"Shawshank Redemption – Brooks was here"
This is the very song that has inspired this fic, and I listen to it before I write a chapter.
Return to the Underworld
Chapter 12
Charice's father handed Edward his fake passport the night before so he could travel abroad to Egypt. He left in the early hours of the morning, before Charice or her father was awake. Edward was undeniably nervous about the mode of transport. It was a flying machine, called a jumbo jet, and it soared many kilometres into the air. The airport was packed full of people, and they all seemed to walk from one area to another with purpose and direction. Edward, however, trailed behind Tulisa uncertainly, towing a small red suitcase behind him.
"Are you okay?" Tulisa asked. Her voice was soothing, and it calmed him, though only slightly. "You look nervous."
Edward tugged at his collar absentmindedly. "Y-yeah," he stammered. "I just, you know, I'm not too keen on being, well, so high up in the air."
Tulisa laughed, almost musically, and she placed a comforting hand onto his shoulder. "Is this your first time flying?" she squeezed his shoulder lightly before letting go. His shoulder was tense, and it was shaking. He nodded, almost shamefully. Tulisa noticed that his forehead looked shinier than usual as tiny beads of sweat began to form.
"I don't really like the idea of flying." He grumbled. Tulisa giggled as she rummaged in her pocket, taking out a stylish mobile phone and then handed it to him.
"Do you want to call your parents?" she suggested compassionately. He scowled in reply, but Tulisa laughed it off instead. "You know, I was scared on my first flight-"
"I'm not scared." He interrupted. But Tulisa ignored him and continued.
"-and right before I boarded I called my dad. The sound of his voice made me feel much calmer, and after the call I felt better. The plane journey wasn't so bad after that."
Ed shifted in his jacket slightly, and his grip on his suitcase tightened. "I don't have any parents to call. And the people that I live with are asleep."
Tulisa blinked. "What about your friend, uh, Reece?"
"Charice," Edward corrected. "She's one of the people I live with, so she'll be knocked out at this time."
She shrugged. "I'm sure she doesn't mind," Tulisa proposed. "We have her number anyway, so give her a call. It's dialled already."
She handed the phone to him, with a little bit of force, and he took it reluctantly. Edward sighed as he placed it against his ear. He could hear the line beeping as the number was dialled, before the call tone resounded. He heard it click, followed by hasty ruffling noises from the other side.
"Hello?" the voice belonged to Charice, and she sounded tired. "If you want Ed then he isn't here."
"Charice?" he answered, feeling awkward and uncomfortable. His anxiety rose when he realised that he didn't know what to say. "Sorry that it's so early. Uh, how are you feeling?"
There was a pause, leaving Ed to wonder momentarily if she had hung up. "Ed?" she finally replied. "Are you by any chance drunk?"
"W-what? No!" Edward defended. He felt his face scrunch up into a small scowl. "I'm just calling you to tell you I'm about to go on the plane."
There was giggling on the other side. "I see now. Are you nervous?"
"No." He lied.
Charice wasn't as stupid as he had thought. "You are nervous, aren't you? Otherwise you wouldn't be calling."
Edward found his temper rising, and he gritted his teeth. "Only a little," he mumbled. "But I'm just informing you, so don't get too bigheaded."
A heartfelt laugh rang through the phone. "Its okay, Ed. I'm not teasing you. You'll be fine on the plane, trust me."
Edward grumbled something unintelligibly. "I have to go now-"
"Oh, Ed, no, wait!"
He kept on the line. "What?"
"Sit next to a window, okay?"
"I-I don't think I want to-"
"Please, Ed."
He sighed, shaking his head. "Fine," Edward submitted. "But I have to go now. Bye."
He hung up before she could reply, and hastily handed the phone back to Tulisa. She arched a brow at his actions.
"That was quick," she commented with surprise. Edward huffed as he walked ahead of her, dragging his suitcase behind him. Tulisa smiled at him as she caught up, noticing that his pace was quicker, and his strides were longer. She placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it affectionately, and then let go.
At least his shaking stopped.
- - -
Edward did follow Charice's advice, and he grudgingly sat next to the window. He hated it when the plane went through the take off procedure, and he refuse to look outside until the plane had levelled out. But once it did, and when he finally plucked up the courage to peek outside, he was unduly disappointed.
