Certainly!

Comfort for Desperate Souls

A Short Word Explosion About Jane Seymour

SO... I saw Six (the musical) live this weekend, and my brain is now a hamster in a wheel because A) IT WAS FANTASTIC and B) English royal history is my jam (I mean, I am English and we have a stupendously fucked up royal history to get into, so I think I can be forgiven). 

Anyway, it got me thinking about the wives and whilst I have thoughts on all of them and always have had, the one I always keep coming back to is Jane. Now, the entire point of Six is to show that trying to compare the wives and playing favourites is extremely stupid, which it is, but Jane’s always been the one that I find the most interesting, probably because history at large tends to portray her as the most boring. 

She’s the very definition of a pivot point. There’s so much historical potential that got cut short when she died. 

I think people tend to write Jane off as having had it easy because she was the wife that Henry ‘truly loved’ and she doesn’t seem to have been anywhere near as abused as the other five. But I think everyone tends to overlook the likelihood that Henry only ‘loved’ her because she gave him the male heir he was so desperate for. Would he still have ‘truly loved’ her if Edward had been Edwina? I  think it would have been a very, very different story then. 

She also gets brushed aside as being a meek and mild goody-two-shoes, but I think that there must have been more to her than that. She’d already seen what had happened to Catherine of A and Anne B by this point. She’d already seen that being obedient and loyal was no guarantee of longevity in the end, and she’d already seen that being anything less than obedient and loyal was a one-way ticket to the scaffold. I think there’s a certain political savviness under the mild exterior, playing the game because staying quiet was the best way to stay in her privileged position and not be banished to a nunnery or summarily decapitated when Henry eventually got tired of her.

It makes me wonder what would have happened if Jane had survived. Would Henry have stayed with her and Anna of C, Katherine H and Katherine P been spared their fates, or would he have found an excuse to lop her head off a couple of years down the line? So much could have been different, or it might all have exactly the same.

Which is why I think she’s so interesting, even if her story is not as dramatic as the other wives. 

Anyway, that’s enough from me. Everyone go and see Six, it’s phenomenal!

Fic: Safe from the Storm

Summary: A companion piece to last year’s Sheltered by Memories, requested by an anonymous Tumblr user. 

When Ed is three years old, a thunderstorm rocks Resembool, and Hohenheim comforts his terrified wife and son. 

Rated: G

Safe from the Storm

The storm has been hanging heavy in the air all day, clouds rolling on the horizon and getting closer and closer to Resembool. Everyone has been predicting that it will hit tonight. Before he met Trisha, Hohenheim would not have minded the storm. In fact, he would have welcomed it; the late summer air has been stifling and oppressive recently,  and a storm would clear out the heat and re-energise the atmosphere, refreshing everything. 

Fic: Diverging Paths (31/31)

Summary: Xerxes falls and the only two survivors walk away from the dead city.

Homunculus is keen to make the most of the new human body he now wears, and he goes out into the world, still planning his ascension to godhood as he strips away his vices and turns them into homunculi.

Van Hohenheim believes he has become a monster, and he hides himself away, befriending the other abominations of the world, failed human transmutations doomed to agonising half-life without the intervention of a Philosopher’s Stone.

Years later, Homunculus meets Trisha Elric and sires two sons with her before vanishing into the night, whilst Hohenheim tries to foil his doppelgänger’s schemes.

Years after that, Edward and Alphonse Elric are caught up in the middle of it all…

A Father-Hohenheim role reversal switcheroo, following Mangahood’s main plot with elements of ‘03, based on the premise ‘what if Father was Ed and Al’s father and Hohenheim was the one hiding under Central?’

Rated: Teen

==

[One] [Two] [Three] [Four] [Five] [Six] [Seven] [Eight] [Nine] [Ten] [Eleven] [Twelve] [Thirteen] [Fourteen] [Fifteen] [Sixteen] [Seventeen] [Eighteen] [Nineteen] [Twenty] [Twenty-One] [Twenty-Two] [Twenty-Three] [Twenty-Four] [Twenty-Five] [Twenty-Six] [Twenty-Seven] [Twenty-Eight] [Twenty-Nine] [Thirty] [AO3]

==

Thirty-One

The first thing that Al felt was warmth, the warmth of someone’s hand holding his, and as he opened his eyes, he saw Ed grinning down at him. The hand squeezed his, and he tried to squeeze back, but all his muscles felt so weak that even that was a stretch. 

