was followed by his adjutant, Kain Fuery, announcing the arrival of the Ishbalan representatives. Elder Sham, her grandson Joseph, Mayor Saul, and The Ishbalan (as Scar was now referred to by the Amestrians) were led into the room, and Fuery shut the door.
Yuery glanced up from his coloring long enough to establish that it wasn't his parents to pick him up, then returned to his coloring. Joseph smiled at the boy, though the other three did not look at him. Roy stood to greet his guests and ask if everything was alright.
"We've come to discuss the proposed supply list." Sham said politely.
"Is there something lacking?" Roy asked, concerned. "It may take a while for some things to arrive, the rail line just reopened. However, if something was overlooked, we could order it for the next shipment."
"You have been extremely generous in this entire thing, no we simply wished to ask if there was anything, we could do to repay you. I noticed just this morning, that there are extra items being ordered. Things like candies and toys for the children, books and clothes for the adults that we would never have asked for." Saul said. "It really wasn't necessary to order these extra items."
"Of course, it was. We are here to restore your home and happiness. Home could take a while, but an occasional treat will go a long way toward raising morale." Roy said smoothly. He had been in charge of groups of overworked people far too long to not have picked up little tricks to keep them all going.
"Is Colonel Elric around?" Joseph asked, once again glancing at the children sitting near Mustang's desk.
"He took Ms. Rockbelle to place her on the train. Her presence was required in Central, and his here. It is the nature of their lives to sperate for their work for periods of time, they will be fine." Roy said. "Once we return to Central it is unlikely that they will be separated again. At least for a long while. He is scheduled for a promotion at that time."
"I see. It is a shame. I wished to ask him something rather personal." Joseph said and Sham frown at the boy, while Roy offered to attempt an answer. "Well, I was wondering if Colonel Elric was perhaps one of the Children of the Sun. I remember seeing him in the ruins, how he seemed to understand something about what happened there all those centuries ago, and then there is his hair and eyes, and I was just wondering I know it's a bit of a foolish question."
"Not foolish at all actually. Edward is a descendant of Xerxes. There is only one family line that I know of that derives directly from Xerxes and that is Ed's. So yes, he is one of the 'Children of the Sun.' He also is my adoptive son." Roy said proudly.
"Oh, I see. So, then his magic is blessed by Ishballa." Joseph said. "We learned about them in class."
"I'm afraid I have no idea what you are talking about, but that sounds intriguing." Roy said in reply.
"According to our legends" The Ishbalan interrupted. "Xerxes was populated entirely by the blessed people, marked by the resemblance to the sun. They were given the great gift to alter the world around them, and they thrived in the desert, not just the edges but the heart. One day, an interloper convinced their greatest priest that it was necessary to attempt the impossible, for the good of the world. The attempt failed, and they were lost, but the interloper was able to steal from them the magic Ishvala had given them, and thus alchemy was forbidden."
"…So, what you are saying is it's fine for Ed to use alchemy because he's a child of the sun?" Roy asked, to make sure he understood what they were saying.
"Yes, of course." Elder Sham replied. "I knew when I saw him last year because he does not need to draw to force the magic from the Earth."
Roy thought quickly, this could easily backfire on him. He could undo everything that he had tried so far, but if it worked, he could take some of the burden off of his son. "The Xingese have a legend. One of the Golden Men escaped the destruction and traveled to Xing, The Sage of the West. Once he arrived, he felt it was necessary to continue tradition to keep the world safe from the monster who had stolen his homeland. He took upon himself a handful of acolytes, and through training and prayer they were granted use of the power. They then set forth to use that power to protect the world." He looked at them each in turn and saw he had their interest. "It was said that one day, the monster that destroyed his kingdom would try again, and when he did, the students of the Golden One would rise against him, to stop the monster before he could destroy a second country." Roy then took a deep breath.
This was it, he hoped this would go as planned. He clapped his hands, after removing his gloves to demonstrate the lack of arrays. He placed his hands carefully on the desk as he envisioned Edward and Alphonse. Slowly a statue of his sons raised from the desk before the light faded away. He dared to look at them once more. The Ishbalan was frowning, but Joseph and Sham were staring at the statue with awe. Saul stepped forward with a bow refusing to speak and shocked by the sight.
