Chapter Six: Christmas Rose

Christmas rose stands for anxiety. However, it may also stand for 'tranquilize my anxiety'.

"To be completely honest, Colonel, this may be our hardest case yet. The people who trust us in here can be counted using one hand. All of the townspeople accuse Brother of being a changeling, and they've all been intent to drive us away from here."

"We did found some clues in the woods… some track marks, but we're not sure what that means yet. They lead to north."

"He… he chased a banshee. He ran straight into the woods. We've tried looking for him earlier this morning but we can't pick up a trail, for some reason. Colonel… I'm scared. What if something happened to Brother?"

Roy stared out of the window of the train, thinking deeply about Alphonse's words over the phone. A part of him was in rage. Just how stupid can Fullmetal get, to actually run after a banshee into the woods at night, despite what the townspeople told him? They knew more about the woods. They had been there a long time. How reckless did he need to be?

Another part, however, was worried. Edward had been lost for a night. Who knew what could happen in that span of time.

"Dammit, Fullmetal."

Couldn't this train go faster?

"Sir?"

Roy straightened up at the call and turned to face Hawkeye and Havoc, who came with him to Faeburn while Breda, Falman, and Fuery stayed at the office. They were staring at a map, and Roy frowned, asking, "What is it?"

"Alphonse said that the track marks he and the chief found goes to north, right?" Havoc asked. "If we look at this map, if they go straight up north, it means the tracks head to the desert."

"Could it be that all the missing people were taken there?" Hawkeye frowned.

Roy gritted his teeth. "Once we get to the station in Faeburn, we'll find Alphonse and scour the woods once more. Maybe we can see something they somehow missed."

The two subordinates nodded. Roy clenched and unclenched his fists in an attempt to calm himself, careful not to accidentally setting his gloves off of a spark.

He was starting to regret having sent Edward in this mission.

Edward woke up to the sound of soft sobbing.

His eyes slowly fluttered open. He blinked a few times to clear his vision, trying to get a look of where he was. He cursed softly at the pounding headache that tortured his head and the heaviness of his eyelids and limbs. He felt like had been hit at the head and drugged to oblivion. Which he probably had.

He forced himself to have a look around him. The place was dim and cool, and he was sure he was lying on damp soil, and that the wall was that of earth. He pulled himself to a sitting position, only to fall again when he realized that his hands had been cuffed at his back. It was most likely some kind of old fashioned wooden cuffs, judging how he couldn't bring his hands together.

Why was there a sobbing sound?

He tried to get himself to sit once again, succeeding this time. To his dismay, he realized that one of his ankles was chained to the wall. It was clear that he was a prisoner here.

He looked around, trying to locate the source of the sound, and soon his eyes landed on a girl in green pajamas. Her dark hair was pulled into braided pigtails. Like Edward, her ankle was chained to the wall, but she had no handcuffs. Edward squinted his eyes, feeling a tug of recognition, and softly called, "Kelly?"

The girl froze and turned back slowly. Her wide eyes were glistening with tears. "Who are you?" she asked, voice small and trembling. Then her eyes widened even more, recognizing his face. "Aren't you the person with that big armor?"

Edward nodded. "I'm Edward. You're Kelly, right?"

She nodded, sniffing. "Noll said you're a changeling, and that you're bad." She wiped her tears away. "He said my friends are gone because your friends took them."

"Well, I don't know what makes him think so," Edward shifted to show Kelly his cuffed hands and chained ankle, "but I don't have any friends that would want to do that. I don't know who took your friends. I wanted to find them and help them return home, but I got caught too."

Kelly stared. "So… you're not bad?"

Edward shook his head. "No."

Kelly stared for a bit before she crawled closer to him. Seeing the movement, Edward shifted closer to her as well. As soon as they were right next to each other, Kelly gripped the fabric of Edward's coat with trembling fingers. "It's scary in here," she said. "It's dark, and it's cold, and they never talk to me."

"They?" Edward repeated. "Can you tell me who they are?"

"The two big sisters and two big brothers who took me," Kelly's answer was soft.

"Do you recognize them, Kelly?"

Kelly didn't say anything for a while. "They said I'll never see my family again," she mumbled. "Do you think it's true?"

"I'm sure you'll see them again soon," Edward felt his heart sink, hoping that they could somehow get away.

"What will they do to us?"

Edward shook his head. "I don't know." He looked into Kelly's eyes with confidence, "But I won't let them hurt you."

"Really?"

"Really. I promise."

She stared into his eyes for a moment before she laid herself down and used Edward's lap as a pillow. He looked down at her, surprised, but said nothing.

