Fiction and reality collide
Faceless and so busted up inside
You've been searching you've been crying out
Will you be destroyed by all your doubt?
You decide
Who will you run to?
Wrong or right?
There is no reason
For you to hide
Only love can change your life
You decide.
You Decide ~ Fireflight
~~~~~~~~(Amestris, Year 1914)~~~~~~~~~~
"You're gonna pay for that!" The young alchemist shouted, recovering from a kick to the head that had knocked him to the ground.
Envy watched him, a contemptuous smirk twisting his lips. The boy, his half-brother, scrambled back to his feet and lunged at the homunculus. Envy dodged out of the way easily, the punch only succeeding in brushing aside a piece of his long, green hair. Edward pursued him across the polished, ballroom floor but was unable to land a single blow. The shapeshifter spun away from his attacks effortlessly.
"Keep trying Ed. I'm much stronger than you," Envy taunted. Then he turned and sprang into a series of progressively higher back flips before leaping into the air far higher than any human could ever manage. He landed on his feet in a catlike manner some distance from the blond boy. He felt a thrill of satisfaction at the look of consternation on Edward's face. Oh, he was enjoying this. The very sight of his little half-brother filled him with loathing. The kid had no idea just how in over his head he was. Envy's combat experience exceeded Edward's by several centuries. And not only that, Ed was the son of the man whom Envy despised with every fiber of his being. The green haired homunculus had been consumed by hatred long before the blond boy had even been born, and while Ed wasn't the original object of that hatred, he filled the role quite nicely in his father's stead.
As Envy stepped backwards, keeping his eyes on his opponent across the room, something latched onto his ankle. He glanced down in surprise. The child homunculus, Wrath, despite having been robbed of both an arm and a leg, was clinging to him with his remaining hand as tightly as he could manage. The boy appeared to be attempting to slow the older homunculus down. A scowl twisted Envy's features. How dare the worthless runt get in his way! In a wave of irritation he turned to kick the child repeatedly, pitiless to the boy's badly injured state. Seizing Envy's distraction as an opportunity, Edward darted towards him and full out tackled him. The pair fell to the ground and rolled, coming to a stop with Edward on top. Envy felt a wash of contemptuous amusement. What exactly did the kid hope to achieve with this? Without Envy's former remains and the appropriate transmutation circle, Edward had no means to do him any permanent harm. Nevertheless, without hesitation the young alchemist landed a solid punch on the shapeshifter's face. Abruptly Envy's features morphed into that of Ed's mother.
"Don't hurt me Edward," she pleaded.
"Don't mess with me!" Edward yelled, punching him again. Envy had to bite back a mocking laugh. Don't mess with him? As soon as he lost interested in messing with him then the kid was dead meat. Besides which, he wasn't ready to cut the fun short just yet.
"Edward, please stop it!" Tim Marco's face now stared up at the boy. Ed struck the homunculus again without hesitation. Envy's features shifted to that of the late Maes Hughes.
"Calm down," he ordered, his amusement showing forth in a mocking grin. Undaunted, Edward punched him again. Envy, taking a swift mental inventory of his potential options, shifted once more, this time to the form of Roy Mustang.
"Give up kid. You don't have what it takes to kill me," he declared in Roy's most patronizing tone. Edward blinked in surprise, and then he smirked.
"I don't think you could have picked an easier target!" He cried, continuing to beat the homunculus about the head. Since he didn't appear to be getting anywhere with his current tactic, Envy shifted back to his preferred form, making no effort to defend himself. There wasn't any need to. His half-brother would never be able to truly injure him. At the moment he was simply enjoying seeing just how much he'd succeeded in upsetting the kid. Edward appeared to have completely lost it. "Show me what you really look like! Instead of being a coward whose only real power is to hide behind other people's faces!" The alchemist yelled between punches. Envy raised an eyebrow, a twisted smirk playing across his lips.
"Do you really want to see?" he asked tauntingly.
"Stop jerking me around!" Edward shouted, drawing his arm back in preparation for another punch.
"You asked for it!" The shapeshifter snapped. Then Envy's features shifted once more to a form which, though he rarely used it, felt as familiar as breathing as it rippled over him. It was the form of a young man, several years older than Edward but possessing the same long, blond hair and golden eyes. Edward froze mid punch, staring down at him in horrified shock. A slight smile pulled at Envy's lips. The look on his half-brother's face was priceless. "What's wrong?" He asked, voice now much deeper and more masculine, "I thought you wanted to see?"
