Déjà vu

Rai immediately reported to Roy Mustang after she recovered from the fight. Both of the fighters had spent three days in the hospital. It was kind of tiring for Riza. She spent half of her waking hours with Roy and the other half with Rai. Now she was standing in an office with her superior and her sister.

"I see you're still alive and full of energy," Roy teased. "I didn't think you would make it."

"Really," Rai said. "I thought you would be six feet under by now. I'm surprised that grease-bathed hair didn't catch on fire." Roy just laughed at the insult.

"An alchemist that has comebacks. I like that. You hold your temper a lot better than Full Metal. Let's cut to the chase." Roy through a file at her and she read. "This man has shown suspicious activity with alchemy. Some people have gone missing in his area. I need you to check out what he's been up to."

"Hmm." Rai continued to read the file. "Harold O'Brien isn't a state alchemist, but he's been doing transmutations and documenting them with the State until recently. It sounds fishy. I'll check it out." Rai saluted and turned around.

"One more thing," Roy said as he handed Rai another file. "With the pocket watch to amplify our alchemy we are also given a second name. The Fuhrer has a sense of humor. I think it fits you." Rai read the paper out loud.

"The State Alchemist Rai Hawkeye is thee dubbed with the name 'Lightning Alchemist'." Rai couldn't help but smile. "I think it suits me, too. It's electrifying. Thanks, Colonel." When she left, Roy turned to his lieutenant.

"You better go with her." Riza was surprised. "Rai requested to work with you, and I know that you want to be by her side as well, so I want you to help her along." Riza nodded and left the room. Roy smiled when he realized what he had done: He made the woman he cared for happy.

"Mr. O'Brien, my name is Rai Hawkeye." Rai and Riza had just arrived at Harold O'Brien's house. Rai knocked once, but there was no answer. She decided to knock again. "I want to ask you about your research if you don't mind." Nothing. Riza grabbed the doorknob and turned it. The door was unlocked to their surprise. Riza got her gun ready and motioned Rai to follow her. The house was dark. They decided to search the entire house; Riza searched upstairs while Rai went into the cellar. They found a lot of research books and transmutation circles, but no one was in the house.

Riza decided to check on Rai since she didn't come up right away. She had finished her inspections.

"All I could find were these books. He isn't anywhere. What did you…" Riza stopped at the foot of the stairs when she saw Rai's back. That didn't bother as much as what Rai was starring at. In front of Rai was Harold O'Brien, hanging from a rafter. "It looks like he's been dead for sometime. We should call Mustang." She walked next to Rai and finally noticed she was shaking. "Rai, are you alright?"

Riza walked in front of Rai to find her mouth and eyes wide open. She started mumbling to herself. "No, please. Not again. Mom, dad." Riza finally grabbed Rai and spoke.

"Rai, your not making any sense. What's wrong?" Rai got loose and started backing up into a corner. She finally sat down and started to grasp the wall in fear. She was yelling now. No, she was screaming in terror. It scared Riza to see her like this.

"Oh, God, no. Mom! Dad! NOT AGAIN!"

"Rai, snap out of it!" Riza grabbed Rai and slapped her. Rai looked up at Riza. Her eyes were full of fear. Rai grabbed her heart and started panting. Riza wondered what had happened to her. She looked like she was having a heart attack. "Rai, are you ok?" Rai didn't say anything. She just looked at the man hanging by the rope. Riza knew what she had to do.

She grabbed Rai and ran out of the house. When they got to the car, Rai had calmed down. She looked so white and tired, just like Riza was for the past two months. Riza finally turned to her sister and asked what happened in there. Rai slowly explained.

"I had a panic attack. I couldn't handle it. It's happening all over again."

"What's happening all over again?" Riza asked. Rai wasn't making any sense, but her next sentence stunned her.

"It…it was just like that day…when I found mom and dad. I couldn't…" Rai started to sob. Riza knew how she had felt. She had been the same way when she saw her parents hanging from the rafters in the barn. She had gone into shock. Rai was also traumatized by the same picture in her mind. All Riza could do was hug her sister and cry with her. This time, Rai let Riza hold her. She didn't care. Neither of them did. All they needed now was to cry and to hold each other.

Thanks for being patient with me. I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while. I have about six different stories going on right now. I'll try to update soon. Cya.