Title: A Fangirl's Dream
Summary: Ivy has it rough. She's no anime fan or FMA fan. But when she somehow crosses the gate, she finds herself in the worst possible position: a protagonist of an Another World fic trope. And between the alchemy, automail, lack of plot knowledge, and struggling with her attraction to a pretty blonde mechanic, Ivy reluctantly teams up with the main characters in her journey to get home.
Pen Name: FanfictionIsMySideHustle

"There you go, 'Kasha." Ivy whispered as she pulled the cover over Akasha's sleeping form on her bed. Her eyes felt puffy and it stung when she blinked but none of that mattered right now when she looked on at her best friend sleeping in front of her. Akasha had exhausted herself right the hell out. Ivy smiled fondly, wishing she could do the same. "See you in the morning, nerd." Ivy said softly before taking her leave into the hallway, chest bumping into Winry's forehead.

Ivy guessed she really had grown a bit taller these past few months. "Sorry about that, Win." Ivy stepped to the side, gesturing to the door. "Did you need to get something?"

Winry shook her head, eyes drifting to Ivy's bed where Akasha lay. "I just wanted to check on your friend." Winry had arrived not too long after Akasha had somehow graced herself to the shop, surprised by the scene taking place in front of it. "Is she okay? That's Akasha, right?"

"The one and only." Ivy looked back at the bed, thankful Akasha hadn't moved an inch despite their talking. "I never thought I'd see her in Rush Valley."

"She looked like she really missed you."

Ivy winced remembering Akasha's words. News, police, the works. "Yeah. I guess when I… ran away and she heard about it, she didn't take it that well." Ivy had figured that things weren't entirely the best since she wandered into Amestris, but it was different hearing about it from someone that was there to experience it all.

Winry placed her hands on her hips, blue eyes firm. "You need to apologize to her when she wakes up."

"What?" Ivy said, startled. "I already did."

"You should double apologize for making her feel bad." Winry replied matter-of-factly. "I know you said that the situation at home was bad, but you should have found a way to tell your best friend if you would be going off somewhere. You didn't call anyone once when we were in Resembool or here." Ivy shrunk as Winry continued on. "So you should apologize again, just for good measure."

"Yes, Winry." Ivy closed one eye with a sigh. "You're never gonna let me live it down if I don't, huh?"

"Nope." Winry popped the P. "Not at all."

"Not even if I make some last minute dinner?" Ivy offered sly.

"I'll take the last minute dinner, but you're still in trouble until you talk properly with your friend." Winry looped their arms together before leading the way to the kitchen and Ivy sighed once again. "That aside," Winry smiled. "I can't wait to meet her properly in the morning. I wanna meet your friends."

Ivy did her best not grimace at that hopeful proclamation. "Yeah, she's great…"

"She's the most annoying character in the show!"

"She's basically useless!"

"She has no place in anything and is basically just shoved wherever, no fighting or alchemical abilities!"

"If you start liking Winry- or May Chang- I'll have to fight you!"

"Why does she have to exist in an otherwise perfect show!? She and May should just disappear dnfdkfdns!"

"Maybe I should make something she likes in the morning for breakfast." Winry's contemplative tone brought Ivy back to the situation at hand. "What kind of stuff does she like eating?"

"Why are you getting so fidgety? I'm the one who has to do all the apologizing or I meet your fury."

"Your best friend from childhood finds out you ran away from home and that you've been spending your time doing an apprenticeship in Rush Valley without telling her anything?" Winry said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "If I were her, I wouldn't just stop at throwing wrenches at you. I'd have a thing or two to say to the people you were staying with."

And Christ would Akasha have a lot to say to you under particular circumstances. A TV screen or manga panel between their faces circumstances. "Thank the automail gods that she doesn't have any interest in automail then."

Winry giggled lightly, "maybe we can convert her?"

"Doubt it." And I doubt she would especially go along with it if it were you trying to do the converting. When they reached the kitchen, Winry let go of her grip on Ivy's arm as Ivy headed straight for the cabinet. "She likes pancakes though, she's pretty basic in terms of breakfast foods."

