DISCLAIMER: I NEITHER OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST NOR THE CHARACTERS WITHIN ALTHOUGH I DEFINITELY OWN MY OCs…

"'TIL OUR LAST DANCE SHALL CEASE TO BE..."

CHAPTER 3: First Awful Day at Dance Class

Ed frowned when she remembered the face of Justin. His mocking face. Damn that asshole, she thought furiously. Her teeth clenched and her jaw tightened. She gripped her bag's handle as if she was going to crush it into pieces.

Roy heaved a sigh as he went inside the office of Mr. Jordan Wilson with Ednalyn Elric ahead of him. This is crazy… he thought dejectedly.

They talked to Mr. Wilson as he explained the rules of the school and also about having a class partner. Roy paled as soon as he heard from his mentor's mouth that Ednalyn Elric would be his partner for the rest of his days in this school.

This is totally crazy… he thought again.

An hour later, they went out of their professor's office with their faces that were all worn-out.

Roy walked away from Ed as fast as he could. Ed noticed it and even though she still felt that guilt and felt that she could not face him after that incident, she removed those unimportant thoughts and moved forward.

"Hey Mustang!" she called out.

Roy stiffened. Now at least, He was glad and he was going to forget the incident and life would go on.

He looked back and saw Ednalyn smiling.

"Tomorrow, we will have a dance class. Don't forget to prepare your P.E. uniform and an extra shirt. See you tomorrow. Bye!" And she went off.

Roy blinked twice as the words processed in his mind. No… he could not believe everything she said… he will attend dance lessons? With her? And no…. he can't dance, can he?

---

There were another set of flowers that Ednalyn received.

It was from the stranger.

"Ed! Time for dinner!" her mother called out.

"I'm coming!"

Ed was snapped out of her thoughts. She received another note from him.

Lost love is still love. It takes a different form, that's all. You can't see their smile. But when senses weaken, another heightens. Memory. Memory becomes replacement. You nurture it. You hold it. You dance with it.

---

Roy's thoughts were going in circles.

No! I will not dance again! Ever! They can't be serious! They must be joking!

Of course he can not think straight for now since Ed said that he will be attendingdance class with her but the fact that he can not dance made the difference. No, he can dance but he does not want to. If he will, those memories will come back. It will give him a terrible feeling of sadness and guilt.

----

"Mom! Dad! Where are…" Little Roy hid behind the hidden door of the theater. He watched his parents danced gracefully, rehearsing their presentation for their last stage performance tonight. His parents will quit their job as travelling performers and live a new life together with their son.

Little Roy decided to approach them, he want to ask a favor. He hoped that they would be glad. "Dad, Mom. Could I join your performance for tonight? This is your last, right? I want to make it memorable…" Roy looked down at his two point fingers and linked them together. His face was flushed.

Roy's mother adorably approached him. "Oh my sweetie! Mommy and Daddy will be glad! Right dear?" his mother addressed his husband.

"Sure. Why not? It's okay if our little performer here would join us." His father smiled and little Roy jumped happily.

They were really happy in practicing their graceful dance moves.

That's it! Very good sweetie…

I'm proud of you son!

Their expression of amusement…smiles and laughs…

But that happiness did not last long.

Not until the time of their performance came.

Radiance of the place hushed slowly…

The dull applause seemed to intensify…

And the core strides in the stage…

The lights trailed…

Two as one they say…

Sluggish as it is, time… running slowly…

Little fellow tagged along…blissfully waltzing around…

Not until a loud shot came…

Little Roy looked at the pain-filled face of his father. Her mother was crying, screaming for help. His father was shot in his chest. A pool of blood formed around him. Roy ran around asking for help, he ran to his father and held his hand tightly.

His hands are cold…Roy leaned at his father's chest. His heart was not beating… Please… stay alive… for mother… and for me…

The ambulance arrived but it was too late, his life has already ended. Roy can't accept it, he screamed…

…

"Roy! Sweetie! Wake up… It's time for breakfast! You'll be late." Roy woke up. He was breathing hard and his mother gave him a worried look. "Sweetie, are you alright?"

