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"Sit down Edward, I believe we should have a little chat."

Edward Elric, formerly the Full Metal Alchemist, was forcefully thrown down into the wood chair. Grunting slightly at the rough treatment, he does not resist when his arms are forced behind him and handcuffed together behind a pipe running from the ceiling to the floor. Ed gritted his teeth as he took in the room around him.

A warehouse in France converted into a private facility, tables and books were scattered everywhere and the whole place appeared to be disorganized, almost frantic. Stacks of boxes resided in the far wall, their contents unknown. And running up and down the walls, ceiling, and floor - crudely drawn Transmutation Circles.

Ed found the whole thing a bit strange, of course "strange" being the whole reason he and his brother, Alphonse Elric and their companion, the gypsy known as Noah, had journeyed to France to begin with. Looking up into the severe, mustached face of Karl Haushofer, Ed felt that old rush he always felt when faced with a possible challenge.

"Long time no see, Haushofer." Ed remarked in his typical brash tones. "What's with the circles everywhere? Trying to summon down Demons to work for the Thule Society now?"

"Hardly." Haushofer acknowledged the verbal jab with a slight smile and bow of his head. "You know as well as I do that these are...what did that gypsy call them? Transmutation Circles?"

"Not that it matters." Edward shrugged as best he could and leaned back in his chair. "Alchemy doesn't work here anyway. So all you're really doing is just ruining a perfectly drab decor for no good reason."

"If we don't have a good reason, then why exactly are you here?" Haushofer replied, eyeing Ed sharply.

"I happened to be in the neighborhood and heard from the locals something funny had been going on out here. And when I learned it was my old friends the Thule Society I decided to check it out." Ed smiled. "Though now I see I shouldn't have bothered."

Haushofer raised his left hand and struck Ed across the face hard. Edward glanced back up at Haushofer with anger in his eyes, a small blood trail coming from his mouth.

"I don't believe you." Haushofer replied. "We're getting close, aren't we? Getting close to reopening the gateway, huh?"

"If you're talking about your Shamballa nonsense, you couldn't be any farther away." Ed said. "As for reopening the gate to my world, not a chance. Like I said before, Alchemy doesn't work on this side of the gate. The gateway opening before was a fluke chance thanks to my father and a Homunculus being here. Now, that door's shut forever. Besides, why would you want to go back?"

"Because if we can get into your world, we can open gateways into others." Haushofer replied. "Maybe to Shamballa itself."

Edward laughed. "Fat chance of that, geezer. Besides, why come to France in that case? Wouldn't that estate of yours be a better chance to try?"

"Because rumor has it this section of France is a powerful magical nexus. With its mystical energies, I was hoping to tap into your...Alchemy, as it were...to open a gate."

"Yeah well, even if I did believe in that magical nexus stuff, Alchemy doesn't work the way you're hoping."

"We'll just see about that." Haushofer replied with a smile, then pointed at the main Circle on the floor. "I want you to attempt it."

Edward blinked in surprise. "Huh? Me? Why?"

"Because you're an Alchemist in your world, aren't you? You're right on one count - I don't understand how Alchemy works. But you do, so it stands to reason you'll know best how to open us a gate."

"As if I'd help you!" Ed growled.

"Even to see your home again?" Haushofer asked.

"This is my home!" Ed yelled. "I've made my peace with that!"

Haushofer smiled slightly. "And what about all those people you left behind? I'm sure there's plenty of people you'd love to see again with a working gate."

Edward paused, Winry popping into his head without thinking, followed closely by Mustang, Armstrong, and all the others. Suddenly an image of Hughes appeared, and he shook his head, banishing the images but smiling.

"You'd be surprised who I see in this world that also live in mine. But I can't go back now." Ed replied. "And it's worth the price to prevent people like you from getting into it! My world's had its own share of trouble - it doesn't need yours, too!"

Haushofer produced a gun from the inside of his suit jacket. "Foolish boy! Maybe a bullet will teach you to watch your tongue! Or have you forgotten who's in charge here?"

"It certainly isn't you!" A new voice replied.

Haushofer looked up quickly. "Who the...?"

Alphonse Elric dropped down on top of Haushofer, causing Haushofer to cry out and go sprawling, as well as losing grip on the gun.

"Al?" Ed asked, a bit startled.