"Then we're having pancakes for breakfast." Winry announced firmly. "And you two are gonna make up before then."

"Got it." Ivy agreed. "She can be easily won over with pancakes, so it's gonna be fine." She nodded her head to the hall. "Why don't you take a shower right quick, though before Mr. Garfiel hops in. You know he takes forever to get out."

Winry winced, "you're right. I'll try not to wake up Akasha."

"Don't use up all the hot water." Ivy called softly as the blonde disappeared around the corner. Please be bought off easily with pancakes. Ivy thought as she filled a large pot with water. Spaghetti would be something quick and easy, something her mom taught her to cook way back in middle school in preparation for the foretold broke college student life. The kitchen was silent for long as the familiar steps of steel came closer and closer. "Hey, guys." Ivy said without looking. She didn't need to look. "Thanks. For bringing Akasha here. I know you guys probably didn't really know who she was but I'm happy she's safe. I can only imagine what could have happened if she ran into someone who wasn't safe."

"I completely forgot you mentioned that name before, I should have figured there was a connection. That Ling guy told us she was traveling with them across the desert." Edward said, crossing his one remaining arm. She barely even noticed before that it had been ripped off. "Do you think they know about where you guys come-"

Ivy held up a hand before Edward could finish, straining her ears. When she could hear the familiar sound of the shower head turning on, she looked over at the golden-eyed boy. "Don't know." She said, mindful to keep her voice low. "But I'm pretty sure she told them a cover story like how I did with the Rockbells. They probably asked if she was an Amestrian from Central, she panicked and said yes, and when she got here she was able to make up more stuff as she went along." If they came from the east, then they had to have passed enough towns for her to make a plausible story. Not that it would honestly be hard for Akasha considering her knowledge of this world. "Which would explain why she knows a lot about you." Ivy said as calmly as possible. "It doesn't seem like Ling's ever been here before either, so she had that working for her."

Edward scowled at the mention of his name, "that jerk came all the way to Amestris to research alchemy and he doesn't even practice it."

Ivy raised an eyebrow, "who comes to a country to research something they don't actually do?"

"Ling apparently." Alphonse said.

That almost made Ivy laugh. Of course, Edward's sarcasm would rub off on the good brother at some point. Unfortunately, the next thing out of the younger Elric's mouth wiped all sense of amusement out of her system. "He's looking for the Philosopher's Stone."

"What for?" Ivy grimaced as she set the eye of the stove on a decent enough temperature.

"He's looking for the answer to immortality." Edward's face was as dark as Ivy felt on the inside. "We met a guy not too long ago in Dublith asking the same thing. Xing's alchemy- alkahestry- is based on medicinal principles. I don't know anything about it but I'm guessing it's safe to say that it doesn't contain much on the Stone if he had to come all the way to another country to learn more about it. He said it was for family matters."

The hair on the back of Ivy's neck settled slightly. "So he doesn't know anything about the process to make one?"

"It's likely."

Ivy released a sigh of relief. "Good. If I knew that was who Akasha was traveling with, I'd flip my lid. I'll ask her more about him when she wakes up."

"You said that alchemy exists in your world, right Ivy? Just not to the extent it does here." Ivy nodded at Alphonse's question. "Then do you have a Philosopher's Stone there?"

Ivy crossed her arms, "technically. Like, I've only really heard about it once and that was for a book series called Harry Potter. Book one, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone." Ivy considered herself a proud Slytherin and Akasha a Gryffindor, not that the Elrics would get the reference at all. "But that was just for magic stuff in a book for kids. The villain of the series wanted it to be immortal and it could create gold. Magically."

"Magic?" The golden-eyed boy looked aghast. "There's a book about the Philosopher's Stone and it's for magic. I almost wanna go to your world and burn every copy of that book with my bare hands."

"Oh have some creative liberties, Edward Elric, that's my childhood you're making fun of. The series was freaking amazing, mind you and I'd kill to go to that magic school Harry was at. Hogwarts was the shit, my guy." Minus the basilisk in the plumbing, the troll in the girl's bathroom, and the tree that can kill you in the front yard. Ivy thought in amusement. "Al would totally be a Hufflepuff. But I can see him as Gryffindor too. And Ed… honestly after the petty stuff I've seen you do, you'd be in Slytherin."

