Chapter 4: Viewing the other Side

"I can't go with you. I have to take care of Winry," Al said.

"That's alright, I know we've been through many problems. It's really better that you stay here." Ed was preparing again to go to the Central.

"I am not afraid of those problems… I just need to help Winry here," he went defensive.

"I know, I know," he sighed. "Okay I have to leave now," he continued.

"Take care yourself Ed," it was Winry.

"Bye brother."

Pinako nodded then he closed the door.

"It seems that I miss Al already," he sat by the window of the train. As usual, he put his elbow on the small ledge of the window and his balled hand, there rested his chin. Though he was particular of the views outside, he couldn't help but to reminisce. Especially that this time his little brother was not around, he would always end up talking to his own self.

"So what's the reason why Mustang called me? Oh… why I'm asking this?! But of course a 'personality-degrading' mission again!" and he rose from his seat with his fist held up high. Out of his reflexes his head looked at the rest of the passengers. He surely attracted the attentions of the people. He was embarrassed of it and decided to get out there. He walked from the grinning people and went to the last trunk of the train where a small-like terrace was.

"I know that Al would have stopped me there," he laughed and held the railing of the mini terrace as he looked at the sceneries that were receding as the train went by.

"You can trick Ed but not me who owns this house." Pinako adjusted her glasses.

"What do you mean tricked?" Al said.

"That won't work. Now spill it out. What did Azureth do here last night?" she was asking the other girl in the house.

"She went here for reconciliation, but how did you know that she was here?"

"Dinner time… it was a guess that later turned out to be true. She was inside the armor and when Al said that he would go outside, there, it was apparent that he was hiding something or someone. Moreover, you complained when Ed didn't allow him. I didn't bother to call her for I know that Ed would just blow up. When you thought that all were sleeping, I saw light from your room, and as I drew nearer the door, I heard different voices and then I knew that we had visitor last night," Pinako told them.

"Well, you could go inside. Anyway, Ed is the only one who holds grudge at her," Winry reasoned.

"When I heard her behind the door, I went back to my room. I don't go for ruining other's privacy. I know that her plan meant to be like that. It would be a crowd if I joined too."

There was a very quiet moment among them. Pinako moved to Winry and checked her hands.

"Why she's like that?" the older one asked confusedly.

Al thought that he would have the answer to it, "Azureth admitted it to my brother and I that she met our father."

Winry was shocked while Pinako wanted him to go on with the story.

"… then our father told many things about his life, including us. When she learned the failed transmutation, she started to hate my brother…" then he didn't explain it further.

"But how come it was only Ed? She also attacked me, and why it seems that you're not in her checklist? Well, I'm not saying that you should be there but what I'm pertaining to is that you're always with your brother more than I."

He raised his shoulders as his answer, though he somewhat knows the reason why Azureth treats him differently among others, he intended not to tell it otherwise.

Pinako made the reply, "You can fix automails. Without it Ed would be useless for her… anyway she failed later, though I was there she didn't hesitate not to beat me."

"It might be… after all I have no hard feelings to her," then she looked at her closed hands.

"A day passed again? I think what I have done yesterday was worth it to look back," and she stretched her body. The dawn was not still breaking out. She transformed back her improvised bed to a trunk. She walked and reached the edge of the land. She saw smoke from the burning coal of the train. Her stomach grumbled already. She took a stroll to the woods looking for food.

There were no fruits. She searched to the bushes and found wild berries. She ate it and heard the flowing water. She followed the sound and was amazed of the sanctuary. The animals were free to do what they want, no hunters for them to be threatened of. She pushed herself to the river where the animals were drinking. The deer looked at her and fled away. She was disappointed by it. She wanted to find friends on that creature. She formed a bowl to her hands and drank from it. She closed her eyes to feel the forest, the chirps of the birds, the flowing water, the leaves and the sounds of the animals howling.

"I can live here for the rest of my life… but of course it's only beneficial to me. Animals here should stay as untamed as now, trusting human won't do good anything for them," she set herself out of the paradise.

"Before I forgot, I planned this day as visiting one. Where should I start then?" she set her feet out of the Risembool.

"Is Elisha around?" Azureth was peeking above the shoulder of the wife of Maes.

"She's still sleeping, what took you here? It's been a long time since you visited here," she opened the door widely for her to come in.

She removed her black leather shoes and the woman let her to borrow the other and the only slipper from the rack. It was bigger to her size, but it was absolutely comfortable at her.

"Feel at home," Mrs. Hughes was about to go somewhere.

"If you're going to prepare food to me… don't bother, I went here just for Elisha," she said rudely.

"Please, I will insist that you eat here," and the woman went to the kitchen.

She sighed and sat to the sofa. It was really a long time that she stepped once again there. Nothing was changed, when her eyes focused on something, a fading portrait of Maes Hughes. There were flowers and two candles close to it. She walked toward it and held the picture. She was not aware that the woman had already gone back.

"Azureth…"

She lost her grip to the frame but she caught it before it landed on the floor. She put it back again on the small table. The woman was holding a tray with juice and sandwich. Her tummy let out a sound. She could punch her abdomen that time she was thankful that it was not loud for the woman to hear. What she took for her breakfast in the woods didn't prolong her hunger. Mrs. Hughes put it down, they went to their seats.

"How are you?"

Azureth thought that nothing was tainted, maybe in the house, but not to the people living here. The woman opposite to her changed a lot. Her appearance looked her older, there was no spark on her eyes that she had seen before on her and she was worried about it which she felt as an award thing. She leaned to the picture of Hughes. She ignored what the widow was asking on her, instead, she stood up.