Al stood up on top of Haushofer, brushing the hair out of his eyes and smiling. "I can't leave you alone for five minutes without you causing trouble, can I brother?"

"Hey, I had things under control!" Ed growled, and then noticed the two goons behind him recovering from Al's startling entry and go for their own sidearms. Bringing his right arm up quickly (and snapping off the handcuffs on the pipe in the process), Edward punched the right goon in the stomach, winding him.

"Hey! How did he...?" The other goon didn't have time to register the meaning of the sudden escape as Al kicked him in the midsection, sending him flying back.

"I think it's time to leave." Al pointed out.

Edward eyed the warehouse. No one else had been present, though they were obviously around. But for the moment, things were calm. "Not quite yet."

Edward began walking towards Haushofer, ignoring Al surprise at not leaving immediately. Haushofer groaned as Ed grabbed the back of his hair with his right hand and pulled upwards. Haushofer hissed in breath and was back in the land of the conscious quite fully. Ed pulled him up to eye level, his expression serious.

"Alright, enough crap Haushofer. Where's the uranium bomb?"

"I...I don't know what you're talking about."

Ed let go of Haushofer, the sudden movement startling the German to the point his face smashed into the floor. Ed picked him up the same way again.

"I'll say it again, just in case you didn't hear me, and I'll even speak slowly so you can understand. Where. Is. The. Bomb?"

"Not...Not here." Haushofer said, slightly dazed.

"Then where is it?" Ed said, his anger rising.

"I...I don't know." Haushofer said, then an expression of fear crossed his face as he look at Ed's face. "I mean it! After Eckhart showed it to Hitler, the bomb vanished! Some members of the Society disappeared shortly after it, so its possible they took it!"

"And where would they hide it, huh?" Ed asked, his voice level rising.

"Brother..." Al said in warning.

"You mean to tell me you Thule Society jerks can't find a simple bomb? And you call yourselves the superior race!"

"Brother..." Al repeated.

Ed looked at Al, who wasn't looking at him but rather the door. Ed glanced at the door, only to find a rather startled looking female standing the doorway.

"M..Mister Haushofer?" The female asked, confused.

"Uh-oh." Edward said, dropping Haushofer. At that moment, the female screamed. "BOOK IT AL!"

Suddenly from seemingly all sides, activity was happening. Confused people running into the room to see what was going on, to some hired thugs, their guns already drawn. At sight of the fleeing Elric brothers, they wildly began firing.

"I told you!" Al said as they run. "You're always getting into trouble!"

"Can the chatter and let's get out of here!" Edward growled as a bullet wined off his left leg, the ricochet striking someone who's only crime was coming out to see what was going on.

As they fled into the night, they opened enough of a gap they both paused to look up and down the road next to the warehouse.

"Great," Edward sighed. "Now where?"

Suddenly a car came around the bend. Before the Elrics could avoid detection, they were caught in its headlights. The car stopped before them, a familiar face driving.

"Get in!" Noah called out.

As the guards and Haushofer rushed outside, the car sped away. Some guards fired their weapons at it with little effect. Haushofer merely watched the fleeing car.

"Now why in the world would those boys be interested in the uranium bomb?" He asked to himself.

FULL METAL ALCHEMIST
The Road to Shamballa
A Lonely Girl

Winry sighed as she gently placed flowers on a gravestone which reads "Pinako Rockbell". Alone, it was a strange feeling. Two years had passed since she last saw Edward and Alphonse, and while she knew that she'd never see them again, loneliness was beginning to eat at her. She missed the both of them, Ed especially, and she sometimes wished with all her heart they'd come walking down the hill towards her house. But those were foolish notions, but notions they were. She was not without friends, but how she wished Ed and Al had been there for the funeral, at least. In some ways, Pinako had been a mother to the boys as much as she'd been to Winry after her parents died.

Glancing up at the setting sun, Winry sighed. Brooding about it wasn't going to bring the boys back, best thing to do would be to move on and -

Winry paused in her thinking as someone approached. Dressed in a Black Dress with a Red Jacket over it, the woman who approached had blonde hair down to her shoulders, but at the same time cut in a style Winry couldn't accurately identify. What's more, the woman was looking directly at Winry.

As she approached, the woman glanced down at the gravestone, smiling sadly. Glancing back up, she met Winry's eyes.

