Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Thanks ❯ A Forger's Love ( Chapter 2 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

~*~*~*Story Start*~*~*~


The light of the setting sun slowly moved across the land outside as the train moved loudly, the compartment bouncing ever so slightly as we raced across the tracks. Ed and I sat across from Al, the poor boy taking up a lot his seat thanks to his large, armored body. Ed and Al's eyes stared out the window as the scenery passed at fast pace, the colors of the world blending together ever so slightly as we passed. I, however, was staring down at the floor, my mind on everything that had happened these past few years, making what was happening now feel so surreal. We've lost so much that this all feels like a dream, or a nightmare to be more accurate. I let out a small sigh, slumping in the uncomfortable seat beneath me, making me scrunch my nose up in displeasure. It's been almost a whole day since we got on the train when we left early this morning, and I'm pretty sure my back is going to be killing me.  Great.


“Al, Haley,” Ed called suddenly, bringing our attention to him. “You two are okay with this, right?”


Al and I looked at each other before turning to Ed. “Huh?” we asked.


Ed looked down for a brief second, frowning again. “I mean leaving everything behind, you don't have any regrets, do you?” he asked us, his now serious gaze on meeting our own.


Al shook his head. “There's no turning back now, and remember we're the ones who insisted on coming with you. Besides, I think it's you and Haley who will miss home more than I will,” he pointed out matter-of-factly, making Ed and I look at him in slight surprise, but it was rather obvious. They are our family...


“That's true,” I mumbled with a sad smile. “But I said I was coming with you two, and I'm not going back until I help you guys get your bodies back to normal.”


Ed let out a 'scoff', a forcing a smile. “Good riddance, that's what I say! 'Cause you both know whose on his way to becoming a State Alchemist! Me!” he said as he jabbed his thumb towards himself, a cocky smirk now forming, and I stared at him blankly.


“Me too!” Al said with a smile. “When I become a State Alchemist the first thing I'll do is fix your body!”


Ed gave him a small smile. “I told you Al, that's not your burden, you just have to take care of yourself,” he reminded, the guilt easily heard in his voice.


“And it's not entirely your burden either, Ed.” I looked at the older boy with a frown on my lips. “We all took part in it, so the blame is equally on everyone of us, not just you,” I said seriously, my arms crossed.


Ed only frowned, and I knew he still didn't believe me.


I stared sadly. *Oh Ed...*


Al felt the air turn awkward and looked out the window as he spoke, “I wonder how one goes about becoming a State Alchemist.” He glanced over at his older brother, who turned to him. “Do you think we'll have to take a test?” he asked curiously.


A deep frown appeared on my lips. I hated the thought of the two of them being put into the Military. That place was a death trap to everyone who entered into the ranks, I already lost my parents and I didn't want to lose either of them, too. What if they were sent to war? Or what if they were sent on a mission that they couldn't handle? My hands gripped the edge of my skirt tightly, a small wave of panic coursing through my body at that scenario, a horrible thought popping up in my mind:


What if I froze up again?


“Whatever it takes, I'm sure Mustang will guide us through it.” I snapped out of my frightened thoughts, turning to Ed as he laughed. “What am I stressing for, Al? With talent like mine this will be a cakewalk for me!” He grinned at his younger brother, but it dropped when he saw Al staring at the floor. “What? Are you thinking about Winry?” he asked with a frown.


Al only sighed, his eyes trained on the floor once again.


I winced at the thought of my sister and grandmother. I could already picture Winry in tears and Grandma frowning in disappointment as they stared down at the burnt remains of the boys' home.


I just hope they'll forgive us.


~*~*~*~*~


Hours later the boys and I were finally off the train and sitting at a train station on an equally uncomfortable bench, tired yawns escaping my and Ed's lips. I wanted nothing more than to fall asleep somewhere, I didn't even care if it was on the ground, I was practically passing out as it was. I glanced at  Ed, seeing the tiredness on his face, telling me that he obviously felt the same way. However, I didn't plan on trying to sleep if I had a feeling that we would be getting up in a few minutes, that would only make me more pissed and irritable, and that isn't a nice sight to see. Trust me.


“Brother?” Al suddenly asked, looking over at Ed. “Do you know what time our next train leaves?”


Ed nodded. “Yeah, not 'til tomorrow morning. Let's get some shut eye,” he said as he placed his arms behind his head like a pillow, eyes half-lidded.


I grinned tiredly. “Thank god,” I mumbled letting out another yawn.


Ed and I both leaned back onto the bench and closed our eyes, about to let sleep take us, but the universe seems to have a grudge on us apparently. Just as I was this – close to falling asleep, a woman's scream pierced the air making Ed open his eyes while I jumped awake. The woman screamed once again, saying that someone had stolen her purse, and the boys and I heard running footsteps heading over towards us.


I groaned. “Oh goddamn it, what now?” I growled, an irk mark appearing.


Ed smirked slightly at my miffed form before heaving himself up off the bench. “Breaks over,” he said, the smirk gone as a serious look cross over his face, and I followed his example.


“Yep,” Al said, standing up as well.


Seeing a man with black hair running towards us with a purse under his arm, Al quickly grabbed a piece of chalk and drew a transmutation circle, all those years of practice finally paying off. “Now all we need is the dumb ass to make this complete,” I said crossing my arms as Al stood up, keeping my sights on the man as  he drew closer to us, waiting to see if putting the transmutation circle on the floor was necessary. If it was that'll teach this jerk to wake me up...


“It's almost too easy.” The burglar smirked as he look over his shoulder, but when he saw us he stopped, quickly pulling out a gun. “Off to bed with you, like good little kids now!” he shouted, the smirk coming back to his lips as he rose the gun.


Al quickly dropped to his knees, placing his hands on the circle and the lines glowed a bright blue, instantly throwing the burglar off guard. “What the...?” he asked, his eyes widening.


A cage instantly shot up from beneath him, one of the bars hitting his hand painfully, making him drop the gun to the floor outside of his cage along with his purse. The man's face was priceless, almost making this little detour worth it. His face had paled and sweat trickled down his face as he stared at us in fear. I, however, ignored him as I grabbed the purse from the floor while Ed grabbed the gun, just incase the man was stupid enough to try and to make a grab for it. But considering Amestris is filled with idiots, he probably would have done it, so it was best to be on the safe side, I guess.


Ed grinned up at the man, waving the gun at him mockingly. “I think you're the one who crawled out of the crib too early,” he said as the man fell to his knees, the shock too much for him.


I rolled my eyes. “Talk about dramatic,” I mumbled, staring blankly at the man. .


“Nicely done.”


The boys and I turned upon hearing an older man's voice, seeing an officer standing behind us with a smile. He had a graying mustache that framed his mouth, and I couldn't help but smile back at him, it was nice to see a nice officer around this country, cause we all know that some officers are real assholes who abuse power, like the Military. ...Sorry, I'm still VERY sore about that. Shaking those thoughts from my head for the moment, I saw the officer walk towards us, causing the three of us to face him fully, completely forgetting about the man behind us. It's not like he was important anyway. Yes I'm mean, I know x3.


Remembering that I had the purse, I quickly walked over to him. “I think this would be safer with you,” I said with a smile as I handed it over to the officer before me, and he took it with a pleased smile on his lips, as I went back towards the boy.


“Thank you, young lady.” The officer smiled before looking at all of us. “Now that was something else, you're trick there wouldn't be what they call 'alchemy', would it?” he asked curiously.


Ed laughed slightly, putting on a smile. “Uh...yeah!”


“To think kids your age could be such accomplished alchemists already.” The officer had a look of pride on his face. “Around these parts the only alchemist I ever get to see is  ol' Majhal,” he explained, and my interest was immediately peaked at the sound of that name. I heard that name before, but...where?


