An Alchemist's Envy

Chapter 11: The Mechanic

"Wow, when you said you lived out pretty far, you meant it..." I joked as we continued to walk up a dirt path with a stone wall along the left side.

We reached Resembool and were now headed toward "Ed's one true love"- Er, I mean, his mechanic's house. Haha!

"What're you smiling about?" Ed asked as he slowed his pace to match mine, adjusting his suitcase over his left shoulder, "All I said was yes."

"Huh? Oh, nothing. Just thinking about something." I laughed.

Noteto self: Quit talking to self.

"Okay? Well, we're almost there."

Armstrong was gazing at the country view and was pretty far behind us. Ed was still waking next to me, so when I noticed how he got closer as we walked, I raised a brow at him.

"You okay?"

He nodded. "Fine."

"You don't seem fine. What's the matter?"

".... Later."

I sighed and put my hands in my jacket pockets. "Alright. But just so you know, since you've gotten me to be "talkative" about myself, I expect it in return from you. Equivalent exchange."

I got a smile out of him from that and he nodded again.

"Deal."

I noticed a quaint house coming into view. It looked about two stories tall and I heard barking. The barking was coming from a black and white dog that was running at us.

She barked happily at Edward as he smiled, "Hey, Den. Good to see you."

Den stood at our waists, white muzzle, chest and paws. The rest of her body, including her short ears and curled tail, was black. However, she did have something most dogs don't usually have.

"An auto-mail left leg... I'm actually not surprised." I said to myself as I held my hand out to her. She sniffed it and barked, running back to the house and stood next to a short, elderly woman.

She had on an apron, circular glasses and a long pipe in between her teeth. Her grey hair stood in a tall bun. Smoke puffed out of her pipe as she grinned at us.

"Hey!" Edward yelled, smiling back at her, "Granny Pinako, I'm gunna need your help again."

Armstrong caught up with us and gently set down Al's crate. Ed pointed at him, "Granny, this is Major Armstrong."

"Pinako Rockbell. Pleased to meet you." She shook his hand. He had to bend down really far. She was pretty short, and that's saying something coming from me.

"The pleasure is mine," Armstrong added.

"And this is Lindsey." Edward pointed at me.

I held my hand out to her which she firmly shook.

"Nice to meet you." I smiled.

"Is it just me, or since the last time I saw you, Ed," Granny Pinako took her pipe out of her mouth with a large puff, "Have you gotten a lot smaller?"

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING "SMALL", YOU HALF-PINT HAG?!" Edward growled.

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME, YOU LITTLE RUNT?!" Pinako screamed.

"YOU HEARD ME, GUPPY GEEZER!"

"CHIBI-CHUMP!"

"MICRO-MINI GRANNY!"

"Does this normally--" Before I could finish my question to Alphonse, someone screamed again, but it was a different voice. A much younger, female voice.