I sighed, looking around. I was still fazed by the fact that Ross was alive. Mustang had saved her! But now I wanted to find Ed to talk to him. I knew there was a trans-mutation circle mural-thing here that he'd seen. Call it a hunch, but I suspected he'd gone back to look at it. I didn't know too much about this area of Brotherhood, so I was just looking where I thought of. I smiled, suddenly thinking of the song Roses Are Red by Aqua for no reason at all. Maybe because it's a cheerful song, and I'd just discovered something very cheerful. And I'd changed my outfit to a Sailor Moon school-girl so I looked like an evil Serena.

"Roses are red, violets are blue, honey is sweet, but not as sweet as you… The only thing he said was dum di da di da, dum di dad di da, dum di da di da, and roses are red!" I murmured, turning the corner.

What I saw pulled me up short. Ed was holding someone down, and he was surrounded by people. I was now reminded of a zombie movie I'd seen, where the zombies surrounded the main character before moving in. I walked forward, no one noticing me. About ten feet away from the circle, I stopped.

"Edward." I said loudly.

I must admit, a lot of people jumped. Like, all of them! A few growled, others just looked curiously at me. "Annabeth! Get away from here!" Edward growled.

"No." I said firmly as I realized the people were Ishvalans. "I won't. I'm strong, and you can't order me around."

"Annabeth!"

"What is going on and why?" I asked.

"They want to ransom me for their land."

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, but that won't work. I know more about this country than all of you put together. The Fuhrer isn't all he seems. He'd leave you empty-handed or dead. And anyway… Edward's not exactly on everyone's good side back at Central. You could say he's been a bad puppy. Gomensai." I apologized.

"Just who are you?" someone demanded.

"I'm Annabeth Zatsune, a friend of Edward's. I also… know the future to some extent."

"Annabeth! You aren't supposed to tell people that!" shouted Ed.

"Ed, please let him go." I said sadly.

"Yes, please do. He meant you no harm."

I looked up and remembered my friend telling me a fraction of this episode. Two of the Ishvalans had told the rest to leave Ed alone. I walked up the stairs to come stand with Edward.

He was told the story, and though I already knew it, I listened too. I bowed my head while listening. Ed got all panicky when he found out that a lot of this group knew the Doctors Rockbell.

Before we left, one Ishvalan grabbed my sleeve. "Please… What happens to us?" he trembled.

I took his hand like a mother would a scared child. "I only have one thing to say, along with some advice: Most of you come out alive, and succeed in saving this country."

"And your advice?" a woman asked.

"Trust in the blind horse-man. He wants to rebuild your civilization. Just wait, and the blind horse-man will reconstruct your land and settlements." I smiled warmly.

As Ed and I were walking away, he whispered, "What do you mean? Horse-ma—You mean Mustang? Is Mustang gonna help them?"

"I'm not allowed to say. But last checked, he isn't blind, is he?"

"He turns blind, doesn't he? What, does he make a fire-ball so big it blinds him? Does he get his eyes scratched out by a Homunculus or something? C'mon!" he begged.

"You'll find out. Just wait. Patience always whethers the storm." I said, smiling.

When we returned to Resembool, I was lost. I didn't remember what was supposed to happen now.

I eventually accompanied Ed to see his mother's grave. We were both shocked to find Hohenheim standing there.

I fell through the conversation, some how. I was excluded from Ed's argument with his father until Ed turned to me.

"Uh, sorry, what?" I cried.

"So she knows your secret?" Hohenheim asked.

"Yes, sir. I'm not from this world. I grew up reading the story of Fullmetal Alchemist and the surrounding characters. My knowledge in this area is patchy, so I was just as shocked as Edward to find you here, Van Hohenheim."

Hohenheim stared unwaveringly at me. I returned his gaze, just as unwavering. Neither of us broke the spell, not until he spoke.

"So how much do you know?"

"Father. Xerxes. Number 26." I said softly. "The shape of this country. Why you left them. Homunculi. Dwarf in a Flask." I stopped there, thinking it was enough.

"Annabeth, what was all that?" Ed asked, obviously confused.

"Key phrases. She doesn't say what she really means so that she doesn't let it on to you. They're mostly of my history."

"Yes. Your story is sad. I cried when I learned it. It must be hard…" I said, bowing my head, feeling the shadows fall across my face. "I've always… wondered what it must be like… Your life… leaving…"

"Your friend has the ability to tell things about a person that could become their own undoing. Guard her well." Hohenheim told Edward as he walked away.

"Yeah, but she absolutely refuses to tell anything! She told me and Mustang that we'd have to kill her before we got any information out of her!"

"True. I'm known in my world for perseverance and persistence. If I don't want to tell, I won't. If I want to tell, I'll tell. That's how I am." I nodded, not turning around. I instead stared at the name on the grave. "Edward… You go on. I'll catch up." I said softly.

"What! Well… fine." He huffed off.

I sat placidly before the head-stone. "So many times, I've used your name in my stories. Please, forgive me if any offended you. You were strong, not telling anyone like that. You were strong, supporting both of your sons like that. You were strong to never tell anyone Hohenheim's secret. All my life, I've used you as a model, to set my life on yours. I'm dying too. But I have to be strong for my family."

At that moment, I felt an attack coming. I quickly turned and started hacking. "Thank you, Annabeth. For watching Ed and Al. Thank you, for being good to them." I heard softly, almost on the breeze itself.

Great, am I going nuts? Hearing voices? Or was that real? I thought before falling over and passing out.

