Whew! It's been so long! It's nice to be back! And I have a surprise for you guys on the 27th! And no it's not the Purple Ribbon rewrite, that still being written. But other than my birthday, it will be something in the next chapter. :3
Chapter 4: Thieves in Hiding
The sound of the train horn rang out as the sun set, disappearing to make room for the moon.
"Discarding two" Edward said as he placed two cards down with a stick, left over from his dango, in his mouth. Great, more junk Ed thought as he glared at Al, who was looking at his cards. "Just discard already!"
"Oh, sorry!" Al apologized as he looked up from his cards and grabbed two from the deck. "I'll take two as well." Al looked down at his cards and gasped. "Holy…! Hey, brother, wanna double the bet?"
"Suit yourself" Edward sighed.
"Sorry, I've got a full house" Al said, deviously as he laid his cards out.
"I'm sorry, too" Edward said as he copied the action, laying out his cards as well. "Royal flush"
"No way! I'd thought for sure I'd win for once!" Al complained as he gathered the cards. "Okay, this time I'm gonna-"
"I quit! I'm bored" Ed sighed as he put his hands behind his head.
"Bored?! Bored of what, win-?!" Just as Al was about to finish his sentence, a certain girl with chestnut hair and silver eyes came running up to the boys with a smile on her face.
"Guys! Guess where the train is headed!" Elina smiled. Ed rolled his eyes.
"Not now, Elina. We've got bigger problems, like who we're gonna see: Mustang" Ed sighed as he flipped over a joker card.
"Mustang? As in Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist?" Elina asked as she sat next to Edward, stealing the last stick of dango. "He's your superior?"
"Yeah. You know him?" Ed asked with an eyebrow raised.
"Kind of. When my parents were in the military, I traveled with them so it wasn't uncommon for me to see high ranking officers, especially when I was in Ishval for a while." Elina explained as she bit into the dango. "Is he that bad?"
"Of course he is! We've been searching everywhere, but we've got nothing to show for it!" Ed whined.
"But we've done lots of good" Al pointed out. Both Elina and Ed sighed.
"When an officer does something good, it only lines the pockets of their superiors" Elina explained as she gulped down another piece of food.
"Not to mention it's labeled as collateral damage." Ed groaned. "I can see his face-! Sarcastic little quips! Just thinking about it- Hey! That's mine!" Ed shouted as Elina ate the last of his dango.
"Haven't you heard of sharing?" Elina whined as Ed snatched the stick leftover from the eaten dango. "You should've learned after traveling with another person for three years"
"Do something useful and tell us where the train is headed" Ed snapped.
"The next stop is Aquroya, the famous water city!"
"You sure it's okay to stop here?" Al asked as the trio got off the train. "We're supposed to go straight to East city."
"Since when have we ever followed orders?" Elina shrugged. "It's on the way, so there should be no harm"
"Maybe we'll find something on the philosopher's stone and avoid a lecture." Ed nodded. "Besides, Aquroya is a tourist hot spot! I've always wanted to check it out"
"Well I guess it's a good experience for Elina, but it feels like we're playing hooky." Al admitted.
"Stop being so-" Before Ed could finish, cards suddenly fell out of his sleeve. Al bent down and examined the cards while Elina just laughed.
"Wow! You thought I was bad, Ed! At least I hide the evidence!" Elina chuckled.
"What do we have here? What an oddly good hand of cards-" Al stopped as he looked up and saw Ed running away. "Ed, you cheater!"
"Hurry up, Al! We don't want to lose him!" Elina smiled as she and Al ran after him.
"Wow! This has to be my favorite stop so far!" Elina awed as the trio looked at the beautiful water city full of rivers and boats.
"Aquroya: the city of water and perennial tourist attraction!" Ed smirked. "Sure beats the hell out of that East city dust bowl and having to see the colonel's know-it-all grin, don't you think-?"
Just as Ed finished, a horse-drawn cart rushed by, splashing mud and water onto Ed.
"WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM, PAL?!"
"The grass isn't always greener on the other side" Elina sighed.
"Couldn't have said it better myself" Al agreed. Ed clapped his hands and placed them on himself and the mud disappeared. As soon as he stopped his alchemy, someone with a brown fedora slapped handcuffs onto Ed's wrist.
