Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Once For All Time ❯ Chapter Four ( Chapter 4 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Manga Girl 
The woman stepped from the train, looking as though she had eaten a rotten egg. She flipped back long blonde hair and gazed around the crowded station. A man wearing, or so everyone assumed, a suit of armor clanked towards her. “Winry!”
She looked up, her voice as surly as her face. “Alphonse.”
Anime/Manga: Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Comedy / Action / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 06.18.2007 | Updated On: 08.30.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.3K | Visits: 255 | Status: Completed
The woman stepped from the train, looking as though she had eaten a rotten egg. She flipped back long blonde hair and gazed around the crowded station. A man wearing, or so everyone assumed, a suit of armor clanked towards her. “Winry!”
She looked up, her voice as surly as her face. “Alphonse.”
Anime/Manga: Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Comedy / Action / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 06.18.2007 | Updated On: 08.30.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.3K | Visits: 255 | Status: Completed
Once For All Time
Summary: The homunculi are on the move, growing closer to the creation of a philosopher stone, and, with a new promotion and ally, Edward is growing closer to restoring Al and destroying the homunculi.
Author: Manga Girl - MoonVeil
Foreword: I was inspired to write this story after reading, “Old Memories” by, Britni Fullmetal Otaku. Our stories will be nothing alike though, seeing as our plot lines are vastly different, that said, I hope you enjoy the story. Please review, not only do they help me know how I’m doing, they help to motivate me when I need to update.
Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, nor do I make any profits from the writing of this story.
Chapter Four
Important Note: This story is both based on the Anime and the Manga. Spelling of names and certain characters may be from either one. So, if anything confuses you, email me and I’ll fill you in on who they are or how their name differs.
-----
Alphonse sat silently, wishing his elder brother was there with him. He perked up as the whistle of a train could be heard, and, sure enough, a small black dot was chugging towards him, steam billowing out behind it. He stood, the armor of his body clanking loudly, the old woman who had been sitting beside him glared up at him.
Four minuets later the train sat peacefully at the platform, the passengers slow to exit. Al shifted uneasily, a wave of something he couldn’t place washing over him. Al held his breath as he saw her, not that he was actually breathing to begin with.
The woman stepped from the train, looking as though she had eaten a rotten egg. She flipped back long blonde hair and gazed around the crowded station. “Winry!”
She looked up, her voice as surly as her face, “Alphonse.” Al rubbed the back of his head and she studied him for a moment. “Where’s Ed?”
“Oh--brother is working; he got promoted and now works there more than before.” Al covered his feeling of unease with idle chatter, Winry didn’t seem to notice though, in fact she wasn’t even paying attention to him. “Winry?” he asked quietly.
“Ah? What was that, sorry Al, I was a little distracted.”
Al inclined his head and the girl could picture him smiling. “Its fine, I just wanted to ask why you decided to come to Central on such short notice.”
“Let’s call it intuition.” She said giggling.
“Intuition?” Al repeated stopping and looking down at her. “What do you mean?”
“I had a feeling.” Winry said her voice dipping lower as if she was telling him a secret. Al frowned and leaned in, something about the way Winry was acting had set him off. “Anyway, how have the two of you been doing?” She yanked the bag over her shoulder a little higher and they began walking through the waves of people.
Alphonse laughed uneasily. “Oh, brother and I have been well. You know, were staying with Mrs. Hughes.”
The blonde smiled, “really? How’s Elysia?”
“She’s gotten so big, you won’t hardly recognize her!”
“Oh,” Winry replied, smiling in a way that Al was unused to. “Won’t I?” She stopped for a moment and gave Al a hard look. “How’s Ed’s auto mail?” He didn’t answer and her eye twitched. “How bad?”
“N-Not too bad, I mean, he got it fixed by a nice man in town--”
“HE WHAT?!” The girl screeched, attracting bewildered glances from people around them.
“Well, we couldn’t go to Ris--”
“Outrageous!” She roared, fixing him with burning eyes. “That’s it! I refuse to help that asshole ever again!!”
“Winry, please...”
“No! Enough is enough!” She stomped ahead, grumbling about stupid jerks with big egos under her breath. Al trailed after crying and waving his arms about as he begged her to stop and listen.
------
“Eh?”
Edwar d grunted, feeling as though he had been doused in cold water. “Oh--Well, I just meant...” He trailed off studying the dirty smears on the window with unreal interest.
“You wanted--want,” she corrected. “To take me to the Military ball?”
