Author's Note: I'd like to say thank you to my reviewers. I appreciate every single review I get. I have quite a bit written for the FMA&the Sin Alchemist, which is why I'm posting every few days. As much as I'd like to keep this going, I probably won't have any updates until early or mid next week, since I have to work at an agricultural fair this weekend. Exciting, trust me.
Again, I would also like to ask, if you read the story, please review. It's nice to know I have readers out there, so even a simple "I liked it," would be appreciated. I was hoping to get at least five more reviews for this chapter.
The following is the third chapter of my fanfiction. Please, read and review, but be kind. I have altered the timeline of some of the events that are found in both the manga and the anime to suit this story. Also, remember, please, that I have altered some of the facts of FMA, which is why my character can do what she can.
Disclaimer: I do not own FMA. I do own Ria Karma.
Fullmetal Alchemist
-and the-
Sin Alchemist
-Three-
Mustang had given one last order before Ria, Ed, and Al had left. When in crowded areas, Ria was to cover herself to avoid recognition. So as they waited to board their train in the East City Train Station, she found herself wearing Edward's red coat. The hood was pulled up and hung low over her face. Ed and Al flanked her, like a pair of mismatched bodyguards. She could see in her peripheral vision that people were staring at the three of them.
"Are you alright, Ria?" She felt a giant metal hand grip her shoulder gently.
"Yes." She nodded.
For an empty suit of armor, Alphonse Elric was far more human than many people Ria had met in her lifetime. Even his touch as armor was gentle, something Ria was not used to at all. She let his hand remain on his shoulder. Edward was standing on her other side, watching the crowd. He had hardly spoken since she had returned to the hotel. He had passed on Mustang's order to her, and told her that they were leaving as soon as she was packed. As they went down to meet Falman who was going to drive them to the station, she told Al she had nothing to cover herself with. A moment later, Edward had tossed his red jacket at her.
"Don't ruin it," was the last thing he had said.
That had been over an hour ago, and since then Al had kept up a stream of one side conversation and observations. She noticed Ed nodded accordingly with every pause, but he didn't reply. Ria herself only spoke when Al made a direct indication to her, other than that, she stood as still as possible with out a word passing her lips.
"C'mon, our train is here," Ed said suddenly, startling Ria.
She looked at him. His golden eyes stared back at her with such intensity that she turned away. In her mind's eye, she could see his blonde hair framing his face, giving him a youthful look. The signature braid Ed wore was hanging over his shoulder. He was wearing his usual outfit, including his white gloves to hide his automail. One day, she thought, I'd like to see his arm. She felt Ed grip her wrist and pull her along with him, without giving her a chance to protest at his touch. She had to run to keep up. Though he was short, Ed moved with long strides. There was a constant clanking sound behind them, and she knew Al was following.
Once on the train, Ria found she was sitting next to Al. Edward was sitting across from them, digging through his suitcase. A moment later, he pulled out a small notebook and a pen, and then focused his attention on jotting things inside it. Al sighed at the sight of his brother, before turning to Ria.
"Are you comfortable, Ria? I know you can't take off Ed's coat, but-…" Al's voice trailed off, as she looked up at him.
"I'm fine," She answered softly. "Thank you, Al."
She reached up a hand, and pulled the hood down lower over her eyes. She leaned up against the window, and sighed. A moment later, she felt herself drifting to the realm of dreams where she always found herself with a happy family, and she had learned alchemy as a hobby. Dreams, she thought as the darkness enveloped her, were always better than real life.
"Ed, I think she's asleep."
Edward looked over at the hooded figure across from him. There was no movement from underneath the jacket, nor any sounds. There hadn't been for several hours. Ed turned his gaze to his brother, and choked on a laugh. Alphonse was looking down at the Sin Alchemist with the same aura Ed always felt when Al found a stray cat.
"No, Al, we can't keep her," Ed joked. "We can't give her a home as we don't have one ourselves."
Al gave an embarrassed giggle, and scratched his armor head. "Brother, I was just thinking. She looks so sad. I wonder why."
Ed snorted derisively. "She didn't look that sad in the hotel room with Mustang…." He fell silent, feeling slightly guilty. He had noticed that even when she had carried that distant look on her face, it still radiated with a bitter sadness that Ed could not understand. "Speaking of Mustang, I wonder why he let her talk to him like that. She wasn't even doing it jokingly. She meant everything she said. He just sat there and took it."
"Brother, we both know that Mustang has reasons for doing everything," Al responded. "I think he knows more about her than we do."
Ed nodded. "Mustang does have that habit."
"Where are we headed, Brother?" Al asked.
Their conversation had finally turned from the Sin Alchemist, and Ed felt himself relieved. Ever since he had told the girl their story, he'd felt a rush of anger towards her. Her response had been cold, and he wondered if she would stay true to her words of being only for herself. How could they rely on someone like that? Still, Ed felt it prudent to allow the girl to prove herself before he shunned her completely. Besides that, he could tell Alphonse quite liked the girl, and wouldn't allow Ed to just push her away.
"Xenotime," Ed answered. "I want to look up the Tringhams."
Al's bright glowing red orbs that served as eyes stared at Edward. "Why?"
Ed shook his head. "I don't know. I just have a feeling we should go there."
They both jumped suddenly as the red lump in the corner moved. A moment later, a hand reached out and pulled the hood away, revealing a red-faced Ria. Her eyes were barely open, but she managed to shrug off the coat, and push it towards Alphonse.
"Too hot," She murmured, before sinking back into sleep.
Al gave a little cry and turned to Ed. "She's not supposed to take off the coat!"
Ed looked around. The train was emptier than when they had first gotten on. Most of the remaining passengers were at the other end of the car, and all of them seemed pretty harmless. Ed reached over and snatched his coat back from Alphonse.
