sorry for not updating this sooner!
Elicia hid behind Chris as Sig looked down at them, his arms crossed and a none-too-pleased look on his face. Chris smiled nervously and waved.
"Hey, Dad…"
"Your mother is expecting you." He said, turning and walking away.
Chris groaned and put his face in his hand as Elicia came from behind him.
"That's your Dad?"
"Yeah and he's not the scary one…"
"Chris."
"Right!" he said, grabbing her hand and running after Sig. "So how's everything been? Is Mom alright?"
"She's fine. I wouldn't try small talk, it will get you nowhere."
Chris' shoulders slumped and they made their way to the car. Sig opened the door for them and then got in the driver's seat, heading back to the butchery.
Chris moved Elicia out of the way before she was hit and she yelped in surprise at the knife in the doorjamb.
"To think that my child out of all in the military could get suspended for doing alchemy outside of the designated zones and then have the audacity to come home."
"I'm glad you're well…" he mumbled.
"Don't sass me!" she growled, turning around. "What the hell was Edward doing with you up there? Shouldn't he have been watching you?"
"In all honesty-" Elicia piped up but Chris elbowed her.
"Uncle Ed was sick with food poisoning from the cafeteria and had been out all week. It was also during my free time so Uncle Ed would not be accountable for me, which is partly why I got suspended, Ma'am." He said, standing alert like he'd been taught to.
Although his mother wasn't a superior officer, she was just as scary as one; and this particular superior was crafty with alchemy, swordsmanship, knife throwing, and bear wrestling. All of the good qualities to kick his ass with if he stepped out of line.
"A stomach bug downed the Fullmetal Alchemist?" Izumi growled, making a face at her son.
"It's a particularly nasty bug. With teeth…"
Izumi made another face but finally burst into laughter and leaned on the counter.
Elicia was thoroughly confused but said nothing.
Izumi walked over to Chris and hugged him as he hugged her.
"I missed you, Chris."
"I missed you too, Mom- Umph!"
"That's what you get for being a dumbass. Now, who's your lovely friend?" she asked, looking at Elicia with curiosity.
"That's Elicia…" he rasped from the pain where Izumi had punched him in the stomach. "She's the daughter of Roy Mustang's friend Maes."
Izumi looked at her and she waved a little, uncomfortable.
"Did you know Colonel Mustang?"
"I met him when I was very little so I don't really remember much. I've seen pictures of him though."
"I see. So are you Chris' girlfriend?"
"No! Mom, wow… Hey, Elicia, let's go to your room." He growled, pushing her away.
Izumi watched them leave the room and chuckled as she leaned on Sig.
"They're cute."
"But he's not a kid."
"Yes he is, Sig."
"No… he isn't."
Izumi frowned. "I'm not having this argument with you again."
Sig didn't press the issue but he knew his wife was getting too attached to 'Chris' when she knew that that body belonged to Colonel Roy Mustang. Sig didn't want to forget the good times of raising him as their son but he also knew that playing house was just that, playing. There was a military man in that boy's body and brain and Sig didn't want to get hurt when it was revealed… he didn't want Izumi to get hurt either. He'd rather keep his distance and accept the fate he expected was inevitable.
"Your parents are… interesting."
"Yeah. My dad's large but he's really kind and my mom's small but she's… well, you saw."
"Your dad reminds me of a less talkative Major Armstrong… and your mom reminds me of Major Armstrong's sister. Have you ever seen a picture of her?"
"Catherine? I don't think-"
"No, not her. Major General Armstrong. She's stationed at Briggs."
"Oh. No I've never seen a picture of her."
"She's nothing like the Major and the air she gives off from the pictures I've seen remind me of your mother."
"Ah. You'll have to show me a picture some time."
Elicia swung her legs on the bed and looked around the room.
"I wouldn't have expected you from a place like this. It seems too tranquil for you."
"Really?" he said with a laugh.
"Yeah… I kind of saw you living life in a more daring or suave way."
"Sorry to disappoint-"
A pain went through his eye, an image of a large woman who was not that attractive but seemed quite kind appeared. She was saying something but he couldn't hear her. The only thing he could figure out was the last thing she said at the end of her sentence.
"Roy-boy…" Chris said softly.
"What? Are you alright? Who's Roy-boy?"
He laughed a little. "I don't know. That was weird."
Elicia made a face. "Well, are you going to show me around?"
"Yeah, let me just unpack my things and change my clothes."
She nodded and he went to his room.
As he unpacked his suitcase, he noticed there was something in the front of it and unzipped it. There was a small vial and a note attached for his mother and he smiled.
"I bed Uncle Ed slipped this in here for her to drink for her illness."
He went to the kitchen and tapped Izumi on the shoulder. She turned and he held the items out to her.
"I think Uncle Ed packed this for you."
Izumi made a face and took the vial and the letter. She opened the letter and then quickly closed it.
"Thank you, Chris. Yes this was for me."
He smiled and went back to his room.
Izumi quickly tucked the vial in her bra as she went to the table to read the note.
