***I'm Sorry***
Central, Amestris, July 1920
"…remain calm and stay indoors," the disembodied voice repeated over the radio waves broadcasting the words over a frantic student body. "Conflicting reports and details are still coming in. We will update you as soon as we have more on this breaking story."
Alphonse surveyed the alchemy laboratory classroom. It had been a little over an hour or so since the news broke, and most of the other students sat in small groups, huddled together listening to the news commentary that was rocking the nation. He flicked his olive eyes beside him to Fletcher, still holding his friend's shoulder as he noticed the silent tears falling down the short blonde's face. Fletcher wasn't the only one; most of the room was in quiet shock, crying from loss, transfixed with disbelief, or blatantly angry. Alphonse was sitting in silent worry.
His concern was eating at him. Brother was at Central Command. Alphonse knew his unpredictable sibling was with Internal Security. He and their friends in the department were responsible for keeping an orderly Amestris, but the shocking death of the Führer was going to cost all them dearly. He couldn't help but worry about his brother in the cesspool of political ploys and military posturing.
While Brother had done a fair job keeping his work life and personal life separate, especially after his painful breakup with Russell, Alphonse knew his brother. There was obviously something Brother wasn't telling him. Whatever it was, it wasn't good. He'd seen the cracks in Brother's bravado façade since Winry's last trip to fix Brother's melting automail connections.
The late nights at the office, the extra sparing time (whether with him in their backyard before dinner or at Central Command's training grounds with a small audience), as well as the tightness in Brother's body language were all evidence of strain. He just wished Brother would tell him what was going on instead of brushing it off or changing the subject to his schooling. Obviously, Brother was still trying to keep Alphonse from being involved with the military again, but he wished that his overprotective sibling would let him in.
"If you are just tuning in to Daily News Radio," the radio caught his attention, "I'm Casey Sullivan here with Janice Bartle, continuing our coverage… Amestris in chaos. Führer Grumman has been assassinated. Details are still unclear, however, but Major General Hakuro, in the State Department, has issued a State of Emergency and Marshall Law. Curfew has gone into effect here in Central, as well as closures to all incoming and outgoing travel."
"That's right, Casey," his steady female co-anchor said. "Citizens are asked to stay indoors. If you are not currently in your homes, we have been informed that until your area of the city has been cleared, you are to remain where you are."
Alphonse let the repeated information floating in the air over his classmates sweep across the room, trying to not let his growing fear weigh him down. From the corner of his eye, he caught the flash of unfamiliar blue eyes set beneath dark black hair staring at him through the window.
Startled, his own eyes grew wide as the slight figure held up a piece of paper with his name on it. At his frowned nod, she motioned for him to come to the window, requesting his silence with her finger pressed over her swollen and cut lip, a bruise forming on her cheek. She glanced around to make sure no one else saw her, inside or out, before repeating the gesture.
Frowning deeper at the odd sight, he acknowledged the request with another subtle affirmation. It smelled like trouble, one he was sure his brother had a hand in.
"Fletcher," he whispered out of the side of his mouth, slightly gripping the younger blonde's shoulder. He proceeded when he knew he had the younger alchemist's discrete attention. "I need a distraction," he asked his friend, hoping those curious grey-blue eyes trusted his bizarre request. Fletcher bobbed slightly in inquisitive agreement. Alphonse released his shoulder before getting up to stand and walk away.
Before he was too far, Fletcher let out a dramatic cry, gaining most of the eyes in the room. Their instructor and a group of girls in the cluster next to him moved in, trying to comfort their unsettled classmate as Alphonse circled the room. He stayed out of the other students' line of sight, keeping to the edges before finally reaching his goal.
"Internal Security," Janice was saying over the airways as Alphonse cracked the window of the preoccupied room, "headed by Major General Roy Mustang, has partnered with local authorities to search for the assailant, who sources say is a young woman, 5 foot 1 inches tall, weighting roughly 120 pounds, between 20 and 25 years old."
Alphonse took a quick inhale, hoping his brother hadn't sent the assassin to meet him.
