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Post by Fateful on Jan 8, 2010 22:10:37 GMT -5
Ran fan crossed her arms over her chest, the blade sliding into her automail. "Winry... for the hundredth time me fighting is more important than the pain I feel afterward. The training I went through and the pain from loosing my arm was far greater than how it feels when I'm fighting. I can deal with it just fine." She said stubbornly. As soon as she saw Ed she'd lose interest in yelling at her and start yelling at him.
Seeing the wrench fly out of the house, Ed jumped to the side, petrified. It normally was aimed at him, so it was a pleasant surprise. He smiled slightly, feeling her gaze on him. He was strangely comforted by her presence. She was safe, and well. Sure she was a bit dirty - but she looked like she'd been making something else. Looking over at Ran Fan, his gaze returned to Winry and he went up the stairs over to her. "My arm is fine." he put his hand on her shoulder, as if to prove it to her. "Where's Alphonse?" He asked, looking around for the six foot tall suit of armor that he'd grown to know so well.
When Winry lost attention in her, she smiled at Ling warmly. Seeing him made it worth it. The pain, the prosthetic arm, the fighting... It was all ok. The desire to hug him flooded through her, but she seemed to decide against it. As much as she wanted to, it wasn't the best thing to do... Sighing, she took Ling's hand in her own. "I've been through worse." She told him seriously, but only held his hand with the hand that was real. Her automail didn't go anywhere near him. As she pulled him a bit closer, she smiled and walked towards the house with him. "Come on, there should be something for you to eat now." She'd gotten used to cooking for him when she had to.
As they went inside, she went into the kitchen and grabbed the food on the stove and made him a plate. There was rice, because she normally ate a lot of it and didn't eat much if it wasn't there. Handing him the plate, she made sure there was a lot on it and sat at the table, looking intently at him. "What happened..." She muttered. "You said we could return to Xing now that your immortal..." Her voice was slightly on edge as she spoke to him.
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Post by belated valentine on Jan 8, 2010 22:10:47 GMT -5
Winry smiled. "Good," She said, tucking her wrench into one of the pockets of her suit. She was glad to see that he was alright, everyone had developed a story about him. They ranged from him being killed to being to turned into a homunculus who then helped Bradley. At the beginning they sounded foolish, but after awhile with no sign of him she and Al began to wonder. Looking back at the house, she blinked."Hmm, well the last time I saw him he was playing with the neighbors cat, so he's most likely in the backyard." She unzipped the top half of the work suit, tying the sleeves around her waist. "Follow me." Tucking her gloves into her pocket, she made her way around the house. "Al? There's something more important than Mrs. Tumbles here."
Ling put the plate down on the table and smirked. He stood back slightly and his body hardened over with a dark, almost black, material. "I became Greed, so technically I'm a homunculus." He said, his voice sounding off. He looked nothing like himself and was starting to wonder if showing her was a good idea. He didn't want to freak her out..He held out his arm for her to touch. "It's like a barrier, it's unbreakable." He tapped his arm with his hand, showing her before he turned back and sat down to eat the food. It was gone within a few minutes and he got up, getting more. The first plate hadn't done much, he was still tired.
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Post by Fateful on Jan 8, 2010 22:11:03 GMT -5
Ed followed her, not at all surprised. Al always wanted a cat, and their mother never allowed them to have one. They had one for a day until their mother found somewhere else for it to live. He never understood why they couldn't keep the kitten. It was cold, rainy, but at least she let him stay the night, right? A small smile came to his face when he saw the suit of armor. Trotting over to it, he stood in front of it, bending down slightly. "Did you stay out of trouble while I was gone?" He asked, the same smile on his face, offering a hand to help the armor stand. True, Al didn't need help to get up, but it was more for the inner meaning in the gesture than the gesture itself.
Ran Fan's eyes widened and she dropped the plate she was holding. As soon as it hit the ground it shattered, shards spreading across the floor in a random pattern. Her body shook slightly, but she just looked away and started to pick the glass with her automail hand. That way it couldn't cut her. She sighed, her eyes closing. "As long as it's what you wanted." She said, nodding her head slowly.
