Questions
Written by Shaun Garin
Watanuki often had questions about Yuuko, most of them went unanswered. However, since he began working at her shop, he noticed that an elderly man walked by, seemingly able to see the shop. But he never went in.
The man was broad shouldered, elderly of course but he stood tall, proud. Sometimes he'd be accompanied by a similar elderly man, his hair cropped short and iron-shod grey. They would be laughing sometimes, or perhaps the man would be alone. But every day, the pair would stop and the old man would gaze into the shop, but never enter.
So one day, as the man walked by, alone this time. He had no cane, for he never seemed to need one despite the slight slump of weight on his right arm. So Watanuki asked Yuuko about him. The Dimensional Witch took a long drag of her elegant cigarette holder, and replied.
"Every day Edward Elric passes by the shop, and everyday he stares into it, a wistful expression on his face, Watanuki. But every day, he passes on by, because he knows that even Equivalent Exchange cannot return what he once had." said Yuuko that morning as the tall assistant looked at the man with greying blonde hair who then sighed, and walked right on by.
Watanuki often saw Edward afterwards, never at the same time, but the man was pleasant enough. Every so often Watanuki would invite him in for tea and sake, but the man merely shook his head, smiled and said, "I don't need it, at my age anyhow. Thanks anyways."
One day, as Watanuki cleaned up the kitchen after one of Yuuko's epic binges, a polite rap at the door came and he answered it after cleaning his hands in the sink. There stood Edward, a pleasant smile on his elderly face. "Hello, Elric-san," said Watanuki. "Are you here to see Yuuko?"
"Afraid not, just passing by," replied Edward and he nodded politely to Yuuko who waved absently, nursing her head with an ice pack. "Here, a gift for you."
"Er, I don't understand," said Watanuki, taking the intricately carved pocket watch. "I didn't do much."
"But you did," said Edward, a twinkle in his eye. "Equivalent Exchange Watanuki-kun, you made the last few years of my life wonderful. I'm ready to pass into the next world."
Fear gripped Watanuki's heart as his mouth worked open and shut. "I… I don't understand, you're dying? Since when?"
"I've been dying for a long time, Watanuki-kun. It's just that now is the time I need to do it. Tomorrow I will return with the price I know Yuuko will ask for."
Watanuki spent the night, sleepless, thinking of the elderly man who was ready to die. He knew his time was coming, and for some reason, gave him a pocket watch, embossed with a lion. "Equivalent Exchange," whispered Watanuki to himself, holding it up and it caught the moonlight.
The next morning, Edward returned to see Yuuko. With him was the other elderly man whom Watanuki learned weeks ago was named Alphonse, his little brother. Yuuko and Edward exchanged words, and for once, Watanuki was unable to listen in on the price. But when he returned, Yuuko looked satisfied, and so did the men who held hands in brotherly affection.
"They are on your world right now," said Yuuko. "It is time."
The Black Mokona opened its mouth and without warning, sucked the men in. Watanuki's brow furrowed in thought. What sort of price did they wish to pay in order to travel to another world?
Yuuko sat down and handed something cloth-wrapped to him. "Don't look," instructed Yuuko and Watanuki didn't. Whatever price the men paid was obviously great to send two men through Mokona.
Watanuki shelved the item deep in Yuuko's collection, but every so often, he found himself looking at the sidewalk, seeing the ghost of a pair of smiling men who greeted him cheerfully.