Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ The Shadow Of The Day ❯ A Tale From Within the Parallel Universe ( Chapter 3 )

The Shadow of the Day

 

Chapter 3 “A Tale From Within the Parallel Universe”

 

The morning light peeked up over the mountains casting light across the streets, bathing everything in its life-giving rays. The dew of the night evaporated with the touch of light from the well-manicured lawns. The winds brought in the last hint of nocturnal breeze before the sun warmed the air.

 

Winry crossed her arms over her chest as she folded her leg over her other knee. Of all the places she'd thought she might find today, this was certainly not her idea of fun.

 

The tiles on the ceiling of the museum waiting room made random patterns behind her eyes. She stared and stared, contemplating her life's choices because she honestly had nothing better to do at the moment. Despite what could have been deemed, waiting had never been her forte. Not to say she wasn't patient, she'd just never much enjoyed extended periods of boredom. She cursed herself for not bringing something along with her to read. Now she had to play connect the dots with ceiling tiles, which was the better of her few options. She certainly didn't want to strike up a conversation with the receptionist, because that was just sad. Though there were a few magazines she could pick up and read, she wasn't about to lower herself to do so. The selection was dreadfully lacking in the interest department. Not that staring at the ceiling was the most entertaining thing in the world, still, any port in a storm.

 

The open window next to her blew in a cool breeze. The crisp early, morning air brought her a small sense of deja'vu as she recalled a bit of her life before everything changed for herself. How she had always loved those leisurely, sleepy mornings when she would shyly watch her mother prepare the family's meal and listen to her humming softly while she worked. She sighed and drew in a deep breath.

 

Of course, staring at the ceiling created its own problems. The foremost of which was her incessant need to reflect on her past as her eyes roved around connecting the lines in the pitted ceiling tile. She was making constellations from the holes in an attempt to abstain from thinking and it wasn't working. Her eyes darted to and from, happily connecting several holes to create an actual constellation. Canis Major, one of the constellation Orion's hunting dogs…

 

Fascinating.

 

It was fascinating that she'd happen to fashion Canis Major out of several holes in a ceiling. By thinking of things that were better left swept under the rug. No, they were better left buried in a ten-foot hole in a led-lined box with concrete poured on top of it. Then she had to go and dig them up, idiot that she was.

 

What bothered her the most was that she had only recently learned what those constellations were called in this world and she could already recite them…

 

Grumbling to herself internally, she found her thoughts moulding into her memories once again, but this time towards the grandmother of that kid who had found her here in the first place.

 

…Flashback…

 

Winry came awake abruptly, disoriented and cold, and reached up to soothe the dull, throbbing ache in her temple. Her eyes held a thick glaze from sleep over them and she lifted her arm to rub them on the back of her sleeve. She was startled and a bit disturbed when her hand passed over something wet on her forehead, but after a moment she realized it was only a damp cloth.

 

She furrowed her brows un confusion and curled her fingers around the material and pulled it off of her forehead. She glanced down at the cloth on her palm for a moment before she felt another presence extremely close. She looked up and jumped about a foot at the familiar green eyes peering down at her about three inches from her face.

 

Before the inevitable colliding of their heads, he straightened his posture and turned towards the entrance to the kitchen. “OMAAA! She's awake!” His young voice was wobbly and shifted to a higher tone and Winry could tell that he was young teenager.

 

Winry groaned as she held her palm against her forehead, shutting her eyes tightly. `No kidding…' She groaned as another wave of throbbing hit her and she could've cuffed the kid for being so noisy. Removing her hand from her temple, her eyes reopened as the boy's `Oma' emerged from the nest room.

 

She meandered her way over and took the seat next to her, gently prying the wet cloth from Winry's hand. “So… been having bad dreams?” She inquired pleasantly, mopping at her brow.

Somehow, Winry could sense that she was not trying to force her into conversation. Somehow she knew the old woman was not really demanding details or explanations, she was just seeking to offer her some much needed comfort and support. `Besides…' She thought ruefully. `The answer to her question was plainly obvious already. Bad dreams, indeed…'

“You could say that.” She murmured after a moment's pause. “I've always had them. I guess from now on they're going to be… a little different.” She shook her head to clear the memory of the indifference in Edward's burning eyes and tentatively poked at her sternum, as if checking to see if her heart still beat within her chest.

