Me: Ohhh…. Now things get good….
Kaylee: Yah, I get the feeling it will…
Me: anyway, incase you readers cannot guess Izumi Curtis is Keria and Rena's teacher…
Kaylee: oh boy!
That Which is Lost
Chapter six: "I've got a confession to make…"
Rena woke her sister and the Elrics grinning evilly and whistling a tune that oddly sounded like a funeral march. Rena made a pancake breakfast and giggled insanely at Alphonse who was enjoying pancakes for the first time since getting his body back.
"Rea, you all right in the head this morning… and what's with your sister?" Edward asked through a mouthful of pancake. Rena smiled like Kimbly with some C4.
"Why my dear Edward… why would you question my sanity now? Keria is merely afraid to see our teacher again… she lives in Dublith, she and her husband own the local butcher shop there…" Rena said and Edward dropped his fork.
"You… You mean Izumi and Sig Curtis?" Edward asked and Rena looked at Edward as if to say 'I haven't killed in a while'.
"Yes Eddy-Weddy…. Professor Izumi is mine and my sister's teacher." Rena smiled normally now. "I have to talk to her about something… and Ker's acting like a FRIKKEN BABY!" Rena yelled the last two words and Keria bolted in and seemed to hide under the table.
"Yes… Call me what you will but I cannot die yet… For as Hughes told me…. I MUST GET A HUSBAND!" Keria exclaimed and the whole room went silent. Keria sank to the floor. "Whoooo… Must find happy place…" Keria's voice said from under the table. Edward peeked under the table and shook his head. Keria was curled into a ball rocking back and forth under the table. Rena grabbed her sister and forced her to go to the living room with a bottle of rum and some cookies.
A few hours later Rena literally dragged Keria and Alphonse dragged Edward toward the train station. When they were on the train the elder siblings sat by the windows of the compartment while Rena and Alphonse guarded the door. (RAE! Kate: Why oh WHY do I have an image of Harry potter walking in telling Rena, Keria, Al, and Ed, they've boarded the Hogwarts express? Kaylee: Giggles I have NO idea!)
"Keria, stop being a baby! Jesus fucking Christ!" Rena yelled as her sister attempted to bolt for the door making Rena have to tackle her. "Teacher's not that frikken bad!" Rena said wrestling her sister back into her seat.
"She's going to KILL us! What part of 'Kill US' does your nonsensical brain don't get!" Keria yelled trying to get away. Rena punched Keria hard in the face to keep her from getting out of her seat again.
"THE PART WHERE I DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME LEFT, THAT'S WHERE!" Rena shouted into her sister's face, her voice edged with a hint of anger and fright.
"What? You're kidding… Right?" Keria asked rubbing her cheek where her sister punched her. Rena let out a yell of frustration and left the compartment. Keria could hear her little sister having a fit down the length of the train, obviously Rena had possibly been up all night. "Oh, damn… first I piss her off by telling her off because of her bad habit, now I've pissed her off by… wait… why is she pissed?" Keria then reached into her pocket and pulled out the same letter to Rena that Roy had written, only at the bottom in Rena's neat handwriting was something she had overlooked. The words in Rena's handwriting stated: 'Note to self, Test was positive, tell Roy.' Keria stared pensively at the note until she was aware that the Elrics were staring at her. "What?" Keria asked and Edward shrugged.
"Nothing, do you guys always argue?" Edward asked.
"No, not all the time. She's hiding something big from me and I don't think she's going to teacher's because she wants to do any reminiscing about stuff…" Keria said waving the note around absent-mindedly. Keria heard Rena's footsteps and shoved the note in her pocket before the youngest LeFey sister entered with some coffee for everyone.
"Sorry about that sis, I've had a lot on my mind lately with the Scar incident…" Rena said and Edward noticed she took no coffee for herself as she took a pack of cigarettes from her pocket and stared in thought at the white package.
"Go ahead sis, you need to settle your nerves…" Keria said taking out a lighter and tossing it to her younger sibling. Rena caught the lighter with ease but pocketed it and opened the pack but her eyes widened when she did so. "What? Outta pocky already?" Keria asked and Rena shook her head.
"No…" Rena then pocketed the pack and leaned against the compartment door. "I told someone I was going to quit, and for the most part I've went for a week…" Rena said and noticed Edward was looking at her. "What? Do I have something on my face?" Rena asked and Edward chuckled lightly.
"No, I've only seen Havoc smoke openly like that, and aren't you underage?" Edward asked.