"She's fine. No one's going to notice her," He said, examining the folds of fabric for anything that had been there before. "Besides, we're the last stop."
He folded his jacket neatly, and placed it on one side of the bench. Laying his head down upon it, he stifled a yawn.
"I think I'll sleep too, Al," The yawn escaped his lips. "There's my spare shirt in the suitcase, should anyone come close. Throw it over her if you have too."
"Alright, Brother."
Soon, Al found himself alone, watching over possibly two of the most famous State Alchemists to have ever been discovered.
//-//
The green eyes of the Sin Alchemist snapped open. The train had begun to slow, and it occasionally gave a strong jerk. As her eyes came into focus, she could see the Fullmetal Alchemist was asleep on the bench across from her. The jerking of the train only served to rock Edward into a deeper sleep. Perhaps riding on trains so often had given Ed the ability to sleep through any jerks, bumps, or tosses, Ria thought. She watched as Alphonse reached out a hand to shake his brother awake.
"Brother, we're here."
Edward's eyes opened, and he turned towards Ria. She stared back at him with an empty stare. He sat up, and tossed his coat back at Ria. It landed in her lap, and she looked down on it.
"Put it on. We don't know who will be waiting in Xenotime," Ed instructed, getting to his feet.
Even though it was dark outside, Ria pulled the coat over her shoulders, and pulled the hood up over her head. She reached under the bench and pulled her small knapsack up and threw that over her shoulder as well. Ed watched her, and then nodded for her to follow him. Alphonse followed behind. They descended the stairs of the train, and moved through the stop station.
Ria saw at once that there were no people moving around at all. That meant it was a late hour. She turned to Alphonse, looking for a reasonably polite answer to the only question she had.
"Al, what are we doing here?" Her voice came out soft, as she fell back to walk in step with the suit of armor.
She saw Edward's head turn slightly, as if he was listening in on the conversation. He remained silent, as he led the way through the small town. Ria realized that she had overheard one of them say Xenotime during her moments of light sleep. She knew Xenotime had been a gold mining town that had once been successful, but since the Fullmetal Alchemist had been through, its major export had become fruit.
"We're looking for some people. Brother thinks they might be able to help us," Alphonse responded.
Ria nodded. After a few minutes, they arrived in front of a small house that was surrounded by acres of fruit trees. She felt Al's hand on her head, and suddenly she was looking down at her feet. The pressure had caused her head to bow. She heard Ed's footsteps as he walked up to the door, and the heavy knock of his automail arm against the door. After a few moments of silence, she heard the door open.
"Well, Mr. Elric," A deep voice said. "What a surprise. Tell me, to what do I owe the pleasure of this late visit?"
Ed's voice was much more pleasant than she had heard before. "I'm looking for Russell and Fletcher, Belsio. Any idea where they are?"
The man called Belsio gave a deep laugh. "You've come to the right place. They've been staying here since you destroyed the Red Water." There was a pause, and the sound of shifting weight. "Come in, and I'll go get them for you."
Alphonse's hand guided Ria inside of the house. She felt a rush of warmth as she stepped inside, and sincerely wished she could remove the coat. Until Edward gave the say-so, it wasn't possible; she was stuck. She heard the door shut, and two steps of footsteps moving away from them. After a few minutes of complete silence, Ria was feeling hot and confused. Taking the chance since no one was around, she looked up Al.
"Alphonse, what's going on?" She asked.
"Ed went upstairs with Belsio to see the Tringham Brothers. When he comes down again, I'll ask if you can take off the coat," Al responded.
Ria nodded, and dropped her head again. She gave a nearly inaudible sigh as the silence fell between them again. Her neck was starting to ache from looking down; she wished Edward would hurry up. After a few moments, the silence was broken by the sound of many footsteps from above them. There was a creak, and then the sound of descending steps and voices. The voices drew closer, until Ria could see three sets of feet coming to a stop in front of her and Al.
"Hello, Alphonse," a new voice greeted Al. "Who's this with you, Ed?"
Al made a funny noise as his brother spoke. "Have you guys been hearing any news from East City?"
There was a pause, and then the first deep voice spoke. "There was a bit of news a while back…something about a new State Alchemist with very unusual skills. It was said that the new alchemist could rival the one and only Edward Elric, the people's hero."
At the last comment, Ed gave an involuntary derisive laugh. "Take off the coat, Ria."
Ria pulled off Ed's coat, balled it up in her hands, and threw it hard at the Fullmetal Alchemist. He caught it in his hands with a mildly surprised look on his face. She shot him a final look, before turning to examine the two men on the side of him. One had dark black hair, a single loose curl falling into his dark eyes. The other was a dirty blonde with brown eyes. He towered over Ed, but Ria had a feeling that he was very close to her own age.
"Ria, this is Belsio…" The man named Belsio nodded. "And this is Russell Tringham…" Russell gave a short, confused wave. "Russell, Belsio, this is Ria Karma, the Sin Alchemist."
"Well, Ed, is this the only way you can meet women? Have your commanding officer hook you up with one on a mission?" Russell teased. "I mean, you are so short, you must have a hard time meeting women of your…stature…."
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SHORT LIKE AN ANT THAT YOU SQUISH?" Ed screeched.
As Ed continued to rant about his height, Ria sighed. She had never said anything, but it didn't seem to take much to be taller than Ed. In fact, Ria had at least an inch on him, maybe two. Finally, Ed's rant died out, and he turned to Russell, still fuming.
"Look Russell, we have a reason for searching you and Fletcher out, but it can wait until tomorrow. There are a lot of details we need to go over, and now is not the time." Ed turned to Belsio. "Do you think we could stay?"
