The first chapter didn't get any ridicule so I'm assuming I did something right, although the lack of reviews has me a bit worrisome. Perhaps this story isn't ready to be posted yet? Perhaps I should just take it off and save it for later? Unless you want this off...let me know in your reviews both how the story is so far and whether or not it needs revising. I mean, I kind of understand. It was nearly a year or so ago that I started writing this. My writing style has changed significantly since then...Hmm... Well, you all will just have to let me know what you think. (Grins)
Disclaimer: Just like Ed is tall, I own FMA. However, since we all know the former is untrue, that regrettably makes the latter untrue as well. (pooh...)
Enjoy!
Soul Of The Guardian
Chapter 2
A light wind brushed across the grassy fields from east to west. Deep green grass bristles swayed lightly in the breeze. Light, fluffy clouds floated freely across the clear blue sky. A dirt road split through this grassy field, leading to a small town.
Two figures made their way down the path, one happily humming as he walked on, the other straining to continue.
"Come on, Brother!" Al grinned. "You can do it!" The other merely glared at him and grunted, his body sore and exhausted. More than anything he wanted to just take a rest.
"Come on, Al. Let's just...take a rest for a few moments. Please." He added, letting his glare melt into a pleading look. Al laughed as Ed's lips slipped into a playful pout. Alphonse's laugh grew. Through it he nodded, stopping. They had just made it to the top of a small hill, overlooking the mass fields of nothing but grass and some flowers in random places.
Without a word, Ed let his legs collapse beneath him, a sigh of relief escaping him as he leaned back on his hands. A soft wind caressed his hair, as if playing with his loose, golden bangs. It would have been nice had it not been for his open overcoat flapping wildly. Ed growled slightly, carefully yanking off the dark brown coat to reveal his dark brown slacks and equally brown vest over a long sleeve white shirt.
Following his brother's action, seeing as how it was just too hot to keep his own, lighter brown overcoat on, he too pulled off his coat. His clothes were the same as Ed's, only a few shades lighter. Lazily, Ed kicked off his black boots, one of the few things he had kept from the other side.
"Brother," Al scolded, placing his hands on his hips. Taking off his coat was fine, but his shoes? "you really should keep your shoes on. We're not staying here for long."
Ed merely rolled his eyes and let his upper body fall flat to the ground behind him. Ignoring his brother's nagging, Ed closed his eyes and folded his arms behind his head.
Small breezes whipped past them, carrying different scents through the air. Each scent was soft and calming, making the older brother more drowsy than before. Because they were on a hill with a great view, Al took this chance to look in the direction they were traveling.
Just beyond a slightly smaller hill then the one the brothers resided on was what looked like a small town. Maybe that was where they would be able to take that vacation Edward promised!
Unfortunately for the elder brother, Al wasn't going to let Ed just fall asleep.
Al turned back to Ed and bent down, shaking his shoulders. When he didn't budge, Al became annoyed, shaking him even harder. Ed muttered something inaudible but did nothing else other than move his head to one side. Al, wanting to get to the town before nightfall and fall asleep in a hotel, not on the dirt road just outside the town, got up and moved to his brother's side.
Grinning slightly, Al lightly kicked Ed in the side and jumped away, making sure he had his coat. Ed jerked away, clutching his side. Glaring at the only other person around him, Ed shot up and shook his fist in the air. "What the [heck] was that for?"
Al laughed and picked up his suitcase, racing to the town. Ed blinked before letting a smirk form. Oh, he was going to get his butt whooped alright. Barely clutching his suitcase and overcoat, Ed ran after his brother, laughing as he yelled out, "You're gonna pay for that cheap shot, Alphonse!"
Neither realized a pair of silver eyes were watching them rather curiously.
FMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMA
The brothers stopped just as they passed the town's slightly weathered welcome sign, struggling to catch their breaths. Al was bent over, hands on his knees, while Ed stood up straight, regaining his breath faster. After all, Al's body hadn't been used for four years until he had gotten it back. Even though he had been through a lot since the time he regained his body thanks to Ed, it still lacked the amount of endurance his brother's had.
