The next time I was finally aware of my surroundings once again, it was because Cromwell's grip on me had slackened a bit. I felt a wave of panic surge through me and tightened my grip on her, completely unintentionally. I looked up at Cromwell, apologies in my eyes.
Cromwell gently started rubbing my ears down again, smiling softly, "Sweetie, I'm afraid I have to help out everyone else so we can get the girls to a safe place and the men to the prisons in Central. But don't worry, I'm not leaving you here alone, okay? Just look behind you."
I turned my head to see Edward, Alphonse, Anbra, Anand and Astrid standing behind me, looking more than a little shaken up, just glad to see me alive. I forced my body to calm down and slowly managed to loosen my grip on Cromwell enough to actually let go. And that alone probably took 6 minutes and the letting go bit 7. I am too damn lucky to have such a patient group of friends around me.
When I finally did manage to detach myself from Cromwell, Astrid and Anbra were at my side and holding me up with one of my arms over each of their shoulders and one of their arms each around my waist. We started heading for the Tower of Heaven, Edward, Alphonse and Anand falling into step behind us.
I was quiet for a long time, as was everyone else.
When I finally did speak, I wasn't sure about what I was saying, "Have any of you ever felt you turned into monsters because someone did something completely immoral and unforgivable and you hurt them back?"
I didn't expect an answer, much less from Ed, "I have once. Someone abandoned me, which lead to someone close to me dying and because I was so desperate to get them back, I nearly lost the one person who had always stayed at my side. I felt so guilty and depressed afterwards… I actually thought of suicide." I turned my head slightly, to see her smiling humorlessly, "But I managed to hold on because I had such great people around me to keep me grounded and someone new came into my life, which led to me gaining some strength back." Edward gave a real smile this time towards me, "I'm pretty sure you'll live through this if you lived through being turned into a Chimera."
I didn't realize I was starting to smile until I was talking again and looked around me at all the people supporting me, both physically and emotionally, "I'm sure I will, Ed. Thanks. In fact, thank you all, Anand, Astrid, Anbra, Alphonse and Edward. I'd also thank Cromwell, Nina, Comet, the Hughes, Alexander and Mustang if they were here, but I'll just do that later."
Anbra sighed, as if she had missed out on something, "Sounds to me like we all have a lot of catching up to do. I sure hope you've made some friends your own age because I'm in desperate need of a romantic partner right now, I don't care if they're a boy or a girl."
Astrid chuckled, "I just want to get back to making sure the kids at the Tower of Heaven get out of this cursed town and back into the real world, where they deserve a much better life."
Alphonse hummed, "Do you think there are any good orphanages in Central? I know it's not much and no offence girls, but it's better than this place."
"Or we could send them off to Youswell," Edward suggested, "Celina is the one who made a pen-pal there who can be trusted to take good care of them. And they don't mind Chimeras in the slightest."
I looked at Edward the same time she looked at me and then we started grinning as the idea registered in both our minds:
Youswell is the only town that can be trusted to willingly and completely accept humanoid Chimeras. Why not let the girls go there if they want to get a life again?
When we offered this suggestion to the man who'd been placed in charge of the investigation, some man named Major General Hakuro, he acted horribly.
"Allow the Chimeras to return to civilization?" Hakuro sounded appalled, but still laughed, "Kid, do you really think it's a good idea to let the public know about humanoid Chimeras? What if they end up causing a civil war because they can't forgive the humans who mistreated them so? That would be a lot of blood on your hands, wouldn't it be?"
I snarled at the man, "Well, what do you suppose we do with the girls, Sir?"
Sarcasm probably wasn't a good option right now, but I didn't care. I wasn't going to let these girls go through military hell, they've already been through enough as it is. Considering the emotions I felt coming from Cromwell, Comet, Edward and Alphonse as they stood behind me, I'm pretty sure they can agree with me on that one.
Hakuro pretended to think about it, "Well, we could place them in a lab for study and have the scientists explain to us how they managed to do this."
WHAT?!
I slammed my hands on the bastard's desk, "HOW COULD YOU SUGGEST SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!"
"They're just innocent girls, they don't deserve this!" Comet hissed.
"And those damned scientists are the ones who traumatized and raped them and others like them to the point of death!" Cromwell was clearly out-raged, "They even tried to rape my daughter here!"
"How can you look the other way for something like that?!" Alphonse asked, sounded frightened inside the armour.
"Answer us, General!" Edward finished, snarling.
Hakuro sighed as if he was dealing with children, "These Chimeras are perfect blends of humans and animals and it would be such a waste to not take a deeper look into this. Besides, do you really think they can go back to living the lives they had? Their humanity has been taken from them in exchange for animal instincts and perhaps even the cures for some of the worst deceases in the world."
"Cut the crap, bastard," I growled, "you just wanna use them for your own gain because you wanna look good for his oh-so-fucking Excellency, Führer Bradley!"
"Indeed." Hakuro nodded, "it would be in my best interests to get in on the Führer's good graces once again, considering the humiliations I've been through the past few years."
"But, even if they're not entirely human by body," Edward snarled, "they still have feelings! They've already suffered enough, it's not fair!"
Hakuro's eyes suddenly darkened, "News flash, kid. Life isn't fair. These girls got themselves in this mess by being the whores they are, it's not my fault that there's nothing I can do for them n-"
My rage had gotten the better of me before I realized what I was doing; I had tried to jump over his desk to smash that damned look off his face, only to be held back by Cromwell while Comet held Edward back.
