Time. It's one of the things that many people think they have more of, and think nothing about.
Alphonse sat there, waiting and thinking. Moments and seconds turning into minutes as he watched this… angel… of a girl. No, not an angel, a Doll. As her title implies she is a true doll, stoically preparing for her duty and adjusting herself to her surroundings.
He looked at his own hands, and recalled memories, painful and sharp from the war and from his own brother. The arms that had he had carried himself, garbed in nothing but a hollow metal shell. Seeing another human being, a stranger, and someone so talented who had been given such treatment, such abatement, it was something he never dealt with well.
When in his armored form, Alphonse hadn't spent more time than that of thinking of himself, what he would do to get his body back, to be "whole" again.
Violet tuned her arms with such precision, it amazed him. This young woman, no more than 15, was just as adept as Ed was. In fact, Ed was probably younger than her when they lost their bodies in the first place.
Al's shock finally started to subside and the emotions that welled up in him from such a torturous and complicated journey began to fade from his face, but not fast enough.
Violet's head, garbed in her golden hair, almost perfectly pulled back turned, to face him catching a single, solid tear starting to roll out of his eye. Al quickly reached and caught it, but not before she saw.
"Sir Alphonse?" she said quietly, flexing her fingers and looking down instantly. "Have I done something to upset you, sir?" continuing her statement and looking down at Al's clenched fists. She instantly began to get up from her chair when he waved her down again and with a hesitation, she remained in her chair. Clearly, he was upset, but why…. Was it her? What had she done? Was this instruction hard for him in some way?
Questions only mounted in her mind while Al thought, and took a few deep breaths and calmed himself.
"It's… been so long since the war." Al started, his voice little shaky but albeit there. He looked up slowly and smiled to her to try and reassure her.
"The… War?" Violet mimicked, looking down at her hands again.
"Yes, the destruction we saw on the way to Resembool? That is left over from the Civil War in Amestris."
"I lost my arms… in a war too." Violet stated, lifting her hands and extending the digits, curling them in the air and looking at them through the dim candlelight in the room.
Alphonse was caught even more off-guard by this statement than by anything else prior. The fact that she was the same age as them, Himself and Elric, and she had also been in the military at such a young age.
"Well, I try not to think about it too much, it's a very sad story but it did have a happy ending! We did… we did win. My brother was amazing, and even though I wasn't there through the entire final battle, he was able to win the final battle by himself." His recollection omitted the obvious parts of his gaped memory from the event, but none-the-less Ed was the true hero of Amestris.
Smiling, he looked to Violet who only sat and retracted her arms.
"War… hurts people." Violet finally said plainly and without hesitation.
"Yes, it certainly does." His response was quiet and tender, and Violet finally pricked a small smile from it. Even in recalling the horrors they had both faced, it felt… good. Good to be able to connect with others, even if that connection was over something so painful. To come together, and understand.
Neither said it, but both felt the same. A quiet, but oddly familiar and peaceful calm fell over both of them and it seemed to truly break some of the tension between them.
"I… I wanted to understand what love is. I wanted to know, what feelings were. That's why I took up being an Auto-Memories Doll." Violet stretched her silvery fingers out and laid them gently upon the typewriter, turning back to it and straightening herself out.
"Well, maybe we should teach you how to read our language, shouldn't we?" Alphonse said, a small perk in his voice from the previous topic and thankful for the break to a new subject at the moment.
Violet nodded, and for hours Alphonse helped her through translating languages. Finding that the spoken language was so similar to that of her native country, it made it very easy to convert the written language as well. She did struggle a lot with some of the written verbiage and conjugations however after a whole night's worth of practice, Violet had begun to grasp a firm understanding of the written language in Amestris.
Alphonse was truly impressed. He didn't honestly expect that he would be any help but seeing her sheer dedication and talent for writing, it wasn't much of a surprise that she was able to pick this up with such speed and quality as she had performed.
