I finally got this typed out! I promise, I am still writing my other stories, but I wanted to make the debut of this. Without further adieu, here's the first chapter of my Sound of Music/Fullmetal Alchemist crossover!
I don't own either franchise.
Riza set down her basket and wiped her forehead with the back of a dirty hand. Three months… That was how long she had been at the abbey. And she hated nearly every minute. Except for those rare times like now when she wasn't within the stifling walls.
Sister Sheska and Riza were in the foothills of the mountain picking berries. She looked back the way they had come, where the abbey sat as a brilliant jewel of stained glass and stone.
"The hills are alive with the sound of music. Wouldn't you agree, Freulein Riza?" Sister Sheska interrupted her thoughts with an innocent lilt to her voice.
Riza smiled and closed her eyes. She fell back on the green grass and let nature fill her mind. Songbirds trilled and the wind blew through the grass. Somewhere nearby, a creek babbled on its journey down the mountain. "Sister Sheska, have you lived by the abbey your whole life?"
Sheska grinned and replied, "Ever since I was a girl, I've wanted to work in the library of the abbey. Now that I've taken my vows, I couldn't be happier."
"I've lived in these hills all my life. The sounds of nature call to me until I can't bear staying in the abbey any longer."
"You should be careful of your words, Freulein Riza. Not all of the sisters would understand," Sister Sheska scolded.
Riza stood and brushed off her apron. "Would it be better to lie? They all know I hate being cooped up. If the Reverend Mother would only give me some task that allowed me to roam, they wouldn't be so annoyed with me."
Sister Sheska crossed herself and smiled sympathetically. "It's better to tell the truth. The other sisters have been talking. Apparently, you're an airy headed girl who lacks control."
"Control? I have control, I just dislike being controlled. Why do we need permission to do something as simple as singing?"
Sister Sheska's eyes lit up. "I heard you singing in the stairwell. It was so beautiful. Would you please sing for me?"
Riza smirked. "And what would the sisters think of me if they heard I was singing in the foothills?"
Sister Sheska replied conspiratorially, "There are no rules about asking permission to sing outside of the abbey."
Riza raised an eyebrow and they both burst out in a fit of giggles. Sheska straitened her habit and picked up the baskets. "I'm going back to get these to the kitchen before chapel. Please do try to be on time, Riza."
She watched Sheska leave. The bookworm never used first names. Riza lay back and watched the clouds lazily creep along their path. Was she really that bad as a dedicate?
Riza frowned in thought. She did always seem to be in trouble. When has Sheska heard her singing? It had to have been some time ago.
"I don't understand why it has to be one way or the other."
It's just how it's done. Either you marry or I do, but I'm past that stage of life."
Riza watched as her mother packed her suitcase. "Why can't I fight? Our family has a history in the Austrian army. I'll take father's place. It wouldn't be hard to rise through the ranks. I'm already a crack shot."
Her mother smiled. "Yes, you've proven you're a Hawkeye through and through. But that's beside the point. They don't let women enlist."
"But to join the cloister? Mother, we're not even Catholic!" Riza hissed under her breath as though someone might hear even though they were alone in the big house.
Her mother paused her packing and stood silently. "I've got a bad feeling about what's coming. Please, Riza, join the abbey. You'll be protected. I won't have to worry about your safety."
Riza furrowed her brow in concern. Her mother's intuition was rarely wrong. "Will you come with?"
She smiled sadly and shook her head. "A widow would make a strange nun. I'm too old to change my ways. I'll stay here and watch the estate. If I need you, I know where to find you."
Riza exited the chapel, one of the few times she was actually on time for, and covered a yawn. One of the sisters called and she turned. "Reverend Mother asked me to summon you to her office."
Riza sighed. What was it this time? The door closed silently behind her. The Reverend Mother sat with her hands on her desk, folded as though in prayer.
She gestured to a chair and Riza replied, "I'd like to stand, thank you."
