Chapter 9: All Solutions Come Easy

Al came in the house a pointed to the clock reading it was 3:30 which signaled to Winry and I, me more that we had to get going. Winry had been sleeping for nearly an hour while I have been reading any new alchemy books I could find in the library that may have taught Winry how to do alchemy, plenty of books none on how she has used it without touching items, nothing, how is that even possible is what bothered me. I had found nothing, nothing more on focusing on what you're working on is better left to defensive alchemy, in offensive alchemy you're suppose to focus on what you want it to be, not what it was; which makes a difference. That's why the wrench disappeared because I was focusing on stopping the wrench and since my mind gave no direction of what it to become it just turned to dust.

"Winry, we need to get ready for the party, its 3:30." Winry shook her head and was clearly enjoying herself, like she has been. Since I was back on the military under orders the only problem was, where to next? Would she still be left here, if no one is defending her then she has to be here. "Get up we have to go, you slept enough, Al and I did all the work."

"Hitting you with a wrench from this distance is still easy, don't push it. I got only 5 hours of sleep and 1 now, let me rest."

"I can hit you with a wrench too, I'm just polite and don't." She got up and walked to her room and came back down after I changed, she was wearing another dress I hadn't seen, where she gets all these dresses, I don't know.

"Ed, where's Al?" I looked around; I hadn't seen him since he went up to change.

"Alphonse went up a few minutes ago before you two changed, he told me to tell you, we better hurry guests will be arriving soon." Auntie said and I took Winry by her hand and led her to the dance hall. Al was already there standing at the door with Sciezka, Sciezka was a year younger than me, she was Al's age but Al's apparent age is 10 while hers is 15 so to most it was a strange sight, but to those who knew them, they understood.

"Hey Al, anyone else here yet?" I asked Al.

"Mustang and I are here Edward, it is good to see that you finally stopped reading and woke Winry." I blushed and so did Winry, they must have saw us.

"What were you reading about Edward?" Mustang asked.

"Alchemy, normal stuff." Mustang shrugged and Winry looked at me.

"I didn't read barely any of those books to learn alchemy, I learned from watching you Ed. Eyes are much better than any books when you have two alchemists as your best friends." I just shrugged, well Al and I aren't as good as her but she learned from watching us then added her own touch making us better.

"She's right, any trick she pulls she learned from watching you two, or created herself; it's quite amazing. You have enough tricks to defeat Edward again."

"Probably not, he can dodge everything, but I can always use that trick I used before, that would work but it's fairly exciting to try to master, hard but exciting. Alchemy takes a lot of work and practice, defensive alchemy takes learning a new trick for every person you meet, that's why It's rare."

"And when we have a chance we usually take full advantage of it Winry, it's just…" Was all Mustang could get out.

"…I know, Ed explained it. I understand I can handle it now." Mustang looked at me, I just shrugged and walked away and stood next to Al.

After I talked with Al and Sciezka as Winry finished her conversation with Mustang and Hawkeye everyone was done arriving and everyone sat down and as was the normal thing someone had to give a speech. Monday Auntie gave it, Winry did his on Tuesday and I think I'm supposed to do it today.

"You ready brother, go, it's time." I sighed, I wasn't prepared for this. I walked to Winry.

"Help." She smiled and waved as Al and Auntie pulled me onto the stage. "Hey everyone, well I'm a bit tired for a stressful day of training how Winry could handle doing that training everyday, I don't know but I know she does so I hope you guys are having a wonderful week of parties by Winry and Auntie. I hope you guys eat enough because I'm hungry and if Al and Winry let me I might eat it all, so bye." I walked of stage.

Winry was standing at the bottom of the stairs exiting the stage. "I thought ahead this time." Winry took me into the kitchen where everything on the table outside was set in here two servings of each. She sat down and watched me eat smiling as I enjoyed the food that she and Sciezka made, it was delicious.

After I was done, Winry and I walked outside at sat at our table. Winry never stopped smiling the whole time, leaving her this time, if I had to would seriously put me in the hospital. "Winry, I really don't want to have to ever leave you again but I want you to have this." I held out the box, and pulled out a ring, and placed it on her right ring finger. "You mean a lot to me and it has always been hard for me to leave you, even now, it's harder. I wish you could come with us, on all our journeys but I think it's too much of a danger to put you in." Winry grabbed my shirt and pulled me toward her and she kissed me.

"Edward, I don't plan to let you leave me ever again. I'm not going to let you, I'm just as capable of defending myself, even more than you. I'm going with you where ever you go and that's final, got it. Thank you so much for the ring, you made it correct?"

