Hi, everyone! Sorry that I keep starting new fics before I can finish the oldones. Argh! I just can't rest until I let these ideas out! Seriously. It's like they're alive or something, I don't know how to explain it. Only those who have experienced that seem to understand it. Sigh.
Anyway, this is an experimental fic. Let me know if you like it, and if I should continue it. I realize that this chapter's a bit short, but this is just what the chapter dictated, so I left it at that.
Disclaimer: I do not own FullMetal Alchemist, but I can still protect them from the cold, cruel world...oh wait, RR-Major-Ed-Pride already did this disclaimer in "One Year"! Oops.
"Brother, where were you?" asked a concerned Al as Ed finally came into view, walking with his shoulders hunched over and his face towards the ground.
"Nowhere," came the reply.
"But, Brother," Al protested, "We've been looking all over for you. We were worried sick! You had to have been somewhere all this time. Where were you?"
"Nowhere important," Ed said with a grunt. Al opened his mouth to protest, but Ed just pushed past him and muttered something about not wasting time, so Al clamed his mouth shut and then hurried to catch up with his brother.
They soon arrived at the military mess hall. Even though Ed had quit being a state alchemist several years back, he had rejoined after he had finally managed to restore Al's body, and Roy had become Fuhrer, guaranteeing better leadership. Ed and Al grabbed their trays of food and sat down.
"Brother," Al asked, "Aren't you going to take off your coat?"
"I don't feel like it," said Ed.
"But aren't you hot, wearing that inside?"
"Don't ask so many questions, Al," said Ed as he pushed himself up from the table and walked away to get himself a second helping of food. Al just looked on.
"I was only wondering was what the matter with you," he said, but Ed didn't hear.
Later that night, as Al was trying to rest in his dorm room, he woke up with a start. His first thought was of his brother, so he cast a glance over in the direction of Ed's bed, and found that he wasn't in it. Where could he have gone?
"I'm not going to get any sleep tonight if I don't find out where Brother is," Al said as he slipped on his shoes and pulled on his coat. He stepped outside into the warm night air, and felt a light breeze whip his hair against his face. The clear, starry sky and the full moon made it an ideal night for, well, whatever his brother was doing.
Al shrugged and sighed. He had no idea where his brother was, but he wasn't going to just stand around and wait for him. Deciding to simply trust his senses, he headed for the forest on the outskirts of town. He had no idea what his brother would be doing there, but his senses were rarely wrong.
After searching for some time, he finally spotted his brother standing at the edge of a ravine which cut sharply at the edge into a rugged cliff. Perhaps Ed had just come to admire the beauty of the ravine? It was possible, Al wouldn't deny that, but it was a bit unlike Ed.
Come to think of it, Ed hadn't been acting like himself all day. He wouldn't talk to Al, wouldn't take off his coat, and now he was sneaking out in the middle of the night to be in nature. This was unusual indeed. What had gotten into him?
Al crept closer, but did so quietly so as not to alert Ed to his presence. He knew that Ed wouldn't tell him anything, so he had a better chance of finding out what was going on by simply creeping close, and well, eavesdropping.
When Al decided that he was a close enough distance from Ed to observe him, he quickly ducked behind a bush and peered through the leaves to try and catch a glimpse of what his brother was up to.
The breeze blew Ed's hair into his face as it also pulled the corners of his jacket into the ravine, as if beckoning him to follow. Ed closed his eyes in silence for a moment, and then said, "Teach me to fly." With that, he jumped over the edge of the cliff into the ravine.
If you liked this chapter, and want to see more, you'll have to leave a review, and let me know. Otherwise, I won't update, since this is only an experimental fic. Thanks for reading though, and hope to see you back soon!