Chapter 44: The Unnamed Grave

Synopsis
Pinako and Ed finish examining the body and Ed decides he wants to properly bury it so that it's no longer in an unmarked grave. When they have completed that Ed calls Izumi to ask her about when she tried to bring back her baby. Since the life that the boys transmuted was not their mother he asks her if the life she transmuted was in fact her baby, but she was unhappy with the question.

Ed finally visits his mother's grave before he leaves to go back to Central. Pinako passes on a message from his mother to be delivered Van Hohenheim.

Once back in Central Ed returns to the hotel to find Al severely damaged. As well, Lin Yao and Lan Fan are busy gorging themselves on Ed's tab. After transmuting Al back into normal shape they sit down to talk about what Ed was doing back in Resembool. The conversation turns to Ed believing that it is definitely possible to get Al's body back. Ed also starts trying to determine if there are any memories that are shared between Winry and Al that Ed has no knowledge. When it turns out there are plenty Ed is even more sure that Al's body is still alive, but trapped on the other side of the portal where Truth resides.

There is a knock at the door accompanied by a message that Ed has a phone call at the front desk. Izumi has called to confirm what Ed had asked earlier that the baby she had transmuted was in fact not her child. This confirmed to Ed that the dead were truly dead and couldn't be brought back, but that since he had been able to bring Al's soul back and install it in the suit of armor that it proved that Al's body was still alive somewhere. All three alchemists, Ed, Al, and Izumi all had felt guilty about bringing back their loved ones only to watch them die again and to a certain extent that guilt is gone now that all three know that they hadn't brought back what they thought they had. The boys redouble their resolve to get Al's body back while at the same time not losing anyone else in the process.

Back at the hospital Jean Havoc's parents have left after visiting and Roy, Riza, and Breda all go in to visit. The military has notified Havoc that since he is now paralyzed from the waste down that he is being discharged which puts him into a depressed funk. Roy challenges Havoc to meet him at the top despite his current situation.

Scar has returned and Führer King Bradley is not going to let him get in the way of his plans.

Chapter Notes

 * Since Trisha Elric died before Van Hohenheim she made sure to tell Pinako to make sure to tell him that she was not able to keep her promise to him, but we're left to wonder what exactly that promise is.
 * When Ed sees Lin Yao and Lan Fan emptying the hotels kitchen on his tab physically throws both of them out of the hotel.
 * When Ed and Al were children they competed to see who would marry Winry. The competition did not go well for either of them as Winry turned both of them down.