"She has brown hair and green eyes," Janice continued, to Alphonse's relief. His visitor had raven locks and deep azure eyes. "If you see someone matching this description, call the tip line at 520-26-26. She is considered armed and dangerous, so do not approach her."
"Wh.." Alphonse began to whisper, but the young woman on the other side of the glass shushed him. She handed him a folded-up note, with a determined small smile. He looked over his coconspirator, glad she didn't meet the description on the radio, but his concern for his injured new ally sparked as he thought about the danger she was in being outside during a midday Marshall Law manhunt.
He pursed his lips, recognizing the need for stealth in her bid to stay unnoticed. Glancing down at the note, he recognized his Brother's chicken scratch. Before he could thank his messenger, she was gone. He hoped she would be alright, whoever she was.
"Again, that number is 520-26-26. In other news…" Janice repeated just before getting cut off.
"Sorry, Janice. I've just been handed this," Casey spoke over his cohost. "A search has also been instigated for the Fullmetal Alchemist, Colonel Edward Elric, and Prince Ling of Xing, both of whom are wanted in connection with the Führer's assassination. It is unclear at this time, if they are being sought as suspects in the case or simply as persons of interest."
Alphonse could feel everyone's incredulous eyes whip to him. His brother's name carried weight, and he had done his best to not throw it around. In fact, he'd avoided discussing Brother and The Invasion all together. Obviously, he had gone out of his way to prove himself in his studies, becoming first in his class, but some only saw him as Fullmetal's kid brother. He turned around to see disbelief and anger in his classmates' eyes, so he pushed his unread note up his sleeve before they noticed it.
"No way!" Cried Stewart, the red headed boy near the front of the room. "No way is the Fullmetal Alchemist an assassin!"
"Yeah," chimed Laura, the girl off to the side of the station by the door. "Colonel Elric would never betray his country! Look at everything he's done since he joined the military!"
"Don't worry, Alphonse, no one is going to believe that your brother had anything to do with this," called his teacher, Professor Brand, next to Fletcher.
"I don't know," said Carol, the freckled armed blond woman with no freckles on her face. She frowned at the ground. "He was undercover for four years in a foreign country. Who knows where his loyalties are at."
"Seriously, Carol?" Gerald rebuked. He was a tan young man with hazel eyes and angular features; he studied hard to earn his average grades. Al respected his work ethic. "Do you really think a traitor just buys up a bunch of dilapidated buildings in The Row, refurbishes them, then just hand them over to the AAF without fanfare? Does he strike you as the kinda guy who's gonna kill the Führer? Guy's been a State Alchemist since I was a kid- when he was a kid! No fucking way is he gonna turn tail. No way!"
"Well, someone as powerful as him could certainly want to run the country, and who's going to stop him? Hmm? You?" Sara, the tall young woman with pale brown eyes and mocha skin, demanded from next to her friend Carol. Those two were always together in any class Alphonse had with the pair. "You can barely understand his new theoretical model, much less come up with something like that and make it work."
"So, what if he's smarter than me in theories?" Gerald pushed back defensively.
"Not just in theories, Gerry," Carol cut in snidely. "He's the Fullmetal Alchemist. He's probably the most powerful State Alchemist Amestris has ever seen. I mean, he's already the youngest Colonel since the Flame."
"So what if he is?" Fletcher stood up, causing his chair to fall back with his anger, his hands clutched into fists. "He's the most loyal, honest, selfless person I know besides Al. Ed's been nothing but a force for good ever since I've known him. He's always fought for what's right, and that's not going to change, no matter how strong he is!"
"Oh, shut up with that hero worship already. You're embarrassing yourself, Fletch," Sara laughed derisively. "No one cares that you or Al, over there, are close to him. He's only doing what the military tells him to do, just like all the other Dogs. He probably thinks it's his due to take over."