"I'm as old as your little brother Edward… in fact my sister is almost exactly your age. And I have Jean to thank for this disgusting habit, although Keria has Maes to thank for her vile habit of drinking." Rena said and Keria chuckled darkly.
"At least I'm not going to get cancer unlike you, Chain smoker." Keria jeered in play and Rena smiled.
"At least I'm not going to die from liver failure like you, Drunkard Alchemist." Rena said back and Keria grinned.
"Rena's been smoking since Ishbal ended, as have I with drinking. So yah, you could call us underage druggies…" Keria told Edward and he chuckled playfully.
A few hours later after joking and laughter ensued about Edward's height, Keria's drinking, Rena's smoking, and Alphonse's shyness about being human again, they arrived in Dublith. When the train pulled into the station Rena sighed.
"Well, let's get this over with… that's odd, she's not there…" Rena said as she and Alphonse stepped off the train with Edward and Keria in tow.
"What do you mean Teacher's not here?" Edward asked peeking over his younger sibling's shoulder. Edward then emitted a frightened sound. "OH YES SHE IS! THAT'S HER HUSBAND THERE!" Edward shouted and pointed to a large muscular man looking around wearing a white apron spattered with bits of meat. Rena waved to this man.
"SIG! HEY MR.CURTIS!" Rena shouted and the man saw the redhead and went to her.
"Hello Rena… Where's Keria?" The man said pleasantly.
"Right here…" Rena said moving aside to show Keria clinging to the side rail of the train. The man smiled then noticed the Elrics.
"Hello Edward… is this Alphonse?" he asked. Alphonse nodded.
"Yah, I'm Alphonse… Ed's in a pretty bad mood…" Alphonse said and Edward cowered behind his little brother. "By the way, Sig, Where's Teacher?" The man known as Sig Curtis smiled sadly.
"Izumi's at home. She was too ill this morning to come and get the four of you so-" Sig said and Keria stopped clutching the train and looked at him.
"You mean our Teacher's sick? I will make sure she gets better! TO TEACHERS PLACE!" Keria shouted and grabbed Rena by the arm and they sped off to the Curtis' home. Sig shrugged and the brothers followed him as he beckoned them to follow him.
A few moments later they caught up to the sisters at the front of the butcher shop the Curtis' owned and operated. Sig smiled at the two sets of siblings.
"Go on inside, I don't think the place will eat you…" Sig joked and Keria took off and dragged Rena inside. The brothers followed with Sig trailing behind. Edward and Alphonse went down the hall Sig told them to and they entered the room Izumi Curtis was in before the sisters did.
"Hey teacher, how are you feeling?" Edward asked softly and she sat up a bit and smiled at the eldest brother.
"I'm better now than I was this morning…" Izumi said and Alphonse smiled at his teacher.
"That's good…" Alphonse said but before anyone could say another word Keria burst through the door and shouted.
"YOU CAN'T DIE ON ME NOW TEACHER!" Keria said rushing to the bedside no sooner had Keria arrived at her side Izumi slammed a frying pan into Keria's face. (RAE! Kate: Ummm… Where exactly did the frying pan come from again? Kaylee: Remember? We had this one scene in "Life of an Alchemist" where Keria had been fighting with Rena and Keria hid the frying pan in her room? Kate: Ummm… Now I think about it, I do remember… Kaylee: Well… Izumi took it… he, he, he…)
"I told you it was still there Keria…" Rena said leaning in the doorway. Keria fell to the floor with a comical dizzy look as she pointed straight up in the air.
"Oh look… I see mother waving to me at the end of a bright Tunnel…(1)" Keria said and Rena sighed as she kicked Keria lightly. Keria got up and smiled sheepishly then looked at her teacher. "You ever told us you trained the famous Elric Brothers…" Keria said and Izumi smirked and set the frying pan beside her on the bed.
"I trained you before them, so it's all one." Izumi said and Rena's smile disappeared. "Ah, before I forget… can I speak privately with Rena?" Izumi asked fingering the handle of the frying pan. Edward and Alphonse with Keria at their back bolted from the room closing the door so Rena was alone with Izumi. Rena stepped forward and her teacher looked at her curiously. "So, why'd you come back Rena?" Izumi asked and Rena began to explain.
Meanwhile Keria, Edward, and Alphonse were sitting in the kitchen at the table.
"So what does Izumi want to talk with Rena privately about?" Edward asked and Keria shrugged.
"Hell if I know…" Keria said. "I know she trusts Teacher more than me… I mean she knows more about my sister than I do…" Keria said depressingly as she stirred the drink Sig had given her.
