When The Icicle Melts
Chapter 5: "Both Sides Were Against Me"
"Nii-san, wait up! Why are you in such a rush?"
Ed spun on his heel and faced his younger brother who had been lagging behind for the past fifteen minutes. "Al, you know why. We have work to do. We've got to come up with some kind of plan in order to find this frickin' thing already."
Al's face contorted in confusion. "Since when has dealing with things in an orderly fashion become one of your strong suits? Usually by now things would have come down to fists."
Ed narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about, Al? I've always been calm in all situations."
Al turned so his brother couldn't see him trying to muffle his laughter. "Uh… sure… whatever you say, Nii-san." He managed in between.
Not oblivious to Al's feeble attempt to hide his amusement at his expense, Ed turned, muttering a 'whatever' and continued up the road, picking up his pace to spite his brother. He still didn't get what was so funny. After regaining his composure, Al of course, followed closely behind.
It had been approximately four weeks since they left the northern port on foot and arrived in the capital city of Germany... Berlin. It would have been easier for Ed if it had been Munich. He knew the area much better from when he first travelled there with his father, but the best place to start their search for the uranium bomb would be the capital.
"Nii-san, by now the bomb could be anywhere, the military here may already have it in their possession. How can we possibly find it now?" Al asked.
"I know that Al, but it's my fault things got out of hand when the gate was opened. So no matter what, I'm going to find it, even if I have to ask every person in this damn town." Al frowned at this, he hated it when Ed blamed himself for everything.
"But that will take forever..." Al whined pathetically, but he knew there was nothing else they could do. They could try sneaking into the primary base and finding out for themselves, but that would be suicidal. And they couldn't exactly walk up to one of the soldiers and ask 'do you know the location of a weapon that could potentially end the war before it even starts?' The outcome of that wouldn't be good for anybody.
There was one thought that lingered on Al's mind, even if he knew his brother hated it. "… maybe dad can help us…" He offered timidly, he still couldn't accept the fate of their father.
Ed exhaled deeply before trying, once again, to convince his brother to let go. "Al… he's dead, you know this. That's how the gate was opened in the first place. He gave up his life as equivalent exchange…"
Al hung his head. "I know… but I have this feeling… I don't know how to describe it, but it's a really bad feeling. You also said that when the gate was opened he was destroyed along with Envy… I just have a hard time believing that either of them could die so easily… especially dad…" He trailed off, knowing not to press the matter any further.
Ed didn't dare to look at Al's face, he knew it wasn't fair. After learning the reason why their father had abandoned them all those years ago, he was able to come to terms with things and reconcile with him to a degree. He did take good care of Ed for the brief time they were together on Earth. But he knew that he would never forgive him entirely. Hadn't their father ever heard that family sticks together through thick and thin? But Al… he didn't care about all that, he just wanted to get to know the man that was their father, but he never got the chance…
Which made Al the only one of Hohenheim's offspring; technically three sons, who didn't despise him.
Deciding that it was time to change the mood, Ed halted his movement catching Al off guard and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey Al, what do you say we take a break now?" Al looked at him quizzically. Ed grinned and pointed towards what looked to be a pub. "How about you let your favourite older brother give you your first taste of adulthood?" He suggested, a wicked glint in his eyes.
Al's own eyes widened, he sure didn't like that look in Ed's eyes. Before he could protest, Ed started pulling him towards the entrance. "Nii-san, I really don't think-"
"Oh come on, Al. There aren't really any laws yet, so legal age is just about anything. Besides…" He turned his mischievous expression back to his slightly petrified brother. "Have I ever steered you wrong before?"
Al puffed out his cheeks. "As a matter of fact-"
Unfortunately for him, Ed had already yanked on his sleeve and before he knew it, they were inside the establishment.
Al looked around as his brother led him through the tavern. He was impressed by the interior of the place, it was dimly lit and soft jazzy music was being played in the background on a phonograph. It was fairly crowded, obviously being a popular club in that town.
Ed pushed him down onto a stool at the edge of the counter and sat down next to him. Al's eyes studied the different labels on the many bottles of sparkling liquor. He had a bad feeling about this. The bartender hadn't noticed their arrival yet and was busy wiping down a glass with a cloth. He was an older man, but still looked fit for his age.
"Alright, Al. Now what should we start you with?" He asked, more to himself. "Hey barkeep! How about some service?"
The bartender walked over to them on cue without looking up from the glass still in hand. He glanced up at Ed for a second, then went back to what he was doing before whipping his head back up and jumping back a step.
"Holy shit!" His eyes widened like he had seen a ghost and the glass he was holding slipped from his hand and shattered on the floor. Whether it was because of the scene, or the fact that he spoke in English, it grabbed everyone's attention. "You look just like that kid…" He breathed.
Ed cocked an eyebrow, and Al opened and closed his mouth, debating on what to do or even say. After a few seconds, the bartender shook his head and went about cleaning up the shards of the glass. "Nah, it couldn't be… that kid was killed in the war…" He muttered to himself as the rest of the customers went back to what they were doing.
Realization dawned on Ed as he too relaxed, but Al was still confused. "What kid is that, sir?" He asked.
"The kid who used to come in here with his father everyday when they were off duty. They were both high ranking soldiers for this country, you know." He replied while disposing of the pieces and grabbing a clean glass from under the counter.
"You don't say…" Ed spoke in a dull tone.
The barkeeper stared at him for a moment before shaking his head for the second time. "Anyway, what can I get you?"
Ed seemed to be pondering on something before answering. "Tell you what... bring us each whatever that 'kid' would order, alright?" The bartender nodded before leaving to fill the order.
Al waited until the man was out of earshot before turning to his brother. "Nii-san, what was that guy talking about?"
"If my assumption is correct, he's talking about my alter." Al's eyes widened, he had never really thought about the fact that Ed would have an 'alter' like everyone else. "… and if I'm right, then we should have similar tastes." He added.
