(AC: Home ~en route to Resembool~ - FMA:B OST 1)
Resembool

Winry Rockbell stood at the station platform with Den as an express train from Central, bearing the markings of the Amestris military slowed down as it approached the platform. The train slowed long enough to deposit the only two non-military passengers who stepped off onto the platform, the train not even stopping as they stepped off and then started to pick up speed.

"Thank you!" Al called as he and Ed waved to the engineer who gave a friendly wave back, blowing a couple of toots on the train's whistle as it pulled away.

"Hey! Welcome home!" Winry called as she ran up to the brothers.

"Good to be back." Al and Ed both said in unison as Winry collided into the both of them with a hug.

"I'm just happy you're both alright. I'd heard about the train bombing on the radio and feared the worse." Winry said, holding the brothers closer.

"Had we been in the back of the car, we'd have been in far worse shape but we're fine. But Al, he was the hero of the day! Leaping in and using alchemy to put out the fire!" Ed said as Al blushed.

"I'm no hero." Al said. Ed was about to argue but Winry shushed them both.

"Well you're both heroes in my book and to me that means something. Come on, I'm making stew for dinner." Winry said, leading them both by the hand towards the station exit.

"Great. So how's Granny doing? How'd she take the news?" Ed asked as Winry shrugged.

"I dunno. She's in Rush Valley visiting some friends of hers. I haven't seen her since yesterday but she did call to say she bought some new automail equipment that's supposed to be top of the line! OWW! Edward!" Winry yelped after Ed pinched her on the arm, glaring at Ed who gave her a blank stare.

"Not that news…I meant the news from before I left for Milos. You know…that news?" Ed said as Winry's eyes sparkled in realization.

"Oh tha~at news. She was excited of course. I think her exact words were 'It's about damn time.'" Winry replied as Ed laughed but Al looked confused.

"What are you talking about?" Al asked, earning an equally confused look from Winry.

"Hmm? Talking about? Don't you know already?" Winry asked him back. Before Al could respond, they heard a loud snap, coupled with Ed yelping in pain and falling flat on his face. They both looked and saw his left foot was bouncing oddly on the end of a large spring.

"Edward Elric have you not been following the maintenance instructions I gave you?!" Winry asked in annoyance.

"Can you yell at me later?! I'm kind of in pain here!" Ed groaned as Winry groaned and picked Ed up under the left arm while Al picked him up under the right, Ed still carrying his suitcase while the two carried him back to the Rockbell home.

"Oh I'll yell at you Ed! I am so going to yell at you!" Winry replied as they hobbled into the house. (AC: End ambiance.)

…

Ed sat on the couch with Al while Winry examined Ed's broken automail leg.

"Hmm I see what the problem is. The main hydraulic snapped in two." Winry said as she tinkered with the leg's machinery.

"I'm no expert but isn't that supposed to be extremely difficult to break?" Ed asked as Winry nodded absently.

"Yes but considering this is the same leg you used during that whole fiasco in Central two years ago, I'm kind of surprised it hasn't broken sooner." Winry commented.

"So can it be fixed?" Ed asked.

"Yeah but to be honest, you're due a new one. Luckily I've already been working on a newer model for you." Winry said as she headed into one of the side rooms, the sound of her sifting through the tools and equipment echoing from inside.

"Don't I need to be measured for a new one?" Ed asked as Winry emerged with the temporary automail leg.

"Nah. You're still the same size." Winry said absently, earning an annoyed expression from Ed but he only sat and mumbled under his breath, his fists clinched tight at his sides. Winry ignored him and noticed Al's somewhat blank expression. He seemed to be looking at something.

"Al? Are you alright?" Winry asked as Al pointed at something on the mantelpiece.

"What are all of those?" Al asked, motioning to the mantelpiece. Winry looked and smiled with a semi-sad smile. On the mantelpiece was a small assortment of various items, including a wood framed display case with a few pieces of metal plating inside as well as one thing that Al clearly recognized: the helmet of his old armor body, proudly displayed on a small wooden bust.

