[FMA Big Bang fic] Down the Road - Chapter 6
Title: Down the Road
Author: bay115
Beta: The lovely and great alchemyotaku75
Artists: seta_suzume, ghosthax (thanks so much you two!), and bay115
Genre: Drama, Action, Flashback
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 36,028
Pairing/Characters: Ling/Lan Fan (UST), May, Shao May, short appearances from various OCs and canon characters (including one from the Daughter of the Dusk FMA Wii game)
Warnings: Violence, deceased body being carried throughout this story.
Summary: Ling, Lan Fan, and May took the long road back to Xing by passing through Aerugo and crossing the ocean, carrying Fu’s deceased body with them. As the group was traveling, they got to know Fu better by reading his journal. Unfortunately, the journey doesn’t go smoothly as a water alchemist, the Aerugo royal family, and thieves make sure to delay the trip.
Author's Note: For the 2010-2011 fmabigbang . This particular chapter has some references to the FMA Wii Games Price of the Dawn and Daughter of the Dusk, but you guys don’t need to play or know a whole lot about the game to get an idea of what’s happening in this chapter. In my headcanon though, the events from the games happened not long after May and Lan Fan left Knox’s place and before Ed and Al went to Briggs.
Chapter One: Before the Trip
Chapter Two: Meeting With May
Chapter Three: All Quiet on the Southern Front
Chapter Four: Ada of Rainington
Chapter Five: The Camiburn Tale
Chapter Six: King of the South, Prince of the East
The next day the group continued on with their journey. They we were now at a valley where the trees were clustered together and many hills scattered around. Today was a sunny day and a small breeze was brewing.
“Where are we now?” May asked.
“Damose Valley,” Ling said. “Next city should be Padrid City, so we’ll rest there for the night.”
Ada smirked. “Padrid City? That’s where King Claudio’s castle is.”
Ling had a nervous expression on his face. Ada had mentioned King Claudio before, but hadn’t expected to meet the ruler of Aerugo until perhaps becoming emperor, himself. There was no time for a tour of the castle.
“Again, Ada, we have to get to Santa Rosa as soon as possible. We’re just going to stay there long enough to rest and leave right away the next morning.”
“Okay, fine,” Ada said, pouting.
The prince gave the girl an apologetic look, even though she turned her back to him. There was simply no time to take a tour of the castle, nonetheless talking to King Claudio.
Everyone fell quiet and the horse walked along slowly. Things were going smoothly, until-
BANG!
Birds hiding in the trees quickly scattered, their caws loud enough for people in the next city to hear. Ling and the others turned around with worried looks on their faces. Not far from them, a man was taking control of a carriage as the horse neighed frantically. Across from the carriage, there was another man holding a gun.
“Leave the carriage now or else I’ll kill you.”
Looks like someone is going to take whomever is inside the carriage hostage, Ling pondered.
“My lord, how are we going to save the man and the passenger?” Lan Fan asked in a whisper.
Ling tapped his chin. They must do something as soon as possible before the intruder could make his move. The prince then smiled.
“Ada, do you have any source of water with you?”
Not far from them, the driver trembled in fright. Any minute now, the gun would go off.
“What’s going on, Gregory?” the person inside the carriage asked in alarm. His voice sounded like a young adult.
“Nothing, sir. Everything is…”
The click from the gun caught the driver off guard. The attacker clenched his teeth and raised an eyebrow.
“I’ll ask again,” the man said slowly, but with a hint of anger. “Give the carriage to me or else I’ll blow your head.”
Gregory gulped and felt sweat trailing down from his forehead. He shook his head and saw the assailant’s right eye widen with anger. Knowing he was going to die, Gregory shut his eyes wide shut and waited for the gunshot. A moment later, when the gun didn’t go off, he opened his eyes to see a jet of water coming from nowhere and knocking the gun out of the intruder’s hand. Both Gregory and the other man that almost killed him had their mouths open in deep shock.
“What?! Who did this?”
Gregory asked himself the same thing. Before him, there were four young teenagers smirking at the intruder.
“Great work, Ada!” Ling complimented, giving her a thumbs up.
The girl nodded, putting her gloves away. She was holding a damaged canteen, tiny drops of water falling from the spout.
“You owe me a new canteen,” Ada reminded Ling with a playful grin.
The intruder gritted his teeth and threw them a furious look.
“So you kids know alchemy, huh? No matter, I can still take you dow…”
He was interrupted when a huge stone hand grasped him tightly. The attacker struggled to get out. The princess dusted away the alkhestry symbol on the dirt and quickly grabbed her five kunai.
“Let me go!’
May stuck her tongue out and she spun to make made another alkhestry symbol on the ground. Seconds later the man was freed, and he stood panting, trying to catch his breath. He didn’t get the chance to lift his head before Ling had his sword close to his throat, looking down at the assailant with a dark intensity in his eyes. Knowing he didn’t need the young man to tell him to leave, the interloper got up and rushed out of the valley.
Ada grinned. “That got rid of him for good.”
“Yes,” Ling responded without smiling. There was one other man they needed to check up on. “Come on, we should see if Gregory is unharmed.”
Everyone dashed towards Gregory, who still shaken from the ordeal. Lan Fan gently touched his shoulder, which calmed him down.
“Are you okay?” Lan Fan asked.
“I’m fine, thank you,” Gregory said, smiling. “I’m grateful you saved me and Prince Armel.”
Ling flinched. Did they really save a prince? He thought they were saving an ordinary citizen.
“Oh, so I was being attacked.”
The young man turned about when the carriage door opened and a young man stepped out, wearing a coat over a red Aerugo military uniform. His light brown hair whipped gently around his face as the wind strengthened and he straightened his glasses to get a better look at the strangers who had appeared out of nowhere. Ling couldn’t help but gape in amazement. This was the first time he had seen royalty in the western part of the world and ones that weren’t his siblings. He glanced at the girls, each one bearing the same expression as himself.
“Hello, I’m Prince Armel Daniel Aerugo,” the man introduced himself with a smile. “I overheard what happened, and am grateful you saved me. This is the first time someone attempted to take me hostage.”
“No problem,” Ling said while shaking Prince Armel’s hand. “We noticed you and your driver were in trouble, so it’s natural for us to go save you two.”
“I see. Well, to show my gratitude, I’d like all of you to stay at my castle for the night. Everyone in your group appears to be tired.”
Ling was speechless. Another thing he hadn’t expected. As much as he liked Prince Armel’s offer, they had no time to be tourists. Then again, he and the group would be sleeping somewhere nice for a change and this could be their only chance to explore a castle in a western county, even if it were only a little while. The group had planned to find lodgings in Padrid City for the night, and this might be their only opportunity to find someplace to stay.
There was one problem, though; Fu.
Are we going to leave Fu here unattended?
“Um…Prince Armel, your offer is lovely and all, but I have a friend that needs to be buried soon,” he said, pointing to the cart with Fu’s body.
Prince Armel nodded in understanding. “No problem. I’ll have my adviser, Richard, take care of the cart.”
“Richard?” Ada stuttered.
Right on cue, a chubby man wearing the same clothing as Prince Armel came out from the carriage. He had an eager but puzzled expression painted on his face.
