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Chapter 1	By : ChaCha92 Category: Fullmetal Alchemist > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 129 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist and make no money from this story

Chapter List
- 8
- 9
- 10
“Kisa? Wake up, honey.”
Hearing light footsteps cross the room close to her, Kisa slowly rouses as Gracia opens the curtains, allowing the early morning light to flood into the room. Blinking the bleariness from her eyes, the blonde teen slowly raises herself into a sitting position.
“Good morning, Aunt Gracia,” she greets back, her voice huskier than usual from sleep.
“Good morning, Kisa,” Gracia warmly greets back. “How are you feeling this morning?”
“I feel good, thank you.”
“That will make Dr. Knox happy when he sees you this afternoon,” the older woman replies. At Kisa’s nod of agreement, she adds, “Do you need help getting to the bathroom? Or do you want to try it yourself again?”
Kisa considers it before replying, “I’d like to try it myself. The only way I’ll get better is by pushing myself a little.”
“Just don’t push yourself too hard,” Gracia warns. “I’ll head back downstairs to the kitchen and Maes will come to check if you’re ready to join us in an hour. It’s too soon for you to attempt the stairs by yourself.”
“Yes, aunt.”
After Gracia exits the room, Kisa pulls the covers away from her legs and eases herself to the floor. Smiling to herself, she relishes the feel of the vibrant dark green rug from Xing under her bare feet. It was among several purchases Maes insisted on making last week when he took her, Elicia and Gracia on a shopping trip.
Taking a few extra moments to wriggle her toes and enjoy the feel of the plush rug, Kisa appreciates the effort Maes and Gracia are putting into making her feel at home with them, even if they have to badger her a little.
They gave her the choice of spare rooms to claim as her own and she decided to keep this one. Stepping closer toward the window, her gaze falls to the small flower garden down below on the ground floor, causing a soft smile to spread across her face. New buds on the plants hint at the promised beauty to come. It was this view that figured strongly into her decision.
Moving about the room, she opens the armoire and browses through her selection of skirts before deciding on Gracia’s favorite black one with the blooming orange orchids. She then grabs a light orange shirt that’s more the hue of passion fruit. Keeping in the same color scheme, she opts for a headscarf that’s a darker color of the shirt before opening the drawer containing her undergarments. She grabs a new bra and panties; purchases Gracia insisted on during their shopping excursion that Kisa couldn’t argue against that since she did need new underwear.
Figuring out how to decorate her new room was more of a challenge, though. Slowly making her way to the bathroom she muses on the long conversation Maes and Gracia had with her where she reluctantly admitted she had no idea how to decorate her room. As a child she always shared with her siblings and had no say on how it was decorated. They came up with the rug idea and helped her select one.
In addition to the rug and undergarments, Kisa also got a new sweater, a shawl and a goose down duvet. Despite it being spring, she still finds the weather cooler than she’s used to. Gracia suggested they purchase covers for the duvet to help keep it clean, but Kisa countered by insisting she’ll make one instead. When they visited the fabric store for the material, she saw some other fabrics she liked and asked to make dresses for Gracia and Elicia, much to Maes’ amusement.
Smiling to herself in remembrance, Kisa had fun during the shopping trip, but was completely exhausted by the time they returned home.
Finishing her shower, she steps out of the tub to dry off. She got very good at avoiding getting her stitches wet so she could wash herself properly. Emerging from the bathroom a short time later, she heads back to her room. Despite feeling a lot better overall, her arm still gets tired easily when she tries styling her hair, so she settles for brushing it out and leaving it loose.
A knock on the door draws her attention to Maes peering inside the open doorway.
“Good morning, uncle,” she smiles warmly.
“Morning, Kisa,” he greets back, stepping over to where she sits in the wingback chair. “Are you ready to join us downstairs?”
“Yes.”
Bending down, he gently gathers her into his arms and carries her out of the room. After breakfast he loads the wheelchair into the car before carrying her out. Once she’s settled, he climbs behind the wheel.
“I couldn’t take the full day off because of an upcoming trial we’re preparing for,” he informs her minutes later. “So you’ll be spending a lot of time hanging around my office. I have a sofa you can stretch out on and nap if you feel tired. If not, I’ll just have you keep Sheska company.”
“That would be nice,” Kisa nods. “I didn’t get much of a chance to chat with her when you introduced us last week. She seemed really nice.”
“I did say Armstrong can be a bit overwhelming sometimes,” Maes chuckles. “But we won’t see him today, so you’ll get your chance to chat with Sheska uninterrupted.”
True to Maes’ words, Kisa spends the morning chatting with Sheska, both enjoying the chance to get to know each other. Eventually she ends up helping the studious brunette with some of her paperwork. It passes the time until her appointment.
“Nice to see you two this morning,” Dr. Knox greets them later that morning when he steps into the exam room.
“Good morning, Dr. Knox,” Kisa replies.
“Nice to see you too, doctor,” Maes nods.
Getting to work, the young doctor proceeds ask questions about how she’s been doing since her last appointment. While she answers he checks her vitals then gently presses her ribs for any signs of pain before scrutinizing the wound near her eye. It’s several minutes before he steps back and smiles down at her.
“I’m really pleased with your progress, Kisa. I’m relieved your healing wasn’t hindered by the malnutrition.”
“Me too,” Kisa agrees.
“Give me a few minutes and I’ll have those stitches out.”
