Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ A Forgotten Memory ❯ It's The Past ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: If I owned Fullmetal Alchemist, then I would be very, very rich. Unfortunately, I have to scrounge for money to go to an anime convention in November, and I am desperately looking for a job around my house. So, therefore, I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, or anything that has to do with it. The only thing I own is Isabel and this idea. I have never seen anything like it before. Let me know if you have and I'll correct this.

 

Chapter 4: It's The Past
By: LadyRiona

 

Roy Mustang was a man of many words. He was tall, dark and handsome, as some would say. He never failed to acquire a date from any woman he set out to woo. Most women fell at his feet after one stray look in their direction. He had a scowl that could kill if it was set on so unfortunate a victim. He always had plenty of time to do things, and even when he was booked up, he still found time. Those who had seen his skills feared him as the Flame Alchemist. Even those who only had heard of his skills knew to fear him. And pity on the ones who knew nothing of him.

 

There was nothing that could make him break a visible sweat. Nothing at all. Except for the piece of paper sitting in front of him on his desk.

 

“First lieutenant,” he said as calmly as he could. Immediately, Riza was standing before his desk. “What is this?” He gestured to the paper.

 

The blond woman peered over the desk to look at the object in question. “It is a summons, sir,” she said. Her tone of voice was a little condescending and she looked at the colonel as if he was missing a few marbles.

 

“I know. But read it.” He held the paper out to her.

 

Riza took the slip and scanned it. Then she read it again more thoroughly. “It is a request for you to contact the Elrics, from the Fuhrer,” she said slowly.

 

“And what else is it requesting, mainly of the eldest Elric?” Mustang pressed for more.

 

The first lieutenant sighed. “The Fuhrer is requesting that she give a full report about her years as a civilian performing independent jobs,” she finished. “What's strange about that, sir?”

 

“He's never had any interest in Isabel Elric for the past six years that she's been working for him indirectly. Now he suddenly wants to know all that she has been doing?” He shook his head. “It just seems a little strange to me, Hawkeye.”

 

She shook her head. “Maybe all of the excitement about her being brought back from Dublith interested him?” she suggested. Mustang leaned back in his chair and sighed. It appeared as if he were about to start daydreaming again, so Riza took a step forward. “Well, shouldn't you call the Elrics and notify them?”

 

He looked up at her, confused. “Huh? Oh, yeah. Sure.” Immediately, the colonel was back into his stately persona as he sat up and reached for the phone. But before his fingers came in contact with the receiver, it rang. The two military officials exchanged perplexed looks before the colonel answered the phone.

 

“Yes? This is Colonel Mustang,” he said in his most professional tone.

 

“Hey Roy,” came Maes' voice.

 

Mustang rolled his eyes visibly before replying. Even though the two were best friends, that didn't mean Mustang liked Hughes' ability to change the subject from his daughter to something serious in the same breath. “Do you have any news for me?”

 

There was a pause on the line and the colonel could actually see the grin forming on the lieutenant colonel's mouth. “Well, Elysia still follows me around when I'm at home, and she's teaching herself to dance,” Hughes said, gushing into the phone.

 

Mustang sighed loudly. “Lieutenant Colonel, if you have any news concerning—”

 

“She's so cute,” Hughes interrupted. “She'll sing to me and it sounds like an angel. Glacier plays the piano for her, too. Which reminds me, Colonel…” Hughes trailed off.

 

This was a road they had gone down many times before. “Yes?” he asked drearily.

 

“When are you going to get a wife?” Hughes asked quietly.

 

Mustang took a deep breath. “I do not have time for one, Hughes. Now if you would like to share any news concerning the military, tell me.” No matter how Hughes started off, he always managed to comment about a wife.

 

“All right, all right. Well, you probably already know, but the Fuhrer wants a report from Isabel Elric. I haven't met her personally yet. What's she like?” Hughes wondered.

 

“Anything else? Do you know why?” Mustang wanted to know. He still had to call the Elrics, and that was something he didn't want to do.

 

There was another pause on Hughes' line. “No, not exactly. He probably thinks she has an opinion different from actual military personnel. She isn't obligated to say pretty things about how the government is run like we are.”

 

“But this is out of the ordinary.” Mustang sighed. “He didn't care about her a year ago; it just seems a little strange to me,” he stated skeptically.

 

Hughes yawned. “I don't know, Roy. But as soon as I know something, you will too.” There was a slight disruption on the other end. “I have to go, but one last thing…” he trailed off once more.

 

“Yes?”

 

“Get a wife,” Hughes whispered.

 

Mustang didn't think. He slammed the phone down. Then he scowled. Twice. Twice Hughes had mentioned a wife, or lack thereof. Why wouldn't the man understand Mustang really did have no time for a wife?

 

“Colonel,” Hawkeye said sternly, “please use the phone quieter.” She sent a brief scowl his direction before continuing her work.

 

He sighed a little and stared at the phone. He really, really didn't want to call Fullmetal. Sure, it would be fun to torment him about his height. But after a few comments about that, it would also mean he had to get to business about the Elrics had to return to East Headquarters. Yes, it would be even more fun to make sarcastic remarks about the diminutive alchemist. But that would mean that the threesome would be staying at headquarters for a while whilst the task for Isabel was carried out.