“Yes, Prince Armel?”
“Can you take control of the cart over there and follow me and Gregory to Padrid City?” Armel asked, gesturing at the wagon.
“That won’t be a problem at all, Sir.”
Richard went to the cart, climbed on, and held onto the reins. The group looked at the Aerugoian prince with anticipation. Prince Armel gestured his hands, indicating they should follow him and then everyone climbed into the carriage.
+++
It had been a while since Ling rode in a carriage like this and admitted he missed riding. He gazed at the window for quite some time, seeing the valley moving before his very eyes.
“The four of you haven’t introduced yourselves, yet. We might as well get to know one another before we reach Padrid.”
“Well, I’m Ling Yao, prince of Xing and twelfth son of the emperor. These three ladies traveling with me are Lan Fan my guard, May Chang my half-sister, and Ada,” Ling said while pointing to the girls one by one. “Lan Fan and May came with me from Xing while Ada is from Rainington.”
“Nice to meet you all,” the man said, grinning. He quickly shook each lady’s hands before looking back at Ling, this time with a bewildered expression. “Wait, prince? To be honest, I wouldn’t expect a prince to dress like that.”
In swift motion, Lan Fan held out her dagger at the other prince’s throat. He gulped.
“You don’t disrespect my lord like that.” The man nodded hastily and the guard put the dagger back in the pouch.
Ling was speechless; he knew Lan Fan would react that way. Usually, not many people would take his word, given his simple clothing and his tendency to beg for food.
“So you’re the prince of Xing, huh?” Prince Armel responded, laughing nervously before quickly regaining his composure. “I’ve actually heard many of the clans there are fighting for the future throne. As you know, Aerugo and Xing have done a great deal of trading with one another.”
“Yes, you’re correct on that,” the Xing prince commented after a long silence. “This is my first time visiting Aerugo and I think this country is beautiful.”
“Glad to hear that.” Prince Armel’s smile changed to a concerned frown. “I’m wondering, though. What brings you all to Aerugo?”
“We’re actually going back to Xing to bury my grandfather. Crossing Aerugo is a much safer path back home than crossing the Great Desert,” Lan Fan explained.
“Wait, you mean the body on the cart Richard’s riding on now is your grandfather’s?” Prince Armel said, flabbergasted. Lan Fan nodded and the older prince gave her a smile. “I see why you’re taking the longer trip home. I’ll make sure your grandfather’s body is being watched over while you all stay at my castle.”
Lan Fan smiled, her eyes showing great relief. “Thank you.”
Ada, May, and Lan Fan began having a conversation with Prince Armel, asking him many questions about his background, his family and friends, among other subjects. Ling wasn’t paying attention, his mind wandering. He was curious as to what an Aerugoian castle looked like. Would it be any different from the palaces of Xing? Surely, it would be huge compared to King Bradley’s “mansion.”
Time flew by quickly and before they knew it, they made it to Padrid City. Ling gasped in astonishment; this city was as huge as Central, back in Amestris. The architecture of the buildings looked to be a couple centuries old, but were all still in good standing. Lively people filled the streets, and they were either engaged in conversation or were bustling in and out of the shops. There was one area the group passed that Prince Armel called the Market Square, where there were many vendors. On a huge hill, a large white castle could be seen in the distance. Surrounding the castle was a moat filled with gently flowing deep water. The only way to cross it was a drawbridge, one that could be pulled up if unwanted visitors approached. On the curtain walls and towers was the Aerugoian flag-a two headed falcon in white on a red background. Standing proud and tall was the keep; Ling staring at it in awe.
After passing through the city, they came upon a trail that forced them to travel uphill. The last part of the trip would take some time, so Prince Armel talked to the group about a different subject.
‘The Padrid Castle was built around the fourteenth century. My ancestor King Guy of Gully wanted to move to a safer location, and so he stayed in Padrid City. Since then, this has been my family’s home.”
“Curious, did you have your military situated here during the border war?” Ling asked.
“Yes. The castle is where most of my army stay at. Or, should I say, my father’s men. Aerugo has a few military headquarters. Many times, my father sends them to Rogue Town, which is west from here and quite close to Fotset. Each time his men leave the castle though, he becomes very upset due to the fact Führer Bradley has made several attempts to take over this country and he is forced to fight.”
Hearing King Bradley’s name made Ling’s blood boil. Memories of his confrontations with Amestris’ former leader started to race through his head, and he didn’t like it at all. Without Prince Armel noticing, the young man clenched his fist.
“Six months ago, my father, back when he was a prince, tried to make peace with Fuhrer Bradley, but that didn’t go so well. In fact, he didn’t even get to meet the Fuhrer.”
“What happened?” May asked, leaning closer.
“Let’s just say he wound up as a hostage and someone else played the part as prince.”
Ling couldn’t help but gasp. That event did sound familiar…
Back when I was Greed.
Greed had told him what happened. A “Prince Claudio” wanted the war between Aerugo and Amestris to end, so he had requested a peace treaty with King Bradley, to which he agreed. The prince, now a king, it seemed, then left for Central. Halfway through the trip, a young terrorist, whose name was also Claudio, ambushed the old man and request he play the role of Prince Claudio if he wanted his life to be spared.
Luckily, some military men from Amestris found him in an abandoned warehouse. Not long after, Claudio had destroyed most of Central with some kind of machine. Greed, reluctantly, agreed to help Wrath (King Bradley) and Envy to destroy it on the condition he was allowed to go wherever he liked afterwards. The machine was destroyed by Edward in the end and eventually Claudio disappeared after opening The Gate. Greed commented he was glad he hadn’t returned because he rather not help Father to gather his sacrifices It was hard for Ling to believe what Greed had said, but then again, he had, in a fashion, experienced it with his own eyes.
“Prince Armel, I know it’s hard for you to believe this, but I was there when that happened. I was staying at Central at that time and had to deal with Claudio’s terrorist plans.”
May, Lan Fan, and Ada looked at Ling, puzzlement and amazement swirled into one. Ling knew he would need to explain to them the whole story behind that incident, sometime. He faced the other prince, his own showing great interest.
“You know, I think my father told me how a Xingese person was involved and helped out with saving Central. For that, I thank you.”
Ling closed his eyes and lowered his head in gratitude. “You’re welcome.”
Changing the subject, Ada said, “Speaking of King Bradley, he was pronounced dead recently and there are talks of new leaders for Central.”
The Aerugoian prince smiled slyly. “I know. I hope to convince my father to talk with Fuhrer Grumman to come up with a peace treaty.”
Ling, Lan Fan, May, and Ada had shocked expressions written all over on their faces. The prince thought it would take a while longer before a new Fuhrer could be found. He guessed Central wished to find someone to take charge of the city’s rebuilding in a timely manner.
“Wait, Fuhrer Grumman? Central chose someone already?” May said.
“I heard the title was to go to Roy Mustang, but was passed over due to him being blind.” Prince Armel paused, wearing a thoughtful look. “Anyways, I actually just found out this morning about it, when visiting one of the military headquarters. I’m heading back to my castle to talk to my father about this.”
Everyone fell silent. Ling smiled, glad the other prince planned to do something about the war. Prince Armel would make a fine king for his people.
