Famed and the Famous
Rae walked along the crowded streets of Central, looking in shop windows and smiling at passerby. She paused for a second in front of a large glass window inside was a small stuffed cat. She smiled to herself, remembering all the times when she used to beg her mother to buy her things like that. Rae was wearing a blue mid-thigh length skirt with long black stockings, her feet were booted, the leather reaching her knees. Her hands were gloved with black leather gloves. She had on a white sweater that covered her hands up to her finger tips. The bottom of the sweater reached about four inches above her skirt. Her long black hair was hanging freely down to her butt, her silver sideburns hung down, her silver bangs caressing her forehead. She pressed her fingers onto the glass and smiled then walked into the store. A few minutes she came back out with the cat in a bag. Then she turned and walked on. A few steps later she came to a small dark alley, she turned and looked up as she saw a small scared little girl huddle in the corner.
"Are you lost?" Rae asked her and she nodded. "My name's Rachel… let me help you." Rae held out her hand and the little girl looked at it.
"Mommy… told me not to talk to strangers."
"Well your mother's right but I'm no stranger, my name's Rachel Mustang. I bet you've heard of me." The little girl's eyes lit up as she heard Rae's name.
"General Mustang? Oh wow… my name's Mia." The little girl took Rae's hand.
"Hi Mia. Now where did you lose your mother?" Rae asked the little girl.
"I-I uh… I don't remember." The girl started to cry. Rae wiped her tears.
"Hush… don't cry… we'll find her don't worry." The girl was red headed, her hair pulled up in two pigtails. She was wearing a long white jacket that fastened in the front, it was long and reached down to her knees. Under that she appeared to have on a pair of stockings. Rae led the little girl onto the street and the continued to walk. "I'm sure she's realized that you're lost by now and will come looking for you." Rae told her.
"You're pretty… and you're famous… didja know?" Mia asked her.
"Yes… I understand that numerous people have heard of me." A couple of adult's heads turned as they saw Rae leading this little girl down the street. Suddenly there appeared before her three young children, the oldest seemed to be about 15 a male, the youngest being maybe 10 and female. The middle child was probably 12 or 13 and male.
"Excuse me… may we ask you a question?" The little girl asked.
"Of course." Rae smiled, kneeling down, Mia clung to Rae's sweater sleeve.
"Are you General Mustang?" The oldest boy asked.
"Yes…"
"See… I told you she was prettier in real life that she is in those pictures… can I have your autograph?" The little girl told her brothers.
"Yeah, Rachel idolizes you…" The middle brother said.
"Alright… sure…" Rae signed a picture for the girl, "Rachel's a good strong name, use it well." Rae winked and walked off with Mia in tow.
"You were amazing Miss Mustang."
"Thank you, but if you are going to call me anything, call me Rae."
"But mommy always taught me to call people by their last names."
"Well then call me Miss Elric." She told Mia.
"Wh-why?"
"Because that's who I'm going to be here very soon." Rae told her.
"So then the rumors are true? Mom didn't believe them. Daddy just laughed at her."
"What rumors?"
"There have been rumors that you and General Elric were engaged but no one knew if they were true or not."
"Yes, they're true…" Rae smiled down at the little girl.
"M-may I see your ring?" Mia asked timidly and Rae pulled up her left sleeve, and slid her ring off her finger.
"Don't drop it." Rae told her as she looked it over. It was set with the largest in the middle, one smaller one on either side, then two other smaller ones were set slightly off center to the middle. The diamonds sparkled brilliantly, the prisms cascading colors into Mia's eyes in the bright winter light. Mia turned it and something caught her eye, on the inside of the silver band were the words, 'Rachel Anne Elric' in script.
"It's beautiful. Oh my…" Mia caught sight of Rae's other ring, the one that was labeled her promise ring, it was a ring that Edward had given her to promise that he would never leave her. It was gold, set with a large yellowish diamond in the center, on either side were two slightly smaller diamonds, which were rose colored.
"Yeah this?" Rae slid her engagement ring back on a slipped the promises ring off. "Ed gave me this on our 4 year anniversary of meeting. It's called a promise ring, that day he promised never to leave me even when we both are extremely pissed." She smiled as the little girl looked at the ring in wonder.
"He must be rich." Mia gasped.
"Well, the both of us have quite a bit of money but yes I'd say he was. I've never really thought about it before." Rae said thoughtfully.
"So you're not marrying him for the money?"
"No… I… I never thought of it like that before…" Rae told her.
"Because my mother said that if the engagement rumors were true that you were just marrying him for his money."
"Alright… hey, do you want to get some lunch?" Rae asked and the girl smiled.
"Really? Lunch with a famous person… sure." She smiled.
She and Rae sat down at a table, the waiter walked over and his jaw nearly dropped, "G-General Mustang?" He gasped.
"You bet, now I'm hungry, get us a menu if you would." Rae told him. He nodded and ran off, returned in a few minutes with the menus. He had heard of her, as many people had, and they had heard of her reputation for being a real hard ass, always expecting things to be done properly and on time, how else would she have made it to General.
"I'll be back in a few minutes to take your order ma'am." He ran off again and Rae looked after him curiously.
"Wonder what's got him in a tizzy?" Rae looked back at Mia who just shrugged.
"I dunno, maybe it's you… maybe he's one of your fan boys." Mia chuckled and Rae laughed with her, a young woman walked up to her and saluted.
"General Mustang." Rae blinked.
"Y-yes…"
"Sorry… did I surprise you ma'am, it's me, Lieutenant Marx." She smiled and Rae nodded.
