AN: I don't own FMA or any related characters - and I don't own the pink lunchbox as well. I just own the idea.
Attention! Time skip! Some ages are given in the chapter but for more information...
Riza, Serena: 31
Jade, Phil: 32
Roy, Maes, Nerissa: 33
Cai, Laila, Nick, Victoria: 13 - not 12, sorry!
Owen: 16
RynUhara (Chapter 16): Haha. Love the story. You're like my older sister, making her sign up for things just to get reviews. Lol. I guess it's a big sister thing?
Ava: Of course^^
Chapter 123
DoctorWhotaliaandtheOlympians: So they're 13 now... Seventh grade, maybe eighth...
Laila: Me and my siblings happily skipped some grades, so we are all finished with school. We are a little bit back in time after all, so we never had as much to learn as you
And there's a school dance/ball thing, and most of the adults are married.
Victoria: I don't even know how to dance
So when is Nessa and Teddy's wedding?
Nerissa: That's a really good question. *turns head* Teddy?
Sira-the-Awesome: Oh My Glob, I'm so SOOOOOOOOORRY! I didn't review! I'm such a failure! *cries* I feel so bad... So guilty... Will you forgive me, Ava? OH PLEASE DO! I don't think I could deal with you hating me. That would be worse than Riza hating me. (Since i'm sort of obsessed with her...that's pretty bad...)
Riza, you don't hate me, do you? *Stops crying,
Riza: We were afraid that you might have died this time
Oh! When did Elisia become so smart and... wise? *Sweatdrop* they're growin' up so fast... *Starts crying again* Why? why does every one have to grow up and not be cute little elementary schoolers anymore? Oh Ava... *Pathetic look* Let them be children a while longer, eh? I don't think i can deal with them growing up so fast...
Ava: They are still kids but they had to grow up a bit
Sigh, I will deal if i have to...
Laila: I am sure that you will survive
Another wonderful chapter~ Great Job, Ava! This is just more proof as to why you're my favorite author.
Ava: *Tomato state* Here I go again…
Oh yeah~~ May the Fourth be With You!
Ava: Coincidentally, I just joked with my dad about that before I opened the Review Alert Mail with your review… Mistakes in translations forever!
*Holds out hinds in 'live long and prosper' sign, totally not caring that they're two entirely different things.* WOO!
Nick: That's the spirit!
So, Goddess of Literature, please don't hate me and sleep well!
Ava: I would never hate a reviewer
CallousVulpix: Excellent chapter as ever! Elicia and Nick, I would be a terrible liar if I said I hadn't seen this from the beginning.
Roy: Thankfully we adopted Nick instead of Maes … that would have gotten strange
Ew, Geography. I took that class last year. Well, maybe I just didn't like it because my teacher wasn't there 9/10 of the time?
Ava: It's my second advanced class
Heh, another play at Victoria's innocence. Though I really do doubt she would steal the answer key.(Seriously, no sarcasm there.)
Victoria: It would be easy but why should I bother?
Heart, infarct? *looks up* I had assumed it meant heart attack. Just making sure.
Ava: Probably, sorry
Yes, four years does seem like a lot when you're growing up, but once you are done it really seems like nothing at all.
Jun Li: Exactly, that's what I told Vicky last week too!
Haha, the Golden Dragon is now a franchise.
Lei: Soon in your town too!
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Ever heard that one, Victoria?
Victoria: Of course
Naw, orange and pink would work much better together. Or orange and blue. I cannot put orange and yellow together, it's such a weird combination for me. Or maybe orange and black as a compromise.;P
Jade: I love light colours… *sigh*
Of course Victoria's dress would be purple, has it been anything but?
Nick: Never.
What girl isn't strong willed in this story?
Lynn: Good question
Usually, the person you are beating up gets bloody and beaten, not the other way around.
Nick: It wasn't my blood…
The 'Storm Alchemist' is fancy enough, though quite cliché.
Jade: If you have a better idea, I would gladly take it
Cai can't say anything to Owen, he'd be a hypocrite.(You know, the whole dating your best friend thing.)