"Sure, if you don't mind sleeping on our couch. I think it would be better if Miss Karma gets the spare bed," Belsio responded. "As she is the only female at this residence."
Ed nodded, and waved Russell good night. He and Al both retired to the living room without so much as word to Ria. Russell looked down at the girl in front of him, noting it did not seem to bother her that Ed had completely ignored her.
"You two don't get along?" Russell asked.
Ria looked away. "You could say that."
Belsio shot a look at Russell. "You should get some sleep, Russell, who knows what Elric has in store for you tomorrow. I'll escort Miss Karma to the guest room."
At this, Russell bid her good night and disappeared back up stairs. She followed Belsio to a small room in the back of the house. Inside of it were a small bed and a dresser.
"Rest easily, Miss Karma. No danger will come to you in this house," Belsio said, cryptically.
Ria spun around to look at him. He had a kind smile on his face, but the choice of words was eerie. Or was there already known danger to her that she had yet to learn of? Bidding Belsio good night, she shut the door. After slipping out of her clothes, and pulling on a loose sleep shirt, she crawled into the bed. She wouldn't sleep; she had slept to long on the train. Instead she pulled the blankets up to her chin, and watched the closed door until daybreak, when she finally released herself into her better, happier dream life.
//-//
For a walking, empty suit of armor, Alphonse Elric seemed to disappear a lot. Edward stomped around Belsio's house looking for his younger brother, who had vanished while Ed was in the bathroom. Ed felt the bubble of anger that had been in his chest since the previous day had grown bigger, know that it seemed Alphonse was even acting up. As he turned the corner to the back of the house, Edward spotted Alphonse standing in a doorway.
"Al?" Ed called.
His younger brother gave a startled jump, and turned towards his brother, pulling the door behind him closed.
"Oh, hello, Brother," He greeted Ed nervously.
"What were you looking at, Al?" Ed stared up at Alphonse suspiciously.
Al shook his head. "Oh nothing."
Not buying Al's excuse, Ed pushed past his younger brother, and opened the door. The first thing he saw was a tangled mass of black hair spread across a single white pillow. It took him a moment to realize that he was staring down at the sleeping Sin Alchemist, who he had never seen look peaceful. There was a tiny smile on her lips as she breathed deeply; she was obviously content with whatever dream world she was in. Ed stepped back out of the room and closed the door. Al stood behind him, seemingly embarrassed to be caught staring at Ria.
Ed sighed. "I don't want to know. Let's go, Russell and Fletcher are waiting for us in the kitchen. We'll let Ria sleep and we'll fill her in on the details later."
Russell and Fletcher Tringham were sitting at the table, each with an orange in their hands. Fletcher was Russell's younger, more placid brother. As he saw Ed and Al walk in, a wide smile appeared and he waved.
"Hi!"
Russell smiled at his younger brother, and then turned to look past Ed out into the hall. "Ria isn't joining us?" He asked curiously.
Ed stared at Russell. "She's sleeping still. Al and I will tell her everything later." He couldn't help but notice that Russell was looking disappointed by this news. Suddenly, a thought hit him. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the older Tringham brother. "You think she's pretty, don't you?" He asked, accusingly.
Russell blushed. "Well, Ed, just because you haven't noticed, let me fill you in on something. That girl you are traveling with is quite attractive. Not that it matters for you anyway, I'm sure Ria only likes tall guys."
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT THAT YOU'D FIND A NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK BEFORE YOU FOUND HIM?"
Ed's traditional outburst was followed by laughter from everyone around the table.
"Ed, where do you come up with this things? And besides, that's not what I said. I was only pointing out that some one like Ria is naturally bound to find-…." Russell found himself cut off by an angry glare from the older Elric.
"What would you know about her anyway, Russell? Never mind. This isn't what we're here for. Can we get back to the point please?" Ed snapped, his face flushing with anger.
His eyes fell on Fletcher. Even if Russell lied in his answer to Ed's next question, Fletcher's face would give the honest answer away instantly. Fletcher, like Alphonse, was too kind hearted to lie.
"I think it's safe to assume you haven't given up completely on your father's research, right?" He asked.
Russell smiled. "You are good, Edward. We hadn't given up on it completely, until a few weeks ago."
Ed looked between the Tringham brothers. "Up until a few weeks ago?"
Fletcher nodded. "Some one broke into this house, and stole a good amount of money, some of Belsio's family heirlooms, and all of our father's notes."
"There isn't any leads as to who did it, we think it was a random robbery. One of Belsio's heirlooms turned up in Central just last week, but nothing else has surfaced," Russell continued.
Ed shuddered. Some one now had notes on how to create the deadly Red Water that had already taken so many innocent lives. Resting his chin on his right hand, Ed turned to Alphonse.
"That's not good. I'll have to write Mustang a report about this."
"Definitely." Al agreed.
Russell cleared his throat. "Ed, there's more."
The Fullmetal Alchemist's head jerked towards the elder Tringham brother. "More?"
"Before the break in, we had managed to create a proto-type Philosopher's Stone out of the Red Water." Russell paused. "They also took that with them."
Ed inhaled sharply. There was no telling what destruction someone could wreak with even a prototype stone. It still had strong alchemic powers. He rose to his feet, breaking off all conversation. Fletcher stared up at Ed, a frightened look on his face.
"Thanks Russell, I think we've got what we need. Is it alright if I use your phone?" Ed spoke calmly.
Russell nodded and led him to the phone. After making sure everyone else was out hearing, he dialed his least favorite number in the world.
"Mustang."
"Hey, Colonel. I've got something you need to know." Ed said, softly. He could hear Belsio moving towards the stairs on the floor above him.
"What is it Fullmetal? It's not Sin is it?" Mustang's voice suddenly became worried.
