Disclaimer: I forgot to mention this! I don't own FMA or FMAB. (Sorry Hiromu-senpai! ^^"
Chapter 8
Stars and Tears
|-Edward-|
Edward stared, his face burning at the blue eyed brunette who sat in front of him.
"S-s-sleep together?" he sputtered out in shock.
Andrea smiled and nodded. "Yup!"
Alphonse chuckled slyly. "Hmm, I think you should Brother! After all, you did say that you'll make it all better."
Edward's red face didn't disappear. "S-shut up Al! And no way Andrea!"
Andrea made a face— she seemed childish. "Why not?" she pouted.
"T-t-that's because w-w-we're n-n-not supposed t-t-to do that!" Edward reasoned, still blushing like a fool. "W-w-w-we're too young, y-you idiot!"
Andrea looked at Edward in confusion. "Too young?" she repeated, puzzled. She hummed and placed one of her fingers on her chin before realizing what Edward meant.
She then laughed. Edward wasn't sure why. Why is she laughing?!
"Ed!" Andrea said, between laughter. "I didn't mean it that way, you dummy!"
Now it was his turn to look at her in confusion. Wait, she didn't mean by 'that'?
Andrea was covering her laughs by muffling them with her gauzed hand. "Ed, what I meant was share a bed! I'm not suggesting we do anything! Or…" Andrea leaned in and gave him a smirk. "You want to do something tonight? Is that what you're suggesting?"
Edward's face exploded. "N-N-NO!"
Alphonse joined in Andrea's laughter. "Brother, don't think such dirty things!"
"What?!" Edward yelled as he jerked his face towards his little brother.
Soon, Andrea's laughter died down. "Ed, what I meant was I want to sleep in your bed. I wouldn't suggest that if we had an extra bed, but you only ordered one bed for the room so…"
Slowly, realization dawned into Edward.
Edward turned to Andrea. "Sorry. I guess I was used to Al not sleeping so I forgot about the arrangements. Sorry for uh… you know… accusing you for…"
As Edward fumbled with words, Andrea laughed it off. "Don't worry! Besides, I think I'll enjoy teasing you from now on!"
Edward blanched at this.
Alphonse's metal head shifted towards Andrea's hands. "What happened to your hands, Andrea?" he asked.
Andrea turned to her hands and showed Alphonse. "Freak accident. I made a stupid decision and this is what I get!" she said with a wink.
"You should be more careful!" Alphonse scolded.
"Hey, I didn't know I would get hurt." Andrea stated in defense.
"You were an idiot to think you're flesh won't burn from the heat." Edward deadpanned.
Andrea blushed. "Oh shut up!"
Looking at Andrea, Edward couldn't help but smile and shrug.
|-Andrea-|
Stupid Edward! Making me realize I'm wrong!
You might be thinking I'm crazy to sleep with Ed, but I had no choice. I didn't fancy sleeping on the floor, and the sofa was for Al, so the only place I was sleeping was with Ed.
Yes, I'm selfish. Don't judge me!
When I saw Ed smile at me, I tried covering my face with my hands but ended up clenching them. The pain surprised me, and I winced again.
Ed's face contorted into concern. "You should sleep." He stated.
I rolled my eyes and gave him a grin. "Alright, mother."
Ed gave me a blank look before I made myself comfortable on the bed. I lied down on the left most side, which was against the wall, and closed my eyes.
It was hard to fall asleep, especially when you know there are people watching. I heard Alphonse's armor move and I heard his footsteps heading towards the living room outside.
"I'll stay outside brother. Good night!" I heard him say softly before walking down the door.
I heard Edward sigh and felt the bed move. When I felt the bed grow lighter, I was curious. What was Ed doing?
I tried my best to convince myself that it's nothing important and that I should be more focused on getting some sleep. But my curiosity got the best of me, and I decided to sneak a tiny peak. I glanced over my shoulder and immediately did my face flush.
Ed was changing! He took off his black undershirt and threw it on a table nearby. I was amazed by how a normal 15 year old could be so fit! I mean, he has an 8 pack! An 8 pack! How on earth can a teenager have an 8 pack and not look like some oversized muscle head?!
I managed to keep my squeal inside and jerk my head back. My face was burning and I swore to God, if I could, I would've been having a huge nosebleed right there on the spot.
Eeep! Ed is so hot!
No, no, bad Andrea! Bad! No fangirling! Nuh uh! A voice inside my head tutted.
