The Wind Alchemist
Emotions Arising
It was a day after the 'incident' and Scar couldn't even bare to look at Sara. He had let his deepest fear get a hold of him and control of him, nearly hurting or even killing Sara twice. He was puzzled though, the only thing that brought the real him back was the sound of little Telina's voice. Meanwhile,
Sara watched Scar from far away, wondering what had happened just a day before. It was like he had turned into someone else, a ravenous, killing, machine. Then it hit her, those adjectives described post-war Scar to a tee. Scar was lost in thought, he had been for nearly 24 hours. He was meditating on all that he was, is, and would be. On why hid demon self kept rearing its ugly head, and they mystery that was held in Telina's voice. What spurred on this monstrous self? This hell-bent destructive side of him? He remembered he had unleashed it on quite a few State Alchemists, killing them in his rage. Except for one. Edward Elric.
"Edward!" Winry sobbed, crying into Ed's shoulder. He stood firm, his face nearly emotionless. He dropped the suitcase his right hand had been holding and brought his hand up to Winry's head. He stroked her golden hair, not saying anything because he couldn't think of anything to say. Suddenly, Winry brought her tear stained down, she was still inches taller, to look into his eyes.
"You are coming back…right?" she asked earnestly. Ed didn't want to tell her that every time they left they risked the chance of never coming back. He didn't want to tell her that they faced fatal danger nearly every day. He couldn't worry her anymore.
"Of course, Winry. We'll always come home." Ed said as genuinely as he could. Al nodded quickly in agreement.
"We could never forget about you Winry! As long as we're alive we'll-" Al was cut off by a fuming glare from Ed.
"Err, even if we die we'll be brought ba"
"I think it's time we go!" Ed said kicking his brother in the metallic shin angrily. Ed waved to Winry with mixed emotions on his face. If he could he would never leave her side again, but he knew it wasn't possible. Not now anyway. Once he restored their bodies and everything was righted, he would settle down with Winry. 'Yeah, like that'll ever happen.' Ed thought grimly as he and Al made their way to the train station.
"Wella, it's been three days! Don't you think I should go talk to him?" Sara asked her friend. Wella wanted to smile, she had made up with Sara after she had moved in with Scar. She had never hated her friend to begin with, in fact. When the old Ishbalan man saw Sara coming, he realized that she could give Scar what he had never had. Love. He arranged all the chess pieces just so, and his plan had worked. But then the incident days before had made him wonder if it was such a good move.
"I think it's been long enough, he seems remorseful enough, Sara. And you seem to have figured out what's wrong, anyhow!" Wella said, pouring Sara something to drink.
"Hardly! All I know is that the Scar who has tried to hurt me is not the real Scar. It's…it's just not possible." Sara said sipping her drink.
"Did you make Scar mad? He's been known to lash out at anybody who taunts him." Wella said, making Sara think back.
"Well, when we were training I said something like, 'You ready to get whooped by a State Alchemist?' Do you think that spurred him on. But...couldn't he see it was me?" Sara asked, the puzzle pieces still scattered about in her mind.
"Perhaps his anger blinded him?" Wella offered up as Sara stood up from the chair she was sitting on.
"I have to go talk to him." Sara said, but Wella grabbed her shoulder. "Let me watch from afar, that way I can grab Telina If necessary." Wella said firmly. Sara was going to argue but she knew her friend would watch from afar anyway so it wasn't worth her breath.
Scar's senses perked up as he sensed Sara' presence close by. Within a minute he found Sara sitting next to him, a weak and confused smile playing to her lips.
"Hey." she said meekly, but Scar turned away.
"I'm unworthy of you to look at." he said which brought a pang of sadness to Sara's heart.
"Do you thin that after all these years I haven't lost my innocence, in every form of the word? Scar, I've killed as many men as you, perhaps more. Just because I'm a woman don't think that-"
"Stop it. You'll get me started again. Go away unless you want to risk your life"
"Scar, maybe you forget but I risked my life for you once before! You owe me a lot so do me a favor and let me stay"
"I'm doing it for your own good. Leave now"
"Telina is on call, let's just talk."
"What do we talk about?" Scar asked, as Sara realized there was a new emotion in his voice. A strange sort of concern and wondering, it seemed as If he had never had an actual conversation with a woman before…
Sara placed a hand on his shoulder calmly,
"You know Scar, it helps if you let someone into your heart. You can't
live in secrecy for all your life. I tried, believe me. I lived for 6
years, forgetting who I was. Forgetting my life here. But then I
remembered. I remembered what I was missing. I cursed myself for being
able to forget Parry, Telina, Wella…you." Sara looked, remorseful over
her past.
"But, I know I can't change the past. I remembered and that's all that matters. Scar look to the future, just because these things have happened doesn't mean that"
"It does Sara. Are you really so naive? Wake up! Anytime this happens to someone I car for it…" Scar paused and Sara noticed his breathing speed up. He brought his hand up and wiped away the sweat the was pouring down his face.
