Lumina- Quick review because my last chapter wasn't the greatest. Sorry everybody. Influence of Izumi in this chapter! Yay Izumi!

Disclaimer- I don't own Fullmetal alchemist. If I did, everyone would HAVE to watch it and like it. Well... Maybe.

Chapter 7- Discussions

It was a little weird. Everyone having those same, purple colored eyes that went by Nelly's house. Now who had purple eyes that Ed could think of? No one in particular, unless... "Envy..." He muttered, barely audible.

"You say something, Fullmetal?" Roy asked, waiting for a reply. Ed shook his head. He didn't want anyone involved in a situation with the homunculus, mostly because he knew what kind of damage Envy was capable of inflicting, all in a day's work. "I just heard you..." Roy was rendered silent as a hand slammed down next to him, and one that was made of automail at that. Edward was looking him straight in the eye, with a dangerous glint present in his expression.

"I didn't say anything," Ed replied, realising his place and backing away from the raven-haired man for the time being. Now Roy was the one with the angry expression. He never would've expected Edward to be getting so out of hand after about a year of time off. Maybe it was time to start getting the alchemist some more missions, and Roy, knowing clearly Ed had just said something, knew the perfect one to bestow upon him.

"Alright then Edward, if you really don't know anything, why don't you find out who's behind this? It would be enlightening." Ed's face changed from a shocked expression to a pale one. Sure, he hated Envy so much, hated him with a burning passion stronger than the flames of hell, but in a way, he didn't want to have to deal with him either.

"Fine," Ed replied, admitting defeat before he'd began even fighting it. Mustang smiled, handing Edward a manilla folder with a few papers shoved inside. "But I expect double for this, especially since you chose to lay this on me on such a bad time."

"And why is this such a bad time?" Roy asked. Ed's face imediately went bright red, and he closed his eyes, sighing. He didn't want to admit he had the very item in his pocket, didn't want to admit what he was going to do. Just that Roy wouldn't quite fucking pushing, and he knew that well enough. "Well Fullmetal? I don't have all day." Like hell he didn't.

"I... Never mind. You wouldn't understand." Unluckily for Ed, his superior was great at guessing games.

"Does it have something to do with Miss Rockbell?" Again, Edward's face went about five shades darker of red, until it was just barely the color of his trench. He didn't like where this was going, especially when he knew Roy was taking guesses... And right on track at that motion. Mustang's eyes moved down to the large pocket, where an item was shoved inside, probably incased. "Oh, I see. You're going to..."

Roy didn't say much more before he was practically knocked senseless by the blond alchemist.

"Say nothing about it! Not to Winry, not to anybody!" Ed hissed, retreating from the compartment to return to his own, hoping Roy wouldn't say anything on the matter at hand. Ed still wasn't ready to do this, but he needed to do it some time. When he finally got back to his side of the train, and sat down next to Winry, she was still fast asleep, head laid back on the plush seat. She looked extremely comfortable, Ed noted, for the first time in a long time.

---

"It's clear as anyone can see that Resembool hasn't changed too much."

A voice, a familiar one, cut through the air, disturbing the silence that had been placed between the teacher and one of her two students. Though she'd taken in several more kids back at her hometown of Dublith, Ed and Al would always be her main priorities. And now that Al had his body back, she didn't really have a reason to worry as much. Yes, the life of Izumi Curtis, very casually, continued on, even without her son.

"You don't think so?" Al asked, bronze eyes darting curiously to where his sensei stood, staring over the hill with a calm expression on her face. Nothing to be worried about. Izumi shook her head, looking in the distance to a young girl with dark hair.

"So that's the one..."

"Hm?" Al's head twisted to where Izumi's facial expression had changed dramatically in the past five to ten seconds. "Yeah, her livestock have been dissapearing." It was only for a few moments that Alphonse realized Izumi wasn't here simply to visit the Elric brothers, to check up on them, but also to investigate for herself the issues that had been taking place lately. "You're still looking for him..."

