Revelations Through Idiocy

Days passed. Slowly. They had fallen into a pattern once again.

Lucy was still living with Winry, while Gracia insisted on redoing one of the guest bedrooms for her niece to live. Insisting she wanted the younger girl to have a permanent room in a house as soon as possible. Edward suspected it was to ensure she did not leave any time soon.

Of coarse Winry was unsure if she was happy about it or not. She loved having Lucy around all the time, she helped in the shop so much and it was useful just to have to yell out to her if she wanted to make measurements on the girl's new automail (with so many orders, Lucy had insisted that Winry only work on her new limbs in her when she could).

On the other hand, Alphonse could not have been happier with the whole situation. He had it stuck in his mind that they were all one big family now and that was the way it would stay. In some aspects he truly was a child, but at fourteen it was understandable.

The only person to have been vaguely put in a bad situation was Edward. Now he no longer had to keep Gracia and Lucy apart, he had been put on the schedule for more local missions, something he hated. They mostly consisted of body guard work, something he got bored of. Though it did mean there were no wars going on where he was needed. There was still tension between Armestris and Dachma, but all out war had not occurred yet. And it seemed that Roy Mustang was taking out the telling off he had received from Gracia about lying to her on Edward and only giving him body guard work. Though he complained, when he would see Lucy playing with Elysia, their identical grins on their faces, he decided that it was worth it to reunite that family.

Gracia herself had begun taking on the role of mother over Lucy. It was happening slowly, but Winry could see it. She couldn't explain it, but she could see it in Gracia's eyes when she looked at Lucy. She would never try and replace her mother in anyway, but she clearly wanted to at least be a mother figure.

As for Elysia, Roy and Gracia had been right, the little girl saw Lucy as a big sister that she had never met before. She took it literally and let everyone know about. In school, many questions were raised, especially by the children of her age, not just the teachers. When one teacher asked, Elysia just said her big sister had come home after she had been away for a very long time.

It was that day when things for Lucy began to slip away.

"So where was your sister before?" jeered a little boy, Henry was his name, after having over heard a conversation between Elysia and their main teacher.

"Everywhere," beamed Elysia ignoring the singsong tone, "she's travelled everywhere! Even Xing. And she decided to come back home because she missed us."

"Why didn't she come home before?"

"Because she was travelling silly."

The boy frowned. "But you said she was a teenager. My mummy says its bad for children to be travelling on their own and teenagers are still children."

"Yeah but big sister had to, her mummy and daddy died."

This lead to even more confusion. "But I thought she was your sister!"

"No! She is my big sister, but she's also not really. She's my cousin, but her mummy and daddy died, so my daddy adopted her so she is now my big sister too."

"So she isn't really your big sister."

Elysia scowled and stamped her foot. "Yes she is!"

"I bet she doesn't even look like you."

Elysia glowered, then crossed her arms. "Not really," she shrugged, "but we're still sisters. She's even coming to pick me up today!"

Which was true. Gracia was going to be caught up with work, so she had asked Lucy if she minded finishing an hour early to pick Elysia up from school. Because Lucy was such a reliable worker, they agreed, as long as she made it up another day when possible. Elysia had been excited about it all day, because Edward and Winry were coming too. It was like having her siblings coming to pick her up.

Henry frowned and shrugged. "Fine- but she's not your big sister really."

"I don't care what you say," snapped Elysia, "daddy said she was my big sister, so she's my big sister."

She walked away, and joined a couple of her friends who had been standing behind her glaring at Henry. The other three girls had heard of Lucy previously and believed Elysia fully. But they did not dare join in the argument, Elysia was a very stubborn girl and needed no backing up even at the age of eight.

Much later that day at three, Elysia practically ran out of the school into the play ground. She immediately spotted the group who were picking her up. Though strangely Lucy was standing on her own as Edward and Winry had gotten into an argument, she seemed to be peering over the mass of children for her cousin.

"Big sister!" called Elysia joyfully.

Lucy's attention snapped straight towards Elysia. The little girl beamed and ran towards her big sister's waiting arms, being swung onto her hip in to a tight hug.

