After about an hour of reading some of the colonel's books, I grew bored. Most of the books he had I'd already read, and even if I hadn't read that particular book, it just covered things I already knew. I wasn't sure where he kept his more advanced books, but it was obvious that he didn't want them to be read.
From somewhere on the other side of the house, a phone rang.
"This could be interesting," I thought, sneaking out to listen in. Roy had sent Al shopping shortly after hitting me with a door. He had said it would be good to get out of the house, I was supposed to have gone along, but I had refused completely.
Mustang answered the phone.
"Colonel Mustang speaking," he said as I wondered why he used the formal answer to his home phone.
"Hughes? What is it? This better not be about your daughter…..Yes I'm sure I don't want to hear about her right now…… I see….. So what exactly did you find? ... uh-hmm….. YOU FOUND A WHAT?! ... So Dr. Raleigh was making chimeras? ...
Are you sure that that was his only experiment that he was working on? Nothing to say, make you younger?"
"Crap. That's not good. I'll have some explaining to do here shortly if this keeps up."
"Are you sure he wasn't? ... I see…. Why? ... No, I'm not trying to make myself younger…. Are you calling me old?!... Look, I have some business to take care of, so if you'll excuse me…… The Elric brothers? ... They are fine, don't worry. Now I really must go! ... No Hughes, I don't want to talk about your daughter right now……… GOODBYE Hughes!" and Mustang hung up. He stood there staring at the phone for a minute when I decided to just tell him already. I'd have to soon anyways.
"Mustang?" I asked rather loudly, entering into the room.
"Oh. Edward. What is it?" he seemed disgruntled.
"I heard your conversation with Hughes."
"Eavesdropping were we?"
"I suppose you could call it that. You know now though, right?"
"What are you implying?" he asked, his frown increasing.
"Alphonse still won't be back for a while, so I suppose I could tell you now. I'd rather that Al didn't know about it for a while longer though. Alright?"
"Fullmetal, what?"
"Don't deny it Colonel. You know what I'm talking about. It's the only thing Mr. Hughes was serious about."
"So you are a chimera then?"
"Bingo," I said, reaching up for my hat. "Ready?"
"For what?"
I pulled my hat off, exposing my ears. "I'm a cat chimera. I've got a tail too, but for you to see it I'd have to take my pants off…. Which I refuse to do," I wondered how he would react to this. The bas was actually pretty good at handling tough situations, I'd seen him do it, but I wondered if he would be able to handle this one.
"Put your hat back on Fullmetal. I can't believe you let Raleigh do that to you…"
"I couldn't move by the time he did the transmutation. I'd been put through the torture chamber and had had my automail removed." I looked down at my new hand, wondering if having two real appendages made up for having cat ears and a tail.
"Fullmetal."
"Yeah?"
"Two things, one, put your hat back on already, and two, why did you get younger?"
I put my hat back on before going into a wild, arm swinging gesture of how Raleigh had walked around the room looking for the animal he wanted to use and how he had pulled out a tiny, black, and fuzzy baby kitten that could barely open its eyes yet. I had apparently gone more towards the kittens age than staying near my own.
The moment I finished the Colonel looked like he was about to cry, which was odd.
Before I could do anything, he burst out laughing like crazy. He even fell to the floor cause he was laughing so hard.
"WHAT?!"
He only waved his hand to show that he couldn't talk at the moment. After a few minutes, just as he had calmed down and was finally about to tell me why he was laughing, Al came in the door.
He dropped all of the bags on the counter before running up to Mustang.
"Since we're living here for a while, can we keep it?" Al asked, holding up a small, fuzzy cat, a black one. "For some reason Big Brother, it reminds me of you!"
Mustang fell to the floor, laughing even harder than he had been a minute before.
"Colonel Mustang? What's so funny?" Al asked.
"Al," I pointed at the door, "NO PETS."
"But Big Brother!"
"F-Fullmetal! Let him keep h-his pet! That's an order!!" Mustang managed to say before bursting out in more laughter.
"YES! FINALLY!!" Al said, holding the cat in the air.
I was about to protest when the cat mewed. I wouldn't have cared if I hadn't been able to understand it.
"WEEE, This is fun!!" it had said.
I stopped with my mouth halfway open and stared at it. Al didn't notice though, he was too busy dancing around with the cat. Mustang didn't notice either since he was still trying to compose himself.
When Al finally stopped spinning I had managed to convince myself that I had been hearing things. Even if I heard it again I'd brush it off and go to bed.
"Here Big Brother. You can choose a name for the cat. I'm going to go take a shower!" and he skipped off.
Mustang was on his feet, finally quite. He still had a smile on, but that was all.
"Choose a good name for the cat, little kitten."
"Are you calling me a little kitten, or this?" I pointed at the cat.
"You of course. See ya around, Kitten."
"Stop calling me that!" It sounded like he was flirting, even though he wasn't.
"You're a little kid! All little kids must have cute nicknames, don't you think kitten? I'll tell Al, and we'll both start calling you that! HAHAHA."
Maybe telling him I was a cat chimera should have been avoided. Roy seemed to be going crazy… or maybe I was.
After standing in the living room for a moment, I freaked out. Why? Because of the cat.
"The boy was nice huh, nya? The old man was mean though, nya."
I started laughing nervously, and put the cat down.
"I really do need to go get some sleep…"
"Really, nya? I'll come take a nap with you, nya!"
"Just ignore the voice, I'm sure it'll go away…"
"Voice, nya? Can you understand me, nya nya?"
"S-Shut up," I told it, "You're a cat, I can't understand what you're saying. It just isn't possible."
"Oh! You do understand me, nya!! My name is Saw! What's your name? Eh, nya?"
As I neared my room, Al came out of his. He had clothes in his arms that he'd be able to change into after his shower.
"Hi Big Brother… I mean, hi Kitty!"
"Al… Not you too…"
"Sorry Kitty, Colonel Mustang said he wouldn't let me keep the cat if I didn't call you Kitty. Speaking of the cat, did you decide a name for it yet? I was thinking something along the lines of Murlough or Darren (1). What about you Kitty? What do you think its name should be?"
"I'm going to bed now."
"What? You're tired? What about the name for the cat?"
"I think its name should be Saw. Now then, time to sleep. NOW."
I walked into my room, and closed the door. I had hoped the cat was still outside, but of course it had managed to get in.
"So, your name is Kitty then? Alright then, hello Kitty (2)!"
I wasn't so sure that it was the fact that I was tired that was making me hear the cat at this point, but I had to try sleeping just to make sure. I just hope I'm not going crazy….
I referred to a few things in this one. I thought the (2) "Hello Kitty" remark was pun-ny and I love puns…. (1) was there because I'm reading the Cirque du Freak series at the moment and for lack of better names.