6

They entered Central by dusk. The chaos in the city was incomprehensible. It did not resemble the city he had left two days ago.

The war had broken out in the streets. Common people were taking up arms against the military.

Pride watched as he passed countless of wounded on the streets. His mind shifted back to the old world. He remembered a world at war and his brother dying in the street.

He closed his eyes. He had had enough of wars, of deaths and regret. He had had enough of regret.

"Why are humans so preoccupied by love anyway?" Envy asked lazily watching the younger girl in the room. Winry looked at him. "It's just a liability. It doesn't really last. Why give everything up for something so inconsistent?"

"Maybe it's what makes us human." She said simply. "Believing in the impossible."

"I don't miss being human." He laughed.

"Then you don't know what it really means to be one." She said sadly. Remembering Pride and the pain in his eyes knowing he would never be human again.

"Are you saying you are better than me?" Envy asked getting riled up.

"Yes." Winry said, she had ceased being afraid of him.

"You little bitch!" he came towards her and grabbed her face pulling her towards him. Winry didn't flinch. Envy smiled. "So you aren't afraid of me?"

"No."

"Is that how much you trust Pride? You know he'll save you?"

"It's not about being saved. It's about not having any regrets." She said simply staring him straight in the face. "I've lived my life. I've loved completely. And I have lost everything. What else is there for me to be afraid of?"

Envy pulled her towards him and gave her a long deep kiss. Winry tried to pry herself from his grasp. Envy spat on the ground.

"Is this what true love tastes like?" he laughed. "All you taste of is decaying flesh."

Winry wrapped her arms around her knees. She was cold. She was shivering in the middle of an old theater. The curtains still hanging on the stage as if waiting for a last performance.

She loved Roy. She knew she did. But now Edward was home too.

She was so young when she fell in love with Edward. Even before she knew of the world she knew she loved him. Before life had tainted her, she had given her heart to him. Would it still be the same? If death did not change his love, did life change hers?

She wasn't the same girl waiting at home for him anymore. She had her own life now. With Roy.

She fell in love with him when she had nothing left. She just wanted to live the rest of her life alone. Remembering the two boys that made up the other two thirds of her life.

But then Roy came, he made her smile again, made her believe she had another choice. That her life didn't have to be full of regret. That it was possible to be happy with whatever was left of her. And she loved him for it.

She thought of Edward. Of how young they were. Of how many things have changed. She thought of him. Of everything they had together. Of everything they had lost.

"Thinking of him?" Dante asked going over to the young woman in her ball room. She looked at her captor, her eyes betraying what she had felt.

"Envy is upset with you." Dante laughed. "You should be flattered. Envy doesn't let a lot of things get to him."

"Right." She answered listless. What did she care what that monster thought of her.

"Its hard isn't it?" she smiled going over to her, running her hands through her hair. "To love so completely it consumes you from within?"

"What do you know about love?" she answered angry.

"I know more than you ever will." She said laughing. "I know the pain doesn't end. I know that time doesn't exist for love. It hurts the same as it did the morning he walked away." She whispered looking lost.

"I know the truth about love." She smiled turning her to look at him.

She held up her hand to Winry's chest, a light flashed for a moment and Winry felt the a deep burning on her chest. She clutched at her dress, pulling it down desperately to stop the pain. She saw then the transmutation circle burned on her skin.

"Love lies." Dante said quietly. "And it can be fooled."

"What…" She couldn't speak anymore, suddenly her voice was silenced.

"If my heart can't have Hohenheim then it'll take his son." She said walking toward Winry. Winry stepped back but her body would not follow her commands anymore.

"He's….not…" every word was agony to her. Her voice could no longer be forced.

"The heart is a fickle thing. When you have lived as long as I have. When you have loved as many men as I have. It no longer remembers the man, all that remains constant is the love it bore for him. I will love Edward and he will love me." She looked at Winry then, caressing the mark burning on her chest.

"My soul is attached to your body now." She smiled. "When he transmutes the philosopher's stone I will transfer my soul completely to you."

Winry watched with horror as she wrapped her arms around her. Her cold cheek brushing against hers. "He will love me. My heart will love Hohenheim in him."