 

The colonel picked up and hung up the phone quite a few times before Hawkeye sent him an icy look and an equally chilly comment. Finally, he brought the phone to his ear and reluctantly dialed the number to the Rockbell's house in Rizenbul. It was a good thing that the government paid for the phone bills; else there would be some hefty charges to a few of the personnel would be a lot less wealthier than they were.

 

A younger female voice answered, and Mustang recognized it to be Winry.

 

“Hello?” she said breathlessly into the receiver.

Roy didn't always make it a habit to let his mind roam into the gutter, but it just so happened that he didn't have a reign on his thoughts at that particular moment. He immediately wondered what had been going on at the Rockbell household. He shook his head to clear those slightly unwanted notions away. “Winry Rockbell,” he began. “This is Colonel Mustang. Is my subordinate available?” He snickered to himself at what answer he may receive.

 

There was a pause. “Yes. Hold on.” It sounded like she was setting the phone down rather loudly because there was a clatter that made Mustang pull it away from his ear. “Edward!” he heard Winry shout.

 

“I would like to talk with Isabel as well,” he mentioned offhandedly, hoping that she would hear him.

 

“What was that?” she said into the phone.

 

“I said that I would like to talk with Isabel, as well,” he repeated.

 

“All right. Hang on.” She set the phone down again and Mustang heard a door open. Distantly, she shouted, “Edward! Isabel! You both have a phone call!”

 

It was another minute or so when Edward picked up the phone. “Yeah?” he said, breathlessly as well.

 

Mustang told himself it was because they had been running to the house. “Fullmetal,” he began. “I need you and your siblings back in East City as soon as possible.” First there was silence. Then a shout that even Riza reacted to.

 

“What?!” Edward yelled into the phone.

 

The colonel switched ears and rubbed his inflicted one. “Let me speak with your sister,” he said firmly.

 

“Not until you tell me why we need to go back to East City,” Ed said stubbornly.

 

With a sigh, Mustang replied, “Let me tell Isabel and she will tell you. There's no reason for my to say it twice.” There was a pause again. “The reason why you all must be back here is mainly for Isabel.”

 

He heard Edward's sigh before Isabel came onto the line. “Hello, Colonel Mustang,” she said smoothly. “I hear you have news for me?”

 

That girl was too grown up for someone her age. She had too much insolence to ever really work in the military. “Yes. The Fuhrer wants you back in East City as soon as you can manage. However, I know your brothers won't let you come by yourself.”

 

“I wouldn't come without them, sir,” she told him evenly. Mustang smirked to himself that she wasn't questioning why she was wanted back in East City. She and Ed were so alike, yet so different at the same time. “Is there a specific date that we must be there?”

 

He thought a moment. “As quickly as possible. The Fuhrer knows your habits.”

 

Isabel scoffed on the line. “Well, my brothers and I will discuss it and let you know when we come to a conclusion,” she told him. “Is that all, sir?”

 

“Yes.” Mustang hung up the phone and sighed. Why did he always have to deal with Fullmetal? Why couldn't Fullmetal be like his sister? Isabel was so obedient, yet she was resilient in her own way, a way that wasn't so annoying. He shook his head.

 

“Colonel?” Hawkeye said from beside him.

 

“They'll be here in a couple of days,” he told her wearily.

 

--------------------

Isabel placed the phone down gently and looked at it for a couple seconds. She was very aware of the stares set on her so she did her best to ignore them. To prolong their wait, she rubbed her forehead and pinched her bridge, as though she had a headache. One was forming dully in her brain from hanging upside-down earlier, but that she could ignore. The stalling was something she was doing to torment her brothers and Winry. It seemed to be working beautifully, because Ed jumped up suddenly.

 

“Well?” he said anxiously.

 

She looked at him, confused. “Well what?” Isabel asked innocently, winking at Winry. The younger girl winked back, grinning to herself.

 

“What did he say?” Ed exclaimed, almost jumping up and down in anticipation.

 

“Oh.” Isabel leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. “He wants us back in East City as soon as possible,” she told him.

 

“I know that,” he growled. “Why?”

 

She pushed off from the wall and started over to the stove. “I don't know. I didn't ask,” she told him absently. “Winry, would you like some tea?”

 

“Sure,” Winry replied casually.

Isabel looked at Al and could tell he was uneasy. A quick glance at Ed told the seventeen-year-old that her brother was about to burst.

 

“You…didn't ask?” he managed, strained.

 

“No. The order came from the Fuhrer, indirectly. I'm not at liberty to question why he would need me until I'm briefed about it,” she replied and started to fill a kettle with water.

 

Ed finally jumped up and down, way past frustrated. “But you're not even in the military!” he shouted. “Why should you have any obligations to the Fuhrer?” The look he was sending Isabel would have been enough to make a rock shiver.

 

But Isabel merely looked at him calmly after placing the kettle on the stove. “Because I have served as a civilian under his command for almost six years. It's true that I roamed a bit when there was nothing for me to do, but I always came back when it was something important.” She continued standing where she was. “I am not going to call Mustang back just to ask why the Fuhrer wants me back in East City.”

 

The younger boy nearly shook with anger. Isabel thought it was a very selfish reason he was acting like this. Just because she hadn't asked why, he was throwing a fit. She mentally shook her head.

 

“However, I will call him back when we decide when we're going to leave.” Isabel turned around to find the mugs and tea bags.