The bed moved slightly and I figured that Ed was lying down beside me. I felt a soft fabric being placed over me… he placed a blanket over us? Aw! Remind me to thank Ed later.
I was getting cozy in my spot and I finally started to feel like I wanted to sleep. I was about to doze off when I spotted a color of gold enter my vision.
I was puzzled. I opened my eyes fully, and found out that Ed still had his hair tied. I scrunched up my face in distaste.
Hesitantly, I raised my hands and ran it through his braid, taking off the string he used to tie his hair.
"What are you doing?"
I squeaked in surprise, realizing that Ed was still awake. He gave me a side glance and a strange look.
"I was taking off your hair tie." I replied as-a-matter-of-factly.
"Why?"
I shrugged as I casted my fingers on his gold hair. Wow, they were silky smooth!
I smiled his way. "Well, it would be pretty uncomfortable. I had my fair share of experience, especially sleeping with tied hair. I woke up the next morning with a headache. I don't think you should experience that too, you know."
Ed hummed and I couldn't stop myself from finger combing his hair. I can't resist! It was so smooth and silky! Not like how my brother's hair was, but it was still silky!
Brother…
I stopped finger combing Ed's hair, pausing to reflect on my brother, Adrian. Is he alright?
Ed shuffled and switched positions, where he was now facing me. I was a bit nervous to be under his gaze, but I managed to look away.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
I shrugged. "It's nothing. I'm just thinking about my brother."
Ed gave me a curious look. "You have a brother?"
"Yup!" I said with a nod. "Though he's three years older than me, we know how to get along fine." I said with a bright smile.
But my smile soon turned sad. "I miss him." I murmured slowly.
Ed looked down. "I understand. If Al was gone, I wouldn't know what to do."
I looked at his facial expression and my eyes softened. To think that he had such a hard past… and only at a young age…
"Don't give me that look."
I blinked in confusion. I turned to Ed, who was looking at me with a hardened expression. I looked at him, puzzled. "What do you mean Ed?"
Ed used his auto-mail hand and poked my forehead lightly. "That look. Most people give me that look. I hate it."
I frowned. "Sorry."
Ed grinned my way. "It's fine. Besides, having a frown on your face doesn't suit you. You look like some big, ugly hag."
"Hey!"
Ed's grin stayed as I pouted. Finally, I gave in and huffed. I sat up from the bed, not minding the stinging sensation I felt in my hands.
Ed followed. "Andrea?"
I placed my legs on the floor and stretched my arms. I turned to Ed and with a smile, I asked, "Do you want to stargaze with me?"
He gave me a weird look. "Stargaze?"
|-Andrea-|
With some help from Edward, we both climbed up to the roof of the hotel. Thank goodness our room was located near the top most floor or we would have a problem getting back down.
I sat beside Ed, who was dressed in a dark long sleeved shirt and shorts. I was wearing my white night dress and blue shorts, but I convinced myself not to wear any slippers.
I stared up at the sky, fascinated by how the stars lit up the dark blanket over us. It twinkled brightly and much to my happiness, I saw a shooting star pass by.
"A shooting star!" I cried excitedly. I then closed my eyes and held my hands together.
"What are you doing?" I heard Ed asked beside me.
I didn't answer until a few moments passed by. I exhaled and turned to the blonde beside me. "I made a wish." I answered.
Ed gave me a blank look. "You're an alchemist, Andrea. You know the world doesn't work like that. Wishes don't always come true."
I looked at him with a slight pout. "Don't spoil the fun, shorty!"
"I AM NOT SHORT!" Ed yelled in protest, a throbbing vein appearing on his forehead.
I ignored that comment and looked above. "I know wishes don't usually come true, but this was a tradition me and my brother used to do."
Ed paused in his rant and stared at me curiously. "A tradition? You mean, you watch the stars with your brother all the time?"
"Yeah. We would always do silly things during the night. We would make up constellations, tell each other funny stories, and eventually make a wish every time we see a shooting star." I said fondly, remembering how both me and my brother would spend the nights.
My smile dropped as I looked down. "It was really fun…"
From the corner of my eye, Ed gave me a look. He then looked up at the sky above, squinting his eyes. He suddenly gasped dramatically, catching my attention.
"Whoa!" he cried, looking up.
"What? What is it?" I asked.
He pointed up at the sky. "I see a cow constellation." He stated.