"Yeah, I bought the stone from the jewelers and I transmuted the ring and then put the stone on it, you like it?"

"It's beautiful." She said staring at the ring.

"So are you Winry, you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." Winry blushed and then I kissed more passionately then before. "Would you like to dance, since I can do it without hurting you?" She nodded and I escorted her out onto the dance floor.

Free viewpoint- 3rd

"Alphonse, you have shown them what they need, exactly what they need."

"What is that?"

"Each other, is exactly what they need." Al nodded.

"So you think brother and Winry will get married?" Al asked, Auntie looked at Winry and Ed dancing around slowly to the music.

"Anything is possible with those two Alphonse, hopefully. It seems that would be the best because splitting up those two would cause the other to be lost, they are exactly what the other needs."

"I hope they do Auntie, they deserve each other, brother needs someone who likes him for him and over looks his flaws and Winry just needs someone to understand her and be her partner and that's exactly what they have in each other."

"There's only 1 problem with those two."

"What, I'm sure they'll overcome it."

"Impossible."

"Why can't they, I haven't met anything that would stop them, nothing so far at least, and I can't think of anything." Al said thinking about all that Winry has helped him and his brother through.

"They have one huge weakness that if enacted and found, they'd both fall to pieces and they'd both do anything for."

"Auntie, please tell me so I can make sure it's protected and someone can't get it."

"You Alphonse, I'm sorry. Edward would do anything for you, and he's proved it time and time again. Winry treats you just like her brother too, they'd both do anything to get you back if you were put in danger, and sometimes your greatest strength is your weakness."

"Like brother's alchemy and his automail; no automail means to alchemy so when it was destroyed by Scar he couldn't do alchemy which was his biggest strength and without it he relied on it, it was his weakness." She nodded.

"Edward and Winry love you so much that you are their strength they can become more powerful with you buy their side but if you were on the apposing side, they would be useless to fight." Al collapsed on the floor and then walked into the kitchen.

"You had to get him down didn't you Pinako; we just got Al into a good mood, I hope we don't have to interrupt Winry and Edward to help him out of this little slump." Sciezka said, she had been listening to the whole conversation. Winry and Sciezka had been friends shopping and hanging out when Sciezka was relieved from her duties time to time. Sciezka also knew the kind of doubts Al had time to time, he would come in early hours while his brother was asleep and she'd be there and talk to him. "Al, come out, I want to talk to you."

"No Sciezka, I'm the only problem."

"What?"

"Brother and Winry, they can't be happy if I'm in danger, so I have to stay completely non-existent forever." She laughs. "What?"

"It sounds like the conversations I've had with you before, when you thought it's your fault that Edward had automail and you're a suit of armor."

"It was."

"No, it was both of yours. Edward was responsible for you when your mom died, he knew it was banded, he told you to help and try too, it's both your fault, and if Winry was hurt in the process would you still blame yourself." Al came out from the closet, and nodded. "Al, you were younger in mind then, you may have the same appearance but you have the brain of a 15 year-old and you're always been smart but you didn't know what would happen, you didn't know everything, Edward did. That's why he feels the blame and sometimes he wants to kill himself because it would end his suffering, Winry told me. He didn't want to tell you because of something you told him during an incident with Scar. 'We're all we have.' He felt fault for everything and wanted his suffering over but he knew he couldn't leave you, especially as a suit of armor, so he went on. You and Winry were all he had and he couldn't leave you, so they need you."

"Need me?"

"Of course we need you Alphonse." Al looked at Winry in the door with Ed by her side holding her hand. "True we'd fall apart without you, and a lot of times Edward and I have done that but we need you with us all the time, so you staying here is not an option. Okay?" Winry put her hand out for Al who was still sitting on the floor.

"Al, think of it like this…" Winry and Sciezka looked at him, usually when he used those words like that it made Al feel worst. "I'll be careful. …Alchemy is a cause of as much of my problems as it is my answers, but I need it and keep all the same, you're my brother I need you and sometimes you're down time can get on my nerves because it's not you, it's me, but if you stay here we can't be happy because we need you with us."

"See Al, they need you, you can't stay here. You're not safe here either, it's actually a lot less protected here, you're a leg, it's a pain when it's in trouble but it's essential and we need it. There's no real substitute for it, and as much as we need you nothing can replace you, leaving a prized position out of your site is stupid so let's go." The ground started shaking and Winry fell back and Ed caught her, and Al fell to the floor and Sciezka landed on top of him. "He's here." Winry clapped her hands together and touched it to the floor and pulled Sciezka away from everyone and she fell to the floor, unconscious.

