A/N: Oh boy, here comes the beginning of the realization and development of the absence of linearity, not to mention a new style of writing. Apologies. But not really.

Did I ever make it clear in The Tilt Shift that English dialogue is underlined (when there's other understood languages being spoken)?

"The discipline of creation, be it to paint, compose, write, is an effort towards wholeness."
~Madeleine L'Engle

Journal

I think I should try and explain what happened to me when I got to this version of reality. It's weird, and I don't know how to explain it in a way that makes sense, but nothing's been going on—and I feel like I need to write something—so I'll just out with it.

All that energy-stuff and excess-whatever that the Gatekeeper said would be enough to re-form my body? It wouldn't have made me this small. It shouldn't have made me this small—and it didn't make me this small.

It split in two.

I am literally in two places at once right now.

It actually doesn't look so bad now that I've written it down. The only question now is WHY? I don't actually know. I don't know if it was deliberate or if something happened once I was over here. I have a couple ideas, but they're just theories. One is that I need to be in these two places in order to get home, which I'm trying to utilize, but I don't know why the Gatekeeper would go to the trouble.

Then again, I don't know why it would give me a chance in the first place. Apparently Alphonse did something, and there was something about equivalent exchange...but I digress.

My second theory involves the vague memory I have of being thrown from the Gate onto some fancy hardwood floor in a yellow room. I didn't get time to really see what was going on before I heard the sound of alchemy (I assumed that was my Gate closing or something) and blacked out again. The theory is that I fell into the middle of that... place where Ed transmuted himself into this version of Deutschland and got caught up in the transmutation...somehow. It's not a good theory, but it's something. I've never been too worried about finding out how I got into this mess, so I won't worry too much now.

Anyway, after that... whatever, I woke up in a hospital in Germany. There was a doctor there, and—imagine my luck—he spoke English. I didn't question his accent at first. I asked him what happened, and he told me that I had been found by a young German boy named Edward, aaannd...

I instantly knew what was going on. It wasn't hard to guess where and when I was, and I was horrified.

Don't get me wrong: Some part of me was excited about seeing another fictional world, but I had just gotten out of what was effectively The Void, which I had gotten into by killing myself for Alphonse Elric. Yeah, I can say it. I basically committed suicide in an attempt to save my friends—and the world. Does that count as suicide? I don't know. I'm getting off-track. MY POINT is that I was still... I wasn't used to... It felt like a lifetime since...

You know what? Screw it. I felt horrified.

I also immediately knew that my only way back home would have to involve alchemy, and that the only alchemist in this world was Edward Elric. (And his dad, but whatever.) The idea of seeing a different version of Ed freaked me out, but I asked the doctor if I could talk to the guy who found me, and he agreed to contact him.

While he was off doing that, I woke up again.

This time, I was in a less formal hospitalized bedroom, this one much more colorful. It took me a moment to realize I wasn't seeing double; the world had just kinda...split. It was like reality was showing me multiple layers at once—two, to be exact. On one layer, my eyes were directed at the odd end of the blanket I'd been fiddling with (having frozen upon noticing the visual change). On the other, I had reflexively pushed myself into a half-sitting position, and there I remained awkwardly frozen, staring at the door on the far end of the room.

Then the door opened, I looked up, and I just about had a heart attack. A girl who looked just like Winry stepped inside. I mean, she didn't look exactly like Winry, but she could have been her twin sister. The differences were hard to place. Her eyes might have been smaller, her face taller, and her hair messier. Maybe. I didn't catch those until later, though.

Her expression was hard to read. That may have been due to the painting of a lakeside view on the other side of the veil. She said something in German. I didn't understand a word, but she seemed concerned. I tried to get something out—maybe a "hi, Winry. Oh yeah, I know your name. I'm, um... psychic!"—but words failed me.

I opened my mouth, but it didn't open. I made a sound ("uuuhhh..."), but I didn't hear it. I closed my eyes, and I could suddenly see clearly—not Winry, but rather the painting she'd been sharing head space with, only darkened by the shade of my eyelids. My back was against a semi-uncomfortable mattress... but also tense and not at all touching the surface beneath me. I tried to relax.

Fwump.

I fell on my back. I heard more concerned German, with the addition of a new semi-familiar voice. I didn't know how to react. I was scared. This was definitely not normal.

Not that I hadn't immediately guessed what was going on. I was obviously in two places at once... but... why? How? What? The hell? I'm not trying to sound like a genius or something for figuring it out, mind you. If anyone else had been in this situation, they would have known. You can't not know.

