Two Paths to Choose From


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Place:Rockbell Automail, Resembool, Amestris

Date: June 23, 1936

Time: 2:19pm

Winry worked quietly as she cleaned the kitchen. Sense that day eight days ago, the little world she and the rest of her family had been living in had shattered. She had watched her children and nephew struggle to stay alive. They were all physically stable now, but as for their state of mind – no one but they new themselves.

As Winry picked up another dish and began to soap it Mei walked in.

"Gene's awake." she reported somberly. "He asked me for a cup of water."

Winry nodded and stepped aside so that Mei could get at the tap. It was then that a soft knock was herd at the door. The two dogs, Dan and Nee began to bark.

"I have to go give this to my son." Mei motioned toward the glass of water and headed out down the hall.

"I'll get it." called Granny Pinako from the living room. "Dan, Nee stop barking at our guests." she firmly scolded the black and white dogs who quickly complied to her command. With a slight grunt, the ninety-four year old automail engineer opened the door. There stood two people. On the right was a good looking man about 37 years old with an old wooden cane grasped tightly in one of his hands. He had spiky chocolate colored hair and wore a messy white shirt, brown work pants and boots. His companion was a young boy - tall and lanky– about the same age as her great-grandchildren. His hair was blood red, and over where his left lime green eye should have been was a large black eye-patch. Despite this, he still retained a child-like cuteness and innocence. In his arms he was carrying a large parcel.

"Oh. Hello Mr. Goonybird, Douglas. How are you too? Come in won't you?"

"Don't mind if I do." smiled the man.

Mr. Goonybird limped inside of the house, heavily leaning onto his cane.

"Your body is giving you a hard time again I see." His elder noted apologetically.

"Aw, so it's even noticeable to an old lady like yourself."

"I'm not that old." The completely white haired woman frowned.

Mr. Goonybird just smiled. "How right you are Ms. Rockbell. Your the spitting image of youth."

"Thank you old man. But I'm afraid flattery won't get you very far with me."

"How right you are!" He laughed, then regaining his composure he added, " On a different note, I'd like to apologize for not coming by sooner when I heard of what happened to the children from Doug. We came to see how they are feeling, and I brought some things for them that I hope might cheer them up."

"Granny," called Winry from the kitchen. "Who is there?"

"It's our neighbors Goonybird and Douglas." She retorted.

Winry wiped her hands dry and hurried over to say hello.

"Hello there." Winry greeted as politely as she could. "What brings you here?"

"Well," Mr Goonybird began to reexplain to the attractive blond mother about his age. "We came to see if we could cheer up the little rascals. We even brought over a few gifts. Is that all right with you ma'am?"

Winry thought for a second as to whether or not to accept the man's request. She could see in his eyes that he was truly sincere and worried about his apprentice's dear friends.

"Alright." she nodded. "They're all in the boys bedroom upstairs."

The man nodded his head politely in thanks and motioned for the little red head beside him to follow him up the stairs. Winry offered to help him, but with a heavy grunt he refused. Wearily, the two women watched from the bottom of the stair case until the lame man heaved himself up the last step. Goonybird leaned against a nearby wall for merely a second as he caught his winded breathe.

"Knock knock." the brunette voiced as he did the action on the bedroom door. He waited a second. No answer.

"Alright, I'm coming in then." he warned – opening the door. Douglas squeezed past him and into the room. Placing the parcel on top of a dresser. In the room, there were two beds across from two windows on the outside wall. On one bed was Gene. He was tucked under the sheets with a bucket sitting at the head of the bed as well as his mother. The other was where Ellis lay flat on her back, staring blankly up at the ceiling. Finally, standing idly in front of an open window was Gilbert – a noticeably empty short sleeve dangled from his t-shirt. The room had a depressing, hopeless aura in it, more so than the rest of the house.

"Oh, hello Mr. Goonybird."

"Hello madam. This is a surprise to say the least." He said shocked after seeing the state the children's bodies where in. "I had heard from Douglas what happened, but I didn't think it would be this bad."

The young Xingese woman looked at him, her eyes full of pain and sorrow. He knew those eyes, they were the eyes of someone who felt as though they had failed everything and everyone they loved. Winry's eyes had been like that too when he thought about it.

