Chapter Three: Memories of the Fallen

"Ow!" Edward yelped, from a particularly nasty bump in the road. He was starting to remember why he hated these stupid carriages. Compared to these things, the train was a luxury! He had ridden this road before, the last time he was here. But it had been years, he had almost forgotten what it was like out here. And had he remembered how much he hated carriages, he probably would've just walked.

The train wasn't coming until late this evening, and he still had plenty of time to kill. So, Ed had decided, why not go visit some old friends? It could be nice to pave a trail back down memory lane. Not only that, but it would definitely be interesting to see how things had changed; it had been ten years since he'd come down this familiar road.

Riding in this bumpy carriage, he remembered the last time he'd been down this way. He had taken his brother Al, still recently bonded to a steel suit of armor, to look into an alchemist who went by the name of Majahal. Supposedly, Majahal wrote the book on human transmutation. Additionally, the man knew his father, Hohenheim of Light. Ed hadn't been certain if it was morbid curiosity or the faint hopes that Majahal would be able to help put Al back into his human body that had driven him to seek him out, but either way, he had found his way to Majahal's little home town.

Things, however, had not turned out as Ed could have hoped. Majahal was a psychopath, bonding the souls of young girls from around the village to mannequins constructed to resemble a woman named Karin, who Majahal was certain had perished. Though the woman still lived, Majahal was simply too insane to care for her, now that she was in her old age, and had instead chosen to die pursuing a fantasy.

Majahal had been the first crack in Ed's fantasy of alchemy. The first time he had truly seen the horrors it could bring. He had learned many lessons that day, and still had many more to come. Shou Tucker, Scar, the Philosopher's Stone, the Homonculi themselves...the wars in Ishbal and Liore...so many ways that alchemy could go so horribly wrong. As a boy, he believed in alchemy as a wonderful gift, a truly benevolent thing. It was the science that made you feel like you were magic. But he had grown up since then, and he knew better now. Alchemy, like any other force in existence, had the potential to be both a gift and a curse. It could be used to save lives, or it could be used to destroy them. A blessing and a weapon, at the same time.

And, as Majahal had been the first to show him, it could so easily corrupt. Alchemy was an incredible power. It had the power to do great things, but it also had the power to grant false promises. It could delude a man into believing he could go so far as to bring back the dead. Ed knew this one personally, and when he thought about it, it caused him to wince for a moment. He cast a forlorn gaze at the empty seat across from him, where ten years before, his little brother Alphonse had sat. Alchemy, Ed concluded, was both the greatest of tools, and the greatest of illusions.

"AHHHHHHH!" Ed bolted up in his seat, as the carriage came to a sudden stop. He had heard a shrill, feminine scream coming from outside the carriage, in the woods to the west. Before he knew what he was doing, the door was thrown open and he was out and running, whipping through the trees and hurrying deeper into the dark forest. The Fullmetal Alchemist had taken control, acting on pure instinct, and he was on his way to find the woman that had screamed.

"LET ME GO!" He was getting closer now, he could almost see them. A large, muscular man, with a black eyepatch over his right eye. Dressed in light green and brown, which Ed guessed was probably to blend in with the forest in the daylight. He had a young woman on the ground, holding her by the throat with his left hand, and brandishing a dagger in his right.

"Show me what you really are, demon!" the man shouted at her, the dagger held menacingly above. He looked as though he would strike without a moment's notice, and Ed knew he had to hurry.

"Please, I don't know what you're talking about," the woman whimpered, and as Ed drew closer, he could make her out. She had long, black hair, splayed against the ground, and silvery green eyes that quivered with fear. She wore a slick, black dress that was ripped and torn from what Ed assumed had been quite the struggle, which made him question just what this man had pulled her from. And the fact that she looked to be just exiting her teen years made him question the man's accusation.

"LIAR!" the enraged man roared. "I KNOW IT WAS YOU, BITCH! The rest may not believe me, but I know." He raised the dagger to strike, and it was at that moment that Ed knew he had to act. Stopping just ten feet from the man and clapping his hands together in place of a transmutation circle, Ed slammed the his palms against the two trees he had slipped between. Branches from above were drawn into the trees in order to fuel the transmutation, as four branches whipped out and grasped him, pulling him back off the terrified young woman.

The man yelped in surprise as thick, wooden branches wrapped around his wrists and ankles, yanking him back off his feet. "Hey–the hell!" He snarled down at the young woman, while struggling against the natural bonds. "You did this, didn't you! You...you witch!"