"Hey, shouldn't we talk first?" Ed joked as the man raised the handcuffs, causing Ed to whimper.
"You're coming to the station. I've got some questions for you, alchemist" The man smirked.
"But we just got here! We didn't do anything" Elina said, crossing her arms.
"Doesn't matter. I need answers and I will get them." The officer growled as he began dragging Ed away.
This is why I hate adults. Elina thought as she gritted her teeth and followed the pair.
"So, you're telling me you're with the state?" The officer asked Ed as he chomped down a bowl of rice. "And that you're the famous Fullmetal, 'hero of the people'?"
"How many times do I have to say it, chief? That watch should be proof enough!" Ed complained in between bites. Elina slowly ate her rice, unlike Ed, who was scarfing down his bowl.
"Sure, if it's real, but I have my doubts. I say your too short for a hero-"
Ed immediately jumped and began yelling. WHO ARE YOU CALLIN SO SMALL YOU WANNA CRUSH LIKE AN ANT?!"
Elina grabbed Ed's collar and pulled him back into his chair. "Officer, if you could, please lay off the 's' word and any other synonyms for the time being"
"Alright, fair enough. Sorry for the third degree, kid. I had to test you. We've got a thief on our backs named Psiren and we're all a little on edge." The officer explained.
"Psiren?" Al asked.
"Yeah. Real name is unknown. The only thing we got is that she uses alchemy, so I thought you might be connected." As the officer spoke, Ed grabbed Al's untouched bowl of rice and began scarfing it down.
"So since your only lead is that the criminal uses alchemy, you're investigating any alchemist that comes by? That's not very reliable." Elina admitted.
"It may not be reliable, but it's all we got. Now about your certification…"
"What the hell is his problem?" Elina snapped. "He would make a better parrot than a police chief!"
"You're right about that! He said the same damn thing for three hours straight! He probably wears that hat to hide the hole in his brain!" Ed yelled.
"Still, doesn't it concern you? A criminal, using alchemy to steal?" Al asked.
Suddenly, Elina and Ed began feeling sick as both of them slumped over onto the stairs in front of the police station.
"Elina? Ed? You two don't look so good" Al pointed out.
"I don't feel so good" Elina muttered.
Elina and Edward looked at the doctor as he read a piece of paper and turned around.
"It looks like a bit of food poisoning, that's all." The doctor smiled.
"Then it's not from eating too much?" Al asked, on Ed's behalf.
"Oh shut up" Ed snapped.
"Edward! Don't be rude." Elina lectured.
"We'll need to give both of you an injection. Clara?" The doctor called.
"Injection?" The trio repeated.
"Yeah. Just a poke" The doctor said, still smiling. Ed began running out of room like the devil was at his heels.
"NO! GET AWAY FROM ME!" Ed shouted as Alphonse quickly grabbed him and dragged him back in. "I DON'T NEED IT!"
"It's just a little needle! You'll be fine!" Al argued.
"I FEEL BETTER! I'M CURED!"
"Don't be a baby! Take off your coat!" Al yelled as Elina pulled off Ed's coat and held it.
"I HATE YOU TWO! AL, WHY WOULD YOU SELL OUT YOUR OWN BROTHER?! YOU'RE EVIL!"
"No he's not! He's more innocent than you!" Elina yelled. Elina's eyes looked at the nurse as she put a finger over Ed's mouth, surprising him. Ed just blushed for a minute as the nurse gave him the injection without him noticing.
"There! You're all done, Ed! That didn't hurt at all, did it?" The nurse said, holding up the empty needle.
"That was… Wow" Elina awed the nurse's speed.
"He didn't even notice!" Al gawked.
"And after all that fuss!" The nurse chuckled as she put away the needle.
"Yeah! So what's your point?!" Ed snapped.
"We all have to grow up sometime, right?" The nurse smiled as she grabbed another needle. "Now, who's next?"
"That would be me" Elina said, holding out her right arm.
"I'm sorry, but you'll have to remove those bandages" The nurse smiled. Elina immediately tensed as she put both her arms behind her back like a child. This surprised the boys since they had only seen Elina's arms once in the three years they had traveled together. Elina had kept her arms covered at all times with cloth bandages. Both boys froze for a minute as Elina backed up.
