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cornerofmadnessSorrow’s Dark Array
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cornerofmadness
Disclaimer - not mine, all characters belong to Hiromu Arakawa et al, Square Enix and funimition.
Pairing – Roy/Riza, Ed/Win (eventually) Winry/OC, mentions of Maes/Gracia and Al/OC
Rating – THIS CHAPTER HAS A FEW R RATED (BORDERLINE NC-17) Moments
Time Line – anime based, spoilers all the way through the anime and the movie and does have strong manga elements such as Armstrong’s older sister and the land of Xing
Summary – As Roy and Riza prepare for their wedding, while dodging assassins, Ed and Al try to find their way back home.
Author’s Note #1– This was written after much prodding byevil_little_dog as a sequel to the source of sorrow and is now her holiday gift even if she has beta’ed part of it. So thanks to her and lyricnonsense for the beta. You do not have to read the first story to understand this. You’ll quickly pick up that Riza has retired from the military to be Roy’s wife and bodyguard. Olivia Armstrong is now president and she’s assigned Roy as the ambassador to Ishbal; oh and that Roy was severely injured in the destruction of the Gate, requiring some of Winry’s automail.
Author's Note #2 - This is a longer work and like real relationships, the ones listed in the pairings, take time to mend and come together. They have to work at it. Hope you enjoy the ride.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter eight
Chapter nine
chapter ten
chapter eleven
chapter twelve
chapter thirteen
chapter fourteen
chapter fifteen
chapter sixteen
chapter seventeen
chapter eighteen
chapter nineteen
Chapter twenty
Chapter Twenty- One
This is home. Now I'm finally where I belong – Switchfoot
“Roy, are you getting that door? You had best still be on that couch.” Riza’s voice rang stridently throughout the house.
“I’m on the couch,” he lied blatantly. Roy headed for the door before the person had the chance to ring the bell again and wake up Dev or Ed who were best left asleep, or Hughes who had only just arrived home less than an hour ago. It was that arrival that had made Roy pop up, too awake for sleep, though he was then forced to reside on the couch like some invalid.
“Aunt Li-Ying, Riza, Uncle Roy is at the door,” Miao-Yin called as she came out of the atrium to answer the door herself.
“Damn it, Roy!”
Ignoring the pounding footsteps coming out of the kitchen, Roy opened the door, shocked to see Uzziel and Hala there. He didn’t know why he was so surprised. Hardly a day went by without a visit from the Ishbalans even though they really didn’t like him. The most surprising part was how flustered Hala looked. Her red eyes seemed to whirl as she stared at him.
Hala reached out then pulled her hand back. “Please, my son didn’t do this. Don’t take him from me.”
“I’ll do what I have to assure Dev is no trouble if you let him out of jail,” Uzziel added.
Roy glanced over his shoulder at Riza who had started to haul him back but stopped at the Ishbalans’ words.
“What are they talking about, Uncle Roy?” Miao-Yin cocked her head at her uncle.
“I’m not sure.”
“Your men took my son away last night for questioning. They still have him detained,” Hala said, closing the gap between them. Roy thought for a moment she might take hold of him and cry.
“No, we don’t,” Riza said with a slow shake of her head.
“But…” Hala exchanged bewildered looks with Uzziel.
“The idiot is upstairs asleep. They did have him in interrogation all night. He came to me this morning with a potential suspect then went to sleep. He didn’t call you first?” Roy tried not to laugh because Hala’s distress was so obvious. “You can go wake him up. Riza will let you borrow one of her guns.”
Hala’s face reddened. “Do not tempt me.”
“Miao-Yin, show Mrs. Jasso upstairs to Dev’s room.” Roy tempered his amusement a little to add, “Try to be at least a little quiet. Edward and Hughes are still asleep.”
“I’ll try,” Hala replied, a grim expression on her face, following the young girl upstairs.
Riza started shoving Roy towards the living room. “Come on and have a seat, Uzziel.”
“How long before she kills him? I have two hundred sen that says five minutes.” Roy grinned at the priest, letting Riza bear him along.
“You’re bad.” The old man chuckled, walking into the living room with them.
Riza nudged Roy to the couch and he toppled onto it. “Don’t push so hard, Riza.”
“Don’t lie about everything,” Riza replied then turned to Uzziel. “Can I get you something?”
The old man held up a wrinkled hand. “I’m fine, thank you. Worried sick but I’ll be fine now. I’m assuming you don’t believe Dev had anything to do with poisoning you if you’re allowing him under your roof.”
Roy straightened up a bit on the couch, seeing his sister coming into the room. She gave him a critical stare and he tried to put on his best face before she decided he needed medicine he didn’t want. “I’m pretty sure Dev’s innocent. I know they have Aris under investigation right now with one of Armstrong’s men. I think it’s more likely Sanaa.”
Uzziel’s eyes widened, his fingers working into the soft leather of the chair. “How did her name come up?”
“Dev brought a girl to the hospital, Anah,” Riza said. “She said she saw Sanaa in the center and that it was possible she might have done this.”
Uzziel tugged on his white beard. “It isn’t her style of killing but I’m sure if she thought it was possible, she’d try anything. You would be a very good target, Mustang.”
“I figured that much,” Roy said wryly. “Sister, sit. You’re hovering.”
“I’m trying to decide what you need, Cricket.” Li-Ying glared at him. “Winry and Al are making blackberry tea. It’s good for an upset stomach.”
“I need you to not hover,” Roy replied. “I’m fine.” He twisted on his chair, looking back through the doorway, hearing noises. “I think they woke up more than just Dev.”
Ed thumped down the stairs followed by a bleary eyed Hughes. Dev tried to hurry past them to escape his mother’s wrath, Roy supposed. Ed snatched a pillow off the couch, flinging it to the ground on top the thick fireplace rug. He hit ground on one metal knee with a loud clang then rolled onto his back with a groan.
“Eww, I think it died.” Dev wrinkled his nose.
“Guess your mother killing you woke up everyone,” Roy said as Ed flailed blindly with an obscene gesture.
“Actually, I started having a nightmare. I think that woke Hughes but since he’s the cause of it, I don’t feel bad.” Dev grumbled, folding up in a chair, still trembling from the dream.
Hughes rolled his shoulders, sitting down wearily. “Sorry, but there was a job to do. You’re a viable suspect.”
“Like hell,” Dev started to rant but stopped when Winry whipped into the room, followed by Al.
“Who was clanging their automail?” Winry’s hot gaze swept over them and Dev and Roy quickly pointed to Edward.
“Bet he dented it.” Dev smirked.
“Winry makes better automail than that!” Ed protested.
“Try not to abuse it. You’ve only had it a few days,” Winry said, toeing his metal ankle gently.
“The tea is ready. I’ll go back and get it,” Al said.
“I’ll help. I have a few other things that might be helpful,” Li-Ying said, following Al. Winry and Miao-Yin went with them.
“Ed, look alive. Trust me. She’s going to bring out medicines you don’t want and she will make you take them,” Roy warned in a low voice.
“Will they make me feel better?” Ed peered at him with bloodshot eyes, looking as if he’d be willing to do anything to achieve that.
“I have two words for you: Rat. Wine.” Roy watched Ed turn even more papery white. “It’s exactly what it sounds like.”
Ed struggled to sit up. “Tell her I’m fine. I’m better than fine. I’m ready for action.”
“Rat wine?” Dev’s eyes bugged. “Ewww, Ishbala! That is so gross.” He canted his eyes at Ed. “I’ll never forgive you for warning him.”
Ed muttered something that sounded suspiciously like a physical impossibility for Dev to attempt. Roy waved both of them off. “Even Elric doesn’t deserve a preserved rat in sour wine. And no, I’m not sure what it’s supposed to cure. I’m just grateful to never be sick enough to need it. You hear me, right, Li-Ying!” Roy called loudly, making Ed groan. “I’m hung over, not sick! In fact, I feel pretty good. Confine your meddling to Edward.”
“Die,” Ed growled.
“Is it always like this here?” Hala asked. “Every time I come here it’s like…”
“A bad comedy act?” Hughes offered weakly, taking his glasses off and putting them on the table. He leaned back in his chair, shutting his eyes.
“Like squabbling siblings. I was rather offended when Aris said it but now I see why.” Hala scowled at her son. “It’s time to leave. The Ambassador looks exhausted as do his friends. Unless you plan on just going back to sleep here, Dev. You should have called me.”
“I did. I swear. I left a message at the hotel desk,” Dev protested. “And I want to see what Li-Ying is making. She’ll be upset if we don’t partake.”
“You just want to see me get poisoned again,” Ed grumbled, eyeing Dev hotly.
“No, no, I’ve been looking for an ally against the bastard. You’ll do nicely since you’re well practiced.” Dev grinned as Winry and Li-Ying came back with tea. Al was carting a tray of soup bowls with a big pot in their center.
“The tea will settle your stomachs,” Winry said, “And Dev, I’m pretending I didn’t hear that. Do not encourage Edward.”
Dev just beamed at her.
“What’s in that soup?” Ed pointed a shaking hand. “There’re no penises or rats, right?”
