Alchemist Chronicles

Chapter 16 - Rendezvous Sessions

Al looks at Ari confused. "What happened-" "AL!" Ed shouts. Al then looks at Ed questionably.

AJ - "It's fine, Ed. Tori knew what she was gonna say regardless if anyone even said anything."

Ed bites his lip, unsure of what to say next.

Al asks. "Who's Tori?" Ed sighs. "Tori was Roxy's birth name before she changed it to only Roxy." "Ohh." Al replies.

Ari - "Anyway it's getting late. You guys can spend the night if you want."

Ed - "Thank you but you're right, we should get going. Thanks for dinner. Al?" He looks at his brother.

Al walks up to Ari. He then grabs her hand causing her to blush. "Here, I uh figure you wanted this back." He hands her back her key.

Ari - "Thank you, Alphonse." She smiles at him, he blushes. "Do you mind if talk to you both before you leave?" Ed nods his head. Al walks over and sits down on the couch.

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Riza, who has her hand on Roxy's shoulder, walk to her apartment. Black-Hayate greets his owner at the door. "Hey there, Hayate." She pats his head.

Roxy - "So..." Then Roxy starts laughing once she realizes what Riza called Ed. Riza joins in the laughter. Afterwards, they both head inside.

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At Madam Christmas Bar, Roy tells Chris. "So apparently, Ari knows her birth parents names." Chris places the glass she was holding on the table. "Did she tell you their names?" Roy nods his head. "No." He replies.

Chris - "Who told her?"

Roy - "Roxy."

Chris - "Where is this Roxy at?"

Roy - "I'd seen her with Elizabeth when I left the office."

Chris then places her hand on top of his. "Take me to her." "Of course, Madam." He grabs his jacket and they leave the bar.

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Sitting on the sofa in Ari's place. Ari tells the both of them about the kidnapping that happened to her.

Ed, who has a hand over his face. "Damn Ari." Al stands up and wraps his arms around Ari. "I'm gonna be here for you no matter what." Al says with tears falling from his eyes. She stands and wraps her arms around his waist. Grabbing onto the back of his jacket, she lets her tears fall. Ed then stands up and hugs her as well.

After a few minutes, they all sit back on the sofa. "You know Ari, I've been kidnapped before myself. But damn. It's been nothing like that." Ed says. "So have I. But then again I was a suit of armor so I didn't really feel any type of physical damage. I mean sure I could see it but..." Al sighs.

Ari - "It's not something that I like to put out there but I know I can trust the both of you. Just keep it to yourselves."

Ed - "Ok."

Al - "Sure."

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Roy knocks on Riza's apartment door. She opens it. Before Riza has a chance to say anything, Chris talks. "Well hello there Elizabeth, its been awhile."

Riza - "It sure has. What can I help you with?"

Chris - "Where is she?"

Riza - "Ari is not h-"

Chris - "I'm not talking about baby girl. I am asking about her friend." Riza catches Roxy's eye roll.

Riza sighs. "Come on it, then." She moves to the side, as they walk in."

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AJ lifts up the right arm sleeve of her shirt. "This is just one of the many cuts that turned into scars that he gave me."

Ed then lifts up his shirt and shows her the scar from the fight with Kimblee. "This one here I got when I was in a fight with that asshole Kimblee. I woke up to a steel bar that punctured right through my stomach." AJ makes a pained expression. "Yeah, thanks for understanding my pain."

AJ then makes a questionable face. "Wait. You fought Kimblee?" Ed nods his head. "Kimblee? The creepy dude in the white suit, long black hair and weird finger twitches?"

Ed chuckles and replies. "Yeah. That's him alright."

Al - "Brother wasn't the only who fought him." AJ makes a concerned expression to Al. Al waves his hand. "Don't worry about it."

AJ sighs. "I guess we all have our own scars from our past." Both Ed and Al reply. "Yeah."

Ed and Al then leave and AJ heads off to bed.

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Riza, Roxy and Chris are sitting on the sofa, while Roy is sitting in a chair next to his aunt.

Chris, whose facing Roxy asks her. "So you're Roxy? Baby girl has told me a lot about you."

