Hello people! Here is chapter 3! And I have some good news! I have finished the Brotherhood series (I CRIED! SO BEAUTIFUL) and so I have decided to make this fanfiction follow a bit of both Brotherhood and original! I am very excited about that! I would like to apologize about an error I have found in the first chapter when I went back and reread it on . It was an uploading error and the original space I had between the two scenes (after she saluted Mustang and it went right to her getting off the train and what not!). I have tried to put the space in it however no matter what I do it refuses to let me put it there. TT^TT if someone could message me on how to fix it I would adore that person for the rest of my life. Anyway I am very sorry about that error! And that this is a long author's note… Here you go! Chapter 3, enough of my blabbin.
Start:
I sat there astray in my jumbled thoughts. My eyes saw nothing and I heard no one. So many questions swam around. Who had Ed and Al tried to bring back? How much have they seen? How much do they know? Had they met…
"Hey, Leah?" Ed's annoyed voice snapped me out of my trance. He stood in front of me, hands at his hips. "About time I got a reaction out of you. Al was wondering if you wanted anything while he was out." My gaze went to the suit of armor who stood near the door.
"Candy would be nice." It was difficult, but I was able to plaster a smile on my face.
I did not know if Al bought it or not but he left without a word; leaving me, Ed, and Winry.
I was on the floor in the corner while Ed had the couch and Winry one of the two beds. The room was small but enough for the four of us. We had come to an Inn after Ed saved Paninya. Winry had asked questions earlier about me and had promptly hit Ed on the head when he called me a stupid babysitter; I quickly decided I liked Winry. There had been many conversations but none that I had been truly part of; after witnessing Ed's alchemic skill my mind had been wandering off constantly.
"Why did Mustang send you anyway?" Ed prevented me from spacing out again, his question drawing my attention. The seriousness in his tone told me that I could not avoid this question.
"Because…" I got up from my corner and walked over to the couch, dropping down next to the golden haired boy. Propping my feet up on the coffee table in front of us I grinned, "I'm a badass." Just because I thought I was unable to avoid it did not mean I would not try; that and Mustang had strictly told me to keep Hughes death a secret from Fullmetal. It hurt to even to even think about Hughes death so not talking about it seemed ideal anyway.
"That's not an answer!" Ed's anger amused me.
"To me it is; it seems like a very truthful answer."
"Badass my foot! I bet you can't even fight." It was a challenge; a challenge I was not able to respond to.
Winry whacked Ed in the head with her wrench. "You are not going to fight while I am here! The last thing I want to see is you wrecking my precious automail!"
I stood up and hugged Winry, rubbing my cheek against hers. "Thank you Winry, Ed is so mean." My dramatic whine escalated as Winry played along and hugged me back cooing in my ear.
"It will be okay; I won't let that mean boy pick on you." Did I mention I liked Winry? Because I really did, she played along with my dramatic performances.
Ed lay on the floor, twitching; an immense red lump on his head. "Damnitt…women." His mumble was audible enough for me to pick up snippets.
Letting go of Winry, I crouched down and poked Ed's cheek. His gold eyes turned to me. My breath hitched for a second as I stared into them. They held such fire and determination that for a second I thought I pitied him enough to spare him. Just for a second…
"Take this as a lesson for the future, Edward. Don't mess with women." A wicked grin etched my lips.
I heard the gulp and could not help myself. Falling backwards, I busted out laughing. Winry joined in, but with giggles instead of the hysterical fit my lungs were having.
Swiftly standing up, Ed snatched the front of my poncho. "Damnitt, stop laughing at me!" His lips were in a slight pout, his cheeks were ablaze, and his golden brows were furrowed in anger but his eyes betrayed his true emotion, embarrassment.
My arms snaked around his neck and I pressed my cheek against his. "Awwwww, Edward you're so adowable when you blush." Heat transferred from Ed's cheek to mine.
Winry's giggles had escalated to full-blown laughter. She had to grip the bed post to keep from falling over and onto the floor.
"Brother, there is trouble!" Al stumbled in at the perfect time. This guy's timing amazed me. The metal armor stared at the bizarre scene.
Awkward silence…
"Am I interrupting?" Both brothers were so shy, it made me want to hug them both to death.
A pair of cold, gleaming eyes came from behind Alphonse. A man suddenly stood towering behind him. Only one word could describe him, huge. His muscles bulged underneath his petit green shirt. He was especially intimidating.
I stopped rubbing my cheek against Ed's as the small alchemist paled and tensed up. In one fluid motion, Edward had pushed me off of him and ran to the window opening it. Before he had a chance to make his brilliant escape, a shoe collided with his face. The force sent him flying past me and crashing into the wall.
'Such strength.' I sat there staring at the culprit who climbed through the same window. It was a woman, to my surprise.