Ed couldn't help but think it was odd that the first thing out Mustang's voice was concern for the Sin Alchemist. Usually he was composed, and withdrawn.
"No, Ria's fine. It's about the Red Water from Xenotime."
"Oh. What about it?" Mustang sounded relieved.
"There was a break in to a house a few weeks ago. The bandit or whoever it was made of with some money, some personal items, and notes on the Red Water done by Nash Tringham. Plus, there was a prototype stone with it all."
Mustang's end was silent for a moment, except for the rustling of papers. "Alright, Fullmetal, if I hear anything I'll let you know." He barely showed any concern, which irritated the already confused Fullmetal Alchemist.
"Can I ask you something, Colonel?" Ed spat into the phone. "What's the deal with you and Ria anyway?"
Again there was a moment of silence. Finally, Mustang spoke with such arrogance that if Ed had been in front of him, rather than on the phone, he would have punched him.
"That, Edward, is none of your concern. I'll let you know if I hear anything on the fake stone."
As Edward inhaled, about to unleash his fury on the Colonel, he heard a click. The line had gone dead.
//-//
The sun was high in the sky by the time the Sin Alchemist surfaced from her dream world. She sat up, her long hair falling over her right shoulder. She wondered vaguely why no one had woken her.
"Maybe they left me," She whispered, amused at the thought.
Just as that pleasant thought crossed her mind, there was a knock on the door. It opened a crack, and Ria could see Edward standing on the other side. He was dressed, but not in his typical outfit. He wore a black button up shirt over his trademark black pants. His hair was hung loose down his back; he had obviously not bothered to braid it yet. He pushed the door open further, eyeing her as he did it.
"Can I come in?" He spoke in a whisper almost, but his voice carried to her ears.
She nodded, and he crossed through the doorway. She looked down at his feet and noticed that he didn't have his shoes on yet. She saw his right foot, a flesh and blood appendage, and then her eyes fell on his left. The cold steel glinted in the sun; she could tell it functioned like a normal foot. She looked up to see that Ed was looking slightly uncomfortable.
"Sorry." She responded. "I've never seen automail up close before."
Ed drew closer, and lifted his leg up onto the edge of the bed. He rolled his pant leg up, and held it in place. His gaze fell onto Ria. She looked at him for a moment, before staring down at his leg.
"They don't have automail where you come from?" Ed asked. "You can touch it-I mean, if you want too." He had watched Ria hesitantly reach her hand out and then pull it back quickly.
"Automail is expensive, and my home village isn't a very rich one. If you could afford automail, you could move down to the valley, where the rich people were. Even there it was extremely rare. I think I saw it only once or twice." She pressed her hand against Ed's leg; the steel was cold against her palm.
He did not speak as she ran her hand over the ridges and bolts of his leg. An odd thought floated into his mind, one that hardly ever crossed it; he wished for nothing more than the ability to feel her hand against his skin. Then he realized that perhaps if he had his leg in the flesh, she wouldn't be touching him at all; in truth, he would never have met her if it were. He hesitated before breaking the silence between them; he didn't really want Ria to pull away, but he knew as soon as he spoke, she would cease to be as she was; open and responsive.
"Ria," He began, watching her hand drop and recede under the blankets. "I was thinking. I owe you an apology, I haven't been very pleasant with you."
Ria kept her eyes on him. She knew Ed wasn't a bad person, but she had never really been pleasant with him either. She couldn't help but feel that if Mustang had allowed them time to meet without all the hush-hush and bad feelings, they would have been able to get along better. Instead, after practically forcing Ed to tell his story, and pushing her to accept a mission that deviated from her own twisted path, they had clashed. She hadn't truly felt like opening up to Edward until that very moment, and slowly, very, very slowly, she was breaking down her wall she had put between them.
"Don't apologize," She said, softly. Her eyes trailed from his face to his arm. "Really."
Ed raised an eyebrow, but ceased his apology. He watched as her eyes moved towards his arm. Releasing his pant leg, he unbuttoned the sleeve on his right arm, and pulled it upward. He extended his hand towards her, with a goofy smile on his face. The uneasiness that he had felt just minutes ago evaporated. She wasn't disturbed by his automail at all. In fact, she seemed to find it interesting.
The peace between them was broken by a knock on the door. Ria pulled away, and stared at the wall, her face empty and her eyes dim. Ed was feeling irritated at whoever had interrupted them. He turned towards the door to find Belsio staring in at them. The older man wasn't bothered by the image before him.
"Ed, we're heading out to the fields. Once you've finished getting ready, there's a bag at the door for you," Belsio said. He glanced at Ria, and then back at Ed's irritated face. "I'm sorry for interrupting you two, but you did promise."
"I did. Equivalent exchange." Ed nodded.
As Belsio retreated from the room, Ed turned back to Ria. She was staring at him, her eyes seemed alive suddenly.
"I promised Belsio that since he let us stay the night, I would help him in the fruit fields for a while," Ed answered, a rush of embarrassment returning to him. "You don't have too, though. You might want to spend the day here and rest, actually. We've got a long journey ahead of us."
She nodded. "Alright."
"When I get back, Al and I will fill you in on the details of what we talked about with Russell and Fletcher," Ed backed away towards the door. "Fletcher left you some bread and fruit on the table, when you get hungry."
He turned, and hurried from the room, pulling the door closed as he went. Ria watched it shut. Perhaps she had let Ed get too close. She sighed, promising herself that she would wait a while before opening up to Ed again. She pushed back the blanket, and pulled her knees up to her chest. She felt her left leg begin to itch from something in the fabric of the blanket. She pulled the offending piece away, and examined her leg. She frowned. The skin of her leg was a creamy pale white, punctuated by twenty or twenty-five faded purple scars. The scars were steadily increasing in number and slowly crawling upwards on her leg. The top slash wasn't a scar quite yet; it was still fresh, and at the slightest amount of pressure it would bleed. She rubbed her fingers against her leg, trying to alleviate the itch with the pads of her fingers. A moment later, she pulled the blanket back over her legs. That, she decided, she would never show anyone if she could help it.
