Chapter 8: Midsummer Night's Dream Under A Star Soaked Sky
"So I'm guessing we'll have to just trek until we get there, huh? Where are we?" Al asked, carrying an unconscious Ling on his back. They had headed down road of the mutilated track, letting the officials deal with the wreckage. All Ed knew was; Ling was beyond lucky he was aboard that specific train.
"What's wrong with him?" Hayden asked, holding Boston up so he could smell the young lord's body. Ed groaned as he palmed his eyeball.
"He's hungry. But we don't have any food. Don't tell me we have to carry this zombie around until we find a town..." Edward snarled as he thought about jut how grueling that task would be. He was busy enough as it was, what with this Hayden girl and all. Now he had his hands full with being blamed for a train wreck, making it to Rush Valley, AND carrying around a corpse. Lovely.
"Hold on." Hayden held the pup with one arm and dug into one of her pockets on her jacket. She fished out a breadstick that was tied up in a napkin. She tossed it to Ed. "I bought it for Boston, just in case he got hungry. Here." Edward caught it gracefully; looking up at the sky. Clouds had accumulated overhead, blocking out the sun as night created a midnight backdrop.
"Looks like we just might have to make camp here..."
Edward had managed to transmute a few tents out of some leaves that were scattered all over the ground. The four friends had found somewhere to rest at least for the night. All four were huddled around a small campfire, Ling poking at it playfully with a stick. The flames sizzled and licked hungrily at the air, searching for more oxygen to grow stronger. Hayden had removed her coat and wrapped it around the bulldog, sacrificing what she had to keep him warm. The cold was bracing; and the fire didn't seem to provide much to any heat at all.
"I never got to thank you guys for saving me. I'm very grateful." Ling smiled from the other side of the fire at Edward, the flames casting shadows on his ivory profile. Ed just nodded. He knew it was the right thing to do, although Ling was annoying, they were friends. And Ed knew he would do the same for him.
"What were you doing way out here anyway? We were headed to Rush Valley." Ling finally tossed the stick into the dying fire.
"I was hoping to run into you guys, just not like this." He rubbed his neck awkwardly. The young lord turned to his female friend beside him. He watched as she babied the tiny dog sweetly, it was as if she was its mother. Ling had a chance to gaze over her, taking in how pure she looked even in the dark. He couldn't help but notice a small bracelet around her leg that fed down into her boot. It was gold, and looked as if it was weighed down by something. Ling's concentration was broken by Edward's voice.
"Hey, why don't you go get some more fire wood? You owe us. Equivalent exchange." Ling's face twisted up in dismay, but he rose to his feet anyway. He glanced down at Hayden with a smile on his face as he held out his hand.
"I could use some help." She was caught off guard at first, but she agreed, handing Boston to Alphonse to take care of.
Ling and Hayden had ventured their way deep into the forest in search of fire wood. She felt safe, she knew he would protect her. The light from the fire nearby was guiding them. Hayden had accumulated an armful of logs and various other sticks and the like. Ling hadn't collected any thing so far, which was suspicious to say the least. "Why-"
"What is that?" Ling asked out of the blue night. He pointed toward her left leg, she attempted to look down over her collection of sticks to see what he was talking about. Hayden picked up her foot and propped herself up on the other. "My foot?"
"You know what I'm talking about. What is it?" Ling demanded sternly as he continued to point downward. She had been found out. Hayden knew she should've been smarter with her placement of her gem. She sighed angrily and dropped all the wood onto the forest ground.
"I was told you wanted the answer to immortality."
Bingo. Ling was certain his suspicions were correct. Hayden narrowed her eyes at him, her fists clenching at her sides. "Please don't try to delve into that any deeper. You won't like the answers you find." Ling shook his head.
"What do you know?"
Hayden cursed under her heavy breath. It was time. She had to confide in somebody. She dropped to her knees suddenly, digging her nails into the damp soil. That's what he wanted. For her to confess everything she knew about immortality. Ling sat cross crossed across from her.
"You really want to know? There's no going back."