Al took a few moments, late in the night to watch her hands move and to watch her speed and grace at the skill she took as a typist. Her fingers moved at a mesmerizingly beautiful speed, blurring almost as the keys were struck and the loud clicking of the machine met with the pads of her artificial fingers, then the thrust of the keys downward. Every stroke was beautifully choreographed to his eyes like a conductor of a symphony.
The only time he'd ever seen anyone do anything so dutifully and with such skill, were Winry and Ed. Winry's sheer mastery over the skill in her Auto-mail creation and Ed's skill with his Alchemy. Her motions were so deliberate, and with such fascinating precision that he couldn't even begin to believe he'd seen it done if he wasn't the one teaching her, sitting right there next to her.
Lifting the paper from the roll after she typed a few lines of practice text, she handed it to Alphonse, both hands clutching it, handing it over formally as she always had been taught. Her manners towards her craft were always precise and without flaw, even if she made mistakes.
Al examined the work, using a pencil to mark a few errors, but mostly they were inane grammatical errors. Her spelling, and beyond that the sentence structure was beautifully composed. Handing it back with the edits she took it and instantly set about correcting the errors and retyping the passage that was there again.
Alphonse had pulled one of his old journals out from storage, and was having her practice by transcribing his old Alchemical journal from when He and Ed were teaching themselves how to practice Alchemy. They wrote everything they did down, and he found it almost poetic that she was learning to write using his own notes they used to learn alchemy with.
This continued through the rest of the night, until the crack of dawn where the sun just barely began to breach the treetops on the eastern hills and shine down onto the house. Pained in their eyes from being up all night, they finally conceded to rest, Al simply passing out on the chair in place, still holding one of his journals in his hand and crossing his chest with it. Violet, after finishing the most recent paper looked at Al, who had begun to slump over and she corrected his posture in the chair, and grabbing a blanket, covered him with it.
The air wasn't entirely chilled, but it would be slightly more comfortable for him if he were at least covered.
Violet walked to the edge of the room, peering out of a small window and over the hilltop where they had gone the day before. The hill was illuminated beautifully, and the stones marking Van Hohenheim and Trisha were well illuminated, casting an eerie shadow over the rest of the valley where the town graveyard laid.
She reached for her brooch again, clutching it in her fingers and holding it tight to her chest, memories of Major Gilbert yet again flooding her head as she smiled. Her dedication to her work, her craft had come from that man. He had been the one who had insisted that she know how to read and write in the first place, and made her write her daily reports. Every day, scribbling every detail down, simply just to make her practice and get better. His criticism was usually calm and very direct as well, similar to how Al taught.
Violet knew this was something of a natural talent, and she was glad that it would give her something to work with, no matter where she went or how far she traveled. Her skills were very malleable and she could make herself useful no matter where she wound up or how far she travelled. She started to take some level of unique pride in this.
"I'm… I found a way to be useful." She said out the window, directing her attention to the graveyard but… picturing in her mind the dutiful pose of her dear Major Gilbert.
For a moment, she thought she could even see a figure, standing in a lighted Silhouette atop the graveyard hill, and her memories shifted again to his face, his smile. The Major was kind, and she knew in her heart that where she was, what she was doing. He would be proud.
She knew that to be true in her heart.
Quickly walking to a bench and seating herself, she curled up and rested, getting some time to relax and adjust herself to a comfortable pose while she awaited Al's return from sleep.
Almost as Violet had begun to sleep, drifting off and resting from her long night aside Al and typing the night away, Pinako came down from her room. Looking at the two young kids, worn out from their all-night session, she walked over and picked up the papers. Looking down at Alphonse, and then over at Violet, curled on the bench, she could only smile and be proud.
"Hohenheim, you really should have been here to see what your sons are up to." She smiled and took a few good puffs of her trademark pipe. The papers on the table littered everything, spilling over to the floor, scattered around the table and most of the rug under it as well. Even as Pinako picked up some of the papers more lay beneath them. This girl had typed and typed the night away, and made much progress.
