Disclaimer: I do NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist. If I did, the ending to that dumb movie would have never existed in a million years.

Author's Note:

Yay, an update! Now here's some personal thoughts on the matter:

I really wasn't going to make this chappie this long, I'm serious. But as I was writing this chapter, I kept typing and typing and...yeah. I wanted to come up to a specific part that would explain something very important about Winry, but I barely touched on it at the end. I decided to cut this chapter where it was and save the substance for the next chapters...which means that I will have more ideas to write on. Yes!

However, for those reading Figure of Sheherazade, I have very sad news. Two words: Writer's Block.

Yep, it's true. It's the end of the month and I still don't know what to do about the next chapter for that story...which means that I'll have to skip this monthly update. (sigh) Maybe this story will help ease things.

Once again, if you have any possible ideas for the plot of Figure of Sheherazade or Silver Demise, place those ideas in reviews or private messages, please! I am always open for intuitive tips from my readers; after all, it's you guys that are reading the stories! XP

Oh, and by the way, I would like to thank Bar-Ohki, SistersGrimm, and The-SilverWolf-Alchemist forreviewing Chapter 1.I would also like to thank Bar-Ohki, SistersGrimm, and Geri for reviewing the Prologue.

Okay, reading time now. :)



Chapter 2: Feelings

The noise was irritating. It was pounding in his ears, giving them no reprieve whatsoever.

He looked down at the bubbling liquid for a few moments, his chin in his hand, before handing it to a nearby drunk. "Here," he said offhandedly.

"T'anks, pal," the man hoarsely replied, and then proceeded to pour the whole thing over his mouth, the drink spilling around its corners and onto his beard. He watched the spectacle with something between amusement and indifference.

His brother let out a soft sigh, and shifted. "Brother..."

"Yeah, Al?"

"Why did you take that ale? You know you don't drink." There was a hint of accusation in his voice.

He focused on the dents and ridges on the wood of the counter, thinking. He wasn't quite sure about what he should say. It was subtle, but there was something about that girl that made him want to get... closer...to her. Not for any romantic pursuits, of course, but to...investigate.

But he needn't worry his brother just yet- though knowing him, he probably already was. He glanced at him once before pushing off from the stool and standing up.

"It's nothing to worry about, Al. Let's just get our lodgings for tonight, 'kay?" he said, walking towards the front doors.

Al scurried off his own stool and caught up to him, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Okay, Brother..."

He didn't sound convinced in the least.

But it didn't matter. That strange feeling was no more than a false notion.

Or so he hoped.


Winry had never felt like this before. This feeling of harsh warmth, burning tinges, a sinking feeling in her stomach...there was only one word to define it all.

Embarrassment.

"Didn't know you was the type ta get woozy over some boy, girl," a waiter laughed as he passed by.

"Yeah, didja see her? It was as if she couldn't resist his charm," another commented, taunting her. He peered at her closely, and she could smell his reeking breath. "You acted as if you ain't never seen a boy before in your life." She backed away.

"I-It's not like that..."

"Of course it's not!" the man crowed, ignoring her. "Didja see a vision of stars?"

"Did your heart sing?" another joined in.

"Did he make ya wanna-"

"All right, dat's enough!" the chef bellowed.

Everyone in the kitchen immediately fell silent.

"This ain't no time for picking at some foolish nonsense, there's still customers out there! Now get back ta work!"

Grudgingly, the waiters and cooks broke off from their teasing and slunk back into their routine. Winry sighed in relief, setting down her tray and heading towards the side doors.

"I have cleaning duty, sir," she called, and the chef grunted in acknowledgement.

As soon as she entered the cold emptiness of the halls, her thoughts went back to earlier.

She really was telling the truth when she said "It's not like that." Romance and love were things that she deemed she would never encounter in her life; she had accepted that a long time ago.

There was...something...that she felt as he looked at her, a weak nudge of sorts. Something that made her feel as if she should have expected something to happen...something that was hard to describe. Something that should have been terrifying, and yet did not scare her at all.

What was this weird sensation that she had felt as she gazed into that stranger's eyes, only to have her almost forget that sensation in the first place?

She came to a final, abrupt conclusion as she reached a rotting door at the end of the hall, opening it to take out an old mop and a dented bucket.

She hoped that she never saw him again.