Satisfied that she was still put together properly and in one piece, she took in her first glimpse of her new surroundings. She was in a small room, partially furnished with a few potted flowers in the corner, which looked well-cared for. Try as she might, she couldn't really remember arriving… here. Dimly, she wondered where `here' even was. Between all the physical exertions and emotional upheaval over the past few days, tracking her own travels hadn't seemed all that important. `Strange…' She mused. `How much things had changed in so short a space of time.' She shook her head sadly, still not believing that she was really in a strange land, that she had really been cast aside...

Despite her heartache and fear, her natural curiosity began to reassert itself and she shifted to get a better feel of her bearings. Smiling gratefully at the kindly old woman tending to her, she gazed at the comforts of the unfamiliar room.

She found herself to be in a simple bed next to a simple dresser. The air was humid and hot; there was a slight mineral scent, and the telling shimmer of water from the basin the old woman was using reflected on the ceiling.

 

As her gaze returned to what was near her, she noticed what she assumed was probably the old woman's grandchildren looking at her in curiosity. Both of them had greenest eyes Winry had ever seen, almost with a diamond finish to them and she could tell that they were siblings, though the young girl had a head full of auburn locks that reached just past her waist while the boy had more of a mess of strawberry blonde hair. He looked mostly worried as he tried to be discreet when he'd look at the gash on her temple, but the girl looked cheerful and a bit antsy in Winry's eyes.

 

Sensing their young guest's curiosity, the old woman decided to make it easy on her and gestured towards her grandkids. “They're Nikolaus and Cremia, thirteen and six.”

 

Niko muttered some inaudible words of annoyance and dug his hands in his pockets. “I prefer Niko…”

 

“Nice to meetcha!” Cremia piped up in a slightly slurred voice, her spirited enthusiasm making Winry smile.

 

`Thirteen and six?' Winry wondered to herself briefly. `Perhaps she was an afterthought…'

 

The elderly woman grinned and turned around to give her grandson a look, suggesting that they should vacate the room and give their guest some space. Niko quickly nodded and grabbed his sister's hand, pulling on her arm enough to get her to exit the room with him.

“Well, little miss…” She swiped at her temples one last time, sloshing a bit more water onto her face than she probably intended to. She cackled merrily as Winry sputtered for a bit, then she deposited the cloth in a basin of cool water by the bedside and rose to her feet. “I suppose you'll be wanting a soak?”

 

The girl couldn't contain her sigh at the thought of finally being able to take a hot bath, and nodded eagerly in confirmation.

 

The woman nodded. “Thought you might, it's all set up for you, the bath's in the room adjacent from this one. By the way…” She stopped near the doorway and grinned. “The name's Ula in advance. I don't need any of that `old lady' stuff, I get enough of that from my grandson.” With one final wave, she left the room.

 

Winry lingered in bed for a moment, trying to suppress a small smile as she stared down at her new clothing… although the style seemed a bit dressy compared to what she was used to.

She rubbed the back of her head, feeling a bit sheepish from the odd woman's blunt kindness. “Thanks.” She whispered. But there was no one there anymore.

 

----------

 

Winry spent hours in the small wooden tub in the room perpendicular to the one she had been staying in. Pondering over things that were probably best left alone.

She had only been trying to help them, after all, and look where it got her… she furrowed her brow and slowly ran her fingers through her unruly hair, and thought back over the years. It truly occurred to her that she hadn't had many conversations with her childhood friend, and how she really didn't know him anymore… not like she used to anyway. Interactions were based on a sentence here and a sentence there, but not any smooth flow, or give and take. Everything was vague, clipped, and indirect.

Sometimes, he'd ask how she was feeling or if she was happy. Of course, she would supply the answer only too eagerly, anything to keep his attention fixed on her…

Even for a moment.

She learned early on, however, that he wouldn't reciprocate in the way he used to, and when she would ask him he would only stick with his one or two word answers and turn away in agitation, like she was nothing more than a bother. Well, that was probably exactly it. Though she never would admit defeat and kept trying anyway.

Instead, she had contented herself with observing everything about him. The way his hair rippled when he moved, the peaceful look that came over him when he settled at night to gaze up at the stars, the smiles she would sometimes catch out of the corner of her eye…

She leapt to her feet in agitation. She just couldn't understand it. Wasn't she supposed to be dead anyway? Wasn't that the deal?

