The Island of Narid
Chapter Four: Twinkle, Twinkle
Yes, I still do not own FMA… --sigh--
Hm… another lengthy chapter… that's either good or bad; I'll leave it up to you to decide. ;P
oh, now if what Rose is "saying" is in single quotes, then she is either nodding or writing it on the ground…just to clear up any confusions you may have.
Long days passed without much interest. Despite the fact that Rose lost her voice and Winry and Ed were scratched, things proceeded as normal. No one knew how Rose got the wound on her neck save herself. When they questioned her about it, she would become uneasy and refuse to give them any hints or gestures. And none was able to sooth Rose's cut, for she jumped away when they approached with a new bandage. She would quickly dart forward and snatch the cloth and flee, making sure that she was out of eyesight when she changed her bandage. No one would know of her brand without her exploring first. And she wanted to see it before them. Often she looked in the ocean waters to glimpse, but the surface was too rough and her image would not reflect clear enough.
Rose was more distant from everyone, but was insistent on never being left completely alone. Kit was always by her side or in her arms; Al didn't mind. Kit would be happier out in the air than left inside his hot armor. Now that everyone knew, it was pointless to hide her. Everyone eventually got used to the kitten Rose carried around, including Black Hayate. They turned out to be playmates and were found skittering across the sand, knocking each other over and biting each other's ears.
Rose winced, unwinding a strip of Ed's red cloak from her sticky wound. It would begin bleeding again whenever she turned her neck, and even sometimes when she ate. Always it caused her pain. Hawkeye had loaned some of her thin military jacket this time, as the bleeding was not as severe as before. Not to mention the fabric would be much cooler. The bloody bandage was hard to separate from her skin, as the blood had fused to her flesh. Trying as carefully as she could, she peeled the fabric off, feeling the scabs reopen and start to bleed.
"Rose?"
The violet-eyed girl started, turning toward Winry who was meekly standing off. Her hands were held in front of her and clasped.
"Will you please let me help? Roy said the pool in the island has cleared up enough from the smoke. I could wash it."
Rose covered her neck with her hand and turned away.
"Please, Rose, accept some help! Why are you always keeping by yourself? I wish you would at least show us something so we could understand how it happened!"
Rose sighed and walked slowly over to Winry, still covering her wound. She nodded sullenly. She could see the relief flash over Winry's face.
"We've all been really worried about you."
Rose, with her free hand, gestured to the numerous cuts lining Winry's left eye. The blonde-haired girl laughed lightly.
"Don't fret about me. They were hardly deep, not nearly as bad as we all thought. Kit can't do too much; she's only a young kitten."
Rose went back to her spot and retrieved the strip of cloth, as well as wrapping her hand around Kit's middle and hoisting her up to her chest. Winry offered to carry the cat, but Rose declined.
They were both told where to find the falls, and Winry had been shown by Roy and Hawkeye exactly how to get there. She led Rose through the forest as it grew thicker. It took a while, but time didn't matter on the island; nothing but day and night really mattered.
Deeper into the forest, Rose began to grow uneasy and jumpy. When wind passed through the rustling leaves she fidgeted with her cloth nervously. Winry looked back at her with worried eyes. Something must have happened near here. Was it an animal that created the cut on her neck?
Despite Rose's nervousness, they both arrived at the burnt black part of the forest. The ground was not even hot anymore. They walked to the water's edge where they sat themselves down and washed their tired feet in its cool water. Kit skipped from rock to rock happily.
"Will you let me see it?" Winry asked cautiously. She knew Rose had never revealed the wound to anyone. No one knew the nature of her cut—how deep, how extreme. She hoped Rose would finally accept help.
Rose hesitated for a long moment before taking a deep breath and releasing her hand from her neck. Winry saw only a pool of fresh and dried blood. She knew Rose was expecting a reaction, but Winry only wetted part of the bandage and sponged the blood. Rose clenched her teeth against the pain. Yet she felt more content now; there was not special symbol, no mark of death.
