"DISTANCE"
A/N: (Sadly) I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist and any of its contents. Yada-yada… Hope you guys like this purely-made fanfic. Don't forget to comment and review in every chance you get! I'd really appreciate it!
Chapter 1: The Change in You
"We've been stuck here for 2 years, Ed. Don't you think it's time you found a plan of getting us out of here?" Amy asked, sitting up straight in a dining chair. She and Ed were eating breakfast that moment, sitting on opposite sides of the table.
Amy was 16 years old, 1 year younger than Ed. She is slender in shape, average in height and is a beauty in a way. She has straight, dark brown, shoulder-lengthed hair which she always leaves flowing down, a pair of black, mysterious eyes, a slightly rounded face and fair skin.
"Hey, I did say I was going to get us back right?" Ed answered back, chewing a piece of sliced sausage.
It was an average, sunny morning at Munich, Germany. As a daily routine, they both got up early for different reasons. Amy's is for her studies at a nearby university, and she often wonders what Ed does during the day. They both shared an apartment with Alphonse Heiderich, a 17 year old German who Ed bumped into on his way to Hermanns Obert. They all got along pretty well and Ed decided to study rocketry with him in order to get back to his and Amy's world.
"Well, who got me stuck here anyways, huh?" She demanded, standing up and glaring at Ed.
Amy was good friends with Ed and Al during their journey. She met them at Xenotime together with Russell and Fletcher. She wanted to learn more about alchemy and pleaded that she help them find the legendary Philosopher's Stone. She, herself was an alchemist before but unfortunately, same with Ed, she lost her powers when she got sucked to another world in an accident. When Ed sacrificed his whole body and soul in exchange for Al's life, as did Amy as well, unconsciously.
"Well then, who was beside my brother during the transmutation, huh? No one else but you. Do you think I like being stuck here with you, of all people?!" Ed retorted, angered by Amy's sudden outburst.
"Oh, so that's how you feel, well then, don't worry, I can just easily take care of myself." Amy said, getting up from the table and heading for the door.
"Where are you going now?" Ed said, sternly, standing up.
"What do you care?" Amy said, slamming the door in Ed's face.
"Ughh…" Ed said, holding up one hand to his forehead.
"Hey, what happened? I heard someone slam the door." Alphonse Heiderich asked, holding his coat on his right arm, apparently he just got out from his room. The Alphonse from this world resembled Ed's younger brother a lot. No wonder they got off at a good start. He even thinks of Alphonse as his younger brother sometimes.
"You really have a good timing." Ed said, getting back to his seat in the table.
"Is that supposed to be a bad thing?" Alphonse said, taking Amy's seat.
"No, not really." He answered, relaxing himself by breathing in and out.
"It's…Amy isn't it?" Alphonse asked slowly.
"Ughh! Don't mention that woman's name now!" He said, getting hysterical.
"Woah, okay, sure. I'll not mention…her name right now." Alphonse said, holding back a stifled laugh. "But seriously, what happened?"
"Um, some kind of argument again. I really don't want to talk about it though." Ed said, finishing his food.
"Oh, that's alright. This's her food right? She didn't even touch it." Alphonse said, pointing to Amy's plate in front of him.
"She probably didn't have the appetite for it." Ed said, getting up.
"You know her to well." Alphonse commented.
"Too well to begin to hate her…" Ed mumbled.
"Anyways, where are you headed today?" Alphonse said, putting a plate over Amy's untouched food.
"Oh, probably just another walk around town. How about you?" Ed asked, getting his coat from the nearby rack.
"The usual as well. It's a Sunday after all." Alphonse said, getting up as well. "What about Amy? Where's she headed to?" He continued, putting on his coat.
"I don't care." Ed grumbled.
"Ed, don't be like that. Even if you dislike her, you could at least care about her a bit." Alphonse reasoned.
"Well, maybe a bit. But I'm not gonna look for her."
"Fine, I'll go look for her, I might bump into her along the way." Alphonse said, putting on his coat.
"Oh, I read on the morning paper that the carnival's in town." Ed recalled.
"Ya, I know. We're gonna have a demonstration of the operational rocket tomorrow afternoon. You want to come?" Alphonse offered, opening the front door.
"Sure, I guess it won't hurt to tag along." Ed said, putting on his coat as well.
"Do you think Amy would want to come?"
"Why do you keep mentioning her?!" Ed said, getting annoyed already.
"Sheesh… I just asked…" Alphonse said, getting out of the room.
"That idiot…" Amy mumbled, kicking a pebble on the ground.
She just reached the bottom of the apartment and exited through the main door. She was now walking towards anywhere she would please. On her usual morning walks though, she always passes by Gracia's flower shop.
Ever since the time Amy and Ed ended up there in this world, she came to befriend Gracia and even sometimes thinks of her as a loving mother she never had.
"Amy! Good morning! Are you having a nice stroll today?" Gracia asked, carrying a large bouquet of beautiful roses accompanied by a smile.
"Hey, Gracia." Amy responded, with a forced smile, entering the small flower-scented shop.
"Oh, I know that face; you had one of those fights again, right?" She said, acting once more like a mother.
"Ha, how'd you guess?" Amy said, raising one eyebrow.
"Oh, just motherly instincts." Gracia laughed.
"But you're not even a mother yet!"
"Oh, don't worry. If it's about you, Alphonse and Ed, I pretty much feel like a mother already." She said, giving her one of her warm smiles.
