A/N: Hello, guys! Sorry for taking long on updating! Last month was pretty hectic, with a bunch of projects and finals here and there ;;
I can't believe I've managed to make just a couple minutes of something turn into over 6,000 words in a chapter… o.o; Well technically, there are some different things sprinkled in here and there, regarding Elena. But still… How even? Welp, I'm glad that I didn't go overboard with the chapter this time at least haha
Thank you for all of the reviews, faves, and follows! c: Tbh, I wasn't expecting to get that much feedback from all of you! I was extremely surprised, actually. But I'm so glad y'all like it so far! Your reviews are especially very heartwarming and flattering, and I appreciate it all!
Anyways, enough from moi! You've all waited for practically a month! Thank you so much for your patience!
If there was one word she would describe the sudden events she was witnessing, it would be anomalous.
Firstly, Elena meets Truth. The creature, God, or whatever he was, had done nothing but belittle the world that Elena lived in. He approached her with the issue as if the people were practically Elena's people. Well… They were all humans like Elena. Yet, Truth had treated it as if Elena was in charge of her humans; laying out all the problems to her, highly suggesting that they were by all means unintelligent. Only because the people on Earth didn't practice the concepts of alchemy.
It was absurd; Elena wasn't even familiar with alchemy, so why would Truth suddenly outpour his views on a girl who just wanted to get better from her sickness? Why would Elena care? Her world was fairing off well without alchemy. In fact, technology was what made her world advanced. Was it her being ignorant about it, or Truth?
Besides that, Truth's voice sounded like a large population screaming down at her. The creature would mumble just a few words, and it'd all sound like hell to Elena's ears.
Then, without any kind of choice from her, Truth dumped Elena into the Gate of Truth. Elena would never forget the multitude of hands clinging onto her as she was dragged into nothing but darkness. It was haunting, it was dark, it was eerie, and it was frightening.
But it could've been so much worse.
Truth had spared Elena from the agony and pain that other alchemists were inflicted with. Luckily, she wasn't an alchemist. But unluckily, she was still forced to go through the Gate of Truth, as a soul for the unknown summoner.
Then, she woke up to a girl who screams foreign tourist. Everything about her was different, especially for the North American standards; from her blush-colored Eastern dress, to her jet-black hair, to even her pet panda, of all animals.
She was nice, though. Pleasant and enjoyable, even. Her voice was out of norm and high-pitched. But that characteristic didn't hinder her amicable personality in the slightly bit.
Her actions was quite… Fluid, at the very least. It was so fluid and vibrant to the point where it literally looked animated.
As animated as an anime.
It wasn't long enough until a new person came into play.
"Yoki," the new person, a male, had called out. His distinct features - scarlet eyes, brown skin, and snow-white hair - made him easy to recognize.
Scar from Fullmetal Alchemist.
What the hell is going on? Elena pondered as she gaped at the new visitor, mouth full of peaches and dripping with peach juice. She probably looked like a low-life, unmannered peasant. But she could care less; she was more engrossed in Scar. She didn't want to admit it, but she was even a bit anxious as well. Just a bit. She knows what he's capable of. She remembered those episodes where he brutally beaten up and even murdered people.
She especially remembered how he slaughtered Basque Gran; one second, his giant hand was engulfing his face. Within the next second, red sparks sprawled out from his hands into multitudes of directions. The back of the Iron Alchemist's head had practically exploded, scarlet red blood gushing out all over the area. Some had even managed to trickle out from the alchemist's eyes, pouring right into the same hand Scar used to kill him.
Scar was literally a cold-hearted murderer with bloodstained hands.
Elena then noticed how dark the place she was in was. Scar stood by the doorway, blocking the bright sunlight outside. The place really could've used some sunlight. Elena was pretty sure that if she stepped outside, she would be instantly blinded by the sunlight. It would be similar to waking up in a hotel room with those giant curtains blocking an equally giant window. Waking up in total darkness at first, and then suddenly blinded by the sunlight as someone pulls the curtains.
Elena looked skyward at the crumbling ceiling. It was dull and old; many parts of it were cracking or peeling off. Beads of sunlight leaked through the various tiny openings. It still wasn't sufficient for the dim house.
I hope to the lord that nothing comes crashing down our heads… Elena hoped. She was already in a tight situation. There wasn't any need to worsen it.
I also hope he doesn't kill little innocent girls… Elena mused. She took one more good look at the tan man.
Wait a second… What is he wearing? She realized Scar's different outfit.