"Yeah," Carol put in, feeding off of her friend's venom. She moved her hands to her hips and sneered. "He probably thinks that since no one can beat his alchemy, he can do whatever he wants! In case you don't remember, he's the one that left after The Invasion. Who does that? Who just leaves all that destruction behind without a care in the world? If you ask me, he should have just stayed away!"
The room just stared at the verbal slings. Alphonse was stunned at the turn in the argument. Was this really what Amestrians were thinking behind his brother's back? Was this what they really thought of their Hero of the People?
"And who's to say his automail won't give him an unfair advantage in a fight for the top seat?" Sara added.
A few quiet students to the left of the arguing trio inhaled sharply.
"Everybody knows what power hungry assholes they are. It's no wonder he wanted two limbs of cold hard steel!" Carol cajoled in self-righteousness. "Right, Al?"
The room froze as he was addressed directly. His eyes closed as he took in those vicious words. All he could do was flit through his regained memories of his life with his brother, inhaling shallow breaths. His thoughts went next to German cities and cold streets, barbs he'd laid at his brother's door, judgment and resentment in his cruel accusations. Fighting down his harsh pain and burning vehemence as it gripped his throat, threatening to choke him in his own guilt and directed fury.
"I'm sorry," he finally whispered to the anxious room, his fists clutched tightly, his nails stinging as they dug into his hands.
"See, even his brother…" Carol proclaimed in false victory.
"No," sharply biting off the selfish creature's ignorant claims. "I'm sorry you see him that way," Alphonse cut her crowing off, fury fueling his rage. "I'm sorry that my brother has let you down.
"I'm sorry that he was too brilliant to sit through school when we were young, that no one knew how to teach a genius in the countryside. I'm sorry that he devoted his entire childhood to raising me, having to provide for me after our mother died. I'm sorry he lost his limbs and needed excruciating automail surgery at 11 just to be able to stand.
"I'm sorry he felt he had to become a State Alchemist at 12 to take care of his little brother. I'm sorry he fought tooth and nail to save people he didn't know, that he would never see again, who's lives he never got to see his effect on after his chain was pulled by the military. I'm sorry he bled, broke bones, and short circuited his nerve endings just to save a town to two. I'm sorry he had to fight murderers, monsters and madmen just so your peaceful lives never had to see what he's seen.
"I'm sorry he had to go undercover in a country he didn't know, without friends or family to help him, not able to return until he found a way, only to come home to a broken Central, again fighting for people who he would never meet, just to have to go back. Thank goodness I was able to follow him that time. It's not like anyone else was going to do it. It's not like you would, right? It's not like you can singlehandedly stop a cold war! Not when The Fullmetal Alchemist can take on the burden, over and over again!" Alphonse was nearly screaming now, tears prickling his eyes.
"I'm sorry you don't see how his life has never been his own. How he's always got someone trying to kill him or get something from him, but big deal, right? He's just in it for the fame, the gory, and the money, right? Oh, that's right. Except he's not!" he shouted into wide frozen eyes of his brother's attackers.
"Every cenz he has that doesn't go to taking care of me and our family goes to running The Row housing the AAF manages because he doesn't have the time to. No. He's too busy trying to keep foreign dignitaries from being murdered by putting his own life on the line, too busy creating advanced alchemic theories to allow the average alchemist Brother's level of power, too busy trying to find a reason for people to give a shit about him as a person, to see beyond the title Fullmetal. Everyone he's ever had feelings for wants something from him. Everyone he's ever failed to help haunts his nightmares. I'm surprised he even sleeps at all!" He was huffing now, his ranting making him feel like he'd run a marathon, tears cresting his eyes with his indignation.
"Yeah, I'm sorry I have the best brother in the world, who has bled for me, nearly died for me, for friends, for strangers, just so he could breath. So he could live. I'm sorry, I don't know why I ever thought someone like you would ever look up to my brother with anything less than awe and respect. Who needs him?"
And with that, Alphonse turned from the stunned room and walked out. He gripped his fists, rubbing the angry tears from his eyes as he made his way through the school grounds. Damn Elric anger management issues; Alphonse could never claim he hadn't inherited the famous Elric anger, he simply had a higher limit- one he had just surpassed. He tried to steady his breathing, tried to slow his heart rate. He never talked about Brother because he wanted to stand on his own. He never considered that his silence could be taken as a denial of everything Brother has done.