"Hey, sweetie," grinned Lucy, "how was school?"

"Boooring," Elysia blew a raspberry, "and no one believed me that you were my big sister."

Lucy laughed, "well that's understandable, we don't look exactly alike do we?"

"So what? That doesn't matter!"

"You're more philosophical than I thought," nodded Lucy impressed.

"Hehe," Elysia grinned at her.

"Uh…" there came a timid voice.

Lucy turned around, Elysia still on her hip. Beside her, Edward and Winry had noticed the interruption as well. Their bickering had paused as they watched the nervous teacher speak to Lucy.

"Yes?" Lucy asked, looking confused.

"Uh… I uh… need to know you… before you can… pick up… a… child?"

Lucy frowned as Elysia's grip tightened around Lucy's neck. "Auntie Gracia called you didn't she?" asked Lucy, "she told you I'd be coming. I'm Lucy… Elysia's cousin-"

"Big sister!" insisted Elysia.

"Yes but… uh… she didn't mention that… you…" she trailed off looking away nervously.

"That I'm half-"

"Is there a problem," demanded Edward stepping in, pushing Winry behind him. He could sense her filling with anger at this woman.

"Oh mr Edward, are you with her?"

"Yes, and I can vouch for her too," he said coldly, "miss Lucy is the nice of Elysia's late father Brigadier General Maes Hughes."

"Really? But she's a… a… you know…"

"Is there a problem with her?" Edward raised his eyebrows, "I thought Armestris was over the prejudiced against the Ishballan people, they are welcome in this society now." He glanced around and scowled. "Though clearly not in this school."

"Oh no no no," the teacher shook her head, "that's not the prob-"

"Why should they be?" came a loud angry voice.

Edward looked above the teacher's head and looked at a young man, not much older than himself. He was holding the hand of a little boy, looking angry.

"Why should we bring them in here?" the man snarled, "they're no better than animals! They're the ones attacking us at the moment, they should not be allowed here-"

"So the children should be punished for the mistakes of the elders?" retorted Winry, "you pathetic boy… you think a child as young as him-" she pointed at the boy holding the young man's hand, "could understand what his parents or who ever were doing?! Shit you must think highly of their intelligence."

"Now now!" the teacher was in a panic, "think about the-"

"No!" the young man replied hotly, "they're just not worth our time! We take them in give them homes and work and they attack us!"

"Just because of a few revenge ridden morons you've decided that we're all like that?" Lucy had joined in. She had put Elysia on the floor, ushering her nearer Winry. If it turned ugly, she knew she would be hit first, "now that really is pathetic."

"How can you blame us! The only ones that been attacking Central is your kind!"

"My kind?" she laughed, "my kind! I've never heard that before! What am I? An alien?"

Edward tensed and Winry gathered Elysia close to her. Lucy was mad. She was seething. Her body had relaxed, but her stance was of that of someone ready for a fight. Her entire being exuded an aura of danger. It had been a long time since either had seen her so angry.

"Why else would you wear those stupid glasses," the boy snarled, "to hide what's really under there. Eyes red like blood! Coz of all the blood lust you've got! You should just go back to where you belong! Blow each other up there!"

"Is that the best you've got?" she almost shouted, "you know I pity you kid," she addressed the little boy, "having a role model like him- don't be as closed minded as him." Her attention snapped back on the older male. "He doesn't understand difference when he sees it."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're an idiot! I'm not full damn Ishballan, though sometimes I wish I was it would clear so much up."

"What?!"

"I'm half Armestrian! Why else am I related to that little girl," she pointed at Elysia, "she's practically my little sister!"

"That little girl has you as a big sister?" the young man snarled, and let go of the little boy's hand, "I feel sorry for her having to put up with you in her life."

"I'm glad!" piped up Elysia from the protection of Winry's arms.

By then a good crowd of people had gathered around them. The teacher was panicking, not sure what to do. Edward Elric was a well respected alchemist, and he was on the dark girl's side. But she was causing trouble. The poor woman was at a loss. Around them, people were watching on with interest, wandering what was to happen next. But all were shocked when the little girl spoke, all the attention focused on her.

