"let me know that you will wait & i will pay for my mistakes to feel the sun again"

-om&m

•••

A flash of blue light sparks from the transmutation just as everyone crowds closer. Edward is gone, but Iris doesn't worry like the rest of the group does; they voice their confusion and anxiety with each other while she stays quiet.

In relief she sits down and grins. "You did it, Ed."

A few minutes pass after he's left, and the crowd eventually disperses into groups of their own. Hawkeye and Mustang help Iris up and escort her a few yards away from the transmutation circle.

"You don't look too worried, Iris," Roy comments.

"Everything is gonna be just fine, that's why."

More minutes pass, and a white light takes everyone away from their own conversations. The light is coming from where Edward left, so there's no doubt that it's him.

"Fullmetal has returned!" Major Armstrong cheers, then runs straight towards the light. Sure enough, it's the two Elric brothers. It's none other than Alphonse, who is cradled in Ed's arms, still asleep. The Major takes off his coat and wraps it around the boy for decency, then they walk to the grass to sit down together.

Everyone runs towards them, but Ed warns them all to leave a little breathing room somewhat jokingly. He looks at his little brother again but truly assesses him this time. His hair is long and a muted gold. His skin is dry and his face and body are hollow to the point that bones are visible. The tenement for his soul has been severely neglected, and Edward doesn't want to imagine what would've happened had he stayed in there any longer.

A look at this Alphonse brings immediate tears to Mei Chang, and Iris is somewhat grateful not to be able to see his horribly emaciated body, for she's sure she'd cry alongside her. Still, she gently pushes to the front of the crowd until she's right in front of the two brothers. She reaches out a hand and is surprised at the warmth in Alphonse's cheek, his hollow, but real cheek, and strokes it gently once.

This seems to wake him, for a Central soldier yells, "Hey, the kid's coming around!" Iris removes her hand but stays close.

Alphonse can feel his eyelashes flutter open, and he takes a moment to relish in the almost-forgotten sensation. He felt quite embarrassed when he realized he had an audience, but that emotion quickly washes away when he's met with a dozen reassuring smiles.

"Hi, Al," the girl speaks to him quietly.

"H-hey." His own voice rattles in his throat, and he almost laughs at how it tickles him. He moves to touch his neck, but he notices his hand is being held. He looks, and his fingers are intertwined with yet another bony hand. He follows it upward until he sees his older brother holding him in his lap.

"How are you feeling?" is the first thing he asks.

"Great," Alphonse answers honestly. His emotions are running high and prevent him from feeling his neglected body. He knows it'll hurt like hell later on, but he wouldn't trade it for anything. "How is everyone else?"

Small laughs ring out in his ears as he sees everyone crack up at his question. His face turns pink.

"Don't tease my son too hard," Hohenheim chides, then approaches Al. "Welcome back." He puts out a hesitant hand. Al shakily reaches forward, and their hands interlock. The boy looks at their clasped hands for a long time, a tearful smile on his face.

"Warmth," is all he says.

He turns to Iris, whose eyes are closed but teary. "Oh, Iris, if you could only see me." She opens her arms towards him and he accepts the hug. She's careful with her grip.

Al," she says, "I think you and I both can agree that touch is the most important sense of all, now." They both chuckle, and Alphonse has to wipe a tear off of her face when they pull apart. She blinks purposefully at him, her throat unreliable.

Al doesn't have much of a chance to defend himself before Mei runs up to him, crying and diving into his thin chest. The blow hurts, but her hug afterward somewhat mends it.

"Alphonse! I was so scared," Mei blubbers through a mess of tears. She says more, but he can't hear them all, she's muffled by his chest that she won't let go of.

He hugs her back with a small laugh and an apology on his lips. Looking around, he's glad to be home in a body that makes him feel.

•••

"Careful, alright?"

Iris nods as a promise. She's been given the task by Edward to hold his red coat, which covers a tiny sleeping baby. She still can't believe this is Pride. No, Selim. Just reborn, both spiritually and physically.

When she first ran her fingers against his small body, she was in shock. She wanted to know what Edward did to reduce him to such a state, then realized that as long as Mrs. Bradley doesn't have to lose yet another person she loved, that it didn't necessarily matter.

She brushes the baby's cheek with her thumb, and he smiles.

"There's Mrs. Bradley," Ed points out. She's standing alone, holding a worn photograph. Once she realizes the two kids are coming her way she tucks it into her pocket. Iris wonders what she could be thinking right now.

Edward approaches her slowly with a shaky smile. Iris says, "Hi, Mrs. Bradley."

The woman wipes her puffy eyes. "To what do I owe the pleasure of you two?"

They decide to say nothing but present the coat in front of her.

She immediately recognizes her own son. Gently but without hesitation, she takes the coat from Iris's hands. Her eyes well up with tears once again, stroking his tiny face.

"My baby boy... He's free of evil."

"It's true, Mrs. Bradley. There's only one soul in this body, and it's Selim's. There's no homunculus inside him," reassures Iris with her powers.

"Thank you." The older woman gestures to the baby. "This is my family, right here."

Iris smiles, putting a comforting hand on her arm.

"Oh," she realizes as she looks at the young girl, then past her to Roy Mustang, who stands a few yards behind them, talking to his lieutenant. He gestures to his eyes then looks to Iris. When he catches Mrs. Bradley's gaze, he smiles politely.

"Returning my real son back to me is a true blessing. I suppose I should return you to your real family."

