FantasyFreak: Yay! Cookies! I like cookies, too...XP
Shingo-sama: I'm glad to have you join us. Thanks!
DarkInuHanyou: Well, up until chapter two, I've had someone else update my fanfic because I didn't know how to do it. I've finally got to putting up chapter three by myself after a long while of waiting, and now I know how to update, so updates might come a bit faster. Sorry for the wait!
Unlucky
Chapter Four: A Sigh of Relief?
Ed blinked in wild surprise as Al described Clause's own chimera. He stood there, unmoving, right in the middle of the front doorway to Central Headquarters, dumbstruck. Alphonse walked inside, turning to wait for Ed.
"Come on, Niisan!" he whispered
With a jerk, he came back to Earth. Shaking his head furiously, he trotted in after Alphonse, his head swimming with odd thoughts.
There was a small commotion down at the Central Train Station, calls of farewells and hints of laughter in the air. A young blond girl stood out of a train window, clutching a red cat, standing next to a full-bodied suit of armor. Both waved good-bye as the red cat merely glared coldly outside.
There, Colonel Roy Mustang, Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, Major Maes Hughes, and Major Louise Armstrong all stood, waving. Armstrong held a kerchief to his nose, bright pink sparkles floating and twinkling about his head as he waved; Hughes held his daughter upon his shoulders, both of which were waving as well. Hawkeye and Mustang just merely stood back and watched.
Before they knew it, Ed, Al and Winry were all heading back home. Back to Resembool.
"Once we're there, Edward will be able to rejuvenate, and then we'll get a specialist to take a look at him," the girl explained to Alphonse as the older brother slept comfortably upon Winry's lap. She looked fondly at the red cat, stroking his red-black fur. This sort of struck Al as odd, but...he decided to keep silent.
"So, what will the specialist you mentioned be able to do for Ed?" the boy pondered, glowing red eyes watching the scenery flow past the train like a film in a projector.
"Hmm?" Winry seemed to have drifted off into a trance as Al had spoken, only to result in her shaking her head and bringing herself back to the present. "Wha...? Oh!" She smiled, embarrassed slightly. "Well, they'll check whether or not Ed can be cured of his...condition, you might say. They'll also check to see if he's sick, and to see if his automail is serving him well. Who knows, maybe they can find a way to communicate with him better," she replied, also tossing her gaze out the window.
I just hope he'll be able to get back to his old short self soon... she muttered, a hidden grin silently gracing her lips.
"We're back, Granny Pinako!" Winry called, hauling her back and a small cat under her arms. Edward's golden eyes glared forwards with utter loath, for he was in quite the uncomfortable position. Every now and then, the young alchemist would struggle and writhe, only to end with a scolding and a collision with her infamous wrench between the ears.
"Uh...erm...are you sure that you don't want me to carry him?" Alphonse muttered as he carried in Ed's suitcase. "He doesn't look too happy..."
I'm quite capable of walking... he thought bitterly.
"Nonsense!" she cried, grinning. "He seems to be cooperating alright!" She swung her wrench about in her free hand, Ed gulping and curling up best he could once more. If hitting in the head with a wrench hurt before, it was nothing compared to now...
"Ah!" came a strong, hoarse old voice as the three young ones looked up to see a stout old woman, her short coarse hair tied in a pony tail atop her head, a small pipe sticking from her mouth. She wore a simple green dress, plus a white apron that covered her front, which was completely doused in many grease stains and blood. "Well, you're just in time," she muttered, looking disdainfully at the Elric brothers. "I've just finished giving another patient a successful automail operation. My, my... you two seem to have gotten yerselves into trouble again, haven't you?" She glanced at Ed in particular, whose fur bristled slightly in irritation.
What of it, old bat! It's not any of your business... Of course, Pinako, or anyone for that matter, couldn't hear the feline's sour comments.
"Well," she continued, "You two can go outside and rest awhile. I'll have Winry conjure up something for supper, and I'll call the alchemist specialist to come and see Ed."
"Yes, ma'am," Alphonse replied politely, scooping Ed up into his arms and heading outside. Ed merely stuck out his tongue at the old woman's back. In consequence, however, a screw bounced painfully off of his sensitive pink nose.
Nightfall had fallen, and the small group had already started to eat dinner as there was a knock on the door. Winry had gotten up to answer it as Ed continued to remain focused on his meal, the delicious aromas of chicken, potatoes and mixed fruits filling his head. His tail swished slightly, and his ears perked, as a gentle breeze brushed through the room, and a tall man entered the house.
