Disclaimer: I do not own FMA….cries like a baby lol

Title: Taken Away

Pair: Roy x Ed

Summary: A war takes many things away from a fighter. Family. Life. But Ed had something more taken away, something was taken away to make him feel obsolete. With Mustang and the gang at war, will Ed be able to stay sane long enough to welcome them home?

Warning: This is after the movie. Ed still has automail, Al's alive and so is Hughes. I can't have him dying T_T Not to give it away but it starts out in the middle of the war in the north.

CHAPTER 1

By Kumiko

"Mustang!" Ed yelled, clapping his hands together to fend off another set of attacks from the enemy forces. Rocks were thrown up into the air, as his alchemy flowed through the ground to break up the rock beneath. The others were already on their way to cover the general when they saw a new crew of people racing toward him. With each step that he took toward him, he could feel the alchemic power in the ground below him. When the ground beneath him began to grow, his feet stopped moving. Within minutes, he was falling through the ground, hearing yells of other men going through the same thing.

"Fullmetal!"

Looking around, Ed found himself in a large hole in the ground surrounded by wounded or dead men. Swearing loudly, he clapped his hands and got out of the hole quickly. Once he was out of the hole, he found himself face to face with another alchemist, though not on his side.

"Well, it's nice to finally be face to face with the brat of the military," the man said, staring down at him. "Even after your comeback from the other world, you're just as pathetic." He laughed, sneering at Ed. "Well, Fullmetal, what are you going to do? Your precious general is so far away, he won't be able to hear your screams for help."

Ed took a chance and glanced at the general, who stood yards away, snapping and trying his best to stay alive. Even with the others were around him, Ed didn't feel safe without him being there with him.

"Pay attention, Fullmetal," the guy yelled, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him up in the air. "Feeling useless?" Laughing, he threw Ed onto the ground behind him.

Ed landed head first into the rocky ground below screaming out in pain. Slowly, he pushed himself up from the ground, blood dripping down from a wound on the top of his head. He turned around to look for the man behind him but saw no one there.

"Is that it, runt?"

Ed whipped around to look in front of him and found the man kneeling down by him, holding a few rocks in his hands. He saw a grin on the man's lips before the flash of light blinded him and pain raced through his head and body. He could feel himself being blown backwards away from him and men around him screaming. Laughter from the man filled his ears as he landed.

"Oh, Fullmetal, where is your general now? He hasn't come to save the day yet," the man laughed, watching Ed squirm on the ground from the pain. "Or is it that he doesn't care anymore about a runt who cannot defend himself?"

Ed clenched his jaw, his hands covering his eyes that hurt like hell. Slowly, he removed his hands and opened his eyes; fear filled his body when all he saw was red. Blood.

"Stop it!" Ed screamed, transmuting his automail arm into a blade and piercing the man in the chest in one quick movement. Trying to blink away the blood from his eyes, he stood shakily on his two feet. "Die, bastard!"

Again, Ed pierced him in the chest then kicked him away, watching him cringe in pain. "I'm not useless to anyone," he screamed at the man.

The man began to cough up blood from the wounds Ed had made. "Too bad, you'll die before your general knows you were ever hurt," he laughed between coughs, transmuting the ground behind Ed into a large spike that speared Ed in the back.

Ed screamed in pain, his painful cry reaching out ever the entire battlefield. Pain raced through his body as he began to get weaker, trying to find Mustang on the field of battle. His eyesight was leaving him, slowly as the pain and darkness began to take over his body.

"Fullmetal!" He heard someone yell again, this time a more familiar voice. "Ed!"

-- Eights months later —

The sky above Resembool shined brightly with the afternoon sun high in the sky. Fluffy white clouds floated by in the clear sky letting the sunshine down onto the small house beneath. On the porch outside the house, a young man sat, staring at the horizon. His golden hair blew in the slight breeze that went by as his eyes stared off into the distance. There was something off about him, something that one couldn't see by looking at him. The way he sat on the chair, showed that there was nothing wrong with him, not physically or mentally, but looks can be deceptive. Though, no one around him have yet to figure out what exactly is wrong with him other than what they knew.