Hayden had time to read this teen, as his eyes stared into hers intensely. Once again; she saw it all. Lan Fan, Fu. Everything. Ling smiled intensely. Of course this is what he wanted. Wasn't it? "Fine." Hayden started to pull down the left corner of her skirt little by little. "But this stays between us." She never broke eye contact with him. His first thought was that he would be getting lucky, but in the woods. His dirty thoughts were wiped clean when she revealed an ouroboros tattoo on her hip, the crimson standing out against her play skin.
"Please. Don't tell them." Her eyes were pleading with him. He could feels a vibe the first time he met her, he just didn't know it was her. "I didn't choose this. You don't want this. It's not enjoyable in the least."
Hayden retch out to Ling, cupping his rough hands in hers. She peered sadly up toward him.
"And your leg?" Hayden stiffened up at first, but released her light grip as she pulled the anklet off her leg. The blonde held up the stone for him to see.
"I'm not proud of it, but this is my life source. I can't live without it...being immortal isn't what you want out of life. Please believe me."
Ling could read her pain on her face, clear as day she had plastered it on. He finally nodded as she returned the anklet back to its spot on her leg. She just stared down at the dirt around her. That's what she felt like, dirt. Like she was worthless.
"That's all I am. Dirt. I'll never amount to anything." She was surprised when Ling grabbed her hands this time.
"You know something? There is nothing worthless in this world. Everything is needed to keep a flow going. Soil is used to grow crops to feed families and animals. We bury our loved ones in the dirt. Soil is what we have built our houses and towns upon. Soil can even produce a beautiful flower if taken care of properly. If you ask me, dirt is pretty important. You know what else?"
Hayden looked up toward him. He just smiled down at her.
"That flower is unmatched in beauty, because it is a natural object compromised of special care. Nothing can compare or capture it. But, artists try to, and they failed. So think about it. Humans are like flowers, natural beings. And homunculi are like painted flowers, desperately trying to resemble what the never can. But then there's you. You don't want to be like the natural flowers. You're a breed all your own...beautiful in its own way...you're a graffiti flower."
"So I'm guessing we'll have to just trek until we get there, huh? Where are we?" Al asked, carrying an unconscious Ling on his back. They had headed down road of the mutilated track, letting the officials deal with the wreckage. All Ed knew was; Ling was beyond lucky he was aboard that specific train.
"What's wrong with him?" Hayden asked, holding Boston up so he could smell the young lord's body. Ed groaned as he palmed his eyeball.
"He's hungry. But we don't have any food. Don't tell me we have to carry this zombie around until we find a town..." Edward snarled as he thought about jut how grueling that task would be. He was busy enough as it was, what with this Hayden girl and all. Now he had his hands full with being blamed for a train wreck, making it to Rush Valley, AND carrying around a corpse. Lovely.
"Hold on." Hayden held the pup with one arm and dug into one of her pockets on her jacket. She fished out a breadstick that was tied up in a napkin. She tossed it to Ed. "I bought it for Boston, just in case he got hungry. Here." Edward caught it gracefully; looking up at the sky. Clouds had accumulated overhead, blocking out the sun as night created a midnight backdrop.
"Looks like we just might have to make camp here..."
Edward had managed to transmute a few tents out of some leaves that were scattered all over the ground. The four friends had found somewhere to rest at least for the night. All four were huddled around a small campfire, Ling poking at it playfully with a stick. The flames sizzled and licked hungrily at the air, searching for more oxygen to grow stronger. Hayden had removed her coat and wrapped it around the bulldog, sacrificing what she had to keep him warm. The cold was bracing; and the fire didn't seem to provide much to any heat at all.
"I never got to thank you guys for saving me. I'm very grateful." Ling smiled from the other side of the fire at Edward, the flames casting shadows on his ivory profile. Ed just nodded. He knew it was the right thing to do, although Ling was annoying, they were friends. And Ed knew he would do the same for him.
"What were you doing way out here anyway? We were headed to Rush Valley." Ling finally tossed the stick into the dying fire.
