Price of Happiness

'So tell me, what's it like living in a constant haze of stupidity/' Hiehe-Yu Yu Hakusho-Dark Tournament- Episode 54-Begining of the End

Chapter 2

It had already been a week since Ed and Ry's disappearance. Al had worried himself into sickness and was upstairs resting as Noa made lunch for Jason and Trinity. Jason watched her and then asked, 'Where are mommy and daddy aunt Noa/'

Noa smiled and faced him putting a plate with a cut up carrot and apple down in front of him, 'We are looking for them Jason. They didn't say where they went.'

Jason sighed, 'But uncle Al said that mommy had taken daddy away. I heard him yesterday aunt Noa, but why would mommy take daddy away/'

Noa knelt down in front of him, 'I don't know Jason, but we will find them both and then we can ask them.'

Al suddenly came into the kitchen, he acted normal, cheerful, happy, but Noa could see it in his eyes, feel it, the emptiness he felt from not knowing where his brother was, not knowing if he was even alive. He walked over to the sink, his pale skin and sickness making his movement slowed and dazed.

Noa stood and walked over to where he stood and taking a clean glass made him a glass of water. Then she took his hand and led him to the table and sat him down saying, 'You should be upstairs resting. You have to get better or you won't do your brother any good.'

Al looked at her meeting her concerned gaze and nodded, 'I know, it's just . . . ' He stopped knowing that right now he was being just as stubborn as Ed always was and would be right now. But he also knew that he couldn't go after Ry sick as he was, he would just end up getting killed and that was the last thing Ed would want.

Noa smiled and walked over to where Trinity sat in her high chair and cleaned her up from her lunch. Jason silently ate his lunch and walked over to the sink as Noa cleaned the dish from Trinity. He handed the plate to her saying, 'Thank you aunt Noa.'

She smiled down at him and set to wash the plate as Jason walked over to Al and tugged on his shirt saying, 'I hope you get better soon Uncle Al. I want mommy and daddy to come home, but I would miss you too.'

Al smiled, 'Jason, I will wait until I get better then I will bring brother and your mommy back. I would miss you too if I had to leave and I'm sure your mommy and daddy miss you.'

Jason shook his head, 'Nuh uh, mommy doesn't miss me, she took daddy away. Daddy misses me, but it's mommy's fault they aren't here.'

Al took in a deep sigh at his nephews perception and thought to himself; 'He is brothers' son.' He ruffled Jason's hair like Ed always did and said calmly, 'Well, I will bring your daddy back and your mommy if she wants to come back to see you.'

Jason shook his head again, 'I don't want mommy to come back, she hurt daddy and took him away from all of us. I want her to stay away.'

Al nodded, 'Okay Jason.'

Noa cast a sad smile at her nephew and then after a few minutes of making Al eat something she took both of the children upstairs for their afternoon nap. She rejoined Al in the living room and sat next to him on the couch.

Al looked at her, 'Noa, why would she do this/ Why would she leave her son here, take Ed, hurt him, why/ Didn't she even love him, doesn't she care about her family at all/'

Noa closed her eyes for a moment, 'I don't think she does. Before I came to get you, I briefly touched her shoulder. I saw her with Ed, but he was different, his eyes were light brown, not the golden yellow of Ed's. I think that was the Ed from this side, she was in love with him. From what Ed told me of the vision he recieved from our daughter the morning she spoke her first word, she has the ability to make a humonculi. She can use alchemy on this side and she might have created a humonculis of the Ed from this side. Maybe she blames your brother for the death of the Ed she knew. Maybe she truly hates him and wants nothing more than to give him false hope.'

Al looked at her taking in what she had to say, her knowledge of his own world still caught him off gaurd, but her visions were why she knew of it. He took in a deep breath, 'So this Ry, she was in love with the Ed of this time, then he died. So using the alchemy that exists over here she tried to bring him back and turned him into a humonculis. Okay, but then the question of how/ To truly make a humonculis you need pieces of the philosopher's stone, and pretty extensive knowledge on alchemy. Not only that, but alchemy here is different, it isn't as strong, nor is it the same. But a humonculis requires high class alchemy, and a lot of power, she opened the gate when she did it, so how could we not . . . '

Al paused suddenly remembering that only five years ago, when they had returned they had met Ry only weeks afterward. She could have easily have done it then. When they crossed the gate, that was when, but how could they not have noticed/ Why was it that she didn't seem to have lost anything like alchemy and the gate required you to do when you used human transmutation/ It was too confusing, but it made more sense about how she had done it. Al resolved, he decided that if he wanted to save Ed he would have to do research on the alchemy of this world. She had great power in this world and he would need a way to counter that if he wanted to save him. He might also be able to figure out where she was if he did enough research and looked around enough.

