Kasumi smiled as Ranma straightened himself to be presentable. Who could make Ranma worry about his appearance? He rapped on the door lightly. A head poked out the window, "Oh hey Ranma, been six months already? Ed is picking up some parts."

Ranma smiled, "Yea, six months again. How have you two been?"

Winry looked at Kasumi, "And who do we have here? A girlfriend perhaps?"

Ranma was about to stammer out a denial but Kasumi caught him off guard, "He is promised to my sister. I'm Kasumi,"

"Winry, nice to meet you. Ranma, you never told us you had a fiancée."

Ranma looked down, "I never wanted the engagement, it was an arranged thing between the families. I have to marry a Tendo daughter. It's a matter of honor. Akane got shoved on me when they met me,"

Winry frowned, "Let me guess, your idiot father again?"

Ranma and Kasumi nodded. He was about to speak when he was interrupted from behind, "Genma again? I guess he didn't learn to not do idiot things after that pit thing,"

Ranma turned and smiled, "Hey Ed, how ya been?"

Ed was a short man with ling blind hair in a braid and had blue eyes. He was in black pants and a black tank top. His right arm was like Ranma's, automail from the shoulder down. He wore a pocket watch on a silver chain tucked in his pants pocked. "Aw, you know me. Training and studying when I'm not helping repair automail. Please tell me that this is your girlfriend."

Ranma started banging his head on the doorframe. Must everything be about his love life? Even here? he began to mumble about this multiple engagements and uncute tomboys. He stopped then pounded the frame harder. "I realize the world isn't fair, but why can't it be unfair in my favor?"

Ranma felt a hand on his shoulder, "Its ok Ranma. Calm down before you hurt your self," Ed said.

Winry opened the door, "Yea besides, Ed would have to fix it and he would do it the old fashioned way. Why he doesn't alche."

Winry was silenced by Ed's other hand, "We both agreed the A word is bad. It caused nothing but pain and trouble, REMEMBER?"

Ranma sighed, "Looks like we all have our sins and demons,"

Ed flinched at the mention of sins. It had been about ten years since that horrid last fight and then he and Winry ended up in a strange new world. His mind suppressed those images. Then a stray thought occurred to him. "I'll be back; I need to go visit someone,"

Ranma shook his head and popped his arm off, "Well, as much as I would love to say I came for a courtesy visit. I need maintenance. Can we come in?"

Winry laughed a bit, "Of course, but what was that bit about multiple fiancées?"

Ranma kept a level face, "I'll talk if I hear about this terrible A word,"

The mechanic looked at Ranma and let out a heavy sigh, "Alchemy, the ability to transmute material into another form. Ed was a State Alchemist. He had a nickname, the Full metal alchemist. He did things with it in which most people could only dream of. His brother Al was bound to a suit of armor. A price they paid when they went too far. That was how Ed lost his arm and leg. Ed doesn't want to ever talk about alchemy, ever."

Ranma looked lost in thought, Alchemy? This is the first time I heard of this. Why didn't Ed tell me? "Winry, what did they try?"

The front door opened, "We played god. We tried to bring back the dead. It cost my brother his body, and my leg. I attached my brother to an empty suit of armor in the corner of the room. That one cost me the arm."

Ranma turned to Ed. He stood there, looking like hell. "I fought for years, thieves, charlatans, corrupt state officials, and even near invincible opponents. In the end, It almost cost me my soul. Creatures spawned by alchemists doing what I tried. A physical representation of sins and I fought them all Ranma."

Ranma stood up, his right sleeve hanged limp and empty. "I've been fighting to live for nearly twelve years. I've fought Demons, A phoenix god, a half dragon, a human juggernaut, ninjas, and everything else in between. I'm trapped in over twenty seven different engagements. Everyone I know with a few exceptions wants something from me. I lost my limbs and almost my sanity to wild animals in a flawed martial arts exercise. I haven't had a day of peace since I was four. I'm cursed to switch genders with the application of water. My own mother is willing to kill me."

Winry blinked, "I can't tell who has the worse life,"

Kasumi frwned, "Ranma does. Ed has some chance at living a quiet life."

Ed was shocked, "Why didn't you tell us? We could have helped!"

Ranma looked down, "I didn't want you guys to worry. You're more of a family than my real family. I don't want my problems to follow me to you guys. I mean, you and Winry mean a lot to me ya know?"

Winry tightened the last screw on the arm, "Well Ranma, while we appreciate the sentiment, you should have told us if we meant so much to you. Now sit down and let me see the leg."