Well, another chapter for y'all. And guess what? Winry comes! Yay for Winry! Oh. And don't worry, fangirls, it won't be a Winry/Ed fic. lol.
IIIII
Early that next morning Al found himself wide awake. He just couldn't get to sleep. There was a small window high above the bathtub so they got atleast a little light. He could tell it had to be around six because the sun was just rising. Though, his mind wasn't on a rising sun. It was more on his brother than anything else.
If he was seriously hurt and couldn't get here by tomorrow, then Elisia would be killed. Al would do anything in his power to protect the little girl but there wouldn't be much he could do. They'd probably have Gluttony eat his legs too if he wasn't careful.
The last thing he saw was Edward apologizing to him for everything. He didn't want his brother to carry that guilt. How could he? Al knew he made a conscious decision not to stop. He wanted Mom back just as much as Ed did. Maybe it was the whole 'I'm the Older Brother so I must be the Head of the Family' thing. As much blame that went to Ed should go to Al too, and Al would be the first to admit what they did was stupid. Then again, if he was in a human body, they'd probably just torture him for fun, so it was sort of a good thing he was armor.
Al looked out the window once again. Elisia's small breaths filled the air. She laid her head across his leg, her body draping across the floor. He wasn't sure how she could get sleep when he couldn't. She was pretty confident though that Ed or her father would come to save them. Oh how Al would give anything to be a sweet, naive child like that again, oblivious to most dangers, mouthing off at captors without even a second thought.
She's just so confident about them coming, He thought.
"Don't worry! Big brother will come and save us! Or Daddy!"
Why don't I believe in my brother? I should. Just that he looked so sick.
"They wouldn't leave us. I know they wouldn't. These meanie-heads will get what's coming to em! Pow! Pow!"
Elisia... Al thought sadly as he looked down at the little girl, Give me some of your confidence. I don't think I have any left. In brother...or in myself.
IIIII
Edward lifted his now bandaged leg up off of the bed so Gracia could put a clean pillow underneath it. The elder Elric boy smiled as she began tucking the sheets around him. It reminded him of his mom when he was little. Whenever he had gotten sick she forced him into bed and tucked the sheets as tight as possible, just so he would stay warm, especially if it was winter.
"Thank you Gracia," said Ed.
"No problem," Gracia replied softly. She moved his bangs out of his beautiful golden eyes once more. "Oh, Edward, you look like you haven't gotten sleep in ages. You really should go back to sleep."
"No!" Edward immediately objected. He shook his head slowly. "I-I just can't. I'll be stuck in my mind again. I can't risk it. I have to go save Al. I have to save Elisia. I have to-"
"Stop saying all of these 'have to do this' and 'have to do that'. You are only fifteen! There's only so much you can do!" Hughes entered the conversation. Edward hadn't even noticed he was sitting in the corner the whole time. "You might be a dog of the military now but that doesn't make you any older."
"Oh, shutup," he spat back. The blonde sat up a bit to look at Hughes better. "It's not like anybody else can go and get them."
"You are right on that," Hughes agreed.
"See? If I don't get them in time there's no telling what will happen."
"But...how did you know about them? I thought you were asleep when I told you. I was hoping you were awake but I highly doubted it..." Gracia said in a wondering tone.
"I was awake. I had a vision type thing too. I saw exactly what happened. I'm not sure how or why. I tried to talk to you guys but nobody would respond. I couldn't save Al. Again," he lowered his head. "Why can't we just be normal? I mean, Al being in his body, us just going out together, maybe even school. I've taken all of that away from Al just because I wanted my mother back. I'm so stupid."
"I can't say what you did was right but you were young. Atleast your realize your mistake. Just learn from it."
"Easy for you to say. You aren't stuck with a metal arm or leg!" he thrust his metal arm forward, as if to remind him he had one. "This isn't something we can just forget about. 'Just learn from it'? What have we learned? Pain and suffering? Sorrow and death? Tell me, Hughes, what the hell have we gotten in return for all of our suffering!"
"...You've got me, Gracia, Elisia, Armstrong, Roy, Havoc, Hawkeye, and countless other friends."
Edward blinked. That hadn't what he expected.
"Do you know the wrongs you've made right? If it weren't for you, what would have happened to Fletcher and Russell if you and Al hadn't shown up? What about the achievements you've made? Doesn't that count for anything? The hardships might seems a bit overbearing at times but you've always got a home here, Ed. And with Winry too. You've just been to stubborn to let anyone into your dangerous lives in fear of this happening. Am I right?"
"Y...Yeah."
Gracia smiled. "But I have 100 confidence in you, Ed."
"Really? Why do you say that?"