Moving about the room, he assembles a small assortment of implements, a compress, gauze, swabs and a jar of ointment together on a metal tray, which he places on a small table next to Kisa. Setting to work, he carefully snips the sutures before gently drawing them out with forceps. Kisa does her best to hold still and tries not to wince much. After removing the last stitch he takes a swab and opens the jar, dabbing a liberal amount of ointment to the wound. Afterward he places a thin compress over the wound before wrapping some gauze around her head to hold it in place.
“You’ll now be able to shower and bathe normally,” Dr. Knox explains when he’s finished. “The wound is still healing, but it’s closed enough where water won’t affect it.” Stepping over to a desk in the corner he grabs a notepad and starts writing on it. “I’m prescribing an ointment that’ll help minimize the scarring. It won’t completely prevent one, but it won’t be so prominent if you use it.” Turning to Maes he hands him the prescription and adds, “I want to see her in another week.”
“I’ll call and set it up at the nurses station later,” Maes nods, taking the proffered paper. “Thanks again, doctor.”
“Thank you,” Kisa echoes.
“You’re welcome,” he smiles at Kisa. “I’ll see you then.”
After the young doctor leaves them, Maes rolls Kisa out and down the hallway.
“Let’s go see if Roy and Riza might want to join us for lunch again.”
“It’d be really nice to see them again,” Kisa agrees.
Minutes later they arrive at the outer office area of Roy’s division.
“Hey, you two,” Breda greets them both, saluting Maes as he approaches.
“Hey, Breda. We came to see if Roy and Riza might want to join us for lunch,” Maes explains while returning the stocky man’s salute.
“You’re out of luck with Hawkeye. She’s stuck in a colonels staff meeting all day,” Breda explains.
“I was hoping we’d see her,” Kisa states in disappointment.
“You had an appointment this morning right?” Breda asks her, changing the subject. “How are you feeling?”
“Considerably better,” she replies with a soft smile. “I’m moving around more without the wheelchair and Dr. Knox just removed the stitches from my eye.”
“That’s great,” Breda smiles back. Turning to Maes he jerks a thumb over his shoulder behind him. “Mustang’s in his office if you want to see him.”
“Thanks, Breda,” Maes replies, wheeling Kisa toward the open door he indicated while Breda returns to his desk.
“Yo, Roy!” Maes greets boisterously, earning him a flat look from Roy.
Ignoring the look, he maneuvers Kisa in front of the desk. Rising to his feet, Roy steps around to stand in front of Kisa.
“It’s nice to see you again, Kisa. You look like you’re doing a lot better. I take it your appointment with Dr. Knox went well?”
“It’s nice to see you as well,” Kisa smiles back. “Yes, my appointment did go well. Thank you.”
“We stopped by to see if you’d join us for lunch.”
“I can’t,” Roy declines. “I promised Hawkeye I’d finish the documents I’m working on before the end of the day and I’ll have to work through lunch to do it.”
“Where’d she threaten to shoot to get your diligent compliance?” Maes smirks, earning a threatening glare from his friend while Kisa fights off a smile.
Before Roy can retort Falman pokes his head into Roy’s office.
“General Hughes, there’s an urgent call from Sheska for you.”
“There is?” Maes frowns. Falman steps back as Maes steps out to the outer office to answer the call.
Turning to Roy, Kisa asks, “Would you like us to bring food for you?”
Taken by surprise, Roy smiles down at her. “Thank you, but I was going to send Falman out to bring me some.”
“We could save him the trouble since uncle and I are heading to lunch ourselves.”
Before he can reply, a dour looking Maes reenters the room.
“What’s wrong?” Roy asks.
“There was a screw up in three case filings. We have until the end of the day to make the corrections and re-file or the cases will be thrown out, forcing the trials to be rescheduled. We’re already backed up as it is.” Blowing out a frustrated breath, he runs a hand through his hair. “I’ve got to head back to the office to help make the deadline.” Resting a hand on Kisa’s shoulder he adds, “I’m sorry, but we’re going to have to send out for lunch and I won’t be able to take you home after your PT appointment either.”
“She can stay and join me for lunch,” Roy suggests, surprising both of them. “I’ll make sure she gets to her appointment. Plus, it gives her the chance to ask about alchemy and how it’s related to the Promised Day without worrying about eavesdroppers.”
“It might not be such a bad idea,” Kisa muses before Maes can reply. Meeting his surprised gaze, she points out, “You and your staff can focus on meeting the deadline without worrying about me. You can also stop and grab something to eat on your way back to your office without me slowing you down.”
Maes considers it before sighing, “Agreed. I’ll call Gracia and let her know we won’t be coming home early.” Leaning in, he kisses Kisa on the forehead. “I’ll catch up with you later. Make sure Roy does his work or Riza really will shoot him.”
“Okay,” she grins, returning his wave as Roy glares daggers at him.
Rolling his eyes, Roy calls out to the other room. “Falman!”
“Yes, sir,” Falman promptly answers, appearing in the doorway.
Stepping back around his desk, Roy settles back into his chair. “I need you to go pick up lunch for Kisa and I.”
“Yes, sir,” Falman replies smartly and then disappears from sight.
Roy picks up his pen as Breda pops in a moment later.
“So Lady is going to stay and grace us with her presence?”
Roy frowns, repeating, “Lady?”
“Yeah,” Breda nods. “Havoc inspired it by scolding me for cursing in front of Kisa saying we’re in the presence of a lady. And we call Ed, ‘Chief.’ After the way she put us in our place last time it seems criminal she doesn’t have a nickname. ‘Queen’ or ‘Empress’ sounds too stuffy and doesn’t fit. However, ‘Lady’ fits.”
“So she’s already graduated to having a nickname, huh?” Roy smirks.
