Okay here is the main story. This is the longest and, in my opinion, best of the three chapters. Btw this is a woderfully adorable and touching song so go look it up and listen to it! Enjoy!!
Disclaimer: FMA belongs to Hiromu Arakawa not me. Songfic song by Westlife.
My Love
The glow of the morning light filtered through the small window, casting milky yellow shades onto the bed where the teenage boy slept.
As the light hit the eyelids that concealed the golden-honey irises, he groaned and tried to find the blackness of sleep again, but could not.
Finally admitting defeat, he blinked open his eyes, but just before he did so, caught one final glance of the blue sky and green grasses of his dream. He let out an annoyed growl. The same image had been haunting him for the past week every night. What annoyed him was that he knew where it was deep down, but just could not recall the place whenever he woke up. He had desperately tired to figure it out but had obtained no answer. He attempted to force the dream upon himself, but each time he only got the same blue sky and green fields, nothing more, nothing less.
He was torn from his thoughts when he heard the familiar, echoed voice of his younger brother. "What are you moaning about now, Big Brother?"
Ed shot him a glare from where he sat on his bed.
"None of your business, Al." He snapped in his normal 'I-just-woke-up' tone.
"You know Brother," Al said in a sarcastic scolding voice. "You shouldn't keep things bottled up. Its bad for your health."
"Are you calling me short, dammit?" Ed grumbled.
"No Brother." Alphonse sighed with a laugh. "Come on, you'd better go get some breakfast before its all gone." He suggested.
The Elric brothers had returned to Central the night prior, deciding that from there they would take a trip back home for a while. Ed needed a few small things fixed on his arm and they had had no leads for quite some time, so they agreed to take a break and return to Resembool for the time being.
As the alchemist dressed himself and threw on his cloak, he pondered his memories of Resembool. He remembered playing outside in the lush fields and meadows and practicing alchemy with his brother. He remembered reading his father's books under the shade of the big oak trees, which he often climbed when he grew bored or was challenged to do so by his brother or his best friend Winry.
Winry.
A smile crossed his face. The number one reason why he always loved returning to Resembool, where the last few fragments of his family remained.
He missed those days terribly, when they were all young and carefree and the most perplexing question was why the grass was green. He missed telling stories and laughing without a care in the world, watching the clouds scud across the sky and wondering where the sun went at night. He longed for the foolish games he once played, the attempts to catch fish with his bare hands by the river and trying to capture fireflies for longer than 30 seconds before setting them free.
Everyone longs for those days again, and the FullMetal Alchemist was no exception.
He sighed inwardly, wanting to be there already, wanting to see her smiling face now at this very second.
Finally, he shared a glance with his brother and they headed out of the room for breakfast.
I wonder how, I wonder why, I wonder where they are
The days we had, the songs we sang together,
Oh yeah
And oh, my love, I'm holding on forever
Reaching for a love that seems so far
"Oh my God!" Ed growled under his breath. "If I'd known it was going to take this long to get breakfast I would rather…drink milk-!" He plumped down heavily into his seat and began devouring his large bowl of rice in ravenous gulps.
"Wow." Al commented. "I never thought I'd see the day Brother." He laughed. Ed just let out an annoyed snort.
It had taken almost 2 hours for the line to move as all the members of the Military crowded the Mess Hall for food. By the time the brothers had escaped, it was nearly 2:00pm.
"Well we were going to go back to Resembool today, but the next train doesn't come for the another hour." Ed sighed as he read off the time for the train they desired from an information sheet. "We'll just have to leave first thing tomorrow." He decided.
For the remainder of the day, the two brothers found an isolated area away from Central's main building. They trained and practiced combat skills together in a flat, open field until the yellow, Spring sun began to sink towards the West. Promptly thereafter, they returned to the room that the Military had lent to them for the rest of their stay.
Knowing that they had to catch an early train the next morning, preferably the earliest one possible, Ed retreated to his bed while the sun was still well above the trees. As soon as he was out, Alphonse lumbered out onto the roof, where he often went at night to watch the creatures and events of the darkness. It intrigued him so much he often stayed up there until past dawn.
Ed woke up about half an hour later to see that the sun was just beginning to go down. He mumbled a curse to himself and sat up.
Once again he had been woken by the picture of bright blue skies and lush green grass. There was nothing ominous or haunting about the image, it was just, to say the least, pissing him off because he could not figure out what its significance was.
As he tried to uncover the growing curiosity laced with annoyance, he finally noticed that Al was absent. The elder brother instantly knew that he was on the roof, but somehow, Edward felt…lonely. He had never felt so hollow when his little brother was absent before, only after he had started seeing that picture in his mind and in his dreams.
