Chapter 2:
Ali sat up in the twin sized bed and scratched her head. She could see her sisters outline from the small window beside where Evie lay. With how dark it was in the room she could only guess how late it really was. With a soft huff she slid off of her bed and into the cold floor. She stood and slipped on her pants and over sized shirt before walking out of the room.
The Hughes home wasn't very large but at the same time it wasn't as small as their apartment or dorm room. She had to keep looking back at the opened guest room door to make sure she was making progress down the tiny hall. At the end of said hall she cut left and headed for the front door. The cool air hit her face as she stepped out of the house. She looked around herself quickly and then took off down the street. She didn't know where she was going; she just knew that the walk would help clear her head.
"Okay so this isn't a dream." She whispered as she approached a deserted park. She sat on the cool metal bench and sighed as the metal stung her through her clothes. The moon was full and the air smelled fresh and clean. She noticed a small stream running to her left and playground equipment to her right. She smiled and stood. She walked quickly over to the swing set and sat on the middle swing. Her feet barely brushed the ground but she didn't care. She kicked her legs until she was swinging in a quick arc back and forth. The cool air stung her cheeks and the metal of the swings chain bit her palms but she didn't care. If she closed her eyes she could imagine she was back home at her park. All by herself like always. Swinging and smoking and thinking life through.
Evie had watched her sister sneak away through half lidded eyes. She sighed when she heard the front door close from far away. Her sister had a mean running streak but she finally wasn't worried because with this being a new town her younger sister would have nowhere to run.
"At least that's on my side." She huffed as she closed her eyes once more," Now if only I could get to sleep but this bed is just too hard. I miss my bed." She rolled over to face the window and looked up to the moon. The soft light that filtered through the window just made her miss home even more," Ali had the bed by the window at home because no one wanted me waking up too early." she yawned once more and slid again into sleep.
"I'm here uh reporting for duty or something." Ali told the lady from before who she learned was a Riza Hawkeye.
"Yes well Roy has another matter to attend to and then he will see you." She said with a smile.
"Uh okay." She mumbled.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE GATE? DID SHE LOOK LIKE SHE WAS MISSING ANYTHING HUH?" she and Hawkeye winced at the loud voice that came booming from the office.
"I think it's safe to assume the Colonel will see you now." Hawkeye smiled and stood. Ali followed her cautiously to Roy Mustangs office. Her skin on her lower neck prickled as they drew close.
"Something tells me if I go in there I will be hit by a small wrecking ball." She muttered to the older blonde.
"Just don't say small or short or tiny or shrimp. Anything to do with a smaller size try not to say while you're in there." Riza offered what she hoped was a friendly smile.
The doors opened to reveal Colonel Mustang smiling from behind his desk and the shorter Blonde who was known as Edward Elric bristling from just in front of him. She turned to leave but only got trapped by Riza who was closing the door with an apologetic smile. The look Ali gave the woman in that moment was one that she would never admit to making to anyone.
"Ahh please have a seat Ali. We were just discussing you and your sister." Roy waved to one of the seats in front of him. Ali cautiously made her way to the chair and sat down. She could sense Ed behind her as she stared straight ahead at the authority figure behind the desk.
"Maybe Ev should have come with me." She said as she tried not to whimper. Her hand that was encased in a cast throbbed painfully as she crossed her arms in her lap," I'm not really good with people." She muttered in explanation.
"Don't worry neither is Ed." Roy smiled," I just wanted you to tell us your point of view on how you found yourself in Central. Ed may be able to help us figure out what happened to you and your sister and how to get you two girls home.
"I am to a people person!" Ed demanded as he sat down beside her," I'm the Alchemist of the People aren't I?" He glared at the blue clad Mustang.
"True." Roy said with an aggravated sigh. He then turned once more to the very confused Ali," Just start at the point where you activated the array and we will try to figure out what happened." He offered her a helpful smile. She frowned and nodded.
"Well, as my sister told you the weird hand things came after us and dragged us into this giant eyeball. When I woke up the first time I was in this white room and there was a guy there, at least I think it was a guy I couldn't really tell. He or she or whatever was sort of just an outline with a big mouth. There was this big door with strange symbols on it. It opened and the hands where back then and they pulled me through the door. Then I woke up in the grass beside Ev." She bit her lip as her own words sunk in. she sounded like a crazy person. Where they going to lock her up in an asylum? She could see Ed gaping at her in her peripheral vision.
"And that's the whole story?" Roy asked.
"Well yeah, what I can remember of it anyway. I think the outline guy said something about an exchange but it's all fuzzy." She said as she scratched her head.
"It sounds like it but I can't be sure." Ed stated sternly.
"Your lips say I'm not sure but your face says you know it's the same." Roy purred. Ali felt like she was missing something so she cleared her throat.
"Um excuse me but what the hell is going on here?" she asked.
"Roy thinks you went through the gate of truth and came out on our side of it." Ed said without looking at her.
"Gate of what now?" She blinked. Ed took a moment to sigh melodramatically and turned to her. He seemed to size her up with his eyes and sighed again.
