Chapter 7: Silence

Without my glasses I couldn't see more than two feet in front of my face. And the lack of light didn't help either. I thought about venturing down a little ways to see if the running water I heard let out somewhere so I could go find Al, but I couldn't see a thing and didn't want to leave Ed. I didn't want to stay here forever, though. Even if it was with injured Ed—he needed help.

He wasn't waking up which worried me. From what little light I got from the gap where I pulled the stone out of the barricade of rocks above us, I could barely see Ed breathing and my blood stained hands in front of me. I had gotten some clothes from Winry while in Resembool, but still had my own clothes with me since Winry's outfits were kind of… revealing—let's just say. And I kind of had a lot to reveal—unfortunately.

I didn't know what to do so I took off my over-shirt and held it to Ed's head—I mean Winry's sweater that she basically gave to me, of course. It started becoming a bit darker and I couldn't see anything but my hand on Ed's golden head. I also thought I heard the running water getting louder and I was right. There was now water streaming through the only light hole I got. It pattered on Ed's head, making him stir.

I gave him a deep gaze as his eyes blinked open and stared at me. He coughed.

"W-where are we?" he asked weakly looking around the muddy sewer, though I had no idea how well he could see since he didn't need glasses—I hated glasses. I could scarcely hear him over the sound of rushing water which sounded like it was coming our way, but whispered, "We fell down into a sewer. Al isn't here and I don't know how to get out. I can't see anything."

"Oh…" he said. "I wonder if he's looking for us…" Ed sounded as though he were drifting off to sleep while he spoke. Ed mumbled something but I couldn't hear him over the rising sound of running water. I felt my pants getting wet again and squinted to the ground to see a small gleam of light reflect into my eyes as the water started creeping back onto my little island of dirt. Ed must have felt it too.

"The water is rising," he stated leaning his head back against the moldy wall and closing his eyes. I heard his automail creek and he moaned holding his arm. I felt sorry for him. I knew the weather was never good on people with automail.

"We should try and find Al…" I heard him trailing off as he started to slump to one side.

"No, Ed! Don't pass out again!" I pleaded, the water getting up to our waists now. I must have woken him a little because he gave a startled flinch. "Sorry…" I murmured quietly.

"For what?" Ed coughed again.

'That can't be good,' I thought. "For…"

"For everything," I wanted to say. He smiled understandingly as though he read my thoughts but I tried not to notice him. I didn't deserve his company and now when he needed help I couldn't even see his face clearly in front of me.

Now the water was almost at our chests.

I straightened my back a little, clapped my hands together, and put them into the mud. I took all of the water out from under us again and quickly pressed my hands back together to smash them into the wall and made barriers on either side of us. No more water could slither in now.

"There…" I mumbled to myself, even though I was sure Ed heard me too. He was holding his automail close and saw me this time trying not to watch him as he rubbed his aching stubs, my hand to his bleeding head.

Ed looked away as asked me the question I thought I would have heard him ask a long time ago. "Do you know what Al and I did?" he breathed with his gaze past his arm, past his leg, lost into his memories.

I didn't know what to say, which was what my answer was.

"How do you know?" he asked.

"I… its part of my secret…" I said though I knew it was dumb.

"Have you always known?" Ed inquired still looking through the ground. I wasn't watching him either.

"Yeah…" I answered slowly, turning my head entirely the other way. Then Ed asked his last question.

"What do you think of me and Al?" Now he was watching me. I looked at him too. I was sure my eyes were full of sorrow, fear, and pity as I did so, and he could see it.

"I feel bad for you," I whispered and then choked. "And I wish I could help you." And then it was me who broke into sobs. "I'm sorry," I wept and wiped the tears away trying to toughen up. "I'm not usually this emotional or wimpy…"

Ed watched me with curiosity.

"Why are you the one crying?" he half-laughed.

I blushed slightly since I had never heard Ed ask anyone this except Winry—which brought up what I'd heard a couple moments ago. I smiled back at him with the tears still coming and tried to laugh too.

"It's better you don't know anything about me. I'm a nobody. My family tells me that every day—" I cut myself off and put my hand that wasn't on Ed's bloody hair to my mouth.

"You have a family?" Ed asked.

"Yes, of course."