Pinako traced along the edges and sides of the paper, and lay them down again for the kids.
"They always insist on working themselves to death, these Elrics."
Pinako admired them greatly, and as she stepped toward the kitchen she couldn't help but look at Al one more time and see traces of her dear friend in him. The vibrant life that Ed and Al constantly gave off was more than anyone could have ever asked for.
Hours passed. As Violet and Ed slept away most of the morning, Violet was finally the first to wake. Stretching her legs and looking back out at the hillside from her position, she could tell it was already beginning to be late in the day. Alphonse, still resting and laying back in his chair was propped up still under the blanket she had placed over him earlier in the morning.
Standing up was little difficult, the position she had slept in left an odd pain in her leg but it would soon pass with some mobility.
"Oh, so you're finally awake Miss?" Pinako called out from the kitchen, watching her rise and stretch.
"Yes Ma'am, I have awoken." Violet replied, walking to her and passing the oddly comfortably seated Alphonse.
Pinako worked at the kitchen table, making some small bits of sandwich for herself and the guests in her home. Her lips, still clutching the pipe securely as she worked quickly to finish the food for them.
"It's already late evening, where exactly were you planning to head out to?" Pinako asked, handing her a piece of sandwich on a plate she had next to the serving tray.
"I'm not exactly sure, but I believe we were to go to Rush Valley Tomorrow? That location is on the way going to… Dublith?" Violet said the names but couldn't be entirely sure. Having only seen a map very briefly she wasn't confident in her retelling of the information.
Pinako nodded softly and looked to Alphonse and then to her arms, noticing for the first time their construction. Instantly, her attention focused like that of Winry's, childlike and amazed.
"Would it be ok if I examined your arms?" she asked quickly, walking to Violets side. From her perspective of experience, Pinako was amazed by the quality and craftsmanship of the arms she had been gifted with. Violet lifted her arms for the examination, letting Pinako drift over, tapping on the metallic shield gauntlets that covered and guarded her precious inner workings.
"This was done back in your homeland?" Pinako finally muttered, turning the arm over and examining the delicate scrollwork on the arms plating itself.
"Yes, they were given to me following a battle in which I lost both of my arms, and Major Gilbert." Her voice was hollow, and distant from this place. Pinako instantly knew that the girl was talking from a place of deep sorrow and turned her arm over quickly, returning it to her control without further inspection.
"These are quite amazing quality, the Armor smith who made these for you must be quite the talented surgeon and mechanic." Pinako praised, quickly turning and biting her sandwich with her back turned to Violet.
"In truth, I have never met the man or woman who performed the surgery. I am still confused as to why the military had kept his name from me, but I trust it was for a good reason." Violet stated quietly as she quickly pulled the gloves she carried back over her hands and her sleeves to meet them and cover her arms as quickly as she could. She had finally had enough of people staring and observing her arms for this day and wished to keep others from prying for a time.
"The military hmm…?" Pinako grumbled as she swallowed a piece of her sandwich. "Don't tell me, you were a child soldier in the Military and used like a Dog too?" Pinako's words were painful to hear, and Violet's heart sank slightly when the bitterness flowed from her lips.
"Yes, I was, a Dog of the Military." Those words, they hurt immensely now. Obviously, these people, they had their reasons to mistrust the military but the fact that she heard those same words, over and over made her uncomfortable.
'Why did the Captain curse me with such a title?' Violet pondered this to herself and recoiled a step or two from Pinako and placed the table between them.
"The military, took much from Resembool. There is quite a bit of anger towards the Military both here, and abroad across Amestris because of what has happened. When the conspiracy involving King Furher Bradley became widely known, many people have mistrusted the Military. They took many lives, of those we love, and did unspeakable things. I lost… my only child, and Winry's Parents to the Civil War that eventually scarred this land for many years to come. You'll find that many on your journey here are as I am, and more so, angered with the Military for how much pain has been wrought recently."
