A/N: Oh... I feel so bad! I had this written up for over a month and a half, but was too lazy to get out my laptop and finish typing up the 1,000 words I had neglected... Thank goodness that I got my tablet back and was excited enough to dust off my fanfiction binder and type it up. Any errors are on that tablet because it has no dictionary installed or grammar engine and I was (again) too lazy to go in and check over it...
Ed: You are pretty lazy. I mean, I'm not even in the story yet!
Me: Oh hush, hush. At least your going to be in it. I could change my mind.
Roy: But then you would have to redo your entire plotline and all of my moments would have to be rewritten.
Riza: Goodness forbid you don't get your moments. *shakes head* I'll do the disclaimer since Ed's going to be arguing with Sira for a while.
Me: As always, the voice of reason!
Ed: What are you trying to say.
Roy: She's trying to explain to you that you're short, and thus don't come in until she can find a tall enough ladder.
Riza: *Very quickly* Sira doesn't own! Review responses at the end! Now: the story!
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**Faye's PoV**
It's hard to know when, but the screaming eventually stops, leaving me in the darkness with only the beating of my heart, the crippling pain, the ringing in my ears and my thoughts. Well, thought. Singular, not plural.
I want to die.
I don't care how, I don't care who does it, all I know is that I want to die and I want to die now. Maybe this was Ed's real punishment; The unexplainable need to die and no way to carry through with it.
"To die, eh? That is your wish?" I know that voice; I've heard it before. I don't remember when I've heard it and I don't remember whose it is, but I've definitely heard it before.
"Kill me...Please..." The words pathetically trickle out before I can stop them, not that I want to.
"Kill you? But I am you! Open your eyes." I do, automatically obeying the words of command. The darkness my closed eyes had brought had only been hiding a room of blinding whiteness. Actually, it's less of a room and more of an expanse. There are no visible walls or windows, or even a ceiling. Only a door.
The door is large and made of gray stone. Intricate carvings lace it and I feel like I could stare at it for hours, despite the cold feeling it gives me in the pit of my stomach. I follow the line where the two parts meet up with my eyes, wincing as I feel the skin pull around some sort of cut on my head.
"You might get your wish without my help, but then where would I be? What about my terms with your sister?" I find the source of the voice, a strange white figure with nothing but a mouth. I know I've never seen this... person before, but how does he know my sister? Why is his voice so familiar?
"How?"
"How what?"
"How do you know my sister?"
"That's my secret. It would ruin the surprise, and we can't have that, can we? No." I stare at him. He laughs maliciously. "But your wish... I can't have that coming true. I know! The toll!This should do the trick." I hear movement behind me and my sister's screams start again. There is a painful wrenching inside of me, just below my heart that hurts more than all of my wounds combined. As the darkness starts to close again, I try to keep hold on reality by listing who I am and what's happened through the pain. I am Fuyumi Rhea Kiru. I am thirteen years old. The last thing that happened, that I can remember, is... Ed. I got knocked unconscious and dreamed up... Wat was my dream? I don't remember... Did I...actually dream? Maybe not. No it was just Ed, then the darkness. It's really dark. I don't like the dark; It scares me. I want to leave, no matter how much more pain is waiting. But then, Ed's still out there. They- He- wouldn't have stopped when I passed out. Maybe I'll stay here, away from more pain and fear; away from my days with Ed.
"Fuyumi, please wake up." Whispering. There is no hint of malice, but I've been through too much just to be trusting random voices in my head. I mean seriously- Stranger Danger! If I don't know the voice, I ignore it until we become friends and start having picnics... No, really. I couldn't trust this man, just because he sounded nice. I raise an eyebrow towards a random direction in the darkness. Do they really think I'll be fooled? Besides, I hate the name Fuyumi. I prefer the name Faye. I rant for a bit, yelling in the darkness at my parents for their stupid traditions. I mean really, Fuyumi? I can feel my fingers and legs now, and the smooth linen on them. I wonder where I am?
There is a small, painful tug on my arm that is all too similar to the feel of a dull knife being slowly pulled across my skin.
"I wonder what she told them," says the same voice as before, this time no longer soft and pleading, but a bit gruff and full of laughter. See? What could have happened if I had responded? Tell me that. I can feel most of my entire body now and the linen is no longer soft and light, but restraining. There is the sensation of almost being tied to something. And pain; Torture, probably.
Damn Ed and his sadism.
I struggle against the restraints, screaming randomly. I want the pain to be over. I want them all to go away and stay away. I open my eyes, to see just who these people are, but I can't see them very well. Their faces are blurry. The same person as before says something and I feel him reach towards me, probably to inflict more pain. Why? Why is he doing this? My body takes over and I blindly fling out my hands, trying to reach his throat and choke him.
