The newspapers were getting printed with enormous speed. The noise in there was almost unbearable as the heavy machines were really "down to work" printing and printing the large amount of newspapers that were about to be distributed to entire Munich… People that worked there, were taking the heavy piles of newspapers just to make space for the rest that were yet to come… One after the other the white papers were getting full with letters and photographs… Letters big and black, being easier to read and they could catch the eye at once… And almost every single one of them had the same headlines… The little boys with the torn pants were taking the packs distributing them everywhere in the city as usually…
"Here the last news!" they were yelling while selling them, "Hear the latest news! The Fuhrer is taking part to the next elections! Here is the latest news!"
Countless men in Munich bought newspapers and all of them or at least most of them were opening them to the main article and the main article was the same in all newspapers…
"FUHRER IS BACK"
"The elections will show the world the truth"
"Fuhrer will bring the new era to Germany!"
"FUHRER'S GREAT COMEBACK"
The city filled with the voices of many men and even women and children that were talking to each other. Some of them were troubled…some of them confused while some others were barely containing their enthusiasm… Fuhrer was coming back to take part to the elections that were coming close. Even if he was in prison now he was back and as it seemed he was ready to put a fight again against all those who were holding Germany down… And there were also rumors spreading. Rumors about war and rumors about peace. Rumors about a better future and rumors about total destruction. Words and voices were spreading throughout the city with great speed and power like the furious flow of an overflowed torrent. Was this the beginning? Was it the end? And the streets were still echoing by the voices of the newsboys that were still yelling to be heard over the loud noise:
"Get the latest news! New annex! Get the latest news!"
Clack!
The newspaper was thrown on the table where Edward Elric was having his breakfast. The twenty-year-old man took it from the place it fell, right in front of him, and checked it a little. It was a Sunday morning so he didn't need to go to work today, however indeed the noise that was caused by that strange news had disturbed his calm morning he wanted to spend with his brother… Alphonse Elric, the one who had thrown the newspaper in front of his brother looked troubled.
"Nii-san…this sounds serious… I was afraid that the elections wouldn't be good news but I never imagined this!"
Edward Elric sighed and took a sip from his coffee while putting the newspaper back on the table.
"Give me a break, Al… Politicians usually say things before they get elected. It happens all the time…"
Alphonse frowned. His brother was always clueless even for things that were happening around him
"Nii-san! Don't take this so lightly. This person is dangerous if he becomes the new President of this country! Don't you have the slightest idea what he intends to do?!"
"Hm?" Edward looked up with slightly sleepy eyes
He was leaning his head against his hand, with his elbow on the table
"I have no idea" he finally replied
Alphonse sighed and rolled his eyes towards the ceiling
"Nii-san! For the name of… You live here for more than five years and yet you know nothing that happens around you!"
"Leave me alone!" he replied teasingly/grumpily because he didn't have many things to say against this
Alphonse wasn't the type of a boy that would give up so easily
"He intends to make a Germany for Germans! I have a bad feeling about this"
"Al… Come on. Don't panic. Let's say that it is dangerous. It's too early to jump on conclusions."
Al looked slightly sad
"You're right…it is just… This whole situation kind of…reminds me of…people of Ishbal…"
Ed's fingers clenched around the coffee cup at the sound of that name. Ishbal… It's been a while since the last time he heard that name… He still couldn't forget about that terrible war. He might have not been part of it but he was imagining women, children and men being slaughtered by State Alchemists just because their government believed their god was dangerous… Just because they were afraid of their red eyes and brown skin… Edward had seen what war could do… He still blamed himself for everything that had happened in Lior…to Rose… Rose… The girl that had believed blindly to her god hoping to get her fiancée back from the dead...later on tried to stand on her own two feet and where did that lead her? Lior was attacked by soldiers of the State and was destroyed almost to foundations. Rose was captured and raped –God knew from how many men- and as a result she lost her voice and got pregnant. He caught himself many times thinking about her.
