(A/N): Hello, guys! I know I've published this story a while ago but I only remembered now that I never quite explained the concept behind it before. So, this story happens about six years after the events of the Promised Day when Al gets his body back. You will noticed I've altered the timeline a little, extending it so when the Promised Day came and they defeated Father, Edward is eighteen and Al is seventeen.

I'm trying to keep Edward as faithful to the original as possible because I fell in love with his character exactly as he is. However, in my fanfic he is twenty-five already so I want to make him more mature and deep. I like to write emotionally developed characters, which is why you will all see a side of Edward that might be more emotional. I will also be working a bit on Alphonse; I love him to death but seing as he has grown I think he deserves to be a little more explored, I want him to experience different feelings and different human emotions, including mistakes and heartache.

I like to think I'm doing a good job developing their more adult and sensitive sides, but I am open to constructive criticism! Keep in mind that things might be a bit different, even in the flashbacks and in the past events, because Aria was inserted in the middle.

Thank you for your attention and on with the story! :D

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Fullmetal Alchemist universe unfortunately! I only claim the rights on my plot and my OC's!

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

"Eternal Snow"

Edward x OC

September, 1924

The first rays of sun broke through soft lacy curtains, softly greeting the young woman sleeping on the bed across the window. She was curled up like a little kitten, hiding underneath the covers, only a mess of auburn curls visible. The sun made her want to bury herself even further in the warmth of her bed but she knew she had to get up soon.

Kicking off the covers to the end of the bed, she stretched her arms over her head, yawning loudly. She rubbed her eyes as she made her way to the kitchen.

Aria immediately noticed the figure sprawled on the couch. She scowled at his muddy boots and the cigarette behind his pierced ear. It was the third time that week; she had given him an earful the last time but apparently her little brother just didn't care about her rules.

She sighed and walked into her kitchenette, robotically she put a full kettle heating on the stove and went through the cabinets looking for the instant coffee. While she waited, she fixed a bowl of all bran cereal and ate it quietly, leaning against the counter glaring daggers at her brother. It would've been nice if she could actually burn a couple of holes through him, she thought annoyed.

The kettle whistled just as she finished. She turned it off and made herself a cup of coffee with a little bit of cinnamon and sugar and, after a second thought, she made another for her brother the way he usually liked it - black, no sugar. She settled them both on the table before walking to him.

She slapped his dirty feet off the couch, starling him awake. "I told you before - no boots on my couch. Next time I'll take them off and throw them out the window," she snapped at him.

He lazily sat up, rubbing his face. "Yeah yeah, sorry sis," he mumbled.

"Here-" She handed him the coffee mug, which he took with twinkling eyes. He was such a sucker for coffee. "What time did you come home last night?"

Markus sipped his coffee with delight. "Dunno. Maybe 3 am... or 4..." He saw the look she was giving him and rolled his eyes. "Don't even start, sis, I don't have school today, alright?"

"It's not about school, Markus, it's about you being out all night with those guys. You know I don't like them, they're trouble."

"You don't even know them," he argued.

"I don't need to, I know most of them have spent their entire lives in and out of juvie and those who haven't are just one step away from going."

Markus snorted. He stood up, towering over her short frame despite her being six years older, and walked past her, towards his room.

"Whatever, Aria, just leave me alone," he said, shutting the door behind him and locking it.

Aria sighed, running a hand through the tangled mess that was her hair. She could already feel the first signs of a migraine starting to show.

She took a glance at the clock on the wall. It was nearly 8 am. She really needed to hurry up, she told Joseph she would open the bookstore the next morning so he could catch a bit more of sleep than he was getting.

«"Have you caught the train yet, brother?"

"Not yet, I'm still at the train station," he answered his little brother as he looked at the giant clock hanging above the entrance. "I think I'll make it before lunch time. Think Granny made apple pie for desert?"

Edward's mouth watered just thinking about Pinako's homemade apple pie. He had traveled everywhere and he soon found out that no one could make an apple pie quite like that old woman. Alphonse chuckled on the other line of the phone, making him blush.

«"I'm sure she did, brother! Man, I can't wait to get there too... save me a piece, okay?"