"You preformed Alchemy right? Can you remember the name of the transmutation you did?" He said softly. She scratched her head as she ran through her memory of the book that probably still rested on her bed.
"Human transmutation." She said after a moment of silence. Edward jumped up from his chair but all Roy did was raise an eyebrow.
"Human! You preformed Human Transmu- No, no. who where you trying to bring back?" Ed stuttered.
"No one we just drew the stupid diagram and did what the book said. Our teacher hadn't gotten around to that one yet. We were just learning how to turn shit to gold." She shrugged. Ed looked at Roy in disbelief.
"And your teacher was teaching you how to perform these arrays willingly." Roy stated.
"More like forcibly." She muttered as she crossed her arms across the chest and was rewarded with another twang of pain from her hand," I didn't want to take the stupid class but it was required and the teacher was nuts. He used to throw chalk at us if we got something wrong." She looked down at her encased hand," Guess I don't have to worry about having to draw stupid circles for a while." She added.
"You were being forced to learn the taboo alchemy. It's almost as if..." Ed trailed off as he pulled out a small black journal and began to read from it.
"Almost as if?" Roy pushed.
"It would appear people in her world are idiots or they were trying to open the gate for a reason, how many people where in this class?" He pondered.
"Eight students and Professor Curta." Ali supplied," He's a dick by the way. Way too into this alchemy thing."
"Nine people able to perform Alchemy you and your sister included?" Roy stated more than asked.
"Yeah well I thought it was a small class." Ali shrugged. The two men looked at one another from across the desk.
"I hope it's not what I think is going on." Roy began.
"And what exactly is going on?" Ali demanded.
"You'll know when we know." Roy smiled at her softly before standing and stretching," Well it's time for lunch I feel like Brios. How about you two?" He asked. Ali knew this tactic. Evie did it all the time to drop the subject.
"I could eat." Edward shrugged and stood.
"Well I should probably get back to Ev. I have no money." She explained. Roy laughed and shook his head.
"I'm offering lunch so naturally I'm buying." He smiled.
"Well I uh," Ali began.
"Just take his stupid offer. If you don't he will take it as a personal insult and sulk all day." Edward sighed as he put on his red trench coat. Ali started to say another excuse but thought better of it. Instead she simply nodded and followed the two men out of the office.
Brios was a deli just outside of Central Command. Edward was a usual here along with Roy but Ali had never seen a place like it before. They offered food she had never heard of and the way it was all set up reminded her of a bed and breakfast without the bed part. She sat down at the table that was offered to them and the men sat on either side of her.
"Nice place," she stated as a waitress handed her the lunch menu," All we have back home is the food court." Edward raised an eyebrow at this.
"They have a court for food where you're from?" He asked. Ali laughed softly.
"No, no, no," She sighed," A food court is like a strip mall for restaurants. But it's inside a building most of the time. You can eat anything you bought from any restaurant in the middle where these really big long tables are located." she couldn't help but feel a little proud at her knowledge base at that moment. Roy nodded as she explained but Edward seemed to drool at the thought of what she was saying.
"That sounds like a wonderful place." He stated after wiping his mouth on his sleeve.
"You know I never really thought about it before but yeah it is a great place in fact I kinda miss it now." She mumbled the last part into her menu as she attempted to hide her blush. Who was she? Dorothy? Might as well start saying there's no place like home while she clicked her heels together.
"Ali!" she turned to see her sister walking up to them with Elicia in tow. She smiled and waved as Roy stood to pull up two more chairs.
"The more the merrier." He winked at the younger sibling who looked away quickly.
"Big sister Ali!" Elicia ignored her offered chair and hopped into Ali's lap. She smiled and hugged the young child to her, tucking the pig tailed head under her chin.
"You haven't been driving Big sister Evie crazy have you?" She asked. Elicia smiled and shook her head. The two sisters smiled at the little girl.
"Will you two grace us with your company for lunch?" Roy asked with a smile.
"Sure." Evie smiled back and sat down across from Ali. So it was the five of them. Roy Mustang a Colonel, Edward Elric a State Alchemist, Alichia and Evelyn two lost sisters, And little Elicia Hughes, all sitting there in silence. No one knew how to start a conversation and the awkward silence continued until the server appeared.
"So what can I get you?" The lady asked as she popped her gum.
"Usual." Ed and Roy stated at the same time. Evie skimmed Roy's menu and smiled.
"The Xing sub sounds good." She said with a shrug, "What do you want Elicia?"
"The kid club." Elicia smiled at the server who felt like she could just melt at the happy little girl's expression.
"The turkey and ham sounds good but can you add peppers and olives onto that?" Ali asked. The woman nodded and smiled at the short black haired girl.
"And what to drink?" She asked.
"I'll have the club soda." Roy said with a sigh.
"Water." Ed stated glumly.
"Milk!" Elicia smiled again.
"Milk sounds good." Evie said. Ali and Ed winced.
"Milk is gross." Ali mumbled," I'll have a tea please."