She felt a chill slither up her spine at the thought that she had been right there, in the gate's arms like Ed had been and within the jaws of death, yet here she was, alive and kicking. She shivered and brought up her pale hands and instinctively pressed them against her face as if to confirm that.

 

What would it have been like? Would she have even felt anything or was it more of a transition? Would she feel herself slowly slipping away, fading into nothing but a forlorn walking ghost… Winry worried her lip and tapped her fingers together, an annoying, impulsive habit she had ever since she was little. She paced the length of her new room, pausing to kick the strange clothes she borrowed from the into the shadows, feeling a small measure of satisfaction at the sorry excuse for a rebellious act.

What if-… since she was alive now, wouldn't they still be in danger, was this all some sort of mistake? What if they hadn't even made it back home as promised, what if…

 

Wait a minute.

 

Winry's eyes became impossibly wide and her hands shot up to muffle the involuntary gasp escaping her throat. She suddenly had the most frightening of thoughts, and a single, burning question moved in to occupy the forefront of her mind, but with no one to answer it for her. She wasn't even supposed to be alive now… was she? The gate- er- `Truth' character had taken her as a sacrifice to atone for whatever Ed had done to piss him off, so why was she alive now?

Winry dressed swiftly, and then crept quietly from her room. She moved into a narrow, darkened corridor, her small feet pattering against the wooden floor. The scent of smoke filled her nostrils and the constant drip-drip of water continued to echo all about her. She turned into the first doorway she found, and stepped into an adjoining room.

A few more twists in the halls, and she finally found herself a large, strangely bright room. She cried out in amazement, pausing to marvel at the amazing collection of paintings displayed on the walls.

As she arrived at the bottom of the stairs, Winry hurried past all the intriguing objects littering the room, eager to feel the sunshine on her cheeks. She paused near the entrance to the kitchen, suddenly more ensnared with the wonderful smells coming from within. She turned to the open window and smiled as the cool air brushed across her face. The rising sun was just starting to burn off the morning fog, and in the distance she thought she could see a small lake. “Beautiful.” She breathed.

“Ah! You're up and about?!” chirped an overly cheerful voice behind her.

Winry let out a surprised shriek and whirled around. Her hands flew out and she stumbled, knocking a mallet from its hook and setting off a chain reaction of tools tumbling from the walls, echoing down into the dark.

“Oops.” Ula muttered sheepishly. “Well, if you really want to repay me, here's your first task of the day: clean that up.”

Winry panted, and waited for the din to die down before beginning to bend to restore the utensils and whatnot to their rightful places. She was really rather thankful, actually. A chore would occupy her mind. It would hopefully keep some of her nagging doubts at bay. `Maybe, just maybe, that was the old woman's intention all along?' She smiled. It seemed increasingly clear to her that Ula's absentmindedness might really be a great act.

But she could not waste time dwelling on the old woman's intentions or her mental state. She needed to find out what she really knew. Now that she was face to face with him again, her mind would not let go of that final terrible question, and she could not allow herself to be swayed again. She dropped a small spatula to the floor with a clatter, and opened her mouth to speak...

However, once more, Ula was one step ahead of her. “Wait, wait, girl.” She shouted, silencing her before she could even form a word. “I thought you might like something to eat first!” She beckoned for her to follow, leading her to a low, broken table in the corner that seemed to function as both a work-bench and dining area. Until the moment that the old woman held a bowl of soup before her famished eyes, Winry had not even realized how hungry she was. She nodded in grateful acceptance, and raced to join her.

“Thanks and… sorry for wrecking all your…” Winry struggled painfully to find a word to describe the clutter. “Ummm, stuff.” Unable to ignore the call of her growling stomach anymore, she immediately began ladling the deliciously hot food into her mouth. “I'm still a little jumpy, I guess.” She explained, her words garbled between those first perfect mouthfuls.

She simply waved it off. “It's fine. I imagine you've got some important things on your mind, girl.”

Winry dipped her head down, trying not to seem so eager to know where exactly she was. “Yeah… I did actually think of one more question.”

“Only one?” The woman asked with a sly wink. Winry smiled shyly and shrugged, not wanting to appear too anxious and demanding.

