X The Truth

When Allen woke up he was pretty confused. Part of it was why Ed knocked him out in the first place, and part of it was that he had no idea where he was. He could tell that it was morning now since the sun was practically shining in his face, and the house he was in also looked pretty familiar. He saw that his uniform was hanging over a chair, and when he looked out the window he saw that he was somewhere in the country, but where exactly was he?

Hearing some voices he walked down the hall, but stopped when he caught a glimpse of Ed and Winry snogging in the kitchen. Not wanting to disturb them he quietly went back to the guest room before they noticed him. It reminding him of a bad experience when he was still training under Cross. He had accidentally walked in on him and one of his girlfriends, and he had gotten scarred for life. He shivered at that memory, but was glad he now knew where he was.

But why did Ed bring me to Resembool again?

It still didn't make sense. So much was going on now. Crosses' disappearance (again), finding out that he was the 14th, and now this war with Amestris.

"Oh, you're up"

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't hear Ed come in.

"Yeah"

What was he supposed to say? There were many things he wanted to ask him, but he didn't really know where to start.

"We need to do something about your hair"

Allen blinked. What was wrong with his hair?

"My...Hair?"

"Not many people have white hair, it'll stands out to much here"

He breathed a short sigh of relief. He thought he was gonna cut it off or something. After that little incident with the science department resulting in his hair temporarily growing long he realized he actually kind of liked having long hair, so he grew it out.

"So what are we gonna do about it?"

"Alchemy"

Ed had gotten a large bowl and filled it with water, then put it down and clapped his hands together.

"Let me see your hair for a sec"

Allen nodded, and Ed gently grabbed the end of his ponytail and dipped it into the water. At first nothing happened, but then Ed stuck his hand into the water and used alchemy to dye Allen's hair his natural dark brown.

"It's only temporary, you can wash it out later"

Allen nodded, and looked at his reflection in a mirror ignoring what looked like a shadowy figure standing behind him. He had gotten used to having white hair it was weird seeing it brown again.

"So, uh...You and Winry?"

Just mentioning that made Ed turn bright red.

"O-Oh you saw that?"

"Yeah..."

The two had actually been dating for a while, after they confessed their feelings of course.

It happened the same day Ed had sent Allen and Lavi home. Pinako was out doing errands, and Al wasn't around either leaving the two teens completely alone. It was really quiet and awkward, and even though they had known each other for years they had never been completely alone. Ed was getting tired of the silence, so he decided to say something.

"Winry..." he began softly.

"I-I really have missed you...You know that, right?"

Winry flinched, but nodded.

"Yeah... Yeah, me too. Sorry if I seem crabby and all, I just.. I don't know."

She sighed, rubbing her temples. The mechanic took off her headband and let it drop to the floor, letting her hair drift in front of her eyes and down her back.

"Grandma said to tell you to drink more milk when I see you next," She remarked, but her usual gusto just was out of it today.

He rolled his eyes at the milk comment.

"Yeah well tell her it's still not gonna happen and that I've grown a lot without it."

"Allen said you stare at me." She complained, shooting a quick glance at Edward before facing the door again.

He turned bright red when she mentioned that.

"Um, well I uh-"

Was it really that obvious? He did sometimes, but not in a perverted way or anything. Although he did have some trouble keeping his eyes straight whenever she was in her work clothes, but he blamed his hormones for that. He just wasn't sure what to say to her now.

"Maybe just a little..." he finally admitted looking at the floor.

"But hey I know you always stare at me when I'm shirtless"

"Am I looking at you right now!" Winry snapped, and then she realized she was letting him see her face, which was painted a coat of blush.

She sighed and looked down at the floor.

"You really are an idiot sometimes..." She growled, sitting in an awkward way.

She started to ramble softly to him, more for her own venting.

"Do you ever have any idea how much you worry the hell out of me? I wish that sometimes you'd just..." She wouldn't finish that statement.

He sighed as he sat down next to her, but kept some personal space between them.

"I know Winry, I know...That's why I'm being more careful these days, I'm not as reckless as I used to be ya'know"

It was the truth. Ever since that incident with Envy two years ago he had been more careful. It was like a wake up call to him.

