Chapter One: The First step

"Ruff! Ruff!" Den barked sitting up from Winry's bed in attention. The sleepy beauty stirred in her slumber and opened her blue eyes slightly to silence her dog.

"Den, could you please quiet down?" Winry groaned as she heard footsteps approaching her room.

"Winry," Granny Rockbell said softly as she entered into her room, "We have some guests."

"Ugh, who in the world could be so important to ruin my beauty sleep?" she groaned as she rolled over in her bed to face a wrinkled, short lady with her usual cigar stick in her mouth.

"I think you might want to see them." Granny replied with a small smile as she walked over to her window and watched as two tall figures stood before their paint clipped auto mail sign.

Winry's eyes snapped wide awake with a new fire inside of it that has disappeared since they'd left. "The only time Granny says that to her is when they've come back to visit," Winry thought as she leaped out of bed and bounded down the stairs. Her long whitish blonde hair stuck out in all directions flew behind her as she ran. White night dress and fingers stained with the familiar stains of oil and grease from repairing auto mail last night.

She opened the door and sunlight poured in and illuminated the house. There stood before her were two weary travelers. "Edward! Alphonse! How many times have I told you to call us before you come!" she scolded, tears cascading down her face as she held them in a tight embrace.

"Sorry Winry," Alphonse apologized with a laugh, "Brother insisted on just waltzing in here."

"Oh blame it on your old and exhausted brother now will you?" Edward replied with a twinkle in his golden eyes.

"Welcome home boys," Granny said as she appeared near the door. "It'd be nice if you would come around here more often you know. Why don't you come in and sit down, you must be tired from your travels. I'll leave you three alone so you can catch up on lost time."

After everyone was seated around the dinner table, and Den was comfortable position near Winry's feet, it felt like the old times once again.

"So how were all your travels?" Winry asked them excited to hear about their dangerous adventures and all the knowledge they have gained.

"Oh the country of Xing is simply amazing! May has taught me a lot and I now know a lot about alkahestry," Alphonse replied. "And knowing the king of the country can come helpful once in a while if you know what I mean." He added jokingly.

"Ah, Ling, how is he doing? Becoming the ruler of an entire nation isn't an exactly easy job." Winry said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, well, you'd think he'd become a little more mature with all the responsibility he has on his shoulders, but he's the same as always!"

Winry smiled as Alphonse continued to ramble on his travels in Xing. Oh the good old days where they were all together fighting off the man known as 'Father' and the homunculus… Well mostly everyone else, but she was in there for a little bit. It was so much fun those few days, so adventurous and thrilling. Now that the Promise day is over and everyone is on their own paths, things are back to the quiet and boring Resembol. Sometimes it seemed so unfair that she never got to go out and do the things that they are. I mean, even May, being however old she is, is out there fighting crime… Hawkeye is protecting Mustang and he's running Amestris. The Armstrongs, are well… being Armstrongs, and so forth.

"Winry? Are you okay? Hello?" Edward asked with concerned.

"Oh sorry, did I zone out, I'm so sorry," Winry replied apologetically fiddling with her hands.

"Is there something wrong?"

"Oh nothing… It's nothing"

"Are you sure?" Alphonse asked. "Winry, you can tell us anything, no need to hold back." He added gently.

She hesitated, but she couldn't hold it back any more and it all came pouring out of her mouth. "It's just, just that… I hate how I'm the one stuck here alone in this stupid, boring town where nothing happens. Here you guys come in with all your amazing stories and adventures, and what do I have to tell you? Nothing! Zip! Zero! After the day where you got your bodies back, everyone is still continuing to actually live their lives! In my case though, it seems like I'm stuck in time, reliving the same day over and over again! I just can't take it anymore!" Winry could feel the tears forming, daring to come rolling down. Not now! Not in front of them!

The room became dead silent as the two brothers exchanged glances and nodded. They stood up, their chairs scraping against the floor, and look down at Winry with cold eyes.

Edward sighed, "Winry! When are you going to grow up? We thought you would have finally moved by this time! This is so frustrating! Is this all you'll ever going to do? Wallow in self-pity and then start crying about it like you always do?!"

"Winry," Alphonse said sternly, "Get a hold of yourself! Do you see the other women stopping after one experience? No! They keep on living because they choose too; no one is holding you back! By actually continuing on and LIVING they have done so many things and I can proudly say that I had once worked with them! You on the other hand will only be known as my childhood friend, living in the shadows. So how in the world can you complain about your life when all you do is sit around?!"

