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That bastard soldier and Hawkeye, of all people, really threw Edward in a whirlwind with that attack. He rubbed his eye with the palm of his hand as he and Winry continued their journey. It didn't take long for them to find their way back to familiar trails. Winry, however, lacked faith in his inner compass, and continuously badgered him about where the hell they were or where the hell they were going. That pain-in-the-ass of a girl was starting to test his patience, again, and he was slowly losing the ability to keep his temper in check.
"Of course, I know where I'm going," he told her through gritted teeth.
Truthfully, he did know prior to nightfall. However, once the sun had parted ways with the sky, the mountainous area had transfigured to a black mass, and even the stars weren't helping him find his way to town.
Winry rolled her eyes and folded her arms together. "I think you're lost."
"Says the girl who never left her rabbit hole," he grumbled.
Her nose crinkled and she quickly turned her attention to the dark mountains. "Not funny."
She let out a loud huff, and Edward began to count the seconds that passed by before she said the next pain-in-the-ass thing.
One.. Two... Three...
"We're walking in circles, Ed," she whined. "We've passed that tree twice already!"
… and his temper erupted.
"Nngah!" he exclaimed. "How do you know?! Did you mark it? Can you smell that we've already been by that specific tree?"
Winry's mouth dropped, and she hit him in the arm. "No, you dummy!"
She stamped her foot into the grass, pointing a rigid hand towards a slender tree.
"I know we passed it, because there's a piece of parchment hanging on it!"
Edward was ready to spew profanities when her words processed through his mind. He quickly moved towards the direction of her hand, towards the tree where a piece of parchment rather blatantly hung. How in the hell did he miss that?
He pulled the parchment from the base of the tree and smirked as he looked it over.
"What is it?" he heard Winry ask.
He wasn't sure why, but he crumbled the page quickly before the girl could see. He smiled confidently at her as he tossed the wad over his shoulder, and began to walk.
"Proof that I know where I'm going," he replied and waved a hand for her to follow. "C'mon, I bet we're not far."
:
Winry scoffed at the cocky remark.
"He can be such an arrogant jerk!" she muttered to herself. "Why can't he just stay nice and considerate.."
An image of Edward smiling crossed her mind, and Winry shook her head vigorously. She thought herself silly for thinking such things and focused her attention on the ruined parchment that the jerk had cast aside. She stared at it inquisitively, wondering why Edward didn't show her its contents.
"Probably has no idea where we are still," she grumbled, and picked the ball up, unscrambling it slowly.
She gasped and dropped the parchment, watching it fall with enlarged eyes. The image on the page wore a familiar face, surrounded by words that read:
WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE
EDWARD ELRIC
THIEF AND ALL AROUND RABBLE-ROUSER
Winry was stunned. A thief? The more she thought about it, it made sense. It explained why those people had been chasing him, why he would want to hide away in a secret underground place. His words about the locket began playing through her head; how desperately he needed it, how he went through hell to get it...
"He stole the watch," she whispered, a small hand covered her mouth.
"Hey! You coming or what?" she heard Edward call from a distance and jumped.
"Uh-I'll be there!" she shouted back, and slowly made her way towards him, taking in the sign once more.
She grew frightened, but not of him. Thief or not, she trusted Edward completely. She was frightened of what might happen as they entered the 'town' he was looking for. Would they show him kindness? Would they think of him the same way she did, or would they only see a criminal?
"You okay?" he asked when she finally reached him, and Winry nodded her head.
"Are you sure this place is safe?" she asked.
"Of course I am, now let's go," he said, and they continued on into the blackness of the mountains.
:
"Here we are!" Edward proclaimed, taking a rather proud stance in front of an old welcoming sign.
Winry scanned the haphazard piece. "You sure?"
Edward's bravado quickly died. "Of course I am! Are you doubting me?"
"Not at all…" Winry sighed and moved closer to Edward after a loud crashing sound echoed through the area.
"It's just earth falling from the tops of the mines," he told her, and led the way into the deserted-looking town.
Winry was rather skeptical of Youswell, even though Edward continued to claim it was a fine place. The beginning of the town was surrounded by mines, and the dark entryways into the mountains only reminded her of the place underground. Edward kept her close to her side, as if he knew of the horrid memories they brought back to her mind.
The town itself was small, made of different building designs that Winry had never seen in her texts. Edward explained to her what each one was meant for as they made their way to a large, central building, or an 'inn' as he called it.
