When The Icicle Melts
Chapter 3: "You're Stuck With Us"
"Have a safe trip, Winry-chan. Be sure to take good care of yourself now. Are you absolutely sure you packed everything you'll need?" Winry rolled her eyes, but she truly didn't mind it when Gracia mothered her as if she was her own. She leaned out the window of the train and waved to her while nodding.
Gracia, Elysia, Scieszka, and all of Mustang's subordinates had come to bid the foursome farewell at the Central train station. Gracia was holding Elysia's hand in one and Black Hayate's leash in the other. There was a chance that this could be a long trip and wouldn't be back for an extended period of time, so he would be staying with them.
"Oh, before I forget…" Gracia released Elysia's hand and walked over to the train. "I couldn't let you leave without one of my world famous apple pies for the road now could I?" She held up the basket accompanied with her beautiful smile.
Winry smiled in return and accepted the gift. "Gracia-san, I have no idea who invented apple pie, but I do know that you make the best!"
Elysia ran up beside her mom. "Nii-chan, do you have to go so soon? You've only just arrived…" She extended her arms towards Winry. "Can't I go with you? I want to see the world too." Her eyes started to brim with tears.
Winry's face saddened. "I'm sorry, honey..." She reached down with one hand and gently grasped both of Elysia's small hands. "But you're still too young, and you have school to attend. Don't worry, it'll all be okay. I promise." She offered up the best reassuring smile she could muster, given the situation.
Elysia lowered her head but nodded in understanding. Winry looked up towards the group and waved to them. "Bye everyone, thank you for everything!"
"See you later, Winry-san…" Maria spoke up for the group. "Until we meet again." The group waved to the young woman they had all grown so fond of. Armstrong of course, was crying the usual rivers.
Soon enough the whistle blew and the train began crawling forward while Elysia trotted alongside as it picked up speed. "Remember what I said, Win-chan. You'll feel much better after you give your gift to your friend!" Winry smiled down at her, but couldn't make direct eye contact with her. She always did hate good byes.
Elysia followed until she reached the edge of the platform. "Nii-chan! You promised me it would all be okay. You have to come back!" Winry watched as the station and its' occupants got smaller until it was completely out of sight before closing the window and sitting back down next to Riza without a word.
'You're right, I did promise...' Her smile faded. 'But I only promised that everything will be okay, not that I will return.' She leaned on the palm of her hand and gazed out the window up at the sky. 'I'm so sorry, Elysia…'
The trip had been silent for the most part, except for the shuffling of papers coming from Hawkeye as she read through Mustang's documents. The 'Flame Alchemist' was the only one occupying the seat across from Winry and Riza because Havoc was out 'enjoying' the scenery. Of course, the scenery was a pretty brunette he had spotted on his way on board. Following Riza's advice, Winry was once again dressed in the military uniform to avoid the usual questions. They were still technically on a mission, even if they did plan to take some vacation time off afterwards.
Winry vaguely noticed it when a voice on the speaker rang out informing the passengers that the train would be arriving in Xenotime in ten minutes. She was finally brought out of her thoughts when Havoc returned and propped himself on his elbows on the back of her and Riza's seat.
"Man, the girls on this train sure are stingy..." The Colonel complained leaning in between the two blonde women. "I make one innocent comment about this one particular girl's friend and she flies off the handle!"
"Uh, Havoc…" Winry dared to venture. "What exactly did you say?"
"I just said that her friend had very pretty hair… and that she should consider a style like that." He added. Winry almost choked, and Riza just shook her head.
Mustang burst out laughing. "Are you kidding me?" He managed after he caught his breath. "A woman's hair is their pride and joy." At this comment, Winry and Riza snorted in disgust, almost perfectly in unison. "Well, for normal women anyway."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Winry yelled, balling up her fists. Hawkeye kept her composure as she had learned to do when a selection of the other male soldiers would make comments like that. But on the inside, she would have loved to kick the cocky General in the teeth.
"Um, absolutely nothing." Mustang said quickly, squishing himself as far as he could into the back of the seat. He turned his attention back to Havoc, who was clearly confused as to why they were so angry. "Look Colonel, for some girls their hair means a great deal to them, so by saying that another woman's hair is nicer than theirs, well… that's just suicidal in most cases." Mustang stated being extremely careful with his choice of words. "How do you think I got to be the charmer that I am? I know what makes a lady tick." He added with his infamous, flirtacious grin.
Hawkeye narrowed her eyes. "General, might I remind you that we are on duty, and that all personal affairs must be left at home. Same goes for you, Colonel Havoc." She stated in a flat tone and turned back to the reports.
And for the rest of the trip, not one word was exchanged between the four.
