Here's the next chapter guys! Well here's a warning there's no more romantic stuff wandering around here anymore so don't worry… If there is anything it would just be for humor or for my own amusement. And I actually want this chapter to be serious… but I guess I went a little off track at first… and at the ending…
There are some special material at the ending so please read I really need to know what you guys want before continuing this and check out the link on my profile too! It's under the [EXTRA] part!
There is slight EdWin in this one too but nothing dramatic happens and you guys can think of it as friendships too so don't worry! I won't dawdle for long so let's get on with it! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!
Chapter 14: Understanding
'We shall first start with the introduction to the word 'Reincarnation'. According to many of the books and articles spreaded in a wide range of people the word 'Reincarnation' simple means to be born again. Though the appearance and personality may be different the 'Soul' is the same as the one in one's prior life. This 'Soul' is something that would never settle; it would continue to be reincarnated and reincarnated again until it reaches one point where it has found peace…'
Winry snapped the book shut. The book with the title "Simple Matters of Life" was slammed onto the wooden floor. 'I don't understand a single thing' Winry thought as she rubbed her blonde head with a pissed look on her face. 'It doesn't follow the rules of life and it goes nowhere near the word science' she continued to think as she gazed at the star-filled-sky.
To say it was a peaceful night would be entirely wrong. Although the night was silent and no chaos was about to erupt from its dark depths the young woman named Winry Rockbell's mind was full of questions and uncertainties.
'It's already 23:00' she thought as she gazed into the moonless night. 'Everybody is already asleep but where the hell is Jin?' she continued to think a tint of red flustered near her ears. 'I'm ashamed of myself… Why am I always digging my own grave… sooner or later I'm going to die or embarrassment' Winry hugged her knees trying to avoid that she was blushing because of a middle school boy.
"That's it I'm going to go look for him" Winry decided out loud standing up. She immediately flustered as tears ran down her face 'I couldn't do it!' she thought as she slumped onto the porch.
This probably went on for an hour or so before our lovely blonde finally made up her mind. "I would just pretend nothing happened!" Winry decided before walking off clutching her sweater close to her body. She froze as a new stream of tears ran down her face again "I'm just deceiving myself…" she wined as she stood amongst the cold wind of the moonless night.
After MUCH consideration Winry finally had the guts to just walk and go back to the Elric's house. It wasn't like anything was going to happen right?
Winry walked to the hill and glanced at the tree where she found Jin sitting there earlier in the evening. He was still there his figure leaned against the tree and his eyes closed in the exact same position as he was earlier. Winry closed her eyes and chanted in her head 'I'm going to tell him the answer. I'm not a 30 years old woman who likes a 15 years old boy. I'm not going to get arrested'.
"Jin…" Winry shouted, although her voice faltered and what came out was no more than a normal whisper. However Jin heard her and turned her way, his eyes still the golden orbs they were when Winry saw them as earlier.
"I know who you remind me of now…" Winry said in a quiet voice, "But promise me one thing. Promise me you wouldn't run away." Like I did… Winry thought.
"I don't need the answer anymore," Jin said in a monotone voice. He jumped off the branch his black hair following him down as he reached the ground.
"You don't?" Winry asked in an astonished voice.
"Yeah… because I know now…" Jin said scratching the back of his head. "But please know that I am not who you think who I am." Jin continued his expression becoming serious, "Please forget everything… it wouldn't do you any good in the future… Winry…"
"Yeah… I'll forget everything," Winry said with a smile on her face. "You do know it isn't possible right? Unless I'm a robot or something…" Winry said her smile widening even more.
"You Mechanic Freak," Jin said in a low voice a small smile appearing on his face.
Winry stared at the youngster in astonishment, she has never seen the boy smile so fondly before- and she knew that it wasn't a fake one.
"Alchemy Geek…" she muttered as a single tear ran down her cheek.
Don't hang on to your past. Sometimes people will tell you this and you will wonder how it was even possible. The past is where all our memories reside, where all the smiles and tears stay and could never be erased. Winry never understood that either she knew if she hung on she would fall but she knew if she let go she will regret it later on… sometimes keeping those memories really is better. Somebody once told me that the past reveals things that one could never learn from the present or the future. In my understanding it was more like the past is only ours to keep and we could not relive that moment ever again so we shall treasure it… and those memories are going to be the ones that keep us from falling…
The two of them walked back to the house in silence. None of them talked and both of them weren't even thinking of doing so. Keeping to themselves like this it was probably for the best, for their minds were almost completely consumed by chaos and confusion.