Gregory stopped at the palace walls. Two guards stood on duty and they nodded at him in approval. They quickly opened the gate and both Gregory and Richard went through.
+++
The cart was parked inside an empty stable. Prince Armel commented that, due to advances in technology, horses weren’t used as much for military purposes, leaving some empty stables. Dory was stayed put there, two soldiers keeping watch over both the cart and the horse.
Everyone went inside the castle and Ling’s group made overwhelmed noises. The floor of the main hall was paved in checkerboard patterned tiles and an elaborate chandelier graced the center of the ceiling. As they walked, Lan Fan saw many statues of different armors used in past battles. It fascinated her how Aerugo’s battle attire was different from Xing’s.
As they advanced further into the castle, they came upon carpeted stairs. As soon as they reached the top landing, Prince Armel looked at both Richard and Gregory.
“Richard, come with me to meet with my father concerning Fuhrer Grumman. Gregory, show them to the guestroom.” He then faced Ada, May, Ling, and Lan Fan. “I’ll meet up with you all at dinner, seven o’ clock.”
Everyone bowed to Prince Armel before he and Richard left. The group stood in silence for quite some time until Gregory coughed.
“Okay, I’ll take you to your rooms now. Please follow me.”
As they were walking, Lan Fan couldn’t help but admire the paintings on the walls. Each one was different, ranging from past royalty to Aerugo’s different landscapes; all of them were amazing. Everybody then halted when Gregory stopped and pointed to the left.
“This is your room. I’ll be on my way now, but I’ll come back when dinner is ready. Prince Armel will give you all a tour of the castle after that.”
“Thank you, we appreciated it,” Lan Fan said, bowing. Ling, Ada, and May did the same.
Gregory gave everyone a slight nod and left them alone. The group watched after the man for a while until Ling opened the door. They stepped inside, and were immediately impressed with their lodgings; this was the total opposite of the room back at Sunset Inn. The white lighting was much easier on the eyes and the furniture looked more polished. May and her panda made a beeline for one of the beds and threw themselves upon it, both of them letting out heavenly sighs.
“A comfy bed, finally,” May said blissfully.
“I want to look around the castle now, actually,” Ada said, sitting on one of the other beds. “Too bad we’ll have to wait for the tour until after dinner.”
“Me too, but it is a large castle. I’m not sure if we’ll be able to see everything by tonight,” Ling pointed out.
Lan Fan hung her head in disappointment. She, too, wanted to see the entire castle as she had never seen one like this before, but Ling was right. They probably wouldn’t be able to see everything. If they could stay a bit longer, maybe…
No, that wouldn’t be acceptable; her grandfather needed to be at Xing.
+++
Prince Armel was standing inside his father’s office, gulping to himself. Across from him, a gray haired man sitting was wearing the same red attire, but wearing a white coat, shot the prince a confused gaze. King Claudio intimidated him quite easily.
“So, the information about the new Fuhrer just came today?” the king asked his son in their language, his tone tense.
“Yes, Father,” Prince Armel said in the same tongue, nodding. “I think you should go talk to Fuhrer Grumman for peace.”
King Claudio rested on his wrinkled hands, thinking. He was silent for some time, causing the prince to worry.
“This is what I have wanted for a long time, for this bloodshed to end,” the king mused with a sad chuckle. “However, remember when I visited Amestris, more than six months ago? I was attacked by some terrorist lunatic with the same name as me and he almost destroyed Central!” He slammed his fist on the desk. “If I let the new Fuhrer know I’m coming, I might be taken hostage again!”
Prince Armel gritted his teeth and heaved a heavy sigh inside his head. He knew how distressed his father was over this war, and wouldn’t want him to miss a chance to finally break the ice.
“I doubt it. He commanded Amestris’ East army to overthrow Fuhrer Bradley. Besides, you can request to Fuhrer Grumman that you want the peace talks to be private. Fuhrer Bradley wanted the peace summit to be a big deal so you would be assassinated.”
King Claudio cringed at that thought. The prince knew he shouldn’t bring this subject up that to his father, but it was true. If it weren’t for the other Claudio taking his place, his father would be the fallen victim.
The king scratched his bearded chin in thought, then chuckled. “Hmm…you do have a point there, Armel. All right then, I’ll met with Fuhrer Grumman. I need to have his permission first to enter the country, though.”
Prince Armel sighed in relief to himself. Finally, after many years of hardship, Aerugo would have some peace and quiet. No more lives would be lost. “Again, let the Fuhrer know you want the peace negotiations to be private.”
“Don’t worry, I will.”
+++
When it was time for dinner, Gregory sent Ling and the others to the dining hall. A long table stretched across the room and with fine dishes and silverware neatly laid out upon it. Everyone, including Prince Armel and King Claudio, enjoyed the roast beef and duck that were served. There was also sliced ham, which Ling took a great liking to. At one point, Ada asked where the queen was. The king explained she was away on an important trip and won’t come back for at least two months.
“Wow, these are magnificent,” Ling complimented with his mouth full.
“Glad you like our food,” King Claudio said with a slight smile, but his expression changed immediately. “So you’re the son of the emperor of Xing, Armel told me. I know the emperor has many children that are fighting one another for his title.”
Ling nodded. “Yes. There’s been news he has fallen ill and doesn’t have much time left. I’m hoping to gain the throne when I visit him. My half-sister May is also his daughter.” He pointed to May, the girl nodding enthusiastically.
“You know, this is the first time I’ve met any of his children. I actually visited the emperor long time ago for a trade agreement between my country and his. He seems very fond of his power.”
The Xing prince opened his mouth to speak, but couldn’t find any words at the moment. He never knew his father and it was unbelievable he was talking to someone that had met him before. His mind then thought about how the king and prince of Aerugo were in the same room together. It made him jealous this the father and son were able to be together.
“So King Claudio, are you going to be able to visit Fuhrer Grumman soon for the peace treaty?” Ada asked.
“Yes,” the man replied. “I’ll need to get his permission first, though. I’ll send in a letter to him tomorrow.”
Ling grinned. This would be the first step in the rebuilding of Central City, or rebuilding Amestris, for that matter. Overall, it was a win-win situation.
“Well, I hope that goes well.”
Both Prince Armel and King Claudio faces stretched into huge smiles.
“Thank you. I do, also,” the king responded, nodding.
+++
After dinner, Prince Armel and King Claudio led Ling and the others on a tour of the castle. As expected, the two were not going to show them the entire castle tonight; there wasn’t time for that unless they stayed longer, which Ling knew wasn’t possible. They first stopped at the library, with its mountain of books inside. Ling glanced at Ada, her eyes twinkled with glee.
“Prince Armel, do you have any books on water alchemy?”
“Yes, we do,” the prince said with a genuine smile. “We have books about all kinds of alchemy. Metal, air, water, fire, electricity, you name it.”
“How about alkhestry?” May said, beaming.
“Oh, we have those books too,” King Claudio said with a chuckle. “I assume you know how to use that, correct?”
May nodded. “I’m the only daughter of the emperor that knows how to use it.”
