Chapter 1: The Big Three - Together Again
Summary:
Sarah reunites with her distanced brothers and the Elric siblings all collectively meet Shou Tucker and his daughter, Nina.
WARNING: Lost of sibling fluff and bickering.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Text" - Normal Speech
'Text' - Sign Language
"Text" - Speech and Sign Language
"Text" - Speech Over Phone
'Text' - Thoughts
Edward would never forget it. He’d never forget the way the smoke rose slowly as the fire ate away at the only standing memories of their childhood. He’d never forget the smell of burning wood that flooded his nostrils or the way Alphonse’s armor visibly sulked through the whole experience. He’ll never forget how Sarah could barely stand to look at him since he proposed the idea. He’ll never let the memory fade of Granny’s look of disdain and Winry’s tear-filled eyes.
Sarah’s tenth birthday was only a week away, and no matter how much she had begged him to take her along on their search for the stone, he kept refusing. It wasn’t safe at all, Ed was already the reason she couldn’t hear, he didn’t want to risk her life again. At least not right now, she was too young.
He and Al aren’t that much older than her, but it‘s just different for them. Ed was the oldest sibling, it was his job to risk himself to protect his younger siblings. As for Alphonse, he didn’t have a body to risk. He was in less danger than Sarah would be. They just had to leave her behind for her own good.
The night before he and Al were supposed to leave, Alphonse was collecting things that he knew Ed would need. Edward was busying himself with carving a permanent message onto the inside of his pocket watch. He was sitting crossed-legged on Sarah’s bed, content with her spaced-out whines and leg movements as he worked.
When he finished, he adjusted to lay next to his only sister, sadly staring at the attached material of her hearing aids that breached their matching hair.
He was only twelve. He was still a kid, but he had to be the adult of them if they had any chance at getting their bodies back. He wasn’t even a teenager yet, but he was already an employee of the military. Alphonse was only allowed to join him because his armor reduced his weaknesses—
Ed stopped thinking when Sarah groggily sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, scooting closer when she noticed Edward was there. She didn’t say anything, she didn’t want to. What could be said that wouldn’t just cause trouble? Their father left them, their mother died, and now her older brothers are leaving her. She was losing everything and it was too painful to talk about. Sarah settles in her brother’s side, pulling her duvet up with her.
Edward didn’t talk as the younger eventually nodded off to sleep again, wanting to savor the eternal silence she was trapped in once more before she lost her brothers.
‘It’s not fair...’ Sarah let her thoughts drift off until she was trapped in her dreams. Her empty, void dreams.
‘I’m sorry, kid.’
-
By the time Sarah awoke the next morning, Winry was asleep, Granny was in her workshop as usual, and Edward and Alphonse had gone off in search of the philosopher's stone.
They didn’t return home a year later, as they’d promised, and eventually, Sarah stopped counting days. She’d go to school obediently, shoving her nose into the alchemy and physics textbooks during breaks to better her craft. Resembool only had one school after all, and she couldn’t grade out more than she already had as a child. Her home life was filled with self-training and studying through the remaining books from her father’s library. By the time she was twelve, she read each book, and reread them just because she had time.
When the summer of 1914 came, Sarah decided she couldn’t wait any longer. After talking it over with Granny Pinako, Sarah packed her bags the night of June 30th, hoping to slip out the next morning without Winry taking notice.
It rained that night. The sky poured, flooding down the pale hills of Resembool’s silent child. The town shook with the thunder. The eyes of lightning lit up with determination and ambition for the day that has yet to come. By moonfall the next morning, but before sunrise, a thick fog clouded the area, identical to the fog clouding Sarah’s mind. She was dressed and ready to leave while she still had the cloak of night, the lights of her and Winry’s room turning on was the last thing she’d planned on.
Sarah whipped around, the hood falling off her head as she laid eyes on her lifelong friend.
“Sarah...” The older girl whispered, hands finally catching up to her mouth. “What are you doing?”
“I’m sorry Win, but I’ve gotta go to my brothers.” Sarah narrowed her eyes defiantly and ground her teeth. “Don’t try and stop me, I’ve been waiting here too long. I have to do this.”
“So you’re just gonna leave me and granny without even saying goodbye?” Winry’s voice crack went unnoticed by the younger girl, but the hurt was evident through her face nonetheless.
“Granny knows...she bought me the ticket,” Sarah said in a shallow breath.
“You don’t even know where they’re working, Say! What if you get lost? It’s dangerous to go on your own.”
“The boys were just on a mission in Liore, so my best guess is that they’re at Eastern Command. The younger slurred out her response unintentionally. “If that doesn’t pan out, they work under Mustang’s squad. If I find him, I find Ed and Al.”
A silence stretched painfully between them, and Winry could only clutch at her stuttering heart.
The blue-eyed girl inched forward, aiming to correct Sarah’s defensive look. Latching onto the girl she saw as a kid sister, Winry let out a loud sob, hands clawing at the younger’s back. “Idiots...the whole lot of you...just idiots!” Her fist tapped on Sarah’s back stiffly.
Sariah clutched Winry’s quaking sides weakly, mind pulsating with uncertainty over the future.
Winry pulled away after a few moments, eyes shaking with emotion. “I know granny probably told you to be careful, but watch out for your brothers, okay? They need you as much as you need them.”
Sarah nodded, a wide smile breaching her young features as she clung to Winry once more, before breaking away. She grabbed her rucksack from the bed and headed out the bedroom door, down the hallway, and out the front door. She was running along the dirt path that led to the city square within moments of bidding her goodbyes, leaving behind the safety of home to rejoin her brothers. The red serpent’s cross on her black coat was fading away in the distance, and for a moment, Winry could swear she saw far too much of Edward in her.
“Just don’t die!”
The shouting was futile and Winry knew so.
-
Sarah’s train up north boarded at 5:30 AM, and she was ready long before then. Excitement boiled over so much that she could barely keep still the entire ride into what would be her new home.
The preteen arrived in East City a little after midday, clutching the strap of her bookcase. According to her maps, she could take a road straight from the train station to Eastern Command, since it was literally at the center of East City. So she headed west from the train station, focus-bound on the military base.
She took in the aspects of the city as she passed. The dwellers she passed by sometimes gawked at the strange golden featured child with metal in her hair, but she didn’t focus on them. The girl admired the number of buildings that lined each street. It baffled her that such a place could function with so many abstractions in the way. It was so busy here. There were so many people bustling around, but a flash of blue caught her attention a good distance away.
It was something she immediately registered as an Amestrian Military uniform. ‘Perfect!’
Straying closer to that area, she laid eyes on almost a dozen more people clad in uniforms just like that, all strolling around a small cafe. Blue walls to honor the military made it evident that it was an owned MP business.
Sarah wandered in, ignoring the stares she received as she approached the counter, already pulling out her notebook and pen.
“Well hey pumpkin!” A chipper woman smiled at her, from behind the granite top. “What can I get cha?”
She smiled up at the older woman and scribbled out a question in her book. ‘Can someone help me find Roy Mustang?’
Squinting slightly to read it, she hummed. “Colonel Mustang? My friend works for him!” She stepped to the side and leaned over the counter, waving over a blond man with a cigarette in his mouth. “Hey, Jean! Over here for a sec.”
The man stood, going over to their corner of the bar. “What’s up Maddie?” He smirked, eyeing the child unsurely. “Who’s this.”
“Little Miss Goldie locks here is looking for Colonel Mustang.” The woman—Maddie smiled.
“Hey kid.” Jean grinned, hand extended for her to take. “I’m Jean Havoc. What’s your name?”
Turning her book to the front cover, where her name was bound on the corner.
“Sarah...Elric?” The blond man took a moment to blink before he spoke again, recalling the unique name. “As in Edward and Alphonse Elric?”
Sarah beamed up at him, uttering her first words since she left home. “They’re my big brothers...”
That’s when it clicked for Havoc. The gold hair and eyes, then smile...she honestly looked just like Edward. “Wow...Ed and Al never told me they had a sister!” He went from zero to a hundred very quickly, and he slung his arm over her shoulder. And ushered her to sit at one of the barstools. “Your brothers have been with us almost three years now? How old are you?”
“Twelve.”
“And you came to East City alone?!” Jean pushed a menu at her. “Must’ve been a long ride, lemme buy you something.”
Sarah laughed brightly and attempted to refuse but Jean insisted, so she chose something small, a honeydew tea. A subtle memory of her mother. Trisha started almost every morning with either a honeydew or cinnamon tea before breakfast for the kids. She pointed at the name with a shy gesture and a meek smile.
“Maddie, lemme get a honeydew tea for the little lady here.” Havoc set the money out on the counter and turned back to the child. “So what’s up with the...” he trailed off unintentionally and made a vague hand movement over her hands and book.
‘I don’t talk much.’
The words she scribbled down in response drew another laugh from the lieutenant as the waitress set the tea in front of Sarah. “Yeah I can see that, but why?”
Instead of writing an answer, Sarah pointed up to her ears and made the sign for no. “I’m deaf.”
Of course, it came out sounding to Havoc as “I’m dep,” but he understood nonetheless.
“That makes much more sense...but how do you know what I’m saying?” The older man asked.
Sarah pointed at her eye this time, and then to his mouth, and he glanced around slightly phased. A grin graced her lips at his reaction and she sipped her drink, the familiar warmth of home flooding her body.
“Elaborate please...” His laugh conveyed his confusion and Sarah turned to her book again. “I can read your lips.” He read aloud and made a sound of understanding. “You can? That’s so cool!”
‘It’s not perfect, but it works well enough.’ Sarah wrote out, going back to her drink again.
“Why do you write everything though? You seem to talk fine enough.” Jean commented putting out his cigarette on the used ashtray to his side.
Tapping her chin, Sarah shrugged knowingly. Taking another drink from her tea. ‘It’s just comfortable.’ She wrote. ‘I slur words sometimes, this way everyone understands me.’
“I get that.” The soldier nodded. “Your brothers should be with the Colonel now. I’ll take you whenever you’re ready.”
The Resembool native’s face lit up and she hurried to down the remaining tea, standing from the stool in a rush. “Then let’s go!” She was practically bouncing from foot to foot with excitement as he stood up.
“I regret my offer.” Havoc jokes, starting towards the door and waving for her to follow.
Sarah bounded ahead to walk beside him as he led her down the path again. While she didn’t have to go into that cafe, getting into Eastern Command would be much easier with a military officer as an escort. Running into someone from Mustang’s squad was just extra perks.
“How well do you know my brothers?” Sarah spoke, feeling it would be more difficult to write while they were walking.
“Pretty alright I’d say.” Havoc grinned back, pushing his hair up to avoid his eyes. “Good kids, it’s good they have a sister, otherwise I think they’d blow each other up.” The elder laughed. “You’re a lot like Ed.”
“I am?”
“Yeah, you’re both edgy, blonde, and short.” He laughed loudly at her reaction. “And ballsy too.”
-
Mr. Havoc had led her to the command center and stopped any other MP’s from halting her, excusing her as his ward. Mustang’s office was on the second floor of the east wing.
Once they made it to the door, Sarah was mentally preparing herself to lay eyes on her distanced brothers for the first time in years. She was wringing her hands together in anticipation before the door was opened...and they weren’t there.
She didn’t let the disappointment show as she peeked in on Lieutenant Hawkeye, the only one she could recognize, and five men. A large one with fiery red hair sat adjacent to Lieutenant Hawkeye, his uniform coat unbuttoned to give off his lax attitude. An older man with more grey than anyone present sat next to Riza, and a younger-looking soldier with brown hair next to him. Havoc approached the redhead’s direction to sit between him and a young enlistment who had his focus on a large—and broken—radio.
“S-Sarah?” Hawkeye stood from her desk once she laid eyes on the girl peeking around the door.
“Lieutenant Hawkeye, it’s good to see you again.” The alchemist smiled widely to hide her nerves. Her wave was smaller than it would normally be, but she couldn’t help it.
“It’s good to see you looking well, considering the last time.” Riza smiled, welcoming the young girl. “You must be looking for your brothers...they’re not here now but you can wait inside with the Colonel.” She walked to open the door, wanting to present the newcomer to their commander, and Roy looked up from his paperwork, honestly surprised as well.
“What is it, Lieu—Ah...I’ve been wondering when you’d come to join us. You can come in and sit.” Mustang smiled slowly when he saw Sarah. He rested his chin on his fist, elbow propping his head up on his desk. “You’re lucky it’s now though, your brothers had a hell of a month.”
“Oh I’ve seen!” Sarah bounced over to the colonel’s area and sat in one of the chairs before it. “I heard about their takedown of Lieutenant Loki in Youswell, and their train fight against the Blue Squad on the train ride over here.” Her right hand unconsciously traveled up to her ear, playing with the foreign machinery. “Oh! And the uprising in Liore. They sure have been keeping themselves busy.”
“And they’re about to get busier.” The leader opened the drawer and pulled out a file on Edward’s next assignment. “An acquaintance of mine may be of use to the search of getting your bodies back. I’ll be sending Edward and Alphonse—and I guess you now too—to study with a man named Shou Tucker for a time so Edward can study under him. He’ll be a good asset to learn from.”
He slid the file to Sarah and she inspected it thoroughly without a word. “He’s...the Sowing Life Alchemist?”
Roy resisted his urge to correct her pronunciation, remembering that she probably didn’t even realize she was saying it wrong. She lost her hearing at eight, how often could she hear the word ‘sewing’ before then?
“So we’ll get to study under someone really important...I look forward to this!”
Outside the private room, the under ranks were whispering, trying to pry some information out of the usually stoic Hawkeye.
“Brothers?” The hefty redhead, Lieutenant Breda, huffed out in disbelief. “I only ever heard of it being the Elric Brothers, they’ve never said jackshit about a sister!”
“It is their family, Breda. After all, she’s young, they probably didn’t wish to expose her to the hard-knock life of the military.” Lieutenant Havoc chimed in, the female soldier delivering him his fair share of paperwork.
“You’re telling me, she’s like what...nine? Ten?” Warrant Officer Vato Falman, the older of the room said.
“No, she was ten when I met her, so she’s twelve or thirteen by now,” Riza spoke up. “So she’s no younger than when Edward and Alphonse came to work with us.”
“These Elric boys are something else, and I’m sure the girl is just as tough as they were at that age, but jeez.” Breda took a breath, eyes narrowing. “Imagine that at thirteen. No parents to protect you—nothing. I don’t think I could survive that now.”
“Hush up and get to work, will ya?” Jean laughed, opening his first file of the day. “Who’s this...” he mumbled absentmindedly, his companion overhearing.
“Remember? Lieutenant Yoki.” Falman explained, barely glancing at the image on file. “The crook who was using the Youswell coal mines to line his own pockets.” He returned his eyes to his paper. “Anyway, the Elric boys exposed him and now he’s on the run.”
“Master Sergeant Fuery, any update on that radio?” Riza asked, her attention on her junior now.
“Receiver’s cooked, Lieutenant. I’m probably gonna have to replace it.” The raven-haired officer took a moment to adjust his headset, allowing a little red devil to clap his hands and take advantage, pressing one palm to the battered metal box, repairing any faults in an instant. “Hey, it’s Edward and Alphonse!” He rejoiced. “You might wanna go see the Colonel, your—”
The room of soldiers turned to attention and Havoc clapped the younger soldier on the back of his head to silence him.
“Welcome back boys.” Riza acknowledged, keeping the girl in the other room a surprise for now. “Go on in, the Colonel is expecting you with a package.”
Edward’s expression visibly deflated, but he walked to the older man’s office obediently.
When he opened the door, Ed’s narrowed vision seemed to focus on the bastard at the desk, and not the twin couches lined up in front of it.
Alphonse, who scanned the room immediately, caught sight of a head of gold hair staring back at him, with a bright smile and shining eyes to match. “Sarah...” he whispered, thinking he’d just seen an illusion.
His thoughts were disproved when the figure leaped over the couch and bounded over to him, latching onto his metal figure with a loud shout of, “Brother!”
The sound caused Ed to glance over, seeing a figure in a black coat with hair akin to his own, clinging onto his brother, shouting the word over and over again.
Alphonse responded by entrapping the girl in his hollow arms tightly, jumping up and down until he felt the roof shake. “Sarah I can’t believe it’s really you!” The armor set her down to take in her physique to see more than an instantaneous blur. “What...what are you doing here?! And how did you get here?” The middle child engulfed her again before she could even sign back, but she spoke in a wheeze.
“Granny bought me a train ticket, I knew you guys just got back from Liore and I had to catch you before you left the east!” The youngest was almost in tears, and if Alphonse could, he’d already be crying.
Edward on the other hand stood near the foot of the Colonel’s desk, stunned at what he was witnessing. When Alphonse set the figure down again, Sarah stood before him, black boots clanking down on the floor. He managed to catch the serpent’s cross on her back as well. Her gold hair was parted down the middle and set in two half braids, the rest being left to trail her back. Tears were now starting to creep down her cheeks when Al started asking if she was okay.
He eased forward to stand next to Al and in front of Sarah. She was almost his height, so they were face to face for the first time in years, and he could finally feel his breath release since he heard her voice again.
“Edward...before you get mad, just let me explain, please.” Sarah bit back her uncertainty and spoke, trying her best to look him in the eye, which she saw were narrowed and hard. “I know you told me to wait until you guys came back, but you took longer than you promised. You said we’d be able to look for the way to get our bodies back together...” Her breathing caught when she tried to steady her emotions, and she accidentally sobbed. “You didn’t come back and I thought you gave up on me getting stronger. I want to work to get us back to normal too!”
Her fears grew when Edward’s face remained unchanged by her words, and Alphonse took notice. “Cmon brother, you can't be mad at her when we did break our promise.” The younger boy said softly, voice breaking clear enough for Ed to hear.
“Don’t be mad...please. Just don’t be mad at me.” Sarah’s voice trailed off and her brother’s gloved hands caught her attention.
“You know I can’t be mad at you.” With the words lingering in her mind, Edward cupped her cheeks quickly and dragged her in for a hug. As much as he hated to cry in front of Colonel Bastard, his sister was always his exception. “I’m actually really proud of you.” He whispered, and Alphonse barely caught what he said. The taller of the blondes looked up at his body-less brother. “I’m sorry we worried you.” He assured her. Ed pulled away quickly to begin lightly scolding her. “But how could you come here alone? Do you know how dangerous that is?!”
“Ed!” The objections came from both of the younger siblings.
“You just said you weren’t mad!” Sarah defied.
Edward rolled his eyes and pouted at her. “I’m not mad! I’m your big brother, I don’t need any other reason than that to scold you!”
Colonel Mustang stood to get their attention, and he managed to get the three of them listening. “As much as I hate to interrupt this reunion, Fullmetal, I have an acquaintance within the military, an alchemist who may be able to help you with your search for the real philosopher's stone.”
“Who is he?”
-
Mustang boarded himself and the Elric Trio into the back of a military cruiser to escort them to the rather large Tucker estate. Edward was begrudgingly seated next to Roy, and Sarah took the spot next to Alphonse since she was the only one small enough to do so.
“Shou Tucker, The Sewing Life Alchemist.” The Colonel started. “Two years ago, he earned his certification by transmuting a chimera that could understand human speech.”
“Understands human speech...” Edward pondered aloud to himself, eyes blowing wide when he processed the information. “You mean it could talk?!”
“Right,” The Colonel affirmed. “It spoke, supposedly, and it only said one thing... ‘I want to die.’” His onyx eyes burned holes into the paper he was reading from. “After that, it refused to eat anything until it finally died.”
“A chimera that could talk? ” The youngest among them mused absentmindedly. “How’s that even possible?”
“Feel free to ask the guy when we get there.” Mustang smiled.
“I don’t know, Sarah. You talk, so it’s probably possible.” Edward shrugged, only earning a half-assed glare from his younger sister who feigned offense at the remark.
-
Standing at the foot of the steps to Shou Tucker’s estate gave each of the Elrics a different feeling. Edward was indifferent, Alphonse was excited, and Sarah was skittish. Something about the Chimera they read about disturbed her, but this was her first hour with her brothers, to say she was scared would make her seem like a punk.
Chimera’s shouldn’t talk...it’s impossible...they’re animals...they can’t talk...
Colonel Mustang was ringing the doorbell that hung next to the large stone entrance.
“Man, this house is huge.” Ed admires, glancing around the property. When their attention should’ve gone to the door being pushed open, it instead went to the large hound who trampled the eldest sibling. Shouts of concern erupted from the younger Elric’s and a young girl pushing open the door was noticed.
“Daddy, there are people here, come look!” The child stood at an average stature and only looked four or five years old. She had loose blue shorts, a pale red top, and two long braids in her hair.
A man appeared behind her in the doorway, seeming to be mortified by the situation. “Nina I told you to keep the dog tied up.” He chastised the girl lightly.
-
They’d all been led into the home, the living room was littered with boxed and stacks of books and papers. All alchemical research that this man—a lanky brunette with a fading hairline—had dedicated his life to. He sat them at a large dining room table, which was clean despite the surrounding mess and cobwebs, and brought out tea for them all.
“I’m sorry about this.” Shou started hesitantly. “Ever since my wife left me, things have been kind of a mess around here. I’m not much of a housekeeper.” His laugh was standoffish but understandable considering the four strangers in his home. His focus turned up to them once again. “Now that we're all comfy, I’ll say that it’s a pleasure to meet you, Edward. I’m the Sewing Life Alchemist, Shou Tucker.”
There’s something off about this guy… Am I just being paranoid?
“Ed here is interested in the field of biological alchemy, we were hoping he could study some of your notes and research.” Colonel Mustang spoke, only telling a half-lie.
“Of course, I don’t mind at all.” Tucker’s smile faded rather quickly as he fixed a glare on the blonde-haired male. “However, if you want to see some of the tricks I’ve got up my sleeve, I think it’s only fair you show me the ones up yours as well.” Edward glared right back at the man but kept his composure. “As alchemists, it’s the code we live by after all. Equivalent Exchange.” None of the other four alchemists in the room dared to speak after Tucker, but the distrust was growing with each word. “Now...why is it that you’re interested in transmuting living things?”
No…not paranoia. There’s definitely something up with him.
Mustang's defenses rose, ready to lie his way out of the reality of it all, but Edward stopped him with a raise of his right hand. “Colonel, it’s okay.” He took off his gloves slowly, moving to his jacket next. “Four years ago, we...my brother, my sister, and myself, we tried to commit human transmutation to bring back our mother who passed. For that, we paid the price.”
“You...you transmuted your mother? As an eleven-year-old child?” The disbelief in Shou Tucker’s voice told them that this wasn’t the “trick up the sleeve” that he was expecting, but he was baffled. With the young man’s jacket and gloves gone, all that remained in his upper body was a loose black tank top, showing his metal arm as evidence of the price he paid. “I see...I see what garnered you the title of the ‘Fullmetal Alchemist’...You’ve had a rough time of it for someone so young.” The last comment was made as Ed dropped back into his seat.
“I paid with my right arm and left leg, Sarah lost her hearing, and Alphonse’s whole body was taken from him.” Edward’s lips grimaced as he relived the memories of that day silently, watching as Tucker stood.
“I don’t know how much it’ll be of use to you, but you’re free to look in my laboratory if you’d like.”
No, no I would not like. Sarah’s mind objected as she stood up with the rest of them, heading towards the large, metal-reinforced double doors. The hell could be in his laboratory? What sick experiments?
Mustang stepped in first and Tucker followed, leaving the three of them to enter and explore as they wished. Chimeras screeched in cages, and jars of discolored organs lined the shelves. What caught Sarah’s attention most was a dual-headed...monkey...beaver? She didn’t know. The five-inch claws and striped fur made it hard to tell.
Edward browsed the shelves of books and notes, while Alphonse observed the rows of animal parts.
“It’s kind of embarrassing, actually.” Tucker scratched his head sheepishly. “I’m well regarded in the Chimera field, but it hasn’t been going all that well...” He set out to open another door at the back of the lab, and the opening of the doors stunned the three kids.
“This is amazing...” Sarah mused, ogling at the dozens of shelves packed with books inside the next room. She’d quite literally never been around that many at once.
“This is my library, you’re free to look as much as you all want.”
Edward hurried to stand with his siblings, excitedly pulling a book from the shelves. “Alright, let’s dive in!”
“I’ll start over here, I’ve never seen this many books before!” Al’s enthusiasm easily put Edward’s heart to rest.
Sarah was unsure about how to approach pillaging through the man’s books, but Edward’s wave and a smile pulled her out of her confusion. “Come on, Say! Pick any one!”
Returning the smile, she joined them by the shelves and perused over the titles briefly before pulling the first from the top row.
Roy looked on with a smirk, aiming a comment at Fullmetal. “I’m gonna head back to work. I’ll send someone for you tonight.” The enamored Elric siblings didn’t even reply, Mustang couldn’t help but smile.
“They’ve got quite the focus, I’m sure they don’t even remember we’re here.” The brown-haired man cut in. “Quite a catch these kids are, a trio of prodigies.” He admired.
-
Alphonse was breezing through a book, several shelves away from where his siblings were surrounded by hardback volumes of studies on the floor when he saw a head peeking around the side of the shelf. The head retreated once the child that owned it realized Alphonse saw her. The head poked around again to check on him, and Al decided to talk.
“Well hi there, your name’s Nina, right?” If he could, he’d smile, so he just ramped up the happiness in his voice to sound more welcoming. The young girl nodded again and an idea popped into the teen’s head. “Would you wanna play with me a bit?” Before the moment passed, the toddler found herself on his shoulders, almost being able to touch the ceiling at his height.
The oldest boy had heard the commotion that Nina’s shouts of joy caused and stood to investigate, knowing Sarah would follow. “Al! You’re supposed to be reading, what are you doing?” Ed shouted, a hand resting on his hip.
Alphonse stopped moving sheepishly and laughed. “Nina looked like she wanted to play.”
“We’re not here to play, Alphonse! We’re here to get information on the stone!” The eldest Elric stressed.
Sarah fawned at the younger girl who occupied her armored brother’s back. “You can’t blame him, Ed. She’s too cute!”
Edward wanted to snap back at her, but the three of them stared at him expectantly. “Fine, alright! We can take a break with the kid!”
-
Sarah eventually knocked out with her head in Edward’s lap. She’d been reading so much that half of the shelf was gone. Her notes were strewn about as well. He covered her with his red coat, and kept on his reading, occasionally checking in on her. Around ten that night, however, Edward quit trying to focus and instead looked at the tired girl.
He took in her features solemnly. Her chubby cheeks were becoming less chubby, her hair was longer, she was taller... ‘Of course, she’s grown since you left her, she can’t wait forever.’ Granny must’ve bought her this outfit as well. He was tired and confused, and frustrated. Of course, Sarah wanted to come with them, but was it really a good idea? They’re never in the same city for long, they travel a lot without rest, and they’re in constant danger, pulling Sarah into all that just wasn’t right.
‘But pushing her away to keep her safe only puts her in more danger.’
Edward’s thoughts ceased and he silently decided to shake his sister awake. She looked confused and tired when she opened her eyes, only sitting up to face him. “Hey, kid.” He whispered, arm slung around her shoulders as she pulled the coat closer around her.
“M’ sleepy, brother.”
Incessantly, Edward ushered her head to look over at him while he spoke. “C’mon, you just got back. I wanna talk to you.” Stubborn as ever, Sarah sat up fully, turning to rest her left side on the bookshelf as she glared up at her brother. “Why’d you come here? You know how dangerous it is.”
Sarah thought of her answer carefully, willing her own eyes to close once more. “It just wasn’t fair.” She mumbled out the words, feeling fatigue tug at her again before Edward shook her. “You’re so strong...Al is so strong. And you’ve both been getting even stronger since you left.” Edward slowly began to understand her motivations, and he felt terrible. “I guess...just wanted to be strong too...” She was fading from consciousness with each word, and he tried to draw her back with a hand on her shoulder, so she opened her eyes. “Didn’t wanna keep being left behind...And I missed you guys a lot.”
The older of them reached out, flicking the center of her forehead as payback, only speaking when she opened her eyes. “You know it’s rude to fall asleep when someone is talking to you?” The words were thrown out lightly with a laugh, and Sarah whined, pouncing on his legs with an annoyed huff.
“You know it’s rude to wake a sleeping person?”
Edward rested his metal hand on Sarah’s head. “Don’t think you aren’t strong just because of that.” Sarah’s annoyed look faded at his words then. “We didn’t leave you because you weren’t strong, kid. You’re too strong, ya’know? The things that we do and see...they’re hard to deal with sometimes. Knowing you, you’d deal with it too well because you wouldn’t want to burden us. Because you’re too strong.”
She failed at biting back a yawn when it came, patting his arm sleepily. “Okay m’ strong, but m’ still tired.” He could tell she was just agreeing for the hell of it, so he took one of her braids in his hand.
“You still got your strong, and it’s even longer than mine...” Edward complimented, now pulling her down to lay her head on his chest. “You can sleep now.” He turned his attention back to his book, reading through the next chapter of his book. Mindlessly murmuring the philosophies aloud, knowing the hum of his heartbeat and the thrum of his voice in his chest would help her rest. When Alphonse found them close to an hour later, arms overflowing with books, Edward looked up at him sadly. “Hey Al.”
“Why the long face, brother?” The younger asked, sitting next to him.
“I decided what I’m gonna do,” Edward spoke slowly, unconsciously petting his sister’s head. “She can stay for the week we’re here, but once it’s over, I’m gonna send her back to Resembool.”
The brothers spent the rest of the night inspecting the books, thinking to have been content with the minimal time they had with her.
When Sarah woke up, she couldn’t find her brothers anywhere in the library. She reshelved the books that the three of them had taken down and headed out into the empty main house. It took her a few minutes to register that they weren’t around, and she peeked out the window facing the front lawn. The two were spotted, playing with Nina and Alexander.
Wasting no time, she bounded in, jumping on top of Alexander, who had been crushing her eldest brother already. The five of them wrestled, chased each other, and played a game of ‘Keep the ball on the Edward’.
For a few careless minutes, Sarah remembered what it felt like to be a normal kid. She let herself daydream of what would've happened if Father never left. Maybe they’d all have another younger sibling, or maybe they would've never tried to bring mom back.
After a while of this, a black military cruiser pulled up to the house, and Lieutenant Havoc stepped out, waving to them all.
“Evening Lieutenant!” She called out.
Nina hated to see them go, she was always so lonely, but the three of them swore they'd be back tomorrow to study and play.
Notes:
SOOOOO, I'm back and fixing my 2020 writing mistakes! The nice reviews mean so much but WOW I was not a great writer back then. WHY DID Y'ALL LIE TO AVOID HURTING MY FEELINGS!
Chapter 2: One Step Ahead
Summary:
Though they don't know it, The Elric Trio arrives at the Tucker residence for the final time. They're introduced to the Sewing Life Alchemist's newest experiment, and their hearts break.
While taking a breather, Sarah is attacked by an unknown assailant, who mistakes her for the Fullmetal Alchemist and nearly loses her life multiple times.
Notes:
Forgive me for what I'm about to do here, guys. Sarah will be fine...maybe...
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"Text" - Normal Speech
'Text' - Sign Language
"Text" - Speech and Sign Language
"Text" - Speech Over Phone
'Text' - Thoughts
As the sun rose, the ever-eager Elrics were already awaiting their ride to the Tucker residence, courtesy of Master Sargent Furey.
Sariah was an inch away from the door when an arm yanked her back. She looked to see Ed, pointing at her ears.
“It looks like it’s about to rain.” He warned.
Say nodded and unhooked her hearing aids from her ears, placing them in the metal, waterproof box that she had to carry around.
The clouds bubbled over and spewed rain down onto the three as Alphonse knocked on the door. They waited for any noise, or movement in the dark home, but when nothing came, the trio reluctantly entered the home.
“Mr. Tucker? We're here to study again!” Edward called out when he pushed open the door.
Alphonse could hear the floor creak under his weight. “Nina?”
Edward shuffled to the large doors to Tucker’s laboratory and pushed them open, the sunlight from the living room flooding the dark laboratory. They saw Shou Tucker, kneeling in the center of the room next to a large chimera. Its white fur-covered body was blanketed by soft, almost familiar brown hair. Its eyes were empty, white voids that she couldn’t bear to meet.
Sariah watched as her brothers stepped forward in awe, watching the chimera’s mouth move. “Nina?” Her voice was barely above a breath, but the creature looked over at her.
The air in the room was suddenly too thick. Edward’s eyes were squinted with confusion, he couldn’t hear what she’d said, so he focused on the reaction his sister just got from the chimera.
“Mr. Tucker, when did you say your wife left you?” She tried to stop her voice from quivering.
Through his thick glasses, the older alchemist glanced over at her. “Let's see, it should be about two years ago now.”
Alphonse pet the fluffy white coat of the chimera. “Sarah, why would you ask something like that?”
“And you got your state certification around the same time as well, right?”
Edward tried to understand her line of questioning, trying to understand what Tucker’s wife could have to do with it.
“Okay…So just tell me one more thing.” Sarah’s eyes darkened as she took a few steps closer to the man, maybe hoping to intimidate him, or look into his eyes to tell if he was lying, she’s not really sure. “Nina and Alexander, where are they?”
The answer to Sarah’s theory was obvious by his reaction. Tucker immediately stiffened up, trying to think of some way to lie his way out of this.
Edward was trembling as he rose to his feet, but within a second, he had Tucker pinned to the wall. Sarah didn’t know what he was saying before the first punch was thrown, but she could see the blood trailing down the older man’s face. Ed’s fist landed again. Then his foot. And his fist. And then his fist again, until finally, Sarah knew he was going to kill him if he didn't stop.
“Ed that’s enough!” She lunged forward and grabbed her brother’s fist midair, but he wrenched himself from her hold, knocking her down to the floor in the process, but she didn’t let up. The younger blonde shoved her way between Tucker and her brother, not realizing that Ed’s grip on the man’s shirt was the only thing holding him up.
“Don’t!” Alphonse had to jump in to catch Edward’s fist to avoid it landing on their sister’s face.
The eldest sibling paused, his head finally catching up to his body.
____
Once the military was called, their arrival was swift, and Al did his best to keep his siblings away from Tucker.
The sickening feeling finally caught up to Sarah, she felt like she was going to vomit. The chimera that used to be Nina and her beloved dog stared at her, attempting to nudge her hand several times, but every time it approached, Sarah fled. The one time it did outsmart her though, it nuzzled its head to Sarah’s dangling hand. She couldn’t hold it back anymore. Whatever she had for dinner last night, and the oats and tea she had for breakfast this morning were emptied onto the floor.
“Say maybe you should sit down.” Alphonse fretted, patting her back while she retched. Both of her brothers were aware she had a weak stomach in general
Sarah steadied herself with a few breaths and quickly turned. “No, no I need some air.”
Alphonse tapped her shoulder. “Do you want me to go with you?”
Shaking her head, Sariah headed for the door, running outside quickly. It was getting harder and harder to breathe. The rain soaked her yet again, helping to relieve some of the pressure from her chest.
A walk. She just needed to clear her head. She knew her brothers dealt with fucked up things during their travels, but this?
How could a father do this to his child? A husband to his wife? Maybe she didn’t know much about fathers and husbands, but there's just no way this was anything good.
She didn’t know how long she’d been walking. She didn’t notice the set of eyes watching her, taking note of the braids in her hair, and the red serpents cross on her black coat. She couldn’t hear the words they spoke to her, but she could feel the rumbling of the earth below her being deconstructed, and she jumped out of the way just in time. Panic flooded her and she flipped around, trying to find her surprise attacker.
“Who’s there?” She hollered, catching a shadow approaching her.
When the attacker was finally brought into the light, she saw a brown-skinned man, wearing a yellow jacket and tinted glasses. Nothing this strange man said registered to her.
“Who are you?” She asked, trying to think of a plan. “What do you want from me?”
“Woman or not, I want you to pay for your crimes against God, Fullmetal Alchemist.”
Panic flooded her. Whoever this man was, was going to kill her, thinking she was Ed. She couldn’t admit to being his sister without this maniac going after her brothers, so she only had one option. “I can’t understand you, I don’t think I’m who you’re looking for.” She tried to play dumb.
She’s never been in a real battle. She’s never had someone look at her with such murderous intent, but there didn’t seem to be a way out of this. She clapped her hands together and pressed them to the wall of the nearest home, creating a large wall between the man and herself.
It was broken through like paper. The strange man charged at her, hand surrounded with crackling electricity. Sariah swept his legs out from under him and transmuted the ground to lift her. She watched his hand connect with her pillar, destroying it and watching her fall.
She connected to the ground with a hard thud, the wind being knocked out of her lungs. Her attempt to get up was foiled by him stepping on her coat to trip her, and before she could stop him, his hand was on the back of her head, and she felt the warmth of the electricity almost forcing her to pass out.
She could feel the scream she couldn’t stop. It felt like she was about to explode. And then all of a sudden, it stopped. The man backed away while Sarah caught her breath.
“How is this possible? How are you still alive?”
A metal spear flying at the assailant’s head stopped her from answering.
“Get away from her!”
She saw Alphonse and Edward both running towards them.
Glad they noticed the ruckus, Sarah shakily stood, ready for the fight ahead, but Edward ran in front of her to cut her off.
“Say, what’s happening? Who is this guy?” Alphonse asked, squaring himself.
“I don’t know, but he called me ‘Fullmetal Alchemist’ before he attacked me. Ed he thinks I’m you, he wants to kill you.”
Ed nodded, looking over her quickly, “Did he hurt you?”
“I’ll manage, brother. But he's so fast. Everything I transmute is gone before I can make an attack.”
“So you’re looking for Fullmetal?” Edward growled. “Well you got him right here, she’s got nothing to do with it!”
“Ah, so you’re the Fullmetal Alchemist, I would apologize for the confusion but I don’t think it would matter.” The stranger spoke. “But, that doesn’t change the outcome on this night. The Fullmetal Alchemist will die.”
“What did I ever do to you? I’ve never met you!”
“You are an Alchemist who has defied god by acting as a war puppet for your corrupt military. And for that, you will suffer.”
The fight was three on one, it should’ve been an easy win, but it was so far from that. The Elrics tried, but Ed’s automail was taken out by the assailant, and the younger two had to fend him off. Soon after, he was able to touch Alphonse’s armor, and half of him exploded to bits.
“Alphonse?!”
____
Sarah was alone again. She was alone against this skilled assassin. Both her brothers were incapacitated. She knew they were saying things to her, but if she looked at them to try to understand, she’d be trapped. It was all she could do just to keep him away from Edward. He wasn’t going for her head anymore, so she could tell he wasn’t trying to kill her, just temporarily cripple her, so she played that to her gain.
The moment he collapsed the ground below her to trap her, she transmuted the rubble into uneven blocks and destroyed the ground below him. She used her moment of freedom to seal up the hole. Her feet moved at an incredible pace to make it to Alphonse. Ed was alive, she could see him moving, but Alphonse hadn’t yet. “Brother! Answer me please!” She removed the head of the armor quickly to see that his blood seal remained intact and felt immense relief when she saw his hand move.
“I’m okay, Say, but you’ve gotta get out of here! He’ll kill us all!”
“Not happening, I’ll be okay, none of us are dying!” Sarah felt the ground below her quake, and she knew she was out of time, she had to get back to make sure she guarded Ed.
As soon as she arrived, she built a wall to protect him as she dodged attacks from the man. She’d soon regret that wall when she was thrown into and through it tumbling and skidding back onto the concrete. She recovered quickly and darted around the remains and sent a barrage of the broken pieces at her attacker.
“This is getting annoying, if you refuse to get out of my way then you leave me no choice!” He roared. “Your brothers will watch you die, then the state alchemist will suffer the same fate.”
“No! Please let her go!” Edward screamed, using his flesh arm to try and crawl towards her. Rain and tears streamed down his face as he screamed. “If you want to kill me, kill me but please let my siblings go!”
The attacker jumped forward, he held her down with his left hand and laid his right on her head. He attempted to rupture her brain again, but just like before, her screams didn’t stop.
“Sarah!”
“Please let her go!” Alphonse pleaded.
“Please!”
The bang of a bullet being fired from a pistol stopped everything, even the assassination attempt as it pierced through the man’s stomach, and sent him flying off of Sarah.
The Elrics looked over to see Colonel Mustang, standing with his crew and a dozen more military officers, and Lieutenant Hawkeye with her gun extended. “Don’t move, or the next one goes in your head.”
When the shock settled, Major Armstrong stepped in to begin battle with the strange assailant, but Edward couldn’t see Sarah moving. “Sarah! Someone, please help her!”
Havoc and Breda rushed to Sarah’s side fearing the worst but were relieved to see she was alive. Sweat covered, shaking, and on the brink of passing out, but alive.
“Kid, are you okay?” Jean asked, helping her sit up, immediately regretting it when she threw up on his shoes.
“I’m sorry, my head is spinnies.” She said weakly, trying to keep herself steady when she stood. “That guy is too strong and too fast, even all three of us didn’t even stand a chance.”
“You shouldn’t be standing, I don't know why he didn’t kill you, but he damn well did some kinda damage.” Lieutenant Breda said, trying to grab her shoulder but she shrugged him off.
She tried to force herself to stand, but every fiber in her body felt as if it was on fire. Too much was happening at once, and before she could see what was going on, the concrete below them shook, and the swarm of soldiers around her stopped moving. Everything was so hazy that she couldn't find it in her to focus on the scene.
While the MP’s tended to Sarah, Edward made his way over to Alphonse’s broken form. “Al, I’m so sorry.” He sighed.
Sarah was drained, but once she caught sight of Edward hobbling over to Alphonse’s immobile body, she was filled with a burst of energy. “Edward Elric you idiot!” She bolted forward, sending a kick straight to his head.
“Hey, what was that for?!” Ed screamed, blocking another kick from her with his only arm.
“You think I don’t know what you said to him?!” She followed up with a punch to his jaw. “Don’t you ever just give up on living just because you think Al and I are going to die. Sarah berated. “You moron! I don’t care what kind of danger we’re all in, we should never stop fighting!”
Edward looked up, expecting another punch, but being greeted by tears cascading messily down Sarah’s face. “Kid…”
“Surviving is all we can do, brother.” Alphonse’s pained voice cried. “No matter what happens to us you can still live on, and learn as much as you can about alchemy. You can help people!” He grabbed hold of Edward’s tank top to bring him closer. “What makes you think we’d let you give up your life and choose a meaningless death?”
Before the younger siblings could continue their verbal and physical assaults, Alphonse’s arm made a disturbing creaking noise before falling from his body, releasing his older brother from his hold.
“Oh great! And now my arm’s come off because my brother’s a big, fat idiot!”
“We’re really falling apart, aren’t we?” Edward hung his head in shame.
“But we’re alive.” Sarah released a heavy breath, one that weighed down on her heart and she rested her head on Ed’s shoulder.
“Yeah, we are.” He sighed, listening to her soft breathing.
The duo of blonde lieutenants came up to the siblings, and draped their coats over the human bodied Elrics. “Let’s get you guys to the hospital.” Havoc said.
Notes:
For anyone reading, if anyone does read stories under this show tag, I'm so excited!! Ling will be introduced soon!! Thank you so much for reading!!
Chapter 3: Pain and Pancakes
Summary:
The Elric Trio recoups after the attack by Scar, and the stubborn older brother is forced to make a decision regarding the safety of their baby sister.
Chapter Text
"Text" - Normal Speech
'Text' - Sign Language
"Text" - Speech and Sign Language
"Text" - Speech Over Phone
'Text' - Thoughts
Tearing her eyes open, Sarah was met with the immediate urge to crawl under her blankets.
“Hey now,” Havoc walked over to her bedside and tugged the cover away so she could see his face. “You can’t run away just when I thought we’d have some company around here.”
Sarah peeked around the room in search of one of her brothers, her face immediately falling when she saw Alphonse’s head resting on top of a wooden crate. “Alphonse!” She shot out of the bed, too fast for Havoc or Hawkeye to grab her, and knelt beside him.
With his one mobile hand, Alphonse signed sloppily. “I’m so glad you’re okay, Say.”
“I’m so sorry, brother.” Sarah tucked stray hairs behind her ear, wincing in pain. “I’ll get you fixed up.” She looked around the small hospital room until she found her bag resting on the bedside table. She made great efforts to stand, but toppled over.
Riza grabbed the younger girl by her shoulders to keep her steady. “What do you need? We’ll get it for you.”
“My ba-bag.” Sarah asked weakly, pointing in its direction.
Lieutenant Havoc snatched the bag off the table and presented it to the girl.
Sarah fumbled through her possessions to pull out a box of chalk, scooting backwards on the floor to give herself room, she began sketching out the complex transmutation circle that was permanently burned into her mind.
Piece by piece, the officers helped her unpack Alphonse’s armor and lay him in the circle. Her hands clapped together and pressed onto the cool floor. Electricity surrounded them and the pieces began to mold together into the familiar armor of her brother.
When she was finished, Alphonse jumped up happily, embracing his sister. “Thank you, Say!” He signed once he set her down. A giant smile was plastered on his sister’s face, her hair fell all over her shoulders, and it seemed like she grew a whole foot since they left. ‘You’ve gone and gotten so big since the last time we saw you.’
‘Really? I thought you looked smaller since I saw you last.’ Sarah snorted quietly while she signed.
“Hey!” Alphonse gasped jokingly. ‘You know it’s because you’re taller.’
‘Or, maybe it’s because you and Ed are shrinking. Karma for forgetting about me!’
Alphonse laughed loudly. ‘Say, you know we didn’t forget about you, right.’
Sarah shrugged in dismissal. “Three years without even a single letter made it pretty clear.”
‘I’m serious.’ He flicked her on the forehead. ‘There’s not a day we didn’t think about coming back and bringing you along with us, but we were always so terrified of this!’ Al gestured to her bandaged head and arms. ‘Ed and I would never be able to forgive ourselves if you were seriously hurt—or worse.”
The youngest sibling rolled her eyes. “And what do you think would happen to me if one of you got hurt?!” Alphonse was taken aback by her sudden outburst. “You and Edward always forget that we mourned mom together, we trained together, we opened the portal together. We suffered together. Getting our bodies back should be something we do together!” Her anger gave her enough energy to stand, fists balled up at her side. “Town rumors were the only way I had a clue if you guys were okay. Do you know how many days I waited for a call or a letter to tell me if you were even alive?”
“I’m sorry, Say. We never thought of it that way…” Alphonse went still. She was right and he knew it, but convincing Edward wasn’t going to be as easy as this. “We only ever wanted to protect you.”
“You assholes…At one point, I had convinced myself that granny told you two I was dead, because that was the only way you wouldn’t have come back for me…” Sarah trailed off, suddenly remembering they weren’t alone. She let out a heavy sigh. “Where’s our idiot brother anyway? Is he okay?”
“They put him in a different room because he’s a boy.”
“Can we go see him?”
——
Ed was beginning to lose his temper stuck in a room with Breada and the Colonel. A knock at the door caught his attention, and relief flooded him when he saw a fully restored Alphonse carrying their younger sister into the room.
“Hi brother!” Sarah chirped. Alphonse set her down on the bed next to Ed.
“Hey, how’s your head?” Edward asked, examining the burns on her ears and neck.
“Spinny.” Sarah sighed, cuddling up to Edward’s side. “Eyes are still fuzzy, but otherwise fine.”
“Still, you did a good job fixing Al up.” Ed smiled in appraisal. “The colonel and I were just talking about arranging a train ride back to Resembool once we’re out of here.”
An unpleasant look crossed Sarah’s face at the news, her hands traveled up to cover her ears. “Winry’s gonna rip out my ports when she sees what happened…”
“She’s not gonna do anything to you, she’ll be too busy killing me and Al!” Edward sobbed, clinging to his armored brother for dear life. “It was nice knowing you, little brother.”
“Don’t you start crying! You’re supposed to be the strong one!” Alphonse wailed.
“At least you won’t be able to feel it when she kills you!” Edward shook his younger brother’s head furiously. “She’s gonna beat me to death!”
A knock at the door interrupted the duo’s sob fest. A nurse entered the room, cautiously, sending a soft glare once her eyes landed on Sarah. “Miss Elric you’re in no condition to be out of bed!”
“I am in bed!” Sarah defended.
“I mean your own bed, in your assigned room, resting properly.” The woman set a tray of bandages down on the bedside table.
“There’s a second bed over there, if you reassigned me to this room, I would be fine.”
Rolling her eyes in defeat, the brunette turned her attention to the eldest brother. “Mr. Elric, I need to change your bandages.” She patted the part of the bed that was unoccupied.
Obediently, Ed hopped up on the bed and presented his head to the woman. She was quick about removing his old bandages and cleaning the cut on his forehead, before replacing them with fresh ones.
