Despite that Ed and Al came back late in the night due to getting caught up in the incident with Roy Mustang killing Maria Ross, Manami still hadn't returned.
They had no choice but to wait until morning and hope that she would come back.
Al, who couldn't sleep anyway, would occasionally check the lobby and even outside the front entrance to the inn, in hopes that he would see her come back.
It was three in the morning. At one point while Al was still inside, Manami finally found herself back at the inn. She didn't know where else to go... but she also didn't want to go to her room. She would wake up Winry, for sure... she and the Elric brothers were probably worried.
Manami stepped inside the lobby, passing the dining hall and walking down a hallway instead of going upstairs to where their rooms were. All of the rooms she passed on this floor had signs saying "Conference Room..." but then she noticed a big set of double-doors. She read the sign next to it, that said "Ballroom."
"..." Manami glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was around before trying one of the handles. It was unlocked...
"That's odd..." She pulled it open to step inside the dark room. As the door closed behind her, she reached for a flip switch on the wall, but instead found a dimmer switch. She slowly slid it up, seeing a single spotlight shed light on a Grand Piano.
"..." She clicked her tongue. "Why am I not surprised..."
Manami approached the piano and softly placed her hand on it, sliding her fingers along the smooth surface as she walked around to the front of it. She found herself slowly sitting down, her eyes narrowing as she lifted the cover to look at the beautiful black and white keys.
"... what am I doing..." She whispered to herself, lifting her hands to touch the keys.
Al went out front to look around again for Manami. It was so silent this time of night... so still...
He had been contemplating going out looking for her. In fact, he felt that he should, despite Ed's suggestion to wait until she came back.
What if she got hurt?
(Cue music: Listen as you read along!)
His thoughts were broken by the distant sound of... a piano. Did the lobby turn on the radio inside? He dismissed it for a few minutes, but then suddenly realized that the tune was all too familiar.
Ba, da, da, da, dum...
He flinched, then hurried back inside to follow the sound.
He was positive— It was that song.
The song Manami played at Shiori's funeral...
But, where was it coming from..?
He aimlessly walked around, following the sound. As it got louder, he found himself walking down the long hallway on the first floor, until he found a room with a set of big double-doors. He slowly reached for the handle, hesitating once his hand wrapped around it.
He was sure that Manami was in there, but how would she react if he walked in?
There was only one way to find out...
He slowly pulled the door open and stepped in to see a single spotlight, dimly shining down on a piano. Her back was facing him, but he knew it was Manami playing.
She must have heard his steps, because she spoke first.
"Sorry... I know it's late..." She didn't look back at him, nor did she stop playing.
Al stared at her for a long moment, almost in a trance. He couldn't believe that he saw her playing the piano again, and just as beautifully as he remembered.
"I'm... just glad you're alright..." He finally spoke, then slowly went to approach her.
"You're... playing the piano..."
"I don't know why, either..." Manami replied. "It's been seven years... yet I can play this song like I never stopped practicing."
Ba, da, da, da, dum...
"You would think I've gotten so rusty that I couldn't play anymore... but I was surprised to find out that it's actually a little easier since my hands grew." She managed to crack a small smile.
Though, he could see it in her eyes... she looked miserable.
"...m-may I sit..?" Al gestured to the bench she sat on, and she scooted a little to the side so that he could sit with her.
He carefully sat, quietly watching her play for a long while before speaking again.
"... I'm sorry..."
"For what?" Manami asked, her eyes glued to the keys as she continued playing.
"About Mr. Hughes... if we hadn't—"
"I'm gonna stop you right there." Manami cut him off. "Because if you're blaming yourself for his death, I'm gonna tell you right now to stop. Gracia told me that's not what he would've wanted... and I can't help but to agree."
Al turned his head, not knowing what to say... so he fell silent.
Ba, da, da, da, dum...
Manami finished her song, sighing as she pulled her hands back to fall into her lap. "I spent all night... racking my brain." She said, looking up to the light above them as the keys' sound faded to silence.
"... and I've come to the conclusion that the only person we can blame... is the one who killed him."
Al looked over at her, noticing that the dead look in her eyes had faded. Now, her eyes had a fire burning in them.
"And, when I find who did it..." She trailed off.
"..." Al suddenly felt terrified. "... will you kill them..?" He hesitated to ask.
Her frown only grew bigger. She tried to think of a way to say it without sounding that bad.
