'The poor kitty has lost her way... and yet...
she still wants to continued! Hahahahaha!
Humans are uptight with revenge that it's so funny!
I can't wait to see how well that lost kitty will two with that chihuahua and !'
(A/N: When it's bold italics, then that's Jealousy speaking.)
Chapter 6 ~ Reasons Why to Move On
-Ed-
It's been a week since the incidents in Hiessgart, Catherine was more affected by the past events then what the Elric brothers had ever imagined. She was quiet during the whole time when she left the counrty, and it was really bothering the two, especially a certain alchemist who always bickers with her. "Brother, what are we going to do?" asks a very concerned Alphonse, facing his attention to his elder sibling. Edward was unsure of what to do as well, it was hard to think someone like her would give into depression so easily, and he wasn't really sure of what had happened when he got to the scene. The memory was still engraved into his head.
++1 week ago++
"I told you already you can't come!" for hours now, Ed had been constantly repeating the same thing to his partner, who happened to keep up with him on reasoning of going along with them. "C'mon Elric! I won't screw up this time!" she whines, pulling onto Ed's arm, exactly like how a little kid would be if asking something from his/her mommy. No longer able to handle the strain, Ed grabbed her left arm and transmuted the cloth of her jacket, fusing it together with the nearest object. It was okay since they had already left the police HQ and were, supposedly, heading towards the nearest hotel for a good nights rest, but Ed had had suddenly changed their plans. "Hey! Get me outta here Elric!" Catherine demands as she flails her right arm around, in an attempt to atleast hit him on the face.
Ed runs away screaming, "See ya later!" He was actually feeling pretty good aout leaving Catherine behind, but what he didn't know was that he had messed with the wrong person.
-Me-
I couldn't believe what had just happened, Elric just left me alone to outside attached to a wall, and in a place where comeone could kill me! "Wait a sec," I turned my attention to my arm and realized something, "this is my automail arm!" I started to flex my automail arm a little, then started to pull out my arm with all of my strength. Cracks then formed until I was able to fully take my arm out. After getting back my posture, "Alice wait for me... I'll come and find you..." I whispered and started my search for my friend. A shadow passed by the corner of my eyes and into a nearby alley. Out of curiousity, I made my way towards the nearest alley, but I had to make sure that nobody else was there before I had to enter. "Alice? Are you here?" I call out while I continued my way down, but the only thing that responded was something to move neabry.
Taking in one gulp and I headed towards where the sound came form. But when I got there, something had popped out, causing me to scream in fear, "Gah! Don't kill me!" But then I realized it was nothing but your common alley cat. The thing just looked at me blankly as I kept my frozen stance then meowed, walking past me as if I was invisible. I gained back my posture and wiped my forehead in relief, "And I got worked up over nothing... Hehehe..." I was finally feeling relieved until a voice rang from behind my back, "You really did came!" The last thing that happened to me was the feeling of the cement floor colliding with me, along with the feeling of something wet running up my side. I finally registered what happened to me and started to lash out, "For god sake Alice stop glomping me!"
"It's not my fault," she rubbed her head against me chest before continuing, "you just feel so soft." That comment sent me over the edge, I instantly threw her up and continued my rant, "I'm not as soft as a stupid rabbit!" Alice laughed at this, well not as human like, and started to lick my face as a dog would when it's happy. It tickled my face and I started to laugh.
"Hahaha! Yep your Alice alright! She always knows when to glomp me."
"Huh? You thought I was lying?"
"Of course not, if you were I would've boiled your body up."
"...You're kidding, right?"
"Nope."
"So if I didn't control myself..."
"I would've have frozen your body, boil it, or make it exploid."
She started to sweat all over and was already backing away from me. "I was just joking!" I instantly blurt out. After a few seconds of ackward silence, we both started to laugh for no good reason. We kept on laughing until a third person joined, "That would've been the best transmutation ever!" My mouth went shut when I heard that voice, the very same one that has been haunting me ever since I first entered this world. I looked over my shoulder and, regretfully, confirmed who it was that had interrupted our happy moment. Standing in the darkest part of the alley was none other that Jealousy, the homunculi girl who had the same identity as me, except those dark black eyes. She stepped out of the shadows with her arms crossed, and that stupid smile that I want to transmute away from her face. "I see you have changed a bit since out last meeting. Except for the height," states a very amused Jealousy, giggling at the expression growing on my face.