"Ugh, well it was his entire fault in the first place! Starting a fight out of nothing!" Amy said.
Letting out a huge sigh, Gracia responded.
"You two really don't seem to get along with each other, especially lately. Have you ever tried talking for once? You know, heart to heart?" Gracia said, pointing to her heart.
"What good would that do? It's not as if Ed would even listen."
"You have no idea how much talking can close wounds. He might even be willing to change if you gave him a chance." Gracia smiled, putting the bouquet in a nearby vase.
"I'll give it a try, but I'm not making any promises!" Amy said, giving a slight wave as she exited the small shop.
"Oh, Amy!" Gracia called out. "The carnival's in town! Why don't you visit it? Just don't forget to bring a car, it's pretty far out!"
"Thanks Gracia!" Amy turned back, hearing the suggestion.
'Since I can't drive yet, why not let Ed do it for me, once we've settled everything?' She thought happily, remembering her past adventures in Amestris as she walked back towards the apartment, hoping Ed hasn't left yet.
"This is just great, I should have overslept." Ed yawned.
"By doing that, we would have just left you alone, then!" Alphonse joked, standing beside Ed.
"Oh, well. Where're you headed to?" Ed asked Alphonse.
"Not really sure. What place can we go to? We've been to almost everywhere in this country already."
"Well then, why don't we check out your spot there at the carniv— "
"Ed! Alphonse!" A voice called out from behind.
"I'd recognize that voice anywhere." Alphonse smiled, turning around.
"Amy!" Ed called out.
"Ha, how are you. Hey, sorry about my sudden outburst a while ago, truce?" Amy whispered to Ed, once she reached their place.
Heaving a huge sigh, Ed responded.
"Truce." He smiled, reaching out his hand for Amy to shake it. 'I really don't know how she even forgives me.'
"I'm glad you guys are okay now." Alphonse said.
"Well, I really just followed a suggestion from Gracia." She said, smiling warmly at him.
"So, where are you headed to Amy?" Ed asked.
"Um, Gracia suggested that I visit the carnival. Is there really a carnival in town?" She asked.
"So it said in the paper this morning, we were even about to go there as well. You want to come along? I'll drive, if you want." Ed offered.
"U-Um…sure?" Amy stammered, not used to the new Ed in front of her. 'Maybe Gracia was right about him changing!'
"Wow this is new." Alphonse laughed.
"Is it that rare?" Amy smiled, looking at him.
"Well, frankly…yes."
"Sheesh…" Amy laughed, punching his left arm playfully.
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"G'morning Al, just woke up, I see." Winry laughed, seeing Al descend the stairs of the Rockbell house still groggy, from obvious lack of sleep.
"Good morning, Winry. Where's Aunt Pinako?" Al said, rubbing his eyes while looking around the living room.
"Oh, she just went into town to find some auto mail parts. She'll be right back but she ate already just before she left." She said, setting the table.
Wearing an ordinary sleeveless shirt and a pair of pants, it was obvious that she wasn't heading to anywhere important.
"Oh, that's alright." Al yawned.
"You seem extra tired today. What's up with you?" Winry asked.
"Oh, I had that dream again." Al said, helping Winry with the table.
"Al…" Winry said, looking at him with worried eyes.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Just forget that I mentioned about it." Al said, giving her a considerate smile.
Ever since the day Ed was brought to another world, Winry has been always worrying about him. It's like he's still carrying her beloved auto mail. It's either that or she cares for him deeply even though they're far apart from each other.
"No, I was actually going to ask you to tell me the dream once more." She said, taking a seat at the table. "How'd it go again?" She smiled.
"You sure you want to hear it?" Al asked. "I mean, you know… Won't it be a bit painful on your part?" He said, sitting opposite her.
"I'm sure. It sounds almost believable, and it's been repeating this whole week! You don't think—"
"It might come true?" Al finished for her.
"Well, I don't really believe in those kinds of sayings, but it's worth hoping for." She said, smiling.
Breathing a sigh of comfort, he once again related the dream.
"It went like this: We were once again at this strange place that I've never been to in my life yet. Brother was right beside me, so was—"
"Amy?" Winry asked slowly.
"Y-Ya. She was there as well, standing beside me. We all seemed so happy. It's like I could really feel the happiness that surrounded us. I remember something bad or evil happening but was able to be stopped right on time."
Winry giggled at the last statement.
"What's so funny?" Al asked, smiling embarrassingly.
"It's just that, you two are just the same. You and Ed always seem to think that every bad guy is your responsibility and you end up hunting them down and stopping their evil plots." She said, laughing a bit.
"Ha-ha," Al laughed. "Anyways, that's pretty much it. Every night, I fall asleep thinking of Brother and how he is, and every morning, I wake up seeing him and Amy right beside me. It's as if, they never even left us." He smiled, looking at a nearby picture of him and Ed with their very first catch.
"I hope that would really come true, Al." She reached out, comfortingly holding his hand. "For both you and me."
"I hope so too, Winry. I really wish I could see Ed and Amy again. In person, that is." Al said, starting to eat breakfast.
"Don't worry Al, I have a very strong feeling we'll be able to someday." Winry said, releasing her grip on his hand and starting to eat as well.
"Oh, Winry, I might be going to Lior sometime later." Al told her.
"That's alright. For what reason?"
"Oh nothing really. I just want to check on something. I also want to go on a little adventure again." He smiled.