 

“Ask him then,” Ed said heatedly.

 

“No.” She pictured him jumping up and down again.

 

“Why not?”

 

Isabel set two mugs on the counter and turned to face Ed. “Because it's not something I do. Ed, in all my years I have never questioned orders like this. The only time I have ever protested is when I was ordered to kill someone,” she told him evenly. “And after they explained the reason why that person was needed dead, I would relent or disagree.”

 

Ed immediately stopped. Was he shocked that she had killed someone in the past? It seemed so from how he was looking elsewhere.

 

She looked at Al, who probably would have seemed surprised if he had been able to convey emotion. Winry looked equally shocked as Ed, but didn't look away. Isabel merely turned back to the stove, thankful for the sudden quiet, and poured the boiling water into the mugs. No one said anything as she crossed the room with the steaming drinks and set them on the table. She sat down and started adding sugar, but still nothing. Just as she was going to sip her tea did someone dare to speak.

 

“Why?” Al asked. “There shouldn't be a reason to take someone else's life without a second thought.”

 

Isabel set her cup back down. “Whoever said I didn't have second thoughts? I felt bad for killing that person afterwards, even though it was justified; I still do! But I'm not going to let my emotions get in the way of what I did to survive. If I was ordered to kill somebody, then I did because it put food in my stomach. With Ed being a State Alchemist, he gets paid periodically. That way you guys shouldn't go without food. The only time I ever receive compensation was when I carried out a mission successfully. It's nearly impossible to be in the military these days and never end up taking another life.” That was said with a questioning look at Ed.

 

Receiving no answer from him, she took a deep breath. “Now, if we're done with this conversation, I'd like to move on to more important things. Such as when we're going to East City.” After she cleared her throat, Isabel continued. “Colonel Mustang wants us to be there as soon as we can,” she murmured. “I've never liked sitting in one place for too long, so I'm comfortable leaving when you two are.”

 

There was an awkward silence for a few minutes. The only noises were Winry and Isabel sipping their tea, Al looking from the girls to Ed every few moments, and Ed clenching and unclenching his right hand. Isabel could tell Winry wasn't happy about them leaving, and especially unhappy about not being included. Al was still chewing over the request to leave. The eldest person in the room was fairly sure her younger brother was sulking about Isabel not asking. He had a pout on his features and he was staring at his hand. That was enough to convince Isabel that he was far from the point that he could be in his situation.

Ed seemed to be so used to getting his way. When they had been younger, Isabel had never really been overpowering about being an older sister. She had been bossy, yes, but merely warned him about right and wrong. After she'd left, it had been only he and Al. Since Al was so easily swayed, Ed had likely shirked off some of his responsibilities to his younger brother. Perhaps it had carried on to the present. Maybe Ed was so used to getting his way it was a sudden slap in the face for him to be told “no” by somebody close to his own age. If that was the case, Isabel wanted to do something about it. They would never achieve their goal of getting their bodies back if he was unable to accept things not going his way all the time. Especially when the situation had the probability of being changed to suit his needs.

 

“Al and I are the same way,” Ed said quietly, causing Isabel to jump, startled at him suddenly speaking. “So, as soon as possible is as soon as we can get out stuff together to go, I guess.”

 

Both the older Elrics looked to Al, who nodded. “That's fine. I have nothing to pack.”

 

Isabel looked at Winry and Ed. Ed still seemed a little sulky still, but Isabel was fairly sure he would get over it and go on. However, Winry looked like a mixture between frustration and gloom. Isabel figured it was from the conversation. Maybe she could talk to the girl later, while she was packing her things?

 

“Well,” Isabel said, standing. “I'm gonna go start packing.” She looked at the three sitting around the table. Her gaze stopped on the other girl. “Winry, would you help me?” she asked, smiling.

 

Winry looked up at her. There was a bit of a lost expression in her eyes, but interest was quickly feigned over it. “Sure.” The younger girl stood up and started out of the kitchen.

 

Isabel looked at Ed. “Well, as soon as we finish, I'll be ready when you two are,” she told them and left the room. She followed Winry up the stairs and into the room they were sharing. Isabel shut the door and looked pointedly at Winry.

 

“You know, if you don't want him to leave, you can tell him that,” she said judiciously. “I mean, the worst he would do is look at you strangely and ask you what was going on in your head.” She shrugged and started towards the wardrobe. “Otherwise, there's nothing to worry about.”

 

There was silence for a little while from the other occupant of the room. Finally, Winry replied with, “Well, it doesn't matter. He has things to do elsewhere. I never expected him to stay here any longer. In fact, I was surprised you three have been here this long.” She sighed.

 

Isabel pulled out a blouse and folded it. “Well, like I said; I don't like staying in one place for too long and I was starting to feel a little closed in here,” she said softly. “Ed seems to be the same way, yet he's been here for a while.”

 

“He probably stayed so long here because he thought you may have wanted to remember more about your past,” Winry suggested.

 

Isabel looked sternly at the girl. “Did he tell you that's what he thought?” she asked.

 

Winry shook her head. “No, but that's probably it. Normally, he only comes here when his automail is broken, and that's it.”

 

The older girl sighed. “I think he cares for you more than you think. What he told me is that he thinks you only care for the automail and not the person,” Isabel told her. “But,” she added when she saw Winry begin to protest, “I don't believe that. I know you care for Ed.”