 

“Well… first of all…” She placed a withered finger on her chin as she scrutinized the young woman before her. “Where are you from? You don't speak our language… so you can't be a local woman…”

 

The smile on Winry's face twisted regretfully. She'd seriously hoped that it wouldn't come to this, but it looked like she wouldn't have a choice in the matter. Her head started to hurt as different stories swam in her mind that might seem fitting for a situation like this, but the majority of them had to be among the cheesiest excuses anyone could come up with.

 

“I'm…” One idea that made the most sense stuck in her mind, so she decided to go with that one. “Having a hard time remembering…”

 

“Well…” Ula started up again, watching the girl's changing expressions carefully. As well as the way she uncomfortably folded and unfolded her hands. “I don't want to seem too pushy, but there is one thing that I should know.”

 

Winry internally groaned as he prepared to field another question with another `brilliant' answer.

 

The woman grinned a bit, sensing the girl's uneasiness. “Do you have a name, hun?”

 

She blinked and cringed slightly at her guardedness. “Yeah, sorry… it's Winry.”

 

“See?” Ula's smile relaxed as she turned around to fill the kettle with water. “Now we're getting somewhere. At least you're only suffering from a minor case of amnesia…”

 

Winry's lips pressed together firmly as a wave of guilt settled over her. She hated the idea of having to lie to this nice woman, but she really didn't have a choice in the matter.

As if sensing that her young companion was fast approaching an emotional breaking point, Ula quickly decided that it was time for the topic to come to a close. “Well, dear, I am sorry for your loss, but feel free to stay here for as long as you'd like.” Propping her chin up on her palms, she leaned forward. “Though you strike me as someone who wouldn't want to be coddled for long periods of time, but do be careful out there, there is a lot of civil unrest…”

 

Winry nodded slowly, not knowing what to say or do with the warning and felt a bit uneasy.

The old woman sighed and shrugged her thin shoulders as she backed away, realizing she could offer the girl no more comfort. Any peace she found now would have to come from within. “When you do leave however, I suggest you head to the nearest major city around here…” She paused momentarily as Winry nodded for her to continue. “It's called Munich, and would probably be a better place for a lone woman to settle, then out here in this quiet town.”

 

She sunk into the shadows with a weary groan, her ancient face lined with wrinkles and concern. “Well, you must have experienced something traumatic to cause you to lose your memory, that or you smacked yourself in the head a good one. Whatever happened you should try to let it go…” She chuckled to herself a bit as the whistle from kettle brought her attention.

Winry turned to stare at the steam pouring forth from the iron kettle, bubbling and hissing on the scolding ring. “But, in the end… he did let me go.” She murmured bitterly, when the woman was out of earshot.

…End of Flashback…

 

Winry sighed in annoyance, and turned away from the captivating aggravation she found in the ceiling. Not that the floor would be any better. After a few minutes of that though, she decided that it was definitely time to get out of here before she really did memorize every constellation in the book.

 

She strolled through the empty museum, her heels clicking noisily on the highly polished, marble floors. She gazed absently at a few of the displays as she passed them but nothing had really caught her eye. Nothing but case after case of old weapons, old armour, old scrolls and to just break things up… old pottery. It was perhaps the dullest place she'd ever set foot in and she wondered how they made any money. Stifling a yawn, she felt her mind turn in on itself again. There was a tinge of bittersweet emotion triggered by her recent reminiscences and no matter how hard she tried, that feeling just wouldn't fade away. So she gave up.

 

It was strange. Time had passed and things returned to a startling degree of normality with only a few superficial changes.

 

Superficial, indeed.

 

Winry still found her hands wandering to the itchy material of her long sleeves or equally long skirt. Well, it wasn't exactly itchy, but she certainly wasn't used to covering every inch of her body, though stating something like that aloud was bound to turn a few heads. If there was only one thing she'd learned about this world, it was that a woman's standards were. Anything and anyone else who didn't abide by that was celled something Ula referred to as a `flapper.'

 

This would have been comforting to Winry had she not seen through it. If she didn't know that everything she did and said, everything, all of it was a lie. It was forced and so false that she truly wondered if she were the only one who realized it because she didn't want to be the only one in on the joke.

 

A cyclical routine that once upon a time was comfortable, but now she was tired of the pretence behind it.

 

As she rounded the corner she spotted one reason why some things seemed to have remained the same. A reason that had become fast friends with her.

 

She had met her about a few days ago after she set off on her own and took Ula's suggestion of travelling to `Munich.' Which was only a short distance away from the small residential area which she and her family lived in. It was really her face that made Winry trust her, even though that alone was probably not a good idea, but she reminded her so much of Rose… minus having a child.

