Same, But Different (A Fullmetal Alchemist fan-fic)

The Haunting Past

Eclair

"We're here" I told everyone as we reached a town that had people lined up with swords, daggers, pitchforks--whatever else imaginable--pointing at us. 

We were prepared for this, however. So we just stood there. We knew what we were walking into, and whether or not that made us fools or not was another story. We were brave, stupid, but brave.

Out of the crowd approached a tall slim figure, her skin softly glowing in the setting sun, and her dark hair silky and long, flowing down until the curve on her back. My stomach churned uneasily as a man approached behind her. I couldn't focus on him--I was more concerned about her.

"Well isn't this nice?" The woman smiled, "My own daughter comes right back to me, and I didn't even need an escort!" She held daggers between her fingers. Oh man, she wanted to fight me too. First she disappears for nearly ten years, and now she's after my ass.

Figures.

I slightly threw my head to the left, "Shut up! You're not my mother anymore. And he certainly is not my . . . further king Bradley . . . ?" I ended up asking with a perplexed look. What was he doing with my deadbeat mother that walked out on me? Don't tell me he was in on this too... 

"I had recieved word you were on a journey here. That's why I decided to make my appearance. Now, Edward Elric, why don't you hand over your little friend Éclair there and I'll trade you a philosopher's stone in return." Bradley told Edward. My eyes just lit up in shock.

Ayumi was the first to protest, being held back by Alphonse before anyone was able to do anything, "How could you say that about Éclair?! She's family to us! More family than you've been and will ever be to her!"

"...Since when are men making decisions about what I do?! I have a mind of my own too, you know! And YOU! Neither of you two are in charge of me, neither is Ed. I've been living my own life and I appreciate to be treated that way since you left me out on my own to fend for myself!" I shouted back in defense. That wasn't appearantly good enough because those pitch fork holders came to put handcuffs on all of us save for Ed, making us their prisoners. I tried to back up as much as possible, closer to Edward, but not enough that they couldn't sneak up behind me and slap them on my wrists. Defeated...I was defeated before I even had the chance to use my alchemy.

"Big brother! Don't say a word!" Alphonse shouted to his brother, but there wasn't much he could do.

"Ed don't let them do this to us! Stop this nonsense!" Vapor cried as they leashed and muzzled Cloud.

"...Edward...please..." I begged in a low tone, realizing this situation was not about to remedy itself. I then realized I was doing exactly what they wanted, looking to Edward, a man, for the answers.

Out of spite and rage, I quickly turned and jumped, planting my nice hunk of a metal foot in one of the men's faces. I then attempted to throw my hands apart to break the handcuffs--and to my surprise the metal chain between them snapped. This was already starting to turn around.

I didn't get that far in my fight, however, since I was severely outnumbered. They were easily able to pin me down due to pitchforks actually being rather sharp, pointy, and kinda scary.

Yeah, they weren't going to let me escape easily this time. They even kept my hands apart so I couldn't use my alchemy. 

Cruel.

My 'ex'-mother was the first to respond, "You let all the anger you've been keeping pent up since your early childhood fuel your body and give you energy, that's quite unnatural for a girl who was raised learning 'alchemy and balance' right?"

"And never had a mother?! What do you know, you were never there for me! No one was there for me but myself!" I snapped back. A man had put his foot on my back to force me to crouch down in a kneeling position even more. I didn't appreciate bowing down to people.

Winry had whimpered--almost to tears--like the way Ayumi was crying now. I couldn't do anything but hear the sounds of their voices while my eyes were glued with their glare on that woman.

I balled my fists as I continued to rant back, piercing the silence with my hellish voice, "And I lost my father! I have no home, no one to look up to, no where to go back to anymore. The world looks pretty bleak from here out now, doesn't it?! But at least I tried to make something out of it!" 

Edward finally gained his voice, perhaps he was tired of hearing me shout in vain, and the cries of our friends were hurting him just as much as they were haunting me, "I'll accept your offer, under one condition."

My eyes widened as I let out a slightly audible gasp. I was shocked. I for sure believed he wouldn't accept such a strange and outrageous offer. 

I felt tears begin to well in the bottoms of my eyes. Had he betrayed me just because he was going to get a stupid rock? Okay, maybe it was more than just a stupid rock, that rock could return his life back to normal, to let him live without a stupid metal arm and leg.

"What's this condition you demand?"

"You let the others go, unharmed and you tell me exactly what this is all about."

I did my best to attempt to hold back my tears. Did he really just demand to trade me for a stupid rock and some information? The safety of our friends could be guaranteed if I was just able to move around a bit and use my alchemy...but for a rock and some information...it just didn't make any sense to me.

I held myself quiet, keeping in all of my anger to hopefully understand the explanation that they were about to give us. Perhaps then if Edward was misleading them into some plan and wasn't fueled by his own greed, I would be able to see right through all their plans and be able to make a new one of my own.

"Let everyone but the girl go. Even let 'it' go, whatever Envy is going by nowadays. She's all we need now. Little miss Elanie is perfect for this role." Bradley demanded of the pitchfork people. I watched from where I was being held down as all my friends ran behind Edward for protection. Alphonse took to caring for Ayumi who was rather traumatized by the situation at hand.

I finally spat out my words, demands, in the most growling primal growl that I could, "What...the freaking hell...do you want with me?!" My voice boomed as it rang out with my demands. They got what they wanted out of the deal, now it was time for me to use their explanation monologue as time to come up with a plan.

Because I was ready to kick some ass. Hard.