"Y-you're…his son…" Edward's voice shook, disbelief written across his face. While Envy's expression didn't change, his hatred simmered to an even hotter degree at the mention of their father. Yes, he was that bastard's son; just as Edward was. But the only tie he felt towards the blond boy was one of contempt. He'd wanted to dispose of him since the day he was born, and now he finally had that chance.
"Envy was the first homunculus, created by Hohenheim of Light almost four hundred years ago; the result of the failed transmutation of our son, who died prematurely of mercury poisoning." The voice which spoke up from a short distance off was Dante's. She'd been observing the fight from the sidelines, holding an infant in her arms. Rose, the baby's mother, stood at her side in a trance. "I suppose you could say that Envy was once your brother," Dante added. Edward was frozen in place, clearly horrified to find the monster who he'd intended to kill was actually related to him.
"But then he abandoned me; started fresh with his perfect wife and kids. Needless to say, I never did like being replaced," Envy said. Though his voice was calm, his hatred had reached an uncontrollable level. His eyes widened with an insane sort of anticipation and he abruptly shifted his arm into a blade and plunged it through Edward's gut, running his brother through. Ed let out a gasp and coughed up blood, staring down at the homunculus wide eyed, as if he could hardly believe what had just happened. Envy shifted back to his preferred form, grinned twistedly in triumph as he watched the life disappear from his half-brother's eyes. Finally he withdrew his arm, allowing the now dead Edward slump to the floor.
"Brother?" The gasp of alarm came from Alphonse, his armored body lying at the center of a glowing transmutation circle in the middle of the large room. Next to Dante, Rose's dazed expression shifted, her deadened eyes slowly returning to life.
"Edward…..Ed?" she whispered, now becoming fully aware of the situation. Seeing the pool of blood spreading out around the blond boy's corpse, her eyes widened in horror and she let out a desperate scream. "Edward!" She tried to dash towards him but Dante grabbed her arm, holding her in place. Envy rose to his feet, resting a hand on his hip as he stared down at his half-brother.
"That was too easy. Humans are so pathetic," his tone was caustic. While it was gratifying to have finally been able to get rid of the kid, he was far from satisfied.
"Brother… No, you can't die! It's supposed to be me!" Alphonse cried, distraught.
"He's dead?" Wrath rasped the question from where he was still sprawled on the floor.
"That's right. He's setting the pace for every human to follow. Now we'll kill off each one of them until only homunculi are left," Envy's tone was gleefully cruel and he let out a mocking peal of laughter. One by one the humans would fall before them. Each death would whet his appetite for vengeance, keeping his malice vibrantly alive. But it wouldn't be enough. He would never be completely satisfied until he'd watched the light disappear from his father's eyes as the man was slaughtered by the hand of his first born son.
"Brother can't die…that's ridiculous! He wouldn't let that happen! He couldn't…" Al's voice shook.
"That's reality for you. All the effort he gave got him nothing in return. You can pay all you want. It's never enough," Dante commented, unmoved by the murderous actions of her own son. A ravenous Gluttony, who'd been holding back on the sidelines during the violent exchange between the half-brothers, abruptly lunged towards the armored boy, swiftly beginning to consume the philosopher's stone within him.
"Don't do this," Rose pleaded, desperate but helpless to stop the horror which was playing out before her eyes. Then the sound of a resounding clap echoed through the room.
"That sound…what did he just do?" Dante demanded with a frown. Gluttony jerked back from the suit of armor, clawing at his face in what appeared to be stupid confusion. He was now lacking a bottom jaw.
"He used alchemy with the stone," Envy spoke up, sounding taken aback. Alphonse slowly began to get to his feet. Dante shoved the baby into Rose's arms, a scowl on her face as she started towards him.
"You petulant child! Look at the damage you've inflicted on yourself. Sit down before you're wasted completely!" She ordered heatedly.
"Stay back!" Al snapped, bringing Dante up short, "You can't make me do anything." There was an edge to his voice. He turned and walked over to the body of his brother.
"And what do you think you can pull off?" Dante demanded. Her tone was irritated.
"Brother hasn't been dead for long. Look, there's still some color in his face," Al said, reaching down to cup his brother's cheek. "His soul is probably still at the gate. I just have to pull it back, the same way he did for me."
