Disclaimer - I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist
. . .
Somewhere, Amestris
1920
"Ugh," Ed groaned. "Where the hell are we?"
Alphonse shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not exactly sure. We're still about a week's walk away from Resembool."
"Damn, Mustang," Ed complained as he swatted a large branch from his path.
Mustang had made it very clear that going on a train would ruin their top secret plan to convince everyone that the Elrics were dead. Edward's face was just too recognizable.
So, instead of having the Elrics travel in disguise, he had decided it would just be easier to make them walk all the way home to Resembool, through the forests and back roads.
"Takes my automail . . . Makes me walk from Central to Resembool . . ." Ed continued to complain under his breath. "What a bastard."
Al couldn't help but agree. "He was a little harsh for making us walk. I mean, it's probably just pay back anyway. For us telling everyone that Roy Stanley is a farmer.."
"Twisted pyro . . ." Ed murmured. He stumbled slightly, and would have fallen if his brother hadn't grabbed his left arm. "Thanks, Al."
Edward knelt down on the ground and used his left hand - for his right was still in Central with Mustang, being attached to a fake dead body - and rolled up his left pant leg, revealing his substitute prothstetic. "I hate fake legs that aren't automail . . . They're hard to walk on."
"I wonder if Mustang was serious about putting your automail on a fake body," Al said.
"Of course he was," Ed replied. "They need the body to look like me, right? And once Winry tells everyone it's her automail, they'll release an official statement saying that it's me, and that we're both dead."
Ed stood up and they began walking again.
Al stared at the ground. "I just feel bad about making Winry think we're dead. Why couldn't Mustang just tell her the truth beforehand?"
Ed sighed. "She'll be asked to stand before a jury or the Fuhrer at least, and say that she is convinced the 'bodies' found are us. If she knows the truth, then her saying that would be a lie."
"So?" Al asked. "I mean, I get that lying in court is bad, but when all this is over and everyone finds out that we're still alive, won't Mustang be able to fix everything so she doesn't get in trouble?"
Edward shrugged. "He probably could, but I'd rather Winry have as little to do with this plan as possible. Besides, like Mustang said; the more genuine her reaction, the easier the jury will believe her. If everything goes according to plan, Winry's train shouldn't get into Ventral until tomorrow. She'll probably spend two or three days there, then a three-day train ride home. That gives us about six days to beat her to Resembool and explain everything the second she walks through the front door."
Al's expression turned to one of fear, and he began to shake a little. "When she kinds out we're alive, she's gonna kill us . . ."
. . .
Central, Amestris
Winry sighed as she stepped off the train. She had made the impulsive decision to leave Resembool a day early without first consulting anyone, so, naturally, there was no one there waiting for her.
"I really should have thought this through more," she mumbled to herself as she wandered aimlessly around the station.
She thought about going to visit the Hughes family, but decided against it. They would want to know what she was doing in Central . . . And she didn't have the heart to explain it to them.
"Huh! Winry!" a familiar voice exclaimed. She turned around and caught sight of her old friend, Denny Bloch. He was running towards her.
She smiled. "Afternoon, Sergeant."
"What are you doing here?" he asked her. He was dressed formally in his soldiers uniform.
She giggled. "I'd like to ask you the same question. I'm here because Mustang needed me to . . . Uh . . ."
He slapped his hand to his forehead. "Of course! How could I forget, they found a body - or, rather two. Hey I'm really sorry, it totally slipped my mind that they would call you down here."
She shrugged. "Don't sweat it, nothing's been confirmed yet, right?"
He nodded. "Well, I guess that's one way to look at it. Lieutenant Ross is taking it pretty hard . . . She's always had a soft spot for those boys."
Winry smiled sadly. "Yeah, I think everyone did. But anyway, you never answered me. What are you doing here?"
"Standard patrol," he replied. "Since the bombing - or what they think was a bombing, they actually haven't found a source yet - they've tightened up on security, you know?"
Winry nodded. "Well it was nice seeing you again, after all this time. I should be getting to Mustang's office though."
He waved as she walked away. "Take care of yourself, Winry! And fingers crossed!"
. . .
Mustang's eyes snapped open when he heard the light tap on his door. Everyone else was at lunch, but he had so much paperwork! He had barely slept the night before, and found himself continuously dosing off. "Come in."
A small blonde girl the General recognized as Winry Rockbell entered.
"Miss Rockbell," he greeted. "You're a day early."