"Sorry, I didn't know…" Edward said and put his hand on Keria's and she stopped stirring her drink to look at the young man that was her age. "I'm sure Rena wants you to know… but she may just be too afraid to talk to you about it…" Edward said looking kindly at Keria.
"WAIT, TEACHER! DON'T BE RASH NOW!" Rena's voice said from down the hall. "NOT THE FRYING PAN, COME ON GIVE ME A BREAK!" Rena shouted again and several sounds of someone being thrown into a wall were heard. Keria stood and went to the door to the hall.
"You guys stay here… it looks like sis just pissed our teacher off…" Keria said and hurried to the door. When Keria arrived Rena opened the door, Izumi's fist imprinted on her cheek. "Rea, are you all right?" Keria asked and Rena looked at her sister, sadness filled her eyes that Keria hadn't seen in over a year. Rena walked away from her teacher and sister staggering slightly.
"Keria… may I speak with you? It's about Rena…" Izumi said standing in the doorway where Rena had just come from. Keria glanced at her sister then entered the room and Izumi closed the door and motioned Keria to sit. "Rena's asked me to go back to the island for more training… there was something on her mind that she wanted to share with you." Izumi said sitting on the bed beside Keria.
"What is it? And why would she want to go back?" Keria asked and Izumi hugged Keria like a mother would her child. "Teacher?"
"You remember the last time I saw her she was almost a mess. She hadn't slept in days, and she asked me to take her to the island…" Izumi said and Keria nodded, she could never forget what had happened before that. "She hadn't really lost the baby… I didn't know that's what she was trying to do, but you remember that she had insisted that she was to go to the island?" Izumi said.
"I remember… why didn't she tell anyone? What's the big secret?" Keria asked Izumi hugged Keria closer.
"She didn't want anyone to suffer because of her decision. Rena… she killed the child using alchemy before it was born because she didn't want anyone to know she was going to have a child, that's why she asked us both to not tell anyone. She regretted it, and it caused her great pain to do so." Keria stared at her teacher.
"How did you find out she really did that?" Keria's eyes were wide in fear and confusion.
"She told me a few minutes ago, she also told me that when she went to the island, she tried to bring her baby back, but it failed. She had almost created an equal sacrifice using the remains of the baby, and full human ingredients… it would have worked, but at the same time… it didn't. she had killed it and tried to resurrect it, the whole thing was a cycle of sin…" Izumi stated. "She wants to go back to pay her respects, the island was where she killed it and tried to bring it back…" Izumi concluded.
"But why? Damn it! She was always more innocent than I ever was, but… Rena would never do that?" Keria said and began to cry. "Why would she do that? She seems so cheerful now, but did she really do such a thing?" Keria asked between her sobs.
"She did… Rena never lies to those she loves. Rena never told you because she was afraid you would hate her." Izumi said and patted the eldest LeFey sister's back.
"I couldn't hate Rena, Teacher… Why didn't she ask for some help or something?" Keria asked looking at the woman who was almost a mother to her and her sister.
"Think about it Keria… Rena had been raped, the child was only within her because she was raped…" Izumi said making Keria look down.
"I never thought about it. To me she was always optimistic, she always acted like the baby was a special present from god or something." Keria said and Izumi let Keria out of the hug and got to her feet.
"She realized her mistake, Keria… she realized it moments after she had done so… her first ever attempt to make a human was flawless, but when it came to her when she was grief struck… she couldn't do anything…" Izumi looked at Keria sadly. "Rena wanted me to tell you, because she was too afraid." Izumi said and Keria got off the bed and stood.
"Sometimes it takes more courage to be afraid, than to face your fears…" Keria said and left the room. When she exited she found Rena in a tight black tank top, a pair of dark blue kaki pants, and her usual Caduceus pendant she wore was on a newer chain. "Rea, what are you doing?" Keria asked softly and Rena looked softly at her sister.
"I'm going back to the island for some more training… please don't follow me…" Rena said and she walked the opposite way she had come. Keria looked at her sister's back as she walked away. Keria was confused, Rena never asked her never to follow her. Keria went back to the kitchen and the Elrics. She sat in her seat and looked at the drink in front of her. Sig came in and took the drink from her and set a bottle of rum before her. Keria took the bottle and drank deeply for a moment.
"Izumi told me you needed some rum, so drink up Keria…" Sig said and rubbed Keria's back. Keria set the bottle on the table with her hand on the bottle still and began to sob hard.
"Keria?" Edward asked and Sig shook his head.
