Greetings, all! A big thanks to those who read, reviewed, favorited, and followed will be at the bottom! For reference, this story takes place just before Mustang and the gang move to Central, and just after the fight at the Devil's Nest. Any and all lines taken from the Fullmetal Alchemist franchise in this chapter do not belong to moi. Enjoy!
Just Another Playing Piece
Chapter Two:
"The Fullmetal So-and-So"
"Dear?"
Izumi Curtis halted in her long-legged stride at the call of her husband, and turned back to see him gazing solemnly down an alley they had just passed. Backtracking so that she was standing beside the large man, Izumi settled her questioning gaze upon him.
Shifting the groceries they had just purchased to one hand, "What is it, Sig?"
"Look." Pointing down the alley.
In a heap of pale limbs and silken linens, there lay a young Xingese woman seemingly unconscious. The couple looked down the alleyway with slight apprehension. It was not the first time they has come across someone passed out in the street on their way by the red-light district, however, it was the first time they had encountered someone so obviously well-groomed and from the East in their little southern town.
The married pair exchanged a look. Well, it wouldn't hurt to show a bit of Amestrian hospitality, would it...?
"We're back, boys!" Izumi called as she crossed the threshold of the butcher shop and quickly kicked off her sandals.
"Teacher, we're hungry!" Came a disembodied voice from the backyard.
Moments after the cocky shout, the metal head of Alphonse Elric peered from the next room, "Welcome back, Teacher. Do you have the groceries? Can I help you?"
"So, what's for dinner?" Edward Elric asked appearing in much the same manner as his younger brother as he plaited his golden hair into its trademark braid.
"Shut up!" A pot was hurled at such a neck-breaking speed that, if it had been aimed more purposefully, then it could have easily taken off the blond boy's head. "If you want to eat, then roll up your sleeves and get to work!"
"Geez, you could've killed me with that!"
"That was the point, you runt!" Ignoring the older of the two young men, Izumi looked up to Alphonse as his large metal hand gently took one of the bags from her. She took note that he was now cleaned of the blood from the chimera woman whom had been slain in him earlier that day. "Thank you, Alphonse."
"RUNT! WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MICRO BABY MIDGET?! HEY, DON'T IGNORE ME!"
"You're welcome, Teacher!" The little armor boy positively beamed at the praise, the metallic sound of his voice barely audible over Edward's fuming rant.
"As for you..." Izumi turned to settle her fearsome gaze on Edward, who was attempting to coax a biscotti out of the bag Alphonse now held. "You should learn to respect your elders! Not only did I bring back groceries, but I brought Ed back a bride."
The stolen cookie fell from the blond alchemist's lips, "WHAT'D YOU JUST SAY, MY WHAT?!"
"You brought Winry here, Teacher?"
"AL!"
"Sorry, brother. I couldn't resist."
"Tah-dah!" Izumi vacated the doorway to let her husband fill the frame with his broad shoulders. The brothers balked at the sight held in Sig's thick arms. It wasn't an everyday occurrence for the boys to see the burly man carrying bridal-style an exotically dressed woman that was not his wife.
"Who the hell is that?!"
"Why, it's your future bride, of course!"
"Teacher, cut the crap!"
"Priceless reaction. It was definitely worth picking a foreigner off of the street to see that face."
As teacher and pupil bantered, Sig made his way through the small house with the unconscious girl in his arms. Alphonse tailed after the older man as curiosity bloomed in him over their guest. He held open one of the guest bedroom doors for Sig, so that he could effortlessly enter the room and lay the girl upon a small cot.
"Where did you find her? She appears foreign, if not wealthy."
The butcher moved his eyes away from the peaceful face of the sleeping girl to the boy that had posed the question. "An alleyway two or three blocks from here. She is young; we couldn't leave her."
"Is she…well," Alphonse took in the unnaturally still body as uneasiness filled the hollowness of his chest cavity. "…still alive?"
Passing the anxious suit of armor, Sig stopped to give the helmet a light pat, "Exhaustion, I presume. She will be fine. Let her sleep."
Following Sig's lead, Alphonse turned to vacate the room. However, a wariness came over him as it does when one feels like they are being watched. He could not help, but to peer over his shoulder at the supposedly slumbering foreigner. Despite the strange feeling, the young woman still lay in the same position with her short black hair fanned out around her head. Stealing one more glance, Alphonse shut the door behind him.