She nodded once. "I need to get this over with."
Mustang rose from his chair. "Very well . . . Let's go."
. . .
(Under) Dublith, Amestris
Pride watched as Envy paced the floor. He was muttering angrily about some boys named "Elric."
"I don't get it," the girl said. "Who are these people that Envy dislikes so much?"
"The Elric Brothers," Lust told her in a hushed voice, so not to upset Envy any further. "Five years ago, they Elrics destroyed all the other homunculi. Envy was lucky to escape with his life. They are no more than foolish humans, who took down the homunculi for no good reason."
"Ever wonder if they did have a reason?" Gluttony asked quietly.
"What do you mean?" Pride asked.
He looked up to make sure Envy wasn't paying attention before replying, "Well, I mean they must have had some motivation, right? And didn't you ever wonder why the military wants to capture Envy? When we're on the surface, all I ever hear is good things about the Elrics. Ever wonder that maybe we're the bad guys?"
Lust sighed. "In a war, there are no bad guys. Just equally justified sides. You're right, Gluttony, the Elrics must have had some reason. But in this war, they are our enemies."
"Why do they hate homunculi so much?" Pride whispered. Her childlike innocence was clear on her face; she had never fought a war with anyone.
Lust shrugged. "Who knows? Perhaps the fact that we don't have souls or can't die - easily anyway - unnerved them. Or maybe in defeating the others, they had something to gain."
"Well, you've heard the stories about the old Lust, right?" Gluttony asked, chuckling. He was perched on top of the book case with one leg folded up to his chest.
Lust glared at him, daring him to continue.
"No," Pride replied, missing the signal. "What stories?"
Gluttony jumped down from the book case and landed with a huff on his feet. "Well, she was a traitor. Killed by Wrath after she had made an alliance with the Elric brothers because they said they'd make her human with the power of the Philosopher's Stone! We can only anticipate that New Lust will do the same thing . . ."
"Shut up!" Lust hissed at him. Envy still wasn't paying them any mind, so she was on her own. "I'm nothing like her!"
"I dunno," Gluttony mocked, shrugging. He turned away from her to hide his grin. "I mean she was Old Lust, and you're New Lust."
"Just because we have the same name does not mean we have the same fate!" Lust cried. "I would never want to be human! I'm my own person!"
Pride looked down at her feet.
"Please," Gluttony said. "It's only a matter of time before we'll have to get rid of you."
Lust lunged at him. "Bastard! Wait 'til I get my hands on you!"
Envy stopped pacing and looked up. He took a deep breath and made his voice calm. "Now, now. Siblings shouldn't fight."
He grabbed Lust from around her waist and pulled her off Gluttony, who was left lying on the floor.
Gluttony stood up, blood dripping down his face. He snapped his nose back into its proper position. "Yeah, sis. Jeez, I was just teasing."
Lust hissed at him as she tried to break free from Envy's grip.
Pride spoke in a soothing voice. "Lust, just calm down. Gluttony was just kidding!"
"Stay out of things that don't concern you!" Lust snapped. "Envy, I demand that you release me!"
"You're all better pull it together," Envy told them. "we're leaving for Western City tomorrow morning."
Lust stopped struggling. "New additions?"
Envy nodded. "And this time we don't even need to trick anyone. Some idiot tried it all on his own . . . We just have to go clean up his mess before anyone else gets there first."
. . .
Central, Amestris
Winry took a deep breath.
"Are you ready?" Mustang asked gently. "You don't have to do this now, if you don't want to."
She shook her head. "I need to know . . ."
Mustang nodded and opened the car door. "Then follow me, Miss Rockbell."
She slid out of the backseat after him, and found herself standing in front of a large, white building. A large sign outside read; "Central City Morgue."
"I'll wait here," Hawkeye told them from the passenger-seat window. "Keep our driver company."
Havoc grinned from behind the wheel. "Yeah, and dontcha just love how Mustang never drives his own car? He always makes one of us do it!"
"Shut up," Mustang told him. "I drive myself to and from work everyday, thank you very much. Now, we'll be back soon. Try not to kill each other in my abscess."
Winry followed up the five steps that led to the front doors of the morgue.
Once inside, they were greeted by a tall man dressed in a black suit. He was middle-aged, and wore thick glasses. "Ah, General Mustang, we've been waiting. The Fuhrer is already here, although you last minute call did come as a bit of a shock to all of us. This meeting wasn't supposed to be until tomorrow, if you'll recall."
