AN: Hi! I'm really sorry that an update took this long. College was getting very hard towards the end of the year and I currently have some personal family issues, but I'm going to resume writing this over the summer as way to cheer me up.
A part of this chapter was written back in May ^^; Really shows how swamped I've been. I hope you'll enjoy this regardless. Also, please read the note at the end.
Ed stayed quiet as he followed Rachel and Zack back to the elevator room, unwilling to break the silence that had settled. Rachel still seemed somewhat upset about her broken grave, Ed noticed, watching as she dragged her feet behind her slightly. Ahead of both of them, Zack kept the lead, marching forward with purpose, and no matter how hard Ed tried, he couldn't shake the memory of that intense gaze piercing through him. He hunched his shoulders up, watching the duo.
He made a rather poor choice choosing to hide his newest revelation and he knew it. To make matters worse, Ed was sure Zack was just waiting for the opportunity for Ed to confess his lie, or even just have it exposed, and then he'd make short work of cutting Ed to pieces. Shuddering, his mind drifted away from the horrid thoughts of Zack butchering him, and towards the apparent time traveling he had done.
Ed, for the life of him, couldn't fathom how it happened- let alone why. He stared at his feet as he forced his brain to work, to give him any bit of an idea for how it could have happened. He slowed his pace, closing his eyes and his brows furrowing.
"Ed?" Rachel's voice called out to him, making him open his eyes and look up. She was staring back at him, waiting as Zack continued on ahead. "Keep up."
"...Right." Ed moved forward, walking beside her, and he stared ahead, seeing that Zack was a few feet ahead.
"You don't have to tell us what's bothering you." Ed blinked, and he turned his head to stare at Rachel, confused.
"Huh?" Rachel looked up at him.
"I know you lied earlier-"
Okay, I know it was a bad lie, no need to rub it in.
"-but it's okay. If you're not ready to talk now, then you don't have to tell us." She said, before adding, "Although, I don't think you should keep us in the dark, either. So when you're ready, we'll- well, I'll listen." She looked at Zack. "I don't know about him."
Ed remained silent, thinking over her words as he also turned his attention to Zack. The light glinted off the dark metal of the scythe, sending an uneasy tingle down his spine. He wasn't sure Zack would let him even speak if he found out he lied, but her words did give him a bit of a peace of mind.
"...Thanks, Rachel." He whispered. She didn't reply, only staring forward and letting the silence settle over them. He cleared his throat lightly. "And, sorry about, uh... the grave." He stated awkwardly. Ed knew it was messed up for her to be upset over her own grave being destroyed, but he couldn't deny it did seem to upset her greatly, and he just wanted her to cheer up- if only just a little bit.
"It's okay." She replied. "It's not your fault."
The trio shortly arrived at the first room, and Zack stalked forward, walking up to the elevator with Rachel and Ed trailing behind, and he let out a growl. He spun, turning to glare down at Rachel. "Okay, why the hell did we have to come all the way back here?!" He snapped.
Wordlessly, Rachel lifted her hand and pointed off towards the bubbles. Ed glanced at them in surprise, then realized as it clicked in his head.
"Oh, that's what you think will help you get through?" He asked, looking at Rachel.
She nodded. "Yes. I think it's probably a button."
"Great!" Zack said loudly. "Who's going to check it out?"
Rachel turned her head to look at him, an expectant look in her dead eyes. Zack bristled.
"Oh, no, no, no, no way am I going in there! It looks fuckin' cold!" He snapped, then pointedly towards Ed behind her. "Make him do it!"
Ed jolted a bit, blinking, and when Rachel looked at him, he paused to stare back. He looked at the water, then glanced down at his left leg in thought.
He could go in, in fact he just might if Zack complained more, but he wouldn't really want to. He had Winry upgrade his automail not long before he last left Resembool, creating a blend of her famous steel and the carbon used in the north, that made it easier to move and packed a bit more of a punch. One of the drawbacks he remembered his mechanic telling him, was that it was easier to cause rust if water got in under the plating, but that could be avoided if he had time to properly dry his automail and wipe everything down- which he couldn't quite do in a place like this.
Another glance at the water, and he felt a bit uneasy. He couldn't see the bottom through the icy water and therefore couldn't tell how deep it was, and as he reminded himself, it had been a very, very long time since he last went swimming- the last time being before the incident. He knew he would be like an anchor sinking under ever since he gained the automail.
"Zack should do it." Ed finally said, and Zack clearly didn't like that.
"Why me?! Why can't it be you, pipsqueak?" He stomped forward, pushing Rachel out of his way and towering over Ed. Ed took a step back, but hardened his gaze, feeling a vein pulse in his forehead.
