The early morning sun pours into the small hospital room, making the white walls glow brighter than they should have. I sit cross legged on the bed, sweating like crazy. I keep my arms in my lap, not wanting to look up at his harden eyes.
I'm guessing Envy brought me and Edward out to Brosh and Ross after our fight in the fifth laboratory. They would have then gotten us to a hospital ASAP. Which brings me to this unpleasant scene before me. The last people that I wanted to see right now were right in front of me. One sitting in an uncomfortable looking chair, the other standing next to him. Edward had his arms folded, with a look in his eyes that said he meant business. Compared with me, he should be the one in bed since he was covered with bandages. But I guess my arms were pretty thickly wrapped up.
The doctors thought I had some disease or infection of a sort. Of course I didn't mind them covering up the black stones. (or maybe it should be crystals… take your pick) But they had taken some blood samples and assumed it was something they could fix. But only the Elrics could fix me.
The shards on my arms have produced this black substance underneath my skin. The shard itself was still prominent, but my skin was [still] (has it been doing this for awhile? I can't remember… if you haven't mentioned this happening before, I highly suggest deleting that word) turning black. Black swirls an inch from the shards make their way up and down my arms and legs, the skin disfigured like really bad battle scars. However my eye was fine.
When I first saw them, I flipped out. I told them it was nothing but, doctors being doctors, they didn't listen. Another reason why I hate doctors with a passion… But I couldn't fathom why my eye stayed the same as it did when I first got here…And I have no idea why it stayed as it is.
I also don't understand what happened to my arm at the fifth laboratory. All I remember was pain throughout my whole body, Gluttony's teeth coming for my face, and someone screaming. My arm hurt like heck when I woke up, so bad I had asked if I could have a sling for it.
Whenever I move pain shoots up and down the length of my arm, like I sprang the whole thing. The doctors didn't understand, but they gave it to me anyway. I didn't get it, so I was hoping Ed would tell me sometime after I regain some strength.
That night at the lab had literally drained all my energy. The doctors thought my heart stopped off and on all throughout the night. But I wasn't worried if my heart stopped. I was worried about what they'll find in my blood. And Ed. I was terrified at the thought that with my interruption, I could've made the situation worst with Ed and the Homunculi. But once Ed was permitted into my room, I found that he had the same injuries he did in the original play out of things. It was a huge relief. But all of that relief was turned into anxiety and dread.
But I was happy that I didn't wake up the first day Ed did. All of Alphonse's suspicions and gloom had disappeared with Winry's help. I didn't want to get mixed in with that. I also didn't want to see Al down. It would've broke my heart to see him so glum and depressed.
"Well?" Edward asks harshly after a few moments of silence, his tone making me flinch. "You promised." Cringing, my eyes falling to the sheets, I let my hair hide my face. Even if I knew what I wanted to say I could never get out the right words. I've always been so bad at explaining myself. I glance up. His jaw was set in an irritated frown.
"I-I know. It's just, it's hard." I mumble. "Well, what do you wanna know?"
"Where are you from." Ed says without hesitation, sounding more like an order than a question.
"Ed, be nice." Al scolded, shifting his weight from standing next to Ed.
"Idaho." I say, still not looking up at them. Maybe questions weren't the best idea…
"Where the hell is that." Ed asks/commands.
"America." I hesitate, "This was a bad idea. L-let me just explain the basic then you can ask questions." After a moment of silence from the two, I continued. "You see, I'm not actually from here."
"Tch, We already know that. They've already tried looking up you're civilian files."
"Brother…" Al warns.
"I mean from your world." I whisper and let the information sink in. I sneek a peek at the two from behind my hair. Ed looked at me like I was lying and Al…I was pretty sure he was shocked.
"Don't lie to us!" Ed snaps and I flinch.
"But I'm not!" I protest, my eyes getting warm and I knew I was on the brink of tears.
"Brother, just listen to what she has to say." Al says, "Go on Bree."
"I went through the Gate to get here." I say after a few moments. Ed's chair clatters to the floor as he suddenly stands up.
"You did Human Transmutation?!" He yells at me, his face twisted up in hurt and anger. This face was worse than the face he made about calling him short a few days ago…
"Pfft, like I could ever figure that out."
"Then if you're from a different world and you went through the Gate, how did you do it?" Al asks.
"I-I don't know. I was just sitting on the bleachers during a school prep rally, the room went dark, and then there was the Gate in the middle of the room pulling me in."
