My second FMA fanfic! The first one is called All I Want For Christmas is you, but it is on BakaKonekoRKL's, my sisters account. And I apologize in advance for any spelling/grammar mistakes there may be!
Please enjoy this story.
Disclaimer: I do not own FullMetal Alchemist.
Left Behind
Wind was howling fiercely on the other side of the glass window, rain plummeting down to the ground, and dark clouds blocking all rays of hopeful light.
Winry Rockbell sat on her bed, with the white sheets pulled over her body, and nothing to help her see in the dark but a small lamp.
But she did not want to see anymore.
She did not want to see anything of this world; she did not want to see anything that was here on this side of The Gate. She only wanted to see what was on the other side; because that was where Edward was.
Her eyes fluttered again and closed for a moment as the harsh memories of that day came back to her mind, hammering her about the one minute in time she would never forget.
The explosion she had seen, and she had ran over to the scene, to find her childhood friend lying on the ground. She hugged him and fixed him up with new automail, and then he was off again.
That was the last she had seen of him, and would ever see of him.
That was their eternal farewell.
Even after all this time together, that had been her goodbye.
He was going somewhere she would not follow; or rather could not follow.
Just like old times.
Although, she supposed that she could have found him somewhere in this world if she looked hard enough and searched everywhere.
But not now.
Now, he was completely and totally beyond and out of her reach.
Far past the limits of the science and knowledge of this world.
He was gone; and he was not coming back.
The blonde girl's blue eyes flew open and she gasped a few times before calming down and leaning back against the pillow that propped her up. She let her head roll back as she gazed up at the ceiling, panting. The liveliness that had been hidden in her eyes had shown, but now, it slowly faded away again. A dull glaze draped back over them like a black curtain.
It was as if she were in a trance ever since that day. Ever since she saw that streak across the sky, knowing that on that ship somewhere was her beloved Edward, she had no longer been herself.
'Winry Rockbell' was just a name now, just like everyone else's.
When someone spoke a name, it indicated which person was being spoken to. But now, her name was just a meaningless title that people said if they wanted to speak to her. It no longer had any special meaning like it did when he had said it.
Whenever the Alchemist she had loved spoke her name, it gave her a sense of pride, and made her feel extravagant and important.
Edward's voice had a certain something about it, that when he said her name, it rang out in her ears like a delightful melody.
But now it was just a name.
When people said it, it did not sing, it was just a dull, droning buzz.
She knew her name would never ring again.
Thunder blasted somewhere in the distance, and a flash of white lightning lit up the dark world for a split second; and then the world was dark again.
Dark and lonely; just like the place in her chest where her heart used to be.
Sighing softly, the girl reached over and switched off the light. She lay down and pulled the sheets up to her shoulders.
"Let's see if you can beat me." She murmured in a hoarse voice to the window.
She cried herself to sleep every night, but tonight the rain posed a challenge: who will shed more water?
Winry burst into tears and the materials of the bed were soaked within seconds. The thunder blasted many, many times before she finally found herself fading into sleep.
It seemed to boom in annoyance, for the thunderstorm knew that she had won the challenge.
Only when she was sleeping did the tears slow down, but they did not stop altogether.
A few strays would slip by every now and then, scribbling wet trails on her cheeks and staining her pillow.
Nightmares were always waiting to pounce, lurking in the shadows and waiting to strike like black panthers.
But not tonight.
Night turned to morning as Winry opened her blue eyes slightly.
She was lying on her side on a small couch in her living room. She could hear the muffed sounds of voices coming from the kitchen. One, she automatically recognized to be the witty, cracked voice of her grandmother, while the other was younger, and a bit higher pitched. She knew who it was instantly when she heard the laughter coming from him.
Al.
Which meant…
"Hey there Sleeping Beauty." Another voice said from above her. She blinked and looked up.
"E…Edward?" She pushed herself up and looked up at the boy standing before her. He smiled down at her with loving, gold eyes.
"Hey." He repeated. "You finally woke up, huh? You just fell asleep out of no where and I didn't know if I should take you to your room so…" He motioned to the couch.
"That's fine." She grinned, sitting up and stretching.
