11-27-09: I've told myself that I wouldn't put fanfiction, but it's late at night, and I'm too lazy to find lined paper.
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Nina could've been on the verge of tears, and no one would have thought of a resolution. Alphonse assured her that he and his brother would come back soon to play some more. But Camille, she seemed doubtful to it. The night, the oh-so dark night, seemed to release an energy, one that wouldn't go away. She gave the small girl a reassuring smile.
"And your big sister is going to take good care of you." Alphonse assured.
Camille squeezed Nina's hand. The people from the Brigadier General seemed rather annoyed that it was taking so long to wrap up the goodbyes. "Camille, can I talk to you for a second?"
She slowly dropped Nina's hand. "Oh, sure." Brown eyes seemed to fear the Golden's hardness. She almost never talked to the elder Elric, a little 'Good Morning' or so, excluding her accidental step-in finding Nina in the boys' room. They both leaned against the car parked out front, starting to talk in the smallest of murmurs, trying to avoid eavesdroppers.
"Do you remember the day your mother left?" Edward Elric asked the girl.
She shook her head instantly, but hoping she wasn't replying in what he was against. "I was adopted shortly after." She moved the loose black strands of hair out of her face.
"Right. I just thought…" Edward silently trailed off on his words.
"Though," Camille choked back her bother. Alas, Edward stared back at her, waiting of what she had to say. It seemed like he would hold off everything, and wouldn't let time go until she spoke. "Although," she licked her lips. "I don't think she—her Mother, just, left. Father told me to burn some documents, the other night. I didn't understand, but," Camille attempted to conceal her sheepish face. "I'd give to see any fire bloom and dance." Edward could've smirked, but Camille's face saddened. "One of the papers was tucked away, but it didn't miss me. It—it was the letter Nina wanted to give to her mom. Why would he want me to burn it?" She looked ahead at Nina and her Father. "Father would've let Nina have contact with her, unless…"
"I saw that picture in the ashtray, too. When Alexander was asking for a walk." Edward lifted his small body off the car, and lightly placed his right hand on Camille's shoulder.
A glitter of Goosebumps trailed her skin, and it felt unusually cold. But she wouldn't allow herself to show it. Edward seemed to want to say, or do something else, but he just went for, "I'll see you around." Camille nodded, of course she could agree to that. The pressure on her shoulder was soon released, and no matter how much she pained it, watched the Elric brothers retreat, just go.
She decided on some rest shortly after. For some reason, she decided to give Nina a hug, a kiss, and read a story to her before hand. Maybe it was because she felt bad that Nina couldn't see the Elric brothers as much. During her rest, she pondered about the next day. She'd try playing Nina's favorite games, which may result in a long nap.
So she thought about telephoning Edward, the Elrics, and check up on them. And she would like to ask Edward what brought up that conversation last night, so extremely small, but carried a lot of feelings. It would be rather uncomfortable to bring it up, but she wished herself luck.
The girl woke up with a rather un-upbeat tone. She groaned, begging her brain for five more minutes. She moved around the bed, trying to find her teddy bear. She shot up. The covers, didn't have any scent—her scent. She sprang up, and gasped.
Alphonse Elric was three feet away from her. "G-good morning." She stared up and down at the blue suit of amour in front of her face. "I-I'm sorry!" She didn't understand at first, until she eyed a coconut-colored bear in one's hands. "It fell off Brother's bed, and I was just—curious!"
"It's alright," Camille smiled at the younger Elric; she thought it was cute that he would fret over such a little thing as this. "It doesn't matter to me, just tell me." She knew she wasn't in her room. "Where am I?"
"I—I don't think I can explain this properly," She heard Alphonse say. "You're at Central, in me and Brother's room."
She thought it was a good start. "What about Nina and father?" She found an Alice band—her headband and put it on her head. "Well?"
At that moment, a door was shoved open with force. "Oh, you're awake." Edward thought to be that loud when he thought someone was asleep?
"Where's Nina?" Camille completely forgot about her brief good mornings to the blond haired. His features were less boyish, and more out of it.
"… S—she's gone," She heard him choke out. "Camille, I'm sorry." Edward hoped that she didn't hear him properly. Camille compiled her thoughts into five seconds. When someone says a person is gone, what does it mean?
"How?" If she just asked, 'What do you mean?' Edward explaining the whole nine yards would just hurt them both.
"Alexander," It took a moment to realize that Edward was talking about the family dog, and not a person. "And Nina, were, merged together." Camille never understood chimeras, but by the looks of it, that could be the definition of one. "Your fath—Shou Tucker, he did it."
Camille clenched her fists, her palms pooling with Edward-scented sheets. "And—did it not work successfully?" She dreaded to ask, her voice on the verge of cracking. She longed for a plausible answer. But Edward's face, full of mixed negative emotions, she couldn't hurt him anymore by wanting to ask so much. Maybe she didn't want to know anymore.
