The Water Alchemist

Uncertain Certainty

Welcome back to The Water Alchemist. I don't own any of the intellectual property of Fullmetal Alchemist.

Chapter Three

Uncertain Certainty

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The Elrics found themselves there, in a quaint little cottage in a quaint little town, searching for a not-so-quaint stone. Problem was that their best lead was currently passed out cold resting in a room down the hall. What luck. Their entrance was a bit more exciting than they had originally anticipated. Ed had barely a chance to introduce them to the girl they were sent to investigate before she was on the floor. What he registered during their brief interaction was spotty, at best. She was younger, maybe he or Al's age, with blue eyes that pierced his with an uncanny knowingness about them. Before he knew it, their shared gaze was broken, and she was on the ground, her long blonde hair spread out around her head like a halo.

"Oh my!" the old woman had exclaimed. "Marina dear, what's wrong?" Ed rushed to her side as Al clattered behind him. She looked as peaceful as if she were asleep— or dead. Ed quickly rolled the girl to her back and sighed in relief at the even rise and fall of her chest.

"She's just unconscious, that's all," he said as he placed his flesh hand to her forehead, able to feel the immense heat that radiated from her skin through his glove. he looked up at the worried crowd around them. "I think she's got a fever."

"She had one yesterday too, poor thing," the woman remarked. "Is that blood?"

Sure enough, Ed's glove had a crimson streak on it, smudged from a small cut on her forehead. The blood bubbled and pooled slowly at the girl's temple and matched the flushed color of her cheeks. It wasn't anything to worry about, but it would need a patch.

"It's just a scratch," he assured the old woman, who crouched with him.

After they moved the girl – Marina, if Ed recalled what the old woman called her correctly – to a bedroom, the woman bandaged her head and pressed a moist towel to her forehead to break the fever. While she did that, Al and Ed sat patiently in the living room awaiting the old woman's return. Al took up a third of the small, pleated couch with Ed nestled next to him.

"Tea?" the old woman offered as she entered the den, a tray of hot drinks at the ready. She set the dish down on the small rattan table between the sofa the Elrics sat on and the rocking chair she sat in. The woman took a cup from the tray and began pouring a hot, somewhat green liquid into it as she spoke. "I'm afraid I didn't introduce myself, what with all the commotion. I'm Isabelle Bagher, but you boys just call me Isabelle."

She handed the first cup to Ed, then took another of the three and began to pour more tea. When she handed Al his cup, he took it in his bulky hand and held it close to his chest, knowing full well he wouldn't be drinking it.

"It's nice to meet you. As I said, I'm Ed, and this is Al, my brother," Ed said as he took a sip of tea.

"When I called the military to help, I didn't expect them to send someone so famous to this little old town. Especially the Fullmetal Alchemist himself! When that man – Mustang, I believe – told me, I was shocked! And what a fitting name it is," Isabelle remarked, addressing Al.

"Oh, no ma'am you've got it all wrong, he's the Fullmetal Alchemist, not me," Al said as he motioned to Ed, who was more than offended.

"But he's so..." Isabelle trailed off, looking Ed up and down. Ed, unable to contain his irritation answered for her.