Cai: Yes, that's true
Obligatory reply to your question: Yes, my school system is very screwed up. Most people spend 15-16 years of their life just learning the basics! Then, after that they go to a university. I attended school earlier than normal and was held back because of my age.(Stupid reason right?) Then, I was offered to skip a year but declined.(The people in the year above me kinda, very much, dislike me.) I only have 4 more years of "basics" left. For that I'm glad! We have required tests and then tests from individual teachers.(Which are required to pass, too, of course. But, there is a difference!) I finished the last of the required tests, uh, on April 17? I really don't remember. Then the last individual teachers' tests yesterday. So I just have to show up for the next 4 days and do some minor work. I actually am being released a week early for my good grades and attendance. So, yeah, I have until the 21st to write my speech. Enough time? Yeah, I think so. Oh and I think our summer break is roughly the same amount of time.(We start back in early August.)
Ava: My summer break starts on the 9th of July *starts crying*
Ah, yes. I'm sorry, but whenever I imagine the blonde hair and black eyes it scares me! I imagine soulless eyes and a head cocked to the side as if contemplating how to kill me! I really don't know where exactly I get that from, but it's scary nonetheless.
Helena: I won't kill you, I promise
Yes, orange is a very sane color. I think. I've just held an affection for the color since, forever? I also love oranges but, oranges' smell scare away cats and I love cats! The same goes for lemons! I love the fruits and cats, so I am at a loss. Wait, when did I say I was a girl, Catherina? Hah, I'm just kidding around. I am a girl.;P Mhmm, I need to quit typing now, right? Until tomorrow! (Unless a cat scratches my eyes in an attempt to fight my love of oranges and lemons and there-forth renders my ability to read and review useless.)
Jade: Oh dear, I know that problem too well
mangagirl135: So that's the Hawkeye way of asking someone out? Interesting
Owen: Exactly
I'll have to try it sometime. Haha, I'm funny sometimes. I do not have the confidence necessay to do that. Shut up, Ed. Yes, I have confidence that I can kick butt, but I don't have... Self-esteem, I guess. I said shut up, damnit!
Jade: *punches Edward* he won't bother you again
Anyway, now that we're done talking about my issues, I can DEFINITELY see Kay doing that. Serena and Riza, not so much, but what do I know?
Roy: Still waters are deep, you know…
Oh, and I do remember that now, Ava. And our plan about teaching small children to attack Ed... I don't see your problem here, Ed. You're a short-tempered shrimp, and I have Ava's permission to beat you up. Right, Ava?
Ava: Always^^
Anyway, I'm glad everyone's finally got their dates for this thing and I cannot wait until I get to read the next chapter!
Ava: Too nice, you're too nice
kroutonrex: I should take advice on relationships from Vicky. I think too much on it I guess. I always expect to be all smooth and say "Care to dance, handsome?" But it usually ends up, "sometimes, I meow at cats and they meow back."
Kay: I know that problem but if you want to follow Vicky's lead, make sure that the guy likes you back
Chapter 124:
Sira-the-Awesome: Ah! Dances! And War! My two favorite things! They work so lovely together! (totally sarcastic)
Nick: I think so too *equal sarcasm*
Um, did I miss something? What exact is Serena planning? I'm sort of scared...
Jade: Me too. I just started to get along with Fullmetal…
Ah, another wonderful chapter Ava, and I would rave quite a bit, but I've gotten tendenitus in both my shoulder and elbow on my left arm and just walking around hurts, much less typing.
Ava: I know how it is
But It was a wonderful read! Your cheer: AVAAAAAAAAAA! DID YOU KNOW? EDWARD HAS NOTHING ON YOU, NO NO! I guess it rhymes... But its the thought that counts, right? Right.
Victoria: Exactly!
So, Goddess of Literature, give everyone a payraise and sleep well!
Ava: …I will … consider it…
mangagirl135: No review response? Oh no! That's one of my favorite parts - mainly because I always end up laughing my butt of while reading the response.
Ava: I know that you like it and I am sorry but I have no internet after eleven o'clock in the evening and I came too close to this deadline
Serena, I see your point. Especially as you don't want to send Vicky into battle - if you did, I would be incapable of supporting you.
Serena: No sane person would send a child on the battlefield
Roy, I know you want to protect your little girl, but you did a good thing in realizing that people need help in learning the skills that Vicky can teach them -
Roy: That's true but … she is my little girl! And I nearly lost her once before!
I'm very impressed with how far you've come in such a short time, Vicky - so that they can save others' lives. Poor Vicky is going to have so much work to do now, though... But you're very advanced, dear, and I'm certain you can handle it.
