The Island of Narid
Chapter Two: The Wall of Things We Should Never Touch
Oh, and thank you FlameFire for the review! So far, you're the only one who's reviewed. sob ok done now, but yeah, RosexEd pairings rock.
OH! And I realized that Rose had purple eyes…man am I stupid… heh heh well sorry everybody pretend I said purple eyes in the first chapter… --;
Yeah yeah, I don't own FMA……ssiiiiiiiggghhhh
"Well, brother, we've mastered the life on an island, right? And we can use alchemy this time. It shouldn't be a problem." Al said nervously. He knew no one was in a good mood.
"Yeah, but last time we knew we'd be picked up in a month!"
"I don't know why everybody is making such a fuss." Armstrong said loudly, averting all eyes to him. "This is a chance to breathe in the fresh air and become one with ourselves--" then he ripped his shirt off dramatically, "our MANLY selves!"
Everyone sighed with annoyance, hoping the guy brought enough shirts to last a while.
"Well moping around here won't help us." Riza said sternly. "I suggest we build a shelter and for food--"
"I'll find us some food!" Bloch suggested cheerfully. When the others looked doubtful he said, "I remember everything I was taught in Cub Scouts, and trust me, I was the only one to receive all my badges!" He ran off into the woods happily.
Maria Ross sighed. "I suppose I should go and fetch him…." Drearily she followed Bloch in the direction he took off.
Roy put a hand to his head. "A minute of being stranded and already they've lost their minds…." He stepped inside the plane and came back moments later with a large red cooler. "I did say that we were vacationing for a while, did I not?" He opened it, revealing drinks and various foods surrounded by ice.
"And we could just use the plane for shelter, right?"
"Well I suppose," the pilot shouted from his seat inside the jet, "but it won't fit all of you. There are too many holes in the ceiling, you'll get rained on."
Edward clapped his hands together and placed them on the sand. Blue alchemy glowed from his palms and on the ground beneath. The sand writhed in the cyan light, rising up toward the sky. Slowly it began to take form; a shed made of steel. It was open on one end to let the cool island breeze in. It was more than large enough for everyone to fit. When finished he leaned against the shack proudly.
"It's kind of bland…." Winry commented, hoping for a more romantic-style summer house. Then she shrugged; she and Rose could always create homely decorations out of the tropical plants around the island. She suggested the idea to Rose, who agreed. Ed snorted, rolling his eyes, but no less let them go.
"I'll come with you!" Alphonse said quickly. Edward whipped around.
"NO!"
Everybody stopped moving at this outburst.
"Um…what, brother?"
"I mean--" Ed quickly recovered, "they'll be fine. They know how to survive."
Al agreed but he was a bit wary. Ed was acting a tad strange. Then a horrible thought hit him. Did Ed find out about Kitty! What would he do? No, he would not give up Kitty. But if Ed knew, when the food resources ran low—NO! He needed to hide Kitty! The only one that could help him would be Rose, for she already knew. Terrified of the loss of Kitty, Alphonse suddenly lunged forward, following the two girls. "Rose! Wait!"
Edward flinched. WHAT! In a fury he attempted to follow when Mustang took hold of his arm.
"It would be wiser if you stayed here, Fullmetal."
Ed snorted, shying away from him. His course was then road blocked again. One hulky hand rested on his shoulder. Ed looked up to see Armstrong, who had already changed into a new shirt (thank goodness).
"Do not worry. Your brother will be fine."
Armstrong was also dodged. Ed ran into the forest, disappearing from sight.
A couple moments passed before Roy sighed. "Well I suppose somebody should go fetch them…." He rose stiffly.
"Do not worry, sir. I will bring them all back safely." Armstrong assured.
Roy nodded, then sat back down atop the red cooler, smiling. When the man left, he felt the blunt end of Hawkeye's gun strike his head. He shrugged; Armstrong was more capable of towing the boys back anyway.
"Hey, Rose! Look at these!" Winry called the other over with a wave of her hand. When Rose came, they both looked at delicate blossoms with peach and violet petals, encircling a dark plumb-hued center. Their blossoms were everywhere. They plucked some and continued on.
"Hey, hear that?" Winry said, cupping a hand to her ear. "We must be near another coastline." Following the sound, she and Rose came upon a rocky cliff. Curious, Winry looked for a way to climb down the rocky edge. The ocean wasn't too wild, and there were numerous rock pools. They would be stuck on the island for a while, why not explore? Then a path came to her eye: a less-steep edge with overhanging roots and branches. Climbing down the rocks, they plucked envy-vine that grew from the craggy mountainside, more as a souvenir than for a decoration.
The two girls took off their shoes and cooled their feet in the gentle tide that washed over the rocks. Wandering around the area, they took seablossoms, white and yellow, from their stems. They sat on the rocks, letting the water splash at their ankles and letting the salty sea-breeze gently tousle their hair.