 

Winry kept silent. Isabel knew she was right. Just from how her brother and Winry fought constantly was enough for anyone to see there was something between them. Now, whether it was that they couldn't stand each other or had some unknown affection for the other took more observation. And Isabel had had all the time in the world these past few days to watch them. Winry would want to check on Ed's automail every few days, especially after he and Al had been training. Then Ed would sometimes talk to Winry only to start fighting with her, as if he'd wanted to do that all along. Isabel knew her brother was strange; maybe his way of showing affection was arguing. He seemed to do that a lot with people. But then just the way that Winry would look at Ed sometimes, or just the expression when she was thinking told Isabel that she was thinking of someone. Ed, however, was a little harder to read.

 

Isabel had spent a lot of time talking to her brothers, but it was more difficult to talk to Al. You couldn't discuss the weather with a suit of armor! But while Isabel had been asking Ed about his automail one day, a thoughtful look had come into his eyes and he'd looked a little distant. It took a lot of observation for Isabel to figure out that he really did care for Winry in a way like a sister, or a little more.

 

But, as it always was, the two were so oblivious of the other's feelings. If they caught the other looking at them, they would look away and blush a little. Winry would comment to Ed, ask why he was looking at her. Ed would become flustered and stammer. That would cause Winry to fuss at him, and Ed would then yell back at her, thus one of their famous arguments. Ed would come out with a knot on his head from Winry's wrench. Isabel would have to leave the room sometimes because she wouldn't be able to hold in her laughter any longer. They were so obvious to her!

 

“Isabel?”

 

The girl snapped back and realized she'd been giggling. To Winry, that probably seemed a little strange since they had been in a deep discussion. “Yes?” she said, still smiling.

 

“What were you thinking about?” Winry asked.

 

“Nothing important,” Isabel said cheerily. She would let them figure out their strange way of showing affection on their own. It would be more fun that way.

 

Winry was silent a moment. “All right. Well, what do you want me to do? To help you pack, I mean.”

 

Isabel looked around. “I don't have too many things…mostly my clothes, and those are few. Um…remember those books I bought in town?” Winry nodded. “Can you get them and set them over here where I'm packing my clothes?”

 

“Sure.” Winry started out of the room and towards the library. Not even two seconds after Winry left did Ed come in.

 

His hands were in his pockets and his red jacket was on and buttoned at his collarbones. He had an expression of somberness that looked a little out of place for him. His eyes were fixed on the floor, and there was a bit of a frown on his mouth. His pace was a little slow as he walked over to Isabel. Nonchalantly, he dropped onto her bed and leaned back, rest his weight on his hands. Isabel looked at him curiously. His hair was down from its usual braid. She hadn't seen him with his hair down in…she had never seen it down, actually.

 

“Yes?” she asked and pulled a pair of pants out of the wardrobe.

 

Ed was silent for a while before he lay back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. “Nothin',” he mumbled. Soon after, he sighed and shut his eyes.

 

Since he seemed content to just lie there, Isabel continued to fold her clothing. But since she only possessed a few items, her job was quickly finished. Anything else could wait for a little while longer. She climbed onto the bed over to Ed. She rested on her stomach and propped her chin in her hands. Before saying anything, she looked at her brother. Usually, he looked peaceful when he was resting. Now, he looked troubled.

 

“What's on your mind, little brother?” she asked. “You look bothered.”

 

Ed opened one eye to look at her. “Tired.”

 

She laughed lightly. “Really? You sure there's nothing else?”

 

“Well,” he began and opened both eyes, “for once in my life, I don't think I want to leave Rizenbul. Usually, I'm mad when I have to come back here to get my automail fixed since it's just a few days out of the mission Al and I are on; I can't wait to leave. But, lately, it's like I feel content just to stay here. There's something Al and I have to do, something really important. In fact, if you hadn't shown up when you had six months ago, we would have gone to do that.” He paused. “I should have been itching over the past few days to get it done now, but I don't want to leave.”

 

Isabel reached out and took a little bit of his hair in her hands. “Well, if I may analyze your feelings,” she ventured. “I think you're feeling like that since it reminds you, subconsciously, of when we were younger, before all of the mess that happened to us happened, you know? I mean, I left, so that's probably something that you wanted to forget. Then your transmutation with Al happened here. And you guys burned the house, which says symbolically to me that you wanted to forget your past.” She paused, thinking over her next phrase. “You can't really forget your past since it's such a part of you. It shapes who you are, Ed.” While she was talking, Isabel had been running strands of his hair through her fingers.

 

They were both silent for a few minutes. It seemed they had talked themselves out, or at least that subject, in those two monologues. But Isabel found something else to say, though.

 

“You don't have to come with me. I mean, if you really want to stay here,” she murmured.

 

Ed looked up at her, shocked. But before he could respond, there was a commotion out in the hall. Ed tried to sit up, but since Isabel had some of his hair in her hands, his head was jerked back. He yelped and grabbed his head. Isabel immediately let go of his hair and apologized.

 

“I'm sorry, Ed!” she said quickly, trying not to laugh.

 

He grabbed the offended part of his head and walked to the hallway. He saw Winry walking into the study. What had she heard? When he looked down in thought, he saw three books on the floor. He picked them up and brought them over to Isabel.