"Huffle what?" Edward repeated in confusion.

"I'll give you a dramatic retelling of the story as I crack down and make this spaghetti." Ivy grinned, she needed the entertainment. "So the story starts with the this guy named Voldemort that looks like Edward but if Edward looked hideous-"

"You know what-"

"I said if, Ed, geez. There's no normies in this family, sit down." Ivy could barely get through much of the story without an interruption occuring after that as she cooked, Alphonse offering more help than Edward did. The blond alchemist was more than happy to make snarky remarks throughout. Mostly about the falsehoods of magic but Ivy could at least agree with him when it came to Dudley needing a good clock in the face. "He almost gets eaten by a Dementor in book five."

"Almost?" Edward groaned. "Whatever a Dementor is, it did a shit job. Why the hell would this Dumbledore leave him with this family and not just bring him somewhere without any previous resentments."

"There's been some interesting theories about that back home but that requires me getting through at least book six for some major Petunia backstory. Al, pass me the pepper?"

"Do they at least improve throughout the series by book six?" Alphonse asked as he passed the pepper shaker.

Ivy hesitated too long before Edward rolled his eyes and Alphonse released a breath of disappointment. "So should I just start off back at the part where Hagrid and Harry get to the bank or-"

"What are you guys even talking about?" Winry stood in the doorway with an amused look on her face.

"Books." Ivy, Alphonse, and Edward managed to say in complete unison.

"Dinner's just about done, by the way." Ivy said, this time on her own. "Ed, set the table and we can complain about Dudley later."

"I'll help too." Winry walked to the china cabinet, pep clearly in her step.

"Someone's happy." Ivy noted as she watched the blonde stack a few plates carefully in her hands.

"It's nice to have a meal with more people here, that's all." Winry said happily.

Dinner went relatively peacefully, though Edward occasionally said something that garnered a beseeching look from his mechanic. Discussions about training went back and forth, Garfiel occasionally chipping in with a bit of advice for his own apprentices until it was late enough that it was time to call it a night.

"I won't be able to start on Ed's arm until tomorrow since I don't have nearly enough parts to get started on building it." Winry yawned as she and Ivy walked to the back. "So I'm gonna get some sleep, you?"

Edward was taking a shower and Alphonse was right beside Garfiel helping to dry the dishes. Ling had gone but Ivy had no doubt that they would run into him again. He seemed too important to be some random guy they'd never encounter again. Especially knowing that he coveted the Stone. Ivy pushed those thoughts aside, realizing Winry was still waiting for an answer. "I'm probably gonna stay up and work on Elizabetta all night. Pretty sure I can finish her faster if I start doing some." Right as Ivy finished her sentence, a yawn forced its way through her mouth.

"Sounds like you need some sleep too." Winry joked.

"Hey, I only yawned because yawns are conta-" Another yawn made a way out of her mouth and Ivy sniffed indignantly. "I stand by what I was saying."

"Today was a busy day." Winry said lightly, pushing Ivy further down the hall when the workshop came into view. "You can work on her tomorrow when you've made up with your friend."

"No." Ivy whined. "I haven't even taken a shower."

"Take a quick one after Ed gets out or take one early in the morning." Came a stern reply that left no room for arguing. "But no going back to work."

"Normally our roles are switched on this." Ivy whispered the closer they got to their shared room.

"I like to surprise you from time to time." Winry said as they entered the space. Akasha was out cold, sprawled over the bed wildly, snoring lightly. "You can just share with me." Winry said with a light giggle. "She seems like a messy sleeper."

Ivy shook her head at the sight. "Used to slap me silly during sleepovers when we were ten and never noticed anything." She said as she changed into her pajamas and readjusting her bandanna to a more sleep-sturdy position. Shower in the morning it was then. Her eyes were about ready to shut permanently with every slow stinging blink she had.

Winry was scooched all the way to the wall her bed touched by the time Ivy was ready to drag herself under the covers. "You win, I'm sleepin'." Ivy yawned once again.

"Told you you were tired." Even as they whispered, Ivy knew that the blonde's tone was teasing.