Finally they both got their breath back, ready to make their way into town. It wasn't long before they grabbed their luggage and took their firsts steps.
It was a small but spacious town. No more than fifty buildings were there, each made of wood. Every house had a good amount of back, side, and front yard. It seemed as though everyone was well off. Such a rare thing to find, especially in a small town like this.
As they made their way through the town, the Brothers took note of all the business buildings in the area. A small, in-home restaurant, a bank, grocery store, Hospital/Doctor's Office, and...where was the hotel?
Ed scratched his head, looking around. Where was the hotel? Was there even one here? Of all places to stay for their little vacation, this one didn't have a hotel. It wasn't a confirmed fact, but Ed was pretty sure of it.
Al put down his suitcase and walked up to a nearby house, knocking on the door. An old woman answered and the two greeted each other politely before Alphonse asked for directions. Ed rolled his eyes and mumbled, "We don't need directions. We can figure it out on our own."
His mutters went unnoticed as Alphonse finished talking with the old woman, thanking her before leaving. She closed the door, leaving the Brothers outside to discuss what they were going to do, having found out that there was no hotel, not even an Inn.
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, a dark haired, tan skinned young woman ran from a small group of thugs that were chasing her. The leader held a dirty grin on his grungy face as he laughed, holding out his hands, ready to grab her.
"Help! Someone, help me!" She screamed, trying so hard to keep up her speed and keep out of arms length from them. She ran past the town's barn and park, the center of town, heading in the direction of the business area.
"Help!" She yelled again, desperate for someone to be kind enough to help her get rid of these greedy, lust filled men.
Ed looked up, hearing her frightened pleas becoming louder and louder. It wasn't long before she came into view, followed closely by the men chasing her. In her slightly higher than flat shoes, it was a wonder she hadn't tripped already. Of course, there was a first time for everything.
The girl let out a surprise shriek as she slipped on a large rock which laid among other slightly smaller ones and fell ungraciously to the ground. Wearing only hand crafted mid thigh light blue shorts and lighter blue blouse, there was not much cloth to protect her frail body.
Small scrapes appeared on her otherwise flawless skin, some bruises bound to appear on the side she fell on. Ed set down his suitcase carefully so as to not attract any unneeded attention before he got there.
Preoccupied with their target, none of the three men noticed Ed come walking closer.
The three men approached the frightened young woman who tried desperately to crawl away, fear clearly evident on her delicate features. This only seemed make the men's grins widen as they began to gang up on her.
Being a small town, there wasn't much of a police force, more just vigilantes who volunteered to help protect the it from the rare threats the town might encounter. It was in this moment that one would prove their worth, but of course none were around when they were actually needed.
The apparent leader pulled back his hand, ready to strike her, and leaned closer to her. His foul breath caused her to unconsciously cringe and try harder to get away. Grabbing her wrist with his other hand, he forced her to stay put. The brunette whimpered, whispering her pleas for him to let her go.
She hated feeling so helpless. Normally she would kick their [butt] and look down upon the fools who dared to mess with her sprawled on the ground with a smirk on her face and hands on her hips. However, these men were much different from the ones at her school. They were a real threat and from the looks of things, they could and would unimaginable things to her if things continued the way they were going.
The leading gang member pulled her even closer until their noses were almost touching. "Nice clothes, girly. It makes them even easier to take off." He sneered, looking her up and down.
The woman flinched, her breath caught in her throat as she closed her eyes and turned her head away. She couldn't believe this was happening, in broad daylight, in the middle of town. Was no one around? Did anyone even care?
She was surprised by the sudden release of her wrist and a grunt to her left. Instinctively she pulled her hand to her chest, the other holding it close. A few more grunts caught her attention and tentatively she opened her eyes.