"Oh…those. These are just some of the parts I chose to keep from Edward's automail arm before he got his arm back. And…I know you wanted it melted down, Al, but I just couldn't part with it. I'm sorry but I had to keep the armor." Winry explained as she attached the temporary leg to Ed's stump, causing him to briefly cringe in pain as it connected with his nerves.

"Armor? You mean there's more than just the helmet?" Al asked as Winry blushed and stood up, motioning for them to follow. (AC: Trisha's Lullaby – FMA:B OST 1) She proceeded to lead the brothers down into the cellar where the battered and broken remains of the armor sat in a crate on the floor. Al looked at the armor quietly for a moment, running a hand on the chest plate and looking at the old blood seal that once kept his soul anchored inside the armor.

"Al, are you alright?" Ed asked as Al smiled at him, nodding.

"Yeah. I'm fine. It's like looking in the mirror. You know there are still times when I wake up and expect to see myself in this armor whenever I look at myself in the mirror." Al said.

"You're not upset that I kept the armor, are you?" Winry asked but Al shook his head.

"Not at all. You can do with it what you want. I won't mind." Al said with a smile.

"Good. I just couldn't melt it down. I came close once but whenever I saw it, it felt like I was melting you down with it." Winry said as Al gave an understanding nod.

"Fair enough." Al said as Ed snapped his fingers in realization.

"Oh, hey, if you want another keepsake, I've got one for you Winry." Ed said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the cover to his State Alchemist's watch. He then handed it to Winry.

"Your watch? Did you break it?" Winry asked suspiciously.

"Mustang confiscated it when we were in Central." Al explained.

"He said that since I can't perform Alchemy anymore, I can't legally be called a State Alchemist anymore so he confiscated my watch. He let me keep the cover though." Ed explained.

"Oh. Ed…I'm sorry." Winry said but Ed gave a dismissive wave.

"Don't worry about it. My sole reason for becoming a State Alchemist in the first place was to find a way to help Al get his body back. That's done so now I have no more reason to be a State Alchemist. I'm fine with it." Ed said as Winry smiled.

"Good. Come on boys, let's eat. I'm sure you're hungry from your trip. I want to hear all about it…but you can leave out the alchemy bits." Winry said as she and Al started for the stairs but paused when they realized Ed wasn't following. They looked and saw him looking at the box of Al's armor parts with a thoughtful expression.

"Ed? Aren't you coming?" Al asked.

"Hmm? Yeah I'll be along. I just need to find something first." Ed replied as he rolled up his sleeves and started digging around in the box, picking up pieces of the armor, examining them for a second then tossing them back into the box, doing this repeatedly as Winry and Al looked at each other and shrugged before heading back up the stairs. (End Ambiance).

…

After dinner, for which Ed had joined them, Al excused himself to unpack while Ed and Winry did the dishes in the kitchen. It was late evening, the sun having set on the horizon and Ed was drying while Winry washed.

"So Ed, what were you looking for in Al's armor box?" Winry asked as Ed blushed sheepishly.

"Promise you won't get mad?" Ed asked as Winry looked at him curiously.

"What would I get mad about?" Winry asked.

"Well I had every intention of buying you a ring but I got distracted and Mustang cut off my State Alchemist's funds before I could buy one. I'm sorry." Ed explained as Winry shrugged.

"Why Edward, you were trying to be romantic." Winry said with a smile.

"Well that's what engaged people wear on their hands right? An engagement ring?" Ed asked as Winry giggled slightly and nodded.

"Yeah but really, it's okay. It's the thought that counts, but what's this got to do with Al's armor?" Winry asked as Ed reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of fragmented shards of broken metal from off of Al's armor.

"I thought I'd go with the next best thing. I was looking for two pieces with just the right density. All I need is an Alchemist to transmute them." Ed explained as Winry smiled.

"Okay but, why Al's armor out of all the metal here? Why not the spare arm I had for you that's stored away in the basement or the fragments of your old one?" Winry asked as Ed shrugged.