"Mrs. Elric," he asked politely. "Is it alright if I talk to them by myself for a little bit. I promise I'll call for you immediately if something happens."

The tired woman hesitated, but realizing that he was doing this as a favor to allow hr some her a rest the woman nodded, got up and left.

"I see Erix and Ming aren't here." The man noted. "Douglas," he asked turning to his young comrade. "Why don't you grab their presents out of the box and take it to them. I'm sure he would really like it. The twelve year old nodded, somewhat glad to leave the depressing area. With one more quick glance at the figure of Ellis laying helplessly on the bed, the boy ran out with the smaller boxes he had pulled out of the parcel and ran out the door.

"Now then, let's see what we have here." The 37 year old mumbled as he rummaged through the larger box.

"I've brought gifts for all of you too. Let's see, Gene you like to color right? Well, here's a coloring book filled with animals and some brand new crayons." The man limped over to the boy's bed and handed him the two things.

"Thank you." the little boy said monotone.

"And I've got a new kick ball for Gil," he continued rolling it over to the boy's feet. "And last but not least Ellis. You're such a lovely little girl –that I thought you should have a doll that should reflect your own beauty."

Ellis watched unfeelingly as the man carefully pulled out a small 20cm porcelain doll. She, like Ellis had long blonde hair tied back in pigtails. Her eyes however were blue and she was wearing a baby blue, frilly dress. Ellis sat up and received the present with her one arm that was still attached to her body. She sat there staring at it in silence for a long time, emotionless. At last the girl sighed sadly and placing it down next to her ever so gently and laid back down.

'Your wrong Mr. Gooneybird," almost whispered Ellis. "I'm a very ugly girl – especially now. It's ok though. Having my arm and leg ripped off my body is a light price for what I-I did."

Goonybird was about to prepare an attempt to console her when she cried out:

"Oh Dad! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to – to make you suffer that all over again!"

Mr Goonybird blinked, confused. "That?"

Gilbert turned coldly from his window to stare straight into the adults eyes.

"We couldn't do a complete transmutation and so, when we brought – we brought dad back – he was deformed – unhuman – and died quickly."

Now all three children were sobbing. Gil returned to his window, and Goonybird sat quietly until they had finished.

"You know," he smiled catching Gene's attention somewhat. "Did I ever tell you that I had an older brother? His name was Rodney. We were the best of pals even though age wise we were four years apart from one another. We both had the same dream - we both wanted to fly. When I was 19 and he was about 23 we built our first two man glider. We wanted to surprise everyone with our new invention by soaring over our home town and landing in the middle of town square. The crowds would cheer our names and we would be heroes. Well, we surprised everyone all right, not the way we had planned to though. Not even half a minute after we had gotten up into the air our glider's sail ripped in two, sending us plummeting back down to earth. The next thing I new I was laying in a hospital bed with a doctor telling me I shouldn't even be alive right now, I would never walk again and I would have speech problems my entire life as well as other problems, and that my older brother was dead. Even the best intentions can lead to disaster I suppose. He had cracked his head open as well as broken his neck you see." At this point of the story Goonybird's voice began to break and a small tear ran down his face unnoticed by the others in the room.

"After that I gave up hope for a while. I remember wishing that I had died in that wreck too. I also blamed myself for what happened. I thought if only I had done this and that differently – I still do sometimes. However after a while I realized some things. I realized that what happened couldn't be undone and that if I had died instead of Rodney he would have felt the same as me. I also realized that I was alive and it was a good thing. Dead people can't do anything to help others or make the world a better place so things like that don't happen to others. Plus, if that idiotic strong headed brother of mine could see the pathetic state I was in he'd shoot me! No, I was alive and I had two choices. I could either stay were I was at - wallowing in self pity or stand up and take a chance. I believed there was a chance in my heart of becoming whole again so I decided to move forward no matter what it took. True, I never did gain complete mobility again, but I've already beaten the odds people put before me ten times over. Now I'm working on completing what my brother and I started out to do. You three are at that same crossroad as I was back then." He told them. Then sternly asked, "Well, are you going to sit in here wallowing in your own self pity or stand up and take action? If you believe there is a way to restore your bodies then you should go after it. Even if you'll have to go through hell to get there. I know I did."