Winry went back to gazing out the window, only now she had a slight smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. 'Riza-san sure hates it when Mustang talks about other girls…'
Winry was the first one out of the train as she stood on the platform inhaling the cool night air. It had taken a whole day to get to Xenotime and everyone was beat. Therefore, as they gathered up their luggage, Mustang suggested that they check into a hotel for the night.
The next morning, the group made their way up to the huge lab that overlooked the entire town. When they arrived, they were greeted by an older man, whom Winry assumed was the butler, who led them to where the Tringhams were working.
"Well Tringham, what have you got for me this time?" Mustang asked in a bored tone. A man around twenty emerged from the next room along with a boy who appeared to be in his teens.
"General Mustang, I've stumbled upon something that you might find useful…" He paused when he spotted the other three who had accompanied the General. His eyes rested on Winry when they got to her.
"These are my subordinates; Lieutenant General Riza Hawkeye, and Colonel Jean Havoc..." Mustang motioned to each of them by his side, then to Winry who was standing a bit behind Riza. "And this is Winry Rockbell, a friend of ours and… the Lieutenant General's assistant." Winry looked at him in confusion, so he winked at her signalling that she should go along with it.
"I see…" Russell turned to the others. "I'm sure you know, but my name is Russell Tringham and this is my younger brother, Fletcher Tringham." He said turning towards his brother. Winry bowed slightly out of sheer habit. "As I was saying…" He continued. "I've found some information I thought I should turn over to you concerning the Philosopher's Stone, come with me." The group followed Russell into what appeared to be a chamber used to conduct experiments.
"I hope this won't take too long, Tringham..." Mustang said. "I have other appointments to keep."
"Don't worry General, I'll make it brief." Russell responded with a hint of annoyance.
"You may find this interesting, so I suggest you listen up…" He arrived at a table that had some papers scattered across its' surface, the group surrounded the table and turned their attention back to Russell. "My brother and I have discovered a new way in which an object can have the same power as the Philosopher's Stone but no human sacrifices would be needed." At this everyone but the Tringham boys froze.
"How is that possible?" Mustang demanded. "This isn't a groundless theory is it?"
Russell shuffled through the papers calmly until he found the one he was looking for. "As you know…" He continued without even acknowledging Mustang's outburst. "The stone is moulded from a compound and then hundreds upon thousands of human sacrifices are made in order to fuel the stone's power. That is the exchange. So technically, not even the Philosopher's Stone can defy the laws of equivalent exchange."
Mustang calmed down and crossed his arms. "Go on." He coaxed.
"From what has happened, like human transmutations; the reason why they failed was because whoever attempted them did not have enough to give in exchange so in turn, a homunculus was created." Winry looked down; memories of what Ed and Al tried to do so many years ago flooded her mind. "They didn't have enough to give in exchange because the soul of a loved one or someone dear to them is priceless. At least to that individual, anyway. To someone else the loved one is simply another human so they hold no value. It's not selfish, that's just how life works."
"Wow that was a beautiful speech, Tringham." Mustang mused sarcastically. "But that doesn't really get us anywhere does it?"
"Souls can be priceless, but what about items?" This sparked Mustang's interest so Russell continued. "What if something, like a precious family heirloom is so special to a person that they wouldn't give it up for the world?"
"Then they are going insane." Mustang cut in, then started chuckling at his own 'wit.' This earned him a gun being pressed up against his temple followed by a loading click from non other than Hawkeye. Obviously she had also grown tired of Mustang's impudent remarks. Even Havoc was shaking his head in disapproval.
Russell rolled his eyes. "Anyway, my point is that can't an item's value to a person be used as equivalent exchange? It can never run out because a person's feelings are infinite, if they are true." Russell looked down towards Fletcher who seemed a bit depressed. "But the problem is that such an object is hard to come across, because most people don't have such an open mind, so it's rare to come across someone who does…"
Winry thought about that for a moment before speaking for the first time since they arrived. "So, it could be any kind of item?"
Russell shifted his gaze towards her. "Well… yes. It's just a theory that hasn't been tested yet, but there's no reason to refute the idea either." He looked upwards with a grin. "If it turned out to be true, the possibilies that could happen would be limitless. It would be another huge break in the world of science."
Winry looked at the blonde man with a small smile. 'Why does this boy remind me so much of Ed.' She thought to herself. 'Sure he has blonde hair but… hell! Pretty much half the people I've met have blonde hair. It's probably his expression when he talks about science; it's just like Ed's… I'll never understand the fascination.' She concluded silently.
"Do you have something precious to you, Winry-san?" Winry was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt a tug on her coat. She looked over to see the adorable, bluish eyes of Fletcher looking at her curiously. "I'm sorry, do you mind if I call you that?" He asked.