I blinked and looked up at the sky. "Where?!"
"There! Can't you see it?" he said.
I sat close to him, trying my best to follow the direction of his eyesight. "I can't! Tell me!" I ordered childishly.
Ed grinned cockily. "Heh. If you can't see it, then I must have way better eyesight than you."
I gaped. "No way!" I protested. I turned to the stars above, squinting my eyes hard to find the cow constellation.
WHERE ARE YOU, YOU STUPID COW?!
|-Edward-|
Edward watched as Andrea's smile turned into a sad one. "It was really fun…" she murmured softly to herself.
It was slightly unnerving not to see Andrea smiling brightly. He guessed he grew accustomed to seeing her smile all the time that it almost seemed wrong to find a frown on her face.
Since she mentioned that she loved constellations, he looked up at the sky. Suddenly, a bright idea formed in his brain.
He grinned and dramatically gasped. "Whoa!"
This caught Andrea's attention. "What? What is it?" she asked curiously.
"I saw a cow constellation." Ed stated.
Andrea blinked and also turned to look at the sky. "Where? Where?!" she asked excitedly.
Ed pointed his auto-mail arm upwards. "There? Can't you see it?" he asked.
Andrea looked closely at the sky and gave an exasperated sigh. "I can't! Tell me!" Andrea ordered the blonde Alchemist childishly.
Now Edward understood why Andrea loves to tease him most of the time; taunting people was fun! "Heh, if you can't see it, then I must have way better eyesight than you!"
Andrea gave Ed an incredulous look. "No way!" she said before looking hard on the sky, determined to find the cow constellation.
Ed chuckled at her determination. Who knew something so simple would get her worked up?
"Well, I have to admit," Ed started. "I guess stargazing isn't so bad."
Andrea paused from her search of the cow and slowly turned to smiling blonde. She smiled softly at him, causing Edward to turn away from her gaze, avoiding her from spotting the pink that dusted his cheeks.
"Hey Ed?"
Edward turned to the side, and before he knew it, Andrea was leaning on his auto-mail shoulder, staring fondly at the sky above them. He was a bit surprised by the sudden move, but seeing the soft expression on her face, he decided to let her.
"What are you doing?" Ed grumbled. "My auto-mail isn't exactly as soft as a pillow."
Andrea giggled. "It's fine with me. I like boys with auto-mail." She said nonchalantly.
For the umpteenth time did Edward Elric blush. Andrea spotted it and laughed, saying that she didn't mean for him to turn as red as a tomato. He took this offensively, thinking that she was comparing his height to a tomato's.
"Ed, you do know that we're the same height, right?" Andrea stated. "Then if I called you short, I would be calling myself short. So don't take it literally that I call you short."
Edward wanted to strangle her for calling him short twice, but he did see some sense in her statement. He guessed he could forgive Andrea… this time.
He didn't know how long he zoned out, but he was sure it was long enough for Andrea to fall asleep for real on his right shoulder. He turned to the sleeping girl beside him and watched as she breathed in from her nose and exhaled from her slightly parted mouth.
Edward mentally slapped himself. No! No staring! Bad Ed! Bad!
Carefully, Ed moved from his place. He gently placed Andrea's arms around his neck and scooped her up from her thighs. It was difficult to climb down with a sleeping girl on your back, but he thought Andrea's instincts kicked in and she instantly clutched his shoulders tightly, so not as to fall off.
Edward managed to climb down the roof and into their room, where he entered and gently laid Andrea's sleeping form on the bed. He laid down beside her and pulled the covers over them.
It was a while before Edward could sleep. But it was fine with him. If he could watch Andrea sleep beside him… well…
You could say he could get used to this.
|-Andrea-|
I woke up to the feeling of someone wrapping their arms around me.
I blinked a few times before releasing a loud yawn. I was about to sit up when I felt someone hugging me tightly to their chest. The sound of heavy breathing and air being exhaled on my head fully woke me up.
I looked up from my spot and flushed red. Ed was fast asleep, his arms around me, and his chin resting on my forehead. He was breathing through his nose and held me tightly to his chest.
I kept myself from fainting at the spot. Don't squeal Andrea. Don't squeal. Do. Not. Squeal.
I tried to wiggle my way out of Ed's grasp, but each time I do, Ed would stir and hold me tighter. My face turned so red, I think I could place a frying pan over my head and cook some eggs.