A smile crossed her face, but it seemed to be hiding something. When he got up to get a second plate, she looked up at him. An unbreakable barrier? Did that mean he didn't need her anymore. A small twing of regret passed her face and she smiled. "If that's the title of emperor is as good as yours. I'll stop at nothing to make sure you get that." When she finished cleaning up the glass, she seemed figety, which was strange for her. Her brown eyes stared at his face intently as he inhaled the food before him. She however, didn't seem to want to speak unless spoken to. Her eyes rested on the back of his hand, watching him eat without asking questions, the symbol on his hand burning into her mind.
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Post by belated valentine on Jan 8, 2010 22:11:10 GMT -5
The back door opened and a little black and white panda ran out, almost tripping the the girl that came out behind her. "Hey Al I got the milk!" Mei called as she scampered across the lawn, careful not to spill any of the milk from the bowl. She set it down in front of the black cat and then sat down, noticing Edward. "Hey, it's the bean boy." She said, smirking, picking up Xiao Mei. "When did he get here?" She looked at Winry.
"Just a minute ago." She said, wiping the grease off her face with a napkin. From the way he was sitting she could tell something was off about his leg. He must have grown a bit. "Good news, you grew. Your leg measurements are off." She said, knowing he probably knew that already. HE was the one walking on it and if anything he'd notice the difference first. But she figured if she mentioned it, it'd take his mind off of Mei's short joke.
Ling looked up from the bowl of rice, a few grains stuck to his chin. He wiped them off with the hand that had the tattoo on it, watching her eye it. He looked down at it himself before looking away. He'd gotten used to it so it was no big deal anymore, he rarely noticed it. He smiled at her. "It means we can go back to Xing and live without fighting for awhile, but I want to make sure things here in Amestris are calm before we leave, otherwise I won't feel good." He said, going back to eating. "How's the arm holding up? Does is still hurt?" He asked curiously. He was talking to her in Xingese, he usually did unless they were talking with someone else that needed to hear.
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Post by Fateful on Jan 8, 2010 22:11:37 GMT -5
Ed's eyebrow twitched and he moved closer to her. "Who you calling a bean so small that he would never grow into a tree?!!?!" He yelled, because he moved forward, his automail buckled slightly. His left leg was a few inches shorter than his right one, which made walking somewhat painful. Hearing Winry say it, he smiled, turning around her face her and took a few steps closer to her. "Can you fix it here?" He asked, looking over at her, smirking slightly.
He felt confident that she had to change her leg in order for him to fight correctly, but this would be really good for him. He grew, which made him want to swell with pride. It made him feel good. At least SOMEONE noticed he was off balance and was taller. Not this little bratty shrimp.
Ran Fan wiped some of the rice he'd missed from his face with her right hand. She sighed, looking into his eyes. She missed speaking Xingese considering that Ling was the only person that really spoke to her in it. At least... it was now. Sometimes hearing Winry talk to Al confused her. They used names and phrases she'd never heard before - which sometimes made her doubt the translation. Not that she'd ever mention it to them. She'd never admit she was confused. It was one of her major flaws. She would occasionally admit it to Ling, but she felt weak doing that around him, and now she felt useless. He had an ultimate shield, he gained what he wanted without her being there, or helping him. He didn't... need her anymore.
She nodded slowly, her hair moving around the sides of her face. "I understand you want to stay." She replied, loving the feeling of speaking their language. It almost made it seem like they were talking about something secretly. "I..." her eyes remained focused on the back of his hand - staring at the tattoo on his flesh. "I don't know how it's supposed to feel. I assumed the pain was normal." She shrugged. "I've been fighting since two hours after it was given to me, so I guess I didn't have any down time for it to heal or for my body to get used to the feeling." Lying was something she could never do to his face.
Chocolately hues looked at him, and she sighed. "If... we were to return home." She paused for a moment, trying to find a way to accept this. "Do you think they'd accept me like this?" She'd never seen anyone with automail in Xing. They didn't lose their limbs and having what she did was almost seen as an act against nature - and it was.
