1Chapter Three
Ed awoke the next morning to find himself alone in the room. He looked around and finally decided to get up and look for Al. He walked out to the lobby of the hotel only to find Al talking with the girl they met yesterday.
Al turned to Ed and stood up and shouted abruptly.
"Brother! I found her! It's Zezilia! Remember her? She's the one who led us to the hotel yesterday! Isn't that strange?" Alphonse yelled, and if armor could show emotions, Al's metal face would be split into a wide grin.
"So, you're the one who Mustang told us to escort. Well, nice to meet you. Get your things packed and ready. We're leaving as soon as we can." Ed said as he turned back to his room to pack.
"Um, excuse me," the girl, recently revealed as Zezilia said, "but I don't even know who you two are yet and you want me to go with you? I'm sorry, but that's kinda rude."
"Oh, sorry," Al said, "I'm Alphonse and this is my older brother Edward."
"But you can call us Al and Ed." Edward finished.
"Ok then, since we're doing introductions here, I'm Zezilia Keary, but you can call me Zili. Nice to meet you." Zezilia said sticking out her hand for Ed to shake.
"Now can we please leave? I really want to get back to Central." Ed said as he went to pack.
Edward walked out of the hotel to find Al and Zezilia already packed and waiting for him. Now that it was day time, he was able to get a better look at Zezilia. She was still wearing the skirt, shirt, and boots he saw her in yesterday. That was about all Ed had noticed yesterday. Today, he was able to concentrate on her physical appearance. Her skin was a creamy white color, not too white, but not too dark. Her long hair that was pulled back into a ponytail flowed with her every movement. Her eyes, he noticed, were the same unusual golden color as his.
Ed knew that in all of Amestris, there were only a handful of people with golden eyes that intense. Hughes was one, though his were dulled with age. Then himself and Alphonse. And although he didn't want to admit it, his 'no-good father' had the eyes too. Edward's thoughts were interrupted with a "ahem" coming from Zezilia, who noticed Ed's staring.
"If you're done staring, I'd like to go now. It will be nice to finally get away from Aquroya." Zezilia said quickly turning on her heel and walking away.
Edward sighed as he picked up his bag and ran to catch up with Al and Zezilia who were already half-way out of the town.
They were half-way back when they started having problems. First came the bandits' attempt to steal all their money. Then the local townspeople of a small city mistaking them for said bandits. Finally, while they were waiting in the jail for something they didn't do, the call came.
A guard came into their cell staring at Edward. Motioning for him to follow, the guard went over to the phone in the front desk. He picked up the phone sitting on the counter and handed it to Ed. Ed placed the phone next to his ear.
"Hello?" Ed asked to the mysterious person on the other line of the phone.
"Fullmetal. I send you on a simple escort mission and what do you do? You go and get yourself and the person your escorting in jail! How am I supposed to explain these situations to my superiors when they happen this frequently in such SHORT amounts of time!" An enraged Colonel Roy Mustang shouted over the phone at Edward.
"It's not my fault if the townspeople mistake us for bandits! How the hell was I supposed to know the town was practically infested with them," then Edward noticed what Roy said in his last sentence, "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT THAT THEY CAN RIDE ON AN ANT BECAUSE THEY ARE SMALLER THAN ONE!"
"I never said that Fullmetal, you did. In any case, I have to come down there now. The people are so suspicious that they wont let you out unless they SEE that you are a part of the military. And I can't send one of my subordinates out because you surpass them in rank." Roy explained while ignoring the screaming rant that just came from Ed's mouth.
"Fine. Hurry up and get your lazy ass over here. I don't want to be stuck in this jail for long. It's not clean. And the food stinks." Ed complained while hanging up the phone, ending further conversation.
The same guard that led Ed out to the phone led him back to the cell, pushing him in when they got there. Ed looked at the other two occupants, finding that Zezilia was asleep laying cradled in Alphonse's lap. Ed went over and sat down next to Al.
"Hey Al?" Edward asked as he looked over at Zezilia's sleeping form.
"Yes Brother? What is it?" Al replied.
"I wonder what Mustang really wants with Zezilia. I know he's telling the truth about her being a friend's daughter. I just don't know why he want's to take care of her now. Seems kinda strange to me." Ed said as he laid down and rolled over onto his side to try and sleep in the cell.
"I don't know Ed. Just, get some sleep ok?" Alphonse said.
Edward's only response was a light snore and a grunt.