Yo everyone! Oh god...I'm damn nervous! The elections for class president are next week! Though I doubt I will be president again, I can still hope :P haha Anyway on with the story!
QUESTION: Say, did anyone notice the last sentence of the previous chapter (What's He to You?) at the paragraph "What's a mob to a king?" when Truth and Ed are done playing chess. WHAT did Ed leave when he left? I marked it specifically for you guys to see! :3 I'm just curious if anyone noticed who REALLY WON the chess game. HINT: Ed was black and Truth was playing with the white figures. Was it really checkmate for Truth?
ANSWERS TO REVIEWS:
Lily: Really? :( Oh I see, I'm sorry about that. BUT since I'm a optimist (and unfortunately enough, a harsh realist when the time calls for it) I say, DON'T WORRY! There WILL be more tests and exams coming up (personally, I'm waiting for my death sentence lol) Like I always say, one day it's raining buckets and the next the sun is shining! Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain! A quote I very much favor and try to follow! :) Sorry for my rambling, like I said, don't give up! ;) O.O WHAT?! Nooooo! (hides in a corner) No, no, no! I FORGOT your request?! Oh god! Please forgive me! I will write it up as soon as I can! (wallows in misery) How could I forget requests like that?! I'm so sorry Lily! .
Cassey: haha Thanks so much Cassey! :) Well, my friends keep teasing me about the fact that I'm the only one who can talk to teachers without thinking of running away lol. Not to mention they keep calling me a nerd...ugh...
Daughterofapollo12345: Hihi thanks! :D I'm counting the days somewhat excitedly I have to admit! (scratches head in embarrassment) hahaha Thank you, I just realized that there aren't many fics with Truth...so I intend to change that! Even if many people don't read my stories :) Ah, a part 2? Well, I actually haven't planned on it. I purposely left out the ending, to leave it to your (the reader's) imagination on how the fight would end. There are many possibilities after all, Ed may have woken up, Al would have preformed alchemy in order to restore Ed's arm, Greed may have tricked Father into submission...etc.
Bob: Black Butler huh? I get asked that a lot I don't know why lol. Well, I've seen PARTS of it but not the whole anime no. :)
CrazyCat: Hi there! Uh...(face palm) Man, I remember having been tired when I wrote that...I guess what I meant to say was Winry had been not CRYING but she HAD tears in her eyes, kept trying to force them down, coughing slightly...etc. I guess using "sobbing" wasn't the best idea (since sobbing actually means crying hard .) Thanks for the tip! I'll change it right away! :)
Panic: Wow, really? Thanks Panic! :) haha Well, I'm just an amateur writer, but hearing such compliments really makes me love writing even more than I already do! ;) haha Yeah, I guess, as I said, I'm working on it, but I should post it soon! (since I have to add the one request I, unfortunately forgot, Lily's request about the thing with Bido and Greed). ^^" Thanks so much! It's going ok!
ATTENTION! PART 2 OF "Letters from War" ahead!
Enjoy! ;)
Letters from War Part 2
"Excuse me, are you Miss Winry Rockbell?" the postman who just came a few minutes after Aaron left asked.
Winry turned around, rubbing her hands clean on a semi-clean cloth, "Yes that's me," she looked at the envelope he was holding in his hand.
The mailman smiled, "Ah, I'm glad I found you. You've got a letter, I was told it was of utmost importance and to be delivered immediately to you personally," he handed her the letter with the regally looking military emblem on it.
Winry's blue eyes widened, she gaped like a fish for a few seconds until she quickly looked at the mailman in front of her and shakily said;" A-ah yes, yes! Thank you a lot!" she waved as the man left.
Winry stared at the envelope a while longer, before practically ripping it open.
She quickly scanned the contents before pausing and slowly reading them again, sure she was mistaken.
She wasn't.
The soldier she had written to two weeks ago had actually answered her! Personally!
The letter in her hands shook as she read the first sentence of the letter,
Hello ma'am,
Wait... you're a MECHANIC?!
Winry had the sudden urge to throw a wrench at that soldier.
Today was not her day.
Winry rubbed her forehead in frustration as she read the letter from her mysterious soldier.
Hello ma'am.
Wait, you're a MECHANIC? Huh...never met a female mechanic before... Did you say Resembool? That's the place I grew up in! I've heard the name Rockbell before but I never knew the military doctors had a daughter...huh, weird.