“Hey, Al. Welcome back.”

It was strange to be back, a rush of sensation that was at once overwhelming and yet also wonderfully familiar. 

“Is everyone ok?” he asked.

Fic: Diverging Paths (30/31)

Summary: Xerxes falls and the only two survivors walk away from the dead city.

Homunculus is keen to make the most of the new human body he now wears, and he goes out into the world, still planning his ascension to godhood as he strips away his vices and turns them into homunculi.

Van Hohenheim believes he has become a monster, and he hides himself away, befriending the other abominations of the world, failed human transmutations doomed to agonising half-life without the intervention of a Philosopher’s Stone.

Years later, Homunculus meets Trisha Elric and sires two sons with her before vanishing into the night, whilst Hohenheim tries to foil his doppelgänger’s schemes.

Years after that, Edward and Alphonse Elric are caught up in the middle of it all…

A Father-Hohenheim role reversal switcheroo, following Mangahood’s main plot with elements of ‘03, based on the premise ‘what if Father was Ed and Al’s father and Hohenheim was the one hiding under Central?’

Rated: Teen

==

[One] [Two] [Three] [Four] [Five] [Six] [Seven] [Eight] [Nine] [Ten] [Eleven] [Twelve] [Thirteen] [Fourteen] [Fifteen] [Sixteen] [Seventeen] [Eighteen] [Nineteen] [Twenty] [Twenty-One] [Twenty-Two] [Twenty-Three] [Twenty-Four] [Twenty-Five] [Twenty-Six] [Twenty-Seven] [Twenty-Eight] [Twenty-Nine] [AO3]

==

Thirty

It was all over, but Ed did not feel the slightest sense of relief as the homunculus vanished into nothing, disappearing back beyond the gate. All he could do was stare at Al’s empty shell of beat-up armour with nothing of his brother left inside it. He glanced down at his hands, the one weathered and strong and the other pale and bony. He had been so long without his right arm that it felt foreign now, almost as if it belonged to someone else. In a way, it was almost as if it had belonged to Al. This was what Ed had given up to bring Al back. This arm was Al’s, and in the moment of truth, Al had chosen to give it back to him, knowing that it was the only way to give Ed the best chance of going up against their father. 

Fic: Diverging Paths (29/31)

Summary: Xerxes falls and the only two survivors walk away from the dead city.

Homunculus is keen to make the most of the new human body he now wears, and he goes out into the world, still planning his ascension to godhood as he strips away his vices and turns them into homunculi.

Van Hohenheim believes he has become a monster, and he hides himself away, befriending the other abominations of the world, failed human transmutations doomed to agonising half-life without the intervention of a Philosopher’s Stone.

Years later, Homunculus meets Trisha Elric and sires two sons with her before vanishing into the night, whilst Hohenheim tries to foil his doppelgänger’s schemes.

Years after that, Edward and Alphonse Elric are caught up in the middle of it all…

A Father-Hohenheim role reversal switcheroo, following Mangahood’s main plot with elements of ‘03, based on the premise ‘what if Father was Ed and Al’s father and Hohenheim was the one hiding under Central?’

Rated: Teen

==

[One] [Two] [Three] [Four] [Five] [Six] [Seven] [Eight] [Nine] [Ten] [Eleven] [Twelve] [Thirteen] [Fourteen] [Fifteen] [Sixteen] [Seventeen] [Eighteen] [Nineteen] [Twenty] [Twenty-One] [Twenty-Two] [Twenty-Three] [Twenty-Four] [Twenty-Five] [Twenty-Six] [Twenty-Seven] [Twenty-Eight] [AO3]

==

Content Warning: Canon-typical violence

Twenty-Nine

Ed would admit that he was desperate. He had no idea what to do now, and looking at Teacher, he could see that she had no idea what to do either. They were cut off from their back-up, and the only reinforcements that they did have up here in the throne room were both unconscious. Considering Father’s vast power, it would be stupid to try and attack him now, just the two of them. 

Maybe with Al and Hohenheim they could have put up a good defence, but Ed still couldn’t help thinking about the fact that Mustang was probably going to appear in their midst soon. He didn’t want to think about what state the colonel might be in, and having to take care of him in the middle of a pitched battle wouldn’t have been easy.

