When The Icicle Melts

Chapter 6: "A Face to Match the Memory"

"TRISHA!"

An earth shattering cry that could clearly be heard by anyone who was passing by and possibly even the entire countryside rang out as Al's vision was clouded only by the memories of the tail end of his childhood. His silver eyes gradually loosing focus as the same images projected themselves through his mind. It was seeing his brother's face for the first time two years ago that first unlocked his buried memories, but at that moment in time, he almost wished it hadn't.

Oh how cruel fate is. It simply wasn't enough for the Elric's dreams to be plagued, now they were forced to relive the very catalyst of their strenuous and emotionally draining adventure in a physical form.

All the while Ed remained anchored to the spot and strangely passive to the whole spectacle. He didn't move. Not as Al shook himself out of his semi-conscious state when the life returned to his devastated orbs. Not when he strode from Ed's side and began to make his way over to Trisha's collapsed body. Lastly, he didn't even blink when Al slowly dropped to his knees by her side and hesitantly placed a hand on her forehead.

Well, it wasn't exactly the same situation, but it was close enough in both of their minds.

Still gripping the wooden doorknob so tightly that his knuckles were whiter than the snow in that region, Ed's eyes veered to the side, refusing to look at Al or her. She wasn't his mother, but it still felt strange to call her 'Trisha.' In the moment he let out a sigh, hoping for a bit of rehabilitation and finally released the handle. He forced himself to spare a glance at Al to see how he was doing. Not well was his conclusion as Al's eyes were still panicked with the ghost of a memory.

When they were children all they could do was grieve by their mother's side before eventually finding the strength to call Winry and Auntie Pinako for help. Being the person he was now, that sense of helplessness infuriated him, but there was nothing he could've done. He was only a small child back then.

But he wasn't anymore. Surely there was something he could do…

Looking up with that infamous determination once again igniting his golden eyes he came up behind his brother at a fast pace and shoved him backwards, a little rougher than intended. He crouched down next to Trisha and gently picked her up under her back and knees and quickly carried her over to the old couch in the living room. Al stood up and watched Ed's movements carefully, wondering what he was planning to do.

Placing her down and crouching down so he could examine her face, Ed noticed that something about Trisha's sickly appearance was unfamiliar and entirely different from their mother's. Her breathing was even, while their mom's had been laboured and unsteady, and throughout the whole ordeal, their mother had been drenched in sweat, but Trisha wasn't. In fact, she looked quite healthy… aside from her being unconscious.

Too caught up in his analysis, he failed to notice that Al had left the room. He wasn't alerted of his presence until he heard footsteps coming up quietly from behind him, as though afraid to disturb the delicate atmosphere that had fallen over the small cottage. Ed tilted his head up to see his brother holding a basin against his chest filled with cool water and a washcloth draped over its side. He smiled weakly at Ed with understanding and silently placed it down next to his older brother before seating himself on the other side of it.

Ed reached over and dipped the rag into the small temped pool before ringing it out and placing it onto Trisha's forehead. Both watched over her in silence awaiting any form of response. At one moment, Al leaned over and gently pulled the elastic band out of her hair so her head could rest a bit easier against the cushions before mindlessly twiddling the tips of his thumbs as his nervous habit. Meanwhile, Ed wore a small frown on his features, still puzzled over Trisha's symptoms.

Finally after a long fifteen minutes of zero activity, to the brothers' immediate shock and dismay, Trisha began to stir slightly and mutter words of incoherence under her breath.

"But… how?" Al asked to no one in particular from his position by her waist. Ed shrugged slightly, not taking his eyes off of Trisha as she finally cracked open one of her sterling silver eyes. She looked at them in tandem for a moment before her other eye snapped open when the situation finally registered.

"H-… how long was I out for?" She winced slightly while slowly pulling herself into a sitting position and massaged the side of her head, causing the cloth to slip off and fall onto her lap.

"What do you mean?" Al asked.

Trisha stopped momentarily and smiled at him. "I'm just a little clumsy, honey. No need to worry." Unconsciously, her hand reached up towards the thick strand of hair that naturally fell forward and framed the right side of her face. She raked her fingers through the lock pushing it to one side revealing a large gash along her hairline that was even more of a vibrant red from the damp cloth.

Al's eyes widened at the deep wound. "W-what happened? Are you okay?" He stuttered, getting up off the floor and sat beside her on the couch.

She looked at him for a moment, wondering why he was so shaken up. Even Ed, whom she had learned could be a bit cold at times and dealt with things nonchalantly seemed to be trying his hardest to keep his expression even. When she had awoken she had seen a fleeting wave of grief cross his face. Something deep within his eyes spoke more than his words ever could. Her own son had been the same way. Always claiming that he could do everything on his own and that he didn't need anyone's help and generally kept his emotions bottled up…

Blinking once, she focused in on Al who was still awaiting her answer. "I'm sorry. I slipped. I was trying to get at the bag of flour on the top shelf…" She motioned over towards a closet in the corridor connecting to the adjoining kitchen where various items were scattered across the wooden floor around where the brothers had found her.

It hadn't even been that far of a reach, just a few inches. Not wanting to haul the stool out of the overly cluttered storeroom, she had tried piling a few buckets in order to reach the top shelf. She hadn't paid any mind to how carelessly stacked they were until she heard them screech under her weight before skidding forward and sending her backwards against the hard wood followed by a shower of stars.

For a moment, she drifted into a sea of darkness until she slowly became aware that she was no longer on the floor in a precarious position, but lying on a soft surface on her back. She shifted slightly, trying not to hiss in pain from the dull ache of pulled muscles and an oncoming headache accompanied by a burning sensation on the right side of her forehead. With her bit of movement, she heard voices speaking quietly in the background so she opened them slowly to be greeted by the clearly concerned expressions of the boys she had found so easy to take care of. But there was something more in their eyes, something she couldn't even begin to describe in words…

Gods, what happened to these boys?

Trisha tilted her head upon hearing approaching footsteps and was surprised to see Ed holding the bag of ointments and bandages she kept stored in one of the kitchen cabinets. She hadn't even realized that he had left the room in the first place. He handed it over to his brother who quickly took it and went to work on sterilizing then bandaging Trisha's wound before it became infected.

Meanwhile, Ed had once again left them and stood with his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned heavily against the wall adjacent to them. He wished that Al wasn't getting so attached, it would only make it a living hell when they would have to leave, and he hated playing the bad guy when it came to his little brother's feelings.

The room was quiet for a moment, while Al finished dressing Trisha's wound until a sudden blast sounded from outside close to the house in addition to the screeching of metal grinding together, making the noise all that much more deafening before all went silent again.

"What the hell?" Ed murmured under his breath, walking over to the window.

"Oh no…" Trisha rose to her feet and followed Ed over to the window and stood a few feet behind him as he smoothed the curtain aside to get a better view of the outside.

Al stood as well after throwing the medical supplies back into the bag and headed over to where his brother and Trisha were standing. "What's wrong?" He asked when he arrived by her side.

"It's the military…" She stated, not tearing her eyes away from the window. "It's been all over the country about the tension between the leaders of Russia and Germany even though a treaty was signed declaring that neither side would attack…" She tucked her fingers together in a loose fist, with the memory of the day when she was informed by a German military man who had travelled all that way to tell her that her son and husband had been killed in the first war. He claimed to have known them and had also witnessed their deaths. "But, ever since they got their hands on this new type of weapon… I'm sure they won't hesitate to use it."

"And end the war before it even starts, huh?" Ed added, not having clued in on Trisha's words.

"That's right. It's some sort of bomb made primarily from something called uranium."

…!

"WHAT?" Ed and Al shouted in unison.

Before Trisha had time to elaborate Ed was already on his way out the door without so much as looking back at either of them. After a moment, Al quickly left Trisha's side to catch up with his brother. "Trisha-san, please stay here. It'll be safer inside." Trisha nodded as Al closed the door quietly behind him and hurried over to the window to watch as the two boys disappeared over the snowy hillside.


Upon hearing rapid footsteps approaching as fast as they could in the deep snow, Ed slowed his pace assuming that it was Al. When he finally reached his side, they both continued towards whatever was making the ground tremble below their feet.

The blizzard that had wedged on for days had finally ended just a few nights ago, leaving the area coated in a new layer of white crystals. There had been no sun that morning, just more grey clouds veiling the sky and spitting snow at times, but it was more than enough to slow the brothers down as the height of the snow came up to their knees with every step. Moreover, neither of them had even thought to bring a heavier coat once again. So there they were, in one of the coldest climates on Earth, venturing into unknown territory garbed only in their casual clothes.

