She was never a fan of darkness, but in these cases, she couldn't help but be thankful. Curiosity was yearning to find out who this mysterious man was. The man who visited her occasionally at the dead of night, and who seemed to know so much about the odd patterns embellishing her torso. He seemed fascinated with them, taking a deep liking in her as well. His husky voice sent mild shivers down her spine, but in her paralyzed state, there was little she could do. In the meantime, she was glad his face was hidden in the darkness of the night. Her mind resided in a distant place where stories from her childhood flooded her mind. She could scarcely hear her mother's voice, telling her stories of revolting villains. This man, in her mind, had taken his rightful stance as a villain, and her innocent heart felt petrified of what he may look like.
But that was just it, wasn't it? She couldn't ever really be innocent now, could she? Her innocence had long taken its toll long ago as the gates of her past abandoned her in this cold dimension. Curiosity had become a stimulus for her to keep living, nothing more. For some reason or another, though, she didn't feel ready to die just yet. More and more pictures had been painted into her mind from a time long before. They were horrifying and soothing. She saw herself as a good friend, a good companion, a good worker, a good person. She saw herself smiling and blushing, laughing and crying, all the emotions a regular human being would have. She saw hardships, but she didn't see fatality in her own mind. Innocence could be pouring out of every hole in her body, but then again, there was nothing more beautiful or terrifying than innocence. All she could do now was beg the kind Misses Doctor to never leave her again.
As if on cue, the door clicked open, revealing the young Doctor, her mouth stretched upwards in a bright smile. She cried out her usual 'Hey sweets!' before gently closing the door behind her. The blonde felt something odd coursing through her veins. Relief, anxiety, fear, all mixed into one burning lump of coal that began scorching her heart from the insides. Suddenly, the young blonde's chest began beating wildly, and her stomach felt like home to a thousand butterflies. Her blue eyes followed the glowing doctor as she paced around the room, making her way to the window and blabbering on about not having to worry about her food poisoning any longer because she'd get down to the bottom of it. Something like that, anyway. But she didn't listen to any of it. She was more focused on the hot sensation that pricked at the back of her eyeballs, the forming knot that was binding at the pit of her throat and her slow and steady hiccups that were building into ragged sobs. Without a second question about what she was doing, she jumped off the cold bed and charged towards the startled doctor. When her arms were wrapped around her body and her porcelain face was buried into her breasts, it was then that her knees gave in and she brought both of them to the ground, her slender body shaking in sync to her quick sobs.
As for the doctor, she was simply stunned. Her arms were slumped to her sides, and her knees slowly grew cold from the hard marble floor beneath her. She gently placed a hand upon the blonde's head, patting it slowly. "Th-there, there, darling. It's alright."
The young blonde didn't hear the same determination and willpower her young doctor previously had in her voice. The best she could do was pray she wouldn't abandon her as well. Quite frankly, she felt a little desperate and pathetic. She relied on others far too often. The young doctor wriggled herself free of the young girl's grasp. With a long sighed, she cupped the blonde's face into her hands, gently stroking each cheek with her thumbs.
"You look tired. Go sleep a little." She whispered. "Don't worry; I'll be right here the whole time." She added quickly upon seeing the blonde's horrified expression. Her face looked pale, but it wasn't because of the fact that she'd been vomiting her guts out for the past weeks. There was fear, distrust, anxiety all poured into one, and Bunny felt her heart seize for a moment at the sight. The bags under her eyes seemed darker, and the two orbs that she remembered to once be an aquatic ocean blue were now merely a dull gray, almost as if an entire ocean had dried up and the outcome was a dumb excuse for two eyes. If what Edward had been telling her was really true, there was no way this girl could bring herself to trust anyone ever again.
"Sweetheart you rest right here. I have to get you some medication, you don't look so healthy. You're running a fever, you look pale as a ghost, and I doubt you've gotten much sleep. Off to bed with you-"
The doctor's words were cut off by the sudden sobs that erupted from the blonde. Bunny felt something stab at her heart as if punishing her, but she merely placed her hand on the young girl's head, smoothing it softly and caringly. A long sigh escaped her now trembling lips.