"Because. You've got a great head on your shoulders. You're strong. I'm sure my baby will come home safe in your arms."
"You just get some rest," Hughes suggested.
Once again, Edward objected the idea whole-heartedly, "I can't! I-If I do, I might not wake up...and the nightmares..."
"They're only nightmares, Ed, I'm sure that you can handle them," Hughes replied, raising an unsure eyebrow.
"You don't understand. They're real to me. I can feel every thing that they do to me. I feel their touch and when they hurt me I feel the pain. I mean, when I figured how to wake myself up, I stabbed myself in the leg, and then the wound just appeared on my leg, right?" He watched as they both nodded "They are definitely more then just regular nightmares."
"Just try it, alright? If you don't you'll never be able to heal and we aren't letting you out in this condition. It looks like you've been neglected for a couple of months or something," admitted Hughes and he found himself on the receiving end of Ed's glare. The man stood up and said "We'll let you be for the time being. Get some rest, okay?"
"...Fine," Edward huffed, curling up into a small ball. He realized that Hughes was serious so he might as well get some rest. He just didn't want to have anymore nightmares about Al...
IIIII
Edward soon found himself waking up in a cemetery. At night. Full moon too. He shivered at the sight. Not that he was afraid or anything...just that he had heard way to many ghost stories to be in a cemetery.
"Uhh...hello?" his voice echoed softly into the night.
He stood up and heard some commotion a little bit away. He swung around, wondering if it would be Lust or Envy, but then he just heard some rustling of the leaves. Edward started walking towards where had heard the noise. Sure, he knew it could be a bad idea, especially since he found it hard to be in a cemetery during the middle of the night but he had to know what was going on.
Passing a big oak tree he saw a blonde girl standing at a grave. It wasn't just any blonde girl either. Edward raised an eyebrow as he realized it was Winry. She was dressed in all black, her hair tightly wrapped in a bun on the back of her head, holding a dozen roses in her hands, and tears streamed down her face.
Did Old Lady Pinako finally die or something? I mean, I knew she was old, but she always seemed healthy, thought Edward.
"Winry!" shouted Edward as he ran towards his childhood friend. She didn't respond. "Winry? Helloooo!"
He waved a hand in front of her face but she kept staring down at two grave stones. Edward thought, Wait. Maybe this is like that other time when I saw Al and Elisia being kidnapped. Could this be like a vision?
"Hey? Why are you crying? What's going on?" Edward questioned. Then he thought, Look at the headstones, dummy, and so he did. Then he wish he hadn't. "Al and I are dead? What kind of bull crap is this? Winry, I don't know if you can hear me, but I hope that you can. I'm right here. I'm not dead!"
Winry dropped to her knees, crying hysterically. The roses fell at her feet, also scattering in front of the grave stones of Ed and Al. Edward hated to see one of his friends cry like this and he wasn't able to do anything about it. Especially Winry. She was always crying over them and everytime Edward tried to make it seem as if he didn't care of her feelings.
"Winry! Look at me! Stop your waterworks and look at me!" Edward ordered.
Winry's head shot up. She looked around. "I-Is someone there?" She muttered.
"Yes!" Edward said happily. He reached forward towards Winry and his hand was successfully put on her shoulder. "Can you hear me now? Winry?"
"E-E-Edward?" She stumbled back towards the head stones. Winry looked at the opposite one. It read "Edward Elric", his Birthdate, and how good of a man he was. He was supposed to be dead! "Ed! You can't...I mean...look at this! You're supposed to be-"
"Well, I'm not," Edward crossed his arms.
"But the headstone. I saw your funeral. You were..." Winry closed her eyes tightly as if she didn't want to look at Edward any longer, "...All that was left was your automail. W-We couldn't bury your body. It was...was to mangled and severed to be put in such a respectable grave. So we just said we couldn't find the body to the commoners that came to your funeral."
"What happened to me then?" Ed asked.
"A woman with dark black hair, a boy, and a small man, you, and Al were fighting. You thought you had beaten them so you turned your back to talk to Al...that's when the woman stabbed you in the back," Winry replied.
Edward hated to hear about his own death. He made a sour face.
"I was told from then on...I-I can't say it!" She buried her face in her hands. She cried, "This isn't real! This isn't real!"
"I am real!" Edward shouted. His eyes softened as he asked "A-And what about Al...they just destroyed the seal and killed him off?"
Winry only kept crying. She was to distraught to reply.
"This is hopeless!" shouted Edward, throwing his arms into the air, and then brought them back down to put them on his hips "I'm not dead, Winry! I can promise you that! Look at me. Do I look dead to you!"
"You don't understand! I saw your dead body!" she hollered back.
