Backtrack (A FMA Fan-Fic)

I Meant What I Said

Éclair Elanie, 5 Years Old

"Clair! I'm off to help repair the Stoner's house, you coming with me?" My father called out. My five-year old cheerful eyes peer out of my bedroom door. I flatter my light lavender eyes a couple times and smile.
"Of course! Let me find my shoes!" I disappear behind the doorway for a moment to slip my shoes on. They were men's shoes, however, it didn't bother me. They fit way better than the girly shoes my mother wanted me to wear.
"Clair, not before you finish your homework" My mother sighed. It seemed every day she became more tired of me. There was something about me that made her unhappy. I think it was my existence.
"But mom," I whined. "Homework is stupid. It's so boring! I'm not learning from it!"
My mother scolded me right away, "Now little miss stop right there. That language is not tolerated here." Her hands were on her hips. It was in her eyes right there. She had lovely brown eyes, yet they were able to hold so much hatred. My father had these nice hazel eyes. The only reason I noticed this so much was due to the fact my eyes were lavender. A purple color. Nobody ever figured out why they were that way. Everyone just accepted it. I was...different. Weird.
"I'm not little!" I protested. "I'm bigger than Zanner!" I ball my fists, taking a fighting pose. My shoulder-length bushy brown hair flopped to the sides of me. It only made me look cute, not scary and intimidating, like I wished myself to look. I had failed my mission, as like I would for about another year or two. Until my appearance matured to match my maturity.
"Still. That language isn't tolerated here!" My mother slaps me on my behind. Physical discipline. Ah, the good-old days of the early nineteen hundreds. . I run over to my father and hide behind him. He gives me a look to play it cool and pretend that nothing happened. To stay strong and keep moving. I click the other buckle to my overalls in and tie my shoes which managed to untie themselves by the time I got down the stairs. 
I look up at my father and smile, boasting, "Ready!" 
My mother just shook her head back and forth and sighed, holding her head in her hands, "Just bring her back in an hour. School comes first and you know that."
"Alright, we'll see what we can do," Father replied to her, smiling. . Mother didn't look pleased at all. As usual.
We go into the 'extra' room. The den, or now the library. I grabbed my notebook from on top of my father's desk where I presumed to play earlier in the day.
The leather binding and pages were all made by my father. Handmade items were my favorite. There was just something about them.. I had written extensive notes in my notebook, or I so thought at the time. It had lots of circles drawn in it. Alchemy circles. Each labeled what they represented. The notes were extensive and perfect. They lacked nothing. Alchemy circles were easy to draw. I enjoyed it. Sometimes I even found out things before my father. Well, it turns out to be most of the time. He was impressed by my skills. I felt happy to please him.
After we left the house, my father  started on his simple mind exercises to job my memory on alchemy, "The Stoner's house is made out of..."
"Wood and stone! That means if the foundation needs to be fixed then I use a stone circle. If it's the house needs to be fixed, I use the wood circle!" I smile as if his little quiz was just way too easy for me.
My father then grinned  back at me, "You're correct! Good job. You're catching on to everything quick"
"Yay!" I exclaimed, overjoyed that I was a smart child when it came to alchemy. When it came to school on the other hand...not so much. I just didn't care about half of what they were teaching me.
"Hello Mr. Elanie, Clair," Mr. Stoner greeted us. One side of the house had been knocked in by something. On the ground there was a large tree. It appeared that they managed to move the large tree out of the house
"Hi!" I smiled back at him. Mr. Stoner was the Mayor of the village. He was really nice to me.
"How's everything going? Is just from the storm last night?" Father asks the Mr. Stoner.
"Oh everything is surely well the town is nice, Fremont is all relaxed and easy-going around this time of year. The storm caused very little damage. It just happened to be our house this time." He looks down at me. "And a new family is moving in in a few months. They have a child around your age." I didn't really like to be looked down upon, however it was the news that brightened my mood.
"Really?" My grin grows really big. I almost squeal I was so happy and excited.
The Mr. Stoner nods, "Yes. He's the same age as you."
"Yay! A new friend!" To be honest, I didn't have any friends. The kids at school (when I went, most of the time I'd try to sneak off) would pick on me. I'd fight them. . I started using Alchemy as an excuse to get out of school most of the time now.
Mr. Stoner continued, "Yes, and a state alchemist is gonna come tomorrow to help with the storm cellars, and to determine if anyone  in this town qualifies for becoming a state alchemist in the future-"
"Do they get the shiny watches?" I ask overexcitedly,. "Being a state alchemist is so cool! You get to travel all around,  do alchemy,  everyone looks up to you--!"
My father sighed and shook his head at me, "Clair, you know you can't become a state alchemist. You're a girl-"
I'd boast looking both of them in the face with what later becomes my look of terror mixed with determination and mad and evilness, "I can be anything I wanna be! No one tells Éclair what she can or cannot do!"
The mayor just shook his head. "You can't be a state alchemist. Just like you can't be princess of Amestris."
"Yes I can! I can be the princess of Amestris if I want to be! And a state alchemist!" I shouted back, balling my fists. "When I become a state alchemist, people will obey me and let me become the princess. Then Further Bradly can stay the king, and he'll put me in charge of all the Alchemists!" I ranted on. Even when I was young, I still loved to rant. In a village of only fifty-seven where everyone knew each other quite well, I was well-known as 'that idiot' or 'crazy-child' or 'can't be tamed but needs to be' or 'wild one' and possibly some other not as nice names. Sometimes 'he-she', which I strongly disliked. Mother said I couldn't use the word hate since it was a 'bad word' and I was a lady, not a man. She said only men can use 'bad words'. It isn't fair.
"Sure Clair, keep following your dreams," Mr. Stoner smiled. Father and I fixed the house quickly and perfectly. We then retreated back home to find mother left us...forever. She just disappeared.
We didn't think much of it at the time.
Really, we didn't.
Not to be forgotten, it's every girl's dream to become the princess of Amestris. To look out over the whole country and get to "play" all day. However, when you are the princess of Amestris, it's a lot different. I don't have a crown (well, I do, but not the point), nor throne (again, not the point). I have a watch. A silver pocket-watch with the symbol of this country on it. And I hold that ever so dear to me. Every day.