Warning: Depressing.
I don't remember where I got this idea, but it's been one I've wanted to write for a long time. Maybe I'll even go and do the same concept with other pairings. It's two different pieces, well, three. The first part is my take on how Mei would die and how Al would react to that. The second is the exact opposite: How Al would die and how Mei would react to it. Then a poem at the end.
Please enjoy!
He clutched the phone as if it was his only life line. From the speaker came an echoing ring tone, even though he couldn't hear it. The words were playing over and over in his head and he couldn't get them out. Ling's voice repeating the words in between sobs.
It couldn't be true.
Her voice, her smile, her personality…
She couldn't be gone.
It couldn't be true.
"No," he whispered. "No."
"Hello, this is Al." The first thing he noticed was the sobbing on the other end. "Hello? Who is this?"
"Al…" the voice choked.
"Ling?" What reason did the Emperor have to be crying? "Is everything alright with Lan Fan? Is Jun-li okay?"
"It's…she…" he couldn't even finished or start the sentence. Fear gripped his heart.
"Ling, what's wrong?"
"…Mei. She," he had to break off for more sobbing. "There was an assassination attempt."
Al's eyes grew wide and his heart came near to stopping.
"No… Ling, don't tell me… don't…"
"The attackers…" the sobbing was cut off when the phone changed hands. It was Lan Fan, sounding like she did after her supposed failure in Amestris.
"The Princess fought bravely," she said in a hollow voice. "Mei was trying to protect Jun-li and engaged the assassins. He got a lucky shot and stabbed her in the stomach. She continued to fight, but she was losing blood too fast and ended up fainting. That was when I and the guards showed up. He tried to use her as a hostage but ended up slitting her throat when he saw how lost the situation was. She— She only managed to say your name before dying."
"No…"
"I am so sorry Al," she whispered. "If I had managed to get there a little faster I could have stopped the man—"
"No. It's not your fault." He said, barely able to say the words without bursting out crying. He couldn't let her take the blame for this; it wasn't her fault. It couldn't be her fault.
"Ling is… Ling is really hurt about this. They were trying to get to Jun-li and she wouldn't let them have her… I am so sor—"
"No. It's… it's okay."
"I can't believe she's really… not the Princess… not Mei."
He couldn't stop the tears from falling. Before when he was on the phone he could hold it in, but now they wouldn't stop. She couldn't be gone. It had to be some impossibility. Surely there was universal law there somewhere that made it impossible for her to die.
She had been so happy and lively last time he had seen her. As he was getting onto the train, she gave him a long kiss that he had happily returned.
"You going to miss me?" he asked, with a smirk on his face.
"Shut up," she told him, kissing him again. He smiled against her lips and she was smiling when she pulled away.
"Do you have to go?"
"Yes. Fuhrer Mustang needs me to get the final touches on the treaty finished. I'll be back for the signing in a few weeks though."
"I guess I'll just have to wait."
A whistle blew on the train and Mei pushed him towards it, giving him a long hug. He smiled at her, but didn't pick up his bag.
"Al, is there something else?" She looked so beautiful he almost pulled the box out right then and there. But it wouldn't be the proper time. For one, he wanted to ask a few people and make sure that everything was correct. Plus, he couldn't do it here. It would be too much if both Elric brothers proposed at a train station, about to get on a train.
"No. I just don't want to go."
"Get out of here," she smiled, pushing him towards the steam engine again. Kissing her on the head one last time, he got onto the train and waved at her as it pulled away.
The ring could wait until next time he saw her.
It was still in his pocket.
She couldn't be.
Not Mei.
He couldn't…
She couldn't…
Mei hummed as she picked up the toys that Jun-li had left out all over the room. She should probably leave that for a servant to do, but Mei had been raised to clean up after herself due to a shortage of labor in the Chang household. In fact, now that she thought about it she should probably make Jun-li do it himself. He needed to learn to pick up his own messes; it would come in handy later when he was running a country. If he learned he always had to clean up after himself, he would apply it to the mistakes he would make as Emperor.
But for right now she was actually enjoying the simple manual labor. Picking up and sorting the toys was almost fun because it was so simple.
"Auntie Mei!"
Mei was the only one of all of Jun-li's aunts that he actually called 'Auntie'. She might be the only Royal aunt to have ever been called 'auntie'. She herself had certainly never called any of her father's sister's that; most of them would rather kill her. Even her father's Chang half-sister probably wouldn't have hesitated if given the chance to kill her.