She promptly dusted off her white dress and brushed her black dreads aside. "You're so predictable, Ed." Despite having the death glare she was still quite graceful. I could not help but admire someone who caused trouble for Ed. "Now where is Alphonse?" She gave the room a sweeping glance, and as those black daggers swept over him the suit of armor straightened up.
"Ma'am!" Why was he so nervous? Sure the woman had a killer strength, but besides that she did not seem too awful, at least to me.
"Oh, I am sorry sir. We appreciate you leading us here. Can you tell us where Alphonse is?" As she spoke she rubbed the back of her head and smiled at him. I smiled, thinking myself right. She was so well mannered.
"Oh, well you see, I am Alphonse." His echoic voice trailed off leaving a second of silence. In that second of silence the woman had flipped the heavy suit of armor, and unfortunately I had been in the way.
"Why me?" The whimper escaped my throat.
"You idiots!" With her hands at her hips she faced Ed, who now stood. His golden eyes bored into hers as she lectured him, never breaking eye contact. "I came to find you fools! Did you not think that I would hear that my students broke away from my teachings?" I take back what I had said earlier, she was the exact opposite of what I had first judged her to be. "How dare you become a dog of the military; I have the right mind to-" Her lecture was cut short as she suddenly spurted out blood.
"Izumi!" "Teacher!" Muscle man wrapped an arm around her, keeping her sturdy. Al leaped off of me, finally, and went to Ed's side as they hovered over the coughing woman.
Following Al's lead, I rose to my feet and cowered behind Winry. She would protect me from this crazy lady!
"I'm fine dear, thank you." Izumi's coughing fit now over, she stood on her own. Despite saying that muscle man still stood closer obviously still worried. She gave him a fleeting smile.
"Teacher, you don't understand-" Ed's plea was in vain.
"No, you don't understand! It seems I am going to have to re-educate you both!" Her sweet smile did not last very long; a look of pure fury contorted her beautiful features. Seeing such a terrifying sight, caused me to cower further behind Winry. I always thought of myself as a badass, but I knew that this woman was not one to trifle with.
Muscle man gleamed and brought out a thick rope. Both brothers hugged each other as they cowered at the couple. My intuition was right; these two are going to be a lot more trouble than I bargained for.
Winry's POV
The morning sun illuminated the train cart, causing it to be enveloped in warmth. The noisy train whistle cried as it chugged along the tracks.
Winry sighed as she watched Ed and Al squirm around in their bindings.
"Damnitt, she took my watch!" Ed huffed .What was Winry going to do with him? Another sigh left her mouth.
"Serves you right Ed. It's your fault for not telling your teacher." Leah sat next to her. Her purple eyes glared at Ed.
"Oh, shut up already!"
"It's your fault I got caught up in her wrath! Because of you I might have a nasty bruise on my delicate and beautiful skin." A dramatic sad look struck her face.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. You poor thing!" Sarcasm dripped from Ed's voice.
Those two continued to squabble back and forth making Winry and Al sweatdrop.
Winry watched them and smiled. She had not seen Ed this lively in awhile and it was refreshing. Leah's presence was comforting, but, still, Winry could not help to wonder about this mysterious girl. She appeared out of nowhere and they knew nothing of her. Where did she come from? Where was her family? What was her motive for joining them?
"Hey if you're not careful your head will start smoking." Ed's voice snapped Winry out of her train of thought.
"What was that?" She growled at the alchemist after realizing what he said was an insult.
"N-nothing!" He flinched and averted his gaze quickly.
"That's what I thought." Sighing once more she rested her chin against her hand. "I never thought your alchemy teacher was such a beautiful woman."
"What are you talking about? You have met her before Winry." Raising his eyebrow, Ed eyed her carefully.
"That's right, remember the time when it would not stop raining and the river was flooding?" Al chimed in.
Thinking for a moment, she realized what they said was true. She recalled witnessing her move a ton of earth at once, with her alchemy, to prevent the floods reaching civilian homes. If she had not been there that day who knows would have happened. "That's right, I remember now. Even then she had been violent. She smacked Ed for calling her an old lady." She laughed at the memory.
Ed sweatdropped and Al laughed as they both recalled it as well.
"Where are we heading, exactly?" Leah's voice drew their attention.
"Dublith, probably. It's going to take all day and night to reach there. We will get there in the morning." Winry noticed something flicker across Leah's face as Ed spoke, but it was wiped away before she could pinpoint what it was.
"Are we going to stop for the night?" Did she not like riding on trains? Winry knew the seats were uncomfortable but it was not that bad, was it?
"Did you not hear me? It is going to take all night to get there, so of course not!" Rolling his eyes, Ed looked away from the glowering girl.
It stayed silent for several moments. Ed and Al remained restrained. Leah stared out the window as Winry watched her. Her skin was so pale but looked soft to the touch. Those insightful purple eyes sparkled as the sun reflected off of them. Her dirty blonde hair was long in the front and framed her face, while in the back it just reached her past neck.
