"Y-You're leaving?!" Winry was the first to ask, surprisingly sounding more surprised than disappointed.

"Yep!" Ed beamed at her. "We got to talking, and it turns out that we both have been getting a little bit of cabin fever. I think a trip around the world would be the perfect remedy!"

Manami stared at the Elric brothers, mouth hanging open. Al looked over to her, his smile fading a little at the sight of her expression.

She looked heartbroken.

Manami flinched when their eyes met, realizing that his smile faded because of her expression. She quickly went to put on a smile.

"W-Wow… guys! That's really… exciting!" She managed to say in the most enthusiastic voice she could muster.

Still, it was enough for Al to think that she just took a moment longer to process their announcement. His smile returned.

"Brother wants to head west, so I figured I could head East and see Xing! I was hoping you could give me some tips, Manami!"

"Yeah, sure..!" Manami nodded.

"Maybe I could see Ling and Mei at the Imperial Palace, too!"

"Probably..!" Manami laughed, though she was feeling a surge of jealousy rise within her.

She hadn't thought of Mei for years, but… considering how easy it was to remember that she had a crush she had on Al… it didn't make her feel great that Al was looking forward to seeing her.

Still, this seemed to make both Elric brothers happy, and she had no intention to rain on their parade.

But then it hit her… was she about to keep this feeling from Al, after she had just told him that there shouldn't be any secrets?

"..."

Three weeks had passed, and it was already mid-April. Ed and Al had gotten their train tickets in advance, Al being scheduled to leave Resembool on April 27th, while Ed had a delay and got a ticket that would depart on May 3…

Al was leaving in a week and a half, and Manami was starting to struggle. Lately, she played the piano in the den a lot more, so that any potential moments alone with Al were padded with the sound of her music.

Not as much awkward conversation.

Still, Manami was starting to get nervous that Al would catch on. He didn't seem to have done so yet, but she knew it was only a matter of time…

It was getting harder and harder to stop thinking about how much she missed him when she and Ed separated from Al after their time in Briggs… it was something she never wanted to do again, but now she would have to… and put on a smile all the while.

It made her realize that that was exactly what Winry had to do, every time they all had to leave and she had to bid them farewell…

So one day, while Ed and Al were conveniently tasked with going to the market for groceries, Manami decided to take this chance to talk to Winry.

Manami stopped at the doorway to the den, at the sight of Winry sitting alone and inspecting an automail leg.

"... hey, Win?" She was hesitant to walk in and bother the automail mechanic. "You busy?"

"Not really." Winry answered, not looking back at her, but stopping to lift her goggles off her eyes.

"Just doing a tune-up. I think I could use a break right about now, anyway."

Manami went to touch her arm nervously as Winry set the automail down and stood up, now walking towards her.

"What's up?" She shot a smile at her as she passed her to walk out the door.

"Um…" Manami contemplated her words as she turned to follow Winry, down the hall and into the kitchen. "I… wanted to ask your opinion on something."

"What is it?" The blonde asked, her back facing her once more as she washed her hands.

"It's just…" Manami sighed softly. "It's about Ed and Al leaving..."

"..." Winry paused for a moment, then chuckled weakly.

"I had a feeling you would come to me about this, sooner or later…"

"... how did you do it, Win..?" Manami asked. "All those times before, whenever we had to leave to look for a lead to get their bodies back… you would always smile as you saw us off."

"It's not like I always did." Winry said simply, reaching for a towel to dry her clean hands. "In fact, I was a wreck when Ed and Al first left Resembool to join the military. I couldn't even muster a smile, back then…"

She paused for a moment, before looking back to Manami. "I take it… you're not looking forward to them leaving either, then."

"... is that bad?" Manami asked, biting her lip. "I've been doing my best to not make it obvious to Al, but…"

"No, it's not bad… silly." Winry chuckled softly. "If I'm going to be honest… I don't really want them to leave either…"

"..." Manami watched her as she went to put a kettle on the stovetop.

"..." Winry sighed. "But, if there's anything I know about those two... it's that there's no stopping them once they've set their mind to something."

"Yeah…" Manami went to sit at the dining table. "No kidding..."

Winry quietly went to sit across from her. "But, you remember what you told me?"

Manami blinked, not understanding what she meant.

"That you gotta believe in them?"

"What's that got to do with anything?" Manami raised a brow. "I said that back when their travels were actually dangerous— this time, it's just a vacation."

"Still, I took those words to heart, even now. What's making this news easier…" A blush rose to Winry's cheeks. "Is that no matter how far away he goes, I know that Ed will come home."

"..." A small smile curled on Manami's lips. "Are you two finally being open about your relationship?"

