Chapter 5

Ed stood in shock over what he had just witnessed – fatal injuries were something that he was becoming accustomed to seeing in his travels but that fact didn't make it any easier to deal with. Victor's lifeless body was still oozing blood into a pool which was steadily getting closer to Ed's feet. The sword had completely pierced through Victor's body, leaving the tip of the sword sticking out of his back and stained a deep red. His face was was eerily frozen in an expression of deep anguish, and it would forever remain that way.

Ed was getting sick to his stomach after what he had just seen, so he quickly turned his back on the scene and rushed back up the stairs to the ground floor of the house. His entire being was still flowing with adrenalin, and that likely wouldn't change until Winry's safety was made certain. Victor's passing seemed like an absolute end to this situation he now found himself in, but all would be for naught if Winry hadn't survived to see the end.

Al and Winry were nowhere to be seen in the house but that much was expected, as she needed to get somewhere safe and that meant far away from the house. Al had taken the lamp on the way out but Ed soon realized that he wouldn't need it. The sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon, and there was plenty of light to guide him on the way back to town. Regardless of the situation, the sunrise from the deserted shack in the middle of the woods was quite a sight. The sky was filled with a beautiful mixture of colors ranging from light yellow to dark red, and the light reflected brilliantly on the small droplets of condensation resting on the leaves of the many trees in the area.

There were several townsfolk up and about when Ed got back to town in the early morning. Their eyes were full of fear when they saw his approach, perhaps mistaking him as one of the mercenaries that they thought still existed. Now knowing the reason for their depression, Ed could only feel pity for the people of this town. After all that they had gone through with the mercenary band and, more recently, Victor, they deserved a better life. And, given some time, maybe they will come to be happy again now that the source of their oppression had been eliminated.

Ed crossed town and returned to the inn, where he could only hope that Al and Winry were waiting for him. He was not wrong in this regard, and when he stepped into the tavern area of the inn, Ed saw Al sitting at the bar and talking to the bartender they had talked to earlier. There was nobody else in the entire room apart from the two of them, and they seemed to be chatting quietly before Ed arrived. But perhaps the most noticeable characteristic of the scene was an omission – Winry was nowhere to be seen.

"Brother!" Al said immediately when Ed entered the building.

Ed crossed the room and sat down next Al, only just now realizing how tired he was. It had been over a full day since he had gotten any sleep, and he was exhausted. "Sir, can I get some water?" Ed asked the bartender, licking his lips to try to satiate his dehydrated being.

Ed pulled out his money to pay for the drink, but the bartender quickly waved it off. "This one's on the house." He said as he set the large mug down on the bar in front of Ed.

"Thanks." Ed said before swallowing a few large gulps of the water. After chugging half of the mug, Ed gasped for air and placed the mug back on the table. "How's Winry?" Ed asked, maintaining a emotionless tone.

"She'll be fine." Al replied. He seemed to notice that Ed was more worried than his voice let on. "She's upstairs, still sleeping."

"Any injuries?" Ed asked quietly, fearing for the worst.

"Apart from a few cuts around her wrists from the shackles, no." Al replied.

Ed breathed a sigh of relief. Ensuring her safety was all he had been focused on for the past day, and now that she was back in his hands, a great burden had been lifted from his chest. "Well, that's good." Ed said lightly, taking another short sip from his mug.

"What happened, Ed?" Al asked quietly.

"You look like you've been through hell, kid." The bartender added gruffly.

Ed cautiously eyed the bartender, unsure of whether he should be hearing this. But knowing Al, he had probably already told the bartender everything he knew, so Ed decided to throw caution into the wind. "The cause of the oppression of this town is no more." He announced.

"Brother, you didn't..." Al began to ask.

"No." Ed replied grumpily, knowing what Al was about to ask. "The bastard killed himself."

"That...that's awful." Al said quietly.

"I still can't believe it." The bartender said, shaking his head slightly. "I thought I knew Victor.

"Ed, I was just telling him about Victor before you got here." Al explained. "Apparently, he was a frequent customer at this bar."

Ed nodded and looked at the hardened bartender. "What can you tell me about him?"

