Beta: TaintedLetter
(óヮò)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
Spring 1914
Elizabeth Luxanna sat in her foster father's office, sorting through paperwork and filling out forms as need be. She had seen Papa complete the paperwork for many years by that point, so she knew what was needed.
Plus if she helped complete his paperwork, he would get to come home for dinner on time and Mumma would be happy.
She sat to the side of his desk, while the führer worked on the other half of the stack. He would pause at certain points to enjoy his tea, or look longingly outside the window, but he worked with diligence that befit a country ruler.
"What a mess," he sighed when he came across a particularly thick binder.
Elizabeth glanced up from the financial reports. "Huh? What happened?"
"Another idiot is running rampage," Papa told her gruffly. "And incompetent men are chasing after him." Papa drummed his fingers on the desk. "Perhaps I'll just dump this cluster on Mustang, since he's always itching to prove himself."
"Mustang?" Elizabeth repeated. "Is he here in Central?"
"He arrived a week ago, and the Elric brothers only yesterday."
Elizabeth brightened at that. "Edward and Alphonse are here?"
"You can't have them over for dinner again," Papa immediately rejected.
Elizabeth blushed. The last—and only—time the brothers had enjoyed dinner with the Bradleys and Elizabeth had turned into a mess. Selim kept making jabs at Edward which eventually turned into a bit of an explosion and escalated into a high stakes game of hide and go seek (or Hunting as Selim lovingly preferred to call it).
Obviously Selim won, but Mumma was less than pleased that her home had become a tad bit destroyed in the process.
She had words with Papa to politely ask Elizabeth to not invite them over for dinner without advance warning so she could wrap up her china and porcelain collection.
"Yes, Papa," Elizabeth meekly responded, still blushing. "Um, although that reminds me... May I pretty please have more cadavers?"
Papa glanced over at her with a raised eyebrow. "The Elric brothers make you think of cadavers?"
"It's because of them that I'm even experimenting on humans," she explained quickly.
"True enough," he said slowly. "Yes, you may."
Elizabeth brightened.
Normally one would request research materials through proper channels, but Papa and Selim told Elizabeth to simply ask them for the corpses. Not one to question them—or care where they came from—she obliged without a fuss.
She also politely asked the Elric brothers to refrain from telling others about what she was researching. Human alchemy was technically illegal, after all. Since she was doing this research largely for them (and mild academic curiosity), they agreed to such.
(Although both still seemed deeply unsettled by the use of the cadavers, but it was hard to argue when she pointed out how essential cadavers were for budding doctors, surgeons, and nearly anyone in the medical field. If they were serious about obtaining their bodies back through the use of alchemy, using a cadaver for safe experimentation was a basic necessity. It probably helped that she reminded them they were donated to science.
Even if Elizabeth didn't personally know for sure they were willing volunteers.)
All the cadavers, as far as they were concerned, were donated voluntarily in the same of science.
She wondered if they would object harshly if she confessed she believed they were simply idiots caught by her best friend and foster father at the wrong time.
She wondered if they would find her insane for not being bothered by such.
But she had already claimed too many lives to count by that point, so it honestly didn't matter to her.
She only cared about her family and friends.
She lost the ability to sympathize with random humans when several dozens of them indulged in torturing her as a child.
While she didn't actively dislike humans in general, she didn't like them, either.
There were good humans, and bad ones.
She ultimately believed there were more bad ones than good.
To be frank, she probably would have openly detested humans if she had not come across those like Mumma, the Elrics, or even Maes.
Papa shut the binder he had been working on with a sigh.
Elizabeth grabbed the binder, briefly looking into it out of curiosity. If it was something Papa didn't want her to see, he wouldn't have allowed her to see it at all.
'The Freezing Alchemist?' Elizabeth thought, skimming over the paperwork inside. It looked like he was a deserter with some major issues against the military.
'Ah. He does seem like a pain,' Elizabeth concluded, shutting the binder and hopping up from her seat. "Certainly looks like an issue. Will you be able to take care of this before dinner?"
"Maybe," he murmured, returning to his paperwork with a sigh.
Elizabeth didn't miss that he looked longingly out the window one more time.
'He's going to sneak out again, isn't he?' Elizabeth thought, pitying his bodyguards. They always had quite the heart attack when they opened up his office doors to find the führer gone and the window wide open.
Elizabeth chewed on her bottom lip for a moment before she said, "Papa? You know Mumma's coming back late from visiting her family tonight, so we're having a late dinner tonight."