"No." Elina stated as she kept backing up.
"Come on, now. No need to make a-"
"NO!" Elina shouted. Suddenly, her feet stopped as she ran into Alphonse, who was blocking the way.
"Come on, Elina. You were fine just a second ago" Al said as he gave Elina a little push.
"NO, NO, NO!" Elina shouted as she dashed behind Edward, cowering.
"The needle won't hurt-" Al tried to persuade, but Edward put up a hand.
"It's not the needle she's scared of, it's removing her bandages that's freaking her out." Ed observed.
"Well we can't give her the injection any other way" The doctor pointed out.
"Please, Elina?" Alphonse pleaded. Elina closed her eyes for a minute before stepping up and holding out her right arm again.
"There we go." The nurse smiled as she began removing Elina's bandages, revealing the burns and scars on Elina's arm. Once the injection was over, the doctor examined Elina's arm.
"These look like they were very severe burns. Some aren't even healed all the way. You shouldn't keep these covered up all the time, it will make healing harder if you don't air these burns out." The doctor lectured. "Let's see the other arm"
Elina held her breath as the nurse unraveled the bandages on her left arm before she could protest. The doctor's eyes widened as he examined her other arm.
"Goodness! What happened here?"
Both brothers came other and saw what the doctor had saw: A scar that looked more like an old puncture wound surrounded by the burns that covered both arms. The only difference was this wound was completely healed, unlike some of her burns.
"Boys, has she ever taken off these bandages?" The nurse asked.
"Not at all, in the three years we've known her" Al admitted.
"Well, you'll have to leave them uncovered for a while, understood?" The doctor ordered as the nurse threw Elina's bandages away.
"Okay" Elina said with a defeated tone. Both boys looked at each other as Elina got up and followed them with her head down.
"She was so good at her job, smart, gorgeous too. I can't stop thinking about her" Al rambled as Elina remained silent.
"You've got the weirdest taste in women, Al. She's a bad gift in pretty wrapping"
The brothers looked at Clara, the nurse, as she spoke to an elderly woman.
"That won't do, Mrs. Crabbing. You can't get better on an empty stomach." Clara lectured.
"Sorry. I just can't get it down, it hurts my teeth!" The woman whined.
"Well, that bread's too tough, isn't it? We'll have to make you something tastier" Clara said as she pulled out a knife and an apple.
"Elina, you alright?" Ed asked, bothered by Elina's silence. "You're not still mad about your bandages right? Back me up, Al"
Alphonse seemed zoned out.
"Al, you still with me?" Ed asked.
"Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking. That nurse, Clara, there's something really giving, calming about her. She kind of reminds me of mom"
"Don't be ridiculous! That woman's nothing like her!" Ed snapped as a plate fell from the elderly woman's hands.
"I've gotten so clumsy" The woman whimpered.
"Don't worry about it! It's just a fruit." Clara smiled as Al walked over and helped pick up the apple. He placed the pieces in a transmutation circles and turned them back into a full apple, skin and core.
"Here you go" Al said, handing over the apple. Elina and Edward walked over to Al.
"You're an alchemist… I didn't realize" Clara admitted.
"MR. ELRIC! MR. ELRIC!" Someone yelled as the officer from before came running up to the trio.
"What do you want, Mr. Parrot?" Elina snapped. "We proved Ed's innocence, now go away!"
"I know, I know. This time I'm asking you for a favor"
"Officers! Presenting state alchemist master, Edward Elric. Salute!" The police chief yelled. This time, there was plates of food laid all across the table and officers standing by as well. Like before, Ed scarfed down his food. Since it was obvious Elina didn't want to go back to the hospital, she allowed her stomach to remain empty as she glared at the bowls.
"So, what do you want?" Ed asked with a full mouth
"First I want to apologize for earlier! All those questions! I did what you said, sir! I got in touch with colonel Mustang at the Eastern command center, I paid long distance and everything! He sounded nice, angry, but nice! He said you really are a state alchemist. I sure pegged you wrong!"
"Like I said!" Ed growled.
"Yes! Indeed sir."
"Did you tell him about our partner?" Ed questioned. Elina raised an eyebrow at the blond boy.