Ed glanced ahead as the ruckus, he assumed was being caused by the country's military, grew louder with ever step they took in their current direction up the hillside. By now, they were miles away from Trisha's house. After several more awkward steps they finally arrived at the summit where the ground finally levelled out, as did the amount of snow. 'The military must have cleared out the area for one of their bases as well.' Ed presumed, taking in the sight before him. Sure enough, the entire perimeter of the area was lined with combat vehicles and artillery trucks. Although the weaponry looked fairly primitive compared to the kind Ed was used to seeing. Their nostrils filled with the sickening stench of gunpowder that hung heavily in the air and the sound of grinding steal was excruciating, causing Al to cover his ears and Ed to scrunch up his nose in irritation.

The field was filled with soldiers adorned in their country's military uniform and bright sashes with the Soviet's symbol etched proudly into the fabric on their shoulders, standing out for all to see. A small group marched past them carrying their rifles with the handle in their right palms and the barrel resting against their shoulders.

From their vantage point, they could see four poles with a plain white tarp draping along the top situated in the middle of the rectangular field. In the centre of the section was a table with some sort of machine that looked foreign in Ed's eyes. He squinted to try and get a better view and realized that it was a telegraph, probably used for transmitting messages to their allies in Morse code he assumed. In addition to the transmitter, several soldiers were surrounding the instrument, chatting amongst themselves in a language that he could only assume had to be Russian. At the head of the group stood one man whose sash was decorated with more bars and badges, suggesting that he was the army's general. The man's face was covered by the brim of his hat, concealing his face from the Elrics. That was until a nameless soldier grabbed a piece of paper from the telegraph and brought it over to him to inspect and he lifted the corner of his hat, revealing his face.

Ed blinked, he couldn't believe what or better who he was seeing. 'Oh, COME ON! Anyone but… that.' For the man who appeared to be one of the Soviet Union's elite Generals was none other than the alternate version of…

Roy Mustang.

"The bastard Colonel's a General here?!" Ed hissed out loud in genuine disbelief. "Who the hell in their right mind would put him in charge of an entire battlefield?"

"Well, Nii-san. The Mustang in our world was actually the Brigadier General last time I remember." Al pointed out. "Who knows? Maybe by now he's moved up in the ranks."

Ed snorted. "Only an idiot would promote that pompous jackass."

Al let out an exasperated sigh, already fed up with trying to reason with the one who would inevitably cause him to get grey hairs eventually. Shifting his eyes back towards the clearing where the tent was situated and refocused them on the Mustang look-alike. Despite his brother's seemingly infinite malice for even a reminder of the 'Flame Alchemist,' for each of the odd twin of someone he had once known, he felt a rush of comfort and rehabilitation which did wonders for the homesickness that would occasionally surface. His eyes continued to survey the area for anything helpful when something occurred to him. "Uh, Nii-san?"

"Yeah, Al?"

"What does the bomb look like?" He asked with a sheepish twiddle of his fingers.

Ed rolled his eyes over-dramatically. "Like a bomb, Al. It looks exactly like a bomb." He replied in a voice that was practically dripping with sarcasm while Al puffed out his cheeks in irritation. "What does the bomb look like." He muttered under his breath, emphasizing every word and drilling the idiocy into Al's head.

Slightly flustered, Al turned his attention back to the clearing muttering a few choice words that were even surprising to himself until a couple sets of heavy footsteps creeping in the snow a few feet behind them caused him to turn around. Whipping his head forward, he gripped onto Ed's forearm and shook it, trying to grab his attention. "Nii-san-"

Ed's hand shot to the side and covered Al's mouth. "Keep your voice down. Do you want to get caught? If you needed to use the washroom, you should've done so before we left."

Al did his best to push his hand away while Ed kept trying to muffle his voice. "What? N-no, that's not it. There's-"

"Shut up, Al!"

"B-but, Nii-san! Be-behind-"

Tearing his eyes from the clearing, Ed finally focused his attention on Al, albeit a bit too late. "Damn it, Al. I said keep your voice…"

Al's words finally clicked into place when he noticed a shadow hovering over the two of them. Ed's eyes flicked up to see the bottom handle of a rifle come rapidly into his line of vision and connect squarely with his temple, stunning him momentarily before toppling forward into the snow. The last thing he heard before passing out was Al's voice cry out to him.


Trisha slowly walked into the living room with an armful of a few empty boxes. Setting them to one side, she moved over to one of the lounge chairs where her son had left his books. The room was deathly silent without those two boys she took note with an amused smile, realizing that the only sound in the cottage was the soft clicking her shoes made as she gingerly began sorting through a stack of her son's old belongings in the random locations around the room.

Her soft grey eyes fell to the pile of clothes on the lounge chair partly noticing the book on rocketry was now sitting on top of the stack. Gathering the articles of clothing and the book in her arms, she sat down on the edge of the chair before setting them onto her lap and running her fingers through her long hair. She couldn't believe what she was about to do. She never once thought she would be able to find the fortitude to do so, even though to some the act might seem trivial.

Pulling herself to her feet, she walked over with the pile of clothes still in hand to one of the empty boxes and placed the book to one side. Holding them up to her face, she buried her nose in them for a moment, absorbing their scent before gently placing them inside like they were some kind of priceless monument. Well, they were to her.

The next few minutes carried on in the same manner as she worked her way into the room the brothers were sharing or better yet her son's old room. Carefully stepping over their makeshift beds which each plainly consisted of a few comforters for padding, a quilt and a pillow. She stumbled a bit over Ed's which looked as if it had crossed paths with a hurricane while Al's area was neat and tidy. First she picked up a few more of her son's books which he had left scattered across his desk and placed them onto a bookshelf with the rest of his rocketry manuals and such before she began rifling through the mechanical parts her son had left strewn across the floor, which she also took note that the brothers didn't bother to push aside to make room for themselves. As she placed each individual part into the pit of her apron, she took the time to examine them. She had always taken an interest in her son's hobbies. Reaching out and scooping up the last steel part and placing it in her apron along with the others, she spotted a picture frame laying face down on the floor.

Folding up her apron so the parts wouldn't fall out she bent down and gently wrapped her thumb and index finger around the small frame and picked it up in the palm of her hand. It must have been hidden under there for a long time, she realized seeing the substantial amount of dust that had collected on the glass. Picking up the corner of her apron she wiped off the grime, but didn't flip it over to see what the picture was and instead walked over and placed it on her son's desk face down and left the room. After all, it was an invasion of his privacy and she never intruded on personal space before and wasn't about to now.

Making her way back into the living room, she searched the closet for another empty box for the mechanical parts as the other boxes were already packed to the point of rupturing. Finding a box she forgot was even there, she opened it to see if it was empty. Well it wasn't quite, she giggled upon finding some of her son's old baby clothes and accessories that she couldn't bring herself to throw away even when her boy wasn't a baby anymore.

Letting out a sigh she picked up the tiny sleepers, clothing and little quilts and hugged them tightly to her bosom. Things had been so much simpler back then, before he got older and conflicts between the two had started. All of which concerned his father, her husband. For the short time they had lived in Germany, where her son had been born, they had lived a simple but happy live, all three of them, that was until the new leader of Germany was elected and began secretly planning a massive attack under the other country's noses. Then her husband was forced to leave as one of Germany's head generals, After that fateful day, they never saw him again.

Then came the appearance of that other man, when her own son was sixteen, the man who was so much like her husband yet was so unlike him. It was his appearance that drew her towards him. He looked identical to her husband, and because of that, her son, well, he…

Trisha shook her head, trying to will away the memories of the fight she and her son had over that man, he who ruined everything. After that incident she and her son returned to her hometown in Russia to start anew, but the conflict that had already sparked was only carried with them and grew by the day. Her son had isolated himself in his room all day long and focused solely on his research and the fascination for rockets he had since he was a child, only coming out for meals which he immediately took into his bedroom and followed by a wincing slam of his door.

He really had hidden himself in a shell and threw away the key, and not even her; his mother, could mend things between them and the tension only mounted, the more time they spent together in the same house.

Then came the arrival of his father's letter one morning. Her son stated that he had sent a postcard to him a while ago telling him where they were so he could find them once the war came to an end, or so he hoped. That was the one sentence spoken between them in weeks, but the nice break in the silence didn't last as the conversation turned ugly when he announced that his father needed him and would be leaving in a day to fight with him in the war. With that, he went to pack without another word. Trisha had followed him trying to get him to change his mind, this was her baby boy for god's sake, but he ignored her and went back to throwing stuff in his bags, though most of it ended up on the floor. As he placed his hand on the front door handle she tried once more to get him to stay, saying that she would do anything.