Mustang nodded. "Yes, and as I said on the phone, I am very sorry for that. Miss Rockbell arrived earlier than planned."
He gestured to Winry, who had been attempting to hide behind him.
The man held out his hand to her. "Welcome, Miss Rockbell. My name is Antoni Sujoc. But most people tend to have trouble with my name, so you may address me as Mr. Suji, or even Ant if you're prefer."
Winry shook his hand. "Hello."
"Mr. Sujoc is the mortician for the two bodies that we found," Mustang explained. "He's been doing his best to preserve them for our identification process."
Mr. Suji nodded. "Oh, yes. And let me tell you, it has not been easy. Normally when we receive bodies like this, we chuck 'em right into the furnace and send the ashes back home! But not this time. They've been placed in a giant refrigerator, and I've had to keep round-the-clock watch on the thermometer so they don't totally freeze over or completely thaw out!"
He chuckled. Mr. Suji was clearly a kind man in the wrong line of work.
"Shockingly, this is making me feel any better," Winry muttered sarcastically to herself as the color drained from her face.
Mustang heard her and decided it would be better to get this over with so the poor girl could just go home. "Let's not keep the Fuhrer waiting any longer, alright?"
Mr. Suji nodded and led them through the lobby and down a long hall way. As they walked, he filled them in on the details of the situation. "We've identified the older one as between 20 and 25, and the younger one at about 18, give or take a few months."
Ed's twenty-one, Winry thought. And Al's body would look about 17 . . .
"Amazingly, whatever the explosion was caused by couldn't have been more than a few feet away at the time of their death. We assume it wasn't a suicide bombing, considering they were the only casualties. Most likely people who were just too curious and approached the bomb just as it was set off," Mr. Suji continued. "We've tried checking dental records, but there wasn't much to work with. We couldn't get anything from them. That's why you're here, Miss Rockbell."
"The automail really survived it?" Winry asked. She ran through her knowledge of the fire-resistance in the metals she and Granny used. She concluded that it was fairly possible.
Mr. Suji nodded. "Yes, it's quite amazing. Whoever designed it was quite the engineer."
Normally, Winry enjoyed praise, but now she was desperately hoping it wasn't intended for her. Don't let it be my automail, please.
They reached they end of the hall. In front of them was a large white door. Mr. Suji used his key to unlock it and let Winry and Mustang enter.
In the middle of the room where two tables with white blankets pulled over them. Under the blankets were human-shaped lumps. Winry suddenly became rather light-headed.
On the far side of the room were three men, dressed in military uniforms. Mustang recognized the one in the middle as the Fuhrer.
"The metal was melted into the body," Mr. Suji explained with a tone of remorse. "So we were unable to detach it from the body without damaging it further. I'm sorry but you're going to have to look at . . . him. It's rather gruesome, if you would rather not I-"
"No," Winry interrupted without thinking. "I'll be fine."
But she wouldn't be fine, and she knew it.
Mr. Suji grabbed hold of the blanket and began to pull it back from the body. To Winry, it felt like hours before the corpse was finally visible.
She nearly passed out. Mustang grabbed hold of her arm as she swayed slightly. She cleared her throat and stepped forward.
What had probably once been a human body was now nothing but a black, human-shaped pile of burnt up flesh and bones. In some places, the flesh had been completely burnt off, and you could see the charred insides.
On the right side of it's body, metal had been attached to the shoulder, just like all automail. The difference with this case was, the metal closest to the body had been melted and mixed with the remaining flesh. Winry hopped that whoever this was had been dead long before the automail morphed with his skin. She couldn't even imagine how painful that would be.
Slowly, she reached out to touch the half-destroyed mechanical arm. There was only one way to tell for sure if it were Ed's. She had added extra metal to the upper part of the mechanism so he would be able to turn it into a blade without thinning it too much. As far as she knew, no one else had ever tried that design.
She gently flipped the arm over and examined it.
No . . .
She sunk to her knees on the cold tile floor. Hot tears were already running down her cheeks.
It was him. It was Edward.
Meaning the other was Alphonse.
They were gone.
. . .
Somewhere, Amestris
"Brother, I'm tired," Al complained. "We haven't slept in over twenty-four hours! Could we please make camp for the night?"
The fact that Al was actually voicing his complaints should have been persuasive enough for the older brother to agree for a rest stop.