“Now you need to come with me back to your own room.” She took a hold of Sarah’s uninjured arm and tugged her towards the door.
“No, I want to stay with Ed!” Sarah pulled against the woman in refusal. “I feel better here.”
Lieutenant Breda came around to her side to try to get her to leave the room in an effort to assist the nurses.
“If you try to move me I will bite you.” Sarah threatened, glaring at his offending hand. “I’m not leaving.”
“Yeah she’s not kidding.” Alphonse laughed sheepishly.
Breda recoiled in surprise, and watched as the girl climbed under the blankets to hide from the blinding lights.
“She’s fine where she is.” Ed sighed, laying a hand on her back and waving off the nurse. “I’m her guardian, so she’s allowed to stay with me if she wants.”
Sighing, the woman made a note on the clipboard in her hand, and took her exit.
Once the door closed, the older blonde patted his hand up and down on his sister’s back to get her attention. Sarah peeked out from under the blanket and looked around the room anxiously.
Al waved to grab both of their attention. “If you’re gonna stay in here I’ll go get your stuff from your room. And it’s breakfast time so I’ll see what they’re serving downstairs. Ed, you two need to talk.”
“Thanks brother!” Sarah grinned while Ed nodded in thanks.
“Could you guys leave us alone for a while, we’ll be fine.” Ed directed his question to the officers once Alphonse had left.
“We’ll be right outside.” The colonel warned, still unsure how the sibling’s relationship would be after three years apart.
Edward pulled the covers off of Sarah—who already started to drift off—and tapped on her head to get her attention. She looked up groggily, and smiled. “I’m sorry you got hurt, kid, I never should’ve let you wander off on your own.”
“It’s not your fault, brother. Besides, I’m okay. ” Sarah sighed. She turned over to push her face into his chest. “Please don’t make me go back, I don’t wanna keep living without you guys.”
A wave of guilt flashed over Edward’s face. Was he that obvious?
“Al told me that you wanted to send me back to granny soon. Please don’t, I wanna help you guys get your bodies back.”
Ed frowned, pushing her face up to look at him. “When we get the philosopher’s stone, we’re going to get your hearing back too.” He promised. “It was sheer luck that he didn’t kill you. If you didn’t have those metal implants, he would’ve ruptured your brain.”
“I’ll be more careful now, brother. I promise, you don’t know what it was like.” Tears pricked at her eyes. “I know I had Winry and Granny, but all those years, I felt so alone. I know you guys were just trying to protect me, but I just can’t live like that again.”
“I’m sorry, Say. We were never trying to hurt you, but I thought about it. You protected me and Al, and fought alongside us when I told you to run.” Edward sighed at the guilty look on her face. “You’re just like the both of us. How can I send you back knowing you did what either of us would’ve done?”
The biggest smile overtook Sarah’s face then. “So I can stay?!”
“Yeah yeah, Say. You can stay.”
Sarah lunged at him, spewing out a million different “thank you’s”. She was practically buzzing. “And I promise I won’t go off on my own again, I’ll be more careful now!”
“I know you will.” Ed sighed. But still, I’ll always protect you. Went unsaid.
A knock at the door caught the older brother’s attention.
“They're having pancakes!” Alphonse announced upon entering the room.
‘Pancakes.’ Edward signed for Sarah when he saw Al’s hands were full.
The girl's eyes brightened immediately. This is what she’s been dreaming of.
Notes:
Yes Ling is still going to be heavily involved in this story, but the Elric Trio has a lot of shit they need to work through, he’s coming soon, don’t worry.
Chapter 4: we’ve already been through hell
Summary:
Hidden anxieties slowly bubble up to the surface as the Elric Trio adjusts to life together once they’re reunited. Inside the fifth laboratory, more danger awaits.
Chapter Text
"Text" - Normal Speech
'Text' - Sign Language
"Text" - Speech and Sign Language
"Text" - Speech Over Phone
'Text' - Thoughts
“Ed, wake up!” Sarah shook him where he laid beside her. He was tossing and turning, sweating bullets, and mumbling something in his sleep. He startled awake after a moment, breathing heavily. His hands gripped the blanket in a vice, vision splitting despite his best efforts to calm himself.
“Hey.” Sarah’s voice flooded his ears. “You’re okay, brother.” She laid her hand on his head and pushed the sweaty bangs away from his forehead. “Do you wanna talk about it?”
“Not really, no.” Edward sat up, pushing the blanket off of him. He snagged the hair tie from his wrist and pulled his hair into a ponytail. He leaned against the wall to cool down slightly.
Sariah scooted next to him. “Come on, you always tell me it helps to talk about it.”
Ed resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Sometimes I get scared that you and Al hate me—or you eventually will.” Why was he even saying this to her? “After everything I’ve put you two through, there’s just a gaping hole in my chest whenever I think about it.” A shaky breath escaped him as he finally closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s my fault Al can’t eat, or sleep, or feel…it’s my fault you can’t hear, that you get so sick…I’ve caused you guys so much pain.”
Sarah wrapped her arms around him, clutching him tighter when he froze up. “I love you, brother. I don’t blame you for what happened, and I’m positive Al doesn’t either. We all tried to bring mom back.” She pulled away to cup his cheeks. “Stop blaming yourself.” Her thumbs wiped away the streaks of tears. Sarah wiggled her fingers into his side to try to earn a smile out of him, and he pushed her hands away with a chuckle.
“You’re such an idiot.” He pulled her closer and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Go back to bed.”
Eventually, Sarah did, but Edward laid awake for another hour, he just couldn’t bring himself to sleep. His brain focused on the way Sarah’s mouth stayed open slightly when she breathed, each breath pushing air between her exposed teeth forcing a soft whistle out. She was definitely taller than before, but she still weighed about the same. He’s gonna have to yell at her to make sure she’s eating enough.
——
A knock on the train window caught the group’s attention. Ed slid open the window to greet Maes Hughes. “I was hoping I’d catch you before you took off, I never got to formally introduce myself to your sister!”
Edward rolled his eyes and stepped aside, “Say, this is Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes, he works with Colonel Mustang. ”
“Hi Lieutenant Hughes.” Sarah waved to him with a smile, releasing a confused yelp when his arm shot through the window to shake her hand roughly.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sarah. I’ll admit, I was glad to hear these two had a sister to keep them in check.” Hughes laughed lightly.
“Hey, watch it!” Ed frowned.
“Anyway, the folks at Central Command couldn’t make it down here, so I came to see you off, and as per orders, Major Armstrong will be joining you, for protection.”
Edward’s face immediately fell, Sarah giggled in amusement watching Ed struggle for air once Major Armstrong sat next to him. He was essentially being pinned to the wall.
The train horn sounded, signaling the preparation for take off. “You all have a safe trip! Stop in and give me a shout the next time you make it to central!”
The four of them faced the Lieutenant Colonel, each saluting him as the train took off.
“You know you two don’t have to salute him, right?” Edward sighed, cracking his neck.
“I know brother, but he’s a nice guy, I don’t wanna disrespect him.” Alphonse shrugged shyly.
‘I’m going to get something from the dining car, do you two want anything?’ She stood, fishing through Edward’s satchel for money.
Ed took the hint and nodded toward the Major. “She’s asking if you want anything to eat.”
“Oh, no thank you, young Miss Elric.” The Major…she couldn’t tell if he was smiling, his face was confusing, his mustache mostly covered his mouth.
“Runt, you’re not even gonna ask before you take money?” Edward huffed, stealing her seat once she stood.
She thought about throwing a short joke back at him, but ended up just glaring at him jokingly. “Three years.” Stuffing the money in her pocket, she grabbed her book and pushed the curtain aside to leave. The path to the dining car was clear, save for the kicking legs of a child to her left, and the cane of an elderly man.
She slid into an empty booth, and looked over the menu for a moment, not noticing the server that walked up to her.
“Hello Miss, what can I get for you?”
Lost in the maze of her mind, Sarah’s eyes zoned in on the drink menu, coffees, teas, lemonades and the like.
“Ma’am? Are you alright?” A tentative hand laid on Sarah’s shoulder, bringing a violent jolt out of her. Her head whipped around to lay eyes on the blonde woman next to her. “Are you alright, honey?”
“I’m so sorry,” Sarah rushed to scribble in her book.
“One peach lemonade, and one piece of apple pie? Coming right up, sweetie.” She copied the order into her notepad. “Can I get you anything else?”
Smiling, Sarah shook her head. “Thank you.” She said quietly.
Returning the smile, the older woman walked over to put the order into the kitchen.
Sarah allowed herself to doodle away in her book to occupy herself until her drink and dessert was set in front of her.
“You enjoy, sweetie.”
——
Concern ate away at Edward when Sarah didn’t return within twenty minutes.
“I’m sure she’s fine Ed, she probably just wants to be alone.” Alphonse said when Edward stood to leave.
Edward hummed, but still walked out of their section and towards the dining cart. As clingy as she’s been, wanting to be alone just doesn’t make much sense. Not for a good reason, at least. Entering his destination, his heart sank once he saw his sister, sitting alone in the farthest booth, making no move to enjoy the treat in front of her. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she clutched her pen so hard he thought it would break. He sat next to her carefully, but that didn’t stop her from flinching away. “Hey, relax, it’s just me.” He rubbed her arm softly.
“I’m sorry, brother…I thought I was hungry…” Sarah didn’t even finish her sentence. “I just thought about Nina and that guy…if you and Al hadn’t found me in time-” A choked sob cut her off.
“Don’t think like that, Say.” Edward scooted closer to her, and she immediately fell onto his hold.
Her fists pounded weakly on his chest in anguish. “I-I was so scared. I…I never…”
Ed rubbed soft circles on her back, pausing to wipe the tears from her cheeks. “I’m sorry, kid. I’ll do a better job protecting you from here on out.” Glancing at the pie, Edward used the fork to scoop up a piece and bring it to Sarah’s mouth.
Reluctantly, the girl accepted the bite, the taste helping to distract her. “That's a really good pie.” She mumbled, wiping her nose on her sleeve.
“Is it?” Ed laughed softly, stealing a piece for himself. “Yeah it is.”
“I never said you can have some.” Sarah rolled her eyes, pushing herself off of him. She grabbed her glass and took a sip, sniffling once she was done. She welcomed the next bite of pie that was offered to her.
The fork was laid down on the plate so Ed could sign. “I’ll never let anything happen to you.”
——
Sarah now sat next to the Major, her legs crossed comfortably on the seat, a book resting in her lap. She was reading quietly, happily answering all the burly man’s questions when he tapped on her shoulder shyly.
While he was looking over her shoulder, the large alchemist noticed a familiar face pass by at the train station they pulled into. “Dr. Marcoh?!” He leaned over the seat to shove his head out the window. “Dr. Marcoh that is you, isn’t it?!”
The man who turned to face him had a look of horror on his face, before doing a full 180 degree turn and bolting away.
“Hey, Major Armstrong, sir, you’re crushing my sister!” Alphonse warned, tugging on Sarah’s arm to help release her.
“Oh dear!” Alex backed away, laughing heartily at the gasp the girl dragged out. “Forgive me, Young Sarah.”
“That’s okay, sir, but who’s that man? He didn’t look too happy to see you .” Sarah sighed, fixing her hair.
Armstrong stared sadly in the direction the man ran off in. “He’s a talented state alchemist from central. He was a leader in the applications of alchemy in the medical field, but after the ishvalan war, he vanished.”
Looking around carefully, Edward jumped out of his seat, grabbing Sarah’s wrist. “Let’s go, guys. A guy like that oughta know a few things about bio Alchemy.”
The young alchemist stopped several people to ask about the doctor, and Major Armstrong drew a detailed sketch of the man’s face to assist them. Apparently they’re searching for a Dr. Mauro, not the most clever alias he could use, but at least the people they talked to gave them an address.
The two smaller blondes jogged up the stairs first, and Sarah pulled the door open to help her one armed brother.
“Hello, Dr. Mar-” Before she could finish, the barrel of a gun was shoved in her face, and Edward barely had time to pull her away before the gun fired. He shoved her behind Alphonse defensively.
“Alright why are the four of you here? Have you come to take me back?!”
“Doctor, please calm down.” Alex urged, holding out his hands in a placating manner.
“I don’t ever want to go back, anything but that! I’d rather die!” The man swiveled on his heel to aim the gun at the Major now.
“That’s not it at all, please just listen.”
Their words were proving to be useless, so Alphonse stepped forward to physically restrain the man and took possession of his weapon. “We’re not here on Military business, sir, we’re hoping you can tell us more about your research.”
——
“This is the devil’s research. To pursue the philosopher’s stone is to submit yourself to endure hell!”
“We’ve already been through hell!”
The harsh lip movements replayed in Sarah’s mind again and again while she walked down the long dirt path leading to the Rockbell Automail Shop.
At least he gave them a clue to find his research, but maybe the good doctor was right…how much more would this cost them?
Den pouncing on Edward in excitement caught her attention and earned a soft laugh from her. “Hi granny!” Sarah chirped.
Pinako smiled, shaking Major Armstrong’s hand. “I know I haven’t seen you in a while, Ed, but you’ve gone and grown smaller. Give it a few weeks and Sarah’ll make you look like the youngest sibling.
Sarah released a snort, unable to stifle her laugh.
“Granny, you've got it all wrong.” Ed said through clenched teeth. “You’re supposed to say, ‘Look at how big you’ve gotten lately, Ed.”
“Why would I say something so clearly untrue?”
“I’m still taller than you, you mini-hag!”
A glint of metal in the air caught Edward’s attention, but he wasn’t fast enough to dodge the wrench that collided with his skull.
“Edward Elric it’s been three days since Sarah got to you, what exactly have you idiots done?!”
The rage in Winry’s eyes made Sarah immediately seek protection behind Major Armstrong.
Once they were all settled into the home and welcomed with tea, Sarah unraveled the cloth that held all the destroyed pieces of Ed’s arm and presented it to the older girl. Winry released a demonic screech that Sarah was honestly glad she couldn’t hear.
“Oh yeah, it’s a little banged up.” Edward laughed, sipping on the tea granny provided.
Winry’s dark aura slipped off of her in waves, and Sarah flinched when the older girl turned to face her. “And why are you not wearing your aids? Let me see.” Her expression softened considerably.
Sarah pushed her braids back to expose her ears. “The aids are okay, but I got a little burned and haven’t put them back in yet.”
The mechanic gasped, examining the injuries closer. “Sarah, what could have even caused this?”
The younger blonde froze, glancing at Edward in a panic, searching for help with an answer. “Um…”
Due to the failed answer, the blue eyed girl threw a punch at each of the Elrics. “You idiots! All you ever do is worry me!”
——
As promised, three all nighters later, Edward’s arm and leg were both attached and connected to his nerves.
That night, Edward laid on his old bed, snoring loudly with his head laid in Sarah’s lap. She refused to sleep yet. She wouldn’t be left behind again. The youngest two Elrics were silently sharing stories of the three years that they were gone.
The morning came so fast. An ear splitting migraine helped her stay quiet through the night. She shook her eldest brother awake. “Ed, it’s time to go.”
Edward rubbed his face sleepily, squinting in confusion. “Did you sleep sitting up? You could’ve moved me.” He stood and turned to face her, expression hardening when he noticed the book resting beside her. “You didn’t sleep at all, did you?”
Sarah looked away guiltily to avoid his eyes. “Wasn’t gonna let you guys leave me again.” The girl yawned. She then stood, grabbing her cloak off the desk to pull it on.
“We weren’t gonna leave you, Say.” Edward’s tone was sincere, but the youngest Elric couldn’t help the wariness she felt.
His comforts were met with a small shrug, and Sarah grabbed the strap of her bag and ran to the door. She pulled it open, turning to her brother with a bright smile. “Let’s go before the sun rises, brother.”
The quartet made it onto the train, and just as Edward expected, Sarah was asleep on the Major’s shoulder within minutes.
“Sorry, Major. You can push her to lay towards the wall.” Edward sighed, laying back with his arms crossed.
”That’s quite alright, Young Edward. I don’t mind.” Alex assured, covering the sleeping girl with his jacket. “Poor child looks exhausted.”
”Poor child, my left foot. That idiot stayed up all night because she thought we’d leave without her.” Edward frowned deeply. “Such a dumbass, she’s gonna drive me crazy.” His words were harsh and whiny, but a soft smile graced his expression.
“Don’t call her that, brother.” Alphonse laughed softly. “It’s not like she didn’t have good reason to worry about it.”
“You’re an idiot too.” The eldest boy growled. “I bet you didn’t even try to make her sleep, huh? One ‘Please, brother,’ and she’s got you wrapped around her finger.”
”I did too try to get her to sleep! She’s just stubborn, like you!”
“Yeah, yeah. Just admit you have a weak spot, Al.” Despite his complaints, the only person Ed really blamed was himself.
——
Despite a major setback, the trio managed to hunt down a bookworm with a phenomenal memory, she was able to write out exact copies of Dr. Marco’s research that burned up in the central library. They’d been at it for days, studying, decoding the notes, and rede coding them because there’s just no way living humans are used to create a Philosopher's Stone. They had to have gotten something wrong.
“To hell with it!” Edward hollered, his chair connecting with the wall of the library.
The two officers that were assigned to guard the trio entered the room nervously.
“Don’t get mad and throw things because you can’t crack it.” Lieutenant Ross scolded.
“We did crack it.” Alphonse said grimly.
Sarah pushed the remainder of Dr Marco’s research off of the table and into a trash bin. “He was right. This really is the devil’s research. It should be destroyed.”
“The creation of even one Philosopher's Stone requires multiple human sacrifices.” Edward pinched the bridge of his nose. “This is evil...”
“How could the military authorize research into something like this?” Sergeant Brosh looked around the room. “What will you three do now?”
“There’s nothing we can do…” Sarah shrugged miserably. “Dr. Marco’s research, our notes, the cipher we cracked…please just act like we never spoke of it.”
“But…” The Lieutenant tried to interject, but Edward’s exhausted voice cut her off.
“Please…just pretend like you never heard any of it.”
——
Edward sat on the couch in their hotel room, his feet perched on the coffee table. Sarah was laying with her head in his lap, trying to push away the headache. She faced his stomach and pinched her eyes shut to avoid as much light as she could.
“If we can’t use the stone, it’s like we’re back at square one. Is there even an answer at the end of this road?” Sarah mumbled.
“It’s like we try so hard to grasp the truth and it always slips away.” Edward was carefully pulling apart the braids in his sister’s hair. She always had a habit of forgetting to take them out before she slept. “I wonder if this is just God's way of torturing those who’ve committed taboos…I wonder if it will be this way all of our lives.” His flesh hand combed through the long hair, being gentle around her injured ears.
Sarah sat up with a huff, walking over to fish through the discarded documents. She found the reference map of Military facilities in Central that they had used, and lowered herself into a squat.
The middle sibling stood, moving to check on what she was up to, but Ed’s hand on his arm stopped him. “There’s actually been something I’ve wanted to talk to you about, Al. I guess I’ve been too afraid to actually say it…”
“What is it?”
Loud pounding at the door cut their conversation short. “Young Elrics! Open up immediately!” The voice of Major Armstrong rang out.
”W-what do we do?” Al asked timidly.
Ed sneered. “We ignore it, that’s what.”
Before the two could resume their conversation, the handle to their door was pushed straight through, and the Major plowed his way in, screaming.
The flying wood caught Sarah’s attention, but she didn’t bother to try and make out what the large man was babbling about. “Brothers.” Her call went ignored, so she shyly tried once more in a harsh whisper. “Brothers!” They still didn’t turn, so she cleared her throat and shouted “Guys!” above all the screaming.
All eyes turned to her, and out of shyness, she laid the map out on the table, presenting it to all of them. ‘According to this, there were supposed to be five Alchemical Research Laboratories in Central.’ She gave Alphonse a specific look to get him to interpret for her.
”There was supposed to be a fifth, but the building wasn’t structurally sound, so it was never opened for use.” Lieutenant Ross confirmed.
‘That has to be where they’re transmuting the Philosopher’s Stones.’
Alphonse overlooked the map skeptically. “How can you be so sure?”
Sarah placed her index finger on the building illustrated next to the Fifth Laboratory. “There's a state prison right beside it…What better human sacrifices than death row inmates?”
“That has to be it!” Ed said thoughtfully.
“They’d be marked for execution and brought right next door to be sacrificed…”
——
Daring to step foot in the fifth library was a big mistake.
Edward went up the wall first, being tossed up by Alphonse. He unraveled the barbed wire at the top of the protective wall and started feeding it down. Alphonse propelled Sarah up the same way, and she latched onto the edge of the wall. Edward grabbed her hand to pull her up. The older of the two leapt down first, rolling to make the landing easier. He caught his sister on her way down, setting her on her feet gently.
Al managed to get over the obstacle quietly, and use the wire to climb down. The trio sprinted to the closest wall and made their way around the building, halting when they noticed the front door was boarded up.
“Over here.” Ed whispered, leading them to a vent opening about twelve feet up. He climbed up onto Al’s shoulder and removed the covering. “Say, come in with me, you wait here, Al.”
“You guys will be okay on your own?”
Edward hauled himself into the opening. “Whether we're fine isn’t really the issue. You’re way too big to get through here.” Once the eldest was in enough, Sarah climbed onto Alphonse’s shoulder.
She patted his head softly in apology. “Sorry brother, we’ll be back soon.”
Shuffling through the duct was only as easy as it was because of her size. Her mind wondered while they crawled, and she had to halt herself quickly to avoid bumping into her brother’s behind. “What are you doing, brother?”
Waving a hand at his side to dismiss her, the older boy continued on, until he found a downward facing exit. He kicked the covering down, allowing himself to fall through. He stayed below the exit to catch Sarah as she fell again.
‘There’s lights on.’ Ed signed. ‘Not currently in use, my ass.’
The duo followed the lights lining the baseboards in the hallway into a large open room. A transmutation circle was painted onto the floor, puddles of blood horrifically strewn about at five points.
“Brother, is this…?”
“Yep.” Ed sighed, glancing around. “I’ll bet this is where they transmute Philosopher’s Stones.”
“Right you are.”
Edward immediately pulled Sarah behind him, scanning the shadow’s for a threat.
“I don’t know who you two children are, but you certainly understand a lot just from looking at a transmutation circle.”
“I’m just good like that, who are you, pal?” Edward glared at the armored figure that approached them.
“I’m number forty-eight. I’m the one in charge of guarding this laboratory. My orders are to dispose of anyone who enters. Poking their noses where they don’t belong.” A sword was drawn from his side. “Try not to take it too personally.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t.” Ed sneered, clapping his hands together to form a blade from his automail, and bringing a scythe out from the stone floor. “Hope a scythe is still your preferred weapon.” He tossed it to his sister.
“Always works.” Sarah steeled herself for the fight ahead.
The attacker jumped towards Edward, and swung his blade at him. The blonde blocked the sword and sent a kick at the man’s abdomen. A hollow sound reverberated through the area, and an amused smirk crossed Ed’s lips. “My, my, what’s this? I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say you’re hollow inside?!”
“You’re a perceptive one.”
“I spar against someone like you all the time.”
“So there are people like me on the outside as well?” Forty-eight asked curiously.
Ed groaned. “Yeah it makes me sick to think there’s more than one idiot who thought of bonding a disembodied soul to a suit of armor.”
While the two of them talked, their opponent lifted his helm. She couldn’t have Ed interpret the whole time without endangering them both, so she remained on the defensive at his side.
The assassin jumped towards Ed, but the shorter of the two blocked again with his automail arm.
The force of the blow caused Ed’s arm to creak, shifting in a way he’s never felt before. Noticing his discomfort, Sariah ran into the fight, forcing him to focus his attacks on her.
Her small frame made it easy to dodge the swings of his blade, but his metal foot connected with her side. She fell to the floor, trying to regain her bearings, but seeing the blade flying towards her caused her to flip out of the way just in time.
Edward clutched onto his arm, mentally scrambling to figure out what could’ve happened from just one hit to make it lose feeling. Sarah’s cry of pain ripped him out of his confusion. She held onto her shoulder, blood seeping through her fingers. He forced himself to shake it off, running to block the hit that would’ve taken her from him.
Forty-eight let out an amused laugh. “You’re a cute little duo of monkeys.”
“Who’re you calling little?!”
“Brother…” Sarah deadpanned at his reaction, returning to a defensive stance. The two of them exchanged a quick glance.
“Go, Al! Do it now!” Edward shouted. The guard whipped around, giving Sarah the perfect opportunity to detach the pole from her scythe and fling the blade out, slicing through the metal and successfully detaching his head.
Ed relieved his automail of the blade and lifted the helmet by the decorative hair.
“That was a dirty trick.”
“There’s no such thing as ‘dirty’ in a fight.” Ed smirked.
Slicer sighed. “Why have you yet to destroy the blood seal I so kindly displayed for you?”
“There’s some things I wanna ask you first.” Edward said carefully. “About the people who transmute the Philosopher's Stone here.”
“Sorry, there’s nothing for me to tell.”
Ed’s eyes narrowed. “Come on now, I did beat you at your own game. Fair is fair.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, boy.” Slicer’s words would forever haunt him. “You haven’t beaten me yet.”
The young alchemist whipped around the instant Sarah’s scream of pain flooded his ears. Slicer’s body was up and moving, pulling his blood streaked sword from Sarah’s abdomen. “You bastard, how?!” He threw the helmet aside and reformed the blade on his arm, lunging at the armor again. His eyes focused on the new blood seal in his view. “An independent head and body, that’s a dirty trick!”
“There’s no such thing as ‘dirty’ in a fight.”
Grimacing, Ed stole a glance at Sarah. She was sprawled out, a pool of blood forming under her. While he was distracted, another swing of the blade came towards him, and he just barely had time to block it. The next grazed his shoulder, but he managed to jump backwards, back colliding with a pillar. The assailant’s blade was headed for him, tip first. ‘Shit, I’m gonna die, Sarah’s gonna die. We’re trapped.’
A memory of Scar flashed in his find, and an idea struck. One that gave him and his sister the possibility of living. Clapping his hands together, Ed waited until he had just a second left before launching himself off the stone and thrusting his metal hand towards the metal body. The armor was severed at the midsection, and the moment he knew the fight was won, his feet pounded towards Sarah.
“B-brother…” Sarah gasped as she was lifted in his arms. Her eyes were half lidded, she was unable to focus on him fully. She was losing too much blood, consciousness fading quickly.
“Just hang in there, I’ll get us out of here…” Edward mumbled.
“Go ahead and finish us off, boy.”
“Shut up!” Edward growled. “I’m not a murderer.”
A huffing laugh was released by the older soul. “With bodies like these, does it even really count as murder?”
“My brother is a soul bonded to armor, I know that he’s a human being. He’s a person, just like you. And I won’t take the life of another human.”
“Ha, the irony!” The helmet laughed again. “My brother and I have been lying, cheating, stealing, and killing together for our whole lives! Now that we’re stuck in these pseudo-bodies, you’re the first person in our lives to treat us as humans. For that, I’ll reward you with my knowledge of who made the Philosopher's Stone, and who ordered us to guard these facilities.”
A flash of black pierced through the helm, quickly silencing him. “You should know better than to talk about things that don’t concern you, number forty-eight.”
“What’s the Fullmetal Pipsqueak doing here? You may be too troublesome for your own good.” A scrawny man dressed in a black crop top and shorts said, sauntering around his companion and picking up the fallen sword.
The tendrils that impaled the helmet split apart, breaking the helmet in two. They lead back to a woman—thing, clad in black.
“Brother!” The body half of forty-eight shouted as the man approached him.
The sword he carried pierced the armor and severed his blood seal, again and again. “You fools! You almost killed two of our most important sacrifices, understand? You could’ve ruined the entire plan! What would we have done then?”
“What do you mean, ‘Important sacrifice’? What plan are you talking about?” Ed clutched onto his sister tighter as the duo approached them.
”Ed, get out of here!” Sarah pushed against him weakly. “Please, just leave me and run…”
The eldest sibling looked as if she just slapped him. “No way!”
”D-Don’t be an idiot! There’s no reason we both have to die…”
The man chuckled, kneeling down in front of the two siblings. His right hand resting on Sarah’s head. “Relax, neither of you are dying.” Edward yanked her away from the murderer and laid her down behind him quickly.
Fullmetal rose to his feet shakily, clapping his hands together.
“Now now, there’s no need to fight. Somebody might get hurt…”
”The two of you started this fight.” Ed grunted, his right arm rising to begin the transmutation. The halting feeling in his automail returned, and he watched it fall limply to his side in horror.
Sarah tried to be fast, clapping her hands together to attempt to form a weapon for Ed, but the intruder darted forward, his knee connecting with Edward’s abdomen. “No!” Her palms met her bloody abdomen, and forced a sword out from her natural iron.
”You’re both so foolish.” The woman sighed, each step she took sent a flurry of vibrations out. Those sleek black heels connected with Sarah’s head, and everything went black.
Chapter 5: Fabrication
Summary:
The Human Bodied Elric siblings recover in the hospital. Alphonse begins to doubt his siblings, and Sarah meets a certain foreign prince.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Text" - Normal Speech
'Text' - Sign Language
"Text" - Speech and Sign Language
"Text" - Speech Over Phone
'Text' - Thoughts
Panic flooded Sariah the moment she woke up. Her head throbbed, and she sat up in a hurry. Regret filled her immediately as she finally focused on the pain coming from her midsection. “Edward!”
A shout of surprise was released by a startled Sergeant Brosh at her sudden awakening. “Hey, just relax, you’re in the hospital.”
Sarah fumbled with the IV in her arm, ripping off the tape. She threw the sheets off of her, and slid off the bed.
“You shouldn’t be standing!” Brosh urged, placing his hands on the girl’s shoulders.
“Is Edward here?” She ignored him. “Those people…where are my brothers? Are they okay?”
“Y-yeah…they’re fine.” Sergeant Brosh tried to rest his hands on her shoulders to calm her down.
“Please, I need your help to get to them.”
Denny contemplated for a moment, and his hesitation showed in his face. “If you don’t, I’ll just go by myself and probably collapse in the hall…you’re supposed to guard me, right?”
“Oh god, okay.” He conceded, urging her down onto the bed again. “I’m going to get a wheelchair, stay here.”
——
The passing walls were so sickeningly identical that it was making Sarah nauseous. Without knocking, she pushed open the door so hard it knocked against the wall. Edward was laid on his bed, Lieutenant Ross and Lieutenant Colonel Hughes were at his side, half a dozen papers strewn about on the sheets.
“Sarah, I’m so glad you’re awake.” Edward smiled at her. “Sergeant, will you help her up here?”
Sergeant Brosh nodded, wheeling her to his bed, hooking an arm behind her back and under knees to gently lift her onto the bed.
‘Where’s Al? He wasn’t in that room when I woke up.’ Sarah’s hands moved like lightning.
“I haven’t seen him for a while, kid.” Ed sighed, as she laid back, favoring her right side. “He left right after I woke up, I thought he was with you.”
‘That’s weird.’ A frown crossed Sarah’s features, and she clutched his hospital shirt.
“How are you feeling, Young Sarah?” The Major asked.
Ed tapped her shoulder. ‘The Major is asking how you are.’
‘Shaken. Worried. Confused. Nauseous, and hungry.’
Snorting, Edward rubbed her arm in comfort. “She’s hungry.” He laughed.
“Brosh!” Lieutenant Colonel Hughes shouted, bringing his subordinate to attention. “Expedite lunch for Fullmetal and his sister, pronto!”
“Sir, yes sir!” Denny saluted, taking a prompt exit from the room.
“Thank you.” Sarah called after him softly.
“Ed, I’ll look into what we’ve talked about today, but for now, the three of you need to lay low and heal up.” Hughes said, gathering the notes and drawings.
“Yes sir.” Edward nodded.
“The two of you come with me.”
Sarah caught a glance of the cartoonish likeness of the two strangers from last night before they were tucked away into a folder
——
Sarah buried herself in Edward’s side once she finished her food, slowly nodding off. He rubbed her back gently, probably clutching her a little too hard, but she never complained. Soft whistles leaving her mouth.
The sight of what he’d done sickened him. The sight of his baby brother trapped in an unfeeling prison, and the sight of his baby sister unable to keep up in a room of people, and half of the time barely able to stay alert. It made him want to hurl.
“Sarah!” A young Edward screamed, clutching at the stump where his leg once was. “Answer me!” Alphonse was gone, Sarah might be dying, he had to think of something fast. His eyes searched the room for a clue, a hint, an inspiration of some kind. The armor. Their father’s antique armor. If Alphonse’s body was gone he could buy his soul from whatever thing did this. “You give him back, damnit! Take my arm, take my heart, take my soul if you want, but he’s my baby brother, I won’t let you take him!”
“Ed…What’s going on?” The fear. The hurt. The confusion in Alphonse’s voice was evident. His world was shaken around, and now his brother laid there, missing his left leg and right arm, probably bleeding to death. He searched for their little sister, heart breaking when he saw her unconscious, a pool of blood forming under her head. The middle sibling laid Edward against his chest and supported him vertically by his back, positioning Sarah the same way. He ran as fast as he could, taking note that he didn’t even get winded. Setting Sarah down, he pounded on the door of the Rockbell home.
——
“Brother?” A soft voice flowed into Edward’s ears. He was startled awake by a hand on his shoulder shaking him awake.
He sat up quickly, clutching the metal plate on his shoulder in a panic.
“Are you dreaming about that day again?” Sarah asked, rubbing his forehead gently.
“That obvious, huh?” Ed took a shaky breath, brushing his sweaty bangs away from his forehead. “Everytime I think about it…it’s like my chest caves in on itself and I can’t breathe.”
“Maybe we should talk to Al?” Sarah proposed, reaching over to grab the hair brush from the bedside table. She ran it through his hair carefully.
“Not a chance. I already have you babying me, I don’t need Al feeling like he has to do it too.”
“But brother, I don’t think this is something we should ignore. I do not blame you, and I’m sure Al doesn’t either.”
“I just can’t.” Ed shook his head stubbornly. “I couldn’t blame either one of you if you did hate me. I can’t take the chance that he really does hate me for this.”
Sarah bit her lip, scooting closer to him while she finished his hair. “We don’t hate you, dummy.” She mumbled softly, leaning her chin on his shoulder. “This won't get better by ignoring it.”
“Don’t you dare say anything.” Edward warned, giving her a stern look. “Not a word.”
——
Lieutenant Ross wheeled the small Amestrian girl through the halls of the hospital on a mission to find Alphonse. He’d been hiding for hours, and his baby sister was pissed off from being ignored. Her eyes scanned the area for him as she passed, grabbing the older woman’s arm when she finally spotted him.
Al sat on a bench in a dark hallway, all alone.
“Brother!” Sarah called out when she reached him.
‘Hey, Say.’
“Where have you been? I haven’t seen you all day.”
Alphonse shrugged, laying his hands in his lap.
“What’s up with you?” Sarah stood from her wheelchair to sit next to him, leaning on his cold arm. “You and Ed have been acting so weird recently. I don’t like it.” She mumbled. “I have a feeling it wasn’t like this before I came…do you guys just not want me here?”
Pulling at his heart strings was an asshole move, but of course, it worked.
“No, Say that’s not it at all!” Alphonse rushed to deny, laying a hand on her head.
“I just feel like you’re avoiding us. It’s not like you to just disappear for so long.”
——
Winry’s toolbox connected loudly with the floor when she saw the condition that Sarah and Edward were in.
“H-Hey Winry.” Sarah smiled nervously, inching behind her brother on the bed. “You got here fast.”
“You’re gonna charge me a fortune in express fees, huh?” Ed laughed, hoping to alleviate the horrified look on the girl’s face.
“No…I won’t charge you for this.” Winry looked downward. “If I’d done a better job on your automail last time, you would’ve been able to protect yourself and Sarah better.”
All eyes in the room immediately focused on Edward, and when he didn’t get the message, Sarah slapped his flesh arm in an attempt to jumpstart his brain. She jumped to her feet to comfort the older girl. “No, no, no, you can’t blame yourself for Ed being an idiot! We’re all just too reckless.”
A look of relief and realization passed over the mechanic’s face, and a glint of mischief went unnoticed by almost everyone, except her best friend. “We’ll, I guess we should get started then, huh?” The girl perked up quickly.
——
“I wish I had a body like you, Al. ” During a conversation about Edward’s aversion to milk, he made the mistake of muttering those words.
Alphonse stood loudly from his seat. “It’s not like I asked for this body, brother!”
Ed flinched. “S-sorry, you’re right. It’s my fault that it happened. We’ll get you back into your real body soon, I promise.”
“That’s what you always say but you don’t know that for sure!”
Sarah caught sight of Winry, Hughes, and Major Armstrong about to enter the room between her head swivels to try to keep up.
“I’ll make this right, Al. You’ve gotta believe me.” The eldest boy pleaded.
“Believe you?! How am I supposed to believe anything when I’m stuck in this body? What am I supposed to believe in, my memories? Memories are just scraps of information that can be fabricated as easily as anything else!”
“Brother, what are you saying?” Sarah’s shaky eyes focused on him now.
“Do you remember when you said there was something you wanted to talk about, Ed? I think I know what it is…I think you wanted to say that my soul and my memories are really artificial constructions you two created!”
“Al, that’s ridiculous!” Sarah tried to stand, but her shaky legs didn’t have the strength.
“Ed…You, Sarah, Winry, and Granny have been lying to me all along, haven’t you? What do you have to say for yourself brother?”
Ed’s clenched fists slammed onto his rolling table to silence his brother. “Is that what you really think? Have you believed that all this time? So are you finished, or is there more you wanted to say?” After taking a moment to collect himself, Edward took a shaky breath. “Okay…” he pushed the rolling table out of his way and stood, walking silently out of the room.
“Ed, wait!” Sarah tried to grab his arm to stop him, but he kept going. The rage filled look in her eyes made Alphonse back away when she turned to face him. She glanced to the doorway, as Ed pushed past the crowd. ‘ You idiot!” Tears overflowed her eyes and she pushed at them furiously. “Ed has never stopped worrying that we blame him for what happened, that’s what he wanted to talk to you about!”
“S-Sarah please don’t c-”
“And don’t you dare tell me not to cry!” She shouted. “Brother’s terrified that we secretly hate him for losing our bodies, he’s been having nightmares that he doesn’t even tell you about, and you…you go and say that! How could you even believe for a second that Ed and I would risk our lives, just to create a fake brother?!”
Alphonse sat in silence, staring at the floor while he absorbed her berating words.
“Use your big metal head to think for just a second, you can’t really think it was all fake?” Turning on her heels, Sarah ran out of the room, barefoot after her brother, tears still obscuring her vision.
——
“Ed?!” Sarah’s feet clapped against the cold tile of the hallways in search of her brother. She held her side gingerly while she chased after him. The pain became so unbearable, that she eventually had to lean against a wall for support.
Her hearing aides buzzed, and she whipped her head around to find the source of distraction. A strange looking boy stood a few feet away from her. Shooting him a confused look, she pointed at her ear and shook her head.
The stranger’s smile made his eyes squint in a way that was honestly…cute? He reached for her hand, tugging her over to a nearby bench. The moment their hands touched, every nerve in Sarah’s body was set ablaze.
“You don’t look so good, should you be standing?”
Sarah squinted in confusion. Usually the silent signal of her disability was enough to make people uncomfortable enough to walk away. His long black hair was splayed over his shoulders, and was left to trail down his back.
“I’m fine, thanks.” She tugged her hand away from his and flattened down a few of her stray hairs. She spoke quietly, suddenly feeling very self conscious about her speech.
“No problem, beautiful.” The boy smiled, making the blonde girl blush. “My name’s Ling of the Yao clan. The twelfth son of the emperor of Xing.”
“In Ow?” Sarah echoed, focused intently on his lips, her eyebrows knitting in confusion.
“Yao. Prince Ling Yao.”
“You’re a prince?”
Ling nodded, taking a seat beside her. “That’s right! Twelfth prince of the nation of Xing. What’s your name?”
“Sarah Elric.” Her voice barely hovered over a whisper while she took in his presence. “You sure don’t look like a prince…” She’d kill to have her notebook right now, this is the first cute boy she’s met outside of Resembool and he shouldn’t be subjected to hearing her speak.
He leaned closer to her face, examining the metal in her ears. “What is this contraption?”
“They help me hear some sounds.” Sarah scooted back slightly, biting her lip. “Thanks for helping, but I need to find my brother.” She stood slowly, ignoring the hand he extended to help her.
“You don’t look like you should be walking, would you like me to help you get to your brother?”
Her lips were pursed in thought, but before she could respond, he turned around, squatting down in front of her, just like her brothers always did. She reluctantly climbed on his back to accept the ride, scanning the hallways around them as he walked. “Ed, where are you?” Her words were spoken with concern. “Stairs.” She pointed at the door at the end of the hallway.
“Yeah those are stairs.” The older boy chuckled, his face turned so she could see his lips.
Sarah sighed, still holding her index finger out with an embarrassed look on her face. “Go up the stairs, please.”
“As you wish, princess.”
“That’s gross.” She mumbled.
——
“Brother?” Sarah tugged herself free from her piggy back ride and hobbled over to Edward, who stood by the guardrail on the roof. The hug she trapped him in was tight enough to pulverize his ribs, but the elder didn’t complain. She pulled away quickly to sign so the stranger wouldn’t understand. ‘Al is just confused, I’m sure he doesn’t mean it!’
“It’s crazy how much has changed since before all this happened, yet so much is still the same. Me and Al fighting over something stupid, you trying to make us both feel better.” Ed chuckled in a low voice. “I’m surprised you haven’t made that stupid chicken joke yet.”
Sarah tilted her head to the side. “Chicken joke?” She echoed.
“Yeah, “feed the chicken,” remember? The chicken would eat from whoever you thought was right.”
“I don’t remember us having chickens…” She searched her memories, but nothing sounded similar to what he’d described. “I…I don’t remember that.” She tried her best to dismiss the worries that lingered in her head at the revelation of yet another thing from their childhood she can’t remember .
“Not real chickens, your hand was the chicken.” Ed didn’t miss the stunned look on her face, and rushed to distract her. “You probably just forgot because we haven’t seen each other in so long. Besides, the chicken would usually always feed from Al, I hated it.” He laughed.
Sarah nodded thoughtfully, turning around and taking a seat on the cool brick rooftop. “Brother…?”
He took a seat next to her, disliking the nervous look on her face.
Her hands fiddled with each other in her lap. “I’ve been hiding what’s going on sometimes.” She sighed. “There’s a lot of…gaps in my memory.” She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “Sometimes I have no idea what everyone is talking about, I barely have any memories of mom, and what I do remember just confuses me. Before I thought maybe it was just my brain hiding things from me but now…I just know there’s no way.”
Ed let out a deep sigh, laying his arm around her shoulders, and pulling her closer to him, “Damnit, kid.” None of his usual comforts came, he tried to think of what he could say to make it better. He can’t even say he never noticed that there were some things she didn’t remember. He’d just hoped it wasn’t serious.
“Ed…W-what if I lose all my memories?” Sarah’s voice trembled. “Memories are the only thing keeping us together. If I forget what’s left, it’s almost like I’m not even your sister anymore. I don’t want to lose you guys.” She sobbed. “Al’s doubting his memories now, and I…I can’t reassure him that they’re real because there’s so many things I can’t even remember.”
“I…I’m sorry, Say. I don’t know.” Ed sighed, pulling away solemnly. “Listen to me, kid. A lot of things are uncertain right now. But I can promise you that no matter how much you can’t remember, you’re never losing us, got it?” He pushed tears away from her eyes so there was no way she’d misunderstand. “You’re never losing me.”
Alphonse’s heavy metal feet clanked up the stairs to the roof, notifying his siblings of his arrival.
“H-Hey guys…”
“You know Al, we haven’t had a good fight in a while. I’m starting to get flabby.” Ed stood from the roof, stretching his newly repaired metal arm. He lunged at the younger boy, throwing a stiff punch at him.
Alphonse threw up his arm in defense. “Brother, wait!”
While Ed kept him distracted with a barrage of punches, Sarah used her alchemy to propel herself at her metal brother, drop kicking him down and landing on top of him. “The next time you decide to be stupid, just make sure you don't piss both of us off.” She said in a huff.
“Ha! We beat you, we finally beat you!” Ed cheered, pulling his sister up with him.
“No fair, I can’t fight back when you two are injured!” Alphonse whined.
“Feed the chicken.” Sarah held her hand up with her wrist bent in a pecking position.
Al held out his palms to her, but Sarah only moved her wrist in a shaking motion.
“The chicken doesn’t feed, you’ve upset her.” She stroked her hand gently, as if petting the imaginary chicken.
A hearty, joyful laugh echoed from the middle sibling’s armor. “It’s been so long since I’ve heard you really laugh like that, Say.”
“It’s been so long since I heard anything.” Sarah giggled at the shock that came from the older two from such a blunt remark.
Yeah…They were gonna be just fine.
Notes:
Whew! I've actually had 90% of this chapter finished for months now, I was just so unsure on how to finish it. As always thank you to everyone who's reading and giving kudos, they're highly appreciated! I'll be happy to hear any comments out and respond as best as I can. I'm so excited to finally get these two stories connected, which will be official very, VERY soon!
Chapter 6: Welcome to Rush Valley
Summary:
The Resembool Quartet has a run in with the Rush Valley Pick Pocket.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Text" - Normal Speech
'Text' - Sign Language
"Text" - Speech and Sign Language
"Text" - Speech Over Phone
'Text' - Thoughts
Rush Valley. The holy land of gearheads and cripples, as Edward put it. Small, dirty, and smelly, were the first three things Sarah noticed as they trailed behind a flailing Winry.
“Your screams hurt.” Sarah deadpanned, debating on switching off her hearing aides, but eventually deciding against it.
Everyone she passed seemed to stare at her hearing aids more intensely than people would back home. They looked like they were gonna examine them right then and there. She anxiously stayed at Alphonse’s side, keeping her head on a swivel. She was a gazelle, these were lions.
“Wow miss, I’ve never seen automail like that before!”
Sarah had no time to raise her defenses and no time to respond before a strange man yanked her to the side, fingers prodding the sides of her head.
“Hey! Let go of my sister!” Alphonse hollered as two more inspectors came along. “Let her go!” He did his best to pull her away.
“It’s ingenious!” Another spectator joined the gaggle.
“It’s really unusual, come have a look!”
“Hey you freaks!” Ed stormed up to the group, a fire in his heart had been lit seeing his sister being prodded at like a lab animal. “Back off!” He shouted, dragging Sarah out from the crowd. He felt for her, she looked dizzy just from the small ordeal, clutching her head and squinting slightly, no doubt she felt a migraine coming on.
“We’ve gotta get the hell outta here!” A snag on his waistband made him freeze as a swarm of people surrounded him and began removing the clothes that hid his automail. “Hey what the hell are you doing?!”
“Woah look at this leg!”
“The detailing on this arm is gorgeous!”
“It really is unusual, have a look!”
‘Should we help him?’ Sarah signed towards Edward. ‘Winry looks occupied.’ The older girl had been swarmed with questions about her artwork.
‘Nah, leave him be.’ Al released a chuckle.
The younger siblings stood off to the side, watching as the crowd finally released their brother.
The eldest gathered his clothes and redressed himself, complaints never stopping.
As he pulled on his coat, he patted down the pocket that his watch was in for good luck, freezing when there was no feeling of metal. “Oh no!” Edward reached into his pockets and turned them inside out to try to locate it.
“What’s wrong?” Alphonse’s helm tilted to the side. “What’d you lose?”
Fullmetal released a guttural groan. “My silver pocket watch—the only thing that proves I’m a State Alchemist!”
A bystander who was taking notes with Winry had overheard them. “Looks like you folks had a run in with Paninya.”
“She’s the town pickpocket.”
“Where can we find her?” Edward stalked up to them now.
“Hmm where does she stay again? I’m so forgetful.” The shorter man scratched his chin.
His companion’s eyes glittered. “Oh I know what’ll jog my memory…Just let me have one more look at that automail!”
Irritation bubbled over, and Edward transmuted his arm into a blade. This seemed to instill a much needed fear in the men, who quickly coughed up the answer.
“The automail shop run by a man named Dominic!”
The three Elric siblings took the lead in the directions that the townsmen had given them, Winry doing her damn hardest to catch up to them.
“Ed, I see her!” Sarah turned to the left, seeing a figure running across the canyon below them.
Maybe she shouldn’t have said that, because Ed transmuted the ground below him to have a barrage of platforms carry him over to the culprit.
“Jeez, a little overkill.” The youngest Elric mumbled, her and Alphonse following suit.
Ahead of them, Edward caught up to the girl quickly crossing the bridge.
As she turned to run, he transmuted a wall to block her. “I’d like my watch back.”
