Edward sat off to himself, watching the goings-on of the city. Lieutenant Hawkeye sat nearby, talking with Mustang. He seemed to be ignoring her, watching the groups of people instead. He watched one little child, standing alone in the midst of the crowd, a little dormouse trailing behind her. He stood as the child turned to them, her oddly colored eyes widening before she turned tail and ran. Mustang stood and bolted after her as she dodged around several people before disappearing out of sight. "That kid," he said as Lieutenant Hawkeye placed a hand on his shoulder.
"What kid?"
"The little girl. Didn't you see her?"
"No," she said as Edward came up behind them, crossing his arms.
"I didn't see a kid either. Did you see a kid Mustang?" he said wryly. Mustang gave him a sharp look before turning back to where the kid had disappeared. He saw her again, her strawberry blonde hair pulled back in a black bandanna, her amethyst eyes widened in slight surprise. Edward was watching her as well. "Well, if you're imagining her then we're all going crazy." The little girl inched backwards before turning on her heel once again and bolting into the crowd. Mustang tore after her, Edward and Hawkeye going after him as the little girl and her dormouse split up and Mustang continued after the girl, who was running scared away from Mustang. Edward would have liked to believe that he wouldn't hurt her if he caught her, but he knew Mustang all to well to expect that and that was why he followed, that and curiosity.
The child had, by now began clambering up in a tall tree, dipping and bobbing in and out of the branches, gracefully reaching the top where she sat down, straddling the branch. "Come on down, sweetie, we're not gonna hurt ya'," Mustang called to her. The girl shook her head, accidentally throwing herself off balance, but she was quickly able to right herself. Edward eyed the scene, knowing that she would surly get hurt if she lost her balance.
"Shut up, Mustang. I'll get her," he snapped, stepping in front of him, looking at the small child as she whimpered fearfully from her precarious perch. "Hey there, just ignore him. Come on down, it's safe." She gave him a searching look before she swung her leg over the tree branch, climbing down much more carefully then she went up. About twenty feet from the bottom, she stepped down on a branch and heard it crack. With a yelp, she tightened her grip on the branch as her feet lost their grip. "It's alright, kid, I'm coming up to get you. Just hold on." Hawkeye bit her lip as Edward pulled himself gingerly up on the first branch. It was harder for him, being much bigger then the little child.
"I can't hold on," she whimpered, one hand slipping off and she was unable to get her grip back. Her fingernails dug into the wood, desperately clinging for her life. Her grip finally faltered and she fell, landing hard on the ground below him. Edward jumped, landing on all fours beside the little girl. He quickly shooed Hawkeye away and eased her head off of the pavement. The back of her head was bleeding, as was the scrape on her forehead. She groaned as Edward shifted her slightly, her eyes opened slightly, their gemstone luster loosing some of its sheen, her being only half conscious. She looked up at Edward, her bottom lip poked out in a slight pout. "Ow," she whispered before she drifted into unconscious. Hawkeye was watching him as he lifted the little girl off the ground, scooping her into his arms.
"What are you doing?" Mustang snapped.
"We can't just leave her here. She's just a little kid. Plus, pull up her pant leg and you'll see what I saw as she was climbing up the tree." Mustang obliged, tugging up the small child's pant leg, revealing the tattooed alchemist symbol on her ankle. Mustang tilted his head.
"She's and Alchemist?"
"I'm assuming." Edward knew very well that just because a child was young didn't mean she couldn't be an alchemist. She was leaning her head against his chest, whimpering softly in her unconscious state, her arm resting on her shoulder. He could feel her light breathing against the skin of his cheek and he sighed. Hawkeye gave him a wry smile as she brushed a lock of the child's strawberry blond hair out of her face.
"She's going to be fine, I think. You, on the other hand, have just developed a soft spot, Edward Elric." He gave her a sharp glare.
"I've told you, I don't like kids. I just don't feel like leaving this little brat out here to die."
"You're pretty good with her. She, after all, wouldn't listen to Mustang. Only you."
"That's because I didn't chase her up a tree," he snapped at Mustang, who grinned stupidly, fidgeting nervously.
"Something just felt familiar about her. She's just a child, true, but she feels…different." Edward shrugged.
Edward and Winry sat in the hospital wing of the military base, keeping an eye on the still sleeping child. Well, at least Winry was. Edward was too busy watching Winry. Winry was gently dabbing alcohol on her scraped forehead when Edward's eyes happened to fall to the girl's hand. He gently lifted it off the bed, examining the raw flesh before turning to her other, similarly abused, hand. "I wonder how she got these. Their too well healed to be from the tree."
"Her knees are skinned up too," Winry said, pulling back the blanket to reveal the marred flesh of her knees, made visible by the tears in her jeans.
"These are old too," Edward said. "Looks like she got into a nasty fight with some concrete."
"Vivie?" the little girl whispered softly, feeling Edward run a curious finger over her wounded palm. She opened her eyes and smiled slightly at Edward. "It's you," she said.
"What's your name?" Winry asked. The little girl ignored the question, forcing herself to sit up.
"What happened to Vivie?"
"Who's Vivie?" Edward asked.
"Vivie's my friend," she said.
"The dormouse?" Edward said and she nodded.
"Vivie, my pet."
"I don't know what happened to her. She ran off when you did." The little girl sighed and rubbed her eyes.
"Are you sleepy?" Winry asked gently.
"No," the girl whispered.
"What's your name, kid?" Edward asked, impatient with the kid's sideways answers.
"Maya," she said softly.
"Dose a last name come with that?"
"Maya Amethyst. I really need to find my dormouse."
"I'm sure she went home," Winry reassured her soothingly. Edward was busy bandaging the cuts on her hands and knees, fearful of them getting infected.
"No, she didn't."
"What makes you say that?"
"Because she doesn't have a home."
"But I thought she was your pet?" Winry asked, confused.
"She is. I don't have a home either."