Note from the Author: This is my first story. Don't be hard on me.

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA. God this is pointless.

Alone with the Flame

She was lying in bed, all alone. She was pale and weak. Her eyes, although still beautiful, were no longer bright but dim. She kept on looking out from the window, as if she was expecting someone. She was, but who? Perhaps it would be the best that she continued to wait, because that was what kept her alive, for now. Winry Rockbell was dying from tuberculosis.

Choking blood, gasping for air and feeling weak, Winry was in bed for nearly five months. She was in the house all by herself. She had no one. Her parents were killed in Ishbal Rebellion. They were military doctors. Winry heard that they were killed by military order. But who killed them she did not know. She didn't want to know. Her grandmother Pinako died a year ago. Her death was so sudden that Winry was in shock for more than a month. She was in her auto-mail shop in the morning. Before she left, this four-feet tall little old lady kissed her granddaughter goodbye. Then, that very evening, she was found dead in the shop. She died from a heart attack. The doctor told Winry that Pinako suffered no pain. But for Winry, it did not lessen her pain.

She was now indeed, all alone. Her dog Denver, God knows what happened to him. Actually, Winry forgot all about Denver. Maybe Denver ran off. Or maybe he was still somewhere near her house. Or perhaps he was starved to death. Whatever the possibility was, Winry could care less.

Every morning, she looked out from the window. She saw the sun rise. Then every evening, she witnessed the sunset. At every night, she watched the moonshines. She hoped that she would see two figures walking toward her under the light—a smaller one and a gigantic one. The gigantic figure was just a huge armor. But inside the armor contained someone precious—the soul of her childhood friend, Alphonse Elric. Alphonse Elric was a loving, caring and sensitive boy. Yet, sadly, after failed to revive his dead mother from the process of human transmutation, he lost his body. All he was, right now, was a soul in empty shell. All he had was the memory from the past. Although he should be about fifteen now, his voice still sounded as if he was only ten. The smaller figure was the person whom she wanted to see the most—Edward Elric. Ed was the older brother of Alphonse. He looked like a 13 year-old, mostly due to his height, but he was about the same age as she. A guy with a hot temper. He was not a perfect person all right. But to Winry, he was the perfect guy for her. Everyday she waited for his return. However, days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months and months turned to years. There was no sign of him. Sometimes Winry would flip over the pages of an atlas and wondering, where could he be? Wherever he was, he was not at Resemboo.

Lying in the bed and staring at the ceiling, in her heart she cried, Ed! Ed! Where are you? I want to see you! Tears streamed down from her empty eyes.

Suddenly, the strong knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Ed? Is that you? Winry wanted to climb out of the bed, but she was too weak. The knock on the door became stronger. Then, the door was slammed open. There were footsteps. Winry's heart pounded excitedly as the footsteps approached to her room. Edward! At last!

But once she saw the shadow of the figure, she was disappointed. It was a figure of a tall man. Whoever it was, it was not Ed. Was it Al? No. It was too small to be Al. Who is it then?

The figure entered the room. It was a man—black hair, tall, handsome. He looked familiar to her. Had she seen him anywhere before? Probably.

"Miss Rockbell?" he asked.

"Ye…yes," Winry replied weakly.

"You don't recognize me? It's Colonel Roy Mustang, commanding officer of Fullmetal."

"Oh." Winry wanted to say something more, but ended up coughing hoarsely.

"Are you all right?" Roy asked with concern. He walked closer to her. His eyes widened when he saw the blood on her handchief.

"Is Ed…is Ed…something happened to Ed…"

Roy hesitated. It seemed like he did not know how to respond.

"No, Fullmetal is all right, he…"

"You are lying," Winry interrupted him. "He is not okay. Or else, you won't come all the way from Central…to see me…"

"He didn't tell you…did he? He heard that you are ill. But the Furher sent him to an important mission. He is worried about you. So, he asked me to come and see how you doing. That pipsqueak may hate me, but he does trust me."

"Really…"

"Really."

"Does…does he…does he have anything to say to me?"

Roy closed his eyes. He remained like that as if he was into deep thoughts. Winry looked at him, and stared at his face. That face, it's so handsome. Yet, it is also mysterious. Is he hiding something from me?

"Colonel?"

"Yes…oh yes," Roy opened his eyes and smiled. "He asked me to tell you, 'Winry, of all people I know in this life, you are the one who means to me the most. I want you to get well. I want you to live. I want to see you when I return to Resemboo with Al…I remember you are a girl of sunshine. Remain that way. Remember, I think about you everyday. It is always I who love you the most…"

"Love me…he said that he loves me?" Winry asked.

"Yes, I believe so."

"Colonel…"

"Please, call me Roy."

"R…Roy, he is coming back, is he? When?"

Roy hesitated for a moment. Then with his bare hand reached to her forehead, he told her, "I don't know. But soon."

"Soon…soon…" Winry whispered. Then the whisper became the weep. Tears streamed down from her eyes.

"Miss Rockbell, don't cry. Here." Roy offered her his handchief.

"He is coming home, soon! Soon!" Winry cried. Then sitting up, crying out to the empty room, "You hear that, Ed is coming back. He's coming to see me! He is coming to see me!"

Then, exhausted, she fell back on the bed, coughing.

"Miss Rockbell, please, you must lie down."

"No, I can't. He's coming to see me…oh look at me, I'm so thin and pale…and my hair, it's such a mess! I got to…I got to fresh up…I want him to see the in the most beautiful…"

"No, Miss Rockbell, please! You must lie down…you are beautiful…"

"I am?"