Kisa blinks in confusion as she finds her voice.
“There’s no need to give me a nickname.”
“Yes there is,” Breda waves it off. “Despite your tendency to defer to others, the way you take charge is like the lady of a manor.”
Having overheard, Fuery sticks his head in the doorway.
“‘Lady’ fits Kisa perfectly.”
“Lady it is then,” Breda grins at Kisa’s embarrassed blush. Turning to Roy he states, “We’re headed out for lunch when Falman gets back.”
Roy nods as Breda steps back out.
“It seems the others have accepted you within their circle if they’re christening you with a nickname,” he muses while he resumes reading the file on his desk.
Kisa grimaces. “It’s too pretentious and arrogant sounding.”
“They don’t think so,” he replies, signing off on the document before closing the file and setting aside for another. “They rarely give anyone a nickname. Although they like Al, they’ve never given him one, only Ed.”
Cocking her head she muses, “It’s odd they’d give me one. They hardly know me.”
“They know you through Maes and how you saved his life,” he points out without looking up. “That speaks volumes and means more than you’ll ever understand.”
“It wasn’t just me,” she protests.
Roy looks up, pinning her with an arched brow.
“But you’re the one who convinced your brother you should help Maes. Or did he get the story wrong?”
Unable to hold his gaze she looks away in embarrassment before shaking her head.
“Uncle didn’t get it wrong,” she softly answers. “But it didn’t take much to convince Kyo. He wouldn’t have been able to leave him out there wounded.”
Refocusing on his work, Roy muses, “It was lucky you happened to be out there in the first place to stumble across Maes’ squad.”
“It wasn’t luck.”
When Roy’s head snaps up to give her a questioning look, she sighs softly.
“Earlier that day Kyo overheard two of the cadres speaking in hushed voices about foreign soldiers invading Azambra and being killed. Normally we’re not dismissed for the day until early evening, but a lightning storm was expected, so we were dismissed from the fields early because being ankle deep in muddy water while planting rice was very unsafe.”
“As soon as Kyo found me, he told me what he heard. The cadres also said the patrols were checking the rest of the area for more enemies before disposing of the corpses. It was a good opportunity because if we hurried we might find medical supplies and food.” Kisa’s expression turns apologetic. “We were so desperate we didn’t think twice about disrespecting the dead. The risks of getting caught didn’t matter either. Soldiers always have food rations and medical supplies.”
Boring into Roy’s inscrutable gaze, she emphasizes, “We meant to find those soldiers.” Roy watches her smile softly as her gaze grow distant. “We didn’t count on finding anyone alive. That would be the only part that can be considered lucky. If I hadn’t followed the blood trail, uncle would’ve died alone and Azambra would still be suffering.”
The silence stretches out as both become lost in their thoughts.
“Thank you,” Roy states quietly. Meeting her questioning gaze he continues. “If you hadn’t found Maes, I would’ve lost my best friend for good and would’ve never known what happened.”
Kisa is speechless. Before she can reply, Falman enters.
“I have your lunches,” he announces, crossing over to set the tray on one side of Roy’s desk.
Roy gathers up his files and clears space on his desk. Stepping over to Kisa, Falman rolls her chair to park it on the left side next to the desk. Standing up, Roy moves Kisa’s plate off the tray within her reach before settling back in to his seat with his food.
“We’re leaving for lunch, general,” Falman informs Roy.
“Thank you,” he replies, dismissing the man to disappear back out the door.
The two spend several minutes eating in thoughtful silence before Kisa breaks it.
“Why was uncle living under an alias in the military’s southeast sector?” she asks, drawing his attention to her. “He explained he apparently discovered something dangerous and was injured for it, but doesn’t remember what happened.” Kisa’s gaze becomes thoughtful. “I get the feeling there are parts he does remember, but can’t bring himself to discuss.” Holding Roy’s gaze, she adds, “I’d really like to know.”
When the silence stretches out again, she resumes eating, watching the raven-haired man finish off his lunch before grabbing a napkin and wiping his mouth.
Clearing his dishes out of the way he picks up his pen and then asks, “Maes has told you everything about the Promised Day, correct?”
Kisa nods.
“Uncle explained there was a small group of artificially created humans called ‘homunculus’ who were led by an otherworldly creature called ‘Father.’ Their bloody manipulations throughout Amestris’ history led up to their attempt to harness the power of the heavens for themselves during a rare solar eclipse.” Pausing to shrug she admits, “I understand most of it, but the parts involving transmutation circles, Philosopher’s Stones and the ‘Gate of Truth’ is beyond my understanding.”
Without looking up Roy nods and spends a few minutes writing before setting down his pen again and looking at her. He then briefly explains what Maes discovered and what they had figured out had happened before he was shot.
“Maes still doesn’t remember why he was in that phone booth nor Armstrong finding him,” Roy continues. “Armstrong happened to stop by the office that night looking for him. He went to the archive noticing the signs of a struggle and the blood trail. After speaking to an upset phone operator, Armstrong followed the trail to the park.”
“Apparently Maes tried crawling away after getting shot. Armstrong found him in some nearby bushes located near a culvert that was connected to the lake by a shallow canal. The culvert was tucked under a walkway and dropped down into the sewers and was designed to keep the lake from overflowing, so Armstrong made it look like Hughes crawled in there. Afterward he rushed him to get medical attention.”
“Armstrong had friends who ran a small civilian clinic,” Roy continues, leaning back in his chair. “Once he got Maes treatment, he contacted me. I came to Central for Maes’ funeral and planned out how to hide him once he sufficiently recovered. Because of the injury to his brain caused by the bullet Maes doesn’t remember what led him to checking the archives. We had to piece together what happened from various eyewitness accounts, including the bragging of his attacker.”