"No, sir! I didn't say a word! Should I have said something?"
"No, that's fine." Ed shrugged as he kept eating.
"What am I? Your secret weapon?" Elina glared.
"Depends, you willing to piss off Mustang?" Ed smirked.
"Not on your life!" Elina snapped as the officer continued.
"Anyways, in light of the new information, I wanted to ask you-" The officer stopped as Ed held up up his bowl with a scowl.
"I'll need more" Ed stated.
"As much as you like!" The officer's voice shook.
I hope you get food poisoning! Elina thought as she rubbed her aching arms.
Later at a giant mansion, the trio was preparing for the great thief, Psiren, to appear. Elina had began talking once more but…
"Come on, Al! Why can't I run into town and get some more bandages!" Elina whined.
"You heard the doctor! Those burns will never heal completely if you don't air them out!" Alphonse lectured.
"What does he know?! Just let me go get some bandages!" Elina growled as Elina struggled to get to the door, only to have Alphonse stand in the way.
"Stop complaining and help us out, would ya?!" Edward yelled. "Come on, Elina! You used to be a thief, so what do you think we should do?"
"You think I'm gonna help you?! You're out of luck!" Elina stuck out her tongue. Just as Al walked away, Elina felt a sting on her arm. "Ow! Alphonse!"
Al turned around and saw a cut on Elina's arm and grew confused. "What happened?"
"Your armor cut me, that's what!" Elina snapped. "That hurt!"
"Sorry, Elina." Al said, his voice filled with guilt.
"Here you go, you big baby" Ed whined as he grabbed Elina's arm and used just enough bandage to cover her wound. "That's all you're getting, so drop the attitude, will ya?"
"Thank you" Elina sighed. "As for the Psiren issue, the criminal must be expecting us, so they'll try to gain the upper hand by making a distraction. there's somewhere to start."
"Alright, let's keep our eyes-"
Suddenly the room began filling with steam. Elina felt a breeze on her arms as she opened her eyes and saw Psiren right in front of the glass case the trio was supposed to protect.
"Ed! Al! We've got company!" Elina shouted as the boys looked at Psiren.
"Come on, Al-" Ed said as something flashed put him and pinned Al to the wall in fear. Elina ran over and examine the objects aimed at Al.
"They're not daggers, they're cards as in playing cards."
Ed turned back to Psiren just in time for them to steal whatever was in the glass case and make a break for it. Ed began chasing Psiren and Elina wasn't far behind. By the time Elina had made it to the fight, she felt her jaw drop as she saw Ed on top of Psiren.
"EDWARD ELRIC! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE FIGHT PSIREN, NOT HIT ON HER!" Elina shouted at the top of her lungs.
"I didn't do anything!" Edward shouted as he jumped off Psiren with his face turning as red as a tomato. Elina was too far away to hear their conversation, but as soon as she closer, she was pinned to the ground by the same cards that pinned Alphonse.
"Hey! That was a dirty trick!" Edward shouted.
"It's a shame I can't show you my face, it's a real treat!" Psiren said before blowing a kiss and running off. "Sleep tight, pipsqueaks!"
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A PIPSQUEAK?! YA KNOW, I'D BE TALL TOO IN HEELS! GGGGRRRRRRR!" Edward shouted.
"THIS IS WHY I HATE WORKING WITH THE GOOD GUYS!" Elina screamed.
"First you flirt with the enemy and now you've lost your own brother!" Elina lectured.
"I wasn't flirting! You're just grumpy 'cause those people were staring at your arms!" Edward fired back.
"I wouldn't have to be stared at, if only you gave me my stupid bandages back, shorty!"
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MOUSE?!"
"I NEVER SAID THAT! JEEZ, YOU WONDER WHY WE ARGUE!" Elina snapped back.
"It would help if you weren't so worried about what other people think" Ed muttered. Elina had lost her temper at that point as she pushed Ed into a door, only to find that door was open as he fell into the room.
"What the hell, Elina!" Ed turned around and gasped. In the room was Clara, the surprise was the alchemic symbol on her chest, which was exposed by a mostly unbuttoned shirt.