Shaking his head, he lay back down and urged sleep to come. But he did not sleep well at first, for he was restless, and the emptiness inside of him was threatening to suck him in. I just pray that we can get back to Resembool. He thought, trying to get his mind off of the confusing thoughts running through his head. He prayed that his dreams would carry him back there, to the place he grew up in. I just wanna see Winry…
His final thought faded off as the unconsciousness of slumber crashed over him like a colossal wave, gradually drowning out the mounting curiosity that tugged at him like a vicious undertow.
So I say a little prayer,
And hope my dreams will take me there
Where the skies are blue,
To see you once again, my love
Over seas from coast to coast
To find the place I love the most
Where the fields are green
To see you once again
My Love
Despite his wishes to dream about his hometown, Ed awoke early the next morning grumpy and unsatisfied.
The sky was still light gray with the creamy shades of dawn and the shadows were shortening bit by bit. Al was still nowhere to be seen, so Ed stretched and got dressed before heading out to the roof. He found his brother quickly and together they headed down to the main floor of the building. Ed went to a large desk to explain that he was leaving the premises and after discussing a few things with the man seated there, he and Al made for the door.
Along the way, various members of the Military who knew him called out comments such as, "Hey, shorty! You leaving already?" which sparked a lightning storm of fury from Ed, leading to a vicious bellow of, "WHO THE HELL'RE YOU CALLING SO SMALL HE COULDN'T LIFT UP A DIME?!" from the elder brother. The whole scene earned a good laugh from the surrounding people before Al had to literally drag his brother away from them and out the door.
"That damn Mustang's lucky he wasn't here." Ed snarled. "If he was, he'd be the first to go even if he'd kept his big mouth shut! And you know what? When he walked outta here a few days ago, he had such a big stupid grin on his stupid face it practically screamed that he was hiding a dirty little secret from me! Damn him to Hell, that bastard!" Al just sighed and went along with it.
The two arrived at the train station with time to spare, so Ed grabbed a newspaper and took it to his seat. It was getting brighter outside and the lights on the train made it easy to be able to see, but as Ed read over the words and letters, he did not comprehend them. He re-read one article 3 times and still had just about no clue what it was about. His thoughts kept wandering and he constantly found himself longing to be back in Resembool, but most of all, to be with his childhood friend again. He always got the sensation of wanting to see Winry, but for some reason it was stronger this time.
He let his mind wander back to one of the many times they had all spent together when they were younger.
"Ed! Come back! Where are you going?" The little blonde girl called from where she stood at the foot of a small hill with Alphonse at her side.
The three friends had been playing a guessing game when Ed had suddenly declared that he would 'be right back' before dashing off into the nearby bushes. "He's so weird." Winry sighed shaking her head.
"Yeah, I have no clue what he's doing." Al admitted, copying her motion, staring off after his brother as though Ed were a completely random person who had just run up to him, said 'I saw a bird yesterday!' and ran off. The two of them just waited there expectantly for a few moments before they decided to go after him.
Once they had reached the bushes where the Elric boy had vanished, they both stopped as they saw Ed motion over to them from a few feet away. Winry and Al shared a glance before creeping over to where he was crouched down next to a holly bush. Ed moved over to let them see what was hidden there.
Winry let out a squeal.
A large mother rabbit was curled around four smaller babies.
Ed smirked and whispered,"I thought you'd like the surprise I found." He grinned. Winry could not keep the smile off of her face as she watched the tiny animals and Al had melted into silence, his soft spot for furry things taking over instantly.
Feeling so warm and happy inside at the sight of the animals, Winry reached over and hugged Ed simply because she could.
Ed blushed as she did this but never pushed her away; he was not complaining.
Ed snapped out of his memories as the train roared to life. Placing the unread newspaper to the side he shifted into a more comfortable position.
"Here we go." Al said, and Ed could practically hear the smile in his brother's voice.
"Yeah." Ed smiled.
I try to read, I go to work
I'm laughing with my friends
But I can't stop to keep myself from thinking
Oh no
I wonder how, I wonder why
I wonder where they are
The days we had, the songs we sang together
Oh yeah
And oh, my love, I'm holding on forever
Reaching for a love that seems so far
As the huge train slowly began to move, Ed found that the lighting was making his vision fuzzy.
I just can't wait to be home. He thought he sounded like a child, but its how he truly felt deep down.
Within ten minutes, Edward Elric was asleep, yet again. The darkness behind his eyelids gradually began to shift and melt into dull colors that soon turned into a familiar bright blue sky and green landscape. But this time, there was a large, shadowed figure in the distance resting on top of a hill.
Before anything could be comprehended, Ed was blinking awake to find himself back inside the train.
The sun was reaching its highest point in the sky now and all the Springy colors of the world were in their glory. Currently, outside the window was a vast field, complete with the tall, lanky, swaying stalks of corn and ferns. Purple, pink and indigo flowers dotted the valleys beyond. The scenery was beginning to look somewhat familiar and Al excitedly exclaimed, "We're almost there!"
