I am Weakness

The Man With The Mechanical Arm

Humankind cannot gain without first giving something in return. To obtain something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we thought that was the world's one and only truth.

A spacious ballroom that seemed to be made out of gold that seemed to shine with the lights beating down on it. Even with the room's purpose, it was strangely quiet. There was no music playing. No one around. Just an eerie silence. A tight, cream white corset accessorized with accents of blue, looped around my waist, restricting my breathing. Without a doubt, the dress was beautiful, but it was a minor detail at this point. Looking around I had truly confirmed that it was only me. "Hello? Is anyone here?" I called, my shoes clacking against the ground as I moved. "Hey! Hello!?"

Suddenly behind me, a low animalistic growl echoed throughout the room. My body went tense. Slowly, I turned over my shoulder and saw a tattered dog with brown and black fur coating it's body. It's yellow tinted teeth were bare, drool dripping down it's jowls and its tongue occasionally sliding over it's teeth. I swallowed, cautiously taking several steps away from the dog. In return, the dog took a sauntering step closer to me.

"Easy there... Easy..." I cooed quietly while instinctively raising my hands.

"We'll meet again Penelope... That's a promise..."

My face shifted as I raised my head upwards. "W-What...?"

Snapping my attention back, I heard the dog bark and charge to where I stood. I began to stagger back, my eyes widening as the dog launched itself into the air, it's fangs fast approaching my throat ready to close in around my flesh-

-

Immediately, I jolted up gasping for air as my eyes shot open. The generously sized ballroom had shifted into a small bedroom for an even smaller apartment, darkened by the windows holding night. With my heavy breathing, my cold, sweaty shirt clung to my clammy body sending shivers that even dug deeper into my skin. A hand reached up to my neck, rubbing the sides tenderly even while it tightened to suck oxygen through my nostrils. Letting out a shivering breath, I lowered my head. "When...?"

-

After Penelope went off the air, Yuki disappeared into her room, not speaking a word to any of us. She held this determined look on her face but no matter how much we asked about her intentions, she never answered. Both the sisters decided to keep the radio on for when Penelope came back tomorrow, while I willingly stood by them.

Since then, both Winry and Wynter had kept talking, trying to wrap their heads around what she was doing. None of us could figure it out. Over the air, Penelope sounded so... Off. At least compared to how she would talk around Al, or Yuki, or even Ed at her worst. Well, what I assumed to be her worst. I thought getting closer to death was her at her worse. But regaining her life sent her down an endless spiral. "What do you think Jos?" Wynter asked.

My head rose and I looked towards them. "What?"

"Do you think Penelope would have been okay if things didn't go wrong?" Winry repeated. "Ya know, between all of us?"

Looking aside, I rubbed the back of my neck and pressing my lips into a thin line. Slowly I drew out a breath. "No. I don't, but I don't think she left because of anything that happened between you guys and her. There has to be another reason. We just have to be with her in whatever way we can."

"It's just..." Wynter started, only to trail off quietly. "I just wish she hadn't have left the way she did."

"Yeah... I wish she hadn't too." Looking to them, I saw their dejected gazes full of thought. I pressed my lips together and leaned back in my chair. "You know, I always kinda wished that Ed and Al never left the way they did. Burning the house down, leaving immediately afterwards. But I think it was because I didn't feel ready to let my brothers wander into danger, and we definitely got into danger. Even before joining the military, we could have been killed."