"Who are you calling a micro-sized atom that can never be seen even with a magnefying glass!?" I retorted and transmuted the floor below in a flash, making ice spike shot up from the ground. All of them headed straight towards her, only for them to be sliced into pieces in once swift blast. I blocked the shards from getting to Alice, but I never lost sight of Jealousy. My clothes however, were ripped up because of the ice shards, exposing my automail arm. She just stood there, not leaving her place one bit. "Boring... Is that the best you got?" Jealousy taunts, slightly pissing me off by the minute. I then tried again, this time I made the water run up towards her to slice Jealousy into pieces, but she just dodged it as if like it was nothing. "Damn it stop moving so I can freakin' hit you!" in another attempt to get her and I made my last transmutation.
Which consisted of all the water that was around us and had them gather around Jealousy, who just whistled at this and didn't make any attempts in leaving.
-Al-
"Brother... let's get back to Catherine," Al reasons at the same time pleading with his stubborn brother, trying to change his mind on leaving her alone. He wanted to go back and help the trapped girl, but Al didn't want to leave his brother behind. "Catherine's fine Al and I made sure that she doesn't leave her place, unless she can draw a transmutation circle with her left," Ed points out which in truth was both true and false. Of course they didn't know her secret. "But what about the things that'll happen to her if she's constricted on fighting back?" the question was what finally made Ed stop in place. He now finally realized about the possibilaties on what happens to girls that are alone and at the same time trapped. Even the armored boy realized this as well, they both scream at the same time, "Catherine!"
They both made a run for it, problem was... they didn't know where she was. Al was just following his wandering brother, unaware that they have gone past the point of returning back to her quickly. As the made a run for in, he noticed alchemic lights shot up in the air a few times, "I think she's that way!" "Nice job Al!" now that they know she was in trouble, Al was now hoping that his friend was un-harmed.
-Back to Me-
The water finally made it's shape around her and slowly started to freeze into hard cold ice. In the end, it was transmuted into a huge ice prison. "Phew... that took a little too much of my energy," I sighed in relief, wiping the sweat from my forehead as I stood up from place. "Nice try," I gasp as I watch my ice prison explodes into steam, "but that won't stop me from getting what I want."
She came closer to us this time, but as she was walking, Jealousy placed her hand on the wall and somehow used alchemy to make a sword. Red alchemic sparks came out for a few seconds, then disappeared as a black cement sword came out infront of her. Getting hold of it, Jealousy pointed the blade towards my neck right when she got closer to me. "Step aside," it wasn't a question, it was a demand coming from her mouth. I didn't move, I spread my arms out and said, "I won't let you near Alice." Sighing at my stubborness, Jealousy used her alchemy to make her sword blaze on fire. "You can perform alchemy without a transmutation circle... what are you!?" I gasp with wide eyes in shock. Not only can she do it without a circle, but also without the need to clap her hands. My body started to quake from some odd coldness, it had instantly swept throughout my body like wild fire.
"What is this...? Fear...?" I hugged myself in attempt to make myself warm, but the insides of my body were freezing cold, as if I was dipped in ice. "Equivalent exchange, I gather up gases in the air and then the body heat from the climate along with your body," now that I realized it, the air has become a little colder, my body was even colder inside the flesh then the climate when I compare it. "Catherine! Run away!" Alice shouts, who was getting ready to pounce at Jealousy, but she was suddenly chained to the ground in a flash. I turned to check on her until something hard hit the back of my neck, causing me to slightly black out. Good thing was that it wasn't that hard to knock me out. but it did cause dizziness and my body to go numb.I accidentally collapsed against Jealousy, who whispered into my ear, "Do you know how a philosopher's stone is made...? I bet your dear friends know..."