Fic: Diverging Paths (28/31)

Summary: Xerxes falls and the only two survivors walk away from the dead city.

Homunculus is keen to make the most of the new human body he now wears, and he goes out into the world, still planning his ascension to godhood as he strips away his vices and turns them into homunculi.

Van Hohenheim believes he has become a monster, and he hides himself away, befriending the other abominations of the world, failed human transmutations doomed to agonising half-life without the intervention of a Philosopher’s Stone.

Years later, Homunculus meets Trisha Elric and sires two sons with her before vanishing into the night, whilst Hohenheim tries to foil his doppelgänger’s schemes.

Years after that, Edward and Alphonse Elric are caught up in the middle of it all…

A Father-Hohenheim role reversal switcheroo, following Mangahood’s main plot with elements of ‘03, based on the premise ‘what if Father was Ed and Al’s father and Hohenheim was the one hiding under Central?’

Rated: Teen

==

[One] [Two] [Three] [Four] [Five] [Six] [Seven] [Eight] [Nine] [Ten] [Eleven] [Twelve] [Thirteen] [Fourteen] [Fifteen] [Sixteen] [Seventeen] [Eighteen] [Nineteen] [Twenty] [Twenty-One] [Twenty-Two] [Twenty-Three] [Twenty-Four] [Twenty-Five] [Twenty-Six] [Twenty-Seven] [AO3]

==

Content Warning: Canon-typical violence

Twenty-Eight

Ed landed heavily on his front as the portal spat him out, completely winded, and it took him a few moments to get his breath back, struggling back onto his knees and taking a look around him. At first glance, he had no idea where he was. He had certainly never been here before, and for a moment he didn’t even think he was in the same country. 

The room was cavernous, sumptuously decorated and furnished with exotic plants everywhere. It looked like it should be in a palace somewhere, and it was only after a moment that Ed realised with a sickening jolt that they must be in the topmost part of Central Command, a place off limits to all except Bradley.

“Where the hell are we?”

Fic: Diverging Paths (27/31)

Summary: Xerxes falls and the only two survivors walk away from the dead city.

Homunculus is keen to make the most of the new human body he now wears, and he goes out into the world, still planning his ascension to godhood as he strips away his vices and turns them into homunculi.

Van Hohenheim believes he has become a monster, and he hides himself away, befriending the other abominations of the world, failed human transmutations doomed to agonising half-life without the intervention of a Philosopher’s Stone.

Years later, Homunculus meets Trisha Elric and sires two sons with her before vanishing into the night, whilst Hohenheim tries to foil his doppelgänger’s schemes.

Years after that, Edward and Alphonse Elric are caught up in the middle of it all…

A Father-Hohenheim role reversal switcheroo, following Mangahood’s main plot with elements of ‘03, based on the premise ‘what if Father was Ed and Al’s father and Hohenheim was the one hiding under Central?’

Rated: Teen

==

[One] [Two] [Three] [Four] [Five] [Six] [Seven] [Eight] [Nine] [Ten] [Eleven] [Twelve] [Thirteen] [Fourteen] [Fifteen] [Sixteen] [Seventeen] [Eighteen] [Nineteen] [Twenty] [Twenty-One] [Twenty-Two] [Twenty-Three] [Twenty-Four] [Twenty-Five] [Twenty-Six] [AO3]

==

Content Warning: Canon-typical violence

Twenty-Seven

“This is just getting ridiculous.” 

There were six of them against Sloth; Heinkel was out for the count and Darius was dragging him to safety but had promised to come back as long as he didn’t meet anything else along the way. They’d hardly been able to leave a dent in the massive homunculus, he was able to dodge a lot of the hits with his incredible speed and those that did connect, he simply shrugged off. 

Ed had to agree with Mustang’s summation of the situation. They weren’t going to get anywhere if they couldn’t get past Sloth, and if they couldn’t get to Father and try to stop him, then everything that they had done would be for nothing. 

Fic: Diverging Paths (26/31)

Summary: Xerxes falls and the only two survivors walk away from the dead city.

Homunculus is keen to make the most of the new human body he now wears, and he goes out into the world, still planning his ascension to godhood as he strips away his vices and turns them into homunculi.

Van Hohenheim believes he has become a monster, and he hides himself away, befriending the other abominations of the world, failed human transmutations doomed to agonising half-life without the intervention of a Philosopher’s Stone.