Roxy - "Let's just assume that this 'baby girl' that you are talking about is Marisol, huh?"

Chris - "Nice assumption. Care to explain how you found her?"

Roxy - "Actually it was my homeboy Eddie who found her." Riza and Roy both look at her with a raised eyebrow. Roxy rolls her eyes. "Well duh, of course, I'm talking about Edward!"

Chris smirks. "And where is this friend of yours at? Why did you send him to go look for her since apparently you never wanted to see her in the first place?" Roxy raises an eyebrow to Chris. "I can smell the bullshit from a mile away, child. Don't lie to me."

Roxy bites her lip. "Look. I wasn't expecting him to find her. So many things. So much stuff was said to pretty much anyone who knew or met her. We all thought she was dead. Especially with that red light over Amestris those years back. You can't blame me for thinking like that."

Chris sighs. "She wasn't in the country when that happened. And neither were many others."

Roxy - "So then where the fuck was she?"

Chris - "That isn't for me to say."

Roxy - "Then what the hell was that red light about?" Roy and Riza glare at Roxy. "What?"

Chris - "That isn't what you care about the most, is it?"

Roxy looks away for a moment. "I didn't mean to say what I said to her."

Chris - "You should be telling her that, not us. Go find her by yourself and this time actually mean what you say." Chris then stands up. Roy follows her lead.

Roxy stands up as well. "Wait."

Chris looks at her questionably. "Who told you that she was dead?"

Roxy - "The guy didn't give me his first name. But his last name is Simmons. That's all I know. He- He said that he had seen her dead body but when I saw her..." Roxy then sighs looking down, letting a tear fall. "I didn't think I'd ever see her again."

Chris then walks forward a little, placing her hand on Roxy's shoulder. "Sometimes actions speak louder than words. Use it to your advantage, kiddo." She pats Roxy on the head and leaves with Roy behind her.

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In the following week, Roxy returned to Creta as AJ is sent out for a few deliveries.

On her stop in Rush Valley, she stops by Winry's shop and talks to her. Coming clean about being Ari and telling her about her kidnapping. Winry hugs Ari tightly before she leaves.

When she gets off the train at Central, she learns that Ed and Al are in Liore from Grumman. He then sends her there to drop off a package to Rose.

She walks off the train and heads to the rehabilitation center, dropping it off. Upon walking back to the station, she overhears some commotion. Heading the direction, she pushes her way through the crowd. Finally making it thru, she spots Ed, Al and the two guys that she'd seen them with at the train station facing a man standing next to a suit of armor with a woman on the other side of him.

(no spoilers just yet, so current name will be) Evil dude - "And here I thought the Elric brothers had a lot more to show. After all isn't one of you named 'The People's Hero'?"

Evil chick grins. She then speaks in a toned voice. "All this talking is boring me out. Can't we just fight already." Ed and Al glare at them.

The suit of armor fixes its stance looking past the both of them at the crowd. "The other half to the Oritronic. It's here. I can sense it." He then points to the crowd after AJ backs up and stands behind a husky built fella.

AJ tells herself as she has her eyes locked on the armor. 'Remember what they both taught you. Stay strong.' She takes a deep breath.

Evil dude then turns to the armor. "Just what are you jibbering on about. That stone no longer exists. In fact, it hasn't existed for centuries, so what makes you so sure?"

Armor - "The energy flowing through this body of mine, is made up from several ingredients that make up that stone."

Evil dude - "And you decide to tell us this now?"

Evil chick then wacks the armor in its back, knocking its helmet off. "Stupid tin can. Blaring out our business like that." She then turns to the Elrics. Floating her way towards them (Her alchemy power is levitation). She stops as she almost makes it to them. She then looks past them at the crowd. Turning her head back to the guy. "Let's blow this place up later, I've lost my vibe for destruction for today." The Evil dude then creates a whirlwind of a sandstorm, making their getaway. They disappear completely when the dust settles.

Janine, on the other hand, makes her way back to the train and heads straight to the Fuhrer. She tells him what she saw. He then sends her to go get both Mustang and Hawkeye. Without even knocking, she forcefully opens the door.