She remembered his outfit in Fullmetal Alchemist. He had some kind of jacket that was a couple shades lighter than his skin tone; it was almost like a goldish tan. Underneath his coat was a dull white shirt, all worn out. His legs were garbed in sweatpants that are similar to those Adidas sweatpants Elena thought were overrated; black with white stripes at the side. Scar's black sweatpants, however, had some white cross on each side instead of stripes. He had also worn shades to mask his obviously red eyes.
But what Scar is wearing isn't exactly alike to what Elena was used to.
Now, he wasn't wearing his coat, nor was he wearing his shades. Instead, a thin cloak the color of moss was draped over his worn-out shirt. Even with the cloak on, Elena was able to clearly see the details of his toned arms. His arms looked a lot more massive and bulky than she remembered. They were big. Elena remembered his arms being quite scrawny. Heck, she remembered his whole figure being scrawny.
Why is he so buff? He makes the actual Scar look like a angsty poetry writer… Elena questioned uncomfortably.
A thought then occurred to her.
Wait… The actual Scar? Elena looked at him again. She quickly shoved a peach in her mouth to conceal her scrutiny and shock. She placed one palm over her mouth for extra measures, pretending that she was wiping her mouth.
Oh my god… Elena stopped chewing for a few seconds. This is Scar from that other FMA anime… Brotherhood, right?
She took one last glance at him. She clearly remembered seeing pictures of him online one afternoon. She was searching up more about the Ishvalan one day after watching a couple episodes of the Fullmetal Alchemist series. That, and she was bored. While searching through pictures, she saw varying pictures of Scar - some from the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist series, and others from Brotherhood. The differences were crystal-clear once Elena compared a picture of the Scar from the older series to one of Scar from Brotherhood next to it. The Brotherhood Scar had worn, and looked, exactly like the man in front of her: a green cloak with a bulkier build.
Oh man, it is! Elena confirmed. She wasn't even finished with the first Fullmetal Alchemist series. She hardly knew information about Brotherhood, other than some tidbits from Mack. And now, here she was; eye to eye to the Scar she was even less knowledgeable of than the Scar from the series she was trying to finish.
Elena glanced at May. The other girl, like Elena, was also highly intrigued in Scar. She looked fascinated, and even unwary about Scar, as if she never heard of him at all. She was kneeling down next to Elena, practically resembling a pupil kneeling down.
So first Truth, and now Scar… Elena continued to muse. Both of them are characters from Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood… I wonder if she's from Brotherhood as well.
She took a quick glimpse at "Master" Yoki. He was gaping at Scar with a frightened expression. Elena stifled a giggle; he looked pathetically funny with that face.
Yoki also looked at him with a huge sense of familiarity. Was he close to Scar? How much did they knew each other? From the way it seems, they don't have much of a amiable bond. If anything, it seemed unhealthy and hostile. Why would they be together then?
Despite all of that, he still seems highly familiar. He even sounds familiar.
He could've also been from Fullmetal Alchemist. Either the first or Brotherhood… Elena thought. So… I'm dreaming about being in Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood?
She instantly regretted not taking up Mack's insane galore and knowledge about Brotherhood. He was extremely dedicated to the series in a way. But he had a lack of control whenever he babbled about it. He almost even spoiled Elena a couple times in the past. Ever since then, Elena only allowed Mack to tell her some minor details, or something interesting and spoiler-free. It actually worked out well when he did just that. But would any of those facts help her out?
Elena suddenly felt Scar's gaze on her. His eyes, an angry shade of red, lingered on her and May. His gaze was quite powerful; Elena felt like he was piecing into her very soul. His face was set in his neutral expression: a muted scowl. She could easily tell that he was confused, perhaps even displeased. Though Elena didn't blame him; she'd also be skeptical as to why there were suddenly two girls in her house.
Still staring down at the two girls, Scar finally spoke up, his voice sounding hushed and solemn, "What's going on? Who are they?" His hands were balled up in fists. Elena could see his chest rising up and sinking down from his breathing.
To her left, Yoki walked up to the Ishvalan, one hand in another. Even though Scar wasn't looking at him, Yoki knew that he was seeking answers from him specifically. His back was hunched, and his cowardness quickly diminished into enthusiasm. He looked like he was trying to appeal a customer.
"Oh, sir, you returned! Welcome back!" Yoki greeted, as if he was actually glad to see the naturally glowering man.
That wasn't the answer Scar was looking for. In a more emphasized tone, he repeated his command, "I said, who are these girls?"
Yoki suddenly flinched harshly. He was acting as if a strong wind suddenly blew him. Elena nearly snorted. Sure, she was also anxious of Scar. After all, he was practically a murderer. She didn't know if he would hurt her or May, or even the panda - the panda didn't deserve to die! Yet, it wasn't like Scar had yelled at him. But she shouldn't be saying something like that. She didn't know why Yoki was with Scar. Perhaps he's a hostage?