In that moment, in all that confusion, I did something I hadn't done during a crisis in a long time.

I shut down.

I don't know how I did it, but when the doctor came back and told me that Edward Elric and his English-speaking father, Hohenheim, were made aware of my awakening, I managed to stay shut down on the...other side. Panicked German became low voices became quiet. Someone touched me a few times, presumably to see if I was still awake, but I stayed outwardly comatose.

Apparently, I didn't do a very good job of hiding my condition from the English doctor, because he asked me if I was okay. He said I seemed "distant," which is a decent descriptor, I'd say. I tried to tell him that I was just... out of it. In shock, maybe? He didn't seem convinced, but he left it alone.

It wasn't long before I got to meet this world's Ed and Ho. I've already described them.

I managed to get the gist of my situation explained to them both via Hohenheim, who spoke pretty good English and didn't take too much convincing. Ed seemed distressed over the whole thing, but he agreed to let me stay with them for now since we had basically the same goal. Hohenheim talked to the doctor and presumably got some legal stuff taken care of (I can't imagine you're allowed to just snatch a random teenager off the streets in any modern, self-respecting, 1920s country). After that, it was all a matter of getting out of the hospital.

There wasn't anything really wrong with me. I was just there because I'd been unconscious (for 30 hours—yikes) and a bit malnourished. (Who's surprised?) Then there was the matter of my mental state. My "distance" was concerning enough for a neurologist to be brought in. I was still seeing double—if double can be described as a film of darkness over everything—which apparently was causing my pupils to dilate... somehow...? I don't know how it works. They figured I had a concussion. A bad one. I worried that might mean I would have to stay in the hospital, but Hohenheim was just told to keep an eye out.

I lived with them for a while in complete awkwardness. Ed and I couldn't understand each other, and Hohenheim had a day job, so I was left staring at walls while Ed poured through books for an answer to our problem. Hohenheim eventually convinced Ed to try and teach me Deutsch/learn English, so we had some kind of back-and-forth tutor thing going on for a bit, but other than that, not much happened.

On the other side of the Gate, on the other hand...

On the other side of the Gate, I took the first opportunity to try and figure out what the hell was going on. That evening, I told Hohenheim that I needed some time to think about everything and locked myself in the spare bedroom. I lay down on the bed, closed my eyes, and tried to sit up. It took a few awkward tries, but I managed to unfreeze my uh, other self, and to push myself up.

My vision swam for a few moments. When it settled, I found myself in the same room I'd woken up in before. (Duh.) My bed was white with a blue comforter. The walls were white, but someone had hung up a nice picture of the countryside over a low bookshelf on the other side of the room. Tucked in the corner to my left, some familiar machinery lay dormant. I was alone.

I recognized this place. I was at the Rockbells' house. In Resembool. It was a little different, maybe, but I'd never seen machines like that anywhere else. (For automail.) So, somehow, I had been split between one side of the Gate in this version of reality and the other. So that really was Winry.

Wow.

My brain barfed, 'So where's Alphonse?' and my face flushed. 'Wait, no, Alphonse is back in the world I just came from, alive and happy. But there is a tiny version of him somewhere around here. I think.'

I pulled the blanket aside and swung my feet over the side of the bed. When they didn't hit the ground right away, I freaked out and leaned over to make sure they were still there.

Yup. Still there. But this bed was tall. There were a good three or four inches between me and the floor.

I slid off and took stock of myself. I was wearing some baggy pants and a loose shirt, probably just some old thing the Rockbells had lying around. (The idea that I had turned up in this world without any clothes bothered me for all of ten seconds.) I felt a bit weak, but that would make sense considering I'd been unconscious for so long, and how I was split—and how I had a new body. Oh, and let's not forget the fact that having a physical body felt bizarre and alien now.

Feeling a sense of nostalgic déjà vu, I made my way shakily to the door and... wait a second. Were doorknobs always at chest height? I backed away and frantically searched for some method of measurement. I spotted the bookshelf again. Perfect. A book on average was, what, a few inches less than a foot tall? I grabbed a book that looked particularly average and set it up on the floor. I... ah... Yes, I was definitely... nine years old.

No no, I wasn't literally nine years old. I just... How tall were nine year olds? Four feet? Oh, God. I set the book back on the shelf, staring blankly at the window curtain next to the hospital-esque bed. "This is not like last time," I breathed. "Last time was inches, maybe. This... wh...why?"

