Ugh, this chapter.
THIS CHAPTER.
I took some time before writing it to do some research and figure out what roles my characters would be taking on in this story – and can I just say, the official Thule Society website was hilarious, yet kind of creepy? "We are NOT Nazis! Now watch our SS mission statement video." Schutzstaffel? What, no! How absurd! It stands for Speech in the Silence. I've gone to the weird part of the internet again. (No offense, of course. I find hilarity in the simplest things.)
The Lovely Daaaarlings!
Mercedes Wolfcry: Thank you! And those sound like perfect examples of dilemmas, my friend. They sound just as embarrassing as knocking over an entire table at a nail salon resulting in the spilling of nail polish and cleaning water, and the shattering of an innocent lamp. That lamp stood no chance against me and my ways. No chance.
Katsekala: Thank you! 8D
Gummy'fish'lover: Lulul, I hate when that happens. I had to try three different computers once before a CAPTCHA would finally show up on a forum I was signing up for. They're tricky bastards. Haha! I can assure you that that is exactly what Ed wants to do. But karma's a bitch. It and CAPTCHAs should get together sometime. And thank you, I had quite an interesting experience that day. xD
AnimeVamp1997: LAWL I LAUGHED TOO HARD AT THAT. But yes, poor Riley… Heh.
Tazdevil: I'm back! Again! Oh dear Lord, I've forgotten about Ghost Waffles. I really need to update that sometime soon. And maybe edit the first two (or was it three?) chapters. I had a lot of fun writing that argument for some reason. I guess I like pissed off Gregory. Thank you for the comments! Hopefully I can mend more souls, hah.
CloudEnvyKunoichi: Yes, I cosplay! It will be six years of experience come September. At the moment, my biggest cosplay is Switzerland from Hetalia. I have a few others that I don't wear as often, and I'm currently working on a new cosplay of Varric from Dragon Age II (And then Toph from Avatar.) That project was actually why I had to go on hiatus for a while. XD Who do you cosplay? And yes, the dilemma is over! I couldn't go into the bathroom either, really, because the door was off of that too. But all was well!
IceFire Dragon Alchemist73: Yup, I needed a hiatus. I hated it, but I needed it nonetheless. xD I suggest you get a Tumblr! Just for the fun of it at least. I don't find it as addicting as my friends, but it's something to kill time with. I personally am thinking of posting small character profiles on my writing account. I'd like to get more in-depth with my characters. Hah, just as Riley thinks she is moving on, this happens. Fates aren't fond of her, it would seem.
Ausumist: Thank you! Glad you liked that scene. :3
cmbgoncrazy: Lawl, I'm flattered! I love it when people tell me they couldn't stop reading. :3 I'm glad you enjoy the story.
Mizunou: I wanted them to interact in some way, but of course, I had to through in some torture there also. xD And LAWL, I'm very surprised someone mentioned Daisuke in that context! I was wondering if someone would get that impression. Ohoho…
haganeochibi: Your review is awesome. Just wanted to get that out there. I'm glad you liked the direction I took with Riley's responsibility. She was never one for the dojo, and this isn't helping her any! She most definitely should have been apprenticed, but with Gregory's health deteriorating, he had to teach her what he could in the two years that passed. And that quote is lovely. As far as Riley's gate being open, I honestly cannot answer that without explaining a major plotline I'm slowly etching into this story! It'll be revealed later on, but I can tell you that she has experienced the gate in the past, when she was injured during the explosion as a child. And thanks for the comment about my anime posters! That's some of the best advice anyone can give. xD
Want to Be a Lovely Daaaarling? Review! Bwahaha…
I own Riley and all other characters and plots not recognized in the series. FMA does not belong to me. If it did, I wouldn't have made Maes a Nazi supporter. It sucks, man. Sucks balls. (Am I going to have to give this a mature rating now? FFFFUUU-)
ASDFGHJKKL GUYS, GUYS, GUYS. I'm watching CoS a few more times to get re-acquainted with the movie and asdfghjkl- the cemetery scene with Winry starts off with a grave with my surname on it. I'M DEAD IN AMESTRIS, GUYS, JUST THOUGHT I'D LET YOU KNOW. I'm probably my Amestris-Self who crossed over and doesn't remember her past life. Shit, that explains a lot. Gonna go try to cross back over now, kay bye.
Chapter Three
On Shaky Ground
Alfons glanced over his shoulder, brows furrowing in worry. He heaved a sigh as he turned his attention back to the mug in his hands, watching the tea inside swirl around and follow the movements he made. He didn't know how long he had been awake. An hour, maybe two, but it felt like days. That morning was slow-moving. It didn't help that when he came downstairs, he saw Edward at the table, blank-faced.