She made the scars; by a small pocketknife she kept with her always. The newest one had been made less than a day ago. It was her own method of keeping track of her sins, and in a way offering penance up for them. It relieved her of some of the guilt she carried around daily.
Reaching for her clothes, Ria decided to follow Ed down to the fields after she had eaten. Hopefully, Ed wouldn't mind.
//-//
Edward Elric had never felt so humiliated in his life. Russell and Fletcher were looking up at him, laughing. He had had the brilliant idea to climb up onto one of the branches to reach the higher fruits. In doing so, he managed to slip, and catch his automail leg in a twist of branches. Now he was hanging upside down like some stupid monkey. No one had bothered to help him down yet, preferring instead to laugh at him.
"Hello, a little help here?" He snapped.
While Russell continued to laugh, Fletcher moved towards the tree. Producing a small piece of chalk from his pocket, he drew a transmutation circle on the trunk, and pressed his hand to it. The Fullmetal Alchemist watched as his foot was released. He tumbled to the ground, landing with his legs near his ears. He blinked a few times feeling disoriented, as Russell fell to the ground beside him, howling with laughter. At least, he thought, Ria didn't see his lack of grace when in free fall.
Ed got to his feet and searched around for the bag with his picked fruit. It was a few feet away on its side. Fruit was tumbling out of it, and he could see some was bruised from the fall.
"Oh, give it a rest Russell," Ed snapped irritably.
"Very smooth, Edward. You were kind of like a bird for a moment…and then you landed," Russell laughed.
Ignoring him, Ed gathered his fruit back into the bag, tossing the bruised ones to the side for the wild animals. Hoisting the bag back on to his shoulder, he looked over at Russell, whose laughter had ceased. The elder Tringham was staring off into the distance, with a pleased look on his face. Russell waved his hand in greeting. Ed turned curious to know at whom Russell was waving. Too his surprise, he spotted Ria moving towards them. Once she had drawn close to them, Russell clamored towards her.
"Hello, Ria. What brings you out here?" He asked.
Ed felt a twinge of jealousy as Ria turned her head towards Russell. It evaporated, as he looked Ria over. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail that fell between her shoulders. She was wearing his red coat wrapped tightly around her, even though it wasn't cold out. He could see that as she gazed at Russell her eyes were empty, and when she finally answered him, it was with her monotonous cold tone.
"I came to find Edward." She paused. "Would you excuse us?"
Russell, frowning slightly, nodded and motioned for Fletcher to follow. Once they were out of earshot, Ria moved closer to Ed. He could see a transmutation circle pendant that she wore around her neck raising and falling in sync with her breathing. Shaking his head a bit, he looked up at her.
"Something wrong?" He asked.
"Are you alright?" She asked, her voice soft.
He shrugged. "Why do you ask?"
Her eyes flicked to the transmutation circle on the tree, and back. "I saw you fall."
Ed felt his face heat up. "Oh, I'm fine. Just a little fall was all." He reached out a hand to touch his coat that she wore, but stopped when she stepped back to avoid his touch. "Were you cold?"
"A little. I hope you don't mind," She answered.
The Fullmetal Alchemist shook his head. "It's fine. Have you seen Alphonse, by the way? He disappeared over an hour ago."
"No." She answered, shaking her head.
"Are we interrupting anything?" A deep voice asked.
Ed turned to see Belsio, Fletcher and Russell all standing a few feet away, their fruit bags in tow. Ria's face had gone resolutely blank in that quick second he looked away.
"No, nothing. Are you heading back?" He answered.
"Yes," Belsio replied, his dark eyes wandering over the Sin Alchemist. "We have to go the barn to store the fruit for the night."
Ed frowned and looked to Ria. "Shall we?"
She inclined her head slightly, turned, and headed back towards the house on her own. Ed watched her go, before shifting the bag on his shoulder. Belsio, Russell and Fletcher were all watching the retreating figure of the Sin Alchemist as well.
"She's an odd one, don't you think, Edward?" Belsio was looking at Ed expectantly, as if he could explain the weird behavior of his traveling companion.
Shrugging, Ed followed Ria's footsteps. He wanted to catch up to her, but she was too far ahead of him. As he turned to corner to the barn, he spotted a speck of red heading down the dirt road into the center of the village. He didn't call out to her, expecting that Ria needed to be alone. Hopefully she wouldn't get into any trouble.
"At least she has the coat," He murmured, as the others caught up with him. "I wonder where Al is."
Belsio led them to the barn, pulling out a ring of keys as he went. The older man fiddled with the lock for a moment, before there was a click and it fell away. The doors swung open, as Ed burst into laughter. The younger Elric brother was sitting on a pile of hay, surrounded by kittens, all meowing and climbing over the suit over armor. Alphonse looked up, and giggled.
"Look, Ed! Aren't they cute? I named this one Little Ria!" He held out a black kitten.
The kitten didn't struggle in Alphonse's giant hand. It was still and it looked up at Ed with a distant look in its eyes. Surprising even himself, Ed reached out for the kitten. Holding it up to his face, he studied the expression in the kitten's eyes. It reached out a small paw and pressed it against Ed's cheek. He smiled; the kitten's name suited it perfectly. He held the kitten close, petting it gently.
"Can we keep it, Ed?" Al asked, noticing his brother's pleased reaction to the small black ball of fluff in his arms. "Please?"
Ed turned to his brother, intending to tell him the same thing that he always said, but he stopped as the kitten meowed, and nestled itself closer to the Fullmetal Alchemist.