Riza: She is a Hawkeye after all
Excellen work (no sh*t) Ava!
Ava: I'll believe you^^
DoctorWhotaliaandtheOlympians: :) Annoying girls are jealous~
Kay: You're quoting me^^
CallousVulpix: Exemplary chapter as ever!
Serena: Thank you!
Hah, them wanting more healing alchemists on the battlefield reminds me of Naruto.(The whole needing more medical ninjas on the battlefield ordeal.)
Ava: I never read/watched it so I have no clue about it
Jade came that close to dying.;-; She can't die! Orange power!
Jade: Yay! Sisters in arms! Oh, and you're invited too, daddy
This war with Hellas sounds like it's going to be Hell.(Puns.:P)
Serena: Oh yes … especially since we don't have enough competent personnel
Edward needs to keep his hands away.-n-(Damn pedophile.)
Owen: Exactly!
Hah, Laila and Victoria are like a coloring picture! The same but colored different.(My references are bad!)
Laila: But it's fitting.
Serena has a point, when something doesn't work one way you have to try it another way to see if it works better.
Roy: She is usually right … but that doesn't mean that I always agree with her
Haters gonna hate, potatoes gonna potate.(I love potatoes!:))
Ava: I just ate some … delicious
I hate showing up somewhere, like a dance, and no one (worth talking/hanging out with)is there! Party killer.
Ava: I'm not better
Until tomorrow!
Whole cast:We will wait for you!
Jun Li was busy throwing kunai at a tree while she read one of her many books on Xingese love poetry because underneath her often hard and harsh exterior, she was a woman who greatly appreciated the beauty of a good love poem – not that she would ever admit this. That was why the cover of the book showed another bunch of weapons. She had a reputation to uphold after all. She lifted her gaze from her book and frowned at the kunai which stuck in the tree. "My aim could have been better," she said with a sigh before she pulled them out of the tree and flipped over the page to get to her favourite poem. The skill to do more than two things at the same time was incredibly important when being a bodyguard and even though Jun Li hadn't had a real fight in years now, she still saw herself as a warrior because that was what she had learned for years. By now, she was one of the richest women in Amestris because the Golden Dragon had now branches in twenty-nine amestrian cities and five more in the capital. Still, Jun Li never considered herself as a successful business woman because the business she did now didn't include throwing kunai at assassins. Sometimes she missed her youth.
Jun Li's personal style had changed over the last three years. Since she was technically a princess of Xing through marrying Lei, she had a certain standard to live up to. Her low ponytail was very similar to Abigail's and Nerissa's but instead of a ribbon she used a silver hairclip which had the shape of a dragon. She wore a traditional red shirt with a golden dragon on her back and wide black pants. On her feet she wore a pair of soft red velvet shoes and she looked … happy, for the first time in a long time.
"Good evening, Jun-Jun!" Cai yelled as he entered the yard. "We ditched the ball and decided to hang out with you since Uncle Lei is on a mission for Serena!"
"Stop yelling, brat," she said annoyed as she closed the book. "Did you already eat?"
"No," he said. "And you know that because you took too much time in the bath with washing your hair so I had to hurry to get ready in time. It's all your fault."
"It's not my fault that you keep your hair short while I do the ladylike thing and keep it long," the woman huffed. "Well, I was going to cook now anyway. So, the usual for you guys?" she asked sweetly.
"Evil, evil woman with vile hair…" Cai muttered. He had been reading too many strange stories during his absence from the amestrian capital and bad enough, Laila and Jun Li hadn't been able to beat it out of him even though both of them had tried more than once.
"Oh, shut up!" Jun Li said aggravated. "Get in and take place in the kitchen. I'll get the kunai and cook something … or do you want to help me with my target practice tomorrow?"
Laila chuckled before she remembered something. "Say, Jun Li," she said friendly. "I need a favour of the only person I know who can break into Aunty Jade's office without getting caught or maimed. She has the completely translated notes on Lightening Alchemy in her top drawer and I am really interested in this stuff. Vicky can't get it because it would be bad for her image and Owen could lose his job if he would be caught. And because I know that you got bored lately, I wondered if you would…"
"Consider the job as done," Jun Li said while she put her kunai back into her bar bag. "I just wonder why you don't ask her to hand over the notes. She has no use for stuff like this after all."
