Sorry if you come across any spelling errors or anything similar. I used a different format on someone elses computer to type this... /
"Big brother?" a small voice whispered.
The Dawn shifted and tried to open his eyes but the desire for sleep wouldn't allow it. He'd been having this feeling for quite a while but because sleep overpowered him every time any sense of time had been eliminated.
"Brother please wake up."
A body had lain itself across his chest and Chanticleer found his eyes open because it hurt.
"Can ya get off?" he said breathless.
"Chanty? Hey, don't you dare close your eyes again!"
"Where am I?"
"The Drawoh hospital."
Chanticleer squinted and saw Brody a little clearer.
"What happened?"
"After you crowed the chimera pillar broke apart and the suns light shriveled all of them. Donavan was knocked out and you passed out then Armstrong ran you back here. Somebody called Central and they're taking Donavan back there with them."
"What about Mustang, what did he say?"
"Say about what?"
"Take a guess."
"Oh, that. I don't think he's said anything. If he's angry or somethin' he's hiding it really well."
Someone knocked on the door.
"He's awake." Brody said.
Through the door came Mark, the twins, Ed and Al.
"How ya feelin'"
"Like a train wreak." Chanticleer tried to sit up straighter but using his left shoulder hurt from the bite and the deeper cuts felt like the equivalent to stepping on a nail. "Everything feels like crap and don't even THINK about touching me. How's everyone else?"
"Armstrong had some pretty bad bruises and two fractured fingers but other than that everyone is fine." Mark explained. "We were sent here after Hawkeye contacted Central to bring Donavan in."
"Fun while it lasted I guess." The Dawn said flatly with no hope.
"What do you mean?" Al asked.
"Do you really think I'll be able to remain a State Alchemist now that the Colonel knows what I am?"
"Oh come ON!" Edward said like what he'd just heard was the stupidest thing anyone could say. "You saved everyone's butt out there including his so how can he not allow you to stay? That ever cross your mind?"
"What about the Fuhrer? If Mustang is ok with it but the Fuhrer doesn't approve then finds out the Colonel knew and didn't tell him then guess who's gonna end up in trouble? Is he really going to risk something like that? Keeping secrets from the Fuhrer doesn't sound like the smartest thing to do."
"I think Mustang has already informed the Fuhrer." Al said. "I'm pretty sure that's who he was talking to on the phone a while ago."
Any hope the Dawn had leaked away when he heard that.
"So what?"
Everyone turned to Lucus.
"So what if you get turned down? You're alive and because of you so are we. Don't talk as though life at Central is more important to us and don't make it sound like we'll shun you if you can't stay a State Alchemist." Lucus flicked him on the head. "We're brothers we don't do that."
"Excuse me." Armstrong stood at the open door. "May I talk with the Dawn alone?"
"Uh, sure." Luke said and led everyone else out of the room.
For a moment he sat on a chair and said nothing. Then,
"Well, I honestly can't remember the last time I've broken anything. Quite a wake up call that someone can get the better of you no matter how invincible you feel. But you don't look that bad considering what happened."
"Yeah right. I must look like a mile of bad road and I can only imagine how many stitches and such I must have needed. I hope there wasn't anything poisonous in that chimera spit."
"You'll be fine. You'll scar that's for sure but no permanent damage has been done."
"I wish it didn't hurt to move."
Chanticleer felt along his bare chest with his right hand and came across a row of stitching that had to have been six inches long.
"So you lied to me."
"Huh?"
"I asked you before if you knew Donavan because of your ability to bring up the sun. You do remember don't you?"
It didn't take long to recollect the memory.
"I didn't lie."
He told Armstrong the same story he told Ed and Al about how he became a chimera.
"I didnt lie becasue I never knew who he was."
"May I see it?"
"See what?"
"The brand."
Chanticleer hesitated but agreed.
"I think you'll have to move me 'casue i'm finding it hard to do on my own."
Gently Armstrong propped him up and carefullly lifted him forward. Like he said Donavan's signature transmutaion circle was now a burned scar on the Dawns back.
"I know this is a little off topic but your hands are really cold."
"Sorry."
They talked about what had happened and Armstrong couldnt help but express his appreciation about how with Chanticleer's help Donavan was now going to get a long overdue dose of justice every other sentence. Another knock broke the peace. It was Mustang.
"May I speak with him alone?"
"Of course, sir." Armstrong took one last look at the Dawn with an expression like he was afraid of what the Colonel's final descision would be and letting him know he wasn't the only one that was worried.
For what seemed like eternity passing by after Armstrong left the Flame and the Dawn stared at each other in silence. Mustang wondering how to word what he wanted to say and Chanticleer worrying about what he might say. Finally...
"I don't appreciate being lied to."
This sounded a little familar from the last conversation but who's to argue in a situation like this?
"I-I'm sorry sir but how did I lie? No one ever asked me about being half rooster and I never denied it so I can't see how that's lying."
"Then maybe I should ask, why did you decieve everyone by not telling."
"Becasue I didn't want to be treated any differently than anyone else bacause of what happened to me. I never wanted it, I never asked for it and I didnt want to be hated for something that wasnt my fault. I don't see how this issue should rewrite the phrase 'God made all men equal.' It wasn't decite either. I didn't worm my way into becoming a State Alchemist and I never tricked anyone. I got in here hoping that I could give a portion of the pay to my friends to keep them from living any more like rats than they had to and I wanted to keep other towns safe from what happened to mine. Nobody deserves to go through that but really lights my fuse is that the military never showed up to help in any way."
