Chapter Text
Mistakes and Promises
Chapter One
Time at Home
Central
Fuhrer's Mansion
Yuery and William were sitting with the tutor in the library when Ed came through to check in on them. It wasn't that Ed didn't trust the man, Mr. Hall was a wonderful teacher and came highly recommended by Madame Christmas' network. It was that Ed needed to check on the children with his own eyes. He was feeling agitated by everything that had happened the last few weeks, plus his involvement in the Table City dispute, and Snape's lack of communication this week was making him nervous.
He poked his head into the room in case they were involved in any form of test before coming inside when he realized they were covering Amestrian history. "I have been thinking, I believe we should add to the history lessons." Edward said, startling the tutor slightly, as he had missed Edward walking into the room.
"How so sir? We are covering Xing next week." Mr. Hall replied.
"What have you covered about the other continents?" Ed asked.
"Other continents? They generally are not covered at all sir. We do not interact with them."
"Well, that is not entirely true. However, I don't think we need to change anything for most students…the boys, on the other hand need to learn about them." Edward said. "I assume you don't know much about it yourself?"
"No sir, I'm sorry to say it was not covered in my own studies."
"That's fine. We can find a way to cover it. I have a friend, who lives in Europe. I'm sure I can get him to agree to teach the boys about it." Edward said with a smile.
"Does he know how to teach sir?"
"I should hope so since he's a professor." Ed said with a laugh. "Are you boys being good today?"
"Yes Daddy." The boys chimed in together.
"Dad? Are you going to ask Mr. Severus to teach us stuff?" Yuery asked. "Or Mr. Remus?"
"I guess I could ask them both actually." Ed said thoughtfully. "How much do you have left to do?"
"We were just finishing for the day sir." The tutor provided as he began packing his bag.
"Thank you." Ed replied. "Okay boys, then it looks like a good time for an alchemy lesson."
Yuery cheered and William nodded as they followed their father through the mansion down to his office. Maes joined them a few minutes later, when Edward asked one of the maids to inform his wife that he as taking the boys downstairs. When Winry arrived with Maes, William thought about asking if he could go with his mom instead. He knew though that both Mom and Dad would say that learning from Dad was important too.
He also liked spending time with Daddy, just…he couldn't make arrays work. No matter how hard he tried they just didn't. Yuery and Maes both could make them work! Will thought arrays were boring too, he liked going to work with Dad, but he preferred Mom's stuff. He hadn't told Mommy and Daddy yet, but he hoped when he grew up to heal people like Mommy.
Ed and Winry already knew Will preferred studying under Winry, of course, but Winry agreed with Ed that learning the math behind alchemy would help William in the long run and meanwhile, Ed liked having time with all of his children and never wanted Will to feel like Ed preferred his brothers in any way.
Yuery, meanwhile, was considering once again asking his Dad about magic training. He was tired of the accidents, and he hoped once he learned to use magic, he would stop having them. Maes had accidents too, but he was still little. When Yuery was little like Maes he hadn't understood that magic was different than alchemy and he didn't think Maes knew that yet either.
Dad sat them down and instead of pulling out another book like he usually did he sat next to them looking very serious, Mom smiled briefly before stepping out of the room. "I was going to wait for this conversation. I wanted to wait for it." Dad said with a sigh. "Honestly, I probably would have put it off forever if I could, but recent events made it painfully clear that isn't an option. Not if I want you kids to be safe. Now, I know I'll have to explain this again, but the three of you are smart and old enough to at least somewhat understand."
"Understand what Daddy?" William asked. He was always the best at cutting off their Dad when he started talking a lot like that.
"I have brought it up before, just to tell you to never ever consider it. Human Transmutation. The Taboo." Dad said with a sigh. "Here's the thing boys. It doesn't work. It looks like it would work. The math says it should work. It doesn't work, because there is nothing NOTHING in this world that equals a soul."
"Bad rebounds happen if it isn't equal." Yuery said with a frown.
"That's right, son. Very bad rebounds. Very few alchemists are smart enough to figure out the math and dumb enough to try it anyway." Dad said looking a little pale and sad. "Even fewer survived the rebound. It… the toll for stepping into Truth's domain, the price of the attempt, is always high. Always. When I was young, after my mom died and we were all alone I was desperate."
"Dad- "Yuery said, now understanding completely but not wanting his dad to be upset. His dad had already told him about this a few weeks ago after all. He wanted to change the subject, promise to never try it and just never talk about it again to stop that look on his Dad's face.
"No, you need to know." Ed said. "Someone should have told me, maybe things would have been different... When we were older than you, we tried to bring her back. It rebound. I met Truth, and he took my leg, and it took Alphonse altogether. So, I went back and gave up my arm to get Al back, just his soul into a suit of armor. There are pictures."
"You have an arm Daddy?" Maes asked with a frown.
"Because Al gave up his armor body to get it back. Then…then a person traded himself for Al to come back again, but Al wasn't dead yet. You see once someone is dead, they can not come back." Ed said. "I'm telling you this now because Uncle Al…he did it again, that's why he doesn't remember. Truth took his memories, and his ability to use alchemy. He was lucky. Most people who try it die. In fact, there are only three people I know who tried it and didn't die."