"But you have no proof that you're from another world!" Ed yells again.
"Yeah she does Brother, what about her…laptop?" he says the word awkwardly. God bless you Al!
"But how can there be two worlds! Or more! It doesn't make sense!" Ed exclaims, grabbing his head.
"Sometimes it's better to not to think about it Ed." I say, turning myself towards them and lifting my head up more.
"Don't tell me what-" Ed starts but Al cuts him off.
"How did you blow up Central Command?" Alphonse asks as Edwards's mouth hangs open mid-sentence.
"Honestly, I have no freaking idea how I did it. Except I think I know what did…" I trail off, holding one of my wrists.
"Then what did it?" Ed asks suspiciously. I sigh, hesitating, then start to unwrap the bandages on my arm.
"Wait don't do that Bree! You're hurt and…" Al frets but trails off as he looks at my arms. I bite my lip, afraid at what they were going to say next. There was a few seconds of uncomfortable silence as they evaluated the shards in my arms.
"What the hell is that?!" Ed exclaims, looking closely at my arms but careful to not touch them.
"That's what I was going to ask you." I laugh nervously as I tug at the blue hospital uniform. "All that I know is that it's a stone that heals me and blows things and people up." The words escape my mouth before I could chain them down.
"Blows up people." Ed stresses, staring angrily with his fiery eyes. My own falling back down to the covers on the hospital bed, unable to meet his.
"I…" I start but couldn't finish, tears finally rolling down my eyes.
"So you are a criminal and murderer!" Ed yells angrily, grabbing the front of my blue shirt, trying to get in my face. I'm gritting my teeth, swallowing my sobs while I keep my head down. Yes, I did kill them. I'm a murderer. I shouldn't be alive. But I didn't mean to… I never wanted to kill them!
"I didn't mean to!" I cry, the memory flooding back to me. Their screams. The ashes on the floor. And the numbness that always followed. All of it was coming back to me. And I didn't want it too. It was too painful and I couldn't bear it.
"Bree…" Al says softly, comforting. But I didn't want it. I didn't want their anger or pity. Just a few minutes ago I had started explaining everything, now they were yelling at me and were angry at me. I didn't want to deal with it.
I bolt out of the room so suddenly that they didn't have time to react. My arm acts up from the sudden movement, but I don't care. I don't stop. I run down the hall and up the stairs, wiping away the tears and gasping in pain. I burst out of the door at the very top, sunlight blinding my eye. Gasping, I look around for a hiding spot where I can cry in solitude. After a moment of standing in the doorway, I walk behind the small building next to the door. I sit down, and let out all the pain within me.
I don't think I've ever cried this hard and this much before. I hate it. It feels like my insides were turning to stone then crumbling. And I feel so helpless. There was no truth in saying everything will be alright because it won't. I won't get help from Ed or Al and I probably will have to live with these stupid shard things inside of me the rest of my life. There was nothing I could do but cry. I hug my knees to my chest and sob into my legs.
Soon, I can't cry anymore because there were no more tears to shed. So I sit there with my back to the wall, watching the clouds slowly drift past.
Numbness engulfs my body and my mind goes blank. I sit in silence for who knows how long, but then a thought drifts into my numb mind and I finally get up, walking over to the ledge.
Maybe jumping off would kill me for good. Then I could go home cause I died in this world. And everything would be ok. I won't screw anything up. I won't kill any more people. It seems so simple.
Just fall.
I sit on the railing, Looking down at the street full of people. Their happy lives as they walk past. Talking, laughing, not a care in the world. If I do jump, my life would be like that in my world. I just have to fall. The logic is so simple. But what if I don't die and just regenerate like a homunculus? Then I wouldn't accomplish anything, just letting my secret out.
My hands clench the railing at my sides, my knuckles turning white. My body tenses up and sweat beads my forehead. Why?! Why can't I jump!? Am I afraid? Yes, that's it. I'm afraid of dying. Nothing is certain if I jump. I don't know if I would return to my world.
"I'm such a freaking coward." I mumble at myself, about to swing my leg back over. A wind starts to pick up, pushing me back over the ledge. Ha, stupid wind that's smarter than me.
"Bree!" Someone shouts behind me and I turn around. A flash a grey runs up to me and catches me around the waist and I look up to Alphonse who scrambles back.