"That man also said that his dad came in here with him… do you think it could be…"
Ed shrugged. "Might be the alter of our dad, I guess that would explain some things. I think that when someone from our world travels here or vice versa, something happens to the existing 'twin,' so that both can't live in the same world."
Al nodded. "It's like someone or something in the gate knew that I would be coming here, and that's what happened to the other me, right?"
"Yeah, I guess…" He narrowed his eyes. "I hate the idea that all of this might be preordained." He shifted his gaze back to the bartender. "But now I'm curious…" Before Al could question him further, the bartender returned with their drinks and a bottle of whatever it was.
Ed picked up the glass in front of him and took in a whiff of the beverage. "Just as I thought, just the way I like it too, straight with two ice cubes." He set the glass down and looked over at his brother who was eying his own drink hesitantly. "Don't worry, Al. Try it."
Al studied the label on the bottle before shrugging it off and raised his own glass cautiously to his lips. Afterall, what difference would it make to him what kind of drink it was when he knew absolutely nothing about alcohol? He tilted it back and let the cool liquid splash down his throat. At first he didn't feel much, but no sooner had he thought that when the strangest, almost disturbing yet wonderful sensation flooded his insides causing him to screw up his face and almost fall off the stool.
"Are you alright, Al?" Ed asked worriedly.
Al shook the final chill out of his body and grinned up at his brother. "Never better!"
Ed didn't look convinced, but let it slide for now. "Alright Al, but just sip it. You haven't built a tolerance, so take it slow." He couldn't emphasize enough. Al nodded and went back to his new found fixation.
"You're a Scotch drinker too, huh?"
Ed looked up at the bartender and shrugged. "Well, why not?" He always did like the taste, it helped him calm his nerves back when he was alone in that world.
"You knew that kid's favourite drink… how? Did you know him?" The bartender asked.
"Trust me, you wouldn't believe me if I told you. And yes, I guess you could say I did, in a way." Ed muttered.
The bartender looked at him quizzically but let it drop. It didn't seem like he would get anything out of his enigmatic customer. "By the way, the name's Geoffrey, or simply Geoff. What's yours?"
"Huh? Oh it's…" Wait, that might be a bad idea. It seemed that everyone's alter had the same name in both realities, and if the same went for his own twin, well that would throw the poor bartender over the edge. "Um, so… I noticed that you don't have much of an accent." He stated, opting for a change of topic.
"Yup, you see I came over from a continent on the other side of the ocean…" He grabbed another glass from the rack and began polishing it too. "Just never picked up on the language, never really wanted to." He stated bluntly.
Ed looked at him like he was a nut job. "But why come here? Haven't you seen what goes on in this country now?"
Geoffrey simply shrugged. "Some members of my remaining family still live here. They're quite young, so I decided to come here and look after them, until hopefully, things get better."
Ed's eyes softened a bit as he picked up his glass. 'At least it's for a noble cause...'
He heard Geoffrey mutter under his breath before finally speaking. "What's with you kids? With the trends and whatnot. Just look at you and that other kid…" He nodded towards Al who was holding his drink with both hands in the middle of a gulp. "Bah, kids these days, they all look alike." He grumbled.
Ed snorted. "Yeah? Well that that's because the 'other kid' is my younger brother." He turned slightly to the side. "idiot." He muttered in a not too inaudible tone, before finally taking a sip of his own drink.
The bartender smirked at his childish display. "Well, I suppose you and that dead kid don't look completely alike…" His eyes shifted down to Ed's feet which just barely touched the floor. "You're actually a few inches shorter than him-"
He cut off when Ed choked on his drink and smacked his own chest trying to regurgitate the liquid. "You alright, kid?" He asked, while Al was drumming his fingers nervously on the counter, anticipating his brother's next move.
Ed spit out his drink slowly and leaned back, closing his eyes. For a moment a silence filled the air that would have made any and all of his enemies shrink. Just as quickly as it settled in, the atmosphere was shattered when Ed's arm shot forward with reflexes that lived up to their reputation and yanked the startled man onto the counter.
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A TINY, MICROSCOPIC, MIDGET WHO-"
"Oh come on, Nii-san. We've all heard it before." Al cut in with an exhausted sigh. "Besides, aren't you a little old to be yelling like this?"
Ed seemed to be thinking over Al's point for a moment. "You're right, Al." He released the man's collar, and straightened his overcoat. He returned his menacing leer towards the still slightly dumbfounded barkeep. "What do you say we settle this like men?"
Geoffrey cocked a brow at him in question, and Ed's grin only widened. "Like this." He answered, removing his coat and rolling up his sleeves. He balled up his automail fist and connected it with his flesh hand for emphasis causing the bartender to flinch, probably because the fist meant for him was made out of steel.
Fortunately for the barkeep, Al was quick on his feet. "Come on, Nii-san, give the poor man a break. He doesn't know any better." Al pleaded. 'Most people you flip on don't.' He silently added.
"No, Al. Did you hear what he said? He called me sh-short!" He looked around, spotting his glass he picked it up with the intent of smashing it over the man's face.
Al's reflexes proved to be just slightly faster for once as he jumped on his brother's back and attempted to pry the glass out of his grip, which proved to be more like a vice.
"Nii-san! Calm. Down. Please!" He succeeded in releasing the glass, but Ed picked up the Scotch bottle with the same slightly demented idea.
"NO, NII-SAN!"
"Damn it, Al! GET OFF!"
By this point, the scene had grabbed the attention of everyone in the saloon once again, and they were either leaving or cheering for whom they wanted to win.
However, the bartender wasn't too pleased with the 'show,' to say the least. "Hey, knock it off! You break anything and you're buying it!"
Ed turned his attention back to the bartender and smirked. "Oh yeah? How much would it cost to break your face?" The smirk grew into a maniacal grin.
