THE OUTSIDER

by Iland Girl

"For those without 'purpose'."

A Fullmetal Alchemist Fanfiction

I don't own anybody but Erin... for now...

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."
―Dr. Seuss

I had made a promise.

And I planned on keeping it.

How was I supposed to know just how much that would cost me? Scratch that, I think I always had known. Things were changing around me so fast and all I could do was get swept up into the current. Trying to go with the flow? Heh, how foolish of me.

When this had begun, I thought I could handle it; but then I realized just how much it hurt to be one of the heroes. It wasn't as glamorous as all the fairy tales made it out to be; there was no gold star to patch onto my shirt. In fact I wouldn't get to see my prize first hand.

No, being a hero wasn't pretty. You lost everything to reach your goal. You traded in your most valuable possessions- and for what? To see that those people you protected have another day, another chance to smile. I traded it all, just to give them one more chance. Everything I did, I did for them. I missed my second chance in the process.

But I couldn't let them miss theirs.

Because I promised, cross my heart and hope to die, that I would save them. I vowed to give my all, because they did the same for me. They took me in, loved me, protected me. Who does that? These two apparently. It wasn't a surprise that I loved them more than myself.

I would kill for them.

Die for them.

Funny, I always thought that when you loved someone, when you protected them from evils, you were invincible.

Turned out I wasn't.

There was nothing special about me; but there was something about you two. Which is why I'm happy. Because I could do this for you both; I could save you both. With the same hands that I used to cup my cheeks as I cried; I used them to wipe away your fears. Because you had faith in me; believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. I wanted you to have a tomorrow, both of you.

It's the least I could do.

I closed my eyes, feeling so sleepy. The biting cold on my cheeks was nothing anymore. A dull sting of an old scrapped knee. My head lolled back against the wall as I laid down. Forcing my eyes open I could see the blizzard whipping around me.

Winry... I guess I won't get to eat your apple pie or make that wrench you wanted for Edward's repairs.

Hadley...I won't meet up with you and tell you what I found.

My breath hitched at the thought of missing my friends.

Al... I won't be able to cook for you like I promised.

Bray... I won't see you again.

Ed...

I wanted to cry when the faces of my friends flashed before me. To hold on to them one last time. Yet the tears wouldn't fall.

I won't get to tell you how much I love you.

A placid smile was placed on my lips. There was no point getting frustrated now.

Everyone... I'm sorry, but this is it for me. I love you all so much, but don't worry about me. You've got a world to protect, don't worry about the grain of sand.

I closed my eyes and thought about my friends and the adventures we'd been on. I smiled a little more as I remembered everything that had happened.

This was worth it.

Every part of me that had been in pain. Every time I fell and got back up again. Every laugh, every tear, every scream, every smile.

This was worth every second of my time.

Don't worry about the Outsider.

Author's Note!

And there you have it! I've been looking up a lot of tips and tricks to writing, so for those of you who have read any of my other stories, I'm probably going to write a teeny bit differently.

Okay! Normally I like to tell you guys about how the story will play out, but to be honest I've planned every single one of my steps in writing for the past year, and it tends to make me slow down and not write anything at all! So I'm going to be honest and say I have no idea how I'm gunna really angle this story, though I think I do know how it's gunna end.

I'm gunna try not to be to cliche, but I just love some of that cliche stuff! I'm also terribly stubborn about keeping characters IN CHARACTER! So if anybody doesn't seem in character, slap me with a fish!... Actually no, that's rather painful...

I can tell you that this will probably be rated T just for violence and mild cursing (mostly Ed), and that I am praying I can develop a plot... ah well, next chapter should be out tonight! Until then my darlings!

Review!

Iland Girl