"You two want lodgings for da night?" The question was spat out rudely as the man at the desk summed up the guests in front of him.

The boy's face twitched, but he kept himself composed. "Yes, sir."

The man's eyes hardened as he took in their appearances. "And...do ya 'ave any money ta pay? I don' give rooms fo' free, in case ya 'aven't noticed." His voice dripped with scorn.

He kept his face expressionless, but inside he wore a deep frown. He didn't like this man. He was fat, grubby, stuck up, and from his smell...he took a short sniff, and tried not to gag. The guy hadn't gone near a tub in weeks.

His breath weakly lifted his bangs as he exhaled. He dug a hand through his pockets and took out a small, cold lump.

He dangled it in front of that annoying prick's eyes, and couldn't hold back a smirk of satisfaction at the gasp that followed. "I don't know...does this convince you enough?" he asked, his smugness seeping though his smile.

The boss's tiny pupils were wide as saucers.

"You...you're a Hunter?"

"So am I, sir," Al inserted politely, showing him an object quite similar to his brother's.

Both of them were holding identical silver watches attached to chains of the same metal. On each of the watches was engraved the symbol of a five pointed star overlapped with a single tree branch.

Needless to say, the boss was astounded.

"B-but..." his voice came out in a harsh whisper as his eyes darted back and forth from one brother to the other. "Your age..."

The shorter one in front of him put his watch back in his pocket. "We're the Elric brothers," he stated simply, as if that fact alone would explain everything.

The boss's mouth stayed open for a few moments longer, but then he closed it and cleared his throat in an attempt to regain the normalcy of his gruff composure. "The Elric brothers...I see...da youngest Hunters to serve da country...are you da...younger brother?" he asked the smaller one.

He failed to register the boiling face until it was too late.

"No I'm NOT!" the young man yelled, his palms slamming heavily upon the boss's desk and frightening the poor man out of his wits. "Just WHO are you calling a SPECK OF DUST that CAN'T EVEN-"

"That's enough, Brother," Al interjected and pulled his sibling a few steps back.

His brother took a couple deep breaths to calm himself, then reversed back to his previous countenance.

"I'm Edward, the oldest. This is my younger brother, Alphonse."

"O-Oh...I see..." the boss stuttered wiping his sweaty brow with a dirty rag. His shaking hand reached for a nearby quill as he opened a journal and began searching through it. "You...you want a room fo' two, yes? I 'ave da perfect one..."

He suddenly stomped out of his chair and walked over to the door, peeking his head out. "GIRL!"

That shout made the brothers jump out of their skin and regard the man as though he were crazy.

The sound of running feet could then be heard, accompanied by a strange clacking. Both sounds were heading their way.

Before they knew it, there stood a girl with a mop and empty bucket held in one hand. The other hand covered her heaving chest as she sucked in breaths of air.

Recognition flashed in Edward's mind.

'Her...'

As if aware of his realization, she looked up and met his eyes with hers. Once again, he felt that faint buzzing pester his brain as a deep blue began to pore into him and flood his entire sense of sight.

She abruptly broke their connection, shaking her head roughly. The buzzing receded as her attention was diverted, but it still remained.

"You called, Mr. Boss?" she asked, her quiet voice a sharp contrast to the booming heard a few minutes before.

"Girl, take t'ese two to da fourth room on da third floor," the boss commanded. The girl started.

"Somet'in' wrong, girl?" the boss all but snarled.

Edward could see her throat moving as she swallowed.

"That room...you might not want to lodge anyone there," she stated, looking down.

"I don' care, girl, just take 'em there!" the man hollered. His gaze then shifted to the Hunters behind him, and his aura shifted drastically. "I mean..." He coughed, and his voice went almost sickeningly soft.

"Just take t'ese two to their room, okay...Winry?"

Her whole being went rigid at that one word, her hand loosening and dropping the mop and bucket as they fell to the floor with resounding clatters.

Within seconds, though, she bent over and picked them up, leading the brothers out the door with a "Follow me..."

Her reaction did not go by unnoticed.


Why?

Why was it that these things just had to happen to her? Why, why, why?

Without knowing it, she inhaled a soft, deep breath, releasing it through her nose. 'Just ignore them,' she thought, trying to ignore the peculiar tingling in her ears. Even though she had avoided his gaze, that...feeling still besieged her.