It wasn't.
"Al, we've got to get to Aunt Pinako's before Winry!" Edward reminded his brother. "We've still got another five or six days of walking and a train from Central is only three days."
"But, Brother! Winry won't even be in Central until tomorrow!" Al continued, unaware that Winry had left a day early.
Ed sighed. "We'll walk for twenty more minutes, deal?"
Alphonse nodded happily. "Okay, Brother!"
. . .
Central, Amestris
The next morning, Winry stood in the Fuhrer's office, accompanied by Hawkeye, Mustang, and the Fuhrer himself.
He placed two pieces of paper in front of Winry. They both read "Death Certificate". One for Ed and one for Al.
Bothe pieces of paper were nearly identical. Winry had never seen a Central Death Certificate, but it was only slightly different from the ones they used in the East.
Full Name: Edward Elric
Place of Death: Central City, Amestris
Place of Birth: Resembool, Amestris
Mother's Maiden Name: Trisha Elric
Father's Name: N/A
Place of Residence: N/A
Date of Birth: 11 February, 1899
Date of Death: ? March, 1920
Cause of Death: Triggered explosives
Spouse: N/A
Descendants: N/A
Age at Death: 21
Race: Amestrian
Occupation: State Alchemist
Witness:_
"Please sign as the witness, Miss Rockbell," the Fuhrer said. His tone was completely indifferent, and that made Winry angry.
She did as he asked for both Edward and Alphonse. She then bid the Fuhrer good day and followed Mustang and Hawkeye out of the office.
Winry hadn't noticed it, but she was crying.
She thought of all the sections marked "N/A" on the Elrics' death certificates. Place of Residence, Spouse, Descendants, and for Al's Occupation. It just didn't seem right that they had ended their lives without being able to fill in all those empty spaces. Winry didn't understand why their father's name hadn't been written in, but didn't really care. It was more concerning for her that they had no home, no family, no job . . . It wasn't fair!
Winry's tears were falling faster now. She looked up at Mustang, who remained stone faced. She stopped walking.
Mustang turned around when he realized. "Miss Rockbell are alr-"
"You take everyone away from me!" Winry shouted at him.
He stared at her blankly for a moment. Hawkeye opened her mouth to say something, but Winry didn't five her the chance.
"You killed my parents and got Ed involved in the military when he was just a kid! And now, as we're here signing his fucking Death Certificate, YOU CAN'T EVEN SHED A SINGLE TEAR?"
Mustang dropped the formality. He grabbed her shoulder. "Winry, I-"
"Save it!" she yelled. She broke away from his frip and ran. Down the hall, out the door, and onto the street. She didn't know where she was going, she just let her legs take control. She needed to get away . . .
When her feet finally stopped, she found herself standing in front of the apartment of the Hughes family.
She didn't remember entering the building, or going up the four flights of stairs, yet here she was.
Slowly, she extended her arm and knocked on the door.
Moments later, it swung open revealing nine-year-old Elysia Hughes. "Sissy! Hey . . . Are you alright? You're crying!"
Winry tried to keep her voice level. "Hey, Elysia, is your mom around?"
Gracia stepped into the doorway with a smile, but it turned into a look of concern when she saw Winry's face. "Winry, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"
Winry sniffled. "It's Ed and Al . . ."
Gracia's eyes grew. "What? Come in, let's go sit down . . ."
Winry entered the cozy apartment where she always stayed when traveling to Central. It was funny, because until the first time she had stayed at their house, she had never met the Hughes'.
They went into the living room and sat down.
"Now," Gracia said. "Tell me what's happened"
Winry told them everything up to the point where she signed the death certificates, crying the entire time.
Gracia was speechless. Elysia, however, was confused. "Wait . . . I don't get it. Who are the Elrics?"
"Well, I doubt you'd remember Edward," Winry told her. "Yu were only four the last time you saw him. But surely you remember Alphonse? He would always come by with me to bring apple pies."
Elysia thought a moment. "Yes, that does sound familiar. Oh my goodness, Winry, that's so terrible! I'm so sorry for your loss . . ."
Winry gave her a sad smile. "You know you and Ed have the same birthday? He even helped deliver you. Well . . . Sorta."
Gracia nodded. "That's right. The Elrics along with that sweet little Nina Tucker . . . Oh, my. I never thought that I'd see all three of them . . . And Maes as well . . ."
She began to cry, and excused herself the to the bathroom.
