Title : Whispers of a Nightmare
Genre : Anime/Manga
Category : Full Metal Alchemist
Disclaimer : Nope, this one belongs to someone else as well.
Summary : Takes place after the incident with Nina. Something's wrong with Ed, and Al just can't quite figure out what it is. Serious situations and angst ensue.
Warnings : Angst, mild language, violence, and other issues that shall go unnamed for now. I don't want to give away too much of the plot just yet, now do I? ;)
Rating : T
Chapter 12 : Tormented Deception
"Tonight? Ed, are you crazy?" the shrill outburst poured from the steel suit of armor. Alphonse paused for a moment, trying to compose himself and his thoughts. "Okay, tonight, right. And you're going to do this how?" he asked, his voice at a much calmer level.
"Well, it's pretty simple actually," the twelve year old stated nonchalantly, starting to walk again, a hidden excitement in his step. "If we board the 9:15 train, it'll only take us about two days, three at the most, to reach Kiase. Then once we're there, we get to the bottom of things, and hopefully, get you back to normal," he added, the superficial confidence sliding back into place.
"Wow, Ed, that sounds like a great plan," Alphonse quipped, sarcasm dripping thickly from his comment. "So, how long do you think it'll take us to 'get to the bottom of things?'" the eleven year old remarked, his gloved fingers emphasizing the last five words of the statement.
A slightly hurt look weaved itself around Edward's features, his eyes holding most of the blow. "Look, Al, all I have to do is leave a reasonable explanation with Mustang and we go from there. I'll just slip it on his desk before we leave, and by the time he finds it, we'll be a day away from here."
"And you don't think he has any clue about you wanting to go back?" Al prodded, an eyebrow being raised if it could. Instead, he settled for a raised gauntlet.
"What's with all this 'you' stuff?" the confused question parted the eldest Elric brother's lips. "We, Al. We. Of course not. And besides, there's a good chance he might not even make it into work tomorrow. Did you see how much of that stuff he was gulping down? Ha, and even if he does, his head'll be hurting too much to care!" A dry laugh couldn't help but escape the blonde's throat.
"Wow, Brother, I didn't realize it was that easy to fool the military," the sharp observation emanated from the steel suit.
"Very funny, Al. So are you with me?" Ed asked, his eyes brightening for the first time since the whole incident with Nina; and the near death experience with Barry the Chopper.
Why does he do this to me? "Yes, Brother, of course I'm with you. Would you think any different?" the honest question made its way through the air and into his older brother's ears.
"You were starting to scare me there for a minute," Ed admitted, shivering against the gust of wind that swirled around him. His golden bangs flew about his face, the paleness of it highlighted by the street light, it also casting a shade about his lips, making them appear a rather dark shade of blue. "So it's settled then. I just need to grab a few things from the room, and leave the letter, and we'll be set. It's 8:00 now, so we'd better hurry. I don't want to take any chances," he stated, puffs of mist forming at his lips as he spoke.
"Brother, even though I'm agreeing to this, I'm still upset about earlier," Alphonse's voice cut through the chilly air, Edward trying to pretend as though he hadn't heard it. Defying the Lieutenant Colonel's orders and leaving Central was the most dignifying thing he had done in recent days, and that feeling of getting away with something when he knew he shouldn't was one he didn't want to let go of any time soon.
They made it to HQ shortly, gathering the few possessions that they did own and giving Ed just enough time to right out a believable excuse to Mustang. Al didn't get a chance to see what it said, but could have sworn he heard one of Ed's devious snickers emanate from his throat as they quietly snuck into Mustang's office and left it.
"Are you sure you won't get into trouble for this?" Al's quiet voice asked as they made their way towards the train station.
"I'll be fine, Al. Don't worry about me," he shrugged off the comment, putting on his best façade. "I'm just not sure where to go to first," he started off, letting his thoughts be voiced. "I'd like to go talk to that bartender. I mean, he was there when it all happened, so he's bound to know something, right?"
"That is, if he'll speak to you, you mean," Al corrected, glancing down at his older, smaller brother.