Iris realizes what she means slowly, a grin appearing on her face as her brain comes to her conclusion. She embraces the woman, being careful of the child in her hands. When Mrs. Bradley lets go, she turns her around towards the Colonel.

"Well, go on then. I think they're talking about you."

"The Colonel never minds his own business, does he?" Ed half-jokes, looking to Iris for her reaction at his jab to her brother, only to see he's gone from her side.

Turning around he realizes Iris's walking away to Mustang. He nods goodbye to Mrs. Bradley and jogs to catch up with her, saying, "Hey, let me help you." He takes her elbow to guide her, but she pulls away and continues strolling along.

"Don't think so little of me, Ed," she chastises. "I'm already getting used to it. I still have my powers and the qi readings, remember? Unless you just wanted an excuse to hold onto me," she digs at him with a smirk. She can imagine his face going red as he sputters a "huh?!" and that satisfies her enough.

As soon as Iris is in arms reach, Roy, unlike himself, grabs hold of her and doesn't let go. She takes deep breaths into his tattered blue military coat, trying her best to hold back tears. Eventually she lets them shed, for she's grateful that she finally has blissful tears to cry, not sorrowful ones.

•••

Iris sustained more injuries than she'd realized, which was the worst wake up call the next day. Her wounds stab at her from every side as she forces herself not to move around on the white hospital cot; opening her lacerations would just cause her more trouble. So she lies still, concentrating on the qi around her as she hears them speak to each other. It's obvious to her that it's Roy conversing with a man she assumes is the doctor, and she can feel Riza beside him.

She's just tuning into the end of the conversation, she thinks, because the doctor is giving his final say:

"...is fine. Her only definite injury is her eyesight. It's not something I can explain, medically... It's as if her optic nerve just disappeared."

Riza's voice is a whisper, as not to wake an already awoken Iris. "Mei Chang said that not even alkahestry can fix her vision."

At this, Mustang huffs in dissatisfaction, combing a hand through his jet black hair. He tries to think of what to say, but his frustration gets the better of him.

"Not all hope is lost, you know, Colonel," the doctor reassures. "Being blind doesn't stop her from leading a happy life."

He ignores the attempt at comfort, turning to his lieutenant.

"She'll have to accept the Philosopher's Stone. I know she's weary on the subject, but there's no other way. I'll just have to convince her to-"

"As if I'd give you a say," Iris interrupts as she sits up with a wince and a sharp inhale. She clutches her side to a wound she feels open just slightly. Droplets of blood stain her patient gown and her fingertips. The doctor rushes to her side immediately, but she swats him away and gives him a callous look that she'll apologize for later.

"I want no part of that stone. More than anyone, I know the cries of every single soul trapped inside a Philosopher's Stone. A selfish part of me wishes I could justify taking this stone for my own personal gain, but I can't. I certainly don't deserve it. I'll grow content with my fate. Please, respect that."

The three adults stand in front of her, stunned by her response. Iris can't stand the atmosphere.

"If you'll excuse me."

She removes herself from the bed, then out the door.

With some meandering, Iris manages to find the rooftop of the Central City hospital. The fresh air hits her senses and she accepts it gratefully, trying her hardest to imagine the skyline. She stays close to the doorway, suddenly much more fearful of heights now than before she was blind. Still though, she's glad to be in solitude.

For a moment she lets the breeze hit her face. Her eyes open, but she still sees nothing. She briefly wonders when she'll stop kidding herself with false hope.

Her hopeless moment passes, though, and she carefully wanders around in search of a rock. She finds a big pebble and positions it into her dominant hand.

"I doubt my drawing skills are the same," she mutters under her breath, "but I need to see you, Truth."

•••

Iris stumbles in her darkness, which is odd for her, considering she knows the room that Truth resides in is completely white. She backs into her own door, towering with an intricate design she feels with her fingertips.

"Back so soon?"

Once it speaks, she can feel the shadowy aura of the Truth in front of her. She swallows thickly but balls her fists to show her resolve.

"Yes, actually. Did you have many visits from my sister when she was young?" Iris suddenly asks, remembering that Iridian would use the human transmutation circle with no soul data to visit the Truth, just as Edward did to make a bargain for his brother. She's sure Truth will be surprised to know that she's here for a similar reason. A favor, in particular.

"She came to me often, yes. Asked the same questions every time, but that of course, is confidential. She confided in me, the Truth. The Universe. God."

"All powerful, omniscient, beyond consequence?" she pushes, but the being doesn't react. "If so, I have a request."

Truth is silent, but she presumes curious, so she continues.

"Please, take this power away from me. I didn't ask for this curse. I don't understand why I deserved it, why my sister deserved it. These memories, seeing all there is to see of the past... it's plagued me for too long."

At this, Truth laughs. A peal of full-blown laughs come from its mouth.

"You ignorant being," it starts. "You should be grateful. Why view it is a curse when it could be a gift?"

"Curse, gift, what does it matter?! I serve a lifetime penance for no sin! That does not follow equivalent exchange!"

Truth laughs even harder, which makes Iris furious. Her nails dig into her palms. Before she can defend herself, it says, "Don't think so highly of the rules of alchemy! The real world has no care for equivalency! You and your sister were cursed, such is fate. If you don't like the outcome, it's your responsibility to change it. Think on that, Alchemist."

Truth, finished with the conversation, opens the door behind Iris, and she falls back into her own world.