It was at this moment that Winry walked into the room. Charles Goonybird looked up a bit surprised and embarrassed.

"How – how long have you been standing there ma'am?"

"For a while. Sense you said you and your brother built a glider together."

The man face palmed himself, "Oh man," he laughed, "This is embarrassing!"

"Sorry." she apologized, "but if it's still story hour I too have one to tell."

"I'll go then," suggested Goonybird beginning to slowly get up.

"You can stay Mr Goonybird, as long as you promise to never discus what I'm about to say with anybody else."

The two adults looked at each other seriously in the eyes, quietly he agreed to do so. Winry sat in the chair next to Gene's bed before proceeding with her tail.

"Ellis, Gil, when your father was about your age, he and Uncle Al preformed Human Transmutation." With that all eyes were now upon her.

"Their mother had died when they were little and all they ever wanted was to see her smile again, so they attempted to bring her back to life. They failed however, and there was a rebound. Your father lost his leg and Uncle Al lost his entire body."

"What?" weekly exclaimed Gene. "My Papa had a body!"

"To save him," Winry continued ignoring the boy's protest. "Ed – Daddy used his right arm as material to bind Al's body to a suit of armor. Those two idiots literally went through hell in order to get each others bodies back to how they once were - Ed even became a State Alchemist so he could have access to the military's library. They never gave up hope no matter how bad things got though, and they did succeed. At first they wanted to find the legendary Philosopher's Stone to rebuild their bodies. However after much research they figured out that in order to make a Philosopher's Stone one must sacrifice human life. Ed and Al wouldn't do that – it was and still is very wrong. So they swore to find a different way."

"How did they do it then?" Asked Goonybird curiously, beating Ellis to it.

"I don't know exactly what they did to be honest, but it caused Edward to loose his ability to do alchemy."

"So that's why Dad never used alchemy." Gil mumbled to himself.

Winry nodded, "Yes, that's right."

The blonde mother got up from her seat next to Gene and carefully carried him over to Ellis's bed. Curious, Gil came over and sat down next to where his mother was now cradling her daughter and nephew.

"Mom?"

"Ellis, Gl, Gene," she started softly. "There is one more very important thing I must tell you."

"What's that?"

"I over heard what you said Ellis – to Mr Goonybird about – killing your father a second time."

Ellis looked up at her mother, searching her big deep blue eyes for what she was trying to convey to them.

"That thing wasn't your father – no creature that is transmuted is ever human. That thing – according to Ed's theories was the beginnings of a homunculus. An artificial human made of other humans' souls."

"What!" Ellis and the rest gasped as the truth slowly sunk into their brains.

"Mom," voiced Gilbert from where he stood still by the window. "Why didn't you tell us this before?"

Winry began to tear up. Regret swelling up inside of her. "I-I thought I had made sure to make it clear to you that people don't come back from the dead. I figured that that would be enough for you to know for now because your only babies and the things that had happened to your father and uncle were too horrific for you to understand. But now I know I was wrong. I failed you I'm..." Winry burst into tears, unable to finish her last sentence.

The others in the room sat in an uncomfortable silence until the woman was done.

"I better get going," declared the man, getting up and wobbling over to the door. Winry wiped away the last of her tears and volunteered to escort him to the door.

"Auntie Winry," called Gene, "Does my mama feel that way too?"

The blond woman nodded then left the room with the brunette man.

Place:The river, Resembool, Amestris

Date: June 23, 1936

Time: 3:21 pm

"There you are!" exclaimed Douglas after he had caught his breath. After giving Ming her present - a stuffed bear - he had not been able to find Erix in any of his usual hiding places. Doug had searched seemingly every nook and cranny in Resembool until at last he had found him. Erix lay on his back his arms up behind his head as he stared up at the soft white clouds that dotted the blue sky overhead and listened to the sound of the fast running river not five feet away from him.

"Sup?" He greeted his winded friend.

"Your always in the last place I look aren't you?" laughed the red head.

"Isn't everything?" mused the other boy.

Douglas smiled and plopped down next to him. "Here," he said handing his friend a small package.