"I'm in some sort of bubble, it's non-alchemic, what did you do Winry? Winry!" Ed yelled.

"Brother, she's unconscious. This is a protection bubble, she transmuted the air, I never heard of it, but she did and she must have done it around everyone in the room so he couldn't hurt her. Except Sciezka. Why would Winry take care of Sciezka, brother?"

"Because…she's not in danger, but Winry still is and nothing alchemic can leave this bubble and nothing normal can enter, it's very smart in defensive but only Winry can undo it, because it short outs our powers and no one can do alchemy on it, and no one normal can get in, but a normal person can get out."

"What do we do?" Can you move the bubble?" Al walked and the bubble followed him into the other room, Sciezka followed. Ed tried to walk over to Winry but something kept her from entering the bubble. Ed sat on the chair.

"Brother, everyone is and teacher is here too!" Ed turned around to find Izumi his teacher here.

"Winry!" Izumi sat down next to Winry. "She's alive Al, she just took a lot of energy to create those many whatever these things are."

"Didn't you teach her this!" Ed yelled at her.

"I didn't teach her Edward, you did most of it. She made all these, but they are very smart how they were designed, non alchemic, can't use alchemy on the inside or outside, a normal person can't get in because of it's alchemic nature but a normal person also can't get out so they're stuck until Winry let's them out, or she dies."

"What!" Ed and Al yell.

"They are powered by her need to protect everyone, so as long as she's alive that need is still there, and in theory when she dies it will still work too. There is one flaw, Alphonse I want you to think very hard about wanting to get to Winry, okay." Al did and he walked toward her and the bubble stayed still and he exited. "It acts as a protector of the person but if the person is thought of and needs help one could exit, if they're non alchemic in nature, but Al can't get back in."

"That's a major flaw. I'm no longer protected." Al said.

"True, but you can go in again, if she still needs you to be protected, but clear all thoughts of alchemy from your mind." Al just walked in and then poked the bubble and he can't get out.

"Why can't I leave, Winry still needs help." Al said as he pokes the bubble.

"The flaw is made so you can only leave for so long apparently. I'm not sure, this is an amazing discovery she made, let's take her back home and make sure everyone else is okay." Izumi picked up Winry and Ed kept hitting the thing. "What are you trying to do Edward?"

"I need to protect Winry, why can't I leave." Ed complained

"Winry is very intelligent, she doesn't know that because you use your body as an array your body can't be clear of alchemy, and you can't leave or enter any more then when she created it for you. You're trapped Edward." Ed pouted and she laughed.

"That stinks, she thought of everything. Since Al's alchemy originated from his heart by clearing his mind his hands no longer would filter the alchemy but my whole body is an array so I can't." Ed complained again.

"She must have thought hard about how to transmute those bubbles, they're no flaws except the safety precaution for her. Izumi, do you think she knows about the flaw?" Sciezka asked.

"Probably not, I bet she made notes on it, if we could find he notebook we could figure out the loop hole, if there is one, alchemy doesn't always have a loop hole, defensive alchemy is much more complex then offensive alchemy, and harder to master as well as rare, and extremely more powerful." Izumi explained

"I don't want to be in a bubble forever!" Ed complained.

"You won't only until Winry is awake and let's you out, and knowing her she won't." Sciezka said studying the bubble.

"What?" Al asked.

"Winry made this bubble to protect all those that would be endangered, she thinks this guy is a major danger, she is afraid that someone is going to get hurt and if she can't defend them all, then she told me she'd find some way to transmute something that could, and keep them protected." Everyone looked at Sciekza.

"You knew, why didn't you tell us?" Ed yelled.

"Winry told me not to but I couldn't now that she has used it, she said it would be perfect to give back to the military as much as she can. She left this letter for everyone, I found it in her jacket, she also made a tracking device using her automail skills to track him, so she'd have time to set up the bubbles." The walked up onto the stage and the group looked as a lot of people were in bubbles, some of the normal people from the village, and ones not in danger were not.

"Sciezka has something to say from a letter of Winry's about these bubbles, so please listen." The music silenced and everyone looked at Sciezka. "Thank you." Al finished and Sciezka walked up to the front stage.

"Winry wrote this. "Dear all those who I am now taking responsibility of protecting, I found that there was no way to protect you all individually because he's using dangerous weapons, none anyone has ever seen before, dangerous to alchemists and non-alchemists alike. I figured a perfect way to protect everyone. I don't know how but I found a way to transmute them one day, they are non-alchemic and any normal person can't get in or out either, perfectly defending, don't try to escape because there is no flaw in this bubble, I've tried it on people before, so don't try. I'm protecting you, you're safe, the bubbles go as you do, don't worry, go on your way as normal. Winry Rockbell."