"Not much." The bartender said gruffly. "I didn't even know his name until about a month ago. He was always off with that girl, Anna I think her name was. The mercenaries were running amok, killing anyone who fled town, but the two of them somehow found a way to stay happy. I guess I didn't really think much on it at the time, but it's kind of inspiring now that I look back on it. But that all changed when the girl was murdered. He started coming to this bar every night, and I never saw him smile once. I knew he was down on himself but I guess I never realized just how much."

"Well, tragedy affects even the best of us." Ed said quietly, then added sarcastically, "Thanks for the heads-up, by the way. You obviously knew about the mercenaries the whole time, that piece of information would have been nice from the start."

"Oh. Right. Sorry." The bartender said shyly. "With the mercenaries around, I learned to keep my mouth shut. Anyone who didn't mysteriously vanished."

"Well, you don't need to worry about that anymore." Ed said with a sigh. "The mercenaries are long gone now."

"Ed, I have to ask." Al began to say. "What did happen to the mercenaries?"

"Victor killed them." Ed replied with a sigh. "Out of revenge for his fallen Anna."

"I figured." Al said. "And the other kidnapped girls?"

"His doing as well." Ed responded dryly. "Just like Winry."

Al nodded but said nothing more. For a few minutes, they sat together in silence. Ed sporadically took some sips of his water, reflecting on all of the events that had happened within the past day.

"Brother, you're shoulder is bleeding!" Al said in shock.

Ed turned to look at his left shoulder to see that his clothes there had become damp with blood. With all that was going on, he had completely forgotten about his wound. He rolled up his arm sleeve to see the wound exposed, and it was actually quite gruesome. It wasn't deep but it was a long, thin slice that extended across his entire shoulder. The skin around the wound was red and puffy, a clear sign of infection. Even now, it was still oozing fresh blood. Before it could heal, it would probably have to be sealed up, either alchemically or otherwise.

"You should get that looked at, kid." The bartender said.

"He's right, Ed." Al said quietly. "It looks pretty bad."

"Not right now." Ed said with a yawn. "I need...a nap."

Al looked ready to protest but Ed got to his feet before he could. Ed stumbled down the hall, drowsiness and blood loss starting to get the better of him. He could barely see straight as he forced himself up the stairs to his room. Before he went to his own room, he stopped by Winry's and checked inside. Winry was still sleeping away, her deep, relaxing breaths filling the room. Ed smiled and closed the door, turning back to his room. After he seeing her safe for himself, he could finally rest easy.

"He's waking up! Al, come quickly!"

The first thing Ed say when he opened his drowsy eyes from his well-deserved rest was the blurry form of Winry standing over him from the side of his bed. She was beaming down at him, flashing a smile that showed an overwhelming sense of joy.

"Winry, how..." Ed began to say, but only seconds after those few words left his mouth, Winry lunged at him and embraced him in a tight hug on his bed.

"I'm so glad you're alright." Winry said quietly. She was lying down on top of his chest, her arms wrapped around his neck, and she showed no signs of moving anytime soon. The force of her impact on his frail, battle-worn body wasn't pleasant, but Ed ignored that for his sense of relief was stronger. He carefully wrapped his arms around her and held her tenderly.

They embraced each other in silence, and it took a few moments for Ed to notice that Al had showed up at the door to his room. When he caught Ed looking at him, Al gave his brother a knowing grin, then turned and exited out of the room to give Ed and Winry some privacy. Ed grimaced in his embarrassment – Al wouldn't let this one down easily.

For what could have been as long as half an hour, the two of them were content to savor each others company without saying a word. Ed could feel the pillow around his neck getting moist, and he could only guess that she was crying lightly, and he held her tighter.

It wasn't until Winry finally pulled away and sat on the side of the bed that she said, "How's your arm?"

"It's feeling pretty stiff." Ed said bitterly as he began to massage it gently, only to realize that it had already been bandaged up.

In response to Ed's questioning glance, Winry explained, "Al called in a doctor to see you after you fell asleep. It should be fine but he cautioned you to try to limit yourself at least for a few days."

