Ch.7

Roy sneered at the doorknob that had been mocking him as of late. He turned on his toes quickly and headed toward the tree that grew in the back, giving cool shade and keeping the ground around it a fairly moist but not a mudded feel. The man looked back at the door and when he saw Edward with his back towards him he jumped a few inches off the ground.

His claws caught on the bark as though they were designed to—which they probably were. He gripped his feet around the trunk of the tree and he climbed up, almost without any energy being spent. He climbed up higher past the lower branches and he stopped when he felt his little birdies screaming at him to go higher and fly away.

He sat down on the largest branch in the area, curling one leg up and wrapping his wings around it. His other leg lay relaxed in front of him and his tail hung freely off the side of the wooden arm. The wind rustled the leaves around him and Roy felt the breeze cool his skin from the hot feathers he was now trapped under. He sighed and he laid his head against the bark, closing his eyes. He heard a soft rumble from the storm that brewed a few miles over. He had grown accustomed to the sound of storms and of thunder.

Although now he smiled as it grew stronger far away…

At least he wasn't going to get near drowned by the water that had flooded the sewer he had gotten himself trapped in.

He looked over the town he was now caged in. He hadn't actually had the chance to investigate or study it or its inhabitants, which had been his mission from the very start. Shingled roofs painted red and brown lay scattered against the dirt and cobblestone streets upon the homes they shielded. Trees and vineyards decorated the hillsides and mountains that surrounded the town. A single clock tower rang out a low, dark chime that reverberated against the mountains and sounded the time to the inhabitants of the region. Birds chirped happily as they flew to Roy's tree.

They landed near him and they began to sing their songs and Roy furrowed his brows in confusion. It wasn't that animals coming near him surprised him as he was now a mixture of many of them. But it was their tweeting…

He swore he could hear words being spoken.

"Where other?"

"I am here! Where other?"

"I am here! Where mate?"

"I am here! Where mate?"

"I am here! Where other?"

Roy stared at the tiny animals as they 'talked' to one another. His eyes started watering from the strain his ears were under and he shook his head furiously, silencing the flock around him. He looked back up at the birds and realized they were all staring at him now.

Silently.

One tiny bird hopped over closer to Roy and inspected him. It stared at him for what seemed like an eternity and then it fluttered over to Roy and landed on his head. More birds flew over and rested on him, their tiny claws clutching his fur and feathers. Roy's heart beat a little louder as he tried to fight the urge to fight off the birds as part of him wanted to.

The clicking of metal on stone caused him to turn his head to see the tiny blonde alchemist staring wide-eyed at him from down on the ground.

Edward laughed into his hand as Roy sneered at him from outside. He glanced up at Hawkeye and felt his chest tighten as he was sweltering under her cruel stare down. He shrugged and went on to talk about the reason he shut the door on Roy.

"Okay, yeah, that was mean, I know. But see, I don't want him listening to this."

"Listen to what?" Hawkeye inquired. Edward never really cared what the colonel heard him say so what could it possibly be?

Edward crossed his arms and leaned against the door, unaware Roy was now walking away from the area. "Well… What I want to talk about is his state of mind. It's not well, you know, and I think finding out what happened to him would be a good way of helping him now." Hawkeye nodded, acknowledging Edward's suggestion. "However, it sure as hell won't be easy to do. He can't talk," Ed began counting down on his fingers, "He can't give us hand motions, he has other minds inside of him trying to take control all the time, if we ask him what happened I imagine he'd shut us out due to trauma, and I know for a fact that the other soldiers wouldn't be too keen on helping him out. So what we have now is a really tricky situation… And…" He sighed.

He scooted down the door slightly and cradled his head in his hands, his automail creaking as the fingers moved. "I don't know what to do…" Hawkeye wiped her hands off from the dish water. "Now, now, don't stress yourself, Fullmetal. Anybody would be at pressure if suddenly put into your position."

"But I've never ordered soldiers, let alone my BOSS! And the way Mustang is right now… He…"

Ed's voice cracked and he wrapped his arms around his head.

