Alright! First update in a looooong time. This ones going out to all my friends, who will be left behind as I move across the country on October 31st.
Connections
Chapter 3
After a few minutes of assuring Ed and Al that Alchlys wouldn't blow them up as long as he didn't feel like it (Ed- "Yeah, like that makes me feel better..."), Huges managed to shut Mustang up long enough to get a word in edge wise.
"So are you guys gonna stick around for a while, or is this just 'pop in and kill someone' week?"
The three exchanged glances, conferring silently.
"We'll stay. To take our exams, among other things, we may as well be useful in the process." Lythumi said firmly, bringing nods from most and confused looks from two.
"Exams? You mean for school?" Alphonse asked curiously. Ed gave his younger brother a 'well duh!' look and scoffed.
Alk doubled over laughing.
"School? You (gasp) have got (gasp) to (gasp) be kidding! (gaspgaspgasp)" He managed out between gasps for air.
Everyone seemed to be laughing but the Elrics now, and Ed was losing his temper.
"The only reason Alchlys would be within 100 feet of a school is if he was going to demolish it. Teachers included."
Cali filled them in, recovering from her laughing fit the earliest.
"No, I ment Alchemist exams. State Alchemist Exams. It's been what...three? four? Years since our last annual test. I know the Furhur pardoned us for a couple years, but five would be pushing it."
Lyth corrected herself, helping Cali try to keep Alk from choking on his giggle fit.
Ed and Al just stared at her as if her skin was green.
"You...State...Four...Exam...Pardoned...Furhur...No way...!"
Ed's mouth could be compared to a fish's at that moment. Al at least had the sense to relocate his brother's jaw before it got permanently stuck to the ground.
"So that means all three of you are State Alchemists, and have been for several years then?" Alphonse asked, trying to work some sense into this bizarre happening.
Three nods.
"But then how old were you guys when you first applied?" Ed recovered enough to ask, voicing his prime question.
The trio exchanged glances.
"Around ten, I suppose." Roy mused aloud.
Three shocked glances.
"Ten? Really? Were we that young?" Lyth wondered with Mustang. "Yeah, I guess so. They're fifteen now, I'm fourteen, and the Ishbal Rebellion was four years ago. We had been State Alchemists for only a few months before being thrown over to Ishbal. Hm, well that would have made me nine, because I'm a year younger than Cali and Alk."
While Ed gawked at this new information, his brother had the sense to clarify the source of his disbelief.
"All three of you fought in the Ishbal Massacre?"
Alk's expression darkened. "We finished the Ishbal War." He said softly, alerting Ed to the nerve he had struck.
"Er…well…" The short blonde alchemist stuttered, trying to think of something else to say when The Colonel stepped in.
"Although I'm sure we all enjoy standing out here in the middle of the night, in the dark, freezing our asses off as FullMetal tries to interrogate you guys, how about we get out of here?" Mustang not-so-subtly interjected.
Lyth burst out laughing. "The man has a point, you know. And there's nothing more dangerous than Mustang with a point. So lets move." She urged, ushering the small gang off the bridge and into the night.
xxxxx
Roy's place wasn't what Edward had thought it to be. Books and papers lined the halls, scattered over the furniture and covered the floors. The décor was warm, moderate, and mostly darker colors.
Alchlys threw himself on the fluffy sofa, sinking into the lush red material. "Heaven…." He moaned snuggling in deeper.
Cali disappeared onto the balcony, leaving the glass doors slightly ajar as she let herself out.
Maes trailed Roy to the kitchen, looking like a starving stray. Mustang scoffed, but handed him the cookie jar.
Lyth stayed at the front door, behind Al and Ed as they stared.
"Well, you all seem pretty comfortable in here." The eldest noted, veering around the occupied couch to stand before the dark oak table. It look big enough to seat eight people. Abruptly, Ed was suspicious.
"Hey Mustang, why do you have such a huge house if you live on your own?" He asked slowly, tearing his eyes from the stain glass on the French door.
The black haired man emerged from the kitchen just as Lythumi went in.
"I've lived in this house for a long time, since I became a State Alchemist. It's just my personal home base. I have no reason to sell it." He explained simply, pulling the drapes on the bay window closed in a practiced motion.
In the kitchen, Lyth rolled her eyes. "Does he rehearse these cover stories with you or something?" She asked Huges, eyeing the way he was latching onto the cookie jar.
"All the time." The Lt replied, nibbling on another cookie. "He had some absolutely ridiculous ones he wanted to use. Something about a meteor falling from the sky and making him rich, then building his house on top of the site was the one he had the hardest time letting go."
Lyth made a face. "That's Roy alright." She admitted, putting her hand on the cookie jar's abandoned lid. "You do realize that Alk will kill you if he finds out you ate all the cookies, right?" The raven haired girl confirmed.
Maes whimpered, clutching the jar to his chest. "He doesn't need to know!" He whispered harshly eyes darting to the entrance of the kitchen.
Her fist came down on the man's head solidly. "Grow up and I won't yell it out at the top of my lungs." Lyth growled, turning her back and stalking out of the kitchen.
"Jee – moody much? They're just cookies." The Lt. grumbled, popping the last cookie in his mouth.
"Did someone say cookies?" Came Alk's hazy voice, getting closer to the kitchen. His footsteps were right around the corner.
Huges paled. The only way he was going to get away from Alchlys was in little pieces.
Another short chapter...but I just lost momentem for this one. Sorry for taking so long, again, but lifes been like hell. I'm looking for plot suggestions now, even though I know where its going to lead eventualy. Specific situations are nice, but so are general suggestions. So let me know!
Floofer