"He's over there," Ed could hear Winry whisper as he looked up to see who it was. Peering behind him, Ed saw a man in his twenties, about, with short chestnut hair and sparkling blue eyes. He wore a doctor's coat over clothes that a normal, casual man would wear. Maybe... was he a state alchemist?
In the middle of Ed's day-dreaming, the man had picked Ed up by the loose fur about his neck. Ed, thoroughly shocked, let his jaw hang open and his eyes widen as he felt himself go unwillingly limp. Involuntarily, his paws curled against his chest, along with his hind paws and his tail. Confused, he gave the 'doctor' a puzzled look.
Without further ado, however, Ed found himself sitting upon a cleared region on the wooden table, the man examining his ears, his mouth, his reflexes and other things. Ed felt quite uncomfortable, especially because of being examined so closely, but he was alright. That is, until the needle was mentioned. Soon, they had found Ed clinging to the ceiling with his claws, hissing as the four tried to get the cat from the roof. In the end, he had to be sedated once more with yet another needle so that the specialist could administer other necessary, more essential shots.
Ed glared at the doctor, eyes half closed, as he put away the medicines and needles. Soon, Ed found himself, surprisingly, surrounded by a transmutation circle. He looked up at the man, expecting an explanation, but got none. The man had touched the circle, and there was a flash of light, but nothing happened.
What the hell was that for! he hissed, standing up, and falling over once more, dizzy. Ugh...my head hurts...
The three humans around him blinked, and they blinked a whole lot.
"Erm...Ed...?"
"What's going on...Ed? Doctor?"
"Yes, Mr. Lynnox. Please explain..."
"Well..." the Lynnox began, picking up the protesting Ed. "You see...my transmutation, the alchemy I had just performed, had enabled Ed to communicate with any person, but only the ones who where in this room at the time of the transmutation. So, in short, Mr. Elric, and you Rockbells, can now all understand Mr. Fullmetal."
Ed's ears perked in immediate interest at the statement uttered into the silent air, tail swishing. S-so...you can all understand me now! He looked at the four people staring at him with expectant eyes.
Simultaneously, all four people nodded.
With that, Ed's head melted with relief. I think I'll...I'll take a nap... he managed to yawn out, feeling his drained brain shut down and he fell into the world of dreams.
Alphonse could not believe this, though. He would be able to talk with his Nii-san again! He had felt such relief and joy wash over him for Ed's voice, though echoic and mixed in with purrs and mews, was still the same as that of his older brother.
"Things seem to be improving around here, eh, Ed?" Winry whispered in his ear, which flickered as her breath caressed it. The young girl carried the cat up to his room, Alphonse following after, and the house's stress seemed to be relieved by a considerable amount that night.
"What! Already!" Winry's shrill scream of surprise could be heard all the way down the street. Ed and Al were slumped over, eyes spinning as the girl's outburst deafened them. "What do you mean you're leaving today! You just got here!"
Please, don't scream so loud Winry... My head really hurts...
"But you're leaving so soon!"
I know, I know...but we have to get back to Central City, pronto. I've got to collect my stuff, and then we're going to have to go back to the library—
"Library!" she cut in sharply. "That's all you every talk about! The library and Central! I've had enough of that! Why do you have to be in such hot pursuit of the Philosopher's Stone!" She paused, and then let out a gasp. She glared suspiciously at the red cat, poking his white-furred chest rather roughly. "Perhaps...you don't think my automail is good enough for you. Maybe you don't think it's right for you. You would rather wish for flesh and bone over Rockbell Automail! I'm so ashamed of you, Edward Elric!"
Didn't I say to stop yelling? he moaned, placing his paws over his head. Winry, we're leaving, and that's final. Nothing you can say will stop us, or change our minds! The cat snorted once before he began to lick at his left forepaw, his right still on his muzzle.
"But..." she began to protest. She knew very well she could not persuade Ed to stay here in Resembool, if not for a few days longer. She turned to Alphonse, now. "What time do you two plan to leave?"
"Before noon, we want to be early," he explained. They wouldn't have to take very long, for they didn't really have to unpack any bags. "But we might take a little longer. Brother doesn't seem to be feeling to well at the moment."
Winry turned about, trying to hide the hurt on her face. There they go, running off again, so soon only after seeing each other after such a long period of time. She walked into the back of the den room, pocketing a silver wrench. Ed will have something in store for him. Think of it as a farewell gift, she thought evilly, a malicious glint in her cerulean blue eyes.
OW! What was that for! Ed was rubbing his head with his paws, growling, the lump on his head quite large.
"Well, for leaving so soon, just to go to a library for one, and for showing such disrespect for my automail as another reason," she hissed, crossing her arms an turning her back.
