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 Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 9:04 pm
Edward was well... out. Which was a mixed blessing. Occasionally a muscle would spasm, but otherwise he was unmoving and limp... all his vital functions having been affected as well. His heart was racing a mile a minute, pounding loudly in his chest. His breathing ragged and shallow. Any words spoken to him were unheard.
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Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 9:25 pm
He was still quite upset over the situation, but he knew he couldn't do much to help. All he could do for the time being was wait for his brother to come back to the land of consciousness again. However, as Edward's body glowed with a soft light, Alphonse stumbled back, confused and quite fearful at the sight.
"What the..." He choked back a yelp, alarmed. "That's not supposed to happen either!" He looked up, noticing Liliana was glowing with the same strange unfamiliar light too. The scene made him furious - just why was she doing that to HIS brother? He felt his aggression sharply rising, and the youth pinned his ears back as far as they would go, growling at her, baring sharp teeth for a moment, paw fingers clenched.
"What are you doing!?" He snapped at her suddenly. "Get away from him!" His emotions were running high and rational thought was leaving him entirely. If he had been thinking more clearly, he knew he would regret what he was about to do next.
Alphonse glared at the female, and promptly reached out with his paws, intending to give the female a sharp shove and push her away from his brother. He made another loud growl in her direction and moved over his brother, defensive and protective, his posture quite rigid now.
"Go away!"
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Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 9:51 pm
The 'paths gasped, more within everyone's minds than audibly. They were too far 'under' keeping base with the fullmetal on a metabolic level.
Green eyes moist and rimmed with tears widened as the small femme felt herself pushed away. Liliana could not speak, only release a sound of anguish that was half sob as looking at Alphonse she felt the rest of her that was not already crumbling from Edward being hurt shattering into a million shards of pain within her.
The blonde audio ignored the 'arguing' kitsu, only intent on fixing her mistake & making it right. If Al bit her, Rikku would likely not notice it until later.
It was Hemi who reacted instantly to Liliana being pushed away. His usually smiling and caring baby-blues were red from the blood flowing in the veins behind the pale irises. A growl his only warning before charging the alchemist. "Don't touch my sister!!!!!"
In the charge Amaryllis dropped from Hemi's back to reach Edward. She frowned angrily at the pair, blue within blue eyes flashing then rolling. If they fought, so be it. As long as she would be left alone to do what needed to be done. If she had to she would fling the pair of them as she had tried to fling Al from the damaged bush that morning.
Only a sensitive could pick up as the micro-talent set instinctively to work. There was no tell-tale glow. Only a focused & determined look to the young cait's small face.
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Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 10:44 pm
A sharp shocked yelp was caught up in his throat as he was charged. The youth was totally preoccupied when it came and quite unexpecting of the move. He was knocked back by the force of the blow, wings flailing out at his sides as the Kitsusagi-side of him was desperate to keep balance. The youth crashed down onto his back, his head making a loud thumping noise as it hit the wooden floor. His head immediately swam with sharp pain and dizziness, vision fading from him as stars exploded behind his eyes, conciousness temporarily threatening to leave him.
"Owww..." He groaned as he lay there to recover for a few moments, reaching up with a paw to rub his head. He soon shook himself off though - he didnt' want to be seen as weak in front of this new opponent.
However, that didn't last very long. As the youth rolled over onto his belly again, he looked up at Hemi with narrowed eyes, attempting to growl at him. The noise ended up coming out as a pathetic whimpering sob. When his eyes began to sting he pressed them tightly shut, turning his head away. As desperate as he was not to show this weakness in front of the older male, he was quickly becoming aware that he might not be able to help it.
"Tell her not to touch my brother, then!" He retorted back at the older male, his voice breaking up. As the tears began to fall from his eyes this time, he didn't try to hold them back. "You idiot!" He sat up, wiping at his eyes with his paws now, sobbing. "He's MY brother,” He yelled, declaring the statement angrily inbetwen sobs. “She has no right to touch him!"
He backed up towards the door, fearful now. Was the male going to charge him a second time? Alphonse didn't want to wait and find out. He turned on his heels, and ran out the door, charging out of the house as fast as his legs could take him.
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Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 7:38 am
No right to touch him... no right to touch him... Alphonse's words echoed in Liliana's head. Her crying increased. But... "Alphonse should be here." She whispered brokenly through her sobs. Hemi looked chagrined, coming up and nuzzling her tenderly. Now that his family was not threatened he seemed to be back to normal though their was a soft pained look to his baby blues. "I... didn't mean for him to leave, Lily. Just.... he pushed you!"
