Undeserved Love Chapter Two

Ericka woke up and said the first thing in her mind, "I'm hungry~~~~!"

"I'm not surprised; you did go two weeks without food," a feminine voice said at the foot of her bed.

She looked towards the voice and saw a young Ishbalan girl of about sixteen wetting a towel.

"It's a good thing Sir Scar found you when he did," the girl said as she placed the cold towel on Ericka's head.

"Sir Scar?" Ericka asked.

The girl nodded before saying, "The priest who carried you here."

Ericka immediately pictured the Ishbalan priest she saw before fainting. Just as if the image in her mind was the priest's cue, he came inside the room.

"I see you've awakened, Ericka," he said as he coolly took a seat next to her head.

Ericka slowly rose to meet him; she didn't like looking up at people, it was a stab at her ego to do so.

"No, no, no! You mustn't rise, miss! You are still quite weak," the young girl said.

Ericka put her hand up and said, "I'm fine; I've had to go through worse."

The girl looked over to the priest looking for help. He nodded and said, "Don't fret, Isabella; she is a strong woman."

Isabella nodded and left the room without another word. Ericka looked over at the priest and asked,

"She called you Scar; is that your name?"

"That's what people call me, yes."

"But it's not your real name?"

"Yes and no; my birth name, given by Ishbala, has been long lost."

Ericka was getting more and more annoyed by the minute. She began tapping her fingers when she asked,

"OK, so what's that name, then?"

"It is long lost and has no importance. I have strayed from the road of Ishbala and that part of me has died. Therefore, that name no longer is of use to me or of use for anyone to call me that."

"… So, what am I supposed to call you?"

"Whichever name you please."

"You piss me off, you know that?"

His reply was a kind smile.

Ericka crossed her arms as she began to think of something to call him. Her eyes drifted to alchemical tattoos on his only arm.

"Alchemic Priest," she said.

Scar became utterly confused. Most people had stuck with the name "Scar" when he replied as he just did.

"Why do you pick that name?" he asked.

She pointed at his arm.

"The tattoos; they're a cross between alchemy and alkahestry. That particular tattoo translates most closely to the design of creation," she replied.

She looked him in the eyes and continued, "And your attire is that of an Ishbalan priest. Therefore, your name is Alchemic Priest; Priest, for short. Unless you'd prefer me to call you 'Scar'."

Scar stared at her, wondering how she can be so different. He had never dealt with someone like her before. He looked into her eyes as she stared at his and read them. They showed the guard of someone who's been hurt and who refuses to be hurt again. The red in them burned as if lit by an overwhelming flame, and her pupils looked innocently for a sense of comfort and familiarity in his. They took a look of disappointment as she looked away. Scar deeply wished she would allow him to keep searching, keep looking, through her eyes. He felt a sense of curiosity he had never felt before to know the things she kept hidden behind her fiery red eyes that reminded him so much of his before the war. He smiled.

"Alchemic Priest, or Priest, is fine. I do believe food is long overdue for you, though," he said.

Ericka's stomach growled in response; this, in turn, caused blood to rush up to her cheek. Priest laughed in response; a loud, full, manly laugh. He stood up and held out his hand to her.

"Here, we can go see what the cooks are cooking. Then, afterwards, we can take you to my house so you can rest more peacefully," he said with a smile.

Ericka took his hand, and soon after, his arm, and they walked out of the room. She was met with a variety of smells, all that made her mouth wet. Priest led her to a place where they were handing out food. When they got up to the line, they were met with smiles. An elderly Ishbalan lady of about fifty was fixing the bowls and handing it to people. When she saw Ericka, she smiled and said,

"Ah, she walks. Ishbala has truly blessed you. Here, I'll give you extra."

The lady poured another ladle full of stew and handed it to Ericka. She fixed another bowl and handed this to Scar.

"Careful, now; don't eat it too fast or you'll get sick again," an Ishbalan man, of about the same age as the lady, said as she handed Ericka and Scar a piece of bread each.

Ericka fought the urge to eat the food as they were walking to a bench to sit upon. They sat down and, before she picked up her spoon to eat, Ericka looked around and felt a sense of warmth and love all around her. She looked towards Priest.

"Why is everyone being so nice to me? Everywhere I've been in Ishbala, I've been met with nothing but glares and sneers," she asked him.

"These people have seen you weak and near death. To see you up and moving has proved to them that you are a loved child of Ishbala; the people before probably felt threatened by your Amestrian appearance," he replied as he pulled his bread in half and begun to dip one half in his stew.