"I said I'd be here, right? I never go back on my word. I'm just going to fetch you some meds." The blonde shook her head violently, her grip growing unbearably strong to the doctor.
"W-W-Will...!"
"Alright! Alright, it'll be fine! I won't go. I won't leave this room, okay? But you have to promise me you'll sleep!"
The blonde loosened her grip around Bunny's waist and looked upwards at her with two tired eyes. Bunny groaned, wriggling herself free. "Don't worry, nitwit, I won't leave while you're asleep. Jeez..." She whispered calmly, patting the girl's head. Now how am I going to get her meds? She thought to herself. She could only hope Edward was nosing around in the hallways nearby. He didn't seem to care much about whether or not his superiors would realize he was slacking sooner or later. Such a carefree soul would soon get his ass whooped, and Bunny vowed then and there she'd pay an arm and a leg to be there when it happened.
Hehe... arm and leg...
After she had succeeded in laying supposed-Winry down on her bed (which really needed a change of sheets), Bunny quietly inched her way towards the door, opening it just far enough to poke her small head out and scan the descending hallway. It seemed deserted, and to be expected, too. It was shift hour, and nobody should be out.
Should be. If everyone followed the rules all the time, there wouldn't be anyone by the name of Edward Elric, now would there? He still had the least bit sense of responsibility, so she'd have to wait it out for a little while. Maybe now she'd have enough time to ponder why on Earth the Blondie was so distraught.
Bunny lowered herself down and sat on the bed next to the young girl's sleeping figure. Her dull gray shirt had ridden up a little, and Bunny could faintly see a quarter of the tattoo that ran across her stomach. When she ran her finger over it, it felt like the rest of her bare flesh, soft and smooth. It was almost as if she was born with the markings, as though her skin had bore it from the start.
The doctor's thoughts were interrupted by the click of a door from the hallway outside. She hurriedly tiptoed towards the door, pressing one eye against the edge to peek outside. Unfortunately, it wasn't Elric, but instead another fellow doctor she'd seen around here and there a few times. Suppose she'll do.
"Hey! Excuse me I need you here!" Bunny called, keeping her voice as low as possible. The startled doctor raised an eyebrow before taking quick glances around him.
"I'm talking to you! Come here, quickly, please!"
The doctor scratched the back of his head before jogging over to the door Bunny hid herself behind. As he approached, she got a better look at him. He seemed a few years older than her, the 5 o'clock shadow and side burns giving him a rather lazy look. His eyes, however, were a brilliant aquamarine colour. Why am I engaged again?
"Hey, I'm real sorry to bother you. You must be busy."
"Not at all. My patient is really quiet and independent, if you know what I mean." He chuckled. Bunny smiled in response to the man's bright attitude, despite their current environment.
"Well, I need you to do me a favour. Can you run over to the pharmaceutical department and fetch me some nausea pills? It's for food poisoning."
"Ah, yeah sure, I guess I can do that."
Bunny thanked the man graciously, and slowly closed the door behind her. She felt her heart relieve slightly upon knowing someone would be willing to do her such a favour. But the relief slowly drained as her eyes wandered back to the blonde sprawled across the bed. Bunny knew she had a lot to learn about this girl, and none of it would be easy. But somehow, she knew she'd find the strength to help her. And for a while now, she began hoping it would help Edward as well.
The young doctor made her way to the blonde's bed once again. Her fingers danced across the blonde's face, tucking strands of sunlight tresses behind her ears. The blonde's eyes slowly began to flutter open sleepily as she smiled up at the doctor.
"Rest up, buttercup. Everything will be okay. I'm right here."
"Will be?" The girl asked, placing her hand onto the doctor's.