I swallowed and felt my hands on his well-toned chest. I couldn't help but feel it, amazed by how many muscles Ed has. Wow, he is so—
Wait, the eff am I doing?!
I quickly recovered from my embarrassment and decided to wake Ed up. I poked his cheek twice, and I saw him stir in his sleep.
"Ed… Ed… hey, Ed…" I whispered, trying my best to wake him up.
His response was a tighter hug. "Five more minutes Al…" he slurred in his sleep.
I sigh. So he's a heavy sleeper? Alright! Time to bring out the big guns.
"Wake up midget." I deadpanned.
Instantly did his eyes snap open. He bolted out of bed, starting his short rant.
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO TINY THAT HE CAN'T EVEN BE DISTINGUISHED BY ALL THE GRAINS OF SAND?!" he yelled.
He huffed angrily and turned from left to right. He then realized that I was awake and directed his comical anger and glare towards me.
"Andrea…" he growled irritably.
I yawned. "Don't blame me Ed. You were hugging to tight!" I whined childishly.
Ed froze and looked at me with pink cheeks. "H-h-hugging?!"
I nodded and rubbed my eyes. "Yeah. You were hugging me in your sleep. I'm not a teddy bear, you know!" I said with a 3 face.
I have never seen a darker shade of red before until now. Ed's face was literally burning like an oven set on the highest temperature!
"I-I-I-I'm s-s-s-so s-s-sorry!" he sputtered out, waving his hands in front of him. "I-I d-d-didn't know a-about—"
I laughed at his flustered reaction. "Don't worry, Ed! Though try not to hug too tight. Couldn't exactly breathe properly." I said as I got out of bed and stretched a few times.
Ed's expression relaxed. "Phew. I thought you would freak out." He said, relieved.
"Who would freak out after sleeping with a hot guy like you?" I asked, confused. "I think I can do this every night! I feel like I've been rejuvenated!"
Ed looked at me with an expression equivalent to that of a gaping fish. "Hot?" he repeated, unsurely.
I nodded. "Yup!"
Suddenly, a smug grin curled up his face. "Ohoho…"
I smiled towards him before exiting the room, spotting Al sitting on the sofa. My eyes softened at the sight. Doesn't he feel lonely during the night? You know, with no one to talk to?
I walked towards Al. "Good morning Al!" I greeted cheerily.
"Good morning Andrea!" Al greeted back.
I sat beside him. "So what are we doing later?"
"Well, it depends on brother. We could start by going to Dr. Marcoh's data, but considering your state…" Al trailed.
I looked at him in confusion before looking down at my bandaged hands. I remembered the events from last night and slapped my forehead, wincing at the double pain.
"Andrea? You alright?" Al asked worriedly.
Despite the pain, I gave Al a forced smile and a thumbs up. "Yup! I'm fine! Definitely fine!" I assured him painfully.
If Al could, I'm sure he would sweatdrop. "I don't think you are…"
As we both waited for Ed to finish his shower, Al decided to ask more about my Medical Alchemy. I tried to give him the vaguest but utmost right answers to each question he asked. I didn't need him to figure out that Medical Alchemy needs the Philosopher's Stone to work.
"Wait, you said that stretching the tissues in the human body might weaken the muscles." Al said. "Then how do you do it?"
I paled. Oh dear, how do I answer?
Fortunately, Ed walked out of the bathroom, his hair damp and dressed in his pants and undershirt. He had a towel around his shoulders and his golden hair was carelessly lathered behind him.
"It's your turn Andrea." Ed noted.
I nodded and stood up. I was about to head to bathroom before I recalled my burns from last night.
"Um, Ed?" I asked.
Ed turned to me. "What is it?"
I gestured to my hands. His expression told me that he understood.
"Um, sorry about this Ed, but can you help me make some ointment?" I asked hesitantly. "I'm a bit worried about my burns. It would be nasty if I got an infection."
Al stood up from the sofa. "I understand. What are the ingredients for the ointment? I'm sure I can get some on the stores nearby."
"Um, if I remember correctly, it's Benzalkonium Chloride and Lidocaine Cream." I replied, placing a finger on my chin.
Al nodded. "Alright. Brother, you help Andrea with her bandages. I'll go and take care of the ointment."
"Sure." Ed said as Al made his way out of the room.
I gestured Ed to follow me. He complied and we both entered the bathroom. I turned to him and he nodded, unwrapping the gauze from my hands.