“Impressive,” the king replied, grinning in a satisfying manner. “If you want, you can take a few of them.” He then turned to Ada. “You can also have some water alchemy books, too.”
“Wait, you’re letting us have those books with no strings attached?” Ada clarified, her eyes wide.
“Yes. I think you two will benefit from those books more than my son and I,” King Claudio explained. His smile became wider.
Ada and May looked at one another with excitement and wasted no time looking through the books. Ling and Lan Fan smiled. The young man was glad he was able to meet with at least one generous king.
The next area the king and prince took them to was the throne room, the only furniture within being three well polished throne chairs. Ling knew this was an important room. He noticed that behind the chairs were the Aerugoian flags he had seen hanging from the castle walls’ earlier today.
“This is where many of our important meetings are held,” King Claudio explained. “Not only that, we would listen to the citizens of Aerugo in this room, no matter how near or far they live from Padrid City.”
Ling scratched his chin and began thinking. Back at his palace, there was a throne room and his mother and grandfather would stay there for periods to help with the citizens with any questions or concerns they had. Aerugo and Xing’s throne rooms weren’t so different after all.
The last area they visited was the dance hall. Once more, the group was amazed by the splendor before them. Across from the visitors, there were no walls but huge glass windows, giving the room a spotlight facade. Ling thought for a second that he saw the floor sparkle. Unlike the main hall, there were several more chandeliers on the ceiling.
“This is our dance hall,” the Aerugoian prince lectured. “Sometimes we host formal balls and this is the room we hold them in. The last dance we had was the Winter Ball last December.”
“So you didn’t mind having dances during the Promised Day?” Lan Fan said.
“What will stop us?” the king challenged, smirking. “Just because the world might come to an end soon, that doesn’t mean we can’t still have fun.”
This was the second time this evening Ling couldn’t find the words, but moreso out of total agreement. Of the six months he carried Greed inside him, most of that time was spent staying at Pinako Rockbell’s house. Apparently, Edward thought it would be a good idea to stay safe until the Promise Day came. Besides, there really hadn’t been much to do in the tiny village, anyway
I hope the Aerugo family will rule this country for many years.
+++
Late into the night, everyone retired to their bedrooms. Ada, Ling, and May were able to doze off, but Lan Fan couldn’t sleep. Ever since the young water alchemist had joined the group, she hadnn’t found the time to read her grandfather’s journal. The young woman realized that once they left the castle there probably wouldn’t be another opportunity for her to read it. Not wanting to disturb who might be sleeping, Lan Fan grabbed the journal and a lit candle before leaving the room.
The only place she believed she could read the journal in peace would be the library. A sofa and table was at to her left inside the room, so Lan Fan went to that spot. After setting the candle aside, she began reading.
+++
July 20, 1914
The young lord, my granddaughter and I were staying at an apartment occupied by “Barry the Chopper” and “Vato Falman” for the night. Apparently these two were forced to be roommates, if their arguments and sarcasms said anything.
Dinner was a special treat. Falman called for food delivery and not long after someone knocked on the door. The man opened it and there was someone holding a skinny rectangular box. Barry told me Falman ordered pizza, which I never heard of before. Nonetheless, all of us tried it save for Barry because of his body’s resemblance to Alphonse Elric. Falman didn’t show any emotion while the rest of us were very delighted by the taste of it. The young lord liked it the most, judging by the silly grin on his face.
(Art by seta_suzume )
Right after dinner, Master Ling told me he wanted me to go on a very important mission. There was this one lady, Maria Ross, who had been murdered, or so the public thought. I was to escort her to Xing so that she would be safe there. Immediately, Granddaughter asked if she could go with me, but Ling said he’ll need her in case something bad happens to him and to not worry about me. I could see in her eyes she was still concerned over my well-being, but knew the young lord was right. Who would protect the future emperor if both his guards were gone? I told him that I accepted this important mission. The girl was hiding in an abandoned warehouse and I should meet her early next morning.
All of us went to sleep not long after. During my slumber, I dreamed that I was in an alley and that there was only one man there. He wore an eyepatch over his right eye and he held a sword. His chi was ominous, different from other people. All of a sudden, he ran upwards in a blink of an eye, as if he was a speed demon. I turned my head and I saw my granddaughter on top of a steel beam. My heart raced with anxiety.
“Lan Fan, run!” I screamed. I rarely said my granddaughter’s name, but I feared for her life and wasn’t thinking straight.
She just froze, most likely stunned over how fast her enemy was. Without warning, he sliced her stomach and blood flew wildly. Within seconds, she fell down on the ground hard. My heart sank and I yelled out my granddaughter’s name again.
At that moment, I woke up from the nightmare. Sweat kept streaming down from my forehead each time I took a heavy breath. My heart warned me something like that would happen if I left, but I knew I had to do what the young lord assigned me. I cried, wondering if what I was going to do in the morning was the right choice.
+++
Grandfather dreamed of me being killed by the Fuhrer?
Lan Fan hadn’t realized she had dropped the book. She already wondered what would had happened if she had been the one taking Maria to Xing instead of her grandfather. He probably would have been able to better protect himself than her. Fu’s dream had almost become true-she indeed could have died if Doctor Knox hadn’t saved her.
“Lan Fan, is that you?”
The guard gasped when she saw King Claudio walking towards her. He took a few more steps and stopped, frowning at her.
“King Claudio,” Lan Fan said with a startled tone, bowing. A bewildered expression could be seen on her face. “Sorry to disturb you. I thought you’re asleep.”
The king chuckled. “No, I couldn’t sleep. I just had a lot of things on my mind, like how my trip to Amestris will fare this time. Also, you dropped this. I don’t think it’s from one of the books in the library.”
King Claudio bent to pick the journal up from the floor and handed it back to Lan Fan. The young woman cradled it to her chest.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “This is actually my grandfather’s journal. Reading the entries made me realize there were so many things I don’t know about him.”
She wasn’t sure why she had told the king of Aerugo that, but it felt good getting off her chest. Indeed, with each entry she read, she learned something new about her grandfather.
“Oh, I see. Armel told me you’ll be burying him to Xing. I’m really sorry for your lost. Are you sure you children will be fine? My son doesn’t mind helping you out, actually.”
“That’s very kind, but we’ll be fine.”
“Good to hear.” A smile appeared on the elderly man’s face. “Hope you get some rest tonight. You have a long journey ahead of you.”
It was Lan Fan’s turn to smile. “Yes, of course.”
The king nodded and walked out of the library. Tears burst from Lan Fan’s eyes, but she still wouldn’t sob.
You made the right choice in helping Maria, Grandfather.
+++
When morning came it was time for the group to leave. King Claudio had his servants retrieve Ada’s cart and they parked it at the castle’s front gate. The king and his son were outside, saying their goodbyes to the group of travelers. Ling and the others were already on the cart, with Ada taking control again.
“My father and I want to wish you and your friends a safe trip and good luck with becoming emperor,” Prince Armel said. “Perhaps we’ll meet again when we’re Emperor and King.”
“Likewise,” Ling said, beaming. The two princes shook hands.
Ada shook the reins and the group was off. King Claudio and Prince Armel waved goodbye to them, and the group returned the gesture. When the gate was opened, the group left the castle grounds.