"This is where we'll stay for the night," he said and walked to the door calmly and casually.
He lifted his leg, as if he were going to kick the door in, then paused.
"Actually," he said, a smirk growing, "let's go another way."
He grabbed her hand and pulled her around back to another door, one that was much smaller and seemed private. A loud bustling and sounds of laughter could be heard from behind it, and she wondered why he might be taking such a strange way.
"Edward," Winry said, then lowered her voice to a whisper after being hushed. "Edward, what are we doing?"
Edward did not answer, however. Instead, he eyed the shadows that crept from the bottom of the door, his smile now wide and gleaming with something like trickery. Suddenly, he sprung from his spot and darted towards the door, pulling Winry along with him.
"Ed!" Winry exclaimed, and suddenly, they were standing in the middle of a busy-looking room, full of foods and dishes.
"YES!" Edward shouted, and jumped towards a large pot, snatching the ladle within it and slurping up the contents.
A woman walked in and screamed loudly at the sight of a young man nearly submerged in a pot of food, but Edward gave no heed.
"What the hell?!" another loud voice boomed, and Winry screeched as a large and intimidating man barged into the room, moving the woman behind him protectively.
The man quickly grabbed what looked like a pickaxe, and held it aggressively in his hand. Oh, god! He was going to kill them!
"Edward, look out!" Winry cried out.
He looked over just in time to duck as the large tool darted by his head. The man snatched him by the back of his neck, and Edward flailed under his hold.
"WHAT THE HELL, HALLING?!" Edward hollered, the ladle still in his hand.
The large man's fierce expression suddenly softened. "Wha- Edward?"
Ed gulped and smirked at the man and woman. "Hey, Mrs. Halling, you make a mean stew."
Now, Winry felt extremely confused.
The man called 'Halling' laughed heartily and pulled the boy into a tight hug as the woman recollected herself.
"It's been ages, kid!" he exclaimed, and let Ed go. "Still sneaking into kitchens, eh?"
"You know you're welcome to eat in the actual inn anytime." Mrs. Halling smiled, and Ed rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Yeah, but I'd have to pay for it," Ed joked, and Halling laughed again.
This had to be one of the strangest things Winry had ever seen. Not that she had seen many things, but this must be considered strange.
"So, what brings you back this way?" Halling asked, his expression turned concerned. "Are you looking for a new lead?"
"No, actually," Edward smiled. "I'm heading home."
Halling's jaw dropped, and he pulled the boy into another stifling hug, much to his apparent dismay, while his wife clapped joyously.
"This is cause for celebration!" the man stated. "C'mon! Food and stay is free for you tonight!"
Edward wiggled and struggled free from the man's grip, but was still smiling as he readjusted his attire. "As great as that sounds, I don't want anyone knowing I'm here."
Halling looked confused, but when Ed motioned his head in Winry's direction, the man eyebrows rose and his mouth took the shape of an 'o'.
"H-hello," Winry stammered. "I'm Winry."
"Good to meet ya, Winry," Halling replied and looking back to Edward. "So, you traded the two big brutes for a pretty lady, huh? I guess there's a big back story to all of this?"
Edward looked a little flustered, but mumbled, "Yeah, a big one."
"Well, I don't mind feeding and the both of you and giving you a place to stay, but…" Mrs. Halling began, and clasped her hands together as she moved towards Winry, "Dear girl," she continues, a worried look starting to spread on her face. "I mean no insult, but you look absolutely ragged. Covered in dirt, holes in your dress and—" she let out a gasp, "No shoes? Oh, you poor thing. Come with me!"
Winry blinked incredulously. "Oh no, it's! I don't mind the holes, its—"
"Absolutely not!" the woman interrupted, and placed both hands atop Winry's shoulders, spinning her to face the door. "Let's get you a bath and something sturdy to wear. Then food and rest."
Edward watched as Mrs. Halling dragged Winry out of the room. Although he trusted the older woman greatly, he wasn't comfortable with her being out of sight.
"You courtin' that young girl?" Halling asked, quickly pulling Ed from his thoughts.
"Huh?—no!" he scoffed. "She's helping me. That's all!"
The older man snorted at the comment and grabbed two ale-filled mugs. "Here."
"Thanks," Ed sighed, and took a swig.
"So," Halling said, patting his drink against the palm of his hand. "What's the story?"