"no…"

"When I see that look he gives you. When I see that smile he smiles just for you." She smiled sadly. "You didn't know what you had child."

Winry collapsed to the floor, her legs would not support her weight. Suddenly she was aware of the other presence in her body. The one controlling her from across the room. She could feel her cold breath. Of a life that hasn't died for centuries, rotting from the core.

Edward…

They were running into the underground city. Knowing they would be there. They were nearing the church when they saw her standing in front of the altar.

"Brigadier General." Roy greeted her.

"It really is you isn't it?" she said looking at Pride. "I knew you'd find a way back." She smiled at him.

"I have direct orders from the Fuhrer." She continued sadly. "I cannot let you pass."

"Please don't get in our way." Pride said, looking the silver pistol aimed at his heart. He wouldn't let anything stop him, he had come too far.

"I can't let you live Edward. Not after everything you've done." She said not putting the pistol down.

"I will return." He said sadly, remembering Boerhaven. "I give you my word, I will stand trial for my sins, but for now, please let me pass." He said resolute. He had to save her, no matter what the cost.

Hawkeye was about to protest when Roy put his hand on Pride's shoulder.

"Go on." He said nodding towards the underground tunnel.

"Don't get caught up in this Chief." She said pointing the gun at Pride as he started walking towards the altar. Roy stood in her way, barring the gun.

"Please Brigadier General." He said pleading with her. "My three days aren't up."

"The direct order was to kill Edward…and anyone else who gets in the way." She said cocking the gun at him.

"Trust Edward." He said not flinching. "Trust him to do the right thing."

"Is it really him?" she asked quietly. Part of her still loved those two boys, still thought of them fondly. Before she had two of her own, Ed and Al were like her children. She had hoped they found peace in that other world, hoped they could finally be happy. Children should never despair. But knowing Ed had come back, knowing what he was now, she knew things had gone wrong. Terribly wrong.

"I don't know." Roy answered her. "I think part of him is." He said looking at the tunnel.

"I always knew we'd end up at the altar." Roy laughed. "Of course a gun wasn't in my plans then." He smiled at the gun in her hands.

"Please Colonel." She begged. "Walk away from this." She wanted to ask him to consider his future with Winry. If he let Edward free he would be court martialed, he would have to be imprisoned. Demoted from whatever rank he still held. They would strip him of everything. She wanted to ask him to salvage whatever was left of his life.

"I can't." He looked at her and smiled, almost apologetic. "It's too late."

Riza Hawkeye shot him then.

"OW..what was that for?" he asked grabbing his shoulder, the blood starting to seep through his clothing.

"Cause you're an idiot. This way you can say he forced you to help him. " She smiled. "Bring her back alive Colonel." She said walking away.

Roy thanked her and started running towards the underground tunnel.

"Come back alive." She whispered her tears falling.

"Winry!" he called going over to her. Seeing her face, relief washed over him. He had not realized how afraid he was of losing her till then.

When he walked out on her so many years. When he abandoned her, he had abandoned his heart as well. He never loved another. She was always with him. Now that he had her back he would never let her go. He did not know how to survive her.

"Are you alright?" He wrapped his arms around her shivering shoulders.

Let me be happy. All I want is her. Surely that isn't too much? Please, please, please let me be happy. This time please. Please.

She looked up at him, desperate to tell him of what Dante did, to show him the mark on her chest, desperate to ask him to save her. The other presence filling her up, squeezing out what life she had left.

He felt her cheek with the palm of his hand, knowing something was wrong. He looked at her eyes, they were so afraid. "Winry?"

"So you're here." She smiled coming into the theater. "How are you Pride?"

"Or is it Edward now?" she laughed.

Roy walked in then, it was evident that he had been shot. His left shoulder was lower than the right and blood was trickling down his arm. In his good hand he pointed the gun at Dante.

"Let them go." He said not looking at them.

"Oh isn't this interesting?" Dante laughed looking at the Colonel. "My theater will have one more performance it seems." She clapped her hands.

"Oh how interesting this little meeting has become." She smiled. "You are Roy Mustang are you not?"

"Who are you? What do you want with us?" he said.

