oh no, not now

Characters: Lan Fan, Ling Yao, Mei Chang, Alphonse Elric

Timeline: Post-manga

Summary: She had never expected a happy ending.

It had happened in a flash.

One moment, she had been standing there, mask firmly in place, posture straight and flawless. The next one, she had been bent over, coughing and coughing until a small drop of blood landed on the white marble floor. Her weapon had fallen to the ground, making more noise than she did in a year.

Ling had risen from his chair, crossed the room to support her, wiping away the blood with the sleeve of his white robe. [The stain would never disappear again.] He had held her as she had coughed and coughed, helpless because he could do nothing. He was emperor. He commanded fifty million people and yet, he was incapable of helping the one person who mattered.

"You called me, brother?" Mei asks, her silky pink robe dishevelled from her run and her cheeks flushed. "What happened?"

Ling is silent for once as he mentions towards his bed where the familiar form of Lan Fan lies, unconscious yet visibly in pain.

The princess careful steps over and turns the older girl, no, woman around. The bodyguard's face is pale, paler than the faces of the princesses and lower noblewomen who shun the sun because it might destroy their perfect porcelain faces. Not a single muscle in Mei's face twitches as she wipes away the dry blood from the corner's of Lan Fan's mouth where it has been forgotten. "…this looks bad," the young girl states as she bites her lip. "I … I guess that one of the experts for medical herbs should have medicine … I saw this once before…"

Ling nods as he mentions one of the guards to come closer. "You, escort Princess Mei to whatever village she has to travel to. Mei, find a cure for Lan Fan. I have yet to repay her for her services…" the emperor says as he looks at his half-sister. "Don't disappoint me."

What seems harsh and cold is the soft outcry of a helpless man scared of losing the one he loved to Mei. She is no fool despite her youth and she has seen the way Ling looked at Lan Fan. So she bows her head, telling herself that this is maybe more important for her future and the destiny of her clan than the trip to Amestris to obtain immortality. "Of course, brother," she says before she vanishes in a breeze of pink and lavender.

Alphonse comes to visit the next day. He awkwardly carries a bunch of wildflowers in his hand as he steps into the bedchamber of the emperor where Ling sits by Lan Fan's bed, a tray of food untouched by his side and scattered objects indicating an earlier outburst of rage. Lan Fan is awake now, brown eyes hazy and unfocused – the exact opposite of what she usually is. The blond boy, no, man approaches the duo and sits down on a chair.

"Alphonse," Ling states, his eyes still resting on Lan Fan's pale face.

"Yes," the alchemist says, unsure why he has come in first place. "I heard from a messenger that Mei is on her way back. I am sure that Lan Fan will be better soon."

"I hope so," the emperor replies and for a moment, he is a naïve little boy who has just discovered that some things come at a high price again. "I would miss her – a lot."

The ill woman-girl groans and he grabs her hands, quickly changing the wet cloth on her forehead. This is a sick and twisted luxury-version of what had happened in Doctor Knox' shed many months ago – with only a few differences … no homunculi were after them now.

Lan Fan tries to speak, tries to calm her lord and master down but her tongue betrays her. She only growls in frustration. She knows more about her state than the doctors Ling has fetched to check on her. She has seen how this illness had nearly taken someone's life when she had been just three. She does not feel particularly bothered by this. Her very occupation consists of dancing on death's blade all day and her only regret is that she might die on a sickbed instead of honourably in a battle like her grandfather.

There is something soft and tender on her cheek as her prince, her emperor kisses her sweetly and for a moment, she wonders whether she might have had the chance to get a happy ending. Then again, she is a warrior and even a warrior bound to a bed is still a goddamn warrior and so she refuses to think those thoughts. Whether this was the end or not, she would not surrender.

This is her last thought before a new series of fever dreams swallows her.

The next time she awakes, she does not open her eyes for a long, long moment. She simply listens to the always busy palace, to the birds outside in the garden, the emperor's soft snore and Mei's cheerful chatting with Alphonse. And then, she opens her eyes and is in the garden. She lies in a bed of pillows and blankets that cost more than she could earn in a lifetime and the sun shines onto her face. The emperor sleeps on a tree – usually, she would have dragged him down from there by now, Mei makes necklaces of flowers and braids daisies into her hair while Alphonse reads in the shadow of a tree that is probably as old as the country.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," Ling suddenly remarks and she realises that she had not been attentive enough for a moment. For a normal person, it would have been forgivable but she was a warrior – she should know better than to daydream.

"Calm down," Mei says as she gracefully places an especially nice ring of flowers on top of Lan Fan's head. "You are off-duty today … and I don't think that you'll ever do duty again. I wrote a long medical report that regards the risk of a relapse. Plus, my clan would totally adopt you if Ling would let them for all you did for us and so, just let it slide this time."

Lan Fan wants to protest, wants to say something when she is cut off by a set of warm, soft lips against her pale and thin ones.

"You worry too much, Lan-Lan," Ling grins.