He tried to speak to the boy, but no answers were given. Ed was silent and unresponsive. Alfons wondered if it had to do with their argument the day prior, but he wasn't so sure. They had many arguments about this girl he didn't believe to exist, and Ed never acted like this. But what else could it have been? Ed went straight for his room after the argument and wasn't seen the rest of the day.
Sighing again, Al pulled himself away from the counter and turned on his heel, making way toward the dining table. He stopped upon reaching Ed's side and pulled out the closest chair. He'd only gotten halfway into the chair when Ed spoke. "I saw her."
Alfons felt his hand slip off the table. He fell into his chair, rather ungracefully, and looked toward his friend in shock. "What?" He placed his cup on the table before he dropped it, his eyes still glued on Ed's blank form. "Wh-Where is she?… And how? I thought you were upstairs all night!" When nothing was said in response to him, Alfons began to examine Ed's expression. Something was wrong. "…And why aren't you happy about this?" He murmured, his voice lower than he intended it to be. He was afraid of the answer, and thoughts began running through his head. Did she not care about Ed? Was she dead? Every possibility was worse than the last and it only confirmed his opinion that Ed should never have looked for this girl, whoever she was.
Looking down at the table, Ed tightened his grip on his hands. "She was in my dreams," He muttered under his breath, still refusing to look away from the table.
Alfons' shoulders dropped. The disappointment felt like a blow to the stomach, and his confusion rose. What made Ed so… Upset, if it were just a dream? "Oh," He let out, "Don't you normally dream about her?"
Ed shook his head, which surprised Alfons, but the words he spoke next surprised him more. "…This wasn't just a dream. She was real," Ed grumbled, expecting an intense reaction. He didn't want to admit it, but he needed it. He needed Alfons to tell him he was just desperate and to give up. His nerves were fried and he needed his friend to bring him back to some form of normalcy. That didn't come.
Instead, Alfons was quiet. Very quiet. This wasn't the answer he was hoping for, nor expecting. A part of him had always hoped Ed was right about this girl – he didn't believe all of the stories about this other world, but he hoped at least she was real. Ed deserved that. Another, larger part of Alfons wanted to pull him out before he got too deep into this search for her. He knew how it would end. He wanted to yell at Ed, to tell him he was in over his head and his feelings were becoming an obsession. It was the only reason he would believe she was real in his dreams.
But Alfons couldn't bring himself to do it. The look on Ed's face was painful, and Alfons realized just how important finding this girl was. How had he have not noticed before? He knew Ed wanted to find her, and that he deserved it, but Alfons never knew just how important it was. It was surprising to see Ed this worked up over someone. It was also concerning.
"You… Saw her in a dream?" Alfons questioned slowly, wanting to make sure he heard right. Ed nodded. Gazing down at the table as though it would provide answers, Alfons phrased his next words carefully. "That must have been hard-"
The glare he received quieted him. "Now you're going to try and be understanding?" Ed spat out, sounding harsher than he meant. He ignored his friend's taken aback look, feeling his emotions turn to anger. "I've been looking for her all this time and now that I need you to argue, you don't?"
Confusion filled the younger boy yet again. "You want me argue?" He asked, ignoring the previous comment Ed made.
"I don't want you to act like you believe me!" Ed replied, "Pitying me only pisses me off!"
Alfons watched with wide eyes as the boy stood from his seat, pushing the chair back with a scratching force, and stormed out of the house. The door slammed behind him, and Alfons spotted the jackets hanging by the door sway from the wind. "…Wouldn't arguing piss him off, too?" Alfons whispered to himself, feeling even more confused than when he came downstairs that morning. He wasn't sure if he should be concerned about Ed's sudden change in attitude, or relieved the boy was still with it enough to have a temper.
. . .
After an hour of fuming anger, Edward had found himself in a bar and restaurant. Seated in the back corner where he could hear and see everyone, he held his glass with a stubborn grip. The place was dimly lit and the smoke floating through the air came from both, the customers and the back of the kitchen. He could see a man wiping down the bar now that his last customer had left, making sure it would be clean for the next batch of patrons. He could see several people sitting at tables in front of him, talking amongst themselves as they picked at their food.
It didn't take long for him to admit he wasn't mad at Alfons. In fact, it was as the door closed behind him that he realized maybe he should go back and apologize. And he would, once he cooled down. No one was at fault, after all. Riley hurt just as much – no, probably more than him. She was the victim of things beyond her control. Neither Alphonse from either world took part. They were just there to witness the separation. Maybe he was mad at himself. That, however, would mean regretting giving his life for his brother's. If that was even what he did.
