FullMetal*Panic!

Either I never asked this question, or I did ask and never received an answer, or I did receive an answer and my Alzheimer's is really getting to me. Anyway, hope there aren't any spoilers.

Okay. According to this reference (spoilers), "A Goddess comes to Jindai (Hot Springs [episode?])", Ep. 9 of Fumoffu, was originally anime-only but was later adapted into novel format. Also, it's been said that all episodes of the first season are in the novels except Ep. 14, "Is Narashino Burning?", which explained why it was supposedly crappy. *shrug*

Question: So, is "The Wind In The Homeland" novel-canon? I see no mention of it in the novel lists.

Also (and I definitely know I've asked this before), have they ever collected all the character backstories (Sousuke's, Tessa's, etc.) from Dragon Magazine and compiled them?

I think the wind in the homeland is made up for the anime since Sousuke never mentions Zaied.

Compiled as in novels? I don't know how they do the producing of the serious and light novels since they don't go together.

About the Wind in the Homeland arc, on ADV's liner notes, Gatoh says he wrote a new story just for the anime to reward the fans.

Yes, the backstories about Sousuke, Tessa, etc, have been compiled into novel format- there are two novels, called "sidearms". The second was was just released this past week in Japan.
１．音程は哀しく、射程は遠く　（Ontei wa kanashiku, shatei wa tooku - Meloncholy Melody, Distant Aim)
2. 極北からの声 (Kyokuhoku kara koe - Voice from the Far North)

Ah, that explains about everything. Thanks, all.

1.) Well, ADV doesn't distribute FMP where I come from - one of our local distributors does it. They do a pretty crappy job, too, but that's beside the point. So I don't have liner notes.

2.) That first sidearm sounds like a 12 Kingdoms arc. I rechecked the listing and saw some of the backstories in the first, so I take it the one about the [ecs]Siberian plane crash[/ecs] and [ecs]Birth of the Tuatha de Danaan[/ecs] are in the latter. And with a name like "Voice from the Far North", I wouldn't be surprised.