"Don't be a fool. You know what would happen to you," Dante said, her eyes narrowing.
"Yeah, I do. A lot of people died to make this stone. And I would have died too if not for them. It's time I gave my share and made my own choice," The armored boy replied firmly.
"Alphonse?" Rose asked uncertainly.
"Goodbye Rose," Al replied. Envy's eyes widened as he realized what the boy intended to do. He'd finally succeeded in getting rid of one of his half-brothers. There was no way in hell he'd let the other one bring Ed back. With a yell of rage he threw himself at the suit of armor. "This is for you brother," Al said, clapping his hands together. Abruptly the room was flooded with the blinding light of an enormous transmutation, multiple circles lighting up around the room. Envy's eyes widened in shock as he plunged into the radiant light.
When the light faded he found himself standing in a strange, empty space. Edward stood before him, appearing oddly translucent. Envy blinked in surprise, and then frowned. He'd killed the kid! What the hell was he doing here? In a wash of anger he stormed up to him
"What's going on? Where am I you worm?" he demanded petulantly.
"The gate," Ed replied softly. Envy gasped, turning to find the enormous doors were indeed in plain sight behind him.
"So what's on the other side of it?" he demanded, glancing back at Edward.
"I don't know. For me it was a place called London if I remember right. That's what my old man said," the blond boy replied.
"Old man? You mean Hohenheim of Light?!" Envy's tone was sharp.
"Yes," Ed replied. Envy drew in a surprised breath.
"You're telling me he's still alive?!" he cried. His hatred flared up with renewed fervor. Then he turned back toward the gate with a growl, an eager grin on his face. He marched up to the giant doors and began attempting to pry them open.
"I wouldn't do that," Ed told him softly, "There's no way to know where it will lead you."
"Like hell there isn't. I'll tell it exactly where to take me," Envy retorted. He managed to pull the doors apart, propping them open with his spread arms and staring into the gate's depths as a multitude of eyes stared back at him. "I've come to kill him," he declared, "Take me to Hohenheim of Light!" At his request a number of dark arms reached out, coiling about his limbs and pulling him in. He felt a thrill of satisfaction. This was it. After centuries of waiting, he would finally get to take his revenge. As the arms pulled him inside the large doors he was surrounded by golden light. He passed deeper into the gate, and then the arms which had taken hold of him began to shift and morph into small, infant like creatures which clung to him eagerly. Envy's confident expression wavered, slightly weirded out by the strange occurrence. Then his features shifted into a scowl.
"Stop messing with me! You'll do as I tell you!" He yelled. In a rush of angry panic he transformed into the smaller form of his half-brother Edward, successfully riding himself of the clingy children. "You're taking me to see Hohenheim!" He ordered forcefully, "To that bastard!" He shifted again, this time into his true form. In his rush he'd allowed his former clothes, a white dress shirt and dark vest, to replace the clothing of his preferred form. "To my father!" his cry echoed resoundingly in the strange space which he was travelling through. In a rush of excited anticipation he was about to shift once more, the form of a giant serpent in his mind as he envisioned an ideal form for tearing his prey to shreds. But just as he was about to change, a sound caught his attention.
"William," an eerily familiar voice called to him in the distance. His eyes widened slightly in shock at the name, form wavering uncertainly. It had been centuries since anyone had called him by that name. Where had he heard that voice before? It was a soft, female voice which stirred something long forgotten deep within the core of his being.
"William," it called again. His long since deadened heart clenched painfully at the familiarity. The old memories which it stirred brought with them a sharp pang of regret, although he could no longer remember why. Far ahead of him in the golden light a form appeared, faintly shimmering. He was unable to make out the figure's face, but it appeared to be a young woman. He saw her reach a hand in his direction and her voice dropped to a whisper, although it was still readily audible as it echoed around him.
"I love you," the words were filled with a tender sadness which he had lost the ability to comprehend. But those words were the last thing he remembered before everything dissolved into blackness.
~~~~~~~~(Amestris, Year 1517)~~~~~~~~~~
"William, are you almost done with that?" the soft voice was patiently amused. The young man sitting at the desk glanced up from the book he'd been bent over studying. His blond hair fell to his broad shoulders, swept back from his face in a slightly dishevelled manner. Warm golden eyes set in a ruggedly handsome face were apologetic as he met the gaze of the young woman in the doorway.