"Please...No more...Please," I beg. Why did they enjoy this so much? What was so great about hurting people? Hurting me? I tighten my hands in anger.
I hear a door slam. They're keeping me inside a building? This was new. Someone, probably the person who just entered, gasps. Then, two voices I swore I hated, shout together, as one, a name. One seems to almost reverberate in my head. No...It couldn't be... I loosen my grip on the boy-man's neck.
Why is Kira here? She's dead; Ed killed her as she screamed for that character she replaced me with, the character that just shouted with her. In that moment, that day, a year and a half ago, I learned to hate more than an eleven year old girl should. He, Ed, for taking my sister, she for replacing me, and anime for ruining my life.
"You?" I ask. Is it really her? "No, no, it's not- it can't be-" But I heard her voice! I know it! And with that character's too. So... is it real? Did she fake her death and join Ed and his gang, maybe to help with the psychological torture? This is worse than... than... that day. This brings on more pain, causing both emotional and psychological pain to join the physical pain I already feel. It creates a bubble in the back of my mind of black. It's waiting.
"Kira, how could you?" I whisper, fighting the darkness.
:It's not what you think, sister: My sister's voice again seems to resonate through my head, and I feel myself start to trust her, her and her words. Then I realize that it was in my head.
:Don't worry...: Long, mental fingers seem to almost be lulling me to sleep, pulling the black bubble over me like a blanket, and I welcome the numbing and order of it.
**3rd Person**
Roy watches as the girl fell forward, tears leaking from her eyes. She must have been terrified and confused.
"She seems to pass out a lot," he joked, trying to lighten the mood.
"I don't blame her," Knox stated, "she really thought you were going to kill her. It was amazing that she was thinking enough through the fear to be able to stop. It's amazing she's not mad."
"Sir, are you okay? She seems quite a lot stronger than she looks." She looked pointedly at the angry red marks on his throat. Roy laughed inside. Riza was worried about him! He loved that...It was so cute.
"I'm fine, lieutenant." She isn't cute, he reminded himself. This was work; He couldn't be thinking such things. Riza looked at him, still with a bit or worry in her eyes.
"All right then." They all look down at the girl. ONe of the nurses, Kisa probably had laid her down comfortably on the bed. She looked peaceful as she slept, her face no longer full of fear and panic.
"Riza," KNox said, turning around in his seat, 'I don't know if her reaction to you was good or bad, so, for now, I'm going to have to ask you to not be near her or have any contact with her." Riza nodded; It was a logical and understandable move. She quickly left and stood guard outside the hospital room. Roy turned to Knox.
"It makes me wonder what exactly happened. She reacted quite violently."
"Yes, she seemed to think we were accusing her of telling someone something."
"Maybe they thought she told someone about being abused?"
"We don't know if this wasn't just a one time thing. It could be about almost anything."
"From what I can see and you've told me, this was obviously not the first time this has happened to her, though maybe not to this extent."
"I can see your point, and I agree with it. I was just stating all of the possibilities. It's true that some of the bruises on the stomach and upper arms are more than a few days old."
"And thus more work comes my way," Roy muttered, looking at Fuyumi. His gaze softened as he saw her subconsciously bite her lip. "Maybe... it won't be so bad... right?" Knox looked at him, wondering why Roy suddenly seemed to almost give off the aura of a father.
"Don't tell me you've managed to become attached? When did that happen? When she was choking you?"
"No! She's just so helpless... Maybe it would be a good thing if Riza kept an eye on her."
"Were you not here just a second ago, when Riza-walked-in-and-Fuyumi-freaked-and-passed-out?"
"Yes, well..."
"And we don't know if that was a good thing. 'Kira, how could you' doesn't seem like the most promising thing, now does it."
"That bothers me too. Who's Kira?"
"Maybe her tormenter?"
"No, she said 'Ed' when she was screaming and she only reacted negatively to male voices. Riza's voice only seemed to confuse her."
"You think Riza has something to do with this?"
"I doubt it. I can tell she's never seen the girl before."
"How is that?"
"Her eyes. They speak wonders to those who know how to read them," Roy explained.
"Ah, I see. So that's why-"
"And her glares," Roy interrupted thoughtfully. Knox looked at him like he was almost crazy, but Roy just shrugged. "It's true."
"Well then... I guess we need a female here."
