Alright! You people have to be nice to me now, since this is my first fanfiction, and.. Well.. Yeah. ; I was getting tired of all the WinryxEdward 'fics anyway. /
So I'm writing an EdwardxOC 'fic! The OC's name is Arianna Francis. She's a wonderful 4'6", and 16 years old. This is based a couple years ahead, where Edward's 17 and Alphonse is also 16. So.. R&R and enjoy!
Disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue. I don't own, so you can't sue!
Pairing: AriannaxEdward
Rating: It's bound to get steamy later on, and there is quite a bit of swearing, so I'll let you judge for yourself.
Helpful words:
Nii-san: Elder brother
Kaa-san: Mother
Nē-san: Elder sister
Tou-san: Father
Imotosan: Younger sister
Tsurara: Icicle
Hagane: Fullmetal
Renkinjutsushi: Alchemist
Gomen (nasai): I'm (very) sorry
Arigatou (gozaimasu): Thank you (very much)
Hai: Yes
Iie: No
Chikushou: Damnit
Kuso: Shit
Tainted Hearts
Chapter One: An Unhealed Scar
"Papa.. Where's Mama going?" A small girl, the age of seven tugged on her father's sleeve as he sat on a sofa in the livingroom as her mother was upstairs packing.
"She's going away, Sweetpea." The mans' hands shook, and his deep green eyes shimmered as he lifted the little girl onto his knee.
"Where's she going, Papa?"
"I don't know, Sweetpea."
A short woman walked down the stairs, her short black hair swaying just below her chin. Grey eyes, cold and hard stared at the man, but softened on the girl as she hopped off her father's knee, ran over and clung to her mother's thigh.
"Where are you going, Mama? I don't want you to go!" The little girl cried into her mother's leg.
"I have to, Arianna, lovie. I can't stay." The woman set her suitcases down and lifted the little girl up. "I'll see you again, someday, alright? I promise."
The little girl dried her eyes and nodded, sniffling. "Will you come back to visit?"
"No, Precious, but if you look for me, I'll find a way to see you." The woman smiled and set the little girl down, picked up her things and walked out the door, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Another little girl, the age of three, peered down from the top
of the stairs, listening to everything.
The same little girl, who had sat on her fathers' knee and waited for her mother--waiting for her to leave and knowing she would--, a few years older, sat beside her father's bed, watching as the only parent who actually gave half a damn to stay in her life was suffering. "Papa.. You'll be alright, right? I can find Mama.. She'll come back and take care of you."
"No, Sweetpea." The man winced, his brown hair soaked with a cold sweat, sticking to his forehead, his deep green eyes faded a little.
"Papa, I can't do this by myself.. I can't live on my own." Tears streamed down the girl's cheeks as she gripped one of her father's thin pale hand in her own shaking ones.
"I can't take care of Mia by myself. Papa, you can't do this.. It's too hard! I'm only ten, I'm not supposed to be a parent to my own sister, let alone be a parent at all!"
The little girl, who once watched their mother walk out from the top of the stairs, came in holding a teddy bear. She was only six, but that didn't matter.. She knew what was going on. "Is Papa leaving too?"
"My little Mia.. Come here, Pumpkin." The man who was the father of the two beautiful little girls smiled at the youngest of the two. When the little girl went over and sat on the older girl's lap, he took her hand. "I do have to go, Pumpkin. I won't be able to come back, but if you ever need me, look deep inside. You can talk to me there, but I won't talk back. You can see me there, any time, and I'll watch over you when I'm gone, from somewhere else to make sure you're safe and okay. I'll watch over my little Ari too--"
"Shut up. You're just like her. Leaving us in the time we need you most." The elder of the two girls picked up her little sister and stood up. "I hate you. I despise you. I loath you." Tears of anger, frustration, despair, lonelyness and anguish, lostness, sorrow and most of all, betrayal.
Her father had once said that he'd always be there. She felt now, that he'd lied to her. How could he! That bastard planned it the whole time, didn't he!
It was amazing what a span of vocabulary the girl had. It was quite apparent that she was much smarter than she looked. She WAS an alchemist after all. Her daddy had taught her to read, and she had taught herself alchemy, so who wouldn't say she was smart?