"I'm glad!" she repeated, "she's my big sister and I love her. I don't care what the colour of her skin eyes or anything else, she is my sister and she always will be. I love her."

There was a moment's quiet. Lucy smiled at the little girl, genuinely moved by what she had to say. Edward looked satisfied. Often a child's logic would help diffuse a tense situation.

Unfortunately this was not the case.

"You love her? How can you love a girl who walks around in summer with long sleeves, gloves and wears sunglasses in the shade to cover the colour of her eyes!" the young man lunged at Lucy unexpectedly.

Lucy heard the footsteps, but reacted too slowly. She made to ducked, but the punch made contact with her temple, sending her to the floor with a thump. As she hit the floor there was a moment's pause. She lay on the floor for a moment, wincing, her glasses had flown off but had landed near by.

She didn't seem to dare open her eyes, as she sat up, a hand to her head she reached out blindly for her glasses. She said nothing, neither did anyone else. Winry held her breath as did Elysia. Edward was frozen to the spot. He never thought he'd see a man hit a woman for no apparent reason. Though perhaps the reason was the fact that she was different… in Edward's eyes that was still classed as no reason.

The young man was smirking. The glasses were near him too. He took two steps foreword then purposefully took a third and stamped on the dark glasses in front of him.

Lucy was jerked back frozen.

"Looking for those?" the young man asked, crouching down before her, "sorry, I missed them."

Lucy didn't move.

"C'mon, lets see those bloody eyes now."

"Jake?" came a little voice, the little boy had spoken.

"Not now."

"Please? Leave her alone."

"Not now, Stephan," retorted 'Jake', "c'mon Ishballan, lets see those eyes." He reached out to touch her, but she jerked back. She was shaking. Something had snapped inside her. This stranger had pushed over the edge she couldn't even speak.

"Shy now? That was all talk-" A pair of legs appeared before Jake, he looked up to see Edward with his arms folded, looking furious. Behind him, Elysia had escaped Winry's hold, and was hugging Lucy tightly, hiding the older girl's face in her chest, as though she was protecting her. "What?" Jake snarled.

"You're pathetic," Edward spat, "she's a girl, a human, same as all of us here and you treat her like this? You ever thought there was a reason she wore those glasses?"

"Yeah she was hid-"

"Her eyes are weak! It's a genetic disorder you bastard," Edward yelled, lying through his teeth, but it would keep people from talking too much about her, "she needed those to walk around during the day, the sun is too strong for her."

The young man paused then stood up brushing himself off. He shrugged. "Serves her right… damn Ishballans mixing with our women… c'mon Stephan we're going." He turned his back on them heading away.

"Hey Jake wasn't it?" called Edward, a smirk on his own face, "you might have heard of her father… the Azure Alchemist?" Jake hesitated. "I don't think any Ishballan took one of 'our women' when it comes to this girl."

Jake turned his head. "The Fullmetal Alchemist is an Ishballan sympathiser, I didn't know that."

"There's a lot you don't," snarled Edward.

Jake just shrugged, but he was clearly shaken. He walked to the edge of the circle where the younger boy was waiting. "C'mon, Stephan, your mum'll be waiting."

Stephan was looking up at him with large eyes. He looked from Jake's face to the hand he offered then shook his head. He looked around looking for someone. He caught sight of them… of her; Elysia. He called over to her, "I'm sorry!" Then took off into the crowd, looking not only hurt but anguished on Lucy's behalf.

"What- Stephan! Stephan!" Jake took off after the younger boy as the crowd dispersed: the show was over.

Edward sighed. No one had attacked Lucy's glasses before. They had commented, but no one had ever mad a move to take them away from her. Now she was left without them. He turned back to them, only to find Lucy still shaking, sitting on the floor, Elysia was trying to get her to stand up or something, but something wasn't working.

"Edward…" Winry said softly, she was on Lucy's other side, trying to take her hand.

He sighed. The girl was in some sort of shock and he wasn't sure why.

"All right…" he bent down, "listen to me, I'm going to take Lucy home, I think she needs to be on her own."

"What about Elysia-?" begun Winry.

