Alphonse and the other Edward came back in the room in time to see Natalie transform. They both looked at her amazed.
Natalie couldn’t help but to chuckle at them. “I told you guys I was uniquely gifted. Now once I open the portal you have to stay with me meaning you’re going to at least have to keep a hold of someone who’s holding onto me. Whatever you do, don’t let go.”
“What happened if one of us does?” Alphonse asked.
“You could be lost in the world between worlds forever. I don’t want that and neither do you,” she replied rather bluntly. “Are we ready to do this?”
They nodded and Natalie held out her staff creating the portal. Natalie took the hand of both Edwards, one on each side of her and Alphonse held onto his brother. Carefully they entered the portal.
When they came out on the other side, someone tripped and all of them went tumbling to the ground. Natalie couldn’t help but to laugh. This is how her and Edward had come out the first time he’d come through with her too.
Getting up and dusting herself off Natalie transformed back. The others got to their feet as well. The other Edward and Alphonse stood stone still when they saw that familiar yellow house of the hill. “Is that what I think it is?” the other Edward asked.
Natalie smiled and nodded. “Winry’s house? Yes it is. Just so you know though we didn’t tell her we were doing this just in case we failed to bring you back so she’d going to be plenty surprised.”
“Follow us to the house but let us get her alright? We’d like this to be as big of a surprise as we can manage.”
Alphonse and the other Edward didn’t argue and they made their way up the road to the house. The other Edward and Alphonse waited at the bottom of the stairs as Natalie and Edward went up and knocked on the door.
Winry opened it and looked a little surprised to them and so soon. “What are you two doing back here so soon? He didn’t mess up his leg already did he?”
They both laughed. “No, we actually came with a surprise for you,” Edward said as he and Natalie took a step to the side making it so she could see the other Edward and Alphonse behind them.
“Hi Winry, we’re home,” the other Edward said, grinning at her.
“Yeah, we’re back, Winry,” Alphonse chimed in smiling.
Winry couldn’t believe her eyes. “Is this a dream?” she asked softly.
Natalie shook her head. “No, they’re really here. When we left we went to the other world and got them. This was the best way we could think of to thank you for helping us.”
Winry walked past them and down the stairs to the other Edward and Alphonse. She stood there for a moment looking at them before throwing her arms around them both and hugging them tight. “Welcome home,” she said now starting to cry. Both them put their arms around her too hugging her back.
Edward put his arm around Natalie’s shoulders and pulled her close. “We did a good thing,” he said as they watched their reunion.
Natalie rested her head against his shoulder and smiled. “Yeah we did but now they’re on their own.”
“Yeah, well I think they’re going to be fine. Besides, it’s not like we can stay here with them anyway. I don’t want to feel like I did back in that other world again. That and didn’t you mention something about wanting to go back to your own world for awhile?”
“And take you with me silly.”
“Of course.”
“I want you to meet my mom and my best friends Amy and Katie. They’re never going to believe any of this. They’ve gotta be pretty worried about me by now too. I just disappeared right before their eyes.”
“I want to meet them too,” he said smiling. “And I’m sure they’re fine. Hey, for all they know you’ve only been gone an hour. One thing I’ve noticed is that time doesn’t always seem to run the same from world to world.”
“That’s very possible.”
After a few minutes, Winry, Alphonse, and the other Edward came up to Edward and Natalie. “I don’t know how to thank you two,” Winry said, hugging them.
“You don’t have to thank us; you fixed up Ed’s leg no questions asked. You didn’t even question where we came from, you just trusted us. There’s no equal for that,” Natalie replied.
“Brother and I want to thank you guys too. If you hadn’t come there to get us well…”
“We were living our lives to have minimum impact there because we didn’t belong there. You brought us back here where we belong. You guys pretty much gave us our lives back,” finished the other Edward.
Edward fielded this one. “We couldn’t let Winry stay here alone. I’m just glad you guys agreed to come back. But now that’s taken care of, we really should be going all things considered.”
Winry shook her head. “No, come inside and at least have dinner with us before you go.”
Natalie and Edward looked at each other. “What do you think Ed? How are you feeling?”
“I’ll be alright that long I think so if you want to stay we can.”
“Good!” Winry laced her arm through Natalie’s at the elbow and dragged her into the house to help her.
Edward made to follow them but the other Edward stopped him. “Hold on a second,” he said digging in his pocket for something. “I want you to have something, give it to Natalie when you think it’s a good time to.” He then handed a little bag.
Edward opened it up and a ring fell into his hand. It was silver with red jewel in the middle; the silver forming what looked like little vines around the stone and within the stone was what looked like a transmutation circle. “Where…”
“I picked it up awhile back. The transmutation circle in means nothing now but it still looks good.”
“Why not give it to Winry?”
Edward shook his head. “She has no appreciation for alchemy so I don’t think she’d really like the circle in the stone but I think Natalie would appreciate it more. That and it’s my way of repaying you. I know it doesn’t equal putting your life on the line but…”
Edward put the ring back in the bag and put it in his pocket he then extended his hand to the other Edward who took it. They shook hands and just as they were finished Alphonse came over and put his arm around both of them basically hugging them both. “Come on you two, let’s get inside.”
They all spent the evening eating and drinking and having fun but then it was time for Natalie and Edward to go. After saying their good-byes, knowing that they would probably never be back here, they made their way outside.
“OK Natalie, you ready to go home?” Edward asked smiling at her.
“Yeah,” she said as she opened the portal and they both stepped through.
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