"Tsk! If you don't hurry I'll eat it all!" He threatened jokingly.

«"Ahh you can't, brother, don't be selfish!"

He chuckled. "When are you getting home anyway?"

«"I'm already in the Eastern city, I'm crossing the desert tomorrow but it'll take me a couple days so maybe, in four days?" Alphonse answered uncertain.

"Okay okay. Be careful, don't strain your body just to get to Reseembol faster!" He said as the sound of the train caught his attention. "The train's here, I have to go. I'll call tomorrow morning before you leave, okay Al?"

«"Sure! Bye bye, brother!"

Edward quickly hung up the phone and boarded the train. He soon found an empty carriage. He put his bag on the compartment over the seats and sat down near the window, letting his golden eyes search the landscape as the train left the station of Aerugo.

Two months had passed since his boss had politely asked him to travel to the next door country and study with a great scientist who lived in Lorvth, a small city near the border. Edward had found Alxexander a bit off the top, but he supposed all geniuses were a little crazy. His research on using alchemy to improve technology had been most fascinating though and he was anxious to tell his boss all about it.

Edward looked at his gloved hands for a moment before closing them with a sigh. He should've been used to not performing alchemy by now. After all, everything had happened six years ago. But it was a bit infuriating to work with alchemists and scientists and not being able to do much more than decipher formulas and formulate theories. There was always a tiny piece of him itching to practice.

Pushing those thoughts away from his mind, he crossed his arms behind his head and stretched his legs in front of him, putting his feet over the seat. Some sleep would do him good.

Aria finished wrapping up the new children's book by Rowena Clark and happily gave it to the anxious seven year old bouncing on her feet. The little girl grinned like the Cheshire cat, filling her chest with a fuzzy warmth. She just had to smile back.

The bell tinkled as the door opened. Aria looked up to see Winry walking in, her lovely golden pony tail bouncing with each of her strides.

"Hi, Winry!" She greeted her with a smile, waving goodbye at the little girl who all but ran out of the store, hugging the new book to her chest. Aria giggled. "I swear, Siri is getting cuter every time I see her."

Winry nodded eagerly. "She really is! And she's going to have a brother very soon, did you know?"

"Of course I know, Lyra's belly is huge, it's pretty much impossible not to notice," she laughed. "So, what brings you to my store today?"

"Will you promise not to make fun of me?" The blonde girl looked at her with wide glowing blue eyes. Aria raised a shapely eyebrow. "I want a few recipe books-" Winry was cut off by her friend's snort. She scowled. "I told you not to laugh!"

"I'm sorry, Winry! But why on earth would you want a recipe book? You can't cook even if the fate of the world depends on it!"

Winry blushed fiercely, looking down at the floor as if it was suddenly the most important thing in the store. She twirled with the hem of her black mini skirt nervously. "Well... Ed's coming back today and he's staying for lunch so I wanted to cook something for him... I don't want him to make fun of my cooking skills anymore!"

Aria felt a tug in her stomach at the mention of her old friend's name. Frowning, she ignored it entirely, focusing on Winry.

"There's a whole section of cooking books in the back, it's the seventh bookshelf, near the health section," she said, mentioning towards the back of the store. "Garland has a few beginner's books... and I suppose you could also see Madame Chrissy's Easy Recipes for All Occasions. They're all very helpful when you're on a starting basis..." Aria trailed off when she noticed the look Winry was giving her. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"It's just... I never really noticed before but you're really smart aren't you, Aria?"

She rolled her eyes, a hint of annoyance flashing through the green. "Great compliment," she muttered. Winry started apologizing but Aria simply shrugged it off. "It's fine, Winry, go on and see those books otherwise you won't have a lot of time to cook for the golden boy."

That seemed to work like a charm as Winry quickly hurried to the back of the store. Aria heaved a long and relieved sigh. She adored her friend but she much preferred small doses of her, seeing as Winry tended to be a bit overwhelming.