I frowned when I analyzed the skin on my hands. Yikes, it looks way worst that it feels! I thought.
I washed my hands on the sink, hopefully killing most of the bacteria that had found its way on my vulnerable skin. From the corner of my eye, I saw Ed eye my burns with an unreadable expression.
I glanced at him and sent him a smile. He stopped making that expression and couldn't help but smile back.
"Well, I'm going to shower now. So if you excuse me," I said, making a shooing gesture with my hands.
Ed understood and nodded. "Alright. But try not to burn the entire bathroom this time, okay?"
I pouted. "Hey!"
When Ed closed the door, I started showering. It was difficult to maneuver with my hands, but somehow I managed. When I finished, I used a towel to dry myself and changed into a new set of clothes.
I walked out of the bathroom and found Ed and Al waiting on the sofa. They both turned to me while Ed showed me a small bottle containing the ointment I requested earlier.
I smiled brightly. "Thanks!"
I walked towards them and took the ingredients. Using the circle on my wrist band, I mixed the two liquids together, creating a pink colored substance inside. I nodded satisfyingly and uncapped the cover, spreading the ointment on my hands.
I relaxed, feeling the effects take place. Now that I don't have to worry about the bacteria and irritation…
"Is it fine now?" Al asked.
I turned to him and nodded. "Yeah. All that's left is this."
With that said, I used the ointment on my hands and accelerated the process. I stitched up my flesh and tissues in my hands, instantly repairing them. In a few moments, my hands seemed fine.
Ed and Al gaped in awe. "W-whoa!" Ed said.
I winked and clapped my hands together. "Yep! Now that this problem is solved, how about we get started?"
|-Andrea-|
The three of us walked down Central, navigating towards the 1st branch of the National Library.
Honestly, I have no idea what's going. Shouldn't Ed's right arm be destroyed by now? I mean, they did encounter Scar before they came to the Countryside, right?
"Hey Ed?" I asked.
Ed turned to me. "Yeah?"
"Have you, by any chance, meet Scar?"
"Who's Scar?" Al chimed in.
I narrowed my eyes. They haven't met Scar? Strange. I remember that they're supposed to meet him in East City after the incident with Nina and Shou Tucker.
Which reminds me… if this hasn't happened yet, does it mean that Nina is still alive?
"What did you guys do after I left?" I asked, surprising the two brothers in front of me.
Al hummed. "Well, after learning that you knew about our… er, secret, we decided to find you as quickly as possible. We mentioned to Colonel that we were interested in the transmutation of living organisms, and he suggested we meet up with someone named Shou Tucker. But since brother here was impatient—"
"Shut up."
"— he decided to follow you instead."
Once those words dawned onto me, I felt something inside my stomach. "When's the next State Alchemist assessment?" I asked suddenly.
"Two weeks from now." Ed answered. "Why?"
I shrugged innocently. "Nothing."
I've got two weeks to save Nina and Alexander. But considering that they live in East City, it would be a long ride. Plus, I don't think that Ed and Al would let me out of their sight now that they found me.
Hmm… what to do?
"Whoa!" Ed said before he pulled my shoulder to the left, narrowly helping me to avoid crashing to a pole.
Ed looked at me irritably. "Geez! Watch where you're going!" he scolded.
I blushed and laughed. "Sorry!"
Ed shook his head at my clumsiness. I laughed nervously as we all continued walking straight towards the National Library.
As we walked, we passed by the very same library I first went to before. My face paled as I tried my best to hide beside Al's huge armor, silently hoping the guards won't recognize me.
When we finally walked through the library, I released a sigh of relief. We kept walking, and eventually we arrived at the 1st branch of the National Library.
"Here we are." Ed announced, gesturing to the building in front of us.
It wasn't as magnificent as Central Library, but it was impressive nonetheless. The three of us walked upstairs and entered the doors, but we stopped when a voice called out Ed's formal title.
"Fullmetal Alchemist!"
We were surprised to hear that, so we turned around. I spotted two soldiers, one female and one male. My eyebrows knitted in confusion.
"Fullmetal Alchemist, I'm Sergeant Denny Brosh!"
"I'm 2nd Lieutenant Maria Ross!"
"We are assigned to be your escorts and bodyguards under the orders of Lieutenant Colonel Hughes!" both announced in unison.
All three of us blinked our eyes, befuddled. (I know Al can't blink, but you get what I mean.) Did they say bodyguards?
