Peacekeepers

Chapter Sixteen - Jealousy

AN: FMA easter eggs ahead. They are so obvious, you all get docked points for not finding them. xD

Warning: Alcohol mentioned again.

-o-o-o-

The world was painted in varying shades of darkness, with only the light of the stars and a half moon high above.

Inside a small glass aviary, a lone, injured Pidgey lay with its face pressed against one transparent wall. Forlorn and watching the horizon expectantly for sunrise, it started when another Pidgey on the other side started pecking at the glass determinedly.

"There's no point, I've tried that already," the injured one tried to convey, but the other one ignored the warning and kept attacking the glass.

This carried on until it grew too tired and finally settled, puffing and defeated to rest against the glass, parallel with the other.

"It's ok," the injured one reassured through the impossible barrier. "I'll be ok, now that I'm not alone."

Waiting for the sun suddenly wasn't so scary.

-o-o-o-

Annoyed squawking, irritable growling and surprised chirping turned out to be an alarm clock like no other. Waking grudgingly against the glare of morning sunlight seeping through the tent fabric, Cynthia sat up to groggily see what the fuss was all about.

Skarmory, Aggron, and Togekiss were all under a simultaneous attack by the three Munnas. They each had one hovering above their heads, pestering for no other reason than boredom. The most comical thing about the scene was how Garchomp, in all her power and agility, was not able to navigate the populated space of the tent to properly retrieve her wayward charges, not without stepping on a hand, claw or a wing that is.

Despite feeling slightly perturbed by the rude awakening, Cynthia smiled at the dragon's conundrum. "Gar, do you need some help?"

Garchomp whined in anxious desperation, though it was impossible to know why she was so worried, whether it was one of the babies getting hurt or the possibility of one of them wandering out of the tent and getting lost. Ultimately, Cynthia just found it endearing that her ace was suddenly taking her babysitting chore so seriously.

She was about to get up and assist but her gaze caught on Steven as he sat up to survey the noisy situation through thin slits of ice.

If there had been any doubt in her mind that he wasn't a morning person, then it was promptly dismissed at the sight of his sour expression. He looked about ready to throttle anyone making noise, whether they were guilty or not.

Then his eyes caught with hers and he froze while his scowl softened instantly; clearly having forgotten they shared the same tent.

Cynthia offered a small smile, remembering he wasn't one for talking upon waking, either. When he smiled back, she suddenly felt self-conscious and quickly donned her overcoat to fend off the morning chill but mainly to cover up whatever disheveled mess her clothes were in after sleep.

Having grown impatient, Garchomp gave her master a nudge and a whine. "Oh, right," the woman said, turning her attention to the pesky Munnas. She grabbed the nearest one first, as it hovered over Togekiss with a mischievous chortle. "Now that's not very nice, pestering others when they're sleeping."

The tiny Munna cried plaintively about being moved away from its entertainment but quieted again upon returning to a cross Garchomp's back. She did the same with the one tormenting Skarmory with a similar outcome and then looked to Aggron lying on the other side of Steven.