Her employee came in about half an hour later, bringing with him a very large cup of coffee from the bistro in front of them. She gave him a loud kiss on the cheek and Joseph laughed good-naturedly before getting his hands to work. A couple school girls who had wandered in a while ago glared at her from behind a bookshelf but Aria made a point to ignore them, she was used to Joseph's fangirls by now. He was a gorgeous man, she thought so too, with his silky hair shorter on the sides and longer on the top, sapphire blue eyes and a very devious smirk with a little dimple on the right side of his face.

Joseph and Aria had gone to the same school although not the same class. He was the star of the martial arts club, every girl was head over heels for him. Aria wasn't and that was, obviously, what caught his attention. He soon began following her around like a lost puppy, sitting with her even when she was studying or helping her out around her parent's bakery. Aria wasn't particularly pleased with her new shadow but after a while she warmed up to him, he was very cute and she soon discovered he was also incredibly smart, he could learn a language with same easiness as she could read.

They had gone their separate ways when Aria got into one of the top Superior Academies in Amestris at fifteen, and moved to Central. Joseph had stayed in Reseembol, he took a job as a foreign language teacher and moved on with his life. But Aria knew he would often think of her, after all she thought of him as well. So when she returned to her hometown about half an year ago and opened her bookstore, she wasn't the least bit surprised when Joseph showed up at her step offering to help out as a part-timer.

She was brought out of her memories by Winry walking up to the register counter.

"So did you find them?" Aria asked.

"Yeah!" Winry nodded, smiling. "Thank's a lot, Aria, these will be really helpful!"

Aria smiled back. "I'm sure they will." She registered the books and packed them before returning them to her friend. "Have fun cooking and tell Edward I said hi."

Winry's eyes dropped to her neck and her smile quivered for the briefest moment. It was back on so quick, Aria wondered if she had imagined it.

"Sure, I'll tell him! Bye, Aria!" She stared after the blonde's slim back suddenly feeling like she had done something wrong.

Aria brought a slim hand to her neck and as she felt the coldness of the pendant she felt that same familiar tug in her stomach. It was so silly, she thought, she wanted to cut the knots that were twisting in there, she just wanted to stop feeling like she used to feel when she was a little girl.

Edward leapt over the steps of the Rockbell's cottage, the loud thumping of his automail leg attracting Dell's attention as loud barks echoed from the open windows.

"Oi, Granny! Winry! I'm here!" He yelled as he knocked on the door.

Someone screeched from inside, startling him. There was a lot of bumping and crashes and grumbling from both women and then a dark cloud came out of the window, followed by a horrible stench.

Edward grabbed his nose. He was considering whether or not to burst the door down when Pinako opened up, meeting him with a grin that made her eyes crinkle even more than usual. Dell jumped up and down excitedly, barking with his tongue out, it almost looke like he was smiling.

"Hello, stranger! Oh you're so tall I thought it was my Edward but he's so small he could've been a midget, of course you couldn't be him - oh oh oh oh!"

A vein popped on the side of his forehead. "Oi old hag, you wanna put me in a bad mood on my first day back?!"

"Who are you calling an old hag, you overgrown midget?!"

"Ed!"

Winry came at him with so much force he had to take a step back so he wouldn't fall off the porch. He hugged her back, chuckling softly.

"Hi, Winry!"

"You idiot, you were gone so long!" She whimpered, stepping away from him but still keeping close enough to make him feel a little uncomfortable.

"I was gone two months, it's not that much," he said with an eye roll. He walked around her and went into the house. He halted as noticed the whole place was filled with a thin layer of smoke and there was flour scattered on the floor. "What the hell happened in here?"

Winry had the decency to look sheepish. "Ah ah... I was trying to make you lunch but well... it burned... and I couldn't finish the muffins I was baking either..."

"What? You burned our food? I'm starving, Winry! I haven't eaten all day!"

"Oh don't get your pants in a twist, midget, I can make something quick and there's still my apple pie," Pinako told him as she swiped off the floor with an old broom. She could see the twinkle in Edward's golden eyes. It warmed her heart. "No one's letting you starve, so go on upstairs and make yourself comfortable, I'll call you when it's done."

Edward shrugged. "Alright alright, but I'm only staying for tonight, I'm getting back to my apartment tomorrow morning." Pinako nodded as he made his way upstairs. "And stop calling me midget, you mini old hag, I'm taller than Al now!"