"But he's not the only one, Al," Edward continued on as though his little brother hadn't uttered a word. "The majority of that town knew what was going on, I know it. There's just no way something could stay hidden for that long and no one know about it. And that doctor--we've got to find out who that doctor was. If we can find out his name, anything-- then we can get to the bottom of this. Because if the guy had one Stone, then he would at least know how to create it or where more were at, right?" the thoughts and questions kept pouring from the twelve year old's mouth, making Alphonse reminisce about their childhood days.
"Right," the younger one chipped in, giving in slightly and pushing the anger he held back a ways. He would save it for some other time, the train ride maybe.
"But she did say she killed him…"Ed's voice trailed off, his brow narrowing a bit. "But still, if we could just find a name, then who knows where that could lead us? And maybe, just maybe, there's something else those townspeople know that they aren't speaking about. Maybe there's another piece of the puzzle that we haven't seen yet," the excited ramblings continued, Al knowing how disappointed Ed would be if this were all for nothing. But if they didn't take a chance as he'd said before, then they wouldn't get anywhere either.
They reached the train station undetected and with a few minutes to spare, much to the relief of Ed. He smiled inwardly, wishing he could see the look on Mustang's face when he realized he'd be gone for awhile. A little piece of it made its way to his lips, unable to contain his contentment.
The two boys got on the train, albeit earning an odd look or two, and took a seat at the back in the comfort of the dim light that filled the car.
Ed stifled a yawn as he sat down, not wanting to admit how truly exhausted he was. Hell, his whole body ached, but for some reason, whining about it at the moment just didn't seem right. Or maybe it was the fact that he didn't want to worry Al anymore than he already was. Yeah, maybe that was it. Maybe.
He leaned back, stretching his short legs out before him, his leather pants clearly hanging off of him. And even though he could see this and knew it wasn't right, a part of him felt some sort of odd pride towards the fact, knowing he had the discipline to do something like that to himself.
Whatever doesn't kill you will make you stronger. Well, I'm not dead. Yet, the thought swirled around his jumbled mind as he closed his eyes and put his hands behind his head, feeling the train slowly roll on the tracks. You will be if you keep heading down the same road, a voice cut through his head, his eyes cracking open, he almost swearing Al had been the one to say it.
"Al, you say something?" he questioned, raising a confused brow.
"No," came the simple, quiet reply, the steel helmet still facing the window. His gloved hands were folded neatly in his lap, their suitcase tucked away safely between his two metallic boots.
The blonde was about to close his eyes again but stopped, something about the way his brother was positioned making an uneasy feeling stir within him. A sudden sadness hit him, making him grimace in response. He knew what was wrong, even if Al didn't want to say it.
His golden eyes slowly drifted to the floor, he not even being able to conceive the notion of being stuck in a metallic suit day in and day out. Not being able to feel, taste, or truly touch; gone the ability to breathe or smell anything. Never tiring, never slowing down; always awake, being forced to watch and observe everything that was going on around you at all times. Ed couldn't even fathom it.
He glanced down at his automail, knowing that the artificial arm and leg he had were nothing compared to the pain his little brother was experiencing and had been experiencing for quite some time now. All he wanted to do was take away that pain, but it seemed as though anything and everything managed to get in his way.
The blonde's head jerked swiftly as he heard the metallic suit clanking softly, his golden eyes locking onto his little brother who had simply shifted a leg, pulling the suitcase into a more secure position. His steady gaze fell once again, his heart pounding profusely in his chest.
He closed his eyes once more, hearing his stomach rumble faintly in the back of his mind. He paid the sign of hunger no heed and decided that perhaps taking a nap wouldn't be so bad. They had plenty of time to discuss their plans and course of action, a few hours couldn't hurt.
He slid quietly onto his side, wrapping his red jacket around him tightly, cool air still seeping into the sidecar. A shiver moved his body involuntarily, knowing a comment from Al would probably follow suit before he could force himself to sleep.
"Ed?"
Right on cue, he thought wryly, not even lifting his head up. "Yeah? What is it, Al?" he asked casually, scrunching up into an even tighter ball, a pain starting to make its way into his stomach.
"You didn't eat anything today." The observation was plain and clear, and it struck Ed dead and center. He'd been so good at keeping the thought away from Al, but he knew it was coming sooner or later.
"I did so. You worry too much," he murmured, another shiver traveling down his spine and through his nerves, his automail making an odd clank against the seat. His brow narrowed at this, hoping Al didn't hear it; but that was a foolish thought and he knew it, Al heard practically everything.
