Winter Contingency - During either when the cold weather might be mild or severe, an uncertainly but not likely future event for which may occur. (Not entirely in any relation to the 1st Halo Reach mission other than the same name and very minor spoiler)

Villa Arango - Born as Jose Doroteo Arango Arambula (Is also known as Francisco "Pancho" Villa), was a general of the north division in Mexico who briefly led a raid on the U.S. Mexican Border before retreating back to his native country from the U.S. government avoiding capture, he was executed years later.

A few aspects of the Russian Revolution in 1917 (World War 1) are expressed in this chapter but are minimal.

Thanks for the brief, Roxy. Luv ya.

Hayley, thanks for that Halo tidbit, kiddo. Love you!

Alchemist Chronicles

Chapter 51 - Winter Continguency

The woman smiles at him. "Well hello there, Niko. It's been a while."

Niko -"Viola Berte. It's nice to see you too. Tell me. What brings me the pleasure?" "The pleasure is all mine, my once love. Though I must say. How very typical, predictable of you, Niko. Your hands are still craving blood from the trigger? No?" She asks.

Niko replies. "I only end if necessary nowadays. I've changed."

Viola - "We both know you haven't. It's dormant."

Blue tells Ari. 'She's in between, yet present. Strange.' Ari looks at her confused.

Viola then turns and looks at Janine then Edward. "Our replacements I see. Losing them must have struck a cord."

Niko slams his hands on the table, yelling back. "NOTHING WILL EVER REPLACE THEM!"

Olivier - "ENOUGH!" Everyone looks at her. "Viola, isn't it? You're staying here with them since I do not have clearance from-" Viola then shoves a paper in her face. Ed and AJ and a few other stares in terror and sink into a corner of the tent.

Olivier grabs the paper, ripping it up in front of Viola and tosses the paper shreds directly at the other woman's face. Viola stares in shock as Olivier turns her head quickly and orders to the others. "MOVE! WE ARE LEAVING IMMEDIATELY!"

Every soldier who is under her command, scramble and head out of the tent, rushing and running over to the train station.

Olivier then turns to Niko, ordering him. "You as well. MOVE IT!" "MA'AM!" He salutes back and runs out of the tent to catch up with the others.

Olivier turns her back to the remaining and leaves the tent after Niko rushes out of it.

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Miles knocks on the door. Alphonse hears the knock as he walks from being in the back of the house, heading to the front. Just as he makes it almost to the door, he stops as he sees a tired Winry yawn, asking. "Al, can you see who that is, please?"

Al - "Sure." He walks over and opens the door. Al's eyes widen, surprised to see Miles along with the soldiers standing behind him.

Already having an idea of what this might be, Al asks in an annoyed tone. "What did he do this time?"

Miles smiles and replies. "He's not in any trouble. However, I am gonna need you and Mrs. Elric to come with me." Al stands there surprised as Winry sits up and with tired eyes, only a second later to look just as surprised as Al.

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Finally making it to the train, Ed is about to walk onto the train when AJ stops him. "Wait, Ed. She said we have to go on the last train and the last ones on."

Ed sighs. "Fine." He angrily scowls and starts walking away from the platform.

As one by one the trains fill up with soldiers, Miles makes it back to Olivier with Al and Winry.

Once they start passing a group of soldiers including Ed and AJ. Both grin as they start walking towards them but then are stopped by Olivier who steps in front of them. "No distractions. They need to stay focused." Win then turns her head concerned to Al as he looks back, smiles and nods.

Walking onto the train, each takes a glance over to them before quickly entering the first train. However once he makes it to his seat, Al looks out the window, noticing someone running towards the train.

He immediately runs back off and over to Roxy, who catches her breath as she stops in front of him.

Before Al could say anything, she hands him a note and before he could open it, she stops him.

Roxy - "No. Not yet." Al raises an eyebrow, staring at her. "I... She... (She takes a breath) Don't show her yet. I'll find a way soon to explain everything to her. But just not yet."

Before he could even reply to what she just said, Miles yells to him. "Get back on the train!" A soldier from both Briggs and Central each, lay a hand on his shoulder, quickly guiding him back into the train.

As he's walking back onto the platform, turning back Roxy as she waves goodbye to him and then turns and walks away.

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Upon switching trains once they make it Central, Olivier, with Miles escort Maddison over to the Presidental Quarters and immediately heads back to the trains to continue to Briggs.

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Walking out of the train as they make it to the mountain base of Briggs as the snow pours heavily, each of the coached cars closes it's doors once each and every passenger is off of it. Olivier immediately has Miles and several soldiers escort Al and Winry straight to Briggs.

As the last three cars face the direction of the Fortress, Ed and AJ finally exit the train as well as Kain. Entering in separate cars, they each make it to the base near midnight.