Finally, Winry spoke. "It's nothing more than we expected. Why didn't you let us help you sooner?"
Rose shuddered.
"Well thanks for warming up. You're lucky—I don't think it's infected. But it looks like it hurts. I hope I'm not pressing too hard."
Rose shook her head. The water actually felt refreshing.
Rose suddenly felt Winry behind her tense. She turned and found Winry's hand to be shaking. Her eyes were wide open.
"Turn back around." She said with an urgency and fear that made Rose feel insecure and nervous. Rose didn't comply until Winry ordered again, more pressing. Frightened, heart fluttering, Rose turned her cut back to Winry who dabbed it a couple times more before gasping and dropping the cloth. Rose's breath caught in her throat. Why wasn't she saying anything?
Winry looked at the blood mark on Rose's neck. Now that the blood had been washed away she could see it wasn't just a puncture wound, or a deep scratch. It was a symbol. One carved by another person. A serpent was curled into a circle, mouth agape, as if swallowing its own tail. It had a pair of tiny, flightless wings on both sides and in the middle lay six triangles, all aligned in a pattern. Winry whimpered, recognizing the mark.
"Rose—" Winry choked out, "has Ed ever told you of homunculi?"
Rose shook her head. She didn't want to know what it meant. She didn't like the way Winry was talking; it scared her.
"So you've heard nothing at all of those dressed in black? With violet eyes?"
Rose shook her head violently back and forth.
"The—the Homunculi—they aren't human. Ed told me they have bodies of no substance; one can bite through anything, one can change his shape, one can stretch her fingernails to unreal length—"
Rose covered her ears with her hands, shuddering. She felt her eyes tingle and dampen.
"Rose you need to listen!" Winry cried, pinning the dusky-skinned girl's arms down. Winry's voice rose to a frantic shriek, half mad, "They were people who died! Then others tried to bring them back to life and they became those creatures without a soul! With violet eyes—like yours! Do you remember the gate, Rose?" She was shaking the poor girl now harshly by the shoulders, her eyes widened and insane. "The gate that—"
"Winry!" A stern female voice commanded. Winry fell away from the silent-sobbing Rose as Hawkeye rushed forward and placed herself between the two. "Might I ask what you were doing?"
Winry, still caught in a fit, screeched words so fast and so high they were inaudible. Hawkeye put her hands on Winry's shoulders, keeping her still.
"Calm down."
Winry closed her eyes, her breath heaving from her chest and getting caught it her throat.
Rose covered her face with her hands, washing saltwater tears over her palms. What was Winry saying—that she was one of those monsters? Then she remembered Cain, the boy she used to love so dearly before he passed away. Cornello had promised he'd bring him back, but only succeeded in creating a beast of a bird that tried to take her own life. If Cornello had really tried, would one of those creatures been born? And then Edward came and told her that he and Al tried to bring their deceased mother back to life and lost their limbs, even an entire body. Was Winry claiming that she had no soul? That her body was something mutated? But then why didn't she know?
Winry was talking to Riza, but Rose didn't hear a word of the conversation. She was too caught up in her own terror. She jumped when a hand fell softly on her shoulder. Whipping around, she saw Winry take off back to camp and Hawkeye standing over her. Rose edged away from the woman and clasped her arms about herself.
"Rose, listen. Winry was just frightened and overreacted." She touched Rose's arm gently. "Will you let me see?"
Rose sighed brokenly. Why did it matter, now that Winry would be screaming of it to all of the camp? She turned, but only slightly, so that Riza could see the blood mark.
Riza didn't seem frightened. She kept up her calm demeanor, "It's plainly a flesh wound. The others have the mark since their second 'birth'." She paused then. "Did you do this to yourself?
Rose shook her head, a 'no'.
"Someone did this to you?"
'Yes.'
"Was there more than one?
Rose nodded. She felt so helpless, unable to explain herself. The remnants of tears on her cheeks were smudged away by the back of her hand, leaving rubbed dirt in its place.