It was nothing but black, except for the blinking lights at the end of the plane wing. He felt his stomach lurch when he couldn't see the ground, as it was lost in a thick shroud of shadow. Ed turned away from the window, looking utterly miserable as he pressed himself into his seat. His hand fumbled with his seat belt, tightening it as much as he could. The high pitched whine of the engines disorientated him, and when the cabin pressure was adjusting it made Ed's ears pop. He momentarily panicked at that moment, thinking that he was turning deaf.
Tulisa nudged him slightly, noticing that Edward's eyes had been shut tight. "Are you okay?" she asked with concern. He hastily shook his head.
"Don't like the window." He mumbled. "Stupid Charice's fault."
She laughed quietly, pointing outside. "But look, it's nearly sunrise." She sighed in wonder. "How can you not like the window seat?"
He cracked an eye open, peeping sideways at the window. It wasn't completely black, but more of a wide spectrum of indigo and purple. Bravely he shifted closer, opening his eyes more, and stared at an empty horizon. Or so he thought.
There were hazy shapes out in the distance, its form shifting and twirling. When the sun peeked through a gap between these shapes the horizon instantly changed. The sky around him was tinged a light purple, and overhead the dark void had lightened into a more recognisable sky blue. But the horizon was divided, cut in half with harsh jagged lines. But the mountainous region was softened as climbing columns of cloud hovered over them, like cotton balls resting on shattered obsidian shards.
There are regions where the cloud has not cleared, and instead there was an ever falling white sheet, protecting the bare surface of the Earth from the sun, like a white cotton blanket being dragged across the delicate skin of a child when they slept. As the sun rose higher, the clouds lose their blush, purifying their forms into the most delicate of whites.
Eventually the sun has claimed its throne in the higher heavens, glaring down at him like he was trespassing into its celestial kingdom, and Edward had to look lower to escape the intense light, bowing his head in a manner of respect, and in a certain sense, worship.
The clouds closed up, separating the plane from the sight of the earth, and the craggy outlines of the wrinkled mountains disappeared. There was only a sea of white against the viciously bright sky, illuminated by the purest beams of light from the sun.
Edward's vision became blurred, and he had to blink furiously from the effects of the glare. When he returned his gaze to the inside of the cabin it seemed like he was in a dark and cold cave. Although the cabin was crammed with people, in contrast to what Edward had just witnessed outside, the plane suddenly looked lifeless.
"You finally decided to return to reality?" Tulisa said playfully as she sipped a glass of wine. Edward smiled, recollecting his thoughts as he tried to remember how to speak.
"How long have we got left of the journey?" he asked, his voice unusually restricted. Edward readjusted his seat belt, loosening it so he could relax properly into his seat. Tulisa only giggled.
"Still a few hours," she replied. "You've been staring outside that window for nearly an hour, though."
"I have?" he exclaimed before switching his attention between Tulisa and the view outside. "It only seemed like ten minutes."
Tulisa hummed in amusement, sipping her wine with more relish than usual. She paused when she grinned in realisation. "I have been meaning to ask you something," she said in her melodic tone. "Earlier on you were blaming your discomfort on Charice. Why was that?"
Edward blinked at the question before he laughed nervously, mostly from embarrassment. "Yeah," he sighed. "It was her idea that I should get a window seat."
Tulisa smiled as she tucked a strand of her blonde her behind her ear. "She seems to know how to calm you down. You were a nervous wreck earlier on."
"Pssh..." he ridiculed the idea. "She doesn't know me. I try to keep myself to myself."
"Hum," she pondered over the comment. "She seems to know enough already, if you ask me."
There was awkward silence between them; the whirring of the jet engines seemed to elevate the intensity of the quiet gap. Eventually Edward sank further into his chair, releasing a forced sigh. Tulisa observed him carefully, her blue eyes inspecting his every move.
"I try not to get too attached to this place," he muttered. "If I do, then it would almost seem impossible to leave."
"What has attached you to this world so far?" Tulisa encouraged him to speak out more. Edward shrugged, shaking his head for reasons he could not fathom.
"I don't know," his voice wavered slightly. "There are just so many things that I can learn from this place. I mean, technology here is far superior to the machines in my world. No one has ever dreamt of travelling to the moon, and your phones can do a variety of things that even I couldn't have imagined."
"There must be more than that," she implored. "What about Charice?"
Edward's eyes flickered back to the window, seeing only a grey fog as the plane flew through a cloud. "No, Charice isn't one of them." Edward stared intently at the hazy mass outside, searching for anything to look at which was not just another shade of grey. "She's just a friend."