They caught one another's eye for a second until the contact was broken by Pinako calling to ask if Winry were awake yet.
"Winry! Winry!"
The voice then became more and more clear and the world swirled.
Winry's eyes flew open again.
She was greeted by a cool pillow that smelt of salt.
That had by far been the cruelest dream she had had so far.
She was about to break down weeping again when Pinako entered the room slowly.
"Winry, dear." She spoke softly. "Do you want breakfast? Is there anything I can get you?" She did not enter the room, but lingered in the hallway, ready to leave for she already knew the answers.
"Mm-mm." Winry shook her head and buried her face farther into her arms.
"Alright then. Let me know if you need anything." Her grandmother sighed and closed the door.
Winry heard Den whimper and whine at her door before she heard the faint scraping of his claws as he slumped away.
Winry cried, but she did not know for how long. Her stomach rumbled but she ignored it, no longer caring what her body needed.
The only thing she needed, was Edward Elric.
The rain had stopped late the prior night and lost its contest with the girl. Faint sunlight broke through the glass and dried the raindrops on the ground. Its warmth dissolved them and they evaporated, floating back up into the clouds and reforming to fall yet again some other time.
Nothing dried Winry's tears.
Nothing could stop them.
Only one person could stop her tears.
And he was gone forever.
She knew he was not dead, or if he was she would not admit it, but he was dead to this world as well as everything and everyone in it.
He might as well be.
There was no way to bring him back, nor to see him again, nor to hear his voice calling her name.
They could never reach each other again.
The only time Winry saw him was at night in her dreams and nightmares.
But even during those times, she knew he was not really there.
She told herself to forget him and move on, to pretend that he never existed and everything up until then was a fairytale, a fable. But that was simply impossible in every way.
Winry stayed put the entire day and wept every time her eyes let her.
Before she knew it, the sun was gone and the sky was dark again.
Every day since then had been like this for her, only she had thought that as time went by, the pain in her heart would start to subside. Yet it only got worse and more agonizing with each passing second she was alone.
Over and over again she thought to herself He's gone, he's not coming back, he left you behind, get over it, get up, start living, forget about him, it's what he would want…
Every time she would try to get up, her weak body would fail her and she would fall back down onto the bed.
She was dying.
She knew it, her grandmother knew it, and she hoped Ed knew it too.
She hoped he was happy with what he had done to her and with what he had chosen to do.
Then she pushed those thoughts away.
Edward, I'm sorry. I really do hope you're happy on the other side…
And again, she drifted off into sleep, and the black panther sprang.
When Winry woke up the next morning, the world was all a blur and everything seemed to be moving in slow motion; her hands, her body, her eyes, her heart.
She knew what was happening.
Today was her last day.
But she knew that when she died, Edward would not be there.
He was somewhere on the other side of The Gate.
Where would she be sent?
She prayed Heaven, even though, her angel would not be there, waiting for her…
She rolled over onto her back and soon began panting for breath.
She heard the door close, knowing that her grandmother had gone out to run errands and did not know what would be happening that day when she left.
Winry closed her eyes and waited, trying to slow or stop her breathing so she could just have it all over and done with once and for all.
But her lungs refused to obey and they continued to fight for air.
She heard her bedroom door creak open as Den shoved his nose in and pushed his way through. He limped over to her and whimpered, and only when she turned her head did Winry see that he was carrying something in his mouth. She let her hand fall down by his head and he dropped it into her palm.
It was a piece of paper from the calendar that day.
She turned her head and made out the letters and numbers on it: 3 October.
She smiled the smallest smile in the world and dropped the paper, patting the dog's head.
"What a smart doggie." She breathed and Den licked her hand.
She did not know why he had brought that to her, but she was thankful for it nonetheless.
"I love you Den. I'll miss you. Take care of grandma for me, kay?" She whispered.
The dog tilted his head to one side and moved closer to her. He then sat down next to the bed as she retracted her hand and brought it back to her side.
The dog watched as she faded away, not fully understanding what was happening, but wise enough to know that his loving Winry was not coming back.