A brown and white clad blond stood between her and the three men, the two followers on the ground holding their stomachs in obvious pain.
The leader too held a hand to his stomach but was glaring at the man, his gaze intimidating and challenging. That didn't seem to affect her apparent savior. In fact, he slipped into a more comfortable fighting stance.
Without waiting for the leader to regain his composure, Ed leaped forward and kicked him hard in the stomach, this time with his automail leg. The man staggered back from the blow, pain etched into his face.
Al raced over to the fight but stayed out of harms way.
"Brother! Are you alright?" Ed turned back and gave him a pointed look, hands clenched tight. In the split second of being distracted, the leader, who had just recovered from his blow, took this chance to force his thick muscled arm around her thin, petite neck.
The man, still unaware of Ed's automail, taunted him. At first it didn't affect the young man in the least...until he brought up something Edward never thought he would have to hear again.
His height.
Al slapped his face, fully aware of what was going to happen next, and muttered, "That's the last thing you should have done."
The man glanced at him, confused, then looked back at Edward who was fuming. If one squinted, they could see feint trails of smoke rising from his ears.
Not even going to try to hold his brother back, Al watched, flinching and wincing, as Ed pummeled the men. It didn't take long for him to beat enough sense into them to run away. The woman was tossed to the ground and out of harms way. Al raced to her side and helped her sit up, making sure she wasn't hurt.
Ed held up a balled fist and shook it as he yelled, "Yeah! You better run! Next time I'll go all out and show you no mercy!" Ed huffed and pretended to wipe any remaining filth of those men from his hands.
The woman looked from Al to Ed and whispered, "He wasn't even giving it his all?" Al smiled and looked up at his brother who let his arms fall to his side as he turned back around to face them. "Yes. He's very good." She looked back at Al, giving him a look.
"What?" He asked, looking himself over like he had gotten something all over him. "I just noticed that you have an accent." Al froze and turned back to her, grinning sheepishly.
"Yeah, he's still learning English so he's still got a minor accent when speaking it." Ed explained, his English fluent and free of an accent.
With Al's help, she stood up and dusted herself off. Ed asked Al to go get their luggage, there not being much between them because of how much they traveled. They had learned the hard way, fast, that traveling light was much easier.
Al trudged off, muttering how lazy his brother was.
The woman laughed lightly as Ed forcefully ignored the comment. Turning to her he asked, "So, what's your name?" She stopped laughing and smiled, "My name is Teri, Teri Hills."
Ed introduced himself as Edward Heiderich, just as Al approached with their two small suitcases and added, "And I'm Alphonse Heiderich."
"You're last name, aren't they-?"
"German? Yeah. But don't fret. It's our...father's last name, but we're far from German." Ed told her, coming up with the lie on the spot with ease as he gathered his luggage and looked around. Heiderich had been less known in the Thule Society as Elric had been so the brothers had taken on the name, carrying on their friend's name in remembrance for his actions that led the Elric Brothers to being reunited again after two agonizing years of separation.
"Ah, geez. Aren't there any decent motels or...what do they call them, inns?" Ed asked, scratching his head as he looked around. Teri smiled, relieved they weren't German, in fear they were part of the German raids in the war or in some way associated with those Nazis. That was the last thing she needed, helping people as bad as those men that were chasing her earlier or worse.
Teri's smile widened slightly and turned around, walking away. "I know a place where you guys can stay for a few days. Follow me. Besides, I need to thank you somehow for helping me earlier."
Al picked up his suitcase and grinned, "Thanks Teri!" Ed quickly grabbed his own suitcase and raced after them, "Hey! Wait up!"
FMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMA
Ed's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates, dropping his suitcase as he stared at the large house.
"It's not much. I hope it'll due." Teri smiled sheepishly as she walked up to the wine red double French doors. The house had two stories, almost the size of a mansion but just didn't quite meet the definition of one. Beautiful, crystal clear windows lined the first floor with closed blue curtains made of satin. The second floor had stained glass windows, each a unique design. The roof was a simple brown and the house itself was white.