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Post by belated valentine on Jan 8, 2010 22:11:44 GMT -5
Winry nodded. "Yeah, I don't have all of my supplies here but I have enough to extend it. Thank god it isn't broken." She smiled. "I'm just surprised you haven't raided the kitchen yet, that's usually your first stop whenever you come visit." She looked back toward the house, noticing Ran Fan and Ling through the small kitchen window. Winry could tell she was happy to see the young prince again, he was the reason Winry was constantly telling her not to push herself as hard as she was. At least now she might settle down with the fighting for awhile. Looking back at Ed, she stood up, brushing her hands against her clothes. "We can get started if you'd like, I know it's probably pretty uncomfortable."
Ling smirked at her. He put the bowl down and pointed a thumb at himself. "I'm going to be the emperor, of course they'll accept you!" He said, enthusiastically. "And hey, maybe it'll promote automail in our country. Not many people lose limbs there but for the people that do, at least they'll get them back." He smiled at her. "And besides, you can say you're the first to have them there. You'll go down in history." He laughed slightly and picked up his bowl again. He'd filled it up with enough to last him awhile and that was the only reason he hadn't gone to get more. If it was up to him, he would eat everything there was in the house.
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Post by Fateful on Jan 8, 2010 22:11:57 GMT -5
Ed chuckled. "Yeah well..." She rubbed the back of his head, ruffling his blonde hair. "I'll be way more hungry when my leg is fixed, but walking off balance like this made my side and legs hurt the whole way here. Let's fix it now." He said, walking with her. This of course meant the measurement to his arm might be slightly, off as well, so she should at least have at look at it. As he walked with her, he turned and looked at Alphonse and Mei, smiled and continued off. Al seemed too busy to interact with him.
Suddenly, something grabbed him and he felt a strong hug of an empty shell. "BROTHER!" Alphonse exclaimed once the kittens started to drink the milk Mei had brought. "I was so worried! Are you ok1?" He asked, getting up and putting him down. "So many rumors went around about you being dead, or turning into a homunculus and joining pride, and they were so scary!" He started to follow his elder brother and Winry out of the room. "I'll be back Mei." He called to her as he walked away.
Ran Fan smiled at him. She knew he was trying to make her feel better, and it worked, far more than she assumed it would when he said it. He only thought it was ok because she lost it for him and would have died if she hadn't have severed the arm.
Not that it meant she hated not having it any less. Not only was she afraid to touch him with it, she was worried he'd think of her differently. Not that she blamed him. Even her grandfather didn't like the prosthetic limb. It helped her regain the ability to fight, but it was something that would be noticed. They were supposed to be perfectly disguised, sexless, unidentifiable, but with this arm, that was no longer the case. Automail was unique to the maker and person, and this made Ran Fan stick out. In Xing where no one had it, they'd know she was Ling's body guard...
"If you say so." She smiled at him sweetly and stretched her arms above her head, watching him eat. She did this quite a lot. Watching him eat, anyway. She did that much more often than she ate herself. "If you're still hungry, you can keep eating." She said with a sweet smile. He was still himself, even with that thing inside of him, so for now, she would just have to get used to it.
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Post by belated valentine on Jan 8, 2010 22:12:15 GMT -5
Winry lead him through the back door, down the small hallway and into her workroom. As she gathered her tools she left him to do his part - change into something other than tight leather pants. She had been fixing his automail for years now so he knew the routine. Grabbing a tape measure, a pen, and a notepad from the drawer she made her way over to the small couch against the wall, picking up a chair and taking it with her. She set it down in front of the light green couch, taking a seat on it as she waited for him to finish. She had to get the measurements of his real leg so she knew how much to extend the automail one. And because Ed liked to squirm around and whine at times, she had to make sure she got them perfectly. Any little bit difference could throw him off balance. "Hey Al, tired of the cat already?" She asked, hearing him come into the room after his brother. She smiled.
Ling patted his chest with his fist, belching. "Mm, 'ou 'ever 'old me whe' Fu ish." He mumbled around his food. He hadn't caught sight of the old man. Swallowing, he looked at her. "Is he sleeping?" He asked, downing the rest of the rice in the bowl. Ling put the bowl down on the table and crossed his arms, letting out a sigh of relief. He was already starting to feel better, now that he had some food in him. When no response came from her he blinked, getting up. "I'll just go find him. Stairs are this way right?" He asked, walking down the hallway and toward the staircase. Sure, he didn't know his way around the house, but it wasn't that big and sooner or later he'd find the room right? He just had to keep looking.