"..." Winry smiled, in a way that confirmed Manami's suspicion.

"Maybe..."

"'Maybe,' she says." Manami scoffed. "Like you both have been super obvious about it for the past year."

Both girls giggled.

"... thanks, Win." Manami finally said. "I think I feel better."

"I'm glad I could help." Winry smiled. "It's okay to miss Al. I think it'd be bad if you didn't."

"It's bad when he's so excited to go." Manami rested her chin in her palm, leaning her elbow on the table as she looked away.

"I don't know… one part of me is upset that he didn't ask me to come along. The other part of me knows that he probably didn't ask, because…"

"He doesn't want you to stop performing." Winry finished her sentence for her with a nod. "I can confirm that that's why."

"He told you that?!" Manami looked back at her incredulously.

"No, but he's talked with me many times already about how proud of you he is, so it's the most probable reason I could think of."

"..." Manami sighed into her palm.

"I guess."

"Same goes for Ed. I'm so busy with automail work, staying in Rush Valley more and more every time I go there… he already told me that he has no intention to pull me away from that."

Manami's eyes narrowed. "So, Ed and Winry already have better communication skills in one year of being together than Al and I have in two years… fantastic."

"..." Manami went to fold her arms on the table and rest her chin on them.

"... is it my fault?" She couldn't help but wonder.

"I'm sorry… did I say something wrong?"

Manami looked up to see Winry looking at her worriedly.

"No…" Manami sighed again. "I... think I'm doing something wrong…"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"..." Just as Manami went to open her mouth, they both jumped at the sound of a loud THUD!

"We're home!"

"We could use some help!"

"..." Manami went to stand up. "I'll figure something out… but, thanks anyway."

She put on the most reassuring smile she could muster, though it didn't convince Winry... but Manami went to turn to walk out of the kitchen before she could say anything.

After dinner, Manami and Al had gotten hold of a world map, after he had asked her to pinpoint locations that she would recommend. He looked over her shoulder as she drew out the route she took with a red marker, circling the locations in Xing that she remembered enjoying the sights in.

"So that's really all I saw… we were in the Palace for the most part. Oh," She tapped the shore of Xing, next to the ocean.

"I didn't go, but I've heard of the 'Chuándì Shore' being a popular hotspot."

"A beach, huh?" Al thought aloud as he watched her circle the landmark. "The closest thing to a beach I've been to was an island in Dublith… but the ocean is filled with salt water, isn't it?"

"Mhm," Manami nodded. "Apparently this is where Xing gets its imported goods from the Eastern Islands."

"The Eastern Islands…" Al looked to her, seeing that her lips were pursed. "You told me once before that Ling thought someone in your family was from there, right?"

"Yeah…" Manami hummed, her eyes scanning over the map. "I think he said an island called 'Nihon…'"

Al looked back to the map as well, and they both looked at the islands that were east of Xing. Unfortunately, none of them were named, so they couldn't tell which one this "Nihon" would be…

"I wonder if Xing has maps that name the islands." Al looked back to her. "Or at least, Ling or Mei could probably point out which one it is."

Manami had to resist every urge to not grimace whenever Al said Mei's name. She didn't know why she was getting so annoyed, but she had no intention of letting Al catch on to that fact.

"Well… I'm tired..." Manami went to toss the marker on the table on top of the map, before reaching to stretch her arms over her head and going to stand up.

"... Manami?"

"Hmm?" Manami looked back down to Al, seeing him smiling up at her.

"I wanted to thank you… for helping me with this." He said. "It means a lot."

"Of course. Why wouldn't I help you?" Manami asked, putting on a smile. "I want you to have a good time."

"I know…" Al chuckled and stood up, slowly wrapping his arms around her waist so that he could pull her close, reaching to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"It's just… I almost expected you to be upset that I was leaving."

"I am upset." Manami shook away her thoughts, which made Al merely think that she was shaking her head in response to his statement.

"The last thing I'd want… is for you to be unhappy." Manami said, going to rest her head on his shoulder, mostly so that he wouldn't see the frown she couldn't hold back.

She heard him sigh softly out of his nose.

"I was never unhappy, you know…" He murmured, raising his arms a little as he went to hug her closer.

"But you had been travelling nonstop before you got your body back," Manami said, lifting her arms to hug him back. "It only makes sense that you want to travel again."

After a moment of holding each other, Al went to pull away so that he could meet her eyes, then lean down to plant a tender kiss on her lips.

"Thank you… for being so understanding."

"Mm…" Manami nodded, smiling softly.

She felt a twinge of guilt, but she ignored it. She needed to be supportive of Al…

Manami found herself sitting at a grand piano, looking up to realize that she was in the Central Grand Hall. She was dressed in a beautiful gown, and noticed that she was playing the piano as if her hands were moving on their own.

