After the knock on the door, it opened to reveal two wide, sapphire eyes. Those eyes belonged to a small, three year old girl, who quickly flung the door wide so that it crashed into the wall and beamed.
"Denna?" came the voice of an adult male, before a man with blond hair tied in a ponytail, wearing a red shirt with the top few buttons undone stepped in the doorway alongside his daughter. His expression turned into that of a smirk as he saw the two visitors.
"Well, if it isn't Colonel Bastard," he said loudly. Roy Mustang would've crossed his arms and scowled, but they were full with one sleeping baby girl; her twin brother was currently being held by Riza, who thought that Edward really shouldn't say that sort of thing in front of his daughter.
As though he read her thoughts, Ed grinned at them. "Don't worry, Denna's smarter than that."
The blond girl, who already had several thick curls on her head, nodded vigorously. "Mommy always says not to say anything Daddy says," she said quietly. "She says that a lot of what Daddy says isn't very nice, and that she's gonna throw her wrench at him for it."
There was a short pause, before Riza was embarrassed by her husband bursting out laughing, and Edward scowling darkly. She nudged Roy, making sure he didn't go completely crazy on them, and he quickly regained his composure. Mrs. Mustang nearly groaned when she saw that Irene's brown eyes- her eyes- were wide open. There would be hell to pay soon.
"Come on in," said Ed, smiling again and ruffling his daughter's hair. Denna giggled a bit, before staring up at the twins curiously. She pointed up at Riza's bundle.
"Rolo," she said happily, before pointing over at the now wide awake baby in Roy's arms. "Irene."
Roy laughed, and Riza couldn't blame him; it was hard not to fond of the Elric's daughter. "That's right," he said. She clapped her hands for joy.
Riza and Roy were led to the living room, where a practically glowing Winry Elric sat, her belly swollen greatly. She smiled tiredly as the two of them entered the room, before her eyes lit up at the sight of the two bundles they were carrying.
"Are those the twins?" she exclaimed. She held out her arms in a silent question, and Riza rolled her eyes were Roy appeared only too happy to hand his daughter to her. Irene sniffled a bit, before giggling to herself. Denna pulled herself onto the couch next to Winry, staring at the baby.
"Irene's pretty!" she proclaimed. They all smiled at the statement, and Riza found herself nodding in agreement. She thought that both her son and daughter were beautiful. Something stirred, and she looked down to see Rolo yawn, his black eyes (just like his father's) now open and staring at her. He soon began wriggling.
She set him gently on the floor, noting how he quickly crawled over to Winry's feet and tugging on her slippers. Irene squealed, as though she sensed her twin's presence, and Winry put her down next to her brother. Irene then tackled Rolo, giggling madly, and Denna hopped down next to them.
Riza watched fondly while Denna separated the two, and then they sat there, Irene and Rolo merely laying about while Denna crawled around, looking restless.
Riza's eyes travelled over to Winry in concern when the younger woman suddenly winced, pressing her hand over her belly. Edward noticed as well.
"Did he kick you again?"
Winry nodded.
"You know it's a boy?" asked Roy, surprised, his black eyebrows shooting upward again.
"We're certain," replied Winry.
"I wouldn't be, if I were you," commented Riza, feeling all eyes turn on her. "After I found out I was having twins, I thought that it had to be the boy twin who kept kicking me. Once I gave birth, and spent about a week with them..." she shrugged. "It had to be Irene; she has temper tantrums almost every day, but Rolo's as quiet as can be."
The four of them glanced over at the three children, with Irene now chattering incomprehensively, and Denna sucking her thumb. Rolo didn't appear to be doing anything at all.
"I don't know; I just get the feeling that it's a boy."
"Any names picked out?" asked Roy. He put his arm around Riza, and she suppressed a smile.
They'd been married for several years now, soon after he'd replaced her grandfather as Fuhrer and the fraternization law had been cancelled. Her one living family member had greatly approved of her marriage to him, and Roy's Aunt Chris had only said, 'It's about time'.
Still, Riza had had her doubts. She knew that she was in love with Roy ever since they met up again in Ishval, but she'd shoved aside those feelings to focus on the task at hand. She'd become so adept at doing so that she almost forgot about them entirely, while he was climbing the ladder of the military after the fall of the homunculi. She had thought that their respective duties would prevent them from ever pursuing a relationship.
Then, out of the blue, he'd asked her on a date.
She remembered choking on her morning cup of coffee when he said those words, old feelings that had lain dormant suddenly perking up. Somehow the two of them made it work, and he'd proposed to her after they'd gone to the ceremony for Ed and Winry's wedding.
There had been controversy in the media over Roy Mustang's choice to marry another member of the military, but they chose to defy society's expectations for them. Years passed, and just a few months ago, Riza had given birth to their twin children.
She couldn't be happier.