"Ed..." Alphonse whispered, head turning towards his brother in his arms. "I think that her wrench connecting with your head is her own way of saying that she'll miss us a lot."
What kind of way of saying goodbye is that? he hissed back, fur bristling. Then he turned his golden eyes to the pouting girl, and his cold expression immediately melted away. With a pained effort, he leaped from his brother's grasp, walking up to rub against Winry's leg, a cat-like way of showing affection. He could not explain this sudden action, but his mind and heart were commanding him to do so. He mewed quietly, sitting at the blond girl's feet.
Winry looked down at Ed, confused for a second, and then she smiled gently, bending over to pick him up. She lifted him to her face, and they touched noses, and she giggled.
Once more, Alphonse was confused by these actions. And once more, he decided to ignore it. However, he was soon jerked back to the present as the whistle of the train blew, and the engines began to churn.
"Oh!" he gasped, running forwards and snatching Edward, the two heading to the train in a hurried rush. "Sorry, Winry!" he called back.
We...promise. We'll be back soon, Ed called back.
Winry stood by, grinning, waving her hand in the air. "Come back soon, Edward, or you're going to be in a world of hurt!" she laughed, waving her wrench.
Ed grinned nervously, and waved his paw best he could from Alphonse's shoulder, whom was also waving outside the train window as the locomotive began to move for Central.
Ed sat upon the window sill in their little compartment, watching the trees and mountains flick by. Tail swatting the sill he sat on, he let out a sigh, whiskers shuffling.
"So, brother, now that we can communicate...can you tell me what happened to you? From the time that you fell through the floor, I mean."
Ed tilted his head, turning back to his brother. Leaping nimbly from the sill to the chair adjacent his little brother, he sat, tail curling about his paws. Since that time we were running from the Major, right? he pondered quietly. Well, it all started with Nina and Clause...Apparently, I was lured there, they didn't turn me into a cat, but they made me a...chimera.
Alphonse sat in stunned silence, confused. "A chimera?" he retorted, surprised. "But...what next?"
From that point, Ed continued to explain, up until he reached where they had found him, injured, wandering the streets as a mangy feline.
Alphonse sat there, quietly, just staring at his brother, until he finally spoke. "So, we're going to have to go to that warehouse you were talking about, then, so that we can get your stuff back. You'll need your watch and stuff back really soon."
Yeah, he nodded, standing up and stretching kitty style. With a yawn, he looked outside, watching the train starting to slow. Well, we can do that first thing when we get off of this thing.
"We're here already?" he mumbled, slightly startled.
It appears to be that way. So, shall we go? He mewed as the train came to a halt at the train station.
Ed rode upon Alphonse's shoulder as they walked along the street, trying to stay unnoticed. But how could they do that? A giant suit of armor and a red cat. Something that unusual couldn't get by without getting a few odd glances here and there.
A man, dressed in blue State Army garb, watched as the two boys were wandering towards the direction of the warehouse vicinity that was strictly off limits. With a sigh, as the two disappeared around a corner, Major Armstrong walked quickly in the direction of Headquarters to alert the higher ups of the boys' presence in Central.
Edward hopped from his younger brother's large form, sniffing at the ground, finding his old scent leading from the vicinity. Following said scent trail, he walked right into the warehouse he had 'fallen' into and looked about, making sure it was the right one.
Yep, this is it, he purred, trotting to the back of the warehouse and dragging out his hidden belongings. Alphonse hurried over and picked up Ed's stuff, standing up straight and nodding to his brother.
"Well, Nii-san, we should probably head back. This is a restricted area, after all."
Right... What the HELL!
He and Alphonse both fell over as a rather strong gale of wind made them topple over, a giant creature perching on the many crates that littered the large storehouse. Red eyes glowed as flowing silver fur against glittering ivory scales shimmered in the light from outside windows leading in. There, a long serpent-like creature sat. Its face resembled that of a wolf, with a flowing tail of fur and four mammal's limbs, also wolfish. The rest of it took on the shape of a snake, or more appropriately, a dragon.
With a roar, the thing began to take to the air again, the slender body twisting gracefully about as it slowly uncoiled itself and flew down to attack the Elrics again.
RUN! Ed hissed as he dashed as fast as he could for the exit, Alphonse close behind. What have they gotten themselves into this time?
Well, this chapter was a little longer than expected, and it's my longest fanfic chapter yet! –dances and cheers- Anyways, like I said, my updates should be getting faster, so expect chapter five sometime soon! R&R, I hope you enjoyed chapter four of Unlucky!