A bit weary, Erix cautiously accepted his friends gift and began to open it. Inside was a something that reminded Erix of a pocket watch.

"What is this?"

"It's a compass idiot." laughed Douglas.

"I know that but why?"

"So you don't get lost."

"I already have one though."

"You said it was broken."

"No I didn't."

"Yes you did."

"No I didn't!" he snapped, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a similar trinket, that was a bit bigger and rather rusty.

"Look see it works fine, it's not..." Erix ate his own words however because on further inspection both boys could plainly see that it was busted.

"Oh, I suppose it is broken after all." Erix apologized, "Thanks for the new one man."

"Not a problem. What are friends for."

The two boys sat there for a little while until at last it was Douglas who broke the silence.

"You know, they look a lot better than before. It was really scary seeing them like that – all covered in blood... They still seem to be in really bad shape. How bout you? You doing OK?"

Erix glared fiercely at the other boy.

"Of course, why shouldn't I be?"

"Because three people in your family almost died in one night?"

"Well they didn't so buzz off cyclops. What are you my mother?"

Erix then squealed in pain as Doug punched him right in the face, nearly breaking his glasses.

"What the hell!" he hollered getting up to his feet before the enraged red head could hit him again.

"Don't call me that ass-hole!"

"Ass-hole? You little one-eyed geek get over here so I can kick your butt!"

"Not if I kick yours first, four eyes!" exclaimed Doug as he tackled the dirty blond to the ground. The two boys fought and wrestled one another for some time. So long in fact that when they finally collapsed onto the soft green summer grass from exhaustion it took them a while to remember why they had even been beating the snot out of one another.

"So, you really are okay now, even after all that happened?" Doug questioned somewhat amazed.

"Yeah." the other whispered as he wiped a little bit of blood from under his nose onto his hand.

"What about you?"

Douglas sighed. "I'll be okay I guess. I just wish that somehow I had figured out what they had been trying to do all this time, then maybe things would have turned out differently you know?"

Now it was Erix's turn to sigh as he nodded his head in agreement. "When I look into their eyes, especially Ellis's eyes they look so defeated."

"Really? That's what you see?" He asked truly surprised by his friend. "No. There was fire in those eyes."

Douglas was about to say something else when suddenly both boys' stomachs simultaneously growled at them for food.

"Ha ha," Erix laughed, "Your stomach sounds like a cat stuck in a trash can!"

"Your stomach growl sounds pretty weird too genius," guffawed the other. "Let's go eat something."


Woohoo! Yeah Chapter 4! I hope everybody had a good Thanksgiving yesterday and found some good bargains today. I'm so siked about this I could explode! Oh, I think I've finally found my favorite writing style! Anyway I have a few questions for you guys that I hope someone will bother to answer because it may make this story even better.

Questions From The Author To YOU.

1. Who is your favorite character at the moment and why?

2. Who is your least favorite character at the moment and why?

3. What is your favorite part of the story so far?

4. Are you able to understand what is going on in the story? If not why?

5. What do you think needs improvement in this story, and why?


Fun Talk

Douglas- Yesh! I am not a total looser in this chapter!

Erix- Yeah, but you are an ass. Hitting a guy wearing glasses. That's low man. Besides, I beat the crap out of you so that kind of does make you look bad.

Doug- Um, if I recall you had just as many bruises as I did, PLUS a nose bleed. Yeah, you really did a number on me.

Erix- Shut up cyclops!

Doug- Four eyes!

Erix punches Doug in the chest. Doug punches back. Erix jumps Doug and the two boys begin to wrestle with one another.

Goonybird- Hey break it up you two don't make me (SNAP) OWW! My Back!


Today in History

1758 - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is founded.

1922 - Archaeologist Howard Carter enters King Tut's tomb

1949 - "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" appears on music charts

1955 - Race segregation forbidden on trains & buses between US states

1996 - After 24 years, Disneyland Main Street Electrical Parade, ends

2009 - Powerful storm brings 3 years worth of rain in 4 hours to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, sparking terrible floods known as the 2009 Jeddah Floods, which kill over 150 people and sweep thousands of cars away right in the middle of Hajj in the second largest city of Saudi Arabia, Jeddah.