Phase 17

Not a single blade of grass stirred. All was quiet as old memories between the two martial artists resurfaced.

Envy's eyes traveled from Izumi's face to the alchemical symbol, the Flamel, that was tattooed against her heart. His gaze was momentarily situated there before returning to her face again.

Izumi launched the first strike, her fist drawn back -- ready to make impact.

"Ugh!"

A young, human girl with braided hair tied in a ponytail fell on her backside. Her body was covered in sweat and bruises. She panted heavily. Squinting her eyes open, she watched as her attacker's shadowy figure loomed over her.

"That's still not good enough. You want to survive here? Then fight like your life depends on it. A lesson without pain is meaningless."

Envy caught Izumi's fist in the palm of his hand, then drew back his own fist in a counterattack.

Izumi quickly formed a fist with her other hand, colliding it with Envy's. The force of the impact made them both jump backwards.

The girl knelt with her head pressed towards the ground on top of her folded hands. "Please! Tell me how to become stronger!"

A pair of cold, almost purplish eyes regarded the human for the moment. The owner of those eyes scowled. "You think you can be strong just by studying alchemy? Well, look what's happened to you now. If you want me to tell you how to get stronger, first you have to prove that you're up for the task. Try living alone in the wild for a whole month without using any alchemy. Come back and see me afterwards, if you manage to survive."

The alchemist attempted to sideswipe the Homunculus' legs out from underneath him, but the latter did several backflips and evaded the attack.

Both stood ready for the next assault.

The young girl did not back down from the challenge. For the next month she lived alone in seclusion, working out her body every day and night, and using only what nature provided in order to survive. She remained faithful to her promise. No alchemy was used. Not even on the nights when food was scarce and the temperature in the air dropped. On some days, the person whom the girl had made the promise to would come and check on her progress; but she never knew when he was watching her, for he always came in disguise or stayed hidden in the shadows. 

Izumi came at Envy with fingers extended, aiming for the side of his face. The Homunculus twirled around, dodged the strike, and hit Izumi on the back with the side of his hand. She stumbled forward, but managed to regain her balance. Spinning around, the black-haired woman jumped high into the air with her fist drawn back. Envy jumped out of the way just as Izumi's fist made impact with the ground -- cracking the earth to form a crater.

The month-long challenge came to an end. The girl came out of seclusion.

"I kept my promise. I didn't use alchemy for a whole month. I've done as you asked me to. Please teach me how to become stronger."

The boy saw the fierce determination in her eyes. Reflected in them was now a deeper understanding of the way of the world -- a methodology that had previously been lacking in her. 

"It seems like you learned something after all. Very well then. I will teach you."

As expected, the girl became overjoyed. She bowed her head at waist level. "Thank you, Teacher!"

"Don't call me that. You already have a teacher."

A brief look of surprise tinged with a hint of sadness became visible in her eyes as she straightened up to stare at the dark-haired boy.

There was an audible sigh. "Just call me your senior brother."

A fist was smacked into an open palm. "Thank you, Senior Brother!"

The woman's chest rose and fell heavily with each breath that she took. The Homunculus, on the other hand, didn't look like he had been fazed too much.

Izumi straightened her posture and once again placed her hands together in a gesture of respect.  "Thank you for your instructions, Senior Brother."

***

The brothers flopped backwards onto the grass -- sweating and panting heavily after completing their five hundred pushups.

"Brother?"

"What?"

"Where do you think Teacher went?"

"I don't know."

Just as Ed was on the verge of dozing off, he was pulled to his feet by Al.

"Come on. Let's go find her."

They left the riverbank and proceeded towards the woods.

***

The human girl was shoved backwards, but she retained her balance and did not fall.

"I don't understand. Why are you making me leave?"

"I already told you. Your training is over. Now scram!" 

"That can't be true. I want to see Teacher. At the very least, let me go and say goodbye to her."

"You want to see her? Well, she doesn't want to see you!" The long-haired boy scowled and folded his arms across his chest.

The girl's eyes widen from shock. "That can't be..."

"Here's news for you. You're the worst disciple she's ever had -- a total failure! You're a disgrace to her! She's glad to be rid of you!"

A slim yet sturdy pair of legs began to tremble. Soon, they gave out from underneath the girl -- making her collapse on all fours. 

"That can't be...that can't be!" Tears gushed forth from eyes that had squinted shut. Palms that were pressed to the ground clutched handfuls of dirt in anger. 

"I want to see Teacher! I want to ask her myself!" Her attempt to run past her senior brother was futile. A swift quick to the stomach sent her flying against a tree. The girl painfully opened one eye and glared at her attacker.

"Heh! You can't even get past me. How are you going to stand up to her if she decides to kill you to vent her frustration?"

The girl didn't respond as her mind reeled with the logic.

"If you really want to see her that badly, don't forget anything that you've learned. Go out there and get stronger. Don't stop until you've surpassed her, and don't come back until you have." With those words, the boy turned his back on his junior sister and left. 

***

"It's been a long time since we last saw each other. Might I ask what Senior Brother is doing in Resembool?"

Envy looked away. Words became difficult to form. He had not expected Izumi to be here -- and to find him least of all.

Seeing the latter's reluctance to speak, the alchemist decided on a different course of approach. "I heard what happened to Teacher. You've been with her for a long time now. It must be difficult for you to accept her loss."

Pale-colored lips parted. "She wanted too much, and lost everything in the end -- even her own life."

Izumi bowed her head -- mourning her former alchemy instructor. "Despite it all, I'm grateful to have been under her tutelage."