"Can I help you?" Winry asked with some trepidation. For some reason, this woman made Winry uncomfortable.

"How much do you miss them?" The woman merely asked.

"E...Excuse me?" Winry asked, flustered.

"The Elrics." The woman said bluntly. "How much do you miss them?"

Winry blinked. "How do you know about Ed and Al?" Without thinking, Winry suddenly grabbed the woman by her jacket collar, her eyes watering. "Are they back?! Have you seen them?!"

The woman merely smiled and softly disengaged herself from Winry. Winry, realizing what she was doing, shook her head, wiping away the few tears.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..."

"I haven't seen them recently." The woman interrupted. "But I can help you see them again."

"How?" Winry asked, a slight hint of desperation and hope in her voice.

The woman smiled, and held out her hand. "First thing's first. I haven't introduced myself yet, you can call me..."

Winry took the woman's hand, but briefly glanced at her jacket - still messed up from Winry's actions. The dress underneath was a lower cut, exposing the top portion of the woman's breasts. And on the right one was a blood red tatto of a serpent eating its own tail. A symbol Winry herself had seen before.

"...Homunculus?" Winry whispered.

The woman smiled slightly. Looking into her eyes now, Winry noticed the slight serpentine slant to the pupils. The woman retained her grip on Winry's hand.

"You can call me Eckhart."

At Winry's house, Winry set a tea cup in front of the Homunculus who identified itself as Eckhart. Eckhart sipped appreciatively from the cup before setting it down and smiling at Winry.

"You know, I was surprised you recognized me as a Homunculus. Not many people do, even if they do see the tattoo."

Despite being covered up again, Eckhart lightly touched her right breast, acknowledging the symbol's existence.

"Believe it or not, you aren't the first Homunculus to be here." Winry said pleasantly, but still a bit off key. The woman...bothered...Winry in ways she couldn't yet identify.

"Indeed?" Eckhart smiled again. "This side of the gate is so strange to me."

"This side of the gate?" Winry asked, confused. "You mean you're from...from the place Ed and Al went?"

"More or less." Eckhart replied. "Actually my history is unimportant at this moment. As I was asking at the graveyard - do you really miss them?"

Winry paused, uncomfortable. But finally, she nodded in the affirmative.

"I can help you find them again." Eckhart said softly.

Winry couldn't meet the other woman's eyes. "How?"

"As you yourself said - I'm from the other side. There is a way we can establish a link to them, but it'll require something in your possession."

"What?"

Eckhart took another sip from her cup before responding. "I believe you still have a pair of the gloves Alphonse Elric used for Alchemy, don't you?"

A half an hour later, Winry was in her living room, wearing Al's gloves with Eckhart kneeling down on the floor.

"I'm still not sure I understand this." Winry said with some hesitation. "I've never done Alchemy before, and even Al couldn't explain why he could put a portion of his soul into metal objects. How did you figure that out, by the way?"

"A...previous encounter." Eckhart said patiently. "As for the Alchemy portion, let me handle that. I do have some talent in the craft, I believe I can work the magic necessary."

"But...what would be the equivalent exchange?" Winry asked. "Isn't that what Alchemy's all about?"

"Don't worry about that." Eckhart said. "There's...a way around that. This isn't so much real Alchemy as it is just sending out a probe. I still have connections on the other side of the gate, all you need to do is reach out to Ed and Al and let me do the rest."

Still holding reservations about the explanation, Winry sighed and did what she had been instructed, placing one hand on either side of Eckhart's temples. Eckhart closed her eyes.

"Here goes nothing." Winry whispered, closing her own eyes.

Briefly she felt her mind touch that of Eckhart's before a sensation of being pulled along a dark tunnel assaulted her to the point Winry almost lost her balance and fell backwards. Only at the last moment did she feel her own hands seized by Eckhart, who held them tight.

Remain strong! Eckhart's voice came from Winry's head, an almost manic quality coloring her words. If you falter here, I will not be able to bring you back!

Dimly Winry began to notice a change in the darkness. It was still dark, but it seemed to her that she was driving down a country road, the stars shining and the road illuminated by headlights. She knew she was driving the vehicle, though should couldn't quite figure out why her forearms and hands were such a darker shade then usual. She also registered voices coming off to her left, voices familiar to her and in a conversation of some importance...

"...go from here?"