"So these brothers . . . They knew my daddy?" Elysia asked.
Winry nodded. "Your dad was always so kind to them. You know he invited me to stay with you guys without even knowing me just because I was friends with Ed and Al . . ."
"In all honesty, I don't really remember him that well," Elysia admitted. "But I do have one memory that's clear as crystal. My mother and I had gone to pick him up from work, and I saw him walking out of the building with a blond boy who looked about fourteen, and a man in a suit of armor. I was only about two, but for some reason it's my best memory. I can recall it better than anything else."
Winry said nothing. She tried to let that sink in.
"It was them he was walking with, right?" Elysia asked. "The Elric brothers?"
Winry nodded. "Yeah . . . The Elric brothers."
. . .
Mustang watched as Winry Rockbell slowly approached his desk. It had been nearly two hours since she had run away from the Fuhrer's office. He had been wondering when she would show up.
"Ah, Miss Rockbell," he greeted.
"I'm sorry," she said in a small voice. "I shouldn't have shouted at you. I know Ed and Al's deaths weren't your fault, and I know you were ordered to kill my parents. There are still some things I don't understand . . . Like where the Elrics had been, and how they got back. But it doesn't matter now. Because what's done is done."
She sounded so . . . Broken. Defeated. Mustang wanted so badly to tell her the truth. That the Elrics were really still alive. "Winry, listen-"
"It's okay," she told him. "I just come up to say goodbye. My train leaves for Resembool in fifteen minutes."
"What?" Mustang asked. "But you just got here yesterday! Now you're leaving?"
Winry nodded. "I've got two legs that work, it's time I used them to move forward."
Hawkeye sighed from her signature position behind Mustang's desk. "Does your grandmother know that you're heading home?"
Winry shook her head. "It doesn't matter, anyway. She's in Rush Valley for the automail expo. Normally, I would go, but this specific exposition only happens one every twenty years, and Granny really wanted to go for some reason."
"So your going to be all by yourself?" Mustang asked, concern oozing into his voice.
Winry giggled a little. "General Mustang, I'm almost twenty-one-years-old. I think I can handle being home along for a week."
Mustang grinned. "Silly me. Here I was thinking that you were still just a kid. I guess I'll never really be able to wrap my mind around the fact that you aren't the terrified eleven-year-old I met ten years ago in Resembool with a limbless boy and an empty tin can for best friends."
Winry smiled back. "It's okay. I don't think I ever will either."
. . .
Somewhere, Amestris
The Next Day
"Don't you think it's risky?" Alphonse asked his brother as they made their way through the crowds of people. "Being out in the open like this?"
Ed shrugged. "It's only to grab a newspaper and jet back to the woods. I'm not even sure where they hell we are, so it'd be nice to grab a map."
"We're right outside East City," Al said knowingly. "I recognize this place from the years I spent looking for you. We're about a four day walk from Resembool."
"We need to cut that time in half," Ed told him. "We gotta beat Winry home."
Al maneuvered his way over to the side of the road. There was a small newspaper stand.
Ed checked that his hood was pulled all the way up before fishing some coins out of his pockets and dropping them in the man's hand. Then he grabbed a paper and ran off towards the forest, Al following close behind.
When they reached the cover of the trees, Ed pulled the rubber band from around the newspaper off and unrolled it. He and Al leaned up against a large tree trunk and read the headline.
Youngest State Alchemist in History Found Dead
Six days ago, Central City was rocked by a small scale Earthquake. Investigators traced the source of the quake to a large crater in the middle of a back road, where they suspect a bomb was set off. In the center of this crater, two badly burnt bodies were found. Yesterday, they were identified as the 'Fullmetal Alchemist' or 'Alchemist of the People', Edward Elric and his younger brother Alphonse.
"Yesterday?" Ed asked. "Winry shouldn't have been in Central yet."
"Maybe her train got in early," Al suggested.
Ed grimaced. "We're really gonna have to pick up the pace now."
The brothers continued reading.
While the bodies were too badly disfigured to tell who they were at first, Elric could be identified by his signature automail right arm and left leg-
Ed rubbed the empty automail port on his right shoulder. Having one arm sucked.
-custom made for him by childhood friend, Winry Rockbell. After identifying the bodies, however, she tearfully refused to answer any questions. The boys obituaries can be seen on page 6.
"Cool they wrote us obituaries!" Al exclaimed. "I've always wondered what people would say about me when I died!"