Al's face changed to revulsion. "Nii-san, that's horrible!"
Geoffrey started laughing. "Oh I see, you don't like it when people call you short. Emasculating, is it?"
Ed turned beet red and started flailing his arms in a blur while Al tightened his grip into a sleeper hold, but really he was just holding on for dear life. Ed halted his movements when he felt a tap on his shoulder and whipped around with Al still dangling off his shoulders. "WHAT?"
The colour from Ed's face drained as did Al's, and they both turned blue. For the man standing in front of them looked a bit too much like Sig Curtis for either of their liking.
"If you boys don't learn to control yourselves, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
"Uh, sorry sir, we'll behave. Promise!" Al squeaked. The man stared down at them for a moment before returning to the table he was occupying without another word.
Ed lowered his arms and glared straight ahead at nothing in particular. "Al…" He murmured through gritted teeth.
"Uh… yes, Nii-san?"
"GET OFF!"
Al automatically loosed his grip and slipped off Ed's back and plopped back onto the stool. Ed sat down as well and finished off his drink which had been saved thanks to Al's interference. As he placed the glass back onto the counter he felt his stool shift, followed by the weight of someone hitting the floor near him.
He sighed in exasperation. 'Damn it, I'm surrounded by morons in this stupid place…' He twisted around in his stool to see who it was, Al peered over Ed's shoulder to see what he was looking at.
The only thing they could see from their angle was a man with short spiky hair who had done a face plant on the floor. He was wearing a heavy fur coat and woolly gloves, which made him look like he came from someplace cold. The man looked up at them, and both brothers' eyes widened like saucers. The only difference they could see was this guy had navy blue eyes, but his hands were covered so they couldn't see the other obvious difference.
'Oh no, not him.' Ed inwardly grimaced.
The man picked himself up off the ground and turned to them with a half-sheepish, half-tipsy grin. "So'y 'bout tha'. I wasn' watchin' where I 'as goin'."
"GREED!" Both Ed and Al pointed in unison.
The man cocked an eyebrow. "We' sure, I wan' a few 'hings but 'ell! who doe'n't?" Ed rolled his eyes and leaned back against the counter.
The man seemed to be studying Ed's face until realization seemed to hit him like a ton of bricks and he jumped back. "Half-breed!" He yelled in an audible tone and pointed directly at Ed.
Ed and Al looked at him in confusion, but Geoffrey scowled and balled up his fists. "Don't you dare talk about that kid that way in any bar of mine, Jase!" He took a threatening step towards the swaying man.
Jase held up his hands in slight fear. "Whoa 'hill ou' man! We all know he was a 'urse."
He probably couldn't have said anything to anger the barkeep anymore, before Ed and Al could blink, Geoffrey's fist connected squarely with his temple, sending him toppling to the floor. "Maybe… but that's still no reason to ridicule him. He was a good kid." Geoffrey stated quietly.
Ed glanced down at Jase who was once again sprawled out on the ground. "Well, so much for him." Ed mused.
Al chuckled. "Now, Nii-san. Don't be too mean to the guy. Perhaps he has a… condition."
Ed snorted and looked back up at the bartender who was now wiping down the counters like nothing happened. "What was all that about?" He asked in mild curiosity.
Geoffrey let out a sigh and stopped what he was doing. "I don't really see the harm in telling you. You're a good kid too, a little temperamental, but then again, so was he..." Ed opened his mouth with the intent of throwing another fit... or something at the guy, but decided to hold his tongue for once and let the man continue.
"You see… that kid… his parents originated from two different countries."
"So? What's wrong with that?" Ed asked. He was already sick of the racism in this world. Now it was evil if people came from different countries? What's the world coming to?
Geoffrey sighed again. "To me and some others, absolutely nothing. But, his bloodlines are split down the middle with two countries that are currently uneasy with each other… Germany and Russia." Ed raised his eyebrows in new understanding. "You see, his father was German, and his mother is Russian. So you can guess the problems that would arise, serving one country and having partial blood ties to the enemy."
Ed nodded. "So, what happened to him?" He had always been a bit curious about the life his 'twin' once led.
"He was killed on the front lines in the war that ended several years ago. He was a regular soldier while his father was a General, which is why he was even allowed in the military in this first place…" His eyes saddened. "A soldier who witnessed this on the battlefield came in here one night and told a few of us the story. He said that the kid's father saw him go down and he tried desperately to prevent his son's corpse from becoming defiled so he could prepare a proper burial. But in turn, he was shot from being out in the open…"
Ed felt a pang of guilt in his stomach. He couldn't help but wonder if his own father would have done that for him. He didn't think so. He glanced back down at Jase whose eye's were still swirling. "And what about him? Was he there too or something?"
Geoffrey snorted. "Nah, He's just here for the Vodka. He's actually a Russian as well." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Actually, I heard that kid's mom returned to Russia recently. She didn't have an easy time coping with the repercussions of giving birth to a 'half-breed' either…"
"Wha' was 'hat?"
Ed looked over at Al and was shocked and a bit annoyed to see his own brother having a difficult time even keeping his head up. He glanced over to where the Scotch bottle was and his eyes practically bugged out of his head when he saw that there wasn't a drop left.
He got up off the stool, picking it up to examine it, then at Al, then back to the bottle before placing it back on the counter roughly causing Al to jump. "Damn it, I told you to take it slow." Ed glared down at his brother who was holding his glass, still half full, against his chest like a baby. He didn't even want to know how many shot glasses Al had downed. "That's more than enough for you, Alphonse." Ed stated as he placed his hand on the top of the glass and easily removed it from Al's shaky hands.
"Aw, 'ome on Nii-'an." Al whined. "I was s'ill drinkin' 'hat."