“Woah cool, how'd you do that mister?”
“I'm an alchemist, wanna see some more?”
Sarah caught up to them and sighed. “C'mon please just give the watch back.” She pouted with her hands on her hips. “The longer he doesn’t have it the more I have to hear complaints about it.”
“Sorry, no can do!” Using some bizarre leg strength, the girl jumped over the duo, and made a break in the opposite direction.
Clapping her hands together, Sarah sent pillars of earth towards the girl that she was able to hop around with ease.
Little did she know, she was running right into Alphonse’s trap.
“I’ve been waiting for you.” Alphonse allowed the blue electricity to sparkle around him and manipulate the earth to create a neat birdcage around the girl.
“Alright Al!” Edward cheered, clapping the armor with his metal hand. “Look, just hand it over, I need my watch back.”
Sarah barely caught a glimpse of the metal ankle before she pulled Edward back from the contraption.
A blade emerged from Paninya’s leg sliced through the bars. “Wipe the surprise off your face. You’ve seen the town.” Lowering her leg, the left leg came into the air now. “And check this out.”
A spark lit up and a cannonball flew over Edward’s head and exploded behind him.
Sarah doubled over in pain and clutched her head. The sound was definitely anything but gentle on her hearing aides.
“Gotta blast, try to catch me if you can!” Paninya took off running, a hand gripping her wrist in a death grip now.
“Well now, that wasn’t so hard, huh?” Winry Rockbell’s grip tightened with a smirk. “Now, let’s have a talk, you and me…about that automail!”
The door of the house a few meters away opened up to reveal a young, kind looking couple. “Oh hi Paninya.” The woman smiled.
Notes:
Thank you everyone for tuning in, I want to make it clear now that I have no intrntion of retelling every single episode to make this fic. That’s redundant to me. If Sarah’s addition won’t change it, I’ll just leave it as it occurs in the show.
Chapter 7: Birthday Squared
Summary:
A life is welcomed into the world, and two hearts awaken.
Notes:
AHHHHHHH Sarah and Ling are just so cute together it makes me want to vomit! Yes I know i changed Ling's introduction, don't kill me.
Chapter Text
"Text" - Normal Speech
'Text' - Sign Language
"Text" - Speech and Sign Language
"Text" - Speech Over Phone
'Text' - Thoughts
The Elrics, along with Winry were welcomed into the home by a tall, slender man, and a shorter woman with a protruding belly. Winry immediately threw the darker girl in a chair to examine her automail while Edward and Alphonse sat in the corner.
Sarah didn’t bother trying to keep up with the conversations at hand, the headache she had was worsening by the minute. She turned to focus her gaze out the window, noticing a trio of raindrops fall and stain the desert sand. A shadow overtook the window so briefly that she thought it was an illusion. Within a few minutes, the frequency of raindrops sped up rapidly, the sky becoming a murky grey.
She unconsciously stood, walking over to the window quietly, peering out and watching the raindrops crash against the trees and sand.
Alphonse’s hand on her shoulder made her jump. She whipped around to see a man in a beige robe, soaked head to toe standing in the middle of the room, bowing to them.
The newcomer pulled down his hood, exposing his foreign features.
Sarah’s eyes widened at the sight of the black ponytail and piercing black eyes.
“Lovely to meet you all, I’m Ling Yao. Twelfth royal Prince of Xing.” Ling approached Edward kindly and extended his hand for a shake.
“You don’t look much like a prince.” Edward chuckled.
“So I’ve heard.” The Xingese boy smiled while glancing at Sarah.
Alphonse laughed off the awkward introduction and reached out for Ling’s hand. “I’m Alphonse Elric, this is my grumpy older brother Edward.”
“I’ve heard tales of the great Fullmetal Alchemist, even in my land.” Ling nodded and stepped towards the youngest Elric. “And is this lovely young woman your girlfriend?”
Sarah’s face scrunched up unpleasantly. Why was he acting like they’d never met? Ling Yao knew damn well who she was, and he damn well knew those were her brothers.
“Gross–That’s our sister, Sarah!”
The denial came from Alphonse, as Ed chortled at the notion.
“Pleasure to meet you, Sarah.” Ling reached out to shake her hand, but she didn’t return the gesture. Instead, she looked him up and down, catching his exposed chest under the cloak and blushing wildly.
“I need to use the bathroom.” The announcement was abrupt as the girl took off down the hallway, leaving the prince’s hand hanging in the air.
—
While Winry conversed with the mechanic inside the home, Sarah found a small room with a table, perfect for her to stay away from that moronic prince. She unclipped her cloak and draped it over the back of the chair before she sat down. She pulled her pocket journal out of her bag and began to write the day's events.
Her hearing aids buzzed in the quiet room. She turned her head to find none other than Ling Yao. A groan fell from her lips at the sight of him. “What are you doing here, Ling?”
“Just got caught up in the storm during my travels!”
“Whatever.” Sarah turns to walk out, scribbling in her notebook as she goes, but Ling stops her, his much larger hand gripping her arm gently.
“You know there’s only a few rooms in this house cutie, you can’t avoid me forever.”
Sarah glared at him. “Avoiding you would imply that I care enough about you to hide. When I write, I prefer to do so alone.”
“What are you writing?”
“Noneya.”
Ling’s head tilts to the side briefly. “I’m not familiar with that word.”
“None ya business.” She reiterated, giving him a sly look, chuckling at his confused expression. She shook her head and turned to face him. “They’re diary entries…Dreams…Memories, things I don’t want to forget.”
“Ah, that’s not so uncommon.” The Prince smiled softly.
“Yeah, I guess so, but it’s just different for me…”
“Hmm, how so?”
Sarah paused, her eyes glazing over with a downcast expression. What was the harm in him knowing? “Because one day, I woke up with hardly any memory of the life I led. If that happens again, at least I’ll have some things to refer back to.” Sarah shrugged.
That seemed to floor the prince, who looked at her sympathetically. “I’m sorry.”
Shrugging again, Sarah turned. “But what’s in it is personal.” She stated firmly, taking off in search of Winry. She was in desperate need of some girl time.
—
“What are you doing?!” Sarah screeched when she caught sight of the silver watch that Paninya tried to hide when she entered. Ling stood by her side, watching the scene unfold before him.
“N-nothing!” The tan girl laughed nervously.
Winry sighed, retrieving the pocket watch and walking towards the younger girl. She presented it to her, her face telling Sarah everything.
‘You opened it?’ Sarah sighed, her trembling hands clutching the mutated pocket watch. The look that crossed the mechanic’s face was priceless. “I’m an alchemist, Win, of course, I could tell it’s been disturbed. You should’ve just let it be.” She lost a few stray tears staring at the engraving inside the silver.
“This pocket watch is special, I take it?” Ling peeked around her shoulder.
Sarah closed the silver and held it close to her chest. “Yes. Act like none of you ever saw this.” She wiped away tears from her eyes while glaring true daggers at all of them. “Brother will be furious. Don’t bring it up yet, I’ll talk to him.” Placing the watch on the floor, Sarah clapped her hands together and resealed the edges as it had been before. As she lifted it again, the door burst open, a panting Edward standing in the entryway.
“Oh, hey brother, I got your watch back for ya.” Sarah smiled, tears still brimming in her eyes.
“The buh?!” Ed shouted, his heart clenching in his chest. “The buh…The BAY!”
“Bay?” The duo of blonde girls echoed, both seeming to imagine he was referring to a horse.
“The bay-! The BABY!”
Whatever angsty emotions that had lingered in Sarah and Winry now vanished. As everyone in the room collectively screamed.
—
Sarah very quickly switched off her aids because of the deafening mechanical screams that were registering to her. “What can we do?” Sarah whimpered. She sat in a circle with Edward and Alphonse.
“Nothing.” Edward’s voice wavered with uncertainty. “All the power we alchemists have, but when it comes to this, we’re useless.”
After several agonizing hours, the door to the room burst open, an exhausted Winry taking a few steps out before collapsing to her knees
“Winry, is everything okay?” Edward shouted, at her side in seconds. The mechanic pointed a shaky finger behind her.
Satella lay on the bed, cradling her newborn child, and Ridel knelt beside her, enveloping the both of them in a gentle embrace.
The trio eased their way into the room, and all of them were struck silent.
“Wow…I guess I have a birthday twin…” Sarah mumbled, staring at the baby that held tightly onto her eldest brother’s index finger. “Babies are really cool.”
A look of pure horror overtook Edward’s face, Alphonse’s hands gripped the side of his helm and he released a shriek, and Winry’s expression of drained exhaustion morphed into dread.
“WHAAAAAT?!”
Sarah jerked back at their reactions. “Idiots, the last thing Miss Satella needs is to hear you all scream right after giving birth!”
“I can’t believe we all forgot! I’m so sorry!” Alphonse cried, falling into a full bow in front of his sister.
“Um…Al it's not a problem…”
“We’re the worst brothers ever, Al!” Ed dragged a hand down his face. “We never would’ve let the gearhead drag us into this town!”
“Cool it alchemy freak!”
“Guys I think we should–”
“Why didn’t you say anything?!” Ed shouted, interrupting Sarah.
“Well I was gonna when we woke up, but then Winry ran off the train and we got mugged by Paninya–and then got trapped in by the storm.” Sarah chuckled. “There just didn’t seem to be a good time.”
“Oh no, we completely ignored you–we are the worst brothers ever!” Alphonse sobbed aloud.
The birthday girl released an airy laugh. “We’ve all had a crazy week, don’t worry about it.” She slung her arm around Winry’s shoulders. “All I wanted was to be with you guys.”
Chapter 8: Thirteen
Summary:
Ling gives Sarah the only birthday present he can manage.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Text" - Normal Speech
'Text' - Sign Language
"Text" - Speech and Sign Language
"Text" - Speech Over Phone
'Text' - Thoughts
Late that very night, Sarah sat alone on the roof of the house, a book in her lap. It was still storming heavily, so she transmuted a small awning to shield herself. Her hearing aides were abandoned on a nightstand in the guest room she’d been sitting in. She felt the Prince’s arrival before he sat down next to her. “Hi.” She closed up her book and turned her attention to him.
“Hey, I guess a happy birthday is in order.” Ling smiled, pulling his arm out from his back. “Happy birthday, Sariah.”
A white rose was presented to her. She looked over at him in disbelief, not sure if this was supposed to mean anything. “Thank you, Ling.” She grinned, gently sniffing the gift.
“So, how old are you?” The prince asked.
Sarah began twisting the stem of the rose to break it off, twisting the remains in her fingers, only pausing to hold up one finger on her left hand, and three on her right hand.
“Thirteen?” The older boy’s smile made butterflies erupt in her stomach. “What’s it like?”
Her head tilted to the side slightly in confusion.
“This path that you and your brother’s are on…you’re not worried about not being able to protect yourself?”
Sarah shrugged. “Like you said I have my brothers. They’ll do anything to protect me, so I’m not too worried.” She released a breathy laugh.
“True, but I may be able to teach you how to sense people around you that you can’t hear.”
“Okay, let’s say I’m interested, what’s in it for you?” Distrust laced her words.
“I…” The prince seemed at a loss for words. “Maybe I just want to be around you.”
The two of them snuck down off the roof and ran a few dozen meters away from the house. Sarah watched the boy untie the cloth from his wrist and walk towards her.
“Tie this over your eyes. We’re gonna fight, you have to sense my energy to defend yourself against me. No alchemy!”
Sarah accepted the cloth with a nod, doing as she was told.
An open palm to her forehead knocked her over.
“Sorry I guess I should’ve told you that we started.”
——
Sarah’s whole face was red. The rain thoroughly soaked them during their sparring session. One particular attack from Ling sent the both of them tumbling over, Sarah landing on top of him due to her defenses. “I’m so sorry!” She ripped off the blindfold and scrambled off of the older boy, rushing to help him up.
“Don’t be!” He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. He accepted the shy hand’s help, pulling her closer, he placed the hand on his shoulder and began moving, taking aimless steps and hoping she’d follow his lead. For a moment, Sarah stumbled, but as she got more comfortable, it was like the rest of the world didn’t exist. She’s never been this close to another man besides her brothers, and even then it never felt like this.
Ling held her hand above her head, spinning her around twice in succession. All she could do was stare up at him in awe and try her best to copy his movements. “You look as though you’ve never done this before.”
They returned to their original position, his hand finding its way to her waist, pulling her closer against him.
“That’s because I haven’t.” The shorter of the two was too flustered to be more sarcastic with her companion.
Ling released an amused huff. “A girl as beautiful as you shouldn’t have to wait so long for her first dance.”
“Oh is that what we’re doing? It seems more like you’re just trying to stop me from falling.” Sarah snorted. “You know if my brother’s found us, they’d kill you, no matter what you did.” Sarah chuckled, swaying in his arms.
Their unnoticed guest watched the scene play out in front of them. His metal heart filled with warmth at the sight of his baby sister being treated like a normal girl for once.
“You’re doing fine.” Ling smiled, both his arms looping around her back to lift her off of her feet and hold her flush against him. Twirling in the pouring rain. When he set her down, she clung to him to avoid falling over, feeling breathless. “Are you feeling alright?”
“What?” Sarah’s eyes flickered away from his lips for a moment—which by the way were way too close to hers—and the feeling of her feet on the floor seemed to snap her back to reality. “We should head back.” She pulled away from him quickly, hugging herself at the now tingling cold.
Ling didn’t say a word. Opting to pull off his open shirt and drape it over her shoulders. He walked alongside her silently, eyeing her stern demeanor.
“I wonder what you’ll write about me in your secret journal.”
Notes:
Ling and Sarah, and Sarah and Ling sksksbhrienfundj😭. I’m sorry my crackhead energy is coming out rn.
Chapter 9: Double Knot
Summary:
Ling corners Sarah under the guise of liking her so he can get information about the philosophers stone. Only…was it all an act?
Chapter Text
"Text" - Normal Speech
'Text' - Sign Language
"Text" - Speech and Sign Language
"Text" - Speech Over Phone
'Text' - Thoughts
The trio of siblings left Rush Valley without their childhood companion, Winry, who opted to stay and gain an apprenticeship in the town.
Currently, Edward’s eyes were squinted in focus as he twisted and tugged on Sarah’s hair. His sister had demanded complicated crown braids, but of course he was in no position to refuse given the fact that he’d completely forgotten her birthday—and It’s been years since she was able to ask him to do her hair. The train chugged along the tracks, he sat with his back pressed to the wall so she could sit between his legs. “Can’t believe I let you talk me into this.” He grumbled through the rubber band in his teeth.
Sarah was unaware of his strife, her eyes scanning the pages of a novel that Satella had insisted on giving her, scribbling notes down as she went. It was an engaging thriller called Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde.
“Okay, all done.” Edward tapped on her shoulder to get her attention.
She turned to him, with an excited smile on her face. “Thank you, brother!” Standing, she spun on her heels. “I’m gonna go look in the bathroom mirror.”
“Be careful, Say.” Alphonse cautioned as the youngest Elric ran out of their cabin.
——
Sarah couldn’t stop grinning as she twirled around in the bathroom, trying to keep her eyes on the mirror. Her joy was halted when she noticed that the hairstyle left the scars that marred her ears and neck exposed. Her hand traveled up to mess with the tip of one of the braids, tossing the idea of taking them out around in her head. But it would make Ed sad, he worked so hard on them. Shoving the thought away, Sarah rushed out the door, colliding with a figure on the other side. A set of familiar hands caught her before she could fall over.
“Oww…” She mumbled, rubbing her sore nose, eyes finding the owner of the arms that held her steady. “Ling?”
“Are you always this clumsy?” The older boy asked with a smirk.
“Only when assholes stand right in front of the bathroom.” Sarah sighed, pushing his arms away. “I didn’t see you during boarding, you could’ve come with us.”
“I’m not exactly here legally.” Ling chuckled, and he didn’t take his eyes off of her.
“What are you staring at?” Sarah’s hands covered her scars out of anxiety.
“You’re just…so beautiful.” The prince smiled softly, reaching out to pull her hand’s away. “All of you.”
The poor girl was blushing like a madman, eyes focused on their enveloped hands. “I’m sure there’s plenty of prettier girls waiting for you in your home country.” She sidestepped him, but he stretched his arm out to stop her.
“I don’t think you understand…” Ling’s eyes searched hers for a moment. “You’re unforgettable. I don’t think I’ll ever meet someone as amazing as you.”
“You’ve known me for like a week.” Sarah snorted.
“And yet it somehow feels like I’ve known you forever.” His head moved closer and closer to hers, and for the first time, Sarah felt alarm bells go off in her head. She ducked under his arm to try and leave, but he caught her wrist as she passed by.
“I don’t care what country you’re from. I choose you. If you ever decide you’re ready…I choose you…I need you.”
Sarah doesn’t know what came over her when she threw herself at the older boy, hands on his cheeks pulling his face down and smashing their lips together. That feeling was back, but this time stronger. Her skin was burning under his touch. She pulled away shyly, blush setting her cheeks ablaze. “You’re such an idiot…” She can enjoy this…for however long this lasts. “I should get back.” Sarah smiled, taking hold of the hands that held her waist in place and giving them a squeeze before removing them.
Ling watched with a smirk as she tried to scurry off, bumping into the wall during her rush. He reached out and took a hold of her wrist again, spinning her around and backing her up to the wall. “So I heard you and your brothers talking about how to get your bodies back to normal, I’m sure you know a thing or two about the Philosopher's stone?”
Sarah ducked under his arm to avoid his eyes and turned towards the door. “It’s best if you forget about such a thing.” Memories of the notes that she’d spent days decoding flew across her brain. “It’s evil.” She started walking away, and this time Ling made no move to stop her.
——
“Sorry, I got distracted looking in the mirror, I just really like how the braids look.” Sarah smiled, tugging on one of the braids.
“You look really pretty, Say.” Alphonse laughed.
‘Thanks brother.’ She fumbled around for her book.
Al tapped on her shoulder. “Are you feeling okay? Your face is really red.”
‘Yeah, just a little dizzy from the moving train.’
Edward had eventually drifted to sleep by the time Sarah had gotten back, and because he was occupying the whole bench, she decided to sit with Al.
After thinking over what to do, Alphonse shyly waved his hand to get Sarah’s attention.
‘Yeah?’ Sarah peeked up at him.
‘I saw you last night, with that prince, Ling.’
Sarah froze, her wide gold eyes met his glowing white ones.
‘Relax,’ Al giggled at her reaction. ‘I didn’t tell Ed, don’t worry. Ling seems nice. But if he does anything wrong I’ll break both his arms and legs, and then all his fingers and toes for good measure.’
Sarah lost her composure at that, stifling her laugh with her palm.
‘That wasn’t a joke, I’m being 100% serious, Say.’ Al spoke with a worryingly even tone of voice. ‘Ed will be the least of his worries.’
Chapter 10: Goodnight
Summary:
Enter! Izumi Curtis!
Chapter Text
"Text" - Normal Speech
'Text' - Sign Language
"Text" - Speech and Sign Language
"Text" - Speech Over Phone
'Text' - Thoughts
Edward woke up with a start, his breath hitching in his throat. Peeking around, he noticed they were still on the train, and he slouched back in the seat.
Al and Say were both awake, the elder was signing silently to Sarah, who gripped her braids in fear.
“Hey brother. Did you have a good dream?” Alphonse was the first to greet him.
“Nah, I was dreaming about him .” Edward’s face turned sour at the thought, so the younger boy didn’t press for details.
“I was just telling Say, since we’re almost at Dublith Station she needs to take her hair out.”
Ed’s eyebrow jutted up at the words. “Why?”
“You can see my ports when my hair is braided.” Sarah mumbled as she began undoing the hairstyle.
“Crap she’s gonna kill us.” In a panic, Ed’s hands joined hers, helping her fluff out her hair quickly. “Take your aids out too, just in case it rains.”
Sarah nodded, pulling out her left, then her right.
–
“A-are you guys sure we have to do this? Is it really too late to turn back?” Sarah stood next to Alphonse, who grabbed her hands to stop them from moving.
“No signing, Say!” He whisper-yelled, forgetting for a moment that he had no lips she could read. Reluctantly, He released her hands to make the motions with his quickly. “No sign language.’
Ed laid a hand on her shoulder to get her to look over. “He’s right, we can’t do anything that would make her think there’s something wrong with any of us. Including sign language.”
Sarah made a pouting face, but didn’t oppose it, because she knew they were right. “Okay.” She shook her head, focusing on the door again.
Ed smiled and squeezed her shoulder. He knocked on the door with moderate force, flinching at the sound of the stomping behind it.
A beyond large, burly man opened the door and made an indiscernible face.
“Hey Sig.” Edward greeted him wearily.
“Long time no see.” Sarah smiled, keeping her eyes on his mouth in case he said anything.
The man’s large hands landed on each of the human-bodied Elric siblings' heads, rubbing vigorously. “Good to see you. Looks like you two have grown up a little.”
Alphonse spoke up, his armor creaking as he moved his hand to point at himself. “You probably didn’t recognize me, but it’s Alphonse.”
Sig pats Al’s helm warmly. “Looks like you’ve grown up more than a little.”
If Al could blush, he’d probably be as red as a tomato.
Sig sidestepped the trio and pushed open Izumi’s window from the outside. “The Elric brats are here for a visit. Are you up for company?”
“I’ll be right out.”
A few quiet moments passed before the front door swung open, and a sandaled foot collided with Edward’s face, knocking him back several meters.
Sarah immediately sought shelter behind Alphonse. “I told you we’re as good as dead…”
“So I heard you’ve become a dog of the military!” Izumi turned and her murderous gaze landed on the cowering duo and softened. “Alphonse? My goodness you’ve gotten so big!”
Alphonse fell right into their teacher’s trap, walking up to her fondly and getting his ass flipped in the process.
“You’re rusty!”
Knowing better than to try to run, Sarah smiled nervously at the woman. “H-hi teacher, you loo-look like you’re feeling much better!”
“And look at you, you’re almost a full grown woman, now!”
Sarah allowed the woman to pull her into a hug, too afraid to relax while she half expected a punch in the head.
“Wha– I get a superkick to the face and she get’s a hug?!” Edward was shouting from across the lawn.
Izumi pulled away from Sarah and slipped off her sandal, chucking it and slamming into Edward’s cheek. “She’s more well behaved than you and smart enough to keep her guard up!” The older woman leaned forward with a disdainful look. “Plus, having a brother who’d sell himself to the military is punishment enough!”
—
Sarah sat at the circular table, in between Alphonse and Edward. This allowed her to see both Sig and Izumi’s mouths clearly, but keeping up with the direction of the conversation and only catching fragments of lip flaps–was difficult already. Said difficulty being compounded by their mouths being full sometimes.
God why did it have to be her hearing? Losing her hair would’ve been easier. Or maybe her voice or something.
A migraine was coming, she could feel it growing slowly from the strain.
Sunset. Her eyes moved to focus on the window behind Sig. The sun was setting, giving off a warm hybrid pink and orange sky. Children who’d been playing around outside now returned to their homes. Squirrels scattered along rooftops, and birds rested on power lines. The world was so peaceful when there were no battles, no conversations to keep up with, and no pesky princes bothering her. Thankfully, she hadn’t seen Ling since their encounter in the restroom, so that was one less thing to stress about. Her eyes fluttered shut. She could feel the pressure in her head intensify as the lights in the room became unbearably bright, and she felt a hard metal hand grip her shoulder. Her gold eyes creaked open and focused on Edward. He had stopped eating, and now turned to completely face her.
“Are you feeling okay?”
“Yeah…” Sarah’s voice was barely audible. “I didn’t sleep well on the train, my head just hurts…”
“Why don’t you go lie down in the guest room?” Izumi offered.
Unable to interpret for her, Ed nodded. “Good idea, you go on ahead to the guest room, Al and I’ll be there soon.”
Sarah hummed, hands forming the signs unconsciously. ‘Goodnight.’
The world around her shook as she stumbled down the hall, easily locating the guest room that they previously occupied years ago. The three twin beds inside were dressed with crisp white sheets, pillows, and covers. Her legs immediately gave out and she collapsed on top of the sheets, not bothering to cover herself. Her sight was fading to black rapidly, as she drifted off to a dreary sleep.
Her brothers wandered in sometime after Sarah fell asleep. Chuckling at the sight of her snoozing.
Ed jumped into the spare bed while Al unzipped Sarah’s boots and pulled them off. He set them down and unbuttoned her jacket, slipping it off of her easily.
Alphonse wanted to smile down at her, but instead settled for a small pat on her head. By the time he turned around, Ed had already dozed off on his bed. Alphonse chuckled, and snatched the blanket off of the bed that used to be his and covered Sarah up to her shoulders.
“Goodnight guys.”
Chapter 11: The Truth Within The Truth
Summary:
The truth finally comes out.
Notes:
The Elric siblings face their biggest challenge yet. The truth of their mistakes and their teacher's come out.
Chapter Text
Sarah sat up with a yawn the next morning, noticing Edward and Al sitting on their respective beds.
“Morning Say.” Alphonse greeted her happily. “I remember you used to be so jealous of teacher.”
“I was?” Sarah hummed after rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
“Say always used to think she was inhuman.”
Edward chuckled lightly, his eyes shooting open in a panic. “Our teacher’s seen the truth.” The declaration caused the younger Elric’s to freeze in place. “Do you guys remember what she said that day we asked about it?”
“I myself am the matrix.” Alphonse answered quickly. “Perhaps it’s something you learn when you see the truth.”
Sarah forced the displeased look off of her face then. There was no use trying to force memories out from the depths of her mind, it was too frustrating.
“If that’s true, then she must know of a way we can get our bodies back—We have to ask her!” She cheered, suddenly full of faux energy.
——
The Trio stood outside of the Curtis residence later that norning. Teacher faced the wall of the butcher shop ominously, and the siblings stood behind her, their nerves coming off of them in waves.
“So what did you want to ask me?” The moment of hesitation that followed resulted in Izumi transmuting a polished spear from the brick in front of her.
Ed barely dodged the first swing by jumping back, managing to grab ahold of it when Teacher jabbed it towards him. The woman sent a kick to his head and swung her spear at him again.
Ed’s impatience worked against him this time, and he clapped his hands together harshly, creating a blade on top of his automail and slicing through the spear.
Alphonse and Sarah stood in their places, horror painted over their features.
Izumi’s brows furrowed. “As I suspected, you can transmute without a matrix! On top of which, Al is a suit of armor, Sarah hasn’t heard a single word of our conversation’s and has metal inside her head, and two of your limbs are automail!”
Ed took a step back in disbelief, Al’s fists took a defensive stance, and Sarah’s hands covered her ears in fear that her ports would be torn out. “Teacher, how did you know?” Her golden eyes shook with tears.
“Just how stupid do you think I am? I could tell from sparring with them, and I could feel your automail when I hugged you!” Her staff was now embedded into the grass. “You saw it, didn’t you?”
The siblings glanced at each other in humiliation.
“YOU SAW IT?”
“Ah—YES!” All three of them shrieked, stepping backwards due to Izumi’s murderous aura.
All at once, the rage was quelled, and she gave them a sad look.“We’re all beyond help, aren’t we?”
——
Absolute silence overtook the Curtis dining room while the three children listened to their teacher describe the single worst day of her life. Alphonse wanted to interpret for Sarah, but his hands were frozen, they couldn’t move. Honestly, she didn’t need it, her aids were back in, but it didn’t make a damn difference. This wasn’t a conversation—it was a recitation of a memory. Essentially one on one. She was staring straight at teacher’s mouth the whole time—ensuring she didn’t mistake a single word.
Izumi sat there, clutching her abdomen and looking up at her husband every so often.
Edward clutched his metal arm, unable to meet his teacher’s eyes.
Sarah clutched her ears, unable to look away from her teacher’s face. She took in every detail. Memorizing every lip movement, every squint of the eyes, every scowl, doing her best to commit them to her ephemeral memory.
Alphonse stood there. No body part to hold, no tears to shed, and no memories of the portal they spoke of.
Shame. That was the only emotion that swam around them.
“It must’ve been so awful. I shudder to think this may partially be my fault. If I would’ve just told you sooner, maybe you never would’ve tried the taboo.”
Edward’s grip on his arm tightened. “Nah…I did it to myself after all.”
“Right!” Sarah rushed to join her brother in consoling their beloved master. “I can read lips, so it’s really not a big deal, honest!”
Alphonse reached into his apron pocket, pulling out his beloved notebook. “Besides, now I’ve got this long list of foods I get to eat when I have my body back! Right, guys?”
“Yeah!” Ed’s eyes closed with the force of his fake smile. “It’s nothing!”
“You darling little idiots.” Izumi Curtis solemnly wrapped her arms around Edward’s shoulder and Al’s helm. “It’s okay to hurt.”
She pulled them in and sandwiched Sarah in the middle.
The youngest among them gasped at the words, and she wrapped her arms around the woman’s abdomen. Being strong like Ed and Al was sometimes far too much for her. “I miss my past!”
Tears found their way to Ed’s eyes as he embraced his teacher with one arm and his sister with the other. “Please forgive us.” His words were a low whisper. “Please forgive us.”
“We’re so sorry.” Alphonse's voice croaked out.
“Please forgive us.”
“We’re so sorry.”
“Please forgive us.”
“We’re so sorry.”
“Please forgive me.” Whether Edward was saying these words to his siblings or his teacher, he didn’t yet know.
Chapter 12: The Beasts of Dublith
Summary:
When Ling pulled away, Sarah felt his absence like she’d never felt any before, because she didn’t just feel it with her lips. She felt it with her body, her spirit, and most especially with her heart. Her heart ached, so much so that she almost reached out to pull him back, she would’ve if she had the wherewithal to do so, but she didn’t. So she just sat there, staring at him with those excruciatingly beautiful golden eyes.
“Should I not have done that?” Ling asked with a nervous chuckle, and Sarah had the sneaking feeling that this is one of the first times this cocky prince had been so unsure about anything. God he was an idiot. Of course he shouldn’t have done that. They were two people from opposite sides of the world who were going to lead two very different lives. Of course he shouldn’t have kissed her.
Notes:
Am I…AM I ARISEN FROM THE DEAD?!?! Yes I am. Ik no one is really reading this, so it’s just an excuse for me to write SarahxLing and read it for myself lol.
Chapter Text
"Text" - Normal Speech
'Text' - Sign Language
"Text" - Speech and Sign Language
"Text" - Speech Over Phone
'Text' - Thoughts/Memories
“Do you remember what happened that day?” Ed asked carefully from his spot on the couch, noting the discomfort both of his siblings displayed. “Specifically, do you remember what happened after you saw the Truth?”
“Not really?” Sarah answered quietly, avoiding her Teacher's eyes as she replied, her mind starting to float back to the traumatic past. “I just remember silence, and a lot of blood.”
"Sarah!” Edward’s young voice screamed, dragging his body over to her shaking form. “Say look at me!”
Sarah sat there. Eyes darting around the room until they landed on Edward’s bloody form. Those eyes were filled with panicked horror, she was letting out screams she couldn’t contain. She removed her blood-soaked hands from her head and flailed to grab ahold of her brother.
“Sarah?!”
Her eyes continued to search around the room for Alphonse, freezing when she saw his clothes, laid out flat on the floor as if he had turned to dust and slipped out of them.
Edward was moving, screaming, and drawing transmutation circles from the blood leaking from his knee. Lightning erupted furiously from the runes, and those horrifying black tendrils reappeared. And then...then everything went black.
‘Why?’ Sarah opted to sign when the flashes of memories had passed, already feeling her throat start to swell up due to the faint memories.
“I just…I’m trying to piece everything together. Can you remember anything else?”
Sarah sat quietly before shaking her head. “I don’t know what was taken first. I remember the black hands coming closer, then Truth. After that…I remember waking up at Granny’s.”
Ed dragged a pensive hand down his face in horror. He stole Sarah’s memories. Truth made it very clear. It was all about the equivalent exchange. His arm = Alphonse’s Soul but to regain Al’s memories, something was taken from Sarah as well. How had he never seen it before? How had none of them ever thought it through?
“So you’re saying Sarah’s memories were taken for mine?”
“Maybe her memories were taken for yours, and her hearing for your soul. Either way, when I traded my arm for your soul, Truth helped himself to something from her as well as a fee for your memories.”
Alphonse seemed to shrink in on himself. “All this time…I thought you just lost your hearing. When you told me you lost some memories, I thought it was just damage from your ears, and you avoided telling us because you didn’t want me to blame myself!”
“Remember what we talked about on the roof, Al?” Sarah smiled softly. “Even without my memories, I’ll be okay…because I can rely on you guys to help me remember things. We don’t need to remember everything to be there for each other.”
Ed laid a hand on each of his sibling’s heads. “I’ll restore everything to you two. I swear it. Every blood cell and every tidbit of memory. We’ll get it all back.”
“Ew, brother. That sounds gross.” Sarah chuckled, earning a pitiful laugh from Alphonse, so she opted to pat his helm softly. “I just wanna get Al back to normal. I’m okay the way I am.”
——
Edward was pissed. At himself and Truth. Not once in four years had he noticed that Sarah’s memories were taken as a cost to bring Al back. What kind of brother…what kind of protector couldn’t notice that something this major was wrong?
After the botched attempt at human transmutation, Sariah was not fine, but none of them were, so nobody thought anything of it. The three of them recouped, adjusting to their new bodies and disabilities. Edward was fitted automail, and he began the harrowing process of rehabilitation. Everyone in the house, hell even some of their neighbors had begun to learn sign language to communicate with Sarah better. Soon after, Winry and Granny had crafted hearing aides for Sarah, the first automail of its kind. They'd spent months designing and troubleshooting the gear just for Sarah's surgery. At the thought of this, Ed felt a cold shiver run up his spine. Throughout the entire ordeal, through staring death in the face, through waking up in a silent world, and through a risky surgery, Sarah never said a word about not being able to remember anything. She suffered in silence, only finding comfort in the company that they could offer her as the people who claimed to be her only remaining family.
And they abandoned her for three years...
Most of the memories that remained for Sarah were of the year that they spent together rehabilitating, and they left her alone for three whole years.
He kicked a rock that lay on the dirt path ahead of him, but it couldn't relieve him of this overwhelming feeling of guilt. He excused himself from the Curtis home to clear his mind and was now roaming the streets of Dublith. What a piece of shit. He was thinking of himself, not the rock. That rock probably didn't desert his sister when she needed him most. What was he to do now with this new revelation? She could substitute her hearing with aides, and Edward could replace missing limbs with automail, but memories could not be so easily replaced. The only way to solve this problem would be to take back her memories when they obtained Al's body. Without a stone, and with no help from their teacher, they were back to square one now.
"Something on your mind, friend?"
Ed looked up in the direction the voice came from, squinting in confusion at the figure that stood on top of a nearby roof. "Ling? What are you doing here?"
The prince grinned at the blonde teen as he hopped down from his perch. "Just passing through! Couldn't help but notice you seem a little down."
Ed snorted and pulled the glove off his automail hand, holding it up to the sky. "Down doesn't even come close to describing it," he said. "I reached for the sun and missed, and now I'm paying the price. But my siblings are suffering so much more than I am. Why? It was my idea, after all. Why are they suffering so much more than me?"
"I'm not sure what you mean by 'paying the price,'" Ling said softly. "Or what you all did…But to me, it seems like you're suffering plenty, Edward."
Edward abandoned his effort and sighed. "Yet, I can stand here and hear the world as it passes quietly around me, and I can recall my childhood in detail. I can eat, sleep, and breathe perfectly fine.” He had not yet shared the graphic particulars of the transmutation, Alphonse's body, or Sarah's memory loss with Ling. But Ling seemed to understand how despondent he was, and Ed knew that the Xingese boy understood loss in some capacity. “I lost an arm and a leg, so what? Say and Al are suffering all because of me.”
——
Sarah sat at the register of the meat shop, her legs crossed on the stool, adding up some sales receipts to help the Curtis's out. Her eyes wandered to the glass windows in front of her watching Alphonse sweep the stoop of the building. She refocused, on the notebook in her lap, writing the weekly sales total at the bottom of the page and circling it. When she looked up again, Alphonse was no longer in view of the window. She stood up in confusion, opening the door to peek outside.
The broom that Alphonse had been using was sitting on the floor, and the suit of armor was nowhere to be seen. "Brother?" She called out, looking both ways on the dirt road to locate him. The hairs stood up on the back of her neck as she took off in the direction that she could feel hollow footsteps moving away.
Sarah eventually did catch sight of Al standing outside a building several blocks away, following a figure inside. She followed silently behind them, peeking down the dark entryway. She felt along the walls to help her walk down the stairs and into what looked like a dusty bar.
The two entered a room at the end of the hallway and Sarah peered inside, eyes landing on a tall man dressed in a black pair of leather pants and a black leather vest that showed off his muscular figure. His black hair was standing up in spikes atop his head. Just the sight of him set Sarah off, alarm bells were ringing in her head telling her that being her was definitely a bad idea.
She could see a few other people scattered around the room and their mouthed were moving, but she couldn’t follow the flow of the conversation. Only when Alphonse was pushed to sit on the floor did she see his hands were chained in front of him. Another man leaned over to the first one she noticed and whispered something.
”Go get her.” She could read his lips perfectly fine in that moment, but everything after that happened too fast for her to even to run.
The largest of the men, one clad in a long green coat and pants with black boots, hoisted an enormous hammer over his shoulder, and slammed it into the head of the leather wearing man. His head was taken off completely, gushing dark red blood all over the room.
Sarah really didn’t mean to scream, but she did. It was a terrified, pitiful sound that reverberated along the empty halls, because even in the fifth laboratory, she’d never seen something to terrible. All eyes whipped over to her, especially Alphonse, who shouted at her immediately.
”Sarah, run away now!”
Find Ed, that’s all, she had to run and find Ed and he’d know what to do. After snapping out of her shock, she took off down the hall and up the stairs, but before she could push open the door, the burly man from before grabbed her—only with one arm, and lifted her up. She struggled, kicked, and writhed, but before she could get loose, he brought her into the room she’d ran away from, and set her down next to Alphonse.
She was going to scream again as soon as he let her go, and maybe kick him in the nards once for good measure, but she stopped short once she saw that the man who’d just been murdered was standing in the center of the room, looking right as rain. “What? What’s going on here?” The blood was still there, but he looked just as he did a few minutes ago.
The spiky haired man crouched down in front of her with quite frankly the most punchable grinning face she’d ever seen. “It was like I was trying to explain to your brother here, I’m a homunclus. The name’s Greed, dollface.”
Sarah's eyes went wide before she fixed him with a glare. “That’s impossible! Nobody’s ever successfully created a homunclus!”
“You two really have the same responses to this sorta thing, huh? Well if you don’t believe me, I could always demonstrate again?”
“No!” The sibling’s shouted in unison.
“Good then, now as I was saying, these are my comrades. People that your government turned into Human-Chimeras.”
Sarah was about to challenge that statement, but Alphonse stopped her. “He’s telling the truth…There’s a girl who’s inside my armor, controlling my body, they said she’s part snake.”
“I don’t care who or what you are! You need to let us go, now!”
“We will, just as soon as the Fullmetal Alchemist arrives. Until then, why don’t you give me a crash course on what it’s like to have a body that’ll never die.” The man—Greed glanced over to Alphonse again. “A soul transmuted and bound to a suit of armor sounds like a recipe for immortality to me!”
Sarah flinched back at the crazed look in Greed’s eyes as he began to elaborate on his infinite desires.
“Aren’t you already immortal?” Alphonse chimed in again.
“Not exactly. I aim to be truly untethered from this pseudohuman body. So now that I’ve spilled my darkest secrets to you, I want you to tell me how you got your body?”
“There’s nothing either of us can tell you!” Sarah spat quickly, standing and transmuting a scythe from the wall. “He didn’t do the transmutation and neither did I!”
“Easy there, dollface. I don’t fight women. It’s not in my nature.”
“Well, lucky for you I'm a girl, not a woman.”
“Well then, I don’t fight girls.” He said the last word mockingly.
“Suit yourself, just stand there and get hit, makes it less work for me.” She launched herself into the air and brought the scythe down onto his shoulder, but she was met with the sound of metal on metal. His left arm and part of his chest was now encased in a gray substance that blocked her attack. No matter, she could just try again. When she swung again, he put up the same shield on his left side.
The same arms from before grabbed onto her again, but this time he pushed her up against the wall, not caring that her head cracked against it as he held her neck with a bruising force. Her feet dangled just inches from the floor as she struggled for air.
“Ooh you sure are a feisty one.” Greed mused from off to the side
“Gross!” Sarah’s face scrunched up unfavorably as she struggled. She noticed Alphonse struggling in place, trying to move, but unable to because of the person controlling him from inside.
“Stop it! Let her go!” The armor wailed.
“Hey, I’m not trying to fight, I just want answers.”
Before another word could be said, the door to the room was thrown open, and there stood Edward, who looked absolutely infuriated. He took a deep breath as he tossed the unconscious body of a petite man onto the floor. “You have three seconds to let my sister go.” His gaze hardened on person holding Sarah to the wall. “Three…Two…”
Thankfully, Ed never made it to one, because the burly man released his grip, letting her crumple to the floor. She dragged in two long breaths before standing back up again and rushing over to Ed’s side. She stumbled from the lack of oxygen, but managed to stand on her own for a moment. “You okay?” He looked over her carefully, eyes lingering on the darkening bruise around her neck and the way she held the back of her head with one hand.
She nodded shakily, but it wasn’t very convincing. “Ed, this guy can deflect any attack I made with his shield.”
Edward nodded, turning his attention back to the man in question. “Gotta admit Al, it never actually crossed my mind that you can get kidnapped.”
“Brother, this guy’s a homunclus! We might be able to use him to get some leads on how to get our original bodies back!” As Alphonse rushed to explain the situation. Greed held up his left hand to reveal the oroborus tattoo on the back of his hand.
A look of disbelief flickered over Ed’s angry face. “Are you serious?” As soon as he saw the tattoo, his eyes narrowed. “Why don’t you just ask the rest of your oroborus buddies from the fifth lab? They had some armor bound souls with them.”
“Let’s just say we’re not on speaking terms.” Greed drawled, watching with a raised eyebrow as Sarah who continued to sway on her feet. “Take a seat, kid. You look like you’re about to kick the can.”
Sarah glared at the man, and Edward glanced back, noticing that she was definitely not steady on her feet.
Edward’s arms shot out to steady her, and his heart sank as he lowered her to the floor. “Stay behind me and let me handle this.” As she looked up, she saw this rage filled look on Edward’s face, and it dawned on her that she had never seen Edward look more pissed than he did right now.
The blonde male leaped up and sent his a kick at the person in the white robe shirt who ran at him, allowing him to collide with the wall. He then formed a blade from the extra metal in his arm and attempted to stab Greed, but he deflected with an open palm covered in that same gray shield.
“Roa, Dolcetto, get them out of here!” Greed barked. “We’ll just have to dissect him.”
The large man lifted Alphonse over his shoulder as the man in the robe shirt tossed a dizzy Sarah over his.
“Hey, drop em!” Ed shouted while he dodged hits from Greed, but he couldn’t stop and chase after the captors until Greed was subdued.
The rest of the crew followed after the men who carried the two Elric siblings, and neither of them could fight back.
Sarah watched with blurred vision as they were carried through what looked to be a sewer, and a flash of yellow caught her eye. She heard a smacking sound, it was faint and fast, but before she could question it, the man carrying her collapsed. A pair of warm arms wrapped around her and held her tightly, but they didn’t feel like one of the chimeras arms. They felt familiar.
She looked up groggily, following the bright yellow jacket up to the face of her favorite Xingese Prince. “Ling?”
“Hello again, Sariah.” Ling beamed. When he saw how weak she was, and how outnumbered they were, he snapped one of his fingers, and in an instant, two figures clad all in black appeared at his side. “The two of you handle them.”
“Ling, get Sarah out of here!” Alphonse shouted over the ruckus.
The prince nodded and spoke to the people who arrived with him. “Bring Alphonse out in one piece!”
——
Ling had rested Sarah against a wall a few alley’s away from where they exited the Devil’s Next bar. When she finally came to, she faced him with a dazed look. “My-my brothers, I need to go help them!”
“You shouldn’t be going anywhere, you’re injured. My guards will assist your brothers.” Ling laid a hand on her shoulder to get her to lie back down, and she only complied because her attempt to get up caused her head to spin. “They’ll be perfectly fine, I assure you.”
“Guards?” Sarah parroted with a tilt of her head, an action that Ling saw as particularly adorable.
“I’m a prince, you think I’d travel without guards?” He chuckled, sending butterflies through Sarah’s stomach, so she shrugged.
“What are you doing here, Ling?” She gazed up at him, hoping he peeked his eyes open just a tad, but he never did.
For a moment, Ling Yao just looked at her with an unreadable expression. “When the train arrived to this city, I felt a nasty chi emanating from here, so I decided to stay and keep an eye on you.”
“Why?”
It was Ling’s turn to shrug, and he didn’t answer. Then…he kissed her. Her eyes widened because Ling was the one to initiate the kiss this time, pressing his soft lips against hers and gripping her sides firmly. This time was even better than their first, because it seemed like he’d planned it out beforehand—Unlike Sarah who’d just locked lips with him before in a brash, and awkward manner.
When Ling pulled away, Sarah felt his absence like she’d never felt any before, because she didn’t just feel it with her lips. She felt it with her body, her spirit, and most especially with her heart. Her heart ached, so much so that she almost reached out to pull him back, she would’ve if she had the wherewithal to do so, but she didn’t. So she just sat there, staring at him with those excruciatingly beautiful golden eyes.
“Should I not have done that?” Ling asked with a nervous chuckle, and Sarah had the sneaking feeling that this is one of the first times this cocky prince had been so unsure about anything. God he was an idiot. Of course he shouldn’t have done that. They were two people from opposite sides of the world who were going to lead two very different lives. Of course he shouldn’t have kissed her.
But she didn’t feel any of that when he was kissing her. All she could feel was him, and she wanted it, so maybe his mistake wasn’t kissing her. Maybe his mistake was pulling away and allowing all the logic and reasoning of the world crash down onto her.
“I told you we can’t be together.” Sarah mumbled, averting her eyes when she saw his eyes crack open, flashing with hurt, and Sarah felt guiltier than she could’ve imagined. He was this boy, an actual prince, who’d just saved her life, and kissed her, yet she couldn’t let herself fall for it. This may look like the setup to some whimsical, epic romance from a fairy tale, but life wasn’t so simple. “You’re a distraction.” She mumbled, feeling tears well in her eyes. “I need to focus on getting me and my brother’s bodies back to normal and I can’t be side tracked by you.” Despite the glare she held, Sarah continued to inch closer to him, and he made no move to stop her. “You distracting me only jeopardizes that goal.”
“I’m a prince on the hunt for immortality so that I may one day be Emperor of Xing,” Ling began slowly, wrapping an arm around her back and drawing her even closer. “You’re a distraction that jeopardizes an entire nation and my royal lineage.”
“I need you to walk away, because I can’t.” Sarah meant this literally and metaphorically.
Ling nodded, but he did not move. “I can’t.” His other hand rested on her cheek, which was hot to the touch from the blush that covered Sarah from head to toe. “I wish I could, but I can’t.”
Their lips met again, this time much more emboldened than before. Their words of denial seemed pointless when put up against the hands of fate. Fate so clearly wanted them together. It was then that Ling realized that from Sariah Elric, he could not escape, and Sarah realized that Ling Yao would be her greatest obstacle.
——
When Sarah awoke next, she was inside the Curtis residence. Edward was on his bed opposite of her, still unconscious, but he was hurt, badly. She sat up shakily, searching around the room and finding Alphonse. It didn’t seem like he noticed she was awake, because he sat there in the corner of the room, staring at his gloved metal hands. Sarah stood, tenderly approaching him. “Hey, Brother.”
Alphonse snapped back to reality. “Say, thank goodness!” He signed with fervor. “Are you okay?”
“I’m okay.” Sarah replied shakily, taking a seat on the floor in front of him, when something caught her eye. Something red and ominous that stained the shoulders of his armor. “Is that blood?” Before Alphonse could stop her, Sarah unbuckled the straps of his chest plate and slid it off, her eyes widening in horror. “Al…what happened?” The interior of his armor was now stained completely in dried blood. Luckily none of it reached Al’s blood seal, but it was pretty damn close.
“It’s a long story.” Alphonse shook his head before fastening the chest plate back on. “The people who came with Ling saved me though, and Teacher showed up to help Ed fight Greed!”
Guilt enveloped every inch of Sarah right then. While the two of them were in danger, she was off kissing a prince. She sat back on her heels and plastered on a fake smile to avoid the thought of Ling, but Al caught her attention with a wave.
“I’m glad Ling got you to safety when he did. You didn’t need to see what happened down there.”