The waitress with the bodyguard experience was a close friend of Jade's twin because they shared the liking for throwing pointy objects at defenceless trees and through Phil's stories he told during training, she had gotten a lot of information about Jade. Jun Li also knew the exact position of Jade's desk in the building where the Ministry of Science had his offices because she had gotten a plan of the building from Nerissa who liked to draw cards of all places while she was in hospital which was quite often – but not because of a lack of skill on the blonde's part, no, because of a difficult childhood.
"I could ask her but she could tell daddy and that would ruin the whole surprise," Laila muttered.
"I see," Jun Li said while they entered the kitchen. "And I really hope that you know about the whole bunch of responsibilities that go along with such a powerful skill, Laila. We don't want another Kimblee after all. According to Riza and Serena was this guy really creepy."
"He was," Nick said seriously. "I saw him once when I went with my father to work and he went to the prison to ask some more questions. He was never afraid of this guy."
It was a well-known fact that Martin Force had been the one to lead the investigation against the insane state alchemist after the Ishbal Civil War and everyone had said that it was a miracle that he had gotten no promotion for his calm and collected demeanour. Martin had been no one to make the things more dramatic than they already were and had treated the whole problem like an average investigation – making Kimblee slightly angry because the young investigator had started their first conversation with the words: "I know exactly who you are and how many people you killed but, frankly, that doesn't impress me at all."
"He was a good man, your father," Jun Li said while she started to cut carrots. "He and your mother always ate their lunch in the Golden Dragon I. He was a really polite man and you can be proud to be his son. He was definitively one of the best investigators I've ever met." She turned to look at Owen who stood behindVictoria. "How is the life as a state alchemist?" she asked.
"Interesting and slightly boring," the boy replied. "Miss Jade is a great boss … but many believe that her age is catching up with her. I don't think so. Did you hear that she took down Strong Arm in one of their recent matches? As long as she can defeat him, there is no need to worry."
"I heard that daddy is right to make Uncle Roy give Jade more vacation time," Elicia said. "The poor girl is always busy. She has her position as minister of science and her job in the secret service. I hardly see her more than three days in a row in town when she doesn't get hurt on a mission.
"I thought about joining too," Jun Li said casually while she leaned against the kitchen counter. "It's getting boring in town all the time and since Lei is a member too … well, we usually work together."
"Nothing else should be expected after all the years you were working together," Cai said while he held Laila's hand. "I was just wondering how you snatched him…"
"We were assigned partners for a mission under your grandfather's command, a long time ago. We were the only members of the Yao-clan, so he asked me to stay close to him. The mission took longer than I first anticipated and so I decided that it would be smart to keep an eye on him because I doubted him to be prepared for such hard conditions."
"That sounds like you considered him as some weakling, unfitting to be a fighter," Cai stated.
"Of course I did," she shrugged while she waved around a long knife. "He was handsome and lean – not like the real warriors of the clans. I really believed that he would die on me."
Laila was the only one in the room who knew about the fact that the Amestris Fire Lion was lacking people with an advanced training when it came to injuries and she watched the cooking woman with a certain gleam in her eyes. She knew that Jun Li was a trained healer because Cai had mentioned this once but she had no clue about the extend of the woman's skill. Laila was smart enough to know which result the lack of healers would have sooner or later and she wondered if she would warn Victoria because as much as Laila knew that Roy wouldn't want his only red-haired child to take such a huge responsibility she also knew that Jade and Serena would eventually make him approve of it.
"…you aren't really sending me to Ishbal in order to supervise the war, right?" Olivier shook her head while she crossed her arms. "Listen, Mustang, I have two little kids and in case you forgot: Lars will start school soon enough along with your younger daughters and I would like to be there."
"Armstrong, you are the head of the military and it's a military operation. You have to be there."
"I'll send my vice. Hughes will go instead of me and everything will be alright. You can't tell me that Bradley spend years in Ishbal just because his army was slaughtering an innocent people!"
"You forget that his sons are starting school as well," Riza said drily. "You will have a lot of fun when you talk him into supervising the army. No, we have to find another way to ensure that everything will be alright. We need a high-ranking officer who is respected among the soldiers. Someone who has also a name which isn't related to the Ishbal Massacre … someone with a past that doesn't make it complicated for him or her to serve in Ishbal. Well, do we have someone like that?"
