A/N: So i want to get this up before my computer starts acting up again seriously... My computer lives to piss me off... anyways sorry it took awhile but as you can till the computer is trying to force me to buy a new anti virus software that expired by blocking me from the interent. It's working fine now which is... amazing? anyways if you have an idea what it could mean can you tell me? :) anyways enjoy and thank you guys for your reviews! :D
Riza rubbed her forehead and sighed. Her brother was very good at twisting around her words. She had somehow found herself inviting the new family of 4 to Central. Al agreed saying he'd be there in 3 days time. Riza looked at Ed who was playing with Black Hayate and talking in a childish manner ignoring Ling who was obviously bored.
Ran-Fan was currently trying to complete a bracelet she had created from string. It was coming out rather nicely and it led Riza to believe she actually had an artistic talent.
"Is the military man going to come over?" Ling asked out of the blue from the couch as Riza came in to sit on the couch as well.
"No, Roy has to cover up our arrival with the military and won't come to keep suspicions low. Why do you ask?" Ling shrugged sighing and looking depressed.
"Is there a reason you want to talk to him?" Riza asked now suspicious. She ignored Ed's cry of displeasure when Black Hayate started to nibble on his toy cat.
"No, He's a military man. I don't fare well with the military." Riza rolled her eyes watching Ed smack Black Hayate telling him no. Black Hayate decided to steal the cat which led to a game of tag where Ed repeatedly smashed into walls.
"My brother will be visiting this week." Ran-Fan looked up frowning as she reached for some scissors. Ling looked at her for a moment before sighing again.
"When Fu wakes up we will leave. The doctor said he should wake up soon." Riza knew it was hard for the both of them to lose the only parent they had. Ling came from a different family but was raised as Fu's grandson. Though she assumed something was happening between Ling and Ran-Fan. Fu was still unconscious and from the looks of it had slipped into Acoma.
"I don't have a problem with you staying here Ling. Just because my brother is coming doesn't mean I'm kicking you out. I'm giving you a fair warning."
Ling smirked shaking his head before gathering the guts to ask Riza an important question. "Riza, I saw the mark on Ed's arm. What happened to him?"
The blonde haired mother looked at Ling seriously before folding her hands on her lap. "He came to us like that. He said a teenager came through the window and attacked him. The mark stayed." Ling nodded at her response meeting Ran-Fan's eyes.
Ran-Fan had stopped making the bracelet to spare him a glance before nodding. They wouldn't bother Riza with their new assumption. Riza stayed with them in silence for a few moments before getting up and going to where Ed was fighting with Black Hayate.
Roy carefully sat Hoenheim down at his kitchen table before looking for the ingredients to make strong coffee.
"This is a nice home you have." Hoenheim said lightly while removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes in a sleepy matter.
"The job of Colonel does give you good money. I've been thinking about creating another room though." He grabbed a pot filling it with water before putting it on the stove and waiting for it boil.
"Wouldn't you need a permit for that?" Hoenheim asked in hopes of keeping up a light conversation. Roy sighed smirking as he shrugged out of his military jacket and tossing it over the back of the chair before he sat down in front of Hoenheim.
"I am going to be very blunt, Hoenheim. I'm the type that doesn't like to beat around the bush. From the looks of your jacket you've been fighting. You've also been shot but I assume that has to deal with the fact of what that friend of yours did to your body correct?" Hoenheim chuckled as he grabbed his glasses and put them back on. Roy continued to analyze him with a serious expression.
"Very straight forward Colonel. Yes, I have been fighting. Since leaving Izumi's house I came to Central in hopes of settling the score with my friend. He has started to use a new name apparently." Hoenheim rested his chin in the palm of his hand and then waved his hand softly.
"Before we continue this conversation I want to ask you if you believe in fairy tales."
Roy quirked an eyebrow in amusement. "What kind of question is that? I'm not a child, Hoenheim."
The golden eyes man chuckled before wincing at the pain in his chest as he felt the slow process of his body healing. "Just answer the question, Colonel."
Roy narrowed his eyes before taking a deep breath and sighing. "When I was a child me and Izumi grew up on fairytales. We believed in Alchemy because we had the symbols on our body. The whole idea of Alchemy seems to be a fairytale. But if you think I believe in fairytales about true love and princesses you are mistaken." Roy tapped his fingers on the wooden table before continuing, "But I do believe some fairytales have truth hidden within them."
Hoenheim nodded his head at the answer.
"When I was a child I didn't have much to hold onto. My parents died shortly after my birth. I grew up as a slave for a very wealthy king who was researching Alchemy and wondering why he didn't have the power like many of the village children. My one friend was the flask and he wasn't exactly human. I grew up with the flask and he told me everything I know about the origins of Alchemy.
"But there was one legend the king was interested in. And it was one I was very familiar in. It was the tale of a boy who would be born from a human mother and an alchemy made man. The boy would hold immense power and could open the door to god, to truth. If one could hold the power of god, then it's only natural for that person to become god, correct?"
Roy nodded interested in the tale. He had a suspicion of what Hoenheim was trying to point out but he didn't want to make any assumptions until Hoenheim was finished.