“Majhal, huh?” Ed asked, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly as he lost his smile.


The officer nodded. “Yep, they say he does great things for people with his alchemy, like you three did. He's quiet well respected,” he informed us.


“Where can we find him?” Ed asked almost instantly, stepping forward slightly.


Al and I shared glances, confusion equally seen between us before we looked towards Ed. That narrowed look that was in his golden eyes seemed to intensify slightly, but only Al and I were able to see it.  Whoever this Majhal guy was, Ed obviously knew about him and if he was willing to go on a detour while trying to get to Central, then this had to be important. But where would Ed find out about some man who probably lives in a small town so far away from home? Alchemists weren't really known unless they were in the Military, and it was obvious that this man wasn't. Not that I would know any alchemists in the Military, but you understand.


The officer looked nervous now, making me narrow my eyes slightly. “Oh, the next town over, but you really don't want to go there right now, kids. I heard it's become a dangerous place, they say the dead has risen from their graves, and are sending the villagers to them. Most of the victims have been young women and some even were around your age, Miss,” he said looking down at me with a frown.


*Well that's a very comforting thought,* I thought sarcastically, but I said nothing. If Ed thought this man was important, then I wasn't going to try and stop him from seeing Majhal.


Ed frowned deeply, while Al looked down at me his red eyes worried.


~*~*~*~*~


The road rocky dirt road beneath us caused the carriage to bump uncomfortably, not helping our backs as we sat on horribly hard 'cushions', if they could even be called that. My eyes were beginning to droop slightly, it probably being around nine or ten o'clock, and I was really starting to get tired. However, I knew it was impossible to even fall asleep on this damn thing, and I was going to ask what was on Ed's mind. He was looking down in thought, his arms crossed over his chest. Classic Ed pose right there, and I could tell Al wanted some answers as well.


Al leaned forward a bit as his hands laid in his lap, cocking his head as he looked over at his older brother to his left and my right. “Why are you so interested in meeting this 'Majhal' person, Brother?” he asked curiously. See I told you.


I nodded, raising an eyebrow as I asked, “How do you even know about him anyway?”


Ed rose an eyebrow at me. “What makes you think that I know anything about him? What if I'm curious?”


I rolled my eyes, looking at him blankly. “I've been around you my whole life, of course I'm going to pick up on somethings, Ed,” I said rather bluntly, like he would be able to make me doubt my knowledge about him.


Ed smirked slightly, but it fell as he turned to the floor. “That name. That same name kept popping up all over those old letters,” he explained, grabbing Al and I's attention.


“You mean Dad's letters?” Al asked, slightly surprised.


“Yeah.” Ed frowned. “And if I remember, he wrote about Human Transmutation. I figure if it's the same Majhal it can't hurt to pay him a visit,” he said as he looked over at us, a smirk playing on his lips.


Al nodded, straightening up slightly. “Yeah! I have a feeling this is going to be a good trip,” he said excitedly as he looked forward, his hands grabbing a hold of one another. At that reaction Ed and I shared a glance, raising a questioning eyebrow to one another.


“What's wrong?” Ed asked, his smirk widening as he leaned forward to look at Al. “You seem almost happy.”


I stared at Ed blankly. “You want him to be depressed about this?” Ed shot me the same expression, but I just smiled at him cutely before turning to Al. “But seriously, did something happen, Al?” I asked curiously.


Al looked over at us quickly. “Hm? Well, we did snag that purse-snatcher, and then everyone was so grateful to us. I guess I'm just starting to see how alchemy has the power to make other people's lives a little bit better,” he said as he looked down slightly, as if a blush of embarrassment appeared on his cheeks.


Ed and I both shared a small smile, looking at Al as he fiddled with his hands.


~*~*~*~*~


I groaned in pain, holding my back as I walked slowly by Ed who was doing the same as me. Our faces were contorted in discomfort, those carriage cushions were complete murder, and considering we road on a train all morning until about an hour ago, we just probably damaged our spines for life. Anime tears sat in my eyes, but I willed them down, despite how my back hurt like a bitch. I swear I'm going to get every single person who decided that rock hard seats on trains and carriages were a good idea. If they're dead, then I'm spitting on their goddamn graves! ...Sorry.


“Are you two all right?” Al asked as he held our bags, staring down at us.


Ed let out a grunt, not bothering to look back at him. “Yeah, I'm just peachy. I love turbulent carriage rides and seats as soft as granite,” he said sarcastically and just thinking about granite made me groan again.


“I hate my life,” I moaned pitifully. “I think my spines broken, Ed, fix it!”


Ed rolled his eyes. “If I could fix your back, don't you think I would have done it to myself by now?” he asked as if I was dumb, staring at me blankly.


I shot him a look, an irk mark now on my temple. “Don't make me force myself to hit you,” I mumbled.


“Try it,” Ed said, shooting me a look back.


That only led us to be thrown into our own little battle of glares, irk marks pulsing. This was a natural occurrence despite what you saw last chapter, sure we lean on each other -all three of us- for support through rough times, but that didn't mean we never 'fight' with each other. You'd be crazy to think that.


Al laughed quietly, watching us.


Hearing his younger brother's laugh, Ed couldn't help but look over his shoulder at Al. “It didn't bother you at all?” he asked, although he and I knew the answer immediately, of course Al wouldn't be able to feel those damn abominations called seats.!


Al shook his head. “M-mm,” he hummed with a small smile in his voice.


Ed sighed before he stopped when he saw something flicker out of his peripheral. Stopping as well, I straightened up despite the pain and looked where he was. My eyebrows rose almost instantly, taking in the sight before me. There was a hill that sloped, leading to an area filled with tables, canopy tent-tops and lit torches. Well this is something that you really don't see everyday. There was no one around, this place looking completely deserted. I looked over towards a stage that was facing towards many of the tables, hoping that there was at least someone up there, but there was still no one. I frowned a bit, but I didn't get a bad feeling about this, so I didn't worry too much about it.


“Well, will you look at that.” Ed narrowed his eyes slightly. “Someone's thrown a party with torches and everything, but they forgot to invite us!” he joked with a small chuckle in his voice, and just hearing him laugh -in any kind of form- made a smile form on my lips.


I nodded, before staring blankly. “And apparently everyone else,” I pointed out bluntly.


A  sudden flash lit up the sky from behind us, and an explosion went off in the air, it being way too close behind us for comfort. Our bodies stiffened at the sound, our eyes widening anime style as we stood frozen to the spot, not daring to even turn around to see what that was. A crackling sound reached our ears a second later, and the lights quickly faded, leaving a small bit of silence. But that silence quickly dissipated when a good few pairs of footsteps came running towards us.


“That one got a little too close to the village,” a small boy's voice suddenly said from behind us.


The footsteps stopped once they reached us. “You aren't suppose to be here, this place is off limits!” a girl's voice shouted this time, obviously towards the boys and I. “You could get yourselves killed! We're in the middle of testing fireworks for the--!”


“Yeah, we noticed that!” Ed said as he turned with a growl, his face still pale as sweat ran down it.


I looked back as well, seeing a girl wearing boy's clothing. She had black hair stuffed into her hat, leaving bits to fall out from beneath it, and had green-blue eyes. “If you're testing fireworks shouldn't you think about checking the area for people first?!” I asked with an irk mark, my heart still beating rapidly.


The girl ignored me. “They're for the festival, and I'm in charge.” Her eyes suddenly widened. “Hey, you guys aren't from around here, are you?” she asked, staring at us suspiciously.