Riza and Mustang walked over to the stage and saw Ed sitting madly on the ground against the wall, Al laughing as he crashed into a wall and bounced back without hurting him. They both were in the bubbles too. Izumi sat on the ground with Winry's body next to her, and took her pulse. "Winry is okay, correct?" Ed came to attention and looked at Winry then at them and shook his head. Mustang's question was stupid, she was unconscious.

"She won't wake up and let me out!" Ed yelled.

"Brother calm down, she loves you and she doesn't want you hurt, so just let her protect you so you'll live, okay, for her."

"I love her too but this solution is getting on my nerves." Ed reached out his hand and was able to touch Winry. "How did I?" Ed climbed out of the bubble and jumped for joy. Ed thought, he picked up Winry and brought it over to the bubble and the bubble got the two in there and Ed couldn't leave.

"Brother got out, how, you said he couldn't." Al said and pointed out.

"Winry told me that might be a problem too, just as Al's need to get to Winry let him out, even the non-alchemic bubble couldn't stop Ed when he loved her enough to leave and endanger himself and the bubble reacted to both people needing saving and it came over and got both of you." Sciezka said.

"Everyone stand back, I have an idea. If it worked before, it might again."

"I'd be careful in that bubble that she created Edward, it's not very safe to use alchemy in it because theirs no output." Ed nodded.

"With no output it means that it has to be absorbed by her body, right?" Izumi just looked at Mustang, she hadn't ever tried it, when your body is an array then it would just go back in, and with any other type it would just become bigger but with all substances not being able to absorb in theory it would, or it would hurt her, either one. Ed clapped his hands and only touched one to the bubble, that way it couldn't come back in, just flow out.

Winry was shocked and her eyes opened and she took a gasp for air. Ed hugged her tightly, and everyone watched as he chocked her, she smacked him in the head. "Can't breath."

"You sleep too much, how many hours did you get this morning with the invention of this bubble, training set up and then training?"

"One hours, when I had finished everything and you started reading I fell asleep, that was the only time today." Everyone watched amazed. "I would have eventually been fine. Next time let me sleep, got it." She closed her eyes, and kissed Ed on the cheek. "Thanks none the less, I love you too Ed." Ed blushed and everyone smiled at the fairly young couple.

"What now?" Riza asked, slightly annoyed with the bubble.

"Winry's too weak to undo the bubbles, and probably wouldn't if we asked, so let's just go home, it's already 9 and it ends at 12 so you can party on but we should get Winry to bed." Al said trying to give directions.

"One problem Al," Ed got to his brother's attention. "Winry can't leave the bubble without thinking about it and she told me not to bother her, so what do we do." Mustang and Riza just walked away.

"Brother, just be gentle and take care of her tonight, we'll figure this out later." Ed nodded and picked up Winry and everyone went home, Izumi decided to stay with them and just followed quietly, Pinako pretended the bubble wasn't there and lived life as normal, normal objects that were not sensed as dangerous could enter the bubbles as well as food, just not the knives or guns or anything, this was the reason that Riza despised the bubble. Everyone went to bed but Ed put Winry in her bed and the bubble could stretch enough to walk around the room if needed but nothing else, it was something that would soon become a problem. He just went to sleep as normal.

Chapter 12: The Humble Alchemist, and the Tired Alchemist

It was now 10am the next morning and Ed has gotten up but because he can't leave without Winry he couldn't go get up and get things done, he looked around her room and couldn't find any defensive notes or anything in the room, where would she keep it. Where would he keep notes on Alchemy?... In his study, but why would she go in there, he didn't know but that's where they'd be but knowing how smart Winry has been at guarding things, she'd have it protected so he wouldn't try, at least not now.

"Brother, Winry, time to eat." Al yelled from downstairs, and then walked up stairs to see Ed sitting on the edge of the bed and Winry still sleeping. "Brother why don't you carry Winry downstairs and then eat, that's sure to wake her up, all the nice foods Auntie and Sciezka made, it's small because no one knows how to use the stove that Winry made." Ed laughed and then shook his head.

"The faster she recovers Al, the better for her and us. Could you bring the food up here?" Al nodded and then got Ed breakfast, then Al joined his brother for breakfast.

"Izumi is still sleeping too, I was until about 5 minutes ago, then they woke me up and told me to get up and get you. I feel bad for Winry, that took a lot of alchemy to make all these alchemic bubbles."

