Backtrack (A FMA Fan-Fic)

Past in the Present

I had received a letter a month after my spar that I won with Zanner. The letter bluntly stated my father died. I couldn’t believe it at first. It didn’t make sense to me. It never stated when or how he died. It just stated he died. So much for a little bit of sympathy for a young girl not even the age of ten.

I didn't stay in my house much anymore. It became too lonely for me. The emotions played out like a hurricane mixed with a well thought out play. I only stayed there to sleep...sometimes. I had to sell the barn to keep the house, although I didn’t even know why I bothered with keeping the house.

When I wasn’t at my house to sleep, I slept at Trevor's. I had a room there. Back when we were younger they were I guess expecting to have another child; however that failed, so they were left with an extra room. That room became my study. I plastered the walls with research. My notebook became full, and my father wasn’t around any longer to add additional pages in it for me.

From then on, I had to work to provide for myself even more, besides the work for Trevor’s father. I worked for his father, gathering supplies and became the town's alchemist. My skills improved even more. I was just as talented as the entry-level alchemists were. I studied just as much—if not more than, they did. I could’ve easily became a state alchemist then. I had the skills and I fixed everything in the town I lived in—and the towns in the mountains surrounding. I finally studied enough to believe in my powers and was able to design a circle for human transmutation. I just wanted to make Trevor happy again. Trevor didn't know much at all about my plans. He was afraid of my room to be quite honest. I was creating things out of what was equal, but he’d consider nothing. He still didn’t know enough to comprehend what I had planned. Not enough until I told him what I was gonna do. He was just as scared as I was.

We planned to use the day 1 year after we got the letter that way I had time to check over everything I had created and the elements required. I also could learn more about the topic to see if I found a shortcut to something.

During this time prior, a state alchemist was temporarily posted in our town because apparently war was near. It was funny because I no longer looked up to him and aspired to be like him. I rather instead just ignored him, although I worked right beside him. I became his apprentice.

"This is Éclair Elanie. She's the town's alchemist. Don't underestimate her. She's the best one we've had. That bridge between the two towns next to us, she built on her own" That's how the Town’s mayor introduced me. I shrugged. A nine year old couldn't tell more than that. I liked to work alone. They called him in so I could get ‘help’. I didn’t need this ‘help’. I did just fine on my own prior to this, and I could continue just the same way.

The alchemist looked at me; "Name's the Earth Alchemist," He smiled. He looked rather nice. However, I noticed his circles were on his gloves. I remember reading something about that. They did that so they could do Alchemy easier.

"Elanie. Just Éclair Elanie. Although I'm pretty sure it's just Éclair now." I smiled faintly, hiding shadows behind it.

He tilted his head, "Just Éclair?"

I nodded, "I'm an orphan now. I have people that watch over me, but no one takes care of me but me, and I plan to keep it that way."

"Such a peculiar child," He looked to the Mayor, "You sure she's--"

"It takes a town to raise a child like her. I'd give you my next best man after her, but she's got potential. May become a state alchemist one day, even if girls aren’t commonly alchemists. Just work with her. She’ll grow on you, or too far out surpass you after she takes your knowledge," He motioned for me to look at him, "Elanie, why don't you get him to fix the bridge between Shanna and Narria? It broke because of the storm last week."