“It’s six-treasures soup,” Li-Ying said.
“Notice she says nothing about what’s in it.” Dev snickered.
Li-Ying swatted him in the back of the head then turned to his mother. “Sorry.”
Hala waved her off. “He was asking for it.”
Dev pouted at his mother.
“There’s honeysuckle flower, orange skins, cardamom and rice,” Miao-Yin said as Al ladled up a bowl for his brother. His eyes were on the pretty girl so he nearly missed the bowl. “It’s very restorative.”
“It’s good, Edward,” Roy said, holding out his hands. Winry popped a cup into it.
“Hughes, Dev, you look like you could use a little restoring, too,” Li-Ying said, nudging Al to ladle out more.
The men accepted it but everyone waited for Roy to taste it before eating. Once he did, they slurped greedily.
“This is very sweet,” Hughes said. “I like this.”
“It’s good for you, eat up,” Li-Ying said. “Are you taking Dev home, just so I know what to do with dinner?”
“I’ll go home. I’ve got a few hours sleep, if nothing else,” Dev said then lifted his bowl. “Besides you just fed me. I’d like to get some sleep in my own bed before I get arrested again.” He cast a baleful look at Hughes.
“I didn’t arrest you,” Hughes replied, peering over the rim of his soup bowl. “I detained you for questioning. Can you tell me you’re not the perfect suspect?”
Dev slumped, setting his bowl down. “No, I am a good suspect. I took this job for two reasons, to help my people and to get close enough to him to kill him.” Dev pointed at Roy with his metal hand for emphasis. “But I’d be smart enough to not be the top suspect if I still actually wanted him dead. And I’ve learned better ways of making him hurt. If I wanted to destroy Mustang, I would have made sure Riza got the poison, not him. He doesn’t care about his life but she’s his world.”
The room tumbled into stunned silence. Winry’s fingers tightened around her tea cup. “Dev, that is an awful thing to say.”
“War usually makes for dark thoughts,” Dev replied, apology and grim reality both edging into his tone.
“Never say that again,” Roy said very softly, his eye a narrow band of pure onyx.
“I never even mention to my friends that you’re marrying lest someone does get that same idea. I like Riza. I don’t want anything to happen to her but…” Dev trailed off, glancing at Riza.
“That’s what you would have done had you really been responsible,” Riza finished for him.
“You’re wilier than I thought. Maybe it was all meant for Edward. It would be a way to get rid of a rival,” Hughes mused.
Dev’s muscles tightened. “How would I know Ed would steal that pastry?”
“You’ve heard all about Ed. You both stole Roy’s soup at the center. You probably figured he’d steal it again,” Hughes said, a protective tone slipping into his voice.
“Yeah, true but I don’t want Ed dead. He’s a good ally and I need that more than I need him gone,” Dev said.
Winry put up her hands. “This is getting too ugly. Mr. Hughes, Dev wouldn’t try to kill Ed…and I’m not a prize in a competition. Besides, I think Dev has his eye on someone else. I’m happy he wants to be friends with Ed, even if it does mean listening to them plot against Roy.”
“I do?” Dev blinked. “You mean Anah?”
“In case you’re dense, and you are, she likes you,” Roy supplied. “And I’m with Winry. Let’s find something less nasty to talk about. Hughes, Dev didn’t poison us. Dev, threaten Riza and I will finish the job on you and never think twice.”
Hala caught her breath, reaching for Uzziel’s hand.
“How is that less nasty?” Al asked. “It would help if nasty things quit happening.”
“True,” Dev huffed, scooting closer to his mother then smirked, a bubble of laughter surfacing. He held up his hands. “Sorry. I was just thinking…okay, it wasn’t funny at the time but now that they’re all right.” He chuckled again. “Last night.”
“Don’t you start!” Al stabbed a finger at Dev.
“Sorry.” Dev started laughing. “But parts of it were very funny.”
“It was not. Ed thought he was talking to the dead,” Winry said, her mouth fighting the smile. “It was Roy who was funny.”
Dev lost what little control he still had left. Al started shaking from holding in a laugh.
“What? What happened? What did he do? I missed it again .” Ed tried to sit up then sprawled back on the rug, limply.
“He was seeing music while you were busy freaking out,” Hughes replied, his smile splitting his face.
“I think Dev is referring to later after he stripped Edward,” Riza pointed out.
Ed’s eyes narrowed. “He what? Why?”
“You were overheating,” Winry said, patting his shoulder. “We had to cool you and Roy down.”
“Wait? He was naked, too?” At Ed’s frantic question, Al’s last thread of resolve broke and he curled up on himself on the floor, giggling.
Red-faced, Dev gasped out. “Didn’t know how much poison you had…get too hot and the heart stops.”
“I was naked with that bastard ?” Ed tried to get up off the floor then flopped back, turning greenish.
“I remember some of this,” Roy said as Riza sat next to him, hands cupped over her mouth.
“You weren’t naked, Ed. You had on your boxers,” Winry said, reaching down to stroke his hair.
“Wait, wait,” Al waved his hand frantically, tears rolling down his cheeks. “It gets better.”
“It does not get better unless I got to kick the bastard where it hurts with this foot.” Ed wiggled his left leg.
Winry tugged his long hair. “Be nice, Edward.”
“Funny you said foot.” Dev wiped his wet face and Al started laughing louder, finally taking Hughes and Riza down with him. “That was the funniest part. The foot!”
Ed groaned, pressing his face against Winry's calf. “I don’t want to know.”
“That’ll just make Dev tell you,” Roy said, an evil smirk on his face. “But it wasn’t my fault, I was high.”
“What the hell did you do?” Ed changed his mind.
“He thought you were a girl!” Dev said brightly.
“And you know how he is about blondes,” Hughes added, clutching his sides.
“I’m almost sorry I missed this,” Uzziel said dryly.
Ed sat up faster than anyone expected him to move. “You bastard!” he hissed, clenching a fist, starting to go after Roy.
Winry hauled Ed back with his hair as Al unfurled from his laughter-ball position to grab his brother.
“I haven’t even gotten to the foot yet. Wanna know what he caressed with it?” Dev clearly enjoyed egging Ed on. Riza slapped him across the chest.
Ed growled, lurching forward again, almost breaking free from both Al and Winry’s grips.
“Dev, don’t you tell him,” Al said, fighting to keep his brother on the floor.
“Come on, Al. How can you not tell your brother about the planned orgy?” Dev said, blocking another blow from Riza.
Ed’s mouth flopped open, his eyes so wide, they swallowed his face. “The what?” he stammered. “The orgy?”
“I do remember this part,” Roy grinned broadly. “It would have been a hell of a party.”
“Yeah, you, Riza, Winry, Olivia and Girlie-Ed,” Dev said, “The dangerous blondes sample case.” He waved a hand at Roy. “You weren’t waiting for anyone to put a stop to your plans, either.”
Al forced Ed down harder, starting to laugh louder at that. “When he touched Ed…”
“You let him touch me?” Ed whipped around to glare at Al, nearly ripping out hair from Winry’s grip.
“Edward, we were all in the room,” Riza said. “Do you think anyone would have let you get hurt? Roy bumped you with his foot. Al and Hughes were right there holding onto you.”
“So the wall wouldn’t eat your parts,” Dev added chuckling. This time his mother swatted him.
“Do not enjoy this so much.” Hala shot her son a withering look. He shrugged, turning his attention to Miao-Yin who seemed highly amused by them.
“It's the roses. They're going to devour me.” Ed shuddered under his brother’s weight.
“We won’t get that lucky,” Roy chuckled. “Sorry for mistaking you for a beautiful woman, Edward. It’s a mistake anyone could make under the circumstances.”
“I didn’t mistake you for a woman,” Ed snarled, still trying to wiggle free.
“It would be much harder to see me as a woman, yes.” Roy smirked. “Besides you were too busy thinking walls had teeth.”
“This is not a better conversation. We’ve just traded one form of madness for another,” Winry sighed.
“You’re right. Dev, go home. Sleep. We’re not arresting you. Ed, go back to sleep. You’re obnoxious when you’re hung over. Hughes, yeah, you need sleep, too. I’m going out to the garden to meditate,” Roy said, getting up.
“Translation, I want to go get half naked and fall asleep in the sun like a lizard.” Dev got up and held a hand out to his mother.
“Bossy bastard,” Ed grumbled.
“Oh, and that thing you were wanting to know about in the soup? Silkworms, dried ones.” Roy said, getting up, trying to maintain his cool demeanor lest Riza send him back to his room.
“Eh, I can handle worms. I had to eat them on Yock Island.” Ed rolled his shoulders.
“Same here, well, not on some island but you know what I mean,” Dev said, giving a hand up to Uzziel as well.
“You fed me worms?” Hughes asked, turning green. “What did I do?”
“They’re good for you,” Li-Ying assured him, despite his horrified expression.
Uzziel turned to Roy. “I’m sorry about all of this, Mustang. I was hoping that Ishbalans weren’t behind the attacks on you. I don’t think I can hold out much hope of that now.”