"Well, my guess is the bomb was taken out of the Thule Society's grasp before the failed uprising in Germany. So that suggests to me that somebody with a good heart might have moved the bomb somewhere the Society and their Nazi allies wouldn't have soon found it. So that's probably somewhere in Russia or the Orient, or maybe even America."

"Why America?"

"Well, if I wanted to make sure a bunch of racist thugs didn't have the power to blow a chunk of the world off the map I'd..."

Winry managed to get her head turned to see Ed and Al. Al sitting in the backseat with Edward talking over his shoulder back at him. Edward suddenly looked at Winry's way.

"Ed...ward..." Winry felt the tears flowing down her face. She tried to reach out, to touch him.

"Hey," Ed asked, concern in his voice. "What's the matter?"

"EDWARD!" Winry cried out and reached...only to fall face first onto the carpet of her living room, Eckhart sprawled under her.

"Idiot!" Eckhart seethed. "You broke the connection!"

Winry got up quickly, helping Eckhart. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! If we could try again..."

"I'm afraid that I can't!" Eckhart shot back heatedly, and Winry finally registered how Eckhart looked.

She was breathing hard and sweat drenched her skin, itself a fading bright red. She looked horrible, like someone had turned an oven inside her, and Winry glanced at the gloves on her hands, the Alchemy symbols on them were singed, almost as if they'd burned away.

"That...That trick..." Eckhart gulped in breaths of air. "That trick drains me every time I do it. I'm afraid I'm not up for another journey just now."

"Of course not, I'm sorry." Winry helped Eckhart stand and head back into the kitchen. "But I don't understand, why could I see them? What's going on with them? What's this bomb they're searching for?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Eckhart said weakly. "If you don't mind, I need to rest. If I might bother you for a bed?"

"Of course not!" Winry said. "Let me help you upstairs!"

"Thank you." Eckhart said with a feeble smile. "At least you know they're safe, and the way is open..."

"What do you mean by that?" Winry asked.

Eckhart replied by breaking into a coughing fit. Winry politely let the conversation drop as she helped the Homunculus to a bed.

"Hey Noah, what's the matter?" Edward repeated.

Noah wiped away tears from her face and returned her gaze to the road.

"I...I'm not certain." Noah replied, clearly unnerved. "I suddenly had a deep feeling of loneliness along with relief and delight upon seeing the both of you. I can't explain it."

"Well geez, if you're getting lonely, you should come with us sometime Noah." Al said with a cheerful expression. "Edward here will get you into so much trouble you'll can't wait to be rid of us!"

"Hey!" Edward said, annoyed. "I am not that bad!"

Noah chuckled appreciatively, though she was still unnerved by the experience. She was certain her mind had been "touched" by someone else, but how or why she couldn't say other than it pertained to the Elric brothers in some way. Even now, there was a slight off colored relief whenever she looked at them.

Perhaps in a attempt to clear her own head Noah asked, "So, where to?"

"England." Edward said. "I'm almost positive we'll find our bomb on the other side of the Atlantic."

"But brother!" Alphonse protested, leaning up in his seat and poking his head and shoulders between Edward and Noah. "Boat tickets cost money, and we don't have nearly enough!"

"Then we'll get the money the old fashion way." Edward smiled. "Been awhile since I've been to a carnival, at any rate."

Noah smiled at the suggestion and Al became thoughtful.

"It has been awhile since we last were at a Carnival." Noah added.

"Yeah, but only because the last one ended rather frantically, for both of us." Ed said with a laugh. "Don't worry about it, I'm sure this one won't be nearly as exciting, and once we've got the money, it's off to America."

"And after that, brother?" Al asked.

"Hey, don't look at me!" Ed smiled. "I don't think that far ahead!"

Night time at the Winry house, Winry was so wound up from her experience that it was well after three a.m. before she finally got to sleep. At four a.m.,.her front door opened silently, and the Homunculus named Eckhart exited quietly. Walking quickly away from the house, Eckhart smiled ruefully before turning and looking back on the structure.

"The seed has been planted." Eckhart said to thin air. "Now all we have to do is wait for something to grow, then harvest it when the time is right."

Behind her, a red glow appeared in a fashion almost of a door opening. Giving the Winry house one last smile, Eckhart turned and walked into the red glow, the glow receding like a door closing after she was through.