It was already midnight when they reached the house. Jin, as the gentleman he is, opened the door for Winry and did a soft gesture for her to enter first. Nothing happened after that, nothing at all. For it was because both of them have both came to the same conclusion: things weren't the same as before.
Even if Jin is the reincarnation of Edward Elric he is not Edward himself. And even if Winry is still Winry she could not learn to love someone only because he was her past love.
So like I stated before we shall remember the past but we shall learn from them. And with much time and consideration somehow one will be able to transform those painful and happy memories into a life lesson one could only learn themselves.
XXX
Morning came by for the Rockbell household soon after that. Winry groaned on her bed her head aching like hell. 'I don't feel like getting up,' she thought as she buried her face into her pillow closing off the light that was shining from her window. And then the storm came.
Winry bounded from her bed her face flushed remembering the events yesterday. Her mind was thrown into chaos yet again. 'Jin is Edward. Edward is Jin. They are the same person,' Winry thought clutching her head, and then she paused. 'No they are not…' Winry clarified again in her head.
"God this is too confusing," Winry said as she stood up and threw her pillow back at its place. She opened the window to find the sun right above her head.
"Winry are you up yet?" Rose shouted from the other side of the door.
Winry walked over to the door to find Rose smiling at her sweetly. "It's already 10:00 A.M. I brought you a light breakfast we're having lunch in 2 hours," Rose explained handing the tray onto her open hands.
"Uh… Thanks Rose," Winry said sincerely. She didn't how long it was since somebody made food for her. After she moved out of the house to continue her business in Rush Valley she have been making her own food ever since. On the plate was a loaf of bread, a slice of apple pie, and a cup of warm coffee.
"Don't thank me," Rose said waving her hand in denial, "Thank Jin, he woke up very early to prepare breakfast for everybody I was quite surprised myself," after saying that Rose left Winry to be.
Winry couldn't help but let a small smile slip onto her face. So that boy knows how to cook… she never knew that Edward- or even his Reincarnation, would be able to cook anything other than burnt eggs.
"They really aren't the same person after all," Winry said out loud a sense of relief and a sense of sadness wafting over her in less than 3 seconds. 'Maybe Edward is really gone forever…'.
Winry took a bath and got dressed and headed down stairs right in time to see Jin cooking something in the kitchen yet again.
"What are you making?" Winry asked approaching him slowly, 'Yesterday didn't happen' she kept repeating in her mind in case she got awkward or anything that was even close to it.
"Oh just Lunch," Jin said in a carefree attitude not even turning to face her. When he did turn to face her he immediately stopped cooking and hid his face in his long hair, unfortunately it was in the low pony tail and he was unable to so all he was allowed to do was turn away.
'His ears are red…' Winry thought examining the bright red ear, 'How cute…' she continued as both of them stood there in silence. As soon as Winry realized what she was thinking she too turned a shade of red.
Some seconds ticked by before Winry made her mind-
"I'm Sorry!" both of them said at the same time doing a low bow. They raised their heads to stare at each other a slightly confused look on their face.
"Yesterday…" Jin said in a quiet voice his emotion almost unreadable due to his hidden eyes behind the thick glasses. If it wasn't for the blush it would seem he was mad for some people.
"No! It was my fault…" Winry said in a rush, "Already a 30 years old woman… doing something like that…" she kept muttering herself.
"I was the one who started it," Jin countered back, "I shouldn't have touched your face in the first place… it was just I remembered my time as Edward Elric and…"
"I was the one who leaned in!" Winry shouted back stuttering slightly.
They kept bickering back and forth before a voice interrupted their fight.
"Are you two love birds done yet?" Pinako asked from the door way.
Both of them turned to face the elder woman who was crossing her arms with Jack pushing her cart a sweat drop running down the side of his face. The both of them turned to face each other with a 'I'm not done yet' look before letting go.
"You two never change don't you?" Jack chuckled as he carried Pinako over to sit on one of the chairs on the dining table.
"Wait, Jack you knew?" Winry asked with an astonished look.
"I didn't at first but when Jin came home last night with you glumly walking up the stairs he sputtered put everything, it was quite amusing to be honest," Jack said giving Jin a glance from the corner of his eyes. Jin blushed slightly at the mention of his misbehavior last night.
"Never thought an emotionless kid like him could make such exaggerated facial features though," Jack noted with a distance look. "That doesn't seem like you at all Edward!" Jack said with an amused tone of voice.
"I'm not Edward…" Jin mumbled slightly, "Besides that was how I acted in front of my family before…" Jin paused and his face darkened slightly.
