Iserlohnn - continued

THE GATE KEEPER

Katarin had managed to duck out of accepting the Furher’s invitation to stay as his guest when she first arrived because of Edward. However, once word reached the Furher that Edward was expected to recover fully and be well enough to return to duty by week’s end, the Princess could no longer use him as an excuse to stay away. While unknown to her Edward was going toe to toe with the White-Haired Man in the library, she was mingling with Amerstrian high society. The Furher had thrown a dinner in her honor and she did her best to be polite to all the well-heeled strangers that viewed her as more of a curiosity than visiting royalty.

The Furher’s wife was a pleasant woman, a little distant but polite enough. However his son Selim was adorable and followed her around all evening like a puppy. The Furher himself didn’t arrive until long after the dinner itself was concluded and guests were enjoying music and cocktails in the palace’s grand ballroom. Katarin only saw him peripherally at first, since the moment he arrived his loyal constituents instantly surrounded him, but when she saw him fully she swore her heart stopped dead in her chest.

Furher King Bradley looked identical to her late father even down to the missing eye.
She slipped away from the festivities and stood outside on the veranda staring at the stars. There was only one explanation for how a twin for her father was alive and ruling in Amestris. The human transmutation her mother had performed at the expense of her own life worked. But Obaba had told her it failed and the thing that had been created didn’t last long.

But what if she was wrong? What if he did come back but came back with no memory of the man he had been in his prior life?

Katarin decided to find out if he was her father brought back to life. She returned to the party and tried to subtly get a moment to talk one on one with Furher King Bradley.

When she finally caught his eye and was able to greet him in the formal prayerful way of a priestess of their old religion, she didn’t see so much as a glimmer of recognition in his eyes. She was unknown to him, a name and a title and nothing more. Katarin hid her disappointment. As much as she secretly wished to find her father alive after all these years, she knew such a thing would be impossible. He was gone and her mother had lost her own life in the pursuit of the forbidden. It was a child’s dream to want her father back. And she was too old to have such thoughts anymore.


Katarin was gone by the time the servants came to rouse her from bed for breakfast. They found a note apologizing for her sudden departure and a promise to return after she completed her personal business in Central. What few things she had with her were still in the palace guest room so no one questioned that she would return.

She made her way to the Colonel’s office hoping to catch him before he got hip deep in work. It was just after seven in the morning when she arrived at Central HQ and the only one she saw there was Hawkeye. She was surprised to see Katarin and told her the Colonel hadn’t arrived yet. Katarin decided to surprise him by waiting for him in his office.

The door to the Colonel’s office was unlocked. That struck Katarin as odd since she knew Roy had a lot of things that he wouldn’t want just anybody to see or get into. When she walked in she found out why the office had been left open.

“Roy!” she screamed as she raced over to his unconscious body. He was lying in a pool of blood and was barely breathing. She lifted him up supporting his head and shoulders on her lap.
Mustang opened his eyes wearily looking up at her. “Katarin.”

“I’ll get help!” she promised. “Just hang on-”

“I sent him to The Gate,” he croaked.

“Who?”

“Kenton Ares, the one after you.”

She gasped. The name sounded familiar but only distantly so. Katarin felt something warm and wet on her arm and realized it was blood. He was still bleeding from the puncture wounds on his chest. The distant look in his eyes told her he was fading fast.

“NO!” she wailed holding him close and fighting back tears.

A warm golden glow enveloped the two of them. Katarin felt something pulling at her and when she looked up she saw she and Mustang were no longer in his office. They were in a place that was all white with no sky no ground nothing. Then the scene shifted and the two of them were standing before a doorway that was three stories tall. It was made of ebony and elaborate carvings of statues and figures surrounded it on three sides. Engraved into the doors itself was something that looked like a stylized eye.

They were standing before The Gate.

Mustang looked at Katarin then down at himself. The wounds were gone and he felt no pain. Katarin edged closer to him and slipped her hand in his. She was nervous but he sensed she knew where they were.

“Is this…?” He whispered.

“Yes,” she replied.

“So this is what Ed saw.”

“No, he saw what lay beyond those doors,” she corrected. “And if you try to see what lies on the other side, you won’t be able to come back.”

“And if I choose not to look beyond the door?”

“We can go home,” she said.

He nodded and turned away from the door. Together they walked away from The Gate towards the nothingness….

The sound of glass shattering made both Katarin and Mustang look up. The coffee cup Hawkeye had been holding was now in pieces on the floor near her feet. She was staring wide eyed in shock at the two of them. The Colonel looked around and quickly realized why his first officer was so startled. He was standing in a pool of blood and the jacket of his uniform was bloodstained and in tatters. He looked down at the hand Ares had stabbed and saw it was perfectly fine. Not even a scar.

Katarin was still at his side but she had let his hand go the moment they were back in his office. He noticed the crimson stone in the gold necklace she was wearing was glowing slightly. Was that…?

“What happened?” Hawkeye finally was able to ask.

“I almost died,” Mustang said more to himself than any one else in the room. He looked over at the Princess and said, “You saved me.”

She smiled at him. “Yes.”

He was going to ask how but old memories came back to him in a flood. The necklace Katarin wore. It had a piece of the true Philosopher’s Stone. She had called upon the power of the Stone to heal him before his soul left his body, before he was truly dead. It had been close.

Too close.

The Colonel gazed over at the puzzled Hawkeye. “Could you please excuse us for a minute?” he asked her.

Hawkeye still looked confused but she did as she was asked.

When she was gone Mustang turned to Katarin saying, “Before I left Iserlohnn I made you a promise. Do you still remember what it was?”

She smiled at him. “I was four and you told me when I was old enough you were going to marry me and be my prince and together we would rule Iserlohnn.”

He nodded. “I didn’t remember saying this or anything else about Iserlohnn until a few minutes ago. Even Obaba was hazy until now.”

“I brought YOU back,” she said softly. “The only you I know is the boy who wanted to be my prince. THAT is why you remember it all. I gave that back to you when I gave you back your life.”

He leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips. “I am not that boy anymore.”

“I know.”

“And you still want me?”

“No,” she said and the honesty of the statement had him monetarily taken aback. His expression was one of uncertainty as she continued, “You belong here, not in Iserlohnn. We were not meant to walk the same path.”

“So when the time comes, you will rule Iserlohnn alone?”

“No,” she responded. “I will have my Prince. And he will come to me, seeking to be by my side and sharing with me whatever the future holds.”

“You…know who this person is?” Mustang queried amazed.

“Yes, but only because I am the Gate Keeper and some pieces of what lies ahead are visible to me,” she explained. “But I can’t make the future I see come to pass. Things must unfold as they will. I can only watch and wait.”

He sighed. “I am sorry I’m not the one,” he said after a long pause.

Her expression warmed visibly. She was sorry too, in a way. Colonel Roy Mustang was one of the best-looking and intelligent men she had ever known. But her Prince to be was also brilliant and beautiful in his own way. He just was completely unaware of how very special he was. Her future Prince was too consumed by his desire to make right a wrong to care about his own needs or future happiness. Katarin hoped that once he achieved what he viewed as his life’s purpose he would come to her a man free of guilt and ready for love…
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MORE TO COME!!!!!!!!!
Will be adding more after I get back from AGGIECON!
Anyone going to be at Texas A&M University from April 21-24 come by the MSC and see me!
I\'m part of the CON Gaming Staff and will be Cosplaying as ROY MUSTANG all weekend (or as much as I can and do my job ;-} )
HOPE TO SEE SOME OF YOU COOL AFF.NET HEAD THERE!!!!!!!!!!!