Fic Update - Sorrow's Dark Array Chapter Five
Sorrow’s Dark Array
Author - Cornerofmadness
Disclaimer - not mine, all characters belong to Hiromu Arakawa et al, Square Enix and funimition.
Pairing - Roy/Riza, Ed/Win (eventually) Winry/OC, mentions of Maes/Gracia and Al/OC
Rating - will vary from chapter to chapter, mostly Pg-13 but will eventually contain well marked adult chapters.
Time Line - anime based, spoilers all the way through the anime and the movie and does have strong manga elements such as Armstrong’s older sister and the land of Xing
Summary - As Roy and Riza prepare for their wedding, while dodging assassins, Ed and Al try to find their way back home.
Author’s Note #1- This was written after much prodding by evil_little_dog as a sequel to the source of sorrow and is now her holiday gift even if she has beta’ed part of it. So thanks to her and lyricnonsense for the beta. You do not have to read the first story to understand this. You’ll quickly pick up that Riza has retired from the military to be Roy’s wife and bodyguard. Olivia Armstrong is now president and she’s assigned Roy as the ambassador to Ishbal; oh and that Roy was severely injured in the destruction of the Gate, requiring some of Winry’s automail.
Author's Note #2 - This is a longer work and like real relationships, the ones listed in the pairings, take time to mend and come together. They have to work at it. Hope you enjoy the ride.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Home… hard to know what it is if you’ve never had one
Home… I can’t say where it is but I know I'm going home
That's where the hurt is” - U2
Ed hurt all over. He was just happy the gate they had opened hadn’t spilled them into a street or over the treetops. He and Al had landed somewhere sort of marshy and he could tell from the deeper, more resonate moan that Hughes had indeed managed to find them in time to come through with them. Damn it, all of it. Ed sat up, trying to get his bearings. He could see the edges of a town not far off but there was nothing about what little he could see that seemed familiar to him. Maybe it was Amestris, maybe Earth, but whatever it was, it surely wasn’t Rome where they had been moments before. “Al, are you all right? Hughes?” Ed tried to stand but his knee didn’t want to work well. He was hoping that was a reed poking him in the backside and not a water snake since he couldn’t move.
“I’m fine…I think,” Al said and Ed heard him sloshing out of the water.
“What the hell was that?” Hughes mumbled, staggering upright.
“A gate,” Al said, amazed in spite of all his past experiences. “A Janus gate.”
“A god had nothing to do with it. We managed to work Alchemy,” Ed said, holding a hand out to his brother and Al hauled him up. Ed stood unsteadily, his leg feeling very wrong.
“You tried to leave me behind, damn you.” Hughes shoved Ed, nearly knocking him back down.
“This isn’t your world, Hughes. You don’t understand,” Ed said, too weary to fight.
“Where are we?” Al’s head swiveled around, taking in his surroundings. “Are we home?”
Ed hobbled up the embankment, seeing the road into town. “I have no idea.”
“What do you mean no idea? Didn’t you boys plan this out?” Hughes asked, following Ed.
“It’s not like that, sir,” Al said. “It wasn’t precise. We didn’t even know if it could be done. If Liam McMannus was right about the fairy mounds, there are more worlds than just ours and yours.”
“Fuck, if I see a damn fairy, I’m going to scream,” Ed spat, tugging on his wet trousers, which felt glued to his crotch and thighs.
“I’d almost pay to see that,” Al mumbled then pointed to the distance. “Train tracks. Let’s go to town, see if we know it or anywhere the train is going.”
Ed glanced at Al, knowing there was an easier way to know if they were home. They could just clap but he saw the look in his brother’s hazel eyes. Fear lurked there. What if they had left a world they had gotten to know only to end up somewhere that still wasn’t home, maybe some place worse? No, it was too soon to try alchemy so they settled for marching toward town. By the time they got to town, Ed wished he had tried alchemy to dry his pants. His thighs and crotch had chafed and it felt like his butt was on fire. Al and Hughes weren’t walking too comfortably, either. They reeked of marsh and sewer to the point that people on the streets of the town stopped and stared. Ed stopped finally, seeing the town sign. “Gun Barrel City?”
“That’s not promising,” Hughes groaned, his citrine eyes dimming.
“Well, I’m betting there won’t be a damn elf,” Ed huffed, scratching at his head. The gunk in it had begun to itch. “I don’t remember ever hearing that name before.”
“It’s not like we know every city in Amestris, brother,” Al reminded him, grabbing Ed’s arm as he tried to hurry Ed along.
Ed tried not to whimper at the pace. His leg ached horrendously and he was sure the blisters between his thighs were popping. He’d probably get a raging infection somewhere delicate from all the sewer water. They made it to the train station only to have the stationmaster give them the hairy eye.
“You can’t go on the train smelling like that,” he informed them snippily.
“We know sir, we just need to know how much it’ll be for our tickets,” Al said quickly, worry kissing his face. He glanced up at the placard and squeezed Ed’s wrist.
