Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's first law of equivalent exchange.
In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one and only truth.
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the two brothers resolved to bring their mother back, they studied alchemy harder than ever. They knew that what they wanted to do was much more difficult than transmuting a toy doll, and they needed to know as much as they could.
They didn't tell Winry and Pinako of their plans, knowing that they wouldn't approve, but Winry could tell they were up to something.
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One afternoon, the three children were walking back to their homes from the main town. The sky was overcast, and rain looked inevitable.
"Why are you guys studying so hard all the time?" Winry asked. "What are you up to?"
Ed and Al glanced back at her. "Can't tell."
Ed ran ahead, a slight smirk on his face. "It's none of your business Winry."
Winry looked annoyed. "No fair, you guys are always hiding stuff from me."
Al smiled apologetically. "See you later Winry."
As the two brothers headed home, Winry called after them. "Hey, we're having stew tonight! Don't be late!"
"Okay!" Al called back.
"Great Winry." Ed said. "See ya then!"
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As soon as they got back to their house, they once again dove into the books they had on alchemy. Most had been in their father's study, but a few were newer ones they'd purchased at the bookstore in Resembol.
As Ed began to read one of the new books, his eyes started to glaze over, as he could already tell that the book probably didn't contain anything he didn't already know.
Al looked at his brother. "You know, we do have limits brother. There's no way we can learn this whole thing on our own."
Ed set the book down. "I know."
Al looked out the window. "What we really need is someone who has more experience with this stuff. Someone who could show us how to do it, who could teach us. We need a teacher."
He glanced down at the pile of books. "I mean, there's no way we can learn everything just by reading books."
Ed nodded absently. "Yeah."
Al looked up thoughtfully. "You know, dad was a pretty good alchemist. If we could find him, maybe he could..."
"Don't bring him up." Ed said angrily. "We don't need any help from that bastard. It's his fault mom's dead!"
He curled his fist. "He didn't even come to her funeral."
Al looked sadly at his brother. "Well, maybe he didn't know, or maybe he was too far away."
"And that's another reason I don't want him." Ed said. "We have no idea where he is. He could be dead for all we know."
Ed flopped back down onto the floor. "Just forget him, okay?"
Al looked like he wanted to say something else, but decided against it.
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After a few moments passed on in silence, Al looked back toward his brother.
"Ed...are you sure we should be doing this?"
"Of course." Ed said. "We just need to figure out the missing step in human alchemy."
He flipped through a book. "There's a fair amount of medical applications for alchemy, so it looks like they don't have any problems using it on people who are still alive. It's just bringing people back from the dead that's forbidden."
"But that's probably because it's so dangerous, and because no one's been able to do it right."
Al said, looking concerned. "Even if we do figure out the missing step, it's still forbidden."
Ed shook his head. "Don't worry about that Al. Alchemists centuries ago couldn't figure it out, so they slapped a forbidden label on it just so they wouldn't feel bad about their failure. But a lot of time has passed since it became a taboo. We can figure it out, I'm sure of it."
Ed looked at Al with determination. "We're going to bring her back, no matter what."
Al looked uncertain, but said nothing.
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Later that day, they joined Winry and Pinako for dinner. The meal was a fairly happy occasion, but the weather outside was making them all nervous. In the late afternoon it had started to rain, and as the evening wore on the downpour became worse and worse.
One streak of lightning came close to the house, and the lights flickered.
Pinako looked worried. "I hope they can keep the river barricades intact."
Ed and Al looked at each other, then nodded, both having the same idea.
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A few minutes later, they opened the door and ran outside into the storm.
"Boys!" Pinako cried. "What are you doing?"
"We're going to help!" Ed called back.
A short while later, they arrived at the river barricades. The people of the town were doing their best to pile up sandbags, but water was still leaking through, and the rain kept pouring down.
They walked over to a leak that was a ways away from the adults. They set a piece of paper with a transmutation circle on it onto the ground.
"Here goes." Ed said confidently.
He bent down and pressed his hands onto the circle.
A pillar of earth rose up and blocked the leak.
"We did it!" Ed said.
But just as they were about to move onto the next leak, water began to pour out of cracks in the rock, and before long the whole pillar broke apart as a torrent of water came rushing out. The water poured onto the ground and covered the transmutation circle.
The brothers hastily backed away from the incoming water.
"The circle washed away." Al said, distraught. "So now what?"
"Hey, who's that?" Ed said, noticing a woman he didn't recognize walking toward the barricades.
"Stand back." The woman said. "This could get a bit messy."
She clapped her hands together, and pressed them to the ground.