Al suddenly let out a gasp as his eyes widened, causing Ed and I to instantly look over at him. There was a boy with brown hair standing behind him, poking Al's body with a stick, staring up at Al with a raised eyebrow, a smirk on his lips. I felt annoyance welling up in me as I stared at the boy, sometimes I found little kids to be cute, but when they act obnoxious -this for example- then I felt like punching them in the head. I know that's mean, but no-one pokes someone I see as an older brother like some kind of exotic animal on display! Goddamn kids!


“What is this ugly thing? Some kind of a giant robot from the future?” the boy asked, still smirking.


Ed's eyes narrowed into a glare, as well as mine, when he heard the 'ugly' part. Slamming his right hand onto the stick, it broke with a crack. “Quit it,” he growled with a glare down at the boy.


I glared as well. “Didn't anyone ever tell you to keep your mouth shut when you have nothing nice to say?” I hissed slightly with anger. Al is NOT ugly!


The girl suddenly smirked. “Show them how we...welcome strangers,” she said, the other boys copying.


I rose an eyebrow, my arms crossing as I hardly dared any of them to start attacking us. But when I saw the other boys that surrounded the girl grip their sticks and run towards us, my eyes widened slightly. What the hell? They're serious about this? Wow, this village has NO manners! Ed, Al and I quickly got into stances as well, and I was the first one to move. I ran towards the boys, my fists clenched, but when my foot got caught on a rock, I wasn't able to stop myself from falling as Ed slammed into my back, making us fall to the ground with him on top. Al, the poor boy, wasn't able to stop himself in time as he gripped a post for balance, but when it broke he fell forward onto Ed and I. Painfully.


I shouted in pain, however, with so much weight on top of me it only came out as a gasp. My face was planted into the ground, making it already harder for me to breath than it already is, and anime tears flowed down my cheeks. I hate this village so much. And my hate only grew stronger as that damn girl sat on Al's back, adding a good ninety pounds of extra weight onto Ed and I. The other kids crowded around us with smirks on their lips, either poking Al once again or stepping on him. I swear once I get up, those boys are going to be girls by the end of the night. And that girl, I'm going to kill her!  But I snapped out of my murderous thoughts, remembering what was going on around me.


“My...back!” Ed shouted weakly, voice coated in pain.


An irk mark pulsed on my temple, vaguely aware of my shortening breath. "I'm the one...on the bottom...get...off!” I tried to growl, but my voice was muffled thanks to the dirt. I hate my life!


“We sure showed them,” a boy said with a cocky smirk on his lips, crossing his arms.


*All. Of. My. Hate!* I growled with a glare.


“What's going on here?”


At the sound of that voice, my angered thoughts ceased and confusion filled me. Pushing my head to move to the side, I was able to see out of one eye. There was an old man shaggy shoulder length brown hair, tired brown eyes and pale skin. He was wearing a light brown trench coat over a beige long sleeved shirt and brown pants. He had grabbed the head of the post Al had broken and placed it onto its broken stand, and the bracelet on his right wrist glowed with purple alchemic light as a transmutation circle glowed, and when the lights died away the post was as good as new. If I was able to see fully and take in my surroundings clearly, I would have seen the suspicious glare being directed at the man.


“You must be...Majhal,” Ed mumbled as he looked up, unknowingly pushing my face further into the ground.


I was now seeing dark spots coating my vision, and I desperately tried to claw my way out from under them. “Need....air! Ed...Al...AIR!” I shouted, my voice muffled again, but at least they heard me this time.


Al let out a gasp, quickly climbing to his feet. “Haley! Are you all right?” he asked worriedly, his red eyes widening with concern that was easy to see.


My only answer was me crawling out from under Ed, and sitting up with a loud gasp for air.


“Uh....” Speaking of said blonde... “Sorry about that Haley...I forgot about you for a second...hah...ha...” he said with a forced laugh as he looked down at me rigid form, and he flinched, he could just feel my fist hitting him upside the head. My fists were almost as strong as the wrenches Winry threw at us...


However, I just glared at him as my right eye twitched, which only made Ed sweat drop as he rubbed the back of his head nervously, smiling at me.


~*~*~*~*~


After catching my breath, scaring Ed into thinking I was going to hit him, reassuring Al that I was completely fine, and following Majhal, we all sat inside his house near the edge of town. It was a cottage looking two story house, and it was rather large for such a small town. It was homy inside of Majhal's house as we sat at his table, the three of us in front of the older man, and vice-versa. We had made small talk over the tea he brewed us, and I was getting to an unnerving feeling from this town, maybe what they were saying about it were true...


“Such fine workmanship,” Majhal's voice caught my attention, pulling me out of my thoughts. “That's truly an impressive Spirit Attachment.”


Ed, Al and I let out a gasps, our backs straightening as our eyes widened. Sure I knew that this man was an alchemist as well, but was it really that easy to tell -besides Al's voice- that he was bonded to the armor? Ed and I quickly frowned after a second, the shock wearing off.


“He knows about me, Brother!” Al said in astonishment, looking down at his older brother.


“I'd expect nothing less from the sons of Hohenheim. Apparently you've inherited his great talent.” Majhal smiled, apparently not noticing the scoffed that escaped Ed's lips, which made me frown deeply as well. “But I never heard of him having a daughter, who are you, Miss?” he asked, brining the attention to me, making my eyes snap to him instead of the blond next to me.


“I'm not their sister, just a very close friend, that's all,” I answered, trying to keep the sound of distaste  out of my voice.


My eyes were narrowed like Ed's, but even though it was for the same reasons, my anger towards that man couldn't compare to what Ed felt. Hohenheim left when we were still barely even able to form words and sentences properly, leaving them and their mother to fend for themselves, and to leave Ed and Al with the dejection of his sudden disappearance. Sure Ed never showed it, but for a while after Hohenheim left he missed his father as much as Al does now, but when he knew that his father wasn't coming back to him, his younger brother and mother, thats when the anger came. And now it was because of Hohenheim that their mother died, and that their bodies were the way they were now. If he never left, those chains of events never would have happened, and none of this would be happening. However, I knew I couldn't just blame that bastard even if we all knew he deserved some of the blame, despite how much I wanted to.


Majhal nodded, accepting my answer. “Now tell me,  what I can do you for you three today? Surely you've come here seeking something particular, and I can't very well disappoint the sons of a dear friend, or theirs,” he said with a kind smile on  his lips, but I could tell that his smile never met his eyes which always seemed glazed over by something.


Ed placed his cup down on the saucer. “I've read the letters you wrote to my dad, I want to know more about Human Transmutation,” he said straight and to the point. The faster we get the information, the faster we leave for Central.


“No doubt you're aware that Human Alchemy is strictly forbidden by the laws of the State,” Majhal reminded seriously, a frown appearing.


Ed's eyes narrowed even further. “Yeah I know, but I don't care. I will return my brother to his body!”


Majhal's frown deepened at the determination he saw in Ed's eyes.  “I think you've already seen first hand the incredibly high toll of messing around with Human Alchemy. I know how it feels to lose someone, but the act of molding flesh is better left to the hands of God,” he said seriously in return.


*He's hiding something,* I thought suspiciously.


Ed clenched his fist ever so slightly, his eyes flaring up in annoyance. “Okay, if that's the way you feel, then why were you so obsessed with it back then?” he asked, thinking the same thing as I did.


“Youthful optimism,” Majhal explained, a sad smile forming on his lips. “Or youthful foolishness.”


Before either Ed or I could open our mouths to question him further, a knock came at his door, making all of us snap our heads towards it. Excusing himself with a short nod towards us, Majhal walked towards the door and opened it. The light from the house casted over the darkened outside world, revealing a woman who appeared to be around the same age as Majhal,  and she had graying black, wavy hair and brown eyes. Most of her face was hidden beneath a brown clock, but not enough not know what she looked like. On her left arm was a basket, bottles nestled inside. She seemed to be staring at Majhal with a tender look on her face, and I grimaced, starting to feel awkward


“Hello Mr. Majhal,” the woman greeted warmly, grabbing a bottle from the basket “I made a batch of Rose Jam and had some extra, so I thought perhaps you might enjoy.”


