Eta #10: "Puppet on a String"

We are still on a quest; but we hope it will end soon

Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist

Because I haven't updated in a while, I will give you people a second drabble. This is probably one of my favourites so far. On another note, I only have 20 more to go. Thanks to everyne who's read, reviewed. alerted and favourited. I'm off to bed as soon as I post this. Oh, and spoilers fro volumes 14/15, and this is slightly AU (because it seems a much to happy ending)

Ran Fan and Ling were finally back in Xing, just on the outskirts, but still, they were finally back in Xing. All around them they could hear there native tongue being spoken, something they were not used to after a year in Amestris, where there was no one who could speak their language. (That wasn't quite true, and both of them knew it,but the only ones who could speak the language were those who were Xingian themselves)

No one had recognised them yet; which was a good thing from Ran Fan's point of view. Not only did she not have her Kunai on her (they had been left back in Amestris in the care of Winry Rockbell), but it would also mean having to explain what she and Ling had been doing in Amestris (which was, let's face it, not the best story to tell)

So for now, the two of them just walked around town, Ling holding Ran Fan's hand. It was just a small place, with very few shops, but the two of them were content just being there, still without anyone bearing over them, anyone commanding them to do anything.

Because, truly, that was what there time in Amestris had been. Even from the start, the search for the Philosophers stone, to Ling becoming one of the homunculi, to Ran Fan's departure from known sight, there had been someone behind it.

Ran Fan hadn't known it at first, but in there trip back across the desert to Xing Ling had told her everything; why he had gone to Amestris in search of the philosophers stone. The truth of it was that his mother, Empress Yao, had asked him to – she had feared for him and her when the current Emperor died, and had therefore, in despair, thought that her and her sons only hope for survival was the philosophers stone, and so had sent her son on a quest to find it.

Of course, Ling had done as asked. A Xingese child obeyed its mothers orders without question. And even if his mother hadn't ordered him, he had been thinking of going anyway. To Amestris that was. The legend of the Philosophers stone had not weighed quite so heavily in his mind as his mothers; even as a child, he was more interested in the Philosopher from the West.

The second instance, of Ling and the Homunculi. Ling had willingly taken in the Philosophers stone. It was only after that that he had realised that he was being used; used by Greed, used by Father, used by anyone else who could get near him. In those brief moments when he was truly in control, his mind would only think of Ran Fan and the danger he had put her in.

The departure of Ran Fan was complicated as well. Her Grandfather had decided that there was no reason for Ran Fan to stay in Amestris any longer, and had proposed for her to go back to Xing. Here Ran Fan had faced a torn decision... in leaving she would be betraying her prince, leaving him alone in this strange country (Ran Fan refused to count Ling's younger sister as company), but by staying in Amestris she would be disobeying her Grandfather.

Her decision was made based on two things. One, that she could see her Grandfathers point that she was no longer any use without her arm. Two, Ling was not there to see her betrayal, yet her grandfather would be. So she decided to go with her grandfather.

Looking back at these events, both of them saw terrible things. Behind each of the things that they had done (and these examples were but a sprinkling), there had been someone in control, a "puppetmaster" if you will.

But just for now, they were free. There were no longer the strings attached, it was just the two of them, walking side by side, in bliss.

However, when tomorrow came, the strings would once again be attached to the young warrior and her prince. Even so, tomorrow had one purpose. To truly free themselves from the grasps of everyone.

To no longer be, "puppets on a string".