"Well, we did pick out a girl's name just in case," said Winry. "Ellen Izumi Elric. But if I'm right, and it's a boy, his name will be Elijah Alex Elric."
Roy winced. "Don't tell me."
"Oh yes," said Winry, scowling and punching her husband in the arm. Edward grinned sheepishly. "This idiot made a bet with Colonel Armstrong and lost. So we had to name our second child after him, if it was a boy. We wanted it to be Maes, or Van, but you guys used Maes as Rolo's middle name, and Al's claimed that Van is going to be his son's name. I don't really feel like arguing with him or Mei, so I just went with it."
"How are those two, anyway?" asked Riza. "I thought they'd be here, too."
Edward laughed out loud. "Nah, staying in Resembool wasn't good enough for them. But then, they don't have kids yet. Nope, they're touring Aerugo right now, seeing the sights. They're planning on visiting Xing after that, so don't expect to see them for awhile."
Riza looked down in time to see Roy's old coat (the same one he'd worn when they penetrated the underground area in Central) moving across the floor by itself. Her husband followed her gaze and chuckled. Getting up, he gently tried to pick it up.
Irene's fists were bunching up the fabric, and she scowled up at her father. He raised an eyebrow and gently tried to pull it out of the fabric, but she clung to it like a bug. Winry giggled at the sight, and Riza hid a smirk. Roy finally gave up, slouching back to the couch next to her.
Irene's eyes lit up, and she gurgled in triumph, quickly wrapping it around her shoulders and actually sticking her tongue at her father. Ed laughed.
"Your daughter's smart as well, Mustang," he snickered. Roy just grumbled.
Winry gasped suddenly, drawing all eyes in the room to her. Edward's humor evaporated instantly, and he grabbed her arm. Denna quickly stumbled over to her mother, concern in her huge blue eyes. Before Ed could even say anything, she asked, "Mommy? Are you okay?"
"The baby's coming."
Silence.
"AAAAGGHH!" screamed Edward, nearly falling off the couch. Riza noticed something warm fall on her shoulder, and realized that Roy had fainted.
At the same time, both her and Winry muttered, "This is exactly what happened last time."
Riza reached into her coat pocket, pulled out a gun, and pressed it to Roy's neck. He shot up as though he'd been electrocuted. "Roy, go get some towels. Ed, we need hot water, fast."
"Yes ma'am," they both said, scurrying away.
"We don't have time to get a doctor," said Riza gently, now helping Winry up. "You told me that the nearest one was ages away, right?"
Wincing, Winry nodded. Riza was about to lead her to the bedroom, but she felt a sharp tug on her pants.
"Auntie Riza?" asked Denna, eyes wide. "Can I help?"
Riza's expression softened. "If your mother doesn't mind, you can come an keep her company for now. Who knows, you might even get to meet your brother."
Denna's face broke out into such a radiant, hopeful expression.
"How can I say no?" Winry whispered.
After several hours of Winry crying out, Riza giving harsh instructions to the men in the house, and preventing Irene from wailing too much, Winry sat up in bed, exhausted, holding a healthy baby boy wrapped in blankets. "I knew it was Elijah," said the blond, grinning down at her son.
Denna clambered up on the bed, staring in utter fascination at the tiny infant. She cocked her head to one side in curiosity, then pointed, and said, "Elijah?"
Winry nodded at her daughter, smiling tiredly.
Denna's manner changed very abruptly. She folded her arms and glared at all of them, as though daring them to move closer. "Mommy and Elijah need to be sleepy!" she proclaimed.
"It's alright, Denna," said Winry softly. "Ed, why don't you get her to bed; she's had a busy night."
While Ed went off with his daughter, Riza wondered how she was going to get to the task of getting her own children to bed. Rolo was already curled up, fast asleep, but Irene was stubbornly refusing Roy's attempts to settle her down on the couch. She still had a hold on his trench coat.
"Maybe Irene wants to see Elijah; it's no problem," suggested Winry.
So Riza brought the female twin over to the bed. Irene stared at the newborn blankly for a few moments, before her chubby hand reached out- and poked his head.
Elijah erupted in upset screams, and a distraught Winry did her best to quiet him, while Irene burst into loud laughter, her brown eyes sparkling with amusement. Elijah's hand shot out, grabbing her arm and pinching her, turning her giggles into shrieks of unhappiness.
Both Riza and Winry were appalled, and decided it was best to keep the two separate for now.
Denna watched in half-curiosity while her brother was chased by her friend.
"I want the book!" yelled seven year old Irene, furiously swiping for it. Elijah snatched it away, his golden eyes narrowing.
"It's my book!" he shot back.
"You've had it for three hours!"
"So?"
"So it's my turn!"