"Yes," Papa said slowly, his gaze still fixated out the window.
"Mumma will be very cross if you're late."
"Yes. I won't be."
"She will be even more cross if you come to dinner smelling like blood."
A slight hesitation. "I won't."
Elizabeth did not believe him for a moment, so she shook her head, sighed, and decided to nip the problem in the bud. She hopped out of her chair, neatly piling her completed paperwork off to one side.
"Elizabeth?" Papa swung his gaze upon her.
He was not an affectionate man by nature, and when he looked at Elizabeth it was rare for her to find any warmth in his eyes—unless in public. Like with Selim, Papa rarely saw the need to keep up a masquerade around Elizabeth because there was no point.
Elizabeth would remain loyal and affectionate with him whether he smiled at her or not because of Selim, and they all knew it.
That being said, he was not without care. There were times, brief moments, where he would relax and give her a tired smile. He would pat her head when she accomplished something new, and there had even been times where Elizabeth had dozed in her chair, and woke up in his lap, or with his jacket draped over her.
King Bradley was not the kind of person who would shower her with love, and affection.
But he was the kind of person that could still come to care for someone else not of his blood.
Elizabeth paused where she was, turning her attention to the man who she had come to love like a father—despite knowing he might very well never love her like a daughter.
He reached out a hand and placed it over the top of her head, his only visible eye sharp. Others might have been intimidated by the sight, but Elizabeth would never be able to feel fear from her adopted family.
He ruffled her hair. "You're a good girl, Elizabeth."
Elizabeth's cheeks flushed under the unexpected praise. "Thank you, Papa."
Papa retracted his hand and turned around to fully face the window behind him. "Mn. Fetch that punk, won't you? I'll let him have that cluster of a headache."
Elizabeth knew that punk meant Roy Mustang.
"Yes, Papa." Elizabeth curtsied before she took her leave. She quietly shut the office door behind her and began her trek through Central Command.
Visiting officers were always given the same office to temporarily use. Since Mustang was visiting, Elizabeth knew exactly where he would have to be. Elizabeth walked swiftly through the well lit hallways, ignoring the looks tossed her way.
Everyone knew to be respectful to her face.
She resisted the urge to grab onto the rapier she kept tied to her lower back.
Elizabeth was not poor in combat—far from it, actually—and after years of honing her swordsmanship under tutors—and Papa, who was by far the most merciless instructor Elizabeth had ever had—she had earned excellent ability in using the rapier.
She may have lacked the raw strength possessed by those older, but she had an innate talent for agility, dexterity, and fluidity.
The ancient soul had spent countless hours dancing away from her dearest Selim's shadows. Around he would spin her if he caught her, and up high he would toss her if she couldn't escape in time.
He was so very good at hunting her, but she was so very good at keeping away.
And they both loved it.
Elizabeth moved with light steps, not a sound to be heard as she walked, and barely a few minutes later did she reach the office.
A polite knock on the door warranted the door opening up to a young woman with blonde hair swept up in a bun. The woman stared in surprise at Elizabeth for a moment before asking, "May I help you?"
"Is Colonel Mustang available?" Elizabeth politely asked.
The woman opened the door further, allowing Elizabeth view of Mustang. The man sat at a desk piled with paperwork. He had the same dark eyes, and messy hair that Elizabeth remembered. His eyebrows rose upon seeing her. "What a surprise to see the famous Spring Alchemist has decided to grace us with a visit."
"Spring Alchemist...?" Elizabeth heard the young woman murmur to herself, her intelligent gaze now reassessing Elizabeth.
Elizabeth cocked her head to the side. "What a surprise to see the famous Flame Alchemist has decided to keep a messy desk."
Mustang's eyes twinged in irritation at that, while the woman's lips twitched up in the barest hint of a smile.
"What do you want?" Mustang asked.
"Papa wants to see you," Elizabeth answered. She paused. "I really hope you do well so I don't have to take care of it."
Mustang quirked an eyebrow. "Well? Does our mighty führer have a task for me?"
Elizabeth smiled politely. "Go see Papa, please."
Mustang raised his hands up, and Elizabeth took her leave.
(óヮò)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
Elizabeth stepped out into the dark night, unsurprised to feel cool shadows wrapping up her legs. She glanced back to find red eyes and vicious mouths grinning at her. Selim asked her, as Pride, "Coming home soon?"
