~~FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST~~
Fanfic: 574
Rating: T
Chapter: Equivalent Exchange Ch. 1, "Welcome Home"
Date Written: 14 January 2011,
Date Published:
Date Edited: 5 July 2011
Summary: Ed breaks the one law he'd thought he'd never break again.
Word Count: 656
Dedication: To the maple-syrup sausages I'm eating. Ant the ketchup that keeps me living.
AN:/: You know the drill, BTW, short chapters~! Thank Joker Oak for getting me to edit and give a little clearer beginning to the story. Thanks!
To give you have to get. Equally, no matter what. I can't do alchemy anymore, but I've been gifted with something worth more than that monstrous ability that destroys everything: I've been given my brother and something else…a curse that I'm too scared to name…a gift that terrifies even the former Fullmetal Alchemist.
***The Day After Al Heads East***
"Dammit…"
Edward Elric, once the pride of the State Alchemists, cursed as his last tie to the life he once had snapped. The ancient ribbon-rotten and damaged beyond repair-had been a gift from his mother on his tenth birthday. Now, exactly ten years later, it'd finally given out, another piece of him to weak to hold on any longer.
Tears stung his eyes as he stared at the grungy fabric cradled in his hands. On the day he needed it the most, it—like so many things—decided to give up on him. Dammit, why the hell did it seem that way? How could something he'd been so faithful to betray him? As many times as he'd lost things, he'd never misplaced that. How could he? The damnable piece of cloth seemed to tie him together again when Al wasn't with him. With it gone, It felt as if another piece of him had died…
A gloved fist reared back to toss the thing into the street. He needed to throw the damn thing away and get on with everything.
But he placed too much value on the stupid ribbon. Besides, it wasn't as if the damned thing * had * a brain. It hadn't betrayed him, he was just being stupid...
Pocketing the sacred remains, Ed looked to where his wandering had taken him. He was shocked to see the familiar front steps of the State's Office. Only moments ago, Central had been a cluster of lights straddling where the sky met the earth. He didn't mean to near the walls, not to mention enter them. He never wanted anything to do with the place ever again. He hadn't come back since the day he left four years ago. For the past eight years, it consumed his every thought. The memories from his time bickering with the Colonel Bastard while Al apologized for him held a huge part of his soul to the place. Most of his memories were from his time there...
And Too many memories of one place clouded one's judgment. His mistakes made * that * all too clear.
He wasn't meant to have a home. He'd only wind up destroying it all. He couldn't do that to these people. He cursed himself every night, but * it * is the price paid by those who defied the Gate's Laws of Alchemy…
A shaky sigh left his lungs as he began to turn and leave. Any longer and he'd regret everything.
"Fullmetal?"
Ed cringed at the voice and name. "I'm not Fullmetal anymore, Havoc."
From behind, a heavy hand rested itself upon Ed's shoulder. "You'll always be Fullmetal."
Silence said all as the younger man's shoulders sagged beneath the weight of the world around him. He took comfort in the familiar touch, but felt wrong for doing so. He was the monster that would shatter their dreams and destroy their lives. And yet he took comfort from them?
A wry smile formed on Ed's face. "I need to leave."
"A storm's brewing, you should come in before you're caught in it."
Surprised, Ed looked to the sky. Roiling clouds gave an ominous cry before the first of many drops fell onto his nose. "I hadn't realized…" He turned to Havoc after the rain washed away all walls.
"I need to leave..." Ed tried to run, only to be stopped my Havoc's hand still holding his shoulder.
Havoc smiled sadly as he wrapped his arm around Ed.
"I know…and Fullmetal?"
"Hnn?"
"Welcome home."