"I'm staying with big sister!" the little girl insisted.

But Edward was shaking his head. "She's not well, Elysia, look at her she can't even move. I'll put her to bed, then she'll be ok."

"Really?"

"Yeah… Winry?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you take Elysia home? Lucy was meant to watch her till Gracia came home, but she's in no state now."

"Of coarse… will you be ok?"

"I'll be fine, I'll just put her in her room and let her be."

"Ok… I'll go now," Winry stood and put her hand on Elysia's shoulder, "come on, we'll pick up some new glasses for Lucy as a present, and I'll give them to her when I go home."

"Ok!" beamed Elysia, she looked at Lucy, "it's ok to be scared sometimes big sister, but… don't be too scared ok? I love you."

Lucy's lips moved, but no sound came out. As Elysia moved away, Edward took her place, hiding the girl's face away from the world as the teacher hovered worriedly.

"Is there any… thing I can… do… to help?" the teacher asked, now worried.

"You could not have made a fuss about her background," snapped Edward, "Elysia knew her and we were with her, wasn't that enough."

"I know… but… I… uh…"

"She's not going to be able to pick up Elysia for a long time, that little girl is going to be heart broken," Edward sighed, "just get back to your kids."

"Yes Mr Elric…" the teacher sighed and moved on. She wasn't even sure why she let her prejudices work against her. She had no reason to… but she had just reacting on instinct. Clearly bad instinct.

"Lucy," Edward murmured, "get up ok? We're going home, you don't have to show anyone your eyes."

She nodded. He almost wanted her to have a go at him. But she was not being normal. The last time she had been this limp she had been sick. Now she was vulnerable because she had lost her glasses. He should have known something like that would have happened. Her gloves were to cover her scars, her long sleeves were to make sure that the gloves didn't look so strange. But her glasses her protection from her past.

All the way home she kept her eyes firmly shut, her hands over her face as Edward led her back, his arm around her shoulders leading her forewords. It was all he could do. Somehow as he moved forewords with Lucy in his arm, covering her face, he didn't know why but an anger built up inside him. Why did she insist on running away, leaving her past behind her? Why did she hide so much about herself? What was the purpose? She wasn't any different to them. She was still human!

He got her into the shop, lead her up the both flights of stairs to her room and en-suite bathroom that made up her lodgings. He put her on the bed and turned to leave turning on the light. Then he paused

His curiosity got the best of him.

"Why?" he asked, standing in the middle of the room.

"Why what?" she sighed heavily.

"Why cover your eyes? Why hide behind your glasses? They might be linked to a bad past, but they're apart of you aren't they? You shouldn't be ashamed of them."

"Don't talk about what you don't know…"

"For God's sake Lucy! I have some idea, I won't say it's the same, but we all have secrets! And this is ridiculous."

Lucy was getting angry again, he could sense it. "What do you mean by that! You have no idea what I've been through because of these… these… these eyes!"

"So tell me!" he spun round, glaring at her, her eyes had dropped to floor her hair covering her face, "tell me why red eyes would give you so much grief in Ishball?"

Her brow creased. "What are you-"

"I saw pictures of you as a child," he snapped, "I met Gracia months ago, when I was still looking you up- they day you met Mustang."

"What…?"

"I've known for ages who your uncle was, I just didn't tell you, I knew you'd react badly to us knowing Gracia. So I protected you- I stopped you and Gracia from meeting before your time. I figured you out- you weren't read to settle into this city yet, call it home, so that's why you couldn't see them yet. You have no idea-"

"That explains nothing! What pictures did you see!"

"I saw you as a baby until you were ten. I saw you and your father and uncle, I saw you with your mum. I saw you with just your uncle. I saw you as a child having fun, who started wearing sunglasses at the age of five or six."

"But you said red eyes."

"Yeah, that picture of you sticking your tongue out, one eye open."

"My right eye."

"I don't know! What does that matter?!"

"You have no idea," she said, turned away from him, "forget it Elric, you have no idea what these eyes are to me and what I wouldn't give to have others."