When the train finally pulled into the station, Ed felt as though he had been on the bumpy ride for a year. When he walked off with Al, receiving the same confused and inquisitive stares they often got, he felt as though he had traveled across the entire world, swam the oceans and climbed the mountains. This trip had seemed to take even longer than all the previous ones and Ed was anxious to begin their trek home.
It was just then that he realized that he had not called Winry in advance. That could lead to some pain later on, but a smile curled his lips nonetheless at the thought of surprising her.
Once the brothers had fought their way past the tightly-packed crowds of people, they found themselves at the beginnings of a long dirt path.
Memories flooded back over both of them at the thought of what lay beyond. Was Resembool still the same as always? Please let nothing be different, they would pray. The same thoughts ran through their heads every single time they took that first step onto the little trail, and every time they would find themselves face to face with the same exact, unchanged town they knew and loved.
Today was no exception.
As they walked the path in silence, their eyes took in all the scenery, every blade of grass and every fluttering shadow. The hills smoothly rose and sloped down like giant green waves and the small shadowed figures that dotted the countryside were proof enough that not even the oldest houses had changed.
Seeing all of this again, Ed could not remember the last time he had visited Resembool. His dreams had taken him back here countless times but it was never the same.
As the brothers walked on, they could see more and more familiar things. They shouted greetings to old neighbors and friends and had quick conversations with some of them, but it was clear to everyone that they wanted to get back to their home. Everyone knew the secrets, but they never spoke of them. They understood.
"Brother, I'm going to go visit Mom." Al spoke up for the first time since they left the train.
"Okay you go, I'll catch up." Ed replied. Al did not need to ask, for he was sure of where his brother was heading. They both knew where they would meet up too.
As the Elrics veered off and took separate paths, Ed felt the growing hollowness he always felt swell inside of him whenever he walked this course. The sun was rising higher and higher in the sky, but there was a cool breeze blowing that reminded him of the past Springitmes he had spent here.
As he kicked up the sand around him, it danced on the wind for a short moment before spiraling back down to the ground. Ed halted finally at the pile of wreckage that was once his house. He stared down at it as if his eyes were glued.
No matter how many times he saw it, he always had to stare, to make absolutely sure it was real, and that this whole entire journey was not just a big dream.
It was nostalgic.
It was so nostalgic that it hurt.
He felt as though someone was repeatedly punching him in the stomach and finally Ed had to turn away.
Then, he saw the figure of a house silhouetted against the clear blue sky on a green hill not too far away. The wind tugged him forward, coaxing him onward. For a split second, the picture of a hyperactive, blonde mechanic with gorgeous azure eyes flashed into his mind before it was gone a second later. It seemed to be carried off by the wind and now that very same breeze was leading him towards it again.
He smiled.
Then, with no regrets, he turned his back on the debris, on the past itself and faced a new direction, a new future.
And as he had done so many times before, he gathered himself and began to move forward.
So I say a little prayer,
And hope my dreams will take me there
Where they skies are blue
To see you once again, my love
Over seas from coast to coast
To find the place I love the most
Where the fields are green
To see you once again…
Ed walked back along that path and as he did so, he could practically feel his feet slipping into the exact same footprints he had left on the visits prior.
It was like a ritual. He would go off to see their old house; Al would visit Trisha and the then they would meet back up where they had split ways.
Ed smiled as soon as he saw his brother and he could tell Al was smiling too too. "Come on Al, let's get going. If we show up after dinner we're bound to be hurt even more than we're bargaining for for being late." He waved his hand towards the silhouetted house on that laid atop a grassy stretch of land.
"Yeah." The younger brother agreed with a nod.
Together, they set off towards the house.
When they had reach about halfway, Ed stopped dead in his tracks. I'm such an idiot! He scolded himself. How could I not have seen it? The house in front of him, with the baby blue skies behind it, the white clouds above and the lush green fields around it. It was the same image he had repeatedly been seeing in his dreams recently, except now he could see everything clearly.
"Brother? Is something wrong?" Al stopped and looked back to find his brother grinning madly.
"Nothing at all, Al." He replied before picking up the pace again.
He had been subtly told to return to Resembool but was just too oblivious to realize it.
Now, the want to see Winry was overwhelming. He increased his pace the slightest bit as to not give away the fact that he was eager to be there.
As they drew nearer and nearer, Ed began to wonder exactly when the last time they had been here was. The last time he recalled being there, all he knew was that the he had stepped on an acorn when he was barefoot, which had surprisingly hurt so the memory stuck. Meaning they had not been there since Autumn; almost 6 whole months.
Guilt swept over Ed now as he remembered that he had never called his friend once within that time.