Onto to Chapter Six!
Author: bay115
Beta: The lovely and great alchemyotaku75
Artists: seta_suzume, ghosthax (thanks so much you two!), and bay115
Genre: Drama, Action, Flashback
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 36,028
Pairing/Characters: Ling/Lan Fan (UST), May, Shao May, short appearances from various OCs and canon characters (including one from the Daughter of the Dusk FMA Wii game)
Warnings: Violence, deceased body being carried throughout this story.
Summary: Ling, Lan Fan, and May took the long road back to Xing by passing through Aerugo and crossing the ocean, carrying Fu’s deceased body with them. As the group was traveling, they got to know Fu better by reading his journal. Unfortunately, the journey doesn’t go smoothly as a water alchemist, the Aerugo royal family, and thieves make sure to delay the trip.
Author's Note: For the 2010-2011 fmabigbang . This particular chapter has some references to the FMA Wii Games Price of the Dawn and Daughter of the Dusk, but you guys don’t need to play or know a whole lot about the game to get an idea of what’s happening in this chapter. In my headcanon though, the events from the games happened not long after May and Lan Fan left Knox’s place and before Ed and Al went to Briggs.
Chapter One: Before the Trip
Chapter Two: Meeting With May
Chapter Three: All Quiet on the Southern Front
Chapter Four: Ada of Rainington
Chapter Five: The Camiburn Tale
Chapter Six: King of the South, Prince of the East
The next day the group continued on with their journey. They we were now at a valley where the trees were clustered together and many hills scattered around. Today was a sunny day and a small breeze was brewing.
“Where are we now?” May asked.
“Damose Valley,” Ling said. “Next city should be Padrid City, so we’ll rest there for the night.”
Ada smirked. “Padrid City? That’s where King Claudio’s castle is.”
Ling had a nervous expression on his face. Ada had mentioned King Claudio before, but hadn’t expected to meet the ruler of Aerugo until perhaps becoming emperor, himself. There was no time for a tour of the castle.
“Again, Ada, we have to get to Santa Rosa as soon as possible. We’re just going to stay there long enough to rest and leave right away the next morning.”
“Okay, fine,” Ada said, pouting.
The prince gave the girl an apologetic look, even though she turned her back to him. There was simply no time to take a tour of the castle, nonetheless talking to King Claudio.
Everyone fell quiet and the horse walked along slowly. Things were going smoothly, until-
BANG!
Birds hiding in the trees quickly scattered, their caws loud enough for people in the next city to hear. Ling and the others turned around with worried looks on their faces. Not far from them, a man was taking control of a carriage as the horse neighed frantically. Across from the carriage, there was another man holding a gun.
“Leave the carriage now or else I’ll kill you.”
Looks like someone is going to take whomever is inside the carriage hostage, Ling pondered.
“My lord, how are we going to save the man and the passenger?” Lan Fan asked in a whisper.
Ling tapped his chin. They must do something as soon as possible before the intruder could make his move. The prince then smiled.
“Ada, do you have any source of water with you?”
Not far from them, the driver trembled in fright. Any minute now, the gun would go off.
“What’s going on, Gregory?” the person inside the carriage asked in alarm. His voice sounded like a young adult.
“Nothing, sir. Everything is…”
The click from the gun caught the driver off guard. The attacker clenched his teeth and raised an eyebrow.
“I’ll ask again,” the man said slowly, but with a hint of anger. “Give the carriage to me or else I’ll blow your head.”
Gregory gulped and felt sweat trailing down from his forehead. He shook his head and saw the assailant’s right eye widen with anger. Knowing he was going to die, Gregory shut his eyes wide shut and waited for the gunshot. A moment later, when the gun didn’t go off, he opened his eyes to see a jet of water coming from nowhere and knocking the gun out of the intruder’s hand. Both Gregory and the other man that almost killed him had their mouths open in deep shock.
“What?! Who did this?”
Gregory asked himself the same thing. Before him, there were four young teenagers smirking at the intruder.
“Great work, Ada!” Ling complimented, giving her a thumbs up.
The girl nodded, putting her gloves away. She was holding a damaged canteen, tiny drops of water falling from the spout.
“You owe me a new canteen,” Ada reminded Ling with a playful grin.
The intruder gritted his teeth and threw them a furious look.
“So you kids know alchemy, huh? No matter, I can still take you dow…”
He was interrupted when a huge stone hand grasped him tightly. The attacker struggled to get out. The princess dusted away the alkhestry symbol on the dirt and quickly grabbed her five kunai.
“Let me go!’
May stuck her tongue out and she spun to make made another alkhestry symbol on the ground. Seconds later the man was freed, and he stood panting, trying to catch his breath. He didn’t get the chance to lift his head before Ling had his sword close to his throat, looking down at the assailant with a dark intensity in his eyes. Knowing he didn’t need the young man to tell him to leave, the interloper got up and rushed out of the valley.
Ada grinned. “That got rid of him for good.”
“Yes,” Ling responded without smiling. There was one other man they needed to check up on. “Come on, we should see if Gregory is unharmed.”
Everyone dashed towards Gregory, who still shaken from the ordeal. Lan Fan gently touched his shoulder, which calmed him down.
“Are you okay?” Lan Fan asked.
“I’m fine, thank you,” Gregory said, smiling. “I’m grateful you saved me and Prince Armel.”
Ling flinched. Did they really save a prince? He thought they were saving an ordinary citizen.
“Oh, so I was being attacked.”
The young man turned about when the carriage door opened and a young man stepped out, wearing a coat over a red Aerugo military uniform. His light brown hair whipped gently around his face as the wind strengthened and he straightened his glasses to get a better look at the strangers who had appeared out of nowhere. Ling couldn’t help but gape in amazement. This was the first time he had seen royalty in the western part of the world and ones that weren’t his siblings. He glanced at the girls, each one bearing the same expression as himself.
“Hello, I’m Prince Armel Daniel Aerugo,” the man introduced himself with a smile. “I overheard what happened, and am grateful you saved me. This is the first time someone attempted to take me hostage.”
“No problem,” Ling said while shaking Prince Armel’s hand. “We noticed you and your driver were in trouble, so it’s natural for us to go save you two.”
“I see. Well, to show my gratitude, I’d like all of you to stay at my castle for the night. Everyone in your group appears to be tired.”
Ling was speechless. Another thing he hadn’t expected. As much as he liked Prince Armel’s offer, they had no time to be tourists. Then again, he and the group would be sleeping somewhere nice for a change and this could be their only chance to explore a castle in a western county, even if it were only a little while. The group had planned to find lodgings in Padrid City for the night, and this might be their only opportunity to find someplace to stay.
There was one problem, though; Fu.
Are we going to leave Fu here unattended?
“Um…Prince Armel, your offer is lovely and all, but I have a friend that needs to be buried soon,” he said, pointing to the cart with Fu’s body.
Prince Armel nodded in understanding. “No problem. I’ll have my adviser, Richard, take care of the cart.”
“Richard?” Ada stuttered.
Right on cue, a chubby man wearing the same clothing as Prince Armel came out from the carriage. He had an eager but puzzled expression painted on his face.
