Before Erika could blink, a white light engulfed her entire body. The pressure from the aftermath had swished all the air from her lungs and slowly, ate away her body and soul, leaving her in white darkness. Erika had long since left that tragic place of Truth and was now lying on some sort of ground. A cold, almost fluffy substance. Erika groaned as she held onto her pounding head. Her entire body ached, and she had one hell of a headache. She got up slowly, and lifted her upper body up with her arms. She hadn't realized it, but she was face down onto the floor, rather than on her back. She cracked open her eyes to be met with a cloud of fog dissipate and escape from her lips. Erika was still aching as hell, but managed to prop herself up on her knees. Once she was balanced enough, she sat on her knees and stuck her hand in the white ground below, picking up a small amount of white earth, that still fell from the sky.
"It's winter…" Erika said softly making a cloud of fog appear near her lips. Erika dropped the snow she was holding and grabbed her satchel, grateful to see something that wasn't white. This is about the only time she dreaded seeing the snow. She clutched her bag up to her chest and hugged it, causing prickles to shoot through her freezing hands. She hoped she knew where she was. Where she was! She racked her mind desperately to remember all instances of her life, from when she could remember. Images of Amy, Winry, Pinako, Alphonse, and Casey plagued her mind. Erika smiled. She regained her memories. She wondered what Ed had to pay for his toll. Slowly, her smile melted as her eyes widened. She scrambled to her feet, almost falling in the process.
"EDWARD!" she shouted on the top of her lungs as she ran around the land she had found herself on.
"Whaddya want?" a voice snapped.
Erika darted her head to the voice. Relief flooded her entire being as she saw two golden eyes glare at her in annoyance. His eyes were gold, so that meant that his contacts were lost in the process. Erika sighed with relief as she crashed to her knees, trying to stop her heart rate from beating any faster. She didn't realize how worked up she got when she didn't see Ed. The blond rubbed his head, obviously having a headache just like her. Erika looked him over, seeing his well being. She crawled over, and started examining him. She tapped Ed's left leg to be met with a hard substance. Automail. She thought instantly. She began to look him over once again, searching him for any abnormalities. She tapped Ed's right arm.
To be met with a hard substance.
Erika's eyes softened as she slumped her shoulders and hid her eyes in defeat. Ed looked at her, blinking his eyes. When he saw the grim expression on her face, he panicked, feeling it was his fault somehow.
"W-What's wrong?" Ed asked trying to see her face if her mood had changed. Unfortunately, her hair had grown since he last remembered, so it covered the most part of her face.
"Sorry…" Erika said softly.
Ed was taken back a bit at her fragile tone. "W-Why are you apologizing? You didn't do anything…" Ed said, trying to reason with her.
"Your right arm…" Erika said as she touched it, still having her head down so Ed couldn't see her face. "It's…automail…"
Ed opened his mouth as if trying to say something clever to cheer her up. He looked around, trying to find something to inspire him. He found nothing but empty streets, of an abandoned town and falling snow. He looked back at Erika, still seeing the sad expression cascade over her entire being. Ed thought quickly, laughing nervously. He grabbed his right arm as he began to move it around naturally.
"So what if it's automail?" Ed said nervously. "I basically lived my whole life with it! It doesn't bother me really! See?" Ed asked trying to get Erika to look up. No luck. He laughed nervously again. "No harm, no foul, am I right?"
At that moment Erika's head darted up as she put her face closer to his, her eyes looking like azure gems. She grabbed Ed's wrist as she leaned forward, putting her face mere inches away from his. Ed's cheeks were blown over by pink at the closeness in her position. Her eyes may have been sorrowful, and glinted with nothing but sadness and regret, but they still amazed Ed beyond recognition. He stared into them, his golden eyes softening at her tone.
"You mean this doesn't bother you?" Erika asked. "That living in this body, incomplete? You have no arm, and no leg! How can you say that this doesn't bother you?" Erika asked with a certain tone that Ed hasn't noticed with her before. She looked down slightly as she tilted her face away from his. "That you regained what you lost…only for it to be taken away from you again."
"Evans…" Edward said gently. He tried to look her in the eye, but she looked away. She released her grip on Ed's wrist as she rested her hand on the ground again. Ed tried to read her face, but she hid it from him, as if ashamed. Ed was about to put his hand over hers, but her hand clenched into a fist suddenly.
"Elric…" Erika said softly. Ed flinched at how she used his last name. Something was off, but oddly familiar. "Elric, you…you…" Erika said softly. "YOU TROUBLE MAKING MIDGET!" Erika shouted and brought up her fist and hit him over the head with it.