Once she heard his metal footsteps fade away, a wide grin split across the girl's face and her navy eyes slide open. What a stroke of luck! It was always satisfying when plans went accordingly. Tianxian maneuvered her way beneath the covers of the bed and lay with her arms tucked beneath her head. How relaxing…
It had been several days since her unexpected meeting with the officers at Eastern Command. After several faked injuries and an evening of playing a beautiful symphony on the heartstrings of a rather benevolent wealthy family who was on their way to vacation in South City, Tianxian found herself seated, free of charge, in a first class car when her train pulled into the Dublith Train Station.
As smoothly as things had gone so far, the bottom fell out of everything when she was forced to spend the next two days pounding on door-after-door flashing the paper that the dark haired officer had gifted her saying "The Colonel sent me."
As one can imagine, shoving a piece of paper signed by a high-ranking military official into the face of civilians and demanding to be taken to the radical leader of the country didn't bode well for public peacekeeping efforts. She had then spent the next few hours evading arrest for having "incited a city-wide panic."
In desperate need of a meal, a bed, and most of all, a safe house, Tianxian had resorted to tossing herself onto the ground when she heard anyone pass by with the hope that someone would take pity on as defenseless young woman as herself. If they took the bait, she then planned to coerce her benefactors by displaying her title, after which, she was certain that they would be so honored to be in her presence, that they would gladly give her lodging while she searched for the ever elusive "Fullmetal" fellow.
It just so happened that she had fallen asleep after throwing herself to the ground for somewhere around the twentieth time. She awoke to a woman laughing hardily while the sound of cracking knuckles assaulted her ears. However, the manipulative consort continued to feign sleep as she was lifted ever so gently to be pressed into a warm chest.
And, this is where her ingenuity had led her, to a cozy sleeping place that was likely to have food for grabs once the morning came.
The sounds of flying cooking ware and indignant shouts could still be heard outside of the bedroom door. The liveliness of the house at such a late hour was a bit unnerving, but she reasoned that she would have no fear of cutlery being aimed her way once she had the chance to explain just who they were currently housing under their roof. After all, if things got hairy, then she could simply climb out of the window before the seemingly kind Samaritans awoke the next morning.
With that thought in mind, Tianxian waited for sleep to wash over her. After several listless hours, it finally came to claim her.
The next morning Tianxian found herself tiptoeing through the home she had currently taken residence in with the clear intention of mooching some food off of her hosts. The smell of cooked bacon led her in the direction of the kitchen. Paying no mind to the other people occupying the room, Tianxian seated herself and grabbed two pieces of bacon from the plate that was sitting at the center of the kitchen table.
Reaching over to take hold of an unused fork and knife, she delicately cut her meal into even squares before daintily popping the morsel into her mouth to satisfy her awaiting taste buds. She was not let down. Heavenly.
"JUST WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU, LADY?!"
The plate of bacon was unceremoniously snatched from beneath Tianxian's nose. Displeased and fork paused mid bite, her eyes trailed from the hand that had stolen her breakfast and up a metal arm to glare irately at an adolescent boy. Briefly surprised, the concubine found herself entranced by the sight of him.
However, it wasn't his short stature or the fact that his prosthetic appendage had broken causing her plate of food to fall to the floor as he gasped horrified at the broken china, that caused her prolonged stare. It was his golden eyes and hair. They were strikingly familiar.
Realizing her waver, Tianxian quickly schooled her face back into a reproachful grimace, "Well, that was rather rude of you."
"Rude!? What's rude is you appearing from nowhere, helping yourself to your host's plate without so much as a thanks, stealing the silverware from my hands to use yourself, and pretending like no one else exists!" The blond used his flesh arm to direct the busted metal one into pointing directly between her eyes.
"I hardly see how that is a problem." The girl replied in an overly flippant tone as if she had not breached proper dining protocol in the slightest with her actions.
"Listen, lady," He growled as his eyes narrowed into slits, "I don't know about where you come from, but around here it's considered impolite to shack up at someone's house for the night and repay them by stealing their food in the morning."
Incensed. "How dare you address me in such a crass manner! Do you have any idea whom you are speaking to, you plebian trout?"
"Of course I don't! You came in here, starting eating our food, and didn't even introduce yourself. That's the problem, woman!"
Navy eyes flashed with heated condescension, a hand placed in a haughty gesture just below her neck. "I am Lady Tianxian Shi, two hundred and sixteenth heir of the illustrious Shi clan, forty-seventh royal concubine of the Xing Empire! You are in the presence of royalty."
