The past couple of chapters have been off of memory and stuff, but I just caught up to the storyline in the manga and I haven't strayed too far:DD So here's another chapter for anyone who reads~!
(Age 15)
I sighed happily as I plopped myself on my bed. It was a bit lonely without Ed and Al to talk to, in all honesty. True, Ed has fallen asleep in the middle of a late night heart-to-heart, but he's always needed a lot of sleep. At least Al could always be talked to, but he has an odd perspective in some things. He's a true romantic, always believing in the best and idealistic possibilities of life. It was refreshing most of the time. The only exception was when I wanted to rant about someone or something.
I suppose this silence will do me good. I haven't been alone at night in forever. Literally, forever. When I was little, I was terrified of the dark. Edward and Alphonse swapped sneaking into my room every night. Once my mom and dad found out, we all shared a room. They figured once I turned twelve or thirteen I'd outgrow it, that my fear was just a phase.
I shook my head, trying to rid myself of those thoughts. I can't go down that memory lane right now. I can't. I'll have nightmares. I slowly rose from my bed and changed into a modest night gown. Lets face it, with the exception of my skirt from Riza, all of my clothing is modest. It wasn't even a night gown, really. It was a large man's shirt that reached the top of my knees, with a high crew neck and 'short' sleeves that fell at my elbows.
As I moved to the bathroom, I pulled out my hair tie and began running my fingers through my hair to undo the braid. I moved to grab my toothbrush, but hesitated, my reflection catching my eye. Looking back at me wasn't my reflection like I'd thought, but Edward. I huffed and stared at the reflection, determined to find differences between the two of us.
Our l- My lips were redder than his, slightly more feminine. My eyes, though the color was identical to his, had a more delicate shape to them, with longer lashes, too. My face was a little slimmer, and my eyebrows as well. I smiled at myself and my antics, but was definitely satisfied. No doubt about it, I look more like a girl than I had thought.
I smugly snatched the pink toothbrush up and hurried through my night-time routine. Once I was done, I turned off the bathroom light and returned to the room, stealthily moving as quickly and silently as possible. It was really quiet without them.
A sharp, sudden knock flooded the room, shocking me and causing me to run into the dresser. "Y-Yes?" I called out to the person behind the door, pathetically nursing my automail knee. What can I say? There are some phantom feelings there!
A familiar voice rang through, "Broken Flame, you have a phone call!" I grumbled incoherently, why does Mustang take pleasure in irritating me?
I flung open the door, resting my automail arm on it and blocking the doorway, "From whom?" I questioned sleepily. I just want to go to bed.
"Your brother," He replied, tugging on my real arm, "Hurry up, Havoc's got him on hold." The thought of Havoc seeing me in my night gown made me burn with embarrassment.
I tugged right back, "Uh, let me get changed!" I argued. Mustang, seeing for the first time that I wasn't in my normal clothes, looked over me once.
Once his eyes reached mine again, he shrugged, "So?" I gave him an incredulous look, so he added, "It's like a... Like a dress." He rationed out. "But seriously, Fullmetal has been on the phone for at least twenty minutes now.
I gritted my teeth angrily but followed nonetheless. It's just a dress. Just a dress. Just a dress made of a man's shirt. I groaned internally.
"Edward?" I asked into the telephone. I'd seen Havoc, but he didn't say a word to me. It was a bit insulting, but I just gave him the cold shoulder too. What was that about?
"Hey, Liz." He replied through the phone. Just hearing his voice made me crack a smile. I could hear him take a deep breath before whispering into the phone, "We got a lead, Liz. I'll tell you when we get back, okay?
"Okay." I answered shortly. I knew not to get into details on a phone. Not a military phone, anyway. You didn't know who could be listening in. And philosopher stone research wasn't exactly legal, considering our motivations for finding it. "Did you give Winry my letter?"
He sighed, "Yeah, and she locked me out of her room for twenty minutes before coming out with a box taped up. Then she threatened me for another ten minutes so I wouldn't open the box. Then she lectured me for another ten or twenty minutes about caring for my automail. Then she finally started fixing it. It'll be another two days." He explained exasperatedly. "How was your day?" He chirped in sarcastic happiness.