The next morning Olivier orders Miles to fetch both AJ and Ed, escorting them to her office and orders Kain to do a variety of jobs throughout Briggs Fortress in the meantime.

Olivier - "What other information did you gather while you were in Creta?"

AJ - "Depends on which? Politics, Military or Personal?"

Olivier stares briefly at her before continuing. "I'm assuming silence for the first two?"

AJ - "Depending on the type of questions you ask me, (shrugging her shoulders), probably."

Olivier - "So then tell me what you can without being court-martialed."

AJ with one finger each she counts up three. "Villa Arango, lost like JR, however no more spread out lights over there as of their last inquiry of prints from their south. (first finger up) Woodward is elected again, final cast. (Second finger raised) And last but not least my father is somewhere west, exactly where I do not know. I have a feeling he's not in Creta anymore and he's definitely not in Amestris. So that leaves Table City or..."

Ed interrupts her. "Milos. You haven't been there yet, right?" AJ raises an eyebrow at Ed then nods her head.

Olivier - "I couldn't care less about their crap. However another blood vanishing from thin air. Interesting ..."

Ed and AJ stare at her with an eyebrow raised with curiosity.

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Winry sits in a chair aside from Al, watching him as he places a hand on the wall in front of him, taking in the surface of the arctic chill, resting on the stone texture.

Win - "Having fun, Al?" Al looks back at her before he lays down on the floor next to Winry. Al, as he's staring up at the ceiling, tells her. "A lot of things still feel weird to me even though it's already been a few years already." Lifting up his hand first to look at it before he sits back up. "I remember every time I asked someone how did the body of the armor feel, it was always the same answer... Cold."

Doc walks over and tells him. "I'm sure no matter how many years may pass, the mental scars that you experienced may forever be with you." Al then looks gloomy at the ground in front of him.

Doc then sticks her hand out to Al to help him up. "But as long as you have all of us, hopefully, we can help you make happier memories." Al then smiles lightly as he looks up and grabs her hand, pulling himself up.

Al then asks. "So why are we here?"

Doc looks at Winry. "I'm sure Edward would feel appreciated if something were to unexpectedly happen to his automail and his mechanic wasn't miles away in another city like last time."

Winry cautiously stares at Doc, who then faces back at Al. "And you Al are here just in case if there's trouble. Can't be too reckless with a civilian present, after all, we are at the border to Drachma." Al just only stares at Doc questionably.

Doc - "Now may the both of you would follow me, I am supposed to take you both to the infirmary in the meantime for emergency support purposes before you ask." Winry raises her eyebrow at Doc in confusion.

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A knock on the door erupts and Ed opens it. Niko exchanges hellos and good mornings with everyone and walks in, generalizing. "I would assume I'm here in regards to the sudden presence of Drachma forces being visible from the top of either side of the Briggs mountains."

Olivier smirks. "What do you know about it?"

Niko - "A rebellion. Peasants against the armed. Several inexperienced recruits who know nothing about war aligned with ones that do. Think of a coup d'etat self-destruction against its own country and countrymen and women. The same could be said for what happened here I believe."

AJ - "But why are they fighting themselves?"

Ed - "Does it involve what Kimblee orchestrated?"

Olivier stares at Ed with interest then quickly looks back at Niko. Niko replies. "It's a matter of what the people want what's best for themselves and their country. (Looking at Olivier) Since you don't care about the extent of troubles of other countries that don't involve us, shall I continue?"

Olivier - "Don't. On the other hand, who is your source?"

Niko - "A reliable source, General. No need to worry." Olivier glares at him before looking back at Ed, asking him. "Speaking of a source, How are the conditions in Milos, Fullmetal? Has anything improved besides our negotiations with the Natives?"

Ed sighs. "It's still not in the greatest of conditions but it's looking better than it did a few years ago. Oh and Creta is still tossing their crap down there."

"Typical," Blue says as she rolls her eyes. Everyone looks at her before Ed attempts to continue but Olivier stops him and stands up. All of them then leave the office.

Looking over the horizon on the base towards Drachma, Olivier asks Blue. "Have they spotted anything new?" Greywolf who is walking on the mountain to the left then jumps down and walks over to Ed first, giving him a sniff as Ed pats his head. Then over to Olivier, Niko, finally making it to AJ, nudging her gently in the leg.

As Blue is scratching him on his head, she tells her. "Nothing new or interesting through their senses. However..." She then looks over at Niko. "Yori still walks, reversely." "Gemovich? Really?"

Ed - "Who?" "A spirit on the other side, Edward," Blue tells him. Ed looks away and shudders uncomfortably.