"Yeah yeah." Ivy mumbled sleepily, laying flat on her back. "Night. You're on pancake duty tomorrow."

Winry snuggled closer into Ivy's shoulder, an action that normally would have made her heart shoot off into the sun. She was too tired to freak out appropriately, only closing her eyes and leaning closer to the warmth offered. "Night." Winry mumbled back. It didn't take much longer for sleep to follow after that.

Ivy's first thought when she woke up the following day was: I'm on the wrong side of the room.

Her bed was much closer to the door that led out of their room and into the rest of their housing quarters. The bed she was in now, was too far left and was placed right beneath the room window. Ivy sat up, rubbing her eyes. Why am I in Winry's bed? She glanced down at the girl who was still asleep, blonde hair strewn around messily on the pillow they shared.

The memories of yesterday came surging to her mind and Ivy's neck did a U-turn as she looked back to her own bed.

Sure enough, Akasha was still laying there knocked right out.

None of that was a dream.

Ivy sighed, laying back down and staring at the ceiling.

Akasha was here in Amestris.

The feeling from yesterday returned churning in Ivy's stomach. On one hand, she was pleased. Ivy no longer had to endure Amestris alone like a chicken running without its head, worrying if her actions could affect things should she make the slightest deviation. There'd be someone who could keep her calm if things got out of hand. And there was that underlying security of the fact that there was someone here with her that would be able to understand what she was going through, being in a whole new world totally unlike her own while vaguely similar.

Then there was the other hand.

The one Ivy knew from the moment she arrived in Resembool and tried imagining what Akasha would do in her place. The answer she knew from even before she wound up here.

And now we're both here and she's met Ed. Ivy frowned deeply, remembering the girl's attempts to get Edward to apprentice her. I have no idea what she even told him herself aside from being a big fan. Something that could at least be somewhat neatly covered up if Akasha said she heard through her travels in Amestris that she heard of a golden haired and eyed alchemist.

Yet ultimately, Ivy knew how this would play out.

Akasha was in the world of her dreams, able to talk to the boy of her dreams, something she could do everyday for the rest of her life should she choose to stay. So why wouldn't she?

God, this is getting messier. Ivy huffed quietly as she sat up again, looking at Winry's sleeping face. Hesitantly, Ivy laid a head atop her head, gently tugging her fingers through the strands much easier than she would her own curly mass of hair. I guess I don't really have much room to judge her. Ivy had always knocked Akasha on her crush on Edward, and here she was crushing on Edward's love interest.

We both have shit taste in crushes, Akasha.

Ivy flinched when Winry shuffled onto her back, eyes opening slowly, whipping her hand away. Blue eyes looked blearily into brown, a small smile gracing Winry's features. "Morning." Winry said, voice a bit hoarse from sleep. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yep." Ivy hoped she looked and sounded as nonchalantly as she was trying to project. "Like a baby."

"Is Akasha awake?" Winry yawned.

"Out like a light." Ivy replied.

Winry sat up herself for a few seconds before leaning over and thumping her head on Ivy's shoulder, yawning again. "I need to get up and make her pancakes then. There's a lot more people to make them for."

"Wrangle Ed into helping you flip some pancakes?."

"No way, Ed could burn water if he tried hard enough, I'll ask Al instead." Winry snorted at the thought.

Ivy smiled at the girl on her shoulder. How Akasha could ever manage to hate someone that thoughtful, she had no idea. Once you actually get to know her in person, Akasha, she's a lot better. Not that Ivy remembered much of what she had seen of Winry from the time Akasha managed to get her to watch some Fullmetal Alchemist or look at the manga panels. She was just a regular pretty anime girl back then. Now she was one of the greatest people Ivy could ever meet. "I hope you and Akasha get along." Ivy decided to voice her thoughts out loud. "I think she'd really like you when she gets to know you."

Winry smiled back, hopefully. "I hope we get along too." She gave Ivy a light wave to the side. "But I can't make a great first impression if I can't make the pancakes."

"I get the memo, Chef Rockbell." Ivy stood up with a yawn, Winry shuffling passed her. "Akasha saved you from a morning jog."

