Walking in Shadows, Seeing the Light
Author's Note: I loooove you all! Please review for me… I love you! If you all are wondering what the quotes are all about at the beginning of the story it all has to do with what the story is about… they're kinda like… hints to what the chapter will be about. HERE'S ALPHONSE FOLKS! I'm adding him into the story more especially after Dirt and Dust doesn't include him much at all.
Disclaimer: Alrighty then… I do not own FullMetal Alchemist… grrrrr…
Summary: Past meets present the clash of a haunting past lingers overhead as the Elric brothers attempt to find peace. Can an angel who guards the gate help them discover the secrets of her past as well as theirs? EdxOC and AlxOC
…if I do not return what will happen to you?' the little prince asked and the rose replied, 'I will continue to wait but I will not falter.'
The Little Prince
Chapter: Missing a Beat
Al stared out the window gloomily, his chin on his hand. 'Maybe I should get out of this office. Yeah, that's what I need to do. I'm worried about Ed.' He stood up. 'He'll be alright but I don't know if I will be.' He chuckled to himself. "I'm going out for a while. I'll be back in a bit." He told one of his subordinates and walked out, swinging his long black jacket on.
'Fresh air.' Al breathed in, filling his lungs with the damp air. 'I am glad to get out of that office, even if it is raining.' He grinned to himself and walked off. People had come to know him almost as well as his older brother, the SteelAmber Alchemist had continued his brother's work. Alphonse looked up just as a young woman came speeding through the crowds, she looked terrified, someone was behind her, running. Alphonse caught her, and spun around slamming his heel into the back of the man's head. He held a machete in his hand.
"Are you alright?" He asked the girl. She went weak kneed and almost fell. Al caught her again and she began to cry.
"Y-yes I'm quite alright… I'm sorry to be trouble." She wiped her eyes and Al picked up her pursuer by his jacket and nodded to the police who had just arrived. They cuffed him and Al helped the girl to her feet.
"You're cold." He pulled his jacket off and swung it around her shoulders. She put her hand up on the collar of the jacket, her face carved with surprise. "Why don't we get a cup of coffee?"
"Oh… Alright." She smiled. Al blinked. She was pretty. Stunningly so. "I know a nice little place just down the street here." She grinned again and Al felt his heart skip a beat. She was dazzling. 'You fall in love too easily.' Al scolded himself playfully and laughed.
"Let's go then." He smiled back and she led him off. A figure on top of a building smiled.
"Good. The lily has been spotted." A familiar smiled spread across his face. "She and the Rose will be the hardest to convince." Lucifer spread his wings and flew off, towards his cave.
As Al sat down in a dark booth in the corner of the coffee house with the girl from the street he realized something, "I'm afraid I don't know your name."
"Oh, yes, my name is Maria Lancaster. And you're SteelAmber Alchemist Alphonse Elric, right?" She nodded to the waiter as he walked over. The waiter did a double take at Al and then to Maria.
"Miss Maria, your guest…" The waiter smiled, "You always bring more customers to us Miss Maria. Senator Elric." The waiter nodded to him. "My name is Luke and I will be your waiter for today. What can I get for you?"
"Just coffee for now, and if you try and give me decaf I'll turn your head into a shoelace." The waiter nodded as Al laughed. Maria laughed as well.
"The same for me, only I feel a little hungry, how about one of Diane's hot croissants?" She nodded towards the kitchen.
"Yes ma'am, thank you for joining us sir." Luke bowed and ran off. Al grinned sheepishly and Maria covered her mouth as she giggled.
"Maria Lancaster, like the Lily Alchemist Maria Lancaster?" Al questioned. She nodded as their coffee arrived. "It's nice to finally get to know you."
"That was an empty threat you know." She laughed.
"I know, why would I hurt anyone unnecessarily?" Al chuckled darkly. Maria noticed that he was rather like his brother, in demeanor maybe not but in physical appearance and in his way of speaking. "Besides with a pretty girl like you around why would I want to show you what I can do?" He smiled then realized how horribly wrong that sounded.
She began to laugh again, her voice ringing in his head. As she looked at him again his heart missed a beat. 'What is wrong with me?' Al thought to himself. 'This can't be good.' He frowned inwardly.
She was gorgeous; standing at about 5'6" she was half a foot shorter than he. Her buttery blonde hair was pulled up in a clip at the back of her head. Her bangs were swept to the side and fell over her left eye. Her eyes were lined with long dark lashes and golden eyebrows arced gracefully over eyelids. Her top lids were brushed with fine gold powder and her bottom lids were lined in dark brown liner. Golden hoops hung from her lobes. Her left eye was a deep warm sapphire, the kind of eye you would want to lose yourself in while the other eye was brilliant emerald piercing and soul defying. Her lips were red with a pale gloss over them and her teeth were white and straight. Her neck was long and graceful, accented by a golden choker necklace. Two golden bangles on her right wrist jangled against each other when she laughed.
Her collarbone was prominent and tanned skin was stretched tightly over it. Her arms were tightly wound with flat lean muscle. She wore a periwinkle blouse that was unbuttoned a little way down and Al could see the edge of a white lace bra over the collar. He gulped to himself as his eyes searched her out; trying to figure out everything he could from just her upper body. He chuckled in his mind and made a note that she was well endowed in the cleavage department.
"I am ranked second best in the military." She said as she found where his eyes were glued.
"Huh? What?" Al blinked, breaking his trance.
"I said, the men in our military ranked me second best." She cocked her head to one side and his face turned tomato red.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't help but… I mean... oh never mind." He looked away, exasperated with himself.
"It's alright, you aren't the first person to notice them." She nodded her head to a group of military men who were all glancing her direction every once in a while.
A long brown scar curved over her left shoulder, showing that she had been in a few fights herself, "What happened there?" He asked, pointing at the scar.
"Just a battle scar. I was attacked a few years ago by a chimera from behind. I turned and it caught my shoulder." She smiled and put her hand on her shoulder.
"Oh, alright." Al's face was still red and she giggled. As they talked Al became a little more open and spoke of his brother and what was going on in his own life. Hours passed as the two sat and talked. The rain stopped and the sun cracked through the clouds and still they talked. The sunset and the street lamps came on. Finally as the entire café emptied their waiter came up, telling them that the shop was about to close. As they parted ways and traded phone numbers Alphonse realized that she was capturing him, without knowing it he had fallen for her smile. He wanted to talk to her more often.
As he walked away he bowed his head and grinned. Maybe he had found her… but she had saved him.
Hmmm… that was interesting something that even I wasn't expecting… YEEEEEHAAAAA!
Hugz,
Ringo.