"We could always reinstate Serena as a major and send her…" Bea shrugged.
"Kay Hamilton was the only state alchemist with a number of killings that could rival Kimblee's or mine," Roy said darkly. "To send a soldier of the Hamilton-family to Ishbal would be considered as blasphemy. We can't do this because that would be bad for the fragile relationship between us and Ishbal."
"But the idea to send over some guys from the secret service is good," Bendix said. "They don't have to be present in the way of showing off that they are there. I think of people like Lei Yao. He is a really valuable asset, right?" he looked at Serena who nodded before he went on. "And I also thought about the problem Jade and Serena brought up in the last conference. While it is true that we don't have enough staff that knows about healing wounds, we have enough cadets at the academy who can learn."
Olivier smiled brightly at him. "They don't call you a genius for nothing, huh?" she asked tenderly.
"Blame it on my parents," he chuckled as he thought of the both old soldiers. Hardly anyone knew that Charlotte was actually the smarter one because everyone had set his or her mind on the fact that Leroy was an incredibly smart and cunning old man while his wife was soft and friendly. Bendix frequently laughed when he heard things like that because his mother was a bossy old lady who could be really mean if she felt attacked.
"It's not nice to blame everything on your parents," Catherina chuckled while her son sat on her hip.
"It helps me to deal with my traumatic childhood," Bendix said drily. "Without Liv, I would be insane now. It's not easy to deal with a crazy mother and an absent father."
"I already decided on the agents who will be on the battlefield too," Serena said calmly from her place in the background. "Philippe Mustang will lead the team. I will be there from time to time too but not all the time because we can't afford that. I will send Phil's usual team. They are good."
"What about the Wild Three?" Riza asked quietly.
"Nerissa and Jade just got out of hospital and Elric is no one I consider fit for such a duty."
As cold and distant Serena's voice seemed, everyone who had fought on her side knew that it was her way to express her worries. She was still hiding her feelings because that had been what had kept her alive since her early childhood. Roy and Riza knew. They knew why Serena had fallen silent. They knew why she considered it as weakness to show feelings during a fight. Roy had had the honour to go on a mission with her a long time ago when he had been still a lieutenant colonel and when he had gotten shot, she had carried on with her mission like nothing had happened – distracting the attacker in a way never thought about before because he man had thought that it would shock her at least.
"Thanks for the thoughtfulness," Jade said calmly and no one could detect a hint of sarcasm.
Roy looked around and decided that there were some groups in the room. The most interesting was the group of members of his secret service, all dressed in black. Bea, Catherina, Peter and Serena surely looked intimidating because they wanted to. Riza, Olivier, Bendix, Jade and Roy himself stood for the government which had been elected in some way.
It was already getting dark outside as Abigail Mustang walked through a dark town before she stopped in front of a graveyard. She wore black without the usual red flowers. The sky above her looked like it was burning and she sighed at the irony of fate. Her tongue felt like ash in her mouth and incredibly heavy, keeping her from speaking out what she was thinking. She stopped in front of a white gravestone and sat down, ignoring everything for a moment. "It has been a long time, Abel," she finally said slowly. "Your son … you would be proud of him, I am sure of it. He is really stubborn – just like you. Chris and I had a hard time with him once he hit puberty." She chuckled. "But he was always a good boy. Oh – and he married his teacher's daughter. She keeps him in line … just like Rachel kept you in line, fool. He adopted three children, his friends' kids. I believe he came one time after my last visit to complain about a certain Helena Hamilton, huh? She kept him from killing himself … and nearly broke his nose. He named his firstborn daughter after her, you know? I believe he finally got what she really wanted to say when she punched him. Oh, andHelena's own daughter … Victoria …Royloves her like his own children. When she fell ill, he never wanted to leave her side. He didn't want to lose her like … I had to lose you." She inhaled deeply. "Funny how much they grew up, huh? Jade married the Prince of Aerugo. Do you remember how you held her when she was just born and how you looked at me and told me that she would get a husband with huge influence? It looks like you were right."
Cold finger ghosted over the stone in front of her, showing of the dates of her brother's short life.
