Greetings from the underworld! Or Australia! Whichever you prefer!
I'm back. It's been a while, neh? Let's get right into it.
I was worried no-one would get last chapter's reference, but then FullmetalAlchemist64 jumped in and saved the day with Kisuke Urahara from Bleach! Speaking of saving the day… Reference!
"I'M THE HERO!"
Please, someone get it…
(Of Pools and Powerlessness)
"No."
"Come on!"
"Not a chance."
"You know you wanna!"
"Uh-uh."
"You have to!"
"No means no, Ed."
"And yes means yes. Your point?"
Roy glared scathingly at the boy drifting across the pool on a plastic inflatable, hanging in the water from the waist down. "My point is, I'm not getting in there."
Edward pouted. "Spoilsport."
He and Tyrell had discovered (to Roy's dismay) that the palace had a swimming pool in one of it's many courtyards, where the two had insisted on dragging Roy.
The sun beamed down on the place at a perfect temperature, not too hot or bright, but a gentle warmth that out of the trio only Roy would appreciate.
He sat comfortably dry on a chair at the side of the pool, dressed in a pair of grey shorts and a purple shirt.
Edward, surprisingly, seemed to have packed for every occasion. He'd brought a pair of red board shorts as well as a compact sweater in his suitcase.
However, Roy was pretty sure this apparent organisation was the work of a particular suit of armour/boy.
"The water's great!" Edward exclaimed, splashing a little as he spoke.
"So's the air."
"But it's so awesome!" Edward exclaimed. "The way the water supports your weight all the time is really weird, you know? It's incredible to think about how water works, with all it's buoyancy and surface tension and pressure."
"I think I prefer to carry my own weight. And the pressure of swimming underwater makes my ears hurt."
"At least try it!" Edward called.
Tyrell surfaced a few feet away and nodded his agreement. He warbled something unintelligible though his snorkel which sounded a little like, "Oosha owa ee geh ih oi."
"I don't even know what you said, but I'm still not getting in," Roy responded. "And Ed, are you sure that's okay with your auto-mail?"
"It's fine!" the boy assured him. "So long as I dry it off right and polish it, it won't rust."
"And it won't get clogged?"
"No. It'll all drain as soon as I step out. My auto-mail's built to withstand anything; I got Winry to thank for that," Edward explained. "The important bits are sealed up tight and as long as I don't spend too long in here, it won't sustain any damage at all. Now are you coming in or are you gonna sit up there and be boring the whole time?"
Roy watched the boy drift across the pool, splashing water all around. "Yeah. I'm gonna stay boring and dry."
Edward scowled again, setting his chin down on the plastic and looking up at Roy. Eyes narrowed, he stuck his flesh arm into the water and began to paddle slowly towards the edge of the pool.
Da-nun.
Roy, unsuspecting, kept his grumpy face on, sat a few feet away from the edge of the pool and huffed.
Da-nun.
There was no way he was getting in the pool. You'd think his hatred of water would extend only to the rain that rendered him oh-so-useless on occasion, but no. He loathed it in all it's evil forms.
Da-nun.
Rain, snow, hail, ice, ocean, sea and swimming pool. He disliked water as an everything. Except for showers. Because then the water was your slave and you could force it to do what you wanted.
DA-nun.
Or drinking water. Because then you were killing it. That was okay. Killing it was good. It deserved to die, because given the chance it would most definitely be the death of Roy.
DAA-nun.
Roy looked irritatedly at the sky. If it decided to rain later on, he might kill someone. Water was stupid. Excepting the water inside his body. Anything in his body was obviously good.
DAAA-nun-da-nun-da-nun-da-nun…
And swimming pools sucked the most because—
"BWAAAAARGH!" Edward flew out of the pool, his long black hair spraying droplets of water everywhere and his limbs splayed.
It happened before Roy even had time to react.
Edward's soaking body slammed into him and the two barrelled straight across the concrete before Edward gave an almighty heave and he pulled them both into the depths of the pool.
Roy squeezed his eyes shut and thrashed around for a few seconds before realising that Edward was no longer anywhere near him. He kicked out for the bottom but couldn't seem to find it.
Boy, was this pool deep.
Forcing his eyes open - ouch, that stings stupid water stupid Ed I'll kill you Lieutenant, he chucked me in a pool! - he looked around and took in the direction the bubbles moved.