“Er, yeah.” Edward affirmed his face going a nice lobster red, he felt like a lobster too, well, what one must feel as they can feel the heated flames of death scorching their poor-- “Eh? Sorry, what was that?”
“Are you sure it’s allowed? I mean it’s not exactly smiled upon for you to take your subordinate to a dance, or anything like that. Am I correct?”
“Wow,” Ed breathed, shaking his head ruefully. “You really are so different from your brother. And, to answer your question, I don’t give a damn what they think, never have.”
“Aa,” she grinned at him.
“So, you want to go or not?”
The girl shifted, pausing her dusting of the bookshelves. “Alright.” She turned back around and just missed the dazed look that passed over Ed’s face. He said nothing, though, it might have been because his throat had all but welled up with happiness, and began cleaning through the boxes with a newfound zest.
They worked in a peaceful silence until Havoc came in, smiling and dangling a cigarette dangerously between his lips. Amelia zoned in on it, locking her hands together behind her back to resist the urge she had to snatch it away and smash the damn thing into oblivion.
“Lieutenant Colonel?”
Edward waved a hand lazily from the floor, dumping the papers he held back into it. “Oh please, Havoc, it’s just Edward, alright?”
The older man grinned around the cigarette and Amelia had to turn away before she attacked him and began to tell him every disease and cancer they caused. “Whatever you say boss. Anyway; just received a call from Alphonse, Winry’s at Gracia’s house.”
“Winry? How did she--Is he still on the line?”
“No, but you can use the main office’s phone to call back if you want.”
“Yeah, thanks Havoc.”
“Anytime, Edward, Mustang.” He winked at the black-haired girl and left, shutting the door quietly behind him. Amelia studied Edward intently, finally asking:
“Winry? Is she your lover?”
The boy stilled, turning to face her, his mouth open, moving up and down, his eyes comically blank. “Lover?” he repeated stupidly.
Amelia began placing the books on the now clean shelves alphabetically, waiting patiently for Ed’s answer. She frowned over on book and began searching for its real place. “Yes. Lover.”
“LOVERS,” he exploded, waving his arms about wildly. “No, no, no, no, no! No!”
Amelia blinked and watched as Edward went from white to red and then back again, watched as he tugged at his hair and ran about in circles. She sweat dropped and waved a hand before her face. “Sorry, Edward, I just assumed--”
“We’re just friends!” He finished at last, looking highly embarrassed. “Not anything more.” She laughed and Edward was content to pretend it had never happened, but god damn it! Why did everyone have to assume he and Winry liked each other?! It didn’t even make sense.
------
Roy whined pitifully from over his paperwork, eyeing the slowly moving clock with anxious eyes. “Are you sure--”
“Mustang,” Riza snarled, her eyes burning. “For the last time the clock is not moving slow. Now get back to work!”
“Hai, hai.”
------
Amelia dragged herself up the last flight of stairs, wondering why the hell her brother had an apartment of the sixth floor. Just as she had inserted the key into the lock a voice called out her name. “Ah, Lauren, so nice to see you.” She said, turning to face the woman.
“Just getting home?” She asked kindly, twisting Amelia’s key in the lock and ushering the girl into the apartment.
“Yes, I’m guessing Roy isn’t back yet?”
Lauren moved into the kitchen after bending to remove her simple brown leather shoes and slipping her, Amelia noted, surprisingly small feet into fuzzy blue slippers. Amelia followed suit and paused in the doorway.
“Would you like some help?” The older woman smiled back at her and motioned for her to follow with a small jerk of her head.
“It’s your house dear, come on, what do you enjoy eating?”
Amelia told her and Lauren smiled; “you really are like your brother.”
----
Roy took the stairs three at a time, ignoring the angry rant of his landlord about his forgetting to pay the rent again; he shouted back that he had not the time. And then, he just zoned in on the door mere feet away. Roy turned the knob just as it was yanked open.
Amelia gave him a dry look, her lips twitching. “Roy, what the hell are you doing?”
“Amelia,” he cried, looking up at her, his dark eyes swimming with tears (it was the dust, really). “You’re alright!”
“What are you talking about Roy?”
The man sat up, waving at Lauren who could be seen through the small alcove in the kitchen. “Nothing, it’s nothing.” He ruffled Amelia’s hair and entered the house, pausing as he took off his shoes. “Where are you going, Amelia?”
“To meet Edward, he called and asked me to meet him.”