My brain got to work. 'Well, according to the Gatekeeper, you lost so much flesh in the first place purely in case you chose this option. Right? That's why you lost height. You needed that to create a new body, and who knows if being in two places at once was supposed to happen?'

I tried to slow the panicked inner dialogue by skimming the book titles. They were all medical textbooks.

'You lost more height because you were limited. At least be happy you have all four... Um... All eight limbs.'

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and decided to not worry about it further. (Or talk to myself in the second person anymore.) Meanwhile, Hohenheim and Edward (mostly Ed) had started conversing loudly in the other room. I tried to ignore it.

Having gotten myself generally oriented, I hobbled back to the door (the enormous door) and peaked out into the hallway. It was empty, but I thought I heard hushed voices in the other room. I slipped out. The house wasn't very different from what I remembered. Taller ceilings, maybe, but other than that, it wasn't hard to find my way to the kitchen. There, I tried to stay in the shadow of the doorway while scanning the area. The kitchen actually looked a lot different, which surprised me. The table was bigger, and I couldn't see the front door from where I stood. Actually, the longer I looked at it, I wondered if maybe the kitchen was more separate from the dining room in this version of reality. Then I got dizzy thinking about alternate realities and decided to focus on what was going on.

Sitting at the table were Obviously Winry, Clearly Granny Pinako, Little Boy That Must Be Alphonse Even Though He Looks Nothing Like I've Ever Seen Him Before, and Holy Crap Is That Rose? She's At Least Ten Shades Darker And That Hair Is A Lot Pinker Holy Crap (She's Kind Of Pretty Though). Under the table, a scruffy looking dog with automail (Must Be Den) perked its head up to sniff in my direction. I backed around the corner and just listened.

The conversation going on sounded like complete gibberish to my bilingual ears, which scared the heck out of me. How the heck was I supposed to communicate when there were no English or Amestrian speakers around? It was weird enough not being able to talk to Ed. I might have lost my nerve and gone back to the room after that, but I was rudely prevented from doing so when Den trotted around the corner and barked at me cheerily, tail wagging like a red flag. Conversation stopped. I froze.

"Den?" someone called. It was hard to distinguish who it was with the unfamiliar accent.

Den ignored her and came over to sniff me with her wet nose. (And yes, Den is a she—at least in this reality. I don't know why, and I don't know if I was maybe mishearing or misremembering Winry and Pinako calling her "he" in the first world, but that's how it is.) I didn't know what else to do, so I pet her silently while Winry approached from around the corner. When she spotted me, and I looked up at her, (One. Whole. Foot. Taller. Than. Me.) she gasped and said...something.

Someone over at the table said something too, then Winry replied, then someone else spoke. I couldn't tell what was going on, and Winry was so much taller than me that I felt six years younger, and I was becoming increasingly aware of the back of my own eyelids and my ear on the pillow while all this was happening. I completely missed it when Alphonse came around the corner. Then Rose and Pinako came into view a ways away, and suddenly I was being spoken to very rapidly in a language I didn't understand.

"I don't speak German!" I tried shouting over the din.

Everyone got quiet. Al said something. Winry said something. Rose said something, and I finally noticed the little bundle in her arms. Pinako said something to me, so I shook my head slowly and tried, "I don't understand," but it came out all quiet and scared. That irritated me. I decided to focus on Den and try to ignore the hellfire in my face.

Finally, Pinako said something that made Alphonse and Rose take Den out of the room—and all the way outside, if the sound of a screen door was anything to go by. She then ushered me and Winry back into the hospital-esque room of the house and, through a confusing series of gestures and soft speaking in Deutsch, (German, sorry, I'm getting into the habit) got it across that she wanted them to examine me. For health reasons, I would assume. Winry looked at my head long enough for me to figure I must have looked concussed on this side, too. Then they spoke to each other briefly and finally asked me my name.

They didn't have to do anything weird to get that across. "Name" in German is literally just "nam-eh." Simple as all heck. So I told them my name and tried my best not to get completely lost when they talked to me.

They didn't seem to want me out, so I ended up staying with them, too. While I was awkwardly trying to communicate with Ed in early 20th century Germany, I was doing the same with his brother in Germany-Amestris.

And now that I've explained the confusion that was the first half-hour in Amestris Take Two, I may as well explain the people here.

