Chapter 20: The Angel Alchemist, for the people
Without notice the Military Party had been changed to December. Rumors said it was because the top military officials were off on their honeymoons but they were told that the party was to be a Christmas dinner ball.
"What, I thought I missed it!" Ed yelled, I sighed, waiting for him to calm down.
"No you didn't brother, the paper says that with the legendary fire, defensive and FullMetal alchemists and the bulletproof girl all on their honeymoons they couldn't through the party without them." Al explained.
"But, I didn't want to go!" Ed yelled again.
"I didn't want to go either Ed but it seems we have no choice." I told him.
"I guess; stupid military officials." Ed yelled then pouted. He is still so childish.
"Plus I'm sure that they'd never through the party without the Fuhrer, since he too was on his honeymoon."
"Mustang!" Ed yelled. I just crossed my arms, and went to talk with Molly.
---
"Molly, how is your leg healing up. Sorry I couldn't help you with therapy for a month, I was, you know, on my honeymoon." I explained.
"I know Winry, I went to the wedding. Plus, I wouldn't be selfish as to try to keep you and Ed here on my account. Ed would probably freak out if I even suggested it."
"He probably would but if you were any worst I would have but it off until you felt better. Ed pretty much listens to whatever I say."
"Yeah, but that's good. You know what's best for him. Plus, I don't know if Al told you but he took over my therapy while you were gone, he did it perfectly just how you did it."
How could he, he doesn't have memories of before he got his body back, nothing. How could he remember the training, the therapy, and everything? Is it possible?
"Are you alright Winry, you look quite tired, why don't you rest?"
"I'm fine, I was just thinking."
"Okay, well I was surprised that Al would remember how to retrain a body part since it's been a year or so since Ed came back and needed his automail put back on." Oh yeah, that's why. I guess it was too good to be true that he remembers. Maybe it's good he doesn't.
"Me too,"
"Winry, you looked a bit out of it, are you sure you're alright?"
"Yeah, I'm going to lie down for a while though. I'm just tired and need to think."
"Okay, I'll take care of dinner; have a good night's sleep."
"Of course," I said tiredly falling into the bed.
---
I awoke in a hospital of sorts. I heard threw the door a voice, "Ah, Winry Rockbell, Eliza Rockbell, Winry Elric, Eliza Elric; depending on who you're talking to they call you something different. I'm glad you're awake."
"It's Winry Elric legally, or for the military it's Major Winry Elric. Mustang is that you?"
"Yes it's me and my wife, Riza; and I'd like to give you your initiation paper, I sort of forgot to give it to you at your party."
In the Name of Fuhrer, Roy Mustang; Winry Elric is herby certified and accredited and known throughout Amestris as Winry Elric, the Angel Alchemist.
"Where'd you get that idea? And what am I doing here?"
"I borrowed it from some people who seem to call you that, but your reason for being her is important. It was an emergency retrival; I needed to talk to you. It's on the battlefield we need you to complete a mission."
"I don't do the battlefield, you know that."
"I know but this isn't a fight, it's an invasion to retrieve a few captive soldiers."
"Who?"
"Alphonse Elric, Edward Elric, Pinako Rockbell, and Molly Logan."
"But they were all…"
"In the same house as you the day of the accident?"
"What?"
"Two week ago, some man, the same one you were protecting everyone from, well he bombed all of Reisenbool. 40 people were sent to the hospital, and 4 were kidnapped, those three. You were in a secret room, made by alchemy, it was sealed by you or someone and it was hidden so you were left in there, when we ran a recovery we found you and brought you back her, the shock wave took you out for about 14 days. The first week you were in the emergency care then they moved you here just to be watched over. Riza's kept an eye on you. We're heading to his headquarters to get them back, are you going?"
"Of course I am," I jumped up and my legs hurt and I grabbed the dresser.
"Yeah, your body is still recovering from the impact of the house and shock wave."
"Great," I concentrated on healing myself by drawing with chalk on the bed. Mustang snatched the chalk.
"Al has told me that your alchemy can do amazing things without a circle with attachment to Edward, but not without him. He says that with a circle you still get very tired."
"Not if I use defensive alchemy, its will alchemy that takes it all out of me, will is with a circle or without and can be used to do anything."