He took another cleansing breath, ready to right that wrong. Brother was far from perfect, what with his foul mouth, stubbornness, guilt and inferiority complexes to name a few flaws, but he was Alphonse's hero nonetheless. And Alphonse would never let his silence condemn his brother again. Finally, more in control of himself, he noticed the eeriness of abandoned pathways and court yards. That's right. Marshall Law. Curfew. Lockdown.
Well, alright then. He crouched in the nearest alleyway, when he heard troop movement echoing down the street, around the bend just out of view. Alphonse hadn't meant to let his temper get away from him, but he couldn't help the guilt and anger that had welled up inside of him. He'd thought that he had let go of his guilt from Brother taking care of him in the costliest of ways, at the expense of Brother's childhood, youth, blood, sweat, tears, arm, and nightmares. Apparently, he still felt responsible.
Well, on another note, he still needed to get inside somewhere without causing a panic. He reached his hand to the edge of the building behind his back, to support his weight as he went to poke his head out, when he noticed the light scrape against his wrist. Looking down, he remembered Brother's message. Smoothly removing his hidden missive from his brother, he finally opened it.
Surprised, he found German not Amestrian letters. This couldn't be good. Not if his brother felt he had to write in a language no one else spoke, in a note given to him by a girl he didn't know, but someone his brother clearly trusted to find him.
Sperre den keller und bring Kais kleine schwester von der schule nach hause
Lock the cellar and bring Kai's little sister from the school home
'Really, Brother,' Alphonse thought, 'it's already in German. Did you have to code Prince Ling and Princess May's names, too?' Well, he guessed it made since, seeing as 'Ling' and 'May' would be recognizable no matter what language they were written in. 'But couldn't you at least tell me what you wanted me to do with the basement?'
True, no one knew it was there, but did he want Alphonse to lock it or did he mean to close it off? And why would he need to unless he didn't want anyone in there? There was nothing down there except for left over furniture they had after the first batch of surplus beds and tables had been removed by Alchemic Affairs. Surely Brother wasn't stupid enough to go home when the military was searching for him and the visiting prince…
Alphonse rolled his eyes. Oh course, he was. He was The Fullmetal Alchemist. What better hiding place was there than right under their noses? Right. Ok. So… first, find Princess May. Should be easy enough with everyone else staying in place.
He glanced around the corner as the troops moved towards the faulty offices in his department. Uh-oh. Looks like they were headed for the same person he was. He heard a cautious set of footsteps sneaking along the building he had come from, in the other direction, and was not surprised to see Fletcher slinking comically through the brush. At least he had his friend.
"Fletcher," Alphonse whispered. "Over here," he motioned for Fletcher to follow him down the space between buildings, heading to cut through campus. It was a feat he'd learned to master when running between cross-campus classes, to make it on time during his packed schedule. The route the soldiers took would add an extra 4 minutes. He hoped it would be enough.
"Hey, glad I found you," Fletcher sigh of relief followed behind him, trying to keep quiet while keeping hidden on their cross-campus trek. "You were awesome in there!" His hushed exclamation proved his sincerity. "Hey, where are we going?" It was nice to know the younger blond was with him without having to ask for help.
"Thanks, Fletcher," Alphonse smiled, blushing at the reminder of his tirade, glad his friend couldn't see his pink tinted cheeks. "We have to get Princess May to safety before the military finds her."
"How do you know they are after her?" confused words followed him.
"Brother sent me a message," Alphonse passed Fletcher the note like he would a baton.
"I can't read this," the younger alchemist complained.
"Oh, yeah. Sorry, it's in German," Alphonse took back the folded paper.
"Cool," quietly squealed Fletcher.