Sir? Oh man, do I look eighty to you? I'm in my mid twenties woman, 'sir' makes me feel older than Mustang! Hah, know him, I've traded fists with that pyromaniac before! He's my superior (unfortunately) and he's leading my unit at the border of Drachma. Wait a second...you know his wife? Oh shit, Hawk's Eye?! You know Hawk's Eye and actually LIVE? Wow, remind me to get your autograph once if I return, nobody's ever returned alive after a encounter with her. She has a more fearsome reputation than that idiot husband of hers that's for sure.
Ah, that's okay, this thing is new to me too. Haha, I'm fine I guess, what about you? Well, uhh, if it helps any, I didn't really expect for anyone to write to me. I mean, I've heard about the sending letters to soldiers thing but I never really expected for someone to actually send me a letter, then again, I don't think you had much of a option huh?
Right...So, Winry huh? I'm Edward, Edward Elric. I, uhh, I guess I should write some things about me too huh? I bet it's freaky as hell writing to a guy you never met before.
As I said, my name's Edward Elric. I'm a Captain working under Colonel Mustang, we are currently fighting off the troops at the border but I think you don't wanna hear that, not a real conversation topper is it? Um, yeah, I'm not very good at this...sentimental stuff, my brother has a better way with words than me, that's for sure. You have a dog named Den? Cool! I always wanted a dog but Al always wanted cats...
Well, I hope I ain't too creepy for the first time writing a letter, like I said, I'm not really good at it. Oh and about the thing with not knowing what to write about? Same here. I actually really miss home, so anything from home goes for me. Even if it's about the newest gossip in town, I don't care.
Oh, sorry, duty calls. Uh...I never done this before and I don't really know how to end this sort of thing but uh...reading you soon?
-Captain Edward Elric, at your service!
Winry couldn't resist the half snort, half laugh that escaped her lips as she read the end.
"So...he's a captain huh?" Winry muttered to herself re-reading the letter again, her right eye twitched in severe annoyance.
"Oh I'm gonna show him what a great mechanic I am! Damn, stupid soldier thinks he's so much better!" Winry grit her teeth, nearly crumbling the letter before she took a calming breath and tucked it into its envelope safely and into her purse. She would reply in the afternoon after work.
Afternoon
Winry furiously tapped the end of her pen against her head, chewing on her bottom lip and tapping her fingers against the polished wood of her desk in distress.
"Hmm...his name is Edward Elric...I've heard of the name Elric before...where did I hear it..." Winry groaned in frustration, her right leg twitching when she heard the doorbell rang. She grudgingly stood up and went to answer the door.
Winry opened the door and was surprised to see Mei, Lan Fan and Riza standing there, each carrying two paper bags in their arms.
Winry's stomach growled when she smelled something delicious in the air, "Hi you guys, what's up?" she rose an eyebrow, slightly miffed at their sudden appearance, not that she wasn't glad to see them either way.
Mei grinned brightly, "Hey Win! We thought to stop by and have dinner together, we heard you had a long shift and thought why not spend some time together?"
Riza and Lan Fan nodded, smiling warmly at Winry. Winry couldn't help but smile back, feeling a warmth in her heart at how sweet and thoughtful her friends were.
"Thank guys, come on in," she opened the door wider and the three women entered the house, taking off their shoes before going to the kitchen to get some plates for their food.
"Oh? Coke huh?" Winry smiled, "A-and wine? Wow, I guess you guys are planning on staying longer?" Winry sweat dropped, scratching the back of her neck.
Lan Fan smiled, "It's a joyous occasion after all, we heard your soldier replied to you today," Winry couldn't help but slap her face.
"Ugh...he's not my soldier, he's just some cocky jerk! Can you guys believe it? He's shocked that I'm a mechanic, because apparently he never met a female mechanic before! Ugh, men," she shook her head, grabbing red wine glasses for each of them and opting to sit on the couch.
As they all unraveled their respective hamburgers and set the bowl of fries in the middle of the rather large round table, the friends started chatting.
"Say, what did he write in that letter?" Riza asked curiously, which made Winry suspicious of the former sharpshooter.
Normally Riza wasn't one to pry but thanks to Winry and Mei, the usually more stoic and closed off woman had opened up to them and was more open about her feelings, the same went for Lan Fan. Though the Xingese martial arts teacher was a tougher nut to crack than Riza, a single mention of him and she would melt like ice in hell. Heh.
"Listen what that...that punk wrote! How rude!" Winry quickly retrieved the slip of paper, clearing her throat and beginning to read it aloud.
