Lay down,
Your sweet and weary head.
Night is falling.
You have come to journey's end.
I crumpled in pain on the marble steps outside the Fuhrer's mansion. I could hear someone screaming my name. I lay there and listen. That was Riza's voice. So she came, I smiled inwardly, happy that she came after me and that she was safe. Times would be hard for all of us for a while now.
Sleep now, and dream
Of the ones who came before.
They are calling,
From across a distant shore.
My consciousness started to fade. I could still hear Riza screaming, could feel her sobbing on my back. She was crying over me. I fell into a dream, but it seemed so real at the time. It was a dream of Maes, how we were before his death. We were like brothers, he and I. We would share our hopes, dreams, concerns, worries and give advice to each other.
Why do you weep?
What are these tears upon your face?
Soon you will see.
All of your fears will pass away.
Safe in my arms,
You're only sleeping.
I awoke to see Riza sitting in a chair beside my bed. She was asleep, but her face was tearstained and she looked as though she had only just fallen asleep. She muttered a lot without realising, and I knew, she was scared for me; she didn't want me to leave her. I reached over and pulled her into a hug and her expression seemed to soften and she stopped muttering, she must've been comforted by that one action of hugging her. I smiled weakly and fell asleep again, with Riza in my arms.
What can you see,
On the horizon?
Why do the white gulls call?
Across the sea,
A pale moon rises.
The ships have come,
To carry you home.
When I awoke again, it was night. I turned to look out of the window and saw the outline of Central on the horizon. I guessed it would still be there, but I suppose, seeing it like that, after what I'd done, I guess it was because I no longer felt like one of the military. There was a pale moon in the sky, it looked as though it had just risen, and the clouds seemed to form some kind of sea, with the moon as the ship on the waves. I smiled again, and fell asleep once more.
And all will turn,
To silver glass.
A light on the water.
All souls pass.
I was dreaming again. I was standing on water, the light coming from it so incredibly bright that I could hardly see. I saw Ed's face rush past me, into the water. I wondered why Ed was in my dream and figured nothing of it.
Hope fades,
Into the world of night.
Through shadows falling,
Out of memory and time.
Everything became blurry and faded into black, shadows started trying to consume me but they failed, only being memories of a past life, time that has been and gone.
Don't say,
We have come now to the end.
White shores are calling.
You and I will meet again.
And you'll be here in my arms,
Just sleeping.
In the darkness, Ed popped up again. My voice echoed in the silence as I asked why he was there. His voice echoed back, but sounded out of this world. He said that he'd come to the end of his time here, that he had to save his brother and that we would meet again. I awoke with a start and smiled at Riza's sleeping form, still in my arms.
What can you see,
On the horizon?
Why do the white gulls call?
Across the sea,
A pale moon rises.
The ships have come,
To carry you home.
I sighed and fell asleep again. In this dream, I was staring out, over the horizon. I recognised this place, it was Risembool. The green hills and long river running along past the town. I looked behind me, Rockbell's automail was still there, as were the ruins of what I guessed to be the Elric brother's house. The moon was just starting to rise, pale and weak against the purple and pink streaked sky. Izumi ran past me, carrying someone who looked similar to Ed, but with shorter hair. I supposed that it was someone she had come across in the street, the boy didn't look very old or well fed.
And all will turn,
To silver glass.
A light on the water.
Grey ships pass
Into the West.
I awoke again, the pale, silver light passing through the window from the moon. It rippled on the surface of the bed covers and looked like waves. The shadows of the trees moving looked like grey ships against the silver and they were blowing westward. I looked back down at Riza and saw that she was smiling up at me. How long she'd been watching me, I didn't know and I never found out. All I knew, was that I had to kiss her, there and then, otherwise, I'd lose her.
Things in this life are too precious to take for granted, seize the day while it's still yours and tell the ones you love how you feel everyday, then if something happens, you'll be upset, but you'll be able to take comfort in the fact that they knew how you felt about them and nothing had been left unsaid. I realised that day, that was what I needed to do, more than anything.