“Yes, Prince Armel?”
“Can you take control of the cart over there and follow me and Gregory to Padrid City?” Armel asked, gesturing at the wagon.
“That won’t be a problem at all, Sir.”
Richard went to the cart, climbed on, and held onto the reins. The group looked at the Aerugoian prince with anticipation. Prince Armel gestured his hands, indicating they should follow him and then everyone climbed into the carriage.
+++
It had been a while since Ling rode in a carriage like this and admitted he missed riding. He gazed at the window for quite some time, seeing the valley moving before his very eyes.
“The four of you haven’t introduced yourselves, yet. We might as well get to know one another before we reach Padrid.”
“Well, I’m Ling Yao, prince of Xing and twelfth son of the emperor. These three ladies traveling with me are Lan Fan my guard, May Chang my half-sister, and Ada,” Ling said while pointing to the girls one by one. “Lan Fan and May came with me from Xing while Ada is from Rainington.”
“Nice to meet you all,” the man said, grinning. He quickly shook each lady’s hands before looking back at Ling, this time with a bewildered expression. “Wait, prince? To be honest, I wouldn’t expect a prince to dress like that.”
In swift motion, Lan Fan held out her dagger at the other prince’s throat. He gulped.
“You don’t disrespect my lord like that.” The man nodded hastily and the guard put the dagger back in the pouch.
Ling was speechless; he knew Lan Fan would react that way. Usually, not many people would take his word, given his simple clothing and his tendency to beg for food.
“So you’re the prince of Xing, huh?” Prince Armel responded, laughing nervously before quickly regaining his composure. “I’ve actually heard many of the clans there are fighting for the future throne. As you know, Aerugo and Xing have done a great deal of trading with one another.”
“Yes, you’re correct on that,” the Xing prince commented after a long silence. “This is my first time visiting Aerugo and I think this country is beautiful.”
“Glad to hear that.” Prince Armel’s smile changed to a concerned frown. “I’m wondering, though. What brings you all to Aerugo?”
“We’re actually going back to Xing to bury my grandfather. Crossing Aerugo is a much safer path back home than crossing the Great Desert,” Lan Fan explained.
“Wait, you mean the body on the cart Richard’s riding on now is your grandfather’s?” Prince Armel said, flabbergasted. Lan Fan nodded and the older prince gave her a smile. “I see why you’re taking the longer trip home. I’ll make sure your grandfather’s body is being watched over while you all stay at my castle.”
Lan Fan smiled, her eyes showing great relief. “Thank you.”
Ada, May, and Lan Fan began having a conversation with Prince Armel, asking him many questions about his background, his family and friends, among other subjects. Ling wasn’t paying attention, his mind wandering. He was curious as to what an Aerugoian castle looked like. Would it be any different from the palaces of Xing? Surely, it would be huge compared to King Bradley’s “mansion.”
Time flew by quickly and before they knew it, they made it to Padrid City. Ling gasped in astonishment; this city was as huge as Central, back in Amestris. The architecture of the buildings looked to be a couple centuries old, but were all still in good standing. Lively people filled the streets, and they were either engaged in conversation or were bustling in and out of the shops. There was one area the group passed that Prince Armel called the Market Square, where there were many vendors. On a huge hill, a large white castle could be seen in the distance. Surrounding the castle was a moat filled with gently flowing deep water. The only way to cross it was a drawbridge, one that could be pulled up if unwanted visitors approached. On the curtain walls and towers was the Aerugoian flag-a two headed falcon in white on a red background. Standing proud and tall was the keep; Ling staring at it in awe.
After passing through the city, they came upon a trail that forced them to travel uphill. The last part of the trip would take some time, so Prince Armel talked to the group about a different subject.
‘The Padrid Castle was built around the fourteenth century. My ancestor King Guy of Gully wanted to move to a safer location, and so he stayed in Padrid City. Since then, this has been my family’s home.”
“Curious, did you have your military situated here during the border war?” Ling asked.
“Yes. The castle is where most of my army stay at. Or, should I say, my father’s men. Aerugo has a few military headquarters. Many times, my father sends them to Rogue Town, which is west from here and quite close to Fotset. Each time his men leave the castle though, he becomes very upset due to the fact Führer Bradley has made several attempts to take over this country and he is forced to fight.”
Hearing King Bradley’s name made Ling’s blood boil. Memories of his confrontations with Amestris’ former leader started to race through his head, and he didn’t like it at all. Without Prince Armel noticing, the young man clenched his fist.
“Six months ago, my father, back when he was a prince, tried to make peace with Fuhrer Bradley, but that didn’t go so well. In fact, he didn’t even get to meet the Fuhrer.”
“What happened?” May asked, leaning closer.
“Let’s just say he wound up as a hostage and someone else played the part as prince.”
Ling couldn’t help but gasp. That event did sound familiar…
Back when I was Greed.
Greed had told him what happened. A “Prince Claudio” wanted the war between Aerugo and Amestris to end, so he had requested a peace treaty with King Bradley, to which he agreed. The prince, now a king, it seemed, then left for Central. Halfway through the trip, a young terrorist, whose name was also Claudio, ambushed the old man and request he play the role of Prince Claudio if he wanted his life to be spared.
Luckily, some military men from Amestris found him in an abandoned warehouse. Not long after, Claudio had destroyed most of Central with some kind of machine. Greed, reluctantly, agreed to help Wrath (King Bradley) and Envy to destroy it on the condition he was allowed to go wherever he liked afterwards. The machine was destroyed by Edward in the end and eventually Claudio disappeared after opening The Gate. Greed commented he was glad he hadn’t returned because he rather not help Father to gather his sacrifices It was hard for Ling to believe what Greed had said, but then again, he had, in a fashion, experienced it with his own eyes.
“Prince Armel, I know it’s hard for you to believe this, but I was there when that happened. I was staying at Central at that time and had to deal with Claudio’s terrorist plans.”
May, Lan Fan, and Ada looked at Ling, puzzlement and amazement swirled into one. Ling knew he would need to explain to them the whole story behind that incident, sometime. He faced the other prince, his own showing great interest.
“You know, I think my father told me how a Xingese person was involved and helped out with saving Central. For that, I thank you.”
Ling closed his eyes and lowered his head in gratitude. “You’re welcome.”
Changing the subject, Ada said, “Speaking of King Bradley, he was pronounced dead recently and there are talks of new leaders for Central.”
The Aerugoian prince smiled slyly. “I know. I hope to convince my father to talk with Fuhrer Grumman to come up with a peace treaty.”
Ling, Lan Fan, May, and Ada had shocked expressions written all over on their faces. The prince thought it would take a while longer before a new Fuhrer could be found. He guessed Central wished to find someone to take charge of the city’s rebuilding in a timely manner.
“Wait, Fuhrer Grumman? Central chose someone already?” May said.
“I heard the title was to go to Roy Mustang, but was passed over due to him being blind.” Prince Armel paused, wearing a thoughtful look. “Anyways, I actually just found out this morning about it, when visiting one of the military headquarters. I’m heading back to my castle to talk to my father about this.”
Everyone fell silent. Ling smiled, glad the other prince planned to do something about the war. Prince Armel would make a fine king for his people.