"Camille," Alphonse started, but it seemed like it wasn't a good idea to talk right now. The girl walked towards the window in the room.
This wasn't real, was it? Nina, she should be by her side, playing hide and seek. But everyone knew that there was always a time to face reality, because no world, any world, cannot be perfect, as least not for long. Shou Tucker must be gone, too, everything else was. Camille would've broke down right at that moment, but the Elric brothers presence urged her to be strong.
"Where's the body?" she instantly asked, saying it more to the sky than to the Elric brothers. Where was the chimera of Alexander and Nina? It seemed crucial to her, even if she didn't know how; she wanted to know where the body was.
Edward's fists clenched tightly. "We were too late; we found—we found," Camille made a move to stop him, but he silenced her. "No. She, and Alexander, were blown apart from the inside. Nothing in that alley but a bloody mess." He breathed. "And it was our entire fault.'
Brown eyes flashed a reasonable picture, a dog-human being blown apart, every remaining morsel indistinguishable, and blood staining the already dark night. "…Excuse me," Camille, still clad in her pajamas, left the room, airily like a lifeless corpse.
She sat down on the steps outside; paying no mind that she was dirtying her clothes. She buried her head into her hands, her state distraught. How could she let herself sleep through the entire night? She was supposed to protect her younger sister, that's why she was here! What's the point now? Whatever happens now, in the future, what would it be all for?
"Camille!" She heard a voice call after her. She told herself to pay no mind to it. Why should she? A cold hand abruptly pulled her up. She tried her best to squirm away from her captor, but she had no proper will power. "Snap out of it! It's me!"
She stared harshly at Edward, who finally loosened his grip "What makes you think that you can run off like that?" He hissed. "What if the person who killed Nina got you next—you'd have no protection!"
"Does it even matter?" She wondered silently. "Out of all the people, just a little girl, who didn't even deserve this?" Her whole body tensed. "Why the hell did I have to sleep that entire night? I missed it! I always miss it! At least, I should've been the one dead. Nina deserved more! She was a kind soul!" Camille roughly shook herself out of the elder Elric's grasp, though, she seemed to need it. "And whatever! What's the point now?' Her voice slowly started to loose volume and sharpness. "I have nothing now. Never mind, let that murdering bastard get me." She mused, spending her last hours with the final person who was with Nina seemed, fulfilling.
The feline eyes were still fixed on the girl. He hadn't said a word since her small speech, but his golden eyes urged to say something. But the quiet ways made Camille want to retreat. In an effort to hear him out, two gloved hands made way to her firm shoulders.
"You—don't—have—nothing." Edward said in clipped words, his head down, his braid faltering. Camille's shoulders slackened, she was relaxing, because of him. "Camille," He was looking up, eye-to-eye, his completion a dusty pink. "You have me." But the reply was rather quick, and he shook his head furiously for that. "You have me, and Al. We'll sort this out."
But how could they? Camille knew he longed to be a State Alchemist, and the gain of helping his brother. Camille would probably eventually end up in foster care, or something of the sort. The Elrics would probably be out on numerous missions and assignments; they would gradually drift away, and fall apart. So, wouldn't she be empty-handed in the end, anyway?
"We'll make it work, somehow."
She sighed; she didn't feel like that there was a way out of this, or whether she wanted to get out. "Yeah," Oh dear, she realized she was only an arm's length from him. She felt like she could literally hug him. But Edward's face seemed to realized this too, and walked away, stiff as a board. He wouldn't be able to handle a hug. It gave her a reason to giggle a bit, for the first time today. It was a gentle getaway; Nina wouldn't have let her rant about her death like what she did earlier.
"Thank you, Nina." The bright sky replied a subtle 'You're welcome.'
Camille couldn't believe that Alphonse could find a good hiding spot by the steps, considering his fairly large amour. "Heh, hello," he chimed nervously. She could've sworn the metal, blushed.
"Not the day you'd expect, huh?" Alphonse's amour creaked, he must've nodded.
"And Brother acted, so strange." He observed, putting on 'The Thinker' pose. "Besides Winry, he never acted this way." The girl blinked, that was the girl Edward was writing to, while she was looking for Nina. Nina…
She smirked, and then shrugged. "We're all kids here, it's meant to be awkward." She gestured for him to follow her back inside.
Alphonse probably assumed that he wasn't going to see her ebony-haired friend for a long time. With the work of finding the Philosopher's stone, and Camille needing to find a new place to live, they'll all be pretty busy.
But he felt that in a few more years, things will mend.
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End/ A Finale of Possibilities
11-28-09: Probably not the ending I expected to write, but the subtle hints just beg for a sequel.