But he was alone in this place before Scar came… Elena thought. I'm pretty sure that he would've fled. And I'm even more sure that Scar would've never left him alone like that. Silly you.
Out of the corner of her eye, Elena saw May shift her kneeling position, facing the man. With that cheerful smile of her's, she spoke up, "Pleased to meet you! My name is May Chang, sir!" She bowed her head at her introduction, and grinned even wider.
So far, there was just no end to the girl's happiness and smiles.
Elena could've sworn that even the tiny panda on her shoulder was beaming just like her. That panda was mimicking every expression of May, like a parrot copying every word of someone.
I have to admit… That is pretty cute… Elena thought. The panda makes it so cute! If only my hamster could do stuff like that...
She imagined her tiny hamster on her shoulder, mimicking Elena's expressions.
How cute would that be? she thought dreamily.
Scar let out a grunt of… Approval? Understanding? It sounded just as gruff as his voice. It was hard to Elena to decipher what was going on in that skull of his.
Elena then reached her hand in her can of peaches. There was just one more slice in there. But her hand couldn't find it.
I know it's somewhere in there.. She thought, fumbling through the can. She felt the sturdy tin of the can, but no fruit. She scanned the dark, dusty floor around her. There was some residue from the ceiling above them. But there was no peach.
Then, she felt the soft, juicy texture of a peach. The slice felt minuscule, compared to the other thicker slices she ate. But she was fine with it; food was food, after all.
There it is… she grinned triumphantly as she dished out the final orangey slice. She stuffed it in her mouth.
She suddenly felt a sharp pang of pain and pressure on her finger.
"Ow!" Elena winced. She yanked her finger out of her mouth. She scrutinized it, hoping that it wasn't bleeding. To her relief, her slender finger just had a few bite marks. Although it stung with pain, and it was slightly red, no blood was gushing out of the finger.
How did I manage to do that? Elena pondered to herself. Still, it wasn't her first time that she bit her finger while hungrily scarfing down food, so she wasn't entirely surprised. Not to mention, she even bit down so hard, to the point where her finger would bleed.
She shrugged to herself, and munched on her final piece of peach. The juice in it tasted sweet, refreshing, and satisfying. She felt more rejuvenated and awake. But not awake enough to escape from her dream.
Would I rather be confined in bed with a nasty cold, or stay stuck in a dream of an anime I've never watched? Elena questioned herself.
She glanced back at the can.
Why are they so good? She thought. She was highly disappointed that they was done. But she couldn't pinpoint why.
I'd never think about a simple can of peaches like that… Elena looked at the can. I've never eaten canned peaches before!
She suddenly realized her peculiar behavior with the food. It was just a can of peaches. She felt silly but weird. What was going on?
"A-hem!" Someone cleared his throat quite loudly. The voice was deep and, again, gruff. Elena looked up to see who did that.
It was none other than Scar that cleared his throat. His raging-red eyes were scrutinizing not May, not Yoki, but Elena. No one else or less. He still had that same unselfconscious scowl. He stood still and tall, practically looking like a lonely statue.
Would that man ever smile? Elena thought.
Scar then spoke up, impatience growing in his tone, "And you?"
Alright, Lena, you got this… Elena said, bracing herself.
Elena looked at Scar, coffee-brown eyes locking into those fierce scarlet eyes. She straightened her posture, quickly swallowed the peach, and swiped an arm across her juicy chin.
"H-Hi…" she started off a bit softly. Then, with a deep breath , she continued, "My name is Elena…" she continued with a grin, attempting to sound somewhat casual and a bit reserved.
Hopefully he'll cut his slack off if he thinks I'm more of a reserved person… Elena thought.
"Mmm…" Was all Scar replied. It sounded emotionless.
Not much for words, isn't he? Elena thought, raising an eyebrow.
An uncomfortable, awkward silence hung in the air. Yoki was looking at the Ishvalan, then at the girls, and then back at the Ishvalan. Scar kept a sturdy gaze upon the girls. May stared back at the looming man with that unfaltering grin. It looked like some staring contest.
The silence was too uncomfortable. Too awkward. It was to the point where Elena felt somewhat cold. She felt herself tremble a bit.
Well... Shouldn't we ask for his name? Elena asked herself. Even though she knew what he would say, it would help clear any suspicion. May didn't seem to mind him not returning the favor of saying his name. It didn't seem like she knew him, either.
Welp. I might as well ask then… Elena eventually decided after a couple seconds. It didn't seem like May would've asked. Nor would Yoki fill her in about him.