"What do you mean bodyguards?!" Ed demanded. "We don't need any!"
"Yes, you do."
Both Edward and I turned our heads to the right, only to find Armstrong standing beside us with his arms crossed over his chest. He turned his eyes towards us.
"A serial killer has been reported to be currently residing here in Central." Armstrong stated.
"That has nothing to do with me." Ed shot. "I'm a State Alchemist! I can take care of myself."
"This serial killer has committed 9 murders so far, all State Alchemists."
This caught Ed off guard. Hell, it even caught me by surprise. Though I knew fully-well who Armstrong was talking about, it still seemed impossible to kill 9 State Alchemists. I mean, alchemists are scientists! They have materials and compounds around them! They could've at least escaped with a scratch or a missing limb or so, but all dead?
Ed's eyes widened in shock. "9 murders… and all are State Alchemists?"
Armstrong nodded. "Yes. And now that we know he's here in Central, we must take extra pre-cautions for you. We have also gathered knowledge that this killer isn't as kind hearted as to let people close to the State Alchemists live."
With the dreadful news coming, Al took a step back. "No… that can't be!"
I was intimidated. I mean, I knew Scar was capable of murder, but hearing this type of news out loud was very alarming. I admit that I was scared inside, but I didn't want to show it.
"Ed, how about you accept the help?" I suggested.
Ed snapped his head towards me. "No way! Like I said, I can take care of myself!" he said stubbornly.
"Whether you like it or not, you have to follow orders." Armstrong cut in, causing the said Elric to stare at him in disbelief. "You became a Dog of the Military, am I right? Follow the orders given to you, Edward."
Ed clenched his teeth. Al decided to help convince his older brother so he placed his hand on his shoulder. "Please brother. It's true that you can take care of yourself, but how about Andrea?" Al asked. "If he targets you and finds out that Andrea is our accomplice, who knows what might happen?"
Alphonse Elric, I do not know how on Earth you do it, but thank you! Ed's face contorted into an unreadable expression as he turned to me. I gave him a half-smile and a pleading look.
Finally, with a scoff, he reluctantly nodded. He then turned to the two officers in front of us, who were still saluting.
"You guys better not slow us down, got that?" he said.
Without giving them time to reply, he turned around and entered further into the library. Al followed behind, calling his brother's name as softly as he could. I sigh in relief before turning towards the two officers.
"I'm sorry about his behavior." I said. "He… hates being treated as a child, you know?"
Ross looked at me with a smile. "There is no need to apologize. We are only following orders too."
I sent her a smile of my own before following behind the Elric brothers into the library.
|-Andrea-|
I found the two brothers on the second floor. Ed was standing on top of the ladder while Al was on the bottom, holding the ladder firmly so as not to drop his older brother.
My boots must've made quite a noise, because the two noticed my presence immediately. Ed turned to me and nodded. He then slid his way down the ladder before running up to me.
"Now we can find Marcoh's documents." Ed said.
I nodded before looking around me. I racked my brain, trying my best to recall where Marcoh mentioned he hid his documents. It took a few moments before it came to me.
I walked downstairs, confusing the brothers. "Where are you going?" Al asked.
I glanced at him over my shoulder. "To the cooking section!" I said cheerily.
The two brothers exchanged a glance and looked at me strangely.
"Cooking section?" they repeated, puzzled.
|-Andrea-|
Sure enough, I found Marcoh's research documents under the category of 'special recipes' on the ground floor, hidden at the end of the book shelf.
I was pretty amazed by how Marcoh managed to sneak in Central and hide these data under the military's nose without being caught in action, but what I was more amazed was…
"Dr. Marcoh wrote a lot of books, didn't he?" Al asked timidly, staring at the collection of books we piled on the table. About three stacks of books were laid in front of us, and what's more depressing was the fact that each book was about 4 inches thick.
Ed dropped his head. "Even by looking at these documents, you can tell that this would take days…"
I laughed nervously and scratched the back of my neck. "Haha! Well, I'll leave you guys at it! I'm going to go now! See ya!"
I was about to run away before I felt a metal hand clutch the back of my shirt tightly. Beads of sweat rolled down my face as I sensed Ed's menacing aura overwhelm me.
"And where do you think you're going?" he asked lowly, his figure suddenly towering over me. "You're staying here and you're going to help us with this, you got that?"
Frightened, I managed to squeak, "Yes Fullmetal Alchemist sir!"