"I didn't recognize you out of uniform lieutenant. A wonder seeing you here… did my fiancé let you guys out for the day?"
"No ma'am, he let me out, my boyfriend just came back from the Eastern Command center and we're spending the day together, I had to come say hi."
"As you were soldier, jeez, go back and say hi to Lieutenant Travis for me." The lieutenant saluted her and walked off.
"They're all so uptight around their presiding officers even when not in the office." Mia noted. Rae nodded and they ordered, Rae ordered a salad and Mia ordered a hamburger and fries.
When they had finished they set off again, walking down the street.
"Heh, I was wondering, what's in the bag?" Mia asked Rae curiously.
"Nothing…" Rae lifted the cat out of the bag. "I thought it was cute." Rae smiled.
"You like stuffed animals?"
"Yeah… I am only 17 you know." Rae smiled.
"You're only 17 I know but… I mean… the way that the newspapers and things describe you… they all say that you're really mean."
"Nah, I'm just mean to them." Rae laughed and Mia laughed as well.
"I haven't seen my mom all day… I wonder where she is…" Mia's face grew dreary.
"Well if we don't find her today, we'll find her tomorrow, you can stay the night at my house."
"I have a question… if it doesn't seem too forward… what were you doing out here today?"
"I was buying a birthday present for my fiancé." Rae smiled. "But I haven't found one." Rae's face also sunk.
"We'll find one, c'mon!" She dragged Rae off. They scoured every store, looking for something that Ed would like. Which was difficult for and Elric, you never knew what he would like… they were in an antique store when Mia walked over to Rae wearing a large feathered hat.
"Ho! Ed would absolutely love that!" Rae laughed.
"No. I found it and wanted to show it to you." Mia giggled from under the large hat.
"It's cute." Rae smiled. Mia walked off than came back a few minutes later wearing a feather boa.
"He'd like this one." Mia laughed.
"Yeah I bet… you goof ball, put the boa back…" Rae ruffled the girl's hair and she beamed then walked off. Rae was standing by a bookshelf. She remembered that Ed had said something about a book, it was called Rigor Mortis Alchemic Effects. She had no idea what he wanted with it but he had been talking about it quite a lot. Suddenly something caught her eye, the exact book that she had been looking for. She ran over and lifted it up and almost dropped it on her foot. She was amazed at how heavy the damn thing was. She sat down and opened it.
"Stiff Body?" Mia asked as she walked over a few minutes later. Rae had been reading the book, it was extremely advanced but she was amazed at how much information they had squished into the book.
"Huh?" Rae looked up an almost choked on her coffee. The girl was now standing before her in a long bunched dress with a pair of shoes that were too large for her and the feather boa along with the huge hat. "Oh god… you are going to have to show me where you are getting all this stuff from! I'm curious now." Rae told the girl and Mia led her off.
15 minutes later Rae was dressed in a tight vintage silk dress. It was tighter because her hips were wider than even she had remembered and her cleavage was heightened to dizzying heights, swelling as her sore breasts were pressed against her chest.
She walked out and Mia laughed at the General who suddenly stopped as she saw who walked through the door. Ed had just walked in, wearing black dress pants, black gloves, a white dress shirt and a long black trench coat with a black scarf. He blinked at Rae.
"Rachel?" He chuckled, walking over to the young woman.
"Hey honey." She smiled and Mia watched as Ed wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her. Rae pulled away and smiled, "Ed, this is my friend Mia…" Rae beckoned to the frightened girl. Ed was taller than they had all said, maybe 5'11" to 6'. Rae was only around 5'5".
"Who?" Ed looked at Mia.
"Mia, this is my fiancé Ed. You know him." Rae smiled and Mia smiled up at Ed.
"Pleasure to eat you General Elric." Mia said and Ed eyed her hand, blinking as Rae and Mia burst into laughter.
"Sorry, I told her to say that if we ran into you." Rae chuckled.
"Okay, so where's you mother?" Ed asked her.
"That's why we met up… Miss Elric found me." Mia beamed.
"Miss… Elric?" Ed looked at Rae who was looking in the opposite direction, in the mirror. "Rae, you fill that out fairly well."
"Thanks." Rae smiled. A few minutes later all three of them walked out of the store and a woman came running up, Mia ran to meet her.
"MOMMY!" Mia cried.
"MIA Oh God… where have you been?" Her mother had tears running down her face.
"I was with them." Mia pointed at Rae and Ed. "Or I was with Miss Elric."
"E-Elric? Honey… that's General Musta-" The woman's eyes opened wide in recognition and she and Mia walked over. "General, I'm so sorry… thank you for watching her."
"It was no problem, just keep a closer eye on her." Rae knelt down in front of Mia and smiled, "Kiddo if you ever get lost again just come and find me. I'm always in the Central building… alright?" Rae ruffled her hair.
"Will you come and play with me?" She smiled and Rae nodded, "Of course I will, and you can come with me next time… make sure you visit me or I'll never forgive you." Rae beamed, Ed nodded, his arm around Rae's waist.
"I promise…" Mia smiled and Rae handed her the bag with the cat in it.
"Here I want you to have this…" Rae told her.
"Will you sign it for me?" Mia asked, pulling the little kitten out of the bag.
"Sign it? Sure…" Rae pulled a pen out of her pocket and signed the hind quarters of the cat. "I put my phone number on there too… keep up the good work, you have a very sweet young lady in the making." Rae told Mia's mother and she nodded.
"Thank you again General." Mia's mother led her off.
