In order to prepare for the national alchemist exam, Mustang brings Ed and Al to Shou Tucker who is well-known for creating a hybrid animal, Kimera who can speak and understand human speech. Tucker lives with his 4-year-old daughter, Nina and his dog Alexander but he does not talk about where his wife is. In addition, when Ed and Al ask to see Kimera, Tucker says that Kimera had died a few months after it was created and does not elaborate further. Mustang tells Tucker that he will tell him more about the Elric brothers in future. During dinner, Nina sees that Al is not eating and passes him the bread which Al pops into his armour even though he cannot eat and doesn't feel the hunger. Upon seeing this, Ed feels rather upset.
Ed and Al study alchemy in Tucker's place and play with Nina whenever they can. One day, Hughes comes to look for them and reminds Ed that today is his birthday. As such, he is here to bring the brothers and Nina to his place for a celebration. They meet Hughes' wife, Gracia who is pregnant and they have a feast together. Suddenly, Gracia collapses in pain and says that she's about to give birth. Due to the fact that there's a snowstorm, Hughes runs out to get a doctor and asks the kids to look after Gracia.
The Elric brothers and Nina have no idea what to do and can only follow Gracia's directions to prepare towels and a tub of hot water. However, Hughes does not return for a long time and the water gets cold. Ed gets uptight and puts his hands together in frustration before touching the cold water which heats up immediately. Both Ed and Al are quite shocked as Ed did not even draw an alchemy diagram and yet he can make the water boil just by using his hands.
After getting the doctor, Gracia finally gives birth to a baby girl. That night, Ed and Al lay on their beds as Al remarks that he should have been soft and cuddly like Hughes' daughter when he was born but now he's in a hard and cold armour. This makes Ed even more determined to be a national alchemist so as to get Al's body back.
The national alchemist exam consists of three stages i.e. the written exam, the interview and physical alchemy test. Both Ed and Al pass the written exam but Mustang tells Al to give up taking the exam because he will definitely be probed about his armour. If Ed and Al wish to conceal their past, Al must not take part in the interview. Ed persuades Al to give up and says that it is enough for him to be a national alchemist in order to regain Al's body which Al agrees to reluctantly. When asked at the interview why he wants to be a national alchemist, Ed thinks of Al and says that he made a promise to his family member to do so.
At the final stage where the candidates have to show their alchemy abilities in front of the millitary personnel, Ed manages to impress them as he does not need to draw the alchemy diagram and saves someone from being injured. As such, Ed becomes a national alchemist at the age of 12.
Two parts are especially memorable to me in this episode.
The first being Ed and Al's regrets when seeing Hughes' baby daughter that they no longer have their original bodies given by their mother, Tricia. It's rather sad to see them behaving like this and when Al said that all he wants to do when he gets his body would be to hug Ed tightly, it speaks volumes of how much the brothers love each other.
The second being the part when Ed and Al were told by Mustang that Al has to give up the exam. Since Al is now being contained in the armour, he doesn't have a physical form to speak of and would definitely be questioned by the examiners. To spare him from that rejection and pain of having to recount his past, Mustang has no choice but to ask him to give up or they can never cover up their past and the failed human alchemy ritual they performed. No wonder Al did not become a national alchemist. This had been bothering me since I started watching this so I know what's going on now.
The next episode should talk more about how Ed and Al are living after getting the title of national alchemist. And Scar has appeared! Okiayu-san! I certainly hope that he can talk more in this anime. ^__^
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