"So you remembered, after all." Winry clicked her tongue.

"Nothing gets past me." Ivy grabbed her towel and mechanic garb. "But I'm in a giving mood so we can skip it considering all the work that's gonna be on our plate."

"Don't remind me." Winry groaned as she remembered the automail-related details. "I have to do a whole lot of shopping today. At least I get to try out some new techniques to make his arm lighter so I guess it's fine if his arm is…. destroyed." Winry shook angrily as she forced the last few words out her mouth. "I'm gonna go make those pancakes now."

"Try not to kill Ed while I'm in the shower, aight?"

"No promises." Winry said in falsetto as she walked to the kitchen.

Meh, Ed'll be fine if he gets smacked with something. Ivy shrugged, making her way to the bathroom. She saved him from eternal damnation yesterday so it happening today, when Winry already resigned herself to the fact it was broken, was likely very slim. So Ivy had more complicated matters to worry about. All of them centered around Akasha.

I'll just talk to her.

We'll figure it out together.

And we can find a way back home together.

If she even wants to go home. That second part of her said. Which you know she doesn't.

Ivy sighed as the warm water hit her skin.

Do you even want to go back?

The shower did nothing to help clear the girl's mind and by the time she came out, ready to dry herself and prepare for the day, her mind felt even more befuddled than before. Of course she wanted to go back home, it was something that was planned from the get go. Then she got stuck here and things got complicated, which prolonged her time in Amestris.

Now I'm in Rush Valley and doing an apprenticeship because I knew I'd be stuck here a while. It was temporary, something for the reset established by her realizing she couldn't do much alchemy-wise for the Elrics. Something established by the fact Edward and Alphonse needed to do more training with their old alchemy teacher. Now the two of them were back and armed with only a bit more skill and nothing much else obtained.

But what about when they come back again and they do have more knowledge and a way to get us home?

What then?

Ivy's throat clenched.

Akasha would say no in a heartbeat, no qualms about the family and life she would be leaving behind. But Mom…

Winry.

Al.

Ed.

Pinako.

Mr. Garfiel.

Paninya.

Ivy was more than glad when she opened the bathroom door and the smell of pancakes and bacon wafted through the air. Food, a distraction that was always welcomed in times of stress. With that in mind, Ivy went back to her room to check on Akasha. They would have to talk about this sooner or later.

Yet when she peered through, Akasha was nowhere to be found, blankets strewn messily.

Well then.

Ivy tossed her towel onto her bed and made her way to the kitchen, hearing the sound of distant chatter.

"Ivy's talked so much about you, so it's finally great meeting you!" Ivy could hear Winry saying happily. "She said you liked pancakes so I made a lot."

"Oh. Thanks." Was Akasha's flat reply.

It was better than nothing, at least. "Nice to see you up and at 'em, nerd." She said as she appeared right behind the shorter brunette who turned around with wide eyes. "Howdy, darlin'." Ivy smiled with a fake drawl.

"Ivy!" Akasha beamed and bounced right into Ivy's chest. "It was really you!"

"Of course it was really me!" Ivy returned the hug tightly, nodding at Winry and Alphonse. Winry gave her a pointed look and Ivy returned a sheepish expression of her own. "I'm sorry for scarin' ya and disappearing'."

"You better be." Akasha mumbled.

"I am, I am." Ivy said, taking a step back. "The Dynamic Duo is back together again."

Akasha looked satisfied at that and Ivy gestured behind her friend. "So you've already met Alphonse." She started and Alphonse nodded with a wave. "He's a sweetheart so I know you're gonna get along just fine. Edward the gremlin is somewhere around here." He was nowhere to be seen.

"He's with Ling, right now." Alphonse answered.

Oh, great. Get all the info you can out of that Philosopher's Stone hunter. Ivy nodded instead, hoping her look said enough to the youngest Elric. "Well, you can see Ed again at breakfast. And this gal over here, is Winry Rockbell." Winry smiled widely, blue eyes shining and Ivy could feel Akasha stiffen. "She's really nice." Ivy went on, giving green eyes a subtle look. "And sweet. She does a lot for her customers and even got me into the automail business."