 

“What was it?” she asked, taking the books from him and setting them near her clothes.

 

Ed dropped into the bed again and lay out lengthwise. He draped his left arm over his eyes to shut out the world. “Winry,” he mumbled. “I think she heard the conversation.”

 

“What's so bad about that?” Isabel asked, mildly confused.

 

He lifted his metal hand in the air briefly and lowered it over his chest. “Just…I don't know. I don't want her to get any weird ideas about why I want to stay here,” he said, sounding if a little pitiful.

 

Intrigued, Isabel lay back down next to him. “Well, why do you think you feel like you want to stay here?” she asked. “I told you what I thought; what about you?”

 

He halfway shrugged. “I don't know. It's just this strange feeling. It's kind of confusing. I want to stay here, but I know there's so much that I need to do in Central.”

 

Willing to take a chance, Isabel looked at Ed seriously. “Do you want to stay…because of a certain person?” she asked quietly.

 

Ed lifted up his arm and looked at her for a moment, just as gravely as she was looking at him, before he reacted. He waved his hands in the air and shook his head. “Of course not! It's probably just like you said; it reminds me of the good times in my past. That's all,” he argued.

 

Isabel smiled to herself and lay back down. A moment later, she rested the side of her head on Ed's shoulder. “Sure,” she cajoled.

 

“Really!” he claimed loudly.

 

“I believe you,” Isabel said sarcastically. “As much as I believe that you'll ever pick flowers for Winry willingly.”

 

There was silence. “I only did that when I was five,” he confessed huffily.

 

Isabel laughed at him. “You are such a horrible liar, Edward Elric,” she told him and closed her eyes. “And I thought you said you were tired, yet here you are, arguing with me like you do with Winry.” She snuggled her cheek closer to his shoulder and stifled a yawn of her own.

 

“I am tired,” he said. “Tired of waiting around for nothing to happen. That's why I'm packed already to go to East City.”

 

Isabel was quiet now. Her brother was so strange. One second, he could be saying he couldn't make up his mind, and the next he would be off on some plan that was far ahead of everyone else's decisions. At least, that's how he seemed to be now and in the stories she'd heard of their adventures. Of course, it had only been him and Al. Now it was three of them…but for how long?

 

She pushed that idea away and yawned. That wasn't an entertaining thought, so she would save it for a rainy day.

 

“Are you going to sleep?” Ed asked. He sounded like he was looking down and over at her.

 

Isabel opened one eye. “Maybe. Your shoulder is comfortable,” she told him.

 

She heard Ed mumble something incoherently and make a slightly frustrated noise. “Well, I can't sleep in here. This is Winry's room,” he said.

 

“So? I'm sure she wouldn't mind.” She grabbed his arm as if to keep him there.

 

“You are a weird sister,” he told her.

 

“You're a weird little brother,” she replied.

 

“Don't call me little!”

 

“Well you are my younger brother. Now be quiet so I can go to sleep. We'll leave in the morning,” she said and let out a soft breath.

 

--------------------

It was some time later, at least twenty minutes, when Ed was trying to free his arm out of Isabel's grasp. She had been asleep for about fifteen minutes, and he'd been failing to liberate his arm for at least the past ten of those minutes. Every time it seemed he would be able to get his arm out of her grasp, she would shift and thus be holding his arm a little tighter than before. He was just about to give up and go to sleep on her bed when Winry walked back into the room, looking a little down. She'd taken two steps into the room before she brought her hand to her throat and gasped.

 

“Ed, what are you still doing in here?” she asked, breathless. “I thought you were asleep already.”

 

He shook his head. “No. Isabel fell asleep on my arm…I can't get loose,” he told Winry.

 

The younger girl was quiet for a minute before walking over to the bed. “Well, you can't sleep in here, so I'll help you get her off your arm,” she said quietly.

 

It took a few minutes, but Winry was able to hold onto Isabel while Ed managed to slip his arm out of her grasp. When Ed was finally standing up and trying to shake the feeling back into his left arm, he couldn't help but feel a little unwanted. He stole a quick, subtle glance at Winry. She was taking her hair down at that moment. He looked away with a sigh and started towards the door. He would just leave now, and leave in the morning before she woke up.

 

“Ed?” he heard Winry say, as he was about to walk through the doorway.

 

He sighed before turning around slowly. Quickly resuming his usual cockiness, he leaned against the doorjamb. “Yeah?” he asked, seemingly untroubled. But Winry seemed to be feeling otherwise. Her face was downcast and there was certain sadness in her eyes.

 

“What you said earlier,” she began quietly, “about wanting to stay in Rizenbul.” Oh, that. “What did you mean?”

 

Ed scratched his head, as if trying to remember. But he remembered the conversation very well. “What? Oh, yeah.” He smirked to himself. “I was just thinking out loud, Winry. Don't worry,” he told her and grinned arrogantly.

 

“Edward,” she whispered, sounding dismayed.

 

Had he said something wrong? “Yes?” He tried his best to sound impatient, but a part of him knew that he had just screwed something up.

 

“Nothing. Just go to sleep. I guess you're leaving first thing in the morning, so you'll need your rest,” Winry said. She looked away towards her bed and just stood there. Ed couldn't help but notice that her voice had been a little shaky when she'd spoken. She wasn't…crying, was she? She couldn't be.

