Okay. So it looks like some of you really like this story so I'll keep it going. So here's the next chapter.
Chapter Two
Ed stood and watched the bombs blow away more of the city in the distance. Drachma was persistant. They had made their move while Amestris was trying to re-build itself. Still no one understood how they got passed the border fortress to the north. They couldn't get thet far north to investagate. That was part of Edward's mission. He and his squad were to clear the way north and then find out what happened up there. But it was slow going. He was supposed to be there a week ago. But the Drachman soldiers were tough. And they were allied with some disgruntled Ishbalan's who didn't want peace. They wanted revenge.
Ed sighed as he turned away. His head hurt bad after downing a bottle and a half of whiskey. He was surprised he was still alive and hadn't died of alcohol poisoning. Mabe he hadn't dranken enough to. Who knew. But he did find it desturbing that he wouldn't have minded if he had died.
He worked his way back to the tent village they had set up in the city. Looking around he took note of how many casulties they had taken. Many men were screaming in agony. Others had limbs blown away and would no doubt end up returning with automail. It was the only way they would still be allowed to fight. Or to stay in the military at all.
Now he stopped and watched as the military chaplin held a soldiers hand and told him his last rights. Then he saw the soldiers hand go limp. Ed felt a pang in his heart but it quickly went away. He was becoming cold to it all. His old protective nature being replaced with a numbing sensation. He couldn't change what was happening. He had to just keep moving forward. He wasn't a little kid anymore. He couldn't save everyone. And he couldn't always protect the members of his squad. So he chose to not get close to anyone. He started to push more and more people away.
Roy and Riza were talking quietly when Edward returned from his survailance mission.
"Well? How does it look?" Roy asked.
"We're gonna have a rough time. They're randomly blowing up buildings. Trying to put obsticles in our way. But we don't have a choice. I've got the council breathing down my neck. We've got to get north soon. Riza? Tell everyone to get ready."
"Yes sir." She saluted and headed off.
"You've really grown Ed." Roy said after a moment.
"No I haven't. I've just turned my back on everything else. Go get ready Roy."
"Yes sir." Roy headed off. Quite worried about that look Ed had in his eyes. He knew what he was thinking. He had thought it many times himself.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A group of Drachman soldiers fell bloodied to the ground as Ed had just impaled them with his stone spikes.
"Move it!" He ordered. Then he winced as a bullett wizzed passed his head. But it had come from behind him. He turned back to see Riza with her rifle raised. He turned back around and saw a Drachman soldier fall to the ground dead. A hole in his head.
"Be more carefull sir." Riza said as she moved passed him. He smirked and followed suit. It was hard going with all the rubble in their way. But they refused to give in. They were more determined than ever to win this war. And they would not turn back now. They would not be called cowards. So they forced themselves to move forward. Having to keep moving even as they watched their friends fall on either side of them. They would mourn when this was all over.
Roy seperated from the squad to try and clear a path for some of the men to circle around and take them from behind. He ran down the street glancing side to side. It looked like he had gotten everyone. But then he skidded to a stop. Sliding down to the ground as a rather large Drachman soldier came from nowhere. There was almost no time for defense. He had frozen and didn't even no why. It was like he had completely shut down. He had even forgotten about his flame alchemy.
Then his face was splattered with blood as a blue blur flew passed and had collided with the Drachman soldier. He snapped out of it long enough to see Ed crouched over the soldier. His armblade in the now dead Drachman's chest. He pulled it out and returned his auromail to normal before turning to Roy.
"Not like you old man."
"Sorry. Something just came over me and I froze."
"You still haven't killed anyone yet? Have you?"
"Not since Pride. But he wasn't human."
"Why are you here then? You can't even kill anyone. You shouldn't be here."
"I didn't have a choice. Thats all I can say."
Ed just sighed. "Whatever. You just gonna stay there on your ass?" He said as he held out his hand. Roy looked up at him and gave him a lighthearted smirk before he took it and was helped to his feet.
"Clean that shit off your face." Ed said. Pointing to the blood.
"Yes sir."
They made their way back to the others as they were trying to infiltrate the final defense of the Drachman's. There weren't too many of them left. They were pinned down in a building refusing to give up. Choosing death. Riza was snipeing them off one by one, causing them to fall back deeper into the building. Ed mad his move and ran into the building.
"Ed! Edward!" Riza yelled as he disappeared into the building.
"That fucking nutcase!" Roy yelled before also running into the building. Riza close behind. The other soldiers watched in awe. Not sure if the trio were brave or completely insane.
Ed quietly snuck through the building. Taking out one soldier after another without any care. He'd just drop one and keep moving. It scared him that he was starting to like this just a little too much. But he pushed the thought from his mind as he pushed on. Another soldier fell to him. Then another. He had finally reached the last point of defense for them in the crumbling building. They were quite surprised to see him just walk into the room with his gun raised. They quickly moved to fire but were dead before they even realized it. At last there was only one soldier left. He could see the gun barrel sticking out from around the corner.
"Just give it up! Do you really want to die like your other friends?" There was no answer as he snuck closer. "Come on! Don't throw your life away!" At last the soldier jumped out with his gun raised. Ed began to pull back the trigger but then hesitated. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roy and Riza were following Ed's trail. The dead bodies and blood scattered about the hallways.
"God. Roy? Ed would never do something like this."
"He's not the Ed we knew anymore. Something in him has changed. I only wonder what happened back on earth that could do this to him? He was never one to kill unless he didn't have a choice. He couldn't stand the sight of death and what people could do to each other. What could have changed him? What could make him do something like this?" He asked this as he looked down at a soldier who's head was completely exploded. A gun hadn't done that. And he had never seen Ed use any kind of alchemy that could do this to a person.
