A/N: Theme number four - Future.

Not exactly too fond of this one. I edited it a gazillion times. The grammar/spelling/etc. should be fine though.


The journey to Amestris was not easy, especially crossing the desert. It had been an exhausting day, and by night they were all tired. But it had been her turn to keep guard. So despite her weariness she sat silently by the sleeping forms of her grandfather and prince, keeping a lookout for predators or more. The wind blew a spray of sand toward her face; she raised her black scarf up in order to keep it from scratching her cheeks and flying into her eyes.

Lan Fan stayed calm and still, despite all her tiredness, the cold, and more. It was a still night, and the moon was bright. The sky looked like black silk, with glittering stars spread across it. The corners of her mouth turned up a little bit, into a very small smile. It was beautiful.

"You should smile more often," a voice whispered. "You look better than when you frown."

She jerked her head, and she found Ling gazing at her, still wrapped in his blankets. Lan Fan blinked in surprise. She had been sure he was asleep.

"Young Master," she said, ignoring his original statement. "You should be sleeping. We have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow."

"That's true. We need to get the Philosopher's Stone as soon as possible."

"Yes."

They fell silent for a moment. Then Ling spoke again. "Hey, Lan Fan. When we get the Philosopher's Stone, what do you suppose I'll do?"

"I guess…you'll…Young Master will go back to Xing, become the emperor, and…" Lan Fan trailed off. "You'll…"

Ling breathed out. "I know. That's about how far I've gotten as well. My future isn't planned out very well, isn't it?" He sat up and stretched, and moved to sit next to her. "I wonder…what about you, Lan Fan? What do you plan to do?"

She responded to the question without even thinking about it. "I'll protect you, and serve you, until the day I die. Nothing will change."

"Not that. What about your life? You're a girl, aren't you? Aren't you going to go and get…get married or something? Have a family?"

Lan Fan's eyes widened. "I…I don't know," she admitted. "I haven't thought about that. My mother was able to do that, but…I don't think I would be able to."

"Why? I'm sure lots of guys would like to marry you. You're not bad-looking, you know. You're smart too, and you know how to fight." Ling touched the tip of his finger with each trait. "And…well, there's a lot more."

Her cheeks turned slightly red from his comment, and she turned her head away. "That's not it. I…I don't think I would make a very good wife or mother, that's all. I don't know how to do anything like that."

"Hm…really?" Ling looked thoughtful for a moment. "Honestly, Lan Fan, I think that's a lie. You'd do pretty well. I mean, you spent your whole life babysitting me, haven't you? I swear, you're probably better at that than the noblewomen at court."

"I'm not babysitting you, and you're wrong, I would not be a good—" she started, but stopped when she saw his face. He looked completely relaxed and above all, entertained.

Lan Fan was sure that Ling could probably see her blush, even in the pitch dark. The tips of her ears felt burning hot. She shifted herself so her back was facing him, completely obscuring his view of her face. Even so, she buried her face into the thick black scarf around her neck, even though there was no sand.

"All right, I'll withdraw for tonight." Ling laid back into a sleeping position, and drew the blanket closer around him. "You said nothing would ever change though. That means you'll stick with me in the whole future, right?"

"Yes." The word escaped from her lips, softly. And Lan Fan knew it was not just because her grandfather had told her that she was fated to protect Ling for the rest of her life. "I'll be there with you."


Words: 724

Additional Notes: None

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