She made sharp turns at corners throughout the corridors as though in an attempt to lose them, but they managed to always keep at least a few steps behind. The mop and bucket clashed loudly with each step she took.

No word was spoken as they ascended the stone-carved stairs to the second floor, and none was spoken as they once more walked through hallways. Winry was beginning to think that she shouldn't have been so nervous after all.

But then...

"Hey."

That one word, spoken in such a demanding tone, was spoken by him. It was him out of the two that was trying to get her attention.

And that didn't please her in the least.

"Hey, you." There was a note of slight irritation in his voice, but Winry paid no heed. Instead she picked up the pace and walked faster. The clanging of the mop and bucket increased with her movements.

Tic-CLANG--Tic-CLANG--Tic-CLANG.

"Hey, don't you hear me talking to you?" Now he sounded very much aggravated.

"Brother," she heard the other chastise him, "don't do that. She probably isn't supposed to talk to guests."

A huff was heard, and once more there was silence- save for the clanks produced by the mop and bucket, the clomps made by their shoes on stone, and the patters that came from the impact her bare feet made with the cold floor.

The next approach was softer, yet more effective nonetheless.

"...Winry?"

Instantly she stopped in her tracks- which resulted in her nose colliding with the corner of the wall that she was turning past. She hissed and rubbed her nose to ease the throbbing, even though she knew that she was spreading dirt on it in the process.

"Hmph."

She turned her head and saw him standing there with his hands in his pockets and a small, cocky smirk. He widened his grin as she looked, showing his teeth.

"You're not used to anyone calling you that, are you...Winry."

This time she was somehow able to keep herself from jumping like a startled rabbit, which did good for whatever dignity she had left. She just stared at him, wondering.

And as she kept staring at him, she remembered. He was the reason that the cooks teased her so much in the kitchen today. He was the reason why she had to stop her work in a single moment, pouring out valuable water from a nearby window so that she could take her bucket with her. He was the reason why she had that weird feeling from the moment he first walked through that accursed door.

As all of these thoughts stumbled and crashed into each other, they began to combine together as part of a mixture. A simple, easy-to-prepare batter, which had the potential to make the perfect cake.

Anger.

Winry felt her brows deepen in a frown, and her tired, strong eyes glared at this person who dared to do such things to her. Her hand tightened around the cleaning utensils in her hand.

"I believe," she said in a low voice, though it wasn't hard to pinpoint the anger in her tone, "that it is none of your concern."

The one she addressed merely raised an eyebrow, as though mocking her.

"...Really, now?"

She said nothing, but whipped around and continued leading them to the next staircase. Footsteps again thudded behind her, and she gritted her teeth.

'The sooner I lead them to their room, the sooner I can be rid of them.'

But then she recalled an important fact, and her heart sank in disappointment.

"Brother, you're evil," she heard the other person behind say in a scolding tone. As they reached the steps that led to the third floor, one of their footsteps hurried toward her back.

"Um...excuse me, miss...Winry?" The question was not authoritative or bossy like the other one, but was rather more...courteous.

Winry faced the person right behind her. Though covered from head to toe in every piece of clothing imaginable, she found that in his eyes, there was much kindness and purity.

Unfortunately, looking at him increased the tingling in her ears as well, if not more so than when she looked at the other.

'Why are these two affecting me this way?'

His eyes crinkled in a friendly matter. "I'm sorry about that...my brother can act somewhat like an idiot sometimes."

"Hey!" said brother barked, a fist held out in front of him. "That was uncalled for Al!"

Al ignoring the outcry, still searched Winry's eyes for an answer as they both stood there. She twisted back around, her head facing the floor as a result of the sudden shyness that came from being apologized to.

"Whatever...it's okay..." she muttered, lifting her head and climbing up the staircase.

"See, Brother?" Al said. "No harm done."

His brother grumbled in reply.

Winry stopped at a large gray door, standing off to the side.

"You have the keys...right?" she asked them.

"I don't," said the brother. He looked at Al. "Do you have them?"

Al sighed. "Of course I do, Brother. After all, you were the one who left in such a hurry." He reached into his coat pocket and drew out a ring of two large silver keys in a mitten-covered palm. "You always like to rush into things."

His brother didn't answer. He was looking at the door as though in deep thought. Curious, Winry looked to see what had captivated his attention so much.

