Chapter 4
Outside
Authors note: I would like to thank all of my reviewers and I am very happy you like the story, thanks for reading. The more reviews I get the faster I will update…maybe. Please R&R
(Emmie's view)
Run, run, run, faster, faster, run faster! Was all I could think as I flung open the door and dashed out. I was blinded momentarily by the sudden sunlight. First I'm captured by the homunculi, Then I am told I am a sacrifice, now I'm running for my life! Well hasn't today just been marry? I ran until I couldn't run anymore and collapsed to the ground trying to catch my breath. Gasping I looked around. From the sun I could tell it was morning and I thought. Where am I? I didn't see anything I recognized, just some streets and houses.
I stood up and continued walking looking at everything taking in every detail. Amazing I was in an anime. This is so wrong it's not scientifically possible. The chances of a parallel dimension are slim. And Einstein was never proven right but I never believed it could possibly be true. The only thing I ever trusted (science) is being smashed to pieces now. I stopped when I realized I entered the shadow of a large building. I looked up to see I was standing in front of the famous central HQ. My eyes lit with excitement as I walked towards the door. I ran up to the front desk and told the woman working there. She looked like an intern because she didn't seem much older than me just a regular teen.
"Hello Miss. I need to speak to corneal Roy Mustang." The woman stared at me as if I were from another planet. "Hello anyone home? I need to meet with Roy Mustang you know the flame alchemist." She didn't respond. "You know the guy who goes snap, snap and fire explodes from his hand." finally she spoke and I regretted making her. It was torture
"Like look I don't like know how you are but like if I like let you in I would like get in like a lot of trouble." she said in a preppy voice, my turn to stare at her.
"I like so totally don't like care." I replied with a mocking tone. "I like need to see Mustang it's like really important." She glared at me I quickly glanced over the desk at a sketch of the building with labels and spotted Mustang's office. "Ok thanks anyway." I called over my shoulder as I headed towards the office. I opened the door and saw Mustang and Hawkeye were the only ones there. I barged right in and plopped down on the sofa. They stared at me for the moment it took me to stop myself from screaming with joy that I got to meet them.
"Hello Mustang." I said in a clam voice I was surprised I could muster.
"Hello, who are you? And why are you here?" Mustang asked.
"My name is Emmie and I need you help with something. I didn't know if anyone could help me so I decided a strong alchemist could help me." Mustang looked proud and had a look as if to say 'I like her already' so I added. "So I need you to tell me where to find Edward Elric." Mustang nearly fell from his chair and it looked as if Riza had to suppress a giggle. After Mustang regained his posture he said pretending not to be offended.
"I don't know where the shrimp is but if you have a problem I would be happy to help, what is the problem?"
"Well…it's complicated."
"What's your problem?" he asked again. I took a deep breath and began my story starting from the beginning. I told him about how the homunculi want me as a sacrifice how I need to go through the gate to get home and how I escaped by sheer chance and ran here for help, I even told him about the annoying receptionist.
"Interesting," Mustang said deep in thought. Riza was considering my story and Mustang asked me. "How did you know to come here? How did you know my name?" I opened my mouth to speak but was cut off by the door opening.
Ed, Al and Greed/Ling walked in. this time it took me 3 minutes to overcome my excitement. And once I did the first words out of my mouth before I could stop them were.
"LOOK A SHRIMP!" Ed's vain popped and he tried to tackle me but Al held him back.
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SHORTER THEN A GRAIN OF SAND! I WILL RIP OFF YOUR LEGS AND STICK THEM ON YOUR HEAD!"
"Calm down brother." Al coxed. Mustang and I laughed and decided to pick on him farther.
"Maybe if you drank your milk you wouldn't be short as a pea." Ed broke out with three more rants
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHOR T HE CAN'T EVEN BE SEEN WITH A MICROSCOPE! WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CANT FIT INTO NEWBORN CLOTHES! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TO SAY I MUST BE AN ALIEN BECAUSE I DON'T MESURE UP TO HUMAN SIZE!" even I will admit those were far off even for Ed. But none the less I broke out into a new wave of laughter. Then Ed broke free of Al's grip and came barreling towards me. I let out a screech and took off running around the room trying to avoid the short alchemist. Finally Al grabbed Ed again and restrained him. Mustang's laughter began to calm and he said.
"Full metal this girl has an interesting story. Apparently she had a run in with the homunculi." Ed stopped struggling and became suddenly interested.