Izumi's head dropped for a second. It was hard to keep her composure when she knew she may never be reunited with her son again. "Yes..." Al just never could understand why Izumi would continue her search when she knew all the young homunculus was ever capable of was being a nuisance, but it seemed like she just didn't see it that way. Still, the blond questioned her.

"Why would you keep looking though... When you know he's probably long gone." The teacher sighed, turning to the younger of her two students, and shooting him a very odd remark.

"Why did you boys keep trying to get the Philosopher's Stone when you knew it might not have existed?" Now it was Al's turn to avert his gaze to the ground. Why hadn't they given up? It was obvious Alphonse figured his teacher should have known why they hadn't given up, so why was she even bothering to ask? She should've known the answer she was about to get was the same as always.

"Because, teacher. We wanted to know what life would be like... If we hadn't made a mistake like that. We had to keep going, had to get things back to normal."

"And what you call normal is definately not what you would have called normal a year or two ago, before you found the stone, am I correct?" Al was about to speak, but his teacher cut him off with another one of her confusing yet remarkable explanations. "So tell me, is what I'm doing really that much different? I can only imagine what 'normal' would be, had my son not been dead before he was born all of those years ago, and maybe I can even imagine taking that poor child into my household."

"Teacher..." Al gave yet another deep sigh before trying to decide if what he wanted to say would really be for the best. It had sounded good at first, yet now, he decided against it. Should anyone say anything degrading about Wrath in front of Izumi, they'd have hell to pay. Izumi could argue that Wrath was no different, and deserved to have a life as much as anyone else, but what kind of life was it when you had no soul? "I'm sorry." The grave look left Izumi's face as a smile took its place.

"That's alright. I'm sure someday things can be normal again. Or at least as normal as I can ever hope for." For a few minutes, the two stood there, just enjoying the peaceful breeze going through the air at the time.

"When did... When did she get here!" Al looked over to his right, only to see his older brother walking down the path, Winry right behind him, smiling and waving at Izumi. The teacher looked at her other student, perplexed to see he had Winry practically hanging on him. "Gonna answer me?" Alphonse gave a slight laugh as Izumi shook her head and gave a small sigh.

"And you just don't change either, do you Ed?" Izumi's question hung in the air for barely a few seconds before the blond answered her.

"No, not unless you count actually acting halfway decent towards most people these days, you couldn't really say I've changed, could you?" Ed set one of the suitcases down on the ground next to Al, who picked it up and carted it into the house. "So, when did you get here, and what are you here for?"

"I can't even visit the two of you to make sure you're not getting into anymore trouble? Honestly Ed, I have a right to be worried." Izumi looked to her left. "Even though it probably is safe to say Miss Rockbell hasn't let the two of you out of her sight?"

"Yeah, I would say so," Ed replied, looking grimly at his teacher. There were a few more seconds of silence, during which time Winry didn't try to speak either. "Teacher..." Golden eyes scanned Izumi's face, knowing everything about her, even though it should have been her job to know everything about Ed. "I know you didn't just come here to visit. Why are you really here?" She didn't answer. "It's for Wrath, isn't it..."

"Ed, just let it go, okay?" Al had emerged back outside, and was in the process of taking the other suitcase from his brother's left hand. "She's got her reasons, the same as the way we ever had ours for looking for the Philosopher's stone." Ed nodded, letting himself fall, defeated.

"So Al, how's the..." Winry paused when she stepped into the living room, completely surrounded by all types of blue objects. There were blue curtains, a blue table cloth, a few randomly yet perfectly placed blue rugs, even blue accessories to finish the job off. "I love it!" She squealed, running through the house and attempting to see what he'd done to all of the other rooms. Al smiled.

"Happy to hear it, Winry." He turned to Ed, motioning him to come inside the house. Izumi followed closely behind. "Brother, I need to ask you about the you know what... I have to know." Ed nodded, and making sure Winry and Izumi had engaged in a halfway-decent conversation before hand, followed Al out the door.

Lumina- I left you at a cliffy! Sorry, but I have BIG plans for the next chapter; Two confessions! One from Ed, one from Winry, both to Al! It should be out soon, I PROMISE.