Kisa doesn’t miss the subtle bite in Roy’s tone before he switches to a calmer one.
“Since Armstrong made it look like Hughes fell into the sewers it was easy to convince the world he died in there and the body wasn't recovered. Later we learned the sewers were part of the homunculi domain, but since his attacker left without confirming the kill and they didn’t bother trying to recover the body, we got lucky or the enemy would’ve realized he was still alive.”
“I thought the southeast would be the safest place as nothing happened there,” he heavily sighs. “Unfortunately, the colonel in charge was ambitious. There had been several small raids by what was assumed to be bandits out of Azambra. The raiders hit supply depots before slipping back across the borders. Later we learned the insurgents controlling Azambra were responsible and were selling the stolen weapons on the black market to make money. The colonel ordered Maes’ squad to follow them, retrieve the stolen supplies and apprehend them. If they succeeded it would’ve garnered accolades for the colonel for his bold actions. However, because the colonel went in blind the squad was unprepared because the insurgents were ready for the possibility they might have been tracked.”
“As for the parts Maes might have been reluctant to share, it may have to do with the knowledge his attacker could shape shift.”
Roy pauses when he notes Kisa’s eyes widening and gives her a moment for the implications to sink in.
“Maes does remember watching the homunculus named Envy shift to look like Gracia when he was about to defend himself. That hesitation gave Envy the opening to shoot. When we regrouped at the clinic and knew he’d survive, we didn’t know who to trust, but with no other options our best choice was to hide him in plain sight.”
Allowing the silence to stretch out again, Roy picks up his pen again and resumes his work, giving Kisa time to think.
“It must’ve been horrible for uncle to be faced with the image of Aunt Gracia,” she quietly muses several minutes later. “It made him hesitate in a crucial moment. Unless a person wholly lacks empathy, no one would’ve been able to react differently, especially when confronted with the reality of a shape shifter the first time.”
Pausing in his writing, Roy closes his eyes briefly and nods.
“Were all the homunculi shape shifters?” she asks. “Is that why they were able to stay hidden for so long?”
Roy shakes his head.
“Each possessed very unique, super human abilities. However, they looked human and were able to blend in.”
“Homunculus is a strange concept to wrap my mind around,” she comments. Noting his arched brow, she adds, “If it’s going to interfere with your work, I can ask you about alchemy another time.”
Glancing at the clock on the wall, Roy points out, “It’s close to your appointment time. If you don’t mind, I’ll have Breda to take you to your physical therapy. When you return I should almost be finished and we can continue our conversation.”
“Won’t that be interfering with his duties?” she asks, frowning in concern.
Smiling, Roy shakes his head. “He’s not the one with a deadline.”
Reluctantly she falls silent and patiently waits until Roy has Breda wheeling her through the hallways to her physical therapy appointment.
On the way over, she glances over her shoulder to ask, “Does your friend Jean have an appointment today as well?”
“No,” Breda answers. “Havoc lives in the East area and it’s too far for him to come in so frequently. He comes once a month so the therapists can check his progress.”
When she merely nods and looks forward he frowns in confusion, silently wondering why she isn’t jumping at the chance to ask about Havoc’s injury. Soon she’s being evaluated by her physical therapist, David, who is very happy with her progress as she walks the length of the parallel bars and back again.
“You’re doing really well, Kisa. Have you been pushing yourself?”
“Yes,” she admits, stopping in front of him. “I remembered your warnings and stopped if my muscles were tired or I felt any uncomfortable pulling.”
“You judged it well,” David nods approvingly.
Stepping off to the side, he browses through an assortment of crutches and canes of various sizes hanging from hooks lining the wall.
Returning to her, he continues, “You don’t need the wheelchair anymore. For some patients the next step is crutches, but you’re advanced enough to skip to a cane.” Extending his hand he hands her a plain, oak colored cane. “You’ll tire more easily because your muscles are still healing, but also because you’ll have a harder time gripping the cane properly with your left hand.” At her surprised expression he nods and gestures for her to switch the cane to her left. “It’s too soon for your right arm to bear your weight on a cane. With only your thumb and index remaining on your left, the muscles along your arm will strain to compensate. Take frequent breaks and refrain from extended periods of walking with or without the cane.”
“All right,” Kisa nods in acceptance.
“Good,” David smiles. “Now let me show you some new exercises that I want you to do to continue conditioning the muscles around your joints.”
David spends the next few minutes showing the new exercises to Kisa before having her demonstrate to his satisfaction. When finished, David sends her home with the cane and a promise to see her the following week for another appointment. After they leave Breda walks slowly next to Kisa, noticing she tries minimizing her limp as they make their way through the corridors.
When they pause so she can rest he points out, “Y’know, it might be less tiring if you don’t try so hard to walk without a limp.”
“I don’t like shuffling along like an old lady,” she grouses with a scowl.
Breda momentarily gapes in shock then shudders.
“You looked and sounded so much like the Chief right now it’s scary.”
“What does that mean?” she snaps defensively.
“Yep,” Breda chuckles. “Even right now you sound very Chief-like.”
Not knowing how to reply, Kisa merely scowls and resumes walking.
“How much did Hughes tell you about Ed?” he asks conversationally a short time later.
“Uncle said he was temperamental and hated to be called short or he’d get angry with the person saying that,” she sullenly answers, still irritated at the comparison to Ed.