He was wondering how she was. How her baby was… Weather she had managed to make her life again… When he had talked with Alphonse, Al had told him that she was doing great, that the baby was growing up and that she was doing great job with other children in Lior.
Alphonse was always trying to make his brother laugh by telling him what Alex Luis Armstrong was doing to the city of Lior…and he usually made it but sometimes his brother small melancholy was visible even through his laughter…
Edward also remembered the countless graves around Lior. He had felt as if he had killed all those people himself…with his own hands… Alphonse sighed and regretted even saying that.
"Anyway no matter what, Nii-san…just promise me that you'll be careful"
Edward smiled a small smile at him
"I will be, Al…I will be…"
Alphonse poured some more coffee to his brother and smiled and tried to cheer his brother a little.
"You know…you could help me with cleaning up later!"
"Oh, spare me, Al! I have only one day without work!"
"Nii-san! You're so sloppy! Ah! And now I remember. Your auto-mail needed maintenance, right? You'll have to buy some more oil for it because we've run out of it"
Edward sighed.
"Fine, fine…I will…"
"Jeez! Nii-san! You should take better care of your auto-mail! It's your arm and leg after all"
Edward let out a small laugh at his brother's tone
"Now you sound like Winry, Al!"
That made Alphonse a bit thoughtful.
"Nii-san is…" he thought, "Nii-san is laughing…however…does this really make him laugh…? Or does it hurt him…?"
Edward though took a sip from his coffee and took the newspaper again to read some news that were talking about other companies throughout the world, that were doing projects on rocketry… Alphonse took a bite from his buttered bread and took a sip from his milk.
"Is there something good in the news?" he asked his big brother
"Well…it appears other companies have dreams of visiting the outer space or making strong rockets. I think we will have competition soon…"
"Especially now that many people are thinking of war…" Alphonse thought but said nothing to his brother
"By the way, Al, how are your studies going?"
"Fine. Not perfect, but fine. I have many things that I need to learn from this world yet. I am here just two years after all…"
"Well…" Edward stretched himself on the chair, "I am not THAT longer than you in this world so I can't help you much. I guess we could arrange a small trip to the Berlin's library. Maybe I'll find something that will help me as well!"
Alphonse's face lightened with a sweet smile and nodded.
"Yes. Sounds like a good plan. Thanks Nii-san"
"No problem…" Ed said sighing a little as he changed his sitting position on the chair again, "We can check out the train's timetables and we can arrange it for next week then!"
"Sounds good"
"Well then…" Edward Elric stood up and fixed his waistcoat a little, "I better go before the machine store closes…"
The only store he had found that had good oil for his auto-mail was not far away but it was at least an hour away if he went on foot and around half an hour if he went there with some vehicle. He stood up and started putting his gloves on and then he went to put his coat on.
"Alright. I am going to buy some oil and I'll be back" he said putting it on, "Is there anything else you need from outside, Al?"
"No. We have everything we need" Alphonse said as he approached his brother, whipping his hands with a kitchen towel, "When you come back please give me a hand with the cleaning up okay? It's the only chance we have that you don't go to work"
"Fine, fine…"
Edward opened the door
"I'll be back"
"Okay. Be careful!"
"I'll be…"
They said their goodbyes and Edward started going down the stairs that would lead to the block of flat's entrance…
When he opened the door he got out to see that the day had a soft, yet somehow slightly gray, sunlight and the air was a pleasant, cool breeze. Edward smiled a small smile and closed the door behind him. At the base of the block of flats was the well-known flower-store. Edward smiled a small smile and walked there. As he had imagined, the beautiful, gentle lady was there, placing some flowers in pots for her future clients to see.
"Good morning Gracia-san" Ed greeted her
She turned around and smiled
"Good morning Ed" she said with her usual smiley face, "Ah! So now I do not remind you your old mother anymore huh?"