"Yeah mom, I'm fine. It's just a nightmare. Don't worry!" He lied. Sweats formed and he hid his shivering hands beneath the blanket.

"Okay honey. Just go down after you're done here, okay?"

"Sure mom." His mom went out of his room. Roy sighed. It was another freaking nightmare of his past. He could never forget about the mysterious death of his father.

Roy got up from his bed and went to the bathroom.

---

Ednalyn arrived at the school. She looked so happy today since her favorite class will be today. She wondered what Mrs. Izumi would say of his performance, she can't wait to see if he had inherited the talent of his parents. His Parents were well known performers in the old times before the tragedy happened.

Ed adored his parents after she had seen their show. Using fire alchemy while dancing was pretty hard and it takes years to master it.

"Ed! Ed! Come on! Let's change our clothes! Mrs. Curtis will kill us if we're late!" Winry called her.

"I'm coming!" She sighed and ran to her direction.

---

An hour later, the students sat and talked with their friends in the studio where their dance class would be held. Then were lots of mirrors in the sides, just like a ballet studio, but this studio will be used for all dances. "Hey Ed, when are we going to transfer our things in the dorms?" Winry asked.

"It will be this weekend." She answered then smirked. "I guess you're already getting old."

Winry laughed sheepishly. "Sorry Ed, I really forgot! Don't worry, next time. I'll bring my most valuedwrenchto remind you not to call me old again." There was a hint of sarcasm in her voice. Then, they heard three loud claps from their mentor that would mean for them to be silent.

"Okay class! Our activity for today would be dance workshop. This will help the beginners perform their moves properly and this also will be our preparation for the first dance that you will learn in the next month so this month will only be intended for workshop. So get ready now. Ednalyn will be my assistant." The students got up and formed eight rows. When the music starts, each row will have to follow the dance moves which their mentor instructed until they arrived at the other side of the room and the next row will follow.

Each row has a corresponding level in which how graceful they move. The last were the beginners while the first were the skilled.

Positioned in the beginner's line, Roy groaned as their instructor began to execute the basic dance steps. He knew that steps before because his parents had personally taught it to him.

Stepping forward, Mrs. Curtis began to raise her hands above her head. Then, she walked in side ways, swaying her hips. She slowly moved her hands, motioning it down her legs but not touching it and moving it upwards. Her legs crossed each other when she would walk so there is a possibility that the person who would follow that movement would trip.

As Roy watched Ednalyn following their instructor, an idea suddenly came to his mind.

It was the first row's turn to dance. Some did not get it well; one lad tripped over air and then fell face first on the ground. The lass beside him forgot to tie her shoelaces so she launched into air and then her face connected with the ground in one classic face-plant move while others could not move gracefully and you could even describe them as the dancing sticks. Many behind laughed. Mrs. Curtis frowned and placed them in the fourth row. The second row did it well but only one did not get it so their instructor placed him in the last row.

"Hey, are you alright?" Roy asked him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just don't get the step once. Could you teach me how?"

"Uh, I'm sorry but I can't really dance well." He apologized and lied as well. He had really got the moves in the moment he saw it but if he will teach him how to do it, his plan will not work.

"It's okay… I'm sorry if I bothered you. Anyways, I'm Kain Fuery." Fuery reached out his hand.

"Roy Mustang." Roy said reaching out his hand. They shook their hands.

After the seventh row's turn, the last row's turn went the worst but their instructor did not frown but instead she smiled. What the hell is that old woman thinking? Ed thought.

Izumi watched Roy's movements and although he danced languidly and ungracefully, tripping over his own feet intentionally, in which she had caught him doing so. She had seen his potential and he had hidden it very well.

Ednalyn was really disappointed. She never expected him to be so… uncoordinated.

Their instructor was now placing them in their respective rows according to their skill and gracefulness. Then, she called the last person.

"Mr. Mustang. In the second row." Every body gaped and they have never expected Mrs. Curtis decision. She just smiled then glared at her beloved students. They all looked down and said nothing while some shivered in fear.