“Temperamental does describe the Chief,” he chuckles. “But he’s also ridiculously pig-headed, rude, arrogant and proudly inconsiderate.”
Kisa abruptly halts, staring at the robust man in appalled disbelief.
“You’re likening me to someone like that? Have I been grossly discourteous and didn’t know it?” she asks in distressed concern.
Realizing his mistake, Breda waves his hands in front of him placatingly.
“That’s not what I meant!” he hurriedly assures her. “The way you scowled and the fact you were worrying about looking like an old lady is similar to how the Chief would react. I didn’t mean that you’re disrespectful or arrogant like he can be sometimes.”
“Oh,” she sheepishly replies. “I’m sorry for overreacting then.”
“I’m the one who needs to apologize,” he soothes as they resume walking. “I’m sorry, I should’ve been clearer.”
A comfortable silence falls between them as they turn down another corridor until Breda breaks it.
“Why haven’t you asked about Havoc’s injuries? Just about every new person he meets asks that right off the bat.”
“Because it’s none of my business,” she replies stunning him. “I might ask specifics if he ever becomes familiar enough with me to share. Otherwise, I prefer minding my own business.” Thoughtfully she adds, “I wouldn’t like it if a stranger were intrusive if I was injured like that.”
Breda merely nods in understanding as they walk the rest of the way in silence, mulling over her words while she concentrates on walking smoothly. Roy glances up when Breda ushers Kisa into the room. Promptly overcoming his surprise, he rises to his feet and steps over to gently grasp Kisa’s arm and guides her to the sitting area in front of his desk. He helps her ease onto the end of one of the two facing sofas.
“Get her some tea,” Roy orders Breda once she’s settled.
“Sure thing,” Breda nods then disappears out the door.
“Are you all right?” Roy asks Kisa in concern.
“I’m fine, thank you,” she replies slightly breathless. “I’m sorry for being so much trouble, but the walk back was more tiring than I thought it’d be.”
“You’ve been restricted to a wheelchair for quite some time and are still recovering,” Roy reminds her.
“Still didn’t think a simple walk like that would be that tiring,” she replies with a sheepish smile.
“I imagine not,” Roy smiles back as Breda reenters the office with her tea.
“Careful, it’s hot,” Breda warns Kisa, setting the mug on the coffee table in front of her. Straightening up, he asks, “Do you need anything else, Lady?”
“No. And thank you,” she sincerely replies.
With a slight smile he leaves and returns to his desk in the next room.
“Your appointment must’ve gone well,” Roy muses, returning to sit at his desk. “Maes is going to be very pleased.”
“It did and uncle will definitely be very pleased,” Kisa smiles softly, shifting to sit more comfortably in the leather sofa. “David, my physical therapist, said I progressed where I could skip walking on crutches to a cane.”
Leaning forward, she reaches and picks up her cup. Blowing a little to cool it off, she takes a sip and grimaces. Watching her over the file in his hand, Roy smirks.
“The bad tea and coffee are among the biggest complaints in the military.”
Frowning at the offending mug, she comments, “If I didn’t know better, I’d believe the attempted coup was because of the lousy tea.”
Roy can’t resist chuckling. Glancing down at the document in his hand before signing off on it, he sets it aside and looks at her again.
“I’m at a point where I can stop for a while and answer your questions about alchemy.”
“But you’re busy,” she blinks at him in confusion. “I waited this long. I can wait longer.”
Smiling, Roy stands up and walks back over to her, settling on the sofa across from her.
“It’s fine,” he waves off. “I need the break. Before I begin, tell me what you know about alchemy.”
“Well, I only know about alchemy through my brother Kiyoshi’s interest in it,” she begins.
“I know you have a couple of older brothers, but is Kiyoshi the one closest to you and Kyo in age?” Roy interrupts for clarification.
“Actually, Kyo and I had five older brothers with Kyoko being the oldest out of all of us and the only other girl.” Kisa shrugs at Roy’s gob smacked expression. “Large families aren’t uncommon in Azambra. Father had twelve siblings and mother had eight. Our family was big.”
“That’s a bit of an understatement,” Roy arches a brow.
“My immediate family was relatively big,” she clarifies with a grin, earning one in return from Roy. “Anyway, Kohaku was the one closest to us and Kiyoshi is older than him.” At his nod of understanding she continues. “Kiyoshi got interested in alkahestry first and it was during a conversation with a practitioner that he heard about alchemy.”
She pauses to take another sip of tea, grimacing again before setting it down.
“Kiyoshi easily learned a lot more about alkahestry because there were so many Azambrans of Xingese descent and Xingese immigrants. Because father didn’t approve of his interest, it had to be a secret hobby, so he couldn’t become a full practitioner.”
Shifting more comfortably into the sofa she continues.
“Through his studies, Kiyoshi did gain a good understanding of the differences between the two practices. Where alkahestry uses the more organic energy flowing through the land and human body, alchemy uses the tectonic energy of the earth’s plates. I don’t know much about alchemy beyond that, but I do know alkahestry is well-suited for medicinal use.”
“Despite professing not knowing much about alchemy in particular, I’m impressed. You know quite a bit and have a solid understanding of the workings of both practices,” Roy compliments.
“Thank you,” Kisa blushes in embarrassment. “But beyond that requires more knowledge about the sciences than I have and that’s why I don’t understand human transmutation and homunculi. How can a human be made artificially? The soul has to come from somewhere or the body won’t live.”
Roy nods, grimly stating, “That’s where things get complicated.”
He proceeds to explain human transmutation, the gate of truth and homunculi. By the time he finishes, Kisa is gaping at him wide-eyed.