Ed saw it, too, other names he knew. “The Briggs Mountains,” he whispered. “To Resembol,” he said, almost wonderingly. Whipping around, Ed slammed his hands down on the ticket counter. “How much to Resembol?”
They barely listened to the price as Al herded them back out of the station. It hit Ed then that they had no funds at all. They were so close but he couldn’t just call Winry. They needed money. Ed knew he could call the bastard but he didn’t want to do that, either.
“Do we even know if she’s still there, Ed?” Al asked quietly. “She could be in Rush Valley working or Central or…” Al bit off his words, flushing.
Ed knew what he meant. It had been a few years. Winry could be married with children but he didn’t care. He had to see her. He couldn’t come home and not tell her.
“She? The Winry you used to talk about?” Hughes said. “You need to try and talk to her. You and I, Alphonse, we know what it’s like to have our loves go where we can’t follow. If you can find this girl, Edward, you need to.” He clapped a hand to Ed’s shoulder.
Ed steeled his jaw, keeping his control. “We have no money to buy a ticket.”
“We have…jewelry, pocket watches, the like. We can pawn it,” Hughes said, sniffing at himself. “If anyone can stand the smell of us.”
“I can take care of that.” Ed clapped and almost forgot how to rearrange the molecules to remove the stink and dirt, to dry their clothes. He had nearly forgotten how naturally alchemy came to him. “You know, before we pawn our stuff, let’s check with the bank. My State Alchemist account might still be open.”
“It’s worth a try,” Al conceded and they went in search of the bank.
When they finally found it, Ed made his request, not sure how he would back it up. Ed didn’t have any i.d. from this world left but from the look on the teller’s face he knew it was a moot point.
She eyed him suspiciously. “That account has been closed for years.”
“Oh, sorry. My mistake,” Ed said, turning around quickly. He didn’t want any trouble with the State, especially since he didn’t know what condition this country was in any more. When they got outside, he swore up a storm then his golden eyes lit up. “You know, Al, I could always trans…”
“No!” Al said, reading his brother’s mind. He shook a finger at Ed. “You can not transmute anything into gold, Brother.”
“I know it’s forbidden but what are we supposed to do?” Ed hissed, obviously not worried about his planned transgression.
“You can make gold?” Hughes’ mouth dropped. “Why didn’t you ever…never mind? This is too surreal.” He held up his hands. “Let’s just find the pawn shop.”
Ed was sure they would never get enough from the pawn store to get to where they wanted to go. He and Al hadn’t had the foresight to bring anything with them. Three regular pocket watches, Hughes’ pinkie ring and Ed’s fountain pen went into the kitty. Ed stopped his brother from offering his engagement band. Al had buried Ziata with hers and took to wearing his. Ed was not about to let his brother part with it. “This is the best we can do, Al.”
Al eyed the small pile of goods. “It won’t be enough, Brother.”
Ed knew Al was right but still refused to allow Al to donate his ring to the cause. Hughes didn’t even offer his ring. In his jacket pocket, Ed had a necklace, one he had bought on impulse once for Winry and didn’t even think until after he had it that he could never give it to her since she didn’t live in that world. Still, he never let it out of his possession. They stumbled outside, dejected. “Al, please, take this and get me some analgesic from the store and …something for the itch.” Ed pointed down, flushing.
Al pulled a long face. “We can’t spare the money, Ed.”
“We don’t have enough money any how, so it doesn’t matter. You go get that for me. I can hardly walk. We have enough for a phone call. I’ll…swallow my pride and call the bastard for help,” Ed said, hoping he was convincing.
Al took the coins and headed off. Ed sat down heavily on the lip of the fountain. He hadn’t been faking his discomfort. “Hughes, is he inside the store?”
“Yes, why?”
Ed leaned in and scooped up a handful of the smallest denomination coins that people liked to toss into the fountain. He clapped and turned them all to gold nuggets. “Do not tell him you saw that.”
“I think he’ll figure it out when you’re suddenly rich,” Hughes said sardonically.
Ed rolled his shoulders. “But he didn’t see it happening. It’s different.”
“Does it make it less forbidden?” Hughes scrubbed a hand through his thin beard. “Why not just call this bastard of yours?”
“You being a policeman is showing, Hughes,” Ed huffed. “And I’d rather not ask Roy Mustang for anything if I can help it.” He watched as Hughes’ eyes widened. “What?”
“That name…” Hughes trembled almost imperceptibly. He shoved his hands in his pockets.
Was there a Mustang on Earth? Well it stood to reason, Ed knew. “You knew him.”
“No, but it’s close to my best friend growing up. Roy Tang,” Hughes replied, his eyes dulling.
“You never introduced us…because he’s not around any more, is he?” Ed asked, almost sorrowful at the idea, for Hughes’ sake and maybe just a hint of his own. He just couldn’t tell the bastard he respected him.
“Roy was part Chinese, came to my town from England actually, but I didn’t care, you know? But kids in school did. They claimed it was a prank that got out of hand. Liars. They killed him on purpose, surrounded him and threw rocks until he died.” Hughes shuddered again and Ed swallowed hard. He hadn’t been prepared to hear that.