She left the room, taking her little sister with her. Her father then closed his eyes, and sighed, letting all air in his lungs escape, never to return again.The same little girl, who had sat on her fathers' knee and waited for her mother--waiting for her to leave and knowing she would--, a few years older, sat beside her father's bed, watching as the only parent who actually gave half a damn to stay in her life was suffering. "Papa.. You'll be alright, right? I can find Mama.. She'll come back and take care of you." "No, Sweetpea." The man winced, his brown hair soaked with a cold sweat, sticking to his forehead, his deep green eyes faded a little. "Papa, I can't do this by myself.. I can't live on my own." Tears streamed down the girl's cheeks as she gripped one of her father's thin pale hand in her own shaking ones. "I can't take care of Mia by myself. Papa, you can't do this.. It's too hard! I'm only ten, I'm not supposed to be a parent to my own sister, let alone be a parent at all!" The little girl, who once watched their mother walk out from the top of the stairs, came in holding a teddy bear. She was only six, but that didn't matter.. She knew what was going on. "Is Papa leaving too?" "My little Mia.. Come here, Pumpkin." The man who was the father of the two beautiful little girls smiled at the youngest of the two. When the little girl went over and sat on the older girl's lap, he took her hand. "I do have to go, Pumpkin. I won't be able to come back, but if you ever need me, look deep inside. You can talk to me there, but I won't talk back. You can see me there, any time, and I'll watch over you when I'm gone, from somewhere else to make sure you're safe and okay. I'll watch over my little Ari too--" "Shut up. You're just like her. Leaving us in the time we need you most." The elder of the two girls picked up her little sister and stood up. "I hate you. I despise you. I loath you." Tears of anger, frustration, despair, lonelyness and anguish, lostness, sorrow and most of all, betrayal. Her father had once said that he'd always be there. She felt now, that he'd lied to her. How could he! That bastard planned it the whole time, didn't he! It was amazing what a span of vocabulary the girl had. It was quite apparent that she was much smarter than she looked. She WAS an alchemist after all. Her daddy had taught her to read, and she had taught herself alchemy, so who wouldn't say she was smart? She left the room, taking her little sister with her. Her father then closed his eyes, and sighed, letting all air in his lungs escape, never to return again.
Her waist-length, red-streaked black hair was cascaded over her shoulders when she awoke, sprawled over a hotel bed, drenched in a cold sweat, her pillow soaked with tears.
She hadn't meant to say those things to Papa, she didn't! She had gone right back and cried on his bed, proclaiming how sorry she was, and that she really didn't mean it. But he was gone.. She didn't get to say sorry. She didn't even get to say goodbye. It was then that she had decided to do the forbidden taboo. The one part of alchemy that was completely inexcusable, and forbidden to use.
She got her sister to help, but lost her too. She lost her and her arm, and gained nothing but a Homunculus. She'd met with the Homunculus before too. When she got her title as a Nationally Certified Alchemist. He'd given it to her. He was a colonel of the military by then, and the second in charge of her division, next to Roy. He'd said That Person had given him the name Malice, and she was to refer to him as such, rather than 'Papa'. Because he wasn't her Papa.
He was right, though.. He wasn't. He was a monster that she had created.
Arianna tugged her nightshirt back down over her nightboxers, for it had ridden up, just above her breasts, during her tossing and turning. It was that damned dream again. Maybe she should be seeing a therapist, or something?
No.. She knew what she had to do, and knew it would take a long time. She'd have to build her strength.. Find his weakness.. Kill him, no.. It. A Homunculus wasn't a person. It was a created person. A fake. A sham. It didn't deserve the title of a person, either. Not with what their nature was like.
Malice had shown her that a couple of times. He'd blown her automail to bits millions of times.. Nearly severed her other arm at least three, and had held a knife to her throat. She'd have died had she not speared him in the head with some ice she transmuted. The once kind man she'd used to call her father--her Papa--was now a murderer. His ways had twisted when That Person got to him before she, Arianna, his own damn daughter, did.
Arianna sighed and sat up. It was time to go see Sensei again. Time to cool off. The raven-haired girl turned on the bed-side light and sat up. She'd pack and leave tonight. Sure, it was probably three AM, but she didn't care. And nor did Sensei. She got up and quickly changed into a pair of baggy light blue sweat pants, a white T-shirt and white running shoes. She packed her suitcase and put on her cloak. It was white, and sleeveless, so it just tied at her collar bone-ish and rested on her shoulders. On the back, below the hood of the cloak, was a light blue symbol (think the symbol on Edo's jacket.. it represents the god Mercury, but I can't remember what the symbol is called).
She threw her hair into a quick ponytail and grabbed her suitcase. She walked out of the room, and went downstairs. She returned the key and paid for her room, knowing that there was a receptionist there 24/7. With that, she left and headed to Central's train station.
A light night breeze blew cold against the girl's face. Her hood was up, but that didn't stop the wind from getting to her.
Her cheeks were a little flushed. She was a good twenty minutes from the train station, since there was no way of transportation, other than by foot, at this time of night.
There was a fresh coat of snow on the ground. A couple inches deep.. Nothing too serious. It gave the city a peaceful look to it.
