...
Her small hands fold together under the eye of the Lord; her knees bend and she falls forward with her head ducked over her blue overalls and white t-shirt.
Her brown hair falls in two braids by her face, one looping crookedly over her shoulder. Her hair is brown like the first falling leaf before winter; but, unlike a dead leaf, her hair is soft and worthy of admiration.
Above her, the small iron, gold-dusted cross stands like a frightened soldier, unmoving, never answering when his name is called.
The light from the eight windows in the chapel turn the Holy house of God into a hellish sweat-room. Colorful rays leak into the building- the light turned various shades of pink, blue, and red by the fancy stained-glass- giving the chapel a strangely nightmarish feeling.
The sweat on her forhead turn her rich, brown bangs into a dark, wet mess: from the death of a leaf, to the freshly opened chocolate Kiss- but not nearly as pleasant; The sweat drys slowly on its own, making her face itchy.
Yet she stays on her knees, praying to the mute cross, pleading that her beloved Mommy come back to visit sometime.
She had send Mommy so many letters that year, yet Mommy never answered any of them. At times, she believed that maybe Mommy doesnt like her anymore. But when she asks Daddy, he tells her Mommy loves her very much.
It doesn't make sense to her, so the only thing she can think of to do, is pray.
Daddy used to pray, too. He would pray for things like food and sweet dreams, back when Mommy was with them. But now he never does that anymore...
Maybe Daddy stopped because he's angry at God?
Regardless, she knew it wouldn't hurt to try; she had no grudges against Him; according to her story books Daddy bought her, God was good.
"Dear Father God," the little girl says quietly, her soft, childish voice echoing over the rows of empty wooden pews. "When will Mommy come back? She's been visiting her family for a long time, and I want her to be back with our family." She shuffles forward slightly on her knees, adjusting her position. "I know Mommy and Daddy love me very much, but I want them to be together and love me very very much like we used to. I think that would make Alexander really happy, too."
As if hearing his name, the dog waiting outside the chapel begins to bark.
Smiling, she can just picture the large, white dog's tail wagging, his large pink tongue rolling out of his mouth over his sharp, doggy teeth.
...
His fur isn't "as white as snow." It is more in the lines of, "as white as a dying lily:" old, yet beautiful.
Unfortunately, Alexander didn't bark because he was happy, or excited. And his tail isn't wagging.
He was sounding the alarm.
Danger. Danger.
A man who smells like danger walks towards the chapel. He has grey hair- but it is not the color grey you would see on a beautiful goose while you toss peices of bread in a pond. It was a color grey that a stuffed animal turns when it has never been washed; either too loved, or too hated to be cleaned.
The sunglasses on the stranger's face obscure his tired eyes, which are blessed with large dark circles of stress and sadness.
The stranger is in pain, in spiritual termoil and disgust on Mankind; he walks towards the chapel to redeem himself and restore his faith.
But Alexander doesn't trust the man; he smells like a rainstorm, looks like an angry Daddy, walks like Daddy does when he holds a long belt by his side.
Yes, Alexander knows how bad a belt can sting. Daddy loves Alexander, but somethings he does things that even the little girl doesnt approve of. Bad dogs need to be punished, or else they'll never know what is wrong or right.
With the strangers...?
Same thing.
Growling between his loud barks, Alexander strains against the red collar and leash, wihch is tied to the lamp-post outside the chapel.
Normally, Alexander is quiet and sweet.
But this man might hurt the little girl inside the building- the little girl who he loves- who he is waiting for- and he can't let that happen.
...
He goes by the name of Scar.
His religion is to destroy those who destroy the Laws of God; the ones who use their Alchemy powers to morph humans with animals, or create life out of nothing, or create oceans from a droplet of water on a child's nose. They were going against nature and the Creator Himself- and they must be punished.
It is why he lives: It is why he has put so much faith in the path he has chosen to walk.
It lives to destroy the destroyers.
But every soul he sends back to God's judgement, needs to be forgiven for. Murder is murder, and it is a sin- even if it is done for the good of the Kingdom.
That is why is is walking towards the chapel.
That is why he is now standing in front of a large, white dog, secretly judging the dog's motives.