"Oh yeah? Well, I couldn't care less even if you told me that you were the prince of Xing himself! I'm Edward Elric, the famed Fullmetal Alchemist, friend of the people, youngest State Alchemist in history!"
"Is that so? Well, I-I…I…" Tianxian faltered, blinking rapidly as the boy's title registered. "Did you say Fullmetal?"
"Ha! You can't come up with a— wait, you've heard of me?"
The consort sucked in a deep breath as she shot to her feet lunging forward to fist her hands in Edward's shirt. "TAKE ME TO CENTRAL!"
"WHAT. No! Hey! What are you—"
"I am in need of an audience with your Furher." Tianxian leveled her face with the reluctant boy, close enough for her hot breath to fan over his cheeks. Edward found himself enraptured with the smolder of her dark eyes, and for a moment he could have sworn amber flecks briefly outlined her pupil. "As a State Alchemist, you have the power to give that to me."
"Um, excuse me, Miss Shi?"
Startled by the voice, Tianxian released the cloth in her hands and swung her head sharply to the left. For the first time, she took notice of the other two people occupying seats at the table. Well, if you could even call them that. She uneasily eyed the hulking piece of muscle that was a bearded man and an enormous suit of fearsome looking armor.
What a peculiar group I have stumbled upon… Tianxian mused.
"Hello, I am Alphonse Elric, Ed's younger brother. Maybe if you could explain yourself a bit more, then we could understand why you are here. It is pretty usual for someone to seek my brother and I out to take them to the Furher." Tianxian recognized the metallic voice from last evening, realizing it must have belonged to whoever was inside that suit of armor.
The voice was light and airy suggesting that, despite his large size, he must have been quite young. Meanwhile, the muscular man excused himself with something about checking on his wife.
Forgoing the overly complicated explanation that she had spin for the officers in her first regaling of her tale, Tianxian opted for a much simpler, "I come from Xing, the large country to the east of you. Due to some marital complications, I seek solace as a political refugee in Amestris. I am only able to achieve that by petitioning to your Furher. I hear that you, as a State Alchemist, have access to him."
"Why should Al and I have to take some border hopping illegal immigrant to Central?"
"I already told you, you heathen low-class simpleton, I am a political refugee."
"You can give it a fancy title, but a criminal is still a criminal."
Pulling out the trump card, Tianxian reached into the pocket of her pants to tug out the slip of paper she had received days earlier. A Cheshire cat grin spread from ear to ear as she said, "The Colonel sent me, Fullmetal."
Edward snatched the paper stretched out to him while still warily looking at the overly smug girl. He only took his eyes off of her after he had unfolded the note.
Immediately, he recognized the heavy, looping handwriting of Riza Hawkeye. Quickly, he read over his name, State Alchemist identification number, the number to Granny Pinako's Resembool abode, and a short blurb about how he was being ordered to escort a certain "Lady Tianxian Shi" to Central Command.
He had nearly crumpled the paper into a ball to pelt back at the girl when a writing different from the rest caught his eye.
At the bottom corner of the page in small, slanted letters read, HAPPY TRAVELS, FULLMETAL.
"That bastard."
"What is it, Brother?"
As a response, Edward handed the note over. Alphonse quickly scanned it. "Oh. Well, shall we get packed then?"
"Fat chance." The older Elric grumbled so only his brother could hear. "She just missed the Furher, anyway. We need to stop by Rush Valley, and get Winry to patch up my arm first. The imp is just going to have to trail us until we are ready to head to Central. No way in hell are we making a special trip just for her."
"Well?" Tianxian questioned in her trademark action of peering arrogantly down her nose at others.
The train ride was mostly consumed with silence as the two humanoid teens slept while Alphonse read, welcoming the short reprieve from the shrill voices of his companions. The peace was only interrupted when occasionally the blond and ebony haired pair would wake up to resume bickering over everything from the scenery passing by the window to the dietary benefits and consequences of milk consumption before falling back asleep mid argument.
Keeping one melodramatic hot head under control was difficult enough; having to wrangle in two at the same time would have caused Alphonse to shudder at the prospect if he had been in his original body. He just hoped by the time they left Rush Valley to take the considerably longer train ride to Central City, that the two would have settled their differences or will have at least found something other than quarrelling to occupy their attention.
Admittedly, the later was much more likely than the former.
The train rolled to a stop, and two heads, one light and one dark, lolled to attention from the change in speed. Blinking sleep away, golden eyes met navy. Al cringed. They were awake now, so that meant—
"What are you looking at, you conceited cow?"