"Abel, I believe that I finally understand what you meant when you said that family is the most precious thing we have on this earth," she said with new energy. "However, I am slightly worried on the behalf of our little sister. Izumi … well … you know her as well as I do and she hasn't changed at all. She … she made a huge mistake some years ago … and sometimes I feel like she is accusing me for being happier than she is. I know that it's not her style but…" Her dark eyes were full of sadness as she closed them for a second. "Brother…" she whispered. "Please forgive me for I wasn't strong enough to keep our youngest sister from breaking herself. The last thing I can promise you now that I will get her back from the shadows which hold her down. The pain I will suffer … it's nothing to me as long as I can get her back. If it means sacrificing myself to the state, well, then it will be that way. I made my decision a long time ago … when you left, to be exact."
She remembered the time when she had been nothing but a girl with a cretan braid and a twin brother who would do everything to her – just to see her happy. She had been happy in the earliest years of her life and her youth. The early years of adulthood had broken her cruelly. The death of her brother had changed her to the worst. She had ignored Izumi in her pain because she had suffered too much to care for her sister's pain. She had left Izumi alone when the younger one had needed her the most.
"…you improved, Nessa," Phil said as he looked down at the chessboard.
"Improved?" she laughed gently. "You never beat me before."
"You should let be dream," he sighed. "Honestly, Nessa, we are missing you in the gym. Serena destroyed the new training dummies in one go today because she was slightly annoyed with Roy."
"That sounds like more than just slight annoyance to me," the blonde said. "Tell me, Phil: what the hell is going on right now that you are all so … so nervous?"
"Ishbal is in war with Hellas," Phil said quietly. "That will be a bloody event, believe me."
"Hellas attacks Ishbal?" she looked like she wanted to get up to fight. "And let me guess: whatever they are planning right now, their plan won't include me because of my inability to kill someone."
"I wouldn't call it an inability but yeah, you are probably right."
"How would you call it, Phil? I can't kill when I don't miss my original target."
"I would call it 'great respect of other people's lives'," the state alchemist said. "And honestly, I am not that much better. It's nothing to be proud of … but usually Jade does the killing when we are on a mission. She can separate her job and her private life far better than I can."
"…what will you do now, kids?" Jun Li asked while they sat in the living room. "Owen has already a good job and Laila will study architecture soon after the summer break. What about you, Cai?"
"Architecture as well," he said. "I talked with Uncle Lei and he said that it is a job with a future."
"Victoria, what about you?" the warrior woman asked while she wrapped her arms around her legs.
"Medicine to improve my healing alchemy," the girl replied seriously as always.
"Because it's not like you are already the best, right?" Laila teased. "You are so, so ambitious!"
"Nothing else should be expected from my big sister," Nick said casually. "Well, since I am usually doing well with doing whatever my sister does, I will follow her lead once more."
Owen lifted his glass. "To the future," he said with his calm and friendly voice. "And hopefully it will be a better future … one without blood and tears."
"To the future," Elicia agreed. "Let's hope that there will be many more evenings like this."
"Well, I hate to destroy the moment but I used yesterday morning to create these things," Laila said. "I stole the idea from Kay but I changed some minor details. Check them out."
Nick caught the necklace with ease and raised an eyebrow. It was made of plain silver and as a skilled alchemist (and pupil of Serena) he could see the traces Laila's alchemy had left. It was a round coin which showed many little pictures. He could see a small dragon, Cai's symbol, as well as he saw Laila's hawk andVictoria's Pegasus. Elicia's star shone brightly over Owen's cloud and Nick's sun.
"Well done," Owen said friendly. "It's really, really pretty."
"Let's just hope that we won't make the mistakes the generation before us made," Elicia said.
"Hey, we learned from their mistakes," Cai said carelessly. "And we have the genius, so we will be fine."
Victoria pouted. "I really wish you could stop calling me that," she muttered.
Jade was paler than the moon above her as she left the office. She walked down the hallway before she turned to the side to face Edward. "So … you already heard?" she asked hoarsely. "Roy wants to prove that Amestris doesn't take it kindly when someone attacks our eastern brother."
Edward exhaled. "I already called Alphonse … we will move everything to Central," he said.
"Worried for your wife and the rest of your family I see…" Jade pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Don't tell me that you aren't worried for your parents because I know you are."
"I am slightly more worried about the well-being of whoever will be foolish enough to attack them."
"You are really, really crazy," he said while he followed her. "Normal people would be worried."
"And I am hardly what people would call normal," she said. "You can help me, by the way. We need to call all the state alchemists to Central City – even Marcoh. I haven't checked on his skill in a long time and I fear that he could have lost his touch … well, he was second to Lynn anyway."
