A Small Peace 1: A Home for Heroes
September 15th, 1901, Resembol, Amestris
You stepped out of the train and took in the air. It smelled of sheep, wool, and the countryside. A smell that, for the life of you, you could never get used to. War, death, and the battlefield… Yes, those smells were ingrained into your senses, and no longer made you feel anything but a bitter taste of what was waiting for you in the end, in your line of work, chasing conflict for profit.
Yet it was peaceful smells, sounds of a quiet peaceful town, that made you feel at odds with yourself. It was so foreign, that you almost gagged at it.
But somehow, with the strange energy in the air that came from the town and its people, it also made you relax. It was entirely peaceful, it was… quiet. You felt safe in this small town that seemed to glow with energy that was accepting and hopeful. The people looked at the newcomer with suspicion, but it was replaced with smiles and greetings.
You looked around and saw the Rockbell's standing at the station, waving. "Alfred!" Yuriy stated as you nodded, bringing the small suitcase with you, as you waltzed over to see the small family that was waiting for you. "It's great to see you again."
They both looked normal without the white blue hospital fatigues that were on when you interviewed them in Ishval. Yuriy was wearing a nice suit, a white shirt, and a brown jacket, with a blue tie, while Sarah was wearing a yellow blouse, a beautiful piece on its own, that clashed slightly with the pair of hiking boots she wore. Yet somehow, it worked.
You shook the man's hand. "Likewise Yuriy." You turned to Sarah, before looking at the little girl on her, being carried, cooing, and reaching out to her dad's hair. She looked almost exactly like her mother, save for her father's glowing sapphires for eyes. "Who's that little one?"
"Oh, that's Winery," Sarah stated, waving to the little girl. "Say hi Winry."
"Hi!" Winry sounded so adorable that you wanted to pinch her cheeks.
"Hello." You replied with a smile. "Thank you for inviting me here, I know that this is normally a festival for the people of Resembol...and I'm an outsider."
"Don't think anything of it," Yuriy stated with a firm glare. "After what you did in Ishval, for all those people, no one here is ever going to think of you as an outsider.." He then waved his hand. "Come on, let's get to our home. I'm sure we can talk about well… anything, before the festival tonight."
You nodded. "Thank you."
As you walked curiosity struck you. "Tell me, are you both the only doctors here in town?"
Sarah nodded and answered. "Well, the only trained medical professions. Though most of the town has medical experience in some form or another. My mother Pinako was a midwife, and she helped give birth to my friends' children."
"And you both left for Ishval?" You asked. "Seems irresponsible."
Yuriy shook his head. "When you see injustice Alfred, do you stand aside and allow it to happen, or do you stand against it, and fight it."
You nodded. "Good point. Still, aren't you afraid of dying? Before everything calmed down in Ishval, there was a real chance of people dying and the riots sparking into something far more deadly."
Sarah answered. "Of course we were. We were terrified of leaving our daughter alone without us, with only Pinako and Trisha to help raise her."
She paused, lifting Winery over her head and into her arms, setting her down onto the ground to allow her to walk, holding her hand. "But we wanted to create a world where we wouldn't need to be terrified to leave her alone. We wanted to create a world where we knew that we wouldn't have to suffer anything that happened in Ishval again… and to prove to the world that evil can be stopped by doing the good thing… the right thing."
Yuriy then gave a small chuckle. "My wife always loves her speeches about making the world a better place. But that is why I love her so much, her boundless optimism."
Winry then shouted. "Mama… can I pway with Edwarw!" She raised her voice as she tugged at her mother's dress.
Sarah nodded and smiled. "We'll go over to Trisha soon, Winery, we just need to get home and do some small things first."
As you walked, all you saw was unspoiled countryside, with a clear blue sky that was so blue, it made you think you were staring at the ocean, and the grass was so green, it was… almost nauseating.
It reminded you that, despite all the war and death you had seen, that most of the nation was not broken. It was peaceful.
As you reached the Rockbells home, you saw a comically short old woman smoking a pipe on the step, along with a small puppy with three legs. "Pinako, we have a guest!" Yuriy shouted.
"Oh don't tell me it's one of the Elric boys again?! I have enough-" The old woman then looked at you. "Who the hell is that?"
"It's that reporter we were talking about, Alfred Ailtree… He was in Ishval?" Sarah replied.
"He looks like one of Trisha's brood. Are you sure she didn't have a brother or something?" The old woman complained.
You scowled. "I'm pretty sure my family didn't come from Resembol. We hailed farther in the North." you walked closer and stood up to the woman's face.
"Oh, so you think you're better than us?!" The old woman took a drag and blew smoke right into your eyes, and seemed surprised when you did not even flinch, much less narrow them to avoid the smoke.
"No, I'm just saying that unlike you, I know my family and the people around me."
That made the woman, Pinako, laugh. "Then tell me, would they die for you?"
That made you freeze… as you remembered your uncle… and his betrayal. "I thought they would."
That made Pinako's face softening up a little bit, as she read your emotions. "I see… another orphan finding himself in the countryside looking for a better life than?" She made a guess as to why you were here.
You smirked. "Try a reporter on vacation after a long journey."
The old woman smiled. "I see. You met them in Ishval, yes?"
You nodded. "Yeah."
Pinako then nodded. "I can see why they took a liking to you."
"Why's that?" You asked.
"A young, brave, possibly foolish boy, trying to change the world for the better, one article, one photo at a time… one saved life at a time." Pinako seemed to be dwelling on someone else. "Reminds me of an old friend."
You nodded. "I'm no one special."
Pinako laughed. "He doesn't think he is either. But that's just one of the things that always makes him that way."
She then put out her pipe with a tap on the porch, leaving the shed to blow away in the wind. "Welcome Alfred, to Resembol."
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What do you do now?:
[]Go to the Festival Now: The Party isn't going to begin until sunset, but you have a feeling there is a lot of fun to be had there. Yuriy was going there to drink and talk with some of the farmers about politics.
[]Go to the Elric's: Sarah wants to introduce you to her friend and her two boys. She had nothing but praise from the two of them. That, and Winry seemed to have a great friendship with Edward despite being so young.
[]Talk to Pinako: She has a bottle of whiskey and seems to be nothing but wise if a bit crass. She seemed like a wise woman.
[]Wander Around: You are going to wander a bit. You just need time to think about things.
AN: Enjoy.