Roy blinked, “meet you where?”
“The little shop on the corner.” Amelia said, “hey, throw me my umbrella.”
Roy twisted around grabbing the small black umbrella and tossing it to the younger girl who caught it easily. “Why do you need it?”
“I have a feeling it’s going to rain.” She said, beginning to walk away.
Roy frowned, “have you been outside? It’s beautiful out there.”
“Now anyway. Bye Lauren!”
Roy watched her black head as it disappeared around the corner and down the stairs before he finally remembered something. “Is it a date?!” He screamed after her.
“No!” She shouted back. “You idiot!”
-------
Edward anxiously pushed down his hair as it stubbornly refused to be tamed, sticking up in a way he found to be highly unattractive. Winry was slamming her fists and feet against the door, cursing at him with words he had never imagined her to know. As soon as the fight had started Gracia and taken Elysia’s hand a dragged the confused child from the house, tempting her with the promise of candy.
Alphonse was wailing back at Winry, something Ed couldn’t understand through the thick door. Finally satisfied that his hair wasn’t going to be the downfall of the evening, Edward opened the door, moving to the side as Winry fell into the bathroom. Spinning Ed slammed it shut, clapping his hands and molding the doorknob shut.
“Brother!” Al said, sounding reprimanding.
Edward shrugged him off, grabbing her coat as he jumped down the stairs. “Look Al, I have no idea why Winry’s even here but I don’t have time to listen to her.”
“Brother!” Al said again, “how could you say that?”
“Why is she even here?” Ed carried on, nearly at the front door. Winry could be heard slamming against the door from upstairs.
Al sighed, “I don’t know. She called early this morning and told me she would be in around ten. But really, brother wasn’t that a bit much?”
“Then let her out.” Ed snapped, lacing up his boots. “I’ve got to go. Now.” Al stared blankly at the door his brother had exited from before going back upstairs to free Winry--who he already knew wasn’t going to be too happy. Al sighed and wished Ed wouldn’t put him in situation like this.
-----
Edward made it down the sidewalk when he heard a sound that let him know right away that he wasn’t going to be able to stay at Gracia’s house that night.
“EDWARD ELRIC!! I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!”
------
Hello Winry--please go away.
Manga Girl.
Preview of Chapter Four:
“Homunculi are creatures created from a human mistake--they feed off the life of humans to gain form. They're monsters.”
“Not quite, Ed,” Amelia murmured.
----
Someone told me: Someone told me that I had sent Edward down a rank and I researched to see if I had in fact made a mistake, but, thank goodness, I haven’t. Amelia is the Second Lieutenant, you must have been confusing her with Edo, who is the Lieutenant Colonel.
Beta Love: MagenKyotenChiten
Summary: The homunculi are on the move, growing closer to the creation of a philosopher stone, and, with a new promotion and ally, Edward is growing closer to restoring Al and destroying the homunculi.
Author: Manga Girl - MoonVeil
Foreword: I was inspired to write this story after reading, “Old Memories” by, Britni Fullmetal Otaku. Our stories will be nothing alike though, seeing as our plot lines are vastly different, that said, I hope you enjoy the story. Please review, not only do they help me know how I’m doing, they help to motivate me when I need to update.
Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, nor do I make any profits from the writing of this story.
Chapter Four
Important Note: This story is both based on the Anime and the Manga. Spelling of names and certain characters may be from either one. So, if anything confuses you, email me and I’ll fill you in on who they are or how their name differs.
-----
Alphonse sat silently, wishing his elder brother was there with him. He perked up as the whistle of a train could be heard, and, sure enough, a small black dot was chugging towards him, steam billowing out behind it. He stood, the armor of his body clanking loudly, the old woman who had been sitting beside him glared up at him.
Four minuets later the train sat peacefully at the platform, the passengers slow to exit. Al shifted uneasily, a wave of something he couldn’t place washing over him. Al held his breath as he saw her, not that he was actually breathing to begin with.
The woman stepped from the train, looking as though she had eaten a rotten egg. She flipped back long blonde hair and gazed around the crowded station. “Winry!”
She looked up, her voice as surly as her face, “Alphonse.” Al rubbed the back of his head and she studied him for a moment. “Where’s Ed?”
“Oh--brother is working; he got promoted and now works there more than before.” Al covered his feeling of unease with idle chatter, Winry didn’t seem to notice though, in fact she wasn’t even paying attention to him. “Winry?” he asked quietly.