"How she made them is the real question? Air, can you transmute air, it's a substance but I wouldn't have very much value in alchemy, would it Al?"

"Brother, as good as I am at alchemy you and Winry are on a whole different level, like Izumi said it's so more rare, strong and harder to master so she's ahead of us too."

"How she took our offensive alchemy and transferred our techniques to defensive is a whole other case but she can make herself and array too, it's strange, she was able to try out the bubbles but how."

"Daniel, she tried to protect herself from him, it wasn't just tonight, she's been trying to protect herself from him, wait, he used two methods, what if?"

"You're no thinking?"

"Daniel is the same as that guy, that's why she's so scared and knew what to expect, why make it alchemic from the outside if he was only a normal person, she knew and didn't tell us."

"Food, strange smelling food, what is that? That's not food. That's Ed and Al." Winry sat up and opened her eyes and fell of the bed, they laughed.

"Good morning Winry, hope you had a good 12 hours of sleep, you needed it."

"Morning Ed, morning Al, so why are we here, and not downstairs?"

"Because brother didn't want to carry you downstairs and disturb you because he was hungry; so now that you both are ready, let's go down stairs and eat with the others." Winry jumped up and crashed into the edge of the bubble which didn't stretch if you ran into it. Ed and Al laughed at her, and she rubbed her head.

"Wait, am I in the bubble?" Winry asked.

"Yeah, don't you remember?" She nodded.

"I remember last night but not being in the bubble, just making them and all the events, I can't see the bubbles either, that's strange. Where is it?" Winry asked.

"Well we can't have you hurting yourself so let's go." Ed picked up Winry like in a marriage and carried her down to breakfast.

"Winry, do I smell bad?" Al asked. Everybody looked at him, very confused. "When you woke up Winry, you said that you could smell brother and me."

"No you and Ed don't smell bad Al, you have a very distinctive smell, that's how I know when you're around, but I don't know what they smell like, sort of like alchemy, I guess, that's how I can describe it. Remember the alchemic dust that you used when you were little and did your alchemy, that's what you smell like, it smelled nice like you guys, I wonder why you guys smell like the alchemic dust."

"Edward, did you use the dust during the human transmutation?" Ed nodded; Sciezka's question didn't exactly fit. "It's probably because when you do the alchemy it uses your body to change and so some of it is absorbed in your skin, and Ed's leg and Al smell like it because during the human transmutation a lot of it was absorbed."

"Makes as much sense as anything else in alchemy." Auntie said, and Winry laughed.

"Did I understand alchemy when I was little guys?" Winry asked.

"No, it scared you half to death, you ran away the first few times we tried, then after we gave you the doll you realized it wouldn't hurt you, and then you enjoyed watching us." Ed said and laughed, and Winry playfully hit him.

"So guys, what else did you use your alchemy for when you were little; other than making Winry and yourselves stuff?" Sciezka asked, sitting at the table after finishing off all the table settings.

"The boys did a lot of alchemy to show everyone that they could, their mother and Winry were their favorite people to do alchemy for if I remember correctly. They did many things to help their mother and Winry and presented them with presents a lot, Winry still has all the things that they made."

"You do?" Al asked happily. Winry nodded.

"I have boxes and boxes of it upstairs, in my room." Winry said and walked over to the couch and pulled off a doll of the chair, here's the doll you two made for me." Winry handed it carefully to Al. "Be careful with it, it's pretty old and the alchemy was pretty weak in it, it was the first thing you made, and was really good for a first try." Ed started laughing.

"Edward what's so funny about Winry reminding you about the doll?" Sciezka asked.

"Winry has only been doing alchemy for a year and look at the things she can make we had studied alchemy time and time again before we could barely get anything to hold before it turned back. It's funny how much better she is then us."

"Brother's loosing his mind, help!" Al yelled jumping up and down and then Ed about to jump up and then Winry held up a wrench in the bubble. "Winry has a wrench, help!"

"Edward, Winry, Alphonse, calm down all of you!" Pinako yelled causing everyone to return to their sitting position. "Alphonse, you need to calm down, Ed is just well being delirious, Winry, drop the wrench, Edward, behave." Winry and Edward pouted and Alphonse kept talking with Pinako and Sciezka.

"I think you need a vacation Winry, you're stressed out and you keep threatening to hurt me with a wrench, it's abnormal, I think a psychiatrist visit would help you and your wrench problems." Ed suggested playfully.

"Fine, but you're coming with me."

"Do I have to?"

"One, you need it, two, I need it, three, we're connected, four, I don't know how to get out, five, I said so."

"What was that?"

"The part about don't know how to get out?"