"Oh nothing really. It is Edward that wants something from me." She smiled looking at the two children crouched in the middle of the transmutation circle.

"Beautiful isn't he? A humonculus with a soul. Almost human."

"Leave them alone. Why do this?" he asked his need to protect them taking over. He loved them both.

"It is funny you should say those words when it is your life he wants to steal." She laughed sitting in her chair.

"What?" he asked looking over at Pride.

"Or is it, he wants his life back? The one you stole from him?" she laughed even harder now.

"What is it that you're saying?" he said remembering Edward's report on humonculus and the Philosopher's stone.

"What is it we all want?" She smiled crossing her legs. "All of us in this room want one thing." She looked over at Pride.

"What is you want Pride?" she laughed, malice in her voice. "Tell me what is the one thing your little heart desires?"

Pride would not answer her. He was rubbing Winry's back, he didn't know what was wrong.

"Pride?" she asked annoyed.

"Leave her out of this." He almost pleaded.

"Happiness. Isn't that what you want? The one thing denied you all these years. Since that fateful night twenty years ago." She continued as if she didn't hear him. "Happiness."

"What do you want?" Roy asked getting distracted.

"I want what Edward wants. I want what Winry wants. I want what you want." She smiled leaning on her hand. "I want to love. I want to be happy. Make the loneliness end."

"Unfortunately it isn't so simple is it?" she smiled walking over to Pride and Winry. "See he loves her, and you love her." She said pointing to them both. "Who does she love then?" she laughed then, her cold voice sending shivers down Roy's spine.

"Who will she choose?" she said running her hands through Winry's hair as she sat there frozen. "Who do you want lovely? Who do you want raising your children? Who do you want to hold you close late at night?" Pride drew her away from Dante.

"Ha ha really Edward." She said going over to him. "I'm not so bad. You should know. Didn't you make love to me two days ago? Didn't you say you love me?"

Pride's eyes wandered to Winry's, telling her it wasn't him. That she made him do it. He tried to tell her he had never betrayed her.

"What is it you want?" Roy asked angry. "Don't play with our lives. You don't have the right."

"I have every right. I made Pride, I brought Edward back. It almost killed me but it's worth it. Just to see your face, just to see how this will end."

"I can give you everything you want my love." She whispered placing her head on his back, wrapping her arms around him. "I can give you that future you want. A little house. A tiny little garden. Children playing in the field. Her hand in yours, forever."

"Don't listen to her Edward." Roy said seeing the desire in Pride's eyes.

"I can give you everything. Don't you deserve some happiness too?" she said whispering in his ear. "Restore me to my power and I will make you human." She breathed brushing her lips against his neck. "Give you the future you so desperately want."

"You can have children with her. Live the life you could not." He looked at Winry, her tears were beginning to fall. Her desperation, her frustration at not being able to tell him what Dante was doing.

"You crossed that gate for her, walked away from death just to see her face." She smiled as she saw the desire rise in Pride's eyes. "Will you let him take her away from you?"

He looked at her. How he wanted to stay with her. How he wanted to just be with her. Hear her breathe. Watch her sleep in his arms. Feel her hand in his. He had crossed lifetimes just to find out he could not be with her.

"No more sadness love. You've been through enough of that." She said looking down at Winry too. "Make me the stone and take happiness where you find it."

"Take it. I offer you the one thing you could never have."

He watched as Winry's tears kept falling. He wiped them away with his hand. That was all he wanted. To be able to wake up next to her. To be able to be with her. Surely that wasn't too much to ask?

He drew his hand to her face again. Brushing them against her cheek. A soft look came unto his eyes and he smiled at her. His one happiness.

He looked at Dante then, a different smile upon his face. He drew the front of her dress, revealing the mark on her skin. He had found her secret out.

"How could you know that?" Dante started stepping away from him. "You would not be able to detect that mark!"

Pride passed his hand over the mark and slowly it turned to ash and fell from her chest, breaking Dante's hold, breaking her claim on her soul.

"Ed…" Winry fell into his arms. Relief flooding over her.