Winry shook her head. "No, of course not. It's Fletcher right?" She asked the blonde boy next to her. 'My stars, it's like I'm seeing another version of Al now. I really am going insane.'
He nodded eagerly and smiled brightly at her. "That's right. You must have something that means a great deal to you. I can see it in your eyes."
Winry gently smiled in return. "Yeah, I do, it's something I received when I was very young…" She trailed off.
Russell tilted his head to the side, it was strange to see his kid brother talk to someone he just met and get along with them so well. Fletcher was usually very shy. "I must say, Winry..." Both Winry and Fletcher looked over towards him. "You are the first since the Elric brothers to have such a broad perspective to believe such a farfetched theory. It's good to see."
Winry looked back down while twirling the locks of her long ponytail mindlessly. "I have no reason not to believe it... I have seen alot of pretty amazing stuff in my life that normally, I wouldn't have believed unless I saw it with my own two eyes. And because of that… I'm able to accept things from a non-scientific point of view. There isn't an explanation for everything, there is so much we don't know. So why shun the possibilities of something like this? It's good enough for me…" She shifted her eyes back up and locked them with Russell's. "Am I right?"
Russell noticeably blushed and turned his head to the side but nodded nonetheless.
Mustang of course grinned at the feeble attempt to conceal the rosy tint. 'Looks like someone's got a crush...' He mused to himself. 'It seems yet another boy has fallen victim to Winry's natural charm. They just keep coming. Too bad she's usually oblivious to the attention.'
He turned his attention back to the elder Tringham boy. "Thank you for your report, but we must be leaving now. We have to be in Aquroya by tonight." Riza placed her hand on Winry's shoulder and pulled her gently towards the exit.
'It looks like I may be in luck afterall.' Winry thought to herself with a hint of excitement. It was the first time luck had been on her side for a long time.
It was eight o'clock when Winry and the others arrived in Aquroya. Mustang said they needed to head directly towards a crime scene in the south part of the city. Apparently, there had been a number of disturbances caused by this one particular thief who used to torment the town about six years ago, and now they were at it again.
The city by now was mostly flooded, the north and east sides were both completely submerged in water. It certainly lived up to its' reputation of being the 'sunken city.'
They arrived at an antique jewellery store and crossed under the police lines. A nameless soldier who appeared to be about in his mid-thirties approached the General. Mustang turned to his subordinates and Winry and asked them to head inside without him.
"General Mustang, sir." The soldier saluted. "It's the same thing as before. It is definitely the work of the phantom thief, Psiren, and we have reason to believe that she will return here tonight. You see, she stole one of the gems from a statue and she will probably come back for the others tonight."
Mustang nearly choked on only god knows what. "Thank you, return to your post immediately." The soldier nodded and returned to the scene. When he was gone, Mustang couldn't hold down the grin that was creeping up. 'So I was right, it is the same thief who pissed Fullmetal off to no end.' He thought smugly.
They entered the building and into a room that was littered with diamonds, jewels, and gold. You would think that the walls were even made out of crystal. Mustang barely got himself comfortable when from nowhere a silver orb fell from the skylight and released a smokescreen into the room.
Riza shoved Winry backwards onto the floor and away from the smoke to prevent her from inhaling it. Winry tried looking for the others, but the gas had completely engulfed the room making it impossible for her to see farther than two feet in front of her. However, she did feel something rip her necklace off, and an air current tickle her skin indicating that someone passed her and was heading for the exit.
'That must be the thief!' It dawned on her as she jumped up and started blindly chasing the figure out into the night.
"Hey you, get back here! Give me back my necklace!" Winry yelled. The person turned slightly and smirked at the girl before increasing the distance between them. 'Damn, that guy's fast.' She thought as she picked up her speed.
She finally caught up with the thief but before she could react, she tripped over an inclined piece of cement and lost her footing. Relying on human instinct alone, she grabbed onto anything in reach, which just happened to be the masked figure's ankles, pulling them down as well.
On impact, Winry banged her jaw on the pavement, and felt a bit of blood trickle down her neck, but she didn't care at the moment. She had a thief to deal with…
"End… of the… line… whatever your name is…." Winry managed in between gasps. She still held onto the person's ankles ad they flipped themselves around to see the person responsible for spoiling their 'fun.'
They let out a disheartened sigh. "Why is it that whenever my reputation is at its' peak, some blonde kid always foils my plans?" They sat up and removed their mask.
Winry knew her jaw fell open when she realized that it was a woman she was chasing. She was wearing a very 'interesting' leather costume and she had short but spiky honey blonde hair, but aside from that, the woman was stunningly beautiful. Winry felt her cheeks burn up in embarrassment from thinking that this thief was a guy and quickly realeased her ankles.
