Guess who's showing her face in the Almei fandom again? I don't think I'll be able to participate in every day of Almei week this year, but I'll put in an effort to do what I can. Also, pardon any formatting issues, I'm traveling and on mobile.
Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist.
When the door opened in the small house Al was staying in, he knew that it was May. Although she was sleeping at her official rooms in the palace, most of her day was being spent at Al's place. She said that it was quieter than in the palace and therefore better for studying Alkahestry, but Al knew that it also was far away from the brown nosing and scheming of the royal court.
"How'd your meeting with Ling go?" Alphonse asked.
May was holding a small ornamented box. She was fingering the grooves and edges, seemingly distracted.
Al touched her arm. "May?"
May almost jumped out of her skin. "Oh, Alphonse!"
"What did Ling want to talk to you about?" he asked again.
May shook her head. "Oh, it's nothing you need to worry about." From her expression, it was something May was personally very worried about.
Al looked down at the box in his unofficial girlfriend's hand. He'd been practicing his ability to read the dragon's pulse as part of his Alkahestry training, and something about the box felt off. It was like a tangled mess of energy and he couldn't make sense of it from an Alkahestry standpoint.
"No, you know what? It is something you need to know about. Ling left it up to my discretion and you're one of the only people in this country who fully understands what this is." May handed him the mysterious box. "Look at what's inside."
Al curiously took it and carefully lifted the lid a crack. He only took a peek at the object within, but that was all he needed.
He'd never forget the blood-red hue of a philosopher's stone.
Al slammed the box shut again and took a deep breath. "Ling gave this to you?"
May nodded. "Somebody tried to steal it recently. Luckily Lan Fan was able to stop the intruder before they got away, but the Emperor is not a total idiot. He knows just how much Alkahestrists across country want this."
"And I imagine none of them would have any problem with using it, especially for unethical purposes." Al noted.
"Exactly. The only people who know just what this thing is are Ling, Lan Fan, you, Jerso, Zampano, and me. Among those, I'm the only person who doesn't stay permanently in the royal palace and is considered to be a citizen of Xing. Ling wants me to keep this stone safe and out of the hands of people who would abuse it." May explained.
Al but his lip. "That's still a lot of responsibility."
"I know, but I also know that I'm really the only one who can do it. I'm used to that feeling." May shrugged.
"But you don't have to carry it alone."
May startled. "What do you mean?"
"Well…" Alphonse fidgeted. "I may not be a citizen of Xing, but I do care about it and want to make sure nobody abuses this stone. If you need any help with keeping it safe and secure, I'd be happy to lend a hand."
May looked at him dumbstruck for several heartbeats. Without any warning, she jumped and tackled him with a hug.
"Thank you, Alphonse!"
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