"Do you know why they marked you?" The tan-skinned girl slowly shook her head from side to side. "I wish I knew what they said to you…"
Rose turned away and closed her eyes, breathing steady and deep. She began to recompose herself, first emotionally, and then staying her violent shudders. Slowly she felt herself become still and she brought her shoulders back and straightened her spine. When Hawkeye and she returned, she knew the others would eye her strangely, now that her secret had been revealed. Though she hoped Hawkeye would clear up any doubts anyone had, she still feared there would be an aura of wariness around her.
Winry sighed and cleared her thoughts. She pushed her face to curve in a slight content smile. She could see the beach, where her company sat all motionless in silence. She patted her hair down and rubbed her cheeks—to make sure no salt tears still lingered.
Looking calmed and reserved, Winry took a deep breath and strode into the midst of camp. Some glanced up at her but no one spoke. Winry released her hold of air when none questioned her and sat down next to Al, toying distractedly with the scrub plants that sprouted from the white sand. She was barely noticed, and for that Winry was glad. She had no desire to talk of the matter of Rose.
A couple moments after she returned, her mind fell away from the homunculi symbol on Rose's flesh and entered into the drowsy ruse of a daydream. Her head fell onto her hand and her eyes unfocused for a while—until a certain voice snapped her harshly from her blissful reverie.
"Where's Rose?"
Winry slowly lifted her head up to the boy who looked at her with a worry she knew he tried to conceal. She met his face with a forced smile. "She's back at the falls with the lieutenant." Despite herself, she faltered with her words, "They might take a while."
Ed didn't hear her voice quiver, or if he did he concealed it well. He shrugged and turned away, acting unconcerned.
Winry felt her muscles relax, glad he eluded conversation. She knew Rose was not homunculus; before she was wrapped in the dark embrace of paranoia then. But the mark itself revealed a truth she never expected to have on this island: homunculi themselves, or someone in league with them was here. And the only one who knew anything was Rose, and her voice had been robbed. Winry wondered if it would be wise to tell Ed or Roy what she knew, but she wouldn't until she had Rose's consent. The girl was still her friend, whether she was marked by the Sinful or not.
It was near dusk when Rose and Riza returned. Many were startled by their appearance, as they had forgotten the two were gone during the day. When they came, Riza's face was unreadable as always, but beside her Rose looked away from all who attempted to meet her eyes. A new lighter cloth was bound around her neck, and it seemed the bleeding had lessened greatly, for the white cloth was barely stained with a faint rub of crimson.
Winry was the first to meet them. Quickly she whispered, "I'm sorry—I just panicked. I shouldn't have. And—and don't worry, I didn't tell anyone."
Rose nodded that faint, sad smile on her lips.
Then Ed came to them, searching their expressions. Rose turned away again, and fixed her gaze on the cream-bellied kitten who gazed up at her without worry, unable to understand the situation.
She and Riza had spent hours upon hours talking of the homunculi. Rose had learned their terrible secrets from what the lieutenant knew. Rose learned their names and their purpose—the only goal they strived for. To find the same stone Ed and Al were seeking, but on that topic Riza would not go into further. It was not said to frighten Rose, though it did. It was spoken so that Rose would know about those who marked her. Rose had taken one of the few twigs that had not fallen to ashes and wrote her questions in the soft bank of the waterfall. It gave Rose a new energy, rather than being unable to communicate entirely save with nods.
When everyone noticed that Riza would not say anything (assuming it unimportant), they left them and returned to their normal tasks of boiling watch or cooking a small crayfish. As Edward turned to leave them, Hawkeye reached out and took hold of his wrist.
Ed faced them again, bewildered. Riza's face had for once, softened, though Edward still couldn't hell what she implied. Then Riza stepped away from Rose and while she passed Ed, she whispered,
"I want you to tell her what the homunculi look like. The reason is not for you to know yet."