As Ed gave the house a look-over, amazed at it's size and simple yet beautiful architecture, Al caught up with Teri and joked about her family being very Patriotic. Teri laughed, stopping as she entered the house, hiding her sad smile.
After a moment of analyzing the large house, Ed finally realized they had left him behind and grabbed his suitcase, racing after them, "Hey! Wait up!"
"...Again!"
FMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMA
The moment they entered the house, they were greeted by a maid who kindly took their things. Teri introduced Ed and Al to the maid who nodded with a smile, then began to ascend the stairs, ready to show the brothers their rooms. The three-some made their way up the stairs, just around the corner to the right of the front door and across the hall from the dining room, the maid right behind them. Many family, and single, pictures and portraits lined the pink wallpapered wall.
Ed's eyes wondered over each one of them, suddenly remembering the few that had been taken of his family. Even less of the those pictures had their father in it.
Al's concerned look and hand lightly grasping his shoulder shook him of his thoughts. Edward smiled and assured Alphonse he was alright, just thinking. Shrugging it off, Al continued up the last few steps, not far from their gracious provider of shelter.
Just steps behind his brother, Edward finally made it up the stairs, looking around. This seemed to be the only staircase leading to the upstairs. 'Odd.' he thought, moving forward. From what he could tell, there were a few rooms whose closed cedar wood doors kept him from determining their purpose. After a few doors the hall made an abrupt turn to the left, making it impossible, without investigation, to know what lay beyond that corner.
Ed mentally laughed, realizing what he was doing. He was trying to learn the layout of the building, something he had learned to do, the first thing one would do when entering a building, if one were in the military. But he wasn't anymore, so this was unnecessary. Besides, it would be rude to sneak around without a legitimate reason, especially if the one giving you a place to stay out of kindness and thanks found out and didn't like it. They could just as easily throw him and Alphonse out and he wasn't about to let that happen.
Teri stopped at the closest door, waiting for them to get closer. Just as Edward walked up, she turned the silver knob and opened the door, revealing a simple but very luxurious room. Al's breath hitched as he took a step inside, looking around with a slowly spreading smile. A stained glass window resided a few feet from the ground, across the room from the door. To the right lay a hardwood desk with a deep red finish. A matching chair was tucked into the space below the desk's top, a soft blue cushion sewn onto it's seat.
A four poster bed, stained the same color as the desk, sat to their left, a light blue sheet matching the chair's cushion resting softly upon the semi-firm twin-sized mattress. At the foot of the bed stood a knee high dresser, more than big enough for their clothes.
Ed walked in right after Alphonse, his facial expression slowly mirroring his brother's. Turning back to Teri, he smiled and thanked her. He couldn't really think of anything else to say at the moment.
"This is a single room. Sorry. I'm afraid one of you'll have to take the one next to it. As you can see," Teri said, pointing at the bed, "There's only one bed."
Without giving his brother a chance to even process the information, Al nodded and grabbed his things. Ed watched, clearly confused, as his brother grinned and left the room.
"Dinner should be ready in an hour or so, so just relax until then. We'll send someone for you when it's ready." Teri smiled and before Ed could get out a word, she left, closing the door.
With a sigh, Ed walked over to his suitcase the maid had placed near the door before following Al to his room. He took out his two Journals, placing them on the nightstand which stood beside the bed on it's right. He was too lazy to put them away so the nightstand would have to do for now.
The blond placed his hands on his hips, wondering what to do until dinner. After a minute of trying to think of something, he finally gave up and flopped onto the bed. Then a thought came to him. They had been traveling for a while and dinner would be soon, so why not change into some clean clothes? Practically jumping off the bed, quiet and skilled, he grabbed brown slacks, a white long-sleeved shirt, and brown vest from his suitcase and changed.