"Because I don't want to, asshole!" He steeled himself and pushed his hands forward, shoving Zack back. Zack was stunned for only a moment, regaining his footing, and he scowled, squinting.
"Bullshit, why won't you do it?" Zack asked, staring at him, before his eyes widened a bit. He seemed to have a spark of realization. "Oh...you don't know how to swim?"
"What?" Ed asked incredulously. "No! I know how to swim!"
I'm probably rusty, and more prone to sinking, but I know how to swim, God damnit-
Zack laughed, throwing his head back and grabbing his belly, and Ed growled at him. "I can't believe you don't know how to swim!" Ed clenched his fists.
"Can we not do this now?" Rachel asked quietly, sounding exasperated, but Ed ignored her. He walked past her, ignoring her hand reaching out to stop him, and with a hard shove, Zack found himself tumbling into the water face first.
He went under with a large splash, sending rivulets of water onto the walkway they stood on, and Rachel jumped back to avoid getting hit with water. Ed felt some droplets land on his cheek, and he wiped them away, watching as Zack surfaced, coughing and hacking. Ed felt a small smirk spread across his face as Zack rubbed at his eyes to get the water out.
"You piece of shit!" Zack whipped around, glaring heatedly at Ed. His bandages have soaked up quite a bit of water, and some of them around his face had begun to droop. The water, he saw, only came up to Zack's abdomen as well, which wasn't that bad. He also noticed that Zack was shivering slightly, and felt some regret- he knew the water would be cold, but he didn't think about how cold it would be, but that feeling was replaced by the satisfaction of making s fool out of him. Zack surged forward, attempting to grab Ed and pull into the water, but he was too quick, moving away from him. Zack then began picking himself out of the water, when Rachel stopped him.
"Wait, you have to stay in the water." Rachel said, not flinching when Zack swung his heated stare on her.
"No way! It's fucking freezing in here!" He shouted in protest.
"You don't have to stay in there long." She reasoned. "Just long enough for me to reach the locked door on the other side of the wall."
Zack, gritting his teeth, leveled a heated glare at Ed before he relented. He sunk back into the water, stepping away with a huff.
"Fine, you damn brats- I'll do it." He said bitterly, turning his back on the duo and trudging through the water.
"Thank you." Rachel said, and Zack ignored her, muttering incoherently under his breath. Rachel, shaking her head, turned to look at Ed. "Could you stay here with him?" She asked.
Ed started, his eyes widening a bit. "What?" Zack also stopped, listening.
"Just until I get back." She insisted. "I shouldn't be long."
Ed bit the inside of his lip, uncertain. His eyes trailed over to Zack, and he caught him watching him intently over his shoulder.
He didn't want to be alone with him, but there wasn't much else he could do...
"Sure." Ed said, looking back down at Rachel. "I'll stay with him." He even smiled at her, more so to save face in front of Zack and to hide his unease.
Surprisingly, Rachel returned his smile with a small one of her own, making him feel better. She almost looked like how she did before Daniel's floor- with the exception of her dead eyes. No, her eyes kind of ruined the smile, but Ed appreciated it regardless. He felt himself relax, and he returned her smile more naturally.
Rachel walked past him, and Ed watched her as she made her way out of the room, disappearing from sight.
"You little shit." Ed heard Zack hiss behind him, and he turned in time to see Zack making his way back over, a scowl on his face. The soaking wet bandages have drooped further, exposing some of his face, and Ed caught sight of scars as he backpedaled out of his reach.
"Hey now, stay in the water!" Ed shouted as Zack set the scythe down on the walkway, planting his hands on the edge.
"No! Switch spots with me, pipsqueak! It's fuckin' freezing in here!" He retorted angrily, and he lunged forward, grabbing Edward by his left ankle with a sopping wet, bandaged hand, and he gave a harsh tug.
He hardly moved.
Zack blinked a few, staring. He gave another tug, only managing to move the leg forward a bit more. Ed watched in amusement as the gears in Zack's head began to turn, and he grunted when Zack gave a harder tug, making Ed stumble.
"Okay, stop it!" Ed moved his foot back and out Zack's grip, and Zack stared at the leg in question. He then reached out, grabbing Ed's right ankle and tugging on it- Ed stumbled forward a lot easier, and something seemed to click in Zack's mind as Ed stepped away.
Finally, Zack snapped in frustration. "What the hell is up with your leg, man?" He asked, looking up at Ed. He looked annoyed, confused, and curious all at the same time, as if he couldn't figure out what he wanted to be more.