"Sorry Calandra. I just got a little sidetracked. I think father is really on to something with this idea of his," he said, his voice deep and masculine. He rose to his feet and crossed the room to her.
"Of course he is," her light grey eyes were skeptical, "And you, as a dutiful son, feel the need to pour your heart and soul into his research. But you do need some fresh air every now and then. Come spend some time with me," she suggested.
"Alright," he smiled, reaching out to brush a strand of her silvery blond hair behind her ear. It fell past her shoulders in loose ringlets. She took his hand, weaving her fingers with his as she turned and lead him out of the room.
Outside the late afternoon sun shone down on the large city. The couple strolled down the sidewalk, hand in hand. A horse drawn carriage clattered past them down the road, splashing through the muddy puddles left over from the recent spring rain. Street venders called out the merits of their goods, waving them under the noses of those passing by. The shrieks and laughter of a group of children nearby mingled with the sound of barking of dogs, the clattering of hooves on the cobblestones, and the chatter from the larger than normal crowds of people who were out and about on this warm, spring day. The city was abuzz over the upcoming festival. Banners and other bright decorations were being hung about the city. Paper lanterns of different colors were strung across the street between the buildings. The air was filled with an almost tangible excitement.
"I'm amazed it's this time of year already. Where do the days go?" Williams tone was bemused.
"You always lose track of time when you're caught up in a project. I miss you, you know," Calandra glanced at him, expression wistful. William felt a pang of guilt.
"Alright, I'll tell you what. I'll stay away from my alchemy until the festival is over. We can spend the time together," he told her. Her eyes lit up and a smile spread across her face.
"I would love that," she replied earnestly. He couldn't help but smile at her reaction. Her obvious happiness was rather contagious. He tended to forget how much he enjoyed spending time with his childhood friend and sweetheart. His alchemy had become so engrossing in recent years that often times there was little room for anything else. He felt a prick of regret over how many times he'd brushed the blond girl off over the last few weeks. She didn't deserve that.
"Callie, why don't we buy some lanterns for tonight? It's been a couple years since we bothered taking part in the opening festivities," he suggested.
"That would be fun!" she agreed. They turned down a different street, a specific destination now in mind. They walked in companionable silence for a time. Finally Calandra glanced at the young man walking next to her.
"Will," she began, "After we get the lanterns, do you want to come with me for a ride? You haven't come along in ages," her expression was hopeful. He blinked at her surprise. Her family owned a piece of land just outside the city where they bred and raised carriage horses. In the past they'd gone riding together often, but lately he hadn't had the time to bother making the trip.
"Sure, why not. It'll be a date," he replied with a smile. She grinned.
"You've probably forgotten how to ride it's been so long," her tone was teasing.
"Nah, it's like riding a bike," he retorted, unconcerned. She snorted.
"A bike is a piece of equipment. A horse is a living, breathing, thinking creature. There's a difference you know," her tone was dry.
"Yeah yeah. It's alright. I'll have you there to take me to the hospital when your gallant steed bucks me off," he replied lightly. She flashed him an indignant look, elbowing him in the side. He winced and chuckled.
"If you get yourself injured by acting like a fool it's hardly my responsibility to save you," she informed him flatly.
"Keep in mind it was your idea to go riding," he pointed out, faintly amused. She rolled her eyes.
"Whatever, we're here," she said, coming to a stop outside the shop they'd arrived at. William released her hand, pulling the door open for her and bowing low in a courtly manner.
"After you my lady," his golden eyes were solemn as he gazed up at her. As expected, her serious expression wavered and broke, a giggle escaping her lips.
"You're such a goof," she grinned, strolling past him into the shop. He straightened up, following after her with a smile.
~~~~~~~~(Germany, Year 1921)~~~~~~~~~~
Envy's eyes snapped open with a start and he gasped in a sharp breath. He was lying on his back. A multitude of stars glittered in the dark sky above him. He blinked several times, mind reeling from the potently remembered flashback. That had been so long ago that it had disappeared into the recesses of his mind, long forgotten. But the sights and sounds and emotions had been as vivid as if it had happened yesterday. That woman… it had been her voice calling to him in the gate. He could still see her clear grey eyes behind his own eyelids whenever he closed them. The regret which welled up inside of him at the thought of her was shockingly intense, and very puzzling. He couldn't remember why it was attached to her memory. And really, it didn't matter. William was long dead, and any emotional attachments he'd had should have died with him. The fact that this memory had resurfaced now was nothing but a bother. With any luck it would fade quickly and disappear once more. He had more important things to occupy himself with.