In all his years of training, the only advice he'd received regarding oceans was to swim in the direction of bubbles if trapped underwater.
Floundering helplessly towards the top and a new source of light, he broke the surface flailing and gasping. Keeping in the air was harder than he thought. Choking, he let out a spluttering cough and thrashed around like a drowning man, unable to surface for more than three seconds before sinking and ending up with a mouthful of water.
Struggling for some grip on anything, Roy caught hold of a metal appendage as Edward sailed peacefully by - laughing his head off.
The boy had planned this well. The power from his leap out of the water propelled his plastic float to exactly where he would hit when he dragged Roy in. Now he was laying sideways across the thing on his belly, legs dangling in the water, one tight in Roy's grip.
Roy took a moment to recover, coughing and heaving in air. He cast a battered glare at Edward's snickering face. Kicking his feet and paddling madly with his free hand, Roy snarled to the boy, "I can't swim, idiot!"
"Hey, neither can I with these limbs but that didn't stop me now, did it?" Edward took a few seconds to register Roy's last sentence. "Wait, you can't swim? You legitimately can't swim? At all? Even with a fully flesh and bone body?"
"We live in a landlocked country, genius!" Roy growled, clinging to Edward's leg for all he was worth. "And I'm a military official, why would I need to be able to swim?"
"I dunno," Edward said thoughtfully. "In case someone tackles you and throws you into a swimming pool?"
"Very funny," Roy muttered, though his dark glare said otherwise. "Swim closer to the edge. Now."
"Nah," Edward said lazily, closing his eyes and settling down. "If you wanna get to the edge, you'll have to swim for it."
"I can't!" Roy hissed. "That's the whole point!"
Tyrell drifted past, seeming not to notice and his white hair trailing in the water.
Edward smirked. "Then you'll just have to stay there."
Not thinking of the consequences, Roy grabbed Edward's other leg and heatedly pulled the boy off his perch.
With a yelp, he sunk straight into the water - and Roy quickly followed.
Sitting cross-legged on the bottom of the pool, Edward glared at Roy as bubbles streamed around his face from within his auto-mail. Cheeks still puffed out from holding precious air, he stuck out his tongue. Now we're both screwed.
Roy didn't see this on account of his eyes being closed.
He opened them a crack to see the gangly, tanned body of Tyrell before them, his arms extended and his violet eyes lit with silent laughter.
Roy begrudgingly took the boy's outstretched hand and allowed himself to be towed to the surface.
Edward wisely did the same.
Tyrell pulled them up right in the middle of the pool, where Edward tried his best to make for his float with heavy limbs of waterlogged metal. He barely made it, hauling himself up before he could sink again.
Roy, on the other hand, came up coughing before latching shamefully onto the nearest solid object - Tyrell.
The boy raised an eyebrow.
"Apparently, he can't swim," explained Edward with a hint of mockery in his voice. "Ironic, huh?"
Tyrell removed the mouthpiece and flashed a grin, easily generating enough strength to keep both himself and the heavier man afloat. "I never met a guy who can't swim before."
"Yeah, but you live in a coastal country," Roy grumbled, panting. "You swim every day. I work at a desk in the middle of a city in the middle of the continent. There aren't even any deep rivers around!"
"You can't swim!" Edward jeered, lying belly-up and smiling like a deranged psychopath.
"Yes, we've established that!" Roy exclaimed, edgy and annoyed. "Now would you please get me out of here?!"
His sodden hair clung to his face and water streamed down his cheeks, his was expression quite dejected and almost in pain, as if his loss of dignity had physically affected him somehow.
"Best way to learn is from experience," Tyrell stated. Roy yelped as he broke away, saying, "Off you trot."
Roy dropped underwater immediately, resurfacing seconds later to flail his arms around and gasp some more. Barely managing to keep his nose out of the water, he kept his arms close to his chest and his knees bent, making a beeline for the edge of the pool.
Scrabbling at the wall and clambering out as best he could, he started draining the water off himself by flicking his wrists repeatedly and kicking out his feet. Then, dragging along the remains of his shattered ego, he flopped down on the cement (where he'd originally planned to remain) with a scowl.
Edward and Tyrell boggled at him.
"Tyrell…" Edward began.
"Yeah?"
"When you were younger, did you ever grab a dog and throw it in a river or the sea?"
"Yeah."
"And did it do pretty much exactly the same thing as Roy just did?"