"The king told everyone to search for this boy because he believed in the childish fairytale. I always had my suspicions that the flask was planning something. He told the thing he would create the child of legend with a special ritual. It was a gruesome ritual and took many lives. I assume you heard of the disappearance of Xerxes?"
Roy nodded urging him to continue.
"I and the flask were the only survivors of that day. But the flask still had things to do. Colonel, I will tell you everything I know about this child fairytale because of what the flask believe to be 'The Prophecy.' We both have goals to achieve in this world."
Roy nodded before holding out his hand to Hoenheim
. "Don't leave out anything, Hoenheim. If you can agree to that we have a deal."
Hoenheim smiled softly before reaching over and shaking Roy's hand.
"I spy something with my little eye that's… blue!" Ed exclaimed while leaning his head on Ling's. Ling sighed while holding the boy on his shoulders.
"The sky doesn't count Edo-kun! You've said the sky 5 times already." Ed pouted while playing with a piece of Ling's hair.
"I'm bored! This game sucks! Why did you bring me here anyways?" Ed complained while Ling maneuvered around the crowd expertly.
"Because your mom told me. She said your school was going to have a festival for the annual tree day." God, it even sounded bad in Ling's ears. He couldn't understand why Riza kicked him and Ed out of the house saying Ed needed to be at the festival.
Annual tree day sounded like a code name for "Let's rip off all the parents into buying ice cream for 5 dollars?"
Ling frowned at the thought of Ed begging for ice cream. One of the reasons Ed was on his shoulders was because he didn't want that to happen.
"Annual tree day? Why do we have a tree day?" Ed asked curiously as Ling juggled him on his shoulders and avoided a sign. He nearly smacked Ed right in the forehead a few times already.
"I don't know. Why don't you ask your mom?" Ling wondered why he didn't drag Ran-Fan with him or something.
After they watched a few boring stalls talk about trees they headed towards the site where the students had planted their trees. Parents were chatting happily to each other and kids were running around screaming. It was giving Ling a headache.
"Do I have to plant a tree?" Ed whined while picked Ed up off his shoulders. He carried the boy in his arms and looked around for the stalls where they sold seeds. Arriving they noticed it was completely empty.
"Whoo~!" Ed exclaimed jumping up and down at the fact they could leave early since there was no seeds left to plant trees. Ling smiled smugly. He was getting lucky. But as Ed started to walk off a girl was pushed into him causing them both to fall to the ground.
The girl had light brown hair that could pass as a dusty blonde. It was pulled into two high spiky pony tails. She had dirt on her face and her wide green yellow eyes were glaring at the older group of boys who had pushed her into Edward.
"Give it back! My daddy gave me those!" She got up her tiny hands closed into fists as Ed groaned and got up wondering what the hell was going on.
"Aw! The little baby is going to cry!" The older boy mocked causing the girls lip to tremble as tears filled her eyes.
"Hey!" Ling exclaimed while walking to the scene and giving a hard look to the group of boys who were bullying the little girl.
Ed came to stand next to the girl rubbing his head with a glare on his face.
"What's the big idea? That wasn't nice!" Ed said glowering at the girl who looked at him and nearly burst into tears. The group of boys started laughing before beginning to taunt her again. Ling frowned. Since when were kids this obnoxious? The little girl broke into tears as Ed forgot his anger and noticed the boys had pushed her.
"Hey! Who do you think you are making her cry?" Ed exclaimed to the older group of boys. The main boy had ruffled red hair and freckles his eyes a dark brown. He had to be at least 6 years old.
"Pick on someone your own size!" Ed said glaring at them with molten golden eyes. Ling remembered that stare from when they found Black Hayate. (Ling was going to interrupt the fight but decided to see what Ed would do. He also wondered why he didn't bring Black Hayate with him.)
"Look! He's trying to stand up for his girlfriend! How cute!" Ed blinked confusion flashing on his face as he wondered what a girlfriend was and was about to ask until it came to his mind.
He blushed at that.
"She's not my girlfriend!" He said in embarrassment. As they continued to mock Ed the blonde decided he had enough. Ling stood appalled when Ed suddenly kneeled and knocked the freckled boy's feet out from underneath him. He quickly got to his feet moving back as he pushed the girl back as well. The freckled boys groupies stood astonished as their leader sputtered trying to figure out what had happened.
Finally deciding this was enough Ling stood up and stood in between them.
"That's enough. You three, get the hell out of here before I call your parents." Ling said firmly as the three boys blushed and ran off while kicked dirt at Ling. Ling sighed once they disappeared and looked at Ed who was now staring at the girl who was rubbing her face. She had on a white and pink dress with flower print. She had on a tiny jacket and looked to be Ed's age.
"Are you okay?" Ling asked while kneeling beside the two kids. The girl nodded while smiling at Edward.
"Thank you. But he…" She broke off while she sniffled and rubbed at her eyes again. "He stole the seeds my daddy gave me to plant a tree. They were specially for me and now they're gone."
Ling was getting a major headache.
"Where are you parents?" Ling asked while Ed rubbed his elbow. From the looks of it he had ripped the sleeve and was now trying to fix it. The girl shrugged while looking around.