“Hard to imagine, isn’t it?” he smirks at her.
Mutely she nods. Finding her voice she mutters, “It sounds so incredible, impossible and terrifying all at the same time.” Smiling softly, she adds, “It’s unfortunate the truth has to remain a secret. I understand why, but you and everyone involved aren’t getting the acknowledgement you deserve for saving the world.”
“The world wasn’t in danger, just Amestris,” Roy shakes his head with a frown.
Arching a brow, Kisa points out, “And if the original homunculi, ‘Father’, had succeeded in it’s plan, wouldn’t that have meant the rest of the world was doomed? Do you believe a creature like that would’ve been satisfied? Especially when one would think it would’ve been after what it orchestrated in Xerxes. It wouldn’t have stopped after Amestris. It would’ve targeted the rest of the world.”
Roy blinks and considers her words.
“Agreed,” he finally nods. “It’s something I never considered. My feeling was we won and should move on. I haven’t spent much time considering what could’ve happened if we hadn’t defeated the homunculi.”
“That’s understandable,” she nods. “Pondering what could’ve happened wasn’t as important as knowing what actually did happen.” She pauses in thought before musing, “The entire story does make much more sense with those hard to believe elements than without. It’s fortunate most people are satisfied with the basics.”
Roy smirks, “It’s easier for people to accept when alchemy is beyond their grasp and aren’t interested in knowing more than the country is stable and things are getting better. Learning Amestris was formed and controlled by artificial humans would not go over well.”
“No,” Kisa muses, “It wouldn’t. It certainly is a case where ignorance is bliss, especially if they lack the capacity to understand the basics and importance of what’s going on.”
Roy scrutinizes her for a few moments.
“You have a very open mind to accept things outside your experiences and initial understanding.”
“I learned that the bitter, hard way,” she admits quietly with a sigh. “I was raised with a very narrow worldview. As a girl I was discouraged from being independent and was taught to take care of my family, living according to their needs. So what happened to the rest of the world wasn’t my concern. I was sheltered and wholly unprepared for the brutal realities of the takeover and had to adapt quickly in order to survive because I wasn’t allowed to just worry and take care of my family anymore, not when we were forcibly separated. Then when all my family was gone, I didn’t even have the monarchy to take care of me. I was alone.” Boring into Roy’s eyes she adds, “My only choice was to accept change and start thinking differently from my upbringing.”
“It still must’ve been in your personality to be so open,” Roy muses thoughtfully. “A closed person wouldn’t ever accept what they don’t understand.”
Cocking her head, Kisa considers it.
“True,” she finally agrees. “I watched my brothers struggle whenever their desires conflicted with what was acceptable to our parents and felt bad for them, but I still tried learning from their experiences.”
“Being observant and learning from what you see are good tools to have at your disposal,” Roy points out, rising to his feet. “I have to get back to work now. Would you like anything to read, Kisa?”
“No thank you. I’m fine right now.”
Nodding, he walks over to his desk. Easing into his seat he sighs wearily while opening another file.
“Would you like help?”
Looking at her in surprise, he smiles.
“Thank you, but I have to decline since much of it is classified.”
“Okay,” she replies.
The comfortable silence stretches out as Roy grudgingly progresses through his work. Glancing up after some time has passed he arches a brow in surprise. Kisa quietly dozes with her chin propped up by her left hand. His lips quirk into a smile as he mentally notes she’s able to fall asleep just about anywhere like Fullmetal. He briefly considers waking her up and suggesting she stretch out on the sofa, but decides against it, reasoning she’d be embarrassed she fell asleep. Plus, she barely knows him and he doubts she’d feel comfortable stretching out in the same room with him.
Toward the end of the day Maes returns. Stepping inside the door, his eyes immediately zero in on a still slumbering teen, causing a grin to spread across his face as he crosses the room. Lifting his left leg he perches on the edge of Roy’s desk.
“How’s it going?” he quietly greets his friend.
“Good,” Roy replies, signing off on the last document before plopping it onto his finished pile. “Were you able to re-file those cases in time?” he asks, leaning back in his chair.
“Barely,” Maes rolls his eyes in exasperation. “The cases are dealing with the highest ranking homunculus co-conspirators and we can’t afford to screw them up.” Glancing over his left shoulder, he smiles softly at a still dozing Kisa before shifting to face Roy again. “Thanks for making sure she had lunch and getting her to PT.”
“It’s merely another favor you owe me,” Roy waves off.
Shaking his head while smirking, Maes rolls his eyes again before asking, “How long has she been sleeping?”
“Almost two hours.”
“Really?” Maes asks in disbelief before musing, “They must’ve put her through the wringer for her to be this exhausted.
“I’m amazed she’s managed to stay upright like that this entire time without falling over,” Roy arches a brow.
“Me too,” Maes agrees. “How did your alchemy conversation go?”
“Fine. Her basic knowledge of the differences between alchemy and alkahestry certainly helped make explaining human transmutation, the gate of truth and the Philosopher’s stones that much easier. Then at one point I had Breda take her to her appointment, which she’s now using a cane instead of a wheelchair.”
“That’s wonderful,” Maes replies in pleased surprise. “She’ll be mobile by the time Winry, Ed and Al arrive.”
At Roy’s arched brow, Maes grins.
“I spoke with Winry on the phone the other night and they’ll be arriving over the next few days. It was funny because she didn’t believe me about Kisa being a dead ringer for Ed.”
“She didn’t?” Roy asks in surprise.
“She thought I was joking,” Maes shakes his head.