'Choose one, him or me!' He had snapped so darkly she didn't even recognize him in that moment. Insulted by the way her own son was speaking to her, the rare anger she ever felt towards anyone escalated and she said the absolutely wrong thing.

'Then why don't you go find that bastard? It's obvious that you love him more than father… and me.'

And those were the last words spoken and the last time she had ever seen her son…

The very last time.

Trisha bowed her head, as her braid fell forward covering the right side of her face. "I didn't mean it, not one word…" She hiccupped and gripped the edge of her dress, the tension causing her knuckles to turn white. "How could I… you were my one and only son, and now…" She bit her bottom lip, trying in vain to keep it from trembling as a fresh set of tears dripped onto her strained hands as she whispered the words.

Clawing at her tears she tilted her head towards the ceiling. She wasn't willing to lose another son, the two boys she had recently taken in close in mind.

It was exactly like playing good cop, bad cop with those two. One would always fill her heart with unspoken comfort while the other was a bit more forceful as his eyes practically spoke what his voice could not, and they were telling her never to look back on what has already been said and done.

Because no one can change the past.

That is why she wanted to move forward.

Trisha turned her head towards the window, her eyes full of worry as they glazed over with both shed and unshed tears as she awaited their return. The war was pressing forth and she knew her number would be up soon, but perhaps it was best that way. Those boys wouldn't stay with her forever. She was glad to see her son's face again after so long, even though it was only an illusion.

It was merely the calm before yet another storm in her life…


He buried his nose further into the pillow while gripping the soft sheets in a fist as he slowly came back into consciousness, vaguely aware of an oncoming headache and that the side of his forehead hurt like hell… wait a minute, a bed sheet? Hadn't he just…

Ed kept his eyes closed, partly aware that he had lost all feeling on one side of his face and that he couldn't move his hands let alone his arms. He sucked in a long breath through his nose, taking in the scent. The air around him was soaked with the stench of blood, usually the scent would make him nervous but in this case it offered him unspoken comfort and didn't bring him any cause for alarm.

In other words he didn't want to get up, not yet anyway.

"Nii-san… Nii-san…?"

'Al…' Lazily, Ed opened his eyes halfway while unclenching his fist, vaguely aware that his hand also felt numb to the bone. Through wisps of golden hair he was temporarily blinded by white and wondered for a moment if he was dead until his eyes adjusted to the picture in front of his line of vision. The only thing he could see was more white and a shade of grey. He glanced at the silhouette with still blurry eyes, annoyed by not being able to see clearly and not being able to rub his eyes to solve the problem as his arms seemed immobilized. As he came closer to reality, he felt a dull ache throughout every muscle of his body as well as having that nagging feeling that he was supposed to be doing something…

"NII-SAN!"

His eyes widened and he shot up. Looking down, he realized what he had thought was a pillow was nothing but snow. Before he could huff it dawned on him that the only thing awkwardly holding him up was his knees, until he lost his balance and subsequently did another face-plant in the snow.

"Are you alright, Nii-san?" Al asked, trying to suppress his laughter for fear of copping a punch to the face, courtesy of his brother. Though both of their hands were tied literally, there was always later.

Muttering a long, colourful string of obscenities, Ed once again pushed himself back onto his knees and rubbed the snow that had gotten caked onto his face off on the shoulder of his overcoat. "What the hell?" He questioned more to himself, realizing that his wrists were bound together behind his back by a length of heavy rope.

Al looked behind at his own tightly knotted hands. "Um, yeah, about that-"

"(Finally awake, are we)?" A voice questioned ahead of them in Russian. Although the accent was thick, Ed knew exactly who's voice it was as the hairs on the back of his neck stood up straight.

"Mustang."Ed muttered under his breath, raising his eyes to the see the alternate version of said man standing before him with a few nameless subordinates by his side. Not surprising to Ed at all, even this Mustang had a cocky smirk planted on his brazen mug.

Jerk.

"(It seems we have ourselves a couple of German spies on our hands)." The smirk on his face turned stern as he looked the boys over for any form or proof that they were armed.

Ed narrowed he eyes and cocked an eyebrow at him. "Look, unless you can speak English, then this is going nowhere." He stated, stubbornly twisting his head away from him.

Mustang's eyebrows knitted together in amusement. "You're lucky that you came across one of few who know how to speak your language. As there are in most armies." He stated, adjusting the brim of his hat to get a better look at their feisty little captive. "Otherwise you'd be done for. Not to mention-"

"Who hit me?"

The General's smirk faded to a thin line, pissed off about being interrupted. "What are you talking about?" He snapped.

Ed motioned to his temple where a few stray droplets of blood were still running down his cheek while others were, disgustingly enough, seeping into his eye as he couldn't wipe them away. "I said, WHO HIT ME?!"

Mustang blinked a few times at him while Al looked between them in tandem, debating on whether or not to calm his brother down. After all, it was a serious head injury they inflicted upon him. Mustang pursed his lips. He seriously wondered if his slow-witted captive even realized that he was being held as a POW, or that every time he opened his trap he risked getting executed on the spot. A smirk once again played on his lips as he decided to humour the kid… while he was still alive anyway. "That would be the major over there." He nodded towards the soldier among the small group behind the brothers closest to Ed's left side.

Ed's expression remained passive as his eyes coolly shut. Although Al could tell that a storm was fuelling his temper as the seconds ticked by. "I see…" Before the General could blink Ed's eyes snapped open and he twisted his body around bringing his automail leg around to smack the major hard in the shin, causing him to fall over and probably ended up breaking the limb.

Ed snickered while the soldier let out a howl followed by a few choice words in his own language, that is until one of the other soldiers got his act together and drew his handgun and pressed it against Ed's temple followed by a loading click.

"NII-" One of the other soldiers standing by slapped a hand over Al's mouth and hauled him to his feet.

"(Now, hold on a moment, Sergeant)." Mustang motioned towards the soldier by Ed, who tauntingly tugged on his ponytail pissing him off even more, but what could he really do with a gun wedged against his skull?

"(But, sir)." The soldier protested with his grip still firmly wrapped around the gun. "(He took out one of our men with just a kick to the shins. He must have a secret weapon of sorts)."

Mustang placed his thumb and index finger on his chin, considering his soldier's observation. Ed grimaced, taking note that this Mustang had the same annoying habit as well. Mustang's eyes wandered back down to the boys as one of his men still had the presumably younger one restricted. 'Well it's pretty clear that these two aren't spies…' He surmised to himself. 'God knows with this one's mouth, he'd screw up any mission his country might hand him. So why did they come traipsing out here in the open like they own the place, practically begging to get caught…?' He paused upon seeing Ed shift his eyes from him and glance to each side as discreetly as possible, almost like he was…

Mustang grinned. 'Bingo.' He cleared his throat and brought his full attention back to Ed who was otherwise leering at him in disgust. "Tell me something, boy. Do you have a name?"

Ed snorted. "What's it to you?" He spat.

Mustang frowned. Alright so they were on opposite sides, but he still couldn't figure out why a kid, whom he just met, had it in for him so bad. "So, is there anything you want to ask of us?" He opted, trying to pry something out of him.

"Yeah." Ed threw his head to the side, away from the major who still had his gun pressed against the side of his head. "How about you tell this idiot to back the hell off already and…" His eyes veered towards his brother who was still being restricted by one of the other soldiers. "How about you let him go." Al smiled as best he could as the soldier's hand was still firmly clamped over his mouth and waved his finger slightly as if to say 'don't forget about me.'

The General raised his left hand and the soldiers immediately retreated to the sidelines. "So what's the kid to you?" He asked.

"Again, none of your business."

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Mustang placed his hand on his hip and the other reached up to massage his hairline. One thing was for certain though, this boy had come from Germany and was without a doubt looking for something. Which meant that he potentially held some information that could be quite useful towards the Soviet's victory in this inevitable war. Mustang grinned, he could practically taste a promotion if he pulled this one off. Not to mention gaining the recognition he felt he rightfully deserved from the Czar and the Czarina. Then perhaps he could set his sights even higher…

He cleared his throat and turned his attention back to the two foreign boys and gave them a smirk that was a bit too suspicious in both their minds. Ed raised a finely trimmed eyebrow at him. He recognized that look, even in this Mustang's eyes, this man definitely had something jammed up his stealthy sleeve. Mustang took his time meandering over to them which only aggravated Ed more and by the time he got there he felt like spitting in his obnoxious face. "On your feet." He ordered.

Ed almost burst out laughing. "Pfft, like I'm gonna listen to you."