"Looks like we found a certain thief. No wonder the police couldn't find her." Elina smirked as her and Ed stepped farther into the room.
"I don't know what you're talking about! I just came to get some medicine" Clara insisted.
"Would that medicine just happen to be made using alchemy? The jig is up, Psiren!" Ed smirked.
"Well I did say I was beautiful under the mask, didn't I?" Clara smirked as she took off her nurse hat.
"Should I leave you two alone for a bit?" Elina chuckled.
"Elina! I already told you, it's not-"
"Brother, Elina! Brother, bad news-" Alphonse said as he entered the room, surprising everyone. "Is something wrong?"
"You have no idea!" Elina sighed.
"That nurse you thought was so great happens to be Psiren! The transmutation circle is proof enough!" Ed yelled.
"The world isn't black and white like you think." Clara sighed. "You kids are too young to understand, a lot can happen in a lifetime"
"Please!" Ed snapped. Alphonse stepped up.
"I understand. I just found out. This hospital's scheduled to be demolished. Clara, you became a thief out necessity and compassion. You're trying to save this place, aren't you?" Al spoke.
"Yeah, that's right" Clara agreed. Elina felt a shiver down her spine as an image of a blond woman popped into her mind. Elina immediately shook her head, hoping to rid herself of the image. "You think I like this? Flinching at every patrol? But this hospital needs money for it's patients. I need it to…" A tear fell down Clara's cheek. Elina mind suddenly went to an image of a woman with sandy blond hair and a military uniform. Shaking her head, she scowled at Clare.
"See, Ed? I told you she had a heart… Just like mom" Al said.
"I'm not convinced." Elina spoke up.
"But Elina-" Al tried to protest but Elina lifted her hand.
"You can try to change my mind, but I've seen this before. And I won't be fooled by that, ever again." Elina walked up to Clara and lowered her voice. "If you hurt either of those boys, I will not hesitate to put you in prison with a few extra injuries."
"Why would I want to-" Clara was interrupted.
"I'm not as ignorant as AIphonse and honestly I don't care if he trusts you or not. You can't sway me that easily." Elina finished as she left the room, leaving the boys confused.
Later that night, at "Psiren's" next target, the trio was waiting for their favorite nurse to come to the rescue.
"Why don't you trust her, Elina?" Al argued.
"I've already told you! I don't trust people like her, and I'm not going to!" Elina yelled.
"Why don't you?"
"UGH! Can we stop the interrogation already?! It's bringing up some bad memories." Elina scoffed. Edward walked up just as Alphonse was about to ask another question, eliminating the conversation. "What's the plan, Ed? I don't see much back-up"
"The chief said we're setting a trap instead of ambushing her." Ed explained.
"But we're not catching her, are we?"Elina sighed as Ed's expression gave her an answer. "Fine. I'll meet her on the other side, ok?"
"Alright, we're counting on you" Edward stated as Elina began walking away.
"You always do!" Elina sighed as she waved. Soon she was running towards the back of of the building as a large rumbling came from the building and Psiren came running straight to Elina. Psiren stopped and looked at her with a confused expression.
"I guess I should be thanking you-"
"Not me." Elina corrected. "Edward was your little escape, I'm just the messenger. I may not trust you, but I'm loyal to those boys."
"I see. You're very close to those two, I could mistake you for siblings, but you're independent." Clara said as she walked up to Elina.
"I've been betrayed so many times that I could write a book about it. Those boys are the only family I have left, so it's my job to protect them." Elina sighed as she began walking away.
"It's sounds like you're holding something back. Anything you want to confess?" Clara teased. Elina froze in her tracks.
"I suggest you pay attention to what you say. Hit a nerve and you'll be needing the money for a hospital bill, is that clear?" Elina growled.
"Of course." Clara smirked.
"Good. Now since we helped your sorry ass, I want a favor involving our research." Elina stated as she turned around to face Clara. "Have you heard of the philosopher's stone?"
"No, I haven't…" Clara sighed. "But if you find one, I'll be happy to steal it for you"
"If it's for the boys, then okay." Elina sighed. "Just don't get too cocky"
"I never do" Clara smiled as she and Elina walked their separate paths for the night.
Elina ran through the crowd searching for the hospital as she carried a novel in her hands. Seeing a blond boy and a large suit of armor only made her run faster as she approached the brothers.