“Damn, I’m sorry, Hughes. That’s just awful.” Ed made a mental note to tell Al about this. There was every chance Hughes’ school friend was their Mustang. How the hell were they going to tell the bastard his best friend was back, sort of? What were they going to tell Gracia and Elicia? This was all wrong. They had really screwed up.
“Brother, here I got….Ed!” Al snapped, seeing the gold in Ed’s hands.
“We needed it, Al,” Ed said unrepentant, taking the sack from his brother’s hand. He dry-swallowed the analgesic, gagging on it. “We need a plan. We can’t just all three spring ourselves on Resembol. You’re dead in this world, Hughes. We have to have a place to hide you out.”
“Wait? What?” Hughes asked, his face pale.
“We didn’t get around to telling you this but…you had a double here, almost the same name even,” Ed said, shifting his weight, hands buried deep in his pockets. “We didn’t think you’d need to know.”
“Because you planned on ditching me. That really isn’t jake, you know.” Hughes glared at them.
“There’s more to it than that,” Al said, hanging his head. “But this is not the place to talk about it.”
Ed nodded. “Resembol. We’ll get rooms at the inn, such as it is. It’s near the train tracks and small but you can stay there, Hughes, while we go talk to Winry and Granny.” Ed didn’t add, ‘if they’re still there,’ since they had had that conversation. If Winry was elsewhere, someone back home would know where. That was good enough for him.
X X X
Winry looked over at Dev as he picked up the files from her kitchen table. She knew when he was irritated - granted that was as common a state of being for him as it ever had been with Ed - and he was irritated now. She might be angry with him but she didn’t hate him and Winry didn’t like seeing him upset. “What’s wrong?”
Dev’s ruby eyes fixed on her. “As if that man hasn’t scarred me for life enough.” He shook his automail arm. “You had to send him to the hotel to do that ? My room shares a wall with hers!”
Winry couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her. “Do you think I wanted to hear it? Besides, being here in the house seemed to be making Roy impotent.”
”Good! Take him back, keep him here. I thought I’d be picking plaster out of my hair the way they were going at it,” Dev grumbled and Winry broke down, laughing hard. Dev pouted. “I can’t believe you’re laughing at my pain.”
Winry went over and rested a hand on his shoulder. “Sorry but your grumpiness has always made me laugh. I don’t know why.”
Dev blushed, glancing away. “Winry, I…”
“I know.” She touched his cheek, grateful he didn’t pull away. This was hard enough without having to completely lose a friend. “I know things aren’t going back to the way they were, Dev. I understand why you broke it off but are we no longer even friends?”
Dev took a step away. “We’re friends and that’s what makes it hard.” He brought up his still non-functioning automail hand, thumping it against his chest. “I still have a lot of feelings in here for you. I know I’m messed up. I didn’t want it to be this way.”
“I know that.” Winry sighed. “I think we both knew that eventually something would have to give. I wouldn’t be very welcomed living out in the desert and…my parents died there, in that war. I’m not sure I could live in Ishbal. And I’m not sure you would be any happier living full time in the Ishbalan community in Central. Maybe we should never have been more than friends.”
Dev reached out and caught her hand. “I don’t regret what we were. It’s this awkwardness now that I regret. I’m leaving Resembol soon, back to Central then to Ishbal. We might not be there for long before we’re sent back with that pervert but by then he might be back in Central and not loitering in your house.”
Winry nodded. “I know. I’ll miss you.”
Dev smiled. “Thanks. Oh, right, I forgot to show you.” He wiggled his thumb. “See? And I can do this now.” He cupped his hand. “I learned that one to block out the animal sounds from the room next door,” he added sourly.
Winry laughed, taking his metal hand. “See, I told you, you’re getting used to it. It takes many months that’s all.”
Dev nodded, running a hand over his silver arm. “I know. Everyone stares at it back home and I think, ‘why stare now?’ This looks so much better than the hook I had but then I remember why. No one back home can afford it.”
“That will change,” Winry told him, hoping that it was true. “I’m working on getting some mechanics interested in moving from Rush Valley out into your territory, though I’m not sure how people will perceive them.” She made a wry face. “Rush Valley mostly sprang up as a town because of the war.”
Dev sighed then offered a smile. “Leave perception up to Aris and me. That’s our job.”
“Perceptions are hard to change,” Roy’s voice cut in from the doorway. Winry turned to see him in his wheelchair with Riza behind him.
“I’m not ready to look at you,” Dev huffed, heading for the back door. He slipped away into the summer heat.
Roy snorted. “Sorry, Winry. We probably shouldn’t have interrupted.”
She shook her head. “I’m glad you did. Dev doesn’t know what he wants and that makes it hard.” Winry sighed. “Was there something you wanted, Roy? Riza?”
“Just to let you know you can have him back,” Riza said, grinning. “Dev might not last out the night if I keep Roy another day. And someone needs a nap.”
“No, I don’t.” Roy grumbled, eyeing Riza evilly.
