Missing You

Mei had always wanted a Prince – not like any of her half-siblings, though – a real Prince Charming, a Knight in Shining Armor, preferably on a white horse, and with golden locks and impeccable manners – and everything else stuffed in those wonderful books she reads before bed-time. She had told her care-taker of them – how they'd bring girls chocolate and flowers and flatter them and would always be there for the girls they loved and, and – and the old woman would just smile and shake her head in amusement. But at least Xiao Mei had agreed with her!

Mei was certain that such perfection did exist – and it didn't matter how many times her care-taker or the servants she was more familiar with called her dreams childish fantasies – Mei knew they were true! Now, if she could only find on...

And then she had heard of Edward Elric, but alas, he was at the other side of the Great Desert, and she couldn't exactly run off just to find – as the entire feminine portion of her home had put it – "an imaginary being".

Then the Emperor, her father, fell ill, and everyone was trying to gain his favor. Some had stayed close to him, whispering to and sweet-talking him, others took care of some of his duties to show what an excellent choice for the net ruler they were, some brought him treasure from foreign lands... but the Chang Family had none of those things – that's why their heir was an alchemist, for alchemist were individuals with otherworldly abilities. Even that did not bring them to the Emperor's attentions. They were a small, unimportant Clan, after all.

The Changs, Mei had decided, would then have to gift the Emperor with something even more magnificent than any other thing the other Clans brought before him – something that would last forever.

Immortality. It was common in some of the stories from the West, speaking of humans with golden hair and imaginable power that hid from the eyes of the normal people – they spoke of monsters that lurked in the shadows as well.

Mind set, Mei had packed a small bag with enough food and water to last her a trip across the desert. She had brought some money with her as well, but was their money the same as it was in the West? Probably not, but this quest did grant her a chance to look for her Prince Charming, Edward Elric.

Turns out that maybe, some of those women back home were right when they said that fairy-tales were exaggerated, because she had a hard time believing that the short, ill-tempered beast was the famed "People's Alchemist", gorgeous and generous Edward Elric – apparently he was.

Mei had been crushed, and the words of her care-taker rang in her ears, advising her in that calm, all-knowing tone that she should let go of such fantasies.

And then she met Alphonse Elric.

Dear Mei,

How are you? I hope things in Xing are going well. How are Ling and Lan Fan? I heard the Emperor will soon announce his heir, so did Ling manage to get his favor? I'm rooting for him.

My travels are taking me south now, and I'll be staying in pretty uncivilized parts for some time, so I might not be able to send you letters as often. We're going to go and try to meet some of the Tribes that live in the Gorbihow jungle – they are a lot of fascinating stories about them, and some have loose ties to alchemy, so I think it's worth checking out.

Jerso says the mosquitoes are gonna eat us before we set foot in the jungle, and Zampano isn't taking the heat too well. Still, with all the talk about men transforming into animals and mythical creatures, I think I might be on the right track to winding a way to change their bodies back to normal, permanently.

Yours sincerely,

Alphonse Elric

Mei likes the sun, likes spending time in the wild with Xiao Mei and to studying and improve her alchemy so that when Al comes to visit them at the Palace he isn't the only one to show off his new skills – not that Alphonse ever shows off, he's such a modest person, which is just one of the many things she likes about him. She doesn't like that his visits are so far and few in between, so she makes sure that she latches onto him at every available second of the day – he doesn't complain, and it gives her hope that he honestly likes spending time with her.

Dear Al,

I'm super! Ling is definitely going to become the next Emperor. Even though the current one hasn't used the Philosopher's Stone yet – if we're honest, I think he might be afraid of it, such an omnipotent power is really unsettling to most. On the bright side, since Ling presented it to the Emperor, he's earned quite a lot respect from both the him and all his advisers and councilors for bringing back the stuff of legends (the common people don't know about it).

The Emperor thinks the Stone should be hidden though, sealed away, to be precise – he's wary of it, yes, but the prospect of immortal life seems to be just to tempting for him to pass up. Ling and I are going to hide it, so no one can ever find it (not even the Emperor) – destroying such a thing would require it to bond with something and we both know making another Humunculus is completely out of the question.

I want to seal the hiding place with alchemy, but I want it to be a complex design that I know no one could break through – so could you stop by some time soon? I think we're going to need your expertise in this, Al.

With Love,

Mei Chang, Seventeenth Royal Princess of Xing.

They often sent letters to each other. Al informs her of his progress on his research and she tells him about the goings on in the Palace and her day-to-day life. There are splotches though, splotches of dark ink amidst the carefully written manuscript – words and sentences she scribbled down and then crossed out just as hastily with a crimson blush on her cheeks – and then rewrote the text on a different piece of paper. She likes the letters to be neat and elegant – so that when Al looks at it he'll see something pretty and worth his attention.

His handwriting is often times rushed, probably because he had some train to catch or he'd just stumbled on a town with a post-office and simply wanted to get a letter sent as quickly as possible – but his words are always caring, slightly curious and witty. Sometimes, he sent packages with some souvenirs, and though they weren't the most expensive things, or things she hadn't seen before – she loved every one of them to bits. There was a small, handmade rug with pandas in the background (which Xiao Mei had taken to sleeping on), a small tapestry and painting and four books – nothing special, except Al picked them out for her – for her! He's such a sweet-heart!