Teacher,
I've come to the decision that it's not our place anymore on whether Chris should be Chris or if he should return to Colonel Mustang. I was unaware that the original formula that we wanted was made until recently. I was going to give it to Colonel Hawkeye but I fear that her attachment to the Colonel would make her do something rash. I would have kept it myself, but I had a feeling Chris would find it. So I'm trusting you, Teacher. I know that you love Chris as your own son but I also know that you know what's best for everyone.
You raised Chris as your child but you well know that he's a man who already had a life before he got into this madness. I'm entrusting you with the serum and the final decision. I believe it will work itself out on its own and his own mind will find a ground to stand on, but that's just my opinion. If you think we need Colonel Mustang again, let him take the serum. If you want him to work it out by himself, then send the serum back.
In truth, I don't know what I want out of him. Chris is a good kid with high intellect and amazing alchemical skills in both his own and in regular alchemy. The Colonel was the same, but it was in secret. He was perfect at diversion and misrepresentation. I know them both the most, having spent time with both almost equally. But you have to agree that the time has come for us to stop interfering. His mind is remembering and the more we try to stop it, the more it could backfire on us.
If you think about it, it could work to your favor but not explaining things correctly from the beginning and not doing the serums right in the beginning have made things so out of control. He needs to know who he is.
Please consider this carefully. On one hand, we could lose a great man and gain a good boy. On the other, we would lose a wonderful boy and regain a valued military officer.
Thank you
Colonel Edward Elric
Izumi didn't realize she was crying until she folded up the note and stuffed it back in the envelope. She hated that Edward wasn't there so she could punch him in the face for making her the one to decide. She had caused the mishap in the first place because she was selfish. If she had just done it right then things would have been more normal, but she didn't. She wanted to raise a child as her own, have someone who needed her love… All she wanted was a family.
She looked at the serum for a moment. This was the original purpose for her keeping Chris. They needed someone they could trust to get their Colonel back, raise him to be a good man… but Edward was right in that not telling him anything in regards to his former life as the Colonel added to the issue. Doing this to him now would be cruel for the boy he has grown up to be. Izumi pulled the vial out and walked over to a drawer in the kitchen. She opened it up and stuck the note and the vial in there.
"It's his mind and his body. It deserves to make its own decision."
"This place is so quaint!" Elicia said, looking happy as she went along the street.
Chris was watching her but his head was killing him. Ever since she mentioned his 'alternate' form of being raised, the sharp pain and the memory came and went but the headache remained. He seemed to be having a lot of these headaches lately when people mentioned certain things or he saw certain things. He would have flashes of memories –or something- and then a dull headache would be left behind.
"Chris? You alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine…"
"What is there to do here?"
"Not much. It's not as nice as Central here. They have a nice library though."
"Ooh, goody. We can look up those wars I was telling you about."
"Sure… but, maybe later? I mean, it's almost sundown."
"Right. So what is your mom cooking?"
"Probably steak or something."
Elicia smiled as they went back to the house.
When they walked in, it looked like Izumi, Sig, and Mason were having a pretty deep discussion when they heard the door close. Sig turned as Chris looked at everyone.
"What's going on?"
"Nothing." Izumi said with a smile. "I hope you're hungry Elicia, right?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Ooh, she called me a ma'am." Izumi said with a titter.
"We made you a big meal since I'm sure you're starving from the train ride and train food." Mason said, smiling at them. "I'm Mason, by the way. I help out in the butchery."
"Nice to meet you."
Chris wasn't very hungry, although everything looked delicious. His stomach was in knots and yet he felt like he was going to hurl at any second.
"Chris? Are you alright?" Izumi asked.
"I… I'm not feeling too well. Maybe I please be excused?"
Izumi nodded and he left, going to his room to lay down. He curled up on himself and laid there in silence, listening to the muffles of voices and the clinking of plates from outside of his room. He felt himself drifting off to sleep.
Who are you?
Chris' eye flews open and he looked around wildly. He tried to figure out who had spoken to him but there was no one there. He was still in his day clothes and decided he should get ready for bed even though it was late. He took his clothes off and stopped in front of the mirror, looking at the burns on the back of his arms and his back in general. He knew he had them but Izumi never told him how he got them. He just remembered them always being there. He walked closer to the mirror, turning to look at the scars a little when he looked up again. He saw someone standing behind him but when he looked back, he saw that they weren't there.
Slowly, Chris looked back at the mirror and there he was, standing there quite calm but with a curious expression. Chris knew that ghosts didn't exist.
"H- How did you get here?"
He lifted an eyebrow and looked at him in the mirror.
"I've always been here."
"That's impossible. You went missing a long time ago."
"Is that what they say?"
"They searched for you for months. What are you? A ghost?"
"No."
"Then… how come I only see you in the mirror?"
"Because that's the only place I could be."
"In the… mirror…?"
"Yes."
"You're not making any sense."
"Well, none of this would make sense to you since you don't know what's going on. But I do. Now I have a question for you."
"Okay…"
"Who are you and why do you have my body?"
let the battle begin...