“You’ve been mellow all day. Don’t start getting cranky now,” Riza warned, ruffling his hair. “I’m going to go put him in bed. And no arguments, Roy. Your eyelids have been trying to close for about an hour now.”
Winry watched them go then went and sat down outside on the porch. Hayate was chasing Den around until the big dog pinned him down. She wished she knew what to do. Winry hated that she was being left again and at the same time she had always suspected this day was coming. It was almost a relief that it was here and it wasn’t fair that Dev might be changing his mind. Why couldn’t she find joy in being loved?
“Hopefully he’ll actually get some rest because he’s still not as strong as he’d like to think he is,” Riza said, coming out to join her on the porch.
Winry laughed. “That’s not what Dev said. It was apparently a night for the romance novels.”
Riza chuckled but didn’t blush. “Roy’s never had any troubles in that department. He has hundreds of other faults but in bed, I haven’t noticed any.” The older woman looked over at Winry. “Speaking of Dev, we are sorry we interrupted you. Maybe he could have figured out what he wanted.”
Winry looked up at the soft blue of the sky as if trying to read the answer in the clouds. “I don’t know, Riza. Maybe this is for the best.”
“Are you thinking of Ed?” Riza asked quietly. “I’d understand that.”
“I know you would.” Winry swept her hair back then fingered her ears. She still wore his earrings but only at the top. She wasn’t quite ready to let Ed go yet. She wore simple agate studs that Dev had given her firmly in her earlobes and a fancier gold ring just above them, a gift from Roy. “I’m not sure it’s that, Riza. I hope it’s not. I know Ed is gone for good.”
“Roy is still trying to find a way over to where they are, Winry, but I know he’s not very hopeful, not any more.” Riza reached over and patted Winry’s arm gently.
“I know. It’s more than that. I know what pressure Dev is under. Most Ishbalans still distrust us, for good reason. He’s trying to do an unpopular job, making peace between us. It doesn’t help when they think he’s trying to be Amestrian by having me as a girlfriend and it’s not just the Ishbalans. Some of my friends don’t come around here any more,” Winry said bitterly. “I’ve heard them gossiping about how I’m dating one of them. It’s horrible. And it’s just as bad in Central, if not worse, since there we have places to go out to. I’ve seen people staring at us at the theatre. We were in one restaurant where the waitress refused to serve us because I was with an Ishbalan.”
Riza’s face darkened, her lips pressing thin. “I know. Why do you think you almost never see Roy out without being in uniform? They don’t hassle him then but we’ve been places where they call him a ‘slant’ and some of them can say awful things.”
“I didn’t realize.” Winry shook her head. “I guess I should have suspected after seeing that room of his back in Central, the one he doesn’t really let people in. He hides his heritage. I mean all his sisters have Xing names.”
“Oh, so does Roy and they all have Amestrian names but it was just a smart political thing to do, not using his Xing name,” Riza said. “Even before he decided to go into the military, Father suggested Roy might find an easier path by not being too…exotic.”
“I suppose but it’s still sad.” Winry glanced over at Hayate who was now chasing Den. “What is his Xing name besides Cricket?”
Riza laughed. “Wang, and don’t tell him I told you.”
Winry’s lips trembled as she held a laugh in. “Are you serious? No wonder he goes by Roy.”
“Yes, Wang Mustang isn’t very melodic,” Riza said, pointedly ignoring other problems with the name. “Roy’s a fine name.” Riza took a long look at Winry. “Are you feeling okay? You look a little piqued.”
Winry shrugged. “I think I ate something that didn’t agree with me. I was queasy earlier but I’m feeling better. Just a little worn out.”
“You have every reason to be.”
Not as much as Hawkeye did, Winry reminded herself. Maybe all the trauma of the bombing and then more recently her break up was taking its toll finally. Winry felt wrung out. “Yeah,” she muttered. Winry wanted to tell herself that from here out it would get better. Soon Riza would get the wedding she dreamed of - of course, now Winry would be alone for it - and hopefully at long last Riza and Roy would get what they wanted. Winry wished she could believe in happy endings and knew exactly why she didn’t.
X X X
Attaway nodded in time to President Armstrong’s dictation. He knew the woman’s hapless secretary was getting it all down but he wanted to make sure he had it all committed to memory. He admired Olivia Armstrong. She was nothing like any woman he had ever known and he was proud to be her adjutant. There was more he could want from her but Attaway knew it wasn’t going to happen just yet. He needed help. Judith thought him to be a fool, a willing aide in her cause. As if he would ever overthrow Olivia’s reign.
No, Attaway planned on stringing Judith along and then turn the tables. He would amaze Olivia and he would ask her to marry him. It would be perfect. So what if a few people got hurt along the way? Her oaf of a brother and that slimy bastard, Mustang, were no big loss, especially Mustang. He was direct competition for Olivia. He just hoped Rose was as easy to manipulate as Judith said she was as he had his hands filled with the Ishbalans he was using to plant bombs. Attaway had no illusions he was playing a dangerous game. All he had to do was keep ahead of the game and he would win.