"It's still going to take quite a bit of energy from your recovering body to heal your bones, and muscles, just rest, we're leaving in a few hours, we'll be taking it at a slow pace."
"Fine," I laid back in my bed, I clapped my hands together and transmuting the piece of paper I was holding into a folded swan.
"A waste of alchemic talent isn't it?" I sat up immediately.
"What is?"
"Using alchemy to transmute a swan from a piece of paper, that is something even a simple gunman like myself can do and I can't do alchemy."
"So, I'm working on my alchemic endurance. I'm making sure that I can do alchemy if I need to, it's how you recover doing simple tasks I could do with my hands, to things I couldn't."
"I see I'm Jake Logan, Molly's brother."
"A gunman, Hm." I said turning the opposite direction.
"You remind me of the FullMetal alchemist's behavior. He was quite snobby in that he's my superior but he looked on me as nothing."
"That's a joke, Edward never looks on at anyone as nothing, and especially people lower in the military's chain. Edward, like me has no respect for dogs of the military. But… he sees value in all human beings, as equals."
"Aren't you one?" I smacked him, and sighed.
"State Alchemists are for the people, unlike gunmen and other military assassins. I've never killed anyone, never been on the battlefield. I'm the Angel Alchemist, my job is to protect military officials and all people, not hurt them, or any human being. Anyone who would join to kill others is a dog."
"What was your purpose for joining?"
"To prove my worth, to show I could. I needed respect from the FullMetal Alchemist and this was the way to get it. A female alchemist was a stretch, but a state certified female alchemist is what I did to empress him with."
"Did it work?"
"Yeah, but now I'm in so many problems that it's not worth it. I could stop taking the exams and retire but I still want to protect people like FullMetal Alchemist, the Fuhrer and other alchemists and normal people. I hate war, and wish they'd all go away."
"Me too but I'm a dog; and I don't care what others say. I protect people at the cost of the enemy's lives."
"I'm for the people, I'm not a dog. I protect the country without a cost at all. My alchemy has only one cost, which I'm not allowed to say but the cost, is mine only to care about. I'm not a dog."
"We all can't be defensive alchemists, can we? Alchemists with rare and useable talents such as yours are a rarity. That's why I don't see a need to protect you."
"I don't need protection. I'm fully capable of taking care of myself."
"No you aren't Mrs. Major Winry Elric; you're the complete opposite of it."
"I take care of myself to the point I can. Edward and I see it the same way. Anyway Major Armstrong, nice to see you again," I said happily, I got up walked past Jake and hugged him. "How are you?"
"Apparently much better than you, so I heard about the bombing in your home town, you going to be okay?"
"I guess, Edward and I had planned to move to central anyway but Al didn't exactly like the idea of living our home there but it's much safer here, and we can start our lives here, I guess."
"I feel bad for you; the alchemists could all go back and use the remains to rebuild your home."
"I'll talk with Pinako and Al about it but I'm sure that this is the chance Edward and I needed to move here to take care of our family and everything."
"I see if that's what you want to do, it's your life."
"I'm not sure but Edward and I had planned to move here, to take care of a family here and such."
"Ah yes, children are such a joy."
"You're a bit ahead of Edward and I Major Armstrong. Edward and I are just at the point of preparing each other's lives. We can barely take care of ourselves, never the mention of children too."
"Understandable but it will be happy day when you two do."
"I'm sure it will be but for now it's just Edward, Al, granny and I."
"Okay well I must go and prepare."
"Okay, I'll be down. I have to go pick up a uniform."
"Yes Major Winry."
"And please stop it with the major already, It's Winry Elric and has been for the last month and a week or so."
"Okay, well bye." I nodded and fell back in my bed.
"You and the FullMetal Alchemist are married?"
"You're still here? Well anyway, duh Edward Elric, Winry Elric. You don't catch on very fast do you?"
"Sometimes, so you've only been married for a month and a week."
"Yeah, we just got back from our honeymoon and know this, and Edward's complaining. It has been tiring. I'm going to go get my uniform."
"Be careful Major Winry."
"I'm the defensive, Angel Alchemist remember; I can take care of myself most of the time."
"That's reassuring."
"I know, bye."
I went to pick up my uniform. Then retuned to my room and put it on.