Chapter 13: The Prince and the Alchemist
Summary:
Ling’s grin only widened as he raised his blades again, his posture relaxed but ready. “Careful, Sariah. If you get any cuter when you’re mad, I might not be able to focus.”
Sarah let out an exasperated growl before charging at him again, her embarrassment fueling her strikes as their battle reignited.
As Sarah charged back into the fight, her movements were sharp and precise, her scythe swinging in controlled arcs. Ling parried with ease, clearly enjoying himself as he dodged her furious strikes.
“You know,” Ling said, his teasing smirk still in place, “this temper of yours makes you even more charming.”
“Stop talking!” Sarah snapped, her scythe flashing dangerously close to his shoulder. But before she could follow up, Ling stepped in close again, deflecting her weapon with his blades and locking it aside. In one fluid motion, he leaned in, pressing another quick kiss to her cheek.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Text" - Normal Speech
'Text' - Sign Language
"Text" - Speech and Sign Language
"Text" - Speech Over Phone
'Text' - Thoughts
Once Sarah and Edward were well enough to travel, they’d booked three tickets back to rush valley to have Winry repair Ed’s arm, and Alphonse did his best to ease the burden on his human bodied siblings by carrying the bags onto the train for them, as well as supporting Sarah on his back instead of making her walk.
As much as Ed sternly instructed him to leave Sarah out of it, Alphonse couldn’t help but be transparent with his sister. She helped him last night by staying up for hours to tenderly wash away all of the blood from the inside of his suit. Even though the sight of so much of someone’s blood touching her and filling her nostrils, made her vomit twice, she didn’t stop until it was all done.
There was no avoiding the topic. He caved almost immediately and told her the truth about the previous night. About how after Ling took her away, his guards fought some of Greed’s chimera henchmen and almost managed to free Alphonse, but when one of the guards split to help Ed, the Furher arrived with a platoon of soldiers. King Bradley had slain all of the chimera team. Including the girl still trapped inside of Al’s armor, Martel…
After that story, Sarah was too disturbed to sleep for the rest of the night, and she made no effort to do so. Instead she grabbed an apple from the kitchen and pulled a small book from her bag. She then returned to sit with him and keep him company all night long.
The trio now walked along the dirt road that lead to the auto mail shop that Winry had stayed in Rush Valley to work in. The bell that hung over the door chimed as they entered Garfiel’s Automail Shop.
When Sarah first caught sight of her best friend the fellow blonde girl beamed brightly at her, but all of the sudden, Alphonse grabbed ahold of the back of her shirt and yanked her away from the line of fire. A second later, a wrench collided with the side of Edward’s head, and he yelped in pain.
“Hey!”
“You idiot!” Winry screamed, stalking up to the shorter boy. “You’re supposed to call first before you drop by!”
Edward grumbled some swears that even Sarah hadn’t heard before. “Yeah yeah, sorry. We had a long week.”
Hoping to distract Winry from her rage, Sarah grabbed the girl’s hand. “W-Winry, Ed needs his arm fixed but my head is killing me, can you check on my hearing aids first?”
Concern flashed over Winry’s face and she nodded. “Of course, Say. What all happened?”
”I can tell you during the checkup. Besides I have a secret to tell you anyway.”
Ed and Al’s attention was on her as soon as she mentioned the word secret, but she left them to worry their little heads off when Winry dragged her over to her private workshop. She was doing this to protect them from Winry’s wrath so they can avoid death.
Winry’s shop was as chaotic as ever, but she seemed to move in the clustered mess with an inhumane swiftness. “Okay Say.” She pushed Sarah onto the exam bed and whispered as she unhooked the Hearing aides from the girl’s ears. ‘What’s your big secret?’
Sarah lifted her hands to form the four words that she’d never signed together before. ‘I kissed a boy.’
"YOU WHAT?!” Winry forgot to sign the words, but Sarah could read her lips perfectly well.
Upon hearing Winry’s scream, Edward and Alphonse rushed into the room in a panic.
“What’s wrong?”
“Get out!” The older girl screamed at them again, and threatening them with her hammer.
‘It’s the boy from the old mechanic’s house, Ling.’ Once they were alone again, Sarah continued and she leveled her friend with a pleading look. ‘Don’t scream again, please.’
‘The prince?’ Winry didn’t scream but it looked like she desperately wanted to. ‘How and when?’
‘I kissed him on the train leaving Rush Valley. And it was stupid, yes but I thought I’d never see him again, but then he just shows up during the fight with a guy who’s about to abduct me and Al and he takes me outside and he kissed me! And I don’t know who even initiated the kiss after that but all I remember if that I called him a distraction, he called me a distraction, and then we were just kissing—then the next thing I remember is waking up at our teacher’s house.’
When Sarah completed her rant, Winry absorbed the information slowly before bringing both hands up to her mouth to muffle a scream.
——
Sarah’s hearing aides were perfectly fine, but the area around her ports were swollen from the impact. After being discharged by her friend, Sarah excused herself and told Alphonse that she wanted to take a walk alone.
Her head did ache, so she did want to clear her head. She sat at a table in a nearby coffee shop with a cup of tea and an alchemy textbook in her lap, enjoying the peaceful silence surrounding her because kept the aides out to help the swelling go down. After half an hour of alone time, a thud in the chair across from her caught her attention, and she looked up from her book.
“Ling?” Once again, Sarah looked up at the prince whose black hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail that rested over his shoulder.
“We simply can’t keep meeting like this.” Ling smirked as he took in the girl’s panicked voice. He reached across the table and stole one of the cookies that she’d ordered about ten minutes ago.
“Seems to me like you’ve been following me.” Sarah mumbled out with a teensy bit of sass in her voice, her glare focusing on his thieving hand.
“What if I am?” The boy leaned closer to her over the table, prompting her to blush a hilarious shade of red.
Sarah turned her eyes back to her book and spat out the next words. “I can’t study and read your lips at the same time. Go away, you’re distracting me.”
Ling chuckled, but the girl didn’t look up at him, and it was only then that he realized she didn’t have her hearing aides attached. So, like the pest he is, he snatched the book from her hands and placed it face down next to him.
“Hey, give that back!” Sarah demanded, reaching to grab for it, but he grabbed her wrist to stop her. His hold was tight, but not hard enough to bruise. “What do you think you’re doing? Let me go.”
“You see, Sariah over the last three days I’ve had a lot of time to think, and I’ve come to realize that while you are an immense distraction, you also hold the answers I’ve been searching for about the Philosopher’s Stone, so unfortunately I can’t just stay away from you.”
Sarah’s glare deepened as he leaned in even closer until there was only inches between their faces. “I told you before, you need to forget it. I won’t tell you anything about the stone.”
“I’m not giving you much of a choice here.” Ling nodded his head to gesture behind her, and just then she felt the tip of a blade press into her back. She went stiff and turned her head slowly to look up, seeing one of the same masked ninjas who helped rescue her and her brothers, and the second one was hovering by the door. When she turned back to the Prince, he resumed talking, and he kept a cheerful tone, though she couldn’t tell, of course. “I’m not too concerned with what you feel is evil. All I want to know is how you make a philosopher's stone.”
Sarah shook her head, her blonde bangs somewhat obscuring her eyes. Because he was in no mood to be misunderstood, Ling brushed the hairs away from her face with strangely gentle fingers. At this point, she was growing tired of being toyed with, so she tried to wrench her arm from his hold. “Even if I were to tell you how to make one. Not even me or my brothers are strong enough to do it. That’s not to mention the cost!” Due to her nerves, some of the words were mispronounced, but Ling still found it adorable. “You’d never succeed. It’s a fool’s errand.”
With a sigh, Ling Yao stood and pulled her up with him, keeping a grip on her wrist so he could lead her out of the restaurant.
Once they were outside, Sarah twisted swiftly and raised her leg at a rapid speed. She slammed her foot into Ling’s head, forcing him to release her as he reeled back in pain. She took off in the direction of Mr. Garfiel's auto mail shop with the trio of Xingese warriors were hot on her heels. “Ed! Al!”
One of the warriors lunged at her with a kunai knife in hand, but Sarah managed to dodge the attack. She clapped her hands together and transmuted a scythe, aiming the large weapon at the prince’s neck. “You idiot prince. I won’t tell you anything.”
Just then, the taller guard member became enraged, slashing at Sarah, but the girl brought up a barrier from the stone floors to deflect the blade.
“What the hell’s going on here?!” Edward’s voiced boomed, catching the attention of everyone except Sarah, but he managed to use his metal arm to block an incoming blow from one of the ninja’s swords. “Ling?”
When Ling refused to answer, Edward signed the question to Sarah, and she glared at the Prince.
“This moron wants to know about the Philosophers Stone, and he won’t listen when I tell him to forget it.” She dodged another swing of the kunai.
“You will stop insulting the young lord!” The warrior demanded roughly.
“Bite me!"
Alphonse began trading blows with the shorter guard, and Ed did his best to distract the other one who seemed to have it out for his sister. Sarah was now left to deal with Ling Yao one on one.
Ling pulled out two curved blades from his waist cloth and aimed them at the girl. “You know, you could make this easy for us both and tell me what I want to know.”
Ling darted forward, his twin blades flashing as he closed the distance between them. Sarah barely managed to deflect the attack with her scythe, the clash of metal ringing out around them.
“And let you win?” Sarah shot back, her cheeks already warming as she blocked another strike. “In your dreams.”
Ling smirked, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “I’ll have you know, my dreams involving you are more sweet.”
Sarah faltered for half a second, her scythe wobbling in her grip. “W-what? That’s not what I meant, you—!” She swung her weapon wildly, forcing Ling to leap back, but the heat in her face only intensified.
He landed with effortless grace, still grinning as he circled her. “Careful, Sarah. Looks like you’re blushing.”
She clenched her teeth, gripping her scythe tighter. “I am not blushing!” she snapped before lunging at him.
Ling easily sidestepped, pivoting around her strike as if this were a game. “You kind of are,” he said with mock innocence. “But don’t worry—I think it’s cute.”
Sarah’s face turned scarlet, and she nearly lost her balance swinging at him again. “Stop saying weird stuff! Who even does that in a fight?!”
“Just trying to keep things interesting,” Ling replied, his grin widening as he parried her next attack. “Although I have to admit, you’re making this more fun than I expected. You’re good.”
Her heart skipped at the compliment, but she shoved it aside, focusing on her scythe as she forced him back with a flurry of sharp, precise swings. “You don’t get to sweet-talk me in the middle of this, you arrogant jerk!” she huffed, aiming a sweeping blow at his feet. “And stop smiling like that—it’s creepy!”
Ling jumped over her scythe and flipped backward, landing a few feet away. “Aw, come on. Don’t be like that. I’m just admiring your skills. Really.” He lowered his blades slightly, his tone almost sincere. “For someone your age, you’re kind of incredible.”
Sarah hesitated, her scythe faltering for just a moment. “I—” she started, but the words stuck in her throat, her flustered brain scrambling for a retort. “Shut up!”
Ling chuckled, shaking his head as he lunged back into the fray.
Ling’s twin blades flashed as he caught Sarah’s scythe in a sudden, precise maneuver, twisting his wrists to lock her weapon in place. The force pulled her off balance, and before she could react, he gave a sharp tug, dragging her closer to him.
Her breath hitched as she found herself nearly chest to chest with the prince, her hands gripping the haft of her scythe tightly. She tried to yank it free, but his grip held firm.
“Caught you,” Ling said softly, his tone more dangerous now, though his smirk still invoked a more infuriatingly teasing edge.
“L-let go!” Sarah stammered, her face turning bright red as her heart raced—not from the fight, but from how close the boy was.
Instead of releasing her, Ling leaned in slightly, his dark eyes locked on hers. “Why would I do that? This is the most fun I’ve had in ages,” he said, his tone low and playful. “You’re…fascinating.”
Sarah’s face burned hotter, and she clenched her jaw to push back her embarrassment. “Fascinating? You’re insane! We’re fighting, you fool!”
“Are we?” Ling replied smoothly, leaning even closer. His free hand darted forward, catching her chin gently to tilt her face up toward his. “Because right now, it feels more like we’re just playing a game.”
Sarah froze, her grip on her trapped weapon slackening slightly. “W-what are you—”
Before she could finish, Ling tilted his head, lips brushing against hers with maddening softness, just enough to steal her breath and make her freeze.
Her mind went blank, her body tensing as if caught in a trap. After a moment, she forgot the scythe, the fight, and the chaos surrounding them. She leaned into the touch just as Ling pulled back, only by an inch, his smirk returning as he whispered, “You’re the best distraction I’ve ever had, Sarah.”
The words jolted her back to reality, and with a furious glare, she shoved him backward with all her strength, yanking her scythe free in the process. “You—! You absolute idiot!” she shouted, her voice a mix of outrage and mortified embarrassment. “What do you think you’re doing?!”
Ling stumbled slightly but caught himself, laughing as he readjusted his stance. “Aw, come on. Admit it—you almost forgot we were fighting.”
Sarah pointed her scythe at him, her face still glowing red. “The only thing I’m about to forget is why I’m letting you walk out of this alive!”
Ling’s grin only widened as he raised his blades again, his posture relaxed but ready. “Careful, Sariah. If you get any cuter when you’re mad, I might not be able to focus.”
Sarah let out an exasperated growl before charging at him again, her embarrassment fueling her strikes as their battle reignited.
As Sarah charged back into the fight, her movements were sharp and precise, her scythe swinging in controlled arcs. Ling parried with ease, clearly enjoying himself as he dodged her furious strikes.
“You know,” Ling said, his teasing smirk still in place, “this temper of yours makes you even more charming.”
“Stop talking!” Sarah snapped, her scythe flashing dangerously close to his shoulder. But before she could follow up, Ling stepped in close again, deflecting her weapon with his blades and locking it aside. In one fluid motion, he leaned in, pressing another quick kiss to her cheek.
Sarah froze, her face bright red as her scythe slipped slightly in her grip. As soon as he pulled away, Sarah held one hand to the cheek he’d kissed, blushing madly.
“That’s two,” Ling said, his voice light and mocking.
“Ling Yao!” Edward’s voice roared from across the battlefield. In an instant, Ed abandoned his fight with one of Ling’s guards and launched himself at the prince. “Get your hands off my sister!” he shouted, his automail arm swinging toward Ling with furious force.
Ling barely had time to release Sarah and duck before Ed’s punch slammed into the wall behind him, leaving a dent. “Whoa, calm down, Fullmetal!” Ling said, though he was laughing as he backflipped to avoid another strike. “It’s not what it looks like!”
“Oh, it’s exactly what it looks like!” Edward yelled, his face red with rage. He lunged again, throwing a series of rapid punches that Ling dodged with infuriating ease. “She’s like eleven you perv!”
“I’m thirteen!” Sarah stumbled back, still flustered, but she quickly recovered enough to shout, “Ed, stop it! I can handle him!”
Edward ignored her, his focus entirely on Ling. “You think you can just mess with my sister like that?!”
Ling’s grin only widened as he dodged another strike, parrying with one of his curved blades. “I have to admit, you’ve got some fire. Maybe it runs in the family?”
“Shut up!” Edward snarled, swinging again, this time managing to graze Ling’s sleeve.
Ling glanced at the tear in his clothes and sighed. “Okay, okay, you’re serious. But for the record…” He sidestepped another punch and lightly pushed Edward back with the flat of his blade. “I wasn’t exactly trying to upset her.”
Edward growled, but before he could attack again, Sarah stepped between them, forcing her brother back with her scythe. “Enough!” she signed sharply, her expression a mix of frustration and lingering embarrassment.
Edward reluctantly lowered his fists, but he glared at Ling with unwavering hostility.
Ling sheathed his blades with a casual flourish, his amused expression softening slightly. “You’re protective, huh? I wouldn’t know what that’s like, it’s kinda cute.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Edward snapped, still bristling.
Ling shrugged, folding his arms. “I have forty-two half-siblings. All different mothers. We don’t exactly…bond. Most of them don’t even like me. Some have tried to kill me when they had the chance.” His tone was light, but there was an underlying bitterness in his words as he gestured to the siblings. “So this is new to me.”
Sarah, who had been watching his lips carefully, lowered her scythe. She stepped closer to him, her expression unreadable, before speaking deliberately. “If you don’t know how to be a brother, then maybe you’re not ready to be an emperor.”
Ling blinked, caught off guard. “I beg your pardon?” he asked, turning to her in shock.
Sarah shrugged, “If you can’t understand what family means, how can you lead one, let alone lead a nation?”
Ling stared at her, his usual playful demeanor faltering for a moment. “That’s…an interesting point,” he said quietly, his smirk fading into something more thoughtful.
Edward crossed his arms, still fuming. “Yeah, well, you can start by staying away from my family, prince.”
Sarah sighed, rubbing her temples. “Both of you are both idiots.” But as she turned away, she caught a flicker of something in Ling’s eyes—not teasing, not mocking, but genuine curiosity. Maybe, just maybe, he was actually listening. “Now call off your guards, they’ve caused enough havoc to the town as it is. We’re not telling you jackshit no matter how scary you think they are.” She said once she looked around and saw how much destruction had already occurred and fixed the older boy with a glare. “And help us clean all this up so we can fix it! Don’t go running off again, got it?”
With a slightly amused smirk, Ling nodded, signaling for his guards to cease their attacks. “You’ve got it, Sariah.”
——
The night air was crisp as Sarah climbed up onto the roof of the Garfiel’s Automail shop, her thin nightgown and oversized blue cardigan doing little to keep the chill away. She hugged the cardigan tighter around her as she spotted Ling sitting near the edge, his legs dangling, his usual air of mischief replaced by a quiet stillness.
“Ling?” she called softly, her voice barely carrying over the soft rustle of the wind.
Ling glanced over his shoulder, his dark eyes briefly lighting up with recognition before dulling again. “Oh. Hey, Sarah,” he said, his voice unusually subdued.
Frowning, Sarah carefully walked across the roof, the shingles cold beneath her bare feet. She sat down beside him, leaving a small gap between them. “What are you doing up here so late?” she signed and spoke, her tone gentle.
“Thinking,” Ling replied, his breath visible in the chilly air. He looked out over the rooftops, his expression distant.
Sarah tilted her head, her brows furrowing. “How long have you been up here thinking for?”
Ling let out a soft, humorless chuckle. “Quite some time. Your words have been stuck in my head.” He hesitated, running a hand through his dark hair. “About family. About what it means to be a brother—or a leader.”
Sarah blinked, surprised by the admission. She released a soft sigh and asked. “What about it?”
Ling’s gaze flickered to her hands, then back to the sky. “I realized I don’t…really know what that means. I’ve spent my whole life fighting for my clan, trying to prove I’m worthy of leading them. I care deeply for my guards, my mother, even my tutors back home, but I don’t know what it’s like to care about someone the way your brothers seem to care about you, solely for the reason that they’re my blood.”
Sarah felt her chest tighten at the rare vulnerability in his voice. She studied him for a moment before asking, “What do you mean?”
Ling sighed, resting his arms on his knees. “You said I don’t understand what it means to be a brother. You were right. I have forty-two siblings, but we’re not…close. Most of us barely know each other. Others want me dead. I don’t know what it’s like to have someone look out for me like that, or to want to do the same for them.”
Sarah’s heart ached at his words. She gave him a small, reassuring smile and began signing on instinct as she spoke. “My brothers aren’t perfect, but they’re good to me. They’re always looking out for me, even when I don’t ask for it. Edward can be overprotective and bossy, but he’s also the first to make me laugh when I’m upset. Alphonse is quieter, but he always knows when I need someone to listen or just sit with me.”
Ling watched her hands intently, his expression softening. “Go on,” he urged, his voice quieter now.
“They tease me,” Sarah continued, her lips curving into a fond smile, “but only in ways they know I can handle. They’re patient when I struggle with things. They take care of me when I’m sick. Sometimes Ed will just sit by my bed until I fall asleep if I’m feeling anxious.”
Ling’s brow furrowed slightly. “And they do all of that…just because you’re their sister?”
Sarah nodded. “Duh. They love me. That’s what makes them good brothers. Even if you don’t have that with your half-siblings yet, you could strive for that in the future.”
Ling leaned back slightly, his gaze drifting back to the horizon. “That sounds…nice,” he admitted, his tone tinged with longing. “I’ve never had that. I guess I don’t know where to start.”
Sarah reached out, lightly tapping his arm to get his attention. When he looked at her, she spoke with careful emphasis, “You don’t have to be perfect, Ling. You just have to try. Care for them, even if they’ve done wrong by you or hurt you.”
Ling studied her for a long moment before nodding slowly. “That sounds doable,” he echoed, his voice thoughtful.
Sarah smiled, pulling her cardigan closer as the wind picked up. “It is doable. You’ll figure it out. Just don’t be afraid to ask for help.”
Ling’s lips quirked into a small smile, the weight in his expression lifting slightly. “You’re really something, you know that?”
Sarah rolled her eyes, though her cheeks flushed faintly. “You’re still an idiot prince,” she muttered, standing up carefully.
Ling laughed softly, the sound warmer than it had been in days. “Maybe. But thanks, Sarah.”
Sarah drew her knees to her chest to ward off the chill. Her expression softened as she stared up at the stars, her fingers beginning to move as she signed.
“I guess I’m lucky,” she started, her voice quieter now. “Ed and Al have always been there for me, even when we were kids. I remember when we used to gang up on Ed. Al and I would team up to boss him around. Poor guy couldn’t catch a break with both of us after him.” She gave a soft laugh, the memory lighting her face.
Ling tilted his head, a faint smirk returning. “Wait, you bossing Ed around? Now that’s a picture I need to see.”
Sarah grinned. “Oh, we were relentless. Al and I would make plans just to annoy him. We’d hide his books or make him do chores we didn’t want to do. But Ed would always try to act like it didn’t bother him, even when it clearly did.”
Ling chuckled. “He does have a bit of a pride streak. Sounds like you and Alphonse knew how to push his buttons.”
“Oh, definitely,” Sarah replied, her smile fading slightly as her hands slowed. “But he’s always been so protective of us. When I was five, I fell at school and sprained my ankle. I couldn’t walk, so Ed carried me all the way home.”
“Carried you? At five?” Ling asked, raising an eyebrow. “How old was he?”
“Seven,” Sarah said, her expression softening with the memory. “Al offered to help, but Ed refused. Said it was his job as the older brother, and he didn’t want to seem weak. Even though he was so small, and it was such a long walk, he wouldn’t let me down once.”
Ling leaned back slightly, a thoughtful look on his face. “Sounds like he’s always had something to prove. But he cared enough to do it anyway.”
Sarah nodded. “That’s just how he is. He’s stubborn, but he’ll do anything for us.” She paused, her hands resting in her lap as her gaze turned distant. “After Al lost his body…and I lost my hearing, things were really hard. Al was the first to start learning sign language to help me. He’d practice with me every day, even though I knew he had other things to worry about. But then Ed—” Her voice caught in her throat, and she bit back a strangled sob.
“What about Ed?” Ling prompted, his curiosity piqued.
Sarah glanced at him, her voice soft but filled with warmth despite her tears. “Ed had just lost his arm. He was learning how to adjust to his automail, and it wasn’t easy for him. I didn’t expect him to pick up sign language. It’s hard enough with two hands, let alone a mechanical arm you’re still figuring out.”
Ling’s eyes widened slightly. “Wait…he learned sign language anyway?”
She nodded and brushed away a tear. “For me. He didn’t want me to feel left out or struggle to communicate. Even when it was hard for him, he still learned it. That’s just who he is. He can be loud and impatient, but when it matters, he always shows up.”
Ling was quiet for a moment, his gaze fixed on her hands as they fell still. “That’s…impressive. Your brothers sound incredible.”
“They are,” Sarah said softly, her voice thick with emotion. “They’ve been through so much, but they’ve never stopped looking out for me. It’s why I want to be strong too—so I can give some of that back to them.”
Ling leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on his knees. “And yet, here you are, talking about them like they’re the only ones who’ve done anything. You’re pretty incredible yourself, Sarah.”
She blinked, her cheeks flushing faintly. “I’m just…some kid. I’m nothing special.”
Ling shook his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “You’re wrong about that.”
Sarah looked away, her face warm despite the chill. “You’re deflecting again,” she muttered.
Ling laughed softly. “Maybe. But I mean it. You’re giving me a lot to think about.”
She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, her expression softening. “Good. Maybe this time, you’ll actually listen.”
Ling chuckled again, the sound lighter now as he gazed at her. “Maybe I will.”
The rooftop fell quiet for a moment, the wind carrying the faint sounds of the town settling into the night. Ling broke the silence, leaning back slightly to study Sarah.
“So,” he began casually, “what else was your childhood like? You’ve got to have more stories about you, Ed, and Al causing trouble.”
Sarah smiled faintly, her fingers brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Oh, there’s plenty. Like the time we tried to build a treehouse, and Ed insisted he didn’t need help. He fell out of the tree, broke his arm, and still wouldn’t admit he needed us.” She chuckled softly.
Ling grinned, but his expression softened as he asked, “What about your parents? What were they like?”
The question made Sarah freeze. Her smile faltered, and her hands dropped to her lap. Her chest tightened, and she had to take a deep breath before responding. “Our dad left when I was a baby.” she began, her voice quieter now. “Our mom…she died when I was three.”
Ling’s brow furrowed as he noticed her change in demeanor. “Hey, I didn’t mean to—”
“No, it’s okay,” Sarah interrupted softly, though her hands trembled slightly as she signed. “I just…it’s been a long time since I talked about her.”
She brushed her fingers against her cheek, surprised to find them wet. She hadn’t even realized she’d started crying again. Ling stayed silent, giving her the space to speak at her own pace.
“I don’t remember much,” Sarah began, her voice thick with emotion. “Beautiful chestnut hair and eyes,” Sarah managed a faint, watery smile, “she had a body most women would kill for, even after having three kids in three years. She was…beautiful.”
Ling watched her intently, his own expression softening. “She sounds amazing.”
“She was,” Sarah said, her voice breaking slightly. “But I’m jealous of Ed and Al sometimes. They got more time with her. I was only three when she died. I barely remember her at all besides how she looked—and even that’s just from seeing photos.” She swallowed hard, wiping at her eyes again. “That’s probably why Ed is the way he is—why he’s so protective. When she died, it was just the three of us. Her friends checked in on us, and Granny Pinako kept us alive, but our dad was never around. And Ed…he had to step up. He was the oldest after all.”
Ling didn’t interrupt, letting her continue as she wiped away more tears.
“There’s so much that I don’t remember about her,” she admitted. “But sometimes, little things come back to me. Like how she always had tea in the morning. And how she’d never let us see her upset, no matter how hard things got.”
She paused, her gaze distant as she searched for more memories. “But…that’s all I can remember. Just bits and pieces. It’s like she’s slipping away, and I can’t stop it.”
Her voice cracked, and she hugged her knees to her chest, trying to steady herself. Ling hesitated for a moment before reaching out, his hand hovering near hers. He didn’t grab it but let it rest nearby, close enough for her to notice.
She glanced up at him, her tears drying as she managed a small, genuine smile. For the first time in a while, the ache in her chest felt just a little lighter.
Just as Sarah’s hand lingered near Ling’s, the sound of footsteps broke the moment. Edward’s voice rang out, sharp but tinged with concern. “What are you doing up here, kid?”
The words buzzed loudly in Sarah’s hearing aids, causing her to pull away immediately. She turned toward her brother, trying to steady her breath, and signed quickly, “Nothing, Brother. I was having trouble sleeping and came up here to relax. Ling and I were just talking.”
Edward’s gaze shifted between the two of them, but his focus quickly narrowed as he noticed the glisten of tears on Sarah’s face. His expression immediately hardened with concern. “Why are you crying?” he asked, his voice calm but filled with the protective undertone only a brother could have.
Sarah glanced down for a moment, her hands nervously fidgeting before she slowly stepped away from Ling. The brief tension that had formed between them seemed to dissolve as she moved toward Edward, the familiar safety of her brother’s presence grounding her. She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, her face pressed into his chest as she tried to steady herself.
Edward, though surprised by her sudden embrace, instinctively wrapped his arms around her. He gently wiped away the tears on her cheeks, his brow furrowing as he realized the tears weren’t from sadness. “Sarah?” he asked softly, his voice thick with confusion but filled with care. “You’re not—you’re not sad?”
Sarah shook her head, her voice a soft whisper against his chest. “No…I’m just…I just realized how lucky I am.” Her voice cracked slightly with the weight of emotions she’d buried for so long, but it was more relief than sorrow. She felt lighter, as though a burden had been lifted.
Edward froze for a moment, his heart tightening as he processed her words. “You’re sure? You’re really okay?” His hand moved to cup the back of her head, holding her close.
She pulled back slightly, her eyes shining but with a soft, grateful smile on her lips. “Thank you, Ed,” she whispered, her voice full of emotion. “I’m lucky I had you and Al looking out for me.”
Edward’s expression softened, and he smiled, brushing her hair back from her face. “You don’t have to thank me, Sarah. I’ll always be here for you, no matter what. Always.”
Sarah looked up at him, her heart full, and for the first time in a long while, she felt at peace. Even after everything, she had them—her brothers, the ones who loved her fiercely, no matter how much time had passed or how far they’d gone.
Ed patted Sarah’s head comfortingly, his hand lingering for a moment as he met her gaze. Despite the presence of Ling watching them, the moment was personal. Sarah looked up at him with gratitude, offering a small, nervous smile before she stepped back, feeling the weight of the emotions still pressing down on her.
“You go back to bed, alright?” Ed’s voice softened, but there was a firmness to it. “I’ll be down in a minute.”
Sarah nodded quickly, flashing a nervous wave at Ling as she moved toward the staircase. “Goodnight, Ling,” she signed awkwardly, then hurried down, eager to leave the quiet tension on the rooftop.
Once the door closed behind her, the atmosphere shifted dramatically. The air felt colder. Ed turned his attention back to Ling, his face hardening as he let out an audible sigh. The protective edge in his voice cut through the silence.
“You know,” Ed started, his voice low but seething with barely contained anger, “I’ve worked for years to keep Sarah safe. I’ve spent years trying to atone for the mistakes I made that led to her losing her hearing. And you—” he pointed an accusing finger at Ling, his eyes narrowing sharply, “You think you can just waltz in here and make things complicated for her? I won’t let you break her heart.”
Ling crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t interrupt. He was no stranger to conflict, and he’d expected this. “I’m not trying to hurt her,” Ling interjected calmly, but Ed wasn’t finished.
“I don’t care if you’re the Prince of some far-off kingdom,” Ed continued, his voice rising with every word. “You don’t just get to come in and play games with her. She’s not a toy for you to use however you see fit. She’s not some damsel in distress for you to manipulate just because you think you’ve got a fancy title and some charm.”
“I never intended—”
“I don’t care what your intentions are.” Ed stepped closer, his glare never leaving Ling’s face, and his next words came out hard. “She’s innocent, Ling. You don’t get it. Despite how smart she is, how much alchemy she knows, she’s still just a kid. She doesn’t always know the difference between someone genuinely caring about her and someone trying to use her. And I’ll be damned if I let you mess with her heart when you and I both know there’s no chance of you and her being together in the future.”
Ling’s brow furrowed, his usual smirk now replaced by a more serious expression. He opened his mouth to speak, but Ed silenced him with a sharp gesture.
“If I catch you even looking at her like that again—leading her on to believe there’s hope for you two,” Ed growled, “I’ll send you home in a box.”
Ling didn’t respond immediately, taking a moment to study Ed’s fury. There was no mistaking the sincerity in his words. For all his bluster and bravado, Edward Elric was not playing around when it came to his sister.
Ed took a deep breath, shaking his head, his anger still simmering but more controlled now. “Just stay away from her, Ling. You don’t know what she’s been through, and I won’t let you hurt her.”
With that, Ed turned and headed back toward the stairs, his footsteps heavy on the roof, the sound of his metal arm clicking against the stone echoing in the quiet night. Before stepping inside, he cast one last glance at Ling, his expression unreadable.
“If you really want some dame who’s impressed by your status and who you can play around with—find one back in Xing. Sarah isn’t that girl.” Ed said quietly, but firmly. Then, he disappeared into the building, leaving Ling to stand alone under the night sky.
Ling stood silently for a moment, the weight of Ed’s words settling in. There was no denying the intensity of the elder Elric’s feelings, but Ling wasn’t someone to be easily intimidated. He still had his own plans, his own goals—and now, something about this conflict felt even more complicated than before. But that was for another time. For now, he just stood in the moonlight, contemplating the exchange.
Notes:
Uggh I can’t abandon this ship! I’ll drown along with it. Comment your thoughts on SarahxLing.
Chapter 14: Fugitive
Chapter Text
"Text" - Normal Speech
'Text' - Sign Language
"Text" - Speech and Sign Language
"Text" - Speech Over Phone
'Text' - Thoughts
The hotel room was dim, cast in a soft orange glow from the setting sun filtering through thick curtains. No one had bothered to turn on the lights. The air inside hung heavy, thick with silence and the weight of everything that had been said—and everything that still remained unsaid.
Sarah had never seen Edward like this before. His usual fire, his determination, his biting sarcasm—it was all gone, hollowed out and replaced by something heavier. Alphonse sat beside him on the worn sofa, his armored hands resting limply on his knees, the metal creaking as he shifted under the weight of his sorrow. Winry was curled up on the other side of the couch, eyes red, her hands clenched tightly in her lap.
Sarah sat cross-legged on the floor, her back against the coffee table, glancing between the others, unsure of what she could possibly say that would help. She hadn’t known Hughes well—not like they had. But she had known him. She remembered the way he lit up talking about his daughter, the way his presence seemed to warm even the coldest room. She remembered the quiet, relentless way he worked to protect them—even when it cost him his life.
“He died because of us,” Edward said quietly, finally breaking the silence.
Sarah looked up sharply. “He only wanted to help us…”
“I dragged him into this,” Ed said, voice cracking as his fists trembled. “If we hadn’t… If I hadn’t kept chasing this damn stone—”
Alphonse shifted slightly, turning toward his brother. “Brother…”
“I thought I could fix everything. That maybe I could undo all our mistakes. But people are dying because of this now. Hughes…Hughes had a family.” Edward’s voice was barely a whisper now. “And we took him away from them.”
After a tense moment of silence, Sarah looked to Edward as she always did. “Where do we go from here?”
Edward took a long, slow inhale. Before turning to Winry. “What do you think? Should we continue on this path, or give up on the stone so we can find another way to get our bodies back.”
Winry covered her mouth with both hands, tears slipping quietly down her face. “I’m scared,” she said suddenly. “I’m scared for all of you. You keep going after this—this thing that just keeps hurting people. What if you’re next? What if I have to bury one of you next? I don’t think I could bear it.” Her words silenced the room. Even the background hum of the radio seemed distant and irrelevant now, fading into the corner of their awareness like static. “I…” Winry shook her head. “I don’t have an answer. Im sorry, but I really don’t know what you should do.”
Sarah lowered her eyes to the scuffed floor, wrapping her arms around her knees. She could still see Gracia’s tired but resolute smile, smell the warmth of the pie in her hands, feel the quiet strength in her voice when she said, ‘Don’t let his death be meaningless.’
They hadn’t cried when they left Gracia’s house. None of them had wanted to break first. But now, with the night creeping in and their grief swallowing them whole, it felt like the only thing left to do.
Then, suddenly, the soft buzz of the radio snapped into clarity, the news anchor’s voice slicing through the silence.
“This just in! Second Lieutenant Maria Ross has been arrested and charged with the murder of her superior, Brigadier General Maes Hughes. While in custody, Ross managed to escape jail and is currently on the loose—”
All four heads snapped toward the coffee table.
“What?!” Edward surged to his feet.
“No way…” Alphonse muttered.
Sarah was already on her knees, eyes wide. “Lieutenant Ross would never…!”
Winry’s hands flew to her mouth again, trembling.
Sarah’s mind raced, flickering back to the times Ross and Brosh had protected them, guided them through the halls of Central, shielded them even when they weren’t supposed to. She remembered the calm in Ross’s voice, the concern in her eyes when she told them that it was okay to lean on others. “She helped us,” Sarah said, voice rising. “She was on our side!”
Edward was already reaching for his coat. “Let’s go, if she’s being set up, we can help her. If she really did kill Hughes, I want answers!”
“But Ed—” Winry began.
He paused at the door, his jaw tight, his back still to them. “Let’s go.”
Sarah and Alphonse stood without protest, following their older brother out of the door.
——
The streets of Central blurred around them as Edward, Sarah, and Alphonse sprinted under the midnight sky. The pavement pounded beneath their feet, echoing the rhythm of their hearts—loud, frantic, and doused in dread.
Second Lieutenant Maria Ross was convicted of the charges against her and was now on the run.
It didn’t make sense. But none of it had since they heard that cursed radio report.
“There!” Alphonse pointed toward an alley.
Down the narrow street, they caught sight of Maria Ross, darting away, flanked by a tall suit of armor—Barry the Chopper—and a familiar dark-haired boy in foreign garb moving with shocking ease—Ling Yao.
“What the hell—?!” Edward skidded to a stop. “Lieutenant Ross!”
“Hold it!” Sarah yelled, but Barry turned and drew his cleaver in response.
“Get back, kids!” Barry bellowed, glowing eyes glinting maniacally through the slits in his helmet. “You want her to live? Then don’t get in my way!”
“Like hell!” Edward shouted.
In an instant, Barry lunged—straight for Alphonse. “Run! If the MP’s catch you, they’ll shoot first and ask questions later!”
To the Elric’s surprise, Maria fled, charging off in a hurry.
Metal clashed against metal as Barry met Al’s block. Sparks showered the ground. Edward moved to flank the armored killer, transmuting his arm into a blade with a clap and a shout.
“We’ll handle him!” Ed yelled. “Sarah—go after her!”
Sarah didn’t hesitate. Her heart thudded as she tore off down the side street, weaving around crates and crates of discarded gear. The world blurred past her until she skidded to a stop.
Lieutenant Ross was ahead—but she wasn’t alone.
Colonel Mustang stood between her and freedom, his face grim, eyes dark with a fury that chilled Sarah’s blood. His gloves were already on, and he tugged at the left glove to tighten it.
“No,” Sarah breathed, realizing too late what was about to happen. “No, please—wait!”
Ross stumbled back, palms raised, fear clear in her eyes.
“Colonel!” Sarah called, rushing forward. “Stop! Just talk to her! Please! Maybe there’s some sort of mistake!”
Mustang didn’t even glance at her as took one step forward.
“I said wait—!” But her cry was too late.
The black haired officer raised his hand, fingers snapping with terrifying precision.
A wall of heat slammed into Sarah’s face as a blaze of fire erupted forward. She cried out, flinching violently away from the burst. Mustang’s hand flew out toward her and a hard shove knocked her off balance. She hit the ground hard, eyes wide and vision blurred from the searing light.
When she looked up, she saw the familiar black hair framing the pale face of the young Prince she’d grown fond of. Hewas crouched over her—arms shielding her body from any flames.
“Ling…?”
He gave her a crooked smile waiting until the fire was diminished before he pulled back slightly. “Easy. You’re alright.”
Sarah’s panicked gaze drifted past him, searching desperately for the woman she wanted to speak to.
And there, crumpled on the ground in front of Mustang, was a charred, unmoving body—completely unrecognizable.
Her heart stopped. “…What have you done?” she whispered, voice hoarse.
Mustang didn’t respond, face was unreadable as he turned away from her.
A sob caught in Sarah’s throat as her body trembled uncontrollably.
“You…monster,” she hissed.
“Easy. I still out rank you in spades.”
“I’m not one of your subordinates, so I don’t give a damn about your rank! What kind of person—what kind of monster does that?!”
The Colonel’s eyes snapped to her, icy and sharp. “Control yourself, Elric,” he said with cutting authority. “The orders were shoot to kill. So I did.”
Behind them, the sounds of metal and alchemy had ceased. Edward and Alphonse rounded the corner just in time to see the smoldering corpse and Sarah on the floor, terrified and shaking.
“You bastard!” Edward roared, lunging forward.
“Brother, no!” Alphonse grappled him from behind, barely holding him back as Ed fought like a wild animal, his voice cracking with rage. “Let me go! I’m gonna kill him! I’m gonna—!”
“You’ll do nothing of the sort!” Mustang barked.
But his voice sounded far away to Sarah. She couldn’t hear over the ringing in her ears, the smell of burnt flesh making her stomach churn. She turned away, gagging, her hands desperately clawing at the gravel beneath her. Then she vomited, unable to hold it back due to the putrid smell overwhelming her sensitive nostrils.
Ling knelt beside her quickly, placing himself between her and the body. “Don’t look,” he murmured. “Don’t…just don’t.”
Sarah didn’t respond—her sobs choked out any words. She clutched the soft fabric of his yellow jacket now, pressing her face into it so that she didn’t have to smell the burning flesh any longer.
“You three are far too soft,” Mustang growled, cold as ice. “You’d do well to remember your rank and get your siblings under control, Fullmetal.”
Edward’s eyes blazed as Alphonse held him firm, every vein in his neck bulging with rage.
“Hey foreigner! I’m leaving without you if you don’t hurry!” Barry’s voice called from around the corner.
Ling grimaced. “Damn…” He gently pried the golden haired girl off of him, though she swayed like a reed in the wind. “Sorry,” he said, with a half-apologetic, half-regretful look. “Long story. I’ll explain another time.” He flashed his wrist, where a prisoner’s ID bracelet gleamed in the dim light. “Turns out, I’m a fugitive now too.”
As she watched him go, She nearly caught sight of the charred body again, but Edward and Alphonse rushed to block her view.
Ed fell to his knees beside her, arms around her in an instant. “Breathe through your mouth,” he whispered, pushing her face into his chest so that she could mostly only smell his cloak. “Just try to breathe through your mouth—not your nose.”
As the trio of Elrics huddled together, none of them knew what had just shattered more—their trust in the military… or the last pieces of their innocence.
——
The hospital hallway was quiet when Dr. Knox finally stepped out from the morgue, peeling off his gloves with a tired sigh. Everyone stood still—Mustang, the Elrics, and Major Armstrong—bracing for his words.
“It’s confirmed. There wasn’t much I could use to identify the body,” Knox said flatly. “But dental records prove the corpse is Maria Ross.” His eyes flicked over to Mustang with open disgust. “You really turned a pure beauty like Maria Ross into charcoal. I hope revenge was as sweet as you imagined, Colonel.”
Mustang didn’t respond, simply sitting with his arms crossed and face emotionless.
Knox scoffed at the silence, muttering as he turned away.
Sarah heard none of it. Her hearing aides had been switched off after too many people arrived at the murder scene, and it became overwhelming.
She was there, standing in the hallway, but her thoughts had drifted far from the present. The doctor’s words, the accusations, the questions—none of it mattered. Her mind was stuck on that flash of fire, on the blackened body on the ground, on the smell of burning flesh that still clung to her nose no matter how much she willed it away.
She didn’t speak. Not at the hospital. Not on the way back to the hotel. She went straight to the bathroom silently to get ready for bed.
Sarah emerged from the bathroom quietly after her shower, towel draped over her shoulders, pajamas hanging loose on her thin frame. She didn’t say a word, only moved mechanically, drying her hair with slow, lifeless motions before crawling into bed without meeting anyone’s eyes.
Ed and Al exchanged glances. Winry watched from her seat, clearly worried.
Her eyes… they weren’t right. Not fiery, not tired—just empty.
Then—a knock sounded at the door, but it was loud and forceful.
Edward opened the door and was promptly met with a full-force punch to the the side of his body with his automail arm.
“OW—HEY!!”
Major Armstrong stood in the doorway, sparkling dramatically in the light.
“Your automail arm appears to be broken!” he boomed. “That just won’t do! I’m going to escort you to Resembool for repairs!”
“Um…okay…”
Sarah stood up, wide-eyed, unable to understand him completely due to his mouth being partially obscured by his mustache. “But Major Armstrong, sir…his mechanic is right here!” She tugged on the man’s sleeve and pointed over at Winry.
Alphonse stepped forward as the Major grabbed ahold of Ed and began dragging him. “M-Major wait!”
But Armstrong cut him off. “Alphonse, you stand out too much and you need to stay behind to look after your sister!”
“WAIT—HEY—PUT ME DOWN!!” Edward shouted as he was dragged down the hallway.
Sarah waved softly. “Bye brother.”
Winry blinked as the door clicked shut. “That just…happened.”
Alphonse rubbed the back of his helmet, baffled. “I guess Ed’s going back to Resembool.”
Someone knocked again. Alphonse opened it—this time cautiously as he wasn’t in a mood to fight.
Ling stood in the doorway, grinning like nothing was wrong, hands in his sleeves. Beside him stood one of his guards, maskless for the first time ever.
Using the chi sensing technique Ling taught her, Sarah was able to deduce this was the same guard from Rush Valley.
“You’re a girl?” Sarah blinked in surprise as the duo entered.
“Yes, my name is Lanfan.” The guard raised an eyebrow. “Don’t act so baffled.”
“I’m just impressed.” Sarah gave a tired, ghost of a laugh, eyeing the kunai the warrior laid out on the nearby table. “Ed’s gonna be furious when he learns the ninja kicking his ass in Rush Valley is a girl.”
Ling and Lanfan sat at the coffee table, observing the room service menu.
Sarah reached out, picked up one of the blades, and spun it loosely in her fingers. Then, with no warning, she flung it at Ling’s forehead.
Lanfan jolted in alarm, reaching instinctively to intercept, but Ling’s hand snapped up and caught it effortlessly, inches before impact. He didn’t even need to open his eyes.
“Woah, these are cool,” Sarah admired, lips quirking just slightly.
Lanfan exhaled slowly, visibly calming herself. “Not bad,” she muttered. “Perhaps I’ll teach you to use them properly sometime.”
——
The room quieted again after Lanfan’s short nod of approval. Winry had excused herself to her room. Alphonse and Sarah sat across from their Xingese companions. The mood still hung low, like ash in the air. But the spark of movement—the glint of a kunai in motion—had pulled a sliver of warmth back into the room.
Ling raised his arm, holding it out towards Sarah. Her eyes flickered toward him briefly, still haunted, but not as distant as they had been earlier. “By the way…” Ling said, voice low so as not to wake the others, “Is there anything you can do to fix this little dilemma I have? I can’t exactly explore Central when this tells everyone I’m an escaped prisoner.
She blinked at it, her expression unreadable for a moment. “You want me to break it off?”
“That or make it look normal,” Ling said with a grin. “Just do something with it.”
Sarah was quiet for a long moment before she reached out and took his arm. “Alright,” she murmured. “Hold still.” She clapped her hands together and pressed her palms to the twin metal plates. The transmutation circle flared to life in soft blue light. The plates and chain shifted, reshaping beneath her hands with a fluid grind of metal. The heavy binding thinned and bent, becoming a sleek cuff with a hinge that allowed it to open and close easily. As a final touch, Sarah drew her fingers lightly along the surface, humming softly in concentration.
A delicate rose began to bloom on the outer side of the bracelet—an elegant engraving, its petals faintly raised from the rest of the surface. She tweaked the chemical composition within the metal, changing the coloration so the rose shimmered a soft, silvery white against the darker band. The rose was almost identical to the one he’d given her for her birthday in Rush Valley.
Once she was finished, she pulled her hands away shyly and sat back. “There,” she said, brushing her hands on her pants. “Now you can take it off if you like… or keep it on.”
Alphonse clapped in approval. “Well done Say, it looks great!”
Ling turned his wrist slowly, admiring the new cuff with wide eyes and a satisfied grin. “Wow. You really are an artist.”
She looked away, a faint blush rising to her cheeks. “I wasn’t trying to be.”
“Still.” He smiled, more genuinely now. “You saved my butt, so I owe you.”
For a moment, silence lingered between them. But it wasn’t heavy this time—it was calm.
Sarah rested her chin on her knees, staring at the rose she’d just created. Not proud or happy, but somewhat content.
Chapter 15: Three and a Half Millimeters
Summary:
Lieutenant Hawkeye turned to face him and narrowed her eyes sternly. “You pushed her?”
“I needed it to be realistic, okay?” He defended, crossing his arms over his chest.
“I’m still left wondering about the smell. It was awful, how did you make a mannequin smell so bad?”
“I transmuted a dummy with the exact chemical and biological makeup of a human approximately the height and weight of Maria Ross. Burning it would replicate the exact texture and smell of a burnt body.”
“Well, it sure had me fooled, and apparently the entire military.” Sarah chuckled. “You know, Colonel, you’re not as much of a bastard as you like to let people believe.”
“Don’t let that information get out. I have a reputation to uphold.”