Edward felt his cheeks flush and she giggled a little. She loved teasing him like that. Edward knew that she was exactly the same with Gracia, the wife of Maes Hughes in his world. Even now he couldn't help but feel a slight nostalgia for that woman he left behind on the other world… She was almost like a mother to him…
"Gracia-san! Stop that!" he said smiling awkwardly to hide his slight embarrassment
Gracia smiled softly at him
"Where are you heading to?" she asked, "To the factory again?"
"No. Today is Sunday. I don't have to go to work. I am going to do some shopping. By some machine oil"
He always told her the truth however he had never told her about his mechanical limbs. When he went to by machine oil he always told her the truth when she asked him, however he never told her the reason he needed it. And Gracia was discreet, to his relief, and never asked him details.
"I see" she answered smiling
"By the way how are things with Officer Hughes and you, Gracia-san?" Ed asked with a soft smile, "Has he proposed to you yet or not?"
Now it was Gracia's turn to blush slightly
"Oh, Ed…stop teasing me" she said softly, "You know me and Officer are engaged. He is busy with his job these days…"
Edward smiled warmly.
"I see" he said with a soft tone, "Anyway" he immediately returned to his smiley face, "I better go before Alphonse drags me in the house to do the cleaning up right now!"
He started walking away
"See ya, Gracia-san!" he called over his shoulder
She just remained there, waving her hand to him till he got lost from her eyesight at the end of the road…and then returned back to her work, humming some melody…
A couple of hours later found Edward Elric walking alone in the streets of Munich, walking back towards his house. In his palm he was holding the small container with machine-oil. He couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic. Winry used to give him such small things as "presents" in order for him to maintain his auto-mail during his trips throughout Amestris. He kept playing with it, throwing it upwards really lightly and re-catching it again.
"I guess no matter how long I stay in this world…I will always be a little homesick…" he thought, "At least now I am with Al… I guess that's enough…"
He looked upwards at the clear sky and smiled.
"At least we have a good weather today…" he thought
He was busy thinking about his nostalgia that he hadn't noticed a woman that was walking towards him, almost hidden behind the shopping paper-bags she was holding and of course she could barely see at her feet so she couldn't trip over something. Therefore she hadn't seen him either…and of course… She bumped into him. Edward fell backwards and landed on his butt on the pavement with a rain of vegetables and fruits soon following him and falling all around him…
"Hey!" he protested, "Watch out where you-…"
However his words got lost deep in his throat and his eyes widened in a completely shocked expression…
"I'm sorry!" the woman said in an awfully familiar voice and kneeled in front of him, "I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention where I was going! Are you okay?"
Edward didn't answer. He remained in the same position watching up at her with a shocked expression as though the mythical Medusa had turned him into stone… That pair of blue eyes…that blonde hair that reached till her waist… Her bangs that were hugging her forehead beautifully…the white skin… There was no doubt…she…
"W-Winry…" he barely croaked out
The girl (that indeed looked like Winry) took a puzzled expression.
"You know my name?" she questioned
It took him a couple of seconds to snap out of it but then he shook his head and said
"N-No…it is just…that…you reminded me of…an old friend of mine…"
She smiled and she seemed relieved.
"My name is Winry. Winry O'Malley. Nice to meet you" she said
He was still in a shock but then he said
"Edward…Edward Elric"
And he raised himself in a better sitting position to shake hands with her. She smiled softly at him.
He looked at her again, to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. But, no. It was she there was no doubt. She looked slightly more mature (just like he remembered Winry before he left for this world again) and she was wearing a common, brown dress that was pointing out the blonde of her hair. He shook his head again. So it was Winry O'Malley… Of course… There was no way she could be THAT Winry…
"I'm sorry…" she repeated
"Uh…no…I…I wasn't paying attention either…" he tried to speak.
He saw her hand in front of his face. He accepted it and stood up. They looked in each other's eyes for a couple of seconds and they then bent down almost at the same time, to pick the fallen vegetables and put them back into the paper bags. He gathered the bags as well and handed them to her
"Thank you" she said
And then she gasped
"Oh, my God! I'm sorry! I ruined your shirt!"