 

“Winry.” He walked further into the room and stopped about two feet behind her. “Listen, I know it must be frustrating that Al and I don't come home that often. It's usually for auto-mail repairs, so we're only here about two, three days, tops.” He took a deep breath. Where was he going with this? Since he was letting his mind let loose the words there, he hoped he wouldn't say something stupid. “It make seem like I can't wait to leave, but that's not it, really. I like it here.”

 

“Edward…just…”

 

He took a deep breath. “Listen. I'm probably never gonna be like this again for a long time, so let me say what I want to. I really like it in Rizenbul. It's just that it's hard to be here because of all the things that have happened here. There are so many painful memories I can't get over yet.” This was getting ridiculous. Did he really feel that way? “But there's just so much that I have to do, so I can't stay here, Winry.”

 

They were silent for a while. Ed felt like he'd royally embarrassed himself and said a lot of stuff that didn't sound like him. Since when did he say how he was feeling without anyone forcing him to say it? It felt weird to have said all that. Would he regret it later? Or would he feel relieved?

 

“If you could stay…would you?” Winry's voice was so frail in the quiet room. Her words were so muted it was hard for him to hear her.

 

But he let out a long sigh. “I-I…I don't know, Winry,” he mumbled. “I guess we'll only know if I ever find the Philosopher's Stone.”

 

After that, neither felt like they could say anything. So Ed left. He walked down the hall and into his and Al's room. Al was sitting near the window again, lost in his thoughts. Ed didn't bother to say anything. He took off his red jacket and tossed it over a chair.

 

He was beginning to feel stupid. Why had he told Winry all of that? Did she have to know his real feelings? He had problems admitting them to himself! How come it had been so easy to tell her? True, he'd just let his mind do the talking, but he'd had some restraint on his words. He hadn't told her everything that went on in his head concerning that subject. There were other reasons why he would want to stay in Rizenbul. And there were other reasons why he couldn't stay in Rizenbul. Bad memories were only the beginning. Even if Ed ever found the Stone and regained his and Al's regular bodies, what's to say something wouldn't come after them? If they were in Rizenbul again, then all the people there could get into trouble; guilty by association, they called it. Whoever had been a friend of Ed's was an enemy of whoever wanted the Stone.

 

A little calmer now, Ed unzipped his jacket and set it over his red jacket, covering up the array on the back. He ran his hands through his hair a couple times, finding that to be soothing to himself.

 

He kicked off his boots and lay down on his bed. He would sleep well tonight, knowing there was another adventure awaiting him the next morning.

 

“Brother,” Al said from the other side of the room.

 

“Yeah, Al?” Ed mumbled after stifling a yawn.

 

There was silence, like Al was contemplating something. But finally, the armor said, “Good night, Brother.” It seemed that Al had disregarded whatever he'd been going to say or ask.

 

Ed smiled to himself. “Good night, Al.”

 

--------------------

 

“What?!”

 

Isabel had to suppress the urge to laugh. Ed could see that much out of the corner of his eye. He was not at all pleased with what he had just heard. Actually, he wasn't sure he'd really understood what he'd heard, thus the reason for his not-so-unusual outbreak. It only made him even more frustrated to see his sister and Colonel Mustang taking pleasure in his aggravation. Why did everyone find it so funny when he didn't fully comprehend something? What was worse, Al was holding back laughter, even. This was no laughing matter! How could any of them find humor in this?

 

“I said, I only needed Isabel here to give her the orders, and then she could go to Central, since the libraries probably hold some significant information for her,” Mustang repeated.

 

“You mean….” Ed broke off and clenched his hands at his sides. Then he turned his fury on Isabel. “If you had only asked the colonel what your orders were, we could have saved a train ride! We could have been in Central already! But no, you had to be consistent and not ask about orders!” Ed felt like jumping up and down in his anger, but concealed the urge to do so. He knew it would make the other three in the room surely laugh at him. That wasn't something he wanted to happen. He was bothered enough.

 

Isabel shrugged. “It's in my nature, Ed, not to question authority unless it goes against my morals,” she told him.

 

“Morals,” he mumbled. “Feh.”

 

She even had the audacity to chuckle at him. “Just think of it as exercising your patience with Colonel Mustang, Ed. I know you two don't get along very well,” she said cajolingly.

 

He was positively seething now. Why couldn't anyone see that he was in a hurry now? There was information regarding the Philosopher's Stone, and it was only a train ride away. A long ride that would have been shorter had his sister not been so obstinate. But now, they would have to spend more of his money and his valuable time to go all the way to Central.

 

Ed couldn't say anything more. He turned on his heels and left the room with a rigid step. He could hear Isabel and Al following him, so he broke into a run down the hallway. He didn't know where he was going until he found himself at the exit of East City Headquarters. When did he get there? He didn't remember going down any stairs, or hardly anything after turning the corner past the dorms. It had all become one big blur until he'd found himself here.

 

Nothing else to do but go through the doors. So he put his hands - one flesh, one metal - on the doors and pushed through them. He walked out into the slowly receding daylight of Eastern City. There were long shadows in front of him. Twilight was overtaking the sky before him, while the sunlight was still behind him. He had never considered until now that it was quite a strange phenomenon that happened nightly.