He grabbed the newspaper from his brother and began flipping through the pages to find page six.
Ed, however, was still caught on one word from the main article. Tearfully. He had made Winry cry? Even after all this time? Was he really surprised? They were best friends after all, but . . . Perhaps somewhere deep down he had always assumed that she had just moved on from him and Al. Maybe she was even happy they were gone, all they ever did was cause trouble. He hadn't thought that she would actually cry in front of people . . . That was one thing Winry always tried to avoid.
"Hey, I found it!" Al proclaimed happily. But his face fell when he saw who had written it. "'Alex Luis Armstrong' . . ."
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Ed snatched the paper from his brother and began to read out loud. "'Edward Elric was not only a talented alchemist, but also a great man and friend.' Damn straight! I put up with you, didn't I? 'Everything he did, every action he made, was in favor of those around him, never himself.' Armstrong's still corny as ever, then . . . 'Although his height was small-' ANYONE'S SHORT COMPARED TO YOU, YOU FUCKING GIANT! '-he made up for it with the size of his heart. It's no wonder he was the favored State Alchemist among other people.' In other words, I'm the only one of the military's dogs that actually gives a shit about the public. 'His death is a tragic loss' blah, blah, blah . . ."
"Let me see mine!" Al whined, reaching for the newspaper. Ed let him take it.
"'Alphonse Elric.'" Al read. "'was a very kind and compassionate soul.' Hey! That's not funny!"
Ed snickered. Al whacked the back of his head and continued reading. "'While most thought it strange that he spent four years obsessively living in a suit of armor, never taking it off even to eat,' What the hell? 'those who knew him well enough knew his reasoning was noble. He had a kind heart, and was willing to reach out a hand to anyone they met. Whether it be a wanted criminal, a rabid cat, or even an exiled Ishballan.' He's making me sound creepy! 'His death was premature and he will be greatly missed.' Great, you get 'good friend, selfless attitude, favorite of the people, and tragic loss' I hget 'creepy armored soul-kid who will be missed!'"
Ed couldn't help but laugh at his brother's misfortune. "At least he didn't call you short . . ."
. . .
Central, Amestris
Winry watched out the window of the train as the crowded streets of Central flew by.
"Paper, miss?"
She looked up to see a small dark-haired boy around the age of twelve standing in front of her, holding a stack of papers. He had big, puppy dog eyes. He kind of reminded Winry of Al, so she bought one.
When she read the headline, she felt like screaming. She just couldn't get away from this. She threw it down on the seat, tears stinging her eyes.
"'Youngest State Alchemist in History Found Dead?'" a deep voice read. It was the man sitting across from Winry. "Ma'am, may I?"
She nodded and watched as he picked up the newspaper and began reading.
"You don't think they mean Ed, do you?" the kid who was with him asked. He looked around 15 or 16.
The man - who looked around Winry's age - nodded solemnly. "And Al as well . . ."
The young boys eyes filled with tears. "No!"
"Come on Fletcher," the older one snapped. "They've both been missing for years. We knew it was coming . . ."
Something clicked in Winry's brain. "Excuse me, but you wouldn't happen to be Fletcher Tringham, would you?"
The boy nodded. "Sure am. And this is by older brother, Russell."
Winry smiled. "Well, I'd say it's about time we met in person, so I can thank you for finding Al down under Central five years ago. They poor kid probably would have starved to death if you hadn't found him and brought him to the surface. I'm Winry Rockbell, by the way."
"Ah, so we finally get to meet the famous Winry!" Russell exclaimed, offering his hand. She shook it. "I only wish it could have been at a better time . . . I'm very sorry for your loss."
"'S not your fault," Winry told him. "Don't be sorry. I can only hope that they're happy wherever they are now."
"Al told us a lot about you," Fletcher said. "When we ran into him while he was searching for Ed. He really looked up to you."
Winry snorted. "That's ironic. I always thought it was me looking up to them, not the other way around."
. . .
Central, Amestris
1914
"Edward!" Russell yelled. He and Fletcher had been looking for nearly half an hour, but still hadn't located the missing Elric.
"Hey, Russell!" Fletcher called from about twenty feet away. "I found a kid! It's not Ed, though. And he's unconscious!"
Russell ran over. Fletcher was right, there was a kid there. He looked somewhere between ten and eleven, and had short, light brown hair. "Holy shit! Is he alive?"
