When September Ends

By: Mustang'sBunny

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Gees. That's kind-of depressing when you think about it. And yes, the title is from the song "When September Ends" by Green Day. I thought it was a fitting title and "theme song" for this fan fiction. By the end you should understand, but really it has nothing to do with the story...

Oh, and please...NO FLAMES!

You know where I got the chapter title from right? It's that movie. You'll understand. And I did this for a reason...to get good reactions out of y'all! Hope you enjoy...BWAHAHAHAHA! Oh, before I forget, I know the Plain White T's aren't in that time period, but deal with it!

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Chapter Twelve: Vantage Point

August 29th

Ed

Xing was a mess when he first arrived. There were explosions, bombings, kidnappings, and in the mist of it all, flames were billowing up and war raged. Anarchy was the main scene, and there were tons of rebels, and little Xing military action. With the Xing military retreating, it gave the soldiers of Central a chance to move in and seize the capital and allow total control.

The alchemists were forced to fix the city in their spare time, clean up after the Xing rebels and terrorists, build weapons and vehicles for the soldiers, and Ed's least favorite part- kill all resistors. Ed hated it. Not only did he have to obey a new superior who was rather stupid as far as the blonde alchemist was concerned, he had to kill resistors, many of which were children younger than him. He hated it. The feeling of their blood against his skin...It made him want to run back home.

He had never thought war would be a problem for him. Sure, there was a war with Ishbal as long as he could remembered, but nobody he loved ever fought or died. It was always someone else. Now he found himself in the center of the enemies strong hold, having to fight in the war himself. It was almost surreal, had it not been for all the sights and sounds that surrounded him.

It had been several months since he was forced to leave his kids and love to come to Xing. He had thought of them and his friends- especially his brother- nearly everyday when there wasn't a bomb exploding nearby, or blood smeared on his face. He knew the other soldiers had it just as bad. A month ago one of Ed's war buddies who he knew had a wife, two kids, and a business waiting back home, was the target and receiving end of a sniper's bullet. He never had a chance. How horrible it was for Edward to realize not only was this man dead and leaving behind all those that he loved, but that the same thing could happen to him. It took three days for a death notice to arrive in Central, and longer if lots of soldiers were killed. He could only imagine if that happened to him. Roxanne or Roxas would answer the front door only to see a government official standing there in a suit, asking them if their father was Edward Elric, and if Roy was home.

But being the tough genius he was, Ed never let that keep him down. He kept on fighting, knowing that the sooner peace and order were restored, the sooner he would be able to return home.

It was a cloudy day in Xing, and fairly quiet. People usually avoided the streets because of the rebels and terrorists, but today they seemed to crowd the streets since there hadn't been any problems lately. Ed walked down the Xing street near the now Central occupied capital, with a smile on his face, humming "Hey There Delilah" by the Plain White T's under his breath. He was happy that he hadn't had to deal with death for over two weeks, and that his drafting time was going to be done in two days- September 1st. He would finally be able to return home and by with Roy and the kids. The mere though of getting out of Xing was enough to lift any militant's spirit.

'Take that Archer!' he wanted to yell into the sky. Finally, he would get to go back home and mock Archer, and Archer couldn't force him back into action!

As he walked further down the street, he heard a shout down the street, and saw people being pushed aside. Ed instinctively turned around, his hands ready for alchemy if need be.

Running in his direction down the side walk, was a man taller then Ed, with onyx colored eyes, black hair, and an engagement ring glistening on his one finger. Edward could hardly believe it.

Roy!

"Roy?" he gasped, happy.

The colonel saw that Ed had spotted in him and race forward to meet him, although he was still a long way away.

Ed turned to race towards him, when suddenly, out of nowhere, there was a huge explosion over his head. A terrorist in an upper level of a nearby store detonated a bomb, causing the whole top of the building to explode. People started panicking and run away, screaming for military help. Ed, who had been running towards Roy, was caught right in front of the building when the upper level exploded, raining down stone and metal shrapnel onto the sidewalk and road. Ed looked up at the flaming piece falling from above with large golden eyes, watching helplessly as the pieces got bigger and closer.

Roy, who had stopped running forward, looked forward in horror as the blonde love of his life looked up helplessly as the upper part of the building rained down, and covered him.

"EDWARD!"

Roy

It had been several months since he was forced to leave his kids and Roy to go to Xing. He had thought of Ed everyday since then. It even got him in trouble at work with Hawkeye. Instead of going through paperwork like he should have been, he would stare around the room, remembering all sorts of things.

A picture of him and Ed from when he was first inducted into the ranks sat on his desk. Ed looked pissed off as usual, and the colonel didn't seem all too happy either. Everytime he looked at it, he could almost hear the chibi's voice coming from the door. He would run up to Roy's desk with an angry face...