Majhal smiled, although his wasn't as warm. “Of course, you spoil me Lebi, you're too kind,” he thanked.


“Not at all,” she said with a small laugh, shaking her head.


A second passed, Ed, Al and I looking over at the door when nothing happened, Lebi not leaving as she continued to smile at Majhal warmly. Majhal seemed to notice as well.  “What there something else then?” he asked politely, knocking Lebi out of her thoughts.


“N-no, I”m sorry,” Lebi apologized as she gave a short bow to him. “Excuse me.”


Smiling again at the woman, Majhal gave a nod to her. “Well all right, take care,” he said, closing the door as the woman turned her back towards us, her head seeming to hang before the door closed fully.


I narrowed my eyes, staring out the window as Lebi walked away.


~*~*~*~*~


Ed and I scarfed down the meal that had been placed in front of us, not even caring if our manners were not up to par, we were hungry and we sure as hell didn't get anything on the damn train. Al and Majhal were the only ones not eating, and were ignoring our atrocious eating mannerisms. Hey we were growing children -Ed more than me...- so get off us, we can eat as much as we want!


“So, what is this festival we heard about?” Al asked, striking up a conversation.


“Oh yes, the Requiem Festival,” Majhal informed with a sad smile. “It's when the spirits of the dead are sent up on fireworks to be returned to Heaven where they belong.”


Ed's interest was instantly peaked, ripped a piece of meat from his fork as he spoke. “And what about all these rumors we heard about the dead coming back to life as murderous zombies on a bloody rampage?Did that have anything to do with it?” he asked, a mouth full of food, which I grimaced at.


Majhal chuckled. “Silly rumors of a superstitious town,” he explained.


Another knock was heard at the door.


Majhal looked up, a slightly surprised look on his face before he turned to us. “My, my, I certainly am popular this evening, aren't I?” he asked, giving us an apologetic smile as he stood up.


Majhal opened the door for the second time that evening, and this time instead of Lebi at the door, there was a large man and...that damn girl that made those boys attack us! My mouth dropped open in shock, wondering what the hell were the odds of having to see her again, but apparently odds don't really matter here. The girl looked into the room, and when she spotted us her eyes widened in recognition as she gasped, remembering us.


“You! Little brat!” Ed and I shouted angrily, standing up in our seats as we pointed at her.


The girl glared at us in return, but her father pushed her hat down. “Out with it Claus, don't you have something to say to Majhal?” he asked, keeping his hand down.


Claus wrenched herself away and glared up at her father in deviance. “But I don't see why I should have to apologize!” She pointed at us angrily.  “It's their stupid fault for being weak for two boys, and one girl! I bet I'm even stronger than her!” she shouted/mocked, ooh I'm going to get her!


Ed and I growled angrily, trying to  run at her but Al swooped us up in his arms as we thrashed. “What?! Let me at her! Let me at her!” we shouted in unison, irk marks pulsing dangerously.


“Brother! Haley! Please!” Al pleaded, sweat dropping.


“Oh, Claus,” Majhal sighed with a small smile. “I know your sister's death affected you, but you were once such a sweet and gentle little girl. What would your late sister think if she could see what you turned into?”


Claus glared at him heatedly, and for once I couldn't help but agree with her. “Shut up! You don't know how I feel! Nobody does!” She looked down at the ground, her eyes filled with a pain I hoped I never feel in my life.  “My sister didn't just up and die! She was killed! By that dead girl!” she shouted as she looked up at Majhal, eyes glistening in anger making Ed and I stop.


“O-oh, okay...” Ed mumbled, eyes wide. “Come again?”


I blinked. “Dead girl?” I asked.


Claus just glared at all of us one more time before running out of the house as she held her head down, trying to hide the tears in her eyes. “Claus!” Her father gasped. “No, wait!” he shouted after her.


Ed, Al and I pushed our way around the two adults, running after the small girl. We chased her through the village to a strip of land that was surrounded by water. Small sobs were heard as she pushed herself to run faster, and I hate to admit it, but she was faster than the boys and I. However, my annoyance turned to concern, seeing her running sloppily, obviously not watching where she was going. If she fell then she was going down into the river, no matter where she went. Goddamn it, she's just making this harder.


“Hey!” Ed shouted, catching up to her slowly. “Come back here!”


Claus didn't answer, she only kept running away, but when her foot got caught on a rock she let out a shout as she tumbled down the side of the road, heading dangerously close to the river. Ed, Al and I stopped on a dime as we let out a gasp, and Ed quickly got to his knees and drew a transmutation circle with a well placed stick. Placing his hand on the circle, blue alchemic lights flashed and flew down through the ground towards the water, freezing both the ground and the liquid before Claus could enter the river. Seeing her land onto the ice safely, the boys and I let out sighs of relief, sweat running down our temples. Too close.


Claus looked at the ice before she got to her feet, looking at us in awe. “You're alchemists? And you...saved me” she asked in surprise, like that was something never done before.


My eyes narrowed once again, not liking that surprised tone.


~*~*~*~*~


“It's been nearly six months since my sister died,” Claus said, looking down at the grass.


The boys and I sat on the ground, looking at Claus as she stood to our lefts, a frown on her lips. A frown came to mine as well, flinching as I thought about how I would be if I lost my older sister. I would probably never leave my house again. I already lost my parents, losing Winry would be too much.


“We had no idea how or why,” Claus continued, bringing me back. “One of the villagers just found her, lying there like she was asleep, but she wasn't asleep. And then on the night of her funeral as my father and I stood before her grave, we saw a ghost of a woman watching us from the woods and then she just disappeared. My father told me that she was a woman  who lived in the village a long time ago before she died. Don't you see? From there it wasn't hard to put it together, the dead lady came back to live and killed my sister! And others too. It's all because of her!” She turned to us, a hopeful look in her blue eyes, which made me frown. “But if you guys really are alchemists you can help me avenge her death! I've begged Majhal to help but he refuses to take part! What do you say?” she asked.


Ed looked away from her, his eyes closed .”I can see why Majhal wouldn't consider it.” Claus blinked, frowning slightly, watching as Ed stood up. “Your theory's as logically sound as a ghost tale, besides I don't believe in revenge as motivation,” he answered,  looking away from her with an apologetic smile.


“And, if ghosts existed, they're believed to be just images, they can't kill people,” I pointed out.


“You're just saying that 'cause you're nothing but a couple of chickens!” Clause glared at us heatedly “Posing as alchemists when you're just a cowardly pipsqueak, his dumb girlfriend and his walking trashcan!” she shouted angrily.


Ed's eyes twitched angrily as an irk mark pulsed on his temple. “Pipsqueak?” he growled, a murderous glare beginning to form in his golden eyes.


“Trashcan,” Al mumbled, a depressed aura surrounding him.


A dark blush came to my cheeks instantly. “G-Girlfriend?!” I squeaked out.


Ed stomped on the ground as an irk mark pulsed above his head, Al and I staying quiet as our emotions battled with us. “Nobody calls me a pipsqueak and gets away with it! Not even a little girl!” he shouted, his fists flying above his head in a mad frenzy, and I would be laughing right now, but... -///-.


“Oh, is that so?” Claus mocked snidely. “Gosh I'm so terrified of the whiny little pipsqueak!”


Ed's figure turned white, the irk mark seeming to grow slightly. “Shut up and take a look at yourself! If you're a girl like they all say, why do you look like a paper boy?!” he asked angrily with an anime mad face.