Rose gasped, overhearing her words, despite Riza's attempt at being discreet. She didn't want Ed to know—she didn't want him to worry. She looked at Hawkeye before she turned away and all she saw in the lieutenant's eyes was hard resolution.
Ed gazed at Rose with a kind of numb fear. She looked away and didn't move or even notice when he walked toward her. Only when he took a gentle hold of her arm did she heed his presence. He began to lead her to a place where the rest of the company would not overhear. Rose glanced at his face and realized he was dreading the topic as much as she. Why did Riza ask him to say? She had told Rose that Ed had been through terrible times with the homunculi and Rose didn't want to remind him of the pain.
Ed sat Rose and Kit down on a large smooth boulder where the ocean waves lapped gently on its sides. He, himself, sat on the one text to her and shifted nervously in an awkward silence before finally talking.
"This isn't the easiest thing to talk about." He eventually said softly. Rose guiltily averted her eyes and Ed realized his mistake. "No, I'm sorry—I didn't mean that I didn't want to—" He broke off.
Rose slid off the rock and knelt on the sand, releasing Kit from her hold. Slightly embarrassed for having to talk to him in such a manner, she dragged her finger through the sand. 'You don't have to tell me.'
Ed came beside her. "No, I was just wondering—why you would need to know…"
After a moment she shook her head, sighing, clearly symbolizing she had no intention of letting him know.
Edward said nothing for a while. Then he took a deep breath and spoke of everything he knew—and Rose recognized some of which he spoke of: the two that always lingered around Cornello's temple were described. Ed's tone would oft go low and he would refuse to look at her when he spoke of his mother and his teacher's child.
By the time Ed had finished speaking, Rose was clutching Kit close to her and shaking. Tears began to form at the corners of her eyes in fear, but as Ed was looking away she quickly suppressed them. When he found her face again he apologized meekly for scaring her. Rose didn't respond.
Eventually, the two climbed up to their feet and walked slowly back to the others.
"I see you two needed some time alone" Roy snickered at the pair when they returned. Hawkeye brought her hand back and slapped the colonel in the back of his head.
"Quiet. You're being childish," she scolded.
Ed fell back, blushing. He opened his mouth to remark but could not think of anything that he could say to defend himself.
Al stood up and made his way over to Ed. "Brother, I need to talk to you in private." He sounded nervous.
Ed couldn't restrain from smirking and the redness in his cheeks faded away. He felt as if he had finally reached the upper hand. He let Alphonse lead him away from everybody else, back to the place he spoke with Rose.
"What's up, Al?" He asked casually.
Alphonse was fidgeting distractedly. "Um…brother, this is about Rose."
As predicted. Ed stood off a little, cocking his leg and crossing his arms. He knew in this smug mood he was hardly a brotherly figure, but he couldn't help but feel that sense wash over him.
"Rose wasn't the one to bring Kit on the plane; I was. She was just watching her when I was in the water."
"What are you talking about?" This Ed had not expected.
"Remember—on the plane? I had thought you overheard, since you were practically crawling into our row…you didn't overhear us talking about Kit?"
Ed's leisured stance abruptly vanished. He hunched over, put an arm behind his head and laughed nervously as he always did. That unwanted heat rose in his face; he felt it go crimson with embarrassment. He felt a fool. Why did he ever think that Alphonse would talk that way to a girl? Al would probably be much too bashful to sweet-talk.
"Um…brother?"
"Heh, never mind, Al. Yeah, it's all right—Kit's not any trouble, she manages to catch her own food anyway, there's no problem."
He was speaking too fast and too high. "What's making you jumpy?"
"Nothing! I just don't mind Kit—she's fine!"
Alphonse shook his head. What did he say that got Ed all hyped up?
"You want to go swimming?" Ed asked incredulously. "You don't even know how to swim!"
It had been a half an hour since Rose, Winry, and Riza decided to cool off in the ocean. Rose's cut wasn't bleeding anymore, so the saltwater caused her no pain. But she still kept it covered, for reasons only she and the two other girls with her knew.