Elena took in a quick breath, and looked at Scar. "So, um… What's your name, then?"
Elena noticed that weird look Yoki was giving, staring right at the Ishvalan.
Oh, I just realized… Elena thought, suddenly panicking. Doesn't everyone in Amestris knows about Scar? The way he looks? Red eyes and white hair, like any other Ishvalan.
Scar answered, his voice lacking any emotion, "I don't have a name. I abandoned it the moment I decided to leave my country and fulfill my mission to God."
Elena was somewhat expecting him to answer like that. She scrunched her face up at the last comment. She knew what his "mission to God" was: to eliminate alchemists. Especially the ones that contributed to the bloody Ishvalan War. Heck, it wasn't even a war; it was a bloody genocide.
To be honest, I really do pity him… Elena though, looking down at her can. But is it really necessary to kill all the alchemists? Also…
Her face scrunched up yet again.
That's not fair. He expected us to tell him our names, yet he doesn't tell us his? Wow, how trusting of him. I'm glad I know him… In a way, at least.
Casting aside her jumbled thoughts, she glanced at Yoki, expecting him to feed her with more knowledge. She gave him a expression that screamed, "Enlighten me, s'il vous plait."
Yoki looked up at Scar, as if he was waiting for some kind of approval. Scar's face remained unchanged; it was as stony as ever.
That man is so unreadable… Elena thought, squinting at nowhere in particular. She just hoped the Ishvalan in front of her wouldn't see it. I wonder how Yoki pulls up with him. Maybe I'll ask him why he's here later on…
Elena then gulped. If there is a later on, that is.
Yoki turned back to Elena. He cleared his throat. "The people here often refer to him as 'Scar.' The X-shaped scar on his face was used as inspiration of sorts for his code name. Ever since then-"
Elena had mentally cutted him off after the second sentence. She just couldn't stand the way he was explaining Scar.
He sounds so snobbish, like he knows everything about him… Elena thought.
It was true; Yoki was speaking in such a haughty manner. It felt like he was purposely trying to condense Elena with his "profound" knowledge of Scar. Elena's automatic dislike for him came back.
I wish Mack was here… Elena thought sullenly. She knew for sure that he would deliver a far better explanation than Yoki was.
Yoki continued babbling on, until Scar interrupted, "That's enough, Yoki." His voice sounded mildly annoyed.
Even he's sick of it… Elena struggled to hold her giggle, something she has never done yet in this place.
Yoki once again winced dramatically at Scar's low yet powerful voice. There was something about the way Scar spoke. His voice was barely above the volume of a rushed mutter. Yet, he managed to sound commanding, powerful, and even a bit frightening with that voice. His natural demeanor and aura was just as powerful as his voice; inanimate yet dominate.
Elena mused, No wonder he was able to get through this place on his own.
Scar then shifted his attention back to Elena and May. "... Why are you two here?"
Yikes… Elena thought, gulping. I was hoping he won't answer that. I don't even know how I got in this house. I just woke up. What am I supposed to say? "Oh, I just woke up in this nice place with a urgent… Urge to eat"?
Elena looked at May, swirling the now-empty in her right hand. The raven-haired girl has been quiet for a good time.
Still maintaining that eager smile, May simply explained, "Well, we had collapsed at the side of the road. Your master," she glanced up at Yoki, "Mr. Yoki, revived us and brought us back here!"
She ended her explanation with a cheerful, chirpy-like tone.
Wait… Elena perked up at "we had collapsed at the side of the road."
Was I unconscious at the time? She asked herself. Or was I awake, but didn't remember? Maybe I passed out while walking with her at the road?
She looked at May.
I'll ask about that later on… she decided. She was worried that asking now would be a wrong time, and could cause some suspicion.
She glanced up at Yoki. Yoki was looking at the girl with an expression that basically read, "What the hell?"
Same, Yoki… Elena thought, casting her dislike of him for a solid second. The title didn't even fit him well; he didn't seem worthy enough for such a label.
"Master?" Scar repeated, pronouncing it as if he was feeling the word. Even he was lost at the sudden title given to the older man, of all people. He glimpsed at Yoki, who had only gawked at May even more. It looked like Yoki was avoiding eye contact with Scar for a brief second. It also looked like Scar was thinking the same thing: Yoki didn't deserve the label "master."
Elena giggled.
Oh man! He looks so jealous! She mused in between her giggles. What, does he want to be called "Master" by her?
Luckily, Scar didn't hear her giggles. Either he did heard her, but ignored it, or was staring at Yoki so much to the point where all of his attention was reserved to that man.
