Totally Screwed Transmutation
Since everyone knows the disclaimer, I won't bother saying it anymore. But just in case, this is the last, LAST time that I'll be saying it: I do not own FMA at all! So there.
Right now I'm sitting at home and typing. Later… maybe I'll be typing in the car. But by then, I'll have to separate it with an author's note to let people know where I started from. Haha
Ok. So let's start from where it was left off. Erm… so Al and Winry are finally here! Can Al help Ed just in a little way? Surprise surprise… maybe it's not Al who will bring Ed back to her normal self, but someone else…?
But before that… reviewer responses!
AnimeDutchess – Al doesn't know. That's why he… ah, you'll see.
Cathelina – Yup. He's already human. I described this in the earlier chapters, especially the one where by Edward dreams about it. ". . ." You sure you know what happens to female first-timers?
Animelvr4evr – ...Erm … What's bipolar?
Shingo-sama – Haha… no no. No Elricest in here. Not that I can't stand it, but I'd rather not have it in my story. Speaking of which though, I found a very nice Elricest story at Scimitar.Smile archives. It's by 3 different authors, the main author being kathia or something like that. The story has 3 parts: 'Embodied', 'Precious Things' and the last one, 'Blue Skies'. It's really really nice. If you can't find it, then tell me and I'll give you the links.
Chapter 15 Emergency Visits… Unwanted?
"…Al?" Edward couldn't believe her eyes. Al, her dear brother for which she had spent years and finally restored back to original state, was standing right at her door of her office! She half-walked, half stumbled towards him.
"Al?" she said for a third time, and stopped in front of him.
"…Nii… Nii-san?" Al stared at 'her' in disbelief. But before he could say anything else, or even make the slightest sound of surprise, Edward had flung her arms around him. And that made him even more surprised. The behavior struck him as funny and awkward. What's more, even his "brother's" body felt different. It was like his "brother" had shrunk in size (making in mind not to say it lest it angered "him") and that…
Hey. The arm didn't feel so heavy. It doesn't even feel metal. Why… 'his' chest feels…
Al pulled Edward away from him in surprise. He looked at his 'brother' from top to bottom…
And let out, involuntarily, a gasp. …Edward WAS smaller. Edward had lost the auto-mails too…
And worse of all…
He's got a sister now!
Al stepped back from Edward. From her eyes, he could see tell-tale signs of pain, some suffering and being at a lost. But then she looked down and he could see anymore, though he could feel more emotions pouring off his br… no, his sister.
Sadness. Pain. Anger. Despair. Then…
Surprise and shock. Happiness.
"Nii-san…"
Edward looked at him. At least he still considered her as his brother. She didn't know whether she should be happy or not, but she didn't care. Her dear brother is here! She smiled forlornly, and then gave him another hug.
"…Al…" she said into his chest. "…You're here… …"
There was a long silence as siblings simply held each other, making up for the lost time between them. Then Al began to feel uncomfortable; he was hugging a girl after all, and he just wasn't used to it.
"Nii-san… what happened? It looks like the Co- oops, I mean, the Fuhrer left out a lot of things."
Edward looked up in surprise. Roy? Roy was the one who called him over? To see her? Is that why he didn't come to see her today? Because he knew that Al would come?
"…Ro—umm, the Fuhrer called you over? When was that? How come I didn't know?"
Al smiled in response; Edward's heart lifted. "Yes, he was the one who called. Although…" Al frowned then.
"…What? Is there something else?"
Al let out a sigh. "Winry… she heard me talking over the phone." He looked back at her. "She… Nii-san… She's here too…"
Edward groaned in despair. Winry couldn't choose a better time to come… it was slightly back to troubled times… with… with Envy up to something…
At that thought, Edward's eyes dimmed once more. Al caught that look.
"…Nii-san?"
Edward shook herself and replied, "Nothing, really. Let's go find her. She ran off again, right?"
Al was not too convinced. "You are going to have to tell me all that happened, Nii-san." Then, with shoulders slumped, he continued, "As for Winry… she… well, she actually came here for… for Fuhrer Mustang."
He said it with such hopelessness, but Edward didn't catch that. All she caught was his words, that Winry was here…
For Roy!
She dropped her arms from Al, then walked round him and out the door.
Ha. In the car right now. LOL. Actually… I started typing in the car slightly before this. But I only did this now, because I had to shut down. And then now I start up again, and I suddenly remembered.
Erm… let's carry on shall we?
There was a break in the meeting, and Roy was now back in his office, pondering over the matter of discussion.