Fletcher looked at him as if to say are you stupid? "Yes, he's alive! Let's bring him up to the surface. Edward's clearly not down here. Maybe he found a back entrance or something . . ."
The older Tringham brother nodded and picked up the kid.
When they were back in the church, Rose saw them and ran over. "Where's Ed? And who's that?"
"We don't know," Russell replied. "Let's wake him up and see what he knows."
As if on cue, Rose's baby began to wail, startling the boy into consciousness. He looked around, confused.
Rose rocked her baby back and forth a few times before he stopped crying. She looked down at the boy, who was sitting in one of the pews where Russell had dropped him.
"W-who are you people?" he asked. "Where am I? Where's Brother?"
Rose knew that voice. But, no . . . it couldn't be. He was dead. She had seen him sacrifice himself. "Alphonse?"
He tried to squirm away, a look of horror on his face. "How do you know my name? Where's my brother? Where's Ed? What happened to the study . . .?"
Russell and Fletcher's jaws dropped. "Impossible . . ."
"Brother!" Al screamed. He jumped up and looked all around the room. "What's going on? Where'd you go?"
"Alphonse calm down!" Rose exclaimed. "It's me, Rose. And your friends Russell and Fletcher."
Al shook his head rapidly back and forth. "No . . . I've never met any of you before."
There was a loud bang from the end of the church. The doors flew open. Al jumped at the noise. An angry woman with paper-white skin, furious narrow eyes, and wild black hair stormed in. "Now where are my stupid apprentices?"
"Teacher!" Al exclaimed, happy to see a familiar face. He ran over to her and buried his face in her dress. "I can't find Brother!"
"A-Alphonse?" Her face showed complete shock to once again see the familiar face. "You're . . . you're in a human body."
"What do you mean?" he asked. "Teacher, what's going on? Where's Brother? Where are we?"
Realization hit Izumi like a hard slap across the face on a cold winter's day. She knelt down to eye-level with her student. "Al, how old are you and Ed?"
"I'm ten and Brother's eleven," Al replied. "You know that, Teacher."
"And what year is it?"
"1910."
"Alphonse, I have one more question for you; what's the last thing you remember?" Izumi asked gently.
Al thought a moment, then his eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Teacher I'm so sorry! We did what you told us never to do . . . We were trying to bring our mother back! But then something happened .. . I was being pulled away by these tiny hands . . . It hurt. And Brother was reaching out to me and then . . . I woke up here with those weirdos who know my name!"
He pointed at Rose, Fletcher, and Russell. The trio gasped, truly surprised at what they were hearing.
Izumi collapsed into one of the seats.
"Are you alright?" Al asked her.
She gripped the back of the bench in front of her as hard as she could. "He wouldn't . . . That idiot! Equivalent exchange my ass . . . Oh damn that selfless fool!"
Al's voice was shaky. He looked like he was about to burst into tears. "Teacher, what are you talking about? Where's Edward?"
Izumi took a deep breath. "Al, I'm sorry. But I'm afraid it appears that you're suffering from amnesia. The last four years have apparently been cleared from your mind. You're not 10, you're 14. And Ed was 16, but now I'm think . . . I think he sacrificed himself in order to save you. I . . . I'm pretty sure he's not coming back."
"What?" Al exclaimed. Tears spilled down his face.
"One of you!" Izumi called to the three teens across the church. They all snapped up straight. "Take him home and explain as much as you know . . . I'll follow, but right now I need to go talk with that Mustang guy. Take him to the Rockbell residence, that's where his family is."
She ran out, leaving Al alone again with a bunch of strangers.
The girl, Rose, walked over to him and held out her hand. "Come, Alphonse. I'll take you home to Resembool."
. . .
Resembool, Amestris
1920
Winry opened the door to her house and stepped inside. She half expected Den to run up and greet her, but then she remembered that Den was in Rush Valley with Granny.
She climbed the steps up to her room, feeling the weight of her loss heavy on her shoulders.
The train ride up until East City hadn't been so bad; at least she had Russell and Fletcher for company. After that though, they had parted ways, and she had been alone.
How would she live for the next two or three weeks while Granny and Den were still away? Never before has she felt so alone.
She lay down on her bed, tears falling down her face.
"What's the point?" she asked the ceiling. She then proceeded to curl up into a ball and let every single sob she had ever held in in her twenty-one years of living pour out all at once.
. . .