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Text" - Normal Speech
'Text' - Sign Language
"Text" - Speech and Sign Language
"Text" - Speech Over Phone
'Text' - Thoughts
The next morning came heavy with humidity and silence. Gray clouds loomed above Central, casting the streets in dull, oppressive light. Sarah had slept little, her dreams plagued by fire and screams she hadn’t heard—but felt. Still, she rose without complaint, tying her boots with quick movements of her fingers.
Alphonse, ever the quiet presence at her side, offered his hand when she needed it and space when she didn’t. She appreciated it more than she could say.
Now, as they walked up the steps of Central Command, the stone building felt more like a fortress than a place of leadership. Sarah’s jaw was tight, her shoulders squared. She didn’t say a word, but Alphonse could feel the leftover tension from the night pouring off her.
Colonel Mustang was waiting for them in the hallway outside one of the meeting rooms, flanked by Lieutenants Hawkeye and Havoc. His arms were folded, his face unreadable.
“Good morning,” Mustang said evenly.
“Morning, sir,” Alphonse replied.
Sarah gave a tight nod. “Good day, Colonel.” It wasn’t cold—but it wasn’t warm either. Civil, but not pleasant. Mustang seemed to notice but didn’t react.
“I wasn’t expecting either of you,” he said, his gaze flicking from Alphonse to Sarah. “You should be back at the hotel waiting for Fullmetal to return. Let the military handle this.”
“We’re not doing that,” Sarah said flatly.
Alphonse added quickly, “She means—we’re not sitting this one out. Not after what happened.”
Mustang’s eyes narrowed slightly. “This is official military business. Neither of you is under formal command, and you’re both too involved emotionally. Let it go.”
Sarah took a sharp step forward, fists clenched. “Stop hiding things from us. You’re making decisions behind closed doors like you know what’s best, but we’re the ones who’ve seen what you’re trying to clean up. We have a right to know, and we can help."
Alphonse reached out and gently touched her arm, grounding her, then turned to Mustang. “Please. We’re already involved. You know that.”
After a long pause, Mustang exhaled through his nose. Hawkeye gave him a quiet nod, and finally, he spoke.
“We’re tracking something.” He glanced toward the file Havoc held and continued. “Barry the Chopper’s original body—the one his soul was separated from—is alive and on the move. Now Barry is after…well…Barry.”
Sarah blinked, confused. “Wait. Barry’s soul is in the armor, so now he’s chasing his body?”
Mustang nodded. “It’s gone rogue and as of an hour ago, it entered the Third Laboratory.”
“How…” Alphonse’s voice sounded full of confusion and despair. “How has the body gone rouge without a soul?”
“We have reason to believe that a separate soul has been placed inside the body, but from what I’ve heard it doesn’t seem to behave as human. It’s possibly an animal soul.”
“Oh hell.” Sarah’s voice dropped, uneasy. “So if Barry’s body is alive and functioning with a foreign soul, that means it really is possible to reunite you with your body, Brother!”
“Exactly.” Mustang’s expression was grim. “The body is on the move, and Barry is pursuing it, but I’d like to get to it before him. Falman said they chased it as far as they could on their own.”
“It must’ve gone there for a reason. It could’ve had its soul bonded in there.” Riza pondered while simultaneously loading the bullets into her magazine.
Sarah frowned, crossing her arms. “So is every state funded lab just a front for homunculi activity?”
“Two of five so far. The rest will have to be raided another day.” Havoc shrugged as they all began walking down the hall.
——
The heavy doors of the Third Laboratory groaned open under Colonel Mustang’s authority, the creaking hinges echoing into the stillness beyond.
Mustang led the charge, barking sharp orders to clear any curious guards or lingering staff from their way. The pretense of a higher rank officer on a mission held long enough to get them through the main halls, and once the coast was clear, the team fanned out deeper into the building’s belly.
Sarah and Alphonse lingered behind, scanning the walls with sharp eyes. The corridor ahead was sterile and quiet—too clean. That was the first giveaway.
“There,” Al said suddenly, pointing at a disturbed patch of wall. “See the marks?”
Sarah stepped closer, brushing her fingertips over the familiar patchy texture that remained after a transmutation had been performed. “That seems a little too easy.”
Together, the siblings clapped their hands and placed their palms on the surface. Light flared—and with a deep rumble, the wall shifted and sank away, revealing a narrow stone hallway beyond.
“And that seems a little too creepy.” Alphonse mumbled.
Hawkeye turned to the others. “We’ll split up. I’ll go in with Sarah and Barry. Al—go with the Colonel and Lieutenant Havoc.”
Sarah shook her head quickly, glancing at Barry’s glowing eyes. “I’d rather switch. Barry’s in the habit of chopping up people. It’s better if Al is within punching distance of him at all times.”
While Alphonse chuckled, Barry shouted. “There’s hardly any meat on your bones, I’d cut you up last, sweetheart!”
“Eww.” Sarah turned up her nose and ducked into the hallway.
“You won’t be chopping her up at all.” Al scolded the other suit of armor.
“Keep an eye on that one, Al.” Sarah chuckled lightly.
Just as Mustang and Havoc readied themselves to enter, Al called out, voice firm. “Colonel Mustang, Lieutenant Havoc…please look after my sister.”
Mustang gave a crisp nod. “You have my word.”
Havoc offered a thumbs-up. “We’ve got her.”
Sarah beamed, stepping up to her brother with a raised fist. “I’ll be fine, Al. We’ll meet on the outside when this is over, kay?”
Their knuckles touched, and with one last glance, the siblings went their separate ways, down two separate paths in this tunnel.
Sarah walked briskly ahead of Mustang and Havoc, her boots echoing softly against the stone floor. Her sharp eyes scanned every surface, every seam. Behind her, she could hear Havoc murmuring.
“I still say letting a Fullmetal’s sister tag along is risky.”
“I can hear you,” Sarah said lightly without turning. “And I have a name.”
There was a beat of silence before a robotic laugh sounded. “I thought you couldn’t understand me if you couldn’t see my lips?” Havoc chuckled.
“It’s the hearing aides,” Sarah replied, matter-of-fact. “I can’t hear everything perfectly, it’s mostly robotic but since the only sounds right now are being made by you two, it’s easy to follow the conversation. The more people, the more noise—then I have to take them out.”
Mustang raised a brow. “Good to know. I’ll be wary of what I say around you now.”
They walked a little farther until there were a few rooms visible, doors flung open—and there, emerging from the shadows, was a tall woman with long, dark hair and sultry red eyes. Sarah’s heart stilled. Recognition struck like lightning. Without a word, Sarah clapped her hands and drew a long, jagged scythe from the stone wall beside her. She stepped forward, weapon at the ready.
“Solaris?” Havoc blinked, lowering his gun in confusion. “What are you doing here?”
Mustang and Sarah froze.
“You know her?” They deadpanned in perfect unison.
“Uh…” Havoc scratched the back of his head, visibly sweating. “Sort of?”
Sarah facepalmed. “You’re dating her? You’re dating a homunculus?!”
“How was I supposed to know?!” Havoc cried. “I’ve never seen her with that mark before!”
Mustang let out a quiet sigh. “You usually can’t go two days without getting a girl in bed. I’m honestly surprised this is the first time you’ve seen her tattoo.
The woman—Lust—crossed her arms over her chest, pushing her generous curves up and earning a faint, involuntary blush from Sarah. “Come now, boys. It’s rude to stare. There are ladies present,” she said with a teasing lilt.
“Enough chit-chat,” Mustang snapped, stepping forward, his tone turning ice-cold. “Do you know anything about the murder of Brigadier General Maes Hughes?”
Lust tilted her head with a sly smile. “As far as I know, Maria Ross did him in.”
“Bullshit!” Mustang’s voice roared down the hallway, echoing with raw fury.
Even Sarah flinched, the rage in his voice was so strong that it caused her hearing aides to ring painfully.
Confusion overwhelmed her, because how could he do what he did to Maria Ross if he didn’t believe she was guilty?
Mustang’s voice then dropped to a dangerous growl. “Starting now, you’re going to tell me everything you know about his death.”
Lust’s smile widened. “Or what?”
“Or I’ll kill you.”
Sarah gripped her scythe tightly as the clash erupted with no further warning.
Colonel Mustang snapped his fingers, and a bolt of fire surged toward Lust—but she was fast. Faster than anyone had anticipated. She darted through the small room in a blur of dark hair and claws, the flames licking behind her, scorching the walls.
Havoc fired his pistol, trying to cover Mustang, but every bullet ricochetted dangerously close. “Dammit! Too tight in here!” he shouted, ducking as one round nearly clipped his shoulder.
“Hold your fire!” Mustang barked, barely dodging a swipe of razor-sharp fingers. “We can’t risk hitting each other!”
Lust gave a sultry laugh. “Then let me even the odds.”
With a slash of her fingers, she cut through a pipe running above them. Steam hissed violently as cold water burst from the opening, soaking the floor—and worse, splashing Mustang and soaking through his gloves.
He cursed and stepped back. “My ignition cloth—!”
The water sprayed wide, and Sarah, who had stayed close to the wall with her scythe at the ready, suddenly flinched as her hearing aids sparked in both ears. “Agh—!” She winced and stumbled, yanking the devices free with trembling hands. Her vision blurred instantly, a sharp ringing replacing all sense of sound. She swayed, immediately dazed from the shock.
“Damnit kid, you good?” Havoc shouted, but with her aides removed, she was completely deaf again.
As Lust charged again, her claws aimed for Sarah, the girl’s instincts kicked in. She ducked low and slashed upward, catching Lust clean across the chest with her transmuted scythe. Blood sprayed—but not for long because the wound closed itself just as quickly.
Sarah gritted her teeth. “Knew it,” she hissed, glancing at Mustang and Havoc who were still reeling. “Jaws off the floor and run, she’s recovering!” She bolted toward the exit. Clapping her hands, she dropped to the puddle-covered floor and touched the water. Her alchemy flared, converting the surface molecules into flammable gas. “Colonel I need a spark!” she shouted blindly, waving for them to follow.
“My gloves are soaked!” Mustang said once she was looking at him.
When all three of them were crouched outside in the hallway, Havoc tossed Mustang his metal lighter. Mustang lit it instantly, flames bursting in his palm and he used the transmutation circle on his glove to expand it. With a fierce snap, he cast a firestorm into the gas-soaked room.
The explosion inside roared with fury, the heat searing even from a distance.
They waited. Smoke billowed and silence followed.
Mustang stepped forward first, cautiously peering into the scorched remains. “That did it,” he muttered. “I incinerated her completely. There’s no way she survived that.”
“I hope you’re right.” Even Sarah, clutching the wall for support, looked uncertain. Her hearing still dulled and vision foggy, she pressed forward with the others. “We should check around, just in case…” she murmured. She scanned a darkened corner and spotted a collapsed board, instinct pulled her forward.
“Sarah, stop!” Mustang’s voice was hoarse—but she didn’t hear it.
She reached out, gripped the board, and a flash of movement came from the dark. A wet, sickening squelch echoed as Lust’s fingers shot out from behind the debris and drove straight through Sarah’s chest. Her breath caught and her knees buckled. Blood spilled from her lips as she looked down, stunned to see Lust’s claws pierced through the space just over her heart.
“Fuck!” Mustang shouted in disbelief.
Havoc charged forward just as Lust pulled her fingers free, he caught the girl as she crumpled to the floor. While he was distracted, a set of claws ripped into his back and lifted him off his feet. He dropped beside Sarah in a broken heap once the homunculus retracted her claws.
“You bitch!” Mustang roared, charging with burning eyes. He grabbed the pistol from Havoc’s holster and fired it straight at the woman’s chest. He reached in and ripped the glowing red stone free, pausing for a moment to watch her form wither away. “I’ll borrow that philosopher’s stone of yours—and I’ll use it to save them!”
But before Mustang could react further, her wounds closed again—reforming, rebuilding around the pulsing red stone.
“Don’t you think you should buy a girl dinner before sticking your hand in her chest?” Lust said as muscle and tissue reformed around the stone. “That is my heart. My core. You take it out, I rebuild around it.”
Mustang’s eyes widened. “No—”
Before the Colonel could stop it, her claws stabbed deep into his abdomen, lifting him before hurling him aside. He hit the wall with a sickening crunch. She pulled off his ignition glove and shredded it between her fingers.
“I really did like you,” Lust purred, her tone almost mournful as she stepped over their fallen bodies. “You and the girl were prime candidates for sacrifice. But you just had to keep interfering.” She turned her back to them, her steps slow and unhurried. “And now…you’re going to die for it, how pitiful.”
As Lust took her exit, Sarah lay unmoving, sprawled on the floor of the dimly lit room, her breathing shallow and labored. Blood seeped from the stab wound in her chest, pooling beneath her.
Colonel Mustang, leaning against the wall and clutching his own bleeding side, glanced toward Jean Havoc, who was unconscious but alive on the floor. Mustang’s face twisted with determination as he tried to muster the strength to move, but his body wouldn’t cooperate.
The door burst open, a breeze blew past him, and when the colonel looked up he saw the black haired foreigner from yesterday kneeling above Sarah, using her cloak to press down on her wound. She was hardly responsive, but she was groaning in pain, so that meant she was still alive.
A figure clad in all black, and a white and red mask was at his side just then and he tensed.
“I’m an ally of the prince, let me help you sit up.”
“Help me get to Havoc.” Mustang barked, his voice hoarse but commanding.
Ling rushed to Mustang’s side without hesitation, supporting him alongside Lanfan. “They”re bleeding out. Lighter. Check the floor for his lighter.”
Ling’s eyes widened but didn’t question it. He quickly retrieved the lighter from where it laid in the center of the room and handed it to Mustang.
The colonel flicked it open, his hand trembling as he created a small flame.
“I need to cauterize his wound,” Mustang explained through gritted teeth. “Give me a small blade or knife.”
“Will this work?” The masked woman held a kunai out for him to take.
“Perfect.” Mustang took the kunai and used the tip to pierce the back of his hand, carving a flame transmutation circle into it. He knelt over Havoc, gritting his teeth as he pressed the flame against the stab wound on the lieutenant’s abdomen. The smell of burning flesh filled the room as the wound sizzled, but Havoc remained unconscious, which was not a great sign.
Mustang leaned back, pressing his own hand to the bloody wound in his side. “My turn,” he muttered, using the lighter again to sear his own wound shut. His face contorted in pain, and after a moment, he was forced to take a break. “Only half, damn…if I pass out, punch me to wake me up.” He was able to continue without passing out due to the unbearable pain. The thought of hunting down Lust kept him going.
Ling stared, horrified and impressed. “What about her?” he asked, his voice tight as he glanced at Sarah’s hauntingly still form.
Mustang staggered to his feet, pointing at Ling. “She’s next. But I need you to hold her down.”
“Is she not out cold?” Ling asked, making his way over to her. To his surprise, Sarah’s eyes were just barely open, and she was desperately trying to stay awake out of fear that she may never wake up again. “I didn’t expect her to be conscious.” he pressed on the cloth for a moment. “Sarah, don’t move, the Colonel is going to close your wound.”
Despite her looking right at his face, the girl didn’t respond. She raised her right hand and pointed at her eye, then moved her hand to Ling’s face. She cupped his cheek, and curved her fingers before brushing her nails over his cheek.
“What’s she saying?” Ling asked as Mustang pulled the balled up cloak away.
“Eyes, fuzzy? I’m assuming blurry vision.” Roy grunted. “I’ve only picked up a few words of sign language. Doesn’t help that she’s probably delirious from blood loss and her head getting shocked.” He tugged her shirt open, possibly ripping several buttons as he went. Only when the area was clear, did he motion for the two of them to hold her down. “If this kid dies, Fullmetal will personally destroy all of us, so don’t let her go until I’m finished.”
Ling swallowed hard and moved to Sarah’s side, carefully lifting her into a sitting position and pulling her back against his chest. Her head lolled weakly against his shoulder, and for a moment, she looked so fragile that it made his chest tighten. “Lanfan get her legs in case she starts kicking.”
His vassal moved quickly, using a hand to hold each of the girl’s legs, also making sure to straighten her skirt since it shifted up slightly.
Mustang knelt beside them, flicking the lighter open again. He positioned it over the wound in Sarah’s chest, just above her heart. The moment the flame touched her skin, Sarah’s body jerked violently, and her eyes snapped open.
A strangled scream tore from her throat as the searing pain overwhelmed her. In her confusion, she flailed, trying to escape the agony. “Wh-what’s happening, Colonel?!”
“Stay still, Elric!” Mustang barked, his voice sharp and commanding, even if it was pointless. “Keep her quiet.”
Ling tightened his grip, pinning her arms down as she writhed against him. “I’m sorry,” he whispered into her ear, his voice breaking with guilt. “I’m so sorry. Please, just hold on.” Her screams turned to desperate, muffled cries as Ling pressed a hand over her mouth to keep her from drawing more attention. Her teeth sank into his palm, hard enough to draw blood, but he didn’t flinch.
“It’s almost over,” Ling murmured, his voice trembling. “Just hold on.”
Tears streamed down her face as Mustang worked quickly, sealing the wound with precision. When he finally pulled the flame away, Sarah went limp in Ling’s arms, her breathing shallow and panicked.
Mustang sat back, his hands shaking as he pocketed the lighter. “It’s done,” he said hoarsely as he stood, his legs shaky but his resolve unwavering as he glanced at Ling. “Get Sarah and Havoc out of here. Take them somewhere safe. I’ll handle Lust—philosopher’s stone or not, I’m going to kill her.”
Ling frowned at the mention of the stone, watching the colonel stagger toward the doorway, determination etched into his face despite his injuries. “You’re in no shape to take anyone on,” Ling said, his voice sharp with concern. “Lanfan, go with him.”
With a bow, the warrior offered Mustang her arm to help escort him to find the homunculus.
Ling stared at the empty doorway for a long moment, his mind racing. Lust had a Philosopher’s Stonem that was not confirmed by the colonel. If he followed Mustang now, he might have a chance to claim it. A chance to secure his future, his throne, his life’s purpose.
His gaze then dropped to Sarah, deathly pale and laying barely conscious in his arms, her blood staining the floor beneath her. Her chest rose and fell with shallow, labored breaths. Ebony eyes flickered over to Havoc, unconscious but alive, slumped against the wall.
The weight of the decision sat heavily on his chest. Sarah was a distraction, that much was clear. Nothing that happened to this girl would matter for his goals. He could abandon her here and go after the philosophers stone. If someone found her and helped her then that was good, but if not, it shouldn’t effect him.
Ling’s jaw tightened. How awful of him. What kind of Emperor would he be if he let Sarah and Havoc go without medical attention? Nationality aside, they were innocents in the grand scheme of things. He thought back to Sarah’s blunt words from the other day.
“If you can’t understand what family means, how can you lead one, let alone lead a nation?”
He had promised himself that nothing—not sentiment, not attachment—would get in the way of his mission, yet this girl managed to throw his plans out the window.
In a bizarre show of strength, Ling hoisted Sarah over one shoulder before walking over to Havoc and doing the same thing. He balanced both of them and held each steady either one hand, and rushed through the hall to find the exit. As Ling carried them into the night, his path was clear. For now, his mission could wait.
——
The sterile light of the hospital room felt cold against Sarah’s skin as she stirred awake. Her chest ached, every breath a painful reminder of how close she’d come to dying. Fear coiled in her chest, sharp and relentless, as fragmented memories of Lust’s taunts flooded her mind.
“Sarah!” Winry’s voice broke through the haze, soft but filled with relief. Sarah turned her head slightly to see her friend perched on a chair beside her bed, her eyes red-rimmed.
Alphonse sat on the other side, his massive armor body a stark contrast to the small room. His hands rested carefully on his knees, his posture tense but relieved as he saw her stir.
“Thank goodness,” Winry said, brushing her tears away. “You’re awake. You scared us half to death.”
Sarah tried to speak, but her voice failed her. She raised her hands instead, signing weakly. ‘What happened?’
Alphonse signed back as he spoke aloud, his voice shaking. “You got injured fighting Lust, she told me you died, I was so worried, Say. I wasn’t ever going to forgive myself!”
Sarah blinked slowly, her fingers trembling as she continued. ‘What happened to Lust? Where’d she go?’
“She said she killed you,” Al replied, his voice quiet, almost haunted. He reached out and gently took her hands, his large armored fingers dwarfing hers. “And when Colonel Mustang showed up in that shape, I believed her. I thought she did it! I thought we’d lost you.”
The weight of his words hit Sarah like a blow. Memories rushed back—Lust’s mocking voice, the cold blade piercing her chest, and the overwhelming fear that she wouldn’t make it. Her breathing hitched as tears welled in her eyes.
“I’m so sorry,” Al continued, his voice breaking. “I should have been there. I should have—”
But before he could finish, Sarah lifted herself from the confines of the bed and collapsed in his arms. She didn’t care about the pain in her chest or the strain on her stitches. All she could feel was the fear that had consumed her in those moments when she thought her life was ending.
“I was so scared,” she choked out, her voice raw and uneven. “All I could think about was if you or Ed would somehow sense the danger and come save me. But I knew you couldn’t—you were fighting, and Edward wasn’t even here. I thought…” Her words dissolved into sobs, and she clung tighter to Al’s cool metal frame.
Alphonse’s arms wrapped around her hesitantly, careful not to hurt her further. “Sarah,” he whispered, his voice heavy with guilt and relief. “I’m so sorry. You’re safe now. I promise.”
Sarah cried harder, the room filled with the sounds of her sobs and Al’s quiet reassurances. She now let herself feel the full weight of what had happened—the terror, the helplessness, and the overwhelming relief of surviving.
——
Sarah sat patiently on her hospital bed while the doctor flipped through the clipboard in his hand, eyes scanning the chart one final time before glancing up with a warm but professional smile. “Well, Miss Elric,” he said, his voice calm and reassuring, “the puncture wound has healed up quite nicely over the past five days. No sign of infection, the tissue’s mending well. I’d say you’re clear to go home—just need a guardian to sign you out.”
Sarah blinked at him, the word guardian catching her off guard. Her eyes darted to Alphonse, brows raised slightly in uncertainty.
Al stood by her bedside, metal arms folded loosely, but when he noticed her look, his posture straightened in surprise. “Oh—uh, right,” he said, rubbing the back of his helm with a sheepish smile. “I guess that’d be me.”
He chuckled, though there was a trace of fatigue in it, the kind that came from too many sleepless nights spent by her side. The past few days had worn on them both. But seeing her upright, alert, and finally being discharged brought a wave of relief that softened the tiredness in his features.
“Technically, yeah.” Winry nodded while packing up a bag of things Sarah had been using this week.
“You’re an incredibly lucky girl. had your injury been just three and a half millimeters to the left, You would’ve been stabbed in the heart, and you might not be alive.”
Sarah nodded grimly, fully aware that she was one step away from dying that day.
——
Sarah had managed to bribe Lieutenant Breda with a donut from her hospital lunch to help her to the room where Colonel Mustang and Lieutenant Havoc were stationed by bracing her arm and shoulder while she walked. She pushed the door open without knocking, taking the adults by surprise. She noticed Riza reach for one of the guns under her blue uniform coat, but stopped when she saw Sarah.
“Oh, it’s just you.” The Lieutenant mumbled, returning her hand to her side. “How are you feeling, Sarah?”
“Sore and itchy, but I’m alive, thanks to the Colonel.” Sarah smiled, slowly walking over to the chair that rested between the two beds and took a seat. “They’re letting me leave today, so I wanted to stop by and thank you personally.”
“Don’t mention it. It wasn’t for any noble reason like you might think. The thought of Fullmetal’s wrath was motivation enough, to make sure you didn’t die.”
“Sure, sure.” Sarah rolled her eyes and leaned closer to the Colonel. “I know Lieutenant Ross is alive, how’d you pull it off?”
Roy’s eyes widened, and he scoffed. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t give me the ‘It’s Confidential’ excuse, I’m sure of it. The way you were talking to Lust is proof, you knew Ross didn’t kill Hughes. And in knowing that, you’d never kill an innocent person, so I figured you faked her death to get the military’s eyes off of her and give her enough time to get across the border.”
“That’s a very interesting theory, Elric.”
“You’re not denying it, so I know I’m right. There’s also the matter of one of Ling’s guards having been conspicuously absent this week, so my running theory is that you faked her death and used a dummy in place of her body, and now you’re using Ling’s guard as a guide to help Lieutenant Ross across the Xingese border. I’m just wondering how you managed to pull it off when I was right there. I should’ve seen everything.”
“Alright, alright, you figured it out, you intellectual freak.” After releasing a drawn out groan, Mustang leveled her with an even expression. “It was after I pushed you. The first flash of fire was a distraction to allow for Ross to crawl into a tunnel. The second was to incinerate the dummy I prepared.”
Lieutenant Hawkeye turned to face him and narrowed her eyes sternly. “You pushed her?”
“I needed it to be realistic, okay?” He defended, crossing his arms over his chest.
“I’m still left wondering about the smell. It was awful, how did you make a mannequin smell so bad?”
“I transmuted a dummy with the exact chemical and biological makeup of a human approximately the height and weight of Maria Ross. Burning it would replicate the exact texture and smell of a burnt body.”
“Well, it sure had me fooled, and apparently the entire military.” Sarah chuckled. “You know, Colonel, you’re not as much of a bastard as you like to let people believe.”
“Don’t let that information get out. I have a reputation to uphold.”
——
The hotel hallway was quiet as Winry, Alphonse, and Sarah stepped off the elevator. The lights flickered gently above, casting soft shadows on the worn carpet. Winry made no announcement as she marched toward her room, only muttering a tired “Goodnight,” before shutting her door behind her with a muted click.
Alphonse shifted slightly, his footsteps heavier than usual—his armor scraped softly against itself with every movement. Sarah kept close, the hood of her cloak up, her movements stiffer than usual due to her injuries.
When they reached their own room, Al unlocked the door and pushed it open with a tired sigh.
“Ling, Lanfan?” he called gently, stepping in. “We’re back.”
“Finally, I’ve been waiting for you two for hours!” came the sharp, unmistakable voice of Edward Elric.
He stood from where he’d been seated across from Ling at the small coffee table, gesturing wildly as he spoke. The beige coat he wore instead of his usual red clashed with the room’s muted palette, but his scowl was as familiar as ever. “I’ve been stuck here with these clowns. Where have you been?”
Ling and Lanfan were utterly unfazed, still sitting comfortably on the floor beside the table, sampling dish after dish of room service, their plates already stacked and spilling over.
Ed’s irritation faded almost instantly as his golden eyes landed on Sarah and Alphonse—then widened.
“What the hell?”
Sarah flinched, instinctively tugging her hood tighter around herself as she stepped behind Alphonse. “B-Brother, we didn’t know you were back yet!” she said, trying to sound cheerful, though the rasp in her voice betrayed her.
Her neck, even partially hidden beneath the cloak, was clearly wrapped in bandages—white gauze peeking through the seams. The wrappings disappeared beneath her shirtline, suggesting they stretched across her collarbones and down further.
Ed’s gaze snapped to Alphonse next, taking in the chipped armor, the spiderweb of fresh cracks across the shoulder, and the glaring absence of the lower faceplate. “What the hell happened to you two?”
“Well,” Alphonse started, voice slow and uncertain, “you see… we were trying to help Barry find his original body.”
Ed blinked. “The armored psycho, Barry?”
“The very same!”
Sarah offered a nervous chuckle as she stepped closer to the couch, still holding her cloak tight. “It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing.”
“We found a secret tunnel system under the Third Laboratory,” Al continued, hands gesturing vaguely. “So we split up to find the body and investigate. And, um… things got a little hectic.”
“Okay…” Ed said slowly, arms folding. “So how banged up are you two?” He took a step toward Sarah, already reaching for the edge of her cloak. “Let me see.”
“Hold on!” Sarah yelped, jumping back, unable to sign as she was currently clutching the cloak as if it were her last line of defense. “Before you do that, let me just preface this by saying it looks worse than it is! Really, it’s basically healed, and it was just a cut. Nothing serious!”
Ed stared flatly. “Nothing serious, huh?”
Alphonse’s helmet turned to her with visible panic. “Sarah…”
She winced and stared at the floor. “L-Lust caught me, the Colonel, and Lieutenant Havoc by surprise. And I, um…got nicked.” She twiddled with the edge of her cloak, avoiding Ed’s eyes.
“Nicked.” He repeated the word unsurely.
“I can’t show you right now, okay?” she blurted. “It’s not in a very…convenient spot. Her creepy fingers cut me…right between the twins.”
Ed blinked in confusion. “The twins?”
Sarah send him a glare and switched to sign language exclusively. ‘My chest.’
Ling glanced up from his bowl of noodles, “Are you just avoiding saying that it was right between your boobs?”
“Ling!”
“Don’t ever mention that word in reference to her again!” Ed tapped his foot and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m this close to kicking you both out.”
With a quiet sigh, Sarah finally slipped off her cloak, revealing the thick bandages wrapping her throat and upper chest. They looped diagonally from her shoulder, dipping under her shirt and disappearing beneath the neckline. “Let them stay, Ed. It’s thanks to Ling and Lanfan that we all made it out alive.”
Ed softened, his frustration flickering into something heavier—guilt, maybe, or worry.
“I told you it’s mostly healed,” Sarah said gently, sitting down across from Ling at the coffee table. She gave him a subtle look—a warning, clear in her eyes: Don’t say anything else.
He raised his chopsticks in surrender, lips sealed.
Alphonse clanked softly as he took a seat on the edge of the couch, leaning forward as if trying to stay part of the group even though he couldn’t eat. Edward plopped down next to Sarah with a heavy sigh, running a hand through his bangs.
“Anyway, Ed, how was your trip back home?”
“Rainy,” The oldest sibling said flatly. “Rainy and wildly eventful. But I’ll give you those details when it’s just us three.”
——
There wasn’t anything Edward could’ve said that would’ve prepared his younger siblings for what he was about to tell them. No leadup or prelude that he could’ve provided that would do justice to lessen the blow of the news he was about to deliver.
He’d waited—just like he promised. Ling and Lanfan had left the hotel room nearly ten minutes ago, and still, Ed had barely moved. He sat on the arm of the chair across from the couch where Alphonse and Sarah sat, his hands clenched into fists, his jaw tight.
“I guess I’ll just say it,” he muttered finally, not quite meeting their eyes. “I went back to Resembool after I got out of Xerxes. A lot happened down there, but I’ll start with the good news, Maria Ross is alive.”
“We know that,” Sarah said softly. “Pieced it together a week ago, got the official confirmation today from the Colonel.”
Alphonse gave a small nod, but he knew Ed well enough to tell that whatever was coming next was the important part.
Edward gave a humorless breath of a laugh. “Sounds about right for you to have figured it out.” His tone shifted, got quieter. More fragile. “I did go back to Resembool after that, and when I got there, I saw him…”
“Him who?” Sarah raised an eyebrow at the eldest sibling.
“Hoenheim.” Edward’s irritated expression was starkly different from the one of excitement that grew on Sarah’s face.
“Dad is there?!” Had she not have been injured, she would’ve jumped to her feet joyously.
“Was—Just for a night, then he took off,” Ed said quickly, shutting down his sister’s excitement before her hopes could get too high. “Long enough to eat dinner, say some cryptic crap and vanish again the next morning.”
Sarah bit her lip, adjusting in her seat to cross her legs under her. “Did he ask about us?” She asked the question methodically, and Edward knew that he had to be careful being too honest with her.
In truth, Van Hoenheim did bring up his two youngest children, but only to ask what possess them to burn down his house. While looking at photos of them from childhood and early adolescence, he mentioned how he would like to see them soon.
Alphonse and Sarah were far too gentle to hear such a cruel truth.
Edward took a deep breath and bent the truth, allowing a rare exception to the vow of never lying to each other. “Granny was telling him about us and showing him pictures. He…he said that he’s glad we grew up well enough.”
Alphonse made a soft, sad sound. “It’s too bad we didn’t get to see him.”
“Did he mention when he’s coming back?”
Ed looked down at his boots. “No…don’t get caught up waiting for him, okay? He missed out on having us in his life, maybe he’s second guessing his decision to leave, but it’s his loss.” He found no joy in the sorrowful auras the two younger siblings had. “There’s another thing, he said something that didn’t sit right. About Mom. About what we…thought we did.”
The words were clumsy in his mouth. He swallowed.
“So I dug up the body we transmuted.”
That made Alphonse go still. Sarah’s breath caught painfully.
“It wasn’t her,” Ed said, his voice barely above a whisper. “The thing we buried…it wasn’t Mom, it didn’t share a single physical trait with her.”
The silence that followed wasn’t sharp. It was hollow. Like something inside the room had been yanked away and left a vacuum behind.
Alphonse’s glowing eyes slowly dropped to his lap. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
Sarah’s lips trembled. “So—So mom didn’t die a second time?”
“No.” Edward shook his head. “She didn’t.”
“So whose soul was in there? It moved right? I can’t remember much from that day but…I remember you two saying that it moved.”
“It did move, Say.” Alphonse straightened in his armor slightly. “But I think Ed is right that it wasn’t Mom in there. I remember after my body was taken away I opened my eyes and I was looking at both of you, my soul was inside that body, but it must’ve rejected my soul immediately.”
“I used to think about it all the time,” she went on, tears finally breaking loose and slipping down her cheeks. “How scared she must’ve been. To be brought back in a mangled, and unlivable body, screaming and gasping for air…I thought of how much it must’ve hurt to die all over again. I hated myself for putting her through it. But now…I know that she didn’t suffer all over again. She didn’t come back just to go through the horror of a second death.”
“I thought it would make me feel worse,” Alphonse murmured. “But it doesn’t.”
“It doesn’t,” Sarah echoed.
Ed watched them, and for a long moment, he said nothing. Then, quietly, he said, “I’m sorry.”
The two youngest Elrics looked at Edward in confusion.
“Sorry for what?” Alphonse asked.
“I never should’ve dragged you into that,” he said, voice tight. “I was the one who said we could do it. That we were smart enough. That we could bring her back.” He shook his head and forced a breath through his nose. “If I’d known it was a fool’s errand from the start, if I’d understood that human transmutation was never possible…I would’ve never—never—suggested it.”
“Ed—” Alphonse started.
“I thought I was giving us hope,” Ed said. “But I was wrong. All I did was lead you both into something that hurt you irreparably.”
Sarah wiped her face with her sleeve. “We agreed to it, Ed. All of us.”
“Yeah,” Al echoed. “We were kids, but we made that decision together. You weren’t alone in it,” he added firmly. “We wanted her back, just like you did. We were all too determined to let the risks deter us. You didn’t force us to do anything.”
“I should’ve know better,” Ed said quietly. “No matter what you two say, I should’ve been more careful.”
He looked up at them, eyes wet but steady. “But I do know one thing now. After everything I’ve seen, after Xerxes, after what happened in Resembool… I’m sure of it. A soul can’t be created or destroyed. If we still have Al’s soul, then his body must still exist somewhere. It has to. And that means we can get it back. And Sarah,” Ed added, turning to her, “your hearing, your memories—they weren’t erased. They were taken. But they’re still yours. They’re still somewhere. That means we can find them. We can put things right.”
Sarah’s lower lip trembled again, but this time there was a glimmer of hope in her eyes. “You really believe that?”
“I do,” he said.
Alphonse said slowly, like a weight had been pulled from his chest. “Then we’ll keep going. All of us.”
“No matter how long it takes,” Sarah’s smile was as bright as always, and Ed let himself believe, just for now, that she was fine.
——
The hotel hallway was dim and quiet, the distant ticking of a wall clock the only sound accompanying Edward as he stood beside the phone mounted between two faded wallpaper panels. His fingers hovered over the rotary for a second before he finally dialed. The number was etched into his memory—one of the few constants left from childhood.
The phone rang only twice before the the voice of Izumi Curtis flooded into his ear.
“Curtis residence.”
“Teacher… It’s, me, Edward.”
“Well, this is quite a surprise, you never call.”
“I just… I needed to tell you something important. About what we tried to do—about our mom.”
A beat of silence followed, so Ed continued.
“She wasn’t in the grave. What we brought back… it wasn’t her. It never was. It was genetically impossible that it was her. I dug it up myself to see it with my own eyes. And… Teacher—about what you tried with your baby… I know this is a lot, but—did the body you brought back look anything like you or Sig? What color was its hair, what about its eyes?”
There was the faintest sharp inhale, and then the line went dead.
Ed stared at the phone for a few seconds, saddened to have to be the one to break the news to his mentor, then he hung the receiver up slowly. He didn’t blame her. He knew what it meant—that his question had hit something deep that she hadn’t thought about.
Back in the room, the lights were dimmed. Sarah lay on one of the beds, propped up with pillows, her face calm but tired. Alphonse sat nearby, polishing a dent in his armor absentmindedly. They both looked up when Edward came back in.
“Did you call her?” Al asked.
“Yeah,” Ed murmured, shrugging off his coat. “She hung up.”
Al winced. “That bad?”
“She’ll call back when she’s ready,” Ed said as he sat down on the edge of the second bed. “I just thought she deserved to know.”
Sarah pushed herself to sit up a little straighter. “Did you tell her everything?”
“Yeah, it was a lot to drop on her all at once.”
A quiet moment passed before Sarah took a breath and began unwrapping the bandage around her ribs and chest. “Now that all that’s done with, I should probably show you this.”
Edward turned to her with a frown. “Oh yeah, your cut, is it okay?”
She pulled the last of the wrapping away to reveal the angry, puckered skin where the wound had been sealed shut with fire. The scar was brutal. Blackened around the edges, shiny and pale at the center.
Ed’s breath caught. He stood quickly and crossed to her side of the room, starting down at the wound in horror.
“Lust cut me,” Sarah said quietly, reading his expression. “She faked her death and surprised us—got me, the Colonel, and Lieutenant Havoc and left us for dead. The Colonel…he sealed all our wounds himself. Cauterized them so we wouldn’t bleed out.”
“Holy—” Ed whispered, eyes still fixed on the scar. “That’s your heart!”
“Close to my heart,” she said quickly to correct him as she sat up more. “But the doctor said it missed!”
“Missed by how much?!” Ed barked, his fists clenching.
Sarah flinched at the sudden change in his tone. “Three and a half millimeters…”
The blood drained from Ed’s face. He staggered back a step, like the number had physically struck him.
Alphonse stood, trying to ease the tension. “Ed, I swear we tried to be careful. I really thought she’d be safe with Colonel Mustang and Lieutenant Havoc—”
“You told me she got cut! That Lust cut her!” Ed snapped, voice rising with raw panic. “This isn’t a cut, Say, this is a stab wound! You almost died!”
“I didn’t want you to worry so much,” Sarah said softly.
“I’m your brother,” Ed yelled. “The worry is preprogrammed! You almost died, my worry is justified! And I wasn’t even here!”
The words echoed in the room, ringing in the silence that followed.
Edward dropped down onto the bed, elbows on his knees, and let his head hang low.
“You almost died fighting Scar… you almost died when I took you to the Fifth Laboratory. You got kidnapped by Greed, and now this…”
Alphonse spoke up, tense now. “I was there for most of those too, Ed. I was in danger with her—”
“You’re not as much of a liability in a fight!” Ed snapped before he could stop himself. “You’re stronger. You can’t get hurt. You don’t bleed. She’s been hurt nonstop since she got here!”
“Brother!” Al said sharply, stepping forward slightly. “That’s too harsh!”
“I think you’re not being harsh enough!” Ed shouted back. Then he turned toward Sarah, his chest heaving. “Not to mention she’s been distracted by that fucking Prince for the last few weeks! She’s gonna get herself killed!”
Everything went still once he said those words, Sarah didn’t breathe. She stared at him like he’d just pulled the ground out from under her.
“I—” Ed froze. The words left a bitter taste in his mouth. His heart felt like it was collapsing in on itself. “I didn’t mean that,” he said, his voice suddenly hoarse. “Sarah, I’m sorry. You’re not a liability. I shouldn’t have said that.”
She still didn’t speak, no words found their way to her mouth or her hands.
“That was out of line—I’m sorry.” He stood and grabbed his red coat from the rack. “Just go to bed, we’ll talk in the morning.” Before either of his siblings could stop him, Edward made a swift exit from the room, leaving Alphonse and Sarah feeling all out of sorts.
Notes:
AND SO THE PLOT THICKENS!
Edward is big madddd this time, he might do something drastic next chapter, just warning you guys!🫣
Thanks everyone for the excitement and supportive comments!
Chapter 16: The Price of Distraction
Summary:
The morning light crept into the Elric Siblings’ hotel suite, casting long streaks across the wooden floor. Sarah blinked awake, her senses sharpening. The silence was nothing new—her world was always silent—but something felt off. A weight pressed on her chest as she sat up, noticing her belongings by the door, cloak folded and resting on top of her suitcase, and boots sitting all too neatly. Everything was much more organized than how she’d left it the night before.
Her brows furrowed, and her heart quickened. She scanned the room, her eyes darting to where Edward and Alphonse should’ve been. The bed Edward had been sleeping on was untouched, as if no one had been there all night.
“Ed? Al?” She called out instinctively, after she attatched her hearing aides. She stood and moved quickly around the room, her hands brushing over surfaces and corners, looking for any sign of them.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Text" - Normal Speech
'Text' - Sign Language
"Text" - Speech and Sign Language
"Text" - Speech Over Phone
'Text' - Thoughts
The night was still. Rain tapped faintly against the windowpanes of the hotel room, rhythmic and soft, like a lullaby no one asked for. A faint glow from the streetlights outside filtered in through the thin curtains, casting long shadows across the room. Sarah lay fast asleep on the far bed, curled slightly on her side. Her face, usually tense with thought or tight with pain, had softened in sleep. A blanket was pulled up over her shoulders, the rise and fall of her chest slow and steady. For once, she looked every bit of the child that she really was.
Edward stepped in quietly, closing the door behind him without a sound. His beige coat, damp from the evening drizzle, clung to him. The walk hadn’t cleared his head the way he hoped—it had only solidified the knot of unease that had been growing tighter in his chest since the moment Sarah had showed him her injury. He moved across the room with measured steps, boots muffled by the thick carpet. Alphonse sat in the chair by the window, flipping halfheartedly through a book, though he had stopped reading a quarter hour ago.
Ed’s gaze turned to Sarah. For a moment, he just stood there, staring. Watching her.
She’d been through too much. She shouldn’t have had to face the inside of the Third Laboratory. She shouldn’t have been the one bleeding out on a cement floor while he was across the desert.
He crouched beside her and reached out, fingers brushing her hair aside. With practiced care, he removed her hearing aides—first the left, then the right—placing them gently on the nightstand. He lingered a moment, watching for signs that she might stir, but she didn’t. Just a sigh, barely audible, as she tucked her hand beneath her chin.
Behind him, Al’s voice broke the silence. “Brother, what are you doing?”
Ed stood, not answering immediately. He turned and walked over, dropping heavily into the chair across from Al. “We need to talk, and I don’t want her waking up,” he said finally, rubbing his temples. “I want her to go back home tomorrow.”
Alphonse blinked, his armored head tilting. “What?”
“She’s not coming with us when we leave,” Ed said, voice rough. “We’re heading to East City tomorrow—without her.”
Al sat forward, alarm breaking through the calm in his tone. “Ed, no. You promised her. You said we’d stay together! After everything she’s been through—you said you wouldn’t leave her behind again!”
“I know what I said!” Ed snapped, louder than he meant to. He dragged a hand down his face and forced his voice down to a whisper again, casting a quick glance at the bed out of habit. “But I also promised I wouldn’t let her get hurt. Does she look in perfect health to you?” He looked away, jaw clenched, his eyes hollow. “She almost died, Al. Don’t you get that? She isn’t as strong as either of us. She has no armor. No protection. She’s at a greater risk because she’s deaf. I regret saying it to her face, but she is a liability to herself. Even with two trained military officers to protect her, she was still in jeopardy, what chance do we stand of keeping her safe?”
“She made it out,” Al said softly.
“But next time she might not.” Ed leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “With the work we’re doing, she could die around every corner. I can’t let that happen.”
Alphonse didn’t speak, but his silence was heavier than any words he could’ve said.
“I thought about it on my walk,” Ed continued. “If we lose her…I’m not sure I’d survive it. She’ll never not be in danger if we let her stay with us. This path we’re on—it only gets darker from here.”
“Then we prepare her better. Keep her with us more, don’t let her wonder off, and make her an armor plated vest. We can watch out for her, but we can’t just abandon her.”
“There’s no preparing for getting stabbed in the heart, Al! No training against someone who doesn’t hesitate to kill. You think I want to do this? I don’t. But I’d rather she hates me and stays alive than…than the other option.”
Al looked toward Sarah, still unmoving, the dim light giving her an almost ghostly coloring. He couldn’t deny the logic. Couldn’t ignore the fear that had burrowed into both of them since the first time she’d had an interaction with scar. But the idea of leaving her wasn’t sitting right with him. “She won’t understand,” Al said quietly. “She’ll think we abandoned her. And when she finds out we just left, without a word…Ed she’ll never forgive you.”
Edward’s throat tightened, but he didn’t flinch. He expected that. Had accepted it the moment he decided.
“I can live with that,” he whispered. The words didn’t sound strong when he said them. They sounded distant. Like something he was trying to convince himself of because he didn’t truly believe it.
“Are you sure you can?”
Rather than give into Alphonse’s goading, Edward stood up again and began unfastening the pouch at his hip. “I’ll leave plenty of money for her. She can go back to Resembool or to Rush Valley with Winry. It doesn’t matter. As long as it’s far from whatever’s waiting for us from here on out.”
Al didn’t move. He watched his brother, watched the way his hands shook slightly as he counted out the bills. He knew that Ed wasn’t doing this out of cruelty, he was doing it out of fear.
——
The morning light crept into the Elric Siblings’ hotel suite, casting long streaks across the wooden floor. Sarah blinked awake, her senses sharpening. The silence was nothing new—her world was always silent—but something felt off. A weight pressed on her chest as she sat up, noticing her belongings by the door, cloak folded and resting on top of her suitcase, and boots sitting all too neatly. Everything was much more organized than how she’d left it the night before.
Her brows furrowed, and her heart quickened. She scanned the room, her eyes darting to where Edward and Alphonse should’ve been. The bed Edward had been sleeping on was untouched, as if no one had been there all night.
“Ed? Al?” She called out instinctively, after she attatched her hearing aides. She stood and moved quickly around the room, her hands brushing over surfaces and corners, looking for any sign of them. When her eyes landed on the small hotel memo pad on the nightstand, she froze. A note lay there, accompanied by a thick envelope.
Sarah felt like there was gravel stuck in her throat. She snatched the note, her heart sinking as she read the familiar scrawl.
Dear Sarah,
We’ve decided to continue our search for a way to restore our bodies, but we don’t want you caught up in this any longer. Please head to Rush Valley with Winry or go back home to Resembool, where you’ll be safe. Take care of yourself. We’ll come back when we’re ready to make everything go back to normal.
— Edward and Alphonse
Her breath hitched, and her hands began to shake. She tore open the envelope, revealing a thick stack of bills. It was enough to get her anywhere she wanted to go, but it didn’t matter. The only place she wanted to be was with her brothers, and without knowing where they went, this money meant nothing.
The paper crumpled slightly in her grip as tears blurred her vision. Her lips moved silently as she whispered words only she could hear. “You promised you wouldn’t leave me.”
Anger and hurt flooded through her as she dashed out the door, her bare feet padding quickly across the carpet. She didn’t need to think, due to her best friend’s room being just one door away.
Sarah pounded on the door to the next suite, her fists trembling as she knocked, “Winry! Open up!”
The door creaked open, revealing a startled Winry, still in her pajamas. Her blue eyes widened when she saw Sarah’s cheeks streaked with tears and her expression wild with desperation.
“Where are Ed and Al?” Sarah demanded, her voice breaking. “Did they tell you where they’re going?”
Winry’s lips moved slowly, her words clear and deliberate as she stepped back. “N-no they haven’t stopped by. What are you talking about, did they leave?”
Sarah’s chest tightened, her hands balling into fists at her sides. Without another word, she turned and bolted back into her suite. A minute later, she came out fullly dressed, carrying her suitcase and fastening her cloak with her free hand.
“Sarah, wait!” Winry called after her, quickly throwing on her boots and running after her.
But Sarah didn’t stop. Her mind raced, her thoughts drowning out all rationality. ‘They left me. They think I’m too weak. They don’t trust me.’
Winry finally caught up with her just outside the hotel. Grabbing Sarah’s arm, she pulled her back, signing hurriedly as she spoke. “Sarah, stop! What are you doing?”
“I’m going after them!” Sarah snapped, her voice carrying anger, but her signs conveyed complete anguish. “They don’t get to make this choice for me!”
Winry shook her head, her expression torn between frustration and sympathy. “You can’t just go off on your own, its not safe!”