First: Alphonse. In a word? He's adorable. He is exactly like the Alphonse I used to know, but at the same time—and most importantly—not at all even remotely like him. Maybe it's just because he's mentally and physically five years younger than me, but this Al, being entirely different from the first Al, I would be completely comfortable with calling my little brother. (Even though he's two inches taller than me. Half a foot when we met.)

The difference is physical, too. I only saw the first Alphonse's real face once, and it was all gaunt and bony, but I can at least say this Al is different in hair and eye color. They're both brown—or maybe dirty blond/golden brown if you're pushing it. His eyes are huge, and not just because everything was still slightly animated. Where similarities are concerned, he's nice and innocent, and full of energy.

I can see why Ed misses him so much.

Granny Pinako isn't much different from her other-world counterpart, as far as I can tell anyway, but Winry is like... Well, she's the same, but she's also different, but in a way I can't quite pinpoint. Imagine the difference between a picture and a mirror—it's like that. I think this Winry Rockbell is less of a workaholic, but she's more somber. Her hair doesn't have that soft little bounce the other Winry always had. Her nose is sharper. Her eyes are more focused. In a way, she's more mature. She's a bit motherly, but maybe the first Winry would have been if I had appeared so much smaller than her.

Rose didn't stay long. I didn't know why, and I'm not sure if she was going back to Lior or if she was staying nearby, but while she was there, she was really nice. She had that in common with the other Rose, but not much else. Her demeanor was timid. She was quiet. She didn't do much except sit or walk around the house with her little baby bundled up in a blanket in her arms. The usually harsh-sounding German-Amestrian language was soft coming from her. I can't remember what made her like that, but I got the distinct feeling she'd been traumatized, and I was supposed to know how.

Wrath was there for a while. In this version of Amestris, he's this kid Izumi tried to bring back to life. He's what happened when she tried to bring her son back, though I'm not sure if he's actually her son. Homunculi are created through human transmutation here. I didn't pick up on much while he was around. He didn't seem to like me. The feeling was mutual.

Then he left.

Let me try and show you what my life has been like.

This happened two days ago. Time, or at least day and night, are somehow synced up on either side of the Gate; I'm not sure why, but I wish it wasn't, because things can really get in the way of each other. I've mentioned that Ed and Alfons have been going to school, right? Well, one of them—not sure which (could have been Hohenheim now that I think about it)—thought it would be a great idea to take me along one day for a look around, maybe hear a lecture if it was allowed. I wasn't forced or anything, of course: Ed came and asked me a few days prior if I was interested, since I've asked him so much about what he's learning. I said sure. I mean, why not? I hardly ever listen to anyone else speak, and I'm still rusty in Deutsch.

German.

And I was bored. School's appealing when you're bored.

The thing is, though, Izumi had made plans for the same day without telling me.

... Right. I... Shit, I'm getting the chronology mixed up. I'm getting chronology in my own life mixed up. A lot of time has passed since waking up in Winry's house. And I guess I haven't said much about being there in the first place. I'll explain some of it later, but for now: I'm at Izumi's place in Dublith. I'm here with Alphonse. This is my life right now. I've been trying to learn more about alchemy here. Learning is a lot of my life right now.

So Izumi had plans. We were going on a hiking trip, and we were going to like it, or we were going to have the shit beaten out of us. "No excuses!"

No matter the world, Izumi Curtis will always be Izumi Curtis.

She woke us up at some ungodly hour when I was still asleep on the other side. Alphonse went straight to packing, but I followed Izumi out to the kitchen.

In my best attempts at a natural translation: "Well?" she demanded, turning as I stopped at the door. "What do you need?"

I jumped a bit. I was still very tired, and now I was thinking that maybe this wasn't the best idea. "Uhm... Mis'zumi," I mumbled to start. She makes me call her "Miss Izumi" or "ma'am." She has a thing about me calling her by her first name for some reason. "T-today isn't the best day for this."

She looked down at me critically. I tried not to seem scared, but I was absolutely terrified that this day would be one of those days. She could tell. Her face softened. "You'll be all right, Lissy." (She calls me Lissy. I've told her not to. I've given up telling her not to. No one else does. I'm very happy that no one else does.) "We're just going traveling, mostly on flat ground. It'll be good for you to get out."

I tried again: "It's really not a good day for me. I can't. May I stay behind? Please?"

Izumi's face hardened. "No. Now go pack. Al will start for you if you don't."