The woman cocked her head to the side. "Now I know I've seen that look before, the name's Psiren." Winry shook her head, but didn't say anything. She looked down at Psiren's hand and saw that she was gripping a blood red gemstone and in her other hand was Winry's pendant.
Winry lunged at the older woman and pinned her down, then proceeded to pry the necklace from Psiren's hand. She jumped back up and pointed at the older woman. "I don't care about the stone you can keep it. But you can't have this!" She choked out, right now she was so furious you could practically feel the ground trembling under her feet.
Psiren raised an eyebrow at her. "Now you definitely remind me of that blonde boy who interfered with my plans all those years ago..." She placed a finger on her chin. "What was his name again? I think he said it was Edward Elric." Winry's outstretched finger went limp and she dropped back down to the ground.
Psiren looked at her for a moment. "What's wrong with you?"
"… you knew, Ed?" Winry asked hesitantly.
Psiren shut her eyes and got up off the ground. She looked down at the girl and smirked a little. The twilight that shone over the two only added to the mystic quality. "Not personally, but we did cross paths a few time when he and his younger brother came to this town looking for the Philosopher's Stone."
Winry looked back up at the woman, the cloudiness in her eyes returned. 'This person knew Ed while he was on his quest. The side of him he never once let me see…' She was brought out of her thoughts when she felt a cold hand lightly grasp her chin. Winry lifted her gaze to meet with Psiren's surprisingly bright smile.
"You're going to get an ugly scar on your face unless you get that cleaned." Winry ran her tongue over her bottom lip and realized that her jaw was still bleeding.
Psiren extended her hand towards Winry. "Here, come with me." She offered. Winry looked at her hand, but brushed it away. She didn't need any help before or now. She forced herself onto her feet and looked the woman straight in the eye.
Psiren just shrugged and started to walk away. "My offer still stands." She called over her shoulder. "And if you really want… I can tell you some things about that blonde alchemist you seem so fond of." She taunted playfully.
Winry stared at the retreating form of the mysterious woman for a moment, pondering over what she should do. Finally, Winry squeezed the pendant before she placed it around her neck and started to chase after her. "Wait up!" She called.
She followed Psiren for a few blocks until they arrived at what Winry assumed was Psiren's hideout. However, when she led Winry into the apartment she was shocked to see how beautifully furnished it was, but their was no evidence of any trinkets that Psiren stole in the past, while Winry expected the place to be full of antigues and other such items.
Psiren seemed to catch on to Winry's thoughts. "I am not your average everyday thief..." She explained. "The reason I do this is because I'm trying to save this city's reputation. As I'm sure you know, this town is sinking, and soon it will be completely flooded." She went over to a closet, pulled out a first-aid kit, and started to cleanse Winry's bruised jaw. "But of course, the military always feels the need to stick their obnoxious noses in where they don't belong."
Winry nodded. "I understand, so I don't care if you want to keep the red gem. Just not this…" She gripped onto the jewel around her neck. Psiren looked down at her quizzically. "It belonged to my… mother." She answered quietly.
Psiren's eyes softened in understandment before going into another room to grab some blankets. "It's late, so you can stay here for the night, make yourself comfortable." Winry nodded and went to sit on the floor across from her. "By the way, you never told me your name."
"It's Winry… Winry Rockbell."
Psiren furrowed her eyebrows, trying to place the familiar name. "I've heard that last name before... that's an automail business, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it was." Winry averted her eyes to the floor. "But I'm not in the business anymore..."
Feeling the uneasy tension, she thought it would be amusing to really change the subject. "Did I happen to mention that when your friend, Edward battled me, he fell on top of me and unintentionally went to second base?"
Winry's head shot up. "WHAT?"
Psiren threw her arms up in mock terror. "I said unintentionally, really you should have seen him stutter out excuses, it was quite the spectacle."
Winry relaxed and started chuckling. "Yeah? That sounds like Ed. He probably had no idea what was going on."
Psiren smiled knowingly at the girl. "I see, you're infatutuated with the boy." She stated. Winry blushed a light shade of pink. "It sure seemed like that boy was uncomfortable around girls, he didn't seem to know much about them or even seem interested." Before Winry could question further, she continued. "Or perhaps… he had unknowingly found one already, and deep down he didn't want to even think that way about any other girl." She offered with a sly smirk directed straight at Winry.
She looked down and started fiddling with her coat. "You shouldn't be so judgemental." She said quietly.
"I'm really not..." Psiren stated innocently. "It's just a suspicion, take it or leave it. Besides… you should have seen the look on your face when I said his name, is there something stopping you?"