Rose broke the silence. "I haven't noticed any animals here yet, have you?"
Winry leaned back, recounting their walk, "I guess so, but we haven't been very far inland. Our jet crash could have startled them all."
"Oh, yeah, I suppose--" Her sentence was cut short by a rude vibration. For a short moment, the ground beneath them heaved and shook. No sooner than it started, all was still again.
Alarmed, Winry exclaimed, "What was that!"
Rose looked around her, wondering why the earth shook all of a sudden, and was afraid of a more violent shudder. A small but intense-blue light caught her eye. It was underwater, in a small nick in the ground that was undoubtedly deep; she couldn't see the bottom, and only the tiny crack of cerulean glow was seen.
"All right. Now, which berries were the edible kinds?" Bloch said to himself, one hand on his chin in contemplation. He searched his brain, but alas, an answer was not found. Deciding that some food was better than none, he plucked a group of red plump berries from their thorny brier and popped them into his mouth. They were a bit tart, but their distinct taste was addicting. Smiling at his find, Bloch took many, stuffing them in his pockets; ever now and again eating one. When satisfied the man rushed back to where his trail was and joyously started toward the coastline.
Hearing a sudden distant whistling, Maria Ross spun around. A little ways away, Bloch was returning to camp, skipping merrily through the brush of the forest. Shrugging, she followed him.
"Winry I think you should look at this," Rose said. Winry climbed over to where Rose sat and peered down. The light looked at her like an eye; never blinking.
"Well that's strange. It could be a fish or something." She took up a pebble and dropped it into the small cranny. It sunk down. Then the pebble hit the light and rolled off it, continuing its descent. "Not something live."
"Rose! Winry!" The girls looked up to see Alphonse. "Come up here for a moment!"
The two nodded, and taking their exotic flowers in hand, they climbed up to Al.
"Hey, Al," Winry began, "did you feel a strange shake in the earth a little while ago?"
"No...but I have a problem…." The boy opened his armor. Winry gasped at the violet-eyed kitty inside. Curious, the kitten leapt out, only to be caught by Al's hands. "I'm afraid Ed found out about Kitty." He looked down at the tiny creature lovingly and worried.
"She's so cute!" Winry giggled, scratching the cat behind her ears. The kitten purred, closing her eyes at the touch.
"Well there's no way that Ed would leave her on the island alone; he wouldn't possible send it away now." Rose said.
"Yeah, but…you don't think that once food supplies get low that the others will--"
"Relax, Al." Winry laughed, "Let's just head back. Your kitten isn't in any danger. Ed's not that cold-hearted and neither are the others."
"Yeah, I guess so."
Armstrong burst out of the foliage with Ed on his shoulder, who was looking beyond annoyed. The muscled man set him down on the sand. Ed looked away from them all, miffed.
"I found Alphonse first. He said he would find the girls then return back. He will be coming soon."
As if on cue, Al, Rose, and Winry stepped out of the forest and onto the sandy beach.
"There are many meadows and clearings, it's quite beautiful here. I wouldn't mind staying for a while." Winry said cheerfully, showing them all her and Rose's findings.
"Oh no…."
Everyone turned, hearing Bloch's voice. He was on the ground, doubled over, and he was scratching his arms and legs frantically.
Maria came out from behind him. "The fool got himself into a field of poison ivy, not to mention also drugging himself with berries." She was holding a branch of the red fruit and sighing.
Roy couldn't help but snicker. "We even have enough food to last a couple of weeks—longer if we ration it."
Maria dragged the half-lucid Bloch over to the shelter.
It was night on the island. Everyone save Roy, Ed, and Winry had fallen asleep inside the shack. The ones left were sitting around a fire, provided so generously by Roy.
Beside them stood a large wall with two items pinned on it and words along the top. It read, "The Wall of Things We Should Never Touch," and below it were the cluster of berries and a leaf of poison ivy, both contributed by Bloch.
Winry sighed, gazing up at the stars. She, drowsy with sleep, mumbled, "They are so cute together." Then she turned to Ed, whose eyes were wide open. He desperately hoped she was not talking about what he suspected. She continued, "You should have seen the way Alphonse was looking at her. Even if he can't show much expression with his face, I could feel it." She suddenly climbed up to her feet. "Well goodnight," she yawned before entering the shelter.
Ed turned away from the fire and was glad for the darkness, for it concealed a furious blush. Winry had been talking about Al and Rose. He didn't answer Winry back; only glared the other way. When he turned back to the fire, he saw that Roy was smiling, softly snickering. He reached over and patted Ed two times roughly on the shoulder before laughing and walking away to the shed.
Edward lingered by the fire awhile with a sour expression. He'd have to put Alphonse on The Wall soon.
Well yeesh that was a long chapter….
Goodnight unto you all.