Thank you to all of the wonderful people who have reviewed! Especially FMA-KH-LOVER who has been here and reviewed all of the chapters except for one. And Destiny… you'll see what that means.
"Well, I'd rather not say too much," said Riza, her voice quieting. "Will you please just trust me?"
The two boys turned to each other, whispered something, and then nodded.
"If this is something you really need to do, then we are behind you all the way," said Edward.
"Thank you."
They walked on for another half hour in silence. The weather was starting to get chilly. Alphonse shivered, and wondered when they would reach wherever they were going.
"Just a few more minutes," Riza whispered. "And then I can…"
She took a deep breath, and clenched her fist. Edward observed this, but he just shrugged. It wasn't his business.
Riza stopped. Edward and Alphonse were careful not to bump into each other again. They were now in front of a long, winding dirt road that would end in a house. The boys couldn't tell how large it was, because it was so far away.
"Well this looks like a long walk," said Alphonse.
"Not really," said Riza. "Just close yours eyes, and walk straight ahead."
This was easier said then done. Being enveloped in the darkness was disturbing and strange. The brothers grabbed hands, and nervously stepped forward. They couldn't tell how long they had been going, but then Riza put a hand on each of them, and simply said, "We're here."
Edward and Alphonse opened their eyes, and immediately started gaping in awe at the splendor of the mansion before them. Alphonse whipped around to check behind him, but he didn't see anything but black. A strange resonance was in the air.
'Weird,' he thought, but then forgot that again as he turned back around.
The three slowly stepped inside to find the most elaborate mansion that could possibly exist. The Fuhrer's looked like a ramshackle hut compared to it. Crystal chandeliers hung everywhere, and every doorknob and railing was coated in solid gold.
"My dear child," a voice from above echoed. "So you have come back to me."
Riza looked up, and said, "Back to you? No, I've come back to take what is and always will be mine. And I think you have somebody whom I care about here."
"Ah, him?" sounded the booming voice. "You have inherited my intellect by figuring that out."
"Who's that?" Alphonse whispered to his older brother.
"Silence!" shouted the voice. "I can here all that you say. But my dear Riza hasn't told you yet? Oh, so sad…"
"What are you talking about?" yelled Edward. "Cut the crap, and tell us what's going on!"
A man stepped from behind a curtain and smiled. "I believe that she can tell you this better than I can."
'He looks familiar,' thought Edward.
The boys looked to Riza. She sighed, and looked away.
"I've never told anybody I have ever known about this. It's too terrible a secret, and I guess I never have been very strong. But I will tell now that this time it's necessary," Riza said. "Years before the Ishbalan war, the homunculi sent scouts out to find out everything. My father, the man right there, was one of them. Since most of these men are idiots, they raped innocent Ishbalan women. One of them happened to be my mother."
"Heh, good times…" said the man.
If this story is too much for you people, I'm just warning that it deals with very serious issues, and it might get worse. I don't mind if you leave now, but at least leave a parting comment!