"You know what, Al. I think we will," Ed smiled down at his younger brother.
What harm could a kitten be?
//-//
Click... Click... Click. Ria opened and closed her State Alchemist watch over and over, avoiding the image inside. Sighing, she opened it again, and focused on the picture inside. It was a photo of a small family. A red haired man was just visible underneath a scrawl of black ink. He was waving at the camera, one arm around his smiling black haired wife. Their small daughter held on to her mother, a bright smile on her face, her eyes bright and alive. Ria smiled down at her three year old self that was forever holding on to the one person who had loved her. Her eyes moved to the words covering the man's face. "I will be with you again," it read. Ria's smile faded; she snapped the watch shut, and shoved it into the pocket of Ed's jacket. She generally tried to avoid those sad memories, as they often led to the memories she couldn't repress no matter how hard she tried.
It had been at least an hour since she had left Belsio's farm. No one had come searching for her, so she wasn't going to rush back. They must have understood she needed time alone. Since she had returned to East City after receiving her results, people had surrounded her constantly. Up until then, she was used to being alone. It was weird to have so many people want to be around her. Even at night, at the hotel, Bloch and Ross had guarded her, so she wasn't really alone.
At that moment, as she sat at a small table outside of the local tavern, she was perfectly alone. Part of the reason that she was alone was due to the fact that she didn't look particularly inviting. She had the hood of Ed's coat pulled up over her head, and she didn't watch her surroundings. People passing by slowed to stare down at her. Most of the villagers recognized the coat as the Fullmetal Alchemist's, but they did not know the face staring out from under it. Not that it mattered. Let them wonder who was in Edward Elric's coat. The less they knew, the better. She smiled down at the white gloves sitting beside her drink on the table. She had found them in Ed's pockets earlier. He had obviously not wanted to get them dirty. Safely out of the way of the farm, she had pulled them out and slipped them on; curious to know whether or not they fit. They fit perfectly, wrapping around her fingers and palm leaving enough room so she could move. Since then, she had placed them on the table to glance down at them every so often.
After she had tried on the gloves, she hadn't been able to keep her thoughts away from the Elric brothers, particularly Edward. Their encounter earlier that day hadn't been far from her mind. She could feel the cold steel of Edward's leg beneath her fingertips. She had heard tales of how painful automail surgery and rehabilitation were, and it was extremely unusual for children to have it. Ed had received his automail almost four years earlier, but unlike most people with the prosthetics, he functioned like it was apart of him. The only hint that was ever given about Ed's unusualness was the white gloves.
Ed's personality had done a complete turn around since the night before. He had been as withdrawn as she was, if not completely rude. She still hadn't been completely open with him that morning, but considering the previous day, she had been responsive and polite. Ria frowned to herself. The only person she had been expressive with in a long while was the irritable Mustang. She wondered if Ed had picked up on her different approach to Mustang. Taking a sip of her lemonade, she nodded to herself. He had to have noticed; Ed was a sharp person. She should explain to Ed why she was different with the Colonel. Though Roy Mustang had come right out and asked her about her past, she had known instantly that he knew more than he was letting on. He held that over her head, just as he held Ed's secret over the Fullmetal Alchemist. She truly hated Mustang, because he was preventing her from reaching her goal. Though he hadn't quite worked out what exactly that goal was, the Flame Alchemist knew he was stopping her.
Ria had never told anyone about her goal; she knew that if anyone ever found out exactly how twisted it was-.
"Edward?" A voice asked from behind her. She knew that voice….
She turned and looked up into the face of Sergeant Denny Bloch. He jumped to see her face peering back at him from underneath the hood.
"Ria! Why-why are you wearing Ed's coat?" He asked.
Ria grabbed Ed's gloves off the table and stuffed them back into the pocket beside her watch. "Mustang's order."
He nodded, and then looked away. "Hey, Lieutenant Ross! Over here!"
A moment later, Maria Ross was standing beside him. She looked down at Ria and gasped. "Ria! For a moment there, I thought you were Edward. Why do you have his coat?"
"I asked, she said it was Mustang's order," Bloch answered for her.
Maria nodded, looking slightly relieved. "At least we found one of you quickly. We're just lucky that you haven't moved on yet. Edward usually moves on quickly." She paused, noticing that a blank look had crossed onto Ria's face. "Anyway, can you take us to Edward? It's incredibly important that we speak to both of you right away."
Ria nodded, and got to her feet. She led them up the dirt road in silence, and back to Belsio's house. Night had started to fall, and she could see a light inside of the kitchen. Pushing open the door, she wended her way through the hall, and into the kitchen. Ed, Belsio, Russell, Fletcher and Al all looked up at her in surprise. A second later, Ross and Bloch appeared behind her.
"Sergeant! Lieutenant! What are you doing here?" Ed asked.
Ross looked to Bloch, and then spoke. "Scar is back."
//-//
It had taken less than twenty minutes for Ross and Bloch to explain the Scar situation, but Ed felt as if it had taken forever. Scar had heard of the newest State Alchemist, and was attempting to track her down, Intelligence had told Mustang. Word had also leaked that she was traveling with the Fullmetal Alchemist, and Scar decided it would be a decent attempt at killing two birds with one stone. Thankfully, he had no idea where they were. Mustang had ordered Ross and Bloch to take the next train to Xenotime to act as their guard, promising that further security would be sent the next day. As soon as their story had ended, Ria had drifted off in another direction, as if the fact that a serial killer that targeted state alchemists and was after her specifically wasn't anything to worry about.