"Edward! Alphonse! Look at this novel I got nearby! I know you said spend money wisely, but I couldn't-" Noticing the boys' surprised expressions, she looked at what was in front of them, only to feel her jaw drop to the ground as she stared at the demolished hospital in front of her. "I knew it! I freaking knew it! That damn Clara was lying!"
"She wouldn't do that!" Alphonse protested. "Not Clara… This has to be a mistake!"
"The only mistake here is inside that metal skull of yours, Al! She robbed you of your senses and played you like a freaking harp!" Ed argued.
"Don't say that!" Al fired back.
"Al, she's using your trust! Why can't you see that?!" Elina shouted.
"Friends shouldn't fight. It's sinful" A voice spoke as the trio turned and saw Clara in a church sister uniform.
"You guys seeing this, too?" Elina muttered.
"Yup" Both boys agreed.
"It's terrible about the hospital. I tried to save it, but I couldn't get the money in time. I was devastated, the guilt was too much, I didn't know how to go on. So I became a nun" Clara explained with tears in her eyes.
"Poor Clara" Alphonse cooed.
"Yeah, I bet" Edward said, blantely.
"I thought nuns were supposed to be quiet!" Elina muttered and Ed chuckled.
"It's the truth, Ed, but those who do believe will be saved. The great lord has told me there are other places that need me, like this convent were standing in! It's scheduled to be demolished too! I only pray I can help!" Clara declared as she started crying. Alphonse moved in to comfort Clara as she sobbed.
"You can do it, Clara! You just need to try harder this time!" Al cheered.
Does she realize that we're not the kind of people to believe in that religious crap? Elina thought as she yawned. Elina's mind returned to the woman she saw before, but this time, the woman was covered in blood. Shaking her head she stood up.
"Sorry guys, you're on your own. I'm not helping Psiren's stupid little scheme anymore" Elina snapped.
"But Elina! We have to help-" Alphonse cried.
"No we don't." Elina growled. "You haven't seen this before, Al. You're too innocent, you don't see that she's messing with your head and trying to use you. I am not losing anyone else because you can't see the reality of the situation!"
Alphonse froze. She hasn't called him "Al" in years Edward thought.
"It means more if you call someone by their full name" Edward remembered a younger Elina say as he saw the anger on Elina's expression.
"Fine, then I guess we'll see you later" Al said with a saddened voice. Elina bit her lip as she walked out of the convent.
He doesn't see what I see… He doesn't realize what Clara is doing… Elina thought as she walked down the streets of Aquroya. He has no idea what it feels like to be betrayed…
"You really should apologize to him" Ed yawned as Elina keep her nose in her book.
"Yeah, right after I give my mother a bouquet of flowers!" Elina snapped. "You know she's playing Alphonse like an instrument, so why aren't you doing anything?!"
"Look, Al has to see this for himself-"
"And how's that plan going?" Elina growled. Before Ed could respond, Alphonse ran into the room shouting.
"Brother, more new-" Al froze as he looked at Elina. "Oh, Elina"
"Still playing that wonderful symphony, aren't you?" Elina scoffed as she got up and walked towards the door, taking her bag with her.
"Elina, I-"
"Don't bother, Al!" Elina snapped as she walked out of the room. Edward looked at his brother and sighed.
"Man, you really made her angry" Ed pointed out.
"I know, but what can I do to make it up to her?" Al sighed. "She's never been this mad before"
"Oh yes, she has" Ed corrected. "We just haven't seen it yet"
"If only she knew" Al said with his head tilted down.
"Knew what?"
"That Clara did it! She got the money! The convent's going to be saved!" Al cheered.
"Stupid Al! It's not like he listens to anyone!" Elina growled as she looked at the sky from the roof she was on. "Why is he so blind when it comes to crime?! 'Oh, Clara wouldn't do that!' 'Oh Clara is trying to save the convent!' He might as well have a shrine dedicated to this damn lady!"
Elina's expression softened as she looked at the sky above her more closely. The stars were easy to see, despite all the lights in Aquroya.