She has one special letter though, one she doesn't dare show to anyone – because it's her very, very, very special letter, and it has an even more special purpose. It's written in code, and the cover for it is a word of introduction and dedication, and a rambling poem about the coming of spring and wonderful things that belong in a fairy-tale – it's a lullaby, one her care-taker sung to her when she was little, though she'd always liked the Western ones better – they were just so odd and funny with cats sleeping in cradles and the those cradles being on top of trees other such bizarre things.

That letter is her little secret, her little offer to her Knight in Iron Chains and her little confession – because this was more than a passing crush, and for the love of alchemy why didn't anyone but Ling – Ling! Of all people! – realize that?! Even Al liked to play oblivious, waiting for her to choose some other guy – as if! There was only one Alphonse Elric, after all.

Mei shakes her head, part in amusement and part in exasperation, and goes out with Xiao Mei for a walk, and maybe some alchemy training.

She gets a letter two weeks later, stating that: yes, Al would help them seal the Philosopher's Stone and it was going to take about another two weeks for him and his companions to get to Xing's capital.

Mei couldn't wait to see him again.

They're going to the train station – and when she saying "they", Mei means she and Ling, because her annoying half-brother (though he insists on calling him "big brother", he's already in the habit of calling her imouto(1) – and she notices she's the only one in the Royal Family to have such a title).

"So," Ling says conversationally "when do you think Ed might pop in?"

Mei suppresses the urge to growl, because her sibling must have asked her that question a hundred times, at least. She clenched her firsts in annoyance. "Buzz off, Ling." This was her special time with Al, to wait for him at the train station – how romantic! – but now Ling was ruining it with his incessant questions and he'd probably hog her Alphonse and they'd talk about one thing or another and it wouldn't be romantic at all if Al paid more attention to Ling than to her!

Ling just pouted like a five-year-old "Well, if you're going to harass one Elric, why can't I pester the other?" he jokes. Mei really does growl this time, though it is drowned out by the sound of the whistle and clang of iron wheels as a train come to a stop. Mei's heart skips a beat.

Passengers stream out of the train not long after it stops, crisscrossing each other's paths. Mei all but climbs on Ling's head to get a better view of the crowd.

Finally, she spots him "AL! Alphonse! Over here!" she's already dashing through the mass of people, and before Al could even turn around to face the voice that had called his name, he was sprawled on the ground, the missile that had knocked him over latching on to him tightly.

"Al, I missed you so much!" Mei cries, but then abruptly, someone was prying her off. "Hey! Don't suffocate him!" the voice is tough, but concerned – and it makes Mei frown, before she sees just with how much difficulty Al was trying to stand up, Zampano at his back if he needed help.

She almost grimaces. Though it has been almost a full two years, Al's body is still such a fragile thing – easily broken and strained – no wonder Jerson and Zampano are always so concerned about Al, they must think it their duty to protect him for helping them. Mei was glad Al had such good friends.

Al, held up by Zampano, just laughs it off, but the event stays with Mei to the late hours of the night. As she laid in bed, almost all in the Palace fast asleep, she realized she hadn't picked some classic Prince Charming that was strong and invincible – kinda like Al's armor had been. She had picked a Prince cursed by a terrible fate, a soul trapped within a prison of steel, and she, the Princess, wasn't the one to set him free. The story went that the Noble Brother, who would do anything for his family, would sacrifice himself for the Prince, just like the other had done only minutes before to bring back the arm the Noble Brother had needed to preform alchemy. Such an unbreakable bond, such brotherly love – Mei couldn't even imagine ever sharing such a thing with Ling. All the same, she was thankful to the blonde midget, he had brought her Prince back – her kind, gentle Knight that always though of others before even giving his own problems a second glance.

And she wouldn't trade him for any other, shining man straight out of fairy-tales – Al was better than any of those, Al was here with her, Al was real.

Tomorrow, Al would share his experiences with her and they'd spend their time chatting in the garden and Ling would no doubt butt in (maybe he'd drag Lan Fan in on it, too) and they'd all end up laughing at one thing or another. Al would send a letter to his brother, since he would want to consult Ed about the sealing and the needed transmutation circle. When the once State Alchemist arrives some weeks later the Elric brothers would have a heartfelt reunion, they'd spent day and night together, catching up and just enjoying being together again. Al would spend so much time with Ed that Mei would resent calling him, because Ed was stealing away the time she had with her precious, wayward Prince. But Al would be happy, happy to be united with his only remaining family – and she would leave them be, until her jealousy got the better of her, that is. But there were still a few weeks until then, in which Edward would remain off-radar and she could enjoy sunny afternoons in the Palace Gardens with her Prince.

And as long as Al was happy, ignoring her in the favor of his Brother or running after rumors and myths in the vast, unknown world, without her and so far away, she had her happy ending.

(1) - Japanese, meaning: little sister.

AN: And that was my poor attempt at romance. Still, I hope it was semi-enjoyable, I tried to make it heartfelt and sweet - not sure if I succeeded. Liked it? Not? Any thoughts you'd like to share? Voice them in a review, please.