“Ah? What was that, sorry Al, I was a little distracted.”
Al inclined his head and the girl could picture him smiling. “Its fine, I just wanted to ask why you decided to come to Central on such short notice.”
“Let’s call it intuition.” She said giggling.
“Intuition?” Al repeated stopping and looking down at her. “What do you mean?”
“I had a feeling.” Winry said her voice dipping lower as if she was telling him a secret. Al frowned and leaned in, something about the way Winry was acting had set him off. “Anyway, how have the two of you been doing?” She yanked the bag over her shoulder a little higher and they began walking through the waves of people.
Alphonse laughed uneasily. “Oh, brother and I have been well. You know, were staying with Mrs. Hughes.”
The blonde smiled, “really? How’s Elysia?”
“She’s gotten so big, you won’t hardly recognize her!”
“Oh,” Winry replied, smiling in a way that Al was unused to. “Won’t I?” She stopped for a moment and gave Al a hard look. “How’s Ed’s auto mail?” He didn’t answer and her eye twitched. “How bad?”
“N-Not too bad, I mean, he got it fixed by a nice man in town--”
“HE WHAT?!” The girl screeched, attracting bewildered glances from people around them.
“Well, we couldn’t go to Ris--”
“Outrageous!” She roared, fixing him with burning eyes. “That’s it! I refuse to help that asshole ever again!!”
“Winry, please...”
“No! Enough is enough!” She stomped ahead, grumbling about stupid jerks with big egos under her breath. Al trailed after crying and waving his arms about as he begged her to stop and listen.
------
“Eh?”
Edwar d grunted, feeling as though he had been doused in cold water. “Oh--Well, I just meant...” He trailed off studying the dirty smears on the window with unreal interest.
“You wanted--want,” she corrected. “To take me to the Military ball?”
“Er, yeah.” Edward affirmed his face going a nice lobster red, he felt like a lobster too, well, what one must feel as they can feel the heated flames of death scorching their poor-- “Eh? Sorry, what was that?”
“Are you sure it’s allowed? I mean it’s not exactly smiled upon for you to take your subordinate to a dance, or anything like that. Am I correct?”
“Wow,” Ed breathed, shaking his head ruefully. “You really are so different from your brother. And, to answer your question, I don’t give a damn what they think, never have.”
“Aa,” she grinned at him.
“So, you want to go or not?”
The girl shifted, pausing her dusting of the bookshelves. “Alright.” She turned back around and just missed the dazed look that passed over Ed’s face. He said nothing, though, it might have been because his throat had all but welled up with happiness, and began cleaning through the boxes with a newfound zest.
They worked in a peaceful silence until Havoc came in, smiling and dangling a cigarette dangerously between his lips. Amelia zoned in on it, locking her hands together behind her back to resist the urge she had to snatch it away and smash the damn thing into oblivion.
“Lieutenant Colonel?”
Edward waved a hand lazily from the floor, dumping the papers he held back into it. “Oh please, Havoc, it’s just Edward, alright?”
The older man grinned around the cigarette and Amelia had to turn away before she attacked him and began to tell him every disease and cancer they caused. “Whatever you say boss. Anyway; just received a call from Alphonse, Winry’s at Gracia’s house.”
“Winry? How did she--Is he still on the line?”
“No, but you can use the main office’s phone to call back if you want.”
“Yeah, thanks Havoc.”
“Anytime, Edward, Mustang.” He winked at the black-haired girl and left, shutting the door quietly behind him. Amelia studied Edward intently, finally asking:
“Winry? Is she your lover?”
The boy stilled, turning to face her, his mouth open, moving up and down, his eyes comically blank. “Lover?” he repeated stupidly.
Amelia began placing the books on the now clean shelves alphabetically, waiting patiently for Ed’s answer. She frowned over on book and began searching for its real place. “Yes. Lover.”
“LOVERS,” he exploded, waving his arms about wildly. “No, no, no, no, no! No!”
Amelia blinked and watched as Edward went from white to red and then back again, watched as he tugged at his hair and ran about in circles. She sweat dropped and waved a hand before her face. “Sorry, Edward, I just assumed--”
“We’re just friends!” He finished at last, looking highly embarrassed. “Not anything more.” She laughed and Edward was content to pretend it had never happened, but god damn it! Why did everyone have to assume he and Winry liked each other?! It didn’t even make sense.