"Not like you ever have before." Al whispered while giggling slightly and dropped to his knees by Ed's side.

Mustang grinned and motioned to the soldier currently occupying the empty space behind the Elrics. "Let me give you a choice then, either you come willingly or I can have one of my men pump you full of lead… (Sergeant)!"

"(Sir)!" He lifted up his rifle up part way, gliding the bolt to load it then raising it to point at the Ed's back, all in one fluid motion.

Ed's eyes shifted to look at the man behind him before letting a sigh escape his lips and muttered an almost inaudible 'fine.' Al blinked a few times, clearly shocked at his brother's compliance and in his peripheral vision he saw Ed's teeth grit and his fists clench. Soon the moment passed and Ed turned to him slightly flashing one his infamous, furtive grins which caused Al to smile in return, knowing that Ed, as usual, had some sort of plan. However, whether it was a good or a completely rash one, which seemed more likely of the two, was an entirely different story.

Mustang did hear Ed's 'surrender' and silently motioned for a few of the soldiers idly standing by to move in. Before Ed could blink he felt a tug on the rope securing his wrists and someone grab the collar of his overcoat, trying to yank him onto his feet.

"HEY! HANDS OFF THE MATERIAL!" He yelled, pulling away from the soldier. "I can do it myself." Standing as best he could, though it wasn't easy because the moron was still holding onto the rope, he began to stalk after Mustang as the General had already begun to walk away not paying the feisty brat any mind. Al stood as well and began to trudge through the snow with some difficulty after them while the soldiers followed closely.

Certainly if anyone had told him sooner he would have thought they were crazy, but here he was being held captive by a Russian battalion, but that wasn't the unbelievable part. With one look, Ed had known that this was obviously this world's answer to Roy Mustang. The same appearance, same manner, same basic personality… even his eye patch was present. So perhaps with his knowledge of how the Mustang he once knew operated, this wouldn't be such a waste of time…

After what felt like a few miles of walking in empty silence another presence made itself known in the air, causing both Elrics and even a few of the soldiers to dry heave. Ed wrinkled his nose walking down the path a few feet behind Mustang who was holding a handkerchief to his nose while one of his grunts held tightly onto Ed's restraints. Something was so not agreeing with his nose, it was enough to make his stomach queasy. What the hell… chemicals? Ed stopped abruptly in the middle of the pathway as well as halting everyone else and began sniffing the area. It had some kind of element mixed into a compound that weighed out the others, telling him that this one particular ion had a higher positive charge than the others. Yet the stench was so familiar, he could of sworn it was…

He heard the soldier securing his wrists say something, probably to keep moving he assumed as he felt himself being nudged forward not so kindly, the motion causing Ed to cringe at the potency and almost throw up.

Finally after a few more minutes of having to put up with what to them was a degrading denizen… "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT STENCH?!" Ed yelled out, causing a substantial amount of snow to slide of a nearby cliff and bury one of Mustang's soldiers.

"You know something, kid…" Mustang started as a few members of his group pulled the poor guy out of the snow bank. "You've got a real attitude problem."

"That's an understatement." Al said under his breath followed by a cough.

"What was that, Al?" Ed arched a golden eyebrow, tilting his head to the side and back, trying to get a challenge out of him, which wasn't too likely.

Al shrugged and motioned towards his throat. "Must be coming down with something."

Ed narrowed his eyes while turning fully around to face him. 'Yeah right, Al. You couldn't lie to save your own life.' He thought to himself with a slight smirk.

Mustang walked over to them as they continued to squabble over what Al did or did not dare to say. Removing his hat, he somehow found a speck of patience left, which halted the impulse of wanting to fling it at one of their heads… or maybe both if the ricochet worked in his favour. "Would you two knock it off! We're heading towards the location of our first battle with Germany, so-"

"Aw, SHUT UP MUSTANG!"

Ed's eyes widened as a siren went off in his head and Al's mouth fell agape before he shook his head and elbowed Ed in the gut. "What's the matter with you, Nii-san? You know that it's not-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know that, Al." Ed rubbed the back of his head, avoiding the quizzical stare the General was giving him at the moment. "It's just an impulse." Turning his back to both Al and the Mustang look-alike he folded his arms and glared down at the snow of all things. 'This isn't getting us anywhere, and what does he mean by first battle with Germany? Sure tensions are heavy between the two countries, but right now? Nothing has been officially declared and besides…

WHAT IS THAT FUCKING SMELL?!'

Before Mustang could question the temperamental boy on just who he was referring to he spun around and stomped over towards him, but not before kicking a pile of snow that was just innocently minding its own business. Just as the flakes were resettling back on the ground, a stray one, fluttering in the icy breeze, landed on the kid's shoulder triggering a strange sensation inside of him which was telling him to exploit this.

"Careful, little man. You wouldn't want that snowflake to crush you now."

Not surprising, at least to Al who sweat-dropped as Ed flushed beat red while actual steam started pouring from his ears. "SNOWFLAAAKEEE! What the hell?! WHO ARE YOU CALLING A SPECK OF DUST SO TINY THAT NOT EVEN A FLEA COULD SEE IT?!" He yelled while waving his arms dramatically as his voice once again caused more snow to fall from the cliff, this time missing Mustang's soldiers.

And so on and so forth.

Al twisted his head slightly, trying to keep his giggling under control though it seemed impossible with his hands bound. He had to admit it was very original. Of all the miniscule objects, seafood, insects and sprouts his brother had been compared to in the past, no one had ever measured him up to a snowflake.

Mustang let a small smirk grace his lips, it seems that he just found the boy's weakness. The fear of… emasculation? If that was even a condition. Oh yes, he was going to pry everything he could out of that brat and, what Mustang assumed was his little brother, judging by the his name for the squirt. Even if he had to be tied, gagged and drugged, the boy was coming.

"Not to worry, half-pint. Soon the war will be over in no time at all." He stated, returning to the previous conversation which had somehow gotten lost along the way.

Painfully close to blowing his top again, Ed paused when Mustang's sentence finally sunk in. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He already had his suspicions, but just to be sure…

A leer that Ed had already grown to despise crossed Mustang's features. "Well, it's not like you two will be going anywhere soon…" He paused, placing his thumb and index finger on his chin. "So I suppose, telling a naïve boy such as yourself would do any harm." He turned on his heel and began making his way up the same path while Ed quickened his pace to follow closely behind as did Al while the rest of Mustang's men also struggled to keep up with their superior's brisk pace.

After a few minutes of irritating silence, Mustang looked to the corner of his eye to the boy dutifully walking a bit behind him, his eyes narrowed as well as an intent gold stare pinning him, obviously wanting him to finish while his brother walked a few extra paces behind him. As for his soldiers, well, they were keeping their distance from the boys altogether. "Times are tough, aren't they, boy-"

"Get on with it!"

"Very well then." Mustang abruptly halted and turned to face them. "Thanks to a few of our stupendous spies, we were able to secure a weapon that has the potential to end things before the war even starts. Therefore, preventing any more casualties to our allies."

Just like that, every thought in Ed's mind came to a screeching halt, and promptly slammed into each other with only one thought surviving…

URANIUM BOMB!

"And…" Mustang continued, walking at a slow pace, finally reaching the summit of the hill that seemed more like an endless staircase. When Ed and Al finally caught up with him, they were not so glad to see several Soviet combat planes lining the runway on the icy field. "How would you two like to be the first ones, other than myself, to witness this?" He asked, not so much as batting an eye at the Elrics as he casually walked over to one plane in particular. Reaching up with one hand he hooked his fingers around a lever and pulled down on it slightly making a quarter section of the plane pop open. Raising his other gloved hand he pulled the hatch up and out with a bit of difficulty as it was extremely heavy. Then he allowed it to fall to the side, making a hollow clang on the frozen ground.

Ed's eyes widened beyond normal capacity and he could have sworn that his jaw hit the ground. It wasn't completely visible as it was already loaded into one of their combat planes, but he knew the bomb's length was approximately three meters in length and 0.7 meters in diameter. This was unmistakably it, even with a few stray wires hanging on the outside. It was certainly a prototype, judging by the smell. Someone must have screwed around with the compound a bit too much or simply overdid the quantities.

The bomb itself was harmless, it was the main ingredient that made it so destructive: Uranium 235, a very hard, heavy, silvery, radioactive, chemical element commonly used in work with atomic energy, nuclear material and had the energy equivalent to about 12.5 tons of TNT, give or take a gram. Maximum temperature at burst point: several million degrees centigrade. A fireball could potentially expand to a fifteen meter radius in 0.1 millisecond with a temperature of 300,000 degrees centigrade, and expand to its maximum size in one more second. According to a chemical technician, the top of an atomic cloud reached an altitude of 17,000 meters.

