Childish Games
Title: Childish Games
Author: miss_auto1621
Series: Any, but it's a bit more inclined to the 1st anime.
Word Count: Open - 565
Rating: K
Characters: Edward, Alphonse, Trisha
Theme: Failed Transmutation
Summary: It was just like a game to them.
Warning(s): Mentions of blood…somewhere.
A/N: * cries * So my both of my computers crashed, which made my week a complete hell and it's making my break a complete mess. I had to write this, though. And I won 3rd place, which makes me happy. :D
Part of Livejournal's fma_fic_contest
The boys were so excited. They didn't know they could do something that seemed so wonderful to them, but with the palms of their hands and the circle they drew on the bedroom floor, they felt powerful. And it was their first try, too. How long had they read and tried to understand all those things that came out in the alchemy books from their father's library? How long did they stay up just to process the information? How many times did they have to go behind their mother's back just so that they could be able to do what they did, so that they could show her what they had learned?
They transmuted something simple, but any craftsman would become jealous at the work. A clay vase rested on the wooden floor as they called their mother to come and see their work. Her eyes glowed at their achievement.
From there, transmuting became a game for them. Who could transmute better for mom: Ed, or Al? Neither ever failed to make her smile and she enjoyed their work the same, even if Ed's was always slightly more complex and polished that Al's.
There came a time when they did fail. They had forgotten that the world wasn't perfect, and neither were they, but they had to be reminded of that so they could not become arrogant and too comfortable with the science.
Trisha requested for them to fix her vase, which had fallen from the table because of a harsh wind that blew through the window and caused it to tip and roll off. The boys took turns, but their efforts weren't enough for the vase. They tried and tried again, but the vase would not return to its original shape; it just lied on the floor in broken pieces, much like the pieces of clay they had used to make the vase.
They were so disappointed. How could they not be able to fix something so simple? Were they not already experts in repairing? Trisha noticed their faces and the sadness they radiated, which made her pout and hugged her boys to comfort them.
"It's all right if you can't do it, you two," she said. "Don't push yourselves too hard for a lost cause."
But that only made them want to try harder. Just for her. Because she didn't smile when they couldn't fix the vase. She didn't show that proud expression every time they were able to transmute something. They just wanted to see her smile. And that's why they had to try.
Edward tried to forget about that memory that etched at his mind. Why couldn't it have been that easy, to give up on the simple vase? Why did they have to persevere and reach for their goal, which only ended up in a failed transmutation for the vase? Better yet, why couldn't they just fix the damn vase without a problem? Why did their alchemy have to fail them at that precise moment? That ruined everything. Their vase was broken and they could do nothing to repair it, not even if it was forbidden. It wasn't a game anymore. The game lost its meaning when they saw the purple hue and their bodies disintegrated into the gate of Truth.
Oh, the bitter hell of irony.
Their mother would not be proud of the vase she was turned into.