Gregory stopped at the palace walls. Two guards stood on duty and they nodded at him in approval. They quickly opened the gate and both Gregory and Richard went through.
+++
The cart was parked inside an empty stable. Prince Armel commented that, due to advances in technology, horses weren’t used as much for military purposes, leaving some empty stables. Dory was stayed put there, two soldiers keeping watch over both the cart and the horse.
Everyone went inside the castle and Ling’s group made overwhelmed noises. The floor of the main hall was paved in checkerboard patterned tiles and an elaborate chandelier graced the center of the ceiling. As they walked, Lan Fan saw many statues of different armors used in past battles. It fascinated her how Aerugo’s battle attire was different from Xing’s.
As they advanced further into the castle, they came upon carpeted stairs. As soon as they reached the top landing, Prince Armel looked at both Richard and Gregory.
“Richard, come with me to meet with my father concerning Fuhrer Grumman. Gregory, show them to the guestroom.” He then faced Ada, May, Ling, and Lan Fan. “I’ll meet up with you all at dinner, seven o’ clock.”
Everyone bowed to Prince Armel before he and Richard left. The group stood in silence for quite some time until Gregory coughed.
“Okay, I’ll take you to your rooms now. Please follow me.”
As they were walking, Lan Fan couldn’t help but admire the paintings on the walls. Each one was different, ranging from past royalty to Aerugo’s different landscapes; all of them were amazing. Everybody then halted when Gregory stopped and pointed to the left.
“This is your room. I’ll be on my way now, but I’ll come back when dinner is ready. Prince Armel will give you all a tour of the castle after that.”
“Thank you, we appreciated it,” Lan Fan said, bowing. Ling, Ada, and May did the same.
Gregory gave everyone a slight nod and left them alone. The group watched after the man for a while until Ling opened the door. They stepped inside, and were immediately impressed with their lodgings; this was the total opposite of the room back at Sunset Inn. The white lighting was much easier on the eyes and the furniture looked more polished. May and her panda made a beeline for one of the beds and threw themselves upon it, both of them letting out heavenly sighs.
“A comfy bed, finally,” May said blissfully.
“I want to look around the castle now, actually,” Ada said, sitting on one of the other beds. “Too bad we’ll have to wait for the tour until after dinner.”
“Me too, but it is a large castle. I’m not sure if we’ll be able to see everything by tonight,” Ling pointed out.
Lan Fan hung her head in disappointment. She, too, wanted to see the entire castle as she had never seen one like this before, but Ling was right. They probably wouldn’t be able to see everything. If they could stay a bit longer, maybe…
No, that wouldn’t be acceptable; her grandfather needed to be at Xing.
+++
Prince Armel was standing inside his father’s office, gulping to himself. Across from him, a gray haired man sitting was wearing the same red attire, but wearing a white coat, shot the prince a confused gaze. King Claudio intimidated him quite easily.
“So, the information about the new Fuhrer just came today?” the king asked his son in their language, his tone tense.
“Yes, Father,” Prince Armel said in the same tongue, nodding. “I think you should go talk to Fuhrer Grumman for peace.”
King Claudio rested on his wrinkled hands, thinking. He was silent for some time, causing the prince to worry.
“This is what I have wanted for a long time, for this bloodshed to end,” the king mused with a sad chuckle. “However, remember when I visited Amestris, more than six months ago? I was attacked by some terrorist lunatic with the same name as me and he almost destroyed Central!” He slammed his fist on the desk. “If I let the new Fuhrer know I’m coming, I might be taken hostage again!”
Prince Armel gritted his teeth and heaved a heavy sigh inside his head. He knew how distressed his father was over this war, and wouldn’t want him to miss a chance to finally break the ice.
“I doubt it. He commanded Amestris’ East army to overthrow Fuhrer Bradley. Besides, you can request to Fuhrer Grumman that you want the peace talks to be private. Fuhrer Bradley wanted the peace summit to be a big deal so you would be assassinated.”
King Claudio cringed at that thought. The prince knew he shouldn’t bring this subject up that to his father, but it was true. If it weren’t for the other Claudio taking his place, his father would be the fallen victim.
The king scratched his bearded chin in thought, then chuckled. “Hmm…you do have a point there, Armel. All right then, I’ll met with Fuhrer Grumman. I need to have his permission first to enter the country, though.”
Prince Armel sighed in relief to himself. Finally, after many years of hardship, Aerugo would have some peace and quiet. No more lives would be lost. “Again, let the Fuhrer know you want the peace negotiations to be private.”
“Don’t worry, I will.”
+++
When it was time for dinner, Gregory sent Ling and the others to the dining hall. A long table stretched across the room and with fine dishes and silverware neatly laid out upon it. Everyone, including Prince Armel and King Claudio, enjoyed the roast beef and duck that were served. There was also sliced ham, which Ling took a great liking to. At one point, Ada asked where the queen was. The king explained she was away on an important trip and won’t come back for at least two months.
“Wow, these are magnificent,” Ling complimented with his mouth full.
“Glad you like our food,” King Claudio said with a slight smile, but his expression changed immediately. “So you’re the son of the emperor of Xing, Armel told me. I know the emperor has many children that are fighting one another for his title.”
Ling nodded. “Yes. There’s been news he has fallen ill and doesn’t have much time left. I’m hoping to gain the throne when I visit him. My half-sister May is also his daughter.” He pointed to May, the girl nodding enthusiastically.
“You know, this is the first time I’ve met any of his children. I actually visited the emperor long time ago for a trade agreement between my country and his. He seems very fond of his power.”
The Xing prince opened his mouth to speak, but couldn’t find any words at the moment. He never knew his father and it was unbelievable he was talking to someone that had met him before. His mind then thought about how the king and prince of Aerugo were in the same room together. It made him jealous this the father and son were able to be together.
“So King Claudio, are you going to be able to visit Fuhrer Grumman soon for the peace treaty?” Ada asked.
“Yes,” the man replied. “I’ll need to get his permission first, though. I’ll send in a letter to him tomorrow.”
Ling grinned. This would be the first step in the rebuilding of Central City, or rebuilding Amestris, for that matter. Overall, it was a win-win situation.
“Well, I hope that goes well.”
Both Prince Armel and King Claudio faces stretched into huge smiles.
“Thank you. I do, also,” the king responded, nodding.
+++
After dinner, Prince Armel and King Claudio led Ling and the others on a tour of the castle. As expected, the two were not going to show them the entire castle tonight; there wasn’t time for that unless they stayed longer, which Ling knew wasn’t possible. They first stopped at the library, with its mountain of books inside. Ling glanced at Ada, her eyes twinkled with glee.
“Prince Armel, do you have any books on water alchemy?”
“Yes, we do,” the prince said with a genuine smile. “We have books about all kinds of alchemy. Metal, air, water, fire, electricity, you name it.”
“How about alkhestry?” May said, beaming.
“Oh, we have those books too,” King Claudio said with a chuckle. “I assume you know how to use that, correct?”
May nodded. “I’m the only daughter of the emperor that knows how to use it.”
“Impressive,” the king replied, grinning in a satisfying manner. “If you want, you can take a few of them.” He then turned to Ada. “You can also have some water alchemy books, too.”