---
"You hear of the new dress code?" Ed asked, holding a paper in his hand, the same one Mustang had handed to him earlier.
"No." I answered.
"You remember when he was just a Colonel. What was the thing he always said he'd do when he became Fuhrer?"
"You don't mean?"
"Yep," Ed handed me a paper with the label and everything on it.
"Ed." I whined.
"Hey, I'm not Fuhrer, am I? Don't complain to me. I'm sure Riza has complained just as much as you can, so don't even waste your time. We have to pick it up before we leave, at the dinning center where our party was, that's where the official military ball is being held this summer." I sighed.
"Don't worry it's only in two weeks." I jumped up, alerting everyone. Ed pulled me down into my seat. "We get your uniform today; all you have to do is show up in it at the ball. It's a no problem thing for you. We dance, have fun then go home again. Okay?" I sighed, and relaxed, I don't know what he was trying to do, make me have a heart attack.
After all that excitement, I was happy to board the train back home to Reisenbool. The uniform was horrible, and I mean horrible. It was a knee length skirt in blue, like all the military uniforms and it was a short sleeved blue top, like the old one was. How did they expect girls who were gunmen to shot and absolutely how did they expect me to be able to do alchemy and move around in that, it's ridiculous.
---
He was right, it was no problem but I'm sure that going on a mission is going to be a problem.
We took a private train to Lior. I remember Ed telling me about this city. He said it was one of the first place he encountered the fake philosopher's stones. I got off the train and walked around and saw that the city was crawling with army soldiers. "You have to give me that sword, it's a banished item." A soldier said.
He raised the gun to the child and pulled the trigger. I closed my eyes. I was in front of the child, and I had projected a shield to protect me. "Miss, are you okay? You got shot?"
I stood up and brushed off my outfit. "I'm Mrs. Winry Elric. I'm fine, but are you?"
"Yeah I'm fine. Thanks for saving me, can I have that sword. I wouldn't want you to get in trouble because you have it."
"It belongs to the man that saved me and my mom; it's the last thing I have to remember him by." I nodded. I walked over to where there was an alley way. The kid followed. I grabbed a few glass bottles and a wood pole and clapped my hands together and a glass case was formed.
"Here, you can preserve the sword in this, that way you won't get in trouble because it's away, it's will forever be there to remember him by, is that okay?"
"Yeah, but was that magic you just did. I remember once that there was a leader of ours that did that magic but mom hates him for betraying us. A blonde haired man did the magic and made it so we could find out that he was betraying us."
"Yeah I know the blonde haired man, Edward Elric. I married him."
"My mom says that that man should have just left us alone rather than coming her and bothering the lies that were here. We were better off without knowing the truth."
"Trust me; every time Edward does something it's to make sure no one gets hurt because of it. I know he didn't mean to ruin your economy because of it but he didn't want your people to be lied to."
"I understand, will you meet my mommy? I'm sure she'd like to thank you for saving me."
"Sure."
"Winry, we really need to go." Major Armstrong said.
"She's quite oblivious to priorities isn't she?" Mustang asked.
"No, she just has a lot of priorities, and does them as she goes. She's defiantly an alchemist who sticks to her name, the Angel Alchemist."
"So I named her well didn't I?" Mustang asked.
"It seems but you said that someone had told you they called her that." Riza continued.
"It was Edward Elric of course. She's his angel. That's where I got it from." Mustang corrected.
"See, but let her correct the wrongs the old military had committed, its best this way." Riza added.
"I do hear you." I said still walking with the child. I knocked on the door, and the women peaked out the door and shut it. "Can I talk with you, I heard that you and your city were wronged and I'd like to do anything I can to help you."
"You're a military official, a dog of the military."
"I'm a state alchemist, yes. I'm not a dog, I walk on my own to feet and don't do anything I'm told to, or do anything that's wrong. My hands are unstained of the blood of any person." She opened the door.
"Winry?" It was Rose.
"Rose? Yeah it's me, you look different then the last time I saw you."
"Yeah well I'm older then I was back then. So come in, and what's with you little one?"
"You know this lady, did you know she's a state alchemist and married to the man who ruined our city. I don't know why you'd be her friend or let her in."
"I know her, she's good little one."
"Don't you have a child who's about 3, not around 7?" She nodded.