Claus gasped, her eyes widening before she glared once again. “None of your business!” she snapped.


Bringing her foot towards the ground, Claus kicked a good amount of dirt into Ed's face before she ran off once again, leaving Ed to glare after her, his face and clothes now covered completely by the brown earth below us. Al and I still not moving from our frozen spots on the ground.


~*~*~*~*~


“Karin? Majhal asked the next morning, all of us gathered in his kitchen once again. “Yes I remember her. She was a florist and the exquisite beauty of her flowers were surpassed only by her own.”


*Okay...* I thought, raising an eyebrow.


Majhal looked down, a sad smile forming on his lips. “It was twenty year ago, she had recently succeeded in cultivating the extremely rare, blue rose. Oh, the woman's smile at the time was simply...” I hid a grimace, not wanting to hear about this. At all. “But then on her way to deliver her, by then, famous roses into town her carriage crashed. And so she fell to her death that day; she fell out of all of our lives forever,” he explained solemnly, and I noticed the warmth growing in his eyes that I didn't see before.


Ed's eyes narrowed. “But they say this same Karin has been terrifying the villagers,” he countered.


“Absolutely impossible,” Majhal said firmly. “We both know that the dead don't simply come back to life, and even if they could, if you knew Karin at all you'd know it would be inconceivable for her to harm anyone in life or in death.”


Ed, Al and I only stared at him, while Ed and I narrowed our eyes in suspicion.


~*~*~*~*~


The sun was beginning to set, the low orange light bleeding onto the floor boards beneath our feet as the boys and I sat around the room Majhal gave us to sleep in for the couple of days we've been here. I narrowed my eyes, thinking about what Majhal had said about Karin. The way he spoke about her, it sent chills up and down my spine, and his eyes did the same thing when they glazed over at the thought of her. Majhal was definitely hiding something, and I hoped that Ed and Al were on the same page as me. However, considering how Al always thinks that there is good in everyone and they deserve a second chance or the benefit of the doubt, I couldn't really be too sure about him at the moment. I just hope that Ed would at least be thinking about Majhal as a possible suspect for what's been going on.


“So what do you think, Brother?” Al asked Ed suddenly.


I nodded, a frown setting on my lips as I sat up. “Yeah, this is getting really confusing,” I mumbled.


Ed crossed his arms, eyes narrowing in thought. “Well I don't buy ghosts, zombies or the living dead, but supposing someone were to perform a Human Transmutation the only one around here capable of such a thing would be Majhal who--”


A sound echoed down the hall that sat outside our door, the noise sounding like fingernails scraping down a chalkboard. Ed and I sat up, our eyes narrowing as we looked at the door. Ed was on his feet instantly, throwing the door open and stepping out into the hallway, washing away the darkness as the light from our room fell into the hallway with him. I quickly walked over to Ed as well, not wanting him to be anywhere away from us especially if there's a serial killer on the loose, and Al followed our example.


“What was that?” Ed whispered to himself.


I frowned, looking down the dimly lit hallway. “Well, that didn't sound natural,” I said sarcastically, my eyes narrowing as I strained to see.


“Good you heard that,” Ed said with a bit of relief in his voice. “I thought I was going crazy.”


I rolled my eyes at him, did he really think I wouldn't be able to hear that? It was so loud! “You'd have to be deaf not to hear that,” I mumbled bluntly, staring at the older boy blankly while he just sent me a look.


Al cocked his head at us. “Hear...what?” he asked confused.


Ed and I only narrowed our eyes.


~*~*~*~*~


The moon was high in the air as Ed, Al and I walked along the darkness of the cemetery, the grave stones barely being visible even with the help of the lamp Ed carried and the beams that shown down from the full moon. Ed and I walked side by side while Al stayed in back, his hands raised towards his chest as he hunched over, looking every which way whenever he heard some small noise, trying to tip-toe but the clanks from his armor gave him away. However, his eyes seemed to widen when he realized that he was now farther away from Ed and I than he had first thought, and being in a cemetery at night didn't sit well with him.


“Brother! Haley! Wait for me!” Al cried, quickly rushing back over to us.


I looked back at Al, fighting the urge to coo at him for being so adorable, even if he was older than me. “You all right there, Al?” I asked, not wanting him to think I was enjoying his pain, I'm not THAT mean, thank you.


“Y-yeah, I'm fi--!” Al let out a small squeak, hearing the trees rustle beside us slightly as the wind blew.


I only patted his arm comfortingly.


Ed looked at Al blankly. “What's with you? Are you scared?” he asked, ignoring me as I sent him a look that told him to be nicer to Al. Damn him for being so mean sometimes.


“Of course not!” Al looked down at Ed, but he nervously began to look around once again. “There aren't any real zombies around...are there?” he asked, a little edge appearing in his tone, and I smiled gently at him, giving him another pat. He's so adorable sometimes.


“Don't be thick, Al,” Ed said with a sigh, his eyes looking around at the darkness before us. “If Karin is roaming these woulds it would only be thanks to Human Alchemy which is the only reason we're here!”


I shivered. “Like that's any better,” I mumbled, remembering that...thing.


Before Ed could open his mouth we all felt the ground beneath our feet give away, and we all let out shouts of surprise before we disappeared into a decently sized hole. Pain erupted throughout my body once again, and I let out a shout that sounded more like a squeak than anything. I felt something warm on top of me, and instantly knew that was Ed and the one putting a lot of wait on the both of us was once again Al. However, this time I was in more pain thanks to the fall and because of these two. I just can't get a goddamn break at all, can I?


“It worked!” I heard a boy's voice shout happily.


Footsteps approached the hole that we all laid in. “We got her!” another boy shouted. Nope, I can't.


More footsteps approached us, and I moved my head ever so slightly to the side to see Claus standing next to the hole with two boys. If I could concentrate enough to glare I would have, but the extra weight on my chest and burning need to breathe kind of distracted me. But once I got out of here than I was so going to get her! ..All right, maybe I won't but you understand what I meant, so shut up! Ooh...my aching everything...


Ed let out a pitiful groan. “Ack! ...My...back! Again!” he shouted weakly, and his moving didn't help.


"I think...I…punctured…a lung!" I wheezed out, anime tears falling.


Claus closed her eyes in annoyance. “False alarm!” she announced to the others, a sigh in her tone and I growled almost inaudibly. Sighing at us like this was our fault...


Finally, after what felt like forever Al quickly got off of us once he got his barrings back and apologized as Ed and I panted for breath. I swear to everything that is holy and not that if we were sent down another hole or someone made Al fall on Ed and I that I was going to go on a killing spree! Ed and I got to our feet thanks to Al, and I gripped the dirt walls, desperately trying to get out of this damn thing. However, when one of the boys let out a shout of fear, Ed and I stopped our climbing once we reached the edge, allowing us to see the boy stepping back and pointing towards something in front of us all of us.


“O-over there!” the boy shouted fearfully.


Ed, Al and I looked forward while the rest did the same, and for a split second I froze in fear at what I saw. Standing a few feet in front of us was a woman standing by a large tombstone, an otherworldly glow covering her form completely. The woman had brown hair that waved down her back and tan skin from what I could see, and my eyes widened. However, the rational part of my brain took over once I got over the initial shock of seeing...whatever the hell she was. But I was snapped out of my thoughts when the two boys that were with Claus turned around and ran like bats out of hell when the woman turned towards us.


“You took my sister from me...” Claus growled lowly as she glared at the woman hatefully.


Claus's shoulders went rigid, and Ed knew what she thinking. “Wait! Claus!” he shouted as he began to climb out of the hole once again, and I quickly did the same.


