Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ The Spirit of Alchemy ❯ I Have A Confession ( Chapter 9 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Rubbing her eyes slightly, Michi yawned. They had been walking all day. Wasn't it time for a rest yet? It had to be after 12:00 already, and Ed said they'd stop at 11:00 -- Just why was he in such a rush??

As if reading her thoughts (which he very well may have done), Ed spoke. "Why don't we stop for a while?"

Michi and Al sat down right where they were, glad for the break. Ed, however, didn't seem content with standing still. He kept looking down the road ahead, as if itching to move on.

"Ed, why don't you just sit down?? Whatever the reason you have for getting there so quickly, you aren't going to be able to do it if you die from exhaustion."

Ed blinked, as if jarred from his thoughts. "Nah. I just wanna get going again, I've been still for too long."

"You? Still? When did that happen? What'd I miss?" Michi asked, running a comb through her short hair. She hadn't had a chance to brush it this morning, and was getting frustrated at the amount of knots in it. The golden key dangled from a chain on her neck. Somehow, it had survived her dream, and ended up there. She hadn't mentioned it to either Ed, or Al, but was sure it was important.

"Hey! For your information, I was still for a whole day while someone was injured and in the hospital, worrying us half to death!"

"Tch. You barely know me, there's no reason to be worried about me."

At this, Ed looked ready to argue, but before he could, Al spoke. "Michi, it seems like you've already been travelling with us forever. I don't think either of us want to travel without you. Plus, you're becoming our friend, and we need to take care of friends, especially when they're injured."

Ed looked at Al strangely, as if he had something to say. He opened his mouth, then shut it, and smiled in a cocky manner. "Yeah, he's right."

"Really?! Oh thanks, Al!!" Michi said, happily brushing away at her hair.

"Huh? Oh, n-no problem. It's the truth!"

Ed fell over. So she wasn't gonna thank him for agreeing? Geez.... Fine then. Ed sat up, shaking his head to clear it. Something seemed off with Al today. Then again, something seemed off with all of them. But still, Ed was the elder brother. He couldn't forget that even though Al seemed mature, he needed guidance too, just like the rest of them -- especially like him and Michi, considering he was younger. Maybe he should ask Al what's going on...

Then, Michi interrupted Ed's thoughts. "I'm hungryyyyyyyyy.......! How far away is it from the next town?"

Ed looked down the path. "Hmm........ It's..." Ed paused, as if doing calculations.

"Yes?" Al and Michi asked, leaning forward.

"It's..... I have no idea! We should get going again!" Ed said cheerfully.

Michi and Al just stared. "Wh..Wha? No! We need to rest, Ed! We've been walking since we woke up! And you guys still didn't tell me what you were talking about." Michi crossed her arms in mock anger. "Hmph. Maybe I shoulda just traveled on my own."

"Nah. You'd get lost, or get hurt in here."

"In where, exactly? We're in the middle of the woods, by a river. I don't think anyone's gonna come out and jump me -- and even if they did, I could handle them. Are you forgetting who I am?"

"No, just want to make sure you're safe, geez." Ed said, sounding annoyed.

"Why do you care?"

"Because you're impo-- ........No reason." Ed stopped mid sentence, switching his answer around.

"Hey! Tell me! What, do you hate me? Fine, I hate you!" Michi's key caught a glint of sunlight. It started rising into the air, and floated there, in front of her. "H-huh? What the heck?" Michi tried to grab at the key, but somehow, it just moved aside whenever she tried to grasp it, staying just out of reach.

"What the hell is that?"

"It's a key.. It helped me wake up from my dream..."

"Dream? So it's a Reality-Key then?"

"....What???"

"..Well, if it helped you out in your dream, then it's probably got a liking towards reality. Which means.. It's probably exposing the lie in what you just said."

"What did I just say, that'd make it do this?"

"You said 'What, do you hate me? Fine, I hate you', remember? Apparently....... You don't." Ed had a playful teasing grin on his face as he spoke.

"Nuh-uh!! The key isn't telling the truth! I do hate you!" The key glowed brighter as she said it. "Oh for goodness sakes.." Michi said exasperatedly, pulling the necklace off her neck.



..Or trying to. The key wouldn't budge, and it remained there, floating. It wouldn't let Michi stand up, somehow.

"That key seems connected to your emotions, Michi. Maybe if ya tell the truth..........."

"NO!"

"What? Why're you so against that?"

"Because!! I'm just mad at you, that's all!" At this, the key floated back down, and shone no more.

"Hm.. Looks like ya just did." Ed said, smirking.

Michi glared, and walked off, now having completely mobility, leaving Ed stammering behind her. She didn't wander far, however. She only walked over to one of the trees by the river, and sat, humming absently to herself.

"Br-brother?" Al stammered, looking at Ed.

Ed blinked. "Huh? What is it Al?" Maybe he is sick. If he can get sick... He can't, can he? ...Can he? Maybe I'd better make sure... "Hey Al, you feeling alright? You're not sick or anything, are ya?"

"N-no. I just have something to tell you, Brother."

"Huh?" Ed put his hands behind his head. "Whatchya gotta say?"

"I-I..."

Just then, a boy with a green hat without a top over his head and a white shirt came around the bend. His pants and hat matched the scenery around him perfectly. Looking up ahead on the path, he stopped dead in his tracks. "E-Ed?! Al?"

Both Ed and Al looked up. Al was relieved, able to prolong what he had to say.

"Fl-Fletcher?" Ed stammered, looking behind Al, to where the other boy was. Fletcher waved, smiling happily.