"This is Dominic, he was left to me by a woman in town, and my child is asleep in her room."
"Oh, so it's a girl?" She nodded again.
"So why is this lady good?" The boy interrupted.
"Very much so, little one." Rose said smiling and grabbing the child and picking him up into her lap. "So I see you have done much since I have been last updated by Edward."
"Yes a lot really, I joined the military to stop unfound things like shooting children and such. I joined to make sure that I could protect those who are good, and defend them. My nickname from the military is the Angel Alchemist. After that, I married Edward some time after that and now he has been kidnapped and I'm off to find him."
"All this is too confusing."
"I joined the military to protect good people in our cities and other cities from the wrongs of our previous military, and to make sure all things are repaired. Then I married Edward."
"Any children of your own?"
I was blushing a lot. "No, not yet Rose. Edward and I can barely take care of ourselves, taking care of another would be much too hard on them. Until we settle down there won't be any children."
"I understand, I wished I could have done that the same way, I really had no choice but the two children I keep after are my happiness as I'm sure yours will. Children are of course, Children are gifts to women." I had to agree, because Maes and Garcia had told me the same thing.
"I don't know if you know but Edward is no longer metal at all."
"He isn't, how?"
"We aren't sure but we just know he's full human now."
"I'm sure that Edward has been blessed for all his right doings."
"I agree, well I have to go save him."
"Good luck and bye. If you do have a child and need help; I'd be glad to come and help you through it."
"I'll be sure to tell you. Good-luck with the children yourself." I said, walking off.
"Thank you lady who saved my life." The boy said; I turned around.
"You're welcome; trust me next time you go out there will not be any soldiers out there."
"You could really do that?" I nodded.
"I'm a major, and now that our general is someone more understanding and not an evil homunculus we can make wars end and many lives better."
"Oh thank you so much Winry, how can we ever repay you?" Rose said crying. "You are a blessing and an angel who has came here to save us from the tyranny of war."
"You're welcome but it's really nothing. I'm doing everything I can."
"You don't see how much this means to me, countless lives have been lost for the stone, many because of war, and I want these children to grow up without fearing their lives in these things."
"I understand, I agree. I must go now, bye." The boy tugged on my uniform and I once again turned around.
"Will you bring back your husband who protected our city and let me talk to him, and let him sign his sword?" I looked at the sword and realized that it was in fact Ed's automail that was left when he passed through the gate.
"I'll ask him, but I can't promise you anything. I wouldn't want to disappoint you." I looked at Rose.
"I may have only stayed with you a while after the loss of Edward in that period but thank you for helping me care for her. I owe you more than can be given."
"No payment needed, but I need to save Ed. I'll see if he'll come back. I'm sure he'll be happy to." Rose nodded and I left.
I walked out of her house. "Major Winry Elric, what are you doing just wondering in and visiting; sometimes I believe your worst than FullMetal."
"Apparently for a Fuhrer you don't know about everything, Ed's not metal at all anymore." Everyone gasped. "Yes, I was slightly surprised, not as surprised as Ed was though. We'll have to think of a new name for Edward won't we?" I walked off.
"Are you serious Winry?" Mustang asked me.
"When it comes to Ed I never joke around. Also I suggest that if you plan to better our country and stop these wars, I suggest you remove your soldiers."
"But…"
"There is nothing more for us to do for them, only they can. The soldiers only cause more of a problem."
"She's right you know Lior is capable of taking care of it themselves. They don't need our troubles to continue, we've hurt them enough." Riza said.
I walked up to a podium. "People of Lior, I, Major Winry Elric wish to inform you that the soldiers from Amestris are returning home and leaving your people to once again live in peace and harmony. We will no longer bother you; I'm sorry from the wrong doing that happened to you before this in years past. I can promise you I'll do anything I can to make this a better place for you." Rose was standing in the crowd with Dominic and a baby girl in her arms, the child was about 3.
"Mommy, is she in angel?" The child asked.
"She sure is. She sure is." Rose answered.
"Yes, she's the Angel Alchemist." Mustang said standing next to her.
A/N: I messed up on my updates so there is a missing chapter a few chapters back that I missed when I was gone, It's entitled 'The Humble Alchemist and the Tired Alchemist' so all the chapters are pushed up one, other than that, chapter 21 is new.