"Wh—what are you guys saying… you don't really mean that, do you?" Winry whispered trembling. How could they! They were her friends… They wouldn't hurt her like this… But what if their saying is true, what if they are right… What she had hoped to be a lovely evening with her two best friends had taken a turn for the worse.

"We mean very damn word Winry, so you need to wake up!" Edward said as he and Al turned towards the door. "You know, I really thought you would have changed, I thought you would have grown at least a little stronger, even if was a little progress, but coming home to nothing…so disappointing." Those were the last words she heard from them as the door slammed shut.

The sun was beginning to set as the Elric brothers walked to a dirt road dividing in two. "Do you think we were a little too harsh?" Al asked his brother guilty as he stopped walking.

"No, we did this for her own good," he replied locking his hands together and putting them behind his head. "Otherwise she would have lived her whole life stuck in that house, and I know that's not the kind of future she was hoping for. All we did was give her a little push, towards her own path."

"Besides, in order to find our happiness and our paths, we had to endure pain, for how can you get something without sacrificing something?" He added.

"So in order for Winry to find what she has been looking for we need to show her that the world will push her down and hurt her, but how will she respond? How strong is her heart? We needed to teach her that lesson… Isn't that what you were aiming for?" Al finished as he faced his brother.

Edward looked at his brother with his soft golden eyes which were like one way mirrors. He could never see what his brother is thinking despite knowing him for so long.

Al smiled, "Oh look at my brother so grow up and mature thinking all of this by himself… So I guess we better get our butts moving towards our own paths too, now don't we?"

"Yes indeed little brother! See you Al," Edward said as he turned around towards one of the paths and gave him his lazy hand wave.

"See you big brother," Al answered as he walked over to the other road.

The two brothers split apart from one another, a familiar scene that happened four years ago. Moving on towards their own lives, their own destinies, and living life to the absolute fullest.

Winry stood there for what seemed like a life time, shocked from all that was said from them. Winry fell into the chair and let her head fall into her hands, replaying the scenes over and over in her head.

Granny Rockbell was standing near the kitchen door and sighed to herself. I know you have good intentions you two, but the way you delivered it…Silence filled the house that was so deafening Granny thought the house was just about ready to collapse from the strain.

Then all of a sudden Winry stood up, knocking her chair down in the process, and looked to Granny with fire in her eyes. "THOSE TWO ARE GOING TO GET IT FROM ME WHEN I MEET THEM AGAIN! I MEAN JEEZ, JUST OPEN MY WOUND EVEN WIDER AND RUB SALT INTO IT WHILE YOU'RE AT IT!" Winry raged, "Granny, I am ready to move out, they were absolutely right! And you know what? I'm gonna change that! I'm gonna make them regret they ever messed with Winry Rockbell… Those little…." Winry yelled as she clambered back up the stairs.

Granny stood there for a second trying to process all that had happened in the past minute. "Hee….hee…HAHAHAHAHA! By god it really worked you two!" Granny wiped tears from her eyes and felt so light and happy she lite another cigar.

The next few hours Granny helped Winry pack for her journey, mostly deciding on what not to bring then to bring. Soon the room was stripped clear of any signs that once a little girl, who had blossomed into a beautiful young lady, had lived there.

"You know, it wouldn't hurt to visit your old granny once in a while," Pinako said as she followed Winry outside. "And you know it would be even better—"

"Don't worry, I'll actually remember to call you beforehand,"Winry interrupted with a grin.

Winry ran towards the dirt road leaving her life behind, leaving Resembol behind, leaving her old self behind, and ready to start her own story. Ready to stop relying on people. Ready to become stronger. Read to obtain her own fullmetal heart. Ready to take her first steps towards her future.

"A lesson without pain is meaningless. That's because no one can gain without sacrificing something. But by enduring that pain and overcoming it... he shall obtain a powerful, unmatched heart. A Heart made fullmetal."

-Edward Elric

A/N: Hey guys! Tris here... First fanfiction... so much harder than I thought. Pretty much my friends inspired me to write this ff because they are ALWAYS hating on Winry for being so weak and all... So I made a fanfic showing that she did in fact find her own way :) I'm sorry if i suck asdfghhiqpoeirjslknfsnk... I will try to improve from now on OTL. Anyways i will really appreciate if y'all would comment! :D and I have absolutely horrible grammar so if you would be kind enough to help me that would be awesome! I accept constructive criticism~ It would siriusly be really helpful. Anyways, thanks for actually taking your time to read my awful fanfic :D Love you all! kthxbai