He watches the loud dog's mouth open and its lips tremble as it lets out a lungful of angry noise, over and over.
It must be protecting something.
He looks up at the chapel, at the grand double-doors and the golden handles, and figures that its owner- or owners- must be inside.
Then he remembers.
He remembers seeing the dog before, but with a man and a woman, and a little girl. It was a long time ago, back when the world was just a little bit better than it is today.
He lowers his head at the dog, peering at it through his sunglasses. "You belong to that rich family- the Alchemists." He turns away, shoving his hands into the depths of his coat pockets. "...I might pay you a visit one of these days." he tells the dog.
As if listening to him, the dog stops barking and stares at him, tilting its head.
"Don't worry." Scar tells the dog. "Unless your family is doing something wrong, you wont be punished."
He casts one more long, haunted glance at the chapel before heading down the road, not once looking back.
...
Inside and alone, the little girl waits for an answer, her body bathed in an artifical rainbow.
"Oh, and God..?" she adds, more shly. "Can you make Daddy come home early from work today? I'm going to draw him something really special when I get back home- so he wont be angry that I left the house by myself."
Uncertainly, she bows her head till it touches the wood of the alter, and says, "Amen." She giggles, then stands.
Outside, Alexander gives a lonely whimper.
Silly dog. Smiling, the little girl turns to the double-doors, her chocolate-kiss braids swinging around her neck like Medusa's snakes, crying out in a cheerful voice, "Coming, Alexander!" and she runs down the aisle, a smile on her face.
...
Alexander looks away from the direction the stranger vanished to, and turns to the chapel as the doors open. His tail begins to wag when he sees the little girl is smiling, and he strains against the leash once more, whining, even as she begins to pet him.
She unties the leash and says, "You ready to go home now?"
Alexander licks the girl on her face, and she giggles.
He wants to go home, yes. He recognizes that word, and prances on his feet like a puppy, feeling more excited since the encounter with the stranger.
But the little girl grabs more tightly to the leash and says, "Be still, boy!"
He listens, understanding that if he isn't still, he would get slapped on the nose.
The little girl walks side-by-side with him, rubbing his side. Their house is four blocks away, and if they dont beat Daddy home before he gets done with his meeting, then they will be in trouble.
Alexander tugs his head to the right, and the little girl stumbles forward.
"Oh!" she gasps. "You're right, Alexander! Daddy will be home early today! And i still need to draw Daddy a picture for him!"
Alexander yawns, catching a cool draft of wind which made him sleepy. The wind...he sniffs the air, then growls slightly. The air has the scent of the stranger, though he is long gone.
Luckily, the girl starts to run.
Alexander turns it into a game, and he runs ahead of her, extending himself as far as the leash allows.
He must leave the danger as quickly as possible.
...
Laughing, the little girl sprints beside her beloved dog, nearly hysterical with a giggling fit. "Gosh, Alexander! You are really happy today!" The word 'happy' reminds the little girl of being with the two boys; one called Edward, the other Alphose, who is a walking, talking suite of armer. Keeping her pace, the little girl says, "Maybe Big Brother Ed and Alphonse can come over and play tomorrow!"
The dog says nothing, his tongue letting loose strings of hot salivia as it slaps against his cheek.
Alexander never talks much. He just likes to growl-
Bits of drool hit her face like rain, interupting her thoughts.
"Eww, that's yucky!" the little girl says, slowing down to wipe the spit off of her face. The dog slows down obediantly and starts to walk. She walks with him. "Don't you think it'd be fun if we could all play together?" she asks the dog.
The dog only responds by licking her on the face, whining ever-so-quietly.
Maybe Alexander is sleepy.
The little girl yawns, and says, "We'll be home soon. Just a few more steps." She smiles, then adds, "Maybe I'll have a letter from Mommy in the mail today."
...
In the shadows of an alley, he waits for a sigh from God to tell him where to go next.
His destiny, after all, is to destroy the destroyers.
But his main key of survival is establishing the connection with God's ever-flowing voice inside his head. And without a voice to listen to, he has no guidance.
He thinks of the little girl and the dog, of the happy family they once were.
He remembers now that the girl's mother was dead- died two years ago, which is the same time the girl's father recieved became a State Alchemist.
He may have to look into that.
...