"What if he's like Nina? What if… I can't save him… What… If I…"

Hawkeye grabbed Edward from under the arms and pulled him to his feet. She pat his face on both sides with enough force for a smack but not enough to hurt. Edward stared up at the woman, his eyes becoming slightly red. "Edward. It is tragic what happened to Nina, I am fully aware of this. But let her spirit live on as an example, as motivation, to get Colonel Mustang back to his old self."

Edward pulled away and his voice rose in volume to the point where he was practically yelling.

"But no time in history has a chimera ever been reverse-engineered and lived!"

Riza grabbed her coat off of the rack by the door and put it on. Upon turning up the collar she said, "Well, never in history has a State Alchemist ever been a child of 12 years old. That was three years ago when history was rewritten, and by you no less. If anyone is going to rewrite history, it's you, Edward." She smiled and left, her boots clacking down the dining hall to the hallway.

Edward's shoulders slumped and he mumbled to himself. "Yeah, no pressure by the way, thanks a lot…" He turned around and looked out the door, expecting to see Roy loafing around somewhere in the back, figuring him to be bored out of his mind.

But he was nowhere to be found. Edward's heart beat faster as the realization hit him. He slowly opened the door and walked out onto the cobblestone surrounding the door. He looked left and right and when he heard a flock of birds in the tree he looked up.

"How in the HELL did you get up there, Mustang?!"

Roy groaned and banged his head back on the tree trunk, causing the birds to all fly away chirping scared cries from the sudden movement of their new roost. "Hey! Are ya going deaf, Colonel? How did you get up there? Better yet, WHY are you up there!?" Edward walked closer to the tree, his hands in his pockets.

Roy turned to Ed, stuck out his reptilian tongue and reclined further on his branch.

Edward huffed a sigh and he sat down against the base trunk of the tree, about 30 feet under Roy. The chimera glanced down and saw the boy sitting there, waiting for him to come down. He growled quietly and he jumped off of his branch. Edward's brow rose when he heard the fluttering of feathers and he looked up at Roy to see what he was up to. He quickly jumped up and shuffled backwards to avoid the chimera's landing on him.

"God, you could've warned me before you did that!"

Roy straightened up and shook himself to resettle the feathers that had been messed up from the jump. He folded his wings back and he shrugged off Ed's suggestion. Whatever. He looked to the boy and smirked when he saw the annoyed expression on his face. Jeez, Fullmetal, your butt's going to be covered in dirt if you don' t get up. He walked over and reached over Ed's head. The boy cowered slightly, unsure of what to do as the chimera bent over him.

Roy's teeth closed around Ed's shirt and he hoisted the teen off of the ground and onto his feet. He let the material loose and pulled back to shake his head, trying to get over the sensation of clothing in his mouth. He heard the boy cough awkwardly as he straightened up his shirt.

"Well, uh, thank you… I guess… Um…"

The boy glanced around the yard, scratching his jawline. "What were you doing up there? In the tree, I mean."

Roy scoffed and shrugged slowly. Both of them jumped at the sudden crack of lightning and the booming roar that accompanied it. Edward looked up at the darkening sky and he crossed his arms.

"Good God, what is with this town and rain!? If it starts now it'll have rained three times since I've been here."

"Mmm…"

Roy raised his eyebrows. Not out of surprise but more of an acknowledgement.

Edward looked up at the tree and whistled. "You managed to get up quite a ways, eh, Colonel?" Roy looked up at the tree as well and nodded. It wasn't hard at all, actually. Edward grinned. "You're a real acrobat, ya know?" Roy chuckled. I'm not, blame the animals for that trick. Edward walked over and rested his hand on Roy's shoulder, causing the chimera to flinch slightly from the contact.

"So, have you tried to fly yet?"

Roy blinked at the boy, an eyebrow raised high.

He shook his head quickly and decided to preen his feathers to avoid eye contact.