Ed massaged his temples in irritation before walking over to retrieve his jacket which was still lying on the floor in a heap. Al's eyes widened as he tried to haul himself drunkenly to his feet. "Nii-'an, where a' you goin'? Don' 'eave wit'ou' me!"
"Time to go, Al." Ed stated and returned to his brother's side and lowered himself in front of him. "Get on." He coaxed, not too impressed with having to carry him.
"'kay." Al climbed, well more fell onto his brother's back and dangled with arms hung over Ed's shoulders limply.
Ed turned slightly to the bartender who looked slightly amused. "How much do I owe?" He asked as if it was the worst thing in the world.
Geoffrey smirked. "Nothing. It's on the house. I have a feeling you'll have enough things to worry about when your brother wakes up with a killer hangover. I suggest you get him into bed quickly. There's a decent Inn about a block from here." Ed grinned back. Truthfully, he didn't have much money left, definitely not enough for a hotel and the drinks.
As Ed made his way over to the exit a thought popped into his head. "That kid…" He turned slightly to look at the bartender. "What was his name?"
"Uh… I think his name was Edward something." He placed a finger to his chin. "Oh, I remember! It was Edward Elric. Quite the aristocratic name if you ask me."
Ed smiled to himself and continued towards the exit without another word and picked up his suitcase. "Ugh, Al. You're heavy." Ed stated having a little trouble balancing his suitcase and his brother, luckily for him, Al didn't have any luggage.
"Ar' you sayin' I'm 'at?"
Ed rolled his eyes. "No, Al. Of course not." Ed made his way over to the exit, kicked it open, and proceeded outside into the cool Autumn night.
"I 'hink the s'ars are gettin' c'oser, Nii-'an."
"No they're not, Al. It's just your imagination." Ed replied, not really paying attention.
They were sitting on a bench outside of the Inn Geoffrey recommended. Well, Al was lying on the bench in an awkward posture. Ed was counting the money in his wallet and discovered that the hotel would use up the rest of his money.
However, Ed's thoughts had been lingering on what Al had said earlier. 'What if he's right, and dad and Envy are still alive somewhere. I never really thought of that possibility…' He was tapping his foot mindlessly against the pavement, which sounded more like thunder to Al's ears, as the alcohol's effects were starting to wear off slightly. 'It wouldn't be horrible if Dad was still alive… for Al's sake. But that PSYCHOPATH? It doesn't get much worse than that…'
"Hi, gang!"
Ed looked up to see that the drunkard from earlier. Ed couldn't help but find it very fitting that the 'alter' of the homunculus, Greed, would be shut up in a bar all day. "What the hell do you want?" He asked not too interested, but he was pleased to hear that Jase was no longer acting like a fool and sounded more or less normal.
"Hey, that's not very nice, I just came out here to apologize. Geoff said that you weren't that kid." Jase looked at him oddly. "It's strange though, you look so much like him, I kid you not."
Without another word, Ed went back to his previous state, trying his best to ignore the presence of a person who already used to annoy him. Even if it was only technically Greed's 'twin,' Ed just couldn't bring himself to tell the guy off. He knew if it wasn't for the advice Greed revealed to him in his dying breath, all of the homunculi would still be alive, and Dante would have gotten her way. And being one of the first Ed had unintentionally murdered added to the whole guilt trip.
Afterall, Greed had been just another victim of Dante's perfectly knit web of lies and deceit.
"Hey, I got a juicy tidbit for you, buddy."
Sighing in defeat, Ed lifted his head and looked up at Jase who was wearing one of his mocking grins that Ed learned to despise. "Yeah, and what's that?" He asked in the same lazy tone.
"Well, as you can probably tell by my accent, I'm a Russian, and a former soldier for the Soviet Union..." His grin widened, if that was possible. "And I heard that the Soviets got their hands on a type of weapon that would put any county's primary missiles to shame. It's a u- something bomb. Neat, huh?" His face relaxed slightly as he flopped down onto the bench, on Ed's other side.
Spoke to soon. Now Ed knew that Jase wasn't himself. He seriously doubted that even this guy would give out that kind of top secret information if he was sober. But nonetheless, Ed was grateful for the slip of the tongue.
"Hey, Nii-… san…?"
Ed looked down at Al who looked about ready to fall asleep at any minute. "Yeah, Al? What's up? Finally able to talk normally, I see." He stated softly.
"… I was just wondering; why did Envy take on the form of a dragon, does he like them or something?" He asked as the most out of the blue question, probably in history.
Ed had to refrain from laughing. At this point, he felt like the only one not sputtering out nonsense. "Gee, Al. I really don't know." He scratched the back of his head, trying his hardest to humour his trashed little brother.
Jase looked over at Al like he was a mental patient. "What's he talking about? Is he wasted or something?"
Ed glowered at him. "It's none of your business, and besides, he's not totally out there." He grabbed onto Al's shoulders, trying to prevent him from falling off the bench in his dizzy state.
"Don't patronize me, kid! There's no such thing as dragons. They're a myth!"
Ed pulled a piece of blank paper and a pencil out of his suitcase and rapidly sketched his best impression of Envy's last form. "So tell me, have you seen anything like this around these parts?" He flipped the picture around for Jase to have a look.
Jase's mouth fell open as he pointed at the drawing. "The Loch Ness Monster!"
Finding no patience left in his already short supply, Ed reached over and smacked him on the back of the head.
Two days after that, the Elric brothers left the local Inn they were staying at. They couldn't leave the day before because Al was to busy trying to maintain his balance and cursing alcohol for the entire day. All the while, Ed wasn't helping much by chanting out the occasional 'I told you so' in a singsong fashion.
That morning, Ed and Al left the hotel early. Al was back to himself with the slight bounce to his step. "So, what now, Nii-san?" Al asked.
"Now we're heading to the new lead we have on the uranium bomb." He replied.