"Besides Winry, you and I both know I'm to suborn to die young" he joked.

She nodded, and rested her head on his shoulder, deciding that things needed change.

"I just wish you'd stop fighting altogether. Al already got his body back, and.. I'm stupid."

She sighed, and blush started to fade a little. The mechanic let out a huff of frustration and her hand collided with the back of Ed's head.

"Your still a dimwit, though."

"Oh gee thanks" he said sarcastically.

He sighed again and rested his head against the wall.

"I know how you feel Winry, and I don't really care about getting my limbs back anymore, but when I think of that journey we had I think about all the people we helped. Plus there might still be some homunculi out there that we don't know about, or people that are doing bad things with alchemy that need to be stopped. That's why I chose to remain a state alchemist"

Winry shook her head and got up abruptly, anger sizzling off of her in waves.

"You really are a moron. There are other people other than complete strangers that need you around, sometimes." She growled, leaving the room.

What Edward didn't see, was that she was crying. He was always so sad, that it made her so angry that he could care so much for others and not even realize that Winry was always waiting for him to come back home, to be there, but he just never came.

"Winry wait!"

He had caught a brief glimpse of her face as she had left, and he hated himself for making her cry again. He quickly caught up to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry Winry, I really am. Winry...I never stopped thinking about you on our journey, and when I was in Germany I wanted to come home so I could see you again."

Then he took a deep breath and pulled her into a hug.

"I love you Winry, I always have, and I always will."

She was startled into silence as she was hugged by Edward, Ed the short, Ed the annoying, Ed the friend... There were so many things running through her head right now that she just cried into his shoulder, putting her arms around his neck and hugging him back.

"You idiot..." She still mumbled, but they both just stood there

Ed softly rubbed her back as a way of trying to comfort her. He really didn't know what else to say right now, it had taken some guts just to get that all out.

"It's ok" he said softly to her trying to comfort her some more.

"You told her I stared at her?"

"Uh..."

Ed sighed and shook his head as he dumped the water from the bowl down the sink. Allen gulped nervously, and decided it was time to ask him.

"Ed-

"I know, but I'm going to ask you again: Are you sure you want to know?"

Ed knew it was going to be a rude awakening for him.

"Yes"

"...Alright"

He tossed Allen his old brown trench coat knowing it was cold outside, then slipped on his red one.

"But how did you get out of the battlefield and get me here?"

"Sorry Allen" he apologized after knocking him out.

After the explosions finally stopped he gently dragged Allen out of the tunnel before picking him up. He was a bit heavier than he thought he would be, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. Mustang had really done some damage to the city, but he tried not to look at it. He knew from experience that war brought some nasty sights that were better left unseen.

When he got near the Amestrian military camp he hid Allen in the bushes so no one would see him, then took out his pocket knife and transmuted it into a screw driver. He slipped off his military jacket, then undid a few vital screws in his arm. He placed them in his pocket, then his arm went limp. He knew Winry would kill him if she knew he purposely broke his arm, but he would put the screws back in later. She wouldn't never know, and it wouldn't hurt her either.

"Uh, sir?" he said when he found one of the higher generals.

"Yes FullMetal?"

"I have a bit of a problem..." he said as he pointed to his automail.

The General frowned and examined his arm.

"You can't move it at all?"

"No sir. I can't fight like this either, I need to go back to Resembool for repairs."

"Alright then. You have three days, then you're back on the field."

"Thank you sir"

"Then I just pulled you through the gate when no one was looking"

"So you permanently opened it?"

That explained how all the soldiers were able to get through.

"That right there's been a pain in the ass"

Since he was the only alchemist that knew so much about it Hakuro made him open the gate on both sides, which wasn't easy. Opening it one side was, but then he had to jump through and drew the circle to keep it open before it closed. Plus the Truth wasn't being really cooperative, but apparently he couldn't take stuff for no reason, and Ed guessed it was only Human Transmutation or a rebound.

"Come on, I'll explain everything else on the way"

"Where are we going?"

"Central. We're gonna pay a visit to him"

Allen raised an eyebrow.

Him?