"Or maybe a non-intimidating male. I mean we both have sort of gruff voices and we aren't the smallest of men," Roy countered. Maybe fullmetal and Al could take care of this, of her. Al would be able to sooth her around men, and Edward could hardly be called more than a teenager at best. But they were on a mission... The sound of the door opening caused them both to look up.
"Sir, forgive me for interrupting, but if you need someone to watch her that's female and also able to protect her, I could call on the Lieutenant General and request for Rebecca." Roy thought for a second. Rebecca was almost as good a shot as Riza was and probably wouldn't be as intimidating. It might just work, the only problem being that she wasn't under his direct command.
"That might be a good idea, Lieutenant," Knox said, taking the words right out of Roy's mouth. Riza nodded stiffly back.
"Then I will find a replacement guard and go find her myself." She turned and closed the door.
"Knox... I think that I want to determine her reaction to Riza as soon as possible. I'd rather her under one of my own people than anyone else's, even though it's Grumman.' He turned to look at Fuyumi again. " Knox, when will she wake up again? I want to try and get a better reaction from her."
"Well, I think-"
"Hello! I've come to guard your wonderful girl, Colonel!" Everyone's favorite sparkle-meister had appeared in the doorway, totally freaking Roy out and causing him to hide- I mean take a defensive posture behind his chair. Riza stood behind the Major, an apologetic look on her face.
"Sorry," she mouthed, slightly ducking her head. Roy nodded back in acknowledgement, standing up and dusting off his shirt like nothing had happened. A small beep sounded, but was lost in the shifting of chairs to everyone but Knox. He smiled slightly; his guess had been right.
"Armstrong," Knox said, turning to the large man now trying to strangle the Colonel, an idea swirling in the hidden depths of his mind. "Armstrong let go of Roy and listen here.I want you to watch Fuyumi and make sure she's alright. If she wakes up, I want you to make sure she knows she's alright and explain to her where she is. I don't think she knows she's been rescued or that she's not in any danger."
"Aye," the larger man replied, for once choosing only to sparkle slightly.
"It may be sooner than you think," Knox warned and ushered the dazed Roy out of the room to the hallway. They then, along with Riza, went off to find Grumman. Armstrong nodded and turned to the girl on the bed. As he looked at her small body, frail and broken, he felt a small twinge of protectiveness. He sat down in the chair Roy had been occupying before his unannounced entry and swore that someone would pay for this.
*Fayes PoV*
Awareness returns, but the urge to open my eyes does not. It's safer to just lie here and wait for some indicator of hostility or of Ed. I hear movement of bodies and the shifting of something massive. There's talking by my feet, though I can only figure out a bit of it.
"Armstrong...watch...all right... she's all right ...where she is...not in danger."
"..."
"..." Some of the people move and there is the sound of a door closing. The massive object I heard earlier moves to where that other man had been. It must be a person, maybe the Armstrong that was being talked to. I wait for a bit, processing, still pretending I am asleep. If this was Armstrong, then he was probably watching me. But why? What was the "all right" and "where she is" all about? I was still with Ed, right? I'm too numb to have been moved. But then, what would "rescued" be about? And the "not in danger?" I know what that should mean, But I almost doubt their sincerity.
Sensing that there is now only one person in the room, (Somehow the other two have left without my noticing. ) I hesitantly open my eyes. This time around, there is no pain or shouting or alarms or her. It's calm. Wonderfully and blessedly calm. The massive object really is a person, half-clothed and sparkling slightly. Wait...
Sparkling? Last I checked, only vampires sparkled. I blink a few times,trying to figure out just what I am seeing. I finally decide that it's just the light playing tricks on my eyes.
The man seems not to have noticed my "waking up" ,as he is looking at some sort of monitor above my head. I can both feel and hear the humming vibrations that it's making as it works. I shift my head slightly and look at the monitor, surprised not to see television or video games, as I expected, But a vitals screen. Quickly, I reassess the room that I'm in, taking in the white walls and light blue curtains.
A hospital.
"I see you've awoken." Keep calm, Fuyumi. He's not a vampire. No bloodsucking here. It's a hospital for goodness sakes.
"Hai. Sore wa watashi ga motte iru to omowa wa Armsrongte imasu ka?"
"Excuse me miss? '
" Watashi ga itta, anata Ämusutorongu wa nanidesu ka?"
"I cannot understand you."
" E?" I think for a moment, wondering why- ah. I have been speaking in Japanese, a common habit for me to slip into. No wonder he can't understand me. I forcefully make the mental shift.
"I'm sorry, please forgive me. You are Armstrong, correct?"He looks surprised at my answer and I start to panic. He was Armstrong, right? That would mean he wasn't one of Ed's goonies. But if he wasn't, then who was he?
