Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Set in Stone ❯ All Dressed Up With Nowhere To Go ( Chapter 14 )

`Til the Sun Shines

 

Chapter Fourteen

All Dressed up with Nowhere to Go

 

`Don't fly into the sun,

Your wings will melt and you'll come down,'

Never Say Never,

Fisher

 

The next few weeks had turned up with a few surprises. After confronting Hoenheim and Alphons, they had agreed to reveal many of the details of Edward's stay in the world beyond the gate to Mustang and the gang, Al included of course. Hawkeye had finally decided to take time off from work, on maternity leave.

 

The unexpected visit from Al's old alchemy teacher had enticed both fear and happiness. As well as worry about her current predicament; confined to a wheel chair. She had demanded to know what Al had been told, and so over one of his wife's home-cooked meals, with the four of them sitting around the table, Sig, Izumi, Michelle and himself, he had relayed what he'd been told.

 

For the first few years of Ed's time in the machine-world, he'd traveled looking for someone who sounded like they knew what they were doing with the rockets, and it was there that he had met Alphons. He'd taken an instant liking to him, obviously because of the close appearance he shared with the brother he had been separated from, and had assisted the group in the creation of their rocket.

 

It was through that that he had traveled through the many countries of Europe, mainly as a tag-along or overseer. They'd gone to many different carnivals to promote their cause, and it was at one of those that the two of them had met the gypsy named Noa. Although Ed had already told Al of the amazing talent the gypsy possessed, Al hadn't noticed that Alphons and his father had neglected to mention it and Al told Izumi of the way she could see into someone's mind by only touching them; with childlike wonder on his face. He missed the opposite look that flashed across hers.

 

Noa had moved in with Ed and Alphons, after Ed had saved her from the people that she had been sold to, and despite the many people telling them to throw her back out on the street, she continued to live with them after she was free of danger. However, the stunt had attracted unwanted attention from the Thule society for Ed, and when they discovered that he was Hoenheim's son, a former associate of theirs, they wanted the information they knew he held. So they'd offered Noa a deal.

 

They needed three things to get to `Shamballa' the mysterious world where the superior `Aryan' race resided, a place bereft of war and violence. The first was a way to open the gate; the second, a way to overcome the phenomenon within; and the third, information on the country they were about to invade. They planned to use a great leviathan to open the gate; the rocket Ed and Alphons had helped to design to pass through; and Noa to extract the information from Edward.

 

But things had not gone to plan. The green dragon, later revealed to be Envy, bereft of his shape-shifting abilities in that strange world, managed to escape from them with the help of a man named Fritz Lang, whom Ed had mistaken for Fürher Bradley. The rocket that they had designed was defected, and when tested it didn't launch. And Noa wouldn't help them to gain the information from Ed.

 

They had set the launch date on November 8th, the same day that Hitler and his group had planned to overthrow the government, and when that attempt failed, the leader's of the society were arrested along with Hitler and the other members of his group. They group dispersed, and no one heard of them for years.

 

After that incident Ed became more absorbed in his work, helping out with the rockets like he hadn't before. A friend of Alphons's, Marian, moved in with them to keep Noa company; a person Alphons recognised to be the alternate version of Winry. Hoenheim and Ed settled their differences, and put the past behind them. For the next few years, until the beginning of 1933, the four of them had gone without many mishaps, and no word of the society. But at the beginning of February, rumors began to spread. Hitler's popularity began to grow and Fritz Lang, a powerful Jew, was discovered dead.

 

Shortly after that Hitler had been voted into the government as Chancellor, and his long term support for the Thule Society gave them more power. Alphons had recalled that although for many Germans it had been a cause for celebration, for their small group it had been horrible news. Hitler promised what many people in Germany wanted: the foreigners; gypsies and Jews, out of the country, including Noa, Hoenheim and Ed.

 

The doctor hadn't specified what the argument that had caused Ed to storm out in a rage had been about, but denied Mustang's guess about his height. He alluded to the fact that he'd said some things he'd regretted and he and Noa had followed Ed down the street, only to find him surrounded and passed out. The next thing he remembered the three of them had woken up in a huge room, and Eckhart had shown up.

 

She had revealed to them that she knew Amestris wasn't Shamballa, but she wanted the power that they held. She wanted to use Ed's status as a State Alchemist to gain staff to mine Uranium, which he had said was a key element in a weapon that she wanted to use to overthrow the new government and rule it herself. The weapon itself, which after Hawkeye had dug out the mission report, was found to be one that Ed and Al had gone to investigate on the information of the scientist who invented it. The report said, seeing as neither of them could confirm it, that the man had attempted Human Transmutation and disappeared without a trace, the bomb and all.

