4 have past years since Kat came into Ed, Al and Winry's lives. During that time Ed and Al's mother had died of an unknown sickness. Ed and Al attempted Human Transmutation; an act forbidden in the world of Alchemy. When they attempted this Ed gave up his arm for his mother and his leg for his brother. Alphonse lost his whole body and his soul was put into a suit of armor. After the tragic incident, Ed and Al went on a journey to regain their bodies back. Ed never got his arm and leg back but Al eventually got his body back. Ed, Kat, and Winry are now 15 and Al is 14.
The day Ed and Al came back from their second journey; Kat and Winry were sitting under the old oak tree they sat under as kids. "Hey, Winry...when do you think they'll be home?"
"I don't know Kat. They haven't called in a while...they could be dead for all we know."
"Don't even say that, Winry! They're not dead! They can't be..." Winry shrugged and looked back down to the automail design she was working on. Kat stood up and looked at the road impatiently. A slight breeze ruffled the leaves and something that looked like piece of red cloth came with it. Kat's eyes grew wide. She picked it up only to find it was a leaf stained with the color of autumn.
A few minutes later Al came down the road dragging Ed with him. "Ed!" Kat exclaimed her voice cracking tear almost flowing out of her eyes. She didn't know why she felt the way she did. She and Winry ran over to them. Kat kept screaming Ed's name, tears now freely flowing down her face. Yet she didn't know why. When the two got over to the boys, Kat wrapped her arms around Ed even though he was unconscious. "Al, how did you manage to carry him all the way here?" Winry asked knowing that Ed was going to be ok. Al looked away from Kat and Ed to Winry. "He passed out just down the road, so it wasn't that hard." Winry knelt down beside Kat who wasn't crying anymore but had her face buried in Ed's shoulder. "Kat, he's going to be ok. We need to get him back to the house," Winry said holding back the tears. Seeing Kat break down like she did pained her. It was the first time Winry and Al had actually seen Kat cry. Kat stood up and took Ed's automail arm and slug it over her shoulder, "Anyone going to help?" she asked looking down her hair covering her eyes. Winry nodded and took Ed's other arm. "Al, you've done enough today. Why don't you rest under the tree for a while," Winry said with a smile. Al nodded and started over to the house they all knew so well.
When they got to the house they put Ed on the couch and Kat never left his side. Winry treated all his wounds and repaired his automail. Soon enough Ed woke up to see Kat sitting on the arm of the couch with her knees curled to her chest and her face buried in them. "K-Kat?" Ed stammered just opening his eyes. Kat flicked her ears which were now uncovered and looked up, "Ed? Are… are you ok now?" She asked. Her face was covered in tears and she still didn't know why. She felt she had a special connection with Ed, but she didn't know what to call it. Sadness? Grief? Confusion? Happiness? These are the only emotions she knows. Ed sat up; he didn't have a shirt on and was in his boxer shorts. This made Kat blush a little. "Yeah. What happened? I was walking home with Al, and then...I woke up here." Kat told him what happened, leaving out the part where she cried for him.
When she finished she was sitting next to him on the couch. "...The end!" Kat yelled trying to be funny. Ed snickered and his stomach growled. He smiled nervously at Kat and rubbed the back of his head, "Eh heheh..." Kat giggled and got up, "I'll make you something to eat! Come downstairs when you're ready," she said excitedly. Then she left to go downstairs. Ed stared after her and smiled.
When she got downstairs Al was sitting at the table. It had been the first time Al had seen her since they'd gotten back. "Hi Kat! Is Brother up yet?" he asked. Kat looked up from the fridge,
"Yeah, he is. Why?"
"Just wondering."
"Ok, do you want something to eat? I'm making breakfast for Ed." Al hesitated then nodded at her with a wide smile. Kat ended up making omelets, bacon, and toast for the three of them. She handed a plate to Al and put one down for herself. Minutes later, Ed came downstairs only wearing pants. "I'm up!" He yelled to get attention. Kat smiled at him with a slightly annoyed look on her face. He stretched then went to the fridge to get something to drink, her tail waving happily in the air above her. Kat continued to eat still smiling. Ed came and sat down with a glass of orange juice in hand. "Where are Winry and Granny?" Ed asked with a mouthful of toast and jelly. Kat looked at Al, "So...where are they?" she said. Al looked up from his plate and said, "Oh, they went to Rush Valley for the day. They should be back by dinner time." Kat looked over to Ed about to make a smart remark when she burst into laughter. Ed looked like a chipmunk storing food for the winter. His cheeks were absolutely stuffed with food. Ed looked a little confused. He shrugged and continued to eat.