Edward cocked his head a tad. "What's wrong? You afraid to?" Roy nodded, gulping loudly.

Edward smiled. "Well, from what I'm looking at, if you're as good as climbing as you could be a flying, you'd be the best damn bird in the world."

Roy exhaled with a smirk. It's the thought that counts, I guess. The chimera looked up at the darkened sky and watched as the clouds soared above them, brimmed with water and dark save for the occasional spark of electricity within them. He sighed loudly, his chest heaving with the action. Roy looked back to Edward and motioned toward the door. "Yeah, I guess we should go back inside. C'mon."

The two returned to the shelter of the hotel and headed for the den. Edward flopped down on the couch, kicking his feet up on the coffee table. Mustang stood by, contemplating on whether to remain standing or sit somewhere like Ed. Glancing around, there were no other seats to be found. However, he saw the empty fireplace and started to motion for a snap but froze mid movement, a frown growing on his face. Ed looked up and watched the creature fold its wing back against itself with a melancholic expression.

The chimera stepped towards Ed a little and lay down next to him on the floor, curled his tail up around his body, and covered his head with his left wing. A long sigh escaped the form as Edward looked sadly at the table. "I know right now it seems like we can do nothing at all, Colonel, but…" Edward trailed off, looking at the beast's back rise and fall. "… But we're going to change you back—get you your life back—let you live normally again. I swear upon my life that we will."

There was no response from the chimera.

Edward reached over and rested his hand of his commander's wing, feeling the bristled feathers settle back from his touch. "I mean it, Mustang. We will find a way." He grinned. "Maybe then you can quit moping and doping and fill out more paperwork!" Roy groaned loudly in an overly comedic action, resulting in both of the alchemists laughing at each other. A crack of thunder cut them off.

"Man… It's really gonna pour, huh?" Ed quipped, the soft pattering of rain answering him.

The boy reached across his chest and moaned as he massaged his shoulder port. "I hate this kind of weather—always makes me all stiff and achy." Roy nodded. "Mmm." He looked up at the books that surrounded the eternally cold fireplace, rather disinterested. Edward looked at the books as well. "Wow, these are pretty old." Roy tilted his head ever so slightly in recognition. "I mean, Cecil Rousseau? That's like, 1650, and out of print. And yet here it's the whole damn collection, looking only a few years old." Edward whistled. "Man, if only politics interested me, they'd be quite the read." Roy smiled.

Indeed, they would be…

Smell spider—hungry.

Shut up, you dumb animal.

Roy mumbled and lay his head back down. Ed reclined into the couch and the two of them sat silently as rain showered the outside world, creating a soothing whisper of dissonance. Edward closed his eyes and let his mind swim in thought, trying to remember transmutation circles that would allow for chimera creation. He furrowed his brows when his mind turned to a tempest of circles and symbols, but no specific algorithms to assist him. He opened his eyes when a headache began to emerge from the stress. Looking upon the books his mind slowed, blacking out the unneeded material from his consciousness.

"There's still the problem of figuring out what you're fused with, whether we can separate you all back to normal. I mean, we wouldn't want to assume you're fused with, say, a fish, and try and weed out that animal when it isn't there… You aren't fused with a fish, right?" Roy raised a brow and shook his head. "Okay… That's one species down…" Edward sighed. "Now just a million to go…"

Roy frowned. He would just tell the kid if he could but… But I can't.

The two sat staring at the bookshelves when suddenly Edward piped up.

"THAT'S IT!"

Roy jumped at the sudden jubilation, feathers bristled high. He squawked in angered surprise as Edward stood to his feet with an enormous grin. "The library! It's bound to have books on the subject!" Roy tilted his head and gave the teen a look of sarcasm. Oh yes, because every library has a section on chimeric transmutation and reversal, how foolish of us to not think of this sooner.

"I mean, they won't have the exact information that we need," Edward clarified, crossing his arms across his chest. "But they WILL have books over animal species and classification. Since you can't easily tell us what animal… or… MALS you're combined with, going through a few books would be quicker and more specific than having to play a long guessing game. What do ya think, Colonel? Wanna give it a shot?" Edward smiled hopefully at the chimera, waiting for a response.