She made another grab; when this failed, Irene tackled him, bringing them both down onto the floor of the study. Denna glanced over to where Rolo had his own eyes fixed on another book, focusing on the basics of alchemy. Irene had lost interest in the volume she'd been reading, and was now determined to take a look at Elijah's alchemy book, which had been a gift from their father for his birthday.
Denna herself was immersed in a book on biology. By now she was nine years old, and already setting forth on a 'humanitarian project'- or, as her brother dubbed it, a 'bugtarian project'.
Ever since she could remember, she loved learning about life- whether it be plants, animals, or insects. She'd been horrified when her father had found a spider in the house, and had been about to smash it. She'd snatched it away before he could do anything to it, and run off. Now she'd begun to build safe houses for the insects- usually just cardboard boxes- and hidden them there whenever she found one, and then deposited outside later.
Irene finally managed to wrestle the book from Elijah's grasp, sprinting away while he gave chase. She managed to skim the table of contents, and Denna sighed when her brother received his book back.
In his face.
"What the"- he glared at her. "I thought you wanted to read it."
Irene skulked over to the corner, before sitting down and crossing her arms. "It's worthless," she muttered. "There's nothing about Flame Alchemy in there."
"It is not worthless!" shouted Elijah, hugging it to his chest and scowling. "And why do you care about Flame Alchemy, anyway? It's not like you'll be able to master it!"
"Just like you'll never be able to master getting taller," sneered Irene.
"That's it!" screamed Elijah, grabbing a piece of chalk from his pocket. Denna raised an eyebrow when he scribbled a circle on the floor before placing his hands on it. There was a flash of blue lightning, and small, wooden skull twisted up from the floorboards.
He cast her a triumphant look. "I'd like to see you do that!"
Irene turned bright red with fury; she clenched her fists, stood up, and stormed out of the study. Denna sighed; despite clearly being upset, she knew that Irene wouldn't cry.
It was like Irene couldn't let tears fall; she screamed, she wailed, she yelled, but the actual liquid never trickled down her face. Denna snapped her book shut, before tucking it under and arm and following. Soft footsteps and grumbling told her that Rolo and Elijah were following her.
As she'd suspected, Irene headed for the grounds. The enormous mansion where Rolo and Irene's parents, Fuhrer Roy Mustang and First Lady Riza Mustang (also known as General Mustang) was complete with the gardens of a child's dream. Denna knew that it was a favorite for Elijah, Rolo, and Irene to practice their alchemy. The three of them had already mastered the basics for the most part; only Denna was lacking. She was too busy researching life to deal with it.
Irene was furiously digging stick into the ground, drawing her own transmutation circle. She pressed her hands onto it, and the lightning flashed- only this time it was red. Denna's eyes widened; was it possible that she would actually achieve it?
Nope.
The transmutation blew up in Irene's face, throwing her backward and leaving the grass around the circle singed. Denna shot her brother a look before he could comment.
Irene would probably beat him to a pulp if he did.
Rolo was quiet for many reasons. One of them being that he was just that way, and another being that he didn't want to draw attention to himself.
That usually meant making skin contact with someone at some point.
His parents assumed that he just had a severe case of aphephobia, but he, Irene, Denna, and Elijah all knew the truth.
From the time of his birth, he could see the future of people who touched him.
It wasn't anything big- just little glimpses of what would happen. The first time he remembered it happening was when he was around two: Irene grabbed his hand, and he'd seen her trip on her way out the front door. Two hours later, that was exactly what had happened.
His twin had been the first to find out, and Denna and Elijah discovered it later.
Currently, his family was sitting on a train. Several military personnel were put in charge of guarding them, as an assassin could easily attack his father. His mother had explained that they were going to Ishval, where a large war had occurred, in order to see how the rebuilding was progressing. Irene was currently snoring, with their father having to cover his mouth to hold in his mirth.
Tonelessly, his mother asked, "Sir, is that really appropriate for someone of your station?"
Rolo smiled a bit. It wouldn't be long before his mother pulled the gun on him, something she usually tried to avoid in the presence of her children. He tuned out the following argument (his mom always won), and looked out over the desert, which rushed by in the form of a never-ending sea of sand. Having grown up mainly by travelling between Central and Resembool, he couldn't imagine living out there.
There's barely any water, either… the thought made him uncomfortable. He glanced at his wrist, where he knew that a transmutation circle was hidden beneath the sleeve. His sister was still having difficulties getting her aim right with Flame Alchemy, but he himself was finding no difficulty in learning the ins and outs of Water Alchemy.
Keeping their practice hidden from their parents was a chore in and of itself, but they'd found surprising support from Elysia Hughes, who had recently enlisted in the military. Her mother, Gracia, had been dismayed at this, but had ultimately accepted her daughter's decision to follow in her father's footsteps. Elysia, who lived by herself in an apartment, often enjoyed the company of the two of them, or (whenever the Elrics came to visit) the four of them. She knew about their alchemy, and was planning on helping them become state alchemists if they decided on taking that road.