Gigantic pillars of earth began to rise, dwarfing the barricades and the brother's pillar into insignificance. Before long a massive wall overlooked the group of people, hiding the raging river from sight.
"No way." Ed said in disbelief. "She didn't use a transmutation circle. And she moved all that earth all at once."
The woman stood back up. "There. That should hold for a while."
One of the villagers stepped toward her. "I can't believe it. Who in the world are you?"
The woman turned around to face the group again. "My name's Izumi. And I'm just a house wife who was passing by."
Her face suddenly paled, and she coughed up blood.
A larger man stepped away from the crowd and kept her from falling over.
"Somebody get a doctor!" Someone cried.
Eager to show their gratitude, the group of villagers escorted Izumi to the local hospital, ignoring her protests that she was fine.
Ed grinned and turned to face his brother. "Al, I think we've found our teacher."
The next day, Ed and Al visited the hospital to see her.
A fair number of people were also seeing her, to thank her for her help and to make sure she was all right.
Eventually the boys were able to talk to her.
Ed smiled. "Hey there old lady."
Izumi glowered at the two boys, and smacked them away from her.
"Some friendly advice. Don't call me old."
Ed and Al looked up at her with scared expressions.
"We're sorry ma'am." Al said nervously.
The two boys renewed their resolve, and sat up in front of her.
"We want to be your apprentices." Ed said. "If you'll take us."
Izumi looked surprised. "Apprentices?"
Al nodded. "We can already do a little alchemy, but we need to know more."
"We want to be the best there is." Ed proclaimed.
Izumi shook her head. "No."
Ed looked crestfallen. "But why not?"
"I'm not looking to take on any students." Izumi replied. "And besides, I've got a store to run. I need to get back to Dublith."
She looked down and was bemused to see the two brothers clinging to her leg.
"Please take us with you." The brothers begged. "Make us your apprentices."
Izumi glowered at them and shook them off. "Oh shut up already."
She stared at them carefully. "What are you trying to accomplish by learning alchemy, just tell me that."
Ed and Al looked at each other. They knew they couldn't say their real reason, so thinking quickly, Ed told a half truth.
"We want to help others out, like what you did yesterday."
Izumi looked surprised, and her expression softened slightly.
"Do you have your parents permission?"
Ed and Al's eyes widened, and they looked at the ground with sadness.
"I'm afraid they have no parents." Pinako stepped forward.
Izumi looked at Pinako with a shocked expression.
"Their father left when they were very young, and their mother passed on not too long ago. I've been looking after them ever since."
Izumi looked back at the two boys and sighed. "How am I supposed to say no to that?"
She knelt down in front of them. "I'll give them one month. Do you mind if I take them with me for that long? I'll test them to see if they're even worth teaching alchemy to in the first place."
Pinako took out her pipe. "And what happens if you find out they aren't?"
"I'll send them back right away."
Al leaned forward. "But what if we pass? What'll happen then?"
Izumi looked at the brothers seriously, then gave them a soft smile. "Then we'll begin your alchemy training."
A few days later, the boys arrived with Izumi at the train station, ready to head for Dublith. Pinako and Winry came to see them off.
Ed grinned. "You guys realize we're not coming back in a month, right?"
Pinako smiled. "I knew you'd say that. Be safe, and behave yourselves!"
Before long the train began to move and headed off into the distance.
Winry looked after it sadly. Pinako put a hand on her shoulder.
"They'll be all right, Winry. And they'll be back before you know it."
On the train, the two boys alternated between looking out at the passing countryside and chatting about their upcoming training. Izumi and her husband, Sig, remained quiet.
After a while, Al turned to face Izumi.
"You're really good at alchemy, aren't you? At the river, you didn't use a transmutation circle. Are you a state alchemist?"
Izumi glared at the two boys and raised her voice. "Of course not! I would never become one of the military's dogs, and neither should you!"
The two boys looked at her fearfully, and could already tell that they should avoid getting on her bad side.
After a few minutes, the brothers calmed down.
Al looked at his brother. "I wonder if dad can transmute without a circle."
Ed scowled. "Who cares."
Izumi looked at the boys. "Your dad's an alchemist?"
Al nodded. "Mom always said that we must have inherited our talents from him."
"And that's all he ever gave us." Ed muttered bitterly, his eyes staring disinterestedly out the window.
Izumi looked at Ed, then back at Al. "Pinako said that he left when you were very young."
Al nodded sadly. "Yeah. Mom never told us why he left. She just said that there was something he needed to do."
Al looked down. "I'm sure he wouldn't have left without a good reason."
"There's still no excuse." Ed said angrily. "If he'd come back, or at least visited once in a while, mom wouldn't have died."