There, decorating the door, was a giant carving of a wolf.

The wolf was carved as majestic in every right. His huge head was thrown back in an impressive howl to his goddess, Moon. There was so much detail shown of the hairs on its body, the furriness of its ears, and the way its eyes squeezed shut during the howl that it almost seemed to breathe. Winry wouldn't have been surprised in the least if the carving was able to somehow ripple itself to life.

With something of a sad smile, he slowly reached out and placed a hand on the carving, his hand feeling the stony texture through the glove that covered it.

'Why do they have their hands covered?'

The moment was halted when Al came forward with the keys, gently pushing his brother aside. With a grunt, he pulled open the door.

For a second or two, all the brothers could do was stand there.

The room was quite large. Inside was an enormous couch facing a window that encompassed nearly all of the opposite wall. There was also a small lavatory and, if one could see past twenty feet, a bedroom containing two huge double beds. Other than that, there a couple of red velvet tapestries covering the wall, along with some curtains for the window. A bulky rug of bear fur concealed much of the stone ground, and a silver candelabra hung on the wall over a fireplace nearby. The room was simple, yet contained the things needed for a night's stay or two.

And it was covered in dust.

"Wha- Just what is that old man trying to pull?!" the shorter of the two shouted. His hand quickly clenched into a fist.

Winry stepped between them into the room. "It's...it's not his fault," she said, though she sort of wished that it was so. If Mr. Boss had felt that he had to say her name in front of these two, then that must mean that they held some form of power for him to act in such a manner. "Not many guests come here for lodgings- only a for cup of ale or two. The third floor is the one with the best rooms, but he forgot to order me or someone else to clean 'em after a while. But if he's trying to give you guys the best rooms," she said in a different tone, glancing at them, "then you must be very important."

The one who had reacted so strongly before now pulled back his fist and scratched at his head in a sheepish manner. Then his face blossomed into a dark, know-it-all grin.

"I believe," he said, "that it's none of your concern."

Winry's eyes widened, and she turned away to save herself further embarrassment. She then heaved a sigh.

"...I have to clean this room. I'll go fetch water and rags," she mumbled. She leaned the mop on a wall and hurried out, closing the door behind her.


Right after Winry left, Al turned to Edward. "Brother, why do you keep doing that to her?"

Edward looked at him in confusion. "Doing what?"

"I don't know, but...something. You keep messing with her and-" a sudden thought hit Al.

"If I didn't know any better, Brother, I'd say that you were flirting."

Edward choked on his spit right then and there.

"WHAT?! No, Al, it's not like that!"

"Oh really?" Al said with a laugh in his voice. "When we first laid eyes on her, you couldn't bear to look away. Now I get it." He waved a finger at the fuming Edward. "You only got that ale from her to get closer, didn't you?."

Edward stiffened, but managed to force his frustrations down his windpipe. "NO, Al," he said through gritted teeth.

He walked towards the window, from where they could see the river below.

"Didn't you sense...something?"

Al's eyebrows shot up, and he nodded his head. "Well...yeah- though it was very faint at first...and I don't know what it is. But I didn't want to worry you."

Both of them saw Winry head towards the river with the bucket in her hands.

"...Me too." Edward's eyes narrowed as they gazed at her hunched over the riverbank.

"There is something weird about that girl."


Winry bent near the river and drew water into the bucket. She stopped when she saw something gleam at the bottom of the shallows.

Leaning over ever so slightly, she picked it up.

It was a small silver coin, strong and sturdy. She turned it over again and again, feeling the cool wet metal between her fingers. She paused to look at the face of the coin once more.

All at once, the coin glowed.


A/N: Well, this chapter is done. (wipes brow) Whew!

Since I feel like blabbing today, I'll let you in on something that I thought funny:

As I was doing the final edits for this chapter earlier today, my tired, often sleep-deprived mind tricked my eyes into reading something that wasn't there.

"Edward stiffened, but managed to force his frustrations down his windpipe. 'NO, Al,' he said through gritted teeth.

He crip-walked towards the window, from where they could see the river below."

Get it? Crip-walked?! (Not sure if that is the exact spelling though...) Just one look at the image of Edward doing that and I strated to grin like crazy.

Well, that's enough talking.

Please review! They keep me motivated and lead to faster updates (most of the time...)! ;)