Years later, Homunculus meets Trisha Elric and sires two sons with her before vanishing into the night, whilst Hohenheim tries to foil his doppelgänger’s schemes.

Years after that, Edward and Alphonse Elric are caught up in the middle of it all…

A Father-Hohenheim role reversal switcheroo, following Mangahood’s main plot with elements of ‘03, based on the premise ‘what if Father was Ed and Al’s father and Hohenheim was the one hiding under Central?’

Rated: Teen

==

[One] [Two] [Three] [Four] [Five] [Six] [Seven] [Eight] [Nine] [Ten] [Eleven] [Twelve] [Thirteen] [Fourteen] [Fifteen] [Sixteen] [Seventeen] [Eighteen] [Nineteen] [Twenty] [Twenty-One] [Twenty-Two] [Twenty-Three] [Twenty-Four] [Twenty-Five] [AO3]

==

Content Warning: Canon-typical violence

Twenty-Six

The basement area underneath Central Command was, to put it mildly, creepy. Al suppressed a shudder as he and the others moved through the dark, damp rooms, with Charity and Chastity leading the way. They could hear the sounds of commotion above them as the military dealt with all of the chaos that was going on outside in the city. 

Fic: Diverging Paths (25/31)

Summary: Xerxes falls and the only two survivors walk away from the dead city.

Homunculus is keen to make the most of the new human body he now wears, and he goes out into the world, still planning his ascension to godhood as he strips away his vices and turns them into homunculi.

Van Hohenheim believes he has become a monster, and he hides himself away, befriending the other abominations of the world, failed human transmutations doomed to agonising half-life without the intervention of a Philosopher’s Stone.

Years later, Homunculus meets Trisha Elric and sires two sons with her before vanishing into the night, whilst Hohenheim tries to foil his doppelgänger’s schemes.

Years after that, Edward and Alphonse Elric are caught up in the middle of it all…

A Father-Hohenheim role reversal switcheroo, following Mangahood’s main plot with elements of ‘03, based on the premise ‘what if Father was Ed and Al’s father and Hohenheim was the one hiding under Central?’

Rated: Teen

==

[One] [Two] [Three] [Four] [Five] [Six] [Seven] [Eight] [Nine] [Ten] [Eleven] [Twelve] [Thirteen] [Fourteen] [Fifteen] [Sixteen] [Seventeen] [Eighteen] [Nineteen] [Twenty] [Twenty-One] [Twenty-Two] [Twenty-Three] [Twenty-Four] [AO3]

==

Twenty-Five

Hold the gate.

That was all they needed to do. Take the gate and hold the gate, stopping anyone from getting out or getting in. All of the forces who were outside dealing with Mustang and Hughes’ distraction would be recalled to defend Central Command soon enough, and Buccaneer and Miles would not let anyone get in and mess up their carefully laid plans. 

They’d taken no casualties in the fight to take the gate itself; they had six wounded but none dead, and the Central forces had surrendered once they realised they were up against the Briggs Bears who would not hold back under any circumstances. 

Fic: Diverging Paths (24/31)

Summary: Xerxes falls and the only two survivors walk away from the dead city.

Homunculus is keen to make the most of the new human body he now wears, and he goes out into the world, still planning his ascension to godhood as he strips away his vices and turns them into homunculi.

Van Hohenheim believes he has become a monster, and he hides himself away, befriending the other abominations of the world, failed human transmutations doomed to agonising half-life without the intervention of a Philosopher’s Stone.

Years later, Homunculus meets Trisha Elric and sires two sons with her before vanishing into the night, whilst Hohenheim tries to foil his doppelgänger’s schemes.

Years after that, Edward and Alphonse Elric are caught up in the middle of it all…

A Father-Hohenheim role reversal switcheroo, following Mangahood’s main plot with elements of ‘03, based on the premise ‘what if Father was Ed and Al’s father and Hohenheim was the one hiding under Central?’

Rated: Teen

==

[One] [Two] [Three] [Four] [Five] [Six] [Seven] [Eight] [Nine] [Ten] [Eleven] [Twelve] [Thirteen] [Fourteen] [Fifteen] [Sixteen] [Seventeen] [Eighteen] [Nineteen] [Twenty] [Twenty-One] [Twenty-Two] [Twenty-Three] [AO3]

==

Twenty-Four

“Is everyone ready?”