Al shook his head, but said nothing. He and his brother had had this argument before, and in the end they decided to agree to disagree.
"It sounds like you were close to your mother."
Ed and Al looked sadly at the ground. "Yeah."
Izumi frowned. "I'm sorry. I'm sure it's something you don't like to talk about."
She looked at her husband sadly. Sig bowed his head.
A few days after arriving in Dublith, Izumi took them to an island in the middle of a large lake. This would be the location of their preliminary training.
"Here, take this." Izumi said, tossing something to Ed.
Ed caught it, and he looked surprised when he realized what it was. "A knife?"
Izumi looked seriously at the two boys. "This is an uninhabited island. There's no electricity, no wells, no shelter, no comforts of civilization. You two must survive on this island all by yourselves for one month."
Ed and Al looked shocked.
"Oh, and there is one very important rule. You aren't allowed to use any alchemy."
Ed and Al looked even more shocked. "What?!"
Izumi glowered at them. "And be warned, I will know if you break this rule."
Ed and Al looked nervously at her. "Yes ma'am."
Izumi began to walk back to the boat. "I'll come back to pick you up in one month. You're on your own until then."
Ed and Al looked at each other.
Izumi stepped into the boat, and turned around to face the two boys again. "There is one final thing."
She raised her hands. "One is all, and all is one. You must find out what that means. If you haven't figured it out by the time I come back, I'm sending you back to Resembol."
She sat down in the boat, and waved at the two boys as Sig began to row back to the other shore. "Bye!"
The boys stared in bewilderment at the receding boat, as this was not at all what they had expected from their training.
They spent most of the day exploring the island. Since it was going to be their home for the next month, becoming familiar with it seemed important.
When evening came they gathered several larger leaves and made a makeshift bed to try and get some sleep.
Ed looked up at the sky. "One is all and all is one, huh? Damn, that crazy lady sure gave us some weird homework. It doesn't make any sense."
"Yeah." Al agreed. "All is one and one is all, what's that mean?"
"Maybe it's a riddle. Sounds pretty stupid to me."
Al glanced at his brother. "Yeah, but she said if we don't find the answer we can't go through real training."
Ed remained silent for a few minutes. Then all at once he became angry.
"We were tricked into coming here by that crazy sadistic witch! What does this have to do with alchemy anyway?"
Ed paused as his stomach rumbled with hunger. He lay down with a defeated air.
"Let's sleep. We'll have to get up early tomorrow to look for something to eat."
Al nodded. "Yeah."
The next morning, they got up and walked through the forest of the island.
Near the area where they had slept they found a distinctive looking tree, and decided to use it to keep track of time. Ed made a single mark with the knife, indicating that they had been there one day.
Al looked at his brother uncertainly. "What if we aren't able to survive here. What will we do?"
"What can we do?" Ed replied. "Our ride isn't coming for another month. We'll just have to stay focused and do our best."
He cut down several vines. "First things first, we need food."
A little while later, they managed to catch a rabbit.
"Yes!" Al said, triumphantly holding up their catch. "My brother is a genius!"
Ed grinned. "Looks like these traps work even if you don't make them right."
The two stared at the struggling rabbit, their excitement fading away.
"So, how are we supposed to eat it?" Al asked uncertainly.
Ed grimaced, and pulled out the knife. "We'll have to kill it."
They walked up to the rabbit, and as they did so the rabbit looked up at them. It looked cute, and it's expression was earnest and fearful. It was enough to make the brothers feel guilty about even contemplating killing it.
Ed held the knife out to Al. "You do it."
Al looked back at Ed. "No, you don't understand. You have to do it. There's no way I could do it, I've never killed an animal before."
"I haven't either Al!"
"But that's no fair! You always make me do your dirty work!"
"I do not!"
With the two boys arguing, a fox took advantage of their distraction and snatched the rabbit. The boys looked up, dismayed at their catch getting away.
"Stop!" They both yelled, before immediately running after the fox.
"That's our rabbit!" Ed shouted.
As Ed drew near the fox, the fox dropped the rabbit, and leaped at Ed. Determined to protect itself and its meal, the fox bit down hard on the upper part of Ed's arm.
Ed screamed in pain, and the fox quickly made its escape.
"Brother!" Al cried. "Are you okay?"
Al knelt down to look at Ed's wound. "That bite looks bad."
"That stupid fox!" Ed yelled. Ignoring the pain in his arm, he got up and began running after the fox again.
They had trouble following its trail, and after some time came upon a fallen tree.
Ed winced with pain. "When we find that damn thing, I'm biting it back."
"Brother." Al said quietly.
Al was kneeling down and looking at something on the other side of the fallen tree. Curious, Ed knelt down beside him to see what Al was looking at.
