Fall of the Phoenix•FMA Brotherhood Fanfic

XXX1

Stretching across the land endlessly, the golden sand filled every visible space. Alone, a minuscule figure compared to the vastness of the desert trudged across the scorching ground. Despite having travelled around the world quite a bit as a child, the girl was no match for the unmerciful weather ranging from sand storms to the chilling temperature during the evenings in this golden abyss.

She lifts her heavy lids and her hazel eyes scan the horizon and wonders when she was going to arrive at her destination. The capsule felt heavy in her hands despite how little water was present, and the bag seemed to weigh several tons on her back. The lady's eyes blurs out of focus as her knees gives in. The sand cushions her landing, and any rational reasoning disappears as she's dragged into unconsciousness. The last thing her mind could conjure was a curse towards the Xing Emperor.

With effort, the lady forces her eyes open and rubs the drowsiness out of them. Unfamiliar surroundings come into view and all at once, reality pulls her out of the hazy state of lethargy. Immediately her hands are ready to send deadly shards of ice through anything that showed signs of ill intent towards her. But with a small cry of bewilderment, she realizes her gloves were missing. Suspicious eyes examine the room, only to find it to be empty. The last thing she could remember was the seemingly never ending sand that pricked at her eyes every time a current picked up and even that, was a cloudy memory due to her being only half aware of her environment as a result of the lack of food.

The curtains were drawn in the bedroom but bright rays of sunlight still managed to peek through the cracks. Carefully she plants herself on both feet, testing how well her legs were working. The muscles strains against her weight and wavers slightly as though protesting. She swings her arms in a circular motion to get rid of the numbness sleep has induced.

She pries the curtains open slightly and takes a glance outside. To her surprise, it was a street filled with busy...people?

"What in the world," she trails off and her eyes widen in amazement, "don't tell me I'm finally here." Her eyes stay fixed onto the bustling citizens, and grins as the idea finally clicks and establishes itself as real, "Hell yes I'm here."

The sound of creaking floorboards snap the girl out of her reverie and she turns towards the door, prepared to defend herself. A gruff looking man, possibly in his late forties appear with stubble covering his chin. A few strands of white hair stand out against his dark brown hair. She narrows her eyes at him, showing her hostility by sifting into a defensive stance.

The man doesn't falter and shoots a glare at her, "Is this how you repay the doctor who's nursed and let you rest in his house for the last three days?"

Her arms are still raised in a protective stance, but the sharp words she had ready never left her mouth as she stops to reevaluate the man, "Who are you?" is the only question the lady can splutter out.

"The doctor who had to take care of you for the last three days, I just said. Has the sand impaired your hearing as well?"

"What is your name?" she ignores his impatient tone.

"I should be asking you that."

"Answer me first."

"That's it, I'm calling Alphonse," he turns around and heads out the bedroom, "Stupid Elric Brothers, always bringing me patients. This was supposed to be a vacation."

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" she follows after him but halts when she sees the piles of books and papers stacked on top of each other everywhere. This was a poor excuse of a living room, or was it his work place? She couldn't really tell.

Suddenly, she remembers what the Emperor had told her before he sent her out into the desert with food rations for only a week and a poorly drawn map of where she should've been able to collect more food along the trip. That dumbass, she scowls in disdain, you gave me a shitty map and I had to pay the price for it.