Scar then grunted yet again. Turning to his left, he started trudging into the small house. May and Elena scooted back a bit, giving him room to enter. Scar then turned to his left, finally looking away from Elena. Elena felt like a huge weight was lifted away from her as his gaze broke away from her. She felt like she could breathe properly.
"You two have seemed to recover…" he spoke while walking, still not looking at the girls. His tone was as emotionless as ever. "There's no need for you two to stay. Be on your way at once."
"What?" Elena thought out loud. However, it came out as a soft mumble. Only she had heard herself exclaim that.
How could you just kick out two girls like that? She thought, frowning. Cut us some slack, man.
She looked at May. Even she was unhappy of what Scar had told them. Her face was a mixture of confusion and disappointment.
So there was an end to her grins.
Elena turned back to Scar. She noticed something… Off about him. The way he was walking. It looked like he was struggling to walk. It looked like he was limping.
Is he hurt? Elena thought.
Elena then noticed something on his right leg. The upper side of his pants had a huge tear. The edges were soaked with something scarlet.
Is that blood? Elena questioned.
She then noticed a huge cut that was exposed on his leg. Fresh blood was leaking out from the thick cut.
Behind her, May softly gasped. She must've noticed that cut as well. Elena then heard her body shuffle a bit. She looked behind her.
May was now standing up with a worried expression. It was the same expression Elena woke up to herself. With a hint of determination, she dashed towards the injured Ishvalan.
Elena turned back to Scar. He slowly sank down against the floor, letting out a hushed grunt of pain in the process. He leaned against the wall. His injured leg was sprawled out on the floor, while his other leg neatly laid flat. He grimaced yet again, his stony face diminishing into a pained expression.
Whoa… Elena thought. I'd never thought I'd see him like this. Ever.
Ever since watching the show, Scar had always appeared to Elena as someone expressionless and cold. His aura was always intimidating, and he was always on guard. He was strong, no doubt about it. He had no mercy, took no nonsense from others, and done things without hesitation for the most part. Even in her dream, his character was a reflection of himself in the show. He was a killer, and his demeanor simply stated the truth of his character.
What Elena now saw was the total opposite of what she was accustomed to from Scar.
Scar now appeared weak. That was something Elena would have never imagined from him. But here he was now, wincing in pain, bleeding from a cut, and hardly able to move around. He was vulnerable at this stage. His head was bowed down, as if he was ashamed to appear at such a state, especially next to two girls.
May was now standing next to the wounded man.
Scar looked down at the girl. Elena could've sworn that Scar looked shocked and even startled for a brief second before he gruffly asked May, "What, girl?"
May immediately dipped down to the floor, returning back to her kneeling position.
"Allow me to close your wound," she told the Ishvalan gently, as if she was a nurse comforting a hysteric patient.
Wait… How? Elena asked herself, staring questioningly at the girl. She didn't seem to have any kind of medical kit around. How was she going to tend to the cut?
Elena was only able to see the girl's back. She saw May shifting around a bit, moving her arms a little bit here and there. Letting her curiosity get to her, Elena stood up. She walked up to the girl and the man. Peering right behind May's shoulder, with Xiao Mei on it, she saw her rapidly sketching a star inside a circle with white chalk.
Elena squinted. Is this alchemy?
May then balled up one of her tiny hands into a fist. Within a couple seconds, five of those same kunais she used to open up Elena's canned peaches appeared, coming out from her poofy dress sleeve.
Holy shit… Elena thought, once again feeling unsettled of the kunais. I thought she was dangerous enough with one kunai. But five? I guess I have to start carrying knives around.
May gathered all of the kunais in a reachable center for her. She then grasped one of the unique knives and jabbed it by one of the corners of the star. She repeated the method with each of the four kunais left. After using the last one, May backed away a bit with a hum. All five of the kunais were each stabbed by one of the corners of the single star.
Elena heard someone gasp behind her. She turned around and saw Yoki staring at May's work with a… Startled expression? Confused? Perhaps a mixture of both.
Scar squinted his eyes at the star. He looked skeptical of it. Even a bit suspicious.
After observing the drawings and kunai for a couple seconds, May confidently placed two hands on top of the star.
That's similar to how Ed and Al does alchemy… Elena realized.
The circle and star glowed in a icy blue shade. Immediately, a frenzy of blue lightning emerged from the glowing transmutation circle. The lightnings sprawled out in multitudes of directions, but nowhere near any of the four. It illuminated the dark house with some light.
Elena flinched, not expecting the circle to give off such an reaction. She then felt a sudden jolt of warmness and energy from the circle. Something about the transmutation circle depicted a surge of positive energy to Elena. It made her feel refreshed and renewed. The circle gave out such a great sensation. It was totally different from what she was expecting; those frantic blue lightning would have cause total devastation. But it was quite the contrary from what Elena felt; she felt safe and energized next to the active circle.