“I was hoping that myself,” Roy said, frustration vibrating in his tone.
“If we can help, we will. I will not have our new home threatened by one person’s need for revenge,” Uzziel said, “as hard as that is for me to say. I don’t have to tell you I was not originally in favor of sparing you.”
“You had absolutely no reason to want to spare me.” Roy held Uzziel’s gaze steadily.
“But I’m very glad you did.” Riza’s expression didn’t waver.
“Since we’re on dark topics, I need to know if my granddaughter was right. Did you volunteer yourself to be executed, Mustang, or were you chosen as a sacrifice?” Uzziel asked, his red eyes hard.
Roy’s larynx bobbed as he swallowed hard. “I volunteered.”
“What the hell?” Ed did manage to free himself from Al’s hold this time, mostly because his brother was too stricken to hold on.
“Why would you do that?” Hala stiffened, an incredulous look on her face.
“Because I thought if that’s what was needed to help heal the rift then I would do it. At that point, I was alone except for my sisters. I talked it over with them. They hated it but in the end we agreed that one man’s life was worth the price of peace,” Roy replied, reaching for Riza’s hand. “Riza wasn’t very pleased with me when I finally told her. Your granddaughter asked me when we were together and I told her the truth. I tend not to lie much.”
“I’m not sure I could have done the same,” Uzziel said, giving Roy a begrudging look of approval.
Roy smiled slightly. “It wasn’t easy but frankly I thought I would die when I took out the Fuhrer and then again when a new threat showed up.” He glanced over at Edward at that. The younger man lowered his eyes, his jaw tightening. “I seem to keep getting lucky.”
“But not unscarred,” Riza reminded him quietly.
“No, never that.”
“I’m not sure I understand how you work, Mustang,” Uzziel said and made his farewells, taking his leave with Hala and Dev. Roy wondered briefly if they were making Dev walk or if Uzziel had taken the car from the center.
“Dying wouldn’t do this country any good,” Ed said gruffly, getting up off the floor.
“You’re wrong, Fullmetal. We need a peace with the Ishbalans. Bradley fought too many battles on too many sides. Amestris is a strong country but she needs time to heal. If it made the Ishbalans happy, I would have let them have my life but I was hoping it would turn out the way it did.” Roy’s shoulders slumped. “I’m in no real hurry to die, just that I’m prepared to if need be.”
“Yeah well, I still think it’s stupid,” Ed said, heading for the stairs.
“He might have a point but I know what you were trying to do,” Hughes said, eyeing Roy like he had never seen him before.
“And I did it. If you’re wondering, Maes would have slapped me senseless but in the end he’d agree with the necessity of the sacrifice,” Roy said.
“I’m not sure of that.” Hughes’ scrutiny intensified. “Maybe so. But right now, I do need some sleep. I’m going to take a nap. Don’t fall asleep and burn in the sun out there.”
“Riza will come fetch me, I’m sure,” Roy said, smiling over at her. “Or at least send Hayate out to gnaw my leg.” He let out an apologetic sigh then headed outside. He wanted the wind to blow the ugliness from around him. He needed that.
X X X
Judith didn’t like leaving things in her brother’s hands but there was nothing to be done for it. The fools she had contracted with in Central weren’t getting the work done. She had little to fear. Only Rose could identify her and that was easily remedied. Attaway and the Ishbalan hothead had no clue to her appearance. Her mother had made the original contact with Attaway and now that she had disposed of the old hag and took over her plans to make Lior a shining star, Judith felt safe in her anonymity.
“Are you sure you need to go?” Staven asked.
There was something eager in her young brother’s eyes that Judith didn’t like. He might be getting a taste for power. “I don’t think the enemies of Lior will just fall over dead and our allies have proven less than helpful. I think it’s time to take a more personal interest. Both Elrics are back and they’re with Mustang and Armstrong. We should be able to eliminate them at once and blame the Ishbalans,” Judith said.
“I thought they were our friends,” Staven said, giving her a thoughtful look. “Or is that just something you said to get their aid?”
“What do you think?” Judith sniffed. “All you have to do is what you’re best at, Brother, charm the masses. I’ll handle the dirty work.”
He smirked back at her. “And you’re excellent at it.”
Judith just grinned and let him haul the luggage for her to the donkey cart to the train station. Staven was good at what he did and she would hate to have to eliminate him. She doubted she would have to. Staven was laid back and easy to manipulate. She’d worry about him later. For now, she had bigger concerns and a long train ride to sort them out.
X X X
Roy shifted in the hot water, pulling Riza closer to his chest. This was, he thought, one of the best parts of the house; a tub big enough for four and even better, Riza having him pinned to the porcelain. He nuzzled her neck. “Made it through one day without anyone poisoning, bombing or otherwise trying to kill me.”
Riza rocked on him. “Don’t say that. Someone will get ideas.”
Thumbing her nipple, Roy grinned. “I’m just happy for one night where I’m not hung over, concussed or otherwise unable to actually enjoy you.”
“Some would say you enjoy me too much.” Riza tickled her fingers over his testicles, rewarded by a soft groan. “Not me but some.”
Roy thrust up into her. “To hell with them. You’re the only one who matters.”
X X X
“Why am I helping you?” Al shook his head. “I know better than this.”
Ed glared at him, snapping a finger up to silence him. “I know the bastard carried his journal up here and I know you want to see it, too.”
“I planned on asking Roy to see it, not go raiding his bedroom.” Al squared off his shoulders. “You’re on your own, Ed.”
“You’re up here already. What can it hurt?” Ed tugged Al along. “General Shit is downstairs somewhere in the library going over his wedding plans with Riza. Hughes is regaling Winry with stories of Germany. No one will notice we’re gone.”
“I’m not so sure of that. Isn’t Dev still working on paperwork in the library?” Al started to turn away.
Ed rolled his shoulders. “Who cares? Damn, too many doors in this place. This is the one, I think.” He purposely clicked his metal hand around the glass knob and twisted.
Al’s jaw dropped as he and his brother stared into the second door to the master bath. The startled cries and curses couldn’t make him look away from the sight of Riza’s shapely back. Al was vaguely aware Roy seemed to be in the tub, too, but all he saw was beautiful ink in an intellectually arousing pattern and horrible scars destroying that delicate beauty.
Ed slammed the door shut, nearly bowling Al over in his haste to flee the scene of his crime. The brothers tripped and jumped down the carpeted stairs, racing for safety that didn’t exist within the walls of the house. Hughes, Winry and Dev shot them curious looks as they raced past the living room doorway.
“What did you do?” Winry called after them.
“Nothing,” Ed shot back, pausing in his flight to determine the best path.
Al gave up with a loud sigh, stomping towards Winry. “He just had to see Roy’s journal. Asking for it would be too easy. No, he had to sneak a peek.”
“Al!” Ed shoved him.
“Edward!” Winry shook her head and disappeared into the living room, seated back on the couch next to Hughes by the time Ed came in to defend himself.
“I just wanted a look. He never would have known.” Ed pouted, flopping down on a chair.
“Except he caught you,” Hughes guessed, raising his eyebrows.
“Not exactly,” Al blushed.
“How not exactly?” Winry shot him a curious look.
“Let’s just say, I’m going to offer brother up as a sacrifice so I can live.” Al glared at his older sibling.
“Al,” Ed hissed.
“They were in bed,” Hughes guessed, a wide grin on his face.
“Damn, Riza is going to come down here and I’ll be collateral damage,” Dev groaned, gathering up his papers as if he was considering running for his life.
“They were in the tub.” Al covered his red face.
“You saw naked Riza!” Dev’s eyes glinted like a king’s rubies. “What was it like?”
“Dev!” Winry leaned over the coffee table and slapped his thigh hard.
“What?” Dev held nothing that resembled repentance in his expression. “That has to be a pretty sight.”
Hughes nodded in agreement.
“She had an alchemic array tattooed on her back!” Ed blurted out.
Dev cocked his head, making a face. “What?”
“She did. It was gorgeous,” Al added.
“You two got the rare chance of seeing that body without clothing and all you saw was alchemy?” Dev asked incredulously.
“I’m with him.” Hughes stabbed a finger at Dev.
“You’re all awful.” Winry managed to work up a very indignant expression. “Dev, if Roy knows you want to see Riza naked…and you two…I don’t even know you.”
“If I were you, Al, I’d tie up Ed as an offering then run for it,” Hughes said.
Ed stared up at the ceiling. “No one’s coming after us.”
Dev snorted. “This is Mustang. He’s not going to stop having sex just because you saw him. Hell, he probably wouldn’t mind an audience to his greatness. It’s Riza I’d worry about. She’s probably loading a pistol and getting into the best position to shoot you from.”
“He’s right,” Winry said dryly, “and she never misses.” With a long sigh, she nodded at Ed. “Say goodbye to that fun we had the other night.” She blushed suddenly, remembering Dev was there. His slightly stricken look didn’t help.
“Hughes, want some of the bastard’s whiskey? I’m not going home until the slaughter’s over,” Dev propelled himself up, limping into the other room after the alcohol.
“Definitely.” Hughes snickered. “But if we were smart, we’d get out of range.”
