A/N: This side story was written in the poor, defenseless notebook that Foot-chan ripped the cover off of when she threw it across my backyard. XD Luv ya, Foot! But be warned, if you do it again, I will show no mercy! :)
Disclaimer: Gluttony - Neko-sama doesn't own Fullmetal Alchemist. But if she did, she'd give me more picture books to eat, right?
Neko - *pats Gluttony's head* Only if you be a good boy and don't eat any more of Naida's limbs, okay?
Gluttony – But her leg was tasty!
Neko - *shivers* Well, in this part of the story that hasn't happened yet, so eventually...
Gluttony – Yay!
Neko - ...
Location: Central
Year: 1906
Age: 5 years
"I don't want a picture book!" Naida cried, "I'm bored with those! Get me a real book!" Said picture book flew across the cell, landing on top of a pile of picture books about as tall as Naida.
Which frankly, wasn't very tall.
"You're lucky you even get books, kiddo." Envy filled Aureolus's pet name for Naida with scorn. "Jeez, for Generosity, you sure are greedy!"
Naida scowled, holding her ground. Her crimson homonculus eyes narrowed.
Envy walked over and rapped the small girl on the head. "Hello~! Generosity! Come on and take this brat's body over all ready! She's bugging me!"
Naida grabbed Envy's hand with a lightning quick movement, shoving him off. "Do you realize how stupid that sentence is? Generosity. As in generous? He's letting m keep control. So buzz off and get me a book!"
"That's it, brat! You're getting annoying!" Envy grabbed Naida by her copper-colored hair and dragged her out of the room.
Envy dragged Naida into the main room of the Ouraboros' hideout under Central Command. Not that Naida knew that's where it was. She had been carried here unconscious by Envy himself a year ago, when her parents had been fighting Father. The first time they hadn't come back.
Pride snapped a book shut and sat it down next to him.
Gluttony eyed the book hunggrily. "Pride, can I eat that?"
"Sure, I'm d-"
"Wait!" Naida broke free of Envy's grip and ran across the room, snatching up the book. She looked at the cover happily. A real book! She couldn't wait to read it. Aure had taught her how, and the five-year-old was eager to try reading a real book herself. "Um, Gluttony, there's a whole pile of books in my cell. You can eat 'em all if you don't eat this one."
Gluttony's piggish eyes widened with delight. "Thanks, Generosity!"
Generosity, hah! The tiny redhead though as Gluttony shuffled off. I just wanted the book!
"Hey, I'm not done with you, brat!" Envy grabbed a fistful of Naida's hair, pulling her back as she protested but kept a firm hold on her new book. Envy dragged the small girl to the middle of the room. "How about a fight?"
"Don't want." She mumbled uninterestedly, opening up the book. The Lost Country of Xerxes, by Van Hoenheim. Wasn't Aure from Xerxes? She held it carefully in her left hand, making sure not to drop it with her disadvantage of a missing pinkie finger.
"Well, you don't have a choice!" Envy cried, lunging at her.
The five-year-old redhead's eyebrows furrowed in concentration, her eyes still running back and forth along the page.
Aure, cover me?
Sure thing, kiddo. Came a man's voice inside Naida's head.
This was Naida's biggest secret. When Father had ripped her Philosopher's Stone from the previous Generosity, he hadn't passed it through himself, clearing it of that particular Generosity's soul. Naida was certain he couldn't have anyway: Aureolus had melded with the controlling piece of Father's soul, instead of being pushed aside by it. He was much like Wrath, in that aspect. Aure was the little soul inside her Philosopher's Stone that she could talk to.
And when he'd had a body, Aureolus had adopted a little red-headed human named Naida.
She shifted the book into her five-fingered hand and waited for Aureolus to tell her where Envy would strike from. Naida would control her eyes and movements, while Aure would take the other senses.
Left.
Naida swung back, dodging the blow from Envy's hand-turned-horse-hoof. She moved with an incredible quickness – The Ultimate Speed of the homonculus Generosity.
Envy lunged again.
Right.
Naida spun out of the way, kicking up to fend off the blow without once taking her eyes off the book. Barely concealing a childish giggle, she grinned and plopped down cross-legged on the floor.
Up.
Naida's eyes snapped up from the book and pursed it, still open, between her lips. She lunged backwards, doing a backwards somersault out of the way and rolling up to her feet. "Give it up, Envy." She murmured, crimson eyes back on her new book. She was already submerged in the book, and wanted to be left alone.
Envy scowled. "Only if you stand still and fight. Your precious daddy would be disappointed, you know."
Kiddo-
The book clattered shut on the floor.
OWARI
A/N: I had four or five possible endings for this one, and couldn't pick, so I'll let your imagination finish it. Okay, reader's imagination, imagine Naida beating the poo out of Envy! (just kidding! XD)
And remember, always follow the three R's: REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! :D