I saw Ed look at me as though asking, "'Of course'? What do you mean of course?"

"Well I know you don't have much of a family," I said quickly, but then realized how offensive that sounded. "I'm sorry!" I cried again. "I didn't mean it like that! I meant—"

"I know how you meant it," said Ed. And he tried to laugh again, but only coughed out murky drops of red onto the dry mud.

"We need to get out of here…" I said looking around. "You need help—" I felt Ed's cold hand on mine.

"It's okay," he assured me with a weak stare. "I'm fine," he said. I smiled but knew he was lying.

"No you aren't," I said taking the metal hand that was on mine—he actually held it back… "You are never fine. Neither you nor Al. You two always act so tough around everyone. Like you are just two normal siblings living a normal life, but you two are actually very different from anyone. You know more about alchemy and the world than you give yourself credit for, you are much braver than you will ever believe and you are also a much better friend than everyone thinks." Ed observed my face as I told him this but I tried to continue as though he weren't there—I was never good at giving out complements.

"No one knows how much you actually hurt on the inside, or how hard you actually work. And no one ever thinks of you as 'soft'. They all always suspect that with the fierce codename 'Fullmetal Alchemist' you have a heart as hard as your limbs, but they are wrong." Finally I turned to look at him, his hand still in mine—did I feel it shaking? Probably just from the cold… "I know you, Ed. I know what you like, who you are, and even who you love, but I just have one thing to ask you. Aren't you tired?

"Aren't you tired of all of the questions? Of all the fear, all the anger, all the sorrow, and especially all of the silence people give you? Aren't you tired of all the accusations, prying eyes, grubby fingers and this reputation you have to keep up? Do you even like being mistaken for the kid who is thought to be able to take down any beast or barrier that stands in his way? Don't you want to be who you are? Don't you need someone who understands? Someone you can run to, to always be there for you no matter what?"

Ed ducked his head away as if ashamed but of what I didn't know.

"I heard what you said a couple hours ago," I muttered. "I heard you call Winry's name. I know you love her." He looked up, alarmed. I kept going. "But she can never be that person—that person who will always be there for you. I know you love her and you would do anything for her, but she just doesn't understand you." I was now telling myself to stop—because I didn't know where this was going. I just kept listening to the words that were coming out of my mouth. 'I can't stop now,' I thought. 'I just can't.'

"Come on, Ed. You need to let yourself have a break for once. Humans can go to great limits when they are pushed to, yes. But don't over work yourself thinking you will get the whole world. That's impossible for anyone to achieve, even if they are different. People may think you are 'Fullmetal' but I don't. I know you are nothing more than any other person, just a human." I sighed, wondering how much longer this was going to take. "So let me ask you again, aren't you tired of it all? Of everyone…?"

Ed looked at me with such… fear was it? I only stared back into his gold eyes. Those now frightened gold eyes, which started watering. I watched as Ed finally gave in. He gave me a stare, such a sad and sorrowful stare I could only watch him.

His bloody head rested against my chest as he sobbed. He sobbed out everything. All of his fear, his emotion, and his sorrow. He finally didn't hold anything back. I only held his head close as I finally felt as if I had done him some good. I had finally shown Ed what it was like—what it was like to be human. Just as he had done for me…


"Where do you think Ed and Al are?" Winry asked Mrs. Rockbell as she did the dishes. Winry touched Den's nose with the one hand that wasn't under her chin. But she stared past Den and instead at the floor.

"I don't know. You shouldn't worry about them too much Winry, they'll be fine," Mrs. Rockbell said, emptying out the sink.

"I don't know… What's Ed going to do when his automail tenses up? It's not like he'll tighten the screws or get check-ups himself." Pinako watched her granddaughter. Winry sighed and sat up as Den wagged her tail at Pinako for her dish to be cleaned.

"I know you worry about those boys so much, but they will be fine," Pinako told her. "They'll protect each other to the end. You should know that."

"I do," Winry answered sitting up to look at her grandmother. "But what about that girl Nayru that went with them? She was kind of quiet… who's going to protect her?"

Pinako patted Den's head. "Even though she didn't seem like it, I think that girl was a lot stronger on the inside than she let show. She seemed like she could overcome most anything—almost like Ed."

