Chapter Nine "Walking Beside Him"
It was strange following him now. He couldn't figure out what was making her act so peculiar when she had at least listened to him before. What had changed? Maybe it was the way he came back to her and even now would not let go of her hand. It was cold now and he did not keep a gentle grip on her that even with Automail Edward would consider. But there was no point in comparing the two anymore, it was too late to turn back now.
The way she acted towards him now was going to be important, she couldn't let go of his comment earlier but she was trying hard to be strong now. Her head was held up as she walked and she did not complain once, letting any sense of anger or fear escape from her so as not to alarm him.
"Sorry if I worried you before, it's not like I wanted to break down the door." He tried to joke but it wasn't working for Winry right now.
He wasn't oblivious to her, he had forgotten a lot of the important things and gained new urges but she did not turn him away flat like Rose did and that was something useful to him. He wasn't really sure why he needed her in the first place, she wasn't an Alchemist, though she at least had human arms that were capable of touch without turning into something new.
The rules of Alchemy were flowing through him right now, every step they took till the sun went down he was trying to figure a way around this, a loop-hole to get him what he wanted. In a way he really did want Al back but the attachment he had to him left him the moment he swallowed that stone, as well as anything that he clung to keeping him half-way human.
Winry was no exception to the rule but for some reason he just wanted somebody to be around, she was pale-faced and struggling not to cast him out as well, it might have been that he looked and moved so much like Ed that there was an odd effect on her.
"Maybe there's something I can do to get through to him, if he's like Ed than he'll have his traits." Winry was focusing her energy on him, not the alchemy.
"Hey, it's funny; you're a lot shorter than you were before." Winry said with a knowing smile, forgetting for a moment who she was talking to.
Pride stopped for a moment and furrowed his brow, there was no real reaction however other than a few words.
"Weird, I feel like I should be angry with you for something. Wonder why that is." He said flatly and uninterested in his own sentence.
If not for how horrifying this all was she might have laughed at the fact that Ed's short complex transcended even death.
"Do you have a plan at all?" She was too uncomfortable addressing him with Ed's name and the other name he chose was a lot more eerie so she just ignored it all together.
"I was thinking about picking up where good old Dad left off," Pride said as he rubbed the back of his head. "I've managed to hold on to some information about Alchemy from the other me; will probably come in handy by the time we get there."
"You plan to walk all the way here? Because honestly you might not be tired but I'm beginning to be." Winry said, avoiding looking at him in the eyes.
He stopped as if inconvenienced and sighed. It was getting dark it was no surprise that she was exhausted by now with his steady pace. His clothes were still damaged from his fight with Gluttony too so he was not very appealing either.
"Alright then, guess it's back the way I came." He pointed off to the train that was still stopped for the night far off.
They were up on a large hill looking down on the quiet unaware world in front of them, the town they were leaving behind. The clouds were covering the moon in the sky and it let down little lights to greet the land below. The train was still letting out little puffs of smoke like they were checking the engine for their next trip in the morning.
Winry frowned, not liking the idea very much. Pride finally let go of her hand for a moment though, giving her relief from his iron-like grip. He was being friendly with her today which was a contrast from what he was when he was aggressive for her to come with him; it was either subconscious or he was making her less threatened on purpose. It wouldn't surprise her if he was trying to manipulate her; the mind he was created from was extremely perceptive before, enough to be a prodigy in Alchemists worldwide.
It was uncertain if she was going to change him and it was looking like a pipe dream, however, he was not yet to the point that Envy was he could at least resemble a human a little. Winry breathed out and in again, staying calm and deciding to make an effort to keep him from hitting that next point.
So this time, she took his hand instead and held it with no restrain or regret. Pride flinched, certainly not expecting her to show him any kindness. That took him off guard, though she gave him only a frown it was the first bit of contact he had gotten without forcing himself on her.
He turned his head from her, almost seeming, shy, and proceeded to quicken his pace toward the train.
End chapter