"No, you didn't, Brother," the flat response came from the eleven year old, his soul-filled eyes suddenly filled with a tinge of anger. He thought he could save it for later, but as pathetic and as weak as Ed was starting to look, the thought of this whole fiasco being a bad idea crept into his mind once again, forcing him to speak on it.
"I'm fine, Al, really," the blonde mumbled as sleepily as he could, only sounding half as convincing as he usually did when he was acting. He clenched his jaw, the pain seemingly echoing through his insides, traveling throughout his mid section and upper legs. His hand grasped at the cottony red material of his jacket, doing as best he could to wait it out.
"Brother, I may be trapped in this empty shell--"
"Thanks for reminding me," Ed's quiet mutterings cut off his brother's words, only angering the eleven year old even more.
"But I'm not blind!" he shouted, a seemingly woe-filled expression coveting his eyes.
"Keep your voice down, will ya?" Ed warned, sitting up quickly and casting a fearful glance around them, making sure their conversation rested between their ears only. The last thing he needed was for them to attract attention to themselves. The whole point of leaving so late was to remain unnoticeable and inconspicuous, if at all possible.
"You know, Ed, I have no control over the way I look, but you do. And you're obviously not doing a very good job of it!" he scolded the twelve year old, anger still ever present in his youthful tone.
"There isn't anything wrong with me, Al, so I don't know what you're making a big deal about-"
"You know exactly why I'm making a big deal!" the exclamation poured from the suit of armor. "Yes, I'm worried about you, but I have good reason to be! You look like a walking skeleton, Ed!" The boy's voice broke with the last comment, he unable to hold his emotions under control any longer.
The words wracked Ed mercilessly, his golden eyes growing in size. They suddenly took on a watery appearance, tears threatening to leak out at any time. The boy could feel his hands start to shake, his heart beat racing rapidly once more. His vocal cords apparently decided to turn themselves off, for he couldn't even utter a word.
"And you know, that's not even the entire reason why I'm so afraid to continue with this-this scheme!" his tirade of painful words continued on, hurt being vocalized to the extreme. "I'm afraid I might not even trust your judgment anymore! You'd better hope that excuse you gave was a good one, because if it isn't…I don't want to know what would happen…" his pained voice slowly faded, his helmet turning towards the window once more.
A tear silently made its way down Ed's cheek, he quickly wiping it away with the back of his shaking hand. The speechlessness continued for another moment, his little brother's words charging through his head. His heart beat continued to grow louder in his ears, quickening at a frightening pace, but he paid no attention to it, focusing on the continuous cycle of words that forced their way through his ears.
His golden orbs stared straight ahead, water shining in them once more. His hands braced the seat he was on, looking as though he were holding on for dear life, the remnants of the blow slowly dissipating. He never thought he felt as bad in his life as he did at that moment. He'd never heard his little brother sound like that before, and the closest that it ever came to that tone was the island incident, when all hope was pretty much given up on.
The sound of metal clanking made the boy's head raise, the image of Alphonse standing to his feet and exiting the car making his heart sink even further. He watched the suit of armor walk quickly away from him and out into the back of the car, the sound of the door opening and closing befalling his ears.
A few more tears quietly leaked down his cheeks, an involuntary sigh leaving his lips. His watery gaze fell to the window, drifting among the darkness that covered the outside. He wanted to let Alphonse cool off, have a little time to himself, but something told him to get up and get out there, just in case.
Reluctantly, he pushed himself up off the semi-comfortable seat, guilt etching across his soul. He forced his legs to move, though his left one seemed to lack the extra bit of strength he needed to move it, it falling slightly off sync with his right one. He closed his eyes for a moment as the sound of his boot dragging met his hearing, fully knowing he needed rest, but couldn't get it until he settled things with his little brother.
Thankful that the majority of the passengers were sleeping, he carefully made his way out of the car, opening the door as quick as was possible, and slipping right next to Al, the cold breeze instantly hitting him and nearly pushing him off his feet.
Silence rested between them momentarily as the train continued to chug, the landscape rushing by at several miles per hour. But the darkness covered the land like a thick winter blanket, making it pretty much impossible to see much of anything except for the shards of moonlight that were filtering through the clouds.