Description
"Sit down Edward, I believe we should have a little chat."

Edward Elric, formerly the Full Metal Alchemist, was forcefully thrown down into the wood chair. Grunting slightly at the rough treatment, he does not resist when his arms are forced behind him and handcuffed together behind a pipe running from the ceiling to the floor. Ed gritted his teeth as he took in the room around him.

A warehouse in France converted into a private facility, tables and books were scattered everywhere and the whole place appeared to be disorganized, almost frantic. Stacks of boxes resided in the far wall, their contents unknown. And running up and down the walls, ceiling, and floor - crudely drawn Transmutation Circles.

Ed found the whole thing a bit strange, of course "strange" being the whole reason he and his brother, Alphonse Elric and their companion, the gypsy known as Noah, had journeyed to France to begin with. Looking up into the severe, mustached face of Karl Haushofer, Ed felt that old rush he always felt when faced with a possible challenge.

"Long time no see, Haushofer." Ed remarked in his typical brash tones. "What's with the circles everywhere? Trying to summon down Demons to work for the Thule Society now?"

"Hardly." Haushofer acknowledged the verbal jab with a slight smile and bow of his head. "You know as well as I do that these are...what did that gypsy call them? Transmutation Circles?"

"Not that it matters." Edward shrugged as best he could and leaned back in his chair. "Alchemy doesn't work here anyway. So all you're really doing is just ruining a perfectly drab decor for no good reason."

"If we don't have a good reason, then why exactly are you here?" Haushofer replied, eyeing Ed sharply.

"I happened to be in the neighborhood and heard from the locals something funny had been going on out here. And when I learned it was my old friends the Thule Society I decided to check it out." Ed smiled. "Though now I see I shouldn't have bothered."

Haushofer raised his left hand and struck Ed across the face hard. Edward glanced back up at Haushofer with anger in his eyes, a small blood trail coming from his mouth.

"I don't believe you." Haushofer replied. "We're getting close, aren't we? Getting close to reopening the gateway, huh?"

"If you're talking about your Shamballa nonsense, you couldn't be any farther away." Ed said. "As for reopening the gate to my world, not a chance. Like I said before, Alchemy doesn't work on this side of the gate. The gateway opening before was a fluke chance thanks to my father and a Homunculus being here. Now, that door's shut forever. Besides, why would you want to go back?"

"Because if we can get into your world, we can open gateways into others." Haushofer replied. "Maybe to Shamballa itself."

Edward laughed. "Fat chance of that, geezer. Besides, why come to France in that case? Wouldn't that estate of yours be a better chance to try?"

"Because rumor has it this section of France is a powerful magical nexus. With its mystical energies, I was hoping to tap into your...Alchemy, as it were...to open a gate."

"Yeah well, even if I did believe in that magical nexus stuff, Alchemy doesn't work the way you're hoping."

"We'll just see about that." Haushofer replied with a smile, then pointed at the main Circle on the floor. "I want you to attempt it."

Edward blinked in surprise. "Huh? Me? Why?"

"Because you're an Alchemist in your world, aren't you? You're right on one count - I don't understand how Alchemy works. But you do, so it stands to reason you'll know best how to open us a gate."

"As if I'd help you!" Ed growled.

"Even to see your home again?" Haushofer asked.

"This is my home!" Ed yelled. "I've made my peace with that!"

Haushofer smiled slightly. "And what about all those people you left behind? I'm sure there's plenty of people you'd love to see again with a working gate."

Edward paused, Winry popping into his head without thinking, followed closely by Mustang, Armstrong, and all the others. Suddenly an image of Hughes appeared, and he shook his head, banishing the images but smiling.

"You'd be surprised who I see in this world that also live in mine. But I can't go back now." Ed replied. "And it's worth the price to prevent people like you from getting into it! My world's had its own share of trouble - it doesn't need yours, too!"

Haushofer produced a gun from the inside of his suit jacket. "Foolish boy! Maybe a bullet will teach you to watch your tongue! Or have you forgotten who's in charge here?"

"It certainly isn't you!" A new voice replied.

Haushofer looked up quickly. "Who the...?"

Alphonse Elric dropped down on top of Haushofer, causing Haushofer to cry out and go sprawling, as well as losing grip on the gun.

"Al?" Ed asked, a bit startled.

