A/N: This chapter took longer to get around to than I thought…
Anyway, Gel and Envy have split from Ed around this time (it's been about a month since last chapter). Guess what the human girl wants to do? Hint: think back before they made their escape. What was one occuring detail that she always wanted to talk about? Also worthy of note, I'm straying from the initial plot of the manga (you'll understand what I mean when you read this chapter).
Q's and A's! Here's a question that I want you guys to answer in your review… What's your favorite chapter so far?
Anyway…on with the show!
Disastrous Disappointment
I woke up with a jolt, looking around myself swiftly. It took me awhile to remember that Gel had "gotten" a hotel room (courtesy of Fullmetal), but when I finally realized this, I relaxed. Great, another nightmare…they're so bothersome.
Still feeling a bit on the stiff side, I looked over at the bed Gel was sitting on, staring out the window at the early-morning sky. I squeaked to gain her attention and she looked over at me with a bright smile.
"You're awake!" She stood up and strode over to me, picking me up from the soft piece of cloth that served as my bed. "Guess what we're gonna do today?"
Go over to your house, you've told me over a thousand times…
"That's right!" she exclaimed, even though I was sure she was going to say that regardless of whether or not she could actually read my mind. "We're going to my house! Hopefully, Daddy or Mommy are home…Danny's probably still off at that training camp," she mused, looking out the window again whilst placing me on her shoulder. "…should we pack, just in case?"
I wouldn't count on your parents being home, but do as you wish.
She started rummaging through her clothes, neatly folding her clean articles and placing them neatly in a suitcase that Alphonse had lent her.
Oh, I should probably explain a few things before Gel and I set out, shouldn't I?
Well, according to the Elrics and Doctor Knox, there's been this war going on in the surface world for about a year. It hadn't gotten very serious 'till about two or so months ago when it reached Central and started destroying homes and places of business (for example, the military's main headquarters). If there weren't any dead bodies laying around, then people were missing, the large majority of those being scientists. Edward theorized that Father's been rounding up more Sacrifices, which I agree with. Briggs had been detonated (save for a small number of survivors), and I agree with the siblings that Central is now the main target for the bloody rampage. Apparently, Ed and Scar had very little to do with the damages down in that area where Gel and I escaped our imprisonment…
A click from the lock on the suitcase initiated the beginning of our departure of this hotel.
I looked at blue-green eyes, which were shining with excitement. "Ready to go, Envy?"
As ready as I'll ever be.
Slinging the suitcase over her shoulder and picking up a notebook that Doctor Knox had given her, she walked out of the room (wow, she didn't make the bed…she usually does that) and checked out at the counter.
"You sure you don't wanna stay?" the desk person asked, hesitantly holding out the papers she needed to sign. "It's kinda rough out there, what with this war and all."
"I'll be alright," she assured him, signing the papers and handing them back. "I'm going to see my parents!" she chirped, walking out the building with a bright smile on her face. I didn't like the look on that man's face when she walked out the doors, though…
As we walked down the streets, it was clear that Pipsqueak hadn't lied about there being a lot of destruction. Buildings were partially crumbled down, there was smoke coming in from civilian areas, and there was even an occasional gunshot or two sounding off in the distance. I was pretty surprised that she didn't flinch at the banging.
After awhile, she stopped at a fairly-preserved house (and by preserved, I mean the walls where still standing. The only thing odd about the building was that the roof was missing). She looked at it oddly as if she was expecting it to be the way she remembered it.
Is this the house, Gel?
"Here goes nothing," she said with a slight sigh, walking up the steps to the front door. Slowly turning the knob and pushing in, she walked into a shadowy hallway that was eerily quiet (the streets were pretty quiet too, but this was like not being able to hear). "Hello?" she called, walking into what I assumed was the kitchen. Shaky fingers felt for the light-switch, but of course it didn't work. "Mom? Dad?"
I didn't like the look of the kitchen; eating utensils (forks, etc) and plates were scattered all over the floor, most of the cupboards were torn off and splintered remains were all dumped in the sink. Also, the room stank from old spices that had been strewn on the floor and many of the foods in the refrigerator looked spoiled (the door was left hanging open). I looked at Gel's face, not liking the look of shock written all over her features.
"This isn't what it looked like when Greed came…" she whispered, her voice sounding almost choked. She gently grabbed onto me, trembling. "I don't want to know what the rest of the house looks like…"
I wrapped my tail around two of her fingers. I'm right here, Gel. You don't have to be scared.
She left the kitchen and started walking up the stairs, shaking her hand to dislodge the dust that made contact with her hand when she touched the banister. Reaching the top step, she skipped the first door on the left and carefully wrapped her fingers around the knob of the second door. We both took in a careful breath and she turned the silver contraption, pushing inward and stepping into the room.
It was a normal girl's room with dolls lining one of the shelves and a dresser standing next to a white-blanketed bed. It also appeared to me that the room had been left untouched.
"No one came in here?"
I looked into her eyes and was a bit surprised to see tears in them. Shouldn't she be happy that no one's touched her room?
"Mommy said she'd come in here…"
Oh. Was there something her mother said she'd bring in here?
There was a crashing sound from downstairs that made the both of us jump in alarm.
What was that?
She whirled around so fast I almost fell off her shoulder. Luckily, the crash startled me into digging my claws into her dark-green shirt so I didn't fly off. Slowly leaving the room, she peered over the banister and my eyes narrowed to look into the darkness below. There was a shattered vase on the floor, and…was that some sort of cat that zipped by?
"Cloudy?"
I looked at her strangely, wondering what she was going on about.
"Is that you, kitty?"
Oh, Cloudy's the name of your pet. This was quickly proven true when a white cat appeared at the bottom of the steps, mewing softly. Correction: your cat.
"Cloudy!" Gel hurried down the stairs, stopping short when the stupid animal dashed away. "Cloudy? What's wrong?" Setting me on the banister, she knelt down and started making distorted meowing sounds. What did she think she was, a Cat Whisperer?
Slowly, the cat came back out. Pausing long enough to give me what could almost be described as a distrusting look, Cloudy hurried over to the awaiting arms of its owner.
"Cloudy, you're okay!" She started giggling when it forced its nose into her armpit, pushing it back gently and rubbing its head. "I'm glad to see you, too." Picking the furry menace up in her arms, she brought it over to where I was perched on the banister. "Cloudy, this is Envy. Envy, Cloudy."
I stiffened when the cat started sniffing me, flattening its ears when it was done and trying to move away from me with that almost icy look in its green-gold eyes. It tried to swipe at me with claws fully extended and I whipped at him with my tail in self-defense.
"Cloudy! That's not very nice," she said, putting the beast back down. It just grumbled at her and glared at me. She sighed, looking between the two of us. "Which one of you boys should I take with me? I can't take you both…" I could see tears in her eyes, and I knew she didn't want to leave her old pet behind.
I purred gently, trying to make myself comfortable in my position on the wooden banister (which was smothered in dust). I knew her decision was hard for her, but to me, the choice was fairly obvious: she had to leave the cat behind. I mean, Cloudy can hunt and survive on his own, while I could barely move around by myself. But of course, I thought through these sort of things with logic, and Gel was a bit too young to start thinking the same way quite yet.
Please, Gel…not when we've made it this far…
To Be Continued…
