Chapter 7

A steady slender hand moved a long ruler upward on a drafting board while another hand wiped across it to remove resin from an eraser. No other sound hung in the air within the cluttered drafting room aside from the scratch of a pencil in the woman's hands and the steady patter of rain against the window and roof. The room was dimly lit, the only light casted from a small desk lamp, yet it still illuminated the woman's face warmly. Her facial features were rigidly set, whether from concentration or preoccupation, as she stopped a moment and lifted the paper up from the board and examined it thoroughly, her bright blue eyes roving over the image on the paper. She eventually set it down again, picking up her pencil and resuming her task from before. The woman quickly fell into her work and barely acknowledged the light knock on the door and the head that peeked inside.

"Brigadier General Mustang! I'm sorry…" She stood up and offered an awkward salute, which Mustang quickly waved away, a tiny smile on his face.

"You mustn't work so hard, Ms. Rockbell, a pretty girl like you should be out enjoying the town." Winry pressed a smile onto her face and dropped her eyes back onto her work.

"I don't mind working, Brigadier. Besides, I don't have much of a social life anyway."

"Hm. I suppose, but I like to keep an eye on my subordinates from time to time; just to make sure that the higher ups are keeping the teams' morale in good spirits." He gave a soft laugh and stepped completely into the room and looked around at the strewn about blueprint rolls and boxes that housed various parts and tools. He smiled to himself, thinking of the description Riza had given to him about her civilian shop. I suppose all great inventors are a bit cluttered, he noted, walking closer to her table to view the blueprint more closely.

"New design?"

"Yea, though it's taking me awhile to develop a way of making automail lightweight without cutting any added functions and features."

"Well, I'm more than confident that our specialist and chief mechanic of the Elric Prosthetics Department can handle any problems that may arise. Winry's hand stopped moving across the paper and she inhaled deeply before she spoke again.

"Brigadier…General Mustang? Don't you ever wonder…if it's possible to ever see Ed and Al again?" The sound of the rain was evident between the two, as both remained silent. Winry continued to look down at the drafting board while Mustang's eyes traveled towards the single window on the opposite wall. The street lamps gave the raindrops on the window a hazy orange glow, but instead he watched Winry's downcast figure, her reflection clear against the backdrop. He turned slightly away, facing a few posters on the wall nearest him.

"The Elrics…they were strong and they were smart. Even to the end, Edward served his country by going back to the other side and ensuring that this world was safe from foreign harm. He truly stood by the alchemist's credo: Be thy for the People. Even though from time to time Full Metal and I may not have seen eye to eye, there still was mutual respect. Do I miss seeing those brothers? Of course, but I accept what has happened and what they felt they needed to do. They had begun their journey trying to correct the sins they had brought upon themselves and they never gave up until they had atoned for them in a sense. They shared a bound that was bigger than this world. Many of us miss them, but I'm happier knowing those boys are finally together." Mustang stole a small glance at the sitting girl and tried to read her expression. Her face appeared stolid as she continued to look down at the board before her.

"Why was it so easy for them to leave me behind?" Mustang's eyes shifted to the window once more and watched a few drops glide down the pane.

"I think you know those brothers as much as I do to know that decision wasn't easy. Someone who is able to hold Full Metal's heart the way you do…leaving you behind was not as offhanded as you might suppose." Mustang could see Winry's head shoot up and look over at him in his peripheral. He continued without acknowledging the action. "However, pride can be a man's stronghold. I'm sure you were in the front of his mind when he decided to cross that gate again; I am more than sure he just wanted to protect you." Roy turned away and headed towards the doors. He stopped short of crossing the threshold and clasped his hands together behind his back, her image behind him. "Whatever you may be thinking, Ms. Rockbell, I would advise you to let it go." He spoke softly, a hint of sympathy in his voice. "I know that you miss him, but remember, there are things within alchemy that you do not understand and are better left alone." He left her there to her thoughts, exiting the room and leaving her with the hum of the rain.