Truth be told, Ed did not really feel very ready. The fate of everyone in the entire country was resting on the shoulders of just a few individuals, and there were so many things that could go wrong. He looked over to Havoc and Fuery. There were already things that had gone wrong, and he didn’t want to think about the possibility of more things going wrong. 

He looked around the gathered people in the corridor. Aside from his own band of misfits who had somehow come together into the weirdest little family over the last few months, Hohenheim and all the homunculi were there, and Ed realised this was probably the first time that he had seen all of them together in the same place. 

Fic: Diverging Paths (23/31)

Summary: Xerxes falls and the only two survivors walk away from the dead city.

Homunculus is keen to make the most of the new human body he now wears, and he goes out into the world, still planning his ascension to godhood as he strips away his vices and turns them into homunculi.

Van Hohenheim believes he has become a monster, and he hides himself away, befriending the other abominations of the world, failed human transmutations doomed to agonising half-life without the intervention of a Philosopher’s Stone.

Years later, Homunculus meets Trisha Elric and sires two sons with her before vanishing into the night, whilst Hohenheim tries to foil his doppelgänger’s schemes.

Years after that, Edward and Alphonse Elric are caught up in the middle of it all…

A Father-Hohenheim role reversal switcheroo, following Mangahood’s main plot with elements of ‘03, based on the premise ‘what if Father was Ed and Al’s father and Hohenheim was the one hiding under Central?’

Rated: Teen

==

[One] [Two] [Three] [Four] [Five] [Six] [Seven] [Eight] [Nine] [Ten] [Eleven] [Twelve] [Thirteen] [Fourteen] [Fifteen] [Sixteen] [Seventeen] [Eighteen] [Nineteen] [Twenty] [Twenty-One] [Twenty-Two] [AO3]

==

Twenty-Three

Havoc stood up from Mrs Bradley’s body and pushed the night-vision glasses back down onto his nose. A part of him wanted to move her and show some kind of respect to the dead, after all, it wasn’t her fault that her husband and son were homunculi trying to bring about the end of the country as they knew it and it wasn’t her fault that she had got caught up in the crossfire like this, but ultimately, he had bigger things to worry about right now. 

Fic: Diverging Paths (22/31)

Summary: Xerxes falls and the only two survivors walk away from the dead city.

Homunculus is keen to make the most of the new human body he now wears, and he goes out into the world, still planning his ascension to godhood as he strips away his vices and turns them into homunculi.

Van Hohenheim believes he has become a monster, and he hides himself away, befriending the other abominations of the world, failed human transmutations doomed to agonising half-life without the intervention of a Philosopher’s Stone.

Years later, Homunculus meets Trisha Elric and sires two sons with her before vanishing into the night, whilst Hohenheim tries to foil his doppelgänger’s schemes.

Years after that, Edward and Alphonse Elric are caught up in the middle of it all…

A Father-Hohenheim role reversal switcheroo, following Mangahood’s main plot with elements of ‘03, based on the premise ‘what if Father was Ed and Al’s father and Hohenheim was the one hiding under Central?’

Rated: Teen

==

[One] [Two] [Three] [Four] [Five] [Six] [Seven] [Eight] [Nine] [Ten] [Eleven] [Twelve] [Thirteen] [Fourteen] [Fifteen] [Sixteen] [Seventeen] [Eighteen] [Nineteen] [Twenty] [Twenty-One] [AO3]

==

Twenty-Two

“Are you ok, brother?”

Ed glanced over at Al as his brother came up beside him, looking out over the lights of Central City as the sun began to go down. Tomorrow was the moment of truth. Everything that they had done over the last few months, all of the hardships that they had endured, all of the teeth-gritted teamwork as their group had learned to put aside their differences, break the chain of hatred and vengeance and work towards a greater good - it all came down to this. The Promised Day was almost upon them, and soon they would know if all of their efforts had been in vain. 

Fic: Diverging Paths (21/31)

Summary: Xerxes falls and the only two survivors walk away from the dead city.

Homunculus is keen to make the most of the new human body he now wears, and he goes out into the world, still planning his ascension to godhood as he strips away his vices and turns them into homunculi.

Van Hohenheim believes he has become a monster, and he hides himself away, befriending the other abominations of the world, failed human transmutations doomed to agonising half-life without the intervention of a Philosopher’s Stone.

