Sorry about the shortness, it was originally part of my Lingfan drabble set.
When they cross the desert, they meet a group of merchants.
Nothing special, just a mismatch of Ishvalans, Xingians, and Aerugans
They are selling odd trinkets. They are all of fine craftsmanship. There are silver and gold necklaces, jeweled earrings, and brightly colored bracelets
But it's the mirror that catches her eye.
It's a pocket mirror, made from delicate silver. It flips open and closed, with a clasp in the shape of a small rose. There are engravings of vines and flowers on the top, and a ruby is set in the center. There seems to be words engraved in the sides, but she can't see them from where she is. She doesn't want to seem like she's interested, anyway.
The Young Lord seems to catch her looking at it.
"Do you want it?" He asks.
She vehemently denies staring at the object. She wasn't! She doesn't want it!
"I can get for you," He says.
She tells him no, she doesn't want it, she wasn't looking at it! Her Lord shouldn't be wasting his money on her anyway.
He nods. "You want it."
Grandfather gives her an exasperated and slightly disapproving look from his camel. However, the Young Lord is stubborn, Grandfather can't do anything about it either.
Master Ling hands her the wrapped mirror with a grin, and she thanks him.
"Thank you, but you didn't have to buy it for me, my Lord." She says, her lips ghosting a smile and cheeks dusted pink. The gesture gives her a warm feeling in her chest.
"But you wanted it!"
They set off again, thanking the traders. She carefully unwraps the mirror to examine it closer.
It's detail is amazing. Even the rose clasp is worked to the to the tiniest point. She runs her fingers over the ruby, astonished by it's smoothness.
She looks at the words engraved on the sides.
Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.
They are engraved in an elegant script, beautiful, but she can't even begin to figure out their meaning. Perhaps it is in another language?
It is not Xingese or Amestrian, that she is sure of. Aerugan, maybe?
She flips open the mirror, she'll decipher it later. She almost shrieks when she sees her reflection. Or, at least, what's in the place of it. She, Ling and Grandfather are standing side by side, all smiling. Excluding that fact that her grandfather rarely smiles, it's not too shocking.
But... she and Ling... They are both standing much too close together, shoulders nearly touching. She doesn't know what to make of it, but it frankly frightens her. What is this?
The Young Lord looks back her worriedly. "Is everything alright, Lan Fan?"
She takes a deep breath. "Yes. Everything is fine, my lord." She snaps the mirror shut, trying to push the image to the back of her mind.
But, something nags at her, eating away in her stomach.
She and Master Ling... they had been wearing crowns.
AN: I was inspired a lot from a post that kickingandpumpkins made on Tumblr. (I'll link the post on my profile.)
She was talking about what Ling and Lan Fan would see in the Mirror of Erised during different points of the series, and it was really well thought out and I wanted to expand upon it. (She also talked about their boggarts, but I really have no idea how I could incorporate that into canon.)
I'm planning on six chapters. Two for pre-series (which means that Ling's going to look in the mirror before they get to Amestris), to for mid-series (Ling's more towards the Promised Day and Lan Fan's around the time of her automail surgery), and two post/very end of the series.
Tell what you think, Please! :)