 

“Oh, Winry…” Noa quickly closed the book she had just been reading and slid it back onto the display case along with the others. “Sorry, is it that time already? I guess I lost track of things…” She smiled a bit sheepishly and walked over to Winry, her own heels clicking against the floor.

 

Winry smiled in return and leaned against once of the ornate pillars which stood in various places of the central hall. Noa had told her that she had always wanted to visit the museum in this town, but never had anyone to go with before. There was also the factor that she'd told her that it would be safer to go at the crack of dawn when the museum first opened, or late at night at around closing. Not being a morning person in the least, Winry had easily opted for the latter.

 

“So…” Winry really did the best to conceal her boredom, but the other woman didn't seem to be buying it by the amused expression on her face. “Are we done here, or…” She found the tips of her fingers impatiently drum together.

 

Noa laughed. “Yes… we can go now.” She stated as they headed towards the exit of the exhibit.

 

It was actually around the entrance to the museum where she had her first met Noa. At first Winry thought she was very odd, poking around in the shadows with a cloak wrapped around her body and a hood concealing most of her face. Of course, curiosity had gotten to her and she'd decided to see the lone woman for herself…

 

Of course when she'd seen her face, she'd stupidly blurted out `ROSE?'… brilliant move. Perhaps it was because Noa's quiet disposition matched her own at this point, she had found it surprisingly easy to get along with her. As for Noa… she guessed that the other woman was just lonely.

 

One thing was that Noa refused to tell her where she had come from, the only thing she would say was that she ran away and she was never going back. Winry could only imagine the thoughts going through the other woman's mind, since the expression on Noa's face was very similar to the one on Rose's face when she'd once told her how her child was conceived.

 

Noa looked over, noticing that her companion was going through another one of her silent periods.

 

Sometimes Winry could be the most upbeat person she had ever met, contrasting almost brutally with her own personality. Then there times like these when she could be deathly quiet, and Noa knew that she was deep in thought. They say that silence speaks volumes, and she found herself to be particularly talented at gauging other people's emotions.

 

There were times when Noa did find herself a bit jealous of Winry's personality. She even tried to copy some of the phrases she used that seemed much more cheerful and casual. Her friend was unique, that was for sure.

 

“Come on, Winry.” Noa smiled lightly. Winry couldn't help but take note that it seemed difficult for her to smile anymore then a slight curve to the lips. “What do you say we go to the tavern for a bit?”

 

----------

 

The air was bitterly cold and snow was falling gently from the night sky, despite the face that Winter was still a few months away. settling upon the already fallen snow. Edward made his way down the sidewalk, crunching through the thin layer of white powder beginning to coat the sidewalk. Winry internally debated on going to the tavern at this time of night, it was probably begging for trouble, but at the moment, the idea of just getting out of the cold threw that dispute out the window.

 

It was nothing special. Just a small building on the corner with a sign hanging above the door, displaying the tavern's name and swaying in an unseen wind. A blast of blissfully warm air hit her freezing hands as she pushed the door open, Noa closely in tow. A small bell jingled as the door opened and then fell shut behind the them. The bar room was warm and small, but cozy. The bartender was currently wiping down the surface of the counter, moving the white rag in quick circles across the smooth and polished wood. A few people sat at the stools, each with another stool separating them from each other. Several other people sat at the small tables scattered across the room, talking in low voices. A stag was set up against the right wall of the bar, complete with a grand piano and a percussion set. It was empty, apparently awaiting the next performer.

 

It seemed to be the only tavern on the east side of town where Noa could fit in without being bothered. Not that it really mattered to her since she was still sixteen-years-old and hadn't had a drop of alcohol that hadn't been offered purely to see if she liked it or not. Navigating her way through the crowd, she found an empty table near the stage since the real purpose was listening to the music.

 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a few people get up on stage. Winry turned with half-hearted curiosity as the group got their act together. Two men took their places, one at the piano while the other set up at the drums. After a few minutes of warming up, a girl that Winry presumed was their lead singer climbed the steps onstage. After the lights shone on her face, illuminating her face, Winry's neutral smile twisted sadly. The girl could be nothing less than this world's answer to her old friend, Nelly. Shaking her head once, she turned back to the basic design etched into the wood of the table.