The truth hit me like a bullet, and not in a good way. 'Lives...' I thought, 'human lives was all it took... so I was right...' Backing away from my weak state, I collapsed to the ground from the lack of support from my legs. With all the strength I had left, I tried to reach out for Alice. I watch in horror as Jealousy thrusts her blade into the chimera girl, the screams came out of Alice' mouth silently, but to no avail was the slightest hint of noise. "Al...ice..." was the last thing I was able to say before I was completely out.
-Jealousy-
"Is she really me?" asks a very disappointed Homonculi, pulling out the blade from the corpse along with the stone attached to it. She turned her attention to the fallen alchemist, who laid down on the floor unconscious, unaware of what's going on right now. Looking up at the night sky, a small drop of water fell on her face, until more came pouring down everywhere. She smirks at this then asked the sky, "Taking pity on me? Heh... or are you just mocking me?" There was barking in the distance, along with men shouting about hearing something odd. "These humans are so annoying..." Jealousy sighs, ready to kill those that enter. "Catherine, are you there!?" a familiar voice calls out. Wide-eyed, Jealousy slowly starts to back away from both shock and fear, it was as if something was causing her to feel some old feelings that she had long forgotten.
"No... not them... not now!" she exclaims in a panicing tone, slowly having the urge to run away. Jealousy wanted to finish of Catherine, but now that she heard that familiar voice, it caused her to shake all over. Before the newcomers could close in on them, Jealousy disappeared like how a ninja would and onto a roof of a nearby building. As she watched what was going on below, military officers and the other two ran in, only to find an unconscious girl and dead chimera. It was way too sad to watch this, so Jealousy decided to leave the area. But before she left, she looked back down at the sight and whispered, "There's no way you can find your way home... not in your state." Another figure appeared next to her and asked, "Have you finished up?" "Yeah..." was all she said as she passed by the person, but made sure their shoulders hit each other in a rude way.
"Keep that attitude up and Father might have to punish you."
"Why does it matter... I'm not like you monsters."
"Hahaha! Oh your so serious now! Did I make the little kitty ma-!"
Jealousy instantly transmutated a knife from the ground below and threw it yelling, "Don't ever call me that!" But sadly, the knife was caught and it was then revealed to be Envy "Don't go on killing your own kin," that statement sent me over the even more than that nickname. "I never said I was one of you," I turned to give him a dark look before continuing, "so don't go saying crap like that about us ever being related." "Oh really? So are you saying that you're human?" Envy mocks, throwing the knife back to Jealousy, who caught it easily with one hand. Walking away from the annoying shape shifter, a sudden cry was heard from down below.
-Back to Me-
When I finally came through from the two brother's constant plea for me to wake up, there was one thing that had caught my attention, was a pool of blood that was being washed away from the rain. My eyes widened after my vision finally adjusted to where it exactly came from. I instantly tried to get up, but my legs were too weak from my shock. "Alice... A-Alice..." my voice choked as I tried my best to hold back tears, slowly trying my best to stand up again, but every in of my body was rejecting my brain's orders. Ed wraps his arms around me to pull me away saying, "You shouldn't push yourself after that fight." "No... this was not my doing..." I couldn't hold back any longer, the tears had already started to over flow. I leaned against Elric without thinking and continued my waterworks on his arms. He froze at this but then tightens his grip on me, lightly hugging my small body.
Looking back, I continued to call out her name over and over again, "Alice! Alice! Don't leave me! Alice!" I was too upset to even realize that my automail arm was exposed, but I could careles about that right now, all that mattered was Alice. To my surprise, she was slowly getting up from her place, causing military man to back away and for me to get out of Ed's arms. I ran to her side and asked her, "Are you okay!?" She looked at me weakily and gave out a small smile. "Your... okay? I'm so gla-" not able to finish her sentence, a burst of blood poured out of her mouth, along with a coughing fit to add. "Alice!" I panicked at how much blood was coming out, so I tried used my alchemy to make the blood stay inside her since blood is 82% water. It was sorta easy to manipulate, but I didn't know how long I'll last since my battle.