"My mommy and daddy were called in by the teacher to help set up the stalls and she told me to go play in the playground. But I left when I found out I hadn't planted to seeds. Then the bullies chased me into the festival." Ling nodded and saw Ed staring at her. She looked at the ground tearfully.
"Now I won't ever plant the tree for daddy." It was tearing at Ling's heart. God, this was going to be a very long day. He put on a smile and peeked at Edward who looked sad as well.
"How about we go buy some new seeds and we plant a tree somewhere special?" He offered as the girl looked up hopeful.
"You'd really do that for me?" Ed suddenly started to nod his head like crazy.
"Of course! Come on! My names Edward! I know exactly where to find seeds!" He grabbed the little girls hand and started to run off with her down the dirt road. Ling shook his head with a smile and followed them.
"Where do you want to plant it, Elysia?" Edward asked with a smile as Elysia held a tiny pot in her hands. Ling walked behind them as they traveled away from the festival and towards a different area. Elysia smiled as she stared at the soil and the tiny seeds they had put inside the pot.
It had taken them three apples to get the seeds. Ed had insisted on buying apples and planting the seeds. He said his mom planted an apple tree when she was little. With that the two kids became best friends and they were on the hunt to find a perfect spot to plant the tree.
Somewhere where they could reach easily and find if they were ever lost. There wasn't a lot of places in Central for that to happen though. So after awhile Ling decided they were going to head out to the park. But then Elysia said the park was filled with mean bullies and they left looking for another area.
After hunting for hours they sat on the sidewalk of the road with Elysia in the middle holding the pot in her tiny hands.
"There's no use. We will never be able to plant a tree." Elysia said with a frown. Ed frowned as well looking at Ling for some kind of help. Ling rubbed the back of his neck and looked around. There was only one other area they could plant the tree but he couldn't take the girl there since she had sneaked out from her parents.
But after seeing the begging look Ed was sending him Ling got up and shook his head.
"I know the perfect place! Come on! We can get there in 15 minutes if we run!"
When they arrived at the top of the cliff out of breath he knew this was going to be the perfect place. It was just outside of central and viewed the entire city from where they were. Elysia smiled standing on the cliff and giggling as Ed joined her. They both kneeled on the ground and Ling got on his knees pulling out the shovel from his back pocket and started to dig a deep tiny hole.
"It will take a very long time for the tree to grow. So you guys have to be super patient, okay?" They both nodded excitedly as Ling gestured for Elysia to put the pot into the hole. The little girl put the pot in and started to put the ground on top of the hole.
Edward joined her talking to her about something childishly as they continued to bury the pot. Then Ed pulled out the water bottle he had been carrying around and started to water the plant. When they finished Elysia stood up and jumped up and down.
"Thank you guys for helping me! My daddy will be so happy!" She exclaimed as Edward stood up smiling at her.
Ling couldn't help but smile when Elysia ran and tackled Edward in a hug.
Edward yawned loudly as he rested his head on Ling's shoulder.
"When we get home I want ice cream… and a cookie as big as Black Hayate." His words became more slurred as he started to does off.
"How about a big glass of Milk?" Ling teased as he walked down the street that lead the Riza's home. It was late already and they had finished dropping off the little girl named Elysia.
"No... Way… Squinty bastard." With that Edward was completely gone.
Ling shook his head as he thought about how worried Elysia's parents were and the fact that her father was a military man. Ling didn't care how nice they were the entire military were assholes. Her mother was a very nice woman who thanked Ling for looking after her and taking care of her.
Edward and Elysia parted ways after Edward promised to play with her again real soon. Getting to the house Ling opened the door already expecting Riza to yell at him for being late but then realized there was a lot of voices in the house.
"Hello?" Ling asked while walking into the hallway and seeing a tall young man in the living room with a blonde haired lady who was holding a baby to her chest. The man had short brown hair and wide hazel eyes. He was rocking a little girl in his arms and looked at Ling startled. The blonde haired girl had wide blue eyes and had the same expression as the man.
"Ling? Your home late." A voice said startling Ling who saw Riza coming into the room with a tray of tea.
"Sorry, we ran into a little girl and had to plant a tree with her." She glowered at him before setting the tray on the coffee table.
"Well then, I'd like you to meet my little brother Alphonse and his wife Winry." Ling smiled finally realizing this was the last family of Riza. He juggled Edward into one arm and walked over to shake the man's hand.
"Ling Yao. Riza's letting me stay in her house until my grandfather gets better." Alphonse smiled shaking the hand firmly.
"Nice to meet you." He turned to Winry and picked up her hand before kissing it like a gentleman.
"Nice to meet you Mrs. Winry." Winry blushed but before anyone could speak Riza smacked Ling over the head.
"Go put Edward to bed. I'll deal with you later." Ling smirked bowing at the family before nodding and going upstairs. Once gone Riza turned to her little brother and smiled. Al gave a smile back before looking at Winry who was currently looking around the house with a tired expression. It had been a long trip on the train that was for sure.
"So, Sister, How's Edward doing with the alchemy?" At the question Riza rolled her eyes and ran a hand through her hair.
"I'll tell you in the morning. For now get some rest."