 

It was a strange sensation she felt, but gave her a sense of nostalgia every time she would see a familiar face. She had not seen anyone truly major as of yet, in fact Noa was the first, but at the beginning she would run over to that face until reality caused her to snap out of it. Although it didn't help the confusion of the poor person.

 

Winry blushed in embarrassment at the memory. After a while though, she had controlled her urge to jump up and run over to the person. In the moment, she lifted her gaze from the pattern etched into the table and looked across at girl who called herself a `gypsy.'

 

That was the odd thing about Noa. From what she'd heard and from what little experience she had so far, it seemed that the alter egos of the people she had once known harboured similar, external traits and had either the exact same name or was altered only slightly. That was where the connection ended between Rose and Noa. When she'd first met the gypsy girl, she'd worn a cloak with a hood concealing most of her features and all Winry had seen was her face, but as she spent more time with her, the similarities seemed to drift further apart as she began to see that they were really two very different people, leaving her to wonder why she'd once saw them as the same person.

 

She blinked casually as Noa took another sip of her drink while listening to the music, completely oblivious of Winry's silent observations. According to Noa, those who didn't look similar to Winry were discriminated against. In truth, it seemed similar to the treatment Ishbalins from her word received. She wondered if perhaps they were parallel races… but Rose wasn't an Ishbalin… so how could Noa… Winry stopped herself there and shook her head. Far too many loopholes in that topic.

 

She sometimes wondered if they were really supposed to be alters of the people from her world. Perhaps someone had just gotten lazy and decided not to make new moulds. She paused for a moment before scoffing at her own dreary analogy. She really did have too much time on her hands these days.

 

Though she had to hand it to Noa though, dealing with a person who- allegedly- had a case of amnesia. She had claimed to be a fortune-teller and suggested that maybe if she looked into her heart, she could unlock her memory. And with a flustered look and hasty wave of the hands, that conversation quickly ended.

 

It had been the family she'd met two weeks ago when she had found herself in this corresponding world who had started it, and claiming to have amnesia made the most sense to her, so she didn't have to try and explain anything… not that anyone would believe her if she actually spoke the truth. She had only stayed with them for a day, despite being welcome there for as long as she wanted and only grew to remember the names of the kids. It was obvious to anyone that times were difficult here, and she knew that she would only be a burden.

 

…Flashback…

 

She wasn't exactly sure why, it was more of an epiphany than an actual desire to do so, but Winry found herself standing at the entrance to the alley; the section in the dark pathway in which she had first passed through the golden void to end up in this world, which seemed like an upside-down version of Amestris. She chuckled to herself internally. The whole idea was really the epitome of ludicrously and something she just couldn't wrap her mind around.

 

Out of curiosity, she walked up towards the wall on the opposite side, marking the dead end and gently placed the palm of her hand over the cold, but smooth surface. There was certainly nothing extraordinary about this particular area, no alcove, not even any sort of damage caused by the alchemy that had brought her here in the first place. One thing she did know is that it was possible to smell the charge after a recent transmutation.

 

Then again, Ed did say that alchemy didn't exist any farther than a mythological incantation in this world.

 

She sighed, digging her hands into the pockets of the overcoat the kids' grandma had lent her. It was rare times like this when she'd admit that knowing squat about alchemy was really a drag. Then again, with her past experiences, she hadn't seen one charitable thing come from it to this day… sighing once, she leaned against the wall, sliding downward against the surface until she was sitting.

 

“So, you visitin' out here?”

 

Winry blinked and looked up to see the old woman herself. “Um… yeah, just for the… Winter.” She internally rolled her eyes at her own answer.

 

“I see…” Ula stated lightly, dropping down to her side on the ground. It was blatantly obvious to Winry that the woman was curious about her. “You live back East, hmm? London perhaps?”

 

“I was also visiting an old friend… she was having problems with her family…”

 

She nodded in simple understanding. “Hmm… sorry, dear.” She stated uneasily. “It's none of my business…”

 

Winry looked at her for a moment. She really didn't know why, but she felt like it was safe. “She left her home.”

 

From the corner of her eye, she saw the woman nod, but her face was twisted in perplexity. “Well, then… why did she leave?”

 

The first traces of tears found their way down from the brim of her eyes. Leaning forward a bit, she wrapped her arms around her knees, holding them tightly against her chest. “I think she hung on to a fantasy for too long…” Her mouth twisted into a rueful smile. “… and became selfish in the long-run.”