"What do you mean?" I filled him in on what happened to me knowing the only people in the world who would believe me were Ed, Al, and Mustang. Everyone else like Greed/Ling and Riza were just going with it because they believe Mustang and Ed. Ed and Al seemed deep in thought and Greed just said matter-o-factly.
"Oh so your just like the other girl." Everyone, including me stared at him. "There was another girl with a similar story I met up with her this morning and she left about noon. Except she went to the homunculi, Said she had a friend to save." He seemed to light up a bit at the memories.
"Who," I asked curious. "What was her name?"
"Sophia last time I saw her she headed into the homunculi hide out I hope she is alright." My heart dropped. No, no, no, no she can't be here! She has nothing to do with this! She wasn't even taken from school! I thought frantically. I thought hard back to when I was at the school. I seemed like a life time ago. And I remembered something I hadn't noticed before.
"Well, look what we have here." Envy said mockingly.
"What about the other one?" Lust asked.
"What's the difference between one human and another? This one will do just as well." Pride answered.
My heart dropped. Sophia had been gone when I woke up. I heard a loud thud when I was walking around and they refer to another person. At the time I wrote it off as unimportant in my panic trying to get away but if Sophia is here and she went to the homunculi she must have gotten there right after I escaped. And if that's the last place she went then…
"Greed!" I called jumpily. "You have to take me to her! I was the friend she went into save only I escaped before she got there. She must have been captured!" Greed suddenly flipped to alert.
"I will go save her. I am the one who knows the hideout best and I have the power to help her."
"I am going with you!" I almost screamed.
"Sorry this is too dangerous it's my fault she went in there she is my possession and I have to save her." and before any of us could say another word he was out the door.
I have to save her. Greed thought as he rushed towards the door. I can't let her die!
I stared after Greed for a moment he was going to save my friend. And I am supposed to sit aside? Not likely. I headed for the door but once I was out in the hallway Greed was nowhere to be found and I froze with fear when I saw Wrath and Pride headed my way. Dead, dead, dead, dead! My mind screamed. I'm dead meat! I turned and ran back inside Mustang's office and stood behind Ed hoping he would protect me. Both Bradley's walked into the room and I shrunk back behind Ed. The good guys didn't seem to notice. Wrath smiled kind heartedly as if he never saw me before in his life.
"Good afternoon everyone." everyone except me saluted him and his gaze fixed on me. "Who are you?" he asked in a genuinely kind voice but I could feel his ultimate eye staring right through me. I gulped and answered.
"I am Emmie I am just passing through."
"What do you mean passing through?"
"She's not from around here." Ed answered for me just in case I would have told him my story.
"Oh really?" he asked. "If you need a place to stay you are welcome to stay at my home for the night. I am sure Selim would be happy to have someone to play with. Wouldn't you Selim?"
"Yea." Pride answered enthusiastically pretending to be just a kid.
"No, no it's ok." I answered. "Wouldn't want to intrude; besides I was hoping I could go with Ed."
"Well it will be a while until we have to leave I was hoping I could find someone to baby sit Selim for me. I would pay you." He offered. I shook my head.
"Come on!" Pride pretended to plead but an evil grin pierced his face and he said. "We can play. I know just the game. It will be a lot of fun." Cruelty was hidden in the layers of his voice and it made me shrink back a little.
"Go ahead and play with Selim." Bradley said more of an order then a recommendation. I swallowed and felt all eyes on me as I nodded in agreement and began stiffly walking towards the door Pride close behind. The door closed behind us and Pride's voice lost all child-like quality and increased in malice ten times.
"Come I know just the place." I moaned as I followed him through the many twisting hallways, through a court yard. I watched as the number of people we passed began to decrease and finally no one was around at all. I knew I was in the old wing of central the wing no one used anymore. I thought about running but before I could act upon the impulse Pride said with a voice as if multiple people were speaking with him all in monotone.
"Don't even try it. We are almost there you will be out of your misery soon. Of course running will just triple the consequences. I let out a moan and followed him. The light began getting dimmer and I knew his powers were getting weaker. Maybe there was a chance I could get away. "We are almost at my play room." Pride said with an evil smile. I looked ahead of us and saw a single door. Pride opened it and when I stepped inside I was in complete darkness. The kind where you feel you are falling through space itself. Why here? I thought. Here he can use his powers at all.
