An: This one's also in the perspective of Winry.
Disclaimer: I don't own Fma. Also, I used some information found at and credited to 30th 1924
Barcelona, Spain
Day five out of fourteen.
Crying persists. I'm convinced I may be losing my mind. There is no one crying in the vicinity. There never is, yet I hear it. I hear it at night, I hear it the loudest when I happen to be in the same room as Ed. I told Noa about it she seemed concerned, but alas, had no answers. I would occasionally think about asking Ed, though never work up the nerve to ask.
August 1st 1924
Barcelona, Spain
Day six out of fourteen
A while back Ed said that this world has excelled technology. However, I've seen the prosthetic limbs on some of the people on board the ship and in the city. In my opinion less impressive than Auto-mail, (their not shiny)
August 2nd 1924
Barcelona, Spain
Day seven, out of fourteen.
Bored and frustrated with the silent treatment from Edward, (and the near constant crying.) I went to the nearby Library. It was only when I got there did I realize that there was no way I could read any of them. Still I wandered through the many halls of the grandiose building. Maybe if I checked out some of them someone could read them… They, the books, were both plentiful and beautiful. I was looking for some of the older books and saw one which was more tattered than all the others I had looked at that day. I carefully removed it from the shelf; dust fell from its cover, thick as ash. Flipping through the pages I recognized one of the symbols in the pictures. It was very similar to the one on the Red coat Ed and Al both wore at one point. On the middle left side.
"Flamel… Nicolas Flamel…" They said Alchemy didn't work here, so what is this?
(The upper is the Nether and the Nether is the upper… (snerff) )
"WOAH!!"
Heads popped up from other books, some of them very un-happy that I disturbed them.
"Sorry, ehheh, good book heheh… sorry"
I took the book and speed walked to the bathroom.
(I don't know wat 'our so upseit about. 'at's what eet said. 'ou were staring at eet long enough. (sniff)Ça saute aux yeux….
"who are you?!"
(My name is Adelaide. Faux. Who are you?)
The question came out curt and demanding.
"Adelaide… you're my double?"
(wat do 'ou mean? I suppose I am. Who are you and wat ees 'our connection with Edward?)
"I'm his friend…"
('ou must not want to be just dat or 'ou would not 'ave stolen eem from me!)
With that Adelaide began to cry again.
"Will you cut that out! You're the one who was crying?"
(I'M DISTRAUGHT!! (snuff) )
I clutched the left side of my head out of reflex, at the sound of her screaming.
"Ok, ok, I'm sorry."
(wat do 'ou want with dat ol' book anyway. 'our not a witch are you?)
This time it was my turn to be curt.
"I'm a mechanic."
(Zen why are 'ou here?! Madame Mechanic?! )
"Sorry…. it was….. by mistake…"
My voice steadily grew faint. And thankfully Miss Faux didn't say anything in retort.
('ou want help translating dat? The book?)
"would you mind?"
(get Edward here and I might just help 'ou out.)
Somehow I managed to get the Librarian to reserve the book for me. Maybe this way I can make up for the trouble I brought them.
Later that night, I convinced Ed, Al, and Noa to come with me t the Library with me.
" This is the one. This is the book I saw the crucified serpent in."
"…It's an alchemy book." Edward Mumbled.
"Winry, there's still a problem. None of us can read Spanish" Alphonse stated
"……We now travel to Egypt, from where alchemy as it is known in the West seems to have sprung."
Edward and Alphonse Stared back in disbelief. Noa simply grinned as she flipped through the old pages.
" The great Egyptian adept king, named by the Greeks "Hermes Trismegistus" is thought to have been the founder of the art. Reputed to have lived about 1900 B.C., he was highly celebrated for his wisdom and skill in the operation of nature, but of the works attributed to him only a few fragments escaped the destroying hand of the Emperor Diocletian in the third century A.D. The main surviving documents attributed to him are the Emerald Tablet, the Asclepian Dialogues, and the Divine Pymander."
"How did you do that, Winry?" Alphonse asked in amazement.
I only smiled
"1900 B.C to 300-something A.D huh?" Ed asked, sounding interested.
"Before Christ and after divination"
"What?"
"B.C. stands for Before Christ and A.D. stands for after divination."
"Oh. Egypt? Really?"
"yep. There's also a small excerpt in here from The Emerald Tablet:
It is true without a doubt and certain. The nether is the upper and the upper is the nether; the accomplished wonders of the one. And even all things (that) arose from the world of the one so likewise shall all things by virtue of aggregation be born of the one."
"That sounds like…."
"….All is one and one is all…."
"Teacher kept saying that."
"Alright then, were going to Egypt!" There was excitement in his voice; he sounded like a kid again. I could not help but smile.
(Don't forget Mechanic, don't forget our deal)
"don't worry I know" I muttered through clenched Teeth
"Say something Winry?"
"No. Nothing at all."
Ça saute aux yeux – It's obvious