"If you kill me, there will be no one to make you human." She pleaded falling to her knees, her soul too fragmented to support her body. "I am the only one who can make you human. Give you what you want."

"Look at her Edward!" she screamed as Pride started walking towards her. "Would you let her go? When you crossed heaven and earth just to be with her?"

"You're one chance at happiness?"

He took her in his arms and looked lovingly in her eyes. "Winry. I know this may very well be the last chance I'll ever get to be with you. I'm sorry for abandoning you so many times in the past. For causing you so much pain. For never choosing you."

"All I wanted was to see you one last time, see you smile, hear you laugh. To be able to hold you again was more than anything I could've hoped for." He stopped kissing her forehead as her tears began again.

"But I can't do this. I can't love you if that love was paid for by other people's lives."

"I can't give you what I don't have. I am half of who I was. And half is not enough." It was the truth and it broke his heart. He was letting her go. His one chance of happiness. His only reason for existing.

"I think its time for our story to end. Take the life you can have with Roy. Have his children." He smiled touching her face with his hands. Remembering everything he could. "I never stopped loving you. Not for one moment."

He walked over to Dante, tore the shirt from her decaying body. His hand passed over her seal. "You idiot! What are you doing?" she screamed holding on to every bit of life she could. "I offered you everything you wanted! Why give her up? Why give up your last chance at happiness?"

"Because she deserves more than me, more than what I could ever give." He whispered breaking her seal completely. Sending her into oblivion.

He carried Winry over to Roy, placing her at his feet. "Take care of her for me." He smiled sadly holding her face in both his hands. He kissed her forehead. Telling her good bye.

There was one more thing he had to do.

Winry felt Roy's arms close around her. She could feel his blood dripping form his shoulder. He was hurt. She looked at him. At his tired eyes and handsome face. She loved him, she was sure of this. A future with Roy Mustang made her heart happy. She thought of the children she would bear. Of the house she would live in. Of falling asleep with his hand in hers.

She watched as Pride went over to draw another transmutation circle in the center.

"What have you done?" Envy screamed seeing his mother lying on the floor. His eyes were drawn to Winry, hoping she would be there. When he found no sign of her, he felt afraid. He had never been without her. Even on the other side of the gate he could feel her with him. Now he could feel nothing.

Envy lounged at him. His fists hitting Pride on his face. He had stopped fighting. What was the point? Envy threw him across the room, Pride skidded to a stop right before the wall. Envy picked him up and slammed him hard against it, his body suddenly misaligned. He started hitting Pride taking out all of his grief, his fear, his hatred. His blows marring Pride's handsome face as if Envy was washing away his pain with Pride's blood.

"Edward!" Winry screamed as she watched him being beaten to death. Roy held her back. This was what Pride had wanted.

Pride felt the pain. Felt the burning sensation wherever Envy's hits would land. He felt it. He had enough of it. Enough of this world. Enough of the pain. Enough of loss. Enough of his heart breaking.

"Edward…" he could hear her screaming his name. Relished the sound of her voice. He would lose her now. Lose all of her. Deep down inside Pride felt his soul fragment. Shattering into a thousand pieces, he couldn't breathe from the pain, his heart could not comprehend losing her.

But he knew she had no future with him. Knew he would bring no happiness to her. She deserved a small house, children on her hip, a husband that would hold her late at night. Things he could not give.

He could see the deranged look on Envy's eyes, he was getting ready to kill him. And Pride closed his eyes and put down his hands, ready for the oblivion. Ready for whatever emptiness awaited him in the gate, without her.

He felt it, the warm stickiness of blood spilling onto his face. He opened his eyes, he did not feel anything. And he wished to all the gods he knew it had been his blood staining the circle. Winry had stepped in between him and Envy. Just before he buried his hand in her gut.

She looked up at him. Her face apologetic, her smile sad.

"Winry…" he screamed holding on to her. "No…no…no…" he whispered.

She looked over at Roy. Saw the fear in his eyes as Envy drew his hand from her body, saw the despair in them as her blood stained the ground.

Wishing she could give all of her to him. If she hadn't given so much to Edward perhaps she could've started a new life with Roy. Perhaps she could've been happy. How do you start again when you had nothing left?