"Well I've always wanted to try." Alphonse said with an obvious star-crossed hope.
Edward smiled wryly. "So you want to know how to keep your blood seal from washing away?"
"Yes."
Ed got up from where he sat and made his way over to the crashed plane, now rusted and falling apart. The pilot or whoever stole their food reserve took only that. All their spare clothes and other goods were left untouched. Edward walked inside and burrowed through one of the bags till he found what he sought—a small box filled with press-on wrap sheets. Grinning cheekily, he brought them over to Alphonse, who by the way he scoffed seemed utterly insulted.
Yet the boy lifted his helmet off nevertheless and let his older brother place the plastic sheet over his blood seal and press together the seams. After Alphonse skipped merrily into the water, Ed went to Maria, who was watching over Bloch, as always.
The poor man was still unwell, as all new plant and fruit findings were tested by him. But he was recovering. It had been a couple weeks since he was last fed a questionable plant.
"I don't think Bloch will be on another streaking field-day soon. Why don't you join them?" He sat down.
Maria attempted a smile, "I'm not much of a swimmer." There were other reasons that she wouldn't leave Bloch but she had told no one yet.
Kit, who was frolicking in the sand, hopped onto Ed's lap, startling him. She gazed up at him with adoring violet eyes. His face softened and he rubbed the kitten's ears. Kit began her rhythmic purr and sprawled across his lap, warm and drowsy in the sun.
"I take it you don't mind being her at all?"
"Nah."
Maria cocked her head and smiled, attempting to find a hint in his expression. "Any other day you would flip out if Alphonse brought along one of his kittens. What's different now?"
"Ah, it's not worth saying."
"Or is it worth too much?"
"Hey, Maria!" Winry's voice suddenly cried out, "Come on in!"
Maria turned from the stumped Edward and declined the offer. She wouldn't risk leaving Bloch—he was wanted by the Homunculi. Maria glanced back at Ed and for a moment contemplated over telling him what she overheard but she rejected the idea.
"All right, but if you want to later, just join us!"
The three girls dove underneath the surface, cooling their sun-burned skin and enjoying the slight freedom. They spun in the cold caress of the waters and rose back to the top, brushing the hair away from their eyes and refilling their lungs of air for another submergence. Rose, dunking her head for a brief moment to force her bangs away from her face, rose above the surface again only to be showered with a fierce wave of saltwater. Rubbing her eyes, she glared at the giggling Winry, whose current mood resembled a young schoolgirl. Rose sunk a ways down into the ocean water so only her eyes remained above the surface and snuck over to Winry.
Rose leapt up and threw her hands on the blonde's shoulders, dunking the girl. Hawkeye shook her head when Winry came up and raised her hand, signifying sternly that she would take no part in their childplay.
When Winry propelled forward to return an attack, her hands outstretched toward the tan-skinned girl, Hawkeye shouted loudly, averting their attention.
"Shark!" Riza cried in alarm.
Rose and Winry fearfully whipped around and shrieked, for coming toward them was a silver fin. Panicking, the two girls followed Hawkeye as she swam over to a mound of surfaced rock, screaming the entire way.
Those on the beach rose to their feet, watching the three clamor on top of a small rock. They clung to each other, shivering.
"Are you all right?" Maria cried.
Riza was the one to answer, "We're fine, but stranded for a while."
"I'm not going back in the water to swim back!" Winry shrieked. The fin circled around the rocks for a while before slowly retreating under the surface. Still the girls dared not move.
"Aw man!" Alphonse muttered. He had been walking into the water when he realized his heavy armor would not permit him to swim. Of course when he found that out, he was already submerged; only the top of his helmet was above water as he walked along the bottom helplessly, fighting against the current. At least he need not worry about breathing. He had felt the ground rise a bit, but then the current knocked him off-balance and he stumbled, falling down to the sandy bottom.
