yay! I've finally updated!! Please don't kill me I swear I have a legitimate excuse.

Here it is...

I lost my written copy of this story. I don't type the stories right off bat. I write them out first then type. Sorry sorry. I'm just old fashioned that way I guess. I already typed one half of this chapter then I lost the copy...the hard copy...so I had nothing to work with. Finally I decided to just type something new. I was sitting staring at the word document then the words just came to me. So I typed them down. Then as if to mock me I found my hard copy soon after! I read the next half and liked the one I came up with better so I stuck with that one. Hehe. What a waste of effort.

So please forgive me for taking so long.

Unfortunately, I have lost the notebook containing my other fanfic. Wah!! DX Why me? Why me?? Jeez. I'm not kidding. This is so annoying because this doesn't normally happen to me. Just in case you're wondering the notebook I lost contains my Mummy fanfic. I love ARDETH BAY!! He is so hot. Hehe.

Anyway here's the chapter. Hope you enjoy. It's in Mustang's point of view and I hope I kept him in character. Gosh, writing in men's POV is hard...

Oh wait! Disclaimers first!! Umm...I don't own Full Metal Alchemist or David Edding's Belgariad (Which is one of the greatest books ever!) if I did I wouldn't be writing this crazy fanfiction.

So. On with the story!!

Chapter 17

Mustang

After Silvertongue banished us from the cave and its surroundings, the Elric brothers and decided to go fishing. Something I declined to do. Messing around with hooks and lines is not exactly my forte. Imagine my surprise when the Elric brothers completely ignored the usual methods of fishing. Instead, Alphonse simply walked into the river and crouched so that only his head was above water. Fullmetal merely flopped down under the shade by the shore. Then both brothers stayed still.

How in the world do those two idiots expect to catch fish like that?

As I grew more and more impatient, I repeatedly checked the time on my silver pocket watch.

By the Gods! Only 20 minutes had passed! I will admit, I was getting annoyed…very annoyed. The clothes I was forced to wear had an unusual though not unpleasant odor. I was being subjected to travel with little or no comfort and now this!

After about ten more minutes Fullmetal interrupted my silent tirade…

"I think that should do it Al." he called to his brother.

In response, Alphonse stood and walked over to where Fullmetal was. Fullmetal stood and then opened his brother's chest armor. To my surprise, a gush of water poured out…together with half a dozen fish!

"What are you waiting for Mustang?" Fullmetal yelled, disrespectfully I might add, "Don't let them get away!"

I will not describe the antics of the Elric brothers as they chased after the fish but let me offer one word: juvenile

Honestly, I expected better of Fullmetal. Then again, he is just fourteen as Riza keeps reminding me. He doesn't act like a fourteen year old…at least around me that is.

"There!"

I regret to say that it was I who said that. It almost exploded out of me when I, yes I, caught the last fish.

I held it with one hand and offered it to Fullmetal.

"Looking for this?" I asked.

Nonplussed, Fullmetal waved a negligent hand at me.

"Since you caught it, you can clean it."

I felt my eyes go wide.

"What???" I asked in a choked voice.

"We can't cook them until they're cleaned you know." Alphonse said, looking up from the fish he was cleaning.

You know something? I don't think I will continue this part of my time with the Elric brothers.

Anyway, later on in the day, just as the sun was about to set, we heard a voice calling:

"BOYS! YOU CAN COME BACK NOW!!!"

Elric brothers and I made our way back to the cave. Silvertongue stood by the fire, stirring something in a pot that smelled delicious.

"Sophie-san!" Alphonse called out, he waved to her.

Silvertongue looked up. She saw us immediately and beckoned us closer.

"Dinner will be ready soon." She told us as we sat down around the fire.

"We got fish." Fullmetal said, holding out the string of cleaned fish.

"Wow, you caught so many!" Silvertongue exclaimed, quickly taking the fish and preparing them for frying.

"Where's Winry and Riza-san?" Alphonse asked.

"Oh, they're still dressing."

I raised an eyebrow, "What's taking them so long?"

"Well they had to practice something that takes a bit of getting used to and actually you should get used to it too…"

She's hiding something…

"What?" I asked.

"Now, now, now," she tsked, "It's a surprise. You'll see it soon enough."

Silvertongue placed plates of food in front of us.

"Now hurry and eat."

"What about you and the others?" Alphonse asked.

"Oh don't worry about us." Silvertongue said, waving a hand at him, "We already ate."

"If you say so…"

"Leave her alone Al." Fullmetal said, flopping down to eat dinner, "If she says they've eaten then fine, if not…more for us, right?"

"…Brother!"

"Ha ha ha! Don't worry Al, we ate, truly we did, kay?" Silvertongue said, "Now behave till we come out alright? The girls and I have something to show you."

"What?" I asked suspiciously.

