Chapter Five - Shane

                                    

                                          
I wasn't sure why Ed had suddenly grabbed my hand, but like whatever. 
"Where are we going?" I asked Ed. 
"Somewhere, I haven't decided where." 
We stopped at a restaurant that seemed like just a breakfast diner and had breakfast. 
"Why'd you pull me behind you and where's Al?" I asked. 
"I have no idea where Al is and I pulled you because I saw Winry and I didn't wanna deal with her." Ed sighed
"Oh." I said kinda quitely. 
"Regardless after breakfast were going to start with me, for your alchemy training." Ed said with a smirk "I'm excited to see what's in store for us - I mean you." 
I looked at Ed a little funny but just laughed it off with him. After breakfast we headed over to the library which they let me in with no fuss since I was an alchemist in training, as long as I had Ed or Mustang with me I was fine. Ed handed me a relatively small stack of books and said, 
"These are the most basic laws and fundaments of alchemy. You're gonna be tested on this in a week and if you don't pass we'll simply try again. Your only homework for now is to read those books and attempt the transmutations."
Ed grabbed a stack of books and just started reading next to me answering any questions that I had about the text. We stayed in the library till lunc. Then we checked out the books, got lunch, and Ed took me over to a empty field and helped me draw a transmutation circle.  
I slowed my breathing, focused on what I wanted to create with this transmutation, then placed my hands at the edge of the circle and closed my eyes. I felt the wind speed pick up I saw the bright green energy like before but before the transmutation was complete I heard Ed yelling something. My eyes shot open and infront of me was a mass of grass twisting and shifting into the scarecrow I wanted to create. I looked over at Ed who was looking on in shock. I followed his gaze to my hands on the edge of the circle. They were surrounded by this green energy and it was wrapping and weaving around them. As the wind settled the scarecrow looked exactly how I had wanted it too. Ed ran over to me. 
"Shane are you ok?" He asked alarm in his voice. 
"Yeah I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" I asked. 
"You just passed out during the transmutation." Ed said searching my face. 
"I did?" I asked still very confused. 
"Yeah. For a solid 30 seconds." He answered. "C'mon let's get you back to your room so you can rest." 
I did feel very tired "ok." I said softly. Ed helped me too my feet and I guess I looked worse then I felt because he just sighed and picked me up. 
"What are you doing? I can walk." I mumbled. 
"You look like you're gonna fall asleep any second so I'm carrying you. Can't have you falling asleep then me loosing you now can we?" He asked with a chuckle. 
"Fair enough." I said and closed my eyes. I guess I was pretty tried because the second I closed my eyes I felt myself drifting off to sleep. 
                          
"Shan! Shane!" 
I opened my eyes and looked around. I was in a dark room but it seemed to be only dark because it was night time. 
"Shane!"
I fumbled my way around and found the door and threw it open. Standing at the bottom of the steps was my mom my dad behind her. 
"Mom, Dad come up here!" I yelled. 
They looked at me funny but ran up and into the room I had come from. I closed and locked the door behind us. 
"Listen, we don't have much time, grab the stuff you really can't live without and come back here as quickly as possible. Don't question it just do it." I said looking between them. 
"Alright Shane." My dad said.
They snuck out of the room and the second I heard the door close I heard *bang* *bang* followed by screaming *bang* *bang* silence. 
"They had a daughter find her and bring her to me." A gruff voice yelled. 
I heard footsteps pass the room and I waited there for what felt like forever. I had tried to open the windows but they wouldn't budge and it felt as though my feet were glued into place. I saw the door handle move and the door banged open in my face. 
"We found her!" A man yelled back. 
One grabbed my right arm and another man grabbed my left arm. They drug me out infont of their boss.  I could see my parents' dead bodies and I held back sobs. The boss guy grabbed a hold of my hair and jerked my head up so I had to look at him 
"Hello little girl." He said with a sickly sweet voice "you're coming with us."
I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head. I let out a cry of surprise and pain. 
                          
My eyes shot open. I shot straight up in my bed and I heard the door open. It was a very  worried Ed and Al. "Sorry." I said sheepishly. "Just another nightmare." 
Ed sighed, "Al go back to bed." 
"But brother." 
"Al." 
"Fine." Al went back off to bed with a wave to me. 
Ed without a single question came over and hugged me. I cried into his chest. 
"It felt so real, I could've saved them." I kept repeating. 
"Shane, you were 7 year old. There's no way that 7 year old you could've saved them. Just like 7 year old me wouldn't have been able to save them. It's dead and done. In the past. Just breathe." 
He just held me and let me cry. It had been so long since I had been vulnerable in front of anyone. In an odd way it was kinda nice to be able to let go of all the pain for a moment. With Ed I felt safe, like none of the mosnters of my dreams or of reality could hurt me. I didn't entirely know why but I trusted him.