"Ivy's doing what she can for her own customers too." Winry stepped forward with a pleased expression. "I know you haven't seen each other in a while but she hasn't been sitting down doing nothing. You should just see the arm she's working on."

"Now Winry's just tryin' to stroke my ego." Ivy waved the girl's praise off bashfully. "Her work is really great. You should check it out when she's building Ed's arm."

"Sure." Akasha smiled but Ivy could tell it didn't reach her eyes, Winry thankfully didn't seem to notice anything. "I heard a lot about the Fullmetal Alchemist so it's cool getting to meet the person who made his automail."

"You're just being nice." Winry grinned, skipping forward to give Akasha an enthusiastic handshake Akasha limply returned. "It's really nice meeting someone Ivy cares about!"

"Winry, you're gonna make me blush over here." Ivy choked. "Finish makin' the pancakes."

"Oh right!" Winry gaped, looking at a clear bowl that still had some batter in it. "I should be able to make at least two more, so you two can wash up if you need!"

"We can set the table." Ivy reassured, grabbing some fresh dishes. "Akasha, go wash your hands and grab some forks and knives. We can talk some more later." Alone.

There was definitely some talking to be had before Akasha got anywhere closer to Edward and Alphonse.

"So you and Winry seem like best friends." Akasha said when it was finally just the two of them. She looked disdainfully at the clothes in her arms that Winry was lending her and even shot a squint at Ivy's jumpsuit. "Those are her colors."

Ivy looked down at her mechanic garb. "Last time I checked, light purple and red ain't the same as beige and green. Not to mention, I know you not colorblind." She was thankful that no one else was around to hear this conversation. The blonde in question had left to buy the parts needed for Edward's arm and the brothers were both being pestered by Ling, the two of them in charge of getting something for lunch when the time called for it.

"No I mean, from the 2003 anime." Akasha elaborated dully. "They didn't know what the color of her clothes were, so they went with a red bandanna and a light purple jumpsuit."

Ivy blinked in surprise and her face went warm. "I just picked 'em 'cause I liked the color aesthetic on me." Ivy scratched the back of her neck with a grumble, looking over at Winry's side of the room. "Didn't know anything about the colors from the first anime. She wanted to do matching outfits."

"Mmmh."

Ivy rolled her eyes, "quit it." She looked at the brunette. "I know you have this whole one-sided rivalry with Winry and all but she's really sweet, you know." She had been since Day 1 of meeting each other even after all those times Ivy had prematurely snapped on her. Winry just kept on smiling and did her best to be friendly. "She always thinks about other people and even if she can go off on a guy if they make her mad enough, she's fair about it and doesn't stay angry for long. She's amazing, honestly. Even after everything that's happened to her."

"She didn't go through anything compared to Edward and Alphonse." Ivy heard the barely audible grumble and her fond look turned into a sharp glare.

"She lost both her parents and has to live with that inside her everyday, Akasha." Ivy snapped, not caring about the green eyes that looked up at her in surprise. "That might not be a body part or a soul being bound to a suit of armor, but Winry lost a lot too. She's goin' through it even if it doesn't look like it." For all that Winry had gone through, she still managed to smile that brightly everyday without letting it show. "You might hate Melanie and shit and think she fucked up your family but at least you have your parents. Hell, with Melanie that makes three. And I still got my ma and pops too even with the divorce."

Brown and green held each other's gaze for a long time before Akasha looked away sharply.

"... Look, I'm sorry for gettin' snappy." Ivy sighed. "I don't wanna argue the first day we see each other in months, aight? I just think you should give Winry a fair shot in person. I think you might really like her."

"You sound like you love her."

Ivy's mouth clamped shut and her mind went blank.

She stayed quiet for too long as Akasha's eyes whipped on, eyes full of surprise again and jaw hanging wide. "I was just joking before, are you serious!?"

"I-I dunno whatchu talkin' about!" Ivy coughed, cracking her knuckles as a distraction. "You should go take a shower now, 'cause I ain't lettin' you sleep in my bed again without one!"

"No way!"

"We ain't starting this right now, Akasha!"