"Speaking of Lynn… I heard some really strange rumour considering Vicky…"
"Yes, it's true. She will teach us all some basics of healing alchemy. Serena decided this."
"I guess that Mustang wasn't the happiest man today because of that, huh?"
"He downright loathes it but it has to be," she shrugged. "I don't like it either but it's necessary."
"You are too calm about this. There is something worrying you," he said, wondering if she knew now why she was still alive and if he should deny everything and run.
"I am fine," she said. "I am just tired from all the work I was doing since my return. Oh, by the way, consider yourself as my vice. I need someone I can trust in my back."
Roy was moving around the pieces on his chessboard without even looking at them before he got up and looked at Riza. "My father would hate me for doing this," he muttered, "but I have to call my aunts. Especially Izumi will be hard to crack … Abigail knows at least what she owes this state…"
"Are you sure that this is a smart idea?" Riza asked. "Even by now, nearly both our families are completely involved in whatever will happen next. If we drag the last remaining into this too…"
"I don't like it either," he said. "But as chancellor, I have to decide what's best for everyone."
"Hellas…" Bea hissed while she glared at the map behind Roy's desk. "Oh, I wished I had known earlier. I could have told Claudio to request help from the Aerugian Army. They know Hellas too well…"
"Don't worry – we will show them our strength," Roy said friendly but wishing the help of the aerugian army as well. "The soldiers ofHellasare strong but not as strong as we are."
Catherina stepped back from the window and looked at Roy. "Well, I don't know how to say it but it seems like someone broke into Jade's office," she said casually as always.
Riza turned her head towards Serena who was still present. "Could you check this out?" she asked.
"Of course," the younger blonde said before hurrying away.
"She is a good girl," Roy said while he looked at Peter. "Another question: how is Nerissa?"
"Still in hospital and less than happy with her current situation," Bea said. "Phil visits her daily and they play chess. She is pretty good he says."
"Of course she is," Catherina said distracted. "We used to play chess all the time."
Roy wrapped one arm around Riza before he looked around in the room. "Well, if you would wait for Serena's report, Bea, I would say that we should call it a night," he said to the woman who had the night shift anyway because she preferred working at night when everything was silent.
"Of course, chancellor," she said before turning away and leaving the office.
"I am still surprised how Phil got himself such a good woman," Roy muttered under his breath.
"Your cousin loves her because she accepts him the way he is," Riza said calmly. "And that's the way how it should be after all, right?"
"Ask your uncle, he is the genius after all," he said while he played with the strands of her hair.
"Nah, there is always someone above the genius," Peter grinned while Catherina blushed deeply.
"Oh, and who is that person?" Riza chuckled.
"His wife," Catherina said before she started to laugh so loud and happily that she woke her son.
"How in Truth's name came up with that?" Roy asked.
"When Cathy was fifteen and I twenty, we used to spar," Peter said. "Since I am considered a genius and also more experienced, she never won against me and when her oldest brother told her that she should stop trying to beat a genius – his words, not mine – she just glared at me and announced in the most adorable voice I've ever heard that even a genius has to listen to his wife."
Riza grinned widely while she mused if the age difference between Peter and Catherina was the reason why she had never opposed the idea of Victoria and Owen dating because even a blind man could see that the children were in love. "That's such a cute story," she said.
First of all:
You need to know that I usually update right before I go to bed and since I check my mails with my handy every morning because some teachers would write us a mail if he would miss the first 2 hours. I also check my reviews every morning. That means that I have a really good morning when I get many reviews. Save my morning - review now!
And everyone who puts this story as a favourite should take the time to write at least one review. 47 people have it as a favourite but it seems that the people who are reviewing are always the same 5-10 :(
Vote, people, vote! Vote, people, vote! Vote, people, vote! Vote, people, vote! Vote, people, vote! Vote, people, vote!
Thank you, everyone who reads this story! It makes me really happy - and happiness is something I miss since I had to stop swimming because of some serious problems with my right shoulder which aren't solved yet :(
Announcement 1: I opened a poll on my profile, so I would be happy if someone would use it^^
Announcement 2: what-is-the-color-of-love pointed out that 'Aerugians' as name for the people of Aerugo looks/sounds better than 'Aerugoans' ... who besides me agrees with that?