Getting an extra push from Al I climbed onto higher, solid ground and quickly turned to Claus when I heard her let out a battle cry of some sort as she raced towards the woman, and I frowned about to start running myself. However, before I could kick off someone appeared in front of Claus, their arm out in front of her which caused her to stop in her tracks. Majhal. Said alchemist rose his right arm that held a lamp like the one Ed held, and the band around his wrist glowed purple once again. Fire spewed out from the lamp and engulfed the woman completely. Ed, Al and I narrowed our eyes at the scene as the woman began to fall backwards, and the same sound that Ed and I heard at Majhal's house filled our ears.


“That sounds again!” Ed gasped in a loud whisper, his eyes narrowing.


I looked over at Majhal, my eyebrows furrowing in suspicion. “How the hell did he know that we would be here...?” I mumbled to myself, not liking the feeling I was getting from this man at all.


“Majhal's just a two-bit alchemist after all,” a woman's voice suddenly spoke. “How...disappointing.”


Ed and I turned towards the direction that the voice came from, but all we saw was the woman's back covered by a cloak as she walked away from us. We both shared confused looks but quickly pushed that aside, turning our attention back to Majhal. It was nice to know that Ed was on my side, also noticing something off about him.


I just hope we're wrong.


~*~*~*~*~


The boys and I decided to skip the 'celebration' that the town was holding in Majhal's honor for 'getting rid of the ghost' as they said. Pff. We all stood outside of our room, Al and I watching as Ed knocked on the wall opposite of our door before placing his ear against it. I narrowed my eyes at him, wondering what he was doing and Al sent me a look that was asking for an explanation but all I did was just give him a shrug. The hell if I knew what Ed was thinking, sometimes the guy could be so enigmatic.


“What are you doing, Ed?” Al asked in a whisper.


Ed pulled his ear away from the wall, stepping back slightly.  “I was right about her not being a zombie, but...” he trailed off, eyes roaming around as he looked up.


“But...?” I coaxed, cocking my head to the side as I narrowed my eyes.


Ed narrowed his eyes at the wall. “But she wasn't a transmute either. That sound she made; it's the same one we heard in here, Haley,” he explained as he looked around, as if he would find a secret lever or switch that would somehow reveal a secret room.  


“Are you sure?” I asked, eyes now widening as I turned towards the wall that he stood in front of.


“Yeah, positive,” Ed said with a firm nod.


A light suddenly flickered in our peripheral vision, causing Ed, Al and I to gasp in surprise as we turned to our lefts, our eyes widening when we saw Lebi standing there holding a candle. I narrowed my eyes after a second though, finding that HIGHLY suspicious now. How the hell did Lebi get in here? I know for a fact (well not really) that Majhal wouldn't give her a key to his house, from the reaction I got from him when he found her staring at him he didn't seem all that keen with her. She was a stalker and he even knew it! ...Now I'm kind of creeped out here.


“Majhal will be very cross if he finds you,” Lebi spoke up, a frown on her lips. “He doesn't like it when people snoop around his home.”


Ed smirked sarcastically. “Yeah? And what do you call what you're doing?” he asked.


“Stalking,” I piped up bluntly.


Lebi didn't say anything, only stared at us with blank eyes as she rose her candle up. Once the flame's light hit Ed's and my eyes pain flooded our heads, making the both of us stumble as our eyes began to swim. The floor, walls and the ceiling began to move beneath me and I found it almost impossible to keep my eyes open, my lids trying to close without my consent. Damn it, what the hell did she just do to us? However, I didn't have time to think of that when my legs gave out beneath me, sending me into Ed who in turn fell into the wall, a door suddenly opening making us fall into a room we didn't know existed.


“Brother! Haley!” Al shouted.


Ed grunted, slowly lifting his head as sweat trickled down his temple. “What's...all this?” he managed to whisper out before consciousness left him completely, his head falling into his folded arms.


Hearing Ed's question I rose my head, blinking my way through the blurriness that tainted my vision. I saw a small room filled with books, cabinets lining all of the walls in the small secret room. However, that wasn't all that was in there. Two mannequins sat on top of one book shelf, while one stood in front of them while another laid flat on the floor not that far from Ed and I. Those mannequins looked exactly like the 'ghost' we saw at the cemetery earlier.  My eyes widened despite how they kept trying to force themselves closed and my heart skipped a beat as dread filled it. I knew it...


“Brother! Haley!” Al's voice shouted once more before I blacked out as well.


~*~*~*No-one's POV*~*~*~


A fogginess filled Ed's head as consciousness slowly seeped into him, however, when he remembered what had transpired not that long ago he let out a gasp as his eyes snapped open, now completely awake. He looked around the room that he was placed in, feeling chains wrapped around his arms and torso, his back pressed against something cold and hard. His eyes narrowed, the thought of being alone somewhere while Al and Haley could be who knows where with that maniac.


“Hey, are you all right?” Al's voice suddenly spoke up from behind Ed, making him jump slightly.


“Yeah, I'm fine,” Ed replied after a second, straining to turn around to look at his brother, but something  made him stop, that something being the absence of an all too familiar voice.  “Al...where's Haley?”


Al tensed, and his red eyes looked towards the door in worry. “I don't know, Majhal took her somewhere.”


“What?!” Ed shouted, his eyes widening instantly.


“At last he awakens.”


Ed and Al's concerned thoughts were broken when Majhal's sadistic voice reached their ears, making both heads snap towards the door that now held the forms of said alchemist and Lebi. The insanity that had been veiled for the past few days was now out in the open, his pupils shrunken to a size pebble as a twisted smirk was sitting widely on his lips.  


Ed stiffened before glaring icily. “Where's Haley?” he growled lowly.


Majhal, however, was not affected in the least. “It appears you've stumbled across something that you really shouldn't have seen, Edward,” he said, ignoring the question all together, making Ed glare harder.


“Oh, you mean the so called zombies?!” Ed snapped angrily. “Yeah, I saw your toys!”


Majhal smirked wider at the angry tone this time. “Toys? They're canvas's for Spirit Attachments; mannequins I've carved into exact replicas of my beloved Karin onto which I bind the soul of any village girl I can snare. In doing so I've formed living versions of my fallen love,” he explained.


“It's shocking that plan ever went array,” Ed spat sarcastically.


“It is true that souls tend to reject foreign vessels that are unlike them in nature, they usually malfunction. That's why Al is so special,” Majhal said as he looked at Al with a smirk, making both Ed and Al uncomfortable and weary of the sick bastard before them. “Some of my dolls escaped, wondering free about the village fueling superstitions.”


That last statement set Ed off. “You crazy, selfish nutcase! Do you even know what you've done?! Why the hell did you do it?!” he shouted angrily.


“For the same reason any man has ever done anything that is visionary,” Majhal explained with a frown on his lips this time. “Karin was the only woman I ever loved, even years after her death my scars refused to heal. I committed myself to bringing her back using the only talent I had at my disposal: Alchemy. When my attempts at Human Transmutation failed the least I could do was create something that resembled her beauty. I did it for love.”


“So you chose body over soul,” Ed stated in disgust.


“Shut up!” Majhal glared at the younger boy dangerously. “You're a child, what could you possibly know of love? But you do know something of alchemy, and now you're going to help me with an attachment like you did for your brother using that little friend of yours,” he said with a sadistic smirk appearing on his lips.


Al gasped, his eyes widening.


Ed's eyes, however, narrowed dangerously. “You bastard! You better not have done anything to Haley!” he snarled coldly, his pupils turning into slits.


“Oh, maybe you do know something of love after all,” Majhal chuckled, highly amused.


