(NOTE: Spoilers ahead! This fanfic is a oneshot on what might have happened if Alphonse Elric never lost his memory as well as MY VERISON OF HOW THE ANIME SHOULD HAVE ENDED!. And I'm serious when I say that Ed and Al had an argument about when they get their bodies back who's going to give who a piggyback ride. It happened in Wisteria. If you don't believe me it's in Fullmetal Alchemist vol. 3 Valley of The White Pedals. It's an actual book, not manga. And it all started because of a blister on Edward's foot.)
…
Goodnight, sleep tight
"We are here to honor an alchemist…"
"Don't worry, we'll be alright."
"Promise?"
He crossed his hand over his heart, "I promise."
He had promised her it would be alright…
He PROMISED her. So why did he have to lie?
"…with a noble heart, baring burdens none of us could image."
Winry looked up at the speaker, she had been so wrapped up in her thoughts she never noticed the ceremony had begun. The flame colonel, no, Bradley was dead making him Fhurer Mustang or King Mustang. He had a hollow look in his …er… eye. It was ironic that he also now wore an eye patch just as the old Fhurer did. Hopefully they wouldn't turn out the same. No, even Winry knew he wouldn't succumb to power
A few men in uniform came up slowly from the rear of the group as two in the front began to play 'taps', then men in the back were carrying a coffin.
"No," she whispered softly to herself. She felt like screaming, "STOP IT! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? HE NOT DEAD!" But the truth was that he was dead and there was nothing she could do about. They approached the headstone engraved with a name all too familiar to her and began to lower it into the ground.
"Edward," She began to cry turning away from the grave. She wouldn't believe he was dead, not her best friend, not the fullmetal alchemist, not him at all. And she was partially right; there was no actual body inside, just some mementos to represent the body and life that were taken through the gate.
"It's someone else." She whimpered.
No more tears
She has been there staring at the headstone for the past who knows how long. She hadn't gone back home and this would be the third day straight she would be there.
Major Edward Elric
The Fullmetal Alchemist
1900-1916
A beloved brother and a loyal friend
'Winry get up,' she told herself 'He's gone and he's not coming back.'
'Stop lying!' the other half of herself screamed 'That's not him. It's Envy in disguise. Any minute now he's gonna run up and tap you on the shoulder saying he got you good.'
Yeah, well. If that was the case, he got everyone good. Running up behind her, suddenly pushing her to the ground while he stood there smirking would be the perfect excuse. She could almost hear him laughing out, "HA! This is what you get for all the times you smacked me with that god damn wrench or yours."
In the morning I'll be here
Finally she realized it wasn't a trick, he wasn't coming back because he was gone. Reality hit her hard and she sobbed once more, storm clouds brewing above her once again.
"W-w-winry?" She jumped at the noise behind her. A tall boy with sort bronze hair and gleaming sliver eyes stood before her wearing a gray shirt and blue jeans.
"Alphonse…" her voice drowned out. How could she even try to say 'sorry for you lose' or give her condolences when she had only just began to have grasped what had happened?
"Don't worry Winry." His voice was unfamiliar now that there was no hollow echo to it and now he used a tone that much would have come from his older brother. "Everything will be okay. I'm going to find a way to fix this, I promise." He even had the look that on his face that the boys had when they demanded that Izumi Curtis make them her apprentices. It sent a strange wave of confidence in her and made her believe him.
And when we say goodnight
Alphonse Elric traced his bare fingers over the chilly granite stone.
"It just isn't fair Nii-san," his voice quivered "Why is it that you had to bring me back? Why did you leave just as we were so close to completing the goal? Why is it that now that I have my body back, I won't be able to finally give you that piggyback ride I promised you?"
He bit down on his lip hard. He wasn't going to cry. No, crying would just be showing he was weak and would prove to his brother that he wouldn't be able to do it. Al shook his head. No more weakness, not now not ever. Never again would anyone he loved be forced to suffer because of him. No more pain, no more doubt and as sure as hell no hope. Hope would just be an empty with within him and what he going to do wasn't a wish or a dream or even a promise. It was a vow that ran so deep inside that he knew he wouldn't be able to face another day if he were to…. His hands clenched. No he wasn't going to fail, he'd have to erase that word from his vocabulary because he was going to do the impossible and succeed and no one would ever be able to stop him. Not sensei, not granny Pinako, not Winry and certainly not the military. "I bring you back nii-san. One day, I'll bring you back."
Dry your eyes,
because we said goodnight, not goodbye,
we said goodnight, not goodbye