 

Ed didn't agree to create the bomb however, and she resorted to using hostages, dragging Hoenheim into the building. She had trapped them in the transmutation circle using the dragon she'd relocated as a fence. Only Hoenheim was trapped inside when the circle had activated, and after Alphons had pushed Ed out of the way of a bullet, he'd ended up getting shot himself trying to save Noa, who had been his Fiancé for almost a year and half while they saved for a wedding. Hoenheim and Alphons had disappeared through the gate, Ed had said he didn't know what happened to Noa, and his arm had broken. He had returned to his home, only to find it had been burnt to the ground, and he and Marian moved back into the old inn, run by the kind woman named Gracia.

 

Alphons had been surprised to find that her alternative was a good friend of theirs, and had said that that would explain why Ed always acted like he knew her better. He was even more surprised to find that she had married the alternative of Officer Hughes; someone who he knew had an obvious infatuation with the innkeeper. He had missed the somber looks on the groups faces as he'd wondered aloud at this. And Al wondered curiously to his teacher about the man he'd known.

 

“You'll remember someday Alphonse,” she said quietly, having finished her meal long ago. “It may just take, a little longer.” Al smiled at her.

 

“Some of it's coming back,” he admitted, “When Ed told me what we'd been doing, I could picture some of it, it's there just within my grasp, yet always out of reach.” He frowned slightly. “I wonder sometimes if I remembered, would Ed tell me what's going on in his life? I wonder if maybe he'd have stayed.”

 

Izumi sighed. “Something's cannot be helped,” she said, “Edward would've gone, had you remembered or not.” She saw the fire in his eyes as he looked back up at her.

 

“How can you guarantee that?” he asked, anger evident in his tone, an accusing glare sent her way. She held his gaze, and kept a level head, and a level tone.

 

“He came to see me,” she stated calmly, “on the way back from some trivial mission. He told me of you daughter's birth. About his hospital visit, and a little more, about where he's been, and what he plans doing.” She said calmly. “He would've left, either way.” Al stood angrily, and the chair he had been sitting on slid backwards, falling to the floor with a loud clatter.

 

“Apparently everybody knows something but me.” He said angrily. He ignored the shocked look on Sig and Michelle's faces from his extremely uncommon outburst and turned to Izumi. “What did he tell you teacher?” She turned away, a silent look on her face.

 

“I can't say.” She said her voice still calm and still.

 

“Why not!” He replied.

 

“I made a promise,” She said, staring into Al's eyes. He held her gaze and spoke again.

 

“Everyone keeps telling me how close we were, but I'm finding it hard to believe.” He said his voice frighteningly calm. “If he wants to leave, then let him. If he doesn't want to tell us anything, if he doesn't care if we're informed then screw him! Because I don't care either!” He turned away and wouldn't meet eyes with any of them, and Nina began to cry. “That bastard.” (1)

 

“Alphonse Elric!” Michelle scolded angrily. “That's enough!” It was one of the most colorful words he ever used, and he never used them when speaking of his brother. “I don't want my daughter growing up with that kind of language.” She had a fire in her eyes that rivaled the angry look in his. She picked up the small child and rocked her in her arms, until the crying subsided, and then she turned her attention back to her still fuming husband. “This is difficult for all of us,” she said, and there was something in the sentence that made him deflate, “I can't say I know your brother very well, but from what I've seen he's an honest, caring, intelligent man.”

 

“Are you really that moronic?” Izumi barked at him and he turned to look at her. “I thought I taught you better? You and I both know Ed's an idiot for doing this alone, and what's the only reason your brother's ever done something idiotic?” She asked, but the question didn't need to be answered. They all already knew the answer. “He'd do it for you, for those he cares about. You really think this is over some trivial thing? Are you that blind that you can't see what's happening?” However she got no further before her illness caught up with her and she began coughing furiously.

 

“Izumi!” Sig called, moving towards her and getting her medicine out of his pocket. After rubbing her back for a few moments she sat up straight and assured him she was alright, she turned back to Al and spoke in a hoarse voice.

 

“Edward's in trouble. He didn't tell me what kind of trouble; only that he plans to fix it. But when Edward actually plans something…I don't know what to expect, only that he can't do this alone, and that we all need to help.” Al looked around the room, at the people he cared about, and realised that he was angry with the one person who he missed the most. He turned back to Izumi, smiled and nodded. “I know I said to him that I wouldn't repeat what he told me, and had he done something less stupid I wouldn't be relaying the information to you lot…but you need to know.” She said firmly, and they all sat back down and she told them a story. (2)

 

 

It was rare, to see the rain pour down so hard in the hot southern city of Dublith. The rain was a welcome relief from the constant hot, dry weather that was expected. It reminded him of the time they had stayed on Yock Island. It had rained pretty hard then. Ed walked through the rain, almost oblivious to it's stinging lash, to the familiar building in the distance. The drops falling from above provided more warmth than the thick coat he wore. He knocked on the door and heard the shuffle of feet. The door opened and a huge man greeted him, a look of surprise crossing his face. “Edward.” He acknowledged, and then the look disappeared, to be replaced by one of sadness. “I'm afraid…you may not be in time.”