She flicked her gaze back to the ceiling, her breath coming faster now. Her aching heart, which had been slow and deprived of beating normally for so long, seemed to jolt awake. It pounded roughly in her chest and each beat made her body shudder.
It sounded so unfamiliar and so loud.
She wondered if Ed could hear it, and if he knew what was happening to her.
Finally, her breathing slowed and her heartbeat almost stopped.
She managed to speak on last time.
"Goodbye Den, I love you." She repeated, flicking her eyes to the whimpering dog.
"Goodbye grandma, I love you."
Suddenly her entire mind, body and spirit were struck by an intense pain that made her shriek.
And then it was all over.
The pain was washed away by a comforting feeling, like a fire being doused.
Winry was at peace now, as she felt her heart thump for the last time.
And with her final breath, she breathed, "I love you…Edward…"
And then she lay still and did not move again.
Winry's blue eyes opened slightly.
She was lying on her side, on something soft.
She could hear muffled voices from a little ways away.
One was low and had caring hum to it, while the other was younger and a bit higher pitched. She knew for certain that she had heard the first voice before, but she could not figure it out, but she instantly knew who the other one was when he laughed.
"Hey there, Sleeping Beauty." A third voice cooed from above her.
She blinked and looked up.
A handsome young man sat beside her and gazed down at her, his hair a dirty blonde and his eyes a honey gold.
"E…Ed…ward?" She whispered.
He smiled.
"The one and only."
He was wearing the same clothes had had worn that day, the day he had left her, and she was still dressed in the long-sleeved shirt and long pants she wore to bed.
She pushed herself up, off of the surface she had been lying on which she now saw to be grass. They were in a small green meadow, with trees and flowers and a yellow sun, blue sky and white clouds up above.
She blinked a few more times before turning back to Ed.
"Yeah I guess it is kinda overwhelming at first." He grinned, looking around. "But I'm just glad you finally woke up."
His eyes went back to her and blue locked with gold.
Winry then shook her head. No. It's too perfect. It's too good to be true.
Ed leaned towards her, helping her sit up into a kneeling position.
"What's wrong?" He asked, seeing the confusion and shock in her eyes.
"It can't be real, Edward, it can't be. It's too perfect. This is just another dream…"
She was cut off abruptly as she felt his lips on her own.
It was so passionate and so real that all doubt was immediately erased from her mind.
He wrapped his arms around her and she closed her eyes and gave in to him willingly.
Finally, he pulled away and his arms pulled her into a warm embrace.
"Now if this was a dream, could I do that?" He asked.
She heard the smile in his voice and she nuzzled into him, pressing her face closer to him.
"Oh Edward!" She cried. "Edward…Edward…Edward…" She repeated his name, as if he would only stay there with her if she said it.
"Winry…"
He held her tight in his strong embrace and pulled her closer still.
She heard the ring in his voice, the melody that sent pride and happiness surging throughout her being.
'Winry Rockbell' was no longer just a title anymore; now her name had meaning; now it was important.
Because he had said it.
After a few moments, Winry's tears stopped and she pulled away from him.
"So where are we?" She sniffed.
Ed laughed and wiped away a falling tear, brushing his flesh hand against her cheek.
"What's it look like?" He smiled. "Its not the other side of The Gate, if that's what you're thinking." Winry's eyes doubled in size, not able to believe that she was really in Heaven.
"But then…how are you here?" She asked, tilting her head.
"Freak accident." He told her simply. "Al's here too." He informed her, and she suddenly realized the higher pitched voice from earlier. "And…" Ed trailed off with a grin.
Understanding hit Winry then like a bolt of lightning.
"Trisha…" She breathed, finally recognizing the first voice.
Ed nodded.
Then, he stood up and offered Winry his flesh hand. She accepted and he pulled her up with enough force to make her jump a little when she found her balance.
Then, Winry seemed to look around for the first time.
There were people all over the meadow, sitting under the trees, playing, and talking.
She even recognized a few people with a start, including Maes Hughes who grinned and waved.
As Ed lead her over to his mother and brother, Al saw them from far away and broke out into a sprint.
"Winry!" He cried throwing his arms around her.
Had he not been in his human form, he would have crushed her.