She didn't bother turning on any lights in her apartment as she stood in the kitchen, several candles providing dim lighting about the apartment. Her hand held the earpiece of a black telephone, which she gripped tightly in her hands. A small open notebook lay next to the phone's base and a name that was printed on a page in small neat lettering. She lowered her eyes towards the rotary, a shaky hand rising to proceed with contacting the name on the paper, but it hovered there, unmoving and unwilling to place the call. Instead, her hand pressed down onto the receiver and she closed her eyes tightly…

"Hey Winry, take a look at this. It says that Hohenheim had a

close confidant. Apparently, her name was Danté. Hey, do you think they were

lovers?"

"So she was involved in that society I read in his notes. That one that was

created the Philosopher's Stone and uncovered immortality as well…?"

"All of this is sounding a bit spooky, Winry. People taking over other

people's bodies? Why would people do that?"

"Is this the science that Ed and Al pursued so much? And this…'truth'…

is that what open's this gate?"

"I don't understand…it says something about a gate being in all of us…

Ewww, Winry!"

"So I…may be able to open the gate…through me? I wonder…since this Danté was apart of this society…I wonder if she is still alive…"

Winry felt the phone slipping between her hands from the sweet that had accumulated from her tight grip. Her fingers lifted away from the receiver and immediately the constant hum of the dial tone sang in her ear. Inhaling deeply, she pressed zero.

"Dublith, please." She started to shift nervously, eventually leaning on the edge of the counter for support. "Ah, yes, Sig Curtis, please." She listened as the call was placed through and tried in vain to steady her breathing once more. A deep male voice resounded in her ear, causing her to jump a little in surprise and her voice to sound strained as she tried to introduce herself.

"H-hello, Mr. Curtis. My name's Winry Rockbell…I'm a friend of Edward and Alphonse Elric…they were once students of Izumi, your wife." There was a long pause before Winry heard any words and she had begun to wonder if there was anyone still on the line. "M-Mr. Curtis?"

"Yes, you are their little blonde friend; that talented mechanic. You helped Izumi greatly when little Alphonse was returned to his body."

"Yes. You do remember me. How have you been?"

"The shop is doing great. It seems so much emptier since Izumi passed." Winry reflected a moment on the strong teacher. She was so much like a mother to the boys, even in her cold and harsh discipline towards them.

"I know it must get hard those days when you really miss her." The man remained silent and Winry drew in another shaky breath and continued. "Mr. Curtis…do you…do you remember ever hearing your wife talk about any famous…alchemist?" Another long pause went by as she waited for Sig to respond. After a moment, he spoke.

"Izumi rarely spoke about most of the alchemist she knew; most were apart of the military she despised. The only other person she respected was her teacher."

"Her teacher?"

"Yes, a woman named Danté. Izumi spoke of her as an enigma, but she attributed so much of her knowledge and growth she gained from that woman." Winry seemed to freeze in place. It's her. That woman from Hohenheim's notes was Izumi's teacher! She gripped the phone tighter and leaned away from the kitchen counter, facing out into the darkened living area of her apartment. "Do you know where I can find her?"

"That's impossible. After Izumi left those years ago to confront her teacher of some matters, she disappeared. Though Izumi had cut her ties from her shortly after she had returned home, the woman was unheard of since. She did say that the woman was very old. It is very possible that she died long ago." Winry felt the disappointment seep into her face as she leaned back onto the kitchen counter once more, this time sliding down onto the floor, bringing her knees up to her chest. She was clasping the receiver tightly, her knuckles gradually turning white from gripping the earpiece, trying hard not to drop it onto the floor.

"Dead? Oh….I see…." Her voice seemed distant as she spoke aloud. "Thank you for telling me all this, Mr. Curtis. Maybe I will come out and pay my respects to Izumi one day."

"That would be nice. You should stay awhile and enjoy some nice prime cut meat." Winry resisted the urge to laugh at the butcher as she said her goodbyes and replaced the earpiece back onto the receiver. A trip to Dublith…a change of scenery would be nice…