“We’re not smart,” came the answer. “Besides, it hurts them more to laugh up close and personal.”
“I thought you wanted Ed as a partner in evil.” Al said.
Dev came back with a tray of glasses and a bottle of Roy’s best. “Either way works for me.”
“That’s cold.” Ed glared.
“Hey, you get what you deserve. I’m not the one breaking into Roy’s rooms and seeing him doing that .” Dev laughed, pouring a drink for Hughes.
“Like you’re so innocent. The only difference is you didn’t get blinded when you raided his chest of drawers,” Ed shot back.
“If I had, you can be damn sure I would have noticed more of Riza than a tattoo.”
“Give me that.” Winry grabbed the whiskey bottle from Dev and poured herself some. “I’ll need the fortification to make arrangements for three funerals.”
“Why am I dying?” Dev asked.
“Because you can’t keep from drooling over the thoughts of Riza without clothes,” Winry said. “And Ed will definitely rat you out to try and save himself.”
“Hey!” Ed’s expression was somewhere between proud of himself and offended.
Hearing footsteps on the stairs, Dev grabbed Winry, pulling her away from the brothers. He beckoned Hughes to follow. “That corner might be safe.”
“If you hurry, Brother, you could probably hide behind Dev. He’s tall enough,” Al suggested.
“Oh, no, the mouse is not hiding behind me. He got himself into this mess, he can get himself out,” Dev said, halfway between using Winry as a shield and putting her behind him.
“WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT, HE’S FOOD FOR THE CAT?”
“There you go, love, a nice flailing target.” Roy grinned, coming into the room. Riza had her gun drawn.
“Damn, I thought you were kidding about the gun.” Hughes’ eyes went wide.
“Aim there!” Dev pointed to the Elrics with his metal hand.
“Care to explain why you were in our bathroom, Edward?” Riza pointed her pistol at him.
“I was there trying to stop Ed,” Al said, shoving Ed forward.
Ed stumbled then whipped around, staring in shock at his brother. “Al!”
“You’re the one who just had to look at the journal, Ed. I’m not taking a bullet for you.” Al scowled at him. “I said, just ask Roy for it.”
“All of this for alchemy?” Riza’s gun hand dropped and she rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “Roy doesn’t have a journal for flame alchemy, boys, just other alchemy.”
“He doesn’t need a journal. It’s on your back, right?” Ed asked, eyes bright.
“Ed, don’t give her real reason to shoot you,” Roy said quietly, so serious Ed and Al both stared at him. “Forget you saw anything.”
“But…”
“Edward,” Winry said in a hushed tone. “Because of Ishbal, Roy promised Riza that there would be no more flame alchemists. They agreed to die rather than let that happen.”
“We’ll never mention it again,” Al said, nudging his brother who nodded. “We just couldn’t help being intrigued.”
“Yes, by an array, not the beautiful naked woman.” Dev rolled his eyes. “And why did you tattoo it there in the first place if you didn’t want the world to know?”
Winry elbowed him as Roy’s eyes narrowed. The alchemist grumbled, “Don’t think of her naked. And I didn’t do it. Her father made Riza his alchemic journal.”
“God, are you all insane?” Dev rubbed his ribs where he caught Winry’s elbow.
“I’m sane. The rest…maybe not so,” Roy said. “Especially Edward.”
“Hey! I wasn’t insane. I was young!” Ed huffed, glaring at Roy.
“What did you do? Mr. Sane burned a country to the ground. Could what you have done be crazier than that?” Dev persisted in spite of a renewed elbow to the ribs.
“I think he has a valid question. I know your Hughes would have known all about this stuff but I don’t. It doesn’t seem particularly sane to make your child the repository of arcane knowledge,” Hughes said, gesturing at Riza.
Riza sat on a chair and Roy rested his hand on her shoulder. “My father wasn’t very sane by the end. The pressure of wielding the sort of power flame alchemy bestows was too much for him.”
“Brother and I didn’t know any better. I was only nine,” Al started but dropped his gaze, unable to look at Hughes.
“Our mother had died. We were alone. We just wanted her back,” Ed whispered.
“You can bring back the dead?” Dev asked in a strangled tone. “The blasphemy…”
“Cost me my arm and leg.” Ed met his gaze coolly. “And my brother’s whole body. It took even darker alchemy, not started by us, to bring him back.”
“The end result was that Ed disappeared...we weren’t sure if he was alive or dead for a long time.” The corner of Al's mouth twitched up slightly. “A lot of people gave up hope.” He reached out, squeezing Winry’s shoulder.
“And then, when I finally made it back home, I left again in just a few hours.” Ed made a disgusted face. “In the heat of the moment, in battle, trying to save someone’s life, you just don’t think things through as well as you could.”
“No, you don’t,” Riza agreed.
“Can you really bring back the dead?” Hughes asked, glancing up at Roy.
“No, they come back as homunculi. They look like the person you wanted to bring back but they’re not. They’re artificial life. Of course, the boys didn’t know that. I didn’t know it either, at first. I almost succeeded in my quest to bring back the dead,” Roy replied.
Al’s gaze snapped up. “You…I guess that’s how you knew what we did without us telling you.”
“Who did you want to bring back?” Ed’s curious gaze washed over Mustang.
“It didn’t take me long to realize I couldn’t undo everything I did in Ishbal,” Roy sat on the arm of Riza’s chair and she rested her fingers on his back. “I settled on my two most unconscionable acts, setting that Ishbalan boy on fire and killing Winry’s parents. I thought if I could at least undo that much, it would help. Then I realized it would be a life for a life so I made my choice. I thought I would have better chances at success if I knew the person so I gave up on the boy I didn’t know and decided a little girl would want her mother most.”
“What made you stop?” Al asked.
“Wait? You what?” Ed’s eyes widened and Hughes looked as if he had wanted to ask that himself.
“You wanted to bring that boy back?” Dev sounded sick, his tanned face pale.
Winry moved across the room, taking Roy’s hands. “My parents would’ve said it wouldn’t be worth it. They saved lives, they didn’t take them.”
Roy squeezed Winry’s hands before pulling them away, using one to point at Hughes. “Maes beat the hell out of me then he told Riza and she beat me, too. They took away my gun, because that was always out and sitting on an array somewhere just in case I decided for that option. And after they were done beating on me, they handed me to my sisters.”
“If someone had realized what we were doing,” Ed’s eyes focused on Winry, “we’d have been beaten, too.”
That’s before our Teacher would’ve found out.” A bittersweet smile graced Al’s face.
“A good beating would have saved you a lot of pain in the long run.” Riza eyed the brothers, who had the grace to mutter their agreements.
“I don’t think it’s so much insanity, Dev, as arrogance and desperation,” Roy replied. “Edward, Alphonse and I just wanted to make things better. There are lines alchemists are not meant to cross and we know it. That one is the biggest of them all.”
“It should be.” Dev shuddered in reaction to the very idea.
“Enough of this,” Riza said, getting to her feet. “However, since we’re speaking of beatings, love, go hold that one down and I’ll get it started.” Riza grinned, pointing at Ed.
“WHAT?" Ed yelped, jerking backwards.
“Sorry, Edward, you did ruin her sensual bath. You have to pay.” Roy lunged for him.
“If I help you, do I get to escape?” Al asked brightly, hanging onto his brother’s belt.
“No. You saw, you die," Roy replied, doing a fair approximation of Ed's scary grin.
“I'm sorry, Winry, but you have to understand,” Riza added.
Winry held up her hands. “They deserve it.”
“I just saw some ink. Dev’s been busy fantasizing about it!” Al protested.
“He’s last.” Roy’s gleeful expression promised death and destruction to all.
Ed undid his buckle and snaked out of his belt, unbalancing Al as he hightailed it toward the door. Dev’s long legs caught up to him and he whirled the blond back into the fray. “Sorry, Elric, but I’m not dying because of you.”
Ed bounced over the back of the couch, snaked past Riza, giving Al a shove into her reach, and tried to escape out the other door. Roy caught hold of him. A brief tussle later left Ed holding a silk robe and Roy not wearing anything at all. Ed flung the robe up and made a dash for it until the floor grew hands. Roy just smirked, not making a move to dress.
“You have to love alchemy sometimes,” Roy said.
“Put on your robe,” Hughes said. “There are ladies present.”
Roy stooped to pick it up and Ed clapped his hands to free himself. He ran right into Riza’s grip. “Now, Edward, we’re going to settle this,” she told him sternly.
Ed just slumped in good natured defeat and accepted his fate.
Chapter twenty-two
Author -
cornerofmadnessDisclaimer - not mine, all characters belong to Hiromu Arakawa et al, Square Enix and funimition.
Pairing – Roy/Riza, Ed/Win (eventually) Winry/OC, mentions of Maes/Gracia and Al/OC
Rating – THIS CHAPTER HAS A FEW R RATED (BORDERLINE NC-17) Moments
Time Line – anime based, spoilers all the way through the anime and the movie and does have strong manga elements such as Armstrong’s older sister and the land of Xing
Summary – As Roy and Riza prepare for their wedding, while dodging assassins, Ed and Al try to find their way back home.
