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cornerofmadnessFor I am Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky
Author-![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
cornerofmadness
Disclaimer- nope not a Holstein. All rights belong to Ms. Arakawa
Rating – PG-13
Pairing – Ling/Ran Fan
Timeline – Manga verse, right after the final battle, spoilers up to chapter 91
Summary – He has been hollowed out.
Author’s Note – written for the![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
picfor1000 challenge. The image is here
Thanks toevil_little_dog for the beta. A drabble with characters of your choice for the first person to guess where that title was paraphrased from (no, not you, ELD)
Word Count- 1000 exactly
XXXX
Antiseptic green walls surrounded him and, if he were in any condition to complain, he’d tell them this was an unfit place for him. He deserved something more beautiful but he couldn’t speak, at least not yet. The doctors said he had ‘shell shock,’ whatever that was. He had heard someone disputing that as he had slithered into a deep unconsciousness.
Waking up did nothing dispel the horrible emptiness in him. It wasn’t that he was in shock. It felt more like he was all alone down a well deep inside himself. He could hear the echoing of his consciousness railing against the darkness he was trapped in. Caged within that vast barrenness, he couldn’t speak, couldn’t move but he could think.
A weary bearded face leaned into view, a wave of panic and - dare he say it? – greed filled the emptiness. This was the face of the man who had filled him with that thing . Had he only known what he was getting into by allowing that thick, red fluid to splash onto him, oozing into his soul, he would never have done it. But that was all over now. This man had wanted all his power back, tearing Greed straight from his body, leaving Ling’s psyche in fetters. What could the furry-faced bastard possibly have left to take from him?
Thick fingers touched his forehead and the man’s pale brow beetled. That looked painful to Ling, noting the vicious gash that slashed across it. No, that was mostly blood, as if the gash had healed but the skin left unwashed. Golden eyes regarded him kindly. Something wasn’t right. Memories, not his, whirled in his mind like leaves in an autumn wind. This wasn’t Father.
“Slave Number twenty-three?” The sound of his own voice shocked Ling. How had this man broken him out of that aloneness with a mere touch? Or was it sheer coincidence?
The man smiled. “My name is Hohenheim but I doubt that homunculus ever knew what name I had chosen for himself.” He gestured to Ling. “I’m very surprised you survived the homunculus pulling his essence back out of you. You’ll be all right now.” That perplexed look flashed back into Hohenheim’s battered face. “Or at least I think you’ll be. Probably weak as a newborn lamb for a while, though.”
“Why did he take Greed away?” Ling asked, each word an effort to form. “I…he was helpful to Father as he was.”
“The homunculus was gathering his full strength, something he couldn’t do with it lodged in you. Hopefully, the memories of that thing will lessen for you.” Sympathetic gold eyes studied Ling. “If not, I have ideas that might but for now, you rest. I have to go see my son. Alphonse was sleeping. His body needs plenty of rest before it’ll recover. I sent his brother away with Pinako’s granddaughter. Bet Ed’s just like his old man.” There was no mistaking Hohenheim’s leer. Ling rasped out something like a laugh but didn’t tell the man he was mistaken. “And speaking of beautiful young ladies, there is one waiting to see you.” With that, Hohenheim left.
Ran Fan, bruised and swollen looking, limped in with her grandfather behind her. Battered as she was, Ling had never found her to be more radiant. He tried to hold out a hand to her but his arm wouldn’t move. “Sit with me,” he said and at the sound of his voice, her eyes gleamed wetly.
Ran Fan glanced back at Fuu who nodded. “I’ll be guarding,” he said, going back out into the hall.
She sat next to Ling, daring to take his hand. “They didn’t know if you’d be all right, young Master.”
“I’m not,” he admitted quietly. Ran Fan was the one person he could tell his darkest secrets to. “That thing hollowed me out. I have bits of Greed still clinging to me like filth and so much of me seems to be …gone. Can’t remember…”
The stricken look on her face was schooled away so quickly that Ling thought he imagined it. “You remember enough.”
“I remember you.” Ling smiled. “Remember the time when we snuck into the royal gardens and climbed into the peach trees?”
“As I recall, you ate so many, you fell out of it, sick, and then Grandfather was set to punish you.”
“How could I resist them? They hung there like orbs of captured sunlight, so sweet to the tongue.” Ling shut his eyes. “You hate peach fuzz so I ran them all around your neck until you squealed. That’s why I fell out of the tree. You pushed me.”
“The first time. You fell out twice,” Ran Fan corrected him and when Ling opened his eyes, she was crying.
“Just wanted to show you I cared.” Ling’s eyes closed again. No, he had wanted to show her he loved her, forbidden like the emperor’s peaches. Lips ghosted over his.
“Sleep, Young Master.”
He didn’t put up a fight.