I heard a clicking noise and suddenly I was hit with a blinding white light that filled the room corner to corner. Oh shit. I thought as I took a few steps away from Pride. The room was large 4 times the size of a classroom the walls were painted with children's colors and designs and I knew it had originally been used as a nursery probably for the children of the workers here. The furniture had been removed and left a plain blank room full of light for Pride to be at his full power. I stepped away from him and chocked down a scream.
"I promised Sophia I would tell you she said hi before I killed you." Pride said mockingly as his shadows began to slowly spread across the room. "She came all this way to save you only to have her voice stolen and her friend abandon her." with the news of my friends imprisonment confirmed I had a small burst of bravery and called to him.
"I didn't abandon her!" I called to him. "I didn't know she was here I escaped I didn't hurt her!"
"But it is because you came with us that she crossed the portal. Because of you we needed a new sacrifice. Because of you she now has to pay the price."
"What have you done with her?" I cried out a bit shakily. Part of me hoping he wouldn't answer.
"What does it matter to you?" he asked. "You will be dead soon enough." His shadows covered ½ of the room and I took off running away from him just as a spear landed right where I had been a second ago. Franticly I tried to think of something. Anyway I could escape with my life. But alas none came to mind. I felt a small hand grab my ankle and slowly climb up my leg with a tight inescapable grip. The hand pulled and I tripped landing face down on the cold hard tile floor.
The hand began to pull me up until I was hanging in midair by my ankle. My breath was coming in jagged terrified gasps. Pride had a smug look on his face as I struggled and swung through the air unable to break away from the ice cold grip. Other shadows crept up around me. Hands wrapping around my arms my legs and around my waist until I was completely bound with black shadows covering every part of my body. The hands were cold to the touch and once slithered across my neck sending chills down my body.
"Let go of me!" I screamed shrilly.
"You can thank your friend for your death. If she hadn't come looking for you, if she hadn't insulted us maybe you would have gotten the chance to live. But she was so eager to find you I decided to make it my business to find you."
"Let me go!" I cried out again trying to fight off the shadows. The two hands that held my arms retreated and covered my mouth instead.
"Hush now. We wouldn't want anyone hearing you and interfering with our play date, now do we?" I continued to struggle and scream but it only came out as muffled moans from behind the dark bitter shadows. A single tear trailed down my cheek. I don't want to die. I thought. I am too young to die.
"Aw how sad." Pride said mockingly. "I will be sure to remember to tell Sophia you cried for your life before I killed you. I am sure she will find this story riveting." That was it. Something inside me snapped at the thought of torturing Sophia like that. With a final burst of strength I pulled my hands together with a clapping motion and grabbed the shadows that bound me. They disintegrated into nothing and I fell to the floor. Ouch! I thought as I rubbed my hurting head and quickly I scrambled to my feet. I need to survive. I need to save Sophia. I need to go home. I clapped my hands and ran at Pride right into his cloud of shadows. He seemed a bit surprised for a second but quickly regained his posture and a spear shot up from the ground skimming my side just enough to draw some blood. I was only a few feet away from him when a curtain of shadows jumped up and covered him. I grabbed them with my alchemically charged hands and they disintegrated but Pride was gone. I heard a little chuckle from somewhere behind me but when I turned Pride was standing there.
"I exist in shadow I am the darkness. As long as they are around I can be anywhere they are even nowhere." A wave of shadows covered him from view and when they moved a second later he was gone. Once again I heard a creepy chuckle this time from my side but when I looked no one was there. My blood froze in my veins as the laughing grew into a roar and I spun looking everywhere unable to spot the little boy.
"Stop it!" I tried to yell over the thunderous laughter but my cry was lost in its ocean. "Stop it!" I screamed again. God why won't it stop! I yelled in my head then I realized it was in my head. The room around me was silent. No, no, no I can't go crazy. I clapped my hands the sound echoing even through the booming voice and I grabbed for the floor. Cracks appeared in the ground and worked their way up the wall and across the ceiling. Glass shattered and rained down around me until I was left standing in silence in the large bland room facing Pride and the door. He glared at me with anger in his eyes that did not seem like it could belong to such a young child's face. I stared at him for a second and without my knowing I slowly began to approach him I got faster and faster until I was running full speed across the large room. He didn't budge as I ran right past him to the door. I flung it open and rushed out the slam as it closed echoed down the abandoned hallway after me.