Living on Borrowed Time
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Author's note: Wow, short chappie, I know. It's not on the Human Transmutation yet, I promise I'm totally getting to it in the next chapter. I just sort of felt the need for Ed to reflect and stuff...is it just me or is this a really rainy kind of fic? Somehow I feel like I've used it a lot... I hope this chapter doesn't sound to cliche, it felt needed...I hope that makes sense, but it probably doesn't
Chapter 16 – Rain
"I think that's it." Ed said after an hour of checking and rechecking Mustang's calculations. Mustang stood up slowly after putting the finishing touches on the forbidden array. Ed stood back to admire their deadly work. He'd never really thought of Mustang as an alchemist before this…usually just as a dog of the military, but upon reading his notes, Ed realized just how talented Mustang really was. There had been times while they were working that Ed had felt he couldn't go on, the arrays, the calculations brought back too many horrible memories…the memories of Al's body just fizzling away, the terrifying face of their makeshift mother. As much as he wanted to stop, one look at the colonel's face told him he couldn't. If Ed didn't help, Mustang would continue anyway…at least with Ed there they had a chance of getting it right.
"Thanks Ed." Mustang said, extending his hand out to shake. As Ed took it Mustang continued, "You don't know how much this means to me." Their hand drifted apart and Ed replied, "I think I do." Mustang gave him a sad smile, Ed probably understood him better than anyone right now. He turn to leave, he knew he couldn't stay for the transmutation, it brought back too many memories. Besides, something about this whole mess seemed really private, just for the Colonel and Lt. Hawkeye. Just as Ed reached for the door, Mustang's voice stopped him. "Ed. Could I ask you one more favor?" Ed turned and silently nodded. Mustang took a deep breath and said, "No matter the outcome of tonight, please don't tell anyone about this…not even Al." Ed nodded once more and let himself out. It was desperately dark outside and the rain drenched him in a matter of moments. Edward took a deep breath and let a few of the raindrops drip along his lips and eyelids. He couldn't help but feel he just helped someone commit suicide. As the rain soaked his hair and clothes thought of a story his mother told him once. She'd told him that the rain was heaven's way of crying…of helping the earth cleanse itself. He couldn't comprehend then how crying could be helpful, but Trisha had tried to help him understand.
--
"How can crying help anything?"
She
smiled sweetly at her son. "Sometimes, crying is the best way to
get things out, give yourself a clean slate. Sometimes, good things
come out of the bad."
"That
doesn't make any sense." The small boy replied.
"I'm sure it'll make sense one day."
"Well it doesn't matter anyway…Heaven's not crying, I studied about the rain in school…its just condensation and evaporation."
--
He hated himself now for correcting her; why couldn't he just pretend that he was still innocent? Despite all the science he knew, all the equations he could conceive, he silently wondered if someone up there was crying for him. Crying to help heal the pains of this life. He wondered slightly, if someone was up there trying to help something good come out of all this bad.