" Hello ma'am! Wait, you're a MECHANIC? Huh...never met a female mechanic before... Did you say Resembool? That's the place I grew up in! I've heard the name Rockbell before but I never knew the military doctors had a daughter...huh, weird. – Huh, how rude! As if he never heard of women also doing a man's job! And he even says he comes from Resembool! Why didn't I ever hear anything about him? Why didn't I ever meet him? Resembool isn't that big! Everyone knows everyone!" Winry groaned loudly in frustration, itching to grab a wrench and-
Riza rubbed her chin thoughtfully, "Hmm...continue,"
Winry rolled her eyes, "Sir? Oh man, do I look eighty to you? I'm in my mid twenties woman, 'sir' makes me feel older than Mustang! Hah, know him, I've traded fists with that pyromaniac before! He's my superior (unfortunately) and he's leading my unit at the border of Drachma. Wait a second...you know his wife? Oh shit, Hawk's Eye?! You know Hawk's Eye and actually LIVE? Wow, remind me to get your autograph once if I return, nobody's ever returned alive after a encounter with her. She has a more fearsome reputation than that idiot husband of hers that's for sure." Winry rose a eyebrow at her older friend, who looked proud for some reason.
"Uhh...Riza? Just how good were you in military again? I know you were the best in your sharpshooter unit but..." Winry lamely pointed to the letter, itching for answers.
Riza calmly drank her wine, "Hm...it seems that soldier has heard of me and works under Roy in his unit. Well, I was just a rank under Roy while I was still in duty and I was the best among the whole squad if I do say so myself. I've been offered the rank of General many times but I had the impression it wasn't right for me to accept it,"
"WHAT?! But why?! Hell, do you know the salary you would have gotten with high a rank such as General!?" Winry shouted, flabbergasted at her friend's decision.
Mei scratched her head, "Yeah, that's pretty odd, Riza. I would have accepted such a position within a second!"
Riza chuckled at her friends, "I've had my fair share of fights and war, Roy will soon achieve his dream, he has already achieved it partially by becoming General himself." She smiled at her friends and Winry was content enough with the answer. She continued to read.
"Ah, that's okay, this thing is new to me too. Haha, I'm fine I guess, what about you? Well, uhh, if it helps any, I didn't really expect for anyone to write to me. I mean, I've heard about the sending letters to soldiers thing but I never really expected for someone to actually send me a letter, then again, I don't think you had much of a option huh? –He got that right,"
When Winry looked up, she found all her friends glaring at her disapprovingly. She rose a fair eyebrow, "What? What did I say?"
"I think the solider is kind enough, don't you think you're being too harsh on him Winry? I don't think he sounds cocky or bad at all," it was Lan Fan who said this, sipping a bit of her wine.
Winry's eyes almost bulged out in shock, "Wha- WHAT?! ME?! B-but...but why? I think he's a jerk!" Winry crossed her arms. Mei suddenly giggled, which promptly received a scathing glare from Winry.
"I think Lan Fan is right, you should go more easy on him. I doubt his situation at the border is sunshine and rainbows so why not ignore his comment about you being a mechanic and instead try to be nice to him?" Mei suggested gently, knowing how temperamental her friend can become.
Winry sighed in defeat, "Fine...maybe I'll not give him a hard time...but I'll still chew him out for that mechanic comment!" with that promise made, she continued.
"Right...So, Winry huh? I'm Edward, Edward Elric. I, uhh, I guess I should write some things about me too huh? I bet it's freaky as hell writing to a guy you never met before.
As I said, my name's Edward Elric. I'm a Captain working under Colonel Mustang, we are currently fighting off the troops at the border but I think you don't wanna hear that, not a real conversation topper is it? Um, yeah, I'm not very good at this...sentimental stuff, my brother has a better way with words than me, that's for sure. You have a dog named Den? Cool! I always wanted a dog but Al always wanted cats..." when she finished reading, Mei was gripping Lan Fan's arm so tightly that the martial arts teacher tried to pry her friend off of her without injuring the shorter female.
"OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!" Mei almost screeched, causing Winry to jump and Riza to raise a eyebrow in question at the bubbly girl's sudden behavior.
"DID HE JUST SAY AL?! DID HE SAY HIS NAME WAS EDWARD ELRIC?!" Winry nodded mutely, holding the letter in front of her as a shield in case the Xingese woman suddenly turned crazy and attacked her.
"I KNOW HIS BROTHER ALPHONSE! HE'S MY BOYFRIEND!" Mei gushed happily, suddenly transforming into a puddle of goo on the couch at the mere mention of her boyfriend. Lan Fan calmly drank her wine, already used to her friend's random outbursts about her boyfriend.
Then again, Winry or the others may have never seen Alphonse in person, from the stories Mei has told them, he was a really sweet and kind man. Winry asked a few times that how comes such a kind soul like Alphonse would even join the military, Mei would always reply it was to keep an eye on his older brother, who obviously had a penchant for getting into trouble.