A giggle bubbled out of me, "Wonderful. Fuery's my guard and he took me out of headquarters for the day. We went to a little Diner pub and had lunch and looked in the shops of windows for most of the day." I purposely omitted Havoc's role. A little spiteful blow on my part. From a glance out of the corner of my eye, however, his expression an posture didn't shift a centimeter.
Letting whatever was wrong with Havoc fly out of my mind, I began chatting with Edward again.
"Has there been any word of Scar?" He asked, his voice filled to the brim with concern.
I smiled, even with one arm, he still worries more about me. "None that has reached me. The last I heard, he's run off. Be careful, Ed. And watch after Al's... well being." I could have smacked myself for that. I almost said Al's 'Bloodseal'. Feeling much happier that he had to ask rather than tell of scar, I quickly changed the subject, "How are Granny Pinako and Winry?" I smiled fondly at the thought of my extended family.
Edward groaned, "The Pinako was pretty pissed that I didn't bring you along. So was Winry." He paused, "Well, Winry was more mad at me, because I didn't call before coming." I laughed, imagining the get together they experienced. I imagine Winry threw a wrench or some bolts or something at Ed. It was just about the only way to get his attention these days. And Pinako? He noticed her right away, I bet. She and Edward always bicker about height. Funnily enough, she never bothers me, though I'm the same exact height as he.
"I hope you didn't insult Granny Pinako too much, Ed. She did cook your dinner, right?" His laugh echoed through the line.
"Yeah. You know she's like family to me." He dismissed smoothly.
I bit my lip in hesitation before asking what I'd been wanting to ask, "Edward?" He 'hmm'ed, "Why didn't you want me to come home with you guys?" It honestly hurt a bit when it was decided for me to stay here. I wanted to visit our mother's grave and bring flowers. I wanted to see the ruins of our old home, see Pinako and Winry. I wanted to see my old childhood friend, Bradly Jones. I wanted to eat Pinako's food, she had taught so many recipes to our mother that it was like eating mom's food again.
There was a long pause on his end. He cleared his throat awkwardly before replying, "It hurts, Elizabeth. Being here, seeing how it used to be. It really hurts." his voice was timid and regretful, like he didn't want to be there either.
I took a deep breath and calmed myself down. I was getting a little bit emotional. "And staying doesn't hurt? Edward, some memories are meant to be learnt from. They are what we build our future on. That place is home, even if every single house gets burned down. You can't protect me from that kind of pain, no matter how you go about it. The pain of the past can strengthen you or it can break you. But there is no middle, no other option." I felt much better after getting that off my chest.
"Liz..." He replied sympathetically, "I'm sorry. I didn't think of it like that." It seemed like he couldn't say anymore.
I broke the seriousness with an empty laugh, "It's fine, Ed. We're twins, not clones. I should have spoken up before you guys left. Now put my little brother on the phone. I miss Alphonse."
There was a pause and a few clinks of metal in the background. Al was probably getting set up to hold the phone. "Elizabeth?" He asked excitedly. It reminded me of when we'd come home from school to have Al waiting by the front door with his toys, like an anxious puppy.
"Alphonse!" I greeted gleefully, a smile spreading across my face, "How's Resembool? Is the sky the same as when we were little?"
He let out a small laugh, "Yes, it is. Oh, brother didn't tell you about Bradly, did he?" My interest peaked. Bradly? No, he didn't tell me about Bradly. "Well," Al continued, "He gave Edward a box to give to you. He also said that you left it at school on the last day you were here."
I furrowed my brows, "What? I left everything at school on the day we left. What could he have found that was so important to keep for three years?" I asked, trying to wrap my mind around some significant memory.
"I don't know, but I'm not letting Brother open it for you." He replied earnestly. I chuckled at his determination for honesty and privacy.
"Thank you very much, Al."
I said my goodbyes to the two of them, telling them that I loved them and asking for them to send my hello's to Pinako and Winry. I made Ed promise to pick a periwinkle if he could find one and put it on mom's grave for me. As I was trying to hang up, however, Edward started to say something.