"You were able to preform without a circle. You have been touched by Ishvala and granted the Gift." Sham said with wonder. "Truly Ishvala has looked upon your heart and granted you absolution for the sins they forced upon you with their wicked wars. "
"The legend. Promised Day, the prophecy was fulfilled. You too have been touched by God and it would be a prideful Sin to refuse your help." The Ishbalan said.
"You were Chosen, and they attempted to corrupt you, yet you prevailed. You even named the Child of the Sun as your own to protect and care for. We would be honored for you help." Saul finally said.
"The honor is mine. I was blessed to receive my sons; I am grateful to them every day. I am thankful you are willing to give me the chance to right the wrongs done to your people." Roy replied. He was relieved his gambit had worked. Everything he had said about the legend was true. He had read it again very recently. He had also read bits and pieces of Hohenheim's journals and knew the man had planned at one point the man had been training an army, or that had been his intent. He was also fairly certain Edward had been reading the journals too, though Ed said he had no interest in them.
"Will you come tomorrow, with Colonel Elric, to oversee the construction?" Elder Sham asked.
"I would be honored, yes." Roy said.
"Yeye! Doggy is done." Yuery said as he produced a purple and green colored blob that vaguely appeared to have legs.
"Very good, Yu. It's beautiful. Look it had legs this time!" Roy said and the boy smiled brightly before walking back over to his table.
"What is that he calls you?" Joseph asked. "I heard Daniel say it once too. The other day."
"Yeye. It's Xingese for Grandfather." Roy said with a smile, he found he rather enjoyed the title despite his original complaints that he was not old enough to be a grandfather. "Yuery also refers to General Hawkeye as Nainai, which means grandmother."
"Ah yes, you and General Hawkeye intend to wed shortly?" Sham asked.
"I believe so, though we are likely waiting until we can return to Central. Ed, Colonel Elric, and Winry Rockbelle will probably marry first." Roy said, as William yawned largely and rubbed his eyes.
"You all live together? Is that the limited accommodations?" Sham asked with a frown.
"Not exactly." Roy replied. "The housing Edward build was designed for our family. It has enough room for all six of us. He could change the scale if it became necessary, though it won't become an issue since we are not allowing any further troops assigned to the area. I simply told the council of Generals that we had it under control, between four Alchemists there really is no need to send additional support beyond the ones we brought to help with paperwork. All of them are very efficient with paperwork."
Roy then stands with a smile and walked over to the playpen. The baby was in need of a nap, and Yuery could use the quiet time as well. The children's nap schedule had not been affected by the move, if anything keeping to it was easier with less people around. Sham and the others left as he waved to them and he followed them out of the building with his grandsons to take them over to his house to put them down for their nap.
Kappa City Center
Late Afternoon
Colonel Edward Mustang-Elric and Lt. Fuhrer Roy Mustang arrived as agreed to review the buildings in the city center to determine their condition. Havoc and Fuery followed behind them with clipboards for notes, as they decided the best way to handle the area was to split up. Ed took the left half and Roy the right, starting with the temple in the center, that they examined together.
Ed had been given permission to examine the structures, using his alchemy. This would make the process faster if nothing else, because he would be able to find any small fractures in the structures. Roy had been taught how to do this as well, by Ed. Between the two of them it would still take close to an hour to examine and record each building.
Elder Sham walked with Mustang, and the Ishbalan walked with Ed. Ed had left his sons in the care of Riza Hawkeye because he was concerned some of the buildings would be unsafe at this time. As Ed walked, he scribbled notes into his notebook and attempted to pay attention to those around him. The first four buildings he had examined, excluding the temple, required very little to restore them to their former condition.
Ed and The Ishbalan had just entered the fifth building, Havoc trailing behind making notes. "What do they call you now?" Ed asked curiously. "I mean I know what Armstrong calls you and that seems to be what most everybody back in Central refers to either of the nicknames you were given, but what is your chosen name?" I'm sorry, it's probably not something you want to talk about."