"Yeah."
The two broke into a fit of hysterical laughter, Tyrell with tears in his eyes and Edward thumping his fist on his float.
Roy seethed, his chest burning with the want to fetch his gloves and blow the pool (and all it's occupants) sky-high.
Look on the bright side, said an annoyingly optimistic voice within his head. At least it was just you three.
Thought too soon.
"Well, that sure was dignified, Colonel."
Roy stiffened. It was Claudio. Goddammit!
"Well, I can't help it," Roy muttered icily. "I for one had to work hard to get to my position; I don't have time to practise secondary skills like swimming."
Claudio settled on the concrete next to Roy, dressed in a light Kambeian robe the colour of a dusky sky. His dark brown hair moved slightly in the wind.
It was shifty, like him.
Given the chance, Roy thought. This guy would attack Amestris in a heartbeat. I don't like his aura or the way he talks. Or looks. Or moves. Or thinks. Or breathes. Or exists.
"Are you saying that I don't do work to benefit my country?" the man asked in an even tone.
"No," Roy responded. "I'm simply implying it."
Claudio's expression remained impossible to read as he said, "Well, you've implied wrong. And I've heard a lot about you, Colonel. They say you're infamous for calling girls on the job and not getting your paperwork completed on time."
"It's true that I mightn't be the most efficient man out there paperwork-wise," Roy said, attempting to wring the water out of his shorts as he wore them. "But I do look out for the men who serve under me. That's the least I can do for them."
Claudio raised an eyebrow. "I see. So tell me, how is it that you can't swim and yet your son can, even with metal limbs?"
Roy shrugged, removing his shirt and laying it across the warm ground. "He's a kid with a lot of time on his hands. He taught himself."
"Is that so?" Claudio murmured.
"Hey." Edward made his way over, water streaming down his hair and draining out of his auto-mail. "How goes it, Prince Aerugo?"
"Well, thanks," Claudio said. "And yourself?"
"I'm good," Edward responded, thumping down beside his superior.
"Having fun?" Claudio asked casually.
"Quit the smalltalk, man," Edward snapped suddenly, his expression abruptly changing. He motioned at Roy. "That night in the castle, you kept pushing at him until he snapped. You did that on purpose. Why?"
"Edward!" Roy reprimanded. "Enough!"
"Hush now, Colonel," Claudio said with a smirk.
Roy twitched angrily but didn't speak further.
"I like your attitude, kid, so I'll tell you," Claudio said, setting his chin on his palm. "Now, there's no doubt your father has explained to you the positioning of Amestris amongst all the other countries of our continent, right?"
Edward nodded, golden eyes sparking.
"Well, you'll know that our two countries - Aerugo and Amestris - aren't what you would call close. We've had various border disputes and our recent… Well, it wasn't quite what one would call war, per se, more like endless battles only just ceased a while ago. And Aerugo supplied weapons to the Ishbalans in the Eastern Rebellion."
"And then turned your backs on them," Roy growled softly.
Ignoring this remark, Claudio continued. "Up 'til the battles ended, we'd fought over land with even more losses for both sides with no real victor. This all finished two years ago with the announcement of an alliance. Apparently."
Claudio gave Edward a hard, calculating stare. "Aerugo and Amestris… Two countries like cat and dog. We'll never get along. So Colonel, for the benefit of my country, I'm going to make the most of this opportunity and exploit your very obvious weaknesses right now…"
Claudio stood, brushing himself off. "…and you never know - maybe you'll run right up a tree like a tortured kitten."
He walked off.
"I hate him!" Edward snarled decidedly, grinding his teeth. "I hate him!"
Roy watched Claudio's retreating back, his dark eyes lit with malice. If he wanted, he could snap that prince right into a pile of ashes at his feet…but he couldn't.
Claudio had his arm twisted.
As long as they were here, Aerugo and Amestris were allies and neither could do harm to the other. What Claudio was doing wasn't harm, he just somehow knew how to push all of Roy's buttons at once.
But Roy didn't know the first thing about him. There was nothing he had that could be used against the man. Not his military strategy, skill in alchemy or general intelligence could help Roy here. Stripped of his support team, he couldn't even hope to try and dig something up.
And then there was the added fact that the Fuhrer was counting on him to give the country a good reputation here. The pressure to keep himself in control of his temper (and Edward's) was nearly unbearable.
