Authors Notes: This isn't an extremely well thought out or planned fanfiction, I just typed it down one day. I liked where it was going though, so I continued it. Yes, I put myself in it, and strikeI plan on fangirling all through the darned thing/strike I promise not to go too overboard with it 3 But, if you don't like self-insertion, or you can't appreciate ocX-insert character- type things, don't bother. It's not like I'm going to have Edward fall in love with me, or anything silly like that. I respond to reviews, so tell me what you did or didn't like, and what you'd want to see more of! This is purely for fun, so I hope you can have fun too!
The song is NOT by me. It belongs to Vienna Teng, and it's title is Lullaby For A Stormy Night. Look it up while your reading, it's really a very sweet song.
Enjoy! I'll shut up so you can read!
It took them a while to board the train. A storm was holding up the loading of the cargo and luggage. Edward didn't mind though. He hated having to go report to the Colonel. He was so snarky and smug. Not to mention he had some sort of complex.
"Brother, you're sighing again." Edward looked up from the window he'd been staring out of. His brother was looking at him with what he could guess was frustrated concern.
"Sorry. These kinds of days just get to me, you know?" He mumbled. Alphonse touched the window gently, and they watched rain stream down the glass. Lightning illuminated their faces briefly followed by a loud clap of lightning.
A small child sitting behind Edward starting crying to himself. Alphonse felt sorry for the child. His mother had gone some time earlier to check and make sure their bags weren't getting too wet. The woman was kind, and had struck up a conversation with the Elric brothers despite their strange appearances. In fact it didn't seem to bother her at all.
"Don't worry, it's just thunder. It can't hurt you." Alphonse told the boy, trying to console him. Instead, he just turned away, tears falling harder than ever. He gave a small choking sob, and wedged himself tightly into the corner of the train seat.
"He's right you know." Edward piped, wanting to help. "Thunder is just a result of two clouds bumping up against one another which causes lightning. And then-" KA-SHA! The boy cried out, and held his trembling body. The brothers looked helplessly at one another.
"Little child, be not afraid
The rain pounds harshly against the glass
Like an unwanted stranger, there is no danger
I am here tonight
Little child, be not afraid
Though thunder explodes and lightning flash
Illuminates your tear-stained face
I am here tonight"
Edward looked over to see a girl around his age singing a soft lullaby, kneel in front of the boy. She held her hand to his face, singing the soothing words to him with practiced ease. Edward watched and listened with great interest as she sang the chorus.
"And someday you'll know
That nature is so
The same rain that draws near me
Falls on river and land
On forests and sand
Makes the beautiful world you see
In the morning"
Edward's throat clenched a bit. The girl had a soft and kind face as she sang. He couldn't help but give a little smile. His little hands worked at wiping away his tears.
"Little child, be not afraid
Though storm clouds mask your beautiful moon
And it's candlelight beams, still keep pleasant dreams
I am here tonight."
Everyone in the car was silent as she finished the calming little song. The young boy didn't even flinch when lightning struck the ground once again, sending forth another blast of thunder.
"It's like when mom would sing to us on stormy nights." Alphonse said quietly. Edward nodded.
"Oh Randy, I'm so sorry I took so long I know you must've been frightened by the storm." The woman was soaked, and looked ready to cry. "I feel awful, are you alright?" She asked. The girl edged away so the mother could get to her child.
"I'm okay momma. That nice girl sang me a song." He smiled with red rimmed eyes. The mother looked up as though seeing the young girl for the first time.
"Oh my, did she now?" She stood up, and began ringing out her long hair. "I can't thank you enough. He's really quite scared of storms."
"Oh it's fine!" The girl held her hands up modestly. "I couldn't very well leave him to cry when I could easily comfort him, you know?" She smiled, looking a little embarrassed.
"Really, I appreciate it. You're such a nice young woman. Please, can I give you something…?" The mother started to reach for her bag.