"I wanna go home," Kelly mumbled.

Edward thought of Alphonse, who was sure to be worrying about him then. Guilt bloomed in his chest for doing this to his brother, and worry grew alongside it, wondering if Alphonse was okay. "Yeah," he mumbled back, "me too."

They stayed like that for a long time, Edward sitting rather awkwardly while Kelly laid down with her head on his lap, finding comfort in each other's company in the dark prison they shared. Edward, however, had begun looking around, searching for something he might be able to use to create a transmutation circle on the wooden cuffs. But there was nothing. Not even the tiniest rock. Edward gritted his teeth, swearing up and down inwardly, wishing that there was a way to get out, somehow.

Seeing that he couldn't break the cuffs, he resorted to find a possible escape route instead. Maybe if he could somehow break the chain later and make a break outside… but what about Kelly? He couldn't possibly leave her here alone. He had to make sure they both made it out. Maybe he should check if there was any more kidnapped children too.

The place was suddenly flooded with light. Edward stiffened in surprise while Kelly shot up, quickly gripping Edward's coat and trying to make herself look as small as possible. Edward's eyes narrowed as he stubbornly gazed into the light, trying to see whatever was beyond it. He heard oncoming footsteps, and soon the place was dark again.

He blinked a few times to adjust his eyes to the dark. He could soon make out the shape of a person – a female – walking towards the two of them. He shifted his position to shield Kelly, intent to keep her safe despite his own predicament. Behind him, Kelly's grip tightened.

Two trays were put in front of him, containing a plate with piece of bread, meat, and gravy as well as a glass of water on each. He stared at them, dumbfounded, and looked up at the person who put them there. She was still standing before him. "Time to eat," she said simply before turning away.

He frowned at this behavior, not expecting to be treated so well. "My hands are cuffed behind my back. I can't do that," he said slowly.

"Not my problem. You can eat straight from the plate for all I know, Dog of the Military."

As his vision gradually grew clearer, he began to feel that the newcomer's features were familiar. Dirty blond hair that fell into place, striking blue eyes that stood out even in the dark. He took a silent gasp when he finally recognized the stranger's face.

"Agnes Caster?"

The woman froze for a moment before she slowly turned to face him. She stared quietly, not making any sound, but Edward didn't need her speaking to be sure of her identity. She was the carbon copy of the person he saw in the photograph in Fennel household.

"You're Agnes Caster, aren't you?" Edward asked again, knowing that he was right.

A smile bloomed in the woman's face. "I was beginning to wonder when you'd realize it, Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist."

Edward glared. "To think that the first missing person is the one behind this all…"

She chuckled at that, shaking her head a bit. "You're smart, but you haven't really figured this out," she sighed. She eyed him curiously. "Hey, how do you get those fairies to flock around you?"

The sudden question threw Edward aback. "What?"

"Those fairies. When you found out Mimosa was one of the people who did this, they were all around you. Once she started using alchemy they ran away."

"What are you talking about?" Outwardly, Edward looked incredulous, but inwardly he was pondering, was it true? Were the invisible things tugging his hair really fairies?

"Oh, you probably can't see through their glamour," Agnes sighed and looked away. "Well… not that it matters. They probably just like your appearance."

"I seriously don't get what you're talking about."

Agnes gave him a smile, almost degrading. "You should probably eat. You wouldn't want to collapse here, would you?"

"Are you blind? I'm cuffed. I can't eat."

"Are you deaf? I told you I don't care how you eat."

Edward scowled at her, but she simply turned away and stared vacantly into the wall. He looked down to the trays and wondered if he really should eat directly from the plate using only his mouth. He had to admit that he was hungry, and the fact that the food smelled good didn't help.

Kelly tugged his sleeve and he looked at her. "I can feed you if you want to," she offered innocently, doing her best to ignore Agnes, who seemed to be making her uncomfortable.

A part of him wanted to deny the help. Another was insulted that Kelly, someone who was so much younger than him, attempted to baby him by way of feeding him. Yet another part of him realized his own uselessness in the matter and he sighed inwardly, knowing that he could only accept the help even though he wanted so hard to refuse. He weighed the option of actually eating dog-style, but realizing just how much problem he would be in if someone decided to attack him while he was bending down to have a bite, he gave the idea up. "Yes, please," he mumbled in defeat. He could've sworn Agnes smirked at this and it made him feel a swirl of shame and anger, but the smile in Kelly's face was almost worth it. At least she was no longer crying.