Tulisa curled her lip, clearly unsatisfied with his answer. "Just a friend?" she repeated. Edward rested his head on the cold glass, peering out into nothingness.
"Just a friend..."
- - -
Charice was groggy that morning, mainly due to the rude awakening she had received from Edward. But she didn't mind that much. She knew he needed a sense of comfort, as his voice seemed slightly jittered. It also had heavy staccato, which was the manner Edward adopted whenever he was frustrated with his work. But Charice knew that he was in need, and she was happy to help, no matter as to how mundane and simple it may be.
But Charice had also noticed something else, and it worried her to no end. It wasn't Ed that worried her, it was her reaction to Edward afterwards. Charice would find herself obsessively checking her phone, as if she would receive a call from him any second. And when her phone did ring she lunged towards it, and she answered it with gusto. But her excitement was only short lived, as entirely different voices greeted her instead.
Later on in the evening she grew tired of being dejected by her mobile, and she took out the batteries so she wouldn't receive anymore calls. To pass her time she took out her camera, rearranged some twigs and leaves in her garden, and took close up photographs of them.
Charice smiled as she looked at her latest photographs, loving how she has managed to capture the intricate detail of each leaf in the orange tinge of the setting sun. She pressed her browse button once too many, going back an extra picture than she has intended, and her smile faltered when a picture of a sleeping Edward flicked onto the screen.
He was on the sofa, his journal open in his lap, an ink stained hand curled around a pen, and the other arm cradling his head on the arm rest. Charice flicked to the next picture quickly, realising that she had been staring at the picture for a while now.
"He's just a friend." She sighed. But she didn't sound like she was convinced by the prospect. Her hand hovered over the mouse, gathering photos and files from her computer and mass selecting them all.
"Nothing less, nothing more."
She hit backspace, watching photographs of Edward Elric disappear, each of them deleted, one by one.
- - -
"Ah, Edward," Church greeted him at the arrival terminal. The old man hobbled over, his strides less awkward with the help of his brass cane. "How was your journey?"
Edward smirked as he gave Church a handshake. "It was interesting." He decided to give Church the modest opinion.
Church wheezed out a laugh. "Come, come, come, we have much to talk about. You may leave your luggage in the car." He hobbled off, with Tulisa and Edward in tow. "I have a fascinating find to show you."
- - -
The weather was almost unbearably hot. Edward anticipated the warmer temperatures, and he enjoyed the welcoming change as he was growing tired of the colder weather in England, but now that the temperature has risen slightly he hated being so uncomfortably hot. There was sand and stone buildings all around him, and his calves ached as he power walked through the sand. He darted ahead of Tulisa and Church, aiming for the shade that was cast from an overhang in a stone wall. He slumped to the floor, resting his back on the wall, and tried to fan himself with his hand.
"Jeez," he flustered. "I've never been so hot in my life."
Church hobbled over, seemingly unaffected by the heat. Tulisa wasn't as resilient as Edward, and she flushed a bright red as she held her portable electric fan to her face. Edward stood back up, his breathing was heavy.
"This building behind you is the temple we came to see," Church wheezed. "Archaeologists have discovered these hidden temples buried under the sand, and I have been told that some scriptures inside are, indeed, quite fascinating."
Church led the way as he entered the temple from the side. It was dark, dry and dusty, and their footsteps echoes as they walked down tunnel to tunnel. There were stairs, leading down, and Tulisa handed Church a torch. Edward was given one too, but he stared at it for a while as he tried to figure out how it worked. A white beam emitted from the bulb when Edward discovered the switch, and he used it to light up his way.
The tunnel was narrow, and Edward felt a sense of claustrophobia until the passage opened up, revealing a wide and empty hall. Dust, cobwebs and sand leaked from the cracks in the stone walls, and their torches cast distorted shadows upon each surface, like a disfigured shadow puppet performance accompanied by rumbling silence.
"Ah," Church sighed, pointing his torch on one of the walls. There was a set of hieroglyphs etched into stone surface, and above it were a set of curved lines. "Edward, I require your assistance."
Ed stepped up to him, waving a cobweb away, and shone his light as he followed the lines. "A transmutation circle?"
The old man nodded, moving his light with his line of sight. "This is a door. The alchemy circle acts as a lock, as stated in the hieroglyphs below, and you, Edward, are the key." He finished, stepping aside so Ed could walk up to it. "You are, out of all of us, much more advanced and experienced when it comes to alchemical circles."