"I can very well look wherever I may please, you slack-jawed heathen."
"I'm doing you a favor by taking you with us, ya know? Give me some respect!"
"Respect? I owe a common infidel like you nothing. You should be honored that you have the opportunity to be graced by my mere presence!"
"Honored, my ass!"
"Your ass, you say? How about I demonstrate just how far I am able to shove this great honor up your—"
This could go on for hours. Honestly, at this point, it was just a pissing contest between the two.
Somehow, Alphonse was able to calm the two enough, so they could travel through town without being brought up on charges of disturbing the peace. While the shouting had ceased, a heated glare still existed between the alchemist and his charge. Edward only ended the intense stare down when they had neared Atelier Garfiel's, and a flash of blonde hair caught his attention.
With a bored expression, Tianxian watched as the two boys approached a young woman exiting from what she could only guess was an automail shop. She balked as the pair suddenly produced two fans, and with a panicky cheerfulness addressed the stranger.
"Hello there, Winry!" Edward waved one of the fans merrily, but Tianxian could see the nervous sweat beginning to prick at the nape of his neck. "You look like you're in a very generous mood today."
Shocked, the blonde girl blinked several times before an enchanting smile adorned her face, "Hi, Ed. Hi, Al. What are you doing showing up like this?"
The Elric brothers' nervousness became palatable as Edward lifted up his metal appendage, gears visible and fingers only hanging on by the shear tenacity of colorful wires.
The concubine looked on as Winry's pleasant expression was clouded with an unrivaled fury. With the strength of a seasoned wrestler, the young automail mechanic hurled the crate of metal parts she was holding hard enough at the young alchemist to send him flying into the shop behind them. Snatching a wrench from the ground, Winry carried it above her head as she marched back into the shop intent on delivering swift justice.
"You complete jerk! I just fixed that arm!"
Winry swung the wrench down and was just as surprised as the cowering Edward when it did not land its intended blow.
Tianxian offered a tightlipped smile as she stepped out from beneath the mechanic's arm, and released her grip on the tool she had caught mid swing. "As ill-mannered and irreverent as he is, I would prefer if you did not kill him. I am in need of his services."
"Wha? I…I…who…?" The foreign girl couldn't help but smirk as Winry's sapphire eyes darted confusedly around to the three others in the shop.
"Winry," Edward coughed as Alphonse helped him sit up, "This is Tiaxie Shin—"
"Brother, her name is Tianxian Shi."
"That is Lady Tianxian Shi, to you."
The alchemist waved his hand carelessly, "Whatever. Anyway, she's basically an illegal immigrant that Colonel Bastard has ordered me to get to the Furher, so unfortunately Al and I are stuck with her and her obnoxious attitude for a while."
"Quiet, heathen, or next time you earn the wrath of a woman I will not intervene." Tianxian muttered disdainfully.
"Well, I suppose introductions are in order, then." Tianxian watched at Winry turned to her with an apologetic quirk of her lips and a hand extended, "I'm Winry. Winry Rockbell. I work as a mechanic at this shop, and unfortunately, I have to call these two my childhood friends."
Staring disinterestedly at the peach-colored hand held out towards her, Tianxian wondered what she was supposed to do with it. Hesitantly, she took hold of it in both of her own as she slightly bowed at the waist. She then released the hand after murmuring a simple, "A pleasure."
What odd customs these Amestrians held.
Attempting to ignore the awkward introduction, Winry set to work on patching her friend's arm the best she could. "Even Paninya has shaped up, and got a job doing odds and ends around town. Yet, here the two of you are getting your selves into trouble again."
Tianxian stood idly to the side with her arms crossed and foot tapping as the childhood friends caught up with one another. She huffed, How dull.
"And what about the two of you, huh?" Winry droned, and Tianxian mused that her nitpicky attitude was what probably made her an excellent mechanic. Even to her untrained eyes, she could see the fine craftsmanship in the other girl's meticulous work. "Made any progress yet?"
Tianxian's ears perked as what was left unsaid. Progress? At what?
Alphonse drew in a sharp breath as he awkwardly glanced back at their guest before continuing, "Yeah, we have. It's slow going though."
"We're still moving ahead little by little, I guess." With a loud grunt, Edward rose to a sitting position.
The brothers shared a look that clearly screamed that they were hiding something. Navy orbs narrowed suspiciously as the siblings. Secrets were something Tianxian had an inordinate amount of experience with, so she immediately recognized when one was being kept in front of her nose.