"I see." Ed said quietly. Looking outside the window, he noticed that it was late morning but that discovery was deceiving – considering the fact that a doctor had been in to see him, he must have been asleep for a full twenty-four hours. To rid his mind of this depressing thought, he changed the subject by asking, "Forget about it, how are you feeling?"

"I..." Winry said slowly, as if surprised by the question. "I didn't even know what was going on at first. I was so scared. But I'm good now, thanks to you and Al."

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" Ed asked angrily.

"N-no, I'm fine." Winry stammered. "That man must have taken me while I was sleeping, and the only thing I remember after waking up was being chained against the wall of that prison. And the man who captured me...he was just staring at me. He didn't even say a word, and I just passed out a few minutes after."

Ed nodded. "I'm sorry." He said solemnly. "I never should have let this happen."

"It's not your fault, Ed." Winry replied. "You didn't expect anything like this to happen, nobody could have."

"Still." Ed said stubbornly.

"Don't be so hard on yourself." Ed said cheerfully. "I'm fine, and from what Al said, this town has gained a lot from what you two have done."

"Yeah." Ed said indecisively.

In the silence that followed, Winry, thankfully, decided to change the subject by asking, "What happened to that man? The one who took me?"

"Dead." Ed said simply, then quickly added, "Don't look at me like that, it wasn't me! I tried to stop him but he killed himself."

Winry's face lit up with shock for a moment but then returned to normal. "I guess that shouldn't come as much of a surprise." She said quietly. "There was something tragic about him."

"You feel bad for him?" Ed asked astonishedly.

"I'm not saying that!" Winry quickly retorted. "But he seemed different somehow. Desperate, I guess."

"Yeah, you could say that." Ed mumbled.

"Did you figure out why he...you know...?" Winry asked quietly.

Ed wanted to lie to her, tell her something that would be easier to accept, but he couldn't. Her innocent, expecting face was impossible to lie to, and she deserved to know. "You look like someone he once knew who died some time ago." Ed explained. "He wanted to mold you into her."

"That..." Winry stuttered. "That doesn't even make sense."

"He was blind." Ed said with a shrug. "He couldn't see past the memory of that girl, Anna."

"That's awful." Winry said.

Ed didn't reply, thinking back on how similar his situation with his mom was to Victor's. He wanted to hate Victor with every fiber in his body for all that he had done, but he had done no better when he was in the same place.

As if she could read his mind, she asked, "Is that how you felt when..."

"Yeah." Ed said simply, adding nothing else.

"I had almost forgot." Winry said sorrowfully, diverting her gaze from his in shame. "Seeing you today, it's hard to believe you went through something as traumatic as losing your mother so suddenly. You always act so confident, like nothing can affect you."

Ed stared at her silently, unsure of what to say. She continued, "I mean, just look at what you've done! You put your life in danger just to save someone else. And the people of this town owe you a great dept for the terror you've freed them from. And you did all this without a second thought."

Ed blushed lightly, not accustomed to hearing her praise him so highly. "Yeah...Thanks, Winry." Ed said quietly. He racked his brains for the right words to explain his true motivations, but everything he thought of just sounded bad. In the end, he settled on saying, "But I didn't do it for them." Those few words proved to be difficult to say, as it turned out, and Ed had to look away to hide his embarrassment.

Winry stared at him for a moment, as if trying to read him. She then smiled lightly and said, "I know."

Before Ed even realized what was happening, Winry leaned over from the side of the bed and planted a kiss onto his cheek. He laid still in shock for a few moments as he watched her pull back and smile lightly down at him. "Get some rest." She said happily, still blushing.

With that, Winry stood up and walked out of the room, leaving Ed feeling confused and exhausted, but happy all the same.

Ed ended up resting for the rest of that day as well as the night as his body regained the energy he had used up in battle. Once his adrenalin and determination in battle wore off, the small injuries that he was able to ignore began to overwhelm him. Apart from his shoulder, he had no serious injuries, but his entire body was sore and greatly appreciated the time he spent resting in bed.

And now, a full three and a half days after they had first entered this town, Ed was finally fit to travel again. He, Al and Winry packed up what little they had and slung it on their backs. Ed returned the keys to the scruffy bartender along with a healthy tip (that took some persuading in order for the bartender to begrudgingly accept) and his heartfelt thanks.