The subjects of chemistry and physics, the stand-in for alchemy in this world.

Ed shook is head a few times, trying to dial down his scientific frame of mind for a moment. Still, his past research and prying into information on the bomb proved to be useful. It was lethal as it was fascinating to him, even though the path of destruction made his stomach sink lower than his feet. Even if the blast radius didn't kill enough, radioactive debris was deposited by 'black rain' and would fall heavily for over an hour in a wide area. Intense thermal heat emitted by the fireball could potentially cause severe burns, loss of eyesight and thermal burns of bare skin could occur as far as 3.5 kilometres from ground zero (directly below the burst point). People exposed to thermal rays within a one kilometre radius of ground zero would most likely die due to literally melting.

Damn these people, if even a handful of scientists know about it, why don't they try to stop it?

As the initial shock faded, he shifted his eyes towards Al who was likewise, wearing the same mortified expression. "I-it can't be, are you seeing this too, Al?"

Al nodded stiffly. "Yeah, I do, Nii-san… we finally found it."

Of course, there was still alternate Mustang and the rest of his battalion to deal with first.

"How and WHEN did you find this thing?" Ed asked, still wondering whether or not his eyes were a couple of fractious liars.

"I told you, a few of our elite spies picked it up." Mustang stated, his eyes lingering on the machinery, which to him was a gift from god. "The Nazis were careless… their foolish leader only desired more power, and our spies told us that they somehow opened a gate to another dimension." He stated in a tone that clearly spelled out that he had a hard time believing the tale to be true. "How about you? You two came from Germany, have you gotten wind of this?" His eyes searched both Elrics in tandem, awaiting an answer.

'Nice try…' Ed thought to himself crossly. 'But my old man was the reason the gate got opened in the first place. Funny how stories find a way of twisting themselves around to favour another.' Then he frowned. It seemed Eckart's path of conquest didn't go as discreetly as she had probably hoped. Ed sneered, as if that equally foolish woman cared about the repercussions, all she wanted was power, now she was long dead and didn't have to deal with the consequences of what other nations would do. His eyes got sight of Mustang's suspicious orbs that were now focused solely on him. Better say something, or anything. "Haven't the slightest clue on what your talking about." He shrugged, evening out his features. "There's no such thing as another dimension."

Mustang raised an eyebrow well into his hairline. Just how stupid did this kid think he was? "Don't act like you know nothing. There are rumours of this 'Shamballa' working its way through central and eastern Europe and along the Soviet borderline."

"What does it matter anyway?" Ed muttered, shifting his weight to one foot then back. "Germany didn't benefit from anything, so why the obsession?"

"We need the firepower." Mustang explained, surprising Ed. "Aren't you aware, kid? While this country hasn't seen any frontal assaults, our allies have…" He was sure his gaze was intense for the younger one shifted his eyes and tilted his head away from him. He even had the bratty one's full attention. He felt his heart begin to beat hard against his chest as the message he had just received before these two boys arrived replayed in his head. Britain had been hit hard, by yet another air raid. This would be the first big war he would take part in, and he was still feeling emotionally attached to each atrocity that he would be informed of. His own superior had told him it would fade, and once he got his hands dirty in the war, that would be what left him just as desensitized as the others.

Or what they would see all in good time, he was certain.

Ed blinked a few times, then tried to shake off Mustang's intimidating and unsettling expression. "So Britain is in trouble?" He asked, thinking of two certain people he feared the most for at the moment.

"They haven't been beaten, just caught off guard. Due to the great height of the Zeppelins during the attack, and because the gun and searchlight positions were ordered to remain covered, the attack was known as the 'Silent Raid.' Five airships were destroyed which was the biggest disaster suffered by the German Naval Airship."

"So, Britain was victorious then?" Ed asked, not at all liking where the conversation was leading in terms of who won which pointless war.

"Not quite. Britain is no longer impregnable because of the sea. It is now vulnerable by air. Not only are front line troops at risk, but also the ordinary man in the streets, and should Britain ever be forced into war again, then a new and more deadly war will be waged from the air with vast fleets of bombers pounding the towns and cities, killing thousands of civilians…" He narrowed his obsidian eyes menacingly, his mouth curled into a frown as he seemed to be recalling something. "But it's certainly far from the first time Britain has been plagued by air raids." His voice tinged with slight hostility.

"Gracia-san… Hughes-sama…" Al whispered hoarsely.

Ed turned to him, giving him the best grin he could muster. "Keep a good mind, Al."

"And now…" Mustang continued. "Now the Nazis have divided up their forces and are marching this way as we speak." At this, Ed froze. "But we're ready for them, and will bring the war up here if we have to, in order to stop them." He motioned towards the flat from which they came, where all their military equipment was located and combat vehicles parked.

Then it hit Ed like a ton of bricks and his eyes went impossibly wide. "You're planning to use the bomb to wipe Germany off the globe?!" From behind him, he heard Al's breath hitch in his throat and almost choke.

"Astute observation." Mustang turned his head, looking down at Al for a moment, before returning his gaze back to Ed. The look the younger of the two was giving him was odd. It was almost… disappointment? Whatever it was, it made him uncomfortable. "How else does one end a war? There is no other option then to create unrefutable proof that there will be no more uprisings like these.

Ed would have snorted but his mood was completely drawn to a blank. At the moment he wanted to berate himself for not catching on sooner. "What the hell gives you the right to decide who lives and who dies?" He asked, unknowingly portraying himself as a hypocrite. "So what if you have some all powerful weaponry? It doesn't mean that you can go unleashing it on anyone, you know!" He took a few heavy steps forward. This wasn't right, not just the destruction, but it was the words coming out of his mouth. He wasn't Roy Mustang, but hearing such blunt, crude words was somehow… unsettling.

Mustang reached into his pocket, feeling around. "You are aware that other nations will probably be building weaponry similar to this, right?" His eyes gleamed as his hand ran over the surface of what he was searching for. "So why not put an end to it now? If the enemy-"

"Tell me. Who exactly is considered the 'enemy' in a war like this?" Ed arrived mere inches in front of him, golden eyes narrowed menacingly as he glared up at him. He had the overwhelming impulse to want to cross his arms, but, well, his hands were still tied. "Do you realize how many civilian casualties -no not casualties- DEATHS! Don't you give a damn about how many innocent people's lives will be lost… y-you COLD-HEARTED BASTARD!" As much as he despised (or so he told himself) the Mustang in his world, there was one thing that Ed knew he wasn't, it was a war monger. So maybe if he pushed on that possible link between the two…

Brushing past him, Ed headed point blank towards the hole in the combat plane where the bomb was situated as the rest of Mustang's soldiers either pulled out their rifles or awaited the General's orders while staring at Ed for the longest time, wondering what the hell was going through that idiot's mind. Meanwhile, Al answered his own silent question from earlier, concluding to himself that his brother's plan was indeed rash and somewhat suicidal. "If you don't get rid of this thing now…" With some difficulty, he raised his bound hands enough to grip the exterior wires on the bomb.

Immediately, a few soldiers leapt forward, but Mustang held up his hand once more so they backed off, though a bit more hesitant. Lowering his hands, thinking that he finally just scored the upper hand, Ed let out a sigh as well as a partial victory grin. What he didn't plan on was hearing a loading click right next to his eardrum and an icy barrel being pressed flush against the side of his head again. He heard his brother cry out so he threw him a look, telling him to sit tight.

"That would have been foolish on your part. There are several wires exposed and only the breakage of one will turn the bomb into a dud, while a few others could make it blow up instantaneously. Tell me, do you know which wire it is?" Ed glowered up at him, obviously having no real clue other than taking a random guess. "I didn't think so." In one swift motion, he grabbed Ed by the collar and roughly shoved him into Al who was quick to break his fall.

"Look, dipshit…" Ed pushed himself back up so he was sitting in front of Al. "How would you feel if someone came to you one day and told you that a family member or friend had been killed on the battlefield or even for just participating in the war effort?"

"I won't have to worry about that." He stated in an odd tone. "I don't have anyone to look out for. The only thing that matters is that we are successful in this war. The Nazis are systematically trying to strangle Britain into submission by targeting industrial cities, munitions factories, army camps, as well as bombing supply ships. Still think we're in the wrong?"

"You're talking about the devastation of an entire population!"

Mustang's profile remained unfazed. "If it means that we're victorious, we'll do whatever it takes."