Winry lowered her head, her bangs shielding her eyes. "He's gone… not dead, but I don't know how to find him…"
"Well, in any case." Winry raised her gaze slightly. "You must have something going for you other than your looks, you are quite attractive afterall…" Winry blushed slightly at the compliment. "My advice to you is if you can grab that boy's attention, I'd hold onto it. Because I thought the only thing on his mind was alchemy when I tried seducing him and all he asked me for was information on the Philosopher's Stone..."
She got up and headed towards her bedroom. "Don't give up on him, things always find a way of working themselves out." Was the last thing she said before turning in for the night.
Winry smiled. 'Maybe there is something I can do...' She thought before climbing into her makeshift bed and eventually succumbing to her nightmare plagued world.
The next morning, Psiren took her back to where the jewellery store was located, she was wearing normal everyday clothes for once. In the distance Winry saw Mustang, Havoc, and Hawkeye standing near the front steps. And boy did Riza looke miffed. 'Ah man, I'm going to get chewed out for sure.' Winry thought glumly.
She felt a hand rest on her shoulder, so she turned slightly to see Psiren holding out a small palet with a small simulated ruby on the lid in the palm of her hand. Winry looked up at her questioningly. "I can tell you're not one who's used to wearing makeup." She explained. "But the lipstick suits you, so here is something for a special occasion."
Winry took the small case and flipped the top open. It was a beautiful rosy shade of pink eyeshadow. She closed it and smiled up at the older woman. "Thank you… Psiren."
"It's actually, Clara." She responded with a wink. "Remember what I said, Winry. Don't give up, I'm doing what makes me happy by helping the city of Aquroya go down in history. So you should do what makes you happy as well."
Winry nodded and tucked the gift inside her jacket and started walking towards the others. When she got there, Riza was the first to spot her. "Just where did you run off to last night?" She yelled angrily. "We were worried sick about you, do you know what happens to lone women late at night!" Oh yes, as expected, Riza was furious. Her eyes widened when she saw the bandage on Winry's chin.
Winry followed her gaze, and waved her arms trying to reassure the fuming woman. "It wasn't that big of a deal Riza-san, I stayed at… Clara's place last night."
"Who's that?" Havoc asked.
Winry turned around but was not at all surprised to see that Clara was nowhere to be seen. 'I thought as much, she's certainly a crafty woman.' Winry chuckled to herself. "She's just a friend, Havoc." She replied quietly. Havoc looked puzzled, but Mustang had his suspicions about who Clara really was.
Unfortunately for Winry, Riza wasn't done with her lecture. So as she scolded the girl for running off without telling anyone, Mustang couldn't help but grin at the whole situation. Since Winry's arrival in Central, the two had developed a strong bond. One of which Winry had been lacking for most of her life. And it was true, Riza was a bit overprotective of her. Winry was already a young adult after all. But when it came to her safety, it was the same spark he had seen in Riza's eyes the night she brought Winry to his place...
...Flashback (Roy's POV)- a month and a half ago...
I was leaning on the windowsill, lightly swirling a glass of Scotch on the rocks, my undisputed favourite drink. It always provided me with a temporary release from the burden of being a military dog. My breath was beginning to fog up the windowpane as I gazed out into the starry night sky.
The storm had finally passed.
I was just about to turn in for the night when I heard a deafening sound at my apartment door, too loud to be a knock. Before I could answer, it was kicked open by, to my immediate shock, Riza Hawkeye. What troubled me the most was that she was carrying a girl who was covered from head to toe in her own blood and looked to be almost dead. What made my heart lurch was that I recognized the girl to be Winry Rockbell.
My hand went limp and the glass instantly slipped from my grasp and shattered on the floor.
"Roy… I need your help." Hawkeye pleaded in desperation. I didn't need to be asked twice, I went over to the closet and grabbed some blankets, towels, and medical supplies. We set Winry down on the table and Hawkeye went to work on properly sterilizing Winry's wounds. I didn't know what else I could do, so I went to fetch some hot water.
When I returned Hawkeye mumbled something about needing to operate on the girl. "What do you mean?" I asked.
"Some of Winry's wounds are too deep to simply bandage up." She replied. "I'm going to have to stitch them up the old fashioned way." My eyes widened when she pulled out a needle and thread. "And I'll need you to hold her down." She added without looking up from the task. I nodded slightly and walked over to stand above Winry's head. I knew this was the only way, there wasn't enough time to take her to the hospital. For we both knew that Winry wouldn't make it, even for that short trip.
I placed my hands on Winry's shoulders and watched as Hawkeye brought the needle down and I cringed just as she pushed it through Winry's flesh. The girl let out a sharp cry and tried to pull away from my grasp, but I pulled her up slightly so her head and shoulders were leaning against my chest, and held her there firmly in place. I was hoping the warmth of a human body would soothe her even in the slightest.