I gave in, and I gave up any idea of enjoying my day out with Ed. On any other day, I might have liked the idea of going hiking. I love the fresh air. But this was going to be miserable.

We had just made it to the outskirts of town. The road split off to a trail that lead through some trees and over a river in the distance. We wouldn't lose sight of civilization any time soon, but something told me Izumi and Sig were planning on doing just that.

It was hard to place the exact moment it happened. At some point, I was suddenly aware of gravity feeling a bit funny. I stumbled to the right. Al caught my arm and asked if I was okay. My eyes drifted open to the sight of the blank wall on the other side of my bedroom in Munich. I blinked a few times. "Yeah, sorry. Tripped." I smiled and focused on the path ahead. Ed knocked on the door.

The sensation of one's feet on slanted ground is not compatible with the cozy, heavy feeling of lying in bed in the morning. It took a lot of effort just to sit up without "tripping" again. Then I had to hesitate just to get reoriented with the sensation of two mouths. It wouldn't do to shout, "Yeah, jus' a minute," in the middle of a quiet walk.

"Are you just waking up?" Ed groaned. "You got fifteen minutes!"

I inhaled sharply. "Shit."

"Felicity?" Al gave me a look of concern. "What's wrong?"

I closed my eyes so I could see him better. "Hit my toe. Nevermind."

I went to get dressed. Every motion was just a little slower and clumsier than it should have been. I kept my eyes to the ground as we walked. Left, right, left, right—rock, step around it—where are my socks? By the time I left the room, there was a heap of clothing and books on the floor that I swore to myself I'd clean up later.

I found Ed with breakfast in the living room. He held out a sandwich. "Awake enough?"

I took the offered food. "Yeah, for now. Sorry in advance."

"What?"

I stuffed the food in my mouth so I wouldn't have to respond.

As Ed started talking about the plans for the day and complaining about certain professors, Izumi decided to break the quiet. "You've grown soft," she accused, and I realized she was talking to Alphonse. He was rubbing his arm like something had bit him. "A trip like this has been well overdue."

"The headmaster made Kendrick agree to let you in, but he's not happy about it, so—"

"Books can only get—"

"—make sure—"

"—you so far if—"

"—you're as—"

"—your body is—"

"—an—"

"—n't fit."

"—noying as possible."

I nodded absently and laughed at Ed. Slow down. You're getting ahead of Al. "Will do."

Ed paused with his coat half on. He gave me a quick, critical once-over. I raised my eyebrows.

"Yes, ma'am," Al said. He nudged me.

Ed put on a grin. He turned to the door. "Make sure you ask a lotta questions."

"Uh, yeah," I stammered. Izumi gave me a look. I tried for a little salute. "Yes, ma'am."

"He hates seeing intelligence in people he doesn't like."

Ed shut the door behind us. I took another bite of sandwich. "What's he teach?"

"I hope—"

"World his—"

"—you're take—

"—tory."

"—ing this seriously."

My heart leapt to my throat. "Of course," I said too quickly. Ed glanced back at me, but he didn't say anything. I repeated myself to Izumi: "Of course. You're right. I mean you're right."

"I mean..." I paused to get to the bottom of the stairs. We stepped outside. "Of course he'd teach history."

Ed snorted.

Izumi sighed.

Al spoke up. "We're staying out overnight, aren't we?"

"Did I ask you to pack a change of clothes?"

"...Yes."

"Then yes, we are staying out overnight."

"Well that's just great," I mumbled.

Ed paused on the sidewalk. "Hm?"

"Nothing."

We met up with Alfons by an ice cream shop called Kuchen. "What took you?"

"D'you want to play a game to pass the time?" Al asked of me.

Ed pointed a thumb at me. "She slept in."

"Please no," I muttered at the ground.

"I guess it's okay then." Alfons smiled down at me. My cheeks grew hot.

"Oh..."

"Sleep is important."

"Okay."

He switched to an accented English. "Ice cream on the way back."

"Felicity," Izumi said.

I nodded, smiling, and followed them silently to Alfons' car.

"Is something the matter?" she demanded.

I hopped into the back seat and leaned my head against the window.

"Professor Becker was saying yesterday..."

"Mmm," I responded vaguely at Izumi. I closed my eyes and tried to filter out Ed and Alfons.

"'Mmm' is not a response, Lissy. I expect everyone to participate on this trip."

The sparse forest we'd entered now grew less fuzzy. There were some houses along the path in the distance. I straightened my neck. "Sorry. I know."