Pinako chose to ignore him. She grabbed the back of her granddaughter's top when she tried to follow Edward up the stairs. "You're not going anywhere, young lady, you're going to clean up the mess you made in my kitchen!"

"Come on, grandma!"

He tuned them off with a smile. Ah, he had missed those two.

The room was the same as he remembered, even the second bed - his brother's bed - was still there, even though Edward and Alphonse hadn't slept at the Rockbell's for almost three years. He put his bag on the desk near the window and took a seat on his bed, taking off his boots and stripping down his brown jacket, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.

At first, he considered laying down and rest but he found himself too restless. After all, he had been sitting down on the train for five hours. So he decided to snoop around the room while the two women downstairs made him lunch. His eyes scanned the large bookshelf for anything interesting but he had already read all of those books when he was younger. Then he moved on to a wooden chest, but it was empty.

He scowled; of course it was empty, he didn't have any of his clothes there anymore.

He zeroed in the desk, it had a bunch of drawers.

Edward opened the first drawer finding a bunch of his old handbooks. They were full of alchemy, he noticed fondly. Nothing but childish scribbles and rude drawings of transmutation circles. It brought a sense of nostalgia to him.

Shaking his head, he closed that drawer and opened the next one. He froze. He gingerly touched the drawing, overwhelmed with memories. It was such a bad sketch, he thought, the moon was crooked, the filigram was clumsy, the stone and chain were drawn with too much thickness. Yet, Edward couldn't stop staring at the drawing of the necklace he had made so many years ago, and suddenly he could remember very clearly the day he had made it.

"Okay, I'm gonna do it!" The little seven year old exclaimed as he stared at the messy transmutation circle he had drawn in the damp dirt.

"Are you sure, brother?" His little brother asked concerned. "You never made anything so complicated before..."

Edward looked at the little girl sitting on the grass, not caring the least bit if she was ruining her new pink floral dress. She was making a crown with wild flowers, she seemed very focused on her task but when she felt the weight of his eyes she glanced up to flash him a lovely smile.

He blushed ten thousand shades of red.

"What are you going to do, Edward?" She asked honestly curious.

"Just wait and see!"

´ With a new found determination, he focused his entire concentration on the circle. He took one last glance at the drawing he had spent hours making and, with a deep breath, Edward put his hands over the circle.

The ground inside the circle was engulfed by a blinding blue light. He could hear his brother and her awe's but he ignored them, keeping his eyes on the dirt and the pieces of metal shifting in the middle of the circle. Once the light died, Edward immediately grabbed the results of his transmutation to inspect it before showing them. He smiled with pride.

Edward kneeled down beside the little girl and extended his hand. "Here! It's for you!" He squeaked, feeling his cheeks blushing again.

The little girl touched his hand, sparks shooting up their arms. She looked at the beautiful pendant dangling from a simple silver chain - a crescent moon with a small golden stone in the middle - and stared in a daze.

Edward waited for what felt like an eternity, fidgeting with his fingers in his lap as he stayed there, kneeling in front of her. When she met his eyes, piercing him with beautiful sea green eyes, he held his breath. Then, she beamed, and he forgot all together how to breathe.

"I love it, Edward! I'll never take it off, I promise!" She said, her voice full of happiness as she put it around her neck.

He didn't answer. He was frozen with a face that resembled a tomato slowly turning purple from the lack of oxygen. Al shook him worriedly, yelling when he fell to his side like a frozen statue.

"Ahhh brother!"

Edward smiled into the memory. How long had it been since he had last thought about her? He wondered if she still wore the stupid little necklace.

"Ed, lunch is ready!" He heard Winry call from downstairs.

He sighed, settling down the sketch on his pillow instead of locking it up in the drawer again. He stretched his arms over his head and made his way downstairs just as his stomach let out a giant growl. He was really hungry.

Alphonse couldn't be more relieved to get to Cameron after three days of traveling across the desert. It was getting dark so he checked into a modest pension, ignoring the flirtatious inn keeper, and quickly fled to his room. He wanted nothing more than to take a long bath, he had sand in places he didn't even know it was possible to have.