Al halted his stride and stared at Ed quizzically. "What do you mean? What lead? Where was I for that?" He fired off similar questions quicker than Ed could process them.
"Uh…" He sheepishly grinned at him. "You were just a bit preoccupied."
Al squinted at him, trying to decipher the meaning behind Ed's vague words. He still couldn't believe he let his brother sucker him into drinking alcohol, but he couldn't remember what he did or said the night before. All he remembered was waking up feeling the aftermath as if he had been hit over the head with a lead pipe. As a matter fact, his joints were still sore from the twisted position Ed had dumped him on the bed in. At the moment, he would have loved to cuff Ed for being so careless.
He squeezed his eyes shut, deciding that some things were probably better left unsaid. "So where are we headed for this 'new lead' anyway?"
"We're travelling to Russia, Al. But I'm not sure how we're going to get there." He paused when he caught sight of a few German vessels as they neared one of the military bases. "Or do I?" His expression contorted into a grin as a plan formulated in his head.
Al looked at his brother, he did not like the look in Ed's eyes.
He was a bit scared, to say the least.
"Oh yeah, some plan Nii-san. This is much better."
Ed rolled his eyes. "I didn't hear any better ideas coming from you, Alphonse. So unless you want to walk to Russia…" He trailed off leaving it to Al to fill in the blanks.
Al grimaced, but said nothing. They were cramped in the tiny propeller shaft on a German aircraft, heading north. They were situated on opposite sides of the shaft and were a little too close to the propellers for either of their liking. One small slip and well… anyone could guess the outcome of that.
It was going to be a long trip.
Ed stood with his feet knee deep in snow, hoping that the frigid temperature would cool down his temper, even slightly.
He dropped his suitcase and threw his arms up. "IT'S FUCKING COLD HERE!"
"Well, what did you expect, Nii-san?" Al asked, trying to pry the ice chunks that got wedged up in the soles of his shoes. "We're smack dab in the middle of Russia, and to make things worse, it's almost winter. So again, what did you expect?"
It was true, neither brothers could even begin to fathom how anyone, who was human in the least bit, could stand living in a place where the temperature could cause their toes to snap off. They had landed at an old rundown aerial base in the middle of nowhere, and the Germans who were flying the planes were doing only god knows what. They had snuck out of the airshaft unnoticed and were loitering around for about three hours, a few miles away from where the Germans were more than likely re-supplying. But both Elrics were oblivious to the fact that the area had become a bit emptier...
Ed let out an aggravated sigh as his right eye twitched in annoyance. "Yeah well, as soon as those idiots are done whatever the hell they're doing. We're getting out of here."
Al looked around, and saw nothing but a vast winter wonderland. "Uh… there's no one here but us, Nii-san."
Ed's head shot up and scanned the area. "Aw, DAMN IT!"
The temperature had dropped about another twenty degrees and a heavy snowfall now fell, blanketing the countryside in a fresh coat of white. It was starting to get late and the snow caused the sky to glow such an unnatural shade of purple it was as if someone had painted it such a shade.
Al was following a few paces behind Ed, who of course, had no idea where he was actually going. They had been walking around aimlessly for a few hours, hoping to find a town or some form of civilization.
'I wish oh how I wish I only had a shovel.' Al inwardly chanted.
Out of nowhere a loud snap echoed throughout the empty area, and Ed bent over slightly bracing himself with his hands. "What was that, Nii-san?" Al asked, slightly worried.
Ed shifted his head slightly to face his younger brother, a weary smile creeping into his face. "I guess not even our favourite junkie's automail can hold up against these harsh conditions." He said with a light chuckle.
Al rushed to Ed's side and bent down to examine his automail limb. He lifted up the pant leg, but had a difficult time seeing through the blizzard so he relied on the sense of touch and ran his fingertips along the surface of the metal. Everything was still in mint condition but when he reached the kneecap he discovered that it had been uplifted slightly and was detached from the back ligaments. "Looks like the steel can't withstand the cold, and it put to much stress on the material…" Al muttered.
Ed raised an eyebrow at Al's uncharacteristic synapses. "Since when do you know so much about automail?" He asked.
Al glared up at him. "I guess unlike you, I actually listened to what Winry-chan said when she verbally analyzed your automail. I found how it worked interesting." He stood up and straightened his grey jacket. "Like when I returned after training with Izumi-sensei and lived with Winry and Auntie Pinako for a short while. I used to watch her assemble automail parts." He smiled to himself softly.
'More when I lived with her and Wrath, she babied his automail. Well, she babied Wrath himself more than anything else…' He glanced back down at Ed who was now wearing a puzzled expression. ' … but Nii-san doesn't need to know that…'
"What are you thinking about, Al?" Ed ventured. "You're being unusually quiet… is something going on that I should know about?" He asked with a hint of suspicion.
Al massaged the back of his head nervously. "N-no, whatever gave you that idea, Nii-san?" All the while he was thinking. 'How the heck does he know everything?! I don't get it!'
Al shook his head and flopped down on the snow next to his brother. "Hey, Nii-san… how are we going to get out of here?"
"… I don't know, Al."
Well, so much for knowing everything.
The two sat in silence for what felt like hours in silence, contemplating on what to do next. The quantity of snowflakes had increased and no one would be surprised if the height of the snow raised to at least another foot in the next half hour.
Footsteps crunching in the snow in front of Ed made him tilt his head up halfway. From what he could see through the snowstorm, the figure wore an ebony coloured cape covering their entire body with the hood concealing the person's eyes, but not the rest of their face. The person's lips curled into a sweet smile.
"Oh my. Are you two boys here all by yourselves?" The voice was definitely female and was eerily familiar, yet melodious and soothing to Ed's ears.
Ed's mouth fell agape. He couldn't place the stranger's dreamy voice, but it was making a lump form in his throat. He swallowed and shook his head, finally finding his voice. "Uh… yeah. Do you know of any city or any form of civilization that might be around here?"