 

She didn't here any answer or sound from the old woman next to her and she shifted uncomfortably. “And now… everything's changed for her, but… it's up to her now, and start from scratch…” The tiniest smile pulled on Winry's lips as she wordlessly turned back to the cold look of the wall on the other side of the alley.

 

She could still remember the way he smelt. The way his arms, warm and cold, felt around her and when she'd pressed her face into the crook of his neck. She'd remember how warm his skin had been and for a moment she'd almost told him. It was on her lips and she opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Only silence as his embrace tightened fractionally. The pain in her heart at the moment was so bright it'd turn the sky white. So painful, it felt like her heart was being constricted and was slowly losing blood, and no matter what she did… the pain wouldn't go away.

 

Although… That was her best friend. Her best friend in the whole world who had been holding her and comforting her, and she knew that she should tell him. If he was really her friend, he'd understand. And her brittle heart cried, screamed that she should trust him and just be honest, but the mistakes of one's past, young or not, aren't easily overcome. Sometimes repetition is inevitable, especially where his brother was concerned and Winry couldn't overcome the natural inhibitions of her heart, distrusting the fragile bond between her and her old-time friend.

 

And it was so very fragile.

 

It occurred to her then as now that she had been really stupid. Undeniably, profoundly stupid-- stupid on a level heretofore unknown to man, god or the damned and if she'd been able to qualify it she was sure it'd be in a record book somewhere.

 

But that wasn't it, there was more than there had been before. She could still feel him…

 

“How long did you love him for?”

 

Winry blinked in surprise and turned so quickly she was sure to have given herself whiplash. A small, empathetic smile was on the woman's face, and all Winry felt was bewildered.

 

A sad smile crossed her face. “I'm not exactly sure when it happened… but I did realize it when he left for the final time…”

 

Ula nodded slowly, eyes breaking from hers momentarily. “How long did you wait for him…?”

 

Winry didn't turn to look at her this time, all she could do was shake her head in disbelief of herself. “Twenty-one months… two weeks… “Her voice cracked as the reality of how pathetic she'd become settled in. “… three days…”

 

…End of Flashback…

 

Winry brought the water glass up to her lips as the last traces of the small memory faded. She reasoned that it probably wasn't much to the average person, and certainly not enough to let Noa in on, but… it made her feel better, reinvigorated even, for a short time. The conversation had been out of the clear blue before she'd left and they had been kind family, though she had only really gotten to know the kids and their grandmother, but one day perhaps, she hoped that she could repay them…

 

The loud noise of someone's body tumbling to the floor nearly caused her to drop her drink as she turned around

 

Though by the looks of it, no one was making an effort to stop it. In fact most people were either leaving or, what seemed to be the men, were betting on which one would knock the other's lights out. She rolled her eyes with an agitated sigh as she went back to her drink. That was until an authoritative yet kind voice rang out over the slurred words of the two drunkards caused her whole body to still.

 

Noa looked passed her shoulder at the commotion. “Looks like someone's finally going to clean up this place. From people like that…” Her face contorted as a small smile formed. “It's nice to see that some officers and officials are willing to do that. Ever since the war started… sometimes it seems like no one cares anymore…”

 

Unfortunately for her, the statement had flown right over Winry's sense of hearing. The distraction had first began with the uncomfortable sinking in her stomach from when she'd first heard the man's voice, so much that she didn't want to turn around. The voice had already been vague to start with, but still stored within the back confines of her memory. Slowly, she craned her neck to see if it was just her imagination.

 

No, it certainly wasn't. Not when it was the correspondence to the late Maes Hughes slapping the cuffs on one of the men who wouldn't settle down. This one was slightly different though, he seemed a bit more colder and harsher although it was the same voice.

 

It scared her, it actually made her shake on the spot because it felt like she was looking into the eyes from beyond the grave. At the same time though, she felt warm on the inside like how she had when she first saw Noa's face. There had always been something about the family man's presence that had been comforting. Even if she had only known him for a short time…

 

Noa looked from Winry to the officer which seemed to making her feel almost nauseous. When she turned back to him however, she noticed the emblem pinned on the chest of his uniform, the Swastika crest. She sighed and discreetly shadowed her face within the hood of her cloak. She really didn't want this to turn into a big ordeal, not to mention that her Aryan friend seemed to be suffering from a case of Amnesia and probably wouldn`t understand the full reason for racial discrimination here. Though… in some ways, she wasn't so sure what the reason was herself.