They saw the fox, still carrying the now dead rabbit in its mouth. It set the rabbit just outside of a small hole beneath a large tree. A few seconds later, two smaller foxes poked their heads out into the open.
"It has babies." Ed said, surprised.
Al nodded. "I guess she's the mother."
Ed looked down, the pain in his arm no longer seeming to matter. He was still mad at the fox for biting him, but he could understand why it had attacked. It was a mother, and mothers would do anything to protect and provide. Seeing the fox looking after its babies reminded him of how his own mother used to look after them. Before...
Ed brushed the thought aside. They'd bring her back, and then everything would return to normal.
As the baby foxes started to tear into their meal, the two brothers began to look queasy at the rather gory sight.
"Maybe we should just switch to fish." Ed muttered.
Al tore off part of his shirt and used it as a makeshift bandage for Ed's injury. After that, they used the knife to makes themselves some fishing rods, and they sat on the edge of the island to wait for the chance to catch a fish. Much of the day went by as they waited, and they had no luck under the early evening.
Ed stared ahead with a ravenous expression. "I'm starting to wonder if foxes are edible."
Al smiled, though he also looked hungry. "Just be patient Ed."
A few minutes later, Al's line tugged back into the water, and they reeled in a fish big enough to feed them both.
"We got one!"
A short while later, they had a fire going, and the smell of cooking fish filled the air.
The two brother's ate their meal with enthusiasm, relishing their first triumph on the island.
Sig turned to face his wife. "I wonder if they're doing all right out there."
Izumi was sharpening a knife. "You know what they say, no teacher better than experience. This is the best way for them to learn the essentials of alchemy."
Izumi examined the knife critically. "If they don't learn anything from this, it means their talent as alchemists will be limited, and I'll have to give up on them as pupils."
She tossed the knife, and Sig deftly caught it.
He frowned. "It's not their education I'm worried about. Their lives could be in danger out there."
Izumi shook her head. "They aren't doing anything I haven't done. Besides, I sent Mason to keep an eye on them. He won't allow them to die."
She turned to her husband with a smile. "I may be a tough teacher, but I'm not heartless."
Before long the brothers grew accustomed to life on the island. They made weapons and tools out of branches using the knife, and were able to find food and shelter for themselves. The novelty of the experience was initially rather exciting.
But as time passed, they began to feel more and more miserable. Some days they weren't able to find food, and other days it rained so hard that they couldn't go looking for food.
On one such day, the two brothers were huddled inside the little hut they had constructed.
Ed stared dully at the ground. "So, why are we here again Al? I don't remember."
Al bowed his head. "Me either."
Ed looked up. "What do you think would happen if we died here?"
Al clenched his fists. "We can't! Winry and Aunt Pinako would be sad. And there are so many things I haven't done yet that I wanna do. It's just..."
Al screwed up his eyes, trying desperately not to cry. "I don't understand what this has to do with alchemy."
Al hunched over, burying his face in his arms. "I hate this. I want to go home."
Ed said nothing. His gaze drifted around the clearing just in front of him, which was being drenched in rain.
His eyes eventually settled on a dead cicada that was beneath a tree not far from where they were sitting. As he looked more closely, he noticed a swarm of ants around the corpse, breaking it down and carrying it away piece by piece.
Ed stared at it for a while, and then his eyes widened slightly.
Was that what she meant?
Eventually the rain stopped, and the boys were able to resume their normal schedule on the island.
Seeing the dead Cicada sparked an idea in Ed, and as he and Al continued to live and work on the island, they slowly began to see what their teacher was trying to show them.
Near the end of the month, they talked over what they had learned.
Al looked at Ed. "So, you think you've figured out what one is all and all is one means?"
"Yeah." Ed looked at the tops of the trees above them. "If I died here, the world would continue on as if nothing happened."
Al nodded. "Because you're just a small part of it."
"Right." Ed said. "When something dies, the body remains. And the body is just a combination of different elements, nothing more. We're destined to be decomposed by bacteria and become nutrients for plants. If you follow the process further, those plants nourish herbivores.
"And those herbivores nourish carnivores." Al continued. "Even others like us. And though our bodies are gone, our lives keep moving through the system."
Ed stared up at the stars. "The great flow that maintains the universe. Call it the cycle of life, the course of nature. Each of us is just a small part of that current. One in the all. And yet without all the individual ones, the all can't exist. This world flows by following laws grander than we could ever imagine. To recognize that flow, and work within it, to decompose, and recreate...
Ed and Al held their hands up to the stars. "That is alchemy."
The end of the month came, and Izumi returned for the two boys.