Olivier (Once all of them are back in her office) "There's a reason why I requested all of you, most importantly you Rambo for coming here. It seems someone has been spotted near the collapsed cave where you found that stone."

AJ eyes light up. "So... With the wolves, do you want me to...?"

Olivier - "I would like to say no but you and the pack of the only ones familiar with the area, especially near that close to the edge."

AJ - "So when then?" "Very soon," Olivier replies then adds. "And I want Edward to go with you after he..." Ed pulls up his left pants leg, revealing the fitted automail and smiles boldly.

Olivier expresses her annoyance as Miles chuckles briefly.

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As Ed and AJ are walking in the direction towards the forest.

Olivier - "She's becoming more and more like him as of late."

Miles - "So what are you hoping for out of this?"

Olivier smiles as she turns and walks back inside the fortress.

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In the infirmary, Winry tells Al "He's been even quieter as of late. (Al raises an eyebrow) I mean I understand about the military stuff but it seems like whenever I asked him about AJ's dad, he shuts down and turns away sadly."

Al - "Why?"

Winry - "I recently overheard him on the phone talking to Roxy. But what I don't understand is if she knows something about her dad, then why is she talking to Ed about it. Shouldn't she... hm?" Winry stops and raises an eyebrow at Al as she sees a sudden 'oh' reaction on his face and as he pulls out a piece of paper from his pocket. Al opens it up.

It reads.

CrossCut Network,

Dawned Sunset.

Winry- "Al, what is that?" "It's a note I got from Roxy." "Well let me see it too, then." She says as she stands up and walks behind him to read it. Winry then looks up at Al who shrugs his shoulders in confusion.

Looking back at it, Al tells Winry. "I asked her about AJ's dad before she gave this to me." Winry looks at it again then back at Al. "Do you think it has something with him? Where did she give this to you anyway?" Winry asks.

Al - "In Table City." Then Al realizes something. Winry smiles. "I know that Elric expression. Tell me now, Al." Al then looks at her, then turns and rushes over towards the door.

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Walking side by side through a path in the forest, AJ stops, with Ed stopping next to her and looks at her with confusion as she looks to her left, then right, then left again, only to walk to her left a little and stop, reaching her right hand out as she slowly kneels.

Ed silently watches as Artemis comes from behind a tree and immediately approaches her. Ed starts to get nervous as it stops to look at him and then continues to her to smell her hand quickly before running back into the forest again.

Ed breathes a sigh of relief. AJ tells him. "You'll have to excuse her and the others. They're not used to you as they are to me. Just stay near me and you'll be fine, alright." Ed nods his head and they continue walking.

As they get just a few feet away from where they once were, Ed says as he stops. "Janine." She stops and turns around to look at him. "Yeah?" She asks.

Ed, who looks briefly at the ground before taking a deep breath and looking back up at her. "I need to ask you something." AJ raises an eyebrow at him. Ed, in a concerned tone. "Are you really ready to face your father if he is ever found? What about John as well? Are you really sure about it? I'm just worried that you aren't ready."

AJ looks away briefly before turning back to him and holds her own arm. "I-I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I don't ever take that step forward." She then turns back around and then looks at him, continuing. "How else am I gonna apologize? I can't expect Roxy or anyone else to do it since I'm the one that said it." She then asks him. "How did you feel or react when you saw your own father after so many years, Edward?"

Ed quickly looks away, then looks back, replying sharply and rolling his eyes. "Let's just get this stupid thing over with." As he starts walking past her.

AJ - "Al already told me how he felt about Hohenheim. His side of the story." "Well, that's Al for ya. Always an open book." Ed replies, still walking.

Once they make it to the collapsed cave, Janine stops and stares at it. The stone then moves itself out from underneath her shirt and glows sporadically and lightly. "Hm?" AJ looks at it.

Ed stops and walks back to her. "What are you-" He stops himself once he sees the stone removing itself from her and glides in the opposite direction from where Ed was walking.

Both Ed and AJ decide to follow it to what appears to be large door-sized opened frame on the side and at eye level to Ed, of a larger rock which is several feet away from the collapsed cave.

AJ draws her gun as the stone begins to go through the opening, heading downwards. Both follow it in.

Not even a few feet in, a sound of a shotgun goes off further inside. Ed and AJ then rush toward the sound.

End of Chapter 51

Sorry for the long wait.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who's had quite of bit of writer's block because of the unfortunate Voice actors/ actresses, Anime distributor, Anime community situation that's been happening since last January. Regardless of whichever side you're on or even if you don't want anything to do with everything about it. Let's all just grateful to just be alive cuz you just never know when it's your time.

Thank you for your patience and reading this lastest chapter of my Alchemist Chronicles series. I appreciate all of you.