A/N: Okay. Kill me. I've been busy, and I'm SO SORRY. It's gonna have to be like this for a while. By the way, angryperson, I've locked all my windows and doors, and checked them twice...so far, only a few vicious banging noises of you in my pursuit. (...911, anyone..?)
That being said, enjoy the chapter! :D
1ST PERSON P.O.V:
It's not lonely, being stuck in the dark.
And, unlike most people, I'm not afraid of the blackness that consumes me.
For what is there to fear in the dark?
My friends flit about my dinner, picking away at my untouched food. I can't remember how long it's been sitting there, but for some unknown reason, I make an effort to leave out some food for them. In fact, I can't even remember the last time I ate.
But, that doesn't bother me. I deserve what I'm getting, anyway.
Even if I'm starving in the dark, it's not like I can blame my friends. They always come and keep me company, the least I can do in return is give them some food, right?
...right?
That's why it's not so lonely, being stuck in the dark. My friends keep me company, as long as there's food. I don't need it anyway, as long as they're here with me.
Because it's not lonely. And I'm NOT afraid of the dark.
Who could be afraid of the dark when they're surrounded by friends? I don't understand.
I approach my friends, and lay down beside them. The bread crumbs they struggle to pick at look so appetizing. I could almost eat them, and take the risk of being alone again.
But, before I can, my friends fly away with them.
I love their buzzing, even when they dirty my home and take my food. I love their sound, somehow, because it's been so long since I've heard any other noise.
But my food is now gone, and so are my friends.
I'm not surprised they left, knowing what I've done.
I've reminded them I'm bad every time they visit me. They usually flit around and listen to me.
It was about my fifth day of being in the dark that I actually noticed them. At this point, I don't remember how long it's been, but I remember when they first acknowledged me.
It was the day after that woman visited me. She fell when she looked at me, rendering me guilty. It reminded me of what I did, of why I was in here.
...I tried to forget.
She hit the floor, and everyone shuffled to leave. I sat and watched them go. That's when they beat me, then fed me, and that's when my friends came.
I was hurting, and guilty. I almost appreciated the pain as a punishment. It made me feel less horrible, knowing that I could be used as a source of release to them.
My friends came. They stole my dinner, and giving it away helped me feel like I wasn't taking so much from the world. I liked them, for helping me feel good. I liked them for starving me. I liked THEM for beating me.
And I told them. I told them why I liked them, what I did and why I was bad. They buzzed back at me, and soon that sound became the only language I knew. I told them to come, to take everything I have, to help me make up for the wrongs I've done. They did as I requested. I thanked them.
And they always came, just as promised. They'd comfort me, and eat away my sins.
But now my food is gone, and so are my friends.
And my stomach growls.
It's lonely being in the dark.
Riza awoke from her dream with a startled gasp, her spine snapping upright in a fit of shock. She collapsed back down, throwing her hand over her face and smirking amusedly at her ridiculous fear. It's just a nightmare, Riza. How pathetic: And you used to be an officer.
She gave a loud yawn and sat up to stretch her stiff muscles, organizing her tangled sheets before brushing her teeth and washing her face. The brush was lodged between her two molars when a loud, trilling ring sounded proudly through the acoustics of her bathroom. She impulsively sped over to the phone, half expecting to hear the deep, smooth, reassuring voice that she missed so much, but was let down slightly to hear the upbeat sound of Jean Havoc.
"Yo, Lieutenant?" He questioned, his voice audibly rising at the last syllable.
"Yes, Havoc, it's me. Have you found anything?" She asked hopefully, forgetting that her toothbrush was still between her teeth, making her lisp her 'S'.
Jean obviously noticed, as he chuckled slightly. "You must love those non-military hours you're having, eh? No more four am hours. I'm starting to consider"
"Havoc." She interjected, a tick mark forming on her soft features. "What have you found?"
"Anxious, I can see. Rough night?"
He had no idea how right he was. The nightmare had been...disturbing, to say the least. At first, she was so sure she was being chased, she was afraid and running from someone, and though she didn't know the details, she just knew upon instinct that she was supposed to run...for her life. But in the end, she was standing over someone, and holding a dripping knife.
"...so anyway, the kid found the records I asked for-"
The blood was on her hands, gosh they were SOAKED in it. And though it started out as a run, she just felt like a MONSTER by the end of it.
"...so then we quickly decoded them, and using Falman's records we managed to..."
She felt like...like a killer. Somehow she started out as an innocent, and before she knew it someone was dead. She was not sure why, but somehow...somehow she wasn't able to-
"...Hawkeye?"
She awoke from her sudden trance.
"Yes, I'm listening, Havoc."
"So yeah. Ling found the records, and it's true that Ed bought two tickets by train into Xing. But, he bought only one ticket home. That's gotta mean only Ed's come back. Mei, the little cat girl..? It turns out Al and Ed WERE visiting her. She told Ling that she had dinner with them, but after that they just disappeared. She hasn't seen Al or Ed since. The strange part is since Ed only bought one ticket home, well...Well Al's gotta still be in Xing."
Riza's mind whirled as it tried to catch up to Havoc's thinking. So...They visited Mei, disappeared, and only Ed's come back to Amestris..? But still, Mei doesn't know where Al is.
"So what's our next move?" Asked Riza, her complete faith stored inside of Havoc.
She could almost hear him grinning from across the line.
"Your call, boss."
"...Will that be all, miss?" The kind merchant politely asked her, handing her her small bag of goods. She smiled up at him pleasantly, bowing her head in the local means of 'thank you'. He gave a quick wave, and she was off, briskly walking through the crowed in her light pink kimono. It was nice to use her culture's customs once again, being back into her own country after so much time spent in Amestris should have been a treat. She tried to pay attention to the hustle and bustle around her, wishing she could be thankful, but her buzzing mind wouldn't permit it. Her focus was elsewhere, as she tried to piece together all that she heard of Ed and Al's whereabouts. She quietly wondered why they'd stormed off without even muttering a quick goodbye.
It was shocking to hear from Ling, of course, their conversations were minimal to say the least. But even more surprising was the news he'd offered her. Though he didn't say much about it, he'd said enough for her to scream out a cry of, "Edward's in JAIL?!", and panic slightly at the thought of where Alphonse must've been. But knowing Ling, she was given no useful information and was left wondering what had happened to the two of them, and what Ed had done to deserve the punishment he was granted.
But, luckily for her, a squint-eyed elderly woman tapped her on the shoulder and offered her a newspaper, which she thankfully accepted while spilling out a few coins into the lady's hand. They nodded at one another, as the girl moved along to find a quiet place to read peacefully.
Walking steadily through the narrow doors of a small cafe, she ordered her usual and settled down into a small booth, waiting for the steamed dumplings to arrive. She carefully opened the pages of the paper, and to her surprise, found that the front page was marked with bold font:
Foreigner Murdered by Emperor's Temple.
Her jaw dropped, she threw her hands to smack her chubby cheeks, feeling her lengthy braids shift at the sudden movement. Her eyes bulged. Her breath hitched.
Alphonse-sama...what is WRONG with your brother?!
LEAVE A REVIEW! Thanks for all the support. I hope it was clear that the last section was about Mei. :) Short, to the point, but keep in mind that what Havoc told Riza is important. We're getting closer to the angsty ending I have planned. This story's gonna be about 12 chapters long, I think. Thanks for reading!