"What are you thinking!?" He yells as he sets me back on the ground. My legs fail me and I fall on my butt, dazed. I was just about to freaking fall off a building! Wait, no I wouldn't. I was just thinking about it but never did. I was just sitting on the railing, so why is Al freaking out?
"I…I…uh…" Words don't form on my tongue. How do you explain this?
"Bree…" Al says softly as he joins me on the ground, sitting in front of me, "That's dangerous. You could've fallen off."
"So what? It doesn't matter if I fall or not. You guys would still hate me either way." I grumble, looking down to the ground. Oh great, the tears are starting to come back.
"What are you talking about?" Al starts confused, "I don't hate you."
"Don't play dumb, you're both angry at me." I choke, wiping the falling tears away angrily.
"I wasn't angry at you. Pretty shocked and surprised, but never angry."
"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to be grouchy. But I really didn't mean to do it, it just sort of happened!"
"Then why did it happen? Were they doing something bad to you?" He inquires, his armor clanking a little as he talked.
"…Yeah…"
"Were you defending yourself?" I look up at him suddenly, my eyebrows furrow. Defending myself…? That makes more sense of why I did it. But that still doesn't mean that I was right.
"I never thought of it that way…" I whisper.
"See, then it wasn't you fault!" He beams at me. It didn't help lighten up my mood really, even if it was Al.
"But still…" I trail off.
"Hey, look at me." he puts one of his giant hands on my knee as I look slowly up to him. "We'll figure this out together, ok?" I laugh a little, sniffing. He reminds me of my own older brother, which made me smile a bit.
"Are you sure you're not the older brother here?" I say as I wipe away stray tears. He chuckles as he helps me to my feet.
"I'm positive that I'm not. I know Brother can sometimes act rash, but I know he doesn't hate you." Al says as we head back inside.
"I don't think he'll like what I have to say…" I say nervously, looking at the ground.
"Why's that?" He asks curiously, tilting his head to the side.
"Because it seems impossible to you guys." I answer, looking up to him.
"Well, what you've said already seems impossible!" Al chuckles, trying to lighten up my mood. I smile lightly at him, showing that I was ok.
Suddenly, I was standing in the doorway. I do not want to face Edward yet, but I pull open the door despite my reluctance. As I walk in I tug at the side of my shirt, slowly making my way to Ed who was sitting on the bed facing away from the door. Al follows, his armor clattering behind me. I find the sound oddly comforting.
I stand right next to the bed, Ed sitting on the other side. I glance back and forth from the back of Ed's head and the floor. This went on for a couple of seconds.
"Ed…" I whisper softly, not wanting the silence any longer.
"Sorry." He whispers, not moving at all. I look at the back of his head, a bit surprised.
"I didn't mean to yell."
"S'kay." I mumble, my eyes flittering back to the floor as I play with my lower lip with my teeth. What else should I say?!
"So what happened?" I look back up to those blazing golden eyes staring straight into my blue ones. He had turned around when I wasn't looking. I give him a questioning look.
"What happened when you…killed people?" I grit my teeth and look sideways. "O-or you don't have to! I was just wondering!" He exclaims as I sit on the bed. I take a deep breath.
"No…It's ok. Maybe if I tell you, then it might help me figure out what this thing is…" I mumble, staring at my hands in my lap.
"You mean help us figure it out." Al suggests, grabbing a stool to sit on. Ed shuffles across the bed to sit by me. I look up and smile, tears pricking the edges of my eyes. I never really had people that cared about me like this. Wanting to help me with my problems. I'm usually the one who people go to so they can tell me how horrible their life was. But this…
"Ahh-Why are you crying?!" Ed asks, looking worried and scared at the same time.
"I guess because I'm happy!" I laugh, wiping away tears that threaten to spill. "It's usually the other way around for me. I'm the one people go to for talking about their problems…"
"So you've never talked to people about you're problems before?" Al asks.
"No…"
"Then what did you do?"
"I just tried to solved them on my own and let nobody know about it. I don't like burdening people…" Ed suddenly starts to laugh at this. "What!"
"You sound so much like a boy!"
I smirk at this. "Yeah well get use to it!" I laugh. "They don't call me a tomboy for nothing!"
"Ok, ok," Ed backs off, putting his hands in front of himself smiling, "Let's get back to the question. So what happened?" I stare at the ground, thinking of a way to arrange my words.