"Yes. I am Armstrong. Your name is Fuyumi, no?" I wince. I really hate that name.
"Faye. Call me Faye. Only Kira-" I wince again. Kira... "Only she ever calls me by my full name. Now, if you don't mind, before I start freaking out, would you please explain to me what you want with me, where I am and exactly who you are?"
"Goodness!She sounds just like her and the similarity is uncanny..." he mutters under his breath. I chose not to answer, But my mind is racing. Look like who, exactly? The only person I've ever been told I look like was that character. Kira told me that. He clears his throat loudly. "That's a lot of questions, young lady. I'll try to answer them all." Three questions is a lot? Whatever.
"I'll start with my name. I am Alex Armstrong,the Strong Arm Alchemist, rank major. I thought you knew that, seeing how you called me by name earlier."
"No. I just heard someone say for Armstrong to watch me and assumed it was you."
"A most logical assumption." Ok, he is really scaring me now. I'm starting to panic and I can see hear and feel my heart start beating glances at the monitor, a small frown crossing his face. 'Are you okay?" I nod, take a deep breath and open my mouth to ask another question, But Armstrong politely holds up a hand to cut me off.
"Please, Fuy- Faye, let me finish Your first round of questions. I am Major Armstrong, as IT said, and I am making a visit to the General. You are currently in the West Wing ICU of the Eastern Military Command hospital in room 302 on the third floor, first to the left. You've been here a little under half a day."
"Half a-" Armstrong holds up a hand.
"As to what I want, it is simple: to protect you and find whoever did this to you and stop them. As to what the military wants, I think it's pretty much the same, but on a more professional level." I nod. It makes sense, almost. I still don't fully trust him, though. I open my mouth again, but Armstrong quickly interrupts. "Now for some questions of my 's your name?"
"Faye. I said that." Was he slow?
"No, your full name."
"My full name?" he nods and I sigh heavily. "Fuyumi Rhea Kiru." I don't mind if he knows- it won't make much difference. They probably already know it anyway; They were calling me Fuyumi. It did bother me, however, that the military was getting involved.
:Of course they are. What did you expect?: I almost jump in my bed. Is that my SISTER'S voice? IN MY HEAD? I mean, I'm used to voices; they are a normal occurrence, taunting me and making me miserable. But never has Kira's voice been among the ranks. I wonder how she'll treat me. We were never close.
'Your fault, your fault, your fault,' the voices say.
'SHUT UP!' I cry wearily. My most recent response to the voices.
'She can hear you now. You're not safe now.' It was incredible how much they sound like Him sometimes. All the time. You know.
:He's right. I can hear you now, though 'unsafe' I'm not sure applies to this situation.:
'Don't trust her. Remember whose name it was she screamed?' I do. That woman's. Huh. I thought I had heard her voice earlier. Maybe she has joined the freak cast of voices too.
:I realized my mistake. I should never have obsessed so much.:
'Realized it, huh? Why does that sound so suspicious?'
"-aye?"
:Fine! Don't trust me! I'm your sister!:
'But am I her?'
:You Bastard!:
"-Aye!
'Did you hear that? Some sister!'
:I was only talking to-:
"Faye!" Armstrong's frantic shaking jolts me from my internal yip yap and causes my previous numbness to all but disappear.
"Huh?" He doesn't sit back in his seat, like I expect him to; Instead he pulls me into a giant hug, squeezing.
"You had me scared there; You weren't responding to anything." He drops the hug, now holding me by my arms out in front of him. "I had to use a special method passed down through the Armstrong line for generations! to get you to respond." Shaking me? Hmmm... Doesn't exactly sound or feel like a special method."Don't do it again."
"Sorry," I murmur sheepishly.
'No you're not, you dirty liar'
:Thats not true! You really do feel bad don't you?: Do I tell him about the voices? Or do I just leave it awkward like this? He looks at me expectantly. As I continue to not respond, he leans forward again, hands ready to use his special method if needed.
"Fuyu-I mean, Faye? What happened? Or maybe, what is happening? You have the same look again." I point to my head and tap it once or twice.
"The voices are arguing again." He looks at me strangely, as if doubting my words. I shrug. "It's true."
'Why are you telling him these things? He'll only use it against you,' the voices say, feeding my doubts yet again.
'But I want to trust him! Something about him makes me so... calm. I know he won't attack me, and I'm in a military hospital. That has to speak for something,' I argue.
'But you've never seen that uniform before, have you?'
'I think I have... Im pretty sure I have...'