"Calm down," Ed threw at him. "Yeesh, when you get going, you really don't stop, do you?" His familiar red coat whipped in the wind, as he stepped towards the young girl. "Hey, are you okay?" The frightened young thing must have been more afraid than he'd though. As he knelt down to talk to her, he couldn't help but notice that her skin was surprisingly pale. Yet...there was a certain familiarity to her that he was struggling to place.

"I..." she swallowed hard, trying to compose herself. "I think so. Thank you...um...thanks." Her eyes looked to the ground, and he could tell she was embarrassed. Clearly, she wasn't the type that enjoyed having to be rescued. Almost like...hey, wait a minute. The thought clicked in his mind right then, and it seemed to strike her as well. He saw her eyes run over his coat, over the black pants and vest, and his blond, braided hair. "...wait a minute..." he heard the recognition in her voice, and it was then he realized why she looked so familiar. "Edward?"

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Having left the attacker behind, the two had begun their walk back to town. Ed figured by now that the carriage had left without him, but he knew they couldn't be far if she was here. "I can't believe it," she laughed, her voice carrying through the trees. "It's been...what, nine years?"

"Ten," Ed corrected, with a smile on his lips.

"Ten years...wow."

Ed couldn't believed he was staring at Klose! The long, slightly ruffled hair, the sparkling eyes, the dress...the DRESS! His eyes kept passing back to that, and remembering her the last time he'd been here. Baggy pants, baggy shirt, poofy little cap on her head... "Y'know, I said it last time I saw you, and I'll say it again. You're DEFINITELY much prettier when you don't dress like a paperboy."

The young woman, now 5'3", smiled down at him. "I'll take that as a compliment," she grinned.

Ed's eyes kept traveling back to her. "You've...um...you've definitely grown since last I saw you."

"Thanks," Klose smirked back at him. "And you've...um...you look...good." He still couldn't believe how much she had changed. The last time he'd been here, she was a just a scrawny kid with a nasty attitude towards everyone around her. Her sister had died recently, and she was taking it out on everyone. Rather than grieve, she seemed to be hiding her feelings under a mask of anger and malice, believing that a ghost had killed her sister. In actuality, however, her sister had been one of the seven girls that had fallen victim to the psychosis of Majahal.

In fact...now that Ed thought about it, something seemed wrong about her. "Are you okay?" he asked softly, trying to figure her out. She was acting TOO NICE, and now he was starting to get suspicious.

Klose just smirked, her eyes cast forward. "Don't worry about me, Ed. There's town. You should probably go on ahead, I'll...I'll catch up. There are some things I need to take care of." Ed felt one of his eyebrows lifting, as his suspicion began to rise.

"Okay..." he muttered, walking on ahead. "Um...I'll see you later?"

"Sure," Klose smirked, and he could see a glint in her eyes that spooked him. What was up with her?

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Ed felt the ground with every step. He could feel each step under each of his boots, and it made him smile. He still hadn't gotten tired of that feeling in his left leg, of the sensations they gave him. This was so much better than automail. He felt...he felt complete, and that could put a smile on his face. At least, until he remembered the sacrifice that had given him that left leg and right arm.

But try as he might, he couldn't get himself too down about it. He remembered Rose's words from that day, four years ago, and he knew deep down that she was right. Al would want him to enjoy what he had given him. His brother wouldn't want him to depress himself over what happened, he would want him to move on. Still...he could be strong, for Al, but he would never forget. He knew that in his heart. He would never forget the brother he lost to his own youthful foolishness.

As he looked around the town, he noticed that not much had changed since the last time he'd been here. He wondered what had been done with old Majahal's place, once its psychopath was no longer among the living. He also wondered what–

"Hey!" He heard a voice from the left, which distracted him from his solemn walk. "Aren't you that Edward Elric fella?"

"Um..." Ed's face blanked for a moment. There was a man, dressed all in brown, with a thick, unshaven beard covering his face, and short, brown hair. "Yeah...yeah, that would be me...do I know you?"

"HEY EVERYBODY!" the man yelled out. "THE GHOST-KILLER'S BACK!" Ed's face blanked for a minute, lost in the sheer confusion, before he found himself lifted up by a crowd of ten or fifteen people. If he had been confused before, he didn't even know what to call himself now.

"Wait, wait, ghost killer?" Ed mumbled out, trying to get a clarification. But all he got were cheers from the disturbing people holding him up. "Hey, put me down, I'm trying to–HEY! WATCH YOUR HANDS!"