"Can I go to Elisha?" she had the urge to get away from her for an inexplicable reason. Mrs. Hughes nodded.

The house was just the typical bungalow. The owner led her to the room. The woman left her there. She twisted the knob and pushed it forward carefully. There was Elisha, sleeping soundly, covered with a blanket. She looked at her little face and her hand touched the kid's forehead. The girl woke up and she was alerted by it. Elisha was unfamiliar who she was, so she tended to keep a space between them.

"I didn't mean to disturb you. I am visiting you Elisha."

The girl lessened the suspiciousness at her. "I don't know who you are," she whispered.

"I'm a friend, and you can make a sister on me. I know your family, and I was away here for about five years and so you weren't able to meet me," she was cautious for every word she was saying. She had a soft spot for kids, after what happened to her family. She didn't experience being a kid after that tragedy, that she grew up matures on a short time.

"You know my father?" the kid sat on the bed.

Azureth was surprised to that question. She shook her head up and down. "Why did you ask it?"

"… I think you're lucky too."

She was mesmerized of what the toddler said. "Kids can really say nonsense out of their age, but to think it clearly, they're trying to say something sensible out of it. It can't be interpreted as literal one but has deeper meaning… the wisdom of innocent kids," she thought of

"I think it's too early. Why don't you go back to your sleep?" the child rested again. She was tapping Elisha until she fell asleep. She wanted to cry and to feel sorry for the child of Maes. She would grow up without the guidance of her father.

"I think you're lucky too…" it echoed to her mind and she slept also with Elisha.

It was late in the morning, almost lunch when she got up and to her dismay the kid was not beside her. She fixed herself before going out. As she was approaching the living room, she heard giggles of Elisha, probably playing with her toys. As she drew closer, she saw the mother tickling her daughter. It stopped when they felt her presence.

She bowed her head, "I'm sorry for sleeping here," she was really ashamed of it.

"You don't have to say that. You're part of this family you should be used with it by now," there was sincerity in her voice.

There was warm on her heart. For the past few years she felt again of being home, with that single statement came out from her mouth, treated her that she was belonged to their family. She liked the feeling very much. She did not let her emotion to be seen by the woman she hated. She passed on them and went to the front door.

"You can come back as long as you want, I hope that you make up your shortcomings," the widow followed up.

"I promise… for Elisha," then the wooden door closed.

"What? There's a disease outbreak here? Damn that Mustang! He really sends me here to kill me… now I'm taking back what I've said before, safe missions? Nah!" Ed had just arrived to the region where an unknown epidemic was spreading.

"Uhm, excuse me…" there was a man behind him. Ed jumped out of his feet. There was this man who was red as ripe tomato.

"W-what happened to your skin?" he was scared by it.

"I don't know. There is no doctor in this place because they are afraid of the disease. It looks that you're the brave one to cure this," the man said while scratching his face. The others in the town emerged and were coming to him.

"Hey! Who says I'm a doctor?" he corrected the man. The townspeople were obviously disappointed, and then turned everybody's back on him. He somewhat gloomed about it too and said that he could help them but on other thing like finding who was behind that or what it is causing them that.

He started doing his assignment. He got information to various people. He was on the top of the tallest infrastructure of the town. He decided to settle everything there, and the main reason was for him not to be affected by the epidemic. He began on analyzing he gathered.

"So it went out like this… the people that I interviewed said that it came from their… first dog, second clothes, third food, fourth hat and many things, but then others would say that it was passed on them by other people, and I'm thinking if what they said are all accurate. I'm just afraid to contradict them face to face because they might transmit the disease to me. So to summarize everything… it was nothing, I wasted my day just like that. How can I draw my conclusions if what they're saying is not matching? To those people who said that it was transferred to them…" then there was an idea crossed his mind, but he was too tired to do it so he took his nap first.

"Azureth…" she was holding the tray.

"What's the meaning of this?" Azureth was pointing the small altar-like of Maes.

She was puzzled, "you haven't visited Roy?" she asked instead.

"Don't shift to other topic… I'm asking you about this," she said eagerly.

It took seconds before she replied, "My husband is already dead," she couldn't look straight to the teenager's blue eyes.

The guest stiffened to the explosion of that nightmare to her ears. She lost her grip to the picture but immediately held it back to her hand. "What's the cause of his death?" she resumed herself from her shock and became calmed afterwards.

"He was shot during his duty," she was crying.

"I hate you even more… he brought me to this house and resided here for quite long time. I treated him as my true father. I admit that I had been selfish that time. I didn't want that his attention was more focused on you. There I started to hate you. I couldn't take it so I decided to go away. I didn't make a good farewell to my father… and he died… so I guess that if I have not gone here I wouldn't know the truth, it would make me silly that I thought he was still alive," there was bitterness in her voice.

"I understand you, but please don't think that my husband forgot you… he strived to get you back here when we thought that you were lost. It is not true that he loved me more, he treated us equally. I mean he treated me as his wife and you as his daughter, I even do that, but it seemed that you mistook it. During his last breath he voiced out your name. He actua----."

"Stop those lies. I came here for Elisha and not for your confessions," and she stood up.

"Why mama is crying?"

"Hmm? Do I? I'm just happy that another member of our family had just arrived."

"Is it my sister? Azureth?"

"How, why you're calling her as your sister?" though she wanted for her child to recognize Azureth as her sister, she was still surprised to hear it from her daughter.

".. because she told me that," the girl responded

"So that woman thought that I already visited Mustang? He is not worth of my visits, but now I have the reason to drop by to his office," then she took a bite to the sandwich. She smiled about it. The woman put some chow secretly in her pocket while she was sleeping.

Maora: Keep in touch with the next chapters…