Michi looked at the boy. '..Hm.. He looks sorta like Al did in my dream. I wonder what that was about?' She remained sitting by the tree, watching the three boys.

Fletcher noticed that he was being looked at, and turned towards Michi. "Who's that?" he asked, pointing at her. A clueless look appeared on her face. She wondered what they were talking about, since she was too far away to hear.

"Her? That's Michi. She's travelling with us. Why?" Ed commented casually.

"Why? 'Cause I haven't seen her with you guys before. I was just wondering who she was. So," he said, crossing his legs, "do ya guys like her?"

"H-huh?!" Ed and Al said, reacting the same way. "N-no!"

"Reallyyyy?" Fletcher asked, an innocent look on his face. He smiled. "I doubt that. Hey, Al, can I talk to you over there?" He gestured towards another tree, far from both Ed and Michi.

"H-huh? Why? What's wrong?" Al asked.

"Nothing. Well, nothing I can say here. I trust you more."

"H-Hey! What's that supposed to mean, ya brat?!" Ed asked angrily.

"Nothing, nothing. C'mon Al!"

Al somehow was dragged by Fletcher, over to a spot away from the others.

"So," Fletcher said, once he stopped. "You do like her, don't you?"

"N-no!!" Al stammered.

"Uh-huh..."

"Wh-what?!"

"Al, I've never seen armor blush before."

"WHAT?"

Fletcher laughed. "Okay, okay, if you don't wanna say, that's fine. But, I guess that means we're rivals then, huh?"

"What? You like her?"

"Yeah. But so does your brother, it seems like. So, now what?" Fletcher went over to Ed, Al trailing behind like a lost puppy -- Er, kitten.

"So, Ed, you sure you don't like that girl?"

"Wh-what?! Why would I?"

"I dunno, just curious. I need to see my competition."

"Your competition?"

"Yeah, I like her."

"Wh-what?!?"

"Geez, what's with you guys and your 'what' s? Yeah. I think we should have a contest! We each get to be with Michi for a day, and the one who... Hm.." Fletcher trailed off, not sure what the judgement on it should be.

"A contest?!" Ed and Al chorused.

"Yeah! Um... Hm.... The one who.... I don't know, maybe each of us has to tell her how we feel. Then, whichever person she accepts, will be the winner. What d'you guys think?"

"A-are you crazy?!" Al screamed, near hysterical.

"That's..... Hm. That could potentially be sticky, but a good idea. On the other hand, she doesn't even know you Fletcher, and she just barely met us a few days ago. So, may be too sudden. Besides, you're assuming that we all like her."

"Oh, so you think you'll lose, so you won't get involved?" Fletcher asked, managing somehow to keep an innocent tone throughout all of this. That did it for Ed.

"Yeah, right! You're on! Only, it's you against Al and I. If either Al or I win, then it counts for both of us. If you win, then we both lose."

Fletcher smiled. "Then, can my brother be involved too?"

Ed stared in shock. "No!"

"Well, that's okay, because he's not here anyway."

Ed sweatdropped. "Then why the hell did you ask, Fletcher?!"

Fletcher strugged. "Because two on one isn't fair."

"Oh well. Do you agree?"

"Yeah! When should it be?"

"Whenever you want. You go first, Fletcher."

"Alright. How about....... Now?"


"Fine, but we will win." Or, rather, I will. "Al, you're my rival too, you know that? Well.. At least, unless you win. Then you're on my side."

Al blinked. "Who says I'm even in on this?!"

"Well, you are now."

Michi, who had been sitting near the tree humming quietly to herself now stood up and walked over to them, just in time to hear Ed speak. "Now he is what Ed?" she asked, peering over his shoulder into the conversation.

Ed jumped a mile. "MICHI!! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"

"You didn't know I was there?"

"NO, OR I WOULDN'T HAVE FLIPPED OUT!"

"Not my fault you didn't notice." she laughed slightly. "Besides, what the heck are you guys talking about? I wanna know! Don't leave me out!" she pouted.

Ed blinked, a small blush coming over his face. Shaking his head to clear it, he turned away. "Nah. Don't feel like it. One of these two can tell you."

Fletcher jumped at the opportunity. "Hi! My name is Fletcher Tringham. You're Michi? The Michi Machiko?"

"Y-yeah," Michi stuttered, taken aback by this sudden introduction. "It's nice to meet you..?"

Fletcher grabbed her hand. "It's so awesome to meet you!! I've heard of you, your father and you were really famous, but then, after he died you swore only to use Alchemy in life-threatening situations and -- Huh?" he stopped, catching Michi's look.

She just stared at him. "How did you know that? And do you have to yell it!?!"

Fletcher stood there silently. Ed and Al stared at Michi. "You what?" Ed asked.

"Yeah, he's right. But still....."

Ed smirked. "Looks like you're already off on the wrong foot, Fletcher." he muttered.

Fletcher glared, but wasn't able to say anything back, without Michi noticing. "Hey, Michi? Follow me!"

"H-huh? To where?"

"You'll see! Come on!" Fletcher said, dragging her away.

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AN: Okay, sorry guys that this chapter is late. If anyone even reads this story anymore anyway. -.-;

Yeah, only Makii does, so who cares?

Anyway, just in case there is another soul out there in the universe freaking reading this, yeah, it was delayed because of school. Fletcher's personality is junk, but meh. I've never seen the show, so it's all good. I'm considering writing 3 more chapters, and putting them up one after another each day. How's that? XP



Next time: I Have a Confession: Contestant Number One, Step Forward