And also of Ed.
He walked up and down the width of his room, pacing. The situation was problematic: there was the problem of the on-going war, where by the Ishvarians were still rebellious against the military. Then there was the threat (very VERY likely from Envy) that a whole city would disappear.
And Ed: had she met Al already? He wondered if Al had soothed her down by now.
Back at home. I got tired of typing in the car… And there was the fact that I was getting a bit dizzy. Watching my FMA DVD as I type this. It's the Psiren chapter…
Anyway, back to the story. Mine that is. It's been days already! And I'll be going back to school!
Edward was running for the Fuhrer's office. She passed by the members of the meeting; it should have just ended and Roy should be heading back to his room. She didn't bother greeting or acknowledging them, she only had one problem on her mind.
Roy. And that Winry was there.
Edward didn't know why, but there was a strange sensation from the middle of her chest. Her heart. Was it… no. Can't be. She, jealous? Incredulous. Ridiculous.
How could she have forgotten? Winry was smitten by Roy the last time she came (and not forgetting how Al's face seemed to have fallen) to visit them. Roy was the one who brought her in his care after her learning that Scar was the one who killed her parents… (am I supposed to put this as a spoiler? But I think everyone knows it as well right? Manga wise.) and from then on…
Sure, Roy was handsome and all that… but he and Winry? No way. Not when SHE was now Roy's. And the other way round.
XXX
Roy was now seated at his desk, carelessly signing off papers that required the loopy signature. Once in a while he would cast a look at the huge doors that closed him in this room, hoping that maybe Edward would open them, and walk in to give him company. He wanted somebody around; the signing of papers and the meeting earlier on had totally dulled him. He only wished that anyone would open the door now, be it Hawkeye or Havoc or whoever, so that it can be an excuse to drop the tedious signing for a while. Though of course, if it was Edward, then all the better.
However, the person that came knocking on his door just a minute later was not Edward. Neither was it Hawkeye, Havoc or whoever. Instead…
'Knock knock.'
"Yes, just come in, I know who you..." he looked up, and paused, "…EEK! Ms Rockbell!"
Winry, sweeping her hat off her pale blonde hair, beamed at him. Dumping a basket of fruits on top of his work, she walked round the table and actually ((yes, actually)) gave him a hug.
"Good day, Roy! I thought I told you, you can call me Winry you know. 'Ms Rockbell' sounds so stiff." She let him go, and Roy was flabbergasted. She continued, not noticing his look of utter dismay, "I'm so happy; you said you knew who I was? That shows that you've been thinking of me too! Sigh," she wrapped her arms around one of his, "I seriously haven't thanked you enough for what you'd done for me that time."
Roy groaned inwardly. The last time he took care of her was because Ed had asked him to, and at that time 'he' had run off to continue battle with Scar. Words from Winry didn't really register after that; Edward. If Edward were to come in right now, she would…
'SLAM'
The doors flew open and Roy stared back at the figure in horror. Winry looked up in surprise.
Edward stood there, taking in Winry hanging off Roy's arm, and promptly strode to the front of the desk.
"…Nii-san! Wait for… oh my." Al came running into the room soon after and saw what Ed saw. His face, Ed noted, fell again, and Edward looked back at Winry with jealously. Yar. It WAS jealously alright.
"…Winry…" Edward gave a low growl, then slowly worked up into a crescendo, "will you please behave yourself and TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF RO— I mean, THE FUHRER!"
Winry let go of Roy, who immediately shifted to one side and stood on Al's left. Edward and Winry were positively staring daggers at each other right now.
"What's your problem? I don't see you saluting at all… or have you forgotten your respect as… OH MY!" Winry looked at Edward more closely, then gave a laugh. Turning to Roy, she asked, "Why, Roy, is this the emergency that you were saying in the phone? That…" she looked back Edward with mirth, "that Edward's…?"
Edward threw a disgusted look at Roy; she was gonna so give it to Roy for making the call to the Rockbell's, which meant that Winry would have gotten wind of it. Then she turned back to Winry, who was staring at Edward, trying not to laugh.
"Yar, I'm a girl, so what? I don't show my respect to him," she nodded her head in Roy's direction, "so what? That doesn't give you the right to… to hug Roy!" Then she bit her tongue; she had just used Roy's first name in front of them all.
Winry's eyes widened. "Oh ho, on to first names now, are we? Looks like you are not showing any respect of any kind," she tossed her hair back, "so what have YOU right to tell me to stop what I'm doing?" Winry eyed Edward a little more closely. Then she gave a chuckle.