Author’s Note #1– This was written after much prodding by
evil_little_dog as a sequel to the source of sorrow and is now her holiday gift even if she has beta’ed part of it. So thanks to her and lyricnonsense for the beta. You do not have to read the first story to understand this. You’ll quickly pick up that Riza has retired from the military to be Roy’s wife and bodyguard. Olivia Armstrong is now president and she’s assigned Roy as the ambassador to Ishbal; oh and that Roy was severely injured in the destruction of the Gate, requiring some of Winry’s automail.Author's Note #2 - This is a longer work and like real relationships, the ones listed in the pairings, take time to mend and come together. They have to work at it. Hope you enjoy the ride.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter eight
Chapter nine
chapter ten
chapter eleven
chapter twelve
chapter thirteen
chapter fourteen
chapter fifteen
chapter sixteen
chapter seventeen
chapter eighteen
chapter nineteen
Chapter twenty
Chapter Twenty- One
This is home. Now I'm finally where I belong – Switchfoot
“Roy, are you getting that door? You had best still be on that couch.” Riza’s voice rang stridently throughout the house.
“I’m on the couch,” he lied blatantly. Roy headed for the door before the person had the chance to ring the bell again and wake up Dev or Ed who were best left asleep, or Hughes who had only just arrived home less than an hour ago. It was that arrival that had made Roy pop up, too awake for sleep, though he was then forced to reside on the couch like some invalid.
“Aunt Li-Ying, Riza, Uncle Roy is at the door,” Miao-Yin called as she came out of the atrium to answer the door herself.
“Damn it, Roy!”
Ignoring the pounding footsteps coming out of the kitchen, Roy opened the door, shocked to see Uzziel and Hala there. He didn’t know why he was so surprised. Hardly a day went by without a visit from the Ishbalans even though they really didn’t like him. The most surprising part was how flustered Hala looked. Her red eyes seemed to whirl as she stared at him.
Hala reached out then pulled her hand back. “Please, my son didn’t do this. Don’t take him from me.”
“I’ll do what I have to assure Dev is no trouble if you let him out of jail,” Uzziel added.
Roy glanced over his shoulder at Riza who had started to haul him back but stopped at the Ishbalans’ words.
“What are they talking about, Uncle Roy?” Miao-Yin cocked her head at her uncle.
“I’m not sure.”
“Your men took my son away last night for questioning. They still have him detained,” Hala said, closing the gap between them. Roy thought for a moment she might take hold of him and cry.
“No, we don’t,” Riza said with a slow shake of her head.
“But…” Hala exchanged bewildered looks with Uzziel.
“The idiot is upstairs asleep. They did have him in interrogation all night. He came to me this morning with a potential suspect then went to sleep. He didn’t call you first?” Roy tried not to laugh because Hala’s distress was so obvious. “You can go wake him up. Riza will let you borrow one of her guns.”
Hala’s face reddened. “Do not tempt me.”
“Miao-Yin, show Mrs. Jasso upstairs to Dev’s room.” Roy tempered his amusement a little to add, “Try to be at least a little quiet. Edward and Hughes are still asleep.”
“I’ll try,” Hala replied, a grim expression on her face, following the young girl upstairs.
Riza started shoving Roy towards the living room. “Come on and have a seat, Uzziel.”
“How long before she kills him? I have two hundred sen that says five minutes.” Roy grinned at the priest, letting Riza bear him along.
“You’re bad.” The old man chuckled, walking into the living room with them.
Riza nudged Roy to the couch and he toppled onto it. “Don’t push so hard, Riza.”
“Don’t lie about everything,” Riza replied then turned to Uzziel. “Can I get you something?”
The old man held up a wrinkled hand. “I’m fine, thank you. Worried sick but I’ll be fine now. I’m assuming you don’t believe Dev had anything to do with poisoning you if you’re allowing him under your roof.”
Roy straightened up a bit on the couch, seeing his sister coming into the room. She gave him a critical stare and he tried to put on his best face before she decided he needed medicine he didn’t want. “I’m pretty sure Dev’s innocent. I know they have Aris under investigation right now with one of Armstrong’s men. I think it’s more likely Sanaa.”
Uzziel’s eyes widened, his fingers working into the soft leather of the chair. “How did her name come up?”
“Dev brought a girl to the hospital, Anah,” Riza said. “She said she saw Sanaa in the center and that it was possible she might have done this.”
Uzziel tugged on his white beard. “It isn’t her style of killing but I’m sure if she thought it was possible, she’d try anything. You would be a very good target, Mustang.”
“I figured that much,” Roy said wryly. “Sister, sit. You’re hovering.”
“I’m trying to decide what you need, Cricket.” Li-Ying glared at him. “Winry and Al are making blackberry tea. It’s good for an upset stomach.”
“I need you to not hover,” Roy replied. “I’m fine.” He twisted on his chair, looking back through the doorway, hearing noises. “I think they woke up more than just Dev.”
Ed thumped down the stairs followed by a bleary eyed Hughes. Dev tried to hurry past them to escape his mother’s wrath, Roy supposed. Ed snatched a pillow off the couch, flinging it to the ground on top the thick fireplace rug. He hit ground on one metal knee with a loud clang then rolled onto his back with a groan.
“Eww, I think it died.” Dev wrinkled his nose.
“Guess your mother killing you woke up everyone,” Roy said as Ed flailed blindly with an obscene gesture.
“Actually, I started having a nightmare. I think that woke Hughes but since he’s the cause of it, I don’t feel bad.” Dev grumbled, folding up in a chair, still trembling from the dream.
Hughes rolled his shoulders, sitting down wearily. “Sorry, but there was a job to do. You’re a viable suspect.”
“Like hell,” Dev started to rant but stopped when Winry whipped into the room, followed by Al.
“Who was clanging their automail?” Winry’s hot gaze swept over them and Dev and Roy quickly pointed to Edward.
“Bet he dented it.” Dev smirked.
“Winry makes better automail than that!” Ed protested.
“Try not to abuse it. You’ve only had it a few days,” Winry said, toeing his metal ankle gently.
“The tea is ready. I’ll go back and get it,” Al said.
“I’ll help. I have a few other things that might be helpful,” Li-Ying said, following Al. Winry and Miao-Yin went with them.
“Ed, look alive. Trust me. She’s going to bring out medicines you don’t want and she will make you take them,” Roy warned in a low voice.
“Will they make me feel better?” Ed peered at him with bloodshot eyes, looking as if he’d be willing to do anything to achieve that.
“I have two words for you: Rat. Wine.” Roy watched Ed turn even more papery white. “It’s exactly what it sounds like.”
Ed struggled to sit up. “Tell her I’m fine. I’m better than fine. I’m ready for action.”
“Rat wine?” Dev’s eyes bugged. “Ewww, Ishbala! That is so gross.” He canted his eyes at Ed. “I’ll never forgive you for warning him.”
Ed muttered something that sounded suspiciously like a physical impossibility for Dev to attempt. Roy waved both of them off. “Even Elric doesn’t deserve a preserved rat in sour wine. And no, I’m not sure what it’s supposed to cure. I’m just grateful to never be sick enough to need it. You hear me, right, Li-Ying!” Roy called loudly, making Ed groan. “I’m hung over, not sick! In fact, I feel pretty good. Confine your meddling to Edward.”
“Die,” Ed growled.
“Is it always like this here?” Hala asked. “Every time I come here it’s like…”
“A bad comedy act?” Hughes offered weakly, taking his glasses off and putting them on the table. He leaned back in his chair, shutting his eyes.
“Like squabbling siblings. I was rather offended when Aris said it but now I see why.” Hala scowled at her son. “It’s time to leave. The Ambassador looks exhausted as do his friends. Unless you plan on just going back to sleep here, Dev. You should have called me.”
“I did. I swear. I left a message at the hotel desk,” Dev protested. “And I want to see what Li-Ying is making. She’ll be upset if we don’t partake.”
“You just want to see me get poisoned again,” Ed grumbled, eyeing Dev hotly.
“No, no, I’ve been looking for an ally against the bastard. You’ll do nicely since you’re well practiced.” Dev grinned as Winry and Li-Ying came back with tea. Al was carting a tray of soup bowls with a big pot in their center.
“The tea will settle your stomachs,” Winry said, “And Dev, I’m pretending I didn’t hear that. Do not encourage Edward.”
Dev just beamed at her.
“What’s in that soup?” Ed pointed a shaking hand. “There’re no penises or rats, right?”
“It’s six-treasures soup,” Li-Ying said.
“Notice she says nothing about what’s in it.” Dev snickered.
Li-Ying swatted him in the back of the head then turned to his mother. “Sorry.”
Hala waved her off. “He was asking for it.”
Dev pouted at his mother.
“There’s honeysuckle flower, orange skins, cardamom and rice,” Miao-Yin said as Al ladled up a bowl for his brother. His eyes were on the pretty girl so he nearly missed the bowl. “It’s very restorative.”
“It’s good, Edward,” Roy said, holding out his hands. Winry popped a cup into it.