 

“Nonsense!” A voice called from inside. “I'm not dead yet!” Sig moved aside to make room for Ed and he entered the dim house. He saw his teacher looking older than he'd ever seen her and deathly sick, sitting upright in the bed, a book in her hand.

 

“Teacher…” He began.

 

“Sig,” She said, and he nodded, leaving them alone in the room. “I'm glad to see you're okay, Edward.” She said, “How long have you been back?” Her voice was considerably weaker than he remembered.

 

“A…a few months…4 or less I think.” Ed replied, his voice hoarse.

 

“And you didn't come to see me?!” She demanded. Ed gulped, this woman still scared him. So he thought before answering.

 

“I'm here now.” He replied cautiously. She smiled.

 

“Indeed you are,” she said, “But I believe there's more reason behind this visit then a `hello'.”

 

“I…” He looked at her with such desperation and pleading for her to understand; knowing that she would understand, that her heart wrenched.

 

She understood that look.

 

She looked down at her hands and opened her mouth to speak, but coughed instead. Ed was by her side in an instant, offering her a tissue from her desk. She took it and thanked him, sitting up straighter. “I'm dying, Edward.” She said softly, and Ed nodded.

 

“I know.” He replied rubbing her back.

 

“They say one of the worst things a parent can go through is losing a child.” She said. Ed drew back, she looked at him with fierce eyes. “But sometimes it's worse to see them in pain.” Ed felt a lump in his throat and his eyes burned. He took a steadying breath. “Tell me why you're here.” She whispered gently.

 

“Teacher…I can't use alchemy.” He admitted. She touched his hand and he looked up at her. “I'm afraid,” he whispered, it evident in his eyes.

 

“That's not why you're here.” She replied. And suddenly, the 30 year old man wasn't standing before her, the strong teenage boy, caring for his brother was gone. The orphan boy, broken, cold lonely and frightened was asking her for help.

 

“What if I can't save him..?” Ed asked, his voice taught.

 

“What happened?” Izumi asked. “Tell me everything.”

 

And just like all those years ago, he did. “I couldn't save her...” he replied, and that was all he needed to say. She got out of the bed, as well as she could, and pulled him into a motherly embrace. “I wasn't strong enough…I couldn't save her...” he repeated, clutching at her dress.

 

“Don't hold back.” She whispered, and she felt her shoulder dampen, both from his rain soaked clothes and his salty tears. He began to shake in her arms, and what started as hiccups for breath, turned into heart-wrenching sobs. “Don't hold back.”

 

 

She turned and twisted to look at herself from all angles in the mirror. She had to admit the dress was stunning. “And who said my mother had lost her taste in fashion?” A harsh bark of laughter followed the statement and she moved so she could see the reflection of the man who had spoken.

 

“Your mother had lost her mind, that's what she lost,” Another muttered, causing the first to snarl in annoyance.

 

“Who asked you pipsqueak?” However the other didn't reply and the first left the room, leaving the two of them alone. She liked the dress herself, but a second opinion was always welcome.

 

“What do you think of it Edward?” She asked, turning around to face the moody blonde. He was always moody these days, brooding, snapping at anyone, never seen without a constant frown on his face. She missed the days when they used to laugh together.

 

“All dressed up with nowhere to go,” he said with a smirk and a mirthless laugh.

 

“Why must you always look at the glass half empty Edward?” She asked crossly, picking up the folds of the dress, and letting them brush around her feet.

 

“It's not half-empty,” He replied, “You drank the whole bloody thing, I'd be lucky to managed to find a drop of whatever the hell your stupid glass is filled with. Why must you always look at the glass half-full?” He asked mockingly. She sighed.

 

“There are still so many beautiful things in this world,” She said, and he laughed again, a dry unhappy laugh.

 

“None of them are down here. You can dress up as much as you want Noa, nobody down here cares, and no one's ever going to see. Give it up, and realise that you're being played. If you can't then that's your loss, it's no skin off my ass.” He walked towards the door, and closed it behind her, leaving her behind and alone.

 

Noa huffed crossly and turned back to the mirror. She liked the dress, she cared. She twisted the glinting ring that she kept on her finger, despite the fact it had been three years now since she'd last seen her fiancé. Despite what Edward said she liked to be optimistic.

 

 

“Oi! Shrimp.” Ed cringed and whipped around.

 

“What?!” He snarled angrily at the Homunculus who had come to annoy him. Envy held up his hands mockingly.