“Winry set everyone up for an interesting surprise,” Roy chuckles.
“Indeed,” Maes chuckles too. “No one can accuse me of playing a joke because I did try telling her. Oh, this coming Saturday is the party I mentioned last week. I expect you there,” he finishes pointedly with an arched brow.
It’s Roy’s turn to roll his eyes.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be there.” Smirking, he adds, “Besides, if Winry doesn’t tell Fullmetal and Al about Kisa, it should be fun to see how they’re getting along by that point.” Becoming serious, he asks, “How does Kisa feel about seeing Fullmetal and Al?”
Maes glances over his shoulder again at her.
“Apprehensive,” he sighs heavily before briefly explaining what happened in Dublith. “After she finished telling me,” he continues, “I could tell it still upsets her to know Al is identical to Kyo. She admits she isn’t certain how comfortable she’ll be around him.”
“Makes sense,” Roy muses thoughtfully, cocking his head slightly to the side. “Who would be comfortable with a living reminder of a lost loved one?”
“Who indeed,” Maes agrees. Glancing at the clock he adds, “I should get her home. Thanks for taking care of her. Sorry for the inconvenience.”
“Her company made it easier to focus on my work and I got quite a bit done,” he waves off.
Maes arches a brow at that, but says nothing. Sliding off the desk he steps over to the sofa. Reaching out he gently shakes her shoulder.
“Kisa? C’mon, it’s time to wake up and go home.”
Feebly swatting his hand away she murmurs, “If the school is on fire again, Kyo had nothing to do with it. Don’t know anything. Anyone claiming otherwise hallucinates.”
Blinking down at the still slumbering blonde, Maes looks over at Roy and shares an incredulous look with him.
“Wake up, Kisa,” Maes tries again while gently shaking her shoulder.
Her eyes finally snap open with a sharp intake of breath before noticing Maes smirking down at her.
“How often did the school catch fire and why are you so sure Kyo had nothing to do with it?” he asks, crossing his arms.
Blushing furiously, Kisa groans and buries her face in her hands, mumbling, “Did I fall asleep and talk in my sleep?”
“Yep,” Maes quips, stepping over to sit next to her on the sofa. “So,” he begins conversationally, draping his arm over the back and crossing his legs. “What do you know about mysterious school fires and Kyo’s supposed non-involvement in those fires?”
Leaning back in his chair, Roy adds, “I’m curious about the answers as well.”
“Well, my brothers had some destructive habits,” she reluctantly answers, dropping her hands into her lap.
“Destructive?” Roy repeats with an arched brow.
Both men grin at her deepening flush, enjoying her squirming under their unrelenting gazes.
“Okay, they were intensely committed pranksters,” she relents in annoyed exasperation. “They liked to stir things up and one of their favorite pranks was trying to set fire to the school in as many creative ways as possible.”
“How do you set fire to a school creatively?” Roy frowns in confusion.
“Like pouring oil into all the toilets and dropping a match in each one to create floating mini-bonfires,” she explains, her blush abating slightly. “Kazuki, our third oldest brother, read about how fires can burn on water if there is oil floating on the surface and it ignites.”
“You certainly know an awful lot about their arsonistic tendencies,” Maes drawls thoughtfully.
“All right,” she huffs with a glare. “Kyo and I became quite proficient at breaking and entering to let our brothers into the building. Sometimes their antics weren’t just restricted to the school. While they set up the prank, Kyo and I stood watch. Our parents never knew about my involvement. They always thought my brothers were over protective and excluded me. So, if anything major happened in the area, our parents always came to me first asking if I knew anything about it and if my brothers were involved since they knew I was aware of a lot of their activities.”
“Now you’ve piqued my curiosity, “Maes chuckles. “I want to hear all the details, but we have to get home.”
Nodding, Kisa rises to her feet and looks over at Roy. “I’m sorry for falling asleep on you.”
“People are going to think I bore people to sleep,” he teases, causing her blush to deepen.
“They already think that,” Maes quips, earning him a glare from Roy.
Struggling to keep a straight face, Kisa presses her palms together again into a prayer position at her chin and bows.
“Thank you for clarifying my questions on alchemy.”
“You’re welcome, Kisa,” Roy replies before glaring again at Maes.
“Catch you later!” Maes cheerfully waves, ignoring the look while gently guiding Kisa toward the door by her elbow.
Hours later the ringing of the phone echoes down the hallway, capturing the attention of everyone gathered in the sitting room. Kisa and Elicia look up from the coffee table littered by sheets of paper with various drawings the teen is helping the little girl create and watch Gracia and Maes share a look of confusion.
“I wonder who’s calling this late,” Gracia comments, looking at her husband sitting next to her on one of the sofas reading.
“Only one way to find out,” Maes replies, setting his book aside to rise to his feet and disappear down the hallway.
Entering his study, he swiftly crosses the room and picks up the ringing phone.
“Hughes here,” he answers crisply.
“Hi, Mr. Hughes!” Winry greets cheerfully.
“Winry…” he begins admonishing playfully.
“Uh, I meant, ‘Hi, Maes!’” she hastily corrects herself in embarrassment.
“Better,” he grins. Easing into his chair he asks, “How are you doing, Winry?”
“Great,” she replies. He can hear the smile in her voice. “I got a telegram from Ed today. He got an earlier train and will be in Central on Tuesday.”
“No wonder you’re happy,” Maes teases. “Isn’t Al supposed to arrive in Resembool the next couple of days?”
“He arrived today,” she corrects him. “I told him about your invitation and he wants to come, but we’re not leaving until early Wednesday morning. He’s tired from traveling in from Xing and wants a day to recuperate.”
