Son of the Flame Alchemist

Prologue: Birth

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

Roy Mustang sat beside his wife, Riza Hawkeye, as she gave birth to their first child. From the very beginning, they'd known that it would be a boy, but they hadn't yet decided a name for him.

"Come on, Riza," Roy said under his breath. "You can do it. Just a little more... I can see him!"

The doctor pushed him away, telling him to go outside the room. Roy grumbled begrudgingly, slamming the door behind him.

For the ten-thousandth time, Roy rubbed his eyes, marveling at his good fortune. Had Dr. Marcoh not given him the Philosopher's Stone, he wouldn't be where he was today, he wouldn't have his sight, and he wouldn't be able to see his son.

He chuckled softly, and felt in his shirt pocket for what remained of the Stone: a jagged sided, three-dimensional rhombus, blood-red in color. It had shrunken slightly after its two uses: once to restore Roy's sight, and once more to cure Jean Havoc of his paralysis.

"Sir, its over," the doctor said from the door, his balding head poked out from around the edge. "You may come in now."

Roy nodded, and entered the room again. The doctor left, giving Roy and Riza a chance to be alone.

Riza sat upon the bed, their son swaddled in a white cloth. She smiled when she saw Roy, and tried to from laughing as he struggled to sit down.

"He's beautiful, isn't he, Roy?" Riza whispered quietly. The child's face poked out from the cloth, and Roy choked back tears of joy. From what he could tell, the boy looked just like him, though there were a few strands of blond mixed with his dark black hair.

"Yes, yes he is," Roy said, his voice shaking. He held out his arms, and Riza handled the bundle of cloth over, careful to keep the child's head propped up.

Roy held him close, stroking his face with one finger. Then the name came to him.

"Richard," he said suddenly.

"What?"

"His name is Richard," Roy repeated, laughing. "His name is Richard Berthold Mustang!"

"Not to loud," Riza snapped, then saying with a smile, "I like it."