I was using every out of energy I had to keep it in, except... she stopped me...? Her paw went ontop of my arm and lightly pushed it downward, which shocked me for a bit until I reality had struck. "You're going to leave me... aren't you?" I ask as I felt the tears began to well up again. "I'm not leaving you Cat," she reassures and places her paw to my chest, "I will always be with you." Taking in one final deep breath, Alice slowly layed herself down onto my lap. Her final words were, "I hope... you liked my present..." When she finally went limp, I couldn't take it anymore, the tears poured from my eyes along with a very long cry in sorrow.
++Present Day++
I haven't really been myself these past few days, but I guess that's how it always was with others with the loss of losing someone you care about. 'I wonder if this was how those two felt... when they lost their mom,' I thought to myself as I watched Elric and his brother talk to one another about god-knows what. Of course, I didn't really care, I was too depressed to even ask nor listen. "Catherine? Are you feeling okay?" a worried voice asks from infront of me, causing me to snap out of my trance. I looked up to see both brothers infront of me, giving me their full attention to me. "Uh... yeah I'm fine," I gave out my best fake smile, but I knew they could see through it. Right now, we are currently on a train heading towards Central command for our final mission together. Seems like the colonel was still in Central and we were away for a bit to do research. Well, you already know what that is.
The good thing was, they never asked me about my arm. But it also had bugged me since now I needed to explain the situation, like how did I lose my arm and why did my friend become a chimera? Those were the questions that should've been confronted in the future. Guess fate really does know how to teez people. "By the way," I tensed up when I heard Ed's voice. "Who's Alice?" My eyes went wide at the sudden question, unprepared by the fact that 'that' would be the first thing to come out in the open. "I'm curious too, who exactly was that Alice person to you?" the armored boy implies, curiously wondering as to who my friend was. "She was..." I looked out the window, "my best friend... Alice was a very innocent girl who would never hurt a fly." I turned my attention back to the boys, mostly Al, and stated with a small tear escaping my left eye, "You two would've gotten along quickly Al."
This wasn't a joke. Back at home, Alice used to always talk about Al all the time, I thought it was a mere anime crush until she told me why.
"Al is so strong... Unlike me, he always knows the right words to a person's heart. His brother is the same but... Al is much more kinder that anyone that I've ever known."
"I hope... you liked my present..."
"Of course!" I gasp in sudden realization, only to get weird looks from the boys. I instantly started to dig into my pockets in search of something, until I stuck my hand out with the same small box I found a day before all this mess. "What's that?" Ed asks curiously, staring at the small item in my hand. Slowly unwrapping it, my heart pounded against my chest like a steam hammer. The nervousness was really getting to me. When I had finally unwrapped it, it was a small box that had no top and head a small object in it. I took the small thing out, only for it to be revealed as a necklace. It was a small rosary with little designs, but it was a perfactly carved rosary. A flash back entered my head about it.
::Flashback::
I looked at her confused and asked, "Is there something else you wanted to say?" From the looks of it, there was something in her hand that she was hiding behind her back. Shaking her head, Alice turn away saying, "Happy early birthday Cat!" I notice something off before she left, her hands were slightly bandaged up. After she left, there was a small box on the floor.
::End::
Slowly, tears had once again started to escape my eyes. "Alice... you idiot..." I held onto the small thing for my dear life. Alice will never stop surprising me, even in death. There was nothing else that could stop me from crying now, from this point on, I need to move on. I look up at the to with a smile on my face, except the tears wouldn't stop pouring out no matter how hard I was trying to stop so the Ed ad Al wouldn't have to see me in this state, but the two brothers just sat there quietly as I continued to cry.
++Later++
"The mission that was supposed to be assigned to you two has been cancelled. So now miss Cairo, you are free from being partnered with Fullmetal."
