A Bittersweet Farewell

One after another. Strike. Hit. Beat. These words were nothing compared to the pain he was enduring. There was nothing that could explain the amount of injuries he had endured. He couldn't believe there were truly people who could do this. He hd jumped in when a Nazi soldier was beating a child. He couldn't help himself. Hoehenhiem had called out to him, but he ignored him. He struck the guard over the head with his right arm. He had given the guard a concussion, but was mobbed by many other Nazi's. They all swarmed around him, like flies over a dead carcass. They beat him over and over with the backs of their guns. It was so very painful.

Edward's vision was blocked by blood that dripped into his eyes. He had promised himself that he wouldn't die. He had to get back home. He wanted to see Al, to see granny Pinako, and to see Winry. But he knew he was going to die here. By the amount of blood he saw on the ground, he knew he wouldn't survive. He went numb, and started to fade from consciousness. In the background, he could hear his father's cries of protest that were unheard by the guards.

The beating stopped suddenly, and the men that crowded him dispersed.

"They're leaving me to die?"

His father dropped next to him, and started urgently saying something, but Edward didn't hear. He pushed the blood from his mouth with his tongue and let his eyes roll back in his head.

"Winry..."

---

Winry had worried about Edward. He had been gone for so long. Everyone presumed he was dead, but she knew otherwise. She knew he was alive. She knew he was out there somewhere, and had a damn good reason for why he hadn't come home.

But that night, her she stopped worrying, she stopped crying. Because she knew everything was alright again.

Winry stood in a dark abyss. There were no walls or floor. It was simply a blackness. But Winry wasn't afraid. She was filled with comfort, it was like, somehow, she knew nothing was going to hurt her.

In the distance, she could hear the echoing sounds of footsteps as they made their way towards her. Still, she wasn't afraid. Through the darkness, she could see a silhouette as it made it's way closer to her. Then, as he stepped into he light, her heart filled with joy. "Edward..." she breathed.

The blonde smiled a geniune smile at her, as he drew closer. He stopped in front of her, and looked at her. "Winry," he whispered.

"Are you okay?" she asked, as she took his hands in hers, happy that she got to see him once again.

He sighed, letting his eyes fall. "No." He said.

She frowned. "What happened?" she asked.

He shook his head. "The story is too long to tell in full, so I'll say this, and it's all I can say," she nodded. "I've been on the other side of the door all this time," she brightened at this.

"You're alive!" she cried in joy, before pulling him into a bon crushing hug. Edward was slightly shocked by the sudden hug, and dropped his suitcase with a thud.

He closed his eyes with a small sigh, before hugging her back. "Winry..."

"So you're coming home!" She cried out, hugging him tighter. "I can't wait! We'll have a party and invite everyone! It'll be so great to-"

"Winry!" he yelled, cutting her off.

She pulled away from him to look him in the eye. "What?" she asked.

He took a breath, before beginning. "I'm not coming home," before she could protest, he said; "I'm dead."

A horrified look came across her face. "Edward...? No..."

He placed his fingers to her lips with a small smile. "Trust me, it's better this way.' He then smiled. "From now on, everything's going to be fine." For some reason, she knew it was true, but wasn't sad. She was overcome with acceptance.

She nodded, moving his hand from her mouth. "I understand."

He kissed her softly. It was a delicate kiss that made her itch for more. He ran his hands of her arms in a loving way, before he pulled away from her. "So this is farewell..." she whispered, her arms around his shoulders where they had wound up somewhere during the kiss.

He smiled sadly. "So it is." Gently, he took her arms from his neck, and kissed her one last time. With that he released her, picked up his suitcase and turned, heading back into the darkness from which he came. Winry smiled sadly at his rewriting back, listening to the echo's as they faded off into the distance.

Winry awoke with a start. She bolted upright, looking around her dark room. Auto-mail parts were spread out all over the desk, tools on the floor. Slowly, she turned to look out the window, and stared at the stars that all littered the sky. Slowing her insane panting, she felt her lips. It was so real. Was it?

Smiling, she sunk back into bed. It was real. He was gone. Winry smiled, turning to look back at the ceiling. But everything was going to be fine. She knew he was fine, he was happy now. She would miss him, but she would move on.

"What a bittersweet farewell.." She whispered, before she drifted back into a soundless slumber.

A/N: Some melancholy angst for all of you out there. Tell me how it was. Don't be afraid to be brutally honest.