"And he wonders why people are scared of him…" Al muttered.
|-Andrea-|
I banged my head on the table.
"No more… no more… Please! No more!" I wailed, wiggling my arms vigorously.
Earlier, we headed to the third floor of the library, where there were private study rooms reserved for Alchemists and their research. The three of us decided to coop ourselves into one of the rooms and start decoding the research.
I glanced up from my position, only to find Ed in a similar state as I was. I groaned before slowly raising my head from the table and massaging my temples.
Do you remember that moment in the series when the Elric brothers start decoding Marcoh's research? It isn't as easy as it looks. Marcoh's data held the vaguest details concerning Alchemy and the Philosopher's Stone. Also, the recipes held little to no meaning when I decoded them.
Al's armor was slumped up on the sides of the table. "Maybe we should ask Dr. Marcoh himself…" he suggested.
Ed's head snapped up. He at both me and Al with a comical expression before pointing his pen at us.
"No! I refuse to admit defeat!" he proclaimed.
"Or you don't want to admit we can't solve this." I countered blankly.
Ed froze and dropped his head. Al gave a noise of agreement and right at that point of time, I think I would've given anything just so I can find a damn room and sleep.
I released a loud sigh and placed my arms on the table, laying my head in between. I decided to close my eyes for a bit, not exactly wanting to sleep, but only trying to relax.
The research… would it be better if I told them the truth myself…?
My eyes snapped open. What am I thinking?! I can't possibly tell them the Truth myself.
I looked up from my position, only to find both brothers working on the code again. I looked into Ed's eyes, finding the pure determination set inside them. It made me feel guilty that they have to figure out the Truth like this. I felt like a sadistic bastard, holding their hopes high then crushing it with the truth.
Why hadn't I thought of this before? They'll hate me for this. Of course they will. The only hope they had of returning their bodies was the Philosopher's Stone. And I'm crushing their dreams, though not directly, by keeping the truth from them.
Bile crept up my throat. I stood up from my seat, my side bangs shadowing my eyes. Ed looked up from his work. "Something wrong?"
I swallowed the bile down and gave him a smile. "Well, yeah. I just need a breather."
With that said, I hurriedly left the room. As I closed the door behind me, I spotted the two officers talking nearby. They noticed my presence and walked towards me.
"Is everything alright?" Brosh asked.
I looked at them and nodded. "Yeah. I'm going out for a bit."
"If that's the case, I should go—" Ross said before I cut her off with a hand gesture.
"You were assigned to protect the Elric Brothers, not me." I stated. Ross was surprised, but realized it as well.
I turned around and took my leave. As I walked downstairs, I started to think how much time would the two Elric Brothers take to learn about the truth.
"Sorry…" I murmured towards the brothers, though I doubt that they heard my apology.
|-Andrea-|
I sat on the park bench, silently enjoying the peace surrounding me. I held a bottle of chocolate milk in my hand and a piece of bread in my other. I used the extra-change I had in my pocket and managed to find some snacks.
Considering that a whole hour has passed, I figured that Ed and Al are either close to the answer, or have already found out. Either way, I remember that they found out the answer during sunset, where the light was orange.
All I needed to do now was to wait for sunset, then I can go back.
Though… I'll be honest. I was scared of showing my face back there. I mean, I was the one who lead them to the data and I'm the apprentice of the person who wrote the data, so obviously I knew what was written inside. They would accuse me of giving them false hopes and inevitably cast me aside.
The idea of being hated by someone you admire could really break you inside. I look up to Ed and Al, really. But what I did to them… I don't think…
I shook my head, ridding myself of those thoughts. "Nah, don't think that way." I murmured to myself. "Keep on moving. You have to keep moving."
I munched on my bread and quickly finished my chocolate drink, throwing the trash in a nearby garbage bin. With quickened pace, I managed to find my way back towards the library and enter without any complications.
As I walked upstairs, I felt very hesitant. But I managed to grab a little of what's left of my courage and made my way to the third floor.
By the time I reached the study room, the door was left ajar. My suspicions rose and I quickly ran into the room, finding the two brothers with hands on their faces and the two officers with shock-filled expressions.
"Ed? Al?" I said, catching everyone's attention.
Without taking his hand away from his face, Ed chuckled lowly. "I knew it. I knew you were lying." He said lowly.
I swallowed, slightly unnerved by the tone of Ed's voice. It was low and dark, something that I didn't find pleasing at all.