"Well…Do I just tell you guys what happened like a story or something?" Al nods in front of me. "Ok, um. The first day I got here, I went into a coffee shop place to get out of the cold and I got a hot chocolate. By the way I put it on your tab Ed. And then-"
"You what!?" Ed yells. I smile but still cringe.
"Hey, I was cold, hungry and I didn't know where I was! And I just got off of a train. Give me a break!"
"But how did you know me?! And how did you get on a train if you didn't have any money?!"
"I'll explain that after this. Ok?" He grumbles a yes and I continue. "The girl that was serving me offered me to stay the night for free cause she thought I was a state alchemist," Ed opens his mouth but I beat him to it, "I'll explain that later too. Ok anyways, I agree and she took me upstairs. Once we got in a room a guy jumped me and was about to...um…" my cheeks redden.
"About to do what?" Al asks innocently.
"Uh…" I try to think of a good explanation that wouldn't ruin his innocence. "Something only a married couple would do!" I exclaim, happy at the way I worded it. Ed looks as red as a tomato and Al tilts his head, still not understanding.
"Ok, that isn't the main concern here. Anyway, I fought and was running away until I tripped and they lunged at me. "Then-"
Suddenly, flashes of what happened run through my head. Their screams echoing in my ears. A gasp escapes my lips and I grab my head, pain welling up in my chest. I double over, feeling like I'm going to puke as I touch my forehead to my knees. Tears gathering in the outer corners of my eyes. I could feel a hand on my back and arm.
"Bree…" Al whispers as I try to compose myself. But I was shaking so bad I don't think I could.
"I screamed and b-black sparks engulfed us a-and I turned away from their h-horrible screams." I start knotting my hands in my hair. "When I l-looked back al-all there was w-were a-ashes on th-the floor!" I sit there, crying for what seemed like the millionth time that day. I'm so pathetic. Ed and Al have more things to cry about than I do. So why? Stupid teenage years...Can't wait till I'm done with you…
"Sorry." I say after a minute of crying, wiping at the tears furiously. I hate crying in front of people.
"Don't be. You've been through a lot, we get that." Al says, taking his hand off of my arm once I straighten up with a tear stained face.
"Pfft, you've been through more than I have." I mumble. Ed gives me a questioning look.
"On that subject, how do you know about us?" Ed asks.
"Well, I know a lot about you guys actually. Like how you tried human transmutation to bring your mom back a few years ago, Al being in the suit of armor, and how you're trying to find the Philosophers Stone to restore your bodies…" I tick off each on my finger, Ed paling at each and Al gives a gasp at the end of my rant. Ed's mouth was suspended open, shocked.
"H-how…?" Ed tries to form words as I laugh at him.
"Ok, this is going to be fun…"I mumble then clear my voice and speak louder, "In my world, there's this lovely thing call a T.V. which is basically pictures moving at such a fast rate it looks like the pictures are moving. Like…Wait!" I look around the room to find my clothes on the floor next to the nightstand. I almost forgot that I took it for a map to the 5th Lab! Grabbing them, I look through the pockets to find my phone.
"Al, c'mere." I pat the spot next to me as he comes over, the bed tilting slightly. I unlock it and go to YouTube, my holy music place. Knowing the perfect video for these two, I search for 'Sail Kitty.' We watch, Ed having a smile of amusement on his face and I could feel Al smiling too. That is, until the end of the video.
"What?! Is he ok!" Al freaks as Ed was trying to hide his laughter.
"Don't worry Al, I'm sure he's fine." I start laughing, and Ed joins in. Al became frantic.
"It's not funny! What if it's seriously injured?!" Al yells, clearly very concerned. This only made me laugh harder.
"Ok, ok, I got us off track!" I laugh, trying to get a hold of myself, "Do you guys have any questions so far?"
"How does this operate?" Ed asks, carefully lifting my phone from my hands and examining it. He turns it over in his hands, looking at it from every angle and taping the screen. I sweet drop.
"Lets save that for another conversation, kay?" I tell him. He nods, and hands back my device.
"So now that you guys know what a video is like, imagine a video that is hours long and in a series of short sections. It's like a book series but is in many, many fragments. These fragments are called episodes. And in my case, your story is a book and video episodes in my world."
"Wait a minute! So you're saying that we are just a story back in your world?! We aren't real?!" Ed's enraged face looks to the ground, shaking. Man, so many emotions today…
"I know this is a lot of information to take in. But-" I start, but his head snaps back up to me.