"Yes," Elizabeth said slowly. "Do you think Mustang will be okay to handle the Freezing Alchemist? All the enemy has to do is get Mustang wet, you know."
"Maybe. Maybe not. Who cares? We're having lobster mac and cheese tonight."
Elizabeth could hear the gleeful note in Selim's voice when he said that, since that was easily one of his top five favorite meals. She couldn't resist smiling brightly back at him. "Yum! I guess it doesn't really matter, but..."
"Don't tell me... did that fool look out the window again?"
Elizabeth felt Selim lift her up onto one of the rooftops. His shadows stayed wrapped around her, a lone one reaching up to tickle her cheek. She leaned into the shadows, feeling all of her tension melt away in the unique "hug" only Selim could give her.
"Are you wanting to stay out and wait, then?" Selim asked her. "To make sure that punk takes care of it?"
"Would you mind?"
More of his shadowed wrapped around her, and Elizabeth sighed contently. "I suppose not. But you owe me a hunt."
"I'll be your prey," she agreed with ease.
"And gingersnaps."
"And I will bake gingersnaps."
"With a tower of croquembouche."
"With a tower of croquem—wait, how tall?"
"Taller than Wrath."
'Goodbye my weekend. It was nice knowing you,' Elizabeth thought, but giggled. "Okay, okay."
The shadows tickled Elizabeth's face with gentle affection. Elizabeth's giggles broke out once more and she looked around the red eyes and said, "I love you, Selim."
"I know," he said in return, and the shadows grinned at her.
(óヮò)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
They waited on the rooftop for a couple hours, alternating between comfortable silence and laughter. Eventually Selim told her that the Elric brothers had found the Freezing Alchemist and successfully subdued him.
Elizabeth hoped that would mean he would be taken into custody without much of an issue, but she knew better than to plan her evening on it.
"He's in custody," Selim told Elizabeth, and the girl smiled in relief at that. "Oh. And he just escaped."
Elizabeth sighed, rubbing her forehead in exasperation. "Of course he did. Can you track him?"
"Easily."
Without warning the Selim's shadows surged across the rooftop, carrying Elizabeth quickly through the air. Elizabeth adored it when Selim would carry her about, and she had to struggle not to giggle with glee at it. She loved feeling the wind rush by her, and seeing how fast they moved. Selim moved faster than any car Elizabeth had been in—arguably faster than a train!
Far too soon for her liking did they reach their destination.
Selim's shadows lifted Elizabeth up to the ledge of the roof, and she could see the man hurrying away. With practiced ease, Elizabeth leapt down, whipping out her rapier kept at her lower back and slashing directly down.
The man did not hear her fall—what human could hear that?—and thusly did not notice her descent until it was too late. She had already carried her sword down his neck, chest, and gut.
She did not make her slice deep, staying closer to the surface so her rapier would not get stuck in his meat and fat. But she split opened several arteries, and gut wounds were always so terribly painful.
The child soldier landed delicately on the ground, gleeful shadows cackling from above as the man began to howl in pain.
Elizabeth stepped back as the blood spurted out, not wanting to ruin her dress. With a disinterested voice she said, "Goodbye."
He moved his mouth as if to speak, but with his throat slashed open he couldn't breathe to do so. He made a stumbling motion toward her, but blood loss took him quickly and he tucked forward and fell onto the pavement.
Dark crimson liquid spilled out from under him, his body twitching and jerking as he struggled to survive the following minute.
Elizabeth and Selim watched with apathy until the man finally died.
"Cadaver?" Elizabeth asked hopefully, looking up at Selim.
"Too high profile," Selim chided her. "You need more? I just brought you some last week."
"I destroyed the nervous systems by accident," she admitted, abashed.
The shadows laughed at her sheepish face.
(óヮò)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
A quick phone call to the nearby booth alerted the soldiers to converge on her location to collect the body. Shortly behind them was Roy Mustang, a sour look on his face when he noticed it was Elizabeth who had taken down his criminal.
Elizabeth was unapologetic, though. "You already let him escape. I didn't want Papa to be late for dinner."
Mustang looked very much like he wanted to say something not entirely polite, but instead he muttered out, "Thanks for the help."
"You are welcome." Elizabeth ignored how she could hear Selim snicker at Mustang's obvious annoyance.
"We heard—he was—caught—!" To Elizabeth's surprise Edward and Alphonse were jogging over to them. The two looked out of breath, and Elizabeth noted that Edward's cloak was torn. But then he noticed Elizabeth.