Is this how it feel likes to be next to an active transmutation circle? Elena thought. The impact from the array made her hair flutter back, like a soft wind tickling her very presence. She closed her eyes a bit, taking in the relaxing flow of the circle.
Elena's eyes then fluttered back up, upon feeling someone staring at her. She automatically turned around and saw Yoki giving her another one of those strange looks he gave earlier on. His eyebrows were furrowed, and his eyes were squinted in a odd matter. His lips curled up in a frown.
Gosh. What's his problem? Elena thought, frowning back at him for a split second before looking back at the spectacle before her.
The blue lightning eventually died down. The room became dim and dark again. All of that warmth Elena felt was now gone.
Elena heard Yoki and even Scar gasp. They were both staring at Scar's leg with an astonished expression.
What happened? Elena thought, stretching forward to see the commotion. She then remembered:
Oh right! His cut! Elena joined them in looking at the leg. She then gasped herself.
The cut was all sealed up! Sure, there was still some leftover blood. But the cut was gone, as if it never existed. Scar's leg looked much better, despite the leftover blood.
Amazing… Elena mused, highly impressed. I didn't know there was such thing as alchemy that could heal.
"It's healed!" Yoki exclaimed.
You don't say… Elena thought, mentally rolling her eyes.
Instead of replying to Yoki, Elena asked May, "Is that alchemy? I've never heard of anything that could heal…"
May turned around and chirped, "No. It's a skill called alkahestry from the land of Xing!" She beamed at Elena.
… Xing? Elena mused over that word. And… Alkahestry? They both sound so familiar…
Suddenly, she remembered. She remembered hearing something about Xing and alkahestry from Mack.
Wait… Isn't alkahestry basically eastern alchemy? Elena thought, placing a finger on her chin thoughtfully. And Xing…
She looked at May.
Her hairstyle. Her panda. Her kunais. And most importantly, her dress.
It all makes sense… Elena thought, connecting everything at once. Xing is basically the equivalent of China in the Brotherhood world... Elena shuddered. I hope I'm not making some racist assumption at this.
Scar looked up at Yoki. He asked in a surprisingly soft tone, "They're from Xing?"
In an equally soft tone, if not softer, Yoki answered, "That's right…" as if he just realized. He then quickly added, "Well, I don't know about her though," pointing at Elena.
Oh no! Elena thought, panicking instead of getting irritated. How am I supposed to explain to them where I came from!? How would they react if I said I was from America? I mean, I could just say that the country is extremely foreign and far from here. But what if they ask for some kind of story or reasoning of why I'm here?
"The point is…" Yoki continued loudly, not letting Elena say anything, to her relief. He pointed down at May. "This girl! Crossed the desert! From the east! By herself! To get here!" With each shorten sentence, he jabbed his pointed finger downwards above May's head. His arm was at a ninety degree angle. To Elena, it looked hilariously painful. In general, Yoki looked pathetically funny.
Yoki crossed his arms and stood straightly. He looked down at the girl smugly and added, "How stupid could that be? It's clearly ridiculous."
Elena saw the spark that rippled in May's dark eyes. May stood up. Defiantly looking back at Yoki, she retaliated, "I did not travel here alone! I was with my friend, Xiao Mei!"
The tiny panda on her shoulder, that did nothing but subtly mimic May's movements, raised one black paw and mewled in response.
Elena heard Scar grunt. Compared to the numerous of times he grunted, this one was much softer. It was audible, but barely.
Elena looked at Scar. He was now staring at the tiny panda with wide ruby-red eyes.
Elena looked at the man questioningly.
This anime, man… Elena thought to herself. What's going on?
She suddenly felt a brief spark of pain in her forehead. It came for just a second, and then went away. Despite that, the pain was harsh. Thankfully, not hard enough to make her scream in agony.
"Gah!" Elena groaned with clenched teeth. She held a light palm on her forehead.
What was that? she thought worriedly. She gently rubbed her fingers on her forehead. Is that from waking up, maybe?
She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. After opening her eyes, she slowly removed her hand from her forehead. It was no longer aching.
May and Yoki were loudly bickering. Elena, however, was much more fixated on Scar. Scar was staring at Xiao Mei. May's back was facing the man, so neither the girl nor the panda knew that he was staring at her. The way he looked at her was obviously full of surprise and even a bit mesmerized. He then started to reach one of his hand out towards the panda.
Oh, no no no… Elena instantly recognized the pose of his hands. It was extremely similar to how he kills State Alchemists. One hand was slightly opened, opening more little by little the closer it got to the target.