Edward looked down. Indeed there was a huge stain on his chest and small drops on his shoulder and at the tip of his ponytail…Stains of oil and some stains of tomato juice. Probably with the fall the oil fell on him and stained his shirt and by the bumping, some tomato must have got smashed on him as well.
"D-Don't bother…it's okay…really…" he said trying to wipe the stain with his gloved fist
"A-Are you kidding me? I fell on you and I ruined your clothes! If you don't clean them soon, then there will be a disaster for the fabric!"
"Don't worry. I can get a new one" he tried to reassure her with an awkward smile
It felt as if he was speaking with Winry again.
"No way! I must make it up for you! My house is near! You can come and I will wash your clothes and in the meantime you can…take a shower…"
He felt a slight blush coming to his cheeks
"I…I told you is nothing important… There is no need for you to bother…"
"No way! I must re-pay you for this!" she said and before he could argue she grabbed his arm and started pulling him
"Ugh! I got it! I got it!" Edward said taking his usual funny expression he always took when Winry was dragging him and she seemed that she wouldn't take 'no' for an answer
She looked like Winry…she acted like Winry…but…she wasn't Winry… At least not the Winry he knew…
But then…why was his heart aching so much at the thought…that for a moment he felt like being with her once again…?
After a couple of minutes they reached a small block of flats that was of course the same with countless others in Munich. They stopped under it.
"This is it" she said
"You live here?" Edward questioned, "I haven't seen you before"
"I moved here with my parents a week ago from Ireland."
"Ah…I see… So you live…with your parents…"
It was more of an ascertainment rather than a question.
"Yes, but they are not upstairs at the moment. They're both at work. My father is a doctor and my mother is doing midwife tasks…"
Edward's heart had yet another shock. Doctors… Why must all worlds be against him?
"I…see…" he only said and then stepped inside the building…
Edward opened the hot water and it fell on his naked body off the shower. His mind was a mess…his heart as well… This woman was exactly like Winry. She acted like her but still she was not she. He couldn't allow himself to betray her by…liking her other self from the other side of the Gate!
"Elric-san…" he heard her voice from outside the bathroom door, "Is water fine?"
"Yes…is fine…" he replied loudly to be heard over the running water, "And there is no need to call me that. We're almost the same age. Edward is fine…"
"Ah. Alright then…Edward-san…"
"I told you Edward is just fine!" he yelled a bit sharply
He was feeling his heart aching. He didn't know if he could bear hearing her calling him with his first name like Winry did, however it somehow didn't feel right to hear her voice (Winry's voice) addressing him so formally…
"Alright…Edward…" she whispered lowering her head
What has she done to make him mad?
"Dammit!" Edward cursed in his head.
He couldn't see her but by the sound of her voice he could hear that she was hurt.
"In that case…you can call me…Winry…" her voice came again
"Win…ry…" he whispered mostly to himself rather than to anyone else
He clenched his teeth.
"Sorry for that…" he said. He couldn't get himself saying the rest apology
"Don't worry…" He heard her voice again along with the sound of scrubbing. Probably she was cleaning his clothes, "I am Jewish. I am used to people talk to me like that lately. I understand"
Jewish… Edward remembered another person he had met two years ago. The Jewish that looked like King Bradley. Fritz Lang. Also...he knew that Jewish people were on top of the list of the most hatred people for patriots in Germany, especially that time
"You're not safe here" he said, "It would be better if you and your parents left the country"
"Why? We came here for better life" she said as she was picking up his clothes to iron them, "We were aware of the rumors but we came here for better life and better jobs. God will protect us…"
Edward couldn't help but smile a slightly sarcastic smile "God…huh…?"
"Yes. Don't you believe in God, Edward?"