Elizabeth smiled sweetly and waved at the two boys.
"Hey! If it isn't our little Lizzie," Edward called out, heading over to her with Alphonse right behind him. "What are you doing here out so late?"
Elizabeth gestured to the corpse behind her. "Making sure Papa gets home on time."
"Uh." Edward stared blankly at what was once the Freezing Alchemist, then his face twisted into horror. He asked in disbelief, "You killed him? Wh—Why?"
"It was easier," Elizabeth answered, confused as to why Edward and Alphonse both seemed bothered by this, "and Colonel Mustang already failed once."
"But you're eleven," Alphonse blurted out.
Elizabeth blinked at that. "Yes, and I am a soldier. I've been trained to do such a thing for as long as I can remember." Elizabeth looked down at her rapier, wiped clean of the blood. "Now if you'll excuse me, I should return home before Mumma scolds me for being late."
The child soldier bid her peers goodnight, and headed home, feeling Selim's shadows still wrapped around her quiver with excitement at the thought of lobster mac and cheese.
(óヮò)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
(EXTRA - Mustang)
Roy Mustang stared down at the body of the Freezing Alchemist.
The daughter of the führer flicked her bright green eyes up to meet Roy's. In a voice too gentle to belong to a soldier she said, "I really hope you do well so I don't have to take care of it."
Roy tried not to feel annoyed by these turn of events. He tried not to dwell on the fact that a preteen had successfully completed the task set for him after he had failed.
But damn was it hard not to.
"She... really killed him, huh?" Edward quietly said beside Roy, staring down at the corpse with an painfully sad look.
Roy supposed he couldn't really blame him.
If he stopped to think about how someone so young was capable of such casual violence—
Well.
Elizabeth Luxanna wasn't simply anyone, though. She wasn't a normal child by any stretch of the imagination. Her talent and accomplishments spoke for themselves, but what really set her apart from ordinary children was how she thought.
On the surface she was kind, sweet, and compassionate.
Many of his colleagues overlooked her as a simply bright-minded little girl with a sweet side. She was someone who took extra care of her lab rats, regularly spent time with her family, and was plainly doting on her adopted brother.
But this impression of her was inaccurate.
It took Roy a few chances to meet with her before he could accurately describe how he viewed her.
She was kind...in her own way.
But above all else she was...broken.
There was something inside of her that ticked differently that other humans.
It was what let her connect dots where others would miss.
It was what set so many of her peers and colleagues on edge when they met with her—a kind of primal instinct they felt that they couldn't explain.
It was what allowed her to casually take a human life without an iota of sympathy, or regret.
Some could argue that was merely because she was a soldier.
But Roy had a feeling that Elizabeth didn't need orders to be willing to take a life.
Now, this didn't make her a bad person in Roy's book. Roy had been in Central during the Luxanna massacre, and he had the displeasure of seeing that cruel things down to that poor family. It wasn't hard to imagine that having witnessed that properly desensitised Elizabeth to death.
Speaking from experience, Roy himself felt the same way about burnt bodies. At first it broke his heart, but now?
Now it was only part of the job.
He would bet a lot of money that whatever happened at Luxanna did the same to Elizabeth, and it turned what would have normally been a genuinely sweet girl into someone more cynical. More indifferent.
It was a true pity, Roy believed.
But this wasn't something that could be easily explained to the Elric brothers, not in a way that they could understand.
Neither of them had taken a life, and neither of them had become desensitized to what had happened to them.
Roy doubted they had much experience with death yet outside of what occurred in their childhood.
"She is Elizabeth Luxanna," Roy finally said to Edward and Alphonse as they all stared at the corpse being put in a body bag. He paused for a moment, trying to find the words to give them the opportunity to understand. He knew the Elrics and Elizabeth had become good friends.
He hoped that they might be the ones to help Elizabeth not be so broken.
Roy finally finished with, "It doesn't surprise me at all, and those who know about her past, and her, shouldn't be surprised either."
That startled Edward, and Alphonse asked him, "Her past?"
But Roy didn't explain.
It wasn't his story to tell.
(óヮò)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
Answer: I wouldn't want to be anyone who had to participate with the Ishvalan war for obvious reasons, so I'd dislike to be reborn as anyone among them. I think it'd be fun to be reborn as Winry or F!Alphonse.
Question: Favorite FMA AU?
Reviews are love!