Is he… Going to kill the panda!? Oh my god! May, please please please turn back! Elena looked at May pleadingly, hoping to get her attention. She literally felt her heart hammer against her chest.
Luckily, May turned back, looking at Scar with a hint of curiosity. To Elena's relief, Scar had stopped reaching towards the panda. His whole arm hung in the air, exposing his muscles and the black tattoo.
Whoa… Elena thought, staring at the tattoos. She was amazed at how detailed and precise the tattoo looked. Sure, it looked detailed in the anime. But looking at the actual tattoo in front of her made her realize how meticulous it was. Lots of lines and different designs overlapped each other. There were even some words on the tattoo, but Elena couldn't figure them out.
May must've noticed the tattoo as well. She backed up towards Scar's arm, her dark eyes not budging away one bit.
"Wait… Your arm.." May mumbled while backing up. She then stopped and scanned it more. "That's alkahestry, right? The art of reading the Dragon's Pulse…"
Dragon Pulse? Elena cocked her head a bit. She nearly giggled. Wait, isn't that a Pokemon move?
Elena then shook her head a bit. Don't be silly! It doesn't have to be just Pokemon!
May continued, "Knowing the power that flows through the ground and how to use it? That tattoo matches the flow of alkahestry used in my homeland!"
Elena was totally lost at what May said.
Scar then lowered his arm. It was quite dramatic, especially since he lowered it very slowly. He looked at May and gruffly responded, "My brother was a student of alchemy and alkahestry, and conducted a great deal of research to both fields." He glanced at his tattoo. "The tattoo that I bear was a result of that research…"
Oh really? Elena blinked. Then, she suddenly questioned, "But… Then why is it on your arm, and not on your brother's?"
Scar immediately looked down at his lap. An abrupt cold expression took over.
Elena mentally gulped. Oh crap. I think I went too personal on that…
Scar tersely answered, "I consider that to be personal…" His voice remained stoic, but his downcast eyes were gleaming. They revealed some sort of sadness and grief. Something that's too close to probe. Something that would distraught him for a while.
Elena just simply nodded in understandment.
Don't wanna put him in a even worse mood now… she thought.
"Well…" May gleefully exclaimed, clapping her two tiny hands together, "That's incredible! Your brother must've really been something!"
Scar continued gazing downwards. He didn't respond, or even showed any regard of May's comment. He looked remorseful.
Something must've happened to his brother… Elena thought glumly. She suddenly felt bad for the Ishvalan. Even though he's a mass murderer at this point, he was still human.
May and Xiao-Mei both blinked in confusion upon receiving no response from Scar. They stared at him, hoping to get some sort of reply back.
Yoki broke the silence, "I don't know what you are talking about…"
May and Elena both looked at the shorter man.
Same, Yoki… Elena thought.
Yoki then grinned and shrugged, "But your wounds are healed, sir. We can be on our ways to set out without any further delays!"
May clapped her hands together again, and eagerly replied, "Oh, that sounds great! Let me go get my things!" She dashed to her lavender-colored stash, which was just a few feet away from the trio.
She just reminded me of Mabel Pines… Elena thought with an amused grin.
Yoki peered at the girl with a exasperated expression. "What do you think you're doing, kid? Didn't he told you two to shove off once you're healed? We're not exactly going to Central for a picnic, you know."
May turned back with a determined look. "I know! But I meant what I told you!"
Yoki looked down at May with that same smug smile of his. "Oh, you mean that immortality stuff you were spouting about earlier?" Lifting his arms up in another shrug, he stated, "There's no such thing! Only a fool would believe such nonsense!"
May quickly stood up, scooping up her satchel. She nearly startled Elena when she squealed, "Yes there is! And I came to find it!" Xiao-Mei was clenching her sharp teeth at Yoki while May retaliated back.
Yoki irritably pointed a scrawny finger at the girl. "Oh, shut up! Kids don't know anything!"
Xiao-Mei then reached over and chomped on the man's pointed finger.
Holy crap! Elena thought, her eyes widening in shock and amusement. Her mouth was agape in a wide smile, a giggle escaped as she watched Yoki howl in what seemed to be immense pain. He got what we deserved after all! Heh… "Kids don't know anything…" What does he-
All of a sudden, she felt her heart beat, harshly. It thumped once powerfully. Her chest then ached, and her migraine returned. The migraine felt much worse than before. It felt like her head was on the verge of exploding.
Her vision started to blur. Multiple colors vanished, or appeared fuzzy. Then, a totally new vision took over.
"Are you the one…?" A mysterious voice echoed. It sounded like a monotone male's voice.