"No. There is no God. What we do makes us what we are…not some God from heavens. We stand on our own feet. We can't expect any gods to save us on hard times…"
"I see…" and the conversation died there.
Edward stepped out of the shower and started whipping himself with a towel. For one moment he was ready to wrap the towel around his waist and then step out of the bathroom to go for his clothes but then he remembered. His metal limbs! THIS Winry didn't know about them!
"Winry" he called, "Are my clothes ready?"
"Huh? Mostly. Your coat is not. Why?"
"Please give them to me…my gloves too…"
"O-Ok…"
Soon he heard a small knock on the bathroom door. He barely opened the door a little to allow her hand to enter but he was hidden behind the door. He took the clothes with his flesh arm and then he closed the door and started getting dressed. He put on his pants, shocks, gloves, shirt and waistcoat and emerged out of the bathroom whipping his long, blonde hair with the towel. He saw her. She was ironing his coat. When she heard him, she raised her head and looked at him. For one more time Edward saw that pair of eyes that looked like HERS…but he knew they weren't.
He was a scientist! He had spent his years studying and he was always encouraging people to stop living with illusions! And here he was now. In front of a real illusion and his heart was beating painfully to think that he felt old feelings waking up by seeing her a person that looked like his old friend…and at the same time his heart was flattering happily…with this illusion… He sighed.
"Thanks…for doing this…" he said in a whisper and removed the towel to shake his head and his wet hair
She was still looking at him from top to bottom as if she WAS Winry Rockbell indeed and now she was trying hard to convince herself that she recognized him.
"No…" she finally said, "It was nothing…really…"
She raised his coat with her hands, "There. It's done…" she said
Edward took it but he remained there, once again, to look at her. After two or three seconds he said "Thank you" and he was ready to turn and leave but then he felt a strong pull to his hair
"Itttatatata!" he protested at Winry pulling his hair, "What are you doing, Winry?!" It came out of his mouth like the old days without even noticing it.
"There are some stains of oil at the tip of your hair that haven't been washed… I…I'll cut those tips for you…" her head was slightly lowered so her bangs were covering her face
"It's alright! I'll do it later!" he said with a comforting yet awkward smile again
"I want…to do it…" she replied again in the same whisper
Edward fell silent… That conversation…was almost the same he had with Winry at Amestris…when he wanted to die his hair black so he could run away safely. She wanted to braid his hair…and she had said and done almost the same thing. Still looking at her in a shock, he allowed her to lead him on the sofa and he sat down as she sat behind him holding a pair of scissors. She combed his hair with her fingers to get them straight. They had lengthened, Edward thought, when wet, they almost reached his waist. Winry stared at that waterfall of melted gold before she started cutting the stained tips with the scissors being careful not to ruin his hair. For a minute only the sound of scissors was breaking the silence. The silence was indeed unbearable so Winry spoke again.
"So…you live here…alone…?"
"No…I live with my little brother, Alphonse…"
"And your parents…?"
"Dead…" was the only thing he said
"Oh! I am sorry…" she whispered
"It's okay. It's been so long ago… Our Old Man actually died two years ago…"
"So you guys were…born here?" she asked to change conversation
"No. We…we came from London" he said the thing they officially claimed to people
Which was only half a lie. He had indeed come from London. When he came across the Gate for the first time he ended up in London. This was where they left with Hoenheim and came in Munich.
"London, huh…?" she whispered cutting another small tip, "I've never been there. I bet it is a beautiful city…"
"Y-Yeah…I-I guess…"
In reality Edward thought that he hadn't seen a more ugly city. He had seen it burning after being bombed…and it was where he had heard about Equivalent Exchange not being real…and it was where he (or the other Edward) experienced death for the first time.
"I bet your brother is really nice" she said drawing him out of this thoughts
He smiled a small smile
"He is…" he whispered, "You…you would like him…and he would sure like you!" He swallowed hard to stop his tears from uprising, "He is studying…to become a doctor…"
In the end he couldn't say "like your parents". It was too painful.