"Do you think it's gone?" Winry asked. Her question was not answered.
Rose was fiddling half-mindedly with the small pebbles where she sat, with one cheek resting on her hand drowsily. She probably hadn't even heard the blue-eyed girl talk. Riza was watching Black Hayate sleeping on the beach, warming in the sun.
Bored, Winry crawled around the tiny landhill, searching for any thing that would be of the slightest amusement. One of the sides dropped off like a small cliff and so she lay on her stomach, draping her head and arms off the side. She gasped when she saw not a rocky surface but a hollow cavern. Leaning a bit farther, she peered in upside down and saw glittering in the cave the bright blue lights she and Rose found on their first days on the island.
Winry threw her head back up and shook Rose's shoulder. Through a curtain of dark brown hair, Rose questionably looked at the girl who was smiling with excitement.
"Remember those lights we saw?"
Rose nodded, suddenly curious. Winry didn't need to say anymore, for Rose climbed over to where Winry previously sat. Winry looked again over the side and Rose followed.
"What are you two doing over there?" Riza asked, half-laughing.
"Rose, lower me down." Rose did as she was bidden, helping Winry hop down onto the shallow waters in the cave bottom.
Rose whipped her head round to Riza and smiled, implying that she was eager to follow Winry's lead. Hawkeye helped the girl down before she, herself, leapt down onto the edge of the cave.
The saltwater only reached up to their ankles as it breathed and swelled. The three looked into the entrance a while, gazing at the cyan lights and the almost pulsing way they shone. They seemed to dim and brighten to the waves' ebb, throbbing like a beating heart. Slowly, with Hawkeye leading, the girls stepped forward into the cave. It was not dark, for the sunlight shone through and the numerous blue jewels gave off enough light to see by. So they were not afraid—merely curious and awestruck. Further in they stepped until the lights grew so numerous the cave seemed bathed and ablaze in cerulean glow. There they stopped.
All in perfect synch, the lights pulsed around them, so fierce the girls could have sworn they heard the throb of them.
Rose cautiously put her palms to the stones and leaned against their smooth surfaces, till the flesh of her cheek lay against the icy cool rock. The others tentatively brushed their surface with their hands in amazement.
"So you two have seen these stones before?" Hawkeye questioned at length, remembering what Winry said.
Winry turned her way, "Yes—though only one. And it was small, hardly something of wonder."
Rose closed her eyes, enjoying the coolness of the stone and the gentle water curling round her ankles. Then her lids snapped wide open when she felt the rock beneath her skin tremble for a moment, almost swaying in when the light dimmed and returning with a slight shake of earth when it grew brighter.
Barely noticed, with Hawkeye and Winry still conversing, Rose slipped further down the tunnel and found the walls now engraved into. Dark blue writing was written into the cyan stone. IT was in a language unknown to Rose.
The tremor grew slightly, and it seemed as if Rose could hear a soft, endearing whisper from the cave's core.
"Rose?" Winry's voice called. Rose simply splashed the cave water with her foot and the two others came to her.
Riza and Winry immediately saw the runes embellished on the walls and leaned far in, attempting to decipher their words.
It was then that the whisper that crooned to Rose grew louder and was recognized as a young girl's voice, singing softly. All three stared into the deep of the tunnel, listening.
But none of them could understand the words, though the pleading and sorrowful tone of the girl led them to believe this was no happy occasion. They stepped in further, toward the voice until she grew louder, almost sobbing.
The earth beneath them shook violently then with each stone's pulse. A great cracking could be heard above them, threatening to topple the cave.
"Out of here, now!" Hawkeye commanded over the shudders and the girl who now screamed.
"But what about the girl?"
"Grab Rose and get out of here!"
Struggling against the shaky ground, Winry took hold of Rose's hand and ran over to the mouth of the cave, with Hawkeye following.
The small girl's voice, shrieking with fear, slowly faded away from their ears as they ran further away and left her in the cave's depths.