"As a matter a fact there's one right over there." The woman pointed to what looked to Ed like just more snow, but when he squinted he could see the outline of a city just a few miles away. Needless to say, Ed felt like slapping himself.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see the woman's outstretched hand. "Here, come with me. You two really should get inside before you catch a cold."
Ed smiled slightly and looked over at Al, who was leaning against his other shoulder. "Hey Al, we're in luck. Wake up." He nudged him slightly, but he didn't stir.
"Al?" He lifted him slightly off his shoulder and examined his face, his eyes were closed softly, and his lips were tinted a pale blue. Panicked, he started shaking his brother's shoulders wildly. "ALPHONSE!"
He felt the woman grasp his hand gently, and he immediately froze at the touch of her gloved hand. "It's alright. My house is just over that hillside. Let's get him inside before his condition worsens."
Ed stared at her wide eyed before finally nodding slowly and loosened his grip on Al's shoulders. He just couldn't be himself, and say 'no' to this woman. He watched the hooded figure carefully as she made her way over to Al's feet and picked up his lower half gently as not to harm him while Ed lifted the upper half of his body. The person led the way through the inhospitable snowstorm for a few miles until a small cottage located outside of the city became visible.
Ed couldn't help but steal a few glances at the back of the woman's form through the storm. Even the graceful strides she took as she meandered through the snow were familiar, he was mesmerized. But, for some strange reason, he had the feeling that he didn't want to see her face. A feeling that made his stomach churn.
'But why…?' He wondered as he held onto Al while their rescuer unlocked the door to her home and led them inside.
The outside of the stranger's home was certainly misleading. The exterior portrayed it as a ramshackle cottage, but on the inside it was very nicely furnished. The woman seemed to have the kind of taste for a simple life. It wasn't extravagant or cheerful, but it gave off the cozy feeling of a home.
It was medium sized, much too large for one person, but perfect for two or even three. It had a small living room that opened up into an equally small kitchen. On the left side of the room, it opened up into a hallway with three doors: one on the end, and the last two on either side.
"It's nice." Ed stated absently.
"Thank you." Without turning to see his face, the woman walked over to a chest and pulled out some quilts and spread them out on the couch. "You can place him here. I'll go grab some towels, and get some food for you two. You must be starving." She removed her black woolly gloves and entered the room at the end of the short hallway.
Ed watched her retreating form until she closed the door behind her, before placing Al onto the couch and covering him up with the other half of the quilts. He was still pale as a corpse and dark circles started materializing under his eyes. Ed could only hope that it was just a mild case of hypothermia.
In an attempt to get his mind off his brother's condition, Ed tried to preoccupy himself with interior of the woman's house. He noticed a stack of men's clothes neatly folded on one of the lounge chairs that looked to have belonged to someone close to his size. He walked over in curiosity for a closer look but ended up bumping the chair, causing a book to slide out from under the first garment and hit the floor.
He picked it up the and examined the front cover. He couldn't decipher the title because it was written in German, but there was a simple drawing of a rocket, similar to the style he had seen before, on the cover. "Rocketry, huh?" He said out loud. He only knew a bit about it, it was Alfons Heiderich who was the expert.
He sighed and sat down on the closest chair, feeling like he hit rock bottom. It seemed like things couldn't get much worse.
"I'm so sorry, but I don't have much. But you're welcome to stay here for as long as you'd like."
Ed looked up as the door the woman disappeared into opened. She had removed her cape and her face was visible for the first time. Ed's eyes grew with shock and every muscle and joint in his body became numb.
She was carrying a small pile of sage green towels and a hot water bottle. She scanned the room, obviously searching for him. But when her face fell to his, her beautiful face contorted into an expression that was anything but legible.
"E-Edward?"
At a loss for words, all Ed could do was smile at her meekly. She was exactly the same; her shiny brown hair, her silver eyes that matched Al's. Right down to the low ponytail, slung over her right shoulder...
"Mom…" His voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper so she couldn't hear him.
Suddenly her face turned whiter than her already fair skin as she almost dropped what she was carrying. Ed leapt to his feet to try and steady her, but she backed away from his outstretched hand.
"Edward?" She stammered out again, taking another shaky step backwards. He could practically see the sweat pouring down her face as she clutched the wall, sliding down it slowly. Ed could only stare back in anguish and wish with all his heart that he could wash all her troubles away.
"A-are you okay?" Ed tried, finally finding his voice. 'No, no, it's not her. She's not my mother.'
The woman looked up at him, her eyes were still wide and blank, but the initial shock in her expression had changed to morbid. "I'm sorry… I know it's impossible. But you look identical to my… son."
Ed gently smiled at her again. He knew it wasn't fair. To be faced with the mirror image of her son and not even know why. He debated on telling her the whole truth for a moment, but decided against it. In this case, her ignorance would probably serve to keep her sanity intact, at least for now.
She pulled herself up off the ground and locked eyes with him. "I'm alright. Don't worry about a thing." Despite the circumstance, she found a way to smile at him cheerfully. "Now let's take care of your brother."
Ed looked at her quizzically. "How did you know he's my brother?" He asked.
"Come now. You two look so much alike, it should be obvious to anyone." She stated lightly as she placed a kettle on a very pedestrian style stove. "But rest assured. He will be fine, a little frost bitten but okay." She must have noticed the concerned look on Ed's face as he looked down at Al, who still had not awoken.
After five minutes, the woman filled up the hot water bottle with the steaming liquid and placed it underneath Al's blankets. "Oh how rude of me..." She realized and stood fully to look at Ed. "My name is Trisha."
Ed scratched the back of his head nervously. What could he say? He couldn't tell her his name. That would cause all new problems. Fortunately for him, Al began to stir, grabbing both Ed and Trisha's attention.