"Winry?" Akasha said, voice dripping with astonishment. "I could see Lan Fan or Al, but Winry?"

"Can you not?!" Ivy snapped again, sure that her entire body was red underneath all the brown. "It's not like that between us and I really don't need this right now." Ivy tried thinking of a quick distraction. Akasha would talk about this for hours on end if she didn't stop this conversation dead in its tracks right now. "So what did you tell Ling and his friends about you when you ended up in Xing? We gotta know each other's cover stories."

Akasha thankfully dropped the crush thing. "I told Ling that I was an alchemist's apprentice in Central but was on strict orders from my teacher to learn alkahestry without any use of alchemy." She said smoothly. Of course, she had the perfect cover story. "Then I just… mentioned some stuff about the Philosopher's Stone to make sure we'd end up over here, stuff got pretty insane."

"Figures you didn't just tell them the truth."

"Did you?" Akasha shot back.

"Imma be fair and say, yes and no. Winry got the cover story, Ed and Al got the truth."

Akasha's eyes bulged from their sockets. "You what?"

"Long story short, Ed figured shit out before I could do anything about it. I had no choice." Ivy could still remember the sharp glare when he dumped on her that he knew that she knew about the Gate. "So I told them everything, minus the anime stuff. It just felt… too cruel to tell them that their entire lives were just written out like this. Especially after…" Truth came to mind. "This world is just as true as our own, it's just not where we come from."

"So… they know about me already then."

"Now that they know you're someone I know from home, yeah." Ivy nodded. "I told them you prolly just knew about them because of your traveling through Amestris with Ling and them." If Edward was as famous and well-known as he said he was, it was likely that she was able to meet someone who talked about Edward. "So that can totally excuse how you know about him already. Just don't let shit drop about the anime."

"I never was in the first place." Akasha's tone was frustrated. "I made an entire life for myself already. Nice to know that's ruined."

"Sorry, shoulda been you who ended up here. I woulda been way content back at home." Then she wouldn't be feeling so conflicted about everything.

"So they're helping you go home?"

You go home.

"Yeah." Ivy replied stiffly. "They're probably gonna be expectin' you to want the help too."

Akasha only snickered. "As if." Color Ivy unsurprised by that response. "I'm perfectly happy now that I'm in Amestris, I could use a change from all the automail in the background though."

"That's my business you're insultin'." Ivy said sourly as Akasha stood up, clothes and towel in hand. "It might not be alchemy but we're creatin' stuff too, cool stuff."

"Sure you are." Akasha stuck out her tongue.

Ivy knew it would be pointless convincing Akasha otherwise. At least she wasn't alone anymore, Ivy had that in her belt. "Tell me more about that Ling guy when you get the shower, aight?"

"He's a good guy, you worrywart." Akasha sang as she padded out the room. "Trust me, I wouldn't hang out with the bad guys here."

Author's Note

Chapter 18 is finally here this fine Tuesday morning, a chapter I had quite a bit of fun with! (And not just because of the small Film Theory reference I made...)

Akasha's here and things for Ivy is getting complicated what with her internal dilemma about making a life in Amestris or going back home. 'Cause you can bet Akasha ain't down for that going home business and will be quite loud and clear about it, so really it's up to Ivy to make that decision. The plot is on it's way to thickening and Ivy will have quite a few more things flung her way before coming to a final decision. Let's just hope she doesn't pull her hair out along the way as Akasha and Winry are within speaking proximities of each other. Any guesses as to how Akasha and Winry's relationship will play out in the course of this story? I'm interested in reading the theories.

19 will be our final Rush Valley arc chapter and will be released in a week or two, I hope you guys are looking forward to it. Definitely leave some reviews because I really like seeing what your thoughts are and it helps with a bit of motivation/validation too TuT;;. Each one no matter how small is greatly appreciated!

CallMeAnon: Glad you didn't think ch16 was as bad as I thought but lowkey was still horrendous in my opinion, but I appreciate the cheering up. As far as the questions you have though... those are spoilers, but all I will say is that the results of what you may be thinking will be certainly be interesting.

Guest: T^T thanks so much for the review! Shit will definitely be hitting the fan.