Chapter 13 – Liore

(Liore)

After a few days of traveling, Edward found ourselves lost within a desert, but, I didn't think so. Al agreed with Edward, saying he was leading us to a small city called Liore. Edward also said there was a young girl by the name of Rose who was a close friend to them. The name of Liore sounded familiar to me, and I shook the thought. Maybe I had just heard it from Roy or something. The only thing that really tweaked the back of my mind was the desert.

"How much longer, Ed?" I asked. Sweat pooled down my face in soft beads. I could hear him gasping for breathe ahead of me. "Ed?"

"Not much farther." Oh, it was then I wished I still had my wings like Murder. The scent of red wine and humans filled my nostrils, and I let it lead me through the desert, and I could feel, if not hear, them following behind me. "How-,"

"My sense of smell," I said, pointing to my nose. Ed smiled, nodded, and dragged his feet along. Once we got to the city limits, memories flooded into my mind…

"Crimson!!!" a voice yelled and I was catapulted to the ground. I landed hard on my back, and a grasp of a small girl gripped me tightly around my neck. "Crimson!"

"What?" I said, looking into the owner's gaze. She was a small girl, about seven or eight years old, with extremely long black hair, to her rear end, and beautiful colored green eyes. Her name drifted into my head. "Ahh, Ayano!" I said, pulling her off of me and into my lap. She still gripped my neck tightly. "You know, honey, I cannot breathe…" I lied. I didn't really need to breath, it wasn't a necessity like it was for humans, but, I needed and excuse to get her off of me.

"Sorry," she said, climbing off of me. Memories filled my mind as I saw myself in this city nearly five years ago for a military mission for Mustang. I was here with Hawkeye back then too, when she was just a private, and I was still getting used to the idea of being the military's pet still. "Where have you been, Crimson?" she asked, her voice still high pitched and slurred slightly because of her age.

"Out and about," I said smiling. I saw the look on Edward by his smell, and it was pretty funny. He was completely shocked. I turned to face him and smiled again. "Ayano, this is Edward and his brother Alphonse. You'll like them." Ayano turned to Edward, her mouth wide and gaped in awe. "Go say hi," I whispered in her ear. She took another step back away from Edward. "Ayano?" She looked at me, fear in her eyes. She whispered something to herself, but I heard it.

"Cornello…" she said. That name was familiar to me. I think it was that father priest that came and taught them the ways of that freakish sun-god. "Crimson, they are bad guys…"

"Bad guy-," I cut Ed off. I didn't want him scaring the crap out of her. "Don't Ed, don't. What is wrong, dear? Surly these guys didn't do anything to you."

"Mommy!" she screamed, trashing around. I put her down and she ran to a young girl, about 25 to 26 looking. "Mommy! They're back!" I heard her say. Her mother, which I believed if my memory served me correctly, was Asta. Her hair was short, deep red, and curly, and her body was nearly next to perfect.

"Crimson, I see you have brought some more military dogs with you," her mother sneered. More people began to gather around us, and most of their minds told me we were welcome, but, there were a few here and there that were off and cruel sounding. Asta, was no more than a cruel annoying, chattering voice in the back of my head. "Why are you back, you Alchemists?" she mocked, and I could tell that was aimed towards Al and Ed. "You know that you are not allowed out here!"

"What?" Ed asked. I raised my hand slightly, when I noticed a young girl walk over to us. Her hair was long and brown, with some pink above her purple eyes. "Rose…" Ed whispered, his eyes wide.

"Edward…" she responded, and turned back to everyone of Liore. "He is welcome. Edward showed us the truth behind Father Cornello, everyone, and so did his brother, Al."

"But what about Crimson, she led the dogs of the military here!"

"She protected us when we needed protecting, and she looked over your children when we had to fight! She also has her place in Liore!"

"Traitor!" a lone voice yelled. I ignored them, and turned to Rose. "Traitor!"

"Thanks again Rose," I said as Edward walked next to me, and Al on the other side. "I thought my throat was going to spill blood tonight."

"No, they have just forgotten all you have done for us. We still are in your debt."

"No, you don't!" I said, laughing slightly. A smile drifted on her face and we walked down the streets of Liore. All of my memories filled my mind, some of them pleasant, some not………

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I am sorry I haven't put any chapters up lately…I have been so busy with school and the Panto I have been in and horseback riding…so…yeah…thanx for being patient! Oh, and please review…I know it isn't me at my best here!