He let Kelly fed him as he kept watch of Agnes. She mostly kept staring at the wall, though she glanced at them every once in a while. It didn't take long before Kelly finished feeding him and licked her own plate clean. She immediately settled on his lap again and dozed off. All of a sudden Edward wondered what was mixed in the food he had just eaten. Was there sleeping drug mixed into it?

Agnes turned and fixed her gaze to him, and he returned the look calmly. Another smile graced her lips and she mused, "You're probably wondering why I'm doing this. Are you?"

"Somewhat," Edward answered. To be completely honest he didn't care about what her motives were, but keeping her talking was probably safer for him. Plus it gave him time to try to figure out how to break out of his restraints and get out of the prison he was in.

The smile in her lips changed, somewhat looking bitter. "Do you know how it feels to work so hard for everyone to be safe and happy, but everyone keeps saying that you're crazy? That you're a lunatic that should be locked up and never let out? Do you know how it feels to be rejected over and over again no matter your best intention?"

The townspeople's rejection of him played itself in his mind, and Edward couldn't help but feel a kind of kinship with his captor. He remembered Mimosa telling him about how Agnes' belief of fairies and how she tried to protect the townsfolk by way of telling them to stop chopping certain trees to avoid their probable fury.

But still, that didn't excuse her of kidnapping people.

"I couldn't care less about the townsfolk," Agnes continued. "Whether they stayed in Faeburn or go away, I don't care. I only wanted to get back at one person."

Edward looked straight at her at this.

She looked away. "I already got her. Now I'm just helping Mimosa and Ives."

So they're both in this, Edward thought. "Who was it that you had your eyes on?"

Agnes' smile turned a little gleeful, for some reason. She turned her back on Edward, clearly refusing to speak any more.

After studying the place again and unsuccessfully trying to scratch a transmutation into the cuffs, Edward felt his eyelids growing heavy with sleep. Realizing that his suspicion about the food had been confirmed, he rattled off a few curses, drawing Agnes' attention to him.

"Mimosa was right, someone should wash your mouth with a soap," she said with a frown. "I take the drug's finally taking effect?"

Edward didn't answer. He shook his head in an attempt to clear his thought of sleep but it wasn't helping. If anything, his eyelids only grew heavier.

"Don't fight it. Just go to sleep. I have no intention to harm you, nor the little girl. You're still of some use, after all."

"What are you going to do with us?"

Agnes didn't answer. She simply stared as Edward fought the pull of sleep. Even though he tried his best to stay awake, he couldn't win the battle. After a while, fatigue overcame him and he laid on the ground, vision blocked by darkness and consciousness fogged by the drug, and sleep finally claimed him.

The stop station was so worn down, Roy was surprised it didn't crumble when he stepped foot on it.

Roy stared at the hunk of concrete warily, staring at the moss and the mold growing on it. Someone needed to get the place an upgrade. And maybe make the place a little more visitor-friendly. Hopping down the train in the middle of a forest wasn't exactly the most welcoming thing in the world.

He shook his head and stretched a little. The trip had taken a whole night, and he was sore. After Alphonse's call in the afternoon the day before, Roy, Hawkeye and Havoc hopped on the train as soon as possible, and as soon as possible ended up being early evening that day. After a whole night on the trip, they finally reached the stop.

"We will have to find the mayor, Sir," Hawkeye spoke as she looked around the forest surrounding the stop post.

Roy nodded, calmly patting his blue military uniform and making sure he looked wholly presentable. "And we'd better do it fast. Come on."

Roy took the lead and walked ahead, Hawkeye and Havoc behind him. The morning sun was warm on his back, and the trees provided a shade that prevented them from being blinded by the light. His feet kept walking on the small dirt road, but his eyes darted left and right, taking in any sign of a hiding enemy. His hands, already covered in his ignition gloves, flexed in an attempt to prepare for an ambush, if there was one.

At the edge of his vision he caught a glint of white. One of his arms stretched backwards to stop his subordinates and his other hand quickly poised to a snap, fingertips pressing together dangerously but not actually creating a spark. He looked around, trying to spot any suspicious movement, but found none.

"Sir?"

"Nothing," he straightened, fingers rubbing together in a careful manner as to not create a spark by accident. Still his eyes searched around, even as he resumed his steps. "Let's go."

Soon, they reached the town, where it was positively bustling. Many of the townsfolk seemed to be surprised, shocked even, that three military personnel had made their way to the small town in the middle of nowhere, but it didn't seem to change their mood all that much.

"What's going on here?" Roy asked a random passerby.

"Didn't you hear? The faeling's gone!" the man answered. "Now there's no one to take any of our children anymore."

Roy stared at the man while he walked away, skipping as if he had springs on his heels. Edward was gone, and these people were happy with it?