"Why? You should be proud of who you are-"

"You were never called demon from the day you were born!" she screamed, screaming at the wall instead of him, "you don't know what its like to have your father killed because of you existence! To only have one blood relation know of your existence because of who you mother was! To be called demon because of what I looked like!"

"I don't know because you won't tell me!"

Finally Lucy seemed to loose it entirely she turned around again, this time looking straight up at him, meeting his golden eyes. "Won't tell you? You ever thought why! Because I want to leave it behind- let it rest! But people like you and my big brother will never let that happen! Never!"

Edward stared at her. She looked… all of a sudden, more human that she had even done in the past. Her features were softer with no glasses on, he knew that. But her eyes… her eyes weren't red like he thought. Her right eye was red, bright red as all Ishballan people. Her left on the other hand was a yellowish green, almost the exact same colour that Maes Hughes had. One eye Ishballan… the other Armestrian…

"Lucy…" he said softly, "you have beautiful eyes… butterfly eyes… I never thought that-"

"Oh don't," she snarled, "don't start that. Beautiful eyes… these are the utter embodiment of why people are scared of me. One on each side… a demon they said. Always said." She laughed, her voice was hollow, she stretched out her arms and left leg. "And now it's even more true."

"Those scars are not your fault."

"Maybe not- but that's still all what people see!" she snapped, "I walk around to cover these things up, but they're still there and you don't even know the half of it."

"What are you-"

"You asked me did I have any other automail limbs- I told you my left leg."

"Yes?"

He didn't like that look in her eyes. They were so expressive those eyes, they gave away almost every emotion. Anger, sorrow, frustration… and more besides were all shown in her odd eyes. He had been so distracted by the colour of her eyes, how similar her left was to Maes Hughes, that he barely noticed her removing her shirt.

"Lucy what are you-" he caught sight of it.

The entire left side of her body seemed to be made of metal. At her hip he caught a glimpse of the metal that was the connector to her nerves. she must have lost a lot of that leg. There was a thin flexible metal joined going up her hip that connected it to… he wasn't sure what it was. It looked a little like chain mail, but the links were so tiny it was hard to tell. They looked like a sort of grey scaly skin, but the sound they made was nearly metal. They seemed to lock together and unlock as she moved, even if it was just to breath. The metal stopped just beneath her left breast, but encased half of the left side of her rib cage.

"What-"

"Ed… I'm half Armestrian, I am half Ishballan… I'm half human, half my body is robotic." She knocked her side. "I can't feel it…"

"But what…"

"It wasn't my left leg and arm… it was my entire left side. They managed to save my life simply because a doctor tried something experimental on me, and they almost lost me for it. Until I was sixteen I wore this metal corset around my waist. Uncle Maes and I searched for a doctor who could fix it."

Edward stared at her. Her glasses had come off… now so had the mask.

"I found him the year after uncle Maes died… I worked for him, begging him to do the procedure. He said I could die. I didn't care. I wanted to move normally."

"It was a success I see."

"Surprisingly yes." She paused. "But because of the damage to my body I have been very small ever since. I've lost about a fifth of my stomach and most of my insides are much smaller than normal."

"Which explains why you're smaller than most Ishballan women."

She nodded. Edward's eyes had left the automail and were instead staring at her eyes. He could not understand why she hated them. They made her unique… herself. They were proof of who and what she was.

"You should have told me," he said flatly, "maybe not when we first met, or even soon after, but before this. You trust me don't you?"

Lucy hesitated, her face and eyes confused. "I… think so… what has that-"

"You trust your friends, you trust your family. That's what we are now," he sat beside her, "I want you to do me a favour."

"What?"

"At home? No more wearing glasses, unless there is a stranger here."

"But what if the others-"

"Have I called you a demon yet?"

"No but-"

"Who found you?"

"Al…"

"Who fed you and gave you a home?"

"Winry…"

"Who befriended you and trusted you?"

"All of you…"

"And Gracia and Elysia know your eyes anyway. Just trust us, all of us. And we'll look after you- you understand that? We will look after you. Your older brother is no real older brother in my eyes. And don't forget your past- let your past make you stronger! Prove to them you're not a demon, you're a person and you have nothing to hide. Not your eyes, not anything."