"Yes."

"I don't know how to get out."

"What do you mean you don't know how to get out?" Ed asked while yelling.

"I just don't." Winry said yelling.

"You should know, you transmuted it!" Ed yelled.

"I don't." Winry said yelling then calming down to where she was upset.

"Winry, Edward, calm down and take a walk. Winry explain to Edward why you don't know, if you're lucky he can help."

"Fine grandma, let's go." Auntie happily nodded and Winry and Ed left.

"Before you leave, Winry catch." Izumi appeared in the stairwell and tossed Winry a huge book.

"Thanks, this will help." Winry held the book close to her chest and slowly walked along side Ed and then he looked at her miserable and stopped and she stopped, she had to watch him because she couldn't see the bubble.

"I'm sorry but it's like me not knowing how…well…I can't think of anything that fits this situation. I just thought that with all the detailed thoughts you put into it you'd know how."

"I did, easy to undo it but the problem is I have to be outside of it, I can't leave because none of the situations to escape without me applies to me, I'm not in danger, or in love with myself, and so I can't leave, I'll be in here forever and ever, you can leave I think. You can yell any time now."

"Equivalent Exchange, huh?" She looked confused.

"What?"

"Izumi said that defensive alchemy is the hardest to master, the strongest and the most rare and I thought seeing how easily you go the hang of it I felt like it should have came much easier to me. I was the youngest alchemist yeah, but that doesn't go far in power and uses, just youngest. Now I see that it's fair because it's not as simple, it's just that since it's so stronger the stuff that looks hard for a normal alchemist is easy for you but then when you go to your full potential it makes it seem as though you should but you worked hard to get this good."

"I guess you're right, but slightly wrong. It was super easy for me, I just thought about all the things you and Al talked about when learning alchemy, and from Izumi, everything you did I already knew, I didn't have to learn, I knew because of you and Al. I took most of it from you because in defensive it's split second, reflexes all the way, so learning to create the array I learned from you. I owe a lot to you but it's very hard and some times I wish I would have just stayed normal."

"You're saving so many peoples lives, you should be proud, why is it you're never good enough for yourself. That's the reason I think I'm not good enough for you because you're always going beyond your expectations, what are you trying to become?"

"You, you are perfect Edward, you make mistakes but who doesn't? You care more for others than yourself, you're selfless and you have always been taking care of me as long as I can remember, when my parents left you told me they'd come back and they'd be okay. Though they weren't I felt safe and trusted you. Al was too shy to do the things that you'd do for someone, and that's what amazed me."

"I'm not that special Winry. I'm normal, anyone could do the same." Winry kissed Ed and they kissed for a long time. "What was that for?" Ed asked confused.

"Well if I can't hurt you then I'm going to kiss you."

"That's very deranged logic, so you kiss your enemies?" She smacked him.

"No, only you; I felt that I needed to do something to you, and that's the first thing that came to mind. You're so humble. Ed, no one I've ever met has been so nice to his brother as you are, you help me and do so much for everyone, you've risked your life for Al's so many times, you're amazing, no one would do that. That's why I kissed you." Ed was about to say one silly comment and she put her finger by his lips. "I'm telling you, if you doubt yourself I with hit you with the nearest object to me."

"So what is that book that you're holding so tight?" Ed dared to ask questionably.

"My life story, well at least up until two days ago, I have to put the others in, but yep, every day account of my thoughts, ideas and in the last 200 or so entries working with Mustang, Riza and becoming an alchemist."

"What do you mean, you mean you went for it after the first few days?"

"No, 3 months, but I was rounding, the details of my alchemy, transmutations I've done, my whole life, threw my eyes."

"Sounds dangerous to write it down where everyone can see it."

"It's very well hidden but Izumi can find anything, this diary is just something she can. Every event is in here, this one is just this year, the others are hidden around the whole house, hard to find what isn't right here, so I hid them, alchemy was used to hide them. It was easy."

"So why did she think it would help?" Winry paged through her diary carefully to the back where it had plans of hand positions, transmutation circles, and stones on it, also emblems on metal objects, including the inscription on all of the state alchemists' pocket watches. "I see, all the faults and workings of the bubble is written in here." She nodded and pointed to a diagram, there was a line, with 5 arrows two on each side, and when at the top, the two arrows pointing to the side drew backwards, indicating that the force couldn't enter, or exit then the top arrow said 'Tate' which meant shield, a shield as designed like the bubble no matter what way you turn it, a good shield will not break, so that is how she designed it, like a shield. "Wow, you thought of everything."