Violet saw the pain, and the anger in Pinako's words. Not truly understanding the meaning of what she was saying but effectively seeing the pain that this grandmother was in affected her greatly. Not even 1 year ago, Violet's ability to sense such deeply held anger and emotion was limited to the point that she would miss it. Now, the anger and pain coming from every word Pinako said, they grafted themselves in Violet's mind.
"The Military, truly is a dangerous thing." Violet said and surprisingly, Pinako seemed to calm. The elderly woman's heart stricken with the pain of loss, and from having to raise the Elrics showed heavy as a solid chip on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry young lady, you shouldn't have to see that side of people, of strangers you have come to be of service to." Pinako finally admitted, turning and bowing slightly. "Please accept a humble old lady's apologies for troubling you so."
Violet nodded and quietly curtsied in return, not knowing really what to do, it seemed the most appropriate.
"It's truly a difficult burden to bear, I don't wish to cause anyone here any pain…" Violet said, and turned away from the table, looking to Ed.
"Well, maybe your presence alone, can help them express the feelings they haven't been able to say themselves." Pinako pointed out, her wise words returning in sharp contrast to the vitriol and hatred she had just been spouting out.
"Who… Alphonse?" Violet questioned, turning to Pinako yet again.
"No, Amestris as a country. Someone with your talent and ear may be exactly what someone here needs. You'll find your way, I can be certain of it." Pinako worked to reassure and calm violet, smiling as she spoke of the citizens and troubled souls that lived across the country. In that much, there was plenty of truth, and many who still needed some form of healing.
Violet's mind wandered back into the room and her eyes followed, locking sight on the typewriter that was still perched on the desk and firmly flanked with several stacks of paper and books.
"Would you mind… If I borrowed your" Violet started to ask before Pinako cut her off, enthusiastically at that.
"You may help yourself to it, and keep it as a reminder of what you are here to do. I have no use for that old thing, it's just going to sit here and rust until I die if I keep it here. Take it, and use it to do some good in this world.
Violet nodded and a smile struck her face, giving her some level of pride that she would be able to help someone, and by doing her job change someone's path.
"Is there anything I can do for you in return?" Violet asked.
"Well, I'm a simple old woman, I don't need many things but… I can think of one thing…" Pinako stated.
Several more hours later, Alphonse finally awoke, stretching and groaning in his chair. Looking at the table, he watched for a few seconds before saying anything as Violet was packing up the typewriter. Quickly, Violet picked up a small letter and slipped it in the bag as well, sealing the machine in its new home and carrying pouch, along with some extra paper.
"I guess that Granny gave you the typewriter?" Alphonse asked, yawning loudly and sitting forward on the chair.
"Yes Sir." She replied, and a smirk flicked upon her face as she finished sealing the bag quickly.
Alphonse looked out the window and back at the clock on the wall. 3pm, and daylight was still bright outside.
"It looks like it's almost time for us to head back to the train station and catch the night train to Rush Valley." Alphonse stated, his arms pushing on his knees to lift himself up and bouncing up to his full height.
"Yes, and then we should be there by morning." Violet stated, confident in her new journey's direction.
Alphonse nodded and headed upstairs, quickly maneuvering away from Violet for a few moments and returning with his own bag, shouldering it quickly and stretching the strap over his body. Seemingly already prepared, Violet walked to the door, standing beside it and waiting for Al to come with her.
"Leaving already Al? And not even staying to say goodbye this time?" Pinako chirped out, coming out of her workshop.
"Aww you know I wouldn't ever do anything like that Granny! Honest!" Al grinned wide and Pinako returned the mild facial gesture. Waving her pipe at him and in a quiet tone she reminded Alphonse "Don't forget to stop and say hello to Winry, she hasn't seen you in nearly a year now. It would be good to make time to see her, she misses you both greatly!"