"I won't let it happen again. Not to you, or to anyone. I made that promise and I vow to keep it!" Scar said with an angry passion.
"Scar…" Sara was now very confused. What was he talking about?
"I've said too much." Scar rose but Sara grabbed a hold of the bottom of his robe and in surprise he tumbled back down to ground, falling straight Into Sara's lap. His eyes widened in shock at her action but Sara just giggled.
"You need to lighten up, Scar! All this talk of death and pain…I like to talk about other things!" Sara said happily.
"What, 'other things?'" Scar asked genuinely. Sara smile and chuckled.
"Well, like…I know! These kind of things." Sara said and brought her lips down to his. He pushed up onto his elbows, forcing Sara to nearly sit up straight. Their lips still locked, Scar rose to his feet, pulling Sara gently up with him. Sara was only an inch of two shorter than he, quite tall for a woman. He pulled away and looked at her with a strange sadness in his eyes.
"This…this has to be the last time Sara. You never know when I could"
"Shhh, the wind Is going to pick up soon." Sara sighed happily and closed her eyes. "The wind flows freely with me, and I with it. I can sense it coming." She said her eyes closed. Scar looked around, everything was dead still. They were in the middle of a mountain. Hey eyes opened slowly and she pressed her lips to his again. In the instant they met and cool breeze swept through the mountain, carrying hundreds of thousands of purple colored leaves in it. The leaves swirled around them, only them, nearly encasing them perfectly.
Sara took her right arm off of Scar's shoulder and brought it straight up. In one swift movement the leaves had turned to snow, cooling down the hot villagers. In her moment of bliss, though, Sara felt a pang of irony. She had only made it snow for her and Parry. On the night of their first kiss, she made her first attempt at weather conversion. She had made It snow for them, that night that they were standing under the stars. What she hadn't noticed so long before was that Scar had been there too, not far away, watching them silently. What Scar said next made Sara nearly faint.
"Sara…the old man has always said I needed love. After my brother died…I suppose the only love I had was lost. Sara, I don't know what this strange sensation washing over my body is…could it be…love?" As the words flowed from Scar's mouth Sara's heart beat sped up. She caught between the two men she had shared her childhood with.
'Parry, I said I'd never love, kiss, want another man but you…I said I'd care for a man like I did you! I promised you I'd never love anyone else! But look at me now…kissing your friend, your competitor…all those years, were you vying for my attention? What would you think of me now…' she thought, though another voice in her head nagged.
'Scar….you need love, you crave it. But, could I ever love you? A man whose dark feeling can control him at times, a man who I nearly died for…a man I could very well love…but is it right?' She was lost in thought, unable to answer Scar's question.
"Sara? Sara?" Scar asked gently which seemed to awaken Sara from her dream state of mind slightly.
"I…Scar I don't know…" she trailed, the swirling snow finally settling on the ground.
"As you should…I never should have said that. It would only lead to more hurt and agony." The words Scar said troubled Sara deeply, how could he say their love could only bring hurt?
"Scar, let me into your heart! I want to know what is going on so I can he"
"No. You…you would find too many evil and disturbing things there. No one should have to carry my burdens, Sara"
"But that's what love is, Scar. Caring for the other person, loving them, risking it all for them"
"Don't say I didn't warn you." Scar said as he grabbed her chin and looked piercingly into her eyes.
"I'll let you in…but beware. If you do not love me when you come out I will understand, Sara." Sara reached up and touched his cheek as he said this.
"Don't worry, Scar." He brought his own hand up and touched hers with a low sigh. "Are you ready?" he asked, Sara nodded. She placed her hands in his delicately. He closed his eyes slowly and began the chant.
"Oh Ishbala grant Sara into my heart, let her know my troubles my soul. Let her walk my path of misery. Let see what only I alone have seen. Let her become one with me." As he said this Sara's eyes began to glaze over he body beginning to sway about. As soon as he was done speaking, he rushed a step over to her and caught her just as fell into his arms.
"She's breathing…but she's definitely there."
Scar said as he checked her pulse. At this point, Wella walked over from where she had been standing.
"Are you going to have a vigil? Scar, she's doing so much for you. You best stay with her until she wakes up." Scar nodded in agreement.
"I was planning on it. Wella, speak to no one of this. You know this is forbidden with few exceptions." Scar said and Wella nodded.
"Aye, but if she doesn't make it out I'll have to report you." Wella said and Scar nodded.
"But I have no doubt she'll make it out alive, Wella. She is stronger than even she knows. She is…stronger than I am."
A/N: The next chapter will chronicle Sara's explorations in Scar's heart! What will she find? Will she make It out alive? Will she still love him? Will Ed and Al ever make it to the Ishbalan camp to see her? Find out next time on…THE WIND ALCHEMIST Chapter 6.