“Hughes, Dev, you look like you could use a little restoring, too,” Li-Ying said, nudging Al to ladle out more.
The men accepted it but everyone waited for Roy to taste it before eating. Once he did, they slurped greedily.
“This is very sweet,” Hughes said. “I like this.”
“It’s good for you, eat up,” Li-Ying said. “Are you taking Dev home, just so I know what to do with dinner?”
“I’ll go home. I’ve got a few hours sleep, if nothing else,” Dev said then lifted his bowl. “Besides you just fed me. I’d like to get some sleep in my own bed before I get arrested again.” He cast a baleful look at Hughes.
“I didn’t arrest you,” Hughes replied, peering over the rim of his soup bowl. “I detained you for questioning. Can you tell me you’re not the perfect suspect?”
Dev slumped, setting his bowl down. “No, I am a good suspect. I took this job for two reasons, to help my people and to get close enough to him to kill him.” Dev pointed at Roy with his metal hand for emphasis. “But I’d be smart enough to not be the top suspect if I still actually wanted him dead. And I’ve learned better ways of making him hurt. If I wanted to destroy Mustang, I would have made sure Riza got the poison, not him. He doesn’t care about his life but she’s his world.”
The room tumbled into stunned silence. Winry’s fingers tightened around her tea cup. “Dev, that is an awful thing to say.”
“War usually makes for dark thoughts,” Dev replied, apology and grim reality both edging into his tone.
“Never say that again,” Roy said very softly, his eye a narrow band of pure onyx.
“I never even mention to my friends that you’re marrying lest someone does get that same idea. I like Riza. I don’t want anything to happen to her but…” Dev trailed off, glancing at Riza.
“That’s what you would have done had you really been responsible,” Riza finished for him.
“You’re wilier than I thought. Maybe it was all meant for Edward. It would be a way to get rid of a rival,” Hughes mused.
Dev’s muscles tightened. “How would I know Ed would steal that pastry?”
“You’ve heard all about Ed. You both stole Roy’s soup at the center. You probably figured he’d steal it again,” Hughes said, a protective tone slipping into his voice.
“Yeah, true but I don’t want Ed dead. He’s a good ally and I need that more than I need him gone,” Dev said.
Winry put up her hands. “This is getting too ugly. Mr. Hughes, Dev wouldn’t try to kill Ed…and I’m not a prize in a competition. Besides, I think Dev has his eye on someone else. I’m happy he wants to be friends with Ed, even if it does mean listening to them plot against Roy.”
“I do?” Dev blinked. “You mean Anah?”
“In case you’re dense, and you are, she likes you,” Roy supplied. “And I’m with Winry. Let’s find something less nasty to talk about. Hughes, Dev didn’t poison us. Dev, threaten Riza and I will finish the job on you and never think twice.”
Hala caught her breath, reaching for Uzziel’s hand.
“How is that less nasty?” Al asked. “It would help if nasty things quit happening.”
“True,” Dev huffed, scooting closer to his mother then smirked, a bubble of laughter surfacing. He held up his hands. “Sorry. I was just thinking…okay, it wasn’t funny at the time but now that they’re all right.” He chuckled again. “Last night.”
“Don’t you start!” Al stabbed a finger at Dev.
“Sorry.” Dev started laughing. “But parts of it were very funny.”
“It was not. Ed thought he was talking to the dead,” Winry said, her mouth fighting the smile. “It was Roy who was funny.”
Dev lost what little control he still had left. Al started shaking from holding in a laugh.
“What? What happened? What did he do? I missed it again .” Ed tried to sit up then sprawled back on the rug, limply.
“He was seeing music while you were busy freaking out,” Hughes replied, his smile splitting his face.
“I think Dev is referring to later after he stripped Edward,” Riza pointed out.
Ed’s eyes narrowed. “He what? Why?”
“You were overheating,” Winry said, patting his shoulder. “We had to cool you and Roy down.”
“Wait? He was naked, too?” At Ed’s frantic question, Al’s last thread of resolve broke and he curled up on himself on the floor, giggling.
Red-faced, Dev gasped out. “Didn’t know how much poison you had…get too hot and the heart stops.”
“I was naked with that bastard ?” Ed tried to get up off the floor then flopped back, turning greenish.
“I remember some of this,” Roy said as Riza sat next to him, hands cupped over her mouth.
“You weren’t naked, Ed. You had on your boxers,” Winry said, reaching down to stroke his hair.
“Wait, wait,” Al waved his hand frantically, tears rolling down his cheeks. “It gets better.”
“It does not get better unless I got to kick the bastard where it hurts with this foot.” Ed wiggled his left leg.
Winry tugged his long hair. “Be nice, Edward.”
“Funny you said foot.” Dev wiped his wet face and Al started laughing louder, finally taking Hughes and Riza down with him. “That was the funniest part. The foot!”
Ed groaned, pressing his face against Winry's calf. “I don’t want to know.”
“That’ll just make Dev tell you,” Roy said, an evil smirk on his face. “But it wasn’t my fault, I was high.”
“What the hell did you do?” Ed changed his mind.
“He thought you were a girl!” Dev said brightly.
“And you know how he is about blondes,” Hughes added, clutching his sides.
“I’m almost sorry I missed this,” Uzziel said dryly.
Ed sat up faster than anyone expected him to move. “You bastard!” he hissed, clenching a fist, starting to go after Roy.
Winry hauled Ed back with his hair as Al unfurled from his laughter-ball position to grab his brother.
“I haven’t even gotten to the foot yet. Wanna know what he caressed with it?” Dev clearly enjoyed egging Ed on. Riza slapped him across the chest.
Ed growled, lurching forward again, almost breaking free from both Al and Winry’s grips.
“Dev, don’t you tell him,” Al said, fighting to keep his brother on the floor.
“Come on, Al. How can you not tell your brother about the planned orgy?” Dev said, blocking another blow from Riza.
Ed’s mouth flopped open, his eyes so wide, they swallowed his face. “The what?” he stammered. “The orgy?”
“I do remember this part,” Roy grinned broadly. “It would have been a hell of a party.”
“Yeah, you, Riza, Winry, Olivia and Girlie-Ed,” Dev said, “The dangerous blondes sample case.” He waved a hand at Roy. “You weren’t waiting for anyone to put a stop to your plans, either.”
Al forced Ed down harder, starting to laugh louder at that. “When he touched Ed…”
“You let him touch me?” Ed whipped around to glare at Al, nearly ripping out hair from Winry’s grip.
“Edward, we were all in the room,” Riza said. “Do you think anyone would have let you get hurt? Roy bumped you with his foot. Al and Hughes were right there holding onto you.”
“So the wall wouldn’t eat your parts,” Dev added chuckling. This time his mother swatted him.
“Do not enjoy this so much.” Hala shot her son a withering look. He shrugged, turning his attention to Miao-Yin who seemed highly amused by them.
“It's the roses. They're going to devour me.” Ed shuddered under his brother’s weight.
“We won’t get that lucky,” Roy chuckled. “Sorry for mistaking you for a beautiful woman, Edward. It’s a mistake anyone could make under the circumstances.”
“I didn’t mistake you for a woman,” Ed snarled, still trying to wiggle free.
“It would be much harder to see me as a woman, yes.” Roy smirked. “Besides you were too busy thinking walls had teeth.”
“This is not a better conversation. We’ve just traded one form of madness for another,” Winry sighed.
“You’re right. Dev, go home. Sleep. We’re not arresting you. Ed, go back to sleep. You’re obnoxious when you’re hung over. Hughes, yeah, you need sleep, too. I’m going out to the garden to meditate,” Roy said, getting up.
“Translation, I want to go get half naked and fall asleep in the sun like a lizard.” Dev got up and held a hand out to his mother.
“Bossy bastard,” Ed grumbled.
“Oh, and that thing you were wanting to know about in the soup? Silkworms, dried ones.” Roy said, getting up, trying to maintain his cool demeanor lest Riza send him back to his room.
“Eh, I can handle worms. I had to eat them on Yock Island.” Ed rolled his shoulders.
“Same here, well, not on some island but you know what I mean,” Dev said, giving a hand up to Uzziel as well.
“You fed me worms?” Hughes asked, turning green. “What did I do?”
“They’re good for you,” Li-Ying assured him, despite his horrified expression.
Uzziel turned to Roy. “I’m sorry about all of this, Mustang. I was hoping that Ishbalans weren’t behind the attacks on you. I don’t think I can hold out much hope of that now.”
“I was hoping that myself,” Roy said, frustration vibrating in his tone.
“If we can help, we will. I will not have our new home threatened by one person’s need for revenge,” Uzziel said, “as hard as that is for me to say. I don’t have to tell you I was not originally in favor of sparing you.”
“You had absolutely no reason to want to spare me.” Roy held Uzziel’s gaze steadily.
“But I’m very glad you did.” Riza’s expression didn’t waver.
“Since we’re on dark topics, I need to know if my granddaughter was right. Did you volunteer yourself to be executed, Mustang, or were you chosen as a sacrifice?” Uzziel asked, his red eyes hard.
