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Chapter Thirty-Seven - The Parting

(And a Glimpse of Things to Come)

The homunculi had been defeated (Ed, Hawkeye, and Mustang having taken care of Lust and Wrath while Nick and Kaori had done battle with Pride) and Nick had put a lot of thought into what he was going to do with his life now that the mission that he had been obsessed with since the age of eleven was complete. The boy had briefly debated remaining with the military however he'd soon decided against that course of action. It simply wasn't in his nature to blindly follow the orders of someone else. It had been a necessity while he was searching for the homunculi however it was no longer required and Nick decided that he would do quite well without that stress.

And so, his decision made, Nick made one last journey to Central Command. The building had been severely damaged when the homunculi had attacked Mustang and workers were there repairing the damage to the Fuhrer's office and several of the surrounding offices.

While the work was going on the Fuhrer had temporarily set up offices for himself and his closest staff members in the East Wing. So this is where Nick headed.

When Nick reached the Fuhrer's temporary office, he knocked on the door. A few seconds later a voice called out, "Enter" and Nick opened the door and stepped inside.

"Fullmetal," Fuhrer Mustang called out as Nick walked across the room. "To what do I owe this honor? I thought Havoc had given you some time off to recover from your battle."

"He did," Nick said. "But there's something I want to talk to you about and it's kind of important."

Fuhrer Mustang leaned forward and clasped his hands together. "Shoot."

"Remember when I first joined the military how you told me that I could get out anytime I wanted, no strings attached?"

Fuhrer Mustang nodded. He well remembered that conversation and he was starting to see where the present conversation was headed.

"Well I've given it a lot of thought and I've decided that I want out." (What Nick didn't say, what he couldn't say, was that he'd only joined the State Military so that he'd have an easier time tracking down the homunculus that he'd created. And now that his mission had been accomplished, and considering all the hardships he'd endured during the last six years he thought he'd earned a bit of a break.) "I came to turn in my resignation, so to speak." As he spoke, Nick pulled his silver pocket watch from the depths of his pocket and placed it on the desk.

Fuhrer Mustang picked up the watched, stared at it for a few seconds and then handed it back to Nick. "Keep it. Think of it as a souvenir of six years of service and a job well done. You are an exceptionally gifted alchemist and the military hates to lose you. However if you ever want to come back you will be welcomed back with the rank that you are leaving with and with gratitude. As it is now, Lt. Col. Nicholas Edward Elric I hereby grant you an honorable discharge and I'll draw up the paperwork as soon as possible."

Nick took the watch back and slipped it back into his pocket. "Thank you."

Fuhrer Mustang nodded.

"I'm leaving for Resembool in the morning," Nick said as he stood up. "So I probably won't see you again."

"Good bye Nicholas," Fuhrer Mustang said.

"Good bye," Nick said, as he turned to leave.

After his meeting with the Fuhrer, Nick tracked down all of his friends in the military and told them of his plans and said goodbye to them. They were all disappointed to see him go but they wished him luck with whatever he chose to pursue now that he was out of the military.

Then, when he'd said goodbye to all of his military friends, Nick made his way out to the courtyard, where he'd left Kaori waiting for him. The two of them made their way to the park, where they sat under a huge shade tree.

"So you're really going back to Resembool," Kaori said, a sad note in her voice.

Nick nodded.

"I'm really going to miss you," Kaori said, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

"We'll see each other again," Nick said, placing his arm around Kaori's shoulders. (Kaori was amazed by this simple act. Nick usually refrained from open shows of affection.)

"You promise?"

Nick raised himself up and knelt in front of Kaori. He reached out and took her hand, holding it tenderly in his own. "Kaori, I realize that we can't do it now but I want to prove to you how much you mean to me. I would be honored if you would consent to be my wife."

Kaori gasped as Nick's words sank in. "Nick are you sure?"

Nick nodded. "I was sure the moment I learned that you'd given up alchemy, your greatest love, in order to return me to life."

Kaori leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Nick. "You're wrong. Alchemy was my first love but not my greatest. You're the only one who can hold that title."