"Could you put Mustang on the phone?" He requested.
(3rd Person)
"Sure." Elizabeth complied, motioning for Mustang to step towards her. She handed the phone off, but didn't move.
Though Elizabeth couldn't hear him, Edward's first request of Roy was, "Could you have Liz step away so she can't hear? I need to ask you something." Mustang muttered something vaguely resembling an agreement and covered the phone's microphone.
"Broken Flame, I want to talk in private with Fullmetal." He ordered expressionlessly. Elizabeth gritted her teeth, angry that she had to have people listen in on her conversation, but he could have a private one. She bit her tongue and walked away, however, trying not to start unnecessary arguments.
She stood next to the door, across from Havoc. Though she couldn't hear Edward's words, she could clearly hear Mustang's.
"Mustang, would you mind if I asked a favor regarding Elizabeth?" Edward's voice rang through the phone into Roy's ear. Without a protest, he continued to voice his request. "Put someone in a room adjacent to her, or outside of her room. Please." he asked civilly.
"Why?" Mustang inquired shortly. He knew that Elizabeth could hear him, and depending on the situation, she needn't know what was going on.
"She's never been alone at night. When we were little, we shared a room. After our mother died, she shared a room with Winry. Here at headquarters we share a room. She needs someone with her at night." he half-pleaded. He had horrible nightmares about his mother, and now Nina. He knew how terrifying they could be, and that he wouldn't want to wake up alone after one.
"So what? It's two nights, right? She can sleep alone." Mustang replied sharply. He understood how change could frighten her, but having someone close at night was a tad bit too far.
Edward groaned in frustration, "You don't understand how bad those nightmares can be! She hasn't had one in nearly three years, but I don't want her to wake up all alone after one. Just tonight. If she doesn't have any nightmares, don't worry about tomorrow night!" he compromised.
The 'nightmares' piqued his interest, "What nightmares?"
Ed took a deep breath, "I don't know, she'd never tell me. They sent her screaming mine and Al's names, she'd beg for us not to leave, for him not to take us. When she finally woke up, she'd get sick, stay awake for the rest of the night, and refuse to go back to bed until she crashed the next night." The was a slight hesitation but he added, "They might be similar to mine. Mine are about our mother." Though his answer was vague, Mustang understood perfectly. He'd seen what they had made.
"Alright." He relented, "But only tonight. No nightmares, no one there tomorrow." He added sharply, hanging up.
The moment Elizabeth heard the phone click, she whirled around to confront Mustang. Before she took a second step, however, she froze and thought better of it. Maybe this once, she shouldn't fight the protection being offered to her. Though she didn't know the extent of the protection, only having heard Mustang's half, she knew it had to do with her nightmares. And they terrified her to death. She'd let this one go.
Mustang exited through the door which she was standing by, and motioned for her to follow. She silently did as was silently told. Walking down the hall, though, she turned to look back at Havoc. He had been looking at her with a very expressive gaze, but before she could figure it out, his blank stare returned and he began looking past her. Elizabeth sighed and followed Mustang blindly back to her room.
He made no effort to inform her of the conversation, nor did she make the move to confront him. Once back at her room, and still technically ignorant of any form of protection, she slipped into bed and fell into a deep sleep.
Dark and terrible dreams seeped into her unconscious immediately, spreading through her mind like a black spider web. The poison weaved and webbed all around, incarcerating her conscious self in her mind riddled with horrible memories and thoughts in the form of a dream; a nightmare.
Havoc and Riza made their way down to Elizabeth's room. Havoc volunteered first, offering even to stay outside her door if need be. Riza offered second, realizing that if Elizabeth did need someone, that Havoc wouldn't be the best person. She wouldn't want a strange man in her room, especially just coming out of such a strong delusion as a nightmare.
Mustang had only left her room half an hour prior, and they were sent about five minutes ago. They turned down the hall leading to the rooms when a girl's shrill screech flooded the entire floor.
Dun. Dun. Du-u-un. :3