Roy’s larynx bobbed as he swallowed hard. “I volunteered.”
“What the hell?” Ed did manage to free himself from Al’s hold this time, mostly because his brother was too stricken to hold on.
“Why would you do that?” Hala stiffened, an incredulous look on her face.
“Because I thought if that’s what was needed to help heal the rift then I would do it. At that point, I was alone except for my sisters. I talked it over with them. They hated it but in the end we agreed that one man’s life was worth the price of peace,” Roy replied, reaching for Riza’s hand. “Riza wasn’t very pleased with me when I finally told her. Your granddaughter asked me when we were together and I told her the truth. I tend not to lie much.”
“I’m not sure I could have done the same,” Uzziel said, giving Roy a begrudging look of approval.
Roy smiled slightly. “It wasn’t easy but frankly I thought I would die when I took out the Fuhrer and then again when a new threat showed up.” He glanced over at Edward at that. The younger man lowered his eyes, his jaw tightening. “I seem to keep getting lucky.”
“But not unscarred,” Riza reminded him quietly.
“No, never that.”
“I’m not sure I understand how you work, Mustang,” Uzziel said and made his farewells, taking his leave with Hala and Dev. Roy wondered briefly if they were making Dev walk or if Uzziel had taken the car from the center.
“Dying wouldn’t do this country any good,” Ed said gruffly, getting up off the floor.
“You’re wrong, Fullmetal. We need a peace with the Ishbalans. Bradley fought too many battles on too many sides. Amestris is a strong country but she needs time to heal. If it made the Ishbalans happy, I would have let them have my life but I was hoping it would turn out the way it did.” Roy’s shoulders slumped. “I’m in no real hurry to die, just that I’m prepared to if need be.”
“Yeah well, I still think it’s stupid,” Ed said, heading for the stairs.
“He might have a point but I know what you were trying to do,” Hughes said, eyeing Roy like he had never seen him before.
“And I did it. If you’re wondering, Maes would have slapped me senseless but in the end he’d agree with the necessity of the sacrifice,” Roy said.
“I’m not sure of that.” Hughes’ scrutiny intensified. “Maybe so. But right now, I do need some sleep. I’m going to take a nap. Don’t fall asleep and burn in the sun out there.”
“Riza will come fetch me, I’m sure,” Roy said, smiling over at her. “Or at least send Hayate out to gnaw my leg.” He let out an apologetic sigh then headed outside. He wanted the wind to blow the ugliness from around him. He needed that.
X X X
Judith didn’t like leaving things in her brother’s hands but there was nothing to be done for it. The fools she had contracted with in Central weren’t getting the work done. She had little to fear. Only Rose could identify her and that was easily remedied. Attaway and the Ishbalan hothead had no clue to her appearance. Her mother had made the original contact with Attaway and now that she had disposed of the old hag and took over her plans to make Lior a shining star, Judith felt safe in her anonymity.
“Are you sure you need to go?” Staven asked.
There was something eager in her young brother’s eyes that Judith didn’t like. He might be getting a taste for power. “I don’t think the enemies of Lior will just fall over dead and our allies have proven less than helpful. I think it’s time to take a more personal interest. Both Elrics are back and they’re with Mustang and Armstrong. We should be able to eliminate them at once and blame the Ishbalans,” Judith said.
“I thought they were our friends,” Staven said, giving her a thoughtful look. “Or is that just something you said to get their aid?”
“What do you think?” Judith sniffed. “All you have to do is what you’re best at, Brother, charm the masses. I’ll handle the dirty work.”
He smirked back at her. “And you’re excellent at it.”
Judith just grinned and let him haul the luggage for her to the donkey cart to the train station. Staven was good at what he did and she would hate to have to eliminate him. She doubted she would have to. Staven was laid back and easy to manipulate. She’d worry about him later. For now, she had bigger concerns and a long train ride to sort them out.
X X X
Roy shifted in the hot water, pulling Riza closer to his chest. This was, he thought, one of the best parts of the house; a tub big enough for four and even better, Riza having him pinned to the porcelain. He nuzzled her neck. “Made it through one day without anyone poisoning, bombing or otherwise trying to kill me.”
Riza rocked on him. “Don’t say that. Someone will get ideas.”
Thumbing her nipple, Roy grinned. “I’m just happy for one night where I’m not hung over, concussed or otherwise unable to actually enjoy you.”
“Some would say you enjoy me too much.” Riza tickled her fingers over his testicles, rewarded by a soft groan. “Not me but some.”
Roy thrust up into her. “To hell with them. You’re the only one who matters.”
X X X
“Why am I helping you?” Al shook his head. “I know better than this.”
Ed glared at him, snapping a finger up to silence him. “I know the bastard carried his journal up here and I know you want to see it, too.”
“I planned on asking Roy to see it, not go raiding his bedroom.” Al squared off his shoulders. “You’re on your own, Ed.”
“You’re up here already. What can it hurt?” Ed tugged Al along. “General Shit is downstairs somewhere in the library going over his wedding plans with Riza. Hughes is regaling Winry with stories of Germany. No one will notice we’re gone.”
“I’m not so sure of that. Isn’t Dev still working on paperwork in the library?” Al started to turn away.
Ed rolled his shoulders. “Who cares? Damn, too many doors in this place. This is the one, I think.” He purposely clicked his metal hand around the glass knob and twisted.
Al’s jaw dropped as he and his brother stared into the second door to the master bath. The startled cries and curses couldn’t make him look away from the sight of Riza’s shapely back. Al was vaguely aware Roy seemed to be in the tub, too, but all he saw was beautiful ink in an intellectually arousing pattern and horrible scars destroying that delicate beauty.
Ed slammed the door shut, nearly bowling Al over in his haste to flee the scene of his crime. The brothers tripped and jumped down the carpeted stairs, racing for safety that didn’t exist within the walls of the house. Hughes, Winry and Dev shot them curious looks as they raced past the living room doorway.
“What did you do?” Winry called after them.
“Nothing,” Ed shot back, pausing in his flight to determine the best path.
Al gave up with a loud sigh, stomping towards Winry. “He just had to see Roy’s journal. Asking for it would be too easy. No, he had to sneak a peek.”
“Al!” Ed shoved him.
“Edward!” Winry shook her head and disappeared into the living room, seated back on the couch next to Hughes by the time Ed came in to defend himself.
“I just wanted a look. He never would have known.” Ed pouted, flopping down on a chair.
“Except he caught you,” Hughes guessed, raising his eyebrows.
“Not exactly,” Al blushed.
“How not exactly?” Winry shot him a curious look.
“Let’s just say, I’m going to offer brother up as a sacrifice so I can live.” Al glared at his older sibling.
“Al,” Ed hissed.
“They were in bed,” Hughes guessed, a wide grin on his face.
“Damn, Riza is going to come down here and I’ll be collateral damage,” Dev groaned, gathering up his papers as if he was considering running for his life.
“They were in the tub.” Al covered his red face.
“You saw naked Riza!” Dev’s eyes glinted like a king’s rubies. “What was it like?”
“Dev!” Winry leaned over the coffee table and slapped his thigh hard.
“What?” Dev held nothing that resembled repentance in his expression. “That has to be a pretty sight.”
Hughes nodded in agreement.
“She had an alchemic array tattooed on her back!” Ed blurted out.
Dev cocked his head, making a face. “What?”
“She did. It was gorgeous,” Al added.
“You two got the rare chance of seeing that body without clothing and all you saw was alchemy?” Dev asked incredulously.
“I’m with him.” Hughes stabbed a finger at Dev.
“You’re all awful.” Winry managed to work up a very indignant expression. “Dev, if Roy knows you want to see Riza naked…and you two…I don’t even know you.”
“If I were you, Al, I’d tie up Ed as an offering then run for it,” Hughes said.
Ed stared up at the ceiling. “No one’s coming after us.”
Dev snorted. “This is Mustang. He’s not going to stop having sex just because you saw him. Hell, he probably wouldn’t mind an audience to his greatness. It’s Riza I’d worry about. She’s probably loading a pistol and getting into the best position to shoot you from.”
“He’s right,” Winry said dryly, “and she never misses.” With a long sigh, she nodded at Ed. “Say goodbye to that fun we had the other night.” She blushed suddenly, remembering Dev was there. His slightly stricken look didn’t help.
“Hughes, want some of the bastard’s whiskey? I’m not going home until the slaughter’s over,” Dev propelled himself up, limping into the other room after the alcohol.
“Definitely.” Hughes snickered. “But if we were smart, we’d get out of range.”
“We’re not smart,” came the answer. “Besides, it hurts them more to laugh up close and personal.”
“I thought you wanted Ed as a partner in evil.” Al said.
Dev came back with a tray of glasses and a bottle of Roy’s best. “Either way works for me.”
“That’s cold.” Ed glared.
“Hey, you get what you deserve. I’m not the one breaking into Roy’s rooms and seeing him doing that .” Dev laughed, pouring a drink for Hughes.
“Like you’re so innocent. The only difference is you didn’t get blinded when you raided his chest of drawers,” Ed shot back.
