Manami and Winry returned to Ed and Al's room. They had little bits of chit chat, but suddenly Al shuddered.

"Hm?" Manami and Winry looked over to him.

"Wh-What if my body is rotting..?" He asked, and even Ed looked up now.

"There's no way for it to get it's proper nutrients… or sleep… so even if we do get it back…" Al whimpered. "What if it's like Barry's body and completely rotted?"

Everyone also shuddered at the thought.

"Well, I may have a theory." Ed spoke. "When we transmuted mom, we added our blood as some kind of blueprint for mom's soul. Then the both of us were sent to the portal of Truth, where we were both deconstructed."

He looked up to everyone. "It's possible that Al and I's spirits got mixed together during that."

"How?" Manami asked.

"A slim chance," Ed answered. "But our bodies may be connected, somehow… even though I'm here, and you're there. I mean… that might actually explain why I'm so sh—…"

Everyone blinked when they noticed that Ed trailed off, looking like he was struggling to finish that last word.

"Sh—… short…"

He admitted it...

"So you think that you're supplying the nutrients for Al's body?" Winry asked.

"Seems way less likely than the fact that maybe you're just a short person." Manami muttered, and Ed snapped his head to look at her.

"Seems just as likely that maybe you're freakishly tall for a girl!"

Despite that Manami was a year younger than Ed and Winry, she was actually two inches taller than Winry…

Which made her half a foot taller than Ed.

"You just don't drink your milk, Ed… don't take it out on her." Winry sighed.

"You know what? She doesn't drink milk either!" Ed snapped as he pointed to Manami.

"I mean… I like to drink it when it's mixed with cocoa, especially at breakfast." She smiled sheepishly.

"And when's the last time you drank milk with any kind of flavoring, Ed?" Winry asked Ed, and he shrunk a little. He huffed and crossed his arms, unable to provide an answer.

"Anyway," Winry sighed and went to get up. "I've got to get packing. I'm going back to Mr. Garfiel's tomorrow."

"Oh, okay." Ed blinked as they watched her go to exit the room.

The three of them were quiet for a long moment, but then Ed went to pick up Tyberious's journal.

"So, this is what you found, huh?"

"You can go ahead and read it…" Manami said quietly. "You'll probably have an easier time than I would."

He nodded and opened it up, reading the first couple of pages, before starting to skim through the middle.

"I see what you mean…" He mumbled, his right hand on his chin as he read. "You weren't kidding when you said it was messed up... especially from someone who was your mentor."

"I mean, my emotions won't even let me read me more than a couple of pages." Manami looked down to her lap. "How someone who took me in and taught me something so great... had something so dark behind closed doors."

"It looks like your teacher never had a soul and body separated to where the body still functioned. He just focused on the dead… and we all know what happens with that." Ed mumbled, flipping towards the end pages. "And it seems that he figured that out too, in the end…"

His eyes suddenly widened at the passage Manami read earlier, but specifically because of the part she left out…

Humanity's next evolution..?

He didn't say anything about it. Instead, he flipped to the last page, and read those few sentences. His sighed softly through his nose.

"... I think it's good that they got busted. Not that people were killed, but this kind of crap needed to be put to an end…" He went to hand the journal back to Manami.

"That's where I worry…" Manami said quietly as she took it. "I didn't bring it, but my teacher, Tyberious, wrote a letter to me shortly before he died. He said that, after this was found out by the military, they killed everyone except him… and gave him a position as a State Alchemist."

"What?" Ed and Al gasped.

"On the condition that he gave the military the notes for this research. Then… do you guys happen to know if Tim Marcoh is still alive?" She asked, watching Ed and Al exchange glances.

"He should be," Ed answered. "Why?"

"Tyberious apparently worked with him in Lab Five." She looked to Ed. "Remember that transmutation circle I saw in there, the one that was different from yours?"

"Did you figure out what it meant?"

"Yeah… basically the lab I stepped into was the very same lab where he took Marcoh's Stones and used that transmutation circle to deconstruct them to liquids. Why, I don't know… but Marcoh might."

"I don't know if he'd want to say anything…" Al said quietly, looking back to Ed.

"Yeah, he wouldn't tell us anything directly. That's why we spent a week and a half decoding his notes." Ed added.

Manami thought as she went to cross her arms. "... Tyberious also confirmed something that was brought up before. It turns out that the same person who ran the show for this research," She waved the journal. "Was also in the military— this guy sold them out and trapped Tyberious into enlisting in the military so that they had access to this research."

Ed's eyes widened. "But why..?"

"I don't know. All he said in the letter is that this guy inquired about the possibility of resurfacing his research of Human Transmutation, and using the Philosopher's Stones they created with it." Her eyes narrowed. "That was when he bailed and went to change his name and live in the middle of the woods. That's who I know him as…"

Manami paused to think for a moment. "He warned me to resign as soon as possible— like we discussed with Maes, Armstrong, and the Further… the enemy has infiltrated the military, that much is for sure." Her lips pursed. "But now I'm starting to think... it may be infiltrated as high as the top.