Ed chuckled a little, a bit amused at the situation at hand, and ignored Zack's pointed glare as he shook his head. He supposed they would have found out about his leg eventually, but he didn't think Zack would be the first see it.
"What's so funny?" Zack growled out, barring his teeth.
"If you want to see, then shut up." Ed said bluntly, sitting down in front of Zack. Displeased, Zack did as Ed said, and watched quietly as Ed removed his shoe, revealing his metal foot for the dim light to reflect off of, and for good measure he rolled up his pant leg to above the knee, showing the port and the ugly scars that mar the flesh where metal meets skin. "When I was young, I lost my real leg in a... an accident." He rubbed the back of his neck, thinking over his words carefully so he wouldn't lie to Zack, but wouldn't spill the whole truth.
He didn't need to know about that.
"Luckily, a family friend runs an automail business, so they set me up pretty good." He finished, and he looked towards Zack for his reaction.
Zack's eyes had widened considerably and he appeared to be holding his breath. Ed smiled in amusement as Zack's attention was entirely focused on his metal prosthetic. Ed watched him, taking in some more features as the killer was currently preoccupied.
Zack was brown skinned- possibly Ishvalan in descent, if Ed had to guess. What appeared to be burn scars were scattered around his face, and from what he could see from the bandages dropped around his neck, the damage went beyond his face. He frowned a bit. Zack looked incredibly young. And without the bandages, he wasn't quite as menacing. It was quite the contrary- he watched as Zack reach out and run his hand over the cool metal of his leg, expression akin to a kid on Christmas day.
Estimated to be 20...
Ed's gaze softened. Zack was possibly the same age, if not a bit older than himself, yet he clearly has had it rough. The proof was right in front of him and all over that paper Rachel had found. It was really just starting to set in, the realization of what kind of person is in front of him. He found himself feeling empathy for Zack, almost.
A broken child who grew into a broken man.
Zack finally looked up from Ed's leg, clearly going to speak, but he stopped short when his eyes settled on Ed's face. He recoiled almost immediately, and Ed blinked, breaking out of his train of thought.
"What kind of fuckin' look is that?" Zack asked, almost disturbed, and Ed furrowed his brows at him.
"What?" He asked, and Zack clenched his fists, angry.
"Don't look at me like that again, or I'll kill you, got it, pipsqueak?" He threatened, turning away and storming off towards the bubbling in the water. Perplexed, Ed just sat there dumbly, staring at Zack's back. He couldn't even be mad at the insult- he was just confused.
Zack stopped as they both suddenly heard a loud thunk, and Zack looked down. "Got it." He grumbled, stepping away, when a locking sound rang out. He raised a brow, and stepped back onto the switch. Thunk.
Ed spoke up quickly. "Don't move from there!" He said, putting his shoe back on and rolling his pant leg back down. Zack whipped around.
"Don't tell me what to do!" He shouted.
Ed glared, moving to stand up. "Just stay right there! It's obvious that the switch needs to stay pressed for it to work!"
Zack's shoulders hunched up. "It's fuckin' freezing in here! How long do I have to stay here?" He complained, gritting his teeth.
"Do you want me to go check on Rachel?" Ed asked, heaving a sigh and feeling his anger rising.
"I want to get out of the water!"
"Well, you can't!"
Zack groaned, turning his back to Ed. "Just get out of my fuckin' face, pipsqueak! I can't stand lookin' at you." He snapped, picking at the wet bandages his hands were wrapped in.
Exasperated and utterly done with Zack, Ed spun on his heels. "Fine! But don't move from there!" He spit out, storming off down the walkway and leaving Zack along in the entrance room. His fists shook as he made his way back to the ruined graveyard room, alone with his thoughts. He wanted Zack to just stop fighting with him and threatening him, and if it continued, Ed was going to lose it. He didn't even know what set Zack off, this time.
He turned his gaze upward, staring into the shadows of the ceiling.
"God, what I wouldn't give to just be home with Al..."
The sun shined down warmly as Alphonse walked the dirt path up to the Rockbell's home.
A smile was set on his face, his short golden hair glowing in the sunlight. Alphonse closed his eyes, smiling at the heat, and he gripped the handle of his brief case, walking with a skip in his step. Behind him, the chimeras Jerso and Zampano carried his heavier bags- while Alphonse was certainly stronger now, they did find themselves taking a little precaution against pushing him.
"Man, it's been a while since we were here." Jerso commented, a smile on his face. "It'll be nice to see Winry and Ed again."