But that didn't stop my screaming, "YOU BASTARD, THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH HELL, WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO DECIDE IF THEY DESERVE THIS OR NOT?! WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO TREAT THEM LIKE WHORES JUST BECAUSE THEY AREN'T FULLY HUMAN ANYMORE?! WHAT GIVES A BASTARD LIKE YOU THE RIGHT TO DECIDE THE FATE OF A BUNCH OF INNOCENT GIRLS YOU DEEM WON'T FIT IN WITH SOCIETY WHEN YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT FOR SURE?!"
SLAP!
Cromwell gasped and released me after Hakuro struck my face enough to force my head to turn. Instead, she turned me around and started fussing over me; but her concerns feel on deaf ears. She turned back to Hakuro and started screaming at him, demanding why he slapped her daughter like that, he had no right to do such a thing, but all Hakuro said was;
"If you don't shut up, insolent woman, you'll be getting smacked to."
That had been the last straw-
BANG!
But before I could react, a gun-fire got me to snap out of my rage induced phase and I turned my head to see another man walking into the tent with-
"Major Hughes?!" Alphonse exclaimed in shock.
I focused on the man beside him; he was wearing the uniform of a Lieutenant General, one rank above Hakuro. He had brown hair in curls on his head, bright blue eyes and deeply tanned skin.
"Lieutenant General Arschloch," Hakuro stood at attention and saluted the man, "I didn't expect you to come here."
Arschloch glared at the man before him, "At east, Hakuro. Would you please tell me what's going on in here-"
Hakuro opened his mouth, "Well you see-"
"I wasn't asking you, Hakuro." Hakuro's moth slammed shut, "I was going to ask Sargent Major Comet."
Comet saluted her commanding officer's superior, "Sir, we were discussing what to do about the Chimera girls. The Fullmetal Alchemist: Edward Elric and his companions, Alphonse Elric and Celina Tucker, along with myself and Second Lieutenant Cromwell wanted to suggest the Chimera girls to go to the Youswell Mining Frontier Town in the East since Celina has some acquaintances there who she trusts will take care of the Chimeras. General Hakuro disagreed with us and wanted to send the Chimeras and their creatures to a lap in Central to have them working under us as researchers. We all objected, Celina rather brutally and called the General a bastard and demanded what gave him the right to condemn the Chimeras to such a horrible fate."
"Because they don't deserve to be put in some lab with the same damn people who raped and traumatized them and thousands others to the point of death!" I snapped without thinking.
I was mostly ignored though; instead, they focused on Comet, "The General slapped Celina, which lead Cromwell to demand the General why he treated the girl in such a manner. General Hakuro directly threatened to smack Cromwell if she didn't shut up and that was when we heard gun-fire and you stepped into the tent, Lieutenant General Arschloch, with Major Hughes at your side."
"I see." Arschloch looked towards me, "I see you have the evidence of the slap on your face, if that bruise is anything to go by."
"What?" Cromwell asked, voice shaky.
She kneeled in front of me and gasped slightly, "Celina, how are you not crying? That's a massive bruise, it must feel horrible."
"No, no, I'm fine, Cromwell." I smiled, waving my hand slightly, "My body and spirit maybe tough, but my face bruises really easily. I'm okay, really, I'm sure it's not as bad as it looks."
Cromwell had tears appearing in her eyes so I did the only thing I could, I hugged her. Cromwell hugged me back just as tight and repeatedly started whispering 'sorry'. I patted her on her back in an attempt to help her calm down, but I'm not sure if it was helping or making things worst since she started crying even harder and hugging me a bit tighter.
For a while, all that was heard was Cromwell's sobbing and me attempting to sooth her with some words of comfort.
Then Arschloch spoke up, "I'd like a word in private with you, Celina Tucker."
"With all due respect, Lieutenant General," I stated, gesturing to the closest to a mother I've ever had, sobbing in my arms, "Cromwell is like a mother to me and I'd rather not abandon her in her moment of need since she never did that to me, period."
Arschloch nodded, "I understand. Major Hughes," Hughes stood slightly straighter, "I'm going to find a suitable place to stay. You think you can handle things here. As for you, Hakuro," Hakuro stiffened, "you're needed back in Central, that's why I'm here to take your place."
Hakuro looked like he was going to protest but nodded and walked past us, snapping me and Comet a dirty look. We glared back at him and my grip on Cromwell tightened a bit. Hakuro scoffed and went Arschloch gave him a pointed look, he huffed and walked away, shoving Hughes' shoulder.
Cromwell finally calmed down a bit, enough to stop whispering sorry, instead she pulled away from me slightly, "I'm okay, Celina. Really, I'm okay. You can let go now."
I let go and let her stand up, whipping her eyes as she stood, "Geez, it's the mother's job to be the shoulder to cry on, not the daughter's."
I huffed, "Please, you and me are about as emotional as they get, so it's understandable if we take turns being the shoulder to cry on. Isn't that what family is all about?"
Cromwell was shocked for a few moments, then she smiled and nodded, "You're right, Celina. I love you, honey."
I was shocked at the admission, but smiled and looked at her like the stars were worthless with her next to them, "I love you too, Mom."
Cromwell seemed shocked as well, but just started crying and hugged me the same way I would hug Nina when she did something adorable, "OH YOU'RE SO CUTE, CELINA, THANK YOU!"
"Ahh, Mom, you're crushing me!" I squirmed, laughing, "Put me down!"
"NEVER!" Cromwell-no, she's Mom now-cried, "It would be a sin to let such an adorably sweet and innocent being such as yourself make anymore necessary contact with this evil world! I'll never let you go again!"
I squealed and squirmed, laughing just as everyone around me was.
It was a nice change for people to be laughing then for people to be crying.
