sorry for not updating in a while. school, dance, and pure laziness. xD; well, i hope you like the chapter.

Oh, and disclaimer: psh. if i OWNED full metal alchemist, would i be writing FANfiction?

only the characters that i've made up are mine, and frankly i don't care if anyone uses them or not. ;

Noa

Chapter 4

"Noa, there's a package for you!"

Pinako's raspy voice called out for the Roma girl, who was 16 now. She left Winry's room with a blank expression on her face, and a sigh.

"It says it's from Grici... oh, there isn't a last name."

"Wait, Grici?" She asked quietly.

Pinako nodded. Noa snatched the package, and tore it into a thousand pieces, literally. Her eyes widened in surprise as she pulled up a dress..

It was white, and flowed down to the floor. She stared, and then whispered, "But this.. is.."

Pinako's eyebrows raised. "What's wrong, Noa?"

"N-nothing, Granny." She brought the dress to her nose and inhaled deeply, and quietly added, "Sister..." with wide eyes.

"I don't believe you." She sighed.

"Well, then don't!" She suddenly cried out, grabbing her coat and running out of the door.

Pinako only followed Noa with her eyes as she ran away. She knew where her adopted daughter was going; she went there often times before. With a sigh, she looked out across the street sadly.

There it was.

Tombstones lay in front of her; memorials of the dead. She walked through the graveyard, fingers tracing names and seeing visions of their deaths, of crying people.

Why did she have this, this curse, this damn.. thing?

She felt a lone tear fall from her face. She wiped it away furiously, searching for why she came here. "All I see is sadness," She whispered. "Sadness, and death, and screaming, and evil. This world is horrible."

She stopped as her eyes grazed over the letters on the tombstone.

Winry Rockbell

1900-1916

She fell to her knees, letting out a small whimper. She needed to see her again, her happiness. She firmly grasped the tombstone with both hands, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Winry, Winry!" Eyes wide with fear, Pinako yelled her name. She grabbed her granddaughterby the shoulders and flung her around, desperate for a response. "WINRY, DAMMIT, SAY SOMETHING!"

Tears. More tears.

So many tears, and screams.

And, yet, Noa refused to come out of her room. Chocolate eyes glanced around sadly.

"Winry, Winry, Winry," Pinako whispered, shaking her head in disbelief.

-x-x-x-

"She was poisoned," The doctor said solemnly. "Possibly by something she ate, or maybe it was intentional." He quietly added, "Or maybe it was a neighbor who doesn't like those damn gypsies."

Pinako grabbed his collar, eyes filled to the brim with fury. "NOBODY WOULD HURT HER!" She then slammed Noa's door, and sternly said, "Stay in there."

Noa heard yells, then a cry, then, "If you can't tell me who did this, GET OUT!"

"I'm sorry, Miss, I'm a doctor.. not a detective."

Footsteps, and a sob.

From that point on, it wasn't that Noa had to be quiet as much as she chose to. Every time Pinako offered her something, she refused it politely, saying, "I'm only a guest here, I don't deserve anything fancy."

The day she turned seventeen, Noa looked out of the window.

Lazy, teasing winter days, where the sun shines brightly.

She hated these kinds of days, but she couldn't stay here anymore.

And, so she stuffed everything she owned into a bag, and scribbled down a note.

Dear Granny,

I'm sorry I'm just leaving like this, but I can't stay here anymore. It's my fault that Winry died, isn't it? I don't want you in danger, either.

Thank you for everything you've done... I'll miss and remember you always.

Love,

Noa.

She placed the note gingerly onto the table, and began to walk out.

She opened the door to find Pinako standing there, hand advancing on the doorknob.

"N-Noa!" She smiled. "Hi."

Noa's face only crinkled up and she pushed past her, letting out a choked sob. She ran out of the building and onto the cold streets of Munich, sobbing.

Pinako tried following, but realized that she would never be able to find her. She looked around in distress, and looked at the note.

After scanning through it, a small tear ran down her cheek, but soon multiplied. She sat down and quietly cried, head buried in her arm. "N-" She couldn't bring herself to say the name.

The name of the daughter who left.

-x-x-x-

Footsteps crunched in the snow as she cried, going as far as she could.

She soon came to an open road. Advancing down it was a cart; it was spacious, and there were other Romas there. They spotted her, and waved, smiling.

She weakly smiled, a mere facade of what she was actually feeling at the moment.

She saw one of the Romas laugh and hit the driver of the cart on the head, and he smiled, beckoning her over. She inched towards it, and then increased to a trot. She stepped onto the cart and watched the scenery as it grew smaller.

"What's your name?" One asked.

"Noa," She replied, quietly.

"Nice to meet you, I'm-" The girl stopped. "Noa?"

"Yes?" She looked over at the girl, and her eyes widened.

"GRICI?" A nod. They exchanged waves awkwardly, and looked opposite ways as the cart rolled down the road.

"What's with them?" One giggled.

"...She's my... friend." Blank stares.

Noa's face crinkled up once again, but she refused to cry. That's right, she isn't my sister anymore.

She sighed, bringing her knees to her chest.

My sister is dead.