He sat up swiftly, glancing around. He appeared to be lying in a ditch next to an old, dirt road. The moon was full, illuminating the rolling hills around him. He scrambled to his feet, peering down the road. Far in the distance he could see the lights of a town. Where exactly had the gate taken him? Was that town London, the place Edward had mentioned? Was Hohenheim still there? The easiest way to find out would be to grab the first human he came across and drag the answers he needed out of them. With this in mind, he set off down the road in the direction of the distant lights.
It was some time later before he came across the first of the houses which were scattered along the far outskirts of the settlement. The town itself didn't appear overly large. He came to a halt, eyeing the nearest small, unassuming house. He hadn't passed anyone on the road and he was growing impatient. Rather than continue towards the town, which was still some distance away, he turned off the road and made for the house. A thought occurred to him partway up the path to the front door and he glanced down at himself. He felt a prick of surprise, followed by a wave of irritation to discover the form he was in was in fact his true form. He'd caught a glimpse of his blond hair out of the corner of his eye and he recognized the clothes, which he now held in distaste. That wouldn't do at all. He hated this form. It reminded him far too much of the man he needed to kill. Without pausing to think, he willed a transformation into his most comfortable form. It wouldn't occur to him until later that perhaps that hadn't been the wisest choice, given it wasn't a form in which he could traverse amongst humans without drawing attention to himself.
As the first prickle of energy began to flow through him with the change, his stomach wrenched alarmingly. His eyes widened and a gasp escaped his lips. The usual wave of energy which followed brought with it an agonizing, shredding pain as he felt each bone, each muscle, his skin and cartilage shift and change in a way he had never experienced before. What on earth was going on? It had never caused him pain like this to shift before. As the energy crackled through him a strangled cry escaped his lips and his legs gave out beneath him. He hit the ground hard, unable to even catch himself. It was like all the muscles in his body had turned to jelly. He'd lost every ounce of strength which he'd moments ago possessed. An intense fatigue he couldn't recall ever experiencing crashed over him and seconds later his eyes slid shut and he lost consciousness.
~~~~~~~~(Amestris, Year 1517)~~~~~~~~~~
"William, don't be an idiot. What if your horse spooks?" Calandra's voice was faintly exasperated as she stared at her companion riding next to her. The young man was leaning forward, head rested on folded arms across his horse's neck as he appeared to take a nap. His mount, being an old, patient creature, was going along with it for the time being, though its ears were flicked back in displeasure.
"Old Toby? He's practically bomb proof," William replied unconcernedly, not even bothering to open his eyes. Calandra rolled her eyes.
"No horse is entirely bomb proof," she said, "And besides, if he puts his head down you'll be in the dirt before you can blink."
"Aww, he wouldn't do that. Right old man?" William reached an arm down to pat the neck of his dark bay steed.
"You are incredibly dense at times," His companion muttered.
The young man chuckled. "You worry too much." His horse, Toby, let out a heavy sigh.
The young woman rolled her eyes. "Well you are the most boring company I've had in ages. Come along, Rita. Let's leave these two in the dust," she spoke to her own mount, a young palomino mare. The creature's ears perked up as her mistress shortened the reins and urged her forward. Feeling rather fresh on such a pleasant spring day, the mare sprang into a swift canter, racing away across the field. William's mount, not wanting to be left behind, broke into a trot, half-heartedly attempting to follow after the other horse. This, of course, threw his unsuspecting rider off balance. The young man let out a startled oath, scrambling to avoid flipping off his horse's neck into the dirt.
"Calandra!" He called after her in irritation, resettling himself in the saddle and taking proper hold of his reins. He could hear the young woman's laughter ahead of him. With an exasperated sigh he urged his mount forward. The creature complied without complaint, quite happy to race after its companion. Calandra had pushed her own horse into a gallop, widening the distance between them. "Alright Toby, let's get them," William muttered, lightly applying his spurs. The creature leapt forward, lengthening its strides into a full out gallop as well. Being a larger animal than the younger mare, Toby immediately began gaining on the other rider. It didn't take long for them to catch up completely. The two riders raced along, neck and neck as the ground they were riding across began to rise into a hill. Sensing her mistress's competitive mood, the golden mare let out a snort, putting on a burst of excited speed, shooting ahead of the other horse. The pair reached the crest of the hill a moment later, Calandra several strides ahead of William. Rather than racing down the other side, which would likely prove hazardous given the steep slope, the two riders slowed there steeds, bringing them to a stop.