He felt much better after showering.

There was a balcony in his room, he noticed, walking towards it and leaning over the railing. It had a pretty nice view of the little town and the next door desert. He could see the people strolling down the busy streets, the traveling artists dancing and playing and the children running. He closed his eyes, feeling the cool breeze playing with his golden locks and breathing in the lighter hair.

It had been so stuffy in Xing. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this light. Maybe last year, when he had taken a break from his studies and went to visit Granny Pinako and Winry. The air in Amestris was different than in Xing. There was the smell of wet grass, the coolness of the wind, the sound of laughter and music - his country's music.

He was so happy to be coming home for good this time. No more long rides in uncomfortable trains, no more crossing deserts, no more sand in weird places, no more stuffiness and foreign foods. It just felt amazing.

He grinned, opening his eyes, and decided to go out for dinner since it was such a beautiful night. The black haired inn keeper tried to lure him into staying but he dismissed himself as politely as he could and hurried out of the inn. A little boy ran into him as he chased down his friends, Alphonse smiled at his apology and waved as he ran off.

The owner of the restaurant was already familiar with him after nearly six years. He had liked the food so much that he made a point of stopping by every time he was in town and the owner couldn't be more pleased. They got along just great, and he always let Alphonse eat his meals at the counter so that they could make small conversation.

Afterwards, he went for a small walk, keeping an eye out to see if he could find some nice souvenirs for Pinako, Winry and his brother. Maybe something for Dell too, he smiled. There were several traveling artisans that evening so Alphonse easily found something suitable - two sets of spare earrings for Winry, a handcrafted smoking pipe for Granny, a chewing toy for Dell and a leather-bound journal for Edward. As he was making his way back to the inn, happy with all the gifts he had purchased, something caught his eye.

Alphonse crouched down in front of the jewelry a traveling woman had on display in a cloth on the ground. He asked if he could see them. When the woman nodded, he picked up a thin silver bracelet decorated with teal mineral stones and intricate patterns and stared intently. A flash of sea green eyes burst through his mind, making him smile fondly as he thought back to the last time he had seen her.

He was strolling down the streets of Reseembol on his way to see his brother when he saw her. She was standing on the tip of her toes trying to straighten the sign with the name of her bookstore that was crooked. He smirked and positioned himself behind her as quietly as he could before letting out a loud "boo" that made her jump ten feet in the air as she turned around with a hand over her heart. She scowled when she saw him.

"You're terrible, Alphonse, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" She exclaimed.

Alphonse gave her a devious smile. "Sorry, I couldn't resist Ari," he confessed, earning a chuckle out of her. "Here - I'll help you in exchange for your forgiveness."

"How very chivalrous of you, monsieur."

He was about a head taller than her so it was fairly easy for him to nudge the sign a bit and put it back in its proper place. Aria rolled her eyes at this, adding to his amusement. He stood back to stare at her. He had always found her so beautiful, her simplicity was captivating in a manner he hadn't been able to find anywhere else in the world.

"I was on my way to see my brother, but maybe you could take a break and I could buy you an ice cream first, what do you think, Ari?" He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, fighting the blush beginning to color his cheeks.

"Oh..." Alphonse watched her put a few curls behind her ear, casting her gaze down at the floor. "Huh... are you sure? I wouldn't want to rob your time with Edward... I know you're only staying until the end of the week..."

He glanced at her neck, frowning. He shook his head stubbornly. "Don't worry about it, I can see him when he gets home anyway. So what do you say?"

"Well if you say so, then okay!" She beamed. "But I want two scoops-"

"Of cherry flavored ice cream with chocolate syrup on top, I know Ari!" He cut her off finishing her sentence with a knowing smile.

"Oh I hate that I'm this predictable to you, Alphonse!" She laughed, following down the street to the ice cream parlor.

Alphonse chuckled to himself.

He decided to buy the bracelet on an impulse before returning to his room at the inn. As he lay down in bed, later, he found his excitement growing. He couldn't wait to get home tomorrow.

So, what did you think guys? Be honest!

Love,

Moon Princess.