Chapter 2

Elysia and Strider now stood in front of a grave marked "Maes Hughes", sharing an umbrella. Elysia sighed as she thought of everything that had happened since last night. It was afternoon the next day, and the rain was seemingly endless. The police, the neighbors, Adrian, her deceased mother, everything and the events that had occurred, played again and again through her mind. But, for some reason, the things people had said stuck out the most.

"Just so you know, you'll always have a place with me, both you and Strider." Angie had said. "I'd take you both in, but I'm not allowed to since I'm not family."

Adrian's expression was forlorn, which wasn't typical of him. "I wish…I wish I knew what to say. Something…anything to just help in some way…but I can't find the words. You don't deserve what happened. I'm so sorry, Elysia."

Roy Mustang put a hand on her shoulder. His wife, Riza stood beside him. "I'm…very sorry for your loss. She was a good woman…don't worry. It'll be alright. I'll make sure of it."

"Elysia…" Strider's voice brought her out of reminiscing. "I want to go. It's raining."

Elysia ignored him.

Strider was starting to get agitated. He didn't like rain. Water bothered his auto-mail eye at times. "Elysia-"

"I'm not leaving. Not yet." She interrupted him.

"Why? How's he going to help anything? He's dead. And why did you bring me here? I could care less about him. He wasn't even my father. I never knew him. In fact, I'm glad he's dead, because I wouldn't be here if he wasn't."

Elysia remained silent.

"Elysia…"

"Go if you want…"

"…I don't have an umbrella."

Elysia threw the umbrella down on the ground beside him.

Strider picked it up and held it over his head. He stared at her a moment, hoping she'd come with him. But, in the next moment, he remembered that Elysia was only his half sister and he shouldn't care this much, so he walked away.

Elysia collapsed on the ground as soon as he was gone. She began to cry. It was the first time since last night she had really cried. Everything she held inside her now escaped in the form of tears as she sat drenched in rain by her father's grave. Too many emotions to describe pushed their way through her eyes.

When she thought she had heaved her last sob, another emotion took hold as Strider's words came back to her. 'I'm glad he's dead, because I wouldn't be here if he wasn't.' She began to feel angry. It wasn't just that. So many things would not have happened if her father hadn't died. Her mother wouldn't have seen so many men, she wouldn't have started drinking, Elysia wouldn't have had to get a job to help support the family, she wouldn't have to deal with Strider; and most importantly, her mother would not have been dead right now.

She stood, enraged. "Why…" she said quietly, but grew louder. "Why? Why did you die? Why did you leave us? How could you let this happen? There had to have been something you could have done. Why? How could you just let yourself be killed and leave us so miserable?" She began to sob again. "I can barely remember you… You know what? I hate you. I hate you, dad. I hate you for leaving mom and me like that. It's your fault. It's all your fault..."

And with these final words to her father, she collected herself, and left his grave. She walked home, and packed. She and her brother were leaving tomorrow. They were being sent to live with an aunt she'd heard about, but never met in Resembool.