Wow, just wow. I never thought that I would finally be rid of those two this quickly, but something wasn't right. There was this strange feeling inside my chest, was it that I didn't want to be alone? "I understand," I gave Mustang a salute before my departure from the room. On the outside, I looked like I was okay with it but on the inside, I didn't want it to happen. So much for being happy to be rid of them. Before I knew it, I was already out of the office. Ed was waiting for me outside for the news, sadly, he didn't know that this'll be the last time we might ever see each other again. "So what is it?" he asks patiently, waiting for me to say what we have to do. I looked down at the ground and informed his of what the colonel had said, "From this day forward, we are no longer partners anymore. I shall be fine on my own now."
"Yes! I can finally do what I want now!" Ed cheers in glee, happy to finally know that I will no longer be with him. It was actually painful to me, I didn't want to be alone anymore, but what's done is done. A small smile formed on my lips, "I'll be going now." Knowing that the truth is out there, I needed to find out more information about the stone now and as to how Jealousy used alchemy if she is a homunculi. It made no sense, but if the others are now a philosopher's stone then I must find a way to fix everything. As I walked pass Edward, his shocked gaze followed me as I continued my way out. "Hey Cather-" but I interrupted him saying, "Cat." He froze and asked, "What did you say?" I turned to face him to repeat what I had said, "That's my nickname Cat, just Cat." That slightly caught him off guard so I took this chance to make my escape.
As I made my leave, Al walked pass me but abruptly stopped in his place to look at me, I said nothing and continued my way down hall alone as his eyes follow me. 'If Jealousy was the one that placed Alice's soul in the body of a chimera," I reached a hand up to my necklace held it tightly, 'then she must have the philosopher's stone with her. I need to start my search for the stone quickly if I want to bring everyone back home. Guys... please hold on a little longer! You were dragged into becoming a stone because of me, but I promise I will find you! For your sake Alice...!'
||At the Train Station||
I sat in my seat in the train and looked out the window only to see Colonel Mustang, along with Hawkeye by his side, heading towards my train. "Colonel! Lieutenant!" I called out with my head sticking out of the window. I went back inside when the two came up to where I was.
"Leaving so soon Mercury?"
"Yeah! I need to start my research as soon as possible! And I want to beat that Elric very soon!"
"I see... well whatever you're searching for I already bet whatever it is, is out there waiting for you. So I'd look for it in New Optain while you're at it."
"Hey... are you planning something colonel...?"
"Of course not, anyway I really do wish you luck."
"Thanks!"
At the same time the train had started to whistle, signaling it's departure. Colonel walked away, but not before Riza had this to say to me, "Make sure to not get killed, okay? Don't forget to shoot your enemy straight through the head," I sweat drop at this and reassured her, "Don't worry Lieutenant, I'm way tougher then Elric is." Smirking at this, she bid farewell and made her way towards Colonel, who was waiting for her in a fair distance. It confused me as to why she was so worried about me, but I'll have to keep my word if I don't want to be shot by the women. As the train started to slowly make it's departure, I hear a voice call out, "Hey Catherine!" To my shock, it was Ed and Al running to where I was. The train was getting faster, so I had to stick my head out once again to see them. "Listen I wanted to say I'm sorry for before! But I hope we get to meet each other again soon!" Ed yells, still running next to the train.
I was shocked at what he was saying, but I kept my mouth shut to hear what he had to say. "See ya later then! K-I-T-T-Y!" that last part pissed me off but at the same time felt nostalgic. Ed was smirking at my reaction, so I smirked back shouting, " See you around shorty! I hope you grow taller by the time we meet again!" He got pissed at this but didn't say anything. For some reason, I had a sudden flashback of them as kids waving good-bye as a small had reached out to them, Ed was mouthing words that were oblivious to me. When I came back to reality, Ed was at the end of the platform so he stopped in place along with Al by his side. I waved good-bye to them and continued this until I could barely see them. Sitting back down. I stared out the window, watching central city pass my gaze. 'I guess Colonel is right,' I thought amused, 'He really is a handful.'
-To be Continued-
Yo my readers! I'm so sorry this is turned in so long, but somewhere in November Fairytail will be published! After all the long planning of where to start has finally hit me! Thank you for waiting for this chapters remake! Oh, and the vid on the right is the op song of this story!