The man grinned, looking up at Ed hoisted above the gaggle. "We've heard all about your exploits, Fullmetal Alchemist. We've all been keepin' a close ear out for any word we could get on the ghost killer."

Ed struggled to speak while being handled by the crowd. "Ghost–what are you talking about? Ghost killer?"

The bearded man laughed at Ed's uncertainty. "You know what I'm talking about. Word has it, that psycho Majahal was makin' evil spirits up in his old place, 'fore you came 'round and whipped them all to pieces."

...well, the pieces were starting to come together. Ed guessed that what happened up at Majahal's must have slipped out. But those weren't ghosts he was making, and Ed hadn't really done much aside from...well, okay, he had killed Majahal, but it was an accident...kinda...

"What brings a famous guy like you back to our little haunt?" the bearded man asked.

Ed shrugged, not really sure himself. "Was waiting for the train to Central. I just figured it might be nice to take a trip back down. Speaking of which, anyone know where a woman named Klose has gone? We were talking just out in the woods, and–ACK!" He felt himself drop just then, the crowd letting go of him and letting him hit the ground. Everyone backed away, and he noticed their faces twisted now in an expression of what could either be described as hurt or anger. "Gah, what was that for!"

"That's not funny," the bearded man scolded. "We don't have much 'round these parts, but we don't need someone, not even the Ghost-Killer, coming 'round and rubbin' salt in old wounds." Ed could feel a definite menace in the man's voice, and began to crawl back when he recognized the hostility that was growing on the people's faces. "We're grateful for what you've done for us, Edward Elric. But at this point...I think it might be best for you to leave." That wasn't a suggestion, and Ed could tell. His eyes narrowed, trying to figure out what he had said to make such a sudden shift in these people's temperament, especially one that struck them all.

"Yeah, yeah, fine," he muttered. "I need to get back to my train, anyway."

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Grumbling to himself, Edward stepped back into the forest. That had certainly been a weird encounter, and he couldn't figure out what the heck had just happened back there. First they were cheering for him, then they were kicking him out. However...looking back, that seemed to be the story of his life. He couldn't remember a time when a crowd had gathered around him in awe, happiness, or some other great, happy emotion, that DIDN'T end in them throwing him out on his bum.

With a sigh, he consigned himself to the fact that some people are just moody. And, he knew, that was that. He would head back to the train and hopefully forget this stupid visit ever occurred. Besides, he needed to focus. Mustang probably had something up his sleeve, and he wanted to–

"Threw you out, huh?" There was her voice again, from his right. Turning towards the direction of the sound, he saw her again, the young woman Klose. "Probably should've warned you, but they're a bit grumpy. Especially after three years back."

"Three years..." Ed struggled with the date. Three years ago he had been in Central with Rose. They'd been staying in a dorm at the Central State Headquarters, while he watched out for politics. Mustang had done a lot of political back and forth then, but eventually he grew tired of it. Besides, Rose had been worried that Mustang's political attempts would backfire, and she'd be taken into military custody again. She was, after all, one of the leaders in the insurgency of Liore.

Klose just laughed at Ed's inability to place what she was talking about. "You weren't here, so don't feel bad about not knowing. C'mon, I got something to show you. Think you can keep up?" Without another word, she raced off into the trees. He turned to chase after, but felt something catch his foot, causing him to fall right on his face. By the time he was up, she was already gone into the distance, and he had to push himself to catch up.

"Come on!" she called back. "I thought MEN were supposed to be faster than that!" He could hear her laugh after making her crack, and it made him feel more secure. NOW she was acting like the Klose he'd known.

As he whipped through the trees, he saw her fading into the distance. How the heck could she run so fast! He pushed himself harder, refusing to lose her, while pushing his voice to call out at her. "Where are we going!" His response was only a laugh, however, which urged him to push harder.

"Don't feel bad!" she called back at him. "You're probably just having trouble because of your short legs!" Ed felt this one like a knife in his gut. Anger rose to his legs, pushing them like he'd never pushed them before, and he raced after her with every ounce of strength he could muster.

"I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S SO SMALL HE COULD GET STUCK IN THE SOLE OF A BOOT!" he raged after her, but to no avail. He had lost her entirely. He slowed now, coming to a stop in the eerie, silent forest. Casting his head back and forth, looking for her, he found that he could see no trace of her.