Chapter Six
Author - Cornerofmadness
Disclaimer - not mine, all characters belong to Hiromu Arakawa et al, Square Enix and funimition.
Pairing - Roy/Riza, Ed/Win (eventually) Winry/OC, mentions of Maes/Gracia and Al/OC
Rating - will vary from chapter to chapter, mostly Pg-13 but will eventually contain well marked adult chapters.
Time Line - anime based, spoilers all the way through the anime and the movie and does have strong manga elements such as Armstrong’s older sister and the land of Xing
Summary - As Roy and Riza prepare for their wedding, while dodging assassins, Ed and Al try to find their way back home.
Author’s Note #1- This was written after much prodding by evil_little_dog as a sequel to the source of sorrow and is now her holiday gift even if she has beta’ed part of it. So thanks to her and lyricnonsense for the beta. You do not have to read the first story to understand this. You’ll quickly pick up that Riza has retired from the military to be Roy’s wife and bodyguard. Olivia Armstrong is now president and she’s assigned Roy as the ambassador to Ishbal; oh and that Roy was severely injured in the destruction of the Gate, requiring some of Winry’s automail.
Author's Note #2 - This is a longer work and like real relationships, the ones listed in the pairings, take time to mend and come together. They have to work at it. Hope you enjoy the ride.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Home… hard to know what it is if you’ve never had one
Home… I can’t say where it is but I know I'm going home
That's where the hurt is” - U2
Ed hurt all over. He was just happy the gate they had opened hadn’t spilled them into a street or over the treetops. He and Al had landed somewhere sort of marshy and he could tell from the deeper, more resonate moan that Hughes had indeed managed to find them in time to come through with them. Damn it, all of it. Ed sat up, trying to get his bearings. He could see the edges of a town not far off but there was nothing about what little he could see that seemed familiar to him. Maybe it was Amestris, maybe Earth, but whatever it was, it surely wasn’t Rome where they had been moments before. “Al, are you all right? Hughes?” Ed tried to stand but his knee didn’t want to work well. He was hoping that was a reed poking him in the backside and not a water snake since he couldn’t move.
“I’m fine…I think,” Al said and Ed heard him sloshing out of the water.
“What the hell was that?” Hughes mumbled, staggering upright.
“A gate,” Al said, amazed in spite of all his past experiences. “A Janus gate.”
“A god had nothing to do with it. We managed to work Alchemy,” Ed said, holding a hand out to his brother and Al hauled him up. Ed stood unsteadily, his leg feeling very wrong.
“You tried to leave me behind, damn you.” Hughes shoved Ed, nearly knocking him back down.
“This isn’t your world, Hughes. You don’t understand,” Ed said, too weary to fight.
“Where are we?” Al’s head swiveled around, taking in his surroundings. “Are we home?”
Ed hobbled up the embankment, seeing the road into town. “I have no idea.”
“What do you mean no idea? Didn’t you boys plan this out?” Hughes asked, following Ed.
“It’s not like that, sir,” Al said. “It wasn’t precise. We didn’t even know if it could be done. If Liam McMannus was right about the fairy mounds, there are more worlds than just ours and yours.”
“Fuck, if I see a damn fairy, I’m going to scream,” Ed spat, tugging on his wet trousers, which felt glued to his crotch and thighs.
“I’d almost pay to see that,” Al mumbled then pointed to the distance. “Train tracks. Let’s go to town, see if we know it or anywhere the train is going.”
Ed glanced at Al, knowing there was an easier way to know if they were home. They could just clap but he saw the look in his brother’s hazel eyes. Fear lurked there. What if they had left a world they had gotten to know only to end up somewhere that still wasn’t home, maybe some place worse? No, it was too soon to try alchemy so they settled for marching toward town. By the time they got to town, Ed wished he had tried alchemy to dry his pants. His thighs and crotch had chafed and it felt like his butt was on fire. Al and Hughes weren’t walking too comfortably, either. They reeked of marsh and sewer to the point that people on the streets of the town stopped and stared. Ed stopped finally, seeing the town sign. “Gun Barrel City?”
“That’s not promising,” Hughes groaned, his citrine eyes dimming.
“Well, I’m betting there won’t be a damn elf,” Ed huffed, scratching at his head. The gunk in it had begun to itch. “I don’t remember ever hearing that name before.”
“It’s not like we know every city in Amestris, brother,” Al reminded him, grabbing Ed’s arm as he tried to hurry Ed along.
Ed tried not to whimper at the pace. His leg ached horrendously and he was sure the blisters between his thighs were popping. He’d probably get a raging infection somewhere delicate from all the sewer water. They made it to the train station only to have the stationmaster give them the hairy eye.
“You can’t go on the train smelling like that,” he informed them snippily.
“We know sir, we just need to know how much it’ll be for our tickets,” Al said quickly, worry kissing his face. He glanced up at the placard and squeezed Ed’s wrist.