XXX
Ling felt no stronger when he woke up, distressed by the strain on his bladder. A prince shouldn’t have to use a bed pan! A smile tugged at his lips. If he was thinking that, then maybe he was getting better. Shifting on the thin mattress, trying to figure out how to get up, Ling froze. There on the window sill sat a big basket of peaches. Their white fuzz glistened in the sun streaming in.
Ran Fan drowsed in the chair under the window. He wanted to taste them both. He would be the first prince to prove his love and have it reciprocated in peaches. What a story for the poets.
“Ran Fan,” he called softly and she startled awake. His eyes lifted to the basket. “Someone left me a gift. I want you to share it with me.”
“The doctor said you aren’t well enough yet,” she protested.
”Even so, we’ll share one.”
Her brilliant smile shined light in the hollow spaces in him.
XXX
Author’s Note – This idea came from chapter 90 and 91. In 90, I thought Father had reabsorbed Sloth, seeing him lying there and hearing Fuu saying the Qi was growing. (Okay so I was wrong) In 91, Pride reminding us he absorbed Gluttony reinforced that idea and this was born.
Author-
cornerofmadnessDisclaimer- nope not a Holstein. All rights belong to Ms. Arakawa
Rating – PG-13
Pairing – Ling/Ran Fan
Timeline – Manga verse, right after the final battle, spoilers up to chapter 91
Summary – He has been hollowed out.
Author’s Note – written for the
picfor1000 challenge. The image is here Thanks to
evil_little_dog for the beta. A drabble with characters of your choice for the first person to guess where that title was paraphrased from (no, not you, ELD)Word Count- 1000 exactly
XXXX
Antiseptic green walls surrounded him and, if he were in any condition to complain, he’d tell them this was an unfit place for him. He deserved something more beautiful but he couldn’t speak, at least not yet. The doctors said he had ‘shell shock,’ whatever that was. He had heard someone disputing that as he had slithered into a deep unconsciousness.
Waking up did nothing dispel the horrible emptiness in him. It wasn’t that he was in shock. It felt more like he was all alone down a well deep inside himself. He could hear the echoing of his consciousness railing against the darkness he was trapped in. Caged within that vast barrenness, he couldn’t speak, couldn’t move but he could think.
A weary bearded face leaned into view, a wave of panic and - dare he say it? – greed filled the emptiness. This was the face of the man who had filled him with that thing . Had he only known what he was getting into by allowing that thick, red fluid to splash onto him, oozing into his soul, he would never have done it. But that was all over now. This man had wanted all his power back, tearing Greed straight from his body, leaving Ling’s psyche in fetters. What could the furry-faced bastard possibly have left to take from him?
Thick fingers touched his forehead and the man’s pale brow beetled. That looked painful to Ling, noting the vicious gash that slashed across it. No, that was mostly blood, as if the gash had healed but the skin left unwashed. Golden eyes regarded him kindly. Something wasn’t right. Memories, not his, whirled in his mind like leaves in an autumn wind. This wasn’t Father.
“Slave Number twenty-three?” The sound of his own voice shocked Ling. How had this man broken him out of that aloneness with a mere touch? Or was it sheer coincidence?
The man smiled. “My name is Hohenheim but I doubt that homunculus ever knew what name I had chosen for himself.” He gestured to Ling. “I’m very surprised you survived the homunculus pulling his essence back out of you. You’ll be all right now.” That perplexed look flashed back into Hohenheim’s battered face. “Or at least I think you’ll be. Probably weak as a newborn lamb for a while, though.”
“Why did he take Greed away?” Ling asked, each word an effort to form. “I…he was helpful to Father as he was.”
“The homunculus was gathering his full strength, something he couldn’t do with it lodged in you. Hopefully, the memories of that thing will lessen for you.” Sympathetic gold eyes studied Ling. “If not, I have ideas that might but for now, you rest. I have to go see my son. Alphonse was sleeping. His body needs plenty of rest before it’ll recover. I sent his brother away with Pinako’s granddaughter. Bet Ed’s just like his old man.” There was no mistaking Hohenheim’s leer. Ling rasped out something like a laugh but didn’t tell the man he was mistaken. “And speaking of beautiful young ladies, there is one waiting to see you.” With that, Hohenheim left.
Ran Fan, bruised and swollen looking, limped in with her grandfather behind her. Battered as she was, Ling had never found her to be more radiant. He tried to hold out a hand to her but his arm wouldn’t move. “Sit with me,” he said and at the sound of his voice, her eyes gleamed wetly.
Ran Fan glanced back at Fuu who nodded. “I’ll be guarding,” he said, going back out into the hall.
She sat next to Ling, daring to take his hand. “They didn’t know if you’d be all right, young Master.”
“I’m not,” he admitted quietly. Ran Fan was the one person he could tell his darkest secrets to. “That thing hollowed me out. I have bits of Greed still clinging to me like filth and so much of me seems to be …gone. Can’t remember…”
The stricken look on her face was schooled away so quickly that Ling thought he imagined it. “You remember enough.”