 

Ed walked further into the street, not knowing where he would go. He didn't know too many people in East City; he and Al were never in one place long enough to make lasting friends. So, there was nothing else for Ed to do but wander through the streets, hoping for a place to eat, or at least to sit down. After about ten minutes of walking in what felt like circles, Ed just sat down in an alleyway, overcome with thoughts.

 

What would he and his siblings do once they were in Central? He knew what he had to do. He was going straight to First Branch Library and finding that report. Then he and Al would study that until they had found the information they needed. But what about Isabel? What would she do about her mission? The Fuhrer wanted a complete recount of her almost six years working for the military. Sure, it wasn't hard for Ed to remember stuff about his and Al's journey, but that was only three years. Even then, he had a little bit of a tough time remembering when they'd first started out.

 

And that deadline? Two months to put it all together, two months to condense six years of memories into two hundred pages. That was way too much pressure on her, Ed felt. But there was nothing he could do. He couldn't even convince her to ask for more time. He knew she wouldn't, even under some form of torture. That girl was so strict on herself that she would have done it - without complaints - in one month. Well, she was either strict or crazy, and the latter didn't seem to be far from the truth. For her not wanting to be a dog of the military, she sure was devoted to them.

 

“Ed?”

 

He looked up to see who had spoken to him, but couldn't see because the sun was directly behind that person. He lifted his hand to shield his eyes, but another hand took his and yanked him to his feet.

 

“Why did you run off like that?” It was Isabel. She was giving him a disappointed look.

After having all of those thoughts surface and come to light, he was fed up. He jumped straight to the point. “This whole trip to Eastern Head quarters was a waste of time, Isabel. Why couldn't you have just asked what the orders were? We can't simply go places. It costs money and I can't spend it all on pointless escapades.” Ed didn't really want to tell her the reason that he had left; instead he pointed another question at her.

 

She lifted an eyebrow at him reprovingly. “I thought I told you; it's just not in me to question higher authority. I didn't know it was going to be like this.” With a little sigh, she continued after a brief pause. “Now, I can agree that it was a bit of a waste, but it gives us some time to check for more information, especially for that mission of yours you're obsessing about.”

 

“Isabel.” Ed stood. “Why are you willing to do these things for the military when you are simply a civilian? How can you possibly write out a full report on the past six years in two months? I don't understand why you chose to do this, to waste your life away so pointlessly for these military dogs.”

 

“Why do you?” she returned, feeling insulted. “Just because you have a State Alchemist's Watch makes you special? Doing these civilian jobs was a way to keep myself alive. It was either this, or some job on the street.” Isabel folded her arms over her chest defensively. “And Mustang told me after you left that I wouldn't be obligated anymore to help the military.”

 

“No, it's just that I—” Ed looked steadily at his metal hand, at the automail that Winry had created for him. “I want to get Al his body back. The best way to do that was to join the military so that I could have access to any materials and resources that I need.”

 

Isabel sniffed a little. “Well, that's your reason. I have—had—mine,” she corrected herself.

 

“Why did you leave us? Why did you leave me and Al alone like that?” Ed glared at her.

 

Wincing from the suddenness of the question, she turned and looked down the street and remained silent. After about a minute, she asked, “Does it matter? It's the past. Why let it keep you from moving forward?” She shifted so Ed couldn't see her face and swiped under her eyes. It was such a painful thought…she didn't want to think about that again.

 

Ed seemed a little taken aback. Hadn't he used those same words, or ones at least quite similar before? Had she heard them previously, or did those words seem to run in his family's mind? He shook his head. This was too much right now. “Forget it,” he mumbled. “Let's go back. We'll leave for Central in the morning.”

 

With that, he started back towards Headquarters. A couple steps away, he heard Isabel sniffling again behind him. Ed turned and folded his arms over his chest. “What? Aren't you coming?” he asked, pretending he couldn't tell she was crying. “They'll wonder where we are if we don't get back soon.”

 

Isabel looked up at him and nodded. “All right,” she said quietly and followed.

 

He sighed a little to himself, keeping the lead on their walk. This was going to be a long two months.

 

--------------------

 

As Ed stepped into the cooler room, he immediately noticed the sudden temperature drop. There was fog swirling around the air in here, and his breath pooled in front of him. It had been quite warm, at least eighty degrees outside. And to go from that to what was probably thirty-three degrees was a drastic change. It made him shiver violently. But he pressed on anyway. He had to find Winry.

 

He looked around, and all he saw at first were dead pigs, gutted and hanging from slats on the ceiling. Then he saw that form in the little corner of the room, hunched down to conserve some warmth for her. He rushed over to her.

 

“Hey, are you okay?” Ed asked urgently. He knelt down beside her. “Were you kidnapped too?”

 

The woman nodded and pointed in some direction in front of her. “There's one more over there,” she said, her voice shaking from the cold.

 

Ed stood up and looked around. “Okay. Let's get that person and get out of here,” he said and began turning around. “I'll accompany you, so rest assured…” Then his eyes widened in shock before the bat came down on his neck. There was a brief pain and the sound of the woman chuckling before unconsciousness took over.

 

When he came to, it was to the awful grinding noise. Ed opened his eyes and faintly saw the woman sharpening something on a wheel. Instinct told him it was trouble, since his consciousness was still waking up. He struggled against the chains keeping him in the chair as panic took over.

 

“Good morning, little boy,” the woman said when the wheel stopped. He gritted his teeth at the `little.'