"So...how is Edward Elric then?" Winry leaned in, intrigued.
Mei smirked, "Oh wouldn't you like to know," she snickered at Winry's frown, " Well...actually, I never met his brother since he applied to the military sooner than Alphonse did. But from what I heard from Alphonse, he said he was the best brother in the whole world! He had a fiery temper, but was very kind and sweet. He also told me he was a bit closed off, due to having lost their mother at a young age and estranged from their father. I met his father, he was really nice. Alphonse said, that he and Edward have a rocky relationship," Mei mused, a finger on her chin.
Winry pondered the information silently, leaning back in her couch, eyes scanning the letter.
"So, will you write to him back? I hope so," it was Riza who said this, leaning in slightly towards Winry, tearing the younger woman from her thoughts.
"Oh, I uhh...y-yeah I guess." Winry remained silent and when she looked up, she almost jumped at how close her friends were to her face, "K-knock it off guys!"
The women leaned back, sighing heavily.
Lan Fan wondered aloud, "Why not ask him how he looks like? Maybe he looks similar to Alphonse, it would make sense considering they are brothers,"
Winry blinked, "I-I'm not going to ask him that! He will think I like him or something! Uh..." she looked at Mei, "By the way, Mei, how does Alphonse even look like?"
Mei blinked in confusion for a few minutes, then it hit her, she never actually told them how he looked like!
Mei scrambled through her pockets to search for her phone, "A-ah, I'm sorry! I'll show you guys a picture!"
She quickly scrolled through her gallery and in a relatively short time, found the picture she was looking for.
"Here it is!" she proudly flashed the screen of her phone at her friends, showing them a tall, golden haired man standing next to Mei, an arm around her shoulders, a adorable blush on his cheeks as she went on tip toes to kiss his cheek, he was clad in a white dress shirt and simple black pants, smiling brightly despite his shyness. It was a picture of cuteness.
"How cute! You guys are so cute!" Winry gushed, smiling.
Riza nodded her approval, "Yes, Alphonse is quite the handsome boy," she winked at Mei, whose cheeks began to heat up.
Lan Fan smiled softly.
"Wait..." Winry narrowed her eyes to see better, "Does he have...golden eyes?!" her own blue eyes widened.
Mei looked at the screen then at her friend, "Oh yeah, he does. Didn't I ever tell you? Sorry! That's in the family. His father also has golden eyes. I love his eyes!" Mei fawned over the picture, rubbing it against her cheek and kissing Alphonse's face on it.
Winry shook her head at her friend's actions, "Wow...I never saw a person with gold eyes before...I wonder if his brother also has them..."
All the women, minus Winry, wiggled their eyebrows suggestively at the blond, who batted them away like annoying flies, her face turning an interesting color of pink.
"Read the letter till the end! Come on!" Mei cheered, excited for the ending.
Winry rolled her eyes and with a sigh, continued reading:" Well, I hope I ain't too creepy for the first time writing a letter, like I said, I'm not really good at it. Oh and about the thing with not knowing what to write about? Same here. I actually really miss home, so anything from home goes for me. Even if it's about the newest gossip in town, I don't care. Oh, sorry, duty calls. Uh...I never done this before and I don't really know how to end this sort of thing but uh...reading you soon? -Captain Edward Elric, at your service!" Winry snorted again at the ending, rolling her eyes.
"That was nice! I think he's a bit shy too! 'Reading you soon' so romantic!" Mei cupped her blushing cheeks, living off in La La Land, ignoring Winry's vehement protests.
"That's not romantic!" Winry growled.
"Why don't you write him now?" Riza asked, cocking an eyebrow.
Winry crossed her arms, holding the letter oddly protectively in her hand, "No, I will reply once you are out of my house. I'm not dumb to start writing with you match makers right here!" she huffed.
All the women laughed, playfully bantering with each-other throughout late in the night.
As the women excused themselves and bid Winry a good night, the blonde closed and locked her door, slumping against the hard wooden surface of it tiredly.
She yawned, looking at the clock.
12:00 am huh?
She stretched her arms above her head, spotting the letter sitting innocently on her writing desk.
"Well...I guess it isn't too late to reply," with that thought in mind, Winry grabbed a pen, a new piece of paper, and began to write.
Hi Edward,
Winry rose an eyebrow, testing his name again aloud. It rolled off her tongue nicely. She liked it. She continued writing.