Sarah’s knees buckled as the words sank in. She dropped to the ground, her hands trembling as she covered her face. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she signed slowly, her gestures small and defeated. ‘Why? Why do they always leave me behind?’
Winry knelt beside her, pulling Sarah into a hug. Sarah resisted at first but then collapsed against her, sobbing silently into her shoulder.
Winry stroked her hair gently, whispering, “They think they’re protecting you, Sarah.”
Winry held Sarah tightly, her own heart breaking at the sight of her friend so devastated. The sound of hurried footsteps drew both their attention. Sarah pulled away from her friend’s hold when she sensed that Ling’s chi was nearby. She turned and leveled the boy with a glare.
Ling’s ever-present grin faded when he saw Sarah’s tear-streaked and her attempt at a menacing face. “What’s going on?” he asked, his voice unusually gentle.
She dried her eyes with her sleeve and clenched her fists tightly. “This is your fault, Ling!”
The prince blinked, somewhat startled by the accusation. “What is my fault?”
“Ed and Al left me behind!” she shouted, her voice cracking with raw emotion. Her hands moved sharply as she signed, punctuating every word. “And it’s because of you!”
Winry stepped forward, trying to calm her. “Sarah, that’s not fair—”
Sarah waved her off, her focus entirely on Ling. “I’ve been distracted because of you. All the late-night talks, all the times they saw us together—the could tell I was getting distracted. I let myself lose focus, and now they’ve left me! Because of you I’ve become a liability!”
Ling’s expression faltered, guilt flickering across his face. He didn’t argue, didn’t offer up a single defense for himself. He simply stood there, taking her words, knowing there was truth in them, even if she said them out of anger.
Lanfan, bristled at the girl’s tone, and it was Lanfan who attempted to come to her prince’s aide. “You will not speak to the young lord this way! He is not responsible for your naïveté. If your brothers left you it’s because you’re weak, and that is your fault, no one else’s!”
“Silence, Lanfan, Sarah is right.” The Xingese Prince held up a hand, stopping Lanfan from approaching Sarah again. “She told me multiple times not to pursue her, not to act on my infatuation with her. She told me what it could cost her…but I didn’t listen.”
“Now look where we are.” Sarah lifted her single suitcase and pulled up her hood. “I’m gonna go talk with the Colonel, maybe he’ll know where they took off to.”
“Maybe I can help.” Ling offered. “Lanfan can look to see if they’re still in town.”
“I don’t need your help. From now on, if I go left, you go right. If I go north, go south. Please just stay the hell away from me.” With no other response to offer, Sarah turned and headed towards the hospital where she knew Colonel Mustang was still being treated.
Winry called after her. “Sarah, wait!”
Ling sighed, watching Sarah’s retreating figure, but he didn’t bid her farewell or chase after her, instead, he turned and began walking in the opposite direction, just as she’d asked.
Lanfan glanced at him, eyes narrowing. “You’re letting her go alone?”
“She needs space,” Ling replied, his voice tinged with regret. “Besides, she’s strong. She can handle herself.”
Sarah didn’t look back. Every step she took in the direction of the hospital was heavy with pain, anger, and a determined desire to be useful.
——
Having forgotten her own physical strength, Sarah slammed open hospital door with a loud thud, startling both Roy Mustang and Jean Havoc out of their conversation. Sarah staggered inside, clutching the doorframe for support. Her breathing was labored, and her other hand pressed firmly over the burn on her chest, as though trying to will away the pain. “Edward…Alphonse,” she gasped, her voice sharp despite her obvious exhaustion. “Where…did they…go?”
Roy’s eyebrows rose in surprise as he stood, quickly assessing the child’s disheveled appearance. “Sarah, what are you—”
“Don’t stall,” she snapped, her eyes narrowing dangerously as she caught her breath. “Just tell me where they went, please.”
Roy sighed, crossing his arms as he leaned against the edge of his bed. “I’m surprised they didn’t take you with them, they said they were heading back to the hotel to get you after they left here.”
Sarah’s glare intensified, and her fingers tightened on the doorframe. “Well they lied. Don’t make me start calling you Colonel Bastard like Ed does,” she said, her voice low and threatening, “Answer the question.”
Havoc, still seated, exchanged a wary glance with his superior before he answered the question for the girl. He exhaled through his nose and adjusted his posture. “East City. They’re heading to East City.”
The tension in Sarah’s body didn’t ease, but she gave a brief, curt nod. “Thank you,” she said, her voice clipped.
She tried to turn and leave, but Mustang’s stern voice stopped her.
“You shouldn’t be moving around in your condition.” He gestured to her, disheveled, out of breath and clutching the wound over her chest. “There won’t be another train going out east until the day after tomorrow. It won’t do you any good running around the city looking for an alternative way to get there.” Ignoring the defiant look the girl gave him, he continued. “I’ll have Lieutenant Hawkeye get you a ticket for the soonest available train, but until then, you need to be smart and wait.”
Letting his words sink in, the girl’s shoulders immediately slumped in defeat. He was right, if she used up too much energy scrambling around central, she’d collapse in the street before the day was done.
“Hang out around town, smell the roses or something, but don’t be stupid and try to take off. That’s an order, understand?”
After releasing a sigh, Sarah nodded. “Thank you, Colonel.” Without another word, she turned and left the room, her steps unsteady and unsure.
——
The café Sarah selected had been warm and inviting, the food comforting. Sarah and Winry had even shared a few moments of genuine laughter over tea. But now, walking through the bustling streets, Sarah couldn’t shake the prickling unease that crawled up her spine.
Wrapped in her cloak, Sarah could feel the stares of dozens of people lingering on the serpent’s cross that stretched across the back. While this had originally been a way to remind herself of the teachings passed onto her by teacher, and partially a way to fit in alongside Ed and Al, she now understood that from an outside perspective, it was something else.
“Dad look, it’s Fullmetal Alchemist!” A overly excited child chirped.
Sarah and Winry both shared a confused glance and looked around the room, expecting to see Ed was nearby. Imagine Sarah’s surprise, however, when the little boy ran straight up to her, damn near jumping up and down in excitement.
“Timothy, that’s not Fullmetal, that’s clearly a girl.”
The blonde alchemist chuckled and patted the boy’s brown curls. “Your dad’s right, that’s actually my brother, Edward. I’m Sarah.”
“Oh, then I’m kinda glad you’re not him.” Timothy mumbled, his eyes locking onto Sarah’s face for uncomfortably long. “Cuz you’re pretty.”
Winry released an ungodly squeal bouncing her feet under the table. “Oh my goodness, you’re just too cute!”
As the boy’s father hurried to apologize, Sarah laughed heartily and waved her hand in dismissal. “No problem at all, I’ve been mistaken for Ed before.”
The pair walked off The people of Central had forever associated several things with the Fullmetal Alchemist. He wears a red and black coat with a insignia on the back of it. He’s short, he has bright golden eyes, and matching gold hair that is worn in a braid.
Not many people knew of the existence of his siblings, or that he traveled with them, so unfortunately, Sarah being sighted around town today had caused whisper’s to begin spreading. Due to the unreliable nature of gossip, people overlooked the fact that Ed’s coat as red with a black serpent’s cross, whereas her cloak was black with a red serpents cross. They overlooked the short length of her cloak, which exposes her black skirt. They didn’t seem to notice that her hair, despite being identical in color, was longer than his and worn in two braids instead of one. Overall, people clearly forgot that the Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric was in fact a boy.
The alternative option for some people is that they did notice all of these things, and they still thought she was a fifteen year old boy, rather than a thirteen year old girl, but that was a more emotionally upsetting option, so Sarah chose to ignore that.
She saw the stares, even saw the lips of some of them moving, they were trying to figure out if she was the Fullmetal Alchemist. Unfortunately for Sarah, some people didn’t stop and ask, some just kept going, and their words had caught the attention of a certain State Alchemist killer, even from all the way across town.
Scar followed those whispers and managed to make it to the cafe where he heard that Fullmetal was eating.
Sarah, having sensed a foul chi approaching, was already on her feet by the time she saw him through the large bay window. She stood, grabbing her bag in one hand and Winry’s wrist in another. “Let’s go, quickly.” She pulled the taller girl to her feet and ran towards the kitchen of the cafe. “Sorry, it’s an emergency!” She called out to the head chef who moved towards them. “Is there an exit through here?”
The dumbfounded woman nodded, taking in the panicked look Sarah had.
“Thank you, everything was delicious, but I’ve got to go!” Sarah reached into her bag and tossed a handful of bills at the server who helped them before dragging Winry off towards the back of the kitchen.
“Sarah what the hell is going on?” Winry asked, trying desperately to keep up with Sarah.
“Remember a few weeks ago when Ed, Al and I came back to Resembool all banged up with Major Armstrong?” Keeping her head on a swivel, Sarah weaved through the back alleys of downtown Central, trying her best to keep an eye out for Scar. After a few minutes of back alleys navigation, Sarahmade her way onto the main streets. She saw a flash of brown skin and white hair froze her mid-step. “The guy who did that to us is across the street, and I’m assuming he’s looking for Ed.” Her heart raced. She stared for a moment longer, trying to convince herself she was mistaken, but no—there he was. Scar, the infamous State Alchemist killer.
Panic surged through her, but she forced her face to remain calm. She latched onto Winry’s arm, pulling her closer as lead the girl through the crowd.
The thought of confronting Scar while she was without the added protection of her brothers was bad enough. But with Winry by her side? The stakes were unbearably high. Protecting both a civilian and herself while keeping collateral damage to a minimum seemed like an impossible task.
They turned a corner, and Sarah released Winry’s arm to focus. She stopped briefly, closing her eyes to sense the flow of chi around her. Scar’s was distinct: cold, calculated, and laced with intent. Her stomach twisted when she felt his energy closing in despite her efforts to get away.
Her eyes snapped open just as Scar stepped out from a narrow alley, blocking their path up ahead.
The man’s sunglasses gleamed menacingly in the sunlight, as they settled onto the two girls. His voice was deep and even. “Where is the Fullmetal Alchemist?”
Sarah held her ground, summoning her resolve. She signed sharply as she spoke, more out of habit than anything else. “He’s left town. Sorry, you just missed him.”
Scar’s expression hardened. “Surely he’s not foolish enough to have really left you here unattended. Do you take me for fool?”
Sarah gave a small, cheeky shrug, her hand twitching at her side, ready to transmute. “You said it, not me.”
The Ishvalan moved first, pressing his hand to the building beside him. The structure groaned before erupting in a flurry of shattered bricks and stone, hurtling toward the two girls.
“Winry, get back!” Sarah shouted, slamming her hands against the wall of the nearest building. A shield of solid stone jutted out, absorbing the impact of Scar’s attack. Dust filled the air as debris rained down. Sarah glanced over her shoulder, her voice urgent. “Winry! I’ll distract him. Run and find the some soldiers! Call for Major Armstrong or any available alchemists!”
“But Sarah!” Winry protested, her voice trembling.
“Go!” Sarah barked, her tone leaving no room for argument. She pulled the stone from her wall into a scythe, its blade gleaming dangerously.
Winry hesitated only a moment longer before nodding and sprinting down the street. Other bystanders scattered as Scar advanced, his focus entirely on Sarah.
“So if he really did leave,” Scar continued, his tone unreadable. “Where did he go?”
The girl didn’t respond. She lunged forward, swinging her scythe in a wide arc. Scar dodged easily, closing the distance between them with alarming speed. His hand reached for her, but she backflipped, landing nimbly on a raised platform of stone she’d transmuted beneath her.
“I won’t tell you anything,” Sarah said, her voice steady despite the pounding of her heart. “Not when you’re after my brother.”
Scar’s lips curled into a grimace. “So they left you unprotected and ran off, and you won’t tell me where they went?” He slammed his palm into the ground, sending another wave of destruction toward her. “Given that it would save your life, that’s a foolish choice.”
Sarah countered with a flurry of transmutations, her scythe cutting through debris as she held him at bay. Her focus was razor-sharp, but the ache in her chest reminded her that she was not at full strength. She couldn’t keep this up forever.
She was essentially just buying time until help arrived, and hopefully he didn’t really intend to kill her while they were facing off. If she didn’t have the information he wanted, she was positive she’d be dead already.
Notes:
I knoooowww there’s a lot of confusing things happening right now but I promise it’s all for a reason. The pieces in the board are all lined up nicely for me to enact my evil plan (my plan being the plot. Stay tuned loves!
Leave any questions, thoughts, or theories in the comments below!
Chapter 17: So This is Love
Summary:
Perhaps Ling should’ve kept the truth of his feelings to himself. Perhaps he should’ve pulled away rather than give in to the addicting feeling of her kiss—or the way her gold eyes gave away exactly what she was feeling at any time, either by glowing with joy, dulling with sadness, or burning with anger.
Perhaps Sarah should’ve heeded Edward’s warning, and avoided the problem some Prince while she had the chance. She shouldn’t have gotten distracted and attached, and definitely shouldn’t have fallen in love with him.
It’s easy to say these things in hindsight, but with something as simple and beautiful as a first love, how could either of them known to protect their hearts from the nightmare that was to come? To expect that was illogical, despite their worldly and academic knowledge, when it comes to love, Sarah and Ling were both far too inexperienced to prepare themselves well enough to avoid the inevitable pain of heartbreak.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Text" - Normal Speech
'Text' - Sign Language
"Text" - Speech and Sign Language
"Text" - Speech Over Phone
'Text' - Thoughts
The battle between Sarah and Scar raged on, both combatants testing each other’s limits. Sarah’s scythe clashed with Scar’s brutal attacks, deflecting stone and rubble as she held her ground. Every move was precise, calculated—but each time Scar pressed forward, she felt the burn in her chest intensify even further.
Scar paused for a moment, as if truly considering her. “You’ve improved since we last met,” he said, his voice gruff with approval. “I do not wish to harm you. While you continue to defy God with your alchemy, you still haven’t sold your soul to the military like your disgrace of a brother.”
There was a growl of anger that fell from Sarah’s throat as she planted the blade of her scythe to the ground and held the staff, using it to help her aim a kick at Scar’s head. “Don’t you talk about Ed like that!”
The man reeled back in shock and sent a wave of destruction after the girl. The impact sent her flying back into the wall of a nearby building. “You’re stubborn…”
“Sarah!” Winry’s panicked voice rang out as she rushed back to the scene, with two military officers in tow—not alchemists, Sarah could tell immediately, but they weren’t even proper soldiers, they were MP’s.
Scar’s gaze shifted, and for a brief moment, something sparked in his eyes. He looked almost like he was recalling something, a flicker of recognition passing through him as they followed the other Amestrian girl.
“Where’s Major Armstrong?” Sarah asked through a cough.
“He’s been contacted, he’s on the way!” The brown eyed MP who spoke took ahold of her arm and helped her sit up.
“Listen to me closely, this man is a killer responsible for the deaths of a dozen state alchemists. I can hold him off until the Major arrives, but I need you to take my friend and leave. It’s too dangerous for you all here.”
Had Sarah been paying more attention, she would’ve seen the far away look in Scars eyes as she spoke.
The MP’s nodded hesitantly and one of them took Winry by the arm. “Come with us, Miss Rockbell.”
“Rockbell?”
Sarah went taut when she heard the name from the man’s mouth. She stood straight and held out her scythe. “What?”
“Were your parents doctors that died in the war?”
A cold chill overtook Sarah’s body then. “Don’t talk to her.” She said.
“Yes, they were.” Winry’s voice spoke softly, eyeing the man with a deep rooted fear. “Why?”
“I suppose us meeting today is the will of Ishvala, then.” Scar lifted his piercing red gaze to meet Winry’s blue eyes. “I am the one who murdered your parents.”
Fear flooded through Sarah as she turned to find her friend. “What the hell are you talking about?” Sarah whispered, her heart sinking.
Before Sarah could react, the MPs began to move toward them, their hands reaching for their weapons.
Scar’s eyes narrowed, and in an instant, he charged.
Sarah’s instincts kicked in. She raised her hand, transmuting a barrier in front of the MPs to shield them from Scar’s attack. But Scar was quicker, leaping over it, his tattooed arm extended toward one of the officers.
“No!” Sarah shouted, hurling herself forward, she collided with Scar, shoving him away from the officer. In that split second, she felt the full force of Scar’s attack. His tattooed hand slammed into her head, and the searing pain cut through her like fire.
She screamed, her body collapsing under the intensity of it, but the pain was over in an instant. She gasped for air, her vision swimming, but she remained conscious. She managed to stay on her feet. She knew Scar had realized something—he had remembered the metal plates in her head. The attack would have been far worse if she hadn’t been altered.
With trembling hands, she gripped her scythe and slashed at Scar’s arm, creating a deep wound, but nothing lethal. He staggered back, eyes flashing with rage. “Stay back,” Sarah hissed at the MPs, her voice low but commanding. “Get Winry out of here, please!”
The shorter officer nodded quickly, looking between Sarah and the approaching Scar. He turned to Winry, grabbing her by the shoulder to pull her away from the chaos.
But Winry, still in shock, locked eyes with the officer and saw the weapon at his side. Her eyes then drifted to Sarah, injured and exhausted , and she realized that if she left now, she might never see her best friend again. Without thinking, she reached for the weapon once the officer was distracted.
“Winry, stop—” Sarah started, but it was too late.
Winry, in a burst of panic and determination, yanked the officer’s weapon free from his holster. Her hands trembled, but her resolve was clear. This man would kill Sarah if she didn’t act.
The officer froze, clearly unprepared for Winry’s action, but the gun was in her hands now, aimed directly at Scar.
The man stared at her questioningly for a moment. “You wish to take your revenge? That’s your right. Go ahead, I won’t stop you.” His voice raised just an octave. “But know that if you miss, you’ll have made an enemy out of me, you’ll be signing your death certificate.”
“You won’t go anywhere near her!” Sarah barked before turning her attention to the other girl. “Winry please…put down the gun. You have no idea what you’re doing!”
Sarah didn’t have time to explain. Scar charged at her, she swung her scythe again and dove back into a defensive stance, standing between Winry and Scar as he prepared for another strike.
“Winry, get back!” Sarah shouted, but she could see the fire in the young girl’s eyes.
“You killed my mom and dad!” Her cheeks were tear stained and blazing red with rage, and the fun remained in her trembling hands. “You tried to kill Ed, and Al, and Sarah…you’re a monster!”
Scar took a step forward, his arm raised, but Sarah’s eyes flashed with determination. She wasn’t going to let him hurt Winry. Not after everything the other girl had already been through.
The air was thick with tension as Sarah and Scar exchanged blows, the force of each strike shaking the ground beneath them. Sarah gritted her teeth, blood trickling from the cut on her cheek, but her focus never wavered. Her eyes darted between Scar and Winry, who was still standing frozen in shock. The threat Scar posed was too great, and Sarah couldn’t let him hurt anyone else, especially not Winry.
Winry, still trembling, looked up at the fight unfolding before her. Tears streamed down her face, but her voice was firm, despite her fear. “I…I won’t let you hurt anyone else…”
The two continued to clash, but just as Scar slammed Sarah into a nearby wall, Winry seemed to make up her mind. Determination flashed in her eyes, but her hands trembled as she debated what to do.
Scar sensed the hesitation and moved toward Winry, intent on taking advantage of her vulnerability.
“No!” Sarah shouted as she pushed herself off the wall, summoning every ounce of strength she had left. With a burst of energy, Sarah flipped over Scar, turning mid-air, and using the blade of her scythe to push against his chest. Her weapon cut through the air, deflecting him just enough to protect Winry, who was still on the floor, trembling. Sarah’s heart raced as she held her ground, she was now placed right in front of Winry, shielding her friend using her own body, and pushing the hand that held the gun to the side with her free hand.
Suddenly, there was a familiar flash of yellow and black, and Sarah barely had time to react as Ling Yao and LanFan appeared in front of her, their blades drawn and poised protectively.
“Forgive me, Sarah,” Ling said with a slight edge of sass in his voice, which went unnoticed by the golden haired girl. “I know you said you didn’t want my help, but I’ve seen quite enough of this.” His sharp gaze took in Scar’s features. “So, you must be the Ishvalan I’ve heard all about—the one targeting State Alchemists.”
Scar’s eyes flickered with a mix of recognition and wariness as he assessed his opponents. Realizing he was outnumbered, he scowled and with a single motion, destroyed the wall of a nearby building, creating a cloud of dust and smoke to cover his escape.
“LanFan,” Ling said calmly, his eyes never leaving the smoke. “Give chase, I’ll follow you shortly.”
Without a word, LanFan moved swiftly, her blade in hand as she followed the direction scar took off in.
Sarah took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. But as she glanced around, her attention shifted to the other officer. He had approached Winry, pointing his weapon directly at her. Sarah’s chest tightened in dread. “Winry,” Sarah called out softly, turning in her spot now. “I need you to put that gun down before we both get arrested.” She placed her hand gently over Winry’s clenched fist, hoping she’d drop it at her prompting.
Winry’s eyes were filled with panic, her voice breaking as she spoke. “I’m so sorry,” she sobbed, but still didn’t release the gun. “He was about to kill you and I couldn’t do anything!”
Sarah smiled softly, her voice calm but full of understanding. She reached over and gently pried Winry’s fingers open, one by one, as she spoke. “It’s because you aren’t meant to kill. Someone like you was meant to give life to the world, Win. You gave Edward an arm and a leg when he lost his. You delivered that baby in Rush Valley. Because of you a mother and baby are both alive today. You supply hundreds of people with new limbs. And for me? For me, Winry, you invented a way to let me hear again. You did all of this without complaint or question. Without any hesitation.”
The pistol clattered to the floor, and Sarah quickly took hold of it, keeping the barrel pointed down as she used one hand to pass it to the officer who it had been taken from. Her other hand kept ahold of Winry’s hoping to help ground her. “It’s because of you that we’re still able to keep going, Winry. It’s because of you that I can keep up with them. You helped me be strong.”
Winry’s breath hitched, and before Sarah could say anything else, Winry threw herself into a tight embrace, holding onto her as if Sarah might disappear at any moment.
The words were simple, but they meant everything. Sarah squeezed Winry back, finding comfort in the warmth of her arms.
But then Winry pulled away, her eyes wide with horror as she saw the blood soaking through Sarah’s clothes. Sarah’s wound had reopened, and bruises and scrapes marred her body from the fight.
Winry sobbed, panic rising in her chest. “Sarah,” She cried, reaching for Sarah’s bleeding ear. “You’re hurt! We need to get you to the hospital!”
The taller of the two MP’s took that as his que to rush to Sarah’s side and help her up from far off in the distance, there was a loud crash and a cloud of smoke rose, and Sarah immediately recognized it as Major Armstrong’s doing, possibly with the help of Lanfan.
“If you’ll let me, I can take you there?” Ling offered with a hopeful smile.
Sarah took a slow breath and nodded. “I didn’t need your help Ling…but thank you for stepping in when you did.”
Ling snaked an arm around her shoulders and chuckled. “What can I say? I can’t help but get distracted by you.”
——
A soft breeze filtered through the cracked hospital window, stirring the edge of the curtain. The scent of antiseptic lingered faintly in the air, mixing with the sun-warmed smell of linen and gauze. The world was calm—unnaturally so—after the chaos of the night before.
Sarah Elric stirred beneath the sheets, her eyes fluttered open slowly, the sunlight stabbing at her vision. There was a dull ache at the base of her skull and a sharper one in her shoulder, but she could move—breathe—think. Her head turned, and the moment she shifted to sit up, a sharp twinge shot down her arm. She hissed.
Across the room stood a familiar figure, broad as a mountain, glittering faintly in the morning light like a man sculpted from pure white marble.
“Major?” she rasped, blinking in surprise.
Major Alex Louis Armstrong stood a few feet from her bed, arms folded across his massive chest, mustache poised with dignity. The moment she spoke, he beamed with radiant joy, sparkles erupting around him like a special effect. “Good morning, Sarah!” he boomed, striking a powerful pose. “I’m so glad to see you’re alright! The spirit of youth and resilience shines from your eyes once more!”
“I think that’s delirium you’re seeing in my eyes, Major.” Despite the soreness in her body, Sarah couldn’t help but crack a tired smile. “Did you catch him? Scar?”
Armstrong’s smile dimmed only slightly. “Alas… despite the combined efforts of myself and Ling’s guard, the fugitive escaped once again. He is tenacious—and his destructive alchemy is no small threat.”
Her heart sank, but she nodded slowly. “I see…”
“I have already filed a report,” he continued, placing a hand over his heart dramatically, “and due to the high threat level Scar continues to pose, I have volunteered to act as your personal guard for the time being!”
Sarah blinked. “Major you really don’t have to, do that just because Colonel Mustang is making you.”
“I insisted!” Armstrong said with pride. “As a State Alchemist, it is my duty to protect fellow alchemists, especially when one has been so directly targeted. I acted before anyone else could volunteer. I will not allow harm to come to you again!”
She shifted awkwardly on the bed, cheeks tinged with color. “Major, I appreciate it, but… I don’t want you wasting time worrying about me. I’m not that important.”
“Nonsense!” he bellowed, pointing a massive finger at her. “Do not undervalue your worth! Scar has already shown he is willing to take lethal action on against you. I know exactly what he is capable of—if I hadn’t arrived when I did, and if Prince Ling hadn’t intervened…”
He trailed off for just a moment, face uncharacteristically serious.
“I won’t leave that chance open again,” he said quietly. “Not while I can still stand guard.”
Just then, the door creaked open and a nurse stepped in, clipboard in hand. “Ah! Good to see you awake, Miss Elric,” she said kindly, walking over to check the IV line and monitors. “Your vitals look stable…how are your pain levels?”
“Sore, but tolerable,” Sarah muttered, then looked at her sheepishly. “Actually…could I ask a favor?”
“Of course.”
“Could someone bring up some food? For me and Major Armstrong?” She glanced toward the large man. “If he’s going to guard me, he might as well eat something too.”
The nurse smiled. “I’ll put in the request. Any preferences?”
“Something easy on the tummy,” Sarah said, “And if there’s anything sweet, I’d appreciate that for dessert.”
Armstrong gave a hearty laugh that made the light fixtures tremble slightly. “Much appreciated!”
Once the nurse had left, the room fell quiet again. Armstrong pulled a chair closer to her bed, still standing at attention even as he sat.
Sarah leaned back against the pillows with a small sigh. “How bad was it before he got away?”
Armstrong frowned slightly, looking toward the window. “He struck fast, without hesitation. Lanfan tried to flank him, but he slipped through. Once you were not available to target, he made fleeing his objective. Edward was his original target, and to get to him, he needed you.”
Sarah exhaled, shoulders tensing. “Then I’m assuming he’s not done.”
“No,” Armstrong agreed gravely. “But neither are we.”
“Have my brothers called yet?” A grim look told her everything she needed to know, and Sarah sighed. “No, of course they haven’t.” She wasn’t surprised, the entire three years they were gone, she hadn’t received more than a few calls from them.
The duo of blonde alchemists sat in silence for a few moments, until a knock tapped against the door. A beat later, the handle turned. “Knock knock~” came a familiar sing-song voice. Prince Ling Yao poked his head in, offering a bright smile and a lazy wave. “Am I interrupting the most intense breakfast date ever?”
Sarah grinned—her heart unintentionally swelling at the sight of the boy. “Not at all, you’re just the guy I wanted to see.”
Armstrong stood promptly. “Prince Ling. I trust you are recovering well after last night’s battle?”
Ling shrugged. “A few scrapes and bruises, nothing serious, Major.” Then his eyes fell on Sarah, his expression softening. “You look better.”
Sarah fought back a blush, then turned toward Armstrong. “Hey, Major…would you mind giving us a minute to talk alone?”
He blinked, clearly uncertain. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“I promise we’re just going to talk,” she added. “Could you stand guard from outside the room for a bit?”
Armstrong hesitated, then stood up with a dignified nod. “Very well. I suppose I can remain nearby…so long as I keep my ears alert. Very very alert, so mind your manners young man!” he declared, posing as he exited the room and gently pulled the door closed behind him.
Ling chuckled, finally peeking an eye open at the girl. “He’s quite the animated fellow.”
Sarah took a breath and looked at him. Her expression shifted—cheeky defiance giving way to guilt. “Listen, Ling,” she said quickly, cutting him off before he could ask anything, “I’m really sorry.” She brought her hands up, pairing her meek voice with clean, precise sign language. “Ed and Al leaving isn’t your fault. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have blamed you.”
Ling blinked in surprise, his brows lifting at the dual effort. “I can’t say I hold it against you. You told me to leave you alone and I didn’t heed your warning.” He took a seat on the bed, facing her.
Sarah shook her head. “After all the times you saved me, it’s not fair of me to blame you for a decision you had no control over. You have every right to still be upset with me.”
“If I play the part of the forgiving and genteel Prince, and chalk it up to you just being overwhelmed with loneliness, should that earn me another kiss?” Ling leaned in ever so slightly and smirked. “So long as I’m permitted to go in the same direction as you?”
With a cheeky smile, Sarah slipped her hand into his. “Actually, since we’re facing eachother, if you go in the same direction as me, you’ll be moving further away. For us to meet in the middle you’d technically have to go in the opposite direction of me. I know it’s weird, but thats how perspective changes based on where someone is facing and—”
“Don’t overthink it, you know what I mean.” Ling placed his hand in the back of her neck and pulled her forward, pressing their lips together—this time not in a teasing—mocking way like he had in rush valley, this time the kiss was more similar to the one they shared in Dublith.
Soft, hesitant, and warm. Sarah melted into his arms just as easily as ever, she’d begun to feel as if she belonged right there more than anywhere else in the world. Her bandaged arms slid up his chest, resting around his shoulders. When Ling pulled away, he gazed down at the golden eyed alchemist in his arms, watching how she still kept her eyes trained on his lips, and he reasoned it was because she wanted to make sure she didn’t miss his saying something.
“Also,” Sarah lowered her voice to a whisper. “I have a way to repay you.”
Ling’s eyes opened fully, and he opened his mouth to question her words, but Sarah pulled away. “And what would that be, my Jinmei?”
Sarah tilted her head at the unfamiliar word. “What was the last thing you said?”
He grinned, his hand absentmindedly fiddling with the tip of one of her braids. “I said ‘my Jinmei’. It means my golden beauty.”
At his gentle words, Sarah laughed nervously. “You really are a distraction.” She pulled his hand from her hair and held a single finger to her lips, lowing her voice to a whisper. “I can help you get a philosophers stone.”
Ling raised his eyebrows and slid closer. “I thought you said you never would.”
“I said I’d never help you make one, that’s evil work, and I want no part in it. However to repay the life debt I owe you, I can tell you how you can get one that already exists. One from a homunculus. If and only if we’re really careful about it, and even then there’s no guarantee it’ll even end in our favor.”
The Xingese prince was on the edge of his seat, eyes and ears intently focused on the girl in front of him. If he was infatuated with her before, this solidified his love for her and her amazingly terrifying mind. He allowed the thought to cross his mind of how his search for the stone would be going if he never met this cheeky, clever, and charming girl. Whatever the future had in store for them, he was content with the thought that even if they may not be allowed to be together as husband and wife one day, this little golden alchemist had already altered his views on life. “I’m sure we can discuss that tonight, but tread carefully, Sarah. I’m already in love with you, if I fall any harder I’ll get a concussion.”
Sarah’s breath caught in her throat and her eyes locked onto Ling’s. “What did you say?”
“C’mon, being deaf doesn’t mean you’re dumb, I know you read my lips.”
The golden haired girl blinked a few times in quick succession before shaking her head free of the silly thoughts that plagued her. “It’s not an exact science, I just wanted to be sure I understood you right…can you say it again to be sure?”
“I love you.” Ling said without any preamble this time.
There was a pause as Sarah tried to let his words sink in. “W…What?”
At this, Ling fell into a fit of laughter, which Sarah could only assume was a sweet and lovely sound. “Are your eyes well? Or should I learn to express my feelings through Morse code and tap them onto your hand?”
“I…” Sarah glanced at the door to make sure nobody had opened it, but just to add extra privacy, she silenced herself. She placed her hand on his cheek and urged him to look down at her shaking hands. ‘I love you, too.’ She signed the words completely, making sure he was watching her hands move the entire time.
With a warm smile, Ling nodded in understanding, placing his hand on her cheek once more and brushing his thumb along her cheekbone. “This love, it’s a wonderful feeling, isn’t it?”
“It is.”
“Then let’s always remember that feeling. Even if we’re split up by the desert or the sea, remember that I love you immensely, Sarah Elric.”
“I love you, Ling Yao.” Sarah’s hands responded in tandem with her voice this time.
Ling pulled her in again, but rather than meet her with a kiss, he simply embraced her again. Finding a soft, beautiful joy in the way Sarah’s small frame fit perfectly against his. He adored the way she curled into his touch, releasing a content murmur that she probably didn’t even know she made. He loved how the top of her head settled just under his chin, allowing him to feel her soft breaths on his neck. He rubbed his hand up and down her back, dragging his nails down with a light pressure.
Perhaps Ling should’ve kept the truth of his feelings to himself. Perhaps he should’ve pulled away rather than give in to the addicting feeling of her kiss—or the way her gold eyes gave away exactly what she was feeling at any time, either by glowing with joy, dulling with sadness, or burning with anger.
Perhaps Sarah should’ve heeded Edward’s warning, and avoided the problemsome Prince while she had the chance. She shouldn’t have gotten distracted and attached, and definitely shouldn’t have fallen in love with him.
It’s easy to say these things in hindsight, but with something as simple and beautiful as a first love, how could either of them known to protect their hearts from the nightmare that was to come? To expect that was illogical, despite their worldly and academic knowledge, when it comes to love, Sarah and Ling were both far too inexperienced to prepare themselves well enough to avoid the inevitable pain of heartbreak.
Notes:
Are there any artists reading who take commissions? I’d like to buy a few pieces of art for this series of Sarah, Ed, and Al, as well as one of Sarah and Ling.
Thank you all for reading! I’ll see you in the next chapter! As always let me know what you think in the comments!
Chapter 18: The Price of Wrath
Summary:
Sarah’s eyes widened, her stomach flipped as she felt the anguish of should trapped inside of the man. She’d never felt something like this before—not even from Envy. Her voice trembled as she spoke. “Which…which one of them are you?”
Bradley blinked, already sending her an eerily convincing smile. One that weeks ago, would’ve put her at ease in the man’s presence. “Beg pardon?”
Her breath caught in her throat. “Which homunculus are you?” The words hung heavy in the air.
Ling stiffened. Lanfan’s hand twitched toward her blade. They’d undoubtedly already figured it out, but for Sarah this was hard to swallow. It was personal.
Bradley’s expression didn’t change, but Sarah felt the flicker of something in his chi. A sudden tension.
“You’re not Sloth,” she said quietly. “You’re too fast. Too sharp. Pride, maybe? Or…” Her eyes narrowed as she locked into his eyes again. Even from behind the eyepatch, she could see feel him staring at her. She could feel him seeing her with both eyes. “Wrath?”
Notes:
Enjoy the chapter spam while it lasts, I’m gonna be so busy at the end of the month and through September, so I won’t be able to post much!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"Text" - Normal Speech
'Text' - Sign Language
"Text" - Speech and Sign Language
"Text" - Speech Over Phone
'Text' - Thoughts
The late sun filtered through the windows in soft orange hues, casting a warm glow across the sterile hospital room. The noise from earlier in the day had quieted, replaced by the occasional sound of rolling carts and distant footsteps in the hall.
Sarah sat up slowly, a pillow behind her back and a new bandage on her shoulder. Her IV had been moved to the crook of her elbow, allowing her more movement. She still looked pale and worn down, but more alive than she had that morning.
“You know this amount of worry isn’t healthy for a girl my age,” Winry muttered with a tired grin from her friend’s bedside.
There was a short silence as Sarah blinked her eyes to wake up. Then Winry leaned forward, more serious now. “Sorry.”
“I should be used to this by now.” Winry mumbled. “I called Eastern Command.”
Sarah glanced at her. “And?”
“No one’s seen Ed or Al there yet,” Winry said, frowning. “So I left a message asking them to call me back when they do check in. Mustang even called in on our behalf—figured if they saw a message from him, they’d take it seriously.”
Sarah blinked. “Wait, you got Mustang to call?”
“He felt bad for you,” Winry said vaguely, waving a hand. “Long story, but he agreed. And when those boys do call, I’m going to tear into them for not checking in.”
Sarah chuckled, then groaned softly at the motion. “Well, okay, but…I promise I’ll leave the part about the gun out when I tell them what happened.”
A familiar baritone rumbled from across the room. “That is probably for the best,” said Major Armstrong, poking his head in through the door. “Young Edward’s temper is already a force to be reckoned with. Let’s not test its limits.”
Winry shot him a glance. “You’re not helping.”
Armstrong straightened his posture and kept his arms crossed, his presence like a wall of muscle and concern. “I merely speak from experience.”
Just then, the door cracked again, and Ling poked his head in, his expression unreadable—but his usual grin returned as soon as he saw them all gathered.
“Well, what a cozy little group,” he said as he entered. “Glad you’re awake, Ai.”
Sarah’s eyebrows raised up at the last word he said, but she didn’t address it immediately, deciding to just chalk it up to his odd Xingese mumblings. “Have you thought more about my proposal?” Sarah asked.
“Oh, I did that and then some.” Ling said as he leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “I think I’ve figured out a way to draw both Scar and a homunculus out at the same time.”
Sarah’s brows lifted. “That’s ambitious.”
“Here’s the idea,” Ling said. “We let Scar think he’s chasing Edward—who, conveniently, has been missing in action. You,” he pointed at Sarah, “put on a red coat and braid your hair like Ed’s. He won’t know the difference until it’s too late.”
Sarah blinked. “So, I’m the bait?”
“Not just from Scar,” Ling continued, “but if the homunculi think Edward’s involved too, one of them might surface. They’ve been keeping an eye on you three for some time right? So we bait them both with the same plan.”
Sarah leaned back against her pillows, lips pursed. “It’s possible, but awfully dangerous,”
“You’re not wrong.” Ling peeked an eye open, to look directly at her. “You said you’d help me, but I don’t feel comfortable having you help me go after the stone if Scar is still after you. This way we can kill two birds and go after the philosophers stone.”
“You’re definitely using this phrase wrong, but I know what you mean.” Sarah shook her head fondly. She exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing in thought. Then she turned to Armstrong. “Major…would you help us?”
Armstrong looked visibly torn. He stepped forward, hands pressed firmly to his side. “Sarah,” he began slowly, “it is not in my nature to endorse the use of wounded individuals as bait. However…” he glanced at Ling, then back to Sarah, “I will not allow you to go into this plan without protection. If you are truly committed to this course…then I will stand beside you.”
Sarah nodded, grateful. “Thank you.”
“I do not like it,” Armstrong added sternly. “But I respect your will.”
Ling gave her a look. “So we’re doing this?”
“Not without a real plan,” Sarah said. “Here’s what I’m thinking…” She pushed herself upright more, brushing stray hair behind her ear, and Ling couldn’t help but remember how just a few weeks ago, she’d used her hair to hide her ears and the light pink surgical scars that travelled around her ears and neck. “Major Armstrong,” Sarah continued, “you’ll handle Scar. You’ve gone up against him before. You know how he moves. We’ll need you to keep him from getting in our way too much.” She then turned to Ling again. “Ling—you and Lanfan take the Homunculus that shows up. If all goes well, Scar will be subdued and you’ll have your stone.”
“No.” Winry’s voice was hard and commanding. “Absolutely not. Sarah, this is insane. You’re still healing.”
Sarah looked at her, gaze steady. “I have to go.”
Winry shook her head, fists clenching tightly. “Why?”
“Because Scar keeps coming after Ed, and I’m always in his crosshairs. I’m not going to sit in this bed and wait for someone else to get hurt trying to protect me again. Not Armstrong. Not Ling. Not Alphonse and not Ed.” Her voice cracked just a little, but she didn’t waver. “I don’t want revenge. I just want him to leave us alone.”
Silence fell across the room.
Then Armstrong placed a heavy hand on her shoulder, steady and solemn. “Then we shall end it. Together.”
Sarah let out a slow breath. The plan wasn’t perfect. It was dangerous, reckless—and felt exactly like something Edward would’ve come up with.
——
The sun had dipped low, casting warm amber light across the buildings of Central City. The rooftops were bathed in gold, the sky streaked with pale lavender and the first hints of evening blue. Streetlights flickered on one by one as Sarah Elric stood inside her hospital room, facing the window. It had been a full week since she and Ling devised their plan to lure out Scar and the Homunculi.
Her fingers glowed faintly with blue energy as she transmuted the first piece of her disguise. The coat she made was spot-on: deep crimson, heavy enough to sway dramatically in the wind, with a stylized flamel symbol on the back.
Next, she clapped and knelt, reshaping the knee high boots she wore into the exact short black boots Edward wore. A pair of white gloves were transmuted out of a cotton shirt, fitting snug over her fingers.
Finally, Sarah turned to the mirror, her hands moving through her golden locks, braiding the hair tightly down her back, leaving her bangs loose to frame her face just as Ed’s did. The resemblance was uncanny now—anlost perfect, annd definitely enough to fool most people.
With a flick of her wrist, she pulled the hood of the red coat up and opened the hospital window. Ling’s hand gripped Sarah’s wrist, stopping her from leaving just yet. He turned her to face him, both of his hands moved to take ahold of her cheeks to draw her closer. “You’re ready for this, Ai?”
Sarah nodded softly and raised an eyebrow. “What does that mean?”
“The Amestrian equivalent would be my love.” Ling opened his eyes just then, and Sarah fawned. “But I like the look in your eyes when I speak to you in the language of Xing.”
He very seldomly opened his eyes any other instances, but he almost always looked at her fully, completely. Conversely, Ling was one of five people who she’s allowed to touch her ears like he was doing right now, and it felt like something so special that they shared.
“Lanfan and I will be following behind you with the Major. If all goes according to plan, we’ll both get what we want out of this.” Ling pressed a soft kiss to her lips, resisting the urge to tease her for the deep red color in her cheeks. “Thank you for this, Sarah. Thank you so much.”
——
Sarah strolled through town, boots clicking confidently against the pavement. The late-day crowds moved around her—shoppers, workers heading home, kids still out playing in the fading light. Her red coat swayed behind her, catching eyes with its unmistakable color and symbol. She spotted her first opportunity on a quiet residential street—an elderly man standing on a ladder, trying in vain to fix a broken roof tile. Sarah clapped her hands and touched the brick wall beside her. With a rumble and a blue flash, the tile reseated itself and the entire roof section mended like new.
The old man nearly fell off his ladder in shock. “I—that’s amazing! How can I repay you?”
While keeping her hood pulled up, Sarah lowered her voice three octaves and pointed a confident finger at him. “Not necessary! Just tell everyone it’s a gift from your friendly neighborhood State Alchemist, Edward Elric!”
Then she turned on her heel and walked off.
Down the street at a corner park, a little blonde girl sat crying on a bench, clutching a broken wooden doll. Sarah knelt beside her, took the pieces, and clapped. A pulse of light later, the doll was restored, good as new.
“Here,” she said in her best Ed impression. “One doll, fixed by the Fullmetal Alchemist.”
“Wow!” the girl beamed. “Thank you, mister—uh, ma’am—um…”
“Mister Edward Elric!” Sarah shouted, then ran off dramatically before the girl could ask more.
Outside a grocery shop, a merchant cursed as smoke billowed from the hood of his delivery truck. Sarah stopped beside him and clapped. She touched the metal, and with a sharp flash, the engine realigned itself. “Try it now,” she said—still with an oddly low tone.
The man hesitated, then turned the key and the truck started like new.
“Wow, I don’t even know how to thank you—!”
Sarah spun in a circle dramatically. “You don’t need to! Just remember the name Edward Elric!”
She continued for nearly an hour, walking through crowded intersections, drawing whispers and confused stares. Children pointed, adults muttered.
“Was that Fullmetal?”
“No, he’s supposed to be taller than that.”
“You sure? Looks like him to me…”
Some were too confused to believe what they saw, others too amused to care. But one thing was certain: word was spreading just as it had before.
She’d left a trail of flashy, helpful alchemy across the city—all under one name.
The trap had been set, and she just needed to wait for the prey to take the bait.
From a nearby rooftop, a figure crouched low behind a chimney. Cold eyes narrowed beneath a dark hood as he followed the path of the red coat below. He had heard the name, and followed as closely as he could without being spotted.
Edward Elric.
Scar’s hand clenched tightly at the thought, and he stood to advance forward, unbeknownst to him, a certain duo of Xingese warriors were trailing him.
——
Once Sarah had wondered into a quiet part of town as the streets began to empty, the quiet was shattered by a violent boom that cracked through the air as a column of stone exploded just feet in front of her. Bits of masonry and dust rained down around, the remains of an old stone bath obliterated by the destructive force of Scar’s right hand.
The figure in red barely dodged in time, leaping back as the debris scattered in every direction.
Across the alley stood Scar—eyes cold, breath steady, his hand still crackling faintly from the destructive surge.
“So you finally showed your face? I was starting to think the younger one was lying. Where have you been for a week?” he said flatly.
The red-coated figure didn’t respond. Instead, they turned sharply and took off down the alley at full sprint, boots slapping against the stone.
Scar narrowed his eyes and followed at a determined pace, watching how the coat swayed behind the runner.
The stone bath erupted in a violent shockwave of dust and rubble as Scar’s palm struck the earth, reducing the structure to crumbling debris. The figure in red—hood up, coat billowing—leapt away just in time, boots skidding across damp pavement before they took off down a narrow alley, running until the end of the alley came into focus, then suddenly stopped and spun around.
Scar slowed, raising his hand again.
“Finally,” he growled, eyes alight with fury. “I feel like by now you should understand running doesn’t help either of us.”
The alchemist said nothing. Then, in an instant—a flash of blue light blinded the murderer.
It stumped him momentarily. He recoiled, shielding his eyes, but the light wasn’t meant to damage—it was a distraction.
In that moment of hesitation, the red-coated figure vanished from in front of him—and then slammed into him from the side in a full tackle. Scar stumbled with a grunt, body twisting as they both hit the pavement.
He growled and shoved his attacker off—but paused mid-motion as he caught sight of them.
The figure had already pulled off the red hood to expose the tanned face cupped by golden blonde hair underneath.
Wearing her usual skirt and white top, now dusted from the scuffle, Sarah Elric stood in front of him, grinning like she’d just played the winning move in a game of chess.
“Long time no see,” she said lightly. “Did ya miss me?”
Scar’s expression turned to stone—furious, but briefly stunned.
A second later, a figure landed with expert precision beside Sarah in a low crouch, just behind her.
Ling Yao smirked. “Top notch acting,” he chuckled, standing and brushing dust from his pants. “You’re so much like your brother, you almost had me fooled.”
Sarah winked at him and ran a hand through her bangs. “Two times in a week you mistook me for Ed,” she said, standing again. “You should really sharpen your tracking skills, Scar.”
Scar’s jaw clenched, the tattoo on his arm flexing beneath his sleeve. “Where is the Fullmetal Alchemist?”
Sarah rolled her eyes. “He’s not in Central anymore. I told you that, dummy.”
Before she could say more, her senses prickled. She could feel the heavy footsteps of the Major stomping towards them. Even before the sound reached her ears, the weight of his walk was unmistakable. A thunderous footstep echoed nearby, followed by another, then another—each step shaking the street as Major Armstrong marched forward, nearly splitting cobblestone as he came.
Scar took a defensive stance, but Sarah held up a hand. “Now hold on. I agreed to let the good Major here take care of you,” she said, stepping back slightly. “But before that…I need you to answer my question.”
Scar’s red eyes narrowed. “And what question is that?”
Sarah met his gaze, her tone sharper now—quieter, but cutting through the night like a blade. “Why won’t you leave my brother alone?”
Scar was silent for a long moment. The city noise faded around them.
His brow furrowed, and his voice came out low and rough—almost like a growl. “Because your brother bears the title of a State Alchemist. Because he accepted that position—that name—while the blood of my people was spilled in the sands of Ishval.”
Sarah’s hands clenched at her sides. She didn’t flinch. “He was twelve when the war ended,” she said steadily. “He didn’t even know what Ishval was back then. What’s your real reason?”
Scar’s lips curled. “He chose to serve the military. He chose to wear that symbol and wield powers of destruction. He chose to inherit the sins of the men who came before him.”
“He chose to try and make things right,” she snapped. “And he’s saved more people than you’ve ever stopped to count.”
Scar stepped forward. He would never admit it, but the real reason for his continued pursuit is also because he sees himself in Sarah, and he sees his brother in Edward. With nearly identical personalities, both of them had sewn a terrible fate for their younger siblings to suffer through, and it was a horrible realization.