It was then that she realized her mouth was moving on it's own, too.

"Take my hand... will you share this with me?"

She was singing "Never Enough?" Manami lifted her head to look out into the audience, seeing an empty seat in the front row. There only sat a bouquet of flowers, and what looked like a letter next to it.

"'Cause darling... without you..."

She blinked, and she was suddenly standing in front of the seat, holding the letter in her hand so that she could read.

"Sorry I couldn't make it!

-Alphonse"

She felt her heart break. She noticed that the bouquet of roses were suddenly all wilted, the dead petals moving to swirl around her.

"Never enough..."

"For me..."

Her own voice, as well as the sound of roaring applause, filled her ears and only grew louder and louder.

"..!" Manami covered her ears and shut her eyes tightly, trying desperately to block everything out...

DING! DONG!

But then… she heard bells?

She opened her eyes and found herself looking up at the entrance of a church, where the double doors burst open to reveal a new bride and groom…

Her eyes went wide when she realized who they were… it was Alphonse Elric and Mei Chang.

"Alphonse..!" She cried, reaching out to him, but he didn't seem to hear her.

She tried running up the stairs to him, but it was as if the stairs were endlessly expanding, not letting her get any closer with every step she took.

She froze at the sight of him wrapping his arms around Mei, pulling her close and leaning in for a…

"!"

Manami's eyes flashed open, as she took a sharp breath through her nose. She suddenly tensed at the feeling of something wrapped around her, but quickly realized that it was Al…

"..." She let out her pent up breath, her muscles loosening.

"It was just a dream…"

Still, she felt her eyes water.

"... Manami..?"

She flinched again, cursing herself silently for immediately giving away the fact that she was awake. She took a shaky breath, trying her hardest to keep the tears in her eyes.

She felt Al start to move from behind her, hovering over her with sleepy, half-lidded eyes, so that he could kiss her on the cheek.

"Hey… are you okay..?"

Manami didn't respond. She couldn't get the image out of her head. Al marrying Mei, and kissing her...

"Why am I dreaming of something like that?"

Her heart throbbed, and the tears finally escaped her eyes, rolling down her cheeks to dampen her pillow.

Al wouldn't leave her… would he?

"..." Her shoulders began to shake, and Al's eyes flashed open in full alert after she took a shaky breath.

"Manami..?" He went to reach to cradle her face and turn her head to face him, but she resisted.

"I-It was just a bad dream…" She whimpered.

"I'm here… you can talk to me..." Al said, his voice full of worry.

Manami let out a soft sob, and Al went to sit up now so that he could pull Manami close to his chest.

"Shh…"

This wasn't the first time that Al had comforted Manami after a nightmare, but he couldn't help but notice that she was usually more frantic after waking up from one… he could tell that this was a different nightmare than she was used to.

"I'm here..."

Manami could only curse at herself in her mind as she gripped at Al's shirt and cried into his chest.

She didn't want him to go… but how could she say that?!

After leaving him to think that she were dead, with no say in the matter, she had absolutely no right to ask him to stay… but, she genuinely didn't know what she was going to do without him.

And now, her dreams warping her fears to be even worse… she knew Al wouldn't leave her, but…

What if he should?

Manami began to cry harder. Al could only hold her tightly, whispering comforting words and stroking her hair. He knew something was wrong… but still, he waited until she calmed down to speak again.

"Can I get you anything?" He asked, softly. "Water?"

"No… but thanks…" Manami croaked.

Al pulled away so that he could look into her red, puffy eyes. He smiled sadly and cupped her cheek and wiped away some stray tears with his thumb.

"You don't have to tell me if it's too hard… but I'm here if you do want to."

Manami averted her eyes, and Al couldn't help but get the feeling… that this was his fault, somehow.

"If it's okay… I'd rather just try to go back to sleep." She said quietly.

"..." Al slowly nodded, hiding his disappointment. "Alright…"

He slowly went to turn off the light, hoping that Manami would change her mind and tell him to keep the light on, so that she could talk to him… but she merely laid back down and rolled over, her back facing him once more.

"..." Resisting the urge to sigh, Al clicked off the light, and then went to cuddle up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close to his chest.

"... I love you, Manami."

"..."

"... more than anything."

"... I love you too, Alphonse…" Manami whispered. "More than anything."

Al felt a little bit better after she said that, even more so when he felt her hands rest over his and lace her fingers with his.

Little did he know that Manami wasn't finished crying. She merely let the tears roll down her cheeks and continue to dampen her pillow.

She just felt so damn guilty.

Eventually, the tears stopped and she finally managed to fall back asleep.