Then again, he hasn't seen what I've seen… Elina thought as she rolled onto her side. He hasn't seen my life… Hell, I usually stand outside if the boys go into a command center. They're trying to fix their sin, while I'm trying to run away.
Elina's eyes began closing as sleep called out to her. "How can you fix a sin if you have no idea what that sin is?" Elina muttered before falling asleep on the roof.
The rumbling of the roof caused Elina to jump awake. Elina rubbed her eyes as they adjusted to the sunlight.
"What's going on?" Elina questioned. Suddenly, the roof Elina was sitting on caved in and took her down with the rubble. "OW!"
Sitting in the rubble, Elina rubbed her arms as she dusted off her clothes. Elina growled as she grabbed her bag and tried to rise out of the rubble.
"This has to be a mistake!" Elina heard a familiar voice yell.
"Edward? Al?" Elina called out. "A LITTLE HELP HERE, DAMMIT!"
"Elina?!" Edward called out as the two brothers raced towards their dusty friend.
"The one and only" Elina joked as Ed pulled her out of the rubble.
"Where did you go?! We were worried sick!" Al lectured.
"On the roof, if you must know!" Elina snapped. "While you were helping that thief! Look how that turned out, huh?!"
"This can't be right! Maybe she couldn't find someone to sell it to-" Al pleaded.
"Have your brains turned to mush?! She's a con artist, Al! She's been using us for a good laugh! The only saving she's been doing is in her bank account!" Ed yelled.
"Don't you start that again!" Al fired back.
"What is so difficult accepting, Al?! That she deceived you or-" Elina yelled until a certain voice interrupted her.
"Do I need to put you three in a corner?" The trio looked over to see Clara wearing a red school teacher outfit (Glasses included) and children surrounding her.
How ironic you able to get the job of a school teacher… It's not like you're a good role model Elina thought as she glared at the woman.
"Wait and what dress-up doll outfit are you wearing today, Clara!" Ed snapped.
"Oh, I know! You're a school teacher right?" Al guessed. "You're working for a school that's about to be shut down and this time you won't be too late! Isn't that right, Clara?"
Clara looked surprised for a split second before smiling. "You guessed it! Maybe we should talk about with the K-I-D's?"
"Clara, I'm warning you, lay off. They've been through hell, they don't need you toying with them" Elina threatened as she got face-to-face with Clara. "When are you going to end all of this?"
"As I tell my students, there are some answers we have to find on our own" Clara said as she glared. Clara walked away with the children, leaving the trio alone. Alphonse sighed.
"Elina, you shouldn't have-"
"Save your lectures, Al." Elina snapped. "If you weren't so innocent and blind, we wouldn't be in this situation!"
"Elina, I-"
"Do you even know what it's like to be betrayed?! You don't! Me and Edward have no problem seeing through Clara's lies, but you're so determined to prove her innocence that you've blinded yourself!" Elina yelled as she got closer to Alphonse, who was backing up. "WHEN WILL YOU MAN UP AND STOP LYING TO YOURSELF-?!"
"Don't talk to him like that!" Edward yelled as he got between the two, shielding Alphonse. "Even if you know the truth, you have no right to speak to my brother like that! Friend or not, you can't treat him like he's beneath you, Lina!"
Elina froze at the sound of her nickname. Al cowered behind his brother but Edward stood strong. Dropping her bag, Elina walked away, not saying a word.
"Elina-" Al tried calling out.
"Let her go, Al. She needs time to cool off" Ed said as he picked up Elina's bag and began walking down the street.
"The nerve of those idiots!" Elina growled. Without noticing, Elina had walked into an abandoned part of town with water up to her feet. "Ever since coming to this stupid town, I keep seeing her every time I close my- What the?" Elina wondered as she looked at the buildings in front of her. Vines were growing on said building and they were half way into the water, some were already deep in the water.
"The town… Is sinking?" Elina questioned as she carefully stepped over to one of the buildings. "Why is this such a tourist hot spot is the town is sinking?"
Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind; Clara.
That's right, journalists everywhere came here to try to get the scoop on Psiren and then people followed the stories like moths to a bright light Elina realized. That doesn't make it right…
"Isn't that familiar, mother?" Elina muttered as she gripped the key around her throat.
Elina looked at the sky from a rooftop as she kept reliving her fight with the boys.