"Before what?" Jack asked curiously staring at the smaller boy.
Pinako noticed the situation and placed a hand over Jack's larger one shaking her head slightly. This was how the atmosphere often turned every time Ed's and Al's family was mentioned.
"Jin… the eggs are burning…" Winry said cautiously as she saw the rising black smoke from the pan that was left abandoned after she entered the room.
Jin's eyes widened after his 1 inch thick glasses as he skittered over to save their lunch from burning to a crisp
Finally the whole household finally settled and got going to eating lunch after the slightly lacking breakfast. The whole house was filled with laughter and the seats were almost filled except for one spot…
"Have you told Al about this yet Jin?" Winry asked while nimbly on her slightly burnt eggs.
"Not yet. I intend to later," Jin said with a formal tone.
"Why not now?" Pinako asked tapping her fork on the plate, "Your brother will be rejoiced!" she added before going back to eating her eggs.
"I'm not… I'm not his brother…" Jin whispered carefully, "He's Edward's brother…" he continued.
The whole table stared at the boy in astonishment, until Winry let loose of a small chuckled.
"Right, you are Jin aren't you?" Winry said in a caring tone. "Edward is but your past reincarnation…" Winry thought sadly… 'Edward is dead…'
"You should tell him no matter what you know?" Pinako said not wanting to give up. "He already called once in regards of Winry and your travels, I'm sure calling once again wouldn't hurt that much."
"Yes it would!" Jin raised his voice, "I don't WANT him to know that I'm Edward's reincarnation! I know he already have some ideas but letting him KNOW it would only damage his peaceful way of living currently!"
"Don't you don't like knowing something too?" Pinako asked calmly more than used to the boy's small explosions, this IS Edward's reincarnation after all.
"I don't… but if Al knows this… he isn't my brother anymore but I know that the Edward inside of me would want to keep his brother as far as possible. I didn't come here just to follow Ling around I have a goal here. And if Al knows about this…" Jin started to fall off into his own thoughts are carefully he was only speaking his mind ignoring those around him.
"Heard that Al?" Winry asked holding the phone to her ear.
The whole table turned to her with a 'You're unbelievable!' look on their faces. All except Jin who felt his face pale to the extent it was almost as white as the table cloth on the table.
They all stared at her and saw Winry flinched slightly before taking the phone off her ear a little bit as an enraged voice rang through the room… or should I rather say voices.
"BROTHER I'M GOING THERE RIGHT NOW! DON'T YOU DARE ESCAPE!"
"FULLMETAL HOW COULD YOU KEEP THIS FOR US?! WHEN WE GET THERE I'LL BURN YOU TO A CRISP!"
"BOSS! YOU'RE TOO CRUEL?!"
"Was that the speaker Winry?" Rose asked the girl as she stared at the phone in astonishment.
"Yeah, just wanted to get the mood going," Winry said in a sheepish look.
"Guys… I think Jin…" Jack started turning everyone's attention to the prey of the shouting from the phone.
Jin was in a condition where he is scared for his life and he felt like digging a whole and staying there forever. "I'm not going to die aren't I?" Jin asked in a steady voice but pronouncing every word with care.
"You are," Winry said blankly with a pitying look on her face.
Now we all know that no matter in what life the person who is Edward's Elric's reincarnation will ALWAYS attract trouble no matter where he goes.
Done! You don't know how hard these past few chapters have been… the first part of this chapter was quite hard but when things started to become more relax my fingers were finally willing to cooperate. I think… this is a new turn of the page… well it's more like a new chapter since Winry and the rest already know that Jin is Edward. Next up is those at the military… yay Jin's gonna die! No, don't worry I'm not going to kill Edward's reincarnation too.
Also I really need you guys opinion on this one: Do you guys want to make this 'peaceful' era a little longer or do you guys want me to get on with the main plot? I could do neither really…
Also this is a small hint, another Reincaration is coming up ;) right I'm just confusing myself like this… But it's still undetermined if you guys want the 'Peaceful' age to continue he IS going to appear but if you guys want me to get on with it he might not.
Oh and I have a picture of Jin posted on Deviant Art under the name SumikoPure so go check it out the link's on my profile. It's also a chance to steal a glance at my horrible drawings… Please check it out! I want to know what you guys thought Jin looks like for me he always looked like that. Don't forget the LINK IS ON MY PROFILE.
Next Chapter: ? (You guys gotta choose first)
So… yeah… don't forget to Favorite, Follow, and REVIEW! + 'Peaceful' or 'Action' choose please!