"Sure thing coming right up." The server smiled as she walked away. The five looked at one another quickly and sighed together.
"So you don't like milk?" Roy asked.
"It's a lifestyle choice." Ali shrugged," I don't eat fish either unless its sushi." She looked at her sister with a half-smile.
"She just wants to be different." Evie shrugged and toyed with her fingernails," Ali never liked being like anyone else."
"Not true." Ali objected," We wear each other's clothes don't we that's being like each other."
"No that's being sisters." Evie rolled her eyes.
"Whatever." Ali muttered.
Lunch passed by without another incident. Ali ignored the others when her sandwich appeared. She almost made love to it, No sub tasted as good as this one. She enjoyed the tea to. It wasn't exactly sweet but the spice to it made her mouth water for more. Evie enjoyed her own sub; it had a sweet spicy flavor on top of a slight twang of citrus. The sisters thought about their own world's food as they ate. The two sandwiches made the food of their world taste dull and lifeless.
"I think I have a new favorite drink." Ali stated," It's like an explosion in your mouth, a dance party for your taste buds." She licked her lips as she said the last word. The table erupted into laughter.
"It's just tea." Ed said after he calmed down.
"It's different from the tea in our world." She explained with only a slight angry growl.
"So no more faygo this faygo that?" Evie asked.
"Faygo is still good." Ali smiled as she took another sip.
"Is faygo a drink in your world?" Roy asked.
"Yeah." Ali said with a smile," It's Deeee-licious." She snickered at her own inside joke.
"It says that on the side of the can." Evie explained as she rolled her eyes.
The others looked at the sisters with confused looks on their face. Ali simply ignored them as she continued to eat her food and drink her tea. Evie ran a hand through her hair and took a sip of milk. Lunch continued to drag out into silence until Roy took the last bite of his Shrimp stew.
"Well, I'm stuffed. What do you say we take this party back to my office?" He waved the server over and paid for lunch. The girls shrugged and followed him. Ed however turned to go the other direction.
"I have to go check on Al." He explained when Roy raised an eyebrow," I'll catch up with you later." He waved his hand and walked towards his apartment.
Alichia was deep in thought when she noticed she was no longer with Roy and her sister. She turned a quick circle but didn't recognize her surroundings. She picked a random way and walked. Evie would be mad at her for being an airhead again but…
"I don't wanna wake up one day and find out its too late…" Her ears pricked as she heard the deep throaty voice echo down the alley. She adjusted her path and followed the voice that held her captive. It resonated from an old club. She peeked in to see the young boy on stage singing. His short cropped black hair glistened in the flashing lights and his tight leather clothing accented his body as he danced. Her breath caught when she saw the flash of gold eyes under his bangs.
Oh my damn he's beautiful…
She turned to find her way back to the others just to smack into what felt like a metal wall.
"Ali!" Alphonse exclaimed. She rubbed her head and looked up into his weird glowing eyes.
"Robot guy!" she said with a smile," What are you doing here?"
"Brother's inside." He said shyly as he pointed behind her.
"I didn't say this, but, he's got good taste. That guy can sing. I would stay but I'm kinda lost." She shrugged.
"Oh, where do you need to go?" Al asked.
"Central Command." She shrugged again. She didn't like not knowing where she was.
"Oh! I can take you! It's not far from here." He said happily. She smiled thankfully, and then inspiration struck. Her smile turned wicked for a split second and then was replaced with a pitiful look.
"Thanks but, I'm so tired from wondering around. I don't think I could walk anymore." she stated as sadly as she could.
"Well, uh, um…" Al stuttered.
"Can I ride inside you?" She asked sweetly.
"Um, sure, but, just this once okay?" He said quietly.
"Thank you!" She exclaimed happily. He opened his breastplate and she climbed inside carefully.
"Hey! How do you work? Your empty inside." she called to him as he closed his breastplate.
"What do you mean?" Al asked.
"Robots usually have inner mechanics." She explained as he began to walk," maybe your double plated. That would explain why your so friggin' tall." if Alphonse had a mouth he would have grinned at that.
"Let's just say I'm unique." He said.
"Unique huh?" She smiled," I like that. Hey you be my first friend here okay?" if Alphonse had cheeks he would have blushed at that.
"Okay." He said happily. The rest of the walk was in silence.
"Where the hell did you go?" Evie exclaimed as Ali crawled out of Alphonse.
"I got lost. Sheesh, you act like mom." Ali sniffed," And for your information the only person I talked to was my new friend here." she pointed her thumb at Al who was closing himself again.
"I brought her right back to you when I found her." he said and shifted uncomfortably under Evie's scrutiny.
"Yeah, Robot guy is pretty cool." she said as she threw her arm around his waist.
"Well I'm glad you made a new friend." Evie said with a bored sigh," But Colonel Mustang is offering us jobs so come on." with that she turned on her heel and walked down the hall to Mustang's office.
"Thanks again." Ali gave Alphonse a smile that lit up the room and waved at him as she ran down the hall.
(please review and let me know if its worth me posting more of this story line.)