"I'll explain in a minute but first we need to ask Al if he can do this." Ed said, looking at the shards as Al walked in carrying a box with obvious Xingese designs on it.

"Ask if I can do what?" Al asked, setting the box down.

"We were wondering if you could do a transmutation for us real quick." Ed said as Al opened the box.

"Sure but in a minute. I want to give you the presents I bought for you guys in Xing." Al said as he pulled out a bundle of blue cloth and a small book from inside the box.

"You didn't have to do that, Al." Winry said as Al handed her the cloth and handed Ed the book.

"It was nothing." Al replied as Winry unfurled the cloth to reveal it to be a blue silk robe. Ed smiled at the book's cover, a brown leatherback with gold lettering reading: "Introduction to Alkahestry."

"Oh Al it's beautiful!" Winry complimented as she threw the robe on around her, Ed flipping through the first couple of pages of the book.

"This is nice Al. Where did you get a book on Alkahestry in English?" Ed asked as Al smiled.

"There've been a lot of Alchemists traveling to Xing lately to study Alkahestry so they've been translating some of their Alkahestry texts from Xingese to English for the Amestrans." Al explained.

"Makes sense." Ed replied, as Al shrugged, glancing back at the box.

"I got something for Elicia Hughes too but I never got a chance to give it to her. Our train was leaving too soon. I'll give it to her the next time I'm in Central." Al explained.

"That was very sweet of you." Winry said as Al raised his hands defensively.

"It was nothing, really. But, Ed, didn't you have something you needed me to transmute?" Al asked as Ed looked up from the book.

"Hmm? Oh yeah." Ed said as he held up the metal shards.

"Real easy transmutation. I just need you to transmute these pieces of metal into two simple metal bands." Ed said as Al nodded and took the shards, placing them on the table before clapping his hands together, then touching the shards, causing them to crackle with alchemic energy for a moment before morphing into two round metal hoops. Al looked at the two expectantly.

"How's that?" Al asked as Ed chuckled but shook his head.

"Sorry, I meant ring sized. Those look like bracelets." Ed said as Al looked at the bands.

"Oh. No problem." Al replied before transmuting the bracelets into rings.

"Perfect. Now for the test." Ed said as he picked up the rings and handed one to Winry, the two trying them on while Al watched curiously. Winry's ring slipped onto her finger no problem, the flesh expanding around it slightly to keep it from slipping off too easily. Ed's however got stuck at the joint before the knuckle.

"Al?" Ed asked as Al quickly transmuted the ring so it was a little larger, the ring slipping onto Ed's finger and snugly fitting comfortably on his hand.

"Thanks Al. They're perfect." Ed said as Al smiled and nodded.

"Sure, so who are they for?" Al asked, causing Ed and Winry to pause. (AC: Lullaby of Resembool – FMA:B OST 1) Winry was surprised by his question.

"What do you mean?" Winry asked as Al blinked, clueless.

"Who are the rings for?" Al asked as Winry scratched the back of her head.

"Didn't-…-Didn't Ed tell you?" she asked.

"Tell me what?" Al asked back. That's when they heard Ed snickering to himself, earning a confused look from Al and an annoyed glare from Winry.

"Edward Elric did you not tell your brother that we're engaged?!" Winry asked as Ed started laughing. Al was stunned.

"What?! You are?! Brother!" Al exclaimed, Ed still laughing.

"Sorry Al! I just wanted to see your face!" Ed howled, as Al scowled at him.

"So was this a prank?!" Al asked but Ed kept laughing…that is until Winry beat him on the head with her wrench. Ed was now lying on the floor, steam coming up from the fresh wound Winry had dealt him.

"No, Al, it's not a prank. Ed and I…we really are engaged. He proposed before he left for Milos three months ago. You had already left for Xing and there was really no way to tell you until you got back." Winry said as Ed climbed onto his feet, rubbing the back of his head.

"So…you two are…you're getting married?!" Al asked, surprised as Ed and Winry looked at each other, both blushing slightly before nodding.