Ed was sent falling backwards, onto the ground again, blood now spurting from his head. Ed shot back up by instinct rubbing the spot she hit. "OW! What the hell!" Ed shouted. Her hit felt like Winry's wrenches. Only harder. It surprised him really. She had never hit him like that before, and she certainly never seemed she would. Anger slowly covered her face as she stood up quickly and yelled at him further.
"You Trouble Making Midget! You freaking idiot!" Erika shouted at him, not having any mercy show. Ed was quite shocked actually. She was madder than ever. "It doesn't bother you?" Erika repeated, fuming. "It doesn't bother you knowing that you lost your right arm right after you got it back! How long did you enjoy that arm! Five months!"
Ed stood up, annoyed of how she viewed everything. She was making it seem as if he didn't care either way. He only said that to cheer her up and this is what he was rewarded with? "So what! At least I know I can get it back!" Ed shouted to his defense. It didn't melt Erika's icy demeanor so he continued. "You make it sound like I don't care about this!"
"That's how it sounds like to me Elric!" Erika shouted. "Why can't you just care about yourself for once! Your life was fine, but no! You had to go and do something stupid! You idiot!"
"Something stupid?" Ed yelled, unintentionally voicing his thoughts. "You mean to tell me that you think saving you and bringing you back to Amestris was stupid!"
"Apparently you didn't think this through!" Erika yelled. "Why can't you tell that I knew that I exchanged myself as an Equivalent Exchange on purpose!"
Ed's eyes widened as he stopped dead in his tracks. He stared at the girl, mesmerized, shocked, confused. Had she really said that? Had she really give herself up as an Equivalent Exchange? She really did all of this…went through all of this….made him go through all of this….to know that this wasn't an accident? Ed opened his mouth for a retaliation, something to say, in response to this. But no sound came out. He just stood there, staring at her like an idiot. Erika noticed his dumbfounded look, but disregarded it as she glared at him. Still angry at him for pulling such a dangerous task. Ed blinked his eyes as he tried to sort it out in his head.
"Y-You mean to t-tell me…t-that all of this…Was BECAUSE you WILLINGLY gave yourself up as Equivalent Exchange!" Ed yelled, enraged. He was angry alright. No. Angry didn't quite sum up what he was. He was FURIOUS.
Erika growled as she crossed her arms over her chest. She realized what situation she put herself in. He was pissed; and she knew it fairly well. Sure, she had to admit that it was an idiotic choice, but she had her reasons. Ed was fuming, and clenched his fists in anger. He was past yelling at her, he wanted to hit her over the head. So he did. He brought up his hand and swung it down onto her skull as a similar death karate chop to hers. Erika winced in pain as she cradled her head, yelping in pain. She turned to him with pain inflicted across her face.
"What was that for!" Erika cried as she rubbed her soar head. That hit was far worse than her encounters with Sikes.
"THAT WAS FOR BEING A COMPLETE MORON! WHY WOULD YOU EVER CONSIDER DOING THAT!" Ed blared.
Erika shouted to her defense. "I did it because if I hadn't, Alphonse wouldn't have gotten his body back!" Erika yelled. "The Spirit Realm offered me the chance to give him his body back if I was to travel to the other side of the Gate! I knew how much it meant to you so I did it! I did it for you! There! Happy!"
Ed was silenced at that remark, as he calmed down. He unclenched his fists as he stared down at the snowy ground. She had done this for him? She went through such a hard time, for his sake? Ed closed his eyes as his anger had seeped away from him, far away. He smiled warmly as he turned away from Erika, who was still confused by his actions. He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he began to walk forward, leaving a very confused filled Erika behind him. She stared at his back, finding his shoulders so broad and confident. It was long since she had seen him like so. She stared at him with an unreadable emotion filling her sapphire orbs, as a soft wind blew against her face and Ed's as well. It blew at both of their hair softly, causing Erika's hair to tickle her nose slightly. Ed didn't look back, and kept walking. He stopped abruptly, causing Erika to blink her eyes.
"Are you coming? I think there's a few certain people who'd like to see you safe and sound. And besides," Edward said as he began walking again. "Al has a thank you to say."
Erika didn't need Ed to turn around for her to know that he was smiling. Erika smiled too as she nodded. "Right." Erika said as she walked up to Ed, trying to match his pace. It didn't take long for her to be a step or two behind him, and a smile cascaded over her features as she stared up at the ever ending sky. She knew one thing for certain.
Kawashita hazu no yai Yakusoko ga…
It was time to go back home.
Bottom Note!: Now, you know what exactly happened...sort of. :P Well, here's a chapter. FOUR DAY WEEKEND HERE I COME! There's two half days after today and then the four day weekend? I think that this is the golden week. ^-^
Well, Until Next Chap! =:D