"That's impossible. How could I be standing right in front of you if I'm dead? Answer that!" he argued.
"You're a ghost or something..." She sobbed out. Winry looked up at him, with tears in her beautiful blue eyes.
Edward reached forward and cupped one side of her face in his hand. He rubbed his thumb soothingly on her cold cheek, feeling horrible at watching such a good person cry un-needed tears. He kneeled down in front of her, his own eyes begging her to stop crying, and to just believe in him.
"How can I feel you? I don't understand..." Winry said.
"Me either. I don't understand much of what's going on. Look, I know this has to be a dream, it just has to be. But it seems so real."
"Yeah. I thought I had went to sleep but...then I was with Hawkeye. She explained what happened and we went through the whole funeral. Then, for some reason, I felt obligated to come here in the middle of the night. So I got dressed and came. I-I'm glad I did..."
"Then I'm really communicating with you..." He whispered. Edward grasped her shaking hand and said "Winry. I know you'll remember this when you wake up. It's happened to me before. Now, I need you to come to Central. Take the first train here. And go to Hughes's house."
"But why?"
"I need you to do a favor for me. You see..." He began explaining what happened to Al and Elisia. "That's what happened. I know it's hard to believe but..."
"So that's why you were fighting that black haired woman! Nobody would tell me what was going on!"
"And that's why I need you to come. If this is to truly happen...I need you to do something for me. Just answer me this...what did happen to Al?" Ed asked in a sad whisper. "They killed him, didn't they?"
"No."
"Then how did he die?"
"Al destroyed himself. After you died he became very depressed. He refused to talk to anybody and even though I couldn't see his tears, I could feel them. So, two weeks of suffering ended when he destroyed his own seal," Winry replied.
"That idiot...!" Edward slammed a fist into the ground. "He should have known better!"
"Edward..." Sobbed Winry. She jumped forward and wrapped her arms around the smaller boy. She closed him into a tight hug. "I'll come to Central! I swear I will! I'll do anything you ask me to! I just want to see you alive and well...and please. Don't try to be the hero before I get there, okay?"
Edward nodded. If this was his fate, then so be it. He would get his brother back. No matter what.
IIIII
In the hometown of Edward Elric and Alphonse, Winry woke up with her blankets thrown on the floor, and she was sitting up. Hugging her pillow. Blinking in a confused fashion she threw her pillow to the head of her bed. She brought up the ruffled blankets to her body so she could gain some warmth.
Was that really real? I mean, it could have just been a dream, but... Winry laid back down with a sad smile ...Why could I actually feel him as we hugged? It wasn't just my pillow either. I could feel him. His warmth. His breathe on my neck. It had to be somewhat real.
Though, if I'm wrong, it could be my last time seeing him,and then a flash of Edward's grave appeared in her mind, If it is true then he might die soon. I have to go to Central, Winry looked at the sun rising outside her window. Early morning. The next train out would be in an hour so she had to hurry, I'm packing my bags right away, Ed, and I promise I'll be there soon!
As she began to pack, Winry began to wonder what it was he wanted her to do.
IIIII
Edward was happy to find himself waking up. Hopefully Winry got the message. He did need her if it really was his fate for him to die in the battle. Ed gulped. He hated thinking he was going to die. Then again, he had a lot to live for still, and that was what kept him going from day to day.
He got up from his bed, painfully but he did, and walked over to the desk that was in front of his bed. Hopefully there would be some paper in there. Edward opened it and saw pictures of Elisia pasted all over it. Obviously it was Hughes work place if he wanted silence. Edward sat down with a piece of paper and a pen, then began to write.
IIIII
Winry took of her hat and placed it in her bag. It had been a long ride, as usual, but she had gotten here. Finally at Hughes house she took in a deep breath. Winry knocked on the door, hoping that she would be right about the dream, otherwise she would be extremely embarrassed. How often was it that people talked plans in their dreams? It couldn't be so often because she had never done that with Ed before.
Gracia opened the door with a surprised expression. "Winry?" she asked "What are you doing here, dear?"
Bowing, Winry explained as quick as she could, "I-I'm sorry to disturb you Gracia but is Edward here?"
"He is. But...how did you know? Did Riza tell you?"
"It's a very long story. Could I see him?" Winry asked, looking inside as if he were going to jump out at any moment.
"He's up in a room resting. I could take you to him. He's sort of injured, too, so don't be surprised."
As she walked in, Winry rolled her eyes, "It wouldn't be like Edward to have me over and him not be injured."
"Winry?" asked the voices of two familiar men.
"Hello," Winry waved to Hughes and Armstrong who were playing with a deck of cards. "I'm just here to see Ed is all."
