Hello! Thanks for reading the latest chapter of my story! I hope you enjoy it! As always, I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.
Dream Weaver: Chapter Three
"The man didn't realize at that time the consequences that his alchemy would have on the world, or that the woman he loved planned on following him into hell." Roy paused as the back his hand was rested on stiffened. Yes, she knew of the hell he was referring to. "The King and Queen were forced to do many things that they hated. When they finally came back from hell, they were changed people."
He looked into her eyes. They were lifeless, void of all emotion. She was turned into a shell of her former self, ravaged by the reality of war, the reality of killing defenseless children for the sake of her country. He was no better. She stared back into his onyx orbs, racked with the guilt of burning people to death. He wanted to change this country with his alchemy.
He had succeeded. Now, genocide was alive and rampant, the Ishvalans falling before the snap of his fingers, their souls being burned from their flesh. He was disgusted with himself. He would never forget the smell. She wanted to die. They both hoped that today would be the day they were shot down. They deserved to be cleansed from this Earth. The war ended soon enough, after all, there were only few people left to slaughter. On the day of their departure she asked him to burn her. He refused. She begged, pleading with him to relieve her of the secrets her back held. He gave in…he always did to her. After seeing the horror of Ishval, knowing that they should have died, they vowed to change this world. They wanted to rebuild what they destroyed. They would never be forgiven, but they still held on to the possibility that they could atone for their sins, create a better world, and that had driven them.
Roy cleared his throat, gripping the shoulder of the blonde who currently had her back still turned to him, listening intently to the story. "The experiences they lived through changed them. It made them guilty, upset with themselves, but it also made them strong. The guild they felt reminded the King and Queen that they were human. Humanity is hard to come by, as many people lose it, trying to get power or money. The King and Queen vowed to change the world, and soon they had many people following them, who also had dreams for a change in society. The King and his Queen fought side by side against monsters, and many good people were lost. The King cried, for this was his best friend who had died for him, but his Queen was there for him. The man chased down his loyal friend's murderer and attempted to slay him. He was lead by vengeance…the King wanted to get his revenge. He wanted his friend back, and since that couldn't happen, the monster that killed him had to be removed from the world forever. The King was wild and crazy, chasing after the monster, and in his craze, he almost lost his humanity, and his Queen. She made him realize that his actions were foolish. She even threatened to leave the King forever. The King couldn't be alone. At that moment, he realized that without his Queen, he would have slipped into darkness, and the world would still be lost today. He had nothing without his Queen."
She pointed the gun at the back of his head, shaking as she held it, clicking off the safety. The gun continued to shake in her hands as he questioned her, his words laced with malice, cutting through her as he spoke. He told her to kill him, teased her, practically begged her to do it in his homicidal fury.
"And what do you plan to do once I am gone? He questioned, his words mocking her, expecting her to lose her resolve, to put down the gun and let him finish off the monster Envy. The previous shaking that her voice held when she had answered his questions before was gone. Her answer was cold and confident, like she had planned the answer and planned the outcome. That scared him.
"I have no desire to live a carefree, happy life alone. After this battle, my body will leave this world together with the Flame Alchemy, that only brings insanity." Hearing these words from his beloved woke Roy from his daze. How could he do this to her, hurt her again. She scared him. Had he made her think of taking herself from the world before? His thoughts terrified him. He almost lost everything: his dreams, his sanity, and most important, his Queen. He loved her, and without her, he would have turned into the very monster he was trying to kill.
"From that day on the King and Queen fought to change the world. Many people followed the King, people of all shapes and sizes. The King even had a midget helping him out, and although the dwarf was small, he was strong. Finally, the King and his precious friends reached their goal. And then…" He stoped his story when he heard rustling in the bed. Soon, a pair of honey colored eyes stared back at him. Finally. Looking at him with those soft eyes he could tell that she wasn't angry with him anymore. The story had been a success it seemed. He smirked. He really was an awesome story teller. His smirk widened when he realized that no one was safe from his charm.