"It's a surprise, my dear colonel." She said in that annoying, all-knowing way of hers, the way that made me want to strangle her.

As Silvertongue disappeared into the cave, I wondered again why on earth I was following her…

Oh right…

I needed her to lead me to the Old World. Yes, the Old World, known only in legends…and supposedly hiding a power so great it kept them hidden and safe until the present day. A power I wanted. A power I could use to overthrow the military.

"Are you going to eat that?"

I glanced up. It was Fullmetal. Apparently I had been very preoccupied and so ignored my supper.

"Yes actually." I said before the greedy kid could eat my share, "Leave it alone."

"Aww…"

I simply glared at him and proceeded to eat my supper.

When I finished I put my plate down on the ground and just as I was about to ask what was taking the girls so long I heard Silvertongue's voice from inside the cave…she sounded irritated.

"Come on! Just like we practiced, okay?"

I made to stand up to see what she was up to, when suddenly the rapidly darkening night was filled with the sound of a steady beat. It was slow and steady like the beat of a heart.

It was now completely dark; the moon was hidden from view by the clouds. The fire was the only source of light, creating flickering shadows that seemed almost alive. Then Silvertongue's disembodied voice wafted to us like a soft lullaby…

"Watch now. Behold the grace of your women…"

'Women?' I thought, 'What does she mean?'

Then slowly, ever so slowly, the three girls appeared before us.

Winry, Riza and Silvertongue…they stood before us dressed in pale colored dresses. Winry in a soft red dress, Riza in a light lavender one and Silvertongue wore a dress of palest blue, the exact same color of her eyes. The dress left their shoulders and arms bare and clung to their skin before suddenly furling out at the waist, swishing around their legs. The hem reached just until their ankles, showing their bare feet and the tinkling bells that circled their ankles. Bangles dangled from their wrists. All three girls had their hair pulled away from their faces in a ponytail and more bells decorated their heads.

Slowly they began to dance. Their only music was the mysterious beat and the quick counterpoint created by their anklets and bracelets.

I sat there spellbound as they moved in ways that left me breathless and wanting for more. They danced in the firelight, so near I felt like I could just reach out and touch them but when I tried, they slipped away.

I couldn't help it but I watched Riza more. Her serious face was a contrast to the way she made her body move. It was a fluid dance, speaking wordlessly of pleasures to be found and joys to be tasted.

I felt my breathing quicken and my heart begin to pound. Then I realized that my heart was beating to the exact same rhythm of the beat they were dancing to! The beat also quickened, as if it was connected to my own heart, and as it quickened so did their dancing.

If their slow, sensuous dance left me breathless then the fast, passion-filled one left me with none at all. I felt hot and needy. I wanted something yet didn't know what I was searching for.

I wanted to pull my eyes from the tempting dance yet my gaze remained glued to the spinning, twirling, and swaying form of my lieutenant.

I think I know what I wanted now…

Something glinting at Riza's waist caught my eye. It was a dagger. She had two, tied to her waist with a cloth belt.

Dear Gods, what I wanted was unattainable. She'd gut me if I took one step towards her.

I swallowed in an attempt to calm myself…it didn't work. My hands curled into fists and shook from the effort of keeping still.

My head was filled with conflicting feelings. I wanted them to stop. I wanted them to keep on dancing. I wanted Riza to dance forever… I wanted to dance with her…

No! No!! NO!!! NO!!!!

Finally the rapid beat slowed until it became the steady beat it was at the beginning. Yet, though it had calmed, my heart did not. It was still rapidly beating, like a humming bird's wings, too fast to measure.

The dance too slowed as the beat did. The wild spins and twirls died away and the dance ended with a strut that flaunted all that I could not have.

Why? WHY? Why must they goad me further???

Just when I thought I would burst, they finally became still. They stood before us but I had only eyes for Riza. She stood there, still serious and still as unreachable. She met my eyes and I was surprised to see that the usual calm there was gone. Instead it had been replaced by an inexplicable emotion.

Silvertongue spoke, and I forcibly dragged my eyes and attention from Riza to look at Silvertongue.

"Well, what do you think?" she asked.

I could only stare at her, speechless and numb.

Okay sorry I ended it like that. But I couldn't think of anything else.

Oh yeah. Thanks to those who reviewed. I know I sent you all replies already if I forgot someone please tell me and I'll send you a reply telling you how nice you are! To those who will review for this story thanks and I promise a nice reply for your trouble!

I haven't written the next chapter yet but I wanted this one up already so you all know I'm not dead yet. I only have a tiny inkling of what will happen but I'm pretty sure that it will be in Edward's point of view.

So see ya all next time...figuratively speaking of course. We can only hear from each other using words on the computer (or in my case laptop) screen.

Your fellow writer,

Sparkalie