Ednalyn was not as surprised as everyone else. As a very good observant, she knew he had the potential but she wondered why he was hiding it.

Roy was confused. He did not expect her to notice his cover. Maybe he had done it unconvincingly or maybe she was one of those sharp people that could see how talented a person is. He needed to think a new strategy but his freaking mind was not working.

Their mentor smirked and Roy felt nervous. He knew that she was planning something that he will never like.

"Back to your positions!" Izumi yelled.

They all lined up again. Then, their mentor called Ednalyn.

"Ed, teach them a hard move."

"Sensei, you're planning something, aren't you?" Ed whispered. She thought that it was still too early for everyone to be taught with a hard move. She was sure that not all of them could catch up. Izumi said nothing and walked away. She resumed instructing.

"Now, I will add some rules. As what I had observed with your last performance, you don't exert effort which means I have to be strict with you. Every mistake that you make will have a corresponding punishment. If you don't follow, a heavier punishment will go after. Is that understood? "

They all nodded. Izumi then looked at Ed, signaling her to do it. Ednalyn took a deep breath, and then she raised her right leg slowly then turned. Fast movements followed, in which most of the students could not catch up.

The students gaped at the movements Ed was performing but Roy did nothing. He just stared at her following every move she made. His right foot was tapping and it meant that it was not a good sign. His secret will be revealed if he kept on doing that. It was one of his mannerisms when he could see a challenging move. When he started to tap, that meant that he already understood it.

Izumi stared at Roy and smirked. She was studying him and she already knew that he had learned it in just one look.

After the demonstration, Izumi heard a lot of murmurs coming from her students.

"What's the noise all about!?" She yelled at her students. Her voice roared all over the room. Nobody answered her. After a few moments of silence, she said calmly "Okay. Let's go back to business, shall we?"

She seemed to be extending her patience lately. Most of them thought.

Izumi turned the music on and started counting. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight! Eight, seven, and six…" she continued while clapping her hands together and the students were dancing anxiously. They were afraid to commit a mistake. The first row did it well and it was second rows turn.

Roy took a deep breath. He triedto remind himself not to do it well. He is used to hiding his talent and so he smirked and started dancing languidly. He was the only one who stood out in the row.

Instead of frowning, Izumi smiled. He was still not giving up.

They all finished. Everybody sat down the floor and panted heavily. Mrs. Izumi was always one of the most terror teachers here in school. They waited for further instructions from her.

After saying her last instructions, the school bell rang. It was time for lunch. They only have three to four subjects everyday. They bid farewell. Izumi called Roy to follow her.

They arrived outside the faculty room.

Izumi faced him with a blank expression and asked. "Why didn't you do it properly?"

"What properly are you talking about, Mrs. Curtis?" He gave her a confused look that was totally convincing.

"Don't play dumb with me young man. I know that you know what I'm talking about." His charm did not work.

"I'm sorry ma'am but I really don't know what you're talking about. May I go now?" Okay. That was not supposed to be said. That was really a wrong move. He thought.

"That was really rude young man." She just smirked. "And because of that, I want to give you some options."

"What options?" He asked and his confidence was not ebbing away.

"If you would dance properly. I'm, going to give you a reward. If not, then you will dance in front of the whole campus wearing a Hawaiian costume. And of course the Hawaiian costume that is suited for girls only. What do you say?"

Roy froze. There is no way he would dance wearing the girl's outfit of the Hawaiian Dance. Damn that's gross.

"Okay, to make this not hard for you. Give me your answer next week and think about it." After her last line, she left Roy and walked inside the faculty room.

-------------------------------------------- To be continued --------------------------------------------------

A/N: Again, sorry guys for the late update… My beta now… was… is… can't explain… maybe f***ed-up… you know what I mean… yeah that's what she said… she just had this long BETA-ing process and it made my update really late.

I hope you like this chapter… Cliffy… yeah… A little bit… but not evil enough (I know… -grins-)

Merodi-chan

Please review…