She shook her head, the droplets of her tears fanning out like rain. "At least Edward's still out... he didn't see it... keep him out, until I find Alphonse and bring him back?" Her green eyes bore the please. Her baby brother could only nod, full of guilt, laying beside the fullmetal and starting to glow much brighter than his sister had before him. Amaryllis gave a soft snort. *about time* She nodded as Rikku pulled away, adjustment made, and the cait could really set to work repairing the overtaxed nerves within Edward's body.
Darting from the room almost blindly, Liliana paused to scatter the tracing powder the Weasleys had made. The blue trails of the Zell's she ignored, as the bright yellow that was the voronwe Rikku & the pale blue from Mirage. The last was the one she wanted. Dusty gold, brown blonde. Hard to determine the color through her tears but she knew it had to be Al's. And it went out of the house. Tears flying, Liliana chased out of the house after him. "Alphonse!! Alphonse!! We can't leave him!! You can't leave him!"
No... she did not want to leave Edward either. But that was necessary, was it not? How much worse it would be for her mate, her love, if he woke to find Alphonse gone! And she could not leave something this important in the paws of another.
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Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 8:44 am
Alphonse was still running when he heard the voice call out somewhere behind him. However, he was in no mood to stop on the account of anyone telling him to. Three dirty-blonde tails with darkened tips flailed out behind the young adult Kitsusagi as he tore across the open grass grass, strong legs swiftly carrying him under a huge old oak-tree some distance away from the house before he finally stopped again.
He stood up on his hinds, leaning against the tree, panting hard. He could hear his heart hammering in his ears as his burnt-golden eyes stared off into the distance, his mind racing. How far could he get from here if he tried? He had a good strong pair wings and he could probably fly away if he put them to good use. He certainly didn't want to go back again right now as it was, that was for sure. There was that female acting all weird around his brother and stuff, and Edward was hiding something from him. Then there was that older Kitsusagi had shoved him onto his back, and...
...he had shoved that nice looking female.
His eyes widened at the thought, and a sharp pang of regret stung him hard in the chest - if he had been in his right mind, he would NEVER have dared to do such a thing, even in his wildest dreams. He really hadn't meant to be so aggressive at all - he had only just been trying to defend his brother, right? Wasn't that it? No, it wasn't... there was more to the story, even if he didn't want to admit it.
He was thinking so much, his head hurt. Alphonse rubbed the back of his head, wincing. His head throbbed with pain, particularly in the area where it had banged against the floor. He also had a horrid headache now, which was hardly any surprise. He would probably need to lie down soon, but there was the issue of getting away first. He certainly didn't want to go back into the house and confront that aggressive bigger unfamiliar male again so soon.
"I can't say I blame him, though..." He said aloud to himself. He had shoved the guy's sister after all. If anyone had tried to harm his brother, Alphonse would have given them much more than a few words and a piece of his mind.
So much thought spent over this female... Alphonse curled a gloved paw up and punched the tree bark hard with the flat of his fist in his frustration. Just why was the nice looking female being so affectionate with his brother, anyway? Was she trying to take him away from him? The thought made him angry, defensive, and insanely jealous. Before, it had always been just him and his brother, nobody else. The thought that somebody might come between them upset the youth immensely, and it angered him. Was the female trying to break their tightly woven bond of brotherly-love? He had thought it unshakable - he would do anything for Edward. ANYTHING.
But if this female came between them, well... he didn't want to think about it. At ALL.
Small pathetic noises began to choke up his throat, and he felt tears sting at his eyes once again. He lowered his head began to cry, tears pouring from his eyes and ran down his face, quite dampening his cheek fur. He broke out into sobs, sobs that shook his shoulders and made his body tremble.
He flicked an ear back behind him, but did not turn around as he heard Liliana approach.
"No, that's... It's alright. Y... y-ou go on back." He finally told her in between choked sobs. "It.. it's... it's what you want, r-right...?" He loudly sniffled, raising his head to momentarily turn his attention to her. "Oh, um.. s-sorry... Sorry for... shoving you..." He averted his gaze downward again, tails, ears, and wings low, utterly ashamed of himself.