Wait, you grew up in Resembool too? And do I look eighty to you?! Stop calling me ma'am! It makes me feel old! Mid-twenties huh? I'm 25 years old in case you're wondering! I'm not that old yet!
Oh wow, really? Yeah, Riza is a good friend of mine. I've met Mr. Mustang on occasion. You make Riza sound like a monster! She's really nice! Maybe a bit rough around the edges at times, but still very nice and kind! Unlike you! Pff, asking me if I really were a mechanic! Of course I am! I wouldn't lie about my profession!
Winry furrowed her eyebrows.
I'm fine...thanks. A bit tired, it's 12:00 am here and yeah...why would you think that? I'm sure a couple of people wrote letters to you before, it's true I didn't get to choose but...
She stopped. Should she really write that?
I guess you aren't a bad guy.
She face palmed. How old was she? Six?
W-what I mean is, I just don't understand how you never got a letter, that's all. Never mind.
Winry had to giggle at what she wrote next, a smile playing on her lips.
Creepy? Maybe. Well, I don't know how you look like or what you're like, but I guess you're nice enough. If it helps any, I know Mei Chang, I think you know her, she's the girlfriend of your brother Alphonse. I can't believe your brother has golden eyes! Do you have them too? They're amazing!
"Oh god! I sound like a fan girl!" Winry slammed her forehead against the desk, "Should I rewrite it? Or maybe just leave it? I hope he won't notice it too much," she whined, opting to simply leave it and pray that he won't focus too much on it.
Right, well, I wouldn't mind hearing how it is on your side. I doubt you have much time to talk about it, so I would be happy to help with that. I don't know much about the military, or what soldiers actually do once they are in the middle of the battlefield. Do they just lurk behind bushes and wait to shoot their enemy? Or do they keep making plans on how to gain the upper hand? Sorry, maybe I'm watching too many movies. Den and I watch them together and he mostly falls asleep before I do.
Winry covered her mouth, as if she vocally said the words she just wrote. Did that sound too...desperate? Lonely? Was this ok to write? Was she exaggerating? Winry rubbed her hands down her face in frustration, running another hand through her hair, "Ugh...I can't believe writing letters is this hard..."
Winry bit her bottom lip, looking up at the ceiling, trying to think of what to write next. Her eyes lit up in excitement when she suddenly remembered a detail he wrote in his letter.
Wait! You said you were a captain right? How is it? Being captain I mean? It's a bit below General right? Do you also command the unit or give out orders? And with whom are you in the team? I'm sorry for asking so many questions, I guess I'm curious since I never actually talked, or wrote, to a soldier before.
Winry took a deep breath.
Since you mentioned gossip, do you by any chance know a Robert Windmill? He was boy, well man now, that lived a few houses down from where I lived. I heard he proposed to another woman yesterday! He was usually known to rush things far too quickly with any girl he's been out with, me included, unfortunately... I saw no harm in going out with him once, and he seemed nice enough...yeah...then he went down on one knee and proposed to me before I tried to flee inside my house! Can you believe that? He broke down into tears when I rejected him and called him crazy! Then he well...err...he got into the hospital...sorta... I sort of hurled a wrench at his head when he was being clingy so...yeah..
Winry blushed, not understanding why she just wrote that embarrassing moment and just hoped that Edward wasn't a jackass and wouldn't tease her too badly about it.
Anyway, I hope you're safe there! Reply soon okay? I don't really know how to end letters either but umm...read you soon?
-Winry.
She sighed loudly in relief, slumping back in her chair heavily and staring up at the ceiling.
She felt something warm and moist on her fingers and when she looked down, she saw Den affectionately licking them. She smiled and petted his furry head, making him wag his tail happily and coming closer to her, nuzzling his snout against her hip.
She giggled, "Not easy being a human huh Den? Well, what do you know, you don't have to send letters to a soldier you never saw before..." she sighed, looking at her letter.
With a burst of confidence, which might have come from the bit of wine she had earlier, she kissed the corner of the letter, a good luck charm of sorts. She only hoped he wouldn't get the wrong idea.
With a burning hot face, Winry stuffed the letter into the envelope, scribbled down the address and raced outside into the cool night air.
She resolutely stuffed it, almost violently so, in the mail box, running back inside the house, locking the door and slumping against it, her heart beating a little faster.
Winry blamed it on the wine and her stupid friends.
And the stupid soldier with the maybe-golden eyes.
Part 2 finished! From now on, I will (which may take a while) publish it as a SEPARATE story! Just go to my profile if you want to see it, like I said, I may delay with it, since I'm writing on 10 other stories at the moment! ^^" THANKS FOR READING PEOPLE!