Ed's fist clenched tightly by his side, wishing more than anything to break out of the chains and punch that damn smug smirk off of his face. “You're crazier than I thought if you think I'll do anything to her!” he spat coldly, ignoring Majhal's words.


Majhal let out another smirk of amusement at the blond's defiance. “It figures you're just as stubborn, if not more so, than your father was,” he stated mockingly.


The sound of the door opening behind Majhal, however, made him widen his eyes in surprise before he looked over his shoulder. Standing in the dimly lit hallway was Claus. Her eyes were staring up at Majhal wish confusion and fear, obviously having heard some of the conversation and enough to know that something was definitely wrong. But when she saw Ed and Al tied up in chains, sweat trickled down her temple as she took a small step back. Ed and Al tensed seeing her standing there, and Ed's eyes widened.


This was not good .


“I just...wanted to thank you...for earlier,” Claus said hesitantly, her voice beginning to waver slightly.


Majhal smirked down at her coldly. “You foolish girl.”


“Run, Claus!” Ed shouted urgently.


However, Majhal had already slammed his hand into the back of Claus's neck, instantly knocking her out before she fell into his arms. “If that other girl is a failure I can just use this one, it's so much easier when they come to me,” he said with a wide, feral grin on his lips


Lebi let out a gasp, grabbing onto Majhal's arm. “It's gone too far, I can't turn a blind eye any longer,” she said, her eyes pleading as she looked up at him.


“Then you should try turning the other cheek, wench!” Majhal spat in disgust, pushing her to the floor.


Ed let out a gasp, staring at Lebi's form as she laid on the floor, but he diverted his attention to the now empty doorway for a split second. Haley. Claus. “Do something, Al!” he shouted as he looked over at Al, his eyes wide with fear. If anything happened to either of them he didn't know what he'd do.


The chains around him and Al suddenly began to shake, the chains tightening as Al pushed his arms outwards.  “Just...a little more...!” he grunted before a satisfying shatter met their ears.


Feeling the chains fall to the ground and clatter, Ed was on his feet in a second and unable to leave Lebi there quickly went to her side as she slowly began to get up. Kneeling down next to her Ed opened his mouth to ask if she was all right, but something appeared in his peripheral vision, making his words stop short. A blue petal. A naturally colored blue petal sat on Lebi's wavy brown hair, and by the distinctive petal structure there was only one flower that could have them. A rose.


“A rare blue rose?” Ed whispered to himself before his eyes widened, a gasp escaping his lips.


~*~*~*Your POV*~*~*~


A groan escaped my throat, my head bounding almost physically as I slowly began to regain consciousness once again, the damn candle doing more damage than I thought any candle could do. However, my annoyed thoughts were cut off when I saw a low dim purple light begin to glow against my closed eye lids, making my headache intensify. Wincing at the unexpected light I slowly began to open one eye, the first thing to be seen were symbols painted onto the floor and glowing brightly in an alchemic reaction. Instantly memories of what happened not too long ago filled my head, making me gasp in surprise, my eyes widening despite the glow beneath me. My head shot up, and it was then that I found out my arms were bound to my side as I sat on a chair at the center of the circle, and something was pressed against my back. Looking over my shoulder I saw one of the mannequins in the same position I was in, and my heart stopped. No...


“Little soul accept your new vessel,” Majhal's distinctive voice reached my ears, making my head snap towards his direction seeing him standing not too far away from me. “Wherever you are Karin bless us, let her become just like you,” he chanted, a crazed look in his eyes that made me cringe, panic flooding my system. Oh hell no, I was NOT going to become some goddamn doll for this pervert!


“You better get me out of this or I swear you'll regret it you insane bastard!” I shouted as I glared at him heatedly, wishing that I had a piece of chalk somewhere on me right about now. Sadly, I didn't.


“I'm afraid that's impossible, as you are bound, little girl,” Majhal mocked sadistically as he turned to me, amusement lighting his insane eyes. Great.


God did I hate him! “LET ME GO NOW!” I scream angrily, rocking back and forth in my seat.


I suddenly heard a groan not that far from me, instantly making me stop my screaming. I looked over agains the wall, seeing Claus sitting in the same exact position I was in with the exceptions of the mannequin and the transmutation circle. My eyes narrowed upon seeing her here, and I threw a glare at Majhal once again. That bastard, how could the hell could he do this to these girls?! Killing them just for something so...so twisted? My stomach churned in disgust, anger flaring through my veins at that thought of what these girls had to go through before being killed by this maniac. God I wanted to make him pay.


“W-wha...?” Claus looked around groggily as she blinked. “What's going on?” Her eyes slowly found their way to me thanks to the light, and her eyes widened in confusion and fear. “Haley...?” she asked hesitantly.


I smiled at her gently. “Don't worry Claus, everything will be all right,” I promised.


Majhal let out a dark chuckle, it sending a chill up my spine as I scowled angrily. “Now, now, don't go feeding the poor girl false hope. If you fail to bring me my Karin, I'll just use her soul next,” he said sadistically, a cruel smirk curling his lips.


“No!” Claus shouted, a look of fear in her eyes as she rocked back and forth. “Get me out of here!”


“Let them go, Majhal!”


Once I heard Ed's voice a wave of relief filled my heart, and the panic that filled me melted away. Blue alchemic lights crackled across the wall behind Majhal and I looked over as Majhal glanced over his shoulder, seeing the wall slowly vanish to reveal Ed standing there with his palm pressed against the air where the wall had originally been. His eyes were narrowed angrily, and beside him I saw Lebi standing next to him, and Al beside her. I blinked in confusion at the sight of her, remembering that she did this to us, but if Ed was willing to stand next to her then I was fine. However, I narrowed my eyes when I saw her clutching the cloak to her body as she looked down. Well she's definitely hiding something.


“Ed!” I grinned happily despite the situation.


Ed glanced at me letting me know he heard, but his eyes rested on Majhal once again. “Nothing you think you know is the truth, and what you've been seeking all along is under your nose,” he said as he stepped more into the room with Lebi and Al following.


“What is this nonsense?” Majhal asked angrily.


“I'm trying to tell you that Karin never died!” Ed snapped, his patience with this man obviously running thin. “The day of the accident she hit her head, lost her memory and started a new life somewhere. Twenty years later her memory returned in a flash, and in a true gesture of love she came straight back to you. But you were too blinded by obsession to see it was her!”


Ed grabbed the hood and tore it away from Lebi's body and Majhal gasped upon seeing her. I blinked in shock, seeing the resemblance between her and the mannequins, although she was an older version. She has the same exact wavy, brown hair and the light brown eyes, the tanned skin and was about the right height but not weight. She had wrinkles from obvious aging, and in her hair was a blue rose that only one person was able to successfully cultivate. Karin.


*Woah, plot twist!* I thought, my eyes widening slightly.


Leb- err, Karin frowned at him, a deep look of her reflecting in her eyes. “Yes Majhal,” was all she said.


“It can't--!” Majhal started but cut himself off as he began to back up, his insane eyes filled with denial. “Are you telling me this wrinkled old woman is Karin? Karin was a woman of incomparable perfection!”


I stared at him like he was brain dead, and I'm very surprised that he isn't. “Dude, it's been twenty years since you've last seen her! Did you honestly believe she wouldn't age a day? You're an idiot!” I shouted with an irk mark on my temple. God, someone punch this guy in the face already!


“Shut up! My Karin was far more beautiful than anything I've ever seen, just like a rose!” Majhal snapped.


“Exactly like a rose,” Ed said, bringing the man's attention to him once again. “Flowers wither Majhal, but despite what you've become Karin's feelings for you have not.”


Majhal looked down, his body shaking with intense rage. “Silence child! Say one more word and you're dead!” he snarled, and my eyes widened in fear as I quickly looked over at Ed and Al as I tried desperately to get the rope that bound me to the chair I sat in off.