I looked up to see Hawkeye shut her eyes tightly for a second before proceeding to pull the needle through and connect it with the skin on the other side of the gaping wound. Every time the needle would enter her skin, another cry would initiate and Winry would start wildly thrashing but I held her tightly because if she moved, Hawkeye may have unintentionally made her injuries worse.
And she still wouldn't wake up completely. Thank god for that.
I rested my head on Winry's and shut my eyes as the operation ensued. I hated seeing her in so much pain, and seeing the devasted look on Riza's face every time she would push the needle through Winry's flesh didn't help much either.
Finally after what seemed like hours I heard the string being cut indicating that she had finished. I looked up to see Hawkeye tieing off the stitch and place the needle into a bag.
She returned and leaned heavily on her arms looking down at the sleeping girl. Winry's breathing was still shallow, but her skin was starting to return to normal, now that she wasn't losing anymore blood. Riza's arms were trembling and her eyes were brimmed with tears. It must have been awful, having to intentionally inflict pain on a girl she cared for so much.
Tomorrow, we would take her to a real hospital.
After we got back from the hospital, I helped Hawkeye set Winry up in my room, she still hadn't regained conciousness. I thought it would be better to keep her where we could both keep an eye on her.
One day I remember asking her while she was on her way to redress Winry's wounds what her reasons were for helping a girl she hardly knew.
"I don't really have a reason. I just want to." She told me and entered the room where Winry was sleeping quietly.
I followed her and leaned against the door frame as she proceeded to cleanse Winry's wounds. She had not left her side once since she brought her here. I'd like to say I wasn't staring at Winry's exposed chest too much, afterall I had seen it before during the operation. But nevertheless, Hawkeye shot me a glare that suggested I preoccupy myself with something else.
I suddenly found the ceiling very interesting…
"Edward…"
This however, easily topped the ceiling as I looked back down at Winry. Did she really just say that?
"Ed…"
Yes she did. I looked over at Hawkeye but her eyes never left the task at hand. But I could tell that she wasn't surprised in the least. Winry must say that name often...
And that was how it went, until two weeks later when Winry awoke from her coma-like state and Hawkeye decided to bring Winry home to live with her, since she had nowhere else to go.
Winry didn't say anything and allowed Hawkeye to guide her. She stopped briefly to look up at me, and I gave her a small smile. I knew that she understood before she dropped her gaze back down to the floor and followed Hawkeye out the door.
It was always his name on her tongue…
But where was he when she needed him the most…?
...End of Flashback (normal POV)...
Roy looked up to see that Hawkeye was done scolding Winry who now had her arms crossed in a pouting state.
"Where to now, General?" Havoc asked.
Mustang started walking off. "Now I have to be at East City HQ and speak to one of the secretaries there." He stated as the others followed.
Winry was sitting on the same ledge Riza was leaning against while Havoc was puffing a cigarette, enjoying the view of East City. Mustang was off doing his own business and told the others that they could do as they please.
Winry glanced to the side to see two boys in their teens she thought she recognized, but they disappeared before she could get a second look.
Soon enough, Mustang returned and informed them that he had done everything he needed to do and that they could either return to Central, or go visit some other places to avoid going back to work. Of course, Havoc protested going back to Central, and Hawkeye rolled her eyes; she knew what the answer would be.
Before the matter could be pressed further a boy jumped out from behind the bush and ran towards Mustang, he was followed by a boy who looked to be a few years younger. Winry recognized them as the boys she saw earlier. But what struck her the most was that they both had piercing red eyes…
The older boy ran up to Mustang and kicked him in the shins. "I HATE THE MILITARY!" He screamed. "It's their fault my mother's dead!" He turned to run away but the squeal of his little brother made him freeze. He turned around to see that Havoc had him by the arms. "Rick!" He cried. "Let my little brother go you bully!"
It dawned on Winry where she had seen these two boys before. "Havoc, let him go, NOW!" She yelled angrily. Havoc immediately released the boy who then ran over to his brother's side.
The older boy looked up at Winry and twisted his face in confusion. She seemed so familiar to him, then it finally hit him. "You were the girl who was travelling with the Elric brothers and the one who stayed with us." He stated. "Thank you for helping my brother."
"You're welcome, but are you guys here all alone? Where is your elder?" Winry asked.
The boy seemed to be contemplating something. "You saved my brother, you're a good person. As long as you and the others promise not to reveal where our hideout is, I will show you."
Winry placed a hand on her chest. "I swear, I won't." She looked back at her companions and they nodded.
"Very well then."