"Shh," Alphonse quieted his companion just as the school's security walked by the opening of their passageway. After the retreating feet were gone, Alphonse quickly plotted their route to the next short cut. He pulled Fletcher behind him as they ran across the open grassy quad area. There was no cover, only sparse trees and empty benches around a usually relaxing waterfall. Their footfalls were thankfully covered by the water's rushing melody. They made quick progress, making it to the faculty offices, hoping the princess was there.
Slinking under the first-floor windows to where they estimated her office to be above them, they hid behind a shrubbery. They'd been there before, during office hours to ask her to clarify quite a few points during their alkahestry course, but judging the location from the outside was not exactly easy. Fletcher pointed his best guess, and Alphonse agreed. Second floor, third window to the right.
Al drew his preferred circle, never having mastered the hand clap that was his brother's signature. He formed a brick ladder and began to climb quickly, with Fletcher on his tail. They reached her office window sill, hoping no one had seen the transmutation or were watching them.
Alphonse tapped the glass with his finger tip. Suddenly, a sharp thud came as a tiny creature with sharp teeth collided with the other side of the glass. Xiao Mei's teeth tried to eat through the clear divider, showing the promise of teeth to anyone who tried to get through, alerting the resident princess.
"Alphonse?" Squeaked the alkahestris asked as she opened the window with a shy blush.
"Princess May," Alphonse began before she spoke over him, her crush on him evident.
"You came to check on me?" she asked as she took up the tiny black and white mini-panda before her pet could try to eat them.
"We came to get you," Fletcher said over Alphonse's shoulder, trying to get her to recognize him. She merely looked back to Alphonse, nearly ignoring the younger blonde's unrequited affections. Alphonse didn't have time for the rehashing of their odd dynamic (the only bone of contention between himself and Fletcher since they reconnected), especially, when they all heard the guards coming down May's hallway. Xiao Mei hissed at the encroaching noise. "Come on, hurry!" Fletcher called in a hushed tone.
She grabbed her little animal, who shimmied up onto her shoulder as she climbed out the window, quickly closing it behind her. They snuck along the edge back to their handholds, and began to shuffle down as the knock on the door to her now empty office rang out.
"Princess May," came the muffled voice as they descended faster, reaching the ground in time to replace the ladder, the transmutation dying before her door opened. They crawled along the building's edge, taking cover where they could. Once in between another set of buildings on the other side of the quad again, the princess began to demand answers.
"Alphonse, what is going on?" she asked, nearly straining in her whisper.
"My brother sent me to come get you. We need to get to a safe place," Alphonse said, just as quietly.
"Then we should go to the embassy," she reasoned. "The Xingese guards will protect me."
"My brother must have a good reason for not having me take you there," Alphonse explained without knowing the reason himself.
"It probably has to do with the radio announcement that said he and Prince Ling are wanted for questioning," Fletcher figured.
"If you say so, Alphonse, I will go with you," she said but turned to Fletcher for the first time, "but, I am not interested in playing with children."
"Ok," Alphonse cut in. "Fletcher is only a year younger than me. Anyways," shaking his head, "we don't have time for this. We need to get out of here before they find us. So be nice." He leveled her with a steady gaze, hating that he had to be Mr. Bad Guy. Properly admonished, she bowed. "Ok. Let's go," he said, leading them yet again.
They cut across to the outer edge of campus in a straight line, through a line of evenly spaced saplings, in quiet. They only ran into another patrol once, but the police squad was already turning the corner when Alphonse led his group across the boulevard. Coming up to his street, they noticed a few soldiers standing guard at the entry to the gated front yard. Turning around, they made their way to the backside of his neighborhood. Dexterously, they climbed the fence to the backyard, and entered through the kitchen.
Alphonse didn't stop. He snuck directly to the basement door in the hall connecting the kitchen to the living room. Once everyone was inside, he closed the door behind himself.
"Ok, we should be safe now," he said as they walked down the stairs, "but I need to close this floor off. Then we just have to wait for Brother. He'll know what to do from there," Alphonse promised his companions, hoping he was right. "So stay here. I'll be upstairs in case people start asking questions, I can lead them off the scent."