"What the hell you trying to pull?! Another so called lead turned out to be nothing! You good for nothing-"

The Hawkeye would always walk in, see he wasn't doing work, and shoot off a couple rounds into the ceiling.

"Sir, I understand that it's been difficult not hearing from him, but you have a mission to this country too. You can't allow yourself to get distracted."

Ed hadn't contacted Roy since getting to Xing and describing the carnage.

"It's pretty bad. The bodies are piling up faster than I think Central realizes. Tell 'em to get their asses in gear and get some more guys out here!"

"The government is falling apart, and drugs rule the streets."

"The citizens don't like us any more than we like them, so it makes it difficult to deal with things. But I think it will eventually get better. You think so?"

"They have a lot of bombs out here. Where the hell do they get all the weapons from? I don't think all of Central and East combined have the amount of guns the rebels at the Xing capital have."

"Roy, I'm scared. It's really bad over here, and it's nothing like home. I miss you, Roxas, and Roxanne. I miss Al, and Winry, and everyone else. I want to come home, but I know that damn Archer won't let me."

"But I'll be strong. I want to live to spite Archer in that pale face of his. Something along the lines of 'Ha! Take that bastard robot!'"

"I did learn one thing from Xing. Wo ai ni. It means I love you. So...oh gods this is so embarrassing!"

"Wo ai ni...Roy. I'll be back soon. Promise."

Roy recalled that as he got off the train in a Xing station. Military presence was everywhere, but none were short and/or blonde. Each soldier had multiple wounds and scars, and each one of them had a stern face. Each scar told of a war story, a war that many thought that couldn't be won. But they remained. Silent soldiers that wanted victory, or at least peace.

He had only brought with him one suitcase. He didn't know how long he was going to stay, but at least until he saw and talked to Ed. Being a smart man, he didn't bring along Roxas or Roxanne. No matter how loud they whined, or what kind of fit they threw. He left them behind in Al's care.

"Find my brother, okay?"

That was Al's wish. Everyone was worried about him, and for good reason! With all the newspapers and radio stations reporting almost constant bombings and shootings in Xing, everyone was nervous, even if they had no ties to the military! And those with family and friends in the military...it was horrible torture not knowing what was really happening in the front lines.

Roy dropped his bags into a hotel room that he had rented in Central controled Xing, then went out looking for Ed, with some things that the chibi had last told him in mind.

"Besides all the war stuff going on over here, it's really pretty. From my hotel I can see some really old towers that used to be used as places of worship. There's a flower shop across the street that I stop by to look at. I think it's called Ayame. It's not owned by a Xing family. Hey! I know what you're thinking! I know it's not manly! But it's...nice. The lady there is nice too. Don't get jealous Roy! Anyway, that's basically what there is on this street. Oh, there's a bar at the end of the street, and a butcher's shop. I think something's going on there, but I don't have any proof. Something just seems...odd, about it. The top floor always has people in it, even at weird hours of the day. Oh well. Maybe it's just paranoida. Or maybe I'm right. Who knows? People around here don't share much with the dogs of the military."

Roy wandered up and down street after street, looking around for a flower shop called Ayame, and asking anyone that looked like they could be helpful. But the citizens of Xing either couldn't understand him or knew he was a foreigner, because nobody answered.

All except one small girl he asked out of pure desperation. She was a tiny thing whose parents were here helping wounded soldiers. He was instantly reminded of Winry's family.

"Ayame? Oh, I know where that is," she said in what little english she knew. "It that way. Two roads up. One over."

Roy thanked the girl several times before taking off down the street. His heart was thumping. Ed! He was finally going to see Ed!

'I just hope he's there...' he thought briefly as he continued to run, nudging people out of the way as he went.

He came up on the street only about a minute after talking to the girl, and instantly spotted the flowershop, the butcher shop, the bar, and in the distance, large towers.

'This is it!'

He stopped and scanned the crowd for a moment, looking for that golden blonde hair that he had been dying to see. But Ed was still small, so it would be hard to spot him.

But somehow Roy did it. He spotted the back of a small male dressed in military uniform walking away, his hands in his pockets as he passed near the butcher shop. Roy became excited and started running towards him, screaming Ed's name.

Suddenly Ed stopped, pulled his hands from his pockets, and whipped around, his golden eyes wide with disbelief.

"Roy?"

Roy's heart lept into his throat. He had been right! It was Edward! Edward Elric the Full Metal Alchemist was still alive! His love was safe!