His sweaty, clammy palms were a contrast to the cold and dry walls, and Edward ran his fingers into each engraved line and symbol. Tulisa was holding Edwards torch for him, and she shone it, including hers, to the transmutation circle. His breathing was shallow, and his brows furrowed together in firm concentration.
"What's on the other side?" Edward questioned with a quivering breath.
"Hopefully, your home." Church shifted his weight on his cane. "According to scriptures on the walls, this temple is a gateway to the underworld."
Edward nodded. He noticed that his hands were trembling, and his heart was quickening as his stomach tied itself into a knot. Edward pressed both of his palms onto the hard stone surface, and he sighed. Church and Tulisa watched him from behind, observing him as he rested his forehead on the wall.
"I-I..." Edward's voice was thick. He couldn't say a word as his throat closed up, blocked and jammed with so many things to say. Edward took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts and piecing back his resolve. "I'm going to need some time to think."
Church watched him as Edward pushed himself away from the wall. His footsteps seemed heavy, but he still walked with an air of authority, looking at the symbols on the walls, striding to the exit like a general inspecting his soldiers. Church sighed and put more weight upon his cane, before smiling at Edward.
"Of course, you must be tired from your journey." The old man chuckled. "Well, we'll see you outside. Tulisa and I would like to inspect this alchemy circle a little while."
Edward nodded, yawning slightly to add to the effect, and walked back through the passageway that they had entered from. Tulisa waited until she couldn't hear Edwards echoing footsteps anymore. She leaned over, her mouth near Church's ear.
"He's faltering." She whispered. Church sighed, recognising a notion from her tone.
"I've noticed," he rasped gravely. "Perhaps we might have to resort to our other plans."
Tulisa nodded, tucking strands of her hair behind her ear. "Who are we going to use if it does come to that?"
The old man gripped his hand tighter around his cane, his bony knuckles protruding outwards in awkward angles. "Do you have someone in mind?"
The hall echoed in melodic laughter, and Tulisa put a hand over her mouth to stifle it. Church grinned at her, wrinkles deepening around his face.
"Yes," she chuckled. "I do."
- - -
Edward was relieved when he plopped onto the bed. There was a large fan on the ceiling, and it cooled him down by a large degree. He has travelled to hot places before, and he has walked across a desert with Alphonse once, but no way was it as hot as Egypt. Edward was sweating, and he was panting like a dog trying to keep cool.
"Jeez..." he cursed as he stood back up. He sighed as he took off his shirt, which clung to his damp skin. He grimaced as he tossed it to the floor and made his way to the bathroom. There wasn't a bath tub inside, only a sink, a toilet and a standing shower. "Cold shower it is."
He nearly jumped out of his skin when he first jumped in, but it helped relieve his feverish temperature. Refreshed, clean, and cool, he went up to his suitcase to pick out some fresh clothes. Black shirts and black trousers. All black. He rolled his eyes, regretting his taste of colours, and pulled them on.
There was something green in his suitcase, and he spotted it from the corner of his eye. He fished it out from the rest of his black clothes, and he inspected it. It was a small box, covered in green wrapping paper, with his name scrawled on top with a thick black marker. He tore off the paper, letting it drop to the floor, to reveal a wooden lacquer box. The box was highly polished, the varnish reflecting his stunned face. A tag was attached to it, hanging from the clasp at the side, and he turned it over to read what was written.
"To Ed," he read it out loud. "Happy Birthday. Sorry it was late, even if it's your fault, but I hope you like it."
The corner of his lips tugged into a smile, and he sat onto the bed, his hair dripping down his shoulders. "From, Charice."
He lifted up the clasp, opening the box. There was a silver chain inside, and a silver pendant was on the chain. Edward took it out, inspecting the pendant. It was rectangular, the edges and corners smoothed to make it more rounded. A dog tag, he remembered that soldiers in this world wear them. The dog tag had engravings on it. On one side was the transmutation circle he used to boil water in front of her. On the other side was his name.
He stroked the cold metal with his thumb, unsure of what to make of it, staring at it with golden eyes.
Smiling, he put the chain around his neck, the cold metal dangling across his chest.
- - -
Dawww...
Thanks for the suggestions guys! This seemed to be a pretty popular gift hahahaha :D
Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter! Tell me what you think of it.