Strangely, Ed's eyes dulled to a rusted gold as the fleeting memory of a precious old friend resurfaced in his mind as well as other morbid memories. "Then maybe when a lone child half-dead from starvation comes crawling to your doorstep begging you to tell them where their parents are… then maybe you'll understand…" He whispered so darkly and bitterly it sounded foreign to him. Al hung his head, remembering the same type of atrocities they had witnessed back in Shamballa.

Mustang's mouth fell open and his grip around the pistol loosened, but not so much as to drop it. His arm fell to his side as a few images flashed through his mind. He had been involved in minor battles with neighbouring countries for control over where the borderlines should be situated, and he had seen some gloomy and disgustingly graphic sights, but… never a child. Being forced to kill with weaponry was one thing, but even the thought of unleashing such a powerful weapon was frightening as it was unknown. Like opening a Pandora's box…

The area fell into a pristine silence as an icy gust filled the summit, numbing each occupant to the bone, but not even the soldiers were crazy enough to intervene.

Light shuffling caused Ed to slowly lift his head as his eyes widened seeing Mustang pointing the gun towards him, though his features betrayed his true intent. Time seemed to stand still as he slowly moved the direction the barrel was targeting until it was it was facing point blank at the bomb, still exposed in the missile duct of the plane, while keeping his eyes firmly set on the Elrics.

… when the obvious finally caught up with Ed.

"ARE YOU INSANE, YOU LUNATIC?! THAT THING IS HIGHLY REACTIVE AND THE SLIGHTEST SPARK COULD BLOW US ALL TO VALHALLA!"

Then the sickening sound of a bullet discharge echoed throughout the empty area as Ed, Al and even the soldiers dove head first into the snow, covering the back of their heads while Mustang remained motionless. A moment or so passed before Ed finally loosed his grip on his own head and cautiously lifted his face out of the snow to confirm that the world, or at least the area was still intact. On top of that, there was Mustang, smirking like an egotistic moron.

He just thinks he's so cunning.

Sitting up on his knees, Ed's eyes wandered over towards the bomb, staring at it disbelievingly as a plain yellow wire was severed in half as the others escaped perfectly unscathed and in mint condition.

Oh, of all the dumb luck, once in a lifetime, unlikely odds of probability…

He heard Al chuckle from his side. "Well, looks like Mus- er, look alike- has shown you up again, huh Nii-san?"

"Shut it, Al."

Before either brothers realized it, Mustang was standing above them, still wearing that damned smirk. Crouching down to their level he reached into the pouch looped onto his belt and pulled out a small knife. Ed watched him carefully as he moved behind him and in one fluid motion, cut the ropes around his wrist.

Ed brought his wrists in front of his face, grimacing at the rope burns and small cuts they had left before flexing them in small circles, stretching out the tendons. "It seems we have come to an understanding." He heard Mustang say.

An evil glint took over Ed's eyes as he reached into the sleeve of his jacket and pulled out an equally small razor. "Gee, it's been wonderful chatting and all, but we really should be heading back." The flare in his eyes grew to the point that it looked like he was inaudibly cackling as he cut Al's restraints while he just grinned up at his older brother knowingly.

Mustang certainly hadn't seen this coming. "What the-"

"Oh, come on! You honestly think you could have kept us here if we really didn't want to stay? See ya around… well, hopefully not!" Ed shouted over his shoulder as the two boys tore down the hill.

The Sergeant quickly came to the General's side, following his gaze towards the retreating boys. "(Don't worry, sir. We'll catch those boys and teach them a lesson)." He picked up his rifle and took a few steps in pursuit until a sigh from his superior halted his movements.

"(Let them go, Sergeant)."

To the poor Sergeant, it felt as if his collar was one size too small and wanted to pull at it in nervousness, but restrained himself from the act. He had never seen this look on his superior's face before. It was a bit unsettling, even if he didn't lead on that way. Those two boys, or better yet the snippy blonde had awoken some morbid memories for him, that was for sure. Still, they couldn't let the boys off the hook. "(But, General. They've been exposed to a top secret military project, and protocol says that they are to be executed on the spot or remain with us at all times until our emperor decides a more fitting punishment for them)."

Mustang turned his menacing stare on the soldier, shutting him up immediately. "(Are you questioning the orders of your superior, Sergeant? I said let them go)."

The Sergeant sighed, turning his attention to the boys' forms which were just reaching the bottom of the hill and almost out of sight. "(Very well, sir)." He complied, finally giving in. At the moment he couldn't distinguish whether or not his superior was having a large-scale problem with illicit drug use.


"My goodness, are you boys alright?"

Trisha regarded the two boys in front of her, metallic eyes smouldering with worry. Ed's bangs and a few other parts of his hair were frozen solid and a small stream of blood had dried over the entire right side of his face. Al laughed a bit sheepishly, unconsciously tugging on his grey jacket causing some icicles that somehow ended up inside his shirt to slide out and break on the wooden floor. They looked like they had either fallen in about a dozen snow banks or they were out making snow angels.

Well, maybe not snow angels.

She placed the dish she had been polishing and washcloth aside. "Better get the medical supplies… again." She gave them a smile while smoothing out her dress before going to do just that.

"And the ailments!" Al called, pointing to the gradually infecting laceration across Ed's forehead.

Making their way over to the couch both boys collapsed, completely drained, though Ed still had enough energy to notice that the place was strangely sparse-looking, but not enough to let his mind linger on it. He glanced to his left to see that Al's eyes were glazed over and troubled.

"What's on your mind, Al?"

He sighed and turned his head slightly to face him. "I was just thinking about what the Russian Mustang said, with the war and all that's going on… what will happen to Trisha?"

Ed stiffened. Of course he hadn't forgotten about her. She was so kind to them, even though he hadn't even told her his name yet, for obvious reasons, but she never brought it up once. Maybe she understood the underlying clause, just not the whole truth.

Al looked up at his brother tonguing his cheek deep in thought. "And there will definitely be a war, Nii-san…" He stated quietly. "And it might come here… near Trisha-san. She won't be safe and she might even get caught in the middle of it and…" He just couldn't bring himself to utter the last few words.

Before Ed could even register what he was doing, despite the throbbing pain in his muscles he stood and began walking towards the door where Trisha was just re-entering with her medical kit. He wasn't sure why he did it, maybe it was because she wore the face of one of many who seem to haunt his dreams, or maybe even the soul of his alter was having a supernatural effect on him. "Trisha…" He finally managed to say her name, which startled her. "You and I both know that the war is going to get worse from here out. I know it's difficult for you, but please come with Al and I so we can take you some place safe… or safer at least."

Trisha remained anchored to the spot as she quietly listened, staring into those eyes she remembered so well while the same things floated through her mind. After a minute she nodded in understanding before turning towards the kitchen again to grab some ointment for their cuts.

Al's eyes followed his brother as he came back to sit beside him. For some reason he wasn't surprised at Ed's action, until a problem arose in his mind. "But where can we take her?"

A light smile tugged at the corner of Ed's mouth as his features softened. "We'll have to make a long trip out of our way, but I know someone who would be more than willing to take her in…"

The next morning, Al helped Trisha carry out her suitcase with a few belongings she couldn't part with while Ed had his own suitcase and Trisha carried a single wicker basket filled with sandwiches, juice and a homemade cake for them. Al was ecstatic when Ed told him where they were going to take Trisha, but it required them to return to Germany which brought up one problem.

How?

"I could always steal one of the Russian Mustang's planes and fly us there." Ed offered, acting like it was flawless.

Al waved his arms rapidly and shuddered. "Oh yeah, and we all saw so clearly what a good flyer you are when you nearly crashed into Winry-chan, Scieszka-sama, and I."

Ed halted, glaring over at him. "It wasn't MY fault! You guys shouldn't have been standing out in the open like that. There was a WAR going on after all."

Al tightened his grip around the suitcase handle. "AND another thing… wait, where's Trisha-san?"

They both froze when they realized they had lost track of her, but relaxed when they saw her talking in Russian to an elderly man with an export vehicle filled with crops. Which was already weird to them. They watched as the squinting old man smiled up at her, nodding every so often to her words until he turned and climbed into the driver's side and Trisha walked over to them.

"That was Mr. Tarasov, an old friend of mine." She explained. "He delivers livestock and produce to neighbouring countries the old-fashioned way that include some near Germany this time, and he's willing to give us a ride if you don't mind the long trip." Ed and Al exchanged a look before nodding. After all, what other options did they have?


Ed had his hands dug deeply inside the pockets of his overcoat as his eyes scanned the area, trying to figure out some way to gain safe passage to Britain. They were at another small port city close to the border, but as expected, the soldiers held a tight security here as well. "Is everything alright?" A soft voice he had already grown to adore asked from behind him.