He'd hunted for Alphonse just as much as he did Riley in the beginning. Finding his younger brother's counterpart did little to calm his nerves. Had Ed given his life for nothing? Maybe that was why he was angry. Such a large sacrifice couldn't be in vain, but he knew just how possible that was.
Just a piece of his old life – just a piece – was what he wanted. That couldn't have been too much to ask for. And once he found a piece, with Riley in his dreams, it was pulled just out of his grasp. Fate was teasing him, mercilessly. Maybe that was what he was mad at. Not any person, or himself, but fate. His luck. How nothing seemed to go his way. Damn it, could he have nothing good?
"Have you heard? The Rebellion's getting much more tight-lipped these days…" Ed blinked, his eyesight focusing back in on the table before him. Realizing how tight his grip had been, he loosened it from his glass to prevent shattering it. The Rebellion. How did that sound familiar?
His eyes scanned the customers in front of him, and he zoned in on a plump man sitting at a table not far from him, in another empty corner. He sat with two others; a taller, leaner man in a suit and a short blond woman sporting a high up-do and a gray dress-suit. The plump man pulled at his vest, glancing around with cautious eyes, while the woman gave a clear scoff and slammed her beer mug onto the table. "More tight-lipped? How much more tight-lipped can the Rebellion get?" She mused, her words slurred and her voice loud, "Half the country doesn't even believe they exist and they're getting more tight-lipped. Bah!"
The taller man rolled his eyes, shaking his head at the two he was with. "That's nonsense, the both of you. There's no such group. Wouldn't we have known by now, or do you seriously believe a group of trained rogue soldiers stood by during the Great War? Let alone sit by at this time! It's madness," He explained in a rushed, albeit noisy, whisper.
As the plump man frowned at his friend, the woman pointed a slightly shaky finger at him. "Oi, you," She started with a small hiccup, "The Rebellion's real and I'll bet all my marks on that."
Scoffing, the taller man waved her off with an uncaring hand. "I'd more willing to take blank paper than those worthless things," He commented.
Ed's eyes widened as it finally hit him. The Rebellion. How could he not have remembered the very group Riley's parents began? Turning his head to gain a clearer look at the three, he leaned into his table to hear them better. "Well they'll be worth much more soon, if the Rebellion has anything to say about it," The woman insisted as she waved a handful of marks around.
She placed a sloppy kiss on the marks, slipping them into her pockets as the plump man waved his pudgy hands at his companions. "Will you both quiet down?" He whispered harshly, "With the Nazi party popping up, the Rebellion has to make sure they're more secure than ever. I don't know what's going to happen, but I have a feeling it's going to be bad."
The taller man rolled his eyes once more, both at the plump man's fear of 'nothing' and the woman's head landing on the table beside her empty beer mug. Ed found himself standing from his own table, a spark of hope growing more and more fierce. He left his glass behind, half empty, and made his way toward the corner they were positioned in. His hands slammed down onto the table and the two men jumped, looking up at the boy with wide eyes. The woman gave a grunt, but did not lift her head. "The Rebellion," He started, looking to the plump man, "Where can I find them?"
He could see the taller man's shoulder droop in disappointment, but the plump man began stuttering. "I – The – they – How should… What makes you think I know?" He asked, his voice coming to a low squeak under Ed's intense gaze.
With a small hiccup, the woman lifted her head off the table and laid a small hand on Ed's arm. "Dear," She hiccuped again, "If they were gluing informational posters to the wall and putting their addresses in phone books, they wouldn't exactly be a secret organization, now would they?"
He looked down at the woman and paused at the unusually sober look in her eyes. "…I need to find Riley," He mumbled, sounding much weaker than he wanted to sound.
Another look passed through her eyes before she hiccuped, laughed, and slapped him on the back. "I think you've had too much to drink, Kiddo!" She exclaimed before slipping some marks into his jacket pocket, "Have some coffee. On me, Blondie."
"You're blond, too," The taller man muttered, dull eyes on the woman.
She glared at him, shouting, "'Ey, what did you call me?" He gave a dramatic sigh as she began a one-sided argument. Ed didn't stick around long enough to listen. He turned on his heel, leaving the building with nothing but annoyed determination.
. . .
It had been almost an hour since leaving the bar, that Ed gave a long sigh as he stepped inside his home. He began slipping off his shoes and it didn't take long to hear footsteps from the kitchen. He glanced up, already knowing who he would see.
