So I'm back. I've suddenly got a lot of time on my hands because I tested positive for COVID. Fortunately I think I'm getting better. Anyways- here it is.
"Colonel- have you noticed my brother has been acting... different... lately?"
It was only through years of being a military official that he kept the surprised expression from his face.
"In what way, Alphonse?"
The suit of armor sighed. "More distant. He used to talk to me about everything. Now he just goes for these long walks. And before, he'd let me go with him, but now he goes alone. He has more nightmares than usual. And he wakes up shouting names I don't recognize.".
Roy sighed. "I'm sure by now you've heard about the case your brother solved while you were away in Risembool. Am I correct in that assumption?"
Al's metal neck creaked as he nodded. "Yes. Brother mentioned it once, but he never talked about it.".
"It was a child killer, Alphonse. Your brother saw things that made grown men lose their minds."
"Oh. I see. He doesn't... he won't talk about it, though. He just keeps moving."
Roy nodded. "That sounds like your brother. We were seeing abominations left and right, atrocities that made people cry and vomit, and Ed would just closed his eyes for a minute to gather himself and keep walking. He found every body in that hellhole."
"Maybe I should ask him about it. It might help him if he talked more..."
"I wouldn't. He doesn't want to share that right now. He might not want to- ever, to be quite frank."
"But how am I supposed to help him if he doesn't talk to me?" Alphonse was looking frustrated. "Sometimes he talks to himself more than he talks to me!"
Roy blinked. That was new. Edward had made him promise not to reveal to Alphonse that he could speak to the dead. An unexpected side effect of their failed attempt at human transmutation- and one that Ed found it unnecessary to burden his little brother with.
"He talks to himself?"
Al nodded. "Yeah. He used to just mumble to himself, but he goes on these long walks and has entire conversations now. He never did that before."
Roy took a sip of his coffee- with the mug near his face, he could hide his expression. Edward was probably talking to the dead again. But these dead companions probably weren't the victims of crime- because if they were, Ed would've come to him, there would've been police reports to match up...
"Give him time, Alphonse. That's all I can say." Roy said simply. It was a worefully inadequate answer, but it was all he was able to give at the moment. "Do you have any leads on the stone?".
Al's soulfire eyes brightened a bit at the question, and he nodded. "Yes. Brother's gotten a bunch of rare books while I've been gone, we've been spending every free minute we have researching."
As Roy walked home, he found himself taking a different route than usual, stopping by the canal that ran through East City.
Just like he expected, there was a figure in a red coat sitting at the edge of the frozen canal.
He sighed, walking up behind the figure.
Ed blinked, looking over at him warily before he kept looking out over the water.
Roy moved to sit beside him, but Ed held up a hand, looking over at him. "Don't sit there. Sit on my other side, if you gotta sit somewhere.".
Roy blinked. Then he realized- there must be someone else sitting beside Ed, a spirit he couldn't see.
"Sorry. Didn't realize there was anyone else here." he apologize quietly, moving to sit at Ed's other side.
He sat beside Ed- the blonde was still silent, red coat pulled tightly around himself. His breath fog in front of him- was it really almost December already?
"Your brother said I might find you here." Roy admitted.
"Did he now."
"He also said you've started talking to yourself."
Ed narrowed his eyes. "You didn't tell him anything... did you?"
"No. I didn't. I was just curious who you were talking to."
Ed sighed. He looked to his right. There was a girl who wasn't any older than four with long, curly brown hair. She was dressed in a bright pink sundress and had bear feet, despite the bitter cold temperatures.
"Her name is April."
"How old is she?"
"She's three."
"How long have you been talking to her?"
"A few weeks now. I just like to come see her for a few minutes everyday when I can.".
Roy nodded. "Do you know how she died?".
"She drowned in this canal two years ago. She wanted to feed the ducks and fell in.".
"I see." Roy nodded. "Anyone else you talk to around here?".
Ed shrugged. "There's an old guy. Sits on the bench outside the graveyard. He just hangs out there. I talked to him once. He's waiting for his wife so they can cross over together. I want to go back-" Ed's eyes widened slightly, as though he realized he'd let something slip he didn't want to, but he stopped talking abruptly.
Roy frowned. "Go back where?".
"Nowhere. It doesn't matter. Shut up." Ed said defensively.
Roy sighed. "Right. If you want to keep it to yourself that's perfectly fine. But I expect you to tell me if it's going to become a problem.".
Ed's gaze hardened significantly. "It won't be."
"Alright then. Your brother is worried, you know. He's picked up on the fact you talk to yourself.".
Ed huffed, his breath a cloud in the cold winter night as he glared at Mustang. "And what did you tell him?".
"Nothing about your abilities. But he may very well find out sooner or later. I can understand not wanting to burden him by letting him know, but by keeping him in the dark, you're making him worry..."
It'd started to snow, now. Big flat, fluffy flakes started to stick to the ground and ontop of the sheen of ice on the canal.
"Yeah, well- keeping him in the dark is the best thing for now. This is my penance. It was my idea to try to bring Mom back- I'll deal with the consequences.".
"Alright. But if it gets to be too much- or you find out information about a crime..."
"You'll be the first to know, Bastard." Ed groused.
"Good." Roy nodded slightly. Edward still had the spare key to his home from when he'd been forced to be under adult supervision after the debbacle of their last case. Roy hadn't asked for it back, and he didn't plan to.
"You should get home. It's cold.".
"Yeah yeah. I will."
Ed paused, looking over to his right where April was sitting.
"Goodnight Ed. Goodnight, April.".
The ethereal silence of falling snow was broken by a childish giggle, and Roy watched as small bear feet made footprints in the thin layer of snow in front of them, running back towards the sidewalk.
"That's neat." Roy remarked.
Ed blinked, looking up from the footprints to Roy in surprise. "You can see the footprints?"
Roy nodded. "Yeah. I heard her laugh, too.".
"That's new.". Ed remarked. "Most people can't see anything. Maybe it's because you said goodbye to her. Most of them are very lonely- they like it when anyone talks to them.".
"I don't blame them." Roy admitted. "It's nice of you to spend time with them when you can. Just remember- your little brother is still alive and needs your help too.".
"-tch." Ed scoffed, flexing his automail hand. "Like I could ever forget, Mustang.".