Lucy stared at him. Then she sighed and hung her head. "Idiot," she muttered, "shouldn't have lost my temper…"

"I'm glad you did," shrugged Edward, "it's been a while since I've seen Maes eyes, and you have an eye just like him"

She shook her head. "Idiot…" she repeated.

"You know," Edward said suddenly, "I hate racists… but I'm glad for this one… I got to see you without you hiding behind something. I think this is the first time I've just seen you being… you."

"Cheesy idiot…" she shook her head, then pulled on her shirt again. But she looked up at him, eyes unadorned by hair, glasses or otherwise. Her face was unguarded. And she grinned at him. The similarity between herself and her family was unmistakable more than even without her glasses. "Thanks Ed."

He shrugged. "Didn't do anything really. But Lucy?"

"Mmm?" her smile calmed down, and she let out a squeak of surprise as he pulled her into a hug, holding her close. Lucy felt like she'd stop breathing, he'd never held her so tightly or close before. It was strange for her.

"No more secrets… I still plan on finding out your name myself, but no more secrets like this ok?"

"Uh… o- o- ok," she stammered, allowing herself to hug him in return, her cheeks flushing red.

"I can't protect you too unless I know what's going on, and now I know that I can help you and defend you even more," he released her and sat back. He sighed heavily. "But I guess that means I have to too."

"What?"

Edward paused and looked at her. Seeing her mismatched eyes again he made up his mind. It was about time he told her. Three months was a short time, but she'd shown him her eyes and her side. And she was a permanent member of the family. Besides that, it would have answered a lot of her unanswered questions. Mostly- why he was so involved with the military at the age of twenty.

*

"I hope big sister is ok…" Elysia said softly, she was drawing something on the table at home, "she hates her eyes."

"I know," nodded Winry, "but she's allowed not to."

"I don't know why… they're so pretty."

"You've seen them?"

"Of coarse!" Elysia absent-mindedly pointed to the picture on one of the shelves with books.

Curiously, Winry stood up and walked over to the book shelf and peered at the picture. Lucy looked about fifteen years old, maybe fourteen. She was smiling rather serenely at the camera, holding a picture that Elysia had clearly drawn. Her eyes were unmasked… yellowish green and blood red… one of each. Elysia was wrong, they weren't pretty, or beautiful, but they were unique and stunning… and somehow they suited Lucy better than any thing else.

"Yeah," agreed Winry coming to sit with Elysia again, "it's definitely her through and through."

*

It was for several moments that Lucy sat and stared at him. The story had taken her by surprise. He had missed out the bits about the other world and so on, but he had kept most other things in what he had said.

"Say something," he prompted.

There was a further moment's pause.

"You're an idiot?" she asked, "you're a fool? What do I say? You wanted your mother back so you tried to bring her back, it back fired so you made the best of a bad situation, got automail and kept Al's soul. Then set about getting your bodies back. Didn't do a bad job 'cept for yourself."

Edward frowned. "Is that all?"

"Well… yeah, what you did was understandable. Incredibly stupid, utterly ridiculous and something I think Winry expected you to do. But understandable."

Edward grinned. "So you're not mad? You don't think I'm a freak?"

"I think you're an idiot. I know you're mad. But… I'm in a similar boat to you, not having parents, wanting them back stuff like that," she shrugged, "guess it's a big easier for me to understand. I'd just never be dumb enough to try it."

"Now you sound like Izumi-sensei," he grumbled.

"I liked that sound of her, I wish I could have met her."

"Yeah… I think you two would have killed each other."

Lucy laughed. "Maybe…"

Edward put studied her. "Are you ok now?"

She nodded. "I'm better…"

"I'll ask later… I'm going to call Winry ok? Stay here, I'll be back soon."

"I'm not going anywhere… I don't have my glasses, I can't."

He scowled, but didn't say anything. How could he? Called a demon because of them… it was understandable. Question was, what had made her snap when the glasses had broken? Why was her reaction so violent instead of when he'd caught her without glasses on by her own mistake? And why did he get the feeling it was to do with her brother?