Kat got up and walked over the sink to wash her dish. Ed and Al handed their dishes to her. Kat glared at them, "Do you expect me to do everything for you?" She shoved the dishes into Al's arms, "Do your own dishes," she said as she walked out the door. Ed and Al blinked after her. Kat walked over to the tree and sat down. She looked to the sky and watched the clouds go by. Why had she gotten so upset just then? She wasn't mad. She'd gladly do anything for them. They were her friends. Was it for attention? Not even she could really figure it out. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ed come out of the house and stretch now with a shirt on. Kat sighed and fell back onto her back knowing he would come over there. When Ed got over there he lay beside her and also watched the clouds. "You seem upset," he said. Kat looked over to him and said, "I'm not upset! What would give you that idea?" Ed shrugged, "I dunno...you just seemed upset to me." A few moments later he winced. "Is something wrong?" Kat asked a little worried. Ed was holding his side, "I-It's nothing. I'm fine. It's just a wound." Kat looked down and blushed a little. "Well, do you want me to look at it?" She said. "Sure," He said. He willingly took off his shirt and scooted closer to her. She looked around the area he was holding and saw he still had his hand on a small part. "Ed..." he sighed and took off his hand. There was a small wound that hand never been covered. "Winry...she always forgets something," Kat said with a laugh. She put her hand on the wound, "Does that hurt?" She asked. Ed winced, "Yes! It does!" Kat took her hand off. "Sorry," she apologized for no reason. Al came over to them, "Is everything ok?" Kat nodded, "Just go get some bandages for your brother. He has a wound that was never covered." Al turned around without saying a word and started back to the house.
When Al had disappeared into the house Ed tugged on the back of Kat's shirt. She yelped and fell back onto her butt, "Hey! You can talk you know!" Kat yelled. "I know...I just...Listen I need to ask you something."
"Yeah. Anything, Ed."
"Y-You're not interested in anyone in town right now, right?"
"No. Why?"
"No reason!" Kat looked confused and nodded. At that moment Al came back with bandages and handed them to Kat. "Here you go Kat," Al said sitting down beside the two. She took the bandages and held one side down on the wound and wrapped the rest around him. "There! Good as new," she said standing up. She started back to the house and Ed wondered if he had done something to upset her.
Once back in the house, Ed sat on the couch and winced a little. "Need anything?" Kat asked. "I'm fine," he responded sounding in pain. Kat looked over to the clock, "I'm going to go into town for a little bit. Can you two take care of yourselves until Winry gets home?" Ed looked at her with a, 'Do you think we're 2?' look. Kat laughed, "I'll be back later." Then she walked out the door.
Meanwhile, in Rush Valley, Winry was staring into a store full of additions of automail. "EEEEEE! GRAMMA LOOK! THEY MADE A NEW ADDITION OF THE RICON 5000!" Pinako was sitting on a nearby bench smoking her pipe with at least 20 bags next to her, "Now Winry don't go spending money you don't have on that fancy-shmancy stuff." Winry turned, her eyes glowing. "Please Gramma PLEASE! I'll get it then we can go home! I promise!" Pinako sighed. "Go ahead..." Winry gasped with joy and burst into the store and soon came out with a large case. She was smiling like an idiot, "I'm happy...we can go!" Pinako got up and followed Winry to the train station.
On the train ride home, Pinako was sitting across from Winry. "So, why exactly did you buy that thing?" She said gesturing to the automail. "You're perfectly capable of making something like that yourself." Winry locked her gaze on Pinako, "Are you kidding me? I couldn't make something like this if I stayed up day and night for 3 months!" Pinako shrugged. "And I bought it...for a reason..." Pinako sighed and looked out the window, "Don't go killing the boy just because he has taken a liking to your friend." Winry looked at her for a minute knowing she was right and soon looked out the window to at the passing trees.
A few hours later Winry and Pinako came home. Al poked his head out from the kitchen. "Welcome home!" He said with a smile, "Brother's upstairs cleaning Kat's room because he made her upset earlier today!" Al said the last 7 words as loud as he could and Winry snickered. Ed came storming down the stairs, "YOU MADE HER UPSET TO, AL, SO I WOULDN'T BE TALKING IF I WERE YOU!" Ed looked over to Winry and Pinako and spotted the case. "Oh no..." He started backing away. "W-Winry don't do anything rash! I don't know what I did wrong but j-just don't kill me," He stammered. A devilish smile spread across Winry's face as she held up a wrench and a couple of screwdrivers. "Ohhh Edward!~" Ed's eyes went wide and he had fear plastered to his face. Winry started chasing Ed around the house, "Hold still!"