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Post by Fateful on Jan 8, 2010 22:12:23 GMT -5
Ed pulled off his shirt and his pants. he tossed them onto the couch and walked over to her. He plumped down on the couch and leaned back against it. He was so comfortable and it'd been a while since he sat in a piece of furniture - a comfortable one as well. Stretching his arms above his head, he looked at Winry and looked at her, a slightly excited expression on his face. "So..." He muttered. "How much have a grown." He seemed impatient and jumpy about knowing the answer.
Al shook his head. "Of course not! I've just been with the kittens for a few days, but I haven't seen brother in a long time. I want to be with him for a little while. I missed him!!"
Ran Fan sighed. She grabbed his hand and pulled him outside. "I'll bring you to see him." Her voice was slightly quiet. They went outside and she led him through the woods. They came to a small clearing and freshly dug up ground. Turning her head to look over at Ling, she smiled, a pained express danced across his face. It was a strange expression on her face, but it was much worse than when she forced her own arm from her body. Her hand moved towards the pile and she turned her head to look at the pile and the wind blew her hair around her face, towards the pile that she didn't get any closer too. "I want to bring him back to Xing when we return..." She added slowly.
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Post by belated valentine on Jan 8, 2010 22:12:32 GMT -5
"Well if you'd stand still.." She said, straightening out his leg. She got up and started the measuring process. It took awhile and every now and then she'd scribble something down in her notepad, going back a few times and scratching it out, writing something new next to it. With a sigh, she stood up. Looking down at her paper and then up at him, smirking. "Three inches. Way to go short-stuff, you're officially not the same height as me anymore." Winry dropped the notepad down onto the chair and took out her screwdriver. "Now gimme your leg." She muttered, unscrewing the release compartment, lifting the lever that released the limb. He wouldn't feel much, after all it was the attaching that was painful. Tossing the leg over her shoulder, she made her way over to the desk, laying it down before she went to search for a spare for him use until the automail was finished.
Ling followed her, clueless. "Why's he outside?" He asked, still unaware. What the hell, where were they going? He wanted to ask out loud, but he decided against it and followed her, eyes widening as he noticed the fresh grave. "W-What?" He was speechless for a moment, his eyes glued to the ground. "You're...but he was healthy, he wasn't supposed to die yet!" Lowering himself to the ground to keep from falling over, he stared at the darkened soil, his eyes wide, making the red officially noticeable. His ouroborus hand reaching up to rub the sweat off his forehead. "When did it happen..and how?" He asked quietly. If the wind had been any louder she wouldn't have able to hear him.
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Post by Fateful on Jan 8, 2010 22:12:57 GMT -5
Ed made a face at her when she told him to hold still. When she said he'd grown three inches. He made an angered face at her when she made fun of him. He turned his head away, feeling his leg detach from his body. It wasn't painful, but he still felt the connection end and it was sort of a strange feeling. To have a limb and then it be gone. Putting his hands behind his head, he waited.
He didn't expect her to have a replacement just laying around so he could just wait until she was finished.
Ran Fan looked at him and smiled slightly. She moved her hair from her face and looked down at the grave. Walking over to his side, she put her hand on his shoulder. "I know..." she muttered, her body started to shake, out of pain and fear, not from the wind. "I never expected him to die before me, and... I was starting to wonder if he was immortal." She laughed slightly, it getting caught in her throat, making her almost cough out a cry.
"We were attacked four days ago. He made me eat something and sleep because I hadn't in days. I was worried about you and getting used to my arm. I wanted to train and to make you proud that you saved me when you returned." She made a smal noise that showed pain, her eyes becoming glossy. "I... did as he asked, and when I woke up some of the kids where in my room. They think I'm cool because they've never seen a girl fight like me." She looked forward and refused to make eye contact or look at Ling.
There was a pause before she continued. "The girls wanted me to train them, and when we went outside... I could smell it. Fire and bombs. I ran off to find him, and we where blitz attacked by a military group. They killed one of the little boys and kidnapped a younger girl. We went after them, and it all happened so fast that I just remember him bleeding and telling me not to waste my time saving him... The artery from his heart was ripped open and I've never seen anyone bleed like that. Every..." She made another couching sound.
