Eleventy-Nine: you've only seen what's on adult swim? Tsk. You should not be spoiling yourself like this! Ah well, its too late now I suppose. And hey, since you cant watch the show at 1 am and get up for school at (dunno, when does school start) 6 am, I'd be happy to keep up my post series universe just for you! (ah, also for my own personal satisfaction) but since you're already spoiled, I guess I can venture a clarification: in one of the last eps of the series Edward's soul ends up in the body of his look alike in London. The look alike dies and Ed's soul goes back to his body in Amestris. At the very end, his whole self, body and soul, ends up in Europe again. In the movie, Ed meets up with Al's double, Alphonse Heiderich. In my story universe, Al's double is the younger brother of Ed's double, Edward Heiderich, who died. In the movie, I don't think alter-ed and alter-al were actually related, but I didn't know that when I wrote this fic and I liked the idea. Hope that made sense. Oh yes, and you can babble all you want, but be warned, I have a tendency to babble back.


Abby-WCD: Thanks! I read the movie summary and I was unimpressed. (so you should be less tempted) however, I haven't actually seen it, so I hope its better than it sounds.

Shingo-sama, Silent:Tears:Fall and KristalChan: Yes, Al is very confused, but he's a smart and level headed guy. Yeah, he is on the wrong track with his guesses, but he feels better coming up with SOME explanation, because to him the only other option is to completely freak out.

Animefan127: Yay, I'm a 12! (Thank you)

Missing Strength

East City was not so different from Central, really, she told herself. She had stayed late taking care of things at the office, so by the time she was driving home, it was already dark.

Damn. Someone had parked in her space.

Irritated, she drove around the block and parked a short walk away.

Her keys jingled in her hand as she strode briskly up the sidewalk to her font door. The only difference was that this city was not laden with memories like Central was. After pulling her door shut and locking it, she surveyed her apartment for anything that had been left out of order. There was nothing.

It was better, living here. Riza Hawkeye did not think she had a very strong imagination, although she knew she had a fantastic memory. In Central, the memories of Roy sitting in her favorite armchair, kissing her good night on her front steps, walking with her hand in hand through the cool evening streets followed her everywhere. Even in her own bed, she could not escape the imprint of his sleeping face on her pillow. She would never admit it, even to herself, that in this new place she had tried, in her loneliness, to imagine him standing behind her, his soft breath on her neck, or even waiting for her in the next room, but it was to no avail. Her imagination left her cold, and she preferred it that way.

Opening her refrigerator, she surveyed the contents and withdrew a block of cheese, intending to make herself a cheese sandwich for dinner. There was no sense cooking, she reasoned, if it was just for herself.

It was not so very different eating alone in this new, clean, perfectly sufficient space. Perhaps it was even better.

Of course it was better.