"I am nameless. My people do not refer to me as anything at all." He said before turning to a crack in the wall to examine it closer. "I am sinful. I used Alchemy, knowing it was forbidden. Worse I used it to kill. I have been forgiven however I am nameless."
"I see. Then I will address you accordingly when it is the two of us, or we are among your people. I am afraid among my people I will not be able to do that." Ed replied.
"You have two names. Which do you prefer?" He asked.
"Informally, such as when I am speaking to friends and family, I prefer my given name or some variation thereof, most call me Ed actually. When we are in a formal situation like at work, most refer to me by Fullmetal… or Colonel Elric. Honestly, I prefer Fullmetal to Colonel however I acknowledge there are times when Colonel is necessary."
"Lt. Fuhrer Mustang prefers Mustang, in any variation, to his title." Havoc said from behind them, still scribbling on his clipboard. "According to Hughes and Hawkeye he loved his title at first, until he was sent out here. He was proud of being Flame until he was used to kill. He hates being called The Hero of Ishval even more than Flame though. That one still spirals him into depression."
No further comments were made as the other two stood back so Ed could concentrate. He stood in the center of the room and began, the blue light soon filling the room as he formed a layout and list of damages in his mind. He would jot it all down when he was finished before they moved on. "I could fix everything wrong with this building right now. If you two would be so kind as to move out of the room?" Edward said finally as he opened his eyes and let go of the power.
"Well…are we allowing him to begin repairs at this point?" Havoc asked. The Ishbalan stared at them both thoughtfully, before nodding and stepping from the room. Havoc smiled before walking out of the door himself. With in moments the entire building danced in blue light, and a crowd gathered. Mustang and Sham approached just as the light was fading.
"The Boss said he could repair this one himself in just a few moments, it didn't need additional supplies." Havoc said to Mustang who was frowning at the building.
"We agreed not to allow Edward to repair anything major without another alchemist standing by." Mustang said in response.
"Uh, did you tell him that?" Havoc asked, he knew Mustang had said that, but wasn't sure if this counted as 'major'.
"No." Mustang said with a sigh. "The quickest way to ensure Ed would be running around repairing everything from flowerpots to gas lines would be to tell him not to do just that. I was counting on you to dissuade him."
"Okay then. The Boss isn't going to listen to me about these things Chief. He's more likely to listen to you than me." Havoc replied. "I am no Hawkeye."
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Mustang demanded.
"Just that Ed listens to her sir." Havoc backpaddled.
"Yeah well, she is back at the compound with the boys, so I guess it's up to me." Mustang replied before approaching Ed with a sigh as the boy came back out of the building. "Edward, we are to make a complete list of what needs to be repaired before we begin repairs. We don't want to antagonize the natives, after all we are here to help them."
"I asked before I began and was given the go ahead." Ed said pointing to the spot where Havoc and the Ishbalan were standing. Roy frowned in return, and Havoc knew he was going to be in trouble later.
"Please Edward, out here, in this heat. I would prefer if I was near by when you did these things just in case the heat gets to you and you need help." Roy replied in a much quieter tone only Ed could hear. "I know you think I'm being overprotective, but I worry about you. "
"Fine." Ed said reluctantly. "I only have one more building to look at then we can go back to the office and go over what all needs to be done in this section. Actually, at the rate we're going, I don't think we'll be out here as long as Grumman thought we would be."
"I thought it was an overestimate when he issued the order, but better to be under than over when it comes to budgeting both time and resources. Leftovers is fine, borrowing is a pain in the ass."
"True. Okay one to go, unless you already looked through it?"
"I did, I had just finished when I noticed the light show and assumed you had found something you decided couldn't wait. "Roy said with a sigh.
"I did, the foundation had small cracks that were rapidly growing, had I allowed it to wait with as many people are walking around here now, it would have collapsed within the month. Possibly with some local kid inside. You know how kids are."
"Okay. Still, next time come and get me please." Ed nodded as they began walking back toward the compound. Havoc and Fuery trailing behind them, reviewing the notes as they walked to double check that they hadn't missed anything.