"Every time his heart beat, blood would spray out of his body... I hated it." She paused, looking down at the ground. "Then... he pulled me over to him and made me promise to do anything I could to make sure that you became emperor. You have the power to change Xing for the better and no one is more fit than you." Her arms wrapped around her waist. "And to sacrifice anything to make sure you got there..."
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Post by belated valentine on Jan 8, 2010 22:13:01 GMT -5
Winry came out of the small closet with a spare leg, having to mess around with the levers before it was the right height. It wasn't automail, but it was something for him to wear so he could get around before the actual automail was finished. "So where were you this whole time?" She asked, sitting down at her desk to start working after she attached the spare to his leg. "Al and I really missed you. It was a little weird at first not seeing you around Al, you know, since you two are always together." She said, starting to take apart the leg. It didn't need much to it since there wasn't anything terribly wrong with it, just the size so the only real work she was doing was extending. At the most it would take a day, but she could probably finish it before that.
She watched him from the corner of her eye, smiling slightly. He looked relaxed, like he hadn't had the chance to rest in awhile. Knowing him he'd probably been up and working. He was never the type to just lay around, not when there was something to be done, so it was nice to seem him take a load off and just not worry about things.
Ling didn't say anything for awhile, fearing that if he spoke his voice would break. He hated being weak and looking it and he hated Greed making fun of him - whether he was in charge of the body or not. He tried to listen to her, but as she got to the gore and the blood he tried to ignore her. He didn't want to picture Fu in that situation, bleeding to death while he was gone, not able to help him. His head shifted toward the ground as he tried to cover up the fact that his eyes were brimming over with teeth. He sneaked his hand over, wiping that off. "He died because of Amestris and they're stupid war! I should have sent him back to Xing, I shouldn't have evenlet him come along. This is my fault. If immortality meant having to give up a comrade, then I don't want it.."
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Post by Fateful on Jan 8, 2010 22:13:30 GMT -5
Edward just laid down on the couch, putting his hands behind his head and yawning. He stretched his body out and got comfortable. Once relaxed, he closed his eyes and remained still. "Yeah, it felt pretty weird to me too." He said honestly. "I've never been anywhere without Al really. There have been a few times, like when I was with Ling, but I was never worried that something happened to Al. Or would happen when I wasn't around." He purposefully chose not to mention when he and Ling where swallowed by Gluttony and had to survive on his leather shoe to survive.
"I missed him a lot... I never realized until the time we spent apart how much I depended on him and how I needed him in my life." His golden eyes opened slowly, and he chuckled. "I guess I just grew so dependent on having my little brother there beside me that I never want to lose it again."
Ran Fan moved forward and wrapped her arms around him. After she did it, she moved away from him slightly, making it seem like she embraced him without actually meaning to. It was a strange feeling, hugging him this way. Closing her eyes, she shook her head, tears falling from her cheeks. However, the way she was standing hid this from him. If he'd have seen her cry she'd never forgive herself. "No!" She said loudly, making the air between them very still.
"You weren't here, I was... I let him die and I let this happen. I wasn't there with him and I should have been." She looked up at him. "it was OUR job and OUR duty to protect you, not for you to protect us, and the fact that you feel that you have to just shows that king of emperor you'll be and why he and I are willing to die for you... Don't blame this on yourself... if it's anyone's fault it's mine."
Her hand moved over the tattoo on the back of his palm. "This... this is my fault. I wasn't there to protect you, or to stop that thing from hurting you. I couldn't defend myself from the Fuhrer and I lost my arm. You should have left me to die, anyone else would have, but you didn't. You've always been and always will be a much better and stronger person than I am... That's why I love be..being," Her voice finally broke before she continued, "around you. It's why I'll give my life a million times for you to gain immortality, and now that you have it...." She paused.
"it... makes sense." She muttered softly, looking at the ground. "You didn't need me to get it, and you don't need me to protect you. You're... a shield, immortal, and you could easily live your life without me and my presence at all. You didn't need me, and I'd have died if you didn't save me... Fu died because he swore an oath to help you with your goal even if it meant his life." A weak smile crossed her face. "I guess... once you gained immortality, his last wish was held and..." Her voice cracked. "He could die..."