"Yes, you are the most beautiful girl I ever seen."

Winry quieted down. She stared at the ceiling with saying a word. Then, she looked at Roy and asked, "Can you bring me my mirror and…and a comb? I want to fresh up. Please, colonel…"

Roy got up. He looked at her, then he walked over to her dresser. He brought her a small mirror and a comb. Winry reached out her hands. But she realized that her hands are too weak. Roy realized that too.

"Here, lean on me."

Roy lifted her up, letting her sit up on the bed and lean back on him. Then, he handed her the mirror.

"Hold this," he told her.

Released her hair from the bon, he began to comb her hair. It was quite surprising that he did it well. The comb did not caught with the knots in her hair. It went down smoothly as if it was in streams of river. Winry looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were red from crying and the lack of sleep. She skin was pale white. Her lips were dry with bloodstains. Beautiful, yeah right.

"You are beautiful, Miss Rockbell," Roy said, as if he could read her thoughts. "You may not think so, but many do. I do. And Fullmetal does. You know, he once told me that you are the most beautiful creature out there."

"He did?"

"Yes. His actual words were, 'Of all the women you dated, Colonel, none of them can compare to Winry. None of them has the good-looks of hers. I guarantee you, once I married her, I would be the guy in the military with the most beautiful woman. Every soldier would be jealous of me instead of you.'"

Winry laughed weakly. "He said that?"

"He did."

"Colonel Roy, have you ever combed a girl's hair before…you seemed to be very experienced."

"I did, once. When I was a small boy, I combed my mother's hair…" Roy wanted to continue on, but thought better of it. He decided not to say anymore. I combed her hair before her body became six-feet under.

Winry reached her hand to his. "It's okay now. You don't have to do it anymore. My hair…it looks great."

Roy put down the comb on the nightstand. Then he tried to lie Winry gently back on the bed.

"No," Winry stopped him. "Just hold me."

Roy agreed. He sat on the bed while Winry leaned against him. With the mirror in her hands, she looked at herself. Then, she began to speak, "I am here, all alone, aren't I? When I was young, there was mama, papa, granny, Ed and Al. I always played with Ed and Al. They used to fight over for me. Yeah…once Ed gave me a ring made of grass and asked me to marry him…I told him…I told him, 'Marry me when you grow six inches taller.' He got so pissed…then I go home, and there was mama making the dinner and papa smoking by the door way…and granny…granny with her wrench…Then…then…it happened…My parents were killed in the war…I never knew the details…but all I know is that they were gone…Ed told me that I will always have him…and he'll never leave me…but he did, with Al…they used to come back once a while…then they just…they never returned…And granny left me too…and Denver…wait Denver! Where is Denver?"

"Shhh! I just saw Denver! He was fine, eating his lunch."

"You did? Yeah, Denver…God, it's hard to imagine. I always thought that my house was too small for so many people…but now, I have no one by my side…"

"What are you talking about? You have me, on behalf of Fullmetal, and Alphonse, remember?"

"Yeah…"

After a moment of silence, Winry touched Roy's hand.

"Your hands are so warm…"

Roy covered her hands with his.

"There is something Fullmetal wants you to have, Miss Rockbell."

"What is it?"

He handed her the silverwatch. Winry's eyes widened.

"It's his…it's his watch! But he never allowed me to come near it before! How…why…"

"Because he cares for you…he wants me to hand this to you…when you see it, it will be like seeing him…"

"Oh Ed! Oh Ed…" Winry wept. Then she became quiet. Dead quiet.

"Miss Rockbell, there is something else I must tell you…" Roy said, breaking the silence. "Your parents…they…they were good, brave people…once there was a young man who only follow orders. He was ordered to kill them. And he did. He never forgives himself for what he did. And he tried to kill himself. But he was saved by another good soul. Since then, he made a promise. He promise that he would one day stop all the wars…he will make amends…you may hate him…you may want to kill him…but he does suffer…because every time he closes his eyes, he sees two death people and the blood on his hands…it will forever haunt him…he lives in pain…but what make him guilty the most…was the fact that he took the most precious people away from you…he…he…"

Roy wanted to continue on. But he couldn't. It was too much for him. He could feel tears in his eyes.

Smash! There was a sound of a cracked mirror. What is it? Roy looked to the place where the sound came from. It was Winry's mirror. She must have dropped it. Oh, great. A broken mirror. Seven years of bad luck.

"You dropped the mirror, Miss Rockbell."

No respond from her. Was she asleep?

"Miss Rockbell?" Roy got up from the bed and looked at her face. "Miss Rockbell?"

Still no response. Roy touched her face. It was stone cold. Why, she was gone! But when? Did she hear what he just said to her? Had she learned that the man who was holding her was the man who took her beloved one away from her? Only God knows. Right now, she was rest in peace.

Roy was stunned for a while. A little could he imagine that a decision he made ten years ago would make things the way it was now. With his shaking hand, he pulled the cover up to her face. Then he walked over to the phone and made a call to the headquarter. Winry would be buried along with the Elric brothers as well as the Rockbells. Ed, Al, Winry, Pinako and Mr. and Mrs. Rockbell will be all buried together. May their souls rest in peace.

Roy took out the piece of folded document from his paper. It was no longer needed now. She doesn't need to know, because she already joined him in the other side of the world. With a snap of finger, he set the paper on fire. Then, he quietly walked out of the house.