"W-what are you talking about?" I asked.
Without warning, Ed slammed his auto-mail arm onto the floor. The sound ringed in my ears, and I was honestly scared of Ed's reactions at the moment.
"How could you… how could you?!" he yelled, standing up. The shadow his bangs created to obscure his golden orbs were long gone, and they were replaced by eyes of anger. "You knew… the stone was our only hope! And yet… we couldn't even… we couldn't even… Damn it!"
Ross decided to intervene. "What's going on, Edward?"
Brosh was concerned too. "You can't blame the miss here if you can't crack the code!"
"No," Al said, his voice low. "We did crack the code."
This confused the two officers greatly. I looked towards the side, avoiding to even catch a glimpse of Ed's furious expression in fear that I might cry.
"Shouldn't that be a good thing?" Brosh suggested.
"Hell it isn't!" Ed snapped. "The ingredients for the Philosopher's Stone… are live humans."
Brosh gasped while Ross stood there, shocked. I bit my lower lip as Ed continued on.
"And that's not all. To even create one stone, you'll need to sacrifice a huge amount of lives."
Suddenly, a dark chuckle came out of Ed. It slowly turned into maniacal laughter, surprising everyone, even Alphonse, inside the room with his reaction. He uncovered his eyes, showing the utter helplessness and anger inside them.
Ed's arm shook. "Our only hope to restore our bodies back to normal… We can't even do so without staining our hands…"
"Ed, I—" I started, hoping to calm him down.
"You what?!" Ed yelled at me as he bolted up from his sitting position. Both of his fists, steel and flesh alike, were shaking from utter anger. I felt so helpless under his furious gaze but I knew that I deserved this.
My body shook as Ed stared at me. "You knew! You knew about the data, didn't you?! And yet you still urged us to… urged us to… Ah… Ahahaha… I get it now. You never cared at all! You wanted to make us learn from our lessons from doing human transmutation, didn't you? You wanted to crush our only hopes of returning our bodies back to normal, huh? Of course!"
"N-no!" I cried in protest. "I would never do that!"
"Why should I believe you?!"
"It's because I care about you two! I would never hurt you intentionally!"
"Why, because we're friends?!" Ed spat, as if the word 'friend' was something that disgusted him.
My eyes hardened with resolve. "Yes!"
"I never even considered you a friend in the first place!"
My eyes widened in shock.
Ross and Brosh looked at Ed with faces full of disbelief. Al's armor shook visibly at his older brother's words. Ed panted slightly at his proclamation and didn't back down.
My hands on my sides shook as I clenched them tightly. Tears welled up in my eyes and I could feel them dripping down my chin.
"… I see." I murmured softly. Without giving anyone a chance to say anything, I swiftly turned around and bolted outside the room, running down the stairs of the library, not bothering to even halt even for a moment.
I kept running and running, not knowing where I'm supposed to head. Finally, I halted at a wall in the shadows of the dark alley. I leaned my back against the wall, slowly sliding down and landing on my bottom.
I looked up at the sky, only to find the warm orange sky to disappear and was replaced by the dark and bleak night sky. Unlike last night, the night sky seemed lonely and bland because of its lack of stars.
The tears that collected on the bottom of my eyes started to drip down my chin, creating a small stream of liquid down my eyes. Yet, I couldn't muster enough strength to sob uncontrollably like I should be right now.
A bitter smile came up my face. "I was foolish…" I said bitterly. "Who am I kidding? Changing the future… I really am a naïve idiot… I guess Truth is right…"
I exhaled, letting my tears flow. I closed my eyes, not sure of what to do.
[A/N:] The feels~ I'm hitting the feels~
What up everyone? ^^ It's been a while since I've updated this, huh?
You know, just recently did I start watching the original series of FMA, and OHMYGAWSH Ed looks hotter. Is it me, or is the color quality and drawing style from brotherhood and original differ so much?
With that topic at hand, I would like to announce that I'm planning on writing another fanfic for the FMA category! ^^
AND HOLY CRAP CAKES GUYS.
LeFay Strent, my idol, has reviewed my story. Honestly, I looked like I was slapped by a fish when I read her really long and rambly advice. Not that I didn't like it! Oh no, I love it! I love it so much I think I can die happy! xD
Hm, why am I so happy when I just wrote a sad scene? … I must be one bipolar bamf. =w=
Review my lovelies~