"Of course, I wouldn't ever dream of not visiting when I had the chance!" He responded and threw his hands behind his head.
"Bye granny!" Al said, walking out the door after a few more words from Pinako that Violet couldn't overhear.
Turning herself, Violet bowed and stood before Pinako. "It was very nice to have met you, Ma'am".
Wordlessly, Pinako returned the parting and Violet walked from the doorway and closed it on her. Slowly a few tears came to Pinako's eyes, smiling for the first time in her lonesome in a long time. It was very good to see Al finally back to his old self. For many years it was hard, but his spirit had not yet returned. In time, maybe this new journey will be good for him, not just to escort the young Auto-Memories Doll but for his own mental health, and to start recovering from the horrors they had been subjected to through the years of hardship and the war they got dragged into.
Violet shut the door behind her slowly, grateful and elated to have met Pinako, she stepped away from the house, following Alphonse closely to the Train station. Unlike last time where they had stopped and talked along the way, this walk was different. In a way, it felt even somewhat somber.
Violet only spoke one time, asking if they would be allowed to stop and get something to eat on the way to Rush Valley, and Al replied that there would be a food car on the truck that would allow them to buy food and eat on the way. But aside from that, the stroll from the Auto-Mail Shop to the Train station was wordless, and peaceful.
Alphonse let his mind wander, thinking back to his times with Ed and the memories of the conflict they both shared. He remembered his brother so fondly, yet at the same time, there was something in his heart that still went unspoken. He hadn't ever said anything regarding the end of the war, and being released from the Gate of Truth. To be honest, Al hadn't even given it much more than even the slightest thought for almost a year, but the regret of not saying anything, it was beginning to eat at him.
Ed's journey of course wasn't over, and they were still close as ever as brothers, but the undying wish in Alphonse's mind was to find a way to pay his brother back for restoring his mind and body to the same vessel. Even after everything, Al still harbored the pain and resentment towards his brother following his encapsulation as a mere suit of armor, and his entrapment in such a cage. His salvation came as a direct result, and he still hated himself for ever doubting Ed. The memories flowing back to the fight at Warehouse 5, and the Butcher all still nagged at him, and he pinched himself on the hand.
He just had to be sure.
Sure, that this wasn't just a dream.
Sure, that this was really his body and no one else's.
Violet watched this action with great confusion and tilted her head. Choosing to say nothing, he did it several more times as they walked.
The train station however, came much quicker than when they left it yesterday, and just as they were walking to the pad the train pulled up and started accepting passengers to the overnight train to Rush Valley.
The train only had a few people on it, and was very roomy compared to the other train they had taken to get to Resembool the first time. The elegant designs of the fixtures were clearly made to show off a bit more class and luxury than a normal compartment, and the added features like extra cloth on the armrests made the entire car stand out from how Violet was used to travelling. In fact, she had only ever been on one other train of this quality, and she remembered boarding the train heading to the summit, when she lost her first pair of metallic arms.
Al lifted his bag and put it in the train's carry rack, and reached his hand out to Violets and gently grabbed the handle for her. Still in a trance over the beauty of the train car, Al was able to gently lift it from her grasp and put it overhead while she walked around the car, examining it.
Violet's eye drew close to an embellishment, a small green jewel embedded in the wall. Shining brilliantly, she compared it to her brooch, touching it and the wall jewel at the same time. They looked so similar, so striking it was hard to believe she wasn't looking into a mirror.
"These Jewels, are they common in your country?" She asked, turning to Al who simply shrugged.
From behind her, a Train Conductor walked up and astutely heard her question.
"Why I wish they were, this one is simply glass." She recoiled, looking at her own brooch and wondering quietly to herself.
"My, but it looks like the gem you wear is quite the real deal. You're never going to see that kind of sparkle from a glass jewel!" He praised the gem and its beauty while she blushed ever so slightly. No one had… ever complimented the brooch like that.