Irene and Elijah were already leaning toward that way; Denna, having just begun to study alchemy, was determined to avoid such a path. She was focusing on Bioalchemy- specifically cures for illnesses, and was so far excelling in that area.
"Fuhrer King Mustang, sir," said Colonel Ross. "We've arrived."
The city was full of foreign architecture; the buildings were built of white stone, and rose majestically around him. Tanned, red-eyed people wandered about, with the odd Amestrian here and there. Rolo noticed that they received several cheers, but also several boos of disapproval. While they were praised for the rebuilding of Ishval, none had forgotten the deeds both his parents committed during the war.
Irene was suddenly at his side. "Let's slip away for a bit," she hissed. Rolo wondered if she was crazy, but he saw the fiery determination in her eyes. He decided that it was best not to argue.
They crept away from their parents when their backs were to them, trying to blend in with the crowd as best they could. To them, danger didn't exist; they were children intent on exploring the city, no matter what punishment they'd receive later. Rolo followed Irene down another crowded side street.
"Where are we going?" he asked.
"Dunno," she responded. "The market, I think. I'm just following my nose."
Rolo seriously doubted that her nose was leading them to the market, but something did smell incredibly good.
The city's streets twisted around in a complex pattern, and the two of them soon found themselves in a narrow alleyway, where sunlight was just barely able to stream through. Rolo was about to suggest that they find their way back to a more populous area, when something slammed into the side of his head.
"HA!"
A raucous voice was the source of the shout, and he just barely managed to lift his head to see Irene in a defensive position (courtesy of both Aunt Mei's and Izumi's martial arts training), parrying attacks from a white haired figure. Irene's face was contorted in concentration, but she couldn't seem to find an opening.
At last, though, their attacker faltered, and Irene got in a well-placed kick on their side. Both fell away, panting.
"Wow!" exclaimed the kid who attacked them. "That was great! You're an amazing fighter. And I thought I was unstoppable."
Irene slowly lowered her fists. "No one's unstoppable," she muttered, shooting a glare at their assailant. "And would you please apologize to my brother?"
The boy turned and laughed loudly. "Heh, sorry about that!" he said, his loud voice nearly making Rolo wince. "But I have to practice sometime. I'm gonna be the greatest warrior priest in the history of Ishval!"
Rolo looked the boy up and down. He had the usual Ishvalan looks- white hair, red eyes, tan skin, and was thin and tough-looking. His clothes were ragged and gray, with a colorful sash that looked as though it had been hastily thrown over the rest of it. He had several scars on his arms.
Before Rolo could stop him, the boy had grabbed his hand to pull him upright. Irene shouted, "No!"
He braced himself…
And nothing happened.
He stared down in shock at the hand holding his, while the boy cocked his head to the side, looking between the two of them. "Umm… did I do something wrong?"
"No, no." Quickly, Rolo took his hand away; he could barely comprehend what he'd seen.
Why had no vision come to him when he grasped this person's hand? He should've at least seen something; but there had been nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe it was different with Ishvalans.
"ANYWAY!" Rolo wanted to cover his ears at the shout. The boy pointed to himself, grinning. "I'm Namiko, the greatest person ever! What about you underlings?"
"Irene Mustang," said Irene, holding her hand out and raising an eyebrow while smirking, as though she was saying, 'Top that'. Rolo groaned to himself; he didn't want his sister flaunting her pride at that moment.
Namiko didn't react negatively, as they'd expected. Instead, he just laughed again. "AHA! The great me stumbles upon an amazing find. The Fuhrer's own children are lost. Fear not, my friends!" he shouted. "I will lead you to safety!"
"Are you a girl?" asked Rolo flatly. Bluntness was something that both he and his twin had inherited.
She- now he knew it was a she- froze.
"How?" she cried dramatically, making a shocked pose. "How in the name of Ishval did you find out?"
"Your voice is a little high," said Rolo. "Your face looks like a girl's and then there's…" Uncomfortably, he gestured towards his chest area.
Her face became even darker with red, and she shuffled her feet, for a second looking like normal, bashful girl. Then that façade was gone.
"Well, never mind!" she cried. "As a prize for discovering my true identity, my true name is Tamika! Your twin proved herself earlier, as she's an excellent fighter. Would you like me to escort you to where your parents usually stay?" She bowed. "It would be an honor."
Irene flashed him a look, and he knew what she was thinking: Is this girl for real?
He shrugged. Might as well go with it.
Their punishment ended up being confined to their rooms for the remainder of the trip. But it was worth; they gained a new friend.
Someone whose future Rolo couldn't, for once, sense.
Author's note: That's the end of this chapter. The next one will be back in the present, and then the one after that will be more childhood memories. Hope you enjoyed, and please review!