But, before he could start to wonder which way she had gone, he heard her voice calling him from the left. "It's not far now, just hurry up!" He smirked, knowing he had caught her now. Racing back to the left, he pushed for more distance, as he entered a dark, shady area of the forest. There was an eerie quiet in this place, which took him by surprise. Even this far from a city, one could usually hear some noise. Birds chirping, squirrels chittering, wind blowing...something. But here...here there was nothing.

He slowed his pace, stepping silently into the small glade before him. The trees had opened up, and he found his eyes looking around at the branches above, trying to place it. Where were the animals? The birds...the anything? This place felt like a–

"WAGH!" For what felt like the umpteenth time, he felt his foot catch on something, and fell face first to the ground. This time, however, there was something to meet him as he fell, cracking against his head and leaving a splitting pain in his skull. Dust flew up where he struck, covering his clothes and nesting in his hair, as he tried to push himself up. What had–

His eyes fell on the object before him, and for a moment, he couldn't breathe. His mind took a moment, trying to register it, while his eyes and ears both strained to make sense of what lay before him. "We're here," he heard her say, but her voice felt so distant. This couldn't...this didn't make any sense. This couldn't be right, this just...no, it couldn't be. She was standing right there, ahead of him, in the forest. And for several minutes, he just stared, his mind struggling for anything it could find, any way to explain the horror before him.

R.I.P

Klose Silvermire

The greatest tragedy is an innocence lost before its time.

"What..." Any humor, any fun that he had found in the chase was lost, as he gazed upon the stone semicircle that lay before him. "What happened...what's going on?" Slowly, as he started to register it, he began to crawl back off the dirt beneath him, the moved, grassless dirt below; the space which he had come to realize was a grave.

His eyes passed up from the stone, to Klose, standing forty feet away, behind the grave. And as his eyes settled on her, he understood. To his horror, he understood. Because as she stood there, facing away, he could see the proof he didn't want to accept, the evidence that frightened him to the center of his being. Because right there, on the back of her neck, was a blood red tattoo of a circle, formed of a snake eating its own tail.

"Welcome to my grave, Edward." He heard her voice speak, but the tone was different. She had been so nice, so fun...but now, all he heard in her voice was malice. "This is what happens when you rely on people. I trusted you. You were my hero. You saved me from Majahal, and I let myself believe that you would be there." He heard her words, but he couldn't understand them. She wasn't...she was...was she? His mind, so briefly, flashed back to Sloth, and the memories she had claimed to have. There was an answer there, but he was trying to make sense of it. And this woman, this Klose, this...this Homonculus, as he had recognized she could be nothing else, was not helping to make things any clearer. "I trusted you, and you let me down. You let me die."

"Klose..." Ed struggled with his voice, struggled to make it speak. "What's going on? Why did you bring me here?"

"I brought you here because you deserved to know." The Homonculus turned back towards him; her eyes felt as though they were burning holes in his soul. "You deserved to see what you did, Edward. And I wanted to see the pain on your face when you found out. This isn't over between us, Ed. Believe me, you and I have only just begun. But this isn't the time." As he watched, the Homonculus, Klose, was engulfed in flames. His eyes widened, watching the fire burn all across her body, but she just stood there defiantly in the flame.

"I have new friends now, Edward." As she spoke, Ed felt something move behind him. He whipped around, trying to find it, but all he saw was air and trees. "They've taken me in, given me a home. My boss has even given me a new name, and y'know, I think I like him. He seems to hate you even more than I do." Ed's eyes were moving all over the place now, trying to find what he had felt behind him, while not forgetting the flaming form of Klose. "Go ahead, try it out for yourself. See how it feels on the tongue. My name, Ed. They call me Greed now."

Ed's mind had just finished registering that, when he felt something powerful strike him from behind. He felt something heavy strike the back of his head, and it was the last thing he felt before he hit the ground. "I'll see you later, Edward," he heard as his hearing began to fade. "My valiant hero," was the last to pass his ears before consciousness failed him.

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WHOOOOOOM!

The sound of the train snapped Edward awake from his slumber. As he lay on a cold, cement bench, just inside the train station, he found himself suddenly aroused by the booming sound of the train's horn. Spooked for only a second, he bolted up from his position to find his red coat draped over him like a blanket.

Immediately, his right hand moved up to his head, to massage his forehead. What was that, that just happened? Some horrible dream, or...no...as his hand moved, he felt something resting softly in it. Uncurling his fingers, he found a sight that filled him with dread. Clenched in his palm was the soft, wet bud of a white lily flower. The flower of death.

If there is an official last name for Klose, I would appreciate hearing it. Far as I'm aware, there isn't, so I kinda had to make one up for the tombstone. >.>