"The one who killed him was more than likely a Homunculus." She looked over at him, a dead-serious look in her eye. "Did you think we were going to get your bodies back without having to fight them?"
"Of course not, but..." Al was the one to trail off, now.
"..." Manami lifted her hands to the piano keys again, her fingers free styling with the keys to make whatever melody she felt like. "They've made it clear that they're ready to kill us or anyone that we love... so... yeah, if I have to... I'll kill them before they can hurt anyone else."
"Manami... you're not thinking straight..." Al spoke. "You're disguising your want for revenge by saying it's for the greater good, but—"
"What do you suggest I do, then..!?" Manami suddenly pressed down all her fingers on the keys, making such a loud and sour note that he flinched.
"We can't keep avoiding the truth anymore..! We—"
"If this is what it means to get our bodies back... then I'm fine living like this." Al suddenly said, making Manami stop and widen her eyes.
"What..? No... you can't give up!" She protested.
"..." Al turned his head. "While you were gone, Colonel Mustang killed Maria Ross..."
Manami gasped. "He... what..?" She whispered.
"I don't know how, but she broke out of prison last night... we saw her burnt corpse on the ground with our own eyes..." Al said with a shaky voice, his shoulders starting to tremble. "The look on the Colonel's face... I don't ever want to see that same look on your face..!"
Al turned to look at her in the eyes. "If never getting my body back would mean preventing any more people dying and keeping you from becoming a murderer... then that's something I would be willing to sacrifice..!"
"..." Manami stared at him, speechless. Though Al noticed that her eyes started to well up with tears.
"Manami..?"
"You idiot..." She gritted her teeth as the tears started to overflow from her eyes. "I'm already am a murderer..!"
Al could only stare at her, watching her reach with both hands to wipe her eyes. He was speechless, the only sounds in the air being her soft sobs.
What could he do... to take the pain away?
"..." He looked down to his clenched fists in his lap. "You're wrong..."
"..?" Manami peeked from behind her eyes up at him.
"There's a difference... you made a mistake... that's not murder. But... revenge..?" He looked back at her. "Do you really think Mr. Hughes would want you to go down that path? I know I don't..."
Manami felt a sting with that comment, a sting of truth. She went to wipe her eyes again.
"Still... that's no reason to give up wanting to get your body back..." She sniffled. "You've been stripped of everything... every day, you watch us take everything you wish you could have for granted..!"
Manami shook her head. "And now you want to just accept it... for the sake of everyone else..." She sniffled again. "... it's so selfless... it's selfish."
Al was quiet for a long moment. "... yeah..." He chuckled softly. "I guess you're right. Gracia said to us... if we stop now, then Mr. Hughes would have died in vain."
"She's right..." Manami managed to wipe away the rest of her tears.
Al sighed softly. "... I'm sorry..."
He didn't even really know why he was sorry, but he wanted to say it anyway.
"... me too..." Manami paused. "It's good to know though... that I can count on you to keep me on the right track."
Al chuckled softly, feeling a little embarrassed. "I just don't want to lose you again, that's all."
Manami felt her cheeks burn. She quickly turned her head and lifted her head to play with the keys, free styling once again. Al watched her for a while, content with just being with her and listening to her play.
"... you remember, when we were little?" He chuckled softly as he went to reach for the keys, poking one with a finger.
Ping...
"You would practice, and I would sit with you, poking random keys to mess with you?"
"Heh, yeah..." Manami chuckled softly. "I would get so mad because it would mess me up and I'd have to start all over."
"You know why I did that, right?" Al asked, noticing Manami letting out a yawn.
"Mm..?" She hummed.
"I wanted you to start over, so that I could hear you play more."
Manami couldn't help but scoff. "Is that really why?" She stopped playing to look at him, and he chuckled too.
"Yep."
"..." Manami shook her head. "You're a dork."
Al hummed softly when the brunette let out another yawn.
"Tired?" Al asked her, noticing her eyes getting droopy.
"Guess so... about time..." She sighed, closing her eyes and leaning over to rest against his arm.
The cool armor felt good against her cheek.
"Ah..." Al was scared to move, but he carefully watched her, seeing that she fell asleep almost immediately.
He knew he should take her to bed... it was selfish, but wanted to stay like this with her... just a little while longer.
Manami's eyes cracked open, seeing the sunlight shining down on her from a window. She groaned softly, going to pull her blanket over her head... but that was when it hit her.