But before they could leave town, there was still a few loose ends that Ed wanted to patch up in respect for the people of this meager town, the last of which entailed meeting up with the proprietor of the general store in order to give his thanks and pass on a last request. As she had nothing to do with this, Ed had intended to allow Winry to wait outside while he and Al took care of it. But, as it would turn out, both the general store owner and his wife were sitting out on the porch of the store, rocking on their chairs and calmly watching their approach.

"So, you've returned." The elderly man said calmly, a gentle smile on his lips. He, along with his wife, seemed at peace with their surroundings, and had likely heard the rumor that the town had been freed. The wife suffered from moderate memory lose and always displayed a happy, innocent expression as a result, so this much was expected from her, but seeing the worried features that had once plagued the man's face washed away was a pleasant sight indeed. The man then continued, "You're looking beat up."

With his shoulder wrapped in bandages and his facial features saggy with fatigue, Ed couldn't blame the man for saying so. "Yeah, I suppose so." Ed said quietly. He had an idea of what he wanted to say when he returned to meet this elderly man, but now that he was here, the words were hard to find.

"How are you feeling?" The man asked sincerely. "I heard from the doctor that you would be fine but I hope you didn't suffer too much for this town's behalf."

"N-no, I'm fine. It was nothing, really." Ed stammered, surprised at the man's concern for Ed's well-being.

"I see." The man said with a nod. "That's good."

"Well, uh..." Ed said embarrassedly, fumbling for the words. "You don't have to worry about the mercenaries anymore. You are free again."

"Yes, I had heard the rumors, but it is nice to hear confirmation from the source itself." The man replied with a smile. "Let me be the first to thank you, young man. Unfortunately, my gratitude is all I can offer you but if you check in with the town center, I'm sure they can find some kind of reward for you."

"Oh, no, that won't be necessary." Ed replied with a frantic shake of his hands. "I didn't do any of this for a reward."

"The reward is in the action itself, right?" The man said with a chuckle, his cheery eyes bouncing back and forth between Ed and Winry, who was quietly standing a step or two behind Ed. "So, this is your friend, then?"

The man had focused his gaze onto Winry with a strange smile on his lips that can only best be described as teasing. Ed quickly blushed and tried to find something to say in reply, but, for better or worse, he wouldn't need to. The elderly woman had remained strangely quiet up until this point, calmly taking in the conversation but not saying anything herself as if she didn't understand what was being said. But, at her husband's direction, she also focused on Winry, and her eyes lit up with a flash of understanding.

"Anna, is that you?" The woman said she rose up of her rocking chain and onto her feet, mistaking Winry for Anna, the fallen lover. "Come here, let me get a good look at you."

Ed felt a pang of pity – either the woman had bad eyesight or her poor memory caused her to forget the finer facial details of the real Anna that she used to know from some time ago, and it was more likely the latter. He turned around to look at Winry, and found that her face was riddled with confusion, and understandably so. She had no idea who Anna was, and didn't know what to say in this situation. Ed gave her a look that told her to just go with it, and she seemed to understand somehow.

Slowly, Winry took a couple of steps forward and gave a slight bow before the elderly woman. "It's a shame, I almost forgot that pretty face of yours." The woman said with a soft smile. "Do yourself a favor and don't get old."

Winry laughed quietly in reply – she was performing admirably given the strange situation that she found herself in. "So, is this him? Your boyfriend?" The woman said, shifting her gaze over to Ed.

Ed's face instantly went scarlet and Winry seemed equally embarrassed, even though Ed couldn't see her face. "Hmm...I thought I remembered him being a bit taller..."

Ed had a retort ready at the tip of his tongue but he held it in out of respect for the woman. "You take care of her, alright?" She said to Ed, then turned back to Winry and said, "Well, I'll leave it at that, then. I'm sure you don't want an old woman taking up all of your time. Take care, Anna."

With that, the woman turned around and headed back into their general store, leaving Ed feeling embarrassed but somehow pleased at the same time. The woman would probably choose to regain her memory if she had the chance to, but if nothing else, she seemed happy now. There are many who spend their entire lives looking for that and never find it.