"No!"
"Yes!" A loud crashing noise and a yell came from the kitchen. Al looked in to see Winry pinning down Ed, "I JUST WANT TO SEE WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE!" Ed was struggling "NO! YOU JUST WANNA HURT ME!" At that moment Kat came bursting through the door, "What the hell is going on in here!" There was another crashing noise and Ed came running out of the kitchen and hid behind Kat. "Hide me!" he said, "She's trying to kill me!" Winry came out of the kitchen and saw Kat, "I'll be upstiars...Goodnight everyone." She said quietly then disappeared upstairs. Everything Kat did nowadays bothered her. Anything directed at Ed just... bothered her to no end. Ed came out from behind Kat. She seemed excited then she reached into her back pocket and pulled out a State Alchemist pocket watch. "Say hello to the first EVER female State Alchemist!" Ed and Al stared in awe. "No way!" They said in unison. Ed look up and asked, "What's your state name?"
"I don't have it yet, but I'm going back to Central soon to go get it."
"Awesome!" Ed stretched and and yawned. "Well...I'm going to bed. Night everyone," he said as he walked up the stairs with his hands behind his head. Kat sighed and stumbled into the kitchen. She sat down in the nearest chair and took the bandanna off her head. Al sat across from her with a cup of coffee. "Want it?" he asked politely. Kat shook her head. "That State Alchemy exam is brutal. Judging on the fact that I did it all in one day made it even worse," she said with a very exhausted tone to her voice.
"Really," Al said, "Brother didn't seem that tired when he took it." Kat looked up at him, "Did he take it in one day? I think not." Suddenly there was yelling and crashing noises coming from upstairs. Kat and Al looked at each other rushed upstairs.
She and Al saw Winry pinning down Ed in the hallway. "Hold still!" she screamed. Ed wasn't struggling to much but he eventually pushed Winry off and ran over to Kat. He hugged her from behind. "Hey! What are y-" Ed interrupted Kat in mid-sentence, "Winry, I know you're mad about something! I have no clue what it is but just PLEASE don't kill me!" Winry sighed, "I'm mad because you…you like Kat… And don't deny it because I can tell,Ed," Kat began to blush, "I don't want you dating her Ed...I-It's weird." Kat knew that was a lie. She knew Winry had feelings for Ed. She wasn't sure of the name for this feeling, but she knew it was there. Kat's face was completely red. Ed was still holding her from behind, which made her instantly uncomfortable; she wiggled from his grip and ran into her bedroom. Ed looked down, "Thanks Winry..." he said quietly before going into his own bedroom. Al looked at Winry and shook his head slightly before walking back downstairs.
The next morning Kat woke up first of all. She clapped her hands together and placed them on the floor. Bright green sparks and light flew from the floor. She pulled up her hands and a wooden pole followed. She smiled, knowing she shouldn't abuse alchemy like that, it's not like she would do it again. She slung the pole across her shoulder and headed downstairs. Kat set the pole on the floor and plopped down on the couch. A few minutes later Ed came stumbling down the stairs, "Morning..." He mumbled. Ed sat on the other end of the couch. "So, when are we leaving Risembool?" Kat asked.
"Leave," Ed said. It was almost said as a question, but not quite, "Um...Lunch? We need to tell Winy and Al." Kat nodded, stood up and cuffed her hands around her mouth. "Al! Winry! C'mere for a minute!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. Al came bolting down the stairs, "Is something wrong!" Winry stumbled after him, "Relax Al...I doubt anything's wrong." Al leaned against the wall in relief and Winry sat on the floor rubbing her eyes. Ed was the first to speak up, "Uh, Winry. Me, Al, and Kat are leaving." Winry's eyes got wide, "D-don't leave...please...Kat do you have to go with them?" Kat looked down. "I'm sorry, I have to," she whispered. Ed stood up and stretched quickly, "Get ready you two," he said, "we're leaving at noon." Kat and Al nodded and headed upstairs.
Noon came around before they knew it. Winry was standing on the porch as the four said their goodbyes. "Bye Winry! I'll make sure Brother and Kat don't get into too much trouble!" Ed and Kat turned to Al, "What's that supposed to mean!" They both yelled. Al snickered. Winry waved back and vanished behind the houses door. Kat looked over her shoulder to the place she once called home. All she heard was the sound of the wind until Ed's voice echoed to her, "Kat! Are you coming or what?" She turned an laughed a little. She eventually caught up with them. She looked to the sky as she walked with Ed and Al. I can't ever go back, she thought, I have to stay away from here...I have to stay away from him...