Ed entered the living room and watched as a light moved past the window. Ross and Bloch were patrolling the area around the house. He had grown to like them since the events in Laboratory five when they had first met, but Ria seemed to find them irritating. Ed flopped down on the couch, and stared around the room. It was mostly empty, except for a few photos of Belsio's niece and a couple of plants Fletcher was taking care of. Ed jumped as his eyes caught sight of his red coat flung over the top of his suitcase. Ria must have left it there for him, so he'd know she'd returned it. He reached down, and picked it up to examine it. Holding it with his flesh arm, he realized it felt heavy. Giving it a little shake, he could hear a jingle in the pocket.
"I wonder what that is," He whispered.
He reached in and pulled out the noisy, heavy object, holding it up to examine it. It was Ria's pocket watch. Placing his coat beside him on the couch, he cradled the watch in his hands. Ria's differed from his only in the name and that it was newer. Plus, he was sure she didn't have anything scratched in the front cover. Or maybe….
"No, I couldn't," He snapped at himself. "She'll never open up to me again if I open this first!"
He stared down at the watch, curiosity eating away at him. Ruling against his better judgment, Edward clicked the watch open. He shut it quickly, the fleeting image of a happy family in the back of his mind. Looking around, he was glad to see no one, not even Alphonse was near. Timidly, he opened the watch again, and gazed down at the picture. The young girl in the picture had to be Ria; the black hair and green eyes were the same, even though the picture girl had more life to it than the real one. She was holding on to a woman who had to be her mother. He smiled; Ria looked like her mother.
"I wonder how her mother feels about Ria being a State Alchemist?" Ed asked aloud.
The man in the picture was hard to make out due to being written over. Ed turned the watch slightly to read the words. I will be with you again. Who had written that, Ed wondered, and whom would they be with again?
"Ed, what are you doing?"
Ed jumped, snapping the watch closed. Alphonse had entered the room, and Ed, so deep in his thoughts, hadn't even heard him.
"Nothing," He mumbled, guiltily. He tried to hide Ria's watch from Al's sight.
"What is that?" Al asked, noticing it immediately.
Ed shook his head. "Nothing." He repeated.
"Give it here, Edward." Al's tone became sharp.
Knowing that Al could injure him just by sitting on him, Ed was always reluctant to argue. He held out the watch without looking at his younger brother. There was a small noise as it fell into Al's hand, and then silence.
"You were looking at Ria's watch?" Al's voice was accusing, and as usual, accurate. "Edward, I'm ashamed of you. How could you?"
"I know, Al, I know. I just couldn't help it. I didn't take it! It was in the pocket of my coat!" Ed turned to Al, trying to make him understand. "I was curious, I just wanted to know more about her. I didn't really think she had something in there!"
Al handed his brother the watch and pointed out the door. "Go return it to her, Edward, and admit what you did!"
Ed got to his feet and left the living room. He passed Fletcher in the hallway, and noticed he was carrying Little Ria in his arms. At the sight of him, the kitten meowed. He gave it a quick pat, and then continued to Ria's room. He knocked on the door, but there was no answer. He pushed the door open. The room was empty. Turning, he went to the kitchen. The only person in there was Belsio.
"Have you see Ria?" Ed asked, as the older man looked up.
"She was going outside when I saw her a little while ago." Belsio answered.
"She's sitting on the stack of hay outside the front door, Ed." Russell had entered the kitchen behind him.
Thanking Russell, Ed went to the front door. From a small side window, he could see Ria sitting exactly as Russell had said. She was staring upwards into the sky, and there was a calm look on her face. At once, the Fullmetal Alchemist felt guilty. Whatever trust she had built up in him was about to be destroyed. He hoped he was wrong as he pulled open the door. As he stepped outside, Ria turned her face towards the door. Ed could see Bloch at the gate about twenty feet away. At least he wouldn't have a direct witness to the oncoming scene.
"Something wrong?"
Ria's voice carried to him like a gentle breeze; it must've been written on his face that there was something going on. As he stared down at the Sin Alchemist, he was reminded of the time that his friend Winry had opened his own watch. He had been so angry with her. She had invaded his privacy, and saw his constant reminder of his desperately wanted goal. He knew just how Ria was going to feel when she heard what he had to say.
Without looking at her, he held out the watch. "I'm sorry, Ria," He whispered.
The only sound was the crickets. He felt the watch being lifted out of his hand, and he waited for whatever reaction would come. Even though he was expecting it, he was still unprepared for the force with which Ria shoved him back. As he slammed into the ground, he looked up at Ria's face. Her green eyes burned with fury, and her face was twisted with anger. He had never seen her so alive.
"How dare you, Edward Elric!" She hissed. She turned and fled towards the gate, past Bloch, and down the road.
Ed scrambled to his feet, and chased after her.
"Ed, what's going on?" Bloch asked, as Ross came around the side of the house.
"Stay here!" Ed ordered, as he ran past.
He was amazed at how fast Ria was. She was far ahead of him, and he was struggling to keep his pace. Finally, he caught up to her in the center of the village. She was stopped dead, staring ahead of her. Ed looked ahead, and saw two shadows through the darkness. Stopping beside Ria, he called out to the shadows.
"Who's there?"
There was a harsh laugh, and the sound of movement. The two figures stepped into the moonlight. One was a tall, lanky individual with green hair that resembled a palm tree; the other was a voluptuous looking woman with dark hair that fell in waves.
"Hello, Pipsqueak!" The green haired one said, looking at Ed. "Imagine running into you here."
It was hard to tell exactly what gender the green haired one was exactly, which was why Ed never gave it a category. For some reason, he never exploded at its insinuation that he was short.
"Envy, what are you doing here?" Ed growled.
Beside him, he felt Ria take a step back. At seeing this slight movement, the being called Envy turned its gaze towards the Sin Alchemist.