"I am sure about it…" she said and the scissors stopped working, "There. I am done…"
Edward stood up. He checked himself. The length hadn't changed at all and all the stains were lost.
"Thank you" he said
"I hope I did good job… You know…I like working on machines so it is the first time I…" she blushed slightly, "I cut hair…you know… Machines are like hobby to me…but…I never tried to cut…you know…"
However Edward couldn't hear any more from what she was saying. Machines… Winry was a "Machine Freak"… He had to leave that place immediately.
"I…I need to go" he said in a weak voice while catching his hair on a ponytail again, "Thank you…for taking care of my clothes and for…my hair…"
She smiled and nodded
"It was a pleasure" she said
She took him to the door and she smiled to him
"Well then…Edward…it was a pleasure to meet you…" she said and extended her hand at his
Edward didn't even sense shaking it back.
"Well…see you around..." she said
However he couldn't answer… He made a move with his head (not interpreted neither as 'yes' nor 'no') and he walked out of the door…
It was getting dark already, and Alphonse Elric was cleaning the last part of the house. However he was not angry with his brother. He was dead-worried about him. He, sure, was used to how his brother sometimes went out and didn't come back till late evening (when they were children) however now, in a city that was still unfamiliar to Alphonse…especially with things happening lately… Alphonse couldn't help but being worried. He raised his head to look at the clock countless times…
"Nii-san…" he thought, "It's been hours since he left… What happened…?"
Suddenly the sound of the door opening made him jerk up.
"Nii-san!" he ran at the door but when he reached it…he stopped seeing Ed's face
Edward was still standing at the door and he had that melancholic look all over his face. He barely raised his head to look at him and whisper:
"I'm home…" and then walked soullessly towards the stairs
"Nii-san! What happened? Nii-san!" Alphonse ran after him but he stopped right behind him at the middle of the stairway
"Al…I'll be in my room…I am not very well…I think I'll lie down…" he turned and smiled a soulless, sad, with no humor smile, "I'm sorry…I missed the cleaning…"
And at those words he walked upstairs, leaving Al behind. Right when Alphonse lost him from his eyesight, he heard the room door's sound when it opened and closed again…
The night was moving… Alphonse was cleaning the table where he had eaten, barely though, because his own appetite was ruined as well. He looked up where his brother's room was supposed to be. Edward hadn't come down for dinner… Alphonse was only wondering what could have happened to him. However he knew that when Edward was closed to his shell…there was no way to make him talk…
Ed was in his room and he was sitting at the window frame. The window was opened and it had view at the city at night as usually. There were no lights or at least really few lights at that part of the street, so the room was only illuminated by the light of the moon, which was hanging cold and soulless over Munich. Edward was looking out of it, with a small glass of cognac in his hand. He was drinking it slowly. The pale light of the moon was falling on the glass making the golden liquid in it look like amber and the ice cube inside it like diamond or moonstone. He was lost in his thoughts…
Winry…was there…so close to their house…but she was not her. Not her. How could he allow himself enjoy her company? It would be like betraying her… But how could he bear that torment seeing her face every day…making him feel that temptation to be happy around her… How could he live into another illision…? How could he…move forward…?
Hello guys! Here is the second chappie of my fafic "Walking Forward" and I think that now I have explained what I meant to the summery that a meeting would turn Edward's life upside down!
First of all I want to say that this chapter is a birthday gift for Dollyshewolf (in DA) because he really touched me with his comment to my previous chapter. I really thank him for that! And I hope he liked this chapter like the previous one!
So...Winry O'Malley is Winry's self in this world and she is Jewish like I mentioned to the description. Yes there are way more to come! I hope you will enjoy it! Till the next chappie...please review me!
At the end of the chapter when Edward returns home, of course I imagined this song playing! watch?v=B6zFjnft3_M (FullMetal Alchemist Conqueror of Shamballa OST (29): Souls Slides Away)