"Ha!" The young woman grinned victoriously at her companion, "Beat you," she teased. Her mare, still excited from the sprint across the field, pranced restlessly in place, tossing her head. William's mount stood quietly, puffing slightly and quite happy to no longer be moving.
"Yeah, whatever. You had a head start," William muttered, ever so slightly put out.
"That's what you get for not paying attention," Calandra replied, an amused smile playing across her lips. The young man rolled his eyes but smirked.
"Alright, you've made your point," his tone was dry. She chuckled softly, reaching down to stroke her mare's neck as the creature finally began to quiet down. William watched his companion for a moment. Her golden curls caught the light of the slowly sinking sun, just a shade darker than her mount's cream colored mane. Her willowy frame matched up well with the slender build of the creature. They made a winsome picture together in the sun's setting rays. She glanced up at him, grey eyes slightly wistful.
"I've missed doing this with you. Today has been a lot of fun," she told him.
"It has… We should do this more often," William agreed, feeling the same prick of guilt as earlier. He was going to have to set his priorities straight when it came to managing alchemy and the rest of his life. Then again, he was so sure he and his father were close to a breakthrough in their studies. Getting back into a social life would have to wait until they'd reached their goal. The work was too engrossing to simply set aside. He let out a soft sigh, glancing at the slowly sinking sun. "We should start heading back if we want to make to the opening festivities," he suggested.
"I suppose you're right," Calandra replied. The two of them turned their mounts back in the direction they had come from. The young man glanced at his companion, raising an eyebrow mischievously.
"Race you home?" he suggested.
She shot him a flat look. "You know that's bad training for the horses."
"Don't be such a spoil sport," he smirked, shortening his reins and urging his mount forward at a faster speed.
"William!" she cried indignantly.
"Catch me if you can!" he called back over his shoulder with a grin, already racing back down the more gradual of the two slopes. The young woman rolled her eyes, letting out an exasperated sigh.
"Men," she muttered under her breath, urging her mount forward in pursuit.
~~~~~~~~(Germany, Year 1921)~~~~~~~~~~
Envy's eyes slowly flickered open for the second time that day. For a moment he stared blankly into space, still tangled in the web of unfamiliar emotions which the dream had raised within him. Why was he having these flashbacks? They were distinctly uncomfortable. He barely recognized the young man that had long ago been him. He was no longer that person. That had been another life. The memories shouldn't mean anything to him at all. He swallowed, setting aside the turmoil within him to take note of his current situation.
His whole body was throbbing uncomfortably and he felt oddly exhausted. He raised his head, glancing down at himself to find he was indeed in his preferred form. At least the transformation had worked, but he didn't have the slightest idea why it had taken such a toll on him. Confusion washed over him as he took in his surroundings. He was lying on a couch in what appeared to be a cosy living room. A light blanket was draped over him. Morning sunlight shone in from several windows. The one nearest him looked out over rolling, green pastureland. How on earth had he gotten here? Going back through his memory he realized that he'd passed out on the ground in front of a human dwelling. Whoever lived there must have found him and brought him inside. But what sort of person would be willing to bring such a…unique looking individual as himself into their home, no questions asked? Whoever it was, they were about to get an unpleasant surprise. After the events of the day he was not in a particularly gracious mood.
He sat up, feeling a wash of irritation over how weak his muscles felt. It was like all the power of the red stones within him had melted away to nothing. The clinking of cutlery and the sound of running water could be heard coming from another part of the house. Mustering what little strength he had left, he rose to his feet and headed across the living room. Walking a short distance down the hall brought him to the doorway of what appeared to be the kitchen. Here was the source of the noise. There was a young woman standing at the sink with her back to him. She was in the process of washing dishes. A grey dressing gown was wrapped about her slender frame, her pale hair cascading down her back in loose curls. She was humming softly to herself as she worked, oblivious to his presence. A humorless smirk pulled at Envy's lips. Well this worked out perfectly. He could get the information he needed, then kill her and slip away with no one the wiser.