Majhal grabbed something from one of his crafting tables and I paled considerably when I saw it was a knife. Purple alchemic lights crackled around the small blade before longer steel burst out of a larger, thicker sheath. Majhal gripped the newly formed sword in his hand, his eyes small and feral as he let out a shout, kicking off into a run towards Ed, Al and Karin. Ed let out a gasp as his eyes widened in fear and I opened my mouth to tell him to run, but Al intervened, blocking the swipe Majhal sent with his arm, sending the older man back as sparks filled the air.


Stumbling back for a split second, Majhal steadied himself and let out another shout and ran forward, his blade out and ready. A movement appeared out of my peripheral vision and I looked over, seeing Ed quickly grab the blue rose from Karin's hair and drawing a transmutation circle quickly onto the floor boards. Placing the rose down Ed slammed his left palm onto the circle, blue lights flashing as the rose contorted into a blue ribbon. Seeing Majhal go in for another strike towards Al, Ed let out a shout as he threw the ribbon towards Majhal, somehow causing the sword to fly from the older man's grip.


Seeing the sword spinning above Majhal's form I quickly turned to Claus. “Close your eyes now!” I shouted, and without any protest she died as I said, just as the sword impaled through Majhal's stomach.


I cringed, seeing the blood instantly fly out of Majhal's mouth as he fell against the ground in front of me, making my stomach churn for the second time today. I shivered, seeing the blood pool out of the wound as he slid down against the blade that now struck into the floorboards. A startled gasp met my ears and I turned to Karin, seeing her eyes wide with horror as her hands rose shakily to her lips. Without even thinking she ran over to the man, not caring for the cruel things he had done and said to her at all.


“Majhal!” Karin shouted as she knelt down beside him, cradling him against her. “Majhal...”


“I...don't see it...there's just no way...you could possibly be my Karin.” Majhal turned away from Karin, his crazed eyes being to glaze over as they caught the sight of one of the mannequins, a delusional smile painting his lips. “Karin...I'm coming for you,” he whispered hoarsely.


I glared down at the man as I watched his eyes slowly close, that sick smile still on his despite his last breath ending not even seconds ago. Karin's eyes filled with tears as her body began to shake with grief, and I was sure Majhal was gone when she let out a scream of agony as she lifted her head towards the ceiling. I looked towards the boys, seeing them frown as I did, feeling bad for this woman who did everything for a man who didn't return her love because of his lust towards her former beauty.


Was the world...really this cruel?


~*~*~*~*~


The next day came and I was so glad that it did, especially after what had happened last night. The town's people were informed of Majhal's death this morning and we weren't sure how they were planning to deal with the legal issues, but we weren't going to stick around and find out as we had more pressing matters to attend to. Speaking of those pressing matters, Ed, Al and I were waiting on a bench on the outskirts of town in a small carriage station, and I grimaced at the thought of those damn things. I hated their seats, it really was like we were sitting on granite to be completely honest. However, my attention was drown over to Al as he let out an almost silent sigh, his shoulders sagging slightly as he looked down at the floor.


I frowned before tapping Ed on the shoulder. “Ed,” I whispered, drawing his attention away from the road.


He rose an eyebrow at me. “Hmm?”


“Is something wrong with Al?” I whispered once again, gesturing towards the armored boy discretely with a small nod of my head in his direction, a look of worry in my eyes as I turned to look at him fully.


Ed frowned as well as he looked over at Al's depressed form, but that wiped off of his lips as he put on a grin. “Good to see you're depressed and back to normal,” he said jokingly, earning Al's attention and an annoyed look from me. Well that's ONE way to go at it I guess...


“Huh?” Al asked, lifting his head.


“Are you all right, Al?” I asked back, placing a concerned hand on his arm.


“I'm sorry.” Al sighed. “I was just thinking how alchemy has the power to delude people, too,” he mumbled as he looked down at the dirt road once again.


Ed looked down as he smiled sadly. “Yeah, guess it does,” he mumbled, and I wasn't sure if it was to himself or to us, and I couldn't help but frown. I remember when the thought of brining their mother back was all Ed could think about, and I could tell he was thinking about that as well.


Turning my head away, I heard the clacks from a horse from down the road. I saw the top of the carriage pull into view as it road over a small hill, and I sighed. “Guys, looks like our fun ride is here,” I mumbled.


“Hurray, more back pain,” Ed cheered sarcastically, his face now blank.


Al only chuckled at us.


The carriage came to a stop and after paying the carriage driver the money for us to get to the train station we began to climb into the carriage. However, I was still not at all pleased with the idea of either of the boys being placed in the military. What if they don't allow me to stay with them? What if something bad happens to them? What happens then? What am I able to do to help? Not knowing scared me, it only reminded me of how my parents left with an empty promise to come back only for them to die at the hands of the enemy because they just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. God I didn't want them to go through with this, but if it was to get their bodies back I was going to suck up my ill feelings towards the military. I would only do something like that for them.


“Hey!”


I heard Claus's voice, it snapping me out of my thoughts as the boys and I turned. I blinked in slight surprise to see her out of her boy clothes, her long black hair now reached the small of her back, her bangs falling over her right eye. She was wearing a light blue dress with orange lining, the front of her dress had four green squares that were in the shape of a small cross. I had to hide the 'aw' when I saw her, she seemed so adorable when she wasn't acting so tough and being mean... Yes, I'm still sore about that, shut up!


“I'm sorry about everything I did and said,” Claus said as she looked down, a small blush of embarrassment on her cheeks before she beamed at us. “You guys really are terrific alchemists!”


I, however, pouted at that, crossing my arms when I thought back on this whole ordeal. “I wasn't really able to show any of mine though, you know, being the damsel in distress and what not,” I mumbled as I kicked a rock in annoyance, damn ropes and whatever the hell Karin did to us to know us out.


“Uh...” Ed rose an eyebrow at me before turning to Claus. “Yeah we are, but who are you?” he asked.


“Call me crazy Ed, but I think that's Claus,” Al said pointing towards her.


Claus nodded shyly. “Mhm.”


“You guys didn't notice?” I rose an eyebrow at them now before I turned to Claus, a blank look appearing on my face. “And they're suppose to be smarter than me,” I said bluntly as a pointed at them, sweat dropping at their cluelessness.


Ed and Al stared at Claus and I with confused, wide eyes. I rolled my eyes at them, but I narrowed my eyes when I swear I saw a small blush on his cheeks as he stared at Claus  but I brushed it off. I watched as Ed and Al then turned to each other before turning back only to let out shouts of shock, their eyes completely wide now. I smacked my hand to my forehead, not believing them at all and from the annoyed look that was Claus's face I could tell she couldn't either. Well at least someone is on my side right now.


“Will you boys grow up?!” she shouted, blushing harder at their reaction.


“Hey, you kids!” All of us stopped what we were doing, looking over at the front of the carriage to see an annoyed carriage driver looking at the three of us. “Get on or I'm leavin' without ya! I've got a busy schedule, if you don't mind!” he shouted to us, causing me to roll my eyes at him. Well that was rather rude.


Ed did the same thing. “Calm down pops,  we're ready when you are!” he shouted back.


Once we climbed into carriage and we began to drive away Ed opened the door, Al and I on either side of him as Ed cupped his hands over his mouth. “You're definitely much prettier when you don't dress like a paper boy!” he shouted to Claus with a smirk on his lips before he turned around.


“Bye!” I shouted, waving widely at her.


Al waved silently.


Claus waved back, laughing happily with a smile on her face as tears sat in her eyes.


~*~*~*~*~


Ending it here! I hope you all liked it 'cause I know I sure did! :D
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