Ed saw it, too, other names he knew. “The Briggs Mountains,” he whispered. “To Resembol,” he said, almost wonderingly. Whipping around, Ed slammed his hands down on the ticket counter. “How much to Resembol?”
They barely listened to the price as Al herded them back out of the station. It hit Ed then that they had no funds at all. They were so close but he couldn’t just call Winry. They needed money. Ed knew he could call the bastard but he didn’t want to do that, either.
“Do we even know if she’s still there, Ed?” Al asked quietly. “She could be in Rush Valley working or Central or…” Al bit off his words, flushing.
Ed knew what he meant. It had been a few years. Winry could be married with children but he didn’t care. He had to see her. He couldn’t come home and not tell her.
“She? The Winry you used to talk about?” Hughes said. “You need to try and talk to her. You and I, Alphonse, we know what it’s like to have our loves go where we can’t follow. If you can find this girl, Edward, you need to.” He clapped a hand to Ed’s shoulder.
Ed steeled his jaw, keeping his control. “We have no money to buy a ticket.”
“We have…jewelry, pocket watches, the like. We can pawn it,” Hughes said, sniffing at himself. “If anyone can stand the smell of us.”
“I can take care of that.” Ed clapped and almost forgot how to rearrange the molecules to remove the stink and dirt, to dry their clothes. He had nearly forgotten how naturally alchemy came to him. “You know, before we pawn our stuff, let’s check with the bank. My State Alchemist account might still be open.”
“It’s worth a try,” Al conceded and they went in search of the bank.
When they finally found it, Ed made his request, not sure how he would back it up. Ed didn’t have any i.d. from this world left but from the look on the teller’s face he knew it was a moot point.
She eyed him suspiciously. “That account has been closed for years.”
“Oh, sorry. My mistake,” Ed said, turning around quickly. He didn’t want any trouble with the State, especially since he didn’t know what condition this country was in any more. When they got outside, he swore up a storm then his golden eyes lit up. “You know, Al, I could always trans…”
“No!” Al said, reading his brother’s mind. He shook a finger at Ed. “You can not transmute anything into gold, Brother.”
“I know it’s forbidden but what are we supposed to do?” Ed hissed, obviously not worried about his planned transgression.
“You can make gold?” Hughes’ mouth dropped. “Why didn’t you ever…never mind? This is too surreal.” He held up his hands. “Let’s just find the pawn shop.”
Ed was sure they would never get enough from the pawn store to get to where they wanted to go. He and Al hadn’t had the foresight to bring anything with them. Three regular pocket watches, Hughes’ pinkie ring and Ed’s fountain pen went into the kitty. Ed stopped his brother from offering his engagement band. Al had buried Ziata with hers and took to wearing his. Ed was not about to let his brother part with it. “This is the best we can do, Al.”
Al eyed the small pile of goods. “It won’t be enough, Brother.”
Ed knew Al was right but still refused to allow Al to donate his ring to the cause. Hughes didn’t even offer his ring. In his jacket pocket, Ed had a necklace, one he had bought on impulse once for Winry and didn’t even think until after he had it that he could never give it to her since she didn’t live in that world. Still, he never let it out of his possession. They stumbled outside, dejected. “Al, please, take this and get me some analgesic from the store and …something for the itch.” Ed pointed down, flushing.
Al pulled a long face. “We can’t spare the money, Ed.”
“We don’t have enough money any how, so it doesn’t matter. You go get that for me. I can hardly walk. We have enough for a phone call. I’ll…swallow my pride and call the bastard for help,” Ed said, hoping he was convincing.
Al took the coins and headed off. Ed sat down heavily on the lip of the fountain. He hadn’t been faking his discomfort. “Hughes, is he inside the store?”
“Yes, why?”
Ed leaned in and scooped up a handful of the smallest denomination coins that people liked to toss into the fountain. He clapped and turned them all to gold nuggets. “Do not tell him you saw that.”
“I think he’ll figure it out when you’re suddenly rich,” Hughes said sardonically.
Ed rolled his shoulders. “But he didn’t see it happening. It’s different.”
“Does it make it less forbidden?” Hughes scrubbed a hand through his thin beard. “Why not just call this bastard of yours?”
“You being a policeman is showing, Hughes,” Ed huffed. “And I’d rather not ask Roy Mustang for anything if I can help it.” He watched as Hughes’ eyes widened. “What?”
“That name…” Hughes trembled almost imperceptibly. He shoved his hands in his pockets.
Was there a Mustang on Earth? Well it stood to reason, Ed knew. “You knew him.”
“No, but it’s close to my best friend growing up. Roy Tang,” Hughes replied, his eyes dulling.
“You never introduced us…because he’s not around any more, is he?” Ed asked, almost sorrowful at the idea, for Hughes’ sake and maybe just a hint of his own. He just couldn’t tell the bastard he respected him.
“Roy was part Chinese, came to my town from England actually, but I didn’t care, you know? But kids in school did. They claimed it was a prank that got out of hand. Liars. They killed him on purpose, surrounded him and threw rocks until he died.” Hughes shuddered again and Ed swallowed hard. He hadn’t been prepared to hear that.