He started towards her quietly. Unfortunately the floor squeaked annoyingly, alerting her to his approach. She turned in surprise. At the sight of her face Envy came to a dead stop, frozen in place. He was unable to even breathe. It was as if someone had driven a knife through his cold, unfeeling heart. The light grey eyes, pert nose and small mouth were all alarmingly familiar. It was that same girl; the one from his flashbacks. Alarm was written across her features. She was clearly uncertain as to what his intentions were for sneaking up on her. Silence reigned for a moment as they stared at each other. Envy couldn't move an inch, paralyzed as he was by the strange emotions swirling inside him. Shock, confusion, guilt, regret, longing…wait. Longing? For a human? He closed his eyes, shaking his head slightly. This was utterly absurd. He needed to get a grip! This was not the same woman from those flashbacks. She would have died centuries ago on the other side of the gate. On top of which, any feelings he'd had for her should have died with William. This reaction made no sense.
"Are you alright?" Her soft voice made his eyes snap open. He found that her expression of alarm had shifted to one of concern. That voice… the eerie familiarity of it sent a chill through him. He regarded her warily for a moment. The feelings she was raising just by standing in front of him were unnerving. The most intelligent response would be to kill her immediately and end this absurdity. Then maybe he'd stop getting flashbacks and these unusual emotions would cease plaguing him. But... he couldn't bring himself to move an inch closer to her. Suddenly the thought of snapping her neck, an action that would be so simple, made his stomach twist sickeningly. That in and of itself was a little frightening. He'd never felt any sort of hesitation to kill in the past. How was it possible for a human girl to hold such sway over him? She didn't have the slightest idea who he was. There was no way she could realize how great an effect the confused uncertainty in her large eyes was having on him. This was utterly ridiculous. He needed to get away from her.
Without a word he turned away and strode swiftly from the room, heading for the front door.
"Wait!" She called after him. He tensed as he heard her following after him. There was no way he could risk having an actual conversation with her. He didn't trust himself. There was a small, distant part of him that wanted to stay and find out more about this woman from his memories. Why did his heart clench just thinking about her? What had happened in the past to cause that kneejerk reaction? He couldn't remember. But he didn't have time to waste on such trivial, pointless things. There was a man he needed to kill. These memories would do nothing but slow him down.
He reached the door and pulled it open, slipping out swiftly before the young woman could catch up with him. He'd just have to find somebody else to get information out of.
-Author's Note-
Hello everyone! Here is yet another story revolving around our much loved/hated palm tree. My muse seems to have a single minded fixation on this guy. I have to admit, I like Naruto Shippuden quite a bit more than FMA now, but for some reason I can only bring myself to write fanfiction in this particular fandom, revolving around this particular character. I have a sentimental attachment to him I guess. Plus he's so much fun to mess with as a writer. :P
I'm posting this a little sooner than I'd originally intended, mainly because I'm impatient. Even though this is the official first chapter of the story, I'm calling it a 'teaser chapter.' I won't be uploading more of it for another couple weeks yet. (Once I do, I'll do the same thing I did with By Affliction of Emotion and upload a chapter every Wednesday. I like to be consistent if I can.) Mainly I just wanted to throw this out there and see what you guys think of it. If I get any feedback it has the potential help shape how I finish up the rest of the story. So please let me know what things you like and what things you think need to be chopped up with an axe and burned in a refuse bin. I appreciate advice. X'D
Anywho! I should probably mention a couple things about the story itself. Obviously it's Envy centric, and I'm warning you in advance that he's very much in character for a decent chunk of the story. The romance (as per usual in my stories) progresses quite slowly and isn't the central element. Mostly this story focuses on the development of Envy's character, partly through the exploration of his past. So there will be a number of "flashbacks" to his past in the first few chapters of the story. Hopefully no one finds this confusing. I've thrown the dates and general locations in to give some clarity to the different scenes. If you have any questions, just ask.
Those of you who have read By Virtue of Humanity are probably thinking "Gosh, the start of this story seems strangely familiar..." And yes, I admit there are some similarities between how the two stories start. I seem to have a thing for playing with the end of the anime and using look-alikes. But rest assured this is a very different story from BVoH. It's also quite a bit shorter. x'D
So let me know what you think! I suspect I'll start regularly uploading chapters around the beginning of October. ;)