"Who is this? Your girlfriend?" Envy asked, ignoring Ed's question completely. "Sorry, Pipsqueak, but she's just too pretty for you. Isn't that right, Lust?"
The woman beside Envy gazed at Ria in slight interest. "I believe, Envy, that Fullmetal boy has already led us to the Sin Alchemist."
Envy gave a harsh laugh and turned back to Ed. "Always a puppet aren't you pipsqueak?"
There was a flash of green light, and Ed stepped in front of Ria. His right arm had been transmuted into a blade, which he held up, ready to fight. The two across from him exchanged a weird look between them.
"We're not here to fight you, Fullmetal boy," Lust said, in her sensual voice. "We just wanted to see the famous Sin Alchemist. We want to know if the rumors are true."
"So step aside," Envy moved forward. "We're not here for you."
Ed swung out his blade towards Envy. "Leave, now, before I am forced to kick your ass Envy." He took a step back, pushing Ria along with him as he went.
Before Ed could get Ria to safety, Lust had lunged at him, her finger growing into long spears in seconds. She thrust her hand towards him, attempting to pierce him. He dodged her attack, leaving Envy free to attack Ria. He caught sight of Ria, who had turned and ran in the other direction with Envy chasing after her.
"Don't harm her, Envy!" Lust shouted.
Envy laughed, as Ria darted behind a row of barrels and out of sight. "Come out come out, little pretty. Show me some of your alchemy. I'll bet its something we'd love to see!"
Lust swiped her hand at Ed again, and brought it down across his face. He felt three of the spears scrape his skin, and then the cool drops of blood working their way down the side of his face. He attempted to get a kick in to distract her long enough to attack with his blade, but she blocked him, sending him sprawling to the ground. He rushed back to his feet, and ran towards Envy, who was now kicking the barrels out of the way with such force they exploded on contact. Lust was following him, throwing her hands out toward him.
He ducked as one came over his head. Nothing mattered anymore than to reach Ria, to stop Envy from learning the truth. There was no other reason as to why they would be looking for her. Please, Ria, he thought, please don't do any alchemy. He knew though that if it meant saving her own life, Ria would do it. Sure enough, just as Envy kicked the last barrel out of the way, a brilliant light appeared. As it faded, Ed saw Envy slammed down to the ground by a giant black leopard. Ria appeared a second later, and saw Lust chasing after Ed. The look on Ria's face wasn't one of fear; in fact, she looked quite angry; even angrier than he had seen at Belsio's home. She clapped her hands together, and dropped to her knees on the dirt. She pressed her hands down on the ground, and as Ed ran past her, a second flash of green light appeared. It vanished to reveal a great, big bear that swiped its paws at Lust.
Ed moved back to Ria, and tried to pull her up.
"Get away from me," She hissed, struggling to her feet.
It was apparent that the effort it took Ria to transmute both creatures only minutes apart was taking its toll. Her small frame was shaking violently, as she pushed herself to stand upright. Her usually blank face was still twisted in anger, but beads of sweat trailed their way down her rosy cheeks. After a minute, Ria was standing beside him, still shaking, but at least she standing.
"Lust, get them!" Envy roared, dodging the leopard.
Lust withdrew her spears from the bear she had been fighting. It gave a roar, and keeled over dead. Her violet eyes searched the darkness for the barely visible forms of the two teenage state alchemists until she spotted them huddle in a corner. Ignoring Ria's protests, Ed took hold of her shoulders, and pulled her out of the way just as Lust lunged. As Ed released her, the Sin Alchemist swayed where she stood. He knew the only thing keeping her on her feet was her anger; it would only take one more transmutation to knock Ria down for good, and then he would have to fight the homunculi alone.
"GET DOWN, YOU TWO!"
An arrogant voice cut through the commotion, and Edward so accustomed to that voice, threw himself on Ria and pulled her down to the ground, only seconds before Lust was engulfed in a giant fiery explosion. There was a scream of pain, followed by another explosion. Ed pulled his hood over his face, and covered Ria with a length of his jacket and his body. A third explosion went off three feet from their heads, and Ed felt Ria's body squirm underneath him.
"Let's go, Lust. We have all we need here!" Envy's voice was audible over the explosions that were now going off all around them only seconds apart.
Ed tightened his grip on Ria afraid she would pull away and get injured in Colonel Mustang's overenthusiastic bombing rescue. His shirt was now soaked, but he had a funny feeling it wasn't from the sweat on Ria's face. Her body convulsed under him; every few minutes there was a whimper. After what felt like centuries, the bombing stopped, the only sounds around them being the crackling of fire, and Ria's whimpers.
"Are you alright, Fullmetal?"
Ed looked up into the face of Roy Mustang, who looked very worried. Ed nodded stupidly. Roy Mustang, worried? It wasn't possible.
"I'm fine, I-OW!" Ed jumped away from Ria as searing pain shot up his flesh arm, and turned back to face the Sin Alchemist. She had bit him.
She was sobbing uncontrollably, her black hair matted with dirt, and blood against her cheeks. Her body was still shaking as she tried to get to her feet. It didn't surprise Ed that she fell back to the ground only a few seconds later, sobbing even harder. Tentatively, the Fullmetal Alchemist reached out his hand to help her up. Ria swung a fist out, connecting with his chest, sending him back a few inches.
"Don't touch me!" She snarled. "DON'T EVER TOUCH ME AGAIN!"
Mustang knelt down beside Ria, and pulled his own military-issue coat over her shaking shoulders. Giving Ed a look that clearly said, 'Don't ask now,' he pulled Ria to her feet. After a short struggle, Ria gave up and let the Colonel lead her back up the road, as they followed Ed towards Belsio's house. Ed looked back only once; he knew that Ria's sobs had nothing to do with the watch.
Please, read and review, but be kind. Thank you.