"You mean… you think the Furher might be in on this?" Al asked.

"I'm not saying that I know it for sure, but…" She looked to Al. "In Dublith, you mentioned how you thought it was strange that the Furher killed Greed and everyone at the Devil's Nest, yeah?"

"Yeah… it would've made more sense if he captured all of them and made them talk about the Homunculi." He answered.

"It's just a hunch, but… Greed was the only Homunculus we saw in Dublith, and we know of at least three other Homunculi now… if Furher Bradley was killing their friend, wouldn't they come to help?"

"That's true…" Ed put a hand on his chin.

"So, Greed was working on his own?" Al asked.

"Like I said, we don't know for sure, but… I don't know, resigning just doesn't sound like a good idea right now." She sighed.

"Yeah." Ed nodded in agreement.

"Well… since all we're doing is running in circles," Manami patted her knees and went to stand. "I don't know what you two have planned, but I've got something to do."

"Huh?" Ed and Al blinked.

Manami smiled sadly. "I should go apologize to Gracia and Elicia. They haven't seen me since I ran out on them last time." She said, seeing Ed's expression sadden.

"Should we come with you?" Al asked quietly, and Manami forced a chuckle.

"Hey, I'm not obligated to be attached to your hips anymore, remember?" She turned to walk to the door, throwing her hand up as a lazy wave. "I'll leave you two to do whatever you guys wanna do."

With that, Manami left the hotel and walked across Central to the Hughes estate. She walked up to the door, taking a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. She waited for a brief while until the door opened to reveal Gracia, Elicia at her hip.

"Nami!" The little girl shrieked in excitement and went to hug her leg.

Manami went to pick Elicia up and hug her tight, then looked up to Gracia.

"I believe I owe you an apology…" She smiled sadly.

Gracia smiled back at her. "Come in."


"So, that's why it took me so long to come back…" Manami explained everything without telling too much. "But, I wanted to apologize. I acted out and didn't think of anyone else's feelings than my own."

"It's understandable," Gracia replied. "We all took it hard…" She glanced to Elicia, who was playing on the floor and not paying attention to the conversation. "... only recently she stopped asking when he'll be coming home."

"..." Manami's eyes narrowed as she looked down to the floor.

"Have Edward and Alphonse figured out what they'll do next?" Gracia asked, and Manami looked back at her.

"That's right… you talked to them." She remembered.

"They told me everything." She nodded. "A lot of it is still hard to understand, admittedly…"

"Yeah, we don't get a lot of it either." Manami offered her a small smile. "But they've decided to keep going. We're just going to be more careful so that no one else gets hurt or killed."

"Good." Gracia smiled. "He would have wanted that…"

"..." Manami sighed. "But… I can't stay here anymore." She looked up to see Gracia's widened eyes.

"I promise to visit whenever I'm in town, but… we can't endanger you more than we already have…" Manami looked down to her clenched hands in her lap.

"I'm just as much of a target as Ed and Al are. If I stay here, I can't promise that you and Elicia will be safe."

"... I understand." Gracia finally replied, smiling sadly, but then looked over to Elicia.

Manami followed her glance to also look at her, and her expression saddened. It was going to be hard to break it to her…

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" Gracia broke the silence, and Manami turned to look back at her.

"I would love to."


That evening, it started to rain. The pitter patter of the raindrops that were hitting the windows outside complimented the warmth of a fresh, home cooked meal with family.

Though, Manami kept finding herself to look to the head of the table, where Maes always sat... empty.

"So, where will you go next?" Gracia asked after they finished eating and cleaning up.

"I actually don't know yet," Manami answered. "We just got back into town, so I figure Ed and Al have a plan ready to tell me when I get back to the hotel."

"Mm, and Winry?"

"She's fine. She's going back to Rush Valley tomorrow, I believe."

Suddenly there was a flash of light that came in from the window.

Lightning.

"!" Manami quickly threw her hands over her ears and closed her eyes to brace herself for the loud crash of thunder.

BOOM!

She looked over to see Elicia whining as she also covered her ears.

It made her feel a little childish, being scared of the thunder was understandable for a little kid Elicia's age, but she herself was ten years older than her and was still scared.

"Hopefully you can get some sleep tonight, Elicia." Gracia spoke up.

"Do I have to go to bed now?" The little girl whined.

"Afraid so, love." Her mother answered.

"Come tuck me in, Nami..?" Elicia went to tug on Manami's sleeve.

"Of course."

They walked to her room where Manami helped Elicia change into her pajamas and then tucked her in, going to lay in bed next to her afterwards.