"Ed," a feminine voice called from inside the house, "lunch is ready."

He said nothing as he stood and placed his left hand on the wall to help guide his way into the house. Months spent at the house in Resembool were spent with him learning and memorizing the layout of the house. When he arrived at the house, just five months ago, he was in a bad state of mind and body. Still, even now, his body and mind are still not recuperated from the accident. Al and Winry did what they could to help him, trying to ease his pain and loneliness the best they could, but they knew there was little they could do.

"Nii-san," Al called out, seeing his brother entering the house. "Would you like any help?"

"No, Alphonse, I'll be fine," he said, quietly, still using the wall as a guide to the kitchen. If there was one thing that Ed hated, it was feeling useless or pathetic. He never wanted people to pity him for what had happened or what he was trying to do now. Ever since the accident, the tone in some of the people's voices he always heard was that of pity and sorrow. He hated hearing that when they spoke to him, hated hearing how sorry they felt for him now. Years ago, he had worked so hard to make everyone happy and get everything right again, but now what could he be happy about.

It always took him a bit to get around places, especially whenever he wanted to go somewhere out of the house. Winry or Al always went along with him to help him get to where he wanted to be and then kept him company until it was time to go back. The two really cared about him, but what could they do to help a man who wanted little help from others. Silently, at night, Al could hear him crying out in pain and sadness. Though, he never brought it up with his brother, he knew it hurt him to be living this way.

"Nii-san," Al started when they were all at the table eating at their dinner. "We've received a letter from Mustang, would you like me to read it to you?"

Ed nodded, slowly taking bites of his dinner.

Al glanced at Winry once, before beginning to read the letter. They knew that they only received a few letters from their friends while they were still at war. The letters were either of very great news or very sad news. Hesitantly, he took the letter out of the envelope and began to read.

Ed,

I wanted to write you a great letter, telling you that I'd be home soon to take care of you and help you but I can't. They are sending out again, this is the last night that we'll be in the barracks. Hughes and the others are here with me, everyone seems quiet. Havoc just smokes more and Hawkeye cleans her guns. It's sad to think that maybe I won't be coming home to see you again. I really don't want you to be sad, Ed.

I remember the night that you stormed into my office, yelling at the top of your lungs about something silly. Al had gotten you upset about something and you came to me for comfort. I was surprised, Ed, by this but it made me happy to know that you trusted me that much. That night, you sat on my couch in the office and ranted on and on about Al until you fell asleep. After that, I couldn't pay attention to my work, you looked so peaceful laying there sleeping. You were even drooling all over yourself. Do you remember when you woke up? You looked so grumpy squinting your eyes when you realized that I put my coat on you as a blanket. Come to think of it, I don't think you gave that back to me. You can keep it, Ed.

I know, I can't tell you not to cry. I can't tell not to be sad, but please, Ed, try to smile for me. Make sure Al and Winry stay out of trouble and you too. Hughes says to tell Gracia and Elicia to smile.

Ed.

I love you.

Al stopped reading, glancing up to look at his brother. Ed had his head turned away from both of them, a stream of tears running down his face. Laying down the letter, Al looked at Winry, even a tear was running down her face.

"Nii-san," Al began.

"No, Al, don't say anything," Ed said as he stood up from the table and made his way out of the kitchen. He found his way up the stairs to the room he had on the second floor. On the outside of the door, Al etched his name into the wood so that he knew which room was his. Pushing the door open, he stepped inside the room and closed the door behind him. He reached his hand up to his face, placing it against the area around his eyes. Scars were etched into his skin from his wound, the wound that left him useless in the war, useless to protecting anyone and useless as an alchemist. With tears falling from the wounded eyes, he fell back against the door and down to the floor. The tears kept flowing without hesitation, this was what he feared would happen.

AN: I don't know if I really like this one or not, it just came to me one day while I was supposed to be working lol. Well here ya go. ^_^ review please!!