"I was hoping to run into you guys, just not like this." He rubbed his neck awkwardly. The young lord turned to his female friend beside him. He watched as she babied the tiny dog sweetly, it was as if she was its mother. Ling had a chance to gaze over her, taking in how pure she looked even in the dark. He couldn't help but notice a small bracelet around her leg that fed down into her boot. It was gold, and looked as if it was weighed down by something. Ling's concentration was broken by Edward's voice.
"Hey, why don't you go get some more fire wood? You owe us. Equivalent exchange." Ling's face twisted up in dismay, but he rose to his feet anyway. He glanced down at Hayden with a smile on his face as he held out his hand.
"I could use some help." She was caught off guard at first, but she agreed, handing Boston to Alphonse to take care of.
Ling and Hayden had ventured their way deep into the forest in search of fire wood. She felt safe, she knew he would protect her. The light from the fire nearby was guiding them. Hayden had accumulated an armful of logs and various other sticks and the like. Ling hadn't collected any thing so far, which was suspicious to say the least. "Why-"
"What is that?" Ling asked out of the blue night. He pointed toward her left leg, she attempted to look down over her collection of sticks to see what he was talking about. Hayden picked up her foot and propped herself up on the other. "My foot?"
"You know what I'm talking about. What is it?" Ling demanded sternly as he continued to point downward. She had been found out. Hayden knew she should've been smarter with her placement of her gem. She sighed angrily and dropped all the wood onto the forest ground.
"I was told you wanted the answer to immortality."
Bingo. Ling was certain his suspicions were correct. Hayden narrowed her eyes at him, her fists clenching at her sides. "Please don't try to delve into that any deeper. You won't like the answers you find." Ling shook his head.
"What do you know?"
Hayden cursed under her heavy breath. It was time. She had to confide in somebody. She dropped to her knees suddenly, digging her nails into the damp soil. That's what he wanted. For her to confess everything she knew about immortality. Ling sat cross crossed across from her.
"You really want to know? There's no going back."
Hayden had time to read this teen, as his eyes stared into hers intensely. Once again; she saw it all. Lan Fan, Fu. Everything. Ling smiled intensely. Of course this is what he wanted. Wasn't it? "Fine." Hayden started to pull down the left corner of her skirt little by little. "But this stays between us." She never broke eye contact with him. His first thought was that he would be getting lucky, but in the woods. His dirty thoughts were wiped clean when she revealed an ouroboros tattoo on her hip, the crimson standing out against her play skin.
"Please. Don't tell them." Her eyes were pleading with him. He could feels a vibe the first time he met her, he just didn't know it was her. "I didn't choose this. You don't want this. It's not enjoyable in the least."
Hayden retch out to Ling, cupping his rough hands in hers. She peered sadly up toward him.
"And your leg?" Hayden stiffened up at first, but released her light grip as she pulled the anklet off her leg. The blonde held up the stone for him to see.
"I'm not proud of it, but this is my life source. I can't live without it...being immortal isn't what you want out of life. Please believe me."
Ling could read her pain on her face, clear as day she had plastered it on. He finally nodded as she returned the anklet back to its spot on her leg. She just stared down at the dirt around her. That's what she felt like, dirt. Like she was worthless.
"That's all I am. Dirt. I'll never amount to anything." She was surprised when Ling grabbed her hands this time.
"You know something? There is nothing worthless in this world. Everything is needed to keep a flow going. Soil is used to grow crops to feed families and animals. We bury our loved ones in the dirt. Soil is what we have built our houses and towns upon. Soil can even produce a beautiful flower if taken care of properly. If you ask me, dirt is pretty important. You know what else?"
Hayden looked up toward him. He just smiled down at her.
"That flower is unmatched in beauty, because it is a natural object compromised of special care. Nothing can compare or capture it. But, artists try to, and they failed. So think about it. Humans are like flowers, natural beings. And homunculi are like painted flowers, desperately trying to resemble what the never can. But then there's you. You don't want to be like the natural flowers. You're a breed all your own...beautiful in its own way...you're a graffiti flower."