"Nami..?" Elicia asked quietly. "Are you not living with us anymore?"

"..." Manami smiled sadly. "No... I'm sorry…"

"Why not?"

Manami struggled to find a way to answer that question.

"I'm... kind of involved in some stuff… and I don't want you and mommy to get hurt because of it."

"Like daddy?"

Manami felt her heart break.

"... yeah… like daddy."

"…" She heard Elicia sniffle.

"I-I'll come to see you whenever I'm in town." Manami said quietly, laying her head next to hers.

Elicia remained quiet.

"… everybody's leaving…"

Manami lifted her head to see Elicia wipe her eyes.

"... what if you don't come back, like daddy..?"

Manami's eyes widened. She had no idea how to answer that.

Flash! BOOM!

Both of them jumped, Elicia curling into Manami's chest and Manami holding her tight. She heard muffled whimpers turn into broken sobs.

"I miss him..!" She cried, muffled against her chest. Her little hands gripped her shirt. "I miss his stories… his kisses… his lullabies when there were scary storms… I miss my daddy..!"

She broke into sobs after that, and Manami just held her for a long while, ridden with guilt and unable to think of anything to say for a long while.

It took all of her just to not cry along with her.

"... I'm so sorry, Elicia…" She finally managed to say. "This never should have happened…" She closed her eyes as she let Elicia continue to cry into her chest.

But then they opened when she thought of something.

"... hey… I know it won't be the same but… you wanna hear the song my mommy would sing to me when I was scared of the storms?"

"Huh..?" Elicia pulled away to look up at her. "You can sing?"

"I think I can hold a tune…" Manami chuckled weakly, watching Elicia roll onto her back and looking up to her eagerly.

Manami smiled back at her and went to curl around her on the bed, laying her head above hers on the pillow.

She looked to the window, seeing the raindrops and the tree outside her window dancing in the wind. She then took a breath and began to sing softly.

"Little child, be not afraid… though rain pounds harsh against the glass, like an unwanted stranger— there is no danger— I am here tonight…"

"Little child, be not afraid… though thunder explodes and lightning flash… illuminates your tear-stained face, I am here tonight…"

"And someday you'll know, that nature is so… the same rain that draws you near me… falls on rivers and land, on forests and sand… makes the beautiful world that you see… in the morning…"

"Little child, be not afraid… though storm clouds mask your beloved moon, and its candlelight beams— still keep pleasant dreams— I am here tonight…"

"Little child, be not afraid… though wind makes creatures of our trees, and their branches to hands— they're not real, understand— and I am here tonight…"

"And someday you'll know, that nature is so… the same rain that draws you near me… falls on rivers and land, on forests and sand… makes the beautiful world that you'll see… in the morning…"

"Everything's fine in the morning… the rain will be gone in the morning…" Manami trailed off, hesitant to sing the next line.

…. But I'll still be here in the morning.

She looked down to see Elicia asleep anyway. She decided to end the song there and went to kiss her forehead, then slowly get up without disturbing her so that she could exit the room.

She sighed in relief when she closed the door behind her. She has gotten so close to crying many times throughout that moment, she felt the emotional drain. She walked back out to the living room to see Gracia sitting alone, looking out the window. The rain was starting to let up.

"I don't know how you do it, Gracia…" Manami said quietly as she approached her.

"Hmm?"

"... I don't know… being a single mom… losing your husband… yet you still put on a smile for everyone."

"Mm," Gracia hummed. "I have to for Elicia… and besides, he wouldn't want me to be sad for too long." She smiled sadly.

Manami returned the sad smile. "Mm…" She looked to the clock.

"Time to go?" Gracia asked her, and she sighed.

"I don't want to, though…"

"I know." Gracia stood and went to stand, but Manami looked back to the hall. She remembered her old room…

More importantly, she remembered somewhere safe to put Tyberious's journal.

"Hold on… I've got to do something real quick."

She went to walk back down the hallway, quietly passing Elicia's room go into the room across from it.

She opened the door to find her old room the same way it was… she then approached the old bedside table next to the bed she slept in. She used to keep her old journal in here, but now… this was probably the best place to keep Tyberious's.

Just in case, she transmuted to stretch a portion of the cover to wrap over the pages from front to back. This should never be opened again, anyway. She made sure to bury it at the bottom of the drawer as well before shutting it and going to leave the room, glancing back one last time before walking out.

She walked down the hall to find Gracia already at the front door.

"You be safe." She said to her, and Manami nodded.

"I will."

"Good," Gracia approached her and pull her into a tight hug. "You make sure to visit whenever you're in town… you promised."

"... yeah," Manami went to hug her back. "I promise."


Author's Note:

Credit to "Lullabye For A Stormy Night" by Vienna Teng

More inspiration from actual music! Yay!