He had heard Ed say the same thing when he was talking to Izumi, but he had no idea what he meant by it. He shrugged and figured he would find out anyway. They both said goodbye to Winry, then headed towards the train station. Allen really liked this place, it was calm and quiet, and most of all peaceful. He walked slowly behind Ed taking everything in again as he went. He knew he probably wasn't going to come back here again, so he wanted to remember it.

"Hey do you mind if we make a quick stop first? We've got some time until the train leaves anyway"

"Uh, yeah sure"

It was then that he noticed that they were in front of the cemetery, and he was also carrying some flowers. He followed Ed into the cemetery and up the hill where they stopped at a particular grave.

Trisha Elric

1878-1909

"You're mom?"

"Yeah" he said as he put laid the flowers on her grave.

"With the war going on I haven't been able to come see her lately, and I've only got two more days until they shove me back out there..."

Allen nodded. He understood what he meant. Anyone could die out on the battlefield, and he didn't have a choice to fight.

"I just wish I could've buried Dad next to her..."

Then he noticed that Ed seemed to be looking towards the burnt ruins of a house on another hill.

"What happened there?"

"That's the old family home. I burned down myself so that I would move on"

Then they heard a train whistle from the station.

"Crap! That's our train!"

They both barely made it in time, and were exhausted from all the running so they practically collapsed in their seats.

"That was close..."

Allen nodded in agreement and leaned back. There was only a few people on the train, and they were either far away or occupied by something so he decided it was ok to talk to him.

"Ed...I heard what you and your teacher were talking about"

His eyes widened, but then he calmed down and they softened.

"So it really is true then? Is that why they started this war? To make alchemy stronger?"

"That's part of it..."

Allen clenched his fist with anger. He suddenly hated the people who ran this country, they started a war just so people could die!

"Then what's the rest of it? Does it have to do with what else you found out?"

"Yes..."

"Then, what was it?"

"You'll find out soon enough"

Allen nodded glad he got most of his questions answered, but one still remained: Why did Ed bring him here?

"Man those seats are uncomfortable" Ed complained as they got off at Central.

Allen couldn't help nodding in agreement. Ever since he joined the order he had always traveled in the first class part of trains, and had gotten used to it.

"So where's this guy that we have to see?"

"Underground city, and if anyone asks you anything let me handle it"

Allen nodded figuring he had a cover story all figured out, and he hoped they didn't get separated. They went to one of the entrances to the underground city, and Allen stiffened when it was guarded by two soldiers, but Ed just flashed his pocket watch and they let them in with no questions asked. Then they came to an area that was also guarded with soldiers, but this one was different.

There was a large transmutation circle drawn on the floor with chalk, and Allen recognized it as the same one Ed used to send him and Lavi back to England, and sure enough the gate was there too. The two soldiers saluted Ed on sight, and raised an eyebrow at Allen, but didn't say anything.

"I need to update the circle, clear the area"

They both nodded and left the room without a word. The circle was getting worn down and faded, but he wasn't going to fix it now.

"Alright truth, I know you're there"

Then a figure appeared if front of Ed. He was just a white outline and was sitting calmly, but had a right arm and left leg.

"Come to yell at me some more alchemist?"

"I have a question..."

"Oh?"

Ed sighed. Did he really want to know? It was bad enough just knowing, but if it was true then...

"I'm waiting"

Ed rolled his eyes at the Truth's impatience and just decided to get it over with.

"Is it true that alchemy was created to bring suffering and death?"

The truth smiled, then laughed.

"You humans always seem to snoop around into secrets, that's one of the reasons I regret creating you destructive creatures. Yes, alchemy was created so that you would destroy each other, and I's say it's done a pretty good job so far. Ishbal and Philosopher Stones are perfect examples, and there's much more to come..."

"You..."

Ed eyes burned with rage, and he clenched his automail fist until the metal started to creek, but he couldn't get his words out.

"I won't charge anything for this. Just keep using alchemy"

"YOU BASTARD!"

But the gate was already gone.

Author's Notes

AND THE PLOT TWIST IS REVEALED! But is it the only one? I tried to get this done before I went out of town, but I couldn't. The good news is I won't be leaving anywhere else any time soon, but school starts on the 18th T_T Not much else to say here, and I'd like to hear er- read your thoughts on this now *Coughs * review *Cough *