Ed began rushing to get to Roy, and likewise Roy was rushing to Ed. But while they were still a distance away, there was a loud explosion from inside the floor above the butcher shop. A terrorist in an upper level of a nearby store had detonated a bomb, causing the whole top of the building to explode. People started panicking and run away, screaming for military help. Ed, who had been running towards Roy, was caught right in front of the building when the upper level exploded, raining down stone and metal shrapnel onto the sidewalk and road. Ed looked up at the flaming piece falling from above with large golden eyes, watching helplessly as the pieces got bigger and closer.

'Ed! Move!' Roy wanted to yell, but he couldn't find his voice.

So close. Yet, so far away. He had finally find Ed alive and well, and then this. Destiny and death were both cruel things. They both stole loved ones without remorse. He had learned that when he was young. But this...

Roy, who had stopped running forward, looked forward in horror as the blonde love of his life looked up helplessly as the upper part of the building rained down, and covered him.

"EDWARD!"

Roy rushed forward frantically, terror seizing him, and began digging through the still hot debris.

Back in Central (same day)

Al

The ex-suit of armor suddenly felt a jolt go up his spine as he sat with Roxanne and Roxas in their living room, telling them another story about how he and his brother used to travel to get their bodies back.

"What's wrong Uncle Alphonse?" Roxanne asked when Al suddenly stopped talking and began looking out the window with wide eyes and a confused expression.

"Huh? Oh...nothing."

"Continue the story!" Roxas insisted.

"I don't think I can. Can you get up please?"

Both kids hopped off Al's lap and Alphonse quickly got up and rushed out in front of the house. An unsettling breeze was blowing in from the east. Cold. Almost like it was going to rain.

'What was that?' Al wondered. 'I wonder if everything's alright...'

There was a sudden crash from inside the house. Al rushed back inside to find the noise.

"What was that?"

"I don't know," Roxas said, Roxanne by his side. "I think it came from upstairs..."

Al walked upstairs, and poked his head into his brother and Roy's room before flipping on the light. Lying shattered in front of the desk that was in front of a window was a picture. It was lying face down, and glass was everywhere. The window was open with the curtains flapping in the wind. Al gulped and walked further into the room. He had never being in Roy and Ed's room before. He didn't really like the feel of it to be honest.

'I wonder what's gone on in here,' Al silently giggled.

He came to a stop in front of the picture, leaned down and picked it up. He gave a startled gasp and found himself wondering many things.

"What's wrong Uncle Alphonse?" Roxanne and Roxas both asked from the door.

Al didn't respond at first.

"Something bad has happened. I can feel it."

The picture that had fallen down from the desk was a picture of Roy and Ed in Roy's office. Roy was sitting in his chair, his feet up on the desk, and Ed was in his lap, back turned to the camera, but his eyes turned towards the photographer. Al's brother had a grin on his face, as did Roy as they gave the photo obsessed man the finger. The photographer had been Hughes who wanted a picture of the two of them finally together. Too bad for him that he interrupted at a bad moment.

Now it was broken. Their happiness was broken.

'Brother...'

Archer

With his feet up on the desk, he twirled halfway in his chair, listening to a man in Xing on phone. He spoke their language so that nobody else would understand.

"So it's done?"

"Yes sir, we got 'im too."

"Good. Any other casualties?"

"We are unsure. But does it really matter?"

"No. Not really," Archer hummed. "Good work."

He laid down the phone on the receiver and gave a sweet sigh.

"Oh poor fool. Did you ever think for a moment that I wouldn't have my revenge?"

He gave a satisfied smirk and looked out the window. A cold breeze was blowing through.

"A storm," he muttered. "Looks like it's gonna rain. But nothing will rain on my parade. Not when I become Furher."

A glimmer came over his face as his smile faded and he looked at the folder before him. The contents inside consisted of Edward Elric's history, his status, and location in Xing. A picture of Ed laid on top of the pile. He was stern looking and seemed to be staring right through Archer's soul.

"Too bad kiddo. But the reaper's been callin' your name for a while now," he said as he closed the folder. "It's about time you answer."

Using a pen, he wrote the word "deceased" on the cover and the date. August 29th.

He took the folder and placed it in his desk before picking up the phone and dialing Hawkeye's desk number.

"Hello? Lieutenant Hawkeye. It's Archer. It seems there's been an...accident."

Finally! Done with that chapter! I know, it took me forever to update, but...now I have! I was reading through the first version I put up and realized that there were some spelling mistakes, and (gasps!) no author blah blah at the end of the chapter! So, here I am again, begging you to review! If you don't...Ed might not come out of here alive. Or maybe something will push Roy over the edge...? You don't want Roxanne and Roxas to be orphans again...do you? Well, review then! The more reviews, the better the outcome. I don't have any idea about what's going to happen, so sugestions are always good ;

Oh, and the "Wo ai ni" thing is Chinese just incase you didn't know. It does mean "I love you". I didn't make that up. I always kind-of imagined Xing kind-of like China...