“Damn, I’m sorry, Hughes. That’s just awful.” Ed made a mental note to tell Al about this. There was every chance Hughes’ school friend was their Mustang. How the hell were they going to tell the bastard his best friend was back, sort of? What were they going to tell Gracia and Elicia? This was all wrong. They had really screwed up.
“Brother, here I got….Ed!” Al snapped, seeing the gold in Ed’s hands.
“We needed it, Al,” Ed said unrepentant, taking the sack from his brother’s hand. He dry-swallowed the analgesic, gagging on it. “We need a plan. We can’t just all three spring ourselves on Resembol. You’re dead in this world, Hughes. We have to have a place to hide you out.”
“Wait? What?” Hughes asked, his face pale.
“We didn’t get around to telling you this but…you had a double here, almost the same name even,” Ed said, shifting his weight, hands buried deep in his pockets. “We didn’t think you’d need to know.”
“Because you planned on ditching me. That really isn’t jake, you know.” Hughes glared at them.
“There’s more to it than that,” Al said, hanging his head. “But this is not the place to talk about it.”
Ed nodded. “Resembol. We’ll get rooms at the inn, such as it is. It’s near the train tracks and small but you can stay there, Hughes, while we go talk to Winry and Granny.” Ed didn’t add, ‘if they’re still there,’ since they had had that conversation. If Winry was elsewhere, someone back home would know where. That was good enough for him.
X X X
Winry looked over at Dev as he picked up the files from her kitchen table. She knew when he was irritated - granted that was as common a state of being for him as it ever had been with Ed - and he was irritated now. She might be angry with him but she didn’t hate him and Winry didn’t like seeing him upset. “What’s wrong?”
Dev’s ruby eyes fixed on her. “As if that man hasn’t scarred me for life enough.” He shook his automail arm. “You had to send him to the hotel to do that ? My room shares a wall with hers!”
Winry couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her. “Do you think I wanted to hear it? Besides, being here in the house seemed to be making Roy impotent.”
”Good! Take him back, keep him here. I thought I’d be picking plaster out of my hair the way they were going at it,” Dev grumbled and Winry broke down, laughing hard. Dev pouted. “I can’t believe you’re laughing at my pain.”
Winry went over and rested a hand on his shoulder. “Sorry but your grumpiness has always made me laugh. I don’t know why.”
Dev blushed, glancing away. “Winry, I…”
“I know.” She touched his cheek, grateful he didn’t pull away. This was hard enough without having to completely lose a friend. “I know things aren’t going back to the way they were, Dev. I understand why you broke it off but are we no longer even friends?”
Dev took a step away. “We’re friends and that’s what makes it hard.” He brought up his still non-functioning automail hand, thumping it against his chest. “I still have a lot of feelings in here for you. I know I’m messed up. I didn’t want it to be this way.”
“I know that.” Winry sighed. “I think we both knew that eventually something would have to give. I wouldn’t be very welcomed living out in the desert and…my parents died there, in that war. I’m not sure I could live in Ishbal. And I’m not sure you would be any happier living full time in the Ishbalan community in Central. Maybe we should never have been more than friends.”
Dev reached out and caught her hand. “I don’t regret what we were. It’s this awkwardness now that I regret. I’m leaving Resembol soon, back to Central then to Ishbal. We might not be there for long before we’re sent back with that pervert but by then he might be back in Central and not loitering in your house.”
Winry nodded. “I know. I’ll miss you.”
Dev smiled. “Thanks. Oh, right, I forgot to show you.” He wiggled his thumb. “See? And I can do this now.” He cupped his hand. “I learned that one to block out the animal sounds from the room next door,” he added sourly.
Winry laughed, taking his metal hand. “See, I told you, you’re getting used to it. It takes many months that’s all.”
Dev nodded, running a hand over his silver arm. “I know. Everyone stares at it back home and I think, ‘why stare now?’ This looks so much better than the hook I had but then I remember why. No one back home can afford it.”
“That will change,” Winry told him, hoping that it was true. “I’m working on getting some mechanics interested in moving from Rush Valley out into your territory, though I’m not sure how people will perceive them.” She made a wry face. “Rush Valley mostly sprang up as a town because of the war.”
Dev sighed then offered a smile. “Leave perception up to Aris and me. That’s our job.”
“Perceptions are hard to change,” Roy’s voice cut in from the doorway. Winry turned to see him in his wheelchair with Riza behind him.
“I’m not ready to look at you,” Dev huffed, heading for the back door. He slipped away into the summer heat.
Roy snorted. “Sorry, Winry. We probably shouldn’t have interrupted.”
She shook her head. “I’m glad you did. Dev doesn’t know what he wants and that makes it hard.” Winry sighed. “Was there something you wanted, Roy? Riza?”
“Just to let you know you can have him back,” Riza said, grinning. “Dev might not last out the night if I keep Roy another day. And someone needs a nap.”
“No, I don’t.” Roy grumbled, eyeing Riza evilly.