His embrace was like his brother's; warm and caring.
"Hey there Al." She replied with her beaming smile as she hugged him back, a tear rolling off of her cheek.
Once Al had pulled away, Winry found herself hugging Trisha Elric and sobbing joyfully.
When she finally turned back to the brothers, Ed had been buried under a large mass of white fur.
"Alexander!" He complained. "Get off of me!"
Alphonse was being hugged by a little girl.
"Okay, Nina, let's go get that bear of a dog off my brother." He laughed.
Once Ed was free, he was back at Winry's side.
"And to think, this is only part of it." He sighed.
"What do you mean?" Winry inquired.
"This meadow, it's only a small part of this place. There's much, much more out there, but a lot of people like this place because it's so nice, and it's where people wind up when they've left the other world, like you." He wrapped his cold, right arm around her waist and an oddly chilly shiver went up her spine.
"Well knowing you, you probably want to explore it, right?" She asked. "Well this time you're not going anywhere without me." She stated.
"I know. That's why I've been waiting for you." He hugged her again.
Winry favored the moment, and then spoke again.
"You're not going to need new automail, are you?"
"No, not here. We don't grow anymore." He said, with some regret in his tone.
"Well I can always give you a new model or two." Winry smiled at him. "But too bad you'll never get any taller."
"Hey now, don't go there." Ed warned.
"So I guess this means I can force you to drink all the milk I want but you'll still be the same." She sighed jokingly.
"Automail freak." He mumbled.
The sky soon began to get darker, for since they had day in that paradise, they had night as well.
"Come on." Trisha said to the two of them. "Let's go home."
"Home?" Winry repeated.
"What?" Ed smirked. "You didn't think we ate and slept out her in the grass did you? Listen, this place is just like the other world, just a bit higher up." He winked as they walked with Al and their mother. "We have seasons, day, night, rain, animals everything. It's pretty much the same except you don't grow and you don't really get hungry. And if you do you don't eat meat, because we can't kill each other here." He said, looking up at a bird that flew overhead. "But we still sleep and can go wherever we want, but there's no danger here. There's no murderers and even if there were we can't die again." He smirked.
Then, the four of them came to a stop outside of a house that must have been an exact replica of the Elric's old home only slightly bigger.
As they stepped inside, they were greeted by a chorus of meows.
Kittens of every shape and size were scattered about the house and Alphonse blushed slightly.
Ed gave Winry a quick tour, as if she did not already know the house.
The only room she was not familiar with was the one Ed had said to be her room.
"Oh, Edward…" She breathed as she looked around the room. Wrenches, pliers, bolts, and every tool imaginable were stacked into neat piles on a large table.
"We have everything here that they have down in that world. And more." Ed told her. "We're pretty much the same people we were back there, besides the fact that we stay the same age forever and don't get hungry." He walked over to her. "And one more thing." He said to her.
He reached out his left hand and placed it just below her left shoulder.
"Your heart never stops beating." He smiled.
Then he pulled her into another kiss and the two wrapped their arms around each other.
Ed pulled away after a moment and told her that the next day they would go shopping for new clothes.
"Everything here is free too. There's no such thing as money and we never run out of resources. No wars, no battles, no bloodshed. It's paradise."
He smiled and Winry smiled back.
"All this time," She whispered. "I thought you had left me behind…" She trailed off.
"Winry." He said softly and sincerely. "I could never ever do that. We were waiting for you to come join us here. You were just a little late. I would never leave you behind." He grinned. "I love you."
Winry's forever-beating heart skipped twice before she found her voice.
"I love you too, Edward."
Then, they kissed again before they walked back down the stairs.
"I never thought that this day would be the worst and best day of my life." The boy was saying. "October 3rd. Now I know for sure I'll never forget it. It'll now be remembered as the day you came back to me."
They sat down on a couch together while Al and Trisha were in the kitchen, brushing cats.
Ed pulled Winry to him and she rested her head on his left shoulder.
"Well, start thinking of things you want to do." Edward smiled and gave her another quick hug. "We have forever."
"Forever." She agreed.
A/N: The End. Hope you liked it! Please review and let me know what you thought!!