"Shit Ed. What's going on in your head?"
"Shhh. Roy. Listen."
They both went quiet for a moment as they listened. They could hear a voice that was definately Edward's. He was talking to someone. "Just put the gun down." They could hear him say. "You don't really want ot do this." They looked at each other then made their way to the room at the end of the hall. What they saw when they entered shocked them. For Roy. It brought back memories he really didn't want to remember.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There Ed sttod, gun raised at the other soldier. Pleading with him to put the gun down. This was the old Edward standing before them at this moment. Not the cold hearted one they had come to know. And looking at the soldier that had the gun pointed at him. It wasn't hard to see why the old Edward was back. The soldier that had his gun trained on him...was an eight year old boy. Shaking with fear. Ed was talking with him desperately. Trying to get him to put the gun down. The boy just shook his head as he shook all over. Refusing to put the gun down.
"Okay." Ed said. "But at least put the safety on before you do something you'll regret."
"No! I was told to kill all of you! Or die. The only two choices I have!"
"That's not true. You can make your own choice. They're all gone. No one is here to know you gave up. And no one will ever know. Please? Put the gun down."
"No!"
Ed did his best to stay calm. He didn't want the boy to get too scared and accidentally shoot. Ed calmly talked to him.
"Have you ever shot anyone before? Ever killed anyone?"
The boy shook his head.
"Do you really want to know what that feels like? Because believe me. It's not a good feeling. It ruins your life. And you can never bring those people back. They're gone forever. But if you pull that trigger now. You won't live passed this moment. Because someone will kill you."
The boy stuttered as he tried to talk. Then he just slowly lowered the gun and fell to his knees.
"I'm sorry." He sobbed.
Ed lowered his gun as well and slowly walked over to the boy. "It's okay now. Just come with us all right?"
"What's gonna happen to me?"
"I really don't know. I couldn't tell you. But for now you're with me. Let's go okay?"
The boy just nodded and slowly got to his feet and grabbed onto Ed, almost falling over. The poor boy looked exausted. Ed shouldered his rifle and picked the boy up. The child tightened his grip on him. As if he was holding onto him for dear life. Ed knew this boy did not have an easy exsistance ahead of him. He was still Drachman. But he would try his best to keep the boy safe.
They walked out of the building, the other soldiers watching in awe. Ed just glared at them. "Is the area secure?"
"Yes sir. All the remaining soldiers have been taken prisoner."
"Then get to your posts!"
"Yes sir!" They saluted and moved off.
"I'm sorry sir." The boy mumbled. "My dad made me come with him. He trained me and told me I had to kill."
"You won't have to ever kill. You're safe now."
"Okay." The boy closed his eyes and buried his face into Ed's shoulder.
"Ed. You can't promise that. He's still Drachamn." Roy said.
"I'll do what I can." Ed said. Determination in his voice. Somehow this boy was single handedly changing Ed. If only for a minute.
And so the day belonged to the Amestrian forces. They had taken out the last of the Drachman resistance. Those who were still alive were taken for interogation.
Ed sighed and wiped some dirt from his face. They now had a clear passage to the north. To the Briggs fortress. But the weight of all the lives he had just taken now fell heavilly on Ed's shoulders. He had thought he had shoved them away but he had been wrong. He felt sick. His hand's started to shake. He was falling apart in one solid motion. His face went instantly pale. And he knew he had to get away. He composed himself to walk over to Roy and Hawkeye. Roy was telling her about his and Ed's little conversation on the battlefield when Ed came walking up.
"Captain?"
"Sir?" She said, turning to him. Then she saw his face. "Ed? Are you all right?"
"Yea. Flu or something. Can you take care of things here?"
"Yes sir?"
Ed made a quick retreat back towards camp.
"Roy?" Riza said in a worried tone.
"What he's done had finally hit him."
"Can you do something?"
"No. He'll just push me away. But we will have to keep an eye on him."
Risembool
Winry sat quietly in the living room. Petting Den nervously. He was looking up into her face with sad eyes. Whimpering every so often. He knew she was sad. She was trying to hold back her tears when the doctor came into the room. She stood quickly, causing Den to scamper away.
"Doctor?"
"You should go see her Winry."
"She's...dying?"
He just nodded. "I'm sorry. But she's old Winry. She can't handle illnesses anymore."
She nodded with a sob and headed to her grandmother's room. Entering, she felt a heavy preasure it seemed fall over her. Pinako slowly turned her head to her grandaughter and forced a small smile.
"Don't look so sad child. You knew it would happen one day."
"But if feels so soon."
"It always does. But there's nothing you can do about it."
"I don't have anyone if you go grandma."
"That's not true. You have Edward and Alphonse."
"I don't have Ed anymore. Not with what I said."
Granny let out a ragged breath. "Do you think a little squabble like that will part you two forever? You've both had time to cool off."
Winry didin't say anything. She wasn't too sure but she didn't want to worry her grandmother with it. Not now. "I guess so."
Granny reached up a shaky hand and placed it on Winry's cheek. Winry touched it with her own.
"I know you love Edward. And I know he loves you. A little fight isn't going to change that."
"But what if he dies in the war? I don't want him to die."
She started to cry now. For both Edward and her grandmother. And for Alphonse. Tears streaked down her face.
"He's a strong man. You know that. He'll be all right. The both of them. Find them when I'm gone. I'll rest better knowing you're with them."
"Of course grandma."
"And work hard on your automail." Her eyes slowly began to close.
"I will."
"I love you Winry."
"I love you grandma." Then her eyes completely closed and her arm went limp in Winry's hands. "Grandma." She buried her head in the sheets and cried.