FULL METAL WO SAGASHITE

I haven't written this for a long time… -.-' I'll try and finish, no matter what, on both my stories, but it will undoubtedly be very slow. So, sorry.

madwriterontheloose

Chapter 4: The Train Ride, and the Reunion

The boarding of the train for Dublith was a silent one, filled with tension. No one felt the need to speak; even Jonathan managed to remain quiet. After Izumi's declaration, there wasn't anything left to say. Only when they safely reached their seats and the train's familiar rumble signaled the start of their journey, did Al dare to venture a sigh.

Things are getting complicated. He glanced at his brother, who sat in the seat next to him, staring out the window. Niisan looks like he's trying to shoulder the burden all by himself again. Al sighed another time. He's always done that. Taking the blame for what happened to Mom, trying to do everything he can to help get our original bodies back and protect everyone. To be honest, I hate that part of him. The part that makes him think he's responsible for everything. And I hate that I feel like it's my fault. That he thinks I need to be protected, that I'm the one who needs to be saved. He spends so much time thinking about others that he forgets himself. That's why I need to take care of him.

Standing next to Al was Izumi, who was feeling very tense and irritable, despite his indifferent expression. He stood with his arms crossed, and was tapping his fingers, unable to keep still. Why a train…

Ed, in the seat next to Al, was also feeling tense and irritable, although he was in no way as good as hiding it as Izumi. The window he was staring so intently at showed beautiful scenery; plains, fields, rivers, and lakes, that came into view and left it just as quickly, but Ed wasn't paying attention to any of that. He was already thinking ahead, of the possibility that his teacher really wouldn't be able to see Izumi or Jonathon, and what to do then. He needed to have more than one plan, Al was depending on him. He couldn't afford to screw up.

The last member of their group just floated quietly around, silent for one of the very few times in his life, or afterlife. If one of the others were to look at him, they'd just see his customary smile, a cheshire grin that filled his face and turned his eyes into half moons. But what he was really thinking, that was something no one, not even Izumi, could tell.

And it was as thus that their train trip ended. The conductor had called to say they had arrived at the town of Dublith, and they all filed silently out.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

Dublith had not really changed from when Ed had last been there, during the Greed fiasco. The small town seemed as bright as ever, with children playing happily. There were clotheslines, too, with an assortment of clothes hanging from them, and mothers who clucked their tongues at the kids when their play got too rough. As he walked down the road to Teacher's place, Ed also noticed the small grave of the little girl's cat, on a hill. He caught sight of a single flower lying at its base, before he turned his head away, and it wasn't long before they arrived at their destination.

They stood at the doorstep for awhile, Izumi and Jonathon waiting for them to open the door, and Ed and Al hoping they weren't the ones who would have to do it.

"What's taking you so long?" Izumi asked impatiently. "Hurry up and open it."

"Yeah, Niisan," Al chimed in, "open it already."

"Me!?" Ed whispered furiously, trying not to catch the attention of the house's more terrifying occupant. She did have sharp ears, after all. "Why me?!"

"Oh?" Izumi raised an eyebrow delicately, an expression of amusement settling in onto his face. "Is the great Edo-chan, the renown Fullmetal Alchemist, who dares to challenge death and fate itself, afraid to knock on a little door? Well," Izumi added after a moment's thought, "maybe not so little, as it is, in fact, bigger than you are."

Even if Ed had resolved not to yell, there was no way he could take a short joke lying down. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING-"

"SHUT UP!" roared an all too familiar voice as the door flew open, slamming into Ed and sending the unfortunate boy flying. "QUIT YELLING IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE!" The owner of the voice glared at them. "I should've known it was you. There are no other kids as rude in Dublith."

"I wasn't yelling," Al protested weakly, cowering as much as a giant suit of armor could, "it was Niisan."

"Excuses," Teacher retorted. "Honestly, I could have picked better. Now, then, aren't you going to introduce me to your friends, or am I going to have to guess who they are?" Ed, who had been rubbing his head, and was sitting in the dirt at the landing site of his unexpected flight, looked up suddenly.

"Do you mean these two?" He asked hopefully, gesturing towards Izumi and Jonathon.

"Who else would I be talking about?" Teacher responded, a bit puzzled by his question.

"You can see them?" Al asked.

"Of course I can see them," snapped Izumi, "I'm not blind. They're right there, a blond kid and some weird, floating thing. What is that, anyways? A chimera?" But none of her pupils were listening. They just looked at each other, both too happy for words. There was still hope. Teacher could see them, and she would help.

Chapter 4: End

As short as ever. I really, really need to get better at this; I just don't have the time. Thanks to old readers who are still continuing this, and to the new ones, welcome aboard. I have no idea when I'll be updating next, but hopefully it'll be soon.