WHEN WILL YOU MAN UP AND STOP LYING TO YOURSELF
You can't treat him like he's beneath you!
There are some answers we have to find on our own
Yeah, yeah, yeah! I get it already! I screwed up! Elina thought shaking her head. Looking at the moon, Elina felt something very wrong. Her feeling was confirmed when a giant alchemy hand came out of the water. That has to be Ed! But he would have to be near the bottom of lake to make that…
"Aw crap! His automail!" Elina shouted as she ran across roofs until she saw where the hand was coming from. Taking a deep breath, she jumped into to the water. Looking around, she saw bubbles rising near where the hand was. She could feel her lungs beg for air.
Crap, Ed! Where are you?! Elina panicked until she saw a certain blond boy trying to swim. Elina swam over just as Ed was beginning to black out and grabbed him by the arm, pulling him out of the water and onto land. Elina coughed as she dragged Ed to the surface and set him against a podium.
"Edward! Can you hear me?" Elina yelled as she shook the boy. Just as Elina was about to go run for help, Ed began coughing up water, much to her relief. "Thank god! You're alright!"
"Elina…?" Ed said with a puzzled look. "What are you doing here?"
"Not the best night to stargaze, am I right?" Elina chuckled. "Seems like a perfect night for a swim, though!"
The handcuffs clicked onto Clara's wrists as she looked at the pair. "Pretty sharp, kid. You'll make a fine grown-up" Clara smiled. "When you are, we should do this deal again. It's always more fun when there's more than one"
"Clara…" Alphonse whined.
"Well, we've got business to attend to, so they'll have to decline" Elina spoke up as she rubbed a fluffy towel onto her hair.
"Before they haul me off, your little girlfriend asked me about a funny little stone. Go to Xenotime and take a good look there. I heard there's someone there who's researching the components behind it." Clara informed. "Maybe he can help you out"
"Xenotime" Ed repeated.
"Come on, Al, are you still holding a grudge on me?" Ed complained as the train's whistle blew. "It was my responsibility, Al. I was the officer and she was the crook, we just played our parts-"
"That's not true" Al argued. "She isn't a crook. You've told me a hundred times you can't always go by the rules when you're doing what's right. Clara was kind, giving, and heroic. You think the same thing, brother. I'm sure you do!"
"I don't know, Al." Ed sighed as he looked over at Elina, who was reading a book across from the brother in her own train booth. "What I do know is that you have to apologize to Elina. And I think now is your best chance"
"I'm not speaking to her" Al grumbled.
"Al, just apologize. She's in a good mood right now and I know it's killing you to stay mad, so you might as well get it over with" Ed smirked as he began eating a bowl of noodles.
"Alright, I'll try" Alphonse agreed as he rose to his feet and sat in the seat in front of her. The first thing Al realized was that Elina's bandages were back, which was a surprise.
That must be why she's in a good mood Al thought.
"Hey Elina-"
"You've heard of the butterfly effect, right?" Elina interrupted as she keep her eyes glued to the book. "It states that everything you do in life will cause a change, whether you know it or not"
"Elina, I-"
"Even if it's never been proven, it's completely possible"
"Elina, can I-"
"There's also something called the thread of fate, but I think that's all just trash. There's also-"
"Would you listen for once?!" Al shouted, which made Elina jump. Realizing his mistake, Al immediately regretted it. "I'm sorry!"
To Al's surprise, Elina began laughing. "There he is!" Elina giggled. Alphonse looked confused. "You know, I don't like a guilty conscience either. No apology needed!"
"W-wait, so you forgive me?" Al asked, still surprised.
"Of course, Alphonse! I could never hold a grudge against someone as nice as you!" Elina smiled.
"Even though I caused all this trouble?" Al mentioned, embarrassed. Elina shut her book.
"Alphonse, I have too many regrets in life, I'm not going to let our friendship be one of them" Elina smiled. "So, guessing we're playing hooky, again?"
"Yeah, you know brother!" Al laughed.
"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!" Edward yelled as the pair began laughing.
AWWWWWWWW! Yeah, I'm a sucker things like that :3
So I hope everyone has an awesome day, cause the next update is the 27th! I'll see you soon guys!
Jackie C.A.