The wind was chilling Edward to the bone, his hair spilling about wildly. He held onto the steel post that framed the end of the train like a fence, resting his left boot on one of its lower bars. Pain traveled up and down his leg, he trying to hide the trace of a grimace it left on his features. Words were tumbling through his mind at an alarming rate, his brain trying to process them as fast as it could, though nothing still refused to come out.
"Tell me why." Alphonse's voice drifted through the night air, straight into Ed's ears. Silence drifted between them for a moment, the older boy still trying to make his vocal cords work, a task that was proving to be increasingly difficult.
"Why what?" the two words parted Edward's lips, his gaze staring straight ahead, his voice taking on a slightly colder tone. He hunched over a bit, trying to hold onto any heat he had created for himself inside, though that seemed fruitless as well.
"Don't act dumb, Brother," Al responded dully, his soul-filled eyes seemingly narrowing a bit. He stood up straighter and folded his arms across his metal chest, his gaze falling to the side, the cold wind blowing past him and he unable to feel it.
"Maybe I'm not acting," Ed muttered, resting his head on his chin. His golden eyes carried a faint glow, appearing more haunted than a twelve year old's should be; hell, anyone's for that matter.
"What do you call it then?" Al shot, turning towards the tiny alchemist. "Because I never took you for being an idiot, Brother!" his voice broke through the crisp air, sending a shiver down the boy's spine.
"And I'm not either!" Ed recoiled, standing up straight, his red jacket cascading around him, any sign of warmth completely gone. His hands were starting to shake again, the skin around his eyes starting to redden.
"Why are you doing this, Ed? To prove a point? And don't say because you're just not hungry, because frankly, Brother, I'm not buying that anymore!" The eleven year old's voice shuddered slightly, a faint whimper escaping the nearly invincible steel suit.
"There's nothing wrong with me, Al, so will you just get off it!" the blonde shouted, his voice barely audible over the roar of the locomotive's engine. He had a fierce but fearful look set upon his face, a forecast of rain and sobs in the near future.
"If I don't do anything about it, you're going to die! Do you think Mom would like to see her oldest son starve himself to death?" The younger boy was silent for a moment letting his words sink thoroughly in. In a lower, more controlled voice, he continued, "You're all I've got left, and I'm not about to lose you know."
"You're not going to lose me," the whisper came from the young State alchemist's lips, tears brimming at his eyes. "I made a promise, Al, and I'm going to keep it. I'm going to get you you're body back no matter what."
"Then tell me, Brother, how are you going to get it back if you're dead?" The howling wind blew a distilled silence through their ears, the invisible rift between them growing larger by the second. The moon finally broke free of it's midnight prison, pale rays of its glorious light illuminating the two figures standing next to one another, both in a defensive position.
In the far distance of sound, an animal howled, flowing faintly between them, an odd sensation falling over the two brothers.
Without warning, the train started to shake, the track uneven and choppy.
"Ed, what's going on?" Al's now fear-filled voice exclaimed, grabbing a hold of the rail Edward had been holding onto just minutes before, his armor clanking noisily through the chaos of it all.
"I think the train's going to derail!" the blonde shouted back, his small body moving much more easily than that of his younger brother's. The train jerked suddenly, throwing him straight into the rail, pain shooting down his side instantaneously. "Just hold on!" he yelled, clasping a hold of the iron bars.
The train continued to jerk, and then with a sickening crunch of metal, the two brothers could feel it veer off the tracks, some of the cars tumbling over and crashing into the soft earth below.
The last thing they heard was the sound of an explosion as they were sent flying into the darkness of night, and the screams of the other passengers. A long night, indeed.
&&&&&
Bright rays of sunlight poured through the office windows, irritating the still quite hung-over Lieutenant Colonel Mustang. His steps were slow but calculated, his jet black eyes landing on the ever present mountain of paperwork that cluttered his desk. Slowly but surely, he made it to his chair and sat down, not looking forward to the day that lay ahead.
He reached for his coffee mug only to find it was a leftover from the day before, his eyebrows narrowing further. Letting out an angered sigh, he pushed it away, hoping it would spill all over some of the useless paperwork and probably late as well. But to his dismay, it decided to stay glued to the spot where it was at, just annoying him further.