A lifetime full of regret.

She wished he had fallen in love with another.

And she apologized over and over. It was Edward that she loved.

Pride clutched her body to his. Disbelief filling his heart. As if by sheer will he could make the hole in her belly disappear. His hands now stained with her blood, her body limp against his. He brought his hand to her face, drawing a thin line of red across her pale cheek.

No…not again… I can't lose you too..

Al's memory entered his mind, of the cold rainy night he died in his arms, a gutter filled with blood. Pride was lost to the world then, grief suddenly filling his senses, as if nothing else existed but the pain of losing her.

He cradled Winry with his arms, his senses telling him it was certain he would lose her.

He let out a scream, his anguish taking form. All his pain. All his regret. The unfairness of it all.

Was asking for happiness too much?

His mind was lost. All he could feel was the agony burning in his heart and the hatred that was throbbing through his veins. He grabbed Envy by his arm and shoulder, Winry still cradled in between them.

"How many times do you have to die?" he spat through grit teeth.

"hahahaha what a stupid little girl…" his eyes went wide as the gate appeared behind Pride.

"What the hell is this?" he cried trying to break free from Pride's grasp. Even with Winry in between them, he could not match his younger brother's strength.

Roy's eyes widened. He saw the black gate open before him. The images suddenly pouring into his head.

Suddenly he forgot that his heart was breaking. Suddenly he forgot he was losing the only girl he had ever loved.

Suddenly for the first time in a very long time, Roy Mustang was afraid.

"You open the gate at will?" he laughed almost impressed as all three of them disappeared behind the black doors. "I never realized how powerful you've become."

Pride's eyes were lost now, lost to anything he could say. And Envy knew this. This was his end.

"I will take you or that stupid girl with me." He said grabbing hold of his arm as the tiny black hands started pulling at his leg. Pride would not let Winry go.

"Ed, is this the gate?" Winry asked softly against his chest.

"Don't look Winry." He whispered, his arm exploding with the pain as Envy pulled on it. Pride would not let go, if he did he would lose Winry.

"It's so cold." She breathed burying deeper into his embrace. "I'm afraid…"

"I'm here. I won't leave you." He said quietly. Pride would not let go.

Roy saw them return a second later. The heavy black doors closing behind them. Blood was flowing from what used to be Pride's left arm. His other arm still cradling Winry.

He fell to the ground, his knees giving way. He looked at the girl dying in his arm. His eyes softened now, and for the last time, Pride tasted the cool saltiness of his tears and with it he cursed the frailty of life, the inconsistencies of love, the fickleness of fate.

"I couldn't do it anymore. I can't be left behind again." She smiled lifting her hand to his face, touching his cheek. " I can't lose you again."

"I'm so sorry Ed. You did everything to come back to me. But this time I will have to be the one that leaves you." She said sadly.

"I'm sorry." He sobbed, memorizing her face. "I should've put you first. I should've…"

"The real Edward would've given everything up to do the right thing. Even if the cost was his own happiness." She said smiling, her eyes filling up with tears. "You are Edward."

"You are my Edward." She whispered kissing him.

Then Winry Rockbell's blue eyes glazed over. The laughter had finally stopped. He had lost her then. Pride drew her body close to him as if wanting to merge her body to him. His body shook with his sobs. Unable to restrain his anguish, unable to contain the sorrow emanating from his soul. And he kissed her unfeeling lips one last time.

And in all the years he had loved her, for the first time Roy Mustang felt like he had no right to. As he watched him cradle her lifeless body, his pain embracing them both as if nothing in heaven or earth could take her away. She would always remain Edward's.

Edward had won, although it didn't seem like a victory to either of them.

Pride laid her down gently. Brushed the hair from her face. He took Winry's blood and drew a transmutation circle on his chest.

Roy looked at him. Too tired to protest.

"I can't live a borrowed life, and with her gone I have no reason to stay." He said looking at him. "I can't do alchemy without my left hand. Break my seal. Set my soul free."

"Please, Colonel."

"I won't make her wait anymore." Pride kissed her forehead one last time. He looked at Roy and smiled. A farewell.

And Roy drew his hands in front of him.