Ericka imitated, not sure of the polite way to eat in the company of Ishbalans. She took a bite of the dipped bread and began to chew slowly, remembering something she read in a medical book about hunger victims and how, when they finally obtain food, that they should eat slowly and take five to ten minute breaks between small portions of food less they become sick again. The bread was that of a regular white loaf, but the stew was different from what she had eaten before. It was chunk full of vegetables and some fruits native to Ishbala (cactus flesh, potatoes, etc.), but the soup with which they stirred around and soaked up was different. It was citrusy and spicy, yet it had a sweet and smooth taste at the same time.

"Priest?" she asked, "What kind of soup is this?"

Priest swallowed a bite and said, "A soup that's been a part of Ishbal as long as Ishbala has. It is supposed to heal and restore energy. The elderly couple you saw before has been making this all week for the workers."

Ericka made a small "O" with her mouth and turned back to her food. She picked up her spoon and took a bite when two little girls came up to her. They held up two baskets filled with fruit and smiled brightly at Ericka.

"Mommy said to give these to you. They're not much, but she hopes it will work," the one on the right said.

Ericka looked at the baskets of fruit. They were full of grapes, bananas, apples, kiwis, and Ericka's favorite: strawberries. She took the baskets and placed them at her feet. She reached down into one and took a strawberry. She bit into it and was surprised at its perfect ripeness; it satisfied her sweet tooth, yet awakened her senses with its tartness. She picked up another one and handed it to Priest. He looked at it with surprise.

"The girls' mother picked that for you," he said, holding up his hand.

"Yes, she did; but I still have to pay you back. This is the first step," she replied, putting it in his hand.

"Pay me back? For what?" he asked, pushing the strawberry back to her.

"For saving me," she replied, pushing back.

"You don't have to pay me back, there's no debt; anyone would've done that," he replied, again pushing it; their fingertips barely touching now.

"Yes, I do; and no, they wouldn't of. Look at me. You said it yourself, I look like an Amestrian. I'm sure these people wouldn't be nice to me if they met me under any circumstance; and I don't blame them. That's just the way humans are. Now, eat the strawberry or I'll force feed you; and I know medical alchemy so don't try me," she replied, taking her other hand to close his around the strawberry.

Their eyes met and the world around them started to dissipate. Their faces came closer and closer, hands still touching each other, and both started to close their eyes. Just as they were about to kiss, a commotion from the real world made them realize what they were about to do.

Ericka blushed immensely and quickly turned away. She had the urge to say something; but stuffed her mouth with stew to prevent it, fearing it'd be something even more embarrassing.

Scar stayed in the position he was a moment before turning away. He sighed, regretting that he was about to kiss a complete stranger. He glanced over to her as she stuffed a large spoonful in her mouth. Something about her caught his attention, stealing it from everything else in the world. He glanced up.

What are you planning, Ishbala? he prayed.

Scar looked towards the commotion and saw that a pot of stew had spilled on someone, burning them. Ericka seemed to notice this as well because placed her food down- since it was too precious to her to spill it in the heat of the moment, he figured- and ran towards the crowd trying to help the man. Scar chased after her, catching up just as she started pushing people out of her way.

"I'm a doctor!" Ericka yelled, causing people to give her a pathway. She dropped down to the man and noticed that his skin was starting to take on second degree burns. She pulled out of her pocket a piece of chalk and began making an alchemical circle around him.

"Don't use that accursed power on me!" the burning man hissed.

"I either use this 'accursed power' or you go skinless," she replied.

"I'd rather be dead than to be healed by the devil's power!" he exclaimed.

"As if I'd give you that choice," she stubbornly replied.

Ericka finished the circle and pictured what she needed to do. She placed her hands down and watched as the blue light healed the man. Once it was complete, she stood and turned towards the crowd that had become silent. A tomato was thrown at her with a, "How dare you!"

She raised her arms up in a "surrender" movement.

"Do what you want; say what you want. But before you do, look at the facts: I saved this man; my alchemy saved his life. If it was the devil's power, and you are all God's people, then why did it work on him? Why didn't it just kill him?" she stated.

Silence was the response. She put her arms down and walked out of the crowd. She grabbed the two baskets of fruit and walked towards the road. She was stopped by a strong arm. She turned back towards Scar.

"Where are you going?" he asked sincerely.

"To the reason I came here in the first place; to my birth town. I'm gonna find my mother's grave and say my goodbyes. And then, I'm gonna find whatever's left of my family," she replied.

She put both baskets in one hand and held out the other to shake Scar's with a smile.

"Nice meeting you, Alchemic Priest," she said.

He grabbed her hand and returned her smile with a sad one.

"I was hoping we could learn more about each other, but if you have to go then I won't stop you," he replied as they shook hands.

"Yeah, well, things don't always turn out like we hope they will; I've had to learn that the hard way."

And with that, Ericka went on her way, leaving Scar to watch her walk away.

Maybe I never got to know him as much as I like, but I did get to know his name, or more like a name, she thought as she walked.

Indeed, this seemed to be the end of their story, but is it really?