“Wait, you’re letting us have those books with no strings attached?” Ada clarified, her eyes wide.
“Yes. I think you two will benefit from those books more than my son and I,” King Claudio explained. His smile became wider.
Ada and May looked at one another with excitement and wasted no time looking through the books. Ling and Lan Fan smiled. The young man was glad he was able to meet with at least one generous king.
The next area the king and prince took them to was the throne room, the only furniture within being three well polished throne chairs. Ling knew this was an important room. He noticed that behind the chairs were the Aerugoian flags he had seen hanging from the castle walls’ earlier today.
“This is where many of our important meetings are held,” King Claudio explained. “Not only that, we would listen to the citizens of Aerugo in this room, no matter how near or far they live from Padrid City.”
Ling scratched his chin and began thinking. Back at his palace, there was a throne room and his mother and grandfather would stay there for periods to help with the citizens with any questions or concerns they had. Aerugo and Xing’s throne rooms weren’t so different after all.
The last area they visited was the dance hall. Once more, the group was amazed by the splendor before them. Across from the visitors, there were no walls but huge glass windows, giving the room a spotlight facade. Ling thought for a second that he saw the floor sparkle. Unlike the main hall, there were several more chandeliers on the ceiling.
“This is our dance hall,” the Aerugoian prince lectured. “Sometimes we host formal balls and this is the room we hold them in. The last dance we had was the Winter Ball last December.”
“So you didn’t mind having dances during the Promised Day?” Lan Fan said.
“What will stop us?” the king challenged, smirking. “Just because the world might come to an end soon, that doesn’t mean we can’t still have fun.”
This was the second time this evening Ling couldn’t find the words, but moreso out of total agreement. Of the six months he carried Greed inside him, most of that time was spent staying at Pinako Rockbell’s house. Apparently, Edward thought it would be a good idea to stay safe until the Promise Day came. Besides, there really hadn’t been much to do in the tiny village, anyway
I hope the Aerugo family will rule this country for many years.
+++
Late into the night, everyone retired to their bedrooms. Ada, Ling, and May were able to doze off, but Lan Fan couldn’t sleep. Ever since the young water alchemist had joined the group, she hadnn’t found the time to read her grandfather’s journal. The young woman realized that once they left the castle there probably wouldn’t be another opportunity for her to read it. Not wanting to disturb who might be sleeping, Lan Fan grabbed the journal and a lit candle before leaving the room.
The only place she believed she could read the journal in peace would be the library. A sofa and table was at to her left inside the room, so Lan Fan went to that spot. After setting the candle aside, she began reading.
+++
July 20, 1914
The young lord, my granddaughter and I were staying at an apartment occupied by “Barry the Chopper” and “Vato Falman” for the night. Apparently these two were forced to be roommates, if their arguments and sarcasms said anything.
Dinner was a special treat. Falman called for food delivery and not long after someone knocked on the door. The man opened it and there was someone holding a skinny rectangular box. Barry told me Falman ordered pizza, which I never heard of before. Nonetheless, all of us tried it save for Barry because of his body’s resemblance to Alphonse Elric. Falman didn’t show any emotion while the rest of us were very delighted by the taste of it. The young lord liked it the most, judging by the silly grin on his face.
(Art by seta_suzume )
Right after dinner, Master Ling told me he wanted me to go on a very important mission. There was this one lady, Maria Ross, who had been murdered, or so the public thought. I was to escort her to Xing so that she would be safe there. Immediately, Granddaughter asked if she could go with me, but Ling said he’ll need her in case something bad happens to him and to not worry about me. I could see in her eyes she was still concerned over my well-being, but knew the young lord was right. Who would protect the future emperor if both his guards were gone? I told him that I accepted this important mission. The girl was hiding in an abandoned warehouse and I should meet her early next morning.
All of us went to sleep not long after. During my slumber, I dreamed that I was in an alley and that there was only one man there. He wore an eyepatch over his right eye and he held a sword. His chi was ominous, different from other people. All of a sudden, he ran upwards in a blink of an eye, as if he was a speed demon. I turned my head and I saw my granddaughter on top of a steel beam. My heart raced with anxiety.
“Lan Fan, run!” I screamed. I rarely said my granddaughter’s name, but I feared for her life and wasn’t thinking straight.
She just froze, most likely stunned over how fast her enemy was. Without warning, he sliced her stomach and blood flew wildly. Within seconds, she fell down on the ground hard. My heart sank and I yelled out my granddaughter’s name again.
At that moment, I woke up from the nightmare. Sweat kept streaming down from my forehead each time I took a heavy breath. My heart warned me something like that would happen if I left, but I knew I had to do what the young lord assigned me. I cried, wondering if what I was going to do in the morning was the right choice.
+++
Grandfather dreamed of me being killed by the Fuhrer?
Lan Fan hadn’t realized she had dropped the book. She already wondered what would had happened if she had been the one taking Maria to Xing instead of her grandfather. He probably would have been able to better protect himself than her. Fu’s dream had almost become true-she indeed could have died if Doctor Knox hadn’t saved her.
“Lan Fan, is that you?”
The guard gasped when she saw King Claudio walking towards her. He took a few more steps and stopped, frowning at her.
“King Claudio,” Lan Fan said with a startled tone, bowing. A bewildered expression could be seen on her face. “Sorry to disturb you. I thought you’re asleep.”
The king chuckled. “No, I couldn’t sleep. I just had a lot of things on my mind, like how my trip to Amestris will fare this time. Also, you dropped this. I don’t think it’s from one of the books in the library.”
King Claudio bent to pick the journal up from the floor and handed it back to Lan Fan. The young woman cradled it to her chest.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “This is actually my grandfather’s journal. Reading the entries made me realize there were so many things I don’t know about him.”
She wasn’t sure why she had told the king of Aerugo that, but it felt good getting off her chest. Indeed, with each entry she read, she learned something new about her grandfather.
“Oh, I see. Armel told me you’ll be burying him to Xing. I’m really sorry for your lost. Are you sure you children will be fine? My son doesn’t mind helping you out, actually.”
“That’s very kind, but we’ll be fine.”
“Good to hear.” A smile appeared on the elderly man’s face. “Hope you get some rest tonight. You have a long journey ahead of you.”
It was Lan Fan’s turn to smile. “Yes, of course.”
The king nodded and walked out of the library. Tears burst from Lan Fan’s eyes, but she still wouldn’t sob.
You made the right choice in helping Maria, Grandfather.
+++
When morning came it was time for the group to leave. King Claudio had his servants retrieve Ada’s cart and they parked it at the castle’s front gate. The king and his son were outside, saying their goodbyes to the group of travelers. Ling and the others were already on the cart, with Ada taking control again.
“My father and I want to wish you and your friends a safe trip and good luck with becoming emperor,” Prince Armel said. “Perhaps we’ll meet again when we’re Emperor and King.”
“Likewise,” Ling said, beaming. The two princes shook hands.
Ada shook the reins and the group was off. King Claudio and Prince Armel waved goodbye to them, and the group returned the gesture. When the gate was opened, the group left the castle grounds.
Onto to Chapter Six!