"You are going to leave me down here?" asked May, her sad eyes showing her hurt.
"Fletcher is going to stay with you, right, Fletcher?" Alphonse said, hoping she wouldn't keep making those eyes at him. While he was flattered by her attentions, he couldn't return them. Not when he was in love with someone else.
"Right," Fletcher said with a happy smile. Alphonse knew Fletcher liked May, but she never gave him a chance with Alphonse as her main love interest. It was like she wanted him because she was in love with the idea of him, not for himself, and that wasn't fair to either of them. Maybe being locked in a basement with Fletcher would help her see her potential suitor for the happy, buoyant, smart, funny guy he was. Maybe it would give Fletcher a real chance.
"But why can't you stay?" May pleaded with him.
"Someone has to guard the house," he hedged. It wasn't like he wanted to deal with the military when they inevitably showed up demanding answers, but he knew they would.
"Aww, but Alphonse…" She whined.
"I've got to go, but go ahead and transmute anything you need from what's here. Don't know how long it might be. I'll send down some food and supplies as soon as I can, promise," Alphonse said, looking them both in the eye before heading back up the stairs. He wondered what else he was going to need to get them as he opened and closed the damning door.
Drawing his preferred array, he thought about the structural elements in the house, Brother's new theoretical model, and what he needed to perform. Slowly, the transmutation took effect, allowing the wall and door to meld together into a smooth, nondescript plaster. He considered being in the basement without any windows or doors, then added air holes, connecting the large open space with the ventilation system throughout the house.
As the light from the process died, he headed to the kitchen. The basement was a huge space. It was the size of the whole house's footprint. It had load bearing walls, and it was thankfully connected to the house's electric lighting and plumbing (seeing as the pipes had to run underground). It only needed additional ventilation (which Alphonse had just taken care of) and a way for them to pass food down to his guests.
In the kitchen, he thought of where the dumbwaiter sat unused behind the panel along the wall. Smiling his drew his array and extended the pulley system to the basement. Satisfied, he began to make lunch for everyone, feeling his stomach begin to complain. He wondered how much he should make, since Brother could eat twice as much as any man he'd ever met, not that he himself was much better. Still, it would be Brother, Alphonse, Prince Ling, Princess May, and Fletcher. He'd have to go shopping as soon as curfew was raised, otherwise there wouldn't be enough food to last them more than a few days. Hopefully, this whole situation would be cleared up by then…
-8-
May walked quietly through the subterranean reprieve. She had been ecstatic that Alphonse had come for her, but she had been disappointed that Fletcher had accompanied them. It was not that she did not like the boy, but he was no substitute for her Alphonse. He was so dreamy, like a white knight from her books. He was so honorable, smart and charming; it was no wonder she had fallen for him. Even if he had been her student, he was still two years older than her.
Her exploration of the space led her to notice the load bearing walls and lack of windows. Grateful for the hiding space, she wished she could add some comforts. It would be like home, on Chang lands, desolate and poor. She had never wanted to live like that again; her people should not have to live in poverty, only bolstered by the temperamental favor of an emperor she barely knew.
She began moving some of the furniture around, throwing her kunai knives onto the floor to create separate spaces. Alphonse was right, who knew how long they would be down here, so she would use her alkehestry to make it livable.
Her father had seen to her education. He had sent tutors from the capital to all of his children, had seen she had a guard, but when that woman and May's mother had died protecting her, there was no one to replace them. The Chang clan could not afford to feed and pay both a tutor and a guard, so they had decided an alkehestist tutor would give May the tools to protect herself. And it had. The Night of Bloody Tears had left most of her half siblings dead, along with her father, but she had survived.
May drew her array in the dirt floor with her toe, activating the transmutations. Fletcher, behind her, inhaled in awe of her work; she smiled at the silent praise, glad she was not alone down here after all. She wondered if her father would have been proud of her skill.