"Yes, Jun-li?"
"When is Al coming back?" Mei felt her heart beat the slightest bit faster. Al was currently away, working on the final touches on a huge project of his. A treaty that would finalize alliance between Xing and Amestris for decades, if not centuries, to come. Nothing of this scale had even been attempted before, but thanks to him and Mustang and Ling's co-operation, it was finally being accomplished. Ling was even threatening to call it "The Elric Treaty".
As much as Mei thought it was amazing the things he was accomplishing, she couldn't help but want him to come back to Xing as soon as humanly possible.
For what had to be the three-hundred millionth time, she looked at the collection of diamonds glittering on her left hand.
As a child, Mei had never imagined that such small stones could ever mean so much. If she as a little child could see it now, she would have thought it was a very pretty ring. Probably a coming of age present from her father that was actually bought by one of his many servants. It was so much more than that. A promise. A symbol.
She was going to be marrying the most amazing man in the world.
"Very, very soon, Jun-li."
"Are you and him going to get married when he comes back?" he asked with wide inquisitive eyes.
"Yes we are," she answered happily, picking him up and setting him on her lap. "Do you know what that means?"
"You'll be like mommy and daddy!"
"Yes we will. And Al with become your Uncle! Isn't that exciting?"
"Yay!"
Mei smiled and laughed at the small Xingese child. He was just so lively. There was a knock on the door and Mei put Jun-li on his feet so she could stand up. At six, he was much too heavy to carry around anymore.
He followed her to the door though, and when she opened it and revealed his father he squealed and hugged him tightly.
"Daddy!"
Ling smiled slightly, but Mei could tell from the look on his face that there was something bothering him. Bothering him deeply.
"Ling? What's wrong?" Then he started crying. Not sobbing, just tears.
"Jun-li, I need to talk to your Daddy alone," she said quickly, pushing the boy out of the room. "Go find your mommy, okay?"
The boy frowned, but nodded and raced out of the room muttering something about "Grown-ups" and "left out".
"Ling, what's wrong? What's happened?"
"I am so sorry, Mei," he whispered.
"Ling, what's wrong?" she said, voice rising. He was scaring her.
"Fuhrer Mustang just called." He was still whispering, almost as if he didn't want to say it all out loud. "There was… there was a car crash. Al… he was hit head on. Didn't have a chance."
Her eyes widened. No… it couldn't be. It couldn't be what she thought it was. No, it wasn't possible.
"You don't mean…"
"He's dead."
Mei stumbled away from him, having trouble breathing. It wasn't true. It wasn't possible. No…
"I am so sorry, Mei. I—" he choked on the words and had to sit down. Mei barely recognized it. It wasn't… no…
"I know it's not entirely your custom, here in Xing, but I would say you're familiar enough with Amestrian customs to know what it means when I do this." He was smiling that gentle smile that she loved so much. He bent down, and she thought he was going to kiss her, but then he continued downwards and got down on one knee. Her breath caught.
"Mei Chang," He pulled out a small square box and opened the lid to reveal a beautiful diamond ring, "you are the most wonderful woman I know. I love you and I'm fairly sure you love me back. So I am here, humbly asking—begging— you to marry me."
All she could do was nod and smile as widely her face would allow her as he grinned and slipped the ring on her finger. Then, because no occasion would be completely without it, she tackle hugged him with enough force to make him fall over. He reacted wonderfully, hugging her and rolling over so he was braced with one arm above her.
"Well future- Mrs. Elric? Do you have anything to say?"
"I love you," she said, before kissing him.
Mei continued to gaze at the ring. Mrs. Elric. She… He…
He couldn't be.
Not Al.
She couldn't…
He couldn't…
The days without you are lonely,
The nights without you are cold,
But even though you are gone now
That burning passion will never grow old.
Sometimes I cry myself to sleep at night ,
Just knowing that you are gone, but it makes
Me feel better knowing that you are peacefully at Home.
Your body lays at rest now,
It's Harder than I thought,
Just knowing you are
Gone for good, and thinking it's all my fault.
Time will have to take its course now,
For There's nothing left to do.
Just always remember that I still care and that I will
Forever love you.
© Brittany Callahan
So what do ya'll think? Should I do more of these for other pairings?
Hmm... for some reason Ling had to be the bearer of bad news in both situations.
Please review!