"Except a default, I made it so there were no faults, yet you and Alphonse found them, yeah, that's exactly what I need you and Al being in danger because a fault." The simplest thing that came to anyone's mind was destroy it, easy, destroy it. No alchemist could destroy the bubble from within; it was designed from the outside. Winry needed to get on the outside.

"There must be a loop hole, something so simple someone wouldn't think to try." Ed thought no human in, no alchemist in, no human out, no alchemist out, on both sides, no weapons in had been tried, but two questions came to his mind. "Why can you destroy the bubbles, but no one else can."

"I can't, that's the point, when the evil that the bubble protects you from is gone, then poof goes the bubble. In the bubble you can use alchemy, so any of those who I'm protecting us can't kill him, the flaw is, my heart is what controls the bubble, I go, the bubbles go, he can't hurt me in here, if I felt it was safe all the bubbles would go poof but they won't until he's gone." Winry sat down rested her head, she was almost in tears.

"Wait, could a normal tool get break it, just one bubble." Winry paged through her notes again.

"Ya Ed, but how would you get a tool that could break the barrier a tool that can get in can just as easily fall out of the bubble, like food."

"What if the tool was brought in, endangered someone in the bubble, it wouldn't be able to get out, correct?" She nodded, not understanding his sentiment, but still understanding his theory.

"What is your idea?"

"The Wrench, it's a tool that is allowed in the bubble but could take me apart, and hurt me; and has, how you got it in was a question but this seems too easy."

"Let's try." Winry takes a wrench out her pocket and bangs Ed on the head with it, and he grabs his head and then she takes all her power and smashes the bubble. Ed falls to the ground and Winry lands on top of her. "You're a genius, how did you think of that?" Winry asked him, turning on top of him, smiling.

"How that thing is my enemy and my friend is my first though and how you created anything related with human flesh and alchemic power to be stopped, but not human power, like a tool." She kissed him, and didn't move.

"I have to create a new bubble, see the bubble is human power resistant on the outside, because guns can't be used on it but not tools from the inside, stupid loop holes."

"Don't fix it, what are you thinking, if you're in danger I want to be able to leave and bring you back in and you have to be able to leave again." She nodded, she didn't like herself being in trouble but Ed wouldn't let her change it because it was a loop hole that could mean saving her life, and getting out of the bubble, and both were well needed, it wasn't a dangerous loop hole. Winry rolled over on her side and laid her head on Ed's chest. "Can I ask you a lot of questions?" Winry raised an eyebrow. "I want to get to know even more about you then I know, and questions are part of it." She nodded.

"For everyone you ask I get to ask you one, fair?" Ed nodded in amusement.

"If I left you here and ran off what would you do?"

"Throw a wrench at you for being strange, you move and I'm pulling you back down, as long as you're not in the bubble you're never leaving my eye sight."

"I say that's a fair arrangement, when Al and I were traveling what were you thinking?"

"Easy, I was thinking that you better come back in one piece one of these day, I wanted you safe, and I missed you." Ed nodded. "My turn, what were you thinking while you were traveling?"

"You know the answer to that." She nodded. "Well I was thinking that I needed to protect Al, I wanted to just find the stone and get our bodies back, I wanted to go back to eating everyday and not being hated. I wanted Al and I both out of danger and back to normal, a lot of things. Next."

"That's not different then what I expected, the food part surprised me. You not eating would be dangerous at your metabolism but what can you do, people hated you, I thought they treasured you as a hero."

"Depending on who you're talking too, some people don't think anything I do makes up for joining the military others think I'm so great. I wish they'd all just think I'm a normal person, nothing special."

"Well you won't get that from me, I think you're the best thing that ever happened to me and anyone who you've met." Ed blushed and looked at the sky. "My turn; why did you want to learn alchemy?"

"I wanted to stop running away from what I feared, I wanted to be respected by you that was something big, and mostly I wanted to do something that had so much effect on your and Al's life, it played an important role, it was something that did bad, but did so much more good."

"I say those are all good purposes, why did you join the military, I might of respected you just for being an alchemist, first female alchemist I've met and only I'll ever probably." Winry shook her head, she had a smart look on her face. She grabbed her diary, scribbled something down and then closed it and locket it. "What, tell me what you wrote? That's a question."

"You're 5th question, I wrote, "Ask Ed in 15 years if I'm the only female alchemist he knows." She laughed, that was what she wrote but he just shrugged, not thinking of a deeper purpose. "My turn, I get to ask three now. Why did you first decide to try alchemy?"

