Those with Sparks in Their Eyes: A FMA(B) FanFic

Chapter Four: Nightmares of the Past

We ate in silence. Everything was still awkward between us, the forced apologies, fake sympathy and artificial empathy. The two boys wanted to know my secret, and to be honest I am interested in hearing theirs'. Afterwards, I helped Izumi with dishes and closing her shop. When I get back and sit down in Izumi's living room, it's Al who finally speaks.

"So uh, Leah, you're from the West right?"

"Yeah," I say, "Pretty unbelievable right, with the way I look."

"No, I mean, I thought that's how Westerner's looked...I mean...Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."

"Don't worry about it," I say with a smile "In terms of looks, I don't fit in anywhere."

"Oh, it must be cool to be so unique."

"I suppose. My grandmother on my mom's side was from Xing, and my grandfather on my dad's side was Aerugonian."

I'm what my mother called an "Amestrian Rarity". My brown hair was done up in a high pony tail most of the time, with two stands hanging down on either side of my head, a style typically used in Aerugo. But my eyes were dark, a trait I inherited from my Xingese blood. My clothing style, is purely Amestrian. A tank top, with a small jacket fitted to my upper half of my torso, black pants and brown boots that laced up about halfway up my calf, is my usual appearance. The longness of the boots hides my leg, and my clothes are easy to move in, for archery, sparing and swordsman ship.

"Do they have any interesting Alchemy out West?" Ed finally speaks.

"Not that I know of. It's the same as here".

Ed looks disappointed. So they're trying to learn different forms of Alchemy? Very interesting.

"Oh, crap!" I look at the clock. It's 11:00 and I need to be up early tomorrow.

"I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." everyone replies.

I change into my night dress and tuck my bow, arrows, sword, and kunai under the bed. I'd hate for Ed and Al to see those. I hope I don't get that nightmare, the one I've been having for years now. It stopped a while ago, but since I came to Dublith it's only been getting worse. With a big day tomorrow, I close my eyes and go to sleep.

* *

"I still don't know what she's hiding." brother whispered to me as we entered the bedroom. Leah was sleeping already, so we had to be quiet.

"It might just be you, brother," I say "Leah seems nice, I don't think she's hiding any dark secret from us."

"But still.....Even if she's not, she might know a few things about Alchemy from other countries that could help us get your body back."

"Shhhhh!" I said "Be quiet!"

Leah was moving around in bed. Rolling over, and tossing her head. She looks like she's in pain.

"No, stop..." She mumbled "Don't leave.....Ishval...."

Ishval! What part does she have in that? It was in the East not West, and she's too young to be a soldier. Maybe she is hiding something....

"Matthew.......brother.......Matthew.....don't go.....Ishval."

Leah was on her side and gripping the blanket. She must be having a nightmare. This Matthew, could it be a family member of hers? And Ishval......

"Brother, do you think..."

"Yeah, I do, Al. Maybe this can explain why she came this far East. If Sparks is really her name, I could look into military records of the soldiers in Ishval from the West."

"I don't know, it's a good idea, but maybe Leah wants to keep this a secret."

"I know, Al. But right now we need all the information on her as we can get."

"Ok, brother." I say.

Ed gets ready to go to bed, so I sit down and just stare at the ceiling. I can hear a faint whimpering from somewhere.... Oh, it's Leah....and she's crying in her sleep. That nightmare must be pretty bad. Teacher said that Leah has been through a lot, and I guess so have we, but...this. I think Ishval must be connected, a war would give anyone a nightmare. The question is how is Leah connected to all this. Brothers right, she is hiding something, but I don't think it's a some dark secret, Leah's too nice for that.

Right?

* *

Crackle, snap!

The blue sparks of the alchemical reaction started, and before I knew it, my leg was gone.

"Why! No! You said it would work!"

I saw Matthew, too. A silhouette coming to life from the center of my circle. Only, he was human, not like what I had created on that night which usually shows up in this part of the dream. Matthew, human? He got up, slowly out of the circle, really creepily and lurched at me his hand at my throat, strangling me.

"Nice to see you, sis."

His voice was chilling, not like it was when he was alive. Or was he alive? I couldn't tell anymore. He looked a bit different, too. More....city-like.

"Thanks for bringing me back," he sounds genuinely thankful when he utters this.

His grip tightens, and I can't breathe at all. All I see is Matthew's eerie grin before I black out. A flash of white, and I'm awake.