Disclaimer: This fanfic is set to be a "what if Al doesn't find Ed?" type thing. I know that it'll probably come out differently (I.E.: The movie) but this is a fanfic after all. . Anyway! I don't own Full Metal Alchemist or any of it's characters, though if I did. . I'd have Envy, Ed and Al in my closet for myself. XD! -Runs from all the said-character fan girls.-
.: The Appetent Alchemist :.
It had been a few years after Alphonse Elric's older brother's disappearance. . Al still wondered desperately where Edward could be. He had searched many places that he had heard rumors that the pint-sized blonde alchemist had been sighted at. . But no luck. Now the fifteen-year-old was on the train back to Rezembool to have a bit of rest from his travels. He hadn't had a good night's sleep or a nice meal ever since he left. He was sure Grannie Pinako would fix that. Al smiled at the idea of being welcomed home with open arms. . Especially by Winry. The boy closed his eyes while slumping back on the train seat as the beautiful, blonde girl's image appeared in his head, showing off her warm smile. .
Alphonse's track of thought was interrupted by the sudden rearing halt that he'd never get used to.
"All exiting at Rezembool Station. ." The droned voice of the conductor was drowned out by the whistle and hiss the train spat out as steam wafted from it's engines and brakes. Grabbing his things, the boy gratefully walked down the emptying aisle and hopped out from the door. Lightly landing on the stone surface of the station's elevated floor, the younger Elric brother looked around at his familiar surroundings. No one was there. No small Grannie, no friendly Rose and her child. . No Winry. Where was everyone?
With a frown, Al walked over to a bench and placed his bags down on the wooden chair. He slipped his hands behind his head and tightened his pony-tail; his hair had grown quite a bit in his abscence.
Again the boy studied the station, just to make sure he hadn't missed them, but unfortunetly, no one was in sight. Sighing, Alphonse picked up his things again and with a gloved hand tucked away in his pocket, he walked from the Train station to the Rockbell home.
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In total silence, Winry Rockbell tinkered with a small clock that had stopped working a few days ago. Infact, she had been working on the same clock for some time. . But she couldn't concentrate. Al had been gone for the longest time, then Ed's disappearance. . Stress was piling up on her like you wouldn't believe. Carefully she began to slide a cog in place ( A/N: I don't know how clocks are fixed, so. . I'm just saying that for now. ) until her knee slammed up against the table, knocking the piece out of place and onto the floor after Den's, her auto-mail equipped dog, barking broke the silence of the quiet afternoon. Cursing under her breath, Winry got down on her hands and knees, crawled underneath the table and picked up the cog again only to hear Den barking more.
What on earth is that dog up to. .? she asked herself while standing again and walked to the window, still holding the cog. Peering out the glass, her jaw dropped along with the piece of machinery and it fell with a surprisingly loud 'clank' on the wooden floor. Walking up up their front lawn was a long-haired blonde boy with a red coat, the dog barking happily at his heels. . Could it be. . ?
Ed. . ?
The young Rockbell ran down the steps of her home with a sudden speed that she never realized she had, nearly knocking Pinako over in the process. Winry practically kicked open the door and ran down her porch steps. She stopped a few feet from the red and black clad figure. . He was crouched down, petting Den as the dog's tail wagged so quickly it could keep the house cool for a day. The figure was dressed just like Ed. . again, the coat, the black leather clothing, white gloves. . the long hair. . Though it wasn't in a braid, it was in a tight pony-tail. .
Suddenly, he stood and Winry's heart sank. . The boy was too tall to be Ed. . Unless he grew? But that was highly unlikely. He turned, and with a warming smile that flooded the twenty-year-old Rockbell's heart, the boy gently said, "Hello, Winry. Long time no see."
Tears suddenly filled Winry's eyes and blurred her vision, making Al's figure to become misshapen. Her hand slowly moved out towards where the fifteen-year-old Elric stood; she had to make sure he wasn't just a figment of her imagination. . That he wouldn't disappear if she brushed her tears away. The girl's hand grasped onto the red coat. Real fabric. .
"Winry? Why are you crying?" Alphonse asked and placed his hands on her shoulders, holding her in place as she had rocked from side to side.
"Oh, Al! You're back! You're home!" she whispered, "You're home. ."
Winry suddenly wrapped her arms around the boy which made him blush and stammer, "Y-yeah. I'm back. ."
Pinako Rockbell watched the scene from the door. She couldn't help but smile as she slipped her pipe into her mouth. Rose soon appeared beside her and she gasped in delight.
"He's back! Finally, we can all rest easy." the dark-skinned girl proclaimed while holding the hand of her now five-year-old son.
"That may be so. . But there's no Edward with him." Rockbell pointed out solemnly. "But at least we have one with us again. Looks like I'll be preparing a feast tonight."
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Alphonse patted his stomach gleefully after finishing his fourth helping. He had inherited his brother's cast iron stomach after the past few years. . He felt rejuvinated after the wonderful dinner his family had provided him. There had been much rejoicing and many tears for the past few hours and apparently his sensei was stopped by to see if he'd turned up.
Winry came by, picking up his plate along with the other's. He offered to help, but she turned him down, saying that he shouldn't have to be bothered with such trivial things. Izumi Curtis folded her hands on the table while sitting forward and looked at her young student, turning on her serious attitude.
"So," she began and Al looked up from playing with the five-year-old Reese (A/N: I don't know Rose's kid's name, so I called him that. If anyone knows it, please let me know!). "Did you find anything?"
Alphonse figeted then sat up straight again as a dark look swept over the boy's handsome features. He bit onto his lower lip then heaved a sigh as he muttered a, "No." The Alchemic teacher stayed silent, waiting for him to say anything more.
"I heard alot of sightings about brother, but everywhere I went, they said he went somewhere else or they hadn't seen him at all. I'm really starting to wonder, sensei. . Is he even alive? What if he's dea--"
"Don't think like that." Izumi intervined.
"You can't help but wonder, Sensei. I'm sure you've believed he's gone a few times. ."
Winry leaned against the wall beside the door of the kitchen as she eavesdropped. She bowed her head at the very thought that Edward was dead. . He couldn't be. Tears were brimming at her eyes again and the girl placed her hand over them, trying to wipe them away as Rose merely watched from the corner. She didn't want to believe her friend was dead either. .
". .Ed. ." was all Winry could utter.
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On the other side of the Gate, Edward Elric's eyes shot open and he sat up immediatly in his bed. Holding onto the covers with his flesh hand, he pulled them up and looked out the window as moonlight spilled into the empty room. He could've sworn he had heard his name. .
"Winry. ."
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Illuminati: And that's the first chapter/prologue! I hope you all enjoyed it. . If there's any spelling mistakes or crappy-ness, it's because I wrote this at the spur of the moment at 7:00 AM without ANY sleep. I'll have the second chapter up soon, I promise! Please review, flames welcome, but not horribly bad ones. . -Claps her hands in the act of Edward- XD