Nick reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. From the box he removed a small ring with a diamond solitaire. He carefully slid the ring onto her finger.

Kaori couldn't keep herself from smiling as she felt the cool weight of the ring on her finger. She gazed down at the ring and noticed that the diamond was remarkably clear and through it she could see the same transmutation circle that Nick had once had placed on a pendant for her. She gazed up at him questioningly.

"It's so we'll always remember the sacrifices our love has endured," Nick said softly. "And so we'll never forget that true love can over come any adversity."

Then, his difficult task over with, Nick sat back down beside Kaori and she placed her head against his chest. "You know Nick, now that we're officially engaged you'll have to face my parents and tell them the news."

Nick's face paled. He hadn't thought about that little detail when he'd planned this out. He'd already said his goodbyes to Mustang and the two had parted on friendly terms. Nick thought that he would really prefer to leave things at that.

Kaori couldn't see Nick's face but she could imagine the look that he must have and she laughed softly. "Come on Nick, it won't be that bad."

A bead of sweat appeared on Nick's forehead. "I think I'd rather battle the homunculi again."

"Poor Nick," Kaori said. "Okay, I'll tell them, after you leave but you know you're going to have to face him eventually."

"I know," Nick said, grateful that Kaori was going to face the firing squad in his place. Nick really hadn't been looking forward to hearing what Mustang would have to say when he found out that he had asked for Kaori's hand in marriage and that she had accepted his proposal. It would not be a pretty sight, he was sure of that. "And maybe someday I'll be prepared for that, but not now."

Kaori laughed. He really was hopeless but as she thought about it she realized that she really wouldn't have him any other way.

"Man, Mustang is gonna flip out when he finds out about this."

Hiding behind a group of trees that were clustered really close together, the man had witnessed everything that had just transpired between the two teenagers, although he'd been too far away to actually hear what the two had been saying. However in his opinion what he'd seen had been enough for him to discern what was going on and he hastened to tell the Fuhrer.

"Let's see if that boy is still the Fuhrer's favorite when he finds out about this," the man said with a smirk.

And with that the uniformed man ran off in the direction of Central Command.

Fuhrer Mustang was sitting in his office, bemoaning the fact that he now had to replace the most talented State Alchemist in the entire military, when he heard a knock on the door. "What now?" the Fuhrer thought to himself upon hearing the knock, wondering what else could be wrong. He knew that bad luck always traveled in a group. "Enter."

The door opened and a uniformed man walked quickly into the office, closing the door behind himself.

Recognizing the soldier as a man whom he heartily disliked, Fuhrer Mustang wondered what business could have brought him here.

"What can I do for you Major Somers?"

"I have some very important information to pass along to you sir," Major Somers said in a rush. He was barely able to contain his excitement long enough to pass on his news to the Fuhrer. "I was walking through the park just now when I saw your daughter and that rogue State Alchemist Fullmetal sitting underneath a tree. As I observed the two of them, Fullmetal pulled a small box from his pocket and offered your daughter a ring. I couldn't hear exactly what they were saying however I think their actions speak volumes."

Fuhrer Mustang stared at the major with an impassive look on his face. "Is that all?"

Taken aback, the major nodded. "Well, yes."

"Okay," Fuhrer Mustang said, waving his hand toward the door. 'You may go."

Major Somers saluted and walked out of the office. As he stepped out of the office, Major Somers shook his head in surprise. That meeting had not gone at all the way he had envisioned it.

Once the major had left the office, Fuhrer Mustang allowed his face to show the horror that he had felt upon hearing the news that the major had relayed. He'd thought for awhile that there might be something more than friendship between his daughter and Edward's son, however he'd been in denial for years. Now he could deny it no longer.

"Dammit," Fuhrer Mustang whined. "I should never have allowed that boy into the military. This is Edward's revenge, I know it is."

It never occurred to the Fuhrer that there was a possibility that Edward would be just as devastated with this news as he himself was. All he could think of was that this had to be somehow Edward's fault. Revenge for all of those years that Ed had served under him in the Military.

A/N - oh no! It's the end of the world!