'Much better.' He thought with a smile as he sat down on the bed. Now that he had changed, what should he do until dinner? Again ideas of what to do came up dry and an irritated sigh emanated from his slightly chapped lips. He licked them, deciding it would just be a waste of time to even think at the moment. So instead, he got back off the bed and traveled to his suitcase. With a click, the container for his clothes and other miscellaneous objects opened.
It wasn't long before he had finally found something to occupy his time. Slowly he placed his clothes into the drawers, fiddling with a shirt and tripping over his shoes numerous times. With a grunt he pushed himself up, mumbling profound curses at the inanimate objects which had caused him so much trouble. Though it was his fault for not paying attention to their whereabouts he wasn't about to admit it. So instead cursing at his wardrobe would have to do.
Someone rapped on a nearby door. The footsteps began again, this time getting louder. Within seconds a knock came to his door, no doubt alerting him of dinner. Ed looked out the top part of the window that wasn't stain glass, a thin, three inch section at the top, and realized just how long he had taken just to put a few things away.
He let out a sigh and ran a hand through his bangs, pushing them out of his eyes. Slipping on his shoes, Ed gave himself a look over. It wasn't smart to look bad when first meeting someone, especially someone's parents. It would otherwise be a bad first impression.
Content, he left his room, meeting Alphonse out in the hall just as he was leaving his own room. Ed smiled at his younger brother, realizing just how similarly they dressed. Al was for lighter shades, like the light brown version of Ed's clothing, while darker shades better suited the elder's interest.
The two made their way down the stairs, meeting up with Teri and her cotton-farming parents.
The father looked young but his eyes held a sternness that came from years of farming. He analyzed the two men before him, his gaze seemingly burrowing deep into their souls. The brothers smiled politely, trying to suppress simultaneous shivers that threatened to race up and down their spines.
The wife wasn't much different, her head held high as if she considered herself royalty. She certainly dressed that way. Her clothes were of the finest material and latest in style, not that she had anyone other than her family to show it off to.
Both held an air of superiority and the way they looked over Edward and Alphonse was as if they were sizing them up. Not even letting them talk, they turned around and made their way to the kitchen where the cooks were just adding the finishing touches of the meals.
Edward and Alphonse sat on one side of the table while Teri sat across from them. Her parents quietly sat themselves at either end of the table. The hardwood table seated six people, each person having their own set of plates, cups, utensils, and wool placemats, each of a unique grotesque design of swirls and various other simple shapes.
The dining room was a fair size, various shelves of many shapes and sizes filled the walls, holding many small trinkets and décor.
Silence sank around and between them, soaking everyone in the room with uncomfortable tension. Teri glanced between her guests and her parents, sighing inwardly at her parents' lack of interest.
Brown eyes slid over to the blonds and wondered how they were able to keep such calm composures. It was as if they'd been given the cold shoulder many times before. Even as gray and golden orbs glanced up at the quiet adults sitting at the heads of the clothed table, they they only held mild confusion and curiosity but an obvious sign of holding back, their faces blank and respectfully withdrawn.
Silverware clinked lightly at random against the dishes, the only sound in the room other than the rare scuffling of maids' and butlers' shoes on the polished wooden floors. Teri was beginning to become annoyed at the tense silence and it became more and more obvious as her lips formed a scowl.
A maid's presence lifted their attention from their now empty plates as she and a few others walked around the table and grabbed said dishes. Taking the time between dinner and dessert to speak, Teri cleared her throat and looked up.
"Mother, Father, these are my friends Edward and Alphonse. They helped me earlier." Her eyes met her parents and a feint look of understanding appeared on their faces. She had explained to her parents while her guests had been in their rooms why she was late coming home and why two "boys" had "followed her", as her parents had so put.
"So, you two helped our daughter earlier I hear." The mother said calmly. It was clear that despite what they had done, it didn't make her any happier to speak to them. Her dull, uninterested tone told them that much.
"Uh, yes ma'am." Al replied quickly, sensing his brother's anger increasing by the second. He hated that condescending droll that was nearly rippling off her. "Though it was really my brother who did most of the work."