Ed and Al ran as fast as they could down the mountainside. They were going down the same trail they had used five years previously when they were running from the military.
"Almost there," Ed panted. "Let's just . . . hope Winry's . . . not there yet!"
"Yeah," Al agreed, equally out of breath. They had been running for about three miles now.
When they reached the bottom of the hill, Alphonse stopped short. "Brother, wait!"
Ed attempted to stop, but ended up fumbling over his fake leg and face planting into the dirt. "Agh!"
Al snickered as his brother pulled himself off the ground, his face and clothes covered in mud. "You look great!"
"Same goes for you," Ed retorted.
Al examined his clothing and saw that he, too, was covered in dirt, and even had some twigs and leaves stuck on here and there.
"Now would you care to explain why we've stopped?" Ed asked.
"It's still too bright out to go into town," Al replied. "What if someone sees us?"
Ed nodded. "You're right . . . So I guess we'll just wait here until it's pitch black out."
Al was silent for a moment, debating whether or not to voice his next comment. He did want to offend his brother but . . . "Are you, uh . . . Are you gonna wash that crap off of you?"
Ed shook his head. "It doesn't really bother me, and besides it's kind of like extra cover up. These people know us, and have known us since we were kids, Al. They'd know my face even at night. Think of it as extra precautions."
Al rolled his eyes. He knew very well that the only real reason was because Ed was just too lazy, but he didn't say anything.
. . .
A few hours later, the brothers stood outside the Rockbell's house. It was around one in the morning, and the only light was coming from the moon and stars.
"Home at last," Al whispered.
Ed grinned. He had been waiting five years for this.
"So . . . Winry's probably sleeping; Granny too," Al said.
Ed hung his head. Nothing could ever just be easy, could it?
He walked over to the side of the house and looped his real leg and only remaining arm around the gutter. He began to pull himself up to Winry's balcony.
"I could have just climbed up and let you in from the inside, Brother," Al pointed out.
"Screw it," came Ed's reply. "I'm not gonna let something as petty as lack of limbs stop me from making a badass entrance."
Al shook his head and climbed up after his brother.
Ed walked over to Winry's window and forced it open. Then he jumped through. Al followed.
When inside, they found a totally dark room with a sleeping Winry in the bed pushed up against the opposite wall.
Alphonse walked over with a huge smile. "Winry!"
"Shh!" Ed hushed him. "Let her sleep . . ."
Al looked closer at her face. "I think she's been crying . . . Her face looks wet."
Ed took a sudden interest in his shoes. "Let's go find some food. I'm starved . . ."
Alphonse nodded and followed his brother out of Winry's room and down into the kitchen.
. . .
BOOM!
Winry sat straight up in bed.
. . .
"Are you trying to wake the whole house?" Ed hissed.
"Sorry . . ." Al muttered quietly. He bent down to retrieve the can he had knocked over. Unfortunately, it had rolled under the stove, just out of his arm's reach. "Come on . . ."
. . .
Winry swallowed and grabbed her wrench from her bedside table. Being as quiet as possible, she tip-toed out of her room and down the stairs.
When she entered the kitchen, she saw the reverse side of a tall, muscular man nearly completely covered in mud. The right sleeve of his shirt was empty, and he stood funny, with more pressure on his right leg.
She took a deep breath and charged at him. She slammed her wrench down as hard as she could on his head and ran for the phone. "I'm calling the cops!"
"No!" the man exclaimed, running after her. He used his left arm to catch her by the waist before she could reach the phone. She tried to break free, and continued to swing her wrench but damn this guy was strong . . .
"HELP!" she screamed.
"Winry! Cut it out!" he told her. Someone on the other side of the room turned on the lights.
"Calm down, it's us!"
"Winry! Hey, hey!" the man turned her around so she was facing him.
For a moment, she stopped swinging her weapon. She knew those eyes.
She used her free hand to wipe the dried mud off his face. It was . . . No way.
So, what did she do next? Only the natural thing . . .
She fainted.
. . .
A/N - And so they're home! Dwaaaaaaaaaa 3
XD
But seriously, thanks for the reviews! Sorry it's been forever since an update, but this chapter's extra-long so does that make up for it? Yes? Yes?
. . .
Readers of my head - "Shut up, Ally!"
Sorry again! I'll try to work faster, but 8th grade projects are swiftly passing me by!
Please review some more, I'm not gonna lie I love it when I can log in and see that people are still reading this XD