The whispering of the rain was dampened only by the roll of thunder as Roy knitted his brows slightly. "What's wrong?" Edward grew concerned. "You… DO know what the other animals are, right?"

Roy shrugged. "Eeehh…"

Edward's smile faded into a façade. "Oh… Well… Th-that's okay! I'm sure we can figure it out if we try hard enough!" Inside however he felt his heart tighten like a bear trap. Not letting that show, Ed grinned at his boss with an air of confidence. Roy closed his eyes as he shook his head, smiling.

Fullmetal, you are such an optimist…

Edward smiled in return. "So, should we go check it out?" Roy opened his eyes a chirped an agreement. "Okay! Let's get going then!"

The boy headed through the hallway quickly, going toward the front lobby's door, but a collision with a large mass stopped him.

"Oomph!"

"Ack!"

The two men stumbled backward, the older adjusting his glasses. "Oh, sorry, sir! I was just looking for our commanding… Uh…" Edward looked up at the man, Roy slowly walking up behind him with curiosity for the situation. "K-kid! Stay behind me!" The man grabbed Edward and pulled him behind his back, reaching for his gun. Roy stifled a bark in surprise. "No, don't! He's fine!" Edward hurried out as he shoved his way back next to the chimera. "Trust me—he's not the enemy!"

The soldier did not lower his gun. "Listen, kid, you need to move away from that…" Roy furrowed his brows and chirped to Edward before stepping forward a little ways. He lowered his head so that he wasn't too tall and smiled at the soldier, looking down at the gun and back at the man's face. The soldier lowered his gun. He slowly, hesitantly, moved his hand near Roy's head before proceeding to pet his head like a dog.

Edward snickered from behind his hands, unable to resist the reaction to Roy's treatment.

"That's a… Good… Thing…?" the soldier stammered, surprised at the human-like hair under his hand. Roy coughed awkwardly before pulling back next to Edward who was still laughing. "Aw, Colonel, you're blushing," Ed joked. Roy's face darkened slightly at the quip.

N-no I'm not! You shut up. Dumb pipsqueak wasn't being pet like a puppy…

The soldier holstered his gun and looked back and forth between the boy and the monster before him. He started to speak but a woman's voice cut him off.

"Edward!? What's wrong? Is everything alright?" Hawkeye came downstairs and hurried toward the teen. Edward raised his hands in assurance. "I'm fine! You all get too excited around here." Hawkeye frowned as his retort. "Yes, well, Fullmetal, we have a lot on our plate as of late and our COMMANDER isn't necessarily doing a good job at helping." Ed crossed his arms and looked away. "I'm busy too, ya know! And besides, there have to some soldiers that are more qualified than I to lead you all." Roy and the soldier blinked in astonishment.

"C-commander!?"

COMMANDER!?

Ed turned back to the men and raised a brow. "What?"

The soldier hurried a salute. "I'm s-sorry, s-sir! I had no idea you were in charge, please forgive me for my actions and… Reactions!" Ed motioned his hands back. "Woah, calm down there, it's fine. I know I don't exactly look the part since I don't wear the uniform. Eh, Colonel?" Ed looked toward Roy waiting for a response, but only got a blank stare. "Mustang?"

YOU. FULLMETAL. COMMANDER!? HOW DID THIS—WHEN—DID THIS HAPPEN!? Oh… Oh yeah… Heh heh…

Roy shook his head from the shock and coughed before looking away embarrassed. Edward opened his mouth in confusion. "Ooooookay… Well, uh, anyway… What is it that you were looking for me for?" he asked, directed toward the spectacle-wearing soldier. "Oh!" he saluted. "Sir! Plans to infiltrate the mansion are almost finalized, we just need your approval before conducting it tomorrow!"