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Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 9:14 am
Liliana was tiring. Certainly she was physically more in shape than she had ever been, but she was still quite small & always would be & though she trained with Zell her stamina was still rather low. She was a studious caster.
The winged daughter of Remus and Nari did not get a chance to pause & think as she ran, only one thought driving her. Edward's happiness. She had broken his heart once... Liliana could not bear to have him hurt like that again. Bad enough he was in such physical pain...
Nearing Alphonse she slowed. Liliana felt a pang in her chest at his words and started to shake her head long before her throat would open so she could attempt a reply. She flopped tiredly at his paws. "No." Her voice cracked brokenly around the word, head still shaking as it lay upon her paws. Green eyes looked up at Edward's brother. "No. No. No. no I can't... no I won't... no I don't."
Tears streaked down her crimson furred cheeks now. Golden tipped ears hung limp against her head, white and gold tails equally limp & splayed across the forest floor. She shook her head again, wanting to say there was nothing to apologize for, wanting to say how Hemi was just defending her... how he never attacked anyone otherwise... but somehow could not.
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Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 10:09 am
With one forearm leaning against the tree to prop himself up, the younger Elric brother used the other to wipe his face off on a blood-red coat sleeve. The youth's crying had somewhat subsided, his whimpering and sobbing noises just barely audible now. However, he really didn't feel any better. A miserable feeling had settled at the pit of his stomach, and his heart ached. He doubted either would go away any time soon.
"I'm sorry..." Alphonse slowly repeated the apology, his voice sincere and quiet. He could not face Liliana and simply stared at the tree bark in front of his face, still deeply ashamed of his actions before. "I'm sorry I shoved you... I was scared. I didn't know what was going on. I still don't, really. Brother still doesn't share some of his secrets, it seems..."
This time he spoke with more confidence and volume. "But I had no right to shove you." He paused, hesitant. "I acted irrationally, and I was a big dumb idiot. For that, I'm sorry."
Alphonse finally turned his attention down to her, noticing that she was at his feet. When did she move there? He hadn't even been paying attention. He flicked a tail out towards her, allowing the tail to gently brush near the side of her head. It was the only soothing gesture he could think of to offer. Even though she upset him, made him jealous, and stirred up all kinds of other unfriendly emotions within, he still didn't want to see her sad. It was the least he could do after being horrid to her.
"You should go on back to the house. Go on ahead without me. I don't want to go back." He spoke quietly as he made the firm statement, blinking back more tears that threatened to fall. "I... I doubt I'm welcome back there, not... not after the mess I caused. Besides, I think brother's going to be mad when he wakes up and hears about it..." He pulled at a coat sleeve, loudly sniffling. "I... I... don't want to get in trouble..."
He squeezed his eyes shut and began to cry again. So much for trying to calm down and regain his composure.
"I-I should never have come in the first place..." He was speaking more to himself now, his tone scolding. "You guys were fine together without before I came, weren't you?" He returned his attention to the tree bark ahead of him, glaring at it, angrily brushing at his eyes with a coat sleeve. "G-Go on... you want to take my brother away from me, and by the looks of things he wasn't objecting to it..."
He squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth hard. "I should never have come! I'm only going to get in the way, so don't worry about me!" The dirty-blonde haired male promptly pushed himself back off the tree again and skipped aside of it altogether, continuing in his run.
He had to get out of here... go anywhere but here. The male continued in his mad dashing run, flaring out his wings, thrusting them downwards. The movement clumsily launched hims into the air, and the young alchemist flapped angrily, ascending higher and higher.
Soon, he was high in the air, and soon after that, a mere dot on the horizon, leaving Liliana alone at the oak-tree where he had been.
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Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 10:31 am
"I want Edward's happiness, Alphonse. More than anything I want for myself." The whisper was out before Liliana realized he was leaving. Wait.... Leaving? Again?
At least he was flying this time. She was much better flying than on the ground. The tired female forced herself to stand, gold tipped brown wings furling automatically. She could think about what it was Al had said as she flew. Surely he could not mean...
Catching a breeze Liliana flapped her wings forcefully to lift herself from the ground. This would be hard... she had never flown with such purpose before. Perhaps Al still being new to his wings would be to her advantage? He was bigger & stronger than she was. But that was not necessarily a good thing in the air. Her petite size might be a boon up here.
Green eyes strained for a sight of the red coat, identical to Edward's, and the white and gold wings that were different. now what was it he had said, that her heart ached at so though her mind was slower to grasp. She... take his brother away from him? He... never should have come? Get into trouble? Not welcome back?