"Daddy, you shouldn't say mean things about Uncle Edward!" She said, her voice cold, scolding him. She must have inherited that stone cutting tone from her mother. His smirk dropped. "And don't think I forgot about today, Daddy." Her eyes were filled with tears. "You hid my special cupcakes under the table and pretended to eat them!" He leaned in close to his daughter and brought her close to him in a tight hug.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I promise to never hide your cupcakes again." She pushed herself off him with her feeble arms, and looked into his eyes, a wide grin on her face.
"Really? I saved them. You can eat them tomorrow!" He sighed. He should have known that even Black Hayate was too smart to eat the cupcakes, to clean up the evidence. In his defense, they were burnt to a crisp. He still remembered his wife's scowl when he hide the confectionary item their 6 year old had insisted on making at Elysia's house. He hoped that in the future Elysia would watch the oven closer. If only Gracia had made them. He sighed again, looking down to now see a strong pair of eyes staring back at his, too serious to belong to a 6 year old.
"Daddy…is it really true?" She paused. "Did your best friend really die?"
"Yes, it's true. Maes…Maes was a great man. He would have loved to see Elysia now, chasing off boys." The man gave a half-hearted chuckle. His daughter shook her head, her brows furrowed in concentration. She had known about Maes and about him being Elysia's father, but never knew that he was murdered
"Is that why you named brother Maes…because you want him to be great?"
"Well, don't you catch on fast." He laughed, rubbing the top of his daughter's head as she swatted his hand away. She layed down in the bed, and he moved the blanket up, tucking her in properly.
"Goodnight, Darling."
"I love you, Daddy." He walked to the door and reached for the lamp, turning the light off in the room. He began to close the door.
"Daddy?"
"Yes, Elizabeth?"
"I like Mommy's stories better…but I still love you, ok?" His hand clenched the doorknob, as his ego fell to the floor and blew away. Riza had beaten him again. He couldn't help but smile, to think that he and Riza could actually compete for things like this. They had children, a life outside of the military, and were finally happy. He would accept the fact that his stories weren't up to par with his wife's. He just had to know her secret story telling.
"Sweet Dreams, sweetheart. I love you, too." He closed the door with a smile.
"Is Elizabeth asleep?" She questioned, moving her eyes from the book she was reading and onto her husband. He nodded "And Maes." He nodded again. The chronic liar and panic attacking educing boy of four had actually gone to bed quite easily that night. She always stayed awake and waited for him to come to bed, no matter how late it was. He slid himself in the bed, and looked intently at his wife.
"Yes?"
"Elizabeth says she likes your stories better." He pouted at her. "What's your secret?" His face softened to a smile, when Riza raised her hand to her mouth, suppressing a laugh, her other hand placed to comfort her now quivering stomach.
"I just memorize the Fairy Tales from the books." She said with a laugh, turning off the light in the room. His hands reached out quickly and he nuzzled her neck, evoking another laugh from her.
"That's cheating."
"I've never been one to play fair." She admitted, laughing softly once again, and laying down slowly in the comfy bed. Laying his head on the pillow, he moved his hand to Riza's bloated stomach, resting it there. She shuffled. He moved his head to rest in the croon of her neck, slowly giving her kisses along the scar. He heard her sigh in relief, as she drifted off to sleep.
He felt a strong kick from her stomach and she grunted, separating from his arms and sitting up in the bed. She was breathing heavy, as she now sat straight up, her back rigid. Roy quickly moved to a seated position himself, and rubbed her back. Her back continued to rise and fall as she heaved in. Her eyes wide with fear. He reached his hand out, grabbing hers. Immediatly, she relaxed as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and eased his wife to lean on him. He caressed her long hair, and she rubbed her stomach, trying to sooth the young Mustang that resided there.
"Nightmare again ?" She nodded softly as his fingers moved through her locks"How about a story to give you pleasant dreams?" He questioned, looking down into his wife's eyes, now softened with relief. "You know, I was once known as the best story teller in the land."
"You still are, to me." A small smile graced her lips as she continued to rub small circles on her bloated stomach. He smirked, and began to tell the story of the King and the Queen.