“I remember you.” Ling smiled. “Remember the time when we snuck into the royal gardens and climbed into the peach trees?”
“As I recall, you ate so many, you fell out of it, sick, and then Grandfather was set to punish you.”
“How could I resist them? They hung there like orbs of captured sunlight, so sweet to the tongue.” Ling shut his eyes. “You hate peach fuzz so I ran them all around your neck until you squealed. That’s why I fell out of the tree. You pushed me.”
“The first time. You fell out twice,” Ran Fan corrected him and when Ling opened his eyes, she was crying.
“Just wanted to show you I cared.” Ling’s eyes closed again. No, he had wanted to show her he loved her, forbidden like the emperor’s peaches. Lips ghosted over his.
“Sleep, Young Master.”
He didn’t put up a fight.
XXX
Ling felt no stronger when he woke up, distressed by the strain on his bladder. A prince shouldn’t have to use a bed pan! A smile tugged at his lips. If he was thinking that, then maybe he was getting better. Shifting on the thin mattress, trying to figure out how to get up, Ling froze. There on the window sill sat a big basket of peaches. Their white fuzz glistened in the sun streaming in.
Ran Fan drowsed in the chair under the window. He wanted to taste them both. He would be the first prince to prove his love and have it reciprocated in peaches. What a story for the poets.
“Ran Fan,” he called softly and she startled awake. His eyes lifted to the basket. “Someone left me a gift. I want you to share it with me.”
“The doctor said you aren’t well enough yet,” she protested.
”Even so, we’ll share one.”
Her brilliant smile shined light in the hollow spaces in him.
XXX
Author’s Note – This idea came from chapter 90 and 91. In 90, I thought Father had reabsorbed Sloth, seeing him lying there and hearing Fuu saying the Qi was growing. (Okay so I was wrong) In 91, Pride reminding us he absorbed Gluttony reinforced that idea and this was born.
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no subject
Date: 2009-01-13 03:22 am (UTC)But I KNOW the answer!
no subject
Date: 2009-01-13 03:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-13 04:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-13 03:39 am (UTC)I'm picturing the peaches as "Saturn" or "Emperor White Peaches"... bred so that nobles wouldn't soil their beards with the juice. Fat... but short... so each bite would be perfect.
Just like this piece of writing.
no subject
Date: 2009-01-13 03:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-13 03:55 am (UTC)And that title sounds so familiar but I can't place it *grrr*
no subject
Date: 2009-01-13 04:04 am (UTC)i'll tell you later if no one gets it
no subject
Date: 2009-01-13 06:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-14 03:44 am (UTC)you can name a character (s) and a prompt and I'd be glad to do you a drabble
no subject
Date: 2009-01-17 06:13 am (UTC)I'm thinking an Ed/Winry drabble with the prompt of "Moving On."
okay too long for a drabble but
Date: 2009-01-17 03:40 pm (UTC)The only one who moved on was her. Winry didn’t know if she would make Rush Valley her home, bland, hot and dry, especially after lush Resembool and yet was unsure if she would ever go home again permanently. She dreamed that one day she and Ed would find their own place.
Until then, she tried not to let him make her nuts, easier said than done. Mr. Garfiel was a sympathetic ear when she vented after one of his calls or Al’s letters. At least he never tells her to move on. Instead, he tut tuts about the course of true love never running smoothly and promises he’d ‘fix that boy’s wagon’ if he made Winry crazy any more. The thought of Garfiel in his best dress chasing Ed through Rush Valley with metal snips allowed Winry to chuckle herself through her few dark moments.
Winry was a patient young lady. In her heart she knew one day she would move on at Edward’s side.
Re: okay too long for a drabble but
Date: 2009-01-18 06:56 am (UTC)The thought of Garfiel in his best dress chasing Ed through Rush Valley with metal snips allowed Winry to chuckle herself through her few dark moments.--Got a really big laugh out of this line!
BTW--Enjoyed the tender little moment between Ling and RanFan in For the World is Hollow... and the glimpse into their childhood.
Also, one of the lines from this story gave me inspiration to write an Ed/Hohenheim ficlet--I'll let you know when I finish it!
Re: okay too long for a drabble but
Date: 2009-01-18 05:29 pm (UTC)Yes do let me know when you finish that story
no subject
Date: 2009-01-13 11:04 am (UTC)Loved every second of it. Sweet Ling/RanFan interaction and epic Ling/Hoho dialogue. ^_^ Makes me wish the canon end could be like this.
no subject
Date: 2009-01-14 03:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-14 12:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-14 02:32 am (UTC)I'll keep that in mind
no subject
Date: 2009-01-14 03:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-14 11:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-14 07:00 pm (UTC)