The Island of Narid

Chapter 11: When Bloch Becomes a Hero

Still don't own FMA………..

….

Schoolwork is DEFINITELY cutting into my writing… :cries:

:ahem: This chapter is ….yeah, Not my best…

And at least I'm in the weekend of this week, eh?

:gets clobbered by hardcore fans (if there are any):

"Edward, calm down!"

"Calm down? Winry's sick, Rose is gone, and Armstrong has been trying to kill Kit and Black Hayate for the last few weeks!" He struck the side of the shack with his arm furiously.

"…Feel the wrath of my beautiful muscles..!"

"And to top that all off, we're deserted on an island, the military hasn't sent for us yet, and we can barely muster up enough food to survive the hour!"

"Well it's no use complaining." Maria chided.

"Complaining?"

"Brother, please!" Alphonse cried, putting two hands on the young man's shoulders to quiet his spasms.

"Edward, I know you're worried, but you have to think about this rationally." Roy said calmly as he always did. "Odds are against us at the moment. The girl could be anywhere on this island—you can't expect us to simply rush out there for a rescue."

"I'm not asking you to!"

"And you're not going alone."

"Well then what do you propose we do, Mustang?" Edward spat, clearly miffed.

"Honestly, Ed, I don't know."

Edward groaned loudly and spun around, seeking out Hierra. She was standing many paces away with her hands by her chest, clasped tightly. She had never seen Ed angry before, and as he rushed toward her with his eyes flaming she winced away.

"Nonc Fowru. Taka Ed!" She screamed, twisting around. "Ama furu Rawse."

Heaving a great sigh, Edward closed his eyes and made an attempt to reign in his frustration. He knelt down beside her. "Hierra—I'm sorry." Though she didn't understand his words she recognized his tone and relaxed a little. "I need you to help me. To find Rose."

"Rawse?"

"If I remember correctly, Ed, weren't you whining about having to find Rose yesterday?"

"Shut up, Colonel. I don't need this."

"And we don't need you running off and endangering yourself. The chances of finding her now, a day or two after she was captured, or killed, or whatever the heck happened are way too slim."

"What are you saying?"

"You should worry about what's here. Rose is gone—we can't lose another. You need to focus on what's here, the living."

"Sorry, but I can't do that. You know as well as I that she is alive. There's no way I'm just going to stand here."

"And there's no way we're going to let you risk your life. Not right now, at least."

Maria's voice broke in. She lectured in her maternal sort of way, "And you have to wait until your nerves cool. You can't expect to bring things in to order when your head is steaming."

Edward fell silent, staring at them in open-mouthed disbelief. His irritation and anger rose dramatically, but he found he had to keep his fury in check, in case Hierra would shy away. Attempting to blanken his red face, he whispered, rather harshly, "How can you all speak of this so calmly? How can you act as if her disappearance is not important?"

One by one, the faces around Edward fell to stare at the sandy ground at their feet.

"Edward." Riza started softly, "This kind of thing happens; quite a few cases have been reported to the military of this type of…disappearance. A person can only take so much. And Rose, she was a fragile girl to start with."

Edward's eyes narrowed.

"Having lost her parents, her faith, her lover, her hope, and then her home, Rose has suffered more than we can understand. And after coming with you on this trip, she has suffered no less. Her voice vanished and the homunculi have been with her. Influenced her, maybe. Since she lost her voice we have not known what she was thinking, what could have been crossing her mind."

Ed's blood seethed in his veins. He hissed, "Rose is not that kind of person. She has never fully given up hope. She probably had even more hope of getting off this island than any one of us. She wouldn't break down, wouldn't quit, she would—"

"Walk forward?" Riza softened her tone. "Edward, those are only words."

Rose? She wouldn't have gone mad. It was them who were mad. Them.

"Are you still awake?"

Edward jumped, lifting his head from its gaze on the fire. It was Bloch—Bloch was talking! The man hadn't even been awake for at least an hour each day, and even then all he did was groan, and stumble around.

Bloch noticed the perplexion thickening Ed's expression and laughed lightly, with a small wink. "Yeah, I'm doing fine now. But I don't have to let anyone else notice. Yet anyway. Maria practically fawns over me all day. It's like a dream come true! Of course, my limp and my struggle in walking; that's not posed. I must have lain on that leg for what, a week?" He sat down.

The boy returned his eyes to the flames, not enlightened by Bloch's cheerful and good-humored words.

"Listen," Bloch whispered suddenly, his voice immediately solemn, "I don't even think they knew what they were saying back there. They just don't want you running all over this cursed island, killing yourself trying to find one girl. They can't afford to lose you if we all get rescued someday. You're much more valuable to the military than a simple village girl."

Bloch saw the flicker of annoyance that crossed Ed's face and quickly spoke again. "Hey, now, I know how you feel, but you're the 'Fullmetal Alchemist' and that makes all the difference. But anyways, there's nothing stopping you from finding out yourself what happened to your woman."

"Excuse me?"

Bloch laughed again; amused by the way Edward suddenly became flustered. His suspicions were met.

Ed seemed to recover. "Now you aren't suggesting that you come with, right?"

"Oh, no. My limp would slow you down. But Hierra's determined not to let you go alone."

Hearing her name, the girl came forward into the firelight timidly. "Ed no schata porhuven. Ka Rawse…"

Bloch inclined his head as if to confirm an unspoken thought. He turned to Ed, "No dawdling now. Go."

It was Ed's turn to laugh. His heart felt much lighter. "Thanks."

"No problem."