Fullmetal Alchemist and the Flight of the Anti-Social Butterfly

Chapter 26: The Good News Spreads

      Roy was reading the newspaper at his desk which announced, "Young alchemist fathers three children of royalty".  He smiled, "That's our Edward!"  Riza asked, "Is something wrong?"  Roy answered, "Nothing is wrong.  The babies and mother are doing great!  Edward is now a father of three.  Two girls and one boy."  The military cheered for DeAnna, Edward, and their newborn children in spirit.  Meanwhile, Edward and DeAnna were busy signing birth certificates with the doctor present.    Alphonse commented, "They are so sweet!"  Then he saw Victor and Alphonse commented, "What have we got here?  Are you going to be an alchemist like your daddy and make your uncle Alphonse proud?"  Victor smiled.  DeAnna exclaimed, "Our son is already smiling!   He wants to be like his dad!"    Edward smiled, "I would love to teach him whatever alchemy skills I can still muster once Victor gets older."  Iris and Erika looked a lot like their mother while Victor resembled Edward when he was a child.  

        Edward inquired, "Do you think Erika and Iris want to be princesses just like how you were born into this world as a butterfly princess?"  DeAnna blushed as she told her husband, "We will see."  A few days later, Edward returned home with his wife along with Alphonse and Zoe.  All three babies were sound asleep so Edward and DeAnna carefully tucked each one in their new crib so they could rest next to each other.  Edward commented, "They are so beautiful.  You did a good job giving birth to our children.  I'm very proud of you, DeAnna." Then Edward stretched as he went to lie down on the big bed to get some sleep.  As Edward was having a dream, Truth revisited him.  Truth pointed out, "This is such a happy occasion and you did well providing for DeAnna.  As promised, I will reward you with your full use of alchemy back as your reward."  Edward thanked Truth for his just reward.  Truth requested, "Please be careful with teaching alchemy to your son.  I also have gifts for all three children and you will see what they are when you wake up."  Edward slept for a few hours when DeAnna suddenly noticed something was different about her husband. " I could've sworn something happened to Edward.", she questioned herself.  

       Then she heard all three babies crying.  Edward immediately went to help out as he had just woke up and Alphonse also assisted them.  "Aw, do you babies have stinky diapers?", DeAnna asked. Edward got a whiff of Victor and he commented, "P-U!  Victor definitely pooped his diaper alright."  Iris and Erika had wet diapers so DeAnna changed both of the daughters' diapers while Edward worked on cleaning Victor up.  Edward commented, "Victor, you know I had a problem with pooping my diaper a lot from what my mother once told me?  That stopped when I was a toddler."  Alphonse exclaimed, "Like father, like son!"  Edward replied, "I am going to ignore that!"  DeAnna laughed as she said, "Ok, boys!  No arguing, alright?"  Then DeAnna, Edward, and Alphonse noticed something unusual about the babies.  They were starting to grow their own antennas and butterfly wings. "Would you look at that!  The babies take on Edward's personality of his childhood yet they have the resemblance of DeAnna by looking like they are part human and part butterfly just like their mother!", Alphonse pointed out.  Edward commented, "Our babies look even more precious than ever!  It will be up to you to teach them to have their first flight when they are older."  DeAnna questioned, "Now that the babies are born, can I fly or hover again?"  Edward patted DeAnna's head as he told her, "Of course you can!  I owe you some time fluttering through the air after your hard work during pregnancy."  Then Edward kissed DeAnna on the lips as he told her, "Go!  I want you to re-experience flying again so have fun with your butterfly friends for awhile, ok?"  DeAnna hugged Edward as she told him, "I will be careful."  

       So she went out in the backyard and saw that the tree she had originally planted a long time ago had grown three new branches.  DeAnna began to fly around with her butterfly friends as Edward, Alphonse, and Zoe watched.  Edward praised, "You are doing great, DeAnna!"  All three babies were asleep in their stroller.  Alphonse pointed out, "Look, big brother!  Three new branches on the tree.  Do you think it could've grown those branches because three new members of the family were born?"    Edward smiled as he answered, "Could be.  Now that I've finally gained back full use of alchemy, I don't have it in me to abuse it."  Edward and Alphonse smiled as they watched DeAnna have fun with her butterfly friends.  Edward told his wife, "It is starting to get late at night.  Let's all feed these babies their bottles while Alphonse cooks up some stew."  DeAnna cheered, "Yay!  I'm hungry."  So Edward helped guide DeAnna on pushing the stroller with their sleeping babies as they entered indoors.