“I can certainly understand that,” Maes chuckles. “Besides, Al’s body is still playing catch up from all the years of being stuck in the gate. That’s something that’ll take more than two years to recover from.”
“Yeah, but he’s insisting on leaving early Wednesday morning even though I told him we could leave Thursday and arrive Saturday morning.”
“Al knows his limits best and how far he can push past them,” he reassures her. “That aside, I’m not certain who will be picking you up from the station on Friday, but someone will.”
“That’d be great,” Winry replies. “Our train number is 1801 and we should be arriving about 10 a.m. Ed’s train is the 5152 and will arriving around 9 a.m.”
“Hang on, let me jot this down,” Maes mutters, grabbing a pen and scribbling on a pad he keeps on his desk. Glancing up at the clock on the wall he adds, “Since it’s getting late, I’m going to let you go. We can catch up more when you’re here.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” she happily replies. “Goodnight!”
“Goodnight, Winry.”
Placing the handset back on the cradle Maes smiles. Standing up he heads back into the sitting room.
“Who was it, dear?”
Settling next to his wife again, he wraps an arm around her shoulder.
“It was Winry.” Smiling at Gracia’s surprised expression, he explains, “She said Ed is arriving Tuesday. Al arrived in Resembool this morning and accepted our invitation to visit, but won’t leave until early Wednesday morning with Winry. Al wants to take a day to rest from traveling in from Xing. Anyway, they’ll be in Central on Friday morning.”
“Yay!” Elicia cheers.
“I’m glad they’ll be here in time for the party,” Gracia states. Looking at her daughter, she adds, “Start cleaning up. It’s time for your bath.”
“Okay, mommy!”
While Elicia gathers up the drawings and crayons, Kisa gingerly climbs to her feet and bends over to gather up the abandoned tea things. Maes takes the tray from her hands when she picks it up.
“I can handle it, uncle,” she softly protests, glaring at him.
Rolling his eyes, he turns and walks toward the door.
“It’s hard to carry a tray and walk with a cane at the same time,” he throws over his shoulder. “Don’t fight me on this, you just ditched the wheelchair today.”
Sighing softly in irritation, she follows him into the kitchen. While he sets the dirty dishes in the sink, he arches a brow at her when she grabs a fresh towel from a drawer and joins him.
“I don’t need a cane if I’m standing here to dry,” she arches a brow back.
Shrugging, he turns on the water and lathers up a sponge to begin washing.
“Well, it does afford me the chance to find out what got you so quiet before you avoid me by disappearing for the night.”
“I’m not…” she begins protesting in surprised outrage.
“Don’t try denying it,” he gently cuts her off, setting another clean cup in front of her. “Hearing about Ed, Al and Winry coming here made you tense. I’d like to know why.”
Maes patiently waits, washing the rest of the dishes while she continues drying. Minutes later he turns off the water and twists away from Kisa to grab another towel hanging on a drawer handle nearby to dry his hands.
“I’m nervous meeting Ed,” she quietly admits behind him.
Placing the towel on the counter next to the sink, he faces her. Resting his left hand on the counter and placing his right on his hip, he watches as she slowly dries the rest of the dishes in the rack.
“I was intrigued and Kyo thought it was funny when you first told us about him, but now that I know he’s coming, I’m nervous,” she reluctantly admits.
Having finished drying the last teacup and setting it off to the side, she stares down at the clean dishes.
“I’m not worried about what he’ll think of me, but I just can’t explain why I’m nervous.” Pausing, her head drops slightly in shame. “That’s not correct. I know why. Meeting Ed means I’m that much closer to meeting his younger brother.” Quietly she adds, “I haven’t been able to talk about Kyo’s death with you yet and within a few days I’ll be meeting his look-a-like.” Her voice drops closer to a whisper, “I’m not sure I’m ready.”
Reaching out, Maes pulls the girl into a hug. He feels her tightly grasp the front of his shirt while burying her face in his chest.
“I don’t blame you and there’s no shame in feeling that way toward Ed and Al,” he assures her, reaching up to smooth the back of her hair. “I wish I could say I know exactly how you feel, but you’re in a cruelly unique situation. However, it’s easy to understand that it can’t be easy for you. I can still call Winry and cancel their visit. They can come another time.”
Kisa’s eyes widen in shock and she hastily pulls back to look up at him, frantically shaking her head.
“Please don’t do it.” Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she hoarsely adds, “Kyo is dead. I can’t change the fact someone else looks like both he and I.” Looking up at him again, she insists, “I can’t hide from this and I doubt meeting Al later will be any easier.” Dropping her gaze off to the side, she exhales a frustrated breath. “This is why I didn’t want to say anything. I didn’t want to put anyone in an uncomfortable situation.”
Maes pulls her back into a hug.
“You shouldn’t be holding things like that in to try sparing our feelings either. I’m just offering to cancel their visit if you’re not ready to face Al yet.” Nestling his cheek against the top of her head, he quietly adds, “I’m trying to make things easier for you, not harder.”
“I appreciate how much you do for me,” her muffled voice replies. “It’s more than I deserve, but no one can make this easier for me.” Taking a slow, deep breath, she adds, “It’s best to get it over with.”
“I’ll leave it alone then,” he sighs. Taking his turn to pull back and bore into her eyes, he insists, “If it becomes too much, you are to let me know. Understood?”
He watches the inward struggle play across her face before she reluctantly nods.
“I will,” she agrees, prompting him to pull her back into the hug.
- 8
- 9
- 10
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Chapter 1