Years later, Homunculus meets Trisha Elric and sires two sons with her before vanishing into the night, whilst Hohenheim tries to foil his doppelgänger’s schemes.

Years after that, Edward and Alphonse Elric are caught up in the middle of it all…

A Father-Hohenheim role reversal switcheroo, following Mangahood’s main plot with elements of ‘03, based on the premise ‘what if Father was Ed and Al’s father and Hohenheim was the one hiding under Central?’

Rated: Teen

==

[One] [Two] [Three] [Four] [Five] [Six] [Seven] [Eight] [Nine] [Ten] [Eleven] [Twelve] [Thirteen] [Fourteen] [Fifteen] [Sixteen] [Seventeen] [Eighteen] [Nineteen] [Twenty] [AO3]

==

Twenty-One

It had been a strange month. If anyone had asked Ed, four weeks ago, where he thought he would be right now, hanging out in a house in the Ishvalan slum village outside North City, within sight of the Briggs Fortress (not that it could really be seen between the mountains), with his former enemy among his company would not have been his answer. 

Fic: Diverging Paths (20/31)

Summary: Xerxes falls and the only two survivors walk away from the dead city.

Homunculus is keen to make the most of the new human body he now wears, and he goes out into the world, still planning his ascension to godhood as he strips away his vices and turns them into homunculi.

Van Hohenheim believes he has become a monster, and he hides himself away, befriending the other abominations of the world, failed human transmutations doomed to agonising half-life without the intervention of a Philosopher’s Stone.

Years later, Homunculus meets Trisha Elric and sires two sons with her before vanishing into the night, whilst Hohenheim tries to foil his doppelgänger’s schemes.

Years after that, Edward and Alphonse Elric are caught up in the middle of it all…

A Father-Hohenheim role reversal switcheroo, following Mangahood’s main plot with elements of ‘03, based on the premise ‘what if Father was Ed and Al’s father and Hohenheim was the one hiding under Central?’

Rated: Teen

==

[One] [Two] [Three] [Four] [Five] [Six] [Seven] [Eight] [Nine] [Ten] [Eleven] [Twelve] [Thirteen] [Fourteen] [Fifteen] [Sixteen] [Seventeen] [Eighteen] [Nineteen] [AO3]

==

Twenty

Riza never thought that she would ever be afraid in her own home. In fact, after her father had died and she had finally sold the decrepit old pile of crumbling rock that had been her childhood home, she had made the firm decision that she would never be afraid in her own home again, having been afraid for most of her life. 

Now though… She leaned back against the wall, welcoming Hayate’s rough pink tongue against her cheeks, trying his hardest to lift her spirits without knowing what was wrong. The shadows danced in the corners; even with all the lights in the apartment on at full strength, there were still shadows everywhere, and the knowledge that Pride might be watching, and might always have been watching, was chilling.

Fic: Diverging Paths (19/31)

Summary: Xerxes falls and the only two survivors walk away from the dead city.

Homunculus is keen to make the most of the new human body he now wears, and he goes out into the world, still planning his ascension to godhood as he strips away his vices and turns them into homunculi.

Van Hohenheim believes he has become a monster, and he hides himself away, befriending the other abominations of the world, failed human transmutations doomed to agonising half-life without the intervention of a Philosopher’s Stone.

Years later, Homunculus meets Trisha Elric and sires two sons with her before vanishing into the night, whilst Hohenheim tries to foil his doppelgänger’s schemes.

Years after that, Edward and Alphonse Elric are caught up in the middle of it all…

A Father-Hohenheim role reversal switcheroo, following Mangahood’s main plot with elements of ‘03, based on the premise ‘what if Father was Ed and Al’s father and Hohenheim was the one hiding under Central?’

Rated: Teen

==

[One] [Two] [Three] [Four] [Five] [Six] [Seven] [Eight] [Nine] [Ten] [Eleven] [Twelve] [Thirteen] [Fourteen] [Fifteen] [Sixteen] [Seventeen] [Eighteen][AO3]

==

Nineteen

As she stepped off the train at North City, Winry could not help feeling like she had just left a huge part of her life behind. Once she left the confines of the station, that was it; she’d be a fugitive like Ed and Al and the rest of their group.

She had known that this would happen when she had made the decision to come north to assist with Ed’s automail, and she did not regret it, but at the same time, it was hard not to feel bereft at the thought of leaving Rush Valley and Granny and everyone in the south.