"Sure," approved Hughes.
As they went up the stairs, Gracia said "Winry, I hate to tell you this, but Al...and Elisia...they were kidnapped yesterday."
"I know..." softly said Winry.
"How did you find out?"
"Ed told me," she blurted.
"But how? He hasn't gotten up to call you, has he?"
Deciding she didn't want anyone thinking she was crazy Winry nodded her head. "Y-Yes. This early morning. He told me everything and asked me to come. But don't tell him I told you, okay?"
"He should have stayed in bed," sighed Gracia.
"W-Well, you know Ed. Always getting into trouble!" Winry let out a fake laugh just to smooth things over.
"He's in here. I'll leave you two alone," Gracia said.
Winry did even knock. She rushed into the room, expecting Edward to be in agony on the bed, but he was still up in the chair. Writing. And he was supposed to be hurt!
"Winry! You came!" Edward said excitedly.
"You idiot!" Winry shouted. Ed covered his ears. "You should be in bed! Gracia said you were hurt! I can see that you are by your bandaging on your leg! Now get in bed before I pull you out of that chair and force you into there myself!"
"Fine, fine, fine," he muttered angrily. He stuffed something into his boxers pocket but Winry couldn't tell what. The blonde boy got into bed and asked "That better?"
"Yes. Much, thank you," she replied. Winry pulled up a chair and there was a silence. "S-So. That dream was real, eh?"
"Yeah. I told you it was," Edward replied.
"I thought I was going mental for a minute when I woke up. I woke up hugging my pillow," She thought aloud. Returning back to reality, she asked "So, there was something you wanted me to do?"
"Oh, yeah," He reached into his pocket to pull out what he had put in there just a moment ago. He looked at the three page writing that took him to many hours to write. He folded it in many ways so it was protected and handed it to his friend. "If anything happens to me, I want you to give this to Al."
"You aren't going to die," said Winry shakily. "You'll be okay. I'm sure of it."
"...Yeah..."
"Please, Ed, whatever you're planning to do, be careful about it!" Winry pleaded with him. "I don't know what I'd do if you were to die. I mean, we've been best friends for so many years, I'm used to having you around, even if you have been avoiding our hometown for the last four years."
"I'm sorry Winry. I can't make any promises. I have to do this though. They'll kill Elisia and Al if I don't go."
"But what about you-"
"I'm the responsible one. I have to go. If I die, atleast Al will be okay. That's all that matters. He's almost died on me once and I barely managed to save him then. It was my fault anyway. And this is my fault too...I have to correct my mistakes. If I don't I'm a failure."
"A failure? At what?" Winry asked. "You've done anything for anybody with hardly asking for something in return! You've saved peoples lives! There may have been some people who died on the way but I'm sure the count of the living is so much more then those that died! If you go fighting those monsters without self-confidence, thinking you're a failure, how do you expect to beat them? Did you ever stop to think that you are a hero to so many people?"
"Oh yeah? Like who!" Edward snapped.
"You're my hero!" Winry admitted.
"..." Ed remained silent.
"Ed, you've got to stop blaming yourself for everything that has happened to Al."
"Winry, stop it," Edward hissed "If you're trying to make me feel better you're doing a screwball job of it! Just get out of here if all you're going to do is lecture m-"
"Shutup and listen to me for once!" ordered Winry loudly. What was louder then that was the sound of Winry crying...her tears hitting the hard wood floors... "Just don't do anything stupid. If you sacrificed yourself, what would Al do, huh? What would I do? What about Grandma, Roy, Hawkeye, Elisia, Hughes, Gracia, and everyone else that cares about you?"
Edward sat up in his bed as she continued "Please, Edward, you've got to live not only for yourself but for those who love you. Going in thinking you're going to die and thinking you'll fail isn't going to help. It was only a dream. It was only a dream!"
Edward reached over to the crying girl and brought her to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and let her cry on his chest. Winry returned the hug without a second thought. He had never hugged her first before. It was kind of strange, yet, Winry loved it.
IIIII
I'm trying not to make it Edward/Winry. I'm trying really hard not to. And don't worry, Ed is going out to get Al and Elisia
back next time. I mean, I wouldn't kill Elisia (remember, she was supposed to be killed in the two days afterwards if Ed didn't come, just as a warning that they were serious) because she is just to cute for words. Please review! Plus, a thank you to all of my reviewers last time!
As for the whole dream thing, I know it seems stupid, but I couldn't think of any other way to get her to come! I mean, Ed wouldn't call her…atleast, I don't think he would.
'It's a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life
Won't you take me somewhere new?' - I'm With You, Avril Lavigne