"Well…yeah." Ed replied as Al blinked for a moment then smiled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well it's about damn time." He said, confusing the two.

"Huh?" Ed asked.

"Wait, Al, you knew this would happen?" Winry asked as Al nodded.

"Yeah. I mean I saw you two getting closer, especially throughout those years after Ed lost his arm and leg. I wondered if you would ever realize it yourselves. Looks like you finally did." Al said, grinning happily at the couple.

"Wait, you saw all this and never said anything?!" Ed asked as Al nodded.

"Uh-huh. I didn't want to butt in. But why did you use parts of my old armor to make the rings?" Al asked.

"It's kind of symbolic really. It's always been the three of us. You, me, and Winry. I wanted to use something that would keep it that way at all times. I figured we could use the old armor pieces to represent you so that, in a way, all three of us would be together. We might get separated but with this ring representing my marriage to Winry and made out of the armor you once occupied, it'll seem that the two people who are most important to me are always right on hand." Ed explained before noticing that Winry was staring at him suspiciously.

"Alright, who are you and what did you do with Ed?" she asked, earning a confused look from Ed.

"Huh?" he replied.

"Ed doesn't have a romantic bone in his body. I should know, I'm his automail mechanic and fiancée!" Winry said as Ed scowled.

"What do you mean I'm not romantic?! You wouldn't know romantic if it bit you in the-!" "I would know romance if I saw it!" "Ha! Most women go for jewelry and fashionable clothing! What woman goes for top of the line wrenches and tools?!" "I'm not like other women!" "I know so don't change!" "I won't!" "Fine!" "Fine!" "Uh…" the two said sheepishly. Al merely shook his head with a smile.

"Aren't arguments supposed to end differently?" Ed asked, confused.

"Yeah…so what happened?" Winry asked, Ed shrugging.

"I don't know but I like it." Ed replied, Winry nodding in agreement. (End Ambiance) There was an awkward silence for a while before Al cleared his throat.

"Do I need to step out?" he asked.

"Huh? No! No-no Al." Winry said as Ed nodded.

"Yeah there's no reason for you to-…" Ed said but was interrupted by the sound of Den barking at the door.

"Wonder what's got her riled up." Winry said as they looked towards Den. They then heard a loud and frantic pounding at the door. (AC: Mortal Sin – FMA:B OST 1) Suddenly the door was knocked to the ground, allowing a disheveled man in a lab coat to burst in and collapse to the floor.

"Elric! Fullmetal! I need Fullmetal!" the man gasped as he got up onto on knee, clutching his left side which was bleeding. The three quickly moved to help the man to his feet, moving him to the couch on Winry's command.

"Easy there! What's the matter?! Who attacked you?!" Ed asked as Winry examined the man's wound. It was a deep animal-like bite wound on his left side.

"Elric? Which of you is Elric?!" the man asked as Ed and Al both looked at each other.

"We're both Elric. I'm Ed and this is my brother Al. Oh and this is Winry my fiancée." Ed replied as the man reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, handing it to Ed.

"I need you to follow the instructions on that paper! Hurry! Use it on me!" the man ordered as Ed opened the paper and what he saw made him freeze, his eyes wide with horror, his hands shaking.

"Brother? What is it?" Al asked as he stepped over to look over Ed's shoulder but froze with a similar look of shock and horror. The brothers looked towards the man in shock.

"You-…you can't be serious!" Ed exclaimed but the man grimaced as Winry treated his wounds.

"The look on your faces…you've seen it before! You know what it's used for!" the man said as Winry looked at the brothers who nodded.

"Ed, what is it?" Winry asked. Ed turned the paper around to show a hand drawn transmutation circle.

"What is that? I know it's a transmutation circle but what is it for?" Winry asked, confused as Ed's look of shock turned to anger directed towards the man.

"It's a transmutation circle alright, but it's a transmutation circle intended for turning humans into Philosopher's Stones! He wants us to turn him into a Philosopher's Stone!"

End Chapter 2

Please R&R…