"You'll never improve if you refuse to interact with people."

I looked up at her. Izumi, along with everyone else here but Alphonse, has it in her head that my difficulty getting things straight all the time is actually a host of PTSD symptoms. It's probably my fault; I was really vague in trying to dodge questions about my past. I may have, without thinking, told them I'd nearly died, and then referred to something happening to my soul. Pinako called it depersonalization. I just go with it.

Not sure what Ed thinks.

"Yes, ma'am," I said, this time respectfully.

"...she up for it today?"

The word "she" snapped my focus back to the car. We were on the move. I opened my eyes and met Alfons's in the rear view mirror. I sat up. "What do you mean 'up for it'? Of course—of course I'm up for it."

Sig patted me on the back. "I agree with Alphonse. Let's play a game."

"I—" I stopped myself. Switched mouths. "I'm obviously up for anything. Obviously. How do you say obviously—"

"What game?" I asked incredulously.

"—in Germ-ahh." Saying two things at once—not fun. I bit my lip and continued. "In German? I seem to have missed that."

Ed glanced back at me. "Obvious?"

"What do you think, Alphonse?" Izumi asked cheerfully.

"Obviously."

"Offenzischlich?" (No, I will not check my spelling.)

Al started to say something, but he stopped and hesitated.

"Sure."

"Twenty Questions?" Al said instead of whatever else he'd been about to say.

"You don't sound so sure," Alfons said. "About being up to it, I mean."

"Mm," I nodded at Al's suggestion. "Bad sarcasm. I'll be fine. I've—"

Izumi said something I didn't catch.

"—been looking forward to this."

"...start."

I glanced up at her. "Sorry, what?"

My feet chose that moment to connect with a stick on the ground, and I stumbled.

Ed held up a finger. "It's true. Felicity's been asking about it all week. I told her to be extra curious with Kendrick."

Izumi's voice softened. "Would you like to start, Lissy?"

"Sure."

"Ed!" Alfons scolded, laughing. "You'll get her kicked out!"

"Wait."

Ed scoffed. "Pffft. Kendrick wouldn't ruin his image like that."

"What?"

"All the same," Alfons insisted, "She might go here someday."

"What?"

Al looked at me warily. "Twenty Questions. Do you want to start the game?"

I realized I'd just stretched out a simple interaction that should have taken all of ten seconds out to almost two minutes. "Y-yeah. Of course. Um..." I glanced at a small rock off the trail.

Wait, Alfons thinks...

Ed chuckled.

The others were waiting. I picked the first thing I saw. "Got something."

You go to college at... what... twenty? Is it twenty?

"Is it a plant?"

It lasts four years, doesn't it? What could you even do with a degree in three years? Ed and Alfons went mercifully quiet. I walked in silence, wallowing in the sudden reminder of how much time I had. I guess I'll be gone by then anyway, if I can get through the Gate when Ho opens it.

"Felicity?"

I jolted back to reality. Startled, I started talking Amestrian: "What? I— Right, the..." I cleared my throat. "Sorry. I zoned out. Uh... 'Is it a plant?' No."

I do that occasionally—fall back into the first version of Amestrian I heard. The first time it happened, Al spent days trying to figure out what language it was. I tried not to lie, but I didn't want to tell the truth either. I ended up acting like it was some big secret, which made him even more curious. I did... Well, maybe I'll leave that for later. I've messed up the chronology enough today.

Is chronology the right word?

Whatever.

I shut my eyes again, dreading how completely ruined today was for me.

And it was. I can't remember anything I heard at the university. I accidentally said "yes, ma'am" to Alfons, after which I spent the next hour in an embarrassed haze. Izumi made Al and me go hunting when we finally stopped at the base of a small mountain—because of course Dublith is only half a day's walk to a freaking mountain. The timing of it was horrible, and Ed and Alfons were understandably confused when I decided not to have any ice cream.

I'm very irritable.

A/N: Is it weird that I'm deliberately writing this like a journal...but also a story? I feel like it fits with how I started the whole thing.

So what do you think of this sort of chaos? Fourteen year-old me would be ecstatic to read it. That's how long I've been thinking about this. And I'm actually happy about finishing a chapter. What is this—2013? It's not even written well. Well... It's deliberately written poorly. Does that make sense? I'm rambling.

Heh.

I'd like to thank Lilaclily00 and Mustang's Inferno for reviewing the last chapter. :) Thirty plus views... I have a very quiet audience.