Oh! Even if she had not already decided that she simply could not return to Edward without Alphonse, Liliana could not let her mate's dear brother continue to think such things! They were so dreadfully wrong... so very wrong!
"Alphonse!! Alphonse!! Please come back!! Let me explain! Please!"
You've got it wrong. Maybe Edward had it wrong too, not telling you. That was his choice. But if it will keep the two of you together... Ah!!! You must know the all of it! Edward will be devastated to wake & find you gone. After just finding you again. Alphonse!
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Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 10:55 am
Flying sure was a chore - Alphonse very quickly discovered that fact once he was high enough in the air. Just getting this high alone caused his heart rate to increase dramatically. His head had been throbbing before. Now it was practically pounding, and caused his vision to cloud slightly.
"Flying is really hard, I should learn how to do it properly," He thought aloud to himself as he tried to keep focused on the airspace in front of him. At least trying to fly kept his mind occupied. "Then again... if I'm going to leave this world again, I probably don't need to worry about the wings in the first place, really..."
His coat tails were flapping quite loudly and vigorously in the wind as he sailed along. Despite the noise though, he could still hear a voice. Alphonse turned his attention behind him, brows raising high. She was still following him!?
"Don't you ever give up? Go away!" He yelped. "Quit following me, can't you see I'm trying to get away from you?" He was quiet again as she spoke, not at all looking where he was going at all any more. His ears were raised high, attentive to her words. "Wait, what? Explain what?"
He began to fall out of the sky now, not concentrating on what he was doing. By the time he realized he was descending again, it was too late - large gold flecked wings flapped and flailed, desperate and panicked but very uncoordinated, in an attempt to correct his balance.
He failed - and promptly fell out of the sky altogether like a piece of junk, hitting the ground hard. He landed on his side in his crash landing, his hard landing kicking up chunks of dirt and clumps of grass. His wings flopped at his sides like dead weights and he lay there, motionless for the time being.
"Oww...."
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Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 11:10 am
She was about to respond that no, she would not give up. Not where Edward was concerned. But then Al hit... and fell...
"Alphonse!" Wings folding back Liliana dived after him. The fact that she did not pull out her wand to slow his descent a testament to her mental state. Landing beside him she nuzzled Al like kin -which as far as Liliana was concerned he was- careful of anything that might hurt from his fall. "Oh! I wish I could heal like Mother & Hemi! Are you okay? Maybe I have a potion that can help..."
She was rummaging through her bag, laying beside Alphonse in a protective sisterly/motherly way. The barest glow flickered from her, much weaker than before. A whimper escaped her. Ed would not like it if his brother was hurt! She did not like it... "I don't think I've enough left to diagnose! Please be all right... nothing broken...?" Softly she whimpered, concerned, worried. What should she do?
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Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 11:34 am
Pain... and then nothing. Alphonse lay on the ground in the same position he had crash landed in, quite out of it and motionless for the best part of a minute.
He made a soft pathetic weak groan of pain as his mind slowly returned him to the land of the living once again. He was vaguely aware of a dull throbbing pain in his chest and his stomach, and a muffled voice somewhere overhead. Sound... sound was good. Sound meant he was still alive. Then, growing with intensity, was the pain. The pain in his head burned like fire. Nothing else really hurt too much though. That was good, it meant he hadn't broken anything.
"Mmmph..." He wanted to open his eyes and sit up, but his body just wouldn't respond for him right now. Instead, he screwed his face up, spitting the dirt out of his mouth. "I'm... I'm alright..." He said finally, finding immense comfort in the warm body nuzzling him. It soothed and placidated him, and made the pain easier to bear. "But I need... flying lessons." Finally, he gave Liliana a weak, but genuine grin - his first all day.
After another few moments, he forced himself to a sitting position, his limbs shaking as he wiggled in an attempt to get the dirt off himself.
"I'm alright... nothing broken. I used to be a suit of armour, it would take more than a fall to break something." He mumbled, lowering his head. "Thanks." He was quiet for a moment. "You should probably go back now..."
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Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 12:34 pm
Liliana breathed a sigh of relief then offered her own smile in return. Gratitude for his smile was clearly evident in her green eyes.
"I will... but not without you, Alphonse." There was a softness in her eyes. "Edward needs us. I know it. Both of us. Together..." She sighed softly.