"…Ah… unless… if I'm not mistaken… OH MY… it should be!" She bent a little to look full into Edward's face (Edward was now definitely shorter than Winry) and spat out, "Somebody's JEA-LOUS."
Edward felt her face redden. "So what! I AM jealous. Will you keep your hands off my Roy now?" Was what she wanted to say.
Instead, she snarled, "SO not! I'm not jealous!" …though knowing that that was so not the truth.
Winry smirked (not as good as Roy's of course; Roy's the master) and pressed her forehead against Edward's, a typical insult, saying softly, "…Oh it's SO obvious, ain't it? You're jelling." She finished and added some pressure on the forehead.
Edward fought back with her own pressure against hers. It was a strength match. "Told you NOT! Leave it!"
"You so are jelling, alchemist geek. Why don't you go back to your room of books?"
"Why don't you leave and go back to your oil and screwdrivers, you mechanic freak?"
"Alchemy dweeb!"
"Mechanical lunatic!"
They kind of broke in to a scuffle; foreheads were past the question now. Al tried to stop them, but was met with a combined bark of, "Stay OUT of it, AL!" and he gave up.
Roy looked at the scuffling duo. Deciding that he should do something before they break anything, he laid a hand on both women and spoke in a very cold voice.
"That's enough, both of you."
Edward's hair was slightly mussed; and Winry's hair faired no better. They both looked up at him and hands stopped in mid-air.
With every inch of authority in his voice, he said severely to them, "Ladies do not fight; neither does this room allow it. Now, my Colonel, I look over the fact that you've forgotten to acknowledge me properly, but Ms Rockbell here is a guest, and I do not allow you to treat her that way. Same goes for you, Ms Rockbell," and Winry's smirking face fell, "Elric here is my Colonel; even though you are not of the Military, a Colonel is still of some rank, so I hope you show some respect."
He straightened, and ordered Al to come over. "Alphonse Elric, please see to it that both you and Ms Rockbell have lodgings at a hotel. I believe that you came straight from the train?"
Al nodded. "Erm, yes, sir. I was wondering which hotel Nii-san was staying at so.."
"..Elric here is currently lodged at my place." Roy interrupted him. Both Al's and Winry's eyes widened. He continued, ignoring both faces, "I would have asked you to do the same, but since Elric is occupying the last vacant room, I'm afraid I cannot allow guests to sleep on the floor or the sofa. The nearest hotel from my place would be Wingdon's; I'll get people to help you." He turned back to Edward.
"Colonel Elric, I expect that you haven't finished your work?" It wasn't even like a question; Edward glared at him, gave a salute, then left the room. Al made as if to follow, but almost didn't until Roy gave him a wave to dismiss him, adding, "You go with her; I'll send Winry to let you know that your lodgings are complete."
Al walked out trying to catch up with the back of Edward. And leaving Winry alone with Roy back in the office. When he reached his 'brother's' office, Edward was now signing her paperwork with anger, vehemently muttering all the while (Al need not guess; Edward tended to swear a lot).
He sat on the sofa's in his 'brother's office and waited until the mutterings ceased. Now Edward merely looked disgruntled with what had happened, though there was a slight hint of anger in her eyes.
Al gave a sigh; plucking the courage, he turned to face Edward.
"Nii-san…"
"What?" Her response was short and indifferent.
"Nii-san, you want to talk about it? You have to tell me everything that happened you know."
Edward placed the pen down; she walked round her desk and threw herself onto the sofa beside Al.
"I don't know whether to tell or not. I'm in two minds. Recently, I've been in two minds in just about everything."
Al looked at Edward. Having both studied before, he knew this was the cause of hormones; since Edward was now a girl, her hormones would likely have been changed… Her mindset would ALSO have changed…
"…Care to share, Nii-san?"
Edward looked at her brother. Then she sighed, and leaned back onto the sofa.
"…It's gonna be long…"
Yay! I finally finished this chapter! I know; I actually dragged it out for a few days, and it's done! Ah… peace.
Though I'm afraid I won't be updating so frequently after this. I'm gonna die! Know why? My new timetable is terrible. It truly sucks. Why, on Mondays, I have school from 11am all the way to 9pm. No breaks except for lunch and dinner. Boo hoo! Then on other days I have no breaks in between at all! Sigh. No more luxury of going out during those free times.
So till' the next time then! I feel like saying something; I have something to say but it slipped my mind… seemed pretty urgent. Never mind, maybe next time. Byez!