He stiffled a cough and remembered with the aching in his body that it would have to wait until he got better. He couldn't use alchemy, let alone think straight to do so if he was sick. He looked at Noa, resolve set in his expression, 'I know what I can do. But for now, I want to get upstairs and rest and get over this illness.'

Noa smiled, 'Of course,' she stood up and he took her hand allowing her to lead him up the stairs to their room.

Little did they know, but as the day dawned on the approaching Nazi army was making their way to Munich. This army would result in turning the peaceful town into a baren, blood stained, fear driven place of eternal torment for years to come.

Ed groaned in pain, cursing under his breath as the pain raked throughout his body and the memories of what happened came back to him. That bitch had patched his wounds only to throw him in the back of a truck and then had left him in unknown lands filled with the stench of war.

He opened his eyes scanning the battlefield while he sat rested against the trunk of a tree a rifle in his lap. He blinked a few times to adjust to the approaching night and the constant noise of guns and cannons going off. He looked to his left upon hearing the russling of leaves only to find the spitting image of Jean Havos emerge. He had a cigarette in the side of his mouth and even though he looked like Havoc, Ed found that his name was Officer Drake.

Ed cracked his neck and then rose to his feet saying, 'So Drake, anything new/'

Drake shook his head, 'Nothing yet pup. A few more were killed on both sides while you napped.'

Ed scowled at the nickname he had acquired due to his age. He glared at his comrad and noticed a serious look on his face which emitted a curious, 'What/' from Ed.

Drake shrugged his tone casual, 'You said you were from Munich, but you're not a Nazi. A college student with not interest in war ends up on our side fighting your fellow country-men. It just seems far fetched to me.'

Ed sighed, 'Why should I have to give reason, besides I don't fit the profile for their perfect German. Shouldn't that be reason enough/'

Drake shrugged again, his tone still casual, 'I guess, but the only thing wrong with you is your eyes. Unless your disabled or have a gypsy in your family.'

Ed winced at the accuracy of his words on both counts. Drake took notice of it and said, 'Oh, well I guess that is reason enough pup. What makes you disabled other than you being suicidal to stumble onto a battle field/'

Ed growled under his breath, 'There are guns and cannons going off and you want to know about my life/ Don't you have more important things to do right now/'

Drake shrugged making Ed angrier and said again with a casual tone, 'Not really. So, enlighten me here pup.'

Ed flared at the nickname and Drake's constant shrugging and casual tone, 'STOP CALLING ME PUP DAMN IT1'

Drake laughed at that and slapped Ed on the back playfully, 'Sure thing cheif. I think it's your temper that makes you disabled.'

Ed growled again, this time more audibly and hissed, 'That is none of your business.'

Drake smiled and then his face went serious, 'Edward, I think that as your commanding officer, you should enlighten me.'

Ed averted his gaze and sighed, 'Fine, Officer Drake. I have an artificial right arm and left leg. That is my disability, if you want you can discharge me and send me back to Munich.'

Drake nodded and with a playful tone said, 'Nope, can't do that now. You are here, and a soldier like the rest of us. Plus I wouldn't discharge a sharp shooter like you. I never would've guessed you had to fake limbs, your the most agile and physically fit one I have in my battalion.'

Ed grunted, 'Whatever . . . '

Suddenly another soldier came through the brush, to which he was startled to find both Ed and Drake aiming their weapons at him. He had his hands raised and said desperately to Drake, 'Sir, you have a call from the Colonel, something about where the Nazi's are.'

Drake lowered his weapon and cast a glance at Ed as he lowered his own. Then the three headed back to the encampment to listen to the reports of the enemy troops.