She was in a bed..?
She went to sit up, looking around to realize she was in her and Winry's room. The last thing she remembered was that she was with Al, and playing the piano...
"... ahh..!" She grabbed her burning cheeks. She fell asleep on him?! And he must've carried her up here to put her in bed..!
"Oh, geez..!" She quickly jumped out of the bed to rush to the bathroom, where she brushed her teeth and did whatever else to look presentable before rushing out the door to go next door.
She knocked a few times before walking in, immediately smelling oil. She saw Al and Winry rubbing cloths on his armor, with the can of oil next to them.
"Good morning, Manami!" Al greeted her, a smile in his voice.
"Hi, Manami." Winry smiled at her.
"Where were you yesterday?" Ed peeked from behind them, and Manami saw him laying in the bed by the window.
"Uh..." Manami thought for a moment. "Kind of everywhere..."
"We were worried..." Winry said quietly. "I got to the Hughes' house and Gracia said you were there, but we found that you went out the window."
"I know... I was going to go over and apologize to her today..." Manami rubbed the back of her neck as she went to sit on the other bed that Ed wasn't on.
"I just needed space... a lot of space... I'm sorry..."
"Well, give us a heads up next time at least." Ed spat. "Remember the rules and guidelines of our partnership."
"I-I know..." Manami shrunk a little.
"..." Ed sighed. He decided to leave it at that.
"... what are you guys going to do next..?" Winry asked, looking at Manami first, who only shrugged.
Winry looked to Ed, who was looking at his automail hand. He was quiet for a long moment.
"Judging by the silence... I don't think any of us know." He finally spoke. "... what do you think, Win?"
"Huh?" Winry blinked, and Ed turned to look back at her, frowning a little at her bewildered expression.
"What's with the face?"
"S-Sorry... I'm just surprised..." Winry answered. "You don't guys don't really come to me for advice..."
Manami looked up to see Winry softly place her hand on the back of Al's armor.
"...when I realized that you guys have been putting yourselves in so much danger... and that you could get killed, like Mr. Hughes... I was terrified." Winry said quietly. "I mean... you could die... the possibility of waking up one day and realizing that you're not coming back... like my mom and dad..."
When she said that, Ed's eyes narrowed. Winry met Manami's eyes.
"And... like you, Manami..." Her eyes were trembling, and Manami looked back down to the floor.
"... by some miracle, you came back to us, but..." Winry shook her head. "The thought of losing you again, or losing Ed and Al... it's more than I can handle. Honestly, it makes me wish that you would give up and come home..." She lowered her head.
"I want you two to get your bodies back... but I also want you to be safe..."
There was a pause, and Winry sighed softly. "I'm sorry... I don't know what I think you should do..."
The room was silent for a while.
"You're being awfully nice, Winry." Al broke the tension by teasing her.
"Huh?!" Winry's face turned red from embarrassment. "Wh-What do you mean by that?! I'm always nice!"
Ed and Manami smiled softly, but suddenly there was a knock at the door.
"..?" Ed got up to walk to the door. "Coming."
"Who could that be?" Manami asked, watching him cross the room.
He opened the door to see Armstrong, readying a punch.
SLAM! Ed went to block the punch with his automail arm, but was still knocked several feet down the hallway.
Everyone quickly got up to run out the door and see Armstrong approaching Ed, who was on the ground.
"Major! What the hell are you doing?!" Ed barked.
"Oh my, this isn't good at all!" Armstrong picked him up by the collar and inspected his automail arm that now had a dent.
"It appears that your arm is broken! A serious situation indeed! We must take it to your technician for repair right away!" He announced. "Allow me to escort you to Resembool!"
"Have you lost your marbles?!" Manami yelled at him, walking over to them.
"Miss Kami! You must come along due to your partnership, yes?"
"We don't need to go to Resembool! Winry's right he—"
"We're going to Resembool?" Al asked, but Armstrong walked over to him.
"Alphonse Elric, you would stand out too much, so you will remain here in Central!"
"H-Huh..?"
"Major, I think you need to sit down for a minute, you're clearly delusional..!" Ed chuckled weakly before the mustached giant approached him and Manami.
"Let's be on our way!" Armstrong grabbed their shirt collars in each hand before going to drag them away.
"Wait! Stop! Al, Winry, do something!" Manami yelled out.
But they could only watch, frozen in shock.