“So you would defend him, knowing he walks the same path?”
Sarah’s expression didn’t waver. “Yes.”
“So you must be ready to accept the same fate as him.” Scar’s hand twitched—ready to strike but before he could move, the earth cracked again behind him.
A deep, commanding voice boomed from the alley entrance. “As Sarah said, I am your opponent today, Scar!”
Major Armstrong’s silhouette loomed at the edge of the alley, the lamplight catching the edges of his bare skin like glimmering armor. His mustache was as fearsome as ever.
“I will not allow another senseless attack tonight, Scar!” Armstrong thundered. “Not while I still draw breath!”
Sarah took one step back and murmured to herself.
“One trapped so far, let’s hope the others take the bait.”
Ling gave her a nod. “We’re ready.”
From the rooftops above, a glint of metal shimmered as Lanfan moved into position—silent, swift, waiting for the homunculus to arrive.
As Sarah turned to take off, she glanced up at Ling. “Watch my back.” Without waiting for a response, Sarah leaped, using a nearby fire escape to climb up to the roof of a building.
“That’s all I do, Ai.” Ling said warmly, though she wasn’t there to hear it. As quick and silent as a shadow, he followed behind her, but not so close that the homunculi would know she was being tailed.
——
It took the better part of half an hour, wondering through towering smokestacks and half-abandoned warehouses lined the streets like forgotten relics of industry, their windows dark, their alleys winding and deep.
Sarah’s red coat snapped behind her as she sprinted across the rooftops—her hood once again pulled over her head. She’d embraced the “Fullmetal” aesthetic for the second time that day. Her gloves were dusted with chalk and ash, and though she still wore her skirt, it was concealed by the red fabric.
She’d been slinking through the streets when she felt it—two sets of pure rancid chi. One that gave off an unquenchable disdain for humanity, being followed by another unpleasant chi that felt like its owner was going to devour everything in its path. It was an unnatural hunger, a pressure in the air like heavy breath against the back of her neck.
Then a voice echoed from behind a broken loading crane.
“You have a knack for getting into far more trouble than you’re worth.”
As her hearing aides buzzed, Sarah whipped around, allowing her hood to fall down yet again. The figure before her was the same one who accompanied Lust to the fifth laboratory. The one with spiky hair. Just behind him was one with an extremely rotund body, completely bald with terrifyingly hollow eyes.
“So I’ve already met Greed, then Lust of course.” Sarah watched as the face of the spiky haired creature fell into a look of dismay, which was doubly hilarious as she clapped her hands and placed them onto the coat and boots she wore, reverting them back to her own. “The fat one is obviously Gluttony. Come to think of it I never got your name. So there’s four possibilities for who you are, but given that you always have such a bitchy look on your face, I’m gonna go with Envy.”
“Oh, it’s the super pipsqueak.” Envy drawled out with an eye roll.
Sarah’s pulse kicked up, and she transmuted a weapon in one smooth motion.
With a flash of blue light, a pole extended and unfolded into a sleek, curved scythe, the blade gleaming in the moonlight like a silver crescent. She held it low and steady, backing up slowly onto the catwalk of an old water plant.
“Can I eat this one?” Gluttony asked childishly.
“No, Father wants this one alive.” Envy snarled.
Before Sarah could charge at Envy, Ling and Lanfan had dove down and landed in fighting stances. She watched as Ling brought out his two swords and began slashing expertly at Envy. The homunculus dodged and ducked, and used his powers to transform his arm into a large green tendril that deflected attacks.
“Hey Gluttony!” Sarah called out, waving a free hand at the monster. “Who cares what your daddy says? You wanna eat me, don’t you?”
While defending himself against the powerful attacks of Lanfan, Gluttony nodded, almost foaming at the mouth.
“Okay, you two handle Envy!” she said to Ling and Lanfan as she took off by herself. “C’mon Big Stuff, let’s play tag.”
From where Ling was standing, he gave her a hard look, but Sarah ignored it.
“What?!” Envy looked equally horrified at the notion. “Gluttony stop right there, you can’t eat her!”
With a guttural, uncontained squeal, Gluttony lunged for Sarah, despite his size, he was oddly fast. Sarah leapt back, flipping onto a higher platform as his large fists slammed into the catwalk with a screech of deforming metal. She landed hard and swung wide, her scythe whistling through the air in a sharp arc, catching Gluttony’s shoulder and sending him staggering back with a bellow. “Tag, you’re it.”
But he wasn’t down.
Gluttony charged again, hands reaching, jaws open far wider than any normal human mouth should. Sarah met him head-on this time, slashing with her scythe and following up with a solid kick to the side of his bloated face. The force of the blow pushed her back, skidding on the metal grating.
As she glanced back, she saw Envy, Lanfan, and Ling giving chase, trying to catch up with them. Exactly as she’d planned, Envy dove in, shouting and swearing at Gluttony to stop, but the large beast jumped over him and landed right on top of Sarah. The air was rushed from her lungs, and she could hear the cracking of ribs.
Ling leaped behind the beast and brought each sword down once, slicing off the top half of Gluttony’s head, along with his chest. He pushed the monster off Sarah who sat up with a wheeze.
As Gluttony rematerialized, Envy rushed to take control of the beast to make sure he didn’t ‘Eat a Sacrifice’, which was a harrowing statement.
“Are you alright?” He asked while helping her stand.
“Perfectly fine.” Sarah winced lightly.
Envy turned to face her in an exasperated manner as she swing her scythe at him. “Listen kid, we did not come here to fight you, we can’t! We heard Fullmetal was showboating all around town today and came to make sure Scar didn’t come after him again, that’s it!”
Sarah turned to Envy now with a hard look. “So where are the rest of you? Sloth, Wrath, and Pride, if I’m not mistaken, you’re all embodiments of the Seven Sins?”
“Don’t concern yourself with things so far beyond your comprehension.” Envy spat.
Defiantly, she swung her scythe again, this time extending the staff simultaneously as Envy dodged, making it so it slashed his chest deeply. He’d begun to get overwhelmed as Ling jumped in on the action too.
When Sarah looked over, she saw Lanfan giving Gluttony the good business, but even Lanfan had her limits, the consistent regeneration had made it difficult for her to keep up. So Sarah switched opponents, using her small frame to outmaneuver Gluttony at every turn, knowing he was flustered from not being allowed to snack on her.
The battle had dragged on, echoing between the rusting steel skeletons of abandoned buildings and warehouses long reclaimed by dust and shadows.
Sarah swung her scythe hard, the curved blade slicing through the air as she danced back from Gluttony’s relentless swipes. Lanfan moved like a shadow beside her, blades glinting and catching the dim light. But Gluttony wouldn’t stop.
He charged like a beast possessed, drooling and giggling, arms flailing with monstrous strength.
“Why do you keep running?” he howled. “Stop moving so I can eat you!” He lunged again—and this time, his massive fists connected. His meaty hands slammed into Sarah’s chest, knocking the air clean from her lungs. She flew back like a ragdoll, hitting the concrete wall with a sickening crunch that nearly cracked the bricks behind her.
“Sarah!” Lanfan shouted, pivoting to defend her.
Sarah slumped for a second, gasping, the scythe falling from her grip with a clatter. Her limbs trembled as she forced herself up, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. “I’m okay,” she rasped. “New plan…”
Lanfan was beside her instantly, helping her stand. Sarah gritted her teeth and met her eyes.
“Cutting him isn’t working. Maybe we can crush him.” She nodded towards the building beside them.
The bodyguard gave a single nod. Without another word, the two darted toward the warehouse, ducking under a collapsing beam and vanishing inside.
“Come back!” Gluttony bellowed, thundering after them.
Inside the abandoned building, the metal staircases groaned under their weight. The girls led him upward, level after level, dodging debris and Gluttony’s erratic swipes. Sarah’s lungs burned. Her ribs throbbed. But they had to finish this or they’re dead.
On the top floor, Sarah stopped and clapped her hands. Blue lightning erupted beneath her palms. She slammed them into the metal floor—and a massive transmutation circle lit up beneath Gluttony’s feet.
The floor gave way—every level beneath it crumbling in perfect symmetry.
“Hey, Big Stuff,” Sarah growled, stumbling forward, “time to fall.” She kicked him in the chest with every last ounce of her strength—and with a scream of frustration, Gluttony plummeted down the hole, his voice echoing as he fell through level after level, finally vanishing with a wet crash far below.
Sarah dropped to her knees, panting, every muscle screaming in protest, but she forced herself to seal the hole so they didn’t fall through too.
A moment later, Ling appeared from the hall, sheathing his sword as he approached. “You two okay?” he asked, voice tight but concerned.
Sarah leaned on her scythe, blood smearing the corner of her mouth. Her ribs ached from Gluttony’s strike, and her breath came in short, sharp pulls. Lanfan stood nearby, panting but poised. Below them, Gluttony’s body was nothing but a distant splatter of noise and squelch.
Ling nodded, taking a moment to catch his breath. “Here's to hoping he’s not getting up anytime soon,” he muttered. “But Envy slipped away—again.”
“Figures,” Sarah coughed. “That one’s a cockroach.”
But before Ling could reply, everything shifted.
The air became deathly thick. Not with poison or anything of the sort, but with the suffocating chi of a vile homunculus.
Sarah stiffened as new presence approached. It’s footsteps echoed—measured, steady, and deliberate.
All three faced the entrance to the room, watching as a figure stepped out of the shadows from the stairwell. It was a man dressed in crisp military uniform, his long blue overcoat and adornments giving him away instantly. If that wasn't telling enough, he had one eye obscured by an eyepatch, signaling that this was none other than Fuhrer King Bradley.
He looked entirely unharmed. Not a trace of the recent chaos lingered on him—not a scuff, not a drop of sweat, and adjusted his cuffs as if arriving for a formal meeting. “Sarah Elric,” The Fuhrer said smoothly. “What are you doing with these people? This kind of unsavory business is far too dangerous for someone like you.”
Sarah took a shaky step back, staring. “F-Fuhrer Bradley…?”
He walked toward her with a calm, fatherly expression and clapped a hand down on her shoulder. “Come now. You’re not in trouble. I was informed that some troublesome elements were active in this part of the city. When I heard you were involved, I thought it best to intervene personally. I have to say I’m glad I did.”
She didn’t move, she only stared up at him in horror. She searched desperately for another possible source to the chi she was sensing, but no one was around for several blocks.
“I can escort you to safety. These two,” he gestured to Ling and Lanfan without looking at them, “are engaged in matters beyond your station. Come along now.”
When she looked into his eye, all her fears were confirmed. It was subtle—nothing visible, nothing that would startle the average person, but Sarah, was far from average. The chi was unmistakable, it was monstrous and foul, and Sarah immediately understood the implications of this. Sarah’s eyes widened, her stomach flipped as she felt the anguish of souls trapped inside of the man. She’d never felt something like this before—not even from Envy. Her voice trembled as she spoke. “Which…which one of them are you?”
Bradley blinked, already sending her an eerily convincing smile. One that weeks ago, would’ve put her at ease in the man’s presence. “Beg pardon?”
Her breath caught in her throat. “Which homunculus are you?” The words hung heavy in the air.
Ling stiffened. Lanfan’s hand twitched toward her blade. They’d undoubtedly already figured it out just by his chi, but for Sarah this was hard to swallow. This was personal. And she couldn’t accept it at face value without understanding who he really was.
Bradley’s expression didn’t change, but Sarah felt the flicker of something in his chi. A sudden tension.
“You’re not Sloth,” she said quietly. “I’ve seen you fight, You’re too fast and too sharp. Pride, maybe? Or…” Her eyes narrowed as she locked into his eyepatch again. Even from behind the covering, she could feel him staring at her. She could feel him seeing her with both eyes. “Wrath?”
Bradley slowly removed his hand from her shoulder and folded his arms behind his back in a dignified manner. “That’s quite the accusation,” he said, still perfectly composed.
Sarah backed away another step, her voice rising. “Where’s your Ouroboros tattoo? Your chest? Your leg? Your stomach?” When he didn’t respond, she seemed to realize why she could feel him watching her with both eyes despite one being covered. “It’s in your eye, isn’t it. The one you hide with an eyepatch?
Bradley exhaled through his nose like a disappointed father. “I guess I should be impressed that you figured it out on your own. You are quite the intelligent little girl.”
Ling’s voice cut in. “So it’s true, Amestris is run by demons, or homunculi, or whatever you refer to yourself as.”
Bradley sighed his gaze shifted to the prince for a moment before returning to Sarah. “How did you know the truth?” he asked flatly, with no more pretense in his tone.
Sarah met his eyes, breath ragged. “Your chi…it’s horrible. I can feel your philosophers stone. There are hundreds—no, thousands of souls inside of you.”
Bradley’s calm facade cracked just a hair.
“Chi reading, a clever trick,” he murmured, eye drifting to Ling again. “You easterners taught her well.”
Before anyone could think, he struck in a blur of movement. So fast the air seemed to tear around him. His blade flashed and Sarah barely ducked in time. A clean slice took the tip off her braid, and the hairs fluttered to the floor behind her.
Before she could react, he pivoted on his heel, sweeping toward Lanfan.
The Xingese girl screamed as his blade carved across her shoulder, slicing into her flesh. Her mask split in half and clattered to the ground.
“Lanfan!” Sarah shouted, holding her ears through the ringing pain as the scream echoed through her hearing aides.
Ling didn’t hesitate. He darted forward and caught Lanfan just as she stumbled. Blood soaked her sleeve, but she clung to consciousness.
“We’ve gotta get out of here!” she shouted at Ling, turning her scythe in her hands. “Now!”
“Young Lord—leave me,” she rasped. “Please—go!”
“I’m not leaving you behind!” Ling snapped, lifting her over his shoulder, sword drawn in his free hand.
Bradley approached with deliberate steps, as if amused by their resistance. His eye gleamed with predatory focus.
“Foolish. You’re badly outmatched. Leave the bodyguard. You’re better off using the Elric girl as a shield to escape since you know we won’t kill her.”
Ling turned slowly, holding Lanfan against him, face tight with fury. He looked so disgusted and enraged at the mere thought of doing such a thing that Sarah nearly flinched away just from his expression.
“How dare you?!” He barked. “You are no king. A king’s duty is to his people. How could any ruler abandon someone who’s fought by his side for years?”
Bradley’s smile faded.
“You’re not a king,” Ling continued, voice rising. “You’re a butcher wearing a crown. You lead by fear, by deceit, and by the corpses you’ve hidden beneath your feet. That’s not a king.”
There was a cold silence that followed the Xingese boy’s words. Then Bradley’s eye narrowed. “I see,” he said coldly. “So that’s how it is.”
Sarah stepped between them, twirling her scythe to a ready stance. “I won’t let you near them,” she spat, “I don’t care if you’re the Fuhrer. I wont let you hurt them!”
The battle wasn’t over, Sarah realized slowly. She understood now that the real enemy was no longer hiding in the shadows. He stood before them, wearing a uniform that she once thought represented a vow protect their nation, and wearing a soft, almost amused smile.
——
The glint of the Fuhrer’s blade was like lightning—impossibly fast, and impossibly precise.
Sarah barely parried it with the shaft of her scythe. The force behind the strike nearly knocked her weapon from her hands. Before she could recover, another slash came from the left. Then the right. Then diagonally, upward, downward—like he was dancing around her, carving out blood with every motion, but he was being careful not to kill her.
Ling had been unable to leave Sarah to fight alone so jumped into the fray. He was keeping up only by instinct, forced to defend and maneuver with Lanfan still clinging to him weakly, her breaths shallow, her blood soaking his coat.
Sarah’s breath was ragged, and she had fallen into a kneeling position on one knee. Understanding slowly dawned onto her that this fight was not one that she and Ling could win.
Bradley’s voice rang out like a calm executioner’s bell. “I told you. You’re outmatched.” Then he reached up, slowly, and removed his eyepatch.
As she theorized, his Orouborus tattoo was on his eye. Instead of a pupil, the red marking sat in the center of his eye. It was terrifying and haunting. His eyes stared directly into Sarah’s. Both his human eye, and his Eye of Wrath.
“I see everything,” he said softly. “Every twitch, every breath. The two of them are already dead—you just haven’t noticed.”
Sarah’s stomach dropped. Her muscles moved, but her mind was screaming. She needed a plan. Her eyes darted to Lanfan—barely conscious against Ling’s shoulder, and her utility belt still had a few pouches left.
She acted fast, pulling Lanfan from Ling and propping the girl up against the wall. While Bradley’s blade clanged against Ling’s, Sarah snatched a flashbang from Lanfan’s belt. Though she regretted letting Ling fight alone, Sarah knew he understood. He kept Bradley busy, keeping him at a good distance away from the girls while Sarah worked on her plan.
The Fuhrer turned toward her just as Sarah clapped her hands and slammed them against the wall. A brilliant array of alchemic lines bloomed along the side of the building. The outer wall of the warehouse twisted, stone groaning and bending as it transformed into a slick, steep slide spiraling down to the street below.
In an instant, the prince followed Sarah’s plan wordlessly. Ling hoisted Lanfan fully over his shoulder and backed toward the slide.
Sarah reached again to the ground, transmuting the cement beneath Bradley’s feet into fine dust, kicking it up into the air in a thick cloud.
She pulled the pin on the flashbang and tossed it at the feet of her nation’s leader.
Just before the flash went off, Sarah jumped down the slide and began undoing the transmutation so that wall returned to normal as she went.
Light detonated across the rooftop like a miniature sun, and the dust caught it, intensifying the brilliance. Bradley growled, covering his eyes—but it was too late.
The world spun as Sarah and Ling slid down the curved stone ramp, racing through the barren streets below and into a maze of alleyways.
——
They finally stopped in a dingy alleyway, panting heavily. The sound of pursuit had vanished for now.
Ling gently knelt, lowering Lanfan to the ground. Sarah immediately ripped the front of Lanfan’s shirt so she could see the injury.
The moment Sarah laid eyes on it—she stiffened.
Lanfan saw the younger girl’s face before she could hide her horror. “How is it.”
“Bad.” Sarah said honestly. “I can’t heal it, but I can seal the wound until we can get you to a doctor.”
She clapped her hands and pressed them to Lanfan’s shoulder. White-blue light erupted, and Lanfan gasped as the skin closed over the remaining muscle in a taut seal. It wouldn’t stop the pain—but it would stop the bleeding.
Sarah’s hands trembled as she finished, but she placed one of them on Lanfan’s forehead to feel for her temperature. “We need to keep moving. He’ll—”
“Sarah,” Lanfan interrupted, grabbing the girls wrist with her remaining hand. “You have to convince him. Leave me. Please, I’ll only slow you down.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Sarah growled, brushing stray hairs from Lanfan’s face. “I won’t leave anyone behind. Ever.”
She stood up and ran a few paces ahead to scout the street. “I’ll check the next alley—be right back.”
The moment she turned the corner and vanished from sight, Lanfan spoke again. “Forgive me, Young Lord…” Before Ling could react—before he could grab her hand—Lanfan reached for a kunai. With a sharp, wet grunt of pain, she plunged it into her shoulder, severing what remained of her arm in a single, brutal motion.
“No!” Ling lurched forward, but too late.
She clutched the stub with her good hand and gasped, forcing the pain down with a soldier’s discipline.
“Please…” she rasped, handing him the bloody, detached limb as her vision blurred. “Use your waist ties. Tie it to that stray dog behind you…send it running.”
A mangy alley dog stood nearby, looking startled but motionless.
Ling moved in a blur, wrapping the severed arm quickly and tying it to the dog’s back. He pointed down a street and shouted. “Go!”
The dog bolted—darting away into the opposite direction from where Sarah had gone. The trap was set.
Moments later, Sarah returned—then stopped cold at the sight. Her face drained of color. Blood. Torn cloth. Lanfan sagging in Ling’s arms.
Sarah dropped her scythe and ran to the duo. “What did you do?”
“She cut it off,” Ling whispered. “She saved us.”
Sarah’s hands were shaking, but she didn’t waste time. She dropped to her knees beside Lanfan and pressed her palms together, sealing the larger, ragged wound as best she could. The smell of iron clung to everything.
Once the wound was closed, she helped brace Lanfan across Ling’s back again.
“Let’s go,” Sarah whispered, gripping her scythe tightly.
——
“Relax,” Sarah said softly, glancing over her shoulder at the older girl cradled against Ling’s back. “We’ll get out of this alive.” Her voice was calm, despite everything. Despite the blood soaking Lanfan’s clothes. Despite the stone-cold realization that the Fuhrer of Amestris—Wrath himself was hunting them. Sarah’s composure was the only thing keeping the moment from unraveling. “Ling,” she continued, a note of command slipping into her tone, “I have a plan. Follow me.”
Ling gave a quiet nod, his grip firm on Lanfan’s leg and waist to keep her steady as they moved.
Sarah led them through the shadows of twisted alleys, over broken fences, and past the remnants of ruined buildings. At last, the path opened up to a moonlit dock. The river stretched beyond it, dark and rippling under the night sky. Half a dozen small fishing boats were tied to the posts, bobbing gently in the current. Mercifully, the dock was empty.
Sarah glanced around to make sure they were alone.
Then she pulled off her tattered black cloak.
“Here—hold still,” she said, stepping toward Ling. Her fingers worked quickly, transmuting the fabric into a harness of sorts. The cloak transformed, stiffening at the seams, then unfolding to form two long, reinforced straps that she looped under Lanfan’s arms and buckled around Ling’s chest. “There,” she said, adjusting Lanfan so her cheek rested gently on Ling’s shoulder. “That should keep her in place.”
Ling looked down at the new setup and nodded once. “Smart thinking.”
“Follow me,” Sarah said again, voice a touch lower now. “In case gluttony didn’t die, er’ll need to hide our scent. Gluttony’s sense of smell is good. If he’s still out there—or if Wrath is still after us—the river will mask our smell and throw them off once they inevitably realize the blood theyre tracking is coming from a dog dragging Lanfan’s arm.”
With that, she reached into a hidden seam in her skirt and pulled out a small, metal box. She cracked it open, gently pulled her hearing aides free, and placed them inside. Her world dulled instantly. The distant hum of insects, the lapping water, the city noise—gone.
Once the lid clicked shut and the box was back in her pocket, Sarah stepped to the edge of the dock, and she dove.
Ling blinked in surprise. Her entry was clean, but once in the water, Sarah flailed slightly, struggling to keep herself above the surface. It wasn’t graceful. It wasn’t the work of someone who swam often. She slapped a palm against the river wall to her left, anchoring herself, and started moving along it with slow, awkward strokes.
Without hesitation, Ling jumped in after her.
The water was colder than expected, but it felt strangely good against his bruised limbs. He held Lanfan high on his back, keeping her head above water while he kicked to stay close to Sarah. His dark eyes stayed fixed on her form—trembling arms, uneven strokes, the strain in her neck. She was trying to hide it, but she was clearly struggling.
She was exhausted.
Still, she pressed forward, clinging to the side of the canal for guidance. Inch by inch, she led them through the quiet dark.
Then, suddenly, she stopped. Her shoulders hunched forward. One hand flew to her mouth as her body shook. A coughing fit overtook her. Violent and raspy.
“Are you alright?” Ling called out quietly, but alarm was evident in his voice.
She did her best to nod but he could see how her bangs stuck to her forehead—slick with sweat and river water. Her lips were pale.
“I’m sorry,” she wheezed, voice thick from coughing, “I can keep going. We can’t afford to stop.”
She tried to move forward again, but Ling reached out and tapped her cheek gently—just enough to make her look at him.
She stilled, her wide eyes met his, unfocused at first, but gradually sharpening.
“Do you even know where we’re going?” he asked, voice low but serious.
Sarah nodded, once. “We can’t go to the hospital. That’ll be the first place they check.”
“Then where?”
“I know a doctor,” she said quietly. “Not one of the big names. Someone Mustang introduced me to. He’s military, but he’s loyal to the Colonel.”
Ling narrowed his eyes. “Where will he be?”
“I need to get his address from someone,” she admitted. “But it won’t take long.”
“Who?” he pressed, scanning the darkened riverbank ahead of them.
“Lieutenant Hawkeye. One of Mustang’s team members. I trust her—don’t worry.”
Ling let out a slow breath. “You’re sure?”
Sarah nodded again. Her lips were still trembling slightly, and her fingers had gone pale from clinging to the edge of the wall, but her eyes were focused now. “I’m sure,” she said.
They floated in silence for a moment, the current gently pulling them along as the city loomed dark and silent around them.
Then Sarah turned forward again, clutching the wall as she continued on, leading them into the deeper shadows of the city’s watery underbelly, despite the chaos they left behind—despite the weight of Lanfan on his back and the blood and water soaking his clothes—Ling followed, because as broken and exhausted as he was, Sarah Elric had a plan, and there were few people he could trust in the same way as his darling Jinmei.
Notes:
I’m absolutely
I love writing all these Sayling moments! They’re so cute together!
Chapter 19: The Price of Allegiance
Summary:
“Eww, no! My ports—remember the implants behind my ears?”
Realization flashed over Ling’s face and he chuckled.
When Sarah nodded, the prince’s expression softened, and he smiled faintly, leaning back on the cushions. “As I’ve said before, Ai. Every part of you is beautiful.” Ling raised his hand to brush a finger tenderly around the implants “You can rest now, I’ll keep watch and let you know when the doctor arrives.”
Much to Ling’s surprise, Sarah, nodded, scooted closer to him, and laid down with her head squarely in his lap. “Goodnight, Ling.”
“Goodnight, Sarah.”
Chapter Text
"Text" - Normal Speech
'Text' - Sign Language
"Text" - Speech and Sign Language
"Text" - Speech Over Phone
'Text' - Thoughts
Sarah spent the better part of an hour leading Ling through the water until the buildings overhead became familiar. The chill from the water had sunk into Sarah’s bones, but she convinced herself to go forward. Ling wouldn’t be able to carry them both while he himself was injured, so she had no choice. The trio had swum until she spotted a rusted ladder built into the canal wall. Without a word, she hauled herself up, arms shaking from exhaustion. Ling followed with Lanfan still strapped to his back, and the unconscious girl moaned softly as they emerged onto dry stone.
Sarah didn’t waste a second. She clapped her hands together and pressed one on Ling’s shoulder, the other on Lanfan’s. A faint shimmer of alchemic light rippled outward, leaving their soaked clothes dry instantly.
“Better?” she asked breathlessly, glancing toward Ling.
He gave her a grateful nod, though she could tell from his eyes he was still watching her closely. He was probably wondering how she was still standing, but she’s thankful he didn’t ask, because she didn’t have an answer. She repeated the transmutation on herself, but in her rush, she’d completely forgotten to dry her hair.
“Come on,” Sarah stood, helping the boy to his feet before she started off, heading east to get closer to the center of the neighborhood.
They slipped into Central’s quiet streets like ghosts, weaving through alleys and using the shadows for cover. The streets were mostly empty—only the occasional officer or worker getting a head start on the day—but they avoided every patrol with swift ease. Partly because they could easily report their sightings back to the Fuhrer, and also partly because Ling was still a fugitive, and that would bring issues they couldn’t deal with today.
Sarah was not very familiar with this part of the city, but she’d spent hours staring at maps of Central and learning the addresses of people she may need to go to in case of an emergency like they were in now.
By the time the sky had begun to pale with the first hints of morning, they stood in the alley beside an old three-story building with ivy creeping up its bricks and a large, curtained window just above shoulder height. She gripped the ledge of the window and hauled herself up easily. She used a quick flash of alchemy to open the lock on the window, and pushed it upwards.
“Hey, whose house are we breaking into right now?” Ling asked in a nervous whisper, but Sarah didn’t even turn. He threw his head back in annoyance, only now remembering that she took out her hearing aides and never put them back in, so unfortunately he just had to follow her lead in this crime.
Sarah, nimble as a mouse, slipped inside through the window, then reached out to help Ling pass Lanfan through. She set the older girl on the floor before while Ling climbed in after them. “Lay her on the couch,” Sarah murmured as she shut the window.
Ling gently lowered Lanfan onto the cushions, removing the transmuted harness so she could lie on her side more comfortably.
Without wasting time, Sarah clapped her hands and touched the window with both palms. Alchemic light sparked around the frame as she fused the latch and hinges into the wall, rendering it useless. She did the same with the door across the room, sealing them safely in.
Only then did she allow herself to exhale a long, shaky breath. “Holy shit…” her voice was so quiet that it hardly traveled the small room.
A sharp click echoed from behind the hallway, drawing Ling’s attention toward it. He pulled an oblivious Sarah behind him just as a woman stepped into view, her long blond hair tousled from sleep, but her eyes were razor-sharp, almost as if she hadn’t been sleeping at all. She wore a tank top and loose bottoms, and held her sidearm pointed directly at them with both hands.
“Don’t move,” she said, calm and cold. “Who’s there?”
Sarah quickly raised both hands, realizing that in the dark shadows of the living room, the woman couldn’t see them. It was only because of her eyes being sharper than the average person that Sarah was able to recognize the woman in the pitch black. If she wasn’t deaf, she probably wouldn’t have seen her. “Lieutenant! It’s me—Sarah!”
Riza blinked, but kept her weapon raised, she slowly walked to the light switch and flicked it on. She saw Ling and Sarah first, ragged, with messy hair and blood spattered clothing, panting heavily, then noticed Lanfan crumpled on her couch.
Her expression changed instantly and the gun lowered.
“Sarah…” The Lieutenant’s voice lost its edge, immediately, and she moved closer to inspect the girl on the couch. “What in the hell happened to you three?”
Sarah stepped closer, voice low and urgent. “I can’t say so openly. We might be overheard.” She swallowed, then met Riza’s gaze. “Do you remember the doctor who helped Colonel Mustang with his…problem…two weeks ago?”
There was a beat of silence. Then Hawkeye’s brows lifted with realization. “Yes, you mean Dr. Knox?”
Sarah nodded. “Does he happen to make house calls? Preferably off the record.”
“Yes.” Riza was already moving toward the phone, voice professional and focused. “I’ll get him here immediately.”
Ling stepped forward and gave a respectful bow. “Thank you, Lieutenant Hawkeye. We owe you—immensely.”
But Riza turned and looked him square in the eye, almost surprised by his formality. “No. We owe you and Lanfan. You two saved three military officers, as well as Sarah and Alphonse in the Third Laboratory. I won’t easily forget that.”
Ling said nothing, but the words clearly meant more to him than he showed.
“Please,” Sarah said suddenly. “Can you call Winry too? It’s too dangerous for her to stay at that hotel, and she can help the doctor in treating Lanfan. Is there somebody that you trust who could look after her?”
Hawkeye hesitated for only a moment before nodding. She stepped closer and gently laid a hand on Sarah’s shoulder in a firm, steady, reassuring way. It was so comforting and motherly despite simply being a single point of contact. “I’ll have Breda take care of it.”
“Thank you,” Sarah whispered, her voice cracking slightly from fatigue.
“For now,” Riza said, turning to the phone and dialing with swift, sure fingers, “I’ll make some calls, relax for now, both of you.”
——
After Lieutenant Hawkeye hung up on the last phone call, she tapped on Sarah’s shoulder while the younger blonde stood in the doorway.
Sarah followed without protest, though she paused briefly to glance back at Ling, who was seated across from Lanfan with a pensive look on his face.
Only once they were in the hallway, out of direct view, did Riza stop walking. “Alright,” the Lieutenant said firmly, her tone low. “Now it’s time you tell me the truth. How did Lanfan lose her arm? And why do you and Ling both look like you were dragged behind a train?”
Sarah hesitated. Then, with a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure no one was watching, she raised her hands. She held both palms above her head, fingers spread out in the shape of a crown.
Then she dropped her right hand, forming it into four fingers and pressed it over her right eye like an eyepatch, then she replaced the hand back onto the crown.
The silent message hit Riza like a bullet. Her brows furrowed at first, processing. Then her eyes widened in slow, stunned horror. “Are you trying to tell me that Fuhrer Bradley did this?” she whispered, but Sarah grabbed ahold of the woman’s arm tightly in a panic.
Sarah stared up at Riza and held a single finger to her lips to silence the woman.
The Lieutenant stared back, struggling to form words. After a long pause, she lifted one trembling hand and made the sign for lie, but Sarah took it as a question rather than a dismissal.
Sarah raised her hands once again to sign very slow, deliberate words. ‘Not a lie. King Bradley is a Homunculus.’ Her wide, fearful eyes told Riza that her words were the absolute truth, spelling the last word with her fingers. ‘King Bradley is Wrath.’
Riza’s face shifted, grief and fury threading through the tight set of her jaw. She didn’t question it again. “Okay…” The Lieutenant blew a breath from her nose.
Sarah nodded, but she was sagging forward now, her strength sapped.
“While I hold down the fort out here,” Riza said, pushing a finger at the girl’s chest. “Go shower, let me handle this for now.” Sarah tried to protest with a look, but Riza raised a hand to silence her. “No arguments, that’s an order.”
Sarah nodded, almost eager at the prospect of a shower right now, and stepped into the bathroom, but Hawkeye’s hands tapping her arm stopped her.
“Wait…” The woman was making a confused yet, thoughtful face. “How did you know where I lived?”
There was a brief flash of embarrassment on Sarah’s face as she rubbed the back of her neck. “Well you see, I make it a point to know where certain people live, like you and the Colonel. So I have somewhere to go if I’m in trouble. I looked your address up when you lived in East City. When your squad was transferred to central, I figured it’s better to keep myself up to date.”
“You know, if you weren’t on our side, I’d be really scared of you.” Riza chuckled with a nervous grin.
——
Sarah used the small bathroom to shower and change. The hot water stung every scrape and made every bruise ache, but it helped. Her legs trembled as she stood under the spray, and she had to brace herself against the tile once or twice when the fatigue made her knees wobble.
Once she was finished, she clapped her hands and transmuted her wrinkled, blood-spattered skirt and shirt into clean, undamaged versions of themselves.
The night was heavy with the kind of silence that follows chaos. It clung to the walls of the Lieutenant’s apartment and pressed down on her. It’s a silence that’s different than the one that comes from her deafness. It’s a type of quiet that came from deep rooted sorrow and regret.
Sarah sat on the small couch just across from the larger one where Lanfan rested, her wound freshly bandaged, and an ice bag resting on her feverish head.
She had initially signed on for a quick shower. Admittedly the hot water had helped with the soreness in her limbs, but it did nothing for the weight still pressing on her shoulders. Her clothes were repaired with simple transmutation, and she dressed herself swiftly. She should’ve asked Winry to bring her some clothes from the hotel to sleep in when she arrived with the doctor, but her mind had been otherwise occupied.
Sarah was laid on the stiff arm, leaning her head back, in her hand was a borrowed brush—one of Riza’s, clean but well-used, with worn bristles and the smell of perfume clinging faintly to it. Sarah dragged it carefully through her damp hair, starting from the ends like she was supposed to, but the act of brushing her hair while her ports were still sensitive from her entanglement with Scar was less than appealing. As careful as she tried to be, a snag was inevitable. She worked through the locks with the brush, and hissed in pain after only a few moments.
She whimpered, halting all movement once she felt several hairs pop free from their place in her head. A soft huff fell from her lips, and she took a deep breath to will away the pain. This would no doubt bring on a migraine by the time she was halfway through. Her implants throbbed under the damp strands of hair that clung to them. The base of each implant—metal and nerve joined in ways only an auto mail mechanic or a surgeon could explain. Every time the brush caught a knot or she tugged too hard, it felt like someone was jabbing a hot wire directly into her skull.
Another catch in the brush forced her to drop the brush into her lap, she squeezed her eyes shut and leaned forward, cradling her forehead in one hand, trying to rub away the ache that was building behind her temples. It wasn’t always so hard to do her hair, but the injuries she’d suffered recently were catching up to her. Fatigue was building, combining with the pain to exacerbate the discomfort she was feeling.
She felt Ling approaching—not from his footsteps, but from the warm and familiar aura of his chi.
The girl quickly wiped at her face, not even realizing tears had pricked at her eyes until she did. She looked up to see the Xingese prince, freshly showered and dressed in the very same clothes she’d repaired earlier. His long black hair had been hastily tied back, still damp and clinging slightly to his neck. His face was less animated than usual, but his eyes—those quicksilver, intelligent eyes—were locked on her with immediate concern.
“You’re sitting guard?” he asked softly, stepping into the living room.
Sarah nodded, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. “Yeah…I didn’t want her to wake up alone.”
Ling glanced at this trusted guard who laid on the longer couch, a shadow passing over his face. Then, without another word, he stepped closer, crouching in front of too where Sarah sat.
He tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing at the brush in her lap, then up at her tangled hair and the wet shine around her hearing aides. “You’re in pain, Ai?”
Sarah looked away, embarrassed. “I’m fine.”
“No,” His left hand unsurely moved to sign the words. “You are not.” He signed the foreign words slowly.
Maybe any other day she would’ve continued their little back and forth, but today she just didn’t have it in her. So when Ling gently took the brush from her lap, she allowed it, begging her brain to ignore the way his fingers brushed against her leg ever so gently. “May I?”
Sarah blinked. “It’s aright, I can do it myself. I don’t think I want you to touch them.”
“I’m sure you can do it yourself, but I want to help you.” He nodded once, already working his hands through her hair before she could finish her protests. “You don’t have to be nervous, Ai, just relax.”
She let out a long breath, turning so her back was pressed against the armrest, and laid her head back. “Okay, just be careful around the backs of my ears. They’re still sensitive.”
Ling nodded and moved to stand behind her, hands working tenderly to part her hair down the middle. The first pass of the brush was incredibly slow. Ling was cautious, as though memorizing the weight of each strand. He held her hair close to the ends and brushed downward in small, careful strokes, making sure there was no pull at the roots. The quiet rhythm was almost soothing.
“You’re good at this,” Sarah muttered after a few minutes, tilting her head up slightly to face him.
Ling chuckled softly. “Did you forget I have long hair too?”
“Oh yeah, I completely forgot.” The girl reached back with one hand and took ahold of a tuff of his starkly long black hair that reached nearly to his waist. “No wonder your hair is so soft for a boys.”
“I’ll pretend that wasn’t an insult,” he said with mock offense, but the humor in his voice was unnoticeable to her. Though she couldn’t hear his tone of voice, she could see it written on his face—despite it being upside down to her.
Sarah let herself relax, her shoulders dropping little by little. The pain wasn’t gone, but with Ling’s careful hands and steady pace, it was manageable. Her eyelids drooped a little as the rhythmic brushing lulled her toward sleep. She wasn’t asleep—far from it—but for the first time since the mission had gone awry, she wasn’t tense.
Behind her, Ling was quiet again, but the weight of what he felt hung in the air. Guilt. Overwhelming, all consuming guilt.
By the time she opened her mouth to bring it up, Ling set the brush down on the coffee table and gently smoothed the back of her hair with his hand. “There. All done, Jinmei.”
She blinked, running her fingers through the now-silky, knot-free strands. “Thank you Ling, that feels so much better.”
“Why were you so nervous? It’s just hair.”
“Besides my mom, Winry, Ed and Al, no one’s ever done my hair. Or touched my…you know…my ports.”
“Your what now?” Ling’s eyebrows pinched together, trying to recall exactly what part of the girl he’d come into contact with and if it warranted such a reaction. “Please tell me that’s not what Amestrian women call their lady parts. If so, I’ll have you know I haven’t gone anywhere near yours.”
“Eww, no! My ports—remember? The implants behind my ears?”
Realization flashed over Ling’s face and he chuckled.
When Sarah nodded, the prince’s expression softened, and he smiled faintly, leaning back on the cushions. “As I’ve said before, Ai. Every part of you is beautiful.” Ling raised his hand to brush a finger tenderly around the implants. “You can rest now, I’ll keep watch and let you know when the doctor arrives.”
Much to Ling’s surprise, Sarah nodded, scooted closer to him, and laid down with her head squarely in his lap. “Goodnight, Ling.”
“Goodnight, Sarah.”
Chapter 20: The Price of Love
Summary:
“He does love you, Sarah, deeply.” Lanfan’s voice softened, though it carried the weight of truth. “But this is where the two of you differ. The Young Lord is not strong enough to let his love for you take precedence over his love for Xing. If it comes down to you or the Philosophers Stone, he will choose the stone.”
The words landed like a blade slipping past armor, sharp but not unkind.
“I don’t say this to hurt you, please understand,” Lanfan whispered desperately, her hand trembling slightly but she refused to let go of Sarah’s wrist. “I say this as your friend. Deep down…you know I am right.”
Notes:
Had to make some minor edits to chapters 18-19 to tighten up some continuity issues (like me forgetting that Dr. Knox is technically a military Doctor—) and also some spelling and grammatical mistakes that I missed in the initial edits.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"Text" - Normal Speech
'Text' - Sign Language
"Text" - Speech and Sign Language
"Text" - Speech Over Phone
'Text' - Thoughts
The kitchen of Dr. Knox’s house was dimly lit, the scent of old tobacco and disinfectant clinging to the walls. Sarah sat at the small wooden table, phone cord wrapped anxiously around her fingers. Beside her, Lieutenant Hawkeye stood tall, calm, her presence steady like a shield. Winry lingered in the corner, arms crossed, worry etched across her face.
“This is First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye calling on behalf of Colonel Roy Mustang, patch me through to the Elric brothers immediately,” Riza’s voice was clipped and firm. She leaned closer to the receiver, her military credentials carrying weight on the line. After a tense pause and a shuffle of transfers, followed by the Lieutenant answering some security questions, static gave way to a familiar voice.
“What is it, Lieutenant?” Edward’s voice crackled through, sharper than usual.
“Firstly,” Hawkeye said stiffly. Her tone hardened, cutting into him like a knife. “Your sister needs to speak with you—and before you hang up and tell her to go back home to Resembool, I want you and Al both to know that running off like you did was extremely reckless and irresponsible!”
The line went quiet. Even over the phone, Sarah could imagine Ed flinching at the steel in the Lieutenant’s words. But before he could speak, Sarah reached out, pulling the phone closer, her voice trembling with urgency.
“Ed?”
There was a beat of relief in his reply, which quickly shifted to frustration. “Sarah? What are you still doing in Central? I told you to—!”
“I don’t care what you told me!” she hissed, cutting him off before his anger could build. Her voice was sharp, but hushed—mindful of Lanfan, who lay resting in the next room. “I can’t leave Central while our auntie is so sick!”
Winry and Hawkeye exchanged startled looks. Auntie? Neither of them had ever heard of the Elrics having an aunt.
“What are—?” Edward started but Sarah pressed on, the lie smooth but her urgency real.
“She’s getting worse, Ed. The Colonel offered to move her to his cabin out of town so she can recover in peace. You and Al need to come back to see her!”
On the other end of the line, Edward stammered, half disbelief, half outrage, but Sarah didn’t give him the chance to argue. With a decisive slam of the receiver, she ended the call before he could blow the lid of the lie.
The room was silent for a moment, broken only by the faint ticking of the clock on Knox’s wall.
“What the hell was that?” Riza muttered, brows drawn together.
Sarah exhaled sharply, leaning back in her chair. “I can’t just say everything over the phone. Dr. Knox is a military doctor—his phones could be tapped for all we know. If Ed heard me say our ‘aunt’ is sick, he’ll understand it’s a coded SOS. He’ll know something’s wrong and come back.”
Ling, seated lazily on the couch with his arms folded, tilted his head. “So your aunt is healthy?”
“We don’t have an aunt,” Sarah clarified with a faint smirk. “It’s just code. Someone is sick—Lanfan—and we need Ed and Al here if we’re going to move forward.”
Ling nodded slowly, his dark eyes thoughtful. He raised one hand, sketching out a few signs alongside his words. “So, Ai, what is our plan?”
Sarah straightened, her voice steady as she laid it out. “Winry, once Lanfan is stable, she needs to be escorted back to Rush Valley to recover properly. Mustang’s people can guard her. Lieutenant Hawkeye, Colonel Mustang, Major Armstrong, Ling, and I, we’ll work on catching a homunculus. Scar’s backed off, for now. That gives us a window—a couple days tops, we focus on capturing Gluttony alive. Once Ling gets his stone, I want answers. By the time Ed and Al return, Gluttony will be in our custody, and we’ll have a lead to chase the rest of them. From the bottom, all the way to the very top.”
Mustang’s voice broke in from the corner, where he leaned against the counter, arms crossed, his dark eyes glinting in the half-light. “Understand what you’re suggesting here, Elric. No one outside this room knows the truth—not yet. Aside from my team. Are you saying we move against the leader of our nation?”
“Yes,” Sarah said simply with no hesitation in her voice.
The room stilled. Even Knox looked up from the sink, his hands frozen mid-scrub.
“And you’re aware,” Mustang pressed, his tone dropping to a dangerous calm, “that if we fail, we don’t just lose. We all die.”
Sarah’s eyes met his, unwavering. “Colonel, I don’t intend to die, and I’m sure you don’t either, we can’t just sit still. We have to do something, don’t we?”
For a moment, silence stretched. Then Mustang’s lips curled into a smirk, faint but genuine, a flicker of pride softening the shadows in his face. “That’s the right attitude. You may not die, but don’t think you’ll walk away unscathed. None of us will.”
“I’m prepared to lose it all for what’s right.” Sarah returned his smirk back at him. “And when this is all done, I hope you’ll take advantage of this little coup d’état and do what’s right for Amestris. Fuhrer Mustang has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”
Mustang averted his eyes pushed off from the counter, though his smirk still remained in place. “That it does.” He made a waving motion with his hand and Lieutenant Hawkeye was at his side in an instant. “Let’s go.”
Riza followed at once, but Mustang’s voice carried back over his shoulder. “Breda and Fuery can escort your mechanic and Lanfan to Rush Valley.” He glanced at Sarah, and for the first time she felt the full weight of his approval and expectation. “The rest of us will move forward. We hunt the fat one tonight.”
——
The phoneline had gone dead with a hard click, leaving only static buzzing faintly in Edward’s ear. He stared at the receiver for a long moment before slamming it back onto the cradle with a scowl. “What the hell was that?” he muttered.
Across the hotel room, Alphonse straightened. His armored shoulders shifted, the faint scrape of steel filling the silence. “Brother…We need to go back Sarah sounded really scared.”
“Scared?” Ed barked, pacing near the bed. “She said our aunt was sick! We don’t even have an aunt! You heard her—she’s just making excuses not to go back to Resembool like she’s supposed to!”
Al hesitated. “Maybe…maybe it wasn’t an excuse. Maybe it was her trying to tell us she’s in danger.”
Ed stopped pacing, whirling to face him. “Like a code? What, you think she’s a spy now?”
“I think she sounded desperate.” Al’s voice, calm as ever, carried an undercurrent of steel. “She knows we’d see through a lie like that. She’s clearly trying to get us back to central and something is keeping her from telling us the truth on the phone.”
Edward faltered, caught off guard by his brother’s quiet conviction. He shoved his hands into his pants pockets, scowling at the floor. “Damnit I told her to leave.” Ed grumbled, turning his glare to the phone again. The last place she should be is in the middle of central alone.”
“The last place we should be is anywhere else,” Al countered. His voice rose with uncharacteristic sharpness. “Were the ones who left her alone, Brother, she needs us! She wouldn’t have called if she didn’t. If we ignore this, and something happens to her—”
Ed froze. The memory of Sarah’s trembling voice on the phone clawed at him.
‘She’s getting worse Ed…You and Al need to come back…’
He shook his head, jaw tightening as he replayed the words over and over again, the soft fear in her voice is what stuck out to him each time.
“Brother,” Al said firmly. “You know we have to go back.”
For once, Ed didn’t have a retort. His fists clenched at his sides, the fight draining into reluctant resignation. “We’ll head out in the first train out tomorrow morning.”
Al’s voice matched his in solemnity, and he let out a soft, relieved sigh. “Thank you, Brother.”
——
Back at Dr. Knox’s house, preparations were already underway. Mustang stood over the kitchen table, a map of Central sprawled out before him, marked with circles and scrawled notes. Hawkeye and Armstrong flanked him, listening intently.
Sarah hovered close, arms crossed, her eyes scanning every line of the plan. “Gluttony won’t expect a coordinated ambush,” she said. “Essentially he’s a half wit. It’ll be easy to overwhelm him like last time.”
“Fuery and Breda will escort your mechanic and Lanfan,” Mustang reminded, glancing toward Winry. “That frees the rest of us to focus entirely on the mission.”
Sarah nodded. She felt the weight of her own words settling in her chest. A real coup. A fight against the very top of the nation. The thought bounced around in her mind in a way that terrified her. As calm as she acted in front of their little team. She knew Mustang was right. Failure equals death for all of them.