"Okay, fine, I'll be there in a minute. Colonel?" Ed turned to face Roy. "I'll be back in a little bit, so we'll look into that research when I'm done with these guys, okay?" Roy blinked slowly and nodded. Ed smiled before turning around to follow the soldier back to the planning room, leaving Roy and Riza alone.

Roy's tail twitched slightly as he stood next to his subordinate with an air of discomfort. The lieutenant glanced at the colonel, a sad smile flashed on her face. She looked back up to the hallway that Edward and the soldier were shrinking away in. "He really does take charge of a situation, doesn't he, sir?" Roy jumped, surprised by the vocalization. "Uh… Mmhmm…"

Riza exhaled slowly. "Sir…"

Roy looked down toward her.

"I'm sorry."

Roy's brows narrowed, his mouth forming an open frown. What for, Lieutenant? You've done nothing but help. Hawkeye lowered her head. "I made an oath to always watch your back, but…" Roy squawked and barked inarticulately as he tried to comfort her, waving the front of his wings around.

N-no! No, you've done a wonderful job! You COULDN'T protect me then—you weren't permitted to accompany us on the mission—it isn't your fault at all! If anything, I'm glad you weren't allowed to assist us, as you would've been stuck in this situation too!

The women smiled sadly at the frantic chimera. "I am glad that you're alright, sir, even if not quite yourself." Roy slowed and rested his wings back at his sides. He smiled out of one corner of his fang-covered mouth with raised brow. The women shook his shoulder lightly and went back upstairs, leaving the chimera alone.

Where did humans go? Where go? Wanna go with!

No, they have work to do, so I need to leave them be.

What is this "I" human male speaks of? Is self not now a "we"?

Yes… Wait, no. Oh, forget it!

Roy growled as he shook his head. He went back to the couch Edward had been using and hopped onto its cushions. He curled up and rested his head on one of the pillows, letting his wings relax away from their usual position. Looking much like a splash of black paint against the tan furniture, Roy closed his eyes. The rain outside grew heavier and Roy took a long, deep breath, relishing in the feeling of clear lungs, of which he didn't have in the sewer when the rain fell every day.

Breathing peacefully, he felt himself being pulled into the realm of his inner mind, where the other minds resided. He found himself sitting in his unconsciousness, the foggy blue-grey enveloping him in its nonexistent cool. He sighed, raising his hand to his head. He looked up and saw the other animals sitting in front of him, looking back at him. "What?" he asked, his voice echoing slightly in his mind. One of the animals in front of him, noticeably smaller than he, shook its head. "Nothing, other self." "I swear, you animals are more annoying than Fullmetal after a false lead…" Roy mumbled, leaning back on his arms, legs crossed.

He looked back and forth between the four animals in front of him. "It's weird though… I KNOW what you all are, but I don't at the same time…" he trailed off, trying to pinpoint what each creature was. "You're a… a… d…" he said slowly, pointing a finger at the largest of the animals in front of him. "… D… UGH! I can't, even here. Maybe it is best that Fullmetal has to go through a bunch of dusty old books… Even without being able to talk, I wouldn't be able to show him what you all are."

He groaned and flopped down on his back, feeling neither a jarring crash, nor a feeling of any pressure at all. He lay there, levitating in a fixed point of a nonexistent space. The larger animal stood up and walked over next to Roy, its paws making tiny beats on the matterless ground. It laid down and rested its muzzle on Roy's chest, a sad smile spreading across it. The black one flew over and nestled on the right side of Roy's neck, followed by the larger one, which swiveled its head round to look into Roy's eyes.

"Where's the little guy?" Roy asked sarcastically.

A climbing sensation on Roy's head answered his question as tiny claws dug into his scalp to raise their tiny owner to the peak. "Hey, you glutton."

"Hungry…"

"Yes, of course you are," Roy sighed, closing his eyes.

The five lay curled together, silent, and close. The dissonant pitter-patter of the mind soon merging with the whispers of the rain outside. A dark black chimera lay curled up on a cold couch.

Left alone with only its thoughts.