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"Hmm, let's see—chartreuse won't do, but maybe this marigold? No, no it'll wash out your hair..."
Winry poked at the bubbles that floated across the tub water as Mrs. Halling rummaged through a pile of strangely colored clothing.
The woman's grin was kind and genuine, and it made Winry feel as light as the bubbles she was popping.
"How's the bath, warm enough?" Mrs. Halling asked, and Winry nodded affirmatively. "Good, finish up and I'll see if I have anything else that might fit you."
"You're far too generous," Winry sighed, and the kindly lady waved her comment away with the flick of her wrist.
"Well, any friend of Edward's is a friend of mine," she stated, and Winry thought that comment strange.
Edward was a criminal, yet Mrs. Halling's comment made him seem otherwise. Were her thoughts on the boy mirrored by other people? She pondered this and decided it was worth investigating.
"Mrs. Halling?" Winry called, and the woman popped her head back into the room. "Is Edward well-liked around here?"
"Oh yes," she smiled, laying out a robe for her. "Well, he is now. At first, he was quite the trouble maker."
Winry listened intently as she climbed out of the bath, wrapping herself in the soft fabric.
"Well," Mrs. Halling began. "When he first came to Youswell, it was much like tonight. It was very late, and my husband and I heard a ruckus come from the kitchen. We found him devouring nearly everything we had! My husband tossed the poor boy right out the door! The town labeled him a thief, but he still stuck around, snatching things out of the kitchen when he could. I think we still have wanted signs up around town, of course, it's more of a joke now."
Winry gasped but began to laugh as the woman chuckled fondly at the memory.
"Back then, we had an awful man that controlled the town. He took most of the profit from the mines to feed his own greed, rather than help others who were struggling. Edward, the sly boy that he was, tricked the man, saying he was a wealthy nobleman and wanted to buy the land for unimaginable amounts of gold."
Mrs. Halling walked to Winry, picking up a brush and running it through her wet hair.
"Well, you could imagine the town's surprise when he publicly made the trade with the man; the deed of the town for pounds upon pounds of gold. The man was ecstatic, told Edward he was a fool. It wasn't until later that night when he gave the deed to Halling in exchange for a free meal, that the man realized the gold was fake."
"Fake?" Winry repeated, and turned to see Mrs. Halling nod her head.
"Indeed," she said, and continued to brush her hair. "He alchemically turned a bunch of useless rocks into gold, but the transmutation wasn't meant to last."
Winry laughed loudly. "I can't believe he'd—no, on second thought, yes I can."
Mrs. Halling put the brush down and moved to face Winry. "He's a snarky little thing, but he has a good heart."
"I suppose he does," Winry mused.
Perhaps her thoughts on the boy were right. He was indeed a thief, but he was no criminal.
"All done here!" Mrs. Halling chimed and grabbed a few dresses from the pile. "Now, let's get you dressed and put some food in your belly!"
:
Halling stared hard at the empty mug in his hands.
"So, you're telling me that girl can heal people, just by touching them?" he stated, and Edward nodded his head.
"Yeah," came Edward's answer, as he stared absently at his hand. "I know it sounds crazy-"
"Oh, I believe you" Halling interrupted. "It's just hard to take in."
He tapped his thumb against the mug, while Ed silently thought of what to say next. He didn't want to divulge too much to Halling. He trusted the man, but the less he knew, the better. Something in his gut told him that he needed to keep Winry's power, even existence, as much of a secret as possible; not just to keep her safe, but others as well.
"I don't want anyone knowing about her," he finally said to the man.
"Understandable," Halling replied. "I'll make sure no one finds out."
"Thanks," Edward replied, right as the outside door swung open and Winry and Mrs. Halling entered.
"Thank you again for everything, Mrs. Halling," he heard Winry say, and Edward turned to see them.
He didn't expect to see such a dramatic difference in the girl. Her hair, her skin, her eyes, they all sparkled with a brightness that he hadn't notice before.
"Feel better?" he asked her, and when she smiled and nodded her head, his chest felt light.
"Good," he responded, trying to quell his sudden nerves. "Maybe you'll stop whining so much."
Winry rolled her eyes and lightly slapped his arm, to which both Mr. and Mrs. Halling chuckled.
After a hearty dinner and a few good stories, the Hallings showed Edward and Winry to their room. It was a simple space with two small beds, but it was enough for a good night's sleep.
"Mr. and Mrs. Halling are quite nice," Winry whispered in the dark.