Mustang smirked faintly, catching the fire in her expression. “Get some rest while you can, Elric. Tonight we set the board. Friday…” His gaze turned sharp, predatory. “We take our first piece.”
Sarah blinked her head free of the thoughts and nodded, while folding up the map. There was one day remaining until their plan went into action, and all she could do was pray that it worked.
——
Later that night Sarah pushed open the door to the room Lanfan was resting in. A lantern glowed dimly on the nightstand, casting its circle of light over the bed where the Xingese warrior sat propped against a mound of pillows. Her skin was pale, her breath shallow, her shoulder and chest bound in clean white bandages. Sarah moved quietly, setting the small bundle of supplies on the table—fresh wrappings, a damp cloth, scissors—before reaching over to adjust the pillows so the girl could sit upright.
“Sarah…” Lanfan’s voice was soft, threaded with exhaustion. Her remaining hand pressed protectively over the stump of her arm. “I’m sorry.”
Sarah blinked, caught off guard. She looked at her with confusion as she reached for the roll of bandages. “About what?”
Lanfan lowered her gaze. “I called you weak. And for that, I am sorry.”
For a moment Sarah only stared, her hands moving automatically as she unwound the used bandages. A rueful smile curved her lips as she shook her head. “You’re hurt. That should be the last thing on your mind. Besides…” she dipped the cloth into a bowl of water, wrung it out carefully, and began cleaning the wound with gentle precision. “…I was coming down on Ling pretty hard. You were only protecting him. I can’t hold a grudge against you for that.”
She secured the new wrapping firmly, making sure the ends were tied without tugging too tightly, then gathered up the discarded gauze and empty packaging. She rose, ready to step away and throw them out, but before she could move, Lanfan’s fingers latched tightly around her wrist.
Sarah stilled, startled by the unexpected strength in the girl’s grip.
“You are not weak, Sarah,” Lanfan said firmly, her dark eyes locked on the gold ones above her. “You are strong—both in body and in heart. This is proof of it. You’re helping me. You forgive easily, and you love deeply. That is its own strength.”
Sarah felt heat rise in her chest, caught between embarrassment and gratitude. She opened her mouth to speak, but Lanfan wasn’t finished.
The warrior girl drew a deep, steadying breath before she continued. “But the Young Lord…he is immensely strong as well. His body is strong and well trained, his will is unyielding. And he does love you, Sarah, deeply.” Lanfan’s voice softened, though it carried the weight of truth. “But this is where the two of you differ. The Young Lord is not strong enough to let his love for you take precedence over his love for Xing. If it comes down to you or the Philosophers Stone, he will choose the stone.”
The words landed like a blade slipping past armor, sharp but not unkind.
“I don’t say this to hurt you, please understand,” Lanfan whispered desperately, her hand trembling slightly but she refused to let go of Sarah’s wrist. “I say this as your friend. Deep down…you know I am right.”
Sarah stood frozen, staring into Lanfan’s determined eyes. A hundred thoughts warred in her head—denial, anger, a desperate need to argue—but beneath it all, something in her chest twisted because a part of her knew Lanfan’s words rang true. “Thank you, Lanfan. You’re a good friend.” She shook her head and took a deep breath as Lanfan loosened her grip and relaxed back onto the pillows. “Please just relax. This’ll all be over soon, tomorrow you’ll be on a train to Rush Valley so you can start healing, but don’t worry. Once you’re back on your feet, Winry’ll fit you with an automail arm, but it’s going to take a long while.”
“How long usually?”
“Usually a year and a half at the least, three years at most, depending on how severe the damage is. It took Ed eight months.”
Lanfan nodded grimly, and her eyes drifted to the scars on Sarah’s ears, and the hearing aides attached behind them. “How long did it take you?”
Sarah blinked, reaching up to touch her ports. “Nine months before the first surgery, but those hearing aides weren’t as effective as these I have now. Winry designed these about a year ago.”
“I’ve never seen automail like this in Xing. We have prosthetic arms and legs but they’re not nearly this advanced. Who taught her to make these hearing aides?”
“She invented this type actually. She said the amplification hearing aides wouldn’t work on my since my ability to hear anything was taken, so she designed a type that could be implanted and force my brain to hear sounds.” The blonde haired girl chuckled while passing Lanfan a glass of water. “But Granny taught Winry everything she knows, if there’s anyone I could trust your life to, it’d be her.”
Lanfan nodded wish a ghost of a smile gracing her lips. “Thank you, Sarah.”
——
The Friday night air was heavy with smoke and damp, the kind of Central evening that pressed close to the skin. Sarah walked at the center of the trio, Armstrong’s massive figure at her right, Ling slipping through the shadows on her left with effortless grace.
Despite the importance of this mission, Lanfan’s words still echoed in her head on repeat.
‘The Young Lord is not strong enough to let his love for you take precedence over his love for Xing.’
Each step she took seemed to drive the truth deeper. Sarah’s heart knew it was a warning spoken out of care, but her stubbornness refused to surrender to it fully. Ling surely wouldn’t let her die just to obtain the stone, would he?
She clenched her fists and pushed the thoughts away. Maybe Lanfan was right and maybe not, but right now, it doesn’t matter. What matters is their mission. Capture the homunculus, get the stone and get answers. Anything else was just a distraction.
“Anything?” she whispered to Ling, glancing sidelong.
His eyes closed, his breathing deepened, and his hand flicked out to the right. “That way. He’s close.”
Sarah nodded, her own chi sensing reaching outward like tendrils, faint and uncertain. All she felt was a vague pulse in the distance—slippery and hard to pin down. Ling’s gift was sharper, honed by years of training, so he could precisely pick out any abnormalities. She had to trust him.
They slipped along the alleys until Armstrong raised a hand, halting them. Just ahead, a rounded silhouette shuffled awkwardly through the street. Gluttony. He peered around corners, head swinging left and right as though searching for something—or someone.
Sarah’s lips curved into a cocky smirk. Without waiting for the signal, she leapt from their hiding place, boots thudding against the cobblestones. She dropped low, pressing her hand to the ground. Alchemic sparks flared, and from the stone beneath her feet, her scythe coiled up into being, gleaming silver and red in the moonlight, and she rested it casually against her shoulder.
“Hey there,” she called to the monster, her gaze sharp and taunting. “You look awfully hungry. Want a snack?”
Gluttony jerked in surprise, round eyes wide. He pressed his index fingers together nervously, his whole body language like that of a frightened child. “Y-you again! Father said I can’t eat the Elrics!”
He turned with surprising speed for his bulky frame, waddling in an attempt to scurry away, but Sarah’s arm lashed forward. With a clean swing, the scythe sliced through his thick neck. His head toppled with a wet thump, his body stumbling a few steps before Sarah shoved it over with the butt of her weapon.
Gluttony’s severed head flailed on the ground, mouth working as his neck stitched itself back together. By the time his head reformed with the body, Sarah stood over him, the blade of her scythe aimed straight at his forehead.
“I’ve met five of you,” she hissed. “Why don’t you tell me about the two I’m missing?”
“I… I can’t tell you anything!” Gluttony squeaked, wringing his pudgy body.
“Wrong answer.” Sarah pressed the blade down until it bit into his thick throat, forcing a spray of blood that steamed unnaturally in the night air. “Wrath almost killed my friend, so you owe me answers before I let my other friends back there carve you open for your stone. Now talk!”
Gluttony screamed as the blade drove deeper into his chest, thick black blood oozing as his regeneration struggled to keep up. He thrashed, stubby arms flailing, babbling nonsense through tears.
Suddenly strong arms grabbed her shoulders, jerking her back.
“You can’t kill him, Ai!” Ling’s voice snapped like a whip. He yanked her scythe free from the wound, using his hands to hold her several steps away. “We need him alive, remember?”
Sarah whirled on him, fury sparking in her eyes. “He’s not dead! He’s got thousands of lives left in him, Ling! He knows more than he’s saying!” She turned the blade again, ready to strike, her hands trembling from the intensity burning inside her.
Ling’s grip didn’t loosen. His dark gaze bore into hers, steady, unyielding. “I have every intention of gutting him for what they did to Lanfan, but only after we get answers, don’t forget why you came here.”
Sarah’s chest heaved, her pulse hammering. Her scythe still hummed with the residual energy of her alchemy, eager to bite again. For a heartbeat, she wasn’t sure if she’d pull away—or strike harder, and beneath it all, Lanfan’s voice whispered in her mind.
‘If it comes down to you or the Philosophers Stone, he will choose the stone.’
Sarah blinked, her throat tight, and she realized that she was far angrier at herself than she was at Gluttony. So the girl forced her hands to steady, her breath dragging ragged through her chest as she faced Gluttony again. Her scythe gleamed in the moonlight, its curved blade casting a long shadow across the stones.
“You keep mentioning this Father of yours,” she said coldly, her eyes narrowed on the fat homunculus. “Is it Wrath? He’s certainly the oldest among you.”
Gluttony blinked with childlike confusion, then shook his head stubbornly. “N-no…I can’t say anything!”
Sarah caught the flicker of his eyes darting toward Ling. Her jaw clenched. In a swift motion she rammed the butt of her scythe against his forehead, forcing his head back against the ground.
“He’s off limits,” she snapped. “You’re not eating anyone, tubby.”
Gluttony leaned back then—suddenly—his whole body surged with force, hurling himself backward with shocking speed for his size. Stone shattered under his weight as he scrambled to his feet. Then, with a roar, he lunged, instantly igniting a fight.
Sarah swung her scythe in a wide arc, sparks flaring as the blade sliced against Gluttony’s thick skin. He batted at her like a child throwing a tantrum, but each strike landed with the force of a battering ram, sending vibrations up her arms. She ducked low, slashing across his belly, ichor spraying as his body knit itself back together in seconds.
Ling darted in from the side, precise and merciless. His swords gleamed in the darkness, striking tendons, joints, weak points—anything to stagger the monster. But Gluttony only howled in frustration, swiping at him with massive hands. Ling flipped clear, rolling across the cobblestones before springing back into stance.
Then Armstrong thundered in. His fists slammed into the ground, transmuting pillars of stone that erupted upward and caught Gluttony in the ribs, sending him sprawling sideways with a crash. Armstrong followed with a punch that could have toppled a wall, slamming into the face of the beast. The blow rocked Gluttony back, but his skull caved only for an instant before reshaping itself.
Sarah pushed herself back to her feet, her chest aching, muscles screaming from strain. Her injury burned, slowing her down. She wiped the blood from her lip and lifted her scythe again, determined not to falter.
Ling’s sharp eyes caught her stagger, his expression tightening. He knew they couldn’t drag this out—Gluttony would just keep regenerating.
“Sarah!” he called, fishing out a metal canister from his satchel. He brandished a grenade in one hand, pulling the pin free with his teeth. “Make me something strong to bind him!”
Sarah slammed her palm to the ground. Sparks erupted, crawling like lightning across the stone as lengths of steel wire burst into existence. Thick, reinforced, gleaming—yards upon yards of it coiled like serpents at her feet, each strand two inches wide.
Ling didn’t hesitate. With inhuman agility, he vaulted into the air, sword sheathed to free his hands. He landed crouched on Gluttony’s broad shoulders, gripping the monster’s jaw with brutal precision. With a roar, he shoved the grenade down into Gluttony’s gaping maw and yanked his hand back. “Get back!” he barked.
Sarah staggered backward, hauling Armstrong with her just as the explosion thundered out. Gluttony’s body bloated grotesquely before bursting into a spray of gore and smoke. For a heartbeat he lay in pieces, twitching, before his unnatural flesh began to stitch together again.
Before she could process what was happening, Ling was already moving. He seized the thick steel cables and leapt, looping them across the regenerating bulk. Armstrong joined in at once, his immense strength hauling the cables tight around Gluttony’s body. Together, they bound the monster limb to limb, crisscrossing the steel until it looked like a spider’s web choking prey.
Gluttony wailed, his skin stretching unnaturally, ballooning and bulging against the bindings. His regeneration fought to expand, but the steel only dug tighter with every pulse.
“Your regeneration is working against you!” Ling spat, crouched atop the struggling beast as he knotted the final coil. His voice was a vicious growl of triumph. “Your skin keeps expanding, but there’s no space for it to go. It’ll keep you trapped—nice and tight!” He yanked the final knot until the metal groaned. “You’re mine now, homunculus!”
Gluttony screeched, writhing against the bindings, but he was bound too tightly to escape.
Just then, the screech of tires echoed down the alley. Lieutenant Hawkeye’s car swerved sharply, headlights slicing across the scene. She braked hard, gravel scattering.
“Load him up—quickly! Before the MPs arrive!” she barked.
Ling and Armstrong moved at once, dragging the bound monstrosity toward the hooded car. With a heave and a shove, they rolled his squirming bulk into the back.
Sarah deconstructed her weapon with a spark of alchemy, the scythe dissolving into harmless shards of stone that melded with the concrete again. She scrambled into the front seat beside Hawkeye while Ling vaulted into the back.
As Armstrong stepped away from the car, Sarah leaned over the doorframe. “Major—you’re not coming with us?”
The huge man shook his head, his expression solemn. “Unfortunately, I have decided to remain behind. If your brothers arrive, I must ensure they know where to find you. And if Scar rears his ugly head again, someone must be here to oppose him.”
Sarah swallowed, then reached out to pat his enormous hand warmly. “Thanks for all your help. Be safe, okay?”
Armstrong gave a deep, noble nod, his mustache trembling with emotion. “Go! And may fortune favor you, Sarah!”
The engine roared, the car lurching forward. As the alley slipped away behind them, Sarah clutched the edge of her seat, her heart still racing from the fight. Beside her, Hawkeye’s eyes stayed sharp on the road, behind them, Ling leaned forward in the dark, his gaze fixed on the twitching bundle of steel and flesh that struggled against his restraints next to him.
For now, they had him, but Sarah couldn’t shake the feeling that their victory tonight would be short lived.
Notes:
For anyone who read this chapter, thank you, I hope you enjoyed!
For anyone who is going to read chapters 21-26, I’m so so sorry for what you’re about to read, please just know I do it out of love for this story—I don’t take pleasure in the pain I’m about to inflict on these characters or on you the readers.
…………..
Well, maybe a tiny bit of amusement.
Sorry in advance!
Chapter 21: The Price of Envy
Summary:
She tried again, drawing on every ounce of energy she had left—but the void swam before her eyes, and fear set unto her. One more transmutation would take all the energy she had left. By the laws of equivalent exchange, the best case scenario is that it would render her completely immobile and unconscious. Worst case scenario is that it could leave her two steps from dead. The harder she tried, the more her body betrayed her, and she realized that. Against this Goliath, she was utterly useless.
Weak.
A liability.
Weak little thing.
Notes:
I’m loving these “The Price of…” chapters! They definitely might be my favorite part of the fic so far!
These next few chapters are gonna be bonkers, and a lot of stuff is going to happen!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The car crunched to a halt on a patch of dirt swallowed up by trees, the headlights cutting pale beams through the dark underbrush. When Sarah stepped out, the air was damp and cool, filled with the smell of pine and wet earth. Ahead of them sat a cabin—or more accurately, a shack. The roof sagged, and the windows were little more than slits, but it was secluded, silent, safe.
Ling leapt down from the back, his movements fluid even as he hooked his arms beneath Gluttony’s bulk. With startling ease, he hauled the squirming homunculus onto his shoulders like a sack of grain. Sarah found herself staring, caught between disbelief and admiration at the way he handled the near quarter-ton monster as though he were only half the weight.
“Inside,” Hawkeye ordered briskly as she strode forward, pistol still in hand. She swung the door wide, standing guard as Ling carried the beast through. The wood frame shuddered under the weight, but the cabin didn’t collapse. Hawkeye stepped in after them, and once Gluttony was dumped onto the floor with a groan, she looked back at Ling.
“I’ll keep an eye on him,” she said evenly. “You two keep watch on the outside.”
Ling nodded his head, then stepped out, pulling the door shut behind him.
The night wrapped around them again, the forest whispering with insects and the distant hoot of an owl. Sarah lowered herself onto the small wooden step outside the shack, the planks creaking faintly beneath her. Ling sat beside her, close enough that their shoulders touched. After a moment, his arm slipped comfortably around her, his warmth cutting through the chill.
They didn’t speak at first. He just listened to the sound of her breathing, letting the silence of the forest settle around them.
Sarah shifted, her body restless beneath his arm, before she finally turned to catch sight of his lips in the faint glow of the moonlight. “You’ve got your philosopher’s stone now,” she said softly. Her words trembled, though she tried to keep her tone steady. “I guess that means you’ll be heading back home now, huh?”
Ling’s gaze dropped. He nodded, sadness flickering across his features. “As soon as I can.” His hand rose, brushing against her cheek with reverent gentleness. “It’s hard to put into words how much I’m going to miss you, my Jinmei.”
Sarah closed her eyes, leaning into his touch. Of all the people she’d known, there was no one who could make her feel like Ling did—like every moment burned brighter simply because he was there. Statistically, she could find love again, she knew that. But she knew that statistics and science could never truly understand that her finding someone to love again wouldn’t bring her this love. Shed never fine one that lit her soul ablaze the way Ling did.
Her eyes opened, golden irises trembling as she fixed them on him. “Maybe I’ll come visit once this is all over,” she murmured, her lips curving faintly. She turned more fully toward him, a boldness rising through the ache in her chest. “I’ve always wanted to travel the world.”
For an instant, Ling’s composure slipped, surprise flashing in his dark eyes, but he caught himself quickly, a smile tugging at his lips. He nodded, tone smooth and certain. “And you’ll live like a princess whenever you visit, Ai.”
Sarah smiled, but in her chest, Lanfan’s words whispered again.
The night air pressed in close, leaving her to wonder if she was clinging to something she’d eventually have to let go.
The forest around them was hushed, moonlight spilling in pale sheets across the clearing.
That peace shattered when headlights cut through the trees. A car cracked roots and came to a halt in the dirt patch. She could see Warrant Officer Fallman behind the wheel, and she beamed.
“Ed! Al!” Her heart leapt, her body springing upright before the doors even opened. She rushed forward as Edward stepped out first, golden eyes burning hotter than the lamps behind him. His gaze darted between Sarah and Ling—and hardened like steel.
“I told you to go back home!” Ed snapped at his sister immediately, his fists curling at his sides. “It’s not safe here, Sarah! You should’ve listened to me!” After a moment of holding his stern gaze, his focus turned his Ling in a rage filled glare. “What, did you stay just for him? For this rotten, bottom-of-the-barrel bastard prince?!”
Sarah flinched at the venom in his tone, and her brows furrowed in concern. “Ed, stop!” She darted in front of Ling, who merely raised an eyebrow in faint confusion at the insults. “I was never going to go back to Resembool,” Sarah shot back, golden eyes locking on her brother’s. “I was gonna follow you to East City no matter what you said, but Scar came after me before I could!”
“What?!” Alphonse surged forward, his armor clanking in alarm. “Scar?!? Are you okay?! Why didn’t you tell us?”
“I tried calling Eastern Command and they said they hadn’t seen you two arrive yet! But there’s a lot that’s happened that I didn’t tell you.” Sarah brushed away Al’s concern. “Look, I’m fine now. Ling protected me.” She gestured to the prince beside her. Edward’s glare only deepened at the words, his body taut with rage Sarah didn’t fully understand.
“When was this?”
“It was the day that you left,” Sarah added, voice firm. “He was looking for you, Ed.”
“That just proves my point!” Edward barked. “If Scar’s after you too, you need to leave before—”
“No!” Sarah’s foot stomped hard against the earth, the sound echoing like a shot. Her golden eyes blazed, tears threatening their corners. “I almost died, Ed! Winry almost died! Lanfan almost died! We’re all in danger here—and we all need to pull together to fight! The other than Mustang’s squad and Major Armstrong, we have no allies in the military, don’t you get it? We only have each other now!”
At the mention of Winry, a flash of panic cut through Edward’s face, sharp and fleeting.
“I asked the Colonel to take you to see Winry and Lanfan,” Sarah pressed, her voice softening, “because I wanted you to understand. I’m not leaving, Ed. I won’t abandon everyone else just so I can run away from the danger.” She reached for him, eyes glimmering. “Once this is over, I swear I’ll explain everything. But right now—just let’s get through this next night okay?”
Edward’s shoulders trembled, torn between fear and fury. At last, he gave a tight, reluctant nod.
That was when the sound came. A deep, unnatural creaking from within the shack. Followed by a rumbling so low it made the earth tremble beneath their boots.
“The hell’s in there?” Edward demanded, spinning toward the noise.
Sarah’s face went pale. “…Gluttony.”
Hawkeye barreled out through the door, nearly tripping over the teens. “He’s breaking free.”
Everyone staggered back just as the shack exploded outward. Planks and beams flew like missiles, and through the dust came Gluttony—only twisted, mutated into a sickening form.
His bloated body sagged with unnatural mass. From his chest yawned a vertical eye, lidless and rolling madly, framed by rows upon rows of jagged teeth that spread up and down his abdomen like a grotesque second mouth.
“Where’s Mustang!” Gluttony bellowed, voice inhuman, vibrating the clearing.
Edward’s stomach twisted. “That’s Gluttony?!”
“He didn’t look like that an hour ago!” Sarah shouted, backing up beside him.
Ling drew his blades with a smooth rasp of steel, his face grim.
“He got fatter and busted through the bindings,” Hawkeye snapped, already raising her sidearm.
Sarah peeked into the backseat of Fallman’s car, seeing Winry and Lanfan tucked safely into the vehicle. “Lieutenant, please take Winry and Lanfan out of here. The quicker they leave central the less likely it is that they can be used against us.
Riza nodded curtly, pulling a gun from her drop holster, and to everyone’s surprise, she pressed her gun into Edward’s hands. “Take it.”
Edward stared at the weapon, stiff and unsure. “A gun? But I’ve never—”
The Lieutenant cut him off with a glare and nodded her head in the direction of Sarah and Alphonse just as Sarah transmuted a weapon for herself. “Think of your siblings and take it. I hope you don’t need to use it, but just in case.”
Edward swallowed uncomfortably and nodded. “Okay.”
The moment Hawkeye and Fallman vanished, Gluttony charged.
The ground quaked with his weight. His gaping maw-eye opened wider, saliva dripping from teeth that stretched and flexed.
“Move!” Sarah screamed. She shoved Ling aside and transmuted her scythe into a long glaive, plunging its blade upward into the beast. Gluttony shrieked, thrashing, nearly ripping her weapon from her grip.
“Brother!” Alphonse thundered, leaping forward. His armored arms wrapped around Gluttony’s swollen limb, locking it down. “Flank him!”
Edward sprinted in, slashing across Gluttony’s belly, and unfortunately the wound knitted shut before his eyes in half a second. “Damn it! He’s regenerating too fast!”
Gluttony roared, the eye rolling in his chest. “I’ll eat you ALL!”
Sarah slammed the butt of her glaive into the dirt, sending metal spikes shooting up to bind Gluttony’s torso. For a moment, the beast was trapped. She intended to continue, but a low growl came from the woods.
From the shadows padded a black dog, its eyes glowing faintly red. It stopped at the clearing’s edge, its gaze fixed on them.
Sarah’s stomach dropped“Not you again.” She grimaced as she read the familiar chi of the jealous homunculus.
The dog’s body warped, stretched, until Envy stood smirking before them, black hair spilling down his pale shoulders.
“Well, well. Don’t get so tense.” He raised his hands mockingly. “I’m not here to fight. Not tonight.” His eyes flicked to the Elrics. “Father still needs you three alive. And our friend Gluttony here needs some…management.”
“Didn’t come here to fight, huh?” Well I did!” Ed gritted his teeth and slashed at the lanky being.
“Woah now, easy!” Envy laughed, the sound sharp and grating. “If I wanted you dead, you’d be dead by now. I really just needed to make sure you stay alive!”
Sarah ignored his words and followed Ed’s lead, using her scythe as a pole vault to allow her to plant both of her boots on Envy’s chest, stomping on his chest in a way that knocked the breath from his lungs.
Ling blurred in at her side, twin blades flashing as they engaged Envy together. Meanwhile, Edward and Alphonse squared themselves against the raging, regenerating beast that was Gluttony, the night erupting into chaos as two battles tore through the forest clearing.
——
Sarah awoke with a start.
With horrifyingly slow speed, she reached up to her ears, attempting to switch off her hearing aides in an attempt to dull the migraine she felt, but her fingers came into contact with water. Her hands immediately tugged out the sides, causing her to release a startled yelp at the pain that ensued.
She clutched onto them with a tight fist as she scanned her surroundings, trying to understand where she was and how she got here.
The world was pitch-black, only dimly illuminated by the glow of broken, half-burnt wood drifting lazily in the water. Some carried faint embers of fire, hissing weakly with each ripple. Beyond that glow, there was nothing—just black, endless void.
The memories flooded her then. Of jumping in to pull Ling away as gluttony approached with a cannibalistic hunger. Of Ed rushing in to pull her away. She recalled being swallowed up by the creature, and holding onto Ed for dear life as they fell into the pit of Gluttony’s stomach. She remembered how the force of the free fall separated them, and that’s how she ended up here.
Sarah staggered upright, drenched and shaking, floodwater water lapping at her calves.
“Ed!” Her voice cracked. She tried to shout, but the sound was feeble, eaten by the silence around her. “Ed…help!”
Her throat tightened as panic clawed at her chest. She turned in circles, squinting into the shadows, her heart pounding with each second of her eternal, inescapable silence. Being deaf but being able to see was one thing. Being deaf in the pitch black darkness was something you shouldn’t with on your worst enemy, but that was Sarah’s fate right now.
“Ling?” she tried again, weaker this time.
No movement came from anywhere.
Her knees buckled, and she stumbled forward, splashing noisily through the shallow water. She pushed herself, step after step, her body trembling with exhaustion, until her legs gave way. Sarah collapsed forward, her palms slapping the cold surface beneath the water. The stillness of the water mirrored the stillness around her, like she was trapped in a graveyard.
“Ed!!!” she screamed hoarsely, her voice breaking with desperation. Her head snapped side to side, searching for even the smallest sign of Edward or Alphonse.
Just a few meters off in the distance she spotted a slab of stone, just large enough for her to lie on, so she forced her aching and almost unresponsive muscles to move—dragging herself over to the little island. Once she hauled herself up on the stone, it didn’t take long for the exhaustion to weigh down on her eyelids, and she closed them without much protest.
——
The air inside Gluttony’s stomach was thick and suffocating, an endless stretch of flesh, stone, and the iron tang of blood. Edward’s torchlight cut jagged shadows across the warped ground, his steps echoing unevenly as he searched. Ling trailed a pace behind, silent for once, but Edward’s nerves were raw, his fury still simmering from earlier.
Finally, Ling broke the silence. “She’s just up ahead, maybe fifty feet or so.”
“Good.” Ed mumbled, continuing his trudge.
Hesitantly, Ling added. “She hasn’t moved in a while, do you think she
Ling frowned but didn’t push. Edward’s anger was blinding—yet underneath, Ling could feel his own chest ache with regret. Every shout, every step was like being shoved back into his own childhood: brothers who never spared a glance, siblings who smiled only when a dagger was behind their backs. He had no warmth, no real connection—not like Edward and Sarah.
——
The oppressive stillness of Gluttony’s false stomach pressed in around Edward as he trudged through the knee-deep mire of blood and darkness, torchlight flickering against shifting walls of flesh and stone. His throat was raw from calling Sarah’s name, his voice hoarse with desperation.
“Damn it. Sarah! If you can hear me say something!”
The squelch of footsteps behind him made his stomach clench. Edward spun, blade arm half-transmuted, ready for an attack—until the torchlight illuminated familiar dark hair and sealed eyelids.
“You—” Edward spat, lowering his arm only slightly. “I should’ve known you’d survive.”
Ling gave a tired, humorless smirk. “Same could be said for you.”
Ed’s glare hardened. “I’ve got half a mind to leave you here to rot, you know that?!”
Ling’s expression sobered, the smirk falling away. “You won’t.”
“And why the hell not?”
“Because I can feel where Sarah is,” Ling said firmly, his voice low, steady. “Her chi…it’s weak, but it’s still there. She hasn’t moved in a while. She needs us.”
Edward froze, fists clenching. He didn’t trust Ling, not with Sarah—not ever—but the desperation in his chest left him no choice. “…Fine, lead the way. But don’t think for a second this means I trust you.”
The two began moving, Ling walking ahead, torchlight bouncing over his back. The silence between them crackled with tension until Ed finally snapped.
“When we get out of here, I don’t want you to ever speak to Sarah again, understand? You’re done playing games with her emotions, and you’re done lying to her.” His voice was sharp and biting. “Sarah isn’t a toy.”
“I never thought she was.” Ling shot a glare over his shoulder. “And I’ve never lied to her.”
Edward barked a bitter laugh. “Lies by omission, then. Lanfan told me everything. About the forty-six wives you’ll take as emperor.”
Ling’s stride faltered, just slightly. His eyes widened, then narrowed with a mix of shame and frustration. “…Lanfan?”
“That’s right. And you know what’s sad?” Edward’s voice rose, trembling with rage. “It’s sad that your own bodyguard—your so-called closest companion—cared more about Sarah’s feelings than you did! She begged me to keep you away from her so you couldn’t keep stringing her along!”
Ling’s jaw tightened, teeth gritting audibly. “Listen, we don’t have time for this,” he snapped. “Sarah’s chi is fading. Do you want to keep shouting at me, or do you want to save your sister?”
Edward stopped in his tracks, fury burning hot in his chest. He wanted to keep tearing into Ling, wanted to strip him bare with every bitter truth. But Sarah’s face flashed in his mind—her smile, her laugh, the way she looked at him like he was her anchor in every storm.
He exhaled sharply, shoulders sagging. “We’ll find her first, but believe me, this isn’t over.”
Ling nodded curtly, turning forward again. They walked in tense silence for several more minutes, the grotesque chamber echoing with the slap of their boots in the thick water-like blood.
Then Edward’s torchlight caught on something pale, resting atop a jagged slab of stone ahead. His heart stopped.
“Sarah!” When he received no response, he broke into a run, sprinting ahead of Ling. His boots scraped against the stone as he clambered up onto the slab, dropping to his knees beside the still figure.
“Sarah, no, no—” His voice cracked as he lifted her carefully into his arms. Her head lolled against his chest, her blood soaked hair clinging to her face.
“Sarah, open your eyes, kid. Look at me.” He tapped her cheek gently, voice breaking. “Please, Say, come on—look at me.”
Her eyelids fluttered from the tapping, she looked lost, dazed—then her blurred gaze focused weakly on him. “…Ed?”
Relief punched the air from his lungs. “Yeah. Yeah, it’s me.” His hands trembled as he brushed damp strands of hair from her face. “What happened to you? Can you move?”
She tried, but her body betrayed her. Her attempt at a shake of the head was weak, but clear enough to get her point across. She couldn’t move.
Edward swallowed hard, moving quickly to examine the backs of her ears. When he realized, his face twisted in anguish. “Damn it… your hearing aides were in when we fell, weren’t they?”
Sarah’s weak attempt at a nod was enough.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got you, Say.” His voice broke into a whisper as he transmuted the blood off of both of them, and pulled her tightly into his arms, tucking her head beneath his chin. He squeezed her close, a desperate embrace she couldn’t even return.
“What happened to her?” Ling stood a few paces away, watching the way Edward cradled her like she was his entire world. The torchlight caught in Edward’s wet eyes, the raw desperation written across his face, and Ling’s chest ached at the sight of it.
“Her hearing aides shocked her when they touched liquid. If it’s this bad, she must’ve passed out immediately before she could pull hem out.” Ed sighed while examining her further.
As he watched, he remembered his own siblings—cold, calculating, violent. How they shared rivalry instead of affection. Competition instead of care. None of them would have held him like this, cried for him like this, burned the whole world down to protect him like this. And he wouldn’t have done this for any of them.
For the first time, Ling wondered if Sarah had already given her heart to someone stronger than him—not a lover, but a brother. Two of them who would never, ever let her go.
Edward shifted carefully, his breath ragged as he maneuvered Sarah against his back. “I’m gonna put you on my back, okay, Say…up we go.” His voice trembled as though saying it could make it easier. He crouched low, sliding her onto him, then hooked his arms securely under her legs to anchor her weight while simultaneously pulling her arms over his shoulders.
Her head slumped against the curve of his neck, cheek brushing his, strands of their hair became indistinguishable from each others. Her arms didn’t cling around his neck the way they used to when she rode on his back as a child—instead, they hung loosely over his shoulders, limp, sliding down his chest like wilted vines.
Edward’s heart thundered in his chest. “No, no, no—don’t do that, Say,” he muttered quickly, positioning her arms in an attempt to get her to hold onto him. “You’ve gotta hold on…you always hold on…” He tightened his grip under her legs, keeping her as steady as he could, his shoulders stiff with fear. She gave the barest twitch of her fingers, but it was no more than a whisper of movement. Edward swallowed hard, his throat closing up as he adjusted her head against his own so that she leaned fully on him. “I’ve got you,” he whispered, the words muffled against her temple. “Don’t worry about a thing. Just stay with me, alright?”
Her shallow breath warmed his ear, the sound weaker than he’d ever heard. Edward clenched his jaw so hard it hurt, fighting the sting in his eyes. He couldn’t afford tears now—tears meant weakness and doubt, and Sarah needed certainty.
Then there was Ling.
He stood a few feet behind, torch in hand, his face half-shadowed by the wavering flame. His dark eyes lingered on the siblings, fixed on the way Sarah melted against her brother’s back like she had no strength left to exist without him holding her up, and how Edward did so automatically without complaint, as if his body had long ago memorized every movement required to keep her safe. There was no hesitation in him, no falter or shift of burden, only a quiet, unspoken certainty that her weight belonged there—that carrying her, shielding her, was as natural to him as breathing. The sight pressed heavily on Ling, who could not look away from the bond etched so deeply between them that it seemed to eclipse the chaos and danger around them.
The sight twisted something sharp and bitter deep in Ling’s chest.
It wasn’t jealousy of Edward himself—he knew that. It was jealousy of the bond, the unshakable tether between them that no emperor’s throne, no clan alliances, no grand destiny could ever give him. Sarah trusted her brother with every bit of her safety, her entire body gone slack with the faith that Edward would hold her aloft and keep her safe while she was immobilized.
And Ling envied it with every fiber of his being.
His siblings back in Xing would never have carried him like this. They would have watched him collapse, trampled him if it meant getting one step closer to the throne. The closest thing he had to loyalty was Lanfan and Fu, and even they were bound more by oath than by love. There was his mother, of course, but their bond had always been one stressed by his expectation to ascend to the throne.
But Sarah—Sarah had Ed, who would burn himself to ashes to keep her safe. She had Alphonse, who could sometimes read her better than she could read herself. Ling hated how much he wanted to be like that for her instead.
Edward, sensing Ling’s gaze on him, shot him a sharp glare over his shoulder. “What are you staring at?” His voice was a growl, low so Sarah wouldn’t stir.
Ling forced his face into something neutral, though envy still flickered in his eyes. “Just making sure you don’t drop her.”
Ed’s jaw clenched. “She’s my sister.” He spat the words out—voice full of venom. “I’d never drop her.” And with that, he adjusted his hold on Sarah and began moving forward again, every step measured, every muscle in his body coiled tight to protect her fragile weight. “Now let’s go. Let’s find a way out of here.”
Ling followed in silence, torchlight forming a bubble around them, but his thoughts churned, bitter and restless. He had to push the envy down, bury it deep, because what mattered now wasn’t his feelings—it was finding a way out before Sarah slipped from Edward’s arms forever.
——
The oppressive silence of Gluttony’s stomach seemed to lean in on them, heavy and suffocating, broken only by Edward’s ragged breaths and Sarah’s soft, uneven ones against his shoulder. Her head stirred, a faint groan leaving her lips, and Edward froze mid-snarl at Ling.
Her lashes fluttered as she weakly lifted her head, cheek pressing against his coat. “Brother… why’re you shouting?” Her voice was thin, trembling, as though each syllable weighed a hundred pounds.
Edward instantly softened, guilt flickering across his face. “Sarah…” he whispered.
But before he could speak further, Ling leaned in, eyes widening as he noticed her bare ears. Her hearing aides were still tucked into the box residing in her pocket. “How’d you know we’re yelling?” Ling asked gently, though dread pooled in his gut.
Sarah blinked, struggling to keep her head upright. Her gaze was distant, dulled by fatigue and lingering shock, but her words were certain. “I can feel brother’s body shaking while he’s yelling. What’s wrong?”
Edward’s mouth opened, guilt and anger clashing on his tongue, but Ling jumped in first with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “It’s nothing, Ai,” he said, voice carefully warm. “You should focus on resting.”
That forced smile—it was all Edward could stand. Rage surged again, hotter than before, and he couldn’t hold back. “No!” His voice cracked like a whip, and Sarah flinched weakly against him. “No more lying! Tell her!”
Sarah’s head stirred faintly against Edward’s shoulder, her brows knitting.
Ling’s eyes snapped to him, flashing with panic. “Edward—”
“I said tell her, or I will!” Edward barked, and he shifted Sarah carefully so she could see his lips, signing clumsily with one hand while balancing her limp body with the other.
Sarah’s dulled golden eyes blinked at him, confusion thick in their glaze. “Brother…what…?”
Ling moved closer, lowering his voice, but Edward cut him off again with a scalding glare. His fury was unrelenting. The silence that followed was sharp, brittle—until Sarah’s trembling gaze drifted from Edward to Ling.
Her voice was small, raw. “Ling…what’s going on?”
The question hung there like a blade between them. Ling’s mouth opened, then closed again, the weight of her stare freezing his tongue. His hands clenched uselessly at his sides, shame etching itself deep into his features.
The longer the silence stretched, the heavier it became.
Finally, Edward snapped. “He’s been playing you this whole time,” he growled, bitterness spilling like acid. “Lanfan was right—he never loved you. Not really.”
Sarah’s head lifted slightly, trembling. “Why’re you saying that…?” Her throat tightened around the words, desperation quivering in her tone.
Edward’s gaze burned with fury—but underneath, with grief. “Because it’s the truth! You were never going to be his one true love, because when he leaves here and becomes emperor, he’s getting married!”
Her eyes widened, breath hitching sharply. She turned to Ling, clinging to the tiniest shred of hope, waiting—begging—for him to deny it. To say Edward was wrong.
But Ling’s face crumpled, and his gaze fell to the blood at their feet. He couldn’t meet her eyes. Couldn’t lie to her again.
To Sarah, his silence was louder than any admission.
“Not just to one girl, either!” Edward’s voice rose again, cutting like knives. “Lanfan said there’s almost fifty of them! One for every clan in Xing! He’ll become just like his father!”
Sarah’s lips parted, trembling. She stared at Ling, every ounce of color draining from her face as the truth settled like lead in her chest. He still didn’t speak—didn’t deny it.
Her chin lowered, tears pricking her dulled eyes as her voice broke. “Lanfan was right…” She swallowed hard, her throat burning. “I knew deep down your love for me wasn’t strong enough to put me over Xing and I was okay with that.” Her hand curled weakly against Edward’s coat. “I knew we’d never really be together forever, but hearing this…” Her words died in her throat, fragile as shattered glass. “I should’ve listened to Ed before…”
Ling’s expression twisted—despair, regret, raw anguish carved across his face. He wanted to shout, to explain, to tell her she was wrong, that his love was real, that it was all he’d wanted since the day they met. “Ai, please—”But every excuse caught in his throat, tangled in duty, in tradition, in the crown he carried on his shoulders.
Sarah, delirious and fading, could only see his silence. To her weary, fevered mind, the lack of a proper defense was the confirmation she had dreaded all along.
Her head dropped limply back to Edward’s shoulder, tears hot against her pale cheeks. The crack in her heart was written on her face—on the way her lips trembled, the way her eyes lost their fragile light, and the way she couldn’t bare to meet his gaze
Ling reached out, fingers hovering, wanting to brush her cheek, to soothe her, to say something—anything. But Edward’s glare stopped him cold, and Sarah turned her face away from him, her body curling into her brother’s back.
Ling’s hand dropped uselessly to his side, his chest tightening as though the weight of a thousand crowns had already been dropped on his head. And for the first time, the prince who had always smiled in the face of danger, who had always turned hardship into charm, looked utterly, irreparably broken.
The trio resided to work together to figure out a way to escape. Not as friends but as necessary allies, and Sarah kept her head tucked low as Ed readjusted his hold so they could keep walking.
——
It had taken hours before Ed felt Sarah stir on his back—her muscles tightening abnormally. He stopped in his tracks and reached back to pat the side of her head. “What’s up?”
“There’s something out there…” she mumbled as she raised her head.
“So you feel it to?” Ling asked lowly, hand flying to his hip instinctively, but he grasped at empty air. Realizing with disbelief that his swords had been lost in the fall.
“Is that Envy?” Sarah closed her eyes for a moment to focus on the chi emanating from ahead of them.
“What? Envy’s in here with us?”
Then, a familiar mocking laugh slithered out from the shadows. Followed by a voice that answered Ed’s question. “Well, well…look at the little rats stuck in the cage. What a pathetic sight.” Envy emerged from the darkness in his slender humanoid form, black hair swaying, sharp teeth glinting in the dim, impossible light. His slit-pupiled eyes gleamed with venomous amusement.
Edward immediately took a step forward, his automail arm flexing with irritation. “You—! You know a way out of here, don’t you? C’mon, show us!” His voice cracked with desperation, though he tried to bury it under anger.
Envy tilted his head, lips curling into something that wasn’t quite a smile. “Out? Hah. You think there’s an out? Don’t make me laugh, shrimp.”
“Don’t call me—!” Ed started, but Envy raised a hand sharply, silencing him.
“There is no way out,” he hissed. “Don’t you get it? This is no ordinary prison. This is Gluttony himself. Or more specifically, what my dear Father made him into. A failed experiment. Didn’t you feel it when he swallowed us up?”
Edward froze. His breath caught. He realized on their way in that it felt like he was entering the Portal of Truth, but he thought he was imagining things. “Are you saying?”
Envy’s grin widened. He gestured around them, as though to emphasize the endless black. “That’s right. Our precious Father wanted to recreate the Gate of Truth. To make one of his own, one he could control. But he failed. Instead of the endless white of the real portal, Gluttony’s belly turned into this…grotesque imitation. An endless void, black as pitch, filled with nothing but the things he swallows whole. The ones who fall in? They rot here forever.”
Sarah spoke up softly. “…So, there really is no escape?”
Envy’s eyes flicked to her, sharp and cruel. “None. Which means…” His voice dropped, dripping with malice. “…You’re all going to die here. And since I was kind enough to end up trapped with you, I might as well be the one to kill you myself.”
Without warning, he lunged. His body twisted unnaturally, arm snapping into the shape of a scaly green tendril as he swung it at Edward. Sparks erupted as his unbelievably durable skin clashed against transmuted steel—Ed had already clapped his hands and drawn a curved blade from the pool of blood beneath his feet.
“Damn it!” Edward hissed, his teeth clenched as he shoved Envy back. He turned quickly, lowering Sarah from his back with dutiful care, crouching so she wouldn’t fall. Her legs wobbled beneath her, the strength in her body nearly gone. “Stay back here,” Ed ordered firmly, golden eyes burning as he glanced at her. He didn’t wait for an answer, didn’t give her a chance to protest—he spun back toward Envy.
Ling was already moving. He slid to Sarah’s side, steadying her trembling body before gently lowering her down to sit against the ground. His dark eyes met hers for a brief, silent moment—unspoken reassurance in the midst of chaos—before he rose again, drawing his sword with a practiced, fluid motion.
Ed transmuted a blade for Ling, a simple thing with an iron blade, and black hilt, leaving a. Small skull decal on the bottom. Together, Edward and Ling faced Envy.
The homunculus laughed, his teeth bared. His arm changed directions now, rushing towards Sarah with an unbearable speed.“How touching! Protecting the weak little thing, are we? That’ll make it even sweeter when I—”
Sarah gasped, eyes widening, commanding her body to move but it her body refused to obey.
“Sarah!” Edward shouted, lunging toward her—
But Ling was faster. His sword flashed in an arc of steel, intercepting the strike just before it reached her. The impact reverberated through the void like a thunderclap. The tendril split against the blade, but not cleanly enough, leaving one sharp edge slashed across Ling’s side as he blocked the attack.
Blood sprayed, darker somehow than the blood under them.
“Ling!” Sarah’s voice cracked, horror flooding her. She tried to reach out, but her arms trembled uselessly.
The Xingese prince staggered, pressing a hand to his wound, but forced his body upright, sword still leveled between her and Envy. His breathing was shallow, yet his eyes were steady—unyielding.
Edward’s fury erupted. “You’re not going anywhere near her you ugly bastard!” He clapped his hands again, his alchemy sparking alive in a violent flare.
But Envy was already trembling—not from fear, but from rage. His sharp features twisted, his body quivering with a wrath barely contained.
“You dare…” he snarled, his voice breaking into a distorted, guttural sound. “You dare call me ugly?!”
The air shuddered as his humanoid form exploded outward, flesh ripping, warping, expanding. Bones cracked and multiplied. Limbs sprouted where they shouldn’t. His body ballooned into a writhing mass of green flesh, covered in faces—screaming, wailing, snarling human visages that all cried in agony. Envy’s true form towered over them now, a grotesque monster that seemed to stretch into the very darkness of Gluttony’s void. A nightmare given flesh.
Edward staggered back, eyes wide. Sarah’s breath caught in her throat, heart slamming against her ribs. Even Ling, pale from blood loss, lifted his sword again with grim resolve.
Envy’s monstrous voice bellowed, a chorus of countless throats screaming as one:
“LET’S SEE YOU CALL ME UGLY NOW!”
The void trembled under Envy’s transformation, the ground under them vibrating with the cacophony of voices that screeched and howled from the monster’s body, quaking with each thunderous step,
Edward braced himself, but the sheer scale of the creature before him made his chest tighten. How could they fight something like this? Beside him, Ling’s stance wavered—his side bleeding heavily—but he still stood, refusing to yield.
Sarah pushed herself against the ground, forcing her trembling legs to cooperate. She clutched at the bloody muck beneath her palms, willing her body to rise. Every nerve screamed, every muscle failed her, but she couldn’t just sit there.
“I can…I can fight—” she rasped, dragging herself up onto her knees. After. Clapping her hands, she tried to force a transmutation, but her energy was so low, she knew she wouldn’t be able to complete anything significant.
“No, stay back!” Edward snapped, cutting her a glance before clashing against one of Envy’s massive limbs. Sparks flew as his blade collided with a jagged talon.
But Sarah ignored him. She tried again, drawing on every ounce of energy she had left—but the void swam before her eyes, and fear set unto her. One more transmutation would take all the energy she had left. By the laws of equivalent exchange, the best case scenario is that it would render her completely immobile and unconscious. Worst case scenario is that it could leave her two steps from dead. The harder she tried, the more her body betrayed her, and she realized that. Against this Goliath, she was utterly useless.
Weak.
A liability.
Weak little thing.
“Pathetic little human pests!” Envy’s monstrous voice thundered, and before Edward could dodge, one of the tendrils wrapped around his body. The monster lifted him easily, dragging him higher and higher until he dangled before the vast, gaping maw.
“Ed!” Sarah shouted, panic surged through her.
Ling charged toward the beast, but one of Envy’s paws swatted him aside.
Edward’s breath caught as he stared into the abyss of Envy’s mouth, rows of jagged teeth glistening with slime. The stench of bile and decay hit him, and for the first time in a long while, his body went slack. His fists loosened and fell limply downwards. He didn’t even resist as Envy began lowering him into to his waiting jaws before sealing his mouth. Edward thought bitterly that maybe there was no way to escape this fate. Giving up seemed like the easiest option if there was truly no way out.
“Ed!”
He heard Sarah’s muffled voice from outside, and his mind flickered with memories of Al’s warm laughter and optimism despite his inability to breathe or feel. Memories of Winry’s scolding, followed by her fond smile. Then to memories of Sarah—always looking to him for answers and encouragement despite often being lost in the world around her.
This seemed to be a fitting end for someone who’s committed the sins he had, but his dear little sister thought otherwise, and she pulled him from the edge, just as she always did.
Notes:
Hope you all enjoyed!
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Wildflower_21 on Chapter 1 Mon 06 Sep 2021 05:22AM UTC
Last Edited Mon 06 Sep 2021 05:23AM UTC
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squishjisunghan on Chapter 1 Tue 07 Sep 2021 05:05AM UTC
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Wildflower_21 on Chapter 1 Thu 16 Sep 2021 06:23AM UTC
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squishjisunghan on Chapter 15 Wed 30 Jul 2025 02:57AM UTC
Last Edited Wed 30 Jul 2025 02:57AM UTC
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