 

“You…!” Ed shouted. He broke off at a pain in his right shoulder unlike anything he'd felt before. He looked to see what it was and realized his automail wasn't there! Where was it?

 

“I heard that you can transmute objects without a transmutation circle,” the woman said. But there was something terribly, terribly wrong. Her voice had changed! It was much deeper, like a man's voice. She picked up his automail and dangled it. “So I took some precautions.” What was going on? The woman started laughing and reached up to her hair and…pulled it off? Ed winced visibly to see that the woman was, indeed, a man! “Let me introduce myself,” he said. “I am this store's owner, Barry.”

 

Still in shock from missing his arm, the cold, what was happening, and the man standing before him, Ed managed to stammer, “A man?” before Barry continued his monologue.

 

“I'll show you something as a reward for coming this far.” He pushed the dead pig nearest to him with a good amount of force and it down the slat. Ed could hear muffle noises from further down before Winry came into view. Barry grabbed her shoulder to keep her from going any closer to Ed. She tried to say his name through the gag over her mouth, but it was just a squeak.

 

“Winry!” Why was she here? What interest did Barry have for her?

 

Barry bent down close to Winry and kept his eyes on Ed. “I'm going to break her apart artistically now.” Winry whimpered and tried to shirk away. “So watch carefully…Mr. State Alchemist.” A deranged smirk came over the man's face.

 

“Stop!” Ed shouted. He felt so helpless, stuck in that chair. He was unable to do anything to help Winry. “Why are you going to do that?”

 

“Why?” The crazed man looked a little shocked, as if a new thought had been thrust upon him. Had he never considered the why of what he did? He rubbed his chin. “I don't know… Maybe because it's fun?” He looked at Winry, who had been struggling with the chains on her wrists. She immediately stopped and returned Barry's stare, terror in her eyes. Barry carried on.

 

“I killed my wife first.” He started walked towards Ed. “We had a stupid fight. And I did it just as a whim.” He brandished the razor sharp knife easily. “But since I was able to slice her so beautifully, I started to want to be able to slice things more beautifully.”

 

Ed suddenly remembered he had Winry's screw. He reached in his back pocket and started scratching on the chains.

 

“And I wanted more people to look at my work,” Barry said nostalgically.

 

“A person can't kill another person for such a dumb reason!” Ed protested.

 

Barry turned around, the wild look in his wide eyes again. “They can.” He began advancing on Ed again. Fear was struck into the boy, simply from the expression on the man's face. “A person can kill another person for any reason.”

 

As if it would save him from Barry's knife, Ed turned his face away and shouted, “Stay away!” He was so scared. Was he going to die here? What would happen to Winry? Ed couldn't die like this; he had so much to do. He had to return Al to his original body! He had a promise to keep, a promise he'd made in blood! And yet, here he was, facing death at any given moment. It frightened him beyond thinking straight.

 

But Barry stopped just before him. Ed looked up and first saw the knife. “If they go to war, people can kill other people even more easily.” He looked up more and dared to raise his eyes to meet his probable executioner. “Why do you think that is?”

 

Ed's voice shook when he answered. “I-I don't know…”

 

Without warning, Barry's hand moved so quickly that the blade was thrust straight through his shoulder. It was so sudden that the pain was nonexistent for a moment. Then it came all at once. He let out a yell of agony as the blood squirted to the ground. It was blinding. His other shoulder was forgotten momentarily. Ed clenched his eyes shut and gritted his teeth, willing himself to forget what was happening.

 

“People want to kill people.” Barry's voice was only a distant echo in Ed's pain filled mind. But he forced himself to open his eyes and face the man before him. There was a smug look on his face. “On a battlefield, I've seen a State Alchemist like yourself kill people very easily. Just like this… `splat.'”

 

“No…” Memories assaulted Ed's brain. He saw his mother on the floor, the vegetables all around her from when she'd fallen. Then he and Al were sitting at her deathbed, holding her hand. He saw the life slowly draining from her eyes. He could feel her hand loosen on his again. Then it was their failed transmutation. The pain was there again, in his leg. The smoke was clearing. He saw the face of what was supposed to have been their mother, gasping for a breath it would never have. The form of Nina and Alexander's chimera appeared before his eyes. The chimera and Ed were nose to nose in that dank hole of a laboratory. Then, one of the cruelest images was the stain on the alleyway wall of what had been that chimera. “No!” His head hurt so bad now from the memories being thrown at him.

 

Quickly, he finished scratching the transmutation circle on the chains and rubbed his finger over it. The blue alchemical light flashed and the chains fell off. Barry jumped back in shock. As soon at the metal hit the floor, it turned into a pole.

 

“Why you!” Barry yelled and brandished the knife high in the air.

 

Panic swept over Ed's mind again. Thoughts cleared his head. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what was happening. He didn't even know what he was doing when his body made him jumped out of the chair just before it splintered into hundreds of pieces. The ground was cold beneath Edward's flesh as he realized what he'd done. But it was soon blinded out again as the pain started in his left shoulder again. He ignored it as he pushed himself up on his hand to catch sight of the pole. Quickly, he tapped it with his toe so it bounced into the air over his foot. Then, he kicked it up towards his hand. But it was too late. He looked at Barry with fear, still, as the knife was coming down.

Was this the end?