------
Roy whined pitifully from over his paperwork, eyeing the slowly moving clock with anxious eyes. “Are you sure--”
“Mustang,” Riza snarled, her eyes burning. “For the last time the clock is not moving slow. Now get back to work!”
“Hai, hai.”
------
Amelia dragged herself up the last flight of stairs, wondering why the hell her brother had an apartment of the sixth floor. Just as she had inserted the key into the lock a voice called out her name. “Ah, Lauren, so nice to see you.” She said, turning to face the woman.
“Just getting home?” She asked kindly, twisting Amelia’s key in the lock and ushering the girl into the apartment.
“Yes, I’m guessing Roy isn’t back yet?”
Lauren moved into the kitchen after bending to remove her simple brown leather shoes and slipping her, Amelia noted, surprisingly small feet into fuzzy blue slippers. Amelia followed suit and paused in the doorway.
“Would you like some help?” The older woman smiled back at her and motioned for her to follow with a small jerk of her head.
“It’s your house dear, come on, what do you enjoy eating?”
Amelia told her and Lauren smiled; “you really are like your brother.”
----
Roy took the stairs three at a time, ignoring the angry rant of his landlord about his forgetting to pay the rent again; he shouted back that he had not the time. And then, he just zoned in on the door mere feet away. Roy turned the knob just as it was yanked open.
Amelia gave him a dry look, her lips twitching. “Roy, what the hell are you doing?”
“Amelia,” he cried, looking up at her, his dark eyes swimming with tears (it was the dust, really). “You’re alright!”
“What are you talking about Roy?”
The man sat up, waving at Lauren who could be seen through the small alcove in the kitchen. “Nothing, it’s nothing.” He ruffled Amelia’s hair and entered the house, pausing as he took off his shoes. “Where are you going, Amelia?”
“To meet Edward, he called and asked me to meet him.”
Roy blinked, “meet you where?”
“The little shop on the corner.” Amelia said, “hey, throw me my umbrella.”
Roy twisted around grabbing the small black umbrella and tossing it to the younger girl who caught it easily. “Why do you need it?”
“I have a feeling it’s going to rain.” She said, beginning to walk away.
Roy frowned, “have you been outside? It’s beautiful out there.”
“Now anyway. Bye Lauren!”
Roy watched her black head as it disappeared around the corner and down the stairs before he finally remembered something. “Is it a date?!” He screamed after her.
“No!” She shouted back. “You idiot!”
-------
Edward anxiously pushed down his hair as it stubbornly refused to be tamed, sticking up in a way he found to be highly unattractive. Winry was slamming her fists and feet against the door, cursing at him with words he had never imagined her to know. As soon as the fight had started Gracia and taken Elysia’s hand a dragged the confused child from the house, tempting her with the promise of candy.
Alphonse was wailing back at Winry, something Ed couldn’t understand through the thick door. Finally satisfied that his hair wasn’t going to be the downfall of the evening, Edward opened the door, moving to the side as Winry fell into the bathroom. Spinning Ed slammed it shut, clapping his hands and molding the doorknob shut.
“Brother!” Al said, sounding reprimanding.
Edward shrugged him off, grabbing her coat as he jumped down the stairs. “Look Al, I have no idea why Winry’s even here but I don’t have time to listen to her.”
“Brother!” Al said again, “how could you say that?”
“Why is she even here?” Ed carried on, nearly at the front door. Winry could be heard slamming against the door from upstairs.
Al sighed, “I don’t know. She called early this morning and told me she would be in around ten. But really, brother wasn’t that a bit much?”
“Then let her out.” Ed snapped, lacing up his boots. “I’ve got to go. Now.” Al stared blankly at the door his brother had exited from before going back upstairs to free Winry--who he already knew wasn’t going to be too happy. Al sighed and wished Ed wouldn’t put him in situation like this.
-----
Edward made it down the sidewalk when he heard a sound that let him know right away that he wasn’t going to be able to stay at Gracia’s house that night.
“EDWARD ELRIC!! I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!”
------
Hello Winry--please go away.
Manga Girl.
Preview of Chapter Four:
“Homunculi are creatures created from a human mistake--they feed off the life of humans to gain form. They're monsters.”
“Not quite, Ed,” Amelia murmured.
----
Someone told me: Someone told me that I had sent Edward down a rank and I researched to see if I had in fact made a mistake, but, thank goodness, I haven’t. Amelia is the Second Lieutenant, you must have been confusing her with Edo, who is the Lieutenant Colonel.
Beta Love: MagenKyotenChiten