Beside him, the taller man groaned. "I can't wait to sit down and relax a bit. That desert is not an easy trek." Zampano replied, holding a handkerchief in his free hand and wiping the sweat off his forehead.
Jerso jabbed him with his elbow, shifting his grip on Al's luggage. "You just spent the last few hours relaxing on the train, dumbass!"
Zampano made a noise of indignation. "I almost had a heat stroke!"
Al opened his eyes, staring up into the sky. He ignored their bickering in favor of relishing of the sensation of the sun warming his skin, and the feeling of the wind rushing over him to cool him down. It had been just about two years since he regained his body, and ever since that day, he cherished the ability to touch and feel his surroundings. It was something he dearly missed, and never wanted to lose ever again.
He wouldn't have been able to do it without his brother. Al let his smile grow. "I can't wait to see how Ed's been. It feels like it's been forever since I last saw him."
The last time time Al had seen Ed, they were saying their goodbyes to each other at the Resembool station, before Al boarded the train with Jerso and Zampano to get to the border of Amestris and the Xerxian Desert. From there, they began their long trek to Xing, braving the perilous heat. From his arrival in Xing, he heard that Ed traveled west shortly after, and busied himself with venturing into the lands bordering Amestris on that side of the country, intent on learning as much as they can on Alchemy in other nations. On Al's side, it had gone rather well; he was learning more about the Xingese form of Alchemy, Alkahestry, the longer he had stayed, and he was excited to finally show his older brother all he learned in their time apart.
"You've been talking to him, though, right Al?" Jerso asked, looking at him curiously, and Alphonse nodded.
"Yeah, we chatted for a bit on the phone a few days ago. He said he was almost to Central and would probably show up at Winry's before us." Al said cheerfully, looking up the path and already seeing the house on the hill. The old sign situated by the porch reading "ROCKBELL AUTOMAIL" looked as if it was recently repainted, and faithful old Den was lounging in the shade the house produced against the sun. She lifted her head, hearing their arrival, and at the sight of Alphonse her tail began to wag. She stood up, her one automail leg clacking against the ground, and she approached, panting in excitement.
Al knelt down, petting Den and scratching behind her ears. The dog loved it, licking Al's face, and he laughed.
"Hello Den! I missed you, too!" He said fondly, before standing, walking up to the porch and climbing up the steps. He could already see his brother at the dining room table, drinking some coffee- with no milk, of course -and Winry would probably be fixing up his automail after he wrecked it doing something stupid. Old Pinako would most likely be with Ed in the dining room, smoking her pipe and catching up with him.
It felt great to be back.
He swung the door open, the chimera men right behind him, and he called out brightly, "I'm home!"
Not long after his shout, a familiar head of straw blonde hair poked out of the kitchen, and the smell of delicious apple pie wafted over him.
"Alphonse!" Winry smiled warmly, walking out of the kitchen. She was wearing her baking apron and removing her oven mitts as she approached the trio. Al set the brief case down, and gave Winry a hug.
Winry laughed a bit as she returned the hug, ruffling his hair. "Al, you keep getting taller! Your brother's not going to like that." She teased, to which Al just snorted.
"Probably not, knowing him." Al said, pulling back from Winry and stepping back for Jerso and Zampano, allowing them entry into the Rockbell home. They greeted her warmly, all smiles and handshakes, which she promptly returned. She then lead them into the kitchen with promises of apple pie, and Al laughed as the two men almost giddily followed after his friend.
From the living room, seated at the couch, granny Pinako called out. "It's nice to see you, Al. We certainly missed you around here." She said with a warm smile. Before her on the coffee table, the pieces of an automail arm laid strewn about, and in her hand, a screwdriver.
Al beamed. "I missed you, too, granny." He said, before he paused, noticing the absence of one person in particular.
"Is Ed upstairs?" He asked, approaching the old woman. She paused, pushing her glasses up further on her little nose to look at him.
"Ed? He hasn't showed up yet, Al." She answered.
Al stared, blinking. "What? He was supposed to show up before me."
She frowned, setting the screwdriver down. "Really now? Well, do you think his train was delayed?"
"He would have called to tell me, or called you two, if that was the case." Al answered, feeling a seed of worry take root in his chest. "He didn't call, did he?"
Granny shook her head, and Al's heart sank. "Only calls we've been receiving are from clients."
Then... Where's my brother?
AN: I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! It's been a while since I last focused on this fic, and I'm happy that I managed to make this my longest chapter yet! I'm hoping to start updating this more regularly- I don't want to make you guys wait a few months again.
Also, please review to tell me what you think! Comments are really what make my day and inspire me to keep going!