Reverend Mother stood and walked to Riza's side. She withdrew a letter and a telegraph from the depths of her habit. "These came for you this morning. I beg forgiveness, but I read what the telegraph said. I am terribly sorry."
Fear gripped Riza's heart. She opened the telegraph and scanned it. It was from a friend of her father, before he was killed in action. She read out loud, "Riza Hawkeye, I regret to inform you that your mother was a casualty in a skirmish along the border between the German army and a group of rebels. A memorial service is planned in one week at your family's estate. Sincerely, Philip Gargantos Armstrong.
Riza was frozen in shock. She couldn't even open the letter from the last family she had. No, even that was taken from her now.
Reverend Mother watched in quiet concern, as if afraid Riza would burst into tears or try to hurt herself. Riza bit her lip, drawing blood, in grim determination. She would not cry here. She would be angry before that.
"Thank you, Reverend Mother. If you don't mind, I'll retire to my quarters."
Riza was afraid she'd be stopped as she wound through the corridors. She paused and looked around. In her wandering, she had gone past her bedchamber. Now that she thought, she'd probably destroy the room if she stayed there.
Riza kept walking, not caring where she went. The thunder finally broke her out of grief. Riza covered her ears and squeezed her eyes shut. She shouted inside her head, "Whiskers on kittens, whiskers on kittens, whiskers on kittens!"
Her mother's letter started to get wet. Riza tucked it into her apron pocket and kept walking. Lightning lit up the dark. A tree caught fire until the downpour put it out. Suddenly she no longer cared.
Riza ran through the wilds. She only vaguely realized what she was doing. She returned to the abbey three days later hollow eyed and feverish. The sister who opened the gate nearly fainted at the site of her.
She crossed herself and led Riza back into the sanctuary of the abbey. Riza was taken to the infirmary and treated. Her dreams haunted her. Monstrous men lit by lightning surrounded her. They hunted her wherever she ran. A farmhouse was struck. Fire leapt higher and engulfed it while screams were heard from within.
Clanging bells woke Riza from her nightmare. She cursed and started running back toward the abbey. She was going to miss chapel again!
The run would have been relaxing if not for the penance she would have to pay for her tardiness. Until she had come to the abbey, she would never have dreamed of being late. Becoming a nun should have been easier. Even grieving her mother would have been more tactful. Instead, she threw a tantrum and made a scene like some kind of hysterical woman.
The second set of bells rang, signaling the end of chapel as Riza entered the courtyard. The sisters filed out of the glittering hall, never moving at more than a snail's pace.
Riza stood still as a child about to be scolded. She casually joined the line toward dinner. A sister mumbled something about the waif returning for her evening saucer of cream.
Riza did her best not to flinch. Usually, the name she had earned after returning from the forest didn't bother her. But her nightmare had returned while she was out in the hills.
Sheska caught her eye with a sympathetic look. Riza smiled sadly and started to wind through the crowds toward her.
"Freulein Riza, I'm glad I caught you. Reverend Mother wished to speak to you in her office," Sister Marguerite said from behind her."
Sheska shrugged and continued with the crowd. Riza forced her face blank. "Thank you for telling me. I'll see her now."
Riza turned down a hall. She had been down this path so often, she could walk it in her sleep. Riza walked through the door and apologized, "I'm sorry I missed chapel again. Sh-Sister Sheska and I were picking berries in the foothills."
"Yet Sister Sheska was able to return with plenty of time."
"I lost track of the hour. The mountains remind me of home." Riza added hesitantly, "My hallucinations have returned."
Reverend Mother frowned in thought. "I've wondered for some time if this doesn't make you hesitate. Before your mother's death, you were well on your way to joining our ranks. I'm sorry illness kept you away from the memorial service, but I think you need to find closure."
Riza paled. Was she being kicked out? "Reverend Mother, I don't understand. That has nothing to do with this."
Reverend Mother raised an eyebrow. "Even so, I'm not sure the abbey is what you need. Freulein Riza, you are a free spirit. I would hate for this place to become your cage."