"Dad did, and it was something that amused me, like... seeing a painting then wanting to make one yourself, that's how it was. Curiosity, and wanting something that someone else had, I also saw things he made us and wanted to make things for myself. I wanted, I wondered, and I did; that's how I was when I was little."

"What are the three steps of Alchemy?"

"Determine the makeup, break it down, and build it to something else. You're heard Al and I say this a million times before and the law of equivalent exchange but we don't think all things revolve around that any more, there are so many laws and much more complex."

"That's how the bubble works, the makeup doesn't have to be something physical when I read it, I wondered how Mustang could create those sparks in the air, air is a substance but it's value isn't the same, so how?"

"I don't know Winry, you're the one who mastered it."

"Equivalent Exchange is something that applies to everything in life, a life is given and eventually the same life will be taken away, everything works on it, the stone was made from something and when it was used up the lives used to make were taken back, nothing ever given, always equivalent, air for the bubble, that bubble is air, that's why I can't see how you can, I don't know. That's how it is."

"I guess, Equivalent Exchange isn't the only law acting on an object during alchemy many are that was just the main rule we have to fear."

"Human Kind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return, to obtain something of equal value must be lost, that is alchemy's first law of equivalent exchange, but not the only law, there are so many, it's just something that we fear like you said, you have to know that, and you and Al had to learn it the hard way. If I would have been an alchemist then, I would have stopped you."

"Knowing me, and what it would take, I wouldn't let you stop me, and I'd wouldn't let you help, I wouldn't learn respect for another 2 years." Winry smiled at Ed, she realized, he had to grow up and is still, little by little, not only physically but mentally.

"Alchemy, what does it really mean?" She asked.

"I have no clue, what do you mean by really."

"Isn't it just a huge loop hole we exploit, a break in the gate we use for our purposes."

"I guess, but it is like you said more good then evil. It has it's place and I guess those of us who use it are burdened with a curse, and a blessing."

"My alchemy is just a huge flaw, I don't actually create anything that already wasn't there, I just form it. Defensive alchemy is having the fear of hurting someone so only using it to help not hurt, it doesn't have any potential to hurt, just defend, and sometimes being solid means someone gets hurt, it's a fact anything is a weapon, how you use it makes the difference."

"You're alchemy is amazing Winry, it has no limits, no blocks, to bend anything into anything you need, it's amazing, I am limited now to very little, my array is weak, and easily broken. Scar told me 'By clasping your hands you create an array and circulate the alchemic reaction with it, without this sinful arm you can't transmute quickly. It's your weakness.' It was and as he broke it, I couldn't do alchemy, that's why you need two hands even in a transmutation circle."

"What's your point? I don't get it."

"I want to you to just think about the bubble and your need to protect me, close your eyes and think it, okay?"

"I don't get it."

"Just try, for me, please." Winry nodded and closed her eyes and opened them. "No explain."

"It's here, the bubble. I'm surrounded in it, that proves it. You alchemy isn't alchemy at all, it's one of natures flaws, it may be a form alchemy because of the process but offensive alchemy requires an array, a circle, a life devoted to it. You used neither. You used will Winry, it's amazing."

"How did I?" Winry asked.

"Defense, you needed to defend me and you heart was the array an array can be as big or small, microscopic even, but is one non the less, the protection needed in exchange for protection, the love and need you have was what changed it, not alchemy."

"Why has no one ever figure that out before, I didn't do that, I just needed it and it happened."

"Need is something, the law of alchemy doesn't say the exchange had to be physical, Al's memories for his body back, was fair, not physical but fair. It was always there, and you proved it, you exchanged a need for reality, no other person can do that, but the gate keeper."

"Can I take the bubble down without touching it?" She closed her eyes and thought about it. "Apparently not."

"It's of value, not physical your need was so much that it could but you wanting something you can easily give isn't strong enough, will saved me so many times."

"The thing with scar, Al's need for you kept you with him."

"Not only that but I really do think that you played a part, because you wanted the same things we've wanted all along, I know my will has never done anything."

"No it has, you needed Al to stay with you, I couldn't have done anything, you attached his soul to that suit, never been successfully done before, will is what makes alchemy work, the exchange requires something, but that something doesn't have to be physical. You solved it."

"No Winry, you wrote the book, I just read it. You made all that possible, you trained me without knowing it, to respect Al, I didn't when we were little but then you wanted me too and then I needed. You taught me all along this way, and that was made it finally possible. You are the law, I just can read it to you."

A/N: I really didn't read any of this anywhere I just ponder and then write it in my story, I love this story idea and I'm sharing it so ask me before you use any of these ponderings in your story. I don't own FullMetal Alchemist, just these ponderings.