When I woke up, my head hurt. It felt crammed, like it was about to blow! It really hurt. I moaned softly, knowing that today Ed and I were heading back to Central. I'd had enough of the infernal things known as trains! My rump hurt every time I got off of them! Cursed iron horses!

"Annabeth? You 'wake?"

"Yes, Edward. Did you find out? About it not being your mother?"

"Uh… Yes."

I stared at the ceiling and chuckled.

"What?"

"I just want to lie here and stare at the ceiling. Such a peaceful ceiling." I smiled. "From another story called Megatokyo. Someone kinda got their head stomped on, so they fell off a ladder. It's in the fourth book. And what he says about the worker, who is an ex-idol, is that he doesn't know why he worries about her. She's strong and hurts a lot of people. The same here."

"What do you… I don't…"

"I don't see why I worry about you." I smiled, staring at the ceiling with determination.

"Take it easy, you look like you're trying to bore a hole in the ceiling!" he laughed.

"I am. I'm hoping that if I do, I won't have to take a damn train back to Central." I said, drawling the word train out.

"Sorry, but ya gotta go!"

"Nah. I think I'll stay here. Just kidding."

"Okay, well, c'mon!" he laughed, heading for the door.

"Edward! In front of the grave last night… Before I passed out… I heard your mother's voice."

He froze. "What did she say?" he asked, voice strained.

"She thanked me. She said thank you for watching you, for being good to you." I said.

"Hmph. Sounds like her." I saw him smile.

"Yes… Well, now we need to catch that train!" I drawled, slinking past him before bursting out giggling and running away. He started laughing and chased me.

When we got to Central, I glomped Al for no reason at all. When he asked why, I started to sing Caramelldansen. It was a very peppy song, and Ed and I were very excited for no reason. I think Al and Winry were ready to drag us to a funny farm, especially when Ed joined my twirling around. I was singing Caramelldansen Nightcored, so it was fast, and he couldn't keep up, but he twirled around laughing with me.

Eventually, we wore ourselves out. Ed plonked himself on the couch, but I was too exhausted to care where I landed—until I whacked my head really hard on the floor.

"Hey, Annabeth? Remember your line about the ceiling?" Ed asked, panting slightly.

"Yeah?" I breathed, my chest heaving.

"You're right. The ceiling really is peaceful."

"Toldya so!"

"You two are both crazy, you know that?" Winry told us.

"I was dropped on my head when I was born. And I'm bipolar. And I speak Japanese!" I giggled.

"It's obvious you were dropped on your head!" Al chuckled.

"Silence! I kill you!" I yelled playfully.

Ed and I burst out laughing. I started to sing the Nightcored version of Numa Numa.

"When you leave, my colors fade to gray. Numa-numa-yei, numa-numa-numa-yei! Numa-numa-yei, numa-numa-numa-yei! Ma-Ya-Hi, Ma-Ya-Hu, Ma-Ya-Ho, Ma-Ya-Ha Ha! Hello, Salute, it's me, your babe, and I made, something that's real, to show you how I feel! Hello, hello, it's me, Alina! I will paint my words of love, with your name on every wall! when you leave, my colors fade to gray. Numa-numa-yei, numa-numa-numa-yei! Every word of love I used to say, now I paint it every day! When you leave, my colors fade to gray. Here my love will stay but all my colors fade away! Every word of love I used to say, now I paint it every day! Ma-Ya-Hi, Ma-Ya-Hu, Ma-Ya-Ho, Ma-Ya-Ha Ha! Ma-Ya-Hi, Ma-Ya-Hu, Ma-Ya-Ho, Ma-Ya-Ha Ha! I sold, my strings, my songs, and dreams and I buy, some paints, to match the colors of my love! Hello, hello, it's me, Alina! I will paint my words of love, with your name on every wall! When you leave, my colors fade to gray. Numa-numa-yei, numa-numa-numa-yei! Every word of love I used to say, now I paint it every day! When you leave, my colors fade to gray. Here my love will stay but my colors fade away! Every word of love I used to say, now I paint it every day! Ma-Ya-Hi, Ma-Ya-Hu, Ma-Ya-Ho, Ma-Ya-Ha Ha! Ma-Ya-Hi, Ma-Ya-Hu, Ma-Ya-Ho, Ma-Ya-Ha Ha! Ma-Ya-Hi, Ma-Ya-Hu, Ma-Ya-Ho, Ma-Ya-Ha Ha! Ma-Ya-Hi, Ma-Ya-Hu, Ma-Ya-Ho, Ma-Ya-Ha Ha!" I sang.

"I'm lost! But that was a good song!" Ed chuckled.

"Yeah!" I giggled, staring at the ceiling.

"Okay, what happened to you two while you were away? How hard, how many times, and how did you two bump your heads?" Winry asked, but she was starting to giggle. The laugher was contagious, and soon Al was laughing too. I jumped up and started the Nightcore Caramelldansen song and twirling up again. Everyone joined in, so we were basically a group of laughing, singing fools.

"Am I interrupting something?"

We stopped twirling to look at the window. Ling was sitting on the sill, and he looked thoroughly amused. "Nope, not really, just a giggle-fest!" I giggled, still dizzy. You could tell I was dizzy from the way I swayed, almost tripping over nothing while standing still. "Why're you here, Prince?"

"Just thought I'd drop in."

"Goof. Coming in through windows. That's just silly!"

I stopped swaying, looking at myself and frowning. "'Scuse me for a while!"

I ran out of the room. I wanted to trans-mute my Sailor-uniform into something new now. I also wanted to try something…

When I came back, everyone stared.

"Well that's… eye-catching." commented Ling.