"I will follow you to hell if you ask me."
"Remember, Mustang; the county's reputation is resting on your shoulders. Don't mess up."
"What the heck… You have my support!"
"I can see great things coming from you, y'know."
"That dream… Can I trust you with my back so that I can help it come true?"
"All those people in your platoon, they follow you because they know what you can do for them. I know what you can do for them. For everyone. And for me."
Roy buried his forehead in his palm, growling wordlessly under his breath. So much he had to do in so little time and so many people relying on him!
"Roy? Roy?" Edward leaned forward a little. "You okay there?"
"As an individual, I am powerless. That's why I need you people to help me save this country."
Roy clenched his jaw. I could fight for myself, but fighting is prohibited here. I could play his own game and use his secrets against him, but I need my men for that and they're not here. I could try to defend myself from him, but I don't know how. I can't attack, I can't outwit and I can't defend. He's got me wounded, stripped of guard and downright vulnerable.
Roy let out a frustrated sigh between his teeth.
But why? Why would Claudio want to do this? Is it because of our countries? Does he want to eliminate us all one by one? Is it because I threaten him? Does he know that I'm trying to become Fuhrer? Does he think I'll invade Aerugo? Why is it?! There's got to be some logical reason, dammit!
"Hey!" Edward's face became panic stricken. "You're not having…one of those things again, are you?!"
"Quiet!" Roy hissed, waving his hand in Edward's direction.
"Do you need something?!" Edward exclaimed. "Water?! Do you want water?!"
"That's the last thing I want!" snapped Roy. Vulnerable. Vulnerable. Vulnerable. He's got me locked down on my back with my stomach, throat and chest right out in the open. He can do whatever he wants with me. I don't like it!
"Uh, uh, uh… What about tea then? Coffee? No, that's a terrible idea…" Edward trailed off. "Is this because of Claudio?! That guy has you wrapped around his little finger now, doesn't he?! You're not the one in control anymore, are you?!"
"Shh!" Roy warned, his glare sharp. "Pipe down!"
Edward gulped. "Do you want help or something?! Should I get Tyrell? Tell me what you want me to do!" In a shout, he added, "I'm freaking out here, man!"
"I want you to shut up!" Roy shouted back, trying his best to keep in control of his heart and lungs. "Can you do that, or do I have to drown you?!"
"I can do that," Edward said quietly. "I can shut up."
A few seconds later, Roy let out a sigh and slid down onto his back. "Thank you."
Crawling over to the pool, he splashed his face with a bit of water before lying down in the sun and closing his eyes.
"So you're okay then?" Edward asked in a more subdued tone. "It wasn't a panic attack?"
"I'm fine," Roy breathed. "I don't think it was a panic attack, although it might have become one."
"Prince Claudio is a scary fellow," said a familiar voice, making both alchemists jump. "He's good at manipulating others."
Tyrell was at the edge of the pool, his chin resting on the concrete. His forlorn violet gaze traced the prince's path out of the area. Wet white hair stuck to his cheeks.
"Good at manipulating others," Roy echoed. "People sometimes say the same about me. But I'd never be able to do it without my team. This guy can do it all by himself. That kind of strength is terrifying."
"By himself, huh?" Edward said softly. "Definitely a scary skill to have."
Tyrell didn't say anything, just examined the cracks in the flooring below his nose. He looked up at Roy's sprawled figure like a guilty puppy might look at it's master before pulling himself out of the water.
"Sorry I didn't come help you earlier," he said. "You looked like you were about to lose it just then."
"Maybe I was," Roy murmured. "Then again, maybe I wasn't. Probably best we don't know."
He reached lethargically for the shirt lying on the floor a foot or so away but gave up, dropping his arm down exhaustedly. He groaned when he remembered what it was that had almost pushed him over the edge just then.
Pressure.
The pressure of trying to fix a whole country was enough that he almost wanted to curl up here and moan for the rest of his life. There was that heavy feeling of being chained to the floor.
"Something wrong?" Edward asked as Tyrell placed an ear on the man's chest.
"Just remembered really hard something I have to do," Roy told him, rubbing his forehead. "It's gonna be hard and troublesome and take forever…but I'll get it done eventually."
Alright, not a very long chapter this time. And the laptop is being called to other duties so I will make the ending note short too.
BAI BAI!
Review please!
ZAKURO AWAY! *Wonderful rainbowing, much shininess!*