Alfons watched him with an expression Ed couldn't decipher. If in any other mood, Ed would have stood straight and apologized with a nervous grin attached to his face. However, he ran a hand through his loose locks of hair, slumping toward the table. He gave a wave of his hand in Alfons' direction as he mumbled, "Sorry about earlier. I didn't mean it."
The younger boy gave a small nod in response, watching as Ed shoved his hands into his pockets. "It's fine, Ed," He replied with a reassuring tone.
Slipping out the marks the woman had given him earlier, Ed dropped them on the table without a second glance. "I know it's not worth much, but you can have this," He mumbled as he turned and headed for the stairs beside the table. He wanted nothing more than the peace and quiet of a bath or a nap. Either would be nice.
Alfons spoke up just as Ed placed a foot on the first step to the stairs. "What's this?"
Ed heaved a sigh, leaning back and turning to look toward his friend. What kind of question was that? He wasn't even native to this world and he knew what they were. "They're marks. Some woman gave them to me. Don't know why," He shook his head, scowling a little at the thought of the tipsy woman.
"No," Alfons shook his head as well, giving a small chuckle. He lifted up a small note, looking up at Ed. "I mean what's the address attached to them for?" He questioned, flipping the small slip of paper around in between his fingers. Ed's brows furrowed. Address?
He looked down at the woman and paused at the unusually sober look in her eyes. "…I need to find Riley," He mumbled, sounding much weaker than he wanted to sound.
Another look passed through her eyes before she hiccuped, laughed, and slapped him on the back. "I think you've had too much to drink, Kiddo!" She exclaimed before slipping some marks into his jacket pocket, "Have some coffee. On me, Blondie."
Ed felt his back straighten as he focused in on the paper Alfons held. He held his breath as the once died down spark of hope flew into much larger flames. Eyes widening, he stepped away from the stairs and practically leaped across the room toward the table. He reached across it and snatched the paper from Alfons' hands. Alfons blinked in curiosity, watching as Ed's eyes raced across the paper.
Sure enough, an address had been printed onto the paper. It looked like a thin business card, as though they'd be printed hundreds of times to be handed out. The possibility of it being a hoax crossed his mind, but he couldn't bring himself to care. It was an address. He wanted something, and he got it.
"This is it," He whispered under his breath before wrapping his arms around Alfons, who stumbled in surprise. "Thanks!" Ed exclaimed before pulling away. He ran to the door, throwing on his shoes, and took off out of the house, ignoring Alfons calling after him.
. . .
"…" Ed blinked a few times, unsure if he was seeing things correctly.
In front of him was a short paved road, potholes all throughout. On the right side of the road was a tall, concrete wall hiding each side from one another's line of sight. On the left, several houses were lined side-by-side. The windows and most of the doors were boarded up, some of them with collapsing porches or roofs with missing sections. A number of cars sat, parked, near the sidewalk, gathering dust and cobwebs.
This place was abandoned.
How he managed to find it was a mystery enough to Ed. He gripped the corner of the paper with a firm hand, refusing to back away now due to some old structures. He was curious, however, as to whether or not he had been the only life this neighborhood had seen in the past decade or so.
Ed had gotten past several homes, when he heard the clanging of metal on metal. Tensing up, he looked around before spotting a narrow alley in between two of the houses. His eyes narrowed in on a few trashcans placed against the wall, watching as they swayed back and forth. "Hey, who's there?" He questioned, stepping slowly toward the alley.
At the most, he expected a cat to come bouncing out from around the trashcans. Most definitely, did he not expect a man. That, however, was exactly what he got.
He was lanky, bald and pale. Almost paper white, in fact. He could have been taller, at one point in his life – but he looked about the height of a child, hunched over the way he was. His large pointy noise stood out on his round face, his eyes big and his lips thin. His hands, dangling about in front of him, had twitching wrists. He looked familiar, but Ed couldn't seem to place the face. At first.
Gazing up at the blond, the man gave a twisted smirk as he cackled. "Well, we have a visitor, do we?" His voice slithered out as he began stepping toward Ed.
Ed remained quiet, watching the man with tense preparation. The man stepped out of the alley, revealing splotches of skin discoloration, and Ed finally remembered. His eyes widened, stepping away from the surprise. "Bido…," He realized, "One of Greed's guys. But why is he here? Unless…"
He had no more time to think, before Bido rushed toward Ed. It wasn't in a threatening manner, but when Ed caught the shine of a knife in the man's belt, he didn't really care what manner it was in. Stepping back, Ed held up his free hand toward Bido, who came to a stop a mere five feet away from him. "And he's cautious! That's good, that is," Bido spoke under his breath. Ed wasn't sure if it was directed toward him or Bido was speaking to himself.
