Scar

Scar Part IX

The trees and buildings were black specters in front of a golden horizon as Evelyn walked home from work. A smile was indented into her face. Her comrades wondered why she was so happy at the end of the day. She would say that she was only elated to go home, which was true, but not just because she got to relax.

In the distance was a public phone booth. Her eyes fixated on it, for it was standing as an anomaly in the almost untouched stretch of pavement. She passed it every day, and today was no exception. She walked without even a glance back. Why would she? It was a phone booth- nothing more. Yet, something turned in her stomach. It beckoned her to stay close by, but it begged her to turn- to run. A dark energy, she felt, was closing in on her, but she wasn't its target. She was just a bystander in whom it lacked interest. she casually walked to a tree and hid behind its massive trunk. Whatever this force was, if it needed to be apprehended, as a soldier it was her duty to do so.

She wasn't waiting for long before a shot rang out through the air. Her reason departed. She ran past it. Blood seeped through the door of the booth, and her eyes widened with shock as she stood in horror for the briefest of moments. She rushed to the victim's aide. A picture of a daughter and a mother lie blood-stained on the ground. She allowed her eyes to drift to the man.

"Hughes!" She knelt beside him. His breathing was unsteady, and the color was draining from his eyes. She fumbled around to find something to stop the bleeding, but she knew it was pointless. He was shot directly in the heart.

"Evelyn..." He struggled to speak. She placed her hands over his heart. Tears of both fear and sadness fell to the ground. With desperation she called out.

"Somebody, please help!" She sent up prayers as rapidly as she breathed. "Help me, Ishvala! Help!" Her arms shone whit, but she had only vaguely thought of alchemy. Then, a crimson hue bled into to beam. It filled the booth and swirled around them. the air threatened to tear her to pieces if her body didn't hold as it created a violent cyclone. The battle cries of thousands pierced her ears, and a long forgotten war finally waged. it focused to one point. The air seemed to scorch her, and she let out a scream of pain. The beam rushed into Hughes' wound. Evelyn's focus was shattered. Everything around her was a chaotic, red blur, brighter and hotter than the sun. The light was gone in an instant, and she watched as the cool twilight blacked to nothingness.

As she faded from reality, she could hear Hughes' voice calling for her.

"Evelyn! Evelyn!" It faded slowly. "Evelyn! Evel...Eve...Ev..."

Language, incomprehensible, assaulted Evelyn's ears. She stirred. Silently, she lie in an unfamiliar bed, not even bothering to open her eyes. She started to pinpoint the familiar voices of Mustang, Hawkeye, and Armstrong. What were they doing here? Better question, where was "here?" She peeked through here eyelashes, and moaned at the brutal light. The talking ceased until Armstrong erupted.

"Evelyn!" She startled and shot to the edge of the hospital bed.

"Woah, yeah! It's me!" She threw her hands up. Without so much as a breath in between words, he let the flood of emotion bathe Evelyn with affection- whether she wanted it or not, "like word vomit," as Evelyn thought.

Suddenly, yesterday's events came back.

"Wait, where is Hughes? Is he alright?"

"He made a full recovery." Mustang said. "It was nothing short of a miracle. We need to know how you did it."

"Colonel," Hawkeye reprimanded, "She's still recovering!"

"No, no," Evelyn gestured peace with her raised palms, "It's fine, but I can't tell you. To be honest, I'd like to know that myself. It was alchemy, I know that, but I had no control. It's like I was a vessel for thousands who wanted, for some reason, to heal Hughes. It was like they were waging war." The room fell quiet once more.  This wasn't a very believable answer, but it was the most complete and sincere one she could give.