Once they had arrived in Mustang's office, Ed requested that Havoc go find him some water. Havoc disappeared, and Fuery set to work typing up his notes into a summery for the proposal. Ed sat in one of the chairs to groan loudly. "You were right about the heat Dad. My leg is killing me right now. How many buildings can be repaired like I did today do you think?"
"Probably one or two. Most of them are going to need further repairs. It's going to take awhile to get the city back on it's feet." Mustang said with a sigh. "Luckily after talking with Sham, I will be allowed to help you with the repairs."
"How did you manage that anyway?" Ed asked, relieved that he had help, if only because it would be faster. He wanted out of the desert as quickly as they could manage it.
Roy simply clapped. He wasn't activating an array, so the sound was dull in the room, but Ed got the idea. He nodded. It boiled down, once again, to Hohenheim.
Everything in his life eventually led back to that man, no matter how far he attempted to distance himself from it. Ed though with a frown. He had started reading the journals himself, not that he was going to admit it or talk about it, but ever since he began, he was feeling like everything led back to his birth father, and it bothered him.
The man's reach was farther than he ever expected and at the same time he was basically a ghost, a legend. If not for the journals, Ed would be able to brush it all off as superstition, but with the journals he knew. His father had been traveling around counter balancing Father from the beginning. A part of him, the part that didn't bitterly hate the man, was impressed with everything he had managed to pull off while remaining in the shadows.
The rest of him was at war with himself over if he should feel bad for the man or hate him more than ever, because it seemed like every entry made him feel one way or the other. He didn't think Hohenheim set out to hurt anyone, he wasn't a bad person, but it didn't change the facts that he spent centuries, literal centuries, manipulating people. Including Trisha Elric.
He hadn't gotten to this lifetime, to his mother yet. He wasn't sure he wanted to get to it. It had its own special journal, likely because at that point Promised Day was close…and because Edward had lived. He wasn't stupid, he knew that had a huge influence on Hohenheim's planning. The man had said as much in the letter he had left for Ed.
Only now, reading these books, did he know the depths of what that truly meant, however. How many women had his father driven crazy with his quest? How many children had he buried? Had he ever cared about any of them? Ed was morbidly drawn to the journal if for no other reason to find the answer.
He knew he should leave it alone, that the truth was bound to make things harder for him, no matter the answer. He knew that his Dad and his Mom and his Ji Mu loved him for who he was, and they hadn't been part of this. A part of him feared that his mom had known. That she had been part of planning it like these others. He was terrified that had she known…he didn't think he could handle it.
From Journal Two
1610
28/07/10
France is not kinder to magic users.
I, along with eleven others, was sentenced
To death by fire. I survived, as did Gertrude
Who helped me escape. However, I learned
A terrible and valuable lesson from the
Experience.
Micah and Malachi are no longer among
The menagerie that is my body. Hannah
Informed me, they took my place in death.
I live with deep regret, not only of the loss
Of the twins, but those that were lost in my
Suicide attempt in the desert. I have no idea
How many I took then, I refused to ask, I cannot
Know at this time.
The trial. The trial was terrible. It had nothing
To do with real magic. It was anyone who did
Not fit into the social norms, were accused.
One elderly woman, Lovell, was tried simply
For refusing to attend the Church because the
Walk was too far for her anymore. I want to
Go home. I cannot go home, I need to find
The answers to save not just the people of
Xing, but here too.
As terrible as this whole experience has
Been, it does not change the friends I have
Found in my time here. I have met wonderful
People in my travels. They need to be saved
From the fate that befell my people.
_T.B.V.H.
31/12/10
I have moved from Northern France, to Southern France
Yet so far have been unable to make any real contacts
Within the magical community. Soon, I may have to move
On should I not have any better luck in the next town.
I have picked up a travel companion, a beautiful girl
Named Maria. I do not know how long she will travel
With me at this time. She is rather young, not yet twenty,
And has a far different disposition from Hiro, however I
Have found myself lonely lately, and desired company, at
Least for as long as she is willing.
She does not believe in magic in any form. A disappointment
In a way, and a relief in another after what occurred a few
Months ago.
_T.B.V.H