Mustang looked at him for a long while. This wasn't exactly what he'd been expecting to hear. Maybe it was the way it was said to him as though it had been bottled up for a lifetime. After a while of silence the Colonel felt a pang of guilt. The more he thought about it the more he realized that throwing him out for something he had no control over and didn't change him at all as a person would only be serious discrimination.
"Then why should I let you stay?"
"Because...I...because I don't want my brother to fall into the same hole that I worked so hard to get him out of."
Mustang turned toward the door as if to walk away like he'd never heard Chanticleer speak. Then...
"Well it looks as though you'd have enough things to say in your favor once we get back to Central to remain The Dawn."
"I, what?"
"I called Fuhrer King Bradley and told him briefly about the situation. As you can imagine he was just as surprised as anyone can be expected to be but he wanted to hear your defence and any other reasons the rest of us may have before he decided whether you stay or go."
Chanticleer felt his shoulder pulse with pain as blood rushed faster through him with slight fury. He'd gotten all worked up and nervous for nothing. That good for nothing (can't express what he was thinking because this is only rated K+) knew all along that all odds pointed in his favor but kept him on the edge anyway. He glared daggers at Mustang.
"You have a dark gift." he growled.
Back at Central a day later
Mark, Brody and the twins waited in Ed and Al's room for Chanticleer to return after his talk with the Fuhrer. Luke and Lucus sat on the couch with their back to one another, Brody fell asleep in Mark's lap, Al paced next to a wall and Ed couldn't hold still. He'd sit on a bed for a minute, then pace with Al, lean against the wall and tap his foot or drum his fingers on his arm then go back to sitting down. As interesting as it may seem the group had only been waiting for less than a half hour. Chanticleer came into the room and the click of the door handle made everyone jump then hold their breath once they saw who entered. He greeted his friends with a hanging head and drooping shoulders.
"Sooooo." Luke and Lucus encouraged together.
"Oh please don't let it be anything bad." Brody said biting his finger.
"Well," the Dawn said with his head still hung low...then he looked up. "Looks like I'm gonna be around here for some time to come!"
"DON'T DO THAT!"
Brody lunged at his brother and embraced him around the waste. His expression of happiness made up for all the words that no one said.
"So now that you're still the Dawn, what's next?" Mark asked.
"First things first." Chanticleer said letting go of Brody. "Armstrong insisted that the Fuhrer allow one request be granted at the expense of the military for saving your butts."
"Have you decided?" Asked a curious Al.
"As a matter of fact I have." a sly grin answered.
At the warehouses
"Everyone ready?" Mustang shouted to a group of men along each side of the warehouse walls that Brody and the others had reserved as their home. Two transmutation circles had been drawn on each wall and someone stood next to it to activate it.
"Now!"
With the circles activated the steel walls became bricks, the windows fixed themselves and when it was done the warehouse looked like a very square mansion. Mark, Brody and the twins stared in awe and tried to say something but words couldnt get out of their mouths.
"Ah-wha? I-I-I..."
"Why?"
"What's all this for!" Brody finally managed to ask.
Chanticleer smiled.
"There's nothing inside yet but I wanted to give you guys a place to stay to make you feel more like you finally had a home."
As you could probably guess a number of hugs and tears were exchanged since words to express how they felt hadn't been invented yet. Ed and Al stood back with Armstrong and Hawkeye watching the happy sight.
"Sir?"
"Yes. Alphonse." Armstrong managed to say.
"Are you crying?"
Ed peaked in to get a closer look.
"Ya know I think he is."
"Nonsence. The Armstrong family is a proud and sturdy lot that is hard to the core. No need to get sentimenal about things."
Ed knew that was a load of horse crap when a single drop of water fell between his eyes. But even Luke and Lucus couldn't help but shed a few tears no matter how hard they tried not to.
"So this is all for us, eh?" Mark said choked up.
"A new and better life." Brody added.
Chanticleer looked down at his little brother.
"Looks like this is going to be a great new start...for all of us."
Chibi me - WAAAAAAH! Just when I get that stuff out of my mouth the story ends! (cries)
Me- Dang it. Well, I'm a little upset to that all good things must come to an end but I never got to use the caramels a thoughtful reader gave me.
Chibi me- (snivel) I'll even resort to trying to keep my mouth shut if the story didn't have to end!
Me- Well there always could be an bright side to this.
Chibi me- What's the bright side?
Me- If enough readers want it I may consider a volume 2.
Chibi me- OH YES YES YES! Everybody send lots of reviews and e-mails I do not want the saga to drop off like this!
Me- No you don't. You just want to make more appearances in the priviews.
Chibi me- DO NOT! Ok maybe a little but please dont make the story end!
Me- Like I said it all depends on what the readers want. So let me know just how much you really like it. Oh and (looks at Chibi me) How did you get that stuff out of your mouth?
Chibi me- With an honest to God miracle that I will not reveal the name of so you can't take it away.
Me- Oh you have got to be kidding. I hate to say it but I really don't give her enough credit for being a good problem solver. So thanks for the caramel anyway (you know who you are)