To say that Sister was angry with me about what happened would be true but not really saying enough, what was that word Sister used? Understatement, that's it. It would be an understatement. She was more like really really angry. The funny thing was when I realized that she was angry at me because I'd been in danger. If something had happened to me she would be very sad. I realized then for the first time that maybe she needed me just like I needed her. It was equivalent of course- I'm sort of surprised hadn't figured that out before.
During Sister's whole long lecture I only sort of listened. She was right, it was foolish of me to put myself in so much danger, but I had to know. I told her this when she finally stopped yelling at me. I could tell it wasn't what she wanted to hear, but she just sighed and said "At least it's over."
"Yes," I told her "It's over now." It really was too, after meeting Gluttony I didn't want to see what else was left from my past before I met Sister.
"I guess we should go see your friend Winry about fixing your automail." She didn't sound happy about this.
I wasn't happy about it either. I didn't really want to see Winry again. "I guess. I can't pay anyone else for it. She'll chew me out but she'll do it for free."
So the two of us set off once more for Rush Valley. Luckily Rush Valley isn't too far from Central. We couldn't remember exactly where the shop Winry had been in was. I remembered it was down an alley but there were a bunch of alleys in Rush Valley.
"Hey! Hey, that's you! You down there. You're Winry's friend." I followed the sound of the voice up to a nearby roof. The girl that had been in the shop last time I visited was crouched on it.
"You're, ah, Paniya right?" I called back glad I remembered her name.
"Yup." She jumped right off the roof landing in the street by us. "And you're…Wrath." I nodded. "Whose your friend?" She meant Sister. Sister hadn't disappeared this time. She was standing a little behind me, like she was still hiding but this time close to me. She was even holding my hand.
"She's Jessica," I couldn't decide if I should introduce her as Sister or not. Because she was my Sister but not really we just sort of pretended she was. And me calling her Sister or her being my Sister was, at least to me, like a thing just between the two the us, something which had nothing to do with Paniya. This is the way I would have thought it out if I had time to think it out. But I didn't really so I just called her Jessica and went with it like that.
"Hi Jessica," said Paniya peering around me.
Jessica seemed to realize she was acting silly because she came out from behind me and said, "Hi" back.
For a moment there was awkward silence. "You here to see Winry or just passing through?" Paniya finally asked.
"I need to see Winry" I admitted.
Paniya frowned. "I wish you'd called ahead. Winry isn't here. She went back to Resembool." She gave me a searching look. Then I think she found what she was looking for. Paniya smiled. "I know that look- that half sheepish look- you broke your automail didn't you?" I nodded and lifted up my pant leg to so she could see my stand-in. "I knew it. I've been in your situation enough. Like I said Winry went back to her home. If you want you can have Dominick take a look at it."
I thought about it for a moment. "No, Winry will want to fix it." I guess this meant I had to go face Resembool.
"Oh," I think Paniya looked a little disappointed. "It's getting kind of late, if you want I don't think Dominick would mind you spending the night. You can take a train in the mourning."
Ug, not that old man and his stares again. Plus I already sort of owed him from last time I stayed in his house. I didn't want to owe more, I have no way my settle my debt. "No," I told her, "We have to go." It was too late to leave town though. So instead of spending the night sleeping in soft beds Sister and I spent the night on the ground. But it was warm and dry outside and I think we both liked it better that way.
I really didn't want to go to Resembool. I'm not sure why- but I know I didn't want to. Every time I thought about it my insides felt all queasy and I wanted to turn around. Maybe I was scared that the woman might be there. She's why I left in the first place. I almost chickened out a lot. I almost decided I was fine with a stand in I could sort of walk with carefully.
Sister kept me from leaving though. First she made me promise her there was nothing dangerous in Resembool just people I didn't want to see. Then she told me I had to get my automail repaired. She made me keep putting one foot in front of the other. She complained that I was going too slow and forced me along.
At last we reached the town. We stood by the train station."This it? This is the big scary Resembool I had to practically push you toward."
I looked around and tried to see it through a stranger's eyes. All I could see was farmland with houses in the distance. It looked like- nothing. "Come on," I told her to change the subject. "The Rockbelle's are this way."
I was about to knock on the door when I noticed Sister was still behind me. "You're not going to hide."
"No, last time I let you out of my sight you came back with half a leg." I had a feeling I was stuck with her on my back for a long time. I shrugged and turned to knock. Before I got a chance the door opened.
"Wrath!" Winry exclaimed. "What are you doing here? You wrecked your automail again didn't you?" I sheepishly lifted up my pant leg exposing my missing leg parts. Winry's reaction involved a scream that hurt my ears. She grabbed my leg forgetting it was still attached to me. I lost my balance and toppled over. "What did you do?" she demanded.
"I broke it," was all I could think to say.
"You broke it?" she was going to go on I think but she noticed Sister for the first time. "Who's your friend?" She asked.
"Huh, oh that's- "
"I'm Jessica" Sister announced. "I'm his friend." She almost sounded like she was trying to claim me.
Winry smiled, "I'm Winry Rockbelle, his mechanic. Why don't you two come in? You can make yourself comfortable while I run diagnostics."
I looked at Sister who shrugged. "Okay," I answered for us. No sense in coming all this way and not getting my leg repaired. We followed Winry into the house.
Eh, didn't realize how much of this chapter was filler- not much happened except Wrath finally deciding to face Resembool. We're nearing the home stretch- just a few chapters left.