"Stupid Rena! You're so fucking retarded!" Keria randomly shouted and Rena who had just entered looked around. Rena then looked at Keria a look of sadness filled her normally blank and emotionless face.
"So you do hate me… you do hold me in contempt…" Rena said then fled from the room with Keria crying so loudly she never heard her sister.
"Rena, come back!" Sig shouted. He looked to the Elric brothers. "Watch Keria, she's bound to do something reckless if she gets too drunk." Sig said and he dashed off after Rena. Keria continued to cry and Edward went to her and patted her on the back.
"Keria… it's alright…" Edward said and Keria shook her head.
"It's all my fault. I've never paid much attention to Rena, and now she's going back…" Keria said and began a new wave of sobs. "I'm going after her!" Keria stood, wiped away her tears, and then ran off toward the direction Rena dashed off in. Keria found Sig and Rena outside with Rena in tears. Keria motioned Sig to quit embracing Rena and Keria embraced her sister. "Rena I'm sorry. I've never asked you how you truly felt about things…" Keria said and Rena pushed her away.
"You hate me, I know you do!" Rena shouted then began to scream loudly. "KERIA I'M SICK OF THESE LIES BETWEEN US! YOU NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT HOW YOUR SHOULDER BECAME AUTOMAIL! YOU'VE NEVER TOLD ME ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED WHEN WE WERE SEPERATED IN THE ISHVARLAN WAR! MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE KILLED YOU DURING THE EXAMS!" Rena shouted at the top of her lungs her voice ringing in hurt. Keria stared at her sister, a numb feeling in her body.
"HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET THE IDEA I HATED YOU? I'VE NEVER HATED YOU! I COULD NEVER HATE YOU! I NEVER TOLD YOU BECAUSE I DON'T WANT YOU MAKING THE SAME MISTAKES I HAVE MADE! ISHBAL WAS A MISTAKE ON THE MILITARY'S PART, WE WERE SEPERATED FROM ONE ANOTHER FOR SEVEN YEARS BECAUSE THEY KNEW WHO THE FUCK OUR FATHER IS!" Keria shouted her face turning red. "AND TALKING ABOUT SECRETS WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON BETWEEN YOU AND MR. FLAME ASS? YOU NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT THAT AND YOU NEVER TOLD ME ABOUT WHY YOU WENT TO THE ISLAND TWO YEARS AGO! EQUIVALENT EXCHANGE SISTER! YOU TELL ME SOMETHING I'LL TELL YOU!" Keria yelled and Rena stormed up to Keria and slapped her hard in the face. Rena was crying and so was Keria, and Keria only embraced her sister and clutched her to her chest tightly. "I don't want anything bad to happen to my baby sister… Since we both joined the military and since we were separated in Ishbal, we've never had the chance to say anything to one another… Talk to me Rea… what's on my little sister's mind that's tormenting her so much…" Keria said sounding more like a mother than a sister sniffing as she looked at her sister loosening the embrace. Rena pushed away and looked at her older sister.
"I'm sorry Keria… I don't know what came over me… I'm sorry I hit you, I'm sorry I was yelling, I didn't mean it…" Rena said and Keria hugged her little sister. "I'll tell you later… I have to go…" Rena said and she gave her sister a kiss on the cheek (2) and hugged her. "Don't go away again… I need you more than ever…" Rena said then turned and headed in the direction of the lake following Sig.
Me: Oh cliff hangers!
Kaylee: OMG that's sad!
Me: I know… I cried as I wrote this…
Kaylee: Your Naruto one is frikken hilarious!
Me: all in a days work hun.
Kaylee: Giggles there is something fishy going on…
Me: I know… I had to have a blow up of the sisters… besides you need to tell me about how Keria got her shoulder messed up.
Kaylee: Come here… Whispers juicy details in Kate's ear
Me: Really, cool!
Kaylee: Grins…
Me: Any way… I know the last chapter's "Spoiler" is still left unanswered a bit, but that's our secrets, not yours…
Numbers!
(1) "Oh look… I see mother waving to me at the end of a bright Tunnel…" – Refer to volume four of the manga… Denny Brosh asks Edward if he just called his girlfriend and ed freaks out, his wound opens and he passes out saying: "Oh look, I see mom waving at me at the end of a bright tunnel…" as Brosh calls for a nurse…
(2) Rena said and she gave her sister a kiss on the cheek and hugged her. – Rena is NOT a lesbian. In some countries it is a greeting custom to give a kiss on the cheek. In this case Rena is simply giving her sister a kiss because she wants her to cheer up, also as a good bye before she goes back to the island… he, he, he…