Winry thought about it. "I don't know… she didn't seem as tough as Ed in my opinion," said Winry vaguely. Then she perked up. "But I'm sure Ed will protect her too."


My eyes shot open immediately. I thought I heard Winry's voice, far and distant, yet close and loud at the same time. Was I… dreaming? But I hadn't dreamed for over a year or even get in a trance, so how was that possible?

Where was I? I just noticed I was in a dark grimy place but where it was I didn't know. Shaking my metal-self all over I stood straight up to see I was standing by others just like me. Suits of armor were lined row upon row and I almost fit in with all of them, but none of them were moving.

As I examined them I saw none of them had a blood seal to connect a soul to them and none of them were alive. I now also saw I was in a large dome. My clinks rolled around and around the round sides, as though summoning a great beast with that call. I saw no doors and only one window high up on the dome. That was where the only light I got was coming from. It was so deathly quiet I couldn't even tell if it was still raining outside. I took a hesitant step forward and suddenly all of the metal soldiers snapped to life and surrounded me.

Seeing there was nothing I could do against 50 or more of them I let them lead me away to a wall where a doorway appeared only when I was standing right in front of it. It closed behind me and I could see nothing as I ambled forward in the dark silence…


I squinted as soon as I opened my eyes. Why was the world dark and weh—?

I was resting my head on something soft and… warm… But it was dark and I heard rushing water. I also felt my sweater on my back. It was actually rather comfortable here but I didn't know why when I was sleeping on—

I sprang up. Had I just been sleeping on Edward Elric? It didn't seem like my blurred vision was deceiving me, but in this light… I had been sleeping on him! And he hadn't pushed me off?

Ed's eyes were closed and I couldn't tell if he was sleeping or if he had passed out again… Oh yeah, we needed to get out of here. Why hadn't we long before now, again? That's right; I gave Ed a speech… I felt so embarrassed. I had actually made Ed cry

'Oh well,' I told myself. 'Not now. Now you need to get out of here before Ed bleeds to death.'

"Ed," I whispered. "Ed!" I now said aloud. "Ed, wake up! We have to get out of—" There was a creaking sound that wasn't coming from Ed's automail.

"Who's there?" I yelled standing up right and getting my alchemy gloves on. Four pairs of yellow dots watched me and I looked over my shoulder to see two more.

"Well this is fair…" I muttered sarcastically to myself, wishing Ed was awake to help me. I knew I wouldn't be able to fight them off but I might as well try, right?

I slapped my hands together, then to the wall with blue light shifting around me. I tried to make a spear as I had seen Ed do many times and came close, but not much detail was in it. Before I knew what was happening four pairs of the eyes were behind me but before they could smash my head in I swiftly ducked and started running towards the sound of water to my right. There was also light as I drew got closer.

I spun around epically to go back to—somehow—grab Ed but one of the metal men had already picked him up. I thought I heard Ed whisper something, though I couldn't tell what. 'Probably "Winry" again,' I thought.

Full of fiery fury I dodged the swinging arm of a suit of armor who had slung Ed over his hard shoulder, and kicked him as hard as I possibly could in the stomach area. To my surprise the metal teetered a little bit but I hit it so hard my leg now hurt.

As the others dashed for me I blocked all of the moves I could with my weak spear, but it snapped in half just like the knife I had made back at Resembool—I really needed to work on my transmutations for objects. Left with nothing but my bare bloody hands and one wobbly leg I tried my best to go right through their fingers and pursued the suit holding Ed but before I could leap over my now crushed small barrier I'd made to keep water away, one of the soldiers cunningly smashed the rocks that were still compacted tightly above us, and they fell.

I felt myself rocking back and forth on the shoulder of one of the metal soldiers and saw the soldier next to me was holding Ed. He had his eyes open and was peering at me as though he had just awoken from a long sleep. Blood dripped from his hair.

"Are you okay?" he mumbled. I could barely hear him.

"Yeah…" I said, though my leg still hurt and I felt rather weak below the waist for some reason…


There hadn't been anything I could've done. They had just come out of nowhere, so I had done my best, but even then it wasn't enough. I hoped I could do better for them next time, but something told me it was already too late, and there was nothing I could to stop what was about to ensue…

I hoped I was wrong, but you could never be too sure of anything, that I knew.