He leaned back, reaching a hand over to close the blinds. But just before he did, a piece of paper that had not been there the day before caught his eye. Raising an eyebrow, he carefully picked it up, all the while knowing that somehow he would not be pleased to read whatever was on it. And sure enough, he was right, as always.
Attention Lieutenant Colonel Mustang-
My automail stopped working. Had to go back to Resembool to get it fixed. Will be back in a week or so.
--Edward Elric
He could see as plain as day right through the twelve year old's poor penmanship that the letter was nothing but a load of crap and the boy had went ahead and disobeyed his orders, making the headache that was invading his brain grow even more present and throbbing.
The Lieutenant Colonel could fee his teeth grit, the image of him snapping his fingers and giving the kid a good tan shooting through his pained skull. He gripped the piece of paper tightly, surely his knuckles turning a nasty shade of pale underneath his famed gloves.
He should have known better, but as they say, the alcohol got in the way. Severely.
Plans and strategies began making their way through his aching brain, he trying to choose which one would be the fastest and more appropriate. On one hand, he could go catch the kid and bring him back himself, but that would only piss off the higher ranks, leading to a lecture about why children shouldn't be involved with the military, and a possible demotion as well.
Scratch, had to think of something else. And quick too.
He could send some of his subordinated after them, but would they be strong enough to force the boys to come back to Central?
Scratch that too, there's no telling what that Full Metal was capable of, especially when he put his little prodigy mind to it.
Then there was the choice of just letting him go and learning the hard way not to fuck with Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang; but hell, if he wouldn't have saved his ass the last time, the kid wouldn't have lived to see his thirteenth birthday; well, he wouldn't have, but Kania would.
He shook his head, frustration beginning to kick in. He needed caffeine, something to get his clouded mind working. The onyx eyed man stood up, forcing his near lethargic body to walk to the outer office, hoping that Hawkeye would be awaiting him with a hot cup of caffeinated energy; but as he stepped out, he came to the realization that he was still alone, a thought which struck him as being strange. Where was Hawkeye? And Havoc? And everyone else?
The daylights were nearly scared out of him as he heard the phone ring in his office, clearly a sign that something was wrong if someone was calling to bother him this early. Reluctantly, he stalked back into the inner room and snatched up the phone, his voice clearly not awake.
"Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang," he stated into the receiver, his jet black eyes falling to the scribbled note the Elric boy had discarded on his desk. He was taken aback as the Fuhrer's voice met his ears.
"Lieutenant Colonel, sorry to bother you so early this morning, but a State emergency occurred last night, and I'm going to need you to lead a recovery team to the accident site," the deep voice ordered, his tone completely awake and professional.
"Yes, sir. Of course. May I ask what occurred?" he inquired, his brow narrowed, his voice dripping with curiosity.
"There was a train derailment approximately thirty miles southwest of Central near Destane. And from what I hear, it's not pretty. Your orders are to be carried out immediately," Fuhrer King Bradley informed the younger man, putting thoughts of the Full Metal alchemist on hold.
"Yes, sir," Mustang answered without hesitation, hanging up the phone. "Elric, if you've got anything to do with this…"
Author's note : I don't know what to say at the moment, so I'll just say THANK YOU to hyperdude, Roy-Fan-33, Lyemi, agent000, Aemilia Rose, JChrys, Birth of Venus, Legendary Chimera, DarkSquire008, marufu-chan, TelevisionGod, Akamori-chan, vampirelf, Harryswoman and all the rest of you who put me on alert of your favs list. I appreciate the support so much, and am thankful for each of you that has taken the time to review and give me a little feedback. And those of you who are silent readers as well. ;)
I also want to thank those that reviewed my two one-shots so THANK YOU to cuylerjade, Roy-Fan-33, JChrys, Taydr- I LOVE FMA-ED IS My…, Demon-Dog, TelevisionGod, Lesdarian, AirElemental101, Roy-Fan-33, fullmetal-flame-lover, JChrys, lol, Aemilia Rose, and Demon-Dog. Thank you guys so much, and I appreciate those reviews as well. And at the current moment, I don't have plans to continue Cries From the Wastelands. It's a possibility, but this story's definitely getting finished before I start or continue anymore. But do expect more one-shots. :D