Al stood up on top of Haushofer, brushing the hair out of his eyes and smiling. "I can't leave you alone for five minutes without you causing trouble, can I brother?"

"Hey, I had things under control!" Ed growled, and then noticed the two goons behind him recovering from Al's startling entry and go for their own sidearms. Bringing his right arm up quickly (and snapping off the handcuffs on the pipe in the process), Edward punched the right goon in the stomach, winding him.

"Hey! How did he...?" The other goon didn't have time to register the meaning of the sudden escape as Al kicked him in the midsection, sending him flying back.

"I think it's time to leave." Al pointed out.

Edward eyed the warehouse. No one else had been present, though they were obviously around. But for the moment, things were calm. "Not quite yet."

Edward began walking towards Haushofer, ignoring Al surprise at not leaving immediately. Haushofer groaned as Ed grabbed the back of his hair with his right hand and pulled upwards. Haushofer hissed in breath and was back in the land of the conscious quite fully. Ed pulled him up to eye level, his expression serious.

"Alright, enough crap Haushofer. Where's the uranium bomb?"

"I...I don't know what you're talking about."

Ed let go of Haushofer, the sudden movement startling the German to the point his face smashed into the floor. Ed picked him up the same way again.

"I'll say it again, just in case you didn't hear me, and I'll even speak slowly so you can understand. Where. Is. The. Bomb?"

"Not...Not here." Haushofer said, slightly dazed.

"Then where is it?" Ed said, his anger rising.

"I...I don't know." Haushofer said, then an expression of fear crossed his face as he look at Ed's face. "I mean it! After Eckhart showed it to Hitler, the bomb vanished! Some members of the Society disappeared shortly after it, so its possible they took it!"

"And where would they hide it, huh?" Ed asked, his voice level rising.

"Brother..." Al said in warning.

"You mean to tell me you Thule Society jerks can't find a simple bomb? And you call yourselves the superior race!"

"Brother..." Al repeated.

Ed looked at Al, who wasn't looking at him but rather the door. Ed glanced at the door, only to find a rather startled looking female standing the doorway.

"M..Mister Haushofer?" The female asked, confused.

"Uh-oh." Edward said, dropping Haushofer. At that moment, the female screamed. "BOOK IT AL!"

Suddenly from seemingly all sides, activity was happening. Confused people running into the room to see what was going on, to some hired thugs, their guns already drawn. At sight of the fleeing Elric brothers, they wildly began firing.

"I told you!" Al said as they run. "You're always getting into trouble!"

"Can the chatter and let's get out of here!" Edward growled as a bullet wined off his left leg, the ricochet striking someone who's only crime was coming out to see what was going on.

As they fled into the night, they opened enough of a gap they both paused to look up and down the road next to the warehouse.

"Great," Edward sighed. "Now where?"

Suddenly a car came around the bend. Before the Elrics could avoid detection, they were caught in its headlights. The car stopped before them, a familiar face driving.

"Get in!" Noah called out.

As the guards and Haushofer rushed outside, the car sped away. Some guards fired their weapons at it with little effect. Haushofer merely watched the fleeing car.

"Now why in the world would those boys be interested in the uranium bomb?" He asked to himself.

FULL METAL ALCHEMIST
The Road to Shamballa
A Lonely Girl

Winry sighed as she gently placed flowers on a gravestone which reads "Pinako Rockbell". Alone, it was a strange feeling. Two years had passed since she last saw Edward and Alphonse, and while she knew that she'd never see them again, loneliness was beginning to eat at her. She missed the both of them, Ed especially, and she sometimes wished with all her heart they'd come walking down the hill towards her house. But those were foolish notions, but notions they were. She was not without friends, but how she wished Ed and Al had been there for the funeral, at least. In some ways, Pinako had been a mother to the boys as much as she'd been to Winry after her parents died.

Glancing up at the setting sun, Winry sighed. Brooding about it wasn't going to bring the boys back, best thing to do would be to move on and -

Winry paused in her thinking as someone approached. Dressed in a Black Dress with a Red Jacket over it, the woman who approached had blonde hair down to her shoulders, but at the same time cut in a style Winry couldn't accurately identify. What's more, the woman was looking directly at Winry.

As she approached, the woman glanced down at the gravestone, smiling sadly. Glancing back up, she met Winry's eyes.