Al finally cracked his eyes open, but in his semi-conscious state all he could see was a blinding white light and Trisha's face. '… Mom?… I really must be dead, huh?' Soon the light dissipated, only leaving the sweet face of his 'mother.' His eyes widened as realization crossed his face and he shot up into a sitting position.
Ed covered his brother's mouth with his palm before he could cry out the inevitable. Which would only confuse the poor woman more. "Yes it is, Al…" He whispered to him, so Trisha couldn't hear.
Al stared at his brother, than back at Trisha, who was clearly baffled. Trisha tilted her head to the side before smiling at Al. "I'm glad you're okay. Are you hungry?"
Unable to find his voice, Al nodded stiffly. "Alright then, I'll be back in a moment." Trisha stated as she turned and walked over to the adjoining kitchen.
When she was out of earshot, Al whipped around. "Nii-san, what-"
"I know, I know, Al..." Ed replied sitting down onto the couch beside him. "But don't say anything. She's traumatized enough as it is…"
Al was about to say something else when Trisha walked back into the room. "The food will be ready in a few minutes boys. Feel free to make yourselves at home." She suggested as she lit the furnace next to them, instantly warming them.
The room fell silent as neither occupant, not even Trisha knew what to say. Ed kept throwing suspicious glances towards Al, afraid that he would say something out of line. "So… what were you doing out there?" Al asked, trying to spark a safe conversation. "I mean when you found us."
"I was on my way home from running some errands in town when I saw two shadows in the snow a few miles away. I thought that they might be stranded travellers, so I decided to investigate. Lucky for you I did." She replied, resting in the chair across from them.
Ed stood up from the couch and walked towards the window. Al and Trisha watched him with curiosity as he gazed out the window at the falling snow. "You really shouldn't be so ready to help people. You can't trust everyone so easily." He said nonchalantly.
"I know…" Trisha said, inwardly touched at his discreet concern. "But I couldn't help it. The weather is harsh up here, and anyone could easily freeze to death." She couldn't see Ed's expression from her angle, but judging by his silence, she guessed that he did not buy her defence. "Well, I doubt that you two have any place to go, am I right?" Al nodded, but Ed's posture didn't change in the slightest. "So… you can stay here for as long as you'd like. It gets lonely up here…"
"You live out here… all alone…?" Ed asked suddenly, his back still turned to her.
"Well… yes, my son and my husband are both dead." She glanced over at the stack of clothes Ed had gone through earlier. "And I'm not exactly welcome in town." She added quietly.
"Why is that?" Al asked.
'Because of the bloodlines of her own son...' Ed thought to himself. He turned partially to face Al. "Just leave it alone, Al. I'll tell you later."
After a minute, the kettle in the kitchen sounded and Trisha went to go take it off the stove. While she was gone, Ed filled Al in on the bit of information Geoffrey had given him, which wasn't much but it was still enough for anyone to get the general idea. Soon Trisha returned and handed them each a bowl with a generous helping of homemade chicken soup.
Al mindlessly swirled the soup with his spoon. He just couldn't understand why bloodlines and skin tones were such an issue. He glanced back up at Trisha who was looking at Ed. Her face was a mixture of joy, sorrow, and confusion. Ed of course, was oblivious to the whole silent interaction. 'She looks so sad, she must miss her son so much…' Al thought solemnly.
It wasn't easy for Ed either. At one point when he was close to finishing his soup, Trisha noticed that he had some on his face so she dampened a cloth and wiped the corner of his mouth. "Oh, I'm so sorry." She said. "It's just… never mind." Ed looked at her for a moment, but shrugged it off and continued eating.
But Al had seen that his entire frame had been shaking the whole time.
'You try to be strong, but I can always see your invisible tears, Nii-san.'
Afterwards, Trisha gave them a brief tour of the house. "My room is the one at the end of the hallway, the door on the left is the one my son use to occupy. You and your brother can share that one. The room on the right is the bathroom." She turned to face them when she noticed how wet their clothes were. "You know, you two really should change. You could… wear my son's clothes…" She offered.
Al waved his hands around. "N-no that's okay, Trisha-san, really!"
Trisha gave him a look of understanding. "It's alright. Besides, what else am I going to use them for?" She glanced around the room at all of her son's belongings. Exactly where he had left them. "… you both must think I'm pretty crazy. Keeping all of these things." She chuckled half heartedly.
"Trisha-san…" Al started. "Tell us about your son."
"Al…" Ed said dangerously low, suggesting that Al should bite his tongue.
Trisha lowered her head, causing both Elrics to look up at her in concern. "You both know, don't you?" She more stated than asked. "About what my Edward was considered… I never wanted that for him." The brothers exchanged a look, both not knowing what to do or say.
She bit her quivering bottom lip. "But his father just had to take my boy to war." She clenched one of her fists, the strain causing it to vibrate. "And now he and my son are dead…" Ed stood there for a moment, until her muscles finally relaxed.
"Well…" Trisha looked up into Ed's amber eyes, the snow had melted leaving his bangs soaked and clinging to his face. "You're not alone anymore, we'll stay here for awhile."
Al looked up at him and smiled in admiration for his brother. He thought that Ed would've wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. Being a much worse situation than having to look into Sloth's eyes.
Then again, Ed had changed. Al was more than aware of that.
…End of normal POV (Al's POV)…
We have been living with Trisha for about a week now. Everyday at daybreak, Nii-san would leave and not return again until nightfall. I preferred to stay with Trisha during the day. She was so kind, the way she took us in like we were her relatives and cared for us lovingly. She's so much like mom, I had to hold back my tears every time she would do something that reminded me of her.
I guess I just wanted the opportunity to get to know the closest thing to mom from an older perspective and not a child's.
I didn't blame Nii-san for wanting to stay away. I assumed that he was just out investigating what Jase had told him. He always did have a one track mind.