Confident that she would coerce the truth out of them sooner or later, she stepped forward to gain the attention of the others, her face eased back into her normal simper.
"Is he free to travel?" Tianxian directed the statement at Winry. "Prepare him for leave."
"Not quite," The taller girl replied as a large sweat drop rolled down the side of her head at the sound of the demanding voice. "I've done all I can for now. I'm missing some parts, so you'll have to make-do with a patch job. I'll go get what we'll need, but until then you've got some time to kill."
No one, least of all Tianxian, looked pleased about having to spend more time surrounded by gearhead junkies. But, what choice did they have except to wait?
"Kill some time, huh? Yeah, how do we do that in a town made up entirely of automail shops? No matter where we go, these guys follow Al and I around like vultures."
The original plan had been to wait at Garfiel's shop for Winry to return with the needed supplies. However, that had quickly changed when not long after Winry left, Garfiel had strolled into his studio bringing a flamboyant array of persona along with him. Even Tianxian's own over-the-top personality was unable to combat the amount of dispositional gaud and glitz pervading the room, and the three had been forced to wander the streets despondently.
Tianxian spoke up with a side glace at the boy who was barely shorter than her, "The two of you act as if you do not want to be noticed, and yet dress so outlandishly that it is difficult not to."
"Oh yeah?" He gestured with the end of the straw held between his teeth to her out-of-place outfit with its bright color and exotic silk patterns, "Like you're one to talk."
With a roll of her dark eyes, Tianxian looked away, "It matters not what I wear. The air of royalty that exists around me draws the common people. I can hide nowhere, but in plain sight."
"Air of royalty? More like people can hear your big mouth before you even get there, right, Al?"
The girl's retort to the jab was cut short when the pair realized that somehow they both were able to miss a giant suit of armor no longer clanking next to them.
"Al?" Edward called again as he searched from left to right and Tianxian looked from forward to back.
"Brother?"
The blond locked his eyes on a white ribbon swaying gently in the breeze from the back of a helmet.
With a grumble, he made his way over to the suit of armor perched at the edge of a short, cluttered alleyway, Tianxian following him at a leisurely pace. "What now? Did you find a stray cat or something?"
Al was silent.
"If it is something valuable, take it." Tianxian added with a breathy sigh.
Al appeared pensive for a few more moments before he turned back, hand raised holding a fist full of shirt as he presented his find, "Yep!"
Tianxian was suddenly showered in orange juice as Edward sputtered his beverage in surprise all over her. Her eyes stung and welled with tears as her hands immediately shot up to her face. However, the colored liquid dripping down from her hair and irritated eyes did not keep her from seeing the horrifying image before her.
A a silken, goldenrod shirt emblazoned with the wisps of white flames and the crest of a phoenix starburst was clear even through her blurry eyes. Her heart skipped a beat.
Oh no.
Her vision clearing, the pupils of her eyes dilated as Tianxian wildly took in every aspect even in the minutest detail of the young man being held unconscious before her.
Long black hair clasped in a white ribbon.
Oh no.
Lightly tanned skin disappearing from a bare chest to beneath the thin fabric of chino cloth pants.
Oh no.
A dopey grin on his face even in his unconscious state.
Oh no. NO.
There was no doubting it now. With an unparalleled sense of joy, Tianxian had thought they had permanently parted ways when they had chosen to travel in different directions just after crossing the Amestrian border. Nevertheless, it seemed, that she was destined to cross paths with this frivolous fellow once more.
For yet again, those dark, sharp eyes suddenly peered open to capture her own dusky orbs, and she was irrevocably ensnared in the promise of adventure that was held in their depths.
How unfortunate.
Tah-dah! That's a wrap for chapter two. Hopefully you all enjoyed Tianxian's larger-than-life personality. As conceited and shallow as she seems now, as the story gets rolling she'll be growing a lot not only as a person, but as her backstory is revealed things will become clearer as to why she is the way she is. That being said...
A HUGE THANK YOU IS IN ORDER! I was so excited to get 27 views on an anime/manga series that is considered a little older. :) A shout out to Midnight1Pomegranate for both favoriting and following this story! A shout out to mun3litKnight for favoriting this story! But, most of all a thank you to mun3litKnight and the Guest who reviewed! You two are the reason this story has another chapter, honestly.
As usual, please favorite, follow, and REVIEW! I REALLY, REALLY would appreciate it. Reviews literally give me the life force to carry on writing. :)
UPDATE NEXT TUESDAY - Chapter Three: "Damsel in the Desert"!