"You need that head looked at. And..." Liliana wrinkled her nose teasingly, trying to lighten the mood. "A bath."
"You're not a suit of armor now." Her voice was soft, & slightly distant. Another sigh. "Wait, please? See Edward before you go? I don't care what happened Alphonse... you & me I mean. It... it bothers me that you don't like me... I'd hoped we could be friends... but I'd never want to take Edward from you!" She was shaking softly as the tears returned in silent droves. "I love him, Alphonse. I'll tell you the whole long story sometime... sometime when I'm not so worried about him. You deserve to know it all... even if you hate me afterward... I'm sure Ed was just waiting to tell you. I'm sure of it." Her whisper had a heartfelt frenzy about it. She could not stop talking though. He had to understand. "You'll always be welcome, please understand that. You were only defending him, right?" Liliana could not help the whimper, remembering how hurt she had felt shoved from Ed in the midst of worrying about him. "Hemi'll understand. He's really sweet. Really! Never hurt anyone before. He'll be beside himself that he hurt you... he'll know once he's past the protecting his family thing. Family..." Sitting up she put her head beneath the alchemist's gently. "I'll not take him, Alphonse. I'd be your sister..." Her eyes closed, & Liliana breathed out like a silent prayer. "Please come back with me? We can be by his side again in moments. Just say the word and we're there. With Edward. Where we belong."
Liliana could not remember the last time she had spoken so much at once, and she knew on some level that her speech was fast, rushed. But she had to say it!
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Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 5:42 pm
Alphonse began to bat the dirt and bits of grass off his nice warm red coat once feeling steady enough to do such. The entire coat had a rather large filthy stain along one side, evidence of the contact point where he had landed. The youth sighed upon noticing it and slid the coat off, standing precariously balanced on his hinds so he could properly shake it out.
"What?" His eyes widened as she began to speak. "You think I don't like you? That's not it at all!!" He protested. "It's just... well, y--" He cut himself off as Liliana began to talk again, and he sat back down, ears raised, attentive and listening to her as she spoke. The youth could only continue to sit there and listen, eyes widening again as the true meaning of the words sank in.
"I..." He began, going quiet again. He couldn't think of anything to say. She loved Edward? Well, so did he, but... wait. She was IN love with him? That certainly explained a good many things, and the weird behaviour. A soft noise escaped him at the concept of his brother having a girlfriend, though he was even more unhappy with himself now. Despite Lili's words, he kept thinking in his mind that he would probably only end up getting between them. He began to think - what could he do about that?
He made a soft, uncomfortable sound at the back of his throat as Hemi was mentioned, and pinned his ears back as far as they would go. He opened his mouth as if to comment on the guy, at least until Liliana moved, putting her head under his, silencing him again.
"I..." He began, his tone laced with sadness. "...alright." He said finally, breathing a heavy sigh. "We'll go back, then. I'll be there, at least for a little while when he wakes up again."
He moved back from her and shook himself off, slinging his coat over his back. "You know the way, right?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 6:19 pm
A happy sound escaped her. One surprised and disbelieving but overjoyed and daring to hope again. whimpering happily Liliana showed her gratitude by nuzzling the underside of his chin happily as her tails wagged like spastic flags behind her. She had caught a few of his sighs and other reactions, but right now the thoughts that he did not dislike her & would be returning with her to Edward's side overshadowed all else. Green eyes flickered warmly up at Alphonse behind the veil of tears still present.
Nodding Liliana smiled, shy and very eager to get home. "Better. A shortcut." Quickly closing the distance between them the witch pulled Alphonse close and the pair disapparated.
They apparated with a soft pop into the room where Edward was. Hemi was near the fullmetal's head looking asleep but strained. There was a soft glow around him, spreading into the alchemist, faint but sure. The cait Amaryllis was curled onto Ed's still bare chest in what appeared to be a concentrated sleep. Rikku leaned against her bench, watching worriedly and chewing on the corner of her lip looking anxious, pale, and weak. The others did not seem to have moved, except that the moomba Zell was absent. Smiling Liliana nudged the underside of Al's chin. A voice touched their minds, a soft light soprano. *surround him. If I were Edward... I would want my loved ones around me* With a high pitched whimper Liliana more than willingly complied, snuggling into Edward's side, laying her head on his automail shoulder with utmost care. Once she had drunk him in, her green eyes flashed to Alphonse. Waiting.
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