"No, no! I couldn't! Please, don't worry about it." Her face turned a darker shade of red. "I'm just glad I could be of some comfort to him, really." She stepped back towards her seat. The mother peeked around her, seeing the empty seat.
"Oh my! Are you all alone?" She asked. The girl glanced backward at her bag.
"Well, yes but I'm meeting someone in East City."
"Oh my, please won't you let us keep you company until then?" The mother persisted. The girl seemed unable to say 'no'.
"Well, so long as you don't mind…" She began reaching for the bag.
"Of course not! Now come and sit, the conductor said the train will be leaving any minute now!" Sure enough, just as she sat down the train rumbled to life. The little boy laughed, and seemed to have no fear of the storm now that his mother was holding him.
"You have a very nice singing voice." Alphonse said a bit nervously. The girl looked back at him, seeming a little alarmed at his appearance. She shook it off, and smiled.
"Thank you, I'm glad you think so." She giggled. "What's your name?" She asked, turning her body around she could see the brothers better.
"I'm Alphonse Elric, and this is my older brother, Edward." He pointed.
"That's Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, so you know." Edward grinned cheekily.
"Older brother?" She said in a confused way.
"Hey! That supposed to mean something?!" He growled. Al grabbed his brother's shoulders.
"Brother, please calm down. So, uh, what's you're name?" He asked quickly. The girl smoothed out her short little ponytail.
"My name's Ashley. You said you're the Fullmetal Alchemist right? I take it you're going to East City to report?" Edward groaned at the reminder.
"Unfortunately." He grimaced. Just as he'd started to forget it, the Colonel bastard's smug face re-appeared in his mind. With an agitated grunt, he scooted closer to the window and smacked his forehead to the window.
Ashley seemed unsure of what she did, and how to fix it, so Alphonse started up some small talk, which Randy and his mother joined in on. After a bit of sulking, the Fullmetal decided to pipe in as well.
"I'm telling you, trains are a lot faster than you'd think." The blonde boy insisted.
"I believe you about that, but what I can't believe is that you were running after a train, and actually managed to board it." Ashley laughed.
"How did you do it?" Randy asked curiously. Edward started to sweat.
"Oh, well, I uh, you see…" He scrambled for something to answer the boy with.
"I bet I know!" The mother chirped. "The train hadn't really started going, and you took a flying leap off of the loading platform, and your brother there caught you!" Edward swore inwardly.
"It's true isn't it!" Ashley gasped. "That's hilarious! You didn't actually run after it did you? It's just like she said, isn't it?" The trio leaned forward, awaiting his answer. He looked to his younger brother for help. Alphonse hurriedly became fascinated with a speck of rust on his armor.
With a big sigh, Edward mumbled something unintelligible under his breath. Ashley cupped an ear with her hand.
"What was that?" She asked.
"I said, yeah, that's true." He kicked his legs up onto the seat, and shoved his arms over his chest defensively. They all laughed as the train rumbled to a stop. Ashley looked urgently out the window.
"Oh no, I better get going!" She yelped, snatching up her bag. The others gave her a startled look.
"What, why?" The mother asked.
"Yeah, what's the rush?" Edward asked curiously.
"I have somewhere to be." She slung the bag over her head, and rushed for the door. "I had a wonderful time, it was great to meet you! Bye now!"
No one said anything for a moment after Ashley's abrupt departure. The mother stood up, and put her purse over her shoulder. Randy grabbed his mother's hand, and let her lead them out.
"I suppose we ought to go too. We had a lovely time, but we need to find Daddy now, don't we Randy? Bye-bye boys!" Randy waved the entire way. Alphonse and Edward waved silently.
"Shouldn't we go too? I mean, the Colonel did say to report to him immediately when we arrived, right?" Alphonse urged his brother.
"All the more reason to stay on." Edward groaned. "Oh well, let's go." He said in a forced way. Alphonse hurried after his brother, carrying their suitcase.