Truthfully, I thought he was just out trying to clear his head. Not because of Trisha, he had grown accustomed to that awkward situation. He still hadn't told her about the two 'worlds,' but it was probably best that way.
My worst concern was the way he acted at night. He used to try and stay awake all night, and for awhile I thought he was suffering from insomnia. But when I started waiting up for him, he would eventually succumb to his body's need for rest and start, what I like to call, the 'Winry zone.'
At first I found it amusing, part of me hoped his dream was of a decent rating… then again, I couldn't help but be a bit to curious about the other side of the equation.
But a few months after we crossed the gate, he would be drenched in sweat and his occasional call to her as well as other incoherent words would be in distress…
Today, I decided to accompany him on his pointless walks around the city near Trisha's house. She had told us it was Moscow, the capital of Russia. I trailed a few steps behind him, trying to piece together what he had said last night…
I remembered waking up in the middle of the night and glanced over towards Nii-san's bed to see if he was home yet. He was, and he was sitting upright, staring straight ahead.
"Nii-san?" I had tried calling out to him, but he didn't respond or even flinch.
Sighing, I got up and went over to him. "What's wrong with you, Nii… -san?" I paused when I saw the look in his eyes. They were glazed over, held no life within them, and were the shade of rusted gold. Almost like he was under some sort of enchantment. No, it wasn't some weird curse. He was still asleep I realized when I tried touching his shoulder and he only moved slightly with the momentum my finger created.
"Winry…"
This was my chance. I had to know what Ed was seeing, even if I had to get it out of him while he was still asleep. This had to stop, it wasn't healthy for him to be in a state like this, and I had just as much right as he to know what might be happening to Winry.
"What about her, Nii-san?"
To my shock, his eyes slid a bit towards mine, but didn't make contact. "Something's wrong… something's happened… a shadow… she's… different…"
I screwed up my face. 'Shadow? Different?' I looked back down at him, but his eyes were now closed and his breathing had evened out. So I pushed him back gently onto the bed. He still had his clothes on, he must have just gotten back and climbed into bed. Sighing again, I removed his shoes and pulled the blanket over him before returning to my own bed for the night.
Shaking myself out of my thoughts, I glanced up at the back of Nii-san's head. From my angle, I could see that his eyes were half lidded, and his steps were off balance. Part of it was because his automail leg was still busted, he did use some of Trisha's medical supplies to create a makeshift brace, which helped immensely. But I think the real reason is his lack of sleep as of late.
This is getting serious.
When I left Winry back in Central to join up with Nii-san and Mustang, there didn't appear to be anything wrong with her. She was upset about Wrath, but nothing else seemed to be bothering her.
The look on Winry's face when I told her about the fate Wrath had suffered. I will never forget that look. She didn't cry nor did she seem devastated, which is what I thought she would be. They were so close…
With Winry there was always everything, yet there was nothing. She was straight to the point, had no mask for anyone to crack, and she wore her emotions on her sleeve. But this time, her expression was the most unreadable I had ever seen. Her face was a mixture of regret, loss, and foreseeing? It was like she knew it was going to happen. But how could that be?
Then again, how could she really shed tears for someone who was already dead? Truth be told, I still don't understand why she cared for and trusted him so much.
It's a mystery to me.
I remember when I awoke in Winry's care back at her house. I looked slightly past her to see Wrath's small frame shadowed behind her, on instinct I jumped up and pushed him away from her. When he was beside her his face was normal, almost… serene. But when I pulled Winry behind me, the same maniacal expression overtook his face as he yelled at me to get away from her and prepared to strike.
But when Winry pleaded with him to stop... he did, and his expression changed back to normal. Strange, he never listened to anyone, other than Sloth. After that, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the room, leaving me with a dumbfounded look.
When I would come home everyday, they would be doing some sort of activity together: baking, origami, drawing, or even just talking. Well, Winry would do most of the talking, but Wrath would cling to every word with undivided attention. They seemed to share history. I tried asking her why she would take an artificial human in and treat him like family.She had told me that it was a personal matter that she couldn't tell anyone, not even me.
After watching them a couple of times, I thought I finally figured out at least one reason. It was simple, she saw him as a boy who did not have a childhood. So she gave him one. Even if it wasn't for very long, it was enough to tame him so he would even be nice to me.
I haven't told Nii-san about that. How can I? He wanted to keep her away from any threats, and I know he wouldn't understand that Wrath wouldn't even harm a hair on Winry's head. Even five years ago when Wrath first revealed to us what he was, and started attacking everyone in a frenzy. He never once laid a hand on Winry.
She was the only human he never tried to harm…
…End of Al's POV (normal POV)…
Ed picked up his pace as he caught sight of Trisha's house. It was late now, and she would be awaiting their return with a warm, delicious meal. Al ran ahead, overjoyed to be back at their temporary home. It was the most comfortable one he had been in so far.
He waited for Ed at the front door, and after a brief search for the key in his pocket, he unlocked the door and stepped inside followed by Al…
Ed blinked.
Al blinked twice.
Ed leaned heavily on the door handle, slightly light headed. While Al did his best to shake the wracking sobs that threatened to surface out of his body.
'Not again…' Was the line that repeated itself in both of their minds along with the morbid memories as they stared down at Trisha's body, lying motionless on the floor.
Disclaimer: NOT MINE!
Salina: What else… ah yes. I have no idea what Greed's name used to be, so I made one up for his alter. Truth be told, I have no idea what any of the homunculi's names used to be, other than of course Trisha Elric, and Envy's old name, obviously.
Belle Sapphire: There you have it people! I don't own it, not even Lin owns it, but I think she would do a pretty damn good job of it.
Salina: Back at you, girl!
Tashi: She may not own it, but I still want all the guys and their boxers... or tights for some of them.
Salina & Belle Sapphire: … pervert.