"Can I help you?" Winry asked with some trepidation. For some reason, this woman made Winry uncomfortable.

"How much do you miss them?" The woman merely asked.

"E...Excuse me?" Winry asked, flustered.

"The Elrics." The woman said bluntly. "How much do you miss them?"

Winry blinked. "How do you know about Ed and Al?" Without thinking, Winry suddenly grabbed the woman by her jacket collar, her eyes watering. "Are they back?! Have you seen them?!"

The woman merely smiled and softly disengaged herself from Winry. Winry, realizing what she was doing, shook her head, wiping away the few tears.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..."

"I haven't seen them recently." The woman interrupted. "But I can help you see them again."

"How?" Winry asked, a slight hint of desperation and hope in her voice.

The woman smiled, and held out her hand. "First thing's first. I haven't introduced myself yet, you can call me..."

Winry took the woman's hand, but briefly glanced at her jacket - still messed up from Winry's actions. The dress underneath was a lower cut, exposing the top portion of the woman's breasts. And on the right one was a blood red tatto of a serpent eating its own tail. A symbol Winry herself had seen before.

"...Homunculus?" Winry whispered.

The woman smiled slightly. Looking into her eyes now, Winry noticed the slight serpentine slant to the pupils. The woman retained her grip on Winry's hand.

"You can call me Eckhart."

At Winry's house, Winry set a tea cup in front of the Homunculus who identified itself as Eckhart. Eckhart sipped appreciatively from the cup before setting it down and smiling at Winry.

"You know, I was surprised you recognized me as a Homunculus. Not many people do, even if they do see the tattoo."

Despite being covered up again, Eckhart lightly touched her right breast, acknowledging the symbol's existence.

"Believe it or not, you aren't the first Homunculus to be here." Winry said pleasantly, but still a bit off key. The woman...bothered...Winry in ways she couldn't yet identify.

"Indeed?" Eckhart smiled again. "This side of the gate is so strange to me."

"This side of the gate?" Winry asked, confused. "You mean you're from...from the place Ed and Al went?"

"More or less." Eckhart replied. "Actually my history is unimportant at this moment. As I was asking at the graveyard - do you really miss them?"

Winry paused, uncomfortable. But finally, she nodded in the affirmative.

"I can help you find them again." Eckhart said softly.

Winry couldn't meet the other woman's eyes. "How?"

"As you yourself said - I'm from the other side. There is a way we can establish a link to them, but it'll require something in your possession."

"What?"

Eckhart took another sip from her cup before responding. "I believe you still have a pair of the gloves Alphonse Elric used for Alchemy, don't you?"

A half an hour later, Winry was in her living room, wearing Al's gloves with Eckhart kneeling down on the floor.

"I'm still not sure I understand this." Winry said with some hesitation. "I've never done Alchemy before, and even Al couldn't explain why he could put a portion of his soul into metal objects. How did you figure that out, by the way?"

"A...previous encounter." Eckhart said patiently. "As for the Alchemy portion, let me handle that. I do have some talent in the craft, I believe I can work the magic necessary."

"But...what would be the equivalent exchange?" Winry asked. "Isn't that what Alchemy's all about?"

"Don't worry about that." Eckhart said. "There's...a way around that. This isn't so much real Alchemy as it is just sending out a probe. I still have connections on the other side of the gate, all you need to do is reach out to Ed and Al and let me do the rest."

Still holding reservations about the explanation, Winry sighed and did what she had been instructed, placing one hand on either side of Eckhart's temples. Eckhart closed her eyes.

"Here goes nothing." Winry whispered, closing her own eyes.

Briefly she felt her mind touch that of Eckhart's before a sensation of being pulled along a dark tunnel assaulted her to the point Winry almost lost her balance and fell backwards. Only at the last moment did she feel her own hands seized by Eckhart, who held them tight.

Remain strong! Eckhart's voice came from Winry's head, an almost manic quality coloring her words. If you falter here, I will not be able to bring you back!

Dimly Winry began to notice a change in the darkness. It was still dark, but it seemed to her that she was driving down a country road, the stars shining and the road illuminated by headlights. She knew she was driving the vehicle, though should couldn't quite figure out why her forearms and hands were such a darker shade then usual. She also registered voices coming off to her left, voices familiar to her and in a conversation of some importance...

"...go from here?"

