Four years. Four goddamn long years.

That was how long she waited, and never heard from them. She used to cry, late at night so Aunt Pinako wouldn't hear, terrified for both of them.

After they had gone to learn from their teacher Izumi Curtis, she hadn't even known they had returned. It was raining that night, a terrible storm that flashed big streaks of white light across the sky. She was whimpering, scared of the lightning.

When the door had opened and a suit of armor appeared with a bloodied, unconscious ten-year old Edward, it was only Winry that recognized Al's voice from the armor, crying out desperately for them to save Ed.

Winry was strong. She got through that night, and the day that she and Pinako had fitted Ed with automail. That day was hard, seeing her best friend in so much pain and knowing she was partly the cause of it.

And then they left.

Without so much as a word of goodbye the Elric brothers had burned their house and left, headed for Central and the military, to become State Alchemists.

She hadn't seen them in four years, four painful years when she had no idea whether they were alive or dead. Without even sending a postcard to them, their last family, they went off on their own adventures, looking for a way to regain that which they had lost.

At last they had returned, Ed's arm shattered to bits and Al's body half destroyed. But they were alive. After a couple of days they were gone again, leaving with a brand new automail arm and leg, and a fixed suit of armor.

She had only visited them twice, both times to fix Ed's automail. The first time she and Edward were almost murdered by a serial killer, and the second time Ed was bedridden. After being dropped off in Central, Winry didn't see Ed for several more years.

Then Al had returned, dazed and confused and in a ten-year old body, with no memories after the day he had transmuted his mother. Ed had disappeared, and once again, Winry didn't know whether he was alive or dead.

Two years later, she had been with him for all of a half-hour, doing the only thing that seemed to be her specialty: fixing automail. The he was off again, chasing his brother and the people that dared to invade their world.

She never saw Edward or Alphonse Elric again.

I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
'Cause your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me

You used to captivate me
By your resonating light
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts
My once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away
All the sanity in me

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me

I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
But though you're still with me
I've been alone all along

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me

"My Immortal" Lyrics, by Evanescence

Ah, yes. This is my one-shot, written while listening to 'My Immortal' on repeat. This is inspired by my Nii-sama, whom I love very much. I hope and pray for his safety in the years to come.

--Ish

I think this is very good! It's actually bringing tears to my eyes, remembering the ending of Conqueror of Shamballa. Yes, okay, it makes me cry! Pout But it's so sad. Anyhoo, kudos! (A/N: BTW, this is my newest beta, my second one actually. I'm so happy to have blueeyedchibi as well as Panic.and.Pride as my betas. They're the best!)

Panic's note ---

Awww, that was so sad! And so cute! And so sad! Personally, I loved it. You loved it too, then review please! Review and you'll get more lovely work like this story! If you didn't like it, GET OUT. Peace Far.

Meh. I think I wrote this on a whim, now that it's finished, I feel as if I didn't put enough effort into it or something…But that's ok. I wonder if I got my message across? Can anyone take a guess?

--Ish