"Wow." The boys said together. Ed said three in case they asked more, he wasn't ready to tell the boys about the war, about what their Yeye had been forced to do in either war. He hated he had to tell them anything at all, but he wanted them to understand what happened to his brother and why he and the other adults seemed angry with Al over it.
Winry stepped back in then and asked if the boys would like to join her over at the hospital this afternoon. The boys agreed quickly, as they jumped up to join their mother. With the boys safely with their mother and a bodyguard, Ed was relieved to have the conversation over.
Ed returned to his apartment to spend the afternoon with his daughters who were being watched by Heymans Breda until he arrived. Trisha was playing in the parlor with blocks that had at this point seen better days having gone through all of her brothers first. She had been given blocks of her own of course, as had each of the boys, but it seemed the collection just grew, and pieces were only removed if they were to worn down.
Trisha attempted to offer a block to her little sister, though Sarah was not interested in playing with them, instead busy with a rattle. Ed took the block instead to help his daughter build whatever tower like thing the toddler was attempting. He had learned from the boys not to try to hard to understand what it was they were trying to make, since the main point of building it seemed to be to knock it back down.
"Will you be needing me again today sir, or should I return to the office?" Breda asked as Sarah hit Ed's shoulder with the rattle before he could block her.
"Hmm. I believe I will need the Lab Four report brought to me for review, and if Tringham is actually in town tell him to meet me tomorrow morning in the office. Otherwise, you can handle the office for me. Thanks Breda." Edward said after thinking over the schedule.
"Of course, Boss." Breda said with a smile. Most afternoons were spent at home with the children these days, mornings in the office, and Breda traveled easily between the two to ensure everything remained organized. He knew from talking to Fuery Edward was easier than Mustang to work for surprisingly. Roy spent the whole day at the office, usually with Tad beside him, but the man was still terrible about paperwork. It was a hang over from when Mustang was subtly fighting the old administration but had become habit along the way.
Fuery was forever complaining about the paperwork. Riza had offered to lend him her gun at one point, but he didn't think it would go over as well for him as it did her, after all the reason her threats worked was because Roy loved and respected her even when he pretended, she was nothing more than office staff.
Xerxes
Alphonse sighed as he finished reviewing the test results for this year's students. He had taken back over his role of Headmaster a couple of months ago and had to admit that he agreed with his Dad and brother, paperwork was the worst part of the job. True it was a different job than theirs. True in both cases paperwork was the majority of the job. True it was necessary. It was still the worst part.
Mei stepped into his office, and he welcomed the distraction as his wife sighed tiredly as she sank into the chair across from him. "The results are in I see." She said.
"Yes, now I just have to review them and sign off on everyone progressing forward. Any flag I should know about?" Al asked as he sat back and smiled at her.
"No, as far as I know. Though we can always call Chen, Remus and Fletcher in to do a full report." She said, leaning her head back. She hadn't slept well the night before and it was wearing her down now.
"You could go take a nap, and I could call them in for a report. You don't need to be here." Al said gently.
"Then who would keep you three in line?" Mei asked. "We all know what happens when you and Fletcher start debating, and I want you to be in bed before midnight."
"Have you looked in a mirror, my dear? Highly hypocritical of you." Al teased.
"Well, I intend to have myself in bed before midnight as well. I can make it through a meeting, just call the others in." Mei said with a smile. Since he returned from Dublith they had been doing better. He still didn't remember of course, though he had read and reread the journals he'd been keeping so many times that he said he felt like they were real memories.
Regardless she was happy to have her husband back. She knew his family was relieved for the turn around as well, especially his Dad even if Roy wouldn't ever say anything everyone knew how hurtful it was to feel like he'd lost his son, so when Al reached out to Roy, they were all happy.
She was pulled from her thoughts by the arrival of the three department heads. Once everyone had settled in, Al asked if there was anything he needed to know like he had her. Chen and Fletcher both shook their heads before Remus sighed loudly, "I have one, possibly. A twelve-year-old girl, Talia Aberlock. She has the talent to be a good witch, possibly a great one, but she lacks confidence. It's my understanding that her mother is supportive of her attendance though her father was against it."
"How badly did she score; will we need to keep her back a year?" Al asked concern and compassion in his voice.
"Not that bad, no, though she could benefit from tutoring. No, I am more concerned with how her father has been treating her and her mother since her talent came to light." Remus said. "I know that magic was illegal in Amestris for a very long time, and that may be the source of the disagreement, but the poor girl has come to me three times already asking if perhaps she could stay here over summer holiday. I turned her down gently, we do not have summer students."
"Well, we certainly have the resources to allow a limited summer course, especially for ones who need additional tutoring. We can make the arrangements with her mother. Mei would you kindly reach out to them?" Alphonse said. "We still have a few weeks before we have to worry about it."
"I'll take care of it. Remus how bad is her homelife now, do we need to contact aide for her mother and siblings?" Mei asked.
"Possibly, the girl is very evasive when questioned on the matter." Remus said with a tired frown. "You'll have to excuse me; it is time for my potion."
"Of course, Remus. We will see you in a few days." Al said as he waved the other man away.