Arianna's breath came out in quick little puffs of smoky air as her warm breath collided with the cold winter air, as she sped up her pace. Though it looked peaceful, Central was dangerous at night. Criminals.. Men and women with twisted minds set on the bodies of youth.. Homeless people begging for money for food when it'll only go towards drugs or alchohol...
By now she was about a third of the way to the train station. She was making good time. If she was lucky, she'd catch the 3:45am train, and make it to Dublith around 4:30am. Which would put her at Sensei's house around 5, being about a half hour walk, unless she was fast. Then it'd only be around a fifteen to twenty minute walk.
She took out the pocket watch she'd been given for becoming a State Alchemist, from a little inside pocket in her cloak and looked at it.
3:36am.
"Damnit.." It came out in a whisper. She put the pocket watch back and tugged her cloak closer to her then began to run. She did want to make that train.. Otherwise she'd be waiting another fifteen to thirty minutes for one. That wasn't a big deal.. It's just that it was very cold.
Her time limit was drawing to an end, and she was almost there. Arianna did a quick sprint to the train station, her white hood flying back, revealing her long ponytail.
Ahead of her was a figure dressed in black. She wondered who in their right mind would be out at this time of night, then sweatdropped. Obviously she wasn't in her right mind.
The vertically challenged girl passed by him , causing the air to stir a bit. She looked up as she passed him. He was tall. Extremely tall, compared to her whopping 4'6". Shrugging it off, she continued on. About ten meters after the passing of the man, she, ever so ungracefully, tripped over a rock and landed face-first in the snow.
"Brilliant, Arianna. Just brilliant." For those who knew her, they knew her as a klutzy idiot. But they also knew that she was very smart, and very bright. Very few knew her past, so they only got to see the mask she put on, and not the broken heart beneath.
She shivered and stood up, brushing the snow off. What had stuck had melted, leaving her practically drenched.
The man glanced at the girl as he felt the stir of air, and smiled. It was somewhat comforting to know there was someone else out at this time of night. He watched her trip and cocked a brow. "You alright, miss?"
"Hm? Oh.. Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little wet." Arianna sighed.
"You seem to be in quite the rush.. Trying to catch the 3:45am train, I suppose. It leaves in three minutes, you know."
"What!" Arianna's annoyed expression turned to shock. "I'm sorry, but I have to go!" With that, she grabbed her suitcase again and darted off towards the train station, leaving the man in utter shock at her quickness for a short girl.
She stopped, panting at the ticket booth. "One for Dublith."
"Here you are. Hurry, miss. The train's about to leave." The man in the ticket booth shooed her away as he heard the train's whistle.
"Thank you!" The raven-haired girl quickly ran to catch the train. "Wait! Please, wait!" The train had just started moving. One of the people helping on the train opened the door. She tossed her suitase in and followed shortly after it. She panted, on all fours for a bit then looked up at who had opened the door. "Thank you so much, it means a lot." She smiled and, picking up the suitcase, stood up. Arianna bowed in thanks and went to get a seat. She sighed as she sat down, placing her suitcase under the seat. Perhaps a little trip to Sensei's would do her some good. She knew it would be needed, and she had to tell Sensei about her arm still. Unfortunately, she knew what her Sensei's reaction would be. She was doomed.
About an hour passed and the train finally pulled into the Dublith station at half passed four. Arianna stretched and stood up after grabbing her suitcase from under the seat, then got off the train, thanking the man who had opened the door for her, again. Again, she walked through the snow. It was much deeper, here, though.. One and a half, maybe two feet deep. Damn! She was going to catch hypothermia or pneumonia like this! God fucking damnit, why did it have to be so fucking cold! By the time she reached Izumi's front door, she was absolutely soaked, shivering to the bone and it was approximately five in the morning. She knocked on the door, but got no response. She knocked louder. No response. Fuck!
The red-streaked, raven-haired girl sighed and went to the door that lead into the kitchen. It was the closest to the bedrooms. She knocked. No response. She knocked again. No response. She knocked a final time and finally saw a light come on in the kitchen. But the one who came to the door wasn't Izumi. It was a blond boy. His sleepy gold eyes glared into her own shivering emerald ones. He stood in the doorway, only his boxers on, taking in what was going on, before the cold go to him. "Christ.. Get inside." He shivered and pulled Arianna in.
"Where's Izumi-sensei?" Arianna looked around. The house was exactly as she remembered it. The sound.. Smell.. Taste.. Texture.. The cute little yellow cottage she'd basically grown up in after "the accident".
"Who the hell are you and what in the name of the seven Sins are you doing here at five in the morning!" The blond asked, his voice slightly agitated. It made a pang of guilt shoot through her. She must have awoken him.
"Arianna Francis. Tsurara no Renkinjutsushi."