"Well, my guess is the bomb was taken out of the Thule Society's grasp before the failed uprising in Germany. So that suggests to me that somebody with a good heart might have moved the bomb somewhere the Society and their Nazi allies wouldn't have soon found it. So that's probably somewhere in Russia or the Orient, or maybe even America."

"Why America?"

"Well, if I wanted to make sure a bunch of racist thugs didn't have the power to blow a chunk of the world off the map I'd..."

Winry managed to get her head turned to see Ed and Al. Al sitting in the backseat with Edward talking over his shoulder back at him. Edward suddenly looked at Winry's way.

"Ed...ward..." Winry felt the tears flowing down her face. She tried to reach out, to touch him.

"Hey," Ed asked, concern in his voice. "What's the matter?"

"EDWARD!" Winry cried out and reached...only to fall face first onto the carpet of her living room, Eckhart sprawled under her.

"Idiot!" Eckhart seethed. "You broke the connection!"

Winry got up quickly, helping Eckhart. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! If we could try again..."

"I'm afraid that I can't!" Eckhart shot back heatedly, and Winry finally registered how Eckhart looked.

She was breathing hard and sweat drenched her skin, itself a fading bright red. She looked horrible, like someone had turned an oven inside her, and Winry glanced at the gloves on her hands, the Alchemy symbols on them were singed, almost as if they'd burned away.

"That...That trick..." Eckhart gulped in breaths of air. "That trick drains me every time I do it. I'm afraid I'm not up for another journey just now."

"Of course not, I'm sorry." Winry helped Eckhart stand and head back into the kitchen. "But I don't understand, why could I see them? What's going on with them? What's this bomb they're searching for?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Eckhart said weakly. "If you don't mind, I need to rest. If I might bother you for a bed?"

"Of course not!" Winry said. "Let me help you upstairs!"

"Thank you." Eckhart said with a feeble smile. "At least you know they're safe, and the way is open..."

"What do you mean by that?" Winry asked.

Eckhart replied by breaking into a coughing fit. Winry politely let the conversation drop as she helped the Homunculus to a bed.

"Hey Noah, what's the matter?" Edward repeated.

Noah wiped away tears from her face and returned her gaze to the road.

"I...I'm not certain." Noah replied, clearly unnerved. "I suddenly had a deep feeling of loneliness along with relief and delight upon seeing the both of you. I can't explain it."

"Well geez, if you're getting lonely, you should come with us sometime Noah." Al said with a cheerful expression. "Edward here will get you into so much trouble you'll can't wait to be rid of us!"

"Hey!" Edward said, annoyed. "I am not that bad!"

Noah chuckled appreciatively, though she was still unnerved by the experience. She was certain her mind had been "touched" by someone else, but how or why she couldn't say other than it pertained to the Elric brothers in some way. Even now, there was a slight off colored relief whenever she looked at them.

Perhaps in a attempt to clear her own head Noah asked, "So, where to?"

"England." Edward said. "I'm almost positive we'll find our bomb on the other side of the Atlantic."

"But brother!" Alphonse protested, leaning up in his seat and poking his head and shoulders between Edward and Noah. "Boat tickets cost money, and we don't have nearly enough!"

"Then we'll get the money the old fashion way." Edward smiled. "Been awhile since I've been to a carnival, at any rate."

Noah smiled at the suggestion and Al became thoughtful.

"It has been awhile since we last were at a Carnival." Noah added.

"Yeah, but only because the last one ended rather frantically, for both of us." Ed said with a laugh. "Don't worry about it, I'm sure this one won't be nearly as exciting, and once we've got the money, it's off to America."

"And after that, brother?" Al asked.

"Hey, don't look at me!" Ed smiled. "I don't think that far ahead!"

Night time at the Winry house, Winry was so wound up from her experience that it was well after three a.m. before she finally got to sleep. At four a.m.,.her front door opened silently, and the Homunculus named Eckhart exited quietly. Walking quickly away from the house, Eckhart smiled ruefully before turning and looking back on the structure.

"The seed has been planted." Eckhart said to thin air. "Now all we have to do is wait for something to grow, then harvest it when the time is right."

Behind her, a red glow appeared in a fashion almost of a door opening. Giving the Winry house one last smile, Eckhart turned and walked into the red glow, the glow receding like a door closing after she was through.