• ❁Alchemic Scars [Editing]❁ •

• ❁ Chapter 5 - Old Friends and New Secrets ❁ •

(the art above does not belong to me!!)

Chapter 5 - Old Friends and New Secrets

I feel my heart jerk, pounding louder as I stare into those familiar, honey-golden eyes. I take a slow, jittered breath to calm myself. The two people in the whole world I didn't expect to see again are standing right in front of me. What surprises me the most is that they came looking for me. They went to the Lieutenant Colonel for information on me. I left them and the Rockbells long ago; why would they come looking for me now of all times?

The patter of footsteps takes me away from my thoughts and back into the reality of the situation. Both of the Elrics are making their way towards me, although doing it with great caution. Hughes and Mustang become onlookers to the case and don't speak. They stand by the desk and study the scene.

"Elleah?" Edward inquires once more, now picking up his pace until he stops stock-still, a few feet away from me. "Is it really you?"

I keep my composure and straighten myself. I can't let my shield falter just for some old friends I haven't seen for years. After all, I don't know how much they have changed. They could be complete strangers compared to the energetic, slightly argumentative, children I grew up to know.

"Yes," I state as bluntly as I can muster, thinking the slightest waver will break me completely. "Why have you come looking for information on me?"

Alphonse walks closer to me, stopping only a few inches away before he kneels down to my level of eye contact. He slowly reaches a hand out to me. I recoil ever so slightly. He stops a bit away from me. After a moment - after I have relaxed - he reaches out again, grabbing a long tuft of my crimson hair, admiring it with his white and red eyes.

"You've changed," he says softly. I can hear the sadness in his voice. "You're not smiling anymore..."

I don't know how to respond anymore. I simply keep my gaze to the floor. After a minute of allowing him to examine my hair, I put a hand over his and slowly pull it away. I step back. He stands up after a moment or two and rejoins his brother a few steps away.

"We found this photo while going through our belongings," Edward states, rummaging around in his pocket to find the object. Eventually, he pulls out an A5 piece of paper, a print plastered on the front. I step forward cautiously and take hold of the photo clutched in the small boy's right hand. As I retrieve it, I hear a soft tink from a metal item as my auto-mail connects comes in contact under the glove. I retract too quickly to be able to get a better look at what had produced the sound.

I look down to the memory in my hands, feeling my breath hitch twice this day. The image is of our childhood cohort; Edward, Alphonse, Winry, Jacky, Marcus, and myself. We all gather in the frame, squashed together at the sides to try and be seen. Edward, Winry and I rallied in the top row, while the three younger siblings crowd the bottom. Our faces are cheery, exited, and rosy; everyone seems to be happy.

"After seeing this, we wanted to know how you were holding up after all these years," Alphonse explains, stepping forward. "We knew that you were hit hard when Marcus and Jacky ran away. We thought it wouldn't hurt to come and find you."

"But neither of us expected to find you here," Edward butts in. "You've changed; way too much to be caused by that attack. What happened to you?"

I hand the photo back to the small boy with no hesitation, taking a side glance at Hughes as I take a step back. The man sees my look and makes his way over to my side to whisper calming words in my ear. He soon pulls away, nods his head with a smile, walks to Mustang and pulls him out the door.