"The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready."

- Henry David Thoreau


Chapter Four

Edward forced the determination to become a Nazi into his mind, and his that minor mission has been accomplished. A scowl graced his lips as he reminisced coming face to face with Hitler himself. The impeccable urge to attack the cruel man was with him when he remained in the same room as him. It was complicated to convince them of his German 'purity', especially without a birth certificate and a family tree that originated from this world. Hohenheim was brutally murdered long ago and it seemed like forever.

"I'm surprised I was able to stand it." He wiped at his hairline with his bare hand that used to be adorned with a glove. "How am I going to accomplish the rest? Without an Alchemic source, you can't hit two birds with a stone." Mumbling this to himself, he stuffed the papers into his pocket, which proved him to be a Nazi. When he looked down, he stumbled back a few good feet from where he stood: he saw the corpses of a mother and a child. Both had the same fatal injuries: a bullet to the head.

Air was being blocked from his throat as he looked down at them: he felt ill. The intensity of his stare dimmed with an undeniable guilt. "I'm sorry," These words slithered through clenched teeth. His own nationality was enough to scare off any Jewish figure. "I wasn't able to help you," Edward recognized the bodies, from the start, as the pair whom he asked for help to find a clinic due to Alphonse's illness. The blonde knew that the Nazi's would give off a suspicious eye if they saw him talking to a corpse that they considered once an enemy. "I'll get them back. I'll salvage what has been done." It was a heavy promise, and even Edward's not sure he could live up to it, but the Alchemist was painfully determined.

Even through the darkest moments of his life, back in Amestris, Edward had managed through so much that it overwhelmed him dramatically as he aged. One place he's able to find peace was in Resembool, and there was the Rockbell's whom he had taken for granted more times then he can count. In result, Winry had been distancing herself from him. After a moment, he couldn't help but wonder if it was right to leave the closest thing he had to a family. Resembool was paradise compared to the war zone. "At least she's safe." He mumbled once he turned his back on the corpse with a hint of guilt weighing on his heart.

He knew Winry and she would much rather salvage the Jews rather than ignore the German's drastic misfortune and Hitler's unforgivable mistake. Looking at his prosthetic arm, he lifted it to see the metallic exterior. "It's not over. Not by a long shot." The present isn't much different from the past. All his life, his main focus was to salvage what he lost. His arm, his leg, his brother's body… And in a sense, he had lost Winry too.

His thoughts were interrupted by the familiar voice of Alphonse.

"Brother?"

Edward turned toward him, and Alphonse's eyes widened with shock at the symbol that symbolized Nazism on his upper torso.

"I knew it! You were going to do something this reckless!"

"You don't understand, Al. This predicament needs to be resolved, if not now, than immediately. Not later, but sooner. We can't stand by and let this continue." A Nazi would've thought that he was against the Jews, but only because their minds were disoriented by the lies. For a millisecond Edward thought he had seen a spark in his brother's bronze irises, which usually meant he was about to strike his brother.

Together they walked into an empty Alleyway to avoid any trouble that could occur.

"I understand perfectly, brother. I'm not the same fourteen years old I once was. I just wish you'd asked me in the first place instead of feeling that I can't handle it. We're in this together, like we've always been back in Amestris. Just because we're in another world, it doesn't change a thing. They have Noah, and for all we know they could have more people we know. Who's going to help them if we don't?"

Edward wasn't sure which dominated his emotions, the urge to strike his brother for his unnecessary cheesiness, or hug him for the fact that he never left his side on his own will.

"Forget it, Al."

"What, why?"

"You and I both know you're not Nazi material. You're too sensitive and you'll get discouraged along the way."

"But –"

"And, besides, whose going to watch over the others?" This made Alphonse freeze, and he gave Edward the chance to complete his next choice of words. "I need you, Al. I need you to back me up on this because you and I know that no one else will." He put his hand on his brother's shoulder and gave it a brief affectionate squeeze. "Just be careful out there, I know you probably don't like it, but it's best if one of us goes and the other stays behind."

"You're right."


( Yay:D Chapter Four is done! Sorry if Edward was out of character. Unfortunately, I'm still sick and it's kind of hard to concentrate. I think everyone(who's interested in WWII) Should go find Fragments of Isabella. :D It's an awesome book and I highly recommend it! Please review!)