"Mhmm," Edward said.
Winry fiddled with her blanket, the bed she laid in felt too big for her. She knew Edward was only feet away, but when he wasn't talking, she felt alone. The darkness of the room did nothing to help. It only reminded her of the many nights she spent underground. It made her feel scared, and she couldn't sleep if she was scared.
"Edward?" she softly called, and he let out a muffled noise. "Can I lay by you? Just for a little bit?"
There was a pause, but a muffled, "okay" brought her quickly to her feet.
"Don't hog the covers," Edward grumbled as she clambered into the bed.
"Whiner," she muttered, and nestled herself in.
They laid there quietly for some time, but it didn't bother Winry. Edward's warmth and the sound of his fast-beating heart helped quell the fear that was growing within her.
"Hey," Edward whispered, reawakening her dulling sense. "Don't fall asleep in my bed."
"Shut up," she groaned, and moved slightly closer to him.
There was another moment of silence.
"I, uh," Edward began. "I think you'd like where we're going."
"Mm?" Winry sighed. "Really?"
"Yeah," he yawned. "It's not as rundown as this place, but the people are just as nice."
"Sounds nice," she said softly, her eyes becoming heavy.
"Mm, nice," Edward repeated. "Maybe, you can live there, when everything's done."
"I'd like that," she muttered, and her eyes closed.
Edward did not wake her, nor did he move her to the other bed.
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They were awake before the sun had fully risen, feeling well-rested and ready to continue on their journey. Edward didn't feel panicked when he woke to see Winry beside him. In a strange way, it felt comforting. Seeing her reminded him that he was going home, that he was going to be able to help his brother.
Surprisingly, Mrs. Halling was awake as well, and she refused to let them leave without properly feeding them.
"I wouldn't let my son out without food," she stated, as she brought them breakfast. "How could I possibly let you two leave without something to eat?"
When they finished, the woman hugged them both and bid them farewell.
"My dear husband wishes you the best of luck on your way home," she told them. "He wanted to see you off, but you know how mining is."
Edward nodded, and Winry thanked the woman another countless times for all of her kindness. They slipped out of the inn through the door in which they came, and began to make their way through the town.
Suddenly, a voice caught Edward's attention.
"… looking for the criminal, Edward Elric."
He grabbed Winry and pulled her behind a building wall, close enough for him to hear what was going on without being seen.
"Sorry, sir," another voice said. "He hasn't been around."
"No one's seen in this town for years," said another.
Winry tightened her grip around Edward's arm. "We should go."
They quickly left town, making sure that no one was following behind.
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The men of the town seemed truthful, Riza thought, standing firmly beside their "commanding officer". They analyzed each of them closely, and their claims were all sincere.
"Sir," they said to Roy, and suddenly, from the corner of their eye, saw a pair of young people running off into the mountains, towards the desert.
It was Edward and the girl. Riza knew it, and it looked like they were heading towards Xerxes.
"So that's where home is," they whispered.
Roy's response pulled them back to reality.
"What is it, lieutenant?" he asked.
"He's not here," they told him, still watching the two figures run off in the distance.
"I see," was his response. "Should we move further east?"
Edward's shadow disappeared, along with his companion's.
"Affirmative, I believe Xerxes truly is our destination."
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One of the things he loved most about Winry's blood, was that its powers made for infinite possibilities. Like he learned tonight, for example, after a rather unsettling run-in with a small group of soldiers and their nippy little wolfhounds.
At first, he just wanted to kill them all, but then he had the most fascinating idea! He took two of nature's masterpieces; man and beast, and united them into something no living creature had ever seen before.
Fables called them chimeras, but he called them proof that men could become gods. It was marvelous, a real work of art, and it was all because of his dear, darling little lotus.
The creatures growled at the night wind, and Kimblee smiled so wickedly as he let them each smell the tiny red pebble of Winry's power. Their reactions were insatiable, sniffing and sniffing until he had to beat them away. He loved it, oh! He loved it so much!
"Find her," he told them, and they howled at the moon, leading him back to his greatest treasure; his little lotus.
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A/N: So, hit a bit of a bump in the road-I had originally planned to repost the entirety of this fic, but as I'm going through my old files and uploading them, I realized chapter 10 might be gone forever. Until I find the original file or rewrite it, updates will be on hold. If any old readers saved this and have it please message me! I would owe you my life if you could send it to me lol.