        Several months had passed since DeAnna's and Edward's children were born into the world.  They were growing each day, thanks to the love and dedication from their parents.  Edward read his alchemy book to Victor and all the theories or equations, even if Victor was still a baby.  DeAnna, however, presented tiny crowns for Iris and Erika. "There!  Now both of you girls are now little princesses."  Iris and Erika both smiled as they wore their new crowns.  Alphonse commented, "They are going to be good princesses, especially following in their mother's footprints."  DeAnna replied, "We'll see.  But we will make something of them, even without my former kingdom."  

        Then Edward went back into the large bedroom to use his alchemy.  DeAnna was curious so she asked, "What are you doing in there, Edward?"  Her husband told DeAnna, "It's a surprise!"  So Edward was able to use his alchemy to create art on the walls of butterflies and flowers.  Then he also alchemized some insect houses for the upcoming Winter since he didn't want DeAnna's friends to die of freezing to death and he wanted his wife to be happy with the company of her friends once the cold weather had struck.  "You may come in now!", Edward called to DeAnna.  She entered the large bedroom and exclaimed, "Wow!  Did you do all of this for me?"  Edward nodded with a smile, "I also made insect houses so you may invite your butterfly friends to stay indoors during the upcoming Winter.  We don't want them to freeze to death, you know?"  DeAnna cheerfully responded, "Thank you so much!  I really appreciate your thoughtfulness, Edward!"  She went up to give her husband a big hug as a way of thanking him.  Zoe smiled with her tongue sticking out and panted with happiness as her tail swished.  DeAnna commented, "It looks like Zoe loves the new settings of our bedroom.  Do you like it, Zoe?"  Then Zoe's tail swished faster.  

        So DeAnna saw all of her butterfly friends outdoors sipping on some nectar from the flowers in her garden.  She went outdoors then she said, "Oh!  Please help yourself to my flowers and their sweet nectar.  There's plenty for all!"  Then all the butterflies swarmed over to DeAnna as she asked them, "Do you need a comfortable home for the upcoming Winter?  I don't want any of you to die from the cold so I've got some little insect houses for all of you to sleep in when you're not fluttering around."    All of her butterfly friends flapped their wings rapidly with excitement so she brought all of them indoors.  "Here they are!", DeAnna announced.  "Good!  Let's get them to their shelters, ok?", Edward told his wife.  DeAnna agreed.  However, the butterflies twitched their antennas after hearing all three babies crying.  "My children need me.  Do you want to meet them?", DeAnna told her butterfly friends.    All of the butterflies flapped their wings rapidly with excitement again.  

       Edward sighed, "I guess DeAnna isn't listening to me.   I'm going to hold off on lecturing her, but I also want her to be happy."  Alphonse asked, "Is something wrong, big brother?"  Edward told his younger brother, "I am a bit disappointed that DeAnna isn't listening to me."  Alphonse replied, "She is happy and she's having fun.  Isn't that what you wanted for her after all this time?"  Edward answered, "Yes.  But if DeAnna doesn't listen then I feel like nobody is listening to me.  I understand her excitement and I'm very happy for her, but her training is slipping away from her.  It's not the part of not listening that disappoints me, but the fact that her training is in a slump that has me ashamed."    Alphonse smiled, "There are some things you just can't change.  You do accept DeAnna despite her Autistic habits, right?"  Edward said, "Yes.  I always have and always will." Alphonse placed his hand on Edward's shoulder and said, "Don't give up on your wife just because she backslides for a bit.  She loves you and she counts on you to teach her many things through proper training!  Besides, one miscue doesn't mean she's failed.  DeAnna is just pre-occupied so please continue to be happy for her happiness!"  Edward went to help out with the babies since they were hungry so he warmed up some bottles to feed them.  Alphonse praised, "See?  You are a good daddy to those children and they love you for it!"  Edward smiled as he watched the babies suck down their baby formula in their bottles.  He commented, "All of you are so cute! I'm going to be a good dad because I refuse to make the same mistakes that Hohenheim once did."  Alphonse said cheerfully, "That's the spirit!"  Then all three babies went to sleep after they ate.  Edward kissed his children's foreheads as he smiled, "Sweet dreams, young ones!"  Then he quietly exited the babies' room with Alphonse.