Leave A Scar (Fullmetal Alchemist)

For Our Lives

My muscles wouldn't relax. A tension binded each one; every ligament and tendon still perfectly intact. I was tense, but I relaxed completely, when a child pointed to Alphonse not ten seconds after we departed from our train car.

"Are you the Fullmetal Alchemist?"

"Uh, no," Al replied, pushing his fingertips together as he forced a smile. "You see, that would be my older brother, Edward."

The child looked to where Al was pointing, and then yelled out. "How can YOU be the Fullmetal Alchemist? You're not even in a suit of armor! Lame!"

"WHAT did you just say you little"-Ed stopped and turned to me, cracking a grin and placing his hand on the child's head. Probably a little too rough-"Completely adorable child. Innocence is so precious, isn't it?"

He tried to laugh, but the child pulled out from underneath him, stepping back and rubbing at his head.

"Ow," he whined. "That hurt! What, is your hand made of metal, too?"

"Yeah," Ed was looming over him, still trying to keep that same forced grin on his face. He took off his glove, wiggling automail fingers. "It is, kid. That's kind of how I got the name."

The kid's face twisted in confusion. "What the heck!" he proclaimed. "That's only part of your body!"

Ed huffed, straightening and pulling his glove back on. "Yeah, tell it to the b-Brigadier who gave it to me."

"What's a Brigadier? Is that a type of animal?"

Ed sighed. "No. Hopefully they'll teach it to you in school."

"UGH. School's boring."

"Yeah, that's what I thought, too," he was guiding the kid away. "Now go study a book on animals or something."

"Heywaitaminute! Mister, mister!"

We looked over to see a little girl in braided pigtails, running over to us and waving a piece of paper over her head. She had a pencil in her other, and my heart almost melted just at the sight.

"Aww, Ed," I cooed. "She wants an autograph!"

She nodded, stopping where she was and presenting the drawing utensils.

"Mister, I'd like your autograph, please!"

With a huge grin on his face, Ed crouched down, becoming head level with her.

"Sure thing!" he replied.

Ed gently took the paper and pen from her, focusing on signing as neatly as possible. While he did, the little girl looked over to me, giving a smile with missing teeth. "Hi, lady!"

I put my hands up to my mouth, absolutely in love. "Hi!"

"Here you go!" He offered the utensils back, and the little girl nodded. She took a waddling step, arms out like a toddler, and I basically melted all over again.

"She's soooo cute..." When can we get one?

Ed grinned, laughing in that sneaky way of his. That was what distracted me from seeing the flash of a blade.

I didn't see the impact; the girl's arm was blurred from the speed. But I heard how it went in, the wet deliverance as the blade was lodged into Ed's stomach.

A choked groan fired from his mouth, eyes wide but head bowed. He lowered further, curling in, as the girl spoke.

"How's that for an autograph, Fullmetal Alchemist?"

The other little kid, the boy next to me, just screamed, hands in his hair. Al and I watched on, too stunned to do anything. A Homunculus? This little?