Ed took a silent, deep breath before forcing a smile. He waved a hand nonchalantly and gave his brother a look. To outsiders it read, "Nah! You helped too!" and so on. However, in the secret language of brothers as close as they were, it had a hidden glare and no amusement whatsoever.
The conversation went on stiffly. Ed used every ounce of willpower and then some to hold his temper in check. They were just so pompous it made him want to puke! He was extremely grateful that their daughter was nothing like them. She was kind, helpful, and polite. Not snobbish, condescending and politely rude. That didn't even make sense to him and yet they were proving such a feat possible.
Each time the tension became nearly tangible and easily cut with a knife, Teri was the one who would change it's direction into more comfortable grounds. As they chatted, Alphonse let slip that their father, Hohenheim, had been the one to help them become reunited after having been separated for many years. Of course they had kept quiet about the whole Thule Society being involved, the Gate, and the fact that they weren't even from this dimension.
The parent's eyes widened. They turned to look at each other then back to the two men at the table. "Hohenheim you say?"
Al glanced at Edward who merely shrugged. There was really no denying it now. They knew their father had made a place in this world, seeing as how he couldn't go back to Amestris even if he wanted to. The extent of his place being known, however, hadn't even crossed their minds until the parents had suddenly dropped their cold masks of disinterest and appeared quite the opposite.
Teri, Ed, and Al all blinked at the adults' sudden change in demeanor.
"Um..." Al turned to his brother and sighed, noting his equally confused look. If he didn't know why the mention of their father's name had brought about this sudden change, then the only ones who knew would be the ones who were suddenly being nice to them.
"Darla! Come here and bring us some Belgium Chocolate!" The mother called to a maid who instantly bowed and left the room for said treats. Turning back to the boys she smiled and winked, a finger waggling at them in a playful manner. "You haven't lived until you've tasted genuine Belgium Chocolate."
The Brother's blank faces slipped into smiles at Teri's happy, "Yes!" as she punched the air in excitement. It must be good if Teri was doing a happy dance in her chair.
The maid came back through the white doors connecting the dinning and living rooms and carefully placed the plates containing the small pieces of chocolate in front of each person.
Ed noted the lack of thanks the parents gave the maid and mentally glared at them. In fact, they had ignored her altogether. Even if she was doing what she was hired to do, a simple thanks always made someone's day. He smiled at Teri's quiet thank you and repeated the phrase along side his brother as the plates were set down. With another bow she took her spot in the corner of the large room in case she was needed again, a smile on her face.
The Brothers looked at the pieces, wondering what to do with them. They knew they were to eat, of course, but this was Ed's first time eating such a food. Having been many other places, there could be something special he had to do, be aware of, or maybe there was nothing to it at all.
'You can never be too careful.' Ed thought with a grimace, remembering his past experience with escargot in France. Especially since someone in the kitchen had thought it would be funny to exchange the escargot for a live one. Not fun.
They mistook his grimace for being directed at the chocolate and instantly assured him it was delicious. "Go ahead and try some, sweetie." Ed suppressed the urge to twitch at the name and instead did as he was told. Slowly he picked it up with his right hand, as if using it would ensure his safety if it ever decided to unexpectedly come to life and bite him.
They all watched curiously as he looked at it, turning it every-which-way to get a better look. It didn't look like it could come to life... He laughed mentally. Of course it couldn't come to life! It was a piece of...chocolate. He'd heard about this delight but never had any himself.
Nervous gold eyes flickered to their right and met with amused, reassuring gray eyes. Alphonse had had some before, he knew that. How could he not. The boy had been raving about it for nearly a week. Maybe that was why he was hesitating...
"Brother, just try some!" Alphonse urged, his voice full of exasperation. It was just chocolate!
"Fine." Ed grunted, parting his lips and popping the small piece into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed. His face was blank but his eyes were swimming in wonder that only Teri could catch from her angle. She stifled a laugh, placing a hand over her mouth.
