Chapter 25: Master and Apprentice

Synopsis
A silence falls in the Curtis home as Ed and Al finish their story of their attempt to resurrect Trisha, and Ed's choice to enlist as a State Alchemist. Izumi then tells the boys there is a store down the street which sells coffins, and orders them to buy two in their respective sizes. She then admits that she made the same mistake herself, and explains that she lost some of her internal organs as a result. Ed and Al mumble apologies as she starts to rant at how stupid they were, but then she tries to console them, allowing them to grieve in her arms.

When they separate, she explains that Ed's achieving a State Alchemist license at such a young age would be seen by many as genius level intelligence, but Ed dismisses that, as he feels he only gained what knowledge he has due to seeing Truth. Izumi repeats that she is impressed, but must hold true to her principles, and she expels both Ed and Al as students. Al tries to argue, but Ed raises his hand against Al's chest and accepts the expulsion. Turning her back on them, Izumi announces that the trains are still running. Upset, but obedient, Ed bows his head and thanks their Teacher for everything.

Leading the boys to the station, Sig gives them the details of Izumi's pregnancy and attempt at Human Transmutation, then suggests the boys come to visit anytime they are in the area. Ed and Al are confused by this, so Sig explains that their expulsion actually means that they are now peers with Izumi, so need not stay away. Ed then slams his hand against his head and yells at Al that they didn't do what they came to Dublith for. Running back, they promise to Sig that they'll try to not be killed, then head to the shop where Izumi is sharpening knives on a whetstone. Ed enters first, calling Izumi "Teacher", only to have to duck as a knife flies straight at his head. Izumi shouts angrily at both Elrics, as they kneel and refuse to leave, wanting her help to find a way to regain their bodies. Staring at them, Izumi remembers when they first knelt before her, begging her to take them as her apprentices, and she surrenders.

Izumi asks Al whether he saw Truth, and when Al explains that he doesn't know what that means, she postulates that Al may have gained more knowledge than either she or Ed did, given that Al's toll was his entire body while she and Ed only had portions of their bodies taken. They then worry that if Al does remember, he might be unbalanced by the recollections (which both of them regard with something akin to horror). Al gathers his courage and interrupts that if there's a chance it could help, he wants to try. Izumi pauses, then says she has an acquaintance who might be able to help, then orders the brothers to help her prepare dinner.

In East City, Colonel Mustang is playing chess against General Grumman, who is moaning Mustang's transfer to Central. Mustang sees his chance and wins the game, the first in his many against Grumman, who mutters that Roy should consider it a parting gift. Grumman suggests that if Mustang really wants to please him, Mustang should marry Grumman's granddaughter, although Mustang chuckles that Grumman is jumping the gun. He then states that if the General is willing, there are a number of people stationed at the East City command center whom he would like to have transferred with him, and Grumman agrees, while handing Mustang the traveling chess set as well.

Heymans Breda wins his fifteenth game of Shogi (which he says is from "some island country in the east") as Vato Falman arrives, telling Breda that both he and Breda have been ordered to the Colonel's office. At an outpost, Kain Fuery finishes repairing a phone line, only to be stopped as he is walking away by an officer in a car who relays the order to head to see Mustang. And in the city, Jean Havoc is with the detail still searching for any sign of Scar from where he was last witnessed. But just as Havoc is thinking about taking a break, a man by the radio phone informs Havoc that Mustang wants him. And on the rifle range, Riza Hawkeye is practicing with targets when a soldier passes the message that she is also to report to Mustang.

When these five are before him, Mustang orders them to transfer to Central with him, and states he won't hear any objections. Havoc starts to interrupt, as he has a new girlfriend, but Mustang demands that Havoc dump the girl. The other four commiserate silently with Havoc, but seem to know it's useless to argue.

In Dublith, Ed and Al head down an alley to return to the Curtis home, because Ed got caught up in a book, when a surreal man asks them to spare him some money. Ed curtly tells the beggar to get a job and runs by. But Bido chases them, saying that he knows Ed is a State Alchemist, and thus has pots of cash. Ed still ignores Bido, until the strange man says he also knows that Ed transmuted his brother's soul. This brings Ed to a stop, and when Bido queries whether Al doesn't have a body, Ed plants his right boot against Bido's face, kicking him into a pile of trash cans and rubbish. Bido makes Ed angrier by further remarks, which only serve to assure Bido that he's right about Ed and Al.

Al picks Bido up, trying to intimidate him, but Bido reveals his lizard tail and slams Al's helmet off, then leaps away. Ed tries to stop Bido's escape by blocking the road with a transmuted wall, but Bido shocks Ed by merely climbing the wall like some lizards can climb things. He then makes his way to a seedy bar, where his boss congratulates him. The man in black with a girl on either side of him then orders his subordinates to bring Ed and Al to the bar quickly, whether by telling them it's an emergency or by force. He finishes, however, by stating that the brothers are not to be killed, as they are "big guests", and gestures with his left hand, that has a familiar tattoo of a snake trying to bite its own tail over the back of his hand.

Chapter Notes

 * In this chapter, Grumman and Mustang discuss marrying his granddaughter. Almost two years later, after the release of the chapter, it was revealed, in the Perfect Guidebook 2, that his granddaughter is Riza Hawkeye.
 * Bido's boss, the man wearing sunglasses, has the same kind of tattoo (only on his left hand) like Lust, Envy, and Gluttony, which could indicate a connection between them.
 * In the 2009 anime, General Grumman doesn't make any reference to his granddaughter during his conversation with Mustang.
 * Izumi also doesn't refer to an acquaintance who might be able to help find a way to restore Al's memory in the 2009 anime.
 * In the 2003 anime version, Izumi actually beats Ed after he admits to performing Human Transmutation, bringing him to his knees before she embraces him and allows him to grieve.