Rubbing his hands together, he nodded up at Ed as though answering an unspoken question. "What are you doing here?" He yelled, before recoiling into himself. "Visitors aren't allowed. The police will catch you, they will."
Ed's brows furrowed as he examined the man who appeared to be on the brink of insanity. "I'm looking for the Rebelli-"
"Shh!" Bido interrupted, leaning forward as he waved his hands back and forth. The gesture startled Ed, which seemed to please Bido. "Do not say their name aloud! Foolish boy…," He shook his head as he turned his back toward Ed, before waving a hand of his shoulder in a 'follow me' gesture. Ed hesitated, but began to follow as Bido walked along the sidewalk, muttering to himself about the new batch being dumber than the last.
Ed didn't bother to hold back his curiosity, looking and touching at everything he passed. Some things were rubble – piles of debris from damaged homes or the road; other things were old cars with so many layers of dust on the windows, he couldn't see inside. He received quite a shock at one car, wiping the dust away from the window to find a skeleton staring back at him. Bido got a good laugh out of that – yelling, "I knew someone would fall for it one day, I did! Of course it would be this one!"
Safe to say, Ed ignored the cars after that.
"What happened to this place, anyway?" Ed questioned as he climbed under a fallen tree, cars blocking any other form of entry into the next portion of the road.
Bido did not look back at Ed as he walked. He continued rubbing his hands together, replying in a somewhat somber tone, "War happened. Filthy war…" Ed looked down at Bido, trying to assess the man's sudden change in expression. There was little time for it, however, as Bido stopped walked and grinned up at a building. "You stop here, you do." Blinking a few times, Ed looked up at the same building as Bido.
And there it was.
He stared up at the small, two story home in front of him with little surprise. With dark brown paneling and boarded up windows, it looked exactly like all the rest. He wouldn't have known it was the right house without the black '0401' bolted above the door. The fact it had one number more than the other house addresses did not slip past him unnoticed. Gulping, Ed realized just how nervous he was. He cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked from the paper in his hands to the house.
Feeling a nudge against his shoulder, he looked down to see Bido elbowing him as best he could from his short height. "It won't open up and swallow you, boy…" He gave another twisted grin, cackling as he said, "I would know, I've seen many foolish boys and girls wander into that house."
The corner of Ed's lips fell downward as he rose a brow. "I take it you don't like the Rebell-"
"Shh!" Bido interrupted once more, leaning up on his toes. "How many times must I tell you?" He shouted, waving his hands around Ed's face. "I can't let everyone know I'm involved!"
Ed twitched in annoyance. He looked around dramatically before exclaiming, "It's just us! No one's here!"
"That's what they want you to believe!" Bido yelled before hunching over even more than he already had been. He seemed to rub at his hands with more energy, shaking his head as he looked around with wide eyes. "These houses… I see shadows darting around in them, I hear whispering from their doors… They hear everything, they do," Bido whispered out as he waved at Ed. "Enough! I'm done!"
Ed was unable to respond, Bido running off the instant his last words were spoken. He watched as the back of Bido disappeared under the fallen tree, and he sighed. What had he gotten himself into? With the shake of his head, he looked back the house in front of him. Bido was the least of his concerns at the moment. Who would be behind that door?
He felt his face flush almost immediately as he thought of Riley's father. He hadn't heard much about him, but he had heard he wasn't a pleasant man around people he didn't know, or trust. "And not only am I a stranger, I was his daughter's…" He blushed a little, unsure of what to call himself, but he tried shaking away from those thoughts. That was back in Amestris, not this world. In this world, he didn't know this version of Riley. Though he had to admit, if he were to meet her parents, he wouldn't have wanted it to be in this fashion.
Maybe he would get lucky, and someone else would answer the door. Someone he didn't know. Or maybe Riley. That would be too good. Gulping once more, he raised his hand and knocked his gloved fist against the tan wooden door three times. He could hear footsteps from inside the house, and his throat began to close up. He calmed himself just in time for the door to open.
His eyes widened as the paper slipped from his hands.
In a dark blue trench-coat, Radley Blackburn stood across from Edward, his black and silver hair resting at his back.
I am almost ashamed to admit that I let out an entirely unnatural squeal after I wrote that last line in this chapter. I am a fangirl of my own character.
Be Responsible. Don't Flame and Drive! Rawr.