A wry smile crossed the Homunculus' lips. "Humph. You're still as naive as ever."

"Even so, I want to express my gratitude to you for saving my life all those years ago."

An inquisitive look appeared between Envy's brows. "What do you mean?"

"Now that I know what Teacher has been doing all these years, I am fortunate to have escaped."

"You don't have to thank me. As a matter of fact, we're even now."

"I don't quite understand."

The conversation was interrupted by a brief coughing fit on Izumi's part.

"Your body is still suffering the effects from your act of human transmutation," Envy observed.

The woman took in a couple of deep breaths. "This illness has plagued me for so long now. I'm already used to it. I don't regret what I did. My only regret is that I haven't been able to be a good mother."

A contemplative looks appears on Envy's face. "How is Wrath doing?'

Izumi falls silent.

"He still won't forgive you?"

The woman sighs. "I won't force him. Even if he doesn't want to see me, at the very least, I know he's safe."

The forlorn expression on Envy's face matches that of Izumi's.

"There's something I need to apologize for."

Izumi looks at him in puzzlement.

"Back then, I was the one who snatched your child away from you. I disguised myself as King Bradley, took him from your arms, and handed him over to my master. I may have saved you from being used as a vessel, but I took Wrath from you. So that makes us even now."

The alchemist reflects on those words.

"Why, Senior Brother? Why, out of all the young girls and women that Teacher lured into her trap, did you choose to save me?"

Before Izumi could evoke some type of response from Envy, a rustling sound was heard in the nearby bushes.

"Who's there?!" Izumi shouted -- using the tips of her toes to kick a small stone into the vegetation.

"Ow!"

A head clad with golden hair emerged from the bushes. One hand was pressed on top of the head.

"Mr. Elric!" the woman exclaimed in surprise. "I'm sorry! I didn't realize it was you!" She rushed over to see if he had been badly injured.

Likewise, Envy was also surprised to see his father.

"Hello there, Izumi. Long time no see. No worries. I'm perfectly fine." Hohenheim smiled and chuckled as he rubbed his head. "I had a little too much to eat this morning and dozed off here. I'm sorry to have disturbed you."

Amber-colored eyes turned to meet purplish-black ones. "William, it hasn't been too long since your recovery. Don't strain yourself now."

The female alchemist blinked and turned to the Homunculus. "William?"

***

"Al, wait up!" A weary Edward paused in his tracks, bending over to place his hands on his knees.

Up ahead, Alphonse stopped running at the sound of his name and turned back to look at his brother.

"Ed." The younger Elric retraced his steps. "Come on. Teacher has to be here. Let's keep looking." He took hold of his sibling by the wrist and pulled him onward -- the latter protesting with a loud moan.

***

Izumi stared at Hohenheim in wide-eyed disbelief after hearing of the man's revelation to her.

"So the 'Hohenheim' that my teacher wrote about in her letter -- the one name that we could not speak in front of her -- was really you."

The man cast his eyes downward and gave a small nod in response.

The martial artist turned to Envy. "I knew that Senior Brother had always been by Teacher's side, but I would have never fathomed that you were actually her -- "

The dark-haired boy exhaled a breath that he had been holding in.

"And I would have never fathomed that the Curtises and Elrics would have such a fated bond with each other," Hohenheim observed.

The sound of rapid footsteps came within earshot.

"Teacher, there you are. We finished our..." Alphonse's voice trails off as he realizes who else is with Izumi, "...training?" Next to him, Edward's senses are on alert.

***

"I still can't believe it," Alphonse says in astonishment -- his eyes glimmering with admiration. "To think that you were the one who trained Teacher in martial arts. That means you're also our Teacher's teacher. Should Ed and I call you 'Grandmaster' or 'Martial Uncle'?"

From behind, Edward makes a sound of displeasure from his throat.

The four of them -- Hohenheim, Envy, Edward, and Alphonse -- were trekking back to the house. Edward had chosen to lag behind the rest of his family. He did not want to take part in their current conversation.

Although Hohenheim had invited Izumi back to his place of residence, the latter had politely declined -- citing that she had matters to attend to at home and left for Dublith after giving her disciples a brief account of what had transpired.

"Since Teacher learned alchemy from your mother, that means that everything Ed and I have learned have been passed down by you and her. It's funny how the world works sometimes, don't you think?"

The eldest sibling takes a moment to contemplate those words before turning to his father with a smile. "I suppose so."

Hohenheim smiled back with an expression in his eyes that only Envy could comprehend.

Suddenly, Edward let out a a frustrated scream from behind -- physically barging in between Alphonse and Envy and marching past everyone.

The rest of them come to a standstill.

"Brother? Brother, where are you going?" Alphonse calls out after Edward -- eventually running after the latter. "Brother, wait up!"

Envy and Hohenheim are left standing by themselves.

"I wonder what's gotten into Edward," Hohenheim says in curiosity -- scratching the back of his head before letting out a sigh and continuing on his way. "That child has a tendency to be impulsive. He must be trying to get over his initial excitement of finding out how amazing his older brother is. I never had any brothers or sisters, but if I had I probably would have wanted them to worship me on a pedestal." A hearty laugh escapes from the man.

Hohenheim stopped walking. His ears became alert. No sound was heard.

"William?"

The alchemist turned around.

Envy stood motionless -- one hand pressed to his forehead. At hearing his name, he lowered his arm. He was unable to make out what his father was saying. All sound became muffled. Eyes squinted ahead -- everything seemed too bright. The sunlit scenery turned into a blur of colors -- making him dizzy. Then everything went dark.

"William!"

Phase 16     Phase 18