"So-" Mrs. Hills began but stopped when Ed grinned before picking up another piece and eating it. His grin spread from ear to ear and sighed contentedly, "Where has this been all my life!"
Laughter broke out amongst the table-mates. The maid watched in silent amusement as Mr. Hills threw his head back and laughed, all other eyes watching the shorter blond scarf down the rest of the small chunks of fine chocolate.
Al decided to keep the fact that milk was included in the recipe to himself. That was no reason to skip out on such delicacies. Besides, his brother deserved a little indulging every once in a while and this was a new one to add to the short list.
Time seemed to pass by as they exchanged stories, remaining at the table long past dinner. Alphonse laughed at a joke Ed didn't get, having to do with cats of all things.
"So," Ed began, clearing his throat. "how did you know our father?" The slightly cold tone used on the last word threw the Hills for a loop, slightly confused. Shaking off the strange feeling radiating off the young man, Mr. Hills answered.
"He was one of the men who helped us in the war, son. Post war he came down here and just so happened to come into town. We met him and gave him lodge. In fact, he was in the room you're currently staying in, Edward." Ed groaned, letting his head fall to the table with a thud.
"During his stay here," Mrs. Hills took over, eying Ed, wondering why mentioning such a thing had caused him to seem suddenly regretful for asking. "he told us many stories. Some were hard to believe." She laughed as she reminisced.
"What stories?" Al asked calmly, rolling his eyes at his brother who was currently banging his head on the table. No doubt he was making dents in the wood from hitting it with his hard head. He mentally laughed at the thought.
"Well," Mrs. Hills gained a thoughtful look as she placed a hand on her chin. "He always mentioned something about alchemy and a gate of some kind. Something about leading to another-"
"world?" Ed supplied, sitting up straight and looking very serious. Even Al was caught off guard by this sudden change of face. His chin rested on steepled hands, his golden gaze watching the two adults carefully.
Mrs. Hills nodded slowly, her husband glancing between the two brothers. There was something off about this. They seemed tense and the glint in their eyes hinted at their knowledge of the subject.
Those in the room were caught off guard once again by Ed's sudden laugher. The sandy blond looked down at his hands in his lap. Gray eyes held a hint of remorse and sadness that made everyone's heart wrench, especially Ed's.
Pools of gold dulled along with the laughter, a forlorn look slowly adorning the older sibling's face. "Yeah, our Dad was a great man. A great...story teller too." Ed finished with a sigh. He abruptly sat up, starling those remaining, and politely asked to be excused.
Mrs. Hills nodded, her young blue eyes casting the blond a concerned glance before turning back to the younger of the two who was still watching his brother's retreating back. He let out a sigh, turning back to them, the corner of his lips curved downward.
"Did I say something to upset him?" She asked Al. The brunette shook his head and also asked to be excused. Just as he was about to walk away, he turned back around and said with a sad smile, "Talking about our Dad doesn't go well with Brother. He didn't like him very much, leaving us and our mother for ten years, only coming back after she died. When they finally did make what you could call amends, he...well, he died."
The mother's expression softened as she watched the boy's retreating figure follow his brother's.
VERY IMPORTANT NOTE! Once the next chapter of Dual Sympathy, Aquamarine, and this story, Soul of the Guardian, are all posted, I will be putting up a poll on my profile and the story that will be most focused on will all be up to YOU readers! So please for the sake of yourselves and the other readers, VOTE! And review. Reviews are nice. They're like chocolate...yums...
Oh! And one last thing I almost forgot to mention. I have started thinking of ideas for a sequel to my oneshot Edvy. I have the Prologue typed up and some, if not most, of the first chapter typed up as well. I randomly started thinking about it recently, especially now that the actual writing part of my writer's block has been mysteriously and sudden lifted. Kinda odd how that happened, but I'm not complaining. XD Let me know your opinions on this too, please!