She had only met the emperor once, when she came of age. It had been a formal affair, so she had not actually had a private word with him. He had simply acknowledged her as one of his possible heirs, given the Chang clan a ceremonial gift, and sent her home. The expense of the trip had been enormous, and they had barely made it through that winter as a result.
She could only do what she could, however. With her clan hanging on by a thread, she had asked her murderous half-brother, now Emperor Li, if she could accompany his political rival to Amestris. Even as poor as the Changs were, she knew her education would be her only weapon against the blood-soaked dynasty. Her half-brother Ling was a different matter though.
"Fletcher, will you help me move these into the rooms?" she asked, still deep in thought as she organized the furniture into their living arrangements. She, Ling, Fletcher, and Edward would need their own spaces, or they would drive each other mad living in each other's pockets.
"Of course, Princess," he said, obviously happy to help. His grin at her address made her blush slightly. His responses to her were always honest and forthright, unlike some people she could name.
Ling Yao had accepted her into his traveling group without a qualm, but gave little away as to his motives for doing so. He had negotiated terms that made their murderous half-brother supply their clans with food stuffs for the next three winters, pay for all expenses incurred on this trip, the funds to settle the embassy when they arrived and keep it in good standing, and, surprisingly enough, the right to negotiate with the Amestrian government in Emperor Li's stead. How her seemingly useless, lazy, irresponsible rival had garnered such a deal was why he was the only remaining political opponent to the emperor.
Even when they had arrived in Amestris, his persona of the dull-witted prince gained him strong political allies. His first conquest was Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist. It was a stroke of luck that their first governmental representative was such a prominent figure. Even in Xing, the Flame Alchemist had been a force to be reckoned with. How Ling and Brigadier General Mustang had managed to parlay during that first assassination attempt without setting off an incident would be legendary when he took the thrown. She had no delusions about that. Ling would be emperor one day, that or he would be dead.
Which brought her back to today. If the newscast had been correct, and the Amestrian military was going to try to frame Ling for Grumman's assassination, they had very little hope of dethroning Li. She could only do what she could, but if Ling was dead, war would follow, strengthening her half-brother's hold on Xing and her people would suffer for it. She could not let that happen, even if Ling would be emperor.
She wished she had the political savvy to take the seat herself, but she knew that an incompetent ruler would be just as bad as a ruthless one, no matter her intent. No, she would support Ling's bid for the throne. It was Xing's only hope, and with Ling's political allies (depending on if they would still support him after this latest fiasco), he was their only option. Now if that good for nothing would…
Blue light began to spark, illuminating the main room she had created with her walls. Fletcher came running, caught unaware by the brightness in their closed off quarters. The transmutation rolled the unfinished wall into a bright white before it shaped into its purpose. When the energy drained away, a reinforced opening led to a dark tunnel. Through it, stumbled Edward, dragging a whining Ling ("I'm hungry. Are we there yet? You said you'd feed me."), followed by Lan-Fan and Fu. She should have known those two would be in tow.
"Took you long enough," May welcomed with her arms crossed and a frown on her face.
A/N:
Hey all! As with the chapter title, I'm sorry. I have been overwhelmed this semester and am finally on Spring Break. I have no idea when I'll be able to get the next chapter out, but know that it is coming. I am not abandoning the story now, not after posting this story for a year =)
As for the German, if I messed it up, sorry (again). I used Google translate, so let me know if it needs to be fixed.
Also, I don't have a beta, so hopefully it reads alright and I am still keeping all editorial consistency.
Additionally, my muse kicked my tail on this chapter. Plus, Roy and Ed were frustratingly uncooperative, but luckily Al and May picked up the slack. I hadn't even intended to have a May POV, but she just got up and started to share. And who am I to stop her? Hahaha. Next chapter should let us catch our breath from running around, have a little chat and tackle some issues that have popped up, namely: Xerxian heritage, Ed's status, how to get Ling off (no- not like that hahaha), who is going to run Amestris now, government heads, and much much more! So stay tuned!
Lastly, my muse feeds on your delicious comments, so let me know what you think so far, predictions, or anything really. She's just a glutton for feedback, the little fae.