 

“Relax midget,” he said, and Ed grinded his teeth so loudly it would've made anyone cringe; anyone other than Envy that is, he merely smirked. “Watserface, y'know lead lady, I always forget her name. Anyway, she says I'm to escort you on a trip to the wonderful city of Grand Central.” Ed didn't miss the sarcasm he enunciated on the word wonderful, but his expression turned curious as well as suspicious.

 

“What? What d'you mean we're going to Grand Central; and escort? I don't need an escort.” He asked noticing Eckhart approach.

 

“Don't you want to go?” She asked, a small smirk adorning her features. “Fine, never mind then.” Her smirk widened as he replied impatiently.

 

“I never said that, what's with the sudden act of - well the attempt at an act of kindness?” He asked an eyebrow raised. “And cut around the crap.”

 

“Ever the patient one Edward,” she said, ignoring his angry glare, “if you must know Noa requested you take a break, I do know how you hate being cooped up,”

 

“More like how I hate the company.” Edward muttered but she ignored him.

 

“However, I can't trust you not to go and tell someone something we don't want them to know, so Envy is to go with you.” Envy grinned and waved at him when Ed turned his head in his direction. “Would you like to go?” She asked. He didn't quite trust the motives behind the offer, but all the same he was convinced at the word escort, however horrible it sounded.

 

“Fine.” He growled at last. “When are we leaving?”

`There are two kinds of pedestrians, the quick and the dead.'

 

(1) Hey, you'd be pissed to; even Alphonse isn't immune to anger.

(2) Gasp! She broke the promise she stated like 3 paragraph's or so earlier, I can't be bothered checking to see and my memory is like dory's from finding nemo.

 

Ahhh, Crap! I haven't finished the next chapter!!!! Stop putting the chapters on so quickly! Gosh! Well it's the end of school today! Yes! No more for 2 weeks! And we got carpet in our house yesterday! Now I only need to paint my room and I'm set. And perhaps get some money, to buy essential stuff, like movies and…I was gonna say something else but I forgot. Anyway our maths teacher read us this children's book in Maths (fancy that a maths teacher doing something in maths) and it was about a rat named Riley, and it was so funny cause it was talking about how he was satisfied with his life and how they all lived happily ever after (and I quote) : “Except for Kevin who got hit by a bus,” and we were all laughing and we're like you sure this is a kids book and she's like I haven't finished the sentence “But that was okay because he never saw it coming.” Lol.

 

Phe: Well I haven't actually bought the thing yet; I'm looking on ebay for it right now actually because dad said I could get it on payday and wooh! Today's payday! As well as holidays! And my friend comes up from Melbourne tonight! Haven't seen her in like three-quarters (I had to change that from a fraction into a word because the chapter wasn't uploading right, refer to bottom of page) of a year. So that'll be good. Okay so before this one, the last two chapters have been flashbacks, to when he was in our world (bastard didn't stay) (I'm kidding chill out) and now we're back to the present, but there is a flashback in this chapter so I guess it's all really confusing. My bad. Well anyway hope you like it and OMG I FOUND THE MOVIE IN ENGLSH ON YOUTUBE AND I'M SO ANNOYED CAUSE MY COMPUTER ALWAYS CUTS IT OFF!

 

Misa92: Lol, I almost forgot my subject selection form today because it's supposed to be in by tomorrow but I'm not going tomorrow because it's the last day and I hate school with a fiery passion so who can be bothered? My friends were like oh yeah did you put it in and I was like crap, damn, swear, crap, damn, crap, swear and continued in a random order every now and then when I remembered so I had to go home, try and find the thing, then walk back to school and put it in the box. Am I glad we moved like across the road from the school. Yeah I don't know how the whole sophomore senior's thing goes. It's just juniors from grade 8 to 10 then seniors in grade 11 and 12 and then you're done. Excluding primary school which is grade 1 to 7. I don't know what iPods play what aye, there's so many now. 2 of my friends have nano's and they can't and I've got my budget mp3 player that always turns off when I try to play it lol. WOOH I JUST BOUGHT A SOMETHING OR RATHER, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT DOES BUT IT SAYS MP4 AND NOW I GOTTA WAIT FOR SHIPPING. CRAP! Anyway, I don't know what the music thing is like because I've never done it through my budget school so I suppose we'll see, but there aren't enough year 11's to fill the class so it's going to be composite. (I added this bit on recently, refer to beneath this) I realise that this hugemous comment didn't show up and until now I was wondering why you didn't write like you'd got it in the review. Heheh, my bad.

 

Okay so I was reading this to see what it showed up like on the site, and it's totally different to what it looks like in my document, there's no lines and when I put in dot points it just moves the text to the side so from now on I'll try to edit it so it works.