The Ishbalan boys led them far away from the city and down into a valley that was well hidden from the outside world. After a while, they arrived at a clearing where a few tents were set up. Obviously, many of the Ishbalan refugees had died over the years without proper medical supplies. They arrived at one tent on the fringe and proceeded inside. There they saw the elder himself hunched over a pot making some sort of medicinal supplement being simmered over a large flame.
Hearing approaching footsteps he looked up. "Oh Leo, Rick. Back so soon?" His eyes rested on the others but were uneasy seeing them all in blue military uniforms.
Leo stepped in before the elder could question any further. "This is the girl who was with the Elric brothers when they stopped those evil military men from destroying the rest of our people. These are just some of her friends."
The tension in the room lifted as elder's muscles relaxed. "Please, stay for a while, and rest your weary spirits." He motioned towards the mats on the floor. Winry looked around a bit. It was a rather shabby looking home that didn't have much to it.
The elder stared at the young woman before him as she sat down across from him with her companions close by her side. Almost immediately, her gaze fell to the flickering fire, almost like she was afraid of something. Her eyes held a depth of seriousness, but deep within them was a hint of desperation. It was astonishing how much her orbs resembled two teardrops in that instant. "What is your name, child?" The elder finally asked with a reassuring smile.
"Winry Rockbell, sir." She replied with as much enthusiasm as possible.
"I see, well Winry-san, you are garbed in military threads. But you are no soldier." He stated.
Winry's eyes darkened. "No sir, I hate the military." She spat venomously.
"I see… then why have you journeyed here today?" The elder inquired.
He watched as Winry's eyes moved from the fire to his face before they moved back once again to the fire. "… it's just that…" She started. "I know that the Ishbalans don't care about the Philosopher's Stone, but that's not what I want..." Winry tried to find the right words but to no avail. "Do you know anything about the Gate?" She tried.
The elder nodded. "Yes I do, I also know that it connects to another world, why do you ask?"
Winry started to tug at the carpet fibres. "I wanted to know if there's another way to reach gate, and I thought perhaps you would know." She stated plainly.
Mustang looked down at her sadly. 'So, her mind has always been set on that. She must have had this planned for some time…'
The elder looked at her in understandment, much to Winry's surprise. He extended his hand towards her. "Give me your hand, young one." He said softly.
Winry did as he asked, still a little unsure if she was out of line. He held it for a second before placing it back on the mat. "You have lost two individuals who mean the world to you." He stated simply.
Winry's eyes widened. She opened her mouth to question him but the elder beat her to it. "I already had the feeling your question was for a noble cause, so I will tell you what you want to know."
Winry shut her mouth and listened to the elder's story intently. "There is no way to reach the gate without offering something as an exchange... however… I have heard of a town that may harbour such a border..." Winry looked at him oddly. "Let me explain the history of this ancient town. Anyone outside of this place who still know of its' existence say that it is cursed. That is because the people who inhabit it believe in ghosts and other supernatural phenomena. So over time, they became isolated from the rest of the state."
"Why is that?" Winry asked.
"Simple. Humankind as a whole fear the unknown, and what they don't understand. And if it is not real in their minds, then it must be evil. So in turn, those people were alienated. It got to the point where they were not just another town, but a separate civilization..." He dropped his gaze to the sizzling remedy in front of him. "Just as we Ishbalins are discriminated against because of our looks, those people are persecuted because of their beliefs..."
Winry bowed her head. "... so, what is the name of this town?"
"I believe its' full name is… Lalania: the noble, festival site."
Riza sucked in a short breath. 'Lalania… that's the municipality I read about back in Central…'
Mustang closed his eyes. 'I thought it might be that place… the one that the military is trying to keep hidden from the rest of the state.' He smirked to himself. 'But really, ghosts? Surely the people are just trying to make it sound better then it is…'
"Sounds cryptic." Havoc mused out loud.
"It is…" The elder continued. "My point is that there is no reason not to believe that this place may have the answers you are looking for."
'And even if it doesn't…' Winry thought to herself. 'I have something else in mind…'
Winry looked back up at the elder and smiled. "Thank you, I know what I need to do now…" She looked beside her at Riza. "I'm going to Lalania, It's something I have to do. I don't want you to co-"
"Like hell you're going anywhere without me."
Winry fell on her side. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"She's right, Winry-san." Winry looked over at Havoc who was on the other side of Mustang. "Wherever you go, we go. I don't think anyone has any idea what you hope to accomplish, but we'll see you through to the end anyway."
Mustang smirked and ruffled the top of Winry's hair. "That's right, kiddo. You've been with us for too long now. Now I'm afraid you're stuck with us." He grinned.