“You’ve been mellow all day. Don’t start getting cranky now,” Riza warned, ruffling his hair. “I’m going to go put him in bed. And no arguments, Roy. Your eyelids have been trying to close for about an hour now.”
Winry watched them go then went and sat down outside on the porch. Hayate was chasing Den around until the big dog pinned him down. She wished she knew what to do. Winry hated that she was being left again and at the same time she had always suspected this day was coming. It was almost a relief that it was here and it wasn’t fair that Dev might be changing his mind. Why couldn’t she find joy in being loved?
“Hopefully he’ll actually get some rest because he’s still not as strong as he’d like to think he is,” Riza said, coming out to join her on the porch.
Winry laughed. “That’s not what Dev said. It was apparently a night for the romance novels.”
Riza chuckled but didn’t blush. “Roy’s never had any troubles in that department. He has hundreds of other faults but in bed, I haven’t noticed any.” The older woman looked over at Winry. “Speaking of Dev, we are sorry we interrupted you. Maybe he could have figured out what he wanted.”
Winry looked up at the soft blue of the sky as if trying to read the answer in the clouds. “I don’t know, Riza. Maybe this is for the best.”
“Are you thinking of Ed?” Riza asked quietly. “I’d understand that.”
“I know you would.” Winry swept her hair back then fingered her ears. She still wore his earrings but only at the top. She wasn’t quite ready to let Ed go yet. She wore simple agate studs that Dev had given her firmly in her earlobes and a fancier gold ring just above them, a gift from Roy. “I’m not sure it’s that, Riza. I hope it’s not. I know Ed is gone for good.”
“Roy is still trying to find a way over to where they are, Winry, but I know he’s not very hopeful, not any more.” Riza reached over and patted Winry’s arm gently.
“I know. It’s more than that. I know what pressure Dev is under. Most Ishbalans still distrust us, for good reason. He’s trying to do an unpopular job, making peace between us. It doesn’t help when they think he’s trying to be Amestrian by having me as a girlfriend and it’s not just the Ishbalans. Some of my friends don’t come around here any more,” Winry said bitterly. “I’ve heard them gossiping about how I’m dating one of them. It’s horrible. And it’s just as bad in Central, if not worse, since there we have places to go out to. I’ve seen people staring at us at the theatre. We were in one restaurant where the waitress refused to serve us because I was with an Ishbalan.”
Riza’s face darkened, her lips pressing thin. “I know. Why do you think you almost never see Roy out without being in uniform? They don’t hassle him then but we’ve been places where they call him a ‘slant’ and some of them can say awful things.”
“I didn’t realize.” Winry shook her head. “I guess I should have suspected after seeing that room of his back in Central, the one he doesn’t really let people in. He hides his heritage. I mean all his sisters have Xing names.”
“Oh, so does Roy and they all have Amestrian names but it was just a smart political thing to do, not using his Xing name,” Riza said. “Even before he decided to go into the military, Father suggested Roy might find an easier path by not being too…exotic.”
“I suppose but it’s still sad.” Winry glanced over at Hayate who was now chasing Den. “What is his Xing name besides Cricket?”
Riza laughed. “Wang, and don’t tell him I told you.”
Winry’s lips trembled as she held a laugh in. “Are you serious? No wonder he goes by Roy.”
“Yes, Wang Mustang isn’t very melodic,” Riza said, pointedly ignoring other problems with the name. “Roy’s a fine name.” Riza took a long look at Winry. “Are you feeling okay? You look a little piqued.”
Winry shrugged. “I think I ate something that didn’t agree with me. I was queasy earlier but I’m feeling better. Just a little worn out.”
“You have every reason to be.”
Not as much as Hawkeye did, Winry reminded herself. Maybe all the trauma of the bombing and then more recently her break up was taking its toll finally. Winry felt wrung out. “Yeah,” she muttered. Winry wanted to tell herself that from here out it would get better. Soon Riza would get the wedding she dreamed of - of course, now Winry would be alone for it - and hopefully at long last Riza and Roy would get what they wanted. Winry wished she could believe in happy endings and knew exactly why she didn’t.
X X X
Attaway nodded in time to President Armstrong’s dictation. He knew the woman’s hapless secretary was getting it all down but he wanted to make sure he had it all committed to memory. He admired Olivia Armstrong. She was nothing like any woman he had ever known and he was proud to be her adjutant. There was more he could want from her but Attaway knew it wasn’t going to happen just yet. He needed help. Judith thought him to be a fool, a willing aide in her cause. As if he would ever overthrow Olivia’s reign.
No, Attaway planned on stringing Judith along and then turn the tables. He would amaze Olivia and he would ask her to marry him. It would be perfect. So what if a few people got hurt along the way? Her oaf of a brother and that slimy bastard, Mustang, were no big loss, especially Mustang. He was direct competition for Olivia. He just hoped Rose was as easy to manipulate as Judith said she was as he had his hands filled with the Ishbalans he was using to plant bombs. Attaway had no illusions he was playing a dangerous game. All he had to do was keep ahead of the game and he would win.
Chapter Six