FAMILY TIES

Prologue

"Elysia, come on sweetie we have to get going!" Glacier shouted up the stairs of the old house.

"Coming Mama!" Elysia shouted. She scurried down the bedroom hall in her new soft blue dress with matching shoes. She had been very proud of the shoes when she had picked them out all by herself. She was nearing six years old now and still had the smile of an angel. She skipped down the stairs and stood at the bottom. "Ready!" She smiled.

Glacier handed her a large bouquet of flowers to carry. With that, they were out on the street. Central was as lively as ever that day. The sun was shining and flowers were starting to bud on the trees showing signs of spring. The pair walked briskly down the street, only stopping briefly to talk to the man who owned the bakery then continuing on their way. They took a quick turn down a narrow street and came to a less busy part of town, finally reaching their destination: Maes' Grave.

Elysia placed the bouquet of flowers on the grave, then took her mother's hand. They stood in silence for a long time, reading his name on the stone over and over again. Finally Elysia spoke. "Mama?"

Glacier shook herself from thought. "Yes dear?"

The little girl paused for a moment, as if she were choosing her words carefully. "Can daddy ever come back?"

Glacier frowned. "Dear, we've talked about this over and over again." She lowered herself down to her daughters height. "When someone dies, they can't come back."

"If they can't come back, then why did Edo try to bring his Mama back?" She asked, giving her mom a quizzical look.

Glacier cringed, remembering all the sad things that had happened to the Elric brothers. "Because…because he didn't understand that she couldn't come back. That even with alchemy, there is no equivalent trade for a person's life." Elysia looked at her feet. "Oh…" Tears filled her eyes and her mother pulled her close.

"Don't cry Elysia, daddy still watches out for us in heaven, and he loves us very much."

The little girl sniffled back her tears, pulled back to look at her mother and gave a weak smile. "I miss Daddy…" she said in almost a whisper, her bottom lip beginning to quiver.

Glacier was now having a hard time holding back her own tears. "I know dear. I know." She stood up and reached for her daughter's hand. "Come dear, lets go home, I'll make you your favorite meal."

The sadness still played across Elysia's face, but it brightened a little. "Spaghetti?" Her eyes widening slightly at the thought of getting her favorite food for dinner.

Glacier nodded and the two walked off, not even realizing that a pair of eyes had been on them the whole time.

The woman stood half obscured behind a tree. She had long, jet black hair that flowed around her face like silk, half tied back with a ribbon. She was dressed for rough traveling and had a beaten up backpack propped on her one shoulder. Her amber eyes were now slowly filling with tears of her own.

"Brother?" She whispered to herself in a shaky voice, her hands clutched to her chest. "You…you died?"

END