AJ points to both Roy and Riza. "You and You. Follow me. Fuhrer Grumman's Orders." They both look at each other, then back her "W-" She interrupts them. "Quit Talking, More Walking!" She yells, pushing them out the office. Finally reaching the Fuhrer's office, she opens the door for the both of them.

Grumman - "Oh goody! You came just in time. Come in please, all three of you." All three of them stand in front of the Fuhrer's desk. "Miss Rambo here just informed me of a situation that seems to be surfacing in Liore in regards to-" Then there's a knock on the door. Janine walks over and opens it. She then lets the Alphonse Elric in, along with Alex. (The Fuhrer instructed Alex to send Ed to Rush Valley)

After closing the door, she walks back over to stand next to the Fuhrer, he continues. "Hello there, Alphonse. Care to explain about the suit of armor in Liore?" Roy and Riza give surprised expressions to Al.

Al explains everything to him. What the shopkeeper and Rose told him about, what happened when he and Ed got there and what happened afterwards. "There is still one thing that I'm bothered by."

Grumman - "Oh and what's that?"

Al - "The Armor said something about the other half of the Oritronic was there. (AJ lifts an eyebrow at him) In Liore, I think that's what he meant but they kept looking at the crowd of people behind us?"

Grumman looks at Roy who then asks Al. "During yours and Ed's journey, did the both of you ever run into or meet any of these individuals?"

Al replies. "No." He then looks at Roy. "Have you ever heard of anything called Oritronic, Roy?"

Roy nods his head. Quickly glancing at Ari before looking at the Fuhrer. "Shall I send some men over there to investigate?"

Grumman nods his head. "No need." He then looks at Ari. "Sargent, I've decided to give the Liore route to Colonel Armstrong for the time being."

AJ and Alex salute. "Understood, sir." The both of them reply. Al heads over to Rush Valley after he leaves the office.

Another week goes by before Roxy comes back to Amestris. When she returns, she heads straight to HQ. She stands outside of HQ to wait for Ari. Roy taps her on the shoulder, She looks over it. "What?" She holds her breath when she sees him.

Roy - "She's off today." He then whispers something in her ear.

She sighs. "Thank you." She then heads off.

Later that day, Roy stops by AJ's place and picks her up. They head over to Madam's Bar afterward. Walking in, Chris calls them over to her. They sit at the counter.

Ari - "Hey Beautiful."

Chris pats Ari on the head. "Little one."

Roy - "Evening Madam." She nods to him.

Chris then looks at Ari who winks at her. Roy raises an eyebrow at the both of them. "So Ari, any plans for your birthday coming up?" Ari makes a sad expression. "What's the matter?"

Ari lays her head on top of her hands on the table. "There's someone that I once considered a sister, but we don't talk anymore. In fact, I haven't seen in weeks since we argued."

Chris - "I have a feeling you didn't mean what you said to your friend."

Ari picks her head, laying her head on her hand. "I didn't. I only said it cuz I was pissed at her." Ari sighs. "I don't even want her to meet you until I feel like I can trust her like I once did."

Chris places her hand one of Ari's hands. "Go find and talk to her by yourself." When Ari stands up, Chris leans forward. "Go through the back." She whispers to Ari. Ari nods her head.

Closing the back door behind the counter, Ari walks through the hall to reach the back door to the bar. Passing a room, she hears. "It's about time you showed up." She stops walking.

Walking back to the room, Ari stands at the door. "Roxy? What are y-"

Roxy - "So... your new mom or uncle didn't tell I was back here?"

Ari nods her head. "No. But ... We seriously need to talk."

Roxy shrugs her shoulders. "Alright you first, baby girl."

Ari glares at her then sighs. "Look, can we just move on and at least be friends again? I miss you."

Roxy stands up and stares at Ari. "I miss you too." She sighs as well. "Can't change the past now, can we? The only thing left to do is to move forward."

Ari nods her head and lends out her hand. "Let's move forward together, sis."

Roxy reaches her hand out and grabs Ari's hand, pulling her into a hug.

After a few minutes of hugging each other, Roxy pushes Ari a short distance away.

Roxy - "Before we continue with anything else. There's one favor I need from you." Ari looks at her confused.

End of Chapter 16