Winry puffed out her cheeks and glared at the raven haired man. "Stop treating me like a kid!" She shouted angrily. Mustang just laughed and removed his hand.
Letting out an exasperated sigh, she sat up and tried lamely patting her hair back into place before looking up at Riza. "So you're really coming?"
"Yup." She stated plainly.
"Why would you do that?" Winry asked.
"Because I can."
"Well…" Winry stood up and began to make her way towards exit the tent, but not before adding. "Do as you like." At this, Riza smirked before following the young woman out.
After the four were back at the station in East City. Havoc brought up the fact that they couldn't go on a long term trip without bringing any essentials like clothing."We can go to… Resembool." Winry offered quietly. Riza was about to say something when she continued. "I know Riza, but nobody wants to go back to Central yet, and besides I'll need some things I know I left there..." She lowered her head. "And I want to visit my parents…" Riza nodded without another word.
"But first…" Winry looked up at Mustang. "I need to go to Dublith, there's something I need to do there as well…"
The next day, the foursome arrived in Dublith. Winry had phoned Mason at the station before they left to inform them that she would be visiting the next day.
Winry led the way until they arrived at a medium sized house in the middle of town. On the front lawn, Mason was playing with a little girl whom Winry knew to be Manny and her kittens that were now full grown.
"Hello Manny, Mason how are you today?" Winry greeted with a wave.
Manny looked up and ran up to Winry. "Hi Winry! Look at how big my cats have gotten." She held up one proudly.
"Wow, Manny they look great. You must be taking good care of them." Winry stated, rubbing behind the cat's ears.
"Good morning, Winry-san." Mason waved at her with his usual cheerful smile. "Nice to see you again."
Winry smiled brightly in return and looked towards the entrance of the house to see Sig Curtis in his usual stance. "Good morning, Sig-sama." She bowed slightly. He nodded to the girl, he always was a man of few words.
Winry turned to Riza and the others. "I'll be out in the field behind here, be back soon." She waved before running off.
In the house, Riza was sipping her coffee while watching Winry through the living room window when Roy joined her. "What's she doing?" He asked.
"She's visiting Izumi's and Wrath's graves." A deep voice answered from behind them.
They turned around to see Sig standing in the doorway. "She used to visit all the time and pay her respects to Izumi's grave until the war in Central... when she found out Wrath died…"
He walked up to the window and watched as Winry finished her prayer and stood up. "When she visited here last, she informed me that Wrath was dead. Although he was a homunculus, he was still technically mine and Izumi's son…" Riza moved the curtain aside and gazed out at her solemnly. "When she came back she asked Mason to help her put up a grave for him next to Izumi's. She said that deep down, he would've wanted it that way…"
For a few minutes the three watched as Winry picked a few flowers of all sorts and wrap them into an elegant bouquet.
"You know…" He continued. "Her and Izumi were the only ones who shared the same desire to protect that boy from harm. They really believed that he could've been saved… it's too bad they didn't spend more time together. They would have become good friends. Izumi liked her very much, just like her apprentices…"
His eyes softened a bit. "Afterall, Winry did keep the Elric brothers in line, almost as well as Izumi herself..."
Meanwhile outside, Winry was holding a bouquet and a single lavender in her arms.
"Well… I guess this is goodbye." She stated with a serene smile. "I know what I need to do… what Russell said about a new form of equivalent exchange… what Clara said about not giving up hope…"
She closed her eyes and tilted her head heavenwards. "I have to try… I have to do something… I can't stay here like this…" She turned her gaze back to the headstones. "I have to see Ed again… and Al… either they have to come to me, or I'm going to them… somehow…"
She stood there for a moment gazing at the stones, letting the breeze ruffle through her clothes and sweep the oversized coat gracefully in the wind. The wind worked its way into her hair and blew it along with her coat matching the rhythm flawlessly, making her whole persona seem ethereal. Any person walking through the cemetery would think she was some sort of holy maiden.
She placed the bouquet on Izumi's grave and the lavender on Wrath's along with the cherry blossom paper crane. Why a lavender? Well that's Winry Rockbell's little secret for now…
Winry started back towards the house with a small smile on her face. 'I guess I was wrong. They really do want to help me for my own purposes, not because I'm a friend of Ed and Al's. Same goes for the others back in Central…'
She stopped and looked up at the sky once more, a whole wave of emotions coursing through her. "I don't know why, but I could never bring myself to hate you… someday, Ed… we'll meet again."
But the tears still wouldn't fall… they weren't even there.
'Winry… what's wrong…?'
Disclaimer: (insert standard disclaimer here) blah blah blah…
By the way, I will probably only use Japanese suffixes in this story, no real words. After all, I'm not Japanese and I'm not going to pretend that I am. I'll leave that to the pros.