"Yes. It will be." Bunny smiled. The feeling of relief flooded her veins once again upon seeing the girl's bright smile, and cheeks bunched up at the corners of her face. Her face found that usual peachy glow it used to have, and for that moment, everything seemed to be fine. Bunny had begun realizing that she was gradually starting to believe Edward and Alphonse's story.
About their parallel universe.
About the war between them and the artificial humans.
And most importantly, about their dear friend whom they had treated so poorly.
Alongside believing this story, Bunny had also begun to grow anger towards the two brothers as whole. It was true that they both felt terribly for it, and were both still trying to recover from their depressing states, and it was for this reason and this reason alone that Bunny hadn't handed their asses to them by now. They had been selfish, but they had suffered the consequences. The young doctor just couldn't understand why this poor girl had as well.
Knock, knock.
"Oh, your meds have arrived." Bunny mumbled, quickly lifting herself up from the bed and jogging towards the door. She quickly cleared her mind of her previous thoughts, gently turning the knob. But instead of the attractive young man with aquamarine eyes, Edward stood there, wearing a rather anxious expression rather than a bored one for once. It took Bunny a few moments to realize what was happening. Edward was here. Could-be-Winry was behind her. Ah, hell. I hate you too, life.
"E-Elric? Whaddya' doing here?" Bunny blabbed, trying her best to block the doorway from the taller, more muscular man.
"Um... Some guy came into the pharmacy asking for medicine for you... I told him I'd take it instead. Is everything oka-?"
"Peachy, peachy, peachy, everything is A-plus, thaaank ya!" She laughed nervously, swiping the medication out of the Elric's hand. Edward closed his eyes with a sigh, shaking his head.
"Look, Bunny, if there's one thing I've learned from this whole charade, its respect."
The woman's expression crumbled. "Huh?"
"I know she's behind you. And as damn tempting as it is, I won't pressure you into letting me see her. Hell, I don't even think I'm ready to see her..."
"Ed..."
"Look, Bunny... I just have a lot of hope right now. I'm hoping to hell that this could be her. There's a damn high chance that it isn't, but I'm still hoping. And if it ends up not being her... I guess I'll just lose all hope of ever recovering from this."
Bunny was at a loss of words for what seemed like ages. She'd never seen someone so sane, yet so defeated. "Thank you, Edward. It really means a lo-"
"Will be?"
Both Edward and Bunny felt their hearts seize for an instant. Neither knew what to do, or say. They could just listen to the quiet pit-pat of bare feet on marble floor as the young blonde slowly approached the door. Edward's heart began thumping rapidly, and he wanted so bad to push Bunny aside and look at the girl himself. But as the footsteps came to a halt, he found himself trapped in hesitation. The silent gasp that escaped the foreign throat was what coaxed his head to lift in a nanosecond, only to be met by a pair of eyes he'd once etched into his mind for years. Both their eyes widened, and Edward felt his mouth go dry, his head throbbing. And finally, Winry Rockbell, automail engineer, dear friend, granddaughter, and more, screamed a scream that would echo throughout all of England for eons.
It was almost complete. His formula for rediscovering the new world was closely within his reach. Those bastards from the Thule Society were brainless bullhorns who were driven mad the second they were granted enough power. He wouldn't make the same mistake.
He took a final gander over the many papers that had sprawled over his desk, presenting them with a sly smirk that could shatter an iceberg to shame. It would soon be time, and everyone would soon know his name. They would fear him, and he'd relish in his growing power.
"Winry, Winry, Winry... You are truly a gift. We were destined for each other... But alas, you must wait..." His hands that would soon be covered in the blood of many slowly made their way towards the telephone nestled innocently on the wooden table.
"It's about time I give a call to my partner in... justice." Yes, justice. That's what it was.
He was perfectly sane.
A.N: ohmygodwhatsgonnahappentheyf inallymetwhaaaaaat.
Nope of course I wont tell you, psh.
A note to keep in mind for future chapters though... No character introduced is going to be insignificant.
R&R! #!#! $ #$ #%%