"Wow, sounds like these people really hated the chief," Havoc muttered in part disbelief and part pity.

"Alphonse did say that these people had been trying to get them out of town," Roy noted unhappily. He didn't think it would be this bad. They resumed their march to the city hall to find the mayor. Soon, the building loomed ahead of them, and they calmly went inside.

A man with dark hair and green eyes wearing black clothes strode up to them immediately. "I assume you are Colonel Roy Mustang?" he asked without wasting any time.

"That would be me," Roy said, stepping ahead. "And these two are my subordinates. First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye and Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc. And you are?"

"Kaiser Lotus, the town mayor," he answered curtly. "Things have been hectic here lately, I apologize for not having able to send anyone to get you."

"It's alright," Roy waved him off. "Is Alphonse Elric here? I need to talk to him."

"He stayed in my house," Lotus walked ahead and opened the door. "Come, I will take you there."

The walk to Lotus' house was longer than Roy had hoped it would be. Lotus, however, made sure that no time was wasted by telling them what exactly happened after Edward was gone. Apparently, after he recklessly ran after the banshee Alphonse had tried to go after him but was stopped by the mayor and two of the townspeople. Early in the morning, they organized a search, though none of the townsfolk were enthusiastic. They couldn't find the alchemist, couldn't even pick up a trail, and was forced to stop looking when the search party got too scared to go deeper into the woods and breaching the fairies' territory. Alphonse had tried to persuade them to keep going but they refused. As such, they returned to town and Alphonse phoned the colonel.

Afterwards, Lotus had a suspicion that Alphonse would try to get back into the woods and search for his brother again. He told Alphonse to stay put and be with him at all time, but the younger alchemist refused to go with Lotus to the town hall, not wanting to see the townspeople rejoicing on his brother's disappearance. So the mayor let him be.

"To be completely honest I was expecting that my subordinate had blown up buildings or made some kind of collateral damage of the sort," Roy admitted as they walked inside Lotus' house. "This is infinitely worse."

Lotus gave a small smile. "It's hard not to care for a boy that young, isn't it?"

Roy frowned at the implication. "It's hard not to when the paperwork that comes with him gives you headache at least once a week."

Lotus' smile grew wider, this time in amusement. "I see. Somehow, it's not very surprising." He walked up the stairs of the house, the military men following him close, and knocked on a door once he reached the second floor. "Alphonse," he called. "The colonel is here." There was no response, and Lotus frowned. "Alphonse?"

"I have a bad feeling about this," Havoc muttered behind Roy. He had refrained from smoking indoors, but if a cigarette was resting between his lips Roy was sure he would be chewing it.

"Alphonse, I'm going in," Lotus announced and opened the door.

The room beyond the door was bright and cool, but there was no sign of a seven foot tall suit of armor anywhere. Roy took a deep breath and muttered a curse, turning around to avoid being heard. Hawkeye sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, while Havoc slapped a hand to his face and openly swore aloud.

Lotus walked inside and looked around before bending and picking a paper lying atop of a pillow on the bed. He read it quickly and sighed, shaking his head a little, before he handed the paper to Roy. "Here, Colonel. Alphonse left a note."

Roy took the note from Lotus' hand, recognizing Alphonse's neat handwriting immediately from the reports that Edward sometimes had Alphonse wrote for him. The note read,

Dear Mr. Lotus,

I'm going to the forest to look for Brother again. Don't worry about me, I won't get lost! I took your yellow thread to mark my way. Sorry for not telling you earlier. I hope you don't mind.

Please tell the colonel that I'm sorry I can't greet him in person. If he wants to see what Brother and I investigated he can follow the trail of red thread we left. If he wants to find me, follow the yellow thread instead.

I'll make sure to get back before dark.

Alphonse

Roy crumpled the note in his hand. "Mr. Lotus, can you tell me which way is the safest to the forest? I need to go find Alphonse."

A/N: yup. Finally done.

Sorry about being kinda late this time. I snagged a writer's block, sob. Thankfully I already know where I'd take this story, so it isn't the severe case of writer's block that completely stops you from writing.
(And I kinda just ran off to Almost instead. It's got multiple updates since I ended up writing it more. Oops.)

Anyway, I'm just glad that this is finished. It's midnight in my part of the world and I'm tired and I want to sleep till eternity... Wait. No I don't. I'd rather finish this first.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a review before you go.

*edit: I just realized that the random passerby referred to Ed as 'changeling' instead of 'faeling'. Nope, my bad, sorry. Ed is faeling, not changeling. Changeling refers to someone else entirely.