"You're saying we aren't real?!" His golden eyes blaze at me for what it seems like the hundredth time today.
"Brother calm down!" Al exclaims.
"No way Alphonse! She's telling us we are made up! That we aren't real!" Ed growls, but points it in my directions still.
"Then why are you standing in front of me right now!? You must be real. I'm willing to accept that there can be the possibility of two dimensional worlds living side by side," By now, Ed was looking at me in complete shock, "Maybe the author came to this world a few years ago at this very moment. Maybe she came the day I came and she lived through this moment. Who knows?" I say, pondering the thought, putting my hand on my chin and looking towards the floor.
"But how can that be?" Al asks, sounding a little worried.
"That Truth guy can be very messed up at times." I respond, thinking back to when I met Truth.
"You met him?" Ed asks, almost a whisper.
"Yeah, I went through the Gate so I kinda had to meet him. That's how I got this in me." I point to my arm. Ed looks down at my arm, almost like he was depressed about it. "So…So you have any ideas of what it could be?"
"Hm…Well it's not the Philosophers Stone, that's for sure." Al says, crossing his arms.
"Maybe…it's a variation of it? Maybe it's not made out of people…" Ed ponders, a hopeful gleam in his eye. Wait, it is made out of people! That dream I keep having with all those charred people. Are they all trapped inside the stone? So is it made out of people but created in a different way?
"I don't know." I say hesitantly, looking towards the ground.
"Did Truth say anything to you about it? Try to think back." Al uncrosses his arms, his hands moving as he speaks. I fold my own arms, thinking back on our conversation.
"I think he said this is all a game to him. And…" I try to think back, what had he said about it?!
"A game? What game?" Ed asks, "Come on, remember!" I scratch my head in irritation and close my eyes. Come on! I know I can remember!
"Brother! A lot has happened since she got here. So it might be hard-" Al starts but I finally remember! My eyes snap open and a let out a small gasp.
"What is it?!" Al and Ed get in my face, expectantly.
"He said.. 'This game has been going on for a while.' And that 'few have won' and 'it's most unlikely that I will'." I say, looking towards the ground, still horrified at the thought.
"That's all I got out of him."
"That's sick…Whatever this game is about." Al mutters. Both Ed and Al lean back.
"Yeah…" I breathe out, "Sorry."
"For what?"
"I couldn't get anything else out of him. It was like the conversation was an adult explaining something to a child. And I was the child."
"Nothing we can do now." Ed says, standing up. I look up because of the sudden movement.
"Let's figure this out, ok?" He grins down at me.
"Yeah! We can figure this out together!" Al chimes in, sounding happy. So is this what it feels like to have real friends? I know that they are nice guys and all, it's just weird for me to see them in flesh and blood. Telling me that they'll help me out and support me. I couldn't ask for anything better than this.
"Ok." I smile back up to them, being as happy as I can be.
"Just, please keep this between us, ok?" They both nod in understanding. It's the best feeling in the world. I want it to last forever.
"So, can you tell me what happened last night? I can't remember."
A/N: So? How did you guys like it? By the way I have a new editor! DeathByFandoms's! She's been helping my a lot with my story with idea's and editing, and I'm so grateful to her for it! Check out her profiles, she's awesome!
I know I said that I was going to write some Fairy Tail fanfics, BUT...I don't like them so far. It might be a while till I do post them.
And yes, I have had a busy summer. Ever since 2 weeks ago, my summer was OVER. With Marching band and all, I still have Band Rehearsals coming up this week so I'm still going to be busy.
For those of you who care, the play thing I told you about in the last chappy was a success! I had to change into about 3 different costumes in a short amount of time, so it was really fun. And I think I burned my feet a little bit from the concrete and street so that was fun too! All in all, a great experience. You people should try acting some time, It's really worth it!
So anywho, what do you guys think of this chappy? DO you think Bree was a little dramatic about the whole 'jumping off the building' thing? I was debating weather to keep it or not. My editor said it was a great thing to put in to set the mood or something along those lines, was it? And what about the Sail Kitty part? (If you guys haven't seen the video, it's flippin HALARIOUS!) Do you guys think it was needed?
Thank you all for you're continuous support and reviews! I really appreciate all of the reviews you guys give me and the feedback! Please keep it up.
Thank you awesome people!