Blue alchemy sparks shot up in the darkness. Red alchemy sparks followed, clashing into the blue ones. It eventually ate up the blue sparks, as more and more appeared.
A swish of pale blonde hair.
"Are you the one that I summoned?" the mysterious voice continued.
There were explosions everywhere. Alchemic explosions, sparks continuing to fly all over the place.
Golden eyes took over her vision, piercing through her very soul. Golden eyes so ancient, so wisdomly, so… Lifeless. So empty, so emotionless.
Who knew such a lively color could be so dull and dead?
"Come to me…" the voice boomed.
Elena did not like the way he said that.
More explosions. Then, there was screaming. It sounded so high-pitched. Someone was in grievous pain.
Another swish of blonde hair. This time, it was darker and healthier-looking.
Then, a pale-white palm took her vision. The hand was opened up, inching closer and closer towards her face
"Share with me your power…" the voice echoed.
The opened hand was getting so close to Elena's face. She could practically see the lines of the person's palm. Even more screaming blazed through the area of darkness.
Suddenly, red sparks blew right in front of her face. More screaming. More voices. More explosions.
This was hell.
"... Hey! Elena! Are you okay?" a voice called out.
Elena felt two hands seize and shake her shoulders. A girl's voice worriedly begged, "Elena! Please! Are you okay!?" It was May.
Elena opened her eyes. Her lungs felt like she was drowning in a pool, causing her to take heavy deep breaths. Her headache felt like it was subsiding, but it was still strong. She placed both hands on her head.
"My… Headache…" Elena groaned.
Who was that? Elena questioned. And why again?
May placed a hand on top of Elena's head. She closed her eyes for a few seconds. "Mmmh…"
She then opened her eyes and looked at Elena. "It's probably from waking up all of a sudden. You were passed out for a while when I found you, and you didn't eat for a long period. Wait one second. I'm going to draw up a circle for you."
May whipped out a chalk and her five kunais. She quickly scribbled a alkahestry transmutation circle, and placed the kunais in their respective places. She then wrapped an arm around Elena's sides and gently instructed, "Lay down slowly, and place your head right in the middle of the star."
With May's help, Elena was able to lay well on her back. Her head was laying right where May needed it to be. It still throbbed harshly.
May placed two hands on the circle, right near Elena's pounding head. The transmutation circle then glowed its normal blue hue.
Elena closed her eyes contently. She felt the same relaxing aura that she witnessed from the first alkahestry circle. She allowed herself to take in the calming presence of the active circle. Her headache melted away within each second.
The circle died down after a couple seconds. Elena opened her eyes. She, once again, felt refreshed. Her headache was totally gone. She felt more energized.
She sat up and rubbed her head.
"How do you feel?" May asked.
Elena looked at May sincerely. "I feel a lot better now. Thank you!"
Elena then tried to stand up. Surprisingly, she didn't stumble. If anything, she felt even more better standing up. She stretched her arms out, as if she was waking up on a relaxing morning.
What was that? Elena thought back to that weird flashback.
Elena heard Yoki hushedly ask Scar, "What was that about?"
Elena turned back to look at the two men. Scar, still perched against the wall, simply shrugged.
Yoki glanced at the girls. With a look of doubt and a bit of disgust, he asked, "So… What do we do with these two?"
Scar looked at the two girls. Closing his eyes, he stated, "Suit yourself, girls…" without any traces of malice.
Elena gasped. With a playful grin, she asked, "So… You're fine with us tagging along?"
"Suit yourself…" Scar repeated. He then stood up. "However…" He looked directly at the two girls. May turned around to look at him.
"You two must keep up with us," Scar insisted. "Understood?"
May nodded eagerly. She then grinned at Elena, obviously glad to travel with some other people.
Elena returned a smile.
How long do I have here? Until I wake up? She ominously thought back to that vision she had with her migraine. I don't know if I want to know what that weird vision was about, though...
A/N: So I've been recently getting into PS4 games. Naughty Dog games in particular. I've been playing both of their games. I can't believe I stumbled on a character that has my OC's name in their games xD Both of their games actually lol; Ellie from The Last of Us, and Elena Fischer from the Uncharted series. I sincerely love both of these girls from the games.
Anyone wanna recommend me some PS4 games? :T I'm still playing the two Naughty Dog games but I would still like a stable list.
Anyways, thank you so much for reading, once again! If you see anything odd, please let me know lol. Chances are I probably was focusing too much on the other factors of the chapter. That, and I wanna improve as a writer!
Next chapter would be some original plot thing to fill in the gaps of the days in the episode. Can't wait to write it out lol