'How do you know it's not a lie? Your not positive that-'
:She's seen it before.:
"What?" I shout aloud, forgetting that I'm not talking to real people. Armstrong looks at me.
"Do you not want to see the doctor?"
"Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't realize you were talking... I'll see the doctor." Darn those voices.
'You know you love me.'
:I highly doubt it:
'Oh? And what do you know?'
:What do YOU know?:
'Shut up,' I order them.
'More than you.'
:And why do I doubt that, too?'
'Shut up!' they continue to ignore me.
'Maybe because you're nothing but someone who abandoned your younger sister to think she's strange and different. Not normal.'
:I said I was sorry.: She sounds slightly upset.
'Maybe sorry doesn't cut it. Maybe what you did goes deeper-'
"Shut up! I don't want to hear it!" I bend over myself, clutching my head and almost crying as the pain, all three types, crashes down very strongly.
"Are you okay?" The man from before is back. The doctor. (Haha, not that Doctor... I wish!) I shake my head before I fully think, gasping as I realize that you could feel more pain then I had been. He quickly walks over. "What hurts?"
"Everything... Absolutely everything hurts..." I clench my eyes tightly. It took a lot of pain to make me show any weakness, but once it came to that point, I always end up breaking down.
"Would you like to sleep?"
"No!" I'm surprised at the forcefulness of my own words.
"It would take away the pain."
"But they'll be there. Them or Him." I can tell by the pricking on my skin that the doctor is staring at me strangely. But he seems to get it. Eventually.
"I...see..." There is the sound of shifting cloth and heavy footsteps as the doctor walks over to Armstrong. They whisper for a second before the doctor talks to me again.
"I'm afraid that I might have to insist, at least for a little while." More shuffling. Footsteps. Then a click and the feeling of my forearm getting heavy. That heavy feeling starts spreading, down to my hand and up to my elbow. It continues upward at a constant pace, feeling like smooth water and when it reaches my head, I oblige its wishes and prepare myself to drown in its blessed numbness.
And I am right; He is here.
*Knox*
Knox watched the girl slowly relax as the medication seeped into her bloodstream. When her head had fallen into Kisa's waiting hands, he turned to Armstrong.
"I was watching and listening," he admitted. "I'm surprised at your actions. It didn't seem like you at all." Armstrong shrugged and sighed.
"I don't know, It's just she's-she's- different than others. There's just something about her." Knox groaned.
"Don't tell me you've become attached too."
"It's not like I love her or anything. It's more like-"
"You see her as a daughter that needs guidance and protection. Mustang said the same thing to me earlier."
"Yes."
"Voices? She really said that there were voices arguing?"
"Yes. She kept getting this distant look in her eyes, and, as you saw, shouted something random once or twice."
"I did see." He rubbed his forehead. "I wonder why she didn't freak out? I know she was awake when I left-"
"She was?"
"Yes. She probably listened and pretended to be out to make sure she was safe. I have no doubts as to her intelligence level."
"High?"
"Yes."
"That language she was speaking... What was it?"
"It sounded a lot like Xingese, but I don't think it was. Maybe another country we don't know much of or aren't aware of?"
"I doubt it. We know most all of the countries on our continent, and we only know of this continent."
"Either way, when she wakes up again, talk like you did. Try and get her to say who Kira is or more about herself. You only really got her name out of her. Also, If you could try and figure out why and how she reacted to Riza, that would be helpful on the topic of guarding her."
"I'm guessing the last part's from Mustang?"
"Yes, but his wording was much more forceful. Seems like he's the overprotective father type."
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A/N: Haha. Poor Mustang, always getting laughed at... When Faye is speaking Japanese, she says "Yes. It seems I have. Are you Armstrong?" "I said, are you Armstrong?" and "huh?". I'm not fluent, so blame google translate for any mistakes.
Reviews! We're at three reviews. Isn't that great?
LeFay Strent (Chapter 1): Thank you! I really enjoy the originality of the premis too. I'm glad you liked it. When I first saw the email that said that someone had reviewed, it was past 4 AM on my third all nighter in a row and I thought I was dreaming. When I opened it and saw that you were the one that commented, I was certain. I'm so glad that it wasn't a dream.
LeFay Strent (Chapter 2): Thank you! It was fun to look up the terms. I hope you do end up reading more; I really like your work myself. You're close on the Riza's double thing, but you got the wrong person. Kira didn't look like any of the FMA characters, though in the first chapter and very very slightly in the second, it's mentioned who does look like Riza. Good guess, though! Here's your update ;)
The box is lonely. Give it a few words to hang out with, just so that it doesn't get any worse.
~Sira-the-Awesome~