 

Before anyone could really notice her odd behaviour though, Winry quickly slipped back onto her seat, internally scolding herself for slipping again.

 

…The Right-Hand side of the Gate…

 

The musky scent of medical substances hung heavily in the air of the kitchen and living room. As the stars were beginning to materialize, cool air seeped through every open window in the house and swept away a bit of the stench which by now had made the air feel almost sticky.

 

Pinako, slightly nauseous from the scent of disinfectant added with the heat, took to breathing through her mouth for awhile. Her eyes flicked over to the right where emergency bag used for treating patients post-automail connection was sitting, chalked full of cotton bandages, disinfectant, antiseptic cream, tape, scissors, styptic powder, sutures, and painkillers. It had been two weeks since her granddaughter and Edward both left the house on that night, and she had looked everywhere for them. A few of the village men had even come by to help her with the search. It was the strangest thing, the first place she had thought to look for them was at the hilltop where the Elric house used to stand, and up to that point, there had been nothing, until just a few days ago.

 

She had found the Elrics both collapsed at the ashen remains of their home. Not simply unconscious, but like something had ripped them apart and left them with barely a thread of life to hold onto. That was strange though, since there had been no trace of them being there a day ago.

 

She wasn't oblivious to the alchemic array drawn into the ground, stretching across the perimeter of the Elric property. She could smell foul play anywhere and only with the assistance of a few baffled neighbours, was she able to get them inside.

 

That was the odd, but relieving part of the whole situation. Alphonse had returned and nothing seemed to be physically wrong with him. That was the only thing that rang true though…

 

Releasing her grip on the counter, she turned once more to face the two occupants at the table. The boys were sitting directly across from each other at her kitchen table, neither of them having spoken a word since they'd woke up. There were only a select few times when she had seen them like this, and it didn't help the anxiety building inside.

 

The sound of a chair scraping softly against the floor alerted her attention as well as a bit of hope to see some progress in their condition as she looked up, slightly surprised that it was Alphonse who was the first to get up. However, her spirits dampened when the expressions of pain mixed with anger crossed his face as he quickly made his way out of the room and to the landing. Edward didn't budge an inch, not as his brother's footsteps clicked up the wooden stairs, and he didn't even blink when the deafening silence allowed the sound of the door closing to Al's room.

 

She turned back to him, scrutinizing over his eerily still posture, the only movement being the natural rocks his body made in tune with his breathing. Even that was discreet and almost silent. Taking one last glance at the staircase, she moved over to the chair Alphonse had just been occupying and sat down across from him. “Edward what happened to you two and where is Winry? Did she catch up to you?” There was the smallest flinch at the sound of her granddaughter's name, discreet and almost non-existent in his glazed expression, but it was clear to her.

 

Her jaw tightened as she tried yet another method. “What were you even doing up there and at this hour? And what's wrong with Alphonse?” His teeth tightly clenched together and she found her patience wearing thin as the anxiety built up within the pit of her stomach.

 

“Edward.” Her tone was sharp this time, demanding and without having to raise her voice in the slightest. Pinako stared at the young man before her as amber eyes lifted up to look at her. His eyes held a distant look to them as well as an depth of seriousness, a mixed expression she found intangible.

 

Barely after a minute, his gaze fell back to the table, the flickering fire of the candle illuminating the shadows around his face. His jaw was set firmly as he clenched his fingers tightly before letting the muscles relax. “What's going on?” Still absolutely nothing as the twisting sensation in her stomach increased. “Where is my granddaughter?”A flicker. One solitary flicker shone behind the molten colour of his eyes before it dissipated as quickly as it came, like before.

 

It was then that his gaze finally focused completely on her. The distant glaze retreated as the only true emotions he had since he was a child moulded into overwhelming sorrow and regret for just a moment, almost enough to match the pain caused by the catalyst of his and Alphonse's conquest. His expression steeled once more as everything in his mind finally pieced itself together into a whole and stated the only thing the old woman thought she'd never have to hear again about another member of her family.

 

“She's gone.”

 

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Disclaimer: As always, not mine.

 

Once more, I apologize for the chapter split. I really don't know why I didn't do keep it in its original format to begin with--

 

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