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Post by belated valentine on Jan 8, 2010 22:13:39 GMT -5
Winry smiled, messing with the wiring inside the leg. "I think it's sweet. I always wanted a sibling, but I guess even if I had one it wouldn't be anything like you and Al. I like throwing things and little brothers and sisters are known for being annoying. Just be glad Al's not irritating." She smirked, holding the wrench between her teeth while she tugged out a few wires so she could replace them. "It's good that you two have each other, when stuff starts falling apart you can turn to one another. I don't know much about siblings and stuff, but you're a heck of a lot closer than some people I know. Back in Rush Valley, Mrs. Jennins - a neighbor of ours - threw out her sister because she was having an affair with her husband. He came to our shop because his wife broke his arm so bad that he had to have it amputated. That's two lessons in one." She said, shaking her head, her champagne blonde hair moving over her shoulder.
Ling pulled his hand away, looking away from her. "I wanted this. I accepted it because that's the only way I can become immortal, this is the only way to become emperor. Neither of you were supposed to die on this journey, you may have been my body guards but you're safety is important as well. You aren't just body guards, you're comrades. Friends. And I'll be damned if I'm just going to let one of you die without doing anything about it. The homunculus did this, Wrath did this and he's going to get away with it. I'm going to kill him and Greed's going to help me."
Ouch, how would you like if it I blamed this on you humans? Kidding. Oh I'd like if you asked before you included me in your plans...But I suppose I could be of assistance, I'm not too fond of Wrath or father for that matter. I just want a body damnit...
For a moment Ling seemed still, then his head snapped up and he smirked at Ran Fan. He had a different expression on his face, one different than Lings. His voice was also different. "It feels good to be in control, I think I may use your body for awhile Ling buddy." Greed smirked and then leaned over to Ran Fan. "How dedicated are you to Ling sweety? Maybe we can test out your devotion in a hotel room.
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Post by Fateful on Jan 8, 2010 22:13:59 GMT -5
Ed looked over at her and smiled. "I don't remember a lot about Alphonse when we were small, but I do remember I used to smack him on the head when we were babies." he said, chuckling slightly. He looked up at the ceiling and held his hand up to block the light. "I dunno... I can't imagine not being around him anymore. It was hard at first. I kept calling Ling Alphonse out of habit. I kept hearing brother and no one was saying it. Especially when I was tired. IT sounds like I was going crazy and I seriously thought I was." He told him with a chuckle. "Whatever though... It's not like it hurt me. It kept me going and motivated."
His eyes lids were heavy and he felt harder to keep them open... "I was worried about you too Winry." he said, turning on his side to face her. "I was scared the military would grab you because you're the best automail mechanic in the world."
Ran Fan looked at Ling and sighed. She hated that he was blaming himself. This wasn't his fault. It would never be his fault. She shook slightly, biting her lip, unsure of how to say anything to persuade him otherwise. "You may have accepted it, but you're not like you anymore! I can feel the darkness inside you." She put her hand on his stomach. "I feel it, and it scares me sometimes Ling, it's flaring up now and moving around your body... I..." She looked away quickly, not sure of what else to do. Her body was shaking slightly, which made her sigh.
"Forget it... you're right, this will give you what you want. You'll be immortal, and I have no right to object to it." A smile crossed over her face. "And if it means you only have a darkness inside you, then I guess I can live with that." She added with a sigh. "I'll do anything to make sure no one can stop you, ok?"
The expression that crossed his face made her take a few steps back. She'd never seen him like this before, which made her back hit a large tree behind her. Her hand moved towards her head, her hair over her shoulder. Hearing his voice his eyes widened. This sound... it sounded all wrong - ugly even! She HATED it! The way his face changed, how his smile twisted, the way his eyes looked - and the fact they were open. Hearing what he said, her body started to shake slightly. "L-Ling..." She muttered, looking up into his eyes, staring intently at him. He was the evil inside of Ling's body, she could feel it consuming him. It was throughout his entire body now, moving heavily around his heart and around his brain. She shook her head. "I--" Her brain stopped functioning how to speak.
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