Turning to face her, he noticed that when the sunlight hit Trisha's eyes in a certain way they would shimmer a soft green, just like their mom's, and even Sloth's.

Sloth… at first he thought that the sin of 'sloth' being symbolized by water was ridiculous. Then again, there were qualities of which their mother had possessed that could've been symbolized by water. Her strides were as graceful like the gentle, rolling waves and she radiated like the setting sun's reflection off the surface. Yet water could be merciless on those nights when a fierce storm would set in and waters' once calm demeanour would change on the flip of a coin and turn to dismal and murky. Perhaps that stood for the grief and possible anger hidden within their mom's mind as a result of their father's departure followed by the death of her best friend and her husband. Then come daybreak, the turbulence would disappear and be concealed once again by waters' deceitful appearance.

In that particular case, their mother's beautiful and warm smile. That was probably what was most unsettling about that homunculus, but that's just what she was.

"Nii-san!"

Al's call brought him out of his thoughts and he turned just to see him arrive a few feet in front of him, bent over with his palms bracing his knees as he caught his breath. "What is it, Al?"

He lifted his head up and pointed to the direction from which he came. "You'll never believe who I found down at the docks and says he'll help us get to Britain." Ed raised his eyebrow as he followed behind Al down the alleyway with Trisha close in tow.

It was him again, whatever you want to call him. That Jase character, or Greed's drunk alter. Depending on how one perceived him. Except he was sober at least, judging by the way he greeted them like a civilized human being. "So how have things been going with you?" Ed asked, slightly interested for once. "Find any good work lately?"

Jase grinned and pointed to himself. "Not really, I'm still tracking down that Loch Ness monster you showed me."

Well, so much for interesting.

Al's face contorted in amusement before turning to Ed. "Nii-san, you better set that guy straight." He chuckled.

Ed grinned. "Ah, let him believe it. He doesn't need to know that it was just Envy, not that he would know what that meant." Al chuckled again and Ed gave him a questioning look. "What's so funny?"

Al waved his arms around. "Oh, nothing at all, Nii-san." Well for starters, no one had ever referred to the diabolic homunculus as 'just Envy.' Usually when his name was spoken one would think that it was followed by running and screaming, be the topic for those scary stories you would tell around a campfire and the monster that would appear in little kid's nightmares.

Yup, that seems just about right.

Ed turned to Jase who was giving Trisha a funny look, as if trying to place her face. "So, did you tell Al that you could help us?"

He tore his gaze away from Trisha, feeling a swell of guilt well up in his gut. "Yeah, I know a travelling merchant who just came back into town recently. His next jaunt -so to speak- is to Britain, and I'm sure he'd like to help ya guys out. He hates this whole war thing just as much as us."

Ed narrowed his eyes, though there was more worry in his expression. "Alright, but shouldn't I go with you?"

Al gave his brother a quizzical look. "What's wrong, Nii-san?"

Jase waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry, it's not like I'll be a lone Soviet man begging for passage. I've got connections, you see." With that he turned on his heal and disappeared around a bend before Ed could protest further.


"Have you seen, uh what was that man's name, Jase was it?"

Ed snapped out of his train of thought and tilted his head towards Trisha. "Yeah and no; he still hasn't returned."

Al glanced past the two and straightened seeing a familiar face rounding the corner. "Wait, here he comes now… Jase! Over here!"

Jase weaved his way over to them, careful not to be seen by the passing soldiers. "Hoo! Things with the military sure are heating up around here, you'd better be careful."

Ed nodded. "How are things on your end?"

Jase grinned. "Everything's set. All you need to do is sneak down to the harbour. You'll be met there by a man with a dusty cloak. He'll take you directly to where you need to go. He's a merchant you can trust. I've explained your situation to him, and he's willing to help. If you can reach his ship without being spotted, he'll take care of everything and deliver you to the southernmost port of Great Britain. From there, you're on your own."

Al adjusted his grip on Trisha's suitcase as he had the feeling that running would be involved. "Jase, aren't you coming too?"

Jase's mouth upturned into a frown. "I was planning on it, to get away from all these military laws and crap, but… I'll stay behind and see what's going on."

"So you would rather get beaten to a bloodied pulp then defend yourself?" Ed crossed his arms over his chest.

Jase knitted his brows together in slight irritation. "Ah, Ed. What would you have me do? Germany and the Soviet Union have signed a treaty stating that neither side will attack. We know it won't stand, but why should it be my side that strikes first?"

"Well, I'm not on either side, so it doesn't apply to me."

"Ed! If they see me with you, they'll think we're allies. If you strike it wouldn't be any different if I hurt these soldiers."

"And it will only lead to more bad blood." They heard Trisha add in the background.

Ed let out a frustrated sigh. "So basically what you're saying is that we should sneak to the port unnoticed by the German soldiers and leave the town's militia alone while you act as a distraction?"

Jase's mouth twisted into a smile. "Exactly."

"Fine, but if things get out of hand, heads will roll." Ed called over his shoulder as he grabbed both Al and Trisha by the arms, pulling them towards the harbour at an mind boggling pace.

Jase's eyes widened, though more pissed off that he didn't get in the last word. "Wait, Ed! Now that's not gonna do us any good." He crossed his arms over his chest as he waited for them to meet up with the sailor, paying no mind to the few soldiers coming his way. That was until he saw them board before turning to the soldiers, grinning rather maniacally. "Alright, time to play cat and mouse will these guys and hightail it back to Geoff's place." He stated out loud before charging at the soldiers, practically running them over as he leaped over the fence and moved to get as far away from the town as possible while successfully avoiding the poorly aimed gunshots from the dazed soldiers on the ground who were still trying to untangle themselves.


Ed stood with his arms loosely folded and his right foot crossed over the other as he regarded his brother from around a corner, careful not to disturb him. Ed kept his eyes tightly closed as he raised his left hand placing his agile fingers on either side of his temple. But no matter how much he gently rubbed the throbbing ache it seemed there was nothing he could do to relieve the tension within.

Or better yet the tension which seemed to almost be permeating from Al's presence. His little brother was leaning over the rail of the small ship with his arms folded underneath his chin as he gazed solemnly downwards into infinite blue waters. Golden-coloured eyes opened as he dropped both of his hands to his sides and carefully and quietly walked up behind his brother, smiling weakly at the back of Al's head as if he could see him.

He was homesick again.

Coming up beside his brother, Ed gripped onto the iron balcony and pulled himself down while folding his arms underneath his chin, copying his exact posture "Hey, Al. What's up?" He asked casually, flashing him a wide grin.

Al turned his head slightly, but his eyes continued the rest of the movement in order to acknowledge him. "I'm fine, Nii-san. How 'bout you?"

Ed's fake grin widened even more. "I'm doing just great!" He replied a bit too enthusiastically. The charade soon fell from his face as Al turned his back to the passing waves. "Are you sure, Al?" His tone was serious and more intent this time.

Al let go of the sandy locks as he sighed leaning his head backwards so he was looking up at he sky and not the ocean, which was starting to make him a bit nauseous. He closed his eyes setting the back of his palm on her forehead hoping to will away the sick feeling of loneliness in his stomach. He had to get on with his life no matter what the cost. Besides, he still had his older brother whom he simply adored, not that he'll ever tell him that. "I'm sure, Nii-san." He whispered softly, more to himself than his brother's sake, already assuming that he wouldn't buy it.

Ed just watched as a single tear fell down his cheek. Despite that his brother was extremely kind-hearted and a bit too sensitive, he rarely cried. His silver eyes, almost icy at the worst of times, were filled with quiet strength just waiting to spring forth in a few years. He hadn't grieved like this since their mother's passing. Of course, that was because he had been a soul trapped in a suit of armour for so many years, unable to feel emotions full on. Instead he stayed in the background, living through perpetual silence as he watched time move forward without him. As seasons came and went as did his memories the longer he was separated from his body and could do nothing to prevent it.

Regardless, he'd come into himself one day, and Ed would push him towards that goal harder than anyone else he had ever tried moving forward.

"Nii-san… do you still think about Resembool, and W-Winry?" He choked out the last part.

Oi… not this again.

Ed let out a sigh of defeat, knowing there was no way to escape this conversation. He never could before, so why would it start now? "Sure I do. I'm also positive that everyone's doing just fine." He tried making it as quick as possible. They did have bigger problems to tangle with at the time after all.