They passed the sign that read 'Rockbell Automail' and proceeded up the steps. Ed glanced around nervously, expecting a flying tool at any second now, but there were none in sight. That's because she has no clue we were coming. He reminded himself.
Then he and Al exchanged a glance.
"You knock." Al mumbled.
"What?! Hell no! Do you want me to die?" Ed hissed.
"Oh come on! You'll surprise her! She'll be so happy!" Al persisted.
Ed opened his mouth to make a snappy response, but before he could do so, the door creaked open.
The Elrics both stared dumbfounded into the bewildered, azure eyes of Winry Rockbell.
Judging from the fact that she was not wearing her usual mechanic outfit and was instead dressed in her normal black and white skirt and jacket, Ed assumed that she had been on her way out when she had opened the door to discover them standing there.
It was certainly a surprise all right.
"E-Ed? Al?" Winry blinked in total confusion. "Is it really you?" Suddenly, the confusion left her eyes as she realized it was not an illusion. Her azure eyes sparked to life as flames of blue fire raged excitement and pure joy as Winry threw her arms around Ed's neck, nearly knocking him down. Ed blushed, but nonetheless returned her embrace, relishing the moment he had waited for for many months.
To hold you in my arms
To promise you my love
To tell you from afar
What I'm thinking of
"Hey, Winry!" Ed greeted her lamely.
She was so warm and welcoming he did not ever want to let her go. But it was worth it to see those sparkling eyes when she pulled back.
"Hi, Winry!" Al chirped before he was attacked by and overjoyed Den.
"I-I-I can't believe it! I mean I called Central and-"
"Wait you called?" Ed asked. "When?"
"A couple days ago." She replied. "I wanted to see if you guys were okay since you haven't spoken to me in 6 months," She glared at Ed, promising a lecture later. "And Colonel Mustang told me that you two were staying there for the next few weeks. He never said you were coming back here!"
"That goddamn bastard!" Ed snarled. "He knew damn well we were only staying a few days and that we were coming back to visit! I swear I'm gonna-!"
"Its fine Ed." Winry reassured him. "We're all here now so what's the harm?"
"You could've been in danger if you had gone to Central by yourself! What if we'd missed each other?" He could picture Roy's evil grin.
"That's true." Al spoke up. "The Colonel should have known better!" For once, he was on his brother's side instead of proving him wrong.
"Honestly, Edward." Winry sighed. "I never thought I'd be hearing 'what ifs' from you of all people. You take what you get and make the best of it. 'Change what you can, accept what you can't', right? You told me that once." Ed nodded. "Well just forget it and come inside, you big idiot." She huffed playfully. "I suppose you need your automail fixed again." She led them inside and closed the door behind her. Alphonse ran off to find Pinako who was in the kitchen while Winry and Ed went off towards her workstation together.
"Winry." Ed began. "Why is it you always assume I only come back because of my automail?"
"Because its true." She replied without missing a beat.
"That's not what I meant." Ed grumbled. "I come back to see you sometimes you know."
"Oh really? Well this is the first time I've heard that, Mr. Alchemist." She pouted. They stopped walking.
"Winry I'd cross the world to come see you. I'm sorry I didn't call."
"I know." Winry's voce quavered as a single tear escaped. "It's always the same story with you, but you know, every time you say it, it hurts. You can't take enough time to just pick up the phone and call. I just…worry about you, you know? Waiting is hard…and scary…" She sniffed. Ed wrapped his arms around her again, sorry that he had made her remember how she had waited for the parents she loved who had never come back home.
"I promise I'll call you next time." Ed promised her. Hearing the words sent another wave of sadness crashing over her in knowing that there would be a 'next time', that they were leaving her behind again, and that there was yet another battle awaiting that they might not return from.
But she was used to this by now.
Waiting and worrying were the only things she could do, and she found comfort for herself in making herself believe that those two things that she did were the only things that kept the Elrics going, even though she knew it was not true. But in believing that, she was given enough fuel to wake up each and every morning and prepare for another long, hard, and lonely day of waiting.
He was always so far away and just a hair's-breadth out of reach.
So that is why she prayed every night that her dreams would take her to him, wherever he was.
Then, Ed kissed her quickly.
Giving a small smile, she hugged him tighter, knowing fairly well that this could be the last time she would be allowed to hold him, and be held by him.
Neither could ever love anyone else so much.
And neither was more stubborn than the other to admit it.
Reaching for a love that seems so far…
So I say a little prayer
And hope my dreams will take me there
Where the skies are blue,
To see you once again
Over seas from coast to coast
To find the place I love the most
Where the fields are green
To see you once again
My Love.
A/N: Yosh! Done with that chapter now! The Epilogue will be quite short (no Ed-pun intended. Seriously XD) so don't get your hopes up. Sorry. I will update very soon, promise!
Please review!!