Izumi looked carefully at them. "All right boys. Tell me what you've learned about one is all, and all is one."
"The all is the world." Al said.
"And the one is me." Ed finished.
Izumi contemplated this while the brothers waited nervously for her reaction.
After a moment, Izumi laughed. "All right then, let's begin your training."
After that, their training began in earnest. They not only learned a great deal about alchemy, but about many other subjects as well, including combat.
Izumi was not gentle, and there were times when the brothers wished they were back on the island. But for the most part they eagerly soaked up everything she had to teach them.
One day, during the fifth month of their training, Izumi had an unexpected visitor.
It was at the end of the morning, and the two boys were finishing their lessons.
"Very good." Izumi said, a small smile on her face. "You managed to put up a decent fight this time. Your stance still needs work though."
Ed and Al groaned as they felt various bruises all over their bodies. "Yes ma'am."
Izumi clapped her hands together. "Now, wash up, and we'll have some lunch."
"Students of yours?"
Izumi turned around, and for the first time the brothers saw their teacher look shocked.
An elderly woman walked up the front walkway. "I never thought I'd see the day when you would take on students, but it seems I was wrong."
Ed and Al stared at the new arrival.
"Who are you?" Al asked, curious.
Izumi looked down at Al, doing her best to brush aside her surprise. "This is the person who taught me alchemy."
"What?" Ed and Al said. They both looked back at the old woman.
"So you're teacher's teacher?" Ed asked excitedly.
The old woman laughed. "Yes, I suppose you could say I am. But I haven't been her teacher for a long time."
Izumi nodded stiffly. "It's good to see you again, Dante. It's been a while since your last visit. Would you like to come in?"
"Oh yes, thank you." Dante said. "The journey here was rather tiring."
Dante, Izumi, and the brothers entered Izumi's house.
Izumi looked at the two boys. "Why don't you two run along and wash up, okay?"
Getting the hint, the two brothers nodded. "Okay."
As soon as the boys left, the two women sat down at the table.
"So, did the people in Central ask you to check up on me again?"
Dante sighed. "Why must you always assume I'm up to something? Can't I just visit an old student of mine every once in a while?"
Izumi scowled. "You could, except that every so often someone from the military comes knocking at my door, asking me to become a state alchemist. And their visits almost always happen shortly after yours."
"I can't help it if Central wants to recruit you." Dante replied. "And can you blame them? You are a very talented alchemist."
"I know what my talents would be used for in the military." Izumi growled. "I don't want any part of that."
Dante shook her head. "You have such a narrow view of the world."
Dante looked at her former student a little sternly. "I didn't come here to argue with you, Izumi. I meant what I said when I just wanted to visit my old student."
Izumi closed her eyes. "Very well."
"Good." Dante smiled. "How is your condition doing?"
Izumi grimaced, and clutched her stomach. "It's doing all right. I still have moments of weakness when I overexert myself, but overall I'm doing fine."
"Yes. You must be doing better if you have enough energy to take on two pupils. Especially ones as young as that. Are they brothers?"
Izumi nodded. "Yes. I met them in Resembol."
Dante looked surprised. "Resembol? That's a long way from here."
"I was on a trip, and they happened to see some of my alchemy, and they begged me to teach them. I initially refused, but I ultimately changed my mind."
Dante looked thoughtful. "What did their parents have to say?"
Izumi looked down. "They don't have any. Their father left when they were very young, and their mother passed away a few months ago."
Dante looked sympathetic. "Oh my. That must have been hard for them."
Izumi nodded. "Yes. But I try to keep them busy so that they don't dwell on that. And it has been a pleasure to teach them. Despite how young they are, they're both very gifted alchemists."
Dante looked interested. "Is that so?"
Izumi looked sternly at her former mentor. "Don't even think of it."
Dante sighed. "Please, Izumi. Do you really think I would try to get two boys as young as them to join the military?"
Izumi leaned back. "I suppose not. But given how you cuddle up to the State..."
Dante shook her head. "And we're back on that again."
Dante stood up. "Thank you for your hospitality, Izumi. I won't intrude upon your life any longer for today. Good luck with those boys."
"Goodbye." Izumi said stiffly. Her eyes lingered on the door for several minutes after Dante left.
Their training complete, the two brothers decided it was time to head back to Resembol.
Izumi saw them off at the station. "You be careful boys. And come back sometime, okay?"
"We will!" Both boys shouted. "Thank you for everything you taught us!"
As the train whisked by the country, the two brothers could hardly wait to get home.
"We'll have so much to tell Winry and Pinako, won't we?" Al said.
Ed nodded. "Yeah. And soon, we'll be able to tell mom too."