Liar. Al frowned, it's not like Ed knew that he knew about his 'Winry zone' nights, which had steadily become less as of late. But they had not dissipated entirely. It was close to Autumn now, he couldn't believe that it had almost been two years since his own arrival on Earth, but time doesn't lie. The days were also becoming much colder, though after being in Russia for almost a month it felt like they were in the middle of a pineapple express. Al found himself naturally wondering if Winry, Auntie Pinako and Den were keeping warm and had plenty of firewood… well, he was sure that Armstrong would take care of that for them.

A silver glint caught Al's eye so he glanced over to see what was shining so brilliantly. "I thought you lost that." He stated, nodding towards Ed's pocket watch. When he brought it out and why, Al couldn't begin to fathom.

"No, but I don't keep it clipped to my belt anymore. After all, I'm not a state alchemist anymore." Ed stated, flipping open the lid, not missing the fact that Al smiled slightly at the last part. "Besides, the clock is broken. Probably got damaged from hitting the ground so much. I'm surprised it lasted this long." Ed chuckled slightly, remembering the many times he was unceremoniously thrown against walls and whatnot in his younger years.

"So, why do you still have it?" Al asked, partially noticing some writing etched into the inside of the lid, but before he could get a better look Ed snapped it closed.

"I'd rather not say…" Ed's eyebrows creased as he replaced it back into the pocket of his slacks. As Al opened his mouth to pry as usual, Ed quickly pushed himself off the rail and stretched his arms. "What do you say we go find Trisha and raid her basket? I bet she has a ton of food for us." He laughed as he grabbed Al by the sleeve and started pulling him in the direction he had seen Trisha go earlier, effectively cutting off anything Al had wanted to say.


Ed took one step onto the fairly recently made wooden pier that stretched far out of the immediate cove and a little way beyond into much deeper water so that the larger boats could still moor at the very edge. He took another step, and scanned the vicinity around him before motioning for Al and Trisha to follow him. It was around midnight, but an intense glare blinded Ed as they made there way towards a few small shops bordering the land side of the docks. He could see retro jeeps and boats beside the pier, and two watchtowers to either side of it that were responsible for the intense light.

Al and Trisha stood to one side as Ed approached a man wearing what looked to be a policeman's uniform who was watching over some workers loading wooden crates into the cargo hold of one of the aging ships. Al raised an eyebrow when it became apparent that he was asking for directions. Since when did Ed ask for directions? Something the man said to Ed made him grin as he turned around and headed back towards them.

"What was that all about?" Al asked.

A mischievous glint took over Ed's eyes as he turned around and started towards a back alley. "You'll see soon enough, Al." He stated as Al and Trisha followed closely behind.

"Oh, Ed, Al! How wonderful it is to see you two again."

Gracia smiled cheerfully at them as Ed grinned while rubbing the back of his head and Al bowed slightly. "And it seems you've brought a new friend." She stated motioning towards Trisha who was standing a bit behind Ed. "Very nice to meet you, my name is Gracia Hughes." She extended her hand towards Trisha.

Trisha brightly smiled in return before accepting the gesture. "The pleasure's all mine. It's Trisha by the way."

Ed turned to Gracia, placing his hands on his hips. "Hughes?" He inquired with a sly little grin.

Gracia nodded and smiled. "Yes, it's true. Maes and I got married."

Al of course beamed. "That's great, Gracia-san! I'm so happy for you! By the way…" Al's face calmed as he looked around Gracia. "Where's Hughes-sama?"

"Do I hear VIP guests?" As if one cue, Hughes came to the door placing a kiss on his new wife's cheek causing Al to blush like crazy and Ed to roll his eyes. "Hey Ed, Al, you guys made it, and you've brought a pretty lady with you." He stated walking over to them and pulling them both into a simultaneous embrace.

"Uh, yeah…" Ed pulled Hughes's arm off of him and straightened his collar. "That's why we're here." He glanced quickly to the side at Trisha to see if she had anything to add, taking her weak smile as a no, he turned his attention back to Hughes and launched into the story and his request.

Hughes listened intently to his plight until he finished, before grinning and placing a hand on Ed's shoulder to put him at ease. "Of course she can stay here with us. The more the merrier I say." He stated while he placed his other hand on Al's shoulder and pulled them inside while Gracia engaged Trisha in a conversation.

"Excuse the mess, but Gracia is a bit pretentious about her flowers and insists on having them in the house." Hughes lightly chuckled earning himself a glare from his wife.

"Gracia owns a flower shop here too?" Al asked.

"Yup, not much has changed. I'm still an officer as well." Hughes stated, pulling the suitcases out of Ed and Al's hands and placed them next to the staircase to the second level while Gracia took Trisha's picnic basket for her. "I got a job as an officer here too. Can't ignore a man with an excellent track record."

Ed smirked. "I figured you would. An officer down at the pier told me where I could find you."

Al glanced over at his brother. 'So that's what he was up to…'

"Feel free to stay as long as you'd like." Gracia spoke up. "We're doing fairly well, so don't worry about the expenses. Just as a heads up, don't be surprised if a girl shows up later tonight. She's been living with us for a few weeks now." She followed Hughes as he went to sit in a lounge chair near the fireplace and rested on the arm of it.

"You guys are looking after someone else?" Al asked, as he and Trisha sat down in the couch across from them while Ed remained in the doorway looking around.

"Yeah, her and one other. They share the room at the end of the hallway upstairs." Hughes added, then glanced over at Ed giving him a cheeky grin. "Actually, she's about your age, Ed. I bet you'd like her, she's spunky like you and quite adorable too." He laughed as Ed scowled while a faint blush materialized on his face. "Well, you three are probably tired, you should head up to bed. We'll catch up tomorrow." Hughes went over to grab their bags as Gracia stood.

"Come, I'll show you three to your rooms." She offered as they followed her to the second level.


Ed sighed while unpacking his belongings. It was already a long day and the fact that Hughes wanted them to stay awhile wasn't helping. His ears picked up on the soft clicking sound from a woman's heals gradually coming closer to his door, but he didn't pay it any mind, figuring that it was just Gracia coming back to see if he needed anything…

"Miss. Gracia? Mr. Hughes? Are you in here…?"

Ed looked up at the sound of the familiar, melodic voice that made his very soul feel at peace. Like every burden he ever carried had been washed away. A delicate hand gently grasped the brass doorknob to the room he was currently occupying, pushing it open as it had only been partially closed before. Then a young woman emerged, carrying a small bag in one hand and a box precariously balanced in the crook of her other arm.

No, more like an angel.

"Anyone?" She called a little louder, setting the purse on the floor as her eyes scanned the room until they fell on Ed, who looked about ready to keel over.

"… Winry?"

Those blue eyes seemed duller on this girl then he remembered them being on the girl he once knew for so long. Her eyes narrowed for a sliver of a second before widening as recognition crossed her always so pretty face. "Ed… ward?"

Damn, not this again. Someone else who knew his alter, and now he was having to pay for it. Now as expected she would probably…

Yup, she was backing away from him, almost dropping the box in the process, purse completely forgotten on the floor. Yet for some reason his heartbeat began to pound hard against his ribcage as she turned away from him. Her eyes showed fear; fear towards him. An image he never ever wanted to see in that particular shade of blue.

It was always her eyes with him, those bottomless sapphire orbs that seemed to reach just as deep as the ocean itself. Eye colour could be explained by science, but why her eyes in particular were so rich, pure and seemed to hold the answers to anything he had ever wanted to know… he would never understand that.

Blinking once, he saw a silhouette of her form disappear around the doorframe. "Uh… wait!" Ed called out as he followed her steps to the doorway, only to find that she was already gone. Leaning heavily against the frame, his golden eyes became distant as he stared down the hallway at nothing in particular. Despite the fact that he was inside, he felt a dark chilly wind brush past as he tilted his head towards the ceiling wondering why his heart hurt so much.

At that moment, Al came around the corner from the other side of the corridor and headed towards him. "Nii-san, what's wrong?" He asked worriedly, watching as Ed's eyes gradually came back into focus.

Ed weakly smiled at him while shaking his head. "It's nothing, Al."

While all Al could do was puzzle over his brother's eerily serene, almost spiritual expression, Ed gazed up towards the ceiling once more. Well, through it towards the unknown spectator who seemed to enjoy creating infinite obstacles in his life.

'What more can you do to me?'


Disclaimer: If I could own one thing in FMA it would have to be Ed's pocket watch. Yes, just the watch, not him attached or anything. So shiny… precious.

Belle: Good grief.

Salina: By the way, I should've done this last chapter, so here goes…

"(…)" Means that's the translation of a different language being spoken. This is an English story after all, so I can't go buck wild with the languages now can I?

One last thing before I let you guys go. I major in chemistry and physics so that's why I had all that junk about the bomb memorized… yup, that's all.