“If I had, you can be damn sure I would have noticed more of Riza than a tattoo.”
“Give me that.” Winry grabbed the whiskey bottle from Dev and poured herself some. “I’ll need the fortification to make arrangements for three funerals.”
“Why am I dying?” Dev asked.
“Because you can’t keep from drooling over the thoughts of Riza without clothes,” Winry said. “And Ed will definitely rat you out to try and save himself.”
“Hey!” Ed’s expression was somewhere between proud of himself and offended.
Hearing footsteps on the stairs, Dev grabbed Winry, pulling her away from the brothers. He beckoned Hughes to follow. “That corner might be safe.”
“If you hurry, Brother, you could probably hide behind Dev. He’s tall enough,” Al suggested.
“Oh, no, the mouse is not hiding behind me. He got himself into this mess, he can get himself out,” Dev said, halfway between using Winry as a shield and putting her behind him.
“WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT, HE’S FOOD FOR THE CAT?”
“There you go, love, a nice flailing target.” Roy grinned, coming into the room. Riza had her gun drawn.
“Damn, I thought you were kidding about the gun.” Hughes’ eyes went wide.
“Aim there!” Dev pointed to the Elrics with his metal hand.
“Care to explain why you were in our bathroom, Edward?” Riza pointed her pistol at him.
“I was there trying to stop Ed,” Al said, shoving Ed forward.
Ed stumbled then whipped around, staring in shock at his brother. “Al!”
“You’re the one who just had to look at the journal, Ed. I’m not taking a bullet for you.” Al scowled at him. “I said, just ask Roy for it.”
“All of this for alchemy?” Riza’s gun hand dropped and she rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “Roy doesn’t have a journal for flame alchemy, boys, just other alchemy.”
“He doesn’t need a journal. It’s on your back, right?” Ed asked, eyes bright.
“Ed, don’t give her real reason to shoot you,” Roy said quietly, so serious Ed and Al both stared at him. “Forget you saw anything.”
“But…”
“Edward,” Winry said in a hushed tone. “Because of Ishbal, Roy promised Riza that there would be no more flame alchemists. They agreed to die rather than let that happen.”
“We’ll never mention it again,” Al said, nudging his brother who nodded. “We just couldn’t help being intrigued.”
“Yes, by an array, not the beautiful naked woman.” Dev rolled his eyes. “And why did you tattoo it there in the first place if you didn’t want the world to know?”
Winry elbowed him as Roy’s eyes narrowed. The alchemist grumbled, “Don’t think of her naked. And I didn’t do it. Her father made Riza his alchemic journal.”
“God, are you all insane?” Dev rubbed his ribs where he caught Winry’s elbow.
“I’m sane. The rest…maybe not so,” Roy said. “Especially Edward.”
“Hey! I wasn’t insane. I was young!” Ed huffed, glaring at Roy.
“What did you do? Mr. Sane burned a country to the ground. Could what you have done be crazier than that?” Dev persisted in spite of a renewed elbow to the ribs.
“I think he has a valid question. I know your Hughes would have known all about this stuff but I don’t. It doesn’t seem particularly sane to make your child the repository of arcane knowledge,” Hughes said, gesturing at Riza.
Riza sat on a chair and Roy rested his hand on her shoulder. “My father wasn’t very sane by the end. The pressure of wielding the sort of power flame alchemy bestows was too much for him.”
“Brother and I didn’t know any better. I was only nine,” Al started but dropped his gaze, unable to look at Hughes.
“Our mother had died. We were alone. We just wanted her back,” Ed whispered.
“You can bring back the dead?” Dev asked in a strangled tone. “The blasphemy…”
“Cost me my arm and leg.” Ed met his gaze coolly. “And my brother’s whole body. It took even darker alchemy, not started by us, to bring him back.”
“The end result was that Ed disappeared...we weren’t sure if he was alive or dead for a long time.” The corner of Al's mouth twitched up slightly. “A lot of people gave up hope.” He reached out, squeezing Winry’s shoulder.
“And then, when I finally made it back home, I left again in just a few hours.” Ed made a disgusted face. “In the heat of the moment, in battle, trying to save someone’s life, you just don’t think things through as well as you could.”
“No, you don’t,” Riza agreed.
“Can you really bring back the dead?” Hughes asked, glancing up at Roy.
“No, they come back as homunculi. They look like the person you wanted to bring back but they’re not. They’re artificial life. Of course, the boys didn’t know that. I didn’t know it either, at first. I almost succeeded in my quest to bring back the dead,” Roy replied.
Al’s gaze snapped up. “You…I guess that’s how you knew what we did without us telling you.”
“Who did you want to bring back?” Ed’s curious gaze washed over Mustang.
“It didn’t take me long to realize I couldn’t undo everything I did in Ishbal,” Roy sat on the arm of Riza’s chair and she rested her fingers on his back. “I settled on my two most unconscionable acts, setting that Ishbalan boy on fire and killing Winry’s parents. I thought if I could at least undo that much, it would help. Then I realized it would be a life for a life so I made my choice. I thought I would have better chances at success if I knew the person so I gave up on the boy I didn’t know and decided a little girl would want her mother most.”
“What made you stop?” Al asked.
“Wait? You what?” Ed’s eyes widened and Hughes looked as if he had wanted to ask that himself.
“You wanted to bring that boy back?” Dev sounded sick, his tanned face pale.
Winry moved across the room, taking Roy’s hands. “My parents would’ve said it wouldn’t be worth it. They saved lives, they didn’t take them.”
Roy squeezed Winry’s hands before pulling them away, using one to point at Hughes. “Maes beat the hell out of me then he told Riza and she beat me, too. They took away my gun, because that was always out and sitting on an array somewhere just in case I decided for that option. And after they were done beating on me, they handed me to my sisters.”
“If someone had realized what we were doing,” Ed’s eyes focused on Winry, “we’d have been beaten, too.”
That’s before our Teacher would’ve found out.” A bittersweet smile graced Al’s face.
“A good beating would have saved you a lot of pain in the long run.” Riza eyed the brothers, who had the grace to mutter their agreements.
“I don’t think it’s so much insanity, Dev, as arrogance and desperation,” Roy replied. “Edward, Alphonse and I just wanted to make things better. There are lines alchemists are not meant to cross and we know it. That one is the biggest of them all.”
“It should be.” Dev shuddered in reaction to the very idea.
“Enough of this,” Riza said, getting to her feet. “However, since we’re speaking of beatings, love, go hold that one down and I’ll get it started.” Riza grinned, pointing at Ed.
“WHAT?" Ed yelped, jerking backwards.
“Sorry, Edward, you did ruin her sensual bath. You have to pay.” Roy lunged for him.
“If I help you, do I get to escape?” Al asked brightly, hanging onto his brother’s belt.
“No. You saw, you die," Roy replied, doing a fair approximation of Ed's scary grin.
“I'm sorry, Winry, but you have to understand,” Riza added.
Winry held up her hands. “They deserve it.”
“I just saw some ink. Dev’s been busy fantasizing about it!” Al protested.
“He’s last.” Roy’s gleeful expression promised death and destruction to all.
Ed undid his buckle and snaked out of his belt, unbalancing Al as he hightailed it toward the door. Dev’s long legs caught up to him and he whirled the blond back into the fray. “Sorry, Elric, but I’m not dying because of you.”
Ed bounced over the back of the couch, snaked past Riza, giving Al a shove into her reach, and tried to escape out the other door. Roy caught hold of him. A brief tussle later left Ed holding a silk robe and Roy not wearing anything at all. Ed flung the robe up and made a dash for it until the floor grew hands. Roy just smirked, not making a move to dress.
“You have to love alchemy sometimes,” Roy said.
“Put on your robe,” Hughes said. “There are ladies present.”
Roy stooped to pick it up and Ed clapped his hands to free himself. He ran right into Riza’s grip. “Now, Edward, we’re going to settle this,” she told him sternly.
Ed just slumped in good natured defeat and accepted his fate.
Chapter twenty-two
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Date: 2008-09-22 01:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-22 01:43 am (UTC)thanks
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Date: 2008-09-22 02:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-22 02:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-22 11:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-22 03:27 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2008-09-22 03:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-22 03:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-22 08:58 am (UTC)“Yeah, you, Riza, Winry, Olivia and Girlie-Ed,”
I'm pretty sure someone somewhere has written that.
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Date: 2008-09-22 03:35 pm (UTC)and i have no doubt someone had written it somewhere
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Date: 2008-09-22 03:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-22 03:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-23 12:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-23 02:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-22 10:49 pm (UTC)Oh Dev, such a player. Tsk tsk tsk. Didn't Ishbala teach you better than that? First Winry, then Miao-Yin, and now Riza? Who's next, Hayate?
HAR HAR AH LUV IT
:3
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Date: 2008-09-23 01:34 am (UTC)thanks
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Date: 2008-09-23 01:38 am (UTC)I hate to say it, but he's looking for it in all the wrong places. AGAIN. :3
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Date: 2008-09-23 02:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-23 11:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-24 03:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-25 12:22 am (UTC)