Winry blushed as she realized how long she had been staring at her. She averted her gaze but it was quickly brought back as she noticed something among the tendrils of thick hair that lined the back of Leah's neck. Winry could just faintly see something, but what? Inconspicuously, Winry tired to lean in to get a better look.
"Curiosity killed the cat." Jumping at Leah's voice, Winry quickly sat back up and whistled.
"I'm sorry! I thought I saw a, piece of lint!" Quick excuse, but it was too late to take it back.
"Oh, well thank you for being concerned." A soft smile appeared on Leah's lips.
Blushing even brighter, Winry averted her gaze. Now the blonde felt a bit bad for invading in Leah's personal space.
"Awwwww, Winry you look cute to, when you blush. Everyone here is falling for me so easily." An arm was wrapped around Winry's shoulder. "Don't fall too hard now; we need you to fix Ed up. He is too incompetent to go a month without breaking his arm." Ed blew up at this.
"How dare you! You don't know that! You just met us yesterday!" He gnashed his teeth together and squirmed even harder against his bindings.
"Oh, but I do know. I can tell that you are one to get in trouble easily, just by looking at your trouble making face."
"Are you calling me ugly?"
"Maybe."
A giant string of insults came after that. The two bickered back and forth once again. Soon enough Leah got up and pulled on Edwards cheeks stretching them as far as she could. Al and Winry guffawed at the way Ed's face had been contorted by the stretching.
Al's POV
The day was over now, and it was well into the night. The train still chugged along its tracks.
Soft snoring buzzed around the train cabin. Looking to his side, Al watched his brother sleep soundly despite still being tied to the suit of armor. He lightly chuckled at his brother, no matter where or when Ed could find a place to sleep. His brother's mouth was wide open; most of the snores came from him. The braid that kept together his hair was a bit messy but still intact. Al mentally smiled.
Looking in front of him he saw both girls. Winry's head was leaning on Leah's shoulder. Small snores came from the mechanic. Her hair was a bigger mess than brothers, but to be expected because it was a lot longer. Both brother and Winry looked peaceful as they slept; he began to yearn to have his body back even more.
Al's gaze finally rested on Leah, to his surprise the girl was still awake. She was still staring out of the window. Al thought for sure she had been the first to fall asleep. Her brows were furrowed as if she was in deep thought. He had noticed the same look on her face last night, when they had been in the inn. Something was troubling her.
"Are you alright?" He could not help but ask.
She faced him smiling. "Yes, why do you ask?"
"The look on your face now is the same one you had last night."
Closing her eyes, she smirked. "Hm, you are very perceptive Al. It's going to get you in trouble one day."
"So what is bothering you?" He was persistent.
"Don't worry about me; I'm sure I will find the answer to my questions when the time comes." A playful smirk lined her mouth.
He did not respond after that, instead he stared at her. She was so baffling, and it confused him. "Excuse me, I'm sorry if it offends me asking you but, why did you join the military." Curiosity got the better of him. If she said she did not want to answer the question, he would not pry further.
She did not respond to the question, instead she just looked out the window.
"I'm sorry if I pry too much; I was just curious. You don't have to answer."
"I did not join the military." She responded as soon as Al finished his sentence.
"Huh?"
"I am not part of the military. I guess you could call me a secret agent." Lightly laughing she looked back at him. "I only work for Mustang, for now at least."
"I see…" His echoic voice trailed off. This answer did not satisfy his curiosity but he did not want to pry further. 'She will tell us more when she is ready.'
"Any other questions, Alphonse?" His attention was snapped back. She was offering him a chance to ask any question he wanted.
He took the opportunity. "What about your family; aren't they worried?" Family was important, so naturally he would want to know that this young girl's parents and siblings are not worrying.
Leah's face darkened, her stare becoming hard as stone. She was staring at him, but he could tell that her mind was elsewhere. Her limbs were rigid and shaking lightly. Al was puzzled by this reaction.
"I…I don't have a family; not anymore." That was all she said. Her concrete gaze now glared at the window. "I'm sorry if I seem rude, but I am very tired. You can ask me questions later on. I'm sorry Al." Her tone grew softer along with her taut limbs. She placed her chin on top of her hand and shut her eyes.
'What was with that reaction?' Al was perplexed. Swallowing his questions the suit of armor looked down. "I'm sorry Leah; I did not mean to bring up bad memories." She did not respond.
Throughout the night Al occasionally glanced at the strange girl. Her breathing had never evened despite being asleep.
How was that my fans? So mysterious she is! A lot of important things are going to happen in the next chapter! Leah acted cowardly by hiding behind Winry but in the next chapter you're actually going to see her in action! A lot of Brotherhood is going to be put into this so be prepared! Review!
Ed: Please review, she might kill characters off from people not reviewing. *shudders* She gets scary when she is moody.
Me: Of course! Didn't Leah tell you, fear women Ed.
Ed: *gulps* please review, for our sake.