"T-T-Thank you, Sir!" She exclaimed, bowing slightly for him.
"Not a problem dear, but, can I see your train pass Ma'am?" He asked, and Violet turned to Al, not what he had asked for.
"It's no problem Conductor, she's on the train as my guest." He held out two tickets, with a prominent Amestrian Military Stamp atop the slip that the Conductor examined to his satisfaction.
"My apologies Ma'am, I do hope you enjoy the trip." He said, his gentle demeanor being replaced with a bit of sourness, and his tongue lashing lightly as he breezed by and down through to the next car.
Violet couldn't understand what she'd done wrong, looking down at the brooch she carried and wondering if… was it jealously? Or was he simply upset. Her blue eyes, sparkling just as much as the emerald brooch with a hint of pain in her looked to Alphonse for any answers he may have.
Al did know, but he didn't say immediately, patting the seat in front of him and sitting himself in their seats. As she did, the conductor hurried by, brushing against her shoulder and dashing off into the next car ahead heading for the Engine.
"Sir Alphonse, I…" She started, her pain clear now from her expressions.
"Don't call me Sir, please. Just Al, remember I wasn't ever in the military. That was just my brother." He reminded her, tucking the tickets away in the pocket of his jacket he was wearing.
"Al…" She said again and he waved his hand, a bit cross.
"Don't worry about it, he was just put off by the ticket I showed him. It's got the Military's Seal on it, and he obviously doesn't like the Military." Al spat, the same kind of distaste she saw earlier from Pinako, yet much less pronounced. Even Al seemed to be pained by the Military and his experiences working with them and his brother Ed.
"Al, why don't they understand how it is this country has come to the state that it is in? If everyone mistrusts the very Government…" She cut herself off, thinking about how poor the relations in her own country were and how similar they now appeared side by side. The pain and anguish experienced by those who had lost family, friends, neighbors and other relatives. Both countries suffer greatly from the pain of that loss and it was widespread.
Al just sighed and laid back, putting his head to the cushion.
Violet copied him, letting off a similar huff of apparent mis-content. Al opened an eye and grinned as she did it, and she copied him.
"Ed… he sounds like a great person." She said, and Al only smiled more.
"He is, and he's the only family I have left aside from Winry and Pinako. They practically raised us after… after our mother died."
Violet knew that this hurt him to say but he remained smiling, almost accepting of his situation and that of his own mother.
"Have you… ever considered telling him how you feel?" Violet said quietly, hoping she wasn't over-reaching her bounds.
Al opened both eyes and looked at her with a curious contentment in her statement. Something in that made him think long and hard about what she had suggested and he had concluded that he still hadn't ever brought up the Promised Day and its events that followed with his brother.
"No, not really. Ed and I, we kinda just have… you know… this… unspoken Brotherhood…" He tried to explain, but knew that he was only lying through his teeth and that he didn't have a true answer to her question. Violet's inquiry hit him squarely in the heart and he had to admit that, no, he hadn't tried to make amends with Ed and that this unspoken pain between them still existed. Al just never knew how to put the words together and present them to Ed.
He was no more qualified to tell Ed how he felt than anyone else.
Anyone in the world.
Except…
Violet?
Al's head started to spin for a moment and they he looked at her crystalline blue eyes with a sincere request in mind.
"Violet, do you think…" He asked, with a smile on his face.
"I would love to render my assistance to you, Alphonse Elric." Violet replied.
OOC: Thank you to everyone who has Favorited and Reviewed this new endeavor of mine. I'm writing this when I am currently feeling a bit ill but it gave me some time to really think about how I wanted this to play forward. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and Favorited, I'll begin including in each new chapter anyone who reviews and favorites as of the previous addition to this story. I write this for you to enjoy, and for me to write out my love of these series and express myself.
Thank you all so much for the love, and look forward to seeing you more!
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