Aided in part by the elderly woman's innocence, Ed finally found the courage to say what he came here to say. His embarrassed persona of a few minutes ago a distant memory now, Ed confidently strode forward a few paces and faced the the man who was still seated on his rocker. "Sir, we are about to leave this town, but before we do, there is something I would like to say."

"Yes, what is it?" The man said pleasantly.

"I don't think it will amount to everything that was taken from your town, but I found a considerable amount of gold stored in the basement of the house just outside of town." Ed began to explain. "I'm trusting you to return it to the people."

A few hours earlier, Ed went back to the house with the intention of burying Victor's body, and that's when he stumbled upon the supply cache. "That is very welcome news." The man said with a smile. "I'm not sure I'm the most qualified for that job, but I'll do what I can."

"Thank you." Ed said with a gulp. That was the easy part, the next part of what he wanted to say was much more difficult for Ed to say. Ed grimaced, then said, "And also, I want to apologize."

"Apologize?" The man said quizzically. "What for?"

"It's a state alchemist's job to protect the people." Ed stately flatly. "We should never have allowed such a horrible event to happen here for such a long time. For that, I'm sorry."

Ed was unsure how the man would react to hearing this but even so, he was very surprised when the man unexpectedly laughed. "You needn't worry about that." He said with a grin. "You've done more than enough."

"But-" Ed began to say.

"Enough." The man said seriously. In a flash, his previously-lighthearted expression contorted into a steady, serious one. He leaned forward in his chair, rested his forearms on his knees and glared at Ed as he continued. "Don't think that way."

Ed could only stand in silence as the man continued, "There's nothing obligating you to help us, but you do. It would be unfair to expect anything more from you. I can't speak for this town but if you were to ask, I'm sure everyone else would agree with me. You are a hero."

Ed nodded, quietly staring at his feet for a moment before replying, "You know, you're pretty smart, old man. Thanks for all your help."

The man reverted back to his easygoing nature, grinning and saying happily, "Well, you don't get this old without learning a thing or two." He then got to his feet and continued, "Listen, you don't have to worry about this town anymore. We can take care of things from here. You go take a well-deserved break now – all three of you. You've done enough."

"Yeah, we will." Ed nodded.

"Take care, now." The man said in parting, flashing a final smile before turning his back and following his wife back into the general store.

After the door banged closed, a strange silence enveloped the scene. At long last, his need to stay in this town had come to an end. It was getting late now, perhaps too late to resume their journey back to Central. Judging by the evening sun, they would only be able to get a few hours of travel in before they would have to retire for the night. But even so, Ed was in no mood to stay in this town of horrible memories any longer.

As if he could read his thoughts, Al stepped forward and slapped Ed's back, saying reassuringly, "Shall we get going then, brother?"

Ed turned around to face his brother and Winry. "Yeah, let's get going."

Al took another step towards Ed so that their faces were nearly touching, and Ed could clearly see signs of malicious intent within Al's hollow eyes. In a playfully-innocent voice, Al announced loudly, "I'll take point!" He then happily jumped a few steps forward and broke into a steady march.

Ed quickly realized the point of Al's actions, as they resulted in Ed and Winry walking side-by-side as they followed Al. Al, feigning ignorance to the entire situation, continued to face forward without turning back in his attempt to give the two of them a little privacy.

Ed sighed and walked on in silence, already trying to think of ways to get back at his brother for causing him this embarrassment. But as they continued walking, Ed caught Winry stealing glances over at him. Ed nervously turned and locked eyes with her. She smiled cutely, a faint tinge of red clouding her cheeks. Ed smiled back without saying a word, then turned away to hide his embarrassment. A second later, he felt a gentle hand interlocking fingers with his own.

The three of them were silent as they walked on into the sunset – no words were needed to be said. Ed was content to walk hand-in-hand with the one he would do anything for. Whatever the circumstance and whatever the hardship, he would live on as her guardian angel.

A/N - I apologize for the lateness of this update. I had planned on finishing this story months ago. Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this story!