Riza pursed her lips. She was going to have to leave… she just knew it… Reverend Mother continued, "We received a letter from a Colonel Roy Mustang in dire need of a governess for his seven children. I nominated you for the job."
Riza's jaw dropped. "Governess? Of seven kids? What made you think of me? I know nothing of children!"
Reverend Mother smiled encouragingly. "It would be a good experience for you. You would get a bigger view of the world. Plus, this Mustang is a member of the army. I thought this might be a chance for you to find your peace. And you were raised as a lady, by my understanding. This shouldn't be foreign territory."
Riza bit her cheek. That was mighty clever for the old bat. No doubt, Riza was supposed to be a sob story to convince the colonel to keep the land at peace. If the man was only a colonel and has seven kids, he couldn't be very ambitious.
Instead, Riza would use this opportunity to investigate. Enough of her father's friends knew her that it wouldn't take long. This was starting to seem like a good idea… But a governess? Could she pull it off?
"Could I have the evening to consider?"
Reverend Mother responded, "The tickets are for two hours from now. A car is waiting to take you to the train station."
Riza nodded curtly. "I'll do it."
"Excellent. Pack your bags and meet the car at the gate. Thank you for accepting this commission."
Riza practically flew to her room. What Reverend Mother didn't know was Riza had been timing how quickly she could leave. Five minutes to pack and one to change. She wore a simple dress meant to be practical and not draw attention. She would love to wear pants, but didn't want to until she left the abbey.
Sheska waited at the gate. Riza slowed down and frowned. She would miss the bookworm, if nothing else. Sheska held out an envelope. "You forgot your tickets and instructions."
Her lip began to quiver as she fought tears. Riza hugged her and comforted, "It's alright. It's not like I'm going away forever. We can still see each other."
Sheska replied, "I know, but I hate goodbyes."
A car honked from out on the street. Riza held Sheska at arm's length and said, "That's my ride. I have to go."
Sheska nodded and pushed the envelope into Riza's hands. They hugged once again before Riza picked up her suitcase and left the abbey.
Riza waited nervously at the station. She had called home. Someone was coming to pick her up before her transfer arrived to take her to the Colonel's estate. A familiar black car drove up the gravel in front of her.
Her heels grated on the rock, her hair pulled back into a tidy French bun. Jameson opened the door for her and she slid into the backseat without a word. Jameson respected her silence throughout the ride home.
When they pulled up the drive, he asked, "Will you be staying long, Miss Riza?"
Riza shook her head. "Is mother buried by the general?"
Jameson nodded and gestured to a point on the property about half a mile away. The general had always planned to be laid to rest at home. Her father would have been buried beside him if there had been a body returned home. Now her mother was laid beside her grandfather, a country boy through and through.
Her mother had always talked about being cremated. It was closer to her Irish roots. She must have changed her mind.
Riza stood at their headstones for nearly an hour. Jameson came beside her and opened an umbrella to the cloudless blue sky. He explained, "I was afraid it might rain."
Riza shook her head. "I've had enough of rain lately. Let's go back to the house. I have to see to some things before I leave."
Jameson wrapped an arm around her shoulders and guided her back to the driveway. His parents took care of the grounds when Riza was a girl. Jameson had been her friend since they were kids.
Riza leaned into him as they entered the kitchen through the back door. Jameson lifted her onto the counter and kissed her. She returned it, but was holding back. Jameson stopped and tried to hide his disappointment.
Riza said, "We've done this before. I've already told you we can't be together."
Jameson leaned on the stove and said through a sigh, "I know, I just couldn't let my hope that you might change your mind disappear."
Riza hopped down with a clack and walked to the dining room. "I'll need a ride back the station in an hour."
Riza went to her room and repacked her bags with clothes from home. Her viola sat in the corner gathering dust. Riza picked it up and brushed off the case. She carried it to her parents' room and lifted out the false bottom.
She went through her parents' things. She grabbed important papers and laid them in the case along with the deed of the house and a copy of her parents' will. She grabbed the case of the General's medals. Riza glanced around to see if she was forgetting anything.
Her mother's ivory hair pins were laid across the dresser. After a moment's hesitation, Riza exchanged her pins with the ivory. As she looked in the mirror, a glint of metal by the bed caught her eye. She walked over and picked up her father's handgun.
Riza opened the chamber and peered inside. She aimed down the sights and pulled the trigger. The hammer slammed closed with an empty click. She opened the drawer and pulled out the box of ammunition.
"I hope you don't plan on using that," Jameson said from the door.
Riza said without looking, "It's mine now."
Jameson walked over with soft footsteps. "Why can't you stay?"
"I've taken a post as a Governess. I couldn't stay at the abbey any longer." It wasn't exactly a lie, but Jameson would try to stop her. "What exactly happened the night of my mother's death?"
Jameson crossed his arms. He was going to lie. "I'm not sure. I was away on a trip."
Riza grabbed the gun case. She closed the gun inside and placed the ammo and gun inside the viola. She replaced the false bottom. She grabbed a pad of paper and pen off the nightstand and wrote an address. "This is where I'll be if you need to reach me."
Jameson looked away. He knew what she meant. Riza put a hand on his arm to soften her words. "I'm ready to go back to the station."
They were quiet on the return journey. At the station, Jameson kept the car running. Riza said in the backseat, "This may sound strange, but if anything happens, I want you to leave." Jameson glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "I have a bad feeling. If it looks bad, just leave. Get as far away as you can. I'd hate for anything to happen to you."
A train whistle blew as it stopped at the platform. Jameson opened the car door and helped her out. He lifted her bags out of the trunk and carried them to where a boy placed them onboard. Riza kept a grip on the viola.
Jameson hugged her and placed a kiss on her cheek. "Be safe out there, Hawkeye."
Riza nodded and boarded the train before she lost her nerve.
Riza paid the driver and stood in front of the imposing gates. She had changed again into a knee length royal blue skirt and white blouse on the train. Her hair remained in its bun and ivory pins.
She stacked her luggage and dragged it up the driveway. As she rung the doorbell, she reminded herself silently, "Confidence is key."
The door opened and an elderly gentleman greeted her. "Colonel Mustang?" Riza asked hopefully.
The man looked down his nose and said disdainfully, "I am Master Mustang's butler… And you are?"
"Miss Riza Hawkeye. The abbey sent me to be the Colonel's Governess."
"Guten abend, Freulein. You arrived in rime for supper. If you would wait in the foyer, someone will be along soon to see you."
Riza left her luggage at the door. She placed her viola next to it and prayed they would be alright. After nearly fifteen minutes, she began to explore. The house was huge. Her own was well sized, but this one bordered on excessive. She came across one room that had a dance floor installed.
Riza felt a smile pull at her lips. Just how old was the Colonel that he had a dance hall?
"One does appreciate being invited along on a tour of your own home."
Riza spun in surprise, successfully holding her composure. A handsome man only a few years older than herself watched her with a cross expression. Riza apologized snidely, "Forgive me, but are you one of Colonel Mustang's children? I was led to believe I would be watching children younger than me."
She watched happily as his ears burned scarlet. Served him right. If he had greeted her sooner, she wouldn't have been wandering. Who did the little upstart think he was!
He replied coldly, "When I was told the Governess had arrived, I didn't expect to be insulted. Come along, I'll introduce you to the children."
Riza followed the man with the dark eyes. He was plotting something. He stopped at the main staircase and pulled a whistle from his breast pocket. She noticed he wore riding gloves. What an odd thing to wear indoors.
Suddenly, he blew a series of tweets on the whistle, followed by the pounding of running feet. Seven children, six boys and one girl, lined up in order of age and shouted down the